Participants:
Series Code: TDYFW
Program Code: TDYFW017040A
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00:01 I want to spend my life
00:07 Mending broken people 00:12 I want to spend my life 00:19 Removing pain 00:24 Lord, let my words 00:30 Heal a heart that hurts 00:35 I want to spend my life 00:40 Mending broken people 00:46 I want to spend my life 00:51 Mending broken people 01:09 Hello, and welcome to a 3ABN Today Family Worship. 01:14 We're so glad that you have joined us 01:16 as you do each and every Friday evening. 01:18 It's a blessing to open the Sabbath with you. 01:21 Hopefully, you have had a good week. 01:23 I know here at 3ABN it's been busy as always, 01:26 but the Lord is good. 01:28 And He has seen us through another week. 01:31 And it's always a blessing to come to the Sabbath hours 01:34 and to spend more time in God's Word, 01:37 and to receive the special blessing 01:38 that God has promised for the Sabbath. 01:41 I know we just made it through Christmas, 01:44 and the New Year, and all of its busyness. 01:47 And it's amazing, isn't it, with all the commercialism 01:50 around all of these holidays and things 01:52 we don't ever want to forget 01:53 what it's all about, and that's about Jesus Christ. 01:56 The New Year, a lot of people do New Year's resolutions, 01:59 that's been a few weeks obviously behind us. 02:01 But that's always a good thing 02:03 to recommit our lives to Jesus Christ, 02:05 not once a year, but every day of the year. 02:09 But, Sweetheart, 02:11 we have our 3ABN family with us today. 02:13 We do. 02:14 And it's always a privilege 02:15 just to have Family Worship and to share with you at home. 02:18 And we want to introduce our family here. 02:20 We have JD and Shelley Quinn. 02:22 And it's just a privilege and joy 02:24 to have family worship with you and we consider you 02:26 as part of the family. 02:27 Amen. We are family. 02:29 It's good to be here. That's right. 02:30 And over on this side we have Tim Parton. 02:32 And it's a privilege to have you here too. 02:34 And we, Greg and I, consider you part of the family too. 02:36 So thank you for joining us. 02:38 My privilege. Real privilege. 02:39 And, you know, I mean I would hate to say 02:40 but maybe someone has just decided 02:42 to start watching 3ABN. 02:43 And so, Tim Parton, who is that? 02:45 Obviously, you're famous, I know you never say this 02:47 but God has given you great talents and gifts, 02:49 and you're famous pianist and musician. 02:51 But tell us what you do here 02:52 besides playing the piano and all the music part at 3ABN. 02:55 You have some responsibilities here too. 02:56 Right, I am the general manager of Praise Him channel, 02:59 the music channel, we are working on developing. 03:02 And it's... 03:03 Oh, yeah, a lot of programs. 03:05 Yeah, it's a huge undertaking 03:07 one that I never saw myself doing. 03:09 But I am blessed to be a part of creating content for music. 03:14 If it's musical, I'm all about it. 03:17 Oh, yeah, it's a blessing. 03:18 We appreciate you're traveling also, 03:20 you know, like when Danny goes out 03:21 or other events, 03:22 you're out traveling, I appreciate that. 03:24 It's a great privilege. I love Danny Shelton. 03:26 I love what he stands for. And I love his musicianship. 03:29 So it's, you know, 03:31 it's great to have things in common with people. 03:33 I really appreciate the opportunity 03:34 to get to be a part of this family worship time. 03:37 Now this is something that I need this, 03:40 so I look forward to it. 03:42 Yeah, we all do. 03:43 And I think it's nice to just sit down as family 03:44 and you are part of the family. 03:46 So hopefully you're sitting down 03:47 and getting your Bible, 03:49 and your pen and paper maybe to take some notes down. 03:51 And it's always a blessing to hear from you as well. 03:53 So if you have any comments or anything like that 03:56 just send the letters to 3ABN because we do read them. 03:58 I think you open quite a few of them. 04:00 And it's always a blessing to hear from you. 04:02 But, Shelley and JD, too, 04:03 you know, you are head of Pastoral Department. 04:05 And, boy, that's a busy department. 04:08 It is a busy department, but it is... 04:12 The Lord may had me in mind. 04:14 He felt sorry and He says, 04:15 "Hey, this old boy 04:16 could certainly use some spiritual help." 04:18 And so he opened up that door. 04:22 And it certainly has blessed me. 04:24 You know, you go out to be a blessing to others. 04:27 But the blessing that you receive 04:29 is a thousand fold. 04:31 And so I just absolutely love our team in pastoral, 04:35 and get to talk to people around the world daily, 04:40 kind of get a pulse of what's going on. 04:41 You know that is a special thing 04:43 because to me 04:44 that's one of the next best thing 04:45 to seeing someone in person 04:47 as you get to talk to them on the phone, 04:48 so you're building that relationship 04:49 on a daily basis with people and that's really neat. 04:51 And isn't it incredible 04:53 that God brings each one of us here 04:55 with our past, and the junk from the past, 04:59 with the struggles that we're currently having, 05:01 the victory that God is in the process of giving us. 05:04 And He gives us the privilege of working for Him 05:06 and we think 05:07 "Oh, I'm devoting myself to help the cause. 05:11 But you know what? It's helping me. 05:12 Amen. Amen. 05:13 You know, and I think 05:15 what you said about pastoral here 05:16 and what a privilege, 05:17 you're here to minister to other people, 05:19 but it's ministered to you. 05:20 And I know for me here at 3ABN the same thing, 05:22 so what a privilege. 05:24 I was going to say something too, Shelley, 05:25 'cause I know you can 'cause Jill mentioned this too, 05:27 but like you know 05:28 you're on the Sabbath school panel 05:30 I think just about every one of the programs probably. 05:32 But when you're preparing for these, 05:33 it's a blessing, isn't it? 05:35 Because you're studying 05:36 for the Sabbath school panel when it's recorded. 05:39 But for you, 05:40 I know it's a blessing to even open up 05:41 God's Word and study some of these topics. 05:43 Oh, I love it. 05:44 You know the thing about, 05:45 I was in a full time Word Ministry 05:47 before I came here. 05:48 But then it's you go 05:49 into more of a corporate position 05:51 once again as program development manager 05:53 and all of the things that go. 05:55 So when with that 05:57 when you have time to sit down and open up God's Word 06:01 and really study deep, it's such a blessing. 06:06 It is such a blessing. 06:08 One thing that's interesting about the Sabbath school panel 06:11 is that you're forced to study 06:13 something that you may not 06:15 otherwise study deeply, you know. 06:17 Yeah, good point. That is true. 06:19 Sometimes say, Jill, you will say, 06:21 "Hey this one's going to stretch me." 06:22 We all feel that way 06:23 that we have to get in there and study deeply. 06:27 So I love it. 06:28 It's a blessing, isn't it to be able to share, 06:30 I think, that's what's neat about family worship 06:32 because we're studying God's Word, 06:34 and opening up the scriptures. 06:36 And today our topic is the new birth, 06:40 which I think is pretty fitting because of the New Year we all, 06:44 like we mentioned earlier, 06:46 we want to have an experience with Christ every day, 06:50 you know, right, Tim? 06:51 We're talking about the new birth 06:53 and what it means to be born again. 