Hello and welcome to the
3ABN "Sabbath School Panel"
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We are in the
middle of our study on
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"Oneness in Christ,"
we're in the Fourth Quarter.
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I'm Jill Morikone and
I'm delighted that you have
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taken time from your
day to open up God's word
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and study with us.
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We are in Lesson
#5 which is on...
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"The Experience of
Unity in the Early Church."
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We'll be spending most of
our time in the Book of Acts,
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talking about the early church
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and the unity
that they experienced.
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I want to introduce our
panel to you at this time...
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On my left is Pastor John
Lomacang - Good to be here;
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Pastor John Dinzey - A
great blessing to be here;
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Shelley Quinn - Love it;
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and Mollie Steenson
- Joy to be with you.
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It's a privilege to
share with each one of you.
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We've been journeying
through this Quarter together,
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and have been
learning a great deal.
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And, before we go any farther,
I always like to open in prayer.
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WE always like
to open in prayer,
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and Pastor John
Lomacang, would you pray
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for us here? Sure.
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Loving Father in
Heaven, As we open Your word,
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we pray that You'll open
the hearts of our listeners
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and our viewers - that
this program, Lord, will plant
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within them the Living
Word, that will not just be an
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intellectual exercise
revealing information,
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but that all of this
information, through our
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intellect and our lives,
that Jesus might be revealed.
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In Your name we
pray... Amen, Amen!
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If you would like your
own copy of the Quarterly,
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"Oneness in Christ," you
can always visit your local
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Seventh-day Adventist
Church; they have Sabbath School
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study classes every Sabbath
morning and they would be
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delighted to give you a
free Quarterly or you can go
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to the website:
ABSG.Adventist.org
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and you can
download your own copy.
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And that stands for Adult
Bible Study Guide.Adventist.org
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and we'd love for you
to follow along with us
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as we journey
through this Quarter.
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As I mentioned, we're
talking about "The Experience
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of Unity in the Early
Church," meaning the early
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Christian Church
in the Book of Acts.
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And if I were to
ask you, as a panel,
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was there unity among the
apostles, among the disciples?
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Would you say, "yes" or "no,"
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was there unity
among the disciples?
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Before the Holy
Spirit came? Laughter...
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That is a qualifier, exactly!
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If you think before,
there was definitely no unity,
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before the death of
Christ, before their conversion,
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before the
outpouring of the Holy Spirit...
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On the day of
Pentecost, we could say
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there was no unity.
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In fact, they often argued over
"Who would be the greatest."
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I can see them now in my
mind's eye...toiling up some
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dusty road in Galilee arguing
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who was going to be
the greatest in the kingdom
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that Christ is
about ready to set up;
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trying to keep the
lesser important people away
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from Jesus - that would be
maybe the children or women,
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and they tried to keep the
important people around Jesus.
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Mark 9:33-34.. "Then He (meaning
Jesus) came to Capernaum.
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And when He was in
the house, He asked them,
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"What was it you disputed
among yourselves on the road?"
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But they kept silent,
for on the road they had
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disputed among themselves
who would be the greatest."
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Not only did they argue
over who would be the greatest,
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they wanted the top place
in the kingdom that Christ was
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going to set up.
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Remember in Matthew 20,
the mom of James and John,
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the sons of thunder, went
to Jesus and said, "I want
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one son on the right hand and I
want one son on the left hand."
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(but the disciples, the
rest of them, they wanted
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that place too) because in
verse 24 it says, "When the
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ten heard about it or when
they heard what mama had asked,
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they were greatly displeased
with the two brothers.
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Verse 28... Jesus reminded them,
"The Son of Man did not come
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to be served, but to
serve and give His life
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as a ransom for many."
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Still, at the Last Supper,
just before Jesus' death,
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they were still
unwilling to serve.
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And Jesus, at that point,
took the place of the sermon.
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But after Christ's death and
resurrection, after Pentecost
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took place - a radical
change took place in the lives
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of the apostles.
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There was unity - where before
there was jealousy and division.
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There was courage -
where before there was fear.
