Anchors of Truth

One in the Messiah

Three Angels Broadcasting Network

Program transcript

Participants: Alex Schlussler

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Series Code: AOT

Program Code: AOT000106


00:13 Welcome to Anchors Of Truth live from Plantation, Florida.
00:18 One In Messiah with Alex Schlussler.
00:22 Well welcome to Plantation, Florida.
00:26 Beautiful, beautiful Plantation, Florida.
00:29 You know, this is one of the nicest places
00:31 I think I've ever been.
00:32 It's a beautiful church, beautiful people.
00:34 We've had a wonderful time.
00:35 The weather has been a little iffy.
00:37 Yeah, but listen.
00:38 When you look at what they're having around the country,
00:41 I will take 60 degrees and raining over...
00:45 You know, I'm calling back to Illinois and I'm saying,
00:50 "Oh man, we're having terrible weather here.
00:52 It's raining."
00:53 And they say it's below zero at the office.
00:59 So, I don't feel so bad about the rain at that point.
01:04 And you know, you don't have all this beautiful greenery
01:06 without a little rain now and then.
01:07 That's very, very true.
01:08 So we take this opportunity to welcome you to the first
01:12 Anchors Of Truth for 2014.
01:14 That's right, this is an Anchors Away, as you call it.
01:16 This is an Anchors Away.
01:17 And we are in beautiful south Florida.
01:21 Plantation is right next door to Fort Lauderdale.
01:25 Which is right next door to Miami.
01:28 Which is right next door to Cuba.
01:32 So we're having a really blessed time here.
01:38 Friendly wonderful folks here in this church.
01:42 And we've got some special programs the next few days.
01:46 Yeah, we're very, very excited, Jim, about this particular
01:49 Anchors Away because it highlights Jewish ministry,
01:54 Jewish history, Jewish work.
01:56 So we're very, very excited to be here,
01:58 to be in this particular church.
01:59 Our lineup of speakers are those that are familiar
02:02 to the 3ABN audience.
02:03 And you know, Jim, last year third quarter,
02:05 we did our one hundredth Anchors.
02:08 And that was in the third quarter.
02:11 And then we had that long stretch with no Anchors
02:13 because we had so much.
02:14 We were in Israel, and then we did ASI, and camp meeting,
02:17 and that long meeting with Ron Halverson.
02:19 Then we got a little short Anklet in for December.
02:22 And now we start off the year with this full
02:24 Jewish heritage Anchors.
02:26 And we're very, very excited about it.
02:27 And we really are.
02:28 We've got tomorrow night, we'll have Jeff Zeremsky.
02:32 Then after that, we're going to have a very special live.
02:38 And we have an announcement that will be made tomorrow night
02:43 by one of the speaker/directors of one of the worldwide
02:49 ministries located out in Thousand Oaks that...
02:54 No it's not. Simi Valley now.
02:57 ...that is going to tell us something about the
03:01 relocation of one of those ministries.
03:04 So we've got some sort of earth shaking news tomorrow night
03:07 after the particular message.
03:08 And we're going to let that speaker/director
03:10 himself tell us.
03:11 He's going to be joining us probably by telephone.
03:14 But he will tell us about it tomorrow night.
03:17 Then right after that, we'll have a few minutes of that,
03:20 then afterwards we will have a panel with each of the speakers
03:25 that are part of this "One In Our Messiah" series.
03:30 You and I will have the privilege of sitting
03:33 with Ralph Ringer, with Sasha Bolotnikov,
03:38 and with Jeff Zeremsky, and our speaker tonight, Alex.
03:43 - How does Alex say his name? - Schlussler.
03:45 - Schlussler, alright. - Yes.
03:47 And we will have that privilege tomorrow night.
03:51 We are really looking forward to these next few days.
03:55 We are, we are.
03:56 This is going to be an exciting time.
03:58 Yeah, why don't you lead us in a little prayer.
04:01 I'll be glad to do so. Shall we bow our heads.
04:02 Gracious Father, we thank You so very much
04:05 for the privilege we have of lifting up the mighty
04:09 and matchless name of Jesus.
04:11 We thank You, Lord, for the call that brings each of us
04:13 from darkness to light and from error to truth,
04:16 and from the crooked way to the straight and narrow one.
04:19 We ask for Your presence and Your power this night
04:22 for the speaker, for the singers, and for the
04:24 millions around the world who will sit and consume
04:28 what we have to offer.
04:30 In the name of Jesus anoint Alex, anoint the singers,
04:34 bless this program.
04:35 And may some soul who needs to hear a word from the Lord,
04:39 hear that word this very night and be encouraged
04:43 as together we walk the road that leads to glory.
04:47 We love You, Lord. We praise You.
04:49 And we thank You for Your power and Your presence.
04:52 - In Jesus name, amen. - Amen.
04:55 You know, I met Pastor Alex a few years ago.
04:58 And just really fell in love with he and his wife.
05:03 And they are wonderfully committed people.
