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>>Eric Flickinger:
Welcome to "Sabbath School,"
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brought to you by It Is Written.
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This week, we're
looking at lesson number 7,
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and lesson number 7 is
"Mission to My Neighbor."
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How can you reach
those who are close to you
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and how do you recognize
the best ways to do that?
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That's what we're going
to be looking at this week.
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Let's begin with prayer.
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Father, we wanna thank
You for the opportunity
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that You give us, once again,
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to learn how we can better
share Your love with others,
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and we ask that You'll
bless us in that today.
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We thank You in
Jesus' name, amen.
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Well, we're excited this
week to have with us Doug Venn.
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Doug is currently serving
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as the
assistant to the president
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for Adventist
Possibility Ministries,
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but when he wrote
this part of the lesson,
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he was the director,
Global Mission Urban Center.
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Doug, welcome. How
are you doing today?
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>>Doug Venn: It's
great to be here, Eric.
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>>Eric:
Fantastic, well, we've got
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a really interesting subject
that we're looking at this week:
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"Mission to My Neighbor."
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So we don't have to go to
the far corners of the world,
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we don't have to
have any special skills,
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but God brings
people close to us,
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or there are already people
within our circle of influence,
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and we're looking
at how we can reach
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those individuals today,
sounds like an exciting lesson.
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>>Doug: Amen, yeah, it's--
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I can't wait to
get into God's Word
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as we look and find
lessons to apply to our lives.
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>>Eric: Very good. Well, let me
begin by asking this question.
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In this study,
this week's study,
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we're looking at
God's mission to all people.
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That includes our
neighbor, 'cause our neighbor
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is right there
in many, many cases.
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Why does God ask us
to love our neighbors?
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What is--what's the motivation
there? What's that look like?
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>>Doug: Yeah, well,
what we see here is that,
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Eric, we are able to
see the heart of God,
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because when He asks
us to love our neighbor,
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why does He do that?
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It's because He has a
heart of love for all people,
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whether those
who are close to us
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or those who are far away.
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And actually, in
our memory verse,
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in Luke, chapter 10, verse 27,
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it says there that "you
shall love the Lord your God
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"with all your heart,
[and]...all your soul,
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"[and]...all your
strength, ...with all your mind,
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and [love] your
neighbor as yourself."
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>>Eric: So Jesus asks us to
love our neighbor as ourselves,
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those who are close to us.
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But those who are close to us
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may not always
be exactly like us.
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They're not identical to us;
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they may operate in
different worldviews
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or different
perspectives and so forth.
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There's a story
in the Bible about
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Jesus interacting
with a lawyer. >>Doug: Yes.
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>>Eric: And he
was close to Jesus,
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but he had some
different perspectives,
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and we read about that
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in Luke, chapter
10 in verse number 25.
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Help us
understand what's going on
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in this
interaction between Jesus
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and the lawyer a little bit.
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>>Doug: Yeah, well,
it's interesting to see here
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the question
that this lawyer asks,
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is that "Teacher, what [must]
I do to inherit eternal life?"
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And so there we can look
at a couple of things that--
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what's going on in his heart.
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We know that, yes, the
Bible says that he has a motive,
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that he's on a mission.
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This lawyer is looking
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to interrogate or to test Jesus,
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whether that's good or bad.
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I think this was
that he was intending
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either to publicly shame Jesus
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or to get some
evidence that the Sanhedrin
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could use against
Jesus and His ministry.
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We can see in
this lawyer's heart
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that, in this
question, he's looking that,
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"I've gotta have a
checklist in order to be saved."
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>>Eric: Yeah, so Jesus
responds to him, though.
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>>Doug: That's
right. In a question.
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>>Eric: In a
question, which is a great way
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that Jesus responds to
people, with great regularity.
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And He responds to
this fellow in a question.
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What can we learn from this?
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What's Jesus
desiring to accomplish,
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and what might we be
able to apply to our own lives
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and our
ministry to our neighbors
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by looking at how
Jesus responded to him?
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>>Doug: Well, in
Christ's response,
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that we can
actually see in verse 26,
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Jesus asks him the question,
"What is written in the law?"
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And how do you read it?
How do you understand it?
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What's your understanding?
What's your reading?
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And so, in this, that Jesus,
He's actually--sees in this guy,
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who has mixed
motives towards Christ,
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but Jesus sees him as a
candidate for the kingdom.
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He see then that this
man, he doesn't know it,
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but Jesus says, "Ah, this
one could be part of my team.
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He could actually be
one of my disciples."
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So Jesus just
doesn't ignore him.
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He doesn't dismiss him;
He doesn't just blow him off.
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He actually looks at him as
a candidate for the kingdom.
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And so thus we see this
question that Jesus is saying,
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like, "Well, let's
hear a little more."
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And that's where,
like, in--Apostle Paul,
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in 1 Corinthians, chapter
15, looks at how we live life.
