The Bible tells us, "In
the beginning was the Word,
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and the Word was with
God, and the Word was God."
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It says to,
"Receive with meekness
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the implanted Word,
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which is able to save your souls
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and to be diligent
to present yourself
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approved to God,
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rightly dividing
the Word of truth."
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Join us now for the
3ABN Sabbath School Panel.
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Our study today
is Family Seasons.
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Hello, we just wanna welcome you
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to our 3ABN
Sabbath School Panel.
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I'm Jill Morikone.
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And what a privilege it is
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to study the
Word of God together.
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We're getting toward
the end of this quarter
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on Family Seasons,
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all dealing with marriage,
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parenting, children, the home,
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and what an
incredible study it has been.
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This week is lesson
number 11, Families of Faith.
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If you don't have your
own copy of the quarterly
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and you're just joining us,
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you can go to the
following website,
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ABSG.Adventist.org.
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You can click on that
and download your own copy
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or we always encourage you.
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Visit your local
Seventh-day Adventist Church
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and join a Bible Study Group
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and study these
wonderful truths together
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with likeminded believers.
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At this time, I
want to introduce
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our panel to you.
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On my left,
Pastor Kenny Shelton,
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always a
privilege to study with you.
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Thank you, it's a
wonderful opportunity.
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Sitting on his left is
my sister Shelley Quinn,
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and thank you for being here.
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My joy.
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Sitting on your
left is Pastor Ryan Day,
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and it's always a privilege
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to hear what God
has through you as well.
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Amen, it's a
blessing to be here.
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And on your left at the end,
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last but not least
is our very own pastor,
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Pastor John Lomacang.
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Thank you, Pastor John,
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for your heart
for the Word of God.
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Praise the Lord.
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I think we've
become a meshed team
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and this is a joy to
be able to gather together
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with such spiritual
people who study God's Word.
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It's a joy to be here. It is.
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It's a joy to be here
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and it's a joy to
have you here as well
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because you are
part of the 3ABN family.
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Before we go any further,
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we wanna go to
the Lord in prayer
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and, Pastor John,
would you pray for us?
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Sure.
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Loving Father in heaven,
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another opportunity
to furnish our minds
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with the knowledge of Your Word.
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Lord, we do not take for granted
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that our study is sufficient.
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But we do ask
for Your Holy Spirit
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to come in now water
our minds with insights
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and understanding
that is acceptable
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and only accessible
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through a divine connection.
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We pray for each
one of us on this panel
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to speak words of life
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and may the end result
be, Your message is delivered,
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and Your name is
honored and glorified.
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We pray for
clarity and understanding
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in Jesus' name.
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Amen. Amen.
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Thank you so much.
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Last week, we talked
about Little Times of Trouble,
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how to handle
conflict, anger, abuse,
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all of those things
within the family context
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and how God can bring
us healing and deliverance.
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This week is Families of Faith.
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How to be families in the
midst of cultural differences?
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Now, when you
think about culture,
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what is culture?
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Merriam Webster
definition of culture
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is, "The customary beliefs,
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social forms,
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and material traits of a racial,
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religious, or social group."
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Now, we have many
different types of culture,
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we have what we call a corporate
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or a company
culture that would be shown
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in how the company
dresses like their dress policy.
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It would be maybe how
the offices are designed,
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how they treat their employees
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or the customers,
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you might have popular culture.
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This is activities of citizens
such as what you listen to,
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what you read, what you wear,
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and how you speak.
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That might be what
we call popular culture.
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There is foreign culture.
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What identifies
a foreign country?
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That would be their
language, their interests,
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religion,
etiquette, and customs.
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When we talk about
Christianity and culture,
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there's many different views
about the church and culture.
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And there's
three different views
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I wanna mention here briefly.
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First would be
Christianity against culture.
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That would be Christianity
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and culture are two
opposing forms of influence.
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Either the church
becomes a bomb shelter
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where the church
members hide, as it were,
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from the surrounding
influences of culture,
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they're seeking spiritual refuge
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from the siege of culture.
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This would tend maybe
a little toward legalism
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and restricting the
Christians' influence
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to get out and
engage and influence,
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evangelize those.
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There's also
Christianity of culture,
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which would be
where we rebuild churches
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that simply mirror culture.
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That would be
where culture is embraced
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by the Christian
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and creeps into the church,
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but I would submit to
you, the right way to look
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at this whole concept of
Christianity and culture,
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is Christianity
in and for culture.
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What I mean by that is
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we are called to
live in the world,
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but not of the world.
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2 Corinthians 5:20.
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"Now then," Pastor Kenny,
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"we are ambassadors for Christ,
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as though God were
pleading through us.
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We implore you
on Christ's behalf,
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be reconciled to God."
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So we are called to actively
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influence the culture around us,
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not to hide from it,
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but neither to
be influenced by it
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and to be changed by it.
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We are called to
influence culture
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and the culture
of those around us.
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So Sunday we look at
hold fast, what is good?
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When you think about
Christian missionaries,
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people who go to
present the gospel,
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whether it's at home,
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or whether it's
in a foreign field,
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we always look at it
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in the midst of
cultural context.
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How are you to
present the gospel
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in the midst of
cultural context?
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We wanna present the
gospel without judgment
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with open acceptance
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and a desire for other
people to come to Christ.
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But at the same time,
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we have to present the
gospel without compromise,
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not accepting
unbiblical principles
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and practices
that are in the culture
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you're seeking to evangelize.
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So I wanna talk
about seven principles
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that guide us
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when evangelizing in
the midst of culture.
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Number one, to recognize
that the gospel is for everyone.
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The gospel is to go to
everyone without restriction.
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We often limit
the gospel by class,
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social status, race, ethnicity,
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even intelligence and we say,
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"Oh, we'll present to
these people over here."
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You think about the
early Christian church.
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They thought the gospel
was limited to the Jews,
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did they not?
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And it was not even to
be extended to the Gentiles.
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And then the Lord
gave Peter a vision,
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remember, of the animals
that came down in the sheet,
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and three times he saw that
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and he thought
initially, wait a minute,
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are you asking me
to eat unclean meats
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and that had nothing
to do with the vision.
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It was that God was calling
the early Christian church,
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to spread the
gospel to everyone,
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not just who they thought
the gospel ought to go to.
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Acts 10:34-35.
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"Peter opened
his mouth and said,
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'In truth I perceive
that God shows no partiality.
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But in every
nation whoever fears Him
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and works righteousness
is accepted by Him."
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So Peter learned that the gospel
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was to go to everyone,
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it is not to be restricted.
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That's right.
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Now the church
leaders in Jerusalem
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had a few issues with that
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because they said
in Acts Chapter 11,
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they said,
"What's going on here,
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Peter, you're
mingling with Gentiles
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and you're going in their home.
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You're evangelizing to them."
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So then Peter
said in Acts 11:15, 17,
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he said, "As I began to speak,"
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Peter saying, as I spoke,
"the Holy Spirit fell on them,"
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meaning the Gentiles,
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"as upon us at the beginning."
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And then verse 17,
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"If therefore God
gave them the same gift
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as He gave us
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when we believed on
the Lord Jesus Christ,
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who is I that I
could withstand God?"
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So first the
gospel is for everyone.
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Second, when we evangelize,
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we're called to
keep Jesus central.
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In all teaching,
preaching, and doctrine,
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Jesus is to be the
center of everything.
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1 Corinthians 2:2,
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"I determined not to know
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anything among you
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except Jesus
Christ and Him crucified."
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Sometimes we can
get so wrapped up that
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I need to preach
the proper doctrine
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of the state of the
dead and that is important
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or I need to make sure
I'm teaching healthy living
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and that is important.
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But if we don't make Jesus
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the center of every doctrine,
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we lose something very vital.
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That's right.
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Number three,
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understand that my culture
or the tradition I grew up in,
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is not to be imposed on
other converts to Christianity.
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Think about Acts,
00:09:07.44\00:09:08.91
the early Christian church.
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Turn with me to Acts 15.
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In the early Christian church,
00:09:12.28\00:09:13.95
there was this whole
issue of circumcision
00:09:13.98\00:09:17.09
that split the
early Christian church,
00:09:17.12\00:09:19.95
namely, did the
Gentiles have to be circumcised
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in order to become saved.
00:09:23.66\00:09:25.63
And the church came together
00:09:25.66\00:09:27.00
we call it the
Jerusalem Council in AD 49,
00:09:27.03\00:09:29.46
this is in Acts Chapter 15.
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And the leaders
and the representatives
00:09:31.37\00:09:33.67
from the area came
together to discuss this.
00:09:33.70\00:09:36.87
Did the Jewish Christians
have to impose their beliefs
00:09:36.91\00:09:41.34
which was
circumcision on other people?
00:09:41.38\00:09:44.15
Did they have to be circumcised
in order to be saved?
00:09:44.18\00:09:47.02
And the council
decided in Acts 15:28-29.
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"For it seemed
good to the Holy Spirit,
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and to us, to lay upon you
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no greater burden than
these necessary things,
00:09:54.72\00:09:58.59
that you abstain from
things offered to idols,
00:09:58.63\00:10:00.60
from blood, from
things strangled,
00:10:00.63\00:10:02.10
and from sexual immorality."
00:10:02.13\00:10:03.70
The council decided
00:10:03.73\00:10:05.07
they did not
have to be circumcised
00:10:05.10\00:10:06.67
in order to become Christians
or in order to be saved.
00:10:06.70\00:10:09.70
But there were
still certain things,
00:10:09.74\00:10:11.17
Pastor Kenny, that they
were supposed to hold to.
00:10:11.21\00:10:14.31
That reminded them that
they came out of idol worship,
00:10:14.34\00:10:17.45
that they came
out of that paganism,
00:10:17.48\00:10:19.41
that they were to
worship the one true God.
00:10:19.45\00:10:22.62
Number four,
00:10:22.65\00:10:23.99
remain true to the
teachings of the Word of God.
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Yes.
00:10:27.69\00:10:29.02
1 Thessalonians 5:21,
00:10:29.06\00:10:30.39
I'll give you several scripture
references here in a hurry.
00:10:30.43\00:10:33.06
"Test all things,
hold fast what is good."
00:10:33.09\00:10:37.23
That's right.
00:10:37.27\00:10:38.60
Ephesians 4:14,
00:10:38.63\00:10:40.54
"That we should no
longer be children,
00:10:40.57\00:10:42.47
tossed to and fro
00:10:42.50\00:10:44.01
and carried about with
every wind of doctrine,
00:10:44.04\00:10:47.58
by the trickery of men,
00:10:47.61\00:10:48.94
in the cunning craftiness
of deceitful plotting."
00:10:48.98\00:10:51.75
And Isaiah 8:20,
00:10:51.78\00:10:53.11
we are to test and
prove everything what?
00:10:53.15\00:10:56.22
"To the law and
to the testimony!
00:10:56.25\00:10:58.65
If they do not speak
according to this word,
00:10:58.69\00:11:01.12
it is because there
is no light in them."
00:11:01.16\00:11:05.06
So we are called to be sensitive
00:11:05.09\00:11:07.96
to the culture of the people
with which we communicate,
00:11:08.00\00:11:10.33
but at the same time,
00:11:10.37\00:11:11.93
we cannot
alter, or watered down,
00:11:11.97\00:11:14.30
or change the truth
found in the Word of God.
00:11:14.34\00:11:18.64
Amen.
00:11:18.67\00:11:20.01
We have to be true
to biblical principles.
00:11:20.04\00:11:23.31
Number five, we're
called to evangelize
00:11:23.35\00:11:25.31
with a love for souls.
00:11:25.35\00:11:27.85
You know,
00:11:27.88\00:11:29.22
I don't know about you,
00:11:29.25\00:11:30.59
but I have heard preachers
00:11:30.62\00:11:31.95
and I have sat
under the tutelage, now,
00:11:31.99\00:11:33.96
Pastor John, of preachers
00:11:33.99\00:11:37.36
who evangelize and
they spoke the truth,
00:11:37.39\00:11:40.10
but there was no
love for the people
00:11:40.13\00:11:41.53
with which they spoke.
00:11:41.56\00:11:43.03
There was this sense
of harshness and judgment,
00:11:43.06\00:11:46.97
which the truth and
the Word of God is true
00:11:47.00\00:11:50.61
and we need to follow that,
00:11:50.64\00:11:51.97
but it needs to be coupled
00:11:52.01\00:11:53.34
and presented with
our love for other people.