06:54 Amen. 06:55 I'm so excited about this topic 06:57 because God wants to take us from darkness. 07:00 And we all came from darkness. 07:02 But transform us out of darkness 07:04 into His marvelous light. 07:06 And what that process looks like. 07:07 We're going to talk about 07:09 conversion and repentance and faith, 07:11 the role of the Holy Spirit. 07:13 So I'm excited about this topic, new birth. 07:16 And we all have the privilege of being born again. 07:20 So before we go to God's Word 07:22 and we have a scripture we want to springboard with. 07:24 We should go to the Lord in prayer. 07:26 Yeah, Brother Tim, 07:28 would you mind to open out with prayer 07:29 as we are going to the Sabbath hours. 07:31 Father God, 07:32 what an awesome privilege it is to serve You, 07:34 to live for You, 07:36 to have the freedom to read Your Word, 07:39 and to have Your Holy Spirit 07:41 to give us understanding of Your Word. 07:43 And I just ask for that right now 07:44 as we go into this time 07:46 of spending precious time together. 07:48 Lord, I pray that you will give us clarity, 07:50 understanding, wisdom. 07:52 And may we leave this time assured in our faith, 07:57 just walking closer to You, 08:00 loving each other more and loving You greater. 08:02 We love You and praise You, in Jesus' name, amen. 08:06 Amen. Thank you so much, Tim. 08:07 So as we start to talk about the new birth. 08:10 To me the scripture that comes to mind 08:12 more than any other 08:13 when you think about being born again is John 3. 08:16 So open up your Bibles at home. 08:17 And we'll start here with John 3. 08:19 So this is the quiz. 08:21 So at home, John 3. What's that famous verse? 08:25 Sixteen. That's right. 08:26 Very good. You got it. 08:28 We're proud of you, John 3:16. 08:29 Did I pass the quiz? You did it too, yes. 08:31 But, you're not starting with verse 16? 08:33 No, we're going to start with verse 1. 08:35 That's right, again. Absolutely. 08:37 Which I don't know a lot of people 08:38 even though there was a 1-15. 08:39 Right. See. 08:41 Well, we'll see 3:16. 08:44 So start, JD. You want to start? 08:45 We'll pick up. Yes. 08:47 "There was a man of the Pharisees, 08:48 named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 08:52 And this man came to Jesus by night, 08:54 and said to him, Rabbi, 08:56 we know that you are a teacher 08:58 come from God: for no one can do these signs 09:01 that you do unless God is with him." 09:03 So why do you think Nicodemus came to Jesus by night, 09:07 and says that he came by night? 09:09 He came by night. 09:10 Well, he definitely 09:11 wasn't afraid of what the people thought. 09:14 He wasn't afraid of what the people thought. 09:15 I think he was afraid of what the people thought. 09:18 As a Pharisee, he certainly was afraid of being seen. 09:19 I got to be careful. 09:21 Jill mentioned this, 09:22 sometimes I say these things 09:24 and then so you're like "Is he Serious?" 09:25 and I'm like, "Yeah." 09:26 No. 09:28 Yeah, he was afraid of being seen. 09:29 Absolutely. 09:30 Yeah, his situation with his position made it... 09:33 Isn't that amazing, the position, 09:35 I think that's a key word you said right there. 09:36 'Cause he was member of the Sanhedrin, 09:38 and he was a religious leader. 09:39 That's right. 09:40 But I think even today, there's a lot of times 09:43 we catch ourselves in a situation maybe where, 09:47 we don't belong to that crowd, but yet we won't. 09:49 We know that we need to be over here. 09:51 And so in our lives today 09:54 we're probably talking to somebody 09:55 right now you know that says, 09:57 "Well, I really in my heart feel like 09:59 the Holy Spirit is leading me 10:00 to want to know more about Jesus." 10:02 But, boy, the group that I'm with, 10:04 you know, they just laugh. 10:06 So it could be that go to Jesus, 10:09 even if it is night. 10:11 Amen. Okay. 10:12 No shame in that as long you are going. 10:14 It's powerful. 10:15 Yeah, I like that actually because go to Him. 10:18 Yeah, no matter if it's day or night as you mentioned. 10:22 Yeah, that's really good. 10:23 We're really talking about a new birth 10:26 that is the beginning of a new birth. 10:28 If the heart is stirring your heart at all, 10:30 step out in faith. 10:32 Yeah, that's good. It's beautiful. 10:34 Shelley? 10:36 "Jesus answered and said to him, 10:37 most assuredly, 10:39 I say to you unless one is born again, 10:41 he cannot see the kingdom of God." 10:45 I want to make a point on that. Wow, yes. 10:46 Please. 10:48 In just a moment Jesus will say... 10:51 May I go ahead and read two more verses? 10:53 Please. Okay. 10:54 "Unless one is born again, 10:56 he cannot see the kingdom of God. 10:58 Nicodemus said to him, 10:59 How can a man be born when he is old? 11:02 Can he enter a second time 11:03 into his mother's womb, and be born? 11:05 Jesus answered, most assuredly, 11:07 I say to you unless one is born of water and the Spirit, 11:13 he cannot enter the kingdom of God." 11:17 I think there are two words there 11:19 that are in contrast, 11:20 you must be born again to see, 11:24 you must be born again to enter. 11:26 Oh, that is good. I had noticed that. 11:28 I think as, you know, 11:32 when we are being 11:35 under conviction of the Holy Spirit 11:36 before we've been born again. 11:39 We can know as much or understand 11:41 as much as to recognize, 11:43 I'm a sinner in need of a Savior. 11:45 We can recognize the plan of salvation. 11:47 But to get into the Word of God, 11:50 if the Holy Spirit isn't directing, 11:52 you can't see the kingdom in here. 11:55 It takes the Holy Spirit. 11:57 But you have to see before you enter. 12:00 There are people in the church, 12:02 who don't spend time in the Word. 12:05 And if you're not spending time in the Word 12:07 to see what God has asked you to do, 12:10 you're never going to enter into it. 12:12 So to me 12:13 that's an important distinction. 12:15 We're born again to see 12:17 so that the Holy Spirit is leading us, 12:19 but then you have to be born again to enter. 12:22 You see first, and then you enter. 12:24 Amen. That's powerful. 12:26 I had never noticed that before in that passage. 12:28 Lord showed me that number of years ago, 12:31 it was just like "wow". 12:33 And God resort, 12:35 Jesus was recognizing that, wasn't He? 12:36 Because here Nicodemus is a Pharisee, 12:38 he is in the church, isn't he? 12:40 Yeah, but he's not seen. Yeah, and not entering either. 12:45 That's deep. Yeah, it is. 12:46 What I like in that passage is verse 3, 12:48 it says, "Unless one is born again." 12:50 And if you look in the Greek, 12:52 the word again can mean from above. 12:54 So if you look at that again, instead of thinking, 12:57 okay, just being born again, 12:58 now that's a little hard to process 13:00 what does that mean. 13:01 But if you think 13:02 we are called to be born from above. 13:04 And to me that is the new birth experience 13:06 in a nutshell is being born from above. 13:10 So why do we need to be born again? 13:12 It's a great question. Now, that's a good question. 13:14 You know, when you think about that, 13:15 'cause, I mean, to me 13:17 I always have to know the reason why. 13:18 If you think of Ephesians 2, when he says, "You were..." 13:22 Let's turn there. 13:24 'Cause that's important to me. Ephesians 2. 13:28 So your question, Shelley, 13:29 is why do we need to be born again? 13:31 Why do we need to be born again? 13:32 Yeah, that's a good question. 13:34 And this is an assumption 13:35 after someone has been born again. 