05:07 They originally came here from Colorado.
05:13 And I think they still have a daughter, and maybe a
05:15 granddaughter, in Colorado.
05:19 You're going to be able to see Mrs. Schlussler...
05:24 Am I saying that right? Getting close.
05:27 I will keep working on it.
05:28 Alex and she will be singing with the group
05:32 we're going to hear from in just a moment.
05:34 But this is a gentleman who God has really blessed.
05:41 And he has been leading out in the series that
05:45 we do on 3ABN called, Back to Our Roots.
05:49 And you're going to find out some more folks
05:53 that are also part of that when Sasha gets here.
05:59 And what's the lady's name that's on that program too?
06:03 - Oh boy, I should have... - Rachel.
06:04 Rachel, Rachel. That's right.
06:06 And Rachel, since, is married since she began that series.
06:11 So we just really love these three people.
06:16 I can't call them young, because they're mature.
06:18 But they are younger than I am.
06:22 But they really bring us some great programs.
06:27 And those of us that have had the privilege of watching
06:30 Back to Our Roots, we've been very impressed.
06:32 So Pastor Alex will be speaking tonight.
06:36 His subject, One in The Messiah, which is the title
06:40 of our entire series.
06:42 What about the music tonight?
06:44 Well it's coming from the Praise Team.
06:46 And I'm going to pop on my glasses here and
06:48 read all the names of each Praise Team member.
06:52 Sabrina, Dane, Keka, Lashelle, Anjanette
06:57 are part of the Praise Team.
06:58 Keyboard, Michael.
07:00 And then Brantley on drums.
07:03 So we're going to call the Praise Team forward.
07:05 After they shall have sung, the next voice you will hear
07:08 will be that of our pastor, our friend of this church,
07:11 Alex Schlussler.
07:44 This is the air I breathe,
07:51 this is the air I breathe;
07:57 Your holy presence
08:04 living in me.
08:13 This is my daily bread,
08:21 this is my daily bread;
08:27 Your very word
08:33 spoken to me.
08:40 And I'm desperate for You.
08:55 And I'm lost without You.
09:13 This is the air I breathe,
09:20 this is the air I breathe;
09:26 Your holy presence
09:32 living in me.
09:42 This is my daily bread,
09:49 this is my daily bread;
09:55 Your very word
10:01 spoken to me.
10:08 And I'm desperate for You.
10:23 And I'm lost without You.
10:38 And I'm desperate for You.
10:52 And I'm lost without You.
11:06 I'm lost without You.
11:13 I'm lost without You.
11:24 This is the air I breathe.
11:32 This is the air I breathe.
11:48 Amen.
11:49 Thank you, worship team.
11:52 What a blessing to praise the Lord.
11:55 This is the air we breathe.
11:57 Well I want to welcome everyone tonight;
11:59 those here with us, Plantation Church family,
12:03 and those joining us over the air.
12:06 I want to thank 3ABN so much for allowing us
12:10 to be a part of this program, Anchors of Truth.
12:14 And as Jim said tonight, I want to talk to you about
12:18 the theme, One in Messiah.
12:21 You know, if we were given the opportunity to ask Jesus,
12:25 right here, right now, I mean, if He was to be standing here
12:29 and we were to say, "Lord, what is the most important teaching
12:35 that You brought?
12:36 I mean, what one thing, Jesus, would You place above
12:41 everything else in the Bible?
12:45 We, as Your followers, what would it be?
12:48 What would You want us to hear?"
12:52 And I wonder how He would respond to that?
12:54 I wonder what Jesus would say,
12:56 "To Me, this is the most important thing."
13:01 Well if you have your Bibles with you tonight,
13:04 please turn to Matthew chapter 22
13:07 beginning at verse 34.
13:10 Matthew chapter 22 beginning at verse 34.
13:15 And while you're turning, you'll have to excuse me
13:17 if you see me doing this.
13:19 But right before I was about to go up,
13:21 the nose piece on my glasses broke off.
13:24 And it was one of these things that I had to break
13:26 the other side off too.
13:28 Otherwise, my glasses would have been...
13:32 I need some sticky Holy Spirit.
13:37 Matthew chapter 22 verse 34, "But when the Pharisees heard
13:42 that He had silenced the Sadducees,
13:44 they gathered together.
13:47 And one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question,
13:51 to test Him, 'Teacher, which is the greatest
13:56 commandment in the law?'
13:59 And He said to him, 'You shall love the Lord your God
14:03 with all of your heart, and with all of your soul,
14:07 and with all of your might.
14:11 This is the greatest and the first commandment.
14:15 And the second is like unto it.
14:18 You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
14:22 On these two commandments depend all of the
14:25 Law and the Prophets.'"
14:28 You know, Jesus here is speaking from the Torah.
14:32 The Torah is the first five books of the Bible.
14:35 Also known as the books of Moses.
14:38 Jesus is speaking and He quotes in that passage
14:42 from both Deuteronomy and from Leviticus.
14:45 First, He quotes from Deuteronomy chapter 6 verse 4.
