Hello, friends, can you believe
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we have almost arrived
to the end of our series
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on "Making Friends for God,"
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we have three lessons left.
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And in this week's
lesson, lesson number 11,
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we're going to be talking about
"Sharing the Story of Jesus."
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That reminds me of
the old hymn, you know,
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tell me the story of Jesus,
write on my heart every word.
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I love that song.
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I love the words of
that song. And you know what?
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Today we're going
to be talking all about
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how to share the story of Jesus
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and how to tell
the story of Jesus
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and so you may not
have a copy of this study.
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So we want to tell you
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how to get a copy of that study.
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You can go online
to absg.adventist.org.
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Again that's absg.adventist.org,
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and you can access the
study for free or, of course,
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we always encourage you
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to go to your local
Seventh-day Adventist Church
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to fellowship and
to study together.
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But hey, again as always
say grab your pens, your paper,
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your iPads, your
Bibles, your friends, enemies,
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everyone around
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and let's study
God's Word together
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in just a few moments.
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Hello 3ABN friends and family.
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We want to thank you so
much for joining us again
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on another week of
3ABN Sabbath School Panel.
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As always, we
appreciate your time,
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taking time to study
with us each and every week.
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And this week, we're going to be
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talking about
Sharing the Story of Jesus,
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lesson number 11.
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We are fast tracking
toward the end of this series
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on Making Friends for God.
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And before we go any further,
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I want to introduce not
that they need an introduction,
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but there may be someone
new who may not know our panel.
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And so to my left, we
have Miss Jill Morikone.
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It's always a
blessing to have you.
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Thank you so much.
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Privileged to be here,
excited about this lesson.
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Amen. Praise the Lord.
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And as always, Brother Danny,
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you always bring so much insight
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and wisdom and we
appreciate you as well.
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Brother Danny Shelton.
Thank you for being here.
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The rest of us almost joined
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in with you in saying here
in the beginning that was true.
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Praise the Lord.
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And, of course,
Pastor John Lomacang,
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it's always a blessing to
have you as well, Brother.
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Praise the Lord.
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Any day in God's
Word is a blessed day.
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Amen.
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And I know Brother
Kenny Shelton down there
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has some wise
words of encouragement
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from the Word of God.
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We always
appreciate your input, Brother.
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It's always good to
study the Word of God together,
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especially in these lessons here
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because everyone
has lifted up Jesus.
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Amen. Absolutely.
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And that's what this
particular lesson is all about.
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Sharing the story of Jesus,
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putting Jesus into
your personal testimony,
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into your Bible
study, into your evangelism,
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into your life, into
your daily experiences.
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And so, before we go any further
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and dive deep into
this powerful lesson,
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Brother Danny, I'm going to ask
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if you don't
mind have us a prayer.
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I will.
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Dear Lord once again,
we just want to thank You
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for Your many
wonderful blessings to us
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for this opportunity to study
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Your Word on Your Sabbath day.
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And we thank You, Lord,
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now for hearing,
for answering prayers.
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We pray, especially
for everyone watching.
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We pray for the
anointing and listening,
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for the anointing
of the Holy Spirit
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upon each one
that we will receive
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what you would
have us to take in today
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and then go share it
with those around about us.
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In Jesus' name
we pray, Amen. Amen.
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Thank you so much, Brother.
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Our memory text for this
week comes from 1 John 5:13.
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And it says, "These
things I have written to you
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who believe in the
name of the Son of God,
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that you may know
that you have eternal life
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and that you may continue
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to believe in the
name of the Son of God."
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There is indeed
power in the name of God.
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Sabbath afternoon's
lesson brings out the fact that
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as we have learned
in previous lessons,
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sharing the truth
is vitally important.
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And we know that
as the series has been
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all about witnessing
and sharing your faith,
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sharing Jesus, of course,
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we know that that's
vitally important to do
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it in a truthful manner.
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However, sharing the truth
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with the absence
of Jesus at the core
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will lead to failure.
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And I can personally say this,
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because early on in
my Christian experience,
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I was all about the truth.
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I was all about
sharing the truth,
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but Jesus wasn't
much in my testimony,
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wasn't much tied into
each one of those truths
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as I was sharing,
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and you can share a
whole lot of knowledge,
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a whole lot of truth with people
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but if you don't
have Jesus in that story,
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you're just
sharing information, right?
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It's got to be personal.
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True witnessing is
sharing what we know about Jesus
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within the context
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of all of these beautiful truths
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that we know.
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And the lesson
brings out clearly
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that if our witness
about Jesus comes from a heart
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that has been
transformed by His grace,
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charmed by His love
and amazed at His truth,
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others will be
impressed with how the truth
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we believe has
impacted our lives.
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Truth presented in the
context of a changed life
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makes all the difference.
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And you might say why?
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Well, because
Jesus is the truth.
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And, of course, that
truth has made us free indeed.
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And I love the passage,
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I'm going to dive
into Sunday's lesson
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which is entitled,
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"Jesus, the Basis
of Our Testimony."
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And the passage that it
begins with is Ephesians 2:1-10.
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I love this passage.
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This is one of
my favorite passages
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because it reminds us
that we all have a story,
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that we all have an experience.
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We all have a personal
story of how Christ has led us
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from where we once were,
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to where we are now and
where He is also taking us.
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And so let's begin
reading in Ephesians Chapter 2,
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beginning with verse 1,
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the Bible says here
and this is Paul sharing,
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"And you He made
alive," speaking of Christ,
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"who were dead in
trespasses and sins,
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in which you once walked
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according to the
course of this world,
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according to the prince
of the power of the air,
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the spirit who now works
in the sons of disobedience,
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among whom also we all
once conducted ourselves
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in the lusts of our flesh,
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fulfilling the desires of
the flesh and of the mind,
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and were by
nature children of wrath,
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just as the others."
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And then I love
this next, "But God,"
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Now you just pause
there and take that in,
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but God, when God comes
into picture, things change.
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It says here in verse 4,
"But God who is rich in mercy,
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because of His great
love with which He loved us,
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even when we were
dead in trespasses,
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made us alive
together with Christ,"
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and I love this in parenthesis,
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"(by grace you
have been saved)."
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We can't forget that,
"And raised us up together,
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and made us sit together
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in the heavenly
places in Christ Jesus,
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that in the ages to come
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He might show
the exceeding riches
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of His grace in His kindness
toward us in Christ Jesus.
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And here comes
those famous verses.
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We've heard so many times,
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"For by grace you have
been saved through faith,
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and that not of
yourselves, it is a gift of God,
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not of works, lest
anyone should boast.
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For we are His workmanship,
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created in Christ
Jesus for good works,
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which God prepared beforehand
that we should walk in them."
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That's powerful just to hear,
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I can imagine that
that would have been the way
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Paul would have
shared his testimony.
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It was flooded with Christ,
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it was flooded with
how Jesus had changed
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and transformed his life
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and I love this
particular lesson
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because as I was going through
the bulk of the lesson was,
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it basically says in the
lesson that you know what,
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you have a testimony.
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And if you were to
share your testimony,
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you have a before Christ
and an after Christ, right?
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Your life that once occurred,
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you know, before
Christ was in your life.
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And, of course,
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when Christ came into your life,
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what happened afterwards.
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You know, I want to give
an example of this right now
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and how you can
easily share your story,
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and how Christ can be the basis
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and the
foundation of your testimony.
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I'm going to share
in just a few minutes,
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my personal testimony
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and give you kind of
an example of how this is
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when you're sharing with someone
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you can indeed in fact, in fact,
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that would be a
good word, in fact,
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affect someone powerfully
just by sharing Jesus with them
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because Jesus is a contagion,
you know, a good contagion,
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I want to be
infected with Jesus Christ.
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So here's my
story before Christ,
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okay, this is just really short.
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Okay, this is my
gist version of my story.
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I was raised in church,
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but I was one of
the biggest hypocrites
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to walk the planet.
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It's the truth.
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I put on my Christian mask
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when around people of
certain religious affiliation
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and was quick to indulge
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in non-Christian activities
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and conversations at
the first chance I got.
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I was a liar, a schemer
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and a manipulator at
times for personal gain.
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I was bullied as a child
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and grew up to become
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an even bigger bully to
those I thought deserved it.
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I often used my quick wit,
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loud charisma, trash talking,
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along with vulgar language
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to intimidate
and humiliate people
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who would verbally bully
and take advantage of others.
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In other words, I
used to be a bully's bully.
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I got into
fights, public arguments,
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and had a
really dangerous temper
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at one time in my life.
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I dishonored my parents, I
disrespected, demeaned, hurt,
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and bullied my
little brother at times,
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only when he was just
looking to me for friendship
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and wanted to hang out
with his older brother.
00:10:08.40\00:10:11.24
I partied hard.
00:10:11.27\00:10:13.84
I disc jockeyed on
the side for money,
00:10:13.88\00:10:16.68
and entertained thousands
00:10:16.71\00:10:18.05
with horrible satanic music
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and lyrical themes
and musical elements
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that would make
some demons blush.
00:10:22.52\00:10:26.02
I was a mess. I was lost.
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And I had replaced Paul
as the chief of sinners.
00:10:28.82\00:10:32.06
That was my past.
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That was before
Christ came into my life,
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all the while wearing the mask
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that I was a Christian.
00:10:37.77\00:10:43.00
But, but then, I had
an encounter with Jesus.
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He took my stone-cold
heart and transformed it
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into a soft heart of flesh.
00:10:52.88\00:10:55.88
He took away my lying tongue
00:10:55.92\00:10:58.39
and replaced it with
the truthful testimony.
00:10:58.42\00:11:01.89
He took hold of my angry spirit
00:11:01.92\00:11:05.19
and transformed it into
a humble, caring vessel.
00:11:05.23\00:11:09.80
Instead of bullying bullies,
00:11:09.83\00:11:12.40
He transformed me
into a bold soldier
00:11:12.43\00:11:14.84
to combat the despicable,
00:11:14.87\00:11:16.91
manipulative
lying ways of the devil.
00:11:16.94\00:11:20.71
Instead of engaging in fights
and arguments with my brethren,
00:11:20.74\00:11:24.51
Christ equipped me
00:11:24.55\00:11:26.38
with the gifts to
fight the devil's agenda
00:11:26.41\00:11:28.88
through public Bible seminars.
00:11:28.92\00:11:31.95
Christ would give me
a love for my parents,
00:11:31.99\00:11:34.69
siblings and friends
so much that I committed
00:11:34.72\00:11:37.96
to lovingly bombard them
with the truth of Jesus Christ
00:11:37.99\00:11:41.56
until they all converted.
00:11:41.60\00:11:44.40
I watched as the Lord
used me in a miraculous way
00:11:44.43\00:11:47.04
to witness to my little brother,
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who had somewhat
grown cold hearted,
00:11:49.34\00:11:51.57
probably due to my
poor influence growing up,
00:11:51.61\00:11:54.88
and I watched
as the Lord used me
00:11:54.91\00:11:56.71
to embrace him, pray for
him, teach him and guide him
00:11:56.75\00:12:01.98
to a
relationship with his Savior.
00:12:02.02\00:12:04.52
And at the same
time this same young man
00:12:04.55\00:12:08.99
is now leading
thousands to Jesus Christ.
00:12:09.02\00:12:12.89
The Lord gave me the power
to throw away the partying,
00:12:12.93\00:12:16.16
the disc jockey business,
00:12:16.20\00:12:17.77
the paid entertainment gigs,
00:12:17.80\00:12:19.60
and all the
other worldly garbage
00:12:19.63\00:12:21.20
that I was buried in.
00:12:21.24\00:12:22.94
He changed me,
He transformed me.
00:12:22.97\00:12:25.97
And He ordained me to go
out as a sheep among wolves,
00:12:26.01\00:12:29.51
as a beacon of
light in a dark world,
00:12:29.54\00:12:32.41
back to the prison that
00:12:32.45\00:12:33.78
I was once bound
in to help rescue
00:12:33.82\00:12:37.65
those in need of help.
00:12:37.69\00:12:40.92
All of this was only made
possible because of Jesus.
00:12:40.96\00:12:45.09
Amen. Amen.
