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Series Code: SSH
Program Code: SSH021920A
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00:35 Hello and welcome to another edition
00:36 of the Sabbath School Study Hour. 00:38 We are glad that you have chosen 00:40 to be able to spend some time with us 00:42 here over the next hour 00:44 as we look at our favorite topic 00:46 of the favorite book that you could ever study 00:48 which is the Holy Bible. 00:49 And so we are welcoming each and every person 00:52 that is watching on the various networks. 00:54 Many people are watching online even right now 00:56 and in the future, as well as we have many online members 00:59 that are also watching us here today. 01:01 And so welcome to each and every one of you. 01:02 We have many friends that are joining us, 01:04 some of us for the very first time. 01:06 We are thankful for each and every one. 01:08 We are always thankful for our local church group here 01:11 in the Granite Bay Seventh-day Adventist Church. 01:14 And good to see your smiling faces. 01:16 Good morning to you all. 01:18 And I look forward to our study 01:20 as we continue to worship here this morning. 01:23 Before we do that, though, 01:24 we want to make a special offer 01:26 to each and every person that is watching. 01:28 It's a very powerful little booklet 01:30 written by Doug Batchelor. 01:31 And it's entitled, "Teach Us to Pray." 01:35 Many people are asking the question, 01:37 as the first disciples of Jesus 01:39 had asked Jesus Himself, 01:41 "Lord, how can we pray or how should we pray?" 01:45 You just need to dial into the number 01:47 which is 1-866-788-3966. 01:51 You can see it on your screen even now. 01:53 And that free offer is number 717. 01:56 And so when you call in, 01:57 it's easier to ask for the number 717 02:00 than even the title of the book itself, 02:01 but the title of the book is "Teach Us to Pray," 02:04 and 1-866-788-3966. 02:08 Now, we live in a digital age. 02:10 And so we also have a digital copy of that, 02:11 you can even download that on your phone. 02:14 All you have to do is get on your phone 02:16 and text, the code "SH065." 02:19 And you want to text that to the number 40544. 02:25 And again, you can also see that available online 02:27 with the web address 02:29 that is on the bottom of the screen there as well. 02:33 For some of you, you might be interested 02:35 in getting a copy of the digital quarterly study 02:38 that we've been looking at from week to week 02:40 this particular quarter of this year. 02:44 We're looking at the topic of family seasons 02:47 or seasons of the family. 02:49 And so very important, very practical, 02:51 but also very spiritual topic that we're looking at. 02:54 And you can just simply go to lesson.aftv.org. 02:59 Again that's lesson.aftv.org. 03:03 And you can download yourself a free digital copy of that. 03:08 We have a very special group of young people 03:11 that are gonna be leading us in song for this, 03:13 one of my favorite classics which is "Amazing Grace." 03:16 And then we'll open with prayer and get in with our study. 03:19 Again, thank you for joining us. 03:27 Our song would be "Amazing Grace" 03:29 and we'll be singing 03:30 verses one, two and five. 05:27 Thank you for singing. 05:36 Want to invite you to join me in prayer. 05:38 God in heaven, I want to thank You so much 05:39 for the opportunity to be able to study. 05:42 Want to thank You so much 05:43 for our church and the opportunity 05:47 that You give to us to come together 05:49 to be able to worship You, and to open Your Bible, 05:51 and to look at these important topics 05:53 that make a difference in our day to day lives, 05:55 in our homes, in our marriages, 05:57 in our families. 05:59 And, God, as we look at this important topic 06:01 on family unity, 06:02 want to pray God that You will give us 06:04 an extra measure of Your wisdom, 06:06 that Your Spirit will speak to us 06:07 and that You will help us to put in our pocket 06:10 and take away what You know 06:12 that we need to be able to take away 06:14 and apply in our own marriages, 06:15 in our own homes, 06:17 that we might have more happiness, 06:18 more joy that we might be able to glorify You 06:21 and be a better witness. 06:23 And so, God, we want to pray these things 06:24 in Christ's name, amen. 06:28 Today, we're looking at a very practical, 06:29 very important topic, 06:30 which is unity 06:33 within the family. 06:35 And unity within the family 06:37 is not something that we can take for granted, 06:39 is it? 06:41 Some of us are saying, "No, not at all." 06:43 And some of us are saying and nodding their heads "No," 06:45 because we know by experience 06:48 that we can't take it for granted 06:50 because I know 06:51 that there's more than one person here today 06:52 that is watching this particular program 06:55 that has experienced disunity 06:58 within the family. 07:00 Some of us are sitting here watching 07:01 that are no longer with their former wives 07:04 or former husbands. 07:05 Some of us are estranged from our parents 07:07 or from our children in different ways. 07:10 And some of us might be together, 07:12 but we find ourselves knocking heads more often 07:14 than we find ourselves hugging. 07:17 And so this is a very needful topic. 07:21 This is a very practical and spiritual topic 07:23 that is very important for us. 07:24 And so let's get into it. 07:25 There's lots of good counsel 07:27 that the Bible gives to us on this 07:28 and starting with the memory text itself. 07:30 And so let's go 07:32 to the opening chapter or page, I should say, 07:36 on page 56, 07:38 Keys to Family Unity. 07:40 And so we have a quote there 07:42 from Christ Himself, 07:44 as He's praying and He's praying to His father. 07:45 This is the context. 07:46 He's talking to His Father out loud. 07:48 He's within earshot of His disciples 07:50 and He says this, 07:52 "That they all may be 07:54 one as You, 07:56 Father are in Me and I knew 07:59 that they also may be 08:01 one in us 08:03 that the world may believe 08:05 that You sent Me." 08:06 And so one of the great requests, 08:08 by the way, this is the last prayer 08:09 that Jesus prayed with His disciples 08:11 before He was arrested, mocked, 08:13 trialed and then crucified. 08:16 And so this is no small prayer. 08:18 This is the last prayer that Jesus lifts up. 08:21 And one of the great themes, 08:22 one of the great requests 08:23 that He brings in for His Father. 08:25 And that the disciples were hearing, 08:27 was that, let them be one, 08:29 even as we are one. 08:31 And so Jesus wants us to be one big family, 08:33 doesn't He? 08:34 Jesus wants us to have unity. 08:36 And that's important. 08:37 That's a whole topic on its own. 08:39 And that's another whole week's study. 08:41 That's very important for us to look at. 08:42 I believe that we looked at that 08:43 just in recent months. 08:46 But today, we're gonna apply that in the home 08:48 because that same request, 08:49 that same principle 08:51 must start in the home 08:52 because if it doesn't start in the home, 08:54 it's very hard for us to transplant ourselves 08:55 and bring that into the church family as well. 08:58 And so as Paul himself said, 09:01 concerning elder, "Do not choose an elder 09:03 that cannot rule his family well. 09:05 For if he cannot rule his family well, 09:07 how can he rule the church?" 09:09 You know and, of course, rule mean, been in lead, 09:11 lead the church. 09:12 How can you lead by example, 09:14 if he doesn't have unity 09:15 within his own home? 09:18 And so that's important for us to understand. 