From the campus of
Andrews University,
00:00:05.92\00:00:08.72
this is New Perceptions
with Dr. Dwight K. Nelson.
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He is exalted, the
king is exalted on high
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I will praise Him!
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He is exalted, forever exalted
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And I will
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praise His name!
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For He is the Lord
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Forever His truth shall reign
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Heaven and earth
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Rejoice in His holy name
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He is exalted,
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the King is exalted on high
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He is exalted,
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the king is exalted on high
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I will praise You
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He is exalted, forever exalted
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And I will
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praise His name
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For He is the Lord
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Forever His truth shall reign
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Heaven and earth
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Rejoice in His holy name
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He is exalted,
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the King is exalted on high
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For He is the Lord
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Forever His truth shall reign
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Heaven and earth
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Rejoice in His holy name
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He is exalted,
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the King is exalted on high
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He is exalted,
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the King is exalted on high
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Majesty,
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worship His majesty
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Unto Jesus,
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be all glory honor and praise
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Majesty, kingdom, authority
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Flow from His throne,
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unto His own, His anthem raise.
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So exalt,
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lift up on high
the name of Jesus
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Magnify, come glorify,
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Christ Jesus the king
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Majesty, worship His majesty
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Jesus who died, now glorified,
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King of all kings
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Majesty, worship His majesty
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Unto Jesus,
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be all glory honor and praise
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Majesty, kingdom, authority
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Flow from His
throne, unto His own,
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His anthem raise.
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So exalt,
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lift up on high
the name of Jesus
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Magnify, come glorify,
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Christ Jesus the king
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Majesty, worship His majesty
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Jesus who died, now glorified,
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King of all kings
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Jesus who died, now glorified,
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King of all kings
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Now we've come
to the word of God.
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I'm gonna plunge into
this. This is a teaching.
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We need God and all
of His divine majesty
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to engage our minds
for these next few moments.
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So I want to ask
you to pray with me.
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Think as you
pray, pray as you pray.
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And let us call upon God.
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Oh, God, in three
persons, bless eternity.
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How easy it is for us to talk
about you in the third person.
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God is good, God is love,
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God is holy.
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So what is worship, if
it's not that sacred opportunity
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to open our hearts directly
to you in the first person?
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So dear God, here we go.
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You're Holy
Father, You're Holy Christ,
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You're Holy Spirit as we
plunge into Holy Scripture.
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We listen for
your voice, teach us,
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hide this little
preacher, hide us all,
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so that You might
be front and center.
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We pray in Christ
name. Amen. Question.
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How do you teach a
subject like the trinity?
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Well, libraries have shelves
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filled with books on
the trinity. Question.
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How do you teach a
subject like the trinity
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in about a half hour? Answer.
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You talk very fast, so hold
on your pew, grab your Bible,
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we're going right
now we have just begun.
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Open your Bible
please to John 14.
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The Gospel of John 14.
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And some of you're
saying, you know what, Dwight,
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where they have time out please,
who cares about the Trinity.
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Ah, let me ask
you a few questions.
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Do you know
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that one of our
presidential candidates today
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does not believe in the trinity?
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Mormons believed that Christ
Himself was created by God.
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Did you know that
Jehovah's Witnesses
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don't believe in
the trinity either
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and so they have
crafted their own translation
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to prove their point of view.
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Do you know that 1.4 billion
Muslims on the planet today
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do not believe in the
trinity and neither do the Jews.
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So whether you
believe in the trinity or not
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makes all the difference
in the world, now doesn't it?
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Which is why you need to know
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why you believe
what you believe.
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So let's go you're ready.
You are opening up to John 14.
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And while you
are finding John 14,
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let's employ a little bit
of philosophical logic, okay.
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The crowning depiction of
God in all of sacred literature,
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the crowning
depiction of God goes like this.
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God is, how does
it go. God is love.
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Let's put it on
the screen, 1 John 4:8,
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let's read it out loud
together. "God is love."
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And what is love?
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I suppose if we
went to the upper room,
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we couldn't find a more powerful
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definition of love than
what Jesus Himself gave.
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We've already read
these words before John 15:13.
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"You can have no
greater love than this,
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than to lay down your
life for your friends."
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Love presupposes the
existence of somebody else.
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Love can only flourish and exist
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in the context of
relationship or friendship.
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All right, so God is love.
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God needs someone
else in order to be love.
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Describe God's
nature is to depict Him
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always in
relationship with another.
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Okay, now the Bible also teaches
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that God is the
creator of the entire universe,
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true or false?
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But of course which
means logically now think,
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which means
logically there was a time
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when there was only
God, isn't that right?
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Matter is not
eternal, only God is eternal,
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so there was a time
when there was only God.
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Now look.
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If God were singular,
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if He were all by Himself at
that time in the distant past
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when there was
nothing but God in existence,
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then God could not
be love at that time.
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For love requires the presence
of another to receive it.
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Which would mean
love then cannot be
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the very essence of
God, for there was a time
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when there was no one to love,
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unless of course
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God is plurality
rather than singularity.
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There is a dynamite quotation
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I want to share
with you right now,
00:12:41.50\00:12:42.53
so grab your study
guide, come on let's go,
00:12:42.56\00:12:44.03
grab your study guide.
00:12:44.06\00:12:45.12
Brand new study guide in
your worship bulletin today.
00:12:45.15\00:12:47.20
You didn't get a
study guide here come
00:12:47.23\00:12:48.82
the world's
friendliest ushers your way,
00:12:48.85\00:12:50.84
you are gonna want that
this is a big study guide.
00:12:50.87\00:12:53.47
You're gonna want to
keep this study guide,
00:12:53.50\00:12:55.13
put your hand up if you
didn't get a study guide
00:12:55.16\00:12:57.02
when you came
in, in the balcony,
00:12:57.05\00:12:59.87
in the sanctuary
00:12:59.90\00:13:01.00
anybody in the youth
chapel holds your hand up,
00:13:01.03\00:13:03.16
we want to make sure
the study guide is yours.
00:13:03.19\00:13:05.69
And by the way those
of you who are watching
00:13:05.72\00:13:07.31
we're delighted to have you.
00:13:07.34\00:13:08.74
You gonna have
the same study guide.
00:13:08.77\00:13:09.90
Let me put it on the
screen for you our website.
00:13:09.93\00:13:11.98
Go to that website.
00:13:12.01\00:13:13.60
There you see it on the screen
right now, go to that website.
00:13:13.63\00:13:17.22
The study guide is
waiting for you www.pmchurch.tv.
00:13:17.25\00:13:21.64
You're looking for our
series, 'The Last Days.'
00:13:21.67\00:13:24.14
These are the
last days of Jesus life
00:13:24.17\00:13:26.53
as Pastor Hosea a moment ago
reminded us the Book of John,
00:13:26.56\00:13:30.31
the fourth gospel is our theme.
00:13:30.34\00:13:32.33
And by the way worship team
00:13:32.36\00:13:34.13
splendid and
glorious worship today.
00:13:34.16\00:13:36.36
Thank you for leading us.
00:13:36.39\00:13:39.49
You're looking for the
series entitled 'The Last Days.'
00:13:39.52\00:13:43.27
Today's teaching
'Trinity Under Fire.'
00:13:43.30\00:13:46.77
When you see
Trinity under fire in,
00:13:46.80\00:13:48.09
let's say study guide
00:13:48.12\00:13:49.15
you get a double
sided study guide today.
00:13:49.18\00:13:52.49
You gonna want the study guide
00:13:52.52\00:13:53.59
and so those of you who
are watching live streaming,
00:13:53.62\00:13:55.18
we're delighted to have you.
00:13:55.21\00:13:56.24
Go to that website,
get the study guide.
00:13:56.27\00:13:57.73
Come on be a part of this live
00:13:57.76\00:13:59.16
wherever in the
nation or the world you are.
00:13:59.19\00:14:01.32
Let's go, let's put the
first statement on the screen
00:14:01.35\00:14:05.26
that we read just a moment ago.
00:14:05.29\00:14:06.50
Fill it in please. 1
John 4:8, "God is love."
00:14:06.53\00:14:12.61
That is the shining
00:14:12.64\00:14:16.23
crowning depiction of
God in Holy Scripture.
00:14:16.26\00:14:20.28
God is love.
00:14:20.31\00:14:21.34
Now let me tell
you about a book.
00:14:21.37\00:14:22.40
Woody Whidden, Jerry
Moon, and John Reeves,
00:14:22.43\00:14:25.61
three professors on the
campus of Andrews University,
00:14:25.64\00:14:28.80
they collaborated to write
00:14:28.83\00:14:30.32
a very helpful
book on the Trinity
00:14:30.35\00:14:33.12
which I have, which I have read
00:14:33.15\00:14:35.74
and which you will
be blessed when you do.
00:14:35.77\00:14:39.28
I want to pull a quotation
right out of that book.
00:14:39.31\00:14:43.69
And I want you to
brood over this quotation.
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By the way, title of
the book 'The Trinity,
00:14:46.32\00:14:48.21
Understanding God's
Love, His Plan of Salvation,
00:14:48.24\00:14:50.47
and Christian Relationships.'
00:14:50.50\00:14:52.11
I have to be
careful because the author
00:14:52.14\00:14:54.07
Woody Whidden is
sitting right over there,
00:14:54.10\00:14:55.38
so I'll make sure I
quote this correctly.
00:14:55.41\00:14:58.11
But He wrote the segment
00:14:58.14\00:15:00.62
on the theological
development of the Trinity
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and so he found this quotation,
00:15:03.24\00:15:05.00
I love it, it's
from Bruce Metzger,
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Bruce M. Metzger the great,
00:15:06.87\00:15:08.64
the great New Testament
scholar, Greek scholar.
00:15:08.67\00:15:11.57
All right, the
words are on the screen,
00:15:11.60\00:15:12.69
you have to fill
them in. "The Unitarian."
00:15:12.72\00:15:15.77
There are Americans who
call themselves the Unitarians.
00:15:15.80\00:15:18.62
They say only one God,
no trinity just one God.
00:15:18.65\00:15:21.60
"The Unitarian
professes to agree
00:15:21.63\00:15:23.69
with the statement
that 'God is love.'"
00:15:23.72\00:15:26.71
This is Metzger writing.
00:15:26.74\00:15:28.68
But these words, 'God is love,'
00:15:28.71\00:15:31.01
have no real meaning unless
God is at least two Persons.
