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Series Code: SSP
Program Code: SSP230032S
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00:01 This Quarter on 3ABN Sabbath School Panel,
00:04 we are doing a verse-by-verse study of Ephesians. 00:08 Today is Lesson 7: The Unified Body of Christ. 00:12 Grab your Bible... a pen and paper 00:15 and if you do not yet have an Adult Bible Study Guide, 00:18 just go to 3abnsabbathschoolpanel. com 00:22 and download one 00:23 or better yet, go to your local Seventh-day Adventist Church 00:27 get a copy and study together with the group. 00:30 Come on and join us. 00:32 Music... 01:03 Shelley: Hello, I'm Shelly Quinn 01:05 and we're so glad you're joining us for Lesson Number 7: 01:09 The Unified Body of Christ. 01:12 Actually, that's what the whole book of Ephesians is about... 01:16 is the unity we find in Christ Jesus. 01:19 Let me introduce you to the rest of the 3ABN family here. 01:22 They're not only my family, they're yours. 01:25 My Pastor, John Lomacang. 01:27 Lomacang: Good to be here, Shelley, 01:28 I am covering: Together as One in the One. 01:32 Shelley: Amen... Ryan Day. 01:35 Ryan: All right, I have Tuesday's Lesson which is entitled: 01:38 The Exalted Christ, Giver of Gifts. 01:41 Shelley: Oh... that's a great one and my sister in Christ, 01:44 Dr. Yvonne Shelton. 01:46 Yvonne: I have Wednesday's Lesson and it is: 01:50 Gifts of the Exalted Christ. 01:52 Shelley: Oh... Yvonne: Similar to yours. 01:54 Shelley: Glad you're joining us. 01:56 And then, we have Pastor James Rafferty. 01:59 Rafferty: Good to be here, Shelley, 02:01 I have Thursday's Lesson which is: Growing Up In Christ. 02:03 Shelley: It's going to be a beautiful Study. 02:06 James, would you like to have our opening prayer? 02:08 James: Sure. 02:10 "Father, we just want to thank You 02:11 for Your Word. 02:12 We want to thank You for Jesus. 02:14 We want to thank You for this opportunity 02:15 to open Your Word and to grow up in Christ... 02:17 to find in Him the unity 02:18 of a spirit of heart with each other, 02:21 with Your world-wide church, 02:22 we pray for each of the Viewers, 02:24 we ask that You'll guide and direct their hearts to Jesus. 02:26 May Your Holy Spirit be present with us. 02:28 We pray these things in His name, amen. " 02:31 Panel: Amen. 02:32 Shelley: We are so appreciative of this verse-by-verse study, 02:37 there's actually 70 Lessons from six chapters of Ephesians 02:42 and Dr. John McVay did such a lovely job in writing this. 02:47 Our Memory Text for today is Ephesians 4:11 and 12, 02:52 I'll read it to you from the ESV. 02:54 It says, "And He gave the apostles, the prophets... " 02:58 the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 03:02 for what purpose? 03:03 "To equip the saints for the work of ministry, 03:08 for building up the body of Christ. " 03:11 Ephesians is a book that is just evenly divided 03:17 into two sections of teaching. 03:19 Chapters 1 through 3 is a theological feast 03:25 about the inexpressible riches of our blessings in Christ. 03:30 It gives you your identity in Christ... 03:33 you understand the fullness of God's plan. 03:37 Then chapters 4 through 6, 03:40 Paul gets really practical... 03:43 it is practical Christianity 101. 03:46 So, this week's Study covers only the first half 03:50 of Ephesians chapter 4. 03:53 Sixteen verses 03:55 that are going to stir us to unity forever. 03:59 This is 1 through 6 is an impassioned call to unity. 04:04 Verses 7 through 16, 04:06 Paul identifies the victorious and exalted Christ 04:11 as the source of grace who is equipping us 04:16 to share the gospel 04:18 and he describes how the Leaders of the church 04:21 work together with all the church members 04:25 to contribute to the health and the growth 04:29 of the body of Christ. 04:31 You know, Paul frequently used the human body as an analogy 04:36 for the body of Christ 04:38 saying that there were many members of the body 04:40 but only one Head 04:43 and even though we had unique functions in the church, 04:47 we have only one Head. 04:50 In Romans 12 verses 4 through 5, he says, 04:53 "We have many members in one body, 04:55 but all the members do not have the same function, 04:58 so we, being many, 05:00 are one body in Christ, 05:02 and individually members of one another. " 05:08 You're a member of the body... 05:11 the same body that I'm a member of. 05:13 Panel: That's right. 05:14 Shelley: In 1st Corinthians 12:12 through 31, 05:17 he gives this long list of the various parts of the body: 05:22 the ear... the foot... the hand... 05:23 the eye... the senses of hearing and smelling... 05:27 just to show how necessary each part of the body is 05:31 to the healthy functioning of the body. 05:35 But he says in 1st Corinthians 12:25, 05:38 "There should be no schism in the body, 05:41 but that the members should have the same care for one another. 05:45 And if one member suffers, 05:48 all the members suffer with it... " 05:50 It's just like a little paper cut makes your body suffer, right? 05:55 "And if one member is honored, 05:59 all the members rejoice with it. " 06:02 Panel: That's right. 06:03 Shelley: Now you are the body of Christ, 06:05 and members individually. " 06:07 So, he goes on to talk about in 1st Corinthians 06:11 how all the different functions... 06:14 the various orifices of the body... 06:17 how they all work together to unite the people of God 06:23 so that his idea of a healthy body 06:26 is one that helps us understand 06:29 the goal of God's work in the church. 06:34 So, Sunday is: The Unity of the Spirit. 06:38 We are going to begin with Ephesians chapter 4 and verse 1. 06:43 This is an urgent call to unity 06:46 and then, what Paul does is he lists the virtues 06:50 that lead us to unity... 06:53 qualities that actually focus on the benefit of others 06:58 rather than being overly impressed with self. 07:02 Let's look at Ephesians 4:1, 07:05 he's just finished these three chapters 07:08 of beautiful theological teaching 07:11 and then he says, 07:13 "I, therefore... " that is a transition word, 07:17 Therefore, based on what we've just covered 07:21 in chapters 1 through 3, 07:23 all the things that God has done for us, 07:25 in Christ Jesus, 07:27 this is a call to duty-based on the previous explanation. 07:32 He says, "I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, 07:36 beseech you to walk worthy of the calling 07:41 with which you were called... " 07:43 You see, when we're in Christ, 07:45 we are in covenant relationship with the Lord, 07:48 we're in covenant relationship with one another. 07:51 To walk is referring to our actions. 07:56 It is how we daily conduct our life 08:00 it's an attitude... 08:01 it's actions of the high and holy calling 08:05 of being a child of God. 08:07 So, our daily actions 08:09 as we are step by step, God is sanctifying us... 08:14 separating us from sin... 08:16 bring us into greater unity. 08:18 We have to look at the Lord Jesus 08:22 as our source and substance 08:25 so that we can walk in His righteousness 08:29 and I love Psalm 85:13, 08:32 it says, "Righteousness will go before Him, 08:36 and make His footsteps a pathway for us. " 08:39 1st John 2:6 says, 08:41 "Anyone who says that he abides in Christ, 08:44 must also walk as He walked. " 08:48 So, Ephesians 4:2, now Paul's going to start listing 08:53 the virtues that lead us to unity. 08:57 So, he says, "Walk worthy... " 09:00 How do you walk worthy of the calling that you have? 09:04 "with all lowliness... with gentleness... 09:08 with long-suffering... 09:11 bearing with one another in love. " 09:14 So, let's look at those. 09:15 What is lowliness? 09:17 Lowliness is humility. 09:19 I'm going to give you two definitions for humility 09:22 but let's begin with this. 09:23 Being humble means to be appreciative 09:28 of the value of others. 09:30 To serve others... 