Hello and welcome to the
3ABN Sabbath School Panel.
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It's the moment where we
can study God's word together
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and we are glad to be with you.
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My name is John
Dinzey, and I would like to
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present to you our panel
that is here with us to share
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God's word together.
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So to my left we have
Sister Shelley Quinn, welcome;
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thank you, good to be here.
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And next to her is our
Sister Mollie Steenson;
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thank you, great to be here too.
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Thank you and
Pastor John Lomacang is
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with us as well,
always good to be here.
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And our general manager for
3ABN - Sister Jill Morikone;
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it's a privilege
to open up God's word.
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And we are just pleased to have
this opportunity and, of course,
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we need to start with
prayer, so I'm going to ask
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Sister Mollie Sue
Steenson to lead us in prayer
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into this study, please.
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Thank you Pastor Dinzey.
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Holy Father... We come
before You in the name of Jesus,
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and Father, we are so
grateful for Your presence here.
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And Lord, we just, each
one of us, give You our heart
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and ask Lord, as we
present this message,
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these words that You have
given us, that Your power,
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Your presence and
Your anointing will just
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overshadow us all.
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And Father, I pray for
the hearts and the minds of
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everyone that is listening,
that they will be prepared
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to receive the implantation of
Your word - it will take root,
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it will grow, it will prosper
and we will all continue to
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be conformed to
Your image and likeness.
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In Christ's name... Amen,
Amen. Amen, thank you so much.
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And the Quarterly that we have
for this...ah...ah - Quarter?
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Quarter, yes, is
"Oneness in Christ,"
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"Oneness in Christ" and
you may wonder, "Where do I get
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one of those things?"
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Well, you'll be happy to know
that you can visit your local
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Seventh-day Adventist Church
and say, "I'd like one of those
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Quarterlies that
they mention on 3ABN,
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where can I get
one, and they'll be glad
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to give one to you for free.
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But if you want one right
away, you can go on the internet
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to ABSG.Adventist.org for
Adult Sabbath School Quarterly,
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ABSG.Adventist.org
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And there, you can
download a PDF version
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onto your telephone or
tablet and you can follow
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along with us right now.
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And so, we'd like to go
right into the lesson...
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We are in lesson #4 of
13 lessons and the title is:
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"The Key to
Unity," "The Key to Unity"
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The what we call the
memory text because some people
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take time to memorize this,
is found in Ephesians 1:9-10,
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Ephesians 1:9-10, Notice
this wonderful Scripture.
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"Having made known to
us the mystery of His will,
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according to His good pleasure
which He purposed in Himself,
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that in the dispensation of the
fullness of the times he might
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gather together in one all
things in Christ, both which are
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in heaven and which
are on earth - in Him.
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And I praise the Lord, this
is a Scripture that gives us
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encouragement and I
would like to also point to you
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another Scripture that kind
of gives us the idea that is
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brought out here - that
Christ is going to gather
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together in one all
things, those that are in heaven
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and those that are in earth.
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And this is found in
Ephesians 3:14 where we have
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verse 14 and 15,
Ephesians 3:14-15...
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"For this cause I bow my
knees unto the Father of our
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Lord Jesus Christ, Of
whom the whole family in heaven
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and earth is named..."
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So you see, there is this idea
of family that is brought out
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here in the Book of Ephesians,
not only family on earth,
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but also family in heaven.
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You see, with God the whole
universe is to Him as a family,
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and you see this thing
brought out in different ways
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in the Scriptures.
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When the disciples came
to Jesus... "Lord, how should
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we pray, Jesus said,
"After this manner therefore
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you shall pray..."(Not
that you should use this prayer
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all the time, but this is the
pattern which you could use.)
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And He says, "Our
Father which art in heaven."
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You see for us on
earth that are adopted into
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God's family, we have
the privilege of calling
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Him "Father," and
this is a wonderful thing.
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You may also remember
that it says that we say,
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"Abba Father," (Daddy).
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You know it's interesting
to me that Dr. Samuel,
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that used to be a part of
the Thompsonville Seventh-day
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Adventist Church, he is from
India and his family is from
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India and he brought
out something interesting...
