Participants:
Series Code: SSP
Program Code: SSP210026S
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00:01 Hello, friends, this is John Lomacang.
00:02 Thank you for joining us here at 3ABN Sabbath School Panel. 00:06 This entire quarter, we've been talking about The Promise, 00:09 the New Covenant Life, 00:10 the life that we have in Christ Jesus, 00:12 and that covenant has covered a number of topics, 00:15 from the fall of man, 00:17 to the exile of the children of Israel, to their freedom, 00:20 to the re-ratifying of that covenant 00:22 through giving the commandments of God. 00:24 But today, we're going to be talking 00:25 about the new covenant life. 00:27 You know, many people think that we have to wait till 00:29 we get to heaven to enjoy life. 00:30 But Jesus said, "I've come that you might have life 00:33 and have it more abundantly." 00:36 So we're going to end this quarter study on a high note, 00:39 how you can have joy in Christ, not waiting till heaven, 00:43 but having that joy now. 00:44 If you'd like to follow us, you can get a lesson 00:46 by going to ABSG.Adventist.org download a copy, 00:50 or you can go to your local Seventh-day Adventist Church 00:52 and join them in a hands-on study. 00:55 But we prefer that you join us here 00:57 as we take the time to make Christ real to you. 01:00 So don't go away. 01:02 We'll be right back. 01:33 Hello, friends, welcome to 3ABN Sabbath School Panel. 01:36 I cannot believe it but this is lesson number 13 01:40 for the second quarter. 01:42 And we've been covering The Promise, 01:43 God's Everlasting Covenant. 01:45 And we have been really working 01:47 through some difficult passages in the Bible. 01:50 Abraham has been one of the central themes, 01:52 but Christ is always the supreme theme 01:55 of the issue of salvation and redemption. 01:58 And today we have a family that's rearing to go. 02:01 So let me go ahead and introduce 02:02 those family members to you. 02:04 To my immediate left is our COO and vice president, 02:07 Jill, good to have you here today. 02:08 Thank you, Pastor John. Privileged to be here. 02:10 I have a question. 02:11 Do you have a list? There's a list of three things. 02:13 Oh, good to have you. 02:14 And somebody sneaked in on us, Jason Bradley, 02:17 head of Dare to Dream Network. 02:19 Good to have you here, Jason. 02:20 It's great to be here. 02:21 I'm looking forward to hearing 02:23 what all of you are going to share today. 02:24 Okay. And the lady with many hats. 02:27 The lady from Texas, 02:28 the state of Texas, Shelley Quinn. 02:30 Good to have you here, Shelley. Thank you. 02:31 It's such a privilege to study with you. 02:33 And if I call him at 2:30 in the morning, 02:35 he'll be ready to sing, Ryan Day Pastor. 02:37 Amen. Blessing, blessing to be here. 02:39 Good. We are going to talk about... 02:42 My lesson is going to be about joy, about joy. 02:47 But in order to have joy, let's begin with prayer. 02:49 Jason, would you start with prayer for us? 02:51 Absolutely. 02:52 Dear Heavenly Father, 02:53 we thank You so much for the opportunity 02:55 and privilege of studying Your Word, Lord, 02:57 and we thank You for the joy that comes with it. 03:00 And, Lord, I just ask that 03:01 You would guide this study today. 03:03 In Jesus' name we pray, amen. 03:05 Amen. Amen. 03:07 I just really appreciate the fact 03:08 that the writer of this lesson had highlighted, 03:12 even though Dr. Gerhard Hasel is deceased, 03:15 this compilation has been so wonderfully put together 03:18 to commemorate his works. 03:20 And he's been a man who has established such a credible 03:23 approach to Bible prophecy, understanding the Old Covenant 03:26 in a beautiful way. 03:28 But I love the fact that this one is saying, okay, 03:31 we have gone through the legalistic aspects of it, 03:34 the legitimates walks through the Old Covenant, 03:37 the New Covenant, but what about the joy in all of it. 03:41 And that's something that we have to keep in mind. 03:43 And the memory text really highlights that joy. 03:46 John 10:10, 03:48 "The thief does not come except to steal and to kill, 03:51 and to destroy." 03:53 Look at the segue, 03:55 "I have come that they may have life, 03:57 and that they may have it more abundantly." 04:01 Let me make it very clear from the very beginning. 04:03 You will never really experience true joy, 04:06 guiltless joy until you turn your life over to Jesus. 04:11 The joy at His right hand is a guiltless joy. 04:14 It's a joy that continues growing. 04:16 And if we can have that much joy in Christ in this life, 04:19 just imagine what kind of joy we're going to have 04:21 when He unfolds to us the untold secrets 04:24 of the limitless billions of galaxies 04:27 and worlds that are unknown. 04:29 I'm looking forward to that 04:30 because if in this sinful society, 04:33 we can have technology like 04:34 iPads and iPhones and can communicate 04:37 in the frail inventions of humanity. 04:40 Just imagine. 04:42 The Apostle Paul says, 04:43 "Eye had not seen nor ear heard." 04:45 So we are going to go ahead and try to highlight 04:48 and give you a glimpse, 04:49 an internal glimpse of the faithful glory 04:52 and the joy that we can have in Christ. 04:55 The writer also brought out the point that 04:57 though the outcome of the grand finale 05:00 of the covenant promise is, of course, eternal life, 05:03 and the world made new. 05:05 These points are brought out so well, he says, 05:07 "We don't have to wait for eternity to enjoy 05:10 the covenant blessings. 05:12 We can enjoy those covenant blessings today," 05:14 right Shelley? 05:15 The Lord cares about our lives now. 05:18 He wants the best for us, when? Now. 05:20 One of my wife's favorite words, 05:23 "The covenant is not some deal 05:25 where you do this and that and this and that then, 05:28 and a long way off, 05:30 wait for the blessings to come." 05:32 We can have the blessings of the New Covenant right now. 05:35 The rewards, the gifts, they are blessings 05:37 that those who by faith enter into the covenant relationship 05:42 can enjoy now. 05:46 When the Lord says I will supply all of your need 05:48 according to my riches and glory, 05:49 you will never really know what that means 05:52 unless you enter into that covenant relationship 05:54 with God. 05:55 The lesson also points out that the final in our series 05:59 looks at some of these immediate blessings, 06:01 some of the promises that come from God's grace 06:04 shed into our hearts because having heard Him knock, 06:08 Revelation 3,"Behold, I stand at the door knock." 06:11 If we open that door, 06:12 He will not only come in and sup with us, 06:14 have fellowship, but He will begin to unfold to us 06:17 the mysteries of His salvation, 06:19 the glories of redemption, 06:21 and the willingness to have us as children 06:24 of the eternal God by His side forevermore. 06:27 I'm looking forward to the day. I don't know about you guys. 06:30 I know Jason loves to eat. 06:31 So I can say this is true about Jason, sure, 06:33 but I'm looking forward to the day 06:35 when we can sit down at the welcome table. 06:37 If my wife can cook that good, 06:38 just imagine what the Lord is going to unfold before us 06:41 and you know, you've eaten my wife soup before. 