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00:35 Good morning, friends, and welcome again
00:36 to Sabbath School Study Hour 00:38 here at the Granite Bay Seventh-day Adventist Church 00:40 in Sacramento, California. 00:42 Very warm welcome to all of you 00:43 who are joining us. 00:45 A special greeting to our online church members 00:48 who tune in every week 00:49 to study the lesson with us right here 00:51 and also to our regular church members 00:53 that are here in person 00:54 as well as our visitors that are joining us today, 00:57 very warm welcome to all of you. 00:58 Thank you for being here for Sabbath School. 01:01 Now if you've been here before, 01:03 you know that our theme through this entire quarter 01:05 is dealing with the theme of unity. 01:08 It's actually entitled "Oneness in Christ." 01:11 And today, we're going to continue 01:12 our study along that theme. 01:14 We're going to be looking at lesson number five 01:16 in the lesson quarterly, 01:18 that's entitled "The Experience of Unity 01:20 in the Early Church." 01:22 It's lesson number five, 01:24 The Experience of Unity in the Early Church. 01:25 Now, for our friends 01:27 who might not have a copy of today's lesson 01:29 and you're watching online, 01:31 if you would like to receive a free copy 01:32 of lesson number five in the series of studies, 01:35 all you have to do is go to the following website 01:38 lesson.aftv.org 01:41 and you'll be able to download lesson number five. 01:44 You can read and study it along with us. 01:47 We also have a free offer 01:48 that goes along with our study 01:50 of importance of unity in the church. 01:53 It is a DVD sermon by Pastor Doug, 01:56 it's entitled "Many Members, One Body." 01:59 And if you'd like to receive a free copy of this DVD, 02:02 just give a call to the number 866-788-3966, 02:07 and you can ask for offer number 860, 02:11 we'll be happy to send that to you. 02:13 If you'd like to get a digital download of the same sermon, 02:17 all you need to do is text the code "SH113" 02:21 to the number 40544. 02:24 You'll then get a link as to where you can download for free 02:28 this special offer that goes along with our study today 02:32 entitled Many Members, One Body, 02:34 a sermon by Pastor Doug Batchelor. 02:37 Well, this morning, before we get to our study, 02:39 we have a special treat. 02:40 We have a group entitled One Accord, 02:43 and they're going to be bringing us 02:44 a special musical item at this time. 02:48 In times like these, 02:52 You need a Savior 02:56 In times like these, 03:00 You need an anchor 03:05 Be very sure, 03:09 Be very sure 03:16 Your anchor holds 03:20 And grips the Solid Rock! 03:24 Solid Rock! 03:30 In times like these, 03:34 you need the Bible 03:38 In times like these, 03:42 O be not idle 03:46 Be very sure, 03:51 Be very sure 03:57 Your anchor holds 04:02 And grips the Solid Rock! 04:06 Solid Rock! 04:12 This Rock is Jesus, 04:15 Yes He's the One 04:21 This Rock is Jesus, 04:25 The only One 04:29 Be very sure, 04:34 Be very sure 04:40 Your anchor holds 04:44 And grips the Solid Rock! 04:49 Solid Rock! 04:55 In times like these, 04:59 I have a Savior 05:03 In times like these, 05:07 I have an anchor 05:11 I'm very sure, 05:16 I'm very sure 05:22 My anchor holds 05:26 And grips the Solid Rock! 05:30 Solid Rock! 05:36 This Rock is Jesus, 05:40 Yes He's the One 05:46 This Rock is Jesus, 05:50 The only One 05:54 I'm very sure, 05:58 I'm very sure 06:05 My anchor holds 06:12 And grips the Solid Rock! 06:16 Solid Rock! 06:22 I'm very sure, 06:28 I'm very sure 06:35 My anchor holds 06:40 And grips the Solid 06:49 Rock! 06:53 Solid 06:59 Rock! 07:06 Dear Father, once again, 07:07 I'm indeed grateful for the opportunity 07:09 and the privilege of gathering in Your presence, 07:11 opening up Your Word. 07:13 And looking at the early Christian church, 07:15 what is it that bound them together 07:18 and unity in the love of Christ. 07:20 As we explore this very important theme, 07:22 we pray that we might learn 07:24 from the experience of the early church, 07:26 things that we can apply to our church, 07:28 to our lives, to our families even today. 07:31 Lord, bless our time together, 07:32 for we ask this in Jesus' name, amen. 07:36 Our lesson this morning is going to be brought to us 07:37 by Dr. David DeRose. 07:42 Well, it's good to be with you all this morning 07:44 as we continue our study on unity. 07:48 And I appreciated that 07:49 very practical illustration of unity, didn't you, 07:52 with that beautiful harmony, that music? 07:56 I'll tell you, I was glad that, 07:58 you know, as much as I enjoy unison, 08:00 I was glad 08:02 that they were all untied but all different. 08:05 Great parable, isn't it, 08:07 music and how it relates to unity in the church? 08:10 Well, that's what we're studying. 08:11 We're studying lesson five, 08:13 the experience of unity in the early church. 08:19 Well, I'll tell you, 08:21 it is one of the hardest, hardest things to do in life. 08:25 There's no question about it and if you have children, 08:29 you're continually reminded or of our grandchildren, 08:32 especially if you're on a road trip, 08:34 because there's that one classic line 08:37 that always comes up on most family road trips, 08:40 what is it? 08:41 That's right. Are we there yet? 08:45 It's so hard to wait, isn't it? 08:48 Waiting is hard to do. 08:51 Turn in your Bibles to Acts chapter 1 08:54 because as Jesus was preparing to leave the earth, 08:57 He gave such a command to the disciples. 09:02 We're trying to pick up on some insights 09:04 since how the early church was so united, 09:08 and we get one of them right here 09:10 as the foundation is laid in Acts 1 09:12 with Jesus' very command. 09:16 Chapter 1 of this second book written by Luke, 09:20 I'm picking Jesus' words in verse 4, 09:23 the background, it says, "They were assembled together," 09:28 and it says, "then Jesus commanded them 09:31 not to depart from Jerusalem, 09:33 but to wait for the promise of the Father." 09:39 To wait. 09:44 We've learned something in the medical world 09:47 when it comes to changing behaviors. 