14:50 And He says, this is a portion that is known as the Shema,
14:56 "Sh'ma Yis'ra'eil Adonai Eloheinu Adonai echad."
15:01 "Hear, Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One."
15:07 You know, these, even in the first century, were the
15:10 most important words that a Jew could speak from the Torah.
15:14 Not just in the first century, but today as well
15:18 it is equally as important.
15:20 He then adds from the book of Leviticus.
15:23 Leviticus chapter 19 and verse 18,
15:27 "Ve'ahavta lere'acha kamocha."
15:30 "But you shall love your neighbor as yourself."
15:36 So what is Jesus telling this teacher of the law,
15:42 this Pharisee?
15:44 You know, of all of the commandments found in Torah,
15:47 Jesus says that these two rise above all.
15:54 Of all of the things that Jesus could say,
15:57 even from the ten commandments, He says of all of the things,
16:04 these two; love God, love man.
16:08 He even goes as far to say that all of the prophets
16:12 and all of the writings.
16:13 That was the rest of what they would know
16:16 as the Old Testament.
16:18 The rest hangs on that.
16:22 We then move forward.
16:26 We move to the last night that Jesus is on the earth.
16:31 On that last night before Jesus goes to the cross,
16:37 He begins to do what He now does eternally.
16:42 He begins to intercede.
16:44 He begins to pray.
16:48 Jesus begins to pray for His disciples, His followers.
16:56 See, beyond His death, I think that Jesus expected this
17:00 dynamic and growing church that is going to last
17:04 throughout the ages.
17:05 This is what He saw.
17:08 I think that when Jesus looked into the face of Peter
17:12 on that night in that circle of eleven, He saw behind Peter
17:16 the whole of Pentecost.
17:19 He saw thousands that would believe because of the things
17:23 that Peter would preach.
17:26 When He looked into the face of John, He saw
17:30 the church of Ephesus.
17:33 He saw all the churches of Asia Minor
17:35 and the spreading of the gospel.
17:39 And maybe even when He saw that gap where Judas Iscariot was,
17:46 surely He saw the face of Sha'ul, of Paul.
17:53 And behind Paul, the multitudes that would come to know
17:58 because of the words that Paul would share.
18:01 You see, across every generation, across the oceans,
18:04 right down to this very moment, even those sitting here,
18:08 those watching online, those watching on their televisions,
18:13 He is praying for everyone of us.
18:17 He is praying for all that will believe because of the words
18:22 of those eleven, of those original disciples.
18:26 Jesus prayed one thing.
18:29 He prayed for the unity of His disciples.
18:33 He prayed for the unity of all Christians,
18:36 for the unity of His body, for the unity of His church.
18:41 That we would make an impact on the world in such a way
18:44 that the whole world would believe
18:47 that the Father has sent Him.
18:51 In John chapter 17, that famous prayer that Jesus prayed
18:56 is divided into three sections.
18:58 First in verses 1 through 5, Jesus prays for Himself.
19:02 "God, strengthen Me."
19:05 Then in verses 6 through 19, He prays for that group
19:09 of eleven disciples.
19:11 Then in verses 20 through 26, which is what we're going to
19:15 look at tonight, He prays for all the believers yet to come.
19:20 So turn with me now to John chapter 17
19:23 beginning at verse 20.
19:25 And let's see what Jesus prayed for you and for me
19:29 on that night before the cross.
19:30 And by the way, something that I do want to share with you,
19:34 something that has in the past really moved upon my heart.
19:38 And it's this; of all of the things that we find
19:40 in the Bible, you know, for the most part
19:43 everything there we apply to ourselves by application.
19:48 In other words, it was spoken to or about somebody else,
19:53 but of course, we can apply it to ourselves.
19:56 Amen?
19:57 But here, Jesus is speaking to you, to me.
20:03 He's praying for us.
20:06 "Not only do I pray these," the eleven, "but I pray for
20:09 all of those who will believe because of their words."
20:13 Guess what.
20:14 That's you.
20:16 Jesus is looking into the future.
20:19 And He's praying for you.
20:22 And of all of the things He could have prayed,
20:24 listen to what He says.
20:26 Beginning at verse 20.
20:29 "I do not only ask for these, but also for those who will
20:33 believe in Me through their words."
20:35 Okay, now He's talking about us.
20:37 "That they may all be one, just as You, Father, are in Me,
20:43 and I in You; that they may also be in Us,
20:49 so that the world may believe that You have sent Me."
20:55 Of all the things, Jesus, that He could have prayed for,
20:59 He prays for what?
21:01 That we would love one another.
21:05 That we would be united to one another.
21:10 And you know the really interesting thing
21:12 that I believe...
21:13 Now we understand, or you should understand,
21:16 that these narratives, the gospel narratives,
21:19 they were originally penned in Greek.
21:22 Yes?
21:24 And they've been translated to whatever Bible language
21:27 you are comfortable with.
21:29 English, or French, or Spanish, or Hebrew,
21:33 or whatever it may be.
