(upbeat,
inspirational theme music)
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>>Welcome to "Sabbath School,"
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brought to you by It Is Written.
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We're delighted to have
you back again this week.
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This week is lesson number 12.
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We're closing in on the
very end of this quarter.
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We've covered a lot of ground,
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but there's yet
a little bit to go.
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And today we're looking
at a fascinating subject,
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the question of
the biblical worldview.
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What difference does it
make in our lives today,
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whether we believe
what the Bible teaches
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on this subject or not?
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Is it just
academic? Is it intellectual?
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Or is there some real-world
difference that it makes
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in our lives today? So,
"The Biblical Worldview,"
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we're delighted once again also
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to have back with
us Dr. Alberto Timm.
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He is the associate director
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of the Ellen G. White Estate,
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and we're delighted
to have you back again,
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also the author of
the Sabbath school lesson.
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Welcome back, Alberto.
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>>It's an honor
for me to be with you.
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>>So what about
the biblical worldview?
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What difference does it make?
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I'm gonna read a
couple of Bible passages here,
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and give me your
thoughts on these.
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I'm gonna start
with 1 John, chapter 3,
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beginning in verse number 1.
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In 1 John 3, verse, 1, it says,
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"Behold what manner of
love the Father has bestowed
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"on us, that we should
be called children of God!
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"Therefore the
world does not know us,
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"because it did not know Him.
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"Beloved, now we are
[the] children of God;
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"and it has not yet been
revealed what we shall be,
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"but we know that
when He is revealed,
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"we shall be like Him,
for we shall see Him as He is.
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"And everyone who
has this hope in Him
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purifies himself,
just as He is pure."
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And I wanna tack onto that
our memory text for this week,
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which is found in 1
Thessalonians, chapter 5, verse
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23: "Now may the God of peace
Himself sanctify you completely;
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"and may your whole spirit,
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"soul, and body be
preserved blameless
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at the coming of
our Lord Jesus Christ."
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Now, I'm not what I would
consider a biblical scholar,
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but it sounds like,
from these two verses,
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our lives should be
impacted by what we're studying.
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>>Actually, you don't
need to be a biblical scholar
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or a theologian to
understand the passages
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because those are very clear.
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In reality, our
hope for the future
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has a strong
impact on our lives today.
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Our understanding of human
nature has a impact in how we
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see the final
outcome of our lives as well.
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If I am just a grown-up animal,
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I can behave like some animals
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that are not so
friendly among themselves.
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But if I was created in
God's image and likeness,
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as the Bible says, and
that there is a purpose in life,
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and that I'm expecting
the glorious day of the Second
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Coming and live
eternity in heaven,
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it has a strong
impact in our lives today.
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I don't know what is your
political stand or whatever,
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but let's suppose that you
would receive in your place
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the most important
host that you ever received.
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I think that at least you
would try to clean your place
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and to make it look as
nice as possible before
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that host would arrive.
The same thing happens with us
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if we have a glorious outcome.
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And not only the
grave, we would try to live up
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to that standard that God has
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and would expect us to live in.
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Especially the
passage even says, of 1 John,
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that we will see Him.
So it's not a matter just
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of listening
about Him or something.
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No, we'll be in His presence.
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And that makes
all the difference.
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>>So, the knowledge that
Christ is returning soon,
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the knowledge
that we are responsible
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for how we
prepare in these verses,
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that this idea
should impact our lives.
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There is an idea also
floating around out there--
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probably a little more
prevalent than floating
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around out there--that
there's a difference,
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there are
different parts of your life,
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there's the spiritual
life, there's the physical life
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and that these are not
necessarily intertwined.
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Again, these
verses seem to indicate
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that that's not the case.
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>>Well, actually there are
some people that really believe
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that to be--the
spiritual life only counts
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when I go to mass
or to worship service
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at the church wherever I go.
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But my daily life
does not count so much
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because I have moments of
spirituality in a certain sense.