00:12:45.13\00:12:46.46
Now, just in that little
three or four minutes segment
00:12:46.49\00:12:49.30
that I just gave of my story,
00:12:49.33\00:12:52.37
I mentioned and referenced
Jesus Christ 17 times,
00:12:52.40\00:12:55.97
and normally I
don't count how many times
00:12:56.00\00:12:57.47
but as I was writing
it, I thought, you know,
00:12:57.51\00:12:59.17
I just want to see and
I went back and I counted.
00:12:59.21\00:13:01.04
I referenced
Jesus Christ 17 times
00:13:01.08\00:13:03.14
and the title of this message,
title of this lesson is Jesus,
00:13:03.18\00:13:06.85
the Basis of Our Testimony.
00:13:06.88\00:13:08.88
You see, when you
have been transformed
00:13:08.92\00:13:10.45
by the grace of Jesus Christ,
00:13:10.49\00:13:12.35
you can't help but
tell someone about Him.
00:13:12.39\00:13:14.39
Each and every
one of you right now,
00:13:14.42\00:13:16.69
you have a story.
00:13:16.73\00:13:18.39
You have a testimony.
00:13:18.43\00:13:20.30
And the basis of
that testimony is Jesus
00:13:20.33\00:13:23.20
and His transforming grace.
00:13:23.23\00:13:25.53
And there's someone
out there right now,
00:13:25.57\00:13:28.17
who, if they heard your story,
00:13:28.20\00:13:31.51
it would impact
them in a mighty way.
00:13:31.54\00:13:33.88
And you might be sitting
at home right now saying,
00:13:33.91\00:13:35.31
well, Ryan, I don't have
some big elaborate story.
00:13:35.34\00:13:38.11
You know, I didn't
come to Jesus in a cave.
00:13:38.15\00:13:40.18
I didn't come out of
the entertainment business.
00:13:40.22\00:13:42.25
I don't have some, you know,
00:13:42.28\00:13:44.29
incredible overwhelming
life transformation story.
00:13:44.32\00:13:47.96
But at the same time
you do, because at times,
00:13:47.99\00:13:52.53
we look at other
people's testimonies
00:13:52.56\00:13:54.03
and we compare,
00:13:54.06\00:13:55.40
and we try to say that
this person's testimony
00:13:55.43\00:13:57.27
is greater than
this person's testimony.
00:13:57.30\00:13:58.97
But that's not the case.
00:13:59.00\00:14:00.34
In God's eyes, the fact
that you are a redeemed person
00:14:00.37\00:14:04.27
in Jesus Christ is
the greatest story of all.
00:14:04.31\00:14:09.14
And the fact that Jesus
Christ has transformed you,
00:14:09.18\00:14:11.78
there's someone else out there
waiting to hear that story.
00:14:11.81\00:14:14.65
And as we have
learned in this study,
00:14:14.68\00:14:16.72
a personal
testimony is powerful,
00:14:16.75\00:14:18.99
more powerful than
any other possible truth
00:14:19.02\00:14:21.42
or story that you could
share because it's real,
00:14:21.46\00:14:23.99
it's personal,
and it's truthful.
00:14:24.03\00:14:26.73
And so I encourage
each and every one of you
00:14:26.76\00:14:28.26
at home watching,
00:14:28.30\00:14:29.63
and those that may be
chiming in at this moment,
00:14:29.66\00:14:32.40
tell your story.
00:14:32.43\00:14:33.90
Tell others how
Christ has transformed you,
00:14:33.94\00:14:37.01
because as the song says,
as I've referenced before,
00:14:37.04\00:14:40.41
Lanny Wolfe song
Jesus did it for me.
00:14:40.44\00:14:42.28
You ask me how I know,
00:14:42.31\00:14:44.71
that Jesus blood
washes whiter than snow,
00:14:44.75\00:14:47.85
I can say that I
know it so because
00:14:47.88\00:14:50.69
Jesus did it for me.
00:14:50.72\00:14:52.82
You can tell them that
you can be a beacon of light
00:14:52.85\00:14:55.62
into their dark shadowy place.
00:14:55.66\00:14:57.96
So share your testimony
today, uplift Jesus Christ.
00:14:57.99\00:15:01.03
And remember, always make Jesus
the basis of your testimony.
00:15:01.06\00:15:04.90
Amen. Thank you so much, Ryan.
00:15:04.93\00:15:07.57
We could go home right
now. That was powerful.
00:15:07.60\00:15:10.24
Thank you for sharing
your personal testimony.
00:15:10.27\00:15:12.64
And I've heard
some details of that,
00:15:12.67\00:15:15.24
but never as completely
as you shared just now
00:15:15.28\00:15:17.38
and to see where you
were, and where you are today.
00:15:17.41\00:15:22.12
And what God's done in your life
00:15:22.15\00:15:23.72
that just really
ministered to me.
00:15:23.75\00:15:26.35
And you can share your testimony
00:15:26.39\00:15:28.72
and minister to someone else.
00:15:28.76\00:15:30.73
On Monday's lesson we have
00:15:30.76\00:15:32.09
"The Transformative
Power of Personal Testimony."
00:15:32.13\00:15:35.76
We're looking
specifically at the apostle
00:15:35.80\00:15:38.37
or disciple John, he
was a son of thunder,
00:15:38.40\00:15:42.00
and who he became
00:15:42.04\00:15:44.87
and what God did in
his heart and in his life,
00:15:44.91\00:15:48.61
BC Before Christ
and AC After Christ.
00:15:48.64\00:15:52.61
I like what you
said there, Ryan.
00:15:52.65\00:15:54.32
So let's look at
Mark 3rd, Mark Chapter 3.
00:15:54.35\00:15:57.49
We're going to
pick it up in verse 14.
00:15:57.52\00:15:59.12
Mark Chapter 3,
00:15:59.15\00:16:00.49
this is where
Jesus first names them
00:16:00.52\00:16:02.42
and calls them
the Sons of Thunder.
00:16:02.46\00:16:04.63
Mark 3:14,"Then He,"
00:16:04.66\00:16:06.59
that's Jesus, "appointed twelve,
00:16:06.63\00:16:08.70
that they might be with Him
00:16:08.73\00:16:10.07
and that He might
send them out to preach,
00:16:10.10\00:16:12.17
and to have power
to heal sicknesses
00:16:12.20\00:16:14.14
and cast out demons:
00:16:14.17\00:16:15.67
Simon, to whom He
gave the name Peter,
00:16:15.70\00:16:17.97
James the son of Zebedee
and John the brother of James,
00:16:18.01\00:16:20.94
to whom He gave
the name Boanerges,
00:16:20.98\00:16:23.68
that is, "Sons of Thunder."
00:16:23.71\00:16:27.22
Boanerges is an Aramaic
term interpreted by Mark
00:16:27.25\00:16:30.15
for his non-Jewish
audience who were probably Roman
00:16:30.19\00:16:33.15
so he tells them
this is what it means,
00:16:33.19\00:16:35.39
Sons of Thunder.
00:16:35.42\00:16:37.33
Now there's an
experience in Luke Chapter 9,
00:16:37.36\00:16:39.59
none of the other
gospel writers recorded,
00:16:39.63\00:16:41.56
Luke Chapter 9
talks about a time
00:16:41.60\00:16:43.37
when John and
James literally lived up
00:16:43.40\00:16:45.70
to their name and they wanted to
00:16:45.73\00:16:47.40
execute vengeance on a
certain Samaritan village.
00:16:47.44\00:16:50.77
So let's take a look
at that. Luke Chapter 9.
00:16:50.81\00:16:54.08
We want to see a
bit of John's past
00:16:54.11\00:16:56.75
before we see the
transforming grace of God
00:16:56.78\00:16:59.51
in His Heart and in His life.
00:16:59.55\00:17:01.45
Now, of course, Luke 9 begins
00:17:01.48\00:17:03.08
with the 12
disciples being sent out
00:17:03.12\00:17:05.25
on there, we could say
maiden evangelistic voyage.
00:17:05.29\00:17:08.62
They were sent to
preach the gospel,
00:17:08.66\00:17:11.09
that the kingdom
of God was at hand.
00:17:11.13\00:17:13.46
They were sent to heal
the sick and cast out demons.
00:17:13.50\00:17:15.86
It was a successful mission.
00:17:15.90\00:17:18.07
And they came back
00:17:18.10\00:17:19.43
and they witnessed
Jesus feeding the 5,000.
00:17:19.47\00:17:23.14
Then Peter, James and
John had a special privilege
00:17:23.17\00:17:26.01
to go up on the
Mount of Transfiguration,
00:17:26.04\00:17:29.14
and they witnessed Jesus
00:17:29.18\00:17:31.31
being
transformed or transfigured
00:17:31.35\00:17:33.45
before their very eyes.
00:17:33.48\00:17:35.95
So what I'm getting at
is that John had experienced
00:17:35.98\00:17:39.62
the power of Jesus
because God had used him
00:17:39.65\00:17:42.62
to cast out demons
and to heal the sick.
00:17:42.66\00:17:44.86
He had seen miracles,
Jesus had fed the 5,000,
00:17:44.89\00:17:49.50
he had seen Jesus transfigured,
00:17:49.53\00:17:51.57
and yet we see that
he's still very human,
00:17:51.60\00:17:54.87
and a bit unconverted,
00:17:54.90\00:17:56.97
and without the
power of the Holy Spirit.
00:17:57.01\00:18:00.61
In the next
section here in Luke 9,
00:18:00.64\00:18:03.04
I see the disciples'
defeat, their dismay,
00:18:03.08\00:18:07.18
dispute, dilemma and desire.
00:18:07.22\00:18:10.65
So let's look at their defeat.
00:18:10.69\00:18:12.15
Remember Jesus and
the three disciples
00:18:12.19\00:18:13.52
come right down
00:18:13.56\00:18:14.89
from the Mount
of Transfiguration,
00:18:14.92\00:18:16.52
and they encounter
the other nine disciples
00:18:16.56\00:18:18.73
who were unable to cast
out the demon from the boy.
00:18:18.76\00:18:21.70
Remember, the
father came with a boy?
00:18:21.73\00:18:23.93
And then in Luke 9:41,
Jesus answered and said,
00:18:23.97\00:18:27.80
"Oh, faithless and
perverse generation,
00:18:27.84\00:18:30.37
how long shall I be with you
00:18:30.41\00:18:32.11
and bear with you
bring your son here."
00:18:32.14\00:18:35.04
So who was faithless
in this circumstance?
00:18:35.08\00:18:38.08
Clearly, the nine
disciples were faithless,
00:18:38.11\00:18:40.12
because in Matthew,
00:18:40.15\00:18:41.48
Jesus told them that
they needed more faith,
00:18:41.52\00:18:43.82
and that this kind
00:18:43.85\00:18:45.19
would only come out
by prayer and fasting.
00:18:45.22\00:18:47.49
Clearly, the
father was faithless,
00:18:47.52\00:18:49.62
because in Mark he said,
00:18:49.66\00:18:50.99
I believe please
help my unbelief.
00:18:51.03\00:18:53.66
He acknowledged that.
00:18:53.70\00:18:55.06
Probably the Scribes
00:18:55.10\00:18:56.43
or a good deal of
the Scribes and Pharisees
00:18:56.46\00:18:58.37
in the crowd were
faithless as well.
00:18:58.40\00:19:00.24
That's the disciples' defeat.
00:19:00.27\00:19:02.14
Then we see the
disciples' dismay
00:19:02.17\00:19:03.77
because right after this,
00:19:03.81\00:19:05.27
Jesus tells the disciples
about His coming death,
00:19:05.31\00:19:09.34
that the Son of Man
is going to be betrayed.
00:19:09.38\00:19:12.25
And the Bible says the disciples
00:19:12.28\00:19:13.72
did not understand this,
00:19:13.75\00:19:15.65
but they were
afraid to ask Him about it.
00:19:15.68\00:19:19.45
Then we see the
disciples dispute
00:19:19.49\00:19:21.06
the very next thing in
Luke is their argument over
00:19:21.09\00:19:24.83
who's going to be the
greatest in the kingdom of God.