21:35 But originally, they were penned in Greek.
21:38 Now I want to propose something to you.
21:40 Something for you to think about.
21:42 That, yes, they were written in Greek,
21:45 but those that brought the thoughts, the culture that
21:49 they lived in, they weren't Greeks.
21:52 They were Hebrews.
21:54 They were Jews.
21:56 And their thought process was as a Hebrew, as a Jew.
22:02 And I say this only because I believe that when Jesus
22:07 speaks, "that they may all be one," in His mind
22:11 is a particular word.
22:14 A very particular word.
22:16 The word, "echad;" one.
22:19 In Deuteronomy chapter 6 verse 4, the Shema,
22:25 "The Lord our God is one."
22:29 Echad; one.
22:31 Now when we think about that, the unity that exists
22:35 between God the Father and the Son is a perfect "one."
22:40 Amen?
22:41 It's not a pair, but a perfect "one."
22:45 And I believe that this is exactly the word
22:48 that Jesus is using when He speaks about us.
22:53 About us being one.
22:56 Echad.
22:57 Just as He and the Father are one.
23:00 So you and I are echad, one. Amen?
23:05 He goes on to say in verse 22, "The glory that You have
23:09 given Me, I have given to them, that they may be one," echad,
23:15 "even as We are one," echad.
23:19 "I in them, and You in Me; that they may become
23:23 perfectly one," echad.
23:25 Do you get the point that He keeps repeating this?
23:27 It must be important to Him.
23:31 "So that the world may know that You sent Me
23:34 and loved them even as You have loved Me."
23:42 Wow.
23:44 Now let's move on to verse 24 and listen how Jesus
23:48 continues talking to His Father.
23:51 "Father, I desire that they also whom You have given Me..."
23:55 Now He's talking about all of those who are His people, right.
24:00 "...may be with Me where I am, to see My glory
24:03 that You have given Me, because You loved Me
24:06 before the foundation of the world.
24:08 O righteous Father, even though the world does not know You,
24:12 I know You; and these know that You have sent Me.
24:17 I made known to them Your name, and I will continue to
24:20 make it known that the love with which You have loved Me
24:24 may be in them, and I in them."
24:33 So what could Messiah have prayed for the final moments
24:40 before His arrest, before He's going to go to the cross?
24:45 Do you understand the impact of this prayer in John 17?
24:50 The timing and the importance of it?
24:54 He might have prayed for His own strength.
24:56 He might have prayed that the eleven would support Him.
24:59 That at least they wouldn't flee.
25:03 That they would really absorb His teachings.
25:06 Instead, this prayer is dominated by a single thought.
25:12 The unity of the disciples, and of their followers; us.
25:20 One in Messiah.
25:21 Jesus knew that the church could never have the impact
25:25 on the world that He desired it to have unless the world saw
25:29 in that church a oneness, a unity, that could only
25:33 exist supernaturally.
25:35 Because, listen, in the world nobody gets along.
25:38 Not really.
25:39 Everyone is out to get what they get for themselves.
25:46 Now listen, the church of our world has never taken
25:51 these words of Jesus as serious as they deserve.
25:55 And it breaks my heart, but it's the truth.
25:59 Jesus prays that the unity between believers and Himself,
26:02 between believers and the Father,
26:04 and between believers and other believers, us,
26:09 will have the same character as the unity between
26:12 Him and the Father.
26:16 It's amazing.
26:17 And you know what?
26:18 The history of the Christian church offers all too
26:21 ample proof that this prayer was desperately needed.
26:26 Unfortunately, for the most part it has been not heeded.
26:33 In that original group, even if we go back to the first century,
26:36 you know, there were incredible tensions that were created
26:39 between James and John.
26:42 When not long before that, they had asked,
26:44 "Who's going to sit at the right hand of Jesus?"
26:48 "Who's going to have the better place?"
26:51 You know, earlier that same evening, the disciples,
26:54 they're fuming with rage because they had this
26:57 argument about who was going to be the greatest.
27:00 In fact, you know, in that little group,
27:05 there were tensions that we may not even think about.
27:09 There was Matthew, the publican, who had sold out to Rome.
27:14 And then there was Simon Peter, the zealot,
27:16 who had pledged to kill people like Matthew, the publican.
27:21 No wonder Jesus prayed for the original eleven,
27:25 "Lord, make them be one."
27:30 Jesus, He then moves beyond the eleven.
27:36 He prays for us and the generations to come.
27:39 In verse 21, what He prayed for them,
27:42 He then prays for all believers.
27:44 And we, we need to note here that Jesus asked God
27:48 to give us unity as a request.
27:51 Jesus asked God, "God, give them, Father, give them
27:54 the unity that You and I have."
27:57 That makes me think.
28:00 That means that unity is given and not achieved.
28:04 It is indeed received, or Jesus wouldn't have urged
28:08 the disciples to be one.
28:11 Rather, He looked to the Father and He said, "Grant them,
28:16 grant My followers, Father, that gift;
28:22 that they might be one."