09:50 Actually, we've learned quite a bit. 09:52 But one of the things we learned is that 09:53 it is not a very effective strategy 09:57 to focus on what you will not do. 10:01 For example, you say Dr. DeRose, 10:05 one thing I know after this bad lung report, 10:08 I am not going to smoke. 10:09 I am determined, I have made a goal not to smoke. 10:12 Now some of you think that's a wonderful decision. 10:13 By the way, it is. 10:15 But if all the person focuses on is not smoking, 10:20 they're actually not likely to be successful. 10:24 So I'll often ask the question, 10:26 "Well, what are you going to do then?" 10:29 When you're under stress in the past, what would you do? 10:31 You'd smoke. 10:32 Now what are you going to do? 10:34 After you ate your meal, what would you do in the past? 10:38 I would smoke. What are you going to do now? 10:40 And the answer is not acceptable. 10:42 Say, I don't know what I'm going to do, 10:43 I'm just not going to smoke. 10:45 By the way, it's a lot like waiting. 10:49 You know, if I just tell you to wait, 10:52 that is not as powerful as telling you what to do. 10:58 So here's the question. 11:00 Had Jesus actually told them 11:02 what to do besides just waiting? 11:08 Well, the disciples were there in that upper room, 11:11 and it seems that the things that Jesus had taught them 11:14 were coming to their minds. 11:16 Actually, Jesus had reminded them 11:18 of many of these things before He left. 11:21 But one of the things that Jesus had focused them on 11:24 was to love one another. 11:28 How they done when Jesus was on the earth? 11:31 They've been pretty effective at loving one another? 11:34 What was the narrative 11:35 that kind of runs through the gospel? 11:37 Every time you hear about the disciples, what are they... 11:39 Are they talking about 11:40 how much they loved one another? 11:43 That's right. 11:44 They're having this argument, this ongoing argument, 11:46 "Who is going to be the greatest? 11:47 I'm better than you." 11:52 We're going to read a scripture. 11:53 We have someone who has another passage in Acts for us. 11:57 We're going to look at that in just a moment. 12:00 But before we do that, 12:01 we want to go back to something that Jesus taught them. 12:05 It's found in John chapter 16. 12:07 We have someone who'll be reading that for us 12:09 in a moment as well. 12:10 We're gonna be going to John 16:12 in a moment, 12:15 but just the background 12:16 if you're turning there in your Bibles 12:17 to the Gospel of John. 12:21 So in John 14, 15, and 16, even beginning in John 13, 12:25 Jesus is giving some of His final counsel 12:27 to the disciples. 12:30 And one of the things that He's highlighting there 12:33 is the very thing we've just mentioned, 12:35 His loving relationship with them 12:38 and His loving relationship with the Father. 12:41 And by the time we come to John 16:12, 12:46 Jesus expands on something He's been talking about. 12:50 So we're going to hear now from John 16:12 and on. 12:56 "I still have many things to say to you, 12:58 but you cannot bear them now. 13:00 However when He, the Spirit of truth has come, 13:04 He will guide you into all truth. 13:07 For He will not speak on His own authority 13:10 but whatever He hears, He will speak. 13:12 And He would tell you things to come. 13:15 He will glorify Me, 13:16 for He will take of what is Mine 13:18 and declare it to you." 13:22 Jesus, throughout these chapters, 13:24 has been promising them another helper, 13:28 another comforter, another advocate. 13:30 The Greek word can be translated 13:32 into a variety of ways. 13:35 But it's interesting there is an adjective 13:41 beside helper or comforter, and it's another. 13:46 In the Greek, there are at least two words for another. 13:50 One is another of the same kind, 13:53 and the other is another of a different kind. 13:57 So here, Jesus uses the word, 14:00 at least as John is writing his gospel, 14:03 he uses this Greek word 14:05 that refers to another of the same kind. 14:09 Jesus is sending another advocate, 14:11 another comforter, another helper. 14:13 Jesus has been doing that for them, 14:15 but now He's going to send the Holy Spirit. 14:18 And so they have a promise, 14:20 they have some challenges to love one another. 14:23 And so we find them in the upper room 14:25 in Acts 1 and Acts 2. 14:28 And a group that was very divided 14:32 throughout most of Jesus' ministry, 14:34 you might even want to argue all of Jesus' ministry, 14:36 at least up to the cross, 14:38 and now something's happening in that upper room. 14:41 The lessons of Jesus are coming to bear 14:44 and they are waiting for the promised comforter. 14:48 As we continue the account in Acts, 14:51 we're going to hear now from Acts chapter 2. 14:55 We're going to see what their situation was 14:57 just a short while after Jesus' ascension. 15:01 We're talking, you know, 15:02 from the time of the crucifixion 15:06 to the time of Pentecost, 15:08 you know, some six or seven weeks, 15:11 Jesus has been with them for 40 days. 15:13 So it's just about 10 days after Jesus has ascended. 15:18 Now we pick up the story in Acts 2:1. 15:23 "When the day of Pentecost had fully come, 15:25 they were all with one accord in one place. 15:28 And suddenly, there came a sound from heaven 15:32 as of a rushing mighty wind, 15:33 and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 15:36 Then there appeared to them, divided tongues as a fire, 15:40 and one set upon each of them, 15:43 and they were filled with the Holy Spirit 15:45 and began to speak with the other tongues 15:47 as the Spirit gave them utterance." 15:51 Now this is really a fascinating case study, 15:53 because if you think about it, 15:55 we're looking at 12 individuals, 15:57 actually 11 and then, 15:58 you know, of course, Judas was no longer with them. 16:01 But these 11 individuals, 16:04 and then if you'd been reading through the account, 16:06 you know Matthias was chosen to make up for Judas' place. 16:11 So there are 12, but these 11 16:15 of the original 12 were anything but united. 