Participants:
Series Code: SSH
Program Code: SSH021728A
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00:00 (MUSIC)
00:35 >>HELLO, FRIENDS, AND WELCOME TO SABBATH SCHOOL STUDY 00:37 HOUR COMING TO YOU HERE FROM THE GRANITE BAY SEVENTH-DAY 00:39 ADVENTIST CHURCH NEAR SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA. 00:42 I'D LIKE TO WARMLY WELCOME OUR ONLINE MEMBERS WHO ARE JOINING 00:45 US ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND AROUND THE WORLD. 00:47 AND, ALSO, THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE WATCHING ON THE VARIOUS 00:49 TELEVISION NETWORKS, A VERY WARM WELCOME TO YOU. 00:53 AND, AS ALWAYS, I WANT TO WELCOME OUR MEMBERS AND VISITORS 00:56 RIGHT HERE AT THE GRANITE BAY CHURCH. 00:58 IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU WEEK AFTER WEEK COMING TO SABBATH SCHOOL TO 01:01 STUDY THE WORD TOGETHER. NOW, WE HAVE STARTED A BRAND-NEW 01:04 SET OF LESSONS ON THE BOOK OF GALATIANS. 01:07 THAT'S ACTUALLY THE TITLE OF OUR QUARTERLY: THE GOSPEL IN 01:10 GALATIANS . TODAY WE FIND OURSELVES ON 01:12 LESSON #3, WHICH IS ENTITLED THE UNITY OF THE GOSPEL. 01:17 WELL, BEFORE WE GET TO OUR STUDY THIS MORNING WE'D LIKE TO LET 01:19 THOSE WATCHING ONLINE KNOW ABOUT A FREE OFFER THAT WE HAVE. 01:23 OUR FREE OFFER TODAY IS A BOOK WRITTEN BY PASTOR DOUG: 01:26 COMPROMISE, CONFORMITY, AND COURAGE - THIS IS OUR FREE 01:29 OFFER. IF YOU'D LIKE TO RECEIVE IT, 01:31 CALL THE TOLL-FREE NUMBER 866-788-3966 AND YOU CAN ASK FOR 01:36 OFFER #774 AND WE'LL BE HAPPY TO SEND THAT TO YOU. 01:41 WELL, BEFORE WE GET TO OUR STUDY, WE ALWAYS LIKE TO BEGIN 01:43 BY LIFTING OUR VOICES IN SONG, I'D LIKE TO INVITE THE SONG 01:46 LEADERS TO COME FORWARD. >>THANK YOU, PASTOR ROSS. 01:54 WE HAVE AN EXTENDED FAMILY ALL OVER THE WORLD AND WE LOVE TO 01:58 SING TOGETHER AND PART OF OUR NAME IS 'ADVENTIST'. 02:01 WHY IS THAT? BECAUSE WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD 02:03 TO HIS SOON COMING AND WE ARE GOING TO SING ABOUT THAT TODAY. 02:06 SO THOSE OF YOU THAT ARE AT HOME, GET OUT YOUR HYMNALS AND 02:09 SING WITH US HYMN #633 - WHEN WE ALL GET TO HEAVEN - #633 - WE'RE 02:15 GOING TO SING THE FIRST, THE SECOND, AND THE LAST VERSES. 02:19 (LIVELY PIANO MUSIC) 04:07 >>AT THIS TIME PASTOR ROSS WILL LEAD US IN PRAYER. 04:11 >>DEAR FATHER IN HEAVEN, WHAT A PRIVILEGE AND A JOY TO BE ABLE 04:14 TO MEET TOGETHER IN YOUR PRESENCE ON THIS, YOUR SABBATH, 04:16 AND OPEN UP YOUR WORD AND STUDY THIS FANTASTIC GOSPEL THAT'S 04:20 REVEALED IN THE BOOK OF GALATIANS. 04:22 LORD, WE ASK FOR THE SPIRIT TO COME AND GUIDE OUR HEARTS AND 04:25 OUR MINDS, AS ALWAYS. LEAD US INTO A CLEARER AND 04:27 FULLER UNDERSTANDING OF THE GOOD NEWS, FOR WE ASK THIS 04:31 IN JESUS' NAME, AMEN. OUR LESSON TODAY WILL BE 04:34 BROUGHT TO US BY PASTOR DOUG. >>THANK YOU, PASTOR ROSS. 04:40 GOOD MORNING. >>GOOD MORNING. 04:42 >>EVERYBODY - I WANT TO WELCOME, AGAIN, NOT ONLY THOSE WHO MIGHT 04:45 BE WORSHIPING WITH US HERE AT GRANITE BAY, WE HAVE OUR CLASS 04:49 AROUND THE WORLD THAT STUDIES VIA THE VARIOUS TELEVISION, 04:52 SATELLITE NETWORKS, INTERNET SITES. 04:54 WE'RE CONTINUING OUR STUDY IN THE BOOK OF GALATIANS. 04:59 AND LET ME JUST SAY SOMETHING TO EXPLAIN TO THOSE WHO ARE 05:03 WATCHING ONLINE OR SOME WHO ARE WATCHING THE STREAM RIGHT NOW - 05:06 SOME ARE WATCHING, NOW, I THINK WE'VE JUST BEGUN TODAY TO 05:10 STREAM LIVE, NOW, ON FACEBOOK. 05:11 AT THIS MOMENT OF THE BROADCAST WE STUDY THE LESSON HERE AT 05:15 GRANITE BAY THREE WEEKS IN ADVANCE OF THE REST OF THE 05:19 COUNTRY BECAUSE THEN WHEN THEY EDIT THE PROGRAMS AND THEY PUT 05:23 IN CLOSED CAPTIONING, BY THE TIME THEY SEND IT OFF TO THE 05:25 VARIOUS NETWORKS, IT JUST TAKES A LITTLE WHILE TO GET IT TO 05:27 THEM. AND SO, IN ORDER FOR US TO THEN 05:30 BROADCAST IT ON TELEVISION, ON THE RIGHT DATE WITH EVERYONE 05:34 ELSE, THE LIVE RECORDING IS EARLY. 05:36 BUT SOME PEOPLE ENJOY TUNING INTO THE LIVE EARLY STUDY, SO WE 05:40 STARTED MAKING THAT AVAILABLE. SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE IN GALATIANS 05:44 - THE LESSON ON GALATIANS - LESSON #3 - AND IT'S THE UNITY 05:49 OF THE GOSPEL TODAY - A VERY IMPORTANT STUDY - THE UNITY 05:52 OF THE GOSPEL - AND WE HAVE A MEMORY VERSE. 05:55 AND THE MEMORY VERSE IS FROM PHILIPPIANS 2, VERSE 2, AND THIS 05:59 IS FROM THE ENGLISH STANDARD VERSION - PHILIPPIANS 2, 06:03 VERSE 2. IF YOU SAY IT WITH ME, 06:04 I'D REALLY APPRECIATE IT. YOU READY? 06:08 "COMPLETE MY JOY BY BEING OF THE SAME MIND, HAVING THE SAME LOVE, 06:15 BEING IN FULL ACCORD AND OF ONE MIND." 06:18 SO WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THIS VERY DELICATE LINE - THIS 06:21 BALANCE - AND THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING UNITY AS CHRISTIANS, BUT 06:26 NOT SACRIFICING TRUTH IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE UNITY. 06:30 AND YOU WILL FACE THIS MANY TIMES IN YOUR LIFE AS A 06:34 CHRISTIAN. WELL, LET'S BEGIN WITH OUR FIRST 06:36 SECTION HERE, TALKING ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF UNITY. 06:39 I'VE GOT A LOT TO COVER. NORMALLY, WHEN I PREPARE MY 06:41 NOTES, I'VE GOT LIKE ONE PAGE - BOTH SIDES; TODAY I'VE GOT TWO 06:44 PAGES - BOTH SIDES - SO I KNOW I'M IN TROUBLE. 06:48 ALRIGHT, FIRST OF ALL, THE IMPORTANCE OF UNITY - YOU READ 06:52 IN ECCLESIASTES 4, VERSE 12, "THOUGH ONE MAY BE OVERPOWERED 06:58 BY ANOTHER, TWO CAN WITHSTAND HIM. 07:01 AND A THREEFOLD CORD IS NOT QUICKLY BROKEN." 07:04 AND SO, IT JUST EXPLAINS HERE THAT, OBVIOUSLY, THERE'S GREATER 07:08 STRENGTH IN UNITY, RIGHT? WE ALL KNOW THAT. SOMEONE'S GOING TO 07:12 READ FOR ME, IN A MOMENT, 1 PETER 1:22 - WHO WILL THAT BE? 07:16 JUST - IN A MOMENT WE'LL GET TO YOU. 07:18 EPHESIANS 4:3 - HERE PAUL SAYS, "ENDEAVORING TO KEEP THE UNITY 07:24 OF THE SPIRIT IN THE BOND OF PEACE." 07:27 YOU EVER TAKE YOUR CAR IN FOR SCHEDULED MAINTAIN - ENCE? 07:31 MAINTENANCE - IT MEANS SOMETHING YOU GIVE ONGOING ATTENTION TO. 07:36 WELL, WHEN IT COMES TO UNITY IN THE CHURCH, IT REQUIRES ONGOING 07:41 ATTENTION. >>AMEN. 07:44 >>IT'S THAT WAY IN MARRIAGES. AND A CHURCH IS, ACTUALLY, A 07:49 BUNCH OF PEOPLE WORKING TOGETHER AND IT REQUIRES ATTENTION 07:53 TO MAINTAIN THAT UNITY. IF THERE ARE OFFENSES, WE HOPE 07:58 THEY'RE ALL UNINTENTIONAL, BUT IF THERE ARE OFFENSES BETWEEN 08:01 BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN THE CHURCH, WHAT SHOULD YOU DO? 08:06 DEAL WITH IT RIGHT AWAY. GO TO THEM. 08:08 JESUS SAID, 'BE RECONCILED WITH YOUR BROTHER AND YOUR SISTER. 08:12 APOLOGIZE AS FAR AS POSSIBLE. LIVE PEACEABLY WITH EVERYBODY.' 08:17 AND IT DOESN'T MEAN YOU'RE ALWAYS GOING TO AGREE WITH 08:19 EVERYONE, BUT YOU CAN STILL HAVE UNITY IN THOSE AREAS. 08:22 GO AHEAD, READ FOR ME - WHAT DID I SAY? 1 PETER 1:22. 08:28 >>"SINCE YOU HAVE PURIFIED YOUR SOULS IN OBEYING THE TRUTH 08:31 THROUGH THE SPIRIT IN SINCERE LOVE OF THE BRETHREN, LOVE ONE 08:34 ANOTHER FERVENTLY WITH A PURE HEART.' 08:37 >>SO HE TALKS ABOUT OBEYING THE TRUTH AND THEN HE IS ALSO 08:42 TALKING ABOUT A UNITY. HE'S TALKING ABOUT THERE SHOULD BE 08:46 SINCERE LOVE OF THE BRETHREN. SO NOTICE THE - THE MARRYING 08:50 BETWEEN THE UNITY AND THE LOVE. IF YOU READ IN EPHESIANS 4:13, 08:55 HERE PAUL SAYS, "TILL WE ALL COME INTO THE UNITY OF THE FAITH 09:00 AND OF THE KNOWLEDGE" - NOTICE THE CONNECTION BETWEEN UNITY AND 09:02 KNOWLEDGE - WHAT YOU KNOW - "OF THE SON OF GOD, TO A PERFECT 09:06 MAN, TO THE MEASURE OF THE STATURE OF THE FULLNESS OF 09:09 CHRIST;" COLOSSIANS 3:15, "AND 09:12 LET THE PEACE OF GOD RULE IN YOUR HEARTS, TO WHICH ALSO YOU 09:15 WERE CALLED IN ONE BODY; AND BE THANKFUL." 