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There are some who,
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when they don't have
a relationship with God,
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they're just, like,
hedonistic, you know,
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"I'm here to party
and that's, you know,
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the one who parties
most has the best life."
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And because, as Paul says there,
"If the dead do not rise,"
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if we don't
have that anchor hope
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in Jesus Christ
in the resurrection,
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then we should, as Paul says,
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"Let us eat and
drink, for tomorrow we die."
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And so, I see here that this--
a lesson that we can apply
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from Jesus Christ is
that we need to be aware
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that we're on
the edge of eternity
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with every conversation,
with every individual,
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that God puts into our lives.
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>>Eric: So, an example
that Jesus sets for us.
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Let's say that we run
into somebody in our lives,
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our neighbor, as it were,
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who has a very
different worldview,
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who maybe has a different,
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completely
different faith from our own.
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We'll make the assumption
that we're Christians.
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I think it's a safe assumption.
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And somebody else
happens to be Muslim or Hindu
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or atheist or agnostic
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or some other
variety of Christianity
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that's different
enough from what we believe
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that it's--we're not
neighbors theologically,
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I guess is a good way to say it.
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But we are--we come across this.
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What kind of lesson do
you think we could learn
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from the way that Jesus
interacted with this lawyer
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that we might be
able to apply to our lives
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as we're seeking to share
our faith with somebody else?
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>>Doug: Well, as we
look here--I love the Bible
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because it answers itself.
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It answers this question, Eric.
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And so I love how when
this lawyer in verse 27
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gives the answer
from the Old Testament,
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that "love the Lord your
God and love your neighbor,"
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and Jesus then says,
"You have answered rightly;
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do this and you will live."
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And so, here the Lord
Jesus is giving us example
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that when we encounter others,
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whether from
other world religions
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or other denominations,
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that we need to be
pointing them to God's Word.
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Not my opinion,
not your opinion,
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or not the opinion of
other religious leaders,
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whether that's--whatever
those are around the world,
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because there's
different names for them.
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It's just that we
need to be able to have--
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to point people to God's Word.
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And so, this is
what we should do.
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I'm reminded, though,
that this isn't the first time
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when Jesus points, in this
case this lawyer, to God's Word.
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Because what
happens with the temptation?
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Jesus saying, "It is
written," and guess what?
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We're here on this--with
this ministry of It Is Written.
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>>Eric: That's
what it's all about.
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>>Doug: That's
right, and so--but if we
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even go back further in time,
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not just in Christ's ministry,
but we can actually look
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that it was in heaven
where Lucifer, or Satan,
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he wanted the angels
and the heavenly hosts
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to do things his way.
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He wanted to sing the
song, and he wanted people--
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he provided an
alternative to God's government
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and to God's law.
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But yet, we can see
this throughout history.
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Even Cain, if we
go back to Genesis,
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he brought an
alternative form of worship
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and an alternative
to the sin sacrifice.
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Well, look what I've
earned, look what I've grown.
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You know, these
awesome zucchini, okay?
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Anyway, I don't know
how many of you guys,
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but I grew up with a
mom who grew zucchini,
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and one plant could, you
know, be like a zucchini bomb.
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We'd go, as kids, go
to the neighbor's house
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and ring the
doorbell and leave, you know,
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three zucchinis and run, okay?
[laughing] So the zucchini bomb.
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But anyway, here Cain has
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the same
attitude that Lucifer had,
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is that I'm wanting
to do life on my own,
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I'm wanting to handle my
sin, guilt, and shame on my own,
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but Christ and God
is giving us another way
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that is based on His Word.
"It is written, it is written."
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Even in Revelation 14,
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as we've just
recently looked at,
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the three angels' messages,
and we studied together.
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The second angel talks
about how Babylon has fallen,
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and, like a house of cards,
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all world religions and systems
will be coming crashing down
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because they're not anchored
on God's Word, on His grace,
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and on His calling for us today.
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And so I think those
are some of the lessons
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that I wanted to apply
00:10:03.60\00:10:06.03
and that we can
learn from this study.
00:10:06.07\00:10:09.44
>>Eric: Yeah, let
me ask you this, Doug.
00:10:09.47\00:10:12.21
We're talking
about the importance
00:10:12.24\00:10:13.61
of going back to God's Word
and finding "It is written,"
00:10:13.64\00:10:16.54
and 100%, 110% agree with you.
00:10:16.58\00:10:19.55
From time to time,
Christians get accused of--
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either rightly or wrongly,
it could go either way--
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get accused of simply
wanting to share their faith
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to make people--to make
other people Christians.
00:10:30.83\00:10:34.56
>>Doug: Right.
>>Eric: And perhaps they get
00:10:34.60\00:10:37.43
the cart a little
bit ahead of the horse
00:10:37.47\00:10:39.23
and want to share
the Bible without first--
00:10:39.27\00:10:42.90
it's often been said,
00:10:42.94\00:10:44.24
"People don't
care how much you know
00:10:44.27\00:10:45.57
until they know
how much you care."
