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Series Code: SSH
Program Code: SSH021727A
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00:00 (MUSIC)
00:35 >>HELLO, FRIENDS, AND WELCOME TO SABBATH SCHOOL STUDY HOUR COMING 00:38 TO YOU HERE FROM THE GRANITE BAY SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH 00:40 NEAR SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA. I'D LIKE TO WELCOME OUR 00:43 ONLINE MEMBERS AND ALSO THOSE WHO ARE WATCHING ON THE VARIOUS 00:46 TELEVISION NETWORKS ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND AROUND THE WORLD. 00:50 WE'RE JUST DELIGHTED THAT YOU'VE CHOSEN TO STUDY GOD'S WORD WITH 00:52 US THIS MORNING. AND ALSO TO OUR MEMBERS AND 00:55 VISITORS RIGHT HERE AT THE GRANITE BAY CHURCH, ALWAYS GOOD 00:58 TO SEE YOU WEEK AFTER WEEK. THANK YOU FOR COMING OUT TO 01:00 STUDY DURING SABBATH SCHOOL. OUR SABBATH SCHOOL LESSON 01:04 QUARTERLY DEALS WITH THE BOOK OF GALATIANS AND TODAY WE'RE ON 01:07 LESSON #2 ENTITLED PAUL'S AUTHORITY AND THE GOSPEL . 01:11 BUT, BEFORE WE GET TO OUR STUDY, I'D LIKE TO LET YOU KNOW ABOUT A 01:14 FREE OFFER THAT WE HAVE, A BOOK ENTITLED SATAN'S CONFUSING 01:18 COUNTERFEITS . AND, FOR THOSE WATCHING IN 01:19 NORTH AMERICA, IF YOU'D LIKE TO RECEIVE A FREE COPY OF THIS 01:22 BOOK, CALL US ON OUR RESOURCE PHONE NUMBER. 01:25 THAT NUMBER IS 866-788-3966 AND YOU CAN ASK FOR OFFER #191. 01:32 THAT NUMBER, AGAIN, IS 866-788-3966 - ASK FOR OFFER 01:37 #191 A BOOK ENTITLED SATAN'S CONFUSING COUNTERFEITS - AND 01:42 WE'LL BE HAPPY TO SEND THIS TO ANYBODY (IN NORTH AMERICA) WHO 01:44 CALLS AND ASKS. FOR THOSE OUTSIDE OF NORTH 01:46 AMERICA, IF YOU'D LIKE TO READ THE BOOK, JUST GO TO THE AMAZING 01:49 FACTS WEBSITE: AMAZINGFACTS.ORG AND YOU CAN DOWNLOAD A COPY OF 01:54 THE BOOK AND READ IT FOR FREE RIGHT THERE ONLINE. 01:56 WELL, BEFORE WE GET TO OUR STUDY THIS MORNING, AS WE NORMALLY DO, 01:59 WE'D LIKE TO BEGIN BY LIFTING OUR VOICES IN SONG AND I'D LIKE 02:02 TO INVITE OUR SONG LEADERS TO COME OUT AND JOIN ME ONSTAGE. 02:06 (PIANO MUSIC) >>THANK YOU, PASTOR ROSS, WE ARE EXCITED TO 02:10 OPEN UP HYMNALS AND SING WITH YOU WHEREVER YOU ARE - OUR 02:14 EXTENDED FAMILY AROUND THE WORLD - WE KNOW YOU LOVE THE SAME 02:16 SONGS THAT WE DO AND SO WE ARE GOING TO START WITH ONE OF OUR 02:20 FAVORITES, #229 - ALL HAIL THE POWER OF JESUS' NAME - WE'RE 02:25 GOING TO DO THE FIRST, SECOND, AND FOURTH STANZAS - #229. 02:29 (PIANO MUSIC) 04:14 >>THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SINGING ALONG WITH US 04:16 HERE AND THOSE OF YOU AT HOME. AND, AT THIS TIME, PASTOR 04:18 ROSS'LL BE HAVING OUR OPENING PRAYER. 04:28 >>LET'S BOW OUR HEADS FOR A WORD OF PRAYER. 04:31 DEAR FATHER IN HEAVEN, WHAT A PRIVILEGE TO BE ABLE TO OPEN UP 04:33 YOUR WORD AND STUDY THIS MORNING. 04:35 WE WANT TO INVITE YOUR PRESENCE 04:36 TO COME AND MOVE UPON OUR HEARTS AND OUR MINDS. 04:38 LORD, WE KNOW THERE ARE SO MANY IMPORTANT LESSONS RELEVANT FOR 04:41 US TODAY IN THIS VERY IMPORTANT BOOK, THE BOOK OF GALATIANS, SO 04:45 GUIDE OUR THOUGHTS FOR WE ASK THIS IN JESUS' NAME, AMEN. 04:49 OUR LESSON THIS MORNING IS GOING TO BE BROUGHT TO US BY PASTOR 04:51 DOUG. >>THANK YOU, PASTOR ROSS, AND 04:57 OUR MUSICIANS AND SINGERS. MORNING EVERYBODY. 05:03 I WANT TO WELCOME OUR FRIENDS THAT ARE STUDYING WITH US, THOSE 05:06 WHO ARE PART OF OUR INTERNATIONAL CLASS, AS WELL AS 05:10 THOSE WHO MAY BE SOME OF OUR ONLINE MEMBERS. 05:12 WE'VE GOT A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE OUT THERE. 05:14 WE MEET THEM AS WE TRAVEL. THEY SAY THERE IS NO LOCAL 05:17 SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH WE CAN ATTEND, FOR SOME REASON - 05:20 SOME ARE SHUT INS AND THEY SAY, YOU KNOW, 'HOW DO WE BECOME 05:23 ONE OF YOUR ONLINE MEMBERS?' WE TRY TO CONNECT WITH THOSE 05:26 PEOPLE AS WELL AS YOU CAN, EVEN THOUGH THERE'S DISTANCE. 05:29 AND SO, WE WANT TO WELCOME THEM AS WELL. 05:33 WE HAVE A VERY INTERESTING LESSON TODAY. 05:36 WE'RE GOING THROUGH OUR NEW QUARTERLY DEALING WITH 05:39 GALATIANS. THIS IS MY FIRST CHANCE TO TEACH 05:41 BECAUSE I WAS GONE LAST WEEK, SO I'M GOING TO BE GOING INTO 05:44 LESSON #2 THAT'S TALKING ABOUT PAUL'S AUTHORITY IN THE GOSPEL. 05:49 AND WE HAVE A MEMORY VERSE - MEMORY VERSE IS FROM GALATIANS 05:52 1, VERSE 10 - IF YOU'VE GOT YOUR BIBLES YOU CAN FOLLOW ALONG WITH 05:56 ME - GALATIANS 1:10 - AND THIS IS FROM THE NEW KING JAMES 06:00 VERSION. ARE YOU READY? "FOR DO I NOW 06:05 PERSUADE MEN, OR GOD? OR DO I SEEK TO PLEASE MEN? 06:09 FOR IF I STILL PLEASED MEN, I WOULD NOT BE A BONDSERVANT OF 06:13 CHRIST." CAN YOU BE A BONDSERVANT OF 06:15 CHRIST AND LIVE TO PLEASE MEN? NO, THAT DOESN'T WORK VERY WELL. 06:21 AND SO, BOY, THERE'S A LOT OF - THIS IS A VERY STRONG BOOK. 06:27 NOW JUST A LITTLE BACKGROUND: GALATIA IS A REGION THAT YOU 06:31 WOULD FIND BETWEEN SYRIA AND GREECE. 06:35 IT'S IN THE AREA OF MODERN TURKEY TODAY, BUT IT WASN'T ALL 06:37 OF TURKEY. WE GET THE NAME 'GALATIANS' 06:41 BECAUSE THERE WERE SOME OF THE CELTIC PEOPLE THAT HAD - THE 06:45 ROMANS REFERRED TO THEM AS BARBARIANS AND FOR YEARS THE 06:49 ROMANS BATTLED THE BARBARIAN CELTIC PEOPLE, SOMETIMES 06:53 KNOWN AS THE GAULS. AND THEY FINALLY GOT THEM TO 06:56 BEHAVE THEMSELVES BUT THEY RESTRICTED THEM TO AN 06:58 AREA A LITTLE NORTH OF THE MEDITERRANEAN THERE IN TURKEY 07:03 AND A LITTLE BIT SOUTH OF THE OTHER SEA TO THE NORTH AND THEY 07:07 CALL THAT AREA THE AREA OF THE GAULS OR THE GALATIANS. 07:11 AND PAUL, ON HIS MISSIONARY TRIP, MADE SEVERAL FORAYS 07:16 THROUGH THAT AREA PREACHING AND RAISED UP SOME CHURCHES. 07:19 AND WE'LL TALK MORE ABOUT THAT. NOW, THE BOOK OF GALATIANS, THE 07:23 OLDEST COPY WE HAVE OF THE BOOK OF GALATIANS - THERE'S A FEW 07:27 PIECES MISSING - I THINK IT'S CALLED P 46 AND THAT MEANS 07:30 PAPYRUS 46 - IS FROM 200 AD. NOW THAT'S PRETTY GOOD. 07:36 IF YOU HAVE A SCRIPTURE THAT DATES BACK TO 200 AD, THAT MEANS 07:39 IT WAS ONLY 150 OLDER THAN WHEN IT WAS WRITTEN. 07:44 FOR INSTANCE, TODAY, WE'RE 150 YEARS AFTER ABRAHAM LINCOLN, BUT 07:47 WE FEEL PRETTY CONFIDENT THE THINGS THAT WERE WRITTEN BY 07:50 ABRAHAM LINCOLN, WE HAVE ACCURATE COPIES. AND THERE WERE 07:52 STILL ENOUGH WITNESSES OF WITNESSES AROUND THAT YOU CAN 07:56 GET A PRETTY GOOD IDEA. WELL, WHEN THE BOOK OF GALATIANS WAS 08:00 WRITTEN, NOBODY QUESTIONED THAT IT WAS WRITTEN BY PAUL AND THAT 08:04 IT WAS AN AUTHENTIC BOOK. BUT IT IS A UNIQUE BOOK. 08:07 THE BOOK OF GALATIANS IS THE ONLY BOOK OF ALL OF PAUL'S 08:11 LETTERS - AND, YOU KNOW, HE WROTE NEARLY HALF OF THE NEW 08:14 TESTAMENT - THAT HE WRITES TO THE CHURCHES. 08:18 THE OTHER BOOKS ARE WRITTEN TO GROUPS - OR TO A SPECIFIC CHURCH 08:24 OR TO TIMOTHY OR PHILEMON OR TITUS. 08:28 SO - BUT THIS ONE IS SPECIFICALLY WRITTEN AND 08:30 ADDRESSED TO THE CHURCHES OF GALATIA. 08:34 NOW, YOU LOOK IN ACTS 16, YOU'RE GOING TO FIND TWO EXAMPLES IN 08:39 THE BOOK OF ACTS WHEN PAUL MADE THESE JOURNEYS THROUGH THE AREA 08:43 OF GALATIA AND HE BEGAN TO RAISE UP THOSE CHURCHES. 08:45 IT'S KIND OF INTERESTING BECAUSE ONE'S ACTS 16:6 AND THE OTHER'S 08:48 ACTS 18:23. IN ONE IT SAYS, "NOW WHEN THEY 08:52 HAD GONE THROUGH PHRYGIA AND THE REGION OF GALATIA, THEY WERE 08:56 FORBIDDEN BY THE HOLY SPIRIT TO PREACH THE WORD IN ASIA." 08:59 THE NEXT ONE, ACTS 18:23 IT SAYS, "AFTER HE HAD SPENT SOME 09:03 TIME THERE, HE DEPARTED AND WENT OVER THE REGION OF GALATIA AND 09:07 PHRYGIA IN ORDER, STRENGTHENING ALL THE DISCIPLES." 