Welcome to Anchors Of Truth
from the 3ABN Worship Center.
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Unknown God with
David Asscherick.
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It has been a
cold and rainy evening
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here in southern Illinois.
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If I were to use a
technical term, I would say,
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"It's been a yucky day."
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You know, yucky days.
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Sometimes you
have those yucky days.
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And yet, we have entered
now the sacred Sabbath hours.
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And there's something
about the Sabbath that can even
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defeat or override the yuckiness
of a cold day in January
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in southern Illinois.
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We are so very, very pleased to
welcome our worldwide audience
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watching, listening,
and our audience here
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in Thompsonville, Illinois.
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My name is C.A. Murray and
it is my privilege and pleasure
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to welcome you to the Sabbath,
to welcome you to this house,
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and to welcome you to
another night in this series
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where we explore the
mystery of God and godliness.
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Our speaker, our friend,
David Asscherick will talk
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about the personality of
the Holy Spirit this very night.
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And we shall learn once
again that the Holy Spirit
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is not an it, but it is
a personality and it is a
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portion, dare I say, of the
Godhead, a part of the Godhead
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that is very
intimate and very close to us.
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And so we ask you
to give ear this night
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as we listen to David.
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I was teasing him backstage.
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He is the husband of one wife
and the father of two children.
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And I praise the Lord
that it is in that order.
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He is the co-director
of Light Bearers Ministry
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with Ty and James.
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They make a formidable trio.
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Weapons in the hand of God
for the salvation of the souls
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of men and women.
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And we are pleased that he could
take time from his schedule,
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which is very busy,
to come and share with us
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what God has given to him.
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So we ask you to give ear
this night, because God has much
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to say to us
through His manservant.
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Would you now bow your heads
with me in a word of prayer.
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Gracious Father, we
praise You and thank You
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for Jesus; the Author
and Finisher of our faith.
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We thank You for
the power in His word.
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And we ask this night
as the Word is opened,
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that our hearts, our minds,
our ears may be receptive.
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That we may hear the Word,
that it may fill us and fix us
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and fit us for
habitation with You.
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Give us strength and
courage as together we walk this
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road that leads to glory.
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But more than that,
give Your manservant
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an anointing so that
he will speak Your words
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to our thirsty souls.
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And we thank You
in Jesus' name, amen.
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One of the songs that has
become a favorite of mine,
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I sing this every now and again.
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My wife says, "You
sing that song too much."
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But sometimes you sing
things not so much for others.
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Maybe you do it for yourself
because it gives you courage
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and it ministers to you.
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It's a bit of a
mantra, dare I say, for me.
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I'll Tell The World
That I'm A Christian.
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I'll tell the world
that I'm a Christian,
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I'm not ashamed
His name to bear.
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I'll tell the world
that I'm a Christian,
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I'll take Him with me anywhere.
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I'll tell the
world how Jesus saved me,
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and how He gave
me a life brand new.
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And I know that
if you trust Him,
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that all He gave
me, He'll give to you.
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I'll tell the world
that He's my Savior,
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no other one could love me so.
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My life, my all is His forever,
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and where He leads me I will go.
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I'll tell the
world Jesus is coming,
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and it may be
near or far, far away.
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But we've got to
live as if His coming
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could be tomorrow or today.
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For when He
comes and life is over,
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for those who love
Him there's more to be.
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Eyes have never seen the wonders
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that He's
preparing for you and me.
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Go tell the world
that you're a Christian,
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don't be ashamed
His name to bear.
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Just tell the world
that you are a Christian,
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and take Him
with you everywhere.
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I'll tell the
world how Jesus saved me,
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and how He gave
me a life brand new.
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And I know that
if you trust Him,
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that all He gave to
me, He'll give to you.
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I'll tell the world
that I'm a Christian,
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and I'm not
ashamed His name to bear.
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I'll tell the world
that I'm a Christian,
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I'll take Him with me anywhere.
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I'll take Him with me anywhere.
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Thank you C.A.
That was beautiful.
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I was back there...
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Well don't talk
this the wrong way, but
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I felt like falling asleep.
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I mean, it was such a nice...
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Wasn't it like that?
Just a nice relaxing melody.
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Anyway, I was back there like,
"Does he sing to you like this?"
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Because C.A.'s wife back there,
"Does he sing to you like this?"
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She said, "Oh, I ask
him to sing me this song."
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Beautiful.
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Did you have a good day today?
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Yea, I had a great day.
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I went for a run here,
a 10 mile run, all around.
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What's this little
town here? Thompsonville.
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I ran every single
street in Thompsonville.
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And then I ran back to 3ABN.
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And then I ran back to
Thompsonville and I ran
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every single street again.
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And then ran back home.
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So I had a good
day, felt really nice.
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Drove down to
Carbondale and had lunch with a
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former Arise student and
good friend of mine, Dee.
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And the day was just
going absolutely stellar
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until I got back here and 15
seconds from where I'm sleeping
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I hit a deer.
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Right here,
right here on campus.
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And the moment I hit
it, I thought, "Oh no.
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This is the Lord rebuking
me for telling the world
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that my wife got a speeding
ticket the other night."
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So the moment I hit
it, I thought, "Oh no.
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I've killed this
beautiful animal."
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Just as the Sabbath was coming.
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And it was rolling
down the middle of the road.
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I wasn't going
too fast, sort of 25.
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But I mean, if you hit
me with a car going 25,
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it's not going to be pretty.
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So I was like, "Oh
no. I hurt this deer."
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So I pulled off the road.
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It's raining
right now, as you know.
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But for those that are
viewing, don't know that.
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So I pulled off the road here.
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Is that a good idea or
bad idea in southern Illinois
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to pull off the road?
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That was a bad idea
because I just went...
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But the bad news
is, I got the car stuck.
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And I want to thank
Don for getting me out.
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But the good news is, that
I went looking for the deer
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and he was gone.
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So he either just had a
little tumble and ran away,
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or the Lord resurrected him.
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But either way,
it was not the way
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I wanted to begin the Sabbath.
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But now that I'm here with
you, I'm very happy to be here.
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And so without further
adieu, I'm just going to have
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a quick prayer here.
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And we're going to
continue through our study
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of the unknown God.
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And we're going
through methodically.
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Are we going
through a little slowly?
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Somebody said to me just
the other day, they said,
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"You know, David
Asscherick is getting old
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because he's slowing down."
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Now I take a little offense
at that, I have to tell you.
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That doesn't sit with me.
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So we might go like
on hyper drive tonight
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just to prove
that I'm not getting...
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I'm kidding, I'm kidding.
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Let's pray together.
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Father in heaven, what a
privilege it is to be here
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this evening and the precious
Sabbath hours are upon us.
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And Father, as C.A.
has sung, it's so true.
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We want to tell the
world that we are Christians,
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followers of the Christ.
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And Father, we're seeking to
understand better who You are
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and who Christ is, and
particularly in the context
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of this series,
who the Spirit is.
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And so Father, be with us as
we seek to know the unknown God,
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the God that is, at some level,
absolutely mysterious to us.
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Father, we know so
little about Your nature.
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We know a great deal
about Your character,
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but Your nature is necessarily
and inherently mysterious to us.
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So Father, help us to recognize
the limits of human intellect,
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the limits of human language.
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But let us come to Scripture and
let us claim that Bible promise
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that the things that are
revealed are for us and our
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children, but the things that
are not revealed are for You.
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They're secrets to us.
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And so Father, tonight
we don't want to guess,
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we don't want to conjecture,
we don't want to imagine.
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We just want to stand on a
plain, "Thus saith the Lord."
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So help us to do
that this evening.
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As we open Scripture,
we would ask that You would
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come and open our hearts.
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In Jesus' name.
Let everyone say amen.
00:11:48.48\00:11:51.44
Well, our final passage
that we looked at last night
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was John chapter 8
verse 58 where Jesus made this
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audacious claim when He
was in the sort of discussion
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slash argument with the
religious leaders of His day.
00:12:02.19\00:12:04.72
And He said, "Your father
Abraham rejoiced to see My day
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and he was glad
when he saw My day."
00:12:08.50\00:12:10.30
And of course, the religious
leaders of Jesus' day responded
00:12:10.33\00:12:12.73
by saying, "How could
you have seen Abraham's day.
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You're not even 50 years old."
00:12:14.53\00:12:16.76
And Jesus responded
with these words, absolutely
00:12:16.79\00:12:19.69
stupendous words, He
said, "Before Abraham was...
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And then what did He say?
00:12:24.54\00:12:25.54
"...I AM."
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"Before Abraham was, I AM."
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And this an unambiguous
reference to the very
00:12:27.75\00:12:32.02
name of God in the Old Testament
when Moses was standing
00:12:32.05\00:12:35.98
there at the burning bush.
00:12:36.01\00:12:37.32
And Moses was told by
God to go tell Pharaoh,
00:12:37.35\00:12:40.51
"Let My people go."
00:12:40.52\00:12:41.52
Moses protested and said,
"Who shall I say sent me?"
00:12:41.53\00:12:43.78
And He said, "I AM..." What?
00:12:44.11\00:12:46.36
"I AM that I AM."
00:12:46.95\00:12:48.18
And that word there is "hayah."
00:12:48.19\00:12:50.79
That's the Hebrew word, "hayah."
00:12:50.82\00:12:53.39
It sounds a little like
a karate chop, doesn't it.
00:12:53.40\00:12:55.21
Hayah.
00:12:55.24\00:12:56.29
But it means, it's
the present perfect tense
00:12:56.30\00:13:00.29
of the verb "to be."
00:13:00.32\00:13:01.81
"I exist." Literally, "I exist."
00:13:02.31\00:13:04.68
And that's why it's
rendered in the English, "I AM."
00:13:04.69\00:13:07.14
When we get to the book of
Revelation, we find this very
00:13:07.84\00:13:09.99
same kind of
language, "I am He that was,
00:13:10.02\00:13:12.80
and who is, and who is to come."
00:13:12.83\00:13:15.08
Someone has said that all
of us say, "I am becoming."
00:13:15.76\00:13:20.13
Right? We're in the
state of becoming something.
00:13:20.16\00:13:22.36
But only God can say, "I AM."
00:13:22.39\00:13:24.78
He is not becoming a thing,
He is what He always has been
00:13:25.20\00:13:29.17
and always will be.
00:13:29.20\00:13:30.44
And so when Jesus was there
standing before the religious
00:13:30.47\00:13:33.32
leaders of His day and He
had the temerity, the audacity
00:13:33.33\00:13:36.30
to say, "Before
Abraham was, I AM."
00:13:36.33\00:13:39.85
The religious leaders understood
exactly what Jesus was saying.
00:13:40.18\00:13:42.78
He was saying, "I am the
God of the Old Testament.
00:13:42.81\00:13:46.36
That's Me, I'm Yahweh.
