Good morning, friends,
00:00:35.26\00:00:36.33
and welcome again to
Sabbath School Study Hour
00:00:36.33\00:00:38.90
here at the Granite Bay
Seventh-day Adventist Church
00:00:38.90\00:00:40.97
just outside of
Sacramento, California.
00:00:40.97\00:00:43.91
Very warm welcome
to our online members,
00:00:43.91\00:00:46.11
and our friends who are
joining us across the country
00:00:46.11\00:00:48.11
and around the world,
00:00:48.11\00:00:49.58
as well as our
regular church members
00:00:49.58\00:00:51.48
and visitors
right here in person,
00:00:51.48\00:00:53.52
delighted that you
joined us this morning
00:00:53.52\00:00:55.32
for our study on our
new lesson quarterly,
00:00:55.32\00:00:58.42
which the whole
quarter is entitled
00:00:58.42\00:01:00.06
"Oneness in Christ."
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And today we find
ourselves on lesson number four,
00:01:01.72\00:01:05.16
it's called "The key to Unity."
00:01:05.16\00:01:07.66
So that's what
we'll be looking at today.
00:01:07.66\00:01:09.53
For our friends
who are joining us,
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if you don't have a
copy of today's lesson,
00:01:10.90\00:01:13.50
we do have a
website that you can go to
00:01:13.50\00:01:15.24
and you can
download today's lesson,
00:01:15.24\00:01:17.27
which is lesson number four.
00:01:17.27\00:01:18.77
All you have to do is go
to the website study.aftv.org,
00:01:18.77\00:01:24.21
and you can
download lesson number four,
00:01:24.21\00:01:26.72
and you can follow
along with us as we study.
00:01:26.72\00:01:29.68
We have a free offer
we'd like to tell you about,
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a book written by
Pastor Doug entitled
00:01:32.15\00:01:34.49
"Compromise,
Conformity and Courage."
00:01:34.49\00:01:37.53
This is our free offer today.
00:01:37.53\00:01:38.96
And if you'd
like to receive this,
00:01:38.96\00:01:40.63
all you'll need to
do is call 866-788-3966
00:01:40.63\00:01:45.30
and ask for offer number 774,
00:01:45.30\00:01:48.34
and we'll be happy
to send you this book
00:01:48.34\00:01:51.27
dealing with the subject
00:01:51.27\00:01:52.41
of Compromise,
Conformity and Courage.
00:01:52.41\00:01:54.91
If you'd like to get a
digital version of the book,
00:01:54.91\00:01:57.35
all you'll need to do is
just text the code "SH019"
00:01:57.35\00:02:02.58
to the number 40544.
00:02:02.58\00:02:05.92
You'll then receive a link as
to where you can go to download
00:02:05.92\00:02:08.66
a digital copy of the book,
00:02:08.66\00:02:10.46
Compromise,
Conformity and Courage.
00:02:10.46\00:02:13.36
Well, before we get to
our lesson this morning,
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I'd like to invite our
song leaders to come forward,
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and they'll be bringing
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a special musical
item this morning.
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I'm a pilgrim,
and I'm a stranger
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I can tarry, I
can tarry but a night
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Do not detain me, for I am going
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To where the
fountains are ever flowing
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I'm a pilgrim,
and I'm a stranger
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I can tarry, I
can tarry but a night
00:03:02.54\00:03:09.32
There the glory is ever shining
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Oh, my longing heart,
my longing heart is there
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Here in this
country so dark and dreary
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I long have
wandered forlorn and weary
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I'm a pilgrim,
and I'm a stranger
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I can tarry, I
can tarry but a night
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There's the city
to which I journey
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My Redeemer, my
Redeemer is its light
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There is no
sorrow nor any sighing
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Nor any tears
there, nor any dying
00:04:07.64\00:04:14.52
I'm a pilgrim,
and I'm a stranger
00:04:14.52\00:04:21.32
I can tarry, I
can tarry but a night
00:04:21.32\00:04:28.26
Dear, Father, once
again we are grateful
00:04:31.83\00:04:33.44
to be able to gather
together in your house
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on this beautiful Sabbath,
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open up Your Word and study
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this important subject of unity,
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and how we can have
unity, in the church,
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amongst believers,
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found in Your
Word and in Christ.
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So bless our
time together today,
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for we ask this
in Jesus' name, amen.
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Our lesson this morning
is going to be brought to us
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by our lead pastor
here at Granite Bay,
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Pastor Doug Batchelor.
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We're continuing
now in our lesson
00:04:59.19\00:05:01.36
dealing with Oneness in Christ.
00:05:01.36\00:05:04.17
And we're on
lesson number four today.
00:05:04.17\00:05:06.87
And lesson four is
titled, "The Key to Unity."
00:05:06.87\00:05:10.54
Now, I was wondering
why they didn't entitle it
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the keys to unity
00:05:13.17\00:05:15.11
because I see
several in the lesson.
00:05:15.11\00:05:17.01
But then it really boils down
to there is one key to unity,
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and we'll talk about
that before it's over.
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And we have a memory verse.
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It's two verses from
the Book of Ephesians,
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Ephesians 1,
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you like to say
it out loud with me,
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it's from the New
King James Version.
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Ephesians 1:9, 10.
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Ephesians 1:9, 10, ready?
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"Having made known to
us the mystery of His will,
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according to His good pleasure
which He purposed in Himself,
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that in the dispensation
of the fullness of the times
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He might gather together
in one all things in Christ,
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both which are in heaven
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and which are in earth, in Him."
00:06:01.66\00:06:05.03
So I want to talk
about the key to unity.
00:06:05.03\00:06:07.66
Of course, a key is Christ.
00:06:07.66\00:06:09.53
He's the ultimate key to unity.
00:06:09.53\00:06:11.63
Now our mission today
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is to really go
through the Book of Ephesians.
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This whole lesson, it
covers sort of Ephesians 1-6,
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it's a whole book.
00:06:21.98\00:06:23.51
And one of the central themes
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of the Book of
Ephesians is unity.
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And so we're going to be
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talking about some of
the different aspects.
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I was tempted to say,
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I wonder if I can
read Ephesians 1-6
00:06:32.55\00:06:34.96
in a Sabbath School lesson,
00:06:34.96\00:06:36.16
but I think I'd lose
you if I did it that way.
00:06:36.16\00:06:39.33
I just like to make sure that
you kind of get the gist of it.
00:06:39.33\00:06:43.53
And for those of
you who don't know,
00:06:43.53\00:06:46.53
the General Conference
of Seventh-day Adventist,
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when they put together a
Sabbath School quarterly,
00:06:48.70\00:06:52.21
their idea is
that they like to take
00:06:52.21\00:06:54.68
the members
through the entire Bible
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over a five year period.
00:06:56.91\00:06:59.48
And they do it maybe
00:06:59.48\00:07:00.85
coming through different
subjects in different angles.
00:07:00.85\00:07:03.12
But the idea is that
during that five-year period,
00:07:03.12\00:07:05.29
you'll at least have touched
00:07:05.29\00:07:06.39
on every major
book in the Bible.
00:07:06.39\00:07:08.32
So you sort of get a great
global view of the scriptures.
00:07:08.32\00:07:14.03
And so Ephesians
is really our mission.
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And the central
theme here in Ephesians
00:07:17.67\00:07:19.97
is talking about the unity.
00:07:19.97\00:07:22.27
Now just to give you a
little bit of background,
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matter of fact to
give you that background,
00:07:25.37\00:07:26.81
turn with me in your Bibles
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to the Book of
not Ephesians, Acts.
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Go to the Book of Acts 19.
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And a story that you may
have read through quickly,
00:07:35.82\00:07:38.75
but it's got a lot of
very important passage
00:07:38.75\00:07:41.62
Acts 19:1.
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Acts 19:1, "And it happened,
00:07:43.59\00:07:49.16
while Apollos was
at Corinth, that Paul,
00:07:49.16\00:07:52.17
having passed
through the upper regions,
00:07:52.17\00:07:54.10
came to Ephesus."
00:07:54.10\00:07:55.54
Our study today is
about the Book of Ephesians.
00:07:55.54\00:07:58.74
Paul came to Ephesus.
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"And finding some
disciples he said to them,
00:08:00.64\00:08:04.28
'Did you receive the Holy Spirit
00:08:04.28\00:08:05.98
when you believed?'
00:08:05.98\00:08:07.58
And they said to him,
00:08:07.58\00:08:08.75
'We have not so much as heard
00:08:08.75\00:08:09.82
whether there is a Holy Spirit.'
00:08:09.82\00:08:12.35
And he said to them,
00:08:12.35\00:08:13.69
'Into what then
were you baptized?'
00:08:13.69\00:08:16.39
So they said,
'Into John's baptism.'"
00:08:16.39\00:08:19.83
And then Paul,
meaning John the Baptist.
00:08:19.83\00:08:22.16
"Then Paul said,
'John indeed baptized
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with a baptism of repentance,
00:08:24.37\00:08:26.13
saying to the
people that should come,
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should believe on Him
who would come after him,
00:08:28.34\00:08:30.81
that is, on Christ Jesus.'"
00:08:30.81\00:08:32.64
So he talks to them about Jesus.
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"When they heard this,
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they were baptized in
the name of the Lord Jesus.
00:08:36.44\00:08:39.41
And when Paul
laid hands upon them,"
00:08:39.41\00:08:42.15
some think that it's important
to have a second baptism
00:08:42.15\00:08:44.59
to receive the
filling of the spirit.
00:08:44.59\00:08:46.42
Others argue that it was
through the laying on of hands.
00:08:46.42\00:08:49.66
That's a study we
don't have time for today,
00:08:49.66\00:08:51.33
but there's a
lot more in the Bible
00:08:51.33\00:08:52.63
than I ever hear
preachers talk about.
00:08:52.63\00:08:55.80
The New Testament
church had a lot to say
00:08:55.80\00:08:57.63
about the laying on of hands.
00:08:57.63\00:08:59.07
Matter of fact, Paul in Hebrews
00:08:59.07\00:09:02.67
calls it one of the
elementary doctrines
00:09:02.67\00:09:04.24
of laying on of hands.
00:09:04.24\00:09:06.14
You don't ever hear that
00:09:06.14\00:09:07.24
in the baptismal
vows or anything.
00:09:07.24\00:09:08.64
Anyway, that was
a side road I took,
00:09:08.64\00:09:11.88
I'm back now. Okay.
00:09:11.88\00:09:15.08
"When they were
baptized in Paul,
00:09:15.08\00:09:16.62
he laid hands on them, the
Holy Spirit came upon them,
00:09:16.62\00:09:20.02
and they spoke with
tongues and they prophesied.
00:09:20.02\00:09:23.86
Now the men were
about 12 in all."
00:09:23.86\00:09:28.43
And you go on and
you read here that Paul,
00:09:28.43\00:09:31.07
he went in, and he
reasoned with them,
00:09:31.07\00:09:33.54
and he spent a
few years in Ephesus.
00:09:33.54\00:09:37.74
Now this is very interesting
00:09:37.74\00:09:39.27
because here you
have these believers.
00:09:39.27\00:09:41.74
And some of have argued,
00:09:41.74\00:09:42.81
"Were they proselytes to
Christianity and Judaism?
00:09:42.81\00:09:47.35
Were they people from Asia?"
00:09:47.35\00:09:50.25
It sounds like
they were Gentiles
00:09:50.25\00:09:53.52
who had heard
about John the Baptist
00:09:53.52\00:09:55.02
maybe through some of
the Jews that had gone north,
00:09:55.02\00:09:57.83
and they accepted
the truth about Jesus.
00:09:57.83\00:10:00.50
And there's 12 of them.
00:10:00.50\00:10:03.87
Through the ministry of Paul,
00:10:03.87\00:10:04.90
a great work begins
there in Asia Minor.
00:10:04.90\00:10:08.20
It's almost like a
mirror of what Jesus did.