00:19:24.86\00:19:28.43
Now, it's
interesting, Pastor Ryan,
00:19:28.46\00:19:30.17
because the disciples
were afraid to ask Jesus
00:19:30.20\00:19:32.40
about His coming death, right?
00:19:32.43\00:19:33.77
Because Luke says
that they're afraid to ask,
00:19:33.80\00:19:36.10
but they're surely
not afraid to ask about
00:19:36.14\00:19:37.91
who's going to get the
top place in the kingdom.
00:19:37.94\00:19:40.14
I just find that
very interesting.
00:19:40.18\00:19:42.08
So they're like, I
don't even want to ask
00:19:42.11\00:19:44.25
because I'm afraid but here,
oh, yeah, I'm not afraid to ask
00:19:44.28\00:19:47.25
and who's going
to be the greatest.
00:19:47.28\00:19:49.02
Then we see
00:19:49.05\00:19:50.39
before we get
there with this dispute
00:19:50.42\00:19:52.25
and who's going
to be the greatest,
00:19:52.29\00:19:53.62
you know, oftentimes,
we measure the significance
00:19:53.66\00:19:56.99
of our ministry
by the significance
00:19:57.03\00:19:59.53
of our audience.
00:19:59.56\00:20:01.93
If we minister to
a significant person,
00:20:01.96\00:20:04.43
we think we have a
significant ministry.
00:20:04.47\00:20:07.00
Oh, this person's famous,
00:20:07.04\00:20:08.74
oh, this person's wealthy,
00:20:08.77\00:20:10.54
oh, this person's, whoever.
00:20:10.57\00:20:13.11
But on the contrary, if
we ministered to someone
00:20:13.14\00:20:16.11
that society
sees as insignificant,
00:20:16.14\00:20:19.31
we think our
ministry is insignificant,
00:20:19.35\00:20:22.78
but that is not God's view.
00:20:22.82\00:20:25.59
He said, "Whoever ministers
00:20:25.62\00:20:27.06
to a child is
ministering to Jesus."
00:20:27.09\00:20:31.19
Then we see the
disciples' dilemma.
00:20:31.23\00:20:33.70
John asked Jesus,
00:20:33.73\00:20:35.16
this is in Luke
9, we're in verse 49.
00:20:35.20\00:20:37.57
We saw someone casting
out demons in your name.
00:20:37.60\00:20:41.24
And we told him
to stop doing that
00:20:41.27\00:20:42.90
because he does not
follow us in the ministry.
00:20:42.94\00:20:45.94
But Jesus rebuked John
and the disciples said,
00:20:45.97\00:20:49.81
"Whoever was not
against us was on our side."
00:20:49.84\00:20:53.42
And then we see again,
00:20:53.45\00:20:54.78
John emerges again,
with the disciples' desire.
00:20:54.82\00:20:58.72
We're in verse 51.
00:20:58.75\00:21:00.46
"Now it came to pass,
00:21:00.49\00:21:01.82
when the time had come
for Him to be received up,
00:21:01.86\00:21:04.09
that He steadfastly set His face
00:21:04.13\00:21:06.49
to go to Jerusalem,"
00:21:06.53\00:21:08.63
Jesus knows He's
going to the cross,
00:21:08.66\00:21:10.83
"and sent
messengers before His face.
00:21:10.87\00:21:12.43
And as they went,
00:21:12.47\00:21:13.80
they entered a
village of the Samaritans,
00:21:13.84\00:21:15.20
to prepare for Him.
00:21:15.24\00:21:16.60
But they did not receive Him,
00:21:16.64\00:21:18.77
because His face was set
for the journey to Jerusalem.
00:21:18.81\00:21:21.91
And when His disciples James
and John saw this, they said,
00:21:21.94\00:21:24.71
'Lord, do You want us to
command fire to come down
00:21:24.75\00:21:27.02
from heaven and consume
them, just as Elijah did?'
00:21:27.05\00:21:31.22
But He turned and
rebuked them, and said,
00:21:31.25\00:21:34.36
'You do not know
00:21:34.39\00:21:35.72
what manner of
spirit you are of,
00:21:35.76\00:21:37.29
for the Son of Man did not come
00:21:37.33\00:21:38.99
to destroy men's
lives but to save them.'
00:21:39.03\00:21:41.63
And they went to
another village.'"
00:21:41.66\00:21:43.80
James and John wanted
fire to come down from heaven,
00:21:43.83\00:21:48.10
and smoke their enemies,
much like the Prophet Jonah
00:21:48.14\00:21:53.78
would rather
watch their enemy suffer
00:21:53.81\00:21:56.85
than experience
the grace of God.
00:21:56.88\00:22:01.38
They acted out of
impulse and misplaced zeal.
00:22:01.42\00:22:04.49
They acted out of
irritation for a perceived sly.
00:22:04.52\00:22:07.66
They acted out of anger
00:22:07.69\00:22:09.16
because things
did not go their way.
00:22:09.19\00:22:11.39
They acted out of hatred
00:22:11.43\00:22:13.26
towards someone
who was not like them.
00:22:13.29\00:22:15.33
Remember the Samaritans
and the Jews were enemies.
00:22:15.36\00:22:18.07
They lacked compassion
and a spirit of grace.
00:22:18.10\00:22:20.84
They lacked love and
a spirit of forgiveness.
00:22:20.87\00:22:24.04
They lacked kindness
00:22:24.07\00:22:25.54
and a spirit desiring
salvation of the lost.
00:22:25.57\00:22:29.08
And Jesus rebuked them,
00:22:29.11\00:22:30.55
but we know that
John was converted.
00:22:30.58\00:22:34.42
We know that he experienced
00:22:34.45\00:22:36.69
those three and a
half years watching Jesus,
00:22:36.72\00:22:39.15
living with Jesus,
working with Jesus,
00:22:39.19\00:22:41.82
seeing how he
interacted, his heart,
00:22:41.86\00:22:45.16
his life, his spirit, his
very nature was transformed
00:22:45.19\00:22:50.67
by the power of God
00:22:50.70\00:22:52.53
and the power
of the Holy Spirit.
00:22:52.57\00:22:54.80
And when the Holy Spirit
was poured out at Pentecost,
00:22:54.84\00:22:58.74
we see that these disciples
00:22:58.77\00:23:00.18
did not run and
flee like they did
00:23:00.21\00:23:02.28
when Jesus was crucified.
00:23:02.31\00:23:03.95
But they stood boldly for Jesus
and they proclaim the gospel.
00:23:03.98\00:23:08.08
Let's turn to 1 John Chapter,
we'll pick it up in 1 John 4.
00:23:08.12\00:23:12.79
This is, of
course, the Apostle John
00:23:12.82\00:23:14.42
who was the son of thunder,
00:23:14.46\00:23:16.02
his epistle and in this epistle,
00:23:16.06\00:23:18.19
the word love
appears nearly 40 times.
00:23:18.23\00:23:22.00
And in its various forms,
00:23:22.03\00:23:23.77
this is from Pastor
Mark from the lesson,
00:23:23.80\00:23:25.53
it occurs 50 times, 1
John 4, this is five verses,
00:23:25.57\00:23:30.04
verses 7 through 11.
00:23:30.07\00:23:31.67
"Beloved, let us
love one another,
00:23:31.71\00:23:33.98
for love is of God,
00:23:34.01\00:23:35.41
and everyone who
loves is born of God
00:23:35.44\00:23:37.31
and knows God.
00:23:37.35\00:23:38.91
He who does not
love does not know God,
00:23:38.95\00:23:41.85
for God is love.
00:23:41.88\00:23:44.42
In this the love of God
was manifested toward us,
00:23:44.45\00:23:47.76
that God sent His only
begotten Son into the world,
00:23:47.79\00:23:51.09
that we might live through Him.
00:23:51.13\00:23:52.99
In this is love,
not that we loved God,
00:23:53.03\00:23:55.80
but that He loved
us and sent His Son
00:23:55.83\00:23:58.60
to be the
propitiation for our sins.
00:23:58.63\00:24:01.17
Beloved, if God so loved us,
00:24:01.20\00:24:03.04
we also ought to
love one another."
00:24:03.07\00:24:05.97
In those five verses,
00:24:06.01\00:24:07.64
there are 11
times the word agape
00:24:07.68\00:24:10.28
or agape love is mentioned.
00:24:10.31\00:24:12.35
This is not a sensual love.
This is not a friendship love.
00:24:12.38\00:24:15.92
This is the love of
God, self-sacrificing love,
00:24:15.95\00:24:20.76
a principle of love
for the good of others.
00:24:20.79\00:24:23.19
You see, we
learned from this passage,
00:24:23.22\00:24:25.13
that John finally got it,
00:24:25.16\00:24:26.80
that he
understood God and His love,
00:24:26.83\00:24:30.77
that he understood that
love originates from God,
00:24:30.80\00:24:33.57
we can't conjure it up.
00:24:33.60\00:24:35.20
We can't create it,
00:24:35.24\00:24:36.57
it comes from above
when we are born again.
00:24:36.60\00:24:40.28
He understood
God's love for him,
00:24:40.31\00:24:42.91
as revealed at the cross.
00:24:42.94\00:24:44.68
And he understood
that we receive God's love
00:24:44.71\00:24:47.68
in order to extend it to others.
00:24:47.72\00:24:50.59
You see, John
was a son of thunder,
00:24:50.62\00:24:53.99
but he became a
disciple of Jesus who exhibited,
00:24:54.02\00:24:57.99
who exulted and shared His love
00:24:58.03\00:25:01.20
and this gospel with those
that He came in contact with.
00:25:01.23\00:25:05.23
Praise the Lord.
Well, I love that.
00:25:05.27\00:25:07.17
God is love not that
He's just mere loving,
00:25:07.20\00:25:09.47
but He is love.
00:25:09.50\00:25:11.01
And as they're
the Sons of Thunder,
00:25:11.04\00:25:12.54
I would like to be
known as a son of love, amen?
00:25:12.57\00:25:14.91
Praise the Lord.
00:25:14.94\00:25:16.28
We're going to
take a short break.
00:25:16.31\00:25:17.65
Don't go anywhere.
We'll be right back.
00:25:17.68\00:25:19.01
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Hello, friends, welcome back
to 3ABN Sabbath School Panel.
00:25:54.45\00:25:57.02
We're going to pass it
00:25:57.05\00:25:58.49
on over to Brother Danny Shelton
00:25:58.52\00:26:00.02
for Tuesday's lesson.
00:26:00.06\00:26:01.49
Thank you so much both of
you, Ryan, incredible testimony
00:26:01.52\00:26:04.36
and, Jill, as always,
00:26:04.39\00:26:06.06
the word just seems
to jump off the pages
00:26:06.09\00:26:08.50
into you and right out to us.
00:26:08.53\00:26:09.96
Thanks so much.
00:26:10.00\00:26:11.90
Mine is telling
the story of Jesus.
00:26:11.93\00:26:13.27
Now, there's nothing
00:26:13.30\00:26:14.64
that I'd rather do
than tell the story
00:26:14.67\00:26:16.77
because 3ABN that's
what it's all about,
00:26:16.81\00:26:19.24
giving undiluted
three angels' messages,
00:26:19.27\00:26:21.64
one that would counteract
00:26:21.68\00:26:23.01
the counterfeit
into all the world.
00:26:23.04\00:26:25.18
Now, does God use us
because we're worthy?
00:26:25.21\00:26:27.82
No, God, does He use
you because you're worthy?
00:26:27.85\00:26:30.29
No, He uses us
because He is worthy,
00:26:30.32\00:26:33.05
and that He uses
us in spite of us,
00:26:33.09\00:26:35.56
not because of us.
00:26:35.59\00:26:36.93
So once we get
that through our heads,
00:26:36.96\00:26:38.33
it's not about
us, it's about God.
00:26:38.36\00:26:41.00
A lot of things will change.
00:26:41.03\00:26:42.66
The story here
00:26:42.70\00:26:44.03
that Pastor Mark Finley puts in,
00:26:44.07\00:26:45.40
we're talking today about
00:26:45.43\00:26:46.80
how soon after
you accept Christ,
00:26:46.84\00:26:49.30
are you ready to
be an evangelist?
