Well today, we are
studying "Images of Unity,"
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and Miss Mollie I
believe you have Tuesday...
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"The Temple of the Holy Spirit"
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Yes, more imagery,
looking at the temple.
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And, you know, this
whole Quarterly - it's designed
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for us to realize that we
are one - that if you call
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upon the name of
the Lord Jesus Christ,
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it doesn't matter if you're
in India or if you're in Russia,
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it doesn't matter
where in the world you are,
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everyone that calls upon the
name of the Lord Jesus Christ
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are one in Him.
Amen! We are one together.
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And we've looked at
this beautiful imagery...
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Shelley looked at
the people of God,
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and that's what we are.
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We are all the people of God.
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Johnny looked at the household
of God and you know what
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I thought about that, Johnny?
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Everybody that is
born into this world
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has a common ancestor...
who is that common ancestor?
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Adam! Okay, everybody
has a common ancestor,
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but if you've made Jesus
Christ the Lord of your life,
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it's like we are doubly
linked because then we are
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linked also by the Second Adam,
is that not a true statement...
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through the Lord Jesus Christ.
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Well the imagery that
we're looking at today is
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the temple of the Holy
Spirit and let me ask you this
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question... What is a temple?
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When Paul uses this term...
now remember to the people
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that he's talking
to, he's communicating
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with them, not with us.
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Today, if he were talking to
us, Jill, I believe he might say
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to you and I... "The
church of the Holy Spirit."
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What was the
temple? It was the place
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they worshipped.
Where do we worship?
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We worship in this church.
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We worship in a church.
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So it's not just the
building that we worship in,
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it's also the
place where God resides.
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And Pastor Lomacang, you were
talking about this beautiful
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building in
England was it? In Darby.
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In Darby? And it
was a beautiful church
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for many, many years.
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What is it today?
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It's a pub or, you
know, they call it a bar.
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It's a bar, so that
building at one time probably
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housed the very presence of God.
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It was a temple where
God resided but not today.
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because oh, a
building is not the church.
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What is the
church? It's the people.
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Shelley mentioned earlier and
we talk a lot here on the set
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between programs,
and she was talking about
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saying, "Oh what a
beautiful church you have,"
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and the people were thinking,
"This building is trashy,"
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and she was, "Oh no, we're
not talking about this building,
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we're talking about the spirit
that is within the people,
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the temple of the
Holy Spirit." That's right!
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Okay, I've got four Scriptures
that we're going to look at.
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Four Scriptures and the
first two are in 1 Corinthians,
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and then we
want to go elsewhere,
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but keep your marker in
1 Corinthians because we're
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going to hang there for a while.
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But 1 Corinthians
6:19... "Or do you not know
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that your body is the temple of
the Holy Spirit who is in you,
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who you have from God,
and you are not your own?"
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So what does this
say about your body?
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It is the temple of the
Holy Spirit who is in you,
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and it also says,
"We are not our own."
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Who do we belong to?
We belong to Almighty God.
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Alright, 1 Corinthians
now in chapter 3:16-17...
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Laying foundation... "Do
you not know that you are the
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temple of God and that the
Spirit of God dwells in you?
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If anyone defiles the temple
of God, God will... do what?
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destroy him. For the
temple of God is holy,
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which temple you are."
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Now, I want us to go to
Colossians - we going to look
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at Colossians 1:27 and
then we're going to jump to
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Ephesians but then we're
coming back to 1 Corinthians.
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So Colossians 1:27..."To
them God willed to make known
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what are the riches of
the glory of this mystery
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among the Gentiles:
which is Christ in you,
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the hope of glory."
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Where is Christ? Christ
IN YOU, the hope of glory!
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Ephesians 3:17...
"... that Christ may dwell
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in your hearts,
(where is Christ to dwell?
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in your hearts - how?)
through faith; that you
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being rooted and
grounded in love..."
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So we see here the reference,
the imagery that the Apostle
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Paul is making speaking of
the temple of the Holy Spirit.
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Now we look at these
Scriptures on a personal level.
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Can we look at these
Scriptures on a personal level?
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Absolutely! Where it says
that Christ is in our heart
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by faith - that
is a true statement.
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And where it says that Christ...
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What is your only hope of
glory? That is Christ in us.
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You know I make
this statement...
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"You are nothing because
of who you are, but you are
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something because
of what you contain."
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Christ in you, the hope
of glory... and the Scripture
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is referring to
the temple of God.
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So we can look at
this, we absolutely can look
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at this on a personal level.
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But, we must also look
at it on a corporate level.
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We belong to God
and He dwells within us,
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and we mustn't
defile our body temple.
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We belong to God
and we are not our own,
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but when we look at
it on a corporate level,
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we are looking at the
temple that is a worldwide
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corporate church, a
corporate temple, are we not...