09:11 SO IT'S TALKING ABOUT HE'S DOING A REGIONAL WORK - HE'S IN THIS 09:13 REGION - HE WENT TO SEVERAL CHURCHES IN THAT REGION - THE 09:16 FIRST ONE, YOU NOTICE, IT SAYS PHRYGIA/GALATIA; THE OTHER ONE 09:18 IT SAYS GALATIA/PHRYGIA. WHY? 09:20 BECAUSE HE PREACHED THIS WAY ON THE WAY TO ROME - OR THAT 09:24 DIRECTION - AND THEN HE PREACHED THIS WAY ON THE WAY BACK. 09:27 SO ON THE REVERSE JOURNEY HE HIT THEM IN REVERSE. 09:30 THAT'S WHY THEY'RE MENTIONED THAT WAY. 09:32 SO YOU'VE GOT THE RECORD THERE IN THE BIBLE, PROVIDED BY LUKE, 09:35 THAT TELLS ABOUT HIS MINISTRY THERE. 09:38 NOW, WHEN WE GET INTO THE BEGINNING - AND THIS IS UNDER 09:41 THE SECTION FOR THE FIRST DAY, PAUL, THE LETTER WRITER . 09:47 THERE'S SOMETHING DIFFERENT - IT'S KIND OF INTERESTING, WE 09:49 JUST GOT DONE STUDYING 1 AND 2 PETER AND I DWELT ON THIS VERSE, 09:53 BUT IT REALLY PLAYS HERE. 09:54 2 PETER 3:15 AND 16 - PETER, HERE, SAYS, "AND CONSIDER THAT 10:00 THE LONGSUFFERING OF OUR LORD IS SALVATION - AS ALSO OUR BELOVED 10:04 BROTHER PAUL, ACCORDING TO THE WISDOM GIVEN TO HIM, HAS WRITTEN 10:07 TO YOU, AS ALSO IN ALL HIS EPISTLES," - SO EVEN IN THE TIME 10:13 OF PETER, WAS PAUL KNOWN AS A PROLIFIC WRITER? 10:15 >>YES. >>HE DOESN'T SAY, 'PAUL'S 10:17 EPISTLE', HE SAYS, HIS 'EPISTLES'. 10:20 "AS ALSO IN ALL OF HIS EPISTLES, SPEAKING IN THEM OF THESE 10:23 THINGS, IN WHICH ARE SOME THINGS HARD TO UNDERSTAND," - AGAIN, 10:26 ONLY TIME IN THE BIBLE YOU REALLY HAVE ONE BIBLE WRITER, 10:30 UNDER INSPIRATION, SAYING THAT THE WRITINGS OF ANOTHER BIBLE 10:32 WRITER CAN BE DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND. 10:35 IT DOESN'T SAY THEY'RE NOT TRUE, JUST SAYING THEY'RE DEEP - 10:38 WHICH THOSE WHO ARE UNTAUGHT AND UNSTABLE "TWIST TO THEIR OWN 10:42 DESTRUCTION, AS THEY DO ALSO THE REST OF THE SCRIPTURES." 10:44 THE OTHER IMPORTANT THING HERE - HE'S CALLING PAUL'S EPISTLES 10:48 SCRIPTURE. AND SO THAT'S PRETTY CLEAR - 10:52 SOME OF THE HIGHER CRITICS, THEY DISMISS SOME OF PAUL'S WRITINGS. 10:56 THEY SAY, 'OH WELL, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T TAKE PAUL SERIOUSLY 10:58 HERE OR THERE AND HE WAS JUST RANTING AND HE DIDN'T REALLY 11:01 MEAN IT. BUT I BELIEVE ALL SCRIPTURE IS 11:04 GIVEN BY INSPIRATION OF GOD, AMEN? 11:06 >>AMEN. ALRIGHT, SO SOMEONE IS GOING TO 11:09 READ FOR ME, IN JUST A MOMENT, COLOSSIANS 4:16. 11:13 YOU'LL HAVE THAT HAFDIS? OKAY. 11:14 BEFORE YOU DO, I'M GOING TO READ - NOW WE'RE LOOKING AT SOME OF 11:17 THE INTRODUCTIONS THAT PAUL HAS IN SOME OF HIS LETTERS. 11:20 IF YOU LOOK, FOR INSTANCE, IN 1 THESSALONIANS 5:27 - I'M NOT IN 11:25 THE - I'M NOT TALKING, RATHER, ABOUT THE INTRODUCTIONS, BUT 11:27 THAT - THE PURPOSE OF HIS LETTERS. 11:29 1 THESSALONIANS 5:27 PAUL SAID, 'I CHARGE YOU BY THE LORD THAT 11:34 THIS EPISTLE BE READ TO ALL THE HOLY BRETHREN. 11:38 NOW HOW DID THEY COMMUNICATE TRUTH BACK THEN? 11:41 YOU KNOW, WE GOT A NEAT FEATURE - MANY OF YOU WHO ARE MEMBERS 11:44 HERE AND SOME OF OUR ONLINE MEMBERS, HAVE SENT IN YOUR 11:48 E-MAIL, SO IF THERE'S SOME IMPORTANT EVENT, WE JUST DO A 11:51 BATCH E-MAIL AND WRITE A LITTLE NOTE, WITH A CLICK OF A BUTTON, 11:54 IT POPS UP, YOU ALL GET THE MESSAGE. 11:55 KIND OF NEAT. SOMETIMES THEY WANT TO 11:59 COMMUNICATE - PEOPLE WILL DO IT THROUGH TV. 12:02 SOME CHILD GOES MISSING, THEY'VE GOT BILLBOARDS ON THE HIGHWAY. 12:05 THEY CALL THEM AMBER ALERTS. WE'VE GOT A LOT OF MODERN 12:08 SOPHISTICATED WORDS OF DOING MASS COMMUNICATION. 12:12 BUT, IN BIBLE TIMES, IF YOU WANTED TO GET A MESSAGE OUT TO A 12:15 REGION OF CHURCHES, WHAT DID YOU DO? YOU WROTE A LETTER. 12:19 THEY DIDN'T HAVE PRINTING PRESSES. 12:21 YOU EITHER HAD TO HAVE, THEN, SCRIBES - AND NOT EVERYONE COULD 12:23 EVEN WRITE - THAT WOULD RE-WRITE THAT LETTER AND CIRCULATE IT - 12:28 ANY OF YOU REMEMBER THE OLD MIMEOGRAPH MACHINES WHERE YOU 12:31 HAD LIKE A BLUE COPY AND YOU'D CRANK IT? 12:35 AND ONCE YOU MADE THE BLUE COPY, ALL THE COPIES CAME OUT IN BLUE. 12:39 AND DO YOU ALL REMEMBER THE CARBON COPIES? 12:42 I USED TO BE - I WAS A COMPANY CLERK IN MILITARY SCHOOL AND I'D 12:45 TYPE THINGS WHERE YOU COULDN'T DO MORE THAN THREE - YOU PUT 12:48 THREE PAGES IN YOUR TYPEWRITER ON THIS CARBON PAPER - AND EVERY 12:51 LETTER THAT YOU PUNCH - HOW MANY OF YOU REMEMBER? 12:54 YOU HAD TO SLAM IT OR IT DIDN'T MAKE THREE COPIES. 12:57 SO YOU'RE TYPING - POP - POP - POP - EVERY LETTER. 13:01 THEN YOU'D GET THREE COPIES OF YOUR LETTER. 13:03 THEN THEY GOT THE XEROX MACHINE. AND NOW WE'VE GOT THE HIGH SPEED 13:07 COPIERS AND HIGH SPEED PRESS AND THE DIGITAL COMMUNICATION. 13:10 BACK THEN IT WAS A LOT TOUGHER. I MEAN, EVEN PAPER - OR PAPYRUS 13:15 - OR THE VELLUM - THE SKIN THEY WROTE ON WAS HARD TO COME BY. 13:19 SO HE SAID, 'LOOK, IF I'M GOING TO WRITE A LETTER, READ IT TO 13:22 ALL OF THE CHURCHES. HE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THE 13:24 MESSAGE GOT OUT THERE. GO AHEAD, READ, FOR US, COLOSSIANS 4:16. 13:28 >>"NOW WHEN THIS EPISTLE IS READ AMONG YOU, SEE THAT IT IS READ 13:32 ALSO IN THE CHURCH OF THE LAODICEANS, AND THAT YOU 13:36 LIKEWISE READ THE EPISTLE FROM LAODICEA." 13:40 >>SO HE TELLS THEM SEVERAL TIMES, 'READ, READ, READ - THIS 13:43 LETTER'S NO GOOD UNLESS YOU READ IT. 13:45 SPREAD IT AROUND.' AND IF YOU GO TO 2 THESSALONIANS 3:14, "AND IF 13:50 ANYONE DOES NOT OBEY OUR WORD IN THIS EPISTLE, NOTE THAT PERSON 13:54 AND DO NOT KEEP COMPANY WITH HIM, THAT HE MAY BE ASHAMED." 13:57 SO IT WASN'T JUST A LETTER THAT WAS JUST KIND OF GIVING TRIVIAL 14:00 INFORMATION; WHEN THEY WROTE AN EPISTLE - PETER CALLS IT 14:04 SCRIPTURE. PAUL IS SAYING, 'IF YOU DON'T LISTEN TO THIS 14:07 EPISTLE, THIS IS THE LAW OF THE LAND FOR THE CHURCH" - THESE 14:11 EPISTLES FROM THE APOSTLES WERE VERY IMPORTANT. ALRIGHT, AND 14:15 THEN THE BOOK OF REVELATION - WHO IS IT WRITTEN 14:18 TO? >>THE SAINTS. 14:21 >>REVELATION 1, "I AM THE ALPHA AND THE OMEGA, THE FIRST AND THE 14:25 LAST, WHAT YOU SEE WRITE IN A BOOK AND SEND IT TO THE SEVEN 14:30 CHURCHES THAT ARE IN ASIA" - AND HE SAYS EPHESUS, SMYRNA, 14:33 PERGAMOS, THYATIRA, SARDIS, PHLADELLPHIA, AND LAODICEA - SO 14:37 EVEN JESUS, IN THE BOOK OF REVELATION, THROUGH JOHN, HE 14:39 SAYS, 'I'M GIVING YOU AN AUTHORIZED LETTER - THIS EPISTLE 14:43 - THIS PROPHECY - READ IT TO THEM. 14:45 SPREAD IT AROUND.' ALRIGHT, NEXT SECTION - 14:49 WE'RE GOING TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT PAUL'S CALLING 14:52 AND, ACTUALLY, WE'RE DELVING NOW, AFTER LAST WEEK'S 14:55 INTRODUCTION AND MY INTRODUCTION, WE'RE ACTUALLY 14:57 GETTING INTO CHAPTER 1. MY MISSION TODAY, IF YOU SHOULD 15:00 CHOOSE TO ACCEPT IT, IS TO COVER CHAPTER 1 OF GALATIANS. 15:05 AND I'M SURE THERE'LL BE TIMES WE BACK UP, BUT WE'RE GOING TO 15:08 TRY TO COVER CHAPTER 1 OF GALATIANS. 