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There was purpose - where
before there was emptiness.
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There was unselfishness - where
before there was self-seeking
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and self-serving.
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This radical difference
came about as a result of the
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outpouring of the Holy
Spirit and their conversion.
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We're going to talk
about that this week;
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the preparation for
Pentecost, the outpouring of
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the Holy Spirit at Pentecost,
characteristics of the early
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church, the generosity of
the early church and the greed
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that took place within
the early church as well.
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Most importantly, we will
look at unity as a result of an
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experience with
the Lord Jesus Christ.
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Jesus said in John
14:6... "I am the way, the truth
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and the life. No one comes
to the Father but through Me."
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Our memory text is Acts 2:42:
It says, "And they continued
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steadfastly in the apostles'
doctrine and fellowship,
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in the breaking of
bread, and in prayers."
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Now on Sunday, we look
at: "Days of Preparation"
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which is really the preparation
for the outpouring of the
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Holy Spirit which was to
take place there at Pentecost.
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And, we know that before Jesus
died, He promised, didn't He?
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...that he was going
to send the Holy Spirit.
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John 16:7, He said...
"Nevertheless, I tell you
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the truth, it is expedient
(it is to your advantage)
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that I go away; for if I
do not go away, the Helper
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(parakletos, the Holy
Spirit) will not come to you;
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but if I depart, I'm
going to send Him to you.
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Again in John 14:26, he says...
"The Helper, the Holy Spirit;
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whom the Father will send
in My name, He will teach you
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all things, and bring to
your remembrance all things
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that I said unto you."
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So before He died, Jesus
promised that the Holy Spirit
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was going to be given to
the disciples in great measure.
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Now let's look at Acts
1, we're going to spend the
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balance of our time in Acts 1.
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Acts 1:5... This is after
the crucifixion, after the
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resurrection, this is actually
just before the ascension,
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right before
Jesus returns to heaven.
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In Acts 1:5... He
promises the Holy Spirit again.
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He says, "For John
truly baptized with water,
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but you shall be
baptized with the Holy Spirit
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not many days from now."
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And then in verse 8, he
says... "You shall receive power
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when the Holy Spirit has
come upon you and you shall
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be witnesses to Me in
Jerusalem, and in all Judea
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and Samaria, and to
the end of the earth."
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In Acts 1:8, Pastor
John, I see three elements
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of Christ's mission.
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The first is the Holy
Spirit; the Holy Spirit is
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foundational to any mission.
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They were going to receive
power when the Holy Spirit
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came upon them.
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So the power comes as a
result of the Holy Spirit.
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Power is needed to witness,
to stand, to endure persecution,
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to spread the gospel, to
reflect Jesus and power is also
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needed from the Holy
Spirit for us to walk in unity
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as brothers and
sisters, not only the early
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Christian church,
but us as Christians
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today in the last days.
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The three elements of Christ's
mission is the Holy Spirit,
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it's
foundational with any mission.
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#2... Personal experience.
Personal experience is
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best for any mission.
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We see that in Acts 1:8,
it says... "You shall receive
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power when the Holy
Spirit has come upon you,
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and you shall be
witnesses to me."
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Now the word in Greek for
witnesses is an eye or an ear
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witness, so in other
words, they're going to share
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their personal experience...
what they have seen
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and known of Jesus - that's
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what they're going to
share with someone else.
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And the third is the
evangelistic plan we see
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here in this verse and
that is really laid out
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in the entire Book of Acts.
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First, they go in
Jerusalem, at home, right?
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Then they go to Judea and
Samaria and they spread out
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in the community to
those around them...
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Then it goes to the
uttermost parts of the earth.
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So let's look at the
preparation for Pentecost.
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There was preparation that
took place before the outpouring
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of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost
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that Pastor John is
going to talk about.
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And we see that
preparation take place
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in the Upper Room experience.
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This is Acts 1:12-14, I'm going
to be talking about five keys
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to preparation for Pentecost.
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Five keys to preparation for the
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outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
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We're in verse 12...
"Then they returned to Jerusalem
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from the mount called Olivet..."
