The 3ABN Sabbath School Panel
welcomes you to our ongoing
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journey through the word of God.
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This odyssey of truth as we
study together the word of God.
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Welcome! We're in
a brand new quarter,
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and as has been
mentioned, we are studying the
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Book of Acts together,
and this is going to be
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an exciting time of study!
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I'm in the company of
Jill Morikone, Danny Shelton,
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Shelly Quinn
and Mollie Steenson.
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These will be your instructors,
dare I say, for the next
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13 weeks, as together
we study the word of God.
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Now, this is a fun
time together, we learn from
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each other and, hopefully,
we will have one or two things
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to say to you
that will encourage you
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as together we walk this
road that leads to glory.
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There are a couple of
ways that you can sort of
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work with us on this...
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#1 is to download the
Sabbath School Lesson by going
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to ABSG.Adventist.org
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That's ABSG.Adventist.org
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You can download the lesson,
and you can study along with us,
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but my preferred way, the
way that I want to suggest
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to you is... to go to your
local Seventh-day Adventist
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Church. Amen!
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Meet them, greet them and ask
them for an Adult Bible Study
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Guide - they may be
more accustomed to hearing
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the words
"Sabbath School Quarterly,"
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but if you explain it,
they will get one to you.
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A couple of things will
happen when you do that...
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#1, is you can
make some new friends.
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They'll be happy to
service you and give you
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a Bible Study Guide; may I
suggest you stay for church,
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and hear a good sermon,
and if the church is large
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enough, you'll probably get a
pretty good fellowship meal too,
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so it's a win-win situation.
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You get some spiritual food,
you get some physical food,
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you make some new
friends, you hear a good sermon,
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and you get fed, so
that's my preferred way.
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Go to the Adventist Church,
they will be more than happy
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to give you an
Adult Bible Study Guide,
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and together you can
join with us because this is a
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great study as we
look at the formative years
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of the church of God, of the
Christian era and we going to
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have a really,
really good time together.
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Danny Shelton, would you please
pray for us as we launch out?
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Dear Lord, We thank You for Your
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many wonderful blessings.
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We thank You for life
and health and strength,
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and we thank You that we
have the word that we can go to
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that encourages us.
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We know that You died
for us, You rose again,
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You are now ever interceding
at the right-hand of the Father;
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You have left us the
Holy Spirit that will help us
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to continue in all truth.
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Lord, we want to be able
to look up very soon in the
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clouds of glory and
say, "Lo, this is our God
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whom we have waited for,
and He has come to save us."
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We pray now for the anointing
of the Holy Spirit upon this
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Sabbath School study...
In Jesus name I pray, Amen
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Amen and Amen!
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We do pray for the
anointing of the Holy Spirit.
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I want to sort of just
launch out and set the culture
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for what we're
going to be studying.
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This is a great
study... as we look at
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"You Will Be My Witnesses"
as our first study together.
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Reading some of the
historical material...
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the lesson says many historians
believe that the three
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most crucial decades in
the world history occurred when
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a small group of men, mostly
Jews under the power of the
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Holy Spirit, took
the gospel to the world.
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The Book of Acts is an account
of those three crucial decades
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which span from the resurrection
of Jesus AD 31 to the
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end of Paul's first
Roman imprisonment...
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the book must have been
written shortly thereafter.
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What is interesting is
that the gospel writers,
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particularly
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John,
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didn't write immediately
after the death of Christ.
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Mark was the first to
write, we believe, and he wrote
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in the mid-50s, so
you're talking 20+ years after
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the death of Christ,
followed by Matthew and Luke
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mid 60s, and, of
course, John didn't really begin
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writing until the 90s till the
close of the first century...
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So it was many, many
years after the death of Christ
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that these men
began to do their writing.
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But, tradition and the way
the book begins lets us know
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that Luke was the author of
both Luke and the Book of Acts.
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Now what is interesting
about these particular books
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is that these two
books, Luke and Acts, comprise
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27% of the New Testament.
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Luke liked to write and, of
course, he had a lot to say,
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particularly in the Book
of Acts which has 37,933 words
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for both books and the
Book of Acts itself 18,451 words
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for 13% of the New Testament
is just the Book of Acts.
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Now what is interesting...
Paul wrote more as far as
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volume is
concerned... He wrote Romans,
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First and Second Corinthians,
Galatians, Ephesians,
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Philippians, Colossians,
First and Second Thessalonians,
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First and Second
Timothy, Hebrews and Titus.
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The longest of his
books is Romans 7,111 words.
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His total 32,407 words
or 23% of the New Testament.
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Now of course, John wrote John,
First, Second and Third John,
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and Revelation...
Revelation a total of 9,852
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words or 7% of the New
Testament, John's total 28,092
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or 20% of the New Testament.
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So just Luke and Acts
alone almost a third of the
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New Testament just in
these particular books.
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Some interesting
history on Luke...
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There is much scholarship
that says Luke was a non-Jew,
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but I need to mention
there is some scholarship that
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says he was a Jew,
but he was a diaspora Jew,
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in other words, he was a
Jew living outside of Palestine.
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There is still some
debate on that, but the lesson
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tends to take the
idea that he was a non-Jew,
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and there is some
debate about that.
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The word "diaspora"
meaning "scattered or dispersed"
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came into providence when
the Septuagint was translated
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in Alexandria.
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So given that history, we
have a little culture of the
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Book of Acts and what we're
going to study during these
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next several weeks together.
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As we move into Sunday's lesson,
let me just touch on one thing
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before I go into
Sunday's lesson...
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One of the things that
the Book of Acts lets us know
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is that the gospel is
for all people. That's right.
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There is... I don't
want to say a "social gospel"
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because that
terminology is loaded,
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but there is a social
aspect to the gospel...
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saying that to say that
the gospel is for all people,
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all places, all
times, in all situations.
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God is no respecter of persons,
God, through Jesus Christ,
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has drawn all people
to Himself, and we tend to
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make divisions and
those kind of things,
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but that's not so with God.
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God is calling all to the
precious, bleeding side of
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Jesus and we see that
woven through the Book of Acts.
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Now let's go to Sunday and
begin our march together...
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Sunday: "Ye Will
Be My Witnesses."
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The lesson says and
walks us through this idea
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that there are two views
of the Messiah as they come
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from the Old Testament.
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There is the kingly view of
the Messiah - we see that in
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Psalms 89, Isaiah 9,
Ezekiel and the Book of Daniel,
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and certainly there is this
kingly aspect to the work of
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Christ, but there is also
what I call the "suffering
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servant motif."
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We see that mostly in the Book
of Isaiah, Isaiah 52 and 53...
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the fact that He came
to suffer, He came to die.
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It is the synthesis of the two
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that is relevant
for our study today.
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What is important is the
fact that these two views of
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Christ are not
antagonistic, they are not.
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They are one
building out of the other.
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The suffering had to
precede the glorification,
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but they are part, two sides,
dare I say, of the same coin.
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The problem was not what
the Bible was saying about
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Jesus because in the
Bible, the Old Testament
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was very clear that the
Tanach or the Old Testament
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was very clear... the
problem was Jewish expectations.
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It was... there was a
term that we studied in school
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called "popular culture."
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Popular culture means
something that's not really
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written down
anywhere, it's not codified,
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but everybody
thinks that, you know.
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I guess the most,
the closest of the modern
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correlays would be
this idea that when you die,
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you go straight to heaven,
and you hear athletes say,
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"Well my mom was looking
down on me, that's how I got..."
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you know, it's just kinda
everybody kind of thinks this.
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It's not biblical, it's
not anywhere in the Bible.
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It is a non-biblical
teaching, but it's part of
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popular culture - so
everybody is saying it,
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and a lot of people believe it.
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I guess the
other one would be...
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the idea that the Sabbath
is Sunday... part of popular
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culture - it's not
biblical, it's not in the Bible,
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but people just -
they don't question it,
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they just accept it.
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Well popular culture
back in the Bible day
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was that Christ had come to
deliver us from the Romans. Yes
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It was just EVERYBODY believed
it and Ellen White says,
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interestingly
enough, even John the Baptist
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had held that belief.
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EVERYBODY believed
it and it was just part
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of popular culture.
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The Western World was Rome.
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Rome was one of the
larger cities in the world
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at that time and this idea...
you know it seems unreasonable
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that God would take
this little, tiny country,
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500,000, maybe
700,000 people and free it
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from the clutches of an empire
that stretched from Butania
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to India, including all
of Europe and North Africa,
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and somehow it got
woven into their minds that
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God is going to free
us from the Roman Empire.
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Now today, looking at that,
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how in the world
could you think that?
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But it was thousands
of years in the making...
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this idea that we are God's
people, we are never going to
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be conquered and if
we're going to be conquered,
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as soon as we sort of get right,
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Christ is coming to
free us from all of this.
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This was part of popular culture
and it seems unreasonable
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now, but it was
part of it back then.
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Here's what's interesting...
You have 30,000 people in
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the city of Jerusalem,
80,000 during the feasts,
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you know, during Pentecost the
population more than doubled,
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40 days later, 49 days
later you had the Feast of Weeks
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which was the
celebration of the giving of the
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Ten Commandments
in the wilderness.
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Of the 30,000
people living in Jerusalem,
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6,000 were Pharisees - so
when you walk down the street,
00:11:26.51\00:11:30.75
one in every five people you
saw was a Pharisee, you know...
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And they had a lot of sway on
the popular culture of the day
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because everywhere you turned
there was a Pharisee, Pharisee,
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Pharisee, Pharisee,
Pharisee, Pharisee, Pharisee,
00:11:40.36\00:11:41.90
and, of course,
they had a lot to say.
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Now the Sadducees were the
actual priestly aristocracy.
