As we learned last night
the Bible says in Proverbs 22:1
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and a good name is more
to be desired than even great
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riches and Ecclesiastes
7:1 says a good name is better
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than precious ointment.
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We have been asking the
question, what does it mean for
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a Seventh-day Adventist
Christian to be unashamed in
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this time, in this context?
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And in answering that
question we have taken a look at
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the actual name
Seventh-day Adventist.
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Made up of two parts,
first part seventh day, which is
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a referent to the Sabbath.
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To what everyone?
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To the Sabbath, the Sabbath
has two primary, certainly
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not the only ones, the two
primary theological teachings
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or scriptural teachings.
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The first is creation
and the other is salvation.
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Creation - salvation.
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What is it mean for a
Seventh-day Adventist to be
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unashamed of
Christ in the year 2010.
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It means that we are unashamed
of the crucified Christ,
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can you say
Amen? Audience: Amen.
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That is the heart and
soul of what we preach.
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Everything that we preach
is in the context of Christ.
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Ellen White says on one
occasion, hanging upon the cross
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Christ was the gospel.
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She then goes on and
says, this is our argument,
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this is our reason, she
says this is our message,
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this is our doctrine.
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Christ and Him
crucified is our doctrine.
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On one occasion someone
wrote Ellen White and said,
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but wait a minute, what
about the three Angels messages?
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We keep hearing about
righteousness by faith.
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Righteousness by
faith, righteousness by faith,
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what about the
three Angels messages?
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In particular what about
the third angel's message and
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Ellen White responded
and said, the third angel's
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message is righteousness
by faith in Verity.
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It is not contradistinction
between the gospel and the
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end-time message
that God has given to us.
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So far from contradistinction
is absolute integration.
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So what does it mean
for me to be a Seventh-day
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Adventist Christian?
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It means I am unashamed of
crucified Christ and with the
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doctrinal package that
goes with the crucified Christ.
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Part of that doctrinal
package includes creation,
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and that is the other
element of the Sabbath.
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To be unashamed, in
this portentous hour in which
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we are living, it
means we are unashamed
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of the creative Christ.
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There is intense intellectual
pressure on us, the whole
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current of popular
opinion is pulling us toward
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materialism, pulling us
toward naturalism, pulling us
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toward evolutionism,
pulling us toward scientism,
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pulling us towards all
of these different godless
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enterprises and yet
Scripture is pulling us towards
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itself so we are in a
conflict, we are in a war being
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drug toward Scripture by
God's word, and being drug
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away by the world.
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This is a time where we
should be affirming in the most
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emphatic language that we
believe exactly what Scripture
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teaches, we
believe in Solis Scriptura.
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Can you say
Amen? Audience: Amen.
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I remind you again that
of all the Solis, the Solis
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Scriptura that paved the
way for the other battle cries
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of other Reformation, Sola
fide, Sola Gratia, Soli Deo
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Gloria, none of those would
have been available had they
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not said show it to
me from Scripture alone.
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Ellen White says that
in the last days there will
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be a people that will
stand on the Scriptures,
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and the Scripture alone.
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Will it look foolish?
Will it look foolhardy?
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Will it look unintelligent?
Will it look literalist?
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Will it look fundamentalist?
Yes to all of that.
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But I am going to do
it anyway. Audience: Amen.
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Everyone is
betting on something.
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I am betting on Jesus
and His word. Audience: Amen.
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If you are Seventh-day
Adventist I take it to mean
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you are as well,
so we are unashamed
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of the creative Christ.
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Then there is that
second part of our name, we have
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dealt with the seventh day
part, salvation and creation.
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The second part of
our name, Adventist.
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From Latin Adventus, which
means, does anyone remember,
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what does it mean?
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It means arrival, we are
anticipating that someone
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is coming, someone
is going to arrive.
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Who is said that we
anticipate His arrival?
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Who is that? That's Jesus.
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We believe the solution to
this world's problems are not
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political, in fact the
Bible says do not put your trust
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in princes, in the
arm of flesh in whom
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there is no help.
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If that was being written
today in modern times it would
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say, do not put
your trust in presidents.
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Do not put your
trust in politicians.
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Paul did tell us to pray
for the king, but we need to
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be very careful that we
are not getting caught up in
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the various
political machinations.
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People say to me are you
a Democrat or Republican?
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I say I'm a
Christian. Audience: Amen.
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It doesn't mean we are
totally divorced from the
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political process, and I
don't want to get into this
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part particularly but
only to say that in this last
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election there was a
vigor, there was a sense, and
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Barack Obama basically
campaigned, his entire campaign
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was based under the
heading of hope and change.
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Well hey good, I want hope
and change too, but let's be
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crystal clear about something.
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The kind of hope that the
human heart is calling out
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for, and the kind of change
that the human heart needs,
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Barack Obama cannot
deliver and neither can any
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politician, put not
your trust in princes.
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Put not your trust in
presidents, put your trust in
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the potentate,
put your trust in God.
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Audience: Amen.
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These are not political
statements, they're scriptural
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statements, these are
biblical statements since we are
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anticipating the only
solution to the massive problems
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that face the planet Earth.
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Probably you have seen the
news lately, you would have
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to be asleep to not see
the increasing momentum to see
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the monolithic problems that
we are facing, it's economic.
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You cannot look to a
single area of society in the
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world in which we
are not facing some kind
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of a significant crises.
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Let's talk about the economy,
is there a crisis there?
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Yes! The global
economy is in a crisis.
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What about the governmental
systems, and militaries?
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Is there a crises
there? Absolutely a crisis!
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What about morality?
Is there a crises there?
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There is an absolute crisis.
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What about the
condition of the Earth and the
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environmental circumstances
in which we find ourselves?
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Again I do not want to
get involved in all of that.
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The bottom line is this,
you cannot look to any area,
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any segment, any place
in society or the culture at
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large and not say man, we
are living in strange times.
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We are living on the verge,
the very edge of eternity.
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We believe that
Jesus is coming soon.
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Do you believe that, yes or no?
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Audience: yes!
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Tonight we are going to
talk about the unashamed of the
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coming Christ and you
might think, incorrectly, that
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tonight will be a sermon
on the signs of the times.
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I'm getting to the place
in my evangelistic meetings
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where I don't even preach
the signs of the times much
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anymore because it
goes without saying.
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You don't need to stand up
and tell people that we are
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living at the end of time.
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People sense, even the
irreligious, unreligious minded,
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secular minded people,
there is a sense in the air that
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we are living in weird times.
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To stand up and tell people
here's all the evidence is
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almost to weaken your
case because everyone sees it.
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There is no need to preach
a sermon on the signs of the
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times right now, perhaps
there is a place for that.
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Certainly there is a place
for that, but I think there
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is something of even
greater significance.
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Perhaps greater is the
wrong word, I don't want to make
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it sound like I'm
some super insightful guru.
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That is not what I am saying,
what I'm saying is simply
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this, there is something
even more urgent that should be
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pressing itself upon your
mind and your attention then
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the signs of the time.
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That is what we are
going to talk about.
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Being unashamed
of coming Christ.
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We find that all three
of the central doctrines
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components right in
three Angels messages.
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Perhaps you will join me there.
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Revelation, where is that found?
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Audience: Revelation 14!
- Very good Revelation 14.
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As we discussed yesterday,
Revelation 14 is regarded
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by virtually all
historicists, 12, 13, and 14,
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as in many ways the
climax or centerpiece of
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the book of Revelation.
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It's constructed on what
theologians call chiasma from
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the Greek letter Cia
that looks like an X.
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The basic point is that
if you begin in Chapter 1 and
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work toward the middle,
and then you go to chapter 22
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and work toward the middle
you are going to basically,
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you have
correspondence there and there.
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There and there, there
and there, there and there.
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Like two sets of steps
going up to the summit,
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at the summit they tell
us, I think it is exactly
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accurate based on my
own study, is basically
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Revelation 12, 13, and 14.
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Now remembers that
word that we encounter over,
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and over, and over
again, they are in that summit
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Revelation 12, 13,
and 14, what is that word?
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And who remembers how
many calls to false worship?
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Yeah seven, and how
many calls to true worship,
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to the true Creator God?
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Just one, it is as if God
said I don't have to repeat
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Myself, just one time is enough.
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What does He do when He
calls us to worship Him?
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He reminds us of
the Sabbath command.
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I so appreciated Dr.
Rhonda Freed, he came up to me
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last night and said
David you were right,
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but you could have been righter.
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He said you say that
there were four verbal parallels
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made heaven, sea and earth.
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He said there's
actually nine verbal parallels.
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He said if you
look at it is a direct,
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it is not an illusion,
it is a direct quotation
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of the Sabbath commandment.
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So in that one single call
to true worship, John quotes
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the Sabbath
commandment, can you say Amen?
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Audience: Amen.
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But look what
happens just after that.
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Just after that we have
the second Angels message,
00:10:31.13\00:10:34.30
verse 8, describing the
radical religious confusion
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at the end of time.
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"And another angel
followed them saying, Babylon is
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"fallen has fallen,
that great city because she
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"made all nations think of
the wine of the wrath of her
00:10:42.76\00:10:45.10
"fortifications,"
second Angels message.
00:10:45.10\00:10:46.60
Third Angels message is
in verse 9, "then the third
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"angel followed saying
with an loud voice if anyone
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"worships the beast and
his image or receives his mark
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"on his forehead, on his
hand. He himself shall also
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"drink of the wine of the
wrath of God, which is poured
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"out full strength into
the cup of his indignation.
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"He shall be tormented
with fire and brimstone in the
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"presence of the holy
angels and the presence of the
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"Lamb. And the smoke of
their torment ascends forever
00:11:04.13\00:11:06.50
"and ever; and they
have no," no what? "No rest."
00:11:06.50\00:11:08.83
Maybe they have no rest because
they're not keeping the Sabbath.
00:11:08.83\00:11:11.43
"They have no rest day nor
night, who worship the beast
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"and his image, and whoever
sees the mark of his name.
00:11:19.53\00:11:22.03
"Here is the patience of
the saints; here are those who
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"keep the commandments of
God and the faith of Jesus."
