Hello, friends.
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Grab your Bible and
a friend and sit back
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as we explore
God's Word together
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on this edition of House Calls.
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Welcome to House Calls.
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So glad that you have
chosen to tune in again
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to join John I and John II.
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I'm John Lomacang. John Stanton.
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Good to have you
here, Pastor Stanton.
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It's good to be here.
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I'll tell you,
whenever we get together,
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it's always a
blessing, we go back a ways.
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Whenever we get
together, it's funny,
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when Rochelle is
around and Angela is around,
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we have to use different names.
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They call you
Coolidge, they call me Parker.
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That's right.
But you call us John.
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Thank you for
tuning in to this program.
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It's a blessing to
have the opportunity
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to come into your
home with the Word of God,
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with your Bible questions,
with the topics we're covering.
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And, John, we're
continuing on the topic of...
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Of discipleship.
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Yes, greatly important,
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something that is
often touched on periodically
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from here to there
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but not really focused
on in the way that you have
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as personal ministries director
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in the Upper
Columbia Conference.
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And so stay tuned
for that wonderful walk.
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We also have Bible questions
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that we're gonna
get to in just a moment,
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but we always begin with prayer.
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John. Let's do that.
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Father in heaven,
we thank You so much,
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first of all, for how
often You have shown up here
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in this program
to reveal Yourself
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and Your will through Your Word.
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We just pray that
that would happen again,
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please pour out
Your Spirit upon us
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and upon each heart
who has joined us today.
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In Jesus' name. Amen.
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Amen.
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Now Bible questions are
important, we have some.
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I have some here today,
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couple of them
I'm gonna deal with.
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I'm gonna deal with the
ones that are written on paper.
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And John is gonna
deal with the ones
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that are written on the screen,
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which is the Bible
questions you often send to us
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by this following email.
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If you have any
you'd like to send
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and you have a digital device,
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or the iPhone, Android
phone, or computer, iPad,
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or any kind of form of
device, send it to this email
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housecalls@3abn.org.
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That's housecalls@3abn.org,
and we surely do appreciate it.
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I said surely do appreciate it.
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The other day John
asked me who is Shirley.
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Not Shirley do appreciate
it but surely do appreciate it.
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That's right.
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John, what do
you have for us today
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as far as our first question?
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Well, I've got a
question from Irma,
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and she was
listening to a pastor
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on a local Christian
station down in Texas.
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And she said that
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the pastor said in that
program it is an empty prayer
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to ask God for the Holy Spirit
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since the Holy Spirit is in us.
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Is that true?
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I've often heard to ask Jesus
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for the Holy
Spirit to be with us
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to open our minds, our
hearts, that's my question.
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First of all,
what jumps out at me,
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what leaps out at me is John 14,
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it's Jesus meeting
with His disciples,
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He says, "Pray
for the Holy Spirit."
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That's right.
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Ask your Father
for the Holy Spirit.
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But trying to be true to where
the pastor is going with this,
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that she was listening to,
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I think he wasn't talking about
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before you
receive the Holy Spirit
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but after you
receive this Holy Spirit,
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you don't need to ask again.
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So I'm gonna address
it from that perspective.
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Okay.
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It's interesting.
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As you read scripture,
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there's a lot of different texts
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you can go to
on the Holy Spirit.
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In fact, John, you and
I we're just mentioning
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how many
questions we've had here
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on this program of late
in regard to the Holy Spirit.
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But I want note something here
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that Jesus did
with His disciples
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that many probably we
don't haven't seen before.
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And first of all,
we're gonna go to John 20.
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Okay, John 20.
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And Jesus appears to
the disciples in John 20.
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In fact, if you
remember the story,
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Mary Magdalene
goes out to the tomb,
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she wants to be
there close to Jesus.
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And she sees to the
tomb is rolled away,
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the body is not there.
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She is really
struggling with this.
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And Jesus shows up,
and she says, "Rabboni,"
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a very affectionate
term, "It's, it's you!"
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Right.
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And she grabs a hold of Him
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and He says, "Don't cling to Me,
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I haven't gone
to My Father yet."
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But what she does
is as she lets go,
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she runs to the
disciples and she tells them,
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"I've seen the Lord."
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So as she is saying this,
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as she is revealing
these things in John 20:18,
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it picks up in
verse 19, it says that,
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"Same day at evening,
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being the first day of the week,
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the doors were shut
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and the disciples were assembled
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for fear of the Jews."
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Right.
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"Jesus came and stood in
the midst and said to them,
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'Peace be with you.'
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" So here, the first time,
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Jesus shows up
with the disciples there
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in that closed room.
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Now notice what He
says in verse 21 and 22,
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Jesus said to them again,
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"Peace to you as
the Father has sent Me,
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I also send you.
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And when He had said
this, He breathed on them
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and said
'Receive the Holy Spirit.'
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" Before Pentecost,
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Jesus gives
them the Holy Spirit.
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That's right.
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And so why then
would Jesus encourage them
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after that to come together
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and pray for the Holy Spirit
to be poured out on Pentecost?
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Very good connection.
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If this pastor is right,
He would not have said that.
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But if Jesus is our example,
He's telling the disciples,
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even though you've
received the Holy Spirit,
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continue to pray
for the Holy Spirit
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and for the power
that is to come upon you
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to evangelize the
world, to share the gospel.
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And so what
you'll find in Pentecost
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is not the first time
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that the disciples
receive the Holy Spirit,
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but it's the first time
they receive the Holy Spirit
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with the power to testify
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and share the gospel in the way
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that God
intended the gospel to go.
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It was the early rain of
the Holy Spirit in power.
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Today, in the last days,
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I believe we're
waiting for the latter rain
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to come about.
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But that doesn't negate the fact
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that today
existing in our lives,
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in our hearts
is the Holy Spirit.
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He resides in us.
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But we're still called
to pray for the latter rain
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for the
outpouring of the Holy Spirit
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in full measure for the power
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that God wants us to have
to share our faith, to witness,
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to testify, and to
confess Him before the world.
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So there are couple aspects
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to receiving the
Holy Spirit here.
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There is, in a general way,
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first we receive
the Holy Spirit upon
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when we believe in Christ.
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In fact, several texts say
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as the disciples we're going out
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and sharing the
good news with others,
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they had asked the
question in several occasions,
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"Have you received
the Holy Spirit yet?"
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Right.
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And some people said, "We never
even heard of the Holy Spirit."
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And they were baptized.
And they were baptized.
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Yeah, and they had
received the Holy Spirit.
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So you're talking
about the Holy Spirit coming
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can often be
different, first into your life,
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can often be
different from a former rain
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or a latter rain
Holy Spirit experience.
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We're to pray for the infilling
of the Holy Spirit every day
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and Him to manifest His power.
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But if He so
wills, we're also to pray
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for the Holy
Spirit to manifest Himself
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in great power
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so that we might
testify as to God's goodness
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and witness for Him.
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That's right.
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In Luke 11:13,
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Jesus made another
example of how important it is
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to ask for the Holy Spirit.
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He said in Luke 11:13, I
mean, let's put this in context.
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The question is
speaking about asking.
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I'll start with verse nine,
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"So I say to you, ask
and it will be given you,
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seek and you will find,
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knock and it will
be opened to you."
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And so just to not go through
the whole stone and the fish,
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He says in verse 13,
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"If you being evil
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know how to give good
gifts to your children,
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how much more will
your heavenly Father
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give the Holy Spirit
to those who ask Him."
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So these are...
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When it says,
given the Holy Spirit,
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He's not speaking about
those who are not following Him,
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He's speaking about
those who are following Him
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because some people
walk in the natural,
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and that is there are
many people that are baptized
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and they are...
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I want to be very respectful,
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they don't, they
don't receive the power
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to change the way
they lived prior to that.
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And the only way that
that power happens is,
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"Lord, I need this Spirit of God
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to come into my life."
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When you see at
the baptism of Jesus,
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the Spirit of
God was descending,
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and they knew in
the form of a dove
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and lighting
upon Him, once again,
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anointing him for the
beginning of His ministry.
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And so in the very same
way, the Holy Spirit is needed,
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as Zechariah 4:6,
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"Not by might nor by
power, but by My Spirit."
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That's right.
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Some people operate
by might and by power,
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but they don't
operate in the Spirit,
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and so therefore you don't
see the fruit of the spirit
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showing up in their
lives and the gifts are void
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because they don't do anything
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for the advancement
of the kingdom of God,
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which is one of the reasons
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why we chose to deal
with the topic of discipleship
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because the fruit,
the spirit activates...
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The Holy Spirit
activates, first of all,
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the fruit to
show up in your life,
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then equips you with the gifts.
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If you're just baptized
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and you just become
a member of the church,
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you're not yet a
disciple of Christ.
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The Lord is
looking for discipleship
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not just membership.
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So how do we get that?
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By asking,
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"Lord, I want Your
Spirit to come into my life."
00:10:05.27\00:10:08.10
And there's a chapter
in Hebrews though, John,
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that you alluded to a moment ago
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where there are people that have
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partaken of the good life,
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they've walked
away but all of a sudden
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they've turned away.
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Yeah, Hebrew 6:4-6...
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Okay, let's look at that.
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Talks about that.
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As you're going there,
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let me just add to
finish up your comment there,
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you also find an
example in Acts 4
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where it says Peter and John
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were beaten by the Sanhedrin
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for sharing the
name of Christ to others,
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and they came back
and told their companions
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what had happened."
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And it says here
that as they did that,
00:10:45.74\00:10:50.28
they prayed in Acts 4:31,
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"When they had prayed,
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the place where they
were assembled together
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was shaken and they were
filled with the Holy Spirit
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and they spoke the
Word of God with boldness."
00:10:58.75\00:11:01.29
That's right.
00:11:01.32\00:11:02.66
So there's an
infilling of the Holy Spirit
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that remains in you
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and then there's a infilling
or a baptism of the Holy Spirit
00:11:06.70\00:11:09.63
that brings power for ministry,
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power for you to
speak with boldness.
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And so I think we underestimate
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in how many ways the
Holy Spirit does enable us
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as Christians to
live a life to the degree
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that God has called us to live
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not only for
interchange, transformation,
00:11:28.05\00:11:30.95
but power to speak
and share our faith.
00:11:30.99\00:11:33.72
And the other thing
that is very important,
00:11:33.76\00:11:35.79
as we go to Hebrews, I
want to talk about this
00:11:35.82\00:11:38.06
because there are some
examples in the scriptures
00:11:38.09\00:11:39.79
that talked about
how important it is
00:11:39.83\00:11:41.73
to maintain that
connection to the power
00:11:41.76\00:11:43.67
that the Lord makes available
through His Holy Spirit.
00:11:43.70\00:11:47.50
We have two examples.
00:11:47.54\00:11:48.87
When David repented, Psalms
51 I think it is, verse 11,
00:11:48.90\00:11:51.74
he said, "Restore to me
the joy of Your salvation,
00:11:51.77\00:11:57.21
but do not take your
Holy Spirit from me."
00:11:57.25\00:11:59.78
Yeah. You see.
00:11:59.81\00:12:01.15
Then you have the
other side of that
00:12:01.18\00:12:02.62
where the Bible
says in 1 Samuel 16:14,
00:12:02.65\00:12:06.05
"But the Spirit of the
Lord departed from Saul.
00:12:06.09\00:12:09.66
And a distressing spirit
from the Lord troubled him."
00:12:09.69\00:12:13.63
So you have the
Spirit of the Lord,
00:12:13.66\00:12:15.73
the Holy Spirit left
Saul, he didn't even know it,
00:12:15.76\00:12:18.83
and a distressing spirit
an evil spirit came upon him.
00:12:18.87\00:12:22.90
And so there are
those who once again,
00:12:22.94\00:12:26.88
you have Genesis 6
about the Antediluvians,
00:12:26.91\00:12:31.58
"My Spirit will not
always strive with man,"
00:12:31.61\00:12:34.28
the work there.
