Hello and welcome to our
3ABN Sabbath School Panel.
00:00:01.36\00:00:03.90
We're in the third quarter,
"Making Friends for God."
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This is lesson number
two, "Winsome Witnesses:
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The Power of
Personal Testimony."
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Want to encourage you
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to get your own quarterly
to study along with us.
00:00:14.08\00:00:16.31
If you don't have a quarterly,
00:00:16.34\00:00:17.85
you can go to
the following website
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absg.adventist.org.
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That stands for
00:00:23.08\00:00:24.42
adultbiblestudyguide.
adventist. org.
00:00:24.45\00:00:28.46
You can download that
00:00:28.49\00:00:29.96
and follow along
with us as we journey
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through the Word of God
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Hello, friends, and
welcome to this edition
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of 3ABN Sabbath School Panel.
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As we look at the
power of personal testimony,
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you know, it's really difficult
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to argue against
someone's personal experience.
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You can debate theology,
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you can argue the
interpretation of a text,
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you can ridicule religion,
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but experience if you share
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what Jesus has
done in your life,
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that is powerful.
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That's what
we're discussing today.
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I want to
introduce to you our panel.
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To my left,
Pastor John Lomacang.
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Good to have you
here. Good to be here.
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To your left Ryan Day.
So glad you're here as well.
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Amen. It's
always a blessing. Amen.
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To your left, we
have Jason Bradley.
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And we're always glad
when you can join us, Jason.
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Happy to be here. Thank you.
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And to your left,
last but not least,
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Pastor Kenny Shelton.
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So glad to have
you here as well.
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It is.
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It's good to be here and
study the Word of God together.
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Amen.
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Before we go any further,
let's go to the Lord in prayer.
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Pastor John,
would you pray for us?
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Sure.
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Loving Father in heaven,
this opportunity is one that
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we don't want to
waste on humanity.
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We want divinity to come
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and incorporate the
power in our hearts and minds
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to communicate this message
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to those watching
this program and listening.
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And now anoint
each one of us, Father,
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that Your name may
be honored and glorified
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and may the understanding
of this message be clear.
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In Jesus' name, amen. Amen.
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Thank you so much.
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Our memory text is Acts 4:20.
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We're going to kick
off with that memory text.
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Acts 4:20.
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Now this is, of course,
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the disciples
when the Pharisee said
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"Don't speak anymore of Jesus."
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This is their response.
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Acts 4: 20, "For we
cannot but speak the things
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which we have seen and heard."
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We look this week
at winsome witnesses.
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I want to before
we jump into Sunday,
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I want to talk for just a moment
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about witnesses
throughout the Bible.
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Now, of course,
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in a legal
system as Pastor John,
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you referenced last lesson,
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if you're a witness,
say of an accident, you see,
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okay, from a
different street corner,
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everyone sees their own
version of what happened.
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A witness testifies
what they have seen,
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or maybe what they have heard.
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And the same thing is
true of the word witness
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in the Word of God.
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We see Jesus is the
faithful and true witness,
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that's in Revelation 1:4-5.
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Revelation 1:4-5, it says,
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"Grace to you and peace from Him
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who is and who was
and who is to come,
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and from Jesus
Christ, the faithful witness,
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the firstborn of the dead,
and the ruler over the kings
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of the earth."
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Now that word
witness in Greek is martus.
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It means an eye
or an ear witness.
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We see Jesus is the
faithful and true witness.
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John, the Baptist
witnessed of Jesus.
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This is in John 1:6-7.
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John 1:6-7, "There
was a man sent from God,
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whose name was John.
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This man came for a witness,
to bear witness of the Light,
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that all through
him might believe."
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That word witness is a
spin off from that word martus
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and it is again, an
eye or an ear witness.
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John the Baptist is testifying,
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witnessing what
he knows of Jesus.
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Then we see, of course,
the father's witness of Jesus.
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That's in John 8:18,
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"I am One who
bears witness of Myself,
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and the Father who sent
Me bears witness of Me."
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Again that word witness martus,
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God the Father
bears witness of Jesus.
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Then we see Jesus
own witness of Himself.
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John 8:14, "Jesus
answered and said to them,
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'Even if I bear
witness of Myself,
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My witness is true, for
I know where I came from
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and I know where I am going,
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but you do not
know where I came from
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and where I am going."
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That word again from martus,
an eye or an ear witness.
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Then we see that
Christ's disciples,
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this is Acts 1:8 were
called to be His witnesses.
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"Jesus said, 'You
shall receive power
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when the Holy
Spirit has come upon you.
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And you shall be
witnesses to me."
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That word again martus.
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"In Jerusalem,
Judea and Samaria,
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and to the end of the earth,
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so you and I are
called to testify,
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called to witness
of what we have seen,
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what we have heard,
what we have experienced
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of the Lord Jesus Christ."
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And we see that,
turn with me to 1 John.
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1 John Chapter 1.
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This is one of my
favorite passages I think,
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in the New Testament.
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1 John Chapter 1,
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we'll look at the
first couple of verses.
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This is John the
beloved disciple testifying
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or witnessing
to what he has seen
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and what he has heard.
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"That which was
from the beginning..."
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Now it doesn't
use the word witness,
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but you'll see it's evident
here that it is a witness.
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"That which was
from the beginning,
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which we have heard,"
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that word means to hear
or give in the audience of,
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"which we have
seen with our eyes,
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which we have looked upon,
and our hands have handled,
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concerning the Word of life."
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Jump down to verse 3,
"That which we have seen
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and heard we declare to you,
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that you also may
have fellowship with us,
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and truly our
fellowship is with the Father
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and with His Son Jesus Christ."
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So what is John saying here?
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He's saying, "I am
sharing with you what I've seen,
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what I've heard,
what I have touched,
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what I have witnessed."
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He said, "I observed,
the waves and the wind
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and the boat on the sea
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and Jesus
standing up and saying,
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"Peace be still, and
there was a great calm.
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I saw Jesus reach out and
touch the eyes of the blind
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and then be opened or
Jesus touched the leper,
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and his flesh
become whole again.
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I listened to Jesus speak
on the Sermon on the Mount
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and I experienced
the touch of Jesus
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when He washed my feet.
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I declare to you
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what I have
experienced of Jesus."
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You know we cannot share
what we have never experienced.
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So I don't know about you,
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but I have
experienced His mercy.
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Through the Lord's
mercies we are not consumed.
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His compassions fail not,
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they are new every morning,
great is His faithfulness.
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I have
experienced His forgiveness.
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If we confess our sins,
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He's faithful and
just to forgive us
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and to cleanse us
from all unrighteousness.
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I've experienced His love.
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Behold what manner
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of love the Father
has bestowed upon us,
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that we should be
called His children.
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I have experienced His adoption.
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We did not receive the
spirit of bondage again to fear,
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but we received
the Spirit of adoption
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by which we cry
out Abba, Father,
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I have experienced His
peace, peace I leave with You,
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my peace I give to
You, not as the world gives,
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give I unto You, let
not Your heart be troubled,
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neither let it be afraid.
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I have experienced His joy.
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Weeping may endure for a night,
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but joy, it always
comes in the morning.
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I have experienced
His strength knowing that
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the joy of the
Lord is your strength.
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I have experienced His victory.
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Thanks be to God
who gives us the victory
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through our Lord Jesus Christ.
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I have
experienced His deliverance.
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If the Son makes you
free, you shall be free indeed.
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We are called simply to
share what we have experienced.
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Now in Sunday's lesson,
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we look at two
very unlikely witnesses.
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These would be the demoniacs
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and we're going
to Mark Chapter 5.
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Now, these are not
what you would assume,
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you think a good witness
for Jesus might be the elder
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and the church pastor.
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Or it might be Jason,
maybe someone who's the pastor
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or someone who's well
respected in the community.
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Maybe the
leader of the synagogue
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would be a good witness right?
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For Jesus.
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Okay, these are
men who were devil,
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demon possessed,
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and yet God Jesus
called them as His witness.
00:09:08.31\00:09:12.78
So we're in Mark Chapter 5.
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Now this is
recorded in all three
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of the Synoptic Gospels,
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Matthew, Mark, and
Luke all tell the story
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of the demon possessed man
on the other side of the lake.
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And there's similarities
in all three of their stories.
00:09:24.83\00:09:27.10
They all
discussed Jesus crossing
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the lake calming the storm.
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They all talk about
a demon possessed man.
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They all discuss the
pigs, and they all share
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how Jesus brought healing.
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There might be some
apparent contradictions
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in some of these stories,
but sometimes or not sometimes,
00:09:41.91\00:09:47.78
always I think,
00:09:47.82\00:09:49.15
the apparent contradiction
authenticates the validity
00:09:49.18\00:09:53.29
of the historical story.
00:09:53.32\00:09:55.36
Each author would have
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remembered the
story differently.
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You see, if they
were really in cahoots,
00:09:58.13\00:09:59.46
they would have gotten together.
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Pastor John, I'm
going to say such and such.
00:10:00.86\00:10:02.20
Make sure, you better make
sure you say the same thing,
00:10:02.23\00:10:04.30
because you want your stories
00:10:04.33\00:10:05.80
to match if
you're trying to lie.
00:10:05.83\00:10:07.54
But if you're not,
00:10:07.57\00:10:08.90
you're just
sharing from your memory,
00:10:08.94\00:10:10.51
you're sharing
from your experience,
00:10:10.54\00:10:13.11
they all would have remembered
the story differently,
00:10:13.14\00:10:15.31
and they all would have
shared from their perspective.
00:10:15.34\00:10:17.95
The two apparent contradictions,
00:10:17.98\00:10:21.05
one is in the location.
00:10:21.08\00:10:22.78
One of the gospel
writers says it's in,
00:10:22.82\00:10:24.72
I can't pronounce
it a certain place
00:10:24.75\00:10:26.45
and the other one
say it's in Gadarene.
00:10:26.49\00:10:28.42
So they might have
some different names.
00:10:28.46\00:10:30.66
But if you really look
into it and dig into it,
00:10:30.69\00:10:32.99
one identifies
with the main town,
00:10:33.03\00:10:34.83
one might
identify with a village
00:10:34.86\00:10:36.20
and the truth is,
00:10:36.23\00:10:37.57
the demon possessed
man was in the tombs.
00:10:37.60\00:10:39.33
He was outside of the village,
00:10:39.37\00:10:40.94
so you could
have maybe referenced
00:10:40.97\00:10:42.44
either one of the communities
and still been accurate.
00:10:42.47\00:10:45.07
The other apparent disparity
00:10:45.11\00:10:47.58
is that Matthew
mentions two demoniacs
00:10:47.61\00:10:50.75
and Mark and Luke
only mentioned one.
00:10:50.78\00:10:53.11
Now, we don't really
have time to get into that,
00:10:53.15\00:10:55.78
except perhaps Mark
and Luke focused on the one
00:10:55.82\00:10:58.52
who really interacted with Jesus
00:10:58.55\00:11:00.46
or the one who
really spoke there.
00:11:00.49\00:11:02.59
So let's look, Jesus has
just calmed the waves, right?
00:11:02.62\00:11:05.99
They have just come across
the lake, the Sea of Galilee.
00:11:06.03\00:11:09.50
And that miracle demonstrated
00:11:09.53\00:11:11.47
Jesus authority
over nature itself.
00:11:11.50\00:11:14.57
This next miracle is
going to demonstrate Jesus'
00:11:14.60\00:11:17.74
authority over Satan himself.
00:11:17.77\00:11:21.74
So we see in Mark 5,
00:11:21.78\00:11:23.91
they come to the
other side of the sea.
00:11:23.95\00:11:25.41
We're in verse 1, verse 2,
00:11:25.45\00:11:27.62
"When Jesus
come out of the boat,
00:11:27.65\00:11:29.12
immediately there
met Him out of the tombs
00:11:29.15\00:11:32.19
a man with an unclean spirit,
00:11:32.22\00:11:34.42
who had his
dwelling among the tombs,
00:11:34.46\00:11:35.92
and no one could bind
him, not even with chains,
00:11:35.96\00:11:38.56
because he had often been
bound with shackles and chains.
00:11:38.59\00:11:41.60
And the chains had
been pulled apart by him,
00:11:41.63\00:11:44.60
and the shackles
broken in pieces,
00:11:44.63\00:11:46.84
neither could anyone tame him.