00:15:31.04\00:15:36.21
We just ran through that
00:15:36.24\00:15:37.27
little bit of philosophical
logic a moment ago.
00:15:37.30\00:15:39.07
"You have to have two.
00:15:39.10\00:15:40.17
Love is something that one
person has for another person.
00:15:40.20\00:15:43.43
If God were a single person
00:15:43.46\00:15:44.93
then before the
universe was made,
00:15:44.96\00:15:46.76
He was not love,
couldn't have been.
00:15:46.79\00:15:49.67
"For, if love be
of the essence of God,
00:15:49.70\00:15:52.03
he must always
love, and, being eternal."
00:15:52.06\00:15:54.78
I thought this is very helpful.
00:15:54.81\00:15:55.88
"He must have possessed
an eternal object of love.
00:15:55.91\00:16:00.07
Furthermore." Keep reading.
00:16:00.10\00:16:01.82
"Perfect love is
possible only between equals."
00:16:01.85\00:16:06.21
Good point.
00:16:06.24\00:16:07.27
"Just as a man cannot satisfy
00:16:07.30\00:16:09.91
or realize his powers of
love by loving lower animals."
00:16:09.94\00:16:13.30
And wasn't that God's
point with Adam by the way.
00:16:13.33\00:16:15.36
He said, hey,
Adam, name the animals,
00:16:15.39\00:16:16.98
see if anyone of
these you'll be happy with.
00:16:17.01\00:16:18.66
He was not happy.
00:16:18.69\00:16:20.90
Just as man cannot be satisfied
00:16:20.93\00:16:26.48
or realize his powers of
love by loving lower animals.
00:16:26.51\00:16:28.89
The quotation goes on.
"So." This was helpful.
00:16:28.92\00:16:31.63
"God cannot
satisfy or realize his love
00:16:31.66\00:16:34.94
by loving man or any creature."
00:16:34.97\00:16:36.93
Oh, come on,
God, aren't I enough,
00:16:36.96\00:16:38.87
wouldn't you be
happy, just you and me.
00:16:38.90\00:16:41.03
And the answer is no.
00:16:41.06\00:16:45.75
I need somebody like me to love
00:16:45.78\00:16:49.10
and to receive and give.
00:16:49.13\00:16:52.44
Metzger goes on.
00:16:52.47\00:16:53.50
"Being infinite,
00:16:53.53\00:16:55.02
he God must have
eternally possessed
00:16:55.05\00:16:57.87
an infinite object of his love."
00:16:57.90\00:16:59.79
And I like this, jot it down.
00:16:59.82\00:17:00.85
"Some alter ego, some alter ego,
00:17:00.88\00:17:06.16
or to use the
language of traditional
00:17:06.19\00:17:07.54
Christian
theology, a consubstantial."
00:17:07.57\00:17:10.33
Oh, mine,
Dwight, what's that word,
00:17:10.36\00:17:11.95
I'll put it in brackets
say, what's that consubstantial
00:17:11.98\00:17:14.94
"of one or the same being."
00:17:14.97\00:17:16.70
He needed someone of
one or the same being.
00:17:16.73\00:17:19.29
Metzger goes on.
"Co-eternal and co-equal Son."
00:17:19.32\00:17:23.64
Right in the word "Son".
00:17:23.67\00:17:27.02
Look, just think.
00:17:27.05\00:17:28.21
In order for God to
be God and to be love,
00:17:28.24\00:17:30.65
He must have at
least one co-equal,
00:17:30.68\00:17:32.41
one co-eternal person
with whom He bestows love
00:17:32.44\00:17:35.46
and from whom He receives love,
00:17:35.49\00:17:37.87
He has to have it
or He is not love.
00:17:37.90\00:17:41.12
In eternity past way back there,
00:17:41.15\00:17:43.15
He had to have
it, in eternity future
00:17:43.18\00:17:45.04
He has to still have
it in order to be love.
00:17:45.07\00:17:47.81
Here's another quotation,
00:17:47.84\00:17:49.24
then we'll plunge
into the scripture.
00:17:49.27\00:17:50.92
Otto H.
Christensen also very helpful.
00:17:50.95\00:17:54.18
Thank you, Woody
for including these.
00:17:54.21\00:17:57.17
And we'll get to
quoting you in just a minute.
00:17:57.20\00:17:59.15
All right Otto Christensen,
put it on the screen.
00:17:59.18\00:18:01.62
"There is a
sense in which the fact
00:18:01.65\00:18:03.58
that God is love requires
00:18:03.61\00:18:05.64
that He be more than one person.
00:18:05.67\00:18:08.18
Love must have both a
subject and an object."
00:18:08.21\00:18:11.52
That was helpful for me.
00:18:11.55\00:18:13.22
"Thus prior to the creation
of other persons humans,
00:18:13.25\00:18:16.35
God could not have really love
00:18:16.38\00:18:18.20
and thus would not
have been truly love,
00:18:18.23\00:18:20.42
if however their have
always been multiple persons"
00:18:20.45\00:18:24.50
right that down.
00:18:24.53\00:18:26.20
"if there have
always been multiple persons
00:18:26.23\00:18:27.77
within the
trinity itself, among whom
00:18:27.80\00:18:29.92
love could be
mutually exercised,
00:18:29.95\00:18:31.98
expressed, and experienced,
00:18:32.01\00:18:33.80
then God could always
have been actively loving."
00:18:33.83\00:18:37.18
Now notice this
point. This now takes it up.
00:18:37.21\00:18:40.20
"Because God is three persons,
00:18:40.23\00:18:43.21
rather than two, there
is a dimension of openness
00:18:43.24\00:18:46.83
and extension not necessarily
found in a love relationship
00:18:46.86\00:18:51.13
between two persons
00:18:51.16\00:18:52.47
which can sometimes be
quite closed in nature."
00:18:52.50\00:18:57.33
Come on, you watch lovers,
00:18:57.36\00:18:59.08
we're getting
close to spring time,
00:18:59.11\00:19:00.57
watch young
lovers on this campus.
00:19:00.60\00:19:02.44
They are totally in
themselves, I mean totally.
00:19:02.47\00:19:05.59
There is nothing
but the two of them.
00:19:05.62\00:19:07.49
That's a problem with two.
Two, in fact jot this down.
00:19:07.52\00:19:10.53
"Two persons form a couple,
00:19:10.56\00:19:13.42
three persons become community."
00:19:13.45\00:19:16.10
See, two is not
enough, three now to capture,
00:19:16.13\00:19:19.70
the fullness,
you got to have three
00:19:19.73\00:19:21.77
and that's why, by the way,
00:19:21.80\00:19:22.83
let me just tell
you, you're young adults
00:19:22.86\00:19:24.37
who are looking
forward to getting married
00:19:24.40\00:19:25.46
one of these days,
that's why you'll add a child.
00:19:25.49\00:19:29.14
You'll add a
child to your twosome
00:19:29.17\00:19:31.04
because twosome you
will begin to sense,
00:19:31.07\00:19:33.79
you want to
expand, you want to move
00:19:33.82\00:19:35.82
from couple to
community. Fascinating.
00:19:35.85\00:19:41.53
Listen, let's turn
from philosophical logic,
00:19:41.56\00:19:43.11
let's plunge into scripture.
Did you already find John 14.
00:19:43.14\00:19:45.85
Open your Bible
to John 14. Let's go.
00:19:45.88\00:19:48.42
Because what is clear
here in the fourth gospel.
00:19:48.45\00:19:51.29
And by the way, we are now
00:19:51.32\00:19:53.03
don't miss next time
you and I are together,
00:19:53.06\00:19:55.08
we are in the
heart of Gethsemane,
00:19:55.11\00:19:57.02
the denier, the
denial, the denied.
00:19:57.05\00:20:01.13
And our story is there.
00:20:01.16\00:20:02.19
Don't miss the
next one, we're now--
00:20:02.22\00:20:04.32
Calvary is just minutes away.
00:20:04.35\00:20:06.49
But one last time to go
to the upper room discourse.
00:20:06.52\00:20:08.34
Jot this down, will you.
00:20:08.37\00:20:09.40
In John 13-17 Jesus declares
His unity with the Father.
00:20:09.43\00:20:15.70
And all those references
after the Father there,
00:20:15.73\00:20:18.20
I went through and
read the entire upper room
00:20:18.23\00:20:19.96
discourse this week, took notes.
00:20:19.99\00:20:21.60
everywhere Jesus talks about
that unity with His Father.
00:20:21.63\00:20:24.61
I jotted the references
down, check them out later.
00:20:24.64\00:20:27.49
Let's just examine one of them.
00:20:27.52\00:20:30.45
John 14, you've already found it
00:20:30.48\00:20:33.23
and I have not yet.
John 14, here we go.
00:20:33.26\00:20:37.20
This is a familiar passages,
00:20:37.23\00:20:38.45
let's pick it up
in verse 5 John 14,
00:20:38.48\00:20:40.20
I'm in the New
King James Version.
00:20:40.23\00:20:41.41
By the way, you
didn't bring your Bible,
00:20:41.44\00:20:42.74
you got to track
this, you must track this.
00:20:42.77\00:20:44.59
Let me give you a
page number, page 726.
00:20:44.62\00:20:47.03
Grab the pew
Bible in front of you.
00:20:47.06\00:20:48.53
Let's go, John 14:5.
00:20:48.56\00:20:50.60
"Thomas said to
Jesus, 'Lord, we do not know
00:20:50.63\00:20:53.69
where You are going, and
how can we know the way?'
00:20:53.72\00:20:55.99
And Jesus said to him,
00:20:56.02\00:20:57.20
'I am the way, the
truth, and the life.
00:20:57.23\00:21:01.75
No one comes to the
Father except through Me.
00:21:01.78\00:21:05.72
Verse 7, "If you had known Me,
00:21:05.75\00:21:07.26
you would have
known My Father also,
00:21:07.29\00:21:08.78
and from now on you
know Him and have seen Him."
00:21:08.81\00:21:11.23
Philip said to Him,
'Lord, show us the Father,
00:21:11.26\00:21:16.01
and it is sufficient for us.'
00:21:16.04\00:21:18.44
Jesus said to
him," Incredulous toads.
00:21:18.47\00:21:23.13
'Have I been so long with you,
00:21:23.16\00:21:27.15
and yet you have
not known Me, Philip?