09:18 SO WE'RE CALLED TO THIS UNITY, WE'RE CALLED TO THIS ONENESS - 09:22 BUT HERE'S THE IMPORTANT PART: WHEN YOU THINK OF A CHAPTER THAT 09:24 DEALS WITH THE SUBJECT OF UNITY, WHAT CHAPTER DO YOU THINK OF? 09:31 CHAPTER IN THE GOSPELS - A PRAYER OF JESUS - GIVING YOU 09:35 HINTS. >>JOHN 17? 09:37 >>JOHN 17 IS THE GREAT PRAYER OF CHRIST, BUT WHAT'S THE CENTRAL 09:41 THEME? HE'S PRAYING FOR UNITY, SAYING, 09:44 'I'M PRAYING THAT THEY MAY BE ONE, FATHER, AS YOU AND I ARE 09:47 ONE.' THAT'S A PRETTY TALL ORDER, ISN'T IT? 09:49 BUT IT'S A GREAT PRAYER FOR UNITY BECAUSE HE KNEW - YOU'VE 09:52 HEARD 'DIVIDE AND CONQUER', ISN'T THAT RIGHT? 09:56 >>YES. >>AND ISN'T THAT WHAT THE DEVIL 09:59 DOES? YOU KNOW HOW WOLVES GET THE SHEEP IS THEY SCATTER THE 10:02 FLOCK AND THEY SINGLE THEM OUT BY BREAKING THEM UP. 10:06 WHEN A SCHOOL OF FISH IS TOGETHER OR WHEN A FLOCK IS 10:09 TOGETHER, THEY HAVE MORE PROTECTION. THE DEVIL KNOWS THAT 10:12 AND HE TRIES TO SCATTER US AND DIVIDE US. 10:16 E. PLURIBUS UNUM - YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS? 10:19 THAT'S LATIN FOR A DISEASE YOU GET FROM EATING THE WRONG THING 10:21 IN URUGUAY. NO, E. PLURIBUS UNUM - OUT OF MANY, ONE. 10:27 WE'RE UNITED, RIGHT? >>YES. 10:28 >>AND SO LISTEN TO WHAT JESUS SAYS NOW IN JOHN 17:17, 10:33 "SANCTIFY THEM BY YOUR TRUTH. YOUR WORD IS TRUTH. 10:38 AS YOU SENT ME INTO THE WORLD, I ALSO HAVE SENT THEM INTO THE 10:41 WORLD. AND FOR THEIR SAKES I SANCTIFY 10:44 MYSELF, THAT THEY ALSO MAY BE SANCTIFIED BY THE TRUTH." 10:48 - NOTICE THE EMPHASIS - WHAT WORD KEEPS APPEARING? 10:51 >>TRUTH. >>TRUTH, TRUTH, TRUTH, 10:52 TRUTH - JOHN 17. NOW JUMP TO JOHN 17, VERSE 22. 10:58 JESUS IS PRAYING: "AND THE GLORY WHICH YOU GAVE ME I HAVE GIVEN 11:03 THEM, THAT THEY MAY BE ONE JUST AS WE ARE ONE: I IN THEM, AND 11:08 YOU IN ME; THAT THEY MAY BE MADE PERFECT IN ONE, AND THAT THE 11:13 WORLD MAY KNOW THAT YOU HAVE SENT ME, AND HAVE LOVED THEM AS 11:16 YOU HAVE LOVED ME." SO FIRST YOU NOTICE JESUS IS 11:18 TALKING ABOUT TRUTH AND THEN HE'S TALKING ABOUT ONENESS. 11:22 SO, HOW DO WE, AS CHRISTIANS, ARRIVE AT UNITY? 11:29 I WILL TELL YOU THAT BEFORE YOU CAN HAVE UNITY, YOU NEED TO HAVE 11:33 TRUTH, BECAUSE TRUTH IS WHAT UNITES US. 11:37 MATTER OF FACT, ME TALKING TO YOU RIGHT NOW ABOUT THE 11:39 IMPORTANCE OF UNITY IS A TRUTH. SO IF IT CLICKS WITH YOU AND YOU 11:43 SAY, 'OH YEAH, WE NEED TO BE UNITED.' THAT'S BECAUSE I HAVE 11:46 FIRST COMMUNICATED A TRUTH ABOUT UNITY. SO THE FIRST THING THAT 11:51 IS GOING TO UNITE PEOPLE IS WHAT HAPPENS HERE. 11:55 IT'S A KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUTH - A LOVE OF THE TRUTH - YOU'VE 11:57 PROBABLY HEARD IT SAID BEFORE - IN MARRIAGE COUNSELING I'LL 12:01 OFTEN TELL A COUPLE, 'THE CLOSER YOU COME TO A COMMON OBJECT, THE 12:05 CLOSER YOU WILL INEVITABLY COME TO EACH OTHER. 12:08 IN OTHER WORDS, IF YOU'VE GOT TWO PEOPLE AND THEY ARE BOTH 12:12 DRAWING CLOSER TO CHRIST, THEY WILL BE DRAWING CLOSER TO EACH 12:16 OTHER. ISN'T THAT RIGHT? 12:18 AND SO, IF JESUS IS THE TRUTH, THE CLOSER WE ALL COME IN UNITY 12:24 TO THE TRUTH, WHAT HAPPENS? UNITY COMES TOGETHER. 12:30 WE'RE COMING CLOSER TO THE TRUTH. WE CAN'T HELP BUT COME 12:32 CLOSER TO EACH OTHER. SO THE MORE WE STUDY THE TRUTH 12:36 AND THE MORE WE STUDY CHRIST, IT IS TO BRING US TOGETHER. 12:39 AND IT DOESN'T MEAN WE'RE ALWAYS GOING TO UNDERSTAND AND SEE 12:42 EVERY VERSE THE SAME WAY - WE'LL GET TO THAT IN A MINUTE. 12:46 LET ME READ A COUPLE OF QUOTES TO YOU. 12:48 HERE'S SOME FROM GOSPEL WORKERS - I THINK THIS IS A SECTION FROM 12:52 PAGE 92 AND 391.1, "THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT WILL" - I'M SORRY, 13:00 "THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT CHRIST WILL OPEN MORE CLEARLY TO THOSE 13:03 WHO BELIEVE ON HIM THAT WHICH HE HAS INSPIRED HOLY MEN TO 13:06 WRITE CONCERNING THE TRUTH. AND IT IS THUS THAT THE UNITY 13:11 FOR WHICH CHRIST PRAYED" - WE'RE JUST READING JOHN - JESUS' 13:15 PRAYER IN JOHN 17 - "AND IT IS THUS THAT THE UNITY FOR 13:18 WHICH CHRIST PRAYED IS TO BE EFFECTED." 13:22 - NOTICE, IT'S THROUGH THE TRUTH - "WE ARE TO RECEIVE 13:25 SANCTIFICATION THROUGH OBEDIENCE TO THE WORD AND THE SPIRIT OF 13:29 TRUTH. WE CANNOT SURRENDER THE TRUTH IN 13:32 ORDER TO ACCOMPLISH THIS UNION, FOR THE VERY MEANS BY 13:36 WHICH IT IS TO BE GAINED IS SANCTIFICATION 13:39 THROUGH THE TRUTH." - THE UNITY - THE UNION IS - 13:41 COMES THROUGH SANCTIFICATION THROUGH TRUTH. 13:44 - "MEN WOULD EFFECT A UNION THROUGH CONFORMITY TO POPULAR 13:48 OPINIONS, THROUGH A COMPROMISE WITH THE WORLD. 13:52 BUT TRUTH IS GOD'S BASIS FOR THE UNITY OF HIS PEOPLE." 13:56 ALRIGHT, SO UPON WHAT ARE WE UNITED? 13:59 >>TRUTH. >>TRUTH. AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S 14:01 WONDERFUL THAT, AS KAREN AND I TRAVEL AROUND THE WORLD AND WE 14:04 GO TO DIFFERENT COUNTRIES WITH VERY DIFFERENT CUSTOMS - AND, 14:08 YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN EVERYWHERE. WE JUST CAME BACK FROM NEW 14:11 GUINEA AND THEY HAD A LOT OF INTERESTING CUSTOMS THERE. 14:13 BUT IT WAS AMAZING, THEY - WHEN WE WORSHIPED WITH THEM, THEY 14:17 BELIEVED THE TRUTH THAT WE BELIEVE. 14:19 THERE WERE, OF COURSE - THERE'S CUSTOMS DIFFERENCES, BUT WHEN IT 14:22 COMES TO THEIR WORLD VIEW ABOUT THE PRIORITIES OF CHRIST AND THE 14:27 CHRISTIAN LIFE, THEY BELIEVE LIKE US. AND, IN JAPAN, AND IN 14:32 KOREA, AND AUSTRALIA AND RUSSIA AND ALL OVER THE WORLD WE GO, 14:37 THERE IS A UNITY BECAUSE OF A COMMON BELIEF IN TRUTH. 14:42 >>AMEN. >>THAT UNITES. 14:44 BUT YOU'LL HEAR VOICES IN THE CHURCH TODAY, AND THEY'VE BEEN 14:49 AROUND FOR MILLENNIA, THAT WILL SAY 'UNITY IS MORE IMPORTANT - 14:54 YOU SHOULD SACRIFICE YOUR PARTICULAR DOCTRINAL VIEWS TO 14:59 ACHIEVE UNITY.' NOW THERE MIGHT BE SOME AREAS WHERE THAT'S TRUE. 15:04 NOW I'M JUST GOING TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE QUIZ. 15:06 I WANT TO STIR UP YOUR PURE MINDS A LITTLE BIT - AND LET ME 15:11 GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE: DO WE HAVE A LOT OF UNUSUAL BELIEFS EVEN 15:16 WITHIN THE CHURCH TODAY? I MEAN, THERE'S MAYBE SOME 15:19 DIVERGENT IDEAS AND THERE'S SOME CONFLICT OVER CERTAIN 15:22 THEOLOGICAL POINTS. YOU KNOW, THERE ARE MEMBERS OF 15:27 OUR CHURCH THAT DON'T AGREE ON THE SUBJECT OF THE TRINITY, AND 15:32 THERE'S PROBABLY THREE OR FOUR VARIATIONS OF THAT. 15:36 CAN WE BE UNITED IF WE DON'T AGREE ON THAT? DON'T - YOU DON'T 15:40 HAVE TO ANSWER ME. WHAT ABOUT EVOLUTION? 15:49 I KNOW VERY DEAR PEOPLE, THEY BELIEVE OUR MESSAGE IN EVERY 15:54 POINT EXCEPT THEY CANNOT BRING THEMSELVES TO BELIEVE THAT GOD 15:58 CREATED THE WORLD IN SIX LITERAL DAYS. 16:00 THAT IS THE ONE STICKING POINT. 