28:24 See, the unity of God's people, brothers and sisters,
28:27 it can never be fabricated by men.
28:32 We can't make it happen.
28:34 It must be generated by the Spirit of God.
28:38 You know, the pattern for the unity of believers is unlike
28:41 anything else on earth.
28:44 It's nothing less than the unity of the Father and the Son.
28:47 Like I said, echad.
28:49 Just as they are one, He desires for us to be one.
28:54 It's not merely a unity of organizational purpose,
28:58 or feeling, or affection.
29:02 Just as the Father is in the Son and the Son is in the Father,
29:07 we are to be so related to each other.
29:12 How close are the Father and the Son?
29:18 See, Christians are drawn to one another because they're
29:20 drawn to a common center.
29:23 That center is Jesus.
29:27 I've said it many times before, that many of us
29:31 apart from knowing Jesus would have never known each other.
29:35 And there's the fact that we know Him that has drawn us
29:38 from all the corners of the earth to come together,
29:42 even tonight.
29:45 It is as if every one of us in the church were a piece
29:49 of this beautiful crystal, this beautiful chandelier,
29:53 that God is establishing, that He's making.
29:56 And at the top of the chandelier is the Father and the Son
30:00 and the Holy Spirit.
30:02 Three lights shining this one glorious light down upon
30:07 each one of us.
30:08 And each one of us taking a little piece of that light and
30:11 reflecting it out, off of each other, and out into the world.
30:18 That's the intention that Jesus has for the church.
30:23 And I think, I think, that many non-Christians...
30:27 I say, "I think."
30:28 I should say rather, I know that not just non-Christians,
30:32 but many Jews, have been confused by the body of Christ,
30:39 by the church, if not scandalized, by the distinctions
30:46 that exist between the various kinds of Christians.
30:51 We've seen division more than unity.
30:54 Eastern Orthodox versus Western.
30:57 Roman Catholic versus Protestant.
31:00 Hundreds of thousands of Protestants,
31:02 those denominations that are versus things that they don't
31:05 even know what they're versus against.
31:09 And thousands of one church denominations with no
31:13 affiliated organization.
31:18 How many lives have been sacrificed over the centuries
31:22 in wars between Christians?
31:26 How often does the media report loveless criticisms
31:29 of one Christian group by another?
31:33 You see, is that really the kind of unity that Jesus
31:38 was speaking about?
31:39 The kind of thing that He prayed for?
31:42 Of course not.
31:45 These glasses are driving me crazy.
31:51 Let me see how well I do.
31:52 I can't see you, but I can see what I need to see.
31:58 Praise God.
32:04 Think about the impact of a unified church.
32:09 The impact when the world believes that God the Father
32:14 sent Jesus the Son, just as Jesus said, "That the world
32:20 may see Us and then believe that the Father sent Me."
32:25 But what would it be like if the world looked at us
32:32 and we really were one, echad, as Jesus has prayed?
32:40 What kind of impact can you imagine would happen?
32:46 See, only the sight of united disciples, of united followers
32:51 in Jesus, will ultimately convince the world
32:55 of the truth that Jesus is Lord.
33:00 See, Jesus wasn't just talking about getting along,
33:04 agreeing to disagree, finding common ground.
33:08 Some believe, "If we could just get some kind of united
33:11 global theology, we would compel the world to believe."
33:17 But, you see, united theology never promised to compel
33:20 the world to believe.
33:22 Human eloquence never promised to compel the world to believe.
33:26 The size of our churches never promised to compel
33:30 the world to believe.
33:31 No denominational program, slogan, or goal will compel
33:35 the world to believe.
33:38 Because we live in a world of disunity.
33:42 We find disunity everywhere.
33:44 From our homes and our families, our workplaces,
33:47 our local, our state, our national government.
33:50 Nobody gets along.
33:54 Only one single thing will compel the world to believe.
34:00 Brothers and sisters, that is a supernatural oneness
34:05 in the family of God.
34:08 John 13 verse 35 says this, "By this all men will know that
34:15 you are My disciples; if you love one another."
34:23 See, a truly unified community of people is supernatural.
34:33 Because it doesn't happen any other way.
34:37 People will get along because they have ulterior motives.
34:42 "I'm going to befriend that person because if I'm
34:45 friends with that person, I'm networking with that person
34:49 and I can maybe get a better job, or..."
34:53 No.
34:58 The world is so disunited that a perfectly unified church
35:03 compels the world to confess with their mouth
35:08 that Jesus is Lord.
35:12 On the other hand, so much the opposite is true.
35:17 A disunited church reverses all the work of Messiah.
35:23 It renders our witness to Him powerless and without affect.
35:28 You know, there's a danger here that we have to see.
35:32 Because we can reverse all that is to be accomplished
35:37 by this oneness that Jesus prayed for.
35:43 Would you strike down the cross of Calvary?
35:48 Or roll the stone back to cover up the empty tomb of Jesus?