00:11:46.87\00:11:48.37
And always, night and day,
00:11:48.40\00:11:49.87
he was in the
mountains and in the tombs,
00:11:49.90\00:11:51.47
crying out and
cutting himself with stones.
00:11:51.51\00:11:54.54
When he saw Jesus from
afar, he ran and worshiped Him
00:11:54.58\00:11:59.71
and he cried out with
a loud voice and said,
00:11:59.75\00:12:01.65
'What have I to
do with You, Jesus,
00:12:01.68\00:12:03.45
Son of the Most High God?
00:12:03.49\00:12:04.82
I implore You by God
that You do not torment me.'"
00:12:04.85\00:12:08.56
Now this man dwelt in the tombs,
00:12:08.59\00:12:10.76
most of the tombs of
that time were in caves,
00:12:10.79\00:12:13.66
so he probably
dwelt in the caves.
00:12:13.70\00:12:15.73
He was wild, he
was uncontrollable,
00:12:15.76\00:12:18.10
he was noisy, he was dangerous.
00:12:18.13\00:12:21.04
But in his innermost heart
00:12:21.07\00:12:23.27
and we'll discover later
there was thousands of demons,
00:12:23.30\00:12:25.87
legion living inside of him.
00:12:25.91\00:12:28.48
But in his innermost heart,
he wanted to be delivered.
00:12:28.51\00:12:32.01
He wanted that
deliverance, he ran to Jesus,
00:12:32.05\00:12:36.15
I can only imagine.
00:12:36.18\00:12:38.09
I can't really, I
can't even imagine
00:12:38.12\00:12:40.36
what it would feel like
and what it would be like
00:12:40.39\00:12:42.89
and knowing that something,
00:12:42.92\00:12:44.33
someone else is controlling
you wanting that deliverance.
00:12:44.36\00:12:48.06
But we know that even
the demons acknowledge
00:12:48.10\00:12:51.03
that Jesus is son
of the Most High God.
00:12:51.07\00:12:54.77
Jumping down, "Jesus said,
00:12:54.80\00:12:57.11
'Come out of the
man unclean spirit.'
00:12:57.14\00:12:58.84
And he said,
'What is your name?'
00:12:58.87\00:13:00.21
And the demon
answered and he said,
00:13:00.24\00:13:01.58
'My name is
Legion for we are many.'"
00:13:01.61\00:13:04.05
Legion was the
largest unit of the Roman army
00:13:04.08\00:13:06.55
consisting of up to 6,000 men.
00:13:06.58\00:13:10.05
And yet they said,
00:13:10.09\00:13:11.42
send us to the
swine and Jesus said,
00:13:11.45\00:13:13.29
"Okay, you can go to the swine
00:13:13.32\00:13:14.89
and all 2,000 other
pigs ran over the hill
00:13:14.92\00:13:17.46
and off into the sea.
00:13:17.49\00:13:19.03
And the townspeople got
kind of worked up about it.
00:13:19.06\00:13:24.83
So we see this here in verse 15.
00:13:24.87\00:13:28.27
"They came to
Jesus and saw the one
00:13:28.30\00:13:29.67
who had been demon
possessed and had the Legion,
00:13:29.70\00:13:32.07
sitting and
clothed in his right mind."
00:13:32.11\00:13:35.91
When Jesus gets a hold of you,
00:13:35.94\00:13:37.75
it changes you, He
changes you entirely.
00:13:37.78\00:13:41.28
But the
townspeople, they were afraid,
00:13:41.32\00:13:43.79
and those who saw told
them how it happened to him
00:13:43.82\00:13:46.05
who had been demon
possessed about this swine
00:13:46.09\00:13:47.89
and they began to ask Jesus
to depart from their region.
00:13:47.92\00:13:53.63
So Jesus left, we
don't have time to get
00:13:53.66\00:13:56.06
into why they asked
00:13:56.10\00:13:57.43
but Jesus left and the man said,
00:13:57.47\00:14:00.30
"Please, I want to go with You.
00:14:00.34\00:14:01.67
I want to be with You."
00:14:01.70\00:14:03.04
But Jesus in verse 19
did not permit him but said,
00:14:03.07\00:14:05.77
"Go tell your friends,
00:14:05.81\00:14:07.98
tell them what great things
the Lord has done for you,
00:14:08.01\00:14:11.18
and how He has had
compassion on you."
00:14:11.21\00:14:14.68
So he departed,
the demon possessed man
00:14:14.72\00:14:16.85
and began to
proclaim in Decapolis,
00:14:16.89\00:14:18.59
that's 10 cities,
00:14:18.62\00:14:20.12
all that Jesus had done for Him.
00:14:20.16\00:14:23.36
So you see, Jesus takes
anyone and changes them.
00:14:23.39\00:14:29.13
And then they can in turn
00:14:29.16\00:14:31.23
share their personal experience.
00:14:31.27\00:14:34.44
What did the demon
possessed man half that
00:14:34.47\00:14:36.91
will qualify him as a witness?
00:14:36.94\00:14:38.41
He could share.
00:14:38.44\00:14:39.77
He was an eye and ear witness
00:14:39.81\00:14:41.14
of what Jesus had done for him.
00:14:41.18\00:14:42.88
Amen. Thank you, Jill.
00:14:42.91\00:14:44.25
Thank you for
laying that foundation.
00:14:44.28\00:14:45.61
Wow.
00:14:45.65\00:14:46.98
In his right mind,
only the Lord can put us
00:14:47.02\00:14:50.12
in our right mind
when we are touched
00:14:50.15\00:14:52.75
by His transforming grace.
00:14:52.79\00:14:54.69
We go to Monday,
00:14:54.72\00:14:56.06
"Proclaiming the Risen Christ."
00:14:56.09\00:15:01.26
Matthew 28:5-6.
00:15:01.30\00:15:04.60
We read in the Bible,
00:15:04.63\00:15:05.97
"But the angel
answered and said to the woman,
00:15:06.00\00:15:09.40
'Do not be afraid, for
I know that you seek Jesus
00:15:09.44\00:15:13.71
who was crucified.'"
00:15:13.74\00:15:16.04
The four most beautiful words
in the Bible, He is not here.
00:15:16.08\00:15:21.55
He is not here.
00:15:21.58\00:15:23.12
Today, you can't find a place
00:15:23.15\00:15:24.59
where Jesus' birth
date and death date on it.
00:15:24.62\00:15:27.89
We could only find
one with His burial date
00:15:27.92\00:15:30.19
and His Resurrection Day.
00:15:30.23\00:15:32.49
But there is no
place where we can go
00:15:32.53\00:15:34.36
and physically worship the Lord.
00:15:34.40\00:15:36.16
As we went to
Jerusalem a number of years ago,
00:15:36.20\00:15:38.60
a couple years
ago, about two or three,
00:15:38.63\00:15:40.24
my wife and I, we
went to the Garden Tomb
00:15:40.27\00:15:43.07
and the person who was
there at the Garden Tomb said,
00:15:43.10\00:15:45.44
"Well, this is
one of five locations
00:15:45.47\00:15:48.18
where we believe that
Jesus had been buried."
00:15:48.21\00:15:50.38
He said, "But the
truth of the matter
00:15:50.41\00:15:51.75
is maybe the sixth location,
00:15:51.78\00:15:53.58
and we don't
know where that is."
00:15:53.62\00:15:55.12
But he said, "But the
fact of the matter is,
00:15:55.15\00:15:57.35
wherever He was
buried, He's not there.
00:15:57.39\00:16:00.12
He is risen."
00:16:00.16\00:16:01.52
And then right after that
we had such a spiritual time
00:16:01.56\00:16:03.86
as we went into one of the,
00:16:03.89\00:16:05.63
as were like a little
temple there at the Garden Tomb
00:16:05.66\00:16:09.36
and we had a
service and I preached about
00:16:09.40\00:16:11.63
the resurrected Lord.
00:16:11.67\00:16:13.00
You know, what's so
wonderful about that?
00:16:13.03\00:16:14.64
He is not here, for He is risen.
00:16:14.67\00:16:16.60
And there is
something about proclaiming
00:16:16.64\00:16:18.41
the resurrected Christ.
00:16:18.44\00:16:19.77
This is something that
00:16:19.81\00:16:21.14
no other religion
on the planet can do.
00:16:21.18\00:16:23.68
No one can talk
about a resurrected leader.
00:16:23.71\00:16:26.68
You know, we have
shrines, we have pilgrimages.
00:16:26.72\00:16:28.78
We have places where,
like when we went to Russia,
00:16:28.82\00:16:31.19
about the Kremlin
there, we, you know,
00:16:31.22\00:16:32.75
people stand in line to
see this coffin and, you know,
00:16:32.79\00:16:35.46
that's
ceremonial to some degree.
00:16:35.49\00:16:37.73
But there is no such place
00:16:37.76\00:16:39.16
where we can say our
Lord is dead and buried there.
00:16:39.19\00:16:42.06
We serve a risen Savior.
00:16:42.10\00:16:44.43
So when we ask the question,
what was Mary's response
00:16:44.47\00:16:46.67
when she discovered that
Christ was risen from the dead.
00:16:46.70\00:16:50.27
Look at Mark Chapter
16. What was her response?
00:16:50.31\00:16:54.38
Her response was amazing.
00:16:54.41\00:16:56.85
And we read very
quickly verses 1-11.
00:16:56.88\00:16:58.88
I'll just point
out a few things.
00:16:58.91\00:17:01.45
Okay, and it says, verse
4, "But when they looked up,
00:17:01.48\00:17:06.42
they saw that the
stone had been rolled away,
00:17:06.45\00:17:09.02
for it was very large.
00:17:09.06\00:17:10.39
And entering the tomb,
they saw a young man clothed
00:17:10.43\00:17:13.26
in a long white robe
sitting on the right side,
00:17:13.29\00:17:16.53
and they were alarmed.
00:17:16.56\00:17:17.97
But he said to
them, 'Do not be alarmed.
00:17:18.00\00:17:19.83
You seek Jesus of
Nazareth, who was crucified.
00:17:19.87\00:17:23.54
He is risen! He is not here.
00:17:23.57\00:17:25.87
See the place
where they laid Him.'"
00:17:25.91\00:17:28.48
And notice the
commission to Mary,
00:17:28.51\00:17:30.25
"But go, tell His
disciples, and Peter that
00:17:30.28\00:17:33.82
He is going
before you into Galilee,
00:17:33.85\00:17:36.28
there you will see
Him, as He said to you."
00:17:36.32\00:17:40.36
So now it says in verse 9,
00:17:40.39\00:17:42.02
"So when He rose early on
the first day of the week,
00:17:42.06\00:17:46.80
He appeared first
to Mary Magdalene,
00:17:46.83\00:17:49.26
out of whom He had
cast, notice, seven demons.
00:17:49.30\00:17:52.57
She went and this
is their response.
00:17:52.60\00:17:54.50
She went and told
those who had been with Him,
00:17:54.54\00:17:58.17
and they mourned and wept.
00:17:58.21\00:18:00.88
And when they heard that
00:18:00.91\00:18:02.91
He was alive and
had been seen by her,
00:18:02.94\00:18:07.42
they did not believe."
00:18:07.45\00:18:08.78
Wow.
00:18:08.82\00:18:10.15
But that was not the
case with Mary indeed,
00:18:10.19\00:18:12.95
the power and the
impact of personal testimony.
00:18:12.99\00:18:16.42
What did Mary do,
00:18:16.46\00:18:17.79
the power of her
personal witness,
00:18:17.83\00:18:19.69
she ran to tell the story
of the resurrected Christ.
00:18:19.73\00:18:22.53
When you experience Christ,
you got to tell somebody.
00:18:22.56\00:18:26.13
The good news is worth sharing.
00:18:26.17\00:18:28.77
Nobody could deny
what you have witnessed,
00:18:28.80\00:18:32.11
as we've seen in the Bible,
00:18:32.14\00:18:33.61
what I've
witnessed from the beginning
00:18:33.64\00:18:34.98
what I've
touched what I've taste,
00:18:35.01\00:18:36.75
and that's why I've said
the worst time of the year
00:18:36.78\00:18:38.75
is Thanksgiving
00:18:38.78\00:18:40.12
when you're
watching it on television.
00:18:40.15\00:18:43.42
It may look good,
00:18:43.45\00:18:44.79
but until you
taste it, right, Jason?
00:18:44.82\00:18:47.52
That's right, taste and see.
It's just an act of futility.