16:20 And in fact, if you look at their pedigrees, 16:22 if you look at their background, 16:24 if you look at their personalities, 16:26 I've often pointed out as I've looked at the disciples, 16:29 you could not have picked a group of people 16:32 that were more likely not to get along. 16:36 I mean, have you thought about this before? 16:38 I mean, you've got a zealot in the group. 16:42 The zealots, the historians tell us, 16:44 were trying to kill, people like 16:46 Roman officials and tax collectors. 16:51 By the way, who is Matthew? 16:53 A tax collector. 16:55 And you've got the sons of thunder, 16:57 you've got impetuous Peter, you've got Doubting Thomas, 17:01 you would never put these 12 people together in a cabinet 17:04 and expect to accomplish anything in government, 17:07 would you? 17:09 So Jesus brings this group of people together 17:13 that you would say have every reason not to get along 17:16 and now you just heard 17:19 the scripture testimony in Acts 2:1. 17:22 How did this discordant group of disciples 17:26 come to be categorized 17:28 just prior to the outpouring of the spirit? 17:33 That's right, they were with one accord, 17:36 with one accord. 17:37 So we're trying to probe something, 17:38 the topic of the lesson is what? 17:40 Did you pick up on it? 17:43 The experience of unity in the early church. 17:46 And so I'm starting to get excited about this topic 17:49 because we're starting not with a group of people 17:52 who were handpicked who were going to get along, 17:54 you didn't say, 17:55 "Look it, if I could just start my own church, 17:57 if I could start my own church, handpick the people 18:00 that are going to be members in that church, 18:01 everything's going to be wonderful 18:03 but we're so united." 18:05 That's not what Jesus did. 18:07 Jesus picked a group of people every reason 18:10 for them to be disunited. 18:12 And by the time we get to Acts 2:1, they're united. 18:16 What was going on? 18:18 Well, one, they had been bathing in the words of Jesus, 18:22 right? 18:23 Jesus had commanded them to wait 18:26 but they weren't just sitting there, saying, 18:28 "When is the Holy Spirit going to come? 18:29 When are we going to get there?" 18:31 They were doing some work 18:32 and that was a work of coming together. 18:35 It was a work of putting away sin, 18:37 putting away differences. 18:39 And so as we're looking at secrets of unity, 18:42 that is definitely one of them. 18:44 Now if you're following along in the lesson, 18:46 and as Pastor John pointed out, 18:48 you can actually download 18:50 a copy of the lesson on the Amazing Facts website 18:53 if you don't have one. 18:54 But in the very first reading for Sabbath afternoon, 18:59 it makes this statement. 19:02 Second sentence in the commentary there, 19:04 it says, "Solid bonds of fellowship are forged 19:09 in a common spiritual journey and experience. 19:17 Common spiritual journey, common experience. 19:22 Does that lead to solid bonds of fellowship? 19:25 Well, they were all together for three and half years 19:29 and they hadn't all bonded together yet. 19:36 Probably most of you have been to Texas. 19:40 Haven't you? 19:42 Some of you haven't. 19:44 I lived in Oklahoma not far from the Texas border. 19:47 I've been in Texas many times. 19:51 If I went back to Texas now, 19:54 and I was driving and I was behind a car 19:57 that had a California license plate, 20:01 would anything happen? 20:04 You might say, 20:05 "Well, Texas isn't all that far from California." 20:08 How about if I was in Florida or Maine, 20:13 and I saw a California plate? 20:16 Does that evoke anything in you? 20:18 I mean, like here's someone from my state. 20:21 You know, what are they doing out here 20:22 in Florida or Maine? 20:25 Or maybe you're traveling abroad 20:27 and you see someone with a T-shirt on, 20:29 it says Sacramento. 20:31 Does that do anything to you? 20:34 You say, "Yeah, there is some kind of bond there." 20:36 And you may even walk up to the person. 20:38 I don't know how forward you are 20:40 but my personality is such. 20:42 I might actually say something to someone, 20:44 "Sacramento! I'm from Sacramento too." 20:49 Once we got to comparing notes, 20:50 so maybe we're both not right from in Sacramento 20:53 but, you know, if you're somewhere in Africa or Asia 20:56 and you see a Sacramento shirt... 20:59 We're talking about what? 21:00 We're talking about 21:01 some kind of common journey and experience. 21:05 But, you know, if that person says, 21:08 "Oh, wow, I'm so glad to see someone from California. 21:10 I've been looking for someone 21:11 to go to the bar and go drinking with." 21:15 What am I going to say? 21:18 Probably going to say, no, thanks, 21:20 unless I feel compelled, 21:21 I'm supposed to show up in the bar anyway 21:22 and order an orange juice or water. 21:27 But my point is this. 21:28 Just because you have a common experience, 21:30 that doesn't make you united. 21:35 The disciples fighting amongst each other 21:38 now prepare their hearts. 21:41 Acts 1:12 and 14, 21:46 it was mentioned in Sunday's lesson. 21:47 It's one of those keys to what changed. 21:51 Acts 1:12 through 14, 21:55 it says, "When they returned from Jesus' ascension, 21:59 they went into that upper room." 22:00 It mentions the 11, and it says, 22:04 "They all continued," Acts 1:14, 22:08 "with one accord in prayer 22:10 and supplication with the women, 22:13 and Mary the mother of Jesus 22:15 and with his brothers." 22:22 Just coming together, just praying, 22:25 just coming into Jesus' presence, 22:28 and you say just, just, just. 22:30 No, it's huge. 22:31 And how often are we too busy to do that very thing 22:35 that starts to lay the very foundation 22:37 for unity in the early church? 22:39 It's coming together, it's praying, 22:42 it's putting away differences. 22:44 It's easy to talk about, isn't it? 22:47 But is it easy to practice it, 22:50 especially when there's differences 22:52 that you know about, 22:53 especially when maybe 22:54 someone with those differences is in the same church, 22:58 or in the same pew, or sitting next to you? 23:02 But the disciples' witness is powerful. 23:05 People that are divided in Jesus can come together 23:08 and can press close together. 