00:13:46.64\00:13:48.73
I am the God that spoke to
Moses out of the burning bush."
00:13:48.76\00:13:51.79
We know that they
understood that because the very
00:13:51.80\00:13:53.61
next verse, in verse 59,
says that they picked up stones.
00:13:53.62\00:13:56.92
For their rock collection?
00:13:57.53\00:13:59.14
What was it for? They
were going to stone Him.
00:13:59.97\00:14:02.03
They understood perfectly
well what Jesus was saying.
00:14:02.04\00:14:04.61
We looked at a verse
just three chapters earlier
00:14:04.64\00:14:07.04
than that in John
chapter 5 where Jesus says,
00:14:07.07\00:14:08.67
"My Father is
working and I am working."
00:14:08.70\00:14:10.39
And the Jews took
significant umbrage at this,
00:14:10.40\00:14:12.68
the Jewish leaders of
Jesus' day, and they said,
00:14:12.71\00:14:15.23
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa,
whoa. You call God Your Father?
00:14:15.26\00:14:17.65
You better be careful with
that because when You call God
00:14:17.67\00:14:20.21
Your Father, You
make Yourself..."
00:14:20.22\00:14:22.09
Does anyone remember this?
00:14:22.12\00:14:23.14
"...equal with God."
00:14:23.56\00:14:25.14
"You are making
Yourself equal with God."
00:14:25.45\00:14:27.28
Now what we're beginning to
see here in the passages that
00:14:27.31\00:14:29.29
we've look at; John
1, Matthew 3, Matthew 28,
00:14:29.30\00:14:32.20
John 8, John 5, is that there
is singularity and plurality
00:14:32.21\00:14:38.65
within the
context of the Godhead.
00:14:38.66\00:14:42.09
We began in the Old Testament.
00:14:42.12\00:14:43.54
And I want to ask
you a question here.
00:14:43.57\00:14:44.94
In the Old Testament, is the
Trinity communicated explicitly?
00:14:45.32\00:14:49.69
No, it's hinted
at. It's suggested.
00:14:50.51\00:14:52.98
In fact, I said that
yesterday. You might remember.
00:14:53.01\00:14:54.80
What is suggestive in the Old
Testament becomes increasingly
00:14:54.83\00:14:58.43
clear and determinative
in the New Testament.
00:14:58.46\00:15:00.74
We'll see how
clear it does become.
00:15:00.75\00:15:02.79
But the point is basically this.
00:15:03.09\00:15:04.28
In the Old Testament, we
find elements of singularity
00:15:04.31\00:15:07.05
and we find
elements of plurality.
00:15:07.08\00:15:10.08
Now, when we come to the New
Testament, we find Jesus saying
00:15:10.11\00:15:12.98
things like, "I..."
00:15:13.01\00:15:14.65
We did this yesterday.
00:15:14.68\00:15:16.13
"I and My..."
What? "...Father..."
00:15:16.16\00:15:19.83
So that's two entities. Right?
00:15:19.84\00:15:21.25
"I..." There's an entity.
00:15:21.26\00:15:22.64
"...and My Father..."
There's another entity.
00:15:22.67\00:15:24.82
"...are..." What? "...one."
00:15:24.85\00:15:26.57
So the two are one.
00:15:26.58\00:15:28.79
John chapter 1, "In
the beginning was the
00:15:29.19\00:15:31.51
Word..." There's an entity.
00:15:32.11\00:15:33.39
"...and the
Word was with God..."
00:15:33.42\00:15:34.96
The word "with"
communicates adjacency.
00:15:34.99\00:15:37.10
I'm here, you're
there. Adjacency.
00:15:37.40\00:15:39.91
So, "In the
beginning was the..."
00:15:39.94\00:15:41.20
"...and the Word was..."
00:15:41.55\00:15:42.83
"...with God..."
Or adjacent to God.
00:15:43.01\00:15:44.38
And here it comes.
"...and the Word was God."
00:15:44.41\00:15:46.91
So do we see singularity there?
00:15:46.94\00:15:48.78
And do we see plurality there?
00:15:49.30\00:15:50.58
We see both.
00:15:50.61\00:15:52.38
Now just a word on that.
00:15:52.39\00:15:53.39
I was holding up these
book yesterday and I had
00:15:53.40\00:15:55.03
somebody send a
question and say,
00:15:55.04\00:15:56.36
"What are those books
that he keeps holding up?"
00:15:56.37\00:15:57.57
The first, I've
already mentioned, is the book
00:15:57.59\00:15:59.71
just titled simply, The Trinity.
00:15:59.74\00:16:01.35
By Woodrow Whidden,
Jerry Moon, John W. Reeve.
00:16:01.36\00:16:04.24
Published by Review
and Herald Publishing.
00:16:04.27\00:16:05.79
Very good, great introduction
both theological and
00:16:05.80\00:16:08.85
historical to this
teaching on the singularity
00:16:08.88\00:16:11.34
and plurality of God.
00:16:11.37\00:16:12.42
And the other book is
just a little light reading,
00:16:12.68\00:16:16.26
900 pages worth
of light reading.
00:16:16.29\00:16:19.33
Written by a friend
of mine, Glyn Parfitt.
00:16:19.79\00:16:21.79
He's an Australian.
00:16:21.80\00:16:22.80
It's titled, The
Trinity: What Has God Revealed?
00:16:22.82\00:16:25.56
Two excellent book resources
that I certainly recommend.
00:16:25.59\00:16:29.66
In fact, I think I'm going
to be quoting from this one
00:16:29.67\00:16:31.59
a little bit later this evening.
00:16:31.62\00:16:33.39
We quoted from
this one yesterday.
00:16:33.42\00:16:34.72
Now, we've looked at
several passages in the gospels.
00:16:35.38\00:16:38.66
What I want to do now is
look at several passages,
00:16:38.67\00:16:41.12
triadic passages, in
the epistles of Paul.
00:16:41.15\00:16:44.74
Passages in which, that which is
suggested in the Old Testament
00:16:45.16\00:16:49.19
and which becomes
clear in the gospels,
00:16:49.22\00:16:51.51
becomes clearer still
in the epistles of Paul.
00:16:51.54\00:16:55.05
And we're just going to
look at several of these.
00:16:55.08\00:16:56.56
Many of them, frankly, require
very little comment because
00:16:56.57\00:16:59.38
they're just so
plain in and of themselves.
00:16:59.41\00:17:01.57
But let's go first to 2
Thessalonians chapter 2.
00:17:01.60\00:17:05.02
2 Thessalonians chapter 2.
00:17:05.40\00:17:06.96
And while I'm turning
there, I going to ask you,
00:17:06.99\00:17:08.15
how many of you
saw Dr. Stefanovic's
00:17:08.16\00:17:09.78
program last night?
00:17:09.81\00:17:11.05
I thought it was superb.
00:17:11.25\00:17:12.63
I thought the good
doctor did a marvelous job.
00:17:12.66\00:17:14.93
And much of what he
said, we're going to sort of
00:17:14.94\00:17:17.20
look at again today.
00:17:17.23\00:17:18.41
Some of what he discussed
we won't be looking at.
00:17:18.71\00:17:20.66
But there's a few little things
that he brought out last night
00:17:20.95\00:17:23.44
that I thought,
"Man, that's good stuff.
00:17:23.45\00:17:24.88
I want to re-mention
that in my program here."
00:17:24.91\00:17:27.08
So, we're going to go to
2 Thessalonians chapter 2.
00:17:27.11\00:17:29.91
2 Thessalonians chapter
2, we're going to read here
00:17:32.09\00:17:33.80
verses 13 and 14.
00:17:33.83\00:17:36.98
2 Thessalonians
chapter 2 verses 13 and 14.
00:17:37.57\00:17:42.63
It says, "But we are
bound to give thanks to..." Who?
00:17:43.68\00:17:48.44
"...to God always for you,
brethren beloved by the Lord,
00:17:48.84\00:17:52.72
because God from the beginning
has chosen you for salvation
00:17:52.75\00:17:56.04
through
sanctification by the..." What?
00:17:56.07\00:17:59.08
"...by the Spirit and
belief in the truth..."
00:17:59.48\00:18:01.58
So here we have,
God has called. Right?
00:18:01.59\00:18:04.20
And, "through the
sanctification of the Spirit."
00:18:04.21\00:18:06.19
Now look at verse 14.
00:18:06.22\00:18:07.31
"...to which He
called you by our gospel,
00:18:07.34\00:18:09.94
for the obtaining of the
glory of our Lord..." Who?
00:18:09.97\00:18:14.12
"...Jesus Christ."
00:18:14.31\00:18:15.36
So here in this passage,
2 Thessalonians chapter 2
00:18:15.39\00:18:17.54
verses 13 and 14, do we
see God the Father there?
00:18:17.55\00:18:20.26
Yes or no.
00:18:20.79\00:18:21.79
Do we see the Spirit there?
00:18:21.89\00:18:23.10
Yes, the
sanctification of the Spirit.
00:18:23.30\00:18:24.65
And do we see the
gospel of Jesus Christ there?
00:18:24.68\00:18:26.74
Okay so this is what is referred
to as a triadic reference.
00:18:26.94\00:18:30.28
A triadic reference; a
passage in which we see in very
00:18:30.31\00:18:33.01
close proximity the
Father, the Spirit, and the Son.
00:18:33.04\00:18:38.06
Right? The Father,
the Spirit, and the Son.
00:18:38.09\00:18:39.83
And in this passage,
it's expressly clear that
00:18:40.13\00:18:43.45
the Father, the Son,
and the Spirit each have a
00:18:43.48\00:18:45.99
specific role to play in regards
to the plan of salvation.
00:18:46.29\00:18:50.87
You follow that, everyone?
00:18:51.22\00:18:52.22
We're going to talk about
that in just a moment here.
00:18:52.23\00:18:53.80
But let's look
at another passage.
00:18:53.83\00:18:55.07
2 Corinthians chapter 13.
00:18:55.10\00:19:03.45
This is sometimes referred
to at the apostolic benediction.
00:19:04.71\00:19:07.89
2 Corinthians
chapter 13 and verse 14.
00:19:07.92\00:19:12.46
2 Corinthians 13:14 says, "The
grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,
00:19:12.96\00:19:18.08
and the love of God, and
the communion of the..." What?
00:19:18.11\00:19:23.07
"...Holy Spirit be
with you all. Amen."
00:19:23.37\00:19:24.92
Okay, question.
00:19:24.93\00:19:25.93
Do we see Jesus
Christ in this passage?
00:19:25.94\00:19:28.18
Do we see God in this passage?
00:19:28.51\00:19:30.13
And do we see the Holy Spirit?
00:19:30.43\00:19:32.02
There's something I want
you to note here, by the way.
00:19:32.29\00:19:34.44
So this is
clearly a triadic passage.
00:19:34.45\00:19:36.49
This is the benediction here.
