Welcome to Anchors Of Truth
live from Plantation, Florida.
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One In Messiah
with Alex Schlussler.
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Well welcome to
Plantation, Florida.
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Beautiful,
beautiful Plantation, Florida.
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You know, this is
one of the nicest places
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I think I've ever been.
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It's a beautiful
church, beautiful people.
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We've had a wonderful time.
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The weather has
been a little iffy.
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Yeah, but listen.
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When you look at what they're
having around the country,
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I will take 60
degrees and raining over...
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You know, I'm calling back
to Illinois and I'm saying,
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"Oh man, we're having
terrible weather here.
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It's raining."
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And they say it's
below zero at the office.
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So, I don't feel so bad
about the rain at that point.
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And you know, you don't
have all this beautiful greenery
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without a little
rain now and then.
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That's very, very true.
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So we take this opportunity
to welcome you to the first
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Anchors Of Truth for 2014.
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That's right, this is an
Anchors Away, as you call it.
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This is an Anchors Away.
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And we are in
beautiful south Florida.
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Plantation is right
next door to Fort Lauderdale.
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Which is right
next door to Miami.
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Which is right
next door to Cuba.
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So we're having a
really blessed time here.
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Friendly wonderful
folks here in this church.
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And we've got some special
programs the next few days.
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Yeah, we're very, very excited,
Jim, about this particular
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Anchors Away because it
highlights Jewish ministry,
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Jewish history, Jewish work.
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So we're very,
very excited to be here,
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to be in this particular church.
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Our lineup of speakers
are those that are familiar
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to the 3ABN audience.
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And you know, Jim,
last year third quarter,
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we did our one
hundredth Anchors.
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And that was in
the third quarter.
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And then we had that
long stretch with no Anchors
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because we had so much.
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We were in Israel, and then
we did ASI, and camp meeting,
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and that long
meeting with Ron Halverson.
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Then we got a little
short Anklet in for December.
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And now we start off
the year with this full
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Jewish heritage Anchors.
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And we're very,
very excited about it.
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And we really are.
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We've got tomorrow
night, we'll have Jeff Zeremsky.
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Then after that, we're going
to have a very special live.
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And we have an announcement
that will be made tomorrow night
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by one of the speaker/directors
of one of the worldwide
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ministries located out
in Thousand Oaks that...
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No it's not. Simi Valley now.
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...that is going to
tell us something about the
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relocation of one
of those ministries.
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So we've got some sort of earth
shaking news tomorrow night
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after the particular message.
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And we're going to
let that speaker/director
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himself tell us.
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He's going to be joining
us probably by telephone.
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But he will tell us
about it tomorrow night.
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Then right after that, we'll
have a few minutes of that,
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then afterwards we will have a
panel with each of the speakers
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that are part of this
"One In Our Messiah" series.
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You and I will have
the privilege of sitting
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with Ralph Ringer,
with Sasha Bolotnikov,
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and with Jeff Zeremsky,
and our speaker tonight, Alex.
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- How does Alex say
his name? - Schlussler.
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- Schlussler, alright. - Yes.
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And we will have that
privilege tomorrow night.
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We are really looking
forward to these next few days.
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We are, we are.
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This is going to
be an exciting time.
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Yeah, why don't you
lead us in a little prayer.
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I'll be glad to do so.
Shall we bow our heads.
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Gracious Father, we
thank You so very much
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for the privilege we
have of lifting up the mighty
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and matchless name of Jesus.
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We thank You, Lord, for
the call that brings each of us
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from darkness to light
and from error to truth,
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and from the crooked way to
the straight and narrow one.
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We ask for Your presence
and Your power this night
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for the speaker, for
the singers, and for the
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millions around the
world who will sit and consume
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what we have to offer.
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In the name of Jesus
anoint Alex, anoint the singers,
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bless this program.
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And may some soul who needs
to hear a word from the Lord,
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hear that word this
very night and be encouraged
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as together we walk the
road that leads to glory.
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We love You,
Lord. We praise You.
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And we thank You for
Your power and Your presence.
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- In Jesus name, amen. - Amen.
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You know, I met
Pastor Alex a few years ago.
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And just really fell in
love with he and his wife.
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And they are
wonderfully committed people.
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They originally
came here from Colorado.
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And I think they still
have a daughter, and maybe a
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granddaughter, in Colorado.
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You're going to be able
to see Mrs. Schlussler...
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Am I saying that
right? Getting close.
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I will keep working on it.
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Alex and she will be
singing with the group
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we're going to hear
from in just a moment.
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But this is a gentleman
who God has really blessed.
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And he has been
leading out in the series that
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we do on 3ABN
called, Back to Our Roots.
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And you're going to
find out some more folks
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that are also part of
that when Sasha gets here.
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And what's the lady's name
that's on that program too?
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- Oh boy, I
should have... - Rachel.
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Rachel, Rachel. That's right.
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And Rachel, since, is married
since she began that series.
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So we just really
love these three people.
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I can't call them
young, because they're mature.
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But they are younger than I am.
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But they really bring
us some great programs.
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And those of us that have
had the privilege of watching
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Back to Our Roots,
we've been very impressed.
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So Pastor Alex will
be speaking tonight.
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His subject, One in The
Messiah, which is the title
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of our entire series.
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What about the music tonight?
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Well it's coming
from the Praise Team.
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And I'm going to pop
on my glasses here and
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read all the names of
each Praise Team member.
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Sabrina, Dane,
Keka, Lashelle, Anjanette
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are part of the Praise Team.
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Keyboard, Michael.
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And then Brantley on drums.
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So we're going to call
the Praise Team forward.
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After they shall have sung,
the next voice you will hear
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will be that of our pastor,
our friend of this church,
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Alex Schlussler.
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This is the air I breathe,
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this is the air I breathe;
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Your holy presence
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living in me.
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This is my daily bread,
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this is my daily bread;
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Your very word
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spoken to me.
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And I'm desperate for You.
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And I'm lost without You.
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This is the air I breathe,
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this is the air I breathe;
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Your holy presence
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living in me.
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This is my daily bread,
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this is my daily bread;
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Your very word
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spoken to me.
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And I'm desperate for You.
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And I'm lost without You.
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And I'm desperate for You.
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And I'm lost without You.
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I'm lost without You.
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I'm lost without You.
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This is the air I breathe.
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This is the air I breathe.
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Amen.
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Thank you, worship team.
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What a blessing
to praise the Lord.
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This is the air we breathe.
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Well I want to
welcome everyone tonight;
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those here with us,
Plantation Church family,
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and those
joining us over the air.
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I want to thank 3ABN
so much for allowing us
00:12:06.82\00:12:10.59
to be a part of this
program, Anchors of Truth.
00:12:10.62\00:12:13.79
And as Jim said tonight,
I want to talk to you about
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the theme, One in Messiah.
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You know, if we were given
the opportunity to ask Jesus,
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right here, right now, I mean,
if He was to be standing here
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and we were to say, "Lord, what
is the most important teaching
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that You brought?
00:12:35.18\00:12:36.28
I mean, what one thing,
Jesus, would You place above
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everything else in the Bible?
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We, as Your
followers, what would it be?
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What would You want us to hear?"
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And I wonder how He
would respond to that?
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I wonder what Jesus would say,
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"To Me, this is the
most important thing."
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Well if you have your
Bibles with you tonight,
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please turn to
Matthew chapter 22
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beginning at verse 34.
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Matthew chapter 22
beginning at verse 34.