00:21:27.18\00:21:30.12
He who has seen Me
has seen the Father,
00:21:30.15\00:21:32.10
so how can you say,
'Show us the Father'?
00:21:32.13\00:21:33.90
Do you not believe
that I am in the Father,
00:21:33.93\00:21:35.57
and the Father in Me?
00:21:35.60\00:21:36.82
The words that I speak to you
00:21:36.85\00:21:38.28
I do not speak
on My own authority,
00:21:38.31\00:21:39.92
but the Father who dwells in Me,
00:21:39.95\00:21:42.90
He does the works."
00:21:42.93\00:21:45.71
Now those who
reject the teaching,
00:21:45.74\00:21:47.95
the Bible
teaching of the trinity.
00:21:47.98\00:21:49.25
They say ah, there it is Dwight,
00:21:49.28\00:21:50.51
thank you for
bringing that passage out.
00:21:50.54\00:21:51.74
There it is
proof that the Father
00:21:51.77\00:21:53.91
and Son are interchangeable.
00:21:53.94\00:21:55.59
Sometimes He
calls Himself the Son,
00:21:55.62\00:21:57.23
sometimes He calls
Himself the Father.
00:21:57.26\00:21:58.94
He is in me, I'm in Him.
00:21:58.97\00:22:00.28
See it's all one
person. Hold on, no, no.
00:22:00.31\00:22:03.88
That's the ancient
heresy called modalism.
00:22:03.91\00:22:07.07
That heresy taught that
God appeared in different modes
00:22:07.10\00:22:10.15
depending on what He needs.
00:22:10.18\00:22:12.15
No, no, no, no,
no, look at Jesus.
00:22:12.18\00:22:14.32
Drop down to verse 16. If
I could put it on the screen.
00:22:14.35\00:22:16.41
No I need to fill
up, I need to fill in.
00:22:16.44\00:22:18.42
Go back to John
14. Thank you for that.
00:22:18.45\00:22:20.48
John 14:9, 10.
00:22:20.51\00:22:21.80
Make sure you get that
on the screen John 14:9, 10.
00:22:21.83\00:22:24.86
"He who has seen me
has seen the Father.
00:22:24.89\00:22:29.04
I'm in the Father
and the Father in me.
00:22:29.07\00:22:32.05
Well, if you just
took a casual reading,
00:22:32.08\00:22:33.38
you'll say, oh, that's
great, He's just switching hats.
00:22:33.41\00:22:35.66
You can call me Father
and you can call me Son.
00:22:35.69\00:22:37.43
No, no, no.
00:22:37.46\00:22:39.04
Look at verse 16, same chapter.
00:22:39.07\00:22:41.00
And you'll need to
fill this in as well.
00:22:41.03\00:22:42.24
Jesus speaking, "And I one
being will ask the Father."
00:22:42.27\00:22:47.20
Write in the word ask.
00:22:47.23\00:22:48.54
By the way isn't that
something He's gonna ask.
00:22:48.57\00:22:50.03
If He were the
Father I'll ask myself,
00:22:50.06\00:22:52.04
it doesn't even make
sense. I'll ask myself. No.
00:22:52.07\00:22:56.56
"And I one being will
ask the Father another being,
00:22:56.59\00:23:01.17
and he will give you
another Helper a third Being."
00:23:01.20\00:23:03.97
Clearly Jesus differentiates
00:23:04.00\00:23:05.67
between Himself
and God the Father
00:23:05.70\00:23:07.67
and we might add the
Holy Spirit or Helper.
00:23:07.70\00:23:10.54
They are three separate persons.
00:23:10.57\00:23:15.57
And yet Jesus,
isn't that something,
00:23:15.60\00:23:16.98
Jesus declares Himself
to be one with the Father.
00:23:17.01\00:23:21.44
Why does He say that.
Very clearly He says it.
00:23:21.47\00:23:24.93
You watch why He says that.
00:23:24.96\00:23:26.02
Just turn, keep you
little ribbon right there.
00:23:26.05\00:23:28.20
Just turn to Chapter 10.
00:23:28.23\00:23:29.84
Turn back a few
pages to Chapter 10.
00:23:29.87\00:23:32.87
Find out now, why He
says the Father and I are one.
00:23:32.90\00:23:36.46
Here's the very line
where He says it. John 10:30.
00:23:36.49\00:23:39.81
Jesus speaking, you
have a red letter Bible,
00:23:39.84\00:23:41.42
this would be bright red.
"I and My Father are one."
00:23:41.45\00:23:46.39
Now notice the
response. Verse 31.
00:23:46.42\00:23:48.75
"Then the Jews took up
stones again to stone Him.
00:23:48.78\00:23:52.30
And Jesus answered them.
00:23:52.33\00:23:53.64
'Many good works I have
shown you from My Father.
00:23:53.67\00:23:55.75
For which of those
works do you stone Me?'
00:23:55.78\00:23:58.06
And they answered
Him." Verse 33 saying.
00:23:58.09\00:24:00.55
'For a good work
we do not stone You,
00:24:00.58\00:24:03.01
but for
blasphemy." What's blasphemy?
00:24:03.04\00:24:07.03
"You being a Man,
make Yourself God.'"
00:24:07.06\00:24:10.67
They know
exactly what He has said.
00:24:10.70\00:24:12.88
When he says the
Father and I are one,
00:24:12.91\00:24:14.57
He is saying I
am divine, I am God.
00:24:14.60\00:24:19.55
And they pick up stones.
00:24:19.58\00:24:21.37
I'll tell you
what again and again.
00:24:21.40\00:24:24.20
Jesus in the fourth
gospel declares His unity,
00:24:24.23\00:24:30.00
His equality with Almighty God.
00:24:30.03\00:24:34.69
In fact one more place
and this is the clincher
00:24:34.72\00:24:37.51
and actually happens earlier.
00:24:37.54\00:24:38.93
John 8, so just turn
back a few more pages.
00:24:38.96\00:24:41.03
At the very end of
the Chapter John 8.
00:24:41.06\00:24:44.35
Jesus speaking to
the Jewish leaders again.
00:24:44.38\00:24:46.77
This is John 8:58.
00:24:46.80\00:24:49.01
"And Jesus said to
them, 'Most assuredly."
00:24:49.04\00:24:51.50
NOW remember in the
Greek a double amen,
00:24:51.53\00:24:55.45
ooh, slow down
this is big. Amen, amen.
00:24:55.48\00:25:00.02
"Jesus said to them,
00:25:00.05\00:25:01.15
Amen, Amen I say to
you before Abraham was,"
00:25:01.18\00:25:05.63
what? I AM.
00:25:05.66\00:25:09.06
All capitals, all
capitals by the way
00:25:09.09\00:25:11.67
because scholars
are absolutely clear
00:25:11.70\00:25:13.54
and so were his listeners
00:25:13.57\00:25:15.61
that Jesus is linking Himself
00:25:15.64\00:25:17.38
to the roaring
flames of the burning bush
00:25:17.41\00:25:20.74
and the eternal
self-existent one
00:25:20.77\00:25:22.83
who thunders out of the flames
to Moses who is on his face.
00:25:22.86\00:25:26.63
I'm who I am.
00:25:26.66\00:25:30.20
Jesus is saying I am that God.
00:25:30.23\00:25:34.52
And then look at verse
59. No question they got it.
00:25:34.55\00:25:37.72
Verse 59, "And then they
took up stones to throw at Him,
00:25:37.75\00:25:40.54
but Jesus hid Himself
went out of the temple
00:25:40.57\00:25:42.81
going through the midst
of them and so passed by."
00:25:42.84\00:25:46.56
Ladies and
gentlemen, in the gospel,
00:25:46.59\00:25:49.51
the fourth gospel
the divinity of Christ
00:25:49.54\00:25:53.17
is repeated again and again.
00:25:53.20\00:25:55.44
I love these symbols that Hosea,
00:25:55.47\00:25:58.02
Chaplain Hosea set up
for our worship today.
00:25:58.05\00:26:01.27
John introduces seven of these
claims of Christ with the I am
00:26:01.30\00:26:07.41
and in the Greek
it has to be all caps
00:26:07.44\00:26:09.34
in order to capture
the meaning of that I am.
00:26:09.37\00:26:11.61
Seven of them,
Jesus say I am the bread,
00:26:11.64\00:26:17.57
I am the door,
00:26:17.60\00:26:23.24
I am the good shepherd,
00:26:23.27\00:26:27.18
I am the light,
00:26:27.21\00:26:30.33
I am the
resurrection and the life,
00:26:30.36\00:26:33.60
I am the way the
truth and the life,
00:26:33.63\00:26:36.45
I am the divine, seven of them.
00:26:36.48\00:26:40.75
No question,
00:26:40.78\00:26:42.77
the deity and divinity of Christ
00:26:42.80\00:26:44.97
is confirmed in
the fourth gospel.
00:26:45.00\00:26:46.46
In fact fill this in.
00:26:46.49\00:26:48.00
Fill this in so
that you won't forget it.
00:26:48.03\00:26:49.09
"The gospel of John
unequivocally declares
00:26:49.12\00:26:51.52
the deity and
divinity of Christ."
00:26:51.55\00:26:54.66
Now that slide is not
over. But get that down.
00:26:54.69\00:26:57.41
"Unequivocally
declares the deity
00:26:57.44\00:26:59.47
and divinity of Christ
00:26:59.50\00:27:02.33
for the gospel begins
with its mighty prologue
00:27:02.36\00:27:04.90
and the Word was God
00:27:04.93\00:27:09.05
and it ends with the
grand confession of Thomas,
00:27:09.08\00:27:12.62
"My Lord and my God."
00:27:12.65\00:27:15.15
Book ended by two
claims to divinity.
00:27:15.18\00:27:21.27
So for those who
study Holy Scripture
00:27:21.30\00:27:22.76
and there are some even today
within the Christian community
00:27:22.79\00:27:25.58
and within my community of faith
00:27:25.61\00:27:27.57
who do not see what
the Bible is teaching.
00:27:27.60\00:27:30.53
And they are saying,
no there is no trinity.
00:27:30.56\00:27:33.21
The Gospel of
John is unassailable,
00:27:33.24\00:27:36.45
unassailable evidence
corroborating the teaching
00:27:36.48\00:27:42.21
that you can't be
living in eternity past
00:27:42.24\00:27:44.72
all alone and be love.
