Hello and welcome
to another edition
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of the Sabbath
School Study Hour.
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It's always good
to be able to have
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all of you that are
watching here today,
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both online as well as
those that are watching
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on the various
television networks
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around the world.
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We are always
happy to be able to know
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that people are watching
from different countries
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across the USA and
continued to be blessed
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by this particular program
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as we continue to
study the Word of God,
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as we continue to grow
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in the grace and the
knowledge of Jesus Christ.
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It is always good to
be able to come together
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and open up our quarterly.
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And this morning we're gonna
be coming back to our quarterly
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that we've been
looking at for some time
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entitled Oneness in Christ.
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Now one of the things
that I have noticed about this
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particular quarterly is that
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when you look at
the different topics,
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the key word that
comes up over, and over,
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over half of the
topic titles is, "Unity,"
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and today is no exception.
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Today is lesson number six,
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and it is
entitled Images of Unity,
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Images of Unity, and so I hope
that you have your quarterly
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that you might be
able to follow along.
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If you haven't
already looked at it,
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if you don't have a copy of this
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and you are saying to yourself,
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"Boy, I really like to have
a copy of that on my hands,"
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make sure that you visit
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your local
Seventh-day Adventist church
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and when you walk in,
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look for a smiling face
that will be greeting you,
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and tell them
that you are interested
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in a copy of
quarterly that we are studying
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in your local
Seventh-day Adventist church.
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You can also download a
digital copy of that as well,
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and you just simply need
to go to lesson.aftv.org.
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I'll say that one more time
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'cause I don't
see it on the screen,
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lesson,
L-E-S-S-O-N, lesson.aftv.org
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and you are welcome to download
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a digital copy of
the same quarterly
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that we are
studying from week to week.
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Now before we go into our scene,
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I want to always offer
you our free offer of the day
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and today's free offer
of the day is not a booklet
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like so often we give away,
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but today we'd like
to offer you a free DVD.
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Now you just simply
need to dial 1-866-788-3966.
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Again that's 1-866-788-3966
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and ask for offer number 861,
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and that is
entitled, "Divided or United?"
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Divided or United
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and that's presented by
our Pastor Doug Batchelor.
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So please take
advantage of that.
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We always like to
be able to give you
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an opportunity to study
and grow outside of the program
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here as well with an
additional free offer.
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And so please
take advantage of that.
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Now of course
today, we have our phones
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and we'd like to
order through text
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and so you can do that
by simply texting the code,
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"SH114."
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Again, you just simply
text the code, "SH114,"
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and you'll send
that to 40544, and again,
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you can also go
on amazingfacts.org
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and you can find
a free digital copy
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of that as well
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and so please
take advantage of that.
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At this time, we'd like
to invite our singers out
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as we praise the Lord together.
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That is the beautiful
thing about being a family,
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united in Christ,
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that no matter where
you are on this planet,
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we are all joined together,
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and it can be
painful to be separated,
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but we have that
hope that one day,
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no matter what
our circumstances,
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we will be joined
together and hope to meet again,
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it's not just a
hope, it will be a reality.
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Thank you so much for singing
with us and at this time,
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Pastor Brummund will
have our opening prayer.
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I invite you to join
us as we pray together.
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Father in heaven,
today we are thankful
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to be able to continue to study,
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continue to worship You,
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continue to ask
for Your Holy Spirit
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to be with us that we might
be able to have an understanding
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that we could
never find in ourselves,
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and so we ask for Your presence
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in our hearts, in our
minds, in a very real way.
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Want to pray that You
will be with our teacher,
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Pastor Doug
Batchelor today as well,
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and guide his heart
and mind as he has prepared
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and spent time with you
to be able to share with us
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and give us better
understanding consent
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to Your Word.
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And so Father, we
thank You for listening,
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in Jesus' name we pray.
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Amen.
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I like to introduce our teacher
and also our senior pastor
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of the Granite Bay
Seventh-day Adventist Church,
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Doug Batchelor.
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God bless you.
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Thank you, Pastor Shawn.
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Thank you to our
singers, Michelle, and Debbie,
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and Sherry, appreciate that.
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Morning. Good morning.
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Glad you're here
for Sabbath School.
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Kind of an important
study talking about unity,
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and we are
continuing in our series dealing
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with Oneness in Christ.
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Today is going to
be lesson number six.
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Want to welcome our
friends who are watching on TV,
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or satellite, or the
internet from around the world.
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Just last week, I was
with Karen in Michigan
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and Minneapolis
and this next week
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we'll be in Spain.
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And it seems
like everywhere we go,
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we meet people who
say, "We study with you."
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Even lot of folks where
English is a second language,
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they take the
studies and sometimes
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they translate them then
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and share them
with their classes,
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and want to welcome those
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who are some of
our online members
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here at Granite Bay.
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If you're in the category
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where may be you
have no local church,
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you can attend,
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sometimes people are
scattered around the world,
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they are up in
the tundra of Alaska,
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or in the outback of Australia,
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and all they get is our
study through Sabbath school.
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Do you like to know
how to be an online member?
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You can simply go
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to the
granitebaysda.org website,
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and we'd love to hear from you,
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we'll see what we can
do to try to connect you
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with the church family.
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Oneness in Christ.
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Now we have a memory verse,
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and the memory verse comes to us
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from the Book of 1
Corinthians chapter 12,
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and this is New
King James Version.
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I'd like you to say it
with me 1 Corinthians 12:12.
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1 Corinthians 12:12,
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and talking about
images of unity in our lesson.
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Are you ready?
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"For as the body is
one and has many members,
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but all the
members of that one body,
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being many, are one
body, so also is Christ."
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Now what we're
going to study today
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is a number of the metaphors
that are used in the Bible
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to teach us
about what does it mean
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to be one in the church.
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You know, I just
pulled out a dollar bill
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before I came in here
to study to make sure,
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you know, there's
a statement in Latin
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that you'll find
on the U.S. seal,
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it always sounds a little bit
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like you've gotten a
bad diagnosis from the lab.
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You've got e pluribus unum.
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That would scare
you if the doctor said,
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"Did you know
you've got e pluribus?"
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But it's a
statement that's on our seal.
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You know what it means?
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"Out of many, one."
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Because when, it was actually
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Benjamin
Franklin, and John Adams,
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and Thomas
Jefferson around the time
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of the framing
of the Constitution,
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they developed that as
sort of a national model
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because they
were welding together
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these different states,
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and the different states
all had different interests
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and there are things
they're concerned about
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what they thought,
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"We will not be able to
have freedom from England
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unless we work together.
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We've got to unite."
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And so that
became very important,
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e pluribus unum,
"Out of many, one."
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Now it is true with the
church that here we are people
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from all over the world,
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we come from all
different backgrounds,
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you've got slave and free,
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male and female, rich and poor,
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all different races,
but we are one people.
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And so some of the metaphors
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we're going to look
at in the lesson today
00:10:10.37\00:10:14.81
is "We're one people,"
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talking about "One household
or temple," talking about,
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"The temple of the Holy
Spirit, the body of Christ,
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sheep and shepherd."
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And I'll do my best to get
to as many of these as we can.
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All right, first
scripture we want to look at
00:10:27.56\00:10:29.19
is take a look in
your Bible, Deuteronomy 24.
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We're going to look at
just what God called His people,
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and He said, "I'm making
you a unique nation or people."
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Now the word people in
the Bible, when you find it,
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it often meant like
people of a country.
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When Jesus gives
a great commission,
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"We're to go to
every tongue and people,
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every tribe and people,"
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it's talking
about different nations.
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Remember the Tower of Babel?
00:10:52.58\00:10:54.35
People were sort of
divided up into groups
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they could understand,
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then they formed
the different peoples
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of the world that
populated the planet.
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Say that four times fast.
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"Peoples that
populated the planet."
00:11:04.73\00:11:07.40
And, but it meant a unique unit.
00:11:07.40\00:11:11.87
Deuteronomy 4:20,
00:11:11.90\00:11:12.97
"But the Lord has
taken you and brought you
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out of the iron
furnace, out of Egypt," why?
00:11:15.27\00:11:18.34
"To be His people."
00:11:18.37\00:11:20.21
They weren't just the
tribe of Jacob anymore,
00:11:20.24\00:11:22.71
they were gonna become a nation,
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"As an inheritance,
as you are this day."
00:11:24.41\00:11:27.68
You read
Deuteronomy chapter 7:6-8.
00:11:27.72\00:11:31.05
This is a little
longer but I want you
00:11:31.09\00:11:32.29
to notice something here.
00:11:32.32\00:11:35.02
Deuteronomy 7:6.
00:11:35.06\00:11:37.13
"For you are..."
00:11:37.16\00:11:38.26
I just love
hearing your pages turn.
00:11:38.29\00:11:41.23
That just gives
me goose pimples.
00:11:41.26\00:11:46.17
"But the Lord has
taken you and brought you
00:11:46.20\00:11:48.00
out of the iron furnace
of Egypt to be His people,"
00:11:48.04\00:11:51.37
he called you to
be a united people,
00:11:51.41\00:11:54.18
"an inheritance,
as you are this day."
00:11:54.21\00:11:56.24
And then you go to
verse 6 of chapter 7.
00:11:56.28\00:11:59.01
"For you are a holy
people to the Lord,"
00:11:59.05\00:12:00.98
not just any people,
he's called you to be unique,
00:12:01.02\00:12:03.62
you are set aside,
00:12:03.65\00:12:05.55
you are to be a pure people.
00:12:05.59\00:12:08.06
"He has chosen you to
be a people for Himself,
00:12:08.09\00:12:11.29
a special treasure
above all the peoples
00:12:11.33\00:12:15.03
of the face of the earth.
00:12:15.06\00:12:16.97
The Lord did not set His
love on you nor choose you
00:12:17.00\00:12:19.13
because you were more in
number than any other people,"
00:12:19.17\00:12:21.10
it's not 'cause you were
the most popular or populous,
00:12:21.14\00:12:24.64
"for you were the
least of all peoples,
00:12:24.67\00:12:26.68
but because the Lord loves you,
00:12:26.71\00:12:28.71
and because He
would keep the oath
00:12:28.74\00:12:30.21
which He swore to your fathers,
00:12:30.25\00:12:31.71
the Lord has brought
you out with a mighty hand,
00:12:31.75\00:12:34.15
and redeemed you
from the house of bondage,
00:12:34.18\00:12:36.12
from the hand of
Pharaoh, the king of Egypt."
00:12:36.15\00:12:38.55
I've taken you, you were slaves,
00:12:38.59\00:12:40.16
you were a small 70
when they came into Egypt,
00:12:40.19\00:12:42.76
and I'm drawing you out,
00:12:42.79\00:12:43.83
and I'm going to
turn that 70 people
00:12:43.86\00:12:45.33
into a mighty nation
that's gonna alter the world.
00:12:45.36\00:12:49.30
You know, how many
nations are in the world today?
00:12:49.33\00:12:52.40
We were just at a
World General Conference
00:12:52.43\00:12:56.17
counsel in Battle Creek
and they gave some reports,
00:12:56.20\00:12:58.24
and I think
it's like 198 to 220,
00:12:58.27\00:13:01.31
it depends on how you count
nations in the world today.
00:13:01.34\00:13:05.21
And who would've thought
00:13:05.25\00:13:08.98
that when God
called the Israelites out
00:13:09.02\00:13:11.89
that they would be among
the most influential nations
00:13:11.92\00:13:14.89
in the world.
00:13:14.92\00:13:16.02
How did the Jews become the most
00:13:16.06\00:13:17.43
influential nation in the world?