00:11:24.46\00:11:26.83
Beloved I want to be
in that number, verse 12,
00:11:26.83\00:11:29.53
can you say
Amen? Audience: Amen.
00:11:29.53\00:11:31.33
I want that to be me and
then verse 13, notice what it
00:11:31.33\00:11:33.20
says, "then I heard a
voice from heaven saying to me,"
00:11:33.20\00:11:35.80
"write: Blessed are the
dead who die in the Lord from
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"now on. Yes, says the
Spirit, that they may rest from
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"their labors, and
their works follow them."
00:11:41.10\00:11:42.70
And then in verse 14, what
is the very next thing after
00:11:42.70\00:11:44.76
we see these three
Angels messages go through in
00:11:44.76\00:11:47.63
successive fashion.
00:11:47.63\00:11:49.06
The very next thing we
see is the second coming,
00:11:49.06\00:11:51.30
in other words, what are
pioneers believed and had
00:11:51.30\00:11:53.53
what I believe, and
probably what you believe,
00:11:53.53\00:11:56.00
I hope you believe is
that these messages not only
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precede the second
coming, but they actually
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bring about the second coming.
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The powerful, fearless,
unashamed preaching of these
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messages, and Christ at
the center of these messages.
00:12:08.50\00:12:12.23
The everlasting gospel,
is what ushers in the second
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coming, Jesus Himself
said, this gospel of the kingdom
00:12:15.53\00:12:18.80
shall be
preached in all the world,
00:12:18.80\00:12:20.90
does anyone know the next words?
00:12:20.90\00:12:22.90
As a witness and
then the end shall come.
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In many ways the second
coming is the message dependent.
00:12:27.23\00:12:32.66
It's dependent on you,
that is by Peter says we can
00:12:32.66\00:12:36.80
haste the coming of the Lord.
00:12:36.80\00:12:38.93
Now it stands to reason
that if we can haste it,
00:12:38.93\00:12:41.56
what can we also do?
00:12:41.56\00:12:44.10
Audience: delay
it We can delay it.
00:12:44.10\00:12:45.70
That is what we are
going to be talking about
00:12:45.70\00:12:48.43
momentarily, but
look at first 14.
00:12:48.43\00:12:49.70
"Then I looked," what is
the result of these messages?
00:12:49.70\00:12:52.83
What happened when
these messages go forth in
00:12:52.83\00:12:54.53
Spirit inspired power.
00:12:54.53\00:12:56.43
"then I looked, and behold,
a white cloud, and on the
00:12:56.43\00:12:58.80
"cloud sat One like the
Son of Man, having on His head
00:12:58.80\00:13:01.46
"a golden crown," He is
the King, King of Kings and
00:13:01.46\00:13:04.10
Lord of lords, "in
His hand a sharp sickle.
00:13:04.10\00:13:07.06
"And another angel came
out of the temple, crying with
00:13:07.06\00:13:09.10
"a loud voice to Him who
sat on the cloud, thrust in
00:13:09.10\00:13:11.40
"your sickle and reap,
the time has come for you to
00:13:11.40\00:13:13.66
"reap, for the
harvest of the earth is ripe."
00:13:13.66\00:13:16.96
What is the word everyone?
Ripe, maturation, something
00:13:16.96\00:13:21.16
has happened, is now
time, maturation has taken place
00:13:21.16\00:13:25.36
and we are talking
about this in my seminar.
00:13:25.36\00:13:26.90
There were the weeds and
the tears that people came to
00:13:26.90\00:13:29.56
the man that sowed the
field and said I want you to go
00:13:29.56\00:13:32.16
and gather them up.
00:13:32.16\00:13:33.36
His response was no, lest
wiling gathering up the weeds
00:13:33.36\00:13:36.03
you will uproot
some of the wheat.
00:13:36.03\00:13:37.30
Let's finish this with
me, let both grow together
00:13:37.30\00:13:42.76
until the harvest.
00:13:42.76\00:13:45.63
Something about the harvest,
there's something about the
00:13:45.63\00:13:48.43
maturation of both righteousness
and evil is necessary,
00:13:48.43\00:13:51.20
so Jesus your revelation
Chapter 14 is depicted as
00:13:51.20\00:13:54.20
thrusting in his sickle
and it says the harvest of the
00:13:54.20\00:13:57.20
earth is what is
the word everyone?
00:13:57.20\00:13:59.00
Ripe, right verse 16,
00:13:59.00\00:14:00.33
"So he sat on the cloud
thrust in his sickle on the
00:14:00.33\00:14:01.96
"earth and the
earth was reaped."
00:14:01.96\00:14:03.10
That is the second coming.
00:14:03.10\00:14:04.83
So right there in the
context of Revelation 14 we
00:14:07.40\00:14:10.00
have the crucified
Christ, we have the creative
00:14:10.00\00:14:12.56
Christ and we
have the coming Christ.
00:14:12.56\00:14:14.56
What does it mean for me,
David Asscherick, what does it
00:14:14.56\00:14:17.63
mean for you living in 2010
in an intellectually hostile
00:14:17.63\00:14:20.66
environment, can you say Amen?
00:14:20.66\00:14:22.03
Audience: Amen!
00:14:22.03\00:14:23.30
What is it meant be unashamed?
It means we are unashamed of the
00:14:23.30\00:14:26.33
crucified Christ, you are
on ashamed of the creative
00:14:26.33\00:14:28.93
Christ, and you are
unashamed of the coming Christ.
00:14:28.93\00:14:31.50
Now, I was baptized into
the Seventh-day Adventist
00:14:33.56\00:14:38.43
church, I was actually
one at a secular university
00:14:38.43\00:14:42.83
campus; I was exposed to
the message of Adventism on
00:14:42.83\00:14:47.23
the campus of the
University of Wyoming.
00:14:47.23\00:14:50.36
That is why a belief in
campus work, I believe the work
00:14:50.36\00:14:52.53
that these young people, we
are describing here tonight,
00:14:52.53\00:14:54.66
that work at campus
and other ministries.
00:14:54.66\00:14:56.20
Let me tell you that is
the time and sociological
00:14:56.20\00:14:59.00
studies have demonstrated
that that is a time of flux
00:14:59.00\00:15:01.63
in the life of a young
person, 18 to 21, because they
00:15:01.63\00:15:04.26
have left home and
everything is up in the air.
00:15:04.26\00:15:07.33
Many of the
professors take a little pride,
00:15:07.33\00:15:10.30
perhaps just the reality
that they begin to undermine,
00:15:10.30\00:15:14.20
purposefully or not, many
of the values and other things
00:15:14.20\00:15:18.03
that young people may
have brought with them.
00:15:18.03\00:15:20.76
So it is a time of flux,
it is a time of uncertainty,
00:15:20.76\00:15:24.00
it is a fantastic time
for people to make a decision
00:15:24.00\00:15:27.23
for Jesus Christ.
00:15:27.23\00:15:29.36
Campus Crusade's for Christ
in the evangelical world is
00:15:29.36\00:15:32.36
wildly successful in bringing
about convergence because
00:15:32.36\00:15:35.33
they understand this very point.
00:15:35.33\00:15:37.10
You are looking at
someone who is a case in point.
00:15:37.10\00:15:39.76
I was converted at a
public university setting and
00:15:39.76\00:15:42.40
I remember I was
baptized June 6, 1996.
00:15:42.40\00:15:44.66
When I read the great
controversy book I was so happy
00:15:44.66\00:15:47.66
that I had snuck in just
in time, because I was sure
00:15:47.66\00:15:50.63
Jesus was coming any moment.
00:15:50.63\00:15:53.56
After a little while people
would come to me, I had been
00:15:57.40\00:15:59.63
in the faith a year and
they would say, you know,
00:15:59.63\00:16:01.43
do you have a girlfriend?
00:16:01.43\00:16:03.33
I say Matt are you mad,
Jesus is coming soon who has
00:16:03.33\00:16:08.20
time for girls?
00:16:08.20\00:16:10.16
You think I'm kidding, I
was wild, if you think I'm
00:16:13.13\00:16:15.16
wild now this is nothing.
00:16:15.16\00:16:17.03
Then one day I laid my
eyes on this woman right here.
00:16:17.03\00:16:22.53
Even when I look at her
now, I have got to, I tell you
00:16:22.53\00:16:28.03
not to sit there
sweetie, sit back there.
00:16:28.03\00:16:30.33
Now I know she's there
and I will be looking at her
00:16:32.56\00:16:34.70
all night, but I laid
eyes on this woman and I waited
00:16:34.70\00:16:36.80
a full six weeks
before asking her to marry me.
00:16:36.80\00:16:40.10
Some people say are you
crazy, have you lost your mind,
00:16:40.10\00:16:42.50
you have asked your wife
to marry you after six weeks?
00:16:42.50\00:16:44.80
Beloved I was prepared
to do it after six hours.
00:16:44.80\00:16:47.53
Happily married now
10 year's, two children,
00:16:51.06\00:16:53.73
but here is
something very interesting.
00:16:53.73\00:16:55.03
When I fell in love with
her and she fell in love with
00:16:55.03\00:16:58.80
me, I hope, we got married
and used to have discussions
00:16:58.80\00:17:02.56
there goes something like this.
00:17:02.56\00:17:04.00
I say sweetie and you
know, when are we going to do
00:17:04.00\00:17:06.80
this wedding because
Jesus is coming soon if we are
00:17:06.80\00:17:09.56
doing this, we
better do this quick.
00:17:09.56\00:17:11.26
That is why I acted so quickly,
I did want somebody else
00:17:13.26\00:17:16.10
to come in and sneak
away my bride and so we were
00:17:16.10\00:17:18.90
married and people
will come and say you make
00:17:18.90\00:17:21.63
such a lovely couple.
00:17:21.63\00:17:24.16
And you are in
ministry together,
00:17:24.16\00:17:25.90
are you going to have children?
00:17:25.90\00:17:27.60
We'd be like are you mad?
00:17:27.60\00:17:29.16
Jesus is coming soon having
you read Matthew chapter 24?
00:17:31.40\00:17:33.86
It says will to there
who give suck in those days.
00:17:33.86\00:17:36.46
Don't you know Jesus is
coming soon and I'd give them
00:17:36.46\00:17:39.03
a Bible study in Matthew 24.