23:12 In Monday's lesson, 23:14 it takes us to some of the practical implications 23:17 to what we read about already in Acts chapter 2, 23:20 because after they come together in unity, 23:23 then the Holy Spirit is poured out. 23:25 Now I want you to pick up on a few things 23:28 that are characteristics, or qualifications, 23:32 or conditions for unity. 23:34 The first one is, you have to actually come together, 23:36 you have to be willing to come together. 23:38 It sure helps that they knew Jesus had told them to wait. 23:44 Jesus tells us the same thing, right? 23:47 And Paul, when he writes in Hebrews chapter 10. 23:50 He says, "Forsake not the assembling of yourselves 23:52 together," right? 23:53 "Encourage one another, 23:55 especially as you see that day approaching." 24:00 The Holy Spirit then comes down in Acts 2. 24:03 And if you read through Acts 2, 24:04 if you're just to look at it quickly 24:07 as we're sitting here, you see that relatively, 24:11 quickly in the account, some things happen. 24:14 First of all, as we read, there is this 24:16 amazing manifestation of the Holy Spirit, coming down 24:22 manifested as tongues of fire on the heads of the believers. 24:27 And then this gift being poured out, 24:30 the gift that we call the gift of tongues 24:33 where man, who no training in foreign languages 24:38 begin to preach the gospel 24:41 in the language of the multitude of peoples 24:43 who are there gathered at Jerusalem for Pentecost. 24:49 But there is more that happens 24:52 because as Peter begins to preach in Acts 2, 24:57 I want you to notice. 24:58 Look quickly at his sermon, just kind of eyeball it. 25:01 If you have a Bible like mine, 25:02 I'm actually reading from the New King James today. 25:06 The New King James actually indents quotations 25:10 and puts them in italics. 25:12 And you'll notice much of what Peter communicates in this 25:16 Pentecost sermon are quotations 25:20 from the scriptures. 25:23 So think about it, 25:25 foundations for unity in the early church. 25:28 A divided group but they're meeting together, 25:31 they're praying together. 25:34 But then the Holy Spirit is poured out on them, 25:38 and then you quickly see 25:40 that their focus is on the word, the scriptures. 25:44 Do you see that? 25:45 So as we're looking at 25:47 what brought unity in the early church, 25:49 I would suggest it's 25:50 at least all of these three elements. 25:52 And you'd say, "Well, you know, 25:54 they're all manifestations of Jesus, 25:55 aren't they?" 25:58 Aren't they? 25:59 I mean, Jesus was the one that commanded them 26:02 to love one another, to be united, if you will. 26:06 Jesus was the one that gave them the power to do that, 26:09 the vision to do with the example of doing it, 26:12 how Jesus laid down His own life 26:14 for them and for us. 26:17 Jesus was the one that promised the Holy Spirit. 26:21 And maybe we should pause here, 26:23 because this Book of Acts that we're looking at 26:26 although often referred to as the Acts of the Apostles 26:31 has often been aptly referred to 26:33 as the Acts of the Holy Spirit, 26:37 'cause the Holy Spirit is clearly in the driver's seat 26:40 as we read through the Book of Acts. 26:42 Now it's fascinating to me. 26:44 We're talking about the foundations for unity. 26:47 And I want to go back some years to a group. 26:51 As I remember the history, 26:52 they started right here in California. 26:54 They were described by those who knew 26:57 and even attended this place of worship 26:59 as one of the most amazing worship communities, 27:03 people from all races were there, 27:05 they were treated equally. 27:07 It was just a wonderful community. 27:09 It was called the People's Temple. 27:14 How many of you know the history of Jim Jones 27:17 and the People's Temple, 27:19 and how they relocated 27:23 to a distant place outside our country, 27:25 and ultimately most, all of those people 27:29 who were enamored with the spirit of unity 27:33 ended up taking their own lives 27:36 with toxin laden Kool-Aid? 27:41 But they were so united, it was such a... 27:44 Really! I mean, I've heard. 27:45 I've seen documentaries, 27:46 people that knew this faith community, 27:49 they said it was wonderful, they were all united. 27:55 Unity is not to be valued 27:58 unless it is a unity founded 28:01 on what the early church was founded on. 28:05 It was founded on Jesus' words. 28:08 It was founded on Jesus Himself. 28:11 It was founded on the Holy Spirit. 28:14 It was founded on the scriptures. 28:19 It's amazing to me today, 28:21 and I didn't bring a copy of the article. 28:23 I think it was July of 2018, Denis Kaiser. 28:29 How many of you read this article from Denis Kaiser 28:32 in the Adventist Review find it? 28:34 It's an amazing article. 28:36 Denis shares about his experience 28:42 in the church, 28:44 actually in the Adventist church 28:45 some 20 years ago as I recall the chronology. 28:50 And at that time, he shares that in this close knit group 28:53 that he was united with, enjoying fellowship with, 28:58 they were setting aside 28:59 one of the pillars of the early church, 29:03 they were setting aside 29:04 the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. 29:09 It's happened many times 29:11 throughout the history of Christianity 29:12 and the history of Adventism and many other churches 29:15 that somehow the Holy Spirit, instead of being elevated 29:21 as the third person of the Godhead 29:22 as he is revealed in Scripture as God Himself 29:26 and we'll see, one evidence of that in the Book of Acts, 29:30 it's in our lesson just a little bit. 29:33 The Holy Spirit has been relegated in some minds 29:37 to just an ethereal power 29:41 just in essence. 29:43 This actually flies in the face 29:45 of what Jesus said in John 14 through 16. 29:48 Jesus said, "I will send you another comforter," 29:51 meaning one like Me. 29:54 The Holy Spirit is a person 29:57 who wants to dwell with the church, 29:59 who wants to guide the church. 30:01 But even more amazingly as I... 30:04 You know, we're part of a worldwide church. 