HSS2502012

♪ theme music ♪

(Derek) Welcome to Hope Sabbath School,

an in-depth, interactive study

of the Word of God.

It's been an amazing series,

Bible Prophecies and Stories

for the Last Days,

today, Lessons from Two Fiery Furnaces,

yes, and lessons for our lives as we face

the last days of Earth's history.

It's going to be a great study,

so welcome to Hope Sabbath School.

And I'm excited

because one of our team members,

Stephanie, is going to be leading

our study today.

It's going to be a blessing, I know.

And what a great team,

turn and say, "Hi," to each other.

We're glad you're here today,

and we've got some remotes with us.

Let's see who's with us.

Alex, great to have you back with us,

good to see you.

Heide, always good to have you with us.

And, Travis, good to have you with us

as we study today.

And we're glad you're here.

You say, "Derek, I have my Bible ready.

I want to study."

Some of us may not have grown up

knowing much of the Bible.

Maybe even the story we'll study today

from the book of Daniel will be

totally new to you, but you'll learn

lessons that God wants you to learn

for your life today.

So, we're glad you're with us,

and we're glad you write to us,

[e-mail].

Tell us how God led you to the program

or how you're being blessed.

Jacobs writes to us from Malawi

in the heart of Africa and says,

"Hello, Hope Sabbath School..."

(Team) Hello.

(Derek) He says,

"...and all fellow believers," so I guess

all of you out there he is

waving to, as well.

"Your dedication to sharing

the Word of God is truly inspiring.

May we all be transformed by God's love

and grace," and we say?

(Team) Amen!

(Derek) That's it; this is

not just information;

it's about transformation

by the Word of God.

"Thank you for guiding us

on this journey of faith."

Now, he's writing from Malawi,

and we're sitting here in a studio,

but someone in Malawi is saying,

"Thank you for guiding us on this journey.

May the Lord continue

to bless your ministry abundantly."

Well, Jacobs, thanks for taking the time

to write to us from your beautiful country

and God bless you

to be a light for Jesus there.

Here's a note from Nancy in Idaho.

Oh, and we've got Nancy in the group,

but not you, Nancy.

Nancy from Idaho in the U.S.,

and she writes, "I especially like

how one team member shares

their understanding of the Scripture,

and then other team members are inspired

to build on that thought," we call that?

Interactive, that's right.

It's an in-depth, interactive study.

"It's as if one can see

the Holy Spirit in action."

(Team) Wow. Amen.

(Derek) "God is truly amazing.

Please thank everyone on the team

including those who put together

the outstanding set."

That's what we're sitting on, right?

"The graphics are beautifully done;

the acoustics are good, even for people

who are hard of hearing, like me,

and the font size of the text is spot on."

That's an expression meaning it's

big enough so we can see it.

"Everything about the set,

the seating arrangement, is well done.

I really appreciate the effort

that's gone into this program

that enhances our understanding

of the Word of God."

Well, Nancy, you have been

paying attention, and there are things

that we learn from your feedback,
thank you.

We'll make sure also that we

speak slowly and clearly

so that everyone can hear

a word from the Lord.

A donor couple from Oregon,

that's in the northwest

of the United States, right?

The donor couple write and say,

"We love Hope Sabbath School,

and we watch every Friday evening.

We love the interaction

with the wonderful Christian people

from all over the world."

Now, just kind of turn

and take a look at each other here.

Do we all look the same?

You all look beautiful,

including our remotes,

but we don't all look the same,

and, you know, that's not accidental

because we represent

the whole family of God.

Someone say Amen.

That's right, and the donors notice that.

"We live in a remote area

in Southern Oregon.

We've got people in Malawi, right?

We've got someone now in a remote area

in Southern Oregon in the United States.

"Thank you for all you teach

about our Lord Jesus Christ."

(Team) Amen.

(Derek) And a donation of 500 dollars

to bless the ministry.

Thank you, you know who you are

there in beautiful Southern Oregon,

and thank you for being part

of the miracle; we're donor supported

We are wanting Jesus to come soon,

and He wants all of His children

to be ready, so thank you

for your support.