15:10 SO GALATIANS 1:1 AND 2, "PAUL, AN APOSTLE (NOT FROM MEN NOR 15:17 THROUGH MAN, BUT THROUGH JESUS CHRIST AND GOD THE FATHER WHO 15:21 RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD), AND ALL THE BRETHREN WHO ARE WITH 15:25 ME, TO THE CHURCHES OF GALATIA:" - SO HE STARTS WITH AN 15:28 INTRODUCTION. AND, YOU KNOW, IT WAS PRETTY 15:30 TYPICAL BACK THEN, FOR THEM TO BEGIN THEIR LETTERS WITH A 15:34 SALUTATION THAT SAYS WHO IS THIS FROM AND WHO IS IT 15:38 TO - THAT'S NORMAL. NOW, YOU NOTICE THAT HE MAKES 15:41 A POINT THAT I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE MISS HERE, IN THE FIRST 15:44 VERSE, "AN APOSTLE (NOT FROM MEN NOR THROUGH MAN, BUT THROUGH 15:48 JESUS CHRIST...)" - WHY DOES HE DISTINGUISH JESUS 15:51 CHRIST FROM MAN? WAS JESUS CHRIST JUST A MAN? 15:55 OR WAS JESUS MORE THAN A MAN? HE SAID, 'THIS ISN'T FROM MAN. 16:00 IT ISN'T THROUGH MAN, IT'S THROUGH JESUS.' SEE, I BELIEVE 16:03 JESUS IS GOD THE SON; WHAT YOU WOULD CALL THE SECOND MEMBER OF 16:07 THE TRINITY. AND SO, THIS IS ONE OF THE 16:10 PLACES WHERE YOU'RE USING, I GUESS, AT LEAST A CIRCUMSTANTIAL 16:12 ARGUMENT THAT PAUL IS SAYING JESUS IS NOT JUST A MAN. OKAY? 16:19 AND HE SAYS, "JESUS [CHRIST] AND GOD THE FATHER" - AGAIN, MAKING 16:24 A DISTINCTION - "WHO RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD" - THROUGH GOD THE 16:27 SPIRIT - "AND ALL THE BRETHREN WHO ARE WITH ME, TO THE 16:31 CHURCHES" - NOT ONE CHURCH, BUT - "THE CHURCHES OF GALATIA:" - 16:35 NOW, WHEN YOU READ IN THE BIBLE, YOU'LL FIND THERE ARE FOUR 16:37 CHURCHES THAT WE KNOW OF THAT PAUL VISITED AT LEAST THREE 16:41 TIMES ON - YOU'VE HEARD OF THE - ANY OF YOU - YOU GOT MAPS IN 16:45 YOUR BIBLE? SOME OF YOU? SOME OF YOU, IN YOUR BIBLES, 16:49 WILL HAVE MAPS THAT WILL HAVE A MAP THAT TALKS ABOUT PAUL'S 16:52 MISSIONARY JOURNEYS. AND YOU'LL NOTICE, ON THAT MAP, 16:55 SOME OF YOU'RE CHECKING RIGHT NOW TO SEE IF YOU HAVE THOSE. 16:57 YOU'LL NOTICE ON THAT MAP THEY'LL LIKE, SOMETIMES, A GOOD 16:59 ONE'LL HAVE THREE DIFFERENT COLORED LINES AND THE BLUE IS 17:02 HIS FIRST JOURNEY AND THE YELLOW IS SECOND JOURNEY AND THE RED'S 17:04 HIS THIRD JOURNEY. AND YOU CAN SEE - BECAUSE HE 17:07 TELLS WHERE THEY WENT - SOME OF IT IS STILL MYSTERIOUS, BUT WE 17:11 KNOW A NUMBER OF PLACES HE WENT. ON ALL THREE OF THOSE JOURNEYS, 17:16 HE WENT TO LYSTRA, DERBE, ICONIUM, AND THE ANTIOCH - IT'S 17:21 CALLED THE PISIDIAN ANTIOCH - THERE WERE TWO PLACES CALLED 17:23 ANTIOCH. THIS IS THE ONE THAT WAS IN GALATIA. 17:26 SO THERE'S FOUR CITIES OF GALATIA HE WENT TO AT LEAST 17:29 THREE TIMES: LYSTRA, DERBE, ICONIUM, AND PISIDIAN ANTIOCH. 17:33 NOW THERE MAY HAVE BEEN OTHERS THAT AREN'T MENTIONED. 17:36 THERE MAY HAVE BEEN OTHER SMALLER GROUPS, BUT WE KNOW OF 17:37 AT LEAST THOSE FOUR. AND SO, HE'S WRITING AND HE'S 17:40 SENDING THE LETTERS TO BE READ AMONG THESE CHURCHES. 17:44 ACTS 9:15 - WHAT IS - WHAT IS PAUL GIVING AS HIS CRITERIA TO 17:53 WRITE THIS EPISTLE WITH AUTHORITY? 17:56 PAUL IS GETTING READY TO PULL RANK. 17:58 I DON'T KNOW ANY OTHER WAY TO SAY IT. 18:00 LET ME BACK UP AND TELL YOU WHAT HAPPENED. 18:05 HE RAISED UP THESE CHURCHES. HE WENT THROUGH GREAT SUFFERING 18:08 TO RAISE UP THESE CHURCHES. IT WAS IN CONNECTION WITH THESE 18:11 CHURCHES THEY NEARLY STONED HIM TO DEATH. 18:13 SOME ARGUED THEY DID STONE HIM TO DEATH AND GOD RAISED HIM UP - 18:16 IT'S HARD TO PROVE ONE WAY OR THE OTHER. 18:17 THEY THOUGHT HE WAS DEAD AND HE JUST GOT UP. 18:20 MAYBE THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN PRAYING THE LORD RAISED HIM, BUT 18:22 SINCE THEY DIDN'T PRAY, GOD JUST DID IT. BUT ANYWAY, HE WENT 18:25 THROUGH GREAT SUFFERING TO RAISE UP THESE CHURCHES. HE SPENT A 18:28 LOT OF TIME WITH THEM. HE WAS STRUGGLING PHYSICALLY WHEN IT 18:31 HAPPENED - WE'LL SHOW YOU THAT LATER. 18:33 AND THEN AFTER HE LEAVES TOWN - DO YOU REMEMBER WHERE PAUL SAYS, 18:37 'I KNOW THAT AFTER MY DEPARTURE GRIEVOUS WOLVES WILL COME IN 18:39 AMONG YOU NOT SPARING THE SHEEP TO RAISE UP DISCIPLES AFTER 18:43 THEMSELVES.' THAT VERY THING HAPPENED IN GALATIA. 18:46 AFTER PAUL LEFT, SOME OTHER BELIEVERS IN JESUS, WHO WERE 18:51 PROBABLY FROM AMONG THE PHARISEES OR, AT LEAST THEY WERE 18:54 JEWISH BELIEVERS IN JESUS, THEY STARTED SHOWING UP IN GALATIA 18:58 AND SAID, 'HEY, WHAT'S UP GUYS? 19:00 YOU'RE NOT KEEPING THE LAWS OF MOSES AND YOU'RE NOT PRACTICING 19:04 CIRCUMCISION.' AND THEY - AND THESE, YOU KNOW, NEW BELIEVERS 19:08 ARE VULNERABLE AND THEY STARTED HAVING BIBLE STUDIES AND TELLING 19:11 THEM, 'OH, LOOK, YOU'VE GOT TO DO THESE THINGS.' AND THEN THEY 19:14 GOT SO INVOLVED IN PHARISAICAL LEGALISM THAT WHEN PAUL HEARD 19:18 WHAT WAS GOING ON THERE HE'S GOING, 'OH NO, HAVE YOU SO SOON 19:21 DEPARTED FROM THE FAITH?' SO HE'S GETTING READY, 19:24 BASICALLY, TO LOWER THE HAMMER ON THEM AND YOU'LL SEE IN WHAT 19:27 WE EVEN READ IN CHAPTER 1, THE FIRST THING HE HAS TO DO IS SAY, 19:31 'WHAT AUTHORITY DO I HAVE TO SAY WHAT I'M ABOUT TO SAY?' 19:35 YOU SEE WHERE HE'S COMING FROM? 'WHAT RIGHT DO I HAVE?' 19:38 SO PAUL IS SAYING, 'I'M AN APOSTLE.' NOW WHAT - WHAT DOES 19:43 THE WORD 'APOSTLE' MEAN? WHO KNOWS? YOU'VE BEEN SAYING THAT 19:48 ALL YOUR LIFE AND DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT IT MEANS. 19:51 AN APOSTLE IS SOMEONE WHO IS SENT - AN EMISSARY, A MESSENGER, 19:56 AN AMBASSADOR IN BEHALF OF SOMEONE ELSE. 19:59 IT'S A VERY SIMPLE, VERY BASIC WORD USED MANY TIMES. 20:02 BUT FOR THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH, WHEN THEY SAY APOSTLE, THEY 20:06 GENERALLY WERE THINKING OF THE ORIGINAL TWELVE WHO JESUS SET 20:11 ASIDE - HE APPOINTED - HE ORDAINED. 20:14 ONE OF THEM COMMITTED SUICIDE. THE DISCIPLES WENT THROUGH 20:18 A CEREMONY CASTING LOTS. THEY REPLACED JUDAS 20:22 WITH MATTHIAS. YOU NEVER REALLY HEAR OF 20:25 MATTHIAS OTHER THAN ACTS CHAPTER 1, BUT GOD SEEMED TO PICK 20:29 ANOTHER APOSTLE, IF NOT TWO. ONE BEING PAUL, 20:33 ANOTHER BEING APOLLOS. NOW HOW DID GOD PICK PAUL? 20:39 DO YOU KNOW, IN ORDER TO BE AN APOSTLE YOU NEEDED TO HAVE - 20:43 YOU NEEDED TO BE PERSONALLY CHOSEN BY JESUS. 20:47 DID PAUL HAVE A PERSONAL ENCOUNTER WITH JESUS? 20:51 AND YOU NEEDED TO BE PERSONALLY TAUGHT BY JESUS. 20:55 PAUL SAID, 'I WASN'T TAUGHT BY MAN, BUT I WAS TAUGHT BY GOD.' 20:58 GOD GAVE PAUL DIVINE REVELATION AND KNOWLEDGE. 21:04 WE IN THE ADVENTIST MOVEMENT BELIEVE THE LORD, IN A SPECIAL 21:09 WAY, INSTRUCTED ELLEN WHITE. 21:12 THERE WAS UNIQUE INSTRUCTION BEYOND WHAT YOU WOULD GET 21:14 THROUGH BOOK LEARNING - SUPERNATURALLY REVEALED. 21:18 PAUL HAD SUPERNATURAL REVELATIONS FROM JESUS. 21:20 THAT'S WHY HE SAID, 'NOT TAUGHT OF MAN BUT TAUGHT BY JESUS' AND 21:27 HE SAYS, 'I'M NOT AN APOSTLE FROM MAN OR THROUGH MAN, BUT 21:30 THROUGH JESUS CHRIST.' AND YOU CAN READ WHERE PAUL SAYS, 'I 21:33 KNEW A MAN WHO SAW THINGS CAUGHT UP TO THE THIRD HEAVEN YOU CAN'T 21:37 EVEN UTTER.' HE WAS TALKING ABOUT HIMSELF. 21:41 AND HE GOES ON TO SAY THAT - HE QUALIFIES HIMSELF THAT HE'S AN 21:45 APOSTLE - LOOK IN ACTS 9:15 WHEN HE TELLS ANANIAS PAUL'S HAD THIS 21:50 VISION ON THE ROAD TO DAMASCUS AND JESUS SPEAKS TO ANANIAS AND 21:56 SAYS, "GO, FOR HE IS A CHOSEN VESSEL OF MINE TO BEAR MY NAME 22:01 BEFORE GENTILES, KINGS, AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL." 22:05 - NOT JUST AN APOSTLE TO THE GENTILES, BUT ALSO THE CHILDREN 22:08 OF ISRAEL - "FOR I WILL SHOW HIM HOW MANY THINGS HE MUST SUFFER 22:12 FOR MY NAME'S SAKE." SO PAUL GOES THROUGH A LOT OF SUFFERING. 