Participants: Kameron DeVasher
Series Code: 11GYC
Program Code: 11GYC000012
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00:23 Soldiers of the cross now the trumpets call obey
00:41 Soldiers of the Heavenly King 00:45 Whose faithful stand through everything 00:50 Sound forth and let your praises ring 00:54 to Christ the Lord of all 00:59 The glory of thy God will be Give honor to His Majesty 01:08 The one who every makes us sing 01:12 and stand though nations fall 01:18 Let thy soul's foundation upon the Rock of Ages 01:26 And though the battle rages His face will be your stand 01:36 Soldiers of the cross Now the trumpet blow obey 01:53 Warriors in the fight of faith now heed the trumpet's sound 02:02 To travel where the saints have come 02:07 Press onto higher ground 02:11 And be not thou discouraged those days of source in sin 02:20 Against who God has said 02:24 The gates of hell shall not prevail 02:32 Soldiers with the mighty God 02:36 hold fast encourage your armor on 02:40 For soon you'll shout the victor's song 02:44 Your foe's defeat is sure Be faithful to thy captain's call 02:53 Go forth in grace to conquer all 02:58 For soon creation's host will fall 03:02 And crown the Lord of lords Fix your eyes on Jesus 03:11 His promise faileth never 03:15 We'll praise His name forever in heaven's bright aray 03:27 Soldiers of the cross now the trumpets call obey 03:40 Amen Amen Amen. 04:00 Pastor De Vasher, I just want to thank God 04:03 so much for using you as his vessel this week. 04:07 And I know that you have 04:08 another very important message for us this evening. 04:11 So I want to offer up a prayer. 04:16 Dear loving Heavenly Father, 04:18 I want to thank you so much for your love 04:21 and for the life that you give to us. 04:24 And our prayer to you this evening is this, 04:29 We plead with you, Father, 04:32 to fill us with your Holy Spirit. 04:34 Help us to respond to your call, 04:36 to your voice to our hearts. 04:38 And I ask that you give 04:39 Pastor De Vasher clarity of mind 04:42 and give him the strength to deliver the message 04:44 that You--that we need to hear this evening. 04:48 And I also ask that You keep distractions away. 04:53 Father, you know that there're precious souls out there 04:56 partying and I just ask that you soundproof this area 05:00 so that we will not be distracted 05:02 by--by the devil, Lord. 05:04 And we know that You will win 05:07 and so I just ask and plead with you 05:09 that you will guide each and every one 05:13 of our hearts upward this evening. 05:16 In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. 05:18 Amen. Thank you. 05:20 Good evening, GYC. Good evening. 05:23 All right. That was not bad. 05:24 We'll try it one more time. Good evening, GYC. 05:26 Good evening! Fantastic. 05:27 I know you've been greeted a lot, 05:28 but this is my first chance tonight so thank you. 05:30 Before I get started saying anything else, 05:33 I wanna get something off from my chest 05:35 just briefly in all seriousness. 05:37 No one has told me or asked me or, you know, 05:40 even knows actually that I'm going to be saying this. 05:44 Maybe you don't even think I need to 05:45 but I just wanted to apologize. 05:49 In last night's message, I'd mentioned 05:51 how sin dulls your sense of irony 05:54 and I gave the example of how you gossip 05:56 about someone who talks behind your back. 05:58 And sometimes, you know, Jesus talked about 06:00 the plank in your eye that you don't see. 06:02 And you don't even realize what you're doing sometimes 06:04 and if I have accidentally in my presentation 06:08 of the character of Christ 06:10 not comforted myself in a Christ-like manner. 06:14 And if in any way I have unintentionally been hurtful 06:18 or anything like that, I sincerely apologize. 06:21 Let me--let me... And again no, no pressure. 06:24 This is just coming off from my chest. 06:26 It may not even be needed 06:27 but I just felt the urge to tell you. 06:28 And is that okay? Yes. 06:31 And let me give you an example. 06:33 Pastors do not live in a holy bubble. 06:39 They need your prayers, young people. Okay? 06:42 If you have a concern with your pastor, 06:44 pray for your pastor. 06:46 He probably needs it. Is that clear? 06:49 Anyway, having said that, 06:51 hold your pastors up to be biblical, 06:54 to be bold, and to be humble. 06:57 That all is done to the glory of Jesus Christ alone. 07:01 Can we say amen? Amen. 07:02 Having said that, 07:04 there's gonna be our message tonight. 07:07 And I'm excited about the message tonight. 07:09 I am pacing. I--the clock is running. 07:11 I don't even have time to talk about 07:13 how excited I am about the message tonight. 07:15 But before we begin, a brief word of prayer. 07:17 Dear Heavenly Father, 07:22 Lord, we've been exploring the depth of your Holy Spirit 07:25 and--and what it means to be filled with the Holy Spirit. 07:28 And we know that the primary purpose of the Holy Spirit 07:31 is not to make us more powerful 07:32 but to make us more Christ-like. 07:35 And Lord, as we-- as we round out 07:37 this--this theme this evening 07:39 as we come to our final evening meeting. 07:41 Lord, I ask in a special way 07:43 that you'll send your Holy Spirit, 07:44 not just to this room, but to our hearts. 07:47 Change us and make us more like you in everything we do. 07:50 We pray this in Jesus name. Amen. 07:54 I am not in any way hesitant to tell you that 07:56 it was with great fear and trepidation 07:59 that I accepted the invitation to speak at GYC. I promise. 08:03 And the reason is very simple. I've never done it before. 08:07 And I-- I've been to GYC. 08:08 And I know who has, I mean, some of those powerful 08:11 and influential Adventist voices. 08:13 And contemporary Adventism have spoken at GYC 08:16 either in a similar room or from this pulpit. 08:19 And they've had just extraordinary testimonies 08:23 to share about how the Spirit of God 08:24 has changed their lives. 08:27 David Asrat was a purple-haired, 08:29 punk rock atheist. 08:32 Clifford Goldstein 08:34 used to heckle Christians in the street. 08:36 Then he went to Europe to write the great novel 08:38 and for a while, he lived on a Kibbutz in Israel. 08:42 Dwayne Lemon, my word, 08:45 the stuff that this guy's been through. 08:46 He was a professional hip hop dancer. Right? 08:49 And once got caught up in a bar fight in Kentucky 08:53 with the guys from Naughty By Nature. 08:56 And then I think what am I doing here? 09:00 I have not had that experience. 