00:12:34.32\00:12:35.65
Why would the Spirit
of God strive with man?
00:12:35.68\00:12:38.52
Well, John 16, "He will
reprove the world of sin."
00:12:38.55\00:12:42.32
That work was always
carried on by the Holy Spirit
00:12:42.36\00:12:45.19
not by a different
entity in the Old Testament
00:12:45.23\00:12:47.50
and the Holy Spirit
in the New Testament,
00:12:47.53\00:12:49.76
but my spirit is one that
strolled with the antediluvians
00:12:49.80\00:12:52.67
is the same Holy Spirit
00:12:52.70\00:12:54.04
that comes and
convicts us of sin.
00:12:54.07\00:12:55.97
So but Hebrews 6:46,
00:12:56.00\00:13:01.54
speaking about why
it's important every day
00:13:01.58\00:13:03.58
to say, "Lord, fill me.
00:13:03.61\00:13:06.05
Lord, strengthen me."
00:13:06.08\00:13:07.95
Why would Paul the Apostle
say there's a need to die daily
00:13:07.98\00:13:12.99
if the work that the Spirit does
00:13:13.02\00:13:18.79
is not in harmony,
00:13:18.83\00:13:20.90
let me say to you,
00:13:20.93\00:13:22.26
that the work
that the spirit does
00:13:22.30\00:13:23.63
does not call for our
acknowledgment of that work?
00:13:23.67\00:13:27.87
Paul says I die daily
00:13:27.90\00:13:29.24
because he
wants that Spirit work
00:13:29.27\00:13:30.84
to continue in us to develop us.
00:13:30.87\00:13:33.74
And here's the evidence of that.
00:13:33.78\00:13:36.51
Hebrews 6:46,
00:13:36.54\00:13:38.95
"For it is impossible for
those who were once enlightened,
00:13:38.98\00:13:42.28
and have tasted
the heavenly gift,
00:13:42.32\00:13:45.25
and have become
partakers of the Holy Spirit
00:13:45.29\00:13:49.02
and have tasted
the good Word of God
00:13:49.06\00:13:51.16
and the powers
of the age to come,
00:13:51.19\00:13:52.99
if they fall away to
renew them again to repentance
00:13:53.03\00:13:57.83
since they crucify again
for themselves the Son of God
00:13:57.87\00:14:02.64
and put him to an open shame."
00:14:02.67\00:14:05.14
So let's talk about
that, what would happen.
00:14:05.17\00:14:07.48
They tasted of the Holy Spirit.
00:14:07.51\00:14:09.78
He says what's happened
00:14:09.81\00:14:11.15
when they go to that
distance, it's difficult,
00:14:11.18\00:14:13.88
impossible for them,
00:14:13.92\00:14:15.65
but it's not impossible
for someone to lead them back.
00:14:15.68\00:14:18.69
That's right. And
so that's the key.
00:14:18.72\00:14:21.59
But yes, we must pray
00:14:21.62\00:14:23.02
for the infilling
of the Spirit of God,
00:14:23.06\00:14:25.06
and I thought it was important
00:14:25.09\00:14:26.43
that so many questions
about the Spirit of God
00:14:26.46\00:14:29.30
that have come to us
and we didn't just choose
00:14:29.33\00:14:32.13
those questions to
be the ones to answer.
00:14:32.17\00:14:34.17
But as I open my snail
mail and you download it...
00:14:34.20\00:14:37.37
They are recent questions.
00:14:37.41\00:14:38.74
Those are questions.
00:14:38.77\00:14:40.58
This came from Minor, M-I-N-O-R.
00:14:40.61\00:14:45.98
In John 3:5,
6&8, do you have that?
00:14:46.01\00:14:49.92
Want to read that for us, John?
00:14:49.95\00:14:51.65
Jesus speaks of
being born of the Spirit.
00:14:51.69\00:14:55.69
And I'm going to
have John read that,
00:14:55.72\00:14:57.46
but the question he puts,
00:14:57.49\00:14:58.83
"How is a person
born of the Spirit?
00:14:58.86\00:15:02.10
Please explain.
00:15:02.13\00:15:03.47
I'm having a little trouble
with understanding this verse.
00:15:03.50\00:15:06.27
Thank you." Okay.
00:15:06.30\00:15:07.64
John 3:5, 6&8.
00:15:07.67\00:15:10.21
"Jesus answered, 'Most
assuredly I say to you,
00:15:10.24\00:15:13.21
unless one is born
of water and the Spirit,
00:15:13.24\00:15:15.88
he cannot enter
the Kingdom of God.
00:15:15.91\00:15:18.38
That which is
born of flesh is flesh
00:15:18.41\00:15:20.98
and that which is born
of the Spirit is spirit."
00:15:21.02\00:15:24.09
And then you said verse 8? Yes.
00:15:24.12\00:15:25.95
"The wind blows where it wishes
and you hear the sound of it
00:15:25.99\00:15:30.03
but cannot tell
where it comes from
00:15:30.06\00:15:31.49
and where it goes,
00:15:31.53\00:15:32.86
so is everyone who
is born of the Spirit."
00:15:32.89\00:15:34.83
Okay.
00:15:34.86\00:15:36.20
So the birth,
being born of the Spirit
00:15:36.23\00:15:40.20
means you are no
longer living in the flesh,
00:15:40.24\00:15:43.81
and I want to go
ahead and bring this out
00:15:43.84\00:15:45.57
in Romans 8:13,
00:15:45.61\00:15:48.61
matter of fact Romans 8:1-2
is where I'd like to start.
00:15:48.64\00:15:51.85
Romans 8:1-2.
00:15:51.88\00:15:54.38
Paul the Apostle
makes so many comparisons
00:15:54.42\00:15:57.99
between the
flesh and the Spirit.
00:15:58.02\00:16:00.26
And the flesh is, unfortunately,
00:16:00.29\00:16:04.79
sometimes we lean on
skills and abilities,
00:16:04.83\00:16:08.43
that's the flesh,
00:16:08.46\00:16:09.80
sometimes we lean
on, I could do that.
00:16:09.83\00:16:11.50
Sheer
willpower. Sheer willpower.
00:16:11.53\00:16:13.97
And we are able to
push our way through
00:16:14.00\00:16:16.87
or sometimes we say if
I could put my mind to it,
00:16:16.91\00:16:20.64
I could accomplish it,
00:16:20.68\00:16:22.34
or if I try hard
enough, I can overcome it.
00:16:22.38\00:16:26.01
Well, that is, you don't
have to frustrate yourself
00:16:26.05\00:16:29.05
in those areas
00:16:29.08\00:16:30.42
because the
Bible gives an answer.
00:16:30.45\00:16:31.79
Let's talk about living
according to the Spirit.
00:16:31.82\00:16:33.86
Romans 8:1-2, the
Bible says in Romans 8:1-2,
00:16:33.89\00:16:38.79
"There is
therefore now no condemnation
00:16:38.83\00:16:42.90
to those who are in Christ Jesus
00:16:42.93\00:16:44.93
who do not walk
according to the flesh
00:16:44.97\00:16:47.30
but according to the Spirit."
00:16:47.34\00:16:50.51
Verse 2, "For the
law of the Spirit of life
00:16:50.54\00:16:54.34
in Christ Jesus
00:16:54.38\00:16:55.71
has made me free from
the law of sin and death."
00:16:55.74\00:16:59.18
And here's what happens.
00:16:59.21\00:17:00.55
Here's the transitional
Spirit walking life,
00:17:00.58\00:17:03.95
"For what the law could not do
00:17:03.99\00:17:05.62
in that it was
weak through the flesh,
00:17:05.65\00:17:08.19
God did by sending His own Son
00:17:08.22\00:17:11.59
in the likeness of sinful flesh,
00:17:11.63\00:17:14.53
on account of sin, He
condemned sin in the flesh."
00:17:14.56\00:17:19.87
And here's what happens,
00:17:19.90\00:17:21.34
"That the righteous
requirement of the law
00:17:21.37\00:17:23.81
might be fulfilled in us
00:17:23.84\00:17:25.97
who do not walk
according to the flesh
00:17:26.01\00:17:28.61
but according to the Spirit."
00:17:28.64\00:17:30.31
When you walk
according to the Spirit,
00:17:30.35\00:17:32.18
you have a mental change,
00:17:32.21\00:17:33.62
your mind looks in
a different direction.
00:17:33.65\00:17:35.88
It says in verse 5,
00:17:35.92\00:17:37.32
"For those who live
according to the flesh
00:17:37.35\00:17:39.92
set their minds on
the things of the flesh."
00:17:39.95\00:17:42.79
How do you live in the Spirit?
00:17:42.82\00:17:44.93
Look at the rest of the verse.
00:17:44.96\00:17:46.93
"But those who live
according to the Spirit,
00:17:46.96\00:17:49.23
the things of the Spirit."
00:17:49.26\00:17:51.70
So the question is how
do you walk in the Spirit?
00:17:51.73\00:17:54.07
You start setting your mind,
00:17:54.10\00:17:55.74
start focusing on
things that are spiritual,
00:17:55.77\00:17:58.84
your focus all together changes.
00:17:58.87\00:18:01.44
"Be not conformed to this world
00:18:01.48\00:18:03.04
but be transformed by
the renewing of your mind."
00:18:03.08\00:18:05.28
You recognize there's a power
that's now available to you.
00:18:05.31\00:18:09.22
1 Corinthians
3:16-17, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20.
00:18:09.25\00:18:15.52
"Do you not know that
your body is the temple of God
00:18:15.56\00:18:17.76
and that the Spirit
of God dwells in you?"
00:18:17.79\00:18:20.60
Philippians 1:6, "He
does the good work in you."
00:18:20.63\00:18:24.70
He wills and he does
this good work in you.
00:18:24.73\00:18:27.74
And so we have to keep in mind
00:18:27.77\00:18:29.10
that when you live
according to the Spirit,
00:18:29.14\00:18:31.17
what that means is you are
walking completely differently
00:18:31.21\00:18:33.61
than the flesh wants to.
00:18:33.64\00:18:35.31
Well, how do you know the
way the flesh wants to walk?
00:18:35.34\00:18:38.41
It will notify you.
00:18:38.45\00:18:40.58
It's always
knocking. It's always knocking.
00:18:40.62\00:18:43.15
You could hear
it, you could feel it,
00:18:43.18\00:18:45.95
you could sense it,
00:18:45.99\00:18:47.66
the old ways are
not easily put to death.
00:18:47.69\00:18:51.73
That's what we have to
die every day to the old ways.
00:18:51.76\00:18:55.00
Do you find them hanging around?
00:18:55.03\00:18:57.20
They're always hanging around.
00:18:57.23\00:18:58.57
You always have to say no.
00:18:58.60\00:19:00.60
You always have to say no.
00:19:00.64\00:19:01.97
So when you walk in the Spirit,
00:19:02.00\00:19:05.31
you are living in
harmony with the Word of God,
00:19:05.34\00:19:08.74
the will of God,
your life is ordered
00:19:08.78\00:19:10.65
in a completely
different direction.
00:19:10.68\00:19:12.71
And so when he says, when
John says, the wind blows,
00:19:12.75\00:19:17.12
I don't know
where it comes from,
00:19:17.15\00:19:18.49
I don't know where it's going,
00:19:18.52\00:19:19.85
in essence, he's comparing,
00:19:19.89\00:19:21.22
we don't know
when that work begins,
00:19:21.26\00:19:22.99
we just know when
we come to conversion,
00:19:23.02\00:19:25.16
when we come to
accepting Christ,
00:19:25.19\00:19:26.53
but we don't know
where that started.
00:19:26.56\00:19:28.73
We can't tell where
meteorologists sometimes say,
00:19:28.76\00:19:32.27
well, off the coast of Africa
there's a tropical depression.