00:10:08.20\00:10:10.81
Jesus worked in Judah
among Jews through 12,
00:10:10.81\00:10:14.28
the Holy Spirit poured out,
00:10:14.28\00:10:15.38
and they do a
great work in Israel.
00:10:15.38\00:10:17.85
Now Paul goes up to
Asia, and he chooses 12,
00:10:17.85\00:10:22.42
he lays hands on them,
00:10:22.42\00:10:23.45
they're filled
with the Holy Spirit.
00:10:23.45\00:10:25.49
Didn't Jesus lay
hands on the 12 apostles?
00:10:25.49\00:10:28.49
And through the
work of these 12 men,
00:10:28.49\00:10:31.19
a great work happens.
00:10:31.19\00:10:32.46
It's almost like a
parallel group of apostles
00:10:32.46\00:10:35.86
for the work among the Gentiles,
00:10:35.86\00:10:38.30
like I said,
whether they were Jews
00:10:38.30\00:10:41.67
that lived among the Gentiles
00:10:41.67\00:10:43.57
or if they were part Gentiles,"
it's not entirely clear.
00:10:43.57\00:10:47.58
They did not speak Hebrew,
it says they spoke in tongues,
00:10:47.58\00:10:51.28
meaning that they probably
00:10:51.28\00:10:52.35
spoke some of the local
languages there of Turkey.
00:10:52.35\00:10:55.58
And they heard them suddenly
receive the gift of tongues.
00:10:55.58\00:10:58.72
So this is the same thing
that happens with the apostles.
00:10:58.72\00:11:02.69
Did you catch that?
00:11:02.69\00:11:04.26
It's very exciting
when you think about it.
00:11:04.26\00:11:06.13
It's almost like a
parallel to the work of Jesus
00:11:06.13\00:11:09.93
among the Jews now
happens through Paul,
00:11:09.93\00:11:12.30
who Christ called,
among the Gentiles,
00:11:12.30\00:11:16.10
and a great work
spreads up there.
00:11:16.10\00:11:18.97
Now there was a problem though.
00:11:18.97\00:11:21.31
As the work began to
spread among the Gentiles,
00:11:21.31\00:11:23.85
and the Holy
Spirit is poured out,
00:11:23.85\00:11:25.21
and the church was growing,
00:11:25.21\00:11:26.28
soon there were more
Gentile Christians in Ephesus
00:11:26.28\00:11:29.18
than there were Jews,
00:11:29.18\00:11:30.39
but they all
worshipped together.
00:11:30.39\00:11:32.55
They all went to the synagogue,
00:11:32.55\00:11:33.62
what day of the
week did they worship?
00:11:33.62\00:11:35.69
They all gathered in
the synagogue on Sabbath.
00:11:35.69\00:11:38.86
Matter of fact,
it says several times
00:11:38.86\00:11:40.80
that on the Sabbath day,
00:11:40.80\00:11:43.63
the Gentiles asked that
Paul might speak unto them,
00:11:43.63\00:11:46.07
and the whole
city came together.
00:11:46.07\00:11:48.44
And so the problem was,
00:11:48.44\00:11:50.47
you've got the Jews and
you've get the Gentiles,
00:11:50.47\00:11:52.31
and there was a division.
00:11:52.31\00:11:55.21
And a lot of problems arose.
00:11:55.21\00:11:57.38
And some of the Jewish
believers in Jesus were saying,
00:11:57.38\00:12:00.18
"You need to keep the ordinances
00:12:00.18\00:12:02.05
in the ceremonial laws."
00:12:02.05\00:12:04.02
And the church
down in Jerusalem said,
00:12:04.02\00:12:05.75
"No, you don't need
to keep circumcision,
00:12:05.75\00:12:08.32
you do need to keep,
00:12:08.32\00:12:09.76
you know, the
Sabbath, and the health laws."
00:12:09.76\00:12:11.43
They specifically
mentioned of eating the blood.
00:12:11.43\00:12:13.16
And you'll find this
battle between the two groups.
00:12:13.16\00:12:17.77
It became very intense.
00:12:17.77\00:12:18.90
The Jews sort of felt like
they had special privileges.
00:12:18.90\00:12:21.64
So Paul has to
write them a letter.
00:12:21.64\00:12:24.54
And one of the central themes
00:12:24.54\00:12:26.37
in the letter of
the Ephesians is,
00:12:26.37\00:12:29.24
you guys got to
work together, unity.
00:12:29.24\00:12:32.68
You are united in Christ.
00:12:32.68\00:12:35.95
And you're not
just Jew and Gentile.
00:12:35.95\00:12:40.16
You know, they talk...
00:12:40.16\00:12:42.56
There's a lot of talk about
00:12:42.56\00:12:43.93
racial division
in North America.
00:12:43.93\00:12:47.50
Is it just me or
do you hear that?
00:12:47.50\00:12:50.07
I mean, you think that
00:12:50.07\00:12:51.70
that would be
behind us at this point.
00:12:51.70\00:12:54.70
But I heard about racism
00:12:54.70\00:12:58.24
when I was growing
up in New York City,
00:12:58.24\00:12:59.94
but I didn't
really think much of it
00:12:59.94\00:13:01.61
because I went
to a public school,
00:13:01.61\00:13:03.85
where our kids where
from all over the world.
00:13:03.85\00:13:07.38
And our
neighborhoods, you know, just...
00:13:07.38\00:13:10.35
We were Spanish,
and African-American,
00:13:10.35\00:13:12.89
and Italians, and Jews,
00:13:12.89\00:13:14.99
and it was just a hodgepodge.
00:13:14.99\00:13:16.89
And the kids
pretty much got along.
00:13:16.89\00:13:18.66
The interesting thing was,
00:13:18.66\00:13:20.20
we all told jokes
about race to each other.
00:13:20.20\00:13:24.60
But we didn't care, we
loved each other, we tell...
00:13:24.60\00:13:27.80
I bet I'm the only one here
00:13:27.80\00:13:28.84
that told the Polish
joke growing up, right?
00:13:28.84\00:13:34.74
I see a lot of confessions
out there happening right now.
00:13:34.74\00:13:38.88
And, what we had jokes about?
00:13:38.88\00:13:40.32
They would tell Jewish jokes,
00:13:40.32\00:13:41.32
I'm Jewish, and they
would tell Italian jokes,
00:13:41.32\00:13:43.18
and we would all
tease and joke each other,
00:13:43.18\00:13:44.89
but we all loved each other
and kind of worked together
00:13:44.89\00:13:46.55
once we were in the classroom,
00:13:46.55\00:13:47.59
when we went out
to play in tetherball,
00:13:47.59\00:13:49.76
which is illegal now,
00:13:49.76\00:13:50.99
and all the other
things that we did,
00:13:50.99\00:13:52.46
but we would get along.
00:13:52.46\00:13:53.63
It wasn't till I
got out of New York,
00:13:53.63\00:13:55.06
I realized that racism really
was a problem in some places.
00:13:55.06\00:13:59.50
Well, it was a
real problem in Asia
00:13:59.50\00:14:01.97
between the
Jews and the Gentiles
00:14:01.97\00:14:03.51
because there
were hundreds of years.
00:14:03.51\00:14:07.64
The Jews felt like we
are the chosen people,
00:14:07.64\00:14:09.74
we're better than everyone else,
00:14:09.74\00:14:11.11
the Gentiles are dogs,
they're dirty, they're unclean.
00:14:11.11\00:14:15.92
Do not even let the shadow
of a Samaritan fall upon you.
00:14:15.92\00:14:22.02
And Samaritans
were kind of half Jews.
00:14:22.02\00:14:23.69
I mean, it was really bad
if you were a pure Gentile.
00:14:23.69\00:14:26.96
And so these were
some deep seeded problems
00:14:26.96\00:14:29.93
that the early
church had to overcome
00:14:29.93\00:14:31.40
because it wasn't
long after Christ,
00:14:31.40\00:14:34.57
before there
were now more Gentiles
00:14:34.57\00:14:37.21
believing in Jesus than Jews.
00:14:37.21\00:14:39.77
And the Jews began to
feel really threatened.
00:14:39.77\00:14:44.25
Do you see that in
North America a little bit?
00:14:44.25\00:14:47.85
When the voter guide
00:14:47.85\00:14:50.69
used to always be
printed in English.
00:14:50.69\00:14:53.72
And then because there were
00:14:53.72\00:14:54.82
so many Spanish
speakers in the country,
00:14:54.82\00:14:57.33
they started
printing it in Spanish.
00:14:57.33\00:15:00.06
And some of the English
only speakers were saying,
00:15:00.06\00:15:02.96
"Well, they ought
to learn English."
00:15:02.96\00:15:06.07
And now you'll
find the voter guide
00:15:06.07\00:15:07.87
is in Chinese as well.
00:15:07.87\00:15:11.74
And this is a real
threat to people who thought,
00:15:11.74\00:15:16.85
"Isn't this an
English speaking country?"
00:15:16.85\00:15:19.98
I'm just trying to make
what they're going through back
00:15:19.98\00:15:21.68
then relevant for today.
00:15:21.68\00:15:24.82
Humanity hasn't changed much.
00:15:24.82\00:15:26.32
Amen.
00:15:26.32\00:15:28.16
All right, let's get
back to the Book of Ephesians.
00:15:28.16\00:15:30.06
So I just wanted to
give you the background
00:15:30.06\00:15:32.79
for what some of
the issues were that
00:15:32.79\00:15:34.36
they were grappling with.
00:15:34.36\00:15:36.43
Ephesians 1, now
I'm going to read...
00:15:36.43\00:15:39.40
Let's see if I'm
going to find my notes here.
00:15:39.40\00:15:41.87
I'm going to read verses 1-14.
00:15:41.87\00:15:45.74
This is a section where it
talks about redemption in...
00:15:45.74\00:15:50.91
Blessings in Christ,
and redemption in Christ.
00:15:50.91\00:15:53.75
"Paul, an
apostle of Jesus Christ
00:15:53.75\00:15:55.62
by the will of God,
00:15:55.62\00:15:56.69
to the saints
that are in Ephesus,
00:15:56.69\00:15:58.02
and to the
faithful in Christ Jesus:
00:15:58.02\00:16:00.86
Grace to you and peace from God,
00:16:00.86\00:16:02.89
our Father, and from
the Lord, Jesus Christ.
00:16:02.89\00:16:05.43
Blessed be the God
00:16:05.43\00:16:06.70
and Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ,
00:16:06.70\00:16:08.50
who has blessed us with
every spiritual blessing
00:16:08.50\00:16:10.93
in the heavenly
places in Christ,
00:16:10.93\00:16:13.00
just as He chose us in Him
00:16:13.00\00:16:15.17
before the
foundation of the world,
00:16:15.17\00:16:17.17
that we should be holy
and without blame before Him,"
00:16:17.17\00:16:20.64
Now a lot of people
turn to the Book of Ephesians
00:16:20.64\00:16:23.31
to try to prove a Calvinistic
view of predestination.
00:16:23.31\00:16:27.62
The Book of Ephesians
does talk about predestination,
00:16:27.62\00:16:31.15
but it's not that
kind of predestination
00:16:31.15\00:16:34.09
that God chose ahead of time
00:16:34.09\00:16:35.59
who would be saved
and who would be lost.
00:16:35.59\00:16:37.69
So I'll read a
little bit, I'll explain,
00:16:37.69\00:16:39.33
but you'll see
the language here.
00:16:39.33\00:16:42.03
Then it says, "He chose us
from the foundation of world,"
00:16:42.03\00:16:44.13
sounds like predestined,
"that we should be holy
00:16:44.13\00:16:47.17
and without blame
before Him in love,
00:16:47.17\00:16:49.57
having predestined us
00:16:49.57\00:16:51.11
to adoption as sons by
Jesus Christ to Himself,
00:16:51.11\00:16:55.31
according to the
good pleasure of His will,
00:16:55.31\00:16:57.68
to the praise and to
the glory of His grace,
00:16:57.68\00:16:59.78
by which He made us
accepted in the Beloved.