00:18:47.56\00:18:49.79
It's not enough to
look at the gospel.
00:18:49.82\00:18:51.86
We have to have a
personal experience with Christ.
00:18:51.89\00:18:54.30
When we taste and
see the Lord is good,
00:18:54.33\00:18:56.43
we've got to say to somebody.
00:18:56.46\00:18:58.10
You think your food was
good, I met the bread of life.
00:18:58.13\00:19:00.74
That's right.
00:19:00.77\00:19:02.10
You think your drink was great,
00:19:02.14\00:19:03.47
I just tasted of
the water of life.
00:19:03.51\00:19:05.61
We've got to tell somebody.
00:19:05.64\00:19:07.08
It is impossible to keep
00:19:07.11\00:19:08.44
the good news of
the gospel silent
00:19:08.48\00:19:11.48
when it is personal.
00:19:11.51\00:19:13.28
And when you meet
the resurrected Christ,
00:19:13.31\00:19:15.22
He transforms your life.
00:19:15.25\00:19:16.99
Look at Mark 5:19. Mark 5:19.
00:19:17.02\00:19:21.02
The Bible says, "However,
Jesus did not permit him,
00:19:21.06\00:19:24.33
but said to him, 'Go
home to your friends,
00:19:24.36\00:19:27.13
the power of personal testimony,
00:19:27.16\00:19:29.60
and tell them what great things
00:19:29.63\00:19:32.50
the Lord has done for you,
00:19:32.53\00:19:34.10
and how He has had
compassion on you.'"
00:19:34.14\00:19:36.77
Anything that the Lord
does for us is a great thing.
00:19:36.81\00:19:39.74
That's right. Yes.
00:19:39.77\00:19:41.11
I mean, great God,
who is above all gods
00:19:41.14\00:19:44.38
never does just a
thing, He does a great thing.
00:19:44.41\00:19:48.05
And so when we look
at Mary in the story,
00:19:48.08\00:19:49.85
I think that Mary is a
parlay or representation,
00:19:49.88\00:19:52.32
a parallel to the church.
00:19:52.35\00:19:54.59
What Jesus told Mary to do
00:19:54.62\00:19:56.52
is what he tells
the church to do.
00:19:56.56\00:19:58.26
The commission of the
church is to tell the world
00:19:58.29\00:20:01.20
about the resurrected Christ.
00:20:01.23\00:20:03.47
Now some people choose
00:20:03.50\00:20:04.83
one weekend a year
to talk about that.
00:20:04.87\00:20:06.50
Hey, every day,
can I say that, Ryan?
00:20:06.53\00:20:09.90
Every day, we should tell people
00:20:09.94\00:20:12.41
about the resurrected Christ.
00:20:12.44\00:20:13.81
He is not resurrected
during Easter weekend alone.
00:20:13.84\00:20:17.48
He's alive every day.
We serve a risen Savior.
00:20:17.51\00:20:20.72
Secondly, the commission
00:20:20.75\00:20:22.08
to Mary is the
commission to the church.
00:20:22.12\00:20:23.62
The witness of the
church is not only to tell
00:20:23.65\00:20:26.45
of the resurrected Christ,
00:20:26.49\00:20:28.19
but to display in our
minds and our behavior,
00:20:28.22\00:20:32.19
the behavior and the character
of the resurrected Christ.
00:20:32.23\00:20:35.56
If we say He changed us,
00:20:35.60\00:20:38.13
we ought to let our light
shine as His light was shining.
00:20:38.17\00:20:42.10
He is the light of the
world when He is in our lives,
00:20:42.14\00:20:45.27
His light is also seen.
00:20:45.31\00:20:47.08
Not only that, the
purpose of the church
00:20:47.11\00:20:48.88
is to become the center of
the fellowship of the saved.
00:20:48.91\00:20:53.08
You know, when you have
a fellowship with Christ,
00:20:53.11\00:20:55.08
when we walk in the
light as He is in the light,
00:20:55.12\00:20:57.85
we have
fellowship with one another.
00:20:57.89\00:20:59.82
Koinonia cannot happen.
00:20:59.85\00:21:01.92
Don't go to
church to seek friendship
00:21:01.96\00:21:03.69
when you have
experienced with Christ,
00:21:03.73\00:21:05.09
it is fellowship far
deeper than friendship.
00:21:05.13\00:21:07.96
Why is it far deeper?
00:21:08.00\00:21:09.36
1 Peter 2:9, the Bible says,
00:21:09.40\00:21:11.60
"But you are a
chosen generation,
00:21:11.63\00:21:15.40
a royal priesthood,
00:21:15.44\00:21:17.51
a holy nation, His
own special people,
00:21:17.54\00:21:20.98
that you may
proclaim the praises of Him
00:21:21.01\00:21:22.94
who called you out of darkness
into His marvelous light."
00:21:22.98\00:21:27.15
Jill, four points of the
impact of the risen Christ.
00:21:27.18\00:21:31.95
Four points.
00:21:31.99\00:21:33.32
First of all, we
partake of His resurrected life.
00:21:33.36\00:21:36.79
Our favorite book, Romans,
00:21:36.83\00:21:38.99
we partake of
His resurrected life.
00:21:39.03\00:21:40.70
Romans 6:5, 8,
"For if we have been
00:21:40.73\00:21:45.53
united together in
the likeness of His death,
00:21:45.57\00:21:49.00
certainly we also shall be
00:21:49.04\00:21:51.21
in the likeness
of His resurrection."
00:21:51.24\00:21:53.38
That's a guarantee.
00:21:53.41\00:21:54.94
If you experience His death,
if you join Him in His death,
00:21:54.98\00:21:58.21
that means by faith, Lord,
00:21:58.25\00:21:59.95
Your death has been
imputed and imparted to my life.
00:21:59.98\00:22:03.39
If that is your testimony,
00:22:03.42\00:22:05.15
you must also have
the same experience
00:22:05.19\00:22:07.69
and display the
resurrected life.
00:22:07.72\00:22:09.96
Look at verse 8, "Now
if we died with Christ,
00:22:09.99\00:22:13.29
we believe that we
shall also live with Him."
00:22:13.33\00:22:16.36
Some people think
that meant heaven,
00:22:16.40\00:22:17.80
no that meant now,
that life you live now.
00:22:17.83\00:22:21.40
I've been crucified with Christ
00:22:21.44\00:22:23.17
and the life which I
now live in the flesh.
00:22:23.20\00:22:26.07
I live by faith in the
Son of God who loved me
00:22:26.11\00:22:28.01
and gave Himself for me,
that's not coming up life.
00:22:28.04\00:22:30.48
That's the life right now.
00:22:30.51\00:22:32.11
1 Corinthians 15:49,
00:22:32.15\00:22:34.65
"And as we have borne
the image of the man of dust,
00:22:34.68\00:22:37.55
we shall also bear the
image of the heavenly Man,
00:22:37.59\00:22:41.12
we partake of the
resurrected life."
00:22:41.16\00:22:42.69
That's the first point.
00:22:42.72\00:22:44.06
Second point, we are changed
00:22:44.09\00:22:45.53
by the faith
transfer of His life to us.
00:22:45.56\00:22:49.03
Colossians 1:27,
00:22:49.06\00:22:50.93
"To them God
willed to make known
00:22:50.97\00:22:52.77
what are the riches of the glory
00:22:52.80\00:22:54.20
of his mystery
among the Gentiles:
00:22:54.24\00:22:56.40
which is Christ in
you, the hope of glory."
00:22:56.44\00:22:59.41
That's the faith
transfer Christ in us.
00:22:59.44\00:23:02.04
2 Corinthians 5:17,
"If anyone is in Christ,
00:23:02.08\00:23:05.25
he is a new creation,
old things have passed away,
00:23:05.28\00:23:07.82
behold," how many things?
00:23:07.85\00:23:09.18
"All things have become
new." That's the faith transfer.
00:23:09.22\00:23:12.32
We are changed by
the faith transfer.
00:23:12.35\00:23:14.69
The third
thing, we are empowered
00:23:14.72\00:23:17.23
by the Christ life in
us, by Christ's life in us.
00:23:17.26\00:23:20.73
Acts1:8, "You
shall receive power
00:23:20.76\00:23:23.57
after the Holy Spirit
00:23:23.60\00:23:24.93
is come upon you and
you shall be witnesses."
00:23:24.97\00:23:28.27
Ephesians 3:20,
what kind of witnesses?
00:23:28.30\00:23:30.91
"To Him who is able to
do exceedingly abundantly
00:23:30.94\00:23:34.01
above all that we ask or think,
00:23:34.04\00:23:35.74
according to the
power that works in us."
00:23:35.78\00:23:39.21
That faith
transfer, Christ in us.
00:23:39.25\00:23:40.65
And the last thing,
we cannot keep silent
00:23:40.68\00:23:45.15
when we have an
encounter with Christ.
00:23:45.19\00:23:47.82
Luke 24:32- 35, "And
they said to one another,
00:23:47.86\00:23:51.69
'Did not our
hearts burn within us
00:23:51.73\00:23:54.50
while He talked
with us on the road,
00:23:54.53\00:23:56.20
and while He opened
the Scriptures to us?'
00:23:56.23\00:23:58.60
So they arose that very hour
and returned to Jerusalem.'"
00:23:58.63\00:24:02.27
There has to be
something that changes,
00:24:02.30\00:24:04.14
you got to come
back with a testimony.
00:24:04.17\00:24:06.61
And they were running back
at night, Jill and my panel.
00:24:06.64\00:24:09.31
They were running
back to Jerusalem at night,
00:24:09.34\00:24:10.91
but Ellen White says,
00:24:10.95\00:24:12.28
there was an unseen
guest guiding their pathway.
00:24:12.31\00:24:15.48
If somebody is
coming back to the church
00:24:15.52\00:24:17.05
and they're stumbling and
bumbling during the night.
00:24:17.09\00:24:19.29
Don't worry about it,
00:24:19.32\00:24:20.66
they're on the
way back to Jerusalem.
00:24:20.69\00:24:22.52
The Bible says in verse 34,
00:24:22.56\00:24:24.39
"When they when
they met the disciples,
00:24:24.43\00:24:26.39
they said, "The
Lord is risen indeed,
00:24:26.43\00:24:29.00
and has appeared to Simon!
00:24:29.03\00:24:30.50
And they told about the things
that happened on the road,
00:24:30.53\00:24:33.97
and how he was known to
them in the breaking of bread."
00:24:34.00\00:24:37.91
It is impossible to keep silent
00:24:37.94\00:24:40.91
when you have an
encounter with Christ.
00:24:40.94\00:24:43.55
Amen.
00:24:43.58\00:24:44.91
Thank you so much, Pastor John,
the impact of the risen Christ.
00:24:44.95\00:24:49.25
We're going to take a
break. We'll be right back.
00:24:49.28\00:24:50.99
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Hello, and welcome back
00:25:27.86\00:25:29.19
to our study of
Winsome Witnesses:
00:25:29.22\00:25:31.23
The power of Personal Testimony.
00:25:31.26\00:25:32.86
We pick up with Ryan on Tuesday.
00:25:32.89\00:25:34.33
Amen.
00:25:34.36\00:25:35.70
Tuesday's lesson entitled,
00:25:35.73\00:25:37.07
"Changed Lives
Make a Difference."
00:25:37.10\00:25:39.77
And so I got to
keep the energy up
00:25:39.80\00:25:41.14
because pastor had
all that energy going
00:25:41.17\00:25:42.64
just a few seconds ago so
yeah, we got to keep it going.
00:25:42.67\00:25:45.87
But you know I
love this because,
00:25:45.91\00:25:47.71
just the very title
of this lesson alone
00:25:47.74\00:25:49.88
is truth in and of itself,
00:25:49.91\00:25:51.51
change lives do
make a difference.
00:25:51.55\00:25:53.48
When people see a change in us,
00:25:53.52\00:25:55.58
when they see that
00:25:55.62\00:25:56.95
the supernatural
power of God has changed us,
00:25:56.99\00:26:00.06
it makes a difference.
00:26:00.09\00:26:01.56
And so it is a
testimony in and of itself.
00:26:01.59\00:26:04.16
And so we're
going to see this today.
00:26:04.19\00:26:05.79
But I'd like to set a
little bit of groundwork
00:26:05.83\00:26:07.40
because what we're going to be
diving into is Acts Chapter 4.
00:26:07.43\00:26:10.63
And we're going to be reading
the bulk of Acts Chapter 4.