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But this is a wrong
idea because if we believe
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that a human body
is a whole, integrated,
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and not this idea
that--like, the Greek philosophy
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has really set a trend for it--
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that the material is bad;
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my body is bad, and my
soul is something to be redeemed
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and to be perfected. And
so for the Greek philosophers,
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it was through
philosophy itself,
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and for other ones,
by spiritual actions
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or whatever else
you you need to do
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for your spiritual life.
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But if the human
being is a whole, complete--
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and this is the biblical
view--everything counts of us
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as a human being and
all the time as well.
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>>And, y'know, that makes a
lot of sense when we compare it
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with everything else that
the Bible says on the subject.
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In fact, what comes to
mind is Christ's ministry.
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The Bible says that Christ
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went about preaching
and teaching and healing.
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So He was dealing
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with every part of the
whole person, wasn't He?
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>>Oh, definitely so.
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He Himself grew
in all these areas,
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in grace to God, to human
beings, in social, and so on.
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He had that kind
of integrated growth,
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and His ministry
was in this way as well.
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Otherwise I would say
that He should just preach.
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>>Yeah--
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>>And not teach
and heal. (laughs)
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>>But He did.
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He went about; He
preached; He taught; He healed.
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It was an integrated
ministry, an integrated life.
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And He changed the lives
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of the people that
He interacted with,
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not just on a spiritual level
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but on a physical
level as well, didn't He?
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>>Absolutely.
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Actually, in the early
part of His earthly ministry,
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He even performed more miracles,
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at least
according to the Gospels,
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because not everything is
being recorded in the Gospels.
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But from what we can see,
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He was performing more miracles
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and signs than
actually teaching so much.
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And the later part, he taught
more and a little bit less.
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I don't know if this is
a nice assessment to it,
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but at least
some alter suggested.
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But anyway, it
was a whole package.
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>>So that was 2,000 years ago.
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Now we live,
well, 2,000 years later,
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and these concepts
don't apply to someone
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that I never knew who
lived over in the Middle East,
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but now they apply to me.
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So, what about the
choices that I make,
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the decisions
that I make in my life?
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Is Christ concerned
about my spiritual life,
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my physical life,
my mental life as well,
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emotional--all of that together?
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>>Well, why
don't you read for us,
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because we have a passage,
I mean, a couple of passages
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that help to respond it.
And this is 1 Corinthians,
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chapter 6, verses 19 and 20,
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and then later on
1 Corinthians 10:31.
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>>All right, let's
take a look at those.
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This is 1
Corinthians 6, verses 19 and 20.
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Paul writes, "Or do you not know
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"that your body is the temple
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"of the Holy
Spirit who is in you,
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"whom you have from God,
and you are not your own?
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"For you were bought at a
price; therefore glorify God
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in your body and in your
spirit, which are God's."
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And I'm gonna go over to
that other verse you mentioned:
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1 Corinthians 10,
verse number 31, which says,
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"Therefore, whether you eat
or drink, or whatever you do,
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do all to the glory of God."
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So these passages
talk about us being, well,
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first of all, "bought with a
price" and then glorifying God
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in the way that
we live our lives.
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What is--talk a
little bit about that price
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and how we can glorify Him.
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>>Of course, the price, I
would say we were created--
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first of all, we belong
to the Lord by creation,
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but the price of our
redemption was the death
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of Christ on the
cross of Calvary.
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And He not only died for us;
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He lived a life of suffering.
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And so when I accept Christ,
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I don't accept only
His death on the cross.
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I accept also His
life that is placed
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in my place--in
other words, granted to me.
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But in this
case here, we believe
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that Paul was a apostle
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and inspired by the Holy Spirit.
He even said, stated here
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that our own body is a temple,
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so it does not replace
the heavenly sanctuary temple.
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So don't misunderstand me,
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because then you could go
to the other extreme saying,
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"Well, if I am a
temple, that's enough."
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No, that's not the case.
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It's not enough because
there is a real sanctuary temple
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in heaven where Jesus ministers.