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And while you're turning,
you'll have to excuse me
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if you see me doing this.
00:13:17.26\00:13:18.81
But right before I
was about to go up,
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the nose piece on
my glasses broke off.
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And it was one of these
things that I had to break
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the other side off too.
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Otherwise, my
glasses would have been...
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I need some sticky Holy Spirit.
00:13:32.67\00:13:35.08
Matthew chapter 22 verse 34,
"But when the Pharisees heard
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that He had
silenced the Sadducees,
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they gathered together.
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And one of them, a
lawyer, asked Him a question,
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to test Him,
'Teacher, which is the greatest
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commandment in the law?'
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And He said to him, 'You
shall love the Lord your God
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with all of your heart,
and with all of your soul,
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and with all of your might.
00:14:07.81\00:14:10.71
This is the greatest
and the first commandment.
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And the second is like unto it.
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You shall love your
neighbor as yourself.
00:14:18.61\00:14:22.23
On these two
commandments depend all of the
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Law and the Prophets.'"
00:14:25.55\00:14:28.01
You know, Jesus here is
speaking from the Torah.
00:14:28.44\00:14:31.75
The Torah is the first
five books of the Bible.
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Also known as
the books of Moses.
00:14:35.77\00:14:38.13
Jesus is speaking and
He quotes in that passage
00:14:38.58\00:14:42.12
from both
Deuteronomy and from Leviticus.
00:14:42.15\00:14:45.45
First, He quotes from
Deuteronomy chapter 6 verse 4.
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And He says, this is a portion
that is known as the Shema,
00:14:50.80\00:14:55.73
"Sh'ma Yis'ra'eil
Adonai Eloheinu Adonai echad."
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"Hear, Israel, the Lord
our God, the Lord is One."
00:15:01.72\00:15:07.03
You know, these, even in
the first century, were the
00:15:07.32\00:15:10.54
most important words that a
Jew could speak from the Torah.
00:15:10.57\00:15:14.82
Not just in the first
century, but today as well
00:15:14.85\00:15:18.35
it is equally as important.
00:15:18.38\00:15:20.32
He then adds from
the book of Leviticus.
00:15:20.71\00:15:23.86
Leviticus
chapter 19 and verse 18,
00:15:23.89\00:15:27.23
"Ve'ahavta lere'acha kamocha."
00:15:27.26\00:15:30.66
"But you shall love
your neighbor as yourself."
00:15:30.69\00:15:35.32
So what is Jesus
telling this teacher of the law,
00:15:36.47\00:15:41.77
this Pharisee?
00:15:42.15\00:15:43.53
You know, of all of the
commandments found in Torah,
00:15:44.18\00:15:47.06
Jesus says that
these two rise above all.
00:15:47.09\00:15:53.58
Of all of the things
that Jesus could say,
00:15:54.12\00:15:57.57
even from the ten commandments,
He says of all of the things,
00:15:57.60\00:16:03.55
these two; love God, love man.
00:16:04.04\00:16:07.78
He even goes as far to
say that all of the prophets
00:16:08.44\00:16:12.20
and all of the writings.
00:16:12.23\00:16:13.27
That was the rest
of what they would know
00:16:13.30\00:16:15.97
as the Old Testament.
00:16:16.00\00:16:17.28
The rest hangs on that.
00:16:18.25\00:16:20.69
We then move forward.
00:16:22.22\00:16:24.91
We move to the last night
that Jesus is on the earth.
00:16:26.46\00:16:31.40
On that last night
before Jesus goes to the cross,
00:16:31.84\00:16:35.83
He begins to do what
He now does eternally.
00:16:37.04\00:16:41.37
He begins to intercede.
00:16:42.17\00:16:44.41
He begins to pray.
00:16:44.98\00:16:47.02
Jesus begins to pray for
His disciples, His followers.
00:16:48.48\00:16:55.22
See, beyond His death, I
think that Jesus expected this
00:16:56.46\00:17:00.72
dynamic and growing
church that is going to last
00:17:00.82\00:17:04.65
throughout the ages.
00:17:04.68\00:17:05.71
This is what He saw.
00:17:05.74\00:17:07.41
I think that when Jesus
looked into the face of Peter
00:17:08.46\00:17:12.43
on that night in that circle
of eleven, He saw behind Peter
00:17:12.46\00:17:16.62
the whole of Pentecost.
00:17:16.65\00:17:18.85
He saw thousands that would
believe because of the things
00:17:19.10\00:17:23.22
that Peter would preach.
00:17:23.25\00:17:24.98
When He looked into
the face of John, He saw
00:17:26.40\00:17:30.64
the church of Ephesus.
00:17:30.67\00:17:32.70
He saw all the
churches of Asia Minor
00:17:33.25\00:17:35.54
and the spreading of the gospel.
00:17:35.57\00:17:37.90
And maybe even when He saw that
gap where Judas Iscariot was,
00:17:39.37\00:17:46.07
surely He saw the
face of Sha'ul, of Paul.
00:17:46.94\00:17:52.07
And behind Paul, the multitudes
that would come to know
00:17:53.16\00:17:58.17
because of the words
that Paul would share.
00:17:58.20\00:18:00.93
You see, across every
generation, across the oceans,
00:18:01.09\00:18:04.82
right down to this very
moment, even those sitting here,
00:18:04.85\00:18:08.62
those watching online, those
watching on their televisions,
00:18:08.65\00:18:13.21
He is praying
for everyone of us.
00:18:13.37\00:18:16.47
He is praying for all that will
believe because of the words
00:18:17.30\00:18:21.76
of those eleven, of
those original disciples.
00:18:22.06\00:18:25.45
Jesus prayed one thing.
00:18:26.22\00:18:29.33
He prayed for the
unity of His disciples.
00:18:29.76\00:18:33.44
He prayed for the
unity of all Christians,
00:18:33.47\00:18:36.90
for the unity of His body,
for the unity of His church.
00:18:36.93\00:18:41.13
That we would make an impact
on the world in such a way
00:18:41.16\00:18:44.55
that the whole
world would believe
00:18:44.58\00:18:47.08
that the Father has sent Him.
00:18:47.39\00:18:49.87
In John chapter 17, that
famous prayer that Jesus prayed
00:18:51.92\00:18:56.27
is divided into three sections.
00:18:56.30\00:18:58.50
First in verses 1 through
5, Jesus prays for Himself.
00:18:58.79\00:19:02.89
"God, strengthen Me."
00:19:02.92\00:19:04.49
Then in verses 6 through
19, He prays for that group
00:19:05.34\00:19:09.06
of eleven disciples.
00:19:09.09\00:19:10.94
Then in verses 20 through
26, which is what we're going to
00:19:11.76\00:19:14.97
look at tonight, He prays for
all the believers yet to come.
00:19:15.00\00:19:19.62
So turn with me
now to John chapter 17
00:19:20.24\00:19:23.74
beginning at verse 20.
00:19:23.77\00:19:25.58
And let's see what Jesus
prayed for you and for me
00:19:25.61\00:19:29.04
on that night before the cross.
00:19:29.07\00:19:30.60
And by the way, something that
I do want to share with you,
00:19:30.63\00:19:34.07
something that has in the
past really moved upon my heart.
00:19:34.10\00:19:37.99
And it's this; of all
of the things that we find
00:19:38.02\00:19:40.87
in the Bible, you
know, for the most part
00:19:40.90\00:19:43.72
everything there we apply
to ourselves by application.