00:26:10.67\00:26:12.87
So if you guys want to go ahead
and go there in your Bibles,
00:26:12.90\00:26:15.77
just kind of
sound, set the groundwork,
00:26:15.80\00:26:17.41
obviously, Jesus
has been crucified,
00:26:17.44\00:26:20.61
and He has now
been resurrected and,
00:26:20.64\00:26:22.31
of course, Pentecost has
occurred in Acts Chapter 2.
00:26:22.34\00:26:25.48
And we know that 3,000 people
00:26:25.51\00:26:27.65
were converted on
the day of Pentecost.
00:26:27.68\00:26:29.52
Now, you don't, 3,000 people
00:26:29.55\00:26:31.55
can be converted and
you don't hear something
00:26:31.59\00:26:33.79
about that, right?
00:26:33.82\00:26:35.16
I mean, these 3,000 lives
00:26:35.19\00:26:37.79
were transformed
by the grace of God.
00:26:37.83\00:26:39.86
And we know that
just a few weeks from now,
00:26:39.89\00:26:42.73
in Acts Chapter 4,
which we're going to go to
00:26:42.76\00:26:44.43
in just a moment,
we're going to see thousands
00:26:44.47\00:26:46.57
more added to
the kingdom of God.
00:26:46.60\00:26:48.94
And again, these thousands
and thousands of lives,
00:26:48.97\00:26:51.41
there's got to be a shaking,
00:26:51.44\00:26:52.77
there's going to be
some rumbling occurring,
00:26:52.81\00:26:54.28
because as pastor
brought up beautifully,
00:26:54.31\00:26:56.48
when a life is
transformed by the grace of God,
00:26:56.51\00:27:00.02
you just can't be silent, right?
00:27:00.05\00:27:01.68
You got to tell someone.
00:27:01.72\00:27:03.22
So these lives have been
transformed by the grace.
00:27:03.25\00:27:05.22
And, of course, we know that
00:27:05.25\00:27:07.42
this causes a
little bit of rumbling
00:27:07.46\00:27:09.19
amongst the
leadership of Israel.
00:27:09.22\00:27:11.93
And so that's what
we're going to pick up
00:27:11.96\00:27:13.40
Acts Chapter 4,
beginning in verse 1.
00:27:13.43\00:27:16.03
And I'm just going to
kind of read through this
00:27:16.06\00:27:17.60
and give some
commentary along the way,
00:27:17.63\00:27:19.20
because I believe the scripture
speaks for itself very clearly.
00:27:19.23\00:27:22.17
Acts Chapter 4,
beginning in verse 1, it says,
00:27:22.20\00:27:24.14
"Now as they
spoke," and by the way,
00:27:24.17\00:27:25.84
this is just to set
this clear, I guess I should.
00:27:25.87\00:27:28.01
John and Peter have
just delivered a lame man,
00:27:28.04\00:27:31.01
they have just healed a lame man
00:27:31.05\00:27:32.51
by the power of God
and all of these people
00:27:32.55\00:27:34.88
in Jerusalem has witnessed it.
00:27:34.92\00:27:36.28
And so now it's
starting to create some talk
00:27:36.32\00:27:39.29
and people are
getting excited about
00:27:39.32\00:27:40.76
what they have witnessed.
00:27:40.79\00:27:42.12
Now it's gotten back
to the Sanhedrin court,
00:27:42.16\00:27:44.36
and the
Pharisees, the Sadducees,
00:27:44.39\00:27:45.89
all these different
people have now come to John
00:27:45.93\00:27:48.26
as we're about to see
00:27:48.30\00:27:49.63
and they're
going to start trouble.
00:27:49.66\00:27:51.00
And so it says here in verse 1,
00:27:51.03\00:27:52.37
"Now as they spoke to
the people, the priests,
00:27:52.40\00:27:54.94
the captain of the temple,
00:27:54.97\00:27:56.30
and the
Sadducees came upon them,
00:27:56.34\00:27:58.61
being greatly disturbed
that they taught the people
00:27:58.64\00:28:02.68
and preached in Jesus the
resurrection from the damn.
00:28:02.71\00:28:06.92
And they laid hands on
them, and put them in custody
00:28:06.95\00:28:09.78
until the next day,
for it was already evening.
00:28:09.82\00:28:12.89
However, many of those
who heard the word believed,
00:28:12.92\00:28:16.73
and the number of the men
00:28:16.76\00:28:18.09
came to be about five thousand."
00:28:18.13\00:28:20.53
So this was even greater
than the day of Pentecost,
00:28:20.56\00:28:22.76
they heard the word preached,
00:28:22.80\00:28:24.33
they saw the miracle
perform, they believe,
00:28:24.37\00:28:26.77
they begin believing
in the power of Jesus.
00:28:26.80\00:28:29.50
Now, here comes
00:28:29.54\00:28:30.87
the addressing of the Sanhedrin.
00:28:30.91\00:28:32.24
Verse 5 says,
"And it came to pass,
00:28:32.27\00:28:34.01
on the next day,
that their rulers, elders,
00:28:34.04\00:28:36.21
and scribes, as well
as Annas the high priest,
00:28:36.24\00:28:39.08
Caiaphas, John, and
Alexander, and as many as were
00:28:39.11\00:28:42.88
of the family
of the high priest,
00:28:42.92\00:28:44.55
were gathered
together at Jerusalem.
00:28:44.59\00:28:46.65
And when they had set
them in the midst, they asked,
00:28:46.69\00:28:50.23
"By what power or by
what name have you done this?"
00:28:50.26\00:28:54.46
So here comes the interrogation.
00:28:54.50\00:28:56.30
Here comes, they're
about to interrogate much like
00:28:56.33\00:28:58.50
they're going to do to
Stephen in a couple of years,
00:28:58.53\00:29:01.17
in two or three years,
they're going to put Stephen,
00:29:01.20\00:29:03.04
they're going to put
God's people on the stands.
00:29:03.07\00:29:05.07
And that's essentially
00:29:05.11\00:29:06.44
what's happening to Peter
and John in this situation.
00:29:06.47\00:29:08.54
They're being interrogated
by whose name are you preaching?
00:29:08.58\00:29:11.78
Who is this that you're talking
about that stirring the masses?
00:29:11.81\00:29:14.72
And so here comes this powerful,
00:29:14.75\00:29:16.69
spirit filled
message from John and Peter.
00:29:16.72\00:29:18.39
Here it is.
00:29:18.42\00:29:19.75
It says, "Then
Peter," and I love this,
00:29:19.79\00:29:21.16
"filled with the Holy Spirit,"
00:29:21.19\00:29:22.72
and I love that
because, again, we're told
00:29:22.76\00:29:25.09
and we're going to
see in just a few moments,
00:29:25.13\00:29:26.59
that just as these guys
have been put on the stand,
00:29:26.63\00:29:29.76
to speak for the name of Christ.
00:29:29.80\00:29:31.30
Remember, Jesus said
that in the very moment,
00:29:31.33\00:29:34.04
don't even conjure up
or think of your own words,
00:29:34.07\00:29:36.27
because in that very moment,
00:29:36.30\00:29:37.64
the Holy Spirit will
give you the words to say
00:29:37.67\00:29:40.11
and that's exactly
what's happening right here
00:29:40.14\00:29:42.01
with these brothers.
00:29:42.04\00:29:43.38
So it says, Peter
filled with the Holy Spirit,
00:29:43.41\00:29:44.75
said to them,
00:29:44.78\00:29:46.11
"Rulers of the
people and elders of Israel:
00:29:46.15\00:29:47.98
If we this day are
judged for a good deed done
00:29:48.02\00:29:51.92
to a helpless man,
00:29:51.95\00:29:53.29
by what means he
has been made well,
00:29:53.32\00:29:56.22
let it be known to you all,
00:29:56.26\00:29:58.13
and to all the people of Israel,
00:29:58.16\00:29:59.86
that by the name of
Jesus Christ of Nazareth,
00:29:59.89\00:30:02.66
whom you crucified,"
here comes the rebuke,
00:30:02.70\00:30:05.23
"whom God raised from the dead,
00:30:05.27\00:30:06.87
by Him this man
stands here before you whole.
00:30:06.90\00:30:10.77
This is the stone
00:30:10.81\00:30:12.37
which was
rejected by the builders,
00:30:12.41\00:30:15.94
which has become
the chief cornerstone.
00:30:15.98\00:30:18.21
Nor is there
salvation in any other,
00:30:18.25\00:30:20.32
for there is no other name
under heaven given among men
00:30:20.35\00:30:23.18
by which we must be saved.'"
00:30:23.22\00:30:25.59
So I love this because
00:30:25.62\00:30:26.96
they're basically
stepping up to the plate
00:30:26.99\00:30:29.39
and they're saying,
"Okay, let's get this clear out
00:30:29.42\00:30:31.43
in the open right now.
00:30:31.46\00:30:32.79
Okay, look, if
you're going to judge us,
00:30:32.83\00:30:34.83
if you're going to
put us on the stand,
00:30:34.86\00:30:36.36
and you're going to judge
us and ultimately sentence us,
00:30:36.40\00:30:38.57
let it be clear that
you're not just judging us
00:30:38.60\00:30:41.07
because you're
bringing judgment upon Christ,
00:30:41.10\00:30:42.87
whom by the way
you've already crucified,
00:30:42.90\00:30:44.71
you've already
condemned to death.
00:30:44.74\00:30:46.14
This is the chief cornerstone.
00:30:46.17\00:30:47.98
This is the Messiah,
00:30:48.01\00:30:49.41
your Messiah that
you have murdered.
00:30:49.44\00:30:51.21
We're doing this by the power
in the name of Jesus Christ.
00:30:51.25\00:30:54.28
And so these brothers
under intense adverse pressure,
00:30:54.32\00:30:58.19
and we're told that this
is going to happen to us.
00:30:58.22\00:31:00.49
I don't think that
these guys found themselves
00:31:00.52\00:31:02.92
surprised by this situation,
00:31:02.96\00:31:04.59
because Jesus
had already told them
00:31:04.63\00:31:06.33
that they were
going to be delivered up,
00:31:06.36\00:31:07.76
that they were going to
be persecuted and arrested.
00:31:07.80\00:31:09.86
And so they knew that
00:31:09.90\00:31:11.23
these things
were going to happen
00:31:11.27\00:31:12.60
but the spiritual
boldness of the spirit comes out
00:31:12.63\00:31:15.74
and we see this
evident right here.
00:31:15.77\00:31:17.97
They're not going to waiver,
00:31:18.01\00:31:19.67
they're not going to
shake in their boots,
00:31:19.71\00:31:21.64
they're going to tell
the truth for what it is,
00:31:21.68\00:31:23.65
live or die, they're
going to declare the gospel.
00:31:23.68\00:31:25.71
And I love that. And
so I love this right here.
00:31:25.75\00:31:27.85
Notice, verse 13,
00:31:27.88\00:31:29.45
the response of
the Sanhedrin, it says,
00:31:29.48\00:31:31.85
"Now when they saw the
boldness of Peter and John,
00:31:31.89\00:31:34.19
and perceived that
00:31:34.22\00:31:35.56
they were
uneducated and untrained men,
00:31:35.59\00:31:38.06
they marveled.
00:31:38.09\00:31:39.43
And they realized that
they had been with Jesus."
00:31:39.46\00:31:43.16
Notice, even the
Sanhedrin is sitting back going,
00:31:43.20\00:31:45.20
"Whoa, wait a second.
00:31:45.23\00:31:46.57
These guys, this is legit.
They had been with Jesus."
00:31:46.60\00:31:49.30
But it's interesting
that it says they noticed
00:31:49.34\00:31:51.54
and were marveled by the fact
00:31:51.57\00:31:52.91
that they were
untrained and uneducated.
00:31:52.94\00:31:54.28
Does that sound something?
00:31:54.31\00:31:55.64
Does that sound
like something familiar
00:31:55.68\00:31:57.01
we read before?
00:31:57.05\00:31:58.38
We are told in the
last days by Mrs. White.