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But at the same time,
Paul is clear saying that
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we are a temple, and as
such, we should take care of it.
00:10:40.67\00:10:45.04
And this, it not says only
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that whatever you eat or drink,
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but everything else
should be very much in place.
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In other words, if you have...
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a fancy car--is not my case,
00:10:59.89\00:11:03.29
but maybe you have a fancy car--
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you would not put
the cheapest oil there
00:11:05.76\00:11:09.23
or whatever in it, or the fuel,
00:11:09.23\00:11:12.03
the one that's not the best one.
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You would try to do the
best to keep it running well.
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And so, to the standard,
the same thing is this.
00:11:17.94\00:11:21.54
Religion is not just a
matter of going to attend church
00:11:21.54\00:11:26.55
or mass or reading
the Bible, but it is
00:11:26.55\00:11:30.59
a whole, complete package,
00:11:30.59\00:11:34.46
all time of my life
in every circumstance.
00:11:34.46\00:11:39.46
So it does not mean that
I am okay with the church,
00:11:39.46\00:11:43.06
but I am not so honest in
my transactions, for instance.
00:11:43.06\00:11:47.37
No. Honesty should
be a characteristic,
00:11:47.37\00:11:51.61
in my understanding,
is a universal principle.
00:11:51.61\00:11:54.31
There is not
this matter of saying,
00:11:54.31\00:11:55.78
"Well, my
culture is not as honest
00:11:55.78\00:11:57.88
as other culture or this." No.
00:11:57.88\00:12:00.65
I think that there is
the culture of the kingdom
00:12:00.65\00:12:02.92
of heaven that
prevails above our own culture.
00:12:02.92\00:12:07.66
And in this case, I think
that that's the reason why
00:12:07.66\00:12:11.29
we should take care of
our bodies, of our mind,
00:12:11.29\00:12:16.26
our social dimension,
how we relate to other ones,
00:12:16.26\00:12:20.44
not only take care of ourselves
00:12:20.44\00:12:22.60
but also help to take
care of those who are in need.
00:12:22.60\00:12:26.51
So the gospel
itself is far broader
00:12:26.51\00:12:29.61
than some people believe.
00:12:29.61\00:12:33.01
>>So, Christianity,
then, is what we might call
00:12:33.01\00:12:36.58
a wholistic
faith--with a "W," W-H-O-L,
00:12:36.58\00:12:40.72
as opposed to H-O-L--a wholistic
faith that encapsulates
00:12:40.72\00:12:45.03
and encompasses
every aspect of our being,
00:12:45.03\00:12:48.13
what we say, where
we go, who we talk to,
00:12:48.13\00:12:51.00
how we interact with
people, our thoughts.
00:12:51.00\00:12:53.97
Every element of who we are
00:12:53.97\00:12:56.84
is part of the Christian walk.
00:12:56.84\00:12:59.57
And it's the biblical worldview.
00:12:59.57\00:13:02.28
It's the view that Christ had,
00:13:02.28\00:13:04.15
and hopefully it's
the view that we have.
00:13:04.15\00:13:05.98
I wanna encourage you, if
you are enjoying this study,
00:13:05.98\00:13:08.35
make sure you enjoy it even more
00:13:08.35\00:13:10.32
by picking up the companion
book to this quarter's lesson.
00:13:10.32\00:13:13.72
You can find it
at itiswritten.shop.
00:13:13.72\00:13:15.82
It's called "On Death,
Dying, and the Future Hope."
00:13:15.82\00:13:19.59
And it gives
greater and deeper insights
00:13:19.59\00:13:21.80
into what we've
been looking at this week
00:13:21.80\00:13:23.50
and will continue to
look at in the future.
00:13:23.50\00:13:26.00
We're going to be back
in just a couple of minutes
00:13:26.00\00:13:28.04
as we continue our look
at a biblical worldview.
00:13:28.04\00:13:31.01
We'll see you in just a moment.