00:16:59.78\00:17:03.59
In Him we have
redemption through His blood,
00:17:03.59\00:17:06.29
the forgiveness of our sins,
00:17:06.29\00:17:07.82
according to the
riches of His grace
00:17:07.82\00:17:09.86
which He made
to abound toward us
00:17:09.86\00:17:11.63
in all wisdom and prudence,
00:17:11.63\00:17:13.56
having made known to us
the mystery of His will,
00:17:13.56\00:17:16.36
according to His good pleasure
which He purposed in Himself,
00:17:16.36\00:17:20.40
in that dispensation
of the fullness of times
00:17:20.40\00:17:23.00
that He might
gather together..."
00:17:23.00\00:17:24.44
And I read all that to
get to this one sentence.
00:17:24.44\00:17:27.18
"That He might
gather together in one
00:17:27.18\00:17:31.08
all things in Christ,
00:17:31.08\00:17:33.28
both which are in heaven
and which are on earth, in Him.
00:17:33.28\00:17:36.72
In Him also we have
obtained an inheritance,
00:17:36.72\00:17:38.95
being predestined..."
00:17:38.95\00:17:40.12
There's that word again.
00:17:40.12\00:17:42.22
"According to
the purpose of Him,
00:17:42.22\00:17:44.13
who works all things according
to the counsel of His will,
00:17:44.13\00:17:47.73
that we who
first trusted in Christ
00:17:47.73\00:17:50.13
should be to the
praise of His glory.
00:17:50.13\00:17:52.40
In Him you also..."
00:17:52.40\00:17:54.04
All right, that's the key.
00:17:54.04\00:17:56.30
Paul says, "We,
who first trusted,"
00:17:56.30\00:17:58.71
talking about the Jews.
00:17:58.71\00:18:00.71
And then he says,
"In him, you also..."
00:18:00.71\00:18:02.94
Who is he talking about now?
00:18:02.94\00:18:04.81
The Gentiles, saying,
"We have all been called."
00:18:04.81\00:18:08.18
God predestined before
the foundation of the world
00:18:08.18\00:18:11.92
that through Jesus
all people could be saved,
00:18:11.92\00:18:15.89
Jew and Gentile.
00:18:15.89\00:18:17.73
Now do you realize, there's only
00:18:17.73\00:18:18.83
two kinds of
people in the world,
00:18:18.83\00:18:22.13
male and female.
00:18:22.13\00:18:24.63
Everybody fits into
one of those categories.
00:18:24.63\00:18:27.37
From the Jewish mind,
00:18:27.37\00:18:28.47
there's still only two
kinds of people in the world,
00:18:28.47\00:18:31.51
Jew and Gentile.
00:18:31.51\00:18:32.84
If you're not a Jew,
00:18:32.84\00:18:33.94
you've only got one other option
00:18:33.94\00:18:35.01
if you're a
person, you're Gentile.
00:18:35.01\00:18:37.98
And if you're not a
Gentile, you're Jew.
00:18:37.98\00:18:41.08
And so what Paul is saying...
00:18:41.08\00:18:42.85
I want to make you
sure that you understand
00:18:42.85\00:18:44.92
that this was all
encompassing for them.
00:18:44.92\00:18:46.82
He's saying, "We were chosen,
00:18:46.82\00:18:48.92
and you were chosen
that we all might be one."
00:18:48.92\00:18:52.29
So when he's talking about
predestination in Ephesians,
00:18:52.29\00:18:54.93
he's not talking
about individuals
00:18:54.93\00:18:57.43
that were
predestined to be saved
00:18:57.43\00:18:59.20
and others not
chosen to be saved.
00:18:59.20\00:19:02.47
He's talking about
God had predetermined
00:19:02.47\00:19:04.84
that all should be saved in one.
00:19:04.84\00:19:08.58
That's why God says,
"The Lord is not willing
00:19:08.58\00:19:10.85
that any should perish."
00:19:10.85\00:19:12.75
God never predestined
some people to be lost.
00:19:12.75\00:19:16.38
And so some have
misunderstood this,
00:19:16.38\00:19:18.65
and they think
the predestination
00:19:18.65\00:19:19.85
he's talking about
is the Calvinistic view,
00:19:19.85\00:19:23.59
once saved, always
saved sort of thing.
00:19:23.59\00:19:25.93
All right, so there was
a commentary in my notes.
00:19:25.93\00:19:29.90
It said, "The Jews considered
themselves an elector,
00:19:29.90\00:19:32.30
chosen people,
00:19:32.30\00:19:33.37
and wish to
monopolize the Divine love.
00:19:33.37\00:19:36.30
The Apostle here shows
that God had the Gentiles
00:19:36.30\00:19:40.38
as much in contemplation
of His mercy and goodness
00:19:40.38\00:19:43.78
as He had the Jews."
00:19:43.78\00:19:44.81
That's actually a
comment I believe from Matthew.
00:19:44.81\00:19:47.98
I'm sorry, from
Adam Clarke's commentary.
00:19:47.98\00:19:51.05
God having determined to bring
00:19:51.05\00:19:52.32
both Jew and
Gentile to salvation,
00:19:52.32\00:19:54.89
not by works, nor
by any human means,
00:19:54.89\00:19:58.53
but by Jesus Christ.
00:19:58.53\00:19:59.59
That's another important point.
00:19:59.59\00:20:00.73
Have you ever
heard people saying,
00:20:00.73\00:20:03.30
"In the old dispensation,
00:20:03.30\00:20:04.83
the Jews were saved
by works and the law,
00:20:04.83\00:20:07.57
in the new dispensation,
00:20:07.57\00:20:08.74
we are saved by
grace and faith."
00:20:08.74\00:20:12.21
That is baloney.
00:20:12.21\00:20:13.41
A theological term
for that is baloney.
00:20:13.41\00:20:16.54
In our church, it
would be veggie baloney,
00:20:16.54\00:20:18.75
but it's baloney either way.
00:20:18.75\00:20:20.25
It's just not true.
00:20:20.25\00:20:22.05
God did not see people in
the Old Testament by works
00:20:22.05\00:20:25.79
and us now by faith.
00:20:25.79\00:20:27.42
Everybody is saved
by Jesus through faith,
00:20:27.42\00:20:30.79
not of works.
00:20:30.79\00:20:31.83
Abraham believed God,
00:20:31.83\00:20:33.16
and it was counted to
him for righteousness.
00:20:33.16\00:20:34.83
So was Abraham
saved by works or faith?
00:20:34.83\00:20:37.30
Faith.
00:20:37.30\00:20:38.40
But if you have faith, it
will be seen in your works.
00:20:38.40\00:20:42.50
Is that just true for
Jews or for Gentiles too?
00:20:42.50\00:20:45.34
It's for everybody.
00:20:45.34\00:20:46.41
So, you know, whenever I
hear people say that God,
00:20:46.41\00:20:49.08
you know, it's almost
like I've heard them say,
00:20:49.08\00:20:51.58
"Well, God give
the Ten Commandments
00:20:51.58\00:20:52.81
to the Jews to prove
His law can't be kept,
00:20:52.81\00:20:55.55
so now we're
saved just by faith,
00:20:55.55\00:20:57.59
we don't have to keep the law."
00:20:57.59\00:20:59.62
You mean, God just gave
them an impossible task,
00:20:59.62\00:21:01.82
and then punish
them for not doing it?
00:21:01.82\00:21:05.16
Isn't what that would mean
00:21:05.16\00:21:06.96
that He gave them
an impossible task,
00:21:06.96\00:21:08.63
and said, "You couldn't do it.
00:21:08.63\00:21:09.80
I'm going to punish
you for not doing it,
00:21:09.80\00:21:11.03
but I knew you couldn't do it."
00:21:11.03\00:21:13.67
What father will do that?
00:21:13.67\00:21:15.07
That's cruel.
00:21:15.07\00:21:16.27
If you tell your child,
00:21:16.27\00:21:17.47
"You need to
jump up on this step."
00:21:17.47\00:21:18.87
And they say, "I'm
trying, I can't reach it."
00:21:18.87\00:21:20.34
And then he
beats him for doing it.
00:21:20.34\00:21:22.94
That's really
what they're saying.
00:21:22.94\00:21:24.71
Okay.
00:21:24.71\00:21:25.78
"In whom, having believed,"
notice I'm in verse 12 now,
00:21:29.35\00:21:33.66
"that he, who
first trusted in Christ,
00:21:33.66\00:21:36.39
should be to the
praise of His glory.
00:21:36.39\00:21:38.39
In Him you also,
Gentile, trusted,
00:21:38.39\00:21:41.86
after you heard
the word of truth,
00:21:41.86\00:21:43.73
the gospel of your salvation,
in whom also, having believed,
00:21:43.73\00:21:48.84
you were sealed
00:21:48.84\00:21:49.90
with the Holy
Spirit of promise."
00:21:49.90\00:21:52.14
Was it only 120
Jews at Pentecost
00:21:52.14\00:21:55.38
or 3,000 at Pentecost or 5,000.
00:21:55.38\00:21:57.98
After Pentecost, all
Jews received the Holy Spirit?
00:21:57.98\00:22:01.22
Or do we see that
Paul goes up in the Asia,
00:22:01.22\00:22:03.25
and Gentiles
received the Holy Spirit too.
00:22:03.25\00:22:06.55
Isn't that right?
00:22:06.55\00:22:07.59
How many of you remember.
00:22:07.59\00:22:08.79
It's interesting,
Philip is preaching in Samaria,
00:22:08.79\00:22:12.56
and people
wanted to get baptized.
00:22:12.56\00:22:14.96
So Philip calls
Peter and John to come up,
00:22:14.96\00:22:19.23
and they baptized them,
00:22:19.23\00:22:21.34
and they laid hands on them
00:22:21.34\00:22:22.50
that they should
receive the Holy Spirit.
00:22:22.50\00:22:25.21
You notice that happening again?
00:22:25.21\00:22:26.47
Baptize, laying on of hands
00:22:26.47\00:22:28.61
that they should
receive the Holy Spirit,
00:22:28.61\00:22:29.84
so it's interesting.
00:22:29.84\00:22:31.98
God tells the apostles,
00:22:31.98\00:22:33.52
"You're going to be
my witnesses in Judea,"
00:22:33.52\00:22:36.18
I'm sorry, "in
Jerusalem, in Judea, in Samaria,
00:22:36.18\00:22:40.99
and the uttermost
parts of the earth.
00:22:40.99\00:22:42.76
Now follow the history of Acts.
00:22:42.76\00:22:44.43
Holy Spirit is
poured out in Jerusalem,
00:22:44.43\00:22:47.13
then they go up
preaching in Judea,
00:22:47.13\00:22:49.93
then they go out to Samaria.
00:22:49.93\00:22:52.67
And about that time,
there's a great persecution
00:22:52.67\00:22:54.70
because of the
conversion of Paul,
00:22:54.70\00:22:56.00
the stoning of Stephen.
00:22:56.00\00:22:58.11
And they're scattered, it says,
00:22:58.11\00:22:59.27
"Everywhere
preaching the gospel."
00:22:59.27\00:23:01.38
And the gospel
goes to the Gentile
00:23:01.38\00:23:03.45
immediately after
the conversion of Paul.
00:23:03.45\00:23:05.81
And actually the
stoning of Stephen,
00:23:05.81\00:23:07.95
which then led to
the conversion of Paul,
00:23:07.95\00:23:10.02
exactly what Jesus said
00:23:10.02\00:23:11.65
the sequence would be is the way
00:23:11.65\00:23:14.12
that it plays out in the Bible.
00:23:14.12\00:23:16.86
So...
