Hello and welcome to the
3ABN Sabbath School Panel.
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I'm Jill Morikone and we
are so happy that you have taken
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time from your day to
join us as we go through our
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study of the word of God.
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We are in the middle of our
quarter on "Oneness in Christ"
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Last week, we looked at
the early Christian Church,
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the believers and how
they dealt with disunity,
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how they handled conflict.
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This week our study
is: "Unity in Faith"
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I want to introduce our
panel to you at this time;
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to my left is Pastor
Kenny Shelton - it's always a
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privilege to sit
with you and to hear
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what God has to
share through you.
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Oh, it's such a
blessing to be here, thank you.
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And to your left, Pastor
John Lomacang, my pastor,
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the pastor of the
Thompsonville Church here...
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Good to be here always.
It's a privilege to have you.
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To your left is Ryan
Day - we are so excited
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to have Ryan here.
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You are a brand new employee
here or sort of brand new
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here at 3ABN - he came
from "Amazing Facts" and he was
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an evangelist with them,
and it's a privilege to have
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you here on the
panel. Thank you.
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And to your left is my Sister
Shelley Quinn and thank you
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so much for being here
as well. Lovely to be here.
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I want to encourage you to
go to the website where you can
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download your own copy of
the Quarterly and follow along
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with us from week-to-week.
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That website is:
ABSG.Adventist.org
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That stands for "Adult
Bible Study Guide.Adventist.org
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or we always encourage
you to go visit your local
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Seventh-day Adventist Church;
they would give you a copy
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of a Quarterly and you
could join a body of believers
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and study together.
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Before we go any
further in our study,
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we want to go to
the Lord in prayer.
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Pastor Kenny, would you
open up in prayer for us?
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Absolutely! Let's
pray together, shall we?
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Merciful Father in
Heaven, Truly, we are thankful
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that we can come before
Thee this Thy Sabbath day,
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that we can worship
Thee in Spirit and in truth.
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We can study the word,
we ask for the anointing
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of thy Holy Spirit.
Lord, how desperately
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we need the Spirit of
the living God to come into
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our hearts, into our
minds that we might be able
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to, by the grace of
God, decipher what is truth.
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and then the ability
to walk in that truth,
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Thank you for each
one that's here today.
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Open our hearts, open
our minds and each one who
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views, those who
listen. Lord, may this truly
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be a blessing that will
bring honor and glory to You,
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and to You alone
today. For heavenly wisdom
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we plead and we thank You.
In Jesus name... Amen, Amen!
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As we look at the
concept of unity in the church,
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I believe that
often, in many churches,
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and probably the Seventh-day
Adventist Church would
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be no exception, there are
two polar opposites, as it were,
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when we look at unity.
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One concept is built on
truth and it says there is no
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unity apart from truth.
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And it says... we need
to hold our doctrines pure,
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and hold on to the truth
once delivered to the saints.
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The other concept is a
concept built on relationships.
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It says relationships are
more important than truth.
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The truth concept says that
I need to preserve the truth
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at all costs.
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The relationship concept
says that I need to hold on to
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relationships at all cost.
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The truth concept says that
it doesn't matter who you hurt.
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The relationship
concept says it doesn't
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matter who you believe.
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The truth concept
says it doesn't matter
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who you step on.
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The relationship concept says it
doesn't matter what you teach.
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The truth concept
says it doesn't matter
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how you preserve
the truth, just do it.
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The relationship
concept says it doesn't matter
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how you compromise, just do it.
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Now I would submit to
you at home and to us here,
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that there's a third concept.
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The third concept is to hold
the truth in love, in humility,
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in relationship
with other people
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Authentic Christian unity
is not found in diversity,
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it's not found despite
diversity - it's rather found
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through diversity.
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Our unity is made evident
by how we treat other people.
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I love Philippians 2... I
think Philippians is one of my
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favorite books of the Bible.
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Philippians 2:1-3, Paul says...
"Therefore if there is any
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consolation in Christ,
if any comfort of love,
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if any fellowship of
the Spirit, if any affection
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and mercy, fulfill my
joy... how? by being likeminded,
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having the same love being
of one accord, of one mind.
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Let nothing be done
through strife or vainglory;
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but in lowliness of mind
let each esteem the other
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as better than themselves."
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I think in every healthy
church there is a danger of
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disunity because when
our beliefs matter to us,
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it's easy to let the beliefs
supersede the relationship
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of the person.
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The relationship is
important, but the belief
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is just as important.
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We're not saying we
cast away the truth;
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we're just saying how we
hold on to the truth in love
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and in humility is important.
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You know the church in
1888, when I say "the church,"
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I'm talking about the
Seventh- day Adventist Church.
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In 1888, they had some
doctrinal debates regarding
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the ten horns,
prophecy in Daniel 7 regarding
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what the law really
meant in Galatians 3:24
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and they missed entirely
that their attitudes toward
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other people were hostile
and they missed the message of
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righteousness by faith,
that God wanted to give to the
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church at that time.
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So this week, we're going
to look at some key beliefs
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within the
Seventh-day Adventist Church,
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and how that shapes our unity.
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My day, on Sunday, we get to
talk about "Salvation in Jesus."
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We're talking about the second
coming - the high priestly
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ministry of Jesus in
the Heavenly Sanctuary;
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the truth of the
Sabbath, and the truth
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about the state of the dead.
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So our memory text is Acts 4:12,
it says, "Nor is there salvation
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in any other, for there
is no other name under heaven
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given among men by
which we must be saved."
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Now when you think about
this doctrine of salvation,
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I believe salvation in
Jesus alone all other doctrines
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find their
center and circumference
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in the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen!
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And then the fact
that we are saved by grace
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through faith,
that not of ourselves,
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it's a gift of God, not of works
lest anyone should boast...
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That's Ephesians 2:8-9.
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We often say,
"What is the gift?"
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The gift is salvation.
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The gift is the grace
that God bestows upon us,
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in order to
receive that salvation.
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The gift is the faith by
which I reach out by faith and
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accept the grace, accept the
blood of Jesus to cover my sins.
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When we think about
this concept of salvation,
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it's really a
doctrine of salvation.
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We know, in the
Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve
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walked in perfect harmony...
Right Pastor Kenny? Absolutely!
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with each other
and with their Maker
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every day and in
the cool of the day.
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Sin brought separation from God.
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Sin always
brings fear and guilt.
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I think of Genesis
3:10, Remember God said...
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"Where are you?"
because they always
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met in the cool of
the day. "Where are you?"
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And Adam said, "I heard
your voice in the garden
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and I was afraid, and
I realized I was naked,
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and I hid myself."
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In Hebrew, the word for "hid"
is to hide oneself in fear.
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So he said, "I was afraid
and I hid myself in fear."
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I was really afraid.
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Sin brought fear,
sin brought guilt,
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sin separation from God.
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We know that sin brings
death. Romans 6:23... "The wages
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of sin is death."
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Are you thankful that the
Bible doesn't stop there? Amen!
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But, "The wages of sin is
death, BUT, the gift of God
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is eternal life
through Jesus Christ our Lord."
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We know that all have sinned;
Adam and Eve first sinned and
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we are all guilty by association
but we're all guilty by choice
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because every single person
following Adam made a choice
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to step into sin at one
point or another in their life.
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Romans 1, talks about the
sins, as it were, of the Gentile
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world - there's a great
list of sins listed there in
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Romans 1 and it's a pretty heavy
list if you read that list.
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Romans 2 is the
sins of the Jewish world,
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and that's a
pretty heavy list too.
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But now we get down to
Romans 3:23- I want to invite
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you to turn there with us.
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We're going to spend the
rest of our time in Romans 3.
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Romans 3:23... We come to this
statement - "All have sinned
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and fallen short
of the glory of God."
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So all of us are under
that condemnation, as it were,
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and that curse from the law.
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We are all separated from God.
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Aren't you thankful it
doesn't stop there? Halleluiah!
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The very next verse,
Romans 3:24- what does it say?
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"Being justified
freely by His grace."
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So, first of all, in Romans
3:23, we were all declared
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wicked, right? We
were all under the curse
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and condemnation of sin.
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What does the
word "justified" mean?
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Dikaioo - it means, in
Greek, to show to be righteous,
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to declare righteous.
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So we were all declared
wicked in the previous verse,
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and all of a sudden,
we're declared righteous.
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What took place?
John 3:16 took place.
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"For God so loved the world,
that He gave His only begotten
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Son that whoever believes
in Him should not perish,
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but have eternal or
everlasting life." That's right.
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What took place was the
death of Jesus - our perfect
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substitute,
perfect life... He died the
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death that we deserved.
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He took our sin and
our punishment so that we
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could have the
life that He gives us.
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What an incredible exchange!
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So we are all sinners;
God sent Jesus to give us
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the gift of eternal life.
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And what does He
do? He justifies us.
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He redeems us.
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He became the
propitiation. Praise God.
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He justifies us.
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1 John 1:7... "If we walk in
the light as He is in the light,
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we have fellowship with
one another, and the blood
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of Jesus Christ, his Son
cleanses us from all sin."
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He declares us to be
righteous. How does he do this?
00:11:04.59\00:11:08.86
I always call it the
double imputation, I don't even
00:11:08.90\00:11:11.33
know if that's a theological
term, but in 2 Corinthians 5:21,
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Pastor Kenny, it says,
"For He made Him (that was God
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made Jesus) who knew no
sin to become sin for us
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that we might be made the
righteousness of God in Him."
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So my sin was imputed
to His account - God...
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Jesus took my sin
and His righteousness was
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credited or
imputed to my account.
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So He justifies
us. He redeems us.
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We're in Romans 3:24 (the second
half), "We're justified freely
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by His grace through
the redemption that is
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in Christ Jesus!
00:11:50.51\00:11:52.77
The word for "redemption"
really means a release
00:11:52.81\00:11:55.78
effected by payment of a ransom.
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It means to buy
back, to win back what was
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previously lost.
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That's all of us - we're all
lost under the penalty of sin,
00:12:06.39\00:12:10.33
and Satan claimed dominion
of this world - did he not?
00:12:10.36\00:12:12.99
God gave to Adam
dominion of the world, but Satan
00:12:13.03\00:12:16.00
claimed dominion when
Adam and Eve stepped into sin.
00:12:16.03\00:12:19.20
He thought, "I'm
the ruler of the world,"
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but God bought us back
by the death and the blood
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of Jesus on the cross. Amen!