00:17:39.03\00:17:42.33
Children? Surely you jest.
00:17:42.33\00:17:45.60
At about two and half
years later this really weird
00:17:45.60\00:17:51.93
thing happen, I looked
at my wife and I said you're
00:17:51.93\00:17:58.20
pregnant, I'm telling you
the truth in the sight of God.
00:17:58.20\00:18:02.70
I was like I
think you're pregnant.
00:18:02.70\00:18:04.90
She said no I'm not pregnant.
00:18:04.90\00:18:06.06
I said no I just have
this feeling you are pregnant.
00:18:06.06\00:18:07.90
No I'm not pregnant and
she went and got one of those
00:18:07.90\00:18:09.70
tests, pregnant.
00:18:09.70\00:18:12.86
Yet you think that is
amazing, nine months later,
00:18:14.30\00:18:17.33
out of the blue, totally
out of the blue I looked at my
00:18:17.33\00:18:22.20
wife and said you're pregnant.
00:18:22.20\00:18:25.76
She's like you've lost
your mind I am not pregnant.
00:18:27.30\00:18:29.83
I just have this
feeling that you're pregnant.
00:18:29.83\00:18:32.76
She was like, I'm not
pregnant and went and got
00:18:32.76\00:18:35.63
a pregnancy test, pregnant!
00:18:35.63\00:18:37.76
She read the thing on
the back, 99.6 accurate.
00:18:37.76\00:18:41.70
Went and got another one
and I said statistically you
00:18:41.70\00:18:43.90
are 99.7, she got another
one because I said listen
00:18:43.90\00:18:46.03
you're pregnant
girl. Three tests.
00:18:46.03\00:18:48.50
After we had our two
little ones we would be carting
00:18:52.00\00:18:54.73
them around like this and
bring them like this and would
00:18:54.73\00:18:57.56
be carting them around and
people would say how you feel
00:18:57.56\00:19:00.20
about schooling, what are
you going to do? Are you going
00:19:00.20\00:19:02.80
to send them to an
Academy or are you going to
00:19:02.80\00:19:06.43
home school? Are you
mad, Jesus is coming soon.
00:19:06.43\00:19:09.60
These children, God will
lay these children to rest
00:19:09.60\00:19:12.90
because we are told the
affirmed and the young ones
00:19:12.90\00:19:16.20
will be laid to rest.
00:19:16.20\00:19:17.23
These children are
never going to see a textbook.
00:19:17.23\00:19:18.90
Jesus is coming soon.
00:19:18.90\00:19:21.46
My boys are seven and eight,
can you get a close-up shot
00:19:21.46\00:19:28.50
right here, can you
see this right here?
00:19:28.50\00:19:30.40
Right there, can you see that?
00:19:30.40\00:19:33.40
I mean it's gray,
something is happening.
00:19:35.90\00:19:41.83
You have something is happening
sessions here at night.
00:19:43.26\00:19:45.60
Something else is
happening and it is happening
00:19:45.60\00:19:48.26
in my life and your
life and people now say
00:19:48.26\00:19:50.93
what about college?
00:19:50.93\00:19:52.40
I'll be totally honest
with you, I am fully persuaded
00:19:52.40\00:19:55.30
they Jesus is coming before
my children go to college.
00:19:55.30\00:19:58.46
I am totally persuaded,
beloved the point is this am
00:19:58.46\00:20:01.36
I say this to take away
from your sense of urgency?
00:20:01.36\00:20:03.70
Am I saying this to take
away from your sense that
00:20:03.70\00:20:06.03
Jesus is coming
soon? Absolutely not!
00:20:06.03\00:20:09.33
But the point is this, I
believe there is a subtle
00:20:09.33\00:20:13.26
danger in taking and putting
all of our sense of urgency
00:20:13.26\00:20:17.50
on the second coming.
00:20:17.50\00:20:19.10
Now follow me here very
carefully, don't write me
00:20:19.10\00:20:21.73
off yet, you can write
me off at the end but don't
00:20:21.73\00:20:24.30
write me off now.
00:20:24.30\00:20:25.60
I do believe Jesus Christ
is coming soon, can you say
00:20:25.60\00:20:28.86
Amen to that? I believe
that with every ounce of my
00:20:28.86\00:20:31.26
being, I see what is
happening with the papacy.
00:20:31.26\00:20:33.33
I see what is
happening with United States.
00:20:33.33\00:20:35.33
I see what is happening
with the world's economy.
00:20:35.33\00:20:37.43
I even believe many of
these conspiracy theories,
00:20:37.43\00:20:39.73
like but please
don't give me any DVDs,
00:20:39.73\00:20:41.76
just don't give them to me.
00:20:41.76\00:20:43.63
I believe many of these
things and I believe we are
00:20:43.63\00:20:46.16
living in the end of time,
but beloved I have news for
00:20:46.16\00:20:48.70
you, we set ourselves
up for not so subtle and
00:20:48.70\00:20:52.53
certainly a very
dangerous situation if we place
00:20:52.53\00:20:57.46
our urgency, mostly or
entirely on our understanding
00:20:57.46\00:21:02.36
of end time events.
00:21:02.36\00:21:04.36
This is what it will not
only do, but frankly has done
00:21:04.36\00:21:06.73
and is doing.
00:21:06.73\00:21:08.40
It causes us to
become CNN, BBC watchers.
00:21:08.40\00:21:14.60
Not that there's anything
wrong with that but our sense
00:21:14.60\00:21:17.96
of urgency is now tied to
what is happening in Rome.
00:21:17.96\00:21:21.30
Our sense of urgency
is somehow tied to what is
00:21:21.30\00:21:25.00
happening in the White House.
00:21:25.00\00:21:26.73
Our sense of urgency
is somehow tied to what is
00:21:26.73\00:21:29.20
happening in the economy.
00:21:29.20\00:21:30.53
Beloved I want to tell
you something, on one occasion
00:21:30.53\00:21:32.73
Ellen White met a man,
just listen to this dialogue.
00:21:32.73\00:21:35.33
She rarely does this, she
rarely walks you through a
00:21:35.33\00:21:37.53
dialogue in her writings,
but I want you to hear this
00:21:37.53\00:21:39.70
conversation that she had.
00:21:39.70\00:21:41.80
One brother said to me,
this is the 'Last Day Events,'
00:21:41.80\00:21:46.23
page 42. Someone came to
Ellen White and said, "sister
00:21:46.23\00:21:50.53
"White, do you think the
Lord will come in 10 years?"
00:21:50.53\00:21:55.83
This is 1886, "what
difference does it make to you
00:21:55.83\00:21:59.93
"whether He shall come
in 2, or 4 or 10 years.
00:21:59.93\00:22:03.96
"He said, I think I would
do differently in some things
00:22:03.96\00:22:09.73
"then I now do if I knew
the Lord was coming in 10
00:22:09.73\00:22:14.10
"years. What would you
do differently, I said?
00:22:14.10\00:22:18.36
"Why he said, I would
sell my property and begin to
00:22:18.36\00:22:22.20
"search the word of God
and try to warn people and get
00:22:22.20\00:22:25.40
"them to prepare for His
coming and I would plead with
00:22:25.40\00:22:28.53
"God that I might
be ready to meet Him.
00:22:28.53\00:22:31.70
"Then I said to him, if you
knew the Lord was not coming
00:22:31.70\00:22:34.60
"for 20 years you
would live differently?
00:22:34.60\00:22:37.33
"He said, the I think I would.
00:22:37.33\00:22:41.83
"How selfish, she said, was
the expression that he would
00:22:41.83\00:22:46.30
"live a different life
if he knew his Lord was to
00:22:46.30\00:22:48.83
"come in 10 years. Enoch
walked with God for 300 years,
00:22:48.83\00:22:52.93
"this is a lesson for
us that we should walk with
00:22:52.93\00:22:56.53
"God every day."
00:22:56.53\00:22:58.90
Second statement, 'Lift
Him Up' page 98, this one is
00:22:58.90\00:23:05.53
even more amazing.
00:23:05.53\00:23:07.06
"The shortness of time
is frequently urged as an
00:23:07.06\00:23:10.50
"incentive for seeking
righteousness and making
00:23:10.50\00:23:13.90
"Christ our friend."
00:23:13.90\00:23:15.40
The shortness of time
is urged as an incentive.
00:23:15.40\00:23:18.36
This happens all the
time, you will hear people say
00:23:18.36\00:23:21.00
things like brothers and
sisters Jesus is coming soon,
00:23:21.00\00:23:23.60
this is no time to be
playing games with God.
00:23:23.60\00:23:25.33
How many of us
have heard something
00:23:25.33\00:23:27.40
very similar to that?
00:23:27.40\00:23:28.56
She says this happens all
the time, this is frequently
00:23:28.56\00:23:30.50
urged, brothers and
sisters Jesus is coming soon.
00:23:30.50\00:23:32.46
The signs of the times
are fulfilling all around us.
00:23:32.46\00:23:34.93
This is no time to be
fooling around with God.
00:23:34.93\00:23:37.40
This is the time to be serious.
00:23:37.40\00:23:38.86
Look at what she says,
"the shortness of time is
00:23:38.86\00:23:40.66
"frequently urged as
an incentive for seeking
00:23:40.66\00:23:42.43
"righteousness and
making Christ our friend.
00:23:42.43\00:23:44.80
"This should not be
a great motive with us.
00:23:44.80\00:23:47.10
Listen to what she says,
"it savors of selfishness."
00:23:47.10\00:23:53.30
What! "It savors of
selfishness, is it necessary,
00:23:53.30\00:23:59.40
"she says that the terrors
of the day of God should be held
00:23:59.40\00:24:03.96
"before us that we may
be compelled to right action
00:24:03.96\00:24:06.20
"through fear, it
ought not to be so,"
00:24:06.20\00:24:09.43
and then three words,
she says just three words.
00:24:09.43\00:24:12.06
"Jesus is attractive!"
00:24:12.06\00:24:14.73
Audience: Amen! Amen!
00:24:14.73\00:24:17.33
Can you say
Amen? Audience: Amen.
00:24:17.33\00:24:19.40
I love this, I'd
love this balance here.