00:11:53.38\00:11:57.08
Ephesians 4:15,
00:11:57.11\00:11:59.01
"Speaking the truth and love,
00:11:59.05\00:12:01.52
that we may grow up
in all things into Him
00:12:01.55\00:12:03.69
who is the head even Christ.
00:12:03.72\00:12:05.19
So we're called
to speak the truth.
00:12:05.22\00:12:06.99
Yes, but to speak it
with a love for souls.
00:12:07.02\00:12:10.93
Number six,
00:12:10.96\00:12:12.29
preach with
boldness and without fear.
00:12:12.33\00:12:16.30
Romans 1:16 Paul says,
00:12:16.33\00:12:18.40
"I am not ashamed of
the gospel of Christ,
00:12:18.43\00:12:21.87
for it is the power of God
00:12:21.90\00:12:23.41
to salvation for
everyone who believes,
00:12:23.44\00:12:25.97
to the Jew first
and also for the Greek."
00:12:26.01\00:12:29.41
The gospel is to go to everyone
00:12:29.44\00:12:31.25
and we do not need to be ashamed
00:12:31.28\00:12:33.38
of the Lord Jesus Christ.
00:12:33.42\00:12:34.85
We do not need to
be ashamed of the truth
00:12:34.88\00:12:37.02
found in the Word of God.
00:12:37.05\00:12:38.95
We do not need to be ashamed
00:12:38.99\00:12:40.32
to go out and to
speak a word in season
00:12:40.36\00:12:42.96
to your
neighbors, to your family,
00:12:42.99\00:12:44.89
to your community,
to your co-workers.
00:12:44.93\00:12:48.13
Don't be ashamed of
the gospel of Christ.
00:12:48.16\00:12:51.43
And sometimes I think we,
00:12:51.47\00:12:53.37
you think about Peter,
and John, and the disciples
00:12:53.40\00:12:55.97
when Jesus was arrested,
00:12:56.00\00:12:57.41
remember, in the garden,
00:12:57.44\00:12:58.77
what did they do?
00:12:58.81\00:13:00.14
They fled. They were terrified.
00:13:00.18\00:13:01.91
But then we get down
to, is it Acts Chapter 4
00:13:01.94\00:13:03.85
when they're arrested
and remember what happened?
00:13:03.88\00:13:06.95
They said,
00:13:06.98\00:13:08.88
"We ought to obey
God," rather than men
00:13:08.92\00:13:11.42
when they were hauled
in before the Sanhedrin.
00:13:11.45\00:13:14.16
And then they looked
at them and they said,
00:13:14.19\00:13:16.26
"Are these the disciples?"
00:13:16.29\00:13:17.76
Like they were amazed
00:13:17.79\00:13:19.23
'cause they knew that
they had been with Jesus.
00:13:19.26\00:13:21.66
Jesus enabled them
to preach with boldness.
00:13:21.70\00:13:23.97
Jesus enabled them
to preach without fear.
00:13:24.00\00:13:26.53
Finally, number seven,
00:13:26.57\00:13:28.54
understand that
you answer to God,
00:13:28.57\00:13:30.77
not to men.
00:13:30.81\00:13:32.24
So when we evangelize,
00:13:32.27\00:13:34.24
we don't answer to other people.
00:13:34.28\00:13:35.84
We are called to
answer to God alone.
00:13:35.88\00:13:40.58
Don't answer to those in
the pew or try to just...
00:13:40.62\00:13:43.92
Okay, I'm gonna share
what I think they want to hear.
00:13:43.95\00:13:47.26
We are called to answer to God.
00:13:47.29\00:13:48.66
1 Thessalonians 2:4,
00:13:48.69\00:13:51.33
"As we have been approved by God
00:13:51.36\00:13:52.76
to be entrusted with the gospel,
00:13:52.79\00:13:54.70
even so we speak,
00:13:54.73\00:13:56.87
not as pleasing men,
00:13:56.90\00:13:59.27
but God who tests our hearts."
00:13:59.30\00:14:01.94
Pastor Kenny. Amen.
00:14:01.97\00:14:03.30
Praise the Lord, what
a good foundation is set.
00:14:03.34\00:14:06.07
And in that foundation
I'm gonna use as a springboard
00:14:06.11\00:14:08.74
if that's all right to do that
00:14:08.78\00:14:10.35
because we're looking
at the Monday's lesson,
00:14:10.38\00:14:13.01
which is the power of
culture in the family.
00:14:13.05\00:14:16.55
Right.
00:14:16.58\00:14:17.92
And I think we maybe hopefully
you all experienced that
00:14:17.95\00:14:19.62
in a good way
00:14:19.65\00:14:21.26
'cause there is an
influence in the family
00:14:21.29\00:14:22.82
and culture is certainly there.
00:14:22.86\00:14:24.59
And I've often said this,
none of us live in a vacuum.
00:14:24.63\00:14:28.50
You know, we're
out here in the world,
00:14:28.53\00:14:29.90
a lot of mixture, a
lot of different things,
00:14:29.93\00:14:31.53
you know, in the
world is going on
00:14:31.57\00:14:33.00
that would influence
our minds and our hearts.
00:14:33.03\00:14:35.87
We are influenced by culture,
there's no doubt about it.
00:14:35.90\00:14:41.44
By the way we were raised,
00:14:41.48\00:14:43.65
the place that we were raised,
00:14:43.68\00:14:45.91
what our families thought,
00:14:45.95\00:14:47.85
how they, what they
taught in law that we picked up
00:14:47.88\00:14:50.79
and maybe never even realized
00:14:50.82\00:14:52.15
we've picked up on
some of these things,
00:14:52.19\00:14:53.69
and maybe even
later had to be corrected
00:14:53.72\00:14:55.56
a little bit on that.
00:14:55.59\00:14:58.13
As Jill mentioned
about the definitions
00:14:58.16\00:15:00.33
that I looked up to and define,
00:15:00.36\00:15:01.73
I said, you know, this is really
00:15:01.76\00:15:03.37
simply dealing
with, notice this,
00:15:03.40\00:15:05.57
the mind, manners,
00:15:05.60\00:15:08.77
this is all deal
with school culture,
00:15:08.80\00:15:10.14
our taste, and our skills,
00:15:10.17\00:15:12.07
wherever they might
be arts, institutions,
00:15:12.11\00:15:14.58
okay, you know, value gender
00:15:14.61\00:15:16.95
could be all kinds of
things that we are influenced
00:15:16.98\00:15:19.48
under what we
would call culture.
00:15:19.51\00:15:21.72
And this is given, you know,
00:15:21.75\00:15:23.89
I think it needs
to be boiled down
00:15:23.92\00:15:25.25
to where it
becomes very simple for us.
00:15:25.29\00:15:28.02
Culture consists in our beliefs,
00:15:28.06\00:15:31.16
we need to be
strong in our beliefs
00:15:31.19\00:15:33.03
that you're bringing
out and what we believe in.
00:15:33.06\00:15:35.90
It has to do with our behavior,
00:15:35.93\00:15:38.53
just objects or
other characteristics
00:15:38.57\00:15:43.04
is simply things that
certain groups of people do,
00:15:43.07\00:15:45.87
that's the culture.
00:15:45.91\00:15:47.48
Seven elements are
listed down as culture elements.
00:15:47.51\00:15:51.75
Here seven of them
00:15:51.78\00:15:53.11
and you can go
and springboard any
00:15:53.15\00:15:54.82
which way you
want to do with it.
00:15:54.85\00:15:56.25
Social organizations,
there's lot of culture in that.
00:15:56.28\00:15:59.99
Customs, and
traditions, religion,
00:16:00.02\00:16:02.09
and language, and
arts, and literature,
00:16:02.12\00:16:05.16
forms of government,
00:16:05.19\00:16:06.76
a lot of that goes on in there,
00:16:06.80\00:16:08.13
economic status
and so on systems.
00:16:08.16\00:16:11.40
And I think with all that said,
00:16:11.43\00:16:12.77
just simply just
to confuse the mind,
00:16:12.80\00:16:14.34
we make it very easy here.
00:16:14.37\00:16:16.00
Culture is a word
for a way of life,
00:16:16.04\00:16:18.77
leave to me that
it's a way of life,
00:16:18.81\00:16:20.54
the way again
we were brought up,
00:16:20.58\00:16:21.91
what we believe
is truth and right.
00:16:21.94\00:16:23.45
Meaning that's the
way that we do things.
00:16:23.48\00:16:26.01
And it does have
an impression on us.
00:16:26.05\00:16:27.75
I know it has
me in my upbringing
00:16:27.78\00:16:30.52
in the community,
00:16:30.55\00:16:31.89
and where I was raised.
00:16:31.92\00:16:33.79
The message
that God has given us
00:16:33.82\00:16:35.16
has been mentioned
here, we're here to go, what?
00:16:35.19\00:16:37.79
With our message we're
to go into all the world
00:16:37.83\00:16:40.60
in Matthew 28:19.
00:16:40.63\00:16:42.70
And it says, "Go
and teach all nations."
00:16:42.73\00:16:45.30
That means go
into all the world.
00:16:45.33\00:16:46.70
So there's gonna be
cultural differences.
00:16:46.74\00:16:49.00
People are going to
think a little bit different
00:16:49.04\00:16:50.97
around the world.
00:16:51.01\00:16:52.34
But I like what you brought out
00:16:52.37\00:16:53.71
there is we're not to
compromise our message
00:16:53.74\00:16:56.41
that God has given to us
00:16:56.44\00:16:57.78
regardless of wherever
we are at in the world,
00:16:57.81\00:17:00.65
and to me, that
become my challenge
00:17:00.68\00:17:03.65
because they will
say, you open the Bible.
00:17:03.69\00:17:05.65
Here's what it said.
00:17:05.69\00:17:07.02
They said, "Yeah,
but here in our country,
00:17:07.06\00:17:08.69
we do not believe that way."
00:17:08.72\00:17:10.93
And I've had that to happen
several different occasions
00:17:10.96\00:17:13.50
in different countries.
00:17:13.53\00:17:15.56
And, you know, I don't know
how else to come back to them,
00:17:15.60\00:17:17.83
except certainly
I'll say, you know,
00:17:17.87\00:17:21.70
my responses I just, you know,
00:17:21.74\00:17:23.17
what we do is go
to the Word of God,
00:17:23.20\00:17:25.01
and the Word of God
tells us what the truth is.
00:17:25.04\00:17:27.74
And then I told
one person, I said,
00:17:27.78\00:17:29.71
we should have the same Bible,
00:17:29.74\00:17:31.41
you should be
reading out the same word.
00:17:31.45\00:17:32.78
So really what
applies in one country
00:17:32.81\00:17:34.18
should apply to everybody.
00:17:34.22\00:17:35.55
I realize there's culture
00:17:35.58\00:17:36.92
that we cannot
take that my opinion
00:17:36.95\00:17:38.29
over thus saith the Lord.
00:17:38.32\00:17:41.62
In Genesis 18:19,
00:17:41.66\00:17:44.33
and our lesson is
very, very, very powerful.
00:17:44.36\00:17:46.56
Oh, is it powerful.
00:17:46.59\00:17:47.93
It's full of
information that we need today.
00:17:47.96\00:17:51.27
We began to realize
the power of culture here
00:17:51.30\00:17:54.37
in Genesis 18:19, notice this,
00:17:54.40\00:17:57.84
and it says, "For I know
him, "who's speaking here?
00:17:57.87\00:18:01.34
God. God is speaking here.
00:18:01.38\00:18:02.88
He said, "I know him,
00:18:02.91\00:18:04.71
that he will
command his children
00:18:04.75\00:18:06.88
and his household after him,
00:18:06.92\00:18:08.92
they shall keep
the way of the Lord,
00:18:08.95\00:18:10.79
to do justice and," what?
00:18:10.82\00:18:12.32
And judgment, yeah,
00:18:12.35\00:18:13.86
"that the Lord may
bring up on Abraham
00:18:13.89\00:18:16.29
that which he
has spoken of him."
00:18:16.32\00:18:18.99
Wouldn't that be wonderful?
00:18:19.03\00:18:20.36
And just blessing up
today when you think about
00:18:20.40\00:18:22.33
that God looks at me,
00:18:22.36\00:18:23.70
or you, or anybody in
here and He said, "I know him.
00:18:23.73\00:18:25.70
I know her.
