Anchor School of Theology: Prophetic Principles

Israel and the 144,000

Three Angels Broadcasting Network

Program transcript

Participants: Stephen Bohr

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Series Code: ASTPP

Program Code: ASTPP000017


00:15 Alright, folks, we're back again.
00:18 And we need to continue our study of this principle
00:22 that God's Israel today is spiritual Israel.
00:27 The nation of Israel is no longer God's vehicle to take
00:30 the gospel to the world.
00:32 It is God's worldwide church that has that mission.
00:36 Now we're going to take a look at the material that is titled,
00:39 Israel and the Fig Tree.
00:41 We're not going to look at all of this material.
00:44 We are going to skip certain sections because
00:47 in our next study we are going to cover those sections
00:51 that are in this document, Israel and the Fig Tree.
00:54 So let's begin at the top of the page
00:56 where it says, Introduction.
00:58 We're going to read from Matthew 24 and verses 32 to 35.
01:04 Matthew 24, of course, has the signs of the second coming.
01:09 And this is how it reads, "Now learn this parable
01:13 from the fig tree.
01:15 When its branch has already become tender
01:19 and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near.
01:23 So you also, when you see all these things,
01:27 know that it is near; at the doors.
01:30 Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means
01:34 pass away till all these things take place.
01:38 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words
01:41 will by no means pass away."
01:43 Now we want to focus on what this text says
01:46 about the fig tree.
01:48 It says, "Now learn this parable from the fig tree.
01:52 When its branch has already become tender
01:54 and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near.
01:57 So you also, when you see all these things,
02:01 know that it is near; at the doors."
02:04 Now dispensationalists say that the fig tree here
02:09 is a symbol of Israel, and that the budding of the fig tree
02:14 is a prophecy concerning the re-establishment
02:17 of the Jewish nation in the year 1948.
02:21 They teach that this is the greatest sign
02:24 that the coming of Jesus is imminent, or even at the door.
02:29 So we need to carefully examine whether this is true.
02:34 We need to examine this passage to see if the budding
02:37 of the fig tree is the re-establishment of Israel
02:42 in the Holy Land as a nation.
02:45 Now first of all, we must say that it is true
02:49 that the fig tree and the vine are associated
02:53 with literal Israel in the Old Testament.
02:55 Notice Hosea chapter 9 and verse 10.
02:59 The fig tree and the vine are associated with literal Israel.
03:03 It says there in Hosea 9 verse 10,
03:07 "I found Israel like..." What?
03:09 See, there you have the vineyard idea.
03:11 "...like grapes in the wilderness;
03:13 I saw your fathers as the firstfruits on the
03:17 fig tree in its first season.
03:20 But they went to Baal Peor, and separated themselves
03:24 to that shame; they became an abomination
03:27 like the thing they loved."
03:28 And so it's true that the vineyard and the fig tree
03:33 in the Old Testament symbolized literal Israel.
03:36 There's no doubt about it.
03:38 But the question is, does Matthew 24, when it refers
03:43 to the fig tree, refer to the Jewish nation,
03:46 or does it have another meaning?
03:49 Well, we want to take a look at this idea of the tree
03:53 in three different moments of time leading up to the
03:57 ministry of Christ.
03:59 Go in your Bibles with me to Matthew chapter 3
04:01 and verses 8 through 10.
04:03 Here, John the Baptist is going to begin his preaching.
04:07 And he begins his preaching six months before
04:10 Jesus begins His public ministry.
04:12 That's an important chronological detail.
04:15 John the Baptist is beginning his preaching
04:17 six months, or half a year, before Jesus began
04:22 His public ministry.
04:23 And of course, John's mission was to prepare the way
04:27 for the first coming of Jesus.
04:29 Now let's notice what John said in his message
04:34 to the Jewish nation.
04:35 It says there, "Therefore..." He's calling upon the nation.
04:39 "Therefore bear..." What?
04:42 "...fruits..." That's important.
04:43 "...bear fruits worthy of repentance,
04:47 and do not think to say to yourselves,
04:49 'We have Abraham as our father.'"
04:51 In other words, he saying, "Don't you just think
04:53 that it's a great thing to be a literal descendent of Abraham."
04:57 "For I say to you that God is able to raise up children
05:00 to Abraham from these stones."
05:02 And by the way, "Desire Of Ages" says that Jesus was not
05:05 pointing at literal stones.
05:07 He was pointing at some Gentiles that were...
05:09 I mean, John wasn't pointing at some stones.
05:11 He was pointing at Gentiles that were present there
05:14 at his baptism.
05:15 Because the Jews felt that the Gentiles had stony hearts.
05:19 And so they called them stones, they called them swine,
05:22 and they called them dogs.
05:24 Not very complimentary.
05:26 But anyway, John says, "God is able to raise up
05:30 children of Abraham from these stones."
05:33 And then notice verse 10.
05:34 "And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees.
05:39 Therefore every tree..."
05:41 Notice he's using the analogy of the tree, right,
05:44 for the nation of Israel.
05:45 And he's saying that they need to repent.
05:47 So, "Therefore every tree which does not bear..." What?
05:51 "...good fruit..."
05:52 In other words, a fruitless tree.
05:54 "...is cut down and thrown into the fire."
05:58 Now remember all these elements.
06:00 First of all, he calls them to repentance.
06:03 Secondly, he says, "Don't you think that it's a great thing
06:05 simply to be a literal descendent of Abraham."
06:08 And then he says that, "You're like a tree."
06:10 And if the nation of Israel does not produce fruit,
06:14 it will be cut down.
06:15 Those are the key details.
06:17 Now, let's go to our next passage.
06:20 Luke 13 and verses 1 through 9. Luke 13 and verses 1 through 9.
06:26 And a chronological detail is very important here.
06:29 Jesus is telling this parable, according to those who have
06:33 studied the chronology of the gospels,
06:35 two and a half years into Christ's ministry.
06:40 So how long has this tree existed at that point?
06:44 Three years.
06:46 Six months, or half a year, John the Baptist preached.
06:49 He calls Israel a tree.