00:13:17.46\00:13:21.43
Well, they
grew, they multiplied,
00:13:21.46\00:13:25.00
they dispersed around the world,
00:13:25.03\00:13:27.37
very usually
because of bad behavior,
00:13:27.40\00:13:28.77
He dispersed
them, He blessed them.
00:13:28.80\00:13:30.61
But what was it that gave
the Jewish nation the influence
00:13:30.64\00:13:34.08
to affect more
nations than any other nation?
00:13:34.11\00:13:37.78
Most of you I hope
have the answer in your lap.
00:13:37.81\00:13:41.78
"Unto Israel were
committed the oracles of truth."
00:13:41.82\00:13:46.05
The Bible is the most
influential book in history.
00:13:46.09\00:13:49.59
What's the number one
religion in the world?
00:13:49.62\00:13:52.09
Christianity.
Number two is Islam.
00:13:52.13\00:13:53.86
Both influenced by the Bible.
00:13:53.90\00:13:56.63
Islam, you know, believes
most of the Old Testament.
00:13:56.67\00:13:59.13
But that book was
given to the Jews.
00:13:59.17\00:14:02.87
Muslims didn't have a
hold of any of the scriptures
00:14:02.90\00:14:05.24
until 700 years after Christ.
00:14:05.27\00:14:08.74
And so this nation that
became the guardians of the Word
00:14:08.78\00:14:14.38
and through who the
word incarnate came,
00:14:14.42\00:14:16.69
influenced every
other nation in the world.
00:14:16.72\00:14:18.55
Can you see that?
00:14:18.59\00:14:20.02
I mean look at how the laws
of Christianity that ended up,
00:14:20.06\00:14:23.76
you know, America is one
of the first great democratic
00:14:23.79\00:14:26.93
countries of the world.
00:14:26.96\00:14:28.26
But now, democracy is most
of the countries of the world.
00:14:28.30\00:14:30.97
That all came through
Christianity, to our nation.
00:14:31.00\00:14:34.04
So God said,
00:14:34.07\00:14:35.54
"I'm gonna influence the
world through this nation,"
00:14:35.57\00:14:37.24
He wasn't kidding,
00:14:37.27\00:14:38.27
He just really did
make the biggest difference.
00:14:38.31\00:14:42.94
And he said, "I
make you a treasure."
00:14:42.98\00:14:44.51
Notice in 1 Peter 2:9,
00:14:44.55\00:14:47.22
"But you are a
chosen generation,
00:14:47.25\00:14:49.75
a royal
priesthood, a holy nation,
00:14:49.78\00:14:54.16
His own special
people," why did He call you?
00:14:54.19\00:14:57.19
"That you may
proclaim the praises of Him
00:14:57.23\00:14:59.26
who called you out of darkness."
00:14:59.29\00:15:01.63
You might proclaim
the praises of God.
00:15:01.66\00:15:03.67
Later today, we're going
to be doing a message on SALT,
00:15:03.70\00:15:06.63
and you know that verse
there in Matthew chapter 5,
00:15:06.67\00:15:09.84
it says "You are the
light, you are the salt,
00:15:09.87\00:15:11.51
you are the light.
00:15:11.54\00:15:13.11
So let your
light shine before men
00:15:13.14\00:15:14.91
that they may
see your good works
00:15:14.94\00:15:17.55
and glorify your Father."
00:15:17.58\00:15:20.02
God wanted us to be a nation
00:15:20.05\00:15:21.32
where other nations will
look and bring glory to God.
00:15:21.35\00:15:24.79
And that's what was happening
during the time of Solomon,
00:15:24.82\00:15:26.89
when other kings and queens
were coming into Israel saying,
00:15:26.92\00:15:29.96
"Wow, what great
laws, what a great nation,
00:15:29.99\00:15:32.26
what wisdom is in this country?"
00:15:32.29\00:15:35.06
He wanted them to be a light,
00:15:35.10\00:15:37.00
a place where He could
parade His truth to the people.
00:15:37.03\00:15:42.14
Says, now you are
a marvelous light,
00:15:42.17\00:15:45.17
He is the one who
called you out of darkness
00:15:45.21\00:15:46.54
into His marvelous light,
00:15:46.57\00:15:48.08
who once were not a people
00:15:48.11\00:15:50.08
but now you are a people of God,
00:15:50.11\00:15:52.38
once you had not obtained mercy
00:15:52.41\00:15:53.68
but now you
have obtained mercy."
00:15:53.72\00:15:55.58
Now Peter's talking
especially here to Gentiles
00:15:55.62\00:15:57.72
who looked like they
were outside the covenant,
00:15:57.75\00:15:59.82
but through Christ he says, "No,
00:15:59.85\00:16:01.39
you're included in the covenant.
00:16:01.42\00:16:03.02
You were once without
mercy but through Jesus,
00:16:03.06\00:16:05.59
you who are far
off are now made near."
00:16:05.63\00:16:08.60
So we all become one people.
00:16:08.63\00:16:10.67
And I especially like
this next one in Exodus 19:5.
00:16:10.70\00:16:15.17
This is of course just before
00:16:15.20\00:16:16.34
the Ten Commandments were given.
00:16:16.37\00:16:18.37
"Now therefore, if you
will indeed obey My voice..."
00:16:18.41\00:16:22.44
Now when it says
if, what does that mean?
00:16:22.48\00:16:25.15
It's about to make a
promise but there's a condition.
00:16:25.18\00:16:28.18
All right, what's the promise?
00:16:28.22\00:16:29.52
"Now therefore,
if you obey My voice,
00:16:29.55\00:16:31.99
and keep My covenant,
00:16:32.02\00:16:33.12
then you will be a
special treasure to Me,"
00:16:33.15\00:16:37.53
a treasure.
00:16:37.56\00:16:38.89
So does that just
apply to the Jews back then
00:16:38.93\00:16:41.16
or does that apply to us today?
00:16:41.20\00:16:43.57
"If then you will indeed obey
My voice and keep My covenant,
00:16:43.60\00:16:47.64
then you will be a
special treasure to Me,
00:16:47.67\00:16:49.94
above all people."
00:16:49.97\00:16:52.44
You know, the Bible
says, "The eyes of the Lord
00:16:52.47\00:16:54.18
run to and fro
through the whole earth
00:16:54.21\00:16:56.01
looking for someone through whom
00:16:56.04\00:16:57.15
He can show Himself mighty."
00:16:57.18\00:16:58.71
It's a quick paraphrase.
00:16:58.75\00:17:00.45
Have God's eyes
stopped looking for people
00:17:00.48\00:17:03.08
that will trust and obey?
00:17:03.12\00:17:05.09
He says, "If you do, I will
show Myself mighty through you,
00:17:05.12\00:17:07.92
you will be a treasure
of My grace in the world."
00:17:07.96\00:17:12.39
Special people.
00:17:12.43\00:17:14.03
"You will be a
treasure above all people,
00:17:14.10\00:17:16.83
for all the earth is Mine.
00:17:16.87\00:17:18.10
And you shall be to
Me a kingdom of priests,
00:17:18.13\00:17:20.97
a holy nation.
00:17:21.00\00:17:24.87
And these are the
words you will speak
00:17:24.91\00:17:26.14
to the children of Israel."
00:17:26.17\00:17:27.14
You are to be a
special nation, a holy people.
00:17:27.18\00:17:30.11
Now when it talks
about kingdoms of priest,
00:17:30.15\00:17:32.18
I read it you there in
the beginning of the Bible,
00:17:32.21\00:17:34.98
Deuteronomy, Exodus,
00:17:35.02\00:17:36.25
then I read it you in
Peter in the New Testament.
00:17:36.28\00:17:39.39
Now you go to the
last book of the Bible.
00:17:39.42\00:17:41.36
Someone's gonna read for me,
Revelation, you'll be the next.
00:17:41.39\00:17:45.03
I'm going to
read Revelation 1:5,
00:17:45.06\00:17:47.46
says "To Him who loved us
and washed us from our sins
00:17:47.50\00:17:50.13
in His own blood,
00:17:50.17\00:17:51.90
and has made us kings
and priests to His God
00:17:51.93\00:17:56.84
and Father, to Him be
glory and dominion forever."
00:17:56.87\00:18:02.08
A nation, it says,
a kingdom of priests.
00:18:02.11\00:18:05.18
Now what was
the job of a priest?
00:18:05.21\00:18:09.58
If I said, "If we're all a
nation of kings and priests,
00:18:09.62\00:18:13.99
what was a priest's job?"
00:18:14.02\00:18:16.56
Offer sacrifice.
00:18:16.59\00:18:17.69
Why?
00:18:17.73\00:18:20.86
They're making
atonement and intercession.
00:18:20.90\00:18:26.77
You know, what the
word atonement means,
00:18:26.80\00:18:28.87
at, you break down
the word, at one ment.
00:18:28.90\00:18:32.34
We got separated from God,
00:18:32.37\00:18:34.14
the priest was to be a mediator.
00:18:34.18\00:18:37.21
And you know, you've got
those knobs on the old stove
00:18:37.25\00:18:39.38
where it said,
low, medium, high,
00:18:39.41\00:18:41.72
and medium
meant between the two.
00:18:41.75\00:18:44.32
Moses was a
mediator between God and man
00:18:44.35\00:18:46.59
as he'd go up the mountain,
00:18:46.62\00:18:47.79
God talked to
Moses, Moses talked to us.
00:18:47.82\00:18:49.96
He'd intercede for the people.
00:18:49.99\00:18:51.73
The priest was a mediator.
00:18:51.76\00:18:53.93
Christ is our great high priest.
00:18:53.96\00:18:56.20
We as
Christians, we follow Jesus,
00:18:56.23\00:18:58.57
we're a nation of
mediators for the lost world.
00:18:58.60\00:19:03.57
He wants us to
go out and intercede
00:19:03.61\00:19:05.94
and work to bring,
00:19:05.97\00:19:07.74
to make atonement,
00:19:07.78\00:19:08.78
to bring those that
are lost back to God.
00:19:08.81\00:19:11.25
What a
wonderful calling that is?
00:19:11.28\00:19:13.31
So and not only are you a
nation of priests, he says,
00:19:13.35\00:19:16.28
you're a nation of
what else did they?
00:19:16.32\00:19:18.19
Kings.
00:19:18.22\00:19:19.39
"You are royal
priesthood," the Bible said.
00:19:19.42\00:19:21.69
That's exciting to think about.
00:19:21.72\00:19:23.56
It says we will
live and reign with Him.
00:19:23.59\00:19:26.93
And so when God
looks down on the world,
00:19:26.96\00:19:28.66
He sees us as
ambassadors for Him.
00:19:28.70\00:19:32.93
All right, please
read for us the next verse.
00:19:32.97\00:19:34.40
It's similar.
00:19:34.44\00:19:35.57
Revelation 20:6.
00:19:35.60\00:19:38.21
"Blessed and holy is he
00:19:38.24\00:19:40.04
who has part in
the first resurrection.
00:19:40.08\00:19:42.48
Over such the
second death has no power,
00:19:42.51\00:19:45.81
but they shall be
priests of God and of Christ,
00:19:45.85\00:19:48.62
and shall reign with
Him a thousand years."
00:19:48.65\00:19:51.52
Now they don't only
reign with Him for 1000 years,
00:19:51.55\00:19:53.69
they reign with Him
uniquely for 1000 years
00:19:53.72\00:19:56.02
and then after
the earth is made new,
00:19:56.06\00:19:57.59
they reign with Him on
earth through eternity.
00:19:57.63\00:20:00.23
And the Bible talks
about even the 12 apostles.