00:27:44.75\00:27:46.85
You can't be the
essence of who you say you are,
00:27:46.88\00:27:49.93
if there is nobody to
receive that love. Wow.
00:27:49.96\00:27:55.42
So John very much
wants us to catch,
00:27:55.45\00:27:57.41
to capture the unity that
Jesus senses with his Father.
00:27:57.44\00:28:00.35
Let's just put a few
more under this category
00:28:00.38\00:28:02.46
John 14:23 Jesus speaking here.
00:28:02.49\00:28:04.84
"If anyone loves Me,
he will keep My word,
00:28:04.87\00:28:07.14
and my Father
will love him and We--"
00:28:07.17\00:28:09.25
Now noticed this plural.
00:28:09.28\00:28:10.39
"And we will come to him
and make Our home with him."
00:28:10.42\00:28:14.75
Note it very
carefully ladies and gentleman.
00:28:14.78\00:28:16.89
"Here you have
one who claims to be
00:28:16.92\00:28:18.16
in the divine inner circle
00:28:18.19\00:28:19.38
using the plural
pronoun to refer to themselves."
00:28:19.41\00:28:23.98
By the way isn't that amazing
00:28:24.01\00:28:25.88
that the Bible opens
in the Book of Genesis
00:28:25.91\00:28:27.51
with that same
plural being exercised.
00:28:27.54\00:28:29.68
We're kind of left
with this mysterious plural.
00:28:29.71\00:28:32.46
What's happening here.
00:28:32.49\00:28:33.52
"Let Us make man in Our image."
00:28:33.55\00:28:37.95
The same plural pronounce.
00:28:37.98\00:28:40.94
Let Us make man in
Our image. Jot it down.
00:28:40.97\00:28:43.32
"Jesus Himself is
describing God as plurality."
00:28:43.35\00:28:47.77
He is plural. John 14:31.
00:28:47.80\00:28:52.03
"I love the Father."
00:28:52.06\00:28:53.45
Let me just run
a few more by it.
00:28:53.48\00:28:54.73
John 15:15.
00:28:54.76\00:28:57.37
"All things I
heard from my Father
00:28:57.40\00:28:59.98
I have made known to
you." How about another one.
00:29:00.01\00:29:01.67
John 16:32.
00:29:01.70\00:29:03.11
"I am not alone,
because the Father is with me."
00:29:03.14\00:29:05.54
The intense unity of
Jesus with His Father.
00:29:05.57\00:29:08.73
And would you jot
this down John 17.
00:29:08.76\00:29:10.62
"Jesus entire prayer
is steeped in language
00:29:10.65\00:29:13.01
that declares His
unity with the Father.
00:29:13.04\00:29:16.97
There is no question.
00:29:17.00\00:29:18.03
In fact, we got to do
this, go back to John 17.
00:29:18.06\00:29:21.42
I want to read in your Bible.
00:29:21.45\00:29:22.98
John 17. Just catch this flavor.
00:29:23.01\00:29:25.57
The whole prayer is steeped
00:29:25.60\00:29:27.64
in the language
of Christ and Father.
00:29:27.67\00:29:31.44
The oneness they enjoy.
00:29:31.47\00:29:32.94
This is John 17 beginning--
00:29:32.97\00:29:34.46
this is the last prayer Jesus
will ever pray for you and me.
00:29:34.49\00:29:39.51
This prayers from
henceforth are form self.
00:29:39.54\00:29:42.61
When we get to
Gethsemane you'll see.
00:29:42.64\00:29:45.21
Jesus spoke these
words, this is John 17.
00:29:45.24\00:29:47.49
"Jesus spoke these words,
lifted up His eyes to heaven
00:29:47.52\00:29:50.68
and said, Father
the hour has come."
00:29:50.71\00:29:53.61
Time for
Calvary. "The hours come.
00:29:53.64\00:29:55.25
Glorify your Son that your Son
may also glorify you. Verse 2.
00:29:55.28\00:29:59.02
"As you have given Him
authority over all flesh
00:29:59.05\00:30:00.99
that He should
give eternal life to
00:30:01.02\00:30:03.47
as many as you have given Him."
00:30:03.50\00:30:04.92
Now notice verse 3."
00:30:04.95\00:30:05.98
And this is eternal
life that they may know You,
00:30:06.01\00:30:09.06
the only true
God and Jesus Christ
00:30:09.09\00:30:11.33
whom You have sent."
00:30:11.36\00:30:12.39
You cannot give eternal life
unless you are eternal yourself.
00:30:12.42\00:30:16.17
He's making the
very clear statement.
00:30:16.20\00:30:18.40
I am is eternal as the
Father. Look at verse 4.
00:30:18.43\00:30:22.28
"I have
glorified You on the earth.
00:30:22.31\00:30:23.80
I have finish the work
which you have given Me to do.
00:30:23.83\00:30:26.73
And now O Father, glorified
Me together with Yourself
00:30:26.76\00:30:29.99
with the glory which I had
with you before the world was."
00:30:30.02\00:30:33.38
Isn't that
something it says in John--
00:30:33.41\00:30:35.52
in the prologue in the
beginning was the word,
00:30:35.55\00:30:37.35
and the word was with
God and by Him all things
00:30:37.38\00:30:40.16
which are came into being.
00:30:40.19\00:30:42.36
Before the word
created the entire universe,
00:30:42.39\00:30:45.17
the word it was made flesh.
00:30:45.20\00:30:46.52
Before He created
the entire universe
00:30:46.55\00:30:48.45
He and the Father
were the glory I shared
00:30:48.48\00:30:50.89
with you before creation.
00:30:50.92\00:30:54.68
You can't have love
00:30:54.71\00:30:57.38
without a plurality. Wow.
00:30:57.41\00:31:02.83
But would you jot
this down in John 14-16.
00:31:02.86\00:31:05.93
"Jesus has just as
much declaring His unity
00:31:05.96\00:31:08.37
with the Holy
Spirit." Jot that down.
00:31:08.40\00:31:10.56
And there are
references for the Holy Spirit.
00:31:10.59\00:31:13.94
John 14:26, let's just
catch just a sampling of these.
00:31:13.97\00:31:17.25
John 14:26 fill it in please.
00:31:17.28\00:31:19.32
"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit
00:31:19.35\00:31:21.16
that would be one
being." All right.
00:31:21.19\00:31:25.60
"But the Helper, the
Holy Spirit that's one being,
00:31:25.63\00:31:28.72
whom the Father another being
00:31:28.75\00:31:31.25
will send in my
name a third being,
00:31:31.28\00:31:34.07
He" Now noticed this.
00:31:34.10\00:31:35.44
"He will teach you all things
00:31:35.47\00:31:37.64
and bring to your remembrance
all things that I said to you."
00:31:37.67\00:31:41.72
Notice how
closely Jesus describes
00:31:41.75\00:31:43.69
His collaboration
with the Holy Spirit.
00:31:43.72\00:31:45.53
Look at there is so much
more I wish I could tell you
00:31:45.56\00:31:47.69
but there's no more time now.
00:31:47.72\00:31:49.12
I'm about to
die, but when He comes
00:31:49.15\00:31:51.66
He'll pick it right
up and He'll teach you,
00:31:51.69\00:31:53.39
He'll teach you the rest.
00:31:53.42\00:31:55.24
Close
collaboration and by the way
00:31:55.27\00:31:57.92
jot this down, will you?
00:31:57.95\00:31:59.62
Note that the
Upper Room Discourse
00:31:59.65\00:32:01.94
intentionally uses
the masculine pronoun
00:32:01.97\00:32:05.24
"He" Write that in.
00:32:05.27\00:32:07.56
It uses the masculine pronoun,
00:32:07.59\00:32:09.03
He to refer to the Holy Spirit
00:32:09.06\00:32:10.47
rather than the
neuter pronoun "it".
00:32:10.50\00:32:13.54
You see the spirit in
Greek is it, it's neuter.
00:32:13.57\00:32:17.02
It should receive the
anteceded should be it.
00:32:17.05\00:32:21.26
But here the
pronoun, the pronoun is he.
00:32:21.29\00:32:24.76
John says, I know the
rules of grammar here,
00:32:24.79\00:32:26.22
but I'm switching the rules.
00:32:26.25\00:32:27.69
I want you to know
00:32:27.72\00:32:28.82
that the Holy Spirit is the He,
00:32:28.85\00:32:30.87
he's a person. Keep writing.
00:32:30.90\00:32:33.76
Thus affirming
the biblical truth
00:32:33.79\00:32:35.23
that the Holy Spirit is
not an impersonal spirit.
00:32:35.26\00:32:37.74
Some people try to
say well, it's the spirit
00:32:37.77\00:32:39.10
that goes out of God's heart.
00:32:39.13\00:32:40.20
Just the spirit
that goes out of God--
00:32:40.23\00:32:41.75
no, no, no He's not
an impersonal spirit
00:32:41.78\00:32:43.53
that emanates from
the Father or the Son,
00:32:43.56\00:32:45.55
but is rather a
personal being. Keyword.
00:32:45.58\00:32:48.90
Would you write that in please.
00:32:48.93\00:32:50.96
But the Holy Spirit is
rather a personal being
00:32:50.99\00:32:54.11
that joins them in
their divine mission.
00:32:54.14\00:32:58.40
I mean you look at all
these personal activities
00:32:58.43\00:33:00.66
just here in the
upper room discourse.
00:33:00.69\00:33:01.99
He teaches, He
dwells, He reminds,
00:33:02.02\00:33:04.72
He testifies, He convicts,
He guides, He glorifies.
00:33:04.75\00:33:08.36
It's the action of a person,
00:33:08.39\00:33:10.64
you know, just a
little emanation.
00:33:10.67\00:33:12.15
He's a person, real life person.
00:33:12.18\00:33:16.58
That's why Jesus
can say John 15:26.
00:33:16.61\00:33:18.99
"He will testify of Me."
00:33:19.02\00:33:21.02
Look at how tight Jesus
and the Holy Spirit are.
00:33:21.05\00:33:23.86
"He will testify
in Me." John 15:26.
00:33:23.89\00:33:25.62
Look at John 16:14.
"He will glorify Me."