00:31:58.41\00:31:59.75
God gave her clear vision
00:31:59.78\00:32:01.28
that God's work will be finished
00:32:01.32\00:32:03.59
by untrained men
and women, men and women
00:32:03.62\00:32:06.02
who had not been to seminary,
who had not receive degrees
00:32:06.05\00:32:08.82
and I'm not
certainly taking down
00:32:08.86\00:32:10.19
those educational avenues,
00:32:10.23\00:32:11.99
because those
are wonderful things,
00:32:12.03\00:32:13.36
but God is going to raise
up a people in the last days,
00:32:13.40\00:32:15.83
who had never
walked through the door
00:32:15.86\00:32:17.73
of a seminary or been trained
by a theologian or a scholar.
00:32:17.77\00:32:20.97
God is going to raise up
a people in the last stage,
00:32:21.00\00:32:23.00
just as He's doing
here with these fishermen.
00:32:23.04\00:32:25.84
And He's going to
proclaim the good news.
00:32:25.87\00:32:28.04
And it's going to cause
a shaking, Brother Kenny.
00:32:28.08\00:32:29.94
That's what the Bible says.
00:32:29.98\00:32:31.65
And I love this, verse
14, "And seeing the man
00:32:31.68\00:32:34.35
who had been
healed standing with them,
00:32:34.38\00:32:37.75
they could say
nothing against it.
00:32:37.79\00:32:40.02
But when they had commanded them
00:32:40.06\00:32:42.36
to go aside out of the council,
00:32:42.39\00:32:44.39
they conferred
among themselves saying,
00:32:44.43\00:32:46.06
'What shall we
do with these men?'"
00:32:46.09\00:32:47.63
So they begin to plot
00:32:47.66\00:32:49.00
and they begin to
say to themselves,
00:32:49.03\00:32:50.37
man, we got to do
something about this.
00:32:50.40\00:32:51.73
Well, we can't, you know,
we can't really punish them.
00:32:51.77\00:32:53.17
We can't really do
nothing, because the people,
00:32:53.20\00:32:55.44
the masses have
already seen and here it is.
00:32:55.47\00:32:58.41
This man's life changed.
They've seen a changed life.
00:32:58.44\00:33:01.91
It's evident that
00:33:01.94\00:33:03.28
something
supernatural has happened,
00:33:03.31\00:33:05.61
that the Gospel of
Christ has transformed,
00:33:05.65\00:33:08.72
not just these two brothers
00:33:08.75\00:33:10.12
who are preaching and
declaring this message
00:33:10.15\00:33:12.75
to the Sanhedrin,
00:33:12.79\00:33:14.12
but the man who's
been healed by them.
00:33:14.16\00:33:15.69
And so they come to
the clear conclusion,
00:33:15.72\00:33:17.33
you know what, let's
just, let's just threaten them.
00:33:17.36\00:33:19.86
And let's just send them away
00:33:19.89\00:33:21.23
and tell them don't be preaching
00:33:21.26\00:33:22.60
in the name of
Jesus anymore, right?
00:33:22.63\00:33:24.27
And we know
that that don't work.
00:33:24.30\00:33:25.63
In fact, I love the response.
And so notice verse 18 here.
00:33:25.67\00:33:28.47
It says, "So they called
and commanded them to speak
00:33:28.50\00:33:30.64
not at all nor teach
in the name of Jesus."
00:33:30.67\00:33:33.17
And I love their response.
00:33:33.21\00:33:34.54
"But Peter and John
answered and said to them,
00:33:34.58\00:33:36.18
'Whether it is right
00:33:36.21\00:33:37.55
in the sight of
God to listen to you
00:33:37.58\00:33:39.41
more than to God, you judge."
00:33:39.45\00:33:41.82
Here's our key verse
here, our memory verse,
00:33:41.85\00:33:44.92
"For we cannot
but speak the things
00:33:44.95\00:33:47.79
which we have seen and heard."
00:33:47.82\00:33:51.06
What would God's Church do today
00:33:51.09\00:33:53.83
if we held to that beautiful
commission truth right there?
00:33:53.86\00:33:58.23
But I'm sorry, it's
just a natural response
00:33:58.27\00:34:00.57
when the Holy Spirit gets a hold
00:34:00.60\00:34:02.57
of a brother or
sister in Christ,
00:34:02.60\00:34:04.24
and begins to transform
that life from the inside out,
00:34:04.27\00:34:07.31
the natural response is that
00:34:07.34\00:34:09.04
we can't help but talk about it.
00:34:09.08\00:34:11.05
We can't help but open our mouth
00:34:11.08\00:34:12.61
and go tell someone.
00:34:12.65\00:34:13.98
And in no other time in history,
00:34:14.02\00:34:16.79
do we have more available
avenues to preach this truth
00:34:16.82\00:34:20.22
than ever before,
than any other generation
00:34:20.26\00:34:22.12
before us with social media
00:34:22.16\00:34:24.03
and this wonderful,
amazing network 3ABN.
00:34:24.06\00:34:27.63
You know, I feel so privileged
and honored to be here,
00:34:27.66\00:34:30.33
to be able to
preach and teach the gospel
00:34:30.37\00:34:32.80
because I know
there's someone right now
00:34:32.83\00:34:34.47
at home watching
this lesson today
00:34:34.50\00:34:36.20
that's going to
be blessed by it,
00:34:36.24\00:34:37.57
that it's going to
create a spark between them
00:34:37.61\00:34:40.68
and Christ that's going to lead
00:34:40.71\00:34:42.34
to a
transformation in their life.
00:34:42.38\00:34:44.31
I love steps to Christ, page 78,
00:34:44.35\00:34:46.11
got to read this one.
00:34:46.15\00:34:47.48
It says, "No sooner
does one come to Christ
00:34:47.52\00:34:50.09
than there is born in his heart,
00:34:50.12\00:34:51.89
a desire to make known to others
00:34:51.92\00:34:54.42
what a precious
friend he has found in Jesus,
00:34:54.46\00:34:57.73
the saving and sanctifying truth
00:34:57.76\00:35:00.30
cannot be shut up in his heart."
00:35:00.33\00:35:04.87
So my commission,
you know, my appeal,
00:35:04.90\00:35:07.64
my personal
commission is to follow that
00:35:07.67\00:35:09.54
of what Christ has given us.
00:35:09.57\00:35:11.47
He's saying, "Look,
00:35:11.51\00:35:12.84
even if you're not a theologian,
00:35:12.87\00:35:14.28
if you're not a scholar,
00:35:14.31\00:35:15.64
if you're not a biblical teacher
00:35:15.68\00:35:17.01
or preacher, you
don't have to be.
00:35:17.05\00:35:18.51
Just simply go out
and tell someone about
00:35:18.55\00:35:20.75
what God has done for you."
00:35:20.78\00:35:22.48
Do you think that
demoniac was a scholar?
00:35:22.52\00:35:24.82
Do you think he was
a preacher or teacher?
00:35:24.85\00:35:26.19
No.
00:35:26.22\00:35:27.56
But he had an amazing story
00:35:27.59\00:35:28.92
about how God had delivered him.
00:35:28.96\00:35:30.59
And each and every one of
you at home watching today,
00:35:30.63\00:35:32.43
you have a story on how
God has transformed you.
00:35:32.46\00:35:35.43
Go tell someone about it,
because it could bring someone,
00:35:35.46\00:35:39.03
it could bring that
lost person to Jesus today.
00:35:39.07\00:35:42.20
Pastor Ryan, I
love your excitement
00:35:42.24\00:35:44.17
and your enthusiasm
for spreading the gospel.
00:35:44.21\00:35:46.47
Now I'm excited about
Wednesday's lesson entitled,
00:35:46.51\00:35:49.61
"Sharing Our Experience."
00:35:49.64\00:35:51.61
In this lesson,
Paul, formerly known as
00:35:51.65\00:35:54.18
Saul begins to share
his powerful testimony
00:35:54.22\00:35:56.99
with King Agrippa.
00:35:57.02\00:35:58.35
Paul was a Pharisee,
prior to his conversion,
00:35:58.39\00:36:00.89
and he wasn't just any Pharisee,
00:36:00.92\00:36:03.63
he was the ultimate
Pharisee, the ultimate Pharisee.
00:36:03.66\00:36:07.23
You know how some people
00:36:07.26\00:36:08.60
are just
incredibly good at their job?
00:36:08.63\00:36:10.87
Think about that person
00:36:10.90\00:36:12.23
in sales who's
always going above
00:36:12.27\00:36:14.27
and beyond their quota.
00:36:14.30\00:36:17.54
Or the individual that
got employee of the month,
00:36:17.57\00:36:21.61
every month out of the year.
00:36:21.64\00:36:24.35
That's how he was.
00:36:24.38\00:36:25.78
He was an
overachiever if you will.
00:36:25.81\00:36:29.28
Saul was that type of Pharisee.
00:36:29.32\00:36:31.35
He was constantly
persecuting God's people.
00:36:31.39\00:36:33.96
You see, he believed
in a workspace theology
00:36:33.99\00:36:36.79
and it wasn't until
after his conversion experience
00:36:36.83\00:36:39.66
that he embraced grace
through faith in Christ.
00:36:39.69\00:36:43.47
But thank God that
Paul's story didn't end with him
00:36:43.50\00:36:48.20
persecuting God's people.
00:36:48.24\00:36:50.94
And it goes on to show
00:36:50.97\00:36:52.57
how graceful and
loving our God truly is.
00:36:52.61\00:36:56.18
You see, his story
is that of a love story,
00:36:56.21\00:36:59.08
and we'll get into that.
00:36:59.11\00:37:00.62
And his experience can be
broken down into three parts.
00:37:00.65\00:37:04.12
How many parts? Three parts.
00:37:04.15\00:37:06.25
All right, we've
got part number one,
00:37:06.29\00:37:08.86
Paul's early life.
00:37:08.89\00:37:10.63
His second part is
Paul's conversion experience.
00:37:10.66\00:37:14.20
And the third part is
Paul's post conversion life.
00:37:14.23\00:37:18.40
Let's look at Paul's early life.
00:37:18.43\00:37:20.47
Let's take a look at that.
00:37:20.50\00:37:21.84
Go with me to Acts Chapter 26
00:37:21.87\00:37:25.34
and really verses 1
through 11, kind of sum up
00:37:25.37\00:37:30.01
or he gives his
account of his early life,
00:37:30.05\00:37:32.45
but we're going
to start in verse 2,
00:37:32.48\00:37:34.02
and then we're
going to jump down
00:37:34.05\00:37:35.38
to verses 8 through 11.
00:37:35.42\00:37:37.59
Beginning in verse 2,
00:37:37.62\00:37:38.95
"I think myself
happy, King Agrippa,
00:37:38.99\00:37:41.72
because today I
shall answer for myself
00:37:41.76\00:37:44.49
before you
concerning all the things
00:37:44.53\00:37:46.43
of which I am
accused by the Jews."
00:37:46.46\00:37:48.50
Now, I can't imagine being happy
00:37:48.53\00:37:50.50
in a trial type of situation
00:37:50.53\00:37:54.17
where you're in a
trial in front of the king
00:37:54.20\00:37:58.47
and his court, kind
of defending yourself
00:37:58.51\00:38:00.91
for your life,
but Paul viewed this
00:38:00.94\00:38:03.85
as a witnessing opportunity.
00:38:03.88\00:38:06.28
Let's look at verse 8.
00:38:06.31\00:38:07.92
It says, "Why
should it be thought
00:38:07.95\00:38:09.58
incredible by you
that God raises the dead?
00:38:09.62\00:38:12.72
Indeed, I myself
thought I must do many things
00:38:12.75\00:38:15.62
contrary to the name
of Jesus of Nazareth.
00:38:15.66\00:38:18.49
This I also did in Jerusalem,
and many of the saints
00:38:18.53\00:38:21.73
I shut up in prison,
having received authority
00:38:21.76\00:38:24.47
from the chief priests,
00:38:24.50\00:38:26.00
and when they were put to death,
00:38:26.03\00:38:27.37
I cast my vote against them.
00:38:27.40\00:38:29.44
And I punished them
often in every synagogue
00:38:29.47\00:38:32.77
and compelled them to blaspheme
00:38:32.81\00:38:34.71
and being exceedingly
enraged against them.
00:38:34.74\00:38:37.41
I persecuted them
even to foreign cities."
00:38:37.45\00:38:40.52
So we see here that
prior to Paul's conversion,
00:38:40.55\00:38:43.75
he was doing the
exact same things
00:38:43.79\00:38:45.65
that the Jews
sought to do to him.
00:38:45.69\00:38:47.59
He was persecuting God's people,
00:38:47.62\00:38:49.72
and putting them to death.
