WEBVTT
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♪ theme music ♪
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(Derek) Welcome to Hope Sabbath School,
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an in-depth, interactive study
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of the Word of God.
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We are in the middle of an amazing series
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on Themes in the Gospel of John,
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today, More Testimonies about Jesus.
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And it's my prayer that you'd be blessed,
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not only personally, but be blessed
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to go out and be a blessing
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to those around you.
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So welcome to Hope Sabbath School
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and welcome to the team.
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Take a look at each other and wave.
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We're here, and God's in our midst,
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and we're glad we can be
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part of the program.
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We've got some great remote team members
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with us again today.
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Zandile, great to have you
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with us remotely, and, Cory, great
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to have you back with us
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as we continue our study.
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And we're glad you're with us.
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You know, we've got
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Hope Sabbath School members
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across the planet, and we're glad;
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wherever you're watching,
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we'd love to hear from you.
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Why don't you write to us.
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Take a note down, sshope@hopetv.org.
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You say, "Derek, I already know
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the email address," then write to us,
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tell us the country where you live
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and how God's blessing you
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through a study of His Word.
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Here are just a few emails we've received.
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One from Jacob in Malawi, Jacob writes
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and says...now, Travis, I notice
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you've been to Malawi
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quite a few times, haven't you?
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God's blessed your work there.
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Jacob writes, "Your commitment
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to a deep, interactive study
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of the Word of God is truly inspiring.
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It's through this dedicated exploration
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that we uncover the profound blessings
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woven within the Scriptures."
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This is a profound thinker here.
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"Each session unveils layers of wisdom
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guiding us closer to understanding
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the divine purpose for our lives."
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(Team) Amen.
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(Derek) "Thank you for your dedication.
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Together may we continue to grow
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in wisdom and understanding as we journey
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deeper into the Word of God. Blessings."
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We say "Blessings" back to you, Jacob.
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I hope you're teaching the Word of God.
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Here's an individual
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who is a deep thinker.
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We hope you will take the outline,
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download it from our website
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and start an interactive class.
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You may write back and say, "Derek,
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we're already doing that," praise God.
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Here's a note from Sitali in Zambia.
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We have a lot
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of Hope Sabbath School members
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in Zambia, don't we?
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"Hello, Hope Sabbath School."
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(Team) Hello.
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(Derek) "I greet you in the name
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of the Lord Jesus Christ.
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I watch Hope Sabbath School every week,
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and I download your outline
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for use in my Bible class.
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I share it on the church WhatsApp group
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and many are using the outline to teach!"
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(Team) Amen.
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(Derek) "You're wonderful people.
I feel like shouting..."?
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(Team) "Hallelujah!"
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(Derek) How did you know?
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"May you keep inspiring us
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with this good work.
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God bless you indeed.
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Let us meet in Heaven."
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(Team) Amen.
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(Derek) Sitali, thank you for writing
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to us from Zambia.
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Actually, he's writing here
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from a boarding secondary school,
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so could be that he's blessing
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a lot of people there, young people.
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I'd love to hear from you, Sitali.
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Write to me and tell me more
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about how God's using you.
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Here's a handwritten note from a donor
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in the state of New York.
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Now, folks who don't live
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in the United States may think New York
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is just a city, and it is,
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a very big city, but there's
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also the state of New York,
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and this person lives
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in the state of New York and writes
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and says, "I trust that this small drop
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helps to fill a bucket
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for some thirsty soul."
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(Team) Amen!
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(Derek) You like that?
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(Team) Yes!
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(Derek) By the way, that reminds us,
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viewer, that people say, "Well, Derek,
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I could only help with a little,"
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but a little added to others [with whom]
we partner
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can fill the bucket.
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(Team) Amen.
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(Derek) "Hope Sabbath School has
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always been a source of comfort to me,
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and the testimonies of the team inspire me
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to keep holding on.
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I'm the only Christian
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I have in my family.
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Please help me to pray that God will bring
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my family to know Him
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while there is still time."
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Is that a prayer to pray?
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(Team) Yes.
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(Derek) And a contribution of 75 dollars.
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God bless you there
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actually in the city of Brooklyn,
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state of New York, thank you
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for being part of this great miracle.
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And thank you to each one of you.
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We're at that time of the year
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you're saying, "Is there something
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God wants me to do
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coming to the close of the year?"
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The answer is yes, lay up some treasure
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in Heaven; help the gospel
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go to the world; Jesus is coming soon.
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You can go to our website,
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hopetv.org/hopess,
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click on the Donate button.
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We smile. Why?
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Because we're part
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of a great miracle of God.
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One last note, from Bismark.
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Now Birmark is watching from Brazil.
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Sabina, that's your home country, right,
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Brazil, but he's from Ghana,
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so Bismark's a long way from home.
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But he writes, "I really want to thank
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the Hope Sabbath School team
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for their great interactive discussions
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of the Word of God.
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I've been watching for many years,
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and it has contributed to my life."
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(Team) Praise God.
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"God bless you all."
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Well, thank you, Bismark, for writing.
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I don't know if you're still in Brazil
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or back home on Ghana,
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but we're glad you're part
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of our Hope Sabbath School family.
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And we'd like to hear from you, too.
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Write to us at sshope@hopetv.org,
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or when you watch us
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on the YouTube channel
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(our YouTube channel is
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growing every week),
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you can leave a comment there,
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but don't forget to tell us
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the country where you're watching.
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We're glad you're part
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of our Hope Sabbath School family.
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Before we sing our theme song, though,
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I want to remind you
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about the special gift we have for you
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during this series.
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I want to thank my wife, Bodil,
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for making available a collection
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of Trilogy Scripture Songs.
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We sing a theme song, you know,
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each series, but we've got a collection
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of six songs from the words of Jesus,
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four from the Gospel of John,
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two from the book of Revelation.
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Hide God's Word in your heart.
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Hide the words of Jesus in your heart.
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All you have to do to get
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this special gift from Hope Sabbath School
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is to go to our website,
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hopetv.org/hopess.
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I guess you could even just Google
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Hope Sabbath School.
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You find it, click on the Free Gift [tab],
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and you can download a collection
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of six Trilogy Scripture Songs
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from the words of Jesus.
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Share them with your family.
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Hide God's Word in your heart.
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Right now, we need you to help us sing.
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This is also a Scripture song
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from the Gospel of John,
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but it's not the word of Jesus;
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it's the word of a prophet
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named John the Baptist.
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"Behold!" He says, "The Lamb of God
who," does what?
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He "takes away the sin of the world."
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Let's sing it together.
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♪ music ♪
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(Derek) You know, I was thinking
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as we were singing, and of course,
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we're not like some famous choir, right?
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But we're giving our testimony
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even when we say, "I have seen,
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and I testify that Jesus
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is the Son of God." Amen?
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And also, "The Lamb of God
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who takes away the sin of the world,
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that's my sin, too."
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No wonder we're happy, right?
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That's my sin, too, He's taken away.
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What a powerful testimony.
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I don't think John the Baptist,
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when he cried out when Jesus came there
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to the Jordan, knew how many lives
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would be impacted by his testimony.
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But we're going to discover
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in our study today,
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More Testimonies about Jesus,
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that even today on Hope Sabbath School
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lives will be impacted
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by your testimonies,
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whether you're here in the studio,
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or Cory and Zandile joining us remotely,
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and even you may be impressed
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to write to us with your testimony,
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sshope@hopetv.org, and let God
00:11:09.261 --> 00:11:12.337
use your testimony to impact lives.
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Let's pray; Father in Heaven,
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we're praying in the name of Jesus
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as we continue this wonderful series,
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Themes in the Gospel of John,
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that Your Holy Spirit would energize us,
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energize our minds, give boldness
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to our speech and give us hearing hearts
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as we interact together,
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that lives would be blessed,
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not only here but around the world.
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In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
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(Team) Amen.
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(Derek) One of the key witnesses
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about Jesus as Messiah, as you know,
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was John the Baptist,
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fulfillment of prophecies,
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of two prophets at least.
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Name them for me, the prophet?
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Isaiah and the prophet Malachi
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speak about this one,
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a voice crying in the wilderness, right?
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One who makes straight the path
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of the Lord to come.
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And I want to begin by reviewing something
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we studied in a previous study,
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and, Sabina, if you could begin our study
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in John 1, we could read, starting in 29,
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"Behold! The Lamb of God,"
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but I'm going to pick up in verse 32
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to 34, and I want you to notice
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that he has been guided supernaturally
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in his testimony.
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(Sabina) Okay, I'll be reading
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from the New King James Version,
and it says:
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(Derek) Now, if it was just verse 32,
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Tendi, where he says, "I saw the Spirit
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descending from heaven like a dove,"
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that would be a testimony, right?
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And that's not unimportant.
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We give our testimony.
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But what did you see in verse 33
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that says there was something supernatural
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there that gave him a boldness in verse 34
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to say, "I testify that this is
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the Son of God." Tendi?
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(Tendi) There was the Spirit
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descending upon Him?
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(Derek) Right, we saw that,
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but then verse 33, Gladys?
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(Gladys) It says that he did not know Him
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himself, but that he received
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a revelation of what to look for,
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"The One who sent me to baptize with water
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told me, "The One whom the Spirit
comes down on and remains.'"
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(Derek) He received
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a supernatural revelation, and that's
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what gave him boldness
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in his declaration. Sabina?
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(Sabina) Yeah, so we see from Scripture
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that John was a prophet, John the Baptist,
00:14:01.836 --> 00:14:04.303
so he seemingly was acquainted
00:14:04.303 --> 00:14:06.369
with how to understand and listen
00:14:06.369 --> 00:14:08.050
to the voice of God.
00:14:08.050 --> 00:14:09.982
So, God, who had already sent him
00:14:09.982 --> 00:14:12.150
with the message of repentance
00:14:12.150 --> 00:14:13.678
for the coming of the Messiah
00:14:13.678 --> 00:14:15.422
that was about to come soon
00:14:15.422 --> 00:14:17.671
also helped him recognize that Jesus
00:14:17.671 --> 00:14:20.270
was the Messiah he was announcing.