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where everyone, I
mentioned this earlier, EVERYONE
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who calls upon the name
of the Lord, are a part of
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this body and God
resides in His church. Amen!
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So we're looking at
it on a personal level,
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but we're also looking at
this on a corporate level.
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For Paul, God resides
within the Christian fellowship;
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hence his warning that
anyone who attempts to destroy
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this fellowship will suffer
the consequences of judgment,
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that was 1 Corinthians 3:17.
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"If anyone defiles the
temple of God, God will destroy
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him, for the temple of God
is holy which temple you are."
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Again, looking at this
individually and corporately...
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Are we to defile, on
an individual basis...
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are we to defile our
body temple? No. We are not.
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And let me ask you this...
"What are the consequences
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when we defile our body temple?"
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If we put the
wrong things in it,
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it brings sickness and
disease or we destroy it.
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Okay, unity of
believers is at the very core
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of this fellowship and of
God's presence in His temple.
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Paul's message is a warning
to those who would destroy
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the unity of the
church - we're talking about
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the corporate church.
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Oftentimes, when thinking of
the destruction of the church,
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we look outward... you're
in 1 Corinthians, we're going
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to go look again
at chapter 3:2-4.
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Oftentimes if you
think of somebody destroying
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the church, we think
outward, but let's look at
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what Paul says, is the
greatest challenge to our church
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to our unity.
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1 Corinthians 3:2-4,
he says to the church...
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"I fed you with milk and not
with solid food; for until now
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you were not able to receive
it, and even now, you are still
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not able; for you are
still... what's that word?
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you are carnal. For where
there are envy, strife and
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divisions among you, are you
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not carnal and
behaving like mere men?
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For when one says, "I
am of Paul," and the other,
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"I am of Apollos,"
are you not carnal? "
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Envy, strife, divisions
are destructive attitudes
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and behaviors and a real
threat to Christian unity.
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When these attitudes are
exhibited in the local church,
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God's presence is withdrawn.
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God will not reside in
an atmosphere of carnality,
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envy, strife and so forth.
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In other words, conflicts within
the local church can destroy
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God's temple. Amen!
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So corporately and individually,
we are the temple of God.
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Paul pleads with the Christians
at Corinth to walk in unity,
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and to walk in harmony
and I think that's our prayer
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for each one of us
today; let unity and harmony
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reside in our
hearts. Amen! Amen!
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What a wonderful job Mollie,
I love that with our body
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being the temple of
God, not just personally,
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but corporately - that
was fabulous, praise the Lord!
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I especially like this
lesson, "Images of Unity"
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because it
deals with allegories.
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It deals with metaphors.
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I like words.
Pastor John, I like how
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they're crafted; I like to
read and you see how people
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choose to craft that.
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So especially this
lesson appeals to me because
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it's the
analogies; it's the metaphors;
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it's the allegories that
Christ uses to refer to us,
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so I love that - the people
of God, the household of God,
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the lively stones,
the temple of God...
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Mine is "The Body of Christ."
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And if we continue with
that metaphor, as it were,
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I want to talk about this
portion which is Wednesday,
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"The Body of Christ," as a book.
00:10:49.74\00:10:51.61
So I'm going to talk about,
and forward, an introduction,
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a body and a conclusion.
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Now the body of the lesson
is what I'm really supposed
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to be talking
about, "The Body of Christ"
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That is in 1 Corinthians
12, so turn with me there.
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So before we get to
the body, we're going to do
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the forward or the
preface to the entire section.
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This is in 1 Corinthians 12:4-6,
this is how I structured it,
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this is the forward.
"And 1 Corinthians 12
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is really about
authentic Christian unity...
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And it's about unity
not being just in diversity,
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neither is unity
despite diversity...
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Unity is achieved through
diversity and that's what we
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see here in the body of Christ.
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So we're in the forward portion,
this is 1 Corinthians 12:4-6.
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"There are diversities of
gifts but the same spirit.
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There are differences of
ministries but the same Lord.
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There are diversities of
activities but it's the same
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God who works all in all."
00:11:54.54\00:11:56.41
Now it's interesting, both
Father, Son and Holy Spirit
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are mentioned in
these three verses.
00:11:59.28\00:12:03.05
And the word for diversities,
"differences and diversities,"
00:12:03.08\00:12:06.45
is all the same word.
00:12:06.49\00:12:08.22
It means in the
Greek, "division, difference,
00:12:08.26\00:12:11.39
distinction, diversity."
00:12:11.43\00:12:13.60
So we could read it then...
There are differences of gifts.
00:12:13.63\00:12:16.53
Now what are the gifts
that are being referred to here?
00:12:16.56\00:12:19.67
Charisma - A gift of grace.
00:12:19.70\00:12:23.27
There are differences in the
gifts of grace that are given.
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There are differences in
the ministries that are given.
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Now the word for
ministry comes from "diakonos."