13:37 But in here we see the reason he says... 13:39 Where are you at? 13:41 Ephesians 2:1, 13:43 "You he made alive, 13:45 who were dead in trespasses and sin, 13:49 in which he once walked 13:50 according to the course of this world, 13:51 according to the prince 13:53 of the power of the air, the Spirit." 13:54 And then jump down to verse 4, 13:56 he said, "God who is rich in mercy 13:58 because of his great love with which he loved us, 14:02 even when we were dead in trespasses 14:05 made us alive together with Christ 14:07 by grace you've been saved." 14:09 So when Adam and Eve sinned, 14:13 they then died spiritually. 14:17 And their hope of immortality was taken from. 14:22 They were mortal, we knew that they were going to die. 14:25 And we're born 14:26 with the same propensity towards sin. 14:29 And so, when we're born, we're dead in our... 14:33 I mean we may be physically alive 14:34 but you're dead in your trespasses. 14:36 And we have to be born from above as you said 14:41 when God touches our heart, 14:42 changes our heart, and gives us the desire, 14:48 and the ability, and the power to walk in His ways. 14:52 Yeah, that's excellent. 14:54 Now what caught my mind whenever you ask that question, 14:57 you know, is there's times 14:58 when you're sick and tired of being sick and tired. 15:02 You know what you're doing, there's got to be more. 15:06 And whether or not you know what direction it is, 15:10 but you're ready 15:11 because you're caught up in a lifestyle that, 15:15 "This is not who I am." 15:17 And so now you begin to look. 15:20 And I think that once you begin to look, wow, 15:24 that's when the greatest thing in the world happens 15:26 when the Holy Spirit steps forward, 15:28 and your heart is pricked. 15:30 And I mean, it's kind of like, 15:31 you know that 15:34 there is something else available 15:36 that we may not yet know, 15:38 and it may be that we do want 15:40 to show up at night or whatever. 15:41 You know, we least we know 15:43 that we're looking for something differently. 15:44 Amen. Amen. That's good. 15:46 Are you going to say something, Tim? 15:47 Yeah, I'm just, I'm thinking... 15:50 I'm over here just soaking, I'm breaking it in. 15:52 So just keep on telling. Yeah. Okay. 15:54 You want to continue on? 15:56 Yes, but I was just thinking, 15:57 you talk about why we need to be born again? 15:58 And we just started touching on this too 16:01 with the how to be born again, 16:02 'cause you started talking about that, 16:05 it's recognition that we have a need. 16:07 You know, because you don't even want something, 16:12 if you don't realize that you need it. 16:13 I don't know if that makes any sense. 16:14 Absolutely. 16:16 So if we're dead as you said in trespasses and sins, 16:18 or we should say 16:19 we were dead in trespasses and sins. 16:22 So we don't even realize, 16:24 this is life, this is how I've always lived, 16:26 this is normal for me. 16:28 And then all of a sudden you mentioned it, JD, 16:30 the Holy Spirit comes along 16:32 and starts convicting us of sins, 16:34 start showing us that. 16:36 We have to recognize 16:37 that we have a problem in order to realize 16:39 we need to be born from above. 16:41 I believe, don't you think maybe also 16:43 is that you have to recognize 16:46 that Jesus is who He is, that Jesus is the Lord. 16:49 Don't you think 16:50 that's also one of the belief and faith in Him 16:52 because it's interesting Nicodemus says, 16:54 he says, 16:55 "The same came to Jesus by night, 16:57 and said to him," 16:58 this is what Nicodemus says... 16:59 You're in verse 2? Yes, sorry verse 2. 17:01 "We know that 17:03 you are a teacher come from God." 17:04 So he didn't say, 17:06 "You're just a man that's doing amazing things. 17:07 You've come from God, 17:09 for no man can do these miracles 17:11 that thou doest accept God be with him." 17:14 So to me I think he's recognizing 17:15 that Jesus is more than 17:17 just a mortal man on this earth. 17:19 So I don't know would that be a true statement. 17:21 Oh, absolutely. 17:25 Let me read you something from 1 Peter. 17:27 Okay. 17:30 1 Peter 1. 17:34 I'll begin with verse 22. 17:37 This is talking about the enduring word. 17:39 1 Peter 1. 17:40 Verse 22. 17:43 Peter writes, 17:45 "Since you have purified your souls," How? 17:49 "You know, bang the truth," how? 17:51 "Through the spirit in sincere love the brethren, 17:55 love one another fervently with a pure heart. 17:57 Having been born again, not of corruptible seed, 18:03 but incorruptible through the Word of God 18:07 which lives and abides for ever." 18:10 And I think 18:11 what you just said is so true that... 18:13 I mean, that's what God has called us to do. 18:16 And that is the mission of 3ABN, 18:19 it is to share the Word of God. 18:23 I heard the most amazing testimony of someone 18:26 that I interviewed here, 18:28 that he was a policeman, he was in ministry. 18:30 And he went to the high schools talking about creation science. 18:34 And he was from California. 18:36 And he went to this very rough high school. 18:39 He was in a special unit for the anti-gangs. 18:44 I mean that's why they were sending, 18:45 they are trying to break this up. 18:47 And he said that these young men 18:50 as he was talking to them 18:53 about how God had created them, 18:56 God had a plan for their life and all this. 18:58 These young men always had been taught 19:01 that they had evolved from an ape, 19:05 they thought of life, 19:06 they didn't expect to live beyond 21 or 22, 19:10 they had no motivation... 19:12 Did you know that when they learned 19:15 that there was a creator as he shared the word, 19:18 when they learned that they were created in His image, 19:22 it totally was life changing. 19:25 I mean, he was reaching, you know, through the... 19:29 The Holy Spirit was using him to reach so many, 19:33 and bring them out of those gangs, 19:34 and they got on fire for the Lord. 19:38 But we are born again as it said, Jesus said 19:42 you know of the water and the Spirit. 19:44 I think of the water, 19:45 of course, many often will say that's baptism. 19:49 But there's the washing of the water of the Word 19:52 is how I think of it, 19:53 because we are born of the Word of God. 19:57 In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God, 19:59 the Word was God. 20:02 God is a relational being. 20:04 He spoke, 20:06 I mean He begins right in the beginning of the Bible, 20:08 talking to reveal to us Himself. 20:11 And then when we hear the Word of God, 20:15 and we understand. 20:16 Wow, it doesn't have to be like this, 20:19 there's something more. 20:21 That's the beginning. Yeah, I agree. 20:23 I agree with that. 20:24 I think it's that relationship and recognizing 20:25 that God is who He is and He's a God of love. 20:28 Yeah, and He's there to save us, for sure. 20:31 Which is probably a good idea especially for parents to hear 20:35 this of how important it is to plant the seed 20:38 in a child's life at an early age 20:41 to know that there is a little seed 20:43 that's been planted in their heart. 20:46 And with the right fertilization 20:49 it will grow, and they will become 20:50 a mighty warrior for His kingdom. 20:53 It may not happen at the time 20:54 that you think it should happen. 20:56 But it will happen because he will get, 21:00 that person will get sick and tired, 21:03 everything gets old. 21:05 So you got to attach yourself with someone 21:08 that will continue to help you 21:14 produce good fruit. 