Thanks to each one of you

who says, "Derek, I'd like

to be part of the miracle."

You can go to our website,

hopetv.org/hopess,

click on the Donate button

or send us a letter.

God bless you and thank you.

One last note, from Arthel in The Bahamas.

Would anybody like to go visit

Arthel in The Bahamas?

For those of you in different parts

of the world, you say,

"Where are The Bahamas?"

Well, they are these beautiful islands

in the Caribbean, right?

And Arthel writes, "I watch

Hope Sabbath School every day

at 6 a.m. from Nassau, The Bahamas.

I greatly appreciate

the Hope Sabbath School team members

who give us an in-depth, interactive study

of the Word of God," can you tell

he's been watching, "with a variety

of views and discussion.

Be encouraged in spreading

the Word of God as we exalt

the name of God together."

(Team) Amen!

(Derek) Well, Arthel, I'd love to meet

all of the people that write these emails,

but thank you for taking the time

to write to us.

And, you know, we're coming

toward the close of this series,

but an important topic,

Lessons from Two Fiery Furnaces...

That's why that free gift -

go to our website, hopetv.org/hopess,

click on the Free Gift tab -

that's why the free gift is there for you

during this series

because while there may be challenges

coming (didn't Daniel say

a time of trouble such as never was),

we do not need to be afraid

because our strong Deliverer is with us.

We'll learn that in our study today.

Now, we're going to sing a song.

You say, "Derek, why do you take time

to sing Scriptures?"

Well, because Jesus promised

that the Holy Spirit will bring it

to our remembrance when we need it.

So, let's sing our theme song,

Colossians 3:16, "Let the word

of Christ dwell in you."

♪ music ♪

(Derek) Stephanie, I was thinking

we not only want to sing with grace

in our hearts, but we want to study

with grace in our hearts,

so thanks for leading us in prayer

as we begin our study today.

(Stephanie) Let's pray.

Dear heavenly Father, Lord,

thank You for Your Word, and thank You

for the lessons that we can learn from it.

May we have a clear understanding

of how You guide in our lives

and how You will be with us in our lives.

In Jesus' name. Amen.

(Derek, Team) Amen.

(Stephanie) So, the study today is

on two fiery furnaces.

When you think of a "fiery furnace,"

what comes to your mind?

Something comfortable?

What do you think of? Jason?

(Jason) Pain.

(Stephanie) Pain.

(Joshua) Destruction.

(Stephanie) Destruction. Gladys?

(Gladys) Hot.

(Stephanie) Alright.

(Jenner) Punishment.

(Stephanie) Punishment, alright.

So, as we consider

the fiery furnaces today,

both on the plain of Dura

and also in the early Christian church,

let's keep in mind that, while these

are fiery furnaces, God is not letting us

walk alone through those, right?

And we'll see that very distinctly.

Before we get into the plain of Dura,

which I'm anxious to get to,

let's remind ourselves the purpose

of the stories and why they were

recorded in the Bible.

First Corinthians, chapter 10,

verses 11 and 12, and, Jason, if you

would open our study today,

1 Corinthians, chapter 10,

verses 11 and 12.

(Jason) I'll be reading

from the New King James Version,

and the Bible says:

And verse 12 says:

(Stephanie) So, what is it that we need

to take away from the Scripture?

Why were they written?

What was the purpose of the stories

recorded in the Bible?

(Gladys) For our admonition

and for us to learn something,

a warning for us and admonition.

(Stephanie) That's right,

a warning and an admonition.

Now, let's go over to Romans,

chapter 15 and look at verse 4,

and, Nancy, if you would read that for us,

Romans, chapter 15 and verse 4.

What does the Bible say?

(Nancy) Romans 15, verse 4, I'm reading

from the New King James Version,
and it says:

(Stephanie) Why were

the Scriptures written?

(Jenner) So we may have hope.

(Stephanie) That we might have hope.

Isn't it interesting that it says,

"through patience"?

What requires patience?
Go ahead, Jason.

(Jason) Testing, trials at times?

(Stephanie) Yes, trials, right.

What about comfort?

What does that indicate?

We're going to need it, right?