09:32 Jesus came as the servant of God 09:36 and by His example 09:38 He showed us that a life of self-sacrificing love 09:43 is the root of all humility 09:46 and it is the one characteristic we need to develop 09:52 more than any other one because 09:54 it is the root of His righteousness. 09:57 In Philippians 2:5 through 8, 10:00 Paul says, "Hey, let this mind be in you 10:03 that was in Christ Jesus, 10:04 who humbled Himself and became obedient. " 10:07 You know, Jesus didn't obey God to become the Son of God, 10:12 He obeyed God because He was the Son of God. 10:16 Panel: Hmmm... 10:17 Shelley; So, the Bible also... 10:20 if we look at Ephesians 2:5 through 8, 10:23 describes humility. 10:25 To me the definition 10:27 is that we learn to depend 100 percent on God. 10:33 Did you know there's nothing you can do to merit salvation? 10:37 I don't care what your diet is like, 10:39 I don't care how you dress, 10:40 I don't care how much you give in tithes and offerings, 10:43 I don't care what you do as far as obedience... 10:47 the Pharisees were the strict... it strictly adhered to that. 10:53 None of that saves us. 10:55 Only by the blood of Christ... by the sacrifice of Christ... 10:59 we... we've got to be as Jesus said, 11:03 "Unless you be converted and become like little children, 11:06 you will not enter the kingdom of God. " 11:08 Panel: Hmmm... hmmm... 11:09 Shelley: So, God wants us to put aside pride. 11:13 You know, it was self-exaltation and not depending on the Lord 11:19 that got Lucifer. 11:20 It swelled up in his heart this pride 11:24 that was the root of all sin. 11:27 Okay, so that is the lowliness. 11:30 Let's look at gentleness or meekness. 11:33 Actually, meekness is a product of humility. 11:37 It means to be mild in spirit 11:41 and self-controlled. 11:42 It means you're not going off in temper tantrums 11:45 and fits of rage. 11:46 Longsuffering is the third one. 11:50 That's to be patient 11:52 and do you realize, we've got humility 11:55 which grows into gentleness... 11:58 gentleness actually develops patience 12:02 because we become slow to anger. 12:05 So then he says... let me repeat it, 12:08 Ephesians 4:2, 12:10 "with all lowliness... " or humility, 12:12 "gentleness... " or meekness, 12:13 "longsuffering... " that's patience, 12:16 bearing with one another in love. " 12:19 Now, read it backwards, 12:21 and you'll see how it all comes together. 12:26 It is love that is the root of patience 12:30 which produces gentleness 12:33 which results in humility. 12:35 Panel: Hmmm... hmmm... 12:37 Shelley: The root of all these virtues 12:38 is Romans 5:5 says that God pours His love... 12:44 His self-sacrificing agape love 12:48 into our hearts by the power of the Holy Spirit. 12:52 And that's the bottom line, 12:53 believers need to receive this love 12:58 and be cognizant 13:01 of developing these unifying virtues in our behavior 13:06 so that we become reflectors of His love... His light 13:11 and His life in this world. 13:13 That's God's ultimate plan. 13:15 If we mirrored Jesus, 13:19 if we reflected His love, 13:22 if we understand His everlasting covenant, 13:27 people from all nations 13:30 will flock to the light of His eternal humility. 13:35 Panel: Hmmm... 13:36 Shelley: So, then he goes on in verse 3, 13:40 Ephesians 4:3, 13:42 "endeavoring... " 13:43 now, that's "effort" isn't it? 13:45 When you endeavor to do something, 13:47 that takes effort... 13:49 "to keep the unity of the Spirit 13:52 in the bond of peace. " 13:54 And I see that my time is nearly done 13:57 but I have to read this, Colossians 3:14 through 16, 14:01 he says, "above all these things put on love, 14:04 which is the bond of perfection. 14:06 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, 14:08 to which you were called in one body; 14:11 and be thankful. 14:13 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly with all wisdom, 14:18 teaching and admonishing one another. " 14:19 Lomacang: Amen, thank you, Shelley. 14:21 Lot to cover when you talk about unity and being in one. 14:25 You know, when we go to Ephesians chapter 4 verses 4 to 6, 14:28 let's read these passages, 14:30 if you could follow them with me if you have your Bibles, 14:32 it says, "There is one body and one Spirit, 14:35 just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 14:37 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 14:41 one God and Father of all, 14:42 who is above all, and through all, 14:46 and in you all. " 14:47 Notice it says, there is one body. 14:49 Think about this for a moment, 14:50 do you have to be the same to be in one body? 14:53 When you study... when you study the human body, 14:57 there are about 1300 enzymes in one human cell 15:00 and each of the cells contain different enzymes 15:03 meaning... thousands of types of enzymes in the human body 15:06 but each cell contained about 1300 different enzymes. 15:10 Now, what's the point? 15:12 Each of these enzymes are different 15:14 but they're all in one cell. 15:16 Each of us is different but we are all in one body. 15:19 The Lord doesn't call us because we're just like each other. 15:21 As a matter of fact, the world will be very bored 15:23 if it was all of me... 15:24 Panel: Laughter. 15:25 Lomacang: You know, as one person that got married said, 15:27 "If we both thought exactly the same, one of us is unnecessary. " 15:29 Panel: Laughter. 15:30 Lomacang: And so, God is not calling us 15:32 because we're all alike, 15:33 He's calling us because of our diversity... 15:36 unity in diversity. 15:37 Panel: Hmmm... hmmm... 15:39 Lomacang: So, let's start out by talking about the ones... 15:40 there are seven "ones" in the New Testament 15:42 that I'd like to highlight. 15:43 Let's start with 1st Corinthians 12:12, 15:44 talk about one body. 15:46 1st Corinthians 12:12, 15:48 "For as the body is one and has many members, 15:50 but all the members of that one body, being many, 15:53 are one body, so also is Christ. " 15:55 One body but many members. 15:57 Panel: Hmmm... hmmm... 15:58 Lomacang: We also have one Spirit 16:00 that is the Holy Spirit holding us together. 16:02 But 1st Corinthians 12:11, 16:05 "But one of the same Spirit works all these things, 16:09 distributing to each one individually as He wills. " 16:12 The body distributes to the cells whatever it needs 16:16 in order for the entire body to stay together. 16:18 We also have one hope. 16:19 Titus 2 and verse 13, 16:21 "looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing 16:24 of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. " 16:27 What is that hope? 16:29 Isaiah 25 verse 9, 16:30 "We have waited for Him, and He will save us. 16:32 This is the LORD; we have waited for Him; 16:34 we will rejoice and be glad in His salvation. " 16:37 So, the hope we have is in the coming of the Lord. 16:40 The body... every one of the members in the body 16:42 share the same hope. 16:44 Then we have one faith... 16:45 we contend for that faith. 16:47 But Revelation 12... 16:48 Revelation chapter 14:12 describes it this way, 16:51 "Here is the patience of the saints; 16:53 here are those who keep the commandments of God 16:56 and the faith of Jesus. " 16:57 I'm so thankful that I don't have to make it on my own faith, 17:00 I make it on the faith of Jesus... 17:01 I tried faith... a genuine faith... 17:04 a purified faith. 17:05 Then we have one baptism, not sprinkling... not immersion, 17:09 I mean, not... not sprinkling... 17:10 not dry cleaning... not with petals... 17:13 not with a hose... 17:14 but with immersion following the example of Christ. 17:17 Galatians 3:27, 17:19 "For as many of us as were baptized into Christ 17:23 have put on Christ. " 17:25 What is that one baptism? 17:26 If you're not baptized into Christ, 17:28 you cannot be saved. 17:29 You know, John's baptism only went but so far. 17:32 They said, "So far, John baptized us with water, 17:36 but there's One coming after 17:37 that's going to baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 17:40 But what's the difference? 