09:03 I haven't had any of those experiences. 09:08 As I look back I am perhaps 09:10 the single most systematized Adventist on the planet. Okay? 09:15 Nothing extraordinary about the testimony whatsoever. 09:17 Let me give you--I was born to Adventist parents 09:20 who had me in an Adventist hospital. Okay? 09:25 You're laughing 'cause it's hitting home 09:26 and I'm not even close to done. Okay? 09:29 Across the street from the hospital 09:31 was the church which they still attend. 09:36 Across the next street was the school 09:39 I went to-schools-- 09:41 I went to for the first 12 years of my education. 09:46 Adventist, Adventist, Adventist! 09:48 Now, long before I was born, their local college, 09:52 Adventist college, had closed down 09:54 and so at the age of 18, 09:56 circumstance forced to change in my life. 10:05 Beloved, I had to leave home, 10:10 not two and a half minutes away, friends. 10:13 Two and a half hours from my home. 10:19 To an entirely different town 10:25 inside the same state, of course. 10:26 And--and there I continued my education. 10:33 After graduating with a degree 10:34 that pretty much the only thing 10:36 I could know anything in life about--religious education. 10:40 I went and got a job 10:42 working at an Adventist academy. 10:46 I stand before you today 10:49 having a master's degree in religion. 10:52 I've taught at two academies. 10:55 Worked for three conferences. 10:57 Pastured four churches. 10:58 And friends, this is my seventh GYC. Amen! 11:05 I could borrow the language of Paul 11:08 of the tribe of Madison, 11:11 an Adventist of the Adventists. 11:18 Sebastien Braxton went to prison. 11:24 I went to Southern. Okay? 11:30 Doug Batchelor lived in a cave. 11:35 I lived in a dorm. 11:38 These are two worlds apart. 11:40 And I think to myself why am I here? 11:44 They've got all the stories and it donned on me. 11:48 Who am I speaking to? Now I'll give you credit. 11:52 Their stories much easier to listen to, right? 11:55 But I'm guessing that my story is much easier to relate to, 12:01 for many of you here. 12:03 And in fact I just dare say the vast majority of you here. 12:07 Many of you, many of you, most of you I would guess, 12:09 have some portions of your life 12:11 had gone through the system. 12:13 And don't get me wrong, I love the system. 12:15 I'm still in it. 12:16 My kids gonna be in it until Jesus comes. 12:18 Amen? Amen! 12:21 I'm a fan of the system, but having said that, 12:27 I believe there's a danger in the system. 12:32 Again I work for the system, supporter of the system. 12:33 You remember last night, tied to the system-- 12:38 but the greatest danger to Adventist young people, 12:41 spiritually, the greatest danger 12:43 to Adventist young people 12:44 isn't that they'll fall headlong into a life of drugs 12:47 and gang violence and crime. 12:51 It's not teenage pregnancy. 12:52 It's not disease. And it's not suicide. 12:55 The greatest spiritual danger is the mindset 12:59 that by merely avoiding such obvious sinful pitfalls, 13:04 everything's okay. 13:08 We unconsciously rationalize that 13:10 because we're not being bad, all is good. 13:16 I don't have a tattoo. Cool! 13:19 Not pierced, don't smoke, don't drink, I'm good. 13:24 I'm in a church, good! Let me explain. 13:29 Let me allow Mrs. White to explain, 13:30 anytime you say something controversial 13:32 hide behind inspiration. Okay. 13:36 Let them do the heavy lifting. 13:37 I'm just under there, okay? 13:41 While addressing the delegate 13:43 to the 1902 General Conference Session, 13:45 Mrs. White coined a term, 13:48 and the following it was included 13:49 in that powerful book Education. Okay. 13:53 The term is "respectable conventionality". 13:59 That's the title of tonight's message, 14:00 Respectable Conventionality. 14:02 Say it with me, respectable conven-- 14:06 three of you said it-- please obey. 14:08 Respectable conventionality. Here's the context. 14:13 Here's the statement, "Go ye into all the world, 14:16 and preach the gospel to every creature," 14:18 is Christ's command to His followers. 14:21 Not that all are called to be ministers or missionaries 14:24 in the ordinary sense of the term, 14:26 but all may be workers with Him 14:28 in giving the "glad tidings" to their fellow men. 14:31 "To all, great and small, learned or ignorant, 14:35 old or young, the command is given." Okay. 14:38 We're clear that she's talking about the command 14:40 to go and preach the gospel. Is that clear? 14:43 Now, next paragraph. 14:47 "In view of this command, 14:50 can we educate our sons and daughters 14:54 for a life of respectable conventionality," 15:00 here's your definition, "a life proficiently Christian 15:06 but lacking his self sacrifice? 15:09 A life on which the verdict of him 15:11 who is truth must be I know you not." 15:17 Chilling words are next. "Thousands are doing this. 15:26 They think to secure for their children 15:29 the benefits of the gospel." 15:32 Parenthetical getting in, right? 15:35 "While they deny its spirit fitting in." 15:40 Do you see the difference? 15:43 "But this cannot be." 15:45 And here's the-- what we're gonna be honing it 15:47 on tonight of this statement. 15:49 "Those who reject the privilege of fellowship 15:52 with Christ in service, reject the only" what kind? 15:59 "The only training that imparts a fitness 16:05 for participation with Him and His glory. 16:10 They reject the training that in this life gives strength 16:13 and nobility of character." 16:18 Respectable conventionality means 16:21 just living a conventional life in a respectable way 16:25 And in our society these days, 16:26 it probably is something like you go to school, 16:29 then you get married, and you have kids, 16:31 and you make sure that they go to school 16:33 and get married and have kids 16:35 and then you work hard and play a little 16:37 and retire and relax and that's life. 16:41 That's the world's view. 16:42 This is the conventional life 16:44 that the whole world is living. Go to school. 16:47 You get married. You have kids. 16:48 They got-- that's the same round 16:50 that everybody's basically going through. 16:56 And respectable conventionality, 16:58 if you'd gone through the Adventist system 16:59 might be to simply take that template 17:01 and sanctify it with Adventism. 17:05 I went to an Adventist school. 17:08 I married an Adventist spouse, 17:10 which, by the way, I did and I'm happy. 17:16 Then you're gonna perhaps even work 17:17 at an Adventist institution. 