35:52 Would you say to the Holy Spirit of Pentecost,
35:55 "Go back to the Father. Leave this world."
35:59 You wouldn't, I don't think.
36:02 I wouldn't, I pray.
36:06 But according to the words of Jesus, if we do not reflect
36:12 the unity that He desires, we just as well
36:15 strike down the cross, roll back the stone,
36:18 send back the Spirit to the Father.
36:21 Because the world will not believe that the
36:23 Father sent the Son unless we demonstrate it
36:28 in spiritual oneness.
36:32 And you know, whenever that happens
36:34 amazing things occur.
36:38 Think back to the book of Acts.
36:41 Think to the second chapter of Acts and the beautiful
36:44 passages, verses, at the end of the second chapter of Acts
36:47 that describes this unified body, these people
36:52 that came together.
36:54 Right? The Scriptures says that they broke bread together.
36:57 They shared the teachings of Jesus, the apostle's teachings.
37:01 Everything that they had, they shared with each other.
37:04 They loved one another.
37:07 And you know what?
37:09 People came.
37:11 Scripture says the Lord added to them daily.
37:15 But I truly believe that when we are doing
37:19 what God has asked us to do, for no other reason
37:23 than to love each other, to be echad, one,
37:28 God sends people.
37:32 You know, there's a million different programs
37:35 that exist out there on how to grow churches.
37:40 And the one that Jesus told us, we just can't get it in our
37:45 heads and our hearts to do it.
37:48 Just love each other.
37:50 Just be one with each other.
37:54 Only the unleashed power of Jesus can impact our
37:58 world in that way.
38:00 And Jesus' power is unleashed on the world
38:03 when you and I truly are one.
38:09 When we love an agape kind of love.
38:13 An agape kind of love that doesn't, not seeking anything,
38:17 but just because.
38:20 The same way God loves the Son, and the Son loves us.
38:27 Jesus doesn't put requirements to say, "Well, if you do this,
38:30 and you do this, and you do this, then I'll love you."
38:34 Jesus just loves.
38:37 And this is what He's asking of us.
38:42 Just because God has given us a gift,
38:48 and Jesus has prayed, you see, church, we can't just be passive
38:54 and sit back and say, "How come nothing is happening?"
39:00 That's like receiving a present that you sit and you look at,
39:03 but you never take the paper off.
39:05 You never unwrap it, you never open it up,
39:07 you never use it.
39:11 I believe that Jesus has given us the greatest key
39:16 to reach the lost in the world.
39:20 And it's so simple nobody can believe it.
39:24 Just love each other.
39:26 Genuinely love each other.
39:28 Because when people come, when you're around people
39:32 at work, when you are out on the street,
39:35 people are attracted to it.
39:37 You know why?
39:38 Because they're desperate for it.
39:41 They're hungry for it.
39:44 And I am convinced that even the strongest atheist,
39:48 deep in their heart, want to believe that Jesus is real.
39:56 And the greatest reason that they don't believe is because
39:59 throughout time we have failed to do what Jesus asked us to do.
40:07 So where do I do it?
40:10 Inside the church?
40:12 Outside the church?
40:14 Listen, when we're here, when we're in the church,
40:17 we must act, each one of us, as a unifying personality.
40:22 What do I mean?
40:23 We should always be seeking common ground.
40:26 Seeking to be a unifier, not a divider.
40:30 And there's so many people that are there just looking for
40:33 their little slice, their little piece,
40:36 instead of "ours."
40:39 You know, it's like when a young couple comes together,
40:44 the first thing they have to learn is the difference
40:46 between where it use to be about me, now it's about us.
40:51 And it's no different.
40:55 You know, the blunt truth about any church
40:58 is that there's probably dozens plus of opinions
41:02 at any one time about dozens of things that
41:04 the church is trying to do.
41:07 But every one of us, every believer, must make a
41:10 decision to be a unifier in the midst of God's people,
41:13 not a divider.
41:15 Because when we do, listen, all we're doing in opening the door
41:18 for Satan to step right in.
41:20 There needs to be this kind of unity.
41:23 And it's not only needed in the church, but more importantly,
41:26 we are to take the mission, go and make disciples
41:30 outside of these walls, and to be out there
41:33 doing what Jesus has asked us to do.
41:37 You know, Jesus even talked about it;
41:39 it's easy to love someone who loves you.
41:41 Now go out there and love someone who hates you.
41:45 Because Jesus didn't discriminate who He loved.
41:51 Even the Pharisees that hated Him.
41:53 Even those who stood there and mocked Him
41:56 as He died on the cross, what did He say?
41:59 "Father, forgive them.
42:01 They don't know what they're doing.
42:02 They don't get it."
42:06 Do you realize that every Sabbath that we gather,
42:11 or for those that worship on Sunday, that come together
42:15 on Sunday, in areas all over our communities
42:17 and our cities, there are people that are home
42:22 not going to experience Jesus.
42:25 Because on Monday morning they hear Christians showing up
42:29 at work in the office, in the plants, in the factories,
42:32 criticizing their church, criticizing other believers.