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You know they have - I
forgot how many millions of gods
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in India - of course they're
not real gods because they have
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gods that are little trees
and bushes and all kinds of
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gods, but you see the
concept of god that they have
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is you are a servant and
this is the god, but there's no
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relationship involved.
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But the Bible shows to us
that we are children and family,
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and God is our Father.
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And so this is a marvelous
thing that is brought out to us,
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and through Jesus Christ, this
is a reality that we are all
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family.
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When we talk about
Ephesus, we have to realize that
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this was a major
central commerce and influence
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in Asia Minor and of course
the church at that time was
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composed of Jews and
Gentiles and people in all
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walks of life and
this is perhaps a setting
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some people might think
for conflicts and division
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to take place, but
when you come to Jesus,
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we're all children.
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We are all to love one another.
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Jesus said, "By this
all will know that you
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are My disciples, if you have
love one for another." Amen!
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So in God's family,
there's not to be a division
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one pulling this way and
another one pulling that way;
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"No, it's my way," or as some
people say, "or the highway."
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People work together.
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I remember one time,
I was in South America
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and a marvelous thing had
taken place there in Lima, Peru.
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You see, the people were setting
a goal - we want to baptize
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X- amount of people every
year, X- amount of people,
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and every year they
would not reach that goal
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until they tried
something different,
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and that is a marvelous thing.
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They started meeting in
homes, and you know what happens
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when you're in homes
and there are less people?
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You get to know one another!
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You see, and
that's what God's family
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is like - we get
to know one another.
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And they used to
pray more for each other.
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Sometimes when
you're in a large setting,
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and this is true, people
walk into a church sometimes
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500 or 1,000, they
walk in, they listen,
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they listen and then
they go home and they don't
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interact with one another.
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God's purpose in
bringing us together
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is for there to be
unity, for there to be
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fellowship with one
another and this is why
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many churches in the Seventh-
day Adventist Church have
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have what we call
"fellowship dinner" where we are
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not only to
partake of a meal together,
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but also we are to
fellowship one with another.
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And it's
interesting that in the Bible,
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this is brought out as well...
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Jesus is said to be
"knocking at the door,"
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"Behold I stand at the
door and knock, if any man hears
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my voice and opens the
door, I will come into him
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and sup with
him and he with Me."
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And when you think of
the idea of having a supper
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together, in the culture
that is brought out in the Bible
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that Jesus lived in, sharing
a meal together is one of the
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most intimate and
familiar things that you can do
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with one another and this
is brought out even by Jesus.
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So I encourage you to
consider visiting a Seventh-day
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Adventist Church - most of
them will have fellowship dinner
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and you can come in
and fellowship not only
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partake in worshipping
God together, but also
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partake of a meal -
get to know one another.
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So I was telling you about
Lima, Peru, and I bring this up
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for a reason because they
said they brought people from
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all of South America to find
out what happened in Lima, Peru,
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why did they
suddenly pass all the records,
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all these goals that they were
reaching they couldn't reach...
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until they decided to
meet in homes and sing together
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and pray with one another
and study the Bible together.
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They just passed
the goal, so they had to
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bring it higher next year
and they passed that goal,
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and they said, "Well we
sing together, we pray together,
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we share our meals together."
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And they said, "Well,
what's the secret of this unity?
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"Oh well, if somebody doesn't
agree, we just throw them out."
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But that wasn't true...
He said, "I was just joking."
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He said, "It's the coming
together, the fellowshipping
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with one with another that
has brought out this unity."
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God has brought
this unity about.
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When we realize that
we have all been purchased
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by the blood of
Christ, that there's no one
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better than another,
then we understand that
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he's my brother - why
would I do something to hurt
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this person... she's my
sister, why would I do something
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to hurt this person.
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And so, the source of
unity is Jesus Christ - that we
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understand that we have been
purchased by His precious blood.
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I have this section in Sunday,
it says, "Blessings in Christ,"
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and with the little
time that I have left,
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I would like to begin reading in
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Ephesians 1, beginning verse
3, and notice these wonderful
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Scriptures...