00:19:36.52\00:19:37.55
"The grace of the Lord Jesus
Christ, and the love of God,
00:19:37.58\00:19:39.58
and the communion
of the Holy Spirit."
00:19:39.61\00:19:40.71
But notice this language
here, "The communion..."
00:19:40.74\00:19:44.06
And some of your
translations might say,
00:19:44.07\00:19:45.67
"the fellowship
of the Holy Spirit."
00:19:45.70\00:19:48.04
"The fellowship
of the Holy Spirit."
00:19:48.52\00:19:49.81
Now I want to
ask you a question.
00:19:49.84\00:19:50.90
Can I have fellowship
with a piece of plastic?
00:19:50.93\00:19:54.58
Oh I just had such a great time
fellowshipping with the pulpit.
00:19:54.61\00:19:58.01
I had a great time
fellowshipping with the piano.
00:19:58.32\00:20:00.99
How you been?
00:20:01.02\00:20:02.08
You like it up here?
00:20:02.57\00:20:03.72
This is a good
place to be, isn't it.
00:20:04.11\00:20:05.42
Man, you're quiet tonight.
00:20:06.32\00:20:07.83
You see, it's very difficult
to fellowship with a thing.
00:20:07.86\00:20:11.70
In order to actually fellowship,
to interact, the Spirit would
00:20:11.73\00:20:16.17
have to be a person.
00:20:16.20\00:20:17.61
Are you with me on that?
00:20:18.33\00:20:19.39
The fellowship of the Spirit.
00:20:19.42\00:20:21.09
The fellowship
belonging to the Spirit.
00:20:21.12\00:20:23.30
And so we have
Jesus, we have the Father,
00:20:23.33\00:20:26.06
and we have the Spirit.
00:20:26.07\00:20:27.07
Another unequivocal,
unambiguous triadic reference.
00:20:27.08\00:20:30.43
Let me show you another one.
00:20:30.44\00:20:31.44
Stay in Corinthians
but go to 1 Corinthians.
00:20:31.45\00:20:33.77
1 Corinthians chapter 12.
00:20:34.55\00:20:36.81
1 Corinthians chapter 12
and we're going to note here
00:20:38.57\00:20:41.17
verses 4 to 6.
00:20:41.20\00:20:43.79
1 Corinthians chapter
12, beginning in verse 4.
00:20:43.99\00:20:45.96
Speaking of the spiritual gifts.
00:20:46.87\00:20:48.76
This is one of
the three lists of
00:20:48.79\00:20:50.64
spiritual gifts
found in Scripture.
00:20:50.65\00:20:52.17
The others in Ephesians
4 and Romans 12, of course.
00:20:52.18\00:20:54.37
Here it says in 1 Corinthians
chapter 12 and verse 4.
00:20:54.77\00:20:58.02
"There are diversities of
gifts, but the same..." What?
00:20:58.05\00:21:01.53
"...Spirit.
00:21:01.58\00:21:02.58
There are differences of
ministries, but the same Lord.
00:21:02.61\00:21:07.06
And there are
diversities of activities,
00:21:07.09\00:21:08.83
but it is the same..."
00:21:08.84\00:21:10.07
Okay, do you see the
triadic reference there?
00:21:11.15\00:21:13.24
Verse 4, "the same Spirit."
Verse 5, "the same Lord."
00:21:13.51\00:21:16.22
Verse 6, "the same God."
00:21:16.25\00:21:18.19
This is a passage that,
to me, is very suggestive
00:21:18.61\00:21:21.06
of the passage that we
saw in Numbers chapter 6
00:21:21.09\00:21:23.59
where it says, "The
Lord bless you and keep you.
00:21:23.62\00:21:25.50
The Lord make His
face to shine upon you.
00:21:25.53\00:21:27.40
The Lord be
gracious unto you." Etcetera.
00:21:27.43\00:21:29.38
We see these sort of triadic
elements in the Old Testament.
00:21:29.58\00:21:33.61
We're seeing them
here in the New Testament.
00:21:33.64\00:21:34.94
They are more
suggestive in the Old Testament,
00:21:34.97\00:21:37.36
more explicit in
the New Testament.
00:21:37.39\00:21:38.81
But in Isaiah chapter 6, when
Isaiah goes into the temple,
00:21:39.11\00:21:41.89
what are the angels crying out?
00:21:41.90\00:21:43.00
What are they crying
out? "Holy, holy, holy."
00:21:43.01\00:21:46.78
And so here in the
dispensation of the gifts,
00:21:46.81\00:21:50.01
Paul says it expressly,
"There are diversities of gifts,
00:21:50.02\00:21:53.38
but the same
Spirit." There's one.
00:21:53.39\00:21:54.89
"There are differences of
ministries, but the same Lord."
00:21:54.92\00:21:57.47
There's two, the Lord Jesus.
00:21:57.48\00:21:58.70
"And there are diversities of
activities, but it is the same
00:21:58.73\00:22:01.62
God who works all in all."
00:22:01.65\00:22:03.11
This is a classic parallelism.
00:22:03.21\00:22:05.52
One Spirit, one Lord, one God.
00:22:05.53\00:22:08.46
Another
unambiguous triadic reference.
00:22:08.49\00:22:10.79
Does everyone
see that? Yes or no.
00:22:10.82\00:22:12.33
Now here's a very
interesting thing.
00:22:12.36\00:22:13.63
Well, I'll get to
that in just a second.
00:22:13.66\00:22:14.94
I'm going to come back
to that idea of, why three.
00:22:14.95\00:22:17.51
Why this significance of three.
00:22:17.61\00:22:20.28
Come with me now to
the book of Hebrews.
00:22:20.69\00:22:22.92
Stay in the New Testament.
00:22:22.93\00:22:23.93
In fact, we're going to spend,
I think, all of our time tonight
00:22:23.94\00:22:25.66
in the New Testament.
00:22:25.67\00:22:26.93
And I remember a
conversation that I had with a
00:22:27.13\00:22:30.10
Jehovah's Witness
probably 5 or 6 years ago.
00:22:30.13\00:22:32.98
And I want to go on record
as saying that some of the most
00:22:33.69\00:22:36.12
sincere and wonderful
people that I have met
00:22:36.13\00:22:38.60
are Jehovah's Witnesses.
00:22:38.61\00:22:39.61
In fact, when I meet
somebody who says that they're a
00:22:39.62\00:22:41.81
Jehovah's Witness, I always
say, "Whoa, what a coincidence.
00:22:41.91\00:22:44.81
I too am a witness for Jehovah."
00:22:45.11\00:22:48.21
And they're like...
00:22:48.60\00:22:49.60
Like "Yea, I'm a
witness for Jehovah.
00:22:49.93\00:22:51.33
You're a Jehovah's Witness.
I'm a witness for Jehovah."
00:22:51.36\00:22:53.35
It's a great
conversation starter.
00:22:53.38\00:22:55.16
By the way, when I
meet my friends the Mormon's
00:22:55.17\00:22:56.80
and they say,
"Oh, I'm a Mormon."
00:22:56.83\00:22:57.93
And I just came through the
Salt Lake City airport here.
00:22:57.96\00:22:59.74
And they're just like
streaming out of there.
00:22:59.77\00:23:03.15
So when I have the opportunity
to interact with a Mormon
00:23:03.35\00:23:05.43
and they say, "Oh,
I'm a Latter Day Saint,"
00:23:05.46\00:23:06.59
I say,
"Coincidence of coincidences.
00:23:06.62\00:23:09.88
I too am a latter day saint."
00:23:09.91\00:23:12.14
Aren't you? Absolutely.
00:23:13.98\00:23:15.84
They're like,
"Really? Well... uh... uh..."
00:23:15.87\00:23:17.36
And then it just
gets fun from there.
00:23:17.46\00:23:19.12
Okay? But the
point is basically this.
00:23:19.43\00:23:21.21
I was sitting with a plane...
On the plane, not with a plane.
00:23:21.24\00:23:23.63
There I am fellowshipping
with pulpits and pianos again.
00:23:23.66\00:23:25.99
I was sitting on a
plane with my friend.
00:23:26.28\00:23:28.73
A person that I
just met, actually,
00:23:29.36\00:23:30.89
who was a Jehovah's Witness.
00:23:30.90\00:23:31.90
And I said, "Hey, I
got a question for you.
00:23:31.91\00:23:33.27
And he had noticed that I
was reading from the Bible.
00:23:33.47\00:23:35.91
And so we struck
up a conversation.
00:23:35.92\00:23:37.22
And he had told me that
he was a Jehovah's Witness.
00:23:37.25\00:23:38.84
And he began sort of
the classic thing, you know;
00:23:38.87\00:23:42.49
Jesus is not the God, He a God.
00:23:42.52\00:23:45.79
And I say, "Hey, Can
I ask you a question?"
00:23:45.82\00:23:47.07
And I took him to
Hebrews chapter 1.
00:23:47.10\00:23:48.64
Now in Hebrews
chapter 1, we have here...
00:23:49.36\00:23:51.37
I'm just going to kind
of begin at the beginning.
00:23:51.40\00:23:52.83
Which is a good
place to begin, obviously.
00:23:53.79\00:23:55.42
Verse 1, it says, "God,
who at various times and in
00:23:55.45\00:23:57.78
various ways spoke in times past
to the fathers by the prophets,
00:23:57.88\00:24:02.93
has in these last days
spoken to us by..." Who?
00:24:02.96\00:24:05.31
"...His Son, whom He has
appointed heir of all things,
00:24:05.90\00:24:07.99
through whom also
He made the worlds;
00:24:08.02\00:24:09.67
who being the brightness of
His glory and the express image
00:24:09.70\00:24:12.14
of His person, and upholding all
things by the word of His power,
00:24:12.17\00:24:14.62
when He had by Himself
purged our sins, sat down at the
00:24:14.65\00:24:17.43
right hand of the Majesty
on high, having become so much
00:24:17.46\00:24:19.89
better than the angels, as
He by inheritance has obtained
00:24:19.90\00:24:23.35
a more excellent
name than they have."
00:24:23.38\00:24:24.84
And so the author of
Hebrews begins by saying,
00:24:24.87\00:24:26.80
God spoke by the
prophets in the past, but now
00:24:27.10\00:24:29.74
He is spoken by His Son.
00:24:29.75\00:24:31.16
And His Son, when He
had expunged our sins,
00:24:31.19\00:24:33.46
sat down at the
right hand of God.
00:24:33.49\00:24:35.50
And He was given a name
that is better than any name
00:24:35.71\00:24:38.83
that was ever given to an angel.
00:24:38.86\00:24:40.29
By the way, do you
know what that name is?
00:24:40.32\00:24:41.72
The name is, Son.
00:24:41.92\00:24:43.10
The Son, He's called
the Son. The Son of God.
00:24:43.30\00:24:46.70
Now check this out in verse 5.
