The Bible tells us,
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"In the beginning was the
Word, and the Word was with God,
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and the Word was God."
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It says, "To receive with
meekness the implanted Word,
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which is able to
save your souls."
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"And to be diligent to present
yourself approved to God...
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rightly dividing
the Word of truth."
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Join us now for the
3ABN Sabbath School Panel.
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Our study today is,
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"The Holy Spirit
and Spirituality."
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Hello, and welcome
to 3ABN Sabbath School,
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we are so thankful
that you've taken the time
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to tune in to
study God's Word with us.
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We're talking about
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the Holy Spirit
and Spirituality,
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and if you've studied the
lessons leading up to this one,
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you know that we are in for
a deep sea-diving experience,
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amen, panel.
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Amen.
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And speaking of panel
we have a group of people
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that you may have met before,
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you may know as
members of our 3ABN family,
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each one has a different hat
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but we wear many
hats here at 3ABN.
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But I'd like to introduce to you
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those who will be walking us
through the lessons day by day
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and after we introduce to you,
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we'll let you know
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where to get a
copy of the lesson
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so that you can download that
and also follow along with us.
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To my immediate
left is Mollie Steenson,
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the Vice President and
General Manager of 3ABN.
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Mollie, good to have you here.
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Well, thank you very much.
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And what day are
you gonna be covering?
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I'm going to be covering Monday.
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Okay.
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You're doing Sunday and
to my left is Jill Morikone
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and she's gonna be doing...
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Tuesday.
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Tuesday, and Jill is
the Administrative Assistant
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to the president of 3ABN
and she does a wonderful job
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and in her own right, Jill,
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you always bless me
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when you're
teaching sabbath school,
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appreciate you so much.
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Praise the Lord.
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It's a privilege to
be here with the panel,
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with men and women of God.
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And, Brian, it's a
privilege to introduce you,
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we so appreciate you
and your wife Diane...
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Thank you.
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You are our 3ABN CFO
but you're a man of God
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and a man who seeks to
open up the Word of God,
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I love the clarity with
which you share the Word of God
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and thank you for being here.
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Oh, praise the Lord, thank you.
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And to my left is Shelley Quinn.
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Shelley works with
developing our new programs
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and also in
developing the opens and closes,
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working with the people.
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She wears a number
of different hats here.
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Yes, yes.
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But I think for
me, the thing that
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stands out the most
about Shelley is that
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she's a student
of the Word of God.
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Yes, she is.
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And she loves
Jesus and, Shelley,
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welcome to the team here.
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Thank you.
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Well, we're just so glad
you're joining us from home
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and this panel always brings out
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different perspectives,
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so it's a lot of fun to study
the Word with different people.
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And we're so thankful that
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our pastor of Thompsonville
Seventh-day Adventist Church,
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John Lomacang, is with us today
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and you are our
anchor for today,
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thank you so much for all that
you do for the glory of God.
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Amen.
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You know, I think it'll be good
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if we could
have a word of prayer
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before we get into the
topic but before we pray,
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here's where you can
get a copy of the lesson,
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you go to this website, absg,
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that's absg.adventist.org
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to download a copy of
the lesson for this quarter
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and it is lesson number seven,
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covering February
11th to February 17th
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and the topic is
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"The Holy Spirit and
The Fruit of The Spirit."
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And we also like
to encourage you,
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while we're studying here,
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do also look for a local church
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where you can find fellowship...
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Amen.
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And time of study together
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because while it's
great to watch on television,
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we surely do support that.
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We also want you to have
the fellowship that comes
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only as you could rub shoulders
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with your brothers
and sisters in Christ but,
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Mollie, would you begin
with a word of prayer for us?
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Thank you, I'd love to.
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Holy Father, we come before you
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in the name of Jesus,
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and we praise you,
and we thank you, God,
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for this opportunity to
break the bread of life,
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to share with
others what you have placed
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within our hearts and to receive
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from our brothers and sisters
what you have given them.
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So, Lord, we pray for
everyone that's listening today,
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that you'll
open up their hearts,
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that this Word will go forth,
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it'll take root and it
will produce bountifully
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in every one of us,
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that's our prayer
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in the name of
Jesus Christ, amen.
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Amen.
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As the anchor person,
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I'm gonna lay some
introduction to the lesson and,
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kind of, give
you a charted course
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as to how we're gonna
walk through the lesson
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but the Holy Spirit and
The Fruit of The Spirit,
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now we're gonna
talk amongst ourselves
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and I give you all
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since this is,
I'm not on Sunday yet,
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give you the option to chime in
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when we talk about
fruit of the Spirit.
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You know, the Spirit of
God works in various ways.
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Long before the fruit show up,
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He has another
function prior to that.
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You'll notice as
the Bible speaks about
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the work of the Holy Spirit,
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He comes to convict,
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He also comes to convert,
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He also comes to transform.
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That's right. Yes.
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And the first work that
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the Spirit of God does
on us is He works on us.
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You know, before
the fruit can show up,
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the tree has to be planted,
the seed has to germinate,
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there has to be a
living connection between
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the vine and the branch.
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And the fruit
then grows gradually
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and then the fruit
will appear eventually
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and so one of the first
things that you'll discover
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as we talk
about the Holy Spirit,
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the most important
work I believe that
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the Holy Spirit
starts out with on all of us,
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on all of humanity,
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is to first of all
convict the world of sin.
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Yes.
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Because unless
we are at the place
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where we had met
that we are sinners...
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Yes.
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We would never see our need
of being connected to the vine,
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we'll try to do works of our own
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and Matthew 7:21-23
is a constant reminder,
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let's look at that very quickly.
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Matthew 7:21-23 is
the constant reminder
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as to why we should
never trust in ourselves
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and think that our
works are sufficient
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for our salvation in Christ.
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Matthew 7:21-23.
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One of the thoughts
that if this is possible,
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made my hear
stand on any one day is,
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once someone said
that many of the things
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that happen in the Christian
church can continue to go on
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if the Spirit of
God was withdrawn.
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Yeah, that's right. See many...
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Ain't that sad?
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See we are
sometimes program-oriented,
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we are event-oriented.
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We are sometimes
concert-oriented.
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We wanna do seminars
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and we sometimes are
community outreach-oriented,
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all these things are important
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but unless we have
a connection with God,
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these are just good works.
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That's right. That's true.
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And somebody is gonna be
blessed by the good works.
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But we are not yet at the place
where we identify with Christ.
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Shelley, do you
have that text for us?
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Matthew 7:21-23.
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Read that for us.
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Matthew 7:21-23,
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"Not everyone who
says to Me, 'Lord, Lord, '
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shall enter the
kingdom of heaven,
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but he who does the
will of My Father in heaven.
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Many will say to Me
in that day, 'Lord, Lord,
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have we not
prophesied in Your name,
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cast out demons in Your name
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and done many
wonders in Your name?'
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And then I will declare to them,
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I never knew you,
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depart from Me, you
who practice lawlessness".
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So Lord is saying, "I
know what you did for Me,
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but you didn't
do it through Me."
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Yes.
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'Cause I don't
even identify with it.
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You've done
many wonderful works,
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it's sad to think,
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you even cast out
demons, which in essence says,
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since the Lord didn't do it,
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the devil made
it appear as though
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someone was demon-possessed
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and then he removed it
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for people to
get the credit that
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God was involved, but
He said, "I didn't do that.
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I don't even know who you are."
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And then He said,
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"You'll do many
wonderful works in My name."
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So I wanna lay the
foundation by letting you know,
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the Holy Spirit
is not given to us
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just to do good works,
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but without the Holy
Spirit, we can't do good works.
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That's right. We can do works.
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They've done
many wonderful works
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but they were
not Spirit led works.
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People's lives would change,
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people will
transform but the Lord said,
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"I wasn't involved in that."
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So John 15, I'll go to Sunday.
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So the point is, first of all,
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the Holy Spirit
starts by working on us,
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and then the fruits show up
when He starts working in us.
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So when a person
comes to conviction,
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we call that,
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when they accept the reality,
the truth about themselves,
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we call that justification.
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The Lord deals with us.
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He justifies us
by His righteousness.
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He imparts to us
the daily strength
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and the beauty
of His righteousness
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because we have
allowed Him to work on us.
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Amen.
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But when the Spirit now
brings us to conversion,
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He starts to work
in us and, Mollie,
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only then as He works in us
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will the fruit begin to show up.
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Have you ever seen
a tree where people's,
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do have a lot orange groves
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and we find people
putting oranges on the tree?
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No.
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How do we get the oranges?
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The oranges are on the branches.
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That's right.
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And if you want to,
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if the oranges don't
have enough water in them,
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do you water the orange?
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What do you water? That's good.
00:09:14.95\00:09:16.28
You always go to the root.
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That's right.
Always water the root.
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So Jesus is the living
water. Yeah, it's true.
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Even that applies,
very good point made.
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Even the living
water flows from the roots,
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through the
vine, through the tree,
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to the branches,
then to the fruit.
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So we couldn't even claim
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to have the Spirit
of God in our lives,
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we couldn't even claim
any source of our own...
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Yeah.
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The sap flowing from the
root, through the tree, to us,
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makes all the difference.
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So the second thing is He works,
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first on us, then in us.
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Amen.
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And then, I know
that you're gonna deal
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with this later about gifts.
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The gifts doesn't show
up, that's the third evidence.
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He works on us,
in us for the fruit,
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and then through us.
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But one of the questions
asked on Sunday is in John 15,
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we'll look at that
00:10:04.07\00:10:05.40
and verse 1-11
is the focal point.
00:10:05.43\00:10:07.14
But the question
that comes to us first is,
00:10:07.17\00:10:11.44
why can fruit come forth only
out of a living relationship
00:10:11.47\00:10:17.71
with Jesus divine?
00:10:17.75\00:10:19.91
Why is abiding in
Jesus so important
00:10:19.95\00:10:23.02
and how do we abide in Jesus?
00:10:23.05\00:10:24.75
Look at John 15.
00:10:24.79\00:10:26.25
Now I wanna
read through these in
00:10:26.29\00:10:27.62
and even though it's my day,
00:10:27.66\00:10:29.59
I'm gonna give
you all the latitude
00:10:29.62\00:10:30.96
and freedom to comment also,
00:10:30.99\00:10:32.33
because I think that each
of us has a different viewpoint
00:10:32.36\00:10:34.20
when we read the scripture.
00:10:34.23\00:10:35.60
Jesus said, John
15:1, "I am the vine,
00:10:35.63\00:10:38.57
My Father is the vine dresser."
00:10:38.60\00:10:40.67
Meaning He's
the one watering me,
00:10:40.70\00:10:43.67
"Every branch in me
that does not bear fruit,
00:10:43.71\00:10:46.01
He takes away and every
branch that bears fruit,
00:10:46.04\00:10:49.88
He prunes that it
may bear more fruit.
00:10:49.91\00:10:54.38
You are already clean,
00:10:54.42\00:10:56.18
you are already clean
00:10:56.22\00:10:57.62
because of the Word
which I have spoken to you."
00:10:57.65\00:10:59.89
He's talking to His disciples.
00:10:59.92\00:11:01.89
"Abide in Me, and I in you,
00:11:01.92\00:11:03.53
as the branch cannot
bear fruit of itself,
00:11:03.56\00:11:05.73
unless it abides in the vine.
00:11:05.76\00:11:10.23
Neither can you,
unless you abide in Me,
00:11:10.27\00:11:14.24
I am the vine..."
