Join us now for the
3ABN Sabbath School Panel.
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Our study today
is, The Book of Acts.
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Hello and welcome to our
3ABN Sabbath School Panel.
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Thank you for joining us today.
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What a privilege it
is for you to allow us
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to come into your homes.
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And today we're
going to have great study.
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We've been studying the
book of Acts, but particularly
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today, the ministry of Peter.
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Now Peter is one of my
probably all time favorite
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characters in the Bible.
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Probably because I can
identify with him quite a bit.
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If you're honest,
you probably can too.
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But today we're going
to have a great study.
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But I'd like to
introduce our panel.
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Sister Mollie Steenson.
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Now these folks
are regulars on here.
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You all are regulars; probably
don't need the introduction.
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But I'll do it
anyway. Sister Shelley Quinn.
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Sister Jill Morikone.
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And pastor and
brother C.A. Murray.
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We're glad that each
of you can be here today.
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I don't know about you
all, but are you as excited
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as I am about
studying the book of Acts,
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and particularly
the ministry of Peter?
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To me it's an incredible,
he's an incredible guy.
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So what I thought
I would do, actually,
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was just give a little
bit of his background first
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before we actually go
into our Sabbath school.
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We're going to do a
little Sabbath afternoon,
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and then Sunday.
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But I'd like for you to, let
me give you some of these things
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you may know or may not.
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I had to do a little bit
of background study on it.
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So find out first of all, Peter
the disciple was a fisherman
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known as Simon Peter.
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But his father was Jonah.
We find that in Matthew 8:14.
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John 1:40 tells us that
his wife's name was unknown.
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We know he had a
wife, but it's unknown.
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And we know that
because he did something
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he shouldn't have
done that most married guys
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would know better to do.
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When the mother-in-law
was sick, he invited all the
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disciples over to the house.
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That's probably not one of
the wisest things that he did.
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His brother is Andrew,
we find in John 1:40 here.
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He's first
mentioned in Matthew 4:18.
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And his final
mention is 2 Peter 1:1.
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Now the meaning of his
name, "Simon," means, hearing.
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Right?
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But, "Peter,"
means, rock, in the Greek.
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"Cephas," means,
rock, in Aramaic.
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Now the frequency of his
name, he's mentioned 183 times
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in the New Testament.
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So he's a very important figure.
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And we'll find him
as one of the leaders,
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mains leaders, of
the apostolic church.
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This is a young, new, growing,
we'll call it a movement,
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to take the gospel of the
kingdom into all the world.
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So to me, this is great.
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Now again, I
mentioned his occupation was
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a fisherman and a disciple.
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Birthplace, I think it's,
you can help me, Bethsaida
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in Galilee.
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I've got a bunch
of theologians here.
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The tradition says
that he died in Rome.
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So I'm not sure we confirm that.
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But it seems, and
also we told that he was
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baptized upside down.
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~ Crucified. -
Crucified, I'm sorry.
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He was crucified upside down.
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Now why was that?
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I've been told, and you all
correct me if this is not right,
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but he really didn't feel
worthy to be crucified as Jesus.
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Now crucifixion is
probably, there's no worse way,
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no more humiliating
way to go out of this life
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maybe than crucifixion.
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We think of the cross
as something wonderful
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and great, but when you look
at it in the physical terms,
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this is what the governments
did to the vilest offenders,
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the vilest
sinners, the worst people.
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The ones that Jesus was
hanging with on the cross.
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You know, murderers,
thieves; these people.
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But to be
crucified was bad enough.
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But Peter says, this
is the converted Peter
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that we'll be talking
about a little bit later,
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he says, "I don't feel
worthy to be crucified normally.
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Crucify me upside down."
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That's an amazing trait.
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Especially when we
find out where he's from.
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So the important
fact of his life,
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he was one of the chief apostles
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and was the author of
two New Testament books.
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He also traveled
from Jerusalem to Rome,
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many places in between.
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Lydda, Joppa,
Antioch, Ephesus, Corinth.
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So he's a man on
the move quite a bit.
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And part of that, after
his conversion, was teaching
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and instructing others
about this new found faith
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in the Lord Jesus Christ,
and righteousness by faith,
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and that the gospel is
to go to the whole world,
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not just to the Jews.
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So again, this is going
to be a great study today.
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And I'm looking
forward to hearing what
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each of you have to say.
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Now Peter and his brother
Andrew, they were fishermen
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on the sea of
Tiberius, which normally
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we call the Sea of Galilee.
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And the first meeting
with Simon, I thought it was
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interesting, that Jesus says,
He's going to call him, Cephas.
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Does anybody know
what Cephas means?
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- Pebble, little rock.
- It means a rock. Okay.
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A pebble, she says, or a rock.
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But it wasn't until the second
call that Simon Peter actually
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left everything
to become a disciple.
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And you know the story.
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That Jesus wanted to
go talk to the multitude,
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and He asked him, "Can
you take Me out on the boat,
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on the ship, so I
can be back from the
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people and talk to them?"
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Well after the talk, He says,
"Take Me out a little farther,
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let's do some fishing."
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And of course, you
know, here's Peter.
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And Peter, with his
personality, he's like,
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"Lord, there's
no fish out there.
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We have fished all
night, there's nothing there."
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Jesus says, "Well let's,"
basically, "let's try it anyway.
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Let's go out and see."
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And you know the story.
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The nets were so
full they began to break.
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And he had to call James and
John, another boat next to them,
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to come and help.
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It's then Peter really
realized, "This is the Master.
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I need to follow Him."
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But I think what we
really want to cover here today,
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and you all will do the rest
of it, but I want to talk about
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the difference in Peter.
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I'm going to call it
the before and the after.
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Because you see that
Peter did some amazing things.
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He, first of all, was
willing to leave everything.
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Now here's a man who knew
nothing about Christianity,
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as far as I know.
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But when he met the Master,
he says, "I want to follow."
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So just the fact that he was
willing to give up his business,
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give up
everything, travel with Jesus,
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that's a great step.
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But what we find, even
though he was with Jesus
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for three years plus, he
was never really converted.
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Now you would think, being with
Jesus you would be converted.
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But Jesus, as you know,
said, "I'm praying for you.
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And when though art converted,
strengthen thy brethren."
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But what I see in him
is in all of us today.
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And I'd like us
to get this point.
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Just because we
say we follow Jesus,
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and even baptism,
doesn't get us to where...
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We start as a
diamond in the rough.
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...doesn't get us to
be that perfect diamond.
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It's steps
called sanctification.
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So if we look at Peter's life,
we see him doing some really,
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we would call, ridiculous
things, but he wanted to do
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everything in the flesh.
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And so, okay, you know the story
of the Garden of Gethsemane
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and the soldiers, the high
priest soldiers come to get Him.
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And what does Peter do?
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Pulls out a sword, right, and
he's willing to kill somebody.
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Maybe a bad shot or maybe
God didn't allow it, but he
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just cut off the man's ear.
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But he's like, "Lord,
I'm going to be with You.
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I'm for You. I'm here."
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So he's a disciple, but he
still is in this unconverted...
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How many of us are
disciples, we believe in Jesus,
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but we're still
literally not converted?
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So now we have him going a
little farther, and we see him
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progressing in his relationship,
we think, with the Lord.
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And so finally he goes forward.
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But then we see him,
this temper and his pride,
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which always gets to him.
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So finally they get to Jesus,
and Jesus is speaking to them,
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and He tells them
what's going to happen.
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"The Son of Man is
going to have to die.
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But in three
days I'll rise again."
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And He says
something really important.
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He says, "Peter, upon this
rock I will build My church."
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So it occurred to me,
Peter probably thought,
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as the Catholic
church does today,
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"Hey, my name is
Peter. That's a rock.
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He's going to
build this church on me.
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Wow!"
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I'm mean, I don't know.
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I'm just looking at this guy who
is all gung-ho, we'll call it,
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and all excited
and very emotional.
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And anytime
something needed to be done...
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When Jesus was in the
water, you know, and he said,
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"Is that really You?
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If it is, let me out there."
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You didn't hear
the other disciples,
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"I want to walk on the water."
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But again, he looked down.
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Because he's so self-reliant.
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And I think some of us
today are exactly that same way.
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We so rely on ourself.
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So now we have Peter.
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And Jesus says, "Upon this
rock I will build My church."
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And Peter is
thinking, "Apparently, wow,
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He's building that on me."
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But then he says to Jesus, "Well
come over here just a second.
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I need to tell you something.
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This is never going to happen
to You, Lord, when I'm around.
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Because I'm going to see that
this is not going to happen."
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And then Jesus says
something very strong.
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He says, "Satan,
get thee from Me."
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"Get thee behind Me, Satan."
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He literally
looks at Peter and says,
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"Get thee behind Me, Satan."
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Now what a shock to Peter.
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And maybe a shock to
those who look at Peter as,
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you know, "upon this
rock," they look at him as
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the very church,
that, you know...
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This is what the
Catholic church, for instance,
00:10:02.23\00:10:04.17
says Peter is the rock
the church was built upon.
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But no it wasn't.
It was Jesus Christ.
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He's the solid
rock. The only rock.
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So what we find out
is, even at that point...
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But here's the beauty of it.
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Jesus could look at
Peter and say to Him,
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"You're going to do great
and mighty, marvelous things
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when you come in My name."
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He could see him
after his conversion.
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Peter didn't even know it.
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So even at this
time he wasn't converted.
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So we continue
the story of Peter.
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But again, he shows
himself at every hand
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wanting to do something.
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But what he had mostly,
and I think it's so important
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for us today, is he loved Jesus.
00:10:44.74\00:10:46.64
~ Amen. - He had
a love for Jesus.
00:10:46.71\00:10:48.91
But it was not until when?
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Until Pentecost when
after Christ's death, burial,
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and resurrection, and
the Holy Ghost at Pentecost
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was poured out, and
when he received that
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and began to teach it,
we begin to see miracles.
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These miracles happen.
00:11:06.80\00:11:08.13
The same thing
in Lydda, in Joppa.
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We see him going and healing.
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Raising the
dead, healing the sick.
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We have Dorcas, we
call her, I think, Tabitha.
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He did that miracle.
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And told everybody in
the room, "Just leave.
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Just leave.
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I have something
that I want to do."
00:11:27.28\00:11:28.98
And he literally had
the faith and the confidence
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to look at that dead body
and say, "Tabitha, awake."
