♪ theme music ♪
(Derek) Welcome to Hope Sabbath School,
an in-depth, interactive study
of the Word of God.
I'm glad you joined us we're in the middle
of a series on "The gospel in Galatians."
Actually, we just started,
but we're already learning amazing lessons
for our lives today,
The precious Good News,
and how when we try to share it,
sometimes people resist the truth
as it is in Jesus.
Our topic today: Paul's Authority and Gospel,
and there are amazing lessons for us.
So we're glad you joined us for Hope Sabbath School.
And hello to the team; we're back again.
The Gospel in Galatians,
what did we learn
from the first part of our series
about Paul being transformed?
What was the most important takeaway lesson for you?
Well, we'll share that as we study today.
I hope you were with us.
If you missed the first part of this series,
you can go to our website: hopetv.org/hopess.
You can watch part one
of "The Gospel in Galatians."
And we're always happy to hear from you.
You can write to us at sshope@hopetv.org.
Here are just a few emails.
You know, we know of 150 countries.
You say, "Derek, how do you know?"
Well, we have one Android app
that's being used in 150 countries,
so there's a lot of people joining us
for Hope Sabbath School.
And we've got an Apple app.
By the way, for those of you
who have an iPhone or an iPad,
you can download Hope Sabbath School.
It's free, and you can access the program.
Got an email just a few weeks ago
from someone who in China watched one program,
went back and watched 100 hours
of interactive Bible studies in our archives.
So it's there for you.
Here are a few notes.
One from Albert in Namibia,
that's former German West Africa,
you know, just north of South Africa,
and Albert writes, "It's so edifying
to watch and listen
to you explain the Bible so clearly.
My wife and I enjoy
your Bible study every Friday evening
in preparation for the Sabbath.
I am a teacher, and I gain
a lot of knowledge from your classes,
which I apply during my class," good?
That's what we want, download the outline.
"What I want to know is
whether your class is consisting
of all student pastors
because you all seem to know the Bible."
I guess you could tell, Albert, by the way
that everybody laughed
that they're not all student pastors.
"May the Good Lord continue blessing
and giving you spiritual wisdom
as you share the Good News
with the whole world," amen?
(Team) Amen.
(Derek) So what's the takeaway there?
And the answer is,
we can all do something for Jesus, right?
Whether we're teachers or counselors
or physicians or homemakers
or construction workers or pastors, right? Bible teachers.
We can all do something for Jesus.
Thanks for writing to us, Albert.
Here's a note from Kwasi in Ghana.
Anyone with Ghanaian roots?
Oh, Joshua! Ghanaian roots, all right.
Have a little wave here for Kwasi. Okay.
"I live in Accra," he writes.
"Your Sabbath School discussion
has made me an extraordinary Christian
and has blessed me.
It's built my personal relationship with Jesus."
(Team) Amen.
(Derek) "It's made me a Bible student!"
This is all good, isn't it?
"It's helped me organize
some children in my community
to share the Word of God with them."
It gets better and better, doesn't it, Mario?
"Every Sunday morning we do exercise
with the children also
to strengthen our physical bodies."
It sounds like a pretty holistic approach, right?
Teach the Word of God,
help them to be healthy.
"It's my desire that the Hope Sabbath School discussion
will be translated into different languages
around the world; the program is amazing."
Well, I want to tell you
that it's already happening
in different part of the world,
that Hope Sabbath School
is being broadcast in other languages,
also with closed captioning,
but you pray for us, Kwasi,
because we're praying it could go
to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people.
Thanks for being part of the miracle.
Here's a note from Ludwig in Peru.
He's written to us before.
Ludwig says, "I'm always instructed
by your Friday evening Bible study.
I thank God for all of you.
This program is so didactic and instructive."
I think he looked up a few words there for us.
"Big hug to all of you,
and God bless you all," amen?
(Team) Amen.
(Derek) Thanks for writing.
I know, Ludwig, you said
you've been learning
a lot of English, too,
while you've been watching the broadcast.
Here's a note from Tammy in New Jersey
in the United States of America.
She says, "Thank you so much
for what you do; it's an encouragement.
I love Hope Sabbath School.
I watched the first episode
of Hope Sabbath School in December 2016
during a Sabbath school breakfast
I'd planned for our church.
I'd heard of Hope Channel,
but not having a television,
I'd never seen it before
and never seen Hope Sabbath School.
Well, I loved it, and I was thrilled
when I found out you could get it online."
It's easy; you can get the app,
or you can watch it online, hopetv.org/hopess.
