Hello, friends.
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Grab your Bible and a friend
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and sit back as we
explore God's word together
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on this edition
of "House Calls."
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Hello and welcome to another
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"House Calls"
program as you can tell.
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You've made the
call we're in the house.
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So thank you, for
choosing to join us today.
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That's a new
word, I say it's catchy.
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I've never done that you made
the call we're in the house,
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"House Calls."
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We don't come to your house,
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thank you for
coming to our house.
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And for the next hour
or so we're gonna sit down
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and discuses the Bible something
we absolutely love to do.
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It's a book that never runs
out of things to talk about.
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And I have my good
friend John here today.
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Good to have you here, John.
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It's great to be
here, looking forward to it.
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You know, you went ahead and
moved to the upper north-west
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to the Upper Columbia Conference
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and here you left
me in the shoe string,
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small part of the
mid-west that's okay, its okay.
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I'm not upset. It's all good.
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I love to say. But
I'm glad that you're here.
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You know, we
started out years ago
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in Northern California
Conference together at Fairfield
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and here we are
sitting down enjoying something
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that we dreamed of doing
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and that of sharing
the Bible with the world.
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And that's a pleasure to
have you as my right-hand God.
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You know, I didn't tell you this
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but the reason why we like
doing this program together
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is we think so much
alike but he is actually--
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Same way going.
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Ain't that right? Mm-hmm.
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And we--God has
unified our minds together.
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Anyway so much for
all of that introduction.
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Thank you for
tuning and get your Bibles,
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get your friends, get
your family and your pens.
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No specific order.
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You're using that
last few times too
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like you almost have like a
little talk rap there going on.
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Yes, really working now
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and get ready for an
exciting program on God's word.
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But before we do anything,
you know, we like to pray.
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I always pray off the air
just in case you're wondering
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and I'll let John pray on here.
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So John, let's
have a prayer to God.
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Happy to do it.
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"Father, again we come before
Your throne and ask for grace.
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Grace and strength to open
Your word and rightly divided it
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that truth that
You've given to us,
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so precious and so
dear to each one of us.
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And so we thank You
Lord, for this great blessing
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and we pray that
You'd attend our ways.
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We look into this
special topic of unity
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and what Your
desires for Your church today
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and answer all the
questions that we have to.
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So Lord, we thank You
for all, in Jesus name, amen.
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Amen, amen.
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Now normally John
begins the questions.
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But since I have two
questions I'm gonna go ahead
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and start with
the question today.
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I have been the
handler of the snail mail.
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We got a question
from Denise in McAdoo, PA.
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I have never heard of McAdoo,
it's probably not a huge city
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but if it is
forgive me for saying
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that you're not a big
city, McAdoo, this person says,
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"I became a Seventh-day
Adventist two years ago,
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I was a Catholic for 55 years.
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I was brought to
the truth through
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Kenneth Cox Ministries on 3ABN."
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Praise the Lord for the work
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that God is doing
through Pastor Kenneth Cox.
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He's been an
evangelist for oh, 40, 50 years,
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always on the cutting
edge, praise God for that.
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"I could not have believed
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I would have changed
my faith a few years ago.
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However Christ is so generous
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with the truth
that I was praying for."
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And that's so wonderful.
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You know, when you
pray for the truth,
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God never stops
guiding and leading.
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And I'm so glad
that this person wrote it
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because I want to say this.
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It fits right into our topic.
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In some degree God is
looking for the--to unify us
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but not so much on
the bases of things
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that we'd like in common
but the truth of God's word.
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We're gonna talk about that more
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in the second
half of the program.
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But here is where
the question comes in.
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"Your program
'House Calls' is excellent
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and so helpful in
teaching the Bible.
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I watch all the time and
learn so much through it.
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As you always
say on the program--"
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And I just want to
say this in the context,
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there's some faith that
don't read the Bible very much
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and my family
being 90% plus Catholic,
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they don't spend a lot of
time in reading the Bible.
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So lot of what has been
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communicated has
been traditional.
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And so this person
after studying the Bible
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decided to change her faith.
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"The reason I'm writing--"
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And here is the question,
good getting right down to it.
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"I would like to ask a question.
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When God created man was
it being only one family,
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how did God populate the earth?"
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Well, let's go to
the Book of Genesis.
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I'm gonna go and lean forth
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because I just
had a-- and go ahead,
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go with me to Genesis Chapter 2.
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It's a very simple answer.
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You had Adam and
you also had Eve,
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one man, one woman,
when God made them both,
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He gave them a commission
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and the commission was very,
very carefully communicated.
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He said to them, "Multiply
and replenish the earth."
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So when they multiplied
they both man and woman,
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they are the
progenitors of humanity.
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Only one man, one woman
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and as the races
began to multiply
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then in and amongst
those, in and amongst those
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that began to multiply
the families came out of that.
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That had to be
God's original plan
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for there was no one else
any other location on the earth
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waiting for Adam and Eve to
show up to start repopulating
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because there was
more than one family,
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that's clearly the answer.
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I think its Acts
17:26, the Bible says,
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"From one blood
came all nations of men."
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So the clear
answer and I think that
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what needs to be
answered after this is.
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So then why is it that we
no longer intermarry today
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or populate cousin
with cousin, you know,
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family member
with family member.
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As time went on the Lord
established clearly that,
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that was no longer
a part of His plan,
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but you have to clearly
see that when creation began
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there was only-- it's
a pretty simple answer
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there was only
one man and one woman,
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they had son Cain and Abel
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and you'll discover
after Cain killed Abel,
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then you notice that division
began to occur significantly
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because what happened
after Cain killed Able,
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there was only what?
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Cain was the only son left.
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He had children and then
his children had children
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and Adam and Eve
had other children
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doesn't give all the
names of all the family members
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that they had but
that was clearly the way
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that the earth was populated.
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No surprise to us
because that's how God began.
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And we're talking about
centuries of time here going by.
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You know, lot
of people will say,
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"Well, how did Cain,
you know, propagate himself.
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You know, how was there
procreation on his line?"
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Well, Adam and Eve had
many more sons and daughters
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and some of those
daughters did also rebel,
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join Cain's clan and from there,
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there's an entire linage
of Cain that goes from that.
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And so, I mean, the
answer is fairly easy,
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we just have to think
intelligently and understand
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the amount of time it
goes by, it was many centuries.
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And so really right here
in verse 28 of Genesis 1,
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"Then God blessed
them, and God said to them,
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'Be fruitful and multiply,
fill the earth and subdue it,
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have dominion over
the fish of the sea,
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over the birds of the air
and over every living thing
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that moves on the earth.'"
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That was the command that
God made very, very clear.
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Obviously after sin entered
the world that wasn't simple
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because in Genesis
3:16, the Lord said,
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"In sorrow you will
multiply your conception
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I will greatly multiply your
sorrow and your conception."
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So the only
difference was after sin,
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having children was more
painful, before it wasn't.
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But--I think that's a straight
forward answer right there.
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But this person has a second
answer, John or second question
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which I would like to
go to the Book of Exodus.
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Exodus Chapter 20.
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Anything you want to
add to that by the way
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before I segue to
the next question?
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No, they were good. All right.
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Exodus, what? Exodus Chapter 20.
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And putting back--putting
this back into the context
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of the question
that's being asked by Denise.
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Remember she came
out of the Catholic faith
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and I know
traditionally they are relics
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that are so much
part of the worship
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of the imagery
worship in the Catholic faith.
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Now, people
don't-- and I want to,
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and I want to try to
be very delicate here
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take into consideration
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many of my family
members are Catholic
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and I love them dearly.
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I think people are
wonderful regardless
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of what faith they choose
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understanding also the
tenets of each person's faith
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that is traditionally some
are more driven by tradition,
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others are more driven by
what the Bible actually says.
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And in some
place they try to mix
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tradition and
scripture together, right.
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But in the context of
tradition there are those
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who in the
chanting of their prayers
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or in the
repeating of their prayers,
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they would say
this in the crucifix
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that is often
used either the cross
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which is referred
to the crucifixion
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or the rosary which has
the crucifix at the end of it.
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Their prayers that are repeated
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and then every ten
beats then you have one more
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that different prayers said.
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And this person
asked the question
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in the context of
the use of the crucifix.
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"I understand
\that the statement--
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that the statues and images are
against the Ten Commandments,
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however is it also forbidden
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to have a cross or
crucifix in my home?"
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Now, I would say
that the image itself
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is not an offensive image.
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The image itself
doesn't make you saved or lost
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but here is where the
dividing line comes in.
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In Exodus Chapter 20,
when the Lords says in verse 4,
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"You shall not make for
yourself any carved image,
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or any likeness of anything
that is in heaven above,
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or that is in the earth beneath,
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or that is in the
water under the earth."
00:11:18.61\00:11:21.31
And here is
where the difference,
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here is where the
dividing line comes in.
00:11:22.74\00:11:24.43
And read verse 5, John,
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just so we could give
a different tone of voice
00:11:25.86\00:11:28.28
and may be that could...
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"You shall not bow
down to them or serve them,
00:11:30.47\00:11:33.15
for I the Lord your
God, I am a jealous God,
00:11:33.18\00:11:37.74
visiting the iniquity of
the fathers upon the children
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to the third and
the fourth generation
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of those who hate me."
00:11:41.90\00:11:43.27
Okay, so here is the key.
00:11:43.30\00:11:45.05
I know that in the practice
and I have seen this happen
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and I'm gonna be very vague,
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in the church
where my family attends.
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When they climb
the steps to the church
00:11:54.58\00:11:56.20
some people as they
get to the image of Mary
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right at the entrance
of the church they bow down
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and they do sign of the cross
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and then they--I think
the phrase the word genuflect,
00:12:02.63\00:12:06.61
we call it bow down but there
is a certain terminology used
00:12:06.64\00:12:10.79
and they do the sign of
the cross and then they go in.
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And that is taught traditionally
that that is the way
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that they revere these images.
00:12:16.60\00:12:19.85
But specifically they are not
worshiping the wood and stone
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but they are
worshiping what that represents.
00:12:22.34\00:12:24.35
So they say, they believe
in the--that Mary still exists
00:12:24.38\00:12:28.08
and that she's somehow involved
in the mediatory work of Christ.
00:12:28.11\00:12:31.80
So they pray "Holy
Mary, Mother of God,
00:12:31.83\00:12:34.12
pray for sinners now and
at the hour of their death."
00:12:34.15\00:12:37.58
Well, according to the Bible
and this opens so many doors,
00:12:37.61\00:12:41.10
John, really does.
00:12:41.13\00:12:42.50
According to the Bible,
00:12:42.53\00:12:43.90
Mary though chosen by
God is not a mediator.
00:12:43.93\00:12:49.01
There's only one
Man between us and God
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and that is the
Man Christ Jesus.
00:12:52.87\00:12:54.33
There's only on
mediator between God and man
00:12:54.36\00:12:56.98
and that is the
Man Christ Jesus.
00:12:57.01\00:12:59.14
And there is no
other name given among men
00:12:59.17\00:13:01.25
whereby we must be
saved then the name of Jesus.