00:24:46.73\00:24:48.03
"For to which of
the angels did He..."
00:24:48.23\00:24:50.46
Now who is "He" there?
00:24:50.96\00:24:52.71
God the Father. Very good.
00:24:53.72\00:24:55.02
"For to which of
the angels did He,"
00:24:55.05\00:24:56.63
God the Father, "ever say..."
00:24:56.64\00:24:57.64
And this is what I was
going through with my friend
00:24:57.65\00:24:59.26
there on the plane.
00:24:59.27\00:25:00.27
I said, "Okay, now who is 'He'?
00:25:00.28\00:25:01.40
Help me to
understand. Who is 'He'?"
00:25:01.43\00:25:03.06
And he said, "Well, that's
God." I said, "Okay, we agree."
00:25:03.09\00:25:04.90
"For to which of the
angels did He ever say..."
00:25:05.16\00:25:07.91
And then he quotes
here from one of the Psalms.
00:25:07.94\00:25:10.03
"'You are My Son,
today I have begotten You.'
00:25:10.06\00:25:12.60
And again, 'I will
be to Him a Father,
00:25:12.96\00:25:15.41
And He shall be to Me a Son.'"
00:25:15.44\00:25:17.24
So you see, he's
asking a question here.
00:25:17.25\00:25:19.58
A hypothetical question.
00:25:19.61\00:25:20.76
"To whom did He
ever say, 'You're My Son,
00:25:20.79\00:25:23.38
today I have begotten You.'"
00:25:23.41\00:25:24.43
He's trying to show the
elevation of Christ over angels.
00:25:24.46\00:25:27.02
Verse 6, "But when He..."
There's our pronoun again.
00:25:27.31\00:25:31.14
Singular masculine pronoun.
00:25:31.15\00:25:33.16
Who is "He" here? Once again.
00:25:33.46\00:25:35.59
Very good. It's God the Father.
00:25:36.13\00:25:38.06
"But when He again brings
the firstborn into the world,
00:25:38.31\00:25:41.26
He says, 'Let all the
angels of God worship Him.'"
00:25:41.29\00:25:45.20
So he's trying to show
the superiority of Jesus
00:25:45.23\00:25:47.71
over the angels because Jesus
doesn't worship the angels.
00:25:47.74\00:25:50.24
The angels worship Jesus.
00:25:50.27\00:25:51.44
Verse 7, "And of
the angels He says..."
00:25:51.81\00:25:55.18
Now, question
again. Who is "He"?
00:25:55.93\00:25:58.07
Still God.
00:25:58.09\00:25:59.09
Our pronouns are being
consistent here. Right?
00:25:59.10\00:26:01.54
It's always the Father.
00:26:01.57\00:26:02.85
"And of the angels He says,
'Who makes His angels spirits
00:26:03.43\00:26:08.26
and His ministers
a flame of fire.'"
00:26:08.29\00:26:09.54
Now look at verse 8,
"But to the Son He says..."
00:26:09.57\00:26:12.97
Okay, I'm going to ask again.
00:26:13.41\00:26:14.41
And forgive me for
being so consistent with this.
00:26:14.44\00:26:17.87
But who is "He" in
verse 8, "To the Son He says."
00:26:17.90\00:26:20.98
God. Watch this.
00:26:21.59\00:26:22.59
"To the Son, God the
Father says, 'Your throne...'"
00:26:22.80\00:26:28.70
What are the next two words?
00:26:29.66\00:26:30.96
"Your throne, O
God, is forever and ever.
00:26:33.12\00:26:35.97
A scepter of righteousness
is the scepter of Your kingdom.
00:26:36.00\00:26:39.26
You have loved righteousness
and hated lawlessness.
00:26:39.47\00:26:41.85
Therefore God, Your
God, has anointed You
00:26:41.88\00:26:44.48
with the oil of gladness
more than Your companions."
00:26:44.51\00:26:47.18
Now there's a
very interesting thing.
00:26:47.19\00:26:48.85
Here, you have God the
Father calling Jesus the Son...
00:26:49.55\00:26:55.63
What's He calling Him?
00:26:55.64\00:26:56.64
God.
00:26:57.05\00:26:58.12
God in the most
emphatic and absolute sense.
00:26:58.15\00:27:00.77
So here's the question.
00:27:00.78\00:27:01.94
As I was going through
with my friend, I said,
00:27:01.97\00:27:03.49
"Okay, Who is 'He'?"
00:27:03.50\00:27:04.50
And he said,
"That's God the Father."
00:27:04.51\00:27:05.55
I said, "Who's 'He' in verse
5?" "That's God the Father."
00:27:05.56\00:27:07.65
"Who is 'He' in verse
6?" "That's God the Father."
00:27:07.67\00:27:09.09
"Who is 'He' in verse
7?" "That's God the Father."
00:27:09.10\00:27:10.54
I said, "Who's 'He' in verse
8?" "That's God the Father."
00:27:10.57\00:27:12.91
And I said, "Now,
I have a question.
00:27:12.94\00:27:14.14
Here's God the Father
speaking to the Son, Jesus,
00:27:14.17\00:27:16.62
and He says, 'Your throne,
O God, is forever and ever.'"
00:27:16.65\00:27:21.10
And he went...
00:27:21.57\00:27:22.57
"I'll have to study that out."
00:27:24.25\00:27:25.56
"See, I'm just curious.
What do you think of that?"
00:27:25.98\00:27:28.20
Beloved, the point is this.
00:27:28.50\00:27:29.64
If God the Father is comfortable
calling Jesus "God," in the
00:27:29.67\00:27:35.14
most absolute and emphatic
sense of the word "God,"
00:27:35.15\00:27:37.83
we can be
comfortable calling Him "God".
00:27:37.84\00:27:39.69
Amen?
00:27:40.42\00:27:41.46
Now, that gets us
back to our point that
00:27:41.47\00:27:42.92
we were making earlier.
00:27:42.95\00:27:43.94
Question, is God the Father God?
00:27:44.31\00:27:46.89
So there's an entity.
00:27:47.28\00:27:48.53
Is God the Son called God?
00:27:48.56\00:27:50.54
So there's an entity.
00:27:50.92\00:27:51.95
But they're both God.
00:27:51.98\00:27:53.81
And so what do we see?
00:27:53.82\00:27:54.82
Singularity, but we
also see plurality. Okay?
00:27:54.83\00:27:59.06
Now someone is bound to say,
"Well, that's a contradiction.
00:27:59.28\00:28:03.49
That is
inherently contradictory."
00:28:03.97\00:28:05.76
Oh contraire mon frere.
It is not a contradiction.
00:28:05.79\00:28:08.87
A contradiction
only actualizes...
00:28:08.90\00:28:11.40
Now forgive me here for
just giving a little lesson here
00:28:11.43\00:28:13.83
on how
contradictions actually work.
00:28:13.84\00:28:16.39
You only have an actual
contradiction if you affirm
00:28:16.42\00:28:19.61
the same thing in the same
way as both true and not true.
00:28:19.62\00:28:23.55
A contradiction only arises
when you have a violation of
00:28:23.95\00:28:27.05
what's called, the
law of non-contradiction.
00:28:27.06\00:28:29.52
Okay?
00:28:29.55\00:28:30.60
The law of non-contradiction
says that a statement cannot be
00:28:30.61\00:28:33.24
true and false in the
same way at the same time.
00:28:33.27\00:28:37.15
So if we were
saying, "There are three Gods
00:28:37.45\00:28:40.98
and there is one God," and
we meant God in the same sense,
00:28:41.01\00:28:44.40
that would be contradictory.
00:28:44.43\00:28:45.94
But that's not
what we're saying.
00:28:45.97\00:28:47.01
We're saying,
"There are three Persons."
00:28:47.02\00:28:49.90
Three what, everyone?
00:28:50.36\00:28:51.58
Three Persons who
make up one what? God.
00:28:51.86\00:28:55.87
Okay, so if you
take my wife and I.
00:28:55.90\00:28:58.04
Because the two
become one flesh.
00:28:58.07\00:28:59.53
Two people become one family.
00:29:00.08\00:29:02.58
You tracking with me?
00:29:03.22\00:29:04.35
Is that a
contradiction? It's not.
00:29:04.38\00:29:06.37
But if we said, "Two people
become one people, one person,"
00:29:06.40\00:29:09.99
would that be a contradiction?
00:29:10.43\00:29:11.84
That would be a contradiction
because it's trying to
00:29:12.09\00:29:14.18
affirm and deny the
same thing in the same way.
00:29:14.21\00:29:17.72
It's a violation of the
law of non-contradiction.
00:29:17.73\00:29:19.79
The statement
becomes incoherent.
00:29:20.10\00:29:22.36
And therefore, contradictory.
00:29:22.39\00:29:23.86
The Trinity is not incoherent.
00:29:24.34\00:29:25.98
Some people will
say, "It's illogical.
00:29:26.01\00:29:27.94
It's irrational. It
doesn't make any sense.
00:29:27.95\00:29:29.40
You're saying God is
three and God is one."
00:29:29.41\00:29:31.07
Yes, but we're not saying that
God is three in the same sense
00:29:31.08\00:29:35.49
that He is one.
00:29:35.52\00:29:36.55
He is one in the
sense that He is one God.
00:29:36.98\00:29:40.15
He is three in the sense
that this one God is comprised
00:29:40.18\00:29:43.40
of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
00:29:43.43\00:29:46.29
You tracking with me?
00:29:46.59\00:29:47.76
Now, as Dr. Stefanovic
said on the program last night,
00:29:47.96\00:29:50.94
and I want to repeat this,
the Bible nowhere explains this.
00:29:50.97\00:29:55.98
Okay, the Bible is
not a systematic theology.
00:29:56.38\00:29:59.48
In fact, there's only a few
books in all of Scripture that
00:29:59.49\00:30:02.53
could be considered systematic
in a theological sense.
00:30:02.56\00:30:04.89
One of which, of course, is
many of the epistles of Paul.
00:30:04.90\00:30:07.53
For example, in
Romans. Etcetera.
00:30:07.54\00:30:09.02
So, you're not going to
find any systematic treatment
00:30:09.83\00:30:13.14
of the Trinity trying to explain
the threeness and the oneness.
00:30:13.17\00:30:18.89
You don't find it.
00:30:18.97\00:30:19.97
What you find is an affirmation
that there is only one God.
00:30:20.07\00:30:23.16
And you find an
affirmation that God is
00:30:23.19\00:30:25.15
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
00:30:25.18\00:30:26.61
It's up to us as Bible
students and as theologians
00:30:27.11\00:30:30.74
and as scholars to
try and understand it.
00:30:30.75\00:30:34.24
But the point is this.
00:30:34.27\00:30:35.46
Whether or not we can
understand it does not prevent
00:30:35.85\00:30:38.71
us from proclaiming it.