00:13:31.01\00:13:32.41
(inspirational theme
music swells and ends)
00:13:32.41\00:13:35.54
>>[John Bradshaw] You
know that at It Is Written
00:13:36.88\00:13:38.58
we are serious about
studying the Word of God,
00:13:38.58\00:13:40.95
and we encourage you
to be serious as well.
00:13:40.95\00:13:43.72
Well, here's what you do
00:13:43.72\00:13:44.75
if you want to dig
deeper into God's Word.
00:13:44.75\00:13:46.86
Go to itiswritten.study
00:13:46.86\00:13:49.06
for the It Is Written
Bible Study Guides online,
00:13:49.06\00:13:52.03
25 in-depth Bible studies
that will take you through
00:13:52.03\00:13:54.83
the major
teachings of the Bible.
00:13:54.83\00:13:57.00
You'll be
blessed, and it's something
00:13:57.00\00:13:58.70
you'll want to tell
others about as well:
00:13:58.70\00:14:00.67
itiswritten.study.
00:14:00.67\00:14:02.24
Go further: itiswritten.study.
00:14:02.24\00:14:05.07
>>Thank you for remembering
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00:14:07.11\00:14:09.88
because of the kindness
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(upbeat,
inspirational theme music)
00:14:37.67\00:14:40.81
>>[Eric] Welcome
back to "Sabbath School,"
00:14:42.01\00:14:44.18
brought to you by It Is Written.
00:14:44.18\00:14:46.72
We are looking at
a biblical worldview,
00:14:46.72\00:14:49.32
how the topic that we've
been studying this quarter
00:14:49.32\00:14:52.29
impacts our lives in a real way,
00:14:52.29\00:14:54.86
especially as it pertains to
the future hope that we have.
00:14:54.86\00:14:59.93
So we just looked at how God
cares about our entire beings,
00:15:01.33\00:15:05.00
not just one
element of it or another,
00:15:05.00\00:15:07.37
but we are entire beings,
and all of that is important.
00:15:07.37\00:15:11.97
Included in that is our
thoughts, our mind, if you will.
00:15:13.38\00:15:18.38
And I want to
read a passage here
00:15:18.38\00:15:20.12
in 1 Corinthians,
chapter 2, verse 16.
00:15:20.12\00:15:23.02
And then, Alberto, I'm
gonna invite you to respond
00:15:23.02\00:15:25.62
to this a little bit and
draw it out a little more.
00:15:25.62\00:15:28.92
It says, "For 'who has
known the mind of [Him]
00:15:28.92\00:15:31.93
that he may instruct Him?
But we have the mind of Christ."
00:15:31.93\00:15:36.97
"We have the mind of Christ."
00:15:37.77\00:15:39.13
That's an interesting statement.
00:15:39.13\00:15:41.14
>>Oh yes, definitely so.
00:15:42.30\00:15:44.37
In reality, you will
see that in our culture,
00:15:44.37\00:15:48.58
in general--and the
Bible is not an exception--
00:15:48.58\00:15:51.65
there is the
reference to the heart
00:15:51.65\00:15:54.28
as being the center
of emotions and so on.
00:15:54.28\00:15:58.12
But when it mentions about this,
00:15:58.12\00:16:00.32
the heart is basically
the reference to the mind.
00:16:00.32\00:16:03.99
The mind is really the
capital or whatever, the engine
00:16:03.99\00:16:08.83
of whatever else
happens in our lives.
00:16:08.83\00:16:12.83
You will see that
we are what we think.
00:16:12.83\00:16:16.77
And so if you are
much exposed to things
00:16:16.77\00:16:20.51
that do not build up very much,
00:16:20.51\00:16:22.61
your thoughts
will be in that line.
00:16:22.61\00:16:25.11
So there is no reason
why it should be different.
00:16:25.11\00:16:29.48
Even you have two chapters
in the gospels; for instance,
00:16:29.48\00:16:32.85
you have Matthew 15,
00:16:32.85\00:16:35.19
and you have Mark 7 that
speaks that all kinds of evil
00:16:35.19\00:16:40.20
come from the heart,
from our most inner part.