06:52 And then Jesus gives His parable two and a half years
06:54 into Christ's ministry.
06:56 So six months plus two and a half years is what?
06:58 Three years.
06:59 That's an important chronological detail
07:01 we're going to notice.
07:03 And we're going to see many similarities
07:05 in this parable to what John the Baptist preached.
07:09 Notice Luke 13 and verse 1.
07:12 "There were present at that season some who told Him
07:14 about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled
07:18 with their sacrifices.
07:20 And Jesus answered and said to them, 'Do you suppose
07:23 that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans
07:28 because they suffered these things?
07:30 I tell you, no; but unless you...'" What?
07:34 There's one of the key words.
07:35 "...unless you repent, you will all likewise perish."
07:41 Verse 4, "Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam
07:45 fell and killed them, do you think that they were
07:48 worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem?
07:52 I tell you, no; but unless you..." What?
07:55 "...unless you repent..."
07:56 There's the key word again that John the Baptist used.
07:59 "...you will all likewise perish."
08:01 And now He's going to tell a parable.
08:03 Verse 6, "He also spoke this parable:
08:07 'A certain man...'" This is God the Father.
08:11 "...had a fig tree..."
08:12 What would the fig tree represent?
08:14 Israel, that's right.
08:16 "...planted in his vineyard..."
08:19 He had a fig tree planted in his vineyard.
08:21 What does the vineyard represent?
08:23 It represents the world.
08:26 "...and he came seeking fruit..."
08:28 What fruit was he seeking?
08:30 The fruit of the Holy Spirit.
08:32 And what happened?
08:33 "...and on it he found none."
08:36 What kind of tree was it?
08:38 It was a fruitless tree.
08:40 So three years after John the Baptist began his preaching,
08:45 had the Jewish tree produced fruit?
08:48 No.
08:49 Now notice what it continues saying.
08:52 Let's go to verse 7.
08:55 "Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard..."
08:56 Who's the keeper?
08:58 Jesus Christ.
08:59 "Look, for three years..."
09:02 There's the chronological detail.
09:04 "...for three years I have come seeking fruit
09:08 on this fig tree..."
09:10 Did John the Baptist speak about a tree?
09:12 Absolutely.
09:14 "...and find..." What? "...none."
09:17 So the owner of the tree says, "Cut it down."
09:20 Did John say something about cutting down the tree?
09:23 Absolutely. "Cut it down.
09:25 Why does it use up the ground?"
09:28 But the vinedresser loved the tree.
09:32 Notice what he says.
09:35 "But he answered and said to him, 'Sir, let it alone
09:40 this year...'"
09:43 How long did the ministry of Jesus last?
09:46 Three and a half years.
09:47 How long still remained in His ministry
09:49 when He told this parable?
09:51 One year.
09:54 "Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it
10:01 and fertilize it."
10:03 So is he going to dedicate special attention to it?
10:06 Absolutely.
10:09 "And if it bears fruit, well.
10:13 But if not, after that you can cut it down."
10:18 Did Jesus dedicate special attention to the Jewish nation
10:20 the last year of His ministry?
10:23 He most certainly did.
10:24 He did everything that He could for this fig tree.
10:30 Now the parable ends and we don't know what
10:32 happened to the fig tree.
10:34 Did it produce fruit or did it not produce fruit?
10:37 We don't know until the year is almost over.
10:42 Go with me to Matthew chapter 21 and verses 17 through 19.
10:47 Matthew 21:17-19
10:49 You remember Jesus saw a fig tree in the distance, right?
10:52 And He was hungry.
10:54 So He says to His disciples, "Hey, let's go over to that
10:56 fig tree and see if there's any figs; I'm hungry."
10:58 And we need to understand that in Israel the fig tree,
11:02 first of all, bears the fruit and then the leaves come out
11:06 indicating that the tree has fruit.
11:09 So the fruit comes out and then the leaves.
11:12 So if this fig tree had leaves,
11:16 Jesus says, "It's got to have fruit."
11:19 And so Jesus comes seeking fruit on the tree because He's hungry.
11:24 And I want you to notice what happens.
11:26 Verse 17, "Then He left them and went out
11:30 of the city to Bethany, and He lodged there.
11:33 Now in the morning, as He returned to the city,
11:36 He was hungry."
11:38 Does Jesus hunger for fruit?
11:41 Does He hunger for the fruit of the Spirit?
11:43 Yes He does.
11:44 "And seeing a fig tree..."
11:46 Ah, this is the fig tree that John spoke about.
11:49 This is the same fig tree that we find
11:51 in the parable of Luke 13.
11:53 You have to connect these three fig tree stories.
11:56 "And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it
11:59 and found nothing on it but leaves,
12:04 and said to it, 'Let no fruit grow on you ever again.'"
12:10 Now what part of, "ever again," don't you understand?
12:15 "And immediately the fig tree withered away."
12:20 What does the fig tree represent?
12:22 Israel.
12:26 Mark 11 adds some interesting details.
12:28 Mark 11 verses 12 through 14.
12:30 "Now the next day, when they had come out
12:33 from Bethany, He was hungry.
12:35 And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves..."
12:40 So you would expect fruit.
12:43 Ellen White said that it had just pretentious foliage.
12:48 "...He went to see if perhaps He could find something on it.
12:51 And when He came to it, He found nothing but leaves..."
12:56 And then it says, "...for it was not the season for figs."
12:58 And Ellen White explains something very interesting.
13:00 She says that this one tree in an orchard
13:06 had born leaves before all of the other ones.
13:08 The other ones were bare.
13:11 You see, the other ones represented the Gentiles.
13:14 It was not expected that they bear fruit because
13:16 they had no leaves.
13:19 They had not received the benefits and the blessings
13:22 that this one fig tree had received.
13:26 And so it says, "...it was not the season for figs."
13:30 If it wasn't the season for figs, Jesus wouldn't have
13:32 gone to the tree if He thought that it wouldn't have figs.
13:34 But it had leaves.
13:36 It received special privileges and special blessings.
13:39 Verse 14, "In response Jesus said to it,
13:44 'Let no one eat fruit from you ever again.'
13:48 And His disciples heard it."