"Blessed be the God and Father
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of our Lord Jesus Christ
who has blessed us with every
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spiritual blessing in the
heavenly places in Christ,
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just as He chose us in
Him before the foundation
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of the world, that we
should be holy and without blame
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before Him in love,
having predestined us
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to adoption as sons by
Jesus Christ to Himself
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according to the good pleasure
of His will, to the praise
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of the glory of His grace,
by which He made us accepted
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in the Beloved."
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These words communicate
to us that even before the
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foundation of the world,
even as that Scripture is
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brought out in Romans
5:8, God commendeth His
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love toward us, in that,
while we were yet sinners,
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Christ died for us... and
this understanding that even
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before the foundation of
the world, God chose you,
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chose you, chose me to
be a part of His family,
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to rescue us from
this world of corruption
00:11:07.36\00:11:10.10
to rescue us from
sin, not only that...
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It says here that we may
be holy and without blame
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before Him, in love,
having predestined us to be
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into the adoption of sons.
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It's not only that you
are forgiven, you are accepted
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in the beloved without blame
all the things you have done.
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They're gone! Nobody
can say... "Aren't you
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that guy that killed 500 people?
00:11:35.29\00:11:37.79
Weren't you that person that
used to steal from old ladies?"
00:11:37.83\00:11:41.10
No... all of that is
gone because it is cleansed
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by the blood of Jesus Christ.
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It shall not be
brought before you.
00:11:46.10\00:11:48.10
You will be cleansed completely.
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And this is the marvelous
thing that we have in Christ...
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But not only are you
forgiven, but you are also
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adopted as a child of God. Amen!
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You know, in this
world, it may be that if you
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committed a crime,
that remains on your record.
00:12:01.12\00:12:04.85
You go to apply
for a job and you have
00:12:04.89\00:12:07.39
to put there... "Have
you ever been in prison?"
00:12:07.42\00:12:10.03
Perhaps you may have
that experience already,
00:12:10.06\00:12:12.66
and having to write
that down has brought some...
00:12:12.69\00:12:15.53
"Oh man, I have to write
that down, hopefully word
00:12:15.56\00:12:18.43
doesn't get around, you know."
00:12:18.47\00:12:19.97
But in God's
family we're all one,
00:12:20.00\00:12:23.57
before the Lord we are blameless
and we are His children.
00:12:23.61\00:12:27.04
And there's another Scripture
that brings out something
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so marvelous, so wonderful
that we should just rejoice
00:12:30.55\00:12:34.32
in the Lord because of this.
00:12:34.35\00:12:35.98
This is found in Romans 8:17,
I don't have time to look it up,
00:12:36.02\00:12:40.26
but it says there in Romans 8:17
that... as-a-matter-of-fact,
00:12:40.29\00:12:46.70
I think I will read
it... "... and if children,
00:12:46.73\00:12:49.13
then heirs - heirs of God
and joint areas with Christ,
00:12:49.16\00:12:53.50
if so be that we
suffer with Him that we may be
00:12:53.54\00:12:55.97
glorified together."
00:12:56.00\00:12:57.64
Notice that we become
joint heirs with Jesus Christ.
00:12:57.67\00:13:01.88
This is a marvelous and
wonderful privilege that we
00:13:01.91\00:13:04.61
have in Christ Jesus.
00:13:04.65\00:13:06.31
Now let's go back to Ephesians 1
00:13:06.35\00:13:08.28
to pick up where we left off...
00:13:08.32\00:13:10.32
We talked about being blameless.
00:13:10.35\00:13:12.32
We talked about being
adopted into God's family.
00:13:12.35\00:13:16.16
Verse 7... Now in Him,
we have redemption through
00:13:16.19\00:13:18.59
His blood, the forgiveness
of sins, according to the
00:13:18.63\00:13:22.23
riches of His grace
which He made to abound toward
00:13:22.26\00:13:25.77
us in all wisdom and prudence;
having made known to us
00:13:25.80\00:13:29.17
the mystery of His will,
according to His good pleasure
00:13:29.20\00:13:32.07
which He purposed in
Himself that in the dispensation
00:13:32.11\00:13:36.91
of the fullness of the
times He might gather together
00:13:36.95\00:13:39.28
in one all things in
Christ, both which are in heaven
00:13:39.31\00:13:43.05
and which are on earth in Him.