22:16 NOW SOMEONE'S GOING TO READ FOR ME GALATIANS 6:17 - KELLY YOU'LL 22:21 HAVE THAT? OKAY. I WANT TO READ TO YOU GALATIANS 22:24 4, VERSES 12 AND 13, "BRETHREN, I URGE YOU TO BECOME LIKE 22:29 ME, FOR I BECAME LIKE YOU. YOU HAVE NOT INJURED MME AT ALL. 22:34 YOU KNOW THAT BECAUSE OF PHYSICAL INFIRMITY I PREACHED 22:37 THE GOSPEL TO YOU AT THE FIRST." AND SO HE TALKS 22:41 ABOUT BEING INJURED. HE TALKS ABOUT 22:42 PHYSICAL INFIRMITY. THEN YOU READ IN GALATIANS 5:2 22:46 AND 3 - HE, AGAIN, INVOKES 'IT IS ME, I AM AN AUTHORIZED 22:51 APOSTLE.' "INDEED, I, PAUL SAY TO YOU THAT IF YOU BECOME 22:55 CIRCUMCISED, CHRIST WILL PROFIT YOU NOTHING." 22:58 AND, AGAIN, "I TESTIFY AGAIN TO EVERY MAN WHO BECOMES 23:02 CIRCUMCISED THAT HE IS A DEBTOR TO KEEP THE WHOLE LAW." 23:04 SO WHEN HE GIVES THEM A COMMAND - HE SAYS, 'YOU'RE GOING BACK TO 23:07 THIS - THESE OLD TYPES AND SHADOWS' - HE SAID, 'YOU'RE 23:12 GETTING THIS FROM ME.' AND HE MAKES SOME VERY STRONG 23:14 STATEMENTS. GO AHEAD, READ FOR US GALATIANS 6:17. 23:18 >>GALATIANS 6:17, "FROM HENCEFORTH LET NO MAN TROUBLE 23:24 ME, FOR I BEAR IN MY BODY THE MARKS OF THE LORD JESUS." 23:29 >>ALRIGHT, SO, YOU NOTICE, EVEN HERE IN THE VERY END OF 23:33 GALATIANS, PAUL IS TALKING ABOUT WHEN HE WAS WHIPPED. 23:36 DO YOU KNOW THAT WOULD SCAR YOU? PAUL SAYS HE WAS WHIPPED 39 23:40 TIMES THREE TIMES IN HIS LIFE, IF YOU COULD IMAGINE THAT. 23:44 SO HE WAS SCARRED. WHEN YOU WERE STONED 23:47 YOU MIGHT GET SCARRED. AND A LOT OF THE SUFFERINGS 23:50 HAPPENED TO PAUL WHEN HE WAS GOING THROUGH THAT PART OF ASIA. 23:54 AND SO, HE'S TELLING THE GALATIANS - HE'S SAYING, 'LOOK' 23:57 - HE'S USING THE SAME THING THAT TOUCHED HIM IN SERVING JESUS. 24:01 HE SAW HOW MUCH JESUS SUFFERED FOR HIM SO HE LOVED JESUS AND HE 24:04 LISTENED. PAUL IS SAYING, 'LOOK HOW MUCH 24:06 I'VE SUFFERED FOR YOU.' SEE WHAT HE'S DOING? 24:08 HE SAYS, 'IF YOU LOVE ME, LISTEN TO MY COMMAND.' AND SO HE'S 24:12 MAKING THESE COMMANDS TO THEM NOT TO FALL BACK INTO THIS OLD 24:15 LEGALISM THAT THEY HAD BEEN DELIVERED FROM. 24:19 AND THEN A COUPLE OF OTHER VERSES REAL QUICK WHERE IT TALKS 24:22 ABOUT OTHER INTRODUCTIONS OF PAUL'S LETTERS WHERE HE TALKS 24:26 ABOUT HIS QUALIFICATIONS. YOU CAN READ IN EPHESIANS 1:1, 24:31 "PAUL, AN APOSTLE OF JESUS CHRIST BY THE WILL OF GOD, TO 24:35 THE SAINTS WHO ARE IN EPHESUS, AND FAITHFUL IN CHRIST JESUS:" - 24:39 SO HIS OPENING SALUTATION TO THE GALATIANS IS A LITTLE BIT LONGER 24:44 BUT, AGAIN, HE'S USING THIS SAME LANGUAGE. 24:46 YOU CAN GO AGAIN TO PHILIPPIANS 1:1, "PAUL AND TIMOTHY, 24:50 BONDSERVANTS OF JESUS CHRIST, TO ALL THE SAINTS IN CHRIST 24:54 JESUS WHO ARE IN PHILIPPI, WITH THE BISHOPS AND DEACONS:" NOW, 24:57 SOMETHING YOU NOTICE, WHEN HE MAKES HIS INTRODUCTIONS - MATTER 25:03 OF FACT, I'LL SAVE THAT FOR THE NEXT SECTION. 25:05 IF YOU GO OVER TO PAUL'S GOSPEL - GO TO GALATIANS 1. 25:12 WE'RE GOING TO READ VERSES 3 THROUGH 5, "GRACE TO YOU AND 25:17 PEACE FROM GOD THE FATHER AND OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, WHO GAVE 25:21 HIMSELF FOR OUR SINS, THAT HE MIGHT DELIVER US FROM THIS 25:25 PRESENT EVIL AGE, ACCORDING TO THE WILL OF OUR GOD AND FATHER, 25:30 TO WHOM BE GLORY FOREVER AND EVER. AMEN." 25:33 WELL, THERE YOU HAVE IT, FRIENDS. 25:35 YOU'VE GOT THE WHOLE GOSPEL IN THREE VERSES. 25:39 DID YOU NOTICE THAT? HE SAYS 'GRACE AND PEACE', SO 25:43 HE'S BASICALLY SAYING 'IT IS THROUGH GRACE WE FIND PEACE' - 25:50 THROUGH THE GRACE OF GOD WE FIND SHALOM. 25:53 HE'S USING A WORD THAT WAS OFTEN USED IN WRITING TO THE GREEKS 25:56 AND HE'S USING A WORD THAT WAS IN EVERY JEWISH LETTER - ALL THE 25:59 JEWISH LETTERS. YOU KNOW, IN HEBREW, THE WORD 26:02 'SHALOM' IS LIKE 'ALOHA' IN HAWAII. HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE 26:06 BEEN TO HAWAII? THEY SAY, 'ALOHA' WHEN YOU COME 26:09 AND THEY SAY 'ALOHA' WHEN YOU'RE GOING. 26:10 IT JUST SORT OF MEANT 'LOVE' AND IN HEBREW THEY'D SAY 'SHALOM' 26:14 AND THEY'D SAY 'SHALOM' HELLO AND THEY'D SAY 'SHALOM' GOODBYE. 26:18 AND SO, PAUL IS USING A GREETING OF GRACE AND PEACE THAT WAS VERY 26:24 COMMON BACK THEN IN BOTH THOSE WORLDS. 26:27 SO HE SAYS 'GRACE AND PEACE FROM GOD THE FATHER OF OUR LORD JESUS 26:30 CHRIST WHO GAVE HIMSELF FOR OUR SINS' - WHY DID HE DIE? 26:37 HE GAVE HIS LIFE FOR OUR SINS. WHY? THAT HE MIGHT DELIVER US. 26:41 WHAT DO WE SAY IN THE LORD'S PRAYER? 26:43 'DELIVER US FROM EVIL' - FROM THIS PRESENT EVIL AGE - 26:48 'ACCORDING TO THE WILL OF OUR GOD' - IT'S GOD'S WILL THAT WE 26:52 BE SAVED; IT'S NOT GOD'S WILL THAT ANY SHOULD PERISH - 'OUR 26:58 GOD AND FATHER TO WHOM BE GLORY FOR EVER AND EVER. 27:01 AMEN.' EVEN THE LORD'S PRAYER ENDS THAT WAY TOO. 27:05 SO THE WORD 'GRACE', IT'S A SIMILAR SOUNDING WORD TO 27:10 'CHARIS' - I THINK THAT'S RELATED TO THE WORD 'CHARITY' 27:13 TOO. YOU LOOK IN EPHESIANS 1:2, 27:17 "GRACE TO YOU AND PEACE FROM GOD OUR FATHER AND THE 27:21 LORD JESUS CHRIST." PHILIPPIANS 1:2, "GRACE TO YOU 27:25 AND PEACE FROM GOD OUR FATHER AND THE LORD JESUS CHRIST." 27:28 COLOSSIANS 1, VERSE 2, "TO THE SAINTS AND FAITHFUL BRETHREN IN 27:32 CHRIST WHO ARE IN COLOSSE: GRACE TO YOU AND PEACE FROM GOD OUR 27:36 FATHER AND THE LORD JESUS CHRIST." 27:39 NOW ANY OF YOU, WHEN YOU USE YOUR COMPUTER, USE THE CUT AND 27:42 COPY FEATURE - CUT AND PASTE? - COPY AND PASTE 27:45 FEATURE, YOU KNOW? A LOT OF TIMES, IF I WANT TO - 27:49 WELL, WHEN I DO IT WHEN I GET THESE NOTES, I GO TO THE BIBLE - 27:51 I'VE GOT THE DIGITAL BIBLE AND I COPY THE VERSES I WANT - I CUT 27:54 'EM AND I PASTE 'EM IN MY NOTES SO, INSTEAD OF FLIPPING THROUGH 27:57 THE BIBLE, I SAVE TIME BY PRINTING OUT THE VERSES HERE. 28:00 YOU ALWAYS WONDER, 'WHY IS HE NOT READING OUT OF HIS BIBLE?' 28:02 WELL, I PRINTED ALL THE VERSES I WANT TO READ HERE - COPY/PASTE. 28:05 PAUL DOES A COPY/PASTE. ALL OF HIS LETTERS INTRODUCE - 28:10 ARE INTRODUCED - NOT ALL, BUT MANY OF THEM - WITH THIS 28:12 WORD-FOR-WORD GREETING, 'GRACE TO YOU AND PEACE FROM GOD OUR 28:16 FATHER AND THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.' SO I EXPECT TO HEAR ALL 28:19 OF YOU GREET EACH OTHER THAT WAY AFTER CHURCH. 28:23 AND IN ALL YOUR LETTERS, FROM NOW ON, YOU'VE GOT - IN THE 28:25 MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES - YOU WONDER - THAT'D BE KIND OF 28:28 A LONG GREETING, HUH? BUT THIS IS HOW HE DID IT. NOW WE'RE 28:33 GOING TO DIVE INTO THE - SOME OF THE TOUGH STUFF IN THIS BOOK. 28:39 THE NEXT VERSES - VERSES 1 - CHAPTER 1, VERSES 6 THROUGH 9 - 28:45 HE DOES NOT - HE GIVES A NICE INTRODUCTION, BY THE TIME HE 28:47 GETS TO - THERE'S ABOUT SIX CHAPTERS IN THE BOOK - BY THE 28:50 TIME HE GETS TO VERSE 6, HE BASICALLY TAKES OFF THE GLOVES 28:55 AND HE GETS RIGHT TO HIS CONCERN. 