42:35 Talking about, "Oh, did you hear this and that," and so on.
42:40 And it has made them cynical and it has deafened their ears
42:45 to hear the truth of the gospel.
42:49 It is literally possible, brothers and sisters,
42:52 to commit spiritual murder outside the church
42:56 in the world when we, who ought to be one,
42:59 go out instead presenting it as, "Well, this is what I like
43:04 and they don't like it."
43:06 That instead of presenting echad, one, we present,
43:12 "They don't know what they're doing.
43:13 We're the only ones."
43:16 We criticize everything.
43:19 What does Jesus say?
43:22 "In the church and in the world be one
43:25 by what you say, by what you don't say."
43:27 Sometimes that's even more important.
43:31 If every believer would guard their lips,
43:37 what I say will be unifying rather than dividing.
43:42 If we would just think.
43:44 And when I hear that which is not unifying,
43:48 I make a choice, not only to not participate,
43:51 but to refute it.
43:52 To stand up for it.
43:56 See, in the close of that prayer in John 17,
44:00 Jesus then turns and prays for the glory of the church.
44:06 Jesus prays that the present church on earth,
44:09 and the future church which we are a part of,
44:13 will see glory.
44:15 Don't you want to see glory?
44:19 That the glory will be the visible manifestation
44:22 of these divine attributes.
44:27 See, that's what we see when we look at God.
44:30 Can I suggest that this is what we should see when we
44:33 look at one another?
44:36 Messiah has already revealed all the glory
44:38 we can comprehend here.
44:40 In verse 22, Jesus says, "I have given them the glory that
44:44 You have given Me, that they may be one."
44:47 Even now, when we get our eyes off of one another and
44:51 contemplate the revealed glory of God and Messiah,
44:54 we are one.
44:57 The glory transforms us.
45:00 Paul spoke to the church in Corinth,
45:02 "We are being transformed into His likeness
45:05 with an ever increasing glory."
45:13 The glory that is outward.
45:16 The visible expression of the love between the Father
45:20 and the Son that's talked about in the last part of this verse.
45:25 Jesus saying, "The glory You have given Me because You
45:28 love Me before the creation of the world."
45:30 Brothers and sisters, do you understand that before you were
45:34 created, God knew you.
45:36 Before you were formed, God loved you.
45:39 God planned that you would be even right
45:41 where you are tonight.
45:46 Our churches, our communities, will never be fully united
45:50 by looking at a pastor or a program,
45:53 or even looking at one another.
45:58 And listen, our relationships, our associations, will never
46:03 be fully united by looking at any leader or program.
46:07 We've got to look to Jesus.
46:11 Jesus, and Jesus alone.
46:13 See, to the extent that we look at Jesus
46:18 is the extent that we touch the world.
46:22 We wonder why people don't believe.
46:27 We wonder why, when for so many of us, it just seems so obvious.
46:36 We read it and we, "How can they not believe?"
46:43 Because we, as the body of Christ,
46:46 have done a horrible job.
46:52 And I know that some would say, "How can we take responsibility
46:57 for those before us?"
47:00 But, church, if we don't, it will never change.
47:06 And as I begin to wrap this up, some of things that I will
47:10 say now may be hard for some people to hear.
47:14 But Jesus said it's not easy.
47:19 See, many of you, those that have followed the
47:24 Back To Our Roots program, or those that know me,
47:27 know that my heritage, my family, we are Jews.
47:33 I didn't come to know Jesus until I was 30 years old.
47:37 But I knew many Christians before then.
47:42 And for me the issue was, me against them.
47:51 I never saw any difference in their life.
47:55 I never saw anything that compelled me to want to know
47:59 who Jesus was.
48:03 Can you imagine how incredibly surprised I was
48:11 when I found out that Jesus is Jewish?
48:17 What!
48:19 How can that be?
48:23 What?
48:25 It made no sense to me.
48:29 It made no sense to me because those who had been placed
48:34 around me did not live as Jesus had asked them to live.
48:42 Paul speaks about being provoked to jealousy.
48:48 I had nothing to be jealous about.
48:51 Because what I saw in them was no different than me.
48:58 I saw arguing, I saw fighting, I saw people talking about
49:05 this church was better than that church.
49:07 Don't go there, go here.
49:11 See, to me, I didn't know any difference between
49:14 Catholic and Protestant.
49:16 To me, as a Jew, it was all just people that
49:22 believed Jesus was God.
49:26 And I have to say, that it was one man who exhibited the
49:35 love of Christ in a way that I had never seen
49:39 that caused me to even open a New Testament Bible.
49:44 The truth.
49:47 It was how I saw this man, who would later become
49:51 my stepdad.
49:54 How he acted towards my mother was something I had never seen;
49:58 him being a Christian, a godly man.
50:02 What is this?
50:04 I've never seen anyone act like this before.
50:08 And then to my surprise, to open the Bible
50:11 and to find out that Jesus was Jewish.