00:11:45.33\00:11:49.00
Those of the guys
that had the money,
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most of the high priests
were Sadducees, but Pharisees
00:11:50.44\00:11:53.54
were out among the people
and exerted a great influence...
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But regardless of who they were,
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they wanted to be
free from the Romans.
00:11:59.25\00:12:01.85
Even the Sadducees,
they were kind of the mindset
00:12:01.88\00:12:05.45
"Well can we
all just get along?"
00:12:05.49\00:12:07.56
You know, "They're here,
we're here, let's get along."
00:12:07.59\00:12:09.66
But the Pharisees
were hardcore separatists.
00:12:09.69\00:12:11.99
"We want to be
free, we want to be #1."
00:12:12.03\00:12:14.30
And so the mindset was,
"Christ is coming to do this,"
00:12:14.36\00:12:21.07
and so when the New Testament
Church began, there was a lot
00:12:21.10\00:12:25.11
of tradition, that it
had to disabuse itself of.
00:12:25.14\00:12:28.94
There was thousands
of years of tradition
00:12:28.98\00:12:32.15
that they had to get free of.
00:12:32.18\00:12:36.08
The lesson brings
out the text, Luke 24:31.
00:12:36.12\00:12:40.12
Even the disciples
said... You know, we kind of
00:12:40.16\00:12:43.69
had hope that He would
have been the One to free us,
00:12:43.73\00:12:46.06
you know, because that's so
much a part of their thinking.
00:12:46.09\00:12:49.76
The lesson asks the question,
I think it's important...
00:12:49.80\00:12:51.67
"Why is it so easy to sometimes
get stuck in a spiritual rut
00:12:51.70\00:12:57.04
that may not be good
for your spiritual growth,
00:12:57.07\00:12:59.91
and may be patently
unbiblical." But the Bible
00:12:59.94\00:13:02.88
was clear that Christ
is not coming to do that,
00:13:02.91\00:13:05.68
He's coming to set up
a spiritual kingdom...
00:13:05.71\00:13:07.45
but we can do that ourselves
00:13:07.52\00:13:09.12
and that's what the
lesson is pushing towards.
00:13:09.15\00:13:12.32
Sometimes our desires
are a product of things
00:13:12.35\00:13:15.46
that we want - we
just want this so bad.
00:13:15.49\00:13:18.29
So sometimes we'll
say, "We'll when you come
00:13:18.33\00:13:21.13
to the Lord, all
your problems are over,
00:13:21.16\00:13:22.50
you're going to be rich
- you know, pray on this
00:13:22.53\00:13:23.93
holy cloth and
everything is going to be fine."
00:13:23.97\00:13:26.23
Because it appeals to
your flesh and this mindset
00:13:26.27\00:13:28.54
that "We're going to be
#1, we're going to be the
00:13:28.57\00:13:31.54
top dog, we're God's people,"
really appeals to your flesh.
00:13:31.57\00:13:34.74
It's not a spiritual thing.
00:13:34.78\00:13:36.51
I want to be #1, I
want to be the top dog.
00:13:36.54\00:13:38.88
So we deceive ourselves
into thinking that our desires
00:13:38.91\00:13:42.75
are God's desires
and it's not that way.
00:13:42.78\00:13:45.32
God's desires are
supposed to be our desires,
00:13:45.35\00:13:48.79
so when the New Testament
Church began, it began by
00:13:48.82\00:13:52.96
separating itself from a
lot of history which not only
00:13:52.99\00:13:56.60
was not progressive,
but actually kept the people
00:13:56.63\00:13:59.07
in bondage and did not
allow them to understand
00:13:59.10\00:14:02.50
the burden that
Christ's mission was which was
00:14:02.54\00:14:06.88
to free people
from that bondage and to
00:14:06.91\00:14:09.74
inaugurate a
brand new kingdom...
00:14:09.78\00:14:11.55
a kingdom of heaven
and a kingdom of the heart.
00:14:11.58\00:14:14.68
Amen, thank you
so much Pastor CA,
00:14:14.72\00:14:17.75
that's wonderful good
foundation as we open up
00:14:17.79\00:14:20.56
the study of the Book of Acts.
00:14:20.59\00:14:22.06
I think of Luke and Acts
as twin volumes, as it were,
00:14:22.09\00:14:25.79
for the beginning
of Christianity...
00:14:25.83\00:14:27.96
Of course, Luke is
about Christianity's origin...
00:14:27.96\00:14:30.83
That would be the life,
the ministry, the death,
00:14:30.87\00:14:33.50
the resurrection of
Jesus, and Acts is about
00:14:33.54\00:14:36.17
Christianity's expansion,
the spreading of that gospel.
00:14:36.20\00:14:40.54
I have Monday and on
Monday, we look at the
00:14:40.58\00:14:44.81
disciples' mission.
00:14:44.85\00:14:47.18
I have one verse for Monday
which was our memory text...
00:14:47.22\00:14:50.25
Acts 1:8, but before we
read that verse and we will,
00:14:50.29\00:14:54.59
I want to look at a
verse before and CA talked
00:14:54.62\00:14:57.39
about this - about
the kingly Messiah versus
00:14:57.43\00:14:59.59
the sacrificial Messiah
and the confusion that the Jews
00:14:59.63\00:15:02.76
and the disciples
had during that time.
00:15:02.80\00:15:05.03
We know Acts begins right
after Jesus was resurrected
00:15:05.07\00:15:09.24
and this was right
before His ascension,
00:15:09.27\00:15:11.04
but if we look at verse 6...
Acts 1:6- "Therefore, when they
00:15:11.07\00:15:14.88
had come together, they
asked Him, meaning Jesus,
00:15:14.91\00:15:17.65
saying, "Lord, will you at
this time restore the kingdom
00:15:17.68\00:15:20.22
to Israel?" And
that's kind of what
00:15:20.25\00:15:22.05
Pastor CA was talking about.
00:15:22.08\00:15:23.69
The disciples wanted
answers, and instead,
00:15:23.72\00:15:26.96
Christ gave them a mission.
00:15:26.99\00:15:29.72
That mission is Acts
1:8, and as we go through this
00:15:29.76\00:15:34.36
one verse, I want to
look at four elements
00:15:34.40\00:15:37.07
in Christ's mission.
00:15:37.13\00:15:38.67
Those four elements that
are foundational to the mission
00:15:38.70\00:15:41.47
of the early New
Testament Church,
00:15:41.50\00:15:44.17
and we also see this at
the end time - at the end-time
00:15:44.21\00:15:47.38
church - they would be
foundational for us as well.
00:15:47.44\00:15:50.11
The four elements...
First, is the Holy Spirit,
00:15:50.15\00:15:52.21
the anointing, the
power of the Holy Spirit.
00:15:52.25\00:15:54.92
Second, is personal experience.
00:15:54.95\00:15:57.75
Third, is the
structure of the evangelism...
00:15:57.79\00:16:00.49
meaning it began
at home and it spread.
00:16:00.52\00:16:02.79
And fourth, is the structure
of the mission of the church,
00:16:02.82\00:16:06.73
and we'll unpack
those four things here.
00:16:06.76\00:16:08.96
So let's read our
verse, Acts 1:8- "But you shall
00:16:09.00\00:16:11.77
receive power when the
Holy Spirit has come upon
00:16:11.80\00:16:15.07
you, and you shall be
witnesses to me in Jerusalem
00:16:15.10\00:16:18.14
and in all Judea and Samaria
and to the end of the earth."
00:16:18.17\00:16:23.28
Now the first
element is the Holy Spirit.
00:16:23.35\00:16:25.45
What does Jesus say?
"You shall receive power
00:16:25.78\00:16:28.02
when the Holy
Spirit has come upon you."
00:16:28.05\00:16:30.29
King James, I learned
that in King James it says...
00:16:30.32\00:16:32.92
"After that, the Holy
Spirit has come upon you.
00:16:32.95\00:16:36.83
So when I read that, I
think... "Does that mean the
00:16:36.86\00:16:39.09
Holy Spirit wasn't
present before then?"
00:16:39.13\00:16:40.93
They're receiving power after
the Holy Spirit comes on them.
00:16:40.96\00:16:44.27
So what does that mean?
00:16:44.30\00:16:45.63
We know the Holy Spirit was
present from the very beginning,
00:16:45.67\00:16:48.74
from Creation -
all through the Bible.
00:16:48.77\00:16:51.04
You think of Noah - it
talks about the Holy Spirit
00:16:51.07\00:16:53.54
working on the hearts
of people in Noah's day.
00:16:53.58\00:16:55.84
The Bible says, in
Genesis, how Joseph was filled
00:16:55.88\00:16:59.21
with the Spirit of God.
00:16:59.25\00:17:01.12
We know from King
Saul, he prophesied
00:17:01.15\00:17:03.52
when he was under the
anointing of the Holy Spirit.
00:17:03.55\00:17:05.65
Mary, of course, the
Holy Spirit overshadowed her,
00:17:05.69\00:17:08.52
and that's when
she conceived Jesus.
00:17:08.56\00:17:10.46
The Bible says John the Baptist
was filled with the Holy Spirit
00:17:10.49\00:17:13.36
from the womb.
00:17:13.43\00:17:14.73
The Holy Spirit was present
working all through the Bible,
00:17:14.76\00:17:18.20
but in a special
sense, the Holy Spirit was to
00:17:18.23\00:17:21.84
be given in a special
measure, a special outpouring
00:17:21.87\00:17:25.17
to the Holy Spirit after
Jesus ascended to His Father.
00:17:25.21\00:17:29.68
We see that in John 7:39.
00:17:29.71\00:17:31.95
It says, "But this He
spoke concerning the Spirit,
00:17:31.98\00:17:34.82
whom those believing
in Him would receive,
00:17:34.85\00:17:37.22
for the Holy Spirit was
not yet given because Jesus
00:17:37.29\00:17:41.39
was not yet glorified...
meaning the Holy Spirit
00:17:41.42\00:17:44.13
was not given yet in
that anointing and power
00:17:44.16\00:17:47.50
that we see came at Pentecost...