00:11:14.27\00:11:15.60
Verse five, "You
are the branches.
00:11:15.64\00:11:17.11
He who abides in Me,
and I in Him bears..."
00:11:17.14\00:11:20.38
What? Much fruit.
00:11:20.41\00:11:21.91
"Much fruit and for
without Me, you can do..."
00:11:21.94\00:11:24.45
Nothing.
00:11:24.48\00:11:25.81
"Nothing."
00:11:25.85\00:11:27.18
Now this is powerful,
this is the transition.
00:11:27.22\00:11:28.85
"If anyone does not abide in Me,
00:11:28.88\00:11:30.59
he is cast out as a
branch and is withered.
00:11:30.62\00:11:33.49
And they gather them
and throw them into the fire
00:11:33.52\00:11:36.22
and they are burned."
00:11:36.26\00:11:37.59
Meaning, when we are
disconnected from Christ,
00:11:37.63\00:11:39.83
we are firewood, we're kindling.
00:11:39.86\00:11:42.26
There you go.
00:11:42.30\00:11:43.63
We have no value because
there's no sap in our lives,
00:11:43.67\00:11:46.50
nothing living there.
00:11:46.53\00:11:48.07
But He says in verse seven,
00:11:48.10\00:11:49.57
"If you abide in Me
and My word abide in you,
00:11:49.60\00:11:52.21
you will ask what
you desire and..."
00:11:52.24\00:11:54.31
What's the promise, Shelley?
00:11:54.34\00:11:55.68
"And it shall be done for you."
00:11:55.71\00:11:57.05
"It shall be done for you."
00:11:57.08\00:11:58.95
And then verse eight.
00:11:58.98\00:12:00.32
Mollie, read
verse 8 to 11 for us.
00:12:00.35\00:12:02.15
"By this My Father is glorified,
00:12:02.18\00:12:04.32
that you bear much fruit
00:12:04.35\00:12:06.29
and so you will be My disciples.
00:12:06.32\00:12:08.19
Love and joy perfected.
00:12:08.22\00:12:10.83
As the Father loved me,
00:12:10.86\00:12:12.43
I also have loved
to abide in My love.
00:12:12.46\00:12:15.66
If you keep My commandments,
you will abide in My love,
00:12:15.70\00:12:19.77
just as I have kept
My Father's commandments
00:12:19.80\00:12:22.37
and abide in His love.
00:12:22.40\00:12:24.01
These things I
have spoken to you,
00:12:24.04\00:12:26.41
that My joy may remain in you,
and that your joy may be full."
00:12:26.44\00:12:31.78
And so answering the question,
00:12:31.81\00:12:34.48
why fruit can't come forth
00:12:34.52\00:12:37.42
except only in a
living relationship?
00:12:37.45\00:12:38.85
First of all, we
made the point already.
00:12:38.89\00:12:41.26
The vine is the source of life.
00:12:41.29\00:12:44.69
The sap flowing from the
vine can only get to the fruit
00:12:44.73\00:12:48.70
if the branches are
connected to the vine.
00:12:48.73\00:12:51.17
Yeah.
00:12:51.20\00:12:52.53
I mean, we've seen that before.
00:12:52.57\00:12:53.90
Severe the vine,
00:12:53.94\00:12:55.27
and the thought that came to
be as I was studying the lesson
00:12:55.30\00:12:57.11
and this is the importance
of abiding in Christ every day,
00:12:57.14\00:13:00.94
'cause sometimes, Brian,
00:13:00.98\00:13:02.31
we could abide in Christ,
we say on Sabbath morning,
00:13:02.34\00:13:03.95
we get through the work week,
00:13:03.98\00:13:05.31
we fought our way
through the difficulty of life
00:13:05.35\00:13:06.98
and through the
hardships of family
00:13:07.02\00:13:08.88
and we get to the
church on Sabbath morning,
00:13:08.92\00:13:10.72
we'll say, "Now
we're connected."
00:13:10.75\00:13:12.29
That's a dangerous thing.
00:13:12.32\00:13:13.66
Amen. That's right.
00:13:13.69\00:13:15.02
How often
should we be connected?
00:13:15.06\00:13:16.39
We need to be
connected every day.
00:13:16.42\00:13:17.96
In fact, hourly.
00:13:17.99\00:13:19.33
That's right. That's true.
00:13:19.36\00:13:20.70
All through out our day,
00:13:20.73\00:13:22.43
we ought to be having
some kind of communion...
00:13:22.46\00:13:25.03
Amen.
00:13:25.07\00:13:26.40
As we are passing
through the day with God.
00:13:26.43\00:13:28.40
And, Shelley, I
thought about it.
00:13:28.44\00:13:29.77
I said, at what point
in the growth of the fruit
00:13:29.80\00:13:32.37
in any vineyard
does the vine say,
00:13:32.41\00:13:35.48
"I don't need to
stay connected today,
00:13:35.51\00:13:36.95
I need a few hours break."
00:13:36.98\00:13:38.55
Think about that.
00:13:38.58\00:13:40.25
There's no point in,
we lived in California,
00:13:40.28\00:13:42.68
we went to Napa Valley,
my wife and I many times,
00:13:42.72\00:13:45.25
rode our bikes
through the great vineyards,
00:13:45.29\00:13:47.32
at no point did I see the
vines laying on the ground
00:13:47.36\00:13:50.43
and back on the
branch the next day,
00:13:50.46\00:13:52.79
they were always connected.
00:13:52.83\00:13:54.36
And so here's the point I
wanna make very carefully,
00:13:54.40\00:13:56.77
unless we have a
daily abiding in Christ...
00:13:56.80\00:13:59.07
That's right.
00:13:59.10\00:14:00.44
Connecting with Him
through the study of His Word,
00:14:00.47\00:14:02.30
Him speaking to us,
00:14:02.34\00:14:03.94
and praying for the Holy
Spirit as the lesson says,
00:14:03.97\00:14:06.61
so that we could speak to God,
00:14:06.64\00:14:09.18
unless we are abiding,
the vine supplies the life,
00:14:09.21\00:14:12.55
the branch conveys the life.
00:14:12.58\00:14:15.05
Oh, that's good.
00:14:15.08\00:14:16.42
The vine is the source,
the branch is the recipient.
00:14:16.45\00:14:19.62
So the blessing, Jill,
00:14:19.65\00:14:21.82
is what blessing do
we get abiding in Christ?
00:14:21.86\00:14:25.36
What kind of lesson do
we get? We get everything.
00:14:25.39\00:14:27.23
I mean, we get the life
giving power of the Holy Spirit,
00:14:27.26\00:14:29.96
we get transforming power,
we can't live apart from Jesus,
00:14:30.00\00:14:35.07
apart from the vine.
00:14:35.10\00:14:36.81
It reminds me and I don't
know the scripture, so maybe,
00:14:36.84\00:14:40.54
I shouldn't
bring this up right now
00:14:40.58\00:14:41.91
but it seems
like in Romans, is it,
00:14:41.94\00:14:43.31
where it talks about some wild
olive shoots are grafted in?
00:14:43.35\00:14:46.78
Right.
00:14:46.82\00:14:48.15
Is it Romans?
00:14:48.18\00:14:49.52
It's encouraging to me,
because no matter where we are,
00:14:49.55\00:14:52.19
we can always be
grafted into the vine
00:14:52.22\00:14:54.39
and receive that life
giving nourishment in sap.
00:14:54.42\00:14:57.99
I think of it as...
00:14:58.03\00:14:59.96
It is the Holy Spirit
who unites us with Christ.
00:15:00.00\00:15:02.10
That's right.
00:15:02.13\00:15:03.47
And Ephesians 3:17 says
00:15:03.50\00:15:06.40
that it's as the power
of the Spirit is in us,
00:15:06.43\00:15:08.70
that Christ abides in our heart
00:15:08.74\00:15:10.94
or dwells in our heart by faith.
00:15:10.97\00:15:12.61
So I think of the vine,
00:15:12.64\00:15:14.41
the vine
obviously is Jesus Christ,
00:15:14.44\00:15:17.05
the sap...
00:15:17.08\00:15:18.41
Yeah.
00:15:18.45\00:15:19.78
Is the Spirit's
anointing power is
00:15:19.81\00:15:21.45
what I think of that acronym.
00:15:21.48\00:15:23.59
It is the spirit,
00:15:23.62\00:15:25.12
so we have to have the
Holy Spirit in our life.
00:15:25.15\00:15:27.02
That's right.
00:15:27.06\00:15:28.39
To try to be united with Christ,
00:15:28.42\00:15:29.76
to be united with the vine
00:15:29.79\00:15:31.39
and that is where
the life giving power is.
00:15:31.43\00:15:35.16
That's so important
00:15:35.20\00:15:36.53
and this is the
point I wanna make.
00:15:36.56\00:15:37.90
You know, verse two talks about,
00:15:37.93\00:15:41.64
"Every branch that
bears fruit, He prunes."
00:15:41.67\00:15:45.24
When I read that, I thought,
00:15:45.27\00:15:46.61
"Oh, now I know
why trails come."
00:15:46.64\00:15:48.84
Yes.
00:15:48.88\00:15:50.21
Now I know why the Lord allows
difficulty to come our way
00:15:50.25\00:15:53.78
because it's the quotation,
00:15:53.82\00:15:55.15
one of my favorite quotations
by Ellen White, she says,
00:15:55.18\00:15:58.19
"How will the
pruning process be necessary,
00:15:58.22\00:16:01.86
unless there are
obstacles to surmount?"
00:16:01.89\00:16:06.46
Trials, to bear
burdens, to face,
00:16:06.49\00:16:10.07
this process
would not be possible,
00:16:10.10\00:16:12.63
the pruning wouldn't be possible
00:16:12.67\00:16:14.00
except difficulty came our way.
00:16:14.04\00:16:16.91
And so the other
point I wanna make
00:16:16.94\00:16:18.27
before I transition
to give it to Mollie, is,
00:16:18.31\00:16:22.91
go to Matthew 24:32.
00:16:22.94\00:16:25.05
The Lord gave this
to me to help me see
00:16:25.08\00:16:27.32
the branch concept in a way that
00:16:27.35\00:16:31.49
I had never seen it before,
00:16:31.52\00:16:33.49
because Jesus is the
vine and we are the...
00:16:33.52\00:16:36.06
Branches. We're the branch.
00:16:36.09\00:16:37.43
So look at this,
this is powerful.
00:16:37.46\00:16:39.73
Matthew 24:32,
I'll read it, it says,
00:16:39.76\00:16:42.53
"Now learn this
parable from the fig tree
00:16:42.56\00:16:45.47
when its branch has
already become tender
00:16:45.50\00:16:47.90
and puts forth leaves,
00:16:47.94\00:16:50.47
you know that
the summer is near."
00:16:50.51\00:16:52.07
Now before the fruits
show up, the leaves show up.
00:16:52.11\00:16:54.98
But what condition does
the branch need to be in,
00:16:55.01\00:16:58.11
in order for that to happen?
00:16:58.15\00:16:59.48
Tender.
00:16:59.51\00:17:00.85
Say it again, Shelley.
00:17:00.88\00:17:02.22
Tender. Tender.
00:17:02.25\00:17:03.59
Now go to I Peter 3:8.
00:17:03.62\00:17:04.95
Thank you, Lord, for
this revelation, tender.