00:19:32.30\00:19:37.01
If the waters are warm,
it will pick up strength,
00:19:37.04\00:19:39.27
and by the time it
gets to the mainland,
00:19:39.31\00:19:41.14
you know, the
Bahamas, the Caribbean,
00:19:41.18\00:19:43.24
and then it hits
the mainland of Florida,
00:19:43.28\00:19:45.75
they'll say, it
could be a category one
00:19:45.78\00:19:47.25
or category three
hurricane, it develops in time.
00:19:47.28\00:19:50.55
In the very same way,
00:19:50.59\00:19:51.92
when the Spirit of
God comes into your life,
00:19:51.95\00:19:55.46
you begin to develop
00:19:55.49\00:19:56.99
and you begin to be strengthened
00:19:57.03\00:19:59.26
in your spiritual walk.
00:19:59.29\00:20:00.93
It starts somewhere,
00:20:00.96\00:20:02.50
and as it travels in the course
of your existence as a person
00:20:02.53\00:20:06.53
who walks with Christ,
00:20:06.57\00:20:07.90
then that spiritual life
continues to be developed.
00:20:07.94\00:20:10.87
That's how you
walk in the Spirit.
00:20:10.91\00:20:12.57
That's what the
spiritual life is all about.
00:20:12.61\00:20:15.51
Amen.
00:20:15.54\00:20:16.88
Well said. You have another one?
00:20:16.91\00:20:18.35
Yes. Okay.
00:20:18.38\00:20:19.71
I have a question
that I think is probably
00:20:19.75\00:20:21.08
on the shorter side.
00:20:21.12\00:20:23.42
It's from Donna and she's asking
00:20:23.45\00:20:24.89
where in the Bible does it
say there are women angels?
00:20:24.92\00:20:27.86
Okay.
00:20:27.89\00:20:29.22
And I think probably
she's asking this question
00:20:29.26\00:20:30.83
because you'll find
in many stores and shops
00:20:30.86\00:20:34.06
angels that look like women
and angels that look like men.
00:20:34.10\00:20:39.10
The answer
actually is interesting,
00:20:39.13\00:20:41.90
it might be
interesting for Donna.
00:20:41.94\00:20:45.11
Nowhere in the Bible does it say
00:20:45.14\00:20:46.47
that there are men angels.
00:20:46.51\00:20:50.61
It just says the Angel
Gabriel. Just says the angel.
00:20:50.65\00:20:52.41
Right.
00:20:52.45\00:20:53.78
The Angel Gabriel has
00:20:53.82\00:20:55.15
a what we were
consider a man's name.
00:20:55.18\00:20:59.05
But from what
the scripture says,
00:20:59.09\00:21:02.16
God never gave angels
00:21:02.19\00:21:03.96
when He created them
the ability to procreate.
00:21:03.99\00:21:06.29
Right. Not gender specific.
00:21:06.33\00:21:08.23
In fact, everything in the Bible
00:21:08.26\00:21:10.27
tends to allude to otherwise,
00:21:10.30\00:21:12.30
they're there to
serve the Lord of hosts,
00:21:12.33\00:21:15.67
the Lord of the angels
Jesus Christ and His will,
00:21:15.70\00:21:18.84
and the angel itself, the
word angel means messenger,
00:21:18.87\00:21:24.28
so one who is
sent with a message,
00:21:24.31\00:21:26.55
and so they're
always going to and fro
00:21:26.58\00:21:28.68
to minister to God's people
00:21:28.72\00:21:31.49
and to bring
messages to God's people.
00:21:31.52\00:21:34.16
So there's no
marrying among the angels
00:21:34.19\00:21:36.16
and there's
nothing going on there
00:21:36.19\00:21:37.53
that would enable
them to procreate,
00:21:37.56\00:21:39.56
no evidence of that in
the scripture whatsoever.
00:21:39.59\00:21:42.23
Here's the interesting thing.
00:21:42.26\00:21:43.60
There is
evidence to the contrary
00:21:43.63\00:21:44.97
we were talking about.
00:21:45.00\00:21:46.33
In Matthew 22:30,
00:21:46.37\00:21:49.67
there's this question in fact 22
00:21:49.70\00:21:51.97
if I remember right,
00:21:52.01\00:21:53.34
you tell me
John if you're there.
00:21:53.38\00:21:55.91
Which one? Matthew 22.
00:21:55.94\00:21:58.01
I believe this is the
one where they came to Jesus
00:21:58.05\00:22:01.35
and they said if
a woman is married,
00:22:01.38\00:22:03.62
her husband dies,
marries the next brother,
00:22:03.65\00:22:05.39
husband dies, which
one is she married to?
00:22:05.42\00:22:08.09
And at the end
Jesus' answer is this,
00:22:08.12\00:22:11.53
"For in the resurrection,
00:22:11.56\00:22:12.89
they neither marry nor
are given in marriage."
00:22:12.93\00:22:16.60
So you won't have to...
00:22:16.63\00:22:17.97
This question is
really, He's saying, irrelevant.
00:22:18.00\00:22:21.77
But then He adds this
00:22:21.80\00:22:23.14
"But are like
angels of God in heaven."
00:22:23.17\00:22:25.84
Their focus is not to procreate
00:22:25.87\00:22:28.74
as we have done here
to populate the earth.
00:22:28.78\00:22:32.41
But like the angels
who cannot procreate
00:22:32.45\00:22:35.42
who don't expand in number
00:22:35.45\00:22:36.95
because they're
not gender specific,
00:22:36.99\00:22:40.79
they just don't
have that ability,
00:22:40.82\00:22:42.79
we will be more like that.
00:22:42.82\00:22:44.36
Now here's the thing, John,
00:22:44.39\00:22:45.93
and I've always
asked this question,
00:22:45.96\00:22:47.30
and this is one I
don't have an answer to.
00:22:47.33\00:22:49.23
Okay.
00:22:49.26\00:22:50.80
Had Adam and Eve not sinned
00:22:50.83\00:22:53.00
and the earth
been populated then,
00:22:53.03\00:22:55.74
very quickly it
would've been populated,
00:22:55.77\00:22:58.01
would then God have said,
00:22:58.04\00:22:59.47
"Okay, enough of
the procreation."
00:22:59.51\00:23:03.35
See we don't have an
answer to that question
00:23:03.38\00:23:05.45
as to what God would do
because we never really,
00:23:05.48\00:23:07.52
we haven't experienced that.
00:23:07.55\00:23:08.88
Right.
00:23:08.92\00:23:10.25
But the common sense
says that at some point
00:23:10.29\00:23:12.69
either you have to move
someone to another world
00:23:12.72\00:23:16.06
because they
continue to procreate
00:23:16.09\00:23:18.29
or you have to put
some kind of guidance
00:23:18.33\00:23:19.89
and restriction on the ability
to fill this earth up because,
00:23:19.93\00:23:22.16
indefinitely, forever,
it would get too populated,
00:23:22.20\00:23:25.03
be walking around like this,
00:23:25.07\00:23:26.57
and that's not
what God had in mind.
00:23:26.60\00:23:29.70
So God's thing, the
whole thing about God
00:23:29.74\00:23:32.61
and His creation
isn't really about sex
00:23:32.64\00:23:36.01
and procreation and
all those other things,
00:23:36.04\00:23:38.21
it's about the
relationship between two people,
00:23:38.25\00:23:40.92
not only between
God and His people
00:23:40.95\00:23:42.28
but between husband and
wife, and family as well.
00:23:42.32\00:23:46.05
So I think sometimes the
focus, we have such a focus.
00:23:46.09\00:23:48.49
In fact, today, society
such a focus on men versus women
00:23:48.52\00:23:53.29
on a number of topics,
whether it be, you know,
00:23:53.33\00:23:55.36
ordination or
rights or all those things.
00:23:55.40\00:23:58.70
When it comes to angels,
00:23:58.73\00:24:00.07
I'm sure they're kind
of sitting by wondering,
00:24:00.10\00:24:02.07
"Boy, what is this all about?"
00:24:02.10\00:24:04.34
Because they aren't,
00:24:04.37\00:24:05.71
there's no evidence
of any gender specific,
00:24:05.74\00:24:07.68
and I think
probably part of this issue
00:24:07.71\00:24:11.55
is connected to
Genesis Chapter 6 or 7.
00:24:11.58\00:24:15.62
Where the sons of God
came into daughters of men.
00:24:15.65\00:24:17.75
Yes, the
misinterpretation of that,
00:24:17.79\00:24:20.12
I can't tell you how many
times I've had discussions
00:24:20.16\00:24:23.53
with other believers
00:24:23.56\00:24:24.89
who have had an interpretation
that is fairly common today
00:24:24.93\00:24:28.10
in regard to that
passage and essentially
00:24:28.13\00:24:31.53
what they say is
that the angels came down,
00:24:31.57\00:24:37.17
which were the angels
that were cast out of heaven
00:24:37.21\00:24:39.44
and they procreated
00:24:39.47\00:24:41.74
another kind of
a superhuman race
00:24:41.78\00:24:44.55
with the women of the earth.
00:24:44.58\00:24:46.21
Right.
00:24:46.25\00:24:47.58
And that is Genesis Chapter 6
00:24:47.62\00:24:49.22
where the Bible says in verse 2.
00:24:49.25\00:24:53.02
Well, verse 1,
"Now it came to pass
00:24:53.05\00:24:54.69
when men began to multiply
on the face of the earth
00:24:54.72\00:24:58.29
that daughters
were born to them,
00:24:58.33\00:25:00.70
that the sons of God
saw the daughters of men
00:25:00.73\00:25:03.47
that they were beautiful
00:25:03.50\00:25:05.70
and they took
wives for themselves
00:25:05.73\00:25:08.54
of all whom they chose."
00:25:08.57\00:25:12.87
And when the Bible talks
about that, it talks about,
00:25:12.91\00:25:18.51
these are, people
think that these were angels
00:25:18.55\00:25:22.38
that came down and
procreated with women
00:25:22.42\00:25:27.26
to make the giants in the earth,
00:25:27.29\00:25:28.62
that's not
supported by scripture.
00:25:28.66\00:25:29.99
No.
00:25:30.03\00:25:31.36
These were intellectual giants,
00:25:31.39\00:25:32.73
these were also
people of great stature,
00:25:32.76\00:25:35.33
as we see Enoch,
00:25:35.36\00:25:38.23
where that talks about
00:25:38.27\00:25:40.10
were Goliath was
from the tribe of Enoch,
00:25:40.14\00:25:42.60
but there was no procreation.
00:25:42.64\00:25:45.01
And it says in verse 4,
00:25:45.04\00:25:47.01
"There were giants on
the earth in those days,
00:25:47.04\00:25:50.85
and also after that,
"When the sons of God,"
00:25:50.88\00:25:53.18
that's where
they think sons of God
00:25:53.21\00:25:54.98
because the Bible talks
about and the sons of God
00:25:55.02\00:25:57.15
in Job came to
present themselves
00:25:57.19\00:25:58.92
before the Lord.
00:25:58.95\00:26:00.42
So they connect sons
of God there with Job,
00:26:00.46\00:26:03.22
and say, "Oh, sons
of God, must be angels."
00:26:03.26\00:26:05.93
That's not the case,
you have to read the context
00:26:05.96\00:26:07.63
because we are sons of God
00:26:07.66\00:26:09.20
and we're not angels, all right?
00:26:09.23\00:26:10.57
That's right.
00:26:10.60\00:26:11.93
Yeah, God asked
that the line of Seth
00:26:11.97\00:26:14.50
who really was a
replacement for Abel
00:26:14.54\00:26:16.77
and what was
going to be his line,
00:26:16.81\00:26:19.01
were the line of God's people,
00:26:19.04\00:26:20.74
the line of Cain was
the line that was cursed
00:26:20.78\00:26:23.81
that were the daughters of men,
00:26:23.85\00:26:25.85
the men that
populated the earth.
00:26:25.88\00:26:27.68
And so we see the sons of God
came into the daughters of men,
00:26:27.72\00:26:32.25
and that's where they think
00:26:32.29\00:26:33.62
"Oh, these must be
these divine beings,
00:26:33.66\00:26:36.49
these beings,
these angelic beings
00:26:36.52\00:26:39.13
procreating with
women of the earth."