06:43 Those are blessings we look forward to, 06:44 but God has given us glimpses in His Word. 06:48 But the question that I'd like to segue 06:49 into that in 1 John1:4, 06:52 here the questions that we'd like to think 06:54 about when we move in that direction. 06:57 Why should we feel joy? 06:59 Why should we feel joy in a world 07:01 that's filled with sorrow and sadness, 07:03 and death and suffering, and hardship and disease 07:06 on every side and pandemic? 07:07 And the list goes on and on. 07:10 Why should the Christian feel joy? 07:12 On what basis can we claim that promise of joy? 07:16 What is it about the covenant that should free us 07:19 from the burden of guilt? 07:21 And what does it mean to have a new heart 07:24 and a new experience in Christ now? 07:27 1 John 1:4, we read these words of the apostle, 07:31 "And these things we write to you, 07:34 that your joy may be full." 07:37 Full joy, not partial joy, but that your joy may be full. 07:42 And the apostle that wrote this understood the challenges 07:45 of being persecuted for righteousness sake. 07:49 But one of the greatest advantages of those who know 07:51 that their joy can be full, he made it clear, 07:54 the sufferings of this present life 07:55 are not worthy 07:57 to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us. 08:00 One of the great advantages 08:01 is we as the covenant people of God, 08:03 we know that the promise that God has given to us 08:05 is amen, and it's true, and it's hallelujah, 08:09 whatever the Lord promises is true. 08:11 As Christians, we are often told not to go by feelings, 08:16 faith is not a feeling, 08:18 and that we need to get beyond our feelings, 08:20 all of which is true to some degree, 08:22 but at the same time, 08:24 we would not be human beings if we didn't have feelings, 08:28 or if we did not have emotions, or if we did not have moods, 08:33 or as in some people's case, mood swings, 08:36 from one side to the other. 08:38 God has given us the ability to smile, to laugh, 08:41 to shed a tear, to be excited, to be joyful. 08:43 That's right. 08:45 And with too much chocolate to be cynical. 08:48 And which we know that what that's all about, 08:50 but we cannot deny our feelings, we need to do, 08:54 what we need to do is understand them, 08:56 give them their proper role as much as possible, 08:59 but also keep our feelings and our emotions 09:01 under righteous control. 09:03 So, Jill, here are nine things 09:07 that can be the foundation of our joy. 09:10 I think you might have a six or seven 09:12 but I don't know if you've ever had nine. 09:14 But let's look at these nine things. 09:15 Let's go to Deuteronomy 28:47-48. 09:18 When Israel chose not to serve God, 09:20 we're going to begin with a downer 09:21 and then end with an upper. 09:23 When Israel chose not to serve God in joy, 09:25 they received His displeasure. 09:26 And listen to what the Bible says, 09:28 this is the reason why we should worship God 09:30 with great joy. 09:31 Deuteronomy 28:47, 09:34 "Because you did not serve the Lord your God 09:36 with joy and gladness of heart, 09:39 for the abundance of everything, 09:41 therefore you shall serve your enemies, 09:44 whom the Lord will send against you, in hunger, 09:47 in thirst, in nakedness, and in need of everything, 09:50 and He will put a yoke of iron on your neck 09:52 until He has destroyed you." 09:55 That's a sad chapter. 09:56 What is being said there is the Lord said, 09:58 "Wait a minute, didn't I free you from Egypt? 10:00 Didn't I give you everything you asked Me for, 10:02 but you wouldn't even worship Me 10:04 in joy and gladness of heart? 10:06 So I'm going to go ahead and return you 10:07 to the prior state 10:09 until you get to the place where as in Hosea, 10:12 I'm going to go back to my husband, to my Lord, 10:14 because it was better with me then than it is with me now." 10:18 Joy was spoken of as an expression of our worship. 10:21 1 Chronicles 15:16. 10:23 And the Bible says, "Then David spoke to the leaders 10:26 of the Levites to appoint their brethren to be the singers, 10:30 oh, Ryan, accompanied by instruments of music, 10:34 stringed instruments, harps, and cymbals, 10:36 by raising the voice with resounding joy." 10:41 If you're going to worship the Lord, 10:43 worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. 10:45 Nothing is worse or more diabolical 10:48 than a humdrum drawn filled, 10:51 sad expression of worship. 10:53 If the Lord has done anything to you, 10:55 let the redeemed of the Lord say so. 10:57 Amen somebody? 10:58 Number three, a life that does not face 11:00 the blessings of repentance is robbed of the joy 11:03 that's found in Christ. 11:05 Psalm 51:8, 11:06 David prayed this prayer after his transgression. 11:09 Look what he prayed for. 11:12 Psalm 51:8 and 12, "Make me hear the joy and gladness 11:16 that the bones You have broken may rejoice." 11:20 David fell before the Lord in repentance. 11:22 And he said in verse 12, 11:23 "Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, 11:26 and uphold me by Your generous Spirit." 11:29 But let's go on further. 11:30 The cleansing of one's heart also results in joy. 11:34 Psalm 126:5, 11:37 "Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy." 11:40 Sometimes you got to cry before you can rejoice. 11:44 Sometimes you have to go through the darkness of night 11:46 before the joy of morning comes. 11:48 Number five, when we abide in the presence of God, 11:51 we will find genuine joy. 11:53 Psalm 16:11, 11:56 "You will show me the path of life in Your presence is," 11:59 what, "fullness of joy, and that Your right 12:03 hand are," what, "pleasures forever more." 12:07 I'm looking forward to that. 12:09 Number six, Psalm 5:11. 12:12 When we trust in God, we discover there 12:15 is no greater joy. 12:19 The Bible says, "But let all those rejoice 12:22 who put their trust in You, Let them ever shout for joy, 12:28 because You defend them, 12:31 Let those also who love Your name be joyful in You." 12:36 You know, friends, right now you can have joy in Christ, 12:38 you don't have to wait 12:40 until the clouds clear and the sun comes out, 12:42 especially if you live in the northeast, 12:45 where it gets cloudy and foggy most of the year. 12:48 But I tell you, as you begin to move through the year, 12:50 as we're doing now, 12:52 you begin to discover as the clouds dissipate, 12:54 you'll find as the saying goes, 12:56 behind every cloud, there's a silver what? 12:59 Lining, and that's the joy of God that is never absent. 13:01 Number seven, do not be afraid to face temporary pain, 13:06 because joy is eternal. 13:09 The Apostle Paul, Romans 8:18, 13:12 "For I consider that the sufferings 13:15 of this present time are not worthy to be compared 13:19 with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 13:22 "It's going to be tough, 13:23 but one day is going to be good, 13:24 or as one young man said, gooder than ever before. 13:27 And we're looking forward to that day. 13:29 Number eight, joy looks beyond the here 13:32 and now to the hereafter and the days ahead of us. 13:36 2 Timothy 1:12. 