00:13:43.08\00:13:45.72
And this is wonderful
that we can become the family
00:13:45.75\00:13:51.33
of God - we are joint
heirs with Jesus Christ,
00:13:51.36\00:13:54.83
and you have the opportunity...
00:13:54.86\00:13:57.10
You know, it may be that
someone is listening right now
00:13:57.13\00:14:00.50
that has now become a child
of God and we would like to
00:14:00.54\00:14:03.54
encourage you to do that
because when you become a
00:14:03.57\00:14:05.67
child of God, as we
read, you become an heir;
00:14:05.71\00:14:09.08
joint heirs with Jesus Christ.
00:14:09.11\00:14:10.95
You become
adopted into God's family.
00:14:10.98\00:14:13.31
And there is another Scripture
I would like to share with you.
00:14:13.35\00:14:16.85
Let me see... it's 2
Corinthians 5, and I want
00:14:16.89\00:14:23.06
to ask somebody
that will read it for us,
00:14:23.09\00:14:24.99
so I think I'll have
to read it here because
00:14:25.03\00:14:27.30
my time is just
about running out.
00:14:27.33\00:14:29.66
Notice this, in 2
Corinthians 5:19-20...
00:14:29.70\00:14:32.23
I hope that
they'll get to read it.
00:14:32.27\00:14:34.70
It says... "...that
is, that God was in Christ
00:14:34.74\00:14:38.47
reconciling the world to
Himself, not imputing their
00:14:38.51\00:14:42.71
trespasses to them and
has committed to us the word
00:14:42.74\00:14:46.92
of reconciliation."
00:14:46.95\00:14:48.38
Now notice this... "Now then,
we are ambassadors for Christ
00:14:48.42\00:14:52.22
as though God were
pleading through us,
00:14:52.25\00:14:54.72
we implore you on Christ's
behalf, be reconciled to God."
00:14:54.76\00:14:59.46
So God was in Christ
reconciling the world unto
00:14:59.49\00:15:04.47
Himself and it is written,
we then become ambassadors...
00:15:04.50\00:15:09.40
When you become
joint heirs with Christ,
00:15:09.44\00:15:11.84
you become a child
of God; you are accepted
00:15:11.87\00:15:13.98
in the beloved, a
child... you then are
00:15:14.01\00:15:16.28
an ambassador for Christ.
00:15:16.31\00:15:17.68
What's an ambassador?
00:15:17.71\00:15:19.05
It's the highest
representative from one country
00:15:19.08\00:15:22.98
into another country
and we are ambassadors
00:15:23.02\00:15:27.79
for Christ! God of the universe.
00:15:27.82\00:15:30.53
We are ambassadors of
the God of the universe.
00:15:30.56\00:15:32.96
We can walk with
our head knowing that
00:15:32.99\00:15:34.50
we are a child of the Lord!
00:15:34.53\00:15:35.86
I encourage you to
become an ambassador for Christ
00:15:35.90\00:15:38.50
and help others
become a child of the Lord.
00:15:38.53\00:15:41.80
Amen! Amen!
00:15:41.84\00:15:43.41
Now we get to
listen to Shelley Quinn,
00:15:43.44\00:15:46.04
get ready for a blessing!
00:15:46.07\00:15:47.48
Well I was certainly
blessed by what you said.
00:15:47.51\00:15:50.35
This is Lesson 4
which is "The Key to Unity"
00:15:50.38\00:15:54.28
And we see that that first
key is "Blessings in Christ"
00:15:54.32\00:15:59.35
The other thing is that Jesus
breaks down the wall. Amen!