00:19:43.75\00:19:47.97
In other words, it was spoken
to or about somebody else,
00:19:48.36\00:19:52.55
but of course, we can
apply it to ourselves.
00:19:53.22\00:19:56.17
Amen?
00:19:56.20\00:19:57.23
But here, Jesus is
speaking to you, to me.
00:19:57.26\00:20:03.71
He's praying for us.
00:20:03.74\00:20:06.01
"Not only do I pray these,"
the eleven, "but I pray for
00:20:06.04\00:20:09.33
all of those who will
believe because of their words."
00:20:09.36\00:20:13.20
Guess what.
00:20:13.23\00:20:14.26
That's you.
00:20:14.29\00:20:15.43
Jesus is
looking into the future.
00:20:16.37\00:20:18.69
And He's praying for you.
00:20:19.46\00:20:21.79
And of all of the
things He could have prayed,
00:20:22.08\00:20:24.89
listen to what He says.
00:20:24.92\00:20:26.79
Beginning at verse 20.
00:20:26.82\00:20:28.46
"I do not only ask for these,
but also for those who will
00:20:29.44\00:20:33.12
believe in Me
through their words."
00:20:33.15\00:20:35.07
Okay, now He's talking about us.
00:20:35.10\00:20:37.05
"That they may all be one,
just as You, Father, are in Me,
00:20:37.19\00:20:43.29
and I in You; that
they may also be in Us,
00:20:43.32\00:20:49.29
so that the world may
believe that You have sent Me."
00:20:49.91\00:20:54.80
Of all the things, Jesus,
that He could have prayed for,
00:20:55.91\00:20:59.59
He prays for what?
00:20:59.69\00:21:01.27
That we would love one another.
00:21:01.85\00:21:05.29
That we would be
united to one another.
00:21:05.32\00:21:09.71
And you know the
really interesting thing
00:21:10.17\00:21:12.35
that I believe...
00:21:12.38\00:21:13.53
Now we understand, or
you should understand,
00:21:13.57\00:21:16.42
that these narratives,
the gospel narratives,
00:21:16.45\00:21:19.28
they were
originally penned in Greek.
00:21:19.31\00:21:21.86
Yes?
00:21:22.52\00:21:23.55
And they've been translated
to whatever Bible language
00:21:24.14\00:21:27.85
you are comfortable with.
00:21:27.95\00:21:29.72
English, or French,
or Spanish, or Hebrew,
00:21:29.75\00:21:33.30
or whatever it may be.
00:21:33.50\00:21:35.08
But originally, they
were penned in Greek.
00:21:35.80\00:21:38.12
Now I want to
propose something to you.
00:21:38.44\00:21:40.35
Something for
you to think about.
00:21:40.38\00:21:41.95
That, yes, they
were written in Greek,
00:21:42.24\00:21:45.08
but those that brought
the thoughts, the culture that
00:21:45.55\00:21:49.93
they lived in,
they weren't Greeks.
00:21:49.96\00:21:52.41
They were Hebrews.
00:21:52.44\00:21:53.88
They were Jews.
00:21:54.66\00:21:56.06
And their thought process
was as a Hebrew, as a Jew.
00:21:56.26\00:22:02.72
And I say this only because
I believe that when Jesus
00:22:02.75\00:22:07.17
speaks, "that they may
all be one," in His mind
00:22:07.20\00:22:11.41
is a particular word.
00:22:11.44\00:22:13.13
A very particular word.
00:22:14.04\00:22:15.95
The word, "echad;" one.
00:22:16.46\00:22:19.10
In Deuteronomy
chapter 6 verse 4, the Shema,
00:22:19.62\00:22:24.05
"The Lord our God is one."
00:22:25.96\00:22:28.51
Echad; one.
00:22:29.21\00:22:31.05
Now when we think about
that, the unity that exists
00:22:31.76\00:22:35.63
between God the Father and
the Son is a perfect "one."
00:22:35.66\00:22:40.27
Amen?
00:22:40.87\00:22:41.90
It's not a pair,
but a perfect "one."
00:22:41.93\00:22:45.54
And I believe that
this is exactly the word
00:22:45.88\00:22:48.65
that Jesus is using
when He speaks about us.
00:22:48.68\00:22:53.21
About us being one.
00:22:53.70\00:22:55.93
Echad.
00:22:56.34\00:22:57.48
Just as He and
the Father are one.
00:22:57.51\00:23:00.45
So you and I are
echad, one. Amen?
00:23:00.48\00:23:04.98
He goes on to say in verse
22, "The glory that You have
00:23:05.01\00:23:09.35
given Me, I have given to them,
that they may be one," echad,
00:23:09.38\00:23:15.74
"even as We are one," echad.
00:23:15.77\00:23:18.60
"I in them, and You in
Me; that they may become
00:23:19.08\00:23:23.10
perfectly one," echad.
00:23:23.13\00:23:25.27
Do you get the point
that He keeps repeating this?
00:23:25.30\00:23:27.83
It must be important to Him.
00:23:27.86\00:23:30.13
"So that the world
may know that You sent Me
00:23:31.58\00:23:34.52
and loved them even
as You have loved Me."
00:23:34.55\00:23:40.20
Wow.
00:23:42.39\00:23:43.55
Now let's move on to
verse 24 and listen how Jesus
00:23:44.96\00:23:48.64
continues talking to His Father.
00:23:48.67\00:23:50.71
"Father, I desire that they
also whom You have given Me..."
00:23:51.11\00:23:55.34
Now He's talking about all of
those who are His people, right.
00:23:55.41\00:24:00.10
"...may be with Me
where I am, to see My glory
00:24:00.30\00:24:03.52
that You have given
Me, because You loved Me
00:24:03.55\00:24:06.31
before the
foundation of the world.
00:24:06.34\00:24:08.49
O righteous Father, even though
the world does not know You,
00:24:08.52\00:24:12.47
I know You; and these
know that You have sent Me.
00:24:12.83\00:24:16.78
I made known to them Your
name, and I will continue to
00:24:17.30\00:24:20.75
make it known that the love
with which You have loved Me
00:24:20.78\00:24:24.72
may be in them, and I in them."
00:24:24.75\00:24:31.96
So what could Messiah have
prayed for the final moments
00:24:33.78\00:24:40.73
before His arrest, before
He's going to go to the cross?
00:24:40.76\00:24:45.08
Do you understand the impact
of this prayer in John 17?
00:24:45.11\00:24:50.08
The timing and
the importance of it?
00:24:50.11\00:24:52.86
He might have prayed
for His own strength.
00:24:54.14\00:24:56.72
He might have prayed that
the eleven would support Him.
00:24:56.90\00:24:59.82
That at least
they wouldn't flee.
00:24:59.85\00:25:02.00
That they would
really absorb His teachings.
00:25:03.39\00:25:06.37
Instead, this prayer is
dominated by a single thought.
00:25:06.90\00:25:11.79
The unity of the disciples,
and of their followers; us.
00:25:12.21\00:25:19.01
One in Messiah.
00:25:20.19\00:25:21.46
Jesus knew that the church
could never have the impact
00:25:21.95\00:25:25.14
on the world that He desired
it to have unless the world saw
00:25:25.17\00:25:29.37
in that church a oneness,
a unity, that could only
00:25:29.40\00:25:33.40
exist supernaturally.
00:25:33.43\00:25:35.32
Because, listen, in the
world nobody gets along.
00:25:35.35\00:25:38.63
Not really.
00:25:38.66\00:25:39.73
Everyone is out to get
what they get for themselves.
