3rdQuarter 2013_Lesson_07 Unity the Bond of Revival

7/27/2019 3rdQuarter 2013_Lesson_07 Unity the Bond of Revival

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Lesson 7 for August 17, 2013


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I do not pray for these alone, butalso for those who will believe in Methrough their word; that they allmay be one, as You, Father, are in

Me, and I in You; that they alsomay be one in Us, that the worldmay believe that You sent Me. Andthe glory which You gave Me I havegiven them, that they may be one

just as We are one: I in them, andYou in Me; that they may be madeperfect in one, and that the worldmay know that You have sent Me,and have loved them as You have

loved Me(John 17:20-23)

Why was so important for Jesus that we

may be one, with hearts as one? Could

you relate that with revival?


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For as the body is one and has

many members, but all the membersof that one body, being many, areone body, so also is Christ Now youare the body of Christ, andmembers individually (1 Corinthians 12:12, 27)

The bonds of unity which unite

member with member of the church

are to be as firm and harmonious in

their operation as are the different

parts of the natural body. The hands,

head, and feet are so closely united,

and so mutually dependent, that one

member cannot live and act

independently of the other membersE.G.W. (Manuscript Releases, t. 19, MR No. 1414, p. 370)


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having been built on the foundation of the apostles andprophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone,

in whom the whole building, being fitted together, growsinto a holy temple in the Lord (Ephesians 2:20-21)

How can I be a

living stone

(2P. 2:5) that helps

in making mychurch grow in

unity?


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Our Mission The mission of the

Seventh-day Adventist Church is to

proclaim to all peoples the everlasting

gospel in the context of the Three

Angels' messages of Revelation 14:6-12, leading them to accept Jesus as

their personal Savior and to unite with

His church, and nurturing them in

preparation for His soon return.(Official declaration of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church)

How can sharing one mission and one

goal help in building our unity?


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Although the mission of the Church has

been the same since Jesus

commissioned it, the specific message

It should highlight has been changing

over time, depending on the

circumstances.

Peter talked about a present truth

(2P. 1:12). For the Waldensians, that

present truth was the study of the

Bible and identifying the Catholic

Church as Babylon. For Luther and the

first Reformers, the highlighted truth

was the justification by faith.

Which is the present truth for the

Adventist Church in the End Time?

How can that message lead us to

internal unity?

As a united Church, we mustpreach the message of:

The Heavenly

Sanctuary

The Investigative

Judgment

The message of the

three angels


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For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the thingsthat are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you (Titus 1:5)

The unity of the Church depended on Itsorganization from Its very beginning.

1. The authority of the apostles was

accepted (Acts 1:12-26)

2. The authority of the deacons was

accepted (Acts 6:1-7)3. When Jesus contacted Saul, He directed

him to the organization of the Church

(Acts 9:1-19, 26-31)

4. The Church accepted the decisions of the

Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15:1-31)5. The elders were accepted as leaders in

the local churches (Acts 20: 27-32)

Could we achieve unity if every

believer acted independently?


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To provide for the support of the ministry, for carrying the

work in new fields, for protecting both the churches and the ministry

from unworthy members, for holding church property, for thepublication of the truth through the press, and for many other objects,

organization was indispensable

We sought the Lord with earnest prayer that we might understand His

will, and light was given by His Spirit that there must be order and

thorough discipline in the churchthat organization was essential.System and order are manifest in all the works of God throughout the

universe. Order is the law of heaven, and it should be the law of Gods

people on the earth

Let none entertain the thought that we can dispense with organization.

It has cost us much study and many prayers for wisdom, that we know

God has answered, to erect this structure. It has been built up by His

direction, through much sacrifice and conflict. Let none of our

brethren be so deceived as to attempt to tear it down, for you will thus

bring in a condition of things that you do not dream of. In the name of

the Lord I declare to you that it is to stand, strengthened, established,

and settledE.G.W. (Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, cp. 1, pg. 26-27)


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The mission, the

message and

organization areindispensable for the

unity of the Church.

Nevertheless, unity

could not be

achieved without thethree elements we

already studied.

1. Prayer

2. Bible study3. Witnessing

Those are powerful

elements that create,

foster, and sustain theunity of the church.

3rdQuarter 2013_Lesson_07 Unity the Bond of Revival

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