Hello, I'm Shelley Quinn. 00:00:01.36\00:00:02.76 Please join us now on "The Grace Pipeline," 00:00:02.76\00:00:05.53 where we will look at what the Bible says 00:00:05.53\00:00:08.14 about being yoked with Jesus 00:00:08.14\00:00:10.61 and partnered with His power. 00:00:10.61\00:00:12.57 Welcome to "The Grace Pipeline." 00:00:33.56\00:00:36.00 This series, it follows a Bible study 00:00:36.00\00:00:38.60 that I was very blessed to write in the book 00:00:38.60\00:00:41.07 that is also titled "The Grace Pipeline." 00:00:41.07\00:00:43.67 And today, we are going to take a look 00:00:43.67\00:00:47.18 at the privilege of being yoked with Christ 00:00:47.18\00:00:51.28 and partnered with His power." 00:00:51.28\00:00:54.18 If you're following along in this-- 00:00:54.18\00:00:56.55 in your series companion book, we're beginning on page 41. 00:00:56.55\00:01:00.39 Now in our last program, we concluded 00:01:00.39\00:01:02.49 with the story of a personal experience of mine. 00:01:02.49\00:01:05.86 Some years ago, I was praying 1 Corinthians 6:17 that says, 00:01:05.86\00:01:11.07 "He who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him." 00:01:11.07\00:01:15.67 And as I pray this as an affirmation of my faith 00:01:15.67\00:01:18.97 thanking God for making me one with Him. 00:01:18.97\00:01:21.84 I didn't feel one with Him. 00:01:21.84\00:01:24.28 I couldn't even comprehend 00:01:24.28\00:01:25.81 what it meant to be united in this way. 00:01:25.81\00:01:28.58 When I ask and the Lord cried out for understanding, 00:01:28.58\00:01:32.92 what He did was, He let me in a study 00:01:32.92\00:01:35.12 on the mysterious oneness of the Father, 00:01:35.12\00:01:37.59 the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 00:01:37.59\00:01:40.00 We're going to take just a few minutes of today's program 00:01:40.00\00:01:43.30 to briefly consider the unity of the Godhead. 00:01:43.30\00:01:47.27 The concept of three divine persons who are only one God. 00:01:47.27\00:01:52.57 This will help us understand how we can become 00:01:52.57\00:01:56.41 partnered with the Lord's power and be one in spirit with Him. 00:01:56.41\00:02:01.12 When trying to understand this concept of oneness, 00:02:01.12\00:02:04.49 the Lord led me first to Deuteronomy 6:4, 00:02:04.49\00:02:08.62 which proclaims "The Lord our God, the Lord is one!" 00:02:08.62\00:02:14.83 We're going to take a little closer look at this 00:02:14.83\00:02:18.13 and we're going to get technical for just a moment 00:02:18.13\00:02:20.64 but stay with me, because what we'll do is 00:02:20.64\00:02:24.04 look at the literal Hebrew of this translation 00:02:24.04\00:02:27.61 and we'll understand more. 00:02:27.61\00:02:30.08 The Hebrews says "YHWH our Elohim, 00:02:30.08\00:02:36.25 YHWH is eh ad," meaning "Jehovah, our Self-existent, 00:02:36.25\00:02:43.49 all-powerful God, is plural but One." 00:02:43.49\00:02:48.73 Let's unpack this. 00:02:48.73\00:02:50.40 YHWH is the "Tetragrammaton" 00:02:50.40\00:02:53.60 that just means a four letter word. 00:02:53.60\00:02:55.50 But it is used by the Bible writers for Yahweh, 00:02:55.50\00:03:00.24 which in English we say Jehovah. 00:03:00.24\00:03:03.38 This is the name that God pronounced or announced 00:03:03.38\00:03:06.58 from the burning bush to Moses. 00:03:06.58\00:03:08.75 Yahweh means "I am," 00:03:08.75\00:03:11.12 I am the one who is the self-existent one. 00:03:11.12\00:03:14.56 And in reverence for the holiness of God's name 00:03:14.56\00:03:17.39 in fear of breaking the commandment 00:03:17.39\00:03:18.89 of taking God's name in vain. 00:03:18.89\00:03:21.06 Jews avoided pronouncing or spelling the secret name Yahweh. 00:03:21.06\00:03:25.60 Instead it became their common practice to use Adonai. 00:03:25.60\00:03:31.14 Now, let's consider Elohim that means the all 00:03:31.14\00:03:35.54 "powerful creator and sustainer." 