17:20 Then you're gonna have Adventist children 17:22 who go to the same Adventist school 17:24 and they're gonna-- do you see what I'm saying? 17:26 It's the exact same template 17:27 you've just added an Adventism. 17:30 You just created a subculture 17:32 of every other culture that's out there. 17:35 Respect--and it's a good one too, right? 17:37 We're healthy. We don't smoke. 17:38 We don't drink. We got it, yeah. 17:39 So, it's--people look at us from the outside 17:41 and say, "You're living a conventional life 17:43 but in a respectable way. That's admirable. 17:45 Good on you. High five. 17:48 Good for you." 17:51 We're just a shiny version of what, 17:53 well, everybody else is, respectable conventionality. 17:58 Now, everything I'm about to say for the next few minutes, 18:01 there's a flow to this message, okay? 18:04 I'm gonna step out of the flow and I wanna take you with me 18:06 inside a big set of parentheses. 18:08 Is that cool? Do you understand? 18:11 'Cause you're very quiet and it makes me nervous. Okay. 18:15 Parenthetically, if that is our idea of Adventism, 18:22 a life of respectable conventionality 18:24 with the hope of heaven is a cherry on top. 18:29 Then it's no wonder 18:30 that we have no zeal for evangelism. 18:36 Our burden transitions from preparing people 18:38 to see their savior face-to-face 18:40 at the second coming, 18:42 to simply trying to tell the world 18:44 that we're really not that weird. 18:50 Think about it for a minute, 18:51 you know I'm saying some truth right now. 18:55 No, no, no, we're not crazy. 18:58 We're just your quirky Christians neighbors. 19:00 We go to church on a different day 19:02 and odds are, we'll outlive you by eight to ten years, 19:05 but, you know--basically, in every other respect 19:09 we're just like you. 19:12 Folks, that's not evangelism. 19:13 That's public relations. 19:16 That's not an evangelistic campaign. 19:17 That's a PR campaign. 19:21 Exodus 19:5 tells us that God's church 19:24 in the Old Testament was supposed to be 19:26 His peculiar treasure. 19:28 Amen? Amen. 19:29 I Peter 2:9 says that God's church 19:32 in the New Testament is to be His peculiar treasure. Amen? 19:36 Last Day Advents, page 45, 19:37 we read, "Seventh-day Adventists 19:40 have been chosen by God as a peculiar people, 19:43 separate from the world. 19:45 By the great cleaver of truth He has cut them out 19:48 from the quarry of the world 19:49 and brought them into connection with Himself. 19:51 He has made them His representatives 19:54 and has called them to be ambassadors for Him 19:56 in the last work of salvation. 19:59 The greatest wealth of truth ever entrusted to mortals, 20:02 the most solemn and fearful warnings 20:05 ever sent by God to man, 20:06 have been committed to them to be given to the world." 20:10 What makes us peculiar is not our subculture, friends, 20:13 it is our message. Amen. 20:17 We're the only body of believers in the world 20:19 preaching the present truth 20:21 of the Three Angels messages of Revelation 14. 20:24 The everlasting gospel in the context 20:26 of Christ's final work in the most holy place 20:28 of the heavenly sanctuary. 20:31 With such a message and a missionary mandate, 20:33 how in the world can we settle 20:35 for respectable conventionality? 20:39 Close parenthesis. 20:42 Back to the stream of the thought. 20:45 Now,you might be thinking that two nights ago 20:47 you're the same guy, right? 20:50 Who told us that the great object in life 20:53 is the development of a Christ-like character. 20:55 Please tell me you remember that. Okay. 20:59 The great object of life 21:01 is to secure not only a getting in 21:02 but a fitting in for the heavenly realms. Okay. 21:06 Then we followed it up last night with saying 21:10 in an effort or in an-- and part of the thing 21:13 that's involved in developing that Christ-like character 21:16 is the ending of sin. 21:17 We need to kill the fat king, do you recall that? 21:21 And you might be thinking, "Okay. 21:22 Then my job in this life is to develop 21:24 a Christ-like character and not sin. 21:28 So, I should just go through life 21:31 and do my best to not sin 21:34 and thus, I'm being like Jesus." 21:38 It could be a logical conclusion, 21:40 but, my friends, if that's all 21:41 that your Christianity consisted 21:43 of was simply living a life that included no sin, 21:46 that's an incomplete gospel. 21:51 When we come to believe that the most decisive evidence 21:54 of genuine faith is simply not sinning. 21:57 Our commitment to Christ tends to revolve around 22:01 what we want to stop doing. 22:04 You see what I'm saying? 22:05 And I think we should stop doing some things, 22:07 but we become the people who don't, right? 22:13 We don't use foul language. Praise the Lord. 22:17 We don't eat unclean, or really any, meat. 22:20 We don't wear jewelry. We don't work on Sabbath. 22:24 We don't participate in ungodly entertainment. 22:26 You know, music, movies, T.V, 22:28 internet all that kind of stuff. 22:29 We don't lie. We don't cheat. 22:30 We don't steal. We don't kill. 22:31 We don't fornicate, fight, drink, smoke, et cetera. 22:33 The list can go on and on of all the stuff we don't do. 22:37 And, praise the Lord, we should do 22:38 none of those things. Amen? Amen! 22:42 But here's my thought for the evening. 22:43 If that's all we left you with, was at this GYC, 22:46 you're gonna be filled with the Holy Spirit, 22:47 develop the character of Christ and stop sinning. 22:49 Then the rest of your experiences, 22:51 you're gonna go through life just like everybody else, 22:53 but the only difference is, 22:54 you're gonna try to not be bad. 22:59 And you end up kind of just making sure, 23:02 see no evil, hear no evil, 23:03 be careful little eyes, be careful little ears. 23:05 And you just kind of insolate yourself off 23:09 from the rest of life in your zeal to be sinless. 23:13 Does that-- is that making sense? 23:18 And here's the thought for the evening. 23:20 Is it possible that in our zeal 23:22 to not sin we actually commit a sin? 23:28 When we come to think of Christian character 23:30 is merely the avoidance of evil, 23:31 we leave ourselves vulnerable to deeper 23:33 and more subtle temptations. 23:37 If I were to ask you, by the way, this evening, 23:39 what the Biblical definition of sin was. 23:42 Every true Seventh-day Adventist 23:44 in this room would likely answer the same way. 23:46 In fact, let's try this out. Okay. 23:49 You know, I want you to speak now. 23:53 Let's doa little experiment. 