00:17:04.99\00:17:08.09
In order for the
branch to produce fruit,
00:17:08.12\00:17:11.09
they have to be tender,
00:17:11.13\00:17:13.46
which means we
can't be hard Christians,
00:17:13.50\00:17:15.66
we can't be brash
Christians, we can't say,
00:17:15.70\00:17:20.14
I love you only
because Jesus is in my life.
00:17:20.17\00:17:22.97
If it wasn't for
God I wouldn't love you,
00:17:23.00\00:17:24.34
we got to be tender.
00:17:24.37\00:17:25.71
Look at I Peter
3:8, who has that?
00:17:25.74\00:17:27.08
You have that, Brian?
00:17:27.11\00:17:28.44
No. Okay.
00:17:28.48\00:17:29.81
Do you have it, Jill? Yeah.
00:17:29.84\00:17:31.18
I Peter 3:8.
00:17:31.21\00:17:32.55
"Finally, all of
you be of one mind,
00:17:32.58\00:17:33.92
having
compassion for one another,
00:17:33.95\00:17:35.28
love as brothers,
00:17:35.32\00:17:36.65
be tenderhearted, be courteous."
00:17:36.69\00:17:38.22
And Ephesians 4:32,
00:17:38.25\00:17:40.09
and then I'll
share it to Mollie here.
00:17:40.12\00:17:43.73
Ephesians 4:32,
00:17:43.76\00:17:45.13
matter of fact, I have it,
let me go ahead and read it.
00:17:45.16\00:17:46.90
And it says, "And
be kind to one another,
00:17:46.93\00:17:49.86
tenderhearted,
forgiving one another,
00:17:49.90\00:17:53.64
even as God in
Christ forgave you."
00:17:53.67\00:17:55.67
Amen.
00:17:55.70\00:17:57.04
So if we say that
we have the fruit,
00:17:57.07\00:17:58.41
love, joy, peace,
00:17:58.44\00:18:00.44
longsuffering,
gentleness, meekness, patience,
00:18:00.48\00:18:03.95
can I add another one?
00:18:03.98\00:18:05.31
Tenderness.
00:18:05.35\00:18:06.68
Tenderness, yeah. I like it.
00:18:06.72\00:18:08.05
Tenderness, you
could say you have all that
00:18:08.08\00:18:09.98
but if you're not
a tender Christian,
00:18:10.02\00:18:11.35
you're still not connected
00:18:11.39\00:18:12.72
because unless you're tender,
00:18:12.75\00:18:14.09
you can't put forth leaves
00:18:14.12\00:18:16.09
and the fruits
are not gonna show up.
00:18:16.12\00:18:17.86
So I would say the precursor
to the fruit showing up,
00:18:17.89\00:18:20.73
you got to be a
tender Christian, amen.
00:18:20.76\00:18:23.00
Amen. That's right.
00:18:23.03\00:18:24.43
Mollie, take us to the next day.
00:18:24.47\00:18:26.00
Okay, the next one,
00:18:26.03\00:18:27.37
Monday, is the fruit of love
00:18:27.40\00:18:30.81
and our memory verse
was Galatians 5:21-22.
00:18:30.84\00:18:34.61
Okay.
00:18:34.64\00:18:35.98
And was it 21 and 22? No.
00:18:36.01\00:18:38.31
Yeah, Galatians 5:23. 22 and 23.
00:18:38.35\00:18:40.18
Yes. Okay.
00:18:40.22\00:18:41.55
"But the fruit of
the Spirit is love,
00:18:41.58\00:18:43.65
joy, peace,
longsuffering, kindness,
00:18:43.69\00:18:45.79
goodness, faithfulness,
against which there is no..."
00:18:45.82\00:18:48.52
No law. "No law."
00:18:48.56\00:18:49.89
So again, I'm
looking at the fruit of love
00:18:49.92\00:18:53.43
and so I ask the question,
00:18:53.46\00:18:55.23
why is love mentioned first
00:18:55.26\00:18:58.23
in the list of the
fruits of the Spirit?
00:18:58.27\00:19:00.84
And so let's address that.
00:19:00.87\00:19:02.50
Why would fruit be listed first?
00:19:02.54\00:19:04.54
Jill, why you think... Love.
00:19:04.57\00:19:05.91
Why would love be listed first?
00:19:05.94\00:19:07.28
Pardon me, why would
love be listed first?
00:19:07.31\00:19:09.14
I think without love,
you can't have anything else.
00:19:09.18\00:19:11.51
In I Corinthians 13,
00:19:11.55\00:19:12.88
"The greatest of these is love."
00:19:12.91\00:19:14.25
But the essence of
God's character is love.
00:19:14.28\00:19:16.95
So if we don't have
that divine essence in us,
00:19:16.99\00:19:21.99
none of the rest of the
fruits are even gonna grow.
00:19:22.02\00:19:23.86
Or more
specifically, God is love.
00:19:23.89\00:19:25.59
God is love.
00:19:25.63\00:19:26.96
And we're going to
look at all of these,
00:19:27.00\00:19:28.83
in looking at
these, in looking at joy,
00:19:28.86\00:19:32.50
peace, longsuffering, kindness,
00:19:32.53\00:19:33.97
goodness, faithfulness,
00:19:34.00\00:19:35.34
every one of those
emanates from love.
00:19:35.37\00:19:39.04
That's from the
love in your heart.
00:19:39.07\00:19:40.48
Love is the foundation.
00:19:40.51\00:19:41.91
If you don't have love is
that foundation in your heart,
00:19:41.94\00:19:44.71
the rest aren't
going to be there either.
00:19:44.75\00:19:46.72
So first, we have love.
00:19:46.75\00:19:48.65
Now I want us to go
to I Corinthians 13:1-13.
00:19:48.68\00:19:53.09
This is going to
be a lot of reading
00:19:53.12\00:19:54.96
but I think it's
vital that we do read it,
00:19:54.99\00:19:57.83
so I'm gonna get
some help from this
00:19:57.86\00:20:00.50
illustrious
panel to help me read.
00:20:00.53\00:20:03.23
I will start and then, Jill,
00:20:03.26\00:20:05.23
I'm gonna ask you to finish
if that will be okay with you.
00:20:05.27\00:20:07.34
All right.
00:20:07.37\00:20:08.70
I Corinthians 13,
starting in verse one.
00:20:08.74\00:20:10.97
"Though I speak with the
tongues of men and of angels,
00:20:11.01\00:20:14.34
but have not love,
00:20:14.38\00:20:16.64
I have become a sounding brass,
00:20:16.68\00:20:18.48
or a clanging cymbal."
00:20:18.51\00:20:19.85
Again, the fruit of love.
00:20:19.88\00:20:21.75
"And though I have
the gift of prophecy,
00:20:21.78\00:20:23.69
and understand all
mysteries, and all knowledge,
00:20:23.72\00:20:25.79
and though I have all faith,
00:20:25.82\00:20:27.39
so that I could
remove mountains,
00:20:27.42\00:20:29.32
but have not love, I am nothing.
00:20:29.36\00:20:32.99
And though I bestow all
my goods to feed the poor,
00:20:33.03\00:20:35.63
and though I give
my body to be burned,
00:20:35.66\00:20:37.80
but have not love,
it profits me nothing.
00:20:37.83\00:20:40.77
Love suffers long, and
is kind, love does not envy,
00:20:40.80\00:20:44.07
love does not parade
itself, is not puffed up,
00:20:44.11\00:20:46.61
does not behave rudely,
00:20:46.64\00:20:48.28
does not seek its own,
00:20:48.31\00:20:51.35
is not
provoked, thinks no evil."
00:20:51.38\00:20:54.65
Jill.
00:20:54.68\00:20:56.08
"It does not
rejoice in iniquity,
00:20:56.12\00:20:58.72
but rejoices in the truth.
00:20:58.75\00:21:00.72
Bears all things,
believes all things,
00:21:00.76\00:21:03.02
hopes all things,
endures all things.
00:21:03.06\00:21:06.36
Love never fails." That's right.
00:21:06.39\00:21:08.63
"But whether
there are prophecies,
00:21:08.66\00:21:10.00
they will fail.
00:21:10.03\00:21:11.37
Whether there are
tongues, they will cease.
00:21:11.40\00:21:13.64
Whether there is
knowledge, it will vanish away.
00:21:13.67\00:21:16.64
For we know in part,
and we prophesy in part.
00:21:16.67\00:21:20.58
But when that which
is perfect has come,
00:21:20.61\00:21:23.08
then that which is in
part will be done away.
00:21:23.11\00:21:26.45
When I was a
child, I spoke as a child,
00:21:26.48\00:21:28.98
I understood as a
child, I thought as a child,
00:21:29.02\00:21:32.12
but when I became a man,
I put away childish things.
00:21:32.15\00:21:36.19
For now we see
in a mirror dimly,
00:21:36.22\00:21:38.69
but then face to face,
00:21:38.73\00:21:40.16
now I know in part,
00:21:40.20\00:21:41.53
but then I shall know
just as I also am known.
00:21:41.56\00:21:45.17
And now abide faith,
hope, love, these three.
00:21:45.20\00:21:48.80
But the greatest
of these is love."
00:21:48.84\00:21:50.81
That's right.
00:21:50.84\00:21:52.17
The greatest of these is love.
00:21:52.21\00:21:55.01
Why is love
mentioned as the greatest?
00:21:55.04\00:22:00.22
That's the more discussion.
00:22:00.25\00:22:02.02
Brian, why would
the scripture tell us
00:22:02.05\00:22:06.35
that the
greatest of these is love?
00:22:06.39\00:22:08.82
What is your
understanding of that?
00:22:08.86\00:22:11.86
Well, if God is love,
00:22:11.89\00:22:14.60
that's His very
essence of His being.
00:22:14.63\00:22:18.33
Everything emanates from
that and so that's the greatest.
00:22:18.37\00:22:24.41
He is the greatest.
00:22:24.44\00:22:26.11
And to have
that attribute of God
00:22:26.14\00:22:29.34
in us is the greatest thing
we could seek for, in my mind.
00:22:29.38\00:22:34.78
Anybody else got something
00:22:34.82\00:22:36.15
they would like to
share with about that?
00:22:36.18\00:22:38.05
I think of any time
we're thinking of "How?"
00:22:38.09\00:22:41.22
The Bible says that God
pours His love into our hearts
00:22:41.26\00:22:43.56
by the power of the Holy Spirit.
00:22:43.59\00:22:44.93
So this isn't,
we're not talking about
00:22:44.96\00:22:46.90
a human kind of love.
00:22:46.93\00:22:48.56
We're talking
about God's divine love,
00:22:48.60\00:22:50.57
that it's a self
sacrificing love,
00:22:50.60\00:22:52.47
but I always think of
00:22:52.50\00:22:53.84
I Thessalonians 3: 12-13.
00:22:53.87\00:23:00.01
It says, I Thessalonians 3: 12,
00:23:00.04\00:23:03.65
"May the Lord make you
increase and abound..."
00:23:03.68\00:23:07.52
Now who's doing
the work? The Lord.
00:23:07.55\00:23:09.72
"May the Lord make you
increase and abound in love
00:23:09.75\00:23:12.65
to one another and to
all just as we do to you.
00:23:12.69\00:23:15.29
So that He may..."
00:23:15.32\00:23:17.36
Here's the purpose.
00:23:17.39\00:23:18.73
"That He may establish your
hearts blameless and holiness."
00:23:18.76\00:23:21.93
So the more of the
love, as Brian said,
00:23:21.96\00:23:25.43
"This is the essence of God."