00:03:35.54\00:03:38.75 Elohim is a masculine plural noun. 00:03:38.75\00:03:42.98 And in the first scripture of Genesis 1:1 00:03:42.98\00:03:46.62 "God reveals His complex plurality 00:03:46.62\00:03:51.26 of His nature as creator." 00:03:51.26\00:03:53.83 Genesis 1:1 says that 00:03:53.83\00:03:56.30 "In the beginning God Elohim created." 00:03:56.30\00:04:00.64 These words announce the presence of only one God 00:04:00.64\00:04:05.07 and confirm that this all powerful creator 00:04:05.07\00:04:08.68 is composed of more than one member. 00:04:08.68\00:04:12.41 Elohim is the most frequently used name of God. 00:04:12.41\00:04:16.05 It appears some 2250 times in the Old Testament. 00:04:16.05\00:04:20.12 It is His Covenant Maker name in His declaration that 00:04:20.12\00:04:24.06 He will not abandon that which He has created. 00:04:24.06\00:04:27.60 And the most telling Hebrew word though in this 00:04:27.60\00:04:31.50 in Deuteronomy 6:4 is eh ad, 00:04:31.50\00:04:36.50 that is a word that defines a union of several components 00:04:36.50\00:04:42.08 combined into a single unit. 00:04:42.08\00:04:45.98 So the scripture we are examining 00:04:45.98\00:04:48.28 Deuteronomy 6:4 declares "The Lord Jehovah, 00:04:48.28\00:04:53.49 the plural Creator Elohim is One eh ad, 00:04:53.49\00:04:58.59 His several components that are a single unit." 00:04:58.59\00:05:01.86 We will see the significance of this divine oneness 00:05:01.86\00:05:04.97 of the Godhead in a moment. 00:05:04.97\00:05:06.84 But like divine love, divine oneness has no equal. 00:05:06.84\00:05:10.91 There seems to be universal agreement 00:05:10.91\00:05:13.84 that the person identified in scripture is the Father, 00:05:13.84\00:05:16.91 is the all powerful infinite God. 00:05:16.91\00:05:19.85 So I feel no need to expand on this fact. 00:05:19.85\00:05:23.12 But some religions acknowledge Jesus 00:05:23.12\00:05:27.09 as God's greatest historical prophet, 00:05:27.09\00:05:30.06 yet they deny His deity as our creator God. 00:05:30.06\00:05:34.20 Scripture does not support this denial. 00:05:34.20\00:05:36.60 The New Testament clearly portrays 00:05:36.60\00:05:39.17 Christ as a member of the Godhead 00:05:39.17\00:05:42.80 and indeed in John 1-3 and Colossians 1:16. 00:05:42.80\00:05:49.51 In Colossians 2:9 Christ is described 00:05:49.51\00:05:54.15 as the force behind creation. 00:05:54.15\00:05:58.52 Legally all Bible scholars recognize 00:05:58.52\00:06:01.56 the Angel of the Lord of the Old Testament 00:06:01.56\00:06:04.83 was the visible God of the Old Testament 00:06:04.83\00:06:07.13 in the person of Jesus Christ. 00:06:07.13\00:06:09.30 He appeared to Moses from the burning bush 00:06:09.30\00:06:11.87 and among others He appeared to Abraham, 00:06:11.87\00:06:14.24 the slave girl, Hagar, Jacob, Gideon. 00:06:14.24\00:06:17.27 He is distinct from the father 00:06:17.27\00:06:20.28 and He does not appear again after Christ incarnation. 00:06:20.28\00:06:24.21 Therefore scholars conclude that 00:06:24.21\00:06:26.75 the Angel of the Lord is Christ, the Messiah messenger. 00:06:26.75\00:06:32.39 The word angel simply means messenger. 00:06:32.39\00:06:36.73 Jesus said in John 8:58 "Most assuredly, 00:06:36.73\00:06:43.03 I say to you, before Abraham was I am." 00:06:43.03\00:06:47.97 With this exact praise or name used of God, 00:06:47.97\00:06:51.71 Jesus proclaimed His eternal existence 00:06:51.71\00:06:55.41 and He further stated in Chapter 10. 00:06:55.41\00:06:58.15 He said, I and the Father are one and he avowed 00:06:58.15\00:07:02.38 the authority that was reserve by God alone to forgive sins. 00:07:02.38\00:07:06.45 So in doing this Christ clearly claimed 00:07:06.45\00:07:10.59 He was God accusing Him of blasphemy, 00:07:10.59\00:07:13.93 the seething Jewish leaders wanted 00:07:13.93\00:07:15.96 to stone him for His claims. 