So, as we consider that God

ahead of time prepared hope for us

to look forward to when we walk

through the challenges, let's now turn

to Daniel, chapter 3, Daniel, chapter 3

and looking at verse 1.

And, Heide, if you would read Daniel,

chapter 3, looking at verse 1,

we see something interesting taking place.

King Nebuchadnezzar had a plan.
Go ahead, Heide.

(Heide) I'll be reading

from the New King James Version:

(Stephanie) So how was this construction

of such a massive statue,

golden, all gold statue,

in direct defiance to what God

had revealed to King Nebuchadnezzar?
Jenner.

(Jenner) God had revealed

that Nebuchadnezzar's kingdom

was just part of the history,

but he was making a statement now,

Nebuchadnezzar, saying that he

wants the whole thing.

(Stephanie) That's right.

How do we know that? How do you know that?

That gold, Babylon, was only part
and not entire?

(Jenner) Because there is

another kingdom that will come after them.

(Stephanie) That's right. Puia.

(Puia) Well, if we go back to Daniel,

chapter 2, we find this amazing story,

actually, where Nebuchadnezzar was

wondering what will be in the latter days,

or how long his kingdom would last,

and God gave him a dream.

And through Daniel, God told him

that his kingdom would be conquered

by an inferior kingdom, a second kingdom.

That would be conquered by the third,

and the fourth, and how that

would be divided,

and ultimately God's Kingdom

would come to Earth.

So, Nebuchadnezzar was informed

that his kingdom was not going

to last forever, but in chapter 3,

we find that he's building

this great image of gold

for the entire thing, so he wanted

his kingdom to last forever,

against the clear instruction from God.

(Stephanie) Yes, Derek.

(Derek) He chose gold because Daniel

had told him, "You are the head of gold."

But, as Jenner pointed out,

breast of silver, belly of brass,

legs of iron, and feet of iron and clay;

he's saying, by building this statue,

"It's all about me,"

and so it's all of gold.

(Stephanie) Yes. Nancy, would you

take us to Daniel, chapter 3,

and look at verses 2 through 5,

if you would read verses 2 through 5.

(Nancy) Yes, Daniel 3 verses 2 through 5,

the New King James Version:

(Stephanie) So, who was there?

And this is important, right?

Who was there, and who was

the command to go to?

(Nancy) Everyone who was anyone was there.

(Stephanie) That's right. Derek.

(Derek) Actually, not everyone.

It specifically lists key people,

and some Bible scholars have suggested

there had been an uprising, and so he's

calling all of the key people.

And this is a test of loyalty,

and so, I mean, why do we need to know?

It's magistrates and satraps,

all of these key people are

being compelled, right, to bow down

in recognition of the authority

of King Nebuchadnezzar.

(Stephanie) You gave it away; the command

was to bow down, right?

So, what was the significance?

What was the significance of them

bowing down to the massive golden statue?
Gladys.

(Gladys) Recognition of authority.

Worshiping him as the authority,

and if history says that there was

an uprising, he wanted to make sure

there was no doubt in anybody's mind

he was in charge, and they

had to submit to him.

(Stephanie) Jennifer?

(Jennifer) I want to say

just to be clear, this isn't

just normal acknowledgment

of the king's role; he said "worship."

So, that's different than loyalty.

(Stephanie) Thank you, very important.
Go ahead, Derek.

(Derek) I was just thinking,

great point Jennifer made.

He could have just said, "I want you all

to shout out, "Nebuchadnezzar

is a great king," and would not

Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,

also known as Shadrach, Meshach,

and Abednego, have felt comfortable

shouting out, "Nebuchadnezzar

is a great king"?

I think Daniel would have done it, too.

But we've moved from just, "You're

a great king," to bowing down,

and that's the key issue.

(Stephanie) Bowing down and...?

(Stephanie, Team) Worshiping.

(Stephanie) But there was

also a consequence

if you didn't do it, right?

So, let's go to verse 6.

What was the consequence for refusing?

And, Joshua, if you would read that

for us, Daniel, chapter 3, verse 6.