09:21 Now one of the things I always like to do with words 09:23 when I'm studying a topic 09:24 is really stop and park at one of those words 09:27 and, of course, the key word here today is 09:30 unity, unity. 09:32 How many people here have ever ridden 09:34 or can ride a unicycle? 09:37 Raise your hand. Okay. 09:39 All right, we have one. 09:41 Any others? 09:42 Okay, we have one unicycle rider. 09:44 All right. 09:45 I was curious when I was preparing this message, 09:47 you know, in this study is that how many... 09:49 You know, that's great. 09:51 By the way, that's a great talent. 09:53 I've always admired people that can ride a unicycle. 09:55 Why did they call it a unicycle? 09:58 Because uni means one, 10:00 and cycle, of course, means bicycle, doesn't it? 10:02 So it's a cycle with one wheel. 10:05 So very difficult talent. 10:06 A very difficult skill to be able to master 10:09 and balance and such. 10:11 So uni means one, doesn't it? 10:14 And today we're looking at the key word, 10:16 which is unity. 10:18 And so uni is the very core of that word, isn't it? 10:21 And, of course, uni means one. 10:23 "Lord, I pray that they may be one," 10:26 Jesus said to His Father 10:28 even as we are one. 10:30 Now, unity in the family 10:32 is something that we all desire, 10:34 is it not? 10:35 How many here don't desire, 10:36 don't care if they have unity in the family. 10:39 All right, it's hard to find a hand 10:40 that will go up with that, won't you? 10:41 Now, all of us want it 10:43 just like we want many things. 10:44 We want happiness, we want joy, we want prosperity, 10:47 we want all these things. 10:48 But sometimes, 10:49 we're not willing to deal with the obstacles 10:50 that are before us. 10:51 We're not willing to even acknowledge 10:52 some of the obstacles that are before us. 10:54 They get in the way 10:56 of being able to achieve 10:57 some of those different experiences in life. 10:59 Now, one of the biggest obstacles 11:01 that we have in the home, 11:02 concerning unity within the family 11:04 is called sin. 11:08 Okay, where does sin come from? 11:13 Where does sin come from? 11:15 Well, sin comes from our sinfulness. 11:19 Okay, it comes from, 11:20 what some people call our fallen nature. 11:23 And so there's an obstacle before us, 11:26 there's an obstacle 11:27 that can get in the way of family unity, 11:29 unless we come to the solution. 11:31 And that's why I'm glad that there's Monday's lesson 11:32 because Monday's lesson is the most important lesson 11:35 for the whole week study. 11:36 And so we're gonna park here 11:37 for just a little bit 11:38 because if we don't have this down right, 11:41 we'll never achieve the unity 11:42 that God wants us to have in our family. 11:44 And so that obstacle is there, 11:47 that old man is there. 11:49 Maybe it's not even an old man. 11:51 For some of us that might be watching 11:52 or some of us that are here today, 11:54 we may be saying, "Well, I'm not even sure, 11:55 I'm a new man or woman yet." 11:58 But nevertheless, that old man as we call it as Christians, 12:02 which is our sinful nature, 12:04 our fallen nature, 12:05 there's a bent within us 12:06 that we're born with. 12:07 That is a obstacle of life 12:09 that we have to be able to make sure 12:11 that we overcome 12:12 and there's only way, 12:13 only one way to overcome that obstacle. 12:15 There's only one way to overcome that sinfulness 12:18 and experience family unity 12:20 and that is having the living Christ. 12:22 Having the living Christ 12:23 at the very center of our home, 12:26 having Christ at the center of our heart, 12:28 having Him as the focus 12:29 not only as one family member, 12:33 but in the ideal 12:34 to have full unity with the family, 12:36 within a family unit, within the home, 12:38 it's for all of us to have our focus on Christ. 12:41 Christ needs to be 12:42 at the center of the home. 12:45 Every time I think of this particular topic, 12:47 the words of Joshua echo 12:49 through the centuries back to me. 12:51 And, of course, we come to Joshua 24:15. 12:54 As he speaks before all of Israel, 12:56 he is the replacement and the successor of Moses. 13:00 He is the great leader of Israel. 13:03 And, of course, 13:04 he's a very deep and spiritual man. 13:06 And as they were about to enter the Promised Land, 13:08 as they were about to take the houses 13:10 that they had not built and start to live in them, 13:12 the vineyards that they had not planted 13:13 and start to enjoy the fruits of them. 13:15 As they start to enjoy all these gifts 13:17 that God is going to bring them 13:18 in the land of milk flowing with milk and honey, 13:21 the Promised Land. 13:23 Joshua knew 13:24 that there was only one solution 13:25 and the solution was not who has the best vineyard. 13:28 The solution was not 13:29 who could pick the nicest house. 13:32 No, Joshua knew 13:34 that the most important solution 13:36 and the most important ingredient 13:38 that each Israelite family must have was Christ 13:41 at the center of their home. 13:43 And Joshua was no dummy. 13:44 He had been spending, 13:45 while he's been spending over 40 years now 13:47 with this particular people group. 13:49 And he knew them very well. 13:51 And he understood that not every one of them 13:54 was making good choices. 13:55 Not every one of them 13:56 was choosing Christ in their home, 13:58 in their marriage, in their families, 13:59 in their lives. 14:00 And so he says that, 14:01 "If it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, 14:03 choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, 14:06 whether the gods which your fathers served 14:08 that were on the other side of the river, 14:11 or the gods of the Amorites, 14:13 in whose land you dwell." 14:15 But he says, "As for me and my house, 14:17 we will serve the Lord," Joshua says, 14:21 "As for me and my house, 14:22 we will serve the Lord." 14:25 Now, this particular statement 14:27 is one of the most famous statements 14:28 for Christians. 14:29 Some of us have it on a plaque in our house. 14:31 We have it 14:32 in couple of places in our house 14:34 that remind us and tell all our guests 14:36 that we have made a decision to serve the Lord 14:38 that He is number one, 14:39 He is the focus of this particular household. 14:43 Now, sometimes we can get confused 14:45 when we read some of the statements 14:46 and there's dozens of them 14:47 and the Bible writings that we read 14:49 that where the Bible writers will record 14:53 and refer to a family as a house. 14:56 And typically, while all the time 14:58 when we say house, it always means a physical building. 15:01 But dozens of times 15:02 the Bible writers refer to house 15:03 and used it synonymous with family. 15:07 And this particular statement of Joshua helps unpack that 15:10 and define that for us just a little bit 15:11 because he says, as for me and my house, 15:13 he doesn't say it will serve the Lord, 15:16 but now he moves 15:17 into what he really understood house to be 15:19 which is the dwellers of the house, 15:22 which is the family, the people, 15:24 we will serve the Lord. 15:27 And so house means family members. 15:29 Today we will say household, 15:31 everyone in the household. 15:35 Now Joshua understood 15:36 that we all need to make a choice. 15:38 We all need to either choose to serve 15:40 or to not serve the Almighty. 