13:38 "For this reason, I also suffer these things and nevertheless 13:41 he said, I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed 13:46 and persuaded that he is able to keep 13:48 what I've committed to him until that day." 13:51 The Apostle Paul says, "I know it's tough. 13:53 I'm about to die. 13:54 But I'm looking beyond the here and now 13:56 to the day that's ahead of me." 13:57 And number nine, the words, 13:59 the testament of the Apostle Paul before he left the scene, 14:02 joy looks beyond the cross to the crown. 14:05 2 Timothy 4:7-8, "I have fought a good fight. 14:09 I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." 14:12 Finally he said, 14:14 "There is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, 14:17 which the Lord," who friends? 14:21 "The Lord, the righteous judge will give me on that day," 14:25 and listen to this ending words, 14:27 "and not to me only, 14:30 but also to all who love His appearing." 14:35 Praise God for that. Amen. 14:36 Thank you, Pastor John, I love those nine points, 14:39 the joy we have, the joy we can have here 14:42 and now as part of the New Covenant life. 14:44 My lesson on Monday is Guilt-Free. 14:47 Meaning as part of the covenant life, 14:50 you and I can live guilt-free. 14:53 I've divided my lesson into three sections. 14:55 So here's the three sections and then we'll unpack them. 14:58 Section one is feeling guilty. 15:01 Section two is being in guilty. 15:05 Section three, living guilt-free. 15:08 So let's start with feeling guilty. 15:11 Since Adam and Eve, 15:12 remember Adam and Eve walked with God 15:14 in the cool of the garden, there was no guilt, 15:16 there was no shame, 15:17 there was nothing that separated them from God. 15:21 When sin entered, there came guilt, 15:24 there came fear, 15:26 there came separation from God 15:28 and their Redeemer, their Maker. 15:31 Ever since that time, 15:33 guilt has been a part of this world 15:36 because sin brings guilt. 15:39 Now, I think some people 15:41 maybe feel guiltier than others. 15:44 Maybe it's due to personality, 15:45 some people naturally might feel more guilty. 15:48 Sometimes it's due to the hardening of the heart 15:51 toward evil and the harder your heart 15:53 becomes maybe the less guilt you might feel. 15:57 I think about before the flood, Genesis 6:5, 15:59 what does the Word of God say? 16:00 The thoughts of their mind were only evil continually. 16:05 So I'm not sure, 16:07 I'm sure they had some twinges of guilt, 16:08 but maybe not as much guilt as someone else. 16:12 But we all know what guilt feels like. 16:14 Our cat, all I have to do is snap my fingers 16:17 and she know she did something wrong 16:19 and she better get herself in line. 16:21 You think of the child 16:23 when their hands in the cookie jar 16:25 and mama comes. 16:26 What are you doing with your hand in the cookie jar? 16:28 The child knows, "I wasn't supposed to do that." 16:31 They know that feeling of guilt. 16:35 I think of an adult, maybe if they stole something, 16:39 or if they lied about a neighbor or a coworker, 16:42 maybe they're sleeping with someone 16:44 who's not their spouse, that feeling of guilt. 16:48 There's a certain segment of the population 16:50 we don't really consider has that feeling of guilt. 16:53 That might be the serial killer. 16:55 We might consider a lot of them might not even feel guilt. 17:00 I read an article. 17:02 This is published in 2017. 17:05 It says, "Remorse is rare for serial killers, 17:07 but it can happen." 17:08 And they mentioned one person 17:10 who actually was in prison for being a serial killer. 17:13 And they actually hung themselves in their cell. 17:17 And they left behind a note that it said, 17:20 "I made a deal with myself I will come back 17:22 and take responsibility 17:24 for every evil act I committed in life. 17:27 If these people are not alive, 17:29 I should not be allowed to live either." 17:32 Feeling a sense of guilt. And why is that? 17:36 That leads us to section two because they are guilty. 17:38 We feel that guilt 17:40 because we have transgressed the law of God. 17:46 If you look at Romans 1:1-3. 17:48 Romans Chapter 1 talks about the sins of the Gentiles 17:52 or the sins of those who do not know God. 17:56 It's a huge list of sins if you look at Romans 1. 17:59 In verse 32, it says, 18:01 "Those who practice such things," 18:03 this entire list of sins, "are deserving of death." 18:07 Why are they deserving of death? 18:09 We know Romans 6:23 says, "The wages of sin is death, 18:13 but the gift of God is eternal life 18:15 through Jesus Christ our Lord." 18:17 So Romans 1 is all about the sins of the Gentiles 18:20 or the sins of those who do not know 18:23 walking covenant relationship with God. 18:27 But unless you think the Christians are left out, 18:29 or the Jewish people are left out, 18:31 we get to Romans 2 18:32 and Paul enumerates the sins of the Jewish people. 18:37 And especially verse 1, Romans 2:1, 18:40 "Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, 18:43 whoever you are who judge, 18:45 for in whatever way you judge another you condemn yourself, 18:49 for you who judge practice the same things." 18:52 And jump down to verse 24, Romans 2:24, 18:56 he says, "The name of God is blasphemed 18:59 among the Gentiles because of you." 19:02 So because of people who claim the name of Christ, 19:05 because of Christians, in this case, it was Jews, 19:08 but we could say us today as Christians, 19:10 because they do not walk the talk 19:13 because they do not live as Christians. 19:16 It blasphemes the name of God. 19:19 By the time we get to Romans 3:23. 19:20 It just says, "All have sinned, 19:23 and come short of the glory of God." 19:25 I'm so thankful the Word of God, it doesn't stop there. 19:28 We don't have to live feeling with that guilt. 19:31 We don't have to know that we are guilty. 19:33 We can live guilt free. 19:36 So let's look at that. 19:38 Three keys to how you can live guilt free. 19:42 Key number one, accept Christ's forgiveness for your sins. 19:48 Key number one is to accept it. 19:49 1 John 1:9. 19:51 I remember our precious Miss Mollie Steenson 19:54 used to quote this verse 19:55 probably every single Sabbath School Panel, 19:57 right Shelley? 19:58 "If we confess our sins, 20:00 He's faithful and just to forgive us our sins, 20:02 and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 20:07 Accept what God's Word says about you by faith, 20:11 not by how you feel. 20:13 Don't wait until you feel better. 20:16 Don't wait until you think God has forgiven you. 20:19 Feelings can be fickle and feelings can be changing, 20:22 accept what His Word says. 20:25 It says, "If you confess your sins, 20:27 He is faithful and just, He will forgive you. 20:30 He will cleanse you, He will bring you back 20:33 into covenant relationship with Himself." 20:37 We're not Christians by how we feel. 20:39 We are Christians because of what God's Word says 20:42 about us. 20:43 God's Word says you are forgiving. 20:45 God's Word says that you can be His child. 20:48 God's Word says that He can transform you. 20:51 God's forgiveness, 20:53 Christ's forgiveness is instantaneous. 20:56 Christ's forgiveness is complete. 20:58 Christ's forgiveness requires no goodness on our behalf. 21:02 But Christ's forgiveness is dependent 21:06 on you and I asking for it. 21:08 Otherwise, everybody in the world would be forgiven. 