'PASTOR DOUG,' - AND I'VE ASKED 16:04 SEVERAL PASTORS THIS TO SEE HOW THEY WOULD DEAL WITH IT. 16:08 I TOLD THIS LOVELY FAMILY, I SAID, 'YOU KNOW, I'M NOT 16:10 COMFORTABLE BAPTIZING YOU INTO MEMBERSHIP' - THEY WORSHIPED 16:15 WITH US FOR YEARS AND WE'RE STILL DEAR FRIENDS, BUT THEY - 16:18 BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T AGREE WITH THIS BECAUSE I SAID PRETTY 16:23 CLEAR, 'IF YOU'RE A SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST AND YOU BELIEVE THE 16:25 LORD MADE THE WORLD IN SIX LITERAL DAYS AND THEN HE HAS THE 16:28 SABBATH, IF THE SABBATH IS REALLY SOME LONG, MILLION YEAR - 16:31 MULTI-THOUSAND YEAR EPOCH OF TIME, THEN IT'S DIFFERENT.' I 16:35 SAID, 'THIS IS A PROBLEM.' AND THE WORD IS REALLY CLEAR THAT 16:38 GOD MADE - JESUS SAID IT AND MOSES SAID IT. 16:43 JESUS SAID, 'IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE MOSES, YOU DON'T BELIEVE 16:45 ME.' THERE ARE SEVENTH-DAY 16:47 ADVENTISTS THAT BELIEVE THE FIRST ELEVEN CHAPTERS OF 16:49 GENESIS ARE FABLES THAT ARE DESIGNED TO TEACH LESSONS. 16:53 UP UNTIL THE TOWER OF BABEL THEY THINK - AFTER THE TOWER OF BABEL 16:56 THEN IT STARTS GETTING LITERAL WITH ABRAHAM. 16:59 BEFORE THAT IT'S ALL LEGENDS. CAN THEY BE UNITED IN 17:05 FELLOWSHIP? THERE ARE SOME WHO HAVE 17:08 DIFFERING VIEWS ON SAME-SEX MARRIAGE. 17:14 BAPTISM BY IMMERSION - THEY SAY, 'YOU KNOW, IT'S A SYMBOL. 17:18 BAPTISM IS A SYMBOL SO WHY WOULD YOU PREVENT A PERSON FROM 17:21 JOINING BY PROFESSION OF FAITH IF THEY WERE BAPTIZED BY 17:24 SPRINKLING OR ANOTHER METHOD OF BAPTISM? 17:27 THEY'RE SINCERE. ON ONE - THAT LITTLE POINT? 17:30 CAN'T WE BE UNITED WITHOUT MAKING THAT ONE LITTLE STICKING 17:33 POINT?' I THINK THAT EVERYBODY KNOWS 17:34 THAT THE WOMEN'S ORDINATION IS A BIG ISSUE ALSO - WHAT 17:38 THE DIFFERENT ROLES ARE. IS IT THE EGALITARIAN OR 17:41 THE COMPLEMENTARIAN VIEWS? VEGETARIANISM? 17:46 CAN PEOPLE HAVE FELLOWSHIP IF THEY HAVE DIFFERENT VIEWS ON 17:50 THAT? FOOT WASHING? I KNOW SOME PEOPLE, THEY SAY, 17:55 'YOU KNOW, I BELIEVE - I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING, BUT I THINK 17:57 FOOT WASHING WAS JUST FOR JESUS BACK THEN. 17:59 HE DIDN'T REALLY MEAN FOR EVERYBODY TO DO IT TODAY BECAUSE 18:02 MOST OF US WEAR SHOES AND SOCKS AND' - SO HOW DO YOU KNOW WHERE 18:06 YOU SHOULD SAY, 'WE'RE WILLING TO NOT DEBATE OR DIVIDE OVER A 18:13 CERTAIN ISSUE? WOULD EVERYONE AGREE WITH ME 18:17 THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT WE SHOULD NOT MAKE STICKING POINTS? 18:24 >>YES. >>AND THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT 18:26 WE SHOULD MAKE STICKING POINTS. HOW DO YOU DRAW THE LINE? 18:32 YOU'VE REALLY GOT TO STUDY AND YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE WISDOM TO 18:37 KNOW WHAT ARE THE PRIORITIES. NOW, FOR SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS, 18:40 A LOT OF THAT HOMEWORK'S BEEN DONE. 18:42 WE HAVE SOMETHING CALLED OUR '28 FUNDAMENTALS' AND SO A 18:46 PERSON, IF THEY'RE GOING TO BE UNITED IN FELLOWSHIP AND 18:49 MEMBERSHIP - IT DOESN'T MEAN PEOPLE CAN'T - EVERYONE CAN 18:51 WORSHIP TOGETHER AND WORK TOGETHER. 18:53 AND WE DO AT THIS CHURCH - WE'VE GOT A LOT OF GUESTS AND VISITORS 18:56 THAT COME THAT ARE PART OF THE FAMILY BUT MAYBE THEY'RE NOT 18:58 BAPTIZED YET OR MAYBE THEY'RE STUCK ON SOME POINT, BUT IF 19:03 YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE - BE UNITED IN MEMBERSHIP, WE'VE GOT THE 28 19:06 FUNDAMENTALS, YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO SAY YES TO THOSE. 19:09 AS SOON AS YOU START TO GET MUSHY ABOUT THOSE, AND YOU SAY, 19:14 'WELL, FOR THE SAKE OF UNITY, LET'S NOT MAKE THIS A BIG DEAL.' 19:18 PRETTY - IT'S LIKE SAND IN A STORM. IT JUST WASHES AWAY. 19:25 YOU LOSE YOUR FOUNDATION. AND SO, THAT'S A - JUST 19:28 A - DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? >>AMEN. 19:30 >> UNITY IN TRUTH - VERY IMPORTANT. ALRIGHT, NOW, IN - AS 19:34 WE DELVE A LITTLE DEEPER NOW INTO GALATIANS, I'M GOING TO GO 19:41 TO 1 CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 1, VERSE 10. PAUL SAYS, "NOW I 19:47 PLEAD WITH YOU, BRETHREN, BY THE NAME OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, 19:51 THAT YOU ALL SPEAK THE SAME THINGS," - 19:54 NOW DOESN'T THAT SOUND A LITTLE DOGMATIC FOR A PASTOR 19:56 TO SAY TO HIS CONGREGATION? 19:58 'YOU ALL SPEAK THE SAME THING.' I REMEMBER ANOTHER PASTOR FROM 20:02 ANOTHER DENOMINATION, HE SAYS, 'BROTHER DOUG,' - HE SAYS - 'YOU 20:05 SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS, YOU'RE COOKIE CUTTERS. 20:08 YOU ALL WANT EVERYONE TO BELIEVE THE SAME THING. 20:10 WE CAN HAVE UNITY IN THE BODY OF CHRIST AND HAVE GREATLY 20:13 DIFFERENT BELIEFS.' I THINK WE CAN LOVE EACH OTHER AND RESPECT 20:16 PEOPLE AS CHRISTIANS, BUT, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, WHEN ONE PERSON 20:19 THINKS THAT JESUS IS CREATED AND ANOTHER PERSON BELIEVES THAT 20:23 JESUS IS GOD, I THINK THAT'S A VERY BIG DIFFERENCE. 20:26 AND I THINK THAT THOSE THINGS MATTER. 20:29 WHEN ONE PERSON SAYS THE FRUIT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IS LOVE AND 20:33 SOMEONE ELSE SAYS THE FRUIT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IS SPEAKING IN 20:35 TONGUES, THAT'S A BIG DIFFERENCE. 20:38 AND SO THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT REALLY ARE CRITICAL. 20:42 BUT IS PAUL A COOKIE CUTTER WHEN HE SAID, 'I PLEAD WITH YOU, THAT 20:47 YOU ALL SPEAK THE SAME THING'? DOES THAT MEAN HE ALL WANTS US 20:49 TO GO AROUND ECHOING THE SAME MANTRAS? 20:52 NO. HE MEANS BE UNITED. THERE WAS DIVISION IN THE 20:55 CORINTHIAN CHURCH - "BUT THAT YOU BE PERFECTLY JOINED TOGETHER 21:00 IN THE SAME MIND AND IN THE SAME JUDGMENT. 21:03 FOR IT HAS BEEN DECLARED TO ME CONCERNING YOU, MY BRETHREN, BY 21:06 THOSE OF CHLOE'S HOUSEHOLD, THAT THERE ARE CONTENTIONS AMONG 21:10 YOU." NOW WHAT WAS THE CONTENTION? 21:14 WAS THE CONTENTION PAUL'S TALKING ABOUT IS JESUS DIVINE OR 21:19 IS HE A MAN? NO. THE CONTENTION WAS, THEY WERE 21:21 CHOOSING FAVORITE PASTORS AND EVANGELISTS. 21:26 HE GOES ON TO SAY, 'SOME OF YOU ARE SAYING, 'I AM OF PAUL' OR 'I 21:30 AM OF APOLLOS' OR 'I AM OF PETER' - CEPHAS - OR 'I AM OF 21:34 CHRIST'' - HE'S SAYING, 'IS CHRIST DIVIDED? 21:37 WAS PAUL CRUCIFIED FOR YOU? WERE YOU BAPTIZED IN 21:40 THE NAME OF PAUL?' PEOPLE WERE SAYING, 'WELL I'M A 21:42 - I WAS BAPTIZED BY PAUL SO I'M OF THIS GROUP.' AND SOMEONE ELSE 21:45 SAID, 'WELL, I WAS BAPTIZED BY APOLLOS' - 21:46 'I WAS BAPTIZED BY PETER. PETER'S MORE IMPORTANT THAT PAUL 21:49 OR APOLLOS' - AND THEY ALL BEGAN TO ARGUE. 21:51 NOW, IS THAT THE KIND OF THING YOU'D DIVIDE A CHURCH OVER? 21:54 PAUL IS SAYING, 'THAT'S NONSENSE'. 21:56 DO WE SOMETIMES GET DIVIDED OVER SIMILAR THINGS? 22:00 NOW THIS IS A GREAT CHURCH. THIS IS A LOVING CHURCH. 22:03 BUT I HAVE KNOWN OF CHURCHES WHERE THERE WAS A TERRIBLE RIFT 22:06 IN THE CHURCH AND IT STARTED WITH THE DECORATING COMMITTEE. 22:09 (LAUGHTER) AND I KNOW A CHURCH WHERE IT GOT - THE ARCHITECT AND 22:16 DECORATING AND DESIGN GOT SO SEVERE THAT THEY SPLIT AND BUILT 22:20 TWO SEPARATE CHURCHES BECAUSE THEY COULD NOT AGREE. 22:23 RIGHT HERE IN TOWN. AND THE LORD WORKED IT FOR 22:26 GOOD - THEY ENDED UP WITH TWO CHURCHES. YOU KNOW, THERE ARE 22:30 ACTUALLY TIMES WHERE GOD TAKES THE DIVISIONS THAT HAPPENED AND 22:34 HE WORKS IT FOR GOOD. WAS THERE A DIVISION BETWEEN 22:35 PAUL AND BARNABAS AT ONE POINT? >>YES. 22:38 >>THEY COULDN'T AGREE WHETHER OR NOT TO TAKE MARK WITH THEM AND 22:41 IT TURNS OUT, IN THAT ONE, PAUL WAS ACTUALLY WRONG. 