00:07:15.96\00:07:18.23 And they eventually schemed 00:07:18.23\00:07:19.80 to have the Lord of Glory crucified. 00:07:19.80\00:07:22.54 Jesus declared He was the Lord, 00:07:22.54\00:07:25.17 the Savior, the Christ, the Messiah, 00:07:25.17\00:07:28.28 the Son of God and the Son of Man. 00:07:28.28\00:07:31.38 In other words Son of Man meant the Lord 00:07:31.38\00:07:34.08 who humbled Himself to become human, 00:07:34.08\00:07:37.09 uniting divinity with humanity forever. 00:07:37.09\00:07:40.86 And the Lord who will return in the future 00:07:40.86\00:07:43.39 on the clouds of heaven with majesty in great power. 00:07:43.39\00:07:47.40 Significantly in Daniel 7:13 and 14 00:07:47.40\00:07:52.47 "God supply the same emphasis of Christ humanity 00:07:52.47\00:07:55.50 in prophetic vision to Daniel, 00:07:55.50\00:07:57.51 who saw one like the Son of Man 00:07:57.51\00:08:00.64 who proceeded from the ancient of days 00:08:00.64\00:08:02.98 and was given universal authority. 00:08:02.98\00:08:05.61 Every Old Testament prophecy of the Messiah 00:08:05.61\00:08:08.62 was fulfilled in Jesus 00:08:08.62\00:08:10.19 and recorded in the New Testament 00:08:10.19\00:08:11.99 historical account of His life. 00:08:11.99\00:08:15.56 If Christ was not who He claimed to be, 00:08:15.56\00:08:19.19 then we must consider Him an unholy liar. 00:08:19.19\00:08:22.70 No one can acknowledge Him as a holy prophet of God 00:08:22.70\00:08:26.43 while denying His claims of deity, 00:08:26.43\00:08:29.17 accept a great parallel of missing God's Grace. 00:08:29.17\00:08:32.74 The Bible portrays not only Christ as God 00:08:32.74\00:08:37.11 but the Holy Spirit 00:08:37.11\00:08:38.91 as the member of the Godhead present at creation. 00:08:38.91\00:08:42.45 And His personhood is denied by some Christian circles, 00:08:42.45\00:08:46.65 who equate His presence to nothing more than 00:08:46.65\00:08:50.79 a force of God's being? 00:08:50.79\00:08:53.40 As one dear soul tried to explain to me. 00:08:53.40\00:08:55.83 She said, oh, spirit can't be a person, 00:08:55.83\00:08:58.87 and I said, well, God is a Spirit, 00:08:58.87\00:09:01.54 that's what John 4:24 says 00:09:01.54\00:09:04.17 "Is that God is the Spirit 00:09:04.17\00:09:05.87 and He certainly is the member of the Godhead. 00:09:05.87\00:09:09.98 Her convoluted reasoning cannot get around that. 00:09:09.98\00:09:13.75 But as for me, I will lit here to the opinion of Jesus Christ, 00:09:13.75\00:09:17.69 who always refer to the Holy Spirit as a person 00:09:17.69\00:09:20.82 and identified Him with the personal pronoun 00:09:20.82\00:09:23.99 he him or his, Christ never call the Holy Spirit and it. 00:09:23.99\00:09:29.63 Peter identified the Holy Spirit is God, 00:09:29.63\00:09:32.30 when he rebuked one of the early Christian Church members 00:09:32.30\00:09:35.97 saying in Acts 5.3 and 4 00:09:35.97\00:09:38.74 "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart 00:09:38.74\00:09:43.01 to lie to the Holy Spirit... 00:09:43.01\00:09:45.25 You have not lied to men but to God." 00:09:45.25\00:09:50.42 You know the scripture is replete with references 00:09:50.42\00:09:55.82 that tell us that 00:09:55.82\00:09:57.23 the Holy Spirit exercises His choice 00:09:57.23\00:10:00.50 and experiences emotion 00:10:00.50\00:10:02.36 and then He possesses the qualities of God. 00:10:02.36\00:10:05.37 The Holy Spirit is identified in scripture 00:10:05.37\00:10:07.94 as being omniscient all knowing, 00:10:07.94\00:10:10.81 omnipresent all present, and omnipotent all powerful. 