21:17 Yes. Yes. Oh, that's good. 21:19 It's excellent. 21:20 When you think about you were talking about 21:22 being born of water and of the Spirit 21:23 and being born of water. 21:27 It's interesting if you think about Romans 2:4, 21:29 it says the goodness of God what leads us to repentance. 21:34 So the water, 21:36 and I know the water can be represented by the word, 21:38 the washing of the water, 21:39 the word, and that is beautiful. 21:41 But you also think at this time 21:43 when Jesus was talking to Nicodemus, 21:45 what water baptism were they doing? 21:48 You could say that would be the baptism of John, right? 21:51 John the Baptist had been baptizing. 21:53 And it was what? The baptism of repentance. 21:55 So to me 21:57 there is a twofold application almost here. 21:58 Of course, we're to be born of the Word 22:00 and that is important. 22:01 But we're also, this is talking about repentance. 22:04 And he's talking about, 22:05 Jesus is telling Nicodemus the importance of that. 22:08 And we know with the goodness of God 22:10 that even leads us to repentance. 22:11 I mean, I can't even go and say, 22:13 "I'm going to repent." 22:15 Repentance is a gift that comes from God. 22:18 It's 5:32. Absolutely. 22:20 Yeah. 22:21 Shall we keep going? Yes. 22:23 Verse 6, 22:24 "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, 22:27 and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit. 22:30 Do not marvel that I said to you, 22:32 you must be born again. 22:34 The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, 22:37 but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes, 22:41 so is everyone who is born of the Spirit." 22:45 Why do you think 22:46 he used the analogy of the wind and the Spirit? 22:48 And, of course, we know in the Greek 22:49 the pneuma can be wind, 22:53 can refer to Spirit as well. 22:54 So I know there is that connection. 22:56 But why do you think 22:57 the analogy of the Spirit and the wind. 23:01 The Holy Spirit is not visible as the wind is not visible. 23:08 But His effects 23:09 when the Holy Spirit is someone's life, 23:11 you see the effects of it 23:13 just as we see the effects of the wind. 23:16 So I think it's a wonderful analogy. 23:18 And the wind can be everywhere at one time 23:20 as the Spirit can be. 23:22 I think it's an excellent analogy. 23:26 Other people might come up to you and says 23:28 "You know, Greg, 23:29 there's something different about you, 23:30 I really don't know." 23:32 And says, "I've been noticing for the last six months, 23:35 it seems like you have a peace about you 23:37 that never seen before." 23:40 So other people might can see it, 23:41 but you didn't really know. 23:43 And then there's other people who just... 23:44 It amazes me. 23:46 Oh, I remember finding Jesus on 3 July, 1926. 23:50 And they give you the place and the time. 23:52 Yeah, I mean it's just amazing. 23:54 And, you know, and I beat myself up over 23:56 that 'cause I don't know whenever I was stuck. 23:58 I just know that you just here as evolved, 24:01 you know, and they study. 24:02 It's nothing to beat yourself up over. 24:03 There are some people 24:05 who have been living a certain lifestyle, 24:07 they never had any introduction to Jesus. 24:09 And then all of a sudden God reaches down like Cheri Peters 24:12 when she talks about 24:14 how God just grabbed her out of a crack house, you know. 24:17 And she can tell you the date and the time 24:20 that she was born again. 24:21 But then others of us, 24:23 if you're brought up in the church, 24:24 it's just a progressive thing 24:26 that one day you've just accepted it. 24:29 Well, Tim, you were raised 24:30 in a Christian home, weren't you? 24:31 Your father and mother loved the Lord. 24:33 Yeah, you guys are raised up with Christ being the center. 24:35 And I know, you know, I was raised also in, 24:38 you know, in a God fearing family. 24:42 And it wasn't like in my life anyway 24:44 where I was off in left field 24:46 going down the path to destruction. 24:49 And then all of a sudden one day 24:51 like you're saying like 24:52 Cheri Peters just making about facing, 24:54 you know, okay, I'm accepting Christ today, 24:56 'cause Christ was always, 24:58 you know, part of my life, so similar for you too. 25:01 But then there's a point, I remember I was 12, 25:03 I can't give you necessary time and place. 25:05 But, oh, place I can, but not necessary the time. 25:08 But I decided to accept the Lord and say, 25:09 "You know what God, 25:11 I'm going to follow You for my entire life." 25:14 You know, so I remember that specifically 25:15 but again it wasn't like "wow, 180 experience." 25:19 Yeah. 25:20 That was the big dilemma in my life 25:23 because, you know, I had to like start cussing to, 25:28 you know, feel like 25:29 I had something to ask forgiveness for 25:32 because I had been raised in a Christian home. 25:35 And we did everything, 25:36 you know, right or by the book, 25:38 you know, or you got trouble for it 25:40 from mom and dad. 25:42 So, seriously though, 25:44 every summer at church camp I would, 25:47 you know, rededicate my life. 25:48 And, you know, try to be, 25:51 reset my direction for whatever I had done wrong, 25:54 which I know, 25:56 you know, the fact that we all need Christ. 25:59 And to recognize that I think is the point 26:02 when I got out of my, I left high school, 26:05 moved to my first real job, 26:09 and was actually playing the piano in churches 26:13 about every night of the week. 26:15 And I felt like I needed a place and time 26:20 because I had heard all growing up, 26:22 people who knew that. 26:25 They knew they could name a time 26:27 and a particular altar that they had accepted Christ. 26:30 And I didn't have that. 26:33 And so, I think, I was... 26:35 I still don't even remember exactly how old I was. 26:37 But I remember going to church on a Wednesday night. 26:41 And it was a youth group. 26:43 I still thought I was young even at 20 or 21. 26:48 But anyway and I guessed it, up to that point if I had, 26:53 you know, died, I believe 26:57 that I would have been a, 27:00 I was a Christian. 27:01 But to have that confirmation or affirmation, 27:06 I don't know if there's anything scriptural 27:08 about that other than the fact that, 27:10 you know, I settled it. 27:13 Yes. 27:14 Well, I think that one of the key is, 27:16 you know, just being in a Christian home, 27:17 a Seventh-day Adventist home doesn't save you. 27:19 That's right. 27:20 You know it's a commitment on an individual basis. 27:24 You know, you're accepting the Lord saying, 27:25 "You know, I want to make You Lord of my life." 27:27 It's same for me, the same thing. 27:29 So it's not necessarily okay. You know what? 27:32 You may be a third, fourth, 27:33 fifth generation Seventh-day Adventist, 27:35 someone that loves the Lord. 27:36 But, man, there's a commitment 27:37 we all have to make on an individual basis 27:39 to accept the Lord of our life. 27:41 Then we have the daily walk, 27:42 which is the sanctification process to, 27:44 where Paul says he dies daily. 27:47 We're talking about the new birth experience 27:50 and accepting the Lord of our lives. 27:52 Could I share a word on Conversion? 27:55 Yes, please. 27:56 My mother had complete cardiac and respiratory arrest 28:00 and did not breathe for nearly 16 minutes. 28:03 "She was dead." Yeah, absolutely. 