00:17:47.60\00:17:49.73
And also, John 16:7- "Jesus
says, "Nevertheless I tell you
00:17:49.76\00:17:53.90
it is expedient that I go
away; for if I go not away
00:17:53.94\00:17:58.01
the Helper, Parakletos, the
Comforter will not come to you."
00:17:58.04\00:18:01.88
So Jesus says... After I go,
you are going to receive power.
00:18:01.91\00:18:06.41
Now the word for "power"
in Greek is "dunamis" meaning
00:18:06.45\00:18:09.72
miracle-working
power, inherent power.
00:18:09.75\00:18:13.05
So the early church, in
order to fulfill the mission,
00:18:13.09\00:18:15.92
the commission that God
had called for the church,
00:18:15.96\00:18:18.63
they needed the anointing and
the power of the Holy Spirit.
00:18:18.66\00:18:23.70
The second thing they
needed was personal experience.
00:18:23.77\00:18:26.67
You see here, it says,
"You should receive power
00:18:26.74\00:18:28.67
when the Holy Spirit has
come upon you and you shall be
00:18:28.70\00:18:31.61
witnesses unto Me."
00:18:31.64\00:18:33.41
In the Greek, the word
for "witness" means "an eye
00:18:33.48\00:18:37.05
or an ear witness."
00:18:37.08\00:18:39.38
So if I'm understanding
that correctly, they're not
00:18:39.41\00:18:42.08
witnessing about what they
heard about Jesus from John,
00:18:42.12\00:18:45.12
and John heard it from Mary,
and Mary heard it from Sally.
00:18:45.15\00:18:48.12
They're witnessing
something that they actually saw
00:18:48.16\00:18:51.53
with their eyes, that
they heard with their ears.
00:18:51.56\00:18:54.60
They're sharing
firsthand experience.
00:18:54.63\00:18:58.07
Turn with me to 1 John
1, John says really the
00:18:58.10\00:19:04.77
same thing here in this passage.
00:19:04.81\00:19:06.57
1 John 1:1-3- It says, "That
which was from the beginning
00:19:06.61\00:19:11.88
which we have
heard... Notice how many senses
00:19:11.91\00:19:15.32
that John talks about
here... which we have heard,
00:19:15.35\00:19:18.25
that's the sense of
hearing... which we have seen
00:19:18.29\00:19:20.82
with our eyes...
that's the sense of sight...
00:19:20.89\00:19:23.36
which we have looked upon
and our hands have handled...
00:19:23.39\00:19:26.13
that's the sense of touch...
concerning the word of life.
00:19:26.16\00:19:30.37
And then jump down to
verse 3. That which we have seen
00:19:30.40\00:19:33.20
and heard, we declare to
you, that you also may have
00:19:33.23\00:19:36.81
fellowship with us and
truly our fellowship is with the
00:19:36.84\00:19:39.57
Father and with
His Son, Jesus Christ."
00:19:39.61\00:19:42.14
Now if you look at the
Greek for that, that which we
00:19:42.18\00:19:44.55
have heard literally means
"to give in the audience of."
00:19:44.58\00:19:48.45
So in this case, John is
saying, I'm not giving to you
00:19:48.48\00:19:52.02
something that I just
heard from my momma or I
00:19:52.05\00:19:54.59
from somebody else, I
actually sat in the audience
00:19:54.62\00:19:57.86
when Jesus talked and I heard
these words from Him Himself.
00:19:57.89\00:20:02.56
Then it says, "That
which we have seen...
00:20:02.60\00:20:04.97
and that means in the
Greek, "To stare at with
00:20:05.00\00:20:07.77
wide-open eyes, to gaze upon."
00:20:07.80\00:20:11.01
He says... I saw the
lame healed, I saw the blind
00:20:11.04\00:20:15.48
restored to sight, I saw Jesus
calm the waves on that sea,
00:20:15.51\00:20:20.22
I actually, literally saw it.
00:20:20.28\00:20:22.48
And then it says, "What our
hands have handled, in Greek,"
00:20:22.52\00:20:25.59
it means "to verify by touch."
00:20:25.62\00:20:27.66
I reach out, I
can touch the table.
00:20:27.69\00:20:29.86
Oh, it's a table, I
know it's there by touch.
00:20:29.89\00:20:32.89
So John is saying... They are
sharing from their experience,
00:20:32.93\00:20:36.43
and I think that's the same
thing if we go back to Acts 1.
00:20:36.46\00:20:39.23
That's the same
thing Jesus is saying...
00:20:39.27\00:20:41.70
You're going to
receive power, dunamis power
00:20:41.74\00:20:44.34
from the Holy Spirit.
00:20:44.37\00:20:46.17
#1, they need the
anointing of the Holy Spirit
00:20:46.21\00:20:48.44
in order to fulfill the mission
that God has called them to.
00:20:48.48\00:20:52.18
#2, they are to be
witnesses of what they have seen
00:20:52.21\00:20:56.25
and heard, and not only
for the New Testament Church,
00:20:56.28\00:20:59.35
I think for us at the end-time
church, we are called not to
00:20:59.39\00:21:03.09
share a dead experience.
00:21:03.12\00:21:04.56
We are not called to share
somebody else's experience.
00:21:04.59\00:21:07.96
You are called at
home, we are called to share
00:21:07.96\00:21:11.23
the experience we have with
the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen!
00:21:11.27\00:21:14.40
What we have
experienced, what we have seen,
00:21:14.44\00:21:17.11
what we have heard, what we
know of the Lord Jesus Christ.
00:21:17.17\00:21:20.94
Now #3, we see this
process of evangelism
00:21:20.98\00:21:24.51
and how it's
going to take place.
00:21:24.55\00:21:25.91
"They are to be witnesses
to Me... I'm back at Acts 1:8.
00:21:25.95\00:21:29.78
Witnesses in Jerusalem
and in all Judea and Samaria,
00:21:29.82\00:21:34.86
and in the end of the earth."
00:21:34.89\00:21:36.79
We see the
progression of Christianity
00:21:36.83\00:21:39.23
as you go
through the Book of Acts.
00:21:39.26\00:21:41.56
It goes from really a
small sect, 120 believers
00:21:41.60\00:21:46.43
in the upper room and it
explodes with international
00:21:46.47\00:21:50.74
religions that go
many, many different peoples,
00:21:50.77\00:21:54.81
places and
cultures, it really explodes,
00:21:54.84\00:21:57.51
but it begins first at home.
00:21:57.58\00:21:58.95
It begins in Jerusalem,
then it goes out to the
00:21:58.98\00:22:02.25
neighboring communities, THEN it
00:22:02.28\00:22:04.29
goes out to the whole world.
00:22:04.32\00:22:06.12
And finally, I want to look
at the structure of the mission.
00:22:06.15\00:22:11.16
In the Old Testament, the Jewish
people were God's chosen people,
00:22:11.19\00:22:16.30
we know that, and they were
called what is to be as it were
00:22:16.33\00:22:19.60
"a light set on a hill."
00:22:19.63\00:22:21.67
The Gentiles, the other
people who did not know of God,
00:22:21.70\00:22:25.47
were to come to them...
we see that in Isaiah 60:1-3.
00:22:25.51\00:22:30.81
What does it say?
"Arise, shine, For your light
00:22:30.85\00:22:33.25
has come and the glory of
the Lord is risen upon you...
00:22:33.28\00:22:37.05
and then it says... Gentiles,
what are they going to do?
00:22:37.09\00:22:39.89
... Shall come to your light,
And kings to the brightness
00:22:39.92\00:22:44.46
of your rising."
00:22:44.49\00:22:45.83
So I think in the Old
Testament Church especially,
00:22:45.86\00:22:49.20
you see with Israel, the
other nations were supposed
00:22:49.23\00:22:52.40
to see what God
was doing with Israel.
00:22:52.43\00:22:55.00
They were supposed to be
a light to other nations.
00:22:55.04\00:22:57.87
So other nations were to
come to them and learn and grow,
00:22:57.91\00:23:02.91
and experience God.
00:23:02.94\00:23:04.28
I believe in the New Testament
Church, instead of other people
00:23:04.31\00:23:07.68
coming to them, they
are called to go to others.
00:23:07.72\00:23:11.92
We see that in the commission.
00:23:11.95\00:23:13.36
Mr. Danny, you always talk
about Matthew 28, Jesus says...
00:23:13.39\00:23:16.42
"Go ye therefore and make
disciples of all nations."
00:23:16.46\00:23:20.60
And so, we are called to
go, they were not called to sit
00:23:20.63\00:23:24.77
at Jerusalem in the
upper room and say...
00:23:24.80\00:23:26.50
We're going to be a
shining light and everyone else
00:23:26.53\00:23:29.20
is to come to us...
00:23:29.24\00:23:31.44
They are called to
get out of themselves,
00:23:31.47\00:23:33.64
to get out of their
comfort zone and TO GO,
00:23:33.68\00:23:36.64
to take the gospel message to
the four corners of the earth.
00:23:36.71\00:23:40.98
So what I see here in
Acts 1:8, is Jesus' commission
00:23:41.02\00:23:46.35
for evangelism, #1 and this
works for us at the end time
00:23:46.39\00:23:51.59
church as well as
the New Testament Church,
00:23:51.63\00:23:53.96
we are called to be filled and
empowered with the Holy Spirit.
00:23:54.00\00:23:58.80
We are called to experience
and know the Lord Jesus Christ
00:23:58.83\00:24:02.07
for ourselves so we
can share that and His word
00:24:02.10\00:24:05.41
with other people.