00:14:20.270 --> 00:14:22.101
(Derek) So, I have a question for you.
00:14:22.101 --> 00:14:23.469
We study the Bible.
00:14:23.469 --> 00:14:24.673
It's Hope Sabbath School;
00:14:24.673 --> 00:14:25.580
we study the Bible.
00:14:25.580 --> 00:14:28.590
Why is divine revelation
00:14:28.590 --> 00:14:32.454
or supernatural revelation so important
00:14:32.454 --> 00:14:34.800
in order to arrive at truth
00:14:34.800 --> 00:14:38.193
with full confidence? Puia?
00:14:38.193 --> 00:14:40.080
(Puia) In our previous discussion,
00:14:40.080 --> 00:14:42.259
we talked about the chasm
00:14:42.259 --> 00:14:45.146
between God and man; it's just so vast
00:14:45.146 --> 00:14:48.592
that unless God reveals Himself to us,
00:14:48.592 --> 00:14:50.336
we cannot find out
00:14:50.336 --> 00:14:52.395
about who He is on our own.
00:14:52.395 --> 00:14:55.187
And Travis pointed out before that the god
00:14:55.187 --> 00:14:58.283
of this world, Satan, according to Paul,
00:14:58.283 --> 00:15:00.770
has blinded us, so we need
00:15:00.770 --> 00:15:02.872
that supernatural revelation
00:15:02.872 --> 00:15:05.170
so that the veil would be taken away.
00:15:05.170 --> 00:15:06.686
(Derek) Alright, Viara?
00:15:06.686 --> 00:15:08.723
(Viara) Eastern meditation is very popular
00:15:08.723 --> 00:15:11.104
today, but I feel that the problem of it
00:15:11.104 --> 00:15:13.446
is that it focuses inward.
00:15:13.446 --> 00:15:15.943
We look for the answers within ourselves.
00:15:15.943 --> 00:15:17.850
But for me, this is like I'm drowning,
00:15:17.850 --> 00:15:19.721
and I'm trying to get myself
00:15:19.721 --> 00:15:21.840
out of the water by pulling myself out.
00:15:21.840 --> 00:15:22.847
(Derek) Doesn't work.
00:15:22.847 --> 00:15:24.010
(Viara) It doesn't work.
00:15:24.010 --> 00:15:25.377
(Derek) So, what do we need?
00:15:25.377 --> 00:15:26.260
We need something
00:15:26.260 --> 00:15:27.803
from outside of ourselves.
00:15:27.803 --> 00:15:30.775
Now, Travis, and then I want to ask
00:15:30.775 --> 00:15:34.771
what is the clearest revelation
00:15:34.771 --> 00:15:37.166
that God gave so that we could know
00:15:37.166 --> 00:15:38.496
the truth about Him?
00:15:38.496 --> 00:15:39.770
(Travis) One of the things
00:15:39.770 --> 00:15:41.904
that sets our Creator God apart
00:15:41.904 --> 00:15:43.630
from any other gods is that He knows
00:15:43.630 --> 00:15:45.623
the end from the beginning.
00:15:45.623 --> 00:15:48.289
And I remember Daniel alluding to that
00:15:48.289 --> 00:15:52.866
in chapter 2, and in chapter 14 of John;
00:15:52.866 --> 00:15:54.434
it says, "I told you these things
00:15:54.434 --> 00:15:56.525
before they happen so when they do
00:15:56.525 --> 00:15:58.425
that you would believe."
00:15:58.425 --> 00:16:00.981
Prophecies, even small, short prophecies,
00:16:00.981 --> 00:16:02.655
maybe a few weeks, a few months,
00:16:02.655 --> 00:16:04.769
a few years, these are
00:16:04.769 --> 00:16:07.130
supernatural prophecies; nobody else
00:16:07.130 --> 00:16:08.774
but God knows this.
00:16:08.774 --> 00:16:10.659
And it just gives us confidence
00:16:10.659 --> 00:16:12.845
that He is God.
00:16:12.845 --> 00:16:14.081
(Derek) Now, can you think
00:16:14.081 --> 00:16:16.332
of a Bible verse that reinforces
00:16:16.332 --> 00:16:17.486
what we've been saying.
00:16:17.486 --> 00:16:19.140
What Viara said, "I need something
00:16:19.140 --> 00:16:21.758
outside of myself that can help me
00:16:21.758 --> 00:16:26.441
to get clarity regarding the truth
00:16:26.441 --> 00:16:28.706
that God wants to reveal to me."
Yes, Jason.
00:16:28.706 --> 00:16:29.975
(Jason) I do have a verse,
00:16:29.975 --> 00:16:30.845
if we can read it.
00:16:30.845 --> 00:16:34.293
It's from 2 Timothy, chapter 3,
00:16:34.293 --> 00:16:37.031
verses 16 through 17.
00:16:37.031 --> 00:16:39.087
(Derek) Alright, now some people may think
00:16:39.087 --> 00:16:40.357
2 Timothy was written
00:16:40.357 --> 00:16:42.098
by Timothy, but it wasn't.
00:16:42.098 --> 00:16:44.687
There's a 1 Timothy and a 2 Timothy
00:16:44.687 --> 00:16:47.524
written to Timothy by...?
00:16:47.524 --> 00:16:49.436
(Derek, Team) The Apostle Paul.
00:16:49.436 --> 00:16:53.474
(Derek) And you're reading
2 Timothy 3:16,17?
00:16:53.474 --> 00:16:56.174
(Jason) Correct, and it is written:
00:17:06.328 --> 00:17:07.821
And verse 17 says:
00:17:13.562 --> 00:17:15.154
(Derek) So, the Bible.
00:17:15.154 --> 00:17:18.274
Isn't there a psalm that says,
"Your Word is a..."?
00:17:18.274 --> 00:17:19.991
(Derek, Team) "...lamp to my feet
00:17:19.991 --> 00:17:22.124
and a light to my path."
00:17:22.124 --> 00:17:25.245
(Derek) Psalm 119, right, verse 105.
00:17:25.245 --> 00:17:30.673
So, the Bible is a revelation that can
00:17:30.673 --> 00:17:33.659
help us, with confidence, to know truth.
00:17:33.659 --> 00:17:35.924
But, Sabina, I saw your hand raised.
00:17:35.924 --> 00:17:39.070
(Sabina) Also, if I may share a verse
00:17:39.070 --> 00:17:41.993
from Hebrews, chapter 1?
00:17:41.993 --> 00:17:44.524
Verses 1 and 2, so it would be...
00:17:44.524 --> 00:17:46.115
(Derek) Alright, give us a moment
00:17:46.115 --> 00:17:49.241
to find Hebrews, chapter 1.
00:17:49.241 --> 00:17:50.842
(Sabina) Verses 1...
00:17:50.842 --> 00:17:52.860
(Derek) I think you're going to tell us
00:17:52.860 --> 00:17:55.585
where the brightest revelation came from.
00:17:55.585 --> 00:17:57.824
Hebrews 1, verses 1 and 2?
00:17:57.824 --> 00:18:00.507
(Sabina) That's right, so I'll be reading
00:18:00.507 --> 00:18:03.289
from the New King James Version,
00:18:03.289 --> 00:18:06.780
and Hebrews 1, verses 1 and 2 say:
00:18:25.381 --> 00:18:27.745
(Derek) So the clearest revelation,
00:18:27.745 --> 00:18:30.733
you're saying, is Jesus,
00:18:30.733 --> 00:18:34.017
but now I have a difficult question:
00:18:34.017 --> 00:18:36.608
How much would we know about Jesus
00:18:36.608 --> 00:18:37.824
if the prophets hadn't
00:18:37.824 --> 00:18:40.050
written in the Bible?
00:18:40.050 --> 00:18:42.447
How much would we know?
00:18:42.447 --> 00:18:45.460
Why, God would have to give us a vision
00:18:45.460 --> 00:18:49.047
or have to give us a dream, right?
00:18:49.047 --> 00:18:51.297
So, are we thankful for the Bible today?
00:18:51.297 --> 00:18:52.540
(Team) Amen.
00:18:52.540 --> 00:18:53.640
(Derek) We're thankful
00:18:53.640 --> 00:18:54.593
for the Bible today.
00:18:54.593 --> 00:18:56.814
Well, I'm going to ask Cory if you'd read
00:18:56.814 --> 00:18:59.996
for us this same prophet John,
00:18:59.996 --> 00:19:02.252
who boldly shared because he
00:19:02.252 --> 00:19:04.592
had received divine revelation,
00:19:04.592 --> 00:19:09.800
his testimony in John 3, verses 30 to 36,
00:19:09.800 --> 00:19:14.707
John 3:30-36, and I want you to listen
00:19:14.707 --> 00:19:17.633
and ask yourself the question:
00:19:17.633 --> 00:19:19.375
How can we ensure that we're
00:19:19.375 --> 00:19:21.818
always pointing people to Jesus
00:19:21.818 --> 00:19:23.334
rather than drawing attention
00:19:23.334 --> 00:19:25.835
to ourselves? Cory?
00:19:25.835 --> 00:19:28.400
(Cory) John 3:30-36, I'm reading
00:19:28.400 --> 00:19:30.418
from the New King James:
00:20:29.121 --> 00:20:30.374
(Derek) What impresses you
00:20:30.374 --> 00:20:31.430
about that testimony?
00:20:31.430 --> 00:20:33.100
Thank you, Cory, for reading that.
00:20:33.100 --> 00:20:34.937
I mean, this is startling.
00:20:34.937 --> 00:20:37.387
I know that John the Baptist
00:20:37.387 --> 00:20:39.850
didn't go to the school of Shammai
00:20:39.850 --> 00:20:41.520
or the school of Hillel.
00:20:41.520 --> 00:20:44.499
I know he didn't study under Gamaliel.
00:20:44.499 --> 00:20:46.281
He grew up with elderly parents,
00:20:46.281 --> 00:20:47.986
and then, at some point, went
00:20:47.986 --> 00:20:52.122
into the desert, right, to detach hmself
00:20:52.122 --> 00:20:53.625
from the corruption.