00:18:25.73\00:18:27.07
And I know I can trust them."
00:18:27.10\00:18:28.94
And I mentioned
many times for I pray
00:18:28.97\00:18:30.64
that God help me
to be trustworthy.
00:18:30.67\00:18:32.67
Amen.
00:18:32.71\00:18:34.04
And help me be trustworthy.
00:18:34.08\00:18:35.41
I want to be, I want to,
inside of God it's important.
00:18:35.44\00:18:38.25
Abraham's duty then was to what?
00:18:38.28\00:18:40.25
To pass on that
which he knew was right.
00:18:40.28\00:18:43.12
His duty were duty as parents,
00:18:43.15\00:18:45.05
you know, as
overseers is to pass on
00:18:45.09\00:18:47.59
what we understand
is truth about God.
00:18:47.62\00:18:50.99
Again, not pass on
a custom necessarily,
00:18:51.03\00:18:53.46
but pass on the
truth of God's Word.
00:18:53.50\00:18:55.66
That's right.
00:18:55.70\00:18:57.03
We have responsibilities,
same responsibility,
00:18:57.07\00:18:59.03
as Abraham had
here to our family,
00:18:59.07\00:19:01.40
we have it to our friends,
we have it to 3ABN family,
00:19:01.44\00:19:04.47
you know, everybody out there,
00:19:04.51\00:19:05.84
we have that
responsibility to do it.
00:19:05.87\00:19:07.51
We have to be praying for
them to be interceding for them.
00:19:07.54\00:19:11.91
And for our certainly our family
00:19:11.95\00:19:14.15
because we serve a God,
00:19:14.18\00:19:15.52
serve Jesus,
praise God, in Hebrews,
00:19:15.55\00:19:16.89
was it 7:25 that says,
00:19:16.92\00:19:18.85
"He's ever makes
intercession for," what?
00:19:18.89\00:19:20.96
"Us." For us.
00:19:20.99\00:19:22.32
He's making intercession for us.
00:19:22.36\00:19:23.69
We need to be interceding
00:19:23.73\00:19:25.06
in my opinion
for other folks too.
00:19:25.09\00:19:26.43
You can do that, praise God,
00:19:26.46\00:19:27.80
instead of just
ourself all the time.
00:19:27.83\00:19:29.16
Abraham then could be what?
00:19:29.20\00:19:30.93
He could be trusted
to instruct his family.
00:19:30.97\00:19:33.57
Notice this, in
theory, notice this,
00:19:33.60\00:19:36.87
and in practice
of religious virtues.
00:19:36.91\00:19:40.38
He wanted, notice
this, he wanted them to know
00:19:40.41\00:19:43.24
and not only to know but to do.
00:19:43.28\00:19:45.68
This is important.
00:19:45.71\00:19:47.05
We know, we know, we
know I hear that all time.
00:19:47.08\00:19:48.42
Well, I know, I know,
I know, but are we doing.
00:19:48.45\00:19:50.95
It's very, very
important to do the Word of God.
00:19:50.99\00:19:54.32
He wanted to show them to
know these things, you know.
00:19:54.36\00:19:57.19
God can trust Abraham.
00:19:57.23\00:20:01.13
Abraham trusted God.
00:20:01.16\00:20:03.77
And Abraham did
this to his family,
00:20:03.80\00:20:05.13
I think, did he not?
00:20:05.17\00:20:06.50
He said he commanded his family.
00:20:06.53\00:20:08.00
I don't think he was
bossy about it, did you?
00:20:08.04\00:20:09.94
I know, you know, when
you think about command,
00:20:09.97\00:20:12.74
you think well, he is bossy
and he's telling what to do.
00:20:12.77\00:20:14.81
He's gonna put it into
an order with his family.
00:20:14.84\00:20:17.41
I don't think he's
being bossy at all.
00:20:17.45\00:20:18.78
I think he's been simple
and he's been very clear.
00:20:18.81\00:20:21.78
He mingled firmness with love
00:20:21.82\00:20:23.79
as he presented these
principles to his family.
00:20:23.82\00:20:27.42
Abraham would do his
God given responsibility.
00:20:27.46\00:20:31.23
Notice this, he would do it
00:20:31.26\00:20:32.79
regardless of where he was at
00:20:32.83\00:20:35.03
or who he was around.
00:20:35.06\00:20:36.93
That's very important.
00:20:36.97\00:20:38.30
We talked about culture
00:20:38.33\00:20:39.67
because we have the tendency,
00:20:39.70\00:20:41.04
now we have the
pressure sometime to fall
00:20:41.07\00:20:42.57
just a little bit
00:20:42.60\00:20:43.94
when we're around another group,
00:20:43.97\00:20:45.31
we may be the only
one that feels this way,
00:20:45.34\00:20:46.74
so on so forth,
00:20:46.78\00:20:48.11
and like say we've
been in those situations,
00:20:48.14\00:20:50.81
and we wanna
handle it the right way,
00:20:50.85\00:20:52.41
you know, with
love and consideration
00:20:52.45\00:20:54.22
and to realize that some
of these thing culture strong,
00:20:54.25\00:20:57.95
but the Word of God is stronger.
00:20:57.99\00:20:59.82
We have to
continue to lean on that.
00:20:59.85\00:21:02.42
So remember, where we
were, what was the Daniel,
00:21:02.46\00:21:04.63
you know, what was it?
00:21:04.66\00:21:06.59
You know, in
captivity, what did he do?
00:21:06.63\00:21:07.96
He threw the
window open, he prayed.
00:21:08.00\00:21:09.86
The culture where he was
at, that's not what you do.
00:21:09.90\00:21:12.63
And even when
that law was passed,
00:21:12.67\00:21:14.00
he still did it anyway.
00:21:14.04\00:21:15.54
And so he had
to follow the Lord.
00:21:15.57\00:21:17.71
Abraham could be trusted by God.
00:21:17.74\00:21:20.38
Our lesson gives several
passages we could look at,
00:21:20.41\00:21:22.38
we won't have time to do that.
00:21:22.41\00:21:23.75
But they asked this
question I think is valid.
00:21:23.78\00:21:25.85
What ways did God,
00:21:25.88\00:21:27.85
or did culture
impact family life?
00:21:27.88\00:21:30.62
And then what principles
can we learn from them?
00:21:30.65\00:21:33.42
Genesis 16:13,
quickly Genesis 16.
00:21:33.46\00:21:37.56
Sorry, 1-3.
00:21:37.59\00:21:39.19
It was Sarah.
00:21:39.23\00:21:40.56
Remember, Sarah,
00:21:40.60\00:21:41.93
we know the whole story
been on many, many times.
00:21:41.96\00:21:43.30
So we're just
gonna run over quickly.
00:21:43.33\00:21:44.67
Here, Sarah, being barren.
00:21:44.70\00:21:46.87
What did she do?
00:21:46.90\00:21:48.24
She goes gives Hagar to Abraham.
00:21:48.27\00:21:50.41
She's gonna help God, right?
00:21:50.44\00:21:51.77
Like we do a lot of times.
00:21:51.81\00:21:53.14
The faith of Abraham and Sarah
00:21:53.17\00:21:54.91
had been consistent
and constant for 10 years.
00:21:54.94\00:21:58.35
So when you're
praying for something,
00:21:58.38\00:21:59.71
and 10 years passed
by and all of a sudden,
00:21:59.75\00:22:01.65
it's not happening,
00:22:01.68\00:22:03.02
sometime we
wanna try to help God.
00:22:03.05\00:22:04.99
We don't need to do that.
00:22:05.02\00:22:06.86
But certainly this was
under divine appointment.
00:22:06.89\00:22:09.89
God allowed time to go by
00:22:09.92\00:22:12.06
because he's
gonna test his servants,
00:22:12.09\00:22:14.10
as He always does.
00:22:14.13\00:22:15.46
He's gonna test Sarah,
00:22:15.50\00:22:16.83
He's gonna test
Abraham in doing though.
00:22:16.87\00:22:18.97
But what did she do?
00:22:19.00\00:22:20.94
Sarah went right
back to her culture.
00:22:20.97\00:22:24.64
She went right back
to where she was raised,
00:22:24.67\00:22:27.21
Mesopotamia Valley, remember,
00:22:27.24\00:22:29.38
they recognize that
practice, if you were barren,
00:22:29.41\00:22:31.65
and you could not bear children,
00:22:31.68\00:22:33.38
it was okay to get someone
00:22:33.42\00:22:34.98
they call them
in get your servant
00:22:35.02\00:22:36.58
or you get your
slave, bring them in
00:22:36.62\00:22:38.42
and have children
and so on so forth.
00:22:38.45\00:22:40.29
But they even
had signed documents,
00:22:40.32\00:22:42.09
so there'd be no
backing out later
00:22:42.12\00:22:44.06
when the child was born to say,
00:22:44.09\00:22:45.43
well, that's
mine, so on so forth.
00:22:45.46\00:22:47.10
So what did she do?
00:22:47.13\00:22:49.06
She went back to culture,
00:22:49.10\00:22:51.13
she went back to the
way that she was raised
00:22:51.17\00:22:53.90
and that was acceptable practice
00:22:53.94\00:22:56.20
there and then,
00:22:56.24\00:22:57.57
but notice what
the results would be?
00:22:57.61\00:22:58.94
What was the result?
00:22:58.97\00:23:00.31
Were they wonderful
and glorious and man,
00:23:00.34\00:23:01.68
we can do our own thing now.
00:23:01.71\00:23:03.18
No, the results were disastrous.
00:23:03.21\00:23:05.91
There was
suffering and disappointment.
00:23:05.95\00:23:08.85
Instead of, a blessing,
00:23:08.88\00:23:10.29
there was a curse
00:23:10.32\00:23:12.25
because we didn't
want to do it God's way.
00:23:12.29\00:23:14.69
Well, you know, we,
00:23:14.72\00:23:16.69
there's many things
we can go over right now.
00:23:16.73\00:23:18.19
But I just, I
really believe right now,
00:23:18.23\00:23:20.00
that as we look at Abraham,
00:23:20.03\00:23:22.06
with the life of
Abraham, Father, the faithful,
00:23:22.10\00:23:24.80
I think God calls
us to be faithful.
00:23:24.83\00:23:26.94
Regardless of culture,
00:23:26.97\00:23:28.30
regardless of where you're born,
00:23:28.34\00:23:29.67
regardless of
what everybody says,
00:23:29.70\00:23:31.04
this is what we do here.
00:23:31.07\00:23:32.41
Just as been said already here,
00:23:32.44\00:23:33.78
go back, you know,
00:23:33.81\00:23:35.14
please go back
to the Word of God.
00:23:35.18\00:23:36.51
Just go right back,
00:23:36.54\00:23:37.88
wherever you're at
in the world and said,
00:23:37.91\00:23:39.25
"What does God say on this?"
00:23:39.28\00:23:41.48
You may be going
against your family.
00:23:41.52\00:23:44.39
May be good friends,
and so on and so forth.
00:23:44.42\00:23:46.79
But it's all right,
you have God on your side.
00:23:46.82\00:23:48.62
And if you follow
00:23:48.66\00:23:50.06
what the God's
Word says right here,
00:23:50.09\00:23:51.73
there'll be no
disastrous ending.
00:23:51.76\00:23:53.63
It will be exactly the way
that God intended for it to be
00:23:53.66\00:23:57.13
and a blessing
will come your way
00:23:57.17\00:23:59.13
and not a curse.
00:23:59.17\00:24:01.14
Rely upon God's Word,
00:24:01.17\00:24:02.54
thankful for culture
and difference in people
00:24:02.57\00:24:04.37
but God says, "Follow Me."
00:24:04.41\00:24:06.11
Amen. Amen.
00:24:06.14\00:24:07.48
Thank you so much, Pastor Kenny,
00:24:07.51\00:24:09.24
what a sobering challenge.
00:24:09.28\00:24:10.95
But what a
promise we have as well.
00:24:10.98\00:24:12.88
We're gonna take a break.
00:24:12.91\00:24:14.25
We'll be right back.
00:24:14.28\00:24:15.62
Ever wish you could watch
00:24:20.29\00:24:21.62
a 3ABN Sabbath
School Panel again,
00:24:21.66\00:24:23.76
or share it on
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Well, you can by visiting
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00:24:26.93\00:24:32.00
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00:24:34.37\00:24:36.47
There are also links to
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00:24:36.50\00:24:39.87
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00:24:39.91\00:24:41.68
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Welcome back to our study,
00:24:53.09\00:24:54.42
A Families of Faith
00:24:54.46\00:24:55.79
and we'll pick
it up for, Shelley,
00:24:55.82\00:24:57.16
you have Tuesday's lesson.