15:43 This is the choice 15:45 that Joshua clearly brought before the Israelites, 15:48 before they went into the Promised Land. 15:51 Now notice the choice is presented 15:53 to serve God 15:54 or not to serve God, 15:56 not just to believe in God. 15:58 Now some of us I believe 15:59 make the mistake of thinking that 16:01 as long as I believe in God, 16:03 and I acknowledge Him every blue moon, 16:05 why, I'm good with God. 16:08 But that's not a saving relationship with God. 16:11 A saved relationship with God 16:12 is one who chooses to serve God. 16:16 There's a big difference between believing in God 16:19 and serving God. 16:22 We need to believe in Him to be sure, 16:23 but we also need to transfer our heart and our mind 16:25 over to choosing to serve Him. 16:27 And that's what Joshua was doing 16:29 before the Israelites, wasn't he? 16:30 He knew that they all believed in God, 16:32 they saw the miracles, 16:33 they saw the supernatural power in hand of God 16:36 but that's not enough. 16:37 To believe in His existence 16:38 then believe that He was guiding them 16:40 was not enough though. 16:41 They need to make the decision 16:43 to serve God, 16:45 to serve God. 16:48 So often, we want God to do all the serving. 16:51 We want it all to come our direction. 16:53 We make that mistake of believing 16:55 that it's kind of a one way relationship 16:56 and all the serving should come my way. 16:59 But that's not really what the Bible presents. 17:02 But the Bible presents in saying, 17:03 "Hey, the real solution is, yes, God wants to serve you." 17:06 He does want to bless you 17:09 and give you things 17:10 and help you in things and so on. 17:12 But we need to be able to make it reciprocal, 17:14 don't we? 17:15 We need to be able to come to the Lord and say, 17:17 "Lord, I have chosen to serve You. 17:20 And, Lord, I submit to You each and every morning 17:23 as my King of kings and Lord of lords. 17:26 And what is it that You want me to do today? 17:28 What do You want me to do this month, 17:29 this year, this decade? 17:32 Father, wherever You guide me 17:33 that where it's where I will go." 17:35 That's where God wants us to be. 17:36 That's what it means to have a Christ centered life. 17:40 That's what it means to be able to have Christ 17:41 at the center of our house 17:43 when we have a family that is full of people, 17:46 a house that is full of people, 17:48 a loving family 17:49 that is focused on serving 17:52 and worshiping the Lord. 17:56 In Matthew 11:19, Jesus makes 17:58 one of the most favorite imitations 18:01 that I've ever read in all the Bible. 18:03 It says, "Take my yoke upon me, 18:05 and learn from me, 18:08 for I am gentle and lowly in heart 18:10 and you shall find rest for your souls." 18:15 Now in the imitation 18:16 to the beginning there, Jesus says, 18:17 "Take my yoke upon me and learn from me." 18:22 And so Jesus here makes it very clear 18:24 that to be a disciple, every disciple of Jesus, 18:26 every true disciple of Jesus 18:28 counts him or herself as a student. 18:31 A student at the feet of Christ, 18:33 one that is open to His counsels, 18:35 open to His directions, 18:36 open to His requests 18:38 for you to serve Him 18:39 in this life. 18:43 I want to make a call to all husbands, 18:45 all dads that are here, 18:46 all that are watching, all husbands, all dads. 18:49 God has called you 18:50 and He's given you a first and highest responsibility 18:53 within your home. 18:54 For the well being of your family, 18:56 and that starts with the spiritual well being 18:59 of your family. 19:01 God has given us as dads and husbands 19:03 a very important responsibility. 19:06 And I fear and I have observed 19:08 and I know it breaks heart, 19:10 God's heart each and every day 19:12 is that this country is full of husbands and dads 19:15 that are defaulting that responsibility 19:18 over to the wife, 19:19 defaulting and moving that position 19:22 over to the mom. 19:24 Now the mom has a role and it to be sure. 19:26 She's not free of responsibility for it. 19:28 But the father is the one that is the head of the family. 19:31 He's the one that God has said, 19:32 "Listen, I'm coming to you first. 19:33 I'm holding you accountable first." 19:36 Are you the spiritual leader of your home? 19:40 Are you the one that makes sure 19:42 that your daughters, your sons 19:45 that are still in the home 19:46 that they're having a worshipful spiritual experience 19:49 with the Lord? 19:51 Are you guiding them and encouraging them 19:52 in a devotional life? 19:53 Are you praying with them every meal and every Sabbath, 19:56 and as the sun goes down 19:58 and different opportunities that you have, 20:00 and different struggles 20:01 and needs and goals that you have as a family? 20:05 That's what God calls you to do as a husband, 20:08 as a dad. 20:10 And that's why we have Joshua, 20:12 who was the one that was speaking. 20:14 He was not only the leader of Israel, 20:15 but he was a husband. 20:17 He was not only a husband, but he was a...? 20:19 He was a dad. 20:20 And so he says, Listen, as a husband and as a dad, 20:22 I don't know what you're gonna choose, 20:23 choose you this day. 20:25 But I'm telling you here today that for me and my household, 20:27 I'm gonna make sure that we choose the Lord. 20:31 Now, of course, a husband and a dad 20:32 can't force his faith on his wife, 20:34 he can't enforce it upon their children. 20:38 You know, that would be opposed to the very nature of God. 20:41 God can't force us. 20:42 He says, "Behold, I stand at the door and I knock 20:44 and then if anyone opens the door, 20:46 I will come in and dine with him 20:47 and he with Me, and so it's up to us." 20:49 But as husbands 20:51 we need to use all of our influence, 20:53 all of our power as much as possible, 20:56 without forcing the will 20:58 to be able to lead our children 20:59 to the foot of the cross. 21:01 To lead our children to the foot of Jesus, 21:04 that's what Jesus wants. 21:05 That's the key solution. 21:09 The key solution to having family unity, 21:11 it is the very foundation, it's the bedrock. 21:16 When we come back to Joshua again, 21:17 we find that Joshua was a great man of prayer. 21:20 It was not unusual for his family 21:22 to see him on his knees, 21:24 because Joshua spent substantial time on his knees, 21:28 praying for his family, 21:30 praying for his nation, 21:33 praying for the blessings 21:35 that God wanted to bring among God's people 21:37 in Israel and such. 21:39 You know, there's an old saying that is repeated 21:41 many time among Christian circles. 21:42 "A family that prays together... 21:45 Stays together. That's right. 21:47 A family that prays together stays together. 21:49 Now this needs to be more than a platitude. 21:51 Of course, it needs to be a motto that we live by. 21:54 It needs to be a living reality 21:56 that that we experience as a family. 22:02 Well, how do we unpack that? 22:03 How do we unpack the solution in some practical ways 22:05 within the home? 22:06 Well, God doesn't leave us without some counsel. 22:08 He doesn't leave us without some definitions 22:10 of how to apply that spirit filled life. 22:13 Certainly, the Holy Spirit guides us 22:15 and leads our minds and our hearts 22:17 in different ways and convicts us 22:19 when we're going wrong 22:20 and encourages us when we're going right. 22:22 But God gives us the Word. 22:24 He gives us hundreds of verses 22:25 that help unpack that 22:27 and give us some clarification as well. 22:29 And so, one of my favorite passages 22:31 of the lesson study brings us to is Ephesians Chapter 4. 22:34 And so I'm gonna invite us all to turn there 22:36 because we're gonna look at a longer passage there. 22:40 Ephesians Chapter 4, 22:41 and we're gonna start with verse 17. 22:46 Ephesians 4:17, 22:52 and we're gonna read right through 22:53 to the end of the chapter. 22:55 And so you just follow along in your minds 22:58 as we continue on 22:59 and I'll stop and make a comment here and there. 