00:23:25.47\00:23:27.14
The more love we have,
00:23:27.17\00:23:29.50
the more we become
holy and separated from sin.
00:23:29.54\00:23:32.34
I mean, more of God's
love that we allow to flow in,
00:23:32.37\00:23:35.14
more holy and separated from sin
00:23:35.18\00:23:37.01
and as you said earlier,
00:23:37.05\00:23:38.55
than all the
rest of these fruits,
00:23:38.58\00:23:41.72
actually love is
the beginning of this
00:23:41.75\00:23:44.02
where all the rest
of the fruit come up.
00:23:44.05\00:23:45.69
I John 4:8 tells us.
00:23:45.72\00:23:48.79
"He who does not
love does not know God."
00:23:48.82\00:23:54.16
And we've said this
earlier, "For God is love."
00:23:54.20\00:23:56.70
But it tells us
that if we don't love...
00:23:56.73\00:24:00.10
And I don't know.
00:24:00.14\00:24:03.14
I know at some point
we're going to look at this.
00:24:03.17\00:24:05.51
But the love of God is shared
shed abroad in your heart,
00:24:05.54\00:24:08.01
by the Holy
Ghost which is given.
00:24:08.04\00:24:09.64
So this love is in our heart
and it may need to grow and,
00:24:09.68\00:24:13.48
you know, love in
our heart can grow
00:24:13.52\00:24:15.22
as we spend time with God
and as that continues to grow.
00:24:15.25\00:24:19.19
God's love is the foundation
00:24:19.22\00:24:21.76
and source of
every other goodness
00:24:21.79\00:24:24.43
that's going to outflow from us.
00:24:24.46\00:24:26.16
And John 13:35.
00:24:26.19\00:24:28.90
I love this scripture.
00:24:28.93\00:24:30.40
"By this will all know
that you are my disciples."
00:24:30.43\00:24:33.97
Do you want to be known
00:24:34.00\00:24:35.34
as a disciple of
the Lord Jesus Christ?
00:24:35.37\00:24:36.77
That's right.
00:24:36.81\00:24:38.14
How will you be known
00:24:38.17\00:24:39.51
as a disciple of
the Lord Jesus Christ?
00:24:39.54\00:24:41.34
Again this is John
13:35, it goes on to say,
00:24:41.38\00:24:45.15
"If you have
love one for another."
00:24:45.18\00:24:49.22
And...
00:24:49.25\00:24:50.89
Jesus gave His disciples,
00:24:50.92\00:24:54.06
now we're talking
about the inner circle.
00:24:54.09\00:24:56.96
Those who had been
with Him for a long time,
00:24:56.99\00:25:00.26
seen all of His miracles,
heard all of His teachings,
00:25:00.30\00:25:03.70
right before He
ascended, Pastor John,
00:25:03.73\00:25:06.17
He gave His disciples
00:25:06.20\00:25:08.27
what He called a new commandment
00:25:08.30\00:25:11.41
and that would be John 13:34.
00:25:11.44\00:25:16.31
He says, "A new
commandment I give to you,
00:25:16.34\00:25:20.48
that you do..."
00:25:20.52\00:25:21.85
What? Love.
00:25:21.88\00:25:23.22
"That you love one
another as I have loved you,
00:25:23.25\00:25:25.99
that you love one another".
00:25:26.02\00:25:27.46
Now you would think these men,
00:25:27.49\00:25:30.13
they had spent all
this time with Him,
00:25:30.16\00:25:32.99
surely they would need
to be encouraged to love.
00:25:33.03\00:25:36.56
Surely that was
working within them.
00:25:36.60\00:25:38.60
But what do we
find in those disciples
00:25:38.63\00:25:42.77
right before His ascension?
00:25:42.80\00:25:45.01
Remember, those
that were arguing
00:25:45.04\00:25:47.08
and bickering about who
was gonna be the greatest?
00:25:47.11\00:25:50.25
Who was gonna sit on His right?
00:25:50.28\00:25:52.85
Two of them, their
mother came to Him and said,
00:25:52.88\00:25:55.58
"Can my sons sit
on your right side
00:25:55.62\00:25:56.95
and your left side?"
00:25:56.99\00:25:58.32
Well, He knew
something wasn't quite working
00:25:58.35\00:25:59.75
right in these men's
hearts and in His inner circle,
00:25:59.79\00:26:03.76
there was also one that
was going to betray Him.
00:26:03.79\00:26:07.46
So He talked to His disciples,
these men, and He told them,
00:26:07.50\00:26:12.13
"A new commandment I give
you, that you love one another."
00:26:12.17\00:26:16.04
And I Corinthians 13:13.
00:26:16.07\00:26:19.84
"And now abides faith,
hope, love, these three."
00:26:19.87\00:26:23.55
We looked at it earlier
00:26:23.58\00:26:25.11
but the greatest
of these is love.
00:26:25.15\00:26:27.72
Love is even greater than faith.
00:26:27.75\00:26:29.85
Yes.
00:26:29.88\00:26:31.22
Why would that be?
00:26:31.25\00:26:32.59
Because without faith,
it's impossible to please God.
00:26:32.62\00:26:36.12
But the scripture says
00:26:36.16\00:26:37.69
that love is even
greater than faith.
00:26:37.73\00:26:41.33
Because faith worketh by...
00:26:41.36\00:26:43.10
By love. Love.
00:26:43.13\00:26:44.47
If you don't have
love in your heart,
00:26:44.50\00:26:46.17
then that faith
isn't going to be there.
00:26:46.20\00:26:48.34
Faith worketh by love.
00:26:48.37\00:26:50.31
And I'm gonna ask you this,
00:26:53.91\00:26:55.24
I've only got a very short time.
00:26:55.28\00:26:56.68
Have you ever had a
situation where, you know,
00:26:56.71\00:27:01.18
you are commanded?
00:27:01.22\00:27:02.55
If you're my
disciples, you love.
00:27:02.58\00:27:05.12
A eleventh
commandment, we'll call it,
00:27:05.15\00:27:07.82
that you love one another,
a new commandment I give you.
00:27:07.86\00:27:10.93
Have you ever
been in a situation
00:27:10.96\00:27:12.56
where you absolutely,
00:27:12.59\00:27:13.93
you didn't like
them, much less love them?
00:27:13.96\00:27:16.26
Have you all ever been there?
00:27:16.30\00:27:18.23
Well, let me
tell you a situation.
00:27:18.27\00:27:19.60
Man wasn't so much loved,
00:27:19.63\00:27:21.14
but I want to give
you a Biblical principle,
00:27:21.17\00:27:23.30
you put a Biblical
principle into play,
00:27:23.34\00:27:25.17
you're gonna get
a Biblical result.
00:27:25.21\00:27:27.14
Put a worldly
principle into play,
00:27:27.18\00:27:28.78
you're gonna
reap the consequences.
00:27:28.81\00:27:30.41
I'd rather get
the Biblical result.
00:27:30.45\00:27:32.48
I had unforgiveness
in my heart for somebody
00:27:32.51\00:27:34.85
in what they did to me,
00:27:34.88\00:27:36.22
I'm, you know, you can say,
00:27:36.25\00:27:37.59
"God, you couldn't even
forgive him, but He could.
00:27:37.62\00:27:39.72
But I couldn't forgive him."
00:27:39.75\00:27:41.09
And this is
what I ask God to do.
00:27:41.12\00:27:43.12
"God, put your forgiveness
in my heart for this person
00:27:43.16\00:27:46.33
because I can't
forgive him on my own,
00:27:46.36\00:27:48.83
but if You put your
forgiveness in my heart..."
00:27:48.86\00:27:51.20
And, you know, it
didn't happen overnight,
00:27:51.23\00:27:53.17
it didn't happen instantly,
but in time I realized,
00:27:53.20\00:27:55.77
I have forgiven that person.
00:27:55.80\00:27:57.14
Amen.
00:27:57.17\00:27:58.51
Not only that but
I had a good feeling,
00:27:58.54\00:28:02.51
good rapport with this person.
00:28:02.54\00:28:04.28
If you can't love them, ask God.
00:28:04.31\00:28:06.08
By the power of His Holy Spirit,
00:28:06.11\00:28:08.12
to put His love for that person.
00:28:08.15\00:28:10.49
Now the love of God
is already shed abroad
00:28:10.52\00:28:11.85
in your heart,
00:28:11.89\00:28:13.22
but ask God to put His love
for that person in your heart.
00:28:13.25\00:28:15.12
Amen.
00:28:15.16\00:28:16.49
Let God do the work He wants to,
00:28:16.52\00:28:18.53
He loves you.
00:28:18.56\00:28:19.89
Anybody got
anything else to share?
00:28:19.93\00:28:21.26
Wow. It's powerful.
00:28:21.30\00:28:22.63
It's good. Love is the battery.
00:28:22.66\00:28:24.87
You could have the
most expensive car,
00:28:24.90\00:28:26.33
if you don't have a
battery, you're in trouble.
00:28:26.37\00:28:27.70
Yeah.
00:28:27.74\00:28:29.07
The source, the power,
emanates from God's love.
00:28:29.10\00:28:31.37
That's where it all begins.
00:28:31.41\00:28:33.34
Sister Jill,
you've got to start.
00:28:33.38\00:28:35.64
I do. I love this lesson.
00:28:35.68\00:28:37.71
The Fruit of The Spirit.
00:28:37.75\00:28:39.08
And I like what
you shared, Pastor,
00:28:39.11\00:28:40.45
laying that foundation
00:28:40.48\00:28:41.82
because none of the fruit
of the Spirit is possible,
00:28:41.85\00:28:44.02
unless we have Jesus
Christ abiding in us.
00:28:44.05\00:28:47.16
Unless we abide in the vine.
00:28:47.19\00:28:49.16
That was
wonderful, Mollie. Love.
00:28:49.19\00:28:51.29
My topic on Tuesday is
joy, peace, and patience.
00:28:51.33\00:28:56.60
And I need all three, so
this is a good topic for me.
00:28:56.63\00:28:59.70
If you think about joy.
00:28:59.73\00:29:01.54
In Galatians 5:22,
00:29:01.57\00:29:02.90
where the fruits of
the Spirit are listed,
00:29:02.94\00:29:04.47
the fruit of joy
in Greek is C-H-A-R-A,
00:29:04.51\00:29:09.94
chara, chara.
00:29:09.98\00:29:12.45
And it means joy,
gladness, delight.
00:29:12.48\00:29:17.59
There's a difference though
between happiness and joy.
00:29:17.62\00:29:20.56
Yes.
00:29:20.59\00:29:21.92
Happiness is
earthly you can say.
00:29:21.96\00:29:23.66
Well, situational.
00:29:23.69\00:29:25.03
Dependant on circumstances.
00:29:25.06\00:29:28.96
If I wake up in
the morning and I feel,
00:29:29.00\00:29:33.00
"I'm feeling good today.
00:29:33.03\00:29:34.67
I'm not having any pain.
00:29:34.70\00:29:36.71
Oh, it's sunny outside.
00:29:36.74\00:29:38.77
Oh, I'm gonna go out
to lunch with my husband."
00:29:38.81\00:29:42.78
I might have
circumstantial happiness.
00:29:42.81\00:29:45.71
Oh, it's a good day.
00:29:45.75\00:29:47.12
But, joy, that comes from Jesus.
00:29:47.15\00:29:49.25
Divine joy is not
earthly, divine joy is heavenly,
00:29:49.28\00:29:54.26
it's not
dependent on any situation,
00:29:54.29\00:29:56.86
any circumstance around me.