21:10 We need to ask, we need to confess our sins. 21:14 Then He is faithful and just to forgive us, 21:17 and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 21:22 I love 1 John 1:9, 21:24 because it talks about two aspects 21:27 of Christ's work in our life. 21:30 It says, "If we confess our sins, 21:32 He's faithful and just to forgive us our sins." 21:34 That's aspect number one, that justification process. 21:38 "And to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 21:42 That is the sanctification process. 21:45 So the first key is we just accept Christ's forgiveness 21:47 for our sins. 21:49 The second key is we allow Him to exchange 21:51 His garment of righteousness for our filthiness. 21:56 Turn with me to the Book of Zechariah. 21:58 Zechariah Chapter 3, I love this analogy. 22:02 Zechariah 3, this is, of course, Joshua, 22:05 the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord 22:08 and he is clothed in filthy garments. 22:12 Zechariah 3:4, "Then He answered 22:14 and spoke to those who stood before Him, saying, 22:16 "Take away the filthy garments from him." 22:19 Now those filthy garments were representative of sin. 22:23 You and I stand before God 22:24 and we are clothed in filthy garments. 22:27 Now, the word filthy, Jason, 22:29 in Hebrew literally means to soil from excrement. 22:33 So this is pretty bad. 22:34 This is filthy garments. 22:38 "And to him, he said, 22:39 'I have removed your iniquity from you. 22:41 I've taken off those filthy garments, 22:43 and I will clothe you with rich robes.'" 22:46 Cover you. 22:47 The minute we accept Christ, the minute we say, 22:50 "Will You forgives me? 22:52 He forgives us and we are clothed 22:54 in His white righteous robe. 22:57 That's that double imputation, 22:58 I talked about a couple weeks ago. 23:01 2 Corinthians 5:21, "He made Him, 23:04 God made Jesus who knew no sin, to be sin for us, 23:09 that we might be made the righteousness of God 23:12 in Him." 23:14 So my sin is credited or pushed on Jesus, 23:17 He bore on the cross, and His righteousness 23:21 is credited to my account. 23:24 The third key is to allow Him to empower you 23:28 to live a righteous life. 23:31 This is that cleanliness from all unrighteousness. 23:35 It reminds me of Romans 8:1. 23:37 Let's look at that scripture, Romans 8:1. 23:40 Remember in Romans 7, there's this whole controversy 23:43 in the Christian's life saying, what I want to do, 23:46 I don't do and what I don't want to do, I do. 23:49 We get to Romans 8:1, and it says, 23:52 "There is therefore now no condemnation 23:54 to those who are in Christ Jesus, 23:56 who do not walk according to the flesh, 23:59 but according to the Spirit." 24:02 He said the difference the Holy Spirit 24:04 makes in the life of the believer, 24:06 that imparted righteousness of Christ, 24:09 that is Christ in us the hope of glory 24:11 that is you and I being crucified with Christ. 24:14 And we're not the ones living 24:15 but it is Christ who lives in us. 24:18 Romans 8:13, "If you live according to the flesh 24:22 you gonna die, 24:23 but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, 24:27 you will live." 24:28 You and I don't have to feel guilty, 24:30 you and I don't have to be guilty 24:32 because we can live guilt-free because of Jesus Christ. 24:36 Amen, Jill. 24:37 Well, homerun. 24:39 Praise the Lord for that thought provoking 24:42 as well as life empowering message. 24:44 But don't go away, we have a lot more to come. 24:46 We'll be right back in just a moment. 24:54 Ever wish you could watch a 3ABN Sabbath School Panel 24:57 again, or share it on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter? 25:01 Well, you can by visiting 3abnsabbathschoolpanel.com 25:06 A clean design makes it easy 25:08 to find the program you're looking for. 25:10 There are also links to the Adult Bible Study Guide 25:14 so you can follow along. 25:15 Sharing is easy. 25:17 Just click share and choose your favorite social media. 25:20 Share a link, save a life for eternity. 25:25 Welcome back to our Sabbath School Panel. 25:26 We're going to go now to Tuesday. 25:29 Jason Bradley has New Covenant and New Heart. 25:33 In today's lesson we're going to witness the world's 25:36 most impactful heart transplant, as you stated, 25:41 it's the New Covenant and New Heart. 25:42 And we'll begin by looking at Ephesians 3:17-19. 25:47 Now you may want to jot these verses down 25:49 because we're going to go through them rather rapidly. 25:53 Again, that's Ephesians 3:17-19. 25:56 And the Word of God says, 25:58 "That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, 26:01 that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 26:05 may be able to comprehend with all the saints 26:08 what is the width and length and depth and height 26:12 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge, 26:15 that you may be filled with all the fullness of God." 26:20 Now you may be asking, what is the New Covenant? 26:23 And I'm so glad that you asked that question. 26:26 You see in Jeremiah 31:31-33, 26:32 it describes it so beautifully. 26:34 "Behold the days are coming," says the Lord, 26:37 "when I will make a new covenant 26:40 with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah, 26:43 not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers 26:46 and the day that I took them by the hand 26:48 to lead them out of the land of Egypt, 26:51 my covenant which they broke, 26:52 though I was a husband to them," says the Lord. 26:55 "But this is the covenant 26:57 that I will make with the house of Israel 26:59 after those days," says the Lord. 27:01 "I will put My law in their minds 27:04 and write it on their hearts, 27:06 and I will be their God and they shall be My people." 27:12 When you get married and exchange wedding vows, 27:14 you don't have to keep consulting your wedding vows 27:17 because they're written in your heart, 27:18 right, married people? 27:20 It's good, amen. 27:21 I'm just coaching, I'm not married. 27:23 They're written in your heart. 27:25 You know, you shouldn't cheat on your husband or wife, 27:27 you know that he or she 27:29 should be a priority in your life, 27:32 you know that you shouldn't steal from them. 27:34 You shouldn't kill them. 27:36 You shouldn't lie to them. 27:40 But you should have an unforgettable time 27:43 set aside for them. 27:47 As with any form of progress, there is a process. 27:50 And in Desire of Ages, page 176, 27:54 Ellen White speaks about the process of transformation. 27:57 And she says this, 27:59 "The cross reveals the love of God. 28:02 If we do not resist, 28:03 we shall be led to the foot of the cross 28:05 in repentance for the sins that have crucified the Savior. 28:10 Then the Spirit of God through faith 28:12 produces a new life in the soul. 28:15 The thoughts and desires are brought into obedience 28:18 to the will of Christ. 28:20 The heart, the mind are created a new 28:23 in the image of Him 28:24 who works in us to subdue all things to Himself, 28:29 then the law of God is written in the mind and heart." 28:33 What a beautiful process, 28:35 we're not even the ones doing the heavy lifting, 28:37 God is. That's right. 