00:25:39.76\00:25:43.35
Now listen, the church
of our world has never taken
00:25:46.16\00:25:51.13
these words of Jesus as
serious as they deserve.
00:25:51.16\00:25:55.50
And it breaks my
heart, but it's the truth.
00:25:55.73\00:25:58.01
Jesus prays that the unity
between believers and Himself,
00:25:59.44\00:26:02.82
between
believers and the Father,
00:26:02.85\00:26:04.84
and between believers
and other believers, us,
00:26:04.87\00:26:08.89
will have the same
character as the unity between
00:26:09.09\00:26:12.10
Him and the Father.
00:26:12.13\00:26:13.34
It's amazing.
00:26:16.08\00:26:17.36
And you know what?
00:26:17.60\00:26:18.63
The history of the
Christian church offers all too
00:26:18.66\00:26:21.69
ample proof that this
prayer was desperately needed.
00:26:21.72\00:26:25.44
Unfortunately, for the most
part it has been not heeded.
00:26:26.33\00:26:31.59
In that original group, even if
we go back to the first century,
00:26:33.12\00:26:36.59
you know, there were incredible
tensions that were created
00:26:36.62\00:26:39.74
between James and John.
00:26:39.77\00:26:41.70
When not long before
that, they had asked,
00:26:42.06\00:26:44.69
"Who's going to sit at
the right hand of Jesus?"
00:26:44.72\00:26:47.44
"Who's going to
have the better place?"
00:26:48.57\00:26:50.85
You know, earlier that
same evening, the disciples,
00:26:51.50\00:26:54.24
they're fuming with
rage because they had this
00:26:54.27\00:26:57.03
argument about who was
going to be the greatest.
00:26:57.06\00:26:59.99
In fact, you know,
in that little group,
00:27:00.89\00:27:04.86
there were tensions that
we may not even think about.
00:27:05.71\00:27:08.56
There was Matthew, the publican,
who had sold out to Rome.
00:27:09.06\00:27:14.21
And then there was
Simon Peter, the zealot,
00:27:14.51\00:27:16.88
who had pledged to kill people
like Matthew, the publican.
00:27:16.91\00:27:20.35
No wonder Jesus prayed
for the original eleven,
00:27:21.98\00:27:25.39
"Lord, make them be one."
00:27:25.42\00:27:28.43
Jesus, He then
moves beyond the eleven.
00:27:30.76\00:27:35.16
He prays for us and
the generations to come.
00:27:36.00\00:27:39.57
In verse 21, what
He prayed for them,
00:27:39.60\00:27:41.98
He then prays for all believers.
00:27:42.01\00:27:44.27
And we, we need to note
here that Jesus asked God
00:27:44.30\00:27:48.00
to give us unity as a request.
00:27:48.03\00:27:51.13
Jesus asked God, "God,
give them, Father, give them
00:27:51.16\00:27:54.72
the unity that You and I have."
00:27:54.75\00:27:57.74
That makes me think.
00:27:57.77\00:27:59.35
That means that unity
is given and not achieved.
00:28:00.08\00:28:03.96
It is indeed received,
or Jesus wouldn't have urged
00:28:04.56\00:28:08.08
the disciples to be one.
00:28:08.11\00:28:10.15
Rather, He looked to the
Father and He said, "Grant them,
00:28:11.23\00:28:15.05
grant My
followers, Father, that gift;
00:28:16.16\00:28:21.18
that they might be one."
00:28:22.12\00:28:23.57
See, the unity of God's
people, brothers and sisters,
00:28:24.15\00:28:27.81
it can never be
fabricated by men.
00:28:27.84\00:28:31.53
We can't make it happen.
00:28:32.28\00:28:33.87
It must be generated
by the Spirit of God.
00:28:34.19\00:28:37.93
You know, the pattern for
the unity of believers is unlike
00:28:38.85\00:28:41.84
anything else on earth.
00:28:41.87\00:28:44.14
It's nothing less than the
unity of the Father and the Son.
00:28:44.17\00:28:47.71
Like I said, echad.
00:28:47.74\00:28:49.36
Just as they are one, He
desires for us to be one.
00:28:49.39\00:28:53.57
It's not merely a unity
of organizational purpose,
00:28:54.66\00:28:58.57
or feeling, or affection.
00:28:58.60\00:29:01.30
Just as the Father is in the Son
and the Son is in the Father,
00:29:02.47\00:29:07.02
we are to be so
related to each other.
00:29:07.05\00:29:11.37
How close are the
Father and the Son?
00:29:12.93\00:29:16.75
See, Christians are drawn
to one another because they're
00:29:18.19\00:29:20.53
drawn to a common center.
00:29:20.56\00:29:22.56
That center is Jesus.
00:29:23.07\00:29:25.27
I've said it many
times before, that many of us
00:29:27.54\00:29:31.23
apart from knowing Jesus would
have never known each other.
00:29:31.53\00:29:34.71
And there's the fact that
we know Him that has drawn us
00:29:35.24\00:29:38.77
from all the corners of
the earth to come together,
00:29:38.80\00:29:42.19
even tonight.
00:29:42.22\00:29:43.40
It is as if every one of
us in the church were a piece
00:29:45.47\00:29:49.22
of this beautiful crystal,
this beautiful chandelier,
00:29:49.25\00:29:53.21
that God is
establishing, that He's making.
00:29:53.24\00:29:56.06
And at the top of the chandelier
is the Father and the Son
00:29:56.09\00:30:00.56
and the Holy Spirit.
00:30:00.59\00:30:02.10
Three lights shining this
one glorious light down upon
00:30:02.50\00:30:07.15
each one of us.
00:30:07.18\00:30:08.21
And each one of us taking a
little piece of that light and
00:30:08.24\00:30:11.61
reflecting it out, off of each
other, and out into the world.
00:30:11.64\00:30:16.39
That's the intention
that Jesus has for the church.
00:30:18.41\00:30:23.16
And I think, I think,
that many non-Christians...
00:30:23.50\00:30:27.45
I say, "I think."
00:30:27.85\00:30:28.88
I should say rather, I know
that not just non-Christians,
00:30:28.91\00:30:32.89
but many Jews, have been
confused by the body of Christ,
00:30:32.92\00:30:39.32
by the church, if not
scandalized, by the distinctions
00:30:39.35\00:30:46.51
that exist between the
various kinds of Christians.
00:30:46.54\00:30:50.95
We've seen
division more than unity.
00:30:51.20\00:30:54.71
Eastern Orthodox versus Western.
00:30:54.97\00:30:57.71
Roman Catholic
versus Protestant.
00:30:57.74\00:31:00.06
Hundreds of
thousands of Protestants,
00:31:00.09\00:31:02.41
those denominations that are
versus things that they don't
00:31:02.44\00:31:05.57
even know what
they're versus against.
00:31:05.60\00:31:07.82
And thousands of one
church denominations with no
00:31:09.57\00:31:13.37
affiliated organization.
00:31:13.82\00:31:16.65
How many lives have been
sacrificed over the centuries
00:31:18.26\00:31:22.33
in wars between Christians?
00:31:22.36\00:31:25.29
How often does the media
report loveless criticisms
00:31:26.29\00:31:29.96
of one Christian
group by another?
00:31:29.99\00:31:32.36
You see, is that really
the kind of unity that Jesus
00:31:33.13\00:31:38.56
was speaking about?
00:31:38.59\00:31:39.90
The kind of thing
that He prayed for?