23:02 Verse 17, it says, 23:03 " This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, 23:06 that you should no longer walk 23:07 as the rest of the Gentiles, 23:09 " speaking of unbelievers, 23:11 "walk, in the futility of their mind, 23:13 having their understanding darkened, 23:15 being alienated from the life of God, 23:17 because of the ignorance that is in them, 23:19 because of the blindness of their heart, 23:21 who, being past feeling, 23:24 have given themselves over to lewdness, 23:25 to work all uncleanness with greediness." 23:28 And so he's pointing them to this contrast. 23:31 Paul is painting this contrast 23:34 between the unbelieving life 23:37 and attitudes and lifestyle 23:38 and that of a believer of the church, 23:41 and many of them 23:42 had previously been experiencing that. 23:44 By the way, I was one of them. 23:45 If some of you have heard my testimony. 23:48 You know, I was so deep into myself. 23:50 I was so entrenched in me, myself and I. 23:53 And I was so full of myself, 23:56 and so full of sin in my lifestyle 23:58 that I was beyond feeling. 24:00 I was distressed because I was so past feeling 24:03 as it says in verse 19. 24:05 But in verse 20, it says, 24:06 "But you have not so learned Christ, 24:09 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him." 24:12 There it is, every disciple of Jesus 24:14 counts themselves a student. 24:17 Take my yoke upon me and learn from me. 24:22 "If indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, 24:25 as the truth is in Jesus." 24:29 And so to be taught, 24:30 and Jesus has to be taught in the truth 24:33 as it is found in Jesus. 24:35 and I can't help but just stop 24:36 and make it a bit of a comment in regards to that 24:38 because there's too popular, 24:41 there's a trend, there's a conclusion 24:44 that is too popular 24:48 within modern Christianity, 24:49 and that is that we are moving more and more 24:51 shifting in a direction that is saying that, 24:54 you know, it's not really the truth 24:55 as it is found in the Bible that's most important, 24:57 but as long as we all accept 24:59 and believe in the name of Jesus, 25:00 in the person of Jesus. 25:02 And, friends, it's important to believe in the person, 25:04 in the name of Christ, amen? 25:06 But God has called us to much more than that. 25:08 Jesus says, "I am the way, the life, and the truth. 25:11 No one can come to the Father except through Me." 25:14 And so, friends, Jesus Himself is the truth. 25:16 And we find dozens of comments, 25:17 just like Paul's writing here that, 25:19 that it's important as a Christian to understand 25:21 that there is great depth, and importance, 25:23 and vitality 25:25 that comes from immersing yourself 25:27 and being taught at the feet of Jesus. 25:29 And if you want to be taught at the feet of Jesus, 25:31 you got to come to this Bible, 25:32 you got to come to this Word. 25:35 God gives us that clarification. 25:38 Jesus made it very clear 25:39 that truth is paramount. 25:42 And yet it is kind of being swept under the rug 25:44 in modern Christianity today. 25:46 Verse 22, "That you may put off, 25:48 concerning your former conduct, 25:50 the old man which grows corrupt 25:51 according to the deceitful lusts, 25:53 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind." 25:56 Now, it's starting to describe the born again experience, 25:59 the Holy Spirit either comes into your life, 26:01 later in life as you make a decision from Him, 26:04 for Him or as you make a decision daily, 26:06 as you've been raised in the faith 26:08 and continue to make that choice day by day. 26:11 Either way, friends, there is a renewing of the mind 26:15 that daily takes place 26:17 when we worship and we serve and commit to Him. 26:20 In verse 22, it says, 26:22 "To be renewed in the spirit of your mind 26:25 that you put on the new man 26:26 which was created according to God, 26:29 in true righteousness, 26:31 and holiness." 26:33 So God calls us daily to put on the new man, 26:36 to say, "Lord, help me to live in the spiritual experience 26:40 that You want me to have with Your Holy Spirit, 26:42 Your very presence within my heart, 26:44 within my life, within my mind. 26:47 That's why it says, 26:48 "Be renewed in the spirit of your mind." 26:52 And then he starts to make some practical examples. 26:54 Okay, Paul, you're telling us 26:55 the before conversion experience, 26:58 you're telling us the daily conversion experience 27:00 that you want us to choose each and every morning 27:02 as we go through our lives and through our days. 27:05 But what does that look like? 27:06 How does the rubber hit the road? 27:08 And so, God and Paul 27:09 doesn't leave us without some answers. 27:11 He starts to paint that for us a bit. 27:13 In verse 25, it says, "Therefore," in other words, 27:15 therefore, in light of that conversion, 27:19 that God offers us, 27:21 "putting away line, 'Let each of you speak truth 27:23 with his neighbor, ' 27:24 for we are members of one another.'" 27:26 So if we were in the habit of lying 27:28 before we came to Christ, 27:29 God changes our hearts 27:31 and now He helps us not to lie. 27:34 In verse 26, it says, "Be angry, but do not sin. 27:37 Do not let the sun go down on your wrath, 27:39 nor give place to the devil." 27:41 And so he tells us to be very careful with our anger. 27:43 Now, angry is not all... 27:44 Anger is not always sinful. 27:46 Jesus is on record of being angry. 27:49 So having that emotion is not wrong. 27:51 It's when we let it start to get out of control. 27:54 When we lose our self control, then we can get in trouble 27:56 and the devil can find that place in our heart. 27:59 Verse 28, "Let him who stole, steal no longer, 28:02 but rather let him labor, working with his hands, 28:04 what is good, that he may have something 28:06 to give him who has need." 28:08 And so here, 28:09 Paul is saying, going from a thief, 28:11 to not being a thief, but even further than that. 28:13 Now, instead of taking things that don't belong to you, 28:15 now you're taking things that belong to you 28:16 and giving it to others. 28:18 And so he's saying, 28:19 you want to take a complete 180, 28:21 if you're a thief. 28:23 "Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, 28:26 but what is good for necessary edification 28:28 that it may impart grace to its hearers." 28:31 Friends, too often over the years, 28:32 you know, I've overheard different church members 28:35 that thought that the pastor was out of earshot. 28:41 And I hear some words 28:42 that I've never heard them say before, 28:44 words that they know 28:45 a Christian shouldn't really be speaking. 28:47 And it reveals to me 28:51 that even church members, 28:53 even church goers 28:54 within the Seventh-day Adventist church, 28:55 doesn't mean that you've allowed God 28:57 to cleanse your heart in regards to this. 29:00 When it says, let no corrupt word 29:01 come out of your mouth, friends, you can go out 29:03 and ask any unbeliever on the street, 29:04 what is a corrupt word? 29:05 And you know, what's a bad word, 29:06 a foul word 29:08 and they'll give you a list. 29:12 Okay. 29:13 They know it well and we know well, 29:14 we know, maybe I hope we don't know well, 29:16 but we know what those words are. 29:18 And so even unbelievers 29:20 can tell you what foul words are, 29:22 what ones aren't. 29:24 That's why they kind of, most of them, 29:26 at least they should, you know, 29:27 they believe they should is to watch your mouth 29:29 when you're around little children. 29:30 Don't say those words, 29:31 don't say those corrupt words 29:32 when you're around little children. 29:35 But God says even 29:36 when you're not around little children, 29:37 you shouldn't be using those words. 