22:45 BARNABAS SAID, 'WELL I'LL TAKE MARK' AND PAUL SAID, 'I'LL TAKE 22:48 SILAS' AND SO THEY WENT AND THEY ENDED UP WITH TWO MISSIONARY 22:51 GROUPS INSTEAD OF ONE. SO GOD WORKED IT TOGETHER FOR GOOD. 22:54 BUT THIS IS THE KIND OF THING THEY WERE ARGUING ABOUT. 22:57 NOW, WITH THAT LENGTHY INTRODUCTION, OUR MISSION TODAY 23:00 IS TO DO THE FIRST FOURTEEN VERSES IN GALATIANS CHAPTER 2 - 23:05 GALATIANS 2:1-14. WE MAY NOT GET TO IT ALL, BUT 23:08 WE'LL DO OUR BEST. LET'S READ VERSES 1 AND 23:10 2 IN GALATIANS CHAPTER 2. PAUL IS SPEAKING, WE ALREADY 23:14 COVERED GALATIANS 1, "THEN AFTER FOURTEEN YEARS I WENT UP AGAIN 23:18 TO JERUSALEM WITH BARNABAS, AND ALSO TOOK TITUS WITH ME." 23:21 - WHAT IS HE TALKING ABOUT? FOURTEEN YEARS AFTER WHAT? 23:23 >>HIS CONVERSION. >>PROBABLY IT'S FOURTEEN YEARS 23:27 AFTER HIS CONVERSION OR HIS FIRST VISIT TO JERUSALEM 23:30 AFTER HIS CONVERSION. HE HAD BEEN OUT DOING 23:33 MISSIONARY WORK. THEY CAME BACK TO JERUSALEM 23:35 BECAUSE THERE WAS A BIG DISPUTE ABOUT CIRCUMCISION, AMONG OTHER 23:39 THINGS, AND PAUL SAYS, 'I TOOK TITUS WITH ME.' THIS IS ONE OF 23:43 THE FIRST REFERENCES YOU WOULD FIND THERE. 23:47 IF YOU READ IN ACTS 15, VERSE 2, IT TALKS ABOUT PAUL AND BARNABAS 23:52 GOING DOWN FROM ANTIOCH TO JERUSALEM, TO GET SOME WORD FROM 23:57 THE COUNSEL IN JERUSALEM ABOUT WHAT THEY WERE TO DO ABOUT THE 24:00 SUBJECT OF CIRCUMCISION AND THE DIVISION THAT WAS HAPPENING, 24:03 BECAUSE HE SAYS THAT - YOU CAN READ HERE IN ACTS 15:1, "AND 24:09 CERTAIN MEN CAME DOWN FROM JUDEA AND TAUGHT THE BRETHREN," - THEY 24:13 CAME FROM JUDEA TO ANTIOCH - "UNLESS YOU ARE CIRCUMCISED 24:17 ACCORDING TO THE CUSTOMS OF MOSES, YOU CANNOT BE SAVED." 24:20 THAT'S PRETTY SERIOUS BUSINESS. 24:22 IT WASN'T LIKE, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE A LITTLE BETTER OFF - THEY SAID, 24:24 'YOU CAN'T BE SAVED.' NOW THEY'RE NOT TELLING THE JEWS 24:26 THIS, THEY'RE TELLING THE NEW GENTILES - AND THE GREEKS - 24:29 'UNLESS YOU'RE CIRCUMCISED' - AND IT CREATED A BIG DIVISION. 24:33 PAUL SAID, 'LOOK, LET'S SETTLE THIS.' NOW THEY DIDN'T JUST GET 24:35 ON THE PHONE - THEY DIDN'T HAVE A TELECONFERENCE. 24:38 THEY DIDN'T GET ONLINE FOR ONE OF THESE 'GOTOMEETING' THINGS 24:41 WHERE YOU'VE GOT WEB CAMERAS, THEY HAD TO TAKE A SHIP AND IT 24:45 TOOK THEM WEEKS, IF NOT MONTHS, TO COME DOWN TO JERUSALEM AND IT 24:51 SAYS, 'AND OTHERS WENT WITH US', SO IT WAS PAUL, BARNABAS AND 24:54 OTHERS. PROBABLY ONE OF THE 24:56 OTHERS WAS TITUS. WHY DID PAUL TAKE TITUS? 24:59 HE TOOK TITUS BECAUSE TITUS WAS A GREEK AND TITUS WAS NOT 25:02 CIRCUMCISED, BUT HE WAS A THOROUGHLY CONVERTED CHRISTIAN. 25:05 AND TITUS, IF YOU READ ALL THE REFERENCES TO TITUS, WAS A 25:08 PREACHER AND A COWORKER WITH PAUL - BUT HE WAS A GREEK AND HE 25:12 WAS UNCIRCUMCISED. SO PAUL KIND OF TOOK HIM ALONG 25:15 AS EXHIBIT A, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GATHERING, AND HE SAYS, 'TITUS 25:19 WAS WITH ME' - "AND I WENT UP BY REVELATION, AND COMMUNICATED TO 25:25 THEM THAT GOSPEL WHICH I PREACH AMONG THE GENTILES, BUT 25:28 PRIVATELY" - IT WASN'T A PUBLIC HEARING; HE MET WITH THE ELDERS 25:31 - THE LEADERS - "BUT PRIVATELY TO THOSE WHO WERE OF 25:34 REPUTATION," - SOME OF THE LEADERS IN THE CHURCH - "LEST BY 25:37 ANY MEANS I MIGHT RUN, OR HAD RUN, IN VAIN." 25:39 - HE SAYS, 'IF I WAS DOING SOMETHING WRONG, I WANTED THEM 25:41 TO TELL ME AND THEY COULD DO IT PRIVATELY. 25:44 AND I BROUGHT ALONG TITUS' - AND SO - AND THEN YOU GO TO 25:48 GALATIANS - AND THIS, NOW, LEADS INTO THE NEXT SECTION - 25:53 GALATIANS CHAPTER 2, VERSE 3, "YET NOT EVEN TITUS WHO WAS WITH 25:57 ME, BEING A GREEK, WAS COMPELLED TO BE CIRCUMCISED." 26:01 IN OTHER WORDS, PAUL IS SAYING, TO THE GALATIANS, 'WHY ARE YOU 26:05 GETTING ALL MIXED UP ON THIS ISSUE OF CIRCUMCISION? 26:07 I WENT AND MET WITH THE CHURCH LEADERS AT JERUSALEM AND THEY 26:10 DID NOT EVEN TELL ME THAT TITUS, WHO WAS WITH ME, WHO THEY KNEW 26:13 WAS A GREEK, HAD TO BE CIRCUMCISED AND YET NOW YOU'RE 26:16 SAYING YOU CAN'T BE SAVED UNLESS YOU'RE CIRCUMCISED.' AND HE'S 26:20 SAYING, 'THAT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE.' "AND THIS OCCURRED 26:24 BECAUSE OF FALSE BRETHREN SECRETLY BROUGHT IN (WHO CAME 26:28 IN BY STEALTH TO SPY OUT OUR LIBERTY WHICH WE HAVE IN CHRIST 26:31 JESUS, THAT THEY MIGHT BRING US INTO BONDAGE), TO WHOM WE DID 26:35 NOT YIELD SUBMISSION EVEN FOR AN HOUR, THAT THE TRUTH OF THE 26:39 GOSPEL MIGHT CONTINUE WITH YOU." NOW, I MENTIONED THIS BRIEFLY 26:46 LAST WEEK; I'M GOING TO SAY A LITTLE MORE ABOUT IT NOW BECAUSE 26:50 IT CAN BE EASILY MISUNDERSTOOD. THE BIG DEBATE WAS OVER THE 26:56 CEREMONIAL LAWS AND THE LAWS OF ORDINANCES. 27:01 WHEN I WAS A KID WE USED TO TELL A DUMB JOKE IN NEW YORK CITY. 27:04 WE WOULD ASK OUR FRIENDS, 'WHO'S BURIED IN GRANT'S TOMB?' 27:09 AND THEY'D GET ALL MIXED UP AND THEY'D THINK IT WAS A TRICK 27:12 QUESTION AND THEY'D START GUESSING, 'ABRAHAM LINCOLN?' 27:15 THEY DIDN'T KNOW. AND WE'D SAY, 'GRANT!' 27:17 AND THEN WE'D LAUGH AT THEM. OF COURSE GRANT IS 27:19 BURIED IN GRANT'S TOMB. OR WE'D ASK ANOTHER DUMB 27:21 QUESTION: 'WHAT COLOR WAS GEORGE WASHINGTON'S WHITE HORSE?' 27:25 AND, AGAIN, THEY WERE SURE THAT IT WAS A RIDDLE - A TRICK 27:28 QUESTION - AND SO THEY'D THINK - 'BROWN?' 27:30 'BLACK?' 'GRAY?' WE'D SAY, 'NO, WHITE.' ALRIGHT, 27:37 SO HOW MANY LAWS ARE IN THE TEN COMMANDMENTS? 27:40 >>TEN. >>DO YOU GET THE POINT? 27:45 SOME PEOPLE TRIED TO MELT THE TEN COMMANDMENTS IN WITH THE 27:49 ORDINANCES AND THE STATUTES AND THE OTHER LAWS, BUT YOU CAN'T 27:54 GET AROUND THE FACT THAT GOD SAYS, 'TEN'. 27:58 HE USES THE NUMBER TEN, AND SO, HE SETS THEM ASIDE AS SEPARATE. 28:03 SO, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE LAWS OF MOSES, WE'RE NOT TALKING 28:06 ABOUT THE TEN COMMANDMENTS WRITTEN BY GOD, BUT THERE WERE A 28:09 LOT OF CEREMONIAL LAWS THAT CAME AFTER SIN, THAT WERE SHADOWS AND 28:14 TYPES THAT SHOWED CHRIST. AND, ONCE CHRIST CAME, IT WASN'T 28:20 NECESSARY ANYMORE TO IMPOSE CIRCUMCISION ON THEM, AS WELL AS 28:24 SOME OF THE OTHER CEREMONIES. DO WE NOW SACRIFICE LAMBS? 28:28 DO WE NOW HAVE TO GO TO A LEVITE TO FIND FORGIVENESS? 28:33 THE BIBLE SAYS, SINCE THE TIME OF CHRIST, WE HAVE A ROYAL 28:36 PRIESTHOOD. THE DAY THAT JESUS WAS 28:38 CRUCIFIED, THE HIGH PRIEST TORE HIS GARMENTS. 28:41 REMEMBER CAIPHAS? WE HAVE A NEW PRIESTHOOD 28:43 NOW - A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD. WE HAVE A NEW NATION NOW. 28:48 IN THE SAME WAY, WHAT ABOUT A TEMPLE? 28:51 DO WE HAVE TO GO TO THE JEWISH TEMPLE? 28:53 OR DID JESUS SAY, 'DESTROY THIS TEMPLE MADE WITH HANDS AND I'LL 28:56 MAKE ONE WITHOUT HANDS. HE SPOKE OF THE BODY 28:58 OF CHRIST - THE CHURCH. WHAT HAPPENED TO THE JEWISH 29:01 TEMPLE WHEN JESUS DIED? WAS THERE A TEARING THERE? 29:06 PRIESTS GARMENTS WERE TORN - NEW PRIESTHOOD. 29:09 TEMPLE VEIL WAS TORN - NEW TEMPLE. 29:11 'WHAT? DON'T YOU KNOW YOU ARE THE TEMPLE OF GOD?' 29:13 AND SO, FROM THE SACRIFICE OF CHRIST, THE SHADOWS AND TYPES 29:17 WERE FULFILLED. WE NOW HAVE THE 29:19 SUBSTANCE IN CHRIST. AND SO, DO WE NOW REQUIRE 29:23 PHYSICAL CIRCUMCISION? WHAT DO YOU THINK? 29:27 LET ME READ THIS TO YOU - ACTS 10:45. 