00:10:45.61\00:10:46.78
>>Doug: Correct.
>>Eric: We've spoken before
00:10:46.81\00:10:49.48
about Christ's method alone
being the way to reach people.
00:10:49.51\00:10:53.05
How would you--
what would you suggest
00:10:53.08\00:10:56.22
for somebody who's thinking,
00:10:56.25\00:10:57.72
"I wanna share my
faith with somebody,
00:10:57.75\00:10:59.15
"but I don't wanna just come out
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and 'Here's what
the Bible says'"?
00:11:01.22\00:11:02.99
It's kind of like---we
might call an opening salvo.
00:11:03.02\00:11:07.23
How would you recommend
that somebody maybe draw close
00:11:07.23\00:11:11.00
to someone in
order to have that,
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I don't know if I
wanna call it permission,
00:11:15.07\00:11:16.37
but the opportunity
to share what's written?
00:11:16.40\00:11:19.24
>>Doug: Yeah, in order
to do that, I think that--
00:11:19.27\00:11:21.98
how are we caring for one
another? How are we serving?
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How are we showing
that love in practical ways?
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I know in my own
home, my mother-in-law,
00:11:27.45\00:11:29.75
she has to use a
wheelchair full-time,
00:11:29.78\00:11:32.69
and so, because
of that disability,
00:11:32.72\00:11:34.76
she now--we have to
help her with, you know,
00:11:34.79\00:11:37.66
transferring to the car
and doing things like that.
00:11:37.69\00:11:40.46
And so, I don't know
in your life and family,
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I know you have someone--
00:11:43.06\00:11:44.60
you've got to show
in a practical way,
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so how does that
look like in your family?
00:11:46.27\00:11:48.07
>>Eric: For my daughter,
00:11:48.10\00:11:49.40
she was born with Down syndrome,
00:11:49.44\00:11:51.07
and so we have many different
ways that we care for her.
00:11:51.11\00:11:54.98
That's been from day
1. She's 16 years old now.
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She'll be turning 17
in a couple of weeks,
00:11:58.75\00:12:00.68
so we've had an incredible
and exciting journey with her.
00:12:00.72\00:12:04.59
And she gets to see Jesus
in our lives before we share,
00:12:04.62\00:12:10.06
you know, what is
written. >>Doug: Right.
00:12:10.09\00:12:12.63
>>Eric: And so, for us,
00:12:12.66\00:12:13.96
it becomes very
practical, a demonstration
00:12:14.00\00:12:16.93
of genuine
Christianity-- >>Doug: Yeah.
00:12:16.97\00:12:18.90
>>Eric: ...as or before the
sharing of the Word, as it were.
00:12:18.93\00:12:22.94
So, for us,
that's kind of the way
00:12:22.97\00:12:24.87
that it seems to
work well for us.
00:12:24.91\00:12:26.44
>>Doug: And I think that,
Eric, you're on to something
00:12:26.47\00:12:28.58
that we can
continue to explore, that,
00:12:28.61\00:12:31.25
because I think
that from God's Word,
00:12:31.28\00:12:33.62
from this story, we can
see that it's love in action
00:12:33.65\00:12:38.75
that opens the door and
gives permission to share.
00:12:38.79\00:12:40.96
>>Eric: Fantastic,
we're going to take a look
00:12:40.99\00:12:42.49
at that love in
action here in just a moment.
00:12:42.52\00:12:45.06
If you're enjoying
this quarter's study,
00:12:45.09\00:12:47.40
and I trust that you are,
00:12:47.46\00:12:49.06
I want to encourage you
to pick up the companion book
00:12:49.10\00:12:51.90
to this quarter's
00:12:51.93\00:12:53.34
adult Sabbath
school Bible study lesson,
00:12:53.37\00:12:55.80
and it's called
"God's Mission My Mission."
00:12:55.84\00:12:58.14
Gary Krause is the author,
00:12:58.17\00:12:59.51
one of several authors,
actually, who contributed to it.
00:12:59.54\00:13:01.91
And you can find this companion
book at itiswritten.shop.
00:13:01.94\00:13:06.11
Again, that's itiswritten.shop.
00:13:06.15\00:13:07.95
Look for the book
"God's Mission My Mission,"
00:13:07.98\00:13:11.59
and you will get so much more
out of this quarter's study.
00:13:11.62\00:13:14.66
I'm gonna be back here
in just a moment with Doug
00:13:14.69\00:13:17.16
as we continue taking a look
00:13:17.19\00:13:18.56
at the mission
that God has given us
00:13:18.59\00:13:20.46
to reach our
neighbors. We'll be right back.
00:13:20.50\00:13:23.00
[music]
00:13:23.03\00:13:25.53
>>John
Bradshaw: He's been called
00:13:26.97\00:13:28.27
the father of the faithful.