00:13:01.28\00:13:05.00
He shall save His
people from their sins.
00:13:05.03\00:13:07.29
So there is nobody else
that is between us and God,
00:13:07.32\00:13:11.07
not Saint Peter,
not Luke, not Thomas,
00:13:11.10\00:13:15.81
none of these are to
be mediatorially involved
00:13:15.84\00:13:20.10
in the work between
us and God, only Christ.
00:13:20.13\00:13:23.35
So in that context the crucifix
00:13:23.38\00:13:27.25
being an image
of representation,
00:13:27.28\00:13:30.66
if you can have that in
your home and not worship it,
00:13:30.69\00:13:34.07
I don't see that the
having of that image in fact
00:13:34.10\00:13:36.47
will cause there to be
any kind of condemnation.
00:13:36.50\00:13:40.72
But I would caution carefully,
when you have images of statues
00:13:40.75\00:13:45.42
that have eyes,
but they can't see,
00:13:45.45\00:13:47.12
hands but they can't
touch, ears but cannot hear.
00:13:47.15\00:13:49.48
The Bible specifically
forbids that kind of thing,
00:13:49.51\00:13:52.58
it really does not to
make any graven images
00:13:52.61\00:13:55.93
and to have any representations
of anything in heaven above
00:13:55.96\00:13:58.76
or that is in earth beneath.
00:13:58.79\00:14:00.38
So let's be very careful.
00:14:00.41\00:14:01.78
There's a very fine line there
00:14:01.81\00:14:03.42
but I think it's
even more delicate
00:14:03.45\00:14:04.82
when the religion that this
person has had most of her life
00:14:04.85\00:14:09.14
included this forms in worship.
00:14:09.17\00:14:11.33
And, you know, she is
a fairly new Adventist
00:14:11.36\00:14:15.34
and there is also
going to be some implications
00:14:15.37\00:14:20.63
here with regard
to your fellowshipping
00:14:20.66\00:14:22.69
with your church family
now, your new church family
00:14:22.72\00:14:25.50
and you want to be cognizant of,
00:14:25.53\00:14:27.42
of their ideas as far as this
crucifix and another things too.
00:14:27.45\00:14:32.06
So you want to be
careful where you place it,
00:14:32.09\00:14:35.10
how you keep it and
especially some will object
00:14:35.13\00:14:37.57
because it's mere fact that it
was for the purpose of worship
00:14:37.60\00:14:40.40
before and because it
was made as a graven image
00:14:40.43\00:14:44.09
I would be very careful in,
00:14:44.12\00:14:46.02
in allowing it to
continue to remain in place
00:14:46.05\00:14:49.06
where it could look like it
was still in a place of worship
00:14:49.09\00:14:53.35
and so you need to
be little careful there.
00:14:53.38\00:14:55.87
One of the specific councils
from the word of God is,
00:14:55.90\00:14:58.81
"Do not be the stumbling
block in your brother's way."
00:14:58.84\00:15:02.24
It could become a stumbling
block to your growing in faith
00:15:02.27\00:15:06.10
and your bonding
with your new family
00:15:06.13\00:15:07.74
if they think there're
some still some Catholic roots
00:15:07.77\00:15:09.86
held on to there with
regard to the worship.
00:15:09.89\00:15:12.53
And I don't think
you're saying that
00:15:12.56\00:15:13.93
and I don't think that
Denise is saying it all.
00:15:13.96\00:15:16.04
But at least just be aware
of how it might be perceived
00:15:16.07\00:15:19.67
and then, you know,
respond accordingly.
00:15:19.70\00:15:23.86
So I would not personally,
00:15:23.89\00:15:28.44
I would not keep a
statue of Mary in my house
00:15:28.47\00:15:31.39
because Mary's not to be even
thought of as rev being revered.
00:15:31.42\00:15:37.86
The little images
of Thomas, I know,
00:15:37.89\00:15:40.53
I can't remember
all the meanings of them
00:15:40.56\00:15:42.24
but some people
driving their car
00:15:42.27\00:15:43.87
and they have a little plastic
statue on their dashboard
00:15:43.90\00:15:47.09
and they say well, this
is a saint that protects me.
00:15:47.12\00:15:51.19
This is the saint of protection.
00:15:51.22\00:15:53.44
That's not
supported by the Bible at all.
00:15:53.47\00:15:55.26
That in fact is a
violation of the commandment
00:15:55.29\00:16:00.20
where it says, "Thou shall
have no other Gods before me."
00:16:00.23\00:16:03.78
That's right, that's
right. What do you have, John?
00:16:03.81\00:16:06.00
I have a question that
comes from Ron from Phoenix.
00:16:06.03\00:16:10.43
And he says here let's see,
00:16:10.46\00:16:14.80
being sealed by the Holy Spirit
is a spiritual transaction
00:16:14.83\00:16:19.44
done outside of
ourselves and not of ourselves.
00:16:19.47\00:16:22.51
And it is a quote from him
and a very appropriate quote
00:16:22.54\00:16:25.84
because
spiritually, we are sealed
00:16:25.87\00:16:28.23
not being
anything that we can do
00:16:28.26\00:16:29.86
but the Holy
Spirit is who seals us.
00:16:29.89\00:16:33.39
We are then or are
we then, excuse me,
00:16:33.42\00:16:35.44
capable of doing
something in the physical life
00:16:35.47\00:16:37.83
in and of ourselves
to unseal ourselves?
00:16:37.86\00:16:42.35
This seems to be an
impossibility, is it?
00:16:42.38\00:16:47.12
And so anyway just
wanted to look at a few texts
00:16:47.15\00:16:50.48
here with you
in regards to this,
00:16:50.51\00:16:52.98
the verse that
was brought up here
00:16:53.01\00:16:56.19
that you
mentioned at the beginning
00:16:56.22\00:16:57.65
I didn't read that
part was from Ephesians 1:13
00:16:57.68\00:17:02.61
and so we'll start with that.
00:17:02.64\00:17:04.31
Ephesians 1:13 which says
00:17:04.34\00:17:09.36
"In Him, you also trusted, after
you heard the word of truth,
00:17:09.39\00:17:13.14
the gospel of your salvation,
in whom also, having believed,
00:17:13.17\00:17:16.83
you were sealed with
the Holy Spirit of promise,
00:17:16.86\00:17:20.58
who is the
guarantee of our inheritance
00:17:20.61\00:17:23.24
until the redemption of
the purchased possession,
00:17:23.27\00:17:26.19
to the praise of His glory."
00:17:26.22\00:17:28.84
And so what we find here is that
00:17:28.87\00:17:32.22
upon accepting Christ as
our Lord and as our Savior,
00:17:32.25\00:17:36.19
there's a process of
once being justified,
00:17:36.22\00:17:39.19
now you're being sanctified,
00:17:39.22\00:17:41.33
set apart for holy use
00:17:41.36\00:17:42.76
and the Holy
Spirit then comes down
00:17:42.79\00:17:45.26
and fills our
lives, fills our heart
00:17:45.29\00:17:47.43
and seals us in so
to speak to the truth
00:17:47.46\00:17:50.66
that we have now
accepted and we now live by
00:17:50.69\00:17:53.31
which has as its
head Jesus Christ,
00:17:53.34\00:17:56.15
not only the head of the church
00:17:56.18\00:17:57.55
but the head of our body
00:17:57.58\00:17:58.95
and the head of our
life, our Master and Lord.
00:17:58.98\00:18:01.36
And so the sealing is a
very individual experience.
00:18:01.39\00:18:07.12
It's something that comes
from God as result or response
00:18:07.15\00:18:10.67
to our declaration of
faith and our commitment to live
00:18:10.70\00:18:12.96
according to Him and
usually follows baptism by water
00:18:12.99\00:18:16.79
which is the
death of the old life
00:18:16.82\00:18:18.32
and the
resurrection of the new life
00:18:18.35\00:18:19.85
we have now in Jesus Christ.
00:18:19.88\00:18:23.29
There are a couple of
things just to talk about here
00:18:23.32\00:18:25.65
and we have some
verses that I'll bring up
00:18:25.68\00:18:28.15
just to mention in
regard to the sealing.
00:18:28.18\00:18:30.77
There's a sealing that happens
individually by the mere fact
00:18:30.80\00:18:33.12
that the Holy Spirit
does come into our life
00:18:33.15\00:18:35.66
and does seal
us in as Christians
00:18:35.69\00:18:37.91
committed and faithful to God.
00:18:37.94\00:18:40.51
But there's a greater sealing
00:18:40.54\00:18:41.91
that happens in the
context of prophecy.
00:18:41.94\00:18:44.41
In that--the Book
of Revelation indicates
00:18:44.44\00:18:46.63
that at the very end of time,
00:18:46.66\00:18:48.69
as we find a
polarization of two camps,
00:18:48.72\00:18:53.00
one that worships God
and it's faithful to Him
00:18:53.03\00:18:55.72
and one that worships the
enemy and is unfaithful to God.
00:18:55.75\00:18:59.64
And included within that camp
00:18:59.67\00:19:01.43
are fairly
pretty much two groups,
00:19:01.46\00:19:03.59
one that believes
they're still worshiping God
00:19:03.62\00:19:06.21
and those that
never really claimed God
00:19:06.24\00:19:08.24
but are going along
for the ride essentially,
00:19:08.27\00:19:11.05
for the last events that
happen in this world's history.
00:19:11.08\00:19:14.29
Those that are committed to God
and faithful to God are sealed
00:19:14.32\00:19:18.41
with a greatest sealing
of settling us into truth.
00:19:18.44\00:19:23.29
Sealing us and to
protect us from anything
00:19:23.32\00:19:25.90
that would happen
during persecution
00:19:25.93\00:19:28.06
from the certain point on.
00:19:28.09\00:19:29.72
So while we are sealed in our
life as committed Christians,
00:19:29.75\00:19:33.65
we're also to a
greater degree sealed
00:19:33.68\00:19:35.81
in for this last
great time of persecution,
00:19:35.84\00:19:40.19
the time as such as never been
mentioned in the Book of Daniel,
00:19:40.22\00:19:43.61
mentioned by Christ
Himself, which is soon to come,
00:19:43.64\00:19:46.32
the time of tribulation
that ends all things.
00:19:46.35\00:19:49.51
And so with that sealing, I just
want you to see in that context,
00:19:49.54\00:19:53.96
Revelation Chapter 7
which describes that sealing,
00:19:53.99\00:19:57.29
an end time sealing.
00:19:57.32\00:19:59.29
Revelation 7:2, "Then I
saw another angel ascending
00:19:59.32\00:20:03.64
from the east, having
the seal of the living God.
00:20:03.67\00:20:07.06
And he cried with a
loud voice to the four angels
00:20:07.09\00:20:09.94
to whom it was granted to harm
the earth and the sea, saying,
00:20:09.97\00:20:12.87
'Do not harm the
earth, the sea, or the trees
00:20:12.90\00:20:15.25
till we have sealed the servants
of our God on their foreheads.'