00:29:56.89\00:29:58.93
It's right.
00:29:58.96\00:30:00.46
Joy is not the
absence of trouble,
00:30:00.50\00:30:03.73
but it's the presence of Christ.
00:30:03.77\00:30:05.53
Amen. That's a
Biblical principle.
00:30:05.57\00:30:07.27
I like that. It's beautiful.
00:30:07.30\00:30:08.64
Find that in Psalm 16.
00:30:08.67\00:30:11.41
Let's go there. Psalm 16.
00:30:11.44\00:30:13.41
Joy is not the
absence of trouble,
00:30:13.44\00:30:16.91
but it's the
presence of Jesus Christ.
00:30:16.95\00:30:19.68
Beautiful.
00:30:19.71\00:30:21.58
Psalm 16:11.
00:30:21.62\00:30:24.72
Someone want to read
that whoever gets there.
00:30:24.75\00:30:26.65
"You will show
me the path of life,
00:30:26.69\00:30:28.92
in your presence
is fullness of joy.
00:30:28.96\00:30:31.79
Your right hand are
pleasures every more."
00:30:31.83\00:30:35.76
So when we are in the presence,
00:30:35.80\00:30:37.67
brought into the
presence of Jesus,
00:30:37.70\00:30:40.04
I won't have earthly happiness.
00:30:40.07\00:30:43.67
I will have divine joy, joy.
00:30:43.71\00:30:47.84
I remember a friend,
00:30:47.88\00:30:49.44
Greg and I went to go
see him in the hospital.
00:30:49.48\00:30:51.58
We'll call him, Jimmy
Joe, that's not his name.
00:30:51.61\00:30:54.22
He had fallen and hurt himself
and he was in the hospital.
00:30:54.25\00:30:58.59
And when we went, we
went to encourage him
00:30:58.62\00:31:01.32
but he was full
of joy and he said,
00:31:01.36\00:31:04.36
"Praise the Lord.
00:31:04.39\00:31:05.73
I'm here, I can
witness to the nurses
00:31:05.76\00:31:08.80
and the doctors
and I can share Jesus."
00:31:08.83\00:31:11.70
And it was amazing
and a couple days later
00:31:11.73\00:31:14.14
I talked with
another friend and she said,
00:31:14.17\00:31:15.87
"Oh, did you go see
Jimmy Joe in the hospital?"
00:31:15.90\00:31:17.61
And I said, "Yeah, we did."
00:31:17.64\00:31:19.77
She said, "I bet
he was all happy."
00:31:19.81\00:31:22.01
And I said, "Actually, he was."
00:31:22.04\00:31:23.41
And she said, "Well,
00:31:23.45\00:31:24.78
some people are
just born happy."
00:31:24.81\00:31:26.45
But I don't believe that.
00:31:26.48\00:31:28.05
Divine joy is a
fruit of the Spirit
00:31:28.08\00:31:32.12
and when we
abide in His presence,
00:31:32.15\00:31:34.46
He can fill us with His joy.
00:31:34.49\00:31:36.52
So I know we have
to move on to patience
00:31:36.56\00:31:38.36
but before we do,
00:31:38.39\00:31:39.73
I wanna give three
quick keys or points
00:31:39.76\00:31:42.33
that in my own life have
helped me to cultivate joy.
00:31:42.36\00:31:45.67
How do we
cultivate joy in our life?
00:31:45.70\00:31:47.64
For me, they are, surrender.
00:31:47.67\00:31:49.07
All right.
00:31:49.10\00:31:50.44
Surrender the
pain, the situation,
00:31:50.47\00:31:52.07
the
circumstances, the issue to God.
00:31:52.11\00:31:54.58
Whatever it is,
it is, surrender.
00:31:54.61\00:31:57.81
You know, Jesus did that
in the Garden of Gethsemane.
00:31:57.85\00:32:00.15
He did not want to walk forward
00:32:00.18\00:32:02.55
in that
separation from His Father,
00:32:02.58\00:32:04.82
in that
difficulty, and yet He said,
00:32:04.85\00:32:07.72
"Father, not My
will, but yours be done."
00:32:07.76\00:32:11.06
We surrender,
00:32:11.09\00:32:12.43
we identify the source of
00:32:12.46\00:32:13.80
whatever's going on in our life,
00:32:13.83\00:32:15.16
we acknowledge our
inability to control it,
00:32:15.20\00:32:17.13
and then we say,
00:32:17.17\00:32:18.50
"God, I choose
to give this to you.
00:32:18.53\00:32:20.17
And no matter what
happens, I will trust You."
00:32:20.20\00:32:22.20
That's right.
00:32:22.24\00:32:23.57
"No matter what
happens, I will give you joy."
00:32:23.61\00:32:25.37
Second, we
practice His presence.
00:32:25.41\00:32:27.31
That was Psalm
16:11, we just read that.
00:32:27.34\00:32:29.91
"In His presence
is fullness of joy."
00:32:29.94\00:32:31.85
And, you know, I taught
music lessons for ten years
00:32:31.88\00:32:35.22
and people say,
"Practice makes perfect."
00:32:35.25\00:32:37.95
But I don't believe that either.
00:32:37.99\00:32:39.32
That's right.
00:32:39.35\00:32:40.69
Because
practice makes permanent.
00:32:40.72\00:32:43.26
So if someone
practices the wrong note,
00:32:43.29\00:32:45.29
instead of a B,
00:32:45.33\00:32:46.66
they hit a B-flat, all
weekend their practice,
00:32:46.70\00:32:48.90
guess what happens, Pastor John?
00:32:48.93\00:32:50.57
B-flat. You got it.
00:32:50.60\00:32:52.03
When they come the next
week, it's gonna be wrong,
00:32:52.07\00:32:54.50
because it became permanently
ingrained in their mind.
00:32:54.54\00:32:57.87
So if I choose to
practice the presence of Jesus,
00:32:57.91\00:33:01.84
what happens?
00:33:01.88\00:33:03.28
More and more, every day,
00:33:03.31\00:33:04.75
I experience more
and more of His fullness.
00:33:04.78\00:33:07.45
And the third step
00:33:07.48\00:33:08.82
to cultivating
joy is giving thanks.
00:33:08.85\00:33:10.92
I Thessalonians 5:16-18.
00:33:10.95\00:33:14.72
If someone wants to read that.
00:33:14.76\00:33:16.62
I Thessalonians 5:16-18.
00:33:16.66\00:33:22.43
Brian, you have... Okay..
00:33:26.40\00:33:28.77
"Rejoice always,
pray without ceasing,
00:33:28.80\00:33:33.94
in everything give thanks,
00:33:33.98\00:33:35.64
for this is the will of
God in Christ Jesus for you."
00:33:35.68\00:33:38.81
Amen.
00:33:38.85\00:33:41.08
It doesn't say we
give thanks for everything
00:33:41.12\00:33:43.45
but we can give thanks
in the midst of everything.
00:33:43.49\00:33:47.49
J. Hudson Taylor,
00:33:47.52\00:33:48.86
founder of The
China Inland Mission,
00:33:48.89\00:33:50.43
he went to China and
served as a missionary,
00:33:50.46\00:33:52.49
and if you read his
biography, his story,
00:33:52.53\00:33:54.93
he served in China,
his five-year-old son died.
00:33:54.96\00:34:00.00
His infant baby died,
and then his wife Mary died.
00:34:00.04\00:34:06.98
And at the end of all
that, he wrote in his journal,
00:34:07.01\00:34:10.08
"I'm so thankful,
00:34:10.11\00:34:12.41
I get to serve
Jesus one more day."
00:34:12.45\00:34:17.29
That is choosing to
rejoice in all circumstances.
00:34:17.32\00:34:22.29
So I think God
wants us to grow in joy
00:34:22.32\00:34:25.19
by surrendering to Him
00:34:25.23\00:34:27.40
whatever our
difficult circumstances,
00:34:27.43\00:34:29.60
by practicing His
presence and finally,
00:34:29.63\00:34:32.97
by choosing to give thanks.
00:34:33.00\00:34:34.34
Now patience,
00:34:34.37\00:34:35.70
the fruit of the Spirit is love,
00:34:35.74\00:34:37.07
joy, peace, and patience.
00:34:37.11\00:34:39.94
I'm gonna do peace first.
00:34:39.97\00:34:41.34
So peace means peace
of mind, in the Greek.
00:34:41.38\00:34:45.15
John 14:27 is one of my
favorite verses on peace.
00:34:45.18\00:34:48.92
Oh, yes. It's a good...
00:34:48.95\00:34:50.49
John 14:27.
00:34:50.52\00:34:53.72
Jesus says,
"Peace I leave with you.
00:34:53.76\00:34:55.72
My peace I give to you.
00:34:55.76\00:34:58.26
Not as the world
gives do I give to you.
00:34:58.29\00:35:01.00
Let not your heart be troubled,
neither let it be afraid."
00:35:01.03\00:35:06.27
So if I were to ask you, panel,
00:35:06.30\00:35:07.84
where does peace come from?
00:35:07.87\00:35:10.41
From trusting in the Lord
00:35:10.44\00:35:12.44
and from keeping your
eyes focused on the Lord.
00:35:12.47\00:35:15.18
I think of Isaiah 26:3.
00:35:15.21\00:35:16.88
Good.
00:35:16.91\00:35:18.25
Where God says,
if you keep your eyes
00:35:18.28\00:35:20.52
focused on Him, trusting in Him,
00:35:20.55\00:35:22.08
He'll keep you
in perfect peace."
00:35:22.12\00:35:23.95
I love that.
00:35:23.99\00:35:25.32
So it's that relationship.
So focusing on Him.
00:35:25.35\00:35:27.22
Any other thoughts
where peace comes from?
00:35:27.26\00:35:29.26
And the other text is,
00:35:29.29\00:35:31.09
"And the peace of God
00:35:31.13\00:35:32.46
which passes all
understanding..."
00:35:32.49\00:35:34.86
A number of years ago, a
good friend of ours said,
00:35:34.90\00:35:36.36
"The peace of God that
doesn't need to be explained."
00:35:36.40\00:35:39.57
You know, sometimes people say,
00:35:39.60\00:35:41.07
"How could you be so peaceful?"
00:35:41.10\00:35:44.77
And we would say,
"I can't explain it."
00:35:44.81\00:35:48.08
God gives us something
the world doesn't give,
00:35:48.11\00:35:49.78
that's what the text says.
00:35:49.81\00:35:51.15
That's right.
00:35:51.18\00:35:52.51
He's like, "I give to
you, not as the world gives..."
00:35:52.55\00:35:53.88
And so peace doesn't come
00:35:53.92\00:35:55.25
because we
found the peace accord
00:35:55.28\00:35:56.69
or this peace in the Middle East
00:35:56.72\00:35:58.19
where there's no more
crime in our neighborhood.
00:35:58.22\00:36:00.36
Peace is internal
peace, not circumstantial,
00:36:00.39\00:36:03.09
not community peace.
00:36:03.12\00:36:04.46
So when the angel
said to the shepherds,
00:36:04.49\00:36:07.90
"Peace on earth.
00:36:07.93\00:36:09.26
Goodwill to men."
00:36:09.30\00:36:10.73
He meant, peace is on
earth 'cause Jesus is on earth,
00:36:10.77\00:36:14.30
He brought with Him.
00:36:14.34\00:36:15.67
The Prince of Peace.
00:36:15.70\00:36:17.07
That's what he meant
when he said, peace on earth,
00:36:17.11\00:36:18.57
not there's no more
conflict, but Jesus is here.