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It says she opened
her eyes and sat up.
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When you look at that man,
you remember the man that was
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let down through the
roof, he couldn't get to Him.
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Healed him. Raised
him. Literally healed him.
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Then He raised the dead.
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All of these things and
these signs begin to follow
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once they did what?
00:11:55.01\00:11:56.34
Once they really submitted,
committed to Jesus their lives,
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and then said,
"Lord, send me. I will go."
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They're willing to go, but they
had to ask for the anointing
00:12:03.62\00:12:07.26
of the Holy Spirit.
00:12:07.29\00:12:08.62
So today what we're
going to be finding out...
00:12:08.66\00:12:11.33
And I see the same
parallels, Mollie, today,
00:12:11.76\00:12:14.40
as I did in the church of old.
00:12:14.63\00:12:17.43
We're a movement, we call
us here in the Seventh-day
00:12:17.67\00:12:19.87
Adventist
church; we're a movement.
00:12:19.90\00:12:21.27
But sometimes we just are,
I guess, we don't have vision.
00:12:21.30\00:12:27.54
We're not looking
forward to the end result that
00:12:27.58\00:12:31.71
Jesus is coming
back for a purified bride
00:12:31.75\00:12:34.52
and a purified church.
00:12:34.55\00:12:35.88
So we get caught up
in the things around us
00:12:35.92\00:12:38.79
and we start worrying
about me, myself, and I.
00:12:38.89\00:12:41.39
All of these things.
00:12:41.49\00:12:42.82
And we need to
look back to Acts.
00:12:42.86\00:12:44.69
We need to look
back to Pentecost.
00:12:44.73\00:12:46.70
And we should be looking
forward to the second coming.
00:12:46.86\00:12:49.73
How did this church grow?
00:12:49.76\00:12:52.17
When they all came
together in one accord.
00:12:52.20\00:12:54.44
So the devil is out to
steal, kill, and to destroy.
00:12:54.47\00:12:56.97
He knows a house divided
against itself can't stand.
00:12:57.24\00:13:00.58
So today let's take, let's
learn from the book of Acts,
00:13:00.78\00:13:06.11
from the ministry of
Peter and the others.
00:13:06.21\00:13:08.42
We're going to be
talking that, you know what?
00:13:08.45\00:13:10.69
We've got a great
future ahead of us.
00:13:10.72\00:13:12.89
Jesus is coming very
soon in the clouds of glory.
00:13:12.92\00:13:15.66
He's willing to take
every one of you, and me,
00:13:15.86\00:13:18.83
in our sinful state, looks
like there's no hope for us.
00:13:18.93\00:13:23.16
He doesn't see us as
that diamond in the rough.
00:13:23.43\00:13:25.90
He can see us
for what we will be.
00:13:25.93\00:13:28.24
Sons and daughters
and heirs to the throne.
00:13:28.44\00:13:31.07
And to me, that's an amazing
thing that God can look down
00:13:31.27\00:13:34.44
on this earth to fallen
man, and He can use fallen man.
00:13:34.48\00:13:37.95
Never be discouraged.
00:13:37.98\00:13:39.31
No matter what happens to
you, there's nothing so bad that
00:13:39.35\00:13:42.48
you've done God
can't forgive it.
00:13:42.52\00:13:44.25
There's nothing so small that
He doesn't hear your request,
00:13:44.42\00:13:47.92
because He lends an ear.
00:13:47.96\00:13:49.46
So I'm encouraged
by Peter, to find out
00:13:49.66\00:13:52.83
here's a man who is
just like me in so many ways,
00:13:52.86\00:13:55.20
made so many mistakes,
00:13:55.23\00:13:56.70
but after his conversion
he became a solid rock,
00:13:56.80\00:14:01.30
a foundation for
the apostolic church
00:14:01.34\00:14:04.31
that now begin to go
out into all the world.
00:14:04.34\00:14:07.91
~ Amen, amen.
00:14:07.94\00:14:09.28
Well I get to continue, Danny,
on Monday to look at another
00:14:09.31\00:14:13.31
experience in Peter's life.
00:14:13.35\00:14:15.32
I'm looking at an
experience that Peter has
00:14:15.55\00:14:19.29
that really changed him.
00:14:19.39\00:14:20.76
And this is at
Cornelius's house.
00:14:20.79\00:14:23.19
So I want you to go
to Acts the 10th chapter.
00:14:23.22\00:14:27.13
And at this time
Peter is in Joppa.
00:14:27.30\00:14:31.37
And he's staying with a tanner,
and the tanner's name is Simon.
00:14:31.93\00:14:36.37
Meanwhile, we've got two
things going on here together.
00:14:36.87\00:14:40.58
Over in Caesarea
which is about 25 miles away
00:14:40.84\00:14:45.25
from Joppa, there lived a
Roman centurion name Cornelius.
00:14:45.28\00:14:51.29
He and his household
were devout worshipers of God,
00:14:52.19\00:14:56.39
though they had not yet
formally adhered to Judaism.
00:14:56.59\00:15:00.96
Meaning that Cornelius was,
here's the terminology, Shelley,
00:15:00.96\00:15:05.03
he was an uncircumcised Gentile.
00:15:05.07\00:15:07.90
That's what he was called.
00:15:07.94\00:15:09.57
But God gave, here's
the beauty of the story,
00:15:09.84\00:15:13.27
He gave this
uncircumcised Gentile a vision.
00:15:13.31\00:15:18.38
So let me read
that vision to you.
00:15:18.41\00:15:20.22
That's Acts 10:3-8.
00:15:20.25\00:15:23.49
"About the ninth hour of the
day he saw clearly in a vision
00:15:23.79\00:15:28.69
an angel of God coming in
and saying to him, 'Cornelius!'
00:15:28.72\00:15:32.99
And when he observed
him, he was afraid, and said,
00:15:33.19\00:15:36.00
'What is it, lord?'
00:15:36.03\00:15:37.60
So he said to him, 'Your prayers
and your alms have come up
00:15:37.80\00:15:42.64
for a memorial before God.
00:15:42.67\00:15:44.91
Now send men to
Joppa, and send for Simon
00:15:45.11\00:15:49.31
whose surname is Peter.
00:15:49.34\00:15:51.11
He is lodging
with Simon, a tanner,
00:15:52.05\00:15:54.72
whose house is by the sea.
00:15:54.75\00:15:56.75
He, being Peter, will
tell you what you must do.'
00:15:56.79\00:16:00.79
And when the angel who
spoke to him had departed,
00:16:01.02\00:16:04.39
Cornelius called two
of his household servants
00:16:04.43\00:16:07.76
and a devout
soldier from among those
00:16:07.76\00:16:10.50
who waited on him continually.
00:16:10.57\00:16:12.57
So when he had explained
all these things to them,
00:16:12.77\00:16:16.64
he sent them to Joppa."
00:16:17.11\00:16:18.77
Now Cornelius has just
sent three of his men to Joppa.
00:16:19.04\00:16:23.88
What are they going to do?
00:16:23.98\00:16:25.31
They're going to tell Peter
to come to Cornelius's house.
00:16:25.35\00:16:29.25
Now Peter was a devout Jew.
00:16:29.28\00:16:31.69
Can we say Peter
was a pretty devout Jew?
00:16:31.72\00:16:34.59
Danny, this is after Pentecost.
00:16:34.79\00:16:37.26
This is after Peter
has been filled with...
00:16:37.33\00:16:40.00
Remember that
sermon that he preached
00:16:40.10\00:16:42.10
on the day of Pentecost?
00:16:42.13\00:16:43.47
He's a powerful man of God.
00:16:43.53\00:16:45.67
And the Jews didn't associate
with uncircumcised Gentiles
00:16:46.07\00:16:50.77
if they could help it.
00:16:50.91\00:16:52.24
It was unlawful for a
Jewish man to keep company with
00:16:52.74\00:16:57.05
or go to one of another nation.
00:16:57.11\00:16:59.58
Peter is having
a paradigm shift.
00:17:00.15\00:17:02.68
Can we say that for a fact?
00:17:02.72\00:17:04.45
But now Peter has a
vision from God too.
00:17:05.35\00:17:08.46
Isn't God good to
intervene on our behalf?
00:17:08.49\00:17:11.13
That's Acts 10:9-16.
00:17:11.16\00:17:15.53
It says, "The next day..."
00:17:15.56\00:17:17.80
This is the next day
after Cornelius had his vision.
00:17:18.03\00:17:22.47
The next day, as
they went on their journey
00:17:22.50\00:17:24.77
and drew near the
city, Peter went up on the
00:17:24.81\00:17:27.48
housetop to pray,
about the sixth hour.
00:17:27.51\00:17:29.91
Then he became very
hungry and wanted to eat;
00:17:29.94\00:17:32.95
but while they made
ready, he fell into a trance
00:17:32.98\00:17:36.15
and saw heaven opened and
an object like a great sheet
00:17:36.18\00:17:40.29
bound at the four
corners descending to him
00:17:40.36\00:17:43.16
and let down to the earth.
00:17:43.19\00:17:44.83
In it were all kinds
of four-footed animals
00:17:45.16\00:17:48.33
of the earth, wild
beasts, creeping things,
00:17:48.36\00:17:52.13
and birds of the air.
00:17:52.17\00:17:53.94
And a voice came to him,
'Rise, Peter; kill and eat.'
00:17:54.00\00:17:59.21
But Peter said, 'Not so, Lord!
00:17:59.51\00:18:02.48
For I have never eaten
anything common or unclean.'
00:18:02.88\00:18:07.18
And a voice spoke to
him again the second time,
00:18:07.55\00:18:11.09
'What God has cleansed
you must not call common.'
00:18:11.29\00:18:15.92
This was done three times.
00:18:16.19\00:18:19.19
And the object was
taken up into heaven."
00:18:19.23\00:18:22.40
Now let me ask you this.
00:18:22.66\00:18:24.00
Let me ask you
great theologians here.
00:18:24.07\00:18:26.53
Do you think Peter's vision
had anything to do with food?
00:18:27.14\00:18:30.41
~ Absolutely
not. ~ No. Not at all.
00:18:30.44\00:18:31.81
Not at all.
00:18:31.84\00:18:33.17
It was about people.
00:18:33.48\00:18:35.18
The vision was to remove
the error Peter was living under
00:18:35.78\00:18:41.45
and open Peter up to
receive all nations, kindred,
00:18:41.65\00:18:46.02
tongues, and people
as God's loved children.