00:26:39.16\00:26:40.93
That's not the context.
00:26:40.96\00:26:42.30
It's simply saying
as John just alluded to,
00:26:42.33\00:26:45.60
the line of men who honored God.
00:26:45.63\00:26:52.61
All of a sudden, they
began to choose women.
00:26:52.64\00:26:56.34
To look elsewhere. Elsewhere.
00:26:56.38\00:26:57.88
They're attracted to
these beautiful women out there.
00:26:57.91\00:27:00.45
And you find, as long
as they remain independent,
00:27:00.48\00:27:05.25
then the godliness of
the society was maintained,
00:27:05.29\00:27:11.33
and that's why you
find in the New Testament
00:27:11.36\00:27:13.19
the Bible says, "Do not
be unequally yoked together
00:27:13.23\00:27:16.20
with the unbelievers."
00:27:16.23\00:27:17.57
The evidences of what happened
00:27:17.60\00:27:19.03
goes all the way back
to just before the flood.
00:27:19.07\00:27:21.90
Most of the time
evil corrupts good.
00:27:21.94\00:27:23.30
That's right.
00:27:23.34\00:27:24.67
Good doesn't often
convert and change evil.
00:27:24.71\00:27:26.74
That's right.
00:27:26.78\00:27:28.11
And so it's just the case
00:27:28.14\00:27:29.48
that when they
began to look elsewhere,
00:27:29.51\00:27:30.85
that's what happen.
00:27:30.88\00:27:32.21
You know, a little Bible thing,
00:27:32.25\00:27:33.58
you know, when we
look at stuff sometimes
00:27:33.62\00:27:34.95
how we have these epiphanies,
00:27:34.98\00:27:36.32
we see something we
haven't seen before?
00:27:36.35\00:27:37.69
You tell me if
I'm right on this.
00:27:37.72\00:27:39.05
Okay. Look at verse 4.
00:27:39.09\00:27:42.72
It says as a statement,
00:27:42.76\00:27:44.16
"There were giants on
the earth in those days,"
00:27:44.19\00:27:46.23
do you see that?
00:27:46.26\00:27:47.60
Yes. So Genesis 6:4. Yes.
00:27:47.63\00:27:50.37
And notice this word,
00:27:50.40\00:27:51.90
"And afterward
when the sons of God
00:27:51.93\00:27:55.37
came into the daughters of men,
00:27:55.40\00:27:56.74
they bore children to them."
00:27:56.77\00:27:58.14
The giants were before.
00:27:58.17\00:28:00.01
That's right.
00:28:00.04\00:28:02.11
The statement that there
were giants is merely a fact.
00:28:02.14\00:28:04.48
Right.
00:28:04.51\00:28:05.85
This is Moses writing
Genesis, and in Moses day,
00:28:05.88\00:28:08.52
when he wrote this,
there weren't giants.
00:28:08.55\00:28:10.82
No.
00:28:10.85\00:28:12.25
But back then,
prior to the flood,
00:28:12.29\00:28:14.39
everybody was huge, and
he was stating that fact.
00:28:14.42\00:28:17.69
He was simply stating the fact.
00:28:17.73\00:28:19.66
And so I looked at that
and I said, you know what,
00:28:19.69\00:28:21.90
some people try to connect this,
00:28:21.93\00:28:23.26
they say, "Well, the children
that were born to these angels,
00:28:23.30\00:28:29.44
a superhuman race were giants."
00:28:29.47\00:28:31.64
No, it doesn't say that.
00:28:31.67\00:28:33.01
Actually, it
says there were giants
00:28:33.04\00:28:34.38
before that ever happened.
00:28:34.41\00:28:37.31
And the thing that happened
was not this superhuman race,
00:28:37.35\00:28:40.25
it was simply God's line of
people began to be attracted
00:28:40.28\00:28:44.75
and marry,
intermarry with Cain's line,
00:28:44.79\00:28:48.16
and that created corruption,
great corruption on the earth.
00:28:48.19\00:28:51.33
That's why I'm glad.
00:28:51.36\00:28:52.79
There were giants in
the earth in those days
00:28:52.83\00:28:54.46
and also after afterward.
00:28:54.50\00:28:56.23
Yeah. Before and after.
00:28:56.26\00:28:58.67
Yeah. Well, thank you.
00:28:58.70\00:29:00.04
All right, but just
to kind of give a support
00:29:00.07\00:29:03.51
to that statement
about evil company,
00:29:03.54\00:29:06.27
1 Corinthians
15:33, "Do not be deceived,
00:29:06.31\00:29:09.41
evil company
corrupts good habits."
00:29:09.44\00:29:11.71
There we go.
00:29:11.75\00:29:13.08
Hang around bad people,
somewhere along the way,
00:29:13.11\00:29:15.85
they rub off on you,
and you become bad too,
00:29:15.88\00:29:17.82
bad to the bone.
00:29:17.85\00:29:19.22
Yeah, that's why we're
called to share our faith
00:29:19.25\00:29:23.89
and to confess Christ
00:29:23.93\00:29:25.26
before people who are corrupted,
00:29:25.29\00:29:27.96
but yet when there's no desire
00:29:28.00\00:29:29.33
or interest on
their part, move on.
00:29:29.36\00:29:31.87
And there should be no desire
on our part to be like them
00:29:31.90\00:29:35.60
but to reflect Christ.
00:29:35.64\00:29:37.27
Well, thank you for
your questions and comments
00:29:37.31\00:29:38.81
that you've shared with us.
00:29:38.84\00:29:40.38
And we do appreciate that.
00:29:40.41\00:29:43.08
If you have any more questions
you'd like to send to us,
00:29:43.11\00:29:45.05
send them to the
following email address
00:29:45.08\00:29:47.08
housecalls@3abn.org,
00:29:47.12\00:29:48.95
that's housecalls@3abn.org.
00:29:48.98\00:29:53.05
Thank you so much.
00:29:53.09\00:29:55.02
John, you've been
doing a great job so far.
00:29:55.06\00:29:56.96
I don't think I need
to interrupt the process.
00:29:56.99\00:29:59.59
Go ahead and tell...
00:29:59.63\00:30:01.93
I mean, this is what you've
studied into significantly,
00:30:01.96\00:30:04.60
and I think, I
greatly appreciate that.
00:30:04.63\00:30:07.37
Well, and I know it's great
to talk about this with you
00:30:07.40\00:30:09.67
because you've done a lot of
study yourself on this topic,
00:30:09.70\00:30:11.87
and so it's always nice
00:30:11.91\00:30:13.24
to kind of share
thoughts and ideas
00:30:13.27\00:30:14.61
which is what we're doing,
00:30:14.64\00:30:15.98
and hopefully,
encouraging people
00:30:16.01\00:30:17.55
to reconsider, to return,
00:30:17.58\00:30:20.72
and reenergize their walk
with Christ as disciples of His.
00:30:20.75\00:30:24.49
That's right.
00:30:24.52\00:30:25.85
And so that's what
we're talking about.
00:30:25.89\00:30:27.22
We mentioned at the
end of the last program
00:30:27.26\00:30:28.82
that this time we're
going to talk about something
00:30:28.86\00:30:31.39
that Jesus said to
the woman at the well
00:30:31.43\00:30:34.56
that He not only was
saying for her benefit
00:30:34.60\00:30:37.27
but I also believe that
00:30:37.30\00:30:38.63
He was trying to teach
the disciples something
00:30:38.67\00:30:40.50
in the
interaction with the woman
00:30:40.54\00:30:41.87
that He met at the well.
00:30:41.90\00:30:44.31
And there are several things
obviously in their discussion,
00:30:44.34\00:30:48.11
but one thing that
He really brought out
00:30:48.14\00:30:49.64
that I thought that was key here
00:30:49.68\00:30:51.88
and it applies to
disciples of Christ.
00:30:51.91\00:30:56.25
He says that
there is coming a time
00:30:56.28\00:30:58.55
and there are already is,
00:30:58.59\00:31:00.56
when true worshipers
00:31:00.59\00:31:02.19
will worship the
Father in spirit and in truth.
00:31:02.22\00:31:07.10
A statement that He was making
to the woman after a discussion
00:31:07.13\00:31:10.70
where they were
differing on their opinion,
00:31:10.73\00:31:14.24
their teaching,
00:31:14.27\00:31:15.97
on where the true
mountain is to worship on.
00:31:16.00\00:31:20.24
The Samaritans on Mount Gerizim
00:31:20.28\00:31:23.95
and then the
Jews on Mount Moriah
00:31:23.98\00:31:26.72
or the temple mount there.
00:31:26.75\00:31:29.78
So you have this disagreement
and Jesus enters in and says,
00:31:29.82\00:31:32.42
"Wait a minute.
00:31:32.45\00:31:33.79
There's coming a time,
00:31:33.82\00:31:35.16
in fact it's
already beginning to happen,
00:31:35.19\00:31:36.59
where true worshipers
will worship the Father
00:31:36.62\00:31:38.39
in spirit and truth."
00:31:38.43\00:31:40.16
The Disciples of
Christ, all of us,
00:31:40.20\00:31:42.13
are called to be
worshippers of God.
00:31:42.16\00:31:43.50
That's right.
00:31:43.53\00:31:44.87
So clearly,
disciples are the worshippers,
00:31:44.90\00:31:46.33
He is referring to here.
00:31:46.37\00:31:49.00
This balance of
spirit and truth,
00:31:49.04\00:31:51.41
I have spent a lot of
time studying for a while
00:31:51.44\00:31:54.38
in preparation for a sermon
00:31:54.41\00:31:55.74
that I also spent some
time preaching for a while.
00:31:55.78\00:31:58.21
And I thought it
was, had some real,
00:31:58.25\00:32:01.68
had a real impact
or at least application
00:32:01.72\00:32:03.79
for the church
as we know it today.
00:32:03.82\00:32:07.96
It is a statement of
balance, first of all.
00:32:07.99\00:32:12.13
God is looking
for true worshippers
00:32:12.16\00:32:13.56
who worship in
spirit and in truth.
00:32:13.60\00:32:16.06
That's right.
00:32:16.10\00:32:17.43
It's not those who
worship in spirit or truth,
00:32:17.47\00:32:20.47
it's not pick one or the other.
00:32:20.50\00:32:21.90
It's kind of like
the fruit of the Spirit,
00:32:21.94\00:32:23.27
I've heard you
say numerous times
00:32:23.30\00:32:24.67
this isn't a
smorgasbord of fruit.
00:32:24.71\00:32:26.34
All right.
00:32:26.37\00:32:27.71
You know, when you
receive the Holy Spirit,
00:32:27.74\00:32:29.41
you begin to experience
all the fruit of the Spirit.
00:32:29.44\00:32:32.48
Very good point
I want to bring up
00:32:32.51\00:32:33.85
because a lot of
times people say,
00:32:33.88\00:32:36.35
well, then how many fruit
00:32:36.38\00:32:39.69
did Adam and Eve partake of
in order to lead us into sin?
00:32:39.72\00:32:43.49
One.
00:32:43.53\00:32:45.46
So with that one
fruit that lead us into sin,
00:32:45.49\00:32:47.83
one fruit begins to
manifest righteousness.
00:32:47.86\00:32:50.80
The fruit of the
Spirit is love, joy, peace,
00:32:50.83\00:32:53.94
longsuffering,
gentleness, meekness, patience,
00:32:53.97\00:32:56.07
you don't say, "Well, oh, I
got to get the patient fruit.
00:32:56.10\00:33:00.41
I got to get
some meekness fruits."
00:33:00.44\00:33:02.21
No, it all comes in
the singular package.
00:33:02.24\00:33:03.81
It all comes together.
00:33:03.85\00:33:05.18
The gift, that fruit that
comes from the Holy Spirit.
00:33:05.21\00:33:07.22
Yeah, yeah.