00:13:28.30\00:13:30.41
Even though his
life didn't always give
00:13:30.44\00:13:32.27
evidence of great faith,
00:13:32.31\00:13:34.14
the Bible says that
Abraham was strong in faith.
00:13:34.18\00:13:39.01
Join me on location in
Israel for "Man of Faith."
00:13:39.05\00:13:44.25
You'll discover lessons on faith
and discover how you can be
00:13:44.29\00:13:47.89
a person of real
faith in the God of heaven.
00:13:47.92\00:13:51.79
What is faith?
00:13:51.83\00:13:53.33
The Bible says, "Without faith
it is impossible to please God."
00:13:53.36\00:13:56.87
And God's people
in earth's last days
00:13:56.90\00:13:59.63
are described as having
faith, the faith of Jesus.
00:13:59.67\00:14:04.84
"Man of Faith,"
Abraham, a flawed man,
00:14:04.87\00:14:08.71
a faulty man, a man
prone to make mistakes,
00:14:08.74\00:14:12.68
Abraham, the
father of the faithful.
00:14:12.71\00:14:16.69
Learn how you can have faith,
real faith, grow your faith.
00:14:16.72\00:14:20.42
Don't miss "Man of Faith"
00:14:20.46\00:14:22.76
on It Is Written TV.
00:14:22.79\00:14:24.99
>>John: There's
something I wanna tell you about
00:14:27.56\00:14:29.26
that is so important.
00:14:29.30\00:14:31.30
It's My Place With Jesus,
00:14:31.33\00:14:33.84
It Is Written's
ministry to children.
00:14:33.87\00:14:37.21
Take the children you care
about to myplacewithjesus.com.
00:14:37.24\00:14:42.11
At My Place With
Jesus, you'll find so much
00:14:42.14\00:14:44.88
that will bless your
children or grandchildren
00:14:44.91\00:14:47.58
or great-grandchildren
or the children at church.
00:14:47.62\00:14:51.42
There are the My Place
With Jesus Bible Guides,
00:14:51.45\00:14:55.06
21 studies that will take
the children you care about
00:14:55.09\00:14:58.46
into the Word of God.
00:14:58.49\00:15:00.50
They'll learn
the important things,
00:15:00.53\00:15:02.60
especially the love of God
00:15:02.63\00:15:04.97
and the sacrifice
Jesus made for them.
00:15:05.00\00:15:07.94
As well, take your children
to Journey Through the Bible.
00:15:07.97\00:15:11.21
It's there at
myplacewithjesus.com.
00:15:11.24\00:15:13.71
It's a special Bible-reading
program that will get children
00:15:13.74\00:15:17.51
into the habit of
reading their Bible daily
00:15:17.55\00:15:20.18
and connecting
with God regularly.
00:15:20.22\00:15:22.22
So don't forget
myplacewithjesus.com
00:15:22.25\00:15:25.29
from It Is Written.
00:15:25.32\00:15:26.65
[music]
00:15:27.66\00:15:32.39
>>Eric: Welcome
back to "Sabbath School,"
00:15:32.43\00:15:33.73
brought to you by It Is Written.
00:15:33.76\00:15:35.43
We're looking at
lesson number 7 this week,
00:15:35.46\00:15:37.93
taking a look at the
"Mission to My Neighbor,"
00:15:37.97\00:15:40.47
and, of course, I'm
back here with Doug Venn.
00:15:40.50\00:15:43.17
Doug, thanks
again for joining us.
00:15:43.20\00:15:45.17
Let's dive a
little bit more deeply
00:15:45.21\00:15:47.44
into this story that Jesus is--
00:15:47.48\00:15:50.61
we find Jesus and the
lawyer here in Luke, chapter 10.
00:15:50.65\00:15:54.22
In verses 27 and 28,
the lawyer talks about love.
00:15:54.25\00:15:57.72
Help us understand
that a little bit more.
00:15:57.75\00:15:59.55
>>Doug: Yeah, so what we see
here is that the lawyer responds
00:15:59.59\00:16:04.66
and gives the,
kind of the synthesis
00:16:04.69\00:16:07.46
from the Old Testament
of what love looks like.
00:16:07.50\00:16:11.07
Love to God but also love
to one another, and it's--
00:16:11.10\00:16:15.37
and that
oftentimes is the hard part
00:16:15.40\00:16:18.27
because we don't
like to love each other.
00:16:18.31\00:16:21.48
And that's where the
lawyer in this--in verse 29,
00:16:21.51\00:16:24.81
he wants to justify himself
because Jesus gives this answer,
00:16:24.85\00:16:29.08
and notice how Jesus says,
"'You have answered rightly;
00:16:29.12\00:16:32.99
"do this and you will live.'
00:16:33.02\00:16:34.72
"But...wanting to justify
himself, [he] said to Jesus,
00:16:34.76\00:16:38.03
'And who is my neighbor?'"