00:24:57.19\00:24:58.53
I do.
00:24:58.56\00:24:59.89
And it's called
Sustaining Families
00:24:59.93\00:25:01.26
through the Seasons of Change.
00:25:01.30\00:25:04.13
So what we want to
look at, first of all,
00:25:04.17\00:25:06.94
there's only one thing
that's constant in life
00:25:06.97\00:25:09.47
and that is change.
00:25:09.50\00:25:10.84
It is inevitable.
00:25:10.87\00:25:12.21
It is inescapable.
00:25:12.24\00:25:14.44
Sometimes change comes.
00:25:14.48\00:25:17.31
And it is kind of
a predictable passage
00:25:17.35\00:25:21.75
through life cycles.
00:25:21.78\00:25:23.35
Maybe you've
had a career change,
00:25:23.39\00:25:25.49
maybe you've had,
your kids have grown up,
00:25:25.52\00:25:27.96
and they've gone to
college or gone and moved out.
00:25:27.99\00:25:31.23
You've got an empty nest,
00:25:31.26\00:25:32.89
maybe you're
going through a move
00:25:32.93\00:25:36.20
or perhaps aging and death.
00:25:36.23\00:25:40.64
These are predictable,
00:25:40.67\00:25:42.00
but sometimes
change is unpredictable.
00:25:42.04\00:25:44.97
You have a sudden onset
of a life threatening illness
00:25:45.01\00:25:49.94
or an accident,
00:25:49.98\00:25:51.41
or there's a war
or there's a disaster,
00:25:51.45\00:25:55.68
you've got a flood or a tornado,
00:25:55.72\00:25:57.85
and boy, when these
kinds of things happen,
00:25:57.89\00:26:00.82
they can knock us off balance.
00:26:00.86\00:26:03.09
It can just absolutely,
00:26:03.12\00:26:04.63
it interrupts the
rhythm of our life
00:26:04.66\00:26:07.36
say a divorce,
00:26:07.40\00:26:08.73
it interrupts the
rhythm of our life.
00:26:08.76\00:26:11.83
And we don't,
we're kind of have,
00:26:11.87\00:26:14.50
you know,
insecurities about the future.
00:26:14.54\00:26:17.27
And Satan takes
advantage of these times.
00:26:17.31\00:26:22.68
He tries to get us
to doubt God's Word.
00:26:22.71\00:26:26.41
And we can become
spiritually strained
00:26:26.45\00:26:32.35
is the word that
I'm going to use.
00:26:32.39\00:26:34.99
So just remember this,
stress and worry kills.
00:26:35.02\00:26:39.03
I mean, all the
medical teams say that nowadays
00:26:39.06\00:26:42.60
all the research.
00:26:42.63\00:26:43.97
Stress and worry is a killer.
00:26:44.00\00:26:46.33
But when you put
your faith in God,
00:26:46.37\00:26:49.27
God's Word can be like
a healing medicine to you.
00:26:49.30\00:26:51.94
Let's look at Matthew 6:25.
00:26:51.97\00:26:54.94
In Matthew 6:25,
00:26:54.98\00:26:57.05
we've Jesus
speaking and He says,
00:26:57.08\00:26:59.88
"I say to you,
00:26:59.91\00:27:01.28
do not worry about your life."
00:27:01.32\00:27:05.45
Then jump down to verse 33.
00:27:05.49\00:27:08.02
He said, instead
of worry, do this,
00:27:08.06\00:27:10.79
"Seek first the kingdom
of God and His righteousness,
00:27:10.83\00:27:15.33
then all of these other things
that you're worried about,
00:27:15.36\00:27:18.17
they're gonna be added to you.
00:27:18.20\00:27:19.53
Therefore do not
worry about tomorrow,
00:27:19.57\00:27:21.24
for tomorrow will
worry about its own things.
00:27:21.27\00:27:25.37
Sufficient for the day
is the trouble thereof."
00:27:25.41\00:27:30.21
So just remember this,
00:27:30.25\00:27:32.55
your circumstances
are not too much for God.
00:27:32.58\00:27:36.02
That's right.
Don't worry, He's...
00:27:36.05\00:27:37.92
You know, He's got a plan
00:27:37.95\00:27:40.49
and depending on
the way you change,
00:27:40.52\00:27:45.16
excuse me, depending
on the way you handle
00:27:45.19\00:27:48.33
or face your challenge,
00:27:48.36\00:27:50.60
you can either
handle it without God,
00:27:50.63\00:27:53.57
and the experiences will
lead to stress and anxiety
00:27:53.60\00:27:57.61
or if you're
handling it with God,
00:27:57.64\00:28:01.01
you can grow in
your spiritual life.
00:28:01.04\00:28:05.21
Just remember His faithfulness
00:28:05.25\00:28:07.68
and you won't be overwhelmed by
00:28:07.72\00:28:10.32
and
incapacitated by your emotions.
00:28:10.35\00:28:13.29
So we've studied this
scripture several times,
00:28:13.32\00:28:16.59
Proverbs 3:5-6.
00:28:16.62\00:28:18.26
That's right.
00:28:18.29\00:28:19.63
What does it say?
Trust in the Lord.
00:28:19.66\00:28:21.30
"Trust in the Lord
with all your heart,
00:28:21.33\00:28:24.10
lean not on your
own understanding."
00:28:24.13\00:28:26.07
Well, if you're not gonna
lean on your understanding,
00:28:26.10\00:28:28.27
whose are you going to lean on?
00:28:28.30\00:28:30.54
You're gonna lean on
what the Word of God says.
00:28:30.57\00:28:33.71
This gives us an
understanding of God's mind,
00:28:33.74\00:28:37.88
of His love, of His attitude.
00:28:37.91\00:28:40.62
So we have to remember
2 Corinthians 1:20 says,
00:28:40.65\00:28:43.25
"All of God's promises are
Yes and Amen in Jesus Christ."
00:28:43.28\00:28:47.39
And when you come
to Him and lean on Him,
00:28:47.42\00:28:49.92
you can hold on to Isaiah 26:3,
00:28:49.96\00:28:54.53
"That if you keep your
mind focused on trusting in Him,
00:28:54.56\00:28:59.40
He will give you perfect peace."
00:28:59.43\00:29:02.50
That's right.
00:29:02.54\00:29:04.07
So in the face of difficulty,
bereavement or sorrow,
00:29:04.11\00:29:08.94
just listen for
the Savior's voice,
00:29:08.98\00:29:11.95
saying, "Let not
your hearts be troubled,
00:29:11.98\00:29:15.02
come to Jesus."
00:29:15.05\00:29:17.09
Now our lesson points
to some traumatic changes
00:29:17.12\00:29:21.22
that several
people went through.
00:29:21.26\00:29:22.92
It talks about some
interesting changes.
00:29:22.96\00:29:26.26
I've chosen, we're
gonna look at Abraham,
00:29:26.29\00:29:28.63
from the lesson.
00:29:28.66\00:29:30.10
And let me tell you something,
00:29:30.13\00:29:31.47
whatever sacrifice
God ever asks you to make.
00:29:31.50\00:29:34.90
His promises
will always outweigh
00:29:34.94\00:29:38.44
any sacrifice we make.
00:29:38.47\00:29:39.81
So let's look at Genesis 12:1.
00:29:39.84\00:29:43.51
Abraham, Genesis 12:1,
00:29:43.55\00:29:46.95
the Lord said at this
time, his name was Abram,
00:29:46.98\00:29:50.59
his name had not been changed.
00:29:50.62\00:29:52.32
He said to Abram, "Get out."
00:29:52.35\00:29:54.86
Actually, that's just
one word in the Hebrew,
00:29:54.89\00:29:57.43
Go, Go
00:29:57.46\00:29:59.43
and blessing is on the go.
00:29:59.46\00:30:01.60
"So go out of your country,
00:30:01.63\00:30:04.43
from your family,
from your father's house,
00:30:04.47\00:30:06.80
to a land I will show you."
00:30:06.84\00:30:08.17
So it's a one verb command,
00:30:08.20\00:30:10.41
go.
00:30:10.44\00:30:12.67
And there's four aspects to it,
00:30:12.71\00:30:14.78
you're going out from your land,
00:30:14.81\00:30:16.14
your relatives,
your father's house,
00:30:16.18\00:30:17.71
to a land chosen by God.
00:30:17.75\00:30:19.51
And, you know, in
Hebrews Chapter 11,
00:30:19.55\00:30:21.62
the faith chapter,
00:30:21.65\00:30:22.98
what does it say about Abraham?
00:30:23.02\00:30:24.69
So Abraham was called,
00:30:24.72\00:30:27.49
and he answered that call,
00:30:27.52\00:30:31.53
and it said that he
was, he left, he went out,
00:30:31.56\00:30:35.10
not knowing where he was going.
00:30:35.13\00:30:37.37
Wow, no wonder he's
called the father of the faith.
00:30:37.40\00:30:41.04
Think about that.
00:30:41.07\00:30:42.50
He had no idea where
God even wanted him to go,
00:30:42.54\00:30:44.94
but he knew God was saying go.
00:30:44.97\00:30:48.54
So Abraham's obedience,
let's look at Genesis 12:2.
00:30:48.58\00:30:53.11
They receives a
seven-fold blessing,
00:30:53.15\00:30:57.55
something much
better than his sacrifice.
00:30:57.59\00:31:01.69
Let's look at this.
00:31:01.72\00:31:03.06
God says, "First, I
will make you a great nation.
00:31:03.09\00:31:05.53
Second, I will bless you.
00:31:05.56\00:31:06.96
Third, I'll
make your name great.
00:31:07.00\00:31:08.90
Fourth, you shall be a blessing.
00:31:08.93\00:31:12.10
Fifth, I will bless
those who bless you.
00:31:12.13\00:31:14.57
Sixth, I will curse
those who curse you.
00:31:14.60\00:31:17.41
And then number seven,
which is the greatest of all,
00:31:17.44\00:31:20.41
in you, all the
families of the earth
00:31:20.44\00:31:24.15
shall be blessed."
00:31:24.18\00:31:25.58
What a blessing!
00:31:25.61\00:31:27.52
You know, in Genesis 3:15,
00:31:27.55\00:31:28.95
when God talked about
the seed of the woman,
00:31:28.98\00:31:32.05
guess what?
00:31:32.09\00:31:33.42
God tagged Abraham
00:31:33.46\00:31:35.99
because He knew he
would instruct his family.
00:31:36.02\00:31:38.93
And He said, "Hey,
00:31:38.96\00:31:40.30
the seed is gonna
come through you, dude."
00:31:40.33\00:31:43.60
I mean, how exciting.
00:31:43.63\00:31:45.97
And, you know,
00:31:46.00\00:31:47.34
anytime God asks
us to do something,
00:31:47.37\00:31:49.57
His biddings are His enablings.
00:31:49.60\00:31:52.54
That's right.
00:31:52.57\00:31:54.01
So here's the point
I want to make for you.
00:31:54.04\00:31:57.08
God's covenant
blessings to Abraham are assured
00:31:57.11\00:32:02.92
to the future generations.
00:32:02.95\00:32:05.02
If you are a Christian,
listen what the Bible says.
00:32:05.05\00:32:09.56
Let's turn there.
00:32:09.59\00:32:11.13
Galatians 3:29.
00:32:11.16\00:32:16.20
I just absolutely love this.
00:32:16.23\00:32:19.63
And I'm going to read
it from the Amplified.
00:32:19.67\00:32:23.14
And the Bible says,
00:32:23.17\00:32:24.54
Galatians 3:29,
00:32:24.57\00:32:27.04
"If you belong to Christ,
00:32:27.08\00:32:30.35
if you're in Him,
00:32:30.38\00:32:32.45
who is Abraham's seed," right?
00:32:32.48\00:32:36.05
Then you're Abraham's offspring.
00:32:36.08\00:32:38.35
That's right.
00:32:38.39\00:32:39.72
Woo!
00:32:39.75\00:32:41.09
"And your spiritual heirs
according to the promise."
00:32:41.12\00:32:45.16
That's right. Yes.
00:32:45.19\00:32:46.66
Woo! Amen.