00:10:10.81\00:10:15.98 And we must remember Christ great commission 00:10:15.98\00:10:19.95 found in Matthew 28:19 and 20, where He said 00:10:19.95\00:10:24.95 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, 00:10:24.95\00:10:29.62 baptizing them in the name not names 00:10:29.62\00:10:32.43 but in the name of the Father 00:10:32.43\00:10:34.46 and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 00:10:34.46\00:10:38.03 teaching them to observe all things 00:10:38.03\00:10:40.80 that I have commanded you." 00:10:40.80\00:10:43.17 This great commission of Christ 00:10:43.17\00:10:45.91 appeals to the complex unity 00:10:45.91\00:10:49.24 of three personal co-eternals sinners of consciousness. 00:10:49.24\00:10:54.42 Scripture reveals the Father, the Son, and the Spirit 00:10:54.42\00:10:59.85 cooperate in perfect harmony. 00:10:59.85\00:11:02.86 Jesus did nothing contrary to His Father's will. 00:11:02.86\00:11:06.33 Whatever the Father did, the Son did in like manner. 00:11:06.33\00:11:09.73 And in reverence for His Father, 00:11:09.73\00:11:12.33 Jesus did not compete with Him 00:11:12.33\00:11:14.74 because of His reverence submission 00:11:14.74\00:11:17.54 the Father exalted Him. 00:11:17.54\00:11:20.08 And in like manner the Holy Spirit 00:11:20.08\00:11:22.38 does not compete with Jesus, 00:11:22.38\00:11:24.58 but does everything to bring Christ to glory, 00:11:24.58\00:11:28.62 the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 00:11:28.62\00:11:32.39 The Bible clearly defines a distinction of three persons 00:11:32.39\00:11:36.36 but in essences of oneness. 00:11:36.36\00:11:38.73 Now man labels this concept, the trinity... 00:11:38.73\00:11:42.43 How are we to understand this and explain it? 00:11:42.43\00:11:45.90 Its not as difficult as I have thought 00:11:45.90\00:11:48.54 before God led me in this study. 00:11:48.54\00:11:51.01 Here is my conclusion "The Father, the Son, 00:11:51.01\00:11:55.71 and The Spirit are one in purpose thought and action." 00:11:55.71\00:12:01.72 This study not only helped me to understand, 00:12:01.72\00:12:05.92 how the three can be one 00:12:05.92\00:12:08.09 but also pointed to a powerful truth. 00:12:08.09\00:12:11.23 Perfect unity leaves no room 00:12:11.23\00:12:13.96 for separate plans among the Godhead. 00:12:13.96\00:12:16.16 All though they are coequal, their actions illustrate 00:12:16.16\00:12:20.44 a chain of command so to speak. 00:12:20.44\00:12:23.47 The Spirit glorifies the Son, the Son glorifies the Father. 00:12:23.47\00:12:28.88 And for this the all loving Father exalts Him 00:12:28.88\00:12:32.38 and gives Him authority. 00:12:32.38\00:12:34.25 This God ordained system applies to our lives as well. 00:12:34.25\00:12:39.19 We are called to humble ourselves 00:12:39.19\00:12:41.99 and glorify God in our actions. 00:12:41.99\00:12:44.83 When we do, He exalts us and gives us authority 00:12:44.83\00:12:49.16 as we tap into God's supply of grace and are born again, 00:12:49.16\00:12:54.04 God joins us to Him and the new creature we become 00:12:54.04\00:12:58.21 as Paul proclaimed is one spirit with Him. 00:12:58.21\00:13:02.71 By God's design in our faith we grow in grace 00:13:02.71\00:13:07.68 and become one in thought purpose and action with Him, 00:13:07.68\00:13:11.59 living out God's perfect plan for our lives. 00:13:11.59\00:13:15.86 This unity squelches any of our plans 00:13:15.86\00:13:19.59 that are separate from His will. 00:13:19.59\00:13:22.83 It is your destiny to develop the same character of Jesus. 00:13:22.83\00:13:27.84 Did you know that, that it is written 00:13:27.84\00:13:29.34 in the Bible in Romans 8:29 it says 00:13:29.34\00:13:33.11 "For whom He speaking of God foreknew, 00:13:33.11\00:13:36.81 He also predestined to be conformed 00:13:36.81\00:13:40.78 to the image of His Son, 00:13:40.78\00:13:43.15 that He might be the firstborn among many brethren." 00:13:43.15\00:13:47.89 That's your God given destiny. 