28:59 "I MARVEL THAT YOU ARE TURNING AWAY SO SOON FROM HIM" - WELL 29:04 THAT RIGHT THERE OUGHT TO ARREST THEIR ATTENTION - SAYING 'WHAT'S 29:07 HAPPENING NOW IS YOU'RE TURNING AWAY FROM' - WHO'S THE HIM? 29:10 MY BIBLE SAYS CAPITAL H-I-M - IT'S TALKING ABOUT GOD THE SON, 29:14 JESUS - YOU'RE TURNING AWAY FROM HIM. THEY'RE GOING 'WHAT?' 29:17 - 'I MARVEL' - 'I'M AMAZED THAT YOU'RE TURNING AWAY FROM HIM 29:20 "WHO CALLED YOU IN THE GRACE OF CHRIST, TO A DIFFERENT GOSPEL, 29:26 WHICH IS NOT ANOTHER; BUT THERE ARE SOME WHO TROUBLE YOU AND 29:31 WANT TO PERVERT THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST. NOW DO WE HAVE THAT 29:34 PROBLEM IN THE WORLD TODAY? DO WE HAVE THAT PROBLEM 29:36 IN THE CHURCH TODAY? >>AMEN. 29:38 >>THERE ARE TWO EXTREMES - IT ALSO SAYS THIS IN THE BOOK STEPS 29:43 TO CHRIST - THERE ARE TYPICALLY TWO EXTREMES THAT YOU HAVE IN 29:48 THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH, INTO WHICH PEOPLE FALL - THEY'RE TWO 29:51 DITCHES. YOU CAN BE A PHARISEE OR A SADDUCEE. YOU'VE GOT THE 29:57 RIGHT OR THE LEFT, WE SAY IN OUR CULTURE. YOU'VE GOT THOSE WHO 30:02 BELIEVE IN RIGHTEOUSNESS THROUGH LEGALISM AND THEN THOSE WHO 30:06 BELIEVE IN RIGHTEOUSNESS THROUGH PRESUMPTION. 30:10 ONE GROUP BELIEVES THEY'RE GOING TO WORK THEIR WAY TO THE 30:14 KINGDOM, THE OTHER GROUP BELIEVES, 'BECAUSE WE'RE SAVED 30:16 BY GRACE, I'M JUST GOING TO CONTINUE IN SIN, FEEL NO REMORSE 30:19 FOR MY SIN, AND JUST SAY A LITTLE PRAYER AND GO ON MY MERRY 30:24 WAY.' AND THEY LIVE WORLDLY LIVES. YOU'VE GOT THOSE TWO 30:29 EXTREMES. WELL, PAUL, NOW IS DEALING WITH THE FORMER - THE 30:34 LEGALISM THAT HAD CREPT IN HERE. AND IT'S OFTEN BROUGHT BY PEOPLE 30:39 WHO COME AND THEY PREACH A FALSE GOSPEL. 30:42 'THERE ARE SOME WHO TROUBLE YOU AND WANT TO PERVERT THE GOSPEL 30:45 OF CHRIST, BUT' - AND LISTEN TO THE LANGUAGE - HE SAYS, 'BUT 30:49 EVEN IF WE OR AN ANGEL FROM HEAVEN PREACH ANY OTHER GOSPEL 30:54 TO YOU THAN THAT WHICH WE HAVE PREACHED TO YOU - THAT GOSPEL 30:58 THAT WE FIRST PREACHED TO YOU THAT CHANGED YOUR LIFE AND 31:00 BROUGHT ABOUT YOUR CONVERSION - LET HIM BE ACCURSED.' THAT'S 31:04 PRETTY STRONG LANGUAGE. IT'S STRONG LANGUAGE FOR THE 31:07 LISTENER AND IT'S STRONG LANGUAGE FOR THE SPEAKER. 31:11 PAUL IS SAYING, 'I'VE GOT A RESPONSIBILITY TO PREACH THE 31:13 RIGHT GOSPEL BECAUSE IF I'M PREACHING THE WRONG GOSPEL, NOT 31:16 ONLY AM I RESPONSIBLE FOR YOU POTENTIALLY BEING LOST, BUT I 31:20 WILL BE LOST. AND I'M EVEN WORSE ACCOUNTABLE 31:23 IN THE JUDGMENT BECAUSE I'M INFLUENCING MANY OTHERS. 31:27 PAUL IS SAYING, 'IF ANYBODY'S PREACHING THE WRONG GOSPEL, THEY 31:31 WILL BE ACCURSED. IT'S PRETTY SERIOUS - THERE'S NO 31:34 STRONGER TERM THAT HE CAN USE. AND HE'S SAYING, 'YOU'LL BE LOST 31:38 FOR LISTENING TO IT BECAUSE IT'S NOT THE TRUE GOSPEL, IT'S A 31:41 FALSE GOSPEL AND THERE'S PLENTY OF FALSE GOSPELS AND THEY'RE 31:43 NOT GOING TO SAVE ANYBODY. AND, BY THE WAY, I HEAR PEOPLE 31:49 EVERY NOW AND THEN CALLING THE TRUE GOSPEL THE FALSE GOSPEL. 31:53 SO YOU CAN CALL ANYTHING ANYTHING YOU WANT - YOU CAN SPIN 31:56 IT - I KNOW THAT THERE ARE SOME OTHER MINISTERS OUT THERE THAT 31:59 WOULD CALL WHAT I BELIEVE THE FALSE GOSPEL - AND I CALL WHAT 32:02 THEY BELIEVE THE FALSE GOSPEL. AND EVERYBODY SAYS, 'I'VE GOT 32:05 THE REAL THING.' SO HOW DO YOU KNOW? 32:09 PAUL SAYS, 'IF YOU ARE BELIEVING ANYTHING OTHER THAN WHAT I FIRST 32:12 SHARED WITH YOU' - AND THAT'S CONTAINED IN THE GOSPEL IN THE 32:15 EPISTLES, WHICH ARE THE INSPIRED WORD OF THE APOSTLES - HE SAID, 32:21 'LET THEM BE ACCURSED. IT SAYS, 'EVEN IF WE OR 32:23 AN ANGEL FROM HEAVEN'. SOMEONE'S GOING TO READ 32:26 FOR ME 2 CORINTHIANS 11:14. ALRIGHT, KATRINA? 32:30 I THINK WE'RE PROBABLY READY FOR THAT. 32:31 WHY DOES PAUL - WHY DOES PAUL WARN AGAINST 'EVEN IF AN ANGEL 32:35 FROM HEAVEN'? GO AHEAD. >>2 CORINTHIANS 32:38 11:14, "AND NO WONDER! FOR SATAN HIMSELF TRANSFORMS 32:43 HIMSELF INTO AN ANGEL OF LIGHT." >>NOW DON'T MISS THE POINT THAT 32:49 IN REVELATION, THE MESSAGE OF REVELATION IS GIVEN TO THE 32:54 SEEVEN ANGELS OF THE SEVEN CHURCHES. 32:58 AND SOME HAVE WONDERED, IS THAT TALKING ABOUT THE MESSENGERS OF 33:01 THE CHURCHES, LIKE IN THE PASTORS OF THE CHURCHES? 33:03 ARE THESE SEVEN ANGELS? BUT YOU'LL FIND, SOMETIMES, IN 33:07 THE NEW TESTAMENT, THE WORD FOR 'ANGEL' AND 'MESSENGER' 33:10 ARE INTERCHANGEABLE. CAN SATAN BE TRANSFORMED 33:14 INTO AN ANGEL OF LIGHT? >>YES. 33:16 >>WHEN THE DEVIL CAME TO TEMPT JESUS IN THE WILDERNESS - IN OUR 33:19 MESSAGE LATER TODAY, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TEMPTATION AND 33:21 THIS MAY COME UP AGAIN. BUT WHEN THE DEVIL CAME TO TEMPT 33:24 JESUS IN THE WILDERNESS - I'VE SEEN ARTISTS - THE - DISPLAY 33:28 THIS BEFORE, WHERE JESUS IS OUT IN THE WILDERNESS AND HE LOOKS 33:31 FAMISHED AND HUNGRY AND THIRSTY AND, LEANING OVER HIS SHOULDER, 33:35 IS THIS TYPICAL SATANIC-LOOKING CREATURE, YOU KNOW, THE DEVIL, 33:38 AND HE'S GOT THE - HE'S GOT THE GOATEE AND HE'S, YOU KNOW, GOT 33:42 THE SHARP EARS - IT LOOKS LIKE A VULCAN - AND HE'S GOT, YOU KNOW, 33:45 THE HIGH FOREHEAD AND THE LITTLE PINACLE OF HAIR THAT COMES DOWN 33:52 REAL SHARP - IT MAKES HIM LOOK SINISTER. 33:54 AND, SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, BAT WINGS AND ALL KINDS OF THINGS. 33:57 AND, IF YOU WERE JESUS IN THE WILDERNESS AND YOU'RE GOING 34:01 THROUGH TEMPTATION AND THIS CREATURE PLOPS DOWN IN FRONT OF 34:05 YOU, AND HE'S GOT RED LEOTARDS ON AND, YOU KNOW, HE LOOKS LIKE 34:10 THESE TYPICAL PICTURES OF THE DEVIL AND HE SAYS, 'LOOK, I'VE 34:13 GOT A PROPOSITION FOR YOU.' WHO WOULD LISTEN TO ANYBODY LOOKING 34:16 LIKE THAT? HOW DO YOU THINK THE 34:19 DEVIL APPEARED TO CHRIST? AS AN ANGEL OF LIGHT. 34:25 HE SAID, 'I'VE BEEN SENT FROM THE FATHER. 34:27 I'VE GOT WORDS FOR ENCOURAGEMENT. 34:30 YOU JUST NEED TTO DEMONSTRATE YOU STILL BELIEVE YOU'RE THE SON 34:32 OF GOD AND, IF YOU'RE THE SON OF GOD, DO THIS MIRACLE.' 34:35 AND SO, IT'S VERY IT WAS VERY SUBTLE. 34:38 HE THOUGHT, 'OH, WELL, THIS LOOKS LIKE AN ANGEL. 34:40 SO EVEN WHEN HE CAME TO JESUS, HE APPEARED AS AN ANGEL OF 34:42 LIGHT. DO COUNTERFEIT PREACHERS LOOK 34:48 LIKE THE DEVIL OR ARE THEY SOMETIMES - THEY'RE ELOQUENT, 34:51 THEY'RE GOOD LOOKING, THEY DO SHARE SOME TRUTH, THEY SMILE, 34:56 THEY SEEM LOVING, THEY SEEM SINCERE? 35:00 EVERY FALSE RELIGION AND EVERY FALSE GOSPEL HAS GOOD THINGS TO 35:04 IT AND THAT'S WHAT MAKES IT ATTRACTIVE. 35:07 IF YOU'RE GOING TO POISON SOMEBODY, YOU DON'T JUST HAND 35:11 THEM A BROWN BOTTLE WITH A LABEL THAT HAS A SKULL AND CROSSBONES 35:13 ON IT AND SAY, 'HERE, WOULD YOU LIKE SOME POISON. 35:16 NOBODY'S GOING TO GO FOR THAT. WHAT YOU DO IS YOU TAKE 35:19 SOMETHING THAT'S VERY GOOD AND NUTRITIOUS AND APPETIZING AND 35:21 YOU PUT A LITTLE POISON IN WHAT'S APPETIZING. 35:24 MOST FALSE GOSPELS HAVE A LOT OF GOOD THINGS, BUT THEN THEY'VE 35:29 GOT A DOCTRINE BURIED IN THERE THAT IS LETHAL. 35:32 AND SO, PAUL - MANY OF THE THINGS THAT PAUL TAUGHT THEY 35:35 STILL BELIEVED, BUT SOMETHING FALSE HAD BEEN INTRODUCED THAT 35:38 WAS DISTRACTING THEM. AND - WHAT WAS IT? 35:43 WHAT WAS THE MAIN - WHO KNOWS WHAT'S THE MAIN THING IN THE 35:47 BOOK OF GALATIANS THAT BECAME THE BIG ISSUE? 35:50 WHEN SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS HEAR GALATIANS, WE'RE OFTEN HEARING 35:54 GALATIANS READ TO US BECAUSE WE TALK ABOUT KEEPING THE TEN 35:58 COMMANDMENTS AND THEY QUOTE THE PARTS OF GALATIANS WHERE PAUL 36:01 TALKS ABOUT THE LAW - NOT BEING UNDER THE LAW - IN THE CONTEXT 36:04 OF SABBATH KEEPING. HOW MANY TIMES IS THE WORD 36:08 'SABBATH' USED IN THE BOOK OF GALATIANS? NOT AT ALL. 36:13 BUT WHAT IS THE WORD THAT IS USED THE MOST THAT WAS THE POINT 36:17 OF CONTROVERSY? WHO KNOWS? 36:20 >>CIRCUMCISION. >>CIRCUMCISION. 