13:51 Now Mark 11:20-21 tells us that the next morning
13:56 something very interesting happened.
13:58 It says, "Now in the morning, as they passed by,
14:02 they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots."
14:10 What happens when a tree dries up from the roots?
14:13 That is it.
14:16 It is finished.
14:20 "And Peter, remembering, said to Him, 'Rabbi, look!
14:25 The fig tree which You cursed has been...'" What?
14:30 "...has been withered away."
14:33 Does that sound like quite a bit of finality
14:37 when it comes to the destiny of the Jewish nation?
14:40 Absolutely.
14:42 The fig tree dried up from the roots.
14:45 And it is a symbol of the nation of Israel.
14:48 The nation of Israel is not God's instrument
14:51 to bring the gospel to the world anymore.
14:53 There might be individual Jews that God will use
14:55 who have accepted Jesus Christ.
14:57 But it is the church of Christ that has accepted Jesus Christ
15:01 all over the world to whom the mission has been committed,
15:05 to spiritual Israel who have linked with Jesus Christ.
15:09 Now let's jump down on the next page to where it says,
15:12 Matthew 24 and the Fig Tree.
15:15 Matthew 24 and the Fig Tree.
15:16 Remember we read about the fig tree in Matthew 24;
15:19 when it starts budding, you know, when you see this,
15:22 you know that Jesus is even at the doors.
15:25 Well, let's take a closer look at this.
15:28 Let's notice Matthew 24 verses 32 and 33 again.
15:33 "As you see the fig tree bud, it is a sign that
15:37 the summer is near.
15:39 In the same way..."
15:40 He's using an analogy.
15:42 "...when you see," now listen carefully, "all these things,
15:47 know that it is near, even at the doors."
15:51 Is it just the budding of the fig tree that is the sign?
15:55 No, what does Jesus say?
15:57 "When you see all of these things."
15:59 It's when you see all of the signs of Matthew 24.
16:02 Not only the budding of the fig tree.
16:06 What's even more telling is what we find
16:09 in Luke 21 verses 29 to 31.
16:12 Luke 21 and verses 29 to 31.
16:17 Here, Jesus is speaking about the signs of His coming also.
16:21 And notice that He adds a very significant detail.
16:24 He says there, "Then He spoke to them a parable:
16:28 'Look at the fig tree, and all the trees.'"
16:32 Is there anything special about the fig tree,
16:34 as far as signs are concerned?
16:35 No, no, no. It's not only the fig tree.
16:38 It says, "Look at the fig tree, and all the trees.
16:42 When they are already budding..."
16:44 When they are already budding.
16:46 "...you see and know for yourselves that
16:48 summer is now near.
16:50 So also, when you see these things," plural, "happening,
16:56 know that the kingdom of God is near."
16:57 Is the budding of the fig tree of particular significance?
17:02 No.
17:03 Jesus is using an analogy.
17:05 He says, "When you see the fig tree budding,
17:07 you know summer is near."
17:09 And so when you see all of these signs of Matthew 24,
17:12 you'll know that the end is near.
17:13 But Jesus is not saying that the fig tree here is a symbol
17:17 of Israel being reborn as a nation in 1948.
17:21 Because the fig tree withered from its roots.
17:26 Now let's go to our next section.
17:28 Nathanael, The Nathanael Experience.
17:31 Let's read from John 1 verses 43 to 48.
17:35 "The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee,
17:40 and He found Philip and said to him, 'Follow Me.'
17:44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.
17:49 Philip found Nathanael and said to him,
17:52 'We have found Him of whom Moses in the law,
17:55 and also the prophets, wrote; Jesus of Nazareth,
17:59 the son of Joseph.'
18:01 And Nathanael said to him, 'Can anything good
18:04 come out of Nazareth?'
18:07 Philip said to him, 'Come and see.'
18:10 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him..."
18:14 Now listen carefully.
18:17 "Behold, an Israelite indeed..."
18:23 Now if there are Israelites indeed, must there be
18:25 Israelites not indeed?
18:27 Of course.
18:29 "...an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit."
18:33 Now what made Nathanael an Israelite indeed?
18:36 Verse 48 has the key.
18:39 "Nathanael said to Him, 'How do You know me?'
18:42 Jesus answered and said to him, 'Before Philip called you...'"
18:46 And here's it very interesting.
18:47 It says, "...when you were under the fig tree, I saw you."
18:51 So there you have the symbol and what is symbolized.
18:54 You have the fig tree and Nathanael,
18:56 who is an Israelite indeed.
18:59 Are you with me?
19:00 Now what is it that made Nathanael an Israelite indeed?
19:06 He said to Jesus, "You are..." What?
19:10 "You are the Messiah.
19:12 You are the King of Israel."
19:16 He recognized Jesus Christ as the Messiah.
19:19 And that's what indicated that Nathanael was an
19:23 Israelite indeed, a true Israelite.
19:26 Because He confessed Jesus as the King of Israel
19:29 and as the anointed One, or as the Messiah.
19:33 If there are Israelites indeed, then there must be
19:36 Israelites not indeed.
19:39 The Greek word for, "indeed," really means, something true
19:42 or real; something genuine.
19:46 This is why the NIV translates the expression,
19:49 "a true Israelite."
19:51 This translation is corroborated by the fact that the verse ends
19:55 by saying that there was in Nathanael no pseudos.
20:02 Why was Nathanael singled out as an Israelite indeed?
20:07 Verse 49 provides the answer.
20:10 What made Nathanael an Israelite indeed
20:13 was that he confessed that Jesus Christ was the Son of God,
20:17 the King of Israel.
20:18 What then is a true Israelite?
20:20 One who acknowledges Jesus Christ as the Messiah.
20:26 Notice that Nathanael was an Israelite indeed
20:29 and he was under a fig tree, which was a recognized
20:34 symbol of Israel.
20:35 Thus in this passage we have the symbol
20:38 and what the symbol represents.
20:40 The Israelite indeed is sitting under a tree,
20:43 which represents Israel.
20:46 Are you understanding the point?
20:48 Now let's go to one final passage before we go
20:50 to our next material.