29:39 And so one of the things that God wants to do 29:41 to with our hearts is clean up our vocabulary. 29:45 And so He gives us that important counsel. 29:47 Born again Christians will not use those words. 29:49 In verse 30, it says, 29:50 "And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, 29:53 by whom you were sealed 29:55 for the day of redemption." 29:57 And so don't resist the work of the Holy Spirit 30:00 as he wants to clean up your language, 30:01 he wants to clean up your honesty 30:03 or your dishonesty, 30:04 he wants to clean up your thievery. 30:06 Verse 31, "Let all bitterness," 30:08 and now this is where we really need to listen carefully 30:10 because this is important and concerns to home 30:13 and home life and family unity. 30:16 Verse 31, it says, "Let all bitterness, 30:17 wrath, anger, clamor," 30:20 that's loud quarreling 30:21 and I had to look at the margin, 30:23 you know, what dos clamor mean. 30:24 And so the marginal reference told me that means... 30:28 Scholars tell me that means loud quarreling. 30:32 Shouting in the home. 30:33 Have you ever experienced it? 30:38 "Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, loud shouting 30:42 and fighting and evil speaking be put away from you, 30:46 with all malice." 30:48 How much more blessed and how much more joy filled 30:51 would our homes be 30:52 if we were able to eliminate this completely and always. 30:56 Now, friends, we have a merciful Christ. 30:58 There's a Christ that is in heaven 30:59 that tells us that this is a standard 31:01 that He gives to us, 31:03 and He knows that we're growing 31:04 and understanding that standard 31:06 and sometimes our spiritual life, 31:08 our devotional life will get a little bit slack, 31:11 and the old man kind of comes in 31:13 and we find ourselves 31:15 shouting in our house, speaking evil things, 31:18 quarreling, fighting 31:19 against those in whom we have vowed to love 31:22 and are called to love closer than anybody else. 31:25 It's hard to have a family, it's hard to find a family, 31:27 hard to find a couple 31:29 that isn't guilty of these different things 31:31 at different ways in different times. 31:33 But God has called us to put these things away 31:35 when we find ourselves falling short, 31:36 we need to get on our knees. 31:38 We need to pray that God will forgive us 31:40 and help us to be better people. 31:41 To beat the verse 32, 31:42 because in contrast, 31:43 verse 32, God says that, 31:45 "Instead we should be kind to one another. 31:49 We should be tenderhearted, 31:51 forgiving one another, 31:53 even as God in Christ forgave you." 31:56 Now part of that forgiveness is when we find our husband 31:59 or wife shouting at us. 32:02 And we need and they regret it. 32:06 They resent that they had said it. 32:08 They're sorry for it, they're repentful for it. 32:11 And we need to be able to be quick 32:12 to forgive our spouses, 32:14 quick to forgive our children as well. 32:17 And not hold that against them 32:19 and continue to give each other opportunity 32:22 to be more kind, 32:23 to have more opportunities, to be more tenderhearted. 32:26 And so this is the great passage 32:27 that we find in Ephesians 32:29 that gives us some real practical changes 32:34 that God wants to bring into the home, 32:36 into the family life. 32:37 And what He wants in the family life 32:39 and what He tells us that we need to resist 32:42 in the family life as well. 32:46 I'd like to bring us to page 57. 32:50 In page 57, we find here a quote, 32:54 and it comes from one of my favorite books. 32:56 It's entitled the "Adventist Home" page 179. 32:58 And so the quote is near the bottom there 33:00 in the second last paragraph 33:03 of the page. 33:05 And it says, "The closer we come to Christ, 33:07 the nearer we shall be to one another." 33:10 The closer that we come to Christ, 33:12 the nearer that we will be to one another. 33:14 And so, I just want to invite us 33:16 to be able to kind of picture that a little bit, 33:17 you know, it's like, 33:19 you know, if Jesus is up here, 33:21 and dad is here and mom is here 33:24 and Sal is here and John is here. 33:26 And we're all focusing and coming closer to Christ 33:29 and the line is connected between us and Christ, 33:32 and the closer we come to Him, 33:34 the closer those lines 33:35 like a spoke in a wheel come together, 33:37 don't they? 33:39 That is the number one solution. 33:40 The number one solutions for couples and families 33:42 that are presently threatened with separation, 33:45 it is the number one solutions for those who already 33:48 experienced separation of their hearts, 33:49 some of them in their physical being. 33:52 Many times a family or a couple needs revival 33:54 and reformation more than anything else. 33:57 More than anything else. 33:59 You know, all the marriage and counseling books 34:01 that you can find in all the shelves, 34:03 all the therapists and all the hours 34:05 that you can spend them with them, 34:06 all will come up largely empty, 34:09 if Christ is not the number one part of your solution. 34:14 So often we're looking at everything in anything 34:16 but the real thing. 34:17 And we need to be able to remember 34:19 that it's Christ first. 34:21 Does marriage therapy help? 34:22 Yes, it can, it help. 34:23 Good Christian marriage therapist 34:26 is sometimes part of that needful solution 34:28 that God is leading you into. 34:32 You know, and some, 34:33 there are some good Christian marriage books. 34:36 Some of us as pastors might have a word or two 34:38 that we might be able to share with you 34:40 to be able to help you through 34:42 some of those troublesome waters 34:43 and bring harmony back. 34:45 But, friends, notice how I said it always 34:47 should be Christian ideally, 34:49 because all of it then is pointing us 34:52 to the ultimate solution, 34:53 which is the ultimate teacher, Jesus Christ. 34:56 Every true disciple is a student of Jesus Christ, 35:00 and this is no exception. 35:03 Well, another key ingredient 35:05 that this week's quarterly points us to is, for unity, 35:08 of course, is defined most comprehensively 35:10 in 1 Corinthians, 35:12 and 1 Corinthians Chapter 13. 35:14 Many Christians refer to as the love chapter, 35:17 and rightly so 35:18 because it is the most comprehensive, 35:19 extensive definition of love 35:21 that we can find in all the Bible. 35:23 And so I have a volunteer that has kindly agreed 35:25 to read 4-8 for us here this morning. 35:30 "Love suffers long and is kind. 35:33 Love does not envy. 35:35 Love does not parade itself, is not puffed up. 35:39 Does not behave rudely, 35:41 does not seek its own, 35:42 is not provoked, 35:44 thinks no evil. 35:46 Does not rejoice in iniquity, 35:48 but rejoices in the truth. 35:51 Bears all things, 35:52 believes all things, 35:54 hopes all things, 35:56 endures all things. 35:59 Love never fails. 36:00 But whether there are prophecies, 36:02 they will fail, 36:03 whether there are tongues, 36:05 they will cease, 36:06 whether there is knowledge, 36:07 it will vanish away." 36:10 Okay, thank you. 36:11 Thank you for that, Michael. 36:13 So here we have one of the most beautiful inspiring passages 36:16 that we can ever find it in all scripture. 36:19 And how much more unity and love and joy 36:21 would we have in the home, 36:22 if we were able to live by this 36:23 as the standard 36:25 within our marriages, 36:27 within our families. 