00:38:49.76\00:38:52.86
Now let's take a look at
Paul's conversion experience.
00:38:52.89\00:38:56.33
This is where
things get really exciting.
00:38:56.36\00:38:59.13
This is Paul's
conversion experience.
00:38:59.17\00:39:01.47
Turn the page in
your Bible over to...
00:39:01.50\00:39:05.44
We're still in Chapter 26,
00:39:05.47\00:39:07.14
but now we're looking
at verses 12 through 18,
00:39:07.18\00:39:10.68
"While thus occupied,
as I journeyed to Damascus
00:39:10.71\00:39:13.62
with authority and commission
00:39:13.65\00:39:15.35
from the chief
priests, at midday, O king,
00:39:15.38\00:39:18.15
along the road I
saw a light from heaven,
00:39:18.19\00:39:20.92
brighter than the
sun, shining around me
00:39:20.96\00:39:23.46
and those who journeyed with me.
00:39:23.49\00:39:25.79
And when we all had
fallen to the ground,
00:39:25.83\00:39:27.76
I heard a voice speaking to me
00:39:27.80\00:39:29.46
and saying in
the Hebrew language,
00:39:29.50\00:39:31.30
'Saul, Saul, why
are you persecuting Me?
00:39:31.33\00:39:34.94
It is hard for you to
kick against the goads.'
00:39:34.97\00:39:37.54
So I said, 'Who are You, Lord?'
00:39:37.57\00:39:40.34
And He said, 'I am
Jesus, whom you are persecuting.
00:39:40.38\00:39:44.01
But rise and stand on your feet,
00:39:44.05\00:39:46.51
for I have appeared
to you for this purpose,
00:39:46.55\00:39:50.22
to make you a
minister and a witness
00:39:50.25\00:39:52.29
both of the things
which you have seen
00:39:52.32\00:39:54.16
and of the things which
I will yet reveal to you.
00:39:54.19\00:39:57.26
I will deliver you
from the Jewish people,
00:39:57.29\00:39:59.46
as well as from the Gentiles,
00:39:59.49\00:40:01.33
to whom I now send
you, to open their eyes,
00:40:01.36\00:40:04.27
in order to turn them
from darkness to light,
00:40:04.30\00:40:06.74
and from the
power of Satan to God,
00:40:06.77\00:40:09.60
that they may
receive forgiveness of sins
00:40:09.64\00:40:12.84
and an inheritance
among those who are sanctified
00:40:12.87\00:40:15.91
by faith in Me."
00:40:15.94\00:40:18.05
That is
powerful. That is powerful.
00:40:18.08\00:40:21.05
Paul had a powerful
conversion experience.
00:40:21.08\00:40:24.09
And he also discovered
00:40:24.12\00:40:25.55
his God given
purpose on this earth.
00:40:25.59\00:40:28.62
Verses 16 through 18
make that very clear.
00:40:28.66\00:40:32.19
Now we're
jumping into part three.
00:40:32.23\00:40:34.30
Stay with me, now,
we're jumping into part three.
00:40:34.33\00:40:36.33
We're looking at
Paul's post conversion life,
00:40:36.36\00:40:39.07
which can be
found in Acts 26:19-23.
00:40:39.10\00:40:44.11
All right,
"Therefore, King Agrippa,
00:40:44.14\00:40:46.81
I was not disobedient
to the heavenly vision,
00:40:46.84\00:40:50.61
but declared first to those
in Damascus and in Jerusalem,
00:40:50.65\00:40:54.52
and throughout all
the region of Judea,
00:40:54.55\00:40:56.69
and then to the Gentiles,
that they should repent,
00:40:56.72\00:40:59.99
turn to God, and do
works befitting repentance.
00:41:00.02\00:41:03.99
For these reasons
the Jews seized me
00:41:04.03\00:41:06.06
in the temple
and tried to kill me.
00:41:06.09\00:41:08.03
Therefore, having
obtained help from God,
00:41:08.06\00:41:10.33
to this day I stand,
00:41:10.37\00:41:11.77
witnessing both
to small and great,
00:41:11.80\00:41:14.00
saying no other things
00:41:14.04\00:41:15.37
than those which the prophets
and Moses said would come,
00:41:15.40\00:41:18.37
that the Christ would suffer,
00:41:18.41\00:41:19.84
that He would be the
first to rise from the dead,
00:41:19.87\00:41:22.31
and would proclaim
light to the Jewish people
00:41:22.34\00:41:24.75
and to the Gentiles."
00:41:24.78\00:41:26.21
One of the things that
00:41:26.25\00:41:27.58
I love about Paul is
he doesn't discriminate.
00:41:27.62\00:41:29.48
You see, he's
spreading the gospel
00:41:29.52\00:41:31.45
to multiple people groups,
00:41:31.49\00:41:32.82
anybody he can
share the gospel with.
00:41:32.85\00:41:34.92
Even if he's on
trial, he is excited.
00:41:34.96\00:41:37.69
He is excited to
share the gospel.
00:41:37.73\00:41:40.96
And so he didn't limit
it to one people group.
00:41:41.00\00:41:43.80
And God sought to do
amazing things through Paul.
00:41:43.83\00:41:48.07
In fact, let's
look at Paul's post.
00:41:48.10\00:41:52.77
We looked at his
post conversion life,
00:41:52.81\00:41:54.44
but now let's go
to Acts 19:11-12,
00:41:54.48\00:41:58.71
because I want to show you
some of those amazing things
00:41:58.75\00:42:02.62
that God did through Paul.
00:42:02.65\00:42:05.55
Now verse 11 and 12, it says,
00:42:05.59\00:42:07.86
"Now God worked unusual miracles
00:42:07.89\00:42:10.63
by the hands of Paul,
00:42:10.66\00:42:12.13
so that even handkerchiefs
or aprons were brought
00:42:12.16\00:42:15.10
from his body to the
sick, and the diseases left them
00:42:15.13\00:42:18.57
and the evil
spirits went out of them."
00:42:18.60\00:42:21.20
I mean, that is
absolutely incredible,
00:42:21.24\00:42:23.37
especially when you take
into consideration Paul's past
00:42:23.41\00:42:26.78
and where, where he
was when he was Saul.
00:42:26.81\00:42:30.51
The purpose
though, of those miracles,
00:42:30.55\00:42:33.45
the purpose of the miracles
00:42:33.48\00:42:34.98
was to bring honor
and glory to Christ
00:42:35.02\00:42:37.29
because if you read
later on in that story,
00:42:37.32\00:42:39.45
you find an
interesting and in my opinion,
00:42:39.49\00:42:42.29
a rather funny account of people
00:42:42.32\00:42:44.49
who did things
with the wrong motive.
00:42:44.53\00:42:47.06
And the evil spirits they
said, you know, we know Jesus,
00:42:47.10\00:42:51.60
we know Paul, but who are you
00:42:51.63\00:42:53.87
and then they
proceeded to beat him up,
00:42:53.90\00:42:56.91
beat them up and send
them out of the house naked.
00:42:56.94\00:43:01.14
I love what the
lesson points out here.
00:43:01.18\00:43:04.15
It says,
witnessing is never about us,
00:43:04.18\00:43:06.72
it's always about Him.
00:43:06.75\00:43:08.55
He is the God who
forgives our iniquities,
00:43:08.58\00:43:11.25
heals our diseases,
crowns us with loving kindness
00:43:11.29\00:43:14.96
and satisfies us
with good things.
00:43:14.99\00:43:17.36
Witnessing is
simply sharing our story
00:43:17.39\00:43:20.10
of His amazing grace.
00:43:20.13\00:43:22.60
We all have a story to share
00:43:22.63\00:43:24.67
whether you've been in
the church your whole life,
00:43:24.70\00:43:27.17
or you're just coming back.
00:43:27.20\00:43:29.90
If you've given
your heart to the Lord,
00:43:29.94\00:43:31.74
you have a story to share.
00:43:31.77\00:43:33.31
Or if you were
working against God,
00:43:33.34\00:43:36.14
and now you're
leading people to Him,
00:43:36.18\00:43:38.01
you have a story to share.
00:43:38.05\00:43:40.98
The fact is, our
stories are still being written.
00:43:41.02\00:43:43.45
So don't be discouraged.
00:43:43.49\00:43:45.55
As the lesson so
beautifully states,
00:43:45.59\00:43:47.32
although John and Paul had
different life experiences,
00:43:47.36\00:43:51.03
they both had a
personal encounter with Jesus.
00:43:51.06\00:43:54.53
Their experience with
Jesus was not one that occurred
00:43:54.56\00:43:57.53
at a particular
point in the past
00:43:57.57\00:44:00.27
and was then over.
00:44:00.30\00:44:02.10
It was an
ongoing daily experience
00:44:02.14\00:44:05.21
of rejoicing in His love
00:44:05.24\00:44:06.78
and walking in the
light of His truth.
00:44:06.81\00:44:10.35
I think we need
to take a look at
00:44:10.38\00:44:11.81
this like a marriage, right?
00:44:11.85\00:44:14.12
You wouldn't just
marry your spouse and say,
00:44:14.15\00:44:16.45
"Okay, honey, we're married.
00:44:16.48\00:44:17.99
That's our experience.
00:44:18.02\00:44:19.39
That's the end
of our experience."
00:44:19.42\00:44:21.26
Of course not, every day
brings about new experiences.
00:44:21.29\00:44:25.96
The same is true about
our walk with the Lord.
00:44:25.99\00:44:28.30
Every day, we
have the opportunity
00:44:28.33\00:44:30.03
to rejoice in God's
love and spend time with Him.
00:44:30.07\00:44:34.94
We should never be
afraid to share our experience
00:44:34.97\00:44:38.27
of what Christ has
brought us through,
00:44:38.31\00:44:40.38
where He has brought us to
and what He has given us to do.
00:44:40.41\00:44:45.21
There are valuable
lessons to be learned
00:44:45.25\00:44:48.12
from Paul's
conversion experience.
00:44:48.15\00:44:50.29
And I think Jill
will be pleased with this
00:44:50.32\00:44:52.55
because I think we have
00:44:52.59\00:44:53.92
quite a few lists going on here.
00:44:53.96\00:44:56.36
And so I'm going to
share a couple lessons that
00:44:56.39\00:44:58.29
I've learned ever so quickly.
00:44:58.33\00:45:01.06
Lesson number one,
God wants to save us
00:45:01.10\00:45:04.20
and He is willing to go
above and beyond to do so.
00:45:04.23\00:45:08.27
But we have to be willing.
00:45:08.30\00:45:11.44
Lesson number two,
our lives have purpose.
00:45:11.47\00:45:14.54
And God wants to use us
00:45:14.58\00:45:15.98
to do great
things despite our past.
00:45:16.01\00:45:18.78
Lesson number three,
00:45:18.81\00:45:20.52
God wants to use
us to help others
00:45:20.55\00:45:23.28
and lead people to Him.
00:45:23.32\00:45:25.65
Lesson number four,
when we serve the Lord,
00:45:25.69\00:45:28.76
we have a peace that
surpasses all understanding.
00:45:28.79\00:45:32.19
Paul was happy to
share his experience,
00:45:32.23\00:45:34.13
even while he was in
bondage in the king's court.
00:45:34.16\00:45:37.90
And lesson number five,
00:45:37.93\00:45:39.40
we are to have a
daily experience with God.
00:45:39.43\00:45:43.71
What is your experience?
00:45:43.74\00:45:45.91
Share it with all
those you come in contact.
00:45:45.94\00:45:48.04
Amen. Praise the Lord.
00:45:48.08\00:45:49.41
Thank you very much. Awesome.
00:45:49.44\00:45:50.81
Thursday's
lesson, this is kind of
00:45:50.85\00:45:52.71
what we've all been
leading up to, lesson is
00:45:52.75\00:45:54.98
"The Power Of
Personal Testimony"
00:45:55.02\00:45:57.02
we've all been talking about.
00:45:57.05\00:45:58.39
So why don't we just kind of
00:45:58.42\00:45:59.75
quickly go over like four points
00:45:59.79\00:46:01.12
that I think
everyone has made clear here.
00:46:01.16\00:46:03.56
You can find it in
Desire of Ages, 340
00:46:03.59\00:46:05.29
and do some more
reading and so on in there.
00:46:05.33\00:46:06.83
But first of all
is tell, number one,
00:46:06.86\00:46:09.86
tell what you know.