28:06 But they were working on her the entire time 28:08 and brought her back. 28:10 And she was in a coma. 28:12 She was paralyzed from her neck down. 28:14 And when she was in intensive care 28:17 about four different times, 28:21 they'd have to bring the crash cart, 28:25 and they'd kick me out of intensive care, 28:29 and then they put the paddles on her. 28:31 And then I remember so clearly the first time 28:34 that the doctor came out and he said, 28:36 "We converted her." 28:38 That's what this electrocardio conversion 28:41 when they put those paddles. 28:43 And I think to your point, there are a lot... 28:46 My Mother was alive. 28:49 And then she was dead, but she wasn't really dead, 28:51 she was, you know, you can't bring. 28:54 But it took that time of conversion. 28:58 And when we're in the church, it is to me conversion is, 29:03 you know, one of the new covenant promises 29:06 is that He'll give us new heart and new spirit. 29:09 It is all about surrender. 29:11 It's about yielding control. 29:14 When you get to that point where you say, 29:16 "Lord, I want Your will in my life, 29:18 not my will, but Yours be done. 29:21 I'm willing to yield to You." 29:25 And at that point when God reaches down 29:28 and takes His hands of love and touches our heart, 29:33 He converts it. 29:34 It's like that, you know, 29:36 that electrical current puts the Holy Spirit in our heart. 29:39 And then suddenly, we're alive again. 29:43 I mean, we are spiritually alive. 29:46 And it's, you know, 29:50 there are many people in the church 29:52 who have never been born again. 29:54 That is true. 29:55 And you can recognize 29:56 'cause I think if the Spirit of God is in you, 29:59 you're going to be a very loving person 30:00 because God is love. 30:02 And that's how I tell 30:03 if somebody has got the Holy Spirit. 30:06 But I had a thought, oh, that He tells us, 30:10 that He gives us everything that we need for godliness. 30:15 All of His exceedingly great and precious promises 30:19 are ours in Christ Jesus. 30:21 And so it's that matter of coming to Him, 30:24 I lost my point in all of this but just saying, 30:27 "Yes, Lord, I'm in the church. 30:30 But have I ever really said 30:33 I want You not just as my substitute 30:37 but as my surety." 30:38 I want you to be Lord, not just my Savior. 30:41 A lot of people like to talk about Savior. 30:43 But if Jesus isn't Lord of your life, 30:46 He's not your Savior either. 30:48 No, that's true. It's beautiful. 30:49 Wow. Well said. 30:50 I think it's that surrender. Yes, I agree. 30:52 You know, that's accepting Him as you said as Lord of my life, 30:55 not only accepting the death on the cross 30:57 and that in my place, 30:58 you know, Jesus bled to cover the sins. 31:00 But I think it's saying, 31:01 "Yes, Lord, I want You to rule my life. 31:03 I want You to be in control of my life." 31:06 And I remember I was nine, we're all sharing stories here, 31:10 but I remember I was nine and I was in church. 31:13 And I had known about God and, you know, raised, same as you, 31:17 raised in a Christian home. 31:19 But I remember the minister, and this is kind of a... 31:22 I'll share this quickly, a cute story. 31:26 We didn't have a lot of money. 31:27 And my mom and dad had gone out to a secondhand store 31:31 and bought me my first pair of heels, 31:32 and I was so proud of them. 31:34 I was nine years old. 31:35 And I just thought 31:36 it was the most wonderful thing in the world. 31:38 And they had a little strap around the ankle, 31:40 and I was so pleased, they were white. 31:42 And they had taken a little white marker 31:44 and kind of erased the scuff marks 31:46 because they were secondhand shoes. 31:48 And I wore them into church. 31:49 And I remember I was wobbling like this, 31:51 but I was so excited. 31:52 And I sat down, 31:54 I thought everybody's looking at my new shoes. 31:55 And the minister that day spoke on the importance of surrender, 32:01 the importance of giving God control of your life, 32:04 the importance of I don't want anything 32:06 between you and Jesus. 32:08 You know, do you have any idol? Do you have anything? 32:11 And I just, I was only nine, just a little kid. 32:14 And I still remember my feet 32:15 they didn't even touch the ground, 32:17 they're swinging. 32:18 And I remember thinking, 32:20 "But I like my shoes, but I like my shoes." 32:23 And the Holy Spirit, 32:24 the convicting power of the Holy Spirit, 32:26 spoke to my heart and said, 32:28 "But do you love Me more or the shoes?" 32:30 And I was like, "No, I love the shoes more." 32:32 And I remember that. 32:34 Even you know, parents, you could be at home and say, 32:36 "Well, my child can't understand this?" 32:38 Children can, from a young age can understand. 32:42 And I remember the battle, the whole church service, 32:45 the entire time he talked, I'm battling. 32:48 And then at the end we went home, 32:52 I took my shoes off, I gave them to my mom. 32:54 And I said, "Would you give these away?" 32:56 I want Jesus to be Lord of my life. 32:59 I don't want anything between me and Jesus. 33:01 Now, you can think that's just a pair of shoes. 33:03 That's nothing. 33:04 But you know it's a simple thing, 33:07 but for a child 33:08 that was my battle and my struggle. 33:10 I want Jesus. 33:12 But there was nothing wrong 33:14 with a little white pair of heels. 33:16 What happened was... 33:17 It was my love of them. 33:19 Your pride. Absolutely. 33:20 And like you said, 33:21 "I thought everybody is noticing my new shoes." 33:26 So it was a pride issue, and God... 33:29 Dealt with me. 33:30 Thank goodness, 33:31 He dealt with you right away on that. 33:33 That was precious. 33:35 I know, you are going to listen to. 33:36 JD, you were going to say something? 33:37 This is a very important point right here because, 33:41 boy, our mind plays these games. 33:42 Satan is sitting there, 33:44 you know, and he's manipulating this, 33:46 and there's this battle going on. 33:47 I remember I was 14 years old, 33:49 and we went to an evangelistic series 33:52 in Kane, Texas. 33:53 And oh, my goodness, 33:57 they were making a call for people 33:59 to give their life to Jesus and to go into ministry. 34:04 And, boy, I don't think that I've ever had 34:09 such a battle in my heart as that day. 34:11 And I was probably a freshman in high school, 14 years old. 34:16 And what a battle. 34:18 And I wanted with all my heart just to go forward. 34:25 But then I had my friends, that I was sitting with, 34:29 and they were just tossing this aside. 34:33 You know, this no more meant anything. 34:36 He wanted to go by night. Yeah. 34:39 And I allowed that situation, 34:43 that peer pressure, 34:45 to talk me out of that evening 34:47 which would probably could have changed my life. 34:53 So this is very important, I was 14 years old, 34:57 so I was just maybe nine... 34:58 Wow! 35:00 I can't remember that far back, you know. 35:03 And here we're talking about white shoes. 35:05 So these are little things that happen to us 35:07 when we were young that we make decisions, 35:10 long term decisions, Lord, and maybe not really realize 35:13 what's going on at that particular time. 35:15 Let me say one more thing here 35:17 because I think this is important 35:18 because we're talking about a new birth 35:20 and something 35:22 "Oh, yeah, well, you are with 3ABN, 35:24 you know, you're all squeaky clean, 35:26 white, and all that. 35:27 Let me read here Romans 3:23, 35:31 Roman 6:23, Isaiah 64:6, 35:35 I'm going to say those again 35:36 'cause these are important that you write down. 35:38 Romans 3:23, Roman 6:23, 35:43 and Isaiah 64:6, 35:45 'cause this is talking about you, 35:46 it's talking about me, it's talking about, 35:48 "All have sinned." 