(Joshua) And I'll be reading

from the New Living Translation,
the Bible says:

(Stephanie) So, what was

the result of disobedience?

(Team) Death.

(Stephanie) Let's see

what the three Hebrews did

as a result of this decree.

We'll look in Daniel, chapter 3.

We're staying in Daniel, chapter 3,

and look at verses 7 through 15.

And, Travis, if you would take us there,

Daniel, chapter 3, verses 7 through 15.

(Travis) And I'll be reading

from the New King James Version:

(Stephanie) That's a challenge.

So, the call was made.

Everyone bowed down.

There are many people

that are bowing down.

Three people stayed standing.

And what did the king do?

He gave them a second chance, right?

He said, "I'll give you a second chance.

Maybe you didn't hear..."

(Derek) And I have to think, Stephanie,

why in the world would he do that?

Except that he knew them,

coming ten times wiser

out of their training.

Otherwise, why ask these junior officials

to, "Please, I'm going

to give you a second chance"?

He knew them.

I have a big question, where was Daniel?

I'm going to have to ask when we get there

because I know he didn't bow down.

That's very clear when we come to Daniel 6

with another king,

but I think it's interesting.

The other thing we notice though,

is that there were other Jewish captives,

even, I think, one of the kings of Judah

may have been there,

and everybody else is bowing down

except these three young adults.

(Stephanie) So, I'm glad that you

brought that up, Derek,

because in Daniel, chapter 1,

it's very clear that Shadrach, Meshach,

and Abednego were not the only ones

that were brought from Jerusalem

and brought into that realm

and were trained,

so where was everyone else?

But these three stood up.

So what was their response, then?

Let's look at verses 16 through 18,

and, Alex, if you would read that for us,

Daniel, chapter 3, verses 16 through 18.

(Alex) Okay, and I'll be reading

from the New King James.

Starting in verse 16, it says:

(Stephanie) What can we learn from that,

from their testimony?

They were given a second chance,

and they said, "You don't even need

to call again for worship;

we already know where we stand." Joshua.

(Joshua) There are two lessons

that stick out to me

as I read these Scriptures.

Number one, we need to be faithful to God

even unto death.

The second is that we need

to be intentional about the people

that we keep around us

because who they are and their influences

can strengthen us spiritually

or push us away from the Lord.

And so, when I look at Hananiah, Mishael,

and Azariah, as I like to call them

based off of their original names,

there's something special there

because, as you have mentioned before,

there were others who came from Jerusalem.

Why is it that we're only hearing

about these three sticking together

and standing against the command
of the king?

(Stephanie) Yes. Travis, and then we'll

come back to Gladys.

(Travis) One thing that catches

my attention about this story

is that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego

didn't look at the consequences.

You asked earlier, what were

the consequences of not being

obedient to the king?

They didn't look at the consequences;

they looked at the reward

that they got from Jesus.

And who is Jesus?

The Bible says that He's

my exceedingly great reward.

And I think that's relevant

for the times we live in.

Don't look at the consequences

of those who tell you

to go contrary to God.

Keep your eyes on the reward.

(Stephanie) Amen. Thank you, Travis.
Gladys.

(Gladys) I think that, for me,

what got my attention is that they

did not consider even the possibility

of renouncing their faith

if things were going to go wrong.

They decided to remain firm

even if God decided not to save them.

And I think that is a lesson for us

because not all the time

are things going to work out in the way

that we think they are going to work out.

But in God's greatest plan,

it is according to His plan.

So, they said, "Okay, we're going

to stand for God even if it

doesn't work out the way

that we want it to, like, be delivered

from this fiery furnace.

We're going to stand for what we believe."

(Stephanie) Amen. Let's

find out what happens.

Verses 19 through 25, and, Puia,

if you would read that for us,

Daniel, chapter 3, verses 19 through 25.

(Puia) Sure, and I'll be reading

from the New King James Version:

(Team) Amen.

(Stephanie) So many lessons

that we can learn from that,

but I'm just going to open it up.

What lessons do you see?

What do we learn from that? Jason?

(Jason) Well, just the faithfulness

of God, His Word, you know.