00:20:15.28\00:20:20.16
And I heard the number
of those who were sealed,
00:20:20.19\00:20:22.32
a hundred and forty-four
thousand of all the tribes
00:20:22.35\00:20:24.83
of the children of
Israel were sealed."
00:20:24.86\00:20:26.23
Of course, there's a
lot of symbology there,
00:20:26.26\00:20:28.07
there's a lot of symbolism
there that is happening
00:20:28.10\00:20:30.72
that we don't
have time to go into.
00:20:30.75\00:20:32.42
But clearly we're
finding a group here,
00:20:32.45\00:20:34.66
as the four winds
are about to be released.
00:20:34.69\00:20:36.61
That is the winds of
strife coming upon this earth
00:20:36.64\00:20:39.12
that are sealed
in by God's Spirit
00:20:39.15\00:20:41.50
to a greater degree
of settling them in,
00:20:41.53\00:20:44.69
securing them into
the faith and the truth,
00:20:44.72\00:20:47.05
so they cannot be moved.
00:20:47.08\00:20:48.98
And so that is to
come, today though
00:20:49.01\00:20:52.98
we're individually
experiencing a sealing
00:20:53.01\00:20:55.44
by God's Spirit
dwelling within us,
00:20:55.47\00:20:57.27
that is growing us as
a sanctified individual
00:20:57.30\00:21:00.61
set aside for the
purpose of glorifying God.
00:21:00.64\00:21:04.11
And there's some
other ones here too,
00:21:04.14\00:21:05.51
we have--I think the
other part of the question here,
00:21:05.54\00:21:08.98
and the main part of
question is there's something
00:21:09.01\00:21:11.35
we can do to unseal ourselves?
00:21:11.38\00:21:13.21
Now, in the context of our
being sealed by the Holy Spirit
00:21:13.24\00:21:16.29
as He grows us spiritually,
00:21:16.32\00:21:18.51
there is
something that can happen
00:21:18.54\00:21:20.48
and I'm gonna bring
up a couple of text here,
00:21:20.51\00:21:22.93
one is from the
Book of Ephesians.
00:21:22.96\00:21:24.87
So let's go back to
that Book of Ephesians 4:30.
00:21:24.90\00:21:32.87
Hey, here we are.
00:21:35.60\00:21:36.97
Which says "Do not
grieve the Holy Spirit of God,
00:21:37.00\00:21:41.95
by whom you were sealed
for the day of redemption."
00:21:41.98\00:21:46.55
Do not grieve, that word
grieve is to push away, to make,
00:21:46.58\00:21:52.81
to make sad enough to depart.
00:21:52.84\00:21:55.63
The grieving is to
push away and to cut off
00:21:55.66\00:21:58.58
the influence of the Holy Spirit
00:21:58.61\00:22:00.31
in his work in our
lives as Christians.
00:22:00.34\00:22:04.67
Paul also spoke of that
in 1 Thessalonians 5:19.
00:22:04.70\00:22:11.69
Do not quench the Holy Spirit.
00:22:11.72\00:22:14.05
So this quenching, this grieving
is something that we do,
00:22:14.08\00:22:17.15
it's a command not to do that.
00:22:17.18\00:22:19.19
And if you read
little further on it,
00:22:19.22\00:22:20.78
essentially what this grieving
is or this quenching is,
00:22:20.81\00:22:24.26
is allowing sin to
come back into the life
00:22:24.29\00:22:28.13
which then with this practice
of sin, grieves the Holy Spirit,
00:22:28.16\00:22:31.36
it crowds the Holy
Spirit out of our life,
00:22:31.39\00:22:33.72
so that we begin to
fall back into the world
00:22:33.75\00:22:36.57
that we had once left
00:22:36.60\00:22:38.06
to commit our life to
Christ, to follow Christ.
00:22:38.09\00:22:41.06
So we have to be sure that
we're not allowing these sins
00:22:41.09\00:22:43.47
that we're very careful to watch
00:22:43.50\00:22:45.25
and to pray and
to read scripture
00:22:45.28\00:22:47.06
and to make sure
that God's growing us
00:22:47.09\00:22:49.13
and feeding
that spiritual nature
00:22:49.16\00:22:51.78
that He's given us
to avoid the Holy Spirit
00:22:51.81\00:22:56.27
grieved by our sin that we
might allow into our life again.
00:22:56.30\00:23:00.61
And, you know, one person said
that one way to crowd out sin
00:23:00.64\00:23:05.31
is to feed the righteousness,
feed the Holy Spirit,
00:23:05.34\00:23:09.67
what He wants to do and what He
wants to bring into your life,
00:23:09.70\00:23:13.25
and one way to
allow sin to come back in
00:23:13.28\00:23:15.31
is to feed the old
nature, the carnal nature.
00:23:15.34\00:23:17.90
What we feed tends
to be the direction
00:23:17.93\00:23:19.87
that we go as Christians.
00:23:19.90\00:23:21.65
And so although
Christ is sealing us
00:23:21.68\00:23:24.39
and does that
through the spirit,
00:23:24.42\00:23:25.79
we can quench or
grieve the Holy Spirit
00:23:25.82\00:23:28.02
and essentially push him out.
00:23:28.05\00:23:29.95
We did it a recent program
on once saved always saved
00:23:29.98\00:23:32.63
and the
different aspects of that.
00:23:32.66\00:23:34.03
And this ties in very
similarly here that we make,
00:23:34.06\00:23:36.64
can make the choice
to allow sin back in
00:23:36.67\00:23:39.89
and to crowd out Christ
00:23:39.92\00:23:41.35
if we're not
careful to make sure
00:23:41.38\00:23:42.75
that we're staying
on that narrow road
00:23:42.78\00:23:44.52
and following Him and the vow
00:23:44.55\00:23:46.94
that we made to
commit our lives to Him.
00:23:46.97\00:23:49.28
When you think of-- and I
think the initial question
00:23:49.31\00:23:52.51
is what can I do to be unsealed?
00:23:52.54\00:23:56.16
So much have
flooded into my mind
00:23:56.19\00:23:58.50
and I give God
the glory for that
00:23:58.53\00:24:00.30
because we don't really
just sit down here and say,
00:24:00.33\00:24:03.90
well, what else do I remember?
00:24:03.93\00:24:05.31
Yeah, exactly. God lead us in.
00:24:05.34\00:24:07.32
When you think of the
days of the antediluvian,
00:24:07.35\00:24:11.54
and if that word
is not familiar with--
00:24:11.57\00:24:13.82
to you that is before the flood.
00:24:13.85\00:24:18.60
The Bible says in Genesis
Chapter 6, go there with me.
00:24:18.63\00:24:23.61
Genesis Chapter 6
and the Bible makes it
00:24:23.64\00:24:29.02
very, very clear in
verse 3, "The Lord says
00:24:29.05\00:24:33.80
'My Spirit shall not
strive with man forever,'"
00:24:33.83\00:24:37.24
or if you have the King James,
00:24:37.27\00:24:39.05
"shall not always strive with
man, for he indeed is flesh,
00:24:39.08\00:24:42.87
yet his days shall be one
hundred and twenty years."
00:24:42.90\00:24:46.69
And it talks about
the condition of the earth
00:24:46.72\00:24:48.80
and it got to the point
where it says in verse 6,
00:24:48.83\00:24:51.82
well, let's read verse 5.
00:24:51.85\00:24:53.52
"Then the Lord saw
that the wickedness of man
00:24:53.55\00:24:56.99
was great in the
earth, and that every intent,
00:24:57.02\00:25:00.79
that is thought, every
intention of the thoughts
00:25:00.82\00:25:04.06
of his heart was
only evil continually."
00:25:04.09\00:25:06.65
Yes, that's
something that you can
00:25:06.68\00:25:08.72
by having
continually evil thoughts,
00:25:08.75\00:25:12.26
the spirit of God will
not always strive with you.
00:25:12.29\00:25:15.88
He won't stay there
00:25:15.91\00:25:17.28
because your thoughts
are only evil continually.
00:25:17.31\00:25:19.07
Just think of that in
the context of an evil,
00:25:19.10\00:25:20.90
a child whose evil
continually, parent will say,
00:25:20.93\00:25:24.37
I don't know what else to do?
00:25:24.40\00:25:25.98
I've done
everything I possibly can,
00:25:26.01\00:25:28.64
I'm just gonna let you
follow your own natural course,
00:25:28.67\00:25:31.96
you do what you want to do
00:25:31.99\00:25:33.74
and whatever happens
is in your responsibility,
00:25:33.77\00:25:38.18
it's in your hands to do that.
00:25:38.21\00:25:39.85
And so you find
here, it got to the place
00:25:39.88\00:25:42.09
where the Bible says
in verse 6 of Genesis 6
00:25:42.12\00:25:44.38
and the Lord was sorry that
He had made man on the earth
00:25:44.41\00:25:48.25
and He was grieved in His heart.
00:25:48.28\00:25:50.64
Now the reason why that came
'cause you mentioned grieve not,
00:25:50.67\00:25:53.74
sometimes we tend to separate
grieving the Holy Spirit
00:25:53.77\00:26:00.66
from grieving God and say,
00:26:00.69\00:26:02.06
as long as we don't
grieve God, we're okay.
00:26:02.09\00:26:05.22
But if we
grieve the Holy Spirit,
00:26:05.25\00:26:06.82
man, we're in trouble.
00:26:06.85\00:26:08.28
I want to point you
to a section of the Bible
00:26:08.31\00:26:11.62
where you'll clearly
see that you're endangered.
00:26:11.65\00:26:14.36
And, John, I don't know,
did you read Matthew 12:31?
00:26:14.39\00:26:17.66
Read Matthew 12:31 and
then I'm gonna go ahead
00:26:17.69\00:26:21.77
and add another
component to that
00:26:21.80\00:26:24.23
in other section of the Bible.
00:26:24.26\00:26:25.88
Remember here, what had happened
in the antediluvian world
00:26:25.91\00:26:28.66
is they grieved God and
because of that he says,
00:26:28.69\00:26:32.60
My Spirit, it's not
always gonna be hanging around,
00:26:32.63\00:26:35.00
My Spirit is not gonna
always appeal to their heart
00:26:35.03\00:26:36.80
because I'm grieved.
00:26:36.83\00:26:38.75
So God was grieved and the work
of the Holy Spirit was hindered.
00:26:38.78\00:26:42.66
So they could by their evil,
continual evil they can grieve
00:26:42.69\00:26:47.27
the Spirit of God by
their continually evil thoughts
00:26:47.30\00:26:50.47
and if you look
at the world today,
00:26:50.50\00:26:51.87
it's kind of
getting into that point.
00:26:51.90\00:26:53.47
In some cases, God
see us already that way
00:26:53.50\00:26:55.41
in some people's lives
but we can't determine.
00:26:55.44\00:26:58.17
Read Matthew 12:31
and this is what I think
00:26:58.20\00:27:00.91
that happened in the
days of the antediluvians
00:27:00.94\00:27:03.35
where God gave them up.