30:06 And just like Amazing Facts 30:08 gets dialogue from all over the world, 30:11 it's true for some of us as well, 30:14 and so there's people sending me emails from all over 30:18 when we do things in a visible way. 30:20 And one of the conversations, I actually shared 30:23 this Adventist Review article, Denis Kaiser. 30:29 Person sent back to me 30:32 someone else's explanation of 30:34 why what Denis was sharing was not true. 30:36 Let me just tell you what Denis pointed out. 30:41 He said, "You know what, we were all united." 30:45 He didn't use these words but he said 30:47 basically what I would describe 30:49 is they were engaged in a kind of group think. 30:59 Go with me back in time, just quite a ways back in time. 31:03 I got to tell you a story. 31:06 Many years ago, I was invited to a Bible study group. 31:11 Sounds good, right? 31:12 Bible study, people coming together pray. 31:14 Just like we're talking about, right? 31:15 The Bible, the word, prayer. 31:18 I walk into this group. 31:19 I come in a little bit late, 31:22 and they're studying the Book of Revelation. 31:25 And it plays out something like this. 31:27 The leader of the study, "Did you see this? 31:29 Do you see it? 31:30 Look, the white horse, do you catch it? 31:33 White horse, what does that sound like?" 31:36 Whoa, whoa, white horse... 31:39 "White horse, White House." 31:44 Everyone like, collective gasp. 31:46 "Oh, I never saw that before, the White House. 31:50 Okay." 31:51 "And then there's four horses in Revelation." 31:53 "Yes, yes, four horses, yes." 31:55 "Look at this picture." "What? Picture, picture. 31:59 Four horses in front of the Lincoln Memorial. 32:02 Oh, wow, we never saw it before. 32:04 Oh! 32:05 This is just so amazing, what amazing Bible study." 32:09 And I'm sitting there, I'm kind of astounded. 32:12 I'm really shocked. 32:13 Now that wasn't the exact example, 32:15 but it was something of that magnitude, 32:17 it was just nonsense. 32:20 And everyone was just praising the Lord 32:22 for these amazing insights. 32:27 There is a reason why God has a church, 32:30 and there's a reason why when you read through Acts. 32:33 I don't know if you caught this, 32:35 look at Acts 2. 32:39 Look at Acts chapter 2, 32:43 very, very interesting. 32:47 As you read about what happens after Peter's preaching. 32:56 It basically says in Acts 2:41, 33:02 it says, "Then those who gladly received 33:04 his word were baptized, 33:07 and that day about 3,000 souls were added to them." 33:14 Verse 47 concludes, 33:16 "And the Lord added to the church daily 33:21 those who are being saved." 33:24 God doesn't call us just to follow Jesus, 33:28 He calls us to follow Jesus 33:30 and become members of the church, 33:34 His visible body on the earth. 33:37 And here's what I have seen happen. 33:38 When people pull off into their little groups... 33:41 I'm not saying there's not a value in small group study 33:44 but when you cut yourself off from the body, 33:49 you can get into all kinds of nonsense, isn't it? 33:51 Listen, I've not just seen this once, 33:53 I have seen it multiple times over the years 33:55 as a lay person, as a pastor, as a physician. 34:00 People gravitate to some of these things 34:02 that are so inspiring. 34:03 Everyone just loves those words. 34:04 We're all coming here, we're all equal. 34:06 Everyone just studying, 34:07 we're not listening to Dr. DeRose teacher group, 34:11 we're all participating. 34:13 Well, there's definitely value in that. 34:16 But in this setting, in this setting, we're talking about 34:20 the privilege we have of being members of the body, but also, 34:26 but also individually pressing close to Jesus. 34:31 And by the way, how do you deal with error? 34:35 You don't ask what someone else 34:36 in your small group is saying. 34:38 You don't quote what they've written. 34:41 You press close to Jesus yourself. 34:44 You ask the Holy Spirit to guide you. 34:47 And I would tell you, 34:48 if you don't feel comfortable in the church you're at, 34:51 find a Bible believing church. 34:53 I'm speaking to those tuning in today. 34:57 I know many of you are here 34:58 because you were seeking a Bible believing church. 35:01 And that's why you're here at Granite Bay. 35:03 But come into a fellowship where you'll be nurtured, 35:07 and if you don't have that, find it 35:10 because Lord has people all throughout the world. 35:13 Well, we need to hasten on because in Monday's lesson, 35:17 it speaks about a very powerful parallel, 35:20 very powerful parallel between Pentecost 35:24 where God actually unites people 35:27 who speak languages that normally would be 35:29 unintelligible to one another at Pentecost, 35:34 and it brings us back to a study of Babel, 35:38 the Tower of Babel. 35:41 I want you to turn your Bibles to Genesis chapter 11, 35:46 and I want you to look at something 35:49 that was different in Babel. 35:52 I mean, think about this, it's very interesting. 35:53 It's very interesting 35:54 that the lesson puts this story in there 35:57 because we're trying to look at unity in the early church. 35:59 And what we're trying to parse 36:00 is the difference between unity in the world 36:05 or unity that's grounded in something other than Christ 36:08 and His Word and the Holy Spirit. 36:11 And so in Genesis 11, 36:13 we're reading about an interesting account. 36:17 Remember, God had basically acted 36:22 to save the entire earth, the entire population. 36:25 They were being swept away in iniquity, 36:27 and He just grabbed those out, snatched out, 36:31 if you will, they had to consent, 36:33 put them on an ark, they boarded the ark, 36:35 they built the ark, it's all true. 36:37 But was preserving the human race 36:40 from being totally overrun with evil. 36:42 But you see things rapidly degenerate after that. 36:46 When we come to chapter 11, it's very interesting 36:50 what the Babel builders are saying. 36:54 Look at Genesis 11:4, 36:57 it says, "They said, 'Come, 37:00 let us build ourselves a city 37:05 and a tower whose top is in the heavens. 37:07 Let us make a name for ourselves, 37:11 lest we be scattered abroad 37:13 over the face of the whole earth.'" 37:18 What is the focus 37:20 of the tower builders in Babel? 