00:31:39.93\00:31:42.25
Of course not.
00:31:42.55\00:31:43.61
These glasses
are driving me crazy.
00:31:45.76\00:31:48.51
Let me see how well I do.
00:31:51.20\00:31:52.25
I can't see you, but I
can see what I need to see.
00:31:52.28\00:31:55.04
Praise God.
00:31:58.95\00:32:00.07
Think about the
impact of a unified church.
00:32:04.22\00:32:08.28
The impact when the world
believes that God the Father
00:32:09.17\00:32:14.36
sent Jesus the Son, just
as Jesus said, "That the world
00:32:14.39\00:32:19.97
may see Us and then believe
that the Father sent Me."
00:32:20.07\00:32:23.65
But what would it be
like if the world looked at us
00:32:25.63\00:32:31.39
and we really were one,
echad, as Jesus has prayed?
00:32:32.27\00:32:39.89
What kind of impact can
you imagine would happen?
00:32:40.78\00:32:45.44
See, only the sight of united
disciples, of united followers
00:32:46.80\00:32:51.57
in Jesus, will
ultimately convince the world
00:32:51.60\00:32:55.65
of the truth that Jesus is Lord.
00:32:55.95\00:32:58.93
See, Jesus wasn't just
talking about getting along,
00:33:00.99\00:33:04.59
agreeing to disagree,
finding common ground.
00:33:04.62\00:33:08.21
Some believe, "If we could
just get some kind of united
00:33:08.41\00:33:11.46
global theology, we would
compel the world to believe."
00:33:11.49\00:33:16.27
But, you see, united theology
never promised to compel
00:33:17.17\00:33:20.77
the world to believe.
00:33:20.80\00:33:22.03
Human eloquence never promised
to compel the world to believe.
00:33:22.06\00:33:26.79
The size of our churches
never promised to compel
00:33:26.82\00:33:30.66
the world to believe.
00:33:30.69\00:33:31.94
No denominational program,
slogan, or goal will compel
00:33:31.97\00:33:35.61
the world to believe.
00:33:35.64\00:33:37.40
Because we live in
a world of disunity.
00:33:38.30\00:33:41.35
We find disunity everywhere.
00:33:42.16\00:33:44.81
From our homes and our
families, our workplaces,
00:33:44.84\00:33:47.76
our local, our state,
our national government.
00:33:47.79\00:33:50.68
Nobody gets along.
00:33:50.71\00:33:52.67
Only one single thing will
compel the world to believe.
00:33:54.31\00:33:59.70
Brothers and sisters,
that is a supernatural oneness
00:34:00.56\00:34:04.75
in the family of God.
00:34:05.11\00:34:06.65
John 13 verse 35 says this,
"By this all men will know that
00:34:08.42\00:34:15.53
you are My disciples;
if you love one another."
00:34:15.56\00:34:21.61
See, a truly unified community
of people is supernatural.
00:34:23.29\00:34:30.76
Because it doesn't
happen any other way.
00:34:33.44\00:34:36.54
People will get along because
they have ulterior motives.
00:34:37.87\00:34:42.13
"I'm going to befriend
that person because if I'm
00:34:42.67\00:34:45.53
friends with that person,
I'm networking with that person
00:34:45.88\00:34:49.53
and I can maybe get
a better job, or..."
00:34:49.56\00:34:52.24
No.
00:34:53.28\00:34:54.31
The world is so disunited
that a perfectly unified church
00:34:58.21\00:35:03.94
compels the world to
confess with their mouth
00:35:03.97\00:35:08.24
that Jesus is Lord.
00:35:08.55\00:35:11.18
On the other hand, so
much the opposite is true.
00:35:12.61\00:35:17.32
A disunited church reverses
all the work of Messiah.
00:35:17.82\00:35:22.54
It renders our witness to Him
powerless and without affect.
00:35:23.28\00:35:27.90
You know, there's a
danger here that we have to see.
00:35:28.80\00:35:32.49
Because we can reverse
all that is to be accomplished
00:35:32.52\00:35:37.26
by this oneness
that Jesus prayed for.
00:35:37.86\00:35:41.72
Would you strike
down the cross of Calvary?
00:35:43.21\00:35:47.68
Or roll the stone back to cover
up the empty tomb of Jesus?
00:35:48.04\00:35:52.75
Would you say to the
Holy Spirit of Pentecost,
00:35:52.92\00:35:55.23
"Go back to the
Father. Leave this world."
00:35:55.26\00:35:58.57
You wouldn't, I don't think.
00:35:59.82\00:36:01.68
I wouldn't, I pray.
00:36:02.08\00:36:04.27
But according to the words
of Jesus, if we do not reflect
00:36:06.39\00:36:12.01
the unity that He
desires, we just as well
00:36:12.04\00:36:15.93
strike down the
cross, roll back the stone,
00:36:15.96\00:36:18.95
send back the
Spirit to the Father.
00:36:18.98\00:36:21.08
Because the world
will not believe that the
00:36:21.11\00:36:23.62
Father sent the Son
unless we demonstrate it
00:36:23.65\00:36:27.50
in spiritual oneness.
00:36:28.00\00:36:29.89
And you know,
whenever that happens
00:36:32.22\00:36:34.60
amazing things occur.
00:36:34.95\00:36:38.14
Think back to the book of Acts.
00:36:38.54\00:36:40.97
Think to the second chapter
of Acts and the beautiful
00:36:41.45\00:36:44.41
passages, verses, at the end
of the second chapter of Acts
00:36:44.44\00:36:47.81
that describes this
unified body, these people
00:36:47.84\00:36:52.04
that came together.
00:36:52.07\00:36:53.65
Right? The Scriptures says
that they broke bread together.
00:36:54.27\00:36:57.71
They shared the teachings of
Jesus, the apostle's teachings.
00:36:57.74\00:37:01.29
Everything that they had,
they shared with each other.
00:37:01.32\00:37:04.19
They loved one another.
00:37:04.58\00:37:06.33
And you know what?
00:37:07.50\00:37:08.66
People came.
00:37:09.09\00:37:11.09
Scripture says the
Lord added to them daily.
00:37:11.69\00:37:14.17
But I truly believe
that when we are doing
00:37:15.28\00:37:19.06
what God has asked us
to do, for no other reason
00:37:19.60\00:37:23.50
than to love each
other, to be echad, one,
00:37:23.53\00:37:27.12
God sends people.
00:37:28.01\00:37:30.59
You know, there's a
million different programs
00:37:32.42\00:37:35.92
that exist out there
on how to grow churches.
00:37:35.95\00:37:39.20
And the one that Jesus told
us, we just can't get it in our
00:37:40.04\00:37:45.51
heads and our hearts to do it.
00:37:45.54\00:37:47.26
Just love each other.
00:37:48.39\00:37:50.09
Just be one with each other.
00:37:50.73\00:37:53.09
Only the unleashed
power of Jesus can impact our
00:37:54.58\00:37:58.67
world in that way.
00:37:58.70\00:38:00.06
And Jesus' power is
unleashed on the world
00:38:00.09\00:38:02.97
when you and I truly are one.
00:38:03.00\00:38:06.63
When we love an
agape kind of love.
00:38:09.16\00:38:13.27
An agape kind of love that
doesn't, not seeking anything,
00:38:13.57\00:38:17.82
but just because.
00:38:17.85\00:38:19.90
The same way God loves
the Son, and the Son loves us.