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And then He
became our propitiation,
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that's the next verse.
00:12:29.24\00:12:31.21
Verse 25... "...Whom God
sent forth as a propitiation
00:12:31.25\00:12:36.12
by His blood, through
faith, to demonstrate His
00:12:36.15\00:12:39.45
righteousness, because in
His forbearance God had passed
00:12:39.49\00:12:42.52
over the sins that were
previously committed..."
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He set Jesus forth
as the propitiation.
00:12:44.73\00:12:47.80
Now that word in Greek
is literally "mercy seat."
00:12:47.83\00:12:50.27
You know, in the Old
Testament, in the Ark of the
00:12:50.30\00:12:52.63
Covenant, they had what?
The Ten Commandments, right,
00:12:52.67\00:12:56.27
the law of God, and the
mercy seat was like the lid,
00:12:56.30\00:13:00.04
you could say - the
covering over the Ark of God.
00:13:00.08\00:13:03.35
Every year on
the Day of Atonement,
00:13:03.38\00:13:06.28
the high priest went in
and sprinkled the blood over
00:13:06.31\00:13:09.42
the Ark of the
Covenant, over the mercy seat;
00:13:09.45\00:13:13.15
that symbolized, as it were,
that the blood was covering
00:13:13.19\00:13:17.76
or appeasing God's wrath.
00:13:17.79\00:13:19.39
Now God doesn't have
wrath against sinners,
00:13:19.43\00:13:21.76
but definitely
against sin because sin cannot
00:13:21.80\00:13:24.20
stand in the
presence of a Holy God.
00:13:24.23\00:13:26.33
So type met antitype when
Jesus came as our sacrifice.
00:13:26.37\00:13:31.71
So I just want, in my
remaining moments here,
00:13:31.74\00:13:35.44
to make an appeal to you
right now - if you have never
00:13:35.48\00:13:38.41
asked the Lord Jesus
Christ into your life to accept
00:13:38.45\00:13:42.15
Jesus as your Savior today. Yes
00:13:42.18\00:13:44.82
You might be saying...
"But I've been too far,
00:13:44.85\00:13:47.42
and I've gone too far,
I've been through too much,
00:13:47.46\00:13:50.69
I've done too much..."
00:13:50.73\00:13:52.79
I love John 6:37, I think it's
one of my favorite Scriptures.
00:13:52.83\00:13:56.73
Jesus says, "Whoever comes
to me, I will never cast away."
00:13:56.77\00:14:02.54
Come to Jesus just now as
you are, know that He will
00:14:02.57\00:14:05.37
accept and
cleanse and forgive you.
00:14:05.41\00:14:07.38
1 John 1:9... "If we
confess our sins, He is faithful
00:14:07.41\00:14:10.95
and just to forgive
our sins and to cleanses us
00:14:10.98\00:14:13.68
from all unrighteousness."
00:14:13.72\00:14:15.32
Know that you can
receive His righteousness
00:14:15.35\00:14:17.49
in place of your sin.
00:14:17.52\00:14:19.72
Know that He will work in
you, both to will and to do
00:14:19.75\00:14:23.06
of His good pleasure and
enable you to walk in victory.
00:14:23.09\00:14:26.63
And then sometimes I
think we begin this process and
00:14:26.66\00:14:29.96
know it's all by Jesus and
then we think, "But I gotta work
00:14:30.00\00:14:33.87
pretty hard to
complete the process."
00:14:33.90\00:14:36.14
The work that He began, He will
carry forward to completion.
00:14:36.17\00:14:39.47
Our job is to surrender.
00:14:40.51\00:14:41.91
Our job is to
spend time in His word.
00:14:41.94\00:14:43.95
Our job is to behold
Jesus and as we do that,
00:14:43.98\00:14:47.72
we're changed into His likeness.
00:14:47.75\00:14:49.38
A closing quote -
"Desire of Ages," p.25:
00:14:49.42\00:14:53.05
"Christ was treated as
we deserve, that we might be
00:14:53.09\00:14:56.83
treated as He
deserves. He was condemned
00:14:56.86\00:15:00.06
for our sins in which He
had no share, that we might be
00:15:00.10\00:15:04.00
justified by His righteousness,
in which we had no share.
00:15:04.03\00:15:08.54
He suffered the death which
was ours, that we might receive
00:15:08.57\00:15:12.21
the life which was His."
00:15:12.24\00:15:14.41
What a glorious
exchange! Pastor Kenny...
00:15:14.44\00:15:17.41
Amen, Amen!
Covered well, thank you!
00:15:17.45\00:15:19.65
You know, how that
really just sets up for the rest
00:15:19.68\00:15:22.02
of us here as we move along
because, really, I just kept
00:15:22.05\00:15:24.89
hearing righteousness by
faith and righteous by faith
00:15:24.92\00:15:27.12
in Christ - you know, it's part
of the "Third Angels' Message."
00:15:27.16\00:15:29.82
I praise God for that and
then how can we preach and teach
00:15:29.86\00:15:33.46
on that until you think
about the second coming.
00:15:33.50\00:15:35.83
So I have Monday's lesson,
"Second Coming of Christ"
00:15:35.86\00:15:39.60
and this is the one that always
thrills my heart when I talk
00:15:39.63\00:15:43.24
about it - get a little excited
Pastor, so if I get too excited,
00:15:43.27\00:15:45.97
you calm me down because I can't
help it, when I say calm me down
00:15:46.01\00:15:48.64
just join in with me because,
you know, righteous by faith,
00:15:48.68\00:15:52.05
I get excited and
sometimes my feet want to stomp
00:15:52.08\00:15:53.92
a little bit and I want to
stand up and shout a little bit,
00:15:53.95\00:15:56.38
and then the second coming of
Christ it's a unifying effort,
00:15:56.42\00:16:01.09
a unifying topic, a unifying
truth is the second coming of
00:16:01.12\00:16:05.39
Jesus Christ that should
bond us and stick us together,
00:16:05.43\00:16:08.23
maybe like no other the
second coming of Christ.
00:16:08.26\00:16:10.93
And it's taught strongly in
Scripture, the coming of Jesus
00:16:10.97\00:16:15.40
Christ which the
Bible talks about here...
00:16:15.44\00:16:17.51
repeats over and over and over
and then it says it's the what?
00:16:17.54\00:16:20.88
Titus 2:13, "The blessed
hope." I don't know what I would
00:16:20.91\00:16:26.01
really do and I'm not
sure most of us feel this way,
00:16:26.05\00:16:28.05
at least as Christians...
what will we do if this was it?
00:16:28.08\00:16:31.32
If there was nothing after
this, I mean there are good
00:16:31.35\00:16:35.36
things here, praise
God - I mean that's nice...
00:16:35.39\00:16:37.26
we have loved ones
and different things,
00:16:37.29\00:16:38.63
but I'm talking
about looking beyond that.
00:16:38.66\00:16:40.00
If this is all that this world
has to offer; we just come,
00:16:40.03\00:16:43.63
we live and we die, I don't know
00:16:43.67\00:16:45.53
if I'd be interested
to be honest with you.
00:16:45.60\00:16:47.34
There might be
some of us, "Well, I...
00:16:47.40\00:16:49.30
Each one of us has to
think to himself because
00:16:49.34\00:16:52.01
all we see is you come
and you live and a lot of
00:16:52.04\00:16:53.48
misery, suffering, death,
dying, disease and so on...
00:16:53.51\00:16:56.31
but He's promised
there is a second coming,
00:16:56.34\00:16:58.68
and to be ready for that
second coming is wonderful.
00:16:58.71\00:17:00.95
Jesus, Himself, stated
it, that He's going to come
00:17:00.98\00:17:03.79
about the second coming.
00:17:03.82\00:17:05.15
I like what He said...
sometimes there's controversy
00:17:05.19\00:17:07.59
but I'm not sure
why... in Matthew 24:36:
00:17:07.62\00:17:10.99
Matthew 24:36, it says,
"But the day (you'll know it),
00:17:11.03\00:17:14.50
but the day and the hour
knoweth no man, no not the
00:17:14.53\00:17:18.00
angels of heaven, but My
Father only." That's right.
00:17:18.03\00:17:21.04
Very interesting because
people will come and say,
00:17:21.07\00:17:23.27
"See, even Jesus doesn't know."
00:17:23.30\00:17:26.17
I said, "You know, we must
consider (this is my opinion)
00:17:26.21\00:17:28.68
we must consider that Jesus,
when He was here on earth,
00:17:28.71\00:17:31.51
Jesus was a man and He
left that knowledge that He had
00:17:31.55\00:17:35.68
in heaven up there,"
you see, so in the human
00:17:35.72\00:17:38.19
flesh, when He walked
this earth, He did not know
00:17:38.22\00:17:41.36
(my opinion) the
day nor the hour."
00:17:41.39\00:17:43.59
But you see, think about
it because that's heavenly
00:17:43.63\00:17:46.59
wisdom, but now can we
say just for argument's sake,
00:17:46.63\00:17:49.60
can we say, if people
say, "No He's in heaven now,
00:17:49.63\00:17:51.53
but He doesn't even know."
00:17:51.57\00:17:52.90
Well that's kinda hard for
me to get that through my mind
00:17:52.93\00:17:55.14
because, you know, the One
who paid the penalty for my sin;
00:17:55.17\00:17:59.47
the One who went to Calvary's
cross and shed His blood;
00:17:59.51\00:18:03.24
the One who the Bible said sits
on the right hand of the Father;
00:18:03.28\00:18:07.62
The one who said, "I'm
coming back to claim My own;"
00:18:07.65\00:18:10.35
the one who said, "I went to
prepare mansions for those...
00:18:10.39\00:18:13.39
preparing and getting ready
to come, (you know, sitting on
00:18:13.42\00:18:17.09
the right hand in heaven now"
and they say, "Well He still
00:18:17.13\00:18:19.49
doesn't know." I
believe He knows.
00:18:19.53\00:18:21.46
I believe He knows!
He's been preparing,
00:18:21.50\00:18:24.43
this is what it's all about.
00:18:24.47\00:18:25.80
It's to receive us unto Himself.
00:18:25.83\00:18:27.50
He said, "That where I
am, there ye may be also."
00:18:27.54\00:18:29.64
We are to ever be, I
think our lesson brings out...