00:15:59.39\00:16:04.59
That's the lesson I
have been assigned - Monday,
00:16:04.63\00:16:08.10
"Breaking Down the Wall"
00:16:08.13\00:16:10.03
I know you would all agree
that differences can create
00:16:10.07\00:16:14.74
animosity and conflict
among people because what we do
00:16:14.77\00:16:20.08
sometimes is we build barriers
between ourselves and people
00:16:20.11\00:16:23.78
who are different from us
and it can have to do with
00:16:23.81\00:16:27.08
race or religion or it can
have to do with your financial,
00:16:27.12\00:16:31.39
your know, political,
theological or cultural status,
00:16:31.42\00:16:35.82
or economic status, but Christ
breaks down, like you said...
00:16:35.86\00:16:40.40
We realize we're all brothers
and sisters - Christ breaks down
00:16:40.43\00:16:45.03
the barriers so that
we become one with Him.
00:16:45.07\00:16:48.54
Let's look at how our
unity in Christ breaks down
00:16:48.57\00:16:52.37
the effects of our differences
00:16:52.41\00:16:53.84
in Ephesians 2 and
we'll begin with verse 11...
00:16:53.88\00:16:58.25
And Paul writes...
"Therefore remember that you,
00:16:58.28\00:17:01.65
once Gentiles (heathens in
the flesh) - who are called
00:17:01.78\00:17:06.45
uncircumcision (so the Gentiles
were labeled "uncircumcision" by
00:17:06.49\00:17:11.33
what is called "circumcision,"
that would be the Jews)
00:17:11.36\00:17:14.10
made in the flesh by hands
(and that's referring to the
00:17:14.13\00:17:19.00
circumcision of the Jews,
made in the flesh by hands,
00:17:19.03\00:17:21.87
it was merely a mark)
that at that time you were
00:17:21.90\00:17:25.17
without Christ, being
aliens from the commonwealth
00:17:25.21\00:17:28.48
of Israel and strangers
from the covenants of promise,
00:17:28.51\00:17:31.15
having no hope and being
without God in the world."
00:17:31.18\00:17:35.68
So Paul is reminding them...
Once you live totally apart
00:17:35.72\00:17:39.59
from Christ, you had no
part of the covenant blessings
00:17:39.62\00:17:43.09
of God and you had no promise
when you were in the world...
00:17:43.12\00:17:47.60
But, there is a
change... He says in verse 13...
00:17:47.63\00:17:52.80
But now in Christ Jesus
you who were once far off
00:17:52.83\00:17:59.87
(who did not have
any knowledge of God)
00:17:59.91\00:18:02.84
have been brought near
by the blood of Christ.
00:18:02.88\00:18:05.41
For He Himself is our
peace, (He is our bond of unity,
00:18:05.45\00:18:10.15
He is our harmony with
God) and He (Paul says) has made
00:18:10.19\00:18:16.06
both one (both the Jew
and the Gentile one) and has
00:18:16.09\00:18:21.13
broken down (He has
destroyed or abolished)
00:18:21.16\00:18:23.83
the middle wall of separation."
00:18:23.87\00:18:25.70
In the ancient temple of
Jerusalem, they had a wall
00:18:25.73\00:18:32.67
of separation to distinguish
sections of the temple
00:18:32.71\00:18:36.28
where the Jews could go and
where the Gentiles could go.
00:18:36.31\00:18:39.51
And boy, there was an
inscription where the Jews
00:18:39.55\00:18:44.95
could go - this inscription
forbade any foreigner
00:18:44.99\00:18:50.33
to come any further
under pain of death.
00:18:50.36\00:18:54.36
So in Christ, believers
are all descendants of Abraham.
00:18:54.40\00:19:00.24
And I want to read Colossians,
if you want to turn to
00:19:00.27\00:19:04.07
Colossians 2:11- because
here Paul is talking about
00:19:04.11\00:19:09.21
heart circumcision.
00:19:09.24\00:19:11.98
It's not just the physical
circumcision that God gave
00:19:12.01\00:19:16.32
to Abraham - that just pointed
to the spiritual circumcision
00:19:16.35\00:19:20.96
that believers
would receive in Christ.
00:19:20.99\00:19:23.59
I'm going to read
this from the Amplified...