00:18:46.05\00:18:50.83
It was to remove his bias.
00:18:50.93\00:18:53.23
Now do you remember Paul?
00:18:53.40\00:18:55.00
Paul and Peter had
something very much in common.
00:18:55.23\00:18:58.40
They had been raised
under the Jewish system.
00:18:58.57\00:19:02.24
And this is all they knew.
00:19:02.27\00:19:03.84
And it was truth to them.
00:19:03.87\00:19:05.71
So they weren't doing
anything that they didn't feel
00:19:06.01\00:19:09.01
that was what they
were supposed to do.
00:19:09.04\00:19:12.35
But what they
believed was skewed.
00:19:12.61\00:19:16.75
And so because
their belief was skewed,
00:19:17.12\00:19:19.99
God is setting about the process
to bring their belief system
00:19:20.02\00:19:26.06
in line with the Word of God.
00:19:26.09\00:19:28.73
God told Cornelius to
invite Peter to his home.
00:19:29.03\00:19:34.07
Peter's view was that if
he entered Cornelius's house
00:19:34.27\00:19:39.27
and fellowshipped with
him, he would be defiled
00:19:39.41\00:19:44.05
and become unfit to
worship in the temple
00:19:44.25\00:19:46.95
or to come
before God's presence.
00:19:47.02\00:19:49.18
That is what he had
been taught his whole life.
00:19:49.38\00:19:52.95
This is significant to him.
00:19:52.99\00:19:55.22
This is vital to him.
00:19:55.26\00:19:56.86
To be, as it
were, excommunicated
00:19:56.93\00:20:00.70
from the presence of God?
00:20:00.73\00:20:02.36
That is significant.
00:20:02.40\00:20:03.93
But in a vision from God, God
is telling him to do something.
00:20:03.97\00:20:08.07
And you know there
has got to be conflict,
00:20:08.10\00:20:11.21
a conflicting thought.
00:20:11.24\00:20:12.67
Uncircumcised Gentiles were
segregated, they were shunned,
00:20:12.71\00:20:18.45
and treated with contempt.
00:20:18.48\00:20:20.52
They could have no
part in God's blessing.
00:20:20.82\00:20:24.25
But that a Gentile,
an uncircumcised Gentile,
00:20:24.92\00:20:31.06
here we've got somebody,
Cornelius, that even God says,
00:20:31.09\00:20:35.16
"Your good works are
coming up as a memorial to Me,"
00:20:35.20\00:20:38.30
and gives him a vision.
00:20:38.33\00:20:39.97
So this whole concept
that they would have no part
00:20:40.07\00:20:44.27
in God's
blessing was incompatible.
00:20:44.31\00:20:47.68
It was diametrically opposed to
what Jesus' death on the cross
00:20:47.71\00:20:53.58
accomplished for all mankind.
00:20:53.65\00:20:55.98
It took time, but over time.
00:20:56.32\00:20:58.65
Thank God, God didn't
get in a hurry with us.
00:20:58.69\00:21:01.19
He's patient
with us. He loves us.
00:21:01.22\00:21:03.63
He takes us step by step.
00:21:03.66\00:21:05.76
Over time, this erroneous
teaching was being corrected.
00:21:05.79\00:21:10.57
Now it started here with
Peter concerning the Gentiles.
00:21:10.63\00:21:17.47
We've already seen where
Paul had his experience too.
00:21:17.51\00:21:21.11
So these early pillars
in the apostolic church,
00:21:21.14\00:21:24.48
God had to begin with them.
00:21:24.51\00:21:26.21
Because they're the teachers.
00:21:26.31\00:21:27.92
It was like the
Ethiopian said to Philip,
00:21:27.95\00:21:31.65
"How am I going to understand
if I don't have somebody
00:21:31.69\00:21:34.62
to explain it to me."
00:21:34.66\00:21:36.06
So God started changing
the hearts of these apostles
00:21:36.09\00:21:43.16
in the early church so that they
would teach a clear message.
00:21:43.40\00:21:47.57
A message that
would penetrate the heart
00:21:47.60\00:21:50.14
and remove all doubt.
00:21:50.17\00:21:51.77
Error was being
replaced with truth.
00:21:51.81\00:21:57.91
You know, I'm going to
say this, and you may think
00:21:58.01\00:22:01.42
this is a
controversial statement.
00:22:01.45\00:22:03.79
But more than
likely, every one of us
00:22:04.55\00:22:06.12
have some error in our heart.
00:22:06.15\00:22:07.59
I doubt any of
us have arrived yet.
00:22:08.12\00:22:11.06
The sin isn't that we
have error in our heart.
00:22:12.46\00:22:17.33
The sin would be if truth
comes and we reject truth.
00:22:17.37\00:22:20.60
So truth is being poured out.
00:22:20.80\00:22:22.94
I've got to hurry here.
00:22:22.97\00:22:24.31
When Peter arrived
at Cornelius's house,
00:22:24.34\00:22:27.98
he told the people
who had gathered there...
00:22:28.18\00:22:30.65
Now let me read this to
you. I want you to see this.
00:22:30.71\00:22:33.38
Go to Acts 10:28.
00:22:33.42\00:22:35.72
This is so beautiful.
00:22:36.05\00:22:38.45
Because this vision
from God had given Peter
00:22:38.49\00:22:43.26
a whole different mindset.
00:22:43.29\00:22:46.39
He'd had a total paradigm shift.
00:22:46.43\00:22:49.66
What he believed one day,
00:22:49.86\00:22:52.07
he believed totally
different the next day.
00:22:52.10\00:22:55.47
Why? Because God
had touched his heart.
00:22:55.50\00:22:57.57
Look at this Acts 10:28.
00:22:57.61\00:22:59.67
"Then he said to them..."
00:22:59.77\00:23:01.44
Now this is at Cornelius's house
00:23:01.64\00:23:04.71
where they had
all gathered together.
00:23:04.75\00:23:06.85
"You know how unlawful it is
for a Jewish man to keep company
00:23:06.92\00:23:10.99
with or go to one
of another nation.
00:23:11.02\00:23:14.26
But God has shown me
that I should not call
00:23:14.39\00:23:18.36
any man common or unclean."
00:23:18.39\00:23:20.63
The vision had to do
with mankind, with humanity.
00:23:20.70\00:23:24.03
Alright, one last scripture
in Acts the 10th chapter.
00:23:24.07\00:23:27.20
"Then Peter opened
his mouth and said,
00:23:30.21\00:23:32.87
'In truth I perceive
that God shows no partiality.
00:23:32.91\00:23:37.35
But in every
nation whoever fears Him
00:23:37.41\00:23:40.48
and works righteousness
is accepted by Him.'"
00:23:40.68\00:23:44.25
This is the theme that
runs throughout the whole Bible.
00:23:44.29\00:23:48.46
And here is it in
a little nut shell.
00:23:48.56\00:23:50.89
It's not by race. It's by grace.
00:23:51.06\00:23:54.13
Amen and amen.
Thank you, Mollie.
00:23:54.20\00:23:56.70
This was just beautiful.
00:23:56.73\00:23:58.07
Well I have lesson
six, which is for Tuesday.
00:23:58.10\00:24:01.70
And the title of this lesson
is, The Gift of the Spirit.
00:24:02.04\00:24:07.51
But what I'd like to do is
just set the stage for a second
00:24:07.58\00:24:10.65
and talk about how the
Holy Spirit is given today.
00:24:10.68\00:24:14.32
Jesus said in John 7:37-39
that those who yearn for God,
00:24:15.38\00:24:21.66
those who thirst for God,
will be given the Holy Spirit.
00:24:21.69\00:24:25.46
He says, "If anyone thirsts,
let him come after Me and drink.
00:24:25.49\00:24:29.00
And He who believes in
Me, as the Scripture has said,
00:24:29.03\00:24:32.13
out of his heart will
flow rivers of living water."
00:24:32.17\00:24:36.40
And it goes on to say, "This He
spoke of concerning the Spirit."
00:24:36.57\00:24:40.48
So the gift of the Spirit
comes to those who are yearning
00:24:40.58\00:24:45.71
for God and trusting in Him.
00:24:45.91\00:24:47.72
Obviously we know
that Romans 12:1-2,
00:24:48.02\00:24:51.72
which is one of ours,
that it's a matter of yielding,
00:24:51.75\00:24:55.26
submitting yourself to God,
00:24:55.29\00:24:57.03
consenting to His
leading, if you will.
00:24:57.09\00:25:01.46
And then Acts 5:32 says
that... Let me just read this.
00:25:01.83\00:25:06.74
It says, "We are His
witnesses to these things,
00:25:06.77\00:25:09.04
so also is the Holy
Spirit whom God gives
00:25:09.07\00:25:13.21
to those who obey Him."
00:25:13.68\00:25:15.78
So there's something
about, you know, there's so many
00:25:16.04\00:25:21.18
questions about the
baptism of the Holy Spirit
00:25:21.22\00:25:23.69
or being filled
with the Holy Spirit.
00:25:23.72\00:25:25.25
But what I wanted to point
out is, God's Spirit was already
00:25:25.29\00:25:28.92
working with
Cornelius and is household
00:25:28.96\00:25:32.19
before Peter ever showed up.
00:25:32.23\00:25:33.80
The Scripture says he was a
devout man, that he feared God.
00:25:34.00\00:25:38.50
It said that he
gave alms to the poor.
00:25:38.53\00:25:41.27
And he and his whole household
were generous-natured people
00:25:41.30\00:25:45.94
who were fearing
the Lord, it says.
00:25:45.97\00:25:48.61
So I wanted to establish
this, that there is no set order
00:25:48.71\00:25:54.38
given in the Scripture
for receiving the Holy Spirit.
00:25:54.42\00:25:57.99
Let me run through that quickly.
00:25:58.02\00:25:59.35
Acts 2:38, when
Peter is preaching to those
00:25:59.39\00:26:03.56
who he's holding accountable
for the death of Jesus,
00:26:03.66\00:26:06.73
what he says to them is,
"Repent, every one of you,
00:26:06.76\00:26:09.10
be baptized in the
name of Jesus Christ
00:26:09.13\00:26:12.20
for the
remission of your sins..."
00:26:12.23\00:26:13.74
And it's the name of Jesus and
His blood that remits the sins.