00:18:29.67\00:18:32.47
to ever be prepared
for the coming of Jesus.
00:18:32.51\00:18:35.94
While we don't know
the day or the hour,
00:18:35.98\00:18:39.11
we can be preparing for that,
and that's something I heard
00:18:39.15\00:18:42.35
from youth up - always
be prepared... you know,
00:18:42.38\00:18:44.59
"Such an hour as you think
not, the Son of Man cometh,"
00:18:44.62\00:18:46.39
anything can
happen in your life.
00:18:46.42\00:18:48.06
And so 1 Thessalonians
5:5-6, tells us... "We are to be
00:18:48.09\00:18:52.96
the children of light,"
and this movement right here
00:18:52.99\00:18:56.23
is a movement like no other
in the history of the world,
00:18:56.26\00:18:59.63
this movement, and we need
to be involved in this because
00:18:59.67\00:19:02.64
the light has to
go into the world.
00:19:02.67\00:19:04.91
We are children of the light...
I think that's very important.
00:19:04.94\00:19:08.08
Therefore, we're not going to
sleep - this text goes on to say
00:19:08.11\00:19:11.15
as others are sleeping. Yes
00:19:11.18\00:19:12.58
Too many people are
asleep; too many people are
00:19:12.61\00:19:14.78
self-satisfied in
the religious experience.
00:19:14.82\00:19:17.59
They're not
looking for anything else.
00:19:17.62\00:19:18.95
They don't want anything
else and when you try to
00:19:18.99\00:19:20.79
give them something else,
they don't want you around.
00:19:20.82\00:19:23.32
This is sometimes
true, as you well know.
00:19:23.36\00:19:25.39
But it says, "We are to
watch and to be what? Sober."
00:19:25.43\00:19:28.30
These are sobering times.
00:19:28.33\00:19:30.33
It doesn't mean
you can't chuckle
00:19:30.37\00:19:32.07
once in a while and laugh,
I like to do that - "A merry
00:19:32.10\00:19:35.34
heart doeth good
like a medicine."
00:19:35.37\00:19:36.94
And sometimes we need
that... we need the balance,
00:19:36.97\00:19:39.21
and there's time to be sober.
00:19:39.24\00:19:40.78
When someone is talking about
giving their life to Christ
00:19:40.81\00:19:43.04
they're talking about
and never receiving it.
00:19:43.08\00:19:44.71
You made the call a while ago.
00:19:44.75\00:19:46.38
It's not a time to be
laughing and joking around.
00:19:46.41\00:19:48.45
That's serious, we're
talking about eternal life.
00:19:48.48\00:19:50.72
But there's a time that
we could put our arm around
00:19:50.75\00:19:52.62
one another and
maybe smile and go on,
00:19:52.65\00:19:54.66
but we can pray together
and work together and be sober.
00:19:54.69\00:19:57.03
We're not only to look
for, our lesson brings out,
00:19:57.06\00:19:59.89
but we are to hasten the
second coming of Jesus Christ.
00:19:59.93\00:20:02.83
You know, how do we do that?
00:20:02.86\00:20:04.30
I want you to think with me,
if we really believe that Jesus
00:20:04.33\00:20:07.60
is coming, how would
our lives really be today?
00:20:07.64\00:20:10.94
Really, how are they today?
00:20:10.97\00:20:12.57
If we really believe that
He's coming... and I thought
00:20:12.61\00:20:14.91
one way to look back possibly
would be - How did those
00:20:14.94\00:20:18.21
who were giving the
First Angels' Message in 1843
00:20:18.25\00:20:21.12
and 1844- what was their
attitude when they really
00:20:21.15\00:20:25.05
thought.. Woo!
that He was coming?
00:20:25.09\00:20:27.09
I mean when they
really, I mean they believed it
00:20:27.12\00:20:29.22
with all of their heart
- what was their attitude?
00:20:29.26\00:20:31.93
And I found something in
"Early Writings," p.233...
00:20:31.96\00:20:34.93
And I'm saying, "Lord,
help me to embrace this,
00:20:34.96\00:20:37.10
help me to embrace this
more than I've ever embraced
00:20:37.13\00:20:39.53
it before," and I want to throw
this out to you as a challenge.
00:20:39.57\00:20:42.67
"Early Writings," p.233,
quickly says, "Parents felt
00:20:42.70\00:20:46.47
the deepest
solicitude for their children."
00:20:46.51\00:20:49.01
The first thing is for your
family and for your friends;
00:20:49.04\00:20:51.51
those that are out of
the Ark, those that are not
00:20:51.55\00:20:53.21
in a saving
relationship with Christ
00:20:53.25\00:20:55.38
and your heart begins to go out.
00:20:55.42\00:20:57.05
It says, "Those who receive
the message, labored with
00:20:57.09\00:21:00.59
their... in other words
with the unconverted friends
00:21:00.62\00:21:03.93
and relatives, with their
soul bowed with the weight of
00:21:03.96\00:21:07.30
the solemn message - warn
and entreated them to prepare
00:21:07.33\00:21:11.20
for the coming of the
Son of Man." That's right.
00:21:11.23\00:21:14.27
If we believe it... it's
not, the Pastor just sitting
00:21:14.30\00:21:16.81
listening to a good sermon
that he will preach on Sabbath.
00:21:16.84\00:21:19.17
It's more than that
and I know when you preach,
00:21:19.21\00:21:21.44
you encourage them to
get up and do something.
00:21:21.48\00:21:23.18
And to me, this is what
it's about - to inspire people
00:21:23.21\00:21:25.95
to say - there's a world to be
won... my grandma, my grandpa;
00:21:25.98\00:21:31.22
my children, my grandchildren
to be won and we can't be
00:21:31.25\00:21:34.16
indifferent to that and
so we want to go out and tell
00:21:34.19\00:21:37.16
them just like they did
when they really believed
00:21:37.19\00:21:39.83
that Jesus was coming
in the clouds of glory.
00:21:39.86\00:21:42.30
Jesus told us a parable -
we won't go too much into that,
00:21:42.33\00:21:44.47
we know it, but to me
it underlines about the
00:21:44.50\00:21:48.14
parable of the "Ten Virgins."
00:21:48.17\00:21:50.11
It is just two classes
always, we realize that.
00:21:50.14\00:21:52.87
One that's prepared and
one that's not prepared;
00:21:52.91\00:21:56.38
they both kind of, you know,
look alike and both of them
00:21:56.41\00:21:58.81
say, "We are prepared."
00:21:58.85\00:22:00.25
But when the tarrying
time came, there was a group
00:22:00.28\00:22:03.28
that was not prepared
because they were not staying
00:22:03.32\00:22:05.85
in the word of
God. That's right.
00:22:05.89\00:22:07.36
They were NOT witnessing,
they were not praying...
00:22:07.39\00:22:10.16
Oh they might pray once in a
while but they weren't laboring.
00:22:10.19\00:22:12.69
If we want our children,
our grandchildren, each other
00:22:12.73\00:22:14.56
to be saved in the kingdom,
we're going to have to labor
00:22:14.63\00:22:17.63
with God on our
knees and cry out to God...
00:22:17.67\00:22:20.50
Oh GOD, save these children,
SAVE these grandchildren.
00:22:20.54\00:22:24.07
It breaks your heart
sometimes when you look around,
00:22:24.11\00:22:26.41
and I cry the same thing
for my own life, "Oh Lord,
00:22:26.44\00:22:28.94
save me, only Your
grace and mercy can do that,
00:22:28.98\00:22:31.08
but Your grace is
sufficient." Amen!
00:22:31.11\00:22:34.12
Ellen White said one
time, she said, "There's no sin
00:22:34.15\00:22:36.32
so big that God cannot forgive."
00:22:36.35\00:22:38.95
That gives me
encouragement to say...
00:22:38.99\00:22:40.62
"Oh thank You God for that."
00:22:40.66\00:22:41.99
You know, one group continued
to believe and I want to
00:22:42.02\00:22:45.16
encourage you today -
you're believing that Jesus
00:22:45.19\00:22:47.93
is soon to come; you
know that He is soon to come;
00:22:47.96\00:22:50.17
continue believing it;
continue to preach the word
00:22:50.20\00:22:52.90
of God; continue to make
the spiritual preparation
00:22:52.93\00:22:56.34
for that time -
we need to do that.
00:22:56.37\00:22:58.54
Delay may come -
don't get discouraged.
00:22:58.57\00:23:02.41
Don't get discouraged,
keep right on keeping on
00:23:02.44\00:23:05.41
because the devil loves to
throw discouragement in there.
00:23:05.45\00:23:08.95
But you know, if you've
made no preparation, guarantee
00:23:08.98\00:23:10.95
you're going to
fall before it's over.
00:23:10.99\00:23:12.62
Jesus said, "Kenny, watch and
be ready - watch and be ready."
00:23:12.65\00:23:17.33
He tells the world
to watch and be ready.
00:23:17.36\00:23:19.13
That's sound teaching
as far as I'm concerned.
00:23:19.16\00:23:22.13
The others who lost
hope, what were they doing?
00:23:22.16\00:23:24.73
Man, you talk about
- they were living on
00:23:24.77\00:23:26.37
emotions, they
were living on feelings.
00:23:26.40\00:23:27.90
They were living on some
kind of a high, maybe it's
00:23:27.94\00:23:29.77
something they
heard or they had seen,
00:23:29.80\00:23:31.31
but, you know, they weren't
waiting for the fulfillment.
00:23:31.34\00:23:34.28
I'm waiting for the
fulfillment of the promises.
00:23:34.31\00:23:37.15
Someone mentioned in one of
our lessons or even last week
00:23:37.18\00:23:39.61
the lesson, John 14:3 wasn't it?
00:23:39.65\00:23:41.95
Where He says, bottom
line, "I will come again."
00:23:41.98\00:23:44.45
I will come again...
00:23:44.49\00:23:45.82
But I'm a little bit
discouraged and I think a
00:23:45.85\00:23:47.46
preacher can get a little
bit discouraged once in a while.
00:23:47.49\00:23:49.76
You're not down, you're
not out, you're not out cold,
00:23:49.79\00:23:51.83
you're not laying
down, you're not giving up.