20:52 And that is, John 8 and True Israel.
20:55 Even during His ministry, Jesus made a distinction
20:59 between Israel and then true Israel.
21:03 Jesus was speaking to a group of Jews,
21:05 and I want you to notice carefully
21:07 the conversation that goes on.
21:09 It begins in verse 37.
21:11 Because the people are saying, "We are children of Abraham."
21:17 Now let's pick up the conversation.
21:19 Verse 37, Jesus says, "I know that you
21:22 are Abraham's descendants..."
21:24 By the way, the word, "descendents," is
21:26 the word, "seed."
21:28 In the King James it says seed.
21:31 "I know that you are Abraham's seed..."
21:33 Were those who were present there Abraham's seed physically?
21:36 Sure they were.
21:38 "...but you seek to kill Me, because My word
21:41 has no place in you.
21:43 I speak what I have seen with My Father,
21:45 and you do what you have seen with your father."
21:51 Soon He's going to reach the climax.
21:52 He's going to tell them who their father is.
21:56 It's not Abraham.
21:58 "They answered and said to Him, 'Abraham is our father.'
22:02 Jesus said to them, 'If...'"
22:05 Is there a condition here?
22:07 Conditional? Yes.
22:08 "If you were Abraham's children..."
22:12 Were they Abraham's children?
22:13 Now wait a minute. We have a problem here.
22:15 Were they Jews?
22:18 So were they Abraham's children?
22:20 Does Jesus say they're Abraham's children?
22:23 No.
22:24 He's going to say, "You're not Abraham's children."
22:26 So is it possible to be the literal descendent of Abraham
22:30 and not be an Israelite?
22:32 Absolutely.
22:33 This is Jesus.
22:34 Notice what it continues saying.
22:36 "If you were Abraham's children, you would do the
22:41 works of Abraham.
22:43 But..."
22:46 This is the combination, if...but, right?
22:49 "But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you
22:53 the truth which I heard from God.
22:55 Abraham did not do this."
22:58 You know, it's, "What you want to do to Me,
23:01 Abraham would have never done.
23:02 So how can you say that you're Abraham's children?"
23:06 Then the conversation continues.
23:10 Once again verse 41, "'You do the deeds of your father.'
23:15 Then they said to Him, 'We were not born of fornication.
23:18 We have one Father; God.'
23:21 Jesus said to them, 'If...'"
23:23 Notice once again, "If..."
23:25 They weren't.
23:27 But He says, "If God were your Father, you would love Me,
23:31 for I proceeded forth and came from God;
23:34 nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me.
23:36 Why do you not understand My speech?
23:39 Because you are not able to listen to My word.
23:41 You are of your father the devil..."
23:46 Were they children of Abraham?
23:48 Why were they children of the devil?
23:52 Because they did not accept Jesus.
23:57 So He says, "You are of your father the devil,
24:02 and the desires of your father you want to do.
24:06 He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not
24:08 stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him.
24:12 When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources,
24:15 for he is a liar and the father of it."
24:19 So let me ask you, is there such a thing as a literal Jew
24:23 who is not a Jew, according to the definition of Jesus?
24:27 Is there a true Israel and a counterfeit Israel?
24:30 Yes. And how is it defined?
24:33 It is not defined by geography.
24:36 It is not defined by genetics.
24:39 It is not defined by the last name that you have.
24:43 It is defined by your relationship to Jesus Christ
24:47 as your Savior and Lord.
24:48 "If you are Christ's, you are Abraham's seed
24:51 and heirs according to the promise."
24:54 So let me ask you, are there prophecies that are going to be
24:57 fulfilled with literal Israel in the Middle East?
25:00 No.
25:02 With which Israel is prophecy going to be fulfilled?
25:05 It is going to be fulfilled with God's spiritual
25:09 worldwide Israel.
25:12 Is that clear?
25:14 Now let's go to our next material.
25:16 We're not going to be able to finish this in this time period,
25:20 so we're going to have to pick up a little bit more
25:22 in our next session together.
25:24 But let's get as far as we can.
25:26 A Monumental Conversion Experience.
25:31 We're going to work through this the way that we worked through
25:34 all of the other material.
25:38 In Acts chapter 6 and verse 7, we find that after the day of
25:44 Pentecost thousands were leaving Judaism,
25:50 and they were accepting Jesus Christ as the Messiah.
25:54 Not only from among the laity, but also priests of Israel
25:59 were accepting Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.
26:02 It says there in Acts chapter 6 and verse 7, "Then the word of
26:06 God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied
26:10 greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests
26:14 were obedient to the faith."
26:18 Now Stephen was one of the instruments that
26:21 God used in this phenomenal church growth.
26:25 We're told in Acts chapter 6 and verse 8, "And Stephen,
26:30 full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs
26:35 among the people."
26:37 Now in Judaism at this time was a very prominent prospect.
26:45 His name was Saul of Tarsus.
26:48 He was no featherweight.
26:51 He was an intellectual giant and a promising prospect
26:55 with a brilliant future.
26:58 He was young, energetic, and relentless.
27:03 He had tunnel vision.
27:05 In his mind, God has chosen the Jewish nation
27:08 irrevocably and unconditionally.
27:10 And woe to those who thought otherwise.
27:14 For Saul, the preservation of the religion of Judaism
27:17 was the top priority.
27:19 His entire religion was Jewish centered.
27:22 In his own words he said, this is found in Acts 22 verse 3,
27:27 "I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia,
27:33 but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel,
27:37 taught according to the strictness of our fathers' law,
27:41 and was zealous toward God as you all are today."
27:48 So he was Israel centered at this point in his life.
27:54 You see, Saul of Tarsus felt the same way as Caiaphas had felt
27:59 when Jesus appeared before the Sanhedrin
28:03 for His religious trial.
28:06 Let's remember that experience.
28:08 It's found in John 11 and verses 47 through 50.
28:13 This is the fear that embraced Saul of Tarsus,
28:16 and this is what led him to persecute
28:19 Christians mercilessly.
28:21 He was afraid that if Christianity proliferated,
28:24 the Jewish nation would disappear.