00:24:19.40\00:24:21.30
We live as though Jesus is
coming soon, but our urgency
00:24:21.30\00:24:25.03
cannot be tied to our fallible
understanding of end time
00:24:25.03\00:24:28.70
events and ministries pop up.
00:24:28.70\00:24:31.30
All the time when something
is happening whether it is
00:24:31.30\00:24:34.36
Y2K, or the economic
meltdown, people pop up and they
00:24:34.36\00:24:37.10
have new evaluations, new
interpretations, and heaven
00:24:37.10\00:24:39.76
forbid compilations of
a bazillion Ellen White
00:24:39.76\00:24:42.80
statements that this is it.
00:24:42.80\00:24:44.26
And maybe it is it, but the
point is this, if that would
00:24:44.26\00:24:48.76
change the way you are
living you need a reality check.
00:24:48.76\00:24:53.16
Well what should be
our sense of urgency then?
00:24:57.83\00:25:00.43
If our urgency is not
tied to what Barack Obama is
00:25:00.43\00:25:02.93
doing, and our urgency is
not tied to is the international
00:25:02.93\00:25:05.80
monetary fund is doing, and
our urgency is not tied to what
00:25:05.80\00:25:08.66
Benedict is doing.
00:25:08.66\00:25:09.63
Then what should
our urgency be tied to?
00:25:09.63\00:25:11.76
It should be tied to the
person you saw this morning,
00:25:11.76\00:25:15.13
in the mirror, when
you brushed your teeth.
00:25:15.13\00:25:17.60
You did brush your
teeth this morning?
00:25:19.73\00:25:21.60
Audience laughing!
00:25:21.60\00:25:23.70
Open your Bible to me
to the book of Joshua.
00:25:26.60\00:25:28.10
We find in the Old
Testament repeatedly, a sense of
00:25:31.03\00:25:36.00
urgency, in fact you could
make the case that the Bible
00:25:36.00\00:25:40.96
is saturated with urgency.
00:25:40.96\00:25:43.63
Joshua 24:15 we are
going to read a verse here
00:25:43.63\00:25:47.10
you may have memorized.
00:25:47.10\00:25:48.50
Many of us have
heard it dozens of times.
00:25:48.50\00:25:50.66
Joshua 24:15 Joshua like
Moses has gathered the children
00:25:50.66\00:25:56.36
of Israel into
the valley of Shechem.
00:25:56.36\00:25:58.73
We don't know precisely
why, but perhaps the valley of
00:25:58.73\00:26:01.86
Shechem was a
natural amphitheater,
00:26:01.86\00:26:04.93
that is what Moses did.
00:26:04.93\00:26:06.60
Just before his death the
book Deuteronomy records that
00:26:06.60\00:26:09.50
Moses gathered the children
of Israel into the valley of
00:26:09.50\00:26:12.33
Shechem and he
gave him the covenant.
00:26:12.33\00:26:14.30
Joshua does the same
thing, gathers the children of
00:26:14.30\00:26:16.50
Israel there, and
perhaps the acoustics were good.
00:26:16.50\00:26:18.66
There were some sort
of a natural amphitheater,
00:26:18.66\00:26:20.76
we don't know of course
that he gathers them there
00:26:20.76\00:26:22.83
and listen to what
he says in verse 15.
00:26:22.83\00:26:25.10
Joshua 24:15, "and if it
seems evil to you to serve the
00:26:25.10\00:26:28.06
"Lord or choose for
yourself this day whom you will
00:26:28.06\00:26:30.83
"serve, the gods that your
fathers served on the other
00:26:30.83\00:26:33.26
"side of the river, or the
gods of the Amorites in whose
00:26:33.26\00:26:35.63
"land you dwell, but
as for me and my house."
00:26:35.63\00:26:38.70
Come and say with me,
"we will serve the Lord."
00:26:38.70\00:26:41.73
Now notice here, choose for
yourselves when, when, when?
00:26:41.73\00:26:46.23
He added a modifier,
what was the modifier?
00:26:46.23\00:26:48.26
This day! Choose today,
is there an urgency here?
00:26:48.26\00:26:52.70
yes or no?
00:26:52.70\00:26:53.93
No, the urgency
continues in verse 25.
00:26:53.93\00:26:56.13
"So Joshua," after the
people said we will serve God.
00:26:56.13\00:26:59.60
Fascinatingly Joshua
said that you can't serve God.
00:26:59.60\00:27:03.00
The people said no,
no, no we will serve God.
00:27:03.00\00:27:04.76
He said you can't serve
God and they said we will serve
00:27:04.76\00:27:07.73
God, that he said okay but
you testify against yourself.
00:27:07.73\00:27:10.70
Look what it says in verse 25.
00:27:10.70\00:27:12.13
"So Joshua made a covenant
and an agreement with the
00:27:12.13\00:27:14.70
people," when did
he do it, next week?
00:27:14.70\00:27:16.76
Look at that, "that day
and made them a statue and an
00:27:16.76\00:27:20.76
"ordinance in Shechem."
00:27:20.76\00:27:22.26
Choose today and they made
their choice, and he made a
00:27:22.26\00:27:24.83
covenant that day and
look what happens in verse 29.
00:27:24.83\00:27:27.23
"So it came to pass after
these things the Joshua, the
00:27:27.23\00:27:29.56
"son of Nun, the
servant of the Lord, died,
00:27:29.56\00:27:32.40
being 110 years
old." Joshua was urgent.
00:27:32.40\00:27:35.16
Choose today, they made
decision that day, they made a
00:27:35.16\00:27:38.36
covenant that day and from
all appearances in the text
00:27:38.36\00:27:41.50
he died that day.
00:27:41.50\00:27:43.10
Open your Bibles to
Psalms 95:6 we ended there last
00:27:46.10\00:27:48.86
night, "come let us kneel
before the Lord our maker".
00:27:48.86\00:27:51.60
Let's look at another
passage in Psalms 95:7, 8.
00:27:51.60\00:27:59.56
"For He is our God, and we
are the people of His "pasture,
00:28:03.36\00:28:07.36
and the sheep of
His hand. Today,"
00:28:07.36\00:28:09.60
what is the word
everyone? Audience: today!
00:28:09.60\00:28:13.53
"Today if you hear His
voice: do not harden your
00:28:13.53\00:28:15.76
hearts," I want you to do
me a favor, take that word,
00:28:15.76\00:28:18.63
that phrase 'harden your
hearts' and put it on a shelf
00:28:18.63\00:28:21.46
in your mind, what
is the phrase everyone?
00:28:21.46\00:28:24.23
Audience: Harden your hearts!
00:28:24.23\00:28:25.53
We are going to
come back to that.
00:28:25.53\00:28:26.80
Okay, what is the phrase?
Audience: Harden your hearts!
00:28:26.80\00:28:28.90
"Today if you will hear
His voice do not harden your
00:28:28.90\00:28:30.96
"hearts, as in the rebellion,
as in the day of trial,
00:28:30.96\00:28:32.96
"in the wilderness,
when your fathers tested Me.
00:28:32.96\00:28:35.20
"They tried to Me, etc."
00:28:35.20\00:28:36.26
So notice the urgency,
is the psalmist urgent here?
00:28:36.26\00:28:39.10
Yes or no? Yes he said
today if you can hear the voice
00:28:39.10\00:28:42.06
of God don't,
what is our phrase?
00:28:42.06\00:28:44.20
Harden your heart, when
we come to the New Testament
00:28:44.20\00:28:46.26
and let's go there very quickly.
00:28:46.26\00:28:47.40
2 Corinthians 6:1, 2, many
passages could be marshaled
00:28:47.40\00:28:49.73
but let's just look at
this one more to this affect.
00:28:49.73\00:28:53.63
2 Corinthians 6:1, 2,
here we find the apostle Paul
00:28:53.63\00:28:57.46
then you notice what
he says in verse 1 and 2.
00:28:57.46\00:28:59.86
"We've then as workers together
with Him also plead with
00:28:59.86\00:29:03.26
"you to not receive the
grace of God in vain, for He
00:29:03.26\00:29:06.30
"says in an acceptable
time I have heard you, and the
00:29:06.30\00:29:09.26
"day of salvation I helped you."
00:29:09.26\00:29:10.96
Quoting here from Isaiah,
and then he says, "behold now
00:29:10.96\00:29:14.40
"is the accepted time,"
say this with me if you would.
00:29:14.40\00:29:17.83
"Behold now is
the day of salvation."
00:29:17.83\00:29:23.36
Literally there's dozens
of passages similar to this
00:29:23.36\00:29:26.00
could be marshaled.
00:29:26.00\00:29:27.56
The point is this, the
Bible is saturated with a sense
00:29:27.56\00:29:30.80
of urgency, was
Joshua urgent yes or no?
00:29:30.80\00:29:33.13
Audience: yes! Was the
psalmist urgent, yes or no?
00:29:33.13\00:29:35.76
Audience: yes! Was
Paul urgent, yes or no?
00:29:35.76\00:29:38.00
Audience: yeah! And another
one that just quickly comes
00:29:38.00\00:29:40.50
to my mind, you have
Elijah there on top of Mount
00:29:40.50\00:29:43.36
Caramel, the 31/2 years
of no rain had transpired and
00:29:43.36\00:29:46.16
Elijah, looks the children of
Israel in the eyes, so to speak,
00:29:46.16\00:29:48.30
and he says, why
are you hesitating?
00:29:48.30\00:29:51.93
Some translations say
why are you faltering?
00:29:53.90\00:29:57.33
Other translations,
why are you delaying?
00:29:57.33\00:30:00.70
If God is God served Him,
but if Baal is God then serve
00:30:02.40\00:30:05.70
him, did Elisha have a
sense of urgency? Yes or no?
00:30:05.70\00:30:08.33
Audience: no! Now
here's the point don't miss it.
00:30:08.33\00:30:10.93
Joshua, urgent!
The psalmist, urgent!
00:30:10.93\00:30:15.03
Elijah, urgent! Paul, urgent!
00:30:15.03\00:30:18.33
Now let's just take
a look at the timeline.
00:30:18.33\00:30:19.93
Let's take a look at the
timeline, I'm looking for mic
00:30:19.93\00:30:22.83
stands, no mic stands around.