00:32:46.70\00:32:48.30
That gets me so
excited. That's great news.
00:32:48.33\00:32:50.80
I am, you know,
00:32:50.83\00:32:52.97
when the covenant
promises were made,
00:32:53.00\00:32:55.94
God made a
covenant with Abraham.
00:32:55.97\00:32:58.17
He renewed the
covenant with his son, Isaac
00:32:58.21\00:33:00.98
because he says,
"Hey Abraham was obedient,
00:33:01.01\00:33:03.18
did everything I said,
I'm gonna renew it with you."
00:33:03.21\00:33:05.58
Then He renews the
covenant with Jacob,
00:33:05.61\00:33:08.42
who is also called Israel.
00:33:08.45\00:33:10.12
So you see, God called
00:33:10.15\00:33:12.35
that the God of
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,
00:33:12.39\00:33:15.46
or the God of
Abraham, Isaac, and Israel.
00:33:15.49\00:33:18.96
Guess what?
00:33:18.99\00:33:20.33
He's a God of Shelley Quinn too.
00:33:20.36\00:33:21.76
He's a God of you
if you're in Christ.
00:33:21.80\00:33:24.57
So change brings
inevitable interruptions.
00:33:24.60\00:33:29.20
We can't get around them,
00:33:29.24\00:33:30.87
the rhythm of
our life has changed.
00:33:30.91\00:33:33.07
And sometimes, yes,
00:33:33.11\00:33:34.48
it can bring in unexpected
insecurities and uncertainties.
00:33:34.51\00:33:38.78
But when unusual
circumstances invade our life,
00:33:38.81\00:33:42.65
we've got to
trust God and know that
00:33:42.68\00:33:44.99
He knows what He's doing.
00:33:45.02\00:33:47.66
And we have to stop resisting
00:33:47.69\00:33:50.59
when needs interruptions change.
00:33:50.63\00:33:52.36
We need to become like
Abraham and say, "Yes, Lord,
00:33:52.39\00:33:55.40
we're gonna
yield to Your leading
00:33:55.43\00:33:58.20
and look to Him,
walk in obedience,
00:33:58.23\00:34:01.30
and ask the Lord to
give you the same resolve,"
00:34:01.34\00:34:05.81
as Abraham's to surrender
00:34:05.84\00:34:09.14
that yourself to God's plan.
00:34:09.18\00:34:12.11
You know,
00:34:12.15\00:34:13.48
He uses
interruptions in our life,
00:34:13.52\00:34:16.42
to achieve things
that are so much greater
00:34:16.45\00:34:21.09
than we can ever conceive.
00:34:21.12\00:34:23.16
And who knows what
He has in store for you?
00:34:23.19\00:34:26.66
You don't know
unless you yield it to Him
00:34:26.70\00:34:29.40
seeking His face in prayer,
00:34:29.43\00:34:32.57
and God will sustain your family
00:34:32.60\00:34:34.94
through seasons of change.
00:34:34.97\00:34:36.60
Praise God. Hallelujah.
00:34:36.64\00:34:40.38
Woo! My
goodness, Praise the Lord.
00:34:40.41\00:34:43.58
Well, you know, what I got
to continue on that energy.
00:34:43.61\00:34:45.98
You got to keep
that energy going.
00:34:46.01\00:34:48.12
So my lesson is entitled,
00:34:48.15\00:34:49.48
this is
Wednesday's lessons entitled,
00:34:49.52\00:34:51.75
Toward a First-generation Faith.
00:34:51.79\00:34:53.89
And I have to
say, just considering
00:34:53.92\00:34:55.82
what the rest of
you have said before me
00:34:55.86\00:34:58.76
and set this up perfectly
because this particular lesson
00:34:58.79\00:35:02.26
I can tell you would
kind of step on some toes
00:35:02.30\00:35:05.53
because there's a mentality
and that's not, you know,
00:35:05.57\00:35:09.07
I'm not going into with
that mentality of purposely
00:35:09.10\00:35:11.47
trying to offend someone
00:35:11.51\00:35:12.84
when we never
want to offend anyone.
00:35:12.87\00:35:14.61
But, you know, the
truth of the matter is Jesus
00:35:14.64\00:35:16.24
said that the
gospel sometimes cuts,
00:35:16.28\00:35:18.81
sometimes the truth
needs to be spoken plain.
00:35:18.85\00:35:21.58
And, you know,
this particular lesson
00:35:21.62\00:35:23.65
toward a first-generation faith.
00:35:23.69\00:35:25.65
When I first
read that, I was like,
00:35:25.69\00:35:27.02
where are they going with this?
00:35:27.06\00:35:28.39
And then as I got
into the lesson, I thought,
00:35:28.42\00:35:29.76
oh, wow, this is truth.
00:35:29.79\00:35:32.06
And so what I would like
to do is I wanna jump right
00:35:32.09\00:35:34.00
into the Book of
Joshua Chapter 2,
00:35:34.03\00:35:37.20
this is gonna
kind of set the tone
00:35:37.23\00:35:38.93
for what it is that
we're talking about here,
00:35:38.97\00:35:40.97
Joshua Chapter 2,
00:35:41.00\00:35:42.34
so I'm not gonna read probably
00:35:42.37\00:35:44.41
the entire passage here,
00:35:44.44\00:35:48.01
but beginning with verse 7.
00:35:48.04\00:35:49.91
If you continue to
read verses 7 through 9,
00:35:49.94\00:35:53.21
you will see that it's basically
00:35:53.25\00:35:54.72
explaining that Joshua
had lived all of his days.
00:35:54.75\00:35:57.22
Now he has died and of course,
00:35:57.25\00:35:59.09
under the leadership
and the influence of Joshua,
00:35:59.12\00:36:03.09
he was a spirit-filled man,
00:36:03.12\00:36:04.49
he continued to bring the truth
00:36:04.53\00:36:06.39
and to lead the
children of Israel
00:36:06.43\00:36:08.03
in the ways of the Lord.
00:36:08.06\00:36:10.20
But often as we know,
00:36:10.23\00:36:11.73
sometimes when the patriarch
of the family or the church,
00:36:11.77\00:36:15.20
you know, passes on,
00:36:15.24\00:36:17.24
some changes tend to take place.
00:36:17.27\00:36:18.94
And that's
exactly what we find here
00:36:18.97\00:36:20.64
in Joshua Chapter 2,
00:36:20.68\00:36:22.18
beginning I'm gonna start
reading with verse 10 here.
00:36:22.21\00:36:24.25
Notice what the Bible says.
00:36:24.28\00:36:25.91
It says, "When
all that generation
00:36:25.95\00:36:27.78
had been
gathered to their fathers,
00:36:27.82\00:36:30.75
another
generation arose after them
00:36:30.79\00:36:33.09
who did not know the Lord
00:36:33.12\00:36:35.19
nor the work
00:36:35.22\00:36:36.56
which He had done for Israel."
00:36:36.59\00:36:38.59
Okay. But we're in verse 10.
00:36:38.63\00:36:40.60
What did I say?
Did I say verse 10?
00:36:40.63\00:36:42.73
You're in Judges 2:10.
00:36:42.76\00:36:45.20
Oh, my... Did I say Joshua?
00:36:45.23\00:36:47.60
Oh, I so apologize.
00:36:47.64\00:36:48.97
No, I made that, I
kept the note wrong,
00:36:49.00\00:36:50.61
I apologize.
00:36:50.64\00:36:51.97
Well, that sometimes
that happens, I guess.
00:36:52.01\00:36:53.98
My fault, I
wanna correct myself,
00:36:54.01\00:36:55.78
Judges Chapter 2.
00:36:55.81\00:36:57.71
We're not in Joshua,
00:36:57.75\00:36:59.08
Judges Chapter 2
starting with verse 10.
00:36:59.11\00:37:01.02
I apologize for that, I
made the wrong note here.
00:37:01.05\00:37:03.72
"When all that generation..."
00:37:03.75\00:37:05.09
Let's read that again,
" When all that generation
00:37:05.12\00:37:06.55
had been
gathered to their fathers,
00:37:06.59\00:37:07.92
another
generation arose after them
00:37:07.96\00:37:09.42
who did not know the Lord
00:37:09.46\00:37:11.66
nor the work which
He had done for Israel.
00:37:11.69\00:37:14.46
Verse 11,
00:37:14.50\00:37:15.83
"Then the
children of Israel did evil
00:37:15.86\00:37:17.53
in the sight of the Lord,
00:37:17.57\00:37:18.90
and served the Baals,
00:37:18.93\00:37:20.64
and they," noticed,
00:37:20.67\00:37:22.00
"forsook the Lord
God of their fathers,
00:37:22.04\00:37:25.04
who had brought them
out of the land of Egypt,
00:37:25.07\00:37:26.81
and they," notice,
"followed other gods
00:37:26.84\00:37:30.18
from among the
gods of the people
00:37:30.21\00:37:31.88
who were all around them."
00:37:31.91\00:37:33.35
Okay?
00:37:33.38\00:37:34.72
And he goes on to say,
"And they bowed down to them,
00:37:34.75\00:37:36.15
and they provoked
the Lord to anger.
00:37:36.18\00:37:37.79
They forsook the
Lord and served Baal
00:37:37.82\00:37:39.39
and the Ashtoreths."
00:37:39.42\00:37:40.76
You see this common theme
through the history of Israel.
00:37:40.79\00:37:43.63
It's almost like
Israel comes to the Lord
00:37:43.66\00:37:45.46
and then they break up with God.
00:37:45.49\00:37:46.83
They come to the Lord
and they break up with God.
00:37:46.86\00:37:48.20
They come to the
Lord, they break up with God
00:37:48.23\00:37:49.70
and there's kind of
this yo-yo effect going on.
00:37:49.73\00:37:52.27
And usually, it's in,
00:37:52.30\00:37:53.64
it's between
periods in times of change
00:37:53.67\00:37:56.07
when leadership
is coming and going,
00:37:56.10\00:37:58.41
during inter periods of change.
00:37:58.44\00:38:00.21
But what struck me
here is that it says
00:38:00.24\00:38:02.71
that they did not,
00:38:02.74\00:38:04.08
there was a generation that came
00:38:04.11\00:38:05.45
that did not know the Lord
00:38:05.48\00:38:06.82
and you have to
ask the question, how?
00:38:06.85\00:38:08.18
Why? Why did that happen?
00:38:08.22\00:38:09.55
And then it says
here in verse 11,
00:38:09.58\00:38:11.49
I believe it is.
00:38:11.52\00:38:12.85
No, verse 12,
00:38:12.89\00:38:14.22
"They followed the gods
00:38:14.26\00:38:15.59
from among the
gods of the people
00:38:15.62\00:38:16.96
who were all around them."
00:38:16.99\00:38:18.33
You wanna talk about culture.
00:38:18.36\00:38:21.00
You know, talking
about the sons of God
00:38:21.03\00:38:22.80
versus the daughters of men,
00:38:22.83\00:38:24.27
you see this,
00:38:24.30\00:38:25.63
this contrasting
throughout the Bible,
00:38:25.67\00:38:28.70
the sons of God had
begin to abandon the faith,
00:38:28.74\00:38:32.31
the original
first generation faith,
00:38:32.34\00:38:34.88
and they begin to turn
to the daughters of men,
00:38:34.91\00:38:36.78
the world,
00:38:36.81\00:38:38.15
that's a
representation of the world,
00:38:38.18\00:38:39.51
and they begin to incorporate
all of the worldly cultures
00:38:39.55\00:38:41.82
and practices.
00:38:41.85\00:38:43.18
And so now over
a period of time,
00:38:43.22\00:38:45.12
change takes place and
it's not a positive change.
00:38:45.15\00:38:47.59
In fact, we often
see this many times
00:38:47.62\00:38:50.13
and I just have to say this
it often happens in churches,
00:38:50.16\00:38:53.16
we see when we
study history of churches.
00:38:53.19\00:38:56.16
For instance,
you can go and study
00:38:56.20\00:38:57.70
all different
kinds of denominations,
00:38:57.73\00:38:59.13
I'm not gonna name any,
00:38:59.17\00:39:00.50
but I'm just, you
could get what I'm saying.
00:39:00.54\00:39:01.97
All these different
wonderful denominations,
00:39:02.00\00:39:04.14
mighty men and women
00:39:04.17\00:39:05.51
who stood up to
proclaim the truth.