00:26:13.77\00:26:17.01
"...and you shall
receive the Holy Spirit."
00:26:17.31\00:26:19.24
So the order sounds
like, repent, be baptized,
00:26:19.27\00:26:22.01
then you're going to
receive the Holy Spirit.
00:26:22.04\00:26:24.38
But in Acts 8:14-17, the
Samaritans had already been
00:26:24.48\00:26:30.39
baptized in the name of Jesus.
00:26:30.42\00:26:32.65
They hadn't yet
received the Holy Spirit.
00:26:32.79\00:26:35.36
We've got the Jews
going out, or Peter and...
00:26:35.56\00:26:38.33
Who was it? Peter
and John who went out.
00:26:38.36\00:26:41.00
And they laid hands on them.
00:26:41.20\00:26:46.37
But I believe it's because
they, as amazing as it was
00:26:46.40\00:26:50.87
uncircumcised Gentiles,
the idea that these Samaritans
00:26:50.91\00:26:55.31
who they thought their
religion was so twisted that
00:26:55.34\00:26:59.01
they had ruined Judaism,
and they considered them dogs,
00:26:59.05\00:27:02.58
this was a sign for
the Jews that went out.
00:27:02.78\00:27:06.39
Paul received the
baptism of the Holy Spirit
00:27:07.19\00:27:11.09
before he was baptized in water.
00:27:11.13\00:27:14.30
And now let's get to Acts 10:38.
00:27:14.36\00:27:16.46
Cornelius and his household,
while Peter is telling them
00:27:16.87\00:27:21.80
about the powerful life
and death and resurrection
00:27:21.84\00:27:24.94
of Jesus, the Holy Spirit
fell upon all those who heard.
00:27:25.04\00:27:29.74
So it's on Cornelius
and the whole household.
00:27:29.78\00:27:32.01
"And those of
the circumcision..."
00:27:32.05\00:27:34.32
See, Peter took six
of the Jewish brethren,
00:27:34.38\00:27:38.69
the Jewish
Christians, down with him.
00:27:38.72\00:27:40.69
He knew he was going to
get some push back on this.
00:27:40.76\00:27:43.83
So he took six with him.
00:27:43.86\00:27:45.59
And it says, "Those of
the circumcision who believed
00:27:45.86\00:27:49.30
were astonished, as many
as came with Peter, because
00:27:49.60\00:27:52.73
the gift of the
Holy Spirit had been
00:27:52.77\00:27:54.24
poured out on the Gentiles also.
00:27:54.27\00:27:56.67
For they heard them speak
with tongues magnifying God.
00:27:56.71\00:28:01.51
And Peter says,
'Can anyone forbid water,
00:28:01.54\00:28:04.91
that these should not be
baptized who have received
00:28:04.95\00:28:07.28
the Holy Ghost as we have?'
00:28:07.35\00:28:09.35
And he commanded them to be
baptized in the name of Jesus."
00:28:09.38\00:28:12.49
Then he stayed on for a
few days and taught them.
00:28:12.52\00:28:14.72
This was the first time that one
of the apostles from Jerusalem
00:28:15.02\00:28:18.39
had gone out to
a Gentiles house.
00:28:18.43\00:28:21.56
And unlike the Hellenistic Jews
who lived away from the temple,
00:28:21.86\00:28:26.00
they were much more quick to
accept uncircumcised Gentiles
00:28:26.20\00:28:32.41
into the fellowship.
00:28:32.44\00:28:33.78
But boy, the Judean Jews, ick.
00:28:33.88\00:28:36.75
Because they actually believed
that you had to become Jewish
00:28:36.85\00:28:40.02
to become a Christian.
00:28:40.45\00:28:41.78
They thought you needed
to be a Jewish proselyte
00:28:41.82\00:28:43.59
to become a Christian.
00:28:43.62\00:28:44.95
So the gift of tongues,
speaking in other languages,
00:28:45.05\00:28:49.32
was so amazing as a sign
for the Jewish Christians
00:28:49.42\00:28:55.20
that had come down.
00:28:55.23\00:28:56.56
And it just showed
them that salvation,
00:28:56.63\00:28:59.57
that God has no favorites,
that He's got no prejudice,
00:29:00.27\00:29:05.21
and salvation belonged
to both Jews and Gentiles.
00:29:05.24\00:29:08.24
So, we know...
00:29:08.58\00:29:11.68
Oh, let's go to, I've got
to skip half my notes, Acts 11.
00:29:12.81\00:29:16.92
Let's look at verses 1-18.
00:29:17.45\00:29:19.75
So Peter is there,
he's witnessed this,
00:29:20.29\00:29:23.86
he's had these guys with him.
00:29:23.89\00:29:25.29
Now he goes back to
the Jerusalem church
00:29:25.49\00:29:27.96
to give the report.
00:29:28.00\00:29:29.33
"And when Peter
came up to Jerusalem,
00:29:29.46\00:29:31.10
those of the circumcision..."
00:29:31.13\00:29:32.57
Those circumcised Jews
that had been converts.
00:29:32.60\00:29:36.07
"...say to him, 'You
went in to uncircumcised men
00:29:36.30\00:29:41.61
and you ate with them!'"
00:29:41.64\00:29:43.65
They were more upset
that he had violated one of
00:29:44.05\00:29:48.48
their traditions than
they were worried about
00:29:48.75\00:29:51.99
people coming to the Lord.
00:29:52.02\00:29:53.66
"So Peter explained it to them
in order from the beginning..."
00:29:54.06\00:29:59.06
He's telling his
vision of the sheet.
00:29:59.09\00:30:01.10
And he says, "I
heard a voice saying to me,
00:30:01.20\00:30:03.63
'Rise, Peter; kill and eat.'
00:30:03.67\00:30:05.03
But I said, 'Not so, Lord!'"
00:30:05.07\00:30:07.54
Wait a minute.
00:30:07.60\00:30:08.94
This is some
time after Jesus died.
00:30:08.97\00:30:10.97
He walked three and a
half years with Jesus.
00:30:11.01\00:30:13.64
And now the Lord is saying,
00:30:13.78\00:30:16.54
"Rise up and eat of
these unclean things."
00:30:16.58\00:30:18.38
And he says, "You know I've
never eaten anything unclean.
00:30:18.41\00:30:20.58
Not even until this day.
00:30:20.62\00:30:21.95
I haven't put
anything unclean in my mouth."
00:30:21.98\00:30:24.62
"But the voice
answered me again from heaven,
00:30:24.82\00:30:27.12
'What God has cleansed
you must not call common.'"
00:30:27.16\00:30:30.09
You know what
this reminds me of?
00:30:30.13\00:30:31.46
The story in Jeremiah 35 where
God told the prophet Elisha,
00:30:31.49\00:30:37.83
He says, "Go to the Rechabites."
00:30:37.87\00:30:40.50
And He said, "You bring
them into the prophets apartment
00:30:40.57\00:30:45.27
there at the synagogue,
you give them wine to drink."
00:30:45.31\00:30:49.58
What! Why is He doing this?
00:30:50.61\00:30:52.75
It was because God knew they
wouldn't drink of that wine.
00:30:53.08\00:30:56.82
And He was going to
hold them up as an example
00:30:56.85\00:31:00.96
of faithfulness
in obeying the rule.
00:31:00.99\00:31:04.33
Because they said,
"No, our father said that,
00:31:04.36\00:31:06.80
you know, we
should never drink wine."
00:31:07.00\00:31:08.50
And then God turns
around to the guys and says,
00:31:08.53\00:31:10.53
"Hey, look at the Rechabites.
00:31:10.57\00:31:12.27
They still do
what their father says.
00:31:12.30\00:31:14.04
But I keep talking to
you, and you men of Judah
00:31:14.10\00:31:16.67
and you men of Jerusalem,
you're persistently disobeying."
00:31:16.71\00:31:20.24
So Peter finally
understood the vision.
00:31:20.54\00:31:23.31
And as you said, Mollie,
he says, "Ah, You know how
00:31:23.91\00:31:29.38
unlawful it is for a
Jewish man to keep company with
00:31:29.42\00:31:31.75
or go to one of another nation.
00:31:31.79\00:31:34.26
Oh, but God has shown me that my
prejudice is nothing but pride.
00:31:34.66\00:31:39.83
He's trying to get
the pride out of me.
00:31:39.96\00:31:41.70
Because He has shown
me that I should not call
00:31:41.73\00:31:45.33
any man common or unclean."
00:31:45.37\00:31:47.30
Let me tell you something.
00:31:47.57\00:31:48.97
And I want to look
straight into the camera,
00:31:49.00\00:31:50.87
straight into your
eyes when I say this.
00:31:50.91\00:31:52.84
And that is that
prejudice is nothing but pride.
00:31:53.24\00:32:01.18
Listen to what I'm saying.
00:32:02.35\00:32:03.89
Prejudice is nothing but pride.
00:32:04.32\00:32:07.26
You think you are
better than somebody else
00:32:07.36\00:32:10.26
if you're prejudice.
00:32:10.33\00:32:11.66
And pride is the
original sin of the devil.
00:32:11.69\00:32:15.16
This is where it all started.
00:32:15.40\00:32:17.57
So please, if you feel
prideful in your heart,
00:32:17.77\00:32:21.00
go before the Lord and
ask Him to forgive you.
00:32:21.20\00:32:24.27
So now in Acts 11:15.
00:32:24.37\00:32:27.44
He's still talking
to the Jerusalem group.
00:32:27.88\00:32:32.28
He says, this is
Peter, "'As I began to speak,
00:32:32.38\00:32:34.92
the Holy Spirit fell
upon them, as it had upon us
00:32:34.95\00:32:38.69
at the very beginning.
00:32:38.72\00:32:40.06
Then I remembered the
word of the Lord, how He said,
00:32:40.12\00:32:43.06
"John indeed
baptized with water,
00:32:43.26\00:32:46.39
but you shall be
baptized with the Holy Spirit."
00:32:46.43\00:32:49.76
If therefore God gave them
the same gift as He gave us
00:32:50.00\00:32:53.90
when we believed on
the Lord Jesus Christ,
00:32:54.10\00:32:56.84
who was I that I
could withstand God?'
00:32:57.14\00:33:01.38
And when they heard these
things," oh, these prideful men,
00:33:02.11\00:33:06.48
"they became silent;
and they glorified God..."
00:33:06.82\00:33:10.92
He silenced their arguments.