00:16:40.20\00:16:45.23
So this is, to be, to
have the mind of Christ,
00:16:46.33\00:16:48.70
I think is to be exposed to that
00:16:48.70\00:16:51.64
that builds faith to have
a relationship with Christ.
00:16:51.64\00:16:55.51
And when we start our
journey with the Lord,
00:16:55.51\00:16:59.81
the tendency is that
God's will and my will
00:16:59.81\00:17:03.35
are in a, quite a struggle.
00:17:03.35\00:17:05.92
Does not mean that
we will come to a point
00:17:07.02\00:17:09.52
where there is no tension
because we have a human nature.
00:17:09.52\00:17:13.66
But what means spiritual life
00:17:13.66\00:17:16.53
is really to come as close
as possible, grow in Christ.
00:17:16.53\00:17:21.44
And like Paul says, I'm
forgetting stuff that is behind.
00:17:21.44\00:17:26.21
I move on to the
goal that I have.
00:17:26.21\00:17:30.28
And this gold--this
goal, sorry--is really
00:17:30.28\00:17:35.12
to be as close
to what Christ is.
00:17:35.12\00:17:38.95
And He's our only model.
00:17:38.95\00:17:41.99
And as Ellen White says,
we have only a perfect picture
00:17:41.99\00:17:46.70
or photograph of God,
and this is Jesus Christ.
00:17:46.70\00:17:49.76
So He is our model.
00:17:49.76\00:17:51.67
And as close as we
come to Him, imitating Him,
00:17:51.67\00:17:55.64
finally, our own
thoughts would be very much
00:17:55.64\00:17:59.61
in harmony, in line with Christ,
00:17:59.61\00:18:01.58
and this is the idea
of the Christian life,
00:18:01.58\00:18:04.08
and that has a
impact in society as well.
00:18:04.08\00:18:08.45
>>You know, one of my
favorite verses in the Bible is,
00:18:08.45\00:18:10.32
"Let this mind be in you
which was also in Christ Jesus."
00:18:10.32\00:18:14.86
That's His
desire, is that our minds
00:18:14.86\00:18:17.16
should reflect His mind;
they should be in harmony.
00:18:17.16\00:18:21.10
And there's a beautiful passage
here in the writings of Paul
00:18:21.10\00:18:24.30
that I think
illustrates that nicely.
00:18:24.30\00:18:26.84
Over in Philippians 4,
verse number 8, he says this:
00:18:26.84\00:18:30.84
"Finally, brethren,
whatever things are true,
00:18:30.84\00:18:34.28
"whatever things are
noble, whatever things are just,
00:18:34.28\00:18:38.35
"whatever things are pure,
whatever things are lovely,
00:18:38.35\00:18:42.42
"whatever things are of good
report, if there is any virtue
00:18:42.42\00:18:46.29
"and if there is
anything praiseworthy--
00:18:46.29\00:18:48.79
meditate on these things."
00:18:48.79\00:18:51.73
So the more that
we fill our minds
00:18:51.73\00:18:53.56
with those things
that are noteworthy
00:18:53.56\00:18:55.36
and praiseworthy and
true and honest and just,
00:18:55.36\00:18:59.37
the more our mind
begins to go in that direction.
00:18:59.37\00:19:03.37
And as Paul mentioned,
00:19:03.37\00:19:04.67
those things that are
behind tend to stay behind,
00:19:04.67\00:19:08.64
and we embrace those
things that are in front of us.
00:19:08.64\00:19:12.18
What do you
think about this verse
00:19:12.18\00:19:14.48
and the advice that
Paul gives, Alberto?
00:19:14.48\00:19:18.05
>>This is something
amazing, in my understanding,
00:19:18.05\00:19:21.06
for one simple reason.