28:25 The Romans would take away the Jewish nation.
28:28 And for him, the Jewish nation was the important thing,
28:31 and all of its religion.
28:33 In John 11 verses 47 through 50 we find, "Then the chief priests
28:37 and the Pharisees gathered a council and said,
28:40 'What shall we do?
28:42 For this Man works many signs.
28:45 If we let Him alone like this,'" speaking about Jesus,
28:49 "everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come
28:53 and take away both our place and our nation."
28:57 Are you understanding the fear that they had?
29:00 They had the fear that the religion of Jesus
29:03 would embrace the whole world.
29:04 And then the Jewish religion would be irrelevant
29:07 and the Romans would get rid of them.
29:09 Verse 49, "And one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest
29:13 that year, said to them, 'You know nothing at all,
29:16 nor do you consider that it is expedient for us
29:20 that one man should die for the people,
29:23 and not that the whole nation perish.'"
29:27 That was the fear of Saul of Tarsus;
29:30 that the Jewish nation would disappear.
29:32 He wanted to preserve his religion,
29:35 Jewish centered religion.
29:38 And therefore, he became a persecutor of those
29:41 who followed Jesus Christ.
29:43 Acts chapter 26 and verses 9 through 11.
29:46 The apostle Paul reminisces about his past experience,
29:50 and he says, "Indeed, I myself thought
29:53 I must do many things contrary to the name of
29:56 Jesus of Nazareth.
29:58 This I also did in Jerusalem, and many of the saints
30:01 I shut up in prison, having received authority from the
30:04 chief priests; and when they were put to death,
30:07 I cast my vote against them.
30:09 And I punished them often in every synagogue
30:12 and compelled them to blaspheme;
30:16 and being exceedingly enraged against them,
30:19 I persecuted them even to foreign cities."
30:26 So was Saul of Tarsus.
30:30 The one who was centered on the Jewish nation
30:34 and preserving the faith of the Jewish nation
30:37 without Christ.
30:39 Now we're told in the story in Acts that Saul of Tarsus
30:44 was present at the stoning of Stephen, this champion
30:48 that had preached the gospel.
30:49 And as a result, many Jews had left Judaism
30:52 and many priests had left Judaism, and they had
30:55 embraced Christianity.
30:57 And so Stephen was public enemy number one
31:00 in the mind of Saul.
31:01 We're told in Acts 7 verses 57 and 58,
31:05 speaking about the stoning of Stephen,
31:07 "Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears,
31:11 and ran at him with one accord; and they cast him
31:14 out of the city and stoned him.
31:16 And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet
31:19 of a young man named Saul."
31:24 In fact, Saul was the ringleader in this lynching.
31:30 Notice Acts 22 and verse 20.
31:32 Acts 22 and verse 20.
31:35 Speaking about the death of Stephen, it says,
31:37 "And when the blood of Your martyr Stephen was shed,
31:40 I also was standing by consenting to his death,
31:44 and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him."
31:50 He was egging everybody on to destroy Stephen
31:57 who was gaining many converts from Judaism.
32:00 Because he saw that Christianity was growing by leaps and bounds,
32:03 he said, "Judaism will disappear,
32:06 the religion of the fathers."
32:08 So Saul decided that he would travel to Damascus
32:13 because he had heard that there were Christians
32:16 in Damascus.
32:17 And so he received permission from the high priest,
32:21 and he began his expedition to Damascus.
32:26 I've been there. It's an interesting place.
32:28 I wouldn't be able to go there today because of
32:31 what's happening in Syria.
32:34 But in May of 2001, shortly before the 9/11 thing,
32:40 I was able to go over there with Sarkis Kinablein,
32:43 who is one of the members of our church.
32:45 And it was a very interesting place.
32:48 Damascus, the oldest city on earth, they say.
32:51 And we actually visited the place where supposedly
32:55 Saul went to the house of Ananias after he was
32:59 blinded on the road to Damascus.
33:01 I want you to notice how the story continues to develop
33:04 in Acts chapter 9 verses 1 and 2.
33:07 "Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder
33:12 against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest
33:15 and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus,
33:20 so that if he found any who were of the Way,
33:23 whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem."
33:28 And so Saul of Tarsus began his journey towards Damascus.
33:34 And he would have arrived to Damascus from the southwest.
33:40 Now on the road to Damascus he had a life changing experience
33:46 that was to change, not only his life,
33:48 but his theology forever.
33:51 He had an encounter, a personal encounter,
33:55 with his enemy, Jesus Christ.
33:59 Saul discovered that by persecuting the body of Christ,
34:02 he was actually persecuting Christ.
34:05 Because Christ is the head and the church is His body.
34:08 He had been kicking against the pricks.
34:11 And his conscience, from the time that Stephen had been
34:14 stoned, had bothered him.
34:16 He knew deep in his heart that Stephen was in the right
34:20 and that he was in the wrong.
34:22 So we find these words in Acts 9:3-6, it says,
34:26 "As he journeyed he came near Damascus,
34:29 and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven.
34:32 Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him,
34:35 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?'
34:41 And he said, 'Who are You, Lord?'
34:44 Then the Lord said, 'I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.
34:49 It is hard for you to kick against the goads.'
34:53 So he, trembling and astonished, said,
34:55 'Lord, what do You want me to do?'"
34:59 On the road to Damascus he encountered Jesus Christ.
35:04 And his encounter with Jesus Christ transformed his life
35:08 and transformed his theology from Jewish centered
35:12 to Christ centered.
35:15 In Acts 22 verses 16 through 18, we find that he was directed
35:21 to go to the house of Ananias.
35:23 And there at the house of Ananias, Saul of Tarsus
35:27 was baptized into Christ.
35:30 Let's read it in Acts 22 verses 16 through 18.
35:35 "But the Lord said to him," that is to Ananias,
35:38 "'Go to the house of Judas, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine
35:43 to bear My name from the Gentiles, kings,
35:45 and the children of Israel.
35:47 For I will show him how many things he must suffer
35:50 for My name's sake.'
35:51 And Ananias went his way and entered the house;
35:55 and laying his hands on him he said,
35:57 'Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the
36:01 road as you came, has sent me that you may receive
36:05 your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.'