00:23:16.86\00:23:18.53
All right, moving along here,
00:23:18.53\00:23:19.59
he says, "You
received the Holy Spirit
00:23:19.59\00:23:21.50
by which you were sealed."
00:23:21.50\00:23:24.47
What is the seal of God?
00:23:24.47\00:23:25.60
Well, if you
look in Isaiah 8:16,
00:23:29.34\00:23:33.07
"Bind up the testimony,
00:23:33.07\00:23:34.68
seal the law...
00:23:34.68\00:23:38.28
among my disciples."
00:23:38.28\00:23:42.18
Does somebody have the
law sealed in their heart
00:23:42.18\00:23:44.82
without the Holy Spirit?
00:23:44.82\00:23:48.36
Everybody that has the
law sealed in their heart
00:23:48.36\00:23:51.09
must have the Holy Spirit.
00:23:51.09\00:23:55.16
What is the mark of the beast?
00:23:55.16\00:23:58.73
Mark of the beast,
first and foremost,
00:23:58.73\00:24:00.14
is the spirit of the devil.
00:24:00.14\00:24:03.44
Would you agree that everybody
00:24:03.44\00:24:04.54
that has a mark of the
beast is a spirit of the devil?
00:24:04.54\00:24:08.11
"You don't have God's Spirit,"
00:24:08.11\00:24:09.18
Jesus said, "You
got another spirit."
00:24:09.18\00:24:11.21
Said, "You're of
your father, the devil."
00:24:11.21\00:24:13.42
All right, but there's
something more specific about
00:24:13.42\00:24:15.72
what that mark is.
00:24:15.72\00:24:17.02
It means you're
obeying the laws of the devil
00:24:17.02\00:24:19.52
instead of the laws of God.
00:24:19.52\00:24:21.12
What is the seal of God?
00:24:21.12\00:24:23.22
Holy Spirit.
00:24:23.22\00:24:25.26
First and foremost,
it's the Holy Spirit.
00:24:25.26\00:24:27.86
Isn't that right?
00:24:27.86\00:24:29.40
Then it is seen by a surrender
in giving your lives to God
00:24:29.40\00:24:33.80
and keeping His commandments.
00:24:33.80\00:24:34.94
And in the middle of God's
law, He's got one commandment
00:24:34.94\00:24:36.94
that begins with the word holy
or at least begin with a word.
00:24:36.94\00:24:40.21
It's got the word holy in it,
begins with the word remember.
00:24:40.21\00:24:43.55
And it's one of the
most important commandments
00:24:43.55\00:24:46.01
'cause it has
to do with worship,
00:24:46.01\00:24:47.75
giving God your time.
00:24:47.75\00:24:49.78
And so you have the Sabbath
00:24:49.78\00:24:50.79
is a special seal that
is seen among His people.
00:24:50.79\00:24:53.96
But are there Sabbath keepers
00:24:53.96\00:24:55.56
that don't have the Holy Spirit?
00:24:55.56\00:24:59.09
The people who crucified Jesus,
did they keep the Sabbath?
00:24:59.09\00:25:03.73
They actually
wanted Him killed quicker,
00:25:03.73\00:25:04.97
so they could run home
from crucifying the Messiah
00:25:04.97\00:25:07.50
and keep the Sabbath.
00:25:07.50\00:25:09.77
And isn't there an irony there?
00:25:09.77\00:25:11.21
Is that going to save them?
00:25:11.21\00:25:13.54
So if you are a Sabbath keeper,
00:25:13.54\00:25:15.14
but you are not
filled with the Holy Spirit,
00:25:15.14\00:25:17.05
will that save you?
00:25:17.05\00:25:19.08
No.
00:25:19.08\00:25:20.25
He says, "So you're sealed
00:25:20.25\00:25:22.08
with the Holy Spirit of promise,
00:25:22.08\00:25:24.92
who is the
guarantee of our inheritance,"
00:25:24.92\00:25:27.19
the Bible says, "Grieve not."
00:25:27.19\00:25:28.79
It's also in the
Book of Ephesians 2,
00:25:28.79\00:25:30.93
"Grieve not, the
Holy Spirit were with you
00:25:30.93\00:25:32.89
are sealed for the
day of redemption."
00:25:32.89\00:25:36.87
So when the disciples received
the Holy Spirit at Pentecost,
00:25:36.87\00:25:42.50
that was a guarantee
that they had then...
00:25:42.50\00:25:44.51
They were saved.
00:25:44.51\00:25:46.14
And when they were baptized,
00:25:46.14\00:25:47.48
and they prayed
for the Holy Spirit,
00:25:47.48\00:25:48.51
they were saved.
00:25:48.51\00:25:49.64
Jesus said, "Unless you're
born of the water and," what?
00:25:49.64\00:25:53.01
"The Spirit."
00:25:53.01\00:25:54.42
See for the disciples,
00:25:54.42\00:25:56.32
it wasn't like
modern evangelists,
00:25:56.32\00:25:57.75
where you just see
how many you can dunk,
00:25:57.75\00:25:59.15
and then write down a number,
and send it to the conference,
00:25:59.15\00:26:01.12
and say, "Look, how
many baptisms we have."
00:26:01.12\00:26:03.86
God wants to know...
00:26:03.86\00:26:04.93
Yeah, but were
they spirit filled too?
00:26:04.93\00:26:07.40
You got to be born of the
water and born of the spirit.
00:26:07.40\00:26:09.40
So the early
church, Paul is saying...
00:26:09.40\00:26:11.47
What makes us one?
00:26:11.47\00:26:13.54
One Lord, one
faith, one baptism.
00:26:13.54\00:26:17.71
One baptism in water, one
baptism in spirit or both.
00:26:17.71\00:26:22.24
We're made one
through the Holy Spirit.
00:26:22.24\00:26:25.55
Someone's going to read for me
Galatians 4:7 just in a moment.
00:26:25.55\00:26:29.52
And in the meantime, I'm
going to read Acts 11:15.
00:26:29.52\00:26:33.32
Paul said, "And
as I begin to speak,
00:26:33.32\00:26:35.19
the Holy Spirit fell on them
as upon us at the beginning."
00:26:35.19\00:26:39.49
That's actually Peter, sorry.
00:26:39.49\00:26:41.76
Peter's recounting
00:26:41.76\00:26:43.43
when the Holy
Spirit fell on Cornelius
00:26:43.43\00:26:45.80
and his household,
and notice what he says,
00:26:45.80\00:26:47.47
Cornelius, he's not a Samaritan,
00:26:47.47\00:26:49.50
he's not a half
Jew, he's 100% Gentile.
00:26:49.50\00:26:52.97
He's from the Italian regiment,
he's Italian, he's a Roman.
00:26:52.97\00:26:59.55
These are the
people who crucified Jesus.
00:26:59.55\00:27:01.65
What? They're
going to join the church?
00:27:01.65\00:27:04.29
Can you understand Peter's
confusion about all this?
00:27:04.29\00:27:07.59
But when he relates it
to the church in Acts 11,
00:27:07.59\00:27:09.52
he says, "I began to preach,
the Holy Spirit fell upon them,
00:27:09.52\00:27:14.30
as on us at the beginning.
00:27:14.30\00:27:16.20
It fell on the Gentiles
the same way it fell on us.
00:27:16.20\00:27:19.97
Then I remembered
the word of the Lord
00:27:19.97\00:27:21.67
how he said, 'John,
indeed baptized you with water,
00:27:21.67\00:27:24.64
but you will be
baptized with the Holy Spirit.'
00:27:24.64\00:27:27.54
If, therefore, God gave them
the same gift as He's given us
00:27:27.54\00:27:32.21
when we believed on
the Lord Jesus Christ,
00:27:32.21\00:27:34.52
who was I that I
could withstand God?"
00:27:34.52\00:27:37.05
So what kind of gift
did the Gentiles get?
00:27:37.05\00:27:39.69
Same gift as the Jews got.
00:27:39.69\00:27:41.86
All right, please
read for us your verse.
00:27:41.86\00:27:44.33
Galatians 4:7, "Therefore
you are no longer a slave
00:27:44.33\00:27:49.80
but a son, and if a son,
00:27:49.80\00:27:52.73
then an heir of
God through Christ."
00:27:52.73\00:27:56.20
Amen.
00:27:56.20\00:27:57.31
It tells us in Ephesians,
00:27:57.31\00:27:58.44
we're one Lord,
one faith, one baptism,
00:27:58.44\00:28:00.68
and the Bible
also says one family.
00:28:00.68\00:28:04.18
We're baptized into one family.
00:28:04.18\00:28:07.05
I like it when, in church,
00:28:07.05\00:28:08.85
we call each other
brother and sister.
00:28:08.85\00:28:11.82
And when our kids were
growing up in a small church,
00:28:11.82\00:28:14.99
we attended, we told
them to call everybody,
00:28:14.99\00:28:18.29
you know, it always sounds weird
00:28:18.29\00:28:19.69
when you hear a little kid
calling an adult, "Hey, Bill."
00:28:19.69\00:28:23.10
They always should be
like Mr. Smith or something.
00:28:23.10\00:28:25.47
So we would tell
them to call them
00:28:25.47\00:28:27.37
Uncle Joe or Uncle
Bill or Aunt Seine.
00:28:27.37\00:28:32.17
And, you know, when
everyone came to church,
00:28:32.17\00:28:34.91
visitors would say, "Oh,
he's got a big family here."
00:28:34.91\00:28:38.78
So that's right,
we're all related.
00:28:38.78\00:28:42.45
You want to do that here?
00:28:42.45\00:28:44.12
That'd be good,
let's teach our kids
00:28:44.12\00:28:45.32
to call each
other uncle and aunt,
00:28:45.32\00:28:46.82
or grandma and
grandpa, or something like that.
00:28:46.82\00:28:50.26
But I see that in
some countries I visit,
00:28:50.26\00:28:52.09
they call everybody auntie.
00:28:52.09\00:28:55.63
Yeah, the Filipinos,
they always say auntie or ma.
00:28:55.63\00:28:58.30
Yeah, it's all family.
00:28:58.30\00:29:00.60
That's right, I like that.
00:29:00.60\00:29:02.70
So we're one family.
00:29:02.70\00:29:04.04
We're united as servants.
00:29:04.04\00:29:05.37
Look in Matthew 20:25.
00:29:05.37\00:29:09.04
"But Jesus called them
and He said to Himself,
00:29:09.04\00:29:11.61
"You know the
rulers of the Gentiles
00:29:11.61\00:29:12.95
lorded over them,
00:29:12.95\00:29:14.05
and those who are great,
exercise authority over them.
00:29:14.05\00:29:16.92
Yet it will not be so among you,
00:29:16.92\00:29:18.29
but he who desires to
become great among you,
00:29:18.29\00:29:20.56
let him be your servant.
00:29:20.56\00:29:22.26
And whoever desires
to be first among you,
00:29:22.26\00:29:23.93
let him be your slave,
00:29:23.93\00:29:24.96
just as the Son of man
did not come to be served,
00:29:24.96\00:29:28.36
but to serve,
00:29:28.36\00:29:29.73
and He give His life
for ransom for many."
00:29:29.73\00:29:32.50
You know, among the Gentiles,
00:29:32.50\00:29:33.67
they had, kind of
like, this class separation.
00:29:33.67\00:29:36.47
You had the rich,
and you had the slaves.
00:29:36.47\00:29:39.17
Jesus said, "It's not going
to be that way in the church,
00:29:39.17\00:29:40.88
you are all servants."
00:29:40.88\00:29:42.98
We're all on an
equal playing field.
00:29:42.98\00:29:45.41
Amen.
00:29:45.41\00:29:47.28
All right, let's go
to the next section here,
00:29:47.28\00:29:49.12
breaking on the wall.
00:29:49.12\00:29:50.32
Go to Ephesians 2.
00:29:50.32\00:29:52.95
We'll start with verse 11.
00:29:52.95\00:29:54.22
As I said, we don't have time
to read through the whole book.