00:12:32.11\00:12:34.85
In Acts 6- remember when
the deacons were appointed.
00:12:34.88\00:12:39.52
It's the same root word and
it means, of course, ministry
00:12:39.55\00:12:43.29
or service, but it literally
means "to wait at tables."
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As when you would go
out to eat and someone comes
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and is your server -
someone serves you at the table.
00:12:49.76\00:12:53.13
So there's
differences in the gifts.
00:12:53.17\00:12:54.97
There are differences in
the ministry or the service
00:12:55.00\00:12:58.57
that we are called to do.
00:12:58.61\00:13:00.48
And finally, there's
differences of activities.
00:13:00.51\00:13:04.21
So there are differences
in the gifts of grace and how
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we're to operate in that grace.
00:13:06.95\00:13:09.02
There's differences in the
ministry that you and I are
00:13:09.05\00:13:11.42
given and how
we choose to serve.
00:13:11.45\00:13:14.69
And there are differences
in the tasks that we are given,
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and how we function within that.
00:13:18.19\00:13:19.96
That's the forward - now we're
going to go to the introduction.
00:13:20.00\00:13:23.06
This is the list of
spiritual gifts that is given to
00:13:23.10\00:13:25.87
the church - we won't read
that passage, but it leads us
00:13:25.90\00:13:30.44
right up to verse 12
which is our portion here.
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The gifts, of course,
are: wisdom, word of knowledge,
00:13:33.11\00:13:36.71
faith, gifts of healings,
working of miracles, prophecy,
00:13:36.75\00:13:40.88
discerning of spirits,
different kinds of tongues and
00:13:40.92\00:13:43.08
interpretation of tongues.
00:13:43.12\00:13:44.45
The point I want to look at
is verse 11... "But one in the
00:13:44.49\00:13:47.59
same spirit works all these
things, distributing to each
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one individually as
He wills." That's right.
00:13:50.56\00:13:54.93
You know what that
says? "The Holy Spirit
00:13:54.96\00:13:56.67
is the One who gives
the gifts - that means
00:13:56.70\00:13:59.63
the Holy Spirit is the
One who gives the differences
00:13:59.67\00:14:02.74
or we could say... the
differences that we see
00:14:02.77\00:14:05.37
within the body
of Christ are divine.
00:14:05.41\00:14:08.74
So when I look at
someone's gift and I say,
00:14:08.78\00:14:11.25
"Well look at that gift,
you have this, I have this,
00:14:11.28\00:14:14.78
so-an-so has this,"
that is part of God's plan.
00:14:14.82\00:14:18.19
That is divine!
00:14:18.22\00:14:19.82
Now we get into the body of
this and this is really the body
00:14:19.85\00:14:23.12
of Christ - the metaphor of the
church is the body of Christ.
00:14:23.16\00:14:26.39
I see six lessons in here.
00:14:26.43\00:14:29.83
Lesson #1... Unity does not
mean uniformity. That's right.
00:14:29.86\00:14:34.60
We see that in verse
12. "For as the body is one
00:14:34.64\00:14:37.47
and has many
members, but all the members
00:14:37.51\00:14:40.11
of that one body
be many, are one body.
00:14:40.14\00:14:43.01
So also is Christ.
00:14:43.04\00:14:45.01
So we are one body,
we are to be united,
00:14:45.05\00:14:47.85
Pastor Johnny,
but at the same time,
00:14:47.88\00:14:50.29
we are many members.
00:14:50.32\00:14:51.65
So unity does
not mean uniformity.
00:14:51.69\00:14:54.29
Lesson #2... The differences
do not have to divide us,
00:14:54.32\00:14:59.03
they can unite us as
long as we're in Christ.
00:14:59.06\00:15:02.53
Verse 13, the next
verse... "For by one Spirit
00:15:02.56\00:15:05.33
we were all baptized into one
body - whether Jews or Greeks,
00:15:05.37\00:15:08.97
slaves or free -
and have all been made
00:15:09.00\00:15:11.87
to drink into one Spirit."
00:15:11.91\00:15:15.01
Many times we see those
differences of race or ethnicity
00:15:15.04\00:15:18.85
differences of
class, differences of money,
00:15:18.88\00:15:21.88
differences of education
and we look at that and say...
00:15:21.92\00:15:24.89
"Oh, but you're
different than me," but those
00:15:24.92\00:15:27.32
differences don't have to
divide us as long as we are
00:15:27.36\00:15:30.63
all one in Christ - we
can all be united together.
00:15:30.66\00:15:35.76
Lesson #3... Jealousy
cannot exist in the body.
00:15:35.80\00:15:40.14
In fact, it's almost
humorous because the example
00:15:40.17\00:15:43.74
is kind of humorous
that's given here...