00:33:11.22\00:33:13.69
He silenced their foolishness.
00:33:13.86\00:33:16.09
"...they glorified God,
saying, 'Then God has also
00:33:16.29\00:33:20.90
granted to the
Gentiles repentance to life.'"
00:33:20.93\00:33:25.77
Amen. Thank you
so much, Shelley.
00:33:26.17\00:33:28.64
Isn't it incredible what
God wants to do in our lives?
00:33:28.67\00:33:31.47
He wants to take the
gospel to the Gentiles.
00:33:31.51\00:33:34.28
And at home you might be saying,
00:33:34.31\00:33:35.98
"I was never even
raised a Christian.
00:33:36.01\00:33:38.48
I don't know
anything about Jesus."
00:33:38.51\00:33:40.08
The gospel is for you.
00:33:40.12\00:33:42.02
But not only that, He
wants to take the gospel
00:33:42.22\00:33:44.95
to those of us who
were raised in the church
00:33:45.15\00:33:47.69
and knew all of those
doctrines and beliefs to follow
00:33:47.72\00:33:50.89
but never met Jesus.
00:33:50.93\00:33:52.29
And so, no matter what
camp we find ourselves in,
00:33:52.33\00:33:55.50
the gospel is for us.
00:33:55.53\00:33:56.90
And that's the beauty of this.
00:33:56.93\00:33:58.50
Well my section is Wednesday,
The Church in Antioch.
00:33:58.60\00:34:02.40
And at this point, Luke
kind of interrupts his account.
00:34:03.04\00:34:06.27
He's been talking about Peter,
00:34:06.31\00:34:07.98
and the ministry
and the work of Peter.
00:34:08.18\00:34:10.15
And right now he
does like a digression.
00:34:10.18\00:34:12.28
And he talks about the
work going forward to Antioch.
00:34:12.48\00:34:16.99
The work with
Barnabas and Saul in Antioch.
00:34:17.85\00:34:20.46
So my section is Acts 11:19-26.
00:34:20.49\00:34:25.16
Let's pick it up in verse 19.
00:34:25.19\00:34:27.10
"Now those who were
scattered after the persecution
00:34:27.30\00:34:30.63
that arose over Stephen traveled
as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus,
00:34:30.67\00:34:34.37
and Antioch, preaching the word
to no one but the Jews only."
00:34:34.40\00:34:38.64
So remember at the
stoning of Stephen,
00:34:39.37\00:34:42.08
that was the end of Acts
7, the beginning of Acts 8
00:34:42.58\00:34:46.45
what took place.
00:34:46.48\00:34:47.82
There was a great persecution
that arose in Jerusalem.
00:34:47.85\00:34:50.59
And the believers were
forced to flee from Jerusalem.
00:34:50.69\00:34:54.12
I think this is part
of God's plan, Acts 1:8.
00:34:54.16\00:34:57.23
They were suppose
to spread the gospel
00:34:57.39\00:34:59.66
in Jerusalem, and
then Judea, and Samaria,
00:34:59.76\00:35:01.83
and to the
uttermost parts of the earth.
00:35:01.86\00:35:03.47
So while it wasn't God's
plan for Stephen to be stoned,
00:35:03.50\00:35:06.30
at the same time God
used a bad experience
00:35:06.33\00:35:09.67
and the persecution that arose
for the spreading of the gospel.
00:35:09.70\00:35:13.38
So this is actually
several years after that time,
00:35:13.58\00:35:17.45
because in just a moment we see
that Saul comes and joins it.
00:35:17.48\00:35:21.05
But we know that
Saul wasn't even converted
00:35:21.08\00:35:23.08
at the stoning of Stephen.
00:35:23.12\00:35:24.45
He was one of the
ones who held the coats
00:35:24.59\00:35:26.96
for the ones who were
doing the active stoning.
00:35:26.99\00:35:29.69
Then he was
converted some time later.
00:35:30.43\00:35:32.49
He went to Damascus.
00:35:32.53\00:35:33.90
He spend three years
in Arabia. He came back.
00:35:33.93\00:35:36.33
So we're at least
three years, four years,
00:35:36.36\00:35:38.73
after this has occurred.
00:35:38.77\00:35:40.44
So the brethren have scattered.
00:35:40.54\00:35:42.54
And you notice their preaching
the Word not to everybody.
00:35:42.57\00:35:45.67
Did you notice that?
00:35:45.71\00:35:47.04
They preached the Word
only, Pastor C.A., to the Jews.
00:35:47.08\00:35:51.15
Because that's
what they thought.
00:35:51.18\00:35:53.05
It was suppose to only
go to the Jewish people.
00:35:53.08\00:35:55.25
Now let's look at verse 20.
00:35:55.48\00:35:56.85
Verse 20 begins with, "But..."
00:35:56.89\00:35:58.62
And I like that because
it means something different
00:35:58.65\00:36:00.99
is about ready to happen.
00:36:01.02\00:36:02.36
But some of them were
men from Cyprus and Cyrene,
00:36:02.66\00:36:06.59
who, when they had come to
Antioch spoke to the Hellenists,
00:36:06.83\00:36:10.10
preaching the Lord Jesus."
00:36:10.17\00:36:12.53
Now we've been talking
throughout this study that
00:36:13.20\00:36:15.70
the Hellenists are Greeks.
00:36:15.74\00:36:17.41
They're Greek speaking Jews.
00:36:17.44\00:36:19.54
We know that
Barnabas was a Hellenist.
00:36:19.57\00:36:22.48
We know that Saul of
Tarsus was a Hellenist,
00:36:22.51\00:36:24.51
because he was born in Tarsus.
00:36:24.55\00:36:26.82
He was not a native
of Palestine, as it were.
00:36:27.02\00:36:30.22
Now these people were
from Cyprus and Cyrene.
00:36:30.62\00:36:34.72
So they are not
native of Palestine.
00:36:34.76\00:36:36.96
But they're
preaching the Lord Jesus.
00:36:37.06\00:36:38.59
Who are they preaching
it to? To the Hellenists.
00:36:38.63\00:36:41.20
Now wait a minute.
00:36:41.23\00:36:42.56
How can Hellenists,
Greek speaking Christians,
00:36:42.60\00:36:45.67
preach the Word to a Hellenist?
00:36:45.93\00:36:48.40
Wait a minute, it seems
like there's something wrong
00:36:48.44\00:36:50.07
here with this picture.
00:36:50.11\00:36:51.44
I would submit to you
that the Hellenists they were
00:36:51.47\00:36:53.44
preaching to in
this case were Gentiles.
00:36:53.48\00:36:56.28
They're not Jews at all.
00:36:56.31\00:36:57.75
They are Greek
speaking, but they are Gentiles.
00:36:57.85\00:37:00.55
You can see that because the
previous verse what does it say?
00:37:00.58\00:37:03.92
They spoke to no
one but Jews only.
00:37:03.95\00:37:05.99
Then it says, "But..."
00:37:06.65\00:37:08.89
So if I were to say, "I'm
going to the store, Shelley,
00:37:08.99\00:37:11.79
but you stay home,"
what does that mean?
00:37:11.83\00:37:13.73
Are you coming to
the store with me?
00:37:13.76\00:37:15.06
No, you have to stay home.
00:37:15.13\00:37:16.46
You're doing something
different, entirely different.
00:37:16.50\00:37:18.80
So if they were
preaching to Jews only,
00:37:19.03\00:37:21.54
but now they're
preaching to Hellenists,
00:37:21.57\00:37:23.74
the Hellenists
cannot be the Jews.
00:37:23.81\00:37:25.21
Because the Jews, they
were preaching to before.
00:37:25.24\00:37:27.48
So in this case, they
were preaching to Gentiles.
00:37:27.51\00:37:30.95
Verse 21, "And the hand
of the Lord was with them,
00:37:31.05\00:37:34.32
and a great number
believed and turned to the Lord.
00:37:34.35\00:37:38.62
Then news of these
things came to the ears
00:37:38.82\00:37:40.86
of the church in Jerusalem,
and they sent out Barnabas
00:37:40.89\00:37:44.03
to go as far as Antioch."
00:37:44.06\00:37:45.39
Now we know Antioch was
the capital city of Syria.
00:37:45.43\00:37:48.63
And their
population was probably between
00:37:49.36\00:37:51.23
three hundred and five hundred
thousand people at this time.
00:37:51.27\00:37:53.74
It was a big city.
00:37:53.90\00:37:55.24
It was the third largest
city in the Roman Empire.
00:37:55.27\00:37:58.14
The first being Rome,
the second being Alexandria,
00:37:58.24\00:38:01.31
and then Antioch.
00:38:01.34\00:38:02.68
So this is a large city.
00:38:02.71\00:38:04.08
And if you look at a map,
like Jerusalem would be here,
00:38:04.11\00:38:06.61
and you go straight north
300 miles, you come to Antioch.
00:38:06.65\00:38:10.92
So it takes a little
while for the news to get out,
00:38:11.02\00:38:13.29
I would think, from Antioch
all the way down to Jerusalem.
00:38:13.32\00:38:16.26
"Hey, you know what?
00:38:16.49\00:38:17.83
There are some
Gentile Christians.
00:38:17.86\00:38:19.83
There's something going on.
00:38:19.86\00:38:21.43
We need to send one of
the brethren to check it out."
00:38:21.46\00:38:24.10
So they sent Barnabas to them.
00:38:24.17\00:38:26.87
And now Barnabas comes.
00:38:28.04\00:38:29.70
Verse 23, "When he
came," when Barnabas came,
00:38:29.90\00:38:32.87
"and had seen the
grace of God, he was glad..."
00:38:32.91\00:38:37.15
Don't you love that?
00:38:37.18\00:38:38.51
He didn't discourage them.
00:38:38.55\00:38:40.02
He didn't say, "Now I don't know
exactly what you all have been
00:38:40.05\00:38:43.39
doing preaching
to these Gentiles."
00:38:43.42\00:38:45.19
He was glad.
00:38:45.22\00:38:46.76
"...and encouraged them
all that with purpose of heart
00:38:46.86\00:38:49.72
they should
continue with the Lord."
00:38:49.76\00:38:51.26
To me, one of
Barnabas' greatest gifts
00:38:51.93\00:38:54.00
is knowing and recognizing
gifts in other people
00:38:54.30\00:38:58.37
and pushing them
to the forefront.