23:54 Altogether, with one voice, finish the following sentence 23:57 from I John Chapter 3 Verse 4. 23:59 Sin is-- Transgression of the law. 24:05 It's like I'm home. This is wonderful. 24:08 Sin is--we know that text but how many of you 24:10 could finish James Chapter 4 Verse 17? 24:16 To Him... to know... 24:23 it's a little muddled. I'll help you out. 24:25 "Therefore to Him who knows to do good, 24:30 and does not do it, to Him it is... 24:35 Sin. Sin." 24:38 Remember those words 24:39 and the statement I read earlier. 24:40 "Those who reject the privilege of fellowship 24:43 with Christ in service, reject the only training 24:51 that imparts a fitness 24:54 for participation with Him and His glory." 24:58 Apparently, according to the scriptures 25:00 and according to Pin of Inspiration, 25:02 sin is more than doing bad. 25:05 It's also the refusal or neglect to do good. 25:10 Let's study this out a little bit, 25:11 Matthew Chapter 19. 25:14 I will do my best to go slowly with the texts. 25:17 I apologize. Matthew 19. 25:26 In all seriousness, I want you to see that 25:27 this is in your scripture go to starting with verse 16. 25:35 Of course, when we all get there 25:36 I'm gonna read it really fast 25:37 so I need you to still stay with me. Okay. 25:39 "Now behold, one teacher--behold, 25:41 one came and said to him, Good teacher, 25:43 what good things shall I do that I may have eternal life?" 25:47 Let me ask you a question, he's asking, 25:49 "Lord, how can I fit into your kingdom 25:50 or is he asking Lord, how can I get into your kingdom?" 25:53 He's looking to get in. Is that clear? Okay. 25:56 Jesus understands this. It goes on. 26:01 "He said to him, 'Why do you call me good? 26:03 No one is good but that is-- but one and that is God. 26:06 But if you want to enter into life,'" 26:08 and obviously this is talking about eternal life, 26:10 because he's in his first life having the conversation. 26:15 "'If you want to enter into life, keep the commandments. 26:19 And he said, "Which ones?" 26:20 and Jesus said, "You shall not murder. 26:21 You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. 26:23 You shall not bear false witness. 26:24 Honor your father and your mother. 26:25 And you shall love neighbor as yourself." 26:27 Look at verse 20, "the young man said to Him, 26:30 'All these things I have kept from my youth. 26:32 What do I still lack? Is there anything else? 26:34 Make a list, I'm good at keeping lists. 26:38 Tell me, I'll do it. 26:40 Or, more technically, I'll avoid it. 26:45 Tell me what I don't have to do." 26:49 Jesus said, "Well, if you want to be--" 26:50 and here's the word, what's the word? "Perfect." 26:54 I'm just quoting it from scripture. 26:55 Not me saying it, Jesus saying it. 26:58 "'If you want to be perfect, 27:01 go sell what you have and give to the poor. 27:06 And you will have treasure in heaven and come follow me.' 27:11 When the young man heard that 27:13 he--that saying he went away sorrowful 27:15 for he had great possessions." 27:19 Luke Chapter 10, the same story. 27:21 Quickly over to Luke Chapter 10. 27:25 At least the same moral to the story. Verse 25. 27:29 We won't go through the whole thing. 27:30 You know, the story very well 27:31 but I want you to notice the similarities. 27:34 Chapter 10, Verse 25, "And, behold, 27:38 a certain lawyer stood up, and tested him, saying, 27:40 Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" 27:42 Is he asking, "Lord, how can I make my character fit in 27:45 or Lord, how can I just get myself in?" 27:48 He's looking to get in. 27:51 He said to him, "What is written in the law? 27:52 What is your reading of it?" So he answered and said, 27:54 "You shall love the Lord your God with all your strength, 27:55 with all your mind,' and 'your neighbor as yourself. 27:58 And Jesus said, "You have answered rightly, 27:59 do this and you will live." 28:02 And then he had no problem with the not doing part, 28:05 but he tests Him like, well--notice why. 28:08 Verse 29, But he, wanting to justify himself, 28:13 said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor? 28:17 I mean, I'm okay with not doing stuff 28:19 but the doing good to others exactly who do you mean?" 28:25 And the Bible says he asked that 28:26 because he wanted to justify himself, 28:28 the implication being he wasn't doing good for others. 28:35 And, of course, then Jesus gives 28:37 the story of the good Samaritan 28:38 and at the end, look at verse 37, 28:40 And he said to him who should-- 28:42 who's--to answer the question, who is his neighbor? 28:45 "He who showed mercy on him." 28:46 And Jesus answered then said to him, 28:48 "Go and do likewise." Go and do. 28:52 Not simply go and don't do. Go and do. 29:01 Matthew Chapter 16 in Verse 27, 29:04 when he discusses his own return, 29:05 he explains that the Son of Man will come in his glory, 29:08 in the glory of His Father and with His angels, 29:11 and then He will reward each according to his-- 29:14 and is it faith or works? Works! 29:22 Revelation Chapter 22 Verses 11 and 12, 29:25 when Jesus talks about His soon return once again 29:27 He mentions, "And behold, I am coming quickly, 29:29 and My reward is with Me, 29:31 to give to each one according to his", what? 29:34 His work! Apparently, righteousness involves 29:38 simply--not simply not doing stuff 29:40 but actually doing some stuff. 29:44 So the question is, what are we supposed to do? 29:47 I thought I wanted to develop a character of Christ. 29:49 I thought the only way to do that was not sin 29:50 and my job now is to live my life and not be bad. 29:56 What is it I'm supposed to do? 29:59 Well, the answer, of course, is to give 30:00 the Three Angels' messages to the world. 30:03 This is what we've been called to do. 30:06 And that is no question about it. 30:07 That is our Seventh-day Adventist message. 30:09 That is the in time last generation movement message. 30:13 This is the thing the world needs 30:14 is the message of Revelation Chapter 14. 30:17 And while I agree that the message of 30:19 Revelation Chapter 14 is our message, 30:22 I wanna suggest that our method 30:26 of conveying the message 30:30 is found in a different chapter of the Bible. 30:33 Please go to the Old Testament book of Isaiah Chapter 58. 30:37 Isaiah Chapter 58. 30:42 Now you might know a piece of this chapter. 30:43 You might know talking about keeping the Sabbath 30:47 and all kinds of neat things in Isaiah 58, 30:48 but I want you to see in the broader context. 