36:09 Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales,
36:12 and he received his sight at once; and he arose
36:16 and was baptized."
36:20 You know, those scales that fell off of his eyes
36:23 were more than physical scales.
36:25 He could now see clearly what his religion was all about.
36:32 Now I want you to notice Galatians chapter 3
36:35 and verses 26 and 27.
36:37 Galatians 3 verses 26 and 27.
36:40 Those who are baptized put on Christ.
36:44 In other words, Saul of Tarsus, when he was baptized,
36:46 he became a Christian.
36:49 He became a believer in the Messiah,
36:50 and he received the Spirit to proclaim the Messiah.
36:54 It says there in Galatians 3 verse 26,
36:56 "All those who have been baptized
36:59 into Christ have..." What?
37:00 "...have put on Christ."
37:04 So at his baptism, Saul of Tarsus puts on Jesus Christ.
37:09 He is now a Christian.
37:11 He is now a true seed of Abraham.
37:15 He is a true descendent of Abraham.
37:17 Before, he was not.
37:19 Because when he was persecuting the Christians,
37:22 he was doing the work of the devil.
37:25 But when he embraces Jesus Christ, he's doing the work
37:28 of the Lord.
37:29 Are you following me.
37:31 He was, before, a Jew. But he was not a true Jew.
37:35 When he receives Jesus, he is now a true Jew.
37:38 Because those who have accepted Jesus
37:40 are the true seed of Abraham.
37:42 Notice Galatians chapter 3 and verse 29.
37:46 Galatians 3 verse 29 says, "If you are Christ's,
37:51 then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs
37:54 according to the promise."
37:55 Who is a descendent of Abraham?
37:59 A descendent of Abraham is one who has accepted
38:03 Jesus Christ as the Messiah.
38:06 It doesn't matter if you're Chinese,
38:08 it doesn't matter if you're Filipino,
38:11 it doesn't matter if you're Colombian, or Argentinean,
38:14 or Puerto Rican.
38:16 It doesn't matter what nation you're from.
38:18 When you receive Jesus as your Savior and as your Lord,
38:22 you are Israel.
38:25 You are the seed of Abraham.
38:27 Because those who have joined Christ are the seed of Abraham.
38:31 They are true Israel.
38:34 So with whom is prophecy going to be fulfilled?
38:38 These prophecies that speak about Israel,
38:40 with whom are they going to be fulfilled?
38:42 With the literal Jews in the Middle East?
38:45 No, they're not the true Jews,
38:48 according to the biblical definition.
38:50 And so now the emphasis of Saul of Tarsus
38:55 totally shifts and changes.
38:58 It is not now Israel centered, it is Christ centered.
39:03 In Acts chapter 9 and verse 22, this is what it says,
39:08 "But Saul increased all the more in strength,
39:11 and confounded the Jews who dwelt in Damascus,
39:15 proving that this Jesus is the Christ."
39:19 And that word, "Christ," is the word, "Messiah."
39:24 The anointed One, Christ; we get the word,
39:27 "Christian," from.
39:29 It means, to anoint. Right?
39:31 And so Saul says, and he actually debates with the
39:35 Jews in Damascus, and he says, "Jesus is the Christ."
39:40 Saul's encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus
39:43 had a deep impact upon him.
39:46 You know, it's interesting that the story of his conversion
39:48 is told three times in the book of Acts.
39:51 Once, it's told by the one who wrote the book.
39:55 That is Luke.
39:57 And then Paul himself tells that story in chapter 22
40:00 and in chapter 26.
40:02 I think that is considered extremely important
40:05 in understanding Saul of Tarsus.
40:08 Notice how his theology shifted.
40:11 Philippians 3 and verses 3 through 11.
40:14 Philippians chapter 3 and verses 3 through 11.
40:18 We've read this before, but now we read it in the context
40:21 of the conversion of Saul of Tarsus.
40:24 Here, the apostle Paul says, "For we are the circumcision,
40:29 who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus,
40:35 and have no confidence in the flesh..."
40:38 Wow, isn't that amazing?
40:40 He says, "We worship God in the Spirit..."
40:43 This is real circumcision.
40:44 Is this spiritual circumcision?
40:47 Yes it is.
40:48 "We worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus,
40:51 and have no confidence in the flesh..."
40:52 But then he reminisces about his past.
40:56 He says, "...though I also might have confidence in the flesh.
41:01 If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh,
41:05 I more so: circumcised the eighth day,
41:09 of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin,
41:13 a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee;
41:20 concerning zeal, persecuting the church;
41:23 concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless."
41:29 That's the old Paul.
41:32 But now notice what he says.
41:34 "But what things were gain to me,
41:37 I have counted loss for Christ.
41:43 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence
41:48 of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have
41:53 suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish,
41:57 that I may gain Christ and can be found in Him,
42:02 not having my own righteousness, which is from the law,
42:05 but that which is through faith in Christ,
42:07 the righteousness which is from God by faith;
42:11 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection,
42:15 and the fellowship of His sufferings,
42:17 being conformed to His death, if, by any means,
42:20 I may attain to the resurrection from the dead."
42:24 And now the persecutor becomes the persecuted.
42:29 Notice 2 Corinthians chapter 11 verses 22 to 28.
42:32 Everything that Saul of Tarsus went through,
42:34 he did lose all.
42:37 But he gained all.
42:39 Because when you lose everything you have,
42:41 and you have everything that Jesus has,
42:43 you have much more than you had before.
42:47 Notice 2 Corinthians chapter 11 and verse 22.
42:51 "Are they Hebrews?
42:53 So am I.
42:55 Are they Israelites? So am I.
42:59 Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I.
43:03 Are they ministers of Christ?"
43:05 Then he says, "I speak as a fool; I am more:
43:10 in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure,
43:14 in prisons more frequently, in deaths often.
43:18 From the Jews five times I have received
43:21 forty stripes minus one.