00:33:25.65\00:33:29.32
Clearly there's a profound unity
00:33:29.35\00:33:30.76
between Jesus
and the Holy Spirit
00:33:30.79\00:33:32.79
just as there is
between Jesus and the Father
00:33:32.82\00:33:34.74
and clearly the Holy Spirit
is just as divine as Jesus
00:33:34.77\00:33:38.63
and the Father are.
00:33:38.66\00:33:40.21
No equivocation,
the evidence is clear,
00:33:40.24\00:33:44.69
all three are divine.
00:33:44.72\00:33:48.13
Reading Woody Whidden
and Woody wrote these words
00:33:48.16\00:33:50.35
and put them on the screen
for you need to fill them in.
00:33:50.38\00:33:52.46
Please Woodrow Whidden.
00:33:52.49\00:33:54.67
"Tha triunity of the one God."
00:33:54.70\00:33:56.61
I like that phrase. The
triunity of the one God.
00:33:56.64\00:34:03.08
That's good.
00:34:03.11\00:34:04.19
The triunity of the one
God is the profound unity
00:34:04.22\00:34:07.98
or oneness inherit in
the doctrine of the Trinity.
00:34:08.01\00:34:11.75
Here are three divine
beings. Write that down.
00:34:11.78\00:34:15.48
Here are three divine
beings lined up together
00:34:15.51\00:34:18.80
in such a way as to point
to their oneness of purpose
00:34:18.83\00:34:22.82
in imparting grace
in love to God's people
00:34:22.85\00:34:25.02
through their deep
fellowship with one another
00:34:25.05\00:34:27.43
and the redeemed."
00:34:27.46\00:34:29.82
That's from the
book "The Trinity,
00:34:29.85\00:34:32.25
Understanding God's Love,
00:34:32.28\00:34:33.48
His Plan of Salvation
and Christian Relationships.
00:34:33.51\00:34:36.74
Ladies and
gentlemen, it is no wonder
00:34:36.77\00:34:39.07
that the New Testament radiates
with the glory of the Trinity.
00:34:39.10\00:34:43.70
Let me run this
by you real fast.
00:34:43.73\00:34:45.32
Keep your wrist moving
here because here we go.
00:34:45.35\00:34:47.41
Let's go to the
baptism of Jesus.
00:34:47.44\00:34:49.69
"The Trinity at Jesus baptism.
00:34:49.72\00:34:51.75
Fill that in please and
then, let's read Matthew 3:16.
00:34:51.78\00:34:56.59
"When Jesus had been baptized,
00:34:56.62\00:34:57.99
He came up
immediately from the water
00:34:58.02\00:35:00.80
and behold the
heavens were open to Him,
00:35:00.83\00:35:03.90
and He saw the Spirit of
God." There is being number two.
00:35:03.93\00:35:08.56
"Descending like a
dove and alighting upon Him.
00:35:08.59\00:35:11.66
And suddenly a
voice came from heaven."
00:35:11.69\00:35:13.88
Being number three.
00:35:13.91\00:35:15.24
"Saying this is My beloved
Son in whom I'm well pleased."'
00:35:15.27\00:35:18.63
You don't think the
Trinity was going to miss out
00:35:18.66\00:35:21.02
on the launching,
00:35:21.05\00:35:22.15
the public launching
of the Messiah's mission.
00:35:22.18\00:35:25.02
Are you kidding?
They were there together.
00:35:25.05\00:35:29.85
By the way jot it
down the next blank.
00:35:29.88\00:35:32.68
The Trinity is
at your baptism too.
00:35:32.71\00:35:35.24
Not just Jesus
baptism, your baptism.
00:35:35.27\00:35:38.00
You don't think the
Trinity would miss out
00:35:38.03\00:35:40.38
on the day you're baptized
00:35:40.41\00:35:42.97
in their name do
you, are you kidding?
00:35:43.00\00:35:45.41
They will all be there,
00:35:45.44\00:35:47.20
if you haven't
been baptized yet.
00:35:47.23\00:35:49.27
Matthew 28 let's
read that verse 19.
00:35:49.30\00:35:51.41
Jesus great gospel commission
00:35:51.44\00:35:54.03
"Go therefore and make
disciples of all nations,
00:35:54.06\00:35:56.13
baptizing them in
the name of the Father
00:35:56.16\00:35:58.47
and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit
00:35:58.50\00:36:01.37
teaching them to
observe all things
00:36:01.40\00:36:02.86
that I have commanded you,
and lo, I am with you always,
00:36:02.89\00:36:05.73
even to the end
of the age.' Amen."
00:36:05.76\00:36:09.19
Amen for the Trinity
being at our baptisms.
00:36:09.22\00:36:11.95
Keep writing.
00:36:11.98\00:36:13.01
Notice the Trinity
is also in our church.
00:36:13.04\00:36:19.36
I want to go back
to where the baptism
00:36:19.39\00:36:20.87
just for a minute I'm scrambling
00:36:20.90\00:36:23.39
making them
scramble up and measuring.
00:36:23.42\00:36:24.92
But I want to go
back to that quotation.
00:36:24.95\00:36:26.61
I want you to get this
quote, speaking of your baptism.
00:36:26.64\00:36:29.64
A century ago Ellen
White wrote these words.
00:36:29.67\00:36:31.51
I want you to see them, I'll
put them on the screen for you.
00:36:31.54\00:36:33.95
Here we go.
Little book "Evangelism."
00:36:33.98\00:36:36.15
There are three living
persons of the heavenly trio."
00:36:36.18\00:36:40.12
Three, three living
persons of the heavily trio,
00:36:40.15\00:36:43.06
"in the name of these
three great powers Father,
00:36:43.09\00:36:47.30
the Son, and the Holy
Spirit those who receive Christ
00:36:47.33\00:36:50.36
by living faith are
baptized. Keep reading.
00:36:50.39\00:36:53.71
And these powers will cooperate
00:36:53.74\00:36:55.01
with the obedient
subjects of heaven
00:36:55.04\00:36:56.80
in their efforts to
live a new life in Christ."
00:36:56.83\00:36:59.10
When you come to Jesus
and you are baptized in Him.
00:36:59.13\00:37:01.76
The three great
powers of the universe
00:37:01.79\00:37:04.20
combine to make
it a win-win for you,
00:37:04.23\00:37:06.91
win-win for you to eternity.
00:37:06.94\00:37:09.74
Hallelujah I say,
amen. How about you?
00:37:09.77\00:37:12.41
Isn't that something
the Trinity is on your side.
00:37:12.44\00:37:16.08
Okay, now we go to
the Trinity in our church.
00:37:16.11\00:37:18.32
I love this.
00:37:18.35\00:37:19.38
The Trinity in our churches,
did you write that down.
00:37:19.41\00:37:21.31
Look at Paul here.
00:37:21.34\00:37:22.63
We'll read 1 Corinthians 12:4-6.
00:37:22.66\00:37:25.90
Let's go to that please.
00:37:25.93\00:37:27.45
"There are diversities of
gifts but the same Spirit."
00:37:27.48\00:37:30.05
One being. Next verse.
00:37:30.08\00:37:31.52
"There are
differences of ministries,
00:37:31.55\00:37:32.93
but the same Lord."
Second being. Next Verse.
00:37:32.96\00:37:35.35
"And there are
diversities of activities,
00:37:35.38\00:37:36.84
but it is the same
God who works all in all."
00:37:36.87\00:37:39.57
The Trinity is in
the thick of the church,
00:37:39.60\00:37:41.78
that's why the church
is so precious to God.
00:37:41.81\00:37:44.18
He will never
abandon the church.
00:37:44.21\00:37:46.09
Let me give you another one.
00:37:46.12\00:37:47.15
The Trinity is in
the thick of our worship.
00:37:47.18\00:37:49.28
What we were doing
today what we are doing today,
00:37:49.31\00:37:51.78
the Trinity is drawn
to this kind of this,
00:37:51.81\00:37:55.59
this kind of experience.
00:37:55.62\00:37:57.19
The Trinity at our worship.
Look at this, I love this.
00:37:57.22\00:37:59.18
One of the great benedictions
of the New Testament.
00:37:59.21\00:38:01.88
"The grace of the
Lord Jesus Christ,
00:38:01.91\00:38:04.59
and the love of God,
00:38:04.62\00:38:06.63
and the communion
of the Holy Spirit
00:38:06.66\00:38:08.97
be with you all. Amen."
00:38:09.00\00:38:11.32
Let me give you
one more. 1 Peter 1:2.
00:38:11.35\00:38:13.73
"The Trinity in our
salvation they are caught up
00:38:13.76\00:38:16.14
in our salvation
from stem to stern."
00:38:16.17\00:38:18.07
Take a look at this verse.
00:38:18.10\00:38:19.35
"We are elect
according to the foreknowledge
00:38:19.38\00:38:21.64
of God the Father,
00:38:21.67\00:38:23.32
in
sanctification of the Spirit."
00:38:23.35\00:38:25.33
Keep reading.
00:38:25.36\00:38:26.39
"For obedience and sprinkling
of the blood of Jesus Christ,
00:38:26.42\00:38:29.99
Grace to you and
peace be multiplied."
00:38:30.02\00:38:32.71
Because grace and
peace are what happen
00:38:32.74\00:38:34.98
when the Trinity
come into your life.
00:38:35.01\00:38:39.59
Grace and peace to you.
00:38:39.62\00:38:42.52
Ladies and
gentlemen, have you noticed
00:38:42.55\00:38:44.67
when the New Testament
places all three beings
00:38:44.70\00:38:47.20
in the same
expression as we just saw
00:38:47.23\00:38:50.15
on the same level as
in these five passages
00:38:50.18\00:38:53.23
it is hard to
avoid the conclusion
00:38:53.26\00:38:54.90
that all three beings are viewed
as persons of equal standing,
00:38:54.93\00:39:00.16
equal stature, and equal status.
00:39:00.19\00:39:05.81
The Trinity what
Woody Whidden calls
00:39:05.84\00:39:07.64
the triunity of the one God
00:39:07.67\00:39:09.68
or as he puts it
in another place,
00:39:09.71\00:39:10.98
that tri personal Godhead.
00:39:11.01\00:39:14.47
And by the way you say,
00:39:14.50\00:39:15.53
oh, Dwight, that's
just the New Testament,
00:39:15.56\00:39:16.70
the Old Testament doesn't
support that word, take a look.
00:39:16.73\00:39:18.73
Let's go back to
the Old Testament.