And she concludes, "May God continue abundantly
to bless your ministry.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
I love being a member
of Hope Sabbath School."
(Team) Amen.
(Derek) All right, and by the way,
she's involved in a children's ministry
there in New Jersey,
and so she can do
an interactive Bible study with us
as part of Hope Sabbath School.
One last note, from Trinidad and Tobago.
That's in the beautiful Caribbean.
Just a short note, Leslie Ann writes
and says, "I'm from the island of Trinidad and Tobago."
I guess that's considered one country, isn't it?
"I enjoy watching and doing the lesson.
I also enjoy watching Jason
sing the Scripture songs."
Well, Jason, why don't you wave to Leslie Ann,
and we're going to sing
the Scripture song right now, actually.
We've got a brand new song for this series
from the gospel in Galatians.
It's taken from Galatians, chapter 2,
which says, "I have been crucified with Christ,
and I no longer live,
but Christ lives in me," it's a miracle.
If you haven't learned the song,
go to our website, download the song,
the sheet music, so you can sing along.
We're going to sing it right now.
♪ music ♪
(Derek) There's so much included
in that one verse in Galatians 2:20,21.
The Son of God loves you
and gave Himself for you; isn't that awesome?!
I just want to pray
that Jesus would be lifted up today
as we study the gospel in Galatians.
Father in Heaven, thank You.
Thank You that God so loved the world
that You sent Your one and only Son
that whoever believes in Him should not perish
but have everlasting life.
We see sickness and death all around us.
We know that sin
brings death and destruction,
but I thank You
that You've given us hope in Your Word
even today, hope in Jesus.
And I pray as we study
the Gospel in Galatians,
as we study Paul's authority and gospel,
that You would work in supernatural ways
in each of our hearts,
Hope Sabbath School members
all around the world.
May lives be blessed today
to bring honor to Your name.
I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.
(Team) Amen.
(Derek) Now before we go into Paul authority,
I want to go back
to our previous study, Nicole.
How could it be
that God could take a rebel
who was forcing people
to blaspheme and wreaking havoc
(you remember that word?) in the church
and call him "My chosen servant"
to be an ambassador
for the Gospel message?
How can that happen?
(Nicole) Because God loves each and every one of us and wants us all to be saved.
And so He uses us wherever we are to spread His Word to those He wants to save.
In terms of this case, He knew he was a Zealot, even if it was a Zealot
in the time before he was transformed, and he was doing evil things.
God knew that he was a Zealot and when he was actually changed,
he'd be a Zealot for Him.
And so God was like, "I know the end from the beginning, and so, therefore,
this person's going to be the person I need at this time to bring my Word
to those who need it."
(Derek) Is that encouraging?
That God sees the potential
even in the midst of all our stumblings?
We're going to talk about Paul
as he writes now.
Many think this was
one of the earliest documents
that we have in what we call the New Testament,
about 49-50 A.D.
And it's written because of a problem in the church,
but by then, even at that time,
we're going to see
that the Christian church recognized
the Holy Spirit working in this man,
name changed from Saul of Tarsus to...?
(Team) Paul.
(Derek) Paul the Apostle.
So let's start in 2 Peter, chapter 3.
We're going to come back to Galatians here,
but Jonathan, would you read for us
2 Peter 3, verses 15 and 16.
I want you to listen carefully as Peter,
in some ways a little humorous,
he says, "Paul is not always easy to understand,"
but there's a testimony
about the authority of his work.
(Jonathan) I'm reading from the New International Version:
(Derek) So, I've always read that
and though, "Oh, it's not always easy
to understand Paul," which is true.
Sometimes I read a text, and I go,
"What does that mean?"
Maybe I need to come
to Hope Sabbath School
and get a little help
from sisters and brothers.
But there were a couple of little phrases there
that showed that Peter,
one of the church leaders and apostle,
recognized the work of the Apostle Paul
as being from God.
What did you hear?
Laurel, did you hear something
that caught your attention?
(Laurel) It just was amazing that Peter,
who was part of the original 12 with Jesus,
recognized that Paul was also called,
even though he wasn't with Christ
when He was physically on Earth.
(Derek) That's right; He wasn't
one of the twelve, right?
So he has seen something in his ministry.
Didn't Jesus say, "By their fruit..."
(Derek, Team) "...you shall know them."
So he had seen something
from the fruit of his ministry
that said, "He's an apostle."
What does apostle mean, by the way? Do you know?
One who's sent out, right?
"He's an apostle of Jesus Christ," okay?
What else 13:21