In Isaiah, chapter 43, verse 2,

it [states that] when you walk

through the fire, you will not be burned.

So, this is a lesson for us to trust

God's Word, even in trials
and tribulations.

(Stephanie) Yes. And, Heide.

(Heide) So, I also see that even though we

love God and we fear Him, we might all

have to go through an experience

of being in a fiery furnace,

maybe not a literal one,

but in other ways, other trials

in our lives we might have to go

through something like this.

And a story came to my mind.

When my parents were young,

they were not raised

in a Bible-believing church.

And when they became teenagers

they were dating.

They took Bible studies together

through a classmate.

And they were amazed

at what they were learning and studying.

And they were like, "We've never heard

anything like this."

And they decided to surrender their hearts

to God, and I'm very happy for that.

But, my father's family was respectful

of his choice, but my mother's family

was not, and she has talked to me

a lot of times about how her mother

and her aunts and her sister would say,

"What are you doing?

This is dumb; you shouldn't do this.

You're young, you should live your lives

and have more experiences.

You're too young to be living

bound by this religion."

And I think, for my mom, that was

like a fiery furnace for her,

because she was only 15 years old

when she came to know the Lord.

And despite the fact that no one

in her home supported her, she made

a decision, "No, I believe this is truth,

and I'm going to be faithful to this."

And now, looking back at her life,

she says, "I see that God has been with me

every step of the way,"

and she has zero regrets

for that choice to obey God.

(Team) Amen.

(Stephanie) Praise God, thank you, Heide.

Did you have a comment, Jennifer?

(Jennifer) I was going to say, the thing

that I take from this is that it is better

to be with Jesus in the fire

than without Him outside of the fire.

(Team) Amen.

(Stephanie) Nancy?

(Nancy) They decided to be faithful

to the King of the universe

rather than faithful

to the king of Babylon.

(Stephanie) Thank you, and, Puia.

(Puia) This level of faithfulness

cannot be attained all of a sudden.

It must be that they followed God

every single day.

Earlier, in chapter 1 of Daniel, we find

that they were already faithful

in terms of following the diet principles

that God had revealed through Moses.

And so, I think the lesson here for us

is to be faithful in little things

every day, and then when the test

of this magnitude comes our way,

God will give us the courage.

But, it's not something

that all of a sudden they were

able to stand faithful.

You have to be faithful in little things.

(Stephanie) That's right,

and Luke records that, right?

Faithful in the little things, and then we

will be given much, to go forward.

Now, this experience on the plain of Dura

actually foreshadows what we have

to look forward to at the last days

of Earth's history.

So, I want us to look in Revelation,

Revelation, chapter 13, and we'll look

at verses 11 through 17, and, Alex,

if you would read that for us,

Revelation, chapter 13,

verses 11 through 17.

(Alex) Of course, 11 through 17, and I'll

be reading from the New King James,

starting in verse 11, it says:

(Stephanie) Thank you, Alex.

What is the issue here?

What is the parallel that we see

in Revelation 13 compared to Daniel 3?

Gladys and Derek.

(Gladys) It's basically the same thing;

the issue is worship and alliance that you

have to make in order to buy, sell,

the basic things.

The restrictions are applied

to everything, but the main point is,

if you do not worship, then you

are going to be punished,

the same thing as the three Hebrew boys

at the fiery furnace.

(Stephanie) Derek.

(Derek) And worship a human institution

versus worshiping the one true God.

It's a very clear parallel.

(Stephanie) Puia.

(Puia) And I think the contrast is

that we need to keep in mind

that Revelation speaks

a lot in symbolic language, right?

It's probably not going to be the case

where there would be a great image

that is built again in the world

that everyone is forced to bow down.

It may not be literal like that,

but I think the bottom line is,

if a command comes out from anyone

in authority (because the word

"authority" is used), it

could be the government,

it could be any institution,

as Derek mentioned, that forces people

to go against the clear commandments

of God from the Bible,

that's where the test is.

That's where the test will be, whether you

would go along with the authority

of the institutions of the world

that my be contrary

to the commandments of God.

(Stephanie) And you mentioned

the commandments of God.

What is the significance of that?