00:19:23.63\00:19:25.23
Colossians 2:11... "In Him also
you are circumcised with the
00:19:25.26\00:19:31.03
circumcision not
made with hands, but in a
00:19:31.07\00:19:34.77
spiritual circumcision
performed by Christ by stripping
00:19:34.80\00:19:39.47
off the body of the flesh -
that whole corrupt carnal nature
00:19:39.51\00:19:44.51
that is stripped
off, the carnal nature
00:19:44.55\00:19:47.82
with its passions and its lust.
00:19:47.85\00:19:49.92
See we become a new
creation in Christ Jesus.
00:19:49.95\00:19:52.49
That old is gone
and the new has come.
00:19:52.52\00:19:55.02
So now let's go back to
Ephesians and we'll continue
00:19:55.06\00:19:57.79
with chapter 2, verse
15... and I love this Scripture.
00:19:57.83\00:20:03.50
He says, "Having abolished
in His flesh (talking about the
00:20:03.53\00:20:08.80
crucified flesh of Christ)
the enmity, that is, the law
00:20:08.84\00:20:15.64
of commandments
contained in ordinances, (he is
00:20:15.68\00:20:20.32
referring here to the
ceremonial law of Moses...
00:20:20.35\00:20:25.19
this was the enmity
between Jews and Gentiles,
00:20:25.22\00:20:29.96
and he says Christ
abolished that on the Cross)
00:20:29.99\00:20:34.03
so as to create in Himself
one new man from the two,
00:20:34.06\00:20:38.93
thus making peace."
00:20:38.97\00:20:40.97
So we see Jesus
broke down this wall.
00:20:41.00\00:20:44.54
He not only reconciled
us to God, but He reconciled
00:20:44.57\00:20:48.44
Jews and Gentiles and He
put to death this hostility
00:20:48.48\00:20:53.08
that was brought about
and the problems brought about
00:20:53.11\00:20:56.18
by the ceremonial law because
what did the ceremonial law
00:20:56.22\00:20:59.55
point to? To Jesus Christ
and everything that He did.
00:20:59.59\00:21:03.59
So there's one new
people that have in common the
00:21:03.63\00:21:11.37
Lord Jesus
Christ as their Savior.
00:21:11.40\00:21:14.50
Now I want you just to keep
your finger there in Ephesians
00:21:14.54\00:21:18.64
because I want to share
with you a parallel Scripture;
00:21:18.67\00:21:21.41
one that is just like
this, that people so often
00:21:21.44\00:21:26.31
confuse and that
is in Colossians 2:14,
00:21:26.35\00:21:31.22
if you would
like to turn there...
00:21:31.25\00:21:32.89
Because here we've just read
in Ephesians 2:15- how Christ's
00:21:32.92\00:21:36.99
death abolished the
whole system of the Jewish
00:21:37.03\00:21:40.73
Ceremonial Laws.
00:21:40.76\00:21:42.36
So now when we get
to Colossians 2:14,
00:21:42.40\00:21:45.17
Paul is writing
the same thing...
00:21:45.20\00:21:47.47
He says, "Having wiped out
(He blotted out, wiped away
00:21:47.50\00:21:52.84
the handwriting of requirements
that was against this...
00:21:52.87\00:21:56.91
this is the one that had
the legal decree that demands
00:21:56.95\00:22:00.58
that were put in place
that were hostile, particularly
00:22:00.82\00:22:04.52
to the Gentiles)
And he says, which was
00:22:04.55\00:22:08.42
contrary to us. He has
taken it out of the way,
00:22:08.46\00:22:12.43
having nailed it to the cross."
00:22:12.46\00:22:15.33
I like what the Amplified says,
it says, "This note with its
00:22:15.36\00:22:19.33
regulations, decrees and
demands, He set it aside.
00:22:19.37\00:22:23.24
He cleared
completely out of the way."
00:22:23.27\00:22:26.78
So he is saying that the
law was the decree and the
00:22:26.81\00:22:31.88
ordinances, Christ
nailed that to the cross.
00:22:31.91\00:22:35.75
It was all pointing to Him,
He fulfilled the ceremonial law.