00:30:38.72\00:30:40.25
Are you with me on that?
00:30:40.29\00:30:41.79
Some people say, "Oh,
I can't proclaim that.
00:30:41.82\00:30:43.50
I can't proclaim that
because I don't understand it."
00:30:43.53\00:30:46.11
Well, good luck proclaiming
anything in Scripture.
00:30:46.88\00:30:50.93
Do you understand how
God, the infinite, illimitable,
00:30:51.48\00:30:54.93
eternal God of the
universe becomes a Man?
00:30:54.96\00:30:57.87
Does anyone understand that?
00:30:58.84\00:31:00.21
How does God become a 6
foot tall Man who walks around,
00:31:00.24\00:31:03.93
who has to walk from Jericho
to Galilee, and from Galilee
00:31:03.96\00:31:07.02
to Jerusalem?
00:31:07.05\00:31:08.25
Do you understand that?
00:31:08.26\00:31:09.26
Can anyone in this room
explain how God becomes a Man?
00:31:09.27\00:31:11.73
Let's take it a step further?
00:31:12.14\00:31:13.41
God died on a cross.
00:31:13.61\00:31:16.54
The Man, Jesus
Christ, died on a cross.
00:31:16.57\00:31:19.26
Can anyone explain that here?
00:31:19.29\00:31:20.56
But do we proclaim that?
00:31:20.89\00:31:22.22
Do we preach that?
00:31:22.78\00:31:24.25
That's the gospel, beloved.
00:31:24.57\00:31:25.92
The life, death, and
resurrection of the Man,
00:31:25.95\00:31:27.58
Jesus Christ, who was
in fact the incarnate God.
00:31:27.61\00:31:29.85
So if somebody says,
"Well if I can't explain it,
00:31:29.88\00:31:32.53
I can't proclaim
it, I can't believe it."
00:31:32.56\00:31:34.32
Well good luck with
anything in Christianity.
00:31:34.35\00:31:36.70
Right?
00:31:36.71\00:31:37.78
This point is this; we are
not affirming something that is
00:31:37.81\00:31:39.90
incoherent or irrational.
00:31:39.93\00:31:41.65
What we're simply saying
is that Scripture affirms that
00:31:41.66\00:31:44.70
God is one, but then
Scripture also affirms that
00:31:44.73\00:31:47.73
God is Father, God is
Son, and God is Holy Spirit.
00:31:47.76\00:31:52.81
Amen?
00:31:53.02\00:31:54.04
Come with me to
the book of Revelation
00:31:54.27\00:31:55.95
for another
unambiguous triadic passage.
00:31:56.61\00:31:59.39
Revelation chapter 1.
00:31:59.42\00:32:00.59
In fact, this is how the
book of Revelation opens up.
00:32:00.60\00:32:03.38
Revelation chapter 1 and
we'll pick it up in verse 4.
00:32:04.02\00:32:08.36
Right at the outset,
Revelation chapter 1 verse 4.
00:32:08.39\00:32:11.70
"John, to the seven
churches which are in Asia.
00:32:13.08\00:32:16.52
Grace to you and peace from..."
00:32:17.82\00:32:19.78
Now this is...
Most scholars believe...
00:32:19.81\00:32:21.60
Virtually every
scholar of Revelation believes
00:32:21.80\00:32:24.26
that this next passage
here is a New Testament
00:32:25.17\00:32:28.73
way of saying, "I AM."
00:32:28.76\00:32:30.77
"Hayah" from the Old Testament.
00:32:30.95\00:32:32.69
Verse 4, "John, to the seven
churches which are in Asia.
00:32:33.68\00:32:36.05
Grace to you and
peace from Him who..." What?
00:32:36.08\00:32:39.57
"...is and who was
and who is to come..."
00:32:40.13\00:32:45.15
In other Words, from the I AM.
00:32:45.18\00:32:46.83
"Grace and peace
to you from Him who is
00:32:47.66\00:32:50.32
and who was and who is to
come, and from the seven Spirits
00:32:50.33\00:32:54.96
who are before His throne..."
00:32:54.99\00:32:56.11
Okay? So here you have God and
here you have the seven Spirits.
00:32:56.41\00:33:00.26
Which is a book of
Revelation way of saying,
00:33:00.29\00:33:02.80
"the Holy Spirit."
00:33:02.83\00:33:03.84
"The seven Spirits
that are before His throne."
00:33:03.87\00:33:05.76
They show up in
Revelation 4 and 5 as well.
00:33:05.79\00:33:07.61
Verse 5 says,
"...and from..." Whom?
00:33:07.71\00:33:10.11
"...Jesus Christ, the
faithful witness, the firstborn
00:33:10.95\00:33:13.01
from the dead, and the ruler
over the kings of the earth."
00:33:13.02\00:33:14.70
So in verse 4, you
basically have this greeting.
00:33:14.73\00:33:17.29
Greeting to you from
God, I AM, who was and
00:33:17.32\00:33:20.32
who is and who is to come.
00:33:20.33\00:33:21.45
And from the seven Spirits,
which is the book of Revelation
00:33:21.65\00:33:24.06
way of saying,
"the Holy Spirit."
00:33:24.07\00:33:25.53
And from Jesus Christ.
00:33:25.56\00:33:27.99
Now let's take it
even a step further
00:33:29.02\00:33:30.98
in the book of Revelation.
00:33:30.99\00:33:31.99
To me, this is
absolutely fascinating.
00:33:32.00\00:33:34.93
A major motif in the book
of Revelation is what has been
00:33:35.39\00:33:39.19
called, the counterfeit motif.
00:33:39.22\00:33:41.56
What motif, everyone?
00:33:41.87\00:33:43.31
The counterfeit motif.
00:33:43.79\00:33:45.21
Okay, what do we mean by
that, the counterfeit motif?
00:33:45.24\00:33:46.99
Well, what we find is
that when God does something,
00:33:47.02\00:33:50.54
Satan counterfeits it.
00:33:50.57\00:33:52.79
Right?
00:33:52.80\00:33:53.82
Just the other day, I was
at a grocery store here and
00:33:54.12\00:33:55.99
someone paid with
a 100 dollar bill.
00:33:56.02\00:33:58.37
And the cashier was
holding up the 100 dollar bill
00:33:58.38\00:34:02.08
looking for that little
strip that runs through it.
00:34:02.11\00:34:03.79
He was looking for it.
00:34:03.82\00:34:05.01
Okay, he's looking for
it because a counterfeit is
00:34:05.04\00:34:07.79
going to look similar to but
not identical to the real thing.
00:34:07.82\00:34:11.60
You will never see a counterfeit
57 dollar bill or a counterfeit
00:34:11.95\00:34:15.97
29 dollar bill or a
counterfeit 33 dollar.
00:34:16.00\00:34:18.75
Why? because
there's no original.
00:34:18.78\00:34:20.48
There's no original so there's
no point in counterfeiting.
00:34:20.94\00:34:24.14
What we find in the
book of Revelation is that
00:34:24.17\00:34:25.98
God has a church,
Revelation chapter 12.
00:34:26.01\00:34:28.15
A pure church clothed
with the stars and the sun,
00:34:28.18\00:34:32.42
the moon under her feet.
00:34:32.43\00:34:33.43
That's God's true church.
00:34:33.44\00:34:34.56
But then in Revelation
17, there's a counterfeit.
00:34:34.59\00:34:37.05
There's a fallen church, a false
church, who's bedecked with
00:34:37.08\00:34:39.55
all of these jewels and is drunk
with the blood of the saints.
00:34:39.58\00:34:41.69
And so God has a
church, here's a counterfeit.
00:34:41.72\00:34:45.05
In the book of
Revelation, God has a city.
00:34:45.68\00:34:48.34
What is God's city in
the book of Revelation?
00:34:49.11\00:34:51.88
The New Jerusalem.
00:34:52.65\00:34:53.91
Does Satan have a city
in the book of Revelation?
00:34:54.23\00:34:57.57
What's the city?
00:34:58.27\00:34:59.27
Okay, Babylon. Very Good.
00:34:59.54\00:35:01.11
There are others as well.
00:35:01.31\00:35:02.65
God has a message in
the book of Revelation;
00:35:02.66\00:35:04.84
the three angels messages.
00:35:04.85\00:35:06.57
And Satan has a message
in the book of Revelation;
00:35:06.60\00:35:09.10
as the demons that
look like frogs go out to
00:35:09.13\00:35:13.80
bring their message.
00:35:13.83\00:35:15.00
Very interesting.
00:35:15.03\00:35:16.11
You have this counterfeit motif.
00:35:16.96\00:35:18.57
God has a thing,
Satan has a thing.
00:35:18.60\00:35:21.02
Counterfeiting, counterfeiting.
00:35:21.05\00:35:22.54
He sees aping. God
does this, he does this.
00:35:22.55\00:35:25.41
Now here's a fascinating thing.
00:35:25.83\00:35:27.61
When we get to the latter
part of the book of Revelation
00:35:28.24\00:35:33.43
beginning in say chapter 12,
chapter 12 down to chapter 22,
00:35:33.46\00:35:38.20
really chapter 20, from 12 to 20
you have three primary figures
00:35:38.23\00:35:43.69
who are warring
against God's people.
00:35:43.72\00:35:45.83
Three primary figures who are
warring against God's people.
00:35:46.18\00:35:49.77
The first one we're introduced
to in Revelation chapter 12,
00:35:49.80\00:35:52.38
he's called the dragon.
00:35:52.41\00:35:54.95
Okay who is it, everyone?
00:35:55.48\00:35:56.84
The dragon.
00:35:57.16\00:35:58.29
Now the very interesting
thing about the dragon
00:35:58.32\00:36:00.26
is that when we're introduced
to the dragon, he has a
00:36:00.29\00:36:02.86
kind of preeminent role,
an almost authoritative role
00:36:02.89\00:36:06.34
over the other two.
00:36:06.35\00:36:07.35
The dragon, according to
Revelation chapter 12, makes
00:36:07.36\00:36:09.50
war with the last, the remnant
of God's people on earth.
00:36:09.53\00:36:12.72
He's making war.
00:36:12.75\00:36:13.83
Now that's how
Revelation chapter 12 ends.
00:36:13.86\00:36:15.51
Verse 17, "The dragon was
wroth with the woman and went to
00:36:15.54\00:36:17.48
make war with the remnant
of her seed, which keep the
00:36:17.49\00:36:19.07
commandments of God and
have the testimony of Jesus."
00:36:19.08\00:36:20.84
Now the next chapter,
chapter 13, tells us how
00:36:20.87\00:36:24.79
he's going to make war.
00:36:24.82\00:36:26.13
What vehicle is he
going to use, or vehicles.
00:36:26.73\00:36:30.16
And two beasts come up in
succession in Revelation 13.
00:36:30.19\00:36:36.47
So don't miss that.