00:20:00.26\00:20:02.60
He says, "You
will sit on 12 thrones
00:20:02.63\00:20:04.67
ruling the nations
of Israel with Me."
00:20:04.70\00:20:06.97
And we, God's moving
the capital of the universe
00:20:07.00\00:20:10.91
to our planet, isn't that right?
00:20:10.94\00:20:12.21
God Himself will dwell with us,
so the New Jerusalem come down.
00:20:12.24\00:20:16.41
God Himself is in the city.
00:20:16.44\00:20:18.31
And then we live
and reign with God
00:20:18.35\00:20:20.85
as ambassadors for the
King to every other created
00:20:20.88\00:20:25.32
being in the
cosmos forever and ever.
00:20:25.35\00:20:28.72
What a wonderful
privilege that we've been called
00:20:28.76\00:20:30.76
to be a nation
of kings and priests
00:20:30.79\00:20:32.09
when you think about that.
00:20:32.13\00:20:33.16
Wow. All right.
00:20:33.19\00:20:34.73
So this is one of the
metaphors of the church.
00:20:34.76\00:20:36.63
This is where it begins.
00:20:36.67\00:20:38.73
When does a
kingdom of heaven begin?
00:20:38.77\00:20:41.27
When Jesus
comes or does it start
00:20:41.30\00:20:42.70
when Jesus came?
00:20:42.74\00:20:45.14
When Christ came, He said,
00:20:45.17\00:20:46.17
the kingdom of
heaven is at hand.
00:20:46.21\00:20:47.51
So the spiritual
kingdom is at hand now.
00:20:47.54\00:20:50.11
You become kings and
priests spiritually now.
00:20:50.15\00:20:54.18
We'll experience it in
a fuller sense and glory,
00:20:54.22\00:20:58.19
but it begins now.
00:20:58.22\00:20:59.49
That's exciting
when you think about it.
00:20:59.52\00:21:01.29
Then another metaphor
we're going to look at
00:21:01.32\00:21:02.96
is the household of God.
00:21:02.99\00:21:05.76
It's talking about a home,
not the temple that's coming,
00:21:05.79\00:21:09.60
but a house.
00:21:09.63\00:21:11.10
Matthew 7:24, "Whoever
hears these sayings of Mine,
00:21:11.13\00:21:14.34
and does them, I will liken him
00:21:14.37\00:21:15.57
to a wise man that" does what?
00:21:15.60\00:21:18.37
"Built his house."
00:21:18.41\00:21:19.97
Church is a place,
00:21:20.01\00:21:21.04
it's founded on the Word of God,
00:21:21.08\00:21:23.58
and the storm
rages against the house,
00:21:23.61\00:21:25.78
but it does not fall
because it's founded on
00:21:25.81\00:21:28.42
the rock of His Word, His truth.
00:21:28.45\00:21:32.42
Ephesians 2:19.
00:21:32.45\00:21:34.79
"Now, therefore, you
are no longer strangers
00:21:34.82\00:21:37.23
and foreigners,
00:21:37.26\00:21:38.79
but you are fellow citizens
with the saints and the members
00:21:38.83\00:21:42.03
of the household of God."
00:21:42.06\00:21:45.33
There's a lot in the news lately
00:21:45.37\00:21:46.74
and I got to be
careful what I say
00:21:46.77\00:21:47.80
'cause it's
very volatile subject
00:21:47.84\00:21:50.84
about immigration.
00:21:50.87\00:21:52.67
But the reason
that it is an issue
00:21:52.71\00:21:55.74
is because do citizens
of a country have rights
00:21:55.78\00:22:00.85
that non-citizens do not have?
00:22:00.88\00:22:04.52
Yeah, you enjoy
great privileges.
00:22:04.55\00:22:07.79
And I'll tell you
that it's really nice
00:22:07.82\00:22:11.63
when you travel overseas,
00:22:11.66\00:22:13.23
as I mentioned Karen
and I are going to Spain,
00:22:13.26\00:22:15.13
do a short week
of meetings there.
00:22:15.16\00:22:18.93
And she checked last
night with Bonnie and said,
00:22:18.97\00:22:21.57
"Do we need a
visa?" She said, "No."
00:22:21.60\00:22:23.37
America, Spain says come on in.
00:22:23.41\00:22:26.31
There's a lot of places
around the world you can go
00:22:26.34\00:22:29.41
but some countries,
00:22:29.44\00:22:30.95
you got to have a
visa everywhere you go
00:22:30.98\00:22:32.91
because they just
got a dubious reputation.
00:22:32.95\00:22:36.15
But being, you
know, American Express
00:22:36.18\00:22:39.42
used to have an ad for
their cards and it says,
00:22:39.45\00:22:43.83
"Membership, "
what's rest of that?
00:22:43.86\00:22:46.19
"Has its privileges."
00:22:46.23\00:22:47.23
Right.
00:22:47.30\00:22:48.50
Membership has its privileges.
Citizenship has its privileges.
00:22:48.53\00:22:53.90
And when you are a
citizen in God's kingdom,
00:22:53.94\00:22:57.11
when you are a
citizen of His household,
00:22:57.14\00:22:59.87
there are
privileges that come with that.
00:22:59.91\00:23:02.28
And that He promises you
00:23:02.31\00:23:04.75
the availability
of the Holy Spirit,
00:23:04.78\00:23:06.58
it's one of those,
He gives you at baptism.
00:23:06.61\00:23:09.18
So therefore you are no
longer strangers and foreigners.
00:23:09.22\00:23:13.49
Now this meant a lot
00:23:13.52\00:23:14.52
because in the
time of the apostles,
00:23:14.56\00:23:17.36
what nation was ruling
the civilized world around
00:23:17.39\00:23:20.00
the Mediterranean?
00:23:20.03\00:23:21.53
Rome.
00:23:21.56\00:23:22.56
Did it mean something
to have Roman citizenship?
00:23:22.60\00:23:26.90
I think someone said it
could have been somewhere
00:23:26.94\00:23:29.04
between 50% and 60%
00:23:29.07\00:23:30.44
in the Roman Empire were slaves.
00:23:30.47\00:23:33.74
But if, and then you had
people that were not slaves
00:23:33.78\00:23:36.04
but they were not citizens.
00:23:36.08\00:23:38.28
But if you were a Roman citizen,
00:23:38.31\00:23:39.98
you got special treatment.
00:23:40.02\00:23:41.92
You know, you could not
crucify a Roman citizen.
00:23:41.95\00:23:44.59
They were beheaded.
00:23:44.62\00:23:45.99
Jesus was
crucified. Paul was beheaded.
00:23:46.02\00:23:48.32
Peter was crucified
because he was not a citizen.
00:23:48.36\00:23:50.56
Paul had citizenship.
00:23:50.59\00:23:52.69
He talks about
that several times.
00:23:52.73\00:23:54.46
They could not,
they whipped Paul
00:23:54.46\00:23:56.03
once without
giving him a fair trial
00:23:56.06\00:24:00.57
and you could
never do that to a Roman.
00:24:00.60\00:24:01.90
There are lot of privileges
of being a citizen of Rome.
00:24:01.94\00:24:05.57
A lot of protections.
00:24:05.61\00:24:07.04
And if you
violated those protections,
00:24:07.08\00:24:08.51
you were in trouble.
00:24:08.54\00:24:10.18
And so when Paul
says, "You're not stranger,
00:24:10.21\00:24:11.78
you're citizens
now with the saints
00:24:11.81\00:24:14.52
and members of
the household of God."
00:24:14.55\00:24:17.09
And it says,
"This church is built
00:24:17.12\00:24:18.65
on the foundation of
the apostles and prophets,
00:24:18.69\00:24:22.22
Jesus Himself being
the chief cornerstone."
00:24:22.26\00:24:26.33
So are the teachings
of Christ the cornerstone
00:24:26.36\00:24:28.60
for just the New
Testament apostles?
00:24:28.63\00:24:31.60
Or are the teachings
of Christ a cornerstone
00:24:31.63\00:24:33.67
for the Old Testament prophets?
00:24:33.70\00:24:36.07
What does he say here?
00:24:36.10\00:24:37.74
Both.
00:24:37.77\00:24:39.37
The foundation for the apostles
and the prophets is Christ.
00:24:39.41\00:24:44.41
Everything that the apostle said
00:24:44.45\00:24:45.88
is built on the
teachings of Christ.
00:24:45.91\00:24:48.15
Everything the prophets
said, Old Testament, Moses,
00:24:48.18\00:24:51.75
built on the foundational
teachings of Christ.
00:24:51.79\00:24:54.26
Christ is the Word, right?
00:24:54.29\00:24:56.59
Jesus is the cornerstone.
00:24:56.62\00:24:58.36
Now why is a
cornerstone so important?
00:24:58.39\00:25:00.86
How many of you
ever done masonry before?
00:25:00.90\00:25:05.53
And if you're
doing just the wall,
00:25:05.57\00:25:07.57
even if it's a foundation,
00:25:07.60\00:25:08.74
even if it's just a
footing for a building,
00:25:08.77\00:25:11.37
if you're doing
a course of brick,
00:25:11.41\00:25:13.14
what's the most important
brick you're going to put down?
00:25:13.17\00:25:17.78
It's the first one
that's going to determine
00:25:17.81\00:25:21.28
everything else in the
wall because if that first brick
00:25:21.32\00:25:25.05
is not square
perfectly this way,
00:25:25.09\00:25:28.39
as the bricks follow on,
00:25:28.42\00:25:30.13
it's going to be
too high out of level,
00:25:30.16\00:25:32.23
if it's not square
with the angle like this,
00:25:32.26\00:25:34.96
it's going to
start going further out
00:25:35.00\00:25:36.43
and it makes
everything else go out.
00:25:36.46\00:25:38.20
That first one has to
be perfectly laser square.
00:25:38.23\00:25:41.64
They use strings
and stuff to do that.
00:25:41.67\00:25:43.47
And then you do a
coarse of brick this way,
00:25:43.51\00:25:45.17
and a of coarse of
brick this way, and it's all,
00:25:45.21\00:25:47.18
everything is
governed by that first brick.
00:25:47.21\00:25:50.75
And so that's how it
is with God's building.
00:25:50.78\00:25:53.48
Jesus is the cornerstone.
00:25:53.52\00:25:54.88
It sets
everything else straight.
00:25:54.92\00:25:57.42
And because He is
the perfect example,
00:25:57.45\00:26:00.42
we're safe using
Him as that cornerstone.
00:26:00.46\00:26:03.86
You read also in 1
Corinthians chapter 3.
00:26:03.89\00:26:07.66
Oh, I didn't read the
best part of Ephesians 2.
00:26:07.73\00:26:09.86
Go to verse 22.
00:26:09.90\00:26:12.33
It said, "Christ Himself
being the chief cornerstone,
00:26:12.37\00:26:14.54
in whom the whole
building, being fitted together,
00:26:14.57\00:26:18.87
grows into a holy
temple to the Lord,
00:26:18.91\00:26:21.88
in whom you are
also being built together
00:26:21.91\00:26:24.65
for a dwelling place
of God in the Spirit."
00:26:24.68\00:26:28.38
God through the
Spirit dwells in His people.
00:26:28.42\00:26:33.52
Then you go to
our 1 Corinthians 3:9.
00:26:33.56\00:26:37.69
"For we are God's
workers, you are God's field,
00:26:37.73\00:26:40.43
you are God's building."
00:26:40.46\00:26:41.46
Look at the
metaphors that are being used,
00:26:41.50\00:26:42.96
not only a building but a field.