00:27:03.38\00:27:05.76
"Therefore I say to
you, every sin and blasphemy
00:27:05.79\00:27:08.20
will be forgiven
men, but the blasphemy
00:27:08.23\00:27:10.94
against the Spirit
will not be forgiven men.
00:27:10.97\00:27:14.02
Anyone who speaks a
word against the Son of Man,
00:27:14.05\00:27:16.18
it will be forgiven him,
00:27:16.21\00:27:17.84
but whoever speaks
against the Holy Spirit,
00:27:17.87\00:27:20.12
it will not be forgiven him,
00:27:20.15\00:27:21.52
either in this age
or in the age to come."
00:27:21.55\00:27:24.34
And so you see clearly
there is a line of division
00:27:24.37\00:27:28.03
but now go with me
to Acts Chapter 5--
00:27:28.06\00:27:30.84
Well, we do
think alike, don't we?
00:27:30.87\00:27:32.24
Verse 3 and 4.
00:27:32.27\00:27:33.64
I'm gonna let you read
that since you're going there.
00:27:33.67\00:27:35.43
And I'll lay the
foundation for this
00:27:35.46\00:27:37.07
because in this
particular story,
00:27:37.10\00:27:38.57
you have two people Ananias
husband, Sapphira the wife.
00:27:38.60\00:27:43.10
I preached this
sermon many years ago,
00:27:43.13\00:27:45.14
I wish I could
say I was original
00:27:45.17\00:27:46.54
but I got this from
a dear pastor of mine
00:27:46.57\00:27:48.13
who is now
deceased, it was called
00:27:48.16\00:27:49.65
heart attacks in holy
places and Pastor Leroy McCarty,
00:27:49.68\00:27:55.72
who is now resting in the Lord
00:27:55.75\00:27:58.88
preached that sermon
and I was so fired up
00:27:58.91\00:28:00.53
as a young man
when I heard that.
00:28:00.56\00:28:02.61
It came back to my mind
years later and it was amazing.
00:28:02.64\00:28:05.40
But look at the
content of these verses,
00:28:05.43\00:28:09.11
verses 3 and verse 4
00:28:09.14\00:28:10.80
and you'll see
how we cannot say,
00:28:10.83\00:28:13.00
well, I can't--we
can't come to the conclusion
00:28:13.03\00:28:17.69
that if I grieve God, I'm saved
00:28:17.72\00:28:20.69
but if I grieve the
Holy Spirit, I'm in trouble.
00:28:20.72\00:28:24.26
Read this, John, Acts 5:3-4.
00:28:24.29\00:28:27.13
"But Peter said, 'Ananias,
00:28:27.16\00:28:29.26
why has Satan filled your
heart to lie to the Holy Spirit
00:28:29.29\00:28:32.75
and keep back a part of the
price of the land for yourself?
00:28:32.78\00:28:36.40
While it remained,
was it not your own?
00:28:36.43\00:28:39.16
And after it was sold, was
it not in your own control?
00:28:39.19\00:28:42.50
Why have you conceived
this thing in your heart?
00:28:42.53\00:28:44.85
You have not lied
to men but to God.'"
00:28:44.88\00:28:47.44
Notice, Holy Spirit,
verse 3, God, verse 4.
00:28:47.47\00:28:53.34
He doesn't separate the two
and what we have to keep in mind
00:28:53.37\00:28:56.14
and this is where
the line sometimes
00:28:56.17\00:28:59.31
we don't want to refer to grey
00:28:59.34\00:29:00.71
because the Bible
is not grey at all.
00:29:00.74\00:29:02.39
But where we can become
grey in our thoughts of saying
00:29:02.42\00:29:04.85
oh, as long as I
don't say anything against
00:29:04.88\00:29:07.06
the Holy Spirit,
I could call God,
00:29:07.09\00:29:08.52
I could put
God's name in a curse,
00:29:08.55\00:29:10.98
I could use God's name in vain,
00:29:11.01\00:29:12.70
I could repeat God's name
over and over, I'm still safe.
00:29:12.73\00:29:15.85
Oh, don't venture down that road
because these two individuals
00:29:15.88\00:29:19.43
Ananias and Sapphira
they made a pledge to give God
00:29:19.46\00:29:22.25
whatever you blessed them
with, they had good intentions.
00:29:22.28\00:29:24.99
But I think this
statement may have come from,
00:29:25.02\00:29:27.94
the road to hell is
paved with good intentions.
00:29:27.97\00:29:30.98
But their intentions changed
00:29:31.01\00:29:32.82
after God had
abundantly blessed them.
00:29:32.85\00:29:36.27
And the Bible says,
00:29:36.30\00:29:37.67
"Suffer not thy mouth
to cause thy flesh to sin
00:29:37.70\00:29:40.97
and say before
God, it was a mistake."
00:29:41.00\00:29:43.52
And that's what happened here.
00:29:43.55\00:29:44.92
They came and
they plotted together
00:29:44.95\00:29:47.68
when they went into
church to return to God
00:29:47.71\00:29:50.10
where He blessed them
with and Ananias said,
00:29:50.13\00:29:53.62
here's what God,
God gave me $30 for this
00:29:53.65\00:29:56.81
and Peter said, did He really?
00:29:56.84\00:29:59.66
Yeah, when God really
gave him a $100 for that.
00:29:59.69\00:30:03.29
And he lied and he lost his life
00:30:03.32\00:30:05.65
and his wife came
and not too long after
00:30:05.68\00:30:07.50
and she lost her life.
00:30:07.53\00:30:08.90
Because here, he
lied to the Holy Spirit,
00:30:08.93\00:30:12.24
and he says
you've not lied to man,
00:30:12.27\00:30:14.08
but you've lied to God.
00:30:14.11\00:30:15.48
You cannot separate divinity,
so be very, very careful
00:30:15.51\00:30:18.00
when you think one is safe
and one is not safe. Right.
00:30:18.03\00:30:21.12
Very true. Okay.
00:30:21.15\00:30:23.57
And one last reference
00:30:23.60\00:30:24.97
just to write it
down 1 Samuel 18:12,
00:30:25.00\00:30:27.16
Saul, the King of Israel,
the Lord departed from him
00:30:27.19\00:30:31.98
but he didn't even know it.
00:30:32.01\00:30:34.13
And what took
over an evil spirit,
00:30:34.16\00:30:36.66
because he exposed
himself to the Witch of Endor
00:30:36.69\00:30:41.26
and then evil spirit
now is working in his life.
00:30:41.29\00:30:43.72
And the spirit of the
Lord departed from him.
00:30:43.75\00:30:46.28
1 Samuel 18:12.
00:30:46.31\00:30:47.79
So be really careful,
00:30:47.82\00:30:49.19
because that led to his demise
and his death. That's right.
00:30:49.22\00:30:51.69
Well, thank you for
your questions and comments.
00:30:51.72\00:30:53.42
As you can tell
we really enjoy that,
00:30:53.45\00:30:55.74
and the first step
of our program is always
00:30:55.77\00:30:58.08
the work that you do.
00:30:58.11\00:30:59.48
So keep doing
the work that you do
00:30:59.51\00:31:00.88
and send us the Bible
questions and your comments.
00:31:00.91\00:31:03.34
And you can send them
to housecalls@3abn.org
00:31:03.37\00:31:06.67
that's housecalls@3abn.org
00:31:06.70\00:31:09.20
and we surely will get back
to you as soon as possible can
00:31:09.23\00:31:12.02
and thank you for your patience
00:31:12.05\00:31:13.57
and your kind
support of this network.
00:31:13.60\00:31:16.14
John, take us
back into this topic.
00:31:16.17\00:31:18.16
One you put together,
I really appreciate it.
00:31:18.19\00:31:20.65
I thought we're gonna be
able to go through it quickly
00:31:20.68\00:31:22.46
but it's very deep. Yeah, it is.
00:31:22.49\00:31:24.56
And it's about
unity in the faith
00:31:24.59\00:31:26.03
and making sure
that within the church
00:31:26.06\00:31:28.58
God's body here on this earth,
00:31:28.61\00:31:30.59
the visible church
we're talking about,
00:31:30.62\00:31:32.09
that the members
are unified in purpose.
00:31:32.12\00:31:35.38
And the mission of the church
00:31:35.41\00:31:38.25
and it's sharing of
the everlasting gospel,
00:31:38.28\00:31:41.58
proclamation of the
gospel to all the world.
00:31:41.61\00:31:43.82
The biggest
thing that Satan does
00:31:43.85\00:31:45.97
as we mentioned
this in the last program
00:31:46.00\00:31:47.37
is that he looks to
divide and then conquer.
00:31:47.40\00:31:50.05
If he can divide
us within the church,
00:31:50.08\00:31:51.53
he knows that we
cannot complete the mission
00:31:51.56\00:31:53.52
that God has given
us to do. That's right.
00:31:53.55\00:31:55.54
And so it just extends his time,
00:31:55.57\00:31:57.55
but if we're unified
and we stay together,
00:31:57.58\00:31:59.48
in spite of the
diversity that we have,
00:31:59.51\00:32:01.80
the diversity of views
and the diversity of styles,
00:32:01.83\00:32:06.74
worship,
lifestyles, other things,
00:32:06.77\00:32:10.72
then we can
complete our mission.
00:32:10.75\00:32:12.90
You know, John, I think
as we were getting there
00:32:12.93\00:32:15.21
toward the end
of the last program
00:32:15.24\00:32:16.61
we talked about,
reading from Christ words
00:32:16.64\00:32:20.60
and His prayers
specifically in John Chapter 17.
00:32:20.63\00:32:24.37
And so Jesus
definitely had a vision
00:32:24.40\00:32:26.46
for what His
people would be doing
00:32:26.49\00:32:28.48
once He returned to
heaven. That's right.
00:32:28.51\00:32:30.46
As they were sharing this
wonderful gospel with the world.
00:32:30.49\00:32:35.26
And so we want to
start with that here today
00:32:35.29\00:32:38.19
from John Chapter 17,
we'll begin with verse 20. Okay.
00:32:38.22\00:32:41.80
And I will go
ahead and read that John,
00:32:41.83\00:32:43.42
and then we can dive
into various aspects of it
00:32:43.45\00:32:46.13
because there's an
actually a lot here.
00:32:46.16\00:32:48.30
Verse 20, "I do not
pray for these alone."
00:32:48.33\00:32:53.10
In other words Jesus
had prayed first for Himself
00:32:53.13\00:32:55.68
for strength to
be able to overcome
00:32:55.71\00:32:58.17
this challenge
of the cross coming
00:32:58.20\00:32:59.75
to that He's about to face.
00:32:59.78\00:33:02.15
Then He prayed
for His disciples.
00:33:02.18\00:33:03.60
That's right. And
now He's praying for us.