00:33:07.25\00:33:08.58
So when Jesus is
saying spirit and in truth,
00:33:08.62\00:33:10.49
he's talking
about looking for people
00:33:10.52\00:33:11.99
that are going to do both.
00:33:12.02\00:33:13.39
Right.
00:33:13.42\00:33:14.76
I did some studying of a word,
00:33:14.79\00:33:16.12
and you'll find truth
paired with another word
00:33:16.16\00:33:21.06
in the Old
Testament numerous times,
00:33:21.10\00:33:22.90
it's over and over again.
00:33:22.93\00:33:24.50
In fact it is likely this is
what Jesus was alluding to here
00:33:24.53\00:33:27.90
when he spoke of
spirit and truth.
00:33:27.94\00:33:30.11
Now the spirit obviously is
a reference to the Holy Spirit,
00:33:30.14\00:33:32.61
but what is He meaning
by worshipping in spirit.
00:33:32.64\00:33:35.41
Well, if you look
at the Old Testament,
00:33:35.44\00:33:36.78
the word that comes up
almost always paired with truth
00:33:36.81\00:33:39.71
is the word mercy, mercy.
00:33:39.75\00:33:44.82
What I have said in churches
00:33:44.85\00:33:46.19
that I have pastored as whether
00:33:46.22\00:33:48.19
it's during the
interview process
00:33:48.22\00:33:49.62
or maybe during
the visioning process
00:33:49.66\00:33:51.69
is that I would
like to make our,
00:33:51.73\00:33:53.09
to help our
churches and our members
00:33:53.13\00:33:56.46
instead of judging others
00:33:56.50\00:33:58.83
and extending
mercy to themselves,
00:33:58.87\00:34:01.07
I like to reverse that
00:34:01.10\00:34:02.44
and begin to have
them judge themselves
00:34:02.47\00:34:04.51
and extend mercy to others.
00:34:04.54\00:34:05.97
Good point. Say
that one more time.
00:34:06.01\00:34:07.91
Instead of judging others
and extending mercy to myself,
00:34:07.94\00:34:11.75
I need to be judging myself
and extending mercy to others.
00:34:11.78\00:34:15.65
My job is not to judge
others, the Bible is very clear,
00:34:15.68\00:34:18.25
let a man judge himself.
00:34:18.29\00:34:19.75
Himself.
00:34:19.79\00:34:21.12
So biblically, in the church
00:34:21.16\00:34:22.89
we need to not be
looking at the person
00:34:22.92\00:34:24.53
across us in the aisle,
00:34:24.56\00:34:26.09
we need to be
looking at our self
00:34:26.13\00:34:27.70
and examining our own life.
00:34:27.73\00:34:29.96
So in this respect,
worship in the spirit
00:34:30.00\00:34:32.63
if you connect it
with the Old Testament
00:34:32.67\00:34:34.00
in regard to mercy and truth
00:34:34.04\00:34:36.60
that have met together,
00:34:36.64\00:34:38.27
there's this clear balance
00:34:38.31\00:34:39.74
that's established
between spirit and truth.
00:34:39.77\00:34:43.41
I mean, the Old
Testament being mercy and truth.
00:34:43.45\00:34:47.62
Mercy and justice are both
parts of the character of God.
00:34:47.65\00:34:53.05
It is conflicted in this world.
00:34:53.09\00:34:55.46
We often think of mercy
00:34:55.49\00:34:56.83
as being not
justice necessarily,
00:34:56.86\00:34:59.46
but in God's eyes,
00:34:59.49\00:35:00.83
He can extend mercy to
someone yet be just as well
00:35:00.86\00:35:03.26
because God through
Christ paid the price
00:35:03.30\00:35:06.53
for that individual.
00:35:06.57\00:35:07.97
I can tell you, you
want to say something here,
00:35:08.00\00:35:09.50
so feel free to
jump right in any time,
00:35:09.54\00:35:11.57
but these two
things are very important
00:35:11.61\00:35:13.64
in the life of the disciples.
00:35:13.68\00:35:15.01
You know, mercy
is what a person asks
00:35:15.04\00:35:17.48
for when he knows
00:35:17.51\00:35:19.91
or she knows
that they're guilty.
00:35:19.95\00:35:22.88
Yeah.
00:35:22.92\00:35:24.25
Justice is what a person asks
00:35:24.29\00:35:25.62
for when they
know they're innocent,
00:35:25.65\00:35:27.72
"I demand justice."
00:35:27.76\00:35:29.09
That's a good point.
00:35:29.12\00:35:30.46
You don't get arrested
and say "I demand justice."
00:35:30.49\00:35:33.29
Right.
00:35:33.33\00:35:34.66
We got
videotape, we got evidence.
00:35:34.70\00:35:37.13
You got to convict yourself.
00:35:37.17\00:35:38.50
You know, you
don't demand justice.
00:35:38.53\00:35:41.27
If you're guilty, you
plead, you don't demand mercy,
00:35:41.30\00:35:45.31
you plead for mercy.
00:35:45.34\00:35:47.04
That somebody
says throw yourself
00:35:47.08\00:35:48.51
upon the mercy of the court.
00:35:48.54\00:35:50.11
Yeah.
00:35:50.15\00:35:51.48
And so mercy is something that,
00:35:51.51\00:35:52.91
I love that when the
Bible says that the Lord has,
00:35:52.95\00:35:55.52
"Let your loving
kindness, your tender mercies,
00:35:55.55\00:36:00.02
do not withhold your
tender mercies from me.
00:36:00.06\00:36:03.36
Let your loving
kindness and your truth
00:36:03.39\00:36:06.09
continually preserve me."
00:36:06.13\00:36:08.13
And that is in
Psalm 40:11. Yeah.
00:36:08.16\00:36:10.47
So, yes, praise God for
the mercy and for the truth,
00:36:10.50\00:36:14.14
but now we go to the
spirit and the truth,
00:36:14.17\00:36:16.24
and you bring it out
when you taught about that.
00:36:16.27\00:36:18.17
And so the spirit
really is talking there
00:36:18.21\00:36:20.31
also about the
spirit in which we live,
00:36:20.34\00:36:22.88
it's the life in
Christ that we have
00:36:22.91\00:36:24.98
and the transformation
that happens in us personally.
00:36:25.01\00:36:27.45
The truth is more of the
intellectual aspect of it,
00:36:27.48\00:36:29.98
how we follow the truth,
00:36:30.02\00:36:31.35
how we want to walk in His ways.
00:36:31.39\00:36:32.95
And so I want to
cover in this program
00:36:32.99\00:36:35.12
both of these aspects in
the life of the disciple.
00:36:35.16\00:36:38.26
And then in the last
program that we have,
00:36:38.29\00:36:40.03
we're going to look at
the disciple making church,
00:36:40.06\00:36:41.63
how do we organize or
how does a church organize
00:36:41.66\00:36:45.47
and structure itself
00:36:45.50\00:36:46.84
so that it is
conducive for making disciples
00:36:46.87\00:36:49.67
and growing
people in discipleship.
00:36:49.70\00:36:51.07
Okay.
00:36:51.11\00:36:52.44
And so we'll look at
that in the next program,
00:36:52.47\00:36:53.81
the one that we finish up with.
00:36:53.84\00:36:55.24
But let's take look at this.
00:36:55.28\00:36:57.98
I'm going to read
from, let's see here.
00:36:58.01\00:37:03.49
First of all, I like
what you said a program
00:37:03.52\00:37:06.25
before that we had done.
00:37:06.29\00:37:07.62
I don't remember
which one it was,
00:37:07.66\00:37:08.99
but you mentioned something
00:37:09.02\00:37:10.36
and it was in
regard to the Holy Spirit.
00:37:10.39\00:37:11.73
That's what it was.
00:37:11.76\00:37:13.09
We were talking
about the Trinity
00:37:13.13\00:37:14.46
and the Holy
Spirit, and you said this,
00:37:14.50\00:37:15.83
and I agree
emphatically with it.
00:37:15.86\00:37:19.63
First, the Holy
Spirit works with us.
00:37:19.67\00:37:23.57
Or works on us?
00:37:23.61\00:37:24.94
Well, either way, I
mean whatever word you want,
00:37:24.97\00:37:26.68
he's either with
you, working with you,
00:37:26.71\00:37:29.08
or working on you.
00:37:29.11\00:37:30.45
Then he works in you.
00:37:30.48\00:37:32.15
Exactly.
00:37:32.18\00:37:33.62
And then He works through you.
00:37:33.65\00:37:35.35
That's right.
00:37:35.38\00:37:36.72
So before you come to Christ,
He is there, he's with you,
00:37:36.75\00:37:41.49
working on your conscience,
00:37:41.52\00:37:42.86
that's where the on
and the with comes about,
00:37:42.89\00:37:45.23
He's working,
but He's not in you.
00:37:45.26\00:37:47.36
In fact, with Jesus
when he told the disciples
00:37:47.40\00:37:50.03
to pray for the
Holy Spirit in John 14,
00:37:50.07\00:37:52.33
He said to the
disciples right there,
00:37:52.37\00:37:54.44
"He is with you, but will
be," future tense, " in you."
00:37:54.47\00:37:58.44
That's right.
00:37:58.47\00:37:59.81
So He spoke very
specifically on that
00:37:59.84\00:38:01.54
His desire was that the
Holy Spirit would receive,
00:38:01.58\00:38:04.35
Jesus would receive,
00:38:04.38\00:38:05.71
or the disciples would
receive the Holy Spirit in them.
00:38:05.75\00:38:07.95
And I think Acts 5:39,
00:38:07.98\00:38:11.32
let me look that
up because Peter says,
00:38:11.35\00:38:15.22
"The Lord gives His Spirit,"
00:38:15.26\00:38:16.59
look at one turn
to the Book of Acts.
00:38:16.62\00:38:19.09
I like my old Bible, here it is.
00:38:19.13\00:38:22.33
Acts 5:32,
00:38:22.36\00:38:24.90
"And we are His
witnesses to these things
00:38:24.93\00:38:27.57
and so also is the Holy Spirit
00:38:27.60\00:38:30.87
whom God has given
to those who obey Him."
00:38:30.91\00:38:34.64
Yes, those who have
responded to the gospel
00:38:34.68\00:38:36.34
and have decided to
follow him with their life,
00:38:36.38\00:38:39.35
they receive the Holy Spirit.
00:38:39.38\00:38:40.72
That's right,
when they obey Him.
00:38:40.75\00:38:42.08
And then He works through us,
00:38:42.12\00:38:43.55
okay, so there's
these few aspects,
00:38:43.59\00:38:46.02
these several
aspects of the Spirit's
00:38:46.05\00:38:47.66
work in our life.
00:38:47.69\00:38:49.06
And again, we're,
talking about the Spirit now.
00:38:49.09\00:38:50.59
We'll get to the
truth here shortly.
00:38:50.63\00:38:53.70
But let me read
something, this is from Ezekiel,
00:38:53.73\00:38:56.10
and I think there's
probably no greater verse
00:38:56.13\00:38:59.00
in all of scripture with,
00:38:59.03\00:39:02.27
maybe the exception of John
Chapter 3 of being born again,
00:39:02.30\00:39:05.57
that speaks of conversion.
00:39:05.61\00:39:06.94
Okay.
00:39:06.98\00:39:08.31
I think it's probably
a companion for John 3
00:39:08.34\00:39:10.25
in the Old Testament.
00:39:10.28\00:39:11.61
It's Ezekiel
00:39:11.65\00:39:13.08
Chapter 36:25-28
here's what it says.
00:39:13.11\00:39:18.45
"Then I will
sprinkle clean water on you
00:39:18.49\00:39:21.12
and you shall be clean."
00:39:21.16\00:39:22.49
Thirty-five what?
00:39:22.52\00:39:23.89
Ezekiel 35, 36:25.
00:39:23.93\00:39:27.86
Okay.
00:39:27.90\00:39:30.13
"I will cleanse you
from all your filthiness
00:39:30.17\00:39:32.53
from all your idols.