37:25 That's right, making a name for themselves. 37:27 The focus is on self, the focus is on me. 37:30 By the way, what was the problem 37:32 with the disciples during Jesus' ministry? 37:35 Why weren't they united? 37:37 Their focus was on self. 37:39 Right? 37:40 I want to be the greatest. 37:42 Mom, mom, talk with Jesus. 37:44 See if we can be, you know, brother and I can be the, 37:46 you know, top two in the kingdom. 37:49 James and John? 37:50 Okay. 37:52 What was the focus? 37:53 It was on I. what I could do? 37:55 What is the focus become in the upper room? 37:59 The focus becomes Jesus pressing together, 38:03 following His command, waiting for the Holy Spirit, 38:06 focused on His word. 38:08 What did Jesus ground the early church on? 38:10 I mean, there's just some things that defy my mind 38:13 as I read through the scriptures 38:15 and I look at the churches around us. 38:18 I mean, the pitfalls that people fall into. 38:21 You know, there's whole churches 38:22 that basically have taken 38:23 about three quarters of the Bible. 38:28 It's called the Old Testament 38:29 and they've just literally ripped it out of their Bible. 38:32 "We don't need that anymore. 38:34 You know, we're New Testament Christians. 38:36 Jesus has come." 38:37 Praise the Lord, Jesus came. 38:40 But what did Jesus do before He left? 38:43 Read Luke 24 some time again. 38:46 Multiple times, 38:47 He grounded the faith of the early church in what? 38:51 In the Old Testament scriptures. 38:54 When He opens to them the scriptures, 38:55 the only scriptures Jesus had was the Old Testament. 39:01 And so Jesus was saying, 39:03 "The church is founded on Me. I am the word. 39:06 My word is the scripture, 39:08 and those Old Testament scriptures 39:10 are the foundation for the New Testament church." 39:14 And you see, what's so interesting here now 39:16 as we come to Babel, 39:18 we see the same problem the disciples had. 39:21 Their focus was not on the word, 39:23 was not on Jesus, was not in being led by the spirit, 39:26 but it was based on what are we going to do. 39:32 Can it happen in the church? 39:35 Can it happen in a local congregation? 39:38 What are we going to do? 39:41 "Seek ye the Lord while He may be found. 39:45 Call ye upon Him while He is near," 39:47 is what the Bible says. 39:50 Well, we need to move on, 39:52 but I think there is some powerful insights 39:54 in these first few chapters. 39:55 But our lesson takes us on Wednesday to Acts 4. 40:01 And before we read in just a moment 40:04 from Acts 4:32 and onward, 40:07 one of our readers has that for us. 40:09 We're going to go to Acts 4 in our Bibles. 40:15 And I'm turning there because there are a couple of, 40:18 well, we call them in medical circles, case histories, 40:22 stories about different individuals. 40:28 We're going to look at the overall church, 40:31 but then we'll find a couple of examples. 40:33 The first example that's given after a general statement 40:37 about the nature of the church 40:40 is given by someone who's identified 40:42 as Joses or Joseph 40:45 in Acts 4:36. 40:49 We don't remember him by that name. 40:52 We typically call him today Barnabas. 40:55 And you don't have to try to sort through the Greek 40:58 because it says right in the scripture 41:00 what the translation for it is. 41:02 What does Barnabas mean? 41:05 It's right, son of encouragement, 41:08 son of encouragement. 41:09 How would you like to be called Barnabas? 41:12 Are you a person of encouragement? 41:16 And it mentions what he does. 41:17 It says, "Having land," I am in Acts 4:37, 41:21 "He sold it, and brought the money 41:24 and laid it at the apostles' feet." 41:27 There's another case history that appears right after, 41:30 but before we go there, we want to pick up the context 41:33 because in Acts 4 beginning with verse 32 41:36 is the context for these two stories. 41:39 Please read that for us, sister. 41:41 "Now the multitude of those who believed 41:44 were of one heart and one soul, 41:47 neither did anyone say 41:49 that any of the things he possessed was his own, 41:52 but they had all things in common." 41:56 Amazing, isn't it? 41:59 So this church sharing, giving, 42:03 they were wholly committed, weren't they? 42:06 Wholly committed, the early church. 42:09 And then we have this example 42:10 of Barnabas showing his full commitment, 42:14 but it's contrasted in Acts 5 42:18 by the story of Ananias and Sapphira. 42:22 And we know that story all too well, don't we? 42:27 As you read through the account, 42:28 it becomes clear that Ananias and Sapphira 42:31 sought to have the same perhaps esteem 42:34 that Barnabas had. 42:37 It's very likely the Holy Spirit moved on them 42:39 just like it moved on Barnabas 42:40 to sell what they had and give to the church. 42:43 But they keep something back in collusion, 42:47 no one's gonna know about it they say, right? 42:49 "We'll act like we just brought all the proceeds there." 42:54 But is this missed by the Holy Spirit? 42:58 Not at all. 43:00 And sometimes we don't understand 43:02 some of these sterner passages in the Bible, 43:05 but it's actually quite mild, 43:08 if you will, 43:09 because as we get into this topic 43:13 of one of the signs of unity, it's self-sacrifice. 43:18 Because, you know, it's easy to say we're all united, 43:21 but are we willing to put ourselves out for others. 43:24 This is something that the early church did. 43:28 Turn in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians, 43:31 actually in... 43:33 We're gonna actually go to, 43:36 we go to 2 Corinthians first, 43:38 we may not have time to pick up or connect some of the dots 43:42 that are there in 1 Corinthians. 43:44 But in 2 Corinthians chapter 9, it's one of the passages 43:48 highlighted in Thursday's lesson. 43:50 We want to see a contrasting spirit 43:53 to what Ananias and Sapphira displayed. 43:55 It's quite interesting. 43:57 Although the lesson highlights 2 Corinthians 9, 44:00 really, there's a discourse that Paul goes through 44:04 in 2 Corinthians chapters 8 and 9, 44:07 beginning with chapter 8:1, 44:09 that's speaking about the blessing of giving. 