00:33:03.63\00:33:06.22
And so as He's praying for us,
00:33:06.25\00:33:07.62
he says, "I do not
pray for these alone,
00:33:07.65\00:33:09.02
but also for those
who will believe in Me
00:33:09.05\00:33:11.19
through their word,
that they may all be one,
00:33:11.22\00:33:15.58
as You, Father, are
in Me, and I in You,
00:33:15.61\00:33:19.04
that they also may be one in Us,
00:33:19.07\00:33:22.41
that the world may
believe that You sent Me.
00:33:22.44\00:33:25.53
And the glory which You
gave Me I have given them,
00:33:25.56\00:33:28.91
so that they may be
one just as We are one,
00:33:28.94\00:33:32.55
I in them, and You in Me,
00:33:32.58\00:33:35.73
that they may be
made perfect in one,
00:33:35.76\00:33:38.59
and that the world may
know that You have sent Me,
00:33:38.62\00:33:41.26
and have loved them as
You have loved Me." Beautiful.
00:33:41.29\00:33:44.79
Two things connected here, John,
I don't want to miss out on.
00:33:44.82\00:33:48.73
Unity and love. That's right.
00:33:48.76\00:33:51.83
They are absolutely inseparable.
00:33:51.86\00:33:54.90
You cannot be
disunified, divided and love.
00:33:54.93\00:33:59.38
You cannot love
and not be united.
00:33:59.41\00:34:02.18
They go hand in hand.
Think of any marriage. Right.
00:34:02.21\00:34:05.66
When a husband and
woman are united in marriage
00:34:05.69\00:34:08.74
they're
proclaiming a bond of love.
00:34:08.77\00:34:12.40
Unity and love.
These go hand in hand.
00:34:12.43\00:34:15.07
And when we're
talking about the church,
00:34:15.10\00:34:17.04
the oneness of the
church and unity of the church,
00:34:17.07\00:34:19.03
we must be talking about love
00:34:19.06\00:34:20.83
and how we share that
love between each other.
00:34:20.86\00:34:23.63
As Jesus said, they
will know you by your love
00:34:23.66\00:34:26.13
for one another. Right.
And so that is the clear thing.
00:34:26.16\00:34:29.93
I think mentioned--
we mentioned last time
00:34:29.96\00:34:31.63
that kind of our
foundational picture of this,
00:34:31.66\00:34:36.40
one of the text we used to it
00:34:36.43\00:34:37.80
to kind of spring of
it was from 1 Peter 4:8,
00:34:37.83\00:34:42.16
"And above all things have
fervent love for one another".
00:34:42.19\00:34:47.33
And I really like
that because it's saying
00:34:47.36\00:34:49.50
He's really saying that
love this unity and this love
00:34:49.53\00:34:53.23
that we have is the
greatest focus of the church
00:34:53.26\00:34:56.47
as we work
together for God's kingdom.
00:34:56.50\00:34:58.49
What are the things
that we have to be careful
00:34:58.52\00:34:59.91
of it's not to major in
minors and minor in majors.
00:34:59.94\00:35:03.31
A lot of times we look at the
ancillary practices of our faith
00:35:03.34\00:35:09.65
and make them the major
focal point rather than--
00:35:09.68\00:35:14.72
rather than the fabric.
00:35:14.75\00:35:17.29
Let me use example,
you could have on a suit,
00:35:17.32\00:35:20.22
but you could focus on
all the buttons. Right.
00:35:20.25\00:35:23.14
Well the most
important thing is that,
00:35:23.17\00:35:25.10
your clothed is the
real focal point here.
00:35:25.13\00:35:28.01
We don't want to
become button Christians
00:35:28.04\00:35:30.52
when in fact the suit is
the most important aspect of it.
00:35:30.55\00:35:34.18
Okay, if you loose
one button on a suit,
00:35:34.21\00:35:36.41
you still have
on the whole suit.
00:35:36.44\00:35:38.04
My analogy there
simply saying this,
00:35:38.07\00:35:40.63
there are some individuals
00:35:40.66\00:35:42.03
and as a pastor, now
we're going to 26 years here.
00:35:42.06\00:35:46.16
Wow, okay I just got over this.
00:35:46.19\00:35:51.29
I have seen all kinds
of internal divisions.
00:35:51.32\00:35:55.01
For example we were
at Fairfield together.
00:35:55.04\00:35:57.77
Sometimes we had a
person at our church there
00:35:57.80\00:36:01.09
that whenever we
had fellowship lunch,
00:36:01.12\00:36:03.30
they will go through and
say, okay what's in that,
00:36:03.33\00:36:05.51
what's not in
that, what's in that,
00:36:05.54\00:36:06.99
well we say its
vegetarian. They will say, okay.
00:36:07.02\00:36:10.76
And they may have had
intolerance to certain things
00:36:10.79\00:36:12.88
that are
acceptable for vegetarians
00:36:12.91\00:36:14.94
like gluten intolerance and all,
00:36:14.97\00:36:16.39
when I talk about health issues.
00:36:16.42\00:36:18.34
But sometimes,
what had happen is--
00:36:18.37\00:36:21.72
they had become
the food inspector
00:36:21.75\00:36:24.86
and they started
rubbing people the wrong way.
00:36:24.89\00:36:27.97
It started irritating people
00:36:28.00\00:36:29.67
to the point where
even if a guest came,
00:36:29.70\00:36:33.54
they will say to the guest,
now, what did you put in it?
00:36:33.57\00:36:36.07
What kind of oil did you use?
00:36:36.10\00:36:37.98
Was it canola oil,
was it vegetable oil,
00:36:38.01\00:36:40.25
was it virgin olive oil?
00:36:40.28\00:36:41.92
What was, you know,
did the oil, was it Crisco
00:36:41.95\00:36:45.25
and it got to the place
00:36:45.28\00:36:48.38
where there were
majoring in minors
00:36:48.41\00:36:50.60
and minoring in majors.
00:36:50.63\00:36:52.00
And the thing that John
brought out as a major is
00:36:52.03\00:36:54.89
having love one for the other.
00:36:54.92\00:36:57.03
Because we hadv a very amazing
example here at our church
00:36:57.06\00:37:02.39
a number of years ago
when one of our members
00:37:02.42\00:37:04.37
who is now deceased just came
to be a member of our church
00:37:04.40\00:37:08.12
in that fellowship lunch
00:37:08.15\00:37:09.71
and understand
what I am saying here.
00:37:09.74\00:37:11.11
I am not saying that we should
ignore what we eat or drink.
00:37:11.14\00:37:13.94
That's not at all.
00:37:13.97\00:37:15.34
But my--the focal
point here is sometimes,
00:37:15.37\00:37:19.37
sometimes we can
major so much in the minors
00:37:19.40\00:37:21.19
that we could loose
someone before Christ
00:37:21.22\00:37:23.28
even gains access to them fully.
00:37:23.31\00:37:26.03
This particular person brought
beans to fellowship lunch
00:37:26.06\00:37:30.34
three weeks in a row.
00:37:30.37\00:37:31.74
And it was one of the
first things to be gone
00:37:31.77\00:37:33.78
and before he even learned about
all the tenets of the faith.
00:37:33.81\00:37:36.65
He said, wow, what
did you make out of these?
00:37:36.68\00:37:39.06
And he said, well I just put
00:37:39.09\00:37:40.46
a little slice
of bacon in there.
00:37:40.49\00:37:43.08
I love it. It's too funny.
00:37:43.11\00:37:45.15
You know I tell you--
00:37:45.18\00:37:46.55
And I laugh at his innocence.
I mean he was innocent.
00:37:46.58\00:37:48.54
He was so
innocent, he was so innocent.
00:37:48.57\00:37:50.72
Now we didn't say,
well, keep doing that.
00:37:50.75\00:37:53.21
We realized-- That's right.
00:37:53.24\00:37:54.89
We need to tell him now
00:37:54.92\00:37:56.34
that this is not
what we eat. Right.
00:37:56.37\00:37:58.17
When that was a health
principle outlined by the Bible
00:37:58.20\00:38:00.74
that we should not put
those things in our body.
00:38:00.77\00:38:03.05
But this person
out of the desire
00:38:03.08\00:38:05.00
to just simply contribute
00:38:05.03\00:38:07.03
didn't
understand and did not know.
00:38:07.06\00:38:10.00
And then we had
a another example
00:38:10.03\00:38:11.40
and I am talking
about these because
00:38:11.43\00:38:12.80
these are the issues
that sometimes causes
00:38:12.83\00:38:14.20
to major in minors
and minor in majors.
00:38:14.23\00:38:16.62
That person learned and
that did not happen again
00:38:16.65\00:38:19.07
and surely we are
careful about what we do eat
00:38:19.10\00:38:21.13
and what we drink
because we recognize our bodies
00:38:21.16\00:38:23.59
to be God's temple
in honor of the Lord.
00:38:23.62\00:38:26.37
But I visited a
country number of years ago
00:38:26.40\00:38:29.09
and the people in that country
00:38:29.12\00:38:31.12
didn't have access to all
other vegetarian substitutes
00:38:31.15\00:38:33.90
we have here
access to in America.
00:38:33.93\00:38:35.53
And they
invited us to their home
00:38:35.56\00:38:37.27
and Adventist
Pastor and his wife
00:38:37.30\00:38:39.41
and she labored all
day to make a really,
00:38:39.44\00:38:42.10
really special
dish for my wife and I.
00:38:42.13\00:38:46.18
And it was just
amazing and I am sitting there
00:38:46.21\00:38:50.67
and we sit on with our
plate, we have the dinner
00:38:50.70\00:38:53.86
and we have the prayer
00:38:53.89\00:38:55.26
and we cut open this
thing look like a nice pastry
00:38:55.29\00:38:59.84
and I looked on the
inside and I thought--
00:38:59.87\00:39:02.14
well, sometimes
aren't we make things
00:39:02.17\00:39:03.69
that look like
beef maybe it's not.
00:39:03.72\00:39:05.29
And we bit into it
00:39:05.32\00:39:06.69
and I hadn't had
beef in so many years.
00:39:06.72\00:39:08.09
I have
forgotten how long it was.
00:39:08.12\00:39:09.57
And I bit into it and I
look that anti and cheek
00:39:09.60\00:39:11.74
kind of similar
to the same thing.
00:39:11.77\00:39:13.14
We looked at each other
00:39:13.17\00:39:14.54
and then the wife
caught a glimpse of our face
00:39:14.57\00:39:16.38
and the husband realized
what it happened at that moment.
00:39:16.41\00:39:18.90
He's pastoring, they're both
members of the Adventist Church
00:39:18.93\00:39:20.97
and they looked at us
and instantly she saw that
00:39:21.00\00:39:26.25
she felt the pain of,
oh, I didn't even ask them,
00:39:26.28\00:39:29.27
if they were vegetarian or not.
00:39:29.30\00:39:30.67
And we looked at
them and we thought,
00:39:30.70\00:39:32.58
this is one of those moments
00:39:32.61\00:39:33.98
where we could
offend this lady terribly.
00:39:34.01\00:39:36.27
Well thank her and
you know what she said,
00:39:36.30\00:39:38.36
you don't have to
eat the whole thing.