00:15:43.77\00:15:45.74
We are in - I need to
turn my page... we're in
00:15:45.77\00:15:48.74
verses 15-19... "If the foot
should say, "Because I'm not
00:15:48.78\00:15:54.42
a hand, I am not of
the body," is it therefore
00:15:54.45\00:15:57.39
not of the body? And
if the ear should say,
00:15:57.42\00:15:59.75
"Because I am not an
eye, I am not of the body,"
00:15:59.79\00:16:02.22
is it therefore not of the body?
00:16:02.26\00:16:04.59
If the whole body were an
eye, where would be the hearing?
00:16:04.63\00:16:07.80
If the whole were hearing,
where would be the smelling?
00:16:07.83\00:16:10.97
But now God has set the
members, each one of them
00:16:11.00\00:16:14.07
in the body just as He pleased.
00:16:14.10\00:16:16.07
And if they were all one member,
where would the body be."
00:16:16.10\00:16:19.47
Now when you read that,
it's actually kind of humorous.
00:16:19.51\00:16:21.64
You'd think, "Of course
not, we're not all one eye
00:16:21.68\00:16:24.31
because it would
be a freak, right?
00:16:24.35\00:16:26.05
If you have one hand,
but you don't have a foot,
00:16:27.05\00:16:29.32
that would be a problem,
so we see that as humorous,
00:16:29.35\00:16:31.95
but in the body of
Christ, the same thing.
00:16:31.99\00:16:34.39
Jealousy cannot exist in the
body of Christ. That's right.
00:16:34.42\00:16:38.43
Lesson #4... All are
essential to the work.
00:16:38.46\00:16:41.53
All are equally important.
00:16:41.56\00:16:44.60
Verse 20... "But now
indeed, there are many members
00:16:44.63\00:16:48.67
yet one body and the
eye cannot say to the hand
00:16:48.70\00:16:52.34
"I have no need of you,"
nor again, the head to the
00:16:52.37\00:16:55.54
feet, "I have no need of you."
00:16:55.58\00:16:57.85
No, much rather these members
of the body which seem to be
00:16:57.88\00:17:01.42
weaker are necessary."
00:17:01.45\00:17:04.19
You know, you hear these
stories of someone who maybe
00:17:04.22\00:17:07.39
is out working in the woods
and they are felling a tree,
00:17:07.42\00:17:10.83
and all of a sudden, it falls
on them and pins their leg...
00:17:10.86\00:17:13.33
And you hear stories - what
if they don't have a cell phone
00:17:13.36\00:17:15.96
or what if, you know, they
don't have any way to get out
00:17:16.00\00:17:18.83
from underneath that
tree... And then they make the
00:17:18.87\00:17:22.24
horrible decision, "I'm gonna
cut off that leg in order to
00:17:22.27\00:17:27.08
save myself - in
order to save my life."
00:17:27.11\00:17:31.11
Now when we hear of
that, we say that is extreme.
00:17:31.15\00:17:35.12
Okay, you don't want to
cut off your leg, right?
00:17:35.15\00:17:37.55
That is like a last-ditch
effort, but yet in the church,
00:17:37.59\00:17:41.22
we willingly cut off
parts of the body. That's true.
00:17:41.26\00:17:45.43
It does not seem
extreme in the church.
00:17:45.46\00:17:47.30
We say, "Who do
you think you are?
00:17:47.33\00:17:49.36
You're using...
what's that gift?
00:17:49.40\00:17:51.73
Well what do you have
to offer to the body?"
00:17:51.77\00:17:53.87
And we eagerly and
willingly cut people off,
00:17:53.90\00:17:59.11
where here in the
natural world, we would never
00:17:59.14\00:18:01.78
cut off a body part unless
it was to save someone's life.
00:18:01.81\00:18:05.21
But here, Paul is saying... "All
are essential to the work." Amen
00:18:05.25\00:18:09.35
Nobody can be easily
cut off and set aside.
00:18:09.38\00:18:13.22
Lesson #5... Exercise
care instead of competition.
00:18:13.25\00:18:17.89
Verse 23... "And those members
of the body which we think
00:18:17.93\00:18:21.76
to be less honorable,
on those we bestow greater
00:18:21.80\00:18:24.93
honor and our unpresentable
parts of greater modesty,
00:18:24.97\00:18:28.47
but our
presentable parts of no need.
00:18:28.50\00:18:30.47
But God composed the
body, having given greater honor
00:18:30.51\00:18:33.98
to that part which lacks
it, that there should be no
00:18:34.01\00:18:36.68
schism in the body,
but that the members should
00:18:36.71\00:18:39.11
have the same
care for one another."
00:18:39.15\00:18:41.98
Instead of criticizing
instead of judging someone
00:18:42.02\00:18:45.22
else harshly, instead of
expecting them to somehow
00:18:45.25\00:18:48.46
perform better, we are
to build each other up.