28:39 In our text for today, 28:41 Paul stressed the element of love 28:43 saying that we must be rooted and grounded in it. 28:47 When we look at a plant, we see the outward appearance 28:50 and the fruit that's being produced or the lack thereof. 28:54 Underneath the soil lies the roots 28:57 that act as an anchor 28:59 and supports the plant body. 29:01 Now the primary function of the roots is to absorb water 29:05 and dissolve minerals from the soil. 29:07 This function plays a vital role 29:09 in helping in the process of photosynthesis. 29:12 Now the word photosynthesis 29:14 and I'm going to journey into an area 29:16 where I don't normally go which is Greek, 29:18 is derived from the Greek words 29:21 phos and synthesis. 29:24 Phos means light and synthesis means combining together. 29:28 This means combining together with the help of light. 29:33 There are a couple factors that affect photosynthesis, 29:35 but we're going to focus on two of them, 29:37 and that's light intensity and pollution. 29:42 Increased light intensity results 29:44 in a higher rate of photosynthesis. 29:46 John 8:12 says, "Then Jesus spoke to them again, 29:51 saying, 'I am the light of the world. 29:55 He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness 29:58 but have the light of life." 30:02 Now let's go to pollution. 30:05 Pollutants and other particles may settle on the leaf surface. 30:08 This can block the pores of the stomata, 30:11 which makes it difficult to take in carbon dioxide. 30:15 Are there any pollutants in your life that 30:17 may be blocking you from receiving the Word of God? 30:23 Now is a good time for us to take a look at our lives 30:25 and ask God to clean up any pollution that we may have. 30:30 And why do we need a new heart? 30:33 Well, let's take a look at the physical heart 30:35 for a moment. 30:36 The heart is at the center of the circulatory system. 30:40 Its job is to pump blood throughout the body. 30:43 The blood carries important nutrients and oxygen 30:46 that all body organs need. 30:49 The bad thing about the blood is it can also carry diseases. 30:54 So if we're consuming foods, 30:56 as we were speaking about food earlier. 30:58 If we're consuming foods that are nutrient deprived, 31:01 we're not going to have good blood. 31:05 Now, our bodies can't provide nutrients 31:07 that we didn't feed it, right? 31:09 So the same is true with our spiritual lives. 31:12 If we aren't feasting on the Word of God, 31:15 then we're left with nutrient deprived blood. 31:18 Our blood has been marred by a fatal disease called sin. 31:22 And we need a heart transplant. 31:24 We need the new heart that Christ wants to give us. 31:28 Look at what God wants to do for us 31:30 in Ezekiel 36:26-27. 31:36 Again, that's Ezekiel 36: 26-27, 31:42 "I will give you a new heart 31:44 and put a new spirit within you, 31:47 I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh 31:51 and give you a heart of flesh. 31:53 I will put My Spirit within you 31:55 and cause you to walk in My statutes, 31:58 and you will keep My judgments and do them." 32:02 Ephesians 1:7, 32:06 "In Him, we have redemption through His blood, 32:11 the forgiveness of sins, 32:12 according to the riches of His grace." 32:15 So what changes will be manifested 32:17 in those who have a new heart? 32:19 In Matthew 22:37-39, 32:24 "Jesus said to him, 32:26 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, 32:30 with all your soul, and with all your mind. 32:34 'This is the first and great commandment.' 32:36 And the second is like it: 32:37 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'" 32:40 In Ephesians 5:8, the Apostle Paul writes, 32:44 "For you were once darkness, 32:47 but now you are light in the Lord, 32:50 walk as children of light." 32:53 With a new heart we will walk as children of light 32:56 exemplifying practical godliness 32:59 and the fruit of the Spirit, love, joy, peace, 33:04 longsuffering, kindness, goodness, 33:07 faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. 33:11 With a new heart we will abide in love. 33:15 1 John 4:16, 33:19 "And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. 33:24 God is love. 33:25 And he who abides in love abides in God and God in Him." 33:31 With a new heart we will walk in wisdom. 33:34 Ephesians 5:17 says, "Therefore do not be unwise, 33:39 but understand what the will of the Lord is." 33:44 As the lesson so gracefully points out 33:45 with a new heart our lives are changed, 33:48 our thoughts are changed, our desires are changed, 33:51 and, our goals are changed. 33:54 Do you want to be a new creation? 33:56 Do you want old things to pass away? 34:00 Well, we know where to go. 34:01 Turn to 2 Corinthians 5:17. 34:05 "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, 34:09 he is a new creation. 34:12 Old things have passed away, behold, 34:14 all things have become new." 34:19 The pledge of the New Covenant is progress is a process. 34:24 So begin the journey today. 34:26 A new start will bring a new heart 34:29 with Christ along the way. 34:33 You had nailed that one too. 34:35 Praise God. 34:36 I have Wednesday, 34:37 the New Covenant and Eternal Life. 34:40 Do you know what the word juxtaposition means? 34:43 It's when you've got two contrasting truths 34:46 that are placed closely together. 34:48 Let me show you two juxtapositions in Scripture. 34:52 There's many more, but John 3:14 or 3:16 says, 34:57 "For God so loved the world 34:59 that He gave His only begotten Son 35:01 that whoever believes in Him should not perish, 35:07 "here's the juxtaposition, 35:10 "but have ever lasting life." 35:13 The word perish means to destroy completely. 35:17 God so loved the world He gave His only begotten Son 35:20 that they would not perish. 35:22 Here's the opposing truth, but have everlasting life. 35:27 Romans 6:23, another great example of the juxtaposition. 35:32 "The wages of sin is death. 35:36 But the gift of God 35:40 is eternal life in Christ Jesus, our Lord." 35:44 Two contrasting truths, 35:47 perish or have eternal life, 35:50 death or have the eternal life 35:55 in Christ Jesus. 35:58 Satan's lie, his first lie to humanity 36:02 was you will not surely die and he's still preaching it. 36:07 I remember when I was writing a book, 36:09 and my sister called me, 36:10 I kept telling her I don't have time to talk 36:12 but she called anyway, so I would just read her. 36:14 Every day, I'd write a new chapter in the book, 36:16 I read it to her. 36:18 So one day, she called and I'm reading along, 36:20 and I get to John 5:28-29. 36:24 It was in the book. 36:25 And these are Christ's words. 36:27 He said, "Do not marvel at this, 36:29 for the day is coming 36:31 when all who are in their graves 36:32 will hear My voice 36:34 and some will come forth, those who have done good." 36:38 Well, they're all going to come forth 36:40 in one or two resurrections. 36:42 "Those who have done good, the resurrection of life, 36:45 those who have done evil, 36:47 to the resurrection of condemnation." 36:49 My sister says to me, I keep reading and she's, 36:52 "Wait a minute, wait a minute, go back to that." 36:54 And she's, "What do you mean, 36:56 all who are in their graves are going to hear the voice?" 