The problem of many Christians
00:19:21.06\00:19:24.96
is that they expose themselves
00:19:24.96\00:19:27.13
to whatever is good
and whatever is wrong.
00:19:27.13\00:19:32.00
And the good excuse for
it is basically the idea
00:19:32.00\00:19:36.50
that, well, you have
to evaluate everything
00:19:36.50\00:19:41.51
and retain what is good.
00:19:41.51\00:19:43.21
Yes, but in this
process of exposing yourself
00:19:43.21\00:19:47.25
to things that are
not faith-uplifting
00:19:47.25\00:19:50.22
or that are
detrimental to faith,
00:19:50.22\00:19:52.69
you are being transformed also.
00:19:52.69\00:19:55.26
And in this case, I
will tell you that in reality
00:19:55.26\00:19:59.23
one of the most
significant principles,
00:19:59.23\00:20:03.87
in my understanding,
of the Christian life
00:20:03.87\00:20:07.54
is not that you
become naive now,
00:20:07.54\00:20:10.71
that you know what is going
on. Because, in other words,
00:20:10.71\00:20:14.18
then you would become,
like, living a skeptic life,
00:20:14.18\00:20:18.95
like in the ancient
times where people went
00:20:18.95\00:20:23.39
out of society to live
in a cloister or something.
00:20:23.39\00:20:27.89
That's not the idea.
00:20:27.89\00:20:30.19
We can live and we
should live in society,
00:20:30.19\00:20:33.13
but we should
not expose our mind
00:20:33.13\00:20:37.07
to these things
that do not help.
00:20:37.07\00:20:39.53
And in this sense,
we have to be selective
00:20:39.53\00:20:42.44
in our knowledge
because that is not something
00:20:42.44\00:20:46.07
that--let's suppose...
00:20:46.07\00:20:47.64
I will expose myself as
much as I can to pornography,
00:20:49.08\00:20:53.78
imagine that I would
be able to learn something
00:20:55.02\00:20:57.25
and retain what is good.
00:20:57.25\00:20:59.25
I think that this
does not work at all
00:20:59.25\00:21:01.99
because, finally,
you will end up having,
00:21:01.99\00:21:05.49
with good
intentions, immoral mind.
00:21:05.49\00:21:10.47
And this is
something that happens.
00:21:10.47\00:21:11.87
The same thing happens when I go
00:21:11.87\00:21:13.67
into the
spiritualistic, mystical world.
00:21:13.67\00:21:18.21
This is something
outside the realms of the Bible.
00:21:18.21\00:21:21.68
I can expose myself to it,
00:21:21.68\00:21:23.68
but probably it will
be just one-way road.
00:21:23.68\00:21:27.28
You will not leave that
kind. So be careful with this.
00:21:27.28\00:21:30.99
We have to be informed
but not allow our minds
00:21:30.99\00:21:35.99
to be exposed to what is
really not the best thing.
00:21:35.99\00:21:40.70
And there is something else.
00:21:40.70\00:21:42.76
There is a tendency
today among some scholars--
00:21:42.76\00:21:45.70
Umberto Eco,
00:21:45.70\00:21:48.44
the famous guy from Italy,
00:21:48.44\00:21:52.01
he even speaks about a
selectiveness of knowledge.
00:21:52.01\00:21:55.68
We were not made to be exposed
00:21:55.68\00:21:58.31
to such a huge
amount of information
00:21:58.31\00:22:02.88
that we have today.
00:22:02.88\00:22:04.55
So we have to be
selective in a certain way.
00:22:04.55\00:22:07.16
We cannot digest
everything, all the information.
00:22:07.16\00:22:10.83
But for the
Christian, I think that this is,
00:22:10.83\00:22:13.46
we need some kind of principles,
00:22:13.46\00:22:15.33
guidelines that
will be safe for us
00:22:15.33\00:22:19.33
so that we don't try to nourish
00:22:19.33\00:22:23.24
both natures, as Paul says,
00:22:23.24\00:22:27.51
the carnal nature, or the flesh,
00:22:27.51\00:22:29.91
and at the same
time the spiritual.