44:13 And we're gonna start to just pick up the background here 44:16 in 2 Corinthians 8 beginning with verse 1. 44:21 So I'll be reading for you there, 44:22 2 Corinthians 8 beginning with verse 1. 44:24 "Moreover, brethren, 44:25 we make known to you the grace of God bestowed 44:28 on the churches of Macedonia 44:30 that in a great trial of affliction 44:33 the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty 44:36 abounded in the riches of their liberality." 44:40 That's quite interesting. 44:41 So they're poor but they're giving. 44:44 So they're abundantly liberal in the eyes of God even though 44:47 they have very little to give. 44:49 That's something to wrap your mind around, isn't it? 44:52 Verse 3, "For I bear witness 44:54 that according to their ability, 44:55 yes, and beyond their ability, 44:59 they were freely willing, 45:03 imploring us with much urgency that we would receive the gift 45:07 and the fellowship of the ministering to the saints." 45:13 A number of times in the early church, 45:16 there were challenges that came through. 45:20 In Acts 11, we read about a famine in Jerusalem 45:24 and how the Gentile churches took up an offering 45:27 to help their Jewish brothers and sisters 45:31 there in that part of the world. 45:32 Did you catch what's happening in 2 Corinthians 8? 45:37 You see what's happening? 45:40 Actually, let's look at this, 45:42 Acts 11, someone has that for us. 45:44 Let's look at this background of one of these episodes 45:48 where God's church ministered. 45:51 Acts 11:27-30. 45:55 Acts 11:27-30. 45:59 "And in these days prophets came from Jerusalem to Antioch. 46:03 Then one of them, named Agabus, 46:05 stood up and showed by the spirit 46:07 that there was going to be a great famine 46:10 throughout all the world, 46:11 which also happened in the days of Claudius Caesar. 46:16 Then the disciples, each according to his ability, 46:19 determined to send relief to the brethren dwelling in Judea. 46:23 This they also did, and sent it to the elders 46:25 by the hands of Barnabas and Saul." 46:29 Do you catch the picture there? 46:31 And do you see what occurred repeatedly 46:34 throughout the early church? 46:37 We've read that account in 2 Corinthians 8. 46:40 It was if the apostles themselves 46:44 didn't want to accept the gift of these poor believers, 46:47 it says, 2 Corinthians 8:4 46:50 they had to implore them with much urgency. 46:53 Please take money from us, 46:56 please take this from us 46:57 and help those who are struggling. 47:03 But if we just stop at 2 Corinthians 8:4, 47:06 we've missed perhaps the most important verse. 47:09 It was verse 5. 47:12 2 Corinthians 8:5. 47:14 It says, "And not only as we had hoped, 47:19 but they first gave themselves to the Lord, 47:25 and then to us by the will of God." 47:30 Where does all true giving start? 47:34 It starts with the Lord Himself, right? 47:38 It says we love because He first loved us, 47:41 and we give because He first gave to us, right? 47:45 So Jesus, out of the abundance of riches, 47:48 God who the scriptures say is rich in mercy, 47:51 Jesus comes down, He gives himself for us, 47:54 it is that great gift that inspires our measly gifts. 48:01 And I say that with some reservations. 48:04 You know, it's interesting how we measure gifts today. 48:08 How can you tell who the biggest giver is? 48:12 You say, "Well, Dr. DeRose, 48:14 in my church, I'm the treasurer. 48:16 I get to see who gives the most. 48:17 You know, I actually have to 48:20 deposit funds into the bank." 48:24 Well, you know, there's two ways to measure giving. 48:26 One is by how much you give. 48:29 But the other is by how much you have left. 48:33 How much you have left. 48:35 And I'm not saying there isn't value 48:37 in the wealthy person's gifts that may be substantial, 48:41 but your gifts are no less important 48:44 if you seem to have very little in the way of means. 48:48 In fact, I will point out for you 48:50 who Jesus specially commanded, right? 48:53 It was not Joseph of Arimathea as commendable as he is, 48:56 wealthy man, or Abraham, very wealthy, 49:02 there's nothing wrong with being wealthy 49:03 for the Lord's cause. 49:06 But it was that poor widow, right? 49:11 I mean all of these brings me back 49:12 to one of the secrets of unity. 49:14 In the early church, it's pressing together, 49:18 it's fellowshipping together, it's praying together. 49:20 If things aren't right, 49:22 there's someone in the church that 49:23 things aren't right would make them right. 49:27 It's allowing the Holy Spirit to work in your life. 49:31 It's elevating the Word. 49:33 It's pressing close to Jesus. 49:37 The Holy Spirit will guide the modern church 49:39 just as much as we are willing to let him guide, right? 49:43 And we see an example of it 49:46 in the very first accounts of the church 49:51 that Jesus Himself established. 49:54 Well, our time has about slipped away. 49:56 I do want to remind you there is a free offer 49:58 that goes along very nicely with today's lesson. 50:02 It's free offer number 860. 50:05 It's a DVD presentation by our own Pastor Doug Batchelor 50:09 entitled "Many Members, One Body." 50:13 You can get it by calling 866-Study-More, 50:17 that's 866-788-3966. 50:22 That's good if you are in North America. 50:26 If you want to take advantage of the digital download, 50:29 you can simply text the code "SH113" 50:34 to 40544. 50:36 So "SH113" to 40544, 50:41 and you can get a digital download. 50:43 We'll that's all for our study today. 50:45 Next week, by God's grace, 50:46 we'll again continue our journey 50:48 into insights into unity. 50:51 Join us then. 50:54 Did you know that Noah was present 50:56 at the birth of Abraham? 50:58 Okay, maybe he wasn't in the room, 51:00 but he was alive and probably telling stories 51:03 about his floating zoo. 51:05 From the creation of the world 51:06 to the last day events of Revelation, 51:09 biblehistory.com is a free resource 51:11 where you can explore 51:12 major Bible events and characters. 51:15 Enhance your knowledge of the Bible 51:17 and draw closer to God's Word. 51:19 Go deeper. 