00:30:22.83\00:30:25.56
We will use the pulpit,
the pulpit presents the cross.
00:30:25.56\00:30:29.50
This is the past and
that is going forward into the
00:30:29.50\00:30:33.40
future, so Joshua was
living some 1400 years before
00:30:33.40\00:30:37.26
the time of the cross.
00:30:37.26\00:30:38.86
That is the
first advent of Jesus.
00:30:38.86\00:30:40.90
1400 years before
Bethlehem, so was Joshua urgent?
00:30:40.90\00:30:45.53
Yes he was, then we
move forward to Elijah.
00:30:45.53\00:30:48.43
Was the Elijah urgent?
Yes! Still centuries away
00:30:48.43\00:30:51.63
from the first advent.
00:30:51.63\00:30:53.60
Was the psalmist urgent?
Yes! Still centuries away
00:30:53.60\00:30:56.20
from the first advent
and then we come to the first
00:30:56.20\00:30:58.73
advent the time of Jesus.
00:30:58.73\00:31:00.20
Just after that Paul said
behold now is the excepted
00:31:00.20\00:31:02.93
time, behold
today is a day of what?
00:31:02.93\00:31:05.23
Audience: salvation!
00:31:05.23\00:31:06.60
And Paul is centuries
away from January 2, 2010.
00:31:06.60\00:31:11.00
Don't miss this, Joshua's
urgency, Elijah's urgency,
00:31:11.00\00:31:14.96
the psalmist urgency,
Paul's urgency, none of it was
00:31:14.96\00:31:18.93
tied to the second coming.
00:31:18.93\00:31:20.83
Can you say
Amen? Audience: Amen!
00:31:23.80\00:31:25.70
None of it was tied to
the second coming, they are
00:31:25.70\00:31:28.03
living centuries, even
millennia before the second
00:31:28.03\00:31:30.46
coming so doesn't make
sense to you that it might be
00:31:30.46\00:31:33.60
foolhardy of us to wrap our
sense of urgency up with the
00:31:33.60\00:31:36.86
second coming when the
Bible is filled with urgency and
00:31:36.86\00:31:40.10
it is not tied to
the second coming?
00:31:40.10\00:31:42.76
Well then the question
is, what is it tied to?
00:31:42.76\00:31:45.46
What is it tied to?
00:31:45.46\00:31:48.50
It is no mystery to you,
no secret that the ground is
00:31:48.50\00:31:53.60
littered with the bodies
of people who were absolutely
00:31:53.60\00:31:58.66
certain that Jesus
was coming in their day.
00:31:58.66\00:32:01.30
Yes or no? Audience: yes!
00:32:01.30\00:32:03.63
Beloved I do not want to
be in delicate here, but there
00:32:03.63\00:32:07.53
are people in this room,
gray-haired, baldheaded people.
00:32:07.53\00:32:13.13
I guess like me, who were
certain they would never see
00:32:13.13\00:32:18.73
what they see in the mirror.
00:32:18.73\00:32:20.96
Any old people here
want to say Amen to that?
00:32:20.96\00:32:24.10
Audience: Amen! -
Like all three of you.
00:32:24.10\00:32:28.56
- Squeaky Amen!
Audience laughing.
00:32:28.56\00:32:32.96
I don't want to be in delicate,
but statistically it's a
00:32:34.46\00:32:41.83
guarantee that people in
this room, many of you are
00:32:41.83\00:32:45.00
going to die
before the second coming.
00:32:45.00\00:32:47.20
I hope I'm not the first
person to tell you you're
00:32:47.20\00:32:49.66
going to die.
00:32:49.66\00:32:51.33
I do not want to
unnecessarily traumatize you.
00:32:51.33\00:32:55.16
Beloved the point is
this, many people are dead today
00:32:57.03\00:32:59.60
that were sure Jesus
would come in their lifetime.
00:32:59.60\00:33:02.13
Do you see the danger then,
of somehow tying my sense of
00:33:02.13\00:33:05.76
urgency with Jesus, to
His soon second coming.
00:33:05.76\00:33:08.56
Do I believe that Jesus
is coming soon, yes or no?
00:33:08.56\00:33:11.33
Audience: yeah!
Absolutely I believe that.
00:33:11.33\00:33:13.73
But I have found an even
greater source of urgency.
00:33:13.73\00:33:16.40
What is that
greater source of urgency?
00:33:19.20\00:33:21.86
How could Joshua
say choose you today?
00:33:21.86\00:33:24.46
How could the
psalmist say today?
00:33:24.46\00:33:28.06
How could Paul say today?
00:33:28.06\00:33:30.26
How could Elijah say
what are you hesitating about?
00:33:30.26\00:33:32.60
The second and better
reason to be urgent in January
00:33:34.50\00:33:38.06
2010 has to do with
character development.
00:33:38.06\00:33:43.00
What are the two
words I said everyone?
00:33:43.00\00:33:47.90
Audience: character development!
00:33:47.90\00:33:49.80
Oh, here he goes,
character development.
00:33:49.80\00:33:53.60
Beloved, character development.
00:33:53.60\00:33:57.20
Education page 225, "character
development is the most
00:33:57.20\00:34:02.43
"important work ever
entrusted to human beings and
00:34:02.43\00:34:07.60
"never before was it's diligent
study so important as now."
00:34:07.60\00:34:12.30
Character development, I
would like to talk to you about
00:34:12.30\00:34:16.93
how character development works.
00:34:16.93\00:34:19.06
There has been an
ongoing debate and I am not a
00:34:21.43\00:34:23.30
psychologist here, but I
have read enough books to know
00:34:23.30\00:34:26.36
that this is broadly
how the debate has gone.
00:34:26.36\00:34:28.66
Because of the hole of
evolutionism and materialism and
00:34:28.66\00:34:34.73
secularism and a
rejection of theism,
00:34:34.73\00:34:37.60
every academic discipline
has undergone radical changes
00:34:37.60\00:34:42.13
and even metamorphosis.
00:34:42.13\00:34:44.20
Nothing has laid outside
of the scope and influence of
00:34:44.20\00:34:49.70
the ubiquity of
this rampant secularism.
00:34:49.70\00:34:53.50
Psychology has been affected
and the birth of so-called
00:34:53.50\00:34:58.50
evolutionary psychology
has given rise to a kind of
00:34:58.50\00:35:03.06
determinism, now I don't
have time to go into all the
00:35:03.06\00:35:07.03
philosophical problems with
materialism and determinism.
00:35:07.03\00:35:10.83
But the debate and psychology
has centered over the last
00:35:10.83\00:35:14.60
many decades around two polls.
00:35:14.60\00:35:18.56
Two areas, and the first
is nature, and the other is,
00:35:18.56\00:35:25.10
does anyone know? Nurture!
00:35:25.10\00:35:27.50
The nature-nurture debate,
and other are people in this
00:35:27.50\00:35:30.03
room that are far more
qualified to communicate this,
00:35:30.03\00:35:32.50
but it just need to set this up.
00:35:32.50\00:35:34.53
The debate went
something like this.
00:35:34.53\00:35:37.50
What is it that makes you, you?
00:35:37.50\00:35:40.53
What is it that makes me, me?
00:35:40.53\00:35:43.50
Is it only one thing, or is
it only another thing, or is
00:35:43.50\00:35:47.20
it a composite of two
things, and if it is a composite
00:35:47.20\00:35:50.86
which is more
important? Nature or nurture?
00:35:50.86\00:35:54.06
Now the nature idea is
basically genetics, it is a kind
00:35:54.06\00:35:57.33
of genetic determinism
and it says that what you get
00:35:57.33\00:36:00.20
from your parents and
from your grandparents, your
00:36:00.20\00:36:02.96
heritage of DNA that is
going to determine more or less.
00:36:02.96\00:36:07.96
Some schools of radical
determinism would say it
00:36:07.96\00:36:10.40
absolutely determines,
but it is going to basically
00:36:10.40\00:36:12.83
determine who
you are going to be.
00:36:12.83\00:36:15.23
This is the nature school
of thought, what you get from
00:36:15.23\00:36:19.83
your parents inexorably,
inalterably determines who
00:36:19.83\00:36:24.40
you are going to be.
00:36:24.40\00:36:25.70
On the other side of the
spectrum, and their people
00:36:25.70\00:36:28.66
all along the continuum,
but on this site you have the
00:36:28.66\00:36:31.73
nurture school that would
say yes, of course genetics
00:36:31.73\00:36:34.76
is important and we
would want to deny that.
00:36:34.76\00:36:36.73
You're heredity from
your parents is important,
00:36:36.73\00:36:38.90
but there is
something even more important.
00:36:38.90\00:36:41.70
Some would say
supremely important, and that is
00:36:41.70\00:36:44.50
this idea of nurture.
00:36:44.50\00:36:47.13
What is the homelike,
what is the school environment
00:36:47.13\00:36:51.10
like, especially in
those formative years.
00:36:51.10\00:36:54.46
Like 5, 4, up to 7 and
8, the formative years.
00:36:54.46\00:36:57.76
This is when you are
becoming the person you will be.
00:36:57.76\00:37:00.86
It has been an ongoing
debate, an ongoing debate over
00:37:00.86\00:37:03.90
many decades, which is
it is the nature or nurture?
00:37:03.90\00:37:06.86
Is that determinism, or can
we alter genetic inheritance
00:37:06.86\00:37:09.93
from our parents?
00:37:09.93\00:37:11.93
But in recent times
studies are increasingly
00:37:11.93\00:37:17.13
demonstrating that the
adult brain, what two words
00:37:17.13\00:37:20.73
that I say everyone?
Audience: the adult brain.
00:37:20.73\00:37:24.33
The adult brain is very plastic.
00:37:24.33\00:37:29.00
Now some young people are
sitting here thinking, whew,
00:37:29.00\00:37:32.86
I'm glad I'm not an adult yet,
00:37:32.86\00:37:34.60
I don't want plastic brain.
00:37:34.60\00:37:36.30
What do we mean when we
say the adult brain is very
00:37:39.16\00:37:42.23
plastic, let me just read
to you here from a book that
00:37:42.23\00:37:45.23
I read, which I
highly recommend by the way.