00:38:20.98\00:38:26.98
Jesus doesn't put requirements
to say, "Well, if you do this,
00:38:27.01\00:38:30.50
and you do this, and you
do this, then I'll love you."
00:38:30.53\00:38:33.30
Jesus just loves.
00:38:34.32\00:38:35.99
And this is what
He's asking of us.
00:38:37.66\00:38:40.82
Just because God
has given us a gift,
00:38:42.53\00:38:47.40
and Jesus has prayed, you see,
church, we can't just be passive
00:38:48.79\00:38:54.28
and sit back and say, "How
come nothing is happening?"
00:38:54.31\00:38:58.69
That's like receiving a present
that you sit and you look at,
00:39:00.06\00:39:03.49
but you never
take the paper off.
00:39:03.52\00:39:05.25
You never unwrap it,
you never open it up,
00:39:05.28\00:39:07.35
you never use it.
00:39:07.38\00:39:08.75
I believe that Jesus has
given us the greatest key
00:39:11.59\00:39:16.86
to reach the lost in the world.
00:39:16.97\00:39:19.42
And it's so simple
nobody can believe it.
00:39:20.03\00:39:23.37
Just love each other.
00:39:24.73\00:39:26.07
Genuinely love each other.
00:39:26.27\00:39:28.79
Because when people
come, when you're around people
00:39:28.93\00:39:32.58
at work, when you
are out on the street,
00:39:32.61\00:39:35.28
people are attracted to it.
00:39:35.52\00:39:37.43
You know why?
00:39:37.46\00:39:38.49
Because they're
desperate for it.
00:39:38.52\00:39:40.65
They're hungry for it.
00:39:41.25\00:39:43.74
And I am convinced that
even the strongest atheist,
00:39:44.33\00:39:48.32
deep in their heart, want
to believe that Jesus is real.
00:39:48.35\00:39:52.90
And the greatest reason that
they don't believe is because
00:39:56.29\00:39:59.42
throughout time we have failed
to do what Jesus asked us to do.
00:39:59.45\00:40:05.34
So where do I do it?
00:40:07.66\00:40:09.23
Inside the church?
00:40:10.82\00:40:12.39
Outside the church?
00:40:12.42\00:40:14.27
Listen, when we're here,
when we're in the church,
00:40:14.30\00:40:17.23
we must act, each one of
us, as a unifying personality.
00:40:17.26\00:40:21.88
What do I mean?
00:40:22.61\00:40:23.66
We should always be
seeking common ground.
00:40:23.69\00:40:26.63
Seeking to be a
unifier, not a divider.
00:40:26.66\00:40:29.85
And there's so many people
that are there just looking for
00:40:30.37\00:40:33.75
their little
slice, their little piece,
00:40:33.78\00:40:36.85
instead of "ours."
00:40:36.88\00:40:38.55
You know, it's like when a
young couple comes together,
00:40:39.78\00:40:43.73
the first thing they have
to learn is the difference
00:40:44.01\00:40:46.26
between where it use to be
about me, now it's about us.
00:40:46.29\00:40:50.60
And it's no different.
00:40:51.60\00:40:53.14
You know, the blunt
truth about any church
00:40:55.87\00:40:58.58
is that there's
probably dozens plus of opinions
00:40:58.61\00:41:01.99
at any one time
about dozens of things that
00:41:02.02\00:41:04.78
the church is trying to do.
00:41:04.81\00:41:06.59
But every one of us,
every believer, must make a
00:41:07.24\00:41:10.03
decision to be a unifier
in the midst of God's people,
00:41:10.06\00:41:13.96
not a divider.
00:41:13.99\00:41:15.27
Because when we do, listen, all
we're doing in opening the door
00:41:15.98\00:41:18.81
for Satan to step right in.
00:41:18.84\00:41:20.69
There needs to be
this kind of unity.
00:41:20.90\00:41:23.31
And it's not only needed in the
church, but more importantly,
00:41:23.34\00:41:26.63
we are to take the
mission, go and make disciples
00:41:26.67\00:41:30.35
outside of these
walls, and to be out there
00:41:30.38\00:41:33.65
doing what Jesus
has asked us to do.
00:41:33.68\00:41:36.11
You know, Jesus
even talked about it;
00:41:37.26\00:41:39.45
it's easy to love
someone who loves you.
00:41:39.48\00:41:41.66
Now go out there and
love someone who hates you.
00:41:41.69\00:41:44.03
Because Jesus didn't
discriminate who He loved.
00:41:45.67\00:41:49.54
Even the
Pharisees that hated Him.
00:41:51.38\00:41:53.57
Even those who
stood there and mocked Him
00:41:53.99\00:41:56.87
as He died on the
cross, what did He say?
00:41:56.90\00:41:59.05
"Father, forgive them.
00:41:59.44\00:42:00.73
They don't know
what they're doing.
00:42:01.00\00:42:02.46
They don't get it."
00:42:02.85\00:42:03.97
Do you realize that
every Sabbath that we gather,
00:42:06.47\00:42:11.55
or for those that worship
on Sunday, that come together
00:42:11.58\00:42:15.02
on Sunday, in areas
all over our communities
00:42:15.05\00:42:17.45
and our cities, there
are people that are home
00:42:17.48\00:42:21.87
not going to experience Jesus.
00:42:22.14\00:42:25.15
Because on Monday morning
they hear Christians showing up
00:42:25.18\00:42:28.97
at work in the office, in
the plants, in the factories,
00:42:29.00\00:42:32.35
criticizing their church,
criticizing other believers.
00:42:32.45\00:42:35.85
Talking about, "Oh, did you
hear this and that," and so on.
00:42:35.88\00:42:39.05
And it has made them cynical
and it has deafened their ears
00:42:40.24\00:42:45.01
to hear the truth of the gospel.
00:42:45.04\00:42:47.99
It is literally
possible, brothers and sisters,
00:42:49.22\00:42:52.50
to commit spiritual
murder outside the church
00:42:52.53\00:42:56.03
in the world when
we, who ought to be one,
00:42:56.06\00:42:59.17
go out instead presenting it
as, "Well, this is what I like
00:42:59.20\00:43:04.11
and they don't like it."
00:43:04.14\00:43:05.41
That instead of presenting
echad, one, we present,
00:43:06.05\00:43:11.35
"They don't know
what they're doing.
00:43:12.02\00:43:13.55
We're the only ones."
00:43:13.58\00:43:15.05
We criticize everything.
00:43:16.09\00:43:18.62
What does Jesus say?
00:43:19.75\00:43:21.42
"In the church and
in the world be one
00:43:22.62\00:43:25.03
by what you say, by
what you don't say."
00:43:25.06\00:43:27.71
Sometimes that's
even more important.
00:43:27.74\00:43:29.81
If every believer
would guard their lips,
00:43:31.48\00:43:34.67
what I say will be
unifying rather than dividing.
00:43:37.77\00:43:41.49
If we would just think.
00:43:42.41\00:43:44.07
And when I hear that
which is not unifying,
00:43:44.72\00:43:48.03
I make a choice, not
only to not participate,
00:43:48.06\00:43:51.00
but to refute it.
00:43:51.03\00:43:52.58
To stand up for it.
00:43:52.86\00:43:54.55
See, in the close of
that prayer in John 17,
00:43:56.36\00:44:00.20
Jesus then turns and prays
for the glory of the church.
00:44:00.23\00:44:05.29
Jesus prays that the
present church on earth,
00:44:06.76\00:44:09.55
and the future church
which we are a part of,
00:44:09.58\00:44:12.30
will see glory.