35:49 That's right. 35:51 So that doesn't mean that if you're sitting here, 35:53 beating yourself up, because, 35:54 "Well, dear Brother JD, you don't understand. 35:56 I'm a sinner." 35:57 So I've made a choice, and so there is no escape. 36:01 "All have sinned." We have sinned. 36:03 Then it says here, "The wages of sin is death." 36:09 And then it goes on, it says, 36:10 "Even the best thing about us is as filthy rags." 36:14 Oh, yeah. 36:16 Go ahead, Shelley, really quick. 36:17 I was just going to say, you can't ever just say, 36:18 "The wages of sin is death, 36:20 but the gift of God is eternal life 36:22 through Christ Jesus." 36:23 And that's exactly where we're going with this. 36:26 And so, you know, as you look back 36:27 whether you're a freshman or whether, 36:28 you know, you're a young man, 22, 23 years old. 36:32 I've got to cuss just for a reason, 36:34 so I can say that I'm born again. 36:37 You know, I mean, here 36:39 we're in the backyard at 12 years old and says, 36:41 "Lord, I give my heart to you." 36:42 Here we got a little pair of white shoes, 36:44 little bit tiny heels on, 36:45 you know, oh, 36:47 what I did to have those white shoes, you know. 36:49 And your parents loving you so much, 36:51 that they went out and they sacrificed, 36:54 and all these dynamics that are going on in our lives, 36:56 these battles. 36:59 But don't let Satan rob you 37:05 of your joy, 37:06 of the plan that God has for your life. 37:09 I mean, and that's where we're starting, 37:11 I mean, this is part of we're talking the new birth. 37:14 The new birth 37:16 'cause we're sick and tired of being sick and tired. 37:19 I was going to say, 37:20 you know, verse 8 is I think where we ended, right? 37:22 It says, "The wind blows where it listeth, 37:24 and you hear the sound thereof 37:26 you cannot tell where it comes from." 37:28 And it's talking about the Holy Spirit the same way. 37:30 And, Shelley, you were mentioning 37:31 that you see the effects of the wind. 37:33 Can we see it, we see the effects of the wind. 37:35 And I remember a young man going to summer camp, 37:37 you're talking about camp. 37:38 And a young man felt 37:41 the Holy Spirit blowing on his life, 37:42 if you want say, and accepted Christ. 37:44 I remember he was really excited about that. 37:46 And the tragic thing is 37:49 that just a couple of months later 37:50 he was killed in a tractor accident, 37:53 the tractor crushed him to death. 37:55 And I remember as a young person 37:57 being totally amazed at that, thinking, wow, 37:59 here's a young man 38:01 that had come to camp, to summer camp. 38:03 And his life was in a different direction, 38:05 but at camp he felt 38:06 the effect of the Holy Spirit on his life. 38:08 And he said, "Yes, I'm going to choose You." 38:10 They found in his pocket, still touches me even now, 38:12 in his pocket, little scriptures in his pocket 38:15 when he was crushed by the tractor, 38:16 they found them in his pocket. 38:18 So I guess 38:19 he's probably driving his tractor, 38:20 and he'd be reading his scriptures, 38:22 and stuff like that. 38:23 And I remember even as a young person saying, 38:25 "Wow, praise the Lord. 38:26 He listened, you know, 38:27 to the Holy Spirit blowing on his life." 38:29 Amen. 38:31 You know, I had a similar testimony, 38:33 a lady came to me. 38:35 Actually she was visiting here and she said, 38:37 "My daughter gave her heart to the Lord 38:40 during at the Central 38:43 California Conference. 38:46 You know, it wasn't a camp meeting, 38:48 it was a women's ministry. 38:49 And then she was killed 30 days later 38:52 in a car accident. 38:54 So that was very precious. 38:55 But I have to say this, 38:57 I thought I had been born again, 38:59 I think I had been born again. 39:00 I actually was enrolled to go to seminary. 39:06 But I didn't know the Word of God 39:09 as well as I should have. 39:11 And I was being taught, 39:13 I had studied my way out of the Church of Christ, 39:16 I was going to a non-denominational arena. 39:19 But I had been taught that if you had enough faith, 39:24 God had to meet you 39:26 where your faith was, type of thing. 39:28 So the long and the short of it is 39:29 something really tragic happened in my family. 39:32 And I believed with all of my heart. 39:35 I'm quoting the promises of God and I am just trusting 39:38 that God's going to handle this and He didn't, 39:41 and it was very painful. 39:43 But I walked away from the Lord. 39:47 I walked away from Him for two full years. 39:50 I mean, I threw Him off and said, 39:55 "You're not who you say You are, 39:57 You don't do what You say You're going to do. 40:00 I want nothing to do with You." It was a conscious decision. 40:03 It was very conscious decision. 40:07 And I was kind of a like, I mean, I said not that bad, 40:11 but I mean I literally just said, "That's it." 40:14 I mean I had worked all my life 40:16 trying to be the best little girl 40:17 so God could love me. 40:19 I had a mixed understanding of God. 40:23 You know, don't ever have faith in faith, have faith in God. 40:26 And trust Him that He loves you so much 40:31 that He is always going to do 40:33 what is best for your eternal benefit. 40:36 And He is always working in your life. 40:39 But what happened for me 40:42 is God chased me down. 40:47 Now my heart was as cold as a stone toward Him 40:51 for a couple of years. 40:53 And He chased me down, He wooed me with His love, 40:58 and He converted me. 41:01 Now that is the time that, 41:03 you know, and I don't want to get into this. 41:05 It's a deep theological discussion. 41:08 Can you be born again more than once? 41:10 If you die, you can. 41:12 'Cause I think I was dead in my trespasses 41:16 for those two years, I mean, there's no events... 41:18 You don't literally die, 41:19 you mean you went back to the life of sin. 41:22 If you go back to the life of sin, 41:25 and if you're spiritually dead, if you've thrown off the Lord 41:29 because when you're born again, you're going to be in Christ. 41:34 And when you're in Christ 41:35 that means you are positioned in Him 41:38 for salvation. 41:39 But it also means 41:40 that you're going to walk in obedience. 41:42 It means that you're going to look to Him 41:45 as Savior and Lord. 41:46 And I had thrown Him off. 41:48 So I went from being spiritually alive 41:53 to being dead in sins. 41:55 If I had died during that two year time, 41:59 I know what my future would be. 42:01 I mean there's no if, ands, or buts about it. 42:04 I was doing wrong things. 42:06 But God came and just... 42:10 And I want to tell you that there's nothing. 42:14 If you're watching this 42:15 and maybe you used to be in church, 42:18 you've gone away from church, 42:20 and you feel like how can God forgive me, 42:23 He can't, I'm too great a sinner. 42:26 Well, let me tell you, He's even a greater Savior. 42:29 And there's nothing 42:31 that He can't forgive you for if, 42:34 of course, the unpardonable sin. 42:35 But you wouldn't be worried about it, 42:37 you know what I mean by that. 42:38 That's beautiful. 42:40 I love these testimonies 42:41 of what God has done in our life. 42:44 And I want to look at a few scriptures 42:45 before we run out of time. 42:47 So let's see, JD, 42:48 you want to take the one in Ezekiel 36 42:51 about the new heart experience. 42:52 Shelley, you want to take 2 Corinthians 5:17. 42:56 Tim, you want to do 2 Peter 1:4. 