00:22:35.78\00:22:42.42
And then He says in verse
15, continuing in Colossians...
00:22:42.46\00:22:47.03
"Having disarmed principalities
and powers, He made a
00:22:47.06\00:22:49.86
public spectacle of them,
triumphing over them in it.
00:22:49.90\00:22:53.57
So (and "so" is always a
bridge, "therefore or so")
00:22:53.60\00:22:59.04
let no one judge you in
food or drink or regarding a
00:22:59.07\00:23:02.21
festival or a new
moon or sabbaths...
00:23:02.24\00:23:04.81
Oh wait! Did we get
the Ten Commandments
00:23:04.85\00:23:08.55
nailed to the
cross? No, no, no, no...
00:23:08.58\00:23:11.09
It was the ceremonial laws
and what he's talking about
00:23:11.12\00:23:16.36
here when he's talking
about the new moon or sabbaths,
00:23:16.39\00:23:20.60
these are ceremonial
sabbaths, the feast days...
00:23:20.63\00:23:24.10
and we know that
because of what verse 17 says...
00:23:24.13\00:23:28.00
"which are a shadow
of the things to come."
00:23:28.04\00:23:31.47
Who was the body that
cast the shadow? Jesus!
00:23:31.51\00:23:35.18
They all pointed to Him.
00:23:35.21\00:23:36.54
But the substance is of
Christ that He might reconcile
00:23:36.58\00:23:39.95
them both to God in
one body through the cross
00:23:39.98\00:23:43.35
therefore putting to
death the enmity." (the mutual
00:23:43.39\00:23:46.49
hatred between those
two, the feud came to the end)
00:23:46.52\00:23:50.13
So now let's go
back to Ephesians 2:17
00:23:50.16\00:23:53.50
where we began or Ephesians
2, and verse 17 says...
00:23:53.53\00:23:59.33
"He came and preached
peace to you who were afar off
00:23:59.37\00:24:04.14
and to those who were near.
00:24:04.17\00:24:05.51
For through Him we
both have access by one
00:24:05.54\00:24:09.84
Spirit to the Father.
(we're able to approach
00:24:09.88\00:24:13.42
the Father now boldly)
And he says, "Now therefore,
00:24:13.45\00:24:18.25
you are no longer
strangers and foreigners,
00:24:18.29\00:24:20.89
(isn't that good
news?) You are fellow citizens
00:24:20.92\00:24:24.16
with the saints and
members of the household of God
00:24:24.19\00:24:26.86
having been built on the
foundation of the apostles
00:24:26.90\00:24:29.76
and the prophets,
Jesus Christ Himself
00:24:29.80\00:24:33.03
being the chief cornerstone."
00:24:33.07\00:24:35.40
So here's the unity - the wall
is down and we're being joined
00:24:35.44\00:24:40.01
together and he says,
"in whom the whole building
00:24:40.04\00:24:43.24
being joined (or being bound
and welded together with Christ
00:24:43.28\00:24:47.48
as the cornerstone
)...grows into a holy temple
00:24:47.52\00:24:51.72
in the Lord."
00:24:51.75\00:24:53.09
We are a sanctuary,
we are dedicated and
00:24:53.12\00:24:56.39
consecrated and sacred to
the presence of God in whom
00:24:56.42\00:25:01.03
(Paul says) "...you also
are being built together for a
00:25:01.06\00:25:04.93
dwelling place of
God in the Spirit."
00:25:04.97\00:25:10.27
So, this is to me, the
beauty of oneness of the unity
00:25:10.31\00:25:16.04
and the key to unity is
to understand - we have all
00:25:16.08\00:25:19.81
these blessings in Christ
that you were talking about in
00:25:19.85\00:25:23.05
Sunday's lesson, but
Christ broke down the wall.
00:25:23.08\00:25:27.16
There is no more
barriers between us.
00:25:27.19\00:25:30.03
Amen and Amen!
00:25:30.06\00:25:31.49
Well, right now we're
going to take a one minute
00:25:31.53\00:25:33.23
break and we will be right back!
00:25:33.26\00:25:35.86
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