17:41 One is to repentance 17:42 but the other one is the transformation of a life. 17:45 Panel: Yes. 17:46 Lomacang: Jesus sees us as we are. 17:48 There are many people that are baptized by water 17:49 that are not transformed. 17:51 Panel: Hmmm... 17:52 Lomacang: They go in wet Chris... 17:53 they go in wet sinners, come out... 17:55 they go in dry sinners come out wet sinners. 17:56 Panel: Hmmm... 17:57 Lomacang: So, when we talk about the resurrected life, 17:59 or the brand-new life in Christ, 18:00 we have to unite with Him in His death... 18:03 in His burial and His resurrection 18:06 to come forth to walk in the newness of life. 18:08 That's the one baptism. 18:10 Then we have one God and Father. 18:12 We find the Godhead on which our faith is built. 18:14 John 14 and verse 1, 18:16 "Let not your heart be troubled; 18:18 you believe in God, believe also in Me. " 18:21 Why? Up until that point, 18:23 the Jews had an unmovable faith 18:26 that was anchored on God alone. 18:29 But there was no salvation in God alone 18:31 because Jesus was to be the sacrifice... 18:34 He was to be the Lamb slain by which they would be redeemed... 18:37 slain from the foundation of the world... 18:39 the plan of salvation established long before Jesus came. 18:43 Think about this for a moment, 18:44 all those sacrifices performed in the Old Testament 18:47 would have been to no value 18:49 if Jesus was not victorious on the cross. 18:52 It would have been just a bunch of dead animals... 18:54 dead lambs... dead pigeons... dead goats... 18:57 all that would have availed absolutely nothing 18:59 but when Jesus shed His blood, 19:01 we were not redeemed 19:02 with corruptible things like silver and gold... 19:04 but with the precious blood as of a spotless Lamb. 19:07 Panel: Yes. 19:09 How do we overcome? 19:10 They overcome by the blood of the Lamb. 19:12 and by the word of their testimony. 19:13 And so, you see this oneness brings us to the Father... 19:16 to the Son... 19:18 and keeps us united in the Holy Spirit. 19:20 It is so sad that now a days even in our church, 19:23 there's a contention as to what place the Holy Spirit plays. 19:26 Panel: Hmmm... 19:27 Lomacang: Well, think about the necessity of the Holy Spirit. 19:29 When the Lord talked about blasphemy, 19:31 he says, the sin against the Father will be forgiven, 19:34 the sin against Christ will be forgiven, 19:36 but the sin against he Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, 19:38 not in this life or in the life to come. 19:40 Is that necessary? 19:42 Of course, the devil wants us to... 19:44 to grieve the very One by which we are saved... 19:47 to grieve the very One by which we are sealed. 19:50 Sealed by the Holy Spirit and by promise. 19:53 but that sealing cannot be done 19:56 without the Lamb... Christ Jesus. 19:58 So, when Paul is communicating here in the book of Ephesians 20:01 chapter 4, he's reading verses 4 and 5... 20:03 "We are one in the body... one in the Spirit, 20:05 one hope... one calling... 20:07 one Lord... one faith... one baptism... 20:08 one God and Father of all, 20:10 who is above all, and through all, 20:12 and in all. " 20:14 So, the question is, what is Paul communicating 20:16 through this poetic description of God and the Father? 20:18 The Lesson points out as Dr. McVay brings out, 20:22 he said, "By virtue of His being 'Father of all,' 20:25 God is the Creator. 20:27 The rest of the sentence describes how, 20:30 once the world is created, 20:32 God relates to 'all things,' to everything that He made. " 20:36 And how does He do that? 20:37 He relates to them all through His Son Christ Jesus. 20:41 So, Paul is revealing the spiritual architecture of the church. 20:44 We find in 1st Corinthians chapter 12 20:46 which Shelley alluded to, 20:48 1st Corinthians chapter 12 verses 4, 8, 9 and 11, 20:51 he says, "There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 20:54 For to one is given the word of wisdom 20:56 through the same Spirit, 20:57 another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, 21:00 another... the faith by the same Spirit, 21:02 to another gifts of healing by the same Spirit, 21:04 to one... and the same Spirit works all these things 21:07 but one and the same Spirit works all these things, 21:12 distributing to each one individually as He wills. " 21:16 Panel: Hmmm... hmmm... 21:17 Lomacang: That Holy Spirit... 21:18 so, when somebody says, I need the gift of tongues, 21:21 you don't decide that... 21:22 the Holy Spirit decides that. 21:24 He gives to whomever He needs. 21:26 Why would I need to speak in Spanish 21:27 when everybody around me understands English? 21:29 Panel: That's right. Hmmm... hmmm... 21:30 Lomacang: It's not necessary 21:32 so, when somebody says, 21:33 "You need to have the gift of the Holy Spirit... 21:34 you need to speak in tongues as evidence of salvation. " 21:36 No... the evidence of your salvation is not a gift 21:39 it's fruit... by their fruit you'll know them. 21:41 Panel: That's true. 21:43 Lomacang: Not by their gifts. 21:44 So, consider the last seven takeaways... 21:46 I think I can get it in here. 21:47 Unity is the evidence of the Holy Spirit's presence. 21:51 Acts 2 and verse 46, 21:52 unity in the church. 21:54 "So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, 21:57 and breaking bread from house to house, 22:00 they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart... " 22:03 continuing daily. 22:05 That was the unity of the church. 22:06 That was like "cell" groups that we talk about today. 22:08 Panel: Hmmm... hmmm... 22:09 Lomacang: They had that oneness house to house... day by day. 22:11 Then unity of the mind... 22:13 Romans 12 verse 16, 22:14 "Be of the same mind toward one another. 22:17 Do not set your minds on high things, 22:20 but associate with the humble. 22:22 Do not be wise in your own opinion. " 22:24 What does that mean? 22:26 Does it mean that we all think the same? 22:27 No, it doesn't mean we all think the same. 22:30 But like all the passengers in the same plane, 22:32 none of us are alike 22:35 but we all have the same destination in mind. 22:37 We are all under the same pilot's direction. 22:40 We all are being attended to by the same Flight Attendants. 22:42 We all are in the same aircraft. 22:44 God's church is very diverse 22:46 but each of us has a goal to exalt Jesus. 22:49 That's what our goal should be. 22:50 Panel: That's right. 22:52 Lomacang: Each of us moving in the same direction 22:53 under the propulsion of the Holy Spirit... 22:55 that's the one mind 22:56 and we all have that love one towards another. 22:59 Also, the unity of peace... Ephesians 4 and verse 3, 23:03 "endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit 23:06 in the bond of peace. " 23:07 Panel: Hmmm... hmmm... 23:09 Lomacang: How does that happen? 23:10 As far as it is possible with you... 23:13 be at peace with all men. 23:14 Don't wait for Shelley to be at peace with me. 23:16 I must be at peace with Shelley. 23:18 If I want peace, I have to pursue that peace. 23:21 Like a good friend of mine, Donna Gantz says, 23:23 Donna Berg now, she says, "Pursue peace... " 23:26 that means, run after peace like your life depends on it, 23:29 grab its ankle and refuse to let it go. " 23:31 Panel: Smiling. Lomacang: Pursue peace. 23:33 Then unity of the faith... Ephesians 4:13, 23:35 "till we all come to the unity of the faith 23:37 and of the knowledge of the Son of God, 23:40 to a perfect... that's a mature man, 23:42 to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. " 23:45 That's the unity of the faith. 23:47 But what about unity in diversity? 23:49 1st Corinthians 12 and verse 5, 23:51 "There are differences of ministries, 23:54 but the same Lord. " 23:55 Not everybody sings like Ryan, 23:57 it would be boring if everybody sings like Ryan, 23:59 we won't be able to appreciate Ryan. 24:01 But God gives everyone of us what He knows 24:04 would be the gift that He can be exalted through. 24:06 So, don't desire Ryan's gift. 24:08 Pray for God to use the gift that you already have. 24:11 Panel: Amen. Hmmm... hmmm. 24:12 Lomacang: And finally, what holds us together... 