00:44:13.43\00:44:15.61
Don't you want to see glory?
00:44:15.84\00:44:17.71
That the glory will be
the visible manifestation
00:44:19.51\00:44:22.86
of these divine attributes.
00:44:22.89\00:44:25.60
See, that's what we
see when we look at God.
00:44:27.18\00:44:29.55
Can I suggest that this
is what we should see when we
00:44:30.85\00:44:33.62
look at one another?
00:44:33.65\00:44:34.89
Messiah has already
revealed all the glory
00:44:36.13\00:44:38.29
we can comprehend here.
00:44:38.32\00:44:40.65
In verse 22, Jesus says, "I
have given them the glory that
00:44:40.68\00:44:44.30
You have given Me,
that they may be one."
00:44:44.33\00:44:47.00
Even now, when we get our
eyes off of one another and
00:44:47.03\00:44:51.00
contemplate the revealed
glory of God and Messiah,
00:44:51.03\00:44:54.12
we are one.
00:44:54.15\00:44:55.98
The glory transforms us.
00:44:57.66\00:44:59.91
Paul spoke to the
church in Corinth,
00:45:00.51\00:45:02.73
"We are being
transformed into His likeness
00:45:02.93\00:45:05.89
with an ever increasing glory."
00:45:05.92\00:45:08.81
The glory that is outward.
00:45:13.02\00:45:15.83
The visible expression of
the love between the Father
00:45:16.23\00:45:20.27
and the Son that's talked about
in the last part of this verse.
00:45:20.30\00:45:25.00
Jesus saying, "The glory
You have given Me because You
00:45:25.03\00:45:28.18
love Me before the
creation of the world."
00:45:28.21\00:45:30.79
Brothers and sisters, do you
understand that before you were
00:45:30.99\00:45:34.94
created, God knew you.
00:45:34.97\00:45:36.62
Before you were
formed, God loved you.
00:45:36.65\00:45:39.30
God planned that
you would be even right
00:45:39.33\00:45:41.86
where you are tonight.
00:45:41.89\00:45:43.97
Our churches, our communities,
will never be fully united
00:45:46.44\00:45:50.67
by looking at a
pastor or a program,
00:45:50.70\00:45:53.74
or even looking at one another.
00:45:53.77\00:45:56.45
And listen, our relationships,
our associations, will never
00:45:58.39\00:46:03.24
be fully united by looking
at any leader or program.
00:46:03.27\00:46:07.11
We've got to look to Jesus.
00:46:07.14\00:46:09.92
Jesus, and Jesus alone.
00:46:11.34\00:46:13.37
See, to the extent
that we look at Jesus
00:46:13.57\00:46:17.25
is the extent that
we touch the world.
00:46:18.88\00:46:21.09
We wonder why
people don't believe.
00:46:22.78\00:46:26.02
We wonder why, when for so many
of us, it just seems so obvious.
00:46:27.84\00:46:34.66
We read it and we,
"How can they not believe?"
00:46:36.04\00:46:40.35
Because we, as
the body of Christ,
00:46:43.02\00:46:46.29
have done a horrible job.
00:46:46.70\00:46:50.19
And I know that some would say,
"How can we take responsibility
00:46:52.34\00:46:57.42
for those before us?"
00:46:57.72\00:46:59.99
But, church, if we
don't, it will never change.
00:47:00.77\00:47:04.30
And as I begin to wrap this
up, some of things that I will
00:47:06.11\00:47:10.33
say now may be hard
for some people to hear.
00:47:10.62\00:47:14.15
But Jesus said it's not easy.
00:47:14.99\00:47:17.68
See, many of you,
those that have followed the
00:47:19.72\00:47:23.82
Back To Our Roots
program, or those that know me,
00:47:24.02\00:47:27.10
know that my heritage,
my family, we are Jews.
00:47:27.13\00:47:32.22
I didn't come to know
Jesus until I was 30 years old.
00:47:33.02\00:47:37.25
But I knew many
Christians before then.
00:47:37.96\00:47:40.93
And for me the issue
was, me against them.
00:47:42.92\00:47:48.94
I never saw any
difference in their life.
00:47:51.10\00:47:53.98
I never saw anything that
compelled me to want to know
00:47:55.69\00:47:59.53
who Jesus was.
00:47:59.56\00:48:01.28
Can you imagine how
incredibly surprised I was
00:48:03.89\00:48:10.76
when I found out
that Jesus is Jewish?
00:48:11.18\00:48:16.01
What!
00:48:17.81\00:48:19.12
How can that be?
00:48:19.85\00:48:21.29
What?
00:48:23.84\00:48:24.96
It made no sense to me.
00:48:25.06\00:48:27.07
It made no sense to me because
those who had been placed
00:48:29.02\00:48:34.00
around me did not live as
Jesus had asked them to live.
00:48:34.03\00:48:39.52
Paul speaks about
being provoked to jealousy.
00:48:42.32\00:48:47.11
I had nothing to
be jealous about.
00:48:48.22\00:48:50.57
Because what I saw in
them was no different than me.
00:48:51.75\00:48:56.10
I saw arguing, I saw fighting,
I saw people talking about
00:48:58.59\00:49:05.15
this church was
better than that church.
00:49:05.43\00:49:07.58
Don't go there, go here.
00:49:07.61\00:49:09.49
See, to me, I didn't
know any difference between
00:49:11.06\00:49:14.19
Catholic and Protestant.
00:49:14.22\00:49:16.13
To me, as a Jew, it
was all just people that
00:49:16.44\00:49:21.17
believed Jesus was God.
00:49:22.00\00:49:23.81
And I have to say, that it
was one man who exhibited the
00:49:26.92\00:49:35.45
love of Christ in a
way that I had never seen
00:49:35.48\00:49:38.58
that caused me to even
open a New Testament Bible.
00:49:39.81\00:49:43.43
The truth.
00:49:44.14\00:49:45.37
It was how I saw this
man, who would later become
00:49:47.61\00:49:51.94
my stepdad.
00:49:51.97\00:49:53.42
How he acted towards my mother
was something I had never seen;
00:49:54.22\00:49:58.68
him being a
Christian, a godly man.
00:49:58.71\00:50:01.34
What is this?
00:50:02.54\00:50:03.97
I've never seen
anyone act like this before.
00:50:04.00\00:50:06.60
And then to my
surprise, to open the Bible
00:50:08.38\00:50:11.29
and to find out
that Jesus was Jewish.
00:50:11.32\00:50:14.79
And that He had come
to the Jewish people.
00:50:15.96\00:50:18.60
We have an amazing opportunity.
00:50:24.11\00:50:27.65
An opportunity to
reach people that would never
00:50:29.39\00:50:33.31
in a million years you
would think desire to hear
00:50:33.51\00:50:36.67
about Jesus.
00:50:37.11\00:50:38.58
And we don't reach
our friends and our family
00:50:40.05\00:50:44.40
and communities by handing
them cards and walking away,
00:50:44.43\00:50:50.71
by putting up tents and hoping
they walk through the door.
00:50:50.74\00:50:55.21
Yes, there are people
that get touched by that.
00:50:55.24\00:50:58.13
But I'm telling
you, statistically if you
00:50:58.16\00:51:01.27
look into it, most
people that come to know Jesus
00:51:01.30\00:51:04.57
come because a
friend led them to Jesus.
00:51:04.60\00:51:07.48
Because they saw
oneness in that person.
00:51:07.95\00:51:14.44
They saw a love that
they couldn't explain.