36:29 This is the great standard that God brings to us 36:31 and calls us to live by. 36:33 You know, I really appreciate the exercise 36:36 that this particular week's study had guided us into, 36:39 and it challenged us and it said, 36:41 I want you to try just going through that passage, 36:43 and every time you come to the word love, 36:44 you replace it with your own personal name. 36:48 And what a great practice, you know. 36:50 And so instead in verse 4, it says, 36:52 "Love suffers long and is kind. 36:53 Love does not envy." 36:55 You can say, Shawn suffers long 36:57 and is kind 36:58 and Shawn does not envy 36:59 and Shawn does not parade itself 37:01 and is not puffed up and does not behave rudely 37:04 and so on and so forth. 37:05 And so, friends, 37:06 what a great way to personalize this. 37:08 And wow! 37:10 Talk about challenging the heart. 37:12 You know, can you read that 37:13 and honestly say that reflects your experience. 37:17 You know this is a great test to help us 37:19 how much of a loving person am I. 37:22 And if you can honestly put your name in all that 37:24 and say, you know, for the most part 37:28 or for the whole part, you know, 37:29 this reflects the person that I am. 37:31 This is how I make my way through the day. 37:33 What a great way to test 37:34 how loving of a person we really are. 37:37 How close are we to the standard 37:38 that God has set before us. 37:41 You know, one of my favorite passages 37:42 or statements in the Bible, 37:44 it's one of the most important theological statements 37:46 by far in all the Bible is three words, 37:48 God is love many of your are saying with me, 37:52 and I'm sure that you agree 37:55 that is one of the most important statements 37:56 in all the Bible. 37:59 But the second test and the second statement 38:01 that we can say is, 38:02 am I love 38:06 because if God is love 38:07 and God has called us to be like God, 38:09 we should also be able to say that 38:11 I am love. 38:13 Can you say that about yourself? 38:17 In the standard of the definition 38:18 that God has given to you, 38:20 can you say that I am love, 38:22 just like God is love? 38:23 That's where God wants to bring us. 38:25 That's where God wants us to be. 38:27 That's where we find unity and harmony and joy 38:29 within the home and within our marriages, 38:31 and so we should be able to say. 38:33 If we can't say it at this point, 38:34 we should be on our knees after this lesson and saying, 38:38 "God, help me to be able to put my name in there. 38:41 And to be able to be loved 38:42 just like you were love 38:43 that I may be a godly person." 38:47 Well, let's go to the top of page 58 38:49 because I find one of my favorite encouragements 38:51 there in counsels on that subject. 38:53 And certainly it points us in the direction 38:55 that we need to go. 38:57 And that's on page 58. 39:00 On tip-top of page 58, we find 1 Thessalonians 3:12, 39:06 and it says, "May the Lord make your love increase 39:10 and overflow for each other, 39:13 and for everyone else." 39:15 Kind of reminds me of a statement Jesus says, 39:17 "Love your neighbor as yourself." 39:19 And somebody in the crowd say, "Well, who's our neighbor? 39:23 And Jesus says, "Everyone," look next to you. 39:25 What's the person that behind you, 39:27 beside you, in front of you, behind you, 39:29 they're all your neighbors. 39:31 Every time you see a human being, 39:32 that's your neighbor, Jesus said. 39:35 And so here we find Paul saying the same thing, 39:36 overflow for each other as believers but for everyone, 39:39 for everyone else. 39:40 God has given us a love in our hearts 39:42 that should apply to everyone. 39:44 1 Thessalonians 3:12. 39:48 You know, love is my favorite word 39:49 in all the Bible. 39:50 And I think it's God's favorite word as well. 39:53 If you go to the Conflict series, 39:55 which is, you know, a number of series 39:57 of commentation written by Ellen White. 40:00 You go to the very first book 40:01 and it traces human history, 40:02 all the way from the creation 40:04 to the second coming and beyond. 40:06 And when you come to the very first three words, 40:09 it says, "God is love." 40:11 That's how it opens up 40:12 that greatest of all commentaries, I believe. 40:15 And then you come to the very last three words 40:18 at the end of the Great Controversy, 40:19 and the same three words are there. 40:21 "God is love." 40:27 The word love appears 504 times in the Bible. 40:32 Does that make it important? 40:33 Yes. Sure, it does. 40:34 It makes it vital. 40:35 Now some of us think, 40:36 "Well, almost all of those must be in the New Testament." 40:38 And I have to confess before I looked at the research 40:40 to look at the stats, I thought 40:41 probably the bulk of them is in the New Testament. 40:42 That's not true. 40:43 If you're looking at round numbers, 40:45 half are in the Old Testament, 40:46 and half are in the new. 40:48 Okay. 40:49 The Old Testament covenant was based on love 40:51 just as much as the new covenant 40:53 is based on love. 40:54 And sometimes as Christians 40:56 we've been deceived in believing otherwise. 40:58 Another all fine time favorite that I have 41:00 in concerning to encouraging us 41:01 in this subject in love is 1 Peter, 41:03 and so Paul not only spoke about it, 41:06 but Peter also speaks to the church. 41:09 1 Peter Chapter 1, 41:13 and we're gonna look at verse 22. 41:17 1 Peter 1:22. 41:19 And again we have a volunteer 41:21 that is going to read that for us, thank you. 41:24 "Seeing you have purified your souls 41:27 in obeying the truth 41:29 through the Spirit 41:30 unto unfeigned love of the brethren, 41:34 see that ye love one another 41:36 with a pure heart fervently." 41:40 Okay, thank you. 41:40 So there it is. See that you love one another. 41:43 And how much should we love one another? 41:45 I love that adjective, 41:46 with a pure heart and fervently. 41:51 I love that. 41:52 That's a good strong adjective, isn't it? 41:55 You know, 41:56 and so God doesn't say just love each other, 41:58 you know, like assiduously, 42:01 you know, kind of, 42:02 you know, no, he says, I want you to love each other 42:04 fervently. 42:05 The world should be able to see a love among My believers. 42:08 My Children that is different and higher in standard 42:11 than the love that we find 42:12 in any other people group around the world. 42:14 And it starts with the Christian home 42:16 and then expands into the Christian family 42:18 of the church as well. 42:20 And so I love these particular verses. 42:22 Now, can God's love be fully expressed 42:24 from our natural hearts? 42:27 We're kind of coming back to the beginning of our lesson. 42:29 Can God's love be expressed through our natural hearts? 42:33 No! 42:34 No, it can't. No, not at all. 42:35 That's why it says in Proverbs 28:26, 42:38 "He who trusts in his own heart is a fool." 42:43 Okay, so the Bible makes it very clear 42:44 that we don't want to be fooled into trusted 42:46 into our own natural hearts. 42:48 Jeremiah put it this way, 42:49 he says, "Our hearts are desperately wicked, 42:51 and who can know it?" 42:53 And so we have to be careful not to trust our own hearts. 42:55 You know, Disney World is not right. 43:00 Okay. 43:01 They have all kinds of movies that are trying to convince us 43:03 that we should trust in our own heart. 43:04 Follow your heart. 43:05 No! 43:07 No, we need to be able to ask God 43:08 to fill our hearts with His love, 43:11 that God's mind might be ours, you know. 43:14 Let this mind be in you which is also in Christ Jesus. 43:19 This is the important solution that God is pointing us to. 43:21 You know, too often as couples 43:23 and I'm talking about married couples, 43:24 or those who are coming together 43:27 and considering marriage 43:28 and they're exclusive one to another, 43:30 too many couples fall in love, 43:31 but they fall in love apart from Christ in their hearts. 