43:22 Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned;
43:30 three times I was shipwrecked;
43:32 a night and a day I have been in the deep;
43:35 in journeys often, in perils of waters,
43:37 in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen,
43:40 in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city,
43:43 in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea,
43:46 in perils among false brethren; in weariness and toil,
43:49 in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst,
43:52 in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.
43:56 Besides the other things, what comes upon me daily:
43:59 my deep concern for all the churches."
44:05 You say, "Wow, he gave up a lot."
44:09 He gave up nothing.
44:11 And you know, one of the most exciting things
44:14 that is ever going to happen is when Saul of Tarsus
44:17 and Stephen meet.
44:19 Whoa, I've got to see that.
44:24 Because Stephen did not know that Saul was converted.
44:30 And so you can imagine.
44:31 Allow me to dramatize just briefly here.
44:36 Give me the joy of recreating what might happen
44:41 when we get to heaven.
44:42 Here you have Saul of Tarsus walking down the street of gold.
44:46 And from the opposite direction comes Stephen walking.
44:51 The apostle Paul, Saul of Tarsus, looks
44:54 and he sees Stephen.
44:56 And Stephen, he looks and he sees Saul.
44:59 And he says, "You look familiar.
45:05 Are you Saul of Tarsus?
45:09 Why, you nasty character."
45:11 Ha, that's not what he's going to say.
45:13 What is he going to say?
45:16 "Saul, you accepted Jesus as your Savior?
45:21 You were saved too?
45:23 You're kidding me."
45:24 And there's going to be this great embrace
45:27 between the martyr and the martyrizer.
45:32 That is going to be tremendous when Saul of Tarsus
45:36 meets Stephen.
45:38 And by the way, there will be no hard feelings.
45:42 Stephen will be just happy to see that Saul of Tarsus
45:45 is saved in the kingdom.
45:48 Saul discovered a revolutionary truth.
45:53 And that is, that God has only one true people;
45:57 those who have accepted Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.
46:02 God does not have two mutually separable peoples;
46:05 the literal Jews and the Christian church.
46:08 There is only one people of God, and they are not defined
46:12 by their ethnicity, by their nationality,
46:15 by their social status, by their gender,
46:18 by their color.
46:21 They are defined as the people of God by their relationship
46:24 to Jesus Christ.
46:26 Now let's take a look at the fact that in the New Testament
46:34 God's people are only one.
46:38 Because dispensationalism says that God has two peoples.
46:42 One people is the literal Jews.
46:45 And God's plan for them is after the rapture.
46:49 Another plan of God is for the Gentiles, or for the church.
46:53 And they're going to be raptured to heaven.
46:55 So God has two peoples and He has two different plans
46:59 for those peoples.
47:01 But my Bible tells me that God has one people,
47:04 and one plan for that people.
47:06 Now let's notice how this develops.
47:09 God has only one fold.
47:12 And that fold has only one Shepherd.
47:15 Notice John chapter 10 and verse 16.
47:17 We're going to notice several passages in Scripture
47:20 that speak about the word, "one," now.
47:22 One fold, one Shepherd.
47:24 John 10 and verse 16.
47:27 And Jesus says, "Other sheep I have which are
47:31 not of this fold."
47:32 Who are those other sheep that were not of that fold?
47:36 Jesus was sent first to the lost sheep of the house of Israel,
47:38 so who would the other sheep be?
47:41 It would be the Gentiles.
47:42 "And other sheep I have which are not of this fold;
47:45 them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice;
47:49 and there will be two flocks and one shepherd."
47:53 Thank you very much.
47:54 You're still awake.
47:55 After such a long day.
47:58 "...there will be one flock and one shepherd."
48:02 Will Gentiles and Jews both be one flock?
48:05 Absolutely.
48:06 John 11:51-52
48:10 Here we have a commentary on what Caiaphas said.
48:13 "Now this he did not say on his own authority;
48:17 but being high priest that year he prophesied that
48:21 Jesus would die for the nation, and not for that nation only,
48:25 but also that He would gather together in one
48:29 the children of God who were scattered abroad."
48:34 So are there two flocks?
48:37 There is only one flock composed of Jews and Gentiles,
48:41 and there is one Shepherd, Jesus Christ.
48:44 There is only one Israel, folks.
48:47 One true Israel.
48:49 Notice Romans chapter 2 and verses 28 and 29.
48:53 The New Testament is so clear on this.
48:55 It's difficult to understand how people don't catch this point.
49:00 See, what they do is literalize.
49:02 And they lose the deep spiritual significance of Bible prophecy
49:07 because they're expecting everything to be fulfilled
49:08 literally in the Middle East.
49:11 A literal antichrist in a literal temple, a literal image,
49:15 a literal three and a half years.
49:18 And they lose that the antichrist is in the temple now.
49:21 He's sitting in there.
49:25 And his helper is growing right here in this country;
49:29 the beast that rises from the earth that has
49:31 two horn like a lamb.
49:32 People can't see it...
49:34 ...because they're looking in the wrong place.
49:36 They think that God is fulfilling prophecy
49:38 with literal Israel, when the New Testament clearly says
49:42 that Israel is spiritual, and it's worldwide.
49:46 Romans 2:28-29
49:49 "For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly..."
49:54 What is an outward Jew?
49:58 Ethnic, right?
50:00 Circumcised.
50:03 With the last name, Goldberg.
50:07 Yeah.
50:10 "For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly,
50:14 nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh;
50:19 but he is a Jew who is one inwardly;
50:23 and circumcision is that of the heart..."
50:28 Converted heart, folks.
50:30 "...in the Spirit, not in the letter..."
50:33 Which the Jews emphasized.
50:35 "...whose praise is not from men..."
50:37 Because the Jewish nation loved to be praised by men.
50:40 "...but from..." Whom?
50:41 "...but from God."
50:43 So are there true Jews and counterfeit Jews?
50:46 Yes, there are outward Jews and there are inward Jews.
50:49 So with whom is prophecy going to be fulfilled?
50:51 With the outward Jews, right?
50:53 No. With the in.
50:56 Why would the devil want to persecute outward Jews?
51:00 He wants to persecute those who have a true relationship
51:03 with Jesus Christ.
51:04 Notice Romans 9 verses 6 through 8.