00:22:29.91\00:22:32.75
And then you end
up, like James speaks,
00:22:32.75\00:22:37.32
people that have a
double mind or double-minded.
00:22:37.32\00:22:42.32
And this, in my understanding,
is the worst scenario
00:22:42.32\00:22:45.23
that we could reach.
00:22:45.23\00:22:46.96
With the
saints, you are a saint.
00:22:46.96\00:22:50.87
With the sinners,
you are a sinner as well.
00:22:50.87\00:22:53.40
This doesn't work.
00:22:53.40\00:22:55.54
>>No, not at all.
00:22:55.54\00:22:56.81
It's been said that
Christians ought to be
00:22:56.81\00:22:59.17
in the world but
not of the world.
00:22:59.17\00:23:01.51
So we need to be
out there-- >>That's it.
00:23:01.51\00:23:03.04
>>...letting our light shine
and being a witness to people.
00:23:03.04\00:23:05.91
But if we're just like them
00:23:05.91\00:23:07.02
and we do all the same
things that they all do,
00:23:07.02\00:23:09.28
there's not much of a
witness that can be done.
00:23:09.28\00:23:11.59
>>A friend told me once
something that I liked very
00:23:11.59\00:23:14.69
much. The boat was
built not to dry land
00:23:14.69\00:23:19.76
but to the sea.
00:23:20.30\00:23:21.30
But a boat is safe in the sea
00:23:21.30\00:23:24.63
as long as the sea
is not within the boat.
00:23:24.63\00:23:28.10
>>Yeah, absolutely
right, absolutely right.
00:23:28.10\00:23:31.31
Let me share
another passage here
00:23:31.31\00:23:33.41
in Mark, chapter
7, Mark, chapter 7.
00:23:33.41\00:23:36.95
We're going to look
at verses 20 through 23.
00:23:36.95\00:23:41.08
And it's a fascinating passage
00:23:41.08\00:23:42.42
that I think draws
this idea out again.
00:23:42.42\00:23:45.12
Mark 7, verse 20
says, "And [Jesus] said,
00:23:45.12\00:23:47.79
"'What comes out of a
man, that defiles a man.
00:23:47.79\00:23:51.86
"'For from within,
out of the heart of men,
00:23:51.86\00:23:54.76
"'proceed evil
thoughts, adulteries,
00:23:54.76\00:23:57.00
"'fornications,
murders, thefts, covetousness,
00:23:57.00\00:23:59.90
"'wickedness, deceit, lewdness,
an evil eye, blasphemy,
00:23:59.90\00:24:03.37
"'pride, foolishness. All these
evil things come from within
00:24:03.37\00:24:08.08
and defile a man.'"
00:24:08.08\00:24:10.45
What about that?
00:24:11.35\00:24:13.05
>>Well, here, Jesus
really... (chuckles)
00:24:13.05\00:24:16.95
went to the very
point that we need
00:24:16.95\00:24:19.72
to take into consideration
for one simple reason.
00:24:19.72\00:24:22.99
And that is, of course,
we need to have some kind
00:24:24.36\00:24:28.36
of social-political agenda
00:24:28.36\00:24:32.00
in order to  have
the country running well,
00:24:32.00\00:24:37.01
society, and so on. But we
have to remember something.
00:24:37.01\00:24:42.08
Prisons usually do
not make people better.
00:24:43.18\00:24:46.41
They can scare them
and make them afraid of it.
00:24:46.41\00:24:50.19
But the only thing
that really helps--
00:24:50.19\00:24:52.19
I'm not against prisons
because we need to have them;
00:24:52.19\00:24:55.39
otherwise we would be
in danger as a society.
00:24:55.39\00:24:59.29
But what really
makes the difference is...
00:24:59.29\00:25:03.60
geographical moves or changes
00:25:03.60\00:25:07.60
do not transform people.