43:35 Christ hasn't come into their hearts yet. 43:36 They haven't chosen to serve the Lord. 43:40 And then they believe 43:41 that all those wonderful feelings 43:42 that they're experiencing 43:43 will carry them through the years 43:45 that are ahead. 43:46 That will hold them together 43:47 in that same wonderful experience. 43:50 But what's really happening is this, 43:52 is that all those wonderful hormones 43:54 that God has created us 43:55 with are being released within our system, 43:57 you know, and the novelty of this fresh romance 44:00 that has kind of embedded in our lives 44:02 and that we're experiencing 44:04 and making all those extra efforts 44:05 that you naturally make to be as attractive as possible 44:09 to the other person. 44:10 You believe in, are tricked into believing 44:12 that that's just going to carry on for years 44:14 to come afterwards. 44:16 But does it carry on for years to come afterwards? 44:19 No, the novelty disappears, 44:21 the hormones go back to normal. 44:23 And we don't try quite as hard 44:25 as we did in the first weeks or months 44:27 that we're together, do we? 44:29 Okay. 44:30 And that's where the love of God 44:31 comes into play. 44:36 The deep abiding love of Christ is the only way 44:39 that we can really allow that love to be able to last 44:42 through the years and the decades 44:44 that God wants us 44:45 to be able to come together and stay together. 44:47 A love that lasts 44:48 and draws you closer and closer together 44:50 can only come from the love of God in the heart. 44:54 And that is so important for us to understand. 44:57 Well, we're gonna turn to Romans 5:5. 45:02 And so I invite you if you have your Bibles 45:04 or phones and tablets 45:07 to go to Romans. 45:10 We're gonna go 5:5. 45:14 And we have another volunteer 45:16 that is going to read that for us this morning. 45:19 "And hope maketh not ashamed, 45:22 because the love of God 45:24 is shed abroad in our hearts 45:26 by the Holy Ghost 45:27 which is given unto us." 45:30 Okay, so there's that key word again, 45:32 the key word is love. 45:35 Hope does not disappoint because the love of God 45:38 has been poured into our hearts by who? 45:41 By the Holy Spirit. 45:42 And again, it's pointing us to the fact 45:43 that it's not a love 45:44 that we can find in our natural hearts. 45:47 It's not a love that we can muster in of ourselves. 45:49 It's not something that we can find 45:51 from the ages of past and kind of, 45:54 you know, discover the God within us. 45:55 No, there's so many different ways 45:57 that the world tells us that we can find love, 45:59 but there's only one true abiding love 46:01 that is deep and lasting 46:02 and will bring it through the decades ahead, 46:04 and that's the love of Christ. 46:06 Responding to the great invitation of Joshua, 46:09 the great spiritual leader of ages of old 46:13 that says, "Choose you this day whom you will serve. 46:15 As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." 46:21 Well, Tuesday's lesson 46:23 has a quote at the top of the page. 46:25 And I just want to share 46:26 that, we're close to wrapping up our lesson here. 46:30 And so I don't want to miss that. 46:32 At the top of the page on Tuesday's lesson 46:37 and, of course, it's talking about selfishness 46:39 as a family destroyer. 46:40 It says, "Pride and selfishness, 46:42 if pride and selfishness were laid aside 46:45 five minutes would remove most difficulties." 46:48 Wow! 46:50 How many difficulties do we find 46:52 that carry on week after week, month after month 46:54 within the church at times, 46:56 within our marriage, 46:58 within our families? 47:01 And here we have this great statement, 47:02 it says, "Pride and selfishness were laid aside 47:04 five minutes would remove most of those difficulties." 47:07 And so the details of the difficulty 47:10 is not really the difficulty. 47:12 The difficulty is the two enemies 47:14 that he is pointed out here, which is pride and selfishness, 47:18 pride and selfishness. 47:20 And so, God is telling us to recognize 47:22 that these are our enemies, 47:24 and it comes from birth. 47:25 It's something that is innate within our own natural hearts. 47:29 That's why the King David himself 47:31 cried out in Psalm 51:5, 47:33 he says, "Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, 47:36 and in sin did my mother conceived me." 47:38 And so David here is confessing and crying out 47:41 this great truth and obstacle 47:42 that we deal with for the rest of our lives. 47:44 And that is that we are born with a bent to sin, 47:47 a love for iniquity in our natural hearts. 47:50 And that's why it's so important to ask God 47:51 to fill our hearts every day 47:53 that He might help us to be a new person each day, 47:56 that He might help us to overcome that, 47:58 that He might be help us to push our selfishness 48:01 and pride aside 48:03 and recognize them as enemies, 48:04 and pride and selfishness is the opposite of God's love. 48:09 So God tells us to push things aside. 48:13 That's where God found me. 48:14 You know, you go to a funeral. 48:16 And sadly as pastors, 48:18 of course, we're exposed to more funerals than you are. 48:22 And one of the things that breaks our heart, 48:24 it doesn't happen in every funeral, 48:25 but too many, 48:27 you know, funerals can be nasty occasions. 48:31 And the reason why is 48:32 because, you know, funerals are one of the classic places 48:35 where the selfishness of the heart 48:37 really reveals itself. 48:39 You know, the mask is kind of pulled away. 48:40 The facade is harder to carry 48:42 because when you find a family 48:44 that is arguing and fighting over 48:45 who's gonna get mom special silverware, 48:49 more than they are stopping and reminiscing 48:51 and sharing the sweet memories that they've had with her. 48:53 You know, that there's a problem. 48:55 You know, that they're being operating 48:57 their MO is their natural hearts. 49:01 Selfishness is a real part of their existence, 49:03 but God doesn't want it that way in our lives, does He? 49:06 No, He wants us to lead a life of selflessness 49:11 as the quarterly points out for us. 49:13 Christ, of course, is the ultimate example. 49:16 You know, Jesus led a perfect life of selflessness. 49:20 And God calls us to be able to do the same. 49:23 This is also, of course, 49:24 found under the umbrella of love. 49:28 And so we're gonna close with our volunteer 49:30 here reading in Philippians 2:3-5, 49:34 and Dan, if you could kindly read that. 49:37 Philippians 2:3-5. 49:40 "Let nothing be done 49:41 through selfish ambition or conceit, 49:44 but in the loneliness of mind, 49:47 let each esteem the others better than himself. 49:51 Let each of you look out 49:53 not only for your own interests, 49:55 but also for the interests of others. 49:57 Let this mind be in you, 50:00 which was also in Christ Jesus." 50:03 How much time do you spend at the feet of Jesus 50:05 fighting against whatever selfishness 50:07 that you have in your life? 50:10 When you recognize and God is convicting you 50:12 and saying, you know, 50:13 the reason that you're thinking and acting this way 50:15 is because you know, you're selfish. 50:18 Friends, that should be a flag, that should be a cue, 50:21 I need to spend time on my knees 50:23 and I need to get on my knees as soon as possible. 50:26 And submit myself first to God. 50:27 And then as we just read in the counsel, 50:29 we can count each other, 50:31 others outside of us more important than ourselves. 50:35 And that doesn't matter what position you are. 50:37 It doesn't matter if you're the President of United States 50:39 or whether you're a janitor at the local school here. 50:41 Friends, it is the same thing. 