00:26:49.34\00:26:51.31
Are you ready to go share
00:26:51.34\00:26:53.14
your testimony and
tell people about Jesus?
00:26:53.17\00:26:56.21
Well, he gives us stories,
and I won't go into all of it
00:26:56.24\00:26:58.48
but Matthew 8 and Mark 5
00:26:58.51\00:27:00.92
tells the story of the two,
one of them is two demoniacs
00:27:00.95\00:27:04.45
and the other is just one.
00:27:04.49\00:27:06.35
I think Mark centers in on
one but the point is the same,
00:27:06.39\00:27:09.69
the results were that these men
00:27:09.72\00:27:12.33
when they met Jesus,
00:27:12.36\00:27:13.70
the unclean spirits had to flee.
00:27:13.73\00:27:16.16
And they were cast into pigs
00:27:16.20\00:27:18.03
and you remember
what happened to the pigs,
00:27:18.07\00:27:19.57
they all went over
whether it's to clear
00:27:19.60\00:27:21.47
for just into the
waters, what have you.
00:27:21.50\00:27:24.41
But the result was
the beautiful story as we,
00:27:24.44\00:27:28.91
Mark as he tells, it says,
00:27:28.94\00:27:30.81
of when the
townspeople came to see,
00:27:30.85\00:27:32.95
they heard the people
00:27:32.98\00:27:34.32
who had been feeding the animals
00:27:34.35\00:27:36.02
and taking care of
them ran into town said,
00:27:36.05\00:27:38.25
you wouldn't believe what
just happened, what I saw.
00:27:38.29\00:27:40.89
So, of course, you know,
00:27:40.92\00:27:42.26
townspeople have
nothing better to do,
00:27:42.29\00:27:44.36
came out and they saw this man
00:27:44.39\00:27:47.06
in his right mind
clothed and sitting
00:27:47.10\00:27:50.23
at the feet of Jesus.
00:27:50.27\00:27:51.63
Now this is somebody
who had been cutting himself
00:27:51.67\00:27:53.94
running around day and night,
00:27:53.97\00:27:55.30
they could hear him
screaming out of the caves.
00:27:55.34\00:27:57.61
Everybody was afraid
of him, but Jesus comes in
00:27:57.64\00:28:01.44
and cast out the demon
00:28:01.48\00:28:03.04
and all of a
sudden, everything changes.
00:28:03.08\00:28:06.48
So Jesus had restored
him physically, mentally,
00:28:06.51\00:28:10.52
emotionally, and spiritually.
00:28:10.55\00:28:13.15
And that my friend
00:28:13.19\00:28:14.52
is the story of
Jesus right there,
00:28:14.56\00:28:17.29
that he takes everything
that is so final here,
00:28:17.33\00:28:21.13
everything that is
just here temporarily.
00:28:21.16\00:28:24.07
You know our bodies
in immortality, right?
00:28:24.10\00:28:29.87
And mortal must
put on immortality,
00:28:29.90\00:28:32.14
this corruptible
put on incorruption,
00:28:32.17\00:28:34.71
only Jesus can do that.
00:28:34.74\00:28:36.34
Only Jesus, we use
Lanny Wolfe quite a bit,
00:28:36.38\00:28:38.98
only Jesus can
satisfy your soul.
00:28:39.01\00:28:42.02
So here this man
00:28:42.05\00:28:43.39
they saw him
clothed in his right mind,
00:28:43.42\00:28:46.02
sitting at the feet of Jesus.
00:28:46.05\00:28:47.89
And I mean, what
an incredible story.
00:28:47.92\00:28:50.73
Now, we're no different
than this demon filled man
00:28:50.76\00:28:55.43
because we're born in a
world that's full of demons.
00:28:55.46\00:29:00.14
And they're running loose.
00:29:00.17\00:29:01.60
And the only thing
00:29:01.64\00:29:02.97
that will free
people is the Creator,
00:29:03.00\00:29:05.81
Master Jesus Christ,
00:29:05.84\00:29:07.84
when we come in
contact with Him.
00:29:07.88\00:29:10.15
The Bible says
that when we meet Jesus,
00:29:10.18\00:29:13.58
every knee shall bow,
00:29:13.62\00:29:15.32
every tongue shall confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord.
00:29:15.35\00:29:19.52
And I mean this
such an incredible thing.
00:29:19.55\00:29:21.56
In fact, you mentioned,
00:29:21.59\00:29:23.12
we mentioned
Lanny Wolfe already,
00:29:23.16\00:29:24.49
but the song
says, get all excited.
00:29:24.53\00:29:26.90
Go tell everybody
that Jesus Christ is Lord.
00:29:26.93\00:29:29.83
You could almost
sing that for us,
00:29:29.86\00:29:31.97
I'm sure you could.
00:29:32.00\00:29:33.47
Mark also recounts
as Jesus was leaving,
00:29:33.50\00:29:36.34
as He was entering the boat,
00:29:36.37\00:29:37.97
he had been the he
who had been possessed
00:29:38.01\00:29:40.11
with the demons,
they saw Jesus and said,
00:29:40.14\00:29:43.18
"Can I go with you?"
00:29:43.21\00:29:44.55
And Jesus, what did He tell him?
00:29:44.58\00:29:45.91
No.
00:29:45.95\00:29:47.28
Just go back into town
00:29:47.32\00:29:48.85
and tell people
what I have done for you.
00:29:48.88\00:29:50.95
That's right.
00:29:50.99\00:29:52.32
So how soon does,
00:29:52.35\00:29:53.69
did this man
become an evangelist?
00:29:53.72\00:29:56.32
Immediately, just immediately,
because what did he do?
00:29:56.36\00:29:59.69
He went and gave
his personal testimony.
00:29:59.73\00:30:02.10
And no one could argue
with it because everybody
00:30:02.13\00:30:04.20
had seen them
probably for years.
00:30:04.23\00:30:07.07
And this naked out,
literally hurting people,
00:30:07.10\00:30:10.54
hurting themselves,
full of these demons
00:30:10.57\00:30:12.71
and now they see someone
sitting at the feet of Jesus.
00:30:12.74\00:30:15.98
Can you imagine that eventually,
00:30:16.01\00:30:18.11
we'll get to sit
at the feet of Jesus
00:30:18.15\00:30:20.02
for eternity to learn more
00:30:20.05\00:30:22.62
about the great
story of redemption?
00:30:22.65\00:30:24.95
Now I want to
center in on something
00:30:24.99\00:30:26.35
that's a little different.
00:30:26.39\00:30:27.72
It's not always a
problem with people
00:30:27.76\00:30:29.86
when they first get, some
people use the term saved,
00:30:29.89\00:30:32.76
they've first come to
the knowledge of Christ.
00:30:32.79\00:30:35.10
They're ready to go
out and tell the world
00:30:35.13\00:30:37.57
but I hate to say this,
00:30:37.60\00:30:38.93
but I am remiss not to sometimes
00:30:38.97\00:30:42.64
we the ones
who've been in church
00:30:42.67\00:30:44.37
the longest are
the ones that say stop.
00:30:44.41\00:30:46.84
We're the ones to stop him,
00:30:46.88\00:30:48.21
so they come in to
church all excited.
00:30:48.24\00:30:50.35
We want to get a song service,
praise the Lord and then wait,
00:30:50.38\00:30:53.58
wait, wait, wait,
we don't do that here.
00:30:53.62\00:30:55.25
Somebody the
preacher's preaching,
00:30:55.28\00:30:56.75
they're like "Glory, Hallelujah.
00:30:56.79\00:30:58.29
Thank you, Jesus."
00:30:58.32\00:30:59.65
Whoa, whoa, whoa,
00:30:59.69\00:31:01.02
we don't have like
that in this church.
00:31:01.06\00:31:03.02
We don't do those things.
00:31:03.06\00:31:04.86
You got to calm
down a little bit.
00:31:04.89\00:31:07.36
I'll never
forget Elder Aver Combo,
00:31:07.40\00:31:09.40
one of our first board members.
00:31:09.43\00:31:11.03
Kenny, he was president
00:31:11.07\00:31:12.40
of the Illinois
Conference for years.
00:31:12.43\00:31:13.90
He told me when I
was a young pastor,
00:31:13.94\00:31:16.27
I went to, they
sent me to a church
00:31:16.30\00:31:18.07
of about 15 members,
had 20 on the best day
00:31:18.11\00:31:21.41
and I was determined that
00:31:21.44\00:31:23.08
church had been there for years.
00:31:23.11\00:31:24.45
They said, "No one ever had any,
00:31:24.48\00:31:26.88
you know, had done
anything with that church."
00:31:26.92\00:31:28.68
So he said, I said, "I
am going to turn this city
00:31:28.72\00:31:31.35
with God's help upside
down this little town."
00:31:31.39\00:31:34.29
I went door-to-door, he said,
00:31:34.32\00:31:36.39
I held evangelist
meetings, and church said,
00:31:36.42\00:31:38.29
"Well, we don't do that.
00:31:38.33\00:31:39.66
You can't just, you
know, this costs money.
00:31:39.69\00:31:41.53
We can't do this." So
he said, "I did it anyway."
00:31:41.56\00:31:44.50
And he said, "We
had 50, 75 people
00:31:44.53\00:31:47.84
begin to come
into church filled up."
00:31:47.87\00:31:50.27
I said, "Praise the Lord."
00:31:50.31\00:31:51.64
He said, "No, it's
not the end of the story."
00:31:51.67\00:31:53.07
Well, by the end of the year,
00:31:53.11\00:31:55.04
every person who had joined
had left because I said why?
00:31:55.08\00:32:00.28
He said, because
the people in it said,
00:32:00.32\00:32:02.22
well, wait a minute,
00:32:02.25\00:32:03.59
I know this guy
is a piano player,
00:32:03.62\00:32:04.95
but I've been the
piano player for 20 years,
00:32:04.99\00:32:07.59
you're not going to replace me.
00:32:07.62\00:32:08.96
Well, why is he
going to be a deacon?
00:32:08.99\00:32:10.46
I've been here 15 years.
You never let me be a deacon.
00:32:10.49\00:32:13.86
So well, I want
to get up and tell,
00:32:13.90\00:32:16.06
can we be a part of
evangelistic series?
00:32:16.10\00:32:18.73
No, well, no, you're
new, you can't do any of this.
00:32:18.77\00:32:22.04
And he said, they
got so discouraged,
00:32:22.07\00:32:24.87
they left it, we
saw it in our own area
00:32:24.91\00:32:27.38
where same thing
happened years later,
00:32:27.41\00:32:29.94
many people
baptized and they left.
00:32:29.98\00:32:31.65
So the problem wasn't
00:32:31.68\00:32:33.01
with those who
just accepted Jesus,
00:32:33.05\00:32:35.25
but I want to bring it today
00:32:35.28\00:32:36.62
I want to center in on us,
00:32:36.65\00:32:38.32
what are we doing to
encourage those, right?
00:32:38.35\00:32:41.62
Those who accept Jesus
Christ as Lord and Savior.
00:32:41.66\00:32:44.39
Now many of us, we
use all kinds of excuses.
00:32:44.43\00:32:47.23
And to, well, this is a reason
00:32:47.26\00:32:51.17
why and well and a
lot of people well,
00:32:51.20\00:32:53.47
I don't talk, I'm
not an evangelist.
00:32:53.50\00:32:56.10
I can't say anything.
00:32:56.14\00:32:57.54
I went to a guy's house.
00:32:57.57\00:32:59.21
Had a beautiful for home,
00:32:59.24\00:33:00.58
I'd done church
services, went to his house,
00:33:00.61\00:33:03.58
wasn't a
mansion but close to it.
00:33:03.61\00:33:05.61
He said, "I love
everything he said today.
00:33:05.65\00:33:07.85
But when you said
everybody is an evangelist,
00:33:07.88\00:33:10.05
and everybody,
every hand should go up,
00:33:10.09\00:33:11.59
when you say go
ye, that's not me."
00:33:11.62\00:33:13.92
And I said, "Why?"
00:33:13.96\00:33:15.29
And he said, "I'm not a talker.