00:39:38.39\00:39:40.73
But you know we
thought, its not gonna kill us,
00:39:40.76\00:39:43.28
now this wasn't unclean
00:39:43.31\00:39:45.24
and that was the first
time in probably 20 plus years
00:39:45.27\00:39:47.88
that I had any beef.
00:39:47.91\00:39:49.72
And she understood, but
here's what I am saying,
00:39:49.75\00:39:53.97
I am not saying lower your guard
00:39:54.00\00:39:56.29
on health reform
or become so stringent
00:39:56.32\00:39:59.79
that you examine every aspect
of what's placed before you.
00:39:59.82\00:40:03.49
But what John is
saying is these are the things
00:40:03.52\00:40:06.08
that sometimes in the
church, in the Adventist church
00:40:06.11\00:40:09.12
can becomes such
points of division
00:40:09.15\00:40:11.02
that it makes,
it creates barriers
00:40:11.05\00:40:13.20
for somebody who even wants to
examine your fate. That right.
00:40:13.23\00:40:15.90
And so you become the
people of what don't you do
00:40:15.93\00:40:18.51
rather than the
people of what you do. Yeah.
00:40:18.54\00:40:20.92
All right, that's what I
think what you're talking about.
00:40:20.95\00:40:22.60
You know, even
the one admonition
00:40:22.63\00:40:25.07
within Romans Chapter 14
is in regard to the practices
00:40:25.10\00:40:29.15
of what we eat and
don't eat. That's right.
00:40:29.18\00:40:30.98
And it says in verse 19,
00:40:31.01\00:40:33.76
"Therefore let
us pursue the things
00:40:33.79\00:40:35.60
which make for peace
00:40:35.63\00:40:37.53
and the things by
which one may edify another.
00:40:37.56\00:40:41.27
Do not destroy the work of God
for the sake of food." Right.
00:40:41.30\00:40:46.43
And, you know, I--I
won't tell you who it is
00:40:46.46\00:40:50.58
but someone in our family.
00:40:50.61\00:40:52.91
We are sitting
there at the table
00:40:52.94\00:40:54.63
and they've been practicing
00:40:54.66\00:40:56.70
very strict vegetarianism
for years, many years.
00:40:56.73\00:41:01.57
And so we're talking
00:41:01.60\00:41:03.45
and where the
subject of meat comes up.
00:41:03.48\00:41:07.08
This couple that was eating meat
00:41:07.11\00:41:08.48
and they were surprised by that.
00:41:08.51\00:41:10.40
Anyway so I made
the simple comment.
00:41:10.43\00:41:11.87
I thought it was very simple.
00:41:11.90\00:41:13.57
I said well,
eating meat is not a sin.
00:41:13.60\00:41:17.54
And individual went like this.
00:41:17.57\00:41:19.25
Because he knew it was right.
According to the scriptures.
00:41:23.51\00:41:26.50
But the immediate reaction was
00:41:26.53\00:41:28.73
that's the way
they felt about it.
00:41:28.76\00:41:31.83
And we can feel
so strongly about
00:41:31.86\00:41:33.53
something that we can start
to equate it as sin or not sin
00:41:33.56\00:41:36.28
rather than a lifestyle choice.
Right. Which is what it is?
00:41:36.31\00:41:39.94
In fact, according
to the Bible, yeah.
00:41:39.97\00:41:43.22
Eating meat clean
is not sinful. No.
00:41:43.25\00:41:48.37
But when you start
making it the issue,
00:41:48.40\00:41:52.79
then you even the
one that doesn't eat it
00:41:52.82\00:41:55.23
can become sinful in
forcing a very strict practice
00:41:55.26\00:41:59.29
on somebody else going beyond
00:41:59.32\00:42:01.48
the boundaries that
God has called you go
00:42:01.51\00:42:03.86
in your
relationships within the church.
00:42:03.89\00:42:07.29
And at the same
time I have an individual
00:42:07.32\00:42:09.43
that in a church I
pastored not to long ago
00:42:09.46\00:42:13.55
who really battled with
this idea of labeling food.
00:42:13.58\00:42:18.17
I mean there are lots
of not even in the church,
00:42:18.20\00:42:20.38
there are lots of
vegans and vegetarians
00:42:20.41\00:42:22.08
and lacto-ovo and non
strictly vegan and things--
00:42:22.11\00:42:26.47
and one person came
with the suggestion saying,
00:42:26.50\00:42:30.14
you know, it
really will be helpful
00:42:30.17\00:42:31.54
if we could label foods because,
I have certain allergies
00:42:31.57\00:42:34.70
and I can't eat
anything that has nuts in it.
00:42:34.73\00:42:38.82
And it wasn't just peanuts,
it was several kinds of nuts.
00:42:38.85\00:42:41.93
And he said it really
be helpful for us to do it.
00:42:41.96\00:42:43.71
So we started
talking about labeling.
00:42:43.74\00:42:45.35
You know, just putting
little toothpick in there.
00:42:45.38\00:42:46.89
This is, you know, has
nuts in it or whatever.
00:42:46.92\00:42:49.18
And someone say, well,
we should be basically label
00:42:49.21\00:42:51.01
so we can allow our,
00:42:51.04\00:42:52.41
some of our vegan
eaters to come back
00:42:52.44\00:42:54.22
and contribute to the
potluck and things to.
00:42:54.25\00:42:56.33
And there's a whole discussion
debate over labeling food.
00:42:56.36\00:42:59.33
And I said, wait a minute.
00:42:59.36\00:43:00.73
Why are we so opposed
to just labeling food.
00:43:00.76\00:43:04.33
I mean its just
giving someone a courtesy
00:43:04.36\00:43:07.05
as to what's in this dish
and what's not in this dish.
00:43:07.08\00:43:09.41
And they do that in
a lot of restaurants.
00:43:09.44\00:43:11.19
And in doing that it allowed
00:43:11.22\00:43:12.86
vegans to
participate in the potluck.
00:43:12.89\00:43:15.80
Those are just vegetarians
to participate in the potluck.
00:43:15.83\00:43:18.96
And those are
with food allergies
00:43:18.99\00:43:20.36
to participate in the potluck.
00:43:20.39\00:43:21.76
Of course some of them
are what is the new one,
00:43:21.79\00:43:23.83
it's really strong as
the gluten intolerant.
00:43:23.86\00:43:27.69
They're gluten
intolerant. Gluten intolerant.
00:43:27.72\00:43:29.30
And that happens today, yeah.
00:43:29.33\00:43:30.84
So, anyway I just bring this up
00:43:30.87\00:43:32.24
because these issues of
lifestyle also its not--
00:43:32.27\00:43:38.14
they don't stand alone,
00:43:38.17\00:43:39.54
there's issues of
music as a worship style,
00:43:39.57\00:43:42.07
there's issues of all kinds
of practices within the church
00:43:42.10\00:43:45.73
that we fight over that,
we shouldn't be fighting over.
00:43:45.76\00:43:50.11
And it is causing a significant
not only division in the church
00:43:50.14\00:43:54.33
but it's causing us to
be crippled from the mission
00:43:54.36\00:43:56.87
that God has given us.
00:43:56.90\00:43:58.27
So, John, let's
look at the early church
00:43:58.30\00:43:59.67
and maybe go
through some of the things,
00:43:59.70\00:44:01.39
that that they did.
00:44:01.42\00:44:04.20
Some evidence here is to
what they experience as a church
00:44:04.23\00:44:06.76
because we're not just because
00:44:06.79\00:44:08.77
we're living in the day
we live, doesn't mean that
00:44:08.80\00:44:12.39
back then that they didn't
have a same kind of issues.
00:44:12.42\00:44:14.60
Nothing is new under the
sun, we've the same issues,
00:44:14.63\00:44:16.65
that they were
grappling with back them.
00:44:16.68\00:44:18.45
And the Bible has a lot
to speak about all those.
00:44:18.48\00:44:19.98
You know, Paul addressed
00:44:20.01\00:44:21.38
some of these
things in Romans 14,
00:44:21.41\00:44:22.88
that's a Romans 14 by the
way is a very familiar passage
00:44:22.91\00:44:26.48
that people try to
use in a small component
00:44:26.51\00:44:29.66
to want to whether
or not you should eat
00:44:29.69\00:44:31.06
or eat clean or unclean.
00:44:31.09\00:44:33.17
They tried to say, that
doesn't really, really matter.
00:44:33.20\00:44:35.27
The whole purpose of Romans 14
00:44:35.30\00:44:36.92
is not to put you in
one camp or the other
00:44:36.95\00:44:39.12
but the very context of
Romans 14 is in verse 1.
00:44:39.15\00:44:42.58
Romans 14:1, it says
00:44:42.61\00:44:43.98
"Receive one who
is weak in the faith,"
00:44:44.01\00:44:47.01
but do not "but not to
disputes over doubtful things.
00:44:47.04\00:44:53.37
For one believes
he may eat all things,
00:44:53.40\00:44:57.08
but he who is weak
eats only vegetables."
00:44:57.11\00:45:00.20
You see lot of
people read this and say,
00:45:00.23\00:45:03.14
I could eat anything,
00:45:03.17\00:45:04.54
it really doesn't
matter what I eat,
00:45:04.57\00:45:06.23
because I don't
want to offend anybody
00:45:06.26\00:45:08.73
I'll just eat
whatever is before me.
00:45:08.76\00:45:10.83
When you look at the
whole context of this,
00:45:10.86\00:45:14.49
we--it tells us that we
don't live onto ourselves,
00:45:14.52\00:45:16.99
but we live onto the Lord.
00:45:17.02\00:45:18.39
So we're
accountable before the Lord.
00:45:18.42\00:45:20.38
But the issue that
was being addressed
00:45:20.41\00:45:22.65
here among the Romans is
00:45:22.68\00:45:24.45
that they were
minoring in majors
00:45:24.48\00:45:27.10
and majoring in minors.
00:45:27.13\00:45:29.01
And I thought it
was really interesting
00:45:29.04\00:45:30.43
that the whole issue of
00:45:30.46\00:45:31.95
the issue of
judging one another.
00:45:31.98\00:45:35.79
One esteems one
day above the other,
00:45:35.82\00:45:37.79
one esteems, the other
esteems all day is alike.
00:45:37.82\00:45:40.60
This was the ceremonial issues
that were becoming a problem
00:45:40.63\00:45:43.85
in and among
the Roman believers.
00:45:43.88\00:45:45.98
And it was by no means
speaking about the Sabbath.
00:45:46.01\00:45:48.46
But there were many
ceremonial observances
00:45:48.49\00:45:50.67
in the transitional period
00:45:50.70\00:45:52.57
between the ceremonial
law being done away with
00:45:52.60\00:45:55.59
and the Christian
church being established
00:45:55.62\00:45:57.40
many people were not yet sure.
00:45:57.43\00:45:59.96
Well, do we still do that?
00:45:59.99\00:46:01.36
I said, no. Done away with.
00:46:01.39\00:46:04.68
Do whatever-- no
that is ceremonial,.
00:46:04.71\00:46:08.26
No that was ceremonial.