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Now they returned actually
from the ascension of Jesus.
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He has just gone up
into heaven and immediately
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they came to this Upper Room.
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"They returned to Jerusalem
from the Mount called Olivet
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which is near Jerusalem,
a Sabbath day's journey.
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And when they had
entered, they went up into the
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upper room where they were
staying; Peter, James, John
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and Andrew, Philip and
Thomas, Bartholomew and
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Mathew; James the son of
Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot;
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and Judas the son of James.
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These all continued
with one accord in prayer and
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supplication, with the women
and Mary the mother of Jesus,
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and with His brothers."
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So the first key for preparation
for Pentecost - actually is not
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mentioned in those verses,
but I'll read you another one
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where it is
mentioned and that is time.
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They did not enter the Upper
Room and then in 30 minutes,
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they were ready for the
outpouring of the Holy Spirit...
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it took time.
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Act 1:3 says that Jesus was
seen by them - how many days?
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Forty days before the ascension
and then we know Pentecost
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took place 50 days after Jesus
died - so that means there's
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the space of 10 days,
right? that this Upper Room
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experience took place.
00:10:26.79\00:10:28.12
So it takes time in order for
us to come together in order for
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all of these keys to
be in place before the
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Holy Spirit is
poured out in abundance.
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#2... It takes unity
- did you notice that?
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It said in verse 14... "These
continued with one accord."
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Now the word in Greek for one
accord comes from two words...
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the word "same"
and the word "passion."
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That means they had the
same passion - the same desire.
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We call it, in
English it's translated
00:10:58.19\00:11:00.09
"in one accord," but
it means the same thing.
00:11:00.12\00:11:03.02
They're united in that
mission, united in heart,
00:11:03.06\00:11:05.93
united in ministry, in
purpose in their objective.
00:11:05.96\00:11:10.27
#3... Is
repentance and forgiveness.
00:11:10.30\00:11:14.70
Now the Bible does not
specifically state it here,
00:11:14.74\00:11:17.27
but you cannot come into
unity with someone if you have
00:11:17.31\00:11:20.81
aught against
them. That's right.
00:11:20.84\00:11:22.24
In other words, if I
have an issue, which I don't,
00:11:22.28\00:11:25.31
but if I had an
issue with Pastor John,
00:11:25.35\00:11:26.98
it would be hard for me
to be in unity with you.
00:11:27.02\00:11:29.25
We would need to come
together and I would need
00:11:29.28\00:11:31.59
to say "I'm so sorry" for
whatever I did or whatever
00:11:31.62\00:11:34.36
I said and when I did
that, that would bring us back
00:11:34.39\00:11:38.13
into unity with
each other again.
00:11:38.16\00:11:40.73
And so that repentance and
that forgiveness had to take
00:11:40.76\00:11:43.90
place - not only them
confessing any sins before
00:11:43.93\00:11:46.67
God, but to each other,
and saying "I'm so sorry
00:11:46.70\00:11:49.97
I hurt you in this area."
00:11:50.01\00:11:51.77
"I'm so sorry for what
I did in this instance,"
00:11:51.81\00:11:54.28
that is important in
order for unity to take place.
00:11:54.31\00:11:57.75
We know that sin brings
separation from the Father,
00:11:57.78\00:12:00.22
you know, in Genesis, at
the fall, we talked about it
00:12:00.25\00:12:02.92
in an earlier lesson -
sin brought fear and guilt
00:12:02.95\00:12:06.59
and separation from the Father.
00:12:06.62\00:12:08.46
And so in order for us to
be restored and brought back
00:12:08.49\00:12:11.69
into that one accord,
that unity, we need that
00:12:11.89\00:12:15.46
confession of sin and
that repentance in order
00:12:15.50\00:12:18.80
to come back together. True!
00:12:18.83\00:12:20.17
Now #4 is prayer! Verse 14...
00:12:20.20\00:12:23.84
"They continued with one accord
in prayer and supplication."
00:12:23.87\00:12:27.18
Any true revival
is preceded by prayer.