30:50 We're gonna read through it. 30:51 Again, very quickly but I want you to see 30:54 the context of this chapter, 30:57 starting with Verse 1, Isaiah Chapter 58. 31:01 "Cry aloud, spare not, 31:04 Lift up your voice like a trumpet, Tell My people 31:07 their transgression, And the house of 31:08 Jacob their sins" We love that part. 31:11 We'd been called to rebuke sin and say it loud. 31:13 Let the trumpet have that certain sound. Amen? 31:18 Verse 2, "Yet they seek Me daily, 31:23 and delight to know My ways, 31:27 as a nation that did righteousness, 31:28 and did not forsake the ordinance of their God. 31:30 They ask of Me the ordinances of justice, 31:32 they take delight in approaching God. 31:34 'Why--" Verse 3, "'have we fasted,' 31:37 they say, 'and You have not seen? 31:42 Why have we afflicted our souls, 31:43 and You not take notice?' 31:46 " They're speaking to the Lord. 31:47 "Lord, we wanna be good people. 31:49 We're trying to obey you. 31:50 We're calling out sin every which way 31:51 and we want a spirit-- we wanna be filled. 31:57 But why have You not answered?" 32:05 "In fact, in the day of your fast you find pleasure, 32:07 And exploit all your laborers. 32:09 Indeed--" Verse 4, "you fast for strife and debate, 32:12 " Seventh-day Adventists, 32:16 do you ever have a holy conger-concur-- 32:19 What's the word I'm looking for? 32:22 Convocation. Thank you. 32:25 And all kinds of unholy wars breakout? 32:28 Strife and debate? Goes on. 32:32 "And to strike with the fist of wickedness. 32:35 You will not fast as you do this day, 32:37 to make your voice heard on high." 32:38 And he asked this question, 32:39 "Is it a fast that I have chosen, 32:41 a day for a man to afflict his soul? 32:43 Is it to bow down his head like a bulrush, 32:45 and to spread out sackcloth and ashes? 32:47 You would call this a fast, an acceptable day to the Lord?" 32:51 It's like, your righteous is simply coming together 32:53 and pleading for the Holy Spirit and that's it? 32:55 Avoiding sin and asking for the Holy Spirit? 32:56 That's the entirety of your religion? 32:58 You're like, "Well, of course, that's all we do." 33:04 Verse 6. "Is this not the fast that I have chosen?" 33:08 It's like, if you wanna have a fast, 33:09 why don't you have a fast in the spirit of the Lord 33:11 that goes something like this, 33:13 "To loose the bonds of wickedness, 33:15 to undo the heavy burdens, to let the oppressed go free, 33:20 and that you break every yoke?" 33:22 She conti--Isaiah continues in Verse 7, 33:25 "Is it not to share your bread with the hungry? 33:31 And that you bring to your house 33:32 the poor who are cast out? 33:37 When you see the naked, that you cover him? 33:42 And not hide yourself from your own flesh?" 33:46 You know they're your brothers and sisters, 33:47 too yet you hide yourself away when they're in need. 33:50 And why? 'Cause you're at a retreat, you're fasting. 33:54 Is this the fast that I've called for? 33:59 Verse 8, "Then your light shall break forth like the morning, 34:05 your healing shall spread forth speedily, 34:08 and your righteousness shall go before you; 34:10 the glory" which of course is the character, 34:13 "of the Lord shall be your rear guard. 34:15 Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer. 34:21 Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; 34:23 you shall cry, and He will say, 'Here I am.' 34:28 If you take away the yoke from your midst, 34:30 the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, 34:32 if you extend your soul to the hungry 34:36 and satisfy the afflicted soul, 34:38 then your light shall dawn in the darkness, 34:40 and your darkness shall be as the noonday. 34:42 The Lord will guide you continually, 34:44 and satisfy your soul in drought, 34:46 and strengthen your bones; and you shall be like 34:47 a watered garden, like a spring of water, 34:50 whose waters do not fail." 34:52 Do you get the picture that 34:53 we're talking about here in Isaiah? 34:54 Please notice that as the people we're not rebuking-- 34:57 Isaiah was not rebuking wicked people. 35:02 These are not pagans. These are not heathens. 35:03 They're not having idolatry festivals. 35:05 They're actually trying to receive the spirit of the Lord. 35:08 They're like, "We're calling out sins, Lord. 35:10 We're avoiding sin in ourselves, Lord, 35:12 but why when we call and you, do you not answer?" 35:15 And the Lord's like, "Did I ever ask you to do 35:17 a life of respectable conventionality? 35:21 Will you simply go through life and avoid evil 35:23 and call that righteousness?" 35:24 He said, "No, no, my idea of Christianity 35:26 and my Christ like, my Godly character 35:29 is bigger than just merely the avoidance of sin. 35:31 You need to do some stuff for others." 35:37 Seventh-day Adventists. 35:42 Apparently, the people in Isaiah's time 35:43 were so absorbed in their personal spiritual experience 35:45 that they neglected to do the good for others 35:47 that Israel was originally established to do. 35:50 Genesis Chapter 12, the call of Isr--the call of Abraham, 35:54 "I will bless you, and you will be a" what? 35:57 "A blessing." 35:59 He didn't just say, "I will bless you, enjoy." 36:04 Said, "I will bless you for the purpose 36:05 of being a blessing to others. 36:09 You're gonna be a light to the Gentiles. 36:11 You're gonna be my representatives on the earth. 36:13 You're going to demonstrate 36:14 the character of God in a dark place." 36:18 And Satan twisted their mind to think 36:20 the only thing God did was nothing. 36:26 And they were curious, "Lord, why don't you answer us? 36:28 Where is your power? 36:30 Where is that Holy Spirit Pentecostal revival?" 36:35 And God's like, "You're not doing anything." 36:42 They were so intent on being good before God, 36:45 that they neglected to do good for others. 36:52 I'm gonna read you some statements 36:53 from the Pin of Inspiration. 36:54 By the way, I make no apology for that, 36:56 I'm just letting you know. 36:57 If a Seventh-day Adventist's pastor 36:59 at a Seventh-day Adventist's 37:00 convention can't speak to Seventh-day Adventists 37:01 about the Seventh-day Adventist 37:02 inspire prob-- there's a problem. 37:05 Yes. Close parentheses. Okay. 37:11 "The work specified in these words" 37:13 By the way, "the work specified in this words" 37:16 speaking of Isaiah 58 "is the work 37:18 God requires His people to do." 37:22 I thought we were just supposed 37:23 to hold evangelistic crusades. 