24:14 unity and service to God, Zephaniah 3 verse 9, 24:16 "For then I will restore to the people a pure language, 24:20 that they all may call on the name of the LORD, 24:24 and serve Him with one accord. " 24:27 That's what unity in the Spirit is all about. 24:30 Shelley: Amen, thank you, Pastor John, 24:33 that was wonderful. 24:35 We're going to make a brief announcement 24:37 about powerful resource available to you. 24:40 We'll be right back. 24:41 Music... 24:46 Ever wish you could watch a 3ABN Sabbath School Panel again 24:50 or share it on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter? 24:53 Well, you can by visiting 3abnsabbathschoolpanel. com 24:58 A clean design makes it easy 25:01 to find the Program you are looking for. 25:02 There are also links to the Adult Bible Study Guide 25:06 so you can follow along. 25:08 Sharing is easy. 25:09 Just click "Share" and choose your favorite Social Media. 25:13 Share a Link... 25:14 Save a Life... for Eternity. 25:16 Shelley: And now we continue in our Study, 25:19 Tuesday's Lesson, Ryan Day. 25:20 Ryan: All right, I'm Ryan Day, 25:22 I have Tuesday's Lesson and it's entitled: 25:24 The Exalted Christ, Giver of Gifts 25:27 and I really enjoyed this because it's focusing on 25:30 verses 7 through 10, 25:32 and it brings out an aspect of this 25:34 that a lot of people question 25:36 because this is one of those texts... 25:37 just a small portion of one of these texts 25:39 that we're about to read that I have noticed over the years, 25:43 even before I was a Seventh-day Adventist, 25:44 there's many people in the Christian world 25:46 that kind of twist one of these texts 25:48 to mean something that it doesn't. 25:49 We're going to bring clarification today 25:51 as to what this text is actually saying. 25:53 So, I'm actually going to go to Ephesians chapter 4, 25:56 we're going to read verses 7 through 10, 25:57 and then we're going to make some comments along the way. 26:00 Starting with verse 7, 26:02 it says, "But to each one of us grace was given 26:05 according to the measure of Christ's gift. 26:08 Therefore, He says... " 26:10 and of course this quotes Psalm 68 verse 18 26:13 or at least a portion of it, 26:14 it says, "When He ascended on high, 26:16 He led captivity captive, 26:18 and gave gifts to men. " 26:20 And then, verse 9 says, "Now this 'He ascended' 26:23 what does it mean but that He also first descended 26:27 into the lower parts of the earth? 26:29 He who ascended is also the One who ascended 26:32 far above all the heavens, 26:33 that He might fill all things. " 26:36 And, of course, we're going to make some comments 26:38 as to what this means 26:40 but this particular verse I was speaking of, 26:41 verse 9 here where it says there, 26:43 and I'm reading from the New King James Version, 26:45 it says, "First descended into the lower parts of the earth. " 26:49 Of course, many people try to tie that 26:51 or pair that with 1st Peter chapter 3, 26:53 and they try to say, "Well... " you know, 26:54 this is where they get the idea where Jesus you know, upon... 26:57 upon, you know, His resurrection, 26:59 He... or during the time He was actually dead in the grave, 27:02 He went into the lower parts of the earth... 27:05 He went into the deep dark dungeons of hellfire, 27:08 where He preached to dead souls 27:09 and to demons and... and all this... 27:11 I mean, there's so many different theories out there, 27:13 but this is not actually what this particular text is meaning. 27:16 It doesn't mean that Jesus took a trip 27:18 you know, several miles into the, you know, deep hot core of the... 27:21 of the earth but rather it's... 27:23 it's actually talking about the earth and its lower regions 27:26 in comparison to the higher heavens. 27:28 And, of course, the author actually uses 27:31 the New Living Translation to make this a little clearer, 27:34 so, I'm reading verse 9 there in the New Living Translation. 27:37 It actually says... 27:39 notice that it says, "He ascended... " 27:40 this clearly means that Christ also descended 27:43 to our lowly world. 27:44 I like that... to our lowly world 27:46 and the same who... the same One who descended 27:49 is One who is sitting higher than all the heavens 27:52 that He might fill the entire universe 27:54 with Himself. 27:55 I love that! 27:57 I love that... 27:58 and so, Christ didn't go into hell... 27:59 He didn't go and preach into... 28:01 to dead people or demons while He was dead. 28:03 Obviously, this is talking about Christ... He did ascend... 28:06 and He... like a war hero and I love that... 28:08 I can just see that in my mind... 28:09 I love a good, you know, war-hero story, right. 28:12 You know, conquering evil... conquering the bad guys 28:16 but yet, you know, entering into this victorious celebration 28:19 as the war hero is coming home... 28:21 it's just a powerful story to... to imagine 28:24 and that's exactly... essentially what Christ had done, 28:26 He had won the victory at the cross... 28:28 He had cast Satan down once and for all at the cross. 28:32 He had defeated death... 28:33 He had defeated sin... 28:34 He had defeated evil... 28:36 He had overcome all of these things, 28:37 and there was a moment upon His resurrection... 28:39 He ascended to the Father, of course, 28:41 we know it had to have happened some point 28:42 after He had the encounter with Mary 28:44 because He said, "Don't touch Me... 28:45 I haven't yet ascended to My Father... " 28:47 but then that same evening, 28:48 He comes back and He was able to be touched by the disciples. 28:51 Christ entered... He ascended as a war hero 28:54 and you can imagine the celebration 28:56 as the Lamb of God was returning, 28:58 you know with... with that blood that had been shed 29:01 having paid the price for humanity 29:03 and He received... you know... 29:05 you know, His kingdom essentially 29:07 for what He had paid for. 29:08 But I just want to bring this out here, 29:10 just a note on Psalm 68 here, the Lesson says, 29:13 Paul here quoted Psalm 68 which reads, 29:15 "When You ascend to the heights, 29:17 You led a crowd of captives. 29:18 You received gifts from the people, 29:20 even from those who rebelled against You. " 29:22 Psalm 68:18 portrays the Lord, Yahweh, 29:25 as a conquering general... 29:27 this is a point that He brings out, 29:28 "a conquering general who, having conquered His enemies, 29:30 ascended the hill on which He... 29:32 His capital city is built, 29:35 with the captives of battle in His train. " 29:37 I love that visual... 29:39 It says, "He then receives tribute... 29:40 He receives the gifts from His conquered foes 29:43 noting that Paul adjusts... 29:45 noting that Paul adjusts the imagery 29:47 to the exalted Christ 'giving gifts,' 29:50 based on the wider context of Psalms... " 29:52 and, of course, he quotes here Psalm 68:35. 29:54 But then he goes on to bring this out 29:56 which I thought was powerful. 29:57 "If we follow the order of Psalm 68:18... " 30:00 which was quoted here in this verse, 30:01 the ascent... "Christ's ascension into heaven" 30:04 which we, of course, see there also in Ephesians 1:21 to 23, 30:09 "it occurs first... " so His ascension occurs first. 30:11 "followed by the descent in which the risen, exalted Jesus 30:15 gives gifts and fills all things. 30:18 This is Paul's way of depicting... " 30:21 what is he depicting? 30:22 "He's depicting Pentecost 30:24 the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost... " 30:26 and we see that there in Acts chapter 2. 30:28 "This view is confirmed by Ephesians 4 verses 11 and 12, 30:33 which identify the gifts 30:34 provided by the exalted Jesus as gifts of the Spirit. " 30:37 And, of course, you know, if you read the book of Revelation, 30:39 we see this beautiful image... 30:41 in which, again, there's this... there's this... 30:43 this huge problem... 