00:23:51.86\00:23:53.56
They haven't taken the gloves
off, somebody just needs to
00:23:53.60\00:23:55.73
fan me once in a while or
throw a little water on me;
00:23:55.76\00:23:58.07
I'll revive and get up
again because I KNOW this passes
00:23:58.10\00:24:02.10
away - it was written in
Scripture as though it had
00:24:02.14\00:24:04.01
it had already taken place.
00:24:04.04\00:24:05.57
That's how sure it is! Amen!
00:24:05.61\00:24:07.51
That's an encouragement to me
00:24:07.54\00:24:09.18
and Jesus simply said,
"Kenny, watch and be ready."
00:24:09.21\00:24:11.81
Pastor, we gotta watch and
be ready for in such an hour
00:24:11.85\00:24:14.38
as you think not...
00:24:14.42\00:24:15.75
I jotted this down,
I thought it was a very
00:24:15.78\00:24:17.19
interesting closing thought...
00:24:17.22\00:24:18.55
It said, "A union with
Christ," this is what we need,
00:24:18.59\00:24:21.02
that is what I need
and you know what, Pastor,
00:24:21.06\00:24:23.43
I found that I can tell when
that union might be slipping
00:24:23.46\00:24:26.53
just a little bit, I can tell!
00:24:26.56\00:24:29.40
Because of the way that
my attitude, the way I talk,
00:24:29.43\00:24:32.33
the way I respond,
the way that I love,
00:24:32.37\00:24:35.50
it's different and, right quick,
that catches my attention.
00:24:35.54\00:24:40.08
I don't want it
to wane right now.
00:24:40.11\00:24:41.71
Union with Christ by
living faith is enduring.
00:24:41.74\00:24:45.85
Every other union
must perish. Amen!
00:24:45.88\00:24:50.59
Every other union, everything
else has to go in the world.
00:24:50.62\00:24:53.02
The only thing we need
to concentrate on now is our
00:24:53.05\00:24:54.86
union with Christ that is
enduring and I beg and plead
00:24:54.89\00:24:58.73
with you today - get a
hold of the hand of Jesus,
00:24:58.76\00:25:01.40
don't let go -
He's going to bless you,
00:25:01.43\00:25:03.40
and He's going to save
you. Pastor John. AMEN!
00:25:03.43\00:25:06.10
I don't even want to cut in
right here because we're having
00:25:06.13\00:25:08.44
church! Thank you
so much, Pastor Kenny.
00:25:08.47\00:25:10.71
We're going to a short
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00:25:10.74\00:25:13.81
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Welcome back to our study on
00:25:48.14\00:25:50.08
"Unity in Faith,"
Pastor John, you have:
00:25:50.11\00:25:52.48
"Jesus' Ministry in
the Heavenly Sanctuary"
00:25:52.51\00:25:54.85
Thank you Jill.
00:25:54.88\00:25:56.22
This is, I believe, one of
the apex teachings to help us
00:25:56.25\00:26:01.66
know that we are not
living on a planet that
00:26:01.69\00:26:04.89
is on autopilot and that
God is still in control. Amen!
00:26:04.93\00:26:09.26
When Jesus ascended
to return to the Father,
00:26:09.30\00:26:14.30
He made it clear
that He will come again...
00:26:14.34\00:26:16.81
Thank you Pastor Kenny. Amen!
00:26:16.84\00:26:18.37
But He is not in heaven.
00:26:18.41\00:26:19.74
Some people will
say, "Well, the reason why
00:26:19.77\00:26:21.74
it has taken so long is
because He's building us
00:26:21.78\00:26:24.38
mansions" and some people even
try to embellish that and said,
00:26:24.41\00:26:29.52
"Well, they're
short on materials,
00:26:29.55\00:26:31.22
they're waiting for delivery,"
all kinds of ridiculous things,
00:26:31.25\00:26:35.02
but he is involved in a
priestly ministry. Yes! Amen!
00:26:35.06\00:26:40.36
You know, the reason
why He hasn't come...
00:26:40.40\00:26:42.06
the Apostle Peter said,
"He is not willing that any
00:26:42.10\00:26:45.43
should perish, but that
all should come to repentance."
00:26:45.47\00:26:48.10
And in Psalm 77:13, David
the Patriarch says, "Your way,
00:26:48.14\00:26:54.08
O God, is in
the sanctuary." Yes.
00:26:54.11\00:26:56.85
So we're going to spend a
little time today just peeking
00:26:56.88\00:26:59.08
into the work that the
Lord is doing right now.
00:26:59.11\00:27:01.42
And everything about the
sanctuary, which was a shadow
00:27:01.45\00:27:04.29
of the actual ministry of
Christ, everything that pertains
00:27:04.32\00:27:09.46
to the sanctuary
work shows us the way.
00:27:09.49\00:27:12.43
Jesus said, "I am the
way, the truth and the life."
00:27:12.46\00:27:15.56
And so when you understand the
actual working of the sanctuary,
00:27:15.60\00:27:20.50
you begin to see Jesus
and His life in components.
00:27:20.54\00:27:24.44
You have pictures
such as the outer court...
00:27:24.47\00:27:28.38
well Jesus was crucified
outside the gates of Jerusalem.
00:27:28.41\00:27:32.38
You have the "altar of burnt
offerings" which is in fact
00:27:32.41\00:27:35.05
a symbol of the cross.
00:27:35.08\00:27:36.79
You have the "high
priest" which Jesus has become
00:27:36.82\00:27:39.62
our high priest according
to the order of Melchizedek
00:27:39.65\00:27:43.39
not the Levitical
priesthood which the Melchizedek
00:27:43.43\00:27:45.99
priesthood - there is no
spoken of as the beginning;
00:27:46.03\00:27:49.00
therefore, there is
no speaking of as an end.
00:27:49.03\00:27:51.00
But the Levitical priesthood
had a beginning and an end.
00:27:51.03\00:27:53.44
The Aaronic Priesthood
had a beginning and an end.
00:27:53.47\00:27:55.64
But Jesus is, as the
Father said to Him here
00:27:55.67\00:27:59.97
in Hebrews 1... let's go there
very quickly and look at that.
00:28:00.01\00:28:03.11
How beautiful it is when
the Lord speaks to His Son...
00:28:03.14\00:28:07.95
He says, in Hebrew
1:8... "But to the Son, He says,
00:28:07.98\00:28:15.32
Your throne, O God,
is forever and ever;
00:28:15.36\00:28:19.19
a scepter of righteousness
00:28:19.23\00:28:21.50
is the scepter of Your kingdom."
00:28:21.53\00:28:22.86
And so Jesus - the preexisting
One, the Self-existing One,
00:28:22.90\00:28:28.54
He didn't borrow His life,
it didn't come from anyone else.
00:28:28.57\00:28:34.18
"In Him was life and that
life was the light of men."
00:28:34.21\00:28:36.91
So we have a high priest
now actively involved in the
00:28:36.95\00:28:40.32
working of the
sanctuary, and the Bible says
00:28:40.35\00:28:42.98
the reason why the sanctuary
is there, Exodus 25:8-9...
00:28:43.02\00:28:46.96
The Bible says, "And let
them make Me a sanctuary that
00:28:46.99\00:28:49.42
I may dwell among them."
00:28:49.46\00:28:51.59
And then when the sanctuary
was built, it says in verse 9,
00:28:51.63\00:28:55.10
"According to all that
I show you, that is the
00:28:55.13\00:28:59.97
pattern of the
tabernacle, and the pattern of
00:29:00.00\00:29:03.34
all its furnishings,
just so you shall make it."
00:29:03.37\00:29:07.04
You know, one of the saddest
stories to me about the whole
00:29:07.08\00:29:09.21
sanctuary services is the
fact that the Lord entrusted
00:29:09.24\00:29:11.98
this very sacred service
to the children of Israel;
00:29:12.01\00:29:15.98
to the leaders of Israel;
to the Aaronic priesthood;
00:29:16.02\00:29:19.12
to those who are
involved in the actual functions
00:29:19.15\00:29:22.52
of the service, but as
time went on, they became
00:29:22.56\00:29:25.39
more dedicated to the service
than to the God of the service.
00:29:25.43\00:29:30.77
And so by the time the
Lamb... Behold the Lamb of God
00:29:30.80\00:29:33.47
that taketh away
the sins of the world...
00:29:33.50\00:29:34.84
but by the time He came, they
couldn't even recognize Him.
00:29:34.87\00:29:38.31
And the lamb was the central
figure in the functioning
00:29:38.34\00:29:41.94
of the temple services;
taking the life of the lamb
00:29:41.98\00:29:45.28
and, you know, the
bulls and goats and calves
00:29:45.31\00:29:46.98
and doves, we understand that.
00:29:47.02\00:29:48.35
But when the Apostle
John introduced Jesus,
00:29:48.38\00:29:51.62
he didn't say, behold the
dove, but behold the lamb,
00:29:51.65\00:29:55.66
because the lamb is
the symbol of the calmest,
00:29:55.69\00:29:58.06
not the sheep, but the
lamb, the tenderest picture
00:29:58.09\00:30:01.36
of the heart of God,
the lamb, tender without
00:30:01.40\00:30:05.57
blemish and without spot.
00:30:05.60\00:30:07.37
And so there are particular
aspects that the Bible
00:30:07.40\00:30:09.60
brings out about the ministry
of Christ that, in fact,
00:30:09.64\00:30:12.51
is encompassed in the
lamb and we know at the
00:30:12.54\00:30:15.18
second coming of Jesus,
it's amazing to me whenever I
00:30:15.21\00:30:17.51
hear the passage, "Hide us
from the face of the Lamb."
00:30:17.55\00:30:20.65
You know, who runs from a lamb?
00:30:20.68\00:30:23.28
But the tender pity of
Christ becomes a rebuke to those
00:30:23.32\00:30:27.06
who never accepted the
propitiation and the sacrifice
00:30:27.09\00:30:31.19
that the Lamb
has extended to us.
00:30:31.23\00:30:33.36
But here's a question in
the lesson... "What do these
00:30:33.40\00:30:36.40
passages teach concerning Jesus'
priestly ministry in heaven?
00:30:36.43\00:30:39.33
Let's look at three of
them: Hebrews 8:6... because
00:30:40.10\00:30:46.27
in my Bible - I mentioned this
in one of the former programs,
00:30:46.31\00:30:49.31
I had my old Bible, now
I have a new Bible back...