00:39:18.76\00:39:20.31
Do you remember the
majestic Hebrew Shamar.
00:39:20.34\00:39:23.70
Now you remember it.
I'll put it on screen for you.
00:39:23.73\00:39:25.57
You'll have to fill it in.
00:39:25.60\00:39:26.63
This is Deuteronomy 6:4,
00:39:26.66\00:39:28.48
"Hear, O Israel,
That Lord our God,
00:39:28.51\00:39:32.33
the Lord is" what?
00:39:32.36\00:39:34.71
Write that
down. The Lord is one.
00:39:34.74\00:39:37.21
Aha, Dwight, see I
told you, no Trinity,
00:39:37.24\00:39:39.53
one God, not three
persons, not so fast.
00:39:39.56\00:39:43.60
This is fascinating.
Wait till you hear this.
00:39:43.63\00:39:47.51
You see Moses carefully selected
the Hebrew word for one.
00:39:47.54\00:39:53.10
Jot this down, will you?
00:39:53.13\00:39:55.16
Instead of
choosing the word yachid
00:39:55.19\00:39:57.54
which means one in the
sense of only or alone,
00:39:57.57\00:40:01.36
Moses chose the
plural word echad,
00:40:01.39\00:40:05.13
which means one among others
in a joined or shared oneness.
00:40:05.16\00:40:10.04
He uses a plural for
the Lord our God is one.
00:40:10.07\00:40:13.76
It's a very same word by the way
that appears in Genesis 2:24.
00:40:13.79\00:40:17.95
Moses little homily,
00:40:17.98\00:40:19.73
maybe it was
the creator's homily
00:40:19.76\00:40:21.85
after Adam and Eve
were brought to each other.
00:40:21.88\00:40:23.75
"Therefore a man shall
leave his father and mother
00:40:23.78\00:40:26.58
and be joined to his wife,
00:40:26.61\00:40:28.39
and they shall become one echad
two beings who share oneness,
00:40:28.42\00:40:33.09
they shall become one
flesh. Isn't that amazing?
00:40:33.12\00:40:37.16
Two very distinct and
different human beings
00:40:37.19\00:40:39.48
becoming one in marriage
00:40:39.51\00:40:41.20
even so three distinct
and different divine beings
00:40:41.23\00:40:43.91
within the Trinity revealing
a similar oneness. Wow.
00:40:43.94\00:40:50.42
Norman Gulley in his new
00:40:50.45\00:40:53.13
volume two of the
Systematic Theology.
00:40:53.16\00:40:55.20
I just brought it this week.
00:40:55.23\00:40:57.92
Title of the volume
two is God As Trinity.
00:40:57.95\00:40:59.94
He quotes another theologian.
00:40:59.97\00:41:01.00
Let me put it on
the screen for you.
00:41:01.03\00:41:02.68
Millard Erickson observes
00:41:02.71\00:41:04.39
that the unity of husband
and wife is not uniqueness,
00:41:04.42\00:41:08.71
but it's the unity of diversity.
00:41:08.74\00:41:10.56
It speaks of union
rather than aloneness.
00:41:10.59\00:41:14.00
You see the Bible
doesn't describe God
00:41:14.03\00:41:15.65
with the oneness of aloneness.
00:41:15.68\00:41:17.43
He is all alone
before there was a universe.
00:41:17.46\00:41:19.69
No, the Bible describes God,
00:41:19.72\00:41:21.85
he picks in with
the oneness of unity
00:41:21.88\00:41:24.21
just like the
unity of a godly marriage
00:41:24.24\00:41:26.35
where two become one
00:41:26.38\00:41:27.75
even so the
Trinity three are one.
00:41:27.78\00:41:33.17
Let us make man in our
image and indeed they did.
00:41:33.20\00:41:39.23
We become one
just as they are one.
00:41:39.26\00:41:43.63
Wow, it's a mystery, two
diverse people coming together
00:41:43.66\00:41:49.39
and becoming one in
marriage, it's a mystery.
00:41:49.42\00:41:52.40
Three diverse persons
together as the Trinity.
00:41:52.43\00:41:58.59
But I know what you say.
00:41:58.62\00:41:59.87
You say, you know
something, Dwight.
00:41:59.90\00:42:01.84
So what?
00:42:01.87\00:42:03.58
I mean please, what
difference does this make
00:42:03.61\00:42:06.34
for my life in
the third millennium.
00:42:06.37\00:42:11.36
Remembers Jesus'
upper room discourse,
00:42:11.39\00:42:13.96
how He demonstrates His,
passionate unity with the Father
00:42:13.99\00:42:17.74
His passionate
unity with the Spirit.
00:42:17.77\00:42:19.51
Guess what, in
that same upper room,
00:42:19.54\00:42:22.25
He prays for passionate unity,
00:42:22.28\00:42:24.77
His passionate
unity with you and me.
00:42:24.80\00:42:27.66
In fact listen to this.
00:42:27.69\00:42:28.72
Four times in
his closing prayer,
00:42:28.75\00:42:30.03
the last prayer he prays
00:42:30.06\00:42:31.56
before His
crucifixion for you and me.
00:42:31.59\00:42:33.66
Four times, notice this prayer.
00:42:33.69\00:42:34.91
Put it on the screen
just flying by, verse 17:11.
00:42:34.94\00:42:38.15
"O, Father that they
may be one as we are."
00:42:38.18\00:42:40.45
Look at the
next verse, verse 21.
00:42:40.48\00:42:42.09
O, Father that they
may all be one in Us,
00:42:42.12\00:42:43.95
that the world may
believe that You sent Me."
00:42:43.98\00:42:45.54
Look at the
next verse, verse 22.
00:42:45.57\00:42:46.94
"O, Father that they may
be one just as We are one."
00:42:46.97\00:42:50.03
Look at verse 23.
00:42:50.06\00:42:51.24
"Father I in them, and You in me
00:42:51.27\00:42:53.48
that they may
be perfect in one."
00:42:53.51\00:42:55.30
I like the way
the NIV renders that.
00:42:55.33\00:42:56.65
"That they may be
brought to complete unity."
00:42:56.68\00:43:00.15
The last prayer He prays for us.
00:43:00.18\00:43:02.30
Father bring them
please to complete unity.
00:43:02.33\00:43:06.28
So how united,
00:43:06.31\00:43:09.05
how united are we around here?
00:43:09.08\00:43:15.47
How united are we?
00:43:15.50\00:43:19.75
Are we one even as the Father
and Christ, and Spirit are one.
00:43:19.78\00:43:24.68
You know, what
they say, don't you.
00:43:24.71\00:43:27.07
They say marriage is
when two people become one,
00:43:27.10\00:43:29.82
the trouble starts when
they have to decide which one.
00:43:29.85\00:43:35.42
Isn't that the truth?
00:43:35.45\00:43:37.21
Yeah, we won but yeah,
00:43:37.24\00:43:38.29
which one are we're
going to be, you or me.
00:43:38.32\00:43:41.70
That's perhaps the
seed of our own disunity.
00:43:41.73\00:43:47.11
Now sitting
00:43:47.14\00:43:49.21
with the group of denominational
leaders this last week.
00:43:49.24\00:43:52.58
And one of our
senior leaders commented
00:43:52.61\00:43:55.51
that he feared that our schools
00:43:55.54\00:43:58.50
and our
hospitals and our churches
00:43:58.53\00:44:01.36
are drifting
apart into aloneness
00:44:01.39\00:44:04.22
rather than oneness.
00:44:04.25\00:44:09.99
The days of institutional
unity and partnership long on,
00:44:10.02\00:44:14.55
every organization now
looks out for itself first.
00:44:14.58\00:44:17.59
And by the way,
that's not just institutions,
00:44:17.62\00:44:19.41
that's people, Christian people,
Adventist Christian people,
00:44:19.44\00:44:23.55
people who allow racial
differences to breed disunity,
00:44:23.58\00:44:27.72
people who allow social
economic education differences
00:44:27.75\00:44:30.14
to isolate ourselves
00:44:30.17\00:44:31.48
in stifling silos
of our own making.
00:44:31.51\00:44:35.69
People who have
abandoned interracial,
00:44:35.72\00:44:39.52
intergenerational, institutional
collaboration in unity.
00:44:39.55\00:44:45.00
Where are those days?
00:44:45.03\00:44:46.30
Do we have to
worship separately?
00:44:46.33\00:44:51.42
Do we have to
socialize separately?
00:44:51.45\00:44:56.14
Do we have to read in
the cafeteria separately?
00:44:56.17\00:44:59.45
Jesus' last prayer for
us. Put it on the screen.
00:45:04.34\00:45:06.79
"O, Father, that they may
be one just as We are one."
00:45:06.82\00:45:12.29
Because we were created
for unity within community.
00:45:12.32\00:45:15.81
Did you know that?
00:45:15.84\00:45:17.19
In fact did you know that
the word unity is right there.
00:45:17.22\00:45:22.74
You see the word
unity in the word community,
00:45:22.77\00:45:24.87
sure you do. There it is.
00:45:24.90\00:45:27.51
Unity is in community.
00:45:27.54\00:45:29.09
You can't have
community without unity.
00:45:29.12\00:45:31.50
If you take the unity out
of community you have comm.
00:45:31.53\00:45:37.51
And who wants comm.
00:45:37.54\00:45:40.99
You have to have
unity in community
00:45:41.02\00:45:42.99
for community to be community.
00:45:43.02\00:45:45.64
And that's the
Trinity, they have found unity,
00:45:45.67\00:45:48.99
they have displayed for
us unity within community.
00:45:49.02\00:45:53.38
That's how the Trinity
has live forever and ever
00:45:53.41\00:45:56.44
and that's how
humanity must learn to live.
00:45:56.47\00:45:58.84
Unity within
community, that's the calling,
00:45:58.87\00:46:02.60
that's why the Trinity make
00:46:02.63\00:46:03.81
such a big
difference for you and me.
00:46:03.84\00:46:06.78
We can't just brush this off
00:46:06.81\00:46:08.11
as old academic
doctrinal, who cares.
00:46:08.14\00:46:12.24
No, it matters everything
00:46:12.27\00:46:15.55
for the survival of
this community of faith.
00:46:15.58\00:46:18.08
For if we abandon unity,
there will be no community.
00:46:18.11\00:46:22.05
And then we're doomed.