00:18:48.49\00:18:52.06
We are to take
care of each other.
00:18:52.09\00:18:54.20
We're to have compassion on
the weaker parts of the body.
00:18:54.23\00:18:57.03
Lesson #6... Final lesson
is that all suffer equally.
00:18:58.10\00:19:02.20
Verse 26... "If one
member suffers, all the members
00:19:02.24\00:19:05.74
suffer with it;
or if one member is
00:19:05.77\00:19:07.81
honored, all the
members rejoice with it."
00:19:07.84\00:19:11.01
You know if you stub
your toe, Pastor John,
00:19:11.05\00:19:13.15
pretty soon your shin hurts and
your calf and then your thigh,
00:19:13.18\00:19:17.15
and sometimes maybe
if you break something,
00:19:17.19\00:19:19.25
you could even get a fever...
the whole body is affected
00:19:19.29\00:19:23.29
when one member suffers.
00:19:23.32\00:19:25.03
So in the body of
Christ, when one member suffers,
00:19:25.06\00:19:28.06
the whole body comes together,
or if one member has a joy,
00:19:28.10\00:19:31.60
the whole body can
come together in that.
00:19:31.63\00:19:33.97
So we have the forward,
we have the introduction
00:19:34.00\00:19:37.14
in the body, the conclusion is
that all of this is important,
00:19:37.17\00:19:40.71
but the end of chapter 12
tells us the greatest thing,
00:19:40.74\00:19:43.85
the most important
thing we could ever have
00:19:43.88\00:19:46.35
is that of
love. Wow. Amen! Amen!
00:19:46.38\00:19:48.68
I'm going to ask you to
preach that sermon one day.
00:19:48.75\00:19:51.75
That was wonderfully put
together because a lot of times,
00:19:51.79\00:19:53.86
you know what we're seeing
in this lesson, this continuous
00:19:53.89\00:19:56.59
theme of unity in so many
facets which can only happen
00:19:56.62\00:20:02.13
in Christ, and thank
you for breaking that down.
00:20:02.16\00:20:05.10
You have a unique way
of bringing things out,
00:20:05.13\00:20:06.84
I like that - putting
it together like a book.
00:20:06.87\00:20:08.97
But now we're looking
at "Sheep and Shepherd,"
00:20:09.00\00:20:13.34
Thursday, November 8th,
and we're going to spend
00:20:13.38\00:20:17.35
most of our time in
the Book of John 10.
00:20:17.38\00:20:20.48
John chapter 10, now I
have a new Bible, I have the
00:20:20.52\00:20:24.82
"Remnant Study Bible,"
and I have another Bible
00:20:24.85\00:20:28.02
that I've been toting
around for a long time,
00:20:28.06\00:20:30.76
and all my highlights are
in there, so I feel like a
00:20:30.79\00:20:34.23
stranger in a foreign
land in this unmarked Bible,
00:20:34.26\00:20:37.67
but my wife and I read
this Bible together every night
00:20:37.70\00:20:40.50
and so she said, "We need
to be on the same page, but I
00:20:40.54\00:20:43.44
feel that..." You
know Shelley when you
00:20:43.47\00:20:44.81
work on a Bible and you
really get that recipe really
00:20:44.84\00:20:47.54
well down and
everything is connected...
00:20:47.58\00:20:49.21
So I'm looking at John 10
and I'm saying, "Where is my
00:20:49.24\00:20:51.71
fingerprint? It's missing!"
00:20:51.75\00:20:53.92
But I know the Scripture is
still there, but the Book of
00:20:53.95\00:20:56.75
John 10... you know, one
of the favorite Scriptures
00:20:56.79\00:21:00.22
and I use highlighting -
I'm now using a new method
00:21:00.26\00:21:02.72
of highlighting - I'm
using orange for all of the
00:21:02.76\00:21:05.59
famous Scriptures.
00:21:05.63\00:21:07.46
So if I were to use orange
in my Bible, in John chapter 10,
00:21:07.50\00:21:12.10
it would be John
10:10, right? Yes!
00:21:12.13\00:21:15.60
And that is... "The thief
does not come except to steal,
00:21:15.64\00:21:21.31
and to kill, and to destroy.
I have come that they may
00:21:21.34\00:21:25.91
have life and that
they may have it...how?
00:21:25.95\00:21:29.05
more abundantly."
That's an orange Scripture.
00:21:29.08\00:21:32.85
And I'm going to spend
time on the Book of John today
00:21:32.89\00:21:36.16
because I want to
just... instead of talking about
00:21:36.19\00:21:38.53
sheep and shepherd
and shepherd and sheep,
00:21:38.56\00:21:39.89
it's all through the Scriptures
and we know that Jesus
00:21:39.93\00:21:41.93
is the Chief
Shepherd, I'm an undershepherd.