00:20:53.625 --> 00:20:58.805
Where did he find such profound wisdom
00:20:58.805 --> 00:21:02.460
in his testimony about Jesus as Messiah?
00:21:02.460 --> 00:21:04.772
Anybody, where did he find that? Travis?
00:21:04.772 --> 00:21:05.989
(Travis) It could only be
00:21:05.989 --> 00:21:08.996
from the Spirit of God, it could only be.
00:21:08.996 --> 00:21:11.503
(Derek) You know, I think of fishermen
00:21:11.503 --> 00:21:15.393
like Peter who end up speaking so boldly
00:21:15.393 --> 00:21:17.137
on the Day of Pentecost.
00:21:17.137 --> 00:21:18.126
It can only happen
00:21:18.126 --> 00:21:20.663
by the Spirit of God, right?
00:21:20.663 --> 00:21:22.257
John gives a testimony.
00:21:22.257 --> 00:21:24.104
Anything that impresses you, Puia,
00:21:24.104 --> 00:21:26.555
about his testimony about Jesus?
00:21:26.555 --> 00:21:28.671
(Puia) Right, the Gospel of John
00:21:28.671 --> 00:21:31.670
didn't include this part of the story,
00:21:31.670 --> 00:21:33.906
but Matthew included that later he was
00:21:33.906 --> 00:21:36.170
thrown in prison and then he
00:21:36.170 --> 00:21:39.304
at one point struggled to understand
00:21:39.304 --> 00:21:40.926
the mission of Jesus Himself.
00:21:40.926 --> 00:21:42.580
From the darkness of the prison,
00:21:42.580 --> 00:21:44.750
he sent his disciples to Jesus
00:21:44.750 --> 00:21:48.214
to ask if He was truly the Messiah.
00:21:48.214 --> 00:21:52.420
And yet through it all, he was faithful
00:21:52.420 --> 00:21:54.258
until he lost his life,
00:21:54.258 --> 00:21:57.157
and that is just so powerful.
00:21:57.157 --> 00:21:59.040
(Derek) Thank you for giving us
00:21:59.040 --> 00:22:01.765
that extra summary; that's why all
00:22:01.765 --> 00:22:03.717
of the Gospels are helpful, aren't they?
00:22:03.717 --> 00:22:06.213
We're focusing on John,
who doesn't mention
00:22:06.213 --> 00:22:08.425
any of those details, but you're right.
00:22:08.425 --> 00:22:10.622
Because John the Baptist rebuked
00:22:10.622 --> 00:22:13.188
Herod Antipas for living
00:22:13.188 --> 00:22:16.527
with his brother's wife, Herodias,
00:22:16.527 --> 00:22:20.420
she schemed to have him beheaded.
00:22:20.420 --> 00:22:22.770
A tragic ending, but he remained
00:22:22.770 --> 00:22:23.727
faithful, didn't he?
00:22:23.727 --> 00:22:25.564
(Team) Right. Amen.
00:22:25.564 --> 00:22:27.587
(Derek) The boldness, "He who believes
00:22:27.587 --> 00:22:29.898
in the Son of God has eternal life,"
00:22:29.898 --> 00:22:31.637
what do you think of that?
00:22:31.637 --> 00:22:34.660
What are your thoughts about that,
verse 36?
00:22:34.660 --> 00:22:39.122
Zandile, that sounds crystal clear to me,
00:22:39.122 --> 00:22:41.822
"He who believes in the Son of God
00:22:41.822 --> 00:22:44.837
has everlasting life."
00:22:44.837 --> 00:22:47.387
(Zandile) It reminded me of John 3:16
00:22:47.387 --> 00:22:51.060
where Jesus Himself says that He is
00:22:51.060 --> 00:22:53.422
the life, that, "Whosoever believes in Him
00:22:53.422 --> 00:22:55.670
should have eternal life."
00:22:55.670 --> 00:22:58.766
So John is kind of quoting
00:22:58.766 --> 00:23:00.713
from the words of Jesus Himself,
00:23:00.713 --> 00:23:02.417
yet it is the Spirit of God
00:23:02.417 --> 00:23:03.746
that inspired Him.
00:23:03.746 --> 00:23:05.140
(Team) Amen.
00:23:05.140 --> 00:23:07.573
(Derek) Amazing, could it be -
00:23:07.573 --> 00:23:09.592
you're watching Hope Sabbath School today,
00:23:09.592 --> 00:23:11.820
we're here - could it be that, filled
00:23:11.820 --> 00:23:14.060
with the Holy Spirit - because you
did talk
00:23:14.060 --> 00:23:16.321
about the Spirit guiding him, right -
00:23:16.321 --> 00:23:18.187
that filled with the Holy Spirit, we
00:23:18.187 --> 00:23:21.824
could speak with such clarity and boldness
00:23:21.824 --> 00:23:24.101
in our witness about Jesus?
00:23:24.101 --> 00:23:25.288
Is that possible?
00:23:25.288 --> 00:23:26.039
(Team) Yes.
00:23:26.039 --> 00:23:27.560
(Derek) It's possible, isn't it?
00:23:27.560 --> 00:23:30.189
Well, we're going to continue our study,
00:23:30.189 --> 00:23:32.010
and we're going to look
00:23:32.010 --> 00:23:33.740
at the feeding of the 5,000.
00:23:33.740 --> 00:23:35.370
You say, "Derek, we looked at that
00:23:35.370 --> 00:23:37.284
in this series," but we're going to see
00:23:37.284 --> 00:23:38.457
what happens afterwards.
00:23:38.457 --> 00:23:40.124
So could someone please summarize?
00:23:40.124 --> 00:23:43.320
Jesus goes to a secluded place.
00:23:43.320 --> 00:23:45.504
In fact, he encourages his disciples
00:23:45.504 --> 00:23:47.836
to come and rest a while, but everybody
00:23:47.836 --> 00:23:50.223
starts following Him around the lake.
00:23:50.223 --> 00:23:52.214
Some of you have been to Israel.
00:23:52.214 --> 00:23:54.305
You've been on the Sea of Galilee,
00:23:54.305 --> 00:23:55.473
and you know you can see
00:23:55.473 --> 00:23:56.750
to the other side; I mean,
00:23:56.750 --> 00:24:00.428
it's not like 500 miles across, right?
00:24:00.428 --> 00:24:03.042
It may be seven or eight miles,
00:24:03.042 --> 00:24:05.955
maybe less up toward the north part
of the lake.
00:24:05.955 --> 00:24:07.707
So, they're all running around.
00:24:07.707 --> 00:24:11.410
Jesus ends up teaching them all day,
00:24:11.410 --> 00:24:15.689
and then He provides a meal for them.
00:24:15.689 --> 00:24:17.051
Where did they get the food?
00:24:17.051 --> 00:24:19.593
Someone help us; where did they
get the food? Gladys.
00:24:19.593 --> 00:24:21.130
(Gladys) There was a little boy
00:24:21.130 --> 00:24:22.602
with a basket with five loaves
00:24:22.602 --> 00:24:25.670
of bread and two fish.
00:24:25.670 --> 00:24:27.970
(Derek) I kind of imagine that story,
00:24:27.970 --> 00:24:29.654
this little boy, he's given a lunch
00:24:29.654 --> 00:24:31.143
by his mother, right?
00:24:31.143 --> 00:24:33.422
He's going to listen to Jesus.
00:24:33.422 --> 00:24:35.939
As Jesus starts taking the bread
00:24:35.939 --> 00:24:37.740
and the fish, having prayed to God,
00:24:37.740 --> 00:24:38.939
right, the Father,
00:24:38.939 --> 00:24:41.325
I imagine the little boy kind of looking
00:24:41.325 --> 00:24:44.509
under the basket, you know, like,
00:24:44.509 --> 00:24:45.899
"Wow, my mama gave me
00:24:45.899 --> 00:24:48.470
a big lunch today," you know?
00:24:48.470 --> 00:24:49.692
And I imagine Jesus -
00:24:49.692 --> 00:24:51.937
I may be wrong - but I imagine Jesus
00:24:51.937 --> 00:24:53.974
just smiling at him, you know?
00:24:53.974 --> 00:24:56.269
He's just smiling, as He's taking the food
00:24:56.269 --> 00:24:57.682
and feeding the multitude;
00:24:57.682 --> 00:25:02.128
That's the story, 5,000 men
00:25:02.128 --> 00:25:04.309
plus women and children, right?
00:25:04.309 --> 00:25:05.939
But I want to pick up what happens
00:25:05.939 --> 00:25:09.459
the next day, because we're going to see
00:25:09.459 --> 00:25:12.543
another powerful testimony about Jesus.
00:25:12.543 --> 00:25:14.776
And it's a testimony from someone
00:25:14.776 --> 00:25:16.734
who could have given up.
00:25:16.734 --> 00:25:20.459
So, John, chapter 6, Viara, if you
00:25:20.459 --> 00:25:23.625
could read for us John, chapter 6,
00:25:23.625 --> 00:25:26.429
beginning with verse 22.
00:25:26.429 --> 00:25:28.363
Let's pick up the story and see
00:25:28.363 --> 00:25:31.630
how the crowd expects things
00:25:31.630 --> 00:25:33.507
to happen the next day.
00:25:33.507 --> 00:25:34.440
(Viara) I'm reading
00:25:34.440 --> 00:25:36.325
from the New Living Translation:
00:26:55.154 --> 00:26:57.320
(Derek) Thank you for reading the story
00:26:57.320 --> 00:26:59.180
with such enthusiasm,
00:26:59.180 --> 00:27:01.961
because what are they wanting?
00:27:01.961 --> 00:27:03.731
(Team) Miracles. More bread.
00:27:03.731 --> 00:27:04.717
(Derek) More bread.
00:27:04.717 --> 00:27:05.854
Miracles is right,
00:27:05.854 --> 00:27:10.287
but specifically more fish sandwiches,
right?
00:27:10.287 --> 00:27:12.860
"If You could just keep performing
00:27:12.860 --> 00:27:15.052
those miracles for us..."
00:27:15.052 --> 00:27:18.461
But what is the most important work?