00:46:08.29\00:46:10.20
And they were
struggling over these issues.
00:46:10.23\00:46:12.49
And that's why it says
well one person esteems
00:46:12.52\00:46:14.60
one day above another, verse 5
00:46:14.63\00:46:16.07
and another one
esteems every day alike.
00:46:16.10\00:46:18.92
Let each one be fully
convinced in his own mind.
00:46:18.95\00:46:21.41
And so for time, John,
if you follow the practices
00:46:21.44\00:46:24.61
they were many that continued
00:46:24.64\00:46:26.20
certain aspects
of the ceremonial law
00:46:26.23\00:46:28.57
that wasn't a
hindrance to their faith
00:46:28.60\00:46:32.10
but for their own security,
Paul didn't say to them,
00:46:32.13\00:46:37.70
you know, this is kind
of really make you be lost.
00:46:37.73\00:46:40.22
Like for example, some of
them still observe Passover,
00:46:40.25\00:46:43.77
some of them still
observe aspects of their faith
00:46:43.80\00:46:46.86
that was part
of their tradition.
00:46:46.89\00:46:48.53
And they're still some today
00:46:48.56\00:46:50.33
and I want to
bring up this issue.
00:46:50.36\00:46:51.73
They're still
some today they said,
00:46:51.76\00:46:53.69
well, should we keep the feast
00:46:53.72\00:46:55.09
or should we not keep the
feast. You see what I am saying?
00:46:55.12\00:46:58.15
If they want to keep the
feast, let's go ahead. Fine.
00:46:58.18\00:47:01.14
You want to keep the
feast, there's one more thing
00:47:01.17\00:47:02.89
that you don't have to
do, but if you want to,
00:47:02.92\00:47:05.95
there are some
object lessons in that,
00:47:05.98\00:47:07.88
that would not tend to take away
00:47:07.91\00:47:09.97
or add to your
salvation. That's right.
00:47:10.00\00:47:12.50
So that's what
we're talking about.
00:47:12.53\00:47:14.13
The issue is when people
want to make them salvational
00:47:14.16\00:47:17.99
that everybody has to do
what they are doing. Right.
00:47:18.02\00:47:20.94
Which really
then crosses the line
00:47:20.97\00:47:24.41
into in the
enemies territory. Right.
00:47:24.44\00:47:26.87
Now I was going to
read some verses here
00:47:26.90\00:47:28.73
but in the essence of
time though from Acts.
00:47:28.76\00:47:31.97
I'll just mention
a few of the verses,
00:47:32.00\00:47:33.37
if you look Acts
2:1, Acts 2:46-47.
00:47:33.40\00:47:37.16
Why don't you read those?
00:47:37.19\00:47:38.56
Well, because there's so
much here for 10 minutes left.
00:47:38.59\00:47:40.31
You read verse 46 and
47, that was really good.
00:47:40.34\00:47:42.96
Okay, Acts 2:46-47,
"So continuing daily
00:47:42.99\00:47:46.57
with one accord in the temple,
00:47:46.60\00:47:47.99
and breaking bread
from house to house,
00:47:48.02\00:47:50.19
they ate their
food with gladness
00:47:50.22\00:47:51.74
and simplicity of heart,
00:47:51.77\00:47:54.52
praising God and having
favor with all the people.
00:47:54.55\00:47:57.34
And the Lord added to the church
00:47:57.37\00:47:58.74
daily those who
were being saved."
00:47:58.77\00:48:00.85
The Lord was
adding to the church
00:48:00.88\00:48:03.51
that was unified in purpose.
00:48:03.54\00:48:06.81
That was--you
know eating their food
00:48:06.84\00:48:09.45
with gladness and
simplicity of heart.
00:48:09.48\00:48:11.27
Not making a
complicated issue about foods.
00:48:11.30\00:48:13.53
God was adding to those
even in their diversity daily
00:48:13.56\00:48:17.04
because they were in one accord
00:48:17.07\00:48:18.91
and that's the
thing to remember.
00:48:18.94\00:48:20.31
And these verses are
repeated throughout Acts,
00:48:20.34\00:48:22.49
aren't they John?
00:48:22.52\00:48:23.89
I mean Acts 2, we talk
about one accord all the time.
00:48:23.92\00:48:26.09
It starts with Acts 1 even they
00:48:26.12\00:48:27.49
got together to
pray in one accord.
00:48:27.52\00:48:30.12
Acts 4, prayed and
assemble together in one accord,
00:48:30.15\00:48:34.40
they were filled
with Holy Spirit.
00:48:34.43\00:48:36.18
Principle there is
unless you're in one accord
00:48:36.21\00:48:38.19
the Holy Spirit
cannot operate. That's right.
00:48:38.22\00:48:41.19
Corporately that is.
00:48:41.22\00:48:42.59
He be blessed
person individually
00:48:42.62\00:48:44.05
but you rob the
church of the blessing,
00:48:44.08\00:48:46.27
that's why, when
Akiane was in the camp,
00:48:46.30\00:48:47.97
the Lord removed Akiane
and his family from the camp,
00:48:48.00\00:48:50.08
because the
blessing of protection
00:48:50.11\00:48:51.48
was taken from church
individually. That's right.
00:48:51.51\00:48:53.48
She says, that's the vision
00:48:53.51\00:48:54.88
that could rob us
of our blessing. Okay.
00:48:54.91\00:48:57.23
Another one--okay
you wanna-- No, go ahead.
00:48:57.26\00:48:59.66
Another one that you bring out
and so far we've talked about
00:48:59.69\00:49:02.20
something about laws
of dietary things that,
00:49:02.23\00:49:05.47
we gave a couple of examples.
00:49:05.50\00:49:06.91
But here another one
that could cause division
00:49:06.94\00:49:08.85
and you had this on
the other page Titus 3:9-11
00:49:08.88\00:49:12.22
and that was beautiful.
00:49:12.25\00:49:13.68
"But avoid foolish disputes,
genealogies, contentions,
00:49:13.71\00:49:16.67
and strivings about the law,
00:49:16.70\00:49:18.68
for they are
unprofitable and useless.
00:49:18.71\00:49:21.10
Reject a divisive man after
the first and second admonition,
00:49:21.13\00:49:25.19
knowing that such
a person is warped
00:49:25.22\00:49:27.71
and sinning,
being self-condemned."
00:49:27.74\00:49:30.38
Wow, that's--
That's pretty powerful.
00:49:30.41\00:49:33.99
That's amazing
because its saying,
00:49:34.02\00:49:35.56
there are some people
that in Mathew 18 principle
00:49:35.59\00:49:37.89
and this where
Mathew 18 comes in.
00:49:37.92\00:49:39.33
There are some
people that are so bent
00:49:39.36\00:49:42.00
on having their way
00:49:42.03\00:49:43.48
that they're suspicious about
everything the Pastor does.
00:49:43.51\00:49:47.37
And they'll say, see
00:49:47.40\00:49:48.77
did you hear that
word in the sermon?
00:49:48.80\00:49:50.17
He was aiming at that.
00:49:50.20\00:49:51.57
Disputes, contention
strivings right there.
00:49:51.60\00:49:53.16
And they--and they
and so you go to them
00:49:53.19\00:49:55.15
and that's why it says after
the first and second admonition,
00:49:55.18\00:49:57.85
that's the
principle of Mathew 18.
00:49:57.88\00:49:59.83
Go to that person first,
then take another witness
00:49:59.86\00:50:02.35
and then the third time
bring it before the church
00:50:02.38\00:50:04.87
and after that
they don't listen,
00:50:04.90\00:50:06.68
deal with them as heathen.
00:50:06.71\00:50:08.08
Because you got to
savor the things as Paul says,
00:50:08.11\00:50:12.21
"Mark those that cause division
among you and avoid them."
00:50:12.24\00:50:15.88
Did you see?
00:50:15.91\00:50:17.28
And so sometimes as a leader,
00:50:17.31\00:50:19.39
you have to take a
stand against it because,
00:50:19.42\00:50:21.41
if you don't take a stand
00:50:21.44\00:50:22.81
against those
things that divide,
00:50:22.84\00:50:24.21
you give
license to the division,
00:50:24.24\00:50:25.61
don't you think so? Absolutely.
00:50:25.64\00:50:27.12
What's another one
here? Roman 16:17 and 18.
00:50:27.15\00:50:30.19
"Now I urge you, brethren,
00:50:30.22\00:50:31.59
note those who cause
divisions and offenses,
00:50:31.62\00:50:34.76
contrary to the doctrine
00:50:34.79\00:50:36.16
which you
learned, and avoid them."
00:50:36.19\00:50:37.56
In other words
these things are contrary
00:50:37.59\00:50:41.04
to the oneness we
have in Christ. Right.
00:50:41.07\00:50:43.94
"So note those that
are causing this divisions"
00:50:43.97\00:50:46.38
for those verse 18,
00:50:46.41\00:50:48.00
"For those who are such do not
deserve our Lord Jesus Christ,
00:50:48.03\00:50:51.71
but their own
belly, and by smooth words
00:50:51.74\00:50:54.10
and flattering speech deceive
the hearts of the simple."
00:50:54.13\00:50:57.58
You know, I find that
some of this false doctrines
00:50:57.61\00:50:59.38
that are coming in
we find some of the--
00:50:59.41\00:51:03.41
about you had Shepherd's Rod
00:51:03.44\00:51:05.37
that kind of came and
they pulled many away.
00:51:05.40\00:51:08.07
You had your
Brinsmeads, Davidians.
00:51:08.10\00:51:10.44
Davidians, yeah, even now
00:51:10.47\00:51:11.84
you have the Mill
Millerite Movement.
00:51:11.87\00:51:14.09
The Mill Millerite Movement
is really becoming fairly,
00:51:14.12\00:51:16.71
fairly strong and
causing divisions in places.
00:51:16.74\00:51:19.96
Same kind of thing it
ends up pulling people away
00:51:19.99\00:51:22.04
and then
separating from the church.
00:51:22.07\00:51:24.89
But this happening is, we
should note these divisions
00:51:24.92\00:51:28.67
that offences and that
they are not of God. Right.
00:51:28.70\00:51:31.51
And, you know,
John, what's amazing about
00:51:31.54\00:51:32.91
that we're living in day
and age and I want--I don't want
00:51:32.94\00:51:34.55
to cause you to be frighten
about the Adventist church
00:51:34.58\00:51:36.73
because as were said
by the prophet of old,
00:51:36.76\00:51:41.41
"They that be with
us are more than that
00:51:41.44\00:51:42.81
they with them. "That's right.
00:51:42.84\00:51:44.46
The church is a whole is
secure in its foundation,
00:51:44.49\00:51:48.87
in its institutions, in
its belief, in its practices.
00:51:48.90\00:51:52.30
But as in the case
in any denomination
00:51:52.33\00:51:54.95
you've got
always those individuals
00:51:54.98\00:51:56.59
that want to have people
following after themselves.
00:51:56.62\00:51:59.59
And Paul warned against it.