00:13:47.89\00:13:49.96 God knew of the sin struggle humanity would face 00:13:49.96\00:13:53.36 and before He created our world, 00:13:53.36\00:13:56.00 He designed His glorious Calvary plan 00:13:56.00\00:13:59.47 with only one end in mind 00:13:59.47\00:14:02.24 that all who accept His gift of salvation 00:14:02.24\00:14:05.11 are destined to become like His son. 00:14:05.11\00:14:07.84 If you are a Christian your God given destiny 00:14:07.84\00:14:11.68 is to be like Jesus, 00:14:11.68\00:14:13.65 this good news is that the best part of this 00:14:13.65\00:14:17.65 I should say is that Philippians 1:6 tells us 00:14:17.65\00:14:21.09 that this is a work that God begins, 00:14:21.09\00:14:24.39 sustains and complete in us. 00:14:24.39\00:14:27.50 He achieves it by His grace alone 00:14:27.50\00:14:31.27 which we will consider in greater depth 00:14:31.27\00:14:33.54 in upcoming programs. 00:14:33.54\00:14:35.47 Jesus reveals the secret of obtaining eternal life. 00:14:35.47\00:14:39.77 In John 17:3 and there He says "This is eternal life, 00:14:39.77\00:14:46.08 that they may know you the only true God, 00:14:46.08\00:14:50.39 and Jesus whom you have sent." 00:14:50.39\00:14:54.62 In this verse the word know is a verb 00:14:54.62\00:14:59.03 that conveys the thought of a personal connection, 00:14:59.03\00:15:03.30 a union through an intimate relationship. 00:15:03.30\00:15:06.00 In fact, the Bible uses this verb know to describe 00:15:06.00\00:15:09.70 a relationship between a man and a woman. 00:15:09.70\00:15:12.74 Eternal life is not gained through 00:15:12.74\00:15:16.18 scholarly head knowledge, 00:15:16.18\00:15:18.18 but it is a gift of God's grace for those who know Him 00:15:18.18\00:15:21.85 through heart knowledge 00:15:21.85\00:15:23.32 gained from an intimate personal experience. 00:15:23.32\00:15:28.69 God's greatest desire is that we will cherish 00:15:28.69\00:15:32.13 a close relationship with Him through Christ 00:15:32.13\00:15:35.93 His predetermine plan is to make us one with Him 00:15:35.93\00:15:39.90 in thought purpose and action, that is God's motive for grace. 00:15:39.90\00:15:45.84 The practical impact of grace is to enjoy 00:15:45.84\00:15:49.28 an intimate relationship with God in the spirit of oneness. 00:15:49.28\00:15:54.55 Now I want to share an amazing truth. 00:15:54.55\00:15:56.99 You've probably heard the saying that 00:15:56.99\00:15:59.69 a picture is worth a thousand words, 00:15:59.69\00:16:02.06 well, who can argue against the truth of this saying. 00:16:02.06\00:16:05.83 It is equally true however that words 00:16:05.83\00:16:08.96 can paint pictures in our mind 00:16:08.96\00:16:11.53 that evoke strong emotional responses. 00:16:11.53\00:16:15.14 The word yoke for example often creates a picture of hardship, 00:16:15.14\00:16:20.24 one mental image created by this word is wooden collar 00:16:20.24\00:16:24.85 like instrument that harnesses 00:16:24.85\00:16:27.18 two oxen or two horses together 00:16:27.18\00:16:29.32 as they pull heavy plough or weighty cart. 00:16:29.32\00:16:32.99 Well, we might recognize the wooden frame helps 00:16:32.99\00:16:35.39 support creatures share this heavy burden, 00:16:35.39\00:16:39.39 it is still something nonetheless 00:16:39.39\00:16:42.00 that we are left with the impression of hard labor. 00:16:42.00\00:16:45.67 Another picture the word yoke might bring to mind 00:16:45.67\00:16:48.87 is that of a slave within iron collar around his neck 00:16:48.87\00:16:52.41 being transported to market. 00:16:52.41\00:16:54.64 Let's look at the words of our loving Savior now. 00:16:54.64\00:16:58.38 In Matthew 11:28 through 30, and Jesus says 00:16:58.38\00:17:03.89 "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, 00:17:03.89\00:17:08.26 and I will give you rest. 00:17:08.26\00:17:10.89 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, 00:17:10.89\00:17:15.66 for I am gentle and lowly in heart, 00:17:15.66\00:17:19.07 and you will find rest for your souls. 00:17:19.07\00:17:22.17 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." 