42:59 Sweetheart, John 5:24, 43:00 we're talking about 43:01 the experience of being born again. 43:04 Now you don't just have to read Ezekiel 36:26, 43:06 whatever you want to read in there, JD, it's perfect. 43:09 Well, I'm just going to read what you have right here, 43:11 Ezekiel 36:26. 43:14 We're talking about 43:16 what does it mean to be born again. 43:18 And it tells us that 43:20 "I, this is Jesus, will give you a new heart, 43:24 I'll put a new spirit within you, 43:26 and I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh, 43:28 and give you a heart of flesh." 43:31 Wow, to me 43:32 that is an absolutely fantastic promise 43:36 because that's what we're looking 43:38 for as a new direction in our life. 43:39 And it's through His divine grace 43:42 that He does that. 43:44 This is a gift that He's giving us 43:45 that we're not deserving 43:47 'cause remember, 43:48 we've all sinned, we're as filthy rags. 43:50 And He says, listen, if that's not what... 43:55 If you think you deserve more than that 43:57 and even if you don't think 43:59 that you deserve more than that, 44:00 I created you, I have a plan for you. 44:02 So consequently 44:04 I want to put a new heart in you. 44:05 Isn't that beautiful 44:06 that He actually is the one that does it. 44:08 And we don't have to be stressed out 44:09 by trying to get my new heart, you know, somehow. 44:11 I don't have to sit and think about. 44:12 I don't have to do the open heart surgery myself. 44:15 I don't have to sit here and think... 44:16 But He gives us the new... 44:18 Go ahead, new spirit. Exactly. 44:19 If I can get my hands on $1500, I can have a new heart. 44:25 No, this is a free gift. That's right. 44:27 This is a mystery that's way beyond us. 44:31 You know, this is yours. 44:34 You're sick and tired of being sick and tired. 44:36 We've got a way out here. Amen. 44:38 And again that's Christ love gives us that choice. 44:41 And so we're choosing Jesus, 44:43 then He gives us that new heart. 44:44 And the next verse I'll put my spirit within you. 44:47 I mean, the Holy Spirit is integral 44:49 in the work of the new birth experience. 44:51 Amen. Amen. 44:53 2 Corinthians 5:17, 44:56 "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ," 45:01 that's with the, 45:02 If you're in Christ, "he is a new creation, 45:06 old things have passed away, 45:08 behold, all things have become new." 45:10 And we don't always feel like that. 45:12 You know, Romans 4:17 says, 45:14 "God is the God who gives life to the dead, 45:17 and calls things 45:18 that are not as though they already were." 45:20 And sometimes I'll quote those scripture, 45:23 and I'll just be praying it back 45:25 to Jesus says an affirmation saying, 45:27 "Thank You Lord, that I'm a new creation, 45:29 the old has gone and the new is come." 45:31 And, you know, you feel like sometimes 45:34 the old rears its ugly head, you know. 45:38 It just shows up but God is, 45:41 He sees us as the finished product. 45:44 He is going to complete the good work He's begun in us. 45:47 So you can quote this with faith and say, 45:50 "Thank you Father, 45:52 that this is how you see me that all things are new." 45:54 Amen. It is a word. 45:56 Yes, powerful promise. 45:57 And, you know, this is something 45:59 that you truly have to believe, 46:01 this is just not a mental assent 46:02 as you was talking about perhaps 46:03 you know having faith in faith. 46:05 So it's not mental, this is supernatural, 46:08 this is a totally remolding. 46:11 Amen. Amen. It's beautiful. 46:13 And in 2 Peter 1, 46:16 I'm going to go back to verse 3, 46:18 it says, "For his divine power," 46:19 God's divine power 46:21 "has bestowed upon us all things 46:23 that are requisite and suited to life and godliness, 46:28 through the full personal knowledge of Him 46:30 who called us by 46:32 and to his own glory and excellence." 46:35 Verse 4, "By means of these He has bestowed on us 46:38 His precious and exceedingly great promises: 46:41 so that through them 46:43 you may escape by flight from the moral decay," 46:46 this is getting complicated, 46:49 "rottenness and corruption 46:50 that is in the world because of covetousness, 46:53 and become sharers of the divine nature." 46:56 Basically, the divine nature is what we're talking about 46:59 being born again to be born again. 47:02 I like to think of it as being adopted. 47:04 God adopts me and His nature becomes mine. 47:09 Recently, I was able to go 47:12 and enjoy looking at the Biltmore Mansion, 47:15 walked in the... 47:16 I pretended that I was a Vanderbilt. 47:20 You know, as I was going through these, 47:22 but I knew that just the price of the ticket 47:25 to get in the place 47:27 was about enough to bankrupt me. 47:30 So I knew that I had not a chance of being 47:33 in the Vanderbilt family. 47:35 But to know 47:36 that I am a partaker by divine nature, God, 47:39 again is that gift, it wasn't anything, 47:42 I wasn't born into it, I didn't do it enough, 47:44 you know, after I had stopped my cussing 47:46 with by the way, 47:47 I think I said, shucks, that was my cussing. 47:51 So I don't worry anybody. 47:52 But if none of that, 47:56 I was exempt 47:58 from ever owning anything in Christ, 48:02 it had to simply be His grace. 48:03 And, but He did it and divide by His divine nature, 48:07 or in giving me His divine nature. 48:09 Can I just say this? Sure. 48:12 DNA. We all have DNA. 48:15 Our DNA is specific to us. 48:19 I like to do a little play on words 48:22 and say DNA, 48:25 we are born 48:26 with the devil's nature acquired, 48:29 DNA because of sin. 48:34 But because of His goodness, 48:37 He gives us exceedingly great and precious promises 48:40 so that you may become partakers 48:42 of the divine nature. 48:44 So we go 48:45 from the devil's nature acquired 48:47 to the divine nature acquired. 48:50 We have different spiritual DNA when we're born. 48:54 When you're born again 48:56 and the Holy Spirit is going to work out 48:58 the character development of Jesus in you. 49:01 And it just to me, I just find that very exciting. 49:05 That is great. 49:07 Amen. Amen. And rightfully so. 49:10 Right, can you imagine, 49:12 you know, if you are looking to be a part of a family 49:17 that has a future and hope... 49:19 Oh, yeah, eternal life. And life. 49:21 Yeah, exactly. 49:22 Better than the Vanderbilt. Right. Exactly. 49:24 Yeah, don't mention it. 49:27 Go ahead. 49:28 See, John 5:24 says, 49:31 "Verily, verily, I say unto you, 49:33 He that heareth my word, 49:34 and believeth on Him that sent me, 49:37 has everlasting life, 49:39 and shall not come into condemnation, 49:42 but is passed from death unto life." 49:46 Wow, praise the Lord for that. 49:48 You know, I think about like you're mentioning eternal life, 49:50 that's all we have are into the family of God, 49:52 and we can't get any better than that to be born again. 49:55 Amen. Amen. 49:57 We haven't talked much about the role of faith, 49:59 we talk some about the Holy Spirit. 50:01 We talked about the fact 50:03 that we were all dead in trespasses and sins. 50:05 We have all sinned 50:07 and fallen short of the glory of God. 50:09 And that God woos us 50:11 and draws us like with Nicodemus, 50:13 he even had the desire to come and see Jesus by night. 50:16 And the desire 50:18 and that was implanted in his heart 50:19 by the Holy Spirit. 50:20 And the goodness of God 50:22 that even led him to repentance. 