50:44 All of us count each other 50:46 more important than ourselves. 50:48 That's the place that Christ wants us to be. 50:50 That's the opposite of selflessness. 50:52 That's the epitome of selflessness. 50:55 And so as we close, we quote with... 50:57 I want to quote Paul himself at the end of his life, 50:59 he says, "I have fought the good fight. 51:03 I have finished the race." 51:06 And so Paul here reflecting upon his life, 51:08 understood that 51:09 the Christian life involves fighting. 51:11 Now, it's not the fighting 51:12 that we too often experience in our homes 51:14 between husband and wives. 51:17 No, he's talking about the fighting 51:18 against the devil, 51:19 fighting against selfishness, 51:21 fighting against pride, 51:23 fighting against sinfulness. 51:24 This is the fight that he's talking about. 51:28 So I want to encourage you to fight the good fight. 51:31 Well, thank you so much for everyone 51:32 that has been watching this particular program. 51:34 We are so glad that you have come to join us. 51:37 We trust that it has been something 51:38 that has been helpful for your family life, 51:40 either as a married couple today 51:42 or a future married couple. 51:43 And those who have children and such, 51:44 don't forget to take advantage of the free offer that we have, 51:47 which is a little booklet entitled "Teach Us to Pray," 51:50 by Pastor Doug Batchelor. 51:52 And it's free offer number 717. 51:54 And you can see the number 51:55 that you can dial on the screen. 51:57 Simply dial that number 51:58 and we'll be happy to send that to you, 52:00 if you're in the United States or one of the territories. 52:03 And again, there's also a digital copy 52:05 available for your phone 52:06 and you can see that information as well 52:08 on the screen here today. 52:10 God bless you. 52:11 We love you and we look forward to seeing you 52:12 in next week lesson. 52:14 Don't forget to request 52:15 today's life changing free resource. 52:18 Not only can you receive this free gift in the mail, 52:20 you can download a digital copy straight to your computer 52:23 or mobile device. 52:24 To get your digital copy of today's free gift, 52:27 simply text the keyword on your screen to 40544 52:31 or visit the web address shown on your screen. 52:33 And be sure to select 52:35 a digital download option on the request page. 52:37 It's now easier than ever 52:39 for you to study God's Word with Amazing Facts 52:42 wherever and whenever you want 52:44 and most important, to share it with others. 52:51 Amazing Facts changed lives. 52:58 I was born into a family of criminals. 53:01 When I got older 53:02 and I started breaking the rules, 53:04 no one ever taught me about, Thou shalt not steal. 53:07 Thou shalt not lie. 53:08 Thou shalt not commit adultery, anything like that. 53:11 When I became a runaway at 14, 53:15 I was just a wild and lost child. 53:18 I had somebody tell me, 53:19 "Hey, you wanna earn some money 53:21 cleaning this guy's kitchen." 53:22 So I went to this house on a different side of town 53:25 than I was used to. 53:26 Someone kept giving me alcoholic drinks 53:29 and being 115 pounds and 14 years old, 53:32 it really didn't take much time 53:34 before I was so inebriated 53:36 that I had no control over 53:38 what was going on around me. 53:40 He took me to another location, 53:42 another town. 53:43 And I was put in isolation. 53:45 I would come out to be abused 53:47 between three and eight times a day. 53:48 I was degraded. 53:49 I was humiliated, 53:51 that had no value as a human being. 53:54 And I learned very quickly 53:56 that what I felt and what I thought, 53:58 and how this made me feel 53:59 did not matter to him at all. 54:01 If I even thought about not doing 54:05 what he wanted me to do, 54:07 I would have a gun to my head 54:10 and knife to my throat. 54:13 There was one time in particular 54:14 where he had been tormenting me psychologically. 54:20 And one day he said, "Oh, you'll never kill yourself. 54:23 You'll never do it." 54:25 And almost defiantly, I was like, "Yes, I will." 54:28 And he handed me a handful of pills 54:30 and I took them. 54:32 While I was overdosing, 54:33 and I had been overdosing all night, 54:35 I cried out to a God that I didn't even believe in. 54:38 And at that very moment 54:40 in the most powerful way 54:42 God shown His light on me. 54:44 And He gave me peace of mind, 54:46 like I never had. 54:47 And He let me know right then and there 54:49 while I was on that bathroom floor, 54:51 that He was real and then He was love. 54:54 And that I did not know how at that time, 54:56 but He was going to help me. 54:57 A little less than a year later, 54:59 I became pregnant at 15. 55:02 I loved my son with my whole heart. 55:04 He also became something 55:05 that my abuser could use against me 55:07 in order to pump more fear and coercion. 55:13 I had finally got away from my abuser. 55:16 And I'd finally built up a support system 55:18 to help me stay on the move 55:19 and stay on the run. 55:21 And I was at my grandmother's house 55:23 and on my son's third birthday... 55:30 he took my son 55:31 and when I called the police 55:32 and said, "My son's just been kidnapped." 55:34 They said, "He's the father. We can't do anything about it." 55:37 After my son was gone, 55:39 I lost my mind. 55:40 I started doing drugs. 55:41 And within a month and a half, 55:43 I robbed a convenience store. 55:45 So I was sentenced to 70 months, 55:48 5 years, 10 months in prison. 55:50 And it was the best thing that ever happened to me. 55:55 I started attending the church services in prison, 55:58 seven days a week, 56:00 it blew my mind. 56:02 I was hooked. 56:03 And then we went through, 56:05 it was Millennium of Prophecy and NET '99 56:09 that just solidified my faith 56:12 in such a powerful way. 56:14 And I knew God, that God was leading me. 56:17 Even the guards there commented 56:18 on how much I had changed 56:21 since I started doing the studies on Amazing Facts. 56:25 I was so excited about what I was learning 56:27 that I was coming back from there 56:29 and trying to convert my heart into criminal friends 56:33 with the Storacles of Prophecy. 56:35 Every question I ever had, 56:37 every worry, everything that I ever wondered about, 56:41 the Bible answered everything, 56:43 and it was so clear 56:44 and so easy to understand. 56:46 It's been 11 years 56:48 since I've been out of prison. 56:49 I am married to an amazing wonderful man, 56:52 my first non-abusive relationship 56:54 in my whole entire life. 56:55 Before we got married, 56:57 we watched the Millennium of Prophecy series together. 57:00 And it was just such a blessing 57:03 to be able to see him learn 57:06 and see him grow. 57:07 And I felt like my life now is just a gift 57:10 that every single thing that happened to me 57:12 bad in the past 57:14 is nothing compared to the joy, and the happiness, 57:18 and the stability that I have now. 57:20 My name is Christine VanOrder, and my life has been changed 57:24 by Jesus Christ and Amazing Facts. 57:36 Let's face it, 57:37 it's not always easy to understand everything 57:40 you read in the Bible. 57:41 With over 700,000 words contained in 66 books, 57:45 the Bible can generate a lot of questions. 57:48 To get biblical straightforward answers, 57:50 call into Bible Answers Live, 57:52 a live nationwide call-in radio program 57:54 where you can talk to Pastor Doug Batchelor 57:57 and ask him your most difficult Bible questions. 57:59 For times and stations in your area 58:02 or to listen to answers online, 58:03 visit bal.amazingfacts.org. |
Revised 2019-05-14