00:36:36.48\00:36:37.48
Revelation 12, the
dragon is going to make war.
00:36:37.49\00:36:39.88
Revelation 13, this is how.
00:36:39.89\00:36:41.61
And right at the very beginning,
it's fascinating, right at the
00:36:42.21\00:36:44.51
beginning of Revelation
13, this first beast comes up.
00:36:44.54\00:36:47.09
He has the body of a leopard and
mouth of a lion, and all this.
00:36:47.12\00:36:50.11
And it's very interesting
what the Scripture says.
00:36:50.25\00:36:52.03
The Scripture says, the
dragon gave this first beast
00:36:52.06\00:36:56.34
that comes up out of the
sea his power, his throne,
00:36:56.35\00:36:59.87
and his great authority.
00:36:59.90\00:37:01.21
Well, why is the dragon
giving his power, throne and
00:37:01.72\00:37:03.67
great authority to this beast?
00:37:03.70\00:37:05.11
Why is he doing that?
00:37:05.27\00:37:06.27
Because this is the
means through which he's making
00:37:06.28\00:37:08.70
war against the remnant, making
war against the people of God.
00:37:08.73\00:37:11.62
This beast comes up...
00:37:12.05\00:37:13.06
And I don't have time
to go into it right now.
00:37:13.09\00:37:14.79
But I can give you
the... I can let you know...
00:37:14.82\00:37:16.82
How many of you have heard a
sermon that I preached called,
00:37:16.85\00:37:18.79
Does Jesus Christ Have A Twin?
00:37:18.82\00:37:21.01
Has anyone heard that?
00:37:21.34\00:37:22.37
I think they've only played it
like 50 million times on 3ABN.
00:37:22.40\00:37:26.00
Okay, so the point is this.
00:37:26.36\00:37:27.79
What you find in Revelation
chapter 13 is that this
00:37:28.04\00:37:31.09
first beast
apes what Jesus does.
00:37:31.12\00:37:33.63
Jesus was baptized and began His
mission, comes out of the water.
00:37:33.66\00:37:36.24
This beast rises out of
the water, begins his mission.
00:37:36.27\00:37:38.53
Jesus was resurrected; lived,
was slain, then resurrected.
00:37:38.83\00:37:43.70
This beast was slain and
then received a deadly wound,
00:37:43.71\00:37:47.19
and then it was healed.
00:37:47.20\00:37:48.20
Jesus ministered for
three and a half years.
00:37:48.21\00:37:51.22
This beast reigns for 42 months.
00:37:51.23\00:37:53.02
You just have this controversy
or this counterfeit motif.
00:37:53.05\00:37:57.90
It's well documented that
the actual term here that's
00:37:59.16\00:38:01.91
used by John in other
passages for this beast is,
00:38:02.32\00:38:06.11
the antichrist.
00:38:06.14\00:38:07.33
And the antichrist, it's
well documented, is basically
00:38:07.34\00:38:09.60
trying to take the place
of Christ, trying to receive
00:38:09.63\00:38:13.09
the position and
preeminence of Christ.
00:38:13.12\00:38:15.99
Now don't miss that.
00:38:16.02\00:38:17.30
The dragon, who's sort of the
overseer, the supervisor of the
00:38:17.69\00:38:23.81
whole project, he gives
his power, throne, and great
00:38:23.84\00:38:26.04
authority to this first beast
who is a counterfeit of Jesus.
00:38:26.05\00:38:30.28
Now the fascinating thing is
that when this beast receives
00:38:30.92\00:38:33.72
the deadly wound in
verse 3, but when he goes down,
00:38:33.73\00:38:36.86
"he that leads into captivity
will go into captivity,
00:38:36.89\00:38:38.89
he that kills with the sword
will be killed with the sword,"
00:38:38.90\00:38:40.29
in verse 10.
00:38:40.30\00:38:41.30
In verse 11, another
beast starts to come up.
00:38:41.31\00:38:43.88
And this beast
comes up out of the earth.
00:38:44.08\00:38:46.67
And here's the
fascinating thing.
00:38:46.70\00:38:47.90
The second beast, the
earth beast, is essentially
00:38:47.91\00:38:50.63
an apologist or a spokesperson
for the first beast.
00:38:50.66\00:38:55.63
And what this second beast
does is absolutely remarkable.
00:38:55.84\00:38:59.42
He calls down fire
from heaven on the earth
00:38:59.45\00:39:03.72
in the sight of men.
00:39:03.73\00:39:04.73
That's what the Holy Spirit did.
00:39:04.74\00:39:06.70
The Holy Spirit brought fire
down on the day of Pentecost.
00:39:07.24\00:39:09.97
And there's many other
passages we could go to.
00:39:10.17\00:39:11.96
But this beast is also referred
to as the false prophet.
00:39:11.99\00:39:15.48
Now here's the
fascinating thing.
00:39:15.84\00:39:17.39
When we come to the
book of Revelation, which is
00:39:17.42\00:39:20.02
saturated with this counterfeit
motif, what do we encounter?
00:39:21.01\00:39:24.88
We encounter a
supervising figure, the dragon,
00:39:24.89\00:39:28.58
who gives his power,
throne, and great authority to
00:39:29.08\00:39:32.03
represent him on
earth, the first beast.
00:39:32.06\00:39:34.79
Who, when he goes down,
turns his authority over to,
00:39:34.82\00:39:38.90
and the sort of PR
person, public relations person,
00:39:38.93\00:39:43.48
is the second beast.
00:39:43.51\00:39:44.85
The counterfeit of the
Father, counterfeit of the Son,
00:39:45.85\00:39:48.23
counterfeit of the Holy Spirit.
00:39:48.26\00:39:49.99
Now think about
that for just a moment.
00:39:50.40\00:39:51.77
Is this not one of the most
profoundly persuasive arguments
00:39:52.50\00:39:56.67
that there must be a
real Trinity if Satan is
00:39:56.68\00:39:59.96
counterfeiting it in
the book of Revelation?
00:39:59.99\00:40:02.29
Think that through.
00:40:02.32\00:40:03.53
Right? Why would you
make a counterfeit of a thing
00:40:03.96\00:40:05.99
that there wasn't
an original article of?
00:40:06.02\00:40:07.51
But when we come to Revelation
12 to 20, what do we see?
00:40:07.52\00:40:11.12
The dragon making war.
00:40:11.15\00:40:12.45
The first beast, the
antichrist beast, making war.
00:40:12.48\00:40:14.87
And the second beast,
the land beast, making war.
00:40:14.90\00:40:16.90
Counterfeit of the
Father, counterfeit of the Son,
00:40:17.10\00:40:19.08
counterfeit of the Holy Spirit.
00:40:19.11\00:40:20.33
We'll what does that tell you?
00:40:20.36\00:40:21.39
That tells you that
there's a Father, there's a Son,
00:40:21.72\00:40:25.19
and there's a Holy Spirit.
00:40:25.29\00:40:27.64
You with me on that?
00:40:27.89\00:40:28.98
Powerful, powerful.
00:40:29.18\00:40:30.86
Now let me take you to
what, for me, is the single most
00:40:31.06\00:40:35.38
persuasive evidence in
all of Scripture that God
00:40:35.41\00:40:38.93
is in fact triune.
00:40:38.96\00:40:41.02
And it's three words long.
00:40:41.40\00:40:42.96
It's found in 1 John
chapter 4 verses 8 and 16.
00:40:42.99\00:40:45.82
Three simple words.
00:40:45.85\00:40:47.94
It's where John
says, "God is love."
00:40:48.24\00:40:53.10
"God is love."
00:40:54.24\00:40:56.78
John here gives us a
grammatical equivalence.
00:40:56.81\00:40:59.80
God is this thing.
00:40:59.83\00:41:01.80
John does not make
the far more modest claim
00:41:02.58\00:41:07.00
that God is loving.
00:41:07.03\00:41:09.20
Loving.
00:41:10.02\00:41:11.11
How many of us in
this room are loving?
00:41:11.77\00:41:14.00
I mean, at times.
00:41:14.58\00:41:15.84
Right? I am.
00:41:16.60\00:41:17.62
My wife would tell you that.
00:41:17.65\00:41:18.64
She'd say, "He's
a loving husband."
00:41:18.65\00:41:20.26
So you could say, "David
Asscherick is a loving husband."
00:41:20.29\00:41:24.78
Or even with my children,
my two boys Landon and Jabel.
00:41:24.81\00:41:26.90
You might see me fishing
with them or out in the woods
00:41:26.93\00:41:30.39
backpacking with
them, and you might say,
00:41:30.40\00:41:31.45
"Oh, he's a good dad.
He loves his children.
00:41:31.48\00:41:34.20
He's a loving father."
00:41:34.23\00:41:35.99
So it would be totally
grammatically experientially
00:41:36.02\00:41:39.57
correct to say,
"David Asscherick is loving."
00:41:39.60\00:41:43.62
It would be the same, I'm
sure, for all of you as well.
00:41:43.65\00:41:45.95
We have instances of loving.
00:41:46.35\00:41:47.45
Now we are not always loving.
00:41:47.46\00:41:48.91
Sometimes we blow it.
00:41:48.94\00:41:50.85
At least I do. Maybe you don't.
00:41:50.88\00:41:52.78
But occasionally
I become unloving.
00:41:52.81\00:41:54.99
Now here's the
interesting thing.
00:41:55.34\00:41:56.66
While you could say,
"David Asscherick is loving."
00:41:56.69\00:41:59.47
Do you know what
you could not say?
00:41:59.50\00:42:01.12
That's right.
00:42:02.09\00:42:03.11
You could not say, "Oh,
that David Asscherick guy,
00:42:03.12\00:42:05.57
he is love."
00:42:06.03\00:42:07.80
No, no, no, no, no.
00:42:08.27\00:42:09.31
I'm not love. I'm loving.
00:42:09.89\00:42:12.25
John could have made
the far more modest claim.
00:42:12.46\00:42:16.03
He could have simply
said, "God is loving."
00:42:16.04\00:42:18.56
An adjective describing a
behavior or an attribute of God.
00:42:18.89\00:42:24.02
That's a very modest claim.
00:42:24.05\00:42:25.68
But John doesn't make this
modest claim, "God is loving,"
00:42:25.69\00:42:28.36
an adjective
describing a behavior.
00:42:28.39\00:42:29.87
What he says is, in a
grammatical equivalence,
00:42:29.90\00:42:32.41
he says, "God
is..." the noun, "...love."
00:42:32.44\00:42:37.35
That is to say, something
that is the essence of Godness,
00:42:37.77\00:42:43.51
what makes God God is identical
to what makes love love.
00:42:43.52\00:42:50.02
Now this is awesome.