00:33:15.32\00:33:16.86
You got to give to gab. I
don't have the gift of gab.
00:33:16.89\00:33:19.09
So why don't you, you do
it, and I'll give some money.
00:33:19.13\00:33:22.23
I'll help and support that way.
But I just, I just can't talk."
00:33:22.26\00:33:25.73
I said, "Really?"
00:33:25.77\00:33:27.10
So few minutes
later, I said, Man,
00:33:27.14\00:33:29.00
this is a beautiful
home, gorgeous home.
00:33:29.04\00:33:31.67
Then he said, "Oh, yeah, yeah."
00:33:31.71\00:33:33.07
He said, "Now, we didn't,
I know what you're thinking,
00:33:33.11\00:33:35.44
we didn't spend
nearly as much money."
00:33:35.48\00:33:37.05
I said, "I
wasn't thinking that,"
00:33:37.08\00:33:38.91
you know, he got real defensive.
00:33:38.95\00:33:41.48
Well, we didn't
spend all that money.
00:33:41.52\00:33:43.28
You know, we got a
great deal on this house.
00:33:43.32\00:33:45.72
And his wife said, "Oh,
you should have seen it.
00:33:45.75\00:33:47.92
They wanted this much and
we got it for this amount."
00:33:47.96\00:33:50.83
And I said, "Really?"
00:33:50.86\00:33:52.19
I said, "Who
negotiated that for you?"
00:33:52.23\00:33:54.03
Oh, she said, "My husband.
00:33:54.06\00:33:55.40
He's a great
negotiator that he got this guy,
00:33:55.43\00:33:57.83
he kept coming
back, kept coming back,
00:33:57.87\00:34:00.10
finally got him
down to our price."
00:34:00.14\00:34:01.80
And the guy
said, "Yeah, he did."
00:34:01.84\00:34:03.47
And I said, "Hmm,
00:34:03.51\00:34:04.84
I thought you just told
me you couldn't negotiate,
00:34:04.87\00:34:06.68
you couldn't talk.
00:34:06.71\00:34:08.04
But when it
comes to our own stuff,
00:34:08.08\00:34:10.01
the things that we wanted,
00:34:10.05\00:34:11.41
suddenly he was a
great negotiator."
00:34:11.45\00:34:13.25
So excuses.
00:34:13.28\00:34:14.72
This song was not written by
00:34:14.75\00:34:17.82
any of the three B's I'm sure,
00:34:17.85\00:34:19.65
but it says: Excuses, excuses,
you'll hear them every day.
00:34:19.69\00:34:23.19
And the devil he'll supply them,
00:34:23.22\00:34:24.76
if from church you stay away.
00:34:24.79\00:34:26.49
When people come
to know the Lord,
00:34:26.53\00:34:28.03
the devil always loses.
00:34:28.06\00:34:29.73
So to keep those
folks away from church,
00:34:29.76\00:34:31.80
he offers them excuses.
00:34:31.83\00:34:33.44
In the summertime, it's too hot.
00:34:33.47\00:34:35.27
And in the
winter, it's too cold.
00:34:35.30\00:34:36.64
In the springtime,
the weather's just right,
00:34:36.67\00:34:39.77
you find someplace else to go.
00:34:39.81\00:34:42.01
Well, it's up to the
mountains or down to the beach
00:34:42.04\00:34:44.11
or to visit some old friend
00:34:44.15\00:34:46.05
or just to stay home and
kinda relax and hope that
00:34:46.08\00:34:48.78
some kin folk will
kind of be dropping in.
00:34:48.82\00:34:52.35
Well, the church
benches are too hard.
00:34:52.39\00:34:55.22
And that old choir
sings way too loud.
00:34:55.26\00:34:57.53
Boy, you don't
know how nervous you get
00:34:57.56\00:34:59.59
when you're sitting
in a great big crowd.
00:34:59.63\00:35:01.86
The doctor told you,
00:35:01.90\00:35:03.23
'Now you better
watch some crowds.
00:35:03.26\00:35:04.90
They'll set you back.'
00:35:04.93\00:35:06.33
But you go to that old
ballgame because you say,
00:35:06.37\00:35:08.57
'it relaxes you back.'
00:35:08.60\00:35:11.61
Well, you head
on Sunday morning,
00:35:11.64\00:35:14.01
Sabbath morning and Sunday night
00:35:14.04\00:35:16.21
it says but you
can't go to church,
00:35:16.24\00:35:17.71
but by work time Monday morning
00:35:17.75\00:35:19.18
you're feeling quite all right.
00:35:19.21\00:35:21.15
And even when
one of the children
00:35:21.18\00:35:22.52
has the cold, pneumonia,
00:35:22.55\00:35:24.35
do you suppose the whole family
00:35:24.39\00:35:25.95
stays home just to
help the kid blow his nose.
00:35:25.99\00:35:27.59
Right?
00:35:27.62\00:35:28.96
Right, excuses, excuses,
you'll hear them every day.
00:35:28.99\00:35:32.13
The devil he'll supply them
if from church, you stay away.
00:35:32.16\00:35:35.73
So when people
come to know the Lord,
00:35:35.76\00:35:37.33
the devil always loses.
00:35:37.37\00:35:38.93
So to keep those
folks away from church,
00:35:38.97\00:35:41.07
he offers them excuses.'"
00:35:41.10\00:35:43.51
So, the older I get,
the more I understand
00:35:43.54\00:35:47.28
what our dad used to say,
people do what they want to do.
00:35:47.31\00:35:50.21
So, folks, it's all about us.
00:35:50.25\00:35:52.31
Today is the day of salvation,
00:35:52.35\00:35:54.92
ask the Lord to
come into your heart.
00:35:54.95\00:35:57.12
Say Lord Jesus,
give me Your Strength
00:35:57.15\00:36:00.46
and Your power
to go tell the world
00:36:00.49\00:36:02.29
what You have done for me.
00:36:02.32\00:36:04.86
Wow. Amen.
00:36:04.89\00:36:06.39
You're going to
share that, Paul?
00:36:06.43\00:36:08.90
That was good. That was good.
00:36:08.93\00:36:10.27
That was great. That's true.
00:36:10.30\00:36:11.63
You know, I heard one person
would said, what if we were as
00:36:11.67\00:36:13.80
sick as we claim to be,
was broke as we claim to be.
00:36:13.84\00:36:19.01
Boy, I tell you,
I always tell people
00:36:19.04\00:36:20.38
I even said that here.
00:36:20.41\00:36:21.74
You know, when I said,
00:36:21.78\00:36:23.11
"What happened
to you on Sabbath?"
00:36:23.14\00:36:24.48
"Well, I wasn't feeling well."
00:36:24.51\00:36:25.85
I said, "You know
what you should do
00:36:25.88\00:36:27.22
on Monday morning,
00:36:27.25\00:36:28.58
call Jill and say I
am not come to work.
00:36:28.62\00:36:29.95
I feel horrible.
00:36:29.98\00:36:31.32
I just will not be there."
00:36:31.35\00:36:33.12
I said, "I bet
you won't do that."
00:36:33.15\00:36:34.52
You know, it's amazing
how we put the Lord last
00:36:34.56\00:36:37.09
on our list when
we just get a feeling
00:36:37.13\00:36:39.69
or edge or we think, and Danny
00:36:39.73\00:36:43.16
that was so
apropos, appropriate.
00:36:43.20\00:36:46.94
Don't be a
Christian with excuses.
00:36:46.97\00:36:49.04
Because what happens now
00:36:49.07\00:36:50.41
it leans over into
this aspect of the lesson.
00:36:50.44\00:36:52.97
You don't have any
assurance of salvation.
00:36:53.01\00:36:56.14
There are so many people
00:36:56.18\00:36:57.51
that I've met through the years.
00:36:57.55\00:36:58.88
It's amazing.
00:36:58.91\00:37:00.25
I remember story of a
lady and my wife would know
00:37:00.28\00:37:02.25
who I'm referring
to, I know, right?
00:37:02.28\00:37:03.89
She'll think this
lady was in her early 80s.
00:37:03.92\00:37:06.76
And very sad. We
said, "Why are you sad?"
00:37:06.79\00:37:09.32
She said, "I don't know,
00:37:09.36\00:37:10.69
if I have enough
time to get right
00:37:10.73\00:37:13.80
before the Lord comes.
00:37:13.83\00:37:15.36
I've been trying
all my Christian life."
00:37:15.40\00:37:17.30
She'd been
Adventist for 40-50 years.
00:37:17.33\00:37:19.67
"I just, I need more time
to get right with the Lord,
00:37:19.70\00:37:23.14
because I'm not sure
that I have salvation."
00:37:23.17\00:37:26.41
Nothing could be more miserable
00:37:26.44\00:37:29.78
than a person going
to church singing songs,
00:37:29.81\00:37:32.05
returning tithes and offerings,
00:37:32.08\00:37:34.15
whatever they participate
in as far as activities,
00:37:34.18\00:37:36.99
but never coming to the place
00:37:37.02\00:37:38.35
where they have that blessed
assurance that Jesus is mine.
00:37:38.39\00:37:42.19
So what I want to
do is share with you
00:37:42.22\00:37:43.59
some scriptures
to let you know that
00:37:43.63\00:37:45.66
the assurance is
not on what you do,
00:37:45.69\00:37:48.53
the assurance is
on what Jesus does.
00:37:48.56\00:37:51.17
Let's go to 1 John 5:11-13.
00:37:51.20\00:37:53.90
You know, you can't give anybody
00:37:53.94\00:37:55.27
what you don't have.
00:37:55.30\00:37:56.64
That's right.
00:37:56.67\00:37:58.01
And I think that
one of the main reasons
00:37:58.04\00:37:59.37
why people don't witness is
00:37:59.41\00:38:00.74
because they don't know Christ,
they don't have that assurance.
00:38:00.78\00:38:02.11
As you once said,
00:38:02.14\00:38:03.48
and I think it has
been brought out in,
00:38:03.51\00:38:05.18
I think many of our lessons
00:38:05.21\00:38:06.61
that if you're not excited about
00:38:06.65\00:38:08.25
what you have is
because you don't have it.
00:38:08.28\00:38:12.89
In other words,
you can't tell about
00:38:12.92\00:38:14.89
a basketball game
you never attended,
00:38:14.92\00:38:16.76
you can't brag about
your team if they never win.
00:38:16.79\00:38:20.13
And you can't even
know what to brag about
00:38:20.16\00:38:22.03
if you don't even choose a team.
00:38:22.06\00:38:23.97
So we have to understand that
when we are on the right team,
00:38:24.00\00:38:27.44
who do you know, who do
you know, I like a name.
00:38:27.47\00:38:33.17
Send me that name.
00:38:33.21\00:38:34.54
Pastor@tvsdac.org
00:38:34.58\00:38:37.38
PastorLomacang@tvsdac.org.
00:38:37.41\00:38:40.18
And what you're going to do
is send me a name of a person
00:38:40.22\00:38:42.28
who defeated Jesus.
00:38:42.32\00:38:45.25
I'm not going to get an email.
00:38:45.29\00:38:47.72
There's no one
that defeated Jesus.
00:38:47.76\00:38:49.49
So here's why, 1 John 5:11-13.
00:38:49.52\00:38:53.06
And this is the testimony
testifying with assurance
00:38:53.09\00:38:57.07
that God has
given us eternal life.
00:38:57.10\00:39:00.47
How do we get it?
00:39:00.50\00:39:01.84
"He gave it to Him and
this life is in His Son."
00:39:01.87\00:39:05.37
Verse 12, "He who
has the Son has life."
00:39:05.41\00:39:08.68
How basic can I get?
00:39:08.71\00:39:11.48
"He who does not have
the Son does not have life."
00:39:11.51\00:39:15.05
There's no science there.
00:39:15.08\00:39:16.45
"These things I
have written to you
00:39:16.48\00:39:18.99
who believe in the
name of the Son of God,
00:39:19.02\00:39:21.86
that you may,"
what's the next word?
00:39:21.89\00:39:24.39
"That you may know
that you have eternal life."
00:39:24.43\00:39:27.10
How many of you know
you have eternal life.