00:38:58.47\00:39:01.00
He's kind of an unsung
hero of the New Testament.
00:39:01.24\00:39:04.54
But he recognized, "Wow,
God is doing amazing things."
00:39:04.57\00:39:07.51
And he encouraged them.
00:39:07.68\00:39:09.21
We know in Acts
4:36, Barnabas is known as
00:39:09.24\00:39:12.25
the son of encouragement.
00:39:12.28\00:39:14.05
So what happens next?
00:39:14.48\00:39:15.95
Verse 24, "He was a good
man," talking about Barnabas,
00:39:15.98\00:39:19.65
"full of the Holy
Spirit and of faith."
00:39:19.75\00:39:22.09
The word for, "full,"
in Greek, "pleres," means,
00:39:22.12\00:39:24.93
full, completely abounding in.
00:39:24.96\00:39:27.86
So Barnabas was completely
filled up with the Holy Spirit.
00:39:27.96\00:39:31.50
He was completely
filled up with faith.
00:39:31.53\00:39:35.07
And what happens next?
00:39:35.60\00:39:37.01
"A great many people
were added to the Lord."
00:39:37.04\00:39:38.94
Now at this point
I might be saying,
00:39:38.97\00:39:40.78
"Okay, many
people are coming to God.
00:39:41.61\00:39:43.85
The Jerusalem
church sent me here.
00:39:43.88\00:39:45.51
Everything is going well.
00:39:45.55\00:39:46.92
I'm going to
consolidate my leadership."
00:39:47.22\00:39:49.18
But instead, what does he do?
00:39:49.22\00:39:51.35
He sends for someone else
to come join him in the work.
00:39:51.49\00:39:55.39
The next verse, verse 25,
00:39:55.56\00:39:57.69
"Barnabas departed
for Tarsus to seek Saul."
00:39:57.73\00:40:01.30
And he had, remember, met
Saul when he first came to
00:40:01.73\00:40:04.67
meet the Jerusalem brethren
after his three years in Arabia.
00:40:04.70\00:40:07.80
And Barnabas is saying,
"Here is someone who can
00:40:07.84\00:40:10.07
join me in the work.
00:40:10.11\00:40:11.44
Here is someone
with gifts and abilities.
00:40:11.47\00:40:13.07
And I want to bring him
to join me here in the work."
00:40:13.11\00:40:16.91
And so he brought Saul.
00:40:17.45\00:40:18.85
Now Tarsus is 100
miles north of Antioch.
00:40:18.88\00:40:21.05
So he went north again,
brought Saul, and came back.
00:40:21.08\00:40:24.15
"And when he had found
him, he brought him to Antioch.
00:40:24.39\00:40:26.72
So it was that for a
whole year they assembled
00:40:26.76\00:40:29.72
with the church and
taught a great many people.
00:40:29.76\00:40:32.66
And the disciples were first
called Christians in Antioch."
00:40:32.86\00:40:37.53
The first place they
were ever called Christians
00:40:37.63\00:40:39.70
was right here in Antioch.
00:40:39.73\00:40:41.14
And Antioch became, as
it were, an important center
00:40:41.17\00:40:44.91
for the apostolic church.
00:40:44.94\00:40:46.27
Of course, Jerusalem was.
00:40:46.31\00:40:47.64
But for Paul's
ministry especially.
00:40:47.88\00:40:50.48
Each one of his
three missionary journeys,
00:40:50.51\00:40:52.51
he departed from
Antioch, from that place.
00:40:52.55\00:40:55.75
These are my five
takeaways from this
00:40:55.98\00:40:58.29
passage here in Scripture.
00:40:58.32\00:40:59.82
Number one, acknowledge
God's supremacy and sovereignty.
00:40:59.92\00:41:04.79
Remember in verse 19 when
the believers were scattered
00:41:04.96\00:41:08.16
because of the persecution.
00:41:08.20\00:41:09.76
They could have thought,
"I'm going through trials,
00:41:10.53\00:41:12.27
I'm going through hardships.
00:41:12.30\00:41:13.64
I've no idea what God is doing."
00:41:13.70\00:41:15.94
Paul tells us in
2 Corinthians 13,
00:41:16.27\00:41:19.04
"You can do nothing against
the truth, but for the truth."
00:41:19.07\00:41:23.18
The Jerusalem believers
thought it was the end of their
00:41:23.31\00:41:25.45
hopes and dreams, and
everything, to be persecuted
00:41:25.48\00:41:28.78
and driven out from Jerusalem.
00:41:28.82\00:41:30.55
But that was God's
means of spreading the gospel.
00:41:30.59\00:41:33.92
So you might be going
through something today,
00:41:33.96\00:41:35.86
and it seems like,
"I'm being persecuted,
00:41:35.89\00:41:37.93
I'm in oppression,
I'm in a bad place."
00:41:38.13\00:41:40.66
Acknowledge that
God is sovereign.
00:41:40.86\00:41:42.73
Acknowledge that even
in the midst of that stuff
00:41:42.76\00:41:45.50
He can do something beautiful.
00:41:45.53\00:41:47.47
He can work to spread His work.
00:41:47.50\00:41:49.04
Number two, accept the
priesthood of all believers.
00:41:49.14\00:41:53.41
Everyone is called to preach
and teach and share the gospel.
00:41:53.61\00:41:57.75
Not just the leaders.
00:41:57.85\00:41:59.31
Because you notice, who first
planted the church in Antioch?
00:41:59.35\00:42:01.88
We don't even know their names.
00:42:02.08\00:42:03.62
They were from
Cypress and Cyrene.
00:42:03.69\00:42:06.05
Then the brethren got hold of it
00:42:06.25\00:42:07.86
and they sent Barnabas and Saul.
00:42:07.89\00:42:09.36
But the first
people were even people
00:42:09.39\00:42:11.43
we don't even know their names.
00:42:11.46\00:42:13.50
So we might be saying, "I have
to be a Rafferty to preach."
00:42:14.20\00:42:17.13
Or a Batchelor, or a Bohr.
00:42:17.17\00:42:18.70
None of that matters.
00:42:18.80\00:42:20.14
God calls each one of
us to share the gospel.
00:42:20.20\00:42:23.77
Number three, look
for the good in others.
00:42:23.91\00:42:26.41
That's what Barnabas did.
00:42:26.44\00:42:27.78
He saw the good that was
happening there in the church
00:42:27.81\00:42:30.51
and he decided to
support it and encourage it.
00:42:30.71\00:42:34.32
Number four, realize that
God alone gives the increase.
00:42:34.42\00:42:39.19
We're called to speak, to
preach, to live, to share Jesus.
00:42:39.25\00:42:42.42
But God is the one
who brings the increase.
00:42:42.46\00:42:45.93
And finally,
recognize when you need help.
00:42:46.23\00:42:50.40
Barnabas went to get
Saul and bring him to help
00:42:51.17\00:42:54.90
the church and the work there.
00:42:55.04\00:42:56.84
Someone with different
gifts or different abilities.
00:42:56.87\00:42:59.17
Someone who can walk along
side you and carry the ministry
00:42:59.21\00:43:02.61
even farther
than you ever could.
00:43:02.71\00:43:05.35
So what an incredible lesson
that I see here in this church.
00:43:05.45\00:43:10.42
The first place they
were ever called Christians is
00:43:10.49\00:43:13.49
we see the growth
of the apostolic church
00:43:13.56\00:43:15.76
here in Antioch.
00:43:15.79\00:43:17.43
- Pastor C.A. ~
Well done, well done.
00:43:17.46\00:43:19.33
Great things done at Antioch.
00:43:19.36\00:43:21.13
I am on Thursday's
lesson, Herod's Persecution.
00:43:21.23\00:43:26.23
We move now to Acts chapter 12.
00:43:26.43\00:43:28.94
We're going to read
the first five verses,
00:43:28.97\00:43:30.47
and then we'll launch out.
00:43:30.94\00:43:32.27
The Bible says, Acts
12:1, "Now about that time
00:43:32.51\00:43:37.78
Herod the king stretched
out his hand to harass..."
00:43:38.15\00:43:42.92
And this harass
is no light trifling.
00:43:42.95\00:43:45.99
This is a heavy word
up to and including death.
00:43:46.02\00:43:49.36
"...some of the church.
00:43:49.62\00:43:51.06
Then he killed James the
brother of John with the sword.
00:43:51.59\00:43:54.86
And because he saw
that it pleased the Jews,
00:43:54.93\00:43:57.73
he proceeded
further to seize Peter also.
00:43:57.77\00:44:01.34
Now it was during the
Days of Unleavened Bread."
00:44:01.77\00:44:04.37
So we're at Passover time.
00:44:04.41\00:44:05.74
"So when he had arrested
him, he put him in prison,
00:44:06.11\00:44:10.15
and delivered him to four
squads of soldiers to keep him,
00:44:10.18\00:44:15.02
intending to bring him before
the people after Passover."
00:44:15.12\00:44:19.19
Now these Herods
were political operatives.
00:44:19.22\00:44:21.19
So he knew the time.
00:44:21.22\00:44:22.56
He didn't want to do
anything during Passover
00:44:22.59\00:44:23.93
for the would not have gone
well with the Jewish people.
00:44:23.96\00:44:26.93
Verse 5, "Peter was
therefore kept in prison,
00:44:27.66\00:44:30.43
but constant prayer,"
praise God, "was offered to God
00:44:31.03\00:44:35.14
for him by the church."
00:44:35.17\00:44:37.51
I want to take just a moment
and give you just a little
00:44:38.31\00:44:40.64
historical
perspective on the Herods.
00:44:40.68\00:44:43.51
Because we hear
these names so very much.
00:44:43.55\00:44:45.18
There are a lot of Herods.
00:44:45.21\00:44:46.55
Three of them dealt
directly with Christ's life.
00:44:46.61\00:44:48.52
There were six in total that
the Bible sort of deals with.
00:44:48.55\00:44:51.29
And there's an easy
way to sort of remember
00:44:52.15\00:44:53.76
what Herod is what Herod.
00:44:53.82\00:44:55.26
Herod the Great, the
grandfather of them all,
00:44:56.16\00:44:59.59
that's the
Christmas story Herod.
00:44:59.69\00:45:01.30
That's the one that the
wisemen went to seeking Jesus.
00:45:01.33\00:45:04.17
That's Herod the Great.