00:36:18.61\00:36:21.54
So there's peace on earth.
00:36:21.58\00:36:22.91
I love that.
00:36:22.94\00:36:24.28
I think the
reason peace is divine,
00:36:24.31\00:36:26.01
we see in Romans 5.
00:36:26.05\00:36:27.78
"Peace is a result of
being justified with God."
00:36:27.82\00:36:29.98
That's why if
you are far from God,
00:36:30.02\00:36:33.02
that's why the world's peace,
00:36:33.05\00:36:34.39
in John 14:27 is
different than Jesus' peace
00:36:34.42\00:36:37.66
because the peace from God
comes from being justified.
00:36:37.69\00:36:40.43
Romans 5:1, "Having
been justified by faith,
00:36:40.46\00:36:43.30
we have peace with God."
00:36:43.33\00:36:45.23
To our Lord Jesus Christ.
00:36:45.27\00:36:46.60
So that peace we have
comes after that renewal,
00:36:46.63\00:36:50.27
recommitment,
covenant relationship
00:36:50.31\00:36:52.54
with the Lord Jesus Christ
00:36:52.57\00:36:53.91
and then that peace can
be extended to other people.
00:36:53.94\00:36:56.11
And in the remaining time,
00:36:56.14\00:36:57.91
I have the final
fruit of the Spirit
00:36:57.95\00:37:00.82
I have is patience.
00:37:00.85\00:37:02.62
And I cannot
pronounce that Greek word
00:37:02.65\00:37:04.85
but it literally means patience,
00:37:04.89\00:37:06.72
forbearance or you
could say long tempered,
00:37:06.76\00:37:10.59
instead of short
tempered, long tempered,
00:37:10.63\00:37:13.19
self-restraint in
the face of provocation
00:37:13.23\00:37:16.16
and doesn't retaliate.
00:37:16.20\00:37:17.53
It doesn't punish.
00:37:17.57\00:37:18.90
I think patience is
accepting God's will and timing
00:37:18.93\00:37:22.60
in difficult
circumstances, in relationships.
00:37:22.64\00:37:25.41
Patience is
endurance, under trial.
00:37:25.44\00:37:28.54
Patience is
flexibility, contentment.
00:37:28.58\00:37:31.28
Patience is even love, Mollie,
00:37:31.31\00:37:33.28
because the fruit of the Spirit,
00:37:33.31\00:37:34.85
wants to say love
as in I Corinthians 13,
00:37:34.88\00:37:37.05
"Love is patient."
00:37:37.09\00:37:39.19
That's right.
00:37:39.22\00:37:40.56
How do we develop patience?
00:37:40.59\00:37:41.92
I only have one minute left,
00:37:41.96\00:37:43.29
so we'll just go
to one scripture.
00:37:43.32\00:37:44.66
James 1.
00:37:44.69\00:37:46.46
I like James 1.
00:37:46.49\00:37:47.86
He says, "My
brethren, count it all joy
00:37:51.03\00:37:54.34
when you fall into trouble."
00:37:54.37\00:37:55.70
There is our word joy.
00:37:55.74\00:37:57.07
"When you go into
difficulty and tribulation,
00:37:57.11\00:37:59.34
knowing this that the
trying of your faith works..."
00:37:59.37\00:38:03.11
Patience.
00:38:03.14\00:38:04.48
"Patience."
00:38:04.51\00:38:05.85
So I think it's not just
00:38:05.88\00:38:07.88
the fact of
going through a trial
00:38:07.92\00:38:09.78
because everybody
goes through trials
00:38:09.82\00:38:11.55
and it doesn't work
patience in everybody.
00:38:11.59\00:38:13.32
I think that it's experiencing
the trial God's way,
00:38:13.36\00:38:16.69
which means
choosing to give thanks,
00:38:16.73\00:38:18.83
choosing to accept what
God wants to work in my life
00:38:18.86\00:38:22.56
in the midst of that.
00:38:22.60\00:38:24.30
And how He wants to change.
00:38:24.33\00:38:25.77
So that was James 1: 2-3?
00:38:25.80\00:38:28.30
Yeah.
00:38:28.34\00:38:30.41
Very good.
00:38:30.44\00:38:32.24
There's a power
that comes in the joy,
00:38:32.27\00:38:35.61
the peace, the patience,
00:38:35.64\00:38:37.35
that you can't find
00:38:37.38\00:38:38.71
if you try to find it
in worldly situations,
00:38:38.75\00:38:40.62
it's not going to be there.
00:38:40.65\00:38:41.98
Brian, take us to the next day.
00:38:42.02\00:38:43.49
Okay, we're on Wednesday.
00:38:43.52\00:38:46.25
And it's picking up
with the fruit of the Spirit
00:38:46.29\00:38:50.66
and I think maybe,
00:38:50.69\00:38:52.46
we'll start with
Galatians', again 5:22-23,
00:38:52.49\00:38:59.10
just to remind ourselves.
00:38:59.13\00:39:00.47
Okay.
00:39:00.50\00:39:01.84
Of the text,
00:39:01.87\00:39:03.20
the main focus
for this whole week.
00:39:03.24\00:39:07.28
The fruit it says, the
fruit of the Spirit is...
00:39:07.31\00:39:12.98
And so the first
point I'd like to make is
00:39:13.01\00:39:15.62
it doesn't say the
fruits of the Spirit are.
00:39:15.65\00:39:18.95
Ain't that interesting?
00:39:18.99\00:39:20.42
It says, the
fruit of the Spirit is.
00:39:20.46\00:39:24.46
Well, we worship one God.
00:39:24.49\00:39:28.36
Amen.
00:39:28.40\00:39:29.83
Yet the one God that
we worship is manifested
00:39:29.86\00:39:33.57
in three different beings.
00:39:33.60\00:39:36.54
One God, yet three.
00:39:36.57\00:39:38.51
There is one tree of life.
00:39:38.54\00:39:42.88
And that one tree of
life bears 12 manner of fruit.
00:39:42.91\00:39:48.18
One each month.
00:39:48.22\00:39:49.68
Now this isn't a branch grafted,
00:39:49.72\00:39:51.85
and this branch does
pears, and this one does apples,
00:39:51.89\00:39:54.76
another one does peaches.
00:39:54.79\00:39:56.73
This is one tree
that each month it buds
00:39:56.76\00:40:01.73
and then the bud produces fruit
00:40:01.76\00:40:05.70
and it matures to
maturity and each month,
00:40:05.73\00:40:09.00
it's a different
fruit but it's one tree.
00:40:09.04\00:40:12.87
There's one Spirit.
00:40:12.91\00:40:14.84
And that one
Spirit produces fruit,
00:40:14.88\00:40:18.75
one fruit,
00:40:18.78\00:40:20.42
and that fruit is manifested
in a number of different ways.
00:40:20.45\00:40:24.85
This second point that I
would like to emphasize about
00:40:24.89\00:40:29.32
the subject of the
fruit of the Spirit is...
00:40:29.36\00:40:34.96
This is really
the character of God
00:40:35.00\00:40:36.83
that we're talking about.
00:40:36.87\00:40:38.20
Absolutely. Okay?
00:40:38.23\00:40:39.57
And this is God taking
00:40:39.60\00:40:43.64
and implanting
within us His character,
00:40:43.67\00:40:47.58
producing it in us.
00:40:47.61\00:40:50.28
I'm reminded of
the sermon on the Mount
00:40:50.31\00:40:53.21
in Matthew 5:6
00:40:53.25\00:40:59.79
I think most of us
will know this by heart
00:40:59.82\00:41:01.62
when I start reading.
00:41:01.66\00:41:02.99
"Blessed are those who hunger
00:41:03.02\00:41:06.16
and thirst for righteousness
00:41:06.19\00:41:10.17
for they shall be filled."
00:41:10.20\00:41:12.70
Filled.
00:41:12.73\00:41:14.07
So we're talking about,
00:41:14.10\00:41:15.44
when we're talking about
00:41:15.47\00:41:16.81
each of these manifestations
of the fruit of the Spirit,
00:41:16.84\00:41:21.68
we're talking
about righteousness.
00:41:21.71\00:41:24.38
We're talking
about righteous living
00:41:24.41\00:41:26.61
and how it's manifested,
00:41:26.65\00:41:28.45
and in
Wednesday, the three words.
00:41:28.48\00:41:32.19
The fruit of the
Spirit is, Mollie had love.
00:41:32.22\00:41:36.46
And Jill had the
joy, peace, longsuffering.
00:41:36.49\00:41:40.26
And Wednesday is kindness,
goodness, and faithfulness.
00:41:40.30\00:41:45.73
Amen.
00:41:45.77\00:41:47.10
Kindness, goodness,
00:41:47.14\00:41:48.47
I like the sound
of those words even.
00:41:48.50\00:41:50.07
They're nice sounding
words, they're not harsh words,
00:41:50.11\00:41:52.91
they're pleasant words.
00:41:52.94\00:41:55.18
Kindness,
goodness, and faithful...
00:41:55.21\00:41:57.38
Let me start
backwards, there's faithfulness.
00:41:57.41\00:42:01.08
Every one of us likes
to be a part of someone
00:42:01.12\00:42:06.19
who we can count
on to be faithful.
00:42:06.22\00:42:09.46
If it's an employer,
00:42:09.49\00:42:10.99
an employer wants
a faithful employee,
00:42:11.03\00:42:14.83
one that they can
trust, they can count on.
00:42:14.86\00:42:17.63
An employee wants
a faithful employer.
00:42:17.67\00:42:21.60
One that they can
trust and count on
00:42:21.64\00:42:24.17
because their daily
bread comes from the labors
00:42:24.21\00:42:26.57
and they hope that that
employer is faithful to them.
00:42:26.61\00:42:30.58
Faithfulness is
such a good attribute.
00:42:30.61\00:42:32.85
If when you think
about your spouse...
00:42:32.88\00:42:34.62
Yes.
00:42:34.65\00:42:35.98
Don't you want your spouse...
00:42:36.02\00:42:37.39
Critical.
00:42:37.42\00:42:38.75
To be faithful. Oh, yeah.
00:42:38.79\00:42:40.82
I mean, who wants
an unfaithful spouse?
00:42:40.86\00:42:43.02
Yeah.
00:42:43.06\00:42:44.89
Who wants an unfaithful God?
00:42:44.93\00:42:47.96
Okay, so very essence,
00:42:48.00\00:42:50.23
one of the very
essence of God's character is
00:42:50.27\00:42:52.70
this faithfulness
00:42:52.73\00:42:54.97
and He wants us
just to be like Him,
00:42:55.00\00:42:57.61
to be faithful.
00:42:57.64\00:42:59.01
Going backwards then,
we have the word, goodness.
00:42:59.04\00:43:04.18
When I think of goodness,
00:43:04.21\00:43:05.71
it's kind of one of
these words that sort of,
00:43:05.75\00:43:08.05
summarizes a whole
bunch of different things.
00:43:08.08\00:43:11.62
If we say someone is
honest, if someone is kind,
00:43:11.65\00:43:16.02
someone is benevolent,
if someone is faithful.
00:43:16.06\00:43:19.93
Then we say they're good,
00:43:19.96\00:43:21.93
because they
have all these good...
00:43:21.96\00:43:24.03
It's sort of, a
some summation word.