00:39:27.13\00:39:29.46
Now we're not saying you
started living eternally,
00:39:29.50\00:39:31.80
but eternal life doesn't start
00:39:31.83\00:39:34.04
when Jesus comes, that
eternal life experience
00:39:34.07\00:39:36.97
is something you have
now, like going on vacation.
00:39:37.01\00:39:40.31
When we think
about going someplace,
00:39:40.34\00:39:41.68
Danny, on vacation,
00:39:41.71\00:39:43.04
we're ready, we're packed,
we can't wait to get there.
00:39:43.08\00:39:45.18
Our minds are just going nuts
00:39:45.21\00:39:47.08
about what we gonna
do when we get there.
00:39:47.12\00:39:48.65
Some people don't
have enough heaven in them
00:39:48.68\00:39:51.52
because they have
too much earth in them.
00:39:51.55\00:39:53.59
And they don't see
beyond the present.
00:39:53.62\00:39:55.82
He who has the Son has life,
00:39:55.86\00:39:57.69
that you may know
that you have eternal life.
00:39:57.73\00:39:59.79
And that you may
continue to believe
00:39:59.83\00:40:02.50
in the name of the Son of God.
00:40:02.53\00:40:04.63
If we have the Son,
00:40:04.67\00:40:06.00
we have life, if we
don't, we don't have a life.
00:40:06.03\00:40:08.27
So look, let's go and
start with the uncertainty.
00:40:08.30\00:40:11.24
Isaiah 45:22,
00:40:11.27\00:40:13.21
the uncertainty
of your salvation
00:40:13.24\00:40:16.04
will be replaced with certainty
00:40:16.08\00:40:18.25
if you stop looking at yourself.
00:40:18.28\00:40:20.05
So here's my first text,
stop looking at yourself.
00:40:20.08\00:40:22.85
Let's change our focus.
00:40:22.88\00:40:24.29
Isaiah 45:22. Do
you have it, Jill?
00:40:24.32\00:40:26.52
What should we do?
00:40:26.55\00:40:27.89
"Look to me and be
saved, all you ends of the earth
00:40:27.92\00:40:30.86
for I am God and
there is no other."
00:40:30.89\00:40:33.29
Stop looking in the mirror
00:40:33.33\00:40:35.00
because you
gonna depress yourself.
00:40:35.03\00:40:36.97
Look in your Bible.
00:40:37.00\00:40:38.33
Stop looking through
the window of prayer,
00:40:38.37\00:40:40.50
start looking through
the window of blessings.
00:40:40.54\00:40:42.04
You know, sometimes,
Danny, and team here.
00:40:42.07\00:40:44.74
Sometimes God blesses
people, but they miss it.
00:40:44.77\00:40:47.41
And then they say, I
want to thank you, Lord,
00:40:47.44\00:40:48.78
for blessing me yesterday.
00:40:48.81\00:40:50.15
And if we could hear him
say yesterday, is that it?
00:40:50.18\00:40:53.08
What about Monday and Tuesday?
00:40:53.11\00:40:54.68
Did you wake up this morning?
00:40:54.72\00:40:56.08
If you think your
alarm clock woke you up,
00:40:56.12\00:40:58.22
take that alarm
clock to the cemetery.
00:40:58.25\00:41:00.56
See what happens.
00:41:00.59\00:41:02.06
The Lord gives us
the breath every day
00:41:02.09\00:41:03.49
and every morning
His mercies are what?
00:41:03.53\00:41:05.86
New and His
faithfulness is what?
00:41:05.89\00:41:08.43
Great. Every day.
00:41:08.46\00:41:10.07
Let's go to another
one. Let's go to another one.
00:41:10.10\00:41:12.57
Let's go to 1 John 3:1-2.
00:41:12.60\00:41:15.34
Here's some more
assurance. This is beautiful.
00:41:15.37\00:41:18.27
Matter of fact,
00:41:18.31\00:41:19.64
these are my two
favorite scriptures.
00:41:19.67\00:41:22.34
I've adopted them
over the last five years.
00:41:22.38\00:41:24.81
Notice what it says, "Behold,
00:41:24.85\00:41:26.98
what manner of love the
Father has bestowed on us,"
00:41:27.02\00:41:31.09
watch this, "that we should
be called children of God.
00:41:31.12\00:41:35.92
Therefore, the
world does not know us
00:41:35.96\00:41:37.99
because it did not know Him."
00:41:38.03\00:41:40.10
I rather remain
relatively unknown in the world
00:41:40.13\00:41:43.06
and known in the
kingdom of heaven.
00:41:43.10\00:41:44.43
Ain't that wonderful?
00:41:44.47\00:41:45.80
And verse 2, "Beloved
now," what's that word?
00:41:45.83\00:41:49.64
"Now we are children of God.
00:41:49.67\00:41:52.17
We're not going to become that.
00:41:52.21\00:41:53.88
And it has not yet been
revealed what we shall be."
00:41:53.91\00:41:57.05
Don't be anxious,
00:41:57.08\00:41:58.48
God is still
working on your frame.
00:41:58.51\00:42:00.52
But we know
00:42:00.55\00:42:01.88
there's a three
word of confidence,
00:42:01.92\00:42:03.25
three words of confidence,
00:42:03.28\00:42:04.62
then when He is
revealed, we shall be what?
00:42:04.65\00:42:07.09
Like Him, for we
shall see Him as He is.
00:42:07.12\00:42:09.96
You're going to be
able to recognize Christ,
00:42:09.99\00:42:12.09
because you're going to be
00:42:12.13\00:42:13.46
reflecting the very person
00:42:13.50\00:42:14.83
that you're
standing in front of.
00:42:14.86\00:42:16.26
We will be like him.
00:42:16.30\00:42:17.63
What more
assurance can you have?
00:42:17.67\00:42:20.17
He says, "It has
not yet been revealed."
00:42:20.20\00:42:22.44
Don't worry about it, Danny.
00:42:22.47\00:42:23.84
But I know this, when I'm done,
you gonna look just like me.
00:42:23.87\00:42:26.61
What builder, come on,
what builder can say that?
00:42:26.64\00:42:30.95
Can't, you really can't.
00:42:30.98\00:42:32.31
The Lord is
saying, "When I'm done,
00:42:32.35\00:42:34.25
you're going to
look just like me."
00:42:34.28\00:42:35.85
That's the assurance you need.
00:42:35.88\00:42:37.22
Let's go to another
one. Philippians 1:6.
00:42:37.25\00:42:40.06
Let God give you the confidence.
00:42:40.09\00:42:41.89
Let the Lord give
you the confidence.
00:42:41.92\00:42:43.73
Here is what Paul says,
00:42:43.76\00:42:45.53
"Being confident," what
two words did I just say?
00:42:45.56\00:42:48.80
"Being confident
of this very thing
00:42:48.83\00:42:52.33
that he who has begun a
good work in you will," what?
00:42:52.37\00:42:56.30
"Complete it until
the day of Jesus Christ."
00:42:56.34\00:42:59.21
Amen.
00:42:59.24\00:43:00.58
I think the only reason
why you don't have assurance
00:43:00.61\00:43:02.58
is you're not
reading these scriptures.
00:43:02.61\00:43:04.98
Don't delete the
stuff in your Bible
00:43:05.01\00:43:06.45
that will give
you the assurance.
00:43:06.48\00:43:07.92
Here's another one,
00:43:07.95\00:43:09.28
Job 19:25, confidence in Christ.
00:43:09.32\00:43:13.46
It's all Old
Testament, it's New Testament.
00:43:13.49\00:43:15.86
If you look in the right places,
00:43:15.89\00:43:17.23
you'll find that
there is no reason
00:43:17.26\00:43:18.66
why you cannot
testify with assurance.
00:43:18.69\00:43:21.50
Look at Job 19:25.
00:43:21.53\00:43:23.83
"For I know,"
look at these words,
00:43:23.87\00:43:25.83
"for I know
that," whose redeemer?
00:43:25.87\00:43:28.34
"My Redeemer lives,
00:43:28.37\00:43:30.47
and He shall stand
at last on the earth."
00:43:30.51\00:43:32.91
Amen. I know,
whose Redeemer, Kenny?
00:43:32.94\00:43:36.75
My Redeemer.
Let's go to another one.
00:43:36.78\00:43:39.25
1 John 2:28.
00:43:39.28\00:43:41.18
Not only do we know He lives
00:43:41.22\00:43:42.75
and He's going to
make us look just like Him.
00:43:42.78\00:43:44.42
He's going to
complete the work He started,
00:43:44.45\00:43:46.49
and we are His children now,
00:43:46.52\00:43:48.12
but notice what
else He does for us.
00:43:48.16\00:43:49.82
What a blessing.
00:43:49.86\00:43:51.19
1 John 2:28. Look what it says.
00:43:51.23\00:43:54.00
"And now, little
children, abide in Me,
00:43:54.03\00:43:57.07
that when He
appears, we may have," what?
00:43:57.10\00:44:00.44
"Confidence and not be ashamed
before Him at His coming."
00:44:00.47\00:44:06.24
I keep going back to
this point somebody once said,
00:44:06.27\00:44:08.61
they said, "The
reason I want to be saved
00:44:08.64\00:44:10.78
is I don't want anyone to
know what I've ever done."
00:44:10.81\00:44:15.45
You know, when we
stand before the Lord,
00:44:15.48\00:44:17.29
there are only
going to be two groups,
00:44:17.32\00:44:18.65
those running to the
rocks and the mountains,
00:44:18.69\00:44:20.59
and those
running out of the rocks
00:44:20.62\00:44:21.96
and the mountains.
00:44:21.99\00:44:23.32
I want to be in
the second group.
00:44:23.36\00:44:24.69
There are only
two seats at the end.
00:44:24.73\00:44:26.63
There are only two seats
at the end of this journey,
00:44:26.66\00:44:29.30
smoking and non-smoking.
00:44:29.33\00:44:31.67
I want to be in the
non-smoking seat, amen?
00:44:31.70\00:44:34.60
Got to have that assurance.
00:44:34.64\00:44:36.00
And don't wake
up tomorrow and say,
00:44:36.04\00:44:37.64
"Oh, I hope I'm going to
be in a non-smoking seat.
00:44:37.67\00:44:39.97
Jesus will say,
"Are you My child?
00:44:40.01\00:44:42.14
Yes.
00:44:42.18\00:44:43.51
I've already
paid for your seat."
00:44:43.55\00:44:45.11
And by the way, Danny,
00:44:45.15\00:44:46.51
I've never been in
first class on Delta.
00:44:46.55\00:44:48.55
But I'll be in first
class on my way to heaven,
00:44:48.58\00:44:51.12
because we are going to go
00:44:51.15\00:44:52.72
with the one who
is always first class.
00:44:52.75\00:44:54.92
Let's look at another one.
00:44:54.96\00:44:56.29
Another one, Hebrews 10:19-22,
00:44:56.32\00:44:59.66
scripture after scripture
after scripture letting us know
00:44:59.69\00:45:02.23
that we could have confidence.
00:45:02.26\00:45:03.60
Here's 19, verse
19 of Hebrews 10,
00:45:03.63\00:45:07.77
"Therefore,
brethren, having boldness
00:45:07.80\00:45:11.27
to enter the Holiest
by the blood of Jesus,
00:45:11.31\00:45:15.08
by a new and living way
which He consecrated for us."
00:45:15.11\00:45:19.91
He's opened the
way for us to come in.
00:45:19.95\00:45:21.88
How did He do it?
00:45:21.92\00:45:23.25
Through the veil,
that is His flesh.
00:45:23.28\00:45:25.65
"And having a High
Priest over the house of God."
00:45:25.69\00:45:28.56
Look at verse 22.
00:45:28.59\00:45:29.92
"Let us draw near with
a," what kind of heart?
00:45:29.96\00:45:32.99
"True heart in," what?
00:45:33.03\00:45:34.76
"Full assurance of faith,
00:45:34.80\00:45:37.53
having our hearts sprinkled
from an evil conscience
00:45:37.57\00:45:41.67
and our bodies
washed with pure water."
00:45:41.70\00:45:44.57
Amen.