00:39:32.57\00:39:34.70
I will give you a new heart
00:39:34.74\00:39:36.07
and put a new
spirit within you."
00:39:36.10\00:39:37.61
That's the born again
experience right there
00:39:37.64\00:39:39.61
that Jesus talked about
when He spoke to Nicodemus.
00:39:39.64\00:39:42.84
"I will take the heart
of stone out of your flesh
00:39:42.88\00:39:44.98
and give you a heart of flesh.
00:39:45.01\00:39:46.55
I will put My Spirit within you
00:39:46.58\00:39:48.12
and cause you to
walk in my statutes."
00:39:48.15\00:39:51.55
Okay, there is the walking
in truth, do you see that?
00:39:51.59\00:39:54.26
Mm-hm.
00:39:54.29\00:39:55.62
"And you will keep my
judgments and do them,
00:39:55.66\00:39:58.63
then you shall dwell in the land
00:39:58.66\00:40:00.56
that I gave to your fathers,
00:40:00.60\00:40:02.66
you shall be my people,
and I will be your God."
00:40:02.70\00:40:06.84
Yeah, I just showed that
that's the in us process.
00:40:06.87\00:40:09.24
That is the in us process.
00:40:09.27\00:40:11.21
And the in us process
involves the transformation
00:40:11.24\00:40:16.21
by the Spirit of our heart,
00:40:16.24\00:40:19.01
which is the seat of
all of our motivations,
00:40:19.05\00:40:21.45
our actions, our
emotions, everything that comes.
00:40:21.48\00:40:25.69
In fact, I did a
study on heart and mind,
00:40:25.72\00:40:28.72
the heart appears 800
times in scripture, the mind 80.
00:40:28.76\00:40:34.96
Eighty? Eighty.
00:40:35.00\00:40:36.33
That's it? That's it.
00:40:36.36\00:40:38.20
By far, God weighs the heart
00:40:38.23\00:40:40.77
as the important
aspect to our conversion.
00:40:40.80\00:40:45.24
The heart has to be converted.
00:40:45.27\00:40:46.98
The mind is not quite enough
although both are involved,
00:40:47.01\00:40:51.18
that we first
began with the mind,
00:40:51.21\00:40:53.25
it must go down and
reach down to the heart
00:40:53.28\00:40:55.12
to change us within as well.
00:40:55.15\00:40:57.59
So the issues of the
heart may include the mind,
00:40:57.62\00:41:01.39
but the issues of the mind
00:41:01.42\00:41:02.76
don't necessarily
include the heart.
00:41:02.79\00:41:04.13
The heart, yes.
00:41:04.16\00:41:05.49
And the interchangeability
of both of those is important
00:41:05.53\00:41:07.96
because when you read Acts...
00:41:08.00\00:41:09.56
I mean, when you
read Hebrews 10:16,
00:41:09.60\00:41:12.73
the Lord puts His
laws into our minds
00:41:12.77\00:41:14.47
and writes them in our hearts.
00:41:14.50\00:41:15.84
You're thinking just like me.
00:41:15.87\00:41:17.21
That's where I was going
to go. It's exactly right.
00:41:17.24\00:41:18.87
So we find in the New Covenant
that it's the laws on our mind,
00:41:18.91\00:41:22.54
but it also
reaches down to our heart,
00:41:22.58\00:41:24.11
and what is it saying?
00:41:24.15\00:41:25.61
That is saying that with a mind,
00:41:25.65\00:41:27.35
the truth, I accept
that, I follow that,
00:41:27.38\00:41:29.52
but in spirit, it
has touched the heart,
00:41:29.55\00:41:31.39
it has
converted me, I'm changed.
00:41:31.42\00:41:33.59
Matter of fact, John,
00:41:33.62\00:41:35.42
talking about the
challenge of discipleship,
00:41:35.46\00:41:37.86
if we go to
Romans, look at Romans,
00:41:37.89\00:41:43.60
Romans 7.
00:41:43.63\00:41:45.83
This is
beautiful. It shows the mind.
00:41:45.87\00:41:49.64
This is verse 22, "For I delight
00:41:49.67\00:41:52.87
in the law of God
00:41:52.91\00:41:54.24
according to the inward
man, but I see," verse 23,
00:41:54.28\00:41:57.68
"another law in
my members warring
00:41:57.71\00:42:00.05
against the law of my mind
00:42:00.08\00:42:02.75
and bringing me into
captivity to the law of sin
00:42:02.78\00:42:05.52
which is in my members."
00:42:05.55\00:42:07.62
So, John, is...
00:42:07.66\00:42:08.99
I mean, Paul is
saying. Yeah, that's powerful.
00:42:09.02\00:42:11.73
That's powerful.
00:42:11.76\00:42:13.09
No, it's just, I mean,
the warring against the mind,
00:42:13.13\00:42:16.23
we determine to follow God here,
00:42:16.26\00:42:18.40
but if this isn't transformed,
we have no power to do it.
00:42:18.43\00:42:21.30
That's why he
says I see another law,
00:42:21.34\00:42:23.27
I see another law in me
warring against the law my mind.
00:42:23.30\00:42:26.64
And I think I delight
according to the inward man.
00:42:26.68\00:42:31.71
Yes.
00:42:31.75\00:42:33.08
He's not talking about an entity
00:42:33.11\00:42:34.45
running around saying,
00:42:34.48\00:42:35.82
"Hey, I'm so glad to be in here.
00:42:35.85\00:42:37.19
I'll leave whenever you
give me an opportunity."
00:42:37.22\00:42:38.99
He's talking
about the heart issues.
00:42:39.02\00:42:41.42
When things are deeply
seated, it's a heart issue.
00:42:41.46\00:42:44.79
Paul is saying, "My
heart is in the right place,
00:42:44.83\00:42:48.26
but there's a war
going on in my mind."
00:42:48.30\00:42:49.90
Yeah.
00:42:49.93\00:42:51.27
And as one preacher said,
00:42:51.30\00:42:52.63
the longest journey is
from the mind to the heart.
00:42:52.67\00:42:55.70
There you go. Oh,
that's a good point.
00:42:55.74\00:42:57.07
I haven't heard that one before.
00:42:57.11\00:42:58.44
That's good.
00:42:58.47\00:42:59.81
So when Jesus is
talking about spirit and truth
00:42:59.84\00:43:01.64
in the context of discipleship,
00:43:01.68\00:43:03.01
He's saying that I want
to reach not just your mind,
00:43:03.04\00:43:05.55
but I want to change your heart.
00:43:05.58\00:43:07.02
Now, John, and discipleship,
this is a powerful point
00:43:07.05\00:43:09.62
because many
people that join churches
00:43:09.65\00:43:11.62
join on the intellectual level.
00:43:11.65\00:43:13.72
Ah, that's
exactly my point, yeah.
00:43:13.76\00:43:16.52
They join, the Sabbath is true,
the state of the dead is true,
00:43:16.56\00:43:19.69
the sanctuary is
true, died is true,
00:43:19.73\00:43:22.70
what we should eat
and drink and wear,
00:43:22.73\00:43:24.43
true, true not,
you know, all these,
00:43:24.47\00:43:26.80
we often accept on the...
00:43:26.84\00:43:28.67
Prophecy is true, the
mark of the beast is true,
00:43:28.70\00:43:31.91
all these things,
we say intellectually,
00:43:31.94\00:43:34.04
we agree with the 28 points,
00:43:34.08\00:43:37.48
and we say we're converted.
00:43:37.51\00:43:39.55
No, we are not.
00:43:39.58\00:43:41.52
The intellectual assent
00:43:41.55\00:43:43.28
doesn't take us to discipleship.
00:43:43.32\00:43:45.22
The intellectual
assent takes us to agreement.
00:43:45.25\00:43:48.86
Right.
00:43:48.89\00:43:50.23
That's it,
agreement with God's Word,
00:43:50.26\00:43:51.63
with the truth of God's Word,
00:43:51.66\00:43:52.99
but it doesn't
bring us to conversion.
00:43:53.03\00:43:54.36
That's right.
00:43:54.40\00:43:55.73
When Peter was asked
on the day of Pentecost,
00:43:55.76\00:43:57.80
men and
brethren, what shall we do?
00:43:57.83\00:44:00.24
He said, "Repent
and be converted."
00:44:00.27\00:44:02.57
He didn't say
agree with the doctrines,
00:44:02.60\00:44:04.74
he said repent and be converted
until you are converted,
00:44:04.77\00:44:08.04
agreement to the doctrines
00:44:08.08\00:44:09.41
will be just a set of
rules and regulations.
00:44:09.44\00:44:11.51
But when you are converted,
00:44:11.55\00:44:12.88
you can live in
harmony with that
00:44:12.91\00:44:14.25
because the Spirit of
God is working in your life
00:44:14.28\00:44:16.35
because you have been discipled,
00:44:16.38\00:44:18.22
you have come to the
point where as a disciple
00:44:18.25\00:44:20.66
you have denied the
natural part of you,
00:44:20.69\00:44:23.43
which says, "I
don't want to do that."
00:44:23.46\00:44:25.73
That's right.
00:44:25.76\00:44:27.10
And the part that brings
the greatest amount of effect
00:44:27.13\00:44:29.90
on the heart is
the relationship.
00:44:29.93\00:44:33.64
It's not the
intellectual understanding,
00:44:33.67\00:44:36.00
it's what coming and
drawing near to Christ
00:44:36.04\00:44:38.67
through prayer,
through walking with him,
00:44:38.71\00:44:41.34
through him converting the heart
00:44:41.38\00:44:44.58
because He loves us,
00:44:44.61\00:44:45.95
those are the
things that drive us
00:44:45.98\00:44:47.58
to want to do what
He's placed on our heart.
00:44:47.62\00:44:51.29
Listen to this
text, powerful text
00:44:51.32\00:44:53.09
from 1 Thessalonians or
2 Thessalonians 2:13-15.
00:44:53.12\00:44:59.03
2 Thessalonians 2:13-15. Okay.
00:44:59.06\00:45:03.13
Now we're going to
begin to transition to truth,
00:45:03.16\00:45:05.13
but I want to use this as
a transition text for that
00:45:05.17\00:45:07.30
to talking about truth.
00:45:07.34\00:45:08.67
Okay.
00:45:08.70\00:45:10.04
"But we are bound
to give thanks to God
00:45:10.07\00:45:11.41
always for you,
brethren beloved by the Lord,
00:45:11.44\00:45:15.11
because God from the beginning
chose you for salvation
00:45:15.14\00:45:19.41
through sanctification
by the Spirit and..."
00:45:19.45\00:45:24.75
What? "Belief in the
truth." "Belief in the truth."
00:45:24.79\00:45:27.39
There you are, both
hand in hand yet again.
00:45:27.42\00:45:29.59
Okay.
00:45:29.62\00:45:30.96
"Sanctification by the Spirit,"
00:45:30.99\00:45:32.33
sanctification is
that inner transformation
00:45:32.36\00:45:34.13
that happens, "and
belief in the truth,"
00:45:34.16\00:45:36.53
that's the
mental, the understanding,
00:45:36.56\00:45:37.90
the cognitive
ability to understand truth
00:45:37.93\00:45:40.07
and to desire to
walk in His ways,
00:45:40.10\00:45:43.27
"to which He
called you by our gospel
00:45:43.30\00:45:45.47
for the obtaining of the
glory of our Lord Jesus Christ,
00:45:45.51\00:45:48.38
therefore, brethren, stand
fast and hold to the traditions
00:45:48.41\00:45:51.81
which you were taught
00:45:51.85\00:45:53.18
whether by
word, or our epistle."
00:45:53.21\00:45:56.45
That's a powerful one,
I'm writing it down now.