Let's turn to Revelation,

go over one chapter,

Revelation, chapter 14,

and look at verse 12.

How are faithful followers

of Jesus described?

And, Livinia, if you would read that

for us, Revelation, chapter 14, verse 12.

(Livinia) Reading from the New
King James Version of the Bible:

(Stephanie) So, how are

His faithful followers described?

(Livinia) They're described

as a group of obedient children

of God, obedient to the Bible,

the Word of God, who are patient,

and who have the faith in Jesus,

a steadfast faith similar to the faith

that Jesus had when He was tried

before He was crucified.

(Stephanie) Yes, and obedience

to the commandments specifically, right?

So, here's the question then:

Is obeying the commandments

the way that you're saved?

(Team) No.

(Stephanie) Well, that's

a real question, right? Nancy?

(Nancy) It's about who we trust.

It says that we won't be able

to buy or sell, and so, if you're

not depending on God,

you're going to say, "Well, I need

to be able to buy or sell

to save myself," but if we trust in God,

and we keep His commandments,

we do what He says for us to do,

then we're placing our faith in Him,

and He will deliver us.

(Stephanie) That's right, and I'm looking

for some Bible verses, too,

so, Jennifer, go ahead.

(Jennifer) I was just going to say,

we are saved because Jesus

died on the cross for us,

and our obedience is evidence

that we accept his death on our behalf.

(Stephanie) Thank you,

and that's Ephesians, right?

Ephesians, chapter 2,

[verses] 8 and 9, and 10, actually.

Which commandments of God

will be the central issue in the last days

of Earth's history? Jenner?

(Jenner) Yes, so if we look...

(Stephanie) Same chapter?

(Jenner) Yes, Revelation 14:6,7,

we can read that...

(Stephanie) Would you read that?

(Jenner) Yes, I'll be reading

from the New King James Version,

Revelation 14, verses 6 and 7, says:

Hmm, very interesting.

(Stephanie) A call for worship of whom?

(Stephanie, Team): The Creator.

(Stephanie) Those words, where do we

see that in the Old Testament?

(Jenner) Exodus 20, verse 11.

(Stephanie) Okay, and before that?

(Stephanie, Team) Genesis.

(Stephanie) Right at creation. Derek?

(Derek) So, I think it's important,

there's probably more than one commandment

here, because it says reverence God;

that's the first commandment, right?

And then it moves on, and of course,

when we get to the fourth commandment,

remember the Sabbath day,

He is the Creator,

and the same language is used.

But it would be possible maybe

for a person to observe

the seventh day of the week

and not be honoring God.

That's possible, right?

We see that even with religious people

putting Messiah to death.

But, I think once we have

that relationship with God

and worship Him as the one true God,

the Sabbath becomes a joyful celebration

that He is our Creator, and we rest in Him

as our Redeemer as well.

(Stephanie) Yes, and we could talk

more on this, on the plain of Dura,

but we need to move forward

into our next fiery furnace, which is

the experience of the early Christians.

Acts, chapter 7, verse 59

through chapter 8, verse 3.

Before we go there, I just want

to remind us that, in John 15

and also John 16,

Jesus warned His disciples.

Before He left Earth, He said,

"You will have persecution."

There will be some people who think

that they are doing God's service

and [will] kill you, right?

So, this is not foreign, what we are

going to see in Acts, chapter 7,

and the persecution

that the early Christians experienced.

Acts, chapter 7, verse 59,

going through chapter 8, verse 3,

Gladys, would you read that for us?

(Gladys) Sure, and I'm reading

from the New International Version,
and it says:

(Stephanie) So, we are

seeing persecution there.

Let's go over to chapter 12,

verses 1 through 4, and then we'll

talk a little bit more

about what these two stories reveal

about the experience

of the early Christians, okay?

And, Acts, chapter 12, verse 1 through 4,

Jenner, would you read that for us?

(Jenner) Acts 12:1-4

from the New King James Version:

(Stephanie) What's taking place here?

Remember, Jesus has gone to Heaven

in Acts, chapter 1.

and now they are telling about Jesus

and salvation through Him.

What happened there?