51:20 Visit the amazing Bible Timeline 51:23 at biblehistory.com. 51:29 Amazing Facts Changed Lives. 51:38 I come from a Hindu background. 51:39 My mom is a preacher for Shiva who is a Hindu God. 51:43 And my father is agnostic kind, so me, 51:45 myself I grew like as an atheist. 51:48 In the year 2007, 51:50 I had an experience of being in South India. 51:53 That was the first time I experienced Christian people, 51:56 you know, the majorities were Christians there. 52:00 There were some Adventist youth 52:02 who invited me to be a part of one of their midweek's service. 52:07 They were presenting a video of Pastor Doug Batchelor, 52:12 "The Richest Caveman." 52:14 I was moved, you know, I do understand good and bad 52:17 and I pictured myself into the bad category 52:19 than the good one. 52:21 I started experiencing several dreams 52:25 which started troubling me. 52:26 And you know, I kept their website in my mind. 52:29 I went to the internet café 52:31 and started browsing the website of Amazing Facts. 52:35 And then I saw the Bible study guide there. 52:39 Every day, I started taking one of the lessons 52:42 and I was baptized in 2007. 52:45 After my conversion, 52:46 I straightly came to Spicer to do my studies. 52:50 During the summer vacation, I decided to go back home 52:52 and give my mom and my father visit. 52:54 By that time they knew that 52:55 I have converted to Christianity, 52:57 I was thrown out of the house. 52:59 We are not in good terms even today but yeah, 53:03 it's sad part for them, not for me. 53:07 During 2015, I was diagnosed with leukemia. 53:12 I had only one professor and one friend 53:14 who was coming along with me to the hospital every day. 53:18 When I asked this assistant doctor, 53:22 "What do you think is the lifespan 53:23 of a person like me?" 53:24 Then she said you will be losing weight 53:26 and you will get sick slowly, slowly, 53:28 if you don't go for a treatment. 53:30 So a year plus, one night I decided, 53:34 it was January, 2015, 53:36 I said I am not going for any treatment anymore. 53:40 I said, Lord, You gave me one year, 53:42 so what I'll do is I'll just Do your ministry and that's okay, 53:48 and I never went for any treatment after that. 53:50 I just left everything right away there. 53:53 I didn't take even one tablet, one medicine. 53:56 I am standing in front of you strong in 2018. 54:00 Nothing happened. I don't know what happened. 54:02 I don't know if it's still there in my body or what. 54:05 I don't know. 54:06 I am not dead yet. 54:09 I want to serve in India. 54:12 Amazing Facts team, 54:14 especially Pastor Doug has really played 54:16 a very important element in my life 54:19 to give me an identity. 54:43 Among the people living in the tropics, 54:44 for thousands of years, 54:46 the coconut has been a virtual tree of life. 54:49 The people use it for food, for clothing, 54:52 for water, for tools, for soap. 54:55 It does just about everything. 54:57 The coconut has also saved a lot of lives. 55:01 During World War II, 55:02 pilots that were shot down 55:04 or sailors that were stranded on Pacific islands, 55:06 they lived for many months on nothing 55:08 other than the coconut trees that were on the islands. 55:11 Yes, sir, the coconut is a tree of life. 55:15 One of the amazing things about coconut is their design, 55:18 so they're actually able to float across oceans. 55:21 Coconuts can go thousands of miles after many months, 55:24 be washed upon some deserted sandy beach, 55:27 then they take root, sprout, come to life, 55:31 and they'll develop a whole new ecosystem 55:34 holding islands in place through hurricane. 55:36 When the ancient Polynesian travelers crossing oceans 55:40 saw an island with coconut trees, 55:42 they knew there was hope. 55:43 It's amazing how in virtually no time at all, 55:46 those living on Pacific islands know how to make baskets 55:49 and all kinds of tools 55:51 from the leaves of the coconut tree. 55:56 The coconuts even serve different purposes 55:58 at different times in their development. 56:00 The younger green coconut, 56:01 they're full of water and that'll keep you alive. 56:06 You can even make your utensils from the coconut. 56:08 My spoon is part of the green shell, and here, 56:13 this is a coconut jelly, makes good for breakfast. 56:18 The more mature coconuts, that's where you get the meat. 56:21 But you want to make sure that they are not bad. 56:23 The way you test this 56:24 is you can hear the water inside. 56:26 You bring that mike over here. 56:28 Can you hear it? 56:30 That's a good one. 56:31 How about we take a bite? 56:32 Now that makes meal that will really full you up 56:34 and it cleans your teeth at the same time. 56:39 Throughout the Bible, 56:40 Jesus uses a number of metaphors to remind us 56:43 that everything we need to survive comes from Him. 56:46 He says that He is the living water. 56:48 Jesus tells us, He is the bread of life. 56:50 His robe covers us with righteousness. 56:53 He is our good shepherd that protects us. 56:56 Jesus is the living vine through which we get our life 56:59 and our nourishment. 57:00 You might say Jesus is like the coconut tree, 57:03 a tree of life. 57:05 You know, the first few verses in the Bible 57:06 tell that God provided a tree of life for man 57:09 so he could live forever. 57:11 But because of sin, man was separated 57:13 from that tree and from the garden. 57:15 But through trusting in Jesus 57:17 and trusting in His sacrifice on the cross, 57:19 we once again will have access to the tree of life 57:22 and have eternal life with Him in the kingdom. 57:24 But this is all made possible because we trust in Jesus 57:27 who is the real tree of life. 57:29 Jesus said unless you eat My flesh and drink My blood, 57:32 you have no life in you. 57:33 But when we accept Christ as our sacrifice, 57:36 and we allow Him to cleanse us and fill us with His Spirit, 57:38 we become new creatures, 57:40 and we can be with Him and sharing the gift 57:42 of everlasting life with others. 57:45 Matter of fact, we could do that right now 57:46 by tossing the coconut out 57:48 and praying that it lands on a deserted beach. |
Revised 2018-10-24