30:45 of course, the scroll is in the Father's hand 30:47 and no one can open it. 30:48 But the Lamb of God shows up, 30:50 He's the only One who is worthy to receive the scroll. 30:52 In fact, we read that in Revelation chapter 5, 30:54 verses 4 through 6, 30:56 but it's interesting that in verse 6 it says, 30:57 "I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne 30:59 and of the four living creatures, 31:01 and in the midst of the elders stood a Lamb 31:02 as though it had been slain, 31:04 having seven horns and seven eyes... " 31:06 and here's the hint here, 31:07 "which are the seven Spirits God sent out 31:09 into all the earth. " 31:10 Of course, we know the chronology of that... 31:12 the... the Son of God did ascend... 31:14 He did receive the gifts... 31:16 He gives... He returns the gifts... the gifts 31:18 by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. 31:21 Even... Even Mrs. White confirms this in Ye Shall Receive Power, 31:25 page 158. 31:26 And it says this, it says, "Christ ascended on high, 31:28 leading captivity captive, 31:30 and gave gifts unto men. 31:32 When, after Christ's ascension, 31:34 the Spirit came down as promised, 31:37 like a rushing, mighty wind, 31:38 filled the whole place where the disciples were assembled, 31:41 what was the effect? 31:43 Thousands were converted in a day. " 31:45 Powerful, powerful view there, 31:47 and, of course, you see that 31:48 and I just want to confirm this also 31:49 just because I know there's a lot of people who watch 31:54 Sabbath School Panel 31:55 and there's a lot of people who may be not 31:57 perhaps Seventh-day Adventist Christians 31:59 but other denominations who watch and view this Network 32:02 and we're so proud and so thankful to have all Viewers 32:05 from all different Christian backgrounds 32:07 or non-Christian backgrounds, 32:08 but, you know, I just want to confirm something here 32:11 because one of the texts that was often quoted 32:13 when I was growing up in the Pentecostal church, 32:16 that was kind of the foundational core text 32:18 in all of the Pentecostal churches I attended 32:20 was Acts chapter 2 verse 38 which is a powerful verse, 32:24 it's one that we should share, 32:25 it's one that we should live by, 32:26 but Acts 2:38 says, 32:28 "Then Peter said to them... " 32:29 this all happened on the day of Pentecost 32:31 and, of course, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit has happened, 32:34 Peter preaches this powerful sermon 32:36 telling the children of Israel... 32:38 all of those that were present, "Look, 32:39 you murdered the Son of God 32:41 and the Bible says, it pricked their hearts 32:44 and they responded, 32:45 they said, "Well, what do we do about this?" 32:46 Peter's response, Acts 2:38, 32:48 notice what he says, 32:49 "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized 32:51 in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins" 32:55 and then notice... once you do that 32:56 "and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. " 32:59 Now, a lot of people take that and they automatically... 33:02 Pastor touched on this briefly, 33:04 they take that gift of the Holy Spirit 33:05 and they automatically think... oh yes, 33:06 all Christians... when you receive Christ 33:09 and it's genuine and it's pure, 33:10 many Charismatic Pentecostal Christians 33:12 turn that and twist that into meaning that 33:14 the gift of the Holy Spirit that you will receive 33:16 and must receive in order to have salvation 33:19 is the gift of speaking in tongues. 33:20 That's not what this text is talking about. 33:22 This text is referring to the Holy Spirit as a gift 33:26 that God will bestow upon you the Holy Spirit. 33:29 Why? Because you have obeyed Him. 33:30 Acts chapter 5 verse 32, I believe it is... 33:32 it tells us that the Holy Spirit is given to those who obey Him. 33:37 And so, this is what this is meaning here. 33:39 I don't have enough time to go through all of these, 33:41 but if you read 1st Corinthians chapter 12, 33:44 and Pastor read verse 11, He quoted verse 11, 33:47 but you see there that when we... 33:49 that the gifts that Christ gives us through the Holy Spirit 33:52 is powerful... it's again to unite the body of Christ, 33:55 it's for the functionality in the carrying on of the gospel. 33:59 And, of course, more than anything, 34:00 we receive these gifts and we exercise these gifts 34:03 that God gives us through the Holy Spirit, 34:05 for His glory. 34:07 It's not for our glory, it's not for us. 34:08 Many times, God gives us a gift and you know what? 34:11 Pastor referenced my... my singing gift 34:13 and I praise God for the gift that I have. 34:15 Sometimes, you know, 34:17 my human aspect comes... you know, gets the best of me 34:19 and I see someone else's gift, like, Pastor Lomacang 34:22 and Pastor Rafferty... and they have such sharp Biblical minds 34:25 and I think, "Lord, I wish my mind was just a little sharper," 34:28 you know, I wish I had that gift of comprehension. 34:30 But sometimes, we often do that, 34:32 we see other people's gifts and we kind of like, 34:34 "I wish I had that. " 34:35 But yet, we have to be happy and content 34:37 with the gifts that God has given us 34:39 because God has specifically given you those gifts 34:42 because He trusts you with that gift 34:43 and it's not that He trusts you to use it for your own glory, 34:46 but you used it for His glory. 34:49 It's His gifts... He's bestowing it upon you, 34:51 He's giving it to you freely 34:53 because He wants you to share it with others 34:55 so others can be blessed... can be drawn to Jesus Christ 34:58 and through the light that people see through you 35:01 by using those gifts responsibly and appropriately 35:04 because He has gifted you with them, 35:06 through the power of His Spirit because you have been faithful, 35:09 you have been genuine, 35:10 you are humble 35:11 and you're following Him with all your heart and mind and soul, 35:13 He will bestow these gifts upon you 35:15 and you will be free to use them for His glory 35:18 and I promise you, 35:19 in service for Him, you will never, never, ever be disappointed 35:22 because when you use those gifts appropriately, 35:24 it's the most amazing thing to see 35:26 how God can transform not just your life 35:28 but other people's lives through the gifts that He gives you. 35:31 Panel: Amen. 35:32 Yvonne: Amen... what a blessing! 35:35 Well, I have Wednesday's Lesson 35:37 and it is: Gifts of the Exalted Jesus. 35:41 Here in Ephesians 4:8, 35:45 Paul says, "When He ascended on high, 35:48 He led captivity captive, 35:50 and gave gifts to men. " 35:51 This is actually a reference to Psalm 68:18 35:56 where David alludes to a common picture in his time, 36:00 you see, whenever a king conquered a country 36:03 or a nation or a city, 36:05 he would come back with a host of captives and spoils... 36:09 ascend on to his throne 36:10 and distribute the spoils to the people in his kingdom 36:14 just as you were talking about Brother Ryan. 36:16 Jesus, the exalted King 36:18 who conquered death, hell and the grave, 36:20 ascended back into heaven 36:22 sent the Holy Spirit and through the Holy Spirit, 36:25 all the gifts to the church to bring the church together. 36:29 Notice that these are not just the individual gifts 36:33 that's set forth in 1st Corinthians 12, 36:35 for example, healings and faith as you were alluding to, 36:38 on the word of knowledge, 36:40 these are gifted leaders that Christ has given to the church. 36:45 In Ephesians 4:11, it says, 36:47 "He gave some to be apostles, 36:49 some prophets, 36:50 some evangelists, 36:52 and some pastors and teachers. " 36:53 In other words, He gave the gift of Servant-Leadership. 36:57 Panel: That's right. 36:58 Yvonne: The purpose of these gifts was to build up the church 37:00 and for the perfecting of the saints 37:02 for the work of service 37:04 to the building up of the body of Christ 37:06 and the word for "perfecting" 37:08 comes from the Greek verb, "Katartizo... " 37:11 it basically means: to be restored... 