00:39:05.54\00:39:06.88
But as you look
throughout the history
00:39:06.91\00:39:08.31
over a period of time,
00:39:08.34\00:39:09.68
several generations down,
00:39:09.71\00:39:11.21
you start to see
a change take place,
00:39:11.25\00:39:14.32
culture comes in,
the times do change,
00:39:14.35\00:39:17.15
but the Lord never changes.
00:39:17.19\00:39:18.59
So we have to
stick to the Word of God.
00:39:18.62\00:39:20.59
Studies of values and
beliefs in organizations
00:39:20.62\00:39:24.49
such as churches
00:39:24.53\00:39:26.13
are transmitted to
subsequent generations
00:39:26.16\00:39:29.30
show that the founders
00:39:29.33\00:39:30.97
have very high
levels of commitment
00:39:31.00\00:39:33.00
to the beliefs.
00:39:33.03\00:39:34.57
They were, notice, the
ones who first championed them,
00:39:34.60\00:39:38.81
within a generation or two,
00:39:38.84\00:39:40.18
many of them lose
sight of the principles
00:39:40.21\00:39:41.84
behind the values.
00:39:41.88\00:39:43.21
Wow.
00:39:43.24\00:39:44.58
They may go along
with the organization.
00:39:44.61\00:39:46.75
But often from habit,
00:39:46.78\00:39:48.95
and subsequent generations
00:39:48.98\00:39:50.32
habits tend to
crystallize into traditions.
00:39:50.35\00:39:54.09
The founder's
passion is no longer present
00:39:54.12\00:39:57.13
and, you know, I
have to just speak
00:39:57.16\00:39:58.66
on behalf of even
00:39:58.69\00:40:00.03
there's a lot of
people even in our own church,
00:40:00.06\00:40:01.50
Seventh-day Adventism that,
00:40:01.53\00:40:03.83
you know, there's many
people that believe in,
00:40:03.87\00:40:05.90
you know,
sticking to the founding
00:40:05.93\00:40:08.47
message of our fathers,
00:40:08.50\00:40:09.84
and we absolutely should.
00:40:09.87\00:40:11.24
But some people
again, come with a spirit of,
00:40:11.27\00:40:13.38
you know, it's
not in a loving way.
00:40:13.41\00:40:15.01
I believe 100%,
00:40:15.04\00:40:16.38
I just want to
say for the record,
00:40:16.41\00:40:17.75
we need to get
back to the message
00:40:17.78\00:40:19.81
that God gave us
00:40:19.85\00:40:21.18
as a Seventh-day
Adventist in the beginning.
00:40:21.22\00:40:23.28
But we also have
to treat this message,
00:40:23.32\00:40:25.95
we have to deliver it with love
00:40:25.99\00:40:28.16
because while
generations have come and gone,
00:40:28.19\00:40:30.53
and as while
things have changed.
00:40:30.56\00:40:33.16
It is the Word of God
and the Holy Spirit alone
00:40:33.19\00:40:35.50
that can change the
hearts of the people.
00:40:35.53\00:40:37.23
We don't have that power.
00:40:37.27\00:40:38.60
We deliver the word
00:40:38.63\00:40:39.97
and we let the
Holy Spirit do its work.
00:40:40.00\00:40:42.30
Everyone must have,
okay, this is important.
00:40:42.34\00:40:45.17
Everyone must have a personal
experience with the Lord.
00:40:45.21\00:40:48.14
Amen.
00:40:48.18\00:40:49.51
Everyone must have their own
00:40:49.54\00:40:51.38
daily personal
relationship with God.
00:40:51.41\00:40:54.08
And I'm kind of feet you
know, kind of turn this now,
00:40:54.12\00:40:57.05
in the fact that now that we see
00:40:57.09\00:40:58.62
that these newer generations
have taken on a change,
00:40:58.65\00:41:02.26
as many of them are
still in the church,
00:41:02.29\00:41:04.26
many of them are still
going through the motions,
00:41:04.29\00:41:06.66
they're still going
through all of the...
00:41:06.70\00:41:09.33
I guess you could say the
rules and the ways of life
00:41:09.36\00:41:12.23
that these previous
generations have set in place,
00:41:12.27\00:41:15.40
but their heart and
their minds not in it,
00:41:15.44\00:41:16.81
they're just going
through the motions.
00:41:16.84\00:41:18.41
We need to preach a
gospel that tells people that,
00:41:18.44\00:41:20.54
you know what?
00:41:20.58\00:41:21.91
My experience is
not your experience.
00:41:21.94\00:41:23.38
You can't live for the Lord
00:41:23.41\00:41:25.21
through how I have
lived for the Lord,
00:41:25.25\00:41:26.72
you need to have your
own personal experience
00:41:26.75\00:41:28.88
according to the
principles of God's Word.
00:41:28.92\00:41:30.99
Just want to give
you a few texts here,
00:41:31.02\00:41:32.75
John 1:12-13.
00:41:32.79\00:41:35.22
Notice what the Bible says,
00:41:35.26\00:41:36.89
"But as many as received Him,
00:41:36.93\00:41:39.33
to them He gave the
right to become," notice,
00:41:39.36\00:41:42.16
"children of
God," but how is that?
00:41:42.20\00:41:45.07
"To those who
believe in his name,
00:41:45.10\00:41:47.44
who were born,"
notice "not of blood,
00:41:47.47\00:41:51.37
nor of the will of the flesh,
00:41:51.41\00:41:53.04
nor of the will of man,"
00:41:53.07\00:41:54.64
there's that, "but of God."
00:41:54.68\00:41:57.35
So you have to be born of God
00:41:57.38\00:41:59.55
in order to
have this experience,
00:41:59.58\00:42:01.05
in order to stick to
that first generation faith,
00:42:01.08\00:42:04.62
of course, that's
founded on scripture.
00:42:04.65\00:42:06.52
John 3:7,
00:42:06.55\00:42:08.06
Jesus says to Nicodemus,
00:42:08.09\00:42:09.46
"Do not marvel
that I say to you,
00:42:09.49\00:42:10.96
'You must be born again.'"
00:42:10.99\00:42:13.09
Christ says, everyone
has to have their experience.
00:42:13.13\00:42:15.36
I can't be saved
based off the experience
00:42:15.40\00:42:17.53
that Shelley has had.
00:42:17.57\00:42:19.03
She can share the Lord with
me but at the end of the day,
00:42:19.07\00:42:21.17
I have to take those principles,
00:42:21.20\00:42:22.67
I have to take that
life changing truth,
00:42:22.70\00:42:24.54
I have to allow the Lord
00:42:24.57\00:42:25.91
to speak it into
my heart and life,
00:42:25.94\00:42:27.54
and I have to
have a daily personal
00:42:27.58\00:42:28.91
relationship with Him.
00:42:28.94\00:42:30.28
And it may not be the same
00:42:30.31\00:42:31.65
exact experience
that Shelley has had,
00:42:31.68\00:42:33.11
or that Kenny has had.
00:42:33.15\00:42:35.12
1 John 5:1,
00:42:35.15\00:42:36.95
"Whoever believes that Jesus
is the Christ is born of God,
00:42:36.99\00:42:40.16
and everyone who loves
Him who begot also loves him
00:42:40.19\00:42:44.16
who is begotten of Him."
00:42:44.19\00:42:46.49
So one must be born
again to be a child of God.
00:42:46.53\00:42:48.50
We just want to
establish that very clearly.
00:42:48.53\00:42:50.47
One must have a personal
transformative experience
00:42:50.50\00:42:53.44
with God daily.
00:42:53.47\00:42:54.94
And I just want to
emphasize that daily
00:42:54.97\00:42:56.40
because salvation
is not a onetime thing,
00:42:56.44\00:42:58.64
it's not a prayer or
moment where, you know,
00:42:58.67\00:43:00.54
as just as I'm is
playing in the background,
00:43:00.58\00:43:02.38
you walk down out
now and you say a prayer
00:43:02.41\00:43:04.41
and, you know, so
you've been told that now
00:43:04.45\00:43:06.21
you have gotten saved,
00:43:06.25\00:43:08.02
that you may be
saved in that moment
00:43:08.05\00:43:09.58
and maybe in a
saving relationship.
00:43:09.62\00:43:11.65
You have to continue
that daily, my friends.
00:43:11.69\00:43:13.76
It has to be a daily
moment by moment thing.
00:43:13.79\00:43:16.59
There are three
common reasons I believe
00:43:16.62\00:43:19.09
why future
generations abandon the faith.
00:43:19.13\00:43:20.70
And I want to go
through this very, very quickly.
00:43:20.73\00:43:23.67
The elders, the
parents, the family,
00:43:23.70\00:43:26.23
simply tell the children
what they should believe.
00:43:26.27\00:43:29.57
Proverbs 22:6,
00:43:29.60\00:43:31.24
we've read this many times,
00:43:31.27\00:43:32.61
"Train up a child in the
way that he or they should go,
00:43:32.64\00:43:35.68
and when he is old,
00:43:35.71\00:43:37.05
he will not depart from it."
00:43:37.08\00:43:38.41
Now notice the word it
says, "Train up a child,"
00:43:38.45\00:43:40.28
doesn't say necessarily go tell,
00:43:40.32\00:43:41.82
you can train someone
00:43:41.85\00:43:43.18
but a good trainer is not just
00:43:43.22\00:43:44.55
going to tell you
how to do the job,
00:43:44.59\00:43:45.92
they're gonna show it.
00:43:45.95\00:43:47.29
They're gonna be that example.
00:43:47.32\00:43:48.66
My dad was a pro...
00:43:48.69\00:43:50.03
He's a professional
welder, and you know,
00:43:50.06\00:43:51.76
and when he's
teaching someone to weld,
00:43:51.79\00:43:53.53
he's not gonna just
tell you how to do it,
00:43:53.56\00:43:54.90
he's going to
show you how to do it
00:43:54.93\00:43:56.26
when he's
training someone to weld.
00:43:56.30\00:43:58.07
Number two, belonging to
a church with rich history
00:43:58.10\00:44:00.84
and a rich religious dogma.
00:44:00.87\00:44:02.84
In other words, I've been
in the church all my life.
00:44:02.87\00:44:04.54
This is the church my
grandparents grew up in,
00:44:04.57\00:44:06.57
my great
grandparents, my mom, my dad,
00:44:06.61\00:44:08.44
and so I'm a
member of this church,
00:44:08.48\00:44:09.81
therefore I must be saved.
00:44:09.84\00:44:11.21
Not necessarily.
00:44:11.25\00:44:12.85
You have to have a
personal relationship.
00:44:12.88\00:44:14.35
John 3:9-10,
00:44:14.38\00:44:16.32
"Nicodemus
answered and said to Him,
00:44:16.35\00:44:18.12
'How can these things be?'
00:44:18.15\00:44:19.49
And Jesus said to him, 'Look,
00:44:19.52\00:44:20.86
are you not a teacher of Israel,
00:44:20.89\00:44:22.22
do not know these things.'
00:44:22.26\00:44:23.59
" He was in the church,
00:44:23.63\00:44:24.96
He had the experience
00:44:24.99\00:44:26.33
and was going
through the motions,
00:44:26.36\00:44:27.70
but He did not have an
experience for himself.
00:44:27.73\00:44:29.36
And lastly, number three,
00:44:29.40\00:44:30.77
the children
simply don't see a change
00:44:30.80\00:44:32.53
in parents and family,
00:44:32.57\00:44:34.07
therefore they
struggle believing.
00:44:34.10\00:44:35.77
Ephesians 6:4,
00:44:35.80\00:44:37.64
"And fathers, do not
provoke your children to anger
00:44:37.67\00:44:39.71
but bring them up in discipline
00:44:39.74\00:44:41.58
and instruction of the Lord."
00:44:41.61\00:44:43.71
Find Jesus Christ
yourself in the Word
00:44:43.75\00:44:47.42
and let Him transform
you personally day by day.
00:44:47.45\00:44:50.82
Amen.
00:44:50.85\00:44:52.85
I always love
this Thursday's spot
00:44:52.89\00:44:54.32
'cause I'm just
like, I'm like the guy
00:44:54.36\00:44:56.39
that's cleaning the
table after you finish eating.
00:44:56.42\00:44:59.09
Lot of crumbs you
left that are really good.
00:44:59.13\00:45:01.03
Mine is Thursday,
00:45:01.06\00:45:03.53
June 13, 21st century runners.