00:45:04.20\00:45:05.53
And they knew
something was wrong,
00:45:05.57\00:45:06.94
so they went back another way.
00:45:06.97\00:45:08.30
That's Herod the Great.
00:45:08.34\00:45:09.67
His son, Herod
Archelaus, was on the throne
00:45:10.31\00:45:14.44
when Joseph and
Mary were coming back,
00:45:14.48\00:45:17.38
and instead of
going to Bethlehem
00:45:17.45\00:45:19.38
they went to Nazareth
because they feared him
00:45:19.41\00:45:21.28
because he too was a trickster.
00:45:21.32\00:45:23.69
You've got Herod Antipas.
00:45:24.69\00:45:26.42
This is the one that
Jesus called, that fox.
00:45:27.16\00:45:29.66
That fox.
00:45:29.76\00:45:31.09
And, "fox," is
an interesting term.
00:45:31.13\00:45:33.13
It means,
trickster, but it also means,
00:45:33.60\00:45:35.56
in modern terminology you could
say, that small fry, you know.
00:45:35.60\00:45:38.87
He thinks he's a big guy, but
he's really kind of a small fry.
00:45:38.97\00:45:41.24
Kind of a minnow in a big pond.
00:45:41.27\00:45:43.67
So Christ said, "Go tell
that fox," that small fry,
00:45:43.71\00:45:45.74
that little minnow, "that he's
not all that he thinks he is."
00:45:45.77\00:45:49.78
He, of course,
killed John the Baptist.
00:45:49.88\00:45:52.35
Herod Philip, his
brother, ruled north of Galilee,
00:45:53.98\00:45:58.05
built Caesarea Philippi.
00:45:58.09\00:45:59.55
Now what is interesting,
Herod Antipas, Herod Philip
00:45:59.59\00:46:03.09
were married to Herodias.
00:46:03.12\00:46:06.43
They shared the same wife.
00:46:07.30\00:46:08.86
Herodias not only
was wife of them both,
00:46:09.06\00:46:11.73
she was niece of them both.
00:46:11.77\00:46:13.74
So the tightness
of the intermarriage.
00:46:14.60\00:46:16.64
So when Herod Philip went
to Rome, Herodias left Philip,
00:46:16.71\00:46:22.48
moved in with Antipas.
00:46:22.51\00:46:24.15
And this, of course, was
what John was railing against
00:46:24.18\00:46:27.12
when, at the suggestion
of Herodias, Salome danced.
00:46:27.75\00:46:32.12
And of course, they got
together and Herod Antipas,
00:46:32.49\00:46:37.23
so aroused by this young lady,
00:46:37.26\00:46:40.03
"Anything you
want you can have."
00:46:40.10\00:46:41.40
And of course, her mother said,
00:46:41.43\00:46:42.76
"Ask for the head
of John the Baptist."
00:46:42.80\00:46:44.13
Now we've got Herod Agrippa.
00:46:44.67\00:46:47.04
This is the Herod
that we're dealing with now
00:46:47.50\00:46:49.50
that is reaching
out to please the Jews
00:46:49.54\00:46:54.61
by assassinating Christians.
00:46:54.64\00:46:56.34
He, of course, is
followed by Herod Agrippa II.
00:46:56.54\00:46:59.45
He was on the throne during
the trial of Paul at Caesarea.
00:46:59.55\00:47:04.22
So we've got six Herods.
00:47:04.25\00:47:05.95
They were not Jews, by the way.
00:47:06.99\00:47:08.72
They were Edomites, or Edomiter;
desert people, they were Arabs.
00:47:08.76\00:47:11.89
But they practiced Judaism
because it was convenient.
00:47:11.99\00:47:16.13
You know, these are
political operatives.
00:47:16.16\00:47:18.23
They'll do whatever needs
to be done to get the job done.
00:47:18.27\00:47:22.20
Sometimes they killed for Jews,
00:47:22.44\00:47:24.94
sometimes they
killed Jews themselves.
00:47:25.41\00:47:27.91
But the Herods did
whatever was necessary
00:47:27.94\00:47:31.25
to get the job done,
and what was expedient.
00:47:31.35\00:47:35.35
They found, Agrippa
found that executing James
00:47:35.92\00:47:40.39
pleased the Jewish leaders.
00:47:40.49\00:47:42.26
So now he reaches out to
take care of the big fisherman.
00:47:42.49\00:47:48.43
He wants to put Peter aside.
00:47:48.46\00:47:50.23
He puts him in prison.
00:47:50.27\00:47:51.60
He remembers, this is
interesting, he remembers
00:47:51.63\00:47:55.04
what happened in Acts chapter 5
00:47:55.14\00:47:56.97
the last time
Peter was in prison.
00:47:57.01\00:47:58.87
You know, they took
him from the temple,
00:47:58.97\00:48:01.34
put him in prison,
came back the next morning,
00:48:01.38\00:48:04.51
doors locked, guards
standing in place, no Peter.
00:48:05.31\00:48:08.52
Well, where's Peter?
00:48:08.58\00:48:09.92
In the temple preaching
right where he was before.
00:48:09.95\00:48:12.45
And they said, "Didn't we tell
you not to preach in this name?"
00:48:12.49\00:48:14.49
Of course, we get the
famous statement in Acts 5:29,
00:48:14.52\00:48:17.56
"It is better, rather, to
obey God rather than man."
00:48:17.59\00:48:20.83
So he remembers that
just normal prison work
00:48:20.93\00:48:24.30
is not going to hold Peter.
00:48:24.33\00:48:25.67
So he puts him in the
deepest part of the prison,
00:48:25.70\00:48:29.14
four squads of soldiers,
two chained one on each arm.
00:48:29.64\00:48:34.21
You know, he's got this guy
locked down, or so he thinks.
00:48:34.64\00:48:37.75
Because he wants
to silence Peter.
00:48:37.85\00:48:40.02
You know, Danny, we see here the
evolution spiritually of Peter.
00:48:40.05\00:48:44.62
When we started,
this was a guy whose mouth
00:48:44.65\00:48:46.79
runs at 78 and his brain
working at 331/3, you know.
00:48:47.09\00:48:50.99
He's not going to do
this, he's going to do this.
00:48:51.69\00:48:53.63
But now he is
growing in the Lord.
00:48:53.83\00:48:56.53
And you can tell a lot about a
person by the friends he keeps.
00:48:56.63\00:48:59.47
You can also tell
a lot about a person
00:48:59.73\00:49:01.84
by the enemies that they have.
00:49:01.87\00:49:03.30
And Peter is
picking up some enemies
00:49:03.34\00:49:04.94
in some very high places.
00:49:04.97\00:49:06.47
He's got Herod who
wants to silence him.
00:49:06.51\00:49:08.81
And he's got a Jewish community
that also wants to silence him.
00:49:08.84\00:49:11.78
But the common
thread that we've all seen
00:49:11.81\00:49:14.25
over the last several
weeks is that these men
00:49:14.28\00:49:17.12
are filled with
the Spirit of God.
00:49:17.15\00:49:18.99
When Christ said in Acts 1:8,
"I'm going to give you power,"
00:49:19.25\00:49:23.56
He meant, "I'm going
to give you the ability
00:49:23.59\00:49:26.23
to do what you have to do
to move this church forward."
00:49:26.26\00:49:28.80
So here we have
Peter, another man,
00:49:28.83\00:49:30.87
filled with the Spirit of God.
00:49:30.97\00:49:33.20
So, he's chained.
00:49:33.94\00:49:36.37
The angel comes in,
taps him on the shoulder,
00:49:36.81\00:49:38.97
and says, "Get up quickly."
00:49:39.01\00:49:40.38
The chains fall off.
You've got two soldier there.
00:49:40.41\00:49:42.84
The chains fall off, the
doors open, he comes out.
00:49:42.88\00:49:46.58
And they are praying at
John Mark's mom's house.
00:49:47.35\00:49:51.19
They are praying,
praying, praying for Peter.
00:49:51.22\00:49:53.36
Praying for Peter.
00:49:53.39\00:49:54.72
And the story is
really kind of cute here.
00:49:54.76\00:49:56.12
Let me just go to
something here in the lesson
00:49:56.73\00:50:00.10
before we sort of tidy this up.
00:50:00.13\00:50:01.43
I'm looking at my time.
00:50:01.46\00:50:02.80
"Because James' execution
was effective and fulfilling
00:50:03.33\00:50:06.17
Agrippa's agenda, he
planned to execute Peter."
00:50:06.20\00:50:08.87
So he wanted Peter gone as well.
00:50:08.90\00:50:11.34
"Peter was arrested and
delivered to four squads
00:50:11.47\00:50:14.24
of four soldiers each..."
00:50:14.28\00:50:15.84
Four squads of
four soldiers each.
00:50:15.94\00:50:18.51
"...to guard him,
one squad for each of the
00:50:19.28\00:50:22.95
four watches of the night."
00:50:22.98\00:50:24.79
So they're changing soldiers.
Nobody is getting any sleep.
00:50:24.82\00:50:27.02
Nobody is going to nod.
00:50:27.06\00:50:28.39
We've got four
squads of four soldiers.
00:50:28.42\00:50:30.96
"Peter had four
soldiers at a time with him:
00:50:31.06\00:50:34.23
he would be chained to two
soldiers, one on each side,
00:50:34.56\00:50:38.90
and two would
guard the entrance.
00:50:38.93\00:50:41.10
Such extreme
precaution was certainly taken
00:50:41.37\00:50:44.61
to try to avoid
what had already happened
00:50:44.71\00:50:47.54
to Peter and John
some time before."
00:50:47.58\00:50:49.54
And of course,
that's Acts chapter 5.
00:50:49.58\00:50:51.15
So this is an exciting story
because God is going to let
00:50:51.18\00:50:54.68
Herod know, "You
can't keep My people down.
00:50:54.72\00:50:57.35
You can't hold
the work of God back."
00:50:57.42\00:51:01.26
So no matter how much you chain,
00:51:01.29\00:51:03.43
the grave couldn't hold Jesus,
and four squads of four soldiers
00:51:03.46\00:51:07.60
can't hold Peter either.
00:51:07.60\00:51:08.93
So it's a wonderful story.
00:51:08.96\00:51:10.53
So the Bible says the
night before he's waiting for
00:51:11.20\00:51:13.60
Passover to be over so
that, you know, things are down.