00:29:54.22\00:29:57.29
Ephesians 2:11,
00:29:57.29\00:29:59.19
"Therefore remember
00:29:59.19\00:30:00.26
that you were once
Gentiles in the flesh,"
00:30:00.26\00:30:02.53
clear enough what
He's talking about now,
00:30:02.53\00:30:04.90
"who were called
the uncircumcision
00:30:04.90\00:30:07.14
by what is called
the circumcision,"
00:30:07.14\00:30:08.47
The Jews called
you the uncircumcision,
00:30:08.47\00:30:11.34
"made in the flesh by hands
00:30:11.34\00:30:13.58
that at that time
you were without Christ,
00:30:13.58\00:30:15.44
being aliens from the
commonwealth of Israel
00:30:15.44\00:30:17.98
and strangers from
the covenants of promise,
00:30:17.98\00:30:20.52
having no hope and
without God in the world."
00:30:20.52\00:30:22.48
Before you were
adopted and brought in,
00:30:22.48\00:30:25.22
you were without hope
and without God in the world.
00:30:25.22\00:30:27.99
"But now in Christ
Jesus, you were one so far off,
00:30:27.99\00:30:32.46
have been brought near
by the blood of Christ."
00:30:32.46\00:30:34.56
So what makes us one?
00:30:34.56\00:30:35.96
What's one of the keys?
00:30:35.96\00:30:38.43
That's right.
00:30:38.43\00:30:39.63
You know, one of the things
I think that explodes racism,
00:30:39.63\00:30:44.47
the Bible says, "God has
made of one blood, all nations."
00:30:44.47\00:30:50.25
And I had to fill
out a form last week,
00:30:50.25\00:30:52.78
and it has on
there, "What is your race?"
00:30:52.78\00:30:55.62
I would resent
that a little bit.
00:30:55.62\00:30:57.62
I did DNA test, and
I'm sort of a hodgepodge,
00:30:57.62\00:31:00.06
but I guess I'm
principally white.
00:31:00.06\00:31:02.46
That so I put that down.
00:31:02.46\00:31:04.99
But it occurred to me,
there's a lot of white people,
00:31:04.99\00:31:06.80
if I went to the hospital,
00:31:06.80\00:31:07.96
they give me a
blood transfusion,
00:31:07.96\00:31:09.16
it won't work
00:31:09.16\00:31:10.20
because they've got
the wrong blood type.
00:31:10.20\00:31:12.67
And yet there are a lot of
00:31:12.67\00:31:13.74
Spanish people or black people
00:31:13.74\00:31:15.47
who have the
same blood type as me,
00:31:15.47\00:31:17.87
and their blood would save me.
00:31:17.87\00:31:19.47
What matters is the blood type.
00:31:19.47\00:31:22.31
When you become a Christian,
we all get O positive,
00:31:22.31\00:31:28.52
you know, I should call
J positive blood, right?
00:31:28.52\00:31:32.79
We become of one blood.
00:31:32.79\00:31:35.42
Amen.
00:31:35.42\00:31:36.96
"But now in Christ
you who once were far off
00:31:36.96\00:31:39.26
have been brought near
by the blood of Christ.
00:31:39.26\00:31:41.90
For He Himself is our
peace, who has made both one,"
00:31:41.90\00:31:47.67
Jew and Gentile,
whatever your race,
00:31:47.67\00:31:50.21
He's made both one.
00:31:50.21\00:31:51.81
"He has broken down the
middle wall of separation,
00:31:51.81\00:31:56.44
having abolished in His flesh."
00:31:56.44\00:31:58.45
Now what is that wall?
People have all kind of argued.
00:31:58.45\00:32:00.95
What's the wall
that Jesus broke down?
00:32:00.95\00:32:03.25
In the Jewish temple,
00:32:07.02\00:32:09.66
they actually had a
wall that separated...
00:32:09.66\00:32:12.03
There was a place
where Gentiles could come.
00:32:12.03\00:32:14.63
But the Gentiles could not come
inside the place for the men.
00:32:14.63\00:32:19.40
How many of you remember
00:32:19.40\00:32:20.87
Paul was accused
of bringing a Gentile
00:32:20.87\00:32:23.20
into the Jewish court?
00:32:23.20\00:32:25.67
And they nearly
tore him limb from limb.
00:32:25.67\00:32:28.94
But now, in Christ,
00:32:28.94\00:32:30.31
that wall of separation
00:32:30.31\00:32:31.71
between Jew and
Gentile is broken down.
00:32:31.71\00:32:33.62
Others have argued,
00:32:33.62\00:32:34.75
it's talking about this
veil that separates us from God
00:32:34.75\00:32:37.45
that was in the temple.
00:32:37.45\00:32:39.22
But now we have access directly
to the Father through Christ.
00:32:39.22\00:32:43.26
I think, here He
may be talking about
00:32:43.26\00:32:44.49
the wall of
separation in the courtyard.
00:32:44.49\00:32:46.90
But through Jesus,
there's no wall anymore.
00:32:46.90\00:32:50.17
He says, "So to
create in Himself,"
00:32:50.17\00:32:52.97
I'm still in verse 15,
00:32:52.97\00:32:54.04
"Having abolished in
His flesh the enmity,
00:32:54.04\00:32:57.54
that is, the law of commandments
00:32:57.54\00:32:58.81
contained in ordinances,
00:32:58.81\00:33:00.78
so as to create in Himself
one new man from the two,"
00:33:00.78\00:33:05.98
the Jew and the Gentile,
whatever your background is,
00:33:05.98\00:33:08.15
we are made one
people, thus making peace,
00:33:08.15\00:33:12.19
and that He might
reconcile them both to God
00:33:12.19\00:33:15.29
in one body through the cross,
00:33:15.29\00:33:18.73
thereby putting
to death the enmity,"
00:33:18.73\00:33:20.96
the animosity, the separation.
00:33:20.96\00:33:22.50
You know, where you
find that word, "enmity?"
00:33:22.50\00:33:25.03
It says, "There'd be enmity
00:33:25.03\00:33:26.07
between the
dragon and the woman."
00:33:26.07\00:33:28.50
Right there in Genesis, a
separation, a polarization.
00:33:28.50\00:33:32.84
But the polarization
between Jew and Gentile
00:33:32.84\00:33:35.21
does not exist anymore in Jesus.
00:33:35.21\00:33:37.75
We become one family, one faith.
00:33:37.75\00:33:39.78
Amen.
00:33:39.78\00:33:41.72
"Bringing them both to God
in one body through the cross."
00:33:41.72\00:33:45.35
So that's one of the
keys, it's through the cross.
00:33:45.35\00:33:48.72
You know, there is a
simple law of life that...
00:33:48.72\00:33:51.56
As two people move
towards a common object,
00:33:51.56\00:33:55.70
they will inevitably be
moving towards each other.
00:33:55.70\00:34:00.17
So if you decide to
go to the South Pole,
00:34:00.17\00:34:02.60
and I decide to
go to the South Pole,
00:34:02.60\00:34:04.31
it doesn't matter
where in the world you are,
00:34:04.31\00:34:05.94
as we both decide to
go to the South Pole,
00:34:05.94\00:34:07.91
we will eventually be coming
closer together over time,
00:34:07.91\00:34:11.21
is that right?
00:34:11.21\00:34:13.55
And if you decide to
move towards the cross
00:34:13.55\00:34:16.55
and be like Christ,
00:34:16.55\00:34:18.55
and your spouse decides
00:34:18.55\00:34:20.09
they want to
move towards the cross
00:34:20.09\00:34:21.32
and be like Christ,
00:34:21.32\00:34:22.39
what happens to
the husband and wife?
00:34:22.39\00:34:25.13
They end up
getting closer together.
00:34:25.13\00:34:28.13
If members in the
church that may be at odds
00:34:28.13\00:34:31.00
because of some family feud
00:34:31.00\00:34:32.37
or some division
or whatever it is,
00:34:32.37\00:34:33.84
if they are both determined
to be more like Jesus,
00:34:33.84\00:34:37.14
what happens to those families
that might have been feuding?
00:34:37.14\00:34:40.54
They'll start coming together.
00:34:40.54\00:34:42.81
As we all fix our eyes on Jesus,
00:34:42.81\00:34:45.61
the author and
finisher of our faith,
00:34:45.61\00:34:47.45
and we move
towards that common goal,
00:34:47.45\00:34:50.39
we will be moving
towards each other.
00:34:50.39\00:34:52.12
So what's the key to
unity? You know, lift up Christ.
00:34:52.12\00:34:55.59
Christ said, "If I am lifted up,
00:34:55.59\00:34:56.69
I will draw all men to myself.
00:34:56.69\00:34:58.93
And what happens to those people
00:34:58.93\00:35:00.10
that are drawn to Christ.
00:35:00.10\00:35:01.86
They will inevitably be drawn
to each other in the process,
00:35:01.86\00:35:06.33
And I know it
sounds very simple,
00:35:06.33\00:35:07.40
but it really is simple.
00:35:07.40\00:35:10.01
"Thereby putting
to death the enmity,
00:35:10.01\00:35:12.14
He came and He preached,"
I'm in Ephesians 2:17.
00:35:12.14\00:35:15.51
"He came and He preached to you
00:35:15.51\00:35:17.68
who were far off and
to those who were near,"
00:35:17.68\00:35:20.88
the Gentiles, the
Jews, we were near,
00:35:20.88\00:35:22.95
we're both speaking peace.
00:35:22.95\00:35:24.42
"Through Him we both have
00:35:24.42\00:35:26.25
access by one
Spirit to the Father."
00:35:26.25\00:35:29.22
Equal access,
00:35:29.22\00:35:34.73
united into one spiritual house.
00:35:34.73\00:35:37.80
Now go to verse
19, Ephesians 2:19,
00:35:37.80\00:35:41.47
"You are therefore
00:35:41.47\00:35:42.54
now no longer
strangers and foreigners,
00:35:42.54\00:35:46.51
but fellow citizens."
00:35:46.51\00:35:49.68
I don't know if he's here today,
00:35:49.68\00:35:50.81
but one of our
members, couple of weeks ago,
00:35:50.81\00:35:54.85
who is originally
from Macedonia went down,
00:35:54.85\00:35:57.72
and he took the
oath, and he took the vow,
00:35:57.72\00:36:00.12
and he became an
American citizen.
00:36:00.12\00:36:03.22
And so we were able
to congratulate him.
00:36:03.22\00:36:05.86
And he can now vote, I
think, in the next election.
00:36:05.86\00:36:08.90
And so he is one of us
now, if you're an American,
00:36:08.90\00:36:12.80
that's what I mean,
you know, he's joined in.
00:36:12.80\00:36:15.14
Well, you know,
you're a separate nation
00:36:15.14\00:36:17.34
when you're Christian.
00:36:17.34\00:36:18.41
Peter says that...
00:36:18.41\00:36:20.54
Oh, that's, I don't
want to take your verse.
00:36:20.54\00:36:22.11
Tell you what? You
get ready to read that.
00:36:22.11\00:36:23.91
I'm going to read...
I'll finish Ephesians.
00:36:23.91\00:36:28.88
In Ephesians, yeah, chapter 20,
00:36:28.88\00:36:30.35
"Having been
built on the foundation
00:36:30.35\00:36:32.09
of the apostles and prophets,
00:36:32.09\00:36:33.99
Jesus Christ Himself
being the chief cornerstone,
00:36:33.99\00:36:37.13
in whom the whole building,
being fitly framed together,
00:36:37.13\00:36:40.10
grows into a holy
temple in the Lord,
00:36:40.10\00:36:43.10
in whom you also
are being built together
00:36:43.10\00:36:45.43
for a dwelling place
of God in the Spirit."
00:36:45.43\00:36:49.17
All right, go ahead,
read for us 1 Peter 2:9.