00:16:38.06\00:16:39.63
This is like a philosophical
debate question because,
00:16:39.66\00:16:43.26
depending on which part of
the Jewish family you're in,
00:16:43.30\00:16:46.90
you'd be inclusive of this group
or exclusive of that group,
00:16:46.94\00:16:50.97
and Jesus wants to bypass that.
00:16:51.01\00:16:54.58
I think that He is a master,
and He goes for the heart,
00:16:54.61\00:16:57.81
and I think that that's
a lesson that I want to--
00:16:57.85\00:17:00.52
sometimes I want to get
into a dueling debate to say,
00:17:00.55\00:17:03.42
"Well, actually, it--this
is right or this is wrong,"
00:17:03.45\00:17:06.35
and so, Jesus avoids
that sword fight of theology,
00:17:06.39\00:17:10.33
and He goes and tells
this story of a certain man
00:17:10.36\00:17:14.00
going "down from
Jerusalem to Jericho,"
00:17:14.03\00:17:16.60
and he falls among the
thieves and is wounded there,
00:17:16.63\00:17:19.90
and he's left half-dead.
00:17:19.93\00:17:22.37
And so in this situation,
00:17:22.40\00:17:24.14
we see here that,
how is love demonstrated.
00:17:24.17\00:17:28.91
We see the priest-- a
certain priest goes by
00:17:28.94\00:17:32.01
on the other side, in verse 31.
00:17:32.05\00:17:34.88
Now, sometimes, we pastors
00:17:34.92\00:17:38.22
or "those who
are paid to be holy,"
00:17:38.25\00:17:39.55
[laughing] as one of my
college students said to me,
00:17:39.59\00:17:44.19
we are often tied up with
ministry, and so we ignore
00:17:44.23\00:17:49.10
those who are
vulnerable or hurting.
00:17:49.13\00:17:51.77
But notice what's happening;
00:17:51.80\00:17:53.10
these guys aren't
going up from Jericho,
00:17:53.13\00:17:55.34
up to Jerusalem for duties.
00:17:55.37\00:17:57.34
No, they're off duty
now, okay, so they're going--
00:17:57.37\00:18:00.34
that's what the Bible says.
00:18:00.38\00:18:01.68
They're coming
down from Jerusalem,
00:18:01.71\00:18:03.78
heading down into Jericho.
00:18:03.81\00:18:05.51
Also in verse 32, the Levite,
00:18:05.55\00:18:08.58
he's also,
ignores on the other side.
00:18:08.62\00:18:10.55
So here we see some
of these national heroes,
00:18:10.59\00:18:13.42
whether which side, maybe
it was a Sadducee or a priest
00:18:13.46\00:18:16.52
or, you know, a Levite;
they're walking on the side.
00:18:16.56\00:18:20.33
They're ignoring.
00:18:20.36\00:18:21.73
But then Jesus cuts to
the heart here and says,
00:18:21.76\00:18:24.57
"But a certain Samaritan"--
and it's like having
00:18:24.60\00:18:28.34
a brother and
sister-- I don't know,
00:18:28.37\00:18:29.77
did you have
brothers and sisters, Eric?
00:18:29.80\00:18:31.14
>>Eric: Yes, a
couple of brothers.
00:18:31.17\00:18:32.47
>>Doug: Okay, all
right, so you know.
00:18:32.51\00:18:33.81
I had two younger
sisters, and we were, like,
00:18:33.84\00:18:36.11
fighting like cats and dogs
00:18:36.14\00:18:37.25
[laughing] when
we were little kids.
00:18:37.28\00:18:38.95
It's like, "Mom and Dad!"
We're in the car, you know.
00:18:38.98\00:18:41.08
"She's breathing
on me," and, you know,
00:18:41.12\00:18:42.98
the pinching and pulling of hair
00:18:43.02\00:18:44.49
and, you know, all of
those kind of things that go on,
00:18:44.52\00:18:47.09
but that was what was happening
here in the Bible times
00:18:47.12\00:18:50.83
is that the
Samaritans and the Jews,
00:18:50.86\00:18:53.50
because of history,
there was this tension.
00:18:53.53\00:18:56.83
And so, Jesus arrests
the attention of His audience
00:18:56.87\00:19:00.34
and says that--guess who?
00:19:00.37\00:19:01.90
It's the unexpected one who
has the faith and the compassion
00:19:01.94\00:19:05.54
to care and to
put love in action.
00:19:05.57\00:19:08.98
And so I think that
that is what's going on,
00:19:09.01\00:19:11.51
that we can see
that love is in action.
00:19:11.55\00:19:15.38
I'm reminded of
Galatians 5, verse 14:
00:19:15.42\00:19:18.29
"For all the law is fulfilled
in one word, even...this:
00:19:18.32\00:19:22.19
'You shall love your
neighbor as yourself.'"