00:45:03.57\00:45:09.14
And I like the fact
that it's 21st century
00:45:09.17\00:45:10.84
because there's
an illusion there
00:45:10.87\00:45:12.37
that I'm gonna not ignore.
00:45:12.41\00:45:14.71
Now the lesson, I
believe, on Thursday talks about
00:45:14.74\00:45:18.38
how the gospel
ought to affect you.
00:45:18.41\00:45:22.88
It ought not just be something
you receive intellectually,
00:45:22.92\00:45:25.45
it ought to transform you.
00:45:25.49\00:45:27.09
Amen. That's right.
00:45:27.12\00:45:28.46
Not inform you.
00:45:28.49\00:45:29.82
There's so many people,
00:45:29.86\00:45:31.19
I think, Pastor C.A
many years ago says,
00:45:31.23\00:45:32.56
we have too many convicts
00:45:32.59\00:45:33.93
they're
convicted of the message,
00:45:33.96\00:45:35.30
but not enough converts.
00:45:35.33\00:45:37.70
Thank you Pastor C.A,
if you're listening...
00:45:37.73\00:45:39.87
I appreciate that.
00:45:39.90\00:45:41.24
We're convicted, so
we joined the church
00:45:41.27\00:45:42.60
out of conviction
00:45:42.64\00:45:43.97
but no conversion.
00:45:44.01\00:45:45.34
There must be conversion,
00:45:45.37\00:45:46.71
the message ought to affect you.
00:45:46.74\00:45:48.08
But I want to start
by talking about this.
00:45:48.11\00:45:50.35
And I heard each
one of you say this.
00:45:50.38\00:45:52.91
Jesus never changes.
00:45:52.95\00:45:54.48
Can we get an amen? Amen.
00:45:54.52\00:45:55.85
Oh, yeah, come on.
00:45:55.88\00:45:57.22
The message never changes.
00:45:57.25\00:45:59.39
Let me throw a cog in the wheel.
00:45:59.42\00:46:02.26
Methods do change. It's good.
00:46:02.29\00:46:05.16
To preach a 21st century message
00:46:05.19\00:46:08.73
with 17th century
methods is ineffective
00:46:08.76\00:46:12.93
and the perfect
example for failure.
00:46:12.97\00:46:16.10
Yeah, it's true.
True, brother, absolutely.
00:46:16.14\00:46:17.91
Jesus never changes.
00:46:17.94\00:46:19.94
The message never changes
because it's from Christ,
00:46:19.97\00:46:22.88
but methods do change.
00:46:22.91\00:46:24.88
And let me give you
a couple of examples
00:46:24.91\00:46:26.28
where when the
message change, what happens.
00:46:26.31\00:46:28.28
Look at Mark 7:7,
00:46:28.32\00:46:29.92
this is what happens
when the message changes.
00:46:29.95\00:46:32.22
Mark 7:7, the Bible says,
00:46:32.25\00:46:35.69
"And in vain they worship Me,
00:46:35.72\00:46:37.53
teaching as doctrines
the commandments of men."
00:46:37.56\00:46:40.80
When you change the message
00:46:40.83\00:46:42.26
and Jesus said this to those
00:46:42.30\00:46:43.63
who should have had a clear
understanding of the message.
00:46:43.67\00:46:47.20
The message didn't change
because Jesus didn't change.
00:46:47.24\00:46:50.71
It's from Him.
00:46:50.74\00:46:52.14
Also, we go back
into the Old Testament,
00:46:52.17\00:46:54.71
when the children of Israel
were advancing toward Canaan,
00:46:54.74\00:46:57.71
and Moses was no
longer in the mix,
00:46:57.75\00:46:59.85
and Joshua said to them,
00:46:59.88\00:47:01.25
"Look what
happens when you refuse
00:47:01.28\00:47:03.05
to abandon tradition."
00:47:03.08\00:47:05.65
Joshua 24:15,
00:47:05.69\00:47:07.59
when they refused
to abandon tradition.
00:47:07.62\00:47:10.16
Joshua 24:15,
00:47:10.19\00:47:11.53
"And if it seems evil
to you to serve the Lord,
00:47:11.56\00:47:13.86
choose for yourselves this day
00:47:13.90\00:47:15.26
whom you will serve,"
00:47:15.30\00:47:16.93
look at the traditional aspects,
00:47:16.97\00:47:18.43
"whether the gods
which your fathers served
00:47:18.47\00:47:20.40
that were on the
other side of the river."
00:47:20.44\00:47:24.21
We're not back there anymore.
00:47:24.24\00:47:25.97
We don't drive buggies,
00:47:26.01\00:47:27.34
we don't drive horse carts,
00:47:27.38\00:47:29.11
we don't dress the same way,
00:47:29.14\00:47:30.61
we don't use
the same technology.
00:47:30.65\00:47:32.35
We have words that
didn't exist 15 years ago,
00:47:32.38\00:47:34.98
like Bluetooth and eardrop
00:47:35.02\00:47:37.52
and, you know, all
these type of thing.
00:47:37.55\00:47:38.99
And if we refuse
to use those methods
00:47:39.02\00:47:41.62
to catch this
method driven generation,
00:47:41.66\00:47:44.13
the gospel loses its connection.
00:47:44.16\00:47:47.06
Methods do change
and that's why he says,
00:47:47.10\00:47:49.80
don't go back to the old gods,
00:47:49.83\00:47:52.37
or the gods of the Amorites,
00:47:52.40\00:47:53.87
in whose land you dwell.
00:47:53.90\00:47:55.27
Don't let the gods
in whose land you dwell
00:47:55.30\00:47:56.81
also affect you to
change your message.
00:47:56.84\00:47:58.97
"But as for me and my house,"
00:47:59.01\00:48:00.34
he said,
00:48:00.38\00:48:01.98
"we will serve the Lord."
00:48:02.01\00:48:03.38
So you got to choose every
day, the God you're gonna serve,
00:48:03.41\00:48:06.08
the message
you're gonna proclaim.
00:48:06.11\00:48:08.08
But be wise about your methods
00:48:08.12\00:48:10.35
because the gospel ought
to have a different method
00:48:10.39\00:48:13.32
in an age
00:48:13.36\00:48:14.96
that is continually evolving.
00:48:14.99\00:48:16.93
But Jesus made it
very clear Hebrews 13:8,
00:48:16.96\00:48:19.09
"Jesus Christ is
the same yesterday,
00:48:19.13\00:48:20.80
today and forever."
00:48:20.83\00:48:22.63
He never changes.
00:48:22.66\00:48:24.00
But once again, I don't
want to sound redundant,
00:48:24.03\00:48:25.50
but make sure your
methods are not archaic
00:48:25.53\00:48:29.30
to a very
contemporary generation.
00:48:29.34\00:48:31.54
When you cannot build a bridge
00:48:31.57\00:48:32.91
between where you the
message you want to deliver
00:48:32.94\00:48:35.14
and I believe,
00:48:35.18\00:48:36.51
and this is something
that I've been focused
00:48:36.54\00:48:37.88
on quite a bit lately.
00:48:37.91\00:48:39.25
Market your message
00:48:39.28\00:48:40.62
because if you don't
focus on marketing your message,
00:48:40.65\00:48:42.25
you can have
the best cheesecake,
00:48:42.28\00:48:44.99
but nobody even
knows what it tastes like.
00:48:45.02\00:48:47.72
You know what I'm saying?
00:48:47.76\00:48:49.09
You could have the
best dark chocolate,
00:48:49.12\00:48:50.93
but nobody ever got a piece
00:48:50.96\00:48:52.59
because you don't know
how to get it to market.
00:48:52.63\00:48:55.00
The biggest cog in the wheel,
00:48:55.03\00:48:58.87
as one person once said,
00:48:58.90\00:49:00.30
and I heard
this and I don't know
00:49:00.34\00:49:01.90
if it was on the program or not
00:49:01.94\00:49:03.27
but he says, the message we have
00:49:03.30\00:49:05.64
one doctor said
this to an Adventist.
00:49:05.67\00:49:08.54
Actually one Muslim
said this to an Adventist.
00:49:08.58\00:49:10.65
He said, "Your message is
like a well oiled Porsche.
00:49:10.68\00:49:15.28
You're just driving
it at five miles an hour,
00:49:15.32\00:49:17.69
you're clogging traffic."
00:49:17.72\00:49:19.35
If you drive
that vehicle the way
00:49:19.39\00:49:21.09
it intended to be driven,
00:49:21.12\00:49:22.46
we will be following you.
00:49:22.49\00:49:23.83
Oh, yes. Wow!
00:49:23.86\00:49:25.19
It's powerful.
00:49:25.23\00:49:26.56
Methods must be studied
to carry a powerful message
00:49:26.59\00:49:30.00
to a generation
that needs to hear it.
00:49:30.03\00:49:31.93
So the gospel does
make a difference with us.
00:49:31.97\00:49:33.60
Look at some of the ways
the gospel makes a difference.
00:49:33.64\00:49:35.97
Matthew 28:5-7,
00:49:36.00\00:49:38.37
we are told to go
quickly and share the message.
00:49:38.41\00:49:40.84
When you have
found an effective way
00:49:40.88\00:49:42.51
to communicate the message,
00:49:42.54\00:49:43.88
it ought to
affect you and I believe
00:49:43.91\00:49:46.31
you can never get anyone
ready for the fire that's coming
00:49:46.35\00:49:49.08
unless there's
fire down in your soul.
00:49:49.12\00:49:50.85
There you go.
00:49:50.89\00:49:52.22
Please look at
Shelley Quinn today.
00:49:52.25\00:49:53.59
Something happened to her.
00:49:53.62\00:49:54.96
I don't know what it
was but she is fired up.
00:49:54.99\00:49:56.32
We all were but
Shelley was in a mode.
00:49:56.36\00:49:58.49
She was on fire.
00:49:58.53\00:50:00.20
The gospel has to make
a difference in your life.
00:50:00.23\00:50:01.96
Matthew 28:5-7,
00:50:02.00\00:50:03.60
"But the angel
answered and said to the women,
00:50:03.63\00:50:05.93
'Do not be afraid, for I know
00:50:05.97\00:50:07.77
that you're seeking
Jesus who was crucified.'
00:50:07.80\00:50:10.24
" That's the old message.
00:50:10.27\00:50:11.61
"He is not here,"
00:50:11.64\00:50:12.97
that's the new
message, "for He is risen."
00:50:13.01\00:50:15.58
As He said, "Come,
00:50:15.61\00:50:16.95
see the place
where the Lord lay."
00:50:16.98\00:50:19.41
And then He says,
00:50:19.45\00:50:20.78
when you get
this good new message,
00:50:20.82\00:50:22.55
what do you do with it?
00:50:22.58\00:50:23.92
"And go quickly
and tell His disciples
00:50:23.95\00:50:26.12
that He is risen from the dead,
00:50:26.15\00:50:28.12
and indeed He is going
before you into Galilee,
00:50:28.16\00:50:30.39
there you will see Him.
00:50:30.43\00:50:31.76
Behold, I have told you."
00:50:31.79\00:50:33.13
Even when the four leper's men
were in the siege of Samaria.
00:50:33.16\00:50:37.20
They said, we're sitting here
if we go back, we're gonna die.
00:50:37.23\00:50:40.07
If we go on the
city, we may die.
00:50:40.10\00:50:41.57
If we city, we
surely aren't gonna die.
00:50:41.60\00:50:44.81
So let's do something.
00:50:44.84\00:50:46.51
So they moved forward.
00:50:46.54\00:50:48.11
You know, when you
move forward in faith,
00:50:48.14\00:50:49.94
God can do amazing things.
00:50:49.98\00:50:51.91
What's the phrase?
00:50:51.95\00:50:53.28
The blessings on the go.
00:50:53.31\00:50:55.08
Go forward, so they go forward
00:50:55.12\00:50:56.45
and Lord creates a digital army.
00:50:56.48\00:51:00.92
That's right.
00:51:00.96\00:51:02.29
And the people
here what doesn't exist,
00:51:02.32\00:51:03.79
the Lord had sound
effects, some serious subwoofers
00:51:03.83\00:51:06.19
because it shook the
core of the Syrian army.
00:51:06.23\00:51:10.93
They left food, clothing,
00:51:10.97\00:51:13.37
they left their BMWs everything,
00:51:13.40\00:51:15.60
they just ran for their lives.