00:26:43.00\00:26:45.87
"According to the grace
00:26:45.90\00:26:47.60
which God has given me
as a wise master builder,
00:26:47.64\00:26:51.07
I have laid the foundation,
and another builds on it.
00:26:51.11\00:26:54.64
But let each one
take heed how he builds,
00:26:54.68\00:26:56.58
for no other
foundation can anyone lay
00:26:56.61\00:26:59.15
than that which is
laid, Jesus Christ."
00:26:59.18\00:27:03.42
If everybody would turn back
to the Word in our teachings
00:27:03.45\00:27:06.89
as people went
from place to place
00:27:06.92\00:27:08.49
and raising up churches.
00:27:08.52\00:27:09.52
If we all went
back to the same book,
00:27:09.56\00:27:12.19
we come to the same conclusions.
00:27:12.23\00:27:14.50
So when we
start getting involved
00:27:14.56\00:27:15.83
in private interpretations,
00:27:15.86\00:27:17.10
that the building wall
started to get out of plumb.
00:27:17.13\00:27:20.54
And so Paul is saying,
"Look, I'm a master builder.
00:27:20.57\00:27:22.54
Others may build on
it, but I built good
00:27:22.57\00:27:24.67
because I used the
foundation of Jesus."
00:27:24.71\00:27:28.34
Let each one take
heed how he builds on it.
00:27:28.38\00:27:31.48
No other foundation can be laid.
00:27:31.51\00:27:34.15
1 Peter 2:4, 5.
00:27:34.18\00:27:37.19
"Coming to Him as
to a living stone,
00:27:37.22\00:27:40.96
rejected indeed of men,
00:27:40.99\00:27:42.86
but chosen by God and precious,
you also, as living stones,
00:27:42.89\00:27:47.66
are being built
up a spiritual house,
00:27:47.73\00:27:50.47
a holy priesthood,
00:27:50.50\00:27:51.97
to offer up
spiritual sacrifices to God
00:27:52.00\00:27:54.47
through Jesus Christ."
00:27:54.50\00:27:56.40
And so we are home.
00:27:56.44\00:27:58.07
Now the reason
I'm emphasizing this,
00:27:58.11\00:28:00.18
in a moment, we're
going to talk about
00:28:00.21\00:28:01.94
the metaphor of the churches,
00:28:01.98\00:28:04.55
a temple of the Holy Spirit.
00:28:04.58\00:28:06.68
We just talked about
the church being a house.
00:28:06.72\00:28:09.18
Right now, we've gathered
together as God's people
00:28:09.22\00:28:11.92
in the church, the temple.
00:28:11.95\00:28:14.32
But what happens
when you go home?
00:28:14.36\00:28:17.16
Do you cease to be in
a dwelling place of God?
00:28:17.19\00:28:20.93
You think Christ to be
the foundation in your home
00:28:20.96\00:28:23.60
as well as in your church?
00:28:23.63\00:28:25.67
For everything
and your families?
00:28:25.70\00:28:28.50
Now keep in mind,
00:28:28.54\00:28:30.11
families back in Bible
times were a lot bigger
00:28:30.14\00:28:33.71
than they typically are today.
00:28:33.74\00:28:35.81
I remember once it
said King Ahab had 70 sons.
00:28:35.84\00:28:41.88
Yeah.
00:28:41.92\00:28:42.95
And Solomon, I don't
even know if it ever tells us
00:28:42.98\00:28:46.22
how many Solomon has
00:28:46.25\00:28:47.42
but Solomon had
like a thousand wives
00:28:47.46\00:28:50.56
if you include
wives and concubines.
00:28:50.59\00:28:53.60
And so, I mean,
00:28:53.63\00:28:55.90
boy, that must have
been really confusing
00:28:55.93\00:28:57.63
as they got ready
for school that day.
00:28:57.67\00:29:00.04
All the kids running
around from Solomon's household.
00:29:00.07\00:29:04.91
So a family was by
definition almost a church.
00:29:04.94\00:29:09.48
It's like, Abraham would
offer sacrifice for his family.
00:29:09.51\00:29:11.68
Well, how many
were in his family?
00:29:11.71\00:29:14.28
Never tells us.
00:29:14.32\00:29:15.32
It says he had
a great household.
00:29:15.35\00:29:16.52
The closest we get to knowing
how many were in his family
00:29:16.55\00:29:18.95
even before he had one son.
00:29:18.99\00:29:22.02
He said he had
300 trained soldiers
00:29:22.06\00:29:25.59
in his family.
00:29:25.63\00:29:27.50
So he's got a big household.
00:29:27.56\00:29:28.73
So Abraham was really acting
like the priest for his family.
00:29:28.76\00:29:33.34
So families were a
segment of the temple of God.
00:29:33.37\00:29:39.17
It's not just that
when you're in church
00:29:39.21\00:29:41.38
that you're the body of Christ.
00:29:41.41\00:29:42.61
When you go home
in your families,
00:29:42.64\00:29:44.48
you are the body of Christ.
00:29:44.51\00:29:46.82
Karen and I were
running up the door.
00:29:46.85\00:29:48.38
I'll just make a
little public confession
00:29:48.42\00:29:50.35
because I'm
trying to do something
00:29:50.39\00:29:51.52
pastoral here right now.
00:29:51.55\00:29:54.09
Do you have
worship in your homes?
00:29:54.12\00:29:57.06
You know, when we
had the kids all at home,
00:29:57.09\00:29:58.86
you know, they are grown,
00:29:58.89\00:29:59.89
they're going
off to college now,
00:29:59.93\00:30:00.96
they got Nathan's
in the mission field,
00:30:00.96\00:30:02.93
and they've got
their own families
00:30:02.96\00:30:04.37
in some cases.
00:30:04.40\00:30:05.77
But when they
were all in the house,
00:30:05.80\00:30:07.34
you know, we were determined
that you gather them together,
00:30:07.37\00:30:09.60
have worship,
00:30:09.64\00:30:10.67
it was
especially important to us
00:30:10.71\00:30:12.41
for them to guide them,
00:30:12.44\00:30:13.58
but you know what happened is,
00:30:13.61\00:30:15.34
after the kids all left house,
00:30:15.38\00:30:17.45
Karen and I started kind of,
00:30:17.48\00:30:18.51
we have our own private worship,
00:30:18.55\00:30:19.61
but we weren't
having worship together.
00:30:19.65\00:30:21.88
And I got convicted of that,
00:30:21.92\00:30:23.45
you know, this week, last night,
00:30:23.49\00:30:25.02
we went up and had worship
00:30:25.05\00:30:27.39
up on the hill
overlooking the property
00:30:27.42\00:30:29.16
and this morning
we are rushing around,
00:30:29.19\00:30:30.83
I'm doing my final
touch up on the notes,
00:30:30.86\00:30:32.63
and Karen's having this worship,
00:30:32.66\00:30:33.70
and you know, there's a potluck,
00:30:33.73\00:30:34.63
and she's getting
stuff ready for the potluck,
00:30:34.66\00:30:36.13
and I said, "I'll
see you at church dear.
00:30:36.16\00:30:38.13
And I kissed her, good bye."
00:30:38.17\00:30:39.10
We take separate cars
to protect our marriage.
00:30:39.13\00:30:41.87
You know, it just
doesn't cost that much.
00:30:41.90\00:30:44.27
It's worth every
penny of the extra gas.
00:30:44.31\00:30:47.28
And so I'm on my
way out the door,
00:30:47.31\00:30:50.75
and I'm in the garage,
00:30:50.78\00:30:52.88
and I thought, "We
haven't even prayed together."
00:30:52.91\00:30:54.62
We always did it.
00:30:54.65\00:30:55.68
It was like have
it with the kids.
00:30:55.72\00:30:56.99
And so I came
back and said, "Karen,
00:30:57.02\00:30:58.75
we haven't even
prayed together."
00:30:58.79\00:31:00.56
So we knelt at the bed, we
prayed together and I said,
00:31:00.59\00:31:02.29
"I feel much better now."
00:31:02.32\00:31:04.06
So you're not just at
church when you're in church.
00:31:04.09\00:31:05.66
It's kind of, yeah,
I'm at church, we pray.
00:31:05.69\00:31:07.66
You got to do it in your family.
00:31:07.73\00:31:09.53
You need to have Jesus
00:31:09.56\00:31:10.57
being a
cornerstone in your family
00:31:10.60\00:31:13.13
where you're praying
together and your family
00:31:13.17\00:31:15.40
is a little
sanctuary for the Lord.
00:31:15.44\00:31:17.64
Not only do we want the Lord
00:31:17.67\00:31:18.81
to be in our church
with the Holy Spirit,
00:31:18.84\00:31:21.68
you want Him to
dwell in your home,
00:31:21.71\00:31:23.21
you want things that are
said and done in your home,
00:31:23.24\00:31:25.18
to be a place where
the angels want to dwell.
00:31:25.21\00:31:28.42
And so that's why I
think the lesson breaks out.
00:31:28.45\00:31:31.55
You are the
household in your homes
00:31:31.59\00:31:33.82
and with the temple
which is our next part here
00:31:33.86\00:31:35.52
that we're going to
00:31:35.56\00:31:37.59
for the
metaphors of oneness here.
00:31:37.63\00:31:41.96
Temple of the Holy Spirit.
00:31:42.00\00:31:43.57
Now someone's going to
read 1 Corinthians 3:16,
00:31:43.60\00:31:46.23
just a moment,
you'll have that Ben,
00:31:46.27\00:31:48.40
And I'm going to read
00:31:48.44\00:31:49.50
1 Corinthians...
00:31:49.54\00:31:51.01
No, I'm reading 2
Chronicles 7:1, 2.
00:31:51.04\00:31:57.78
"When Solomon
had finished praying
00:31:57.81\00:32:01.05
fire came down from heaven..."
00:32:01.08\00:32:02.82
Now, what's he praying over?
00:32:02.85\00:32:04.79
This is the dedication of
the temple built by Solomon
00:32:04.82\00:32:08.72
which was the
first permanent temple.
00:32:08.76\00:32:11.39
The other one
through the wilderness
00:32:11.43\00:32:12.49
was a portable temple.
00:32:12.53\00:32:14.23
"When Solomon
had finished praying,
00:32:14.30\00:32:15.86
fire came down from heaven
00:32:15.90\00:32:17.80
and consumed the burnt
offering and the sacrifices,
00:32:17.83\00:32:20.90
and the glory of the
Lord filled the temple."
00:32:20.94\00:32:23.47
Now just a little footnote.
00:32:23.51\00:32:25.24
You'll hear about when
Solomon had his prayer in,
00:32:25.27\00:32:28.41
I think it's 1 Kings, yes,
1 Kings and in 2 Chronicles.
00:32:28.44\00:32:33.68
1 Kings does not mention
the part about the Holy Spirit
00:32:33.72\00:32:36.48
coming down and
fire coming down.
00:32:36.52\00:32:38.32
So I think you
should just note that
00:32:38.35\00:32:40.86
because this to
me is very important.
00:32:40.89\00:32:42.49
Notice this.
00:32:42.52\00:32:43.83
"He prayed, he
dedicated the house to the Lord.
00:32:43.86\00:32:46.80
The Spirit of God,
00:32:46.83\00:32:47.86
the fire of God came down
consumed the burnt offering
00:32:47.93\00:32:50.40
and the sacrifices,
00:32:50.43\00:32:51.73
and the glory of the
Lord filled the temple.
00:32:51.77\00:32:56.30
And the priests could not
enter the house of the Lord,
00:32:56.34\00:32:59.47
because the glory of the Lord
00:32:59.51\00:33:00.84
had so filled the Lord's house."