00:43:24.07\00:43:27.00
I looked at a number of
text dealing with goodness,
00:43:27.04\00:43:30.17
one of them is
00:43:30.21\00:43:31.54
and I'm just gonna really
go through these really fast,
00:43:31.57\00:43:34.21
but hopefully,
00:43:34.24\00:43:35.58
you can just jot them down
and then look them up later.
00:43:35.61\00:43:39.55
Psalms 34:8,
00:43:39.58\00:43:41.32
"Oh, taste and see
that the Lord is good."
00:43:41.35\00:43:45.52
Wonderful.
00:43:45.55\00:43:46.89
"Blessed is the
man who trusts in Him."
00:43:46.92\00:43:49.56
So that tells us
where goodness comes from.
00:43:49.59\00:43:52.23
"Taste and see
that the Lord is good."
00:43:52.26\00:43:54.63
Psalms 107:8,
00:43:54.66\00:43:56.26
"All the men would
praise the Lord for His..."
00:43:56.30\00:43:58.53
What? Goodness.
00:43:58.57\00:43:59.97
"Goodness, and His wonderful
works to the children of men."
00:44:00.00\00:44:04.81
Galatians 5:22 that we read,
00:44:04.84\00:44:08.51
"The fruit of the
Spirit is love, joy, peace,
00:44:08.54\00:44:10.35
longsuffering,
kindness, goodness."
00:44:10.38\00:44:13.11
Ephesians 5:8-9.
00:44:13.15\00:44:16.58
You wanna write that down.
00:44:16.62\00:44:18.12
"For you were once darkness,
00:44:18.15\00:44:21.32
but now you are
light in the Lord.
00:44:21.36\00:44:24.33
Walk as children of light,
00:44:24.36\00:44:25.93
for the fruit of the
Spirit is in all goodness,
00:44:25.96\00:44:30.07
righteousness, and truth."
00:44:30.10\00:44:31.43
Amen.
00:44:31.47\00:44:32.80
The wording of that text
is a little tough in English
00:44:32.83\00:44:37.17
and so...
00:44:37.21\00:44:38.84
The New Living Translation
tried to smooth it out for us.
00:44:38.87\00:44:41.81
I'm gonna read that
same text in the New Living.
00:44:41.84\00:44:45.15
"For once you
were full of darkness,
00:44:45.18\00:44:47.35
but now you have
light from the Lord.
00:44:47.38\00:44:50.02
Live as people of the
light, children of the light,
00:44:50.05\00:44:52.92
for this light
within you produces all
00:44:52.95\00:44:55.72
only what is good
and right and true."
00:44:55.76\00:45:00.63
Good, goodness.
00:45:00.66\00:45:02.73
And the third, the first word,
00:45:02.76\00:45:05.03
but I'm going
backwards through the...
00:45:05.07\00:45:07.47
Is kindness.
00:45:07.50\00:45:11.04
And I think of
the text that Lomacang
00:45:11.07\00:45:13.51
that you had us
look up in Ephesians,
00:45:13.54\00:45:15.48
Ephesians 4:32.
00:45:15.51\00:45:18.01
Okay.
00:45:18.05\00:45:19.38
Why don't you...
00:45:19.41\00:45:20.75
Do you have that one handy?
00:45:20.78\00:45:22.12
Actually do, right here.
00:45:22.15\00:45:23.49
Okay. 4:32.
00:45:23.52\00:45:25.59
"And be kind to one
another, tenderhearted,
00:45:25.62\00:45:29.39
forgiving one another even
as God in Christ forgave you."
00:45:29.42\00:45:34.30
And I Corinthians, the
love chapter also has it,
00:45:34.33\00:45:37.17
in verse four, "Love
suffers long, and is..."
00:45:37.20\00:45:40.40
Kind. "Kind."
00:45:40.44\00:45:42.04
Ain't that nice?
00:45:42.07\00:45:44.57
Here's some
thoughts on kindness.
00:45:44.61\00:45:45.97
Kindness is love in action.
00:45:46.01\00:45:48.34
Good.
00:45:48.38\00:45:50.01
Contrast it with
patience that Jill had,
00:45:50.05\00:45:52.78
patience is how
love reacts in order
00:45:52.81\00:45:56.58
to minimize a
negative circumstance.
00:45:56.62\00:46:01.26
Kindness is how love acts
00:46:01.29\00:46:04.53
to maximize a
positive circumstance.
00:46:04.56\00:46:06.93
That's very good.
00:46:06.96\00:46:08.30
I like but that.
Think about that.
00:46:08.33\00:46:09.66
Patience tries to minimize
a troublesome situation,
00:46:09.70\00:46:14.50
but kindness maximizes, okay?
00:46:14.54\00:46:17.91
Patience avoids a problem.
00:46:17.94\00:46:20.18
Kindness creates a blessing.
00:46:20.21\00:46:25.31
Patience is
pre-emptive in nature.
00:46:25.35\00:46:28.32
Kindness is
pro-active in nature.
00:46:28.35\00:46:32.19
Pre-emptive versus pro-active.
00:46:32.22\00:46:35.66
If love was a coin,
00:46:35.69\00:46:38.63
patience and kindness
00:46:38.66\00:46:40.73
would be its two faces of love.
00:46:40.76\00:46:44.53
Kindness isn't just
in the New Testament,
00:46:47.94\00:46:50.04
you have Proverbs 3:3.
00:46:50.07\00:46:52.14
It says, in fact, maybe, if
you want to read that, Jill,
00:46:52.17\00:46:56.08
when you find it there.
00:46:56.11\00:46:57.55
Proverbs 3:3,
00:46:57.58\00:46:59.31
it's a Old Testament
word or Old Testament text
00:46:59.35\00:47:02.68
that also talks about kindness.
00:47:02.72\00:47:06.49
Proverbs 3:3.
00:47:06.52\00:47:08.16
"Let not mercy
and truth forsake you,
00:47:08.19\00:47:10.33
bind them around your neck,
00:47:10.36\00:47:11.69
write them on the
tablet of your heart."
00:47:11.73\00:47:13.70
Now the New American
Standard Bible takes the one,
00:47:13.73\00:47:16.56
"Let not..."
00:47:16.60\00:47:17.93
What does your say?
00:47:17.97\00:47:19.30
Mercy and truth
is what mine says.
00:47:19.33\00:47:20.67
Mercy.
00:47:20.70\00:47:22.04
"Let not kindness
and truth leave you."
00:47:22.07\00:47:23.41
Okay?
00:47:23.44\00:47:24.77
"Bind them around your neck,
00:47:24.81\00:47:26.14
write them on the
tablets of your heart."
00:47:26.17\00:47:27.54
There are, in closing,
00:47:27.58\00:47:29.78
for this day,
four core ingredients,
00:47:29.81\00:47:33.42
maybe, you could
consider for kindness,
00:47:33.45\00:47:35.08
as you put in the recipe
00:47:35.12\00:47:36.58
of the kindness cookie together.
00:47:36.62\00:47:38.82
Okay?
00:47:38.85\00:47:40.56
Gentleness would be
one of those ingredients,
00:47:40.59\00:47:42.96
when we cooperate from kindness
00:47:42.99\00:47:46.86
or operate from kindness,
00:47:46.90\00:47:48.30
we are careful
how we treat others.
00:47:48.33\00:47:51.33
So one of the
ingredients is gentleness,
00:47:51.37\00:47:54.24
when we operate with kindness,
we treat others in gentle...
00:47:54.27\00:47:58.57
Helpfulness, is another recipe
00:47:58.61\00:48:01.98
in the ingredients
of the kindness cookie,
00:48:02.01\00:48:04.61
means we are on the lookout
00:48:04.65\00:48:07.42
to meet the needs
of others, helpfulness.
00:48:07.45\00:48:10.85
Willingness is
another ingredient.
00:48:10.89\00:48:13.56
Kindness inspire
us to be agreeable,
00:48:13.59\00:48:17.16
rather than obstinate
00:48:17.19\00:48:19.43
or unwilling to be
helpful and agreeable.
00:48:19.46\00:48:23.97
And the last is initiative.
00:48:24.00\00:48:25.63
Kindness always
takes an initiative.
00:48:25.67\00:48:27.77
It sees something
that needs to be corrected,
00:48:27.80\00:48:30.84
needs to be done
00:48:30.87\00:48:32.21
and it takes that
initiative and does it.
00:48:32.24\00:48:36.81
So that's my thoughts
on the fruit of the Spirit.
00:48:36.85\00:48:41.95
Kindness,
goodness, and faithfulness.
00:48:41.98\00:48:45.45
Shelley? Yes.
00:48:45.49\00:48:46.92
Well, I have the last two
00:48:46.96\00:48:48.72
which I think
are very fascinating
00:48:48.76\00:48:50.63
and this is Thursday's lesson
and this is on gentleness,
00:48:50.66\00:48:55.00
and self-control.
00:48:55.03\00:48:56.63
I want to read Galatians:
5:23 from the Amplified.
00:48:56.67\00:49:01.90
Well, let me just start,
00:49:01.94\00:49:03.37
I don't have it
all in the Amplied
00:49:03.41\00:49:04.74
but we're talking
about the fruit of the Spirit
00:49:04.77\00:49:06.64
being love, joy,
peace, patience, kindness,
00:49:06.68\00:49:09.51
goodness, faithfulness,
00:49:09.54\00:49:10.88
and then 5:23 in
the Amplified says,
00:49:10.91\00:49:13.98
"Gentleness..."
00:49:14.02\00:49:15.98
Then amplifying that,
"Meekness and humility."
00:49:16.02\00:49:19.39
Gentleness,
meekness, and humility.
00:49:19.42\00:49:20.89
You can think of those three
terms to describe one idea.
00:49:20.92\00:49:25.69
Self-control is...
00:49:25.73\00:49:30.43
In the Amplified,
self-restraint in continence.
00:49:30.47\00:49:35.10
Continence being
holding back bodily functions,
00:49:35.14\00:49:39.31
restraint or abstinence.
00:49:39.34\00:49:40.81
So in the Strong's,
00:49:40.84\00:49:43.55
the word for gentleness
is prop autists and it's,
00:49:43.58\00:49:48.08
it means, it says
that it is gentleness,
00:49:48.12\00:49:50.89
it indicates or implies humility
00:49:50.92\00:49:55.39
and then meekness is
another word for that.
00:49:55.42\00:49:57.69
So gentleness is very
closely linked to humility.
00:49:57.73\00:50:02.36
Only the humble heart
can be gentle or meek,
00:50:02.40\00:50:06.40
this is the
inner working of grace,
00:50:06.43\00:50:09.50
of the Holy
Spirit working in us.
00:50:09.54\00:50:12.24
So it's not just our
outward behavior in gentleness
00:50:12.27\00:50:16.68
or humility or meekness.
00:50:16.71\00:50:18.25
It's not just the
way I behave toward you.
00:50:18.28\00:50:21.25
Actually
gentleness, meekness, humility,
00:50:21.28\00:50:24.72
is first directed to God.
00:50:24.75\00:50:30.26
This is something that
I think is very important,
00:50:30.29\00:50:33.03
is that we have to look at
it as this attitude of humility,
00:50:33.06\00:50:39.23
this gentleness or meekness.
00:50:39.27\00:50:41.17
This is what opens the
way for sanctification.
00:50:41.20\00:50:45.11
This is what makes us
as we come before God,
00:50:45.14\00:50:48.18
we're humble before
Him and we accept His will.
00:50:48.21\00:50:52.51
We don't argue with Him.
00:50:52.55\00:50:54.12
We are eager to do
His will and, you know,
00:50:54.15\00:50:58.52
if someone is a gentle
person, they're forgiving,
00:50:58.55\00:51:03.89
they are not vengeful.
00:51:03.93\00:51:05.93
They are not proud
because gentleness is humility.
00:51:05.96\00:51:11.80
That's the very
opposite of pride
00:51:11.83\00:51:14.27
and it is something that
00:51:14.30\00:51:16.81
gentleness does
not mean weakness.
00:51:16.84\00:51:19.71
When we talk about
humility or meekness...
00:51:19.74\00:51:22.04
That's right.
00:51:22.08\00:51:23.41
We think that it is
weakness but gentleness
00:51:23.45\00:51:26.18
or meekness has a
humble but strong state of mind
00:51:26.21\00:51:32.35
and just ready to step in
and help in the time of need,
00:51:32.39\00:51:35.79
to correct at the right time
00:51:35.82\00:51:37.83
and do this all in a
mild and considerate way.
00:51:37.86\00:51:42.13
When you think of Jesus,
00:51:42.16\00:51:44.70
His...
00:51:44.73\00:51:47.20
What witnessed His love,
00:51:47.24\00:51:51.24
His essence of
love and righteousness
00:51:51.27\00:51:54.94
was manifested
is in His humility.
00:51:54.98\00:51:58.11
He, you know,
scholars don't call,
00:51:58.15\00:52:02.52
they don't say that Jesus
came and was humbled, they say,
00:52:02.55\00:52:06.55
He was humiliated.
00:52:06.59\00:52:08.49
The humiliation of
the Cross to become a man,
00:52:08.52\00:52:11.69
then to die for us,
00:52:11.73\00:52:13.16
but I think of
His humility in that
00:52:13.19\00:52:16.06
He was totally
dependent upon the Father
00:52:16.10\00:52:18.80
while He was here.
00:52:18.83\00:52:20.17
He said, "I only say
what the Father says."
00:52:20.20\00:52:22.20
For me to say, I only
do what He shows me to do.
00:52:22.24\00:52:25.71
So that is humility.
00:52:25.74\00:52:27.94
In Matthew 11:29, He says,
00:52:27.98\00:52:29.41
"Take My yoke upon
you and learn from Me,
00:52:29.44\00:52:31.78
for I am gentle,
and I am lowly in heart,
00:52:31.81\00:52:35.02
and you will find
rest for your souls."
00:52:35.05\00:52:37.22
So believers are also
to be meek or to be gentle.
00:52:37.25\00:52:40.56
This is one of the nine
aspects of the single fruit
00:52:40.59\00:52:45.09
that is the character of God
00:52:45.13\00:52:47.53
and that we
assimilate and, you know,
00:52:47.56\00:52:50.33
Moses, it was said that
00:52:50.37\00:52:51.70
he was the meekest man on earth,
00:52:51.73\00:52:53.84
and he was a strong
man, and great leader.
00:52:53.87\00:52:57.77
And I'm gonna run
through a few quickly,
00:52:57.81\00:52:59.41
but you might
turn to Ephesians 4,
00:52:59.44\00:53:01.34
we may have time for that.
00:53:01.38\00:53:02.81
But in Numbers, excuse me,
00:53:02.84\00:53:05.95
in James 1:21, it says,
00:53:05.98\00:53:07.75
"Receive with
weakness, with humility,
00:53:07.78\00:53:10.52
with gentleness,
the implanted Word."
00:53:10.55\00:53:12.92
Paul appeals to the meekness
and gentleness of Christ
00:53:12.95\00:53:16.52
and he tells Titus
that we are to show
00:53:16.56\00:53:18.79
all humility toward all men.
00:53:18.83\00:53:21.56
So now in Ephesians 4
00:53:21.60\00:53:23.50
and we'll take a
quick look at verses 1-3.
00:53:23.53\00:53:28.40
Jill, why don't you read that?
00:53:28.44\00:53:30.31
"I, therefore, the
prisoner of the Lord,
00:53:30.34\00:53:32.57
beseech you to walk
worthy of the calling
00:53:32.61\00:53:34.74
with which you were called,
00:53:34.78\00:53:36.11
with all
lowliness and gentleness,
00:53:36.14\00:53:38.41
with longsuffering,
00:53:38.45\00:53:39.78
bearing with
one another in love,
00:53:39.81\00:53:41.62
endeavoring to keep
the unity of the Spirit
00:53:41.65\00:53:43.85
in the bond of peace."
00:53:43.89\00:53:45.42
So we see that this
humility, this gentleness,
00:53:45.45\00:53:49.12
this meekness is
something coupled with love.
00:53:49.16\00:53:53.96
That unites us
all in this Spirit.
00:53:54.00\00:53:56.06
I really think
that that's a good one
00:53:56.10\00:53:57.43
and I know that,
00:53:57.47\00:53:58.80
we're very
short on time, let me,
00:53:58.83\00:54:00.67
I have so many
scriptures here for this,
00:54:00.70\00:54:03.74
but in our
lesson, it brings out,
00:54:03.77\00:54:06.47
Matthew 5:5, that says,
00:54:06.51\00:54:08.11
"Blessed that are the meek
00:54:08.14\00:54:09.64
for they shall
inherit the earth."
00:54:09.68\00:54:13.42
When we receive
the grace of humility
00:54:13.45\00:54:16.79
of gentleness and meekness,
00:54:16.82\00:54:20.19
what happens is we trust God,
00:54:20.22\00:54:24.59
we surrender to His authority
00:54:24.63\00:54:26.76
even when we cannot make
sense of our circumstances
00:54:26.80\00:54:31.40
and then God exalts us.
00:54:31.43\00:54:34.80
What does it say?
00:54:34.84\00:54:36.17
"God humbles those
who exalt themselves
00:54:36.20\00:54:38.87
and He exalts those
who humble himself."
00:54:38.91\00:54:41.51
But I want to
get to self-control.
00:54:41.54\00:54:43.81
So self-control,
00:54:43.85\00:54:46.05
I think it was placed
last in the list for us
00:54:46.08\00:54:49.02
to emphasize
because it's talking about
00:54:49.05\00:54:51.89
holding in your
passions and your appetites.
00:54:51.92\00:54:53.92
And all the works of the flesh
are a lack of self-control.
00:54:53.96\00:54:58.03
So when you
think of it that way,
00:54:58.06\00:54:59.49
self-control the
root word is strength
00:54:59.53\00:55:02.80
and it demands
the controlling power
00:55:02.83\00:55:05.23
of the Holy
Spirit over our will.
00:55:05.27\00:55:08.64
This is one of the aspects
of the fruit of the Spirit.
00:55:08.67\00:55:13.78
With self-control,
00:55:13.81\00:55:15.14
we die to the
desires of our flesh.
00:55:15.18\00:55:18.75
In self-control,
you're not ill-tempered,
00:55:18.78\00:55:21.35
retaliatory,
you're not indulgent,
00:55:21.38\00:55:24.05
but, you know,
some people will say,
00:55:24.09\00:55:25.89
"Oh, I just have a
cleric personality.
00:55:25.92\00:55:28.42
I can't help but I
just lose my temper."
00:55:28.46\00:55:30.73
No they lack self-control,
is what's going on.
00:55:30.76\00:55:35.40
So self-control is
to master our desires,
00:55:35.43\00:55:41.77
our appetites, and our passions.
00:55:41.80\00:55:45.81
Paul wrote in I
Corinthians 9:25,
00:55:45.84\00:55:49.31
"Everyone who
competes for the prize is
00:55:49.34\00:55:52.75
temperate in all things."
00:55:52.78\00:55:55.02
Wow. That's self-control.
00:55:55.05\00:55:57.75
We have to be temperate
in all ways and he says,
00:55:57.79\00:56:01.79
those who are
competing for the prize,
00:56:01.82\00:56:03.83
they're doing it to
get a perishable crown.
00:56:03.86\00:56:07.23
We're doing it for an
imperishable and of course,
00:56:07.26\00:56:11.17
in just a minute I have left,
00:56:11.20\00:56:13.10
we think of II
Peter 1:5-7 where he says,
00:56:13.13\00:56:18.24
"Add to your faith
virtue, virtue knowledge,
00:56:18.27\00:56:20.64
to knowledge self-control,
00:56:20.68\00:56:22.84
and to
self-control perseverance"
00:56:22.88\00:56:24.91
and it goes on.
00:56:24.95\00:56:26.28
So as you said the fruit
illustration calls to mind that
00:56:26.31\00:56:32.65
the branches are
called to bear the fruit,
00:56:32.69\00:56:35.32
but you have to be
connected to the vine.
00:56:35.36\00:56:36.89
That's right.
00:56:36.93\00:56:38.26
These are character traits
00:56:38.29\00:56:39.63
of our Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ
00:56:39.66\00:56:41.83
and the God who gave us the law
00:56:41.86\00:56:46.07
also gives us the Spirit
00:56:46.10\00:56:49.20
so that by following
in Christ's footsteps,
00:56:49.24\00:56:52.84
walking in obedience,
00:56:52.87\00:56:54.51
we fulfill the
purpose of the law,
00:56:54.54\00:56:57.38
to love God and to
love our neighbors.
00:56:57.41\00:57:00.28
And the Spirit-filled
Christian will exhibit
00:57:00.32\00:57:05.35
the fruit of the Spirit
00:57:05.39\00:57:06.79
because this is
the distinguishing mark
00:57:06.82\00:57:09.22
of all believers everywhere
00:57:09.26\00:57:11.23
and it produces the
visible unity in the church.
00:57:11.26\00:57:13.96
Amen. Wow
00:57:14.00\00:57:15.33
You know, I tell you,
00:57:15.36\00:57:16.70
the only problem with studying
00:57:16.73\00:57:18.07
this lesson is it goes too fast.
00:57:18.10\00:57:19.73
Yes.
00:57:19.77\00:57:21.74
I know Shelley was over there,
00:57:21.77\00:57:23.30
paddling as
quickly as she could.
00:57:23.34\00:57:25.64
But I want this thought to come.
00:57:25.67\00:57:27.01
You know, when we
talk about the Holy Spirit
00:57:27.04\00:57:28.84
and the food of the Spirit,
a thought came to my mind,
00:57:28.88\00:57:31.65
none of us is
capable of producing
00:57:31.68\00:57:33.78
anything of our
own without Jesus...
00:57:33.82\00:57:36.35
That's right. We can do nothing.
00:57:36.38\00:57:38.95
I thought that it's
an idiom to some degree,
00:57:38.99\00:57:40.96
but I want you
to keep this in mind
00:57:40.99\00:57:42.32
as we wrap up the lesson.
00:57:42.36\00:57:44.09
Every good tree
brings forth the good fruit.
00:57:44.13\00:57:47.20
Is Jesus the best three?
00:57:47.23\00:57:48.60
Yes. Amen.
00:57:48.63\00:57:49.96
Friends, here's the
thought to keep with you today
00:57:50.00\00:57:51.33
as we wrap up the program.
00:57:51.37\00:57:52.70
Keep praying for us.
00:57:52.73\00:57:54.07
But here's a thought
that you don't wanna forget.
00:57:54.10\00:57:56.00
I wanna be an apple
00:57:56.04\00:57:57.94
that does not
fall far from the tree
00:57:57.97\00:58:01.04
which is Jesus Christ.
00:58:01.08\00:58:02.48
May God bless you
till we see you again.
00:58:02.51\00:58:04.75
Amen.
00:58:04.78\00:58:06.11