00:36:49.17\00:36:53.38
"But you are a chosen
generation, a royal priesthood,
00:36:53.38\00:36:57.31
a holy nation, His
own special people,
00:36:57.31\00:37:00.95
that you may
proclaim the praises of Him
00:37:00.95\00:37:03.45
who called you out of darkness
into His marvelous light."
00:37:03.45\00:37:07.59
So the Bible
tells us that there's...
00:37:07.59\00:37:09.29
We become part,
00:37:09.29\00:37:10.36
we're all living
stones in one building.
00:37:10.36\00:37:12.59
Matter of fact, if
you look in 1 Peter 2:4,
00:37:12.59\00:37:16.40
"Coming to Him
as a living stone,
00:37:16.40\00:37:18.00
rejected indeed by men,
00:37:18.00\00:37:19.47
but chosen by God and precious,
you also, as living stones,
00:37:19.47\00:37:23.64
are built up into
a spiritual house,
00:37:23.64\00:37:26.31
a holy priesthood,
00:37:26.31\00:37:27.84
to offer up spiritual sacrifices
00:37:27.84\00:37:29.84
acceptable to God
through Jesus Christ.
00:37:29.84\00:37:32.25
Therefore it is
contained in the scripture,
00:37:32.25\00:37:33.88
'Behold, I lay in
Zion, a chief cornerstone,
00:37:33.88\00:37:36.12
elect and precious,
00:37:36.12\00:37:37.59
and he who believes in Him
00:37:37.59\00:37:38.75
will by no means
be put to shame.'"
00:37:38.75\00:37:41.52
So Jesus said
destroy this temple
00:37:41.52\00:37:44.19
made with hands,
00:37:44.19\00:37:45.66
and in three days I
will make one without hands.
00:37:45.66\00:37:48.76
And when that confused the Jews
00:37:48.76\00:37:50.77
who were
listening, they said, "What?
00:37:50.77\00:37:52.13
It took 46 years
to build this temple,
00:37:52.13\00:37:53.60
how you're going to
raise it up in three days?"
00:37:53.60\00:37:55.90
It says, he spoke of what?
00:37:55.90\00:37:58.57
His body.
00:37:58.57\00:38:00.18
What is the church called?
00:38:00.18\00:38:02.68
Body of Christ.
00:38:02.68\00:38:04.58
And so when Jesus
said, "When I rise,
00:38:04.58\00:38:06.95
I'll be building a new temple."
00:38:06.95\00:38:08.92
What is that temple?
00:38:08.92\00:38:11.22
You.
00:38:11.22\00:38:13.02
Paul said...
00:38:13.02\00:38:14.12
Now people get confused
00:38:14.12\00:38:15.16
'cause Paul says
it two or three times.
00:38:15.16\00:38:17.19
He says, "Why don't you know
00:38:17.19\00:38:18.23
that your body is the
temple of the Holy Spirit?"
00:38:18.23\00:38:20.33
Your physical
body is like a temple,
00:38:20.33\00:38:22.70
Holy Spirit dwells in you.
00:38:22.70\00:38:23.77
But he says it another way.
00:38:23.77\00:38:25.13
Another time he
says, "Ye," collectively,
00:38:25.13\00:38:28.07
"are the temple of God."
00:38:28.07\00:38:30.41
That we together
make of difference stones
00:38:30.41\00:38:32.81
in the temple of God.
00:38:32.81\00:38:35.08
And so we're built on
the foundation of Jesus,
00:38:35.08\00:38:38.18
he is the cornerstone,
00:38:38.18\00:38:39.31
and there's a
whole sermon in the story
00:38:39.31\00:38:40.65
that goes with the
cornerstone that was rejected,
00:38:40.65\00:38:43.25
deed stacked, back
to the days of Solomon
00:38:43.25\00:38:45.45
when the masons cut
the stone in advance,
00:38:45.45\00:38:48.86
and they brought it up,
and it was an odd stone,
00:38:48.86\00:38:50.89
and they kept tripping
over and bumping into it,
00:38:50.89\00:38:52.79
and the architects
knew they needed that first.
00:38:52.79\00:38:56.70
Well, they
pushed it off the hill
00:38:56.70\00:38:58.63
because they
thought it was a menace.
00:38:58.63\00:39:00.04
And finally when they
wanted to build the corner,
00:39:00.04\00:39:02.04
they said, "Where is the stone?"
00:39:02.04\00:39:03.10
They said, "We sent it
to you a long time ago.
00:39:03.10\00:39:04.57
It was one of the
first ones from the quarry."
00:39:04.57\00:39:07.01
"Oh, that old thing
that we kept tripping over."
00:39:07.01\00:39:11.11
And that's often been
used as an analogy of Jesus
00:39:11.11\00:39:13.95
who was the cornerstone
that they stumbled over,
00:39:13.95\00:39:16.22
but he's the
foundation of everything.
00:39:16.22\00:39:20.29
And so you can read...
00:39:20.29\00:39:22.22
And that's in 2
Corinthians 6:16,
00:39:22.22\00:39:24.73
"What agreement has the
temple of God with idols,
00:39:24.73\00:39:26.96
for you are the
temple of the living God."
00:39:26.96\00:39:29.30
He's speaking to
the church collectively.
00:39:29.30\00:39:31.73
Sometimes I say you, I'm
talking about one person,
00:39:31.73\00:39:33.54
sometimes I say you, I'm
talking about y'all, right?
00:39:33.54\00:39:37.14
As they say in Texas.
00:39:37.14\00:39:38.94
And so here Paul is going
y'all are the temple of God.
00:39:38.94\00:39:43.98
And so we become
a spiritual house,
00:39:43.98\00:39:49.25
and there's a new priesthood.
00:39:49.25\00:39:52.39
And there are new garments,
it's Christ's righteousness.
00:39:52.39\00:39:58.99
You notice what
happened when Jesus died?
00:39:58.99\00:40:01.93
There was a
tearing that took place.
00:40:01.93\00:40:05.40
The high priests that
tried Christ tore his garments,
00:40:05.40\00:40:09.24
because now we
have a new priesthood.
00:40:09.24\00:40:11.71
And the Bible tells us
that when He died on the cross,
00:40:11.71\00:40:14.38
the veil in the temple was torn
00:40:14.38\00:40:16.54
because now we
have a new temple.
00:40:16.54\00:40:18.45
And so the old was passing away,
00:40:18.45\00:40:21.78
and the new was being replaced.
00:40:21.78\00:40:23.59
All right, unity in one body.
00:40:23.59\00:40:25.42
Now jump to Ephesians 4.
00:40:25.42\00:40:27.62
Ephesians 4:1, we're
going to read verses 1-3.
00:40:27.62\00:40:32.59
"I, therefore, the
prisoner of the Lord,
00:40:32.59\00:40:34.30
beseech you to walk
worthy of the calling
00:40:34.30\00:40:36.93
with which you were called,
00:40:36.93\00:40:38.50
with lowliness and
gentleness, with longsuffering,
00:40:38.50\00:40:41.57
bearing with
one another in love,
00:40:41.57\00:40:43.87
endeavoring to keep
the unity of the Spirit
00:40:43.87\00:40:47.24
in the bond of peace."
00:40:47.24\00:40:48.51
So here's one of
the keys to unity again,
00:40:48.51\00:40:50.85
did you catch it?
00:40:50.85\00:40:52.55
It's a four letter word, love.
00:40:52.55\00:40:57.02
Notice what he says here,
00:40:57.02\00:40:58.89
"Bearing one another in
the love, endeavoring..."
00:40:58.89\00:41:02.49
You know what endeavoring means?
00:41:02.49\00:41:03.63
Striving.
00:41:03.63\00:41:05.16
If it came easy, you
wouldn't need to strive.
00:41:05.16\00:41:07.30
Do we sometimes need to
strive to love each other?
00:41:07.30\00:41:11.27
The Bible says,
"Love your enemies."
00:41:11.27\00:41:14.27
And the Bible says,
"Love your neighbor."
00:41:14.27\00:41:16.50
And that's because sometimes
00:41:16.50\00:41:17.54
your neighbor
becomes your enemy.
00:41:17.54\00:41:20.61
And even in the church,
00:41:20.61\00:41:22.51
you are going to have
your love muscles tested.
00:41:22.51\00:41:26.38
Isn't that right?
00:41:26.38\00:41:27.95
And he says, we need to strive.
00:41:27.95\00:41:30.89
The devil's going to try to find
00:41:30.89\00:41:32.12
all kinds of reasons to divide.
00:41:32.12\00:41:36.56
Keep in mind, the devil
was listening when Jesus said,
00:41:36.56\00:41:40.00
"By this," this is John 13:35,
00:41:40.00\00:41:42.53
"By this all people will
know that you're My disciples,
00:41:42.53\00:41:45.17
if you love one another."
00:41:45.17\00:41:46.80
The devil heard that.
00:41:46.80\00:41:48.14
Everyone, the best evangelistic
program in the world
00:41:48.14\00:41:50.44
is if all the
church loves each other.
00:41:50.44\00:41:52.64
You can't pick a
better evangelistic program
00:41:52.64\00:41:54.34
according to Jesus.
00:41:54.34\00:41:55.61
So the devil
knows that. So how...
00:41:55.61\00:41:57.28
If you're the devil,
00:41:57.28\00:41:58.58
I'm sure you'd want to
be a good devil, right?
00:41:58.58\00:42:01.68
How would you
oppose the work of Jesus?
00:42:01.68\00:42:07.19
If all people will
know we're His disciples
00:42:07.19\00:42:09.29
by our love for one another,
00:42:09.29\00:42:10.79
you would do all you
could to bring in division,
00:42:10.79\00:42:13.93
isn't that right?
00:42:13.93\00:42:15.06
So that means, Paul says,
00:42:15.06\00:42:16.46
"We need to
endeavor to love each other,
00:42:16.46\00:42:20.50
and to keep the
unity," that he talks about,
00:42:20.50\00:42:23.87
"in the bond of peace."
00:42:23.87\00:42:25.24
Peace and unity
takes work to have that.
00:42:25.24\00:42:28.64
Someone's going to read
Ephesians 4 in just a moment.
00:42:28.64\00:42:32.61
And I'm going to
read 1 Corinthians 13,
00:42:32.61\00:42:34.62
you all know this, "Love
suffers long and is kind,
00:42:34.62\00:42:39.39
love does not envy,
love does not parade itself,
00:42:39.39\00:42:42.42
is not puffed up, love
does not behave rudely,
00:42:42.42\00:42:46.09
it does not seek its own."
00:42:46.09\00:42:49.40
Okay, when I get involved
00:42:49.40\00:42:50.70
in any kind of
marriage counseling,
00:42:50.70\00:42:54.17
105 times out of a 100,
00:42:54.17\00:42:58.64
there's pride and
selfishness involved.
00:42:58.64\00:43:02.64
And if you could do away
with the pride and selfishness,
00:43:02.64\00:43:05.61
you can take care
about 99% of problems.
00:43:05.61\00:43:09.82
There's other issues usually.
00:43:09.82\00:43:11.19
But somebody, if not both,
it's pride and selfishness.
00:43:11.19\00:43:16.73
Often, over something small,
00:43:16.73\00:43:18.99
and they just
can't bring themselves
00:43:18.99\00:43:20.33
to apologize or
humble themselves.
00:43:20.33\00:43:23.13
"Love is not puffed up,
it does not seek its own,
00:43:23.13\00:43:27.00
it is not
provoked, it thinks no evil,
00:43:27.00\00:43:30.34
it does not rejoice in iniquity,
00:43:30.34\00:43:32.07
but it rejoices in the
truth, it bears all things,
00:43:32.07\00:43:35.38
it believes all
things, it hopes all things,
00:43:35.38\00:43:38.65
it endures all things."
00:43:38.65\00:43:41.92
And if we have that
kind of love in the church,
00:43:41.92\00:43:44.32
will there be unity?
00:43:44.32\00:43:46.12
Amen.