00:51:15.64\00:51:17.27
And these four
lepers men come into camp
00:51:17.31\00:51:19.11
and they have all the food
they need lunch after lunch,
00:51:19.14\00:51:21.64
clothing after clothing,
they go in and out of tents,
00:51:21.68\00:51:23.81
they start hiding stuff
00:51:23.85\00:51:25.51
and one of them
says, this is not right.
00:51:25.55\00:51:27.32
This is a day of good
news and we hold our peace.
00:51:30.35\00:51:33.36
The gospel ought to affect you.
00:51:33.39\00:51:35.02
If the news is good for
you, you cannot hold your peace.
00:51:35.06\00:51:38.69
Let us go tell
the king's household.
00:51:38.73\00:51:40.46
If the gospel
hasn't changed you,
00:51:40.50\00:51:42.30
it is of no value to
be an intellectual assent.
00:51:42.33\00:51:44.83
You don't check marks and say,
well, that doctrine is good,
00:51:44.87\00:51:48.27
that doctrine is true,
that doctrine is irrefutable.
00:51:48.30\00:51:51.24
And so many
people join the church
00:51:51.27\00:51:52.87
because the
message is irrefutable.
00:51:52.91\00:51:55.44
But it hasn't
transformed their lives.
00:51:55.48\00:51:57.61
Ask yourself the question.
00:51:57.65\00:51:58.98
How many times have
people been baptized
00:51:59.01\00:52:00.68
with the pre question?
00:52:00.72\00:52:02.05
What do you repenting off?
00:52:02.08\00:52:05.65
That is the message, clear?
00:52:05.69\00:52:07.52
But are you
repenting of anything?
00:52:07.56\00:52:09.16
The message to the New
Testament Church was repent
00:52:09.19\00:52:11.23
and be baptized,
00:52:11.26\00:52:12.69
that your sins
may be blotted out
00:52:12.73\00:52:14.46
not that you'll first
receive new doctrines,
00:52:14.50\00:52:17.13
and so many people
are doctrinally convicted,
00:52:17.17\00:52:20.00
but they are
morally not converted.
00:52:20.04\00:52:22.87
So we come in with
this intellectual assent
00:52:22.90\00:52:24.87
and then when tribulation comes,
00:52:24.91\00:52:27.08
they don't endure.
00:52:27.11\00:52:28.94
They offended and the
word later on offends them
00:52:28.98\00:52:31.88
and they walk away
00:52:31.91\00:52:33.25
because all of a
sudden they realize,
00:52:33.28\00:52:34.92
I came into the
church, into a new message,
00:52:34.95\00:52:38.29
but I brought an old person in.
00:52:38.32\00:52:41.09
And that's the
whole thing about the wine
00:52:41.12\00:52:42.59
and the wineskins.
00:52:42.62\00:52:43.96
Wineskins will never change
00:52:43.99\00:52:45.69
and when you pour new
wine into that old wineskin
00:52:45.73\00:52:47.86
where there is no
conviction and no change,
00:52:47.90\00:52:50.13
it's just a matter of time
00:52:50.17\00:52:51.50
before the wines can burst,
they can't hold it any longer.
00:52:51.53\00:52:54.57
So they go back where
the wine was favorable
00:52:54.60\00:52:57.11
in the old wineskin
00:52:57.14\00:52:58.47
back to an old
fermented message.
00:52:58.51\00:52:59.97
Yeah.
00:53:00.01\00:53:01.34
It ought to change your life.
00:53:01.38\00:53:02.71
The other one is, I
think, Jill brought this out.
00:53:02.74\00:53:06.01
Do not be ashamed of the gospel.
00:53:06.05\00:53:08.45
Romans 1:16 said, Paul said,
00:53:08.48\00:53:10.39
"I am not
ashamed of the gospel."
00:53:10.42\00:53:12.95
Don't ever
apologize for the gospel.
00:53:12.99\00:53:15.52
I don't know how many years ago,
00:53:15.56\00:53:16.89
it's maybe about
five years ago or so,
00:53:16.93\00:53:18.26
I said to my wife,
00:53:18.29\00:53:19.63
I am no longer
preaching for popularity.
00:53:19.66\00:53:21.90
I put that on the back shelf.
00:53:21.93\00:53:23.67
I'm preaching for faithfulness.
00:53:23.70\00:53:25.67
I don't want to hear,
00:53:25.70\00:53:27.04
"Well done, thou good
and popular preacher."
00:53:27.07\00:53:28.90
I want to hear, "Well
done, thou good and faithful."
00:53:28.94\00:53:30.97
See, I don't want popularity.
00:53:31.01\00:53:33.01
I may never get a trophy
00:53:33.04\00:53:34.74
or never get an honorary degree,
00:53:34.78\00:53:36.71
I want to get a crown.
00:53:36.75\00:53:38.08
Amen.
00:53:38.11\00:53:39.45
So we have to make
sure that we are faithful
00:53:39.48\00:53:40.82
and not ashamed of the gospel.
00:53:40.85\00:53:42.52
Because what
we're not ashamed of,
00:53:42.55\00:53:44.65
we will live in an honorable way
00:53:44.69\00:53:46.99
in harmony with it.
00:53:47.02\00:53:48.36
The other one,
00:53:48.39\00:53:49.72
this is
something we must never use
00:53:49.76\00:53:51.09
in this evolving generation.
00:53:51.13\00:53:52.76
Who said this,
00:53:52.79\00:53:54.13
keep the main
thing the main thing.
00:53:54.16\00:53:55.50
Amen. That's good.
00:53:55.53\00:53:56.87
For I determined not
to know anything among you
00:53:56.90\00:53:59.43
except Jesus
Christ and Him crucified.
00:53:59.47\00:54:02.00
Revelation, this
is 1 Corinthians 2:2,
00:54:02.04\00:54:04.27
the main focus of
the message is Jesus.
00:54:04.31\00:54:07.91
If it's
revelation, if it's the beast,
00:54:07.94\00:54:09.44
if it's diet, if it's dress,
00:54:09.48\00:54:11.18
whatever it is,
00:54:11.21\00:54:12.55
if Jesus is not in it,
00:54:12.58\00:54:13.92
it's just an
intellectual exercise.
00:54:13.95\00:54:16.22
You can convict somebody,
but they'll never be converted
00:54:16.25\00:54:19.39
because the power of conversion
comes only through Christ.
00:54:19.42\00:54:22.16
That's right.
00:54:22.19\00:54:23.53
And finally, I had
about four points, Jill,
00:54:23.56\00:54:25.49
I'm not gonna get to that one.
00:54:25.53\00:54:27.13
Surely, this is
for another lesson,
00:54:27.16\00:54:28.70
you find it yourself.
00:54:28.73\00:54:30.07
But the gospel
affected the church in this way.
00:54:30.10\00:54:32.07
They went from house to house.
00:54:32.10\00:54:33.57
That's right. Oh, that's good.
00:54:33.60\00:54:34.94
They didn't just
keep themselves private.
00:54:34.97\00:54:36.81
They went from house to house.
00:54:36.84\00:54:38.64
They prayed
together in their homes
00:54:38.67\00:54:40.81
and broke bread
together in their homes.
00:54:40.84\00:54:43.28
They share their possessions,
00:54:43.31\00:54:44.68
nobody said this
belongs to me alone.
00:54:44.71\00:54:46.68
They took care of
the needs of the members
00:54:46.72\00:54:48.68
and then the result
was entire households
00:54:48.72\00:54:51.45
embraced the
messages and was converted.
00:54:51.49\00:54:54.02
If the message
does nothing for you,
00:54:54.06\00:54:56.12
you're a convict.
00:54:56.16\00:54:57.76
If it changes
you, you're a convert.
00:54:57.79\00:54:59.89
Amen.
00:54:59.93\00:55:01.33
Thank you so much, Pastor John,
00:55:01.36\00:55:03.23
and each one of
you on the panel.
00:55:03.26\00:55:04.83
I need your notes, Pastor.
00:55:04.87\00:55:06.33
I love that, what a
powerful study message
00:55:06.37\00:55:10.61
combined with method.
00:55:10.64\00:55:12.17
Wow! Praise the Lord.
00:55:12.21\00:55:13.84
I've been so
blessed in just hearing
00:55:13.88\00:55:15.61
what God has for us.
00:55:15.64\00:55:18.11
And I hope that the Holy
Spirit is using the Word of God
00:55:18.15\00:55:21.18
and the message is presented
to convict your heart as well.
00:55:21.22\00:55:24.95
I want to give each
one of you a few moments
00:55:24.99\00:55:26.42
to share a final
thought, Pastor Kenny.
00:55:26.45\00:55:28.12
Well, I think it comes
00:55:28.16\00:55:29.49
with almost like a
dare challenge here.
00:55:29.52\00:55:31.63
Dare to be faithful to Christ,
00:55:31.66\00:55:33.73
dare to be faithful
to our gospel commission
00:55:33.76\00:55:36.50
and dare to love the gospel,
dare to love Jesus Christ,
00:55:36.53\00:55:40.90
dare to be a Daniel
in this day and time,
00:55:40.94\00:55:43.87
God's gonna bless you for it.
00:55:43.91\00:55:45.24
Amen and amen.
00:55:45.27\00:55:46.61
I guess what's
on my heart is that
00:55:46.64\00:55:49.84
if you and your family
are going through change,
00:55:49.88\00:55:53.31
just our prayer for you
will be that God gives you
00:55:53.35\00:55:56.38
a divine awareness of
His presence with you.
00:55:56.42\00:55:59.99
He will never leave you,
He will never forsake you.
00:56:00.02\00:56:03.76
And often the sacrifices
that are made in life...
00:56:03.79\00:56:07.56
Let me tell you
something, not often,
00:56:07.60\00:56:09.26
always what God
has on the other end
00:56:09.30\00:56:12.23
is going to be better.
00:56:12.27\00:56:13.94
Amen. Wow!
00:56:13.97\00:56:15.37
You know,
speaking of getting back
00:56:15.40\00:56:17.37
or moving towards a
first generation faith,
00:56:17.41\00:56:19.87
my heart goes out
for the young people
00:56:19.91\00:56:21.41
in our church.
00:56:21.44\00:56:22.78
And I like what
the lesson had said
00:56:22.81\00:56:24.98
towards the end on Wednesday.
00:56:25.01\00:56:26.95
And it said these
words, they're powerful.
00:56:26.98\00:56:28.82
The church as a whole,
00:56:28.85\00:56:30.19
and parents in particular
need to do all they can
00:56:30.22\00:56:33.02
to create an environment
that will make young people
00:56:33.05\00:56:35.26
want to make the right choice.
00:56:35.29\00:56:38.39
But in the end, a
generation is saved
00:56:38.43\00:56:41.10
or lost for the gospel,
00:56:41.13\00:56:44.23
one person at a time.
00:56:44.27\00:56:45.73
Amen. Yes.
00:56:45.77\00:56:47.10
And mine is right to the point.
00:56:47.14\00:56:48.80
Don't try to modify the
gospel to fit your life,
00:56:48.84\00:56:53.11
let the gospel
modifies you to fit its life.
00:56:53.14\00:56:55.94
Amen.
00:56:55.98\00:56:57.31
Thank you so much, Pastor John,
00:56:57.35\00:56:58.68
Pastor Ryan,
Shelley and Pastor Kenny.
00:56:58.71\00:57:00.28
Thank you for your
study of the Word of God.
00:57:00.32\00:57:02.38
We thank you for
joining us as well.
00:57:02.42\00:57:04.45
I want to leave you
with this scripture,
00:57:04.49\00:57:05.89
Philippians 2:15,
00:57:05.92\00:57:09.16
"God calls us to be
blameless and harmless,
00:57:09.19\00:57:12.09
children of God
00:57:12.13\00:57:13.70
without fault in
the midst of a crooked
00:57:13.73\00:57:16.63
and perverse generation,
00:57:16.67\00:57:18.60
among whom we shine
as lights in the world."
00:57:18.63\00:57:22.64
God calls us to
get out of ourselves.
00:57:22.67\00:57:24.41
He calls us to
evangelize with new methods,
00:57:24.44\00:57:28.94
the same message.
00:57:28.98\00:57:30.38
Join us next week.
00:57:30.41\00:57:31.81
We'll be looking
at lesson number 12.
00:57:31.85\00:57:33.72
What have they
seen in your house?
00:57:33.75\00:57:36.55
God bless you.
00:57:36.58\00:57:37.92
Amen.
00:57:37.95\00:57:39.29