29:31 "AND THOSE OF THE CIRCUMCISION WHO BELIEVED" - THESE ARE 29:34 CHRISTIANS; THEY BELIEVE IN CHRIST - "WERE ASTONISHED, AS 29:38 MANY AS CAME WITH PETER, BECAUSE THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT HAD 29:42 BEEN POURED OUT ON THE GENTILES ALSO." NOW, YOU AND I CAN'T 29:46 APPRECIATE - BECAUSE WE NOW KNOW, AFTER TWO THOUSAND YEARS 29:49 OF SEEING THAT CHRISTIANS NOW ARE LARGELY NON-JEWS. 29:52 THE EARLY CHURCH - ALL CHRISTIANS - WERE JEWS. 29:56 WHEN THE HOLY SPIRIT WAS POURED OUT AT PENTECOST, IT SAYS, 'NOW 29:59 THAT WE'RE DWELLING IN JERUSALEM, DEVOUT MEN OF EVERY 30:02 NATION UNDER HEAVEN,' - JEWS OUT OF EVERY NATION UNDER HEAVEN. 30:07 THIS ARE THE JEWS THAT HAD COME TO WORSHIP AT PENTECOST. 30:09 THOUSANDS WERE BAPTIZED - THREE THOUSAND THE FIRST TIME; FIVE 30:12 THOUSAND THE NEXT TIME - ALL JEWS. SOME CONVERTED TO JUDAISM. 30:16 SO THE EARLY CHURCH WAS LARGELY JEWISH. 30:19 WHEN PETER GOES TO CORNELIUS' HOUSE - HE'S A ROMAN, 30:22 UNCIRCUMCISED, GENTILE - AND THE HOLY SPIRIT FALLS ON CORNELIUS, 30:27 YOU CAN UNDERSTAND WHY IT SAID THE BELIEVERS OF THE 30:30 CIRCUMCISION WERE ASTONISHED 'THEY CAN BE SAVED?' 30:36 THAT WAS AMAZING TO THEM, BECAUSE THE GIFT OF THE HOLY 30:39 SPIRIT HAD BEEN POURED ON THE GENTILES. WHAT? GENTILES? 30:42 THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF DISCRIMINATION GOING ON, 30:45 WOULDN'T YOU SAY? THEY THOUGHT THAT IT WAS JUST, 30:49 YOU KNOW, 'WE'RE THE CHOSEN PEOPLE.'"? BUT THEY HAD BEEN 30:53 INFORMED ABOUT YOU THAT YOU TEACH ALL THE JEWS THAT ARE 30:57 AMONG THE GENTILES, TO FORSAKE MOSES.' 30:59 NOW HE'S NOT SAYING THE TEN COMMANDMENTS. 31:02 HE'S TALKING ABOUT THE MOSAIC LAWS. 31:03 TO FORSAKE MOSES, SAYING THAT THEY OUGHT TO - OUGHT NOT TO 31:07 CIRCUMCISE THEIR CHILDREN OR WALK ACCORDING TO THE CUSTOMS. 31:10 THERE WAS A BIG DISPUTE WHEN PAUL CAME TO JERUSALEM, THEY 31:13 SAID, 'BOY, RUMOR'S OUT THAT YOU'RE TELLING EVERYBODY TO 31:15 FORSAKE THE LAWS OF MOSES.' PAUL SAID, 'THAT'S NOT EXACTLY TRUE. 31:20 I'M TELLING THE GENTILES THEY ARE NOT REQUIRED.' AND THIS 31:24 ENDED UP GETTING PAUL ARRESTED. NOW, THE BIG DEBATE IN ACTS 15 31:28 HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE TEN COMMANDMENTS. 31:32 MATTER OF FACT, TAKE YOUR BIBLE - AFTER THIS COUNSEL THEY MEET 31:35 TOGETHER AND THEY FINALLY COME UP WITH A RESOLUTION. 31:38 GO TO ACTS 15 - I THINK IT'S IN VERSE 20 - IT APPEARS TWICE, 31:42 ACTUALLY, IN ACTS AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE I GIVE YOU THE RIGHT 31:44 ONE. YEAH, ACTS 15:20. 31:48 SO FINALLY, AFTER THE COUNCIL MET, "THEREFORE" - JAMES IS 31:54 SPEAKING, I BELIEVE - VERSE 19, "I JUDGE THAT WE SHOULD NOT 31:57 TROUBLE THOSE FROM AMONG THE GENTILES WHO ARE TURNING TO GOD, 32:03 BUT THAT WE WRITE TO THEM TO ABSTAIN FROM THINGS POLLUTED BY 32:07 IDOLS," - THEY WERE SAYING, 'DON'T EAT THINGS OFFERED TO 32:10 IDOLS - "FROM SEXUAL IMMORALITY," - FROM FORNICATION 32:15 - "FROM THINGS STRANGLED" - THEY WERE TO OBSERVE THE HEALTH LAWS 32:18 AND NOT EAT THINGS WITH THE BLOOD AND FROM BLOOD. 32:21 YOU KNOW, I NEVER - THIS IS SOMETHING THAT ALWAYS IS AMAZING 32:24 TO ME: I'VE BEEN IN A LOT OF CHURCHES, A LOT OF DIFFERENT 32:28 DENOMINATIONS - I'VE YET TO HEAR A SUNDAY PASTOR PREACH FROM ACTS 32:34 15 AND TELL HIS CONGREGATION THEY MUST ABSTAIN FROM BLOOD, 32:38 BUT THAT WAS CLEARLY GIVEN TO THE GENTILES IN THIS VERSE. 32:42 HE'S SAYING - SO DOES THAT MEAN, NOW, THEY DON'T HAVE TO KEEP THE 32:45 TEN COMMANDMENTS? I'VE HAD PEOPLE READ THIS BEFORE 32:47 SAYING, 'SEE, HE DOESN'T MENTION THE SABBATH. 32:49 WE DON'T HAVE TO KEEP IT.' WELL, HE ALSO DIDN'T SAY, 'HONOR YOUR 32:52 FATHER AND MOTHER' - HE ALSO DIDN'T SAY, 'DON'T HAVE OTHER 32:55 GODS' - HE ALSO DIDN'T SAY, 'DON'T TAKE GOD'S' - HE'S NOT 32:57 ADDRESSING THE TEN COMMANDMENTS HERE. 33:00 HE'S TALKING ABOUT THE OTHER THINGS THAT WERE ISSUES AMONG 33:03 THE GENTILES. AND SO, THIS WAS DEALING WITH 33:06 SPECIFIC QUESTIONS THEY HAD AMONG THE GENTILES. 33:08 OKAY, WITH THAT, YOU KNOW, I'VE GOT TO BE CAREFUL HOW I DO THIS, 33:14 BUT I THINK IT'S - IT'S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO STUDY GALATIANS 33:19 WITHOUT SAYING A FEW WORDS ON THE SUBJECT OF CIRCUMCISION. 33:23 CIRCUMCISION - THE COVENANT FIRST SHOWS UP IN GENESIS. 33:27 I THINK IT'S MENTIONED SIXTEEN TIMES IN GENESIS. 33:30 CIRCUMCISION IS MENTIONED MORE IN GALATIANS THAN ANY OTHER BOOK 33:33 IN THE BIBLE - TWELVE TIMES. THE PURPOSE OF CIRCUMCISION - IT 33:39 REPRESENTED A COVENANT WITH GOD. THERE WAS A SPIRITUAL MEANING 33:43 BEHIND IT, THAT THE PROMISED SEED - AND THE ANALOGY WILL BE 33:48 OBVIOUS TO YOU - THE PROMISED SEED OF THE MESSIAH WAS GOING 33:51 TO COME THROUGH THE JEWS. IT ALSO REPRESENTED NOT BEING 33:56 CONTROLLED BY THE FLESH, BUT BEING CONTROLLED BY THE SPIRIT. 33:59 IT WAS A CUTTING AWAY OF THE FLESH. 34:02 THE FIRST TIME JESUS SHED THE BLOOD WAS WHEN HE WAS EIGHT DAYS 34:07 OLD AND HE WAS NAMED, AND HE WAS CIRCUMCISED. 34:11 AND THAT'S INTERESTING THAT WHEN HE GOT HIS NAME 'HE WILL SAVE 34:14 HIS PEOPLE FROM THEIR SINS' IS WHEN HE ALSO - THE FIRST TIME - 34:18 THEY SHED BLOOD. THE REASON THAT THE LORD TOLD 34:22 THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL THE BOY WAS TO BE CIRCUMCISED ON THE 34:25 EIGHTH DAY WAS BECAUSE THE VITAMIN K, I UNDERSTAND, THAT 34:29 HELPS THE CLOTTING FACTOR, DOESN'T FULLY FORM UNTIL THE 34:33 BACTERIA DEVELOP IN THE STOMACH AND THAT'S USUALLY ABOUT THE 34:36 EIGHTH DAY - OR AT LEAST IT'S SAFE BY THE EIGHTH DAY. 34:39 AND SO, IT WAS A VERY IMPORTANT THING. 34:42 NOW, WHILE IT IS MANIFESTLY CLEAR IN THE NEW TESTAMENT, 34:48 THROUGH THE WRITINGS OF PAUL AND OTHERS, CIRCUMCISION IS NOT 34:53 REQUIRED FOR ANY SPIRITUAL REASON. 34:56 THERE IS NO SPIRITUAL VALUE IN CIRCUMCISION. 35:00 PAUL SAYS CIRCUMCISION IS NOTHING; UNCIRCUMCISION IS 35:03 NOTHING. BUT SOME PEOPLE TAKE THAT TO 35:06 MEAN THAT THE PRACTICE OF CIRCUMCISION WAS SOMETHING 35:10 BARBARIC - I'VE ACTUALLY READ THIS BEFORE - THAT ABRAHAM GOT 35:15 FROM THE PAGANS AND THEY BLAMED GOD FOR IT. AND PEOPLE HAVE 35:21 OFTEN ASKED, 'WHY IN THE WORLD WOULD GOD DESIGN A HUMAN BODY A 35:28 CERTAIN WAY AND THEN SAY, 'I'M GOING TO MAKE AN IMPROVEMENT BY 35:32 DOING SOMETHING THAT WOULD SEEM LIKE SOME FORM OF MUTILATION. 35:36 OF COURSE, THE WORLD CHANGED BECAUSE OF SIN. 35:39 WELL, LET ME JUST SHARE SOMETHING WITH YOU HERE. 35:42 THERE WAS - THERE'S SOME NOTES I THOUGHT I'D READ TO YOU - THERE 35:45 WERE, ACTUALLY MEDICAL BENEFITS CONNECTED WITH CIRCUMCISION. 35:50 THIS IS AN ARTICLE BY JESSICA FIRGER, CBS NEWS, APRIL 2, 2014, 35:57 "CIRCUMCISION FOR MALE INFANTS IS BECOMING LESS COMMON IN THE 36:01 U.S., RAISING MEDICAL RISKS, ACCORDING TO NEW DATA PUBLISHED 36:05 BY THE MAYO CLINIC PROCEEDINGS." AND SO, IT WASN'T BARBARIC, 36:11 THERE WAS ACTUALLY MEDICAL VALUE. 36:14 THEIR FINDINGS FURTHER BACK UP A 2012 PUBLIC STATEMENT FROM THE 36:18 AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS, IN SUPPORT OF WIDESPREAD 36:22 EDUCATION INITIATIVES AND ACCESS TO INFANT MALE CIRCUMCISION. 36:27 THE REASONS THAT THESE NON-RELIGIOUS DOCTORS ARE SAYING 36:32 THAT THERE'S VALUE IN IT - MATTER OF FACT, ONE DOCTOR FROM 36:36 THE UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY, BRIAN MORRIS, HE SAID, "INFANT 36:43 CIRCUMCISION SHOULD BE REGARDED AS EQUIVALENT TO CHILDHOOD 36:46 VACCINATION" BECAUSE OF THE ADVANTAGES. 