50:24 And then we have that promise in 1 John 1:9, 50:27 "If we confess our sins, 50:28 He is faithful and just to forgive us, 50:30 and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 50:33 We know that the Holy Spirit 50:34 can dwell in our hearts by faith. 50:36 We can pass from death unto life, 50:38 we can become a new creation in Christ Jesus. 50:42 The old stony cold heart can be taken out 50:45 and replaced with a heart of flesh. 50:47 We can become partakers of the divine nature. 50:49 But the Scripture I want to do, I know we want to go to prayer. 50:52 But the Scripture I want to do is Ephesians 2:8, 9. 50:55 "For by grace 50:57 we have been saved through faith," 50:59 all of this takes place as a result of our faith, 51:03 reaching out by faith to God and accepting and believing. 51:07 "By grace we're saved through faith 51:09 and not of ourselves: it is the gift of God, 51:12 not of works lest anyone should boast. 51:15 For we are His workmanship, 51:18 created in Christ Jesus for good works 51:21 which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." 51:24 Amen. It's powerful. 51:26 And you know 1 John 3 verse, 51:28 we should really quote verse 16. 51:29 That's what I was just looking 51:30 at because we talked about that in the very beginning. 51:32 And I know we're starting to get short on time 51:35 but, yeah, let's just quote it together. 51:37 And you at home join us as well 51:39 'cause again we're talking about 51:40 the story of Nicodemus, 51:42 and how he was searching for Christ, and found Him. 51:45 And John 3:16, of course, is a very famous verse. 51:49 And shall we read 16 and 17? 51:50 Let's do it. Let's do that. Okay. 51:52 "For God so loved the world 51:54 that He gave his only begotten Son, 51:58 that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, 52:03 but have everlasting life." 52:05 Verse 17, 52:07 "For God sent not His Son 52:09 into the world to condemn the world, 52:12 but that the world through Him might be saved." 52:16 Amen. Amen. 52:18 Praise the Lord for that. What a great promise, isn't it? 52:20 Well, let's have our prayer. 52:22 Elder JD, you want to start, we go to Shelley and then Tim, 52:24 and then Jill and I will close out. 52:27 Father, as we come to You in the mighty name of Jesus, 52:30 we just want to thank You, Lord, for life itself. 52:34 We want to thank You, Lord, for Your gifts, 52:36 for giving Your life so that we might live. 52:40 And so, Father, I just ask Lord on the Sabbath 52:43 that we just continue to keep our eyes focused on You 52:46 that we will allow You to work in us 52:48 and through us, dear Father, 52:50 to make a difference not only in our lives 52:52 but to assist other people, dear Father, 52:55 and being more like You. 52:57 Father, we love You and we thank You 52:58 and give You praise and glory in Jesus' name, amen. 53:02 Holy and righteous Father, we praise Your name 53:05 because You are all powerful and worthy of all praise. 53:10 We thank You, Father, that You are a God of grace. 53:13 We thank You for Jesus Christ 53:16 who is not only our substitute 53:18 but our surety that our guarantor, Lord. 53:22 We thank You 53:24 for Your Holy Spirit and Your Word. 53:26 And we thank You 53:28 that we are born again through Your Word, 53:30 and born again of Your Spirit. 53:32 We thank You that Your Spirit works in us 53:35 to lead us and to guide us, Father, in Christ footsteps. 53:41 And we are so grateful, Father, that salvation belongs to You. 53:45 We thank You for the gift of salvation. 53:47 We know there's nothing 53:48 we could ever do to save ourselves. 53:51 So we're so grateful, Lord, that You look down on us, 53:55 and pity us, and remember that we are but dust, 53:57 but that You work in us to will and to do Your good pleasure 54:00 by the power of Your Holy Spirit. 54:03 And, Father, You are a wonderful God. 54:06 We love You, Lord. 54:08 And we pray, Father, 54:09 that You would just pour Your love into our hearts, 54:11 that we might love You with all of our heart, 54:13 soul, mind and strength. 54:15 Yes. Thank you. 54:17 Precious God, what an awesome privilege 54:19 it's been to be a part of this study 54:21 and just remembering 54:25 what it means to be in Your family 54:27 and to be Your child. 54:29 And, Lord, I pray as this New Year has begun 54:32 that You will put it in my heart 54:35 to walk worthy of You, fully pleasing You, 54:38 being fruitful in every good work, 54:41 and increasing in the knowledge of You. 54:43 Yes, Lord. Yes. 54:45 Father, as we continue in prayer, 54:47 we just thank You for the gift of Jesus. 54:49 We thank You 54:51 that You emptied heaven and poured out 54:53 such an incredible gift. 54:55 We thank You, we accept that gift You send in. 54:59 And when we thank You for the privilege 55:01 that we can pass from death unto life, 55:04 that You can apply the blood of Jesus 55:07 to the doorpost and lintels of our hearts. 55:09 And that we can become in Christ a new creation. 55:14 Thank You for that rebirth experience. 55:17 And I just pray for my brothers and sisters right now at home. 55:20 That if someone right now was in that valley of decision, 55:24 Lord, we just ask that they would make a choice, 55:28 would make a choice for You, 55:30 choose to accept You as Savior of their lives 55:33 but not only that as Lord. 55:36 And we thank You 55:37 for what You are doing just now. 55:41 Father, in heaven, Lord, we're so grateful for the week 55:43 that You have brought us through for the Sabbath hours. 55:47 And we're thankful again 55:48 for the study of being born again, 55:51 Word of Your wooing us, 55:53 Your Holy Spirit convicting us of our need of You. 55:58 And, Lord, if there is someone 56:00 even tonight that is in that valley of decision, 56:02 "Should I accept Christ, should I not?" 56:04 Maybe tomorrow. I'll do it tomorrow. 56:06 Lord, today is the day of salvation. 56:08 So I just pray that someone would choose You, Lord, 56:13 and just bless their lives, give them the power Lord to... 56:18 Yeah, just step out in faith and say, 56:19 "God, I choose You today." 56:21 Lord, thank You for working on all of our lives. 56:23 And, Lord, we again commit our lives to You, 56:26 each and every day. 56:27 In Jesus' name we pray, amen. 56:30 Amen. Amen. 56:32 I had one quick thought, can I share? 56:33 Sure. Okay. 56:35 Parents need to remember that rules 56:38 without relationship result in rebellion. 56:41 The most important thing 56:42 you were talking about planting seeds. 56:44 The most important thing a parent 56:45 can do is teach about the love of God. 56:48 And let that child develop that relationship. 56:51 You know one of the things 56:53 I was thinking about the story too from John 3, is, 56:55 you know, Nicodemus came to Christ in the night. 56:58 You know, I think 57:00 that's the beautiful thing of Jesus. 57:01 He wasn't like, "Oh, it's late. I'm tired. 57:05 You know, let's do this tomorrow." 57:06 Nicodemus, let's just not do it tonight. 57:08 Do you know Jesus is always there. 57:10 So no matter any time of day or night, 57:13 Jesus is always there, and never forget that. 57:15 And you know why He's there always? 57:16 Because He loves you, 57:18 He loves me, He loves all of us. 57:19 And He cares about each one of us. 57:21 And that to me in itself, it just draws me to Him. 57:25 Thank you so much for joining us 57:27 on the Family Worship. 57:28 Thank you, Tim. Thank you, Shelley and JD. 57:30 Thank you, Sweetheart. 57:31 And thank you again for joining us. 57:32 May the Lord bless you, have a wonderful Sabbath. 57:34 God bless you. 57:36 Amen. Amen. |
Revised 2018-01-25