51:07 Romans 9 verses 6 through 8.
51:10 Here, the apostle Paul says, "But it is not that the
51:13 word of God has taken no effect.
51:16 For they are not all Israel who are of Israel..."
51:21 Isn't that interesting.
51:22 Not all Israel is Israel.
51:25 Now that sounds like a weird statement.
51:28 What does he mean?
51:30 "...nor are they all children because they are the
51:34 seed of Abraham..."
51:37 Are there children of Abraham that are not
51:38 really children of Abraham?
51:40 Yes.
51:42 Now notice, "...but, 'In Isaac your seed shall be called.'"
51:47 Now comes the explanation.
51:48 "That is, those who are the children of the flesh..."
51:53 Who are those, the children of the flesh?
51:56 Literal Jews.
51:57 "...those who are the children of the flesh,
52:00 these are not the children of God;
52:02 but the children of the promise are counted as the seed."
52:06 That is, the promise of the Messiah;
52:08 the children of the Messiah.
52:11 Thus, Israel is not defined geographically, ethnically,
52:15 or genetically, but relationally.
52:18 Jesus is the only faithful Israelite.
52:20 And when we receive Him as our Savior,
52:23 we too become Israelites.
52:26 Notice this interesting passage in Galatians 3 verse 16,
52:29 and verses 26 to 29.
52:31 This is kind of a strange apparent contradiction.
52:36 There's not a contradiction, but it appears kind of strange.
52:39 You'll see in a minute why.
52:41 Verse 16 says, "Now to Abraham and his Seed
52:44 were the promises made.
52:47 He does not say, 'And to seeds,' as of many,
52:51 but as of one, 'And to your Seed,' who is Christ."
52:55 So to whom were the promises made?
52:57 They were made to Christ.
52:59 So how many seeds are there?
53:00 How many seeds of Abraham?
53:02 One.
53:04 Now you say, "Now wait a minute.
53:06 So the only seed of Abraham is Jesus Christ?"
53:09 That's what Paul is saying.
53:10 He said the promises were not made to "seeds,"
53:14 the promise was made to the "Seed."
53:17 Now are we going to benefit from those promises?
53:19 How?
53:21 Well, because we live in the Middle East.
53:24 Because we have literal Jewish blood flowing through our veins.
53:29 No.
53:30 Let's go to verse 26.
53:32 It says in verse 26, "For you are all sons of God
53:36 through faith in Christ Jesus."
53:38 How do we become true sons of God, true Israel?
53:40 By faith in Christ Jesus.
53:42 "For as many of you as were baptized into Christ
53:46 have put on Christ.
53:48 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free,
53:51 there is neither male nor female..."
53:53 And some people use that to say that we can ordain women
53:55 to the gospel ministry.
53:57 It's not talking about church offices at all.
54:01 That is twisting, that is twisting the Scriptures
54:06 beyond...
54:09 I don't have words to describe it.
54:10 Let me put it that way.
54:13 It's frustrating when I sit and I listen to people try to
54:16 twist this text and say that it's saying that
54:18 women can be pastors and they can be elders of the church.
54:21 This is speaking about salvation and your status in Christ.
54:26 Pure and simple.
54:28 Forgive me for being so zealous about this.
54:30 But I belong to the Theology of Ordination Committee.
54:33 And we have to sit and we have to listen
54:35 to a lot of foolishness.
54:37 So now notice what it says.
54:40 Verse 28, "There is neither Jew nor Greek,
54:43 there is neither slave nor free,
54:45 there is neither male nor female; for you are all one..."
54:49 How many?
54:50 How many true Israel does God have?
54:53 You are one Israel in Christ Jesus.
54:56 And then it say, "If you are Christ's, then you are
55:00 Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."
55:04 Do you know why we are the seed of Abraham?
55:06 Because we're linked with Jesus.
55:09 In other words, if you want to be a son or daughter of God,
55:11 you have to become a brother or sister of Jesus.
55:16 Let me amplify that point in the couple of minutes
55:18 that we have left in this segment.
55:23 You know, Jesus is the only individual who really has the
55:27 right to be called the son of God in a very special sense.
55:31 He's the Son of God.
55:35 How do we become sons of God?
55:39 Well the fact is that to become sons of God,
55:41 we have to become brothers and sisters of Jesus first.
55:44 So when I'm baptized, I become a brother of Jesus.
55:51 And then Jesus comes before the Father and He says,
55:53 "Father, I've got a new brother."
55:57 And the Father says, "Really, You've got a new brother?"
55:59 "Yes."
56:01 "Who is he?"
56:03 "Pastor Stephen Bohr."
56:05 And the Father says, "Really?
56:07 Stephen Bohr is Your brother?
56:09 Well if he's Your brother, he's My son too."
56:14 That's what Jesus meant when He said,
56:15 "I am the way, the truth, and the life.
56:18 No man cometh unto the Father but by Me."
56:23 That's why Jesus is not ashamed to call us brethren.
56:29 So when we join Jesus, we become His brothers and sisters.
56:32 And because we're brothers and sisters,
56:34 we inherit with Him all of the promises.
56:38 But the promises are not inherited out of Christ,
56:41 they are inherited in Christ.
56:44 None of the promises will be fulfilled to literal Israel
56:47 if they don't link with Jesus, because the promises
56:50 were made to Jesus.
56:51 And when you receive Jesus, the promises are yours as well.
56:56 It is so clear.
56:59 It's kind of like a tomato plant.
57:01 You take a little tomato seed, you plant it,
57:03 and you have a tomato plant.
57:05 How many tomatoes on that tomato plant?
57:09 At least dozens.
57:11 Do those tomatoes have seeds too?
57:13 Thousands of seeds.
57:16 And so you plant all those seeds.
57:19 And then you have thousands of plants.
57:24 Let me ask you, where do all those seeds come from?
57:26 From the one seed.
57:29 So when you link yourself with Jesus,
57:32 the seed, then you become the seed.
57:36 And then you share the message, and others become the seed.
57:40 Are you following me?
57:41 In other words, the key is linking with Jesus.
57:46 Not any other consideration.


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Revised 2015-05-07