00:21:41.96\00:21:44.87
We see shepherds... David
was a shepherd; Moses was a
00:21:44.90\00:21:50.21
shepherd and we see that
the Lord had to teach these
00:21:50.24\00:21:56.54
great men that now echo
in the recesses of our minds
00:21:56.58\00:22:00.78
as great leaders.
00:22:00.82\00:22:02.15
We now see why God was able
to develop... send Moses out
00:22:02.18\00:22:06.45
for 40 years... He said because
if you think dealing with
00:22:06.49\00:22:09.72
those sheep are difficult,
wait until I send you back
00:22:09.76\00:22:12.13
to Egypt to get those folk out.
00:22:12.16\00:22:15.83
Because the problem
was... you can take sheep out
00:22:15.86\00:22:18.33
and they'll follow you,
but taking the Israelites
00:22:18.37\00:22:22.97
out of Egypt was not as
difficult as taking Egypt
00:22:23.00\00:22:25.87
out of the Israelites.
00:22:25.91\00:22:27.58
That was the challenge and
the Lord says... Learn with the
00:22:27.61\00:22:30.31
sheep first because
you're going to have a task
00:22:30.35\00:22:32.01
for the latter
part of your life.
00:22:32.05\00:22:33.38
And everything about our lives
as undershepherds teaches me
00:22:33.42\00:22:37.95
so much about the Chief
Shepherd and I want to make
00:22:37.99\00:22:39.75
this statement - I
know we're all excited...
00:22:39.79\00:22:41.39
"Aren't we glad that
we have a Chief Shepherd
00:22:41.42\00:22:43.73
that never lets any of the
sheep remain unattended." Amen!
00:22:43.76\00:22:48.10
The most beautiful picture...
we have a picture on our wall
00:22:48.13\00:22:51.10
out there in the church
of Jesus embracing the sheep,
00:22:51.13\00:22:53.64
the lost sheep, and each
one of us is in that very
00:22:53.67\00:22:57.07
beautiful
illustration of Isaiah.
00:22:57.11\00:23:00.38
"All we, like sheep,
have... gone astray."
00:23:00.41\00:23:04.01
But I'm going to just
spend a little time on John 10
00:23:04.05\00:23:07.65
because the things
that came to me in John 10
00:23:07.68\00:23:10.69
is first -
Jesus is the Door. Yes
00:23:10.72\00:23:14.79
He's not only the
Shepherd, but He is the Door.
00:23:14.82\00:23:18.19
I'm going to read
John 14:6 to illustrate it
00:23:19.86\00:23:23.70
in a little different way.
00:23:23.73\00:23:25.37
Jesus said, "I am the
Way, the Truth and the Life,
00:23:25.40\00:23:30.01
no man cometh unto
the Father but by Me."
00:23:30.04\00:23:33.74
That's the King James Version.
00:23:33.78\00:23:35.11
No one comes to the Father
except he comes through Me.
00:23:35.14\00:23:38.05
And He says in John 10:2...
"But he who enters by the
00:23:38.08\00:23:46.09
Door is the Shepherd of the
sheep. To Him the doorkeeper
00:23:46.12\00:23:50.73
opens and the sheep hears
His voice and He calls His own
00:23:50.76\00:23:55.66
sheep by name
and leads them out."
00:23:55.70\00:23:59.37
We have so many people in
our church that heard the voice
00:23:59.40\00:24:02.94
of the Shepherd... Shelley,
your story is one of those.
00:24:02.97\00:24:06.88
Heard the voice of the
Shepherd - already a Christian,
00:24:06.91\00:24:09.34
but the Shepherd kept
talking and you listened...
00:24:09.38\00:24:12.78
"My sheep hear My
voice and they follow Me."
00:24:12.81\00:24:15.45
And so that fold that is
talked about in John 10:16...
00:24:15.48\00:24:19.42
we believe, as Seventh-day
Adventist Christians,
00:24:19.45\00:24:21.72
that God has sheep in all
different kinds of folds. Amen!
00:24:21.76\00:24:25.53
But He doesn't say,
"leave the sheep there,"
00:24:25.56\00:24:28.16
He says, "Other sheep I
have that are not of this fold;
00:24:28.20\00:24:30.73
them also I must bring
and they will hear My voice;
00:24:30.77\00:24:33.00
and there will be one
fold and one shepherd."
00:24:33.03\00:24:35.70
The other thing that Peter
points out in 1 Peter 2:25...
00:24:35.74\00:24:39.21
"For you were like sheep going
astray, but have now returned
00:24:39.24\00:24:44.25
to the Shepherd and
Overseer of your souls."
00:24:44.28\00:24:48.68
So Jesus is not just
the Shepherd of the flock,
00:24:48.72\00:24:51.05
but He is the Overseer
of our souls, and what would
00:24:51.09\00:24:53.79
we be without Him?