00:45:44.61\00:45:45.94
He says, "I've already
opened the door for you.
00:45:45.97\00:45:47.31
You can come in,
00:45:47.34\00:45:48.68
you don't have
to worry about it.
00:45:48.71\00:45:50.05
I've cleaned you up.
Your conscience is clear.
00:45:50.08\00:45:51.41
I've made a new way.
00:45:51.45\00:45:52.91
Just draw near to Me
00:45:52.95\00:45:54.28
and you won't have to
worry about anything."
00:45:54.32\00:45:55.72
And the last one, Romans 5:1,
00:45:55.75\00:45:58.32
"Therefore, having
been justified by faith,
00:45:58.35\00:46:02.69
we have peace with God through
00:46:02.72\00:46:05.36
our Lord Jesus Christ."
00:46:05.39\00:46:07.60
What else do you need to,
to testify with assurance?
00:46:07.63\00:46:10.97
Amen. I like it.
00:46:11.00\00:46:12.33
Praise the Lord.
00:46:12.37\00:46:13.70
Is this supposed to be a
Sabbath School Panel, right?
00:46:13.74\00:46:15.07
This is like having church.
00:46:15.10\00:46:16.60
Like we're having
church, everyone, of mercies,
00:46:16.64\00:46:19.31
praise God for that.
00:46:19.34\00:46:20.68
I got Thursday's lesson,
00:46:20.71\00:46:22.04
I've been blessed already, says,
00:46:22.08\00:46:23.41
"Something Worth
Testifying About."
00:46:23.45\00:46:24.78
So we're covering
some of the same things.
00:46:24.81\00:46:26.51
But it always points
back to Jesus, doesn't it?
00:46:26.55\00:46:29.45
You know, again, you have to say
00:46:29.48\00:46:31.25
I think on every lesson
I think we've been so far,
00:46:31.29\00:46:33.56
we have to say
00:46:33.59\00:46:34.92
what is the most
powerful testimony
00:46:34.96\00:46:36.42
that we can give?
00:46:36.46\00:46:38.16
If people didn't know us before,
00:46:38.19\00:46:39.79
they're going to know it now
00:46:39.83\00:46:41.16
because we're
repeating it over and over.
00:46:41.20\00:46:42.53
It's a personal what?
00:46:42.56\00:46:43.90
A personal
testimony you can give,
00:46:43.93\00:46:45.67
what God has done
personally in your heart
00:46:45.70\00:46:48.00
and in your life.
00:46:48.04\00:46:49.87
I like that song
talking about victory in Jesus.
00:46:49.90\00:46:54.14
It says He sought me. Sing it.
00:46:54.18\00:46:56.04
I can't do that.
00:46:56.08\00:46:57.41
But he said he stopped me
00:46:57.45\00:46:58.78
and he bought me by
His redeeming blood,
00:46:58.81\00:47:02.75
think about that,
He sought us, right?
00:47:02.78\00:47:04.99
He bought us, right?
00:47:05.02\00:47:06.79
Purchased by His own life.
00:47:06.82\00:47:09.06
And He said He loved me ere,
00:47:09.09\00:47:10.43
I knew Him and all
my love is due Him, why?
00:47:10.46\00:47:14.76
You know, He
plunged me to victory, what?
00:47:14.80\00:47:18.17
Beneath that crimson blood.
00:47:18.20\00:47:21.44
All right, may
not know the words,
00:47:21.47\00:47:22.84
but I'm telling
you, that is good.
00:47:22.87\00:47:24.21
There's victory in Jesus.
00:47:24.24\00:47:25.57
And that's what we've
been talking about right here.
00:47:25.61\00:47:27.64
And it's not so
much we talk about,
00:47:27.68\00:47:29.14
you know, powerful testimonies.
00:47:29.18\00:47:31.15
They can change lives.
00:47:31.18\00:47:33.72
But you know, a lot
of people talk about,
00:47:33.75\00:47:35.08
all I had to give up.
00:47:35.12\00:47:36.72
I had to give up a
lot of these things,
00:47:36.75\00:47:38.42
you know, so it's
not about, you know,
00:47:38.45\00:47:40.36
it's about what
Christ has done for us
00:47:40.39\00:47:43.32
is what we need to
be concentrating on,
00:47:43.36\00:47:45.23
not what we've given up for Him.
00:47:45.26\00:47:46.83
Why?
00:47:46.86\00:47:48.20
Because He never asked us
00:47:48.23\00:47:49.56
to give up
anything that is what,
00:47:49.60\00:47:52.23
that's good for us.
00:47:52.27\00:47:53.60
He never asked us,
00:47:53.64\00:47:54.97
He always wants
us to have things
00:47:55.00\00:47:56.34
that are good for us.
00:47:56.37\00:47:57.71
I love this
passage of scripture.
00:47:57.74\00:48:00.01
In fact, I like to think of it
as maybe could be your prayer.
00:48:00.04\00:48:04.81
It could be my prayer.
00:48:04.85\00:48:06.82
It's found in Galatians 2:20.
00:48:06.85\00:48:09.48
And Paul is speaking here,
00:48:09.52\00:48:11.19
but man, the
words are so powerful.
00:48:11.22\00:48:14.06
It says, Galatians 2:20,
Paul starts down, He says,
00:48:14.09\00:48:17.89
"I am crucified with
Christ: nevertheless I live."
00:48:17.93\00:48:22.73
I still don't
understand all this,
00:48:22.76\00:48:24.23
but I know when I read
it as a younger person,
00:48:24.27\00:48:26.67
I really didn't get it,
00:48:26.70\00:48:28.17
I think was our
brother Ronnie one time said,
00:48:28.20\00:48:29.77
"Why didn't Paul
just say it simple."
00:48:29.80\00:48:33.27
But, you know, we got to study.
00:48:33.31\00:48:34.64
But he said, he said,
"I'm crucified with Christ:
00:48:34.68\00:48:36.81
nevertheless I live, yet not I,
00:48:36.85\00:48:39.28
but Christ liveth in me,
00:48:39.31\00:48:41.25
the life which I
now live in the flesh,"
00:48:41.28\00:48:44.12
what does he do?
00:48:44.15\00:48:45.49
"I live by faith
in the Son of God,
00:48:45.52\00:48:48.52
who loved me and
gave Himself for me."
00:48:48.56\00:48:51.29
That's right.
00:48:51.33\00:48:52.66
I mean, so many powerful things
00:48:52.69\00:48:54.03
and you'd like to
spend hours, right?
00:48:54.06\00:48:55.50
Probably talking
about these and looking at.
00:48:55.53\00:48:57.77
Paul simply said this.
00:48:57.80\00:48:59.50
I am crucified with Christ.
00:48:59.53\00:49:02.10
He says simply,
00:49:02.14\00:49:03.47
"I've accepted Christ
as my personal Savior,
00:49:03.51\00:49:06.07
the Atonement of Christ.
00:49:06.11\00:49:07.44
I've accepted Calvary."
00:49:07.48\00:49:08.94
You know, that's good.
00:49:08.98\00:49:10.31
So we need to be doing that,
his atonement on the cross,
00:49:10.35\00:49:12.25
but I want you to
consider Romans Chapter 6,
00:49:12.28\00:49:14.48
just a couple of verses quickly.
00:49:14.52\00:49:15.88
Romans 6:6-8.
00:49:15.92\00:49:18.82
The Bible says, Romans 6:6-8,
00:49:18.85\00:49:21.46
"Knowing this that our old
man is crucified with Him,"
00:49:21.49\00:49:25.83
something has to go
when you meet Jesus,
00:49:25.86\00:49:28.46
before you've been born
again, something's got to go.
00:49:28.50\00:49:30.57
And it says here,
00:49:30.60\00:49:31.93
"The old man is
crucified with Him,
00:49:31.97\00:49:33.77
that the body of
sin might be destroyed,
00:49:33.80\00:49:37.14
that henceforth we
should not serve sin."
00:49:37.17\00:49:40.51
That's pretty powerful.
00:49:40.54\00:49:41.88
It's talking
about victory, right?
00:49:41.91\00:49:43.24
In Jesus, victory
over sin in our life.
00:49:43.28\00:49:45.91
Because verse 7 says,
00:49:45.95\00:49:47.68
"For he that is dead,"
00:49:47.72\00:49:49.58
notice this, "is free from sin."
00:49:49.62\00:49:52.52
That's right.
00:49:52.55\00:49:53.89
You know, if we're
really dead, right?
00:49:53.92\00:49:55.26
We're free from sin,
00:49:55.29\00:49:56.62
if we're dead to
things in the world,
00:49:56.66\00:49:57.99
dead to the old enemy.
00:49:58.03\00:49:59.36
Now if we're dead with Christ,
00:49:59.39\00:50:01.30
we believe that we
shall also live with Him.
00:50:01.33\00:50:04.17
So Paul considers himself
00:50:04.20\00:50:05.60
and I think I'd
like to consider myself,
00:50:05.63\00:50:07.17
you'd like to consider yourself
00:50:07.20\00:50:08.54
as a born again
Christian, you know,
00:50:08.57\00:50:10.17
still striving, still, you know,
00:50:10.21\00:50:11.74
still learning still, you know,
00:50:11.77\00:50:13.17
he's still working on me that
00:50:13.21\00:50:15.04
Paul considers
himself dead to sin,
00:50:15.08\00:50:18.71
that means dead to the
world, dead to, you know,
00:50:18.75\00:50:23.82
attain righteousness by works.
00:50:23.85\00:50:26.32
You know he was dead,
one of the oldest is gone,
00:50:26.35\00:50:28.52
I don't want to do that anymore.
00:50:28.56\00:50:30.03
He said, I am dead,
but nevertheless I live.
00:50:30.06\00:50:34.46
You know, Paul was
almost a rambunctious,
00:50:34.50\00:50:36.90
I mean he went for
the goal, did he not?
00:50:36.93\00:50:39.47
You know, and
so but he said here
00:50:39.50\00:50:41.40
that he died, you know,
00:50:41.44\00:50:43.71
the things that he
did before his conversion,
00:50:43.74\00:50:46.98
you know, he was active,
00:50:47.01\00:50:49.54
but it's just a
matter of the things changed
00:50:49.58\00:50:51.75
for the better.
00:50:51.78\00:50:53.11
He left off the old,
and he put on the new.
00:50:53.15\00:50:55.65
Praise God for that.
00:50:55.68\00:50:57.02
Just better things, the changes.
00:50:57.05\00:50:59.05
He has a more abundant life.
00:50:59.09\00:51:01.12
John 10:10 says
00:51:01.16\00:51:02.49
the last part of it right there,
00:51:02.52\00:51:03.86
he said, "I am come
that they might have life."
00:51:03.89\00:51:06.73
I love that, I come
that they might have life.
00:51:06.76\00:51:09.30
Jesus said, "I've come for you."
00:51:09.33\00:51:11.87
Didn't come from self.
00:51:11.90\00:51:13.23
He said "I came for you
00:51:13.27\00:51:14.60
so that you would
have an abundant life."
00:51:14.64\00:51:16.60
And that means better.
00:51:16.64\00:51:18.67
And then it goes on, it
says, it's enough to spare.
00:51:18.71\00:51:22.51
You've got more than you need.
00:51:22.54\00:51:23.88
And then it goes on to say
it's a super, super abound.
00:51:23.91\00:51:28.15
He's got so much,
it's super, it's superior.
00:51:28.18\00:51:30.55
You'll never use it all.
00:51:30.59\00:51:31.92
I like that. It's
quality and quantity.
00:51:31.95\00:51:35.42
Everything that you
will ever need He said,
00:51:35.46\00:51:37.86
I'm going to give it to you.
00:51:37.89\00:51:39.23
We need to be
claiming that. Why?
00:51:39.26\00:51:42.06
Because Jesus, the
Bible says in 1 John 3:8.
00:51:42.10\00:51:44.87
1 John 3:8, said Jesus,
he's a quickening spirit.
00:51:44.90\00:51:49.64
I like what been spreading on,
00:51:49.67\00:51:51.01
sitting on this panel is
we need a quickening spirit,
00:51:51.04\00:51:53.54
we need it in the church,
00:51:53.58\00:51:54.91
we needed in our own
personal hearts in our own life.