00:46:22.08\00:46:26.13
You say what's that
mean unity and community,
00:46:26.16\00:46:28.60
just ask the Trinity.
00:46:28.63\00:46:30.20
You want the
Trinity to answer that.
00:46:30.23\00:46:31.67
In closing let me share with you
00:46:31.70\00:46:33.18
the Trinity's
answer, here it is.
00:46:33.21\00:46:34.92
Jot it down, will you please.
00:46:34.95\00:46:35.98
The unity of the Trinity
00:46:36.01\00:46:37.13
is the fruit of
mutual submission.
00:46:37.16\00:46:40.27
I wrestled for
usage, shall we put
00:46:40.30\00:46:41.52
the word subordination.
00:46:41.55\00:46:43.33
It just feels too clingy.
00:46:43.36\00:46:45.47
The Trinity demonstrates
unity through mutual submission.
00:46:45.50\00:46:51.74
Watch how these
works, keep your pen moving.
00:46:51.77\00:46:53.71
"The Father submits to the Son."
00:46:53.74\00:46:56.00
In Hebrew's 1:13,
00:46:56.03\00:46:59.59
"The Father comes and
said, Son, sit right here
00:46:59.62\00:47:01.31
'cause I'm gonna take
care of Your enemies for You,
00:47:01.34\00:47:02.67
I'm gonna put them
00:47:02.70\00:47:03.73
under your feet
as your footstool."
00:47:03.76\00:47:04.91
The Father summits
Himself to the Son.
00:47:04.94\00:47:08.42
In Philippians 2, He
says, "Okay, all universe,
00:47:08.45\00:47:10.81
I want you to bow down to Him.
00:47:10.84\00:47:12.94
Every knee will
bow down to Christ.
00:47:12.97\00:47:15.22
The Father
summits Himself to the Son
00:47:15.25\00:47:16.67
and guess what, it
works the other way.
00:47:16.70\00:47:18.25
The Son summits
Himself to the Father.
00:47:18.28\00:47:21.76
That's huge Jesus
says in John 5:19.
00:47:21.79\00:47:24.10
"I can't do anything on my own,
00:47:24.13\00:47:25.57
everything I do
comes from the Father."
00:47:25.60\00:47:28.77
Boy, He says, the Father speaks,
00:47:28.80\00:47:34.54
I speak, He has
submitted Himself to the Son--
00:47:34.57\00:47:38.95
in fact He's to
the Father rather.
00:47:38.98\00:47:40.49
In fact in
Philippians 2, it says, "The Son
00:47:40.52\00:47:43.98
rather than
choosing equality with God
00:47:44.01\00:47:46.88
to be something
grasp at, empties Himself.
00:47:46.91\00:47:51.03
Submits to Father.
You, You, I come down.
00:47:51.06\00:47:56.05
And by the way you guessed
00:47:56.08\00:47:57.48
the Holy Spirit submits to
both the Father and the Son.
00:47:57.51\00:48:01.05
In the upper room
discourse it's very clear.
00:48:01.08\00:48:02.68
Father says Spirit
go, the Spirit goes.
00:48:02.71\00:48:04.68
Son says Spirit
go, the Spirit goes.
00:48:04.71\00:48:07.06
The Spirit has
submitted himself to both.
00:48:07.09\00:48:10.26
His companions in the Trinity.
00:48:10.29\00:48:11.93
Submitted
himself, mutual submission.
00:48:11.96\00:48:16.07
Ladies and gentlemen,
jot it down, will you please.
00:48:16.10\00:48:18.36
Mutual submission is
the secret to genuine unity.
00:48:18.39\00:48:21.73
When I place your
interest ahead of mine.
00:48:21.76\00:48:26.06
When I love you sacrificially
00:48:26.09\00:48:28.65
in other words
at my own expense.
00:48:28.68\00:48:31.26
How many marriages
today could be saved
00:48:31.29\00:48:33.87
if unity were
defined as mutual submission.
00:48:33.90\00:48:36.81
I summit myself to you.
00:48:36.84\00:48:39.33
No, I submit myself to
you, mutual submission.
00:48:39.36\00:48:43.85
I place your
interests ahead of mine.
00:48:43.88\00:48:45.84
I will love you sacrificially.
00:48:45.87\00:48:49.45
Calvary, I want to
put this on the screen
00:48:49.48\00:48:53.34
'cause I want you to just...
00:48:53.37\00:48:57.02
let this go deep in your mind.
00:48:57.05\00:49:00.03
Calvary is the
Trinity's most sublime exhibit
00:49:00.06\00:49:04.98
of Their mutual
submission to our fallen race.
00:49:05.01\00:49:10.19
Do you
understand that the Trinity
00:49:10.22\00:49:11.89
has submitted
itself to this earth?
00:49:11.92\00:49:16.43
And one member of the
Trinity will for ever and ever
00:49:16.46\00:49:19.61
bear the form of
humanity as evidence,
00:49:19.64\00:49:23.81
the Trinity has put our
interest ahead of theirs,
00:49:23.84\00:49:28.41
risking the entire kingdom
00:49:28.44\00:49:31.24
in an effort to
save the human race.
00:49:31.27\00:49:33.35
And I tell you what,
ladies and gentlemen,
00:49:33.38\00:49:34.50
unity within community,
00:49:34.53\00:49:35.91
it doesn't get
any better than that.
00:49:35.94\00:49:37.42
Unity within community
saved us once upon a time.
00:49:37.45\00:49:40.48
And unity within
community can only save us now.
00:49:40.51\00:49:44.18
Unity within community.
00:49:44.21\00:49:46.94
Unity within community,
that is our only salvation.
00:49:46.97\00:49:51.71
So what do I do
with this teaching?
00:49:58.07\00:50:01.58
You got a next step
for me this time, Dwight?
00:50:01.61\00:50:03.54
Yep, take out your
connect card, will you.
00:50:03.57\00:50:06.28
Take out your connect cart.
00:50:06.31\00:50:08.42
It's in your worship bonus,
00:50:08.45\00:50:09.48
it's sort of card
that Chaplin Hosea
00:50:09.51\00:50:10.67
talked about just a moment ago.
00:50:10.70\00:50:12.40
You've already
filled out this side of it,
00:50:12.43\00:50:13.74
that's what you
do when you come,
00:50:13.77\00:50:14.83
you spend the first moments
of your worship experience
00:50:14.86\00:50:17.34
is making sure
this side is filled out,
00:50:17.37\00:50:18.62
so that we can get to this side.
00:50:18.65\00:50:19.68
I want to go to the backside.
00:50:19.71\00:50:20.96
What's the next step,
because you can't come
00:50:20.99\00:50:22.78
to a teaching like this
and not take a next step.
00:50:22.81\00:50:25.31
So turn your card around.
00:50:25.34\00:50:26.89
My next step today
is I want to read Jesus
00:50:26.92\00:50:30.10
John 17 prayer
everyday this next week.
00:50:30.13\00:50:33.48
I'm gonna put a checkmark there
00:50:33.51\00:50:34.54
and I want to invite
you to put a checkmark too.
00:50:34.57\00:50:36.24
I will read John 17
everyday this next week.
00:50:36.27\00:50:41.07
The great prayer of unity.
00:50:41.10\00:50:44.21
And here's another checkmark.
00:50:44.24\00:50:45.57
I will seek to build
unity within community.
00:50:45.60\00:50:47.95
In my dormitory
room I will seek to build
00:50:47.98\00:50:50.04
unity within community.
00:50:50.07\00:50:51.52
In my marriage I will seek
to build unity within community.
00:50:51.55\00:50:54.65
In my office place,
I will seek to build
00:50:54.68\00:50:56.59
unity within community.
00:50:56.62\00:50:58.31
In my school,
00:50:58.34\00:51:01.20
I will seek to build
unity within community.
00:51:01.23\00:51:05.32
Put a check mark there.
00:51:05.35\00:51:06.84
You are saying but, Dwight,
00:51:06.87\00:51:08.41
you know, I love this
metaphor, the wine and the bread
00:51:08.44\00:51:10.70
and, you know, I've
never come to Jesus.
00:51:10.73\00:51:12.61
I have never
given my life to Jesus.
00:51:12.64\00:51:15.65
You know, what my
friend, today is your day.
00:51:15.68\00:51:18.07
You see this
little box right here.
00:51:18.10\00:51:19.50
You please put a check mark,
I'm interested in beginning
00:51:19.53\00:51:22.36
a relationship with Jesus.
00:51:22.39\00:51:23.61
Put a check mark there.
00:51:23.64\00:51:24.67
Our connect team will get this
00:51:24.70\00:51:26.76
and tomorrow the
next day in cyberspace
00:51:26.79\00:51:31.36
you will receive
the steps to take,
00:51:31.39\00:51:35.82
to begin a life in relationship,
in friendship with Jesus.
00:51:35.85\00:51:40.02
You want to begin anew,
00:51:40.05\00:51:41.08
I can't believe
how many last week,
00:51:41.11\00:51:42.38
for the last two weeks
we've just begun this card,
00:51:42.41\00:51:44.47
the same number every week.
00:51:44.50\00:51:46.51
New people saying I
want to begin my friendship.
00:51:46.54\00:51:50.06
And by the way, those of
you watching on live streaming,
00:51:50.09\00:51:52.03
we got responses
from across the nation
00:51:52.06\00:51:54.63
and we were not even prepared.
00:51:54.66\00:51:55.84
You will see a mechanism
00:51:55.87\00:51:57.30
whereby you can
send the same decision.
00:51:57.33\00:52:00.09
And we will honor that decision
00:52:00.12\00:52:01.90
and we'll try to get to you
the material that we have here.
00:52:01.93\00:52:05.49
I am interested in beginning
a relationship with Jesus
00:52:05.52\00:52:07.68
I would like,
Dwight, could you send me
00:52:07.71\00:52:08.94
some information on baptism?
00:52:08.97\00:52:10.98
I love the idea that
Trinity coming to my baptism.
00:52:11.01\00:52:13.71
I love the idea being
drawn into a friendship
00:52:13.74\00:52:17.63
with a community that
will last for ever and ever,
00:52:17.66\00:52:19.63
I want to be in that community,
00:52:19.66\00:52:20.86
I want to be
baptized like Jesus,
00:52:20.89\00:52:22.67
I want them there that day.