00:42:50.88\00:42:52.35
Because when we go to the
actual biblical definition
00:42:52.38\00:42:54.55
of love rather than this soupy,
sappy, warm, fuzzy-wuzzy love
00:42:54.56\00:42:58.77
that's basically just emotion
or lust masquerading as love,
00:42:58.80\00:43:02.44
but when we go to the
biblical definition of love,
00:43:02.47\00:43:04.77
love is not a
feeling or an emotion
00:43:04.80\00:43:06.59
or a, "Man, I
just feel so good."
00:43:06.62\00:43:08.78
It's not that.
00:43:08.81\00:43:10.17
Love is a principle.
00:43:10.45\00:43:12.76
Love is a... What, everyone?
00:43:13.49\00:43:14.75
Love is a principle.
00:43:15.37\00:43:16.48
And that principle says, "I'm
going to put you and your needs,
00:43:16.49\00:43:20.61
your wants, your dreams,
your hopes, your desires,
00:43:20.64\00:43:22.85
your visions in front
of my own hopes, dreams,
00:43:22.88\00:43:25.44
wants, desires, and visions.
00:43:25.45\00:43:27.42
Right?
00:43:27.43\00:43:28.44
The Bible says it this way
in the so called love chapter.
00:43:28.54\00:43:31.18
1 Corinthians
chapter 13 verse 5 says,
00:43:31.21\00:43:33.55
"love seeks not its own."
00:43:33.58\00:43:37.12
Which raises the question,
if love is not looking out
00:43:38.01\00:43:40.71
for itself, the me monster...
00:43:40.74\00:43:43.02
...okay, who is
it looking out for?
00:43:44.18\00:43:45.94
It's looking out for others.
"Love seeks not its own."
00:43:47.00\00:43:49.95
And so we can
derive this very simply.
00:43:49.98\00:43:51.41
Jesus said this, "Greater
love hath no man than this;
00:43:51.42\00:43:54.55
that a man would lay down his...
00:43:54.58\00:43:55.92
...for his friend."
00:43:56.57\00:43:58.28
Here's another one, "For
God so loved the world that
00:43:58.31\00:44:00.27
He gave His Son."
00:44:00.30\00:44:01.94
So what we find in love
is this other centeredness.
00:44:01.97\00:44:05.53
This, "No, no,
no, no. You have it.
00:44:05.83\00:44:07.34
No, you take it."
00:44:07.37\00:44:08.43
And not the disingenuous,
"No, no. I'll pay for the meal."
00:44:08.46\00:44:11.69
When really you're thinking,
"I hope he offers because
00:44:11.72\00:44:13.37
I don't want to
pay for the meal."
00:44:13.38\00:44:14.38
Right?
00:44:14.39\00:44:15.39
True love is a; throwing
yourself, an almost reckless,
00:44:15.40\00:44:20.58
if I can use that
word, an almost reckless
00:44:20.61\00:44:22.67
throwing of yourself
at the expense of others.
00:44:22.70\00:44:26.18
Alright, not at the expense.
00:44:26.19\00:44:27.17
But for the benefit of others
and at the expense of yourself.
00:44:27.20\00:44:29.51
"It's not what I
want. It's what you want.
00:44:30.35\00:44:31.74
How can I help you."
00:44:31.77\00:44:32.93
In fact, we find this phrase.
00:44:33.19\00:44:34.82
And I wish I had
time to develop this.
00:44:34.83\00:44:36.29
But Paul uses this
phrase over and over and over
00:44:36.30\00:44:39.58
and over again in his epistles.
00:44:39.61\00:44:41.16
He uses this phrase,
that Jesus gave Himself.
00:44:41.19\00:44:45.39
Study that phrase out in Paul's
writings, "He gave Himself."
00:44:46.69\00:44:50.71
"Husbands love your wives
as Christ also loved the church
00:44:50.74\00:44:53.33
and gave Himself."
00:44:53.36\00:44:55.43
"Be imitators of God as
dear children and walk in love
00:44:56.51\00:44:59.21
as Christ also loved
us and gave Himself."
00:44:59.22\00:45:02.58
Ephesians 5:1 and
2, Ephesians 5:25.
00:45:03.05\00:45:05.07
"Gave Himself."
00:45:05.09\00:45:06.58
"I am crucified with Christ;
nevertheless I live; yet not I,
00:45:06.82\00:45:10.22
but Christ lives in me:
and the life which I now live
00:45:10.23\00:45:11.86
in the flesh I live by faith
in the Son of God, who loved me,
00:45:11.87\00:45:14.06
and gave Himself for me."
00:45:14.07\00:45:16.55
For Paul, this
phrase, "gave Himself,"
00:45:16.65\00:45:19.53
is an equivalence to love.
00:45:19.54\00:45:21.74
So it's not this fuzzy-wuzzy,
namby-pamby, air-conditioned,
00:45:22.60\00:45:27.16
milk toast, vanilla version
of love, you know, that you sing
00:45:27.17\00:45:32.20
and you forget
tomorrow or next year.
00:45:32.21\00:45:34.40
Love is a principle that says,
"You are more important to me
00:45:34.41\00:45:39.04
than I am to me."
00:45:39.05\00:45:40.70
Jesus gave
Himself, He gave Himself.
00:45:40.97\00:45:44.37
But here's a fascinating thing.
00:45:44.65\00:45:46.24
In order to have love, if
love is the principle of putting
00:45:46.54\00:45:49.03
somebody else
first, definitionally,
00:45:49.06\00:45:52.88
you have to have another.
00:45:54.01\00:45:55.45
Have to.
00:45:56.79\00:45:57.80
Right?
00:45:58.20\00:45:59.20
You gotta.
00:45:59.30\00:46:00.39
You cannot have
love in a vacuum.
00:46:00.84\00:46:02.58
If you have a single
solitary being, namely just God
00:46:03.95\00:46:08.75
who's all by himself in
the most emphatic sense of one,
00:46:08.78\00:46:11.73
this God could become
loving if He made an object
00:46:12.88\00:46:16.89
upon which to bestow His love.
00:46:16.90\00:46:18.09
But listen to the
language, "He becomes loving."
00:46:18.12\00:46:21.43
That's not what John said.
00:46:22.24\00:46:23.49
John said, "God is love."
00:46:24.05\00:46:27.00
Something about God, in the very
fiber and fabric of who He is,
00:46:27.03\00:46:31.04
is this principle of
putting someone else first.
00:46:31.07\00:46:35.13
But how can you put
someone else first if there's
00:46:35.38\00:46:37.34
no one else to put first.
00:46:37.37\00:46:39.62
Now, I thought
this was pretty clever.
00:46:41.55\00:46:43.61
I was having this conversation
with my friend, Ty Gibson.
00:46:44.19\00:46:46.40
He said, "Well, let me
take it a step further."
00:46:46.41\00:46:47.92
I've got this amazing quotation.
00:46:48.12\00:46:49.59
In fact, I think it's
going to be here on the
00:46:49.62\00:46:51.27
screen so you can read it.
00:46:51.28\00:46:52.28
It's a little
lengthy, but follow this.
00:46:52.29\00:46:53.91
This is awesome. I
hadn't thought of this.
00:46:53.94\00:46:56.05
To me, what I was
saying, I was like, "Yeah."
00:46:56.08\00:46:58.10
But then Ty, he took
it to the next level.
00:46:58.13\00:47:01.52
Okay, watch this.
00:47:02.18\00:47:03.22
Have you followed
that? That is awesome.
00:48:15.49\00:48:17.93
What he's basically saying
is, that if there were just two
00:48:18.14\00:48:21.67
you have the potential
for a selfish self-absorption.
00:48:22.07\00:48:25.56
And anyone who has
ever seen two young people
00:48:25.57\00:48:29.37
fall in love...
00:48:29.38\00:48:30.38
They don't even
have to be young.
00:48:30.39\00:48:31.39
In fact, I had a friend of mine
who recently just fell in love
00:48:31.40\00:48:33.66
with a young lady I
guess it was about a year ago.
00:48:33.69\00:48:35.50
And these two
were just ridiculous.
00:48:35.53\00:48:38.51
And listen, I'm all for
young people falling in love
00:48:38.54\00:48:41.33
with other godly young people.
00:48:41.36\00:48:43.49
But they were
just, "Oh, hmm hmm hmm.
00:48:43.52\00:48:45.78
Oh, hmm hmm hmm."
00:48:45.81\00:48:47.61
And they just... It's like, ugh.
00:48:47.64\00:48:50.21
I mean, okay a little bit.
00:48:50.23\00:48:51.72
I mean, a little
bit of that is okay.
00:48:52.04\00:48:53.61
But I mean, it's just like
they were on their own little...
00:48:53.62\00:48:56.24
And it was just like the rest
of the world just disappears.
00:48:57.50\00:49:00.30
Right?
00:49:00.31\00:49:01.31
Now, I don't want to
get into any trouble.
00:49:01.32\00:49:03.29
Please, please, please
don't take offense at this.
00:49:03.50\00:49:05.78
But I'm going to say it anyway.
00:49:05.81\00:49:07.05
It is sometimes the case...
00:49:07.41\00:49:09.80
Okay, I'm going to
make you repeat that.
00:49:10.48\00:49:11.70
It is sometimes the case...
00:49:11.71\00:49:14.92
Did I say always?
No. What did I say?
00:49:14.95\00:49:17.53
It is sometimes the case
that when you have a married
00:49:17.56\00:49:21.43
couple who decides not
to have children, okay,
00:49:21.46\00:49:26.58
I have noticed in a pastoral
setting and just as an observer
00:49:27.08\00:49:30.26
of human beings that there
is a tendency or a propensity
00:49:30.29\00:49:36.77
for those couples
to become isolationists
00:49:36.80\00:49:39.05
and even a little selfish.
00:49:39.08\00:49:40.94
Right?
00:49:40.95\00:49:41.95
So what does God say?
00:49:41.96\00:49:43.04
What's the first thing
that God says to Adam and Eve
00:49:43.07\00:49:44.93
so that they won't sit
there batting their eyelashes
00:49:44.94\00:49:46.84
at each other all day?
00:49:46.87\00:49:48.29
What does He say?
00:49:48.30\00:49:49.30
"Be fruitful and..."
00:49:49.31\00:49:50.45
Listen, I tell
people this all the time.
00:49:51.01\00:49:53.14
The change that
happens in your life...
00:49:53.69\00:49:55.14
I tell single people this.
00:49:55.17\00:49:56.16
The change that happens in
your life when you get married,
00:49:56.17\00:49:58.89
in my opinion, is smaller
than the change that happens
00:49:59.69\00:50:03.64
in your life when you're
married and you have kids.
00:50:03.67\00:50:05.99
Are you with me on that?
00:50:06.58\00:50:07.65
Because if you get
married and you're 25
00:50:07.68\00:50:09.48
and you're traveling
the world and whatever,
00:50:09.51\00:50:11.50
and then you marry
another 25 year old who's
00:50:11.53\00:50:12.99
traveling the world, now you're
just two sort of selfish people
00:50:13.02\00:50:17.01
gallivanting around
the world with one another.
