Live from the
3ABN Worship Center
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welcome to the
Pillars of our Faith event.
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Well I want to
welcome every one of you back
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to this second hour
of... How many speakers did we
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tell you we were
going to have? 23.
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There are 23 sermons
that we are going to have
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over the up-coming weekend.
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And are y'all
excited about that? Amen.
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