00:27:18.461 --> 00:27:19.912
By the way, they say, "Let us
00:27:19.912 --> 00:27:21.409
perform works," in other words,
00:27:21.409 --> 00:27:23.154
"Give us the ability to..."?
00:27:23.154 --> 00:27:24.289
(Jason) Make food.
00:27:24.289 --> 00:27:25.995
(Derek) "...perform miracles, too,"
00:27:25.995 --> 00:27:28.134
"...to make food, too," right?
00:27:28.134 --> 00:27:30.731
And what is the most important work,
Jesus says?
00:27:30.731 --> 00:27:31.863
(Team) Believe.
00:27:31.863 --> 00:27:33.801
(Derek) To believe in Him, right? Viara?
00:27:33.801 --> 00:27:35.171
(Viara) It's so interesting,
00:27:35.171 --> 00:27:37.160
why, as humans, if we have
00:27:37.160 --> 00:27:38.888
to do something, we are right there;
00:27:38.888 --> 00:27:40.365
do we want to perform something
00:27:40.365 --> 00:27:41.673
to deserve our salvation?
00:27:41.673 --> 00:27:44.145
And what it takes is surrender,
00:27:44.145 --> 00:27:45.245
surrender and believe.
00:27:45.245 --> 00:27:46.551
Surrender your will to God,
00:27:46.551 --> 00:27:48.870
and it seems like this is more difficult
00:27:48.870 --> 00:27:51.373
for us than to do something.
00:27:51.373 --> 00:27:52.261
(Derek) For sure.
00:27:52.261 --> 00:27:53.904
Tendi, can you continue the story.
00:27:53.904 --> 00:27:55.463
We could read the whole chapter,
00:27:55.463 --> 00:27:58.533
but I'd like to pick up in verse 48
00:27:58.533 --> 00:28:02.544
where Jesus expands
00:28:02.544 --> 00:28:04.410
on what He said earlier,
00:28:04.410 --> 00:28:07.440
that it's not about free fish sandwiches;
00:28:07.440 --> 00:28:09.193
it's about bread that comes
00:28:09.193 --> 00:28:12.996
down from Heaven, that if they eat that,
00:28:12.996 --> 00:28:15.030
they will have life forever.
00:28:15.030 --> 00:28:18.927
Pick up for us, if you would, in verse 48
00:28:18.927 --> 00:28:21.852
and following to 66, and let's see
00:28:21.852 --> 00:28:24.915
how the crowd [reacts] that's come
00:28:24.915 --> 00:28:28.970
for more miracles and more food.
00:28:28.970 --> 00:28:30.269
(Tendi) And I'll be reading
00:28:30.269 --> 00:28:32.749
from the New King James Version,
00:28:32.749 --> 00:28:36.981
John 6:48-66, and it reads:
00:31:29.911 --> 00:31:30.913
(Derek) I don't know
00:31:30.913 --> 00:31:32.060
what the percentage was,
00:31:32.060 --> 00:31:35.960
but "many" is many.
00:31:35.960 --> 00:31:38.957
We're going to discover even the twelve
00:31:38.957 --> 00:31:40.456
think about leaving.
00:31:40.456 --> 00:31:43.674
What message was so difficult
00:31:43.674 --> 00:31:45.582
for them to hear?
00:31:45.582 --> 00:31:48.406
What was so difficult for them
00:31:48.406 --> 00:31:53.073
and maybe a little beyond their
comprehension? Sabina?
00:31:53.073 --> 00:31:54.747
(Sabina) So it seems like they were
00:31:54.747 --> 00:31:56.357
expecting something that they
00:31:56.357 --> 00:31:58.391
could immediately see, you know,
00:31:58.391 --> 00:32:00.580
as sustenance for them, for instance.
00:32:00.580 --> 00:32:02.958
And we know even the Jewish community
00:32:02.958 --> 00:32:05.407
was expecting a kingdom to be set up
00:32:05.407 --> 00:32:07.361
that would help that oppression
00:32:07.361 --> 00:32:09.790
they were suffering to be taken away.
00:32:09.790 --> 00:32:11.658
So it seems to me that it was hard
00:32:11.658 --> 00:32:14.174
for them, one, to understand it was a gift
00:32:14.174 --> 00:32:16.374
that was being extended to them,
00:32:16.374 --> 00:32:18.360
because even the question that they had,
00:32:18.360 --> 00:32:20.188
how they would perform the same works,
00:32:20.188 --> 00:32:22.217
et cetera, Jesus said, "Hey, you just need
00:32:22.217 --> 00:32:23.955
to receive what I have here for you;
00:32:23.955 --> 00:32:24.764
just believe it."
00:32:24.764 --> 00:32:26.425
But then further, it gets
00:32:26.425 --> 00:32:28.325
a bit more difficult, not only that it
00:32:28.325 --> 00:32:30.930
was a gift, but it seemingly it was
00:32:30.930 --> 00:32:33.288
not something they would immediately see
00:32:33.288 --> 00:32:35.357
in every avenue of their expectations
00:32:35.357 --> 00:32:39.203
of what an abundant life would look like.
00:32:39.203 --> 00:32:42.392
So, I think that's part of the reasons why
00:32:42.392 --> 00:32:44.880
some of them left because they
just wanted the...
00:32:44.880 --> 00:32:46.715
(Derek) There are probably some people
00:32:46.715 --> 00:32:48.559
even today who say, "I have
00:32:48.559 --> 00:32:51.650
no idea what this means," right?
00:32:51.650 --> 00:32:54.654
What does it mean (Puia, I see your hand)
00:32:54.654 --> 00:32:58.606
to eat the flesh and drink the blood
00:32:58.606 --> 00:33:00.360
of the Son of God?
00:33:00.360 --> 00:33:02.620
Jesus has come into humanity;
00:33:02.620 --> 00:33:04.153
what does that mean?
00:33:04.153 --> 00:33:05.417
(Puia) That's what I was
00:33:05.417 --> 00:33:06.650
going to point out.
00:33:06.650 --> 00:33:08.990
For people who would be hearing this
00:33:08.990 --> 00:33:10.664
for the first time when Jesus said,
00:33:10.664 --> 00:33:12.938
"Eat my flesh and drink my blood,"
00:33:12.938 --> 00:33:15.387
it's very raw, and they
00:33:15.387 --> 00:33:17.440
probably couldn't understand.
00:33:17.440 --> 00:33:20.207
And moreover, I believe Jesus claiming
00:33:20.207 --> 00:33:21.892
that He came from Heaven
00:33:21.892 --> 00:33:25.300
and that He was talking about God
00:33:25.300 --> 00:33:27.992
as if God was His Father,
00:33:27.992 --> 00:33:30.709
for them to hear this, you know,
00:33:30.709 --> 00:33:32.503
it just didn't make sense to them
00:33:32.503 --> 00:33:34.190
if they were not open.
00:33:34.190 --> 00:33:35.958
(Derek) Now, we have the advantage
00:33:35.958 --> 00:33:38.457
of some time passing, because when you
00:33:38.457 --> 00:33:41.674
think of, "This is My body broken for you;
00:33:41.674 --> 00:33:43.361
this is My blood," we
00:33:43.361 --> 00:33:45.870
immediately think of what service?
00:33:45.870 --> 00:33:47.202
(Derek, Team) The Communion.
00:33:47.202 --> 00:33:48.374
(Derek) The Last Supper
00:33:48.374 --> 00:33:51.540
where Jesus takes symbols...
00:33:51.540 --> 00:33:53.211
Now, that can't literally have been
00:33:53.211 --> 00:33:54.991
His body and blood shed and broken
00:33:54.991 --> 00:33:57.209
because this is before His death,
00:33:57.209 --> 00:33:59.396
but they symbolize, right?
00:33:59.396 --> 00:34:01.587
The bread from the Passover meal,
00:34:01.587 --> 00:34:05.089
the juice from the Passover meal,
00:34:05.089 --> 00:34:09.110
and when we take them inside of us
00:34:09.110 --> 00:34:10.070
what does that mean
00:34:10.070 --> 00:34:13.067
even in that service? Anybody?
00:34:13.067 --> 00:34:14.970
What does it mean when we accept
00:34:14.970 --> 00:34:17.708
those symbols of the broken body
00:34:17.708 --> 00:34:19.207
and shed blood of Jesus?
00:34:19.207 --> 00:34:21.038
(Gladys) We accept Jesus' sacrifice
00:34:21.038 --> 00:34:22.314
and redemption for us,
00:34:22.314 --> 00:34:25.445
but the key here is the belief.
00:34:25.445 --> 00:34:28.607
We said before that unless the Father
00:34:28.607 --> 00:34:30.780
reveals, gives a revelation,
00:34:30.780 --> 00:34:33.088
there's no way that you can understand.
00:34:33.088 --> 00:34:34.854
(Derek) I don't why He didn't say it
00:34:34.854 --> 00:34:35.865
a little more simply.
00:34:35.865 --> 00:34:37.091
Maybe He was just wanting
00:34:37.091 --> 00:34:38.961
to challenge them because He could have
00:34:38.961 --> 00:34:42.061
just said, "If you accept Me," right,
00:34:42.061 --> 00:34:43.801
"you will have...," but He said that
00:34:43.801 --> 00:34:44.985
earlier, didn't He?
00:34:44.985 --> 00:34:48.207
That's the work, to believe, right?
00:34:48.207 --> 00:34:53.177
But accepting Jesus is what He's
00:34:53.177 --> 00:34:55.171
calling us to do,
00:34:55.171 --> 00:34:58.027
rather than just accept free gifts.
00:34:58.027 --> 00:35:01.624
Well, this was difficult, many left.
00:35:01.624 --> 00:35:05.691
I want to go on and look in verse 67,
00:35:05.691 --> 00:35:07.210
and, Zandile, I know you've had
00:35:07.210 --> 00:35:09.540
your hand raised very patiently,
00:35:09.540 --> 00:35:10.671
so I'm going to ask you
00:35:10.671 --> 00:35:13.277
to make your comment, and then read for us
00:35:13.277 --> 00:35:17.107
from John 6:[66]-69,
00:35:17.107 --> 00:35:19.404
how even the closest disciples
00:35:19.404 --> 00:35:20.804
of Jesus reacted.