00:50:17.04\00:50:19.52
But now you bring a little
pooping crying eating whining
00:50:19.81\00:50:24.39
thing into your life, you're
like, "Ugh...you...I'm..."
00:50:24.42\00:50:30.53
Right? You've
got this thing now.
00:50:30.56\00:50:32.17
And now what you have is the
opportunity, as soon as you have
00:50:32.54\00:50:35.96
more than two, now you
have the opportunity for...
00:50:35.99\00:50:40.22
If I'm bestowing my love, for
example, upon my wife, my son...
00:50:41.08\00:50:46.98
Right? In the context.
00:50:47.28\00:50:48.72
Of course, I have more than one.
00:50:48.75\00:50:49.78
But in a familial setting,
now my son has to be comfortable
00:50:49.88\00:50:53.44
with being on the, not the
outs, but with seeing my love
00:50:53.64\00:50:58.46
lavished upon my wife.
00:50:58.49\00:50:59.87
And the converse is also true.
00:50:59.90\00:51:01.68
When I'm lavishing
my love upon my son,
00:51:01.88\00:51:04.38
my wife has to be...
00:51:04.39\00:51:05.45
And so this is Ty's
point when he says that
00:51:05.80\00:51:07.94
three is the
essential numeric value of love.
00:51:07.97\00:51:10.22
Because if you have
just two, you could have just
00:51:10.23\00:51:12.02
a self absorption.
00:51:12.03\00:51:13.03
But you introduce a third party
and then now you really have the
00:51:13.06\00:51:16.97
potential for someone to feel
as though they were left out.
00:51:17.00\00:51:21.30
But in the triune nature of God,
the Father lavishes His love
00:51:21.33\00:51:25.94
upon the Spirit and the Son.
00:51:25.95\00:51:27.20
The Son lavishes His love
upon the Spirit and the Father.
00:51:27.54\00:51:30.72
And the Spirit lavishes His love
upon the Father and the Son.
00:51:30.75\00:51:34.01
It's absolutely beautiful.
00:51:34.37\00:51:36.25
And this is, I believe,
the point that John was making
00:51:36.26\00:51:38.81
when he said not
merely that God is loving,
00:51:38.84\00:51:41.65
but that God is love.
00:51:41.68\00:51:45.76
Now one of my very favorite
statements to this effect
00:51:47.15\00:51:50.39
is from an
evangelical theologian,
00:51:51.07\00:51:53.97
former president of the
Evangelical Theological Society,
00:51:54.52\00:51:57.11
a man by the name
of Millard Erickson.
00:51:57.14\00:51:59.00
He wrote a book called,
Making Sense Of The Trinity.
00:51:59.03\00:52:01.30
Now listen to this language.
00:52:01.33\00:52:02.70
Now let me unpack that for you.
00:52:28.51\00:52:29.83
In the non-theistic or atheistic
world, people who don't believe
00:52:32.27\00:52:35.79
that there is a God,
they think that all there is
00:52:35.82\00:52:38.08
is matter and energy.
00:52:38.11\00:52:39.53
Everything that we see
around us from stages to pulpits
00:52:39.97\00:52:43.44
to people to speakers
and everything that you see
00:52:43.45\00:52:47.08
is made up of two
constituent elements;
00:52:47.11\00:52:49.24
matter and energy.
00:52:49.27\00:52:50.69
That's it.
00:52:50.70\00:52:51.70
At its most
fundamental rock bottom level,
00:52:51.71\00:52:55.28
reality is about
matter and energy.
00:52:55.31\00:52:57.98
And so Millard Erickson's
point is a fascinating one.
00:52:58.28\00:53:00.33
It says, if you're an
atheist, if you're a non-theist,
00:53:00.34\00:53:02.66
then if the most
fundamental truth about reality
00:53:02.69\00:53:08.54
is that at the basic
level we are made up of matter,
00:53:08.55\00:53:11.21
then the most
powerful constituting force
00:53:11.69\00:53:14.01
in the universe
is electromagnetism.
00:53:14.02\00:53:16.95
That's what
keeps things together.
00:53:17.40\00:53:18.99
Right?
00:53:19.00\00:53:20.00
Some things come
together like that.
00:53:20.02\00:53:21.16
Some things come
together like this.
00:53:21.17\00:53:22.27
Some things come
together like that.
00:53:22.30\00:53:23.37
He says, but reality at it's
most basic fundamental level
00:53:23.40\00:53:27.97
is not matter, but social.
00:53:28.00\00:53:31.71
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
00:53:32.61\00:53:34.00
The most basic truth,
the most basic fundamental
00:53:34.03\00:53:37.19
reality about the
universe is that there is
00:53:37.22\00:53:39.55
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
00:53:39.58\00:53:41.15
He says, "Ah, if
reality is fundamentally social,
00:53:41.25\00:53:45.08
then the most powerful
constituting force, the thing
00:53:45.28\00:53:49.29
which binds us together, is
not merely electromagnetism.
00:53:49.30\00:53:54.50
It's love."
00:53:55.21\00:53:56.93
And friends, isn't
that the world we live in?
00:53:57.46\00:53:59.32
I mean, isn't that
the world we live in?
00:53:59.68\00:54:01.00
I mean, how many
movies is Hollywood producing
00:54:01.01\00:54:03.27
about the glory and
the passion and the thrill
00:54:03.28\00:54:07.73
of electromagnetism.
00:54:07.76\00:54:10.07
No. I mean, can you imagine.
00:54:10.98\00:54:12.20
That's not the world we live in.
00:54:12.23\00:54:13.44
Hollywood makes their money
and their bread and butter;
00:54:13.64\00:54:15.81
and the magazines,
the various magazines that
00:54:15.84\00:54:18.69
people buy; and the books
that people buy; and the stories
00:54:18.72\00:54:21.18
that they read...
What are they about?
00:54:21.21\00:54:22.95
They're about love,
they're about relationships,
00:54:22.98\00:54:25.15
they're about overcoming.
00:54:25.16\00:54:27.13
I mean, just all of
the... It's about love.
00:54:27.16\00:54:29.95
We are wired for love.
00:54:29.98\00:54:31.98
And Millard Erickson's
point is a fascinating one,
00:54:32.01\00:54:33.88
and it's the biblical point.
00:54:33.91\00:54:35.11
The reason that you're wired
for love is that the universe
00:54:35.14\00:54:38.41
is wired for love.
00:54:38.44\00:54:39.71
As a fundamental reality,
a fundamental extension.
00:54:39.74\00:54:44.05
God created, God as
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
00:54:44.08\00:54:46.35
created all of
these wonderful beautiful,
00:54:46.38\00:54:49.73
and in our case
sentient, beings and said,
00:54:49.76\00:54:52.76
"Participate with
Me in My triune love."
00:54:53.06\00:54:56.08
"Participate with Me."
00:54:56.61\00:54:58.18
Love created.
00:54:58.38\00:54:59.93
In fact, I'll say something
a little philosophical here,
00:55:00.34\00:55:02.54
but you'll get this.
00:55:02.57\00:55:03.57
Creation did
not make God loving.
00:55:04.43\00:55:08.73
God's love made creation.
00:55:09.92\00:55:12.65
You got it?
00:55:13.66\00:55:14.66
But if I believe that
God is just rigidly singular,
00:55:14.67\00:55:17.50
like my friends the
Unitarian believe...
00:55:17.53\00:55:19.57
Right? If I don't believe
in the triune nature of God,
00:55:19.60\00:55:22.04
if I think that God is just one
in the most emphatic sense of
00:55:22.05\00:55:25.30
singularity, this
God cannot be love.
00:55:25.40\00:55:29.22
This is not the
God of Scripture.
00:55:29.77\00:55:31.42
Because this God
could only become loving
00:55:31.82\00:55:36.07
once He made an object
upon which to bestow His love.
00:55:36.08\00:55:40.15
No, no, no, no, no.
00:55:41.87\00:55:42.99
What God does is amazing.
00:55:44.04\00:55:45.66
What God is is amazing.
00:55:45.69\00:55:47.73
He didn't create
and then become loving.
00:55:48.35\00:55:51.69
He created because He was love.
00:55:52.39\00:55:55.11
The Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit in their eternal counsels
00:55:56.02\00:56:00.28
came together and said,
"This love that We have,
00:56:00.31\00:56:02.69
this joy that We have,
this happiness that We have,
00:56:02.72\00:56:05.40
this beauty that We
have, let's share it.
00:56:05.43\00:56:09.40
Let's create others who
will understand who We are.
00:56:10.16\00:56:12.73
Let's create others
who can participate with Us
00:56:12.96\00:56:15.00
in this beautiful thing.
00:56:15.10\00:56:17.22
Let's create others."
00:56:17.23\00:56:18.48
And, of course,
there was a huge danger.
00:56:18.51\00:56:21.02
I mean, that's a slippery
slope because the moment that
00:56:21.05\00:56:23.13
you create beings
who are genuinely free,
00:56:23.16\00:56:25.60
because love requires freedom,
00:56:25.80\00:56:27.24
then you create a
risky universe, necessarily.
00:56:28.77\00:56:32.31
Because love requires freedom,
and freedom entails risk.
00:56:32.71\00:56:36.01
But God said the
risk is worth it.
00:56:36.31\00:56:38.09
The risk is worth it.
00:56:38.58\00:56:39.89
This is why the very
three opening words of the
00:56:39.92\00:56:42.90
Conflict Of The Ages
series written by Ellen White
00:56:42.93\00:56:45.09
more than 100 years ago, the
very first three words are...
00:56:45.12\00:56:48.89
Do you know?
00:56:48.90\00:56:49.91
"God is love."
00:56:50.20\00:56:52.62
And then go all the way
through all of the volumes;
00:56:52.63\00:56:55.25
Patriarchs And
Prophets, Prophets And Kings,
00:56:55.28\00:56:56.77
Desire Of Ages,
Acts Of The Apostles,
00:56:56.80\00:56:58.67
The Great Controversy.
00:56:58.69\00:56:59.69
And then you come to
the very last three words.
00:57:00.55\00:57:02.12
Do you know what
those last three words are?
00:57:02.13\00:57:03.62
"God is love."
00:57:04.09\00:57:06.62
Friends, we have
fully set the table now.
00:57:06.63\00:57:09.65
In our final two presentations,
we're going to go take a
00:57:10.42\00:57:13.05
specific look at the person
and the divinity of the Spirit.
00:57:13.06\00:57:18.08
Who is the Spirit?
00:57:18.44\00:57:19.72
Because if the
Spirit is merely a power,
00:57:19.92\00:57:22.06
I'm going to use Him.
00:57:22.09\00:57:24.00
But if the Spirit is a person,
then He's going to use me.
00:57:24.40\00:57:29.09