37:26 "The work God requires His people to do, 37:27 it is the work of God's own appointment with-" 37:30 Notice the combination, "with the work of advocating 37:33 the commandments of God and repairing the breach 37:35 that is made in the law of God, we are to mingle, 37:39 we are to mingle compassion for suffering humanity. 37:45 We are to show supreme love to God. 37:47 We are to exalt His memorial" which is-- 37:50 which is she is speaking of the Sabbath, right? 37:51 Preach the Sabbath. We should keep the Sabbath. 37:53 We should teach the Sabbath. 37:56 "We are to exalt His memorial which had been trodden 37:58 down by unholy feet, and with this we are 38:00 to manifest mercy, benevolence, 38:03 and the tenderest pity for the fallen race. 38:07 As a people we must take hold of this work. 38:10 Love revealed for suffering humanity-" Notice this. 38:14 "Gives significance and power to the truth." 38:18 Is it possible that we can preach and teach the truth, 38:20 and it still have no significance and power 38:22 because we're just preaching and teaching 38:23 the truth instead of living it? 38:29 The reference for that is Welfare Ministry, page 32. 38:32 Did you even know there's a book called Welfare Ministry? 38:36 From the next page, page 33, "I cannot too strongly urge 38:40 all our church members, all who are true missionaries." 38:44 I love that all true church members 38:45 are apposed to be true missionaries, but anyway. 38:49 "All who believe the third angel's message, 38:51 all who turn away their feet from the Sabbath, 38:53 to consider the message of the fifty eighth chapter of Isaiah. 38:57 The work of beneficence enjoined in this chapter 39:00 is the work that God requires His people to do at this time. 39:06 My Life Today at page 241, 39:08 "In the fifty-eighth chapter of Isaiah, 39:11 the work that the people of God 39:12 are to do in Christ's lines is clearly set forth. 39:16 They are to break every yoke, 39:18 they are to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked. 39:22 If they carry out the principles of the law of God 39:26 in acts of mercy and love, they will--" Check it out, 39:30 "represent the character of God to the world, 39:34 and receive the richest blessings of Heaven." 39:39 You want a blessing from heaven? 39:40 Live the faith of Jesus Christ in your life. 39:45 Christ's Object Lessons, page 384, 39:48 "Love is the basis of all Godliness. 39:50 Whatever the profession, no man has pure love to God 39:53 unless he has unselfish love for his brother. 39:56 But we can never come into possession of this spirit 39:59 by trying to love others." 40:02 Don't fake it, by the way. 40:04 People can smell hypocrisy. It looks bad. 40:09 "What is needed is the love of Christ in the heart. 40:13 When self is merged in Christ, 40:16 love springs forth spontaneously." 40:24 Notice this one, have you ever asked this question, 40:26 I love--I wish there was a litmus test, 40:28 a listed check off, a way to know when my Christian 40:31 character has been completed, you know? 40:33 It'd be nice to be able to look around like, "Oh! I've arrived." 40:36 Which, of course, you're never 40:38 supposed to say that, that's bad theology. 40:39 I'm just saying, as a mindset we have, is that clear? 40:42 "The completeness of Christian character 40:45 is attained when the impulse to help and bless others 40:49 springs constantly from within." 40:54 When it doesn't even dawn on you to try, 40:56 you just kinda do it 'cause that's who you are now. 41:02 "When the sunshine of heaven fills the heart 41:04 and is revealed in the countenance." 41:08 Apparently, the Christian's life is supposed to be life 41:10 more abundantly, joyful, caring, giving, benevolent. 41:18 Medical Missionary, Medical Ministry, page 263, 41:22 "To teachers in our schools, to ministers 41:24 and physicians and nurses, I would say, 41:26 you can succeed in revealing the truths 41:29 of the third angel's message." Good. 41:33 Apparently, spreading the word is possible. Amen? 41:37 However, "This will not be done merely by preaching the word, 41:44 but by deeds of loving ministry." 41:48 We can hold all the evangelistic crusades we want. 41:50 Preach the word, preach the word, 41:52 and say it and say it and say it and it will never be enough. 41:57 The world doesn't need 41:58 a proclamation of the character of God. 42:00 It needs a revelation of the character of God. 42:04 There is a difference between proclaiming something 42:06 and revealing it from within. 42:11 "Those who have the spirit of Christ will work His works." 42:17 And then I think to myself, "That's a some grand ideas. 42:19 That's a high standard." 42:21 I wonder what the Seventh-day Adventist Church 42:23 would look like if we took on an equal fervor 42:27 ministry for the needy the same proportion 42:32 as we do as proclamation of the truth. 42:36 What would that look like? 42:40 And, by the way, I know someone's thinking, 42:43 "Well, this is dangerous-- you're preaching social gospel. 42:47 All you do is press out-- pass out bread, 42:49 give a smile and call that sharing Jesus." 42:50 No, no, no, my friends. 42:52 Social gospel is a term that, you know, 42:54 Satan has employed to keep us from doing good. 42:58 But let me tell you something, while the social gospel 43:00 just giving up bread then walking away 43:02 and not sharing the real the bread of life, right? 43:05 Is not what we should do the gospel 43:07 that we preach must be inherently social. 43:14 There is no such thing as a Christian hermit. 43:18 It's oxymoronic. 43:22 So, I'm not preaching social gospel, 43:23 I'm preaching a gospel that is social. 43:27 There's a difference. 43:31 By the way, Desire of Ages, page 86, 43:34 "Instead of secluding Himself in a hermit's cell 43:36 in order to show His heavenly character, 43:40 Christ labored earnestly for humanity." 43:43 You know, Jesus could've come in a glass box, shaft of light. 43:49 Maybe on a turntable. 43:53 And people would come by and get invitations 43:55 far and wide to come see the glory of God in a jar. 44:01 But that's not how we demonstrated the glory. 44:03 He said, "I have no beauty or comeliness. 44:04 I want you to see it in my character. 44:08 And I want you to see my character and what I do, 44:10 not merely what I don't do." 44:16 He labored earnestly for humanity. 