00:35:20.804 --> 00:35:24.100
But feel free to make your comment first.
00:35:24.100 --> 00:35:27.293
(Zandile) Okay, I wanted to say that they
00:35:27.293 --> 00:35:29.904
were blinded by the past.
00:35:29.904 --> 00:35:32.001
They were blinded by the manna,
00:35:32.001 --> 00:35:34.425
and they could not link together
00:35:34.425 --> 00:35:36.764
when Jesus was saying, "I am the bread."
00:35:36.764 --> 00:35:39.190
That was referring to that manna
00:35:39.190 --> 00:35:41.112
that He fed to their fathers.
00:35:41.112 --> 00:35:43.371
But they failed to see the future,
00:35:43.371 --> 00:35:45.646
and they wanted a physical sign,
00:35:45.646 --> 00:35:48.696
which Christ did not give at that time.
00:35:48.696 --> 00:35:50.958
So, just like us today, sometimes
00:35:50.958 --> 00:35:53.187
we have things that are blinding us,
00:35:53.187 --> 00:35:55.370
we are holding onto things of the past,
00:35:55.370 --> 00:35:56.988
yet God is moving us
00:35:56.988 --> 00:35:58.972
in a certain direction.
00:35:58.972 --> 00:36:01.498
(Derek) Thank you for sharing.
00:36:01.498 --> 00:36:02.839
Read for us, if you would,
00:36:02.839 --> 00:36:07.460
from John 6:[66]-69.
00:36:07.460 --> 00:36:08.862
(Zandile) And I'll be reading
00:36:08.862 --> 00:36:12.382
from the New King James Version,
verse 66 says:
00:36:39.090 --> 00:36:40.307
(Derek) What do you think
00:36:40.307 --> 00:36:43.542
about Simon Peter's testimony? Cory?
00:36:43.542 --> 00:36:46.718
He doesn't say, "I'm not confused;
00:36:46.718 --> 00:36:50.309
they're all confused."
00:36:50.309 --> 00:36:51.117
What do you think
00:36:51.117 --> 00:36:53.263
about his testimony, Cory?
00:36:53.263 --> 00:36:54.840
(Cory) It's beautiful and amazing
00:36:54.840 --> 00:36:56.257
because he steps out in faith
00:36:56.257 --> 00:36:58.613
and just shows that, "You have
00:36:58.613 --> 00:36:59.914
the words of eternal life,"
00:36:59.914 --> 00:37:02.587
so he hasn't linked, fully, the bread
00:37:02.587 --> 00:37:05.957
and words together, but he sees
00:37:05.957 --> 00:37:07.900
that Christ is that bread.
00:37:07.900 --> 00:37:09.170
And that's an amazing step
00:37:09.170 --> 00:37:11.300
of faith on his part.
00:37:11.300 --> 00:37:12.227
(Derek) Anyone want
00:37:12.227 --> 00:37:13.504
to add to that? Sabina?
00:37:13.504 --> 00:37:14.894
(Sabina) I think that is one
00:37:14.894 --> 00:37:16.474
of the most beautiful testimonies
00:37:16.474 --> 00:37:18.543
that we find in the New Testament
00:37:18.543 --> 00:37:21.497
about what Jesus has to offer,
00:37:21.497 --> 00:37:23.492
because Jesus offers abundant life.
00:37:23.492 --> 00:37:25.821
In so many ways, He blesses us,
00:37:25.821 --> 00:37:29.306
but if we forget the most important
00:37:29.306 --> 00:37:31.471
and fundamental truth that while He came
00:37:31.471 --> 00:37:34.497
primarily to give us eternal life,
00:37:34.497 --> 00:37:36.371
restore us from death to life
00:37:36.371 --> 00:37:37.786
and that we can have
00:37:37.786 --> 00:37:40.685
relationship with God forever,
00:37:40.685 --> 00:37:41.886
then all the other things
00:37:41.886 --> 00:37:44.626
[don't matter at all], right?
00:37:44.626 --> 00:37:47.014
I'm thinking of Paul also when he says
00:37:47.014 --> 00:37:51.529
that, "What do we profit if we don't have
00:37:51.529 --> 00:37:53.869
the truth of life eternal?"
00:37:53.869 --> 00:37:55.706
(Derek) I'm remembering, and then I'll
00:37:55.706 --> 00:37:56.962
come to many hands raised,
00:37:56.962 --> 00:37:58.598
the scientist who said to me...
00:37:58.598 --> 00:38:01.254
He studied with a lot of atheists,
00:38:01.254 --> 00:38:05.269
agnostics and evolutionists
00:38:05.269 --> 00:38:08.335
and studied advanced genetics.
00:38:08.335 --> 00:38:11.270
He said, "I have a lot of questions,
00:38:11.270 --> 00:38:13.750
but I'm going to ask them
00:38:13.750 --> 00:38:16.192
when I see Jesus."
00:38:16.192 --> 00:38:18.269
In other words, he was saying,
00:38:18.269 --> 00:38:19.839
"I have come to believe and know
00:38:19.839 --> 00:38:21.549
that Jesus is the Christ, the Son
00:38:21.549 --> 00:38:24.204
of the living God," listen now, "and I can
00:38:24.204 --> 00:38:27.162
live with some unanswered questions
00:38:27.162 --> 00:38:29.373
because I know the most important question
00:38:29.373 --> 00:38:30.314
has been answered."
00:38:30.314 --> 00:38:31.562
Are you with me?
00:38:31.562 --> 00:38:33.135
I don't think Peter understands,
00:38:33.135 --> 00:38:34.526
like Cory said, I don't think
00:38:34.526 --> 00:38:36.293
he understood it all, but he said,
00:38:36.293 --> 00:38:39.801
"Jesus, I know who You are.
00:38:39.801 --> 00:38:41.796
I'm going to trust in You." Gladys?
00:38:41.796 --> 00:38:43.762
(Gladys) That's what I was going to say,
00:38:43.762 --> 00:38:45.241
that he may not have understood
00:38:45.241 --> 00:38:47.589
everything, but he said, "Where can I go?
00:38:47.589 --> 00:38:49.017
You are the only One
00:38:49.017 --> 00:38:50.489
that I want to be close to.
00:38:50.489 --> 00:38:52.241
You are the Son of God."
00:38:52.241 --> 00:38:54.149
So he may not have understood everything
00:38:54.149 --> 00:38:55.584
that Jesus was trying to imply
00:38:55.584 --> 00:38:57.024
with His body and the blood,
00:38:57.024 --> 00:38:59.175
and drink this and that, but he knew
00:38:59.175 --> 00:39:02.066
that he wanted to be with Jesus.
00:39:02.066 --> 00:39:03.500
(Derek) There is so much more
00:39:03.500 --> 00:39:05.343
we could share; I'm going to let Puia
00:39:05.343 --> 00:39:06.790
make a comment, but I want you
00:39:06.790 --> 00:39:08.198
to think about this question.
00:39:08.198 --> 00:39:09.393
I want you to think, was
00:39:09.393 --> 00:39:13.161
there ever a turbulent time in your life
00:39:13.161 --> 00:39:15.930
(a lot of people were leaving Jesus),
00:39:15.930 --> 00:39:17.788
and you just said, "I'm going
00:39:17.788 --> 00:39:19.954
to hold onto Jesus"?
00:39:19.954 --> 00:39:21.444
"Even though it may be that all
00:39:21.444 --> 00:39:23.000
of my questions aren't answered,
00:39:23.000 --> 00:39:24.055
I'm going to hold on."
00:39:24.055 --> 00:39:25.629
I see, Cory, your hand raised.
00:39:25.629 --> 00:39:26.780
Puia, make your comment,
00:39:26.780 --> 00:39:28.585
but maybe someone's watching,
00:39:28.585 --> 00:39:30.195
maybe you're watching and saying,
00:39:30.195 --> 00:39:32.113
"Derek, you have no idea.
00:39:32.113 --> 00:39:34.870
I have family members leaving Jesus.
00:39:34.870 --> 00:39:36.696
I have a spouse who says,
00:39:36.696 --> 00:39:41.125
'I don't believe anymore.'"
00:39:41.125 --> 00:39:43.740
How do we hold on
00:39:43.740 --> 00:39:45.695
during that difficult time? Puia?
00:39:45.695 --> 00:39:48.280
(Puia) I wanted to pick up on what Gladys
00:39:48.280 --> 00:39:50.236
just commented on earlier.
00:39:50.236 --> 00:39:51.464
The part that touches me
00:39:51.464 --> 00:39:52.876
from Peter's words is, "Lord,
00:39:52.876 --> 00:39:53.910
to whom shall we go?"
00:39:53.910 --> 00:39:55.900
Like, "What other options do we have?"
00:39:55.900 --> 00:39:59.682
As you pointed out, Derek, no worldview
00:39:59.682 --> 00:40:04.082
or no system of belief closes all the gaps
00:40:04.082 --> 00:40:06.372
or answers all the possible questions
00:40:06.372 --> 00:40:08.131
that we may have in this world.
00:40:08.131 --> 00:40:10.100
Even when we follow Jesus, we will
00:40:10.100 --> 00:40:12.829
still have questions that we can't answer
00:40:12.829 --> 00:40:14.112
at all on this end.
00:40:14.112 --> 00:40:16.366
But the approach is, if we were
00:40:16.366 --> 00:40:17.770
to reject Jesus and choose
00:40:17.770 --> 00:40:19.440
a different worldview or choose
00:40:19.440 --> 00:40:21.899
a different person to follow, is
00:40:21.899 --> 00:40:25.023
there any actual better option than Jesus?
00:40:25.023 --> 00:40:26.509
I don't think so.
00:40:26.509 --> 00:40:27.400
(Derek) Thank you.
00:40:27.400 --> 00:40:31.170
Cory, do you want to share with us?
00:40:31.170 --> 00:40:32.630
(Cory) Yeah, and you know part
00:40:32.630 --> 00:40:33.657
of this story, Derek.
00:40:33.657 --> 00:40:35.114
A few years ago, I lost
00:40:35.114 --> 00:40:38.707
my father tragically, suddenly.
