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Commentary on "Partnership With Jesus"
Day 3: Monday, March 21, 2011 - Worship and Church Community
13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into a mature man with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness. 14 Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit. 15 But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into Him who is the head—Christ. 16 From Him the whole body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building up itself in love by the proper working of each individual part (Ephesians 4:13-16).
The Quarterly takes verses 15-16 which are good but they are seen more completely by going from verse 13. If you really want a deeper understanding read the whole chapter, or even better the whole book.
We are called to worship together in unity, which let’s be honest rarely happens, however if we have the Holy Spirit in us we can indeed worship with others in unity. The unity of the Spirit.
When we worship with the power of the Holy Spirit we will come to a deeper Spirit led understanding of the scriptures. This will enable us to stand up against false teachings as we’ll be able to hold them up to what the Spirit has shown us, this can lead to surprises in that our Spirit led discoveries can point out to us that our current beliefs are going against what He is showing us.
I ask you if that happens will you trust the Spirit of God to guide you correctly or hold onto what man has told you from the pulpit or television?
Following the leading of the Spirit will bring forth transformation, it doesn’t leave you where you started, but moves you into a deeper understanding and more complete relationship with the Trinity.
As we attend church, Christ, who is the head, not the local conference, the union, or the General Conference, will lead us and fit us together.
The local and global church is also in a relationship with Christ, and you have Christ in you if you are born again. If the Holy Spirit is making you uncomfortable in the church you are in do you trust you manmade understanding and stay where you are…or continue in your relationship with the Spirit that live in you and trust the Holy Spirit to be right?
Remember that the Holy Spirit is God, and the Holy Spirit is in you moment you truly are born again. You can trust God to lead you rightly, don’t ever deny His leading though it may make you feel uncomfortable.
There are plenty of believers who worship in Spirit and in truth who used to be part of the Adventist Church, but followed the leadership of the Spirit, living in the new relationship with God that they entered when they were born again.
I leave you with Jesus words to Nicodemus about the Spirit led Christian in a relationship with God:
4 “But how can anyone be born when he is old? ” Nicodemus asked Him. “Can he enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born? ”
5 Jesus answered, “I assure you: Unless someone is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 Whatever is born of the flesh is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not be amazed that I told you that you must be born again. 8 The wind blows where it pleases, and you hear its sound, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit” (John 3:4–8).
Copyright 2011 BibleStudiesForAdventists.com. All rights reserved. Revised March 19, 2011. This website is published by Life Assurance Ministries, Glendale, Arizona, USA, the publisher of Proclamation! Magazine. Contact email: BibleStudiesForAdventists@gmail.com.
The Sabbath School Bible Study Guide and the corresponding E.G. White Notes are published by Pacific Press Publishing Association, which is owned and operated by the Seventh-day Adventist church. The current quarter's editions are pictured above.
Official Adventist Resources
Standard Edition Study Guide Week 13
Teacher's Edition Study Guide Week 13