00:33:00.88\00:33:04.15
The priests are going,
00:33:04.18\00:33:05.81
at first, they are trying
to put on their sunglasses,
00:33:05.85\00:33:07.62
and that doesn't
work, and they are going,
00:33:07.65\00:33:09.32
"We're trying to
go in and do our job,
00:33:09.35\00:33:10.55
but there's so much glory,
00:33:10.59\00:33:11.59
we got to wait
for to dissipate."
00:33:11.62\00:33:14.16
Wouldn't you like to have
that problem in your home?
00:33:14.19\00:33:16.86
So much of the spirit
that your cup runs over.
00:33:16.89\00:33:19.43
It's like Moses
came down the mountain
00:33:19.46\00:33:20.96
after talking to
God and he's glowing.
00:33:21.00\00:33:22.53
They said, "Don't talk to us.
00:33:22.56\00:33:23.57
It's too much glory."
00:33:23.60\00:33:25.83
Wouldn't you like
to have that problem?
00:33:25.87\00:33:27.97
Just to be so filled
00:33:28.00\00:33:29.20
and baptized
with the Holy Spirit
00:33:29.24\00:33:30.71
in the last days
00:33:30.74\00:33:32.51
that people know
that God is with you.
00:33:32.54\00:33:35.48
So I thought that
was a great verse, story.
00:33:35.51\00:33:39.41
That filled the Lord's house.
Please read for us your verse.
00:33:39.45\00:33:42.98
1 Corinthians 3:16, 17.
00:33:43.02\00:33:46.76
"No ye not that you
are the temple of God
00:33:46.79\00:33:49.36
and that the Spirit
of God dwell within you?
00:33:49.39\00:33:51.86
If any man
defiles the temple of God,
00:33:51.89\00:33:54.00
him shall God destroy.
00:33:54.03\00:33:55.56
For the temple of God is
holy, which temple you are."
00:33:55.60\00:33:59.50
Now, this is a little different
from where Paul says later,
00:33:59.53\00:34:03.27
don't you know your body
00:34:03.30\00:34:04.64
is the temple
of the Holy Spirit.
00:34:04.67\00:34:06.11
Here he is saying,
"Don't you know that ye,"
00:34:06.14\00:34:08.48
plural, it's kind of like
we say in the South, y'all,
00:34:08.51\00:34:14.32
y'all is what
he's really saying.
00:34:14.35\00:34:16.42
"Don't you know
that y'all are the temple
00:34:16.45\00:34:18.79
of the Holy Spirit?"
00:34:18.82\00:34:20.46
That collectively
we are living stones,
00:34:20.49\00:34:23.22
that we form a temple,
00:34:23.26\00:34:24.36
that God dwells in you, if
anyone defiles this temple.
00:34:24.39\00:34:29.70
I know I probably aggravate
00:34:29.73\00:34:31.23
some of our
leaders and our workers,
00:34:31.27\00:34:33.74
we really appreciate
everyone that volunteers
00:34:33.77\00:34:35.60
but you know,
00:34:35.64\00:34:37.64
because we use this
building for a number of things,
00:34:37.67\00:34:40.71
we have classes
and we have seminars,
00:34:40.74\00:34:42.94
and I think it's
great that, you know,
00:34:42.98\00:34:44.21
we get up just before we
enter our worship service,
00:34:44.25\00:34:46.28
we greet each
other, that's important.
00:34:46.31\00:34:48.25
But then you've
got to do something,
00:34:48.28\00:34:50.15
when we enter into
the worship service,
00:34:50.19\00:34:51.55
we need to maintain sanctity.
00:34:51.59\00:34:54.56
And I think sometimes
00:34:54.59\00:34:55.89
it's important to teach our kids
00:34:55.92\00:34:59.09
because this place
00:34:59.13\00:35:01.53
is a place that's
set aside for the worship
00:35:01.56\00:35:03.67
of the Holiest of Holies God
00:35:03.70\00:35:07.17
that there
should be a reverence.
00:35:07.20\00:35:10.04
And so sometimes the kids,
00:35:10.07\00:35:11.77
I see them running up the hall,
00:35:11.81\00:35:13.04
says, "Guys, please don't run."
00:35:13.07\00:35:14.94
You don't want to be,
you know, sour to the kids,
00:35:14.98\00:35:19.21
you know, but you
are trying nicely,
00:35:19.25\00:35:20.35
says, "Look, this is a church.
00:35:20.38\00:35:22.68
Don't run."
00:35:22.72\00:35:24.19
All right, I mean, here
people are talking loud,
00:35:24.22\00:35:26.15
I say, "Come on,
let's keep it down.
00:35:26.19\00:35:28.76
Little more reverence."
00:35:28.79\00:35:30.53
Ace, don't you agree?
00:35:30.56\00:35:31.86
Yes. Good. Help me with that.
00:35:31.89\00:35:34.93
So there should be a sanctity
00:35:34.93\00:35:37.07
where it's filled
with the Holy Spirit.
00:35:37.10\00:35:39.07
And I think it invites angels
00:35:39.10\00:35:40.74
and when we show that reverence,
00:35:40.77\00:35:42.10
it invites the Holy Spirit.
00:35:42.14\00:35:45.01
Romans 8:9.
00:35:45.04\00:35:46.81
"But you are not in the
flesh but in the Spirit,
00:35:46.84\00:35:49.54
if indeed the Spirit
of God dwells in you.
00:35:49.58\00:35:51.91
Now if anyone does not
have the Spirit of Christ,
00:35:51.95\00:35:54.52
he is not His."
00:35:54.55\00:35:56.79
What's the seal
that we belong to Christ?
00:35:56.82\00:35:59.62
Holy Spirit.
00:35:59.65\00:36:01.42
1 Corinthians 6:19.
00:36:01.46\00:36:03.39
"Or do you not
know that your body..."
00:36:03.43\00:36:04.76
Now here's a verse on the body.
00:36:04.79\00:36:06.53
"Do you not know that your body
00:36:06.56\00:36:07.93
is the temple of
the Holy Spirit."
00:36:07.96\00:36:09.36
This really goes
with our next section,
00:36:09.40\00:36:11.63
the body of Christ.
00:36:11.67\00:36:15.14
"Your body is the
temple of the Holy Spirit
00:36:15.17\00:36:17.54
who is in you,
whom you have from God,
00:36:17.57\00:36:19.67
and you are not your own?
00:36:19.71\00:36:21.04
For you were
bought with a price,
00:36:21.08\00:36:23.08
therefore
glorify God in your body
00:36:23.11\00:36:25.55
and in your spirit,
00:36:25.58\00:36:26.68
which are God's."
00:36:26.72\00:36:28.75
You'll read in
Revelation about this group.
00:36:28.78\00:36:31.35
They're called the
synagogue of Satan.
00:36:31.39\00:36:33.19
You got the Nicolaitans
00:36:33.22\00:36:34.49
who have the
teaching that God hates.
00:36:34.52\00:36:37.33
You know what
their teaching was?
00:36:37.36\00:36:39.96
They said, "Well, you know,
00:36:40.00\00:36:41.00
you worship God
with your spirit,
00:36:41.03\00:36:42.40
but your body is
carnal, it gets old, it dies,
00:36:42.43\00:36:44.57
it's got desires
and unholy passions
00:36:44.60\00:36:46.67
and you can't control the body.
00:36:46.70\00:36:47.90
So just do whatever
you want with the body,
00:36:47.94\00:36:50.11
but you worship
God with the spirit."
00:36:50.14\00:36:52.17
That was sort of
a Greek mysticism.
00:36:52.21\00:36:56.24
And it began to influence,
00:36:56.28\00:36:57.91
contaminate
Christians and the church,
00:36:57.95\00:36:59.78
and God said, "I hate that."
00:36:59.81\00:37:00.95
That is not true.
00:37:00.98\00:37:01.98
The Jewish mindset was,
00:37:02.02\00:37:03.95
"Your body and your
spirit are interwoven.
00:37:03.99\00:37:06.19
You want to take
care of your spirit,
00:37:06.22\00:37:07.26
take care of your body."
00:37:07.29\00:37:09.02
One of the things that makes the
00:37:09.06\00:37:10.06
Seventh-day Adventists unique
00:37:10.09\00:37:11.53
is we realize there is
this unalterable connection
00:37:11.56\00:37:14.96
between your
body and your spirit.
00:37:15.00\00:37:17.67
Obviously, if a
person is drunk and on drugs,
00:37:17.70\00:37:20.00
they don't hear the
Holy Spirit very well, right?
00:37:20.04\00:37:23.87
And so the Lord wants
us to have our minds clear.
00:37:23.91\00:37:27.51
He wants our bodies to be well
00:37:27.54\00:37:29.58
because He communicates
to us through our mind
00:37:29.61\00:37:31.91
which is, you know, the
Holy Holies in that body.
00:37:31.95\00:37:35.22
And so it's sort
of a holistic view
00:37:35.25\00:37:39.15
that we are part of that body.
00:37:39.19\00:37:41.46
In the New Testament,
00:37:41.49\00:37:42.49
the church is often
described as a body.
00:37:42.52\00:37:45.56
And yet for some reason,
00:37:45.59\00:37:46.70
it's more common for Christians
00:37:46.73\00:37:48.26
to amputate themselves
from the body of Christ.
00:37:48.30\00:37:51.53
Have you ever heard people say,
00:37:51.57\00:37:52.63
"Does it really
matter if I go to church?
00:37:52.67\00:37:54.50
I can survive
spiritually without the church.
00:37:54.54\00:37:57.64
I love the Lord.
00:37:57.67\00:37:58.71
I'm a Christian but
I don't go to church."
00:37:58.74\00:38:00.14
How many of you
have heard that before?
00:38:00.18\00:38:04.48
How long does a
body part survive
00:38:04.51\00:38:06.95
when it's separated
from the rest of the body?
00:38:06.98\00:38:10.92
I don't want to embarrass David
00:38:10.95\00:38:12.19
but he told me a story one time
that when you were at school,
00:38:12.22\00:38:15.92
you were running a band
saw, and something happened.
00:38:15.96\00:38:19.59
David has got a
testimony right there.
00:38:19.63\00:38:20.96
He is missing the
end of his finger.
00:38:20.96\00:38:22.83
They rushed him to the clinic
or somewhere and they said,
00:38:22.86\00:38:24.73
"Where is the finger?"
00:38:24.77\00:38:26.23
And they said,
"Well, they left it
00:38:26.27\00:38:27.30
back at the shop."
00:38:27.34\00:38:28.60
They said, "Oh, we
could have attached it."
00:38:28.64\00:38:31.11
But if you go too long,
00:38:31.14\00:38:33.44
where a piece of
the body is separated,
00:38:33.48\00:38:35.08
it doesn't last.
00:38:35.11\00:38:36.85
Now if I tell you to
look at the person next to you
00:38:36.88\00:38:40.12
and say, "Well, I
really like your nose."
00:38:40.15\00:38:42.82
Will probably
makes them feel awkward.
00:38:42.85\00:38:46.62
But if I say, "Look
on the floor, a nose."
00:38:46.65\00:38:49.02
How many of you would be a
little uncomfortable with that?
00:38:49.06\00:38:51.99
If I said, "I think I see
a human nose on the floor."
00:38:52.03\00:38:55.10
See, that's not
where it's supposed to be,
00:38:55.13\00:38:56.16
it's supposed to be on the face.
00:38:56.20\00:38:58.33
It doesn't last very
long on the floor, right?