00:43:46.12\00:43:47.19
All right, read for me
please Ephesians 4:4-6.
00:43:47.19\00:43:50.56
Ephesians 4:4-6,
00:43:50.56\00:43:52.99
"There is one
body and one Spirit,
00:43:52.99\00:43:54.93
just as you were called
in one hope of your calling,
00:43:54.93\00:43:57.47
one Lord, one
faith, one baptism,
00:43:57.47\00:44:00.44
one God and Father of
all, who is above all,
00:44:00.44\00:44:02.97
and through
all, and in you all."
00:44:02.97\00:44:05.24
What's the
operative word in that verse?
00:44:05.24\00:44:08.51
One.
00:44:08.51\00:44:09.78
One, one, one, one.
00:44:09.78\00:44:11.98
Now when we
say, "Here, O Israel,
00:44:11.98\00:44:16.28
the Lord, our God is one."
00:44:16.28\00:44:19.25
And people get all twisted
up not believing in the Trinity
00:44:19.25\00:44:24.09
because Bibles say, the one God.
00:44:24.09\00:44:28.33
But here Paul is saying,
00:44:28.33\00:44:31.07
"One Lord, one
faith, one baptism,
00:44:31.07\00:44:32.57
and you ought to be one."
00:44:32.57\00:44:33.64
He's talking to the church.
00:44:33.64\00:44:34.74
One in the Hebrew mind did
not mean numerical quantity.
00:44:34.74\00:44:39.37
One in the
Hebrew mind meant unity
00:44:39.37\00:44:42.74
that people should be one.
00:44:42.74\00:44:43.98
They saw
themselves as one people.
00:44:43.98\00:44:45.58
When they confessed sin,
00:44:45.58\00:44:46.75
they didn't just
confess my individual sin,
00:44:46.75\00:44:49.28
they confessed
their sins collectively.
00:44:49.28\00:44:51.29
Jesus in the Lord's prayer,
00:44:51.29\00:44:52.45
He says, "Forgive us our debts."
00:44:52.45\00:44:56.46
They thought of
themselves as one church.
00:44:56.46\00:44:59.39
So they prayed.
00:44:59.39\00:45:01.33
You read where
Daniel says in Daniel 9,
00:45:01.33\00:45:03.57
"While I was confessing my
sin and this sin of my people."
00:45:03.57\00:45:08.00
Elijah, no, Isaiah in Isaiah 6,
00:45:08.00\00:45:12.27
he says, "Lord, I am
a man of unclean lips,
00:45:12.27\00:45:14.31
and I dwell in the midst of
the people of unclean lips."
00:45:14.31\00:45:16.58
They always thought corporately
00:45:16.58\00:45:18.35
that we're in
this thing together.
00:45:18.35\00:45:20.12
Yeah, we're Americans, we
are very, we're individuals.
00:45:20.12\00:45:21.98
You know, we're mountain,
00:45:21.98\00:45:23.18
and we would just trek off
by ourselves out in the woods."
00:45:23.18\00:45:25.92
But they didn't
think that way back then,
00:45:25.92\00:45:28.22
they thought more
about the unity of it all.
00:45:28.22\00:45:31.76
All right, next section.
00:45:31.76\00:45:33.09
Church leaders in unity.
00:45:33.09\00:45:35.26
Now God gives
different gifts to be used.
00:45:35.26\00:45:38.57
And notice what it's for.
00:45:38.57\00:45:39.80
Now I'm in verse
11, Ephesians 4:11,
00:45:39.80\00:45:44.17
"He gave some to be apostles..."
00:45:44.17\00:45:45.74
Now does that mean
all are to be apostles?
00:45:45.74\00:45:49.21
I mean some.
00:45:49.21\00:45:50.25
"Some are
prophets," some are not.
00:45:50.25\00:45:53.25
"Some
evangelists," some are not.
00:45:53.25\00:45:55.82
Some
evangelists are not pastors,
00:45:55.82\00:45:58.22
some pastors are
not of evangelists.
00:45:58.22\00:46:01.86
There's different gifts, right?
00:46:01.86\00:46:05.23
"Some pastors and
teachers," what for?
00:46:05.23\00:46:09.60
He says, you're given why?"
00:46:09.60\00:46:11.33
For the equipping of the saints
for the work of the ministry,
00:46:11.33\00:46:14.84
for the building up of the
body of Christ," for how long?
00:46:14.84\00:46:19.04
"Till we all come to
the unity of the faith."
00:46:19.04\00:46:22.24
Okay, I want to
stop right there.
00:46:22.24\00:46:23.95
So how long do
we need these gifts?
00:46:23.95\00:46:26.11
"Till we all come to
the unity of the faith
00:46:26.11\00:46:28.25
in the knowledge
of the Son of God
00:46:28.25\00:46:29.85
to a perfect man to
the measure of the stature
00:46:29.85\00:46:33.59
of the fullness of Christ."
00:46:33.59\00:46:35.26
Some people say the
different gifts of the spirit
00:46:35.26\00:46:37.06
have been done away with.
00:46:37.06\00:46:39.26
Have you ever heard that?
00:46:39.26\00:46:40.93
Yeah, there's people that
say, "Oh, we don't have leaders,
00:46:40.93\00:46:44.20
we don't have prophets anymore,
00:46:44.20\00:46:46.27
we don't have the
gift of tongues anymore.
00:46:46.27\00:46:47.97
Those were for the early church,
00:46:47.97\00:46:49.24
we don't have that anymore."
Well, the way I read it,
00:46:49.24\00:46:51.74
Paul says, "We need this
till we all come in the unity
00:46:51.74\00:46:54.38
of the faith and the
knowledge of the Son of God
00:46:54.38\00:46:56.11
to a perfect man to the measure
00:46:56.11\00:46:57.35
of the stature of
the fullness of Christ."
00:46:57.35\00:46:59.55
Would we still need that?
00:46:59.55\00:47:01.12
We haven't arrived yet.
00:47:01.12\00:47:03.32
To protect us from what?
00:47:03.32\00:47:05.19
Why do we need these leaders?
00:47:05.19\00:47:07.32
"That we should no
longer be children,
00:47:07.32\00:47:09.19
tossed to and fro
00:47:09.19\00:47:10.26
and carried about with
every wind of doctrine,
00:47:10.26\00:47:12.33
by the trickery of men,
00:47:12.33\00:47:13.60
in the cunning and craftiness
and deceitful plotting."
00:47:13.60\00:47:16.83
Do we still have
the trickery of men?
00:47:16.83\00:47:19.17
Are people being led to and
fro by every wind of doctrine?
00:47:19.17\00:47:22.10
Then do we still
need the leadership
00:47:22.10\00:47:24.01
and the gifts of the spirit
to help us have that unity?
00:47:24.01\00:47:28.98
You know, it's a very
important work of pastors
00:47:28.98\00:47:30.85
in the church to
keep the flock together.
00:47:30.85\00:47:33.48
What does the devil want to do?
00:47:33.48\00:47:35.68
If you want to get...
00:47:35.68\00:47:36.72
Yeah, if you
want to get the lambs,
00:47:36.72\00:47:37.92
you get to scatter them.
00:47:37.92\00:47:39.29
That's what dogs often
do when they're hunting.
00:47:39.29\00:47:41.16
They try and break up the flock
so that they can pick them off.
00:47:41.16\00:47:46.36
I don't know if you've
seen any of the nature footage
00:47:46.36\00:47:48.70
from the safaris in Africa
00:47:48.70\00:47:50.23
where these lions will sometimes
00:47:50.23\00:47:51.57
try to get a young cape buffalo.
00:47:51.57\00:47:55.20
But they've got to separate
00:47:55.20\00:47:56.27
that young cape
buffalo from the herd
00:47:56.27\00:47:59.81
because the male cape buffalo
00:47:59.81\00:48:01.91
have no qualms
about taking on a lion.
00:48:01.91\00:48:04.18
And they got footage of them
killing lions with their horns.
00:48:04.18\00:48:08.78
And as long as
they stay together,
00:48:08.78\00:48:12.85
they're safe.
00:48:12.85\00:48:14.36
And so the devil is
trying to scatter the flock.
00:48:14.36\00:48:16.76
And then the last part here,
00:48:16.76\00:48:17.99
its human
relationships in Christ.
00:48:17.99\00:48:19.79
We'll read Ephesians 5:15-21,
00:48:19.79\00:48:23.40
"See then that you
walk circumspectly,
00:48:23.40\00:48:25.57
not as fools but as
wise, redeeming the time,
00:48:25.57\00:48:28.80
because the days are evil.
00:48:28.80\00:48:30.67
Therefore do not be unwise,
00:48:30.67\00:48:32.67
but understand what
is the will of the Lord.
00:48:32.67\00:48:35.64
Do not be drunk with
wine, which is a dissipation,
00:48:35.64\00:48:39.28
but be filled with the Spirit,
00:48:39.28\00:48:41.45
speaking to one
another in psalms
00:48:41.45\00:48:43.79
and hymns and spiritual songs,
00:48:43.79\00:48:45.95
singing and making melody
in your heart to the Lord,
00:48:45.95\00:48:48.89
giving thanks always
for all things to God
00:48:48.89\00:48:51.43
the Father in the name
of our Lord Jesus Christ,"
00:48:51.43\00:48:54.10
Notice in this one verse,
00:48:54.10\00:48:55.10
it talks about
Father, Son, and Spirit.
00:48:55.10\00:48:58.87
"Giving thanks
always to God, the Father
00:48:58.87\00:49:00.57
in the name of our
Lord, Jesus Christ,
00:49:00.57\00:49:02.17
submitting to one
another in the fear of God."
00:49:02.17\00:49:04.47
If we do that, we'll have unity.
00:49:04.47\00:49:07.08
And in the final section,
I'm running out of time.
00:49:07.08\00:49:10.85
Ephesians 5:22,
00:49:10.85\00:49:12.75
"Wives, submit to
your own husbands,"
00:49:12.75\00:49:14.05
Now it's talking
about family unity,
00:49:14.05\00:49:15.98
"Wives, submit to your
own husbands as to the Lord.
00:49:15.98\00:49:19.05
For the husband is
the head of the wife,
00:49:19.05\00:49:20.69
as also Christ is
head of the church,
00:49:20.69\00:49:22.82
and He is Savior of the body.
00:49:22.82\00:49:24.49
Therefore, just as the
church is subject to Christ,
00:49:24.49\00:49:27.20
so let the wives be
00:49:27.20\00:49:28.20
to their own
husbands in everything.
00:49:28.20\00:49:30.33
Husbands, love your wives,
00:49:30.33\00:49:31.93
just as Christ
also loved the church
00:49:31.93\00:49:34.04
and gave Himself for her."
00:49:34.04\00:49:35.30
It's not hard for
the wives to submit
00:49:35.30\00:49:36.87
if the husbands
love like Christ did.
00:49:36.87\00:49:38.47
"That He might
sanctify and cleanse her
00:49:41.88\00:49:43.51
with the washing
of water by the word,
00:49:43.51\00:49:45.15
that He might present to
Himself a glorious church,
00:49:45.15\00:49:49.12
not having spot or
wrinkle or any such thing,
00:49:49.12\00:49:51.82
that she should be
holy and without blemish.
00:49:51.82\00:49:55.46
So husbands ought
to love their wives
00:49:55.46\00:49:57.46
as their own bodies,
00:49:57.46\00:49:58.89
he who loves his
wife loves himself."
00:49:58.89\00:50:02.86
You ever heard that expression,
00:50:02.86\00:50:03.93
"If momma ain't
happy, nobody's happy."
00:50:03.93\00:50:06.63
So if you want to love yourself,
00:50:06.63\00:50:08.20
you need to love your wife.
00:50:08.20\00:50:09.74
It will play out
better for you, right?
00:50:09.74\00:50:12.37
And he says more
here, we're out of time.