00:51:13.64\00:51:16.40
Plus the crowd is not
so big because the Passover
00:51:16.44\00:51:18.74
crowd has left.
00:51:18.77\00:51:20.14
He intends to bring
him out the next morning.
00:51:20.18\00:51:23.71
And the Lord chooses that
night to deliver him, you know.
00:51:24.15\00:51:27.65
Eleven o'clock,
11:59:59 Peter is coming out.
00:51:27.68\00:51:32.39
It's a wonderful
story. And they're praying.
00:51:32.99\00:51:35.56
Now here's the cute part, as we
look at a little bit later on.
00:51:35.59\00:51:40.26
Rhoda is with the group.
00:51:40.30\00:51:42.86
And they're praying for Peter.
00:51:43.43\00:51:45.47
And Peter comes, and we
find that he comes to the house.
00:51:45.67\00:51:51.71
And let's look at
Acts chapter 12 and verse,
00:51:51.74\00:51:57.65
I'll do this very quickly, 13.
00:51:57.68\00:51:59.75
Let's look at this.
00:51:59.78\00:52:01.18
"And as Peter knocked
at the door of the gate,
00:52:01.22\00:52:03.32
a girl named
Rhoda came to answer.
00:52:03.39\00:52:05.32
When she
recognized Peter's voice..."
00:52:05.35\00:52:07.16
So she knew who he was.
00:52:07.26\00:52:08.59
"...because of her gladness
she did not open the gate,
00:52:08.62\00:52:11.99
but ran in and announced that
Peter stood before the gate."
00:52:12.19\00:52:16.33
So she's so excited that
she doesn't connect the dots.
00:52:16.36\00:52:20.50
She running in to tell them,
"Peter is here! Peter is here!"
00:52:20.54\00:52:22.87
But the Bible says
Peter keeps knocking.
00:52:23.24\00:52:24.91
He's like the
Lord, he keeps knocking.
00:52:24.94\00:52:26.27
He doesn't knock and
leave. He keeps knocking.
00:52:26.31\00:52:28.24
And they come and realize
that she's not out of her mind,
00:52:28.28\00:52:32.05
but that their
prayers have been answered.
00:52:32.21\00:52:34.62
So Peter has been delivered.
00:52:34.65\00:52:37.19
Now here's the
question I want to ask
00:52:37.25\00:52:38.99
in the last few seconds
that are allotted to me.
00:52:39.02\00:52:41.26
James was not delivered.
00:52:41.72\00:52:43.79
Peter was delivered.
00:52:44.29\00:52:45.96
Is that a
commentary on James or Peter?
00:52:46.29\00:52:48.80
It is not.
00:52:48.83\00:52:50.20
God takes care of His people.
00:52:50.23\00:52:51.67
There are many, many, many who
have sacrificed for the Lord.
00:52:51.70\00:52:54.90
And then every now and again
God chooses to hold up a trophy
00:52:55.10\00:52:58.67
to say that, "I can do this."
00:52:58.71\00:53:00.28
God is God.
00:53:00.64\00:53:02.04
You know, had He not
delivered the Hebrew boys
00:53:02.14\00:53:03.95
He still would
have been their God.
00:53:03.98\00:53:05.31
They said, "Though
He slay me," Job said,
00:53:05.35\00:53:07.45
"yet will I
trust Him," you know.
00:53:07.52\00:53:08.95
The Hebrew boys
said to Nebuchadnezzar,
00:53:08.98\00:53:11.19
"If we die in this,
we're not going to bow down."
00:53:11.39\00:53:13.12
So our job is to stand
for Christ, whatever happens.
00:53:13.46\00:53:19.46
Even if our life is cut
short, those who live in Jesus
00:53:19.49\00:53:23.63
will die in Jesus,
will also live again.
00:53:23.73\00:53:26.57
I did 117
funerals several years ago.
00:53:26.80\00:53:28.90
And at every funeral
I said the same thing.
00:53:28.94\00:53:31.07
Death in Christ is
not such a bad thing.
00:53:32.11\00:53:34.24
Better to die in Jesus
than to live without Him.
00:53:34.61\00:53:38.71
~ Amen. Thank you so much.
00:53:38.75\00:53:40.95
This has been really an
eye opener for all of us.
00:53:40.98\00:53:43.99
And it's so neat
to be able to study
00:53:44.05\00:53:45.69
together and hear each of you.
00:53:45.72\00:53:47.62
I know, Mollie, you
said some really neat things.
00:53:47.66\00:53:50.13
Of course, the
gospel is for everyone.
00:53:50.19\00:53:52.03
And you said it's
grace and not race.
00:53:52.26\00:53:54.63
And so that includes all of
us when you put it like that.
00:53:55.03\00:53:58.07
And Shelley, you
said something similar.
00:53:58.10\00:54:00.17
But you talked about receiving
the gift of the Holy Spirit.
00:54:00.64\00:54:03.64
But you also
said that we should...
00:54:03.91\00:54:07.48
Prejudice, I think you said,
I wrote that down, is pride.
00:54:07.81\00:54:11.81
And so pride, of course,
pride goeth before a fall.
00:54:12.08\00:54:15.02
But it's what Satan
really had in heaven.
00:54:15.05\00:54:17.29
So what we're
finding out is that
00:54:17.32\00:54:20.16
God has people in all churches.
00:54:20.19\00:54:21.69
And maybe sometimes we're
too quick to judge other people
00:54:21.72\00:54:25.29
because they're
not just like us.
00:54:25.33\00:54:27.20
So I think the lesson,
and some of you watching
00:54:27.30\00:54:29.40
who are maybe not of our faith,
you're saying, Oh, those..."
00:54:29.43\00:54:32.03
Last Sabbath I turned
on another gospel channel,
00:54:32.07\00:54:36.97
and the man said, "I want
to give you some information
00:54:37.17\00:54:39.44
on Seventh-day Adventists.
00:54:39.47\00:54:40.84
They're a cult," he said.
00:54:40.88\00:54:42.21
"And so we have
this DVD you can order."
00:54:42.24\00:54:44.11
Of course, you know I'm
still in Peter's process,
00:54:44.15\00:54:46.68
so I emailed him, I
got the email address,
00:54:46.72\00:54:49.02
and said, "I'd be happy
to talk to you about this,
00:54:49.05\00:54:50.95
you know, any time you want to."
00:54:51.19\00:54:52.52
And come and
visit, and what have you.
00:54:52.55\00:54:54.42
But what we're finding is,
we tend to judge each other
00:54:54.59\00:54:57.59
if someone is not like us.
00:54:57.63\00:54:59.13
And so, Jill, you told us
we really should recognize
00:54:59.43\00:55:02.60
the gifts and the
good in other people.
00:55:02.63\00:55:05.80
And we also should
acknowledge God and His
00:55:06.00\00:55:08.44
supremacy and sovereignty.
00:55:08.47\00:55:11.51
And so, then C.A., just as
we're all happy and getting
00:55:11.61\00:55:15.71
everything, you know,
all excited, you remind us
00:55:15.74\00:55:19.21
that being a Christian...
00:55:19.41\00:55:20.82
I don't know if this
is politically correct.
00:55:20.85\00:55:22.35
We use to say, being a
Christian is not for sissies.
00:55:22.38\00:55:24.82
But being a Christian
comes with a price to pay.
00:55:24.92\00:55:29.29
But these men were now
willing to pay that price.
00:55:29.82\00:55:34.30
They weren't of
their own strength.
00:55:34.30\00:55:36.20
And again, we go back to
Peter and how bold he was
00:55:36.23\00:55:39.77
and, you know,
how physical he was.
00:55:39.80\00:55:42.10
But then after
this true conversion,
00:55:42.34\00:55:44.61
how he acted
totally in the Spirit.
00:55:44.64\00:55:47.24
How he rightly represented Jesus
Christ and how humble he was.
00:55:47.78\00:55:53.38
And yet, you know what?
00:55:53.42\00:55:54.75
He went from boldness in the
flesh to boldness in the Spirit.
00:55:54.78\00:55:58.39
So there's nothing here
that says that we need to
00:55:58.75\00:56:02.59
back away or be
afraid, or whatever,
00:56:02.62\00:56:05.46
because this
world is just temporary.
00:56:05.49\00:56:07.50
And we're just strangers here.
00:56:07.76\00:56:09.73
We're just passing
through, the old song says.
00:56:09.76\00:56:12.10
You know, this
world is not my home,
00:56:12.13\00:56:13.74
I'm just passing through.
00:56:13.77\00:56:15.74
My treasures are laid up
somewhere beyond the blue.
00:56:16.00\00:56:18.94
The angels beckon me
from heaven's open door,
00:56:18.97\00:56:21.31
and I can't feel at
home in this world anymore.
00:56:21.34\00:56:24.31
So hopefully that's
each and every one of us.
00:56:24.35\00:56:27.12
We want to thank you for joining
us on the Sabbath School Panel.
00:56:27.15\00:56:30.49
Again, if you don't
have the Sabbath School
00:56:30.59\00:56:35.62
lesson, you can get it.
00:56:35.66\00:56:37.03
Can somebody have the
address where to get it?
00:56:37.06\00:56:39.03
But the best way is
to actually visit your
00:56:46.74\00:56:49.57
Seventh-day Adventist church.
00:56:49.60\00:56:50.94
We know that there are
people there who are praying
00:56:51.11\00:56:54.24
that you will
come and meet with them
00:56:54.41\00:56:56.48
and literally abide with them.
00:56:56.71\00:56:58.78
And it can kind of be
like the book of Acts.
00:56:58.81\00:57:00.68
We can get
together, be in one accord,
00:57:00.75\00:57:02.85
and ask God for an
anointing of the Holy Spirit.
00:57:02.98\00:57:05.49
God has great, and mighty,
and marvelous plans for you.
00:57:05.59\00:57:09.09
And remember, when you
come in the name of the Lord
00:57:09.12\00:57:11.53
you no longer come as yourself.
00:57:11.79\00:57:14.03
You can come like
David did against Goliath.
00:57:14.23\00:57:16.30
And guess what? You
know who won that battle.
00:57:16.56\00:57:18.63
But we encourage you to
come in the name of the Lord.
00:57:18.67\00:57:21.24
Once again, thank
you for joining us.
00:57:21.27\00:57:23.41
And we'll see you
next week once again at our
00:57:23.61\00:57:26.24
3ABN Sabbath School Panel.
00:57:26.27\00:57:28.41