36:50 HIS COLLEAGUES FOUND THAT CIRCUMCISION RATES IN NEWBORNS 36:53 IN AMERICA HAD DECLINED FROM 83% IN 1960 - THIS KIND OF SURPRISED 36:59 ME, AND IT HAD NOTHING - OBVIOUSLY 83% OF MALES IN NORTH 37:03 AMERICA WERE NOT JEWS. IS THAT CLEAR TO YOU? 37:07 83% IN 1960 TO 77% IN 2010. IT WAS DECLINING, WHICH CAUSED 37:13 CONCERN AMONG THE MEDICAL COMMUNITY. 37:16 THE STUDY SAYS THE BENEFITS TO NEWBORN - BOYS OBVIOUSLY - OF 37:20 CIRCUMCISION EXCEEDS THE RISKS BY 100 TO 1. 37:25 CLINIC - NOW HERE'S SOME OF THE REASONS FOR THAT - CLINICAL 37:27 RESEARCH HAS FOUND THAT CIRCUMCISION CAN SAFEGUARD AN 37:30 INFANT FROM A NUMBER OF HEALTH COMPLICATIONS, MOST NOTABLY 37:33 URINARY TRACT INFECTIONS, KIDNEY DAMAGE, FOR INFANTS, CAN BE VERY 37:39 SEVERE CONNECTED WITH THAT INFECTION. CIRCUMCISION HAS BEEN 37:43 FOUND TO LOWER ONE'S RISK FOR CONTACTING HIV AND HPV. 37:49 ANOTHER STUDY PUBLISHED IN THE JOURNAL OF AMERICAN MEDICAL 37:51 ASSOCIATION REVIEWED MORE THAN 500 STUDIES, FINDING THAT 37:55 CIRCUMCISION REDUCED THE RISK FOR HIV TRANSMISSION. 38:00 SOME SUGGESTED THAT CIRCUMCISION IN INFANCY ACTUALLY LOWERS THE 38:04 RISK FOR PROSTATE CANCER. I DON'T UNDERSTAND IT, I'M JUST 38:07 READING THE STUDY - CBS NEWS - MAYO CLINIC. SO THE REASON I'M 38:11 SHARING THAT WITH YOU IS TO LET YOU KNOW THAT IT WASN'T 38:15 BARBARIC, THERE WAS ACTUALLY - GOD KNEW WHAT HE WAS DOING. 38:20 BUT EVEN THOUGH THERE MIGHT BE MEDICAL ADVANTAGES, IS THERE ANY 38:23 SALVATION ADVANTAGE TO CIRCUMCISION? NO. 38:28 PAUL IS SAYING, 'CIRCUMCISION IS NOTHING; UNCIRCUMCISION IS 38:31 NOTHING, BUT KEEPING THE COMMANDMENTS IS WHAT MATTERS.' 38:34 MATTER OF FACT, I WANT TO READ THAT TO YOU. 38:36 GO - 1 CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 7, VERSE 19 - YOU GOT YOUR BIBLES? 38:43 I'M GOING TO READ YOU SEVERAL VERSES VERY QUICKLY. 38:47 "CIRCUMCISION IS NOTHING AND UNCIRCUMCISION IS NOTHING, BUT 38:51 KEEPING THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD IS WHAT MATTERS." 38:54 ALRIGHT, NOW WAIT A SECOND, I THOUGHT CIRCUMCISION WAS A 38:58 COMMAND. SO IF HE'S SAYING CIRCUMCISION 39:01 IS NOTHING, BUT KEEPING THE COMMANDS IS WHAT MATTERS, 39:06 DOESN'T THAT MEAN THERE MUST BE SOME COMMANDS THAT HAVE NOTHING 39:08 TO DO WITH CIRCUMCISION? CIRCUMCISION WAS PART 39:12 OF THE ORDINANCES. THE COMMANDMENTS ARE 39:14 THE TEN COMMANDMENTS. LISTEN TO PAUL IN GALATIANS - 39:17 I'M GOING TO READ GALATIANS 5:2, 5:6, AND GALATIANS 6:15. 39:22 PAUL SAYS, "INDEED I, PAUL, SAY TO YOU THAT IF YOU BECOME 39:27 CIRCUMCISED, CHRIST WILL PROFIT YOU NOTHING." 39:29 - IN OTHER WORDS, IF YOU'RE GETTING CIRCUMCISED - HE'S 39:30 TELLING THE GALATIANS - GENTILES - FOR THE BENEFIT OF SALVATION, 39:34 YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND SALVATION BY FAITH. 39:36 GALATIANS 5:6, "FOR IN CHRIST JESUS NEITHER CIRCUMCISION NOR 39:40 UNCIRCUMCISION AVAILS ANYTHING, BUT FAITH WORKING THROUGH LOVE." 39:45 SO ONE TIME HE SAYS, 'BUT KEEPING THE COMMANDMENTS'; THE 39:48 OTHER TIME HE SAYS, 'BUT FAITH WORKING THROUGH LOVE. 39:50 GALATIANS 6:15, "FOR IN CHRIST JESUS NEITHER CIRCUMCISION NOR 39:54 UNCIRCUMCISION AVAILS ANYTHING, BUT A NEW CREATION." 39:59 SO WHAT - IF WE'VE GOT A SPIRITUAL PRIESTHOOD NOW - IF 40:06 WE'VE GOT A SPIRITUAL TEMPLE - IF WE'RE NOW THE BODY OF CHRIST, 40:11 DO WE SACRIFICE LAMBS ANYMORE? JESUS IS OUR LAMB. 40:14 SO, DO YOU SEE HOW THINGS WENT THROUGH A BIG CHANGE WITH 40:16 CHRIST'S COMING? WHAT ABOUT CIRCUMCISION? 40:18 IS THERE A SPIRITUAL EQUIVALENT? 40:21 MOSES IS SPEAKING HERE AND HE SAYS, 'THE LORD YOUR GOD WILL 40:27 CIRCUMCISE YOUR HEART AND THE HEART OF YOUR DESCENDENTS TO 40:32 LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL OF YOUR HEART AND WITH ALL OF 40:35 YOUR SOUL, THAT YOU MAY LIVE." NOW, WHAT HE'S TALKING ABOUT IS 40:40 NOT HAVING A HARD HEART, BUT A SENSITIVE HEART. 40:45 YOU'LL ALSO FIND IT AGAIN IN DEUTERONOMY 10:16, "THEREFORE 40:49 CIRCUMCISE THE FORESKIN OF YOUR HEART, AND BE STIFF-NECKED NO 40:53 LONGER." JEREMIAH 4, VERSES 3 AND 4, "FOR 40:57 THUS SAYS THE LORD TO THE MEN OF JUDAH AND JERUSALEM: 'BREAK UP 41:01 YOUR FALLOW GROUND AND DO NOT SOW AMONG THORNS. 41:04 CIRCUMCISE YOURSELVES TO THE LORD, AND TAKE AWAY THE 41:06 FORESKINS OF YOUR HEARTS, YOU MEN OF JUDAH AND INHABITANTS OF 41:09 JERUSALEM, LEST MY FURY COME FORTH LIKE FIRE, AND BURN SO 41:13 THAT NO ONE CAN QUENCH IT, BECAUSE OF THE EVIL OF YOUR 41:16 DOINGS.'" NOW THOSE ARE OLD TESTAMENT THERE - GOING BACK TO 41:19 ANOTHER NEW TESTAMENT EXAMPLE - PAUL SPEAKING - ROMANS 2, VERSE 41:23 28, "FOR HE IS NOT A JEW WHO IS ONE OUTWARDLY," - NOW WHAT DO 41:28 YOU THINK HE'S TALKING ABOUT? OUTWARDLY - MEANING SKIN IS YOUR 41:33 OUTER ORGAN OF YOUR BODY - "HE IS NOT A JEW WHO IS ONE 41:36 OUTWARDLY, NOR IS CIRCUMCISION THAT WHICH IS OUTWARD IN THE 41:40 FLESH; BUT HE IS A JEW WHO IS ONE INWARDLY; AND CIRCUMCISION 41:46 IS THAT OF THE HEART, IN THE SPIRIT, NOT IN THE LETTER; WHOSE 41:49 PRAISE IS NOT FROM MEN BUT FROM GOD." 41:53 SO, IF YOU HAD TO CHOOSE BETWEEN BEING SPIRITUALLY CONVERTED OR 42:01 PHYSICALLY CONVERTED, WHAT IS PAUL SAYING THE PRIORITY IS? 42:04 >>SPIRITUALLY. >>YEAH. LET ME READ GALATIANS - 42:08 I ALREADY READ THAT TO YOU - YEAH, I READ THAT ONE. 42:12 ALRIGHT, LET'S GO TO THE NEXT SECTION: UNITY IN DIVERSITY . 42:16 SO I PROBABLY SAID A LOT MORE ABOUT CIRCUMCISION THAN YOU EVEN 42:19 WANT TO KNOW, BUT THAT JUST - IT'S THE PROBLEM IN GALATIANS, 42:22 CAN EVERYBODY SEE THAT? OKAY. 42:25 I DIDN'T PICK THE LESSON, I'M JUST TEACHING THE LESSON. 42:30 UNITY IN DIVERSITY - AMOS 3:3, "CAN TWO WALK TOGETHER UNLESS 42:36 THEY ARE AGREED?" THIS IS GOING BACK TO THAT 42:40 QUESTION WE TALKED ABOUT A MINUTE AGO. HOW DO WE HAVE THIS 42:44 UNITY, YET WHEN WE'RE - THERE'S SUCH A DIFFERENCE? 42:50 GALATIANS 2 - NOW WE'RE READING VERSES 4 AND 5, "AND THIS 42:54 OCCURRED BECAUSE OF FALSE BRETHREN SECRETLY BROUGHT 42:56 IN...BY STEALTH" - AND I TALKED ABOUT THIS - "(...TO SPY OUT OUR 42:59 LIBERTY...)" - WHAT LIBERTY IS HE TALKING ABOUT? 43:03 - (...WHICH WE HAVE IN CHRIST JESUS, THAT THEY MIGHT BRING US 43:06 INTO BONDAGE), TO WHOM WE DID NOT YIELD SUBMISSION EVEN FOR AN 43:10 HOUR," - THESE JEWS WERE COMING BACK TRYING TO TACK THEM BACK 43:15 AND KEEP THESE OLD CEREMONIAL LAWS AND THAT JUST MADE THE 43:20 RELIGION A DRUDGERY. GO TO - DID I GIVE 43:24 SOMEBODY JOHN 8:31? YOU'VE GOT JOHN 8:31, OKAY. 43:30 >>JOHN 8:31-32, "THEN JESUS SAID TO THOSE JEWS WHO BELIEVED HIM, 43:36 'IF YOU ABIDE IN MY WORD, YOU ARE MY DISCIPLES INDEED. AND YOU 43:42 SHALL KNOW THE TRUTH, AND THE TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE.'" 43:46 >>SO THERE'S SOMETHING LIBERATING ABOUT THE TRUTH. 43:52 IGNORANCE CAN ENSLAVE YOU. I JUST READ A STUDY THIS WEEK - 43:59 SOMEONE SENT ME AN E-MAIL, THEY SAID THAT CIGARETTE SMOKING IS 44:05 BECOMING A DISEASE, PRINCIPALLY, OF THE POOR. THAT PEOPLE WHO MAY 44:11 NOT HAVE THE SAME EDUCATIONAL ADVANTAGES ARE BEING PREYED UPON 44:19 BY THE TOBACCO COMPANIES, BUT CIGARETTE SMOKING AMONG WEALTHY 44:24 AND EDUCATED PEOPLE IS VERY LOW. WHY DO YOU THINK THAT IS? 44:29 IF A PERSON'S EDUCATED ABOUT THAT, THEY KNOW THE DANGERS OF 44:31 IT, THEY KNOW THAT IT'S JUST GOING TO COST THEM - IT'S GOING 44:34 TO TAKE AWAY THEIR LIFE - THERE'S ALL - IT'S SOCIALLY, 44:36 NOW, UNACCEPTABLE AND PEOPLE, BECAUSE OF THE TRUTH THEY'RE 44:39 LEARNING, THEY FIND VICTORY AND THEY GIVE IT UP. 44:43 BUT PEOPLE WHO ARE IN IGNORANCE ARE OFTEN HELD IN BONDAGE. 