00:24:53.82\00:24:55.16
And another method of
salvation is often suggested,
00:24:55.19\00:24:58.33
but there is no
other name given among men
00:24:58.36\00:25:02.66
whereby we must be saved,
than the person of Christ.
00:25:02.70\00:25:06.17
So I want to take the
next 4 minutes of my time,
00:25:06.20\00:25:08.64
if it takes that long, and I
want to break down one of the
00:25:08.67\00:25:12.07
most beautiful passages in the
Bible - The Twenty-Third Psalms.
00:25:12.11\00:25:15.98
I'm going to do this in a
poetic way, but you're going
00:25:16.01\00:25:19.01
to follow me in it, and
I'm going to use the King James
00:25:19.05\00:25:21.92
Version and I'm going
to break down every aspect
00:25:21.95\00:25:24.62
and I'm going to give
you 17 points very quickly,
00:25:24.65\00:25:27.42
17 in four minutes.
00:25:27.46\00:25:29.22
The Lord is my Shepherd...
"He is my Relationship."
00:25:29.26\00:25:33.66
I shall not want...
"He is my Supplier."
00:25:33.70\00:25:36.67
He maketh me to lie
down in green pastures...
00:25:36.70\00:25:40.24
"He is my rest."
00:25:40.27\00:25:42.40
He leadeth me beside the still
waters... "He is my refresher."
00:25:42.44\00:25:48.04
He restores my
soul... "He is my healer."
00:25:48.08\00:25:53.08
He leadeth me in the
paths of righteousness...
00:25:53.11\00:25:56.69
"He is my reliable Guide."
00:25:56.72\00:25:58.79
For His name sake... "He
gives me a divine purpose."
00:25:58.82\00:26:03.96
Yea, though I walk through the
valley of the shadow of death...
00:26:03.99\00:26:08.53
"He is my Comforter in
times of testing, in trial."
00:26:08.56\00:26:14.64
I will fear no evil...
why? "He is my protector."
00:26:14.67\00:26:19.37
For thou art with
me... "He is my ever present
00:26:19.41\00:26:23.58
help in time of need."
00:26:23.61\00:26:26.41
Thy rod and thy
staff, they comfort me...
00:26:26.45\00:26:29.35
A little different twist...
"He disciplines me." Yes
00:26:29.38\00:26:33.15
"He disciplines me... the rod
to keep the evil away from me;
00:26:33.19\00:26:38.03
the staff... to keep
me from running away...
00:26:38.06\00:26:40.60
He disciplines me..."
00:26:40.63\00:26:42.50
Thou preparest a table before me
in the presence of my enemies...
00:26:42.53\00:26:46.53
"He is my hope -
He shows the work
00:26:46.57\00:26:50.01
that He's doing in my life."
00:26:50.04\00:26:51.91
Thou anointest my
head with oil... "He is my
00:26:51.94\00:26:54.94
consecrator - He consecrates
me for a holy purpose."
00:26:54.98\00:26:59.78
My cup runneth -
how? My cup runneth over.
00:26:59.81\00:27:03.89
Every time I read
that Scripture, I remember
00:27:03.92\00:27:06.15
Darrell Marshall's song,
"I'm drinking from my saucer,
00:27:06.19\00:27:10.09
because my cup is overflowing.
00:27:10.13\00:27:12.53
I mean, that's a constant
testimony - my wife and I
00:27:12.56\00:27:16.06
we pause every now and
then, and then go back to it.
00:27:16.10\00:27:18.30
We pause every now and
then and we say, "Look at where
00:27:18.33\00:27:21.60
we were - two young
people in Brooklyn, New York;
00:27:21.64\00:27:25.91
one that didn't know her father
and I didn't know my mother
00:27:25.94\00:27:28.44
nor father and the Lord
called us out and He brought us
00:27:28.48\00:27:33.75
to a place and now our
cups run over with blessings
00:27:33.78\00:27:38.75
and plans that we could have
00:27:38.79\00:27:40.12
never orchestrated
ourselves." My cup runneth over,
00:27:40.16\00:27:43.93
and it goes continually.
00:27:43.96\00:27:45.63
Surely goodness and
mercy shall follow me
00:27:45.66\00:27:49.13
all the days of my life...
"He is my constant blessing."
00:27:49.16\00:27:52.90
How many days of our lives?
All the days of our lives.
00:27:52.93\00:27:56.94
And we know that all
things work together for good
00:27:56.97\00:27:59.24
to those who love God,
to those who are called
00:27:59.27\00:28:01.24
according to His purpose.
00:28:01.28\00:28:02.61
No matter whether it's
raining or snowing; whether it's
00:28:02.64\00:28:04.75
difficulty or joy;
whether it's trial or triumph;
00:28:04.78\00:28:07.92
whether it's
violence or victory...
00:28:07.95\00:28:10.65
all the days of my life.