00:24:05.44\00:24:06.78
We are called to begin
first with evangelism at home,
00:24:06.81\00:24:09.74
and have that
spread, and we are called
00:24:09.78\00:24:11.98
not to sit back and wait
for people to come to us.
00:24:12.01\00:24:14.58
We are called to GO
out and spread the gospel
00:24:14.62\00:24:17.95
to the world. Amen. Amen!
00:24:17.99\00:24:19.45
I don't know how she gets
all that in so beautifully!
00:24:19.49\00:24:22.72
Great job, both of you.
00:24:22.76\00:24:24.63
Mine is on Tuesday,
"He Will Come Again,"
00:24:24.66\00:24:27.66
and all I can say
is "Praise God!" Amen!
00:24:27.66\00:24:30.53
We praise God and those
of you at home, praise God,
00:24:30.57\00:24:33.23
He will come again!
Now that's a promise!
00:24:33.30\00:24:36.67
John, if you go to 14,
Jesus says, "I go and prepare
00:24:36.71\00:24:41.04
a place for you, I
will. He says, if I go away,
00:24:41.08\00:24:44.25
and prepare a place
for you, I will do what?
00:24:44.28\00:24:46.11
Come again! I will
come again and receive
00:24:46.15\00:24:47.92
you unto myself that where
I am, there you may be also."
00:24:47.95\00:24:53.19
So that is an incredible
promise that He will come again.
00:24:53.22\00:24:57.03
My Scripture is in
Acts 1: 9-11, and it says...
00:24:57.09\00:25:03.97
"Then when He had
spoken these things, while they
00:25:04.00\00:25:06.97
beheld, He was taken up
and a cloud received Him
00:25:07.04\00:25:10.54
out of their sight.
And while they looked
00:25:10.61\00:25:12.64
steadfastly toward
heaven, as He went up, behold,
00:25:12.67\00:25:16.51
two men stood by them in
white apparel which also said,
00:25:16.54\00:25:20.62
"Ye men of Galilee, why
stand ye gazing up into heaven?
00:25:20.65\00:25:24.02
This same Jesus which is
taken up from you into heaven,
00:25:24.09\00:25:28.16
shall so come again in
like manner and do what?
00:25:28.19\00:25:32.09
That you have seen Him go
into heaven... while Jesus was
00:25:32.13\00:25:35.10
taken to heaven."
This was amazing to me,
00:25:35.13\00:25:37.43
and I thought about it...
These apparently two angels
00:25:37.47\00:25:42.30
the way they were
dressed, says, "This same Jesus
00:25:42.34\00:25:45.51
shall come back in like manner,"
but it's amazing to me that
00:25:45.54\00:25:48.58
they asked these men of
Galilee, "Why stand you here
00:25:48.61\00:25:51.35
gazing?" My
question would be, why not?
00:25:51.38\00:25:54.08
Ha, ha...some laughter...
I would be shocked if
00:25:54.12\00:25:56.65
they weren't standing there,
I'm sure their mouths were
00:25:56.69\00:25:59.02
opened, their jaws
dropped because they had seen
00:25:59.05\00:26:01.99
something never before...
now they didn't know about
00:26:02.02\00:26:05.29
Elijah back then,
but I'm talking about
00:26:05.33\00:26:07.93
in their own
personal experience.
00:26:07.96\00:26:09.26
Now while they had
been with the Master,
00:26:09.30\00:26:11.43
they had seen miracles;
they had seen healings;
00:26:11.47\00:26:14.14
they had seen
resurrections from the dead;
00:26:14.17\00:26:17.11
they had seen things, but
this was a whole different
00:26:17.14\00:26:20.48
experience because
for 3 or 3-1/2 years,
00:26:20.51\00:26:23.38
they had been with the Master,
and any time trouble came,
00:26:23.45\00:26:27.12
guess what they could do?
00:26:27.15\00:26:28.48
They could go to
Jesus. That's right.
00:26:28.52\00:26:29.95
When they were out in the
ship and the storm was coming
00:26:29.98\00:26:32.85
along and all of a
sudden, what did they do?
00:26:32.89\00:26:35.26
Instead of taking command of
the... "Lord, wake up, wake up,
00:26:35.29\00:26:40.10
we're about to perish,"
you know, and so constantly
00:26:40.13\00:26:44.57
for these years, they were with
Jesus, they saw what He did.
00:26:44.60\00:26:50.41
So the angels say... Why
are you looking so shocked?
00:26:50.47\00:26:53.68
Well, I don't blame
them, I would be shocked too,
00:26:55.44\00:26:58.15
but here's the good news...
00:26:58.18\00:26:59.55
The good news is... when
they saw Him go up, first of all
00:26:59.58\00:27:03.35
... the first thought was
"Oh no we're alone again." Yes
00:27:03.42\00:27:06.69
Because when He was
crucified, many of the disciples
00:27:06.72\00:27:10.26
didn't really understand...
as you already covered,
00:27:10.29\00:27:12.69
Jesus' earthly mission
wasn't just to build a political
00:27:12.73\00:27:16.50
kingdom, and earthly kingdom.
00:27:16.53\00:27:18.03
We see that when Judas
sold for 30 pieces of silver,
00:27:18.07\00:27:21.04
he wasn't selling out Christ,
in his mind, he was gonna
00:27:21.07\00:27:24.61
force Christ His
hand to come out and show
00:27:24.64\00:27:27.48
that He is the Ruler.
00:27:27.51\00:27:28.94
Peter said... I'll take care
of this, after being with Him
00:27:28.98\00:27:32.01
all this time,
I'll pull my sword out,
00:27:32.05\00:27:33.72
they're not going to
take my Lord and so he cut
00:27:33.75\00:27:36.22
a man's ear and so it
shows they didn't really
00:27:36.25\00:27:39.72
understand the Master.
00:27:39.75\00:27:41.59
Now I've been one of those
to say, many times I'll read
00:27:41.62\00:27:44.49
and I'll think, "how could
they have missed the boat?"
00:27:44.53\00:27:46.70
If I were there or at the cross,
you know, I would have said...
00:27:46.73\00:27:49.90
Would I? Do I
stand up for Jesus today?
00:27:49.93\00:27:53.07
In other words, we can
look back and second guess what
00:27:53.10\00:27:55.57
everyone did, but
it's important for us to
00:27:55.60\00:27:58.37
realize that when Jesus
was on earth, this was great,
00:27:58.41\00:28:03.38
He was a great
teacher, they saw many mighty
00:28:03.41\00:28:06.95
and marvelous things happen,
BUT when He died, what happened?
00:28:06.98\00:28:11.55
It says they gathered
together for fear of the Jews;
00:28:11.59\00:28:15.52
they had doubts...
all kinds of doubting.
00:28:15.56\00:28:17.99
Thomas - you remember?
00:28:18.03\00:28:19.36
All of these things happened,
so now Jesus is with them;
00:28:19.39\00:28:22.50
they're looking for this
earthly kingdom, but then Jesus
00:28:22.53\00:28:26.57
is crucified - some
of them didn't realize
00:28:26.60\00:28:30.01
that He gave His life - they
felt like they took His life.
00:28:30.04\00:28:33.58
So now, they
didn't know what to do.
00:28:33.61\00:28:34.94
But now comes the great news
of the resurrection! Amen! Amen!
00:28:34.98\00:28:38.58
And that's the good news! Yes
00:28:38.61\00:28:40.12
So now, that brought hope.
00:28:40.15\00:28:42.02
So the death brought
discouragement and fear,
00:28:42.05\00:28:46.22
but the
resurrection brought great hope,
00:28:46.25\00:28:50.13
but something was still
missing and that's power.
00:28:50.16\00:28:53.73
That's power to go and do
what they had seen Jesus do.
00:28:53.80\00:29:00.07
That power comes
from the Holy Spirit,
00:29:00.10\00:29:02.47
but before I go there,
I want to read a couple
00:29:02.50\00:29:05.81
of Scriptures here...
The angel said, "As you see
00:29:05.84\00:29:09.68
Him go, He will come in
like manner in a cloud,"
00:29:09.71\00:29:12.21
but this time it will
be a cloud of witnesses,
00:29:12.25\00:29:14.28
maybe a cloud of tens
of thousands and thousands
00:29:14.35\00:29:16.82
and thousands of
angels will surround Him.
00:29:16.85\00:29:19.19
This time, He comes as
King of Kings and Lord of Lords
00:29:19.22\00:29:22.49
and not a baby wrapped in
swaddling clothes in a manger.
00:29:22.52\00:29:25.63
So what happened when
the disciples saw Him go...
00:29:25.66\00:29:29.93
I'm sure it was mixed feelings..
We're alone for the first time.
00:29:29.96\00:29:33.20
I remember training
Trinity, for years, to drive...
00:29:33.23\00:29:36.57
And so she was
comfortable when I was there,
00:29:36.60\00:29:40.78
but we both had... Uh oh,
the very first time she got
00:29:40.81\00:29:44.51
her driver's
license, and then she says...
00:29:44.55\00:29:46.72
"Papa, can I go to take
the car to West Frankfort?"
00:29:46.75\00:29:49.55
I'm like, "What?" You know...
00:29:49.58\00:29:50.99
"Well Papa, I've
been doing this for years,
00:29:51.02\00:29:53.46
you started me
early and I'm good."
00:29:53.49\00:29:55.59
But I said,
"But Trin," you know.
00:29:55.62\00:29:57.73
And she admitted, she had
some intrepidation herself
00:29:57.76\00:30:00.80
because she had
never been at the wheel.
00:30:00.83\00:30:02.96
So, all of a sudden,
Jesus goes to heaven,
00:30:03.00\00:30:06.63
He ascends to heaven and the
disciples... it's time for them
00:30:06.70\00:30:10.21
to get out of
training and take the wheel.
00:30:10.27\00:30:12.51
But I can't do that, can't
take the wheel until I receive
00:30:12.54\00:30:17.98
what Jesus left...
was the Holy Spirit.