37:13 to be complete... to be full... mature. 37:16 This is a kind of spiritual maturity... 37:18 a kind of grown-up spiritual character. 37:20 So, let's take a look at each of these groups 37:24 of spiritual leaders. 37:26 First, there are the apostles. 37:28 And an "apostle" is a person sent out by God and the church 37:32 to proclaim the Word of God... 37:33 make disciples and establish disciples into a church 37:37 with Christ as the center. 37:39 This signifies one who is sent forth from another. 37:43 In fact, if we break the word down, 37:45 "apo" means from 37:48 and "stello" sent... or sent forth. 37:51 So, this word is: one who is sent forth. 37:54 An "apostle" is "one who is sent forth" 37:57 from another 37:58 often with a special commission to represent another 38:01 and accomplish his work. 38:03 And then the term "Apostellos" really actually refers to the 38:07 twelve original apostles... 38:09 the disciples who were chosen directly by Jesus 38:14 and who actually were witnesses of His resurrection. 38:17 Paul was an apostle who was taught by Jesus personally later, 38:21 he wasn't a part of the original twelve disciples. 38:24 But he is certainly the Apostle Paul. 38:27 The apostles were given authority from Christ 38:30 to proclaim the gospel 38:32 and thus the Apostolic teachings and writings 38:35 became the foundation of the church 38:37 with Jesus as the Chief Cornerstone. 38:40 Panel: That's right. 38:41 Yvonne: Some of the apostles... Biblical apostles 38:44 examples were Peter, James, and John 38:47 and then, also later, Paul, Silas, Barnabas, and Timothy. 38:51 The apostles are able to adapt to different cultures... 38:55 different life conditions. 38:57 They're able to fit in with different groups of people. 39:01 Then the second group of servant leaders are prophets 39:05 and a prophet is a person who shares what God has revealed 39:09 to him or her. 39:10 The new Unger's Bible Dictionary 39:12 defines "Prophet" as "one who is divinely inspired 39:16 to communicate God's will to His people 39:19 and to disclose the future to them. " 39:21 In the Bible, prophets generally are those who proclaim 39:25 inspired utterances on behalf of God. 39:27 Some prophets are foretellers meaning that they are predictive 39:32 and they are also forth tellers 39:35 meaning that they declare 39:37 divinely revealed truth 39:40 for the purpose of sound doctrinal instruction. 39:44 A prophet is one raised up by God 39:46 and his or her charge is to proclaim 39:49 only the word of the Lord. 39:51 It is not for them to give their own opinions 39:56 and say it's from the Lord. 39:57 There are different tests of true prophets in the Word 40:00 and one of them is found in Deuteronomy chapter 18:22 40:03 and it says that if a prophet makes a prediction... 40:06 pronouncement and it doesn't come to pass, 40:08 that's a false prophet. 40:10 Panel: Hmmm... 40:11 Yvonne: So, the Bible lets us know 40:13 who the true prophets are 40:14 and who the false ones are. 40:15 Prophets... Biblical prophets are Elijah, Jeremiah, Isaiah, 40:19 Amos, Moses, and even post-Biblical... Ellen White. 40:24 So, let's compare apostles and prophets. 40:28 Both apostles and prophets were foundational to the church. 40:32 Ephesians 2:20 says, "God's household... the church... 40:35 was built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, 40:39 Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone. " 40:43 The apostle gives an authoritative declaration 40:47 of the whole body of truth concerning Jesus Christ 40:51 but the prophet interprets that authoritative word 40:55 and explains the truth so that it becomes very clear. 40:57 Panel: That's right. 40:58 Yvonne: In 1st Corinthians 14:3, Paul says, 41:00 "he who prophesies speaks to men for their up building 41:04 or edification... 41:05 and encouragement and consolation. " 41:07 Prophets make the truth clear, shining and gripping. 41:12 Now, what's the difference between prophets and teachers? 41:15 The prophet tends to deal more with great sweeping principles 41:20 of Biblical truth and reality 41:23 but the more specific areas are left to the teacher. 41:26 So, the prophets deal more with the larger areas. 41:30 Our next group of servant leaders are the evangelists. 41:34 An evangelist is someone who proclaims good news... 41:38 is a preacher of the gospel or a missionary. 41:41 We have with us the... 41:43 the Director of World Evangelism for 3ABN 41:47 but all of you are really evangelists and teachers 41:53 and preachers and on... it's a blessing. 41:55 But the evangelist not only preaches the gospel 41:59 but they travel from place to place 42:01 sharing the gospel and calling for repentance. 42:04 The purpose of evangelism 42:06 is to carefully but simply help unbelievers 42:09 become aware of their sinfulness and lostness... 42:14 if there's such a word... 42:16 and through proclamation of the gospel, 42:18 to declare Jesus Christ as the only Savior of the world. 42:22 The only three places in Scripture 42:25 where the word "Evangelist" is used 42:27 that's Ephesians 4:11, 42:29 Acts 21:8 where Philip is called an Evangelist, 42:34 and 2nd Timothy 4:5 42:36 where Paul exhorts his young protégé 42:38 to do the work of an evangelist. 42:41 The evangelist has a real burden to win souls. 42:44 They may sometimes get impatient 42:46 if you look like you're dragging your feet 42:48 about trying to win souls 42:49 and their theme verse may be Proverbs 11:30, 42:54 which is, the fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, 42:57 and he who wins souls is wise. 43:00 The evangelist deals with the beginning of Christian life. 43:04 In fact, one online commentator said, 43:07 "The Evangelist is like an obstetrician 43:10 and the prophet and the teachers and pastors 43:14 are more like pediatricians. " 43:16 The evangelist helps to bring new Christians into the world 43:20 and the... and the preachers and teachers 43:23 help to develop them. 43:25 They give them the spiritual exercise 43:27 and spiritual diet and that kind of thing. 43:30 Pause. 43:32 Our final group of Servant-Leaders are pastors 43:33 and teachers. 43:35 Pastors and teachers are actually joined by a conjunction 43:40 in the word, a Greek word: Kai 43:42 which means: that is... or in particular 43:46 and some people have thought that that's just one unit... 43:48 pastors and teachers 43:50 but not all teachers are pastors 43:54 but pastors are teachers. 43:56 And so... so we tend to think really that... 43:59 that it is two separate groups. 44:02 The pastor is related to shepherd. 44:05 There's a Greek word: Poimné 44:08 which refers to a flock of sheep. 44:10 The pastor is the shepherd or leader of the flock. 44:14 He takes care of His sheep. 44:16 Panel: Hmmm... hmmm. 44:17 Pastors can do the work of evangelist... 44:19 they are to coordinate, counsel and disciple believers. 44:24 And then, the teacher is one who is able to teach 44:27 the basic truths of Scripture with clarity and creativity. 44:31 They enjoy giving Bible studies, 44:34 and sharing God's Word in ways that are life-changing. 44:37 Luke is an example of a great teacher. 44:39 So, finally, they are six reasons 44:42 that the exalted Christ left us these Servant-Leaders. 44:45 1. To equip the saints for the work of ministry... 44:48 in other words, to serve one another and the church. 44:51 2. To edify or build-up the body of Christ. 44:54 3. To bring us all to a place of unity of the faith 44:58 and of the knowledge of the Son of God. 45:00 4. To keep us from deception... 45:03 we'll no longer be children tossed to and fro 45:06 and carried about with every wind and sleight of doctrine. 45:08 5. To help us grow and mature in the truth. 45:11 We will grow up in all things into Him 45:14 who is the Head Christ Jesus 45:16 and 6: To work together in unity as the body of Christ. 45:21 Every part doing its share and growing and maturing 45:25 into the image of God. 45:27 So, I ask you, are you a Servant-Leader? 