36:59 And I say, "Well, you know, death is asleep, 37:02 and I'm explaining things to her what the Bible says. 37:05 And she goes, "What, what, 37:08 I hate you every time I talk to you, 37:10 I'm learning something that I didn't believe 37:11 when I came up," and she was so mad at me. 37:14 And I said, "Just get out your Concordance, 37:17 go through it, look up death, look up sleep." 37:20 And she just says, "I'll never talk to you again." 37:23 Bang and she hangs up on me. 37:25 I knew she was very melodramatic. 37:29 About eight hours later, she calls me back. 37:33 You know what she says, "Oh, you're right, death is a sleep. 37:36 There's no question about it." 37:38 She'd been studying that all time. 37:40 And just got into the Word and found that out. 37:43 See, the Bible tells us in 1 Timothy 6:16, 37:47 only God has immortality. 37:51 Now we are not immortal, but the will of God, 37:55 Jesus said in John 6:40 is that everyone 37:59 who sees the son and believes him 38:02 will have ever lasting life. 38:06 When do we get this everlasting, eternal life? 38:08 Well, He said, "I will raise Him up on the last day." 38:12 The first, 38:13 there's two different resurrections in the Bible. 38:15 The first resurrection is the righteous. 38:18 When Jesus comes down with the sound of the trumpet 38:22 and He calls forth and it says that the dead in Christ 38:25 will rise first, this is 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. 38:31 And then we who are alive will be caught up in the air 38:34 joining them. 38:36 And this is at the last trump, that's the first resurrection. 38:41 1 Corinthians 15:51-54 38:45 also explains the first resurrection. 38:48 It impulses at this way. 38:49 He says, "Hey, I'll tell you a mystery. 38:52 We're not all going to sleep, we're not all going to die," 38:54 is what he is saying. 38:56 "But we will all be changed in a moment, 38:59 in the twinkling of an eye." 39:01 When? At the last trumpet. 39:03 For the trumpet will sound, 39:05 the dead will be raised incorruptible, 39:08 and we shall be changed, 39:12 for this corruptible must put on incorruption. 39:15 This mortal must put on immortality." 39:20 When? At the last trumpet. 39:23 But now let's talk about this, 39:25 this second resurrection. 39:31 You see, the devil told Adam and Eve, you won't die. 39:36 Well, they did die. 39:38 They got blocked from the access to the tree of life. 39:42 They died physically, we all die physically 39:45 unless we're among the people. 39:47 There's been a couple 39:48 that has been caught up to heaven. 39:50 But the point is that biological death, 39:55 what's certain taxes and death, right? 39:57 Unless you're alive when Jesus returns. 40:00 So, what does He mean 40:03 about the second resurrection and the second death? 40:09 Did you know the Bible talks about the second death 40:12 four different times. 40:15 In Revelation 20:6, he says, 40:19 "Blessed and holy is he who has part 40:21 in the first resurrection. 40:25 "That's the resurrection of the righteous. 40:27 "Over such the second death has no power, 40:30 but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, 40:34 and shall reign with Him a thousand years." 40:37 So this first resurrection, 40:39 we go to heaven and we get to reign for 1,000 years 40:43 and would after that would come back down to earth 40:45 when the New Jerusalem comes, 40:47 and God recreates the earth, right? 40:50 But what is the second death? This is interesting. 40:55 Revelation 2:11 says, "He who overcomes 40:58 will not be harmed by the second death." 41:01 Revelation 21:8 says, "But the cowardly, 41:05 the unbelieving, the abominable, the murderer, 41:07 the sexually immoral, the sorcerers, idolaters, 41:10 and all liars shall have their part in the lake 41:15 which burns with fire and brimstone, 41:19 which is the second death." 41:23 You are either going to be granted immortality 41:28 when you put on immortality, 41:31 at that first resurrection, 41:33 and you're going to have the gift of eternal life. 41:36 Or guess what? 41:38 You're going to perish. 41:39 There's going to be a second death. 41:41 God destroyed the world once with the lake of water. 41:46 The next time it's going to be a lake of fire, 41:48 and all who are in that lake of fire are going to be dead, 41:52 gone eternally. 41:54 Let me read this to you. 41:55 In Malachi 4:1, it says, 42:01 "Behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, 42:04 and all the proud, 42:05 all that do wickedly will be stubble." 42:08 What, that's stubbles, what's left after the fire. 42:11 "And the day which is coming shall burn them up," 42:14 says the Lord of hosts that will leave them 42:16 neither root nor branch." 42:18 It goes on in verse 3, it says, 42:19 hey, you're going to trample on the wicked, 42:22 they're just going to be ashes under your feet. 42:25 That sounds like total destruction. 42:27 That sounds just like you're either going to perish, 42:31 or you're going to have eternal life. 42:33 Jesus said, and here's where our lesson begins 42:38 is John 11:25-26. 42:43 Jesus says, 42:45 "I am the resurrection and the life." 42:49 He's talking to Martha, her brother's in the tomb. 42:53 He says, "I am the resurrection and the life. 42:57 He who believes in Me, will live, 43:01 even if he dies, and everyone who lives 43:06 and believes in Me will never die." 43:09 See, God came down in the person of Jesus Christ, 43:13 He became a human to unite Himself with us, 43:17 He paid the penalty for our sin. 43:20 And you know what? 43:21 The grave couldn't hold Him. 43:23 No, He had life in Himself. 43:26 He was resurrected. 43:28 He says, "I am the way, the truth and the life." 43:32 And He will give eternal life at the last trumpet 43:36 to all who believe in Him. 43:39 He says, "I am the true vine." 43:41 He will give new covenant eternal life 43:44 to all who are united in Him. 43:47 There are two dimensions of New Covenant life in Christ, 43:52 the present, that's John 10:10 43:55 that He came to give us abundant life. 43:58 But then the future is the true eternal life, 44:03 the promise of the resurrection, 44:06 of being changed from mortal, to immortal. 44:10 And even though that's in the future, 44:12 that's the one. 44:14 That's the one that makes everything worth it. 44:16 To know that whatever we suffer right now is nothing. 44:22 It's temporary. 44:23 It's nothing compared to the eternal glory 44:26 of living face to face with our Savior. 44:31 Hallelujah, glory to God. 44:34 What a joy to know that our life 44:37 if we're in Christ 44:39 in that new covenant relationship, 44:41 it doesn't end in the grave. 44:47 Well, she, they started the fire 44:49 so I got to continue on. 44:51 Praise the Lord. I'm so excited. 44:53 You got to pray for that clock right now 44:54 because this last subject here Thursday's lesson, 44:58 New Covenant and Mission. 45:01 This is the fuel for the machine right here. 45:03 I love evangelism. 45:04 I love the mission of the church. 45:06 I love the commission that Christ has given us. 45:08 And I believe with all my heart and mind 45:11 that that is where we are today, 45:12 we need to be preaching the gospel, 45:14 we need to be getting this message out 45:16 because Jesus is coming soon. 45:18 So let's go to Matthew 28. 