00:17:22.17\00:17:28.38 Why would the master of grace 00:17:28.38\00:17:31.85 want to place the yoke upon our shoulders? 00:17:31.85\00:17:35.18 Well, to take Christ yoke is to become subject to Him 00:17:35.18\00:17:39.62 as our Lord and to live under His authority. 00:17:39.62\00:17:43.02 Do we view this invitation as a burden of drudgery, 00:17:43.02\00:17:47.76 I mean who yearns to be yoked anyway. 00:17:47.76\00:17:51.50 The truth is all of humanity lives 00:17:51.50\00:17:55.14 under one yoke of subjection or another. 00:17:55.14\00:17:58.57 I want to share another scripture with you. 00:17:58.57\00:18:00.28 This is Romans 6:6, Paul writes 00:18:00.28\00:18:03.18 "Do you not known that to whom you present yourselves 00:18:03.18\00:18:06.68 slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, 00:18:06.68\00:18:13.02 whether of sin leading to death, 00:18:13.02\00:18:16.29 or of obedience leading to righteousness?" 00:18:16.29\00:18:20.93 We see here that two conditions are identified in this verse. 00:18:20.93\00:18:24.47 We are either subjects of Christ held captive 00:18:24.47\00:18:27.74 to His love and His obedience 00:18:27.74\00:18:31.27 or we are subjects to Satan and thereby slaves of disobedience. 00:18:31.27\00:18:36.64 Either God is our spiritual Father or the devil is. 00:18:36.64\00:18:41.92 It is written in John 8:31 that 00:18:41.92\00:18:45.29 "Whoever commits sin is a slave of sin." 00:18:45.29\00:18:49.12 These are the words of Christ and He says sin and slaves, 00:18:49.12\00:18:54.56 before we're born again we are unspiritual creatures 00:18:54.56\00:18:58.97 sold under its control and ensnared by an evil taskmaster. 00:18:58.97\00:19:06.07 Satan hangs his yoke of bondage around the neck 00:19:06.07\00:19:10.38 of fallen humanity and presenting himself 00:19:10.38\00:19:13.55 as an angel of light. 00:19:13.55\00:19:15.42 Satan strategy is to tempt us with sin 00:19:15.42\00:19:18.89 and to steal our chance of the saving relationship 00:19:18.89\00:19:21.89 with the Lord Jesus Christ. 00:19:21.89\00:19:23.93 The pleasures that He offers are fleeting 00:19:23.93\00:19:27.30 and his burdens become difficult to bear. 00:19:27.30\00:19:30.20 The devil proves to be a driving taskmaster. 00:19:30.20\00:19:34.60 When we're lashed repeatedly by his cracking whip 00:19:34.60\00:19:37.74 and groaning under the weight of sin, 00:19:37.74\00:19:40.28 the weary soul is rubbed raw by his rough yoke. 00:19:40.28\00:19:45.88 But what I want to do is go back 00:19:45.88\00:19:48.05 and unpack the scripture of Matthew 11:28 through 30, 00:19:48.05\00:19:53.82 where Jesus said, "Come to Me, 00:19:53.82\00:19:56.96 all you who labor and are heavy laden, 00:19:56.96\00:20:01.76 and I will give you rest." 00:20:01.76\00:20:04.27 You know the call of Christ is sweat music 00:20:04.27\00:20:07.27 to our fainting heart. 00:20:07.27\00:20:08.94 If we accept His invitation, 00:20:08.94\00:20:11.41 He will set us free from the charcoaled of sin, 00:20:11.41\00:20:15.74 cutting away the cords of the wicked that bind us. 00:20:15.74\00:20:18.55 He will destroy the works of the devil. 00:20:18.55\00:20:21.12 We can caste the weight of our cares 00:20:21.12\00:20:23.65 upon the one who cares for us. 00:20:23.65\00:20:26.32 Now in Matthew 11 and verse, well this in Matthew 11 00:20:26.32\00:20:32.49 He continues by saying "I am gentle and lowly in heart, 00:20:32.49\00:20:37.07 and you will find rest for your souls." 00:20:37.07\00:20:40.94 They are wounded and weary people around the world 00:20:40.94\00:20:44.97 outside the church and within, 00:20:44.97\00:20:47.24 who seek rest for their souls. 00:20:47.24\00:20:49.44 Only the Son of God, who humbled Himself to die 00:20:49.44\00:20:52.91 on a cross as our substitute can provide that rest. 00:20:52.91\00:20:56.99 The one who emptied Himself to take on the attributes of man 00:20:56.99\00:21:00.86 and become the Son of Man was made like us in all ways 00:21:00.86\00:21:05.69 that He might sympathize with our weaknesses. 