36:22 I THINK TWELVE OR THIRTEEN TIMES YOU'RE GOING TO FIND MORE THAN 36:26 ANY OTHER BOOK IN THE BIBLE - MAYBE EXCEPT OLD TESTAMENT. 36:29 MAYBE EVEN MORE THAN THAT. CERTAINLY MORE THAN ANY BOOK IN 36:32 THE NEW TESTAMENT PAUL TALKS ABOUT CIRCUMCISION. 36:35 THERE IS NO QUESTION ABOUT WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. LET ME GIVE YOU 36:38 JUST SOME VERSES SO YOU GET THE BACKGROUND. GO WITH ME TO 36:42 ACTS 15, VERSE 1. YOU OUGHT TO READ THIS ACTS 15:1. 36:46 SOMETIMES YOU SIT AND LISTEN TO ME TEACH AND YOU DON'T REALLY 36:48 LOOK ANYTHING UP, BUT YOU MIGHT WANT TO LOOK THIS ONE UP. 36:52 "AND CERTAIN MEN CAME DOWN FROM JUDEA AND TAUGHT THE BRETHREN, 36:58 'UNLESS YOU ARE CIRCUMCISED ACCORDING TO THE CUSTOM OF 37:00 MOSES, YOU CANNOT BE SAVED.'" - WELL, THAT WOULD PUT 37:03 CIRCUMCISION RIGHT UP THERE AS A PRETTY IMPORTANT DOCTRINE. 37:05 UNLESS YOU DO THIS, YOU CANNOT BE SAVED. 37:08 IT'S A SALVATION ISSUE. YOU NOTICE WHAT THEY DID? 37:12 IT SAYS THERE WERE CERTAIN MEN THAT CAME FROM JUDEA AND BEGAN 37:18 TO GO TO THE CHURCHES WHERE PAUL HAD LABORED AND BARNABUS HAD 37:22 LABORED AND THEY BEGAN TO INTRODUCE THIS NEW TEACHING AND 37:26 IT WAS TEARING THE CHURCHES APART. 37:28 SO WHAT WAS THE TEACHING ABOUT? WAS IT THE SABBATH 37:30 OR CIRCUMCISION? THEY HAD NO PROBLEM KEEPING THE 37:34 SABBATH, THAT WAS ONE OF THE TEN COMMANDMENTS. 37:35 CIRCUMCISION CAME LATER. IT WAS A COVENANT WITH ABRAHAM. 37:38 NOW, DID THEY HAVE A GOOD ARGUMENT? 37:41 DID THESE JUDIAZERS OR THESE PHARISEES WHO HAD CONVERTED TO 37:45 CHRISTIANITY - BY THE WAY, PAUL WAS A PHARISEE WHO CONVERTED TO 37:48 CHRISTIANITY. HE SAYS, 'I WAS A PHARISEE OF THE PHARISEES. 37:52 DID THEY HAVE GOOD ARGUMENTS FOR SAYING YOU SHOULD CONTINUE TO 37:56 PRACTICE CIRCUMCISION? LET ME READ SOMETHING TO YOU. 38:00 GO TO GENESIS 17:13. GOD SAYS TO ABRAHAM, "HE WHO IS 38:06 BORN IN YOUR HOUSE AND HE WHO IS BOUGHT WITH YOUR MONEY MUST BE 38:10 CIRCUMCISED, AND MY COVENANT SHALL BE IN YOUR FLESH FOR 38:13 AN EVERLASTING COVENANT." IT'S AN EVERLASTING COVENANT. 38:20 THAT WAS THEIR ARGUMENT. THEY SAID, 'WELL, 38:21 EVERLASTING COVENANT. HOW DO YOU GET AWAY FROM THAT?' 38:26 BEFORE I EVEN ANSWER THAT QUESTION, DON'T MISS THE PART 38:29 WHERE PAUL MAKES IT VERY CLEAR, 'CIRCUMCISION IS NOTHING, 38:33 UNCIRCUMCISION IS NOTHING, BUT KEEPING THE COMMANDMENTS IS WHAT 38:36 MATTERS.' NOW I JUST QUOTED THE BIBLE. 38:39 THAT WASN'T PARAPHRASE. PAUL SAYS 'CIRCUMCISION IS 38:42 NOTHING, UNCIRCUMCISION IS NOTHING, BUT KEEPING THE 38:46 COMMANDMENTS.' SO DOES PAUL MAKE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN 38:48 CIRCUMCISION AND THE COMMANDMENTS? YOU GOT THAT? 38:56 IS IT WRONG - IS IT AGAINST THE LAW FOR A BELIEVER TO BE 39:00 CIRCUMCISED? DOES PAUL OR ANYONE EVER SAY THAT? 39:03 NO, THAT WAS OPTIONAL. MATTER OF FACT, PAUL, REALIZING 39:05 THAT TIMOTHY NOT BEING CIRCUMCISED, WHEN TIMOTHY BEGAN 39:08 TO PREACH WITH AND ALONGSIDE PAUL, HE SAID, 'THIS IS GOING TO 39:11 BE A STUMBLING BLOCK FOR OTHER PEOPLE'. 39:13 PAUL CIRCUMCISED TIMOTHY EVEN THOUGH HE WAS AN ADULT, SO IT 39:16 WOULD NO LONGER BOTHER THE JEWS WHERE PAUL WENT TO MINISTER. 39:19 IT WASN'T REQUIRED, BUT HE DID IT JUST SO IT WOULDN'T BE AN 39:22 OBSTACLE. YOU GOT THAT? 39:24 AND THERE MAY BE SOME MEDICAL OR HEALTH BENEFITS, BUT THERE IS NO 39:28 BIBLE COMMAND THAT YOU NEED TO DO THAT TO BE SAVED. 39:31 IS THAT CLEAR TO EVERYBODY? PAUL SAYS, 'VERY, VERY CLEAR.' 39:34 ALRIGHT, CAN I BRING THIS AND MAKE THIS RELEVANT FOR US TODAY? 39:39 THERE ARE A LOT OF DEAR PEOPLE IN OUR CHURCH AND SOME OTHER 39:42 CHURCHES THAT ARE SAYING THAT IF YOU WANT TO BE SAVED YOU NEED TO 39:47 KEEP THE JEWISH FEASTS. HAVE YOU RUN INTO THAT? 39:51 >>YES. >>AND, YOU KNOW, THEY'LL POINT 39:53 TO EXODUS WHERE IT SAYS THAT THESE FEASTS - AND LEVITICUS 39:59 - ARE EVERLASTING COVENANTS. SAME EXACT WORDING THAT 40:03 IT USES FOR CIRCUMCISION. AND THEY SAY, 'WE NEED TO KEEP 40:06 THE FEAST DAYS.' WELL, THE FEAST DAYS FALL IN THE SAME 40:10 CATEGORY AS CIRCUMCISION. AND THIS IS WHY WHEN YOU READ - 40:15 GO WITH ME IN YOUR BIBLE - THIS IS A VERY RELEVANT LESSON TODAY. 40:19 NOW, I DON'T QUESTION THE SINCERITY OF THESE PEOPLE, BUT I 40:21 THINK IF PAUL WAS ALIVE TODAY, HE'D SAY TO THEM THE SAME THING 40:24 HE SAID TO THE GALATIANS 'WHY ARE YOU PREACHING ANOTHER 40:27 GOSPEL?' LOOK IN ROMANS CHAPTER 14 40:32 - IF YOU'VE GOT YOUR BIBLE. "ONE PERSON ESTEEMS ONE DAY 40:37 ABOVE ANOTHER; ANOTHER ESTEEMS EVER DAY ALIKE. 40:40 LET EACH ONE BE FULLY CONVINCED IN HIS OWN MIND. 40:43 HE WHO OBSERVES THE DAY, OBSERVES IT TO THE LORD; AND HE 40:45 WHO DOES NOT OBSERVE THE DAY TO THE LORD HE DOES NOT OBSERVE 40:48 IT." WHAT IS PAUL TALKING ABOUT? 40:52 IS HE TALKING ABOUT THE SABBATH? >>NO. 40:54 >>NO, I'VE HEARD PEOPLE USE THIS FOR THE SABBATH. YOU KNOW, IT'S 40:57 INTERESTING - THIS ALWAYS STRIKES ME AS FUNNY. I'LL HEAR 41:01 SUNDAY PASTORS, THEIR MEMBERS WILL LEARN THE SABBATH TRUTH AND 41:04 THE SUNDAY PASTORS WILL POINT TO THIS VERSE AND SAY, 'IF ONE MAN 41:07 REGARDS THE DAY OF THE LORD, HE REGARDS THE DAY OF THE LORD; IF 41:09 HE DOESN'T, HE DOESN'T.' AND I SAY, 'PASTOR, ARE YOU TELLING ME 41:11 I DON'T HAVE TO COME TO CHURCH SUNDAY ANYMORE?' 41:13 'NO, NO, I DIDN'T MEAN THAT.' SO THEY NEVER USE THAT VERSE TO 41:16 TALK ABOUT SUNDAY - THAT YOU CAN KEEP WHATEVER DAY YOU WANT. 41:20 YOU CAN COME TO CHURCH WHENEVER YOU WANT. 41:22 THEY TALK TO THEM WHEN THEY LEARN THE SABBATH TRUTH. 41:25 IS HE TALKING ABOUT THE SEVENTH-DAY SABBATH OR IS HE 41:28 TALKING ABOUT CEREMONIAL SABBATHS? 41:31 HE'S NOT TALKING ABOUT THE SABBATH THAT WAS PART OF THE TEN 41:33 COMMANDMENTS THAT CAME EVERY WEEK, AS PART OF A WEEKLY CYCLE, 41:37 HE WAS TALKING ABOUT ANNUAL FEASTS THAT WERE PART OF AN 41:41 ANNUAL CYCLE. IT WAS - HE'S NOT TALKING ABOUT 41:45 THE TEN COMMANDMENTS THAT GO ALL THE WAY BACK TO GENESIS, 41:49 BEFORE THERE WAS EVEN SIN. YOU SEE, THE SABBATH EXISTED 41:52 BEFORE MAN EVEN SINNED - PART OF GOD'S PERFECT PLAN. 41:55 HE BLESSED AND HALLOWED IT WAY BACK IN GENESIS 2, RIGHT? 41:57 >>YES. >>THE CEREMONIAL SABBATHS, 41:59 WHEN DID THEY COME? THEY WERE CONNECTED WITH THE DELIVERANCE 42:02 OF ISRAEL. THEY WERE SIGNS AND SHADOWS POINTING TO JESUS. 42:06 GO WITH ME TO COLOSSIANS. YOU KNOW, I ALWAYS HEAR THESE 42:11 THINGS QUOTED OUT OF CONTEXT. I JUST THINK IT'S ENCOURAGING 42:14 TO BE ABLE TO QUOTE THESE IN CONTEXT. 42:17 IF YOU GO TO COLOSSIANS CHAPTER 2 AND YOU'LL - YOU'LL SEE THAT 42:25 THIS WAS A PROBLEM ALL ALONG THE WAY HERE - HERE WE GO. 42:32 I THOUGHT COLOSSIANS HAD LEFT MY BIBLE. 42:36 GO TO VERSE 13, "AND YOU, BEING DEAD IN YOUR TRESPASSES AND THE 42:43 UNCIRCUMCISION OF YOUR FLESH," - NOTICE, HE'S MAKING AN ALLUSION, 42:47 RIGHT HERE, TO WHAT THE BIG ISSUE OF THE DAY WAS - "HE HAS 42:50 MADE ALIVE TOGETHER WITH HIM, HAVING FORGIVEN YOU ALL 42:53 TRESPASSES, HAVING WIPED OUT THE HANDWRITING OF REQUIREEMENTS 42:58 THAT WAS AGAINST US, WHICH WAS CONTRARY TO US." 43:02 BY THE WAY, THE CEREMONIAL LAWS WERE WRITTEN ON PAPER AND PLACED 43:06 IN A POCKET OUTSIDE THE ARK. AND MOSES SAID THAT THEY MIGHT 43:09 BE A WITNESS AGAINST YOU. HE SAID THAT REGARDING 43:12 THE CEREMONIAL LAWS. HE SAYS, 'TAKING' - AND IT WAS 43:15 WRITTEN BY THE HAND OF MAN, NOT BY THE FINGER OF GOD - "...WIPED 43:21 OUT THE HANDWRITING OF REQUIREMENTS THAT WAS AGAINST 43:24 US, WHICH WAS CONTRARY TO US. AND HE HAS TAKEN IT OUT OF THE 43:27 WAY, HAVING NAILED IT TO THE CROSS. 