45:30 What gifts has God given you? 45:32 He's given gifts to all of us. 45:34 What gifts do you have 45:36 and how are you using them for His glory 45:39 to bring us all together 45:42 unto the unity of Christ Jesus. 45:46 Panel: Thank you. 45:47 Rafferty: I love that. 45:49 I'd never seen that before, Yvonne, 45:50 that emphasis on the gifts here being: prophets and evangelists 45:54 and pastors and teachers 45:55 and it makes sense 45:57 because the whole focus of this chapter so far 46:00 has been to bring us into unity... 46:01 to have that... as Shelley said, that attitude, 46:03 that lowliness and meekness 46:05 and as... as John as you were saying 46:08 that... that we need to be connected to Christ, 46:11 you know, we need to be on the plane of Jesus, 46:13 right, in order for us to be having the same destination 46:16 and being connected together in one 46:19 and then we need the gifts. 46:20 We need those gifts because 46:21 the Holy Spirit specifically is the One who unites us. 46:24 Panel: Yes. 46:25 Rafferty: And He works through prophets 46:27 and He works through teachers 46:28 and He works through pastors 46:30 and I was just thinking about this... this is really powerful 46:32 because it specifically excludes and specifically includes 46:36 certain aspects of the gifts that God has given in... 46:40 in these verses here, 46:41 so, my name is James Rafferty and I have Thursday's Lesson: 46:44 Growing Up Into Christ 46:46 and everyone that's come before me has made this very, very easy 46:49 basically, how you grow up into Christ 46:52 is by following everything you've just heard 46:54 and I'll little bit of extra here 46:56 because the Quarterly here goes into 46:58 Ephesians chapter 4 and verse 14, 47:00 so we're going another step here in Ephesians chapter 4 47:03 and this is what it says, 47:04 "that we henceforth be no more children, 47:08 tossed to and fro, 47:10 and carried about with every wind of doctrine, 47:12 and sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, 47:15 whereby they lie in wait to deceive. " 47:17 Did you catch all of that? 47:19 Winds of doctrine... 47:20 sleight and fraud of men... 47:22 cunning craftiness and trickery 47:24 and that... that's the same type of phrase that's used 47:26 in 2nd Corinthians chapter 11 47:28 where Paul warns about the church receiving another gospel... 47:33 another Jesus... another Spirit 47:35 and being deceived like Satan deceived Eve 47:38 in the Garden of Eden. 47:39 And then, another gospel... another Jesus... another Spirit 47:43 is going to be something that's going to be very difficult for us 47:47 unless we have good apostles and pastors 47:49 and prophets and teachers, 47:50 because it's coming in a Christian guise. 47:52 Panel: That's right... hmmm... 47:53 Rafferty: And so, what Ephesians 4 is preparing us for 47:55 is the... the worst kind of deception, 47:58 the deception that can come in Christian guise. 48:00 Panel: Hmmm... 48:01 Rafferty: In order for us to withstand that, 48:02 we got to follow the... 48:04 the... the principles that have been outlined for us 48:05 have that meekness of mind... 48:07 be connected to Jesus... 48:08 have the gift of the Holy Spirit... 48:10 the gifts of the Spirit 48:11 and specially appreciate the pastors and the teachers 48:13 and the prophets and the words that God has given us 48:15 to keep us in the unity of the faith. 48:18 The Quarterly says, "Paul perceives an environment 48:20 not unlike our own 48:22 in which various ideas, such as 'winds of doctrine' 48:24 and 'deceitful schemes', 48:25 are thrust upon believers. " 48:27 Thrust upon believers... 48:28 "He uses these three sets of images 48:31 to describe the dangers of a way with theology: 48:34 the immaturity of childhood, 48:35 'so that we may no longer be children... 48:37 the danger of a high seas, 'tossed to and fro by the waves 48:41 and carried by every wind of doctrine' 48:42 and being swindled by clever people like gamblers, 48:45 practice sleight of hand. " 48:47 Right. Panel: Hmmm... 48:49 "Paul uses figuratively the Greek word kubeia... 48:51 'dice playing' to mean 'cunning' or 'trickery'. 48:54 So. Paul believes the divisiveness 48:57 to be an important mark of error. " 48:59 So, he's connecting divisiveness with error. 49:02 "That which nourishes and grows the body 49:04 helps it to hold together is good 49:06 while that which depletes... divides it is evil. " 49:08 Panel: Hmmm... 49:09 Rafferty: So, "by turning from division, 49:11 or divisive teaching 49:12 and doing that... 49:13 and to that of tested trusted teachers, 49:16 we will advance to a true Christian maturity 49:19 and play effective roles in the body of Christ. " 49:22 And the most true and trusted teacher 49:25 in all of the Bible is Jesus. 49:28 Panel: Right. Rafferty: And Jesus is the Word 49:30 and it's really interesting because 49:31 we've got to be careful here a little bit 49:33 because when we talk about divisive teachers, 49:35 we have to remember what it says 49:36 in Matthew chapter 10 and verse 34, 49:38 Jesus says, "I didn't come in peace 49:40 but I came to send a sword. " 49:42 I came to divide. 49:43 Panel: Laughter. 49:44 Rafferty: And we have to ask the question, you know, 49:46 because Christ is the Head of the body 49:47 and, you know, yet, there is some division 49:50 that is caused by Christ or at least by His words. 49:53 When we confess Christ, 49:55 we confess a truth that not everyone wants to receive. 49:59 And so in the context of division, Christ says, You know, 50:02 I'm going to be confessing the truth 50:04 and when I confess the truth, 50:06 those who accept that truth are going to be united 50:09 and those who reject that truth are going to be divided. 50:12 So, when we see people coming in the guise of... 50:17 of Christianity, 50:19 and we see division taking place, 50:21 we can almost be sure 50:22 that the reason that division is taking place is because 50:25 those people who are necessarily preaching the gospel 50:28 or... or perhaps, you know, coming in the name of Jesus, 50:31 or even in the name of the Holy Spirit, 50:32 aren't actually teaching the words of Christ... 50:35 not actually following the Word of God 50:37 and that's where we can find a distinction. 50:40 So, Paul is explaining to us 50:42 how we can navigate these kinds of circumstances 50:44 that even Christ found Himself facing. 50:47 "So, in what ways... " the Quarterly asks, 50:49 "does a healthy church function like a healthy body?" 50:52 And then it quotes Ephesians chapter 4 50:54 verses 15 and 16, 50:56 listen to those verses, Ephesians chapter 4 50:58 verses 15 and 16. 50:59 "but speaking the truth in love, 51:01 may grow up into Him in all things, 51:03 which is the head, even Christ: 51:05 from whom the whole body fitly joined together 51:08 and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, 51:11 according to the effectual working 51:12 in the measure of every part, 51:13 makes increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. " 51:17 Just got to love that King James language which is so important 51:19 but you can't really comprehend 51:21 everything that's being said there, 51:22 so let me break it down. 51:24 Panel: Laughter. 51:25 Rafferty: Paul is basically saying... 51:26 the first thing we want to do 51:28 is speak the truth in love, right? 51:29 And we want to grow up in Christ... we want to be mature. 51:30 about our relationship with Christ 51:32 and then, our relationship with others. 51:33 And then he says, 51:34 we want to join closely together in our teaching. 51:38 What do you think about this thought? 51:40 You know, we were on the Panel earlier, 51:42 I heard Shelley say to Pastor John, 51:43 "I'm going to be sharing this in coming-up Sabbath School, 51:46 what do you think about this? 51:47 Tell me if I'm wrong on this... " you know. 51:48 We want to do that often, you know, 51:50 throw things out at each other 51:51 and get feedback from one another 51:52 and then, there's going to be efficiency in every part 51:56 because God is the One that's supplying of the lax, right, 51:59 and we're going to be doing this to increase the body. 52:02 This isn't about increasing us... 52:03 this isn't about our glory... 