00:45:56.48\00:45:58.35
All right, so you'll see, again,
00:45:58.39\00:46:00.49
you'll find
throughout the New Testament
00:46:00.52\00:46:02.16
this pairing of
Spirit and truth,
00:46:02.19\00:46:05.23
intellectual understanding
and acceptance of that,
00:46:05.26\00:46:07.96
a desire, a
commitment to follow it,
00:46:08.00\00:46:09.93
but yet requiring the
conversion that happens
00:46:09.96\00:46:12.77
from the Spirit of Christ in us,
00:46:12.80\00:46:14.44
changing our hearts.
00:46:14.47\00:46:15.84
That's why I said before I
think it was the last program
00:46:15.87\00:46:17.77
I said there are some
who are professing faith
00:46:17.81\00:46:20.64
and belief in the truth
who live like the devil.
00:46:20.68\00:46:23.91
It's because the
conversion of the heart
00:46:23.95\00:46:25.71
hasn't happened yet.
00:46:25.75\00:46:27.55
And I'll tell you, the
telltale sign to me, John,
00:46:27.58\00:46:30.22
that that has happened,
that's what's going on,
00:46:30.25\00:46:32.35
and you know this to be
true too, it's criticism.
00:46:32.39\00:46:36.16
Very good one.
00:46:36.19\00:46:37.53
A lack of humility
00:46:37.56\00:46:38.89
and an awareness
of one's own self
00:46:38.93\00:46:40.83
and a critical spirit,
00:46:40.86\00:46:42.20
that tells me right there
00:46:42.23\00:46:43.60
that more heart
conversion needs to happen.
00:46:43.63\00:46:46.63
Wow.
00:46:46.67\00:46:48.00
So when John... When John...
00:46:48.04\00:46:49.87
Look at this.
00:46:49.90\00:46:51.24
Oh, boy, I tell you,
00:46:51.27\00:46:52.61
the sanctifying
process is a huge one.
00:46:52.64\00:46:55.31
The converting aspect of it,
00:46:55.34\00:46:56.68
which is in fact sanctification,
00:46:56.71\00:46:58.35
is pointed out in
John right here, John 17,
00:46:58.38\00:47:03.32
"Sanctify them by Your truth."
00:47:03.35\00:47:05.72
There you go.
00:47:05.75\00:47:07.09
"Your Word is truth."
00:47:07.12\00:47:08.46
When you gave me 2
Thessalonians 1:13,
00:47:08.49\00:47:10.43
sanctified, they're
sanctified by the truth.
00:47:10.46\00:47:13.73
By the Spirit
and truth. And truth.
00:47:13.76\00:47:16.43
And so, "Sanctify
them by Your truth,
00:47:16.46\00:47:18.97
Your Word is truth."
00:47:19.00\00:47:20.34
Yeah.
00:47:20.37\00:47:21.70
So the truth of God
that we are sanctified by
00:47:21.74\00:47:26.01
includes the work
of the Holy Spirit.
00:47:26.04\00:47:27.64
Yeah.
00:47:27.68\00:47:29.01
And the Word of God is an
instrumental part of that.
00:47:29.04\00:47:30.95
I don't want to diminish
the fact that what we believe,
00:47:30.98\00:47:33.25
what we read
doesn't have the power
00:47:33.28\00:47:35.02
to change our hearts, it does.
00:47:35.05\00:47:37.55
This is how God speaks to us.
00:47:37.59\00:47:38.99
He speaks to us
through His Word.
00:47:39.02\00:47:40.92
But the Holy Spirit
must also be present
00:47:40.96\00:47:43.76
to make the change in the heart.
00:47:43.79\00:47:45.49
Right.
00:47:45.53\00:47:46.86
And that's my
biggest point by saying
00:47:46.90\00:47:48.60
spirit and truth are both equal
00:47:48.63\00:47:51.33
and important aspects
of the conversion process
00:47:51.37\00:47:55.57
for any disciple of Christ.
00:47:55.60\00:47:57.67
Now I want to talk,
as of our time here,
00:47:57.71\00:48:00.01
I know we've only got
about 10 minutes here,
00:48:00.04\00:48:01.54
I want to talk about
the four aspects of truth
00:48:01.58\00:48:03.61
because when you read scripture,
00:48:03.65\00:48:04.98
you read the word
truth all the time.
00:48:05.01\00:48:06.58
All the time, it's always there.
00:48:06.61\00:48:08.25
But you have to read
the context to understand
00:48:08.28\00:48:10.59
what is being discussed,
what's being talked about
00:48:10.62\00:48:13.49
because there are
four kinds of truth.
00:48:13.52\00:48:16.99
I mean all of it is truth,
00:48:17.03\00:48:18.36
but there are
four contexts of truth
00:48:18.39\00:48:20.63
in the various
passages throughout scripture.
00:48:20.66\00:48:23.13
And Jesus does the
same thing with this.
00:48:23.16\00:48:24.83
But here are the four.
00:48:24.87\00:48:28.10
Jesus is the truth. Beautiful.
00:48:28.14\00:48:30.91
Okay, so He is
overarching the truth,
00:48:30.94\00:48:35.04
okay, Jesus also
taught the truth.
00:48:35.08\00:48:40.48
He spoke of the doctrines
that He taught His disciples,
00:48:40.52\00:48:43.42
and that's the
teaching of the truth.
00:48:43.45\00:48:48.12
Jesus lived the truth.
00:48:48.16\00:48:50.33
So He was our example, He
demonstrated what truth was.
00:48:50.36\00:48:53.16
And then lastly,
He healed with truth.
00:48:53.19\00:48:56.23
Truth has a healing component.
00:48:56.26\00:48:57.60
If it doesn't heal us inwardly,
00:48:57.63\00:49:00.70
it doesn't do us any good, okay?
00:49:00.74\00:49:02.60
That's right.
00:49:02.64\00:49:03.97
Now here's the interesting
thing about all four,
00:49:04.01\00:49:05.57
so the first one
Jesus is the truth,
00:49:05.61\00:49:07.28
this is relational.
00:49:07.31\00:49:08.64
This deals with the relationship
00:49:08.68\00:49:10.01
between us and God,
00:49:10.05\00:49:11.45
our perception of who God
is and who He is in Christ.
00:49:11.48\00:49:16.35
Jesus is, He
brings that to clarity.
00:49:16.38\00:49:21.12
He came to reveal the Father
for who the Father really was.
00:49:21.16\00:49:24.19
And He came to a dark world
who had misapprehension of God.
00:49:24.23\00:49:27.13
They really
didn't know who God was.
00:49:27.16\00:49:29.53
Jesus shows up, and He said,
00:49:29.56\00:49:30.90
"You've seen me,
you've seen the Father."
00:49:30.93\00:49:33.10
That's the relationship
that Christ was trying to heal
00:49:33.13\00:49:35.67
between Him and His people.
00:49:35.70\00:49:37.04
So in that way, He is the truth,
00:49:37.07\00:49:38.44
He's the example,
00:49:38.47\00:49:39.81
He's the overarching
truth brought to them.
00:49:39.84\00:49:41.18
Let me add something to that
00:49:41.21\00:49:42.54
before we move
on to the next one.
00:49:42.58\00:49:43.91
Yeah, go ahead.
00:49:43.95\00:49:45.28
Truth is important,
00:49:45.31\00:49:46.65
a lot of times in
the Christian world,
00:49:46.68\00:49:48.02
the word truth is often left out
00:49:48.05\00:49:49.38
because they
say, "What is truth?"
00:49:49.42\00:49:50.75
It's relational,
it's almost a psychobabble
00:49:50.79\00:49:52.12
that entered into the
psychological world of,
00:49:52.15\00:49:54.32
you know,
psychology and metaphysics
00:49:54.36\00:49:57.43
and all these
different types of isms
00:49:57.46\00:49:59.76
that are now being
taught in universities,
00:49:59.79\00:50:02.30
truth is in fact when you
read something in the Bible,
00:50:02.33\00:50:06.50
it reveals something about God,
it reveals a truth about Jesus.
00:50:06.53\00:50:13.38
If you say something
that Jesus didn't say,
00:50:13.41\00:50:18.21
then you distort the truth
00:50:18.25\00:50:20.52
and you distort
the picture of Jesus.
00:50:20.55\00:50:22.88
That's right.
00:50:22.92\00:50:24.25
So when people say
truth doesn't matter,
00:50:24.29\00:50:25.65
all that
matters is relationship,
00:50:25.69\00:50:27.76
well, you cannot have
relationship with Jesus
00:50:27.79\00:50:31.46
and ignore truth.
00:50:31.49\00:50:32.83
All the truths that we
share here on House Calls...
00:50:32.86\00:50:36.67
What we talk about,
00:50:36.70\00:50:38.03
all have an effect,
00:50:38.07\00:50:39.63
all have an effect
on how we view God.
00:50:39.67\00:50:42.80
Look at what Jesus said.
00:50:42.84\00:50:44.17
Just like even with
the subject of hell,
00:50:44.21\00:50:45.64
this is just a quick
one, just an example.
00:50:45.67\00:50:49.71
If you believe that God
will burn sinners in hell
00:50:49.74\00:50:52.91
forever and ever and ever,
00:50:52.95\00:50:55.32
indefinitely, writhing in pain,
00:50:55.35\00:50:57.79
your view of God
will be different
00:50:57.82\00:50:59.65
than if you
understand the Biblical truth
00:50:59.69\00:51:02.19
of God bringing the lake of fire
00:51:02.22\00:51:04.83
and consuming all people,
00:51:04.86\00:51:06.80
there is punishment,
yes, in that lake of fire,
00:51:06.83\00:51:09.26
but the fire goes out
00:51:09.30\00:51:10.63
when all that is consumed
00:51:10.67\00:51:12.00
that is going to
be consumed of sin
00:51:12.03\00:51:14.20
and the universe
will be at peace.
00:51:14.24\00:51:16.47
That's a different
view of God conceptually
00:51:16.50\00:51:18.74
than this eternal tormentor.
00:51:18.77\00:51:20.11
Completely.
00:51:20.14\00:51:21.48
And that's just one subject.
00:51:21.51\00:51:23.28
Every truth that we share here,
00:51:23.31\00:51:24.65
we share it because we're
concerned about who God is,
00:51:24.68\00:51:28.65
and as who He's in
as revealed in Jesus.
00:51:28.68\00:51:31.52
And so this relational
aspect of it which reveals us,
00:51:31.55\00:51:34.46
if somebody says,
I know John Stanton,
00:51:34.49\00:51:36.46
I know John Lomacang.
00:51:36.49\00:51:38.49
And then they say something
that doesn't measure up,
00:51:38.53\00:51:40.26
wait a minute, that's
not John, that's not Stanton.
00:51:40.30\00:51:44.73
And you say, "Are
you sure you know them?
00:51:44.77\00:51:47.54
Because, I mean, I've
known them for a long time
00:51:47.57\00:51:49.50
and that doesn't measure."
00:51:49.54\00:51:50.87
Matter of fact,
00:51:50.91\00:51:52.31
I entered into this doctrinal
controversy with someone
00:51:52.34\00:51:55.58
who got very upset about
00:51:55.61\00:51:56.95
and started spreading rumors
00:51:56.98\00:51:58.31
about my position about Jesus.
00:51:58.35\00:52:00.55
And people responded to
me on Facebook and said,
00:52:00.58\00:52:03.12
"You know, we've been getting
these messages in our inboxes
00:52:03.15\00:52:06.35
and we've been getting
these tags on our Facebook page
00:52:06.39\00:52:09.22
that are saying
you don't believe
00:52:09.26\00:52:10.66
that Jesus is the
divine Son of God."
00:52:10.69\00:52:13.80
And people have said,
"I know that's not true,
00:52:13.83\00:52:16.06
I just want you to know
what's going on out there.
00:52:16.10\00:52:17.60
I know you wouldn't say
that I have your sermons.
00:52:17.63\00:52:19.27
I have your teachings.
00:52:19.30\00:52:20.64
I've known you for
30 years as a pastor.
00:52:20.67\00:52:22.34
I know that's not true."