00:50:12.37\00:50:14.34
He goes on and talks
about "The two joined together,
00:50:14.34\00:50:17.88
husband and wife
become one flesh."
00:50:17.88\00:50:19.75
So it's quite a bit
of emphasis on oneness.
00:50:19.75\00:50:23.42
Before we close out, I
want to remind our friends,
00:50:23.42\00:50:25.29
we do have a free
offer, you'll enjoy.
00:50:25.29\00:50:27.56
It's called Compromise,
Conformity and Courage,
00:50:27.56\00:50:30.13
and we think you'll
find encouragement in this.
00:50:30.13\00:50:32.99
If you like a free offer
00:50:32.99\00:50:34.10
or you like a
copy of this for free,
00:50:34.10\00:50:36.83
just call the
number 866-788-3966,
00:50:36.83\00:50:41.34
that's 866-Study-More,
ask for offer number 774,
00:50:41.34\00:50:45.64
and we'll sent that to you.
00:50:45.64\00:50:46.71
You can also download
it by texting the code,
00:50:46.71\00:50:49.74
"SH019" and you
text that to 40544,
00:50:49.74\00:50:54.75
you can download
it and read it there.
00:50:54.75\00:50:56.35
God bless you,
friends. We're out of time.
00:50:56.35\00:50:57.62
Lord willing,
00:50:57.62\00:50:58.69
we'll study His word
again together next week.
00:50:58.69\00:51:01.26
Friends, are you
afraid of heights?
00:51:13.34\00:51:14.97
If so, you might want
to look away right now.
00:51:14.97\00:51:18.01
One of the most
famous attractions
00:51:18.01\00:51:19.54
in the San Francisco Bay area
00:51:19.54\00:51:21.44
is the iconic
Golden Gate Bridge.
00:51:21.44\00:51:24.35
While this world
famous bridge was named
00:51:24.35\00:51:26.25
as one of the seven
wonders of the modern world.
00:51:26.25\00:51:28.78
Few people know the
story of the brave men
00:51:28.78\00:51:30.85
who were involved
in its construction
00:51:30.85\00:51:32.75
and also known as the
Half Way to Hell Club.
00:51:32.75\00:51:36.69
Designed by a group
of visionary engineers
00:51:36.69\00:51:39.03
at 4,200 feet from end to end,
00:51:39.03\00:51:41.36
the Golden Gate
Bridge was at one time
00:51:41.36\00:51:43.47
the longest
suspension bridge in the world.
00:51:43.47\00:51:46.50
During its
construction from 1933 to 1937,
00:51:46.50\00:51:50.24
the Golden Gate Bridge
00:51:50.24\00:51:51.51
had one of the best
safety construction records
00:51:51.51\00:51:53.61
of any project during that time.
00:51:53.61\00:51:56.01
Keep in mind,
they would factor in
00:51:56.01\00:51:57.85
and calculate
that one man would die
00:51:57.85\00:52:00.22
for every million
dollars that was spent.
00:52:00.22\00:52:02.25
So with a budget of $35 million,
00:52:02.25\00:52:04.95
they knew that loss of
life would be unacceptable.
00:52:04.95\00:52:07.66
This is why the chief
engineer Joseph B Strauss
00:52:07.66\00:52:10.73
was absolutely adamant about
00:52:10.73\00:52:12.23
using the most
rigorous safety precautions
00:52:12.23\00:52:14.76
that it ever been
used in bridge building.
00:52:14.76\00:52:17.17
He had a local manufacturer
of safety equipment,
00:52:17.17\00:52:19.93
designed special headgear
00:52:19.93\00:52:21.17
that he insisted
be worn on every job.
00:52:21.17\00:52:23.54
This became the prototype
for the modern hard hat
00:52:23.54\00:52:26.27
worn for the first time ever,
00:52:26.27\00:52:28.04
but the safety
precautions went even farther.
00:52:28.04\00:52:30.65
Strauss provided a
special hand and face cream
00:52:30.65\00:52:33.35
to protect their skin
from the cold biting wind
00:52:33.35\00:52:36.28
and glare free
goggles to protect their eyes.
00:52:36.28\00:52:38.95
In addition, they
also ate a special diet
00:52:38.95\00:52:41.49
to help ward off dizziness
00:52:41.49\00:52:43.16
when they were
working at those epic heights.
00:52:43.16\00:52:45.36
But the most conspicuous safety
precaution was a gigantic net
00:52:45.36\00:52:49.33
that was
suspended from end to end
00:52:49.33\00:52:51.37
under the entire
construction area
00:52:51.37\00:52:53.50
of the Golden Gate Bridge.
00:52:53.50\00:52:55.57
In fact, during construction,
00:52:55.57\00:52:57.81
this net saved
the lives of 19 men
00:52:57.81\00:53:01.04
who later became known as
the Half Way to Hell Club.
00:53:01.04\00:53:04.88
Now you need to keep in mind,
00:53:04.88\00:53:06.01
these were some
of the most dangerous
00:53:06.01\00:53:07.58
construction
conditions you can imagine.
00:53:07.58\00:53:10.15
The wind was constantly blowing.
00:53:10.15\00:53:12.49
They were walking around on iron
00:53:12.49\00:53:14.36
that sometimes had
ice from the freezing fog.
00:53:14.36\00:53:17.59
In places, they were over
700 feet above the icy waters.
00:53:17.59\00:53:22.43
Yet, the men coming
from all walks of life
00:53:22.43\00:53:24.67
were willing to take these risks
00:53:24.67\00:53:26.53
because it was
during The Great Depression
00:53:26.53\00:53:28.70
and they would get
paid up to $11 a day
00:53:28.70\00:53:31.27
which was a fortune back then.
00:53:31.27\00:53:33.94
One of the other
benefits of the net
00:53:33.94\00:53:36.38
was they discovered that the men
00:53:36.38\00:53:37.85
were much more courageous
00:53:37.85\00:53:38.91
even though they
were walking high
00:53:38.91\00:53:40.62
on those slippery surfaces
00:53:40.62\00:53:42.38
because they knew there
was a mechanism to protect them
00:53:42.38\00:53:44.82
if they should fall,
00:53:44.82\00:53:46.15
this gave them the
confidence and the courage
00:53:46.15\00:53:48.06
to press on and get the
bridge built in record time.
00:53:48.06\00:53:51.53
You know, friends, as Christians
00:53:51.53\00:53:52.89
we have a great work to do.
00:53:52.89\00:53:54.46
The Bible tells us that we
get to participate with Jesus
00:53:54.46\00:53:57.70
in building a bridge that
connects heaven and earth,
00:53:57.70\00:54:01.04
and there are
dangers along the way.
00:54:01.04\00:54:02.97
The devil would like
to paralyze us with fear
00:54:02.97\00:54:05.61
that we might
fall or make a mistake,
00:54:05.61\00:54:07.78
but we know that Jesus has
provided a safety net for us
00:54:07.78\00:54:10.95
and we don't have to be afraid.
00:54:10.95\00:54:12.35
We can press on with confidence
00:54:12.35\00:54:14.15
because the promise is
in the Book of Jude 24,
00:54:14.15\00:54:16.99
he is able to
keep us from falling.
00:54:16.99\00:54:19.32
But sometimes we make mistakes,
00:54:19.32\00:54:21.42
still don't be
discouraged, friends,
00:54:21.42\00:54:23.16
if you read in 1
John 2:1, the Bible says,
00:54:23.16\00:54:26.80
"If we fall, if we sin,
00:54:26.80\00:54:28.86
we have an advocate
with the Father Jesus Christ.
00:54:28.86\00:54:31.70
So let's press on together
00:54:31.70\00:54:32.90
and build that
bridge with Christ.
00:54:32.90\00:54:34.74
The heavens
were pouring for him,
00:55:24.65\00:55:26.49
the Holy Spirit came down.
00:55:26.49\00:55:27.76
This is what God
wants you to experience.
00:55:27.76\00:55:30.06
If you come to Christ,
your sins are washed away,
00:55:30.06\00:55:33.16
you become a new creature.
00:55:33.16\00:55:34.60
It's a land of beginning again,
00:55:34.60\00:55:36.03
and how many of you
wish you can restart.
00:55:36.03\00:55:40.20
For I was hungry and you
gave me something to eat,
00:55:40.20\00:55:44.91
in as much you shall do it
to one of the least of these,
00:55:44.91\00:55:47.88
my brethren, you did it to me.
00:55:47.88\00:55:50.51
Hi, friends.
00:56:10.87\00:56:12.07
You know, the modern flags
00:56:12.07\00:56:13.34
that we see flying from
the top of capital buildings
00:56:13.34\00:56:16.04
right in front
of patriotic homes
00:56:16.04\00:56:17.87
really stem back
from the times of battles
00:56:17.87\00:56:20.34
being fought
between warring nations.
00:56:20.34\00:56:23.01
These beautifully designed
and intricately colored banners
00:56:23.01\00:56:26.31
were flown high
above the battlefield,
00:56:26.31\00:56:28.05
so the warring forces were
able to identify amid the chaos,
00:56:28.05\00:56:31.25
and the smoke,
and the fog of war
00:56:31.25\00:56:33.25
where their forces were rallied
00:56:33.25\00:56:35.09
and where they were
fighting the battle.
00:56:35.09\00:56:36.56
And if you could
capture your enemy's flag,
00:56:36.56\00:56:38.99
it was considered
the highest honor.
00:56:38.99\00:56:41.30
I wonder if that's where we
got the game "Capture the flag".
00:56:41.30\00:56:45.20
With the changes in war,
00:56:45.20\00:56:46.77
now these flags also represent
00:56:46.77\00:56:48.30
a little more of the demarcation
00:56:48.30\00:56:50.34
and identification of
different nationalities.
00:56:50.34\00:56:52.87
Today the flags that represent
00:56:52.87\00:56:54.41
the different
nations of the world
00:56:54.41\00:56:55.71
are very colorful and diverse.
00:56:55.71\00:56:57.41
And all of the
colors and the shapes
00:56:57.41\00:56:59.01
have a specific meaning.
00:56:59.01\00:57:00.68
They're easy to distinguish
and recognize from one another.
00:57:00.68\00:57:03.89
Perhaps one of the most
interesting flags in the world
00:57:03.89\00:57:06.72
is the flag of the Philippines.
00:57:06.72\00:57:08.69
This is unique
00:57:08.69\00:57:09.72
because it is flown
differently in times of peace
00:57:09.72\00:57:12.69
than it is in times of war.
00:57:12.69\00:57:14.46
During times of peace,
00:57:14.46\00:57:15.76
the Filipino
flag that's composed
00:57:15.76\00:57:17.57
red, white, blue, and yellow
00:57:17.57\00:57:19.33
is flown with a blue side up.
00:57:19.33\00:57:21.50
But in times of war,
00:57:21.50\00:57:22.77
they flip it around
and the red side is up
00:57:22.77\00:57:25.47
because there they're
willing to make sacrifices
00:57:25.47\00:57:27.94
of their blood to defend
the freedom of their country.
00:57:27.94\00:57:31.75
In the same way that an embassy
00:57:31.75\00:57:33.52
that is situated
in a foreign country
00:57:33.52\00:57:35.68
flies their flag
00:57:35.68\00:57:37.19
while still
surrounded by another nation,
00:57:37.19\00:57:39.49
Christians are supposed to
have the flag of God's love
00:57:39.49\00:57:42.16
flying in this fallen world.
00:57:42.16\00:57:44.23
You can read in the
book, Song of Solomon 2:4,
00:57:44.23\00:57:47.66
"His banner over me is love."
00:57:47.66\00:57:49.90
Love is the flag
that identifies Christians
00:57:49.90\00:57:52.33
as a unique kingdom
even here in the world.
00:57:52.33\00:57:55.54
So, friend, the big question is,
00:57:55.54\00:57:57.34
how are you flying your flag?
00:57:57.34\00:57:59.14