00:40:38.707 --> 00:40:40.165
I ended up doing CPR on him
00:40:40.165 --> 00:40:43.291
for quite a while, so I was pretty mad
00:40:43.291 --> 00:40:45.977
at God for a while
00:40:45.977 --> 00:40:48.370
and didn't understand why,
00:40:48.370 --> 00:40:49.998
much like Peter here doesn't
00:40:49.998 --> 00:40:52.175
understand all the why.
00:40:52.175 --> 00:40:53.711
But I had a habit of getting up
00:40:53.711 --> 00:40:56.653
every morning and reading my Bible.
00:40:56.653 --> 00:40:58.751
And in reading my Bible and continuing,
00:40:58.751 --> 00:41:00.660
I realized that He is the God of life,
00:41:00.660 --> 00:41:04.562
not of death, and it wasn't His plan,
00:41:04.562 --> 00:41:06.517
that it was Satan's plan.
00:41:06.517 --> 00:41:08.980
And I don't understand all the why,
00:41:08.980 --> 00:41:10.890
but I have Jesus,
00:41:10.890 --> 00:41:12.947
and that's all that matters.
00:41:12.947 --> 00:41:15.141
(Derek) Thanks for your testimony, Cory.
00:41:15.141 --> 00:41:16.564
Praise God. That's beautiful.
00:41:16.564 --> 00:41:17.660
We're going to move on.
00:41:17.660 --> 00:41:19.501
We've looked at the testimony
00:41:19.501 --> 00:41:21.597
of John briefly and the testimony
00:41:21.597 --> 00:41:23.664
of Peter here, but I want to go
00:41:23.664 --> 00:41:27.477
to the testimony of God the Father.
00:41:27.477 --> 00:41:29.194
Because if you remember, there were
00:41:29.194 --> 00:41:33.843
a few times in the ministry of Jesus
00:41:33.843 --> 00:41:36.026
when God the Father spoke.
00:41:36.026 --> 00:41:37.406
Zandile, I'm going to ask you
00:41:37.406 --> 00:41:40.111
to go to Matthew 3, verse 17.
00:41:40.111 --> 00:41:42.307
Do you know that John...
00:41:42.307 --> 00:41:44.697
No Gospel writer tells us everything
00:41:44.697 --> 00:41:46.008
about the life and ministry
00:41:46.008 --> 00:41:47.486
of Jesus, right?
00:41:47.486 --> 00:41:50.381
John doesn't mention the baptism.
00:41:50.381 --> 00:41:52.040
Now, we know Jesus was baptized,
00:41:52.040 --> 00:41:55.090
so it's not like he didn't believe that,
00:41:55.090 --> 00:41:56.668
but Matthew, Mark and Luke
00:41:56.668 --> 00:41:59.423
give us a little more information.
00:41:59.423 --> 00:42:01.480
And, Zandile, could you read for us
00:42:01.480 --> 00:42:04.227
how Matthew records the baptism
00:42:04.227 --> 00:42:08.714
of Jesus in Matthew 3 and verse 17?
00:42:08.714 --> 00:42:10.347
(Zandile) Yes, and I'll be reading
00:42:10.347 --> 00:42:12.110
from the New King James Version.
00:42:12.110 --> 00:42:14.451
Verse 17 of Matthew 3 says:
00:42:24.127 --> 00:42:25.772
(Derek) And you know Mark and Luke
00:42:25.772 --> 00:42:28.533
also record very similar words,
00:42:28.533 --> 00:42:29.890
"This is My beloved Son."
00:42:29.890 --> 00:42:32.120
Can you think of another time
00:42:32.120 --> 00:42:34.187
when the Father spoke
00:42:34.187 --> 00:42:36.170
during the ministry of Jesus?
00:42:36.170 --> 00:42:39.434
(Derek, Team) On the Mount
of Transfiguration.
00:42:39.434 --> 00:42:41.220
(Derek) Let's look at that.
00:42:41.220 --> 00:42:42.559
Jason, could you read for us
00:42:42.559 --> 00:42:46.060
in Mark, chapter 9 and verse 7.
00:42:46.060 --> 00:42:48.739
It's also in Matthew 17:5.
00:42:48.739 --> 00:42:50.263
On the Mount of Transfiguration,
00:42:50.263 --> 00:42:52.859
again John didn't record this,
00:42:52.859 --> 00:42:55.198
but these are testimonies of the Father.
00:42:55.198 --> 00:42:57.249
What do you read there in Mark 9, verse 7?
00:42:57.249 --> 00:42:58.553
(Jason) And I'll be reading
00:42:58.553 --> 00:43:00.107
from the New King James Version,
00:43:00.107 --> 00:43:01.350
and the Bible says:
00:43:09.908 --> 00:43:11.274
(Derek) Slightly different,
00:43:11.274 --> 00:43:13.155
"This is My beloved Son
00:43:13.155 --> 00:43:15.664
in whom I am well pleased,"
00:43:15.664 --> 00:43:19.108
but now, "This is My beloved Son..."?
00:43:19.108 --> 00:43:20.170
(Team) "Hear Him!"
00:43:20.170 --> 00:43:21.700
(Derek) "Listen to Him," right?
00:43:21.700 --> 00:43:23.650
"Listen to Him."
00:43:23.650 --> 00:43:25.675
Now, John does speak
00:43:25.675 --> 00:43:27.558
about the testimony of the Father.
00:43:27.558 --> 00:43:29.404
I want to look at two verses with you,
00:43:29.404 --> 00:43:33.841
First, John 5, verses 36 to 38,
00:43:33.841 --> 00:43:36.063
and, Joshua, if you'd be willing to read
00:43:36.063 --> 00:43:43.042
for us John 5:36-38 and also John 12,
00:43:43.042 --> 00:43:45.105
which is actually one time the Father
00:43:45.105 --> 00:43:47.809
speaks that is only recorded by John.
00:43:47.809 --> 00:43:48.939
So I'm thankful for all
00:43:48.939 --> 00:43:50.208
of the Gospel accounts.
00:43:50.208 --> 00:43:52.291
But, Joshua, if you could read for us
00:43:52.291 --> 00:43:54.617
John 5, beginning with verse 36
00:43:54.617 --> 00:43:56.266
through verse 38?
00:43:56.266 --> 00:43:57.856
(Joshua) Alright, I'll be reading
00:43:57.856 --> 00:44:01.458
from the New King James Version,
John 5:36-38:
00:44:26.974 --> 00:44:28.428
(Derek) So even if the Father
00:44:28.428 --> 00:44:31.954
had never spoken audibly,
00:44:31.954 --> 00:44:35.150
the testimony of the Father is seen in...?
00:44:35.150 --> 00:44:36.307
(Team) The Son.
00:44:36.307 --> 00:44:37.968
(Derek) How?
00:44:37.968 --> 00:44:38.930
(Team) His life.
00:44:38.930 --> 00:44:40.670
(Derek) By the things He did, right?
00:44:40.670 --> 00:44:43.017
"No man can do these things,"
00:44:43.017 --> 00:44:45.272
Nicodemus said, "unless God
00:44:45.272 --> 00:44:46.969
is with Him," right,
00:44:46.969 --> 00:44:50.010
so just the testimony of His life.
00:44:50.010 --> 00:44:51.200
But there were times,
00:44:51.200 --> 00:44:53.268
we mentioned the baptism, we mentioned
00:44:53.268 --> 00:44:54.980
the Mount of Transfiguration.
00:44:54.980 --> 00:44:57.385
Let's go to John, chapter 12.
00:44:57.385 --> 00:44:59.586
Gladys, could you read for us
00:44:59.586 --> 00:45:01.802
beginning in verse 27.
00:45:01.802 --> 00:45:04.138
We're getting very close
00:45:04.138 --> 00:45:05.834
to the arrest of Jesus now.
00:45:05.834 --> 00:45:08.676
This is right at the end of His ministry,
00:45:08.676 --> 00:45:10.760
and some people come.
00:45:10.760 --> 00:45:13.306
Let's see what happens in John 12,
00:45:13.306 --> 00:45:15.538
verses 27 through 30.
00:45:15.538 --> 00:45:19.332
(Gladys) John 12, verses 27 to 30:
00:45:56.692 --> 00:45:57.979
(Derek) Why did some people
00:45:57.979 --> 00:46:00.390
hear it as thunder?
00:46:00.390 --> 00:46:01.868
I think there were some people
00:46:01.868 --> 00:46:03.992
at the baptism that didn't hear,
00:46:03.992 --> 00:46:06.194
"This is my beloved Son."
00:46:06.194 --> 00:46:08.396
What do you think, Travis?
00:46:08.396 --> 00:46:10.554
Why did they think it was thunder?
00:46:10.554 --> 00:46:11.648
Someone else says, "No,
00:46:11.648 --> 00:46:14.246
I think an angel was speaking."
00:46:14.246 --> 00:46:16.150
(Travis) So, I'm going back to something
00:46:16.150 --> 00:46:17.906
we talked about earlier, and that is
00:46:17.906 --> 00:46:19.860
in the Corinthians where it talked
00:46:19.860 --> 00:46:22.520
about him blinding the eyes of the mind.
00:46:22.520 --> 00:46:26.490
(Derek) Satan, the ruler
of this world, right,
00:46:26.490 --> 00:46:27.508
blinding our eyes?
00:46:27.508 --> 00:46:28.215
(Travis) Yeah.
00:46:28.215 --> 00:46:29.675
(Derek) So, that could be why?
00:46:29.675 --> 00:46:31.214
(Travis) One place in Scripture,
00:46:31.214 --> 00:46:34.537
"Give me ears to hear, " you know, so...
00:46:34.537 --> 00:46:36.433
(Derek) "Spiritual things..."
00:46:36.433 --> 00:46:37.486
(Derek, Team) "...are
00:46:37.486 --> 00:46:38.612
spiritually discerned,"
00:46:38.612 --> 00:46:40.294
(Derek) The Apostle Paul says.
00:46:40.294 --> 00:46:42.719
So, the Father is speaking,
00:46:42.719 --> 00:46:45.580
and the unreceptive heart
00:46:45.580 --> 00:46:47.956
or the deaf ears only hear...?