52:04 this isn't about edifying ourselves. 52:06 When we think that a gift of the Holy Spirit 52:08 is speaking in tongues, 52:10 Paul says... that's because you're all about 52:11 edifying yourself. 52:12 But when you speak in tongues 52:14 and no one understands what it... what it means, 52:15 you're just... you're not edifying anybody else, 52:17 right, 52:19 we need to edify the body. 52:20 God wants to... to build and strengthen the body 52:23 and a lot of what God gives to us is not for ourselves, 52:25 it's for other people. 52:27 We want to edify the body but we want to do it in love. 52:30 Panel: Yes... hmmm... 52:31 Rafferty: So, the Quarterly goes on to say 52:33 in Ephesians 4:1 through 16, 52:34 Paul advocates for the unity of the church 52:36 and recruits the addressees to foster it actively. 52:39 While unity is a theological certainty, 52:42 it does require our hard work. 52:45 It's going to happen, 52:46 there is one law... there is one faith... 52:48 there is one baptism. 52:49 Panel: Hmmm... hmmm... 52:50 But we've got to be part of that 52:52 because it's going to require a little bit of self-denial, 52:53 a little bit of lowliness of mind, 52:55 connectivity with Christ, 52:56 receiving the Holy Spirit, 52:58 being taught by apostles and being taught by pastors 53:01 and... and listening to the evangelists 53:03 and, you know, getting going... 53:04 it's going to require that if we want that unity. 53:06 We... we can't just sit back and say, 53:07 "Oh, yeah, we're going to be unified... 53:09 whatever they say, I'll agree with. " 53:10 No... a lot of people go to church 53:12 and you ask them, what do they believe? 53:13 "Oh, I believe what our church teaches. " 53:14 "What does your church teach?" 53:16 "Well, our church teaches what I believe. " 53:17 They don't even know what it is. 53:18 Right. Panel: Laughter. 53:20 Rafferty: We need to pursue truth 53:21 because only the truth can unify us in Jesus Christ. 53:25 Panel: Amen. 53:26 Rafferty: Each of us is part of the body 53:27 and should contribute to its health and growth. 53:29 We all should also benefit from the work of the apostles 53:32 and the prophets and the evangelists 53:34 and the pastor-teachers. 53:35 These like ligaments and tendons join every joint together 53:39 and they have this unifying function 53:41 helping us to grow up together in Christ 53:43 who is the Head of the body. 53:45 So, there are times though 53:47 we read about in... for example, 53:49 1st Corinthians chapter 11:18 and 19, 53:52 when disunity comes and God uses it. 53:55 He uses heresies and the... 53:59 the separation... divisions that come. 54:01 Paul says, "I... I hear there's heresies among you... " 54:03 in 1st Corinthians 11:18, 54:04 "and I partly believe it that they which are approved 54:07 may be made manifest among you. " 54:09 And then he says in 2nd Timothy 2:15, 54:10 "Study to show yourselves approved unto God, 54:12 a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, 54:14 rightly dividing the word of truth. " 54:16 In other words, if everything else fails, 54:17 God will allow heresies to come in 54:19 to wake us up. 54:20 Have you ever been woken up by a heresy like, 54:22 "Wait a minute, I don't think that's true. " 54:23 And then you go study it up. 54:25 "Oh, I'm going to study that up. " 54:26 And then you find yourself really getting solidified 54:29 in a certain truth or whatever it is 54:30 that was brought up that you studied out thoroughly. 54:33 Panel: That's right. 54:34 Rafferty: First heresy that I ever studied out 54:35 was the idea that everyone should go to church on Saturday, 54:37 that's right... Saturday... 54:39 I thought, "Saturday? 54:40 That's not the day you should go to church, 54:42 everyone knows you go to church on Sunday, 54:43 that's in the Bible. " 54:44 And I went in the Bible... I studied it out 54:46 and lo and behold... it was Saturday after all. 54:47 And I got solidified in that truth 54:49 through that so-called heresy, right? 54:52 So, Paul is saying, there are... 54:53 there are times when these winds of doctrine 54:55 are going to be blowing 54:56 and they're actually going to be good for the church 54:58 because it will cause us to go back and study 55:00 and... and get strong in the church. 55:03 The Author John McVay asks the question, 55:07 "What kinds of 'winds of doctrine' 55:09 are blowing in our church today?" 55:10 And I thought about that and I thought, you know, 55:12 date setting for sure 55:14 and mean that... as Adventists that's in our blood. 55:15 Ever since I've been an Adventist, 55:17 "Oh, you know, the jubilee cycle... " 55:18 "Oh, it's Y2K... " 55:19 "Oh, it's the Mayan calendar... " 55:21 "Oh, it's the eight Popes... seven Popes... eight Popes... " 55:22 "Oh, you know, it's going to be... " 55:23 it's just one thing after another. 55:25 And, you know, we think about the most serious ones that... 55:28 that are recently developing like the LGBTQ plus compromise 55:33 that's taking place right now 55:34 and the idea that loving sinners means that we shouldn't... 55:37 that we should just condone sin 55:38 and we have other issues that are violations of God's law... 55:43 the principles and then anti-Trinity emphasis 55:46 and the idea that God doesn't, you know, 55:50 punish and that... 55:51 you know, it's just... it's God's... the cross... 55:52 that just a moral influence and... 55:54 The only way we can meet these heresies 55:58 is to go to the Word of God. 55:59 You can't go to your favorite Pastor... 56:01 you can't go to your favorite preacher... 56:03 only... now... hopefully, they are there... 56:05 as it says right here, they are there 56:07 to guide us in the Word of God 56:08 and help us understand the Word of God 56:10 but we need Jesus... the Word 56:12 personally... individually for ourselves. 56:14 Panel: Amen... amen. 56:16 Shelley: Thank you James and Yvonne, Ryan, and Pastor John. 56:20 What a beautiful study! 56:21 We have just a moment for closing thoughts. 56:24 Lomacang: Well, Paul in Philippians 2 verse 2, 56:27 encourages us, he says, 56:29 "fulfill my joy by being like-minded, 56:33 having the same love, 56:35 being of one accord, and of one mind. " 56:38 May you seek that unity by Christ 56:41 as the Holy Spirit leads your life. 56:43 Ryan: Amen, if this experience has not been your own, 56:46 I want to read again, Acts 2:38, 56:47 it brings a beautiful promise. 56:49 "Repent, and let everyone of you be baptized 56:51 in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ 56:53 for the remission of your sins; 56:55 and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. " 56:58 Panel: Amen. 56:59 Yvonne: The Lord would have us to come together 57:03 and He gave us gifts of Servant-Leaders 57:06 and He wants us to lead and to help others 57:09 to bring others together 57:11 and that's... He's given us the Holy Spirit to do that. 57:14 We just need to tap into it... 57:16 take advantage of it and be blessed. 57:18 Rafferty: Amen, I love this verse in Ephesians chapter 4, 57:20 "but speaking the truth in love, 57:23 may grow up in Him in all things, 57:25 which is the head even Christ. " 57:27 Shelley: Amen and amen, thank you each and every one. 57:30 My closing thought would be 57:32 that love is the root of patience... 57:36 patience produces gentleness... 57:38 gentleness produces... is... is the result of humility 57:44 and it's all based on love. 57:46 So what the Bible tells us 57:48 is that believers should practice these unifying virtues 57:54 so that God in Christ can fill all... 57:58 that we all grow up together. 58:01 Join us next time for Lesson 8: 58:03 Christ-Shaped Lives and Spirit-Inspired Speech. 58:08 Bye-bye. |
Revised 2023-11-20