What are we seeing? Puia.

(Puia) So, I think behind the scenes

Satan is working very hard

using government, at this point in time,

in particular, the Roman Empire.

And so, through King Herod, Satan

was persecuting the early Christians.

I mean, it's inspiring to hear

about stories where the people

of God were delivered, but also we are

seeing instances where they

are not delivered by God.

(Stephanie) Right, in the case of Stephen,
right?

(Team, Stephanie) And James.

(Stephanie) Thank you. Travis?

(Travis) There's something disturbing

about this, Stephanie, and that is,

these are religious people

that are killing or happy

that the government at that time

is killing the people of God.

You see a union of church and state

or religious people and the state.

Herod is trying to please

the religious people of that time

by murdering Christian people,

and that history, unfortunately,

will repeat itself, and it's a sad thing

when Christians are

killing other Christians.

(Stephanie) Thank you Travis.

(Derek) ...I just noticed

an escalation, so they kill one

of the deacons named Stephen.

So, then they take one of the Apostles,

James, brother of John, and then they say,

"Let's take Peter," who, in all

of the list comes first, even though he

denied Jesus, he was reinstated

and becomes a leader.

It's like there's an escalation.

The enemy is not content

to inflict one blow.

He wants to destroy,

just like some other Bible stories
we've studied.

He wants to destroy all

of the people of God.

(Stephanie) Destroy and I think

also discourage, because what were

the other Christians feeling like

when those who were speaking for God

were killed or taken to prison?

(Jenner) Scared.

(Stephanie) Let's continue on,

Acts, chapter 12,

looking at verses 5 and 6.

Let's see what Peter was doing.

Acts, chapter 12, verses 5 and 6,

and, Joshua, if you

would read that for us.

(Joshua) Sure, and I'll be reading

from the New Living Translation,

the Bible says:

(Stephanie) Okay, he was sleeping,

and how many soldiers did he have

assigned to him, to just him?

(Gladys) Just two with him in the cell,

but there were sets of four [squads].

(Stephanie) How many is that?

(Derek) Sixteen soldiers.

(Stephanie) Do you think

that will keep him in?

Alright, but the believers are doing what?

(Team) Praying.

(Stephanie) They're praying,

and he's sleeping.

He's sleeping, I like to say

he is at peace with the God

that he trusts, even amidst death

on the horizon.

This is the Peter who denied his Lord.

Look, a 180-degree [change],

God can do amazing things.

Okay, we have to keep moving,

verses 7 through 10, and, Nancy,

if you would read that,

Acts, chapter 12, verses 7 through 10.

(Nancy) I'm reading

from the New King James Version:

(Stephanie) I love this story.

Only God can do that.

How many were assigned to him?

(All) Sixteen.

(Stephanie) How many gates
at least are talked about?

(Gladys) At least three.

(Stephanie) So, what lesson can we learn

from this experience?

There are many lessons, but what is

a lesson that pops out to you

as clear? Jason.

(Jason) God can make a way out of no way.

(Stephanie) God can make a way
out of no way?

(Gladys) I like the fact that he followed

even though he was not sure if it

was real or a vision.

He knew God's voice, and he followed.

(Stephanie) Jennifer?

(Jennifer) I love the fact that it was

constant intercessory prayer

on his behalf, so we

should lift up our leaders.

(Stephanie) Yes, thank you.

Joshua and then Nancy.

(Joshua) The other thing that I noticed

is that I think he learned from Jesus

on the boat when the storm was happening,

and Jesus was sleeping.

And now he's about to be on trial,

but yet he's sleeping.

And so, perhaps he

learned that from Jesus.

(Nancy) I noticed one detail,

his chains fell off,

and also in the story with the Hebrews,

the only thing that burned were the ropes.

And so, they were walking about

with Jesus in the fiery furnace.

(Derek) You know, we can

certainly, Stephanie, expect miracles

will happen when we trust fully in God,

but I want to affirm what Jennifer said,

because I wonder what would have happened

if they had prayed when James

was first in prison.

I think they realized maybe at that point

after the killing of Stephen the deacon,

they were pretty much, what would you say,

immobilized with fear.