00:30:18.01\00:30:21.02
But the fact that He
ascended to heaven is incredible
00:30:21.05\00:30:24.25
because they say "He
will come in like manner,"
00:30:24.29\00:30:26.72
so that gives hope -
they physically saw it.
00:30:26.76\00:30:29.42
If Jesus had just disappeared,
it would have gone along with
00:30:29.46\00:30:32.29
the rumors of the leaders
at that time... that the death
00:30:32.33\00:30:35.20
... "Oh well, somebody stole
His body," but no, they saw Him
00:30:35.23\00:30:38.13
after His resurrection,
isn't that amazing?
00:30:38.17\00:30:40.37
They saw Him
after the resurrection.
00:30:40.40\00:30:42.34
So, He's coming back, so
that gives them confirmation.
00:30:42.37\00:30:46.14
Let me give you a
couple of Scriptures...
00:30:46.17\00:30:47.51
I'm talking too much, all right?
00:30:47.54\00:30:48.88
So here we go...
Revelation 1:7- "Look, He is
00:30:48.91\00:30:51.48
coming with clouds and
every eye shall see Him,
00:30:51.51\00:30:54.08
even those who pierced Him
and all the peoples on earth
00:30:54.15\00:30:56.72
will mourn because of
Him, and so shall it be."
00:30:56.75\00:30:59.35
Matthew 26:64, in which
Jesus tells the Sanhedrin,
00:30:59.39\00:31:03.86
"They will see the Son of Man
coming in the clouds of heaven."
00:31:03.93\00:31:08.00
Luke 21:27- "And they shall
see the Son of Man coming in a
00:31:08.03\00:31:12.27
cloud with power
and great glory."
00:31:12.30\00:31:14.90
Zechariah 12:10...
we could keep going...
00:31:14.94\00:31:17.07
which says that Jerusalem's
inhabitants will mourn
00:31:17.11\00:31:20.14
when they see the One
that they have pierced.
00:31:20.18\00:31:22.78
So when He comes in the
clouds, people can make whatever
00:31:22.81\00:31:25.68
they want to make out of
that, and there is this big
00:31:25.71\00:31:28.28
theory that goes around that
00:31:28.32\00:31:29.65
says He's coming in a secret
rapture - not according to this.
00:31:29.68\00:31:33.82
He's coming, and the Bible says
that "every eye shall see Him,
00:31:33.86\00:31:36.83
even those who pierced Him."
00:31:36.89\00:31:38.93
And so the hope and
encouragement that we have...
00:31:38.96\00:31:41.43
I want to read Luke
24:51, "And it came to pass
00:31:41.46\00:31:44.20
that while He blessed
them, He was parted from them
00:31:44.23\00:31:47.67
and carried up into
heaven, and they worshipped Him,
00:31:47.70\00:31:51.37
and returned to Jerusalem
with great joy and were
00:31:51.41\00:31:55.91
continually in the temple
praising and blessing God."
00:31:55.94\00:31:59.68
Now here's the difference...
Jesus leaves, He left the
00:31:59.71\00:32:03.02
Holy Spirit... now you
have to receive the Holy Spirit,
00:32:03.05\00:32:05.72
so when you ask Jesus
into your life and you ask the
00:32:05.75\00:32:09.02
Holy Spirit, great things...
He says "greater things shall
00:32:09.06\00:32:12.43
ye do than I have done."
We can talk about that at
00:32:12.46\00:32:14.96
another time, but I have some
ideas what some of that means.
00:32:15.00\00:32:18.57
He used to go around and
talk to people where they could
00:32:18.60\00:32:21.94
hear Him... we can take
television and go around
00:32:21.97\00:32:24.07
the world in a matter of
seconds, so He has given us
00:32:24.11\00:32:26.51
great and mighty
tools that are an advantage
00:32:26.64\00:32:29.31
even over what He had
when He was here on earth.
00:32:29.34\00:32:32.95
So here we have - once
they receive the Holy Spirit,
00:32:32.98\00:32:36.52
they were in the temple
praising God, no more fear,
00:32:36.55\00:32:40.16
no more discouragement;
the hope all of a sudden
00:32:40.22\00:32:43.49
became reality
and now, guess what?
00:32:43.53\00:32:46.86
They can't wait to tell
the world, to be a witness
00:32:46.90\00:32:50.20
to tell the world that
JESUS who died and was buried
00:32:50.23\00:32:54.74
was resurrected and
now is ever interceding
00:32:54.77\00:32:58.51
at the Father, think about that,
for you and me on our behalf.
00:32:58.54\00:33:01.41
So the disciples saw it
firsthand, so you know what
00:33:02.28\00:33:04.88
an encouragement that
must have been to them.
00:33:04.91\00:33:07.85
So my thing is and
I'm running out of time,
00:33:07.88\00:33:10.69
I have a lot more
notes than what I should have
00:33:10.72\00:33:12.69
and a lot of
Scriptures I could give you,
00:33:12.72\00:33:14.26
but I had a bunch on the
Holy Spirit, but I want to
00:33:14.29\00:33:16.49
begin to close with this
thought... is that, Molly,
00:33:16.52\00:33:20.90
here we are in a time - how
do we relate this to us today
00:33:20.93\00:33:25.47
as a church and its people?
00:33:25.50\00:33:27.10
Are we discouraged? Do we
live in fear?... so to speak.
00:33:27.14\00:33:31.87
Because people say,
"Well, I wanted to say
00:33:31.91\00:33:33.44
something, but I was afraid to.
00:33:33.48\00:33:34.81
You know, once you
receive the Holy Spirit...
00:33:34.84\00:33:37.65
I think right now it's
imperative that each of us
00:33:37.68\00:33:40.12
pray and ask the Holy Spirit
to come into our lives. Amen!
00:33:40.18\00:33:43.95
Because when it does,
all power is given us.
00:33:43.99\00:33:46.92
Jesus says, "All power is
given me in heaven and earth,
00:33:46.96\00:33:49.86
go ye therefore."
00:33:49.89\00:33:51.23
So once you receive Jesus and
you ask Him for the anointing
00:33:51.26\00:33:56.80
of the Holy Spirit in
your life, you will become
00:33:56.83\00:33:59.17
a great witness...
not in your own power,
00:33:59.20\00:34:01.20
but in the power of
the Lord Jesus Christ.
00:34:01.24\00:34:04.14
So today, let's
don't be discouraged,
00:34:04.21\00:34:06.17
let's keep looking up
because this Jesus, as He
00:34:06.21\00:34:10.15
ascended in a cloud,
into heaven, He is soon coming
00:34:10.18\00:34:13.82
back in a cloud, but this time
King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
00:34:13.85\00:34:18.12
Very good. I hope I can match
your enthusiasm and energy!
00:34:18.15\00:34:22.86
My lesson is
Tuesday, "He Will Come"
00:34:24.03\00:34:28.13
Wednesday! How about Wednesday?
00:34:28.16\00:34:30.13
You just did that.
I'm glad I didn't do that.
00:34:30.17\00:34:34.64
But "Preparing For Pentecost,"
and what I'd like to do
00:34:34.67\00:34:38.04
I'm going to back up
just a little so that we can
00:34:38.07\00:34:41.28
look at what Jesus
told these people and why
00:34:41.31\00:34:46.45
they went to
prepare for Pentecost.
00:34:46.48\00:34:49.15
Let's begin with
verse 4, Acts 1:4
00:34:49.18\00:34:55.96
"Being assembled together
with them, He (Jesus) commanded
00:34:55.99\00:35:00.23
them not to depart from
Jerusalem, but to wait for the
00:35:00.26\00:35:03.87
Promise of the
Father, which He said,
00:35:03.90\00:35:05.90
"You have heard from
Me, for John truly baptized
00:35:05.93\00:35:10.81
with water, but you shall be
baptized with the Holy Spirit
00:35:10.84\00:35:16.85
and not many days
from now, He says...
00:35:16.88\00:35:21.88
Therefore when they had come
together, they asked him saying,
00:35:21.92\00:35:25.92
"Lord, will You at this time
restore the kingdom to Israel?
00:35:25.95\00:35:31.63
And He said to them,
"It is not for you to know
00:35:31.66\00:35:34.30
the times or seasons which
the Father has put in His own
00:35:34.30\00:35:38.17
authority, but you shall receive
power when the Holy Spirit
00:35:38.20\00:35:42.67
has come upon you and you
shall be My witnesses to Me
00:35:42.70\00:35:45.74
in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria
and to the ends of the earth."
00:35:45.77\00:35:50.21
They had a GREAT PROMISE,
the Holy Spirit was coming,
00:35:50.25\00:35:56.75
and He had to come to fulfill
their great commission...
00:35:56.79\00:36:02.02
And as you already mentioned,
Jesus had already told them...
00:36:02.06\00:36:05.93
He said, Go into all the nations
and he said, making disciples
00:36:05.96\00:36:12.77
baptizing in the name
of the Father, the Son,
00:36:12.80\00:36:14.94
and the Holy Spirit, teaching
them to observe everything.
00:36:14.97\00:36:18.71
So they've got
this great promise...
00:36:18.74\00:36:22.01
I'm gonna give you the
Holy Spirit to fulfill the
00:36:22.04\00:36:25.31
great commission and
the great hope - is that
00:36:25.35\00:36:27.68
Jesus is
returning... how exciting!
00:36:27.72\00:36:30.39
And Jesus made no
time commitment, did He?
00:36:30.42\00:36:35.46
About, He said, Hey, only the
Father knows when I'm coming.
00:36:35.49\00:36:40.33
But the implication was
just like Matthew 24:14,
00:36:40.40\00:36:43.93
when He said that this
gospel will be preached in all
00:36:43.97\00:36:48.20
the world, then
the end will come.