00:12:27.21\00:12:34.65
America's prayer meeting is
what they it - it took place
00:12:34.68\00:12:38.02
in 1857 to 1858.
00:12:38.05\00:12:41.16
There was a gentleman
by the name of "Jonathan,"
00:12:41.19\00:12:43.49
who decided he was
going to institute a weekly
00:12:43.53\00:12:45.99
prayer meeting for businessmen.
00:12:46.03\00:12:47.70
It was to be a one
hour prayer meeting,
00:12:47.73\00:12:49.83
and he set the first date
which was September 23, 1857.
00:12:49.86\00:12:55.00
The first one-half
hour - nobody showed up.
00:12:55.04\00:12:57.87
Now if it were me, I
would have gone home.
00:12:57.91\00:12:59.77
Oh, no one showed
up, but he persisted.
00:12:59.81\00:13:02.84
The second half
hour, 6 men straggled in.
00:13:02.88\00:13:06.31
The next week, 20
people came to pray.
00:13:06.35\00:13:10.09
The week after
that, 30 people attended.
00:13:10.12\00:13:13.89
Now by early November...
this began September 23,
00:13:13.92\00:13:17.13
remember was his first day?
00:13:17.16\00:13:18.49
So by early November, it
was not even two months later
00:13:18.53\00:13:21.46
200 people attended
the daily prayer meeting.
00:13:21.50\00:13:26.63
By the following April which
was what.. 6-7 months later,
00:13:26.67\00:13:30.64
10,000 people gathered daily
in New York City for prayer.
00:13:30.67\00:13:36.64
Not all at Jonathan's
site, but they gathered
00:13:36.68\00:13:39.61
throughout the city for prayer.
00:13:39.65\00:13:41.25
And it's estimated
that one-million individuals
00:13:41.28\00:13:44.09
were converted in the space
of 2 years - as a result of
00:13:44.12\00:13:47.49
one man who
decided to pray. Amen!
00:13:47.52\00:13:50.93
#5... Praise and worship.
00:13:50.96\00:13:55.26
So key #1... Is it takes time.
00:13:55.30\00:13:57.10
#2... It's the
common unity in one accord.
00:13:57.13\00:14:00.40
#3... Is confess sin,
repent, come together.
00:14:00.44\00:14:03.47
#4... Is
earnest, fervent prayer.
00:14:03.51\00:14:06.71
#5... Is praise and worship.
Now we don't see that in Acts,
00:14:06.74\00:14:09.64
but in Luke 24:53, this
is right after the ascension
00:14:09.68\00:14:14.48
of Jesus, Luke said they
were continually in the temple
00:14:14.52\00:14:18.12
praising and blessing God.
00:14:18.15\00:14:21.32
I want to close with a quote...
00:14:21.36\00:14:23.22
this is from "Acts of
the Apostles," p.36-37...
00:14:23.26\00:14:26.59
"As the disciples waited for
the fulfillment of the promise,
00:14:26.63\00:14:30.27
they humbled their
hearts in true repentance
00:14:30.30\00:14:32.77
and confessed their unbelief.
(now this is waiting for the
00:14:32.80\00:14:35.40
promise of the Holy Spirit)
As they called to remembrance
00:14:35.44\00:14:38.37
the words that Christ
had spoken to them before His
00:14:38.41\00:14:40.98
death, they understood
more fully their meaning.
00:14:41.01\00:14:44.75
They reproached themselves
for their misapprehension
00:14:44.78\00:14:48.25
of the Savior... Oh,
if they could but have
00:14:48.28\00:14:50.45
the past three years to
live over, how differently
00:14:50.49\00:14:53.79
they would act.
But they were comforted
00:14:53.82\00:14:56.59
by the thought that
they were forgiven and they
00:14:56.62\00:15:00.20
determined that, so far
as possible, they would atone
00:15:00.23\00:15:03.26
for their unbelief by bravely
confessing Him before the world,
00:15:03.30\00:15:07.44
putting away all differences,
all desire for supremacy,
00:15:07.47\00:15:11.87
they came close together
in Christian fellowship."