00:21:05.69\00:21:08.86 He knows what it is to suffer temptation. 00:21:08.86\00:21:12.23 Christ is more than able to come to our aid, 00:21:12.23\00:21:14.74 because He never succumbed to sin, 00:21:14.74\00:21:18.47 but He gained victory over it 00:21:18.47\00:21:20.68 through His complete dependence upon the Father. 00:21:20.68\00:21:24.88 And at the cross our Savior exposed Satan 00:21:24.88\00:21:28.78 for who he is and he made a public spectacle 00:21:28.78\00:21:32.49 of him disarming his power at the resurrection. 00:21:32.49\00:21:36.89 He gained victory over death. 00:21:36.89\00:21:39.66 Only Christ can refresh your heart restoring the rhythm 00:21:39.66\00:21:45.80 to be as one with God and give you rest. 00:21:45.80\00:21:51.71 In Matthew 11:29 Jesus continues and He says 00:21:51.71\00:21:58.95 "Take My yoke upon you and learn for me, 00:21:58.95\00:22:02.75 for My yoke is easy and My burden is light." 00:22:02.75\00:22:07.12 Why would we not cheerfully submit to exchange 00:22:07.12\00:22:10.26 the harsh yoke of Satan for the pleasant yoke of Christ? 00:22:10.26\00:22:15.00 The Lord's gracious yoke is lined with layer 00:22:15.00\00:22:18.53 upon layer of divine love. 00:22:18.53\00:22:20.57 We don't need to be concerned about yielding to it. 00:22:20.57\00:22:24.44 Jesus is a gentle master. 00:22:24.44\00:22:26.61 He knows our capabilities and He knows our limitations 00:22:26.61\00:22:30.21 as He teaches us to live under His leadership, 00:22:30.21\00:22:34.35 His guiding love gives us direction in life. 00:22:34.35\00:22:37.15 He shares in our burdens and leads us to enter His rest, 00:22:37.15\00:22:41.62 which is nothing, nothing less than 00:22:41.62\00:22:44.69 total dependence upon God. 00:22:44.69\00:22:47.66 Here's the exciting news, Christ appealed to be yoked 00:22:47.66\00:22:51.30 with Him is an invitation to be partnered with His power 00:22:51.30\00:22:56.87 and as we walk through life 00:22:56.87\00:22:59.04 connected side-by-side with our sympathetic Savior. 00:22:59.04\00:23:02.58 He supplies our every need by infusing us 00:23:02.58\00:23:06.21 with His inexhaustible all sufficient grace. 00:23:06.21\00:23:10.05 Yoke together with Christ, 00:23:10.05\00:23:11.45 He perfects His power in our weakness. 00:23:11.45\00:23:14.36 The Apostle Paul learned this supreme lesson 00:23:14.36\00:23:17.29 as he prayed for the release from an affliction 00:23:17.29\00:23:20.96 and answer of Christ promise created an astounding reaction 00:23:20.96\00:23:25.47 from Paul recorded in 2 Corinthians 12:9. 00:23:25.47\00:23:29.80 And Paul says "He said to me, 00:23:29.80\00:23:32.41 "My grace is sufficient for you, 00:23:32.41\00:23:34.41 for My strength is made perfect in weakness." 00:23:34.41\00:23:38.48 Now listen to Paul's response 00:23:38.48\00:23:39.95 "Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, 00:23:39.95\00:23:45.55 that the power of Christ may rest upon me." 00:23:45.55\00:23:50.76 Paul didn't receive the answer He was looking for, 00:23:50.76\00:23:54.36 but He wasn't left disappointed. 00:23:54.36\00:23:56.46 Christ had something greater in mind than a quick fix, 00:23:56.46\00:24:00.64 He gave Paul the grace to endure his infliction 00:24:00.64\00:24:04.51 showing him the way to greater spiritual power. 00:24:04.51\00:24:08.14 And Paul's weakness open the way of God's strength, 00:24:08.14\00:24:12.35 the weaker he became the less he relied on self, 00:24:12.35\00:24:16.65 the greater God's power increased, 00:24:16.65\00:24:19.65 so practically gushing from the experience 00:24:19.65\00:24:22.89 that accompanied this inside. 00:24:22.89\00:24:24.86 Paul joyfully concludes in verse 10. 