00:37:45.23\00:37:48.30
Written by Dr. Mario
Beauregard, you would want
00:37:48.30\00:37:51.33
to read this book.
00:37:51.33\00:37:53.06
It's titled 'The
Spiritual Brain'.
00:37:53.06\00:37:55.80
A Neuro scientist case
for the existence of the soul.
00:37:55.80\00:38:00.16
It is a fantastic
representation of neurological
00:38:00.16\00:38:04.90
materialism, you will love it.
00:38:04.90\00:38:06.23
Listen to what Dr. Beauregard
says, "in recent years,"
00:38:06.23\00:38:12.20
what are the words everyone?
00:38:12.20\00:38:14.50
"In recent years however,
Neuro scientist have discovered
00:38:14.50\00:38:18.53
"that the adult brain
is actually very plastic.
00:38:18.53\00:38:22.90
"As we will see if
Neuro circuits receive a great
00:38:22.90\00:38:27.26
"deal of
traffic they will grow."
00:38:27.26\00:38:30.50
They will what
everyone? Audience: grow!
00:38:30.50\00:38:32.90
"If they receive little
traffic they will remain
00:38:32.90\00:38:35.86
"the same or shrink.
00:38:35.86\00:38:39.00
"The amount of traffic
that our Neuro circuits receive
00:38:39.00\00:38:42.46
"depends for the most
part on what we choose to pay
00:38:42.46\00:38:45.90
"attention to," it continues.
00:38:45.90\00:38:50.73
"Not only can we make decisions
by focusing on one idea
00:38:50.73\00:38:53.93
"rather than another, but
we can change the patterns of
00:38:53.93\00:38:57.10
"Neuron's in our brains
by doing so consistently."
00:38:57.10\00:39:00.13
This is been done
repeatedly by experiments.
00:39:00.13\00:39:03.73
Your brain consists of
billions of neuron's, billions
00:39:03.73\00:39:08.70
of brain cells, in fact
there are an estimated 10 to
00:39:08.70\00:39:13.60
the 80th power
atoms the universe.
00:39:13.60\00:39:17.23
That is the total number
of estimated atoms in the
00:39:17.23\00:39:19.50
universe, 10 with
80 zeros behind it.
00:39:19.50\00:39:22.46
The number of potential
connections and independent
00:39:22.46\00:39:26.30
roots in your brain, the
billions of neurons connected
00:39:26.30\00:39:30.10
together in these
dendritic neuronal connections,
00:39:30.10\00:39:32.73
now listen to this, a
number of potential theoretical
00:39:32.73\00:39:36.76
connections in your
brain is 10 to the 127th power.
00:39:36.76\00:39:40.76
That is 10 with
127 zeros behind it.
00:39:40.76\00:39:44.23
They are only 10 to
the 80th power atoms in the
00:39:44.23\00:39:48.36
universe, translation
your brain is by far the
00:39:48.36\00:39:51.70
most complex thing
known to science and nothing
00:39:51.70\00:39:55.03
else even comes close.
00:39:55.03\00:39:57.60
Now here's how the brain
works, you have the cells
00:39:57.60\00:40:01.23
called neurons and they
connect the axon and the
00:40:01.23\00:40:04.83
dendrites and
they form pathways.
00:40:04.83\00:40:07.13
As you do a certain
activity a pathway will develop
00:40:07.13\00:40:13.40
in your brain, are
we together everyone?
00:40:13.40\00:40:16.20
Now the way I like to
illustrate this is very simple.
00:40:16.20\00:40:19.10
Imagine here we
have a large field.
00:40:19.10\00:40:21.76
What is it everyone?
Audience: large field.
00:40:21.76\00:40:23.76
It's called a grassy
field, has grass and leaves and
00:40:23.76\00:40:26.66
rambles and blackberry
bushes, and they are 2 to 3
00:40:26.66\00:40:29.50
feet high, it is a tall field.
00:40:29.50\00:40:31.23
I want to get from where
I am here to the other side
00:40:31.23\00:40:33.30
and there is no path.
00:40:33.30\00:40:35.00
Now can I get to the
other side of a grassy field?
00:40:35.00\00:40:37.80
A brambly field, can I do that?
00:40:37.80\00:40:39.60
Well how am I going to do it?
00:40:39.60\00:40:41.33
I'm going to walk, is it
going to be easier or hard?
00:40:41.33\00:40:43.26
It's going to be
difficult, so I'm going to start
00:40:43.26\00:40:45.33
walking, all you got to
be kidding, Oww, stinging
00:40:45.33\00:40:47.36
nettle, whatever is right?
00:40:47.36\00:40:48.50
I am making my way across,
because I am forming a path
00:40:48.50\00:40:53.26
where there isn't a path.
00:40:53.26\00:40:55.73
As I work my way
laboriously with effort and
00:40:55.73\00:40:58.83
difficulties I
get to the other side.
00:40:58.83\00:41:01.10
Question, as I look back
over that field, can I see
00:41:01.10\00:41:05.30
where I just walked?
Audience: absolutely.
00:41:05.30\00:41:07.96
Absolutely, anyone who has
done this knows, you can see
00:41:07.96\00:41:10.43
the breaking, you can
discern there is a path there.
00:41:10.43\00:41:14.20
If I had to walk across
that field again, where would I
00:41:14.20\00:41:17.93
walk, if the field
were uniformly the same?
00:41:17.93\00:41:20.06
Where would I walk?
Audience: the same path.
00:41:20.06\00:41:22.10
I'd walk the same path,
why would I walk the same path?
00:41:22.10\00:41:24.06
Because it will be at
least slightly, easier.
00:41:24.06\00:41:25.30
Right! So here I am going
back across it, Awh you got to
00:41:25.30\00:41:30.73
be kidding, opps,
I'll remember that one.
00:41:30.73\00:41:32.13
Walking across, going and
making my way back across.
00:41:32.13\00:41:35.30
Now I've gone back pass
this path a second time.
00:41:35.30\00:41:38.23
Now I look back, can
I now discern the path?
00:41:38.23\00:41:41.13
I can discern it more or
less clearly been the first
00:41:41.13\00:41:44.20
time I walked across.
00:41:44.20\00:41:45.40
More clearly, now see
what is happening is that I am
00:41:45.40\00:41:48.43
developing a path of less
resistance relative to the
00:41:48.43\00:41:51.43
other potential
paths across the field.
00:41:51.43\00:41:53.43
Does this make sense?
00:41:53.43\00:41:55.23
Now if I walk across
this path over and over again,
00:41:55.23\00:42:01.83
if I walk across this
path 100 times and now I look
00:42:01.83\00:42:08.40
back over, what
am I going to see?
00:42:08.40\00:42:10.30
I'm good to see a very clear
path, in fact the path that
00:42:10.30\00:42:14.43
requires no particular effort.
Like if I'm ever asked walk
00:42:14.43\00:42:17.83
across this field you will
not see me clamoring over the
00:42:17.83\00:42:21.13
blackberry bush you're
going to see me moon walking,
00:42:21.13\00:42:24.40
as it were, across the path.
00:42:24.40\00:42:26.90
Right, is not going to
take any energy, it's not going
00:42:26.90\00:42:29.10
to take any effort.
00:42:29.10\00:42:30.30
It's the default condition,
that is basically exactly how
00:42:30.30\00:42:34.20
your brain works.
00:42:34.20\00:42:35.60
There is a young lady
somewhere in here I saw her
00:42:35.60\00:42:39.93
earlier, her name is
Sari, she's so small I could see
00:42:39.93\00:42:44.26
her anyway, Sari forgive me.
00:42:44.26\00:42:48.63
She came to arise a few
years ago, the school had the
00:42:48.63\00:42:52.30
privilege of running,
and she had a unicycle.
00:42:52.30\00:42:55.36
Do you know what a unicycle is?
00:42:55.36\00:42:59.40
It's weird, just
weird and stupid.
00:42:59.40\00:43:03.36
There is one wheel on it.
00:43:05.90\00:43:07.80
So anyway Sari shows up
with her Bible and her unicycle.
00:43:07.80\00:43:11.33
Right, great combination.
00:43:11.33\00:43:12.90
One day was out in the
parking lot at Arise and I see
00:43:12.90\00:43:17.66
her, she's likely cruising
around, going between cars,
00:43:17.66\00:43:20.60
and just foo, foo, she's
like cruising around and I'm
00:43:20.60\00:43:23.50
looking at this little girl.
00:43:23.50\00:43:30.30
And I'm like Sari come
here give me that thing.
00:43:30.30\00:43:35.36
I'm a skateboarder, a
surfer and I have spent most of
00:43:35.36\00:43:38.60
my life standing on things
that probably I should have.
00:43:38.60\00:43:42.70
So I say could I try that?
Yeah let me raise the seat.
00:43:42.70\00:43:47.23
Okay, so I set on the
thing and I got between my legs
00:43:47.23\00:43:51.73
and 1 foot up on the
pedal and my other foot
00:43:51.73\00:43:54.30
is on the ground.
00:43:54.30\00:43:55.86
(Pretending to
get on a unicycle)
00:43:55.86\00:43:58.40
then I say to my left
leg, I say get on the pedal.
00:43:58.40\00:44:06.90
Total disobedience.
00:44:10.43\00:44:12.06
Like it on the pedal dude.
00:44:13.30\00:44:15.73
Total rebellion, it's not
moving, it's like the spy sent
00:44:15.73\00:44:23.30
to the promised
land, we are not going.
00:44:23.30\00:44:25.20
So I grab two other Arise
students and they come over.
00:44:25.20\00:44:29.30
Okay, now we will
do this the other way.
00:44:29.30\00:44:31.16
Two brawny shoulders.
00:44:31.16\00:44:34.50
Ah ha, the other foot is
willing now and it is up.
00:44:34.50\00:44:37.80
It is not looking
positive at this point.
00:44:37.80\00:44:43.80
So okay you
guys you ready? Yeah!
00:44:43.80\00:44:46.60
A quarter turn,
crash. Just like that, crash.
00:44:55.33\00:45:00.50
I was over it, I
was instantly over it.
00:45:00.50\00:45:04.20
How many people in this
room can ride a unicycle?
00:45:04.20\00:45:06.70
One, two, okay
there is 10 of you.