00:30:49.34\00:30:51.41
Sorry, I had my new Bible,
but I have my old Bible back,
00:30:51.45\00:30:54.52
but my
fingerprints are everywhere.
00:30:54.55\00:30:57.19
Hebrews 8:6... "But now He
has obtained a more excellent
00:30:57.22\00:31:02.12
ministry inasmuch as
He is also mediator of a
00:31:02.16\00:31:06.16
what kind of
covenant? Of a better covenant
00:31:06.19\00:31:09.06
which was established
on what? Better promises."
00:31:09.10\00:31:12.87
Now the old covenant was
established on a priesthood
00:31:12.90\00:31:17.67
where the priest had to
sacrifice for his own sin. Yes.
00:31:17.71\00:31:21.61
Now the better promise
is we have a priesthood
00:31:21.64\00:31:24.78
established where
Jesus never sinned. Amen!
00:31:24.81\00:31:28.45
There is no fault, there is
no blemish, there's no spot,
00:31:29.18\00:31:32.65
and that's why the promise
is better - a better mediator.
00:31:32.69\00:31:36.52
We don't have a high priest
in the most holy place with a
00:31:38.69\00:31:41.63
rope around His
ankles! Yes. Amen! Thank you!
00:31:41.66\00:31:44.90
Right, but we could tell
He's there because the bells
00:31:44.93\00:31:47.10
are being sounded -
the bells of our redemption
00:31:47.14\00:31:49.24
are being heard.
00:31:49.27\00:31:50.61
The other one, Hebrews 9:11-12,
"But Christ came as high priest
00:31:50.64\00:31:55.14
of the good things to
come, with the greater and more
00:31:55.18\00:31:58.31
perfect tabernacle, not made
with hands that is, not of this
00:31:58.35\00:32:02.32
creation; not with the
blood of goats and calves,
00:32:02.35\00:32:05.69
but with His own blood, He
entered the most Holy place
00:32:05.72\00:32:09.82
once for all, having obtained
eternal redemption and that
00:32:09.86\00:32:14.43
eternal redemption is
metered out to us in a promise
00:32:14.46\00:32:18.60
but will be experienced by
us at the return of Christ.
00:32:18.63\00:32:21.74
Praise God! Eternal redemption.
00:32:21.77\00:32:23.61
And one more, verse
23-28 of Hebrews 9...
00:32:23.64\00:32:28.18
"Therefore it was necessary
that the copies of the things
00:32:28.21\00:32:31.15
in the heavens
should be purified by these
00:32:31.18\00:32:34.42
that's by the
precious blood of Christ.
00:32:34.45\00:32:36.65
But the heavenly
things themselves with better
00:32:36.69\00:32:39.09
sacrifices than
these... that is the
00:32:39.12\00:32:40.99
blood of Christ,
more specifically.
00:32:41.02\00:32:42.82
For Christ does not enter
the Holy place made with hands
00:32:42.86\00:32:46.16
which are copies of the
true, but into heaven itself,
00:32:46.19\00:32:49.50
now to appear in the
presence of God for us;
00:32:49.53\00:32:52.43
not that He should offer
Himself often as the high priest
00:32:52.47\00:32:56.40
enters the Most Holy
Place every year with blood
00:32:56.44\00:33:00.01
of another - He
then would have had to
00:33:00.04\00:33:03.55
suffer often since the
foundation of the world;
00:33:03.58\00:33:07.22
but now, once at the end
of the ages, He has appeared
00:33:07.25\00:33:11.22
to put away sin by
the sacrifice of Himself."
00:33:11.25\00:33:15.16
That perfect sacrifice! Wow...
00:33:15.19\00:33:18.26
"And as it is appointed for
men once to die, but after this
00:33:18.29\00:33:22.73
the judgment: So
Christ was offered
00:33:22.76\00:33:24.47
once to bear the sins of many.
00:33:24.50\00:33:26.03
To those who eagerly wait
for Him (the second coming)
00:33:26.07\00:33:29.90
He will appear a second time,
apart from sin, for salvation."
00:33:29.94\00:33:33.84
So let me just put four
very important points about the
00:33:33.88\00:33:36.71
ministry of Christ
and why we're so excited.
00:33:36.75\00:33:38.51
First of all, He is
our intercessor. Amen!
00:33:38.55\00:33:41.95
Romans 8:34... "Who is He who
condemns? It is Christ who died
00:33:41.98\00:33:47.96
and furthermore, is also risen,
who is ever at the right hand
00:33:47.99\00:33:52.13
of God who also
makes intercession for us."
00:33:52.16\00:33:56.03
Secondly, forgiveness.
Not only intercession,
00:33:56.06\00:34:00.04
but forgiveness. 1
John 2:1... "My little
00:34:00.07\00:34:03.07
children, these things I write
to you so that you may not sin,
00:34:03.10\00:34:07.91
and if anyone sins, we have
an advocate with the Father,
00:34:07.94\00:34:11.31
Jesus Christ, the righteous.
I must add this... He is not
00:34:11.35\00:34:14.52
just our lawyer,
He is our judge! Amen!
00:34:14.55\00:34:17.29
What a court!
00:34:17.32\00:34:18.65
You know the judge is
not fighting the lawyer,
00:34:18.75\00:34:20.56
and the lawyer is
not fighting the judge.
00:34:20.59\00:34:21.92
And I gotta pause here
and give a picture because
00:34:21.96\00:34:23.43
there's also reconciliation,
and there's also restoration.
00:34:23.46\00:34:26.43
I'll just plug
those in very quickly...
00:34:26.46\00:34:28.16
Reconciliation - He
reconciles us to the Father.
00:34:28.20\00:34:31.00
And restoration - He
doesn't leave us broken,
00:34:31.03\00:34:33.47
He brings us back
to wholeness. Amen!
00:34:33.50\00:34:35.30
But I gotta end with this
picture that I found in the
00:34:35.34\00:34:37.27
Roman Court... When the
sinner stood before the court
00:34:37.31\00:34:40.74
and there was no verdict,
there was a bag that had
00:34:40.78\00:34:44.81
two stones - a
white and a black stone.
00:34:44.85\00:34:47.62
And the accused was told
to put his hand in the bag
00:34:47.65\00:34:50.82
and pick a stone - if
it was white, he was free;
00:34:50.85\00:34:53.62
if it was black, he
was going to face death.
00:34:53.66\00:34:56.49
Can you imagine the
fear? And Jesus steps up
00:34:56.52\00:34:59.29
as the lawyer and says in
Revelation... "Wait a minute,
00:34:59.33\00:35:02.23
I'm going to give you a
white stone with a new name.
00:35:02.26\00:35:05.53
I'm going to give you a
way out and give you anonymity.
00:35:05.57\00:35:08.77
You'll no longer be
identified by your old name.
00:35:08.80\00:35:12.01
So when he put his hand
in the bag, he already had
00:35:12.07\00:35:15.24
the stone of intercession,
forgiveness, reconciliation,
00:35:15.28\00:35:19.15
and restoration.
He walked away free
00:35:19.18\00:35:21.78
not because HE decided
his fate, but the white stone
00:35:21.82\00:35:25.09
given by the Advocate guaranteed
00:35:25.12\00:35:27.32
his redemption and his freedom.
00:35:27.36\00:35:29.49
So we have a high priest
who guarantees our redemption
00:35:29.52\00:35:32.79
by His pure
character. Praise God! Amen!
00:35:32.83\00:35:36.53
Praise the Lord! Wow!
00:35:36.56\00:35:38.73
Well, I'm gonna have to
build off that! Go for it!
00:35:38.77\00:35:40.74
And for those of you who
know, my study this evening
00:35:40.77\00:35:45.67
or this morning is Wednesday's
lesson which is "The Sabbath."
00:35:45.71\00:35:48.18
That's right! And so
unity in faith and we're
00:35:48.21\00:35:51.15
talking about the faith of our
Adventist heritage and what God
00:35:51.18\00:35:56.22
has revealed to us - you
cannot leave out the Sabbath!
00:35:56.25\00:36:00.06
And so I just want to start
by bringing about the fact that
00:36:00.09\00:36:04.09
we see the Sabbath very
clearly, as everyone knows,
00:36:04.13\00:36:06.63
right there in the
beginning at Creation.
00:36:06.66\00:36:08.93
Two things, as we know,
were established in Creation,
00:36:08.96\00:36:11.57
and that would be, of
course, the Sabbath and marriage
00:36:11.60\00:36:14.60
institution
before Adam and Eve fell.
00:36:14.64\00:36:17.94
And so we know that
Sabbath is very, very important.
00:36:17.97\00:36:20.81
It's in our very name -
"Seventh-day Adventist,"
00:36:20.84\00:36:23.35
the seventh day
pointing us back to the fact
00:36:23.38\00:36:25.25
that God wants us to rest as
He did rest from all His work.
00:36:25.28\00:36:31.09
And so there were three
things we know that God had done
00:36:31.12\00:36:33.99
on the Sabbath day that He did
not do to any of the other days,
00:36:34.02\00:36:36.99
and, of course, we know
that He rested obviously;
00:36:37.03\00:36:39.49
He blessed the Sabbath day and,
of course, He sanctified it.
00:36:39.53\00:36:43.37
He made that day Holy.
00:36:43.40\00:36:45.40
And we see this carry through
even into the relationship
00:36:45.43\00:36:50.34
that God begins to establish
with His church with Israel.
00:36:50.37\00:36:53.64
And I'm going to start
with a text and I told you I was
00:36:53.68\00:36:56.88
going to build off
this sanctuary theme because
00:36:56.91\00:36:59.91
many people, when they
think about the sanctuary,
00:36:59.95\00:37:02.38
they don't see the Sabbath in
the sanctuary, but the Sabbath
00:37:02.42\00:37:05.15
is in the sanctuary
message. That's right!
00:37:05.19\00:37:07.89
And so we know there that
as you look at the sanctuary,
00:37:07.92\00:37:11.76
you have the courtyard,
and of course, as you continue
00:37:11.79\00:37:14.53
to progress forward,
you go into the Holy Place,
00:37:14.56\00:37:16.77
and then of course, we
end up in the Most Holy Place
00:37:16.80\00:37:19.37
where, Jill, you were talking
about the Ark of the Covenant.