00:46:47.956 --> 00:46:48.893
(Team) Thunder.
00:46:48.893 --> 00:46:50.804
(Derek) Noise, right?
00:46:50.804 --> 00:46:54.586
I think when the Lord, risen Christ,
00:46:54.586 --> 00:46:58.218
spoke to Saul of Tarsus, "Saul,
00:46:58.218 --> 00:47:01.139
Saul, why are you persecuting Me?"
00:47:01.139 --> 00:47:02.728
that some of his entourage,
00:47:02.728 --> 00:47:04.355
some of his bodyguards
00:47:04.355 --> 00:47:07.779
didn't hear that, right?
00:47:07.779 --> 00:47:10.200
They just saw the light.
00:47:10.200 --> 00:47:12.226
So, again we come back to the need
00:47:12.226 --> 00:47:13.896
for a receptive heart.
00:47:13.896 --> 00:47:16.872
But why are these testimonies,
00:47:16.872 --> 00:47:20.642
baptism, transfiguration, right before...
00:47:20.642 --> 00:47:24.115
By the way, "I have glorified My name,
00:47:24.115 --> 00:47:25.677
and I will glorify it..."?
00:47:25.677 --> 00:47:27.580
(Team) "...again."
00:47:27.580 --> 00:47:28.882
(Derek) What's that?
00:47:28.882 --> 00:47:33.032
When has He already glorified His name?
00:47:33.032 --> 00:47:36.372
In the ministry of Jesus, right,
00:47:36.372 --> 00:47:37.593
life and ministry.
00:47:37.593 --> 00:47:39.310
And when will He glorify it again?
00:47:39.310 --> 00:47:40.410
(Travis) Resurrection.
00:47:40.410 --> 00:47:43.730
(Derek) On the cross and the resurrection
00:47:43.730 --> 00:47:45.644
and the ascension, right,
00:47:45.644 --> 00:47:47.910
and the exultation where Jesus
00:47:47.910 --> 00:47:49.355
is given a name...?
00:47:49.355 --> 00:47:50.950
(Derek, Team) Above all names.
00:47:50.950 --> 00:47:53.777
(Derek) Yes, so, "I've glorified it;
00:47:53.777 --> 00:47:55.201
I will glorify it again."
00:47:55.201 --> 00:48:00.808
Why do you think these overt testimonies
00:48:00.808 --> 00:48:03.304
of God the Father are important?
00:48:03.304 --> 00:48:06.520
Not only for Jesus, not only for those
00:48:06.520 --> 00:48:08.988
who heard with a receptive heart,
00:48:08.988 --> 00:48:11.669
but also for us? Anybody?
00:48:11.669 --> 00:48:12.868
What do you think? Jason?
00:48:12.868 --> 00:48:14.218
(Jason) I think just as John
00:48:14.218 --> 00:48:16.607
had confidence, that bold humility,
00:48:16.607 --> 00:48:17.712
we, too, can have that
00:48:17.712 --> 00:48:19.642
as we read the Scriptures and understand
00:48:19.642 --> 00:48:21.106
how God had done a great work
00:48:21.106 --> 00:48:22.622
in Jesus' life, and that we can
00:48:22.622 --> 00:48:24.178
share in that same work as well.
00:48:24.178 --> 00:48:26.543
(Derek) Okay, so that's written down.
00:48:26.543 --> 00:48:29.559
We just read it because the Holy Spirit
00:48:29.559 --> 00:48:32.544
inspired Matthew (we read from Matthew),
00:48:32.544 --> 00:48:35.315
Mark (we read from Mark), John
00:48:35.315 --> 00:48:37.612
to write those things down, right,
00:48:37.612 --> 00:48:40.259
so we could hear it. Yes, Sabina.
00:48:40.259 --> 00:48:42.143
(Sabina) And we just started our lesson
00:48:42.143 --> 00:48:43.662
talking about the chasm that is
00:48:43.662 --> 00:48:45.098
between God and us
00:48:45.098 --> 00:48:46.767
in understanding God, that there is
00:48:46.767 --> 00:48:49.246
a need for His self-revelation to us.
00:48:49.246 --> 00:48:51.682
And I think that especially distinguishes,
00:48:51.682 --> 00:48:54.499
like, recognizing that He was God.
00:48:54.499 --> 00:48:57.134
No one else, apart from God the Father,
00:48:57.134 --> 00:48:58.454
the Son and the Holy Spirit
00:48:58.454 --> 00:49:00.591
can testify of that, right?
00:49:00.591 --> 00:49:02.600
So that's why I think it's so important
00:49:02.600 --> 00:49:04.527
that not only people saw the works,
00:49:04.527 --> 00:49:05.933
and they recognized there was
00:49:05.933 --> 00:49:08.044
something special, but also God Himself
00:49:08.044 --> 00:49:09.422
was able to communicate that
00:49:09.422 --> 00:49:11.888
in that very special way.
00:49:11.888 --> 00:49:15.521
(Derek) In this setting, Jesus says,
00:49:15.521 --> 00:49:17.107
"The words were spoken not for Me
00:49:17.107 --> 00:49:20.315
but for you," but I think at the baptism,
00:49:20.315 --> 00:49:22.900
correct me if I'm wrong, help me, anybody,
00:49:22.900 --> 00:49:27.212
Cory, Zandile, team members here,
00:49:27.212 --> 00:49:30.401
that the voice spoken at His baptism
00:49:30.401 --> 00:49:33.041
was also for His benefit
00:49:33.041 --> 00:49:35.578
as well as others like John the Baptist.
00:49:35.578 --> 00:49:38.628
The voice on the Mount of Transfiguration
00:49:38.628 --> 00:49:41.890
was also for Him to encourage Him.
00:49:41.890 --> 00:49:43.712
I don't know, Puia, what do you think?
00:49:43.712 --> 00:49:45.962
(Puia) When I try to put myself
00:49:45.962 --> 00:49:47.897
in the shoes of the people at that time,
00:49:47.897 --> 00:49:50.009
they probably were not used to the idea
00:49:50.009 --> 00:49:52.344
of God having a Son,
00:49:52.344 --> 00:49:55.290
because they grew up being taught
00:49:55.290 --> 00:49:58.820
that God is one, and there is only one.
00:49:58.820 --> 00:50:02.236
And for God to have a Son, it was
00:50:02.236 --> 00:50:05.529
a strange idea, so the Father testifying
00:50:05.529 --> 00:50:07.604
that this was His Son, I believe,
00:50:07.604 --> 00:50:11.729
would have broadened their understanding
00:50:11.729 --> 00:50:13.329
of the nature of God.
00:50:13.329 --> 00:50:14.905
(Derek) "This is My beloved Son."
00:50:14.905 --> 00:50:16.338
Zandile, you want to add
00:50:16.338 --> 00:50:18.827
to the discussion.
00:50:18.827 --> 00:50:20.230
(Zandile) Yeah, I want to add
00:50:20.230 --> 00:50:22.216
on what Puia just said.
00:50:22.216 --> 00:50:23.894
Back in the Old Testament, He said
00:50:23.894 --> 00:50:26.810
in the mouth of two witnesses or three,
00:50:26.810 --> 00:50:29.761
it let whatever it was be established.
00:50:29.761 --> 00:50:32.285
And now I see God going back to His Word
00:50:32.285 --> 00:50:34.529
and establishing the fact that Jesus
00:50:34.529 --> 00:50:37.395
was His Son because He testifies of Him
00:50:37.395 --> 00:50:39.311
more than two times.
00:50:39.311 --> 00:50:41.404
(Derek) Right, well, the testimony
00:50:41.404 --> 00:50:43.112
is in the works Jesus is doing
00:50:43.112 --> 00:50:45.149
and in the word the Father is speaking.
00:50:45.149 --> 00:50:47.438
Well, let's look, the last testimony -
00:50:47.438 --> 00:50:50.101
we're talking about More Testimonies
00:50:50.101 --> 00:50:52.282
about Jesus - is the testimony
00:50:52.282 --> 00:50:55.837
of Jesus Himself.
00:50:55.837 --> 00:50:57.501
And we could look at many verses,
00:50:57.501 --> 00:51:02.328
but I want to focus in on John 7.
00:51:02.328 --> 00:51:04.663
In fact, we talked about this, didn't we,
00:51:04.663 --> 00:51:05.505
on the last day,
00:51:05.505 --> 00:51:07.764
the great day of the feast.
00:51:07.764 --> 00:51:09.494
Cory, if you could read that for us
00:51:09.494 --> 00:51:15.136
in John 7:37,38, and let's see
00:51:15.136 --> 00:51:19.363
how Jesus testified about Himself.
00:51:19.363 --> 00:51:21.272
(Cory) From the New King James Version:
00:51:41.529 --> 00:51:43.336
(Derek) I think, Travis, when we were
00:51:43.336 --> 00:51:44.626
talking about The Testimony
00:51:44.626 --> 00:51:46.823
of the Samaritans, that living water
00:51:46.823 --> 00:51:47.936
that Jesus spoke about.
00:51:47.936 --> 00:51:49.789
But let's go down to verse 40 now,
00:51:49.789 --> 00:51:51.915
Tendi, if you could read in John 7,
00:51:51.915 --> 00:51:55.756
let's see how those present responded
00:51:55.756 --> 00:51:57.234
to this bold testimony of Jesus
00:51:57.234 --> 00:52:01.612
about Himself, verses 40 to 44 of John 7.
00:52:01.612 --> 00:52:02.935
(Tendi) And I'll be reading
00:52:02.935 --> 00:52:04.555
from the New King James:
00:52:41.999 --> 00:52:45.614
(Derek) By the way, "take Him,"
take Him...?
00:52:45.614 --> 00:52:46.612
(Travis) To kill Him.
00:52:46.612 --> 00:52:47.955
(Derek) To kill Him, right,
00:52:47.955 --> 00:52:50.670
take Him by force.
00:52:50.670 --> 00:52:53.661
In fact, as we pick up in verse 45
00:52:53.661 --> 00:52:56.100
down through 49, we'll see
00:52:56.100 --> 00:52:59.060
that the chief priests had already sent
00:52:59.060 --> 00:53:02.434
a detachment of soldiers to arrest Him.