00:19:22.22\00:19:24.89
>>Eric: So here's an example
00:19:24.93\00:19:26.80
in a well-known
story >>Doug: Yes.
00:19:26.83\00:19:28.76
>>Eric: ...that Jesus tells of
00:19:28.80\00:19:30.40
loving your
neighbor as yourself.
00:19:30.43\00:19:32.27
And sometimes, that
neighbor looks different
00:19:32.30\00:19:34.84
than we might
expect them to look.
00:19:34.87\00:19:38.27
What else can we learn
here about loving your neighbor?
00:19:38.31\00:19:40.64
Anything else that
you wanna add to this?
00:19:40.68\00:19:42.24
>>Doug: Yeah, I think that
this love actually comes in,
00:19:42.28\00:19:45.98
that we may be overlooking
00:19:46.01\00:19:49.85
a group of
individuals in society
00:19:49.88\00:19:53.25
who are most vulnerable.
00:19:53.29\00:19:55.66
James 1:27 reminds us
00:19:55.69\00:19:57.83
that "pure and
undefiled religion...is this."
00:19:57.86\00:20:00.70
"Before God...the Father
[is] to visit [the] orphans
00:20:00.73\00:20:04.20
"and [the]
widows in their trouble,
00:20:04.23\00:20:05.57
and to keep oneself
unspotted from the world."
00:20:05.60\00:20:09.00
So, that group of the orphans,
00:20:09.04\00:20:11.41
those who've
suffered spousal loss,
00:20:11.44\00:20:14.54
we can see here that
they also are our neighbor.
00:20:14.58\00:20:20.15
Your daughter
with Down syndrome,
00:20:20.18\00:20:22.65
how are we caring as a church,
whether it's our local churches
00:20:22.68\00:20:27.02
or as a global family of faith?
00:20:27.06\00:20:29.86
How are we showing
that love in practical ways?
00:20:29.89\00:20:33.23
I think of,
like, my mother-in-law.
00:20:33.26\00:20:35.23
She can't even--at our
local church back home,
00:20:35.26\00:20:38.83
there are certain places
she's can't gain access to
00:20:38.87\00:20:41.57
because they've not
made that accommodation,
00:20:41.60\00:20:44.31
but it's more than
just ramps and--in her case
00:20:44.34\00:20:48.44
because she's
using the wheelchair,
00:20:48.48\00:20:50.08
what's the accommodation
in our hearts and in our minds
00:20:50.11\00:20:53.98
for those who are not like us?
00:20:54.02\00:20:57.19
And I think that
that helps us to see
00:20:57.22\00:21:00.52
that our faith
has to have action.
00:21:00.56\00:21:04.06
I'm reminded in James 2, we
can see that there's a reflex
00:21:04.09\00:21:08.20
that when we
experience God's grace and love,
00:21:08.23\00:21:11.13
that there's a reflex
of love that goes out.
00:21:11.17\00:21:14.50
When we receive God's grace,
then we extend that to others.
00:21:14.54\00:21:18.87
You know, James
00:21:18.91\00:21:20.21
in James, chapter 2,
verses 17 through 22,
00:21:20.24\00:21:23.11
we can see that.
00:21:23.14\00:21:24.45
"Show me your
faith and your works."
00:21:24.48\00:21:26.95
Your faith
moves you into action,
00:21:26.98\00:21:30.09
and that's where we
need to be seeing that.
00:21:30.12\00:21:33.89
If we look at all of Scripture,
00:21:33.92\00:21:36.09
you can see that
from the very beginning.
00:21:36.12\00:21:38.96
I think of Abraham and Sarai
when they fed the travelers.
00:21:38.99\00:21:43.43
We know it was two
angels and the Lord Jesus.
00:21:43.47\00:21:46.50
We also think of down in Sodom,
that Lot was at the city's gate,
00:21:46.53\00:21:51.67
inviting foreigners to stay
in his home to--for lodging.
00:21:51.71\00:21:56.31
Later on in Job,
we can see that Job,
00:21:56.34\00:21:59.01
he was searching out the issues
of the orphans and the widows
00:21:59.05\00:22:03.55
to care for them.
00:22:03.59\00:22:04.89
So he took that initiative.
00:22:04.92\00:22:07.02
Even, I think, I remember
Elisha and how he was treating
00:22:07.06\00:22:11.53
even the foreign soldiers,
00:22:11.56\00:22:13.29
the enemies who wanted to kill
Israel at that time; you know,
00:22:13.33\00:22:17.33
they were actually sent out
00:22:17.37\00:22:18.77
on a search-and-destroy
mission for him.
00:22:18.80\00:22:22.27
But he, you know,
their-- blindness struck them,
00:22:22.30\00:22:25.24
and he showed compassion.
00:22:25.27\00:22:27.44
He led them into
the city, and there,
00:22:27.48\00:22:29.24
that's where the king
said, "Hey, shall I kill 'em?"