44:47 AND SO, TRUTH - KNOWLEDGE LIBERATES PEOPLE. 44:51 THAT'S WHY EDUCATION IS SO IMPORTANT. 44:53 IN JOHN 8:34 JESUS SAID, "MOST ASSUREDLY, I SAY TO YOU, WHOEVER 45:00 COMMITS SIN IS A SLAVE OF SIN. AND A SLAVE DOES NOT ABIDE IN 45:05 THE [HOUSE FOREVER] BUT A SON ABIDES FOREVER. 45:07 THEREFORE IF THE SON MAKES YOU FREE, YOU SHALL BE FREE INDEED." 45:12 >>AMEN. >>HOW MANY OF YOU REMEMBER WHEN 45:14 THERE WAS A BIG DISPUTE AMONG THE DISCIPLES? 45:16 AND THIS PASSAGE IS OFTEN MISQUOTED IN MARK CHAPTER 7, 45:20 WHERE SOME OF THE PHARISEES BECAME INDIGNANT BECAUSE THE 45:24 DISCIPLES SAT DOWN TO EAT LUNCH ON THE ROAD AND THEY DID NOT 45:27 CEREMONIALLY WASH THEIR HANDS. NOW, THE PHARISEES, WHEN - I 45:31 MEAN, WE ALL THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA TO WASH YOUR HANDS 45:33 WHEN YOU EAT, RIGHT? I'M NOT GOING TO ASK YOU TO 45:36 RAISE YOUR HANDS, BUT HAVE ANY OF YOU EATEN, EVEN THOUGH THERE 45:39 WAS NO PLACE TO WASH YOUR HANDS BEFORE? YEAH, AND YOU SURVIVED. 45:46 SO HOW MANY OF YOU AND YOUR KIDS ATE A LITTLE BIT OF DIRT? 45:53 HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE SEEN - YOUR KIDS OR OTHER KIDS - EAT A WHOLE 45:56 LOT OF DIRT? I KNOW YOU WOULD NEVER ADMIT TO 45:58 THAT, BUT MAYBE SOMEONE ELSE - AND HERE YOU ARE. 46:03 BUT WHEN THE PHARISEES SAW THAT THE DISCIPLES DID NOT GO THROUGH 46:07 THE REGULAR POURING AND WASHING OF HANDS - AND IT WAS MORE 46:11 CEREMONY THAN ANYTHING - THEY SAID, 'HOW IS IT THAT YOUR 46:14 DISCIPLES EAT WITHOUT WASHING THEIR HANDS?' 46:16 AND JESUS SAID, 'IT'S NOT WHAT GOES IN YOUR MOUTH THAT DEFILES 46:20 YOU, BUT IT'S WHAT COMES OUT OF YOUR MOUTH.' NOW, DOES THAT MEAN 46:24 THAT JESUS IS SAYING IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT GOES IN YOUR MOUTH? 46:29 HAVE YOU HEARD PEOPLE USE IT THAT WAY? 46:31 >>YES. >>I USED IT THAT WAY, YEARS AGO. 46:34 CHRISTIAN FRIENDS WERE TELLING ME, 'DOUG' - YOU SEE, WHEN I WAS 46:37 A CHRISTIAN, I ACCEPTED JESUS BUT I KEPT SMOKING. 46:40 AND I WAS NOT A MEMBER OF THIS CHURCH, BUT I WAS GOING TO 46:42 CHURCH, I WAS SMOKING - I SAID, 'LOOK, JESUS SAID IT'S NOT WHAT 46:45 GOES IN MY MOUTH THAT DEFILES ME.' (LAUGHTER) 'AND SO, THERE'S 46:49 NOTHING WRONG WITH THIS.' AND I USED THAT AS MY ARGUMENT FOR 46:51 AWHILE. AND THEN I EVEN ARGUED - I SAID, 46:54 'GOD MADE ALL THE HERBS OF THE FIELD FOR US TO USE AND ENJOY. 46:57 HE MADE TOBACCO.' I HAD ALL THESE DUMB ARGUMENTS. 47:00 I PICKED UP A GUY HITCHHIKING ONE TIME AND HE JUST REEKED FROM 47:03 MARIJUANA AND HE ASKED ME IF I HAD ANY. 47:05 I SAID, 'NO, I DON'T SMOKE.' AND I SAID, 'I DON'T THINK YOU 47:07 SHOULD.' HE SAID, 'OH NO, GOD MADE THESE HERBS FOR US TO 47:10 ENJOY.' (LAUGHTER) AND THEN HE QUOTED, 'IT'S NOT WHAT GOES IN 47:14 YOUR MOUTH THAT DEFILES YOU, IT'S WHAT COMES OUT.' WAS JESUS 47:18 TALKING ABOUT EATING ANYTHING THAT CRAWLS ACROSS YOUR PLATE OR 47:23 WAS THE CONTEXT TALKING ABOUT EATING WITHOUT CEREMONIALLY 47:27 WASHING YOUR HANDS? THAT'S WHAT JESUS IS TALKING ABOUT THERE. 47:31 HE SAYS, 'YOU'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE YOUR HEART DEFILED BECAUSE 47:35 YOU TOUCHED SOMETHING AND DIDN'T WASH YOUR HANDS.' SO, KNOWING 47:41 THESE THINGS ACTUALLY SETS YOU FREE. 47:44 ALRIGHT, NOW I'M NOT SUGGESTING YOU ALL WASH - EAT WITHOUT 47:47 WASHING YOUR HANDS, YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M SAYING? 47:49 ROMANS 6, VERSES 6 AND 7, "KNOWING THIS, THAT OUR OLD MAN 47:53 WAS CRUCIFIED WITH HIM, THAT THE BODY OF SIN MIGHT BE DONE AWAY 47:56 WITH, THAT WE SHOULD NO LONGER BE SLAVES OF SIN." 48:00 SO WHAT IS IT THAT JESUS SETS US FREE FROM? 48:02 >>SIN. >>SIN. WHAT DOES THE TRUTH SET 48:05 US FREE FROM? >>SIN. 48:07 >>FROM SIN. WE ARE SAVED FROM SIN. AND THEN, 48:14 LET'S SEE, WHERE AM I? ROMANS 8:2, "FOR THE LAW OF THE 48:17 SPIRIT OF LIFE IN CHRIST JESUS HAS MADE ME FREE FROM THE 48:21 LAW OF SIN AND DEATH." AND IN 1 PETER 2:16, "AS FREE, 48:27 YET NOT USING LIBERTY AS A CLOAK FOR VICE, BUT AS 48:31 BONDSERVANTS OF GOD." NOW THIS IS ANOTHER SUBJECT 48:35 I'VE OFTEN HEARD MISAPPLIED AND MISUNDERSTOOD, IS THAT THE 48:41 FREEDOM WE ENJOY THROUGH CHRIST IS NOT A LICENSE FOR SIN. 48:48 WE HAVE BEEN SET FREE FROM THE CURSE OF THE LAW. 48:52 THE CURSE OF THE LAW IS A PENALTY FOR SIN, BUT WHEN YOU'RE 48:55 SET FREE FROM THE PENALTY OF THE LAW, IT DOES NOT MEAN, NOW, THAT 48:58 YOU ARE FREE TO SIN. BUT I'VE HEARD SOME 49:01 USE IT THAT WAY. PAUL SAID, 'WE ARE FREE, YET NOT 49:05 USING LIBERTY AS A CLOAK FOR VICE'. 49:10 I'VE MET PEOPLE BEFORE, THEY'RE DRINKING ALCOHOL AND I'LL SAY, 49:13 'I DON'T BELIEVE A CHRISTIAN SHOULD DRINK ALCOHOL.' AND THEY 49:16 SAY, 'WELL, I AM NOW FREE IN CHRIST.' I SAID, 'WELL, WHAT 49:20 YOU'RE DOING KILLS PEOPLE.' I SAID, 'IT'S THE MOST DESTRUCTIVE 49:24 DRUG IN NORTH AMERICA.' 'OH, DON'T PUT THAT BURDEN ON ME. 49:28 I AM FREE IN CHRIST AND I DO THIS WITH A CLEAR CONSCIENCE.' I 49:31 SAID, 'WELL, YOU MIGHT TALK YOURSELF INTO HAVING A CLEAR 49:34 CONSCIENCE BUT, BY YOUR EXAMPLE, YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE YOUR 49:37 BROTHER STUMBLE AND SOME PEOPLE BECOME ALCOHOLICS AND THEIR 49:39 LIVES ARE DESTROYED BY ALCOHOL. 49:41 SO YOU KEEP TALKING ABOUT YOUR FREEDOM, BUT YOU'RE USING IT AS 49:43 A CLOAK FOR VICE.' YOU SEE WHAT I'M SAYING? 49:48 PEOPLE DO IT WITH OTHER DOCTRINES - THEY SAY, 'I'M FREE' 49:52 - THEY'RE NOT VERY CAREFUL ABOUT MAYBE KEEPING THE SABBATH - 'OH, 49:55 I'M NOT UNDER THE BOND - I'M FREE. 49:56 I KEEP IT IN MY SPIRIT. I'M FREE.' AND SO, JUST 50:02 DISOBEYING IS WHAT THEY'RE DOING, BUT THEY'RE CLAIMING THE 50:05 FREEDOM CARD AND THAT'S NOT GOOD. 50:09 ALRIGHT, GALATIANS 2, VERSES 11 TO 13, "NOW WHEN PETER HAD COME 50:13 TO ANTIOCH," - PAUL IS SPEAKING - "I WITHSTOOD HIM TO HIS FACE, 50:16 BECAUSE HE WAS TO BE BLAMED; FOR BEFORE CERTAIN MEN CAME FROM 50:20 JAMES," - IN JERUSALEM - THIS IS JAMES, THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD 50:23 FOR THE CHURCH IN JERUSALEM - "HE WOULD EAT WITH THE GENTILES; 50:28 BUT WHEN THEY CAME, HE WITHDREW AND SEPARATED HIMSELF, FEARING 50:31 THOSE WHO WERE OF THE CIRCUMCISION." 50:34 - WHEN THE JEWS CAME AND THEY SAW, UP HERE IN ANTIOCH, HOW 50:37 PETER WAS HOBNOBBING WITH THE GENTILES - REMEMBER WHAT PETER 50:40 SAID? 'WE'RE NOT EVEN SUPPOSED TO GO 50:42 IN AND EAT WITH A GENTILE' - SO WHEN THE JEWS CAME HE SAID, 'I'D 50:45 BETTER NOT LET THEM SEE WHAT I'M DOING. 50:48 THEY MIGHT NOT UNDERSTAND.' PAUL SAID, 'YOU'RE BEING A HYPOCRITE, 50:50 PETER. YOU'RE TRYING TO LOOK LIKE YOU 50:54 AGREE WITH THE ONES WHO HAVE COME FROM JERUSALEM, BUT YOU 50:56 KNOW AS SOON AS THEY LEAVE TOWN YOU'RE HANGING OUT AND EATING 50:59 WITH THE GENTILES AND GOING INTO THEIR HOMES AND' - SO PAUL, HERE 51:04 IN GALATIANS, IS ACTUALLY - THIS IS ONE PLACE WHERE YOU FIND 51:06 ONE APOSTLE CHASTISING ANOTHER APOSTLE. 51:11 BUT WAS PAUL TOTALLY INNOCENT OF THAT HIMSELF? 51:16 YOU REMEMBER THE STORY WHERE PAUL WENT TO JERUSALEM AND - 51:19 THIS WAS BEFORE HE WAS ARRESTED. THEY SAID, 'LOOK, SOME OF THE 51:21 JEWS HERE IN JERUSALEM, THEY HEAR THAT YOU'RE UP THERE AND 51:24 YOU'VE CAST ASIDE THE LAW OF MOSES. 