44:17 He inculcated the principle that Bible religion 44:20 does not consist in the mortification of the body. 44:24 When we have appeals, like I led last night- 44:26 I have nothing against the appeal, 44:28 I think it's the right thing to end sin. 44:29 But if all you take away from GYC this year 44:31 is that I wanna be filled with the spirit 44:33 and that means I'm going to do even less. 44:37 Have mercy. 44:41 He taught that pure and undefiled religion 44:43 is not meant only for set times and special occasions, GYC. 44:49 At all times and in all places 44:51 He manifested a loving interest in men, 44:53 and shed about them the light of a cheerful piety. 44:56 You know what's great though? 44:58 Is that there's a tiny little 44:59 flicker of time in Adventist history. 45:02 When people took these principles and said, 45:03 "I wonder what that would actually 45:05 look like in practical--" 'Cause I went to 45:07 a seminar on preaching today. 45:08 Some of you might've been there. 45:10 You know, flying at 30,000 feet setting the theory 45:11 and the principle, we're the legs. 45:14 What would it look like if a church embodied this idea of 45:17 just equal force preaching the truth and showing love? 45:20 What would it look like? 45:24 Around the turn of this century. 45:26 Well, the last turn of the century, 1901, 45:31 it happened in the town of San Francisco. 45:34 Let me share with you 45:36 what was going on in San Francisco. 45:37 In a fun little active game, you can count how many 45:40 things were going on in San Francisco. 45:42 Try to keep up, okay? 45:46 "There are many lines of Christian effort 45:48 being carried forward by our 45:49 brethren and sistrens in San Francisco. 45:52 These include, the list begins. 45:55 Visiting the sick and destitute. 45:58 Finding homes for orphans and work for the unemployed. 46:04 Does this sound like anything 46:05 that our churches are doing right now? 46:07 Not the application, we'll get there. 46:11 Nursing the sick, and teaching the love of Christ 46:14 from house to house, the distribution of literature, 46:19 and the conducting of classes 46:20 for healthful living and the care of the sick. 46:23 A school for the children is conducted 46:25 in the basement of the meeting-house. 46:27 In another part of the city, a workingmen's home" 46:29 What's the modern equivalent of a working man's home? 46:34 A homeless shelter. 46:39 "And a medical mission is maintained. 46:42 On Market Street, near the City Hall, 46:44 there is a bath establishment." 46:46 Which, of course, is a hydrotherapy center. 46:48 "Operated as a branch of the St. Helena Sanitarium. 46:51 In the same locality is a depot of the Health Food Company, 46:55 where health foods are not only sold, 46:57 but instruction is given as to reforms in diet. 47:00 Near the centre of the city, our people conduct 47:02 a Vegetarian Cafe, which is open six days in the week, 47:04 and is entirely closed on the Sabbath. 47:07 Here about five hundred meals are served daily, 47:11 and no flesh-meats are used. 47:14 Dr. and Mrs. Dr. Lamb are doing much medical work 47:16 for the poor in connection with their regular practice. 47:20 So a doctor was volunteering at a Downtown Medical Clinic. 47:24 And Dr. Buchannan is doing much 47:25 free work at the Workingman's Home." 47:29 And notice these closing words. 47:31 "We earnestly hope that the steps taken in the future 47:35 in the work in San Francisco will be steps of progress. 47:40 The work that has been done there is but a beginning." 47:46 Mrs. White looked at it 47:47 the all those things that were going on. 47:50 She looked at and she said, 47:51 "Ah, that is a great, great start." 47:59 Of course, we know shortly thereafter there was 48:00 an earthquake in San Francisco. 48:04 And some things changed in Adventism 48:06 politically with the medical work. 48:09 Which by the way, all of those things are medical work. 48:11 Medical work is not just coronary heart transplants okay? 48:13 It's giving bread to the neighbor. 48:16 The medical work and the ministry kind of-- 48:21 and for over a hundred years now, 48:23 they haven't really met together. 48:27 And we're at GYC saying, "Why haven't we seen 48:30 a Pentecostal revival yet?" 48:33 Is it possible that we're living out Isaiah 58? 48:40 By the way, wouldn't it be great, 48:41 if in the scripture, there was just a simple 48:43 definition of what perfect religion looked like? 48:47 If there was a text that was like, 48:48 "pure and undefiled religion is this." 48:56 I'll say it slowly so you can see that it's actually in there. 49:00 Go to the book of James. 49:04 That's not rhetorical. I wanna hear it. 49:07 Book of James Chapter 1, Verse 27. 49:17 Notice the combination of the two works, 49:23 "Pure and undefiled religion before God 49:26 and the Father is this:" Colon. 49:30 We're looking at a definition now. 49:32 Is that clear? Say amen. 49:34 "Pure and undefiled religion before 49:36 God and the Father is this: 49:41 to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, 49:45 and to keep oneself unspotted from the world." 49:52 How many times do we think that just the second half 49:55 is the fullness of Christian character? 49:59 Jesus didn't come just to not do. 50:01 He came to do some stuff for humanity. 50:07 "Pure and undefiled religion is this:" the scripture says. 50:16 My final statement from the Pin of Inspiration tonight, 50:20 Christ's Object Lessons, page 416, 417, we read, 50:24 "The last rays of merciful light, 50:28 the last message of mercy to be given to the world, 50:31 is a revelation of His character of love." 50:36 "The children of God are to manifest His glory." 50:39 And, of course, glory is an equivalent 50:41 with what other word? Character. 50:47 "The children of God are to manifest His glory. 50:49 In their own life and character they are to reveal 50:53 what the grace of God has done for them. 50:57 The light of the Sun of Righteousness is to shine 51:00 forth in good works-" Hyphen, and she defines, 51:05 "in words of truth and deeds of holiness." 51:14 Later in that same statement, 51:16 "All around us are heard the wails of a world's sorrow." 51:20 You know, as we get closer and closer at the end of time 51:22 and we see the time prophecies have expired 51:24 and the signs of Christ coming, all around us do we not hear 51:27 the wails of a suffering humanity? 51:30 Do we not turn on the T.V. and get the news streams 51:33 and we see video clips of atrocities in our world? 51:38 And I'm not talking just around the world. 51:39 Yes, they are, but in our world right here, 51:46 "On every hand are the needy and distressed." 