00:38:58.37\00:39:01.64
And so when people
say, "I'm part of the body
00:39:01.67\00:39:03.87
but I am disconnected,"
you won't survive.
00:39:03.91\00:39:08.98
It's like a lamb
00:39:09.01\00:39:10.31
without the
flock and the shepherd,
00:39:10.35\00:39:12.01
they'll be taken by the wolves.
00:39:12.05\00:39:14.28
You might, for a little while,
feel spiritual and everything,
00:39:14.32\00:39:16.79
and the devil
will give some people
00:39:16.82\00:39:18.25
the illusion that
they're Christians
00:39:18.29\00:39:19.72
and they're not
part of a church.
00:39:19.75\00:39:21.62
But, I mean, yeah,
some people are shut ins
00:39:21.66\00:39:23.36
and they can't make it to church
00:39:23.39\00:39:24.66
or they're isolated by
their job or circumstances
00:39:24.69\00:39:27.13
and there's no
Christians around.
00:39:27.20\00:39:28.73
That's different,
everyone understand?
00:39:28.76\00:39:31.37
But when a Christian,
you can't go to church,
00:39:31.40\00:39:33.97
doesn't go to
church, and they say,
00:39:34.00\00:39:35.10
"Oh, yeah, I'm a Christian."
00:39:35.14\00:39:36.84
It's usually a
sign of bad health.
00:39:36.87\00:39:39.87
Usually they don't
get along with somebody.
00:39:39.91\00:39:44.18
And they say, "I
want to be a Christian."
00:39:44.21\00:39:46.01
It always reminds me of a guy
that's dating a girl who says,
00:39:46.05\00:39:50.12
"I love you and
I want to marry you
00:39:50.15\00:39:52.05
but I really don't
want to live with you."
00:39:52.09\00:39:55.76
And when you become a Christian,
00:39:55.79\00:39:58.23
you are baptized
into the body of Christ.
00:39:58.26\00:40:01.50
That's what the Bible
says, we are in Christ.
00:40:01.53\00:40:03.26
What's the church
called? The body of Christ.
00:40:03.30\00:40:06.07
So for you to say,
00:40:06.10\00:40:07.27
"I'm the Christian
00:40:07.30\00:40:08.30
and I only go to
church once a month,"
00:40:08.34\00:40:10.91
you're probably not a
very healthy Christian.
00:40:10.94\00:40:14.31
If you had a car that
started one time out of four,
00:40:14.34\00:40:18.68
would you get it worked on?
00:40:18.71\00:40:21.08
Yeah, there's no
consistency there.
00:40:21.12\00:40:23.42
And so you want to be
a consistent Christian.
00:40:23.45\00:40:24.95
Be involved.
00:40:24.99\00:40:26.05
Not just going to church
but being a functional member.
00:40:26.09\00:40:29.49
And it goes into
that here in the lesson.
00:40:29.52\00:40:31.53
Not just being part of the body.
00:40:31.56\00:40:32.89
Someone's gonna
read for me, Ephesians,
00:40:32.93\00:40:35.96
you just read that one, huh?
00:40:36.00\00:40:37.70
No, no.
00:40:37.73\00:40:38.77
I read that one.
I take it all back.
00:40:38.80\00:40:40.80
I was going to
give that one away
00:40:40.84\00:40:41.97
but I changed my mind.
00:40:42.00\00:40:44.47
Ephesians 1:22,
00:40:44.51\00:40:46.31
"And He put all
things under His feet,
00:40:46.34\00:40:48.08
and gave Him, Jesus,
00:40:48.11\00:40:49.31
to be head over all
things to the church,
00:40:49.34\00:40:51.71
which is the body,
00:40:51.75\00:40:53.72
the fullness of Him
who fills all in all."
00:40:53.75\00:40:56.95
Bible says, "There's
one body, one spirit."
00:40:56.99\00:41:00.46
1 Corinthians 10:17,
00:41:00.49\00:41:02.26
"For we, though many,
are one bread and one body,
00:41:02.29\00:41:06.90
we partake of that one bread."
00:41:06.93\00:41:08.36
Whenever we have
communion, we are acknowledging,
00:41:08.40\00:41:10.43
we are part of one
body, the Bible says.
00:41:10.47\00:41:13.44
For the equipping,
00:41:13.47\00:41:14.37
it gives different
gifts of the spirit, why?
00:41:14.40\00:41:15.94
For the equipping of the
saints for the work of ministry,
00:41:15.97\00:41:19.74
for the edifying,"
what is an edificio?
00:41:19.77\00:41:24.45
It's a building.
00:41:24.48\00:41:26.08
To build up.
00:41:26.11\00:41:27.15
So it's not just
being in the body,
00:41:27.18\00:41:28.75
using your gifts then
somehow to build up the body.
00:41:28.78\00:41:34.59
Got to church early
this morning and I said,
00:41:34.62\00:41:36.83
"Where are our greeters?"
00:41:36.86\00:41:39.36
I heard they were
little late or something.
00:41:39.39\00:41:41.33
I said, "That's
part of the body,
00:41:41.36\00:41:42.40
that's so important.
00:41:42.43\00:41:43.47
When people come
through the door,
00:41:43.50\00:41:44.50
they see people
smiling and welcoming."
00:41:44.53\00:41:46.77
And so that's one
of the many ministries
00:41:46.80\00:41:48.44
that we've got.
00:41:48.47\00:41:49.60
And we have people
who are on the camera.
00:41:49.64\00:41:51.27
They are helping broadcast.
00:41:51.31\00:41:52.67
We got people who are
deacons, we got elders.
00:41:52.71\00:41:54.88
And we've got the
children's divisions,
00:41:54.91\00:41:56.68
but if you're in the body
00:41:56.71\00:41:58.38
and you're just
kind of coming and going,
00:41:58.41\00:42:00.28
you ought to be in
the prayer ministry,
00:42:00.32\00:42:01.62
be in the book ministry,
00:42:01.65\00:42:03.02
everybody ought
to be integrated,
00:42:03.05\00:42:05.22
a part of the body,
00:42:05.25\00:42:06.22
there are no
appendixes in the temple of God.
00:42:06.25\00:42:10.16
No, I guess appendix even
has a function, doesn't it?
00:42:10.19\00:42:14.73
You know, they
took away my tonsils
00:42:14.76\00:42:16.06
and I have no
idea what I'm missing.
00:42:16.10\00:42:17.40
But I guess that
was there for a reason,
00:42:17.43\00:42:19.67
when I was young.
00:42:19.70\00:42:21.00
I mean everything's
got a function, right?
00:42:21.04\00:42:24.01
But I'm hoping that
you're not all tonsils
00:42:24.04\00:42:25.54
and appendix in the body
00:42:25.57\00:42:26.94
that you get
involved in using your gifts.
00:42:26.98\00:42:30.65
Amen? Amen.
00:42:30.68\00:42:31.98
I mean let's read Romans 12:4.
00:42:32.01\00:42:35.62
"For as we have
many members in one body,
00:42:35.65\00:42:37.69
but all the members
don't have the same function,
00:42:37.72\00:42:40.06
so we, being many,
are one body in Christ,
00:42:40.09\00:42:42.79
and individual
members of one another.
00:42:42.82\00:42:45.79
Having in them a differing,
00:42:45.83\00:42:47.93
according to the
grace that is given to us,
00:42:47.96\00:42:49.26
let us use them, if prophecy,
00:42:49.30\00:42:51.20
let them interview, teaching,
00:42:51.23\00:42:52.57
let us prophesy in
proportion to our faith,
00:42:52.60\00:42:54.60
or ministry, let us
use it in our ministering,
00:42:54.64\00:42:56.91
he who teaches, in teaching
00:42:56.94\00:42:58.51
he who exhorts, in exhortation,
00:42:58.54\00:43:00.28
he who gives, with liberality,"
some got the gift of giving,
00:43:00.31\00:43:03.28
they are successful
and they are generous,
00:43:03.31\00:43:05.35
"he who leads, with diligence,
00:43:05.38\00:43:07.55
he who shows
mercy, with cheerfulness."
00:43:07.58\00:43:10.75
Similar verse.
00:43:10.79\00:43:11.89
This was such a
foundational teaching
00:43:11.92\00:43:13.46
in the New Testament.
00:43:13.49\00:43:15.59
1 Corinthians 12:12.
00:43:15.62\00:43:17.79
"For as the body is
one and has many members,
00:43:17.83\00:43:21.03
but all the
members of that body,
00:43:21.06\00:43:22.43
being one or
many, so also is Christ.
00:43:22.46\00:43:25.63
For by one spirit
we're baptized into one body,
00:43:25.67\00:43:28.70
where they're Jews or Greeks,
where they're slaves or free
00:43:28.74\00:43:31.34
and have all been made
to drink into one spirit.
00:43:31.37\00:43:35.08
For in fact the body is
not one but many members.
00:43:35.11\00:43:38.41
But the foot should not say,
00:43:38.45\00:43:40.25
'Because I am not a
hand, I am not of the body.'
00:43:40.28\00:43:43.42
Someone should say,
"Well, if I am not a pastor,
00:43:43.45\00:43:45.19
I don't want to go.
00:43:45.22\00:43:47.69
Or if I am not an elder.
00:43:47.72\00:43:49.59
Or if I don't get this
job or that job, then."
00:43:49.62\00:43:53.26
You know what the
most dangerous time
00:43:53.29\00:43:54.56
is in a church?
00:43:54.60\00:43:56.46
We're getting ready to go
into this year in our church.
00:43:56.50\00:43:59.20
Nominating committee.
00:43:59.23\00:44:01.60
You know why?
00:44:01.64\00:44:02.67
It's very important
00:44:02.70\00:44:03.91
because you are trying to
get more people integrated.
00:44:03.94\00:44:05.47
But there is
always a possibility
00:44:05.51\00:44:08.01
that the committee
00:44:08.04\00:44:09.24
will recommend that
someone else is given a chance
00:44:09.28\00:44:11.51
to learn a new office
which means the person
00:44:11.55\00:44:13.82
who's had that
office for a while
00:44:13.85\00:44:15.32
might get another office
or be asked to take a break,
00:44:15.35\00:44:18.55
and they become mad,
they take it as rejection,
00:44:18.59\00:44:21.12
and they say, "That's my job.
00:44:21.16\00:44:22.16
How dare they're
getting my job away?
00:44:22.19\00:44:24.43
I'll never gonna come back."
00:44:24.46\00:44:27.93
It's true.
00:44:27.96\00:44:29.56
"How come I wasn't on
the decorating committee?
00:44:29.60\00:44:31.83
They don't think I
have any decorating skills?"
00:44:31.87\00:44:35.54
And you know what causes
those problems, almost always?
00:44:35.57\00:44:38.47
Pride.
00:44:38.51\00:44:40.34
Nominating committee is
a great opportunity for us
00:44:40.38\00:44:42.64
to embrace
humility as a church, right?
00:44:42.68\00:44:46.11
And say, "Lord,
wherever You want me,
00:44:46.15\00:44:47.98
use Your process.
00:44:48.02\00:44:49.08
Put me where You want me."
00:44:49.12\00:44:51.32
But he says just
because a person is not a foot
00:44:51.35\00:44:54.76
or not a hand,
don't say I'm a foot,
00:44:54.79\00:44:56.16
I don't want to be
foot, I want to be a hand,
00:44:56.19\00:44:58.29
you are still part of the body.
00:44:58.33\00:45:01.90
"Should the foot say,
'Because I am not a hand,
00:45:01.93\00:45:03.50
I am not part of the body,'
00:45:03.53\00:45:04.97
is it therefore not of the body?