43:29 HAVING DISARMED PRINCIPALITIES AND POWERS, HE MADE A PUBLIC 43:32 SPECTACLE OF THEM, TRIUMPHING OVER THEM IN IT. 43:35 SO LET NO ONE JUDGE YOU IN FOOD OR IN DRINK," - THESE THINGS 43:39 WERE CONNECTED WITH THE SANCTUARY - AND ITS FOOD - DRINK 43:42 OFFERINGS - FOOD OFFERINGS - "OR REGARDING A FESTIVAL OR A NEW 43:45 MOON OR SABBATHS," - NOW WE ALWAYS STOP THERE AFTER 16, BUT 43:50 YOU NOTICE IT'S A COMMA; THE SENTENCE ISN'T DONE. 43:53 IT SAYS DON'T LET ANYONE JUDGE YOU REGARDING "...SABBATHS, 43:56 WHICH ARE A SHADOW..." THAT'S ONE SENTENCE. NOT ANY SABBATH, 44:02 BUT THE SABBATHS - NOTICE IT'S NOT A BIG 'S', IT'S A SMALL 'S'. 44:05 THE "SABBATHS, WHICH ARE A SHADOW OF THINGS TO COME," - THE 44:10 ONLY THING YOU CAN ASSUME FROM A VERSE LIKE THIS - WHAT SABBATHS 44:13 WERE SHADOWS? THE ANNUAL SABBATHS YOU FIND IN LEVITICUS 44:17 23, TALKING ABOUT THE FEAST DAYS. AND SO, I'M ALWAYS 44:23 SADDENED WHEN I SEE, YOU KNOW, CHURCHES GET SO DISTRACTED FROM 44:28 THE GOSPEL AND THE MESSAGE WE HAVE AND THEY START TO SAY, 'NO, 44:33 WE'VE GOT TO GO BACK AND KEEP THE JEWISH FEASTS. THESE ARE 44:35 EVERLASTING COVENANTS.' IT IS SO CLEAR FROM THE BIBLE. 44:38 THE BIG PROBLEM THAT THEY HAD IN ACTS - YOU LOOK IN ACTS CHAPTER 44:42 15, VERSE 4, "AND WHEN THEY HAD COME TO JERUSALEM, THEY WERE 44:48 RECEIVED BY THE CHURCH AND THE APOSTLES AND THE ELDERS; AND 44:51 THEY REPORTED ALL THINGS THAT GOD HAD DONE WITH THEM. 44:54 BUT SOME OF THE SECT OF THE PHARISEES WHO BELIEVED ROSE UP 44:57 SAYING, 'IT IS NECESSARY TO CIRCUMCISE THEM, AND TO COMMAND 45:00 THEM TO KEEP THE LAW OF MOSES.'" IT BECAME SUCH A PROBLEM BACK IN 45:04 THE EARLY CHURCH, THEY HAD TO HAVE A CHURCH COUNCIL IN 45:06 JERUSALEM TO SETTLE THAT THE GENTILES DID NOT NEED TO 45:10 PRACTICE THOSE THINGS. AND SO - BUT, YOU KNOW, 45:13 TIMES HAVEN'T CHANGED. THERE ARE STILL BELIEVERS THAT 45:17 GO AROUND AND THEY ARE PREACHING ANOTHER GOSPEL WITH ANOTHER 45:19 EMPHASIS AND I NOTICE THEY GENERALLY ARE NOT REALLY 45:25 WINNING SOULS OFF THE STREET. THEY'RE - THEY GO IN AMONG THE 45:29 ESTABLISHED CHURCHES TO CREATE CONFUSION. 45:33 THEY DON'T GO PLANT THEIR OWN NEW CHURCH, THEY GO AMONG THE 45:35 ESTABLISHED CHURCHES AND THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED. 45:38 PAUL ESTABLISHED THESE CHURCHES AND, LIKE WOLVES, THEY CAME IN 45:40 TO EXPLOIT THAT AND CAUSE CONFUSION. 45:43 ALRIGHT, BACK TO THE LESSON. WE'RE GOING TO SAY MORE ABOUT 45:46 THAT BECAUSE I KNOW WE'RE GOING TO GET SOME QUESTIONS 45:48 ON THAT LATER. THE ORIGIN OF PAUL'S GOSPEL - 45:55 GALATIANS CHAPTER 1, STILL - WE'RE READING, NOW, VERSES 11 45:58 TO 14, "BUT I MAKE KNOWN TO YOU, BRETHREN, THAT THE GOSPEL WHICH 46:04 WAS PREACHED BY ME IS NOT ACCORDING TO MAN. 46:07 FOR I NEITHER RECEIVED IT FROM MAN, NOR WAS I TAUGHT IT, BUT IT 46:10 CAME THROUGH THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST." - I MENTIONED 46:13 THAT EARLIER. IS THERE ANY DOUBT THAT'S TRUE? PAUL SAID, 'I 46:16 DIDN'T LEARN THIS FROM MAN, BUT JESUS TOLD ME, LIKE HE TAUGHT 46:19 THE OTHER APOSTLES - "FOR YOU HAVE HEARD OF MY FORMER CONDUCT 46:23 IN JUDAISM, HOW I PERSECUTED THE CHURCH OF GOD BEYOND MEASURE AND 46:27 TRIED TO DESTROY IT. AND I ADVANCED IN JUDAISM BEYOND 46:31 MANY OF MY CONTEMPORARIES IN MY OWN NATION, BEING MORE 46:35 EXCEEDINGLY ZEALOUS FOR THE TRADITIONS OF MY FATHERS." 46:39 PAUL SAYS, 'LOOK, YOU'RE BEING CONFUSED BY PEOPLE - I USED TO 46:43 BE ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE.' HE SAYS, 'YOU'RE BEING CONFUSED BY 46:46 PEOPLE THAT ARE ZEALOUS OF THE LAW. 46:48 THEY THINK THEY'RE BEING SAVED BY THE LAW' - AND HE'S TALKING, 46:51 IN PARTICULAR, ABOUT THE CEREMONIAL LAWS BUT, BY THE WAY, 46:54 WE'RE NOT SAVED BY THE TEN COMMANDMENTS EITHER, ARE WE? 46:57 WE'RE SAVED BY GRACE ALONE. WE KEEP THE TEN COMMANDMENTS 47:00 - THEY'RE THE WILL OF GOD - BECAUSE WE LOVE THE LORD. 47:04 BUT HE SAID, 'I KNOW THE PEOPLE THAT YOU'RE TALKING TO - I USED 47:08 TO BE ONE OF THEM.' I'LL VISIT WITH FOLKS, SOMETIMES, THAT GET 47:14 MIXED UP IN SOME OF THE VARIOUS CHARISMATIC TRENDS AND I LIKE TO 47:20 REMIND THEM - I SAY, 'I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE GOING 47:22 THROUGH. BEFORE I WAS A SEVENTH-DAY 47:23 ADVENTIST, I WORSHIPED WITH CHARISMATICS. 47:26 I DIDN'T KNOW WHO ADVENTISTS WERE.' I SAID, 'I KNOW ABOUT 47:28 SPEAKING IN TONGUES.' I SAID, 'I KNOW ABOUT THEIR VIEWS ON 47:32 SALVATION AND STUFF. I - I WAS ONE, SO I UNDERSTAND 47:36 THAT.' A LOT OF LOVELY PEOPLE IN THOSE CHURCHES, BUT IT'S A 47:42 DISTRACTION FROM THE TRUE GOSPEL. 47:45 "FOR YOU HAVE HEARD OF MY FORMER CONDUCT...I PERSECUTED THE 47:48 CHURCH OF GOD BEYOND MEASURE AND TRIED TO DESTROY IT." 47:53 NOW, YOU KNOW, THAT'S ENCOURAGING. 47:57 CAN A PERSON BE REACHED WHEN THEY'RE AN ENEMY OF THE CROSS? 48:02 DID THE LORD REACH PAUL? SOMETIMES YOU MEET PEOPLE THAT 48:06 NOT ONLY ARE RESISTENT TO THE GOSPEL, BUT THEY'RE FIGHTING IT. 48:11 THERE ARE SOME GROUPS THAT ARE VERY HARD TO REACH. 48:15 BUT PAUL SAID, 'LOOK, I WAS THE HARDEST NUT IN THE WORLD TO 48:18 CRACK. I WAS OUT KILLING CHRISTIANS. 48:20 I HATED CHRISTIANITY SO MUCH, I THOUGHT IT WAS THE BIGGEST 48:22 THREAT TO OUR RELIGION, AND I WAS BENT ON KILLING THEM.' 48:26 HE SAID, 'BUT GOD GOT MY ATTENTION.' I THINK ONE REASON 48:29 IS PAUL WAS SINCERE. "AND I ADVANCED IN JUDAISM 48:33 BEYOND MANY OF MY CONTEMPORARIES IN MY OWN NATION, BEING MORE 48:36 EXCEEDINGLY ZEALOUS FOR THE TRADIDTIONS OF MY FATHERS." 48:41 THEN HE GOES ON AND HE SAYS - YOU GO TO VERSE 15 - SOMEONE'S 48:44 GOING TO READ FOR ME, IN JUST A MOMENT, JEREMIAH 1:5 - OKAY? 48:50 AND IF YOU READ IN VERSE 15 - GALATIANS 1:15, "BUT WHEN IT 48:56 PLEASED GOD, WHO SEPARATED ME FROM MY MOTHER'S WOMB AND CALLED 48:59 ME THROUGH HIS GRACE," - HE SAYS, 'I WAS CALLED FROM - THE 49:03 LORD KNEW WHAT MY CALLING WOULD BE, WAY BACK AT THE BEGINNING. 49:07 HE DOESN'T SAY I WOULD BE FAITHFUL FROM THE BEGINNING, BUT 49:10 WAY BACK WHEN I WAS BORN, GOD KNEW THAT HE WAS GOING TO TURN 49:13 MY LIFE AROUND. YOU CAN ALSO READ ISAIAH 49:1, 49:18 "...THE LORD HAS CALLED ME FROM THE WOMB FROM THE MATRIX OF MY 49:22 MOTHER HE HAS MADE MENTION OF MY NAME." 49:25 NOW SOME OF THESE ALLUSIONS TO THE LORD CALLING FROM THE WOMB, 49:29 DATE BACK TO - ARE ECHOES OF WHAT GOD DID FOR JESUS. 49:34 GO AHEAD, READ FOR ME JEREMIAH 1, VERSE 5. 49:38 >>JEREMIAH 1:5, "BEFORE I FORMED YOU IN THE WOMB I KNEW YOU; 49:43 BEFORE YOU WERE BORN I SANCTIFIED YOU I ORDAINED YOU A 49:48 PROPHET TO THE NATIONS." >>NOW ISAIAH AND JEREMIAH 49:52 DIDN'T REALLY GET THEIR CALL TO PROPHECY UNTIL LATER IN THEIR 49:55 LIVES, BUT GOD WAS TELLING THEM 'I'VE HAD A PLAN FOR YOUR LIFE.' 49:59 >>AMEN. >>AND YOU CAN EVEN READ LUKE 50:02 1:15 - NOW THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS A REAL CONUNDRUM 50:07 FOR THEOLOGIANS. IT SAYS, "FOR HE WILL BE GREAT 50:11 IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD, AND SHALL DRINK NEITHER 50:13 WINE NOR STRONG DRINK. HE WILL ALSO BE FILLED WITH 50:17 THE HOLY SPIRIT, EVEN FROM HIS MOTHER'S WOMB." 50:20 HOW MANY OF YOU WISH YOU COULD HAVE BABIES LIKE THAT? 50:21 (LAUGHTER) FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT. 50:25 HOW COME WE DON'T ALL HAVE BABIES LIKE THAT? 50:28 WAS THAT FAIR FOR GOD TO GIVE ELIZABETH A BABY? 50:33 I MEAN, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES SOMEONE HAS A BABY, A FEW WEEKS 50:35 LATER THEY SAY, 'IS IT A GOOD BABY? 50:36 DOES IT SLEEP AT NIGHT OR IS IT, YOU KNOW, IS IT A CRYING BABY?' 50:39 WE ALL HAVE DIFFERENT KINDS OF BABIES AND - HOW'D YOU LIKE TO 50:42 HAVE A SPIRIT-FILLED BABY FROM THE BEGINNING? 