00:28:10.69\00:28:12.52
And then it says in verse 16,
And I will dwell in the house
00:28:12.55\00:28:16.19
of the Lord...
"He is my security."
00:28:16.22\00:28:18.76
How can you find any
greater security than
00:28:18.79\00:28:20.73
dwelling in the
house of the Lord?
00:28:20.76\00:28:22.30
And then it says,
FOREVER... "He is my eternity."
00:28:22.33\00:28:27.40
So when I look at
the Twenty-Third Psalms,
00:28:27.44\00:28:31.47
I did do a sermon one
day and I said this...
00:28:31.51\00:28:33.68
"If you can say that the Lord
is my Shepherd, then you are
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about to begin a journey
and each aspect of the journey
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that you're going to experience
you're going to go through
00:28:40.42\00:28:42.58
valleys of shadows of death,
but He's not going to leave you.
00:28:42.62\00:28:45.02
You're going to have those
days when the water is still,
00:28:45.05\00:28:47.19
and sheep don't
drink from oceans.
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They drink from
still waters. That's right.
00:28:49.82\00:28:52.16
And the other thing -
which is kind of a twist is...
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even though He is the
Door, Revelation 3:20 says,
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"Behold I stand AT the door."
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When you are not a part
of the Shepherd's flock,
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He stands at the door
and continues knocking,
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and He says, "If anyone
hears my voice...(the same
00:29:09.64\00:29:12.75
language with John 10),
If anyone hears My voice,
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and opens the door,
I will come in to him
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and dine with
him and he with me."
00:29:18.29\00:29:20.79
So my appeal to you
today is if you don't know the
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Shepherd, get to know
Him now because the door
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that He is knocking at...
one day the knocking with cease,
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and there will be
weeping and gnashing of teeth.
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Make Him your Shepherd
today. Amen! Amen and Amen!
00:29:32.93\00:29:36.37
A wonderful lesson,
thank you John - so much.
00:29:36.40\00:29:39.04
We have just a couple of
moments left, but I'd like
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for everyone to
have the opportunity to
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give us a
closing thought, Johnny.
00:29:44.41\00:29:46.61
Yes, when Jesus
Christ dwells in our hearts,
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His love will outflow to others
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and it will be a
unifying factor. Amen!
00:29:54.72\00:29:58.89
And when you're having
the worse day you think you
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could ever have, just
look behind you because
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mercy and
goodness are following you!
00:30:06.37\00:30:09.00
Capitalizing on
Psalms 23, Pastor Lomacang,
00:30:09.04\00:30:12.54
that was beautiful. Amen!
00:30:12.57\00:30:14.51
That was beautiful, I love that.
00:30:14.54\00:30:16.11
I'm just stuck back there
in Psalm 23, but I want to
00:30:16.14\00:30:19.18
make an appeal to you
at home to become involved
00:30:19.21\00:30:22.95
in a body of believers.
00:30:22.98\00:30:24.65
If you currently are
not part of a church,
00:30:24.69\00:30:27.19
we want to encourage you
to join a local congregation.
00:30:27.22\00:30:31.29
We would encourage you
to join the Seventh-day
00:30:31.33\00:30:33.06
Adventist Church, but
to join a body of believers
00:30:33.09\00:30:36.30
that worship God and
that study His word and know
00:30:36.33\00:30:40.44
that you can come in
unity and be a part of the
00:30:40.47\00:30:43.04
body of Christ. That's right!
00:30:43.07\00:30:44.64
Well-fed sheep do not
stray, well-fed sheep produce
00:30:44.67\00:30:48.81
good wool and well-fed
sheep attract other sheep.
00:30:48.84\00:30:52.55
But there's one thing
that is about a sheep that's
00:30:52.58\00:30:54.48
so true... A sheep when
he's on his back, he cannot
00:30:54.52\00:30:58.62
right himself - that's
why we need a Shepherd. Amen!
00:30:58.65\00:31:02.39
Amen! Thank you so much
each and every one of you.
00:31:02.42\00:31:05.59
John Dinzey - thank you, Mollie,
Jill and Pastor John - we
00:31:05.63\00:31:09.96
appreciate you so much.
00:31:10.00\00:31:11.67
You know, we are
talking of unity and as we
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think on these
things, don't think that we're
00:31:17.81\00:31:20.21
going to be naive because
we do realize from time-to-time
00:31:20.24\00:31:24.58
conflict arises -
we are just people.
00:31:24.61\00:31:29.22
So join us next week as
we look at what to do to deal
00:31:29.25\00:31:36.56
with the situations
"When Conflicts Arise."
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But until then, may the
grace of our Lord and Savior
00:31:40.40\00:31:42.86
Jesus Christ, the love of
the Father and the fellowship
00:31:42.90\00:31:45.40
of the Holy Spirit be with you.
00:31:45.43\00:31:47.30