00:37:19.40\00:37:22.64
Now I want to read this
text here because the next time
00:37:22.67\00:37:26.37
we really see the Sabbath
brought about or emphasized
00:37:26.41\00:37:29.38
in the Scripture, after
creation, would be in Exodus 16
00:37:29.41\00:37:33.92
which most of us may
not realize this but the Ten
00:37:33.95\00:37:37.59
Commandments, the first
record of the Ten Commandments
00:37:37.62\00:37:40.39
are given to us in Exodus
20, and most people think that
00:37:40.42\00:37:43.56
that's where God
first initiates the Sabbath
00:37:43.59\00:37:47.83
commandment or the
commandment keeping Sabbath
00:37:47.86\00:37:50.17
or resting, but we know that
00:37:50.20\00:37:51.77
that's not the case because
we find an interesting text
00:37:51.80\00:37:54.84
or interesting
passage in Exodus 16.
00:37:54.87\00:37:58.41
Just to kind of set this up,
I'm not going to read it all,
00:37:58.44\00:38:00.51
but basically the
children of Israel were out in
00:38:00.54\00:38:02.81
the wilderness and
they're groaning and they're
00:38:02.84\00:38:04.45
complaining about... you
know, "The Lord has brought us
00:38:04.48\00:38:06.41
out here to starve to
death, and to die and they're
00:38:06.45\00:38:09.65
complaining... well
God hears their murmurings.
00:38:09.68\00:38:11.72
He hears their complainings,
and of course, we know that He
00:38:11.75\00:38:14.46
goes to Moses and He says,
as it says here in verse 4...
00:38:14.49\00:38:17.13
"And the Lord said unto
Moses, "Behold I will rain bread
00:38:17.16\00:38:19.59
from heaven for you,
and the people shall go out
00:38:19.63\00:38:22.60
and gather a certain
quota every day (and then notice
00:38:22.63\00:38:25.73
this next part) that I
may test them (notice God is
00:38:25.77\00:38:29.70
testing them) that I
may test them whether they
00:38:29.74\00:38:32.17
will walk in my law or not."
00:38:32.21\00:38:35.68
Now, you know, when we think of
00:38:35.71\00:38:37.05
the law, we think of
the whole law, right?
00:38:37.08\00:38:38.51
We think of all of
the Ten Commandments
00:38:38.55\00:38:40.12
that God gave us,
but it's interesting that
00:38:40.15\00:38:42.05
as you continue reading
this, God says, "Look, I'm
00:38:42.08\00:38:44.32
going to rain bread
for manna on the first day,
00:38:44.35\00:38:46.32
the second day, the
third day, the fourth day,
00:38:46.35\00:38:48.86
the fifth day, but on
the sixth day - I want you to
00:38:48.89\00:38:51.03
go out early and I want
you to gather a double portion
00:38:51.06\00:38:54.13
because on the seventh day,
I'm not going to rain any bread.
00:38:54.16\00:38:57.27
You're going to have to
rest, but not go out and
00:38:58.27\00:39:01.40
gather that bread
because that is My Sabbath,
00:39:01.44\00:39:03.74
I want you to
rest on My Sabbath.
00:39:03.77\00:39:05.84
And, of course, we know the
story, it's interesting because
00:39:05.87\00:39:08.54
many of the people got
it; they understood that,
00:39:08.58\00:39:11.41
but there were some that
even went out on the seventh day
00:39:11.45\00:39:14.75
... you might say that
they weren't really unified
00:39:14.78\00:39:17.69
in the faith
because they did go out
00:39:17.72\00:39:19.55
on the seventh day,
and they violated that.
00:39:19.59\00:39:21.82
In verse 28 of Exodus 16,
God says, "How long will you
00:39:21.86\00:39:27.10
refuse to keep My
commandments and My laws?"
00:39:27.13\00:39:31.70
That was the test.
00:39:31.73\00:39:33.30
And as many of us know...
and we're going to get to this
00:39:33.34\00:39:35.40
in just a few
moments if I have time...
00:39:35.44\00:39:37.11
Most of us know that
test is going to repeat itself
00:39:37.14\00:39:41.84
here at the end of
time. That's right.
00:39:41.88\00:39:43.21
The end time message that
we have been given tells us
00:39:43.24\00:39:46.21
that that Sabbath
issue will rise up again;
00:39:46.25\00:39:48.92
it will be the
test, but God did not
00:39:48.95\00:39:51.59
give us the Sabbath as a burden.
00:39:51.62\00:39:53.66
He didn't give us the
Sabbath as something to
00:39:53.69\00:39:55.92
ruin our lives, but of course,
as we're going to find out,
00:39:55.96\00:39:58.39
to unify the faith - that's
what our lesson is entitled,
00:39:58.43\00:40:01.56
"Unity in Faith."
00:40:01.60\00:40:02.93
In the faith that we
can, indeed, rest with Christ
00:40:02.96\00:40:06.20
on the Sabbath.
00:40:06.23\00:40:07.57
I just want to
consider Exodus 20:8-11,
00:40:07.60\00:40:10.14
this is the commandment
itself, most of us know it,
00:40:10.17\00:40:12.87
could probably quote it,
but it says. It's starts here...
00:40:12.91\00:40:15.78
"Remember the Sabbath day to
keep it holy. (and then you read
00:40:15.81\00:40:18.85
there verses 9 through 10
there, God tells us how we
00:40:18.88\00:40:23.32
keep it holy) Six days you shall
labor and do all your work,
00:40:23.35\00:40:25.99
but the seventh day is the
Sabbath of the Lord thy God:
00:40:26.02\00:40:28.72
in it you shall do not do any
work. (He says) nor your son,
00:40:28.76\00:40:32.16
nor your daughter, nor
your male servant, nor your
00:40:32.19\00:40:34.10
female servant, nor your cattle,
00:40:34.13\00:40:35.90
nor your stranger
that is within your gates."
00:40:35.96\00:40:37.63
And then of course, He gives us
the reason why we keep Sabbath
00:40:37.67\00:40:41.07
here) He says, "For in
six days the Lord made heaven
00:40:41.10\00:40:44.87
and earth and (of course) the
sea and all that is in them is,
00:40:44.91\00:40:47.71
and He rested the seventh
day. Therefore, the Lord blessed
00:40:47.74\00:40:50.41
the Sabbath day and (of
course) He hallowed it."
00:40:50.45\00:40:52.41
He made it holy.
00:40:52.45\00:40:54.22
We see another mentioning
of the commandment here in
00:40:54.25\00:40:58.29
Deuteronomy 5:12-15, but I
find something interesting here
00:40:58.32\00:41:03.02
that most people might
look over and that is that
00:41:03.06\00:41:07.66
the commandment is basically
repeated but if you look towards
00:41:07.70\00:41:11.00
the latter portion of verse 14,
where He's going through this
00:41:11.03\00:41:14.14
list of "nor your donkey, nor
your cattle, nor your stranger
00:41:14.17\00:41:16.97
who is within your gates,
notice what He says here...
00:41:17.01\00:41:19.21
"That your male servant
and your female servant may
00:41:19.24\00:41:22.14
rest as well as
you." That's right.
00:41:22.18\00:41:25.98
You know, God wants us to
rest as Christians, but He also
00:41:26.01\00:41:29.38
wants others to rest as well.
00:41:29.42\00:41:30.79
We need to allow others within
our vicinity, within our homes,
00:41:30.82\00:41:34.22
within our churches, within our
families, within our every day
00:41:34.26\00:41:36.93
lives, of course, on Sabbath
to be able to rest as well.
00:41:36.96\00:41:40.13
That's relational and that's
where I'm kinda going with this.
00:41:40.16\00:41:42.63
God gives the Sabbath -
yes, to give us rest but also
00:41:42.66\00:41:47.50
for relationship. Amen!
00:41:47.54\00:41:49.04
It's really, really all
about a relationship with God.
00:41:49.07\00:41:52.77
Notice here in Ezekiel 20:12,20,
I love this passage here,
00:41:52.81\00:41:58.61
these couple of Scriptures
in this passage because it
00:41:58.65\00:42:02.22
reminds us of the major
significance of Sabbath-keeping.
00:42:02.25\00:42:07.09
This is God, Himself,
speaking and He says...
00:42:07.12\00:42:09.56
"Moreover I also gave
them my Sabbaths to be a
00:42:09.59\00:42:12.33
sign between them and
Me that they might know I
00:42:12.36\00:42:16.53
am the Lord who
sanctifies them."
00:42:16.56\00:42:18.77
So God sanctified the seventh
day; He made the seventh day
00:42:18.80\00:42:21.57
holy - when we accept that
sign, when we accept the Sabbath
00:42:21.60\00:42:25.41
for what it is,
God sanctifies us.
00:42:25.44\00:42:27.18
He sees us as a Holy
sanctified people and of course,
00:42:27.21\00:42:30.81
He repeats it again in verse 20,
"Hallow My Sabbaths, (notice)
00:42:30.85\00:42:34.12
that they may be a
SIGN between Me and you,
00:42:34.15\00:42:36.62
that you may know that I am
00:42:36.65\00:42:37.99
the Lord your God
(that's relational).
00:42:38.02\00:42:39.35
God is saying, I'm your
God, I want you to be My people.
00:42:39.39\00:42:42.06
When you keep my Sabbath,
I know that you're My people,
00:42:42.09\00:42:44.66
and you may know
that I'm your God.
00:42:44.69\00:42:46.39
We also see this in the example;
Christ gave us the example
00:42:46.43\00:42:49.70
of Sabbath-keeping.
00:42:49.73\00:42:51.57
He is our ultimate example,
as it says in Luke 4:16...
00:42:51.60\00:42:55.90
It says, "So He came to Nazareth
where He had been brought up,
00:42:55.94\00:43:00.28
and as His custom was,
He went into the synagogue
00:43:00.31\00:43:03.98
on the Sabbath day
and stood up to read."
00:43:04.01\00:43:07.05
Christ is our
example, and you know what?
00:43:07.08\00:43:09.22
Jesus would know better than
anyone because He is the Lord
00:43:09.25\00:43:12.19
of the Sabbath - He was the
Creator, He created the Sabbath.
00:43:12.22\00:43:15.16
So what better example
would you want to follow
00:43:15.19\00:43:17.33
than that of the Creator, right?
Right! Makes perfect sense.
00:43:17.36\00:43:20.23
You know, there's another aspect
that I want to bring out here
00:43:20.26\00:43:23.37
before we close because I
have just a few minutes left...