00:51:14.85\00:51:17.25
They saw a
gentleness that made no sense.
00:51:17.74\00:51:20.39
They saw a people getting
along in a way that, like,
00:51:20.42\00:51:22.98
"How can this be?"
00:51:23.01\00:51:24.45
Because people
don't get along, right?
00:51:25.31\00:51:27.64
We just argue.
00:51:27.85\00:51:29.32
But when we follow
Jesus, everything changes.
00:51:31.11\00:51:35.63
I want to tell you something.
00:51:36.37\00:51:37.88
The devil runs, if he's got a
tail it goes between his legs,
00:51:37.91\00:51:43.30
when God's
people are echad, one.
00:51:44.31\00:51:48.38
When we are one,
there is nothing he can do.
00:51:49.77\00:51:53.36
Because it is the thing
that Jesus placed above all.
00:51:54.61\00:51:58.92
To love God and to love man.
00:51:59.68\00:52:03.65
It is, in Jesus'
words, the highest of all
00:52:04.37\00:52:10.03
of the commandments.
00:52:10.25\00:52:12.03
And I know for many of us,
we look at the Ten Commandments
00:52:13.42\00:52:16.75
and we think, "There's
so many things that seem
00:52:16.78\00:52:20.70
so much more important, Jesus."
00:52:20.73\00:52:23.64
But Jesus says,
"Love each other."
00:52:26.64\00:52:30.61
Listen, do you want to
see a world begin to turn
00:52:32.35\00:52:38.43
even before Jesus comes back?
00:52:38.46\00:52:41.05
I don't know when He's coming.
00:52:44.12\00:52:45.76
Every generation has believed
that there's was the one
00:52:47.36\00:52:50.18
that He was going to come.
00:52:50.21\00:52:51.54
Even starting there
in the first century,
00:52:52.34\00:52:54.46
they were looking for it.
00:52:55.51\00:52:56.97
But you see, that's what
separates Jesus' followers
00:52:57.85\00:53:02.68
from those who just
want to be called Christians.
00:53:02.71\00:53:05.51
And I hope I'm not talking
to those that just want to be
00:53:06.66\00:53:09.29
called Christians tonight.
00:53:09.32\00:53:12.32
I hope I'm talking to people
that want to be His followers,
00:53:13.98\00:53:18.78
His disciples.
00:53:19.57\00:53:21.50
In Hebrew, that's "talmidim."
00:53:21.53\00:53:23.78
An interesting
thing about a disciple is,
00:53:24.55\00:53:27.82
you can't be a
disciple without a relationship.
00:53:27.85\00:53:30.55
And you can't have a
relationship if you don't
00:53:32.12\00:53:34.02
know somebody.
00:53:34.05\00:53:35.25
And the first step in becoming
a follower, a disciple, of Jesus
00:53:36.67\00:53:40.31
is to know Him.
00:53:40.34\00:53:41.75
And you can't know Him
if you don't know His heart.
00:53:42.59\00:53:45.63
And what is His heart?
00:53:46.53\00:53:47.97
"I pray that
they would all be one,
00:53:48.55\00:53:51.64
that the whole world would know
that the Father has sent Me.
00:53:52.36\00:53:56.75
Just as the
Father and Son are one."
00:53:57.99\00:54:02.16
Echad.
00:54:02.61\00:54:03.91
Maybe you'll
remember that word; echad.
00:54:04.58\00:54:07.96
I know for some
it's a little hard.
00:54:08.33\00:54:10.21
You've got to get
the "kh" sound in there.
00:54:10.24\00:54:12.48
Echad.
00:54:13.57\00:54:14.73
For husbands and wives, we want
to be, you want to be echad.
00:54:15.20\00:54:18.72
I want to be one.
00:54:18.75\00:54:20.42
For fathers to
sons, and mothers to sons,
00:54:23.19\00:54:26.72
and sons to daughters,
and mothers to daughters,
00:54:26.75\00:54:28.84
and on and on;
we want to be echad.
00:54:28.87\00:54:32.78
We want to be one in Him.
00:54:34.41\00:54:36.55
So to the extent
we all look to Jesus,
00:54:38.03\00:54:41.78
we will be drawn to one another.
00:54:43.42\00:54:46.41
Isn't that amazing?
00:54:46.89\00:54:48.24
That the more that
you and I follow Him,
00:54:48.72\00:54:53.71
if we are truly following
Him, then we cannot but help
00:54:54.85\00:55:00.32
love each other.
00:55:00.78\00:55:02.93
Right?
00:55:03.87\00:55:05.00
So how do you
love your neighbor?
00:55:05.99\00:55:09.29
How do you love the
person across the pew from you
00:55:09.32\00:55:12.09
that took your seat?
00:55:12.12\00:55:13.75
And you're thinking, "You
know I sit there every week.
00:55:13.78\00:55:17.00
How dare you take my seat."
00:55:17.68\00:55:19.54
You say, "Jesus,
I'm following You."
00:55:21.01\00:55:23.21
Because Jesus
doesn't care where He sits.
00:55:25.10\00:55:27.84
Amen?
00:55:29.58\00:55:30.62
And then you can turn to
that same person and say,
00:55:32.80\00:55:35.54
"I really love you.
00:55:36.34\00:55:37.83
Even if you did take my seat."
00:55:38.94\00:55:40.86
I want to close now
with what I believe to be
00:55:42.94\00:55:47.55
a beautiful
portion of Scripture.
00:55:48.03\00:55:50.94
See, as Jesus lifted His
hands and He began to ascend
00:55:51.13\00:55:56.37
into the heavens, it's recorded
in the gospel narratives,
00:55:56.69\00:55:59.80
that He lifted His hands and
He prayed, not just for those
00:55:59.83\00:56:06.08
that were there to see
Him ascend, but I believe
00:56:06.11\00:56:09.21
He prayed over the whole world.
00:56:09.24\00:56:13.22
He prayed because He
wanted us to reflect His glory.
00:56:16.01\00:56:21.26
Amen?
00:56:21.29\00:56:22.32
And He used the
words that God had spoken
00:56:23.13\00:56:26.13
to Moses so long before.
00:56:26.16\00:56:29.14
God had spoken to Moses
and said, "Moses, I want you to
00:56:30.47\00:56:33.17
take these words and
I want you to place them
00:56:33.20\00:56:36.32
upon Aaron, My high priest.
00:56:36.35\00:56:38.39
Give them to him that he
may place them upon My people."
00:56:38.42\00:56:43.53
And it's found in
Numbers chapter 6.
00:56:44.40\00:56:46.79
And He said, "May the Lord
bless you and may He keep you.
00:56:47.14\00:56:51.57
May the Lord make His
face to shine upon you
00:56:52.51\00:56:56.19
and be gracious to you.
00:56:56.22\00:56:57.62
May the Lord lift
His countenance upon you
00:56:58.10\00:57:00.53
and bring you His peace."
00:57:00.56\00:57:03.14
Now He wouldn't have said
it in English, I don't think.
00:57:03.24\00:57:05.65
And I don't know the
tune for sure, but it may have
00:57:06.80\00:57:09.12
sounded like this.
00:57:09.15\00:57:10.68
Yevarechcha
Adonai, veyishmerecho.
00:57:11.81\00:57:19.70
Ya'er Adonai panav
'eleicha, vichunneko.
00:57:19.73\00:57:24.96
Yissa Adonai panav
'eleicha, veyasem shalom.
00:57:24.99\00:57:31.63