51:26 AND WE DON'T WANT TO GET THESE RUMORS OUT THERE, SO TELL YOU 51:28 WHAT, YOU NEED TO DO A VOW WITH US. 51:31 YOU NEED TO SHAVE YOUR HEAD, YOU NEED TO PAY YOUR VOWS - WE'LL 51:33 SUPPLY THE MONEY FOR IT - YOU NEED TO GO TO THE TEMPLE AND GO 51:35 THROUGH THESE RITUALS AND SHOW THAT YOU STILL KEEP THE LAW.' 51:38 YOU REMEMBER THAT? THEN HE GOT ARRESTED IN THE 51:40 TEMPLE BECAUSE THEY ALREADY KNEW THAT - WHAT HE WAS 51:43 DOING UP IN ASIA. LISTEN TO WHAT ELLEN WHITE SAYS 51:47 ABOUT THAT IN THE BOOK ACTS OF THE APOSTLES P. 404, 51:52 "THE BRETHREN HOPED THAT PAUL, BY FOLLOWING THE COURSE 51:54 SUGGESTED, MIGHT GIVE A DECISIVE CONTRADICTION TO THE FALSE 51:57 REPORTS CONCERNING HIM. THEY ASSURED HIM THAT THE 52:00 DECISION OF THE FORMER COUNCIL CONCERNING THE GENTILE CONVERTS 52:04 AND THE CEREMONIAL LAW, STILL HELD GOOD. 52:07 BUT THE ADVICE NOW GIVEN WAS NOT CONSISTENT WITH THAT DECISION. 52:11 THE SPIRIT OF GOD DID NOT PROMPT THIS INSTRUCTION. 52:15 IT WAS THE FRUIT OF COWARDICE AND THE LEADERS OF THE CHURCH IN 52:19 JERUSALEM KNEW THAT BY NON-CONFORMITY TO THE CEREMONIAL 52:23 LAW, CHRISTIANS WOULD BRING UPON THEMSELVES THE HATRED OF THE 52:26 JEWS AND EXPOSE THEMSELVES TO PERSECUTION." 52:29 SO TRYING TO COMPROMISE AND GET RID OF THE PERSECUTION - SHE 52:32 CALLS IT AN ACT OF COWARDICE. PAUL GOT CAUGHT UP IN THAT AND 52:36 HE ENDED UP GETTING ARRESTED. WHO HERE CAN SAY THAT WE 52:40 ARE IMMUNE FROM, SOMETIMES, HYPOCRISY OR BEING TWO-FACED 52:45 - WHICH MEANS THE SAME THING? HAVE YOU EVER BEEN IN A GROUP 52:50 AND PEOPLE ARE CLAPPING BUT YOU DON'T FEEL LIKE CLAPPING BUT YOU 52:53 WANT TO LOOK LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE SO YOU CLAP? 52:59 THERE'S THE BANDWAGON EFFECT AND WE'VE ALL FALLEN FOR THAT 53:03 BEFORE. WE'VE TRIED TO LOOK LIKE THOSE 53:05 AROUND US AND ACT LIKE THOSE AROUND US AND FIT IN AND SO, 53:07 SOMETIMES WE'LL COMPROMISE WHAT WE KNOW IS RIGHT AND OUR 53:11 CONVICTIONS BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO LOOK LIKE WE STAND OUT. 53:15 AND THAT'S WHERE IT TAKES REAL COURAGE. 53:19 I THINK I'M OUT OF TIME. LET ME JUST READ FOR YOU 53:22 GALATIANS 2:14 TO 16 - WE'RE ALMOST DONE HERE. 53:26 "BUT WHEN I SAW THAT THEY WERE NOT STRAIGHTFORWARD ABOUT THE 53:28 TRUTH OF THE GOSPEL, I SAID TO PETER BEFORE THEM ALL, 'IF YOU, 53:32 BEING A JEW, LIVE IN THE MANNER OF GENTILES AND NOT AS THE JEWS, 53:35 WHY DO YOU COMPEL GENTILES TO LIVE AS JEWS?' 53:38 WE WHO ARE JEWS BY NATURE," - PHYSICALLY - "AND NOT SINNERS OF 53:42 THE GENTILES, KNOWING THAT A MAN IS NOT JUSTIFIED BY THE WORKS OF 53:45 THE LAW" - CEREMONIAL LAW - "BUT BY FAITH IN JESUS" - ACTUALLY, 53:48 WE'RE NOT JUSTIFIED BY ANY LAW - "BUT BY FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST, 53:53 EVEN WE HAVE BELIEVED IN CHRIST JESUS, THAT WE MIGHT BE 53:56 JUSTIFIED BY FAITH IN CHRIST AND NOT BY THE WORKS OF THE LAW; FOR 54:00 BY THE WORKS OF THE LAW NO FLESH SHALL BE JUSTIFIED." 54:04 NO PEOPLE ARE JUSTIFIED. IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT YOU DO TO 54:08 YOUR FLESH, IT DOES NOT JUSTIFY YOU, IS WHAT HE'S SAYING THERE. 54:12 ALRIGHT, WELL WE PRETTY MUCH COVERED THE LESSON. 54:14 THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND I WANT TO, AGAIN, THANK 54:16 THOSE WHO ARE WATCHING ONLINE. GOD BLESS YOU. 54:18 WE LOOK FORWARD TO STUDYING HIS WORD TOGETHER AGAIN NEXT WEEK. 54:23 >>LET'S FACE IT, IT'S NOT ALWAYS EASY TO UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING 54:26 YOU READ IN THE BIBLE. WITH OVER 700,000 WORDS 54:30 CONTAINED IN 66 BOOKS, THE BIBLE CAN GENERATE A LOT OF QUESTIONS. 54:34 TO GET BIBLICAL STRAIGHTFORWARD ANSWERS CALL IN TO BIBLE ANSWERS 54:37 LIVE - A LIVE NATIONWIDE CALL-IN RADIO PROGRAM WHERE YOU CAN TALK 54:42 TO PASTOR DOUG BATCHELOR AND ASK HIM YOUR MOST DIFFICULT BIBLE 54:45 QUESTIONS. FOR TIMES AND STATIONS IN YOUR 54:47 AREA, OR TO LISTEN TO ANSWERS ONLINE, VISIT 54:50 BAL.AMAZINGFACTS.ORG . (MUSIC) 55:06 >>WE'RE HERE IN PONCE, PUERTO RICO IN AN IGUANA PARK 55:09 SURROUNDED BY BIG LIZARDS OR SMALL DINOSAURS - DEPENDS ON HOW 55:13 YOU LOOK AT IT. THESE MAGNIFICENT CREATURES ARE 55:15 FOUND MOSTLY IN MEXICO, CENTRAL AMERICA, AND SOUTH AMERICA 55:18 - AND THE CARIBBEAN ISLANDS. HERE'S A FEW AMAZING FACTS ABOUT 55:22 IGUANAS: IGUANAS COME IN A GREAT SPECTRUM OF COLORS. 55:26 THEY CAN BE BROWN, GREEN, BLUE - AND THEIR SKIN WILL OFTEN WORK 55:30 AS CAMOUFLAGE, ALLOWING THEM TO HIDE IN THE JUNGLE. 55:34 THEY'RE SOCIAL CREATURES WHO LIKE TO EAT TOGETHER AND, WHAT'S 55:37 REALLY INTERESTING, EVEN THOUGH THEY LOOK FIERCE, IGUANAS ARE 55:40 VEGAN/VEGETARIANS. THEY'RE REGARDED AS POPULAR PETS 55:43 THOUGH, IF THEY'RE NOT CARED FOR, THEY CAN ACTUALLY JUST STOP 55:46 EATING AND WILL THEMSELVES TO DIE. 55:49 TYPICALLY IGUANAS JUST LAY EGGS AND THEY ABANDON THEIR 55:51 OFFSPRING. SO THOSE LITTLE IGUANAS HAVE TO 55:54 FEND FOR THEMSELVES FROM THE TIME THEY'RE BORN. 55:57 IF THEY'RE ATTACKED, THEY'LL FIGHT WITH THEIR TAIL, EITHER 56:00 PUNCHING OR WHIPPING THEIR OPPONENT. IT'S INTERESTING 56:03 SEEING A DOG RUNNING FOR MERCY AFTER BEING WHIPPED BY AN 56:06 IGUANA. ALSO, TO ENSURE A FAST ESCAPE, THEY CAN DETACH THEIR 56:12 TAIL AND LATER GROW ANOTHER ONE. IGUANAS GENERALLY LIKE TO LIVE 56:16 AROUND WATER AND THEY CAN SWIM AWAY ESCAPING FROM PREDATORS. 56:20 GREEN IGUANAS, IN PARTICULAR, ARE EXCELLENT SWIMMERS. 56:23 THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO INFLATE THEMSELVES AND SWIM INCREDIBLE 56:27 DISTANCES. THIS IS ONE WAY THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO POPULATE 56:30 THE DIFFERENT ISLANDS OF THE CARIBBEAN. 56:32 WHAT'S INCREDIBLE IS THESE CREATURES HAVE LUNGS WHERE 56:36 THEY'RE ABLE TO HOLD THEIR BREATH FOR UP TO TWENTY-EIGHT 56:38 MINUTES, PUTTING EVEN A CROCODILE TO SHAME. THEY ALSO 56:43 KNOW HOW TO COMPENSATE FOR WHEN THINGS GET HOT OR COLD. THEY CAN 56:46 REGULATE THEIR BODY TEMPERATURE USING THE LOOSE FLAPS OF SKIN 56:50 THEY HAVE UNDER THEIR THROATS AND UNDER THEIR LEGS. 56:53 YOU MIGHT EVEN SAY AN IGUANA HAS ESP BECAUSE GOD MADE THEM WITH, 56:57 SORT OF, A THIRD EYE ON TOP OF THEIR HEAD. 57:00 THEY CAN'T REALLY SEE WITH IT, BUT IT'S A PHOTO RECEPTOR THAT 57:03 HELPS THEM TO REGULATE THEIR BODIES' CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS. 57:06 YOU KNOW, IN THE SAME WAY THAT GOD MADE IGUANAS WHERE THEY'RE 57:09 SOME OF THE TOUGHEST CREATURES IN GOD'S NATURAL KINGDOM, 57:13 CHRISTIANS NEED TO LEARN TO BE RESILIENT IN THE SPIRITUAL 57:15 REALM. THROUGH GOD'S GRACE WE CAN 57:17 LEARN TO BE GREAT SURVIVORS. PAUL SAYS, IN 2 CORINTHIANS 4, 57:21 VERSES 8 AND 9, "WE ARE HARD PRESSED ON EVERY 57:24 SIDE YET NOT CRUSHED. WE ARE PERPLEXED YET NOT IN 57:27 DESPAIR, PERSECUTED YET NOT FORSAKEN, STRUCK DOWN BUT NOT 57:31 DESTROYED" - I THINK, FRIENDS, WE ALL KNOW SOMETIMES 57:35 LIFE CAN BE TOUGH. WE FEEL LIKE WE'RE BEING BEATEN 57:38 AND PRESSED ON EVERY SIDE. SOMETIMES THERE'S HEALTH 57:41 PROBLEMS, RELATIONSHIP PROBLEMS, FINANCIAL REVERSES - BUT IN THE 57:46 SAME WAY GOD MADE THE IGUANA RESILIENT, GOD CAN HELP 57:49 YOU TO BOUNCE BACK. JESUS SAID THAT THROUGH HIS HELP 57:52 WE CAN BE OVERCOMERS AND WE ARE ABLE TO ENDURE. 57:55 IF YOU TURN TO HIM AND ASK HIM FOR HIS HELP AND HIS SPIRIT HE 57:58 WILL RECREATE YOU AND MAKE YOU EVEN TOUGHER THAN AN IGUANA. 58:02 WOULDN'T YOU LIKE TO ASK HIM NOW? 58:04 (MUSIC) |
Revised 2017-07-13