00:45:05.00\00:45:06.30
And if the ear should
say, 'Because I am not an eye,
00:45:06.33\00:45:08.50
I am not of the body,'
00:45:08.54\00:45:09.70
is it therefore not of the body?
00:45:09.74\00:45:11.24
If the whole body was an eye,
where would be the hearing?"
00:45:11.27\00:45:14.44
I like Paul's humor here.
00:45:14.48\00:45:16.01
"If the whole was hearing,
where would be the smelling?"
00:45:16.04\00:45:19.98
I remember hearing
an illustration one time
00:45:20.02\00:45:22.78
where a man woke up
00:45:22.82\00:45:26.02
and he reached on the
dresser to put on his glasses
00:45:26.05\00:45:29.12
and his nose protested.
00:45:29.16\00:45:31.79
And his nose said, "Not again.
00:45:31.83\00:45:34.00
No more. I've had enough."
00:45:34.00\00:45:36.06
And the man say,
"Listen, you are the nose.
00:45:36.10\00:45:37.17
What's the problem?"
00:45:37.20\00:45:38.23
He says, "You always
got those glasses on me.
00:45:38.27\00:45:39.57
They go on up and down.
00:45:39.60\00:45:40.64
They slide up and
down all day long.
00:45:40.67\00:45:42.24
They leave a little red spots.
00:45:42.27\00:45:43.37
I can't breathe.
No more glasses."
00:45:43.41\00:45:47.21
So the man set
the glasses back down,
00:45:47.24\00:45:49.08
he went on to the
bathroom, and he bumped his nose
00:45:49.11\00:45:51.08
because he couldn't
see where he was going.
00:45:51.11\00:45:55.45
All the parts of the
body need each other.
00:45:55.48\00:45:58.45
Amen? Amen.
00:45:58.49\00:45:59.72
Well, I got three minutes here.
00:45:59.75\00:46:00.89
I want to jump down, you see,
00:46:00.92\00:46:02.39
you can read the
rest of that verse,
00:46:02.42\00:46:03.39
it talks about the
different body parts.
00:46:03.43\00:46:05.16
Sheep and shepherd.
00:46:05.19\00:46:07.50
Another metaphor used for unity.
00:46:07.56\00:46:09.56
A flock with a head shepherd,
00:46:09.60\00:46:12.77
and there might
be under shepherds.
00:46:12.80\00:46:14.64
Jesus talked about
shepherds that loved the sheep
00:46:14.67\00:46:16.71
and then those higher lands
are just doing it for a job,
00:46:16.74\00:46:19.21
and if the wolf comes,
00:46:19.24\00:46:20.21
they run and they
leave the sheep to be eaten.
00:46:20.24\00:46:23.51
But those that love the sheep,
they all lay down their lives.
00:46:23.55\00:46:27.68
The Old Testament
talks about shepherds
00:46:27.72\00:46:29.52
that don't care, they sleep,
00:46:29.55\00:46:30.99
and there's dumb
dogs that don't bark
00:46:31.02\00:46:32.75
and they don't
care about the sheep
00:46:32.79\00:46:33.99
and the sheep are
scattered and destroyed.
00:46:34.02\00:46:36.26
Bible talks about
faithful shepherds like Jacob.
00:46:36.29\00:46:38.63
You ever listened to
Jacob's description to Laban?
00:46:38.66\00:46:41.03
Talk about the years
of shepherding sheep.
00:46:41.06\00:46:43.67
Says, "I was out in
the cold in the night.
00:46:43.70\00:46:46.77
In the heat during the
day, my sleep went from me.
00:46:46.80\00:46:50.77
Says, I fought off the wolves."
00:46:50.81\00:46:52.27
He describes the
life of a shepherd.
00:46:52.31\00:46:54.71
Isn't it interesting that
when God called His nation,
00:46:54.74\00:46:57.21
it was a nation of shepherds?
00:46:57.25\00:47:00.52
Abraham was a shepherd.
00:47:00.55\00:47:02.78
Isaac was a
shepherd and a farmer.
00:47:02.82\00:47:05.32
Jacob was a shepherd.
00:47:05.35\00:47:08.09
Joseph was a shepherd.
00:47:08.12\00:47:11.03
Moses, how did God prepare
Moses for leading the people?
00:47:11.06\00:47:14.73
Forty years
taking care of sheep.
00:47:14.76\00:47:17.23
How did God prepare
David to be a good leader?
00:47:17.27\00:47:20.27
Taking care of sheep.
00:47:20.30\00:47:22.67
I enjoyed my time
00:47:22.70\00:47:23.81
when I lived on
the Navajo Reservation
00:47:23.84\00:47:25.34
because they were
largely shepherds back then.
00:47:25.37\00:47:27.58
Now they lived in their hogans
and they'd take care of sheep,
00:47:27.61\00:47:30.65
and I would go out with
my cousin on motorcycles.
00:47:30.68\00:47:35.15
The Navajos,
00:47:35.18\00:47:38.15
they didn't even have
horses, a lot of them,
00:47:38.19\00:47:39.42
they would herd
their sheep on foot,
00:47:39.45\00:47:40.66
they just chase
them with their dogs,
00:47:40.69\00:47:43.16
and I tried to help
them with my motorcycle
00:47:43.19\00:47:44.79
but I think I
did more to scatter
00:47:44.83\00:47:46.19
and scare the sheep.
00:47:46.23\00:47:49.20
And, but it's a
very committed life,
00:47:49.23\00:47:51.20
they're out there in
the sun and in the cold,
00:47:51.23\00:47:52.80
and there is very little shelter
00:47:52.83\00:47:53.94
and they are just taking them
00:47:53.97\00:47:54.97
from one gracing
spot to the other
00:47:55.00\00:47:57.64
so they could eat their mutton.
00:47:57.67\00:48:00.61
David says, "The
Lord is my shepherd."
00:48:00.64\00:48:02.74
Someone's gonna read
for me a verse in a second.
00:48:02.78\00:48:04.98
You get ready, you are next.
00:48:05.01\00:48:07.15
David says, "The
Lord is my shepherd.
00:48:07.18\00:48:08.92
I shall not want.
00:48:08.95\00:48:10.59
He makes me to lie
down in green pastures.
00:48:10.62\00:48:13.82
He leads me
beside the still waters.
00:48:13.86\00:48:15.82
He restores my soul.
00:48:15.86\00:48:17.99
He leads me in the
paths of righteousness."
00:48:18.03\00:48:20.56
So where does
the shepherd lead us?
00:48:20.60\00:48:22.76
Paths of righteousness.
00:48:22.80\00:48:24.97
Go ahead. Read your
verse for us please.
00:48:25.00\00:48:28.84
Isaiah 40:11.
00:48:28.87\00:48:31.34
"He will feed His
flock like a shepherd.
00:48:31.37\00:48:33.98
He will gather the
lambs with His arm,
00:48:34.01\00:48:36.34
and carry them in His bosom,
00:48:36.38\00:48:38.28
and gently lead
those who are with young."
00:48:38.31\00:48:41.82
It's wonderful when
you look at the metaphor
00:48:41.85\00:48:43.89
God gives for His
one people as a flock
00:48:43.92\00:48:45.99
because He is the shepherd.
00:48:46.02\00:48:47.46
You got a
beautiful passage there
00:48:47.49\00:48:49.02
in John chapter 10,
00:48:49.06\00:48:51.03
where Jesus says, verse 1,
"Most assuredly, I say to you,
00:48:51.06\00:48:54.93
he that doesn't enter
the sheepfold by the door,
00:48:54.93\00:48:56.90
but climbs in some other way,
00:48:56.93\00:48:58.63
the same is a
thief and a robber.
00:48:58.67\00:49:00.84
But he who enters the door
is the shepherd of the sheep.
00:49:00.87\00:49:04.47
And the doorkeeper opens,
and the sheep hear his voice,
00:49:04.51\00:49:07.28
and he calls his
own sheep by name
00:49:07.31\00:49:09.68
and he leads them out.
00:49:09.71\00:49:11.71
And he brings out his own sheep,
00:49:11.75\00:49:13.11
and he goes before them,
00:49:13.15\00:49:14.55
and the sheep follow
him, for they know his voice."
00:49:14.58\00:49:17.92
I've not seen it
but I understand.
00:49:17.95\00:49:19.42
Well, Karen and I were
in the Middle East this year
00:49:19.45\00:49:21.02
and we saw the
shepherds and the sheep,
00:49:21.06\00:49:22.32
but I've seen,
00:49:22.36\00:49:23.93
I've read that
when the shepherds
00:49:23.96\00:49:25.79
all would come together
00:49:25.83\00:49:27.00
from their different flocks
and they'd visit a little bit
00:49:27.03\00:49:28.76
and all the sheep are trying
to gather at this watering hole,
00:49:28.80\00:49:31.27
and then finally
when it came time for them
00:49:31.30\00:49:32.87
to take their sheep off
to different respective folds
00:49:32.90\00:49:36.00
and pastures that the shepherds
would give a little call
00:49:36.04\00:49:38.84
and all the sheep
knew their shepherd's voice
00:49:38.87\00:49:41.68
and as that
shepherd begin to walk off
00:49:41.71\00:49:43.28
and he'd give off his
little whistle or his call,
00:49:43.31\00:49:46.18
the sheep lift up and
they all would separate
00:49:46.21\00:49:49.25
even though
they'd all been mixed up,
00:49:49.28\00:49:51.15
to follow their shepherd.
00:49:51.19\00:49:52.82
He said, "My
sheep hear my voice."
00:49:52.85\00:49:55.02
Now where do we hear His voice?
00:49:55.06\00:49:57.23
In the Word,
through the Holy Spirit
00:49:57.26\00:49:59.59
that will always be
in harmony with the word.
00:49:59.63\00:50:01.56
Last thing.
00:50:01.60\00:50:02.60
Jesus said,
00:50:02.63\00:50:03.70
"I am the good shepherd.
00:50:03.73\00:50:06.47
The good shepherd gives
his life for the sheep."
00:50:06.50\00:50:09.37
And that's the best
reason for us to be one.
00:50:09.40\00:50:11.57
Amen? Amen.
00:50:11.61\00:50:12.61
I want to remind you on closing.
00:50:12.64\00:50:13.84
We do have a free offer
00:50:13.88\00:50:15.68
and especially now
this is very relevant,
00:50:15.71\00:50:17.68
I hope that you will
take advantage of it.
00:50:17.71\00:50:19.88
It's a CD
message I did on unity.
00:50:19.91\00:50:22.42
It's called Divided or United.
00:50:22.45\00:50:24.42
And when you
call in 866-788-3966,
00:50:24.45\00:50:28.82
ask for offer number 861.
00:50:28.86\00:50:30.79
You see that on your screen.
00:50:30.83\00:50:32.13
That's 866-Study-More.
00:50:32.16\00:50:33.40
We will send it to you for free.
00:50:33.43\00:50:34.83
Listen to it and
share it with a friend
00:50:34.86\00:50:37.47
and hope you will
receive a blessing.
00:50:37.50\00:50:39.17
God bless you, friends.
00:50:39.20\00:50:40.24
We are out of
time for today's study.
00:50:40.27\00:50:41.94
God willing, we'll do
it again next Sabbath.
00:50:41.97\00:50:44.74
On Christmas Eve, 1971,
00:50:55.52\00:50:58.22
17-year-old Juliane Koepcke
00:50:58.25\00:51:00.69
boarded LANSA flight 508
with her mother in Lima, Peru.
00:51:00.72\00:51:04.99
They intended to join
her father for Christmas
00:51:05.03\00:51:07.46
at his research station
in the Amazon rainforest.