45:19 We got to start there, Matthew Chapter 28, 45:22 and we're going to read the last two verses 45:23 of that chapter. 45:24 Matthew 28:19-20. 45:27 And this is what the Bible says, of course, 45:28 this is the words of Christ. 45:30 And He says, "Go, therefore, and make disciples 45:34 of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, 45:37 and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, 45:39 teaching them to observe all things 45:42 that I have commanded you. 45:43 And lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." 45:49 So Christ is He simply gave the commission. 45:51 It's just this beautiful farewell address 45:54 as He's about to leave and He's about to depart. 45:56 One of the last things He said to them 45:58 is, "Go, go tell them everything 46:00 that I've taught you. 46:01 Go share with them, 46:03 the beautiful gospel of Jesus Christ, 46:04 go tell them of the good news about how they have a Savior, 46:07 a Savior that has come and died for them, 46:09 a Savior who has given His life for them 46:11 so that they might live eternally. 46:13 Go out there and tell them this good news." 46:16 And we, what is the church doing today? 46:19 Well, some of us are giving that message, 46:21 some of us are not. 46:23 And that's why we have these type of studies 46:24 to remind us of what our mission is. 46:27 The lesson brings out here at the very beginning, 46:30 the writer says all over the world, 46:31 people often struggle 46:33 with what South African writer Laurens van der Post 46:36 called the burden of meaninglessness. 46:41 People find themselves he writes with or this, 46:44 that's actually, I don't know if this is a man or a woman. 46:46 So I don't know if Laurens van der Post 46:47 is a man or woman. 46:49 So I'll just say they write that people find themselves 46:52 with the gift of life, yet they do not know 46:55 what to do with it, 46:56 do not know what the purpose of this gift is, 46:59 and do not know how to use it. 47:01 It is like giving someone a library 47:04 filled with rare books 47:05 only to have the person not read the books, 47:08 but use them to build fires. 47:10 What a terrible waste of something so precious. 47:14 And I have to agree we have this amazing, 47:16 powerful message that Christ has bestowed upon us. 47:20 And some of us we have this precious treasure 47:22 that we're supposed to be sharing with everyone. 47:24 He said, "Go, go share it, go, give this beautiful message 47:27 to as many people as possible because I'm going to return 47:30 and I'm coming for a wholly people, a transformed people, 47:34 a people who are not a part of that processed, 47:37 refined worldly group," but we're talking 47:39 about a people who are on fire for the Lord. 47:42 Jesus is coming back for a church. 47:44 In fact, it reminds me 47:46 of a little bit of a story that I heard. 47:47 I've used this in sermons 47:49 before, but I got to use it right now, 47:50 because it's just perfect. 47:52 It's a story about four people named everybody, 47:54 somebody, anybody and nobody. 47:57 There was an important job to be done. 47:59 And everybody was sure that somebody would do it. 48:01 Anybody could have done it. 48:03 But nobody did it. 48:04 Somebody got angry about this, because it was everybody's job. 48:08 Everybody thought anybody could do it. 48:09 But nobody realized that everybody wouldn't do it. 48:12 It ended up that everybody blamed somebody 48:14 when nobody did what anybody could have done. 48:16 I love it. 48:18 And that's the truth, if I never heard it, 48:19 it also reminds me of that beautiful song 48:22 that Lanny Wolfe wrote years ago. 48:23 I grew up listening to it and singing it in the church. 48:25 It tells the heart of the father as he's pleading, 48:30 My house is full. 48:34 But my field is empty. 48:37 Who will go in and work for me today. 48:41 I love that song. 48:42 Because it goes on to say it seems my children all 48:46 want to stay around my table, 48:50 but no one wants to work in my field. 48:56 No one wants to work in my field. 49:02 It's a beautiful song with beautiful music 49:04 and beautiful words. 49:05 But the message makes you almost want to go 49:07 my house is full. 49:09 And then you get to that part. 49:10 It's like oh, but my field is empty. 49:13 My children want to come into my synagogue, 49:16 they want to come into My house of worship. 49:18 They want to sit around My table, 49:20 but they don't want to go out 49:21 and they don't want to work in My field. 49:25 And you know a lot of Christians today 49:26 they have something that I like to call pew paralysis. 49:29 Pew paralysis, the condition brought on by an indifferent, 49:33 careless and lukewarm disposition. 49:35 One with pew paralysis is so overly comfortable 49:38 in their lackadaisical condition 49:40 that they slip into a spiritual paralytic state 49:43 to which the gospel message 49:45 they have been commissioned to share 49:47 has become stationary and immobile. 49:49 This person is content in warming a pew every week, 49:53 but thinks it's too difficult and challenging to do 49:55 any personal evangelism beyond the church walls. 49:59 And, Pastor, you know, as a pastor, 50:01 I know that many, many, many years of pastoring, 50:02 you've seen these type of Christians. 50:04 They are devoted to anything that's going on within those 50:07 four walls of a church building, 50:09 but they are too slow to go out and share 50:12 the gospel commission that God has given them. 50:14 Is that you? I hope that's not the case. 50:17 Because Jesus has given us a powerful commission. 50:20 He says, "Do you know Me? 50:22 Do you have a relationship with Me? 50:24 Have I done something good in your life? 50:27 Do you know Me and have come to know Me on a daily basis? 50:30 Have I been good to you? 50:31 Do you have a story that you can go tell someone 50:34 about Me and what I've done for you in your life? 50:36 "That's what the good news is. 50:38 It doesn't have to be some deep theological breakdown 50:41 of the Book of Daniel or Revelation, 50:42 or some deep theological dividing of the Word of God, 50:45 so that you can showcase how much 50:47 you know, it can simply be a wonderful, beautiful story 50:50 and how God has transformed your life, 50:53 how God has blessed you, 50:54 how God has bestowed upon you such a powerful blessing 50:58 that all you got to do is just go and tell someone. 51:00 When somebody is passing you in the grocery store, 51:02 they may say, "Hi, how are you?" 51:03 And maybe as simply as that, "I'm blessed, I am blessed." 51:08 And you know what I respond like that often 51:09 when somebody says, "Hey, brother, how are you?" 51:11 I can't complain, I'm blessed. 51:12 The Lord is good, 51:14 no matter what's going on in your life. 51:15 That's why I love to sing that song also that, 51:17 you know, I can't complain. 51:19 It's one of my favorite songs that God is so good to me 51:21 that I can't complain. 51:23 That is the gospel message that we serve a God who cares, 51:26 we serve a God who loves us. 51:28 Indeed, even the disciples, 51:29 when they came back from the cities, 51:31 they were in Samaria as Jesus had just completed 51:34 His conversation with the woman at the well. 51:36 And they come back 51:37 and they got the food and they say, 51:38 "Jesus, we brought lunch." 