00:15:11.91\00:15:15.48
And that experience preceded
00:15:15.51\00:15:17.85
the outpouring of the
Holy Spirit. Pastor John.
00:15:17.88\00:15:20.35
Wow, wasn't
that wonderful? Amen!
00:15:20.38\00:15:23.08
You have laid a
very good foundation.
00:15:23.12\00:15:24.92
Thank you so much, Jill.
00:15:24.95\00:15:26.29
And now we begin
where we go to Monday...
00:15:26.32\00:15:29.36
"From Babel to Pentecost"
00:15:29.39\00:15:32.36
Now a lot of
times, we say "Babel,"
00:15:32.39\00:15:34.46
but it's actually
"babble" because it's confusion,
00:15:34.50\00:15:38.50
and I'd like to begin
in the Book of Acts 2.
00:15:38.53\00:15:42.60
The essence that really
grabbed me in this lesson is
00:15:42.64\00:15:47.08
we talk about
Babylon or "babble-on."
00:15:47.11\00:15:53.11
I want to just
kind of break it down...
00:15:53.15\00:15:54.58
Babylon which is
really a babble-on because
00:15:54.62\00:15:58.75
when you go from Babel
to Pentecost, there are some
00:15:58.79\00:16:01.96
similarities you had.
00:16:01.99\00:16:04.13
At Babel there
was a false unity;
00:16:04.16\00:16:07.40
at Pentecost there was a
true unity. Ooo, that's good!
00:16:07.43\00:16:12.33
And so what I want to look
first - I want to read Acts 2:1,
00:16:12.37\00:16:17.41
and we're going to come
back to it in just a moment,
00:16:17.44\00:16:19.34
but Acts 2:1, the Bible says...
"When the day of Pentecost
00:16:19.37\00:16:24.15
had fully come, they were all
with one accord in one place.
00:16:24.18\00:16:30.09
And suddenly there
came a sound from heaven
00:16:30.12\00:16:33.99
as of a rushing mighty wind,
and it filled the whole house
00:16:34.02\00:16:38.46
where they were sitting."
00:16:38.49\00:16:40.03
Now look at the first
parallel here, look at the first
00:16:40.06\00:16:42.66
comparison or the contrast.
00:16:42.70\00:16:44.97
Babel, they were
trying to reach up to heaven;
00:16:45.00\00:16:48.57
on Pentecost
something came down from heaven.
00:16:48.60\00:16:52.41
In Babylon there was a false
unity, they were in one accord,
00:16:52.44\00:16:59.08
but for the wrong reason.
00:16:59.11\00:17:00.58
On Pentecost, they were in
one accord for the right reason.
00:17:00.62\00:17:04.59
In Babylon, they
didn't trust God;
00:17:04.62\00:17:07.96
On Pentecost, that's
all they did was trust God.
00:17:07.99\00:17:12.59
In Babylon, they
were building their own
00:17:12.63\00:17:15.56
method of salvation;
on Pentecost, they were
00:17:15.60\00:17:17.97
proclaiming the
right method of salvation.
00:17:18.00\00:17:21.37
Babylon - there were people
that God did not fill with
00:17:21.40\00:17:24.77
His Spirit; on the Day of
Pentecost, they were filled
00:17:24.81\00:17:27.98
with God's Spirit.
00:17:28.01\00:17:29.81
And the multitudes
on the day of Babylon,
00:17:29.84\00:17:33.72
the multitudes
are being broken up;
00:17:33.75\00:17:37.05
in Pentecost, the multitudes
were coming together. Yes
00:17:37.09\00:17:40.46
So many similarities, so
many contrasts between Babel,
00:17:40.52\00:17:43.89
I'd say Babel in
Pentecost or babble in Pentecost
00:17:43.93\00:17:47.30
because we have
Babylon and so we won't
00:17:47.33\00:17:50.57
say "Babel-on," so
Babel, Babel, Babel,
00:17:50.60\00:17:53.67
it's Babel all the way through.