00:25:07.60\00:25:10.44
You can be not so
much exposed here,
00:25:10.44\00:25:13.74
but what Jesus is
touching is what really makes
00:25:13.74\00:25:16.85
the difference
is change your mind.
00:25:16.85\00:25:20.45
If you change your mind,
00:25:20.45\00:25:22.98
that will have really
a huge effect on society.
00:25:22.98\00:25:27.22
But people that are really
honest in their most inner
00:25:27.22\00:25:32.06
life-- and remember that what,
that character is what you are
00:25:32.06\00:25:35.90
alone when you are
in dark or whatever--
00:25:35.90\00:25:40.04
some people have
different statements for this--
00:25:40.04\00:25:42.34
but anyway, if you
are honest by yourself,
00:25:42.34\00:25:46.71
this will have a
impact in society.
00:25:46.71\00:25:50.21
But if I want just
to impose some rules,
00:25:50.21\00:25:53.38
but people are not into
it, will not change so much.
00:25:53.38\00:25:56.72
I think that what
Jesus is saying here,
00:25:56.72\00:25:58.79
that true Christians will
have a difference becoming
00:25:58.79\00:26:02.62
the light of the world
and the salt of the earth,
00:26:02.62\00:26:06.19
and this is what we are lacking
00:26:06.19\00:26:07.93
because today in the
world, we have nice speeches.
00:26:07.93\00:26:12.53
But what about
example? In our society,
00:26:13.87\00:26:17.64
the new generation
wants to see examples.
00:26:17.64\00:26:22.71
It's nice. I
can speak a, I mean,
00:26:23.58\00:26:25.11
I can preach a nice sermon
about how to love your enemies,
00:26:25.11\00:26:30.05
but once my sermon is over,
00:26:30.05\00:26:32.82
and I meet a person that really
is not so friendly with me,
00:26:32.82\00:26:37.23
my sermon might be
gone and back to real life.
00:26:37.23\00:26:41.43
This is not the case.
00:26:41.43\00:26:42.90
The world and the church,
00:26:42.90\00:26:46.67
the world would like to see
in the life of the Christians
00:26:46.67\00:26:50.64
the same
consistency of life that was
00:26:50.64\00:26:54.88
in the founder of
Christianity, Jesus Christ,
00:26:54.88\00:26:57.61
who not only preached the
truth, but He was the truth.
00:26:57.61\00:27:01.55
>>Alberto, as
we're closing today,
00:27:01.55\00:27:03.22
you shared a thought
with me a little while ago
00:27:03.22\00:27:05.92
about being prepared for
the second coming of Christ.
00:27:05.92\00:27:08.79
Would you share that with us?
00:27:08.79\00:27:10.63
>>Yes. We should not
only prepare ourselves
00:27:10.63\00:27:13.50
for the Second Coming but
be ready for the Second Coming
00:27:13.50\00:27:16.97
because this idea of preparing
00:27:16.97\00:27:18.73
can lead to postpone it,
procrastination, and so on.
00:27:18.73\00:27:22.90
We should be
ready every single day
00:27:22.90\00:27:25.11
because this can be my last day,
00:27:25.11\00:27:27.31
and not only for being my last
day, because we love the Lord
00:27:27.31\00:27:31.25
and we want to
respond to Him in this way.
00:27:31.25\00:27:34.05
>>So don't get
prepared for the Second Coming.
00:27:34.05\00:27:36.45
Be ready for Jesus, and
we hope that these lessons
00:27:36.45\00:27:39.89
are helping you to do that.
00:27:39.89\00:27:41.29
We look forward to seeing you
again next week as we continue
00:27:41.29\00:27:44.03
our study on "Death,
Dying, and the Future Hope"
00:27:44.03\00:27:46.66
here on "Sabbath School,"
brought to you by It Is Written.
00:27:46.66\00:27:49.63
(upbeat,
inspirational theme music)
00:27:49.63\00:27:54.04
(music ends)
00:28:26.30\00:28:28.04