51:40 And He says, "That's okay, I've got food 51:41 that you don't even know about." 51:43 And I can imagine, as the Scripture says, 51:44 "They look around, 51:45 "But who brought this brother food? 51:47 Did He, did He pack a lunch?" And what did Jesus say? 51:48 John 4:34. 51:50 Pastor, I think you referenced this 51:51 before, in one of the previous lessons. 51:53 Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of Him 51:56 who sent me and to, "don't miss this part, 51:58 "and to finish His work." 52:01 God wants us to co-labor with Him, 52:04 with all of heaven with the angels 52:06 and all the kingdom of God, 52:08 co-labor with Him and helping to finish this work 52:11 to send this beautiful gospel commission to all the world. 52:14 That's a part of the great New Covenant message, 52:17 the part of the great New Covenant gospel message 52:20 is that Jesus is returning soon, 52:22 and He's coming back for people who are ready, 52:24 He's coming back for people 52:25 who have consecrated themselves to Him. 52:27 He's coming back for a people that He can take 52:29 to His kingdom that they can repopulate heaven 52:32 with from all those fallen angels that had fallen, 52:34 He wants to make you a part of that population. 52:37 Seventh-day Adventist, 52:39 I'm a Seventh-day Adventist Christian. 52:41 And Seventh-day Adventist Christians get their name 52:43 from a great and mighty work that God did all 52:46 the way back at the beginning in the origins, 52:49 and we started actually this study 13 weeks ago 52:52 at the origins talking 52:54 about the great Sabbath commandment 52:56 that the Lord had established, all the great work 52:58 that He had done, but yet He rested 52:59 on the seventh day, 53:01 He ceased from doing His work on the seventh day. 53:03 Seventh-day Adventist, what is your commission? 53:06 It's right there in your very name. 53:08 Just as God ceased from His work 53:11 and He finished His work, 53:12 we also need to rest 53:15 but also help the Father finish the work. 53:17 We've to co-labor with Him and help finishing the work. 53:20 Acts 1:8, do you have the Holy Spirit, 53:24 are you a spirit lead Christian? 53:25 Are we filled with the Holy Spirit 53:27 in these last days? 53:28 Because the Bible says that one indication 53:30 of how you know you are full of the Holy Ghost 53:32 is that you have received power 53:35 when the Holy Spirit has come upon you 53:37 that you shall be a witness to Me, He says, 53:39 in Jerusalem in all Judea, and Samaria, 53:42 and all the uttermost parts of the world 53:44 and to all the earth. 53:45 Are you filled with the Holy Spirit? 53:47 Are you fired up for Jesus to give that gospel commission? 53:50 Are you fired up for Jesus to tell the world 53:52 about what He has done for you? 53:54 I love, I love, love, love evangelism. 53:58 That's what I live for. 53:59 It's not something that I do. 54:01 Evangelism isn't an event on a calendar. 54:04 Evangelism isn't something that you, 54:06 you know, circle a particular day 54:07 on a calendar to say, 54:08 "This day, I've set aside to do this." 54:10 Evangelism is a way of life. 54:13 It's a way of existence. 54:14 It's just who I am. It's what I do. 54:16 Because I serve a mighty God 54:18 that I'm not worthy to even loose His sandals. 54:20 I'm not even worthy to even mention His name. 54:22 But I'll tell you, His name is Jesus. 54:24 And Jesus is coming back for people who are already. 54:27 Six volume of the Testimony, page 295, 54:29 someone must fulfill the commission of Christ, 54:32 someone must carry on the work which He began to do on earth. 54:35 And the church has been given this privilege. 54:38 Don't miss this next point. 54:39 For this purpose, it has been organized. 54:43 Did you catch that? 54:45 For the purpose of giving the commission of Christ, 54:48 sharing the gospel. 54:49 That is why the church has been organized for us to rise up, 54:54 band together in unity. 54:55 Pick up this Word of God and go share the good news. 54:58 The Gospel of Jesus Christ with the entire world. 55:01 Amen. 55:04 I think what Ryan is trying to say 55:06 is that the burden of uselessness 55:08 and pew paralysis will be resolved 55:10 if we accept the New Covenant and the new mission. 55:13 Thank you so much for that enthusiastic appeal 55:16 to those who are right now 55:18 on this trying hour of earth's history. 55:21 There is no need for inactivity, 55:23 the New Covenant is calling for a new commitment 55:26 to the mission of saving souls. 55:27 Jill, give us a summary of you. 55:29 This has been a beautiful lesson, hasn't it been? 55:30 Oh, it has, incredible lesson. What a gift, what a blessing. 55:33 My lesson Monday was Guilt-Free. 55:36 I don't know maybe you are feeling guilty, 55:38 maybe you are feeling that you have wandered far from God 55:41 and don't know if He can forgive you, 55:43 if He can restore you. 55:45 I want to assure you right now, that the Lord Jesus loves you 55:48 and He is extending to you the blood of Jesus and He says, 55:53 "Accept this, I will forgive and cleanse 55:56 and make you whole." 55:57 Amen. Jason? 55:59 I don't know if, you know, you know anything 56:02 about the heart transplant list or getting on a donor list. 56:06 But God wants to give you a new heart. 56:09 He wants to give you, 56:10 wants you to take advantage of the New Covenant. 56:13 And so if that's your desire today, 56:15 then I just ask that 56:16 you would ask Christ to come into your life 56:20 and enjoy the fullness of His joy. 56:23 Amen. Amen. 56:25 The Lord is just strongly impressing me 56:26 that I need to explain a Greek term, 56:30 and the term is eternal or everlasting. 56:34 In the Greek it is aionios and it is a relative term. 56:40 In other words, it is defined by what it is related to, 56:43 whatever it is, explaining, modifying. 56:48 So, when we use everlasting in connection 56:52 with God and things of God, 56:55 it means infinitely, without end. 57:00 But when you use everlasting, like the everlasting fire, 57:05 and it's talking about, 57:08 it's connected with mortal things 57:11 or people, that means it's just till it ends. 57:15 So in Jude 7, Sodom and Gomorrah 57:18 are a sign of everlasting fire. 57:21 That's the second death. 57:24 My house is full, my field is empty, 57:27 who will go and work for Me today. 57:29 The Father is calling us. 57:30 He's commissioned you to go out into the field. 57:32 That's right. 57:34 1 Peter, "For you are chosen generation, a royal priesthood, 57:38 a holy nation, His own special people. 57:40 The proclamation is to go therefore and proclaim 57:43 the praises of Him, who called us out of darkness 57:46 into this marvelous, marvelous light." 57:49 We have enjoyed sharing the covenant, 57:51 the promises of God is everlasting covenant. 57:54 We would like to invite you to join us 57:56 again next quarter when the lesson study 57:58 is going to be Rest in Christ. 58:02 Friends, the commission is for you, 58:03 we pray that you'll accept the New Covenant, 58:05 the Christ of the New Covenant, 58:07 and be a part of that New Jerusalem. 58:09 God bless you until we see you again. |
Revised 2021-06-27