00:43:23.40\00:43:25.93
We know that there are
examples of the apostles
00:43:25.97\00:43:28.20
keeping the Sabbath after the
death of Christ - that's a big
00:43:28.24\00:43:30.31
contention among the
Christian world and many people
00:43:30.34\00:43:33.01
believe that when
Christ died on the cross,
00:43:33.04\00:43:35.11
that canceled out or done
away with Sabbath-keeping.
00:43:35.38\00:43:38.41
But there are many examples
that we see in Scripture,
00:43:38.45\00:43:41.22
in the New
Testament, more specifically
00:43:41.25\00:43:42.68
the Book of Acts 17:2,
I'm reading... "Then Paul,
00:43:42.72\00:43:46.49
as his custom was, (remember
Christ, as His custom was)
00:43:46.52\00:43:50.26
Paul also - as his custom
was, went in unto them for
00:43:50.29\00:43:52.99
three Sabbath
days, reasoned with them
00:43:53.03\00:43:54.60
from Scripture and, of
course, in Acts 18:4..."And he
00:43:54.63\00:43:58.63
reasoned in the synagogue
every Sabbath and persuaded both
00:43:58.67\00:44:01.70
the Jews and the Greeks."
00:44:01.74\00:44:03.97
Notice Jews and Greeks,
this is not just a Jewish thing.
00:44:04.01\00:44:06.37
Jesus said, "The Sabbath was
made for man, not man for the
00:44:06.41\00:44:09.84
Sabbath," so we know that
that was made for all mankind.
00:44:09.88\00:44:13.38
It's important that we
recognize here in the concept
00:44:13.42\00:44:16.08
of unity in the
faith, and when I think of
00:44:16.12\00:44:17.85
Sabbath-keeping, I think
of it as a time to bring God's
00:44:17.89\00:44:20.09
people together. Amen!
00:44:20.12\00:44:21.46
What better time to
unify God's people than
00:44:21.49\00:44:23.09
on the seventh day
Sabbath of the Lord.
00:44:23.12\00:44:25.29
And so the
Sabbath is a relational
00:44:25.33\00:44:27.10
blessing that
God has given to us.
00:44:27.13\00:44:28.86
Not only can we take the time
to worship our Savior and to
00:44:28.93\00:44:34.34
spend time with Him in a
relationship, but we also
00:44:34.37\00:44:36.24
can spend time with
our brethren in the unity
00:44:36.27\00:44:38.97
of the faith.
That's right. Amen!
00:44:39.01\00:44:40.88
We have a rest for God's
people here in the last days.
00:44:40.91\00:44:43.65
It has never
changed. That's right.
00:44:43.68\00:44:45.61
Hebrews 4:9-10 confirms
that, it says... "There remains
00:44:45.65\00:44:50.12
therefore a rest for the
people of God; for he who has
00:44:50.15\00:44:54.09
entered into his rest has
himself also ceased from his
00:44:54.12\00:44:57.59
works as God
did from His." Amen!
00:44:57.63\00:45:00.06
And I just want
to end with this...
00:45:00.10\00:45:02.40
This beautiful Scripture
from Matthew 11, as we all
00:45:02.43\00:45:05.37
may know, Jesus
says in verse 28-30...
00:45:05.40\00:45:08.07
"Come to Me all you who
labor and are heavy-laden,
00:45:08.10\00:45:11.27
and I will give you rest." Amen!
00:45:11.31\00:45:13.27
Take My yoke upon you
and learn from Me for I am
00:45:13.31\00:45:15.78
gentle and lowly in
heart and you will find rest
00:45:15.81\00:45:18.31
for your souls."
00:45:18.35\00:45:19.81
May we find rest for
our souls as we remember
00:45:19.85\00:45:23.15
and keep that
Sabbath holy! Amen! Amen!
00:45:23.18\00:45:25.05
Thank you, Ryan, what a
great addition to the team
00:45:25.09\00:45:28.39
you are and we're just so glad
00:45:28.42\00:45:30.16
to have you
here. Praise the Lord!
00:45:30.19\00:45:32.39
Well, my day is
Thursday and it is on
00:45:32.43\00:45:34.56
the doctrine of
"Death and Resurrection"
00:45:34.60\00:45:38.00
You know, there's
so many people, so many
00:45:38.03\00:45:39.93
sincere-hearted Christians
who teach that when we
00:45:39.97\00:45:42.84
die, we immediately either
go to hell or go to heaven,
00:45:42.87\00:45:45.87
and this is a pagan
belief; Socrates taught it,
00:45:45.91\00:45:50.91
Plato taught it.
00:45:50.95\00:45:52.28
It entered the Christian
Church through Tertullian
00:45:52.31\00:45:56.95
and he was a pagan philosopher,
he was converted to Christianity
00:45:56.99\00:46:02.12
in 197 A.D. and he
became an ecclesiastical writer,
00:46:02.16\00:46:06.23
and that's how it got
into the Christian Church.
00:46:06.26\00:46:08.86
But let's look at
1 Timothy 6:15-16,
00:46:08.90\00:46:14.50
because this kind of
puts the whole idea to rest
00:46:14.54\00:46:19.04
about the idea that
our soul is immortal.
00:46:19.07\00:46:23.01
The Bible says,
1 Timothy 6:15-16:
00:46:23.04\00:46:26.41
"... Which He will manifest
in His own time, He who is the
00:46:26.45\00:46:30.22
blessed and only
Potentate, the King of kings
00:46:30.25\00:46:33.02
and Lord of lords,
who alone has immortality,
00:46:33.05\00:46:40.03
dwelling in
unapproachable light whom no man
00:46:40.06\00:46:44.57
has seen or can
see, to whom be honor
00:46:44.60\00:46:48.34
and everlasting
power. Amen! Amen!
00:46:48.37\00:46:51.84
So the Bible tells us that
the One who is infinite without
00:46:51.87\00:46:57.28
beginning, without
end is self-existent,
00:46:57.31\00:46:59.58
at this time, He is the
ONLY ONE who has immortality.
00:46:59.61\00:47:06.72
The Bible mentions the soul or
the Spirit of man 1,600 times;
00:47:06.76\00:47:13.50
not one time EVER is that
associated with immortality...
00:47:13.53\00:47:19.83
there is not a
single verse there.
00:47:19.87\00:47:21.87
Actually, if you'll turn
please, to 1 Corinthians 15,
00:47:21.90\00:47:26.88
and we're going to
look at verses 51-54.
00:47:26.91\00:47:30.58
Paul is speaking to Christians
here and he is saying,
00:47:30.61\00:47:34.12
Hey, you get to put on
immortality at the last trumpet
00:47:34.15\00:47:38.65
at the close of earth's
history when Christ returns.
00:47:38.69\00:47:41.46
1 Corinthians 15:51-54...
He says, "Behold I tell you
00:47:41.49\00:47:46.90
a mystery, we shall not
all sleep (now that's a Bible
00:47:46.93\00:47:50.87
metaphor for death - we'll
look at that in just a moment)
00:47:50.90\00:47:53.27
but we shall (but what He's
saying is - not everybody is
00:47:53.30\00:47:56.60
going to die before Christ
returns - there will be some
00:47:56.64\00:47:59.04
who are alive at His return)
but we shall all be changed
00:47:59.07\00:48:03.41
in a moment, in the
twinkling of an eye... when?
00:48:03.45\00:48:07.85
at the last trumpet.
For the trumpet will sound,
00:48:07.88\00:48:11.95
and the dead will be
raised incorruptible,
00:48:11.99\00:48:14.72
and we shall be
changed. (now look at verse 53)
00:48:14.76\00:48:18.43
For this corruptible must
put on incorruption, and this
00:48:18.46\00:48:22.76
mortal must put on immortality."
00:48:22.80\00:48:26.87
So when this corruption has put
on incorruption and the mortal
00:48:26.90\00:48:29.84
has put on immortality,
then shall be brought to pass
00:48:29.87\00:48:34.54
the saying that is written:
00:48:34.58\00:48:36.24
"Death is
swallowed up in victory."
00:48:36.28\00:48:38.05
So when do believers...
see, we get the promise
00:48:38.08\00:48:42.35
of eternal life as soon as
we accept Christ - the promise.
00:48:42.38\00:48:46.35
But when do we put on
eternal life immortality?
00:48:46.76\00:48:50.93
At the last trumpet.
00:48:50.96\00:48:52.79
So what happens when we die?
00:48:52.83\00:48:56.06
Death is the
reverse process of creation.
00:48:56.10\00:48:59.97
When God created
man, Genesis 2:7 says...
00:49:00.00\00:49:03.27
"He formed man from
the dust of the earth.
00:49:03.30\00:49:05.31
He breathed into his
nostrils. Man became, it says, a
00:49:05.34\00:49:10.98
living being."
00:49:11.01\00:49:13.05
God imparted life, His breath,
the ruach, into man's nostril.
00:49:13.08\00:49:19.72
Man became a living
being or a living soul.
00:49:19.75\00:49:22.89
Man doesn't have a living
soul, he became a living soul.
00:49:22.92\00:49:28.66
That is the indivisible
union of body and breath.
00:49:28.70\00:49:33.10
Adam didn't receive a
soul, he became a soul.
00:49:33.13\00:49:36.47
And so the breath is not
an intelligence, the breath is
00:49:36.50\00:49:42.24
not... when we talk about
spirit, it is not a separate
00:49:42.28\00:49:46.75
intelligence - it is
how God ignited life in us.
00:49:46.78\00:49:52.62
Same spark of life God
gave to animals - we find in
00:49:52.65\00:49:56.09
Genesis 7:21-22... It says in
verse 22, "... in whose nostrils
00:49:56.12\00:50:01.86
(it's talking about the
animals) was the spirit...
00:50:01.90\00:50:04.17
the breath of
the spirit of life."
00:50:04.20\00:50:07.64
But then in Genesis
3:19, what does God say?
00:50:07.67\00:50:10.91
"Dust you are, to
dust you will return."
00:50:10.94\00:50:14.14
So when we die,
it's the reverse process.
00:50:14.18\00:50:18.75
The breath goes from
us and then we decompose
00:50:18.78\00:50:23.49
and we're back to
the dust of the earth.
00:50:23.52\00:50:26.02
How did Jesus describe death?
00:50:26.05\00:50:27.89
Let's look at John 11:11-14.