51:50 Did you know the economy's not doing too well right now? 51:54 I'm guessing you might know firsthand, 51:55 but I'm guessing there's people 51:57 who know even more firsthand. 52:03 "It is ours to aid in relieving and softening 52:06 life's hardships and misery." 52:11 If we walk by a person in need 52:13 and all we do is tell them what to believe, 52:17 it seems to lose its significance and power. 52:25 This is a standing rebuke to me. 52:27 These next sentences-- this next sentence primarily, 52:31 "Practical work will have far more effect 52:35 than mere sermonizing." 52:41 Praise the Lord, by the way, 52:43 if you're a church that even still does evangelism. 52:48 I mean, the worst rebuke is you do neither. 52:52 "We'd don't worry, pastor, we're not doing that. 52:53 We don't preach the word or reveal the love of God." 52:57 You don't get a cookie for that. 52:59 You know what I'm saying? That's not the objective. 53:02 And if you are doing public evangelism, 53:04 literature evangelism, praise the Lord. 53:08 But you're not done yet. Amen. 53:10 A proclamation is only half the battle-- they need a revelation 53:15 of the character of God and good works. 53:20 "Practical work will have far more 53:22 effect than mere sermonizing." 53:23 And she lists them off. I know we like lists. 53:27 Sevens, we like number 28, you know. 53:31 "We are to give food to the hungry, 53:35 clothing to the naked," And hear it is again, 53:38 " Shelter to the homeless." 53:42 When was the last time you heard of 53:43 a Seventh-day Adventist homeless shelter? 53:49 If we leave here asking for the Holy Spirit to fill us 53:52 and yet we refuse to demonstrate 53:53 the character of Christ in our lives, 53:55 we have robbed ourselves of an 53:56 experience that God wants to give us. 54:04 Then she says, "And we are called to do more than this." 54:07 'Cause that's the social gospel, right? 54:09 Just do those things. 54:11 She says, "We're called to do more than this." 54:15 "The wants of the soul, 54:17 only the love of Christ can satisfy." 54:19 That's their greatest need, but in order to get to their 54:22 greatest need, we have to go to their first needs. 54:25 "If Christ is abiding in us, our hearts will be 54:28 full of divine sympathy. 54:31 The sealed fountains of earnest, 54:32 Christ-like love will be unsealed." 54:37 And as we close tonight, 54:40 I wanna turn you to Matthew Chapter 25. 54:44 Matthew Chapter 25, Jesus speaks of His return. 54:50 And on night number one, we talked about how 54:54 the goal of the great object of our life is not simply live 54:57 to the second coming but to live through it. Right? 55:01 Not simply to have a transaction that gets us 55:04 in but perhaps by the grace of God 55:05 and the power of His indwelling Holy Spirit 55:07 to have a transformation that fits us in so that we can go 55:11 from this world to the next seamlessly. 55:15 Preparation for the second coming 55:16 is not merely knowing the time. 55:22 We need to develop His character. 55:26 Matthew Chapter 25 starting with Verse 31, 55:32 "When the Son of Man comes--" 55:34 our musicians can come on out. 55:37 "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, 55:38 and all the angels with Him, 55:41 then He will sit on the throne of His glory. 55:46 All the nations will be gathered before Him, 55:48 and He will separate them one from the other, 55:50 as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. 55:54 And He will set the sheep on His right hand, 55:56 but the goats on the left. 55:59 Then the King will say to those on the right hand, 56:01 'Come, you blessed of My Father, 56:03 inherit the kingdom prepared for you 56:05 from the foundation of the world." 56:08 "Come on in." 56:15 And the reason Verse 34, "for I was hungry 56:22 and you gave Me food; 56:27 I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; 56:31 I was a stranger and you took Me in; 56:37 I was naked and you clothed Me; 56:41 I was sick and you visited Me; 56:43 I was in prison and you came to Me.'" 56:49 And I love the response in Verse 37, 56:51 "Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, 56:55 when did we see You hungry and feed You, 56:57 or thirsty and give You drink? 56:59 When did we see You a stranger 57:01 and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 57:03 Or when did we see You sick, 57:04 or in prison, and come to You?' 57:06 And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, 57:09 I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to 57:12 one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.' 57:17 " And do you catch the significance? 57:20 Well, wait for it 'cause the conversation--no, no. 57:23 He now turns to His left side, 57:28 "Then He will say to those on the left hand, 57:30 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire 57:34 prepared for the devil and his angels" 57:37 I do not want to hear those words. 57:46 And here's the reason, Verse 42, 57:49 for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; 57:54 I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink, 57:57 I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, 57:59 naked and you did not clothe Me, 58:01 sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.'" 58:04 And what's powerful about this message 58:06 besides the obvious, is that their response 58:11 the response of the wicked to this truth 58:13 that God had just spoken is identical 58:16 to the response of the righteous. 58:21 They're on two different sides. 58:22 The only difference is one did and the other didn't 58:25 and both of them say, "Lord, when did we see you?" 58:29 Notice it says, "Then they also will answer Him, 58:32 saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty 58:35 or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, 58:38 and did not minister to You?'" 58:39 The implication being, "Lord, 58:41 if we had known it was You, 58:44 sure, we would have put on a potluck. 58:48 You could've come to my house. We would have done anything. 58:52 We would've had a clothing drive, 58:53 we would have collected cans. 58:55 We would've gone in gathering. 58:56 We would've been community service. 58:57 We would've done it all, we would've done prison ministry. 58:59 We would've done all the things 59:00 we could've if we knew it was You. 59:02 But it wasn't You, it was just people." 59:11 These folks are fully expecting to get in, 59:17 but in this life, they did not develop 59:20 a character that would fit in. 59:23 Do you see the difference? |
Revised 2014-12-17