00:36:48.24\00:36:50.61
Alright, so my day begins with
Acts 1:12 and let's just start
00:36:50.67\00:36:55.78
there, He says, "Then they
returned to Jerusalem from the
00:36:55.81\00:37:01.48
mount called Olivet
which is near Jerusalem,
00:37:01.52\00:37:05.05
a Sabbath day's journey.
00:37:05.09\00:37:06.42
And when they had entered,
they went up into the upper
00:37:06.45\00:37:10.16
room where they were staying;
Peter, James, John, Andrew,
00:37:10.19\00:37:13.19
Phillip and Thomas, Bartholomew
and Matthew; James the son of
00:37:13.23\00:37:18.53
Alpheus and Simon the Zealot
and Judas the son of James.
00:37:18.57\00:37:22.34
These all continued
with one accord in prayer
00:37:22.37\00:37:27.18
and supplication with
the women and Mary the mother
00:37:27.21\00:37:31.48
of Jesus, and
with His brothers."
00:37:31.51\00:37:34.05
Luke always mentions the
women, I think he wanted to show
00:37:34.12\00:37:39.12
that Jesus regardeth them
as equal, so this is pretty
00:37:39.15\00:37:42.69
exciting and then he
mentions James and His brothers,
00:37:42.72\00:37:46.46
the brothers of Jesus.
00:37:46.49\00:37:48.96
Well we know His brothers
were James, Simon and Joseph.
00:37:49.00\00:37:53.44
And they were either the younger
brothers of Joseph and Mary
00:37:53.50\00:37:57.74
or they were the sons of
the first marriage of Joseph.
00:37:57.77\00:38:00.84
But interesting to me
because during Christ's lifetime
00:38:00.91\00:38:05.55
did they believe in Him?
00:38:05.58\00:38:07.65
They didn't believe
He was the Messiah. No
00:38:07.68\00:38:10.32
But then what happened?
00:38:10.35\00:38:11.69
After His resurrection, He
appears to James and all of a
00:38:11.72\00:38:15.26
sudden everything has changed.
00:38:15.29\00:38:17.39
So verse 15 says, "And in those
days Peter stood up in the midst
00:38:17.46\00:38:22.23
of the disciples,
altogether the number of names
00:38:22.26\00:38:25.40
was about 120."
00:38:25.43\00:38:28.20
Now here we have...
He's in the upper room,
00:38:28.24\00:38:33.17
they are going to do what
Jesus said - Wait in Jerusalem
00:38:33.21\00:38:37.08
until you receive the promise,
so they go to the upper room
00:38:37.15\00:38:40.55
and there's 120 and I know
that we have all stood in that
00:38:40.62\00:38:44.69
upper room when we
were in Israel - it's huge,
00:38:44.72\00:38:48.06
it's like a big
ballroom, 120 people wouldn't be
00:38:48.09\00:38:51.56
any problems in that room.
00:38:51.59\00:38:54.00
But here they are, they
are waiting and they are in
00:38:54.00\00:39:00.07
persistent prayer,
they're in united prayer,
00:39:00.10\00:39:03.84
they are asking - no doubt
they were confessing their sins
00:39:03.87\00:39:07.14
and with sincere repentance,
no doubt their hearts were
00:39:07.21\00:39:10.51
filled with praise for
God resurrecting Christ...
00:39:10.58\00:39:15.05
But the interesting thing is,
they were in perfect harmony.
00:39:15.08\00:39:18.45
this was nothing like at
the Last Supper when they were
00:39:18.49\00:39:21.62
fighting over who was
going to be the greatest, right?
00:39:21.66\00:39:24.16
Because Jesus had
prayed for them in the garden,
00:39:24.19\00:39:26.93
when He prayed, in John
17, He said, "O Father, let
00:39:26.96\00:39:30.07
them be one as You
and I are one"... right?
00:39:30.10\00:39:33.44
So they're waiting expectantly
for God's promise and the
00:39:33.47\00:39:39.71
Holy Spirit comes
in response to prayer.
00:39:39.74\00:39:43.45
One hundred and
twenty expectant souls there,
00:39:43.48\00:39:46.41
calmed, reverent, but it's a
time of joy - you know it was!
00:39:46.45\00:39:51.79
And they are in one spirit
and one mind praying earnestly.
00:39:51.82\00:39:57.79
You know, in Matthew
18:19, this is a verse
00:39:57.83\00:40:01.20
that you use quite often...
00:40:01.23\00:40:02.73
Jesus said, "I say to you that
if two of you agree on earth
00:40:02.76\00:40:06.63
concerning anything that they
ask, it will be done for them
00:40:06.70\00:40:11.87
by my Father in heaven."
00:40:11.91\00:40:13.44
So we've got this whole
group of Christians who are
00:40:13.48\00:40:17.71
definitely doing what God
has asked them to and our lesson
00:40:17.75\00:40:27.26
says - "In our daily choices,
what are the ways we help
00:40:27.32\00:40:30.96
prepare the way
for the Holy Spirit?"
00:40:30.99\00:40:33.03
Well first, let's do what
they did - confession of sin.
00:40:33.06\00:40:37.00
1 John 1:9 says - "If we
confess our sin, He is faithful
00:40:37.03\00:40:40.17
and just to forgive us
all of our sins and cleanse us
00:40:40.20\00:40:43.64
of all unrighteousness."
00:40:43.67\00:40:45.57
And I suggest that when
you confess, you also ask God
00:40:45.61\00:40:49.84
for the gift of repentance.
00:40:49.88\00:40:51.51
In Acts 5:32- He says that He
gave Jesus to grant repentance.
00:40:51.55\00:40:57.95
And the reason I think that
we should pray for repentance...
00:40:57.99\00:41:01.26
You and I don't have the
power to change ourselves.
00:41:01.29\00:41:04.13
Repentance means that
you're turning away from sin
00:41:04.16\00:41:06.83
to God - we can only
repent by the power of grace.
00:41:06.90\00:41:10.53
It is only as we are
filled with the Holy Spirit,
00:41:10.57\00:41:13.50
that then God
works in us to will
00:41:13.54\00:41:15.84
and to do His
good pleasure, right?
00:41:15.87\00:41:18.14
So that I think
is very important.
00:41:18.17\00:41:20.64
Then we should confess
our need for His Spirit.
00:41:20.68\00:41:26.05
This is, to me, the
definition of humility,
00:41:26.08\00:41:31.99
is absolute dependence upon God.
00:41:32.02\00:41:35.46
In Philippians 2:5-8, I want
to read this to you quickly...
00:41:35.49\00:41:38.29
Paul writes and he
says, "Let this mind be in you
00:41:39.06\00:41:42.86
which was also in Christ Jesus
who being in the form of God,
00:41:42.90\00:41:47.07
did not consider it
robbery to be equal with God,
00:41:47.64\00:41:51.67
but made Himself
of no reputation,
00:41:51.71\00:41:54.11
taking the form of a bond
servant, coming in the likeness
00:41:54.14\00:41:57.08
of men and being found
in appearance as a man,
00:41:57.11\00:42:01.55
He humbled Himself
and became obedient
00:42:01.58\00:42:04.35
even to the point of death,
even to the death on the cross."
00:42:04.39\00:42:10.43
Christ lived a life
just like you and I.
00:42:10.46\00:42:14.36
He humbled Himself,
He humiliated Himself
00:42:14.36\00:42:18.77
to descend to be
condescend and become a man...
00:42:18.80\00:42:22.90
But then He totally relied
upon God and that's what we've
00:42:22.94\00:42:28.68
got to do... then you
need to ask for the power
00:42:28.71\00:42:33.28
of the Holy Spirit - pray
every day that God will fill you
00:42:33.31\00:42:36.89
afresh with His Holy Spirit.
00:42:36.95\00:42:39.69
In Luke 11:9-13- Jesus
says, "Ask, keep on asking,
00:42:39.72\00:42:45.79
Seek, keep on seeking,
Knock, keep on knocking,
00:42:45.83\00:42:49.36
and this is something
that we do on a daily basis
00:42:49.40\00:42:53.97
that we must do.
00:42:54.00\00:42:55.34
And I want to teach you,
if there's nothing else you've
00:42:55.37\00:42:57.91
heard me say - If you want
to be ready for the Holy Spirit,
00:42:57.94\00:43:01.41
Three R's - Remember
in school, the three R's?
00:43:01.44\00:43:05.48
Reading, writing and arithmetic.
00:43:05.51\00:43:07.85
Well in the
school of Christ it is:
00:43:07.88\00:43:10.99
"Receive,
Recognize and Rely" Amen!
00:43:11.02\00:43:16.06
Receive the Holy
Spirit, Recognize your
00:43:16.09\00:43:19.63
total dependence upon
Him, I mean recognize His
00:43:19.66\00:43:24.03
constant presence with
you and then Rely on Him
00:43:24.07\00:43:28.37
recognizing your
total dependence.
00:43:28.40\00:43:30.77
So the other thing that we
should do is let us understand
00:43:30.87\00:43:37.41
we are dependent upon Him
for both Bible study and prayer.
00:43:37.45\00:43:41.82
Two quick
Scriptures... 1 Corinthians 2:14
00:43:41.85\00:43:45.65
"The natural man does
not receive the things of
00:43:45.69\00:43:47.69
the Spirit for they
are foolishness to him,
00:43:47.72\00:43:50.59
nor can he know them because
they are spiritually discerned."
00:43:50.63\00:43:54.03
Before you open the
Bible, ask God to give you the
00:43:54.10\00:43:58.60
Spirit and see this through
the Spirit's lens because
00:43:58.63\00:44:02.57
only He can teach you.