00:17:53.70\00:17:55.10
That's why the Day of Pentecost
is so significant because
00:17:55.14\00:17:57.61
there was a mighty
outpouring on the Day of
00:17:57.64\00:18:02.91
Pentecost that could not
happen through the artillery
00:18:02.94\00:18:07.52
of humanity - it had to
be the artillery of heaven.
00:18:07.55\00:18:10.39
In the Old Testament
times, Pentecost, as we know,
00:18:10.42\00:18:13.56
was one of the major feasts.
00:18:13.59\00:18:15.59
It was the best time of
the year for the Pentecost.
00:18:15.62\00:18:19.03
It was the best weather,
so it was the most attended.
00:18:19.06\00:18:21.76
So when the Lord
chose the Day of Pentecost
00:18:21.80\00:18:23.60
to pour out His Spirit,
He knew that that was going
00:18:23.63\00:18:26.00
to be the most attended...
the feast of the year,
00:18:26.03\00:18:29.54
the Feast of Pentecost.
00:18:29.57\00:18:30.94
It was after the Passover,
and what came in after the
00:18:30.97\00:18:33.68
Passover was the
Feast of Tabernacles also
00:18:33.71\00:18:36.31
after the Passover.
00:18:36.34\00:18:38.31
You had the Passover,
you had also the Day of
00:18:38.35\00:18:42.55
Atonement, then you had
the Feast of Tabernacles,
00:18:42.58\00:18:45.52
then you had Pentecost.
00:18:45.55\00:18:47.62
Pentecost - the
best weather of the year.
00:18:47.66\00:18:50.79
But what I want to point
out are some things in the Bible
00:18:50.83\00:18:53.56
in Genesis - I
made these statements,
00:18:53.60\00:18:56.80
but I want to give you
the Scriptures for them now.
00:18:56.83\00:18:58.50
Let's go to Genesis
11, and we're going to see
00:18:58.53\00:19:02.14
the unity both false and
true that existed in the Bible.
00:19:02.17\00:19:06.64
and then we're going to see
why it's so vitally important
00:19:06.68\00:19:09.64
to have true unity and the only
00:19:09.68\00:19:11.71
way that it can be accomplished.
00:19:11.75\00:19:13.08
In Genesis 11, let me see,
Mollie could you read verse 6?
00:19:13.11\00:19:18.69
Genesis 11:6.
00:19:18.72\00:19:20.49
Genesis 11:6...
This is from Babel,
00:19:20.52\00:19:24.16
from Babel,
Tower of Babel. Babel.
00:19:24.19\00:19:26.96
"And the Lord said,
"Indeed the people are one
00:19:27.00\00:19:30.53
and they all have one
language, and this is what
00:19:30.57\00:19:33.87
they begin to do; now
nothing that they propose
00:19:33.90\00:19:37.77
to do will be
withheld from them."
00:19:37.81\00:19:40.08
Exactly, so I use the phrase,
"When you pursue your own
00:19:40.11\00:19:44.81
course, you run your own course,
00:19:44.85\00:19:47.22
and you have
your own finish line."
00:19:47.25\00:19:48.78
So the Lord said, "They have
a purpose and nothing that they
00:19:48.82\00:19:52.52
purpose to do is going
to be withheld from them."
00:19:52.55\00:19:55.02
It's kind of - I think of maybe
one of the lessons in the past
00:19:55.06\00:19:57.83
we talked about consequences.
00:19:57.86\00:19:59.86
Whatever they decide to
do... "Whatsoever a man soweth,
00:19:59.89\00:20:02.60
that shall he also reap."
00:20:02.63\00:20:03.97
Shelley, now let's
look at the contrast.
00:20:04.00\00:20:06.17
This is way back
at the Tower of Babel.
00:20:06.20\00:20:07.67
Let's look at the similarities,
it continued, Daniel 3:7.
00:20:07.70\00:20:12.77
Daniel 3:7... This
spirit that came into being
00:20:12.81\00:20:19.11
on the other side of
the flood continued to
00:20:19.15\00:20:22.45
manifest itself all along
and the Day of Pentecost was
00:20:22.48\00:20:26.65
a breaking of that
predominant spirit.