50:45 DON'T MOST OF US PRAY THAT GOD GIVES US THE SPIRIT? 50:49 WE SURRENDER OUR LIVES, HE GIVES US THE SPIRIT. 50:51 HOW COME JOHN GOT IT WITH NO CHOICE ON HIS? 50:54 IT ALMOST SMACKS OF PREDESTINATION, DOESN'T IT? 50:58 BUT GOD CAN DO THAT ON OCCASION IF HE WANTS TO. 51:01 AND JESUS, OF COURSE, WAS FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT FROM HIS 51:04 MOTHER'S WOMB. GO TO VERSE 16 - GALATIANS 1:16 51:08 - "TO REVEAL HIS SON IN ME, THAT I MIGHT" - NOW, WHAT'S THE 51:11 PURPOSE OF A CHRISTIAN? TO REVEAL CHRIST IN OUR LIVES. 51:15 TO FOLLOW CHRIST, RIGHT? - "TO REVEAL HIS SON IN ME, 51:17 THAT I MIGHT PREACH HIM AMONG THE GENTILES," - WHO WAS THE 51:21 FIRST APOSTLE TO THE GENTILES? >>PAUL. 51:24 >>PETER. >>PETER. WHEN HE WENT IN ACTS 51:28 CHAPTER 10, HE BEGAN TO PREACH IN CORNELIUS' HOUSE. 51:31 BUT PAUL WAS SPECIFICALLY CALLED TO GO TO THE GENTILES. 51:34 THEY BOTH WENT TO BOTH - "TO PREACH HIM AMONG THE GENTILES, I 51:39 DID NOT IMMEDIATELY CONFER WITH FLESH AND BLOOD, NOR DID I GO TO 51:43 JERUSALEM TO THOSE WHO WERE APOSTLES BEFORE ME;" - HE SAYS, 51:47 'I DIDN'T GET THIS FROM THE OTHER APOSTLES. 51:48 THAT'S WHY PAUL'S WRITINGS ARE A LITTLE DIFFERENT. 51:50 HE SAID, "BUT I WENT TO ARABIA, AND RETURNED AGAIN TO DAMASCUS." 51:54 NOW, THIS IS THE ONLY TIME THIS IS MENTIONED. 51:56 PAUL TALKS ABOUT GOING TO ARABIA. 51:58 LUKE DOES NOT MENTION THAT AFTER PAUL'S CONVERSION HE WENT TO 52:01 ARABIA. ARABIA IS NOT TALKING ABOUT SAUDI ARABIA. 52:05 ARABIA - THE WORD ACTUALLY MEANS 'ARABA - A PLAIN OR DESERT' - HE 52:10 WENT FROM DAMASCUS OUT INTO THE DESERT AND HE SPENT SOME TIME 52:13 WITH GOD. IT DOESN'T SAY HOW LONG HE WAS 52:15 THERE, BUT HE WENT, REALLY, TO FAST AND PRAY AND PREPARE. 52:19 AND THEN IT SAYS, AFTER THREE YEARS HE CAME BACK TO DAMASCUS 52:22 AND THEN AFTER THREE YEARS, IT SAYS HE WENT TO MEET WITH THE 52:25 DISCIPLES. MATTER OF FACT, I'M GETTING AHEAD OF MYSELF. 52:28 IF YOU GO TO - GO TO GALATIANS 1:17, "NOR DID I GO TO 52:36 JEERUSALEM TO THOSE WHO WERE APOSTLES BEFORE ME; BUT I WENT 52:39 TO ARABIA, AND RETURNED AGAIN TO DAMASCUS. 52:42 THEN AFTER THREE YEARS" - SOME PEOPLE SAY HE WAS IN ARABIA 52:44 THREE YEARS - IT DOESN'T SAY THAT. 52:46 HE WENT OUT IN THE WILDERNESS, SPENT SOME TIME THERE - WE DON'T 52:49 KNOW HOW LONG - IT SAYS THEN HE WENT BACK TO DAMASCUS WHERE HE 52:52 WAS ORIGINALLY CONVERTED. 'THEN AFTER THREE YEARS I WENT 52:55 TO JERUSALEM - AFTER THREE YEARS IN DAMASCUS.' TO SEE - NOW 52:58 WHY DID HE SPEND SO LONG IN DAMASCUS? THE LEADERS IN 53:01 JERUSALEM HAD SENT HIM ON A MISSION TO KILL CHRISTIANS IN 53:04 DAMASCUS. INSTEAD OF KILLING 53:05 CHRISTIANS, HE BECAME ONE. TALK ABOUT MAD. 53:10 HERE, YOU KNOW, THEY PAY HIM AND THEY SEND HIM TO GO TO ARREST 53:13 AND PERSECUTE CHRISTIANS AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THEY GET WORD FROM 53:16 DAMASCUS, 'WOW, THE CHURCH IS REALLY GROWING IN DAMASCUS.' 53:19 'WELL, WE SENT PAUL THERE TO KILL THEM. 53:21 WHAT'S GOING ON?' 'WELL, PAUL'S THE 53:22 ONE WHO'S PREACHING. HE'S MAKING CHRISTIANS.' SO 53:26 HE COULDN'T GO RIGHT BACK TO JERUSALEM BECAUSE THEY PROBABLY 53:28 HAD A PRICE ON HIS HEAD RIGHT AWAY. 53:30 THREE YEARS LATER HE FINALLY CREEPS INTO THE CITY. 53:33 HE DIDN'T EVER HANG AROUND A LOT IN JERUSALEM AND WHEN HE WENT TO 53:36 JERUSALEM DID THEY ARREST HIM, EVENTUALLY, IN JERUSALEM? 53:39 YEAH, SO THEY DIDN'T LIKE PAUL VERY MUCH IN JERUSALEM. 53:42 THEY EVEN SENT REPRESENTATIVES FROM JERUSALEM TO ROME TO ACCUSE 53:46 PAUL BEFORE NERO. THAT'S A LONG TRIP BACK THEN, 53:50 SO YOU'VE REALLY GOT TO HATE A PERSON TO DO THAT. 53:53 SO HE SAID, "AFTERWARD I WENT INTO THE REGIONS OF SYRIA AND 53:59 CILICIA. AND I WAS UNKNOWN BY FACE TO THE 54:02 CHURCHES OF JUDEA WHICH WERE IN CHRIST." 54:05 THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHO THIS NEW WHIPPERSNAPPER WAS WHO WAS 54:08 PREACHING - "BUT THEY WERE HEARING ONLY, 'HE WHO FORMERLY 54:12 PERSECUTED US NOW PREACHES THE FAITH WHICH HE ONCE TRIED TO 54:15 DESTROY." AND THAT GOES DOWN TO VERSE 24. 54:20 I MEAN, HERE HE IS TRYING TO DESTROY IT AND HE ENDS UP 54:23 PREACHING THE FAITH HE ONCE TRIED TO DESTROY. 54:26 WELL, WE'RE OUT OF TIME, BUT WE'RE GOING TO SAY MORE. 54:29 GALATIANS - I - THIS IS GOING TO BE A GOOD STUDY. 54:31 I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE VERY RELEVANT FOR US. 54:32 I WANT TO REMIND THOSE WHO ARE WATCHING AT HOME THAT WE DO HAVE 54:35 A BOOK YOU'LL REALLY ENJOY. IT'S CALLED SATAN'S CONFUSING 54:38 COUNTERFEITS WRITTEN BY JOE CREWS. 54:41 WHEN YOU CALL THAT NUMBER - 866-788-3966 - WE'LL SEND YOU A 54:45 FREE COPY OF THIS. IT'S OFFER #191. WHEN YOU CALL, MAKE SURE 54:49 AND GIVE THEM THAT OFFER NUMBER, IT HELPS THEM FIND THE RIGHT 54:51 BOOK. AND THEN, AFTER YOU READ IT, PLEASE SHARE IT WITH YOUR 54:54 FRIEND. GOD BLESS YOU, FRIENDS. WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO 54:56 STUDYING HIS WORD TOGETHER AGAIN. 54:58 NEXT WEEK WE'LL BE IN SECTION 3 - LESSON 3 OF GALATIANS. 55:03 >>LET'S FACE IT, IT'S NOT ALWAYS EASY TO UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING 55:06 YOU READ IN THE BIBLE. WITH OVER 700,000 WORDS 55:10 CONTAINED IN 66 BOOKS, THE BIBLE CAN GENERATE A LOT OF QUESTIONS. 55:15 TO GET BIBLICAL STRAIGHTFORWARD ANSWERS CALL IN TO BIBLE ANSWERS 55:18 LIVE - A LIVE NATIONWIDE CALL-IN RADIO PROGRAM WHERE YOU CAN TALK 55:22 TO PASTOR DOUG BATCHELOR AND ASK HIM YOUR MOST DIFFICULT BIBLE 55:25 QUESTIONS. FOR TIMES AND STATIONS IN YOUR 55:28 AREA, OR TO LISTEN TO ANSWERS ONLINE, VISIT 55:31 BAL.AMAZINGFACTS.ORG . (MUSIC) 55:47 >>FRIENDS, WE'RE OUT HERE IN THE PACIFIC OCEAN NOT TOO FAR FROM 55:50 THE ISLAND OF FIJI, AND WE'RE GETTING READY TO LOOK AT SOME 55:53 WONDERS IN THE DEEP. THE BIBLE SAYS GOD MADE THE 55:57 HEAVEN AND THE EARTH AND THE SEA. 55:58 AND THERE ARE THINGS UNDER THE SEA THAT ARE BEAUTIFUL THAT MANY 56:01 PEOPLE HAVE NEVER SEEN. SOME FOLKS MIGHT JUST SKIM ALONG 56:04 - SNORKLE ON THE SURFACE, BUT IF YOU WANT TO SEE THE REAL MAJESTY 56:07 OF THE OCEAN, YOU'VE GOT TO GO DEEPER. (LIVELY MUSIC) 56:24 >>BECAUSE PEOPLE DON'T HAVE GILLS LIKE FISH, WE HAVE TO DO 56:27 SOMETHING EXTRAORDINARY TO BREATHE BELOW THE SURFACE. 56:30 BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO BREATHE ALL THE TIME, WE NEED THIS SPECIAL 56:33 EQUIPMENT. (SOUND OF BREATHING APARATUS) IN THE SAME WAY, THE 56:38 BIBLE SAYS A CHRISTIAN NEEDS TO PRAY WITHOUT CEASING. 56:41 WE NEED TO ALWAYS BE BREATHING THE ATMOSPHERE OF HEAVEN IF 56:44 WE'RE GOING TO LIVE A CHRISTIAN LIFE IN THIS WORLD BELOW. 56:48 (MUSIC) >>WOW, WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD. 57:16 (MUSIC) |
Revised 2017-07-03