00:44:02.60\00:44:04.31
And Romans 8:26- Paul
says, "Likewise the Spirit
00:44:04.34\00:44:08.78
helps us in our weakness
for we do not know how we should
00:44:08.81\00:44:12.51
pray as we ought,
but the Spirit Himself
00:44:12.55\00:44:16.52
makes intercession for us."
00:44:16.55\00:44:18.32
He is your prayer
partner! Amen and Amen!
00:44:18.35\00:44:22.29
That something that I realize,
this Holy Spirit that all of
00:44:22.32\00:44:27.40
you have been talking about is
present with us right now. AMEN!
00:44:27.50\00:44:30.93
He's here and He is
accomplishing, by opening up
00:44:30.97\00:44:35.54
our hearts and allowing
this word to penetrate in us,
00:44:35.57\00:44:38.47
and that is my prayer
for everyone that's listening
00:44:38.51\00:44:41.38
and everyone that's viewing.
00:44:41.41\00:44:42.88
Right now, the Holy
Spirit is opening up your heart
00:44:42.91\00:44:46.11
that you will receive
this good word and plant it
00:44:46.15\00:44:49.15
into you because it's the power
of the word that can change us.
00:44:49.18\00:44:51.99
Do any of you need changing?
00:44:52.02\00:44:53.52
Amen! Oh yes, we need changing.
00:44:53.56\00:44:55.76
Well I've got
Thursday and Thursday is
00:44:55.79\00:44:58.99
"The Twelfth Apostle,"
that's the title of it.
00:44:59.03\00:45:01.53
Now where do we
have the 120 right now?
00:45:01.56\00:45:04.73
Where are all the apostles?
They are in that upper room,
00:45:04.77\00:45:08.17
and they are fasting and
praying, they are seeking God,
00:45:08.20\00:45:12.54
but you know the Holy Spirit
moved on Peter to take care
00:45:12.57\00:45:18.01
of some business.
00:45:18.05\00:45:19.38
The first administrative action
of the early church community
00:45:19.41\00:45:25.39
was - they
needed to replace Jesus.
00:45:25.42\00:45:28.89
Now we know what happened
with Judas - he betrayed the
00:45:28.92\00:45:31.83
Lord Jesus Christ and he
went out and killed himself,
00:45:31.86\00:45:37.47
he was no longer
one of the twelve.
00:45:37.53\00:45:39.83
And so Peter is saying...
We've got to be scripturally
00:45:39.87\00:45:43.10
sound, theologically
correct, we have got to find us
00:45:43.14\00:45:46.57
a replacement for Judas.
00:45:46.64\00:45:48.48
Now Peter set out the
qualifications - because don't
00:45:48.51\00:45:56.75
you think qualifications
for a replacement for the
00:45:56.79\00:45:59.69
apostle was very important?
00:45:59.72\00:46:01.59
I want you to look at
Acts, it's still in the
00:46:01.62\00:46:05.09
first chapter 21 and
22, okay, let's read this...
00:46:05.13\00:46:09.46
"Therefore, of these men
who have accompanied us all
00:46:09.50\00:46:14.14
the times that the Lord
Jesus went in and out among us."
00:46:14.17\00:46:16.94
Okay, #1, they are going
to choose this replacement
00:46:17.01\00:46:21.88
from Judas out of, you
know, with the 12 apostles,
00:46:21.91\00:46:29.02
there's 120 in the upper
room, there were many disciples
00:46:29.05\00:46:33.66
that were with Jesus the whole
time - did you all know that?
00:46:33.69\00:46:36.26
The whole time. He
always had a group of disciples
00:46:36.29\00:46:40.20
that were committed
and submitted to Him.
00:46:40.23\00:46:42.23
We find places where
when the going got hard,
00:46:42.26\00:46:46.10
sometimes some of
those would leave,
00:46:46.13\00:46:48.14
but there were always
that core group that would
00:46:48.17\00:46:50.37
stick with Him and so Peter
is saying... We're going to
00:46:50.41\00:46:54.34
look in the group of disciples
that have been with Him
00:46:54.38\00:46:58.41
the whole time beginning
from the baptism of John
00:46:58.45\00:47:02.22
to that day when He
was taken up from us...
00:47:02.25\00:47:06.99
One of these
must become a witness
00:47:07.02\00:47:10.06
with us of His resurrection.
00:47:10.09\00:47:12.49
So first and foremost,
they had to have been with Him,
00:47:12.53\00:47:16.56
traveled with Him and seen His
many workings and His miracles
00:47:16.60\00:47:21.44
for the time of His ministry
here on earth, but the most
00:47:21.47\00:47:26.34
important thing - they had to be
a witness of His resurrection.
00:47:26.37\00:47:31.98
Why do you think that is
so important - for this person
00:47:32.01\00:47:37.82
to be a witness
of His resurrection?
00:47:37.85\00:47:40.56
It was crucial because
the resurrection was one
00:47:40.59\00:47:44.66
of the most controversial
points and is viewed as a
00:47:44.69\00:47:51.33
powerful evidence of
the Messiahship of Jesus
00:47:51.37\00:47:55.40
and it's
foundational to the truth of
00:47:55.44\00:47:57.94
the whole Christian faith.
00:47:57.97\00:47:59.44
Without the resurrection,
do we have anything?
00:47:59.47\00:48:02.48
Is there any hope?
It's that resurrection.
00:48:02.51\00:48:05.88
Okay, Peter knew that
the twelve apostles must know
00:48:05.91\00:48:11.12
firsthand that Christ
had risen from the dead...
00:48:11.15\00:48:16.42
had witnessed His
resurrection firsthand.
00:48:16.46\00:48:19.09
Jill, you were talking
about seeing, hearing...
00:48:19.13\00:48:22.53
Let's see, people can argue
with you - any of your doctrine;
00:48:22.56\00:48:27.24
people can argue with
you about your beliefs,
00:48:27.27\00:48:30.71
but they can't argue with
your personal experience. Amen!
00:48:30.74\00:48:35.38
They can't argue with
you of what you have seen,
00:48:35.41\00:48:39.25
and what you have witnessed
and what you have heard.
00:48:39.28\00:48:41.95
So they're looking
at these men that had
00:48:41.98\00:48:45.42
actually seen the resurrection.
00:48:45.45\00:48:47.46
Now just think about
this... Let's say someone
00:48:47.49\00:48:50.53
comes up to one of the
apostles - someone that
00:48:50.56\00:48:54.00
was there at Calvary
and they say to him...
00:48:54.00\00:48:58.97
"How do you know that
this Jesus was actually
00:48:59.00\00:49:03.44
the Messiah?"
Well because we walked
00:49:03.47\00:49:05.77
him for 3-1/2 years and, Jill,
they saw Him, they heard Him,
00:49:05.81\00:49:11.91
they saw those miracles,
personal testimony - they KNEW!
00:49:11.95\00:49:16.32
So this twelfth apostle had
to be able to say, "I was there,
00:49:16.35\00:49:21.16
I saw Him - I'm not getting
this secondhand from anybody."
00:49:21.19\00:49:25.03
"Well, how do you
know He died on the cross?"
00:49:25.06\00:49:27.23
"I was there, I saw
them beat Him with stripes;
00:49:27.23\00:49:31.40
I saw them put that
crown of thorns on His head;
00:49:31.43\00:49:37.74
and I saw them drive those nails
into his hands into His feet;
00:49:37.77\00:49:43.55
I SAW that soldier come and
stick a spear into His side,
00:49:43.58\00:49:48.92
and the blood
and water gush out;
00:49:48.95\00:49:51.05
I SAW Him die on the cross."
00:49:51.09\00:49:53.15
Are they going to
argue with that, can't argue
00:49:53.19\00:49:55.86
with a personal testimony!
00:49:55.89\00:49:57.23
Well how do you know He arose?
00:49:57.26\00:49:58.83
Oh, I was there!
00:49:58.86\00:50:00.80
When He walked up to us and
we were just shocked to see Him,
00:50:00.83\00:50:05.20
but He said...
and this is a quote...
00:50:05.23\00:50:07.77
"Behold My hands
and behold My feet."
00:50:07.80\00:50:11.54
I was there, I saw it...
I walked with Him all those
00:50:11.57\00:50:15.74
days that He was with
us, still teaching us right
00:50:15.78\00:50:19.21
before His
ascension... I SAW Him!
00:50:19.25\00:50:23.59
So, see, you can't argue with
somebody's personal testimony.
00:50:23.65\00:50:28.06
So Peter was saying, "We
don't want somebody that's
00:50:28.09\00:50:30.29
going to get this
secondhand, we want this twelfth
00:50:30.33\00:50:33.26
apostle to be somebody that
has seen and heard and knows,
00:50:33.29\00:50:38.03
so there can be no
question in your heart.
00:50:38.07\00:50:39.97
You know, the apostle
Paul used that same argument
00:50:40.00\00:50:43.84
invalidating his apostleship.
00:50:43.87\00:50:46.81
Also, He hadn't
walked with Christ during his
00:50:46.84\00:50:50.68
earthly ministry.
00:50:50.71\00:50:52.05
He had an
encounter with Jesus where?
00:50:52.08\00:50:56.48
On the road to Damascus!
00:50:56.52\00:51:00.26
It qualified him to bear
witness of His resurrection.
00:51:00.29\00:51:05.36
So, let's say
somebody questions Paul...
00:51:05.39\00:51:08.03
How do you know that
was really Christ because
00:51:08.06\00:51:10.83
He said to me, He
introduced Himself to me.
00:51:10.87\00:51:14.14
He told me, "Why are you
kicking against the pricks?"
00:51:14.20\00:51:17.87
"You're kicking against Me."
00:51:19.91\00:51:22.21
"Well, how do you know
it was Christ asking Paul?"
00:51:22.24\00:51:25.28
"How do you know
that it was this Messiah,
00:51:25.31\00:51:27.22
that it was this Jesus?"