00:51:07.50\00:51:10.97
After crossing the
Andes at about 21,000 feet,
00:51:11.00\00:51:14.47
their aircraft was enveloped
by large, dark thunderclouds,
00:51:14.50\00:51:18.17
and it
encountered severe turbulence.
00:51:18.21\00:51:20.51
Lightning was
flashing everywhere
00:51:20.54\00:51:22.14
and the plane
was shaken violently
00:51:22.18\00:51:24.15
which naturally
terrified the passengers.
00:51:24.18\00:51:27.15
Then a bolt of lightning
struck the planes engine
00:51:27.18\00:51:30.45
and tore off a wing.
00:51:30.49\00:51:32.25
As the doomed airliner
hurdled towards the earth,
00:51:32.29\00:51:35.22
the cabin came apart
and the next thing she knew,
00:51:35.26\00:51:38.23
Juliane found herself
strapped alone to a row of seats
00:51:38.26\00:51:41.83
falling and spinning silently
00:51:41.86\00:51:43.80
from over 10,000
feet above the rainforest.
00:51:43.83\00:51:47.27
She plummeted
through the jungle canopy
00:51:47.30\00:51:49.20
and slammed into forest floor.
00:51:49.24\00:51:51.21
When she awoke the next day,
00:51:51.24\00:51:53.04
Juliane was amazed to realize
00:51:53.07\00:51:55.08
she had survived the 2 mile fall
00:51:55.11\00:51:57.55
with just a broken collar
bone and a bad gash in her arm.
00:51:57.58\00:52:01.32
After failing to
find any other survivors,
00:52:01.35\00:52:03.89
Juliane relied
on what her father
00:52:03.92\00:52:05.45
had taught her
that walking downstream
00:52:05.49\00:52:08.22
will always
lead to civilization.
00:52:08.26\00:52:10.76
So with the bag of candy
that had fallen from the plane
00:52:10.79\00:52:13.66
and one sandal,
she started walking.
00:52:13.70\00:52:16.46
For 10 days, Juliane hobbled,
swam or floated downstream.
00:52:16.50\00:52:21.17
The wounds became infected
00:52:21.20\00:52:22.44
and she was plaguing by maggots,
00:52:22.47\00:52:24.21
while having to
dodge crocodiles,
00:52:24.24\00:52:26.14
piranhas and relentless insects.
00:52:26.17\00:52:29.14
Eventually, she came to a shack,
00:52:29.18\00:52:31.95
where she slept and
she was soon discovered
00:52:31.98\00:52:33.82
by Peruvian loggers.
00:52:33.85\00:52:35.95
Eventually, Juliane was
united with her amazed father.
00:52:35.98\00:52:39.82
It's hard to
imagine a 17-year-old girl
00:52:39.85\00:52:42.26
surviving such a
fall and then hiking alone
00:52:42.29\00:52:45.23
out of the world's
largest rainforest.
00:52:45.26\00:52:48.63
You know, the
Bible talks about some
00:52:48.66\00:52:50.07
who survived an even
greater fall than Juliane.
00:52:50.10\00:52:53.03
In fact,
according to the scriptures,
00:52:53.07\00:52:55.17
when Adam and Eve
fell in the Garden of Eden,
00:52:55.20\00:52:57.51
it brought the
whole human race down.
00:52:57.54\00:52:59.64
But Jesus came to
redeemed the world from sin.
00:52:59.67\00:53:03.04
Perhaps you're
thinking to yourself,
00:53:03.08\00:53:04.88
well, that's okay for the world,
00:53:04.91\00:53:06.48
but I've fallen too far.
00:53:06.51\00:53:08.68
Well, if the
Lord can save Juliane,
00:53:08.72\00:53:10.69
God can save you.
00:53:10.72\00:53:12.05
You've not gone
farther than Moses,
00:53:12.09\00:53:13.86
who was guilty of murder,
00:53:13.89\00:53:15.36
or David, who was
guilty of adultery,
00:53:15.39\00:53:17.33
or Peter who denied Jesus,
00:53:17.36\00:53:19.23
and all of them were saved
and restored from their fall.
00:53:19.26\00:53:23.16
Or maybe you're thinking,
I've fallen too many times.
00:53:23.20\00:53:26.50
Be of good courage, it
says in Proverbs 24:16,
00:53:26.53\00:53:30.21
"A righteous man falls
seven times and rises again."
00:53:30.24\00:53:33.71
And Jesus cast seven
devils out of Mary Magdalene.
00:53:33.74\00:53:36.78
So don't get discouraged,
friend, if you've fallen,
00:53:36.81\00:53:39.35
get back up again.
00:53:39.38\00:53:40.62
The same way that
He could save Juliane,
00:53:40.65\00:53:42.82
lead her from
that lost condition
00:53:42.85\00:53:44.62
in the rainforest and
restore her to her father,
00:53:44.65\00:53:47.82
Jesus can lead you
from your lost condition
00:53:47.86\00:53:50.06
and restore you to
your heavenly father.
00:53:50.09\00:53:52.39
Let's face it.
00:54:01.67\00:54:02.57
It's not always easy
to understand everything
00:54:02.60\00:54:04.97
you read in the Bible.
00:54:05.01\00:54:06.54
With over 700,000
words contained in 66 books,
00:54:06.57\00:54:10.31
the Bible can
generate a lot of questions.
00:54:10.35\00:54:12.85
To get biblical
straightforward answers,
00:54:12.88\00:54:15.12
call into Bible Answers Live,
00:54:15.15\00:54:17.05
a live nationwide
call in radio program
00:54:17.09\00:54:19.75
where you can talk to
Pastor Doug Batchelor,
00:54:19.79\00:54:22.02
and ask him your most
difficult Bible questions.
00:54:22.06\00:54:24.66
For times and
stations in your area,
00:54:24.69\00:54:26.86
or to listen to answers online,
visit bal.amazingfacts.org.
00:54:26.90\00:54:32.17
Among the people
living in the tropics,
00:54:43.88\00:54:45.68
for thousands of years
00:54:45.71\00:54:47.08
the coconut has been
a virtual tree of life.
00:54:47.12\00:54:50.35
The people use it for
food, for clothing, for water,
00:54:50.39\00:54:53.89
for tools, for soap, it
does just about everything.
00:54:53.92\00:54:58.33
The coconut has also
saved a lot of lives.
00:54:58.36\00:55:02.30
During World War II,
00:55:02.33\00:55:03.60
pilots that were shot down
00:55:03.63\00:55:05.03
or sailors that were
stranded on Pacific Islands,
00:55:05.07\00:55:07.50
they lived for many months
00:55:07.54\00:55:08.80
on nothing other
than the coconut trees
00:55:08.84\00:55:11.07
that were on their islands.
00:55:11.11\00:55:12.71
Yes, sir, the
coconut is a tree of life.
00:55:12.74\00:55:16.21
One of the amazing
things about coconut
00:55:16.24\00:55:18.15
is they're designed
00:55:18.18\00:55:19.18
so they're actually
able to float across oceans.
00:55:19.21\00:55:22.32
Coconuts can go
thousands of miles
00:55:22.35\00:55:23.99
after many months be washed
up on some deserted sandy beach,
00:55:24.02\00:55:27.99
then they take
root, sprout, come to life
00:55:28.02\00:55:32.53
and they'll develop
a whole new ecosystem,
00:55:32.56\00:55:35.13
holding islands in
place through a hurricane.
00:55:35.16\00:55:37.63
When the ancient
Polynesian travelers
00:55:37.67\00:55:39.73
crossing oceans saw an
island with coconut trees,
00:55:39.77\00:55:42.80
they knew there was hope.
00:55:42.84\00:55:44.51
It's amazing how in
virtually no time at all,
00:55:44.54\00:55:47.21
those living on Pacific
Islands know how to make baskets
00:55:47.24\00:55:50.38
and all kinds of tools
00:55:50.41\00:55:52.08
from the leaves
of the coconut tree.
00:55:52.11\00:55:53.85
The coconuts even
serve different purposes
00:55:56.95\00:55:58.92
at different times
in their development.
00:55:58.95\00:56:01.12
The younger green
coconut, they're full of water,
00:56:01.16\00:56:03.26
that'll keep you alive.
00:56:03.29\00:56:07.03
You can even make
utensils from the coconut.
00:56:07.03\00:56:09.56
My spoon is part of
the green shell and here,
00:56:09.60\00:56:14.14
this is a coconut jelly,
makes good for breakfast.
00:56:14.17\00:56:16.74
The more mature coconuts,
that's where you get the meat,
00:56:19.74\00:56:22.38
but you want to make
sure that they're not bad,
00:56:22.41\00:56:24.15
the way you test this
00:56:24.18\00:56:25.35
is you can hear
the water inside.
00:56:25.38\00:56:27.02
You bring that mike over here.
00:56:27.05\00:56:29.62
Can you hear it?
00:56:29.65\00:56:30.89
That's a good one.
How about we take a bite?
00:56:30.92\00:56:33.66
Now that makes meal
that will really fill you up
00:56:33.69\00:56:35.66
and it cleanse your
teeth at the same time.
00:56:35.69\00:56:37.63
Throughout the Bible,
00:56:40.73\00:56:41.70
Jesus uses a number of metaphors
00:56:41.73\00:56:43.73
to remind us that everything
00:56:43.77\00:56:44.97
we need to
survive comes from Him.
00:56:45.00\00:56:47.20
He says that
He's the living water.
00:56:47.24\00:56:49.24
Jesus tells us He
is the bread of life.
00:56:49.27\00:56:51.81
His robe covers us
with righteousness.
00:56:51.84\00:56:54.68
He is our good
shepherd that protects us.
00:56:54.71\00:56:57.28
Jesus is the living vine
00:56:57.31\00:56:58.75
through which we get our
life and our nourishment.
00:56:58.78\00:57:01.62
You might say Jesus
is like the coconut tree,
00:57:01.65\00:57:04.49
a tree of life.
00:57:04.52\00:57:06.12
You know, the first few
verses in the Bible tell that
00:57:06.15\00:57:08.29
God provided a
tree of life for man
00:57:08.32\00:57:10.59
so he could live forever,
00:57:10.63\00:57:12.39
but because of sin man
was separated from that tree
00:57:12.43\00:57:14.93
and from the garden.
00:57:14.93\00:57:16.40
But through trusting in Jesus
00:57:16.43\00:57:17.83
and trusting in His
sacrifice on the cross,
00:57:17.87\00:57:20.24
we once again will have
access to the tree of life
00:57:20.27\00:57:23.00
and have eternal life
with Him in the kingdom.
00:57:23.04\00:57:25.61
But this is all made possible
because we trust in Jesus,
00:57:25.64\00:57:28.64
who is the real tree of life.
00:57:28.68\00:57:30.65
Jesus said,
"Unless you eat My flesh
00:57:30.68\00:57:32.35
and drink My blood,
you have no life in you."
00:57:32.38\00:57:34.72
But when we accept
Christ as our sacrifice
00:57:34.75\00:57:37.09
and we allow Him to cleanse
us and fill us with His Spirit,
00:57:37.12\00:57:39.75
we become new creatures,
and we can be with Him
00:57:39.79\00:57:42.22
in sharing the gift
00:57:42.26\00:57:43.32
of everlasting life with others.
00:57:43.36\00:57:45.89
Matter of fact, we
could do that right now
00:57:45.93\00:57:47.46
by tossing a coconut out
00:57:47.50\00:57:48.90
and praying that it
lands on a deserted beach.
00:57:48.93\00:57:50.87