00:52:22.37\00:52:23.94
Here's what Jesus said,
00:52:23.97\00:52:25.64
and this is going back
to truth in relationship.
00:52:25.67\00:52:28.01
Jesus said in 1 John 2:3,
00:52:28.04\00:52:31.18
"Now by this we
know," that's relational,
00:52:31.21\00:52:33.88
"that we know
Him," that's relational,
00:52:33.92\00:52:36.22
"if we keep His commandments."
00:52:36.25\00:52:38.05
Now I want to
make that very clear.
00:52:38.09\00:52:39.45
The truth is commandments,
00:52:39.49\00:52:41.69
the relationship is,
I say "I know Jesus."
00:52:41.72\00:52:44.69
So if somebody says I know Jesus
00:52:44.73\00:52:47.13
but I am not going to
keep His commandments,
00:52:47.16\00:52:49.90
people say,
"You don't know him."
00:52:49.93\00:52:51.63
Right, that's right.
00:52:51.67\00:52:53.00
And then it goes in verse 4,
00:52:53.03\00:52:54.37
"He who says I
know Him," relationship,
00:52:54.40\00:52:56.60
"and does not
keep His commandments,"
00:52:56.64\00:52:58.34
truth, "is a liar and
the truth is not in Him."
00:52:58.37\00:53:01.54
You cannot know Him and
ignore His commandments.
00:53:01.58\00:53:03.91
That's right.
00:53:03.95\00:53:05.28
So that first step of
discipleship, John, is huge.
00:53:05.31\00:53:07.52
Jesus is the truth.
00:53:07.55\00:53:08.88
It is always relational.
00:53:08.92\00:53:10.39
Yeah, very much.
00:53:10.42\00:53:12.09
In fact, John 17:3.
00:53:12.12\00:53:13.62
Okay.
00:53:13.66\00:53:14.99
"This is eternal life
that they may know you..."
00:53:15.02\00:53:17.29
This is in Christ's
prayer to His Father.
00:53:17.33\00:53:19.13
"That they know
you in Jesus Christ
00:53:19.16\00:53:20.50
whom you have sent."
00:53:20.53\00:53:21.86
The only true
God in Jesus Christ
00:53:21.90\00:53:23.23
whom you have sent.
00:53:23.26\00:53:24.60
So you can't say I know
Him and ignore the truth.
00:53:24.63\00:53:26.97
That's right.
00:53:27.00\00:53:28.34
It's not
even... It doesn't jive.
00:53:28.37\00:53:29.94
Now we're talking about
Spirit, now we've transitioned,
00:53:29.97\00:53:33.17
we talked about the Spirit,
00:53:33.21\00:53:34.74
now we're
talking about truth here.
00:53:34.78\00:53:36.31
And the second aspect of truth
is that Jesus taught the truth.
00:53:36.34\00:53:40.62
So He is the truth,
00:53:40.65\00:53:41.98
but now He also
taught the truth,
00:53:42.02\00:53:43.49
and we find that
He has a doctrine.
00:53:43.52\00:53:44.85
That's right.
00:53:44.89\00:53:46.22
Very much so, he
spoke of the doctrine
00:53:46.25\00:53:48.42
that He gave His disciples.
00:53:48.46\00:53:50.73
And so in that respect,
the truth is also theological.
00:53:50.76\00:53:56.63
And so in fact,
00:53:56.67\00:53:59.77
Adventists know that very well
00:53:59.80\00:54:01.14
as we already mentioned, we
tend to be very intellectual
00:54:01.17\00:54:03.17
about how we accept
the truth and His word.
00:54:03.20\00:54:06.54
Then thirdly,
Jesus lived the truth,
00:54:06.57\00:54:08.94
He's our example.
00:54:08.98\00:54:10.91
We all heard that over
and over again, the adage,
00:54:10.95\00:54:13.28
"What would Jesus do?" Right.
00:54:13.31\00:54:14.85
And I think there's a
real good message in there.
00:54:14.88\00:54:18.69
Go to the example of
Christ, what did Jesus do
00:54:18.72\00:54:21.16
while He was here as
described in His Word?
00:54:21.19\00:54:23.32
Right.
00:54:23.36\00:54:24.69
And we can't go
wrong by following that.
00:54:24.73\00:54:27.03
That's why I'd like
to transition and state,
00:54:27.06\00:54:28.90
instead of saying
what would Jesus do,
00:54:28.93\00:54:31.00
I often say,
"What did Jesus do?"
00:54:31.03\00:54:32.97
Absolutely.
00:54:33.00\00:54:34.34
You know, not would, we
have to figure that out,
00:54:34.37\00:54:35.70
just look in His Word.
00:54:35.74\00:54:37.07
And that's why
theology, a very powerful word,
00:54:37.11\00:54:38.44
this is theological,
00:54:38.47\00:54:39.81
Jesus taught the truth
is the theological aspect,
00:54:39.84\00:54:41.88
relational then theological,
00:54:41.91\00:54:43.51
theology is the
study of the nature of God
00:54:43.55\00:54:46.28
and what we know
to be true about Him.
00:54:46.31\00:54:49.22
Yeah, yeah.
00:54:49.25\00:54:50.62
And then this third one,
00:54:50.65\00:54:51.99
Jesus having Him live the truth,
00:54:52.02\00:54:53.79
He lived it
with mission in mind.
00:54:53.82\00:54:55.19
That's right.
00:54:55.22\00:54:56.56
He was trying to
reach people, touch hearts,
00:54:56.59\00:54:58.36
grow disciples,
00:54:58.39\00:54:59.83
and then He asked His disciples,
00:54:59.86\00:55:01.20
in fact in John 14,
00:55:01.23\00:55:03.26
I can't
remember, verses 9 or 10,
00:55:03.30\00:55:04.63
right around there,
00:55:04.67\00:55:06.00
He says, "The works I do,
00:55:06.03\00:55:07.80
greater works
than these you will do
00:55:07.84\00:55:09.24
because I go to My Father."
00:55:09.27\00:55:11.17
So what He was saying there
00:55:11.21\00:55:12.84
is actually a bookend,
00:55:12.87\00:55:14.41
by the way, I should
have mentioned this earlier,
00:55:14.44\00:55:16.81
that passage is a
bookend to the Great Commission.
00:55:16.85\00:55:21.02
Here in the Upper Room,
He's saying greater works,
00:55:21.05\00:55:22.65
or the works I did,
greater works you'll do.
00:55:22.68\00:55:25.12
He's telling
what's going to happen,
00:55:25.15\00:55:26.49
and then in Matthew 28,
He commissions them to do it.
00:55:26.52\00:55:30.69
And the language in
both is identical almost.
00:55:30.73\00:55:34.46
It's amazing how
those things fit together.
00:55:34.50\00:55:36.06
I wish we had more time on that.
00:55:36.10\00:55:37.43
But adding to that,
speaking about missional,
00:55:37.47\00:55:39.63
Jesus said in John 4:34,
00:55:39.67\00:55:41.64
"My food is to do the will
of the Father that sent Me."
00:55:41.67\00:55:44.61
"This is My mission.
00:55:44.64\00:55:45.97
That's why I'm here." Yeah.
00:55:46.01\00:55:47.34
"Not my will, but
Your will be done."
00:55:47.38\00:55:48.78
This is My mission, His will.
00:55:48.81\00:55:50.35
Yeah, He was
always focused on mission.
00:55:50.38\00:55:52.38
And He wants His disciples
00:55:52.41\00:55:53.75
who live out the truth to
also be focused on the mission.
00:55:53.78\00:55:55.45
That's right.
00:55:55.48\00:55:56.82
And then lastly,
Jesus healed with truth.
00:55:56.85\00:55:58.79
King David said,
00:56:02.22\00:56:04.69
"Lord, I want truth
on the inward parts.
00:56:04.73\00:56:08.53
I want inward truth."
00:56:08.56\00:56:09.93
And what he was saying there
00:56:09.96\00:56:11.37
is that I want truth
that transforms my life,
00:56:11.40\00:56:14.24
I don't want it
just here intellectually,
00:56:14.27\00:56:15.97
I want it to come down
into my heart and settle there
00:56:16.00\00:56:18.47
and change the way I live,
00:56:18.51\00:56:20.41
change the way I see things,
00:56:20.44\00:56:22.11
change the way I view God,
00:56:22.14\00:56:23.71
change the way I view others,
00:56:23.75\00:56:25.21
I want this to
be transformative.
00:56:25.25\00:56:27.25
And if truth
doesn't get to that level,
00:56:27.28\00:56:29.38
the spirit is not
working with truth either.
00:56:29.42\00:56:31.69
That's right.
00:56:31.72\00:56:33.05
And so each of these
aspects is very important
00:56:33.09\00:56:34.99
when it comes to truth.
00:56:35.02\00:56:36.36
When we talk about
truth, what do you mean by that?
00:56:36.39\00:56:39.06
Because the
greatest truth is Jesus,
00:56:39.09\00:56:41.16
yet He did teach truth,
00:56:41.20\00:56:42.53
He had doctrines He
taught to His disciples,
00:56:42.56\00:56:44.67
He lived out His
truth as our example,
00:56:44.70\00:56:46.97
and He healed truth
because Jesus was holistic,
00:56:47.00\00:56:50.44
He didn't want to
just transform the mind
00:56:50.47\00:56:51.87
and the way you thought,
00:56:51.91\00:56:53.24
He wanted to
convert and change the heart
00:56:53.27\00:56:54.61
and the way you lived.
00:56:54.64\00:56:56.11
And so when Jesus
came to heal the blind man,
00:56:56.14\00:56:58.61
this holistic aspect
of it came down to truth,
00:56:58.65\00:57:01.22
John, the living of it,
00:57:01.25\00:57:03.25
"Do you believe
that I could do this?"
00:57:03.28\00:57:06.55
Yeah.
00:57:06.59\00:57:07.92
"Do you believe that
I could truly do this?"
00:57:07.96\00:57:09.29
And then he said, "Yes.
00:57:09.32\00:57:10.66
Yes, Lord."
00:57:10.69\00:57:12.03
When He ascended to the truth
of what Jesus was revealing,
00:57:12.06\00:57:14.66
healing came.
00:57:14.70\00:57:16.10
It's powerful, holistic.
00:57:16.13\00:57:17.57
For a last comment here,
I'd just like to say this.
00:57:17.60\00:57:19.47
We've read in
Spirit of Prophecy,
00:57:19.50\00:57:21.30
we see this, the
truth as it is in Jesus.
00:57:21.34\00:57:23.94
If you put that in quotes,
00:57:23.97\00:57:25.31
you'll find it
appear hundreds of times.
00:57:25.34\00:57:27.44
Here's what I
want to say about that.
00:57:27.48\00:57:28.81
In my study of
the different things
00:57:28.84\00:57:30.18
she says in regard to that,
00:57:30.21\00:57:31.68
the truth as it is in
Jesus is Christ-centered,
00:57:31.71\00:57:34.52
it's love-driven,
it's straightforward,
00:57:34.55\00:57:37.29
it's spirit-led,
it's life-changing.
00:57:37.32\00:57:39.42
Wow.
00:57:39.45\00:57:40.79
If it doesn't
fit that definition,
00:57:40.82\00:57:42.16
you don't have the
truth as it is in Jesus.
00:57:42.19\00:57:44.16
Wow, that was powerful.
00:57:44.19\00:57:45.53
You know, you could see
the passion here on this topic.
00:57:45.56\00:57:47.76
We thank you for tuning in
00:57:47.80\00:57:49.70
to this House Call
program about discipleship.
00:57:49.73\00:57:51.77
I think we'll
cover one more program
00:57:51.80\00:57:54.00
on this topic to seal it off
00:57:54.04\00:57:56.07
because God has
called each one of us
00:57:56.10\00:57:58.17
to be disciples of Christ.
00:57:58.21\00:58:00.21
We pray that you
respond to that call today.
00:58:00.24\00:58:03.11
God bless you.
00:58:03.14\00:58:04.48