00:51:59.62\00:52:00.99
He says, grievous
wolves will enter in,
00:52:01.02\00:52:03.33
not sparing the flock.
00:52:03.36\00:52:04.77
Why to draw away
disciples after themselves.
00:52:04.80\00:52:08.08
So that's where the
contention comes in. Yeah.
00:52:08.11\00:52:10.23
And these-- In
fact the next two verses
00:52:10.26\00:52:12.01
we have here from 1 Corinthians
00:52:12.04\00:52:14.22
are all within the same
context of this happening.
00:52:14.25\00:52:17.10
That there was an
argument within the church,
00:52:17.13\00:52:18.59
some were saying,
well, I'm of Paul,
00:52:18.62\00:52:20.63
well, I'm of Apostle.
00:52:20.66\00:52:22.25
You know and so and
this-- we're gonna share here
00:52:22.28\00:52:24.76
from 1 Corinthians,
1 and 1 Corinthians 3,
00:52:24.79\00:52:26.77
they're all in the
context of that contention.
00:52:26.80\00:52:28.62
Yeah, do that.
00:52:28.65\00:52:30.02
"Now I plead with you, brethren,
00:52:30.05\00:52:31.42
by the name of
our Lord Jesus Christ,
00:52:31.45\00:52:32.82
that you all
speak the same thing,
00:52:32.85\00:52:35.63
and that there be
no divisions among you,
00:52:35.66\00:52:37.73
but that you be
perfectly joined together
00:52:37.76\00:52:39.54
in the same mind and
in the same judgment.
00:52:39.57\00:52:41.99
For it has been declared to
me concerning you, my brethren,
00:52:42.02\00:52:44.92
by those of Chloe's household,
00:52:44.95\00:52:46.61
that there are
contentions among you."
00:52:46.64\00:52:49.02
Of course then you
have some other verses there
00:52:49.05\00:52:50.70
and things
within the same context
00:52:50.73\00:52:52.66
chapter 3:1 it
says, he continues on
00:52:52.69\00:52:55.21
"And I, brethren,
could not speak to you
00:52:55.24\00:52:57.61
as to spiritual
people, but as to carnal,
00:52:57.64\00:52:59.36
as to babes in Christ.
00:52:59.39\00:53:01.27
In other words, with these
contentions, they are babies.
00:53:01.30\00:53:04.21
What can I do?
00:53:04.24\00:53:05.61
They are not growing, I
have to speak to his babies
00:53:05.64\00:53:07.27
because you don't
understand any other language.
00:53:07.30\00:53:10.92
"I fed you with milk
and not with solid food,
00:53:10.95\00:53:13.65
for until now you were
not able to receive it,
00:53:13.68\00:53:15.58
and even now you
are still not able,
00:53:15.61\00:53:17.60
for you are still carnal.
00:53:17.63\00:53:19.16
For where there is envy,
strife, and divisions among you,
00:53:19.19\00:53:21.80
are you not carnal and
behaving like mere men?"
00:53:21.83\00:53:26.08
I mean basically when
you see some one divisive
00:53:26.11\00:53:28.76
and angry and deviling you know,
00:53:28.79\00:53:30.42
separating from someone
else and criticizing things.
00:53:30.45\00:53:33.39
They are carnal, they are acting
out of their carnal nature.
00:53:33.42\00:53:35.92
They are not spiritual beings
00:53:35.95\00:53:37.32
even though they may
claim to be high and mighty
00:53:37.35\00:53:39.02
in their
spirituality. That's right.
00:53:39.05\00:53:40.55
I want to read
Galatians 5, but I don't--
00:53:40.58\00:53:42.50
I'm gonna leave
that as a capstone.
00:53:42.53\00:53:44.30
Look at James 4:11,
00:53:44.33\00:53:46.03
another thing
that causes division.
00:53:46.06\00:53:47.96
And it could be doctrinal
00:53:47.99\00:53:49.36
but sometimes it could just be
the malice of a person's heart.
00:53:49.39\00:53:51.99
James 4:11 " Do not speak
evil of one another, brethren.
00:53:52.02\00:53:55.65
He who speaks evil of a
brother and judges his brother,
00:53:55.68\00:53:58.79
speaks evil of the
law and judges the law.
00:53:58.82\00:54:01.92
But if you judge the law,
00:54:01.95\00:54:03.32
you are not a doer
of the law but a judge."
00:54:03.35\00:54:06.47
There are some
people that will magnify
00:54:06.50\00:54:07.88
the fault in
somebody else's life
00:54:07.91\00:54:09.84
thinking that will minimize
the fault in their own lives
00:54:09.87\00:54:12.91
and that is so divisive.
00:54:12.94\00:54:15.37
But Romans 12:10
00:54:15.40\00:54:16.77
"Be kindly affectionate to
one another with brotherly love,
00:54:16.80\00:54:20.19
in honor giving
preference to one another.'
00:54:20.22\00:54:22.91
That's Romans 12:10.
00:54:22.94\00:54:24.31
And that is the
amazing part. That's right.
00:54:24.34\00:54:25.79
Giving
preference to one another.
00:54:25.82\00:54:27.45
The same chapter
a few verses later,
00:54:27.48\00:54:28.97
"Be of the same
mind toward one another.
00:54:29.00\00:54:31.01
Do not set your
mind on high things,
00:54:31.04\00:54:32.41
but associate with the humble.
00:54:32.44\00:54:33.81
Do not be wise in
your own opinion."
00:54:33.84\00:54:35.21
Verse 16 Romans 12.
00:54:35.24\00:54:36.93
So you're seeing, not
only are we talking about
00:54:36.96\00:54:39.22
what the issues are
but we are saying there
00:54:39.25\00:54:40.62
are remedies to that.
00:54:40.65\00:54:42.02
But when you analyze,
00:54:42.05\00:54:43.79
you go to a doctor and
he analyzes your condition.
00:54:43.82\00:54:46.06
He also gives you a
prescription to remedy that.
00:54:46.09\00:54:49.16
To the church of
Laodicea, Jesus says
00:54:49.19\00:54:51.33
"Buy of me gold
tried in the fire,
00:54:51.36\00:54:52.88
that you may be rich
00:54:52.91\00:54:55.05
and that the shame of
your nakedness may not appear."
00:54:55.08\00:54:57.64
I know your eyes what I
saw that you may see, see what?
00:54:57.67\00:55:00.41
See your own condition.
00:55:00.44\00:55:02.12
See instead of the
condition of our brother
00:55:02.15\00:55:03.71
and our sister
and the answer there,
00:55:03.74\00:55:05.33
I was gonna bring
up is Galatians 5:25-26
00:55:05.36\00:55:08.22
on the first page, John.
00:55:08.25\00:55:10.14
This is the answer
to all this division.
00:55:10.17\00:55:12.08
"If we live in the Spirit,
let us also walk in the Spirit.
00:55:12.11\00:55:17.24
Let us not become
conceded, provoking one another,
00:55:17.27\00:55:20.63
envying one another."
00:55:20.66\00:55:22.45
When the spirit is involved,
00:55:22.48\00:55:24.07
what is the law of this spirit?
00:55:24.10\00:55:25.60
The foot of the spirit is
love, joy, peace, longsuffering,
00:55:25.63\00:55:29.75
gentleness, meekness, patience
against such there's no law.
00:55:29.78\00:55:35.34
So when we have
the spirit leading,
00:55:35.37\00:55:37.30
we're not contending
to have the best seat
00:55:37.33\00:55:40.22
or contending to
always be praised
00:55:40.25\00:55:42.03
or contending to be, oh
you, oh you're really good.
00:55:42.06\00:55:45.67
We're not contending for that.
00:55:45.70\00:55:47.07
We're giving
preferences to the other person.
00:55:47.10\00:55:48.57
We're not saying
could I do that program?
00:55:48.60\00:55:50.42
Could I do that?
00:55:50.45\00:55:51.82
We're giving
preferences to the other person
00:55:51.85\00:55:53.26
and God is glorified by that.
00:55:53.29\00:55:56.77
It says very well in Philippians
00:55:56.80\00:55:58.50
same concept Philippians 2:3-5.
00:55:58.53\00:56:00.75
Yeah, read that one.
00:56:00.78\00:56:02.15
"Let nothing be done
through selfish ambition
00:56:02.18\00:56:03.77
or conceit, but
in lowliness of mind
00:56:03.80\00:56:05.57
let each esteem
others better than himself."
00:56:05.60\00:56:09.01
"Let each of you look out
not only for his own interest,
00:56:09.04\00:56:11.63
but also for the
interest of others.
00:56:11.66\00:56:13.34
Let this mind be in you
which is also in Christ Jesus.
00:56:13.37\00:56:18.27
That mind of humility
giving preference to the other."
00:56:18.30\00:56:21.52
Thank you for putting
in the context by the way
00:56:21.55\00:56:23.12
because so many
people read verse 5,
00:56:23.15\00:56:25.07
but don't read what he's meaning
about the mind being in unity,
00:56:25.10\00:56:29.27
about the mind
that Christ being in us.
00:56:29.30\00:56:32.08
Christ was not conceded, He
was not selfishly ambitious,
00:56:32.11\00:56:34.90
He was lowly of mind.
00:56:34.93\00:56:36.34
He did not looked
for His own interest.
00:56:36.37\00:56:37.91
Did he John? No, no, no.
00:56:37.94\00:56:40.80
And so you see clearly there.
00:56:40.83\00:56:42.20
I think we have time
for one more scripture.
00:56:42.23\00:56:43.60
Go for it. Colossians 3:12-13.
00:56:43.63\00:56:46.95
"Therefore, as the elect
of God, holy and beloved,
00:56:46.98\00:56:49.09
put on tender
mercies, kindness, humility,
00:56:49.12\00:56:52.83
meekness, longsuffering,
bearing with one another,
00:56:52.86\00:56:55.38
and forgiving one another,
00:56:55.41\00:56:56.78
if anyone has a
complaint against another,
00:56:56.81\00:56:58.41
even as Christ forgave
you, so you also must do.
00:56:58.44\00:57:01.51
That's the love for the brethren
00:57:01.54\00:57:03.54
and for the sake of
unity to keep Christ
00:57:03.57\00:57:06.72
as the head of the church
00:57:06.75\00:57:08.12
and the church moving
forward in its mission.
00:57:08.15\00:57:10.44
Thank you, John, for
putting this together.
00:57:10.47\00:57:12.01
This is a
wonderful topic as often time
00:57:12.04\00:57:13.87
we think of doctrinal issues.
00:57:13.90\00:57:15.87
Most cases are
not doctrinal issues
00:57:15.90\00:57:17.46
that are separating people
that have the same doctrines,
00:57:17.49\00:57:19.97
it's the majoring in minors
and the minoring in majors.
00:57:20.00\00:57:23.38
Let us do what Christ says,
00:57:23.41\00:57:24.79
"If I be lifted up I will
draw all men unto Myself."
00:57:24.82\00:57:29.01
May you do that today
and be unified in Christ.
00:57:29.04\00:57:32.66
God bless you.
00:57:32.69\00:57:34.06