00:22:29.28\00:22:31.25
And he's like, "No,
we need to treat them
00:22:31.28\00:22:33.01
with compassion and kindness."
00:22:33.05\00:22:35.18
Anyway, so as a
worldwide faith family,
00:22:35.22\00:22:37.25
these stories and this
lesson reminds me how we have
00:22:37.29\00:22:41.22
this initiative of how we can
care for the most vulnerable.
00:22:41.26\00:22:45.59
And that's called Adventist
Possibility Ministries.
00:22:45.63\00:22:47.96
>>Eric: Share a little bit more
00:22:48.00\00:22:49.30
about Adventist
Possibility Ministries.
00:22:49.33\00:22:50.83
Where could one
learn more about it?
00:22:50.87\00:22:53.47
What are some things
that it's--that that ministry
00:22:53.50\00:22:56.47
is seeking to make
available, possible?
00:22:56.50\00:23:00.61
>>Doug: Yeah, well,
you and I, in our homes,
00:23:00.64\00:23:03.38
we live this every day.
00:23:03.41\00:23:05.18
And I know there's
so many around the world
00:23:05.21\00:23:07.25
who, maybe they're providing
care for an elderly parent
00:23:07.28\00:23:11.49
or those who
are-- the deaf community
00:23:11.52\00:23:14.36
or those who have hearing loss.
00:23:14.39\00:23:17.59
Also the
orphans, the street kids,
00:23:17.63\00:23:20.10
kids whose
parents are incarcerated
00:23:20.13\00:23:22.70
or also those children
who are in foster care.
00:23:22.73\00:23:26.77
We have an opportunity
through this initiative
00:23:26.80\00:23:29.80
to care and show
in practical ways,
00:23:29.84\00:23:33.34
and you can
actually go to our website,
00:23:33.38\00:23:35.11
possibilityministries.org,
00:23:35.14\00:23:37.15
and find out all kinds of
ideas that you as a family,
00:23:37.18\00:23:40.85
as a local
church, or as a community,
00:23:40.88\00:23:43.95
can actually put love in action.
00:23:43.99\00:23:47.46
>>Eric: Very good. So
it's, again, the website is?
00:23:47.49\00:23:49.99
>>Doug:
Possibilityministries.org.
00:23:50.03\00:23:52.63
>>Eric:
Possibilityministries.org.
00:23:52.66\00:23:54.36
Excellent, now,
one of the things
00:23:54.40\00:23:56.30
that I like about
this quarter's lessons
00:23:56.33\00:23:58.80
is each week on
Thursday there's a challenge.
00:23:58.83\00:24:01.47
>>Doug: Yes.
>>Eric: Talk with me
00:24:01.50\00:24:02.74
a little bit about this week's
challenge and how it dovetails
00:24:02.77\00:24:06.17
in with everything that
we're talking about right now.
00:24:06.21\00:24:07.81
>>Doug: All
right, this challenge
00:24:07.84\00:24:09.51
is looking at, in your
sphere of influence, Eric,
00:24:09.54\00:24:14.35
and my sphere of influence,
00:24:14.38\00:24:16.35
can we make a list of those who
do not know God the way we do?
00:24:16.38\00:24:22.69
And whether they're
from another world religion
00:24:22.72\00:24:24.66
or no religion, to find
00:24:24.69\00:24:26.83
and then to identify
what their needs are--
00:24:26.86\00:24:30.30
it could be an emotional need.
00:24:30.33\00:24:32.10
I know, like, my neighbor
00:24:32.13\00:24:34.10
who comes from an
Islamic background,
00:24:34.14\00:24:37.57
just went through--
had a family member,
00:24:37.61\00:24:40.34
her father just passed away.
00:24:40.38\00:24:42.34
So, in this time, so
that's an emotional need
00:24:42.38\00:24:45.51
where we have
opportunity to minister
00:24:45.55\00:24:48.85
and to share the hope that
we have in a practical way.
00:24:48.88\00:24:52.52
And so, in this way, how
can we minister to those needs,
00:24:52.55\00:24:58.89
and what can we do practically
for them in this coming week?
00:24:58.93\00:25:02.76
I know, like, with
my neighbor's situation,
00:25:02.80\00:25:05.63
that my wife loves to
bake, you know, goods,
00:25:05.67\00:25:08.97
and she delivers a
little tract and a--on the hope
00:25:09.00\00:25:14.84
and how to recover and to
remember her father's life,
00:25:14.88\00:25:18.38
but then also to enjoy the
sweetbread that she just made.
00:25:18.41\00:25:21.98
>>Eric: Very nice, very nice.
00:25:22.02\00:25:23.32
>>Doug: So, practical
ways. >>Eric: Practical ways.
00:25:23.35\00:25:24.72
Doug, let me ask
you this last question
00:25:24.75\00:25:26.45
in the few minutes
that we have left here.