I love this because it makes
00:50:27.92\00:50:33.93
it pretty clear.
John 11:11...John writes
00:50:33.96\00:50:40.74
"These things He (Jesus) said,
and after that He said to them,
00:50:40.77\00:50:46.27
"Our friend Lazarus sleeps."
He is talking about Mary and
00:50:46.31\00:50:51.01
Martha's brother who had
died and was in the tomb,
00:50:51.05\00:50:55.15
but what Jesus said to
His disciples is, "Our friend
00:50:55.18\00:50:59.09
Lazarus sleeps."
00:50:59.12\00:51:00.79
You know in the
Greek, the word that they use
00:51:00.82\00:51:03.66
for sleep is "koimao,"
and it can mean asleep;
00:51:03.69\00:51:08.43
it can mean
sleep, die or to be dead.
00:51:08.46\00:51:11.47
So He says, "Our friend,
Lazarus, sleeps, and we know
00:51:11.50\00:51:15.50
that they took it for this kind
of sleep because the disciples
00:51:15.54\00:51:21.44
said to him, "Lord, if
he sleeps, he'll get well."
00:51:21.48\00:51:25.31
However, verse 13 says,
"Jesus spoke of his death,
00:51:25.35\00:51:29.15
but they thought
that He was speaking about
00:51:29.18\00:51:30.99
taking rest in sleep.
00:51:31.02\00:51:33.15
And then Jesus said to
them plainly, "Lazarus is dead."
00:51:33.19\00:51:38.23
So what does the Bible
say happens when we die?
00:51:38.26\00:51:41.43
I'm going to just
really whiz through these.
00:51:41.46\00:51:45.17
You might want to just take down
00:51:45.20\00:51:47.74
the Scripture references here.
00:51:47.77\00:51:50.21
Ecclesiastes
9:5-6... I may get it out...
00:51:50.27\00:51:58.68
Ecclesiastes 9:5-6...
00:51:58.71\00:52:02.58
It says, "Like sleep, the
dead are unconscious that they
00:52:02.65\00:52:06.39
know nothing. For the
living know that they shall die,
00:52:06.42\00:52:10.16
but the dead know nothing."
00:52:10.19\00:52:12.99
Ecclesiastes 9:10 says...
"Like sleep, we are resting
00:52:13.03\00:52:19.47
when we're dead.
00:52:19.50\00:52:20.84
It says..."Whatever your
hand finds to do, do it with all
00:52:20.87\00:52:22.84
your might for there is no
work or device, or knowledge,
00:52:22.87\00:52:25.07
or wisdom in the
grave where you're going."
00:52:25.11\00:52:27.08
Psalm 146:4 says... "Like sleep,
there's no conscious thoughts
00:52:27.11\00:52:33.08
that we lie
unconscious in the grave.
00:52:33.11\00:52:35.75
And it says, "The
spirit departs, the man returns
00:52:35.78\00:52:38.95
to the earth, dust to dust,
in that day, his plans perish."
00:52:38.99\00:52:43.29
Psalm 115:17 says... "The
dead do not praise the Lord,
00:52:43.32\00:52:48.26
nor any who go
down into silence."
00:52:48.30\00:52:50.37
Job 14:12 says... "We
sleep until we are awakened."
00:52:50.40\00:52:54.74
So man lies down and
does not rise until when?
00:52:54.77\00:52:58.61
"Until the heavens are
no more, they will not awake
00:52:58.64\00:53:03.04
nor be roused from
their sleep." That's right.
00:53:03.08\00:53:05.61
So not until Christ returns.
00:53:05.65\00:53:08.72
And Daniel 12:1-2, Daniel is
prophesying a time of trouble,
00:53:08.75\00:53:14.56
right before Christ
returns, he says, "At that time,
00:53:14.59\00:53:18.26
your people shall be delivered,
everyone who is found written
00:53:18.29\00:53:22.30
in the book... (he is
talking about the Book of Life)
00:53:22.33\00:53:25.37
and he says, "And many of those
who sleep in the dust of the
00:53:25.40\00:53:30.31
earth shall awake - some
to everlasting life, some to
00:53:30.34\00:53:33.17
shame and everlasting contempt."
00:53:33.21\00:53:35.84
So death is a sleep from which
there will be an awakening.
00:53:35.88\00:53:40.12
In 1 Thessalonians
4:13-18, Paul writes and says...
00:53:40.15\00:53:45.92
"I did not want you
to be ignorant, brethren,
00:53:45.95\00:53:48.79
concerning those
who have fallen asleep."
00:53:48.82\00:53:51.19
He's talking about the dead.
00:53:51.23\00:53:52.56
"Lest you sorrow as
those who have no hope.
00:53:52.59\00:53:56.26
For if we believe that
Jesus died and rose again,
00:53:56.30\00:53:59.57
even so God will
bring with Him those
00:53:59.60\00:54:03.74
who sleep in Jesus.
For this we say to you
00:54:03.77\00:54:07.11
by the word of the Lord,
that we who are alive and
00:54:07.14\00:54:10.31
remain until the coming
of the Lord, will by no means
00:54:10.35\00:54:15.42
precede those who are asleep."
00:54:15.45\00:54:18.15
He goes on, he's saying...
Hey, the Lord is going to
00:54:18.19\00:54:20.72
return with a shout with
the voice of the archangel
00:54:20.76\00:54:23.96
and we're all
caught up together.
00:54:23.99\00:54:26.19
We who are alive and
remaining don't precede into His
00:54:26.23\00:54:30.63
presence before the dead.
00:54:30.67\00:54:33.44
So that shows you the
dead are in their graves.
00:54:33.47\00:54:36.50
And then, in just
these last few seconds...
00:54:36.54\00:54:39.07
Jesus in John 5:28-29
said... "Don't marvel at this,
00:54:39.11\00:54:43.61
for the hour is coming in
which all who are in the graves
00:54:43.65\00:54:48.45
will hear My voice.
They will come forth and
00:54:48.48\00:54:52.35
those who have done good
come forth to the resurrection
00:54:52.39\00:54:55.42
of life, but those
who have done evil, to the
00:54:55.46\00:54:58.03
resurrection of condemnation."
00:54:58.06\00:55:01.66
We want you to be ready to
rest in Jesus until He returns
00:55:01.70\00:55:05.93
and come forth from the grave.
00:55:05.97\00:55:08.37
Amen, what an
incredible job each one of you
00:55:08.40\00:55:11.57
have done - I feel as if
we need another hour to talk
00:55:11.61\00:55:15.18
more about the unity of
the faith and the doctrines
00:55:15.21\00:55:18.25
that we find in the word of
God and those doctrines unite
00:55:18.28\00:55:22.55
us in love.
00:55:22.58\00:55:23.99
I want to give each one
of you a moment to share
00:55:24.02\00:55:26.22
a closing thought
maybe about your day
00:55:26.25\00:55:28.32
or about something
else. Pastor Kenny...
00:55:28.36\00:55:30.03
It just really hit me hard
here, we need to be careful
00:55:30.06\00:55:32.19
not to try to pull down
those beautiful teachings of God
00:55:32.23\00:55:34.80
or the truths in Scripture.
00:55:34.83\00:55:37.17
We need to elevate
them, hold them up.
00:55:37.20\00:55:38.73
They've been attacked
from the very beginning.
00:55:38.77\00:55:40.34
They'll be attacked
in the end and our only
00:55:40.37\00:55:42.60
safety is knowing what
is truth. That's right!
00:55:42.64\00:55:45.27
Very simply, the ministry
of Jesus has brought the end
00:55:45.31\00:55:48.14
of sin to an end and not
a continuing possibility,
00:55:48.18\00:55:51.48
not a chance that
it will rise up again.
00:55:51.51\00:55:53.52
Nahum 1:9... "Affliction
will not rise up a second time."
00:55:53.55\00:55:57.72
We won't need another Redeemer.
00:55:57.75\00:55:59.09
We won't need another Calvary.
00:55:59.12\00:56:00.52
The blood of Christ
will not just forgive sin,
00:56:00.56\00:56:03.66
but eternally blot
it out. Amen! Amen!
00:56:03.69\00:56:06.36
Yeah, you know, the
title of our lesson today,
00:56:06.39\00:56:09.83
"Unity in Faith," I
can't think of anything
00:56:09.86\00:56:12.43
better to describe this
unity in faith than that
00:56:12.47\00:56:14.90
of the faith of Christ.
00:56:14.94\00:56:16.27
The Third Angels'
Message... "Here is the patience
00:56:16.30\00:56:17.91
of the saints; here are
they that keep the commandments
00:56:17.94\00:56:20.41
of God and have
the faith of Jesus."
00:56:20.44\00:56:22.84
So that's what I'm praying
for.. Lord, give me, help me to
00:56:22.88\00:56:26.01
reflect that of the
faith of Jesus. Amen!
00:56:26.05\00:56:28.82
I just want to share
John 11:25-26 when Jesus
00:56:28.85\00:56:32.32
said to Martha... "I am
the resurrection and the life,
00:56:32.35\00:56:36.73
and he who believes in
Me, though that he may die,
00:56:36.76\00:56:41.70
he shall live." And he goes
on to tell her... Whoever lives
00:56:41.73\00:56:44.63
and believes in Me shall
never die." Do you believe this?
00:56:44.67\00:56:46.57
And in the Greek, it's a strong
double negative and He's saying,
00:56:47.37\00:56:51.91
"You shall not die
forever." Yes! Amen!
00:56:51.94\00:56:56.95
Thank you all so much for
your study of the word of God,
00:56:56.98\00:56:59.88
Pastor Kenny, Pastor
John, Pastor Ryan and Shelley
00:56:59.91\00:57:03.39
thank you so much for sharing.
00:57:03.42\00:57:04.82
And we're just so delighted
that you have joined us today
00:57:04.85\00:57:07.39
for our study of "Unity
and Faith," what a blessing
00:57:07.42\00:57:11.66
to be able to be
united on the word of God,
00:57:11.69\00:57:15.00
and to be able to be
united in love and in humility
00:57:15.03\00:57:18.70
with each other as
brothers and sisters.
00:57:18.73\00:57:21.40
I want to encourage
you to join us next week.
00:57:21.44\00:57:23.97
Our study next week is:
"The Most Convincing Proof"
00:57:24.01\00:57:27.84
Until then, God bless you.
00:57:27.88\00:57:29.61