00:46:09.90\00:46:12.13
What you know, don't try to tell
00:46:12.17\00:46:13.50
what you don't know, or
what you've not experienced,
00:46:13.54\00:46:15.80
but tell what you know
that what God has done for you.
00:46:15.84\00:46:18.91
Number two,
what we our self has,
00:46:18.94\00:46:21.34
we've read here, what
we have seen our self.
00:46:21.38\00:46:24.41
And then what we
have heard our self,
00:46:24.45\00:46:27.88
and then I even like
this, what we have felt.
00:46:27.92\00:46:31.39
You know, a lot of
people are scared about
00:46:31.42\00:46:33.59
feelings and emotions,
00:46:33.62\00:46:35.22
I'm not because
but I want to base it
00:46:35.26\00:46:37.23
with what the
Scripture tells us.
00:46:37.26\00:46:38.73
But there is a feeling and
there is emotion based upon
00:46:38.76\00:46:41.66
the truth of God's Word here
00:46:41.70\00:46:43.23
that we sense the
presence of God many times.
00:46:43.26\00:46:45.97
We sense Him leading
and opening doors for us.
00:46:46.00\00:46:49.20
So if we're
following step by step,
00:46:49.24\00:46:51.71
Christ, our life every day,
we're studying, we're praying,
00:46:51.74\00:46:54.28
we're following
Christ step by step.
00:46:54.31\00:46:56.24
There's going to be
something in your life that
00:46:56.28\00:46:58.15
you're going to be able to
tell someone else concerning
00:46:58.18\00:47:00.98
how he's led you,
00:47:01.02\00:47:02.95
and then I like the promise
of how He's not only lead you,
00:47:02.98\00:47:06.02
but how He's going to
lead you in the future.
00:47:06.05\00:47:08.46
Praise God for that.
00:47:08.49\00:47:10.73
Witness, I
think I read something
00:47:10.76\00:47:12.89
in Desire of Ages
again through about 340,
00:47:12.93\00:47:15.50
where it says
the world, you know,
00:47:15.53\00:47:16.87
the world is dying, perishing,
for the want of a good witness
00:47:16.90\00:47:20.97
or a good testimony.
00:47:21.00\00:47:22.50
This is what changed.
00:47:22.54\00:47:23.87
When people begin to say,
00:47:23.91\00:47:25.24
this is what
God has done for me.
00:47:25.27\00:47:26.98
My ears perk up, I
don't know about yours,
00:47:27.01\00:47:29.31
but automatic,
they might be saying,
00:47:29.34\00:47:31.38
well, here's what I've
learned and I've learned this
00:47:31.41\00:47:33.11
and you will get that
sometime on the panel,
00:47:33.15\00:47:35.12
believe it or not,
people will call and say,
00:47:35.15\00:47:36.48
well, I know what
she said and he'd said,
00:47:36.52\00:47:38.12
and they said, and you said.
00:47:38.15\00:47:40.46
When they say this is
what God has done for me,
00:47:40.49\00:47:42.32
I'd love to share the testimony.
00:47:42.36\00:47:43.69
I'm all ears.
00:47:43.73\00:47:45.83
I'm all ears
because I want to hear
00:47:45.86\00:47:47.43
what they've done for you.
00:47:47.46\00:47:48.80
It encouraged
and strengthened me
00:47:48.83\00:47:50.17
and I'd love to share
what God has done for me
00:47:50.20\00:47:52.00
and still doing
for me, praise God.
00:47:52.03\00:47:54.57
There's a song says,
00:47:54.60\00:47:55.94
"I was lost, but now I'm found."
00:47:55.97\00:47:58.07
That's right.
00:47:58.11\00:47:59.44
You know, that's
what this lesson,
00:47:59.47\00:48:01.14
this quarter is about,
00:48:01.18\00:48:02.51
that we're lost but now
we're found through Him.
00:48:02.54\00:48:04.61
Desire of Ages, 341 says this.
00:48:04.65\00:48:06.95
I'm reading this
because I think this will be an
00:48:06.98\00:48:09.45
encouragement to
you as it was for me.
00:48:09.48\00:48:11.19
"Souls that have been degraded
into instruments of Satan.
00:48:11.22\00:48:16.26
He gets a hold of
someone, he degrades you,
00:48:16.29\00:48:18.76
and God's going to or
the enemy is going to try
00:48:18.79\00:48:20.73
to use this, notice,
through the power of Christ
00:48:20.76\00:48:23.33
there's a
transformation that takes place
00:48:23.37\00:48:25.60
through the
messenger of righteousness,
00:48:25.63\00:48:27.40
he sends forth," notice
this, "by the Son of God,
00:48:27.44\00:48:30.27
and to tell what great things,"
00:48:30.31\00:48:32.21
somebody mentioned
that before in our lesson,
00:48:32.24\00:48:33.58
"what great
things God had done."
00:48:33.61\00:48:35.58
Not just things,
but what? Great things.
00:48:35.61\00:48:38.45
God doesn't do just things,
00:48:38.48\00:48:40.55
He does great
things exceptional above
00:48:40.58\00:48:43.08
and beyond our
mind, our comprehension.
00:48:43.12\00:48:45.79
And then we can certainly
tell others about that.
00:48:45.82\00:48:48.09
You know,
Thursday's lesson's a power
00:48:48.12\00:48:49.46
of personal
testimony focuses once again
00:48:49.49\00:48:51.79
on our personal testimony
of what God has done in
00:48:51.83\00:48:55.03
and through us and
how we give it to others.
00:48:55.06\00:48:57.10
John Chapter 9, I
do want to hit on this,
00:48:57.13\00:48:59.17
I think it very, very important.
00:48:59.20\00:49:00.54
John Chapter 9, a
lot of verses there,
00:49:00.57\00:49:02.80
22 through 34.
00:49:02.84\00:49:04.87
I'm not going to read those
00:49:04.91\00:49:06.24
if you just
allow me to go through,
00:49:06.27\00:49:07.61
but I want you to read those.
00:49:07.64\00:49:09.11
May I just say,
that's your assignment,
00:49:09.14\00:49:10.61
take those and read every verse
00:49:10.65\00:49:11.98
because you want to
make sure you're hearing
00:49:12.01\00:49:13.35
what is true.
00:49:13.38\00:49:14.72
John 9:22-34.
00:49:14.75\00:49:17.29
This is a story
because we're talking about
00:49:17.32\00:49:19.05
an example of
life that's changed.
00:49:19.09\00:49:21.76
We're talking about a story
00:49:21.79\00:49:23.43
of an individual
personal testimony is given.
00:49:23.46\00:49:26.19
And I really like it.
I've always liked this story.
00:49:26.23\00:49:29.06
Number one, because
God's working but notice,
00:49:29.10\00:49:30.97
He's working through
someone that was born blind,
00:49:31.00\00:49:33.94
and Jesus performed this miracle
00:49:33.97\00:49:36.07
and what happens?
00:49:36.10\00:49:37.51
Here comes, oh, be careful now.
00:49:37.54\00:49:39.67
Here come the
leaders of the church.
00:49:39.71\00:49:42.58
That's not everybody's that way,
00:49:42.61\00:49:43.95
but you know, what?
00:49:43.98\00:49:45.31
Call it as it reads it.
00:49:45.35\00:49:46.68
This is what it happened,
00:49:46.72\00:49:48.48
doesn't mean it's
always that way, now,
00:49:48.52\00:49:49.85
it's always going to be.
00:49:49.88\00:49:51.22
This is what
happened right here.
00:49:51.25\00:49:52.59
Notice there, they were,
00:49:52.62\00:49:53.96
they knew that this
guy was blind, right?
00:49:53.99\00:49:55.32
They knew that
he had been healed.
00:49:55.36\00:49:56.76
And so they went to him
and they said, you know,
00:49:56.79\00:49:59.93
"If any man says," verse 22,
00:49:59.96\00:50:02.70
notice what it
says, "the Jew said it,
00:50:02.73\00:50:04.20
notice, if any
man said it was Jesus,
00:50:04.23\00:50:06.94
he's going to be
put out of," what?
00:50:06.97\00:50:10.04
"Synagogue." Synagogue.
00:50:10.07\00:50:11.41
They knew the
people's going to say,
00:50:11.44\00:50:12.77
who did the healing here,
00:50:12.81\00:50:14.14
okay, and get this
time for a witness.
00:50:14.18\00:50:15.51
Absolutely. Who's
done the healing here?
00:50:15.54\00:50:17.41
But listen, if
anybody comes here
00:50:17.45\00:50:19.28
and they say, "Who did it?"
00:50:19.31\00:50:20.65
Listen, you
better watch what you...
00:50:20.68\00:50:22.18
Oh, my.
00:50:22.22\00:50:23.55
You better watch what you say,
00:50:23.59\00:50:24.92
or we're going to put
you out of the synagogue.
00:50:24.95\00:50:27.26
Now, is that what it said?
00:50:27.29\00:50:29.22
That's what it said, he
puts you out of synagogue
00:50:29.26\00:50:31.29
and then what
we would say today,
00:50:31.33\00:50:33.13
if you do what we...
00:50:33.16\00:50:35.80
Well, we're going
to disfellowship you.
00:50:35.83\00:50:37.80
See, you can be disfellow.
00:50:37.83\00:50:39.17
The same word, same thing is
00:50:39.20\00:50:40.54
just transpiring
and taking place here
00:50:40.57\00:50:41.90
good, better, or ugly.
00:50:41.94\00:50:43.27
They were trying to set him up
00:50:43.30\00:50:44.77
and like I think
you mentioned there,
00:50:44.81\00:50:46.41
Pastor Ryan, about, you know,
00:50:46.44\00:50:48.01
they were
setting up some things.
00:50:48.04\00:50:49.38
That's right.
00:50:49.41\00:50:50.75
Because they
realize they didn't want
00:50:50.78\00:50:52.11
this attributed to Jesus,
00:50:52.15\00:50:53.58
the King of kings and
the One that could perform
00:50:53.62\00:50:55.38
and work miracles.
00:50:55.42\00:50:56.75
And so they said like, "Nope,
00:50:56.79\00:50:58.15
if anybody comes you don't
dare say that it was Jesus,
00:50:58.19\00:51:00.42
'cause if you do,
you're going to be
00:51:00.46\00:51:01.79
out of the
church, you're going to be
00:51:01.82\00:51:03.16
disfellowshipped
and then they thought,
00:51:03.19\00:51:04.53
"Well, okay, now we
need to go to the parents."
00:51:04.56\00:51:06.76
You know, in the story,
00:51:06.80\00:51:08.13
you need to go to verse
23 just simply says there,
00:51:08.16\00:51:10.67
so they asked the
parents, you know,
00:51:10.70\00:51:12.50
parents, you know.
00:51:12.53\00:51:13.87
What did the parents do?
00:51:13.90\00:51:15.24
Well, may I ask it nicely,
they threw him under the bus.
00:51:15.27\00:51:19.17
They threw their own son,
00:51:19.21\00:51:20.84
that's what we
would say nowadays.
00:51:20.88\00:51:22.31
They threw him
under the bus immediately
00:51:22.34\00:51:24.31
and they said,
"Man, he is of age.
00:51:24.35\00:51:28.22
Ask him, don't ask me
because I don't want to,
00:51:28.25\00:51:31.22
you know get in
problem with the church.
00:51:31.25\00:51:32.72
I don't want to
be disfellowshipped,
00:51:32.75\00:51:34.09
I don't want to be thrown out."
00:51:34.12\00:51:35.79
So you ask him, verse 24,
00:51:35.82\00:51:38.13
"Then they call the
man that was blind."
00:51:38.16\00:51:40.13
I like that.
00:51:40.16\00:51:41.50
That's where we should have
started as far as I'm concern.
00:51:41.53\00:51:43.40
Go to the one and
asked him verse 24.
00:51:43.43\00:51:47.44
And they said,
"Listen, you know,
00:51:47.47\00:51:49.54
when people ask you how,
00:51:49.57\00:51:51.44
see, they knew he
was blind from birth.
00:51:51.47\00:51:53.24
They knew it was a miracle.
They couldn't get around it.
00:51:53.27\00:51:55.81
And so they said, right
here, somebody comes to you
00:51:55.84\00:51:57.85
and ask you who
did this miracle,
00:51:57.88\00:51:59.55
you say God did it.
00:51:59.58\00:52:01.98
Basically, they might have
been tougher language in that,
00:52:02.02\00:52:04.22
they might have
said, don't you dare.