00:52:22.70\00:52:24.57
By the way, over
here we're setting aside
00:52:24.60\00:52:26.82
Saturday April 21
or Saturday April 28.
00:52:26.85\00:52:30.96
Why not in the semester
with you making a decision
00:52:30.99\00:52:34.13
and sealing the decision.
00:52:34.16\00:52:35.90
I want to be one
with the Trinity.
00:52:35.93\00:52:37.72
They are one together,
00:52:37.75\00:52:38.82
I want to be a
part of that oneness.
00:52:38.85\00:52:41.54
Make the decision.
Put a check mark there.
00:52:41.57\00:52:43.05
You want
information on church membership
00:52:43.08\00:52:44.59
put a check mark there,
we'll get a information to you.
00:52:44.62\00:52:47.63
Interested in
serving on a team at PMC.
00:52:47.66\00:52:49.35
Listen to this, I
got to tell you this.
00:52:49.38\00:52:50.67
So I come to
church today its early
00:52:50.70\00:52:52.43
and I see one of
my seminary students
00:52:52.46\00:52:54.80
who was in my
preaching class last year.
00:52:54.83\00:52:58.33
And I said, Raul,
what do you all dressed up
00:52:58.36\00:53:00.29
in the orange of the--
00:53:00.32\00:53:01.37
the orange of
the traffic ministry.
00:53:01.40\00:53:02.75
I didn't know
you're on this team.
00:53:02.78\00:53:03.81
He said, I wasn't.
00:53:03.84\00:53:04.87
But you said the other day
to sign up to serve the church,
00:53:04.90\00:53:07.06
I went online 12
ministries will send you.
00:53:07.09\00:53:09.26
You pick the one you want.
00:53:09.29\00:53:10.32
He said, I
picked traffic ministry
00:53:10.35\00:53:11.38
and I'm starting today.
00:53:11.41\00:53:13.39
You don't have to take a month,
00:53:13.42\00:53:14.45
you don't have
take a half a year
00:53:14.48\00:53:15.51
to figure out what to do.
00:53:15.54\00:53:17.40
We'll start you next Sabbath,
if you want to serve Christ.
00:53:17.43\00:53:21.58
Come on, you're always
thinking about studying,
00:53:21.61\00:53:24.87
studying
socializing, socializing.
00:53:24.90\00:53:29.81
I invite you to think
about serving, serving.
00:53:29.84\00:53:31.67
You're an adult, you've
been sitting on this pews
00:53:31.70\00:53:33.15
for a long time
and you aren't serving.
00:53:33.18\00:53:35.38
Go to that, we'll
send you a website.
00:53:35.41\00:53:36.72
You'll pick the 12,
pick, you pick, it's yours.
00:53:36.75\00:53:40.79
And finally I like to
learn more about the Bible.
00:53:40.82\00:53:43.16
Seventy two
people last week send in,
00:53:43.19\00:53:44.89
I want to learn more
about the Bible. Wow.
00:53:44.92\00:53:48.27
If you'd like to
know more about the Bible,
00:53:48.30\00:53:49.76
we'll make sure that you
know more about the Bible.
00:53:49.79\00:53:53.05
In a moment I'm
gonna pray with you.
00:53:53.08\00:53:55.89
And then the
ushers are gonna come
00:53:55.92\00:53:57.02
and we're gonna receive our
morning tithes and offerings.
00:53:57.05\00:53:59.45
Today's offering by the way is
00:53:59.48\00:54:00.69
for this little
church right here,
00:54:00.72\00:54:02.58
the Andrews University
Pioneer Memorial Church.
00:54:02.61\00:54:05.23
It's to keep this church going.
00:54:05.26\00:54:07.52
It's so that this church
can minister to this campus
00:54:07.55\00:54:09.68
and through you
minister to the entire planet.
00:54:09.71\00:54:12.46
A hundred nations are
part of this congregation.
00:54:12.49\00:54:16.26
If this church is
a blessing to you,
00:54:16.29\00:54:18.30
if you're a member
in this congregation,
00:54:18.33\00:54:20.03
thank you for your
liberal generosity.
00:54:20.06\00:54:22.61
So that this congregation
00:54:22.64\00:54:23.67
can continue to
do what it's doing.
00:54:23.70\00:54:25.56
I'm gonna pray with you.
00:54:25.59\00:54:26.88
We received our
morning tithes and offerings
00:54:26.91\00:54:29.01
and then at the end
00:54:29.04\00:54:30.24
two stanzas of this
majestic Trinitarian in Him.
00:54:30.27\00:54:34.11
This service doesn't
end until those two stanzas,
00:54:34.14\00:54:37.36
look it, it's 10 minutes
before you're used to leaving,
00:54:37.39\00:54:41.32
so stay right here.
00:54:41.35\00:54:44.71
You know, we are so conditioned
as American Adventist
00:54:44.74\00:54:47.81
that when the preacher is down,
00:54:47.84\00:54:49.32
I got what I came
for and I'm out of here.
00:54:49.35\00:54:52.32
No, you didn't
get what you came for.
00:54:52.35\00:54:54.95
Here's a majestic
Trinitarian in Him,
00:54:54.98\00:54:57.65
just to short stanzas
of it, holy, holy, holy,
00:54:57.68\00:55:00.46
and we're gonna
sing with all our might,
00:55:00.49\00:55:02.90
then we go forth into
the world with the Trinity.
00:55:02.93\00:55:06.02
Let's pray first and
then our ushers will come.
00:55:06.05\00:55:09.16
Dear God,
Father, Son and Spirit,
00:55:09.19\00:55:13.28
You've emptied Your throne
00:55:13.31\00:55:19.59
in the treasury of heaven
00:55:19.62\00:55:20.81
to save this runaway rebel race.
00:55:20.84\00:55:26.21
And we will never be
able to thank you enough
00:55:26.24\00:55:29.19
but we give now,
00:55:29.22\00:55:30.87
it's just a humble
unselfish response,
00:55:30.90\00:55:34.51
take these gifts.
00:55:34.54\00:55:37.18
The tithes return,
take them, multiply them,
00:55:37.21\00:55:39.54
grow Your kingdom on
earth even as it is in heaven.
00:55:39.57\00:55:43.56
But dear God,
there's a next step.
00:55:43.59\00:55:46.57
We can't learn about you
00:55:46.60\00:55:47.98
and not take a
next step with You.
00:55:48.01\00:55:50.59
So whether it's
reading and praying John 17
00:55:50.62\00:55:53.19
everyday this next week
00:55:53.22\00:55:55.67
and then beginning to grow unity
00:55:55.70\00:55:57.50
within the little
communities where we are.
00:55:57.53\00:56:00.29
Whether it's coming to
Jesus for the first time,
00:56:00.32\00:56:02.60
asking please help me,
00:56:02.63\00:56:04.54
show me what I must do
to follow Him in baptism.
00:56:04.57\00:56:08.38
Whether it's joining the church,
00:56:08.41\00:56:09.62
or joining a
service, a ministry team
00:56:09.65\00:56:12.08
whatever it is, dear
God, bless our next steps.
00:56:12.11\00:56:15.64
Let the Trinity
join us in every step
00:56:15.67\00:56:19.38
until that day when
we shall be face to face.
00:56:19.41\00:56:22.22
In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
00:56:22.25\00:56:27.45
I'd like to take a moment
here at the end of the service
00:56:27.48\00:56:29.31
to tell you
about one of the most
00:56:29.34\00:56:30.37
important groups of people
00:56:30.40\00:56:31.93
that make this
ministry possible.
00:56:31.96\00:56:34.75
They are team of people,
they're not afraid to get down
00:56:34.78\00:56:37.36
into the thick of life itself,
00:56:37.39\00:56:40.04
which is why
you're gonna find them,
00:56:40.07\00:56:41.12
you will find them
moving forward on their knees.
00:56:41.15\00:56:44.54
There are prayer partners.
00:56:44.57\00:56:46.24
A group of men and
women and young adults
00:56:46.27\00:56:49.39
who believe that this
humble television ministry
00:56:49.42\00:56:52.26
has been raised up by
God for such a time as this.
00:56:52.29\00:56:54.75
And so they pray earnestly
that God will use the preacher.
00:56:54.78\00:56:57.98
The God will use
me, the God will use
00:56:58.01\00:56:59.53
the countless other volunteers
00:56:59.56\00:57:01.54
to spread the everlasting gospel
00:57:01.57\00:57:03.82
and the word of God in ways
00:57:03.85\00:57:04.96
we could never
have imagined before.
00:57:04.99\00:57:07.13
They're the ones who are praying
00:57:07.16\00:57:08.68
that God is gonna open
up the hearts of people,
00:57:08.71\00:57:11.94
open up the hearts of viewers
00:57:11.97\00:57:13.46
around the
world for the message,
00:57:13.49\00:57:15.52
the critical message for
this end time generation.
00:57:15.55\00:57:19.58
And what I'd
like to do is ask you.
00:57:19.61\00:57:21.66
Would you be willing to
be a prayer partner with us,
00:57:21.69\00:57:24.48
a prayer partner
with New Perceptions.
00:57:24.51\00:57:26.12
You don't have to
call a toll free number.
00:57:26.15\00:57:27.83
You don't have to
go online to register.
00:57:27.86\00:57:29.97
All I need to know
is that you'd be willing
00:57:30.00\00:57:32.68
to lift this little ministry
up day after day after day.
00:57:32.71\00:57:38.38
Pray that somehow through radio
00:57:38.41\00:57:41.00
and television and the web,
00:57:41.03\00:57:42.25
God will open up new doors,
00:57:42.28\00:57:43.96
new regions on earth
00:57:43.99\00:57:46.73
where the everlasting
gospel can be proclaimed.
00:57:46.76\00:57:49.29
There is no
question, the power of prayer
00:57:49.32\00:57:51.89
has potential to take
this ministry to places
00:57:51.92\00:57:54.07
we could never
have imagined before.
00:57:54.10\00:57:57.02
So that's it.
00:57:57.05\00:57:58.08
Would you please be willing
to partner with me in prayer.
00:57:58.11\00:58:01.69
The times are
urgent, the need is critical
00:58:01.72\00:58:05.41
and I hope you'll say yes.
00:58:05.44\00:58:07.22
Till we're together next time,
may the prayer answering God
00:58:07.25\00:58:11.49
accompany you
every step of the way.
00:58:11.52\00:58:14.28