00:20:26.69\00:20:30.43
Daniel 3:7..."So at that
time, when all the people heard
00:20:30.46\00:20:37.37
the sound of the horn, flute,
harp, and lyre, in symphony
00:20:37.40\00:20:41.60
with all kinds of music,
all the people, nations, and
00:20:41.64\00:20:44.81
languages fell down and
worshipped to the gold image
00:20:44.84\00:20:48.34
which King
Nebuchadnezzar had set up."
00:20:48.38\00:20:50.65
Okay, now... let's
go to Revelation 14.
00:20:50.68\00:20:54.02
So that is what they sought
to do... wait, wait before we go
00:20:54.05\00:20:57.65
to Revelation 14,
let's go to Revelation 17.
00:20:57.69\00:21:00.29
Jill, if you have Revelation
17:13 and then Pastor Dinzey,
00:21:00.32\00:21:05.13
I'm going to have you
go to Revelation 14...
00:21:05.16\00:21:07.43
But I want you to notice
what we just pointed out...
00:21:07.46\00:21:09.30
You have both
coalitions representing Babylon.
00:21:09.33\00:21:12.23
In the very beginning, all
the people got together, they
00:21:12.27\00:21:14.64
one language, Babylon now
in the days of Nebuchadnezzar;
00:21:14.67\00:21:18.44
all the nations, all the
languages - they fell down to
00:21:18.47\00:21:21.44
worship - it was once again
under the spirit of Babylon.
00:21:21.48\00:21:24.71
Now we're going to
see what that spirit is.
00:21:24.75\00:21:26.35
In the last days, it's
going to manifest itself again.
00:21:26.38\00:21:29.18
Revelation 17:13... "These
are of one mind, and they will
00:21:29.22\00:21:33.36
give their power and
authority to the beast."
00:21:33.39\00:21:35.46
Notice from the beginning,
then to the Kingdom of Babylon,
00:21:35.49\00:21:38.89
then to spiritual Babylon,
there's a unity that exists,
00:21:38.93\00:21:41.60
that God is not a part of
and it's all about the mind.
00:21:41.63\00:21:44.53
Whatever they determined
in their mind, and you'll
00:21:44.57\00:21:47.44
find out later, in the very
same passage of Revelation 17,
00:21:47.47\00:21:51.24
that God put it in their
minds to fulfill His will
00:21:51.27\00:21:56.24
because He wanted to rid
the earth of that spirit...
00:21:56.28\00:21:59.08
which now takes
us to Revelation 14.
00:21:59.11\00:22:01.58
Go to Revelation 14, we'll
see how God is going to do that.
00:22:01.62\00:22:05.05
Revelation 14:6... "Then I
saw another angel flying in the
00:22:05.09\00:22:12.76
midst of heaven having the
everlasting gospel to preach
00:22:12.79\00:22:16.10
to those who dwell on
the earth; to every nation,
00:22:16.13\00:22:19.00
tribe, tongue and people."
00:22:19.03\00:22:21.20
Okay, that's the first message,
but now I want to hit it.
00:22:21.24\00:22:23.30
I want to show you
where God comes into it now.
00:22:23.34\00:22:25.64
Verse 8... I'm just going
to pass verse 7, go to verse 8.
00:22:25.67\00:22:28.61
"And another angel followed
saying, "Babylon is fallen,
00:22:28.64\00:22:31.45
is fallen, that great city,
because she made all nations
00:22:31.48\00:22:34.92
drink of the wine of the
wrath of her fornication."
00:22:34.95\00:22:38.29
Notice - Babylon in the
beginning - distrust on the
00:22:38.32\00:22:40.76
other side of the flood;
Babylon in Nebuchadnezzar's
00:22:40.79\00:22:43.39
day - spiritual
Babylon in the end time,
00:22:43.43\00:22:46.06
the Lord says - "It's
coming down, it's coming down."
00:22:46.09\00:22:49.46
"It is fallen."
00:22:49.50\00:22:50.83
And the Day of Pentecost
was the infusing of the power
00:22:50.87\00:22:55.34
that started the dismemberment,
the deconstruction,
00:22:55.37\00:23:00.04
the - what's the word... that
when they get that big old...