00:53:02.434 --> 00:53:05.217
And, Joshua, if you could read that for us
00:53:05.217 --> 00:53:10.264
in John 7, verses 45 to 49,
00:53:10.264 --> 00:53:13.138
they've gone; their mission
00:53:13.138 --> 00:53:15.867
is to arrest Jesus, and let's see
00:53:15.867 --> 00:53:17.914
their testimony about Jesus.
00:53:17.914 --> 00:53:19.070
(Joshua) I'll be reading
00:53:19.070 --> 00:53:20.610
from the New King James Version:
00:53:44.947 --> 00:53:47.509
(Derek) Now, I don't know what happened.
00:53:47.509 --> 00:53:49.195
I don't know, they were told, "Go
00:53:49.195 --> 00:53:50.381
and arrest Jesus."
00:53:50.381 --> 00:53:53.360
So I imagine the soldiers, the officers,
00:53:53.360 --> 00:53:55.870
the temple guard, they go.
00:53:55.870 --> 00:53:58.111
And the crowd is there, and so as they
00:53:58.111 --> 00:53:59.541
are kind of getting closer,
00:53:59.541 --> 00:54:04.539
they start hearing Jesus speak.
00:54:04.539 --> 00:54:05.785
And what's their reaction?
00:54:05.785 --> 00:54:07.355
Well, we know later because they
00:54:07.355 --> 00:54:08.419
tell the chief priest.
00:54:08.419 --> 00:54:09.720
What's their reaction?
00:54:09.720 --> 00:54:12.659
(Team) "No man spoke like this."
00:54:12.659 --> 00:54:13.665
(Sabina) Surprise.
00:54:13.665 --> 00:54:15.160
(Derek) "The people who sent us
00:54:15.160 --> 00:54:17.175
don't talk like this," right?
00:54:17.175 --> 00:54:18.047
(Team) Right.
00:54:18.047 --> 00:54:19.533
(Derek) Right? They don't speak
00:54:19.533 --> 00:54:22.381
with authority from a living connection
00:54:22.381 --> 00:54:24.779
with the heavenly Father.
00:54:24.779 --> 00:54:26.290
So I don't know; you'll have
00:54:26.290 --> 00:54:27.695
to help me on this.
00:54:27.695 --> 00:54:30.512
I don't know if they were so impacted
00:54:30.512 --> 00:54:32.479
by what they were hearing
00:54:32.479 --> 00:54:35.394
that they forgot why they were there!
00:54:35.394 --> 00:54:36.279
(Team) Possibly.
00:54:36.279 --> 00:54:39.060
(Derek) Has that ever happened to you?
00:54:39.060 --> 00:54:39.979
You went somewhere,
00:54:39.979 --> 00:54:41.937
and you forgot why you went there?
00:54:41.937 --> 00:54:44.068
And say, "I've got to go back."
00:54:44.068 --> 00:54:45.960
I don't know whether they went back
00:54:45.960 --> 00:54:49.686
saying, "Okay, time for lunch."
00:54:49.686 --> 00:54:51.548
I don't know, maybe they knew
00:54:51.548 --> 00:54:55.740
exactly why, but they felt
00:54:55.740 --> 00:55:00.177
incapacitated by the powerful words
of Jesus.
00:55:00.177 --> 00:55:02.074
(Team) Amen.
00:55:02.074 --> 00:55:04.190
(Derek) What can we learn from this story?
00:55:04.190 --> 00:55:05.168
By the way, that was
00:55:05.168 --> 00:55:06.489
their testimony, right?
00:55:06.489 --> 00:55:09.108
What was their testimony about Jesus?
00:55:09.108 --> 00:55:10.331
(Derek, Team) "Nobody..."
00:55:10.331 --> 00:55:11.671
(Team) "...spoke like Him."
00:55:11.671 --> 00:55:13.875
(Derek) "...spoke like this Man speaks."
00:55:13.875 --> 00:55:16.488
We've got just a couple of minutes left.
00:55:16.488 --> 00:55:18.291
Take a big look at the picture here.
00:55:18.291 --> 00:55:20.523
What lessons can we learn, Viara?
00:55:20.523 --> 00:55:21.880
What can we learn from this?
00:55:21.880 --> 00:55:23.864
(Viara) I have times when I go to church,
00:55:23.864 --> 00:55:26.778
and I only hear, "Blah, blah, blah,
blah, blah, blah, blah..."
00:55:26.778 --> 00:55:27.747
(Derek) I don't know
00:55:27.747 --> 00:55:28.847
how to translate that.
00:55:28.847 --> 00:55:30.836
(Viara) Or I open the Word of God,
00:55:30.836 --> 00:55:32.955
and I only hear, like, "Blah..."
00:55:32.955 --> 00:55:35.115
I don't get touched.
00:55:35.115 --> 00:55:37.872
And then I pray to God,
00:55:37.872 --> 00:55:39.666
and I'm like, "God, if You're real,
00:55:39.666 --> 00:55:40.870
please talk to me."
00:55:40.870 --> 00:55:44.275
And I have to say that the Holy Spirit
00:55:44.275 --> 00:55:46.996
is so real and present, even today.
00:55:46.996 --> 00:55:50.044
And when I say this prayer, my ears open,
00:55:50.044 --> 00:55:52.161
my eyes open, and I hear something
00:55:52.161 --> 00:55:53.714
that touches my heart, and I see
00:55:53.714 --> 00:55:55.287
the reality and presence of God.
00:55:55.287 --> 00:55:57.088
(Derek) Powerful. Now, I just had
00:55:57.088 --> 00:56:00.679
an epiphany, an awareness.
00:56:00.679 --> 00:56:02.934
I wonder if when Jesus saw
00:56:02.934 --> 00:56:05.713
the temple guards coming to arrest Him,
00:56:05.713 --> 00:56:12.281
He prayed, "Holy Father, open their ears!
Open their..."
00:56:12.281 --> 00:56:14.400
(Derek, Team) "...eyes."
00:56:14.400 --> 00:56:15.890
(Derek) The religious leaders
00:56:15.890 --> 00:56:19.912
are blind and deaf, but the temple guards
00:56:19.912 --> 00:56:21.928
don't come for a revival meeting;
00:56:21.928 --> 00:56:23.447
they come because they've been
00:56:23.447 --> 00:56:24.896
asked to arrest Him.
00:56:24.896 --> 00:56:26.091
Do you think Jesus prayed
00:56:26.091 --> 00:56:27.855
even for the temple guards
00:56:27.855 --> 00:56:29.306
that God would open their ears
00:56:29.306 --> 00:56:30.265
and open their eyes?
00:56:30.265 --> 00:56:33.024
Anybody else, closing lesson. Puia.
00:56:33.024 --> 00:56:34.020
(Puia) Enough people
00:56:34.020 --> 00:56:36.263
have testified about Jesus.
00:56:36.263 --> 00:56:37.819
We only have to read the stories
00:56:37.819 --> 00:56:40.483
and open our hearts for us to receive
00:56:40.483 --> 00:56:42.423
that revelation of God, too.
00:56:42.423 --> 00:56:43.329
(Team) Amen.
00:56:43.329 --> 00:56:44.850
(Derek) I just want to challenge
00:56:44.850 --> 00:56:46.647
you today, and we've heard,
00:56:46.647 --> 00:56:49.358
read the story, but also pray
00:56:49.358 --> 00:56:52.744
that the Holy Spirit would take away
00:56:52.744 --> 00:56:54.347
that blinder the enemy
00:56:54.347 --> 00:56:56.998
has put in front of us so that we can see
00:56:56.998 --> 00:57:00.262
and we can hear the truth about Jesus,
00:57:00.262 --> 00:57:02.840
about the immeasurable and unfailing love
00:57:02.840 --> 00:57:05.163
of God that He came to reveal
00:57:05.163 --> 00:57:08.118
from our heavenly Father.
00:57:08.118 --> 00:57:10.431
That is a miracle!
00:57:10.431 --> 00:57:12.289
And it can happen for you and for me.
00:57:12.289 --> 00:57:14.278
In fact, I think it needs to happen
00:57:14.278 --> 00:57:17.266
day by day, because the distractions
00:57:17.266 --> 00:57:19.694
of this world are all around us.
00:57:19.694 --> 00:57:22.000
And, friend, when that happens,
00:57:22.000 --> 00:57:23.916
we've been learning from the testimonies
00:57:23.916 --> 00:57:28.378
that have been given, we will be changed,
00:57:28.378 --> 00:57:30.529
transformed, and become
00:57:30.529 --> 00:57:32.663
living witnesses for Him.
00:57:32.663 --> 00:57:35.000
Let's pray; Father in Heaven, we've heard
00:57:35.000 --> 00:57:36.710
some powerful testimonies today,
00:57:36.710 --> 00:57:39.453
and I just thank You, that even when we
00:57:39.453 --> 00:57:41.449
don't have all of the answers
00:57:41.449 --> 00:57:44.120
that we can say, "I know who Jesus is,
00:57:44.120 --> 00:57:45.608
and I'm going to press close
00:57:45.608 --> 00:57:47.514
to Jesus my Savior."
00:57:47.514 --> 00:57:50.146
I pray that for each one,
00:57:50.146 --> 00:57:51.880
and may lives around us be blessed.
00:57:51.880 --> 00:57:54.595
In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
00:57:54.595 --> 00:57:55.711
(Team) Amen.
00:57:55.711 --> 00:57:58.276
(Derek) Thanks for joining us
for Hope Sabbath School.
00:57:58.276 --> 00:57:59.856
We're not done with the journey,
00:57:59.856 --> 00:58:01.254
Themes in the Gospel of John,
00:58:01.254 --> 00:58:02.981
life-changing messages.
00:58:02.981 --> 00:58:04.632
The key to that message:
00:58:04.632 --> 00:58:06.446
Press close to Jesus.
00:58:06.446 --> 00:58:08.020
And then go out and be a blessing
00:58:08.020 --> 00:58:09.413
to those around you.
00:58:09.413 --> 00:58:33.146
♪ music ♪