50:15 And that He had come to the Jewish people.
50:24 We have an amazing opportunity.
50:29 An opportunity to reach people that would never
50:33 in a million years you would think desire to hear
50:37 about Jesus.
50:40 And we don't reach our friends and our family
50:44 and communities by handing them cards and walking away,
50:50 by putting up tents and hoping they walk through the door.
50:55 Yes, there are people that get touched by that.
50:58 But I'm telling you, statistically if you
51:01 look into it, most people that come to know Jesus
51:04 come because a friend led them to Jesus.
51:07 Because they saw oneness in that person.
51:14 They saw a love that they couldn't explain.
51:17 They saw a gentleness that made no sense.
51:20 They saw a people getting along in a way that, like,
51:23 "How can this be?"
51:25 Because people don't get along, right?
51:27 We just argue.
51:31 But when we follow Jesus, everything changes.
51:36 I want to tell you something.
51:37 The devil runs, if he's got a tail it goes between his legs,
51:44 when God's people are echad, one.
51:49 When we are one, there is nothing he can do.
51:54 Because it is the thing that Jesus placed above all.
51:59 To love God and to love man.
52:04 It is, in Jesus' words, the highest of all
52:10 of the commandments.
52:13 And I know for many of us, we look at the Ten Commandments
52:16 and we think, "There's so many things that seem
52:20 so much more important, Jesus."
52:26 But Jesus says, "Love each other."
52:32 Listen, do you want to see a world begin to turn
52:38 even before Jesus comes back?
52:44 I don't know when He's coming.
52:47 Every generation has believed that there's was the one
52:50 that He was going to come.
52:52 Even starting there in the first century,
52:55 they were looking for it.
52:57 But you see, that's what separates Jesus' followers
53:02 from those who just want to be called Christians.
53:06 And I hope I'm not talking to those that just want to be
53:09 called Christians tonight.
53:13 I hope I'm talking to people that want to be His followers,
53:19 His disciples.
53:21 In Hebrew, that's "talmidim."
53:24 An interesting thing about a disciple is,
53:27 you can't be a disciple without a relationship.
53:32 And you can't have a relationship if you don't
53:34 know somebody.
53:36 And the first step in becoming a follower, a disciple, of Jesus
53:40 is to know Him.
53:42 And you can't know Him if you don't know His heart.
53:46 And what is His heart?
53:48 "I pray that they would all be one,
53:52 that the whole world would know that the Father has sent Me.
53:57 Just as the Father and Son are one."
54:02 Echad.
54:04 Maybe you'll remember that word; echad.
54:08 I know for some it's a little hard.
54:10 You've got to get the "kh" sound in there.
54:13 Echad.
54:15 For husbands and wives, we want to be, you want to be echad.
54:18 I want to be one.
54:23 For fathers to sons, and mothers to sons,
54:26 and sons to daughters, and mothers to daughters,
54:28 and on and on; we want to be echad.
54:34 We want to be one in Him.
54:38 So to the extent we all look to Jesus,
54:43 we will be drawn to one another.
54:46 Isn't that amazing?
54:48 That the more that you and I follow Him,
54:54 if we are truly following Him, then we cannot but help
55:00 love each other.
55:03 Right?
55:05 So how do you love your neighbor?
55:09 How do you love the person across the pew from you
55:12 that took your seat?
55:13 And you're thinking, "You know I sit there every week.
55:17 How dare you take my seat."
55:21 You say, "Jesus, I'm following You."
55:25 Because Jesus doesn't care where He sits.
55:29 Amen?
55:32 And then you can turn to that same person and say,
55:36 "I really love you.
55:38 Even if you did take my seat."
55:42 I want to close now with what I believe to be
55:48 a beautiful portion of Scripture.
55:51 See, as Jesus lifted His hands and He began to ascend
55:56 into the heavens, it's recorded in the gospel narratives,
55:59 that He lifted His hands and He prayed, not just for those
56:06 that were there to see Him ascend, but I believe
56:09 He prayed over the whole world.
56:16 He prayed because He wanted us to reflect His glory.
56:21 Amen?
56:23 And He used the words that God had spoken
56:26 to Moses so long before.
56:30 God had spoken to Moses and said, "Moses, I want you to
56:33 take these words and I want you to place them
56:36 upon Aaron, My high priest.
56:38 Give them to him that he may place them upon My people."
56:44 And it's found in Numbers chapter 6.
56:47 And He said, "May the Lord bless you and may He keep you.
56:52 May the Lord make His face to shine upon you
56:56 and be gracious to you.
56:58 May the Lord lift His countenance upon you
57:00 and bring you His peace."
57:03 Now He wouldn't have said it in English, I don't think.
57:06 And I don't know the tune for sure, but it may have
57:09 sounded like this.
57:11 Yevarechcha Adonai, veyishmerecho.
57:19 Ya'er Adonai panav 'eleicha, vichunneko.
57:24 Yissa Adonai panav 'eleicha, veyasem shalom.


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Revised 2014-12-17