But then James is killed,

and someone says, "We need to pray."

This is a battle.

The enemy, the murderer from the beginning

as Satan is called, wants to destroy

all of the followers of Jesus.

We need to pray, and I think

for the church, when they saw

the deliverance of Peter, it wasn't

just about him being delivered;

it was, "God, if You could do that...."

We do need to pray for our leaders,

for sure; they are targets of the enemy.

"But if You could do that, You can

also deliver us."

(Stephanie) That's right, and when Peter

came to his senses, he did go

to those who were praying, right?

And let's see their response

in verses 14 through 17.

And, Jennifer, would you read that for us,

Acts 12, verses 14 through 17.

(Jennifer) And I'm reading

from the New King James Version:

(Stephanie) And verses 16 and 17.

(Stephanie) Thank you.

What can we learn from this experience?

Multiple things; we'll take a few. Gladys.

(Gladys) I think that for me, what gets

my attention is that they were praying

for something, and when the thing

that they were praying for happened,
they did not believe it.

(Stephanie) Thank you, Gladys.

If we pray, we can expect God to answer.

It may not be in the way

that we want it to be, but we can expect

that He is answering.

Thank you so much.

Well, let me ask you this.

What do you think gave Peter

the encouragement while he

was in jail? Puia.

(Puia) I think what changed Peter

was the fact that he witnessed

the risen Savior.

I mean, he had witnessed

that even though Jesus was crucified

and killed, He was resurrected.

And it was such a transforming event

for him that he probably believed

that even if he were to be executed

the next day, God has the power

to raise him up again, right?

(Stephanie) Yes, thank you.

Travis, I think I see your hand.

(Travis) Yeah, I agree with Puia,

but I have to say,

even through my own experience,

the more grace that God gives,

the more you fall in love.

And he experienced an unmeasured amount

of grace from Jesus as we all do,

and it broke his heart, and he wanted

to serve Jesus with his whole life.

And he experienced what the Bible

calls perfect love, and it

just casts out fear.

(Stephanie) Thank you, Travis.

And I appreciate what you said,

that it casts out fear, right?

And so, in our last few moments

of this study today, I'd like us to think,

we know that we are going to go

through a time of challenges,

and Daniel says "a time of trouble

such as never was before."

What Bible promises can we claim

as we look forward to that time? Alex?

(Alex) I'd like to read it
if that's okay with you.

It's in Matthew 5...

(Stephanie) Matthew, chapter 5?

(Alex) Yes, verses 11 and 12.

(Stephanie) Alright.

(Alex) And I'll be reading

from the New King James, and it says,

and this is Jesus speaking,

which makes it very beautiful; Jesus says:

(Team) Amen.

(Stephanie) Livinia.

(Livinia) I'd also like to read

from Isaiah 43

in the New King James Version
of the Bible.

(Stephanie) Isaiah 43?

(Livinia) Isaiah 43,

verses 1 through 3, states:

(Stephanie) Would you read

verse 4 as well?

(Team) Amen.

(Stephanie) Precious in His sight.

God has His eye on you.

He cares about you, and He loves you,

and He will walk through those valleys
with you.

(Team) Amen.

(Stephanie) Thank you for studying today.

(Derek) Thanks so much, Stephanie.

What a powerful study,

and thank you for sharing

those Bible promises Alex and Livinia.

And you say, "Derek, I know

another Bible promise,"

like, "Fear not, for I am with you;

be not dismayed, for I am your God."

You may say, "Oh, I can

think of another one."

"I will never leave you or forsake you."

We'd love to hear what Bible promise

encourages you, that we can

face the future without fear

because of our great and awesome God.

Let's pray together.

Father in Heaven, we've been encouraged

through these Lessons

from the Two Fiery Furnaces.

And I pray that by Your grace

we would stand courageous,

faithful to You,

trusting in You forevermore.

In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

(Team) Amen.

(Derek) Thanks for joining us
for Hope Sabbath School.

We're coming to the end of this series,

but stay with us because God

has good news for us as we prepare

for the soon coming of Jesus.

Go out now and be a blessing

to those around you.

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