00:51:54.94\00:51:57.21
Our spirits need to
be quickened, right,
00:51:57.25\00:51:59.38
with the word of
God, quickened to go out
00:51:59.41\00:52:01.12
and tell others that
Jesus is coming, you know,
00:52:01.15\00:52:03.72
because John 1:4,
"In him was life,"
00:52:03.75\00:52:06.22
I think was been read here,
"and the life was in the, what?
00:52:06.25\00:52:09.19
"The light of men."
00:52:09.22\00:52:10.86
You know, now he
still, now notice this,
00:52:10.89\00:52:12.99
he still has the same
life-giving power, who does?
00:52:13.03\00:52:16.03
Jesus, same
life-giving power as He had
00:52:16.06\00:52:18.37
when He walked this earth.
00:52:18.40\00:52:19.93
He could touch, He could
heal, He could make whole.
00:52:19.97\00:52:22.40
In the Bible it said,
00:52:22.44\00:52:23.77
"He forgives all
thine iniquities,
00:52:23.81\00:52:25.37
He healeth all of thy diseases."
00:52:25.41\00:52:27.91
That's in Psalms 103:3.
00:52:27.94\00:52:30.61
Paul said, "Christ lives in me."
00:52:30.65\00:52:33.21
Keep this in your
mind, Christ lives in me.
00:52:33.25\00:52:36.58
Here, to me is the secret
of a victorious Christian life.
00:52:36.62\00:52:42.22
Christ in me, the hope of glory.
00:52:42.26\00:52:45.43
This is what we
need, without it,
00:52:45.46\00:52:46.80
it's not going to be victorious,
00:52:46.83\00:52:48.16
it's going to be
disastrous, isn't it?
00:52:48.20\00:52:50.60
Christ living inside of me,
00:52:50.63\00:52:53.13
and then Christ
being revealed through.
00:52:53.17\00:52:56.00
The world needs that.
00:52:56.04\00:52:58.24
You know, this is something
00:52:58.27\00:52:59.61
to testify about or
listen what he's saying.
00:52:59.64\00:53:01.91
And I almost skipped
down here because Paul, Paul,
00:53:01.94\00:53:05.05
it began with he called,
he's talking about righteous.
00:53:05.08\00:53:07.75
Paul says, well,
he was righteous,
00:53:07.78\00:53:09.38
but now he sees Jesus.
00:53:09.42\00:53:10.79
Now, he said, "I
was unrighteous."
00:53:10.82\00:53:12.72
Things had to change right here.
00:53:12.75\00:53:14.22
Philippians 3:8-10.
00:53:14.26\00:53:16.22
Don't have time
to read all of that.
00:53:16.26\00:53:17.63
But it'd be nice to
be able to read it here
00:53:17.66\00:53:19.19
because there's some thoughts
00:53:19.23\00:53:21.03
that just popped out in my head,
00:53:21.06\00:53:22.40
I'm sure it
popped out in your head
00:53:22.43\00:53:23.77
as you read
these beautiful verses.
00:53:23.80\00:53:26.67
And this should be
a prayer for us too,
00:53:26.70\00:53:28.27
this should be a
longing of our heart.
00:53:28.30\00:53:30.81
In Philippians 3,
again, I think 8-10 there
00:53:30.84\00:53:33.74
because I'll just
read the verse 8, he said,
00:53:33.78\00:53:35.81
"Yet indeed I also
count all things," but what?
00:53:35.84\00:53:38.58
"Loss for the
excellence of the knowledge
00:53:38.61\00:53:40.68
of Christ Jesus my Lord,
for whom I have said, what?
00:53:40.72\00:53:43.49
"I have suffered
the loss of all things,
00:53:43.52\00:53:45.55
and do count them but
dumb, that I may win Christ."
00:53:45.59\00:53:48.92
Let's get down to
it. That's what he said.
00:53:48.96\00:53:50.99
So if you read
the rest of the verse,
00:53:51.03\00:53:52.39
you're going to
see Paul simply said,
00:53:52.43\00:53:54.16
"I want a better
knowledge of Christ.
00:53:54.20\00:53:58.00
None of us are ever
going to figure it all out.
00:53:58.03\00:53:59.47
Not here and not into
all eternity about Christ,
00:53:59.50\00:54:02.90
of all He gave up
and what all He's done
00:54:02.94\00:54:05.01
and what He's doing, what
He continues to do for us.
00:54:05.04\00:54:07.34
Paul is reaching and crying out
00:54:07.38\00:54:08.84
and I pray that you do it today,
00:54:08.88\00:54:10.21
I want to do it today.
00:54:10.25\00:54:11.58
I want a better
knowledge of Christ.
00:54:11.61\00:54:13.95
Number two, he said, so
that I might win Christ,
00:54:13.98\00:54:16.85
a better knowledge of Christ,
00:54:16.89\00:54:18.22
to know Christ is to love
Him and want to follow Him.
00:54:18.25\00:54:21.39
He says, "I that I
may be found in Him,
00:54:21.42\00:54:25.73
that I may be found in Him."
00:54:25.76\00:54:27.16
Number four, that I
may know Him better.
00:54:27.20\00:54:31.33
Boy, what a testimony
that I may know Him better.
00:54:31.37\00:54:33.57
Number five,
00:54:33.60\00:54:34.94
that I may experience His power.
00:54:34.97\00:54:36.97
That's right.
00:54:37.01\00:54:38.34
You know, don't
we want to experience
00:54:38.37\00:54:39.71
the power of Jesus Christ,
He offers it to us like Paul,
00:54:39.74\00:54:42.84
you're something
worthy to testify about.
00:54:42.88\00:54:45.45
We should be
very much dead to sin,
00:54:45.48\00:54:48.12
but certainly
alive in Jesus Christ,
00:54:48.15\00:54:50.82
which means we
should as a Christian,
00:54:50.85\00:54:53.25
it should be an active life.
00:54:53.29\00:54:55.29
Again, it's not to
sit back do nothing.
00:54:55.32\00:54:56.93
We ever lived in that
portion of earths' history
00:54:56.96\00:54:59.06
that we need to be active
00:54:59.09\00:55:00.43
in the cause of
Christ is right now.
00:55:00.46\00:55:02.16
If we've ever lived
in a point of history
00:55:02.20\00:55:03.93
we live in now,
00:55:03.97\00:55:05.30
we see what's
happening in the world.
00:55:05.33\00:55:06.67
It's no time to
stay home from church.
00:55:06.70\00:55:08.57
It's time to get
down on our knees,
00:55:08.60\00:55:09.94
it's time to praise,
00:55:09.97\00:55:11.31
it's time to attend places
where prayers want to be made,
00:55:11.34\00:55:14.88
it's place where the Holy Spirit
00:55:14.91\00:55:16.48
can be poured out
in great abundance.
00:55:16.51\00:55:18.21
It's a time to be praying
for the latter rain experience,
00:55:18.25\00:55:21.98
the love of
Christ constraineth us.
00:55:22.02\00:55:24.42
The love of
Christ holds us together,
00:55:24.45\00:55:26.79
the love of
Christ bonds us together.
00:55:26.82\00:55:29.52
The love of
Christ keeps us together.
00:55:29.56\00:55:32.49
Man, how we need that today.
00:55:32.53\00:55:34.30
As I'm drawing
from each one of you,
00:55:34.33\00:55:36.26
and everyone that comes on here,
00:55:36.30\00:55:37.63
I'm drawing, I'm drawing,
and I'm putting it in my heart,
00:55:37.67\00:55:39.53
in my mind, so that I can become
00:55:39.57\00:55:41.17
more and more like Jesus.
00:55:41.20\00:55:43.51
And that's my challenge.
00:55:43.54\00:55:45.04
Maybe that goes out to you today
00:55:45.07\00:55:46.41
when we're thinking about
something worth testifying.
00:55:46.44\00:55:49.54
I can say from my own heart,
my own life, my own experience.
00:55:49.58\00:55:53.62
And He's still working
on me, I mentioned that.
00:55:53.65\00:55:55.98
I'm still trying
to grow in the grace
00:55:56.02\00:55:57.75
and the knowledge of
Jesus Christ that He,
00:55:57.79\00:56:00.59
Jesus Christ is
worth testifying about.
00:56:00.62\00:56:04.13
He's worth talking about.
00:56:04.16\00:56:05.79
Nothing else in the world is,
00:56:05.83\00:56:07.16
but He's worth
testifying and talking about.
00:56:07.20\00:56:09.36
Why not today, give your heart,
00:56:09.40\00:56:10.97
give your life to Him
00:56:11.00\00:56:12.33
because He is
worth testifying about.
00:56:12.37\00:56:14.70
Amen. Praise the
Lord, I love that.
00:56:14.74\00:56:16.60
Love that.
00:56:16.64\00:56:17.97
Well, we have about a
minute and a half left,
00:56:18.01\00:56:19.34
go back through
00:56:19.37\00:56:20.71
and get some final
thoughts for the lesson.
00:56:20.74\00:56:22.11
Hebrews 3:15,
the Word of God says,
00:56:22.14\00:56:24.18
"Today if you
will hear His voice,
00:56:24.21\00:56:26.25
do not harden your heart."
00:56:26.28\00:56:28.72
Just want to appeal to
you to make that choice
00:56:28.75\00:56:30.62
to accept Jesus, He
will transform your life.
00:56:30.65\00:56:33.79
Amen.
00:56:33.82\00:56:35.16
Tell me the story of Jesus
right on my heart every word.
00:56:35.19\00:56:38.99
Once we receive that,
then it's our responsibility
00:56:39.03\00:56:42.50
and privilege to go
share it with the world.
00:56:42.53\00:56:45.73
That's right.
00:56:45.77\00:56:47.10
John 10:11, "I am
the good shepherd.
00:56:47.14\00:56:51.27
The good shepherd gives
his life for his sheep."
00:56:51.31\00:56:55.14
What blessed
assurance can that bring?
00:56:55.18\00:56:57.38
Amen, that's good.
00:56:57.41\00:56:58.75
Evangelism 188:9,
00:56:58.78\00:57:00.12
I'm just gonna do
a couple of words on,
00:57:00.15\00:57:01.55
it says, "teach
the simple lessons
00:57:01.58\00:57:03.85
given by Christ.
00:57:03.89\00:57:05.82
Tell the story, lift up Christ
as the sinners' only hope."
00:57:05.85\00:57:11.06
Praise the Lord.
00:57:11.09\00:57:12.43
I like to appreciate
what each and every one of you
00:57:12.46\00:57:14.40
brought to the lesson
00:57:14.43\00:57:15.80
this morning has
blessed me abundantly.
00:57:15.83\00:57:17.87
I just want to
share a couple of verses
00:57:17.90\00:57:20.44
we've already read this morning,
00:57:20.47\00:57:22.04
but I want to share them again.
00:57:22.07\00:57:24.11
This is 1 John 4:7 and 8.
00:57:24.14\00:57:27.48
"Beloved, let us
love one another,
00:57:27.51\00:57:28.94
for love is of God
00:57:28.98\00:57:30.68
and everyone who
loves is born of God.
00:57:30.71\00:57:33.31
He who does not
love does not know God,
00:57:33.35\00:57:35.62
for God is love."
00:57:35.65\00:57:38.05
You have a
testimony, my friends,
00:57:38.09\00:57:39.42
you can share Jesus
and God can transform you.
00:57:39.45\00:57:42.49
How do I know?
00:57:42.52\00:57:43.86
Because He's done it for me.
00:57:43.89\00:57:45.69
And so He can do it for you.
00:57:45.73\00:57:47.33
Thank you so much
for joining us today
00:57:47.36\00:57:49.16
for this beautiful
Sabbath School lesson.
00:57:49.20\00:57:51.80
And we're going to
see you again next week,
00:57:51.83\00:57:54.00
I believe in faith
because we're going to continue
00:57:54.04\00:57:56.17
on to lesson number 12.
00:57:56.20\00:57:58.81
See you next week.
00:57:58.84\00:58:00.18
God bless. Amen.
00:58:00.21\00:58:01.54