00:25:26.49\00:25:28.19
We're supposed to
act out our faith.
00:25:28.22\00:25:31.33
How do we keep that from--
00:25:31.36\00:25:33.26
how do we keep from
misunderstanding that
00:25:33.29\00:25:35.06
as salvation by works?
00:25:35.10\00:25:37.73
Share with me a
little bit about that.
00:25:37.77\00:25:39.67
>>Doug: Yeah, the Bible's clear
00:25:39.70\00:25:41.87
that you're saved
by grace through faith
00:25:41.90\00:25:45.04
because of what Jesus has done.
00:25:45.07\00:25:47.71
All the other world
religions around the--
00:25:47.74\00:25:49.91
and Christianity
in its broken form--
00:25:49.94\00:25:53.42
says there's another way:
00:25:53.45\00:25:55.18
You have to do something,
and there's a check list.
00:25:55.22\00:25:58.19
And even in our faith family,
00:25:58.22\00:26:00.32
there are those who also want
to forget what Jesus has done
00:26:00.36\00:26:04.39
and look at "I can
do this on my own."
00:26:04.43\00:26:08.63
And whether that's
eating right or dressing right
00:26:08.66\00:26:10.63
or whatever is on the checklist.
00:26:10.67\00:26:12.87
But Scripture is clear
00:26:12.90\00:26:14.64
that we are saved by
faith through grace alone
00:26:14.67\00:26:18.11
and that from
God. >>Eric: Very good.
00:26:18.14\00:26:20.11
>>Doug: So that's one way.
00:26:20.14\00:26:23.31
I'm
reminded--here is a power quote,
00:26:23.35\00:26:25.38
that "love is the
underlying principle
00:26:25.41\00:26:27.12
"of God's
government in heaven and earth,
00:26:27.15\00:26:29.52
"and it [is]
must be the foundation
00:26:29.55\00:26:32.32
"[for Christian] character.
00:26:32.35\00:26:33.96
"This alone can make
and keep him steadfast.
00:26:33.99\00:26:36.96
"This alone can enable him
00:26:36.99\00:26:38.29
"to withstand trial
00:26:38.33\00:26:39.63
and temptation."
00:26:39.66\00:26:40.96
That's from
"Christ's Object Lessons,"
00:26:40.96\00:26:42.60
page 49.
00:26:42.63\00:26:43.93
>>Eric: There's
also another quote.
00:26:43.97\00:26:45.20
It's a little bit longer quote,
but I think it's worth sharing.
00:26:45.23\00:26:48.20
And this one's from
00:26:48.24\00:26:49.54
"Testimonies for the
Church," Volume 2, page 25.
00:26:49.57\00:26:52.27
You wanna share
that one with us?
00:26:52.31\00:26:53.61
>>Doug: Yeah.
"When hearts sympathize
00:26:53.64\00:26:55.61
"with hearts burdened
with discouragement and grief,
00:26:55.64\00:26:58.48
"[and] when the hand
dispenses to the needy,
00:26:58.51\00:27:00.85
"[and] when the
naked are clothed,
00:27:00.88\00:27:02.18
"[and] the stranger made welcome
00:27:02.22\00:27:04.22
"to a seat in your parlor
and a place in your heart,
00:27:04.25\00:27:06.72
"angels are coming very near,
00:27:06.76\00:27:08.46
"and an answering strain
is responded to in heaven.
00:27:08.49\00:27:11.66
"Every act of
justice, mercy, and benevolence
00:27:11.69\00:27:14.10
makes melody in heaven."
00:27:14.13\00:27:15.83
So I really think that
that kind of puts a nice way
00:27:15.86\00:27:19.87
to kind of summarize
this week's Bible study.
00:27:19.90\00:27:22.97
>>Eric: Fantastic. Doug, thank
you for joining us this week
00:27:23.00\00:27:25.77
and helping us to understand
00:27:25.81\00:27:26.88
how we can
minister to our neighbors.
00:27:26.91\00:27:30.51
And I wanna thank you
00:27:30.55\00:27:31.85
for joining us
this week as well,
00:27:31.88\00:27:33.18
and we hope and pray that
00:27:33.21\00:27:34.52
you've been
given a few new ideas,
00:27:34.55\00:27:37.02
some practical
things that you can apply
00:27:37.05\00:27:38.85
when you look out to those
00:27:38.89\00:27:40.19
who have been
perhaps marginalized,
00:27:40.22\00:27:42.39
those who are in need
in one way or another,
00:27:42.42\00:27:45.63
and maybe sometimes
those who are overlooked.
00:27:45.66\00:27:48.36
We pray that God will bless
you as you minister to them.
00:27:48.40\00:27:51.37
And God bless you, and we'll
look forward to seeing you again
00:27:51.40\00:27:53.67
next week here
on "Sabbath School,"
00:27:53.70\00:27:55.24
brought to you by It Is Written.
00:27:55.27\00:27:57.24
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