00:23:00.08\00:23:04.61
the demolition of Babylon
began on the Day of Pentecost.
00:23:04.65\00:23:09.18
But here's how the
devil tried to misconstrue
00:23:09.22\00:23:11.65
what happened on
the Day of Pentecost...
00:23:11.69\00:23:13.09
Now we know, Acts 2-
let's go there, Acts 2.
00:23:13.12\00:23:18.06
We know that they got together
and the Jews, out of every
00:23:18.09\00:23:21.93
kingdom under
heaven, heard the message,
00:23:21.96\00:23:24.27
and it says in verse
6... "And when this sound
00:23:24.30\00:23:27.54
occurred, the multitude came
together and were confused."
00:23:27.57\00:23:31.21
Babylon tried to find
its way in and confused!
00:23:31.24\00:23:34.51
Because everyone heard
them speak in his own language.
00:23:34.54\00:23:37.61
It was a day where
confusion was dissipated!
00:23:38.21\00:23:40.68
The Lord said, "It sounds
confusing, but the attempt
00:23:40.72\00:23:43.75
of Pentecost is
to remove confusion,
00:23:43.79\00:23:45.92
and when you go on,
you have all the nations
00:23:45.95\00:23:47.92
represented there, verse 8,
verse 9, verse 10, verse 11,
00:23:47.96\00:23:51.99
but verse 12 says, "So they
were all amazed and perplexed
00:23:52.03\00:23:56.16
saying to one another,
"Whatever could this mean?"
00:23:56.20\00:23:59.93
And others mocking, in verse 13,
00:23:59.97\00:24:01.70
said, "They are
full of new wine."
00:24:01.74\00:24:03.37
But as you go
further in the narrative,
00:24:03.41\00:24:05.91
you see that they all
discovered what God had
00:24:05.94\00:24:08.81
done on that day; here it is...
00:24:08.84\00:24:10.28
Let's go to Acts 2:17 and here's
the fulfillment of that day.
00:24:10.31\00:24:16.15
You have that verse, verse 17.
00:24:16.18\00:24:17.69
"It shall come to pass
in the last days, says God,
00:24:17.72\00:24:19.95
that I will pour out
of My Spirit on all flesh.
00:24:19.99\00:24:22.12
Your sons and your
daughters shall prophesy,
00:24:22.16\00:24:23.99
and Your young men shall
see visions, your old men
00:24:24.03\00:24:26.29
shall dream dreams."
00:24:26.33\00:24:27.66
Exactly, so the Day of
Pentecost, the Lord was
00:24:27.70\00:24:29.90
bringing the last days
to a culmination by the work
00:24:29.93\00:24:32.83
He started on
the Day of Pentecost.
00:24:32.87\00:24:34.64
He poured out His
Spirit as Joel the prophet
00:24:34.67\00:24:37.21
said in Joel chapter
2, is going to happen.
00:24:37.24\00:24:38.97
So Babylon in the beginning,
Babylon in Nebuchadnezzar's
00:24:39.01\00:24:43.35
day, Babylon at the very end,
and God brings it all together
00:24:43.38\00:24:47.45
and says, "I have not only
a message for the whole world,
00:24:47.48\00:24:50.75
but to get the
message to the whole world,
00:24:50.79\00:24:52.95
I gotta bring unity -
that's what Pentecost brought.
00:24:52.99\00:24:55.42
It brought unity, it brought
the power of the Holy Spirit
00:24:55.46\00:24:58.96
and today, the message
of the Three Angels is only
00:24:58.99\00:25:02.70
possible because the
power released on the
00:25:02.73\00:25:05.40
Day of Pentecost is now active
in the last three messages.
00:25:05.43\00:25:09.37
Thank you so much, Pastor
John, what an incredible study!
00:25:09.40\00:25:12.47
Right now we're going
to take a short break,
00:25:12.51\00:25:14.04
and we'll be back
in just one minute.
00:25:14.08\00:25:16.14