00:45:10.20\00:45:16.23
Listen, I have
great respect for you,
00:45:16.23\00:45:22.23
tremendous respect.
00:45:22.23\00:45:23.63
I'm going to hazard a guess,
perhaps I'm incorrect here,
00:45:23.63\00:45:26.23
but I'm going to hazard a
guess that no one in this room
00:45:26.23\00:45:28.73
took the unicycle and went
to the boop, boop, boop, boop,
00:45:28.73\00:45:31.80
it didn't happen, it took,
what word am I going to say,
00:45:31.80\00:45:34.86
it took practice.
00:45:34.86\00:45:37.43
Now here's what was
happening in your brain when you
00:45:37.43\00:45:39.33
learn to ride a unicycle
or any activity that you have
00:45:39.33\00:45:41.56
engaged in, whether it's
reading Scripture or learning
00:45:41.56\00:45:43.73
to play the piano.
00:45:43.73\00:45:44.83
What ever, learning to be
kind, any activity basically
00:45:44.83\00:45:47.20
here is what happens.
00:45:47.20\00:45:48.23
The first time your
brain has to do something,
00:45:48.23\00:45:49.93
if it is hard mentally
or physically, the brain has
00:45:49.93\00:45:53.80
a whole battery of choices
and chances that you will
00:45:53.80\00:45:57.66
make the right choices are slim.
00:45:57.66\00:45:59.63
So it will probably make
the wrong choice, too much
00:45:59.63\00:46:01.86
balance to the right,
and then you fall and scrape
00:46:01.86\00:46:04.13
your knee in the body
says whoa, the brain says,
00:46:04.13\00:46:06.36
it's not good.
00:46:06.36\00:46:07.46
But it eliminates the
option so you fall and scrape
00:46:07.46\00:46:09.93
the other knee and it
eliminates that option.
00:46:09.93\00:46:11.43
Then you fall and
scrape your elbow,
00:46:11.43\00:46:12.66
well it eliminates that.
00:46:12.66\00:46:13.80
Particularly your brain
builds up a battery of how not
00:46:13.80\00:46:16.96
to ride the unicycle, and
as you given increasing battery
00:46:16.96\00:46:19.63
of how not to do something
you begin to narrow the field
00:46:19.63\00:46:22.26
and you finally figure it out.
00:46:22.26\00:46:24.20
What was initially very
difficult, actually becomes
00:46:24.20\00:46:28.16
downright easy
with time and practice.
00:46:28.16\00:46:31.66
Are you with me, yes or no?
00:46:31.66\00:46:32.86
It is the case
with almost anything,
00:46:32.86\00:46:34.60
that is the way
your brain works.
00:46:34.60\00:46:36.26
Now these are in lay
terms, but I think it's helpful.
00:46:36.26\00:46:39.53
It's like that field, the
first time it is difficult.
00:46:39.53\00:46:42.80
Some tasks are easy
and some tasks are harder.
00:46:42.80\00:46:46.26
Now what was believed for
time was that this plasticity
00:46:46.26\00:46:51.90
of the brain, and
incidentally, maybe we should
00:46:51.90\00:46:53.80
comment on that.
00:46:53.80\00:46:54.93
When we talk about the
brain being plastic, it doesn't
00:46:54.93\00:46:57.10
mean that it is made
some urethane type material.
00:46:57.10\00:47:01.46
The work plastic comes
from the Latin word which means
00:47:01.46\00:47:04.00
changeable or malleable.
00:47:04.00\00:47:05.70
I used to think that
plastic surgeons shoved plastic
00:47:05.70\00:47:08.16
into people's faces
when I was a little boy.
00:47:08.16\00:47:11.26
I thought I don't want
plastic shoved into my nose.
00:47:11.26\00:47:13.93
No plastic just means to
change, to mold, to manipulate.
00:47:13.93\00:47:18.26
When we talk about the
plasticity of the brain,
00:47:18.26\00:47:20.70
we mean you than it can change.
00:47:20.70\00:47:22.70
It can what
everyone? Audience: change.
00:47:22.70\00:47:25.83
You can actually change,
not when the debate between
00:47:25.83\00:47:28.26
nature and nurture us
going on, but plasticity of the
00:47:28.26\00:47:30.63
brain was not well
understood and that is why
00:47:30.63\00:47:33.56
Dr. Beauregard says in
recent times research has
00:47:33.56\00:47:36.60
shown us that the adult
brain is actually much more
00:47:36.60\00:47:39.63
plastic than ever thought.
00:47:39.63\00:47:41.56
Translation, you can make
actual changes in your life,
00:47:41.56\00:47:45.60
in your mental life as
well as in your holistic life,
00:47:45.60\00:47:49.60
even into old age.
00:47:49.60\00:47:51.90
To be very simple, you can
teach an old dog new tricks.
00:47:51.90\00:47:55.66
Audience: Yeah!
00:47:55.66\00:47:57.63
God has wired your
brain for moral growth.
00:47:57.63\00:48:01.63
God has worried your
brain for moral choice.
00:48:01.63\00:48:05.56
Now here is something
that happens, your character
00:48:05.56\00:48:09.03
is developed you start
thinking about something.
00:48:09.03\00:48:12.20
This is not just Scripture,
as a man thinketh in his
00:48:12.20\00:48:15.30
heart so is he,
this is what the latest
00:48:15.30\00:48:16.80
neuroscientists this telling us.
00:48:16.80\00:48:18.33
If you think about something
enough, your brain will
00:48:18.33\00:48:21.00
conform to that thing, right?
00:48:21.00\00:48:23.36
The neuro circuits that
are used lots become strong,
00:48:23.36\00:48:26.50
similar perhaps to muscles,
and those that are not used
00:48:26.50\00:48:29.56
either stay the same or shrink.
00:48:29.56\00:48:31.40
Are we together everyone?
00:48:31.40\00:48:33.30
So if you think about
something enough times that
00:48:33.30\00:48:35.50
thought will eventually
give way to an action.
00:48:35.50\00:48:39.30
If you commit an action
enough times, that action,
00:48:39.30\00:48:42.66
repeated action, will
eventually become a habit.
00:48:42.66\00:48:46.06
A habit definitionally
is an action repeated.
00:48:46.06\00:48:49.40
If you got a number of
habits around you, you have a
00:48:49.40\00:48:53.30
number of habits that
you do, consistent lifestyle
00:48:53.30\00:48:57.20
practices, you
now have a lifestyle.
00:48:57.20\00:49:00.43
And you're lifestyle
invariably will determine your
00:49:00.43\00:49:04.60
character, and your character
determines your destiny.
00:49:04.60\00:49:09.40
It is very simple, you
have a thought, a thought gives
00:49:09.40\00:49:13.03
way to an action, and
action gives way to a habit,
00:49:13.03\00:49:16.60
I habit gives way to
lifestyle, a lifestyle
00:49:16.60\00:49:19.10
gives way to a destiny.
00:49:19.10\00:49:21.70
CS Lewis speaking on
this very issue said this.
00:49:23.90\00:49:27.76
"Every time you make a
choice you are turning the
00:49:27.76\00:49:31.26
"central part of you,
but part of you that chooses
00:49:31.26\00:49:34.70
"into something a little
different than it was before."
00:49:34.70\00:49:38.23
Do you hear that?
00:49:38.23\00:49:40.50
Every time you make a choice
you are changing that part
00:49:40.50\00:49:42.80
of you that chooses.
00:49:42.80\00:49:43.83
By the way, what do we
call that? What is called?
00:49:43.83\00:49:45.26
What is the part
of you that chooses?
00:49:45.26\00:49:47.70
It's called the will.
00:49:47.70\00:49:49.70
Can anyone finish
this statement for me?
00:49:49.70\00:49:51.20
Steps to Christ,
"everything depends on the right
00:49:51.20\00:49:54.53
"action of the will."
00:49:54.53\00:49:57.30
So Lewis says, every
time you make a choice you are
00:49:57.30\00:49:59.63
training the center part
of you, but part of you that
00:49:59.63\00:50:01.90
chooses into something a little
different than what it was
00:50:01.90\00:50:05.10
before, and taking your
life as a whole with all your
00:50:05.10\00:50:08.26
innumerable choices,
all lifelong, you are slowly
00:50:08.26\00:50:11.40
turning that central
thing inside of you either into
00:50:11.40\00:50:14.53
a heavenly creature,
or a hellish creature.
00:50:14.53\00:50:17.60
Put very simply, you
are today a composite of the
00:50:20.83\00:50:24.00
choices that you have made
over the course of your life.
00:50:24.00\00:50:26.90
I stand before you today is
the 37-year-old who has made
00:50:26.90\00:50:29.53
lots of bad decisions, by
the grace of God I am starting
00:50:29.53\00:50:32.13
to make some right ones.
00:50:32.13\00:50:33.90
The David Asscherick
you see before you today is
00:50:33.90\00:50:35.86
a composite of the
decisions I have made for
00:50:35.86\00:50:37.76
the last 37 years.
00:50:37.76\00:50:38.93
You young men are a composite
of the decisions you have
00:50:38.93\00:50:41.20
made for the last,
how old are you, 19 years.
00:50:41.20\00:50:44.33
JR, how old are you
buddy? 26, JR you are composite
00:50:44.33\00:50:48.06
of the choices you have
made over the last 26 years.
00:50:48.06\00:50:51.16
Every person in this room
is a composite of the choices
00:50:51.16\00:50:54.20
you have made, let me
put it to you this way.
00:50:54.20\00:50:56.06
Character is not developed
in a day, but it is developed
00:50:56.06\00:51:00.30
day by day.
00:51:00.30\00:51:02.40
Character not developed
in a day, but it is developed
00:51:02.40\00:51:05.93
day by day.
00:51:05.93\00:51:09.66
This is not simply good
theology and good psychology,
00:51:09.66\00:51:12.93
increasingly it is neurology
and I would like to see
00:51:12.93\00:51:16.16
some young
Adventist people study this.
00:51:16.16\00:51:17.90
God has wired our brain for
plasticity, He has wired our
00:51:17.90\00:51:23.00
brain for change, God has
wired us to be able to choose
00:51:23.00\00:51:28.06
paths other than
the paths we have.