00:24:24.86\00:24:27.96 He says, "When I'm weak then I am strong." 00:24:27.96\00:24:32.80 Now why do we have such difficulty 00:24:32.80\00:24:35.94 in learning this lesson? 00:24:35.94\00:24:37.61 Could it be because the world praises us 00:24:37.61\00:24:40.88 for our ability to be strong and self-sufficient 00:24:40.88\00:24:44.58 after all our training from birth to the time 00:24:44.58\00:24:48.88 that we grow up is to teach us 00:24:48.88\00:24:51.45 to live independently as adults. 00:24:51.45\00:24:54.09 It is counterintuitive and humbling for an adult 00:24:54.09\00:24:58.13 to learn dependence on God. 00:24:58.13\00:25:01.00 All though difficult for us to comprehend His ways 00:25:01.00\00:25:04.47 and His thoughts are higher than ours 00:25:04.47\00:25:06.97 and abiding grace results only as we enter 00:25:06.97\00:25:10.87 into His perfect plan of total dependence upon Him. 00:25:10.87\00:25:16.88 In Luke 18:17 Jesus said, 00:25:16.88\00:25:21.25 "Assuredly I say to you, whoever does not receive 00:25:21.25\00:25:25.85 the kingdom of God as a little child 00:25:25.85\00:25:28.76 will by no means enter in." 00:25:28.76\00:25:31.96 Child like faith, child like dependence, 00:25:31.96\00:25:36.20 this is how we enter His rest. 00:25:36.20\00:25:38.80 When this precious truth opens our eyes, 00:25:38.80\00:25:41.97 security settles into our hearts and faith soars. 00:25:41.97\00:25:46.04 The Apostle Paul learned to live 00:25:46.04\00:25:48.18 in the daily miracle of Christ's supernatural power, 00:25:48.18\00:25:52.51 this divine assistance of Christ. 00:25:52.51\00:25:56.12 And writing to the church at Philippi, 00:25:56.12\00:25:59.35 He said in Philippians 4:13 00:25:59.35\00:26:02.62 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." 00:26:02.62\00:26:09.06 We find true strength only as we allow Christ to empower us. 00:26:09.06\00:26:14.57 When He infuses His sufficiency in us, 00:26:14.57\00:26:18.11 we can do everything that He has planned for us. 00:26:18.11\00:26:21.24 God will indeed cause us to be all that He has called us to be 00:26:21.24\00:26:25.58 and as we are yoked with Christ, 00:26:25.58\00:26:28.12 we have His divine assistance to keep the commandments of God. 00:26:28.12\00:26:32.25 You know, Jesus clearly tells us in John 15:5 00:26:32.25\00:26:35.09 that apart from Him we can do nothing, 00:26:35.09\00:26:38.29 nothing of eternal consequences. 00:26:38.29\00:26:40.76 But listen to this beautiful promise from Isaiah 40:31. 00:26:40.76\00:26:45.57 It says, "Those who wait for the Lord shall change 00:26:45.57\00:26:49.20 and renew their strength and power, 00:26:49.20\00:26:51.47 they shall lift their wings and mount up as eagles, 00:26:51.47\00:26:55.94 they shall run and not be weary, 00:26:55.94\00:26:58.91 they shall walk and not faint." 00:26:58.91\00:27:02.75 Look to the Lord for your salvation. 00:27:02.75\00:27:06.35 Divine love will create a bond to keep you living 00:27:06.35\00:27:11.23 in the reality of relationship with Him. 00:27:11.23\00:27:14.56 He will exchange His power for your weakness. 00:27:14.56\00:27:19.77 And in submission to His yoke, 00:27:19.77\00:27:22.60 the liberating joy of dependence upon God 00:27:22.60\00:27:26.54 and the strength of divine grace will be yours. 00:27:26.54\00:27:30.81 Indeed, you will be yoked with Him 00:27:30.81\00:27:35.28 and He's carrying the balance of the load, 00:27:35.28\00:27:38.62 you will be partnered with His power. 00:27:38.62\00:27:41.86 Well, we hope that you have enjoyed our thoughts today. 00:27:41.86\00:27:44.99 And that you will join us on our next program, 00:27:44.99\00:27:48.33 where we're going to be talking about 00:27:48.33\00:27:50.17 how the lives of two robbers 00:27:50.17\00:27:52.57 showed an incredible snapshot of grace. 00:27:52.57\00:27:56.07 Growing grace and the knowledge of our Lord until next time. 00:27:56.07\00:28:00.04