00:52:04.25\00:52:05.59
Don't you dare.
00:52:05.62\00:52:06.96
I'm just saying what you
think don't give God the praise.
00:52:06.99\00:52:10.29
They told him what
he should be saying,
00:52:10.33\00:52:14.40
rather than
what he wanted to say
00:52:14.43\00:52:15.76
from the heart,
00:52:15.80\00:52:17.13
because we see that as we go on.
00:52:17.17\00:52:18.87
You know, because why?
00:52:18.90\00:52:21.37
Because the one that claims
to have healed is a sinner.
00:52:21.40\00:52:26.54
They call Him the King of
kings and Lord of Lord a what?
00:52:26.57\00:52:28.81
A sinner.
00:52:28.84\00:52:30.18
And so they said, he's a sinner.
00:52:30.21\00:52:31.55
He couldn't do it.
Verse 25, I like this.
00:52:31.58\00:52:33.92
The once blind man
00:52:33.95\00:52:35.45
sets the record
straight, notice by what?
00:52:35.48\00:52:38.35
By his personal, by
his personal testimony.
00:52:38.39\00:52:42.59
It was his personal
testimony. I like it.
00:52:42.62\00:52:44.53
I mean, he said, "Listen,
00:52:44.56\00:52:45.89
when he comes to you,
people start asking you,
00:52:45.93\00:52:47.36
here's what you better say."
00:52:47.40\00:52:48.90
And he said, look, hey,
look this is the way it is.
00:52:48.93\00:52:51.17
Whether he be a sinner
or not, what does this say?
00:52:51.20\00:52:55.04
I don't know.
But one thing I know.
00:52:55.07\00:52:58.57
See, I love this, but one thing,
00:52:58.61\00:53:00.44
see if you know there's nobody
that can take it away from me.
00:53:00.48\00:53:02.68
That's right.
00:53:02.71\00:53:04.05
You know that
Christ lives in your heart.
00:53:04.08\00:53:05.45
He's worked a
miracle in your life,
00:53:05.48\00:53:06.82
you were sinner
and saved by grace,
00:53:06.85\00:53:08.35
which we all are.
Worked a miracle in our life.
00:53:08.38\00:53:11.12
No one can take
that away from you
00:53:11.15\00:53:12.85
and don't let anyone
take that away from you.
00:53:12.89\00:53:14.49
Amen.
00:53:14.52\00:53:15.86
He said, All I know is he
sinner or not, I don't know.
00:53:15.89\00:53:18.56
But one thing I know
wherein I was blind, now I see.
00:53:18.59\00:53:22.70
This thing, I
mean, I could say it
00:53:22.73\00:53:24.17
over and over all day long.
00:53:24.20\00:53:25.67
You know, I was
blind, but now I see.
00:53:25.70\00:53:28.00
They couldn't fight that,
00:53:28.04\00:53:29.37
they didn't know
what to do for him.
00:53:29.40\00:53:30.74
They said, "Oh,
my." And he goes on.
00:53:30.77\00:53:32.67
And I don't know if
he wants to get their God
00:53:32.71\00:53:34.84
just a little bit
more or not when he said,
00:53:34.88\00:53:37.25
the volume had said
there's nothing has happened
00:53:37.28\00:53:39.15
like this since the foundation
that where I was born blind.
00:53:39.18\00:53:41.42
We don't know of anybody
00:53:41.45\00:53:42.78
in Scripture that now is healed.
00:53:42.82\00:53:44.69
Verse 34. What happened?
00:53:44.72\00:53:46.72
They couldn't take it.
00:53:46.76\00:53:48.09
Verse 34, best to paraphrase,
00:53:48.12\00:53:49.52
they couldn't take
it anymore the testimony
00:53:49.56\00:53:51.43
and they cast him out.
00:53:51.46\00:53:54.86
They cast him out.
00:53:54.90\00:53:56.56
Sometime when you're
doing what God wants you to do
00:53:56.60\00:53:58.40
and you're bearing a testimony,
00:53:58.43\00:53:59.80
you may be out in
the world, you may they
00:53:59.83\00:54:01.30
say demon possessed or
maybe all kinds of things
00:54:01.34\00:54:03.41
going on low down
dirty, whatever it might be.
00:54:03.44\00:54:06.01
But let's say, God can come in
00:54:06.04\00:54:07.38
wherever you want to
sit here on this panel,
00:54:07.41\00:54:08.74
He can touch, He can
change, He can make you whole,
00:54:08.78\00:54:11.31
nothing is too big for God.
00:54:11.35\00:54:13.05
God loves to do good thing.
00:54:13.08\00:54:14.42
He just simply
says, "Come unto me,
00:54:14.45\00:54:16.05
all you that are
labor and heavy laden
00:54:16.08\00:54:18.55
and I will give you rest."
00:54:18.59\00:54:20.72
There's many who
are looking for rest
00:54:20.76\00:54:22.09
because they're running
out around through that,
00:54:22.12\00:54:24.03
was it the graveyard?
00:54:24.06\00:54:25.39
That's right. You know, I mean,
00:54:25.43\00:54:26.76
they're the demons
and things are going on.
00:54:26.80\00:54:28.13
They don't know
where they're going,
00:54:28.16\00:54:29.50
what they're doing in life,
00:54:29.53\00:54:30.87
and they're
looking for direction.
00:54:30.90\00:54:32.23
I spend more,
little time about Paul
00:54:32.27\00:54:33.60
but you covered it very
well because part of the back,
00:54:33.64\00:54:35.14
second part of the lesson
deals with Paul and Agrippa.
00:54:35.17\00:54:37.61
But notice you had Paul
who was a born again Christian,
00:54:37.64\00:54:41.08
his heart was filled
with the love of Jesus,
00:54:41.11\00:54:44.15
you had Agrippa
who had a hard heart.
00:54:44.18\00:54:45.85
He didn't want anything to
do with Christ and the two met.
00:54:45.88\00:54:49.28
And you notice that,
when you have a hard heart
00:54:49.32\00:54:51.05
and you're cold,
bless your heart,
00:54:51.09\00:54:52.65
you can't draw anyone to Christ.
00:54:52.69\00:54:54.22
You got this long
face, you're walking around
00:54:54.26\00:54:56.06
is dragging on the sidewalk.
00:54:56.09\00:54:57.66
You call yourself a Christian.
00:54:57.69\00:54:59.13
No one's going to
pay any attention.
00:54:59.16\00:55:00.53
Isn't it true, no one's
going to pay attention to that?
00:55:00.56\00:55:02.20
I like to see a
smile on somebody's face.
00:55:02.23\00:55:04.07
You say you love
Jesus, you should be happy
00:55:04.10\00:55:05.83
no matter what's
going on in your life.
00:55:05.87\00:55:07.44
God can look and make
us happy for sure in Him.
00:55:07.47\00:55:10.31
But I just want to
encourage you today.
00:55:10.34\00:55:12.97
We have a power of
a personal testimony.
00:55:13.01\00:55:16.75
That's right.
00:55:16.78\00:55:18.11
Again, that no man can give you,
00:55:18.15\00:55:19.48
no man can take away
00:55:19.51\00:55:20.85
and I just encourage
you to stay with that.
00:55:20.88\00:55:22.75
You say, I don't know the Bible,
00:55:22.78\00:55:24.12
I can't give a Bible
study. I can't be a witness.
00:55:24.15\00:55:26.35
I don't how to do it.
00:55:26.39\00:55:27.79
Tell, we said it over and over
and we'll continue to say it
00:55:27.82\00:55:30.36
this whole quarter, tell
what God has done for you.
00:55:30.39\00:55:33.33
That's right.
00:55:33.36\00:55:34.70
My life probably has
been changed as I realized,
00:55:34.73\00:55:36.40
you know, by people
trying to give Bible study
00:55:36.43\00:55:38.33
but I've been changed
much more by people who say,
00:55:38.37\00:55:40.57
this is what God's done for me.
00:55:40.60\00:55:42.24
Oh, you have a
personal testimony.
00:55:42.27\00:55:43.94
Please share it with others,
00:55:43.97\00:55:45.31
it'll change their
heart and their life.
00:55:45.34\00:55:46.68
Amen.
00:55:46.71\00:55:48.04
Thank you so much, Pastor Kenny,
00:55:48.08\00:55:49.41
the power of personal testimony.
00:55:49.44\00:55:51.31
Want to give each one
of you a moment to share
00:55:51.35\00:55:53.15
something about your day
00:55:53.18\00:55:54.52
or just about
this week in general?
00:55:54.55\00:55:55.88
Okay, I'll summarize
it in two separate lines.
00:55:55.92\00:55:59.15
Our reaction to the
gospel is not as important
00:55:59.19\00:56:02.19
as our change
because of the gospel.
00:56:02.22\00:56:06.29
It is not just what we believe,
but it is what we become
00:56:06.33\00:56:10.47
that makes the difference
in the life of a witness.
00:56:10.50\00:56:12.80
Amen. Amen.
00:56:12.83\00:56:14.97
Brother Kenny just
brought it out so clearly,
00:56:15.00\00:56:17.24
probably one of the greatest
simplest lines of witness
00:56:17.27\00:56:21.01
that a person can
read in all of Scripture
00:56:21.04\00:56:23.11
is right there in
the 25th verse of John
00:56:23.14\00:56:24.91
Chapter 9, when
the brother says,
00:56:24.95\00:56:26.68
"One thing I know,
though I was blind, now I see."
00:56:26.72\00:56:30.22
I think every single one of
us can relate to that story that
00:56:30.25\00:56:33.56
once I was blind, and now,
00:56:33.59\00:56:35.39
Ryan Day sees by
the grace of God.
00:56:35.42\00:56:38.09
Amen. I love that.
00:56:38.13\00:56:40.50
You know, as I think
about Wednesday's lesson,
00:56:40.53\00:56:42.53
it just really goes to show that
00:56:42.56\00:56:45.53
God wants to use
us in spite of us.
00:56:45.57\00:56:47.87
And so maybe
you're thinking to myself,
00:56:47.90\00:56:50.37
like I've never
had that experience
00:56:50.41\00:56:52.74
or maybe I've
never given God a chance.
00:56:52.77\00:56:55.78
Today is your day
to give God a chance,
00:56:55.81\00:56:57.98
so that you can
now have an experience
00:56:58.01\00:57:01.05
to share with others.
00:57:01.08\00:57:02.45
God wants to do
great things in your life.
00:57:02.48\00:57:04.79
And we see that He did
great things in Paul's life.
00:57:04.82\00:57:07.92
So give him a
chance today and the Bible,
00:57:07.96\00:57:11.39
not even, don't
take my word for it.
00:57:11.43\00:57:14.16
Take the word of God for it.
00:57:14.20\00:57:16.46
God will not leave you the same
00:57:16.50\00:57:18.23
and you will be
all the better for it.
00:57:18.27\00:57:20.07
Amen. Just two
simple quick lines.
00:57:20.10\00:57:22.14
It says here,
"Take heed and do thyself
00:57:22.17\00:57:24.64
and into the doctrine,"
00:57:24.67\00:57:26.61
but notice, "thyself
needs the first attention."
00:57:26.64\00:57:30.55
That's good.
00:57:30.58\00:57:31.91
Thank you so much,
Pastor Kenny, and Jason,
00:57:31.95\00:57:33.98
and Ryan, and Pastor John,
00:57:34.02\00:57:35.35
thank you for opening
up your personal testimony
00:57:35.38\00:57:37.89
and the Word of God.
00:57:37.92\00:57:39.25
Thank you for
joining us as well.
00:57:39.29\00:57:40.89
I want to leave
you with this quote
00:57:40.92\00:57:42.26
from Desire of Ages, 340,
00:57:42.29\00:57:44.13
"As witnesses for Christ
we are to tell what we know
00:57:44.16\00:57:47.53
what we ourselves have
seen and heard and felt.
00:57:47.56\00:57:50.80
If we've been
following Jesus step by step,
00:57:50.83\00:57:53.17
we shall have something
to say concerning the way
00:57:53.20\00:57:57.01
that He has led us."
00:57:57.04\00:57:58.51
So I want to encourage
you to get out and share
00:57:58.54\00:58:01.34
what Jesus has
done in your own life.
00:58:01.38\00:58:04.01
Join us next week,
00:58:04.05\00:58:05.38
"Seeing People
Through Jesus' Eyes."
00:58:05.41\00:58:07.42