00:51:28.06\00:51:30.43
Let's go back to the field
illustration, what if this path,
00:51:30.43\00:51:33.40
that I am accustomed to walking
across over and over again,
00:51:33.40\00:51:36.33
what if that is a bad habit?
00:51:36.33\00:51:37.96
What about the bad path,
what if it's an unhealthy path?
00:51:37.96\00:51:40.73
What if that is a half a
path that is condemned by the
00:51:40.73\00:51:44.30
law of God, and now I am
faced with that same field.
00:51:44.30\00:51:47.80
I've been walking this field
for years and what is going
00:51:47.80\00:51:51.26
to be easier for me, to
form a new path over here,
00:51:51.26\00:51:54.10
or to walk the same path?
00:51:54.10\00:51:55.46
Which is going to be easier?
00:51:55.46\00:51:56.73
To walk that same path,
this is why habits are hard to
00:51:56.73\00:51:59.53
break because you have to
intentionally, volitionally
00:51:59.53\00:52:03.06
energy effort to step
over here and actually think of
00:52:03.06\00:52:06.46
this, it is even harder
after you have developed that,
00:52:06.46\00:52:09.83
then it would have
been initially because the
00:52:09.83\00:52:12.23
whole time your now struggling.
00:52:12.23\00:52:14.10
That path is in view,
all it would take is one side
00:52:14.10\00:52:17.76
step and you are
in the free and clear,
00:52:17.76\00:52:19.50
are you tracking with me?
00:52:19.50\00:52:20.53
So while you're struggling
to establish a new path,
00:52:20.53\00:52:23.43
that is not easy but the
good news is that your brain
00:52:23.43\00:52:26.30
can do it, and this
is what neuroscientists
00:52:26.30\00:52:28.80
are telling us.
00:52:28.80\00:52:29.83
I'm telling you that
with the power of the Spirit
00:52:29.83\00:52:31.13
you can change. Audience: Amen!
00:52:31.13\00:52:35.20
After time when this
path has not been traveled and
00:52:35.20\00:52:38.76
this path has, that path
begins to grow over and this
00:52:38.76\00:52:42.33
path becomes new and
better can you say Amen?
00:52:42.33\00:52:45.26
Audience: Amen.
00:52:45.26\00:52:46.50
Beloved here it is, here
it is, Jesus is coming soon.
00:52:46.50\00:52:51.50
God actually revealed to
me yesterday that Jesus is
00:52:51.50\00:52:56.43
going to come in your lifetime.
00:52:56.43\00:52:59.23
I don't know if you're
going to say pastor Asscherick
00:53:01.10\00:53:04.00
had a prophetic vision.
00:53:04.00\00:53:05.43
Nope, I read the
Bible and it says the wages
00:53:05.43\00:53:08.76
of sin is death.
00:53:08.76\00:53:10.40
Jesus is going to come in
every single person in this
00:53:10.40\00:53:15.46
room's lifetime,
in one of two ways.
00:53:15.46\00:53:18.76
He'll either come before
the resurrection, and your
00:53:18.76\00:53:21.53
experience without
one, or have come after the
00:53:21.53\00:53:23.86
resurrection, but
every single person,
00:53:23.86\00:53:26.03
every single person
is going to have their
00:53:26.03\00:53:28.20
own personal second coming.
00:53:28.20\00:53:30.46
Are you
tracking? Audience: Amen.
00:53:30.46\00:53:34.26
That should be your
sense of urgency, the decisions
00:53:34.26\00:53:38.93
that you are making
today are creating the person
00:53:38.93\00:53:43.60
you will be tomorrow.
00:53:43.60\00:53:45.26
The decisions that you
are making today are creating
00:53:45.26\00:53:50.73
the person you will be tomorrow.
00:53:50.73\00:53:53.26
The good news is, is that
you can change by the power
00:53:53.26\00:53:58.06
of the Spirit, and by the
very nature of the brain if
00:53:58.06\00:54:02.83
you want to and if
you cry out to God.
00:54:02.83\00:54:04.80
That is the good
news, can you say Amen?
00:54:04.80\00:54:06.76
Audience: Amen!
00:54:06.76\00:54:07.83
Now follow this, the
decisions that you make today
00:54:07.83\00:54:10.80
create the person
you will be tomorrow.
00:54:10.80\00:54:12.53
But the reason that the
Bible is filled with a sense
00:54:12.53\00:54:14.93
of urgency, the reason
that Joshua and Elijah,
00:54:14.93\00:54:17.40
the psalmist, and Paul say
choose today, choose today,
00:54:17.40\00:54:20.26
choose today,
choose today, is because.
00:54:20.26\00:54:22.80
Now follow this, the decision
should make today create
00:54:22.80\00:54:24.73
the person you will be
tomorrow, but if you don't make
00:54:24.73\00:54:26.60
the moral choices
that are facing you today,
00:54:26.60\00:54:28.73
you have no guarantee
that the person you will be
00:54:28.73\00:54:30.96
tomorrow will be
capable of recognizing the moral
00:54:30.96\00:54:33.16
choices that faced you today.
00:54:33.16\00:54:35.03
You didn't get it
I will say it again.
00:54:35.03\00:54:37.83
If you don't make the morale
choices that face you today,
00:54:37.83\00:54:41.40
you have no guarantee that
the person you will be tomorrow
00:54:41.40\00:54:44.86
will be capable of recognizing
or making the moral choices
00:54:44.86\00:54:48.30
that face you today.
00:54:48.30\00:54:50.06
Everyone of us in this
room has seen this happen.
00:54:50.06\00:54:53.00
Someone who started with
just a small diversion, a small
00:54:53.00\00:54:57.60
compromise, a small apostasy
and never envisioned they
00:54:57.60\00:55:02.13
would become a heroine addict.
00:55:02.13\00:55:04.40
Don't tell me there
aren't heroine addicts on the
00:55:04.40\00:55:06.76
streets right now in
various cities they were raised
00:55:06.76\00:55:08.80
Seventh-day Adventist
and never intended to become
00:55:08.80\00:55:10.83
heroine addicts,
well what happened?
00:55:10.83\00:55:12.73
They changed ever so
slightly, they thought well I'll
00:55:12.73\00:55:15.40
sort of do it in this
and then I'll go back.
00:55:15.40\00:55:18.20
The problem is the person
they were a year from the time
00:55:18.20\00:55:20.83
they made that first compromise
was not the person they
00:55:20.83\00:55:23.16
were back then when
their conscience was sensitive.
00:55:23.16\00:55:25.30
In other words they were
no longer even able to make
00:55:25.30\00:55:27.40
that decision easily.
00:55:27.40\00:55:29.73
The decisions that you
are making are creating the
00:55:32.63\00:55:34.93
person you are, and the
reason Joshua is urgent,
00:55:34.93\00:55:37.13
the reason that Elijah is
urgent, and the reason I'm so
00:55:37.13\00:55:40.00
urgent with you today is
that if you continue to put off
00:55:40.00\00:55:42.86
today what you should do
tomorrow you have no guarantee
00:55:42.86\00:55:45.46
that the person you be
tomorrow will be even capable
00:55:45.46\00:55:47.93
of recognizing, much
less making the moral choices
00:55:47.93\00:55:50.40
that face you today.
00:55:50.40\00:55:52.40
This is absolutely
confirmed by the Bible and
00:55:54.50\00:55:56.46
absolutely confirmed
by the Spirit of Prophecy,
00:55:56.46\00:55:58.53
absolutely confirmed
by science, and absolutely
00:55:58.53\00:56:00.56
confirmed by experience.
00:56:00.56\00:56:02.56
I quote Ellen white,
"it is by degrees that the
00:56:03.90\00:56:07.36
"character is formed."
00:56:07.36\00:56:09.10
It is by- Audience: degrees.
00:56:09.10\00:56:12.10
Another one, "a well-balanced
character is formed by
00:56:12.10\00:56:14.70
"single acts well
performed." Single acts.
00:56:14.70\00:56:18.66
Another quotation, "it is
not through one act that the
00:56:18.66\00:56:22.00
"character is formed, but
by a repetition of acts that
00:56:22.00\00:56:25.33
"habits are established
and character is confirmed."
00:56:25.33\00:56:28.60
To further complicate
matters, sin is not passive.
00:56:34.80\00:56:37.43
Sin is active, a 19
century theologian said,
00:56:37.43\00:56:42.16
sin is a principle out
of which there grows an
00:56:42.16\00:56:46.83
increasing positive continuity.
00:56:46.83\00:56:50.30
Translation; every
moment you are not getting out
00:56:50.30\00:56:52.26
of sin, sin is growing in you.
00:56:52.26\00:56:54.73
Sin is not passive,
it's active, it's malignant,
00:56:57.96\00:57:00.96
it's cancerous, if you
stay in sin, it is growing,
00:57:00.96\00:57:03.93
it is gaining ground on you.
00:57:03.93\00:57:06.40
You cannot be passive
in character development,
00:57:06.40\00:57:09.93
because of your carnal
nature it demands that you
00:57:09.93\00:57:13.90
are actively engaging
yourself in a spiritual way
00:57:13.90\00:57:17.83
with Scripture and
Ministry and prayer.
00:57:17.83\00:57:19.93
If you in are not actively
changing for the better by
00:57:19.93\00:57:23.00
default you are being drug
down to the ways the world.
00:57:23.00\00:57:26.03
The lust of the
flesh, the lust of the eyes,
00:57:26.03\00:57:27.56
and the pride of life,
are you hearing me yes or no?
00:57:27.56\00:57:30.00
Audience: yes.
00:57:30.00\00:57:31.06
This is not only psychological
and neuroscientific,
00:57:31.06\00:57:33.20
this is
absolutely 100% spiritual.
00:57:33.20\00:57:37.00
Many of us have formed
habits and ways of thinking that
00:57:37.00\00:57:41.63
have created a person
that we look in the mirror
00:57:41.63\00:57:44.80
and we don't like.
00:57:44.80\00:57:46.83
I have great good
news for you today,
00:57:46.83\00:57:49.26
God can change you and
will change you by the power
00:57:49.26\00:57:52.53
of the in dwelling Spirit.
00:57:52.53\00:57:54.46