00:51:27.28\00:51:28.78
Same answer - "Oh, I
saw the nail-scarred hands,
00:51:28.82\00:51:33.12
and I saw the
scars in His feet."
00:51:33.15\00:51:35.06
See, you couldn't
argue with Paul that he
00:51:35.09\00:51:37.39
had actually seen Him.
00:51:37.43\00:51:38.76
So that was why it
was so vitally important
00:51:38.79\00:51:42.56
and the same question
that I always want to ask...
00:51:42.60\00:51:46.47
"How is this lesson important?"
00:51:46.50\00:51:48.90
"How can I apply
this lesson in my life."
00:51:48.94\00:51:51.41
Oh, because I see
Him, I believe, I now
00:51:51.44\00:51:54.21
receive Him into my heart.
00:51:54.24\00:51:55.58
I believe that there
is nail-scarred hands,
00:51:55.61\00:52:00.45
and nail-scarred feet
that are sitting at the right
00:52:00.52\00:52:03.72
hand of the Father to ever
making intercession for me.
00:52:03.79\00:52:06.96
Well, let me get back to this,
verse 23 tells us that they
00:52:06.99\00:52:10.83
had to fit those two
qualifications and there were
00:52:10.86\00:52:13.26
two men that they looked at.
00:52:13.29\00:52:16.67
Barsabas, whose surname
was Justus and Matthias.
00:52:16.73\00:52:20.54
Now it's interesting the
way that they chose the one
00:52:20.60\00:52:24.64
who replaced Judas.
00:52:24.67\00:52:27.78
Verse 24 says, "And they prayed
and said, "You, O Lord, know
00:52:27.81\00:52:31.98
the hearts of all,
show which one of these two
00:52:32.01\00:52:35.58
You have chosen."
Verse 26, "And they gave
00:52:35.62\00:52:38.49
forth their lots and
the lot fell upon Matthias,
00:52:38.52\00:52:42.19
and he was numbered
with the eleven apostles."
00:52:42.22\00:52:44.79
Now how was he elected?
00:52:44.83\00:52:46.33
How was he chosen?
00:52:46.36\00:52:47.96
They cast lots. They did what?
00:52:47.96\00:52:50.33
They cast lots... Well
what did they do first?
00:52:50.40\00:52:52.87
First they prayed.
00:52:52.90\00:52:55.50
Proverbs 16:33 says,
"The lot is cast into the lap,
00:52:55.54\00:53:00.91
but every
decision is from the Lord.
00:53:00.98\00:53:07.32
There is no evidence
that there was ever any
00:53:07.35\00:53:09.98
challenge to the
decision of Matthias.
00:53:10.02\00:53:14.36
So they accepted that this
was a decision from the Lord.
00:53:14.39\00:53:19.23
But we don't cast lots today,
why do we not cast lots today?
00:53:19.26\00:53:23.13
Now sometimes, we may do this...
00:53:23.16\00:53:25.50
Let's say, "Hal says to
me, "Do you want to go to
00:53:25.53\00:53:29.57
Olive Garden or do you
want to go to Ruby Tuesday?"
00:53:29.60\00:53:32.14
Well, either one is
great, just like these two men,
00:53:32.17\00:53:35.28
they were both great decisions.
00:53:35.31\00:53:36.81
But we're not going to cast
lots, sometimes I might say,
00:53:36.85\00:53:39.31
"Oh, flip a coin."
You know, but the reason
00:53:39.35\00:53:42.55
we don't today is because...
let me just read this to you...
00:53:42.58\00:53:46.22
How do we make decisions today?
00:53:46.25\00:53:48.09
First and foremost, we
pray and ask God to show us.
00:53:48.12\00:53:51.26
Well, let me
just read Acts 13:1-2
00:53:51.29\00:53:54.03
"Now in the church that was
at Antioch, there were certain
00:53:54.10\00:53:57.03
prophets and teachers,
Barnabas, Simeon who was called
00:53:57.10\00:54:02.10
Niger, Lucius of
Cyrene, Manaen who had been
00:54:02.14\00:54:04.94
brought up with Herod
the tetrarch and Saul,
00:54:04.97\00:54:07.98
and they ministered
to the Lord and fasted,
00:54:08.01\00:54:11.28
the Holy Spirit said, "How
do we make decisions today?
00:54:11.31\00:54:14.48
The Holy Spirit said,
"Now separate Me"... gave them
00:54:14.52\00:54:17.72
instruction on what to
do, so the reason after the
00:54:17.75\00:54:20.86
Holy Spirit came into us,
giving us that dunamis power,
00:54:20.89\00:54:24.36
it also gives us
direction. Pastor CA...
00:54:24.39\00:54:28.00
Very well done, well done! Yes
00:54:28.03\00:54:30.47
In the time that is left
to us, I want to take just a
00:54:30.53\00:54:33.00
moment and run over
what I got from each of you
00:54:33.03\00:54:36.87
in sort of summation.
00:54:36.91\00:54:38.81
Jill, you mentioned
"dunamis," the miracle power,
00:54:38.84\00:54:42.58
and another idea of
dunamis is the physical ability
00:54:42.61\00:54:47.38
to get the job
done, the dynamite power.
00:54:47.42\00:54:49.98
If you have a stump in
your yard Danny, it's your yard,
00:54:50.05\00:54:52.59
you can say "stump
move," but that's not enough
00:54:52.62\00:54:55.79
to get that stump to move.
00:54:55.82\00:54:57.19
You gotta get the tractor,
you gotta pull out the Kubota,
00:54:57.23\00:54:59.13
and take that stump out.
00:54:59.16\00:55:00.73
Well, the dunamis is
that Kubota, it's the physical
00:55:00.76\00:55:03.97
ability to get the job done.
00:55:04.00\00:55:05.77
So God promised them, I
through My Spirit will give
00:55:05.80\00:55:09.14
you the physical ability to
do whatever needs to be done.
00:55:09.17\00:55:12.14
Whatever you come up against,
you will be able to overcome
00:55:12.17\00:55:15.28
that through a gift,
a physical Spirit power
00:55:15.31\00:55:20.62
that will get the job
done, whether it's healing,
00:55:20.65\00:55:23.12
whether it's raising
from the dead, whether it's
00:55:23.15\00:55:24.52
casting out
devils... whatever you need,
00:55:24.55\00:55:26.59
I will supply! I
will supply, that's the
00:55:26.62\00:55:29.72
dunamis - you will get the
job done through the dunamis.
00:55:29.76\00:55:32.49
Danny, we have seen,
and I think that was also
00:55:32.53\00:55:36.50
very important -
that we have seen...
00:55:36.53\00:55:39.50
When you see it,
you know, you know it!
00:55:39.53\00:55:44.31
Paul says, "I wasn't
there, as you alluded to Mollie,
00:55:44.34\00:55:47.24
but in 1 Corinthians 15,
he said, "Lord, do something
00:55:47.28\00:55:50.21
special for me, so I
can claim to be an apostle
00:55:50.25\00:55:53.25
because I, too, have
seen, I wasn't with the guys,
00:55:53.28\00:55:55.82
but God gave me a
little special something
00:55:55.85\00:55:57.65
so that I can say, "I'm
an apostle because I saw."
00:55:57.69\00:56:00.92
And when you're in hot
water, being able to say,
00:56:00.99\00:56:03.69
"I saw," goes a
long way, you know.
00:56:03.76\00:56:07.03
Not, well I think
Danny saw, but I saw. Yes
00:56:07.13\00:56:12.20
You know, that
gives you the power.
00:56:12.23\00:56:14.57
Shelley, you
said so many things...
00:56:14.60\00:56:16.57
One, the inauguration of
the Pentecostal experience
00:56:16.60\00:56:19.97
through a particular
behest of the Holy Spirit.
00:56:20.01\00:56:22.94
They needed a
whole new kind of spirit,
00:56:22.98\00:56:25.78
a whole new level of
spirit, a whole new power
00:56:25.81\00:56:29.02
of the spirit...
One - to unite them.
00:56:29.05\00:56:31.45
Two - to educate
them and to energize them
00:56:31.49\00:56:37.13
for a whole new ministry.
00:56:37.16\00:56:38.59
They were going to go to
places where they are not
00:56:38.63\00:56:41.46
going to be received well.
00:56:41.50\00:56:43.00
There were going to do
things that was going to
00:56:43.03\00:56:45.17
aggravate the
Jewish community and as we
00:56:45.20\00:56:49.00
talked some months ago,
the early church was Jewish,
00:56:49.04\00:56:52.04
you know, it was
Jewish and we have that.
00:56:52.07\00:56:55.34
Mollie, I want
to touch on this...
00:56:55.38\00:56:57.05
Everybody needs
Jesus for themselves.
00:56:57.11\00:57:00.75
No apostle died in his own bed.
00:57:00.78\00:57:03.02
You know, they all
died horrible deaths.
00:57:03.05\00:57:05.65
When I'm in trouble,
Mollie's God can't save me.
00:57:05.69\00:57:09.26
Shelley's God can't save me.
00:57:09.29\00:57:11.03
My God has got to
save me, so I need to know
00:57:11.06\00:57:13.86
Jesus for myself
and that's what happened
00:57:13.93\00:57:16.33
in that upper room experience.
00:57:16.36\00:57:18.00
They knew God for themselves,
so that when they were
00:57:18.03\00:57:21.10
tested, when they were
tried, they could say...
00:57:21.14\00:57:23.51
"He is my God and
my God will keep me."
00:57:23.54\00:57:27.11
Well, we're at
the end of our time.
00:57:27.18\00:57:28.74
Hopefully if you
have learned something,
00:57:28.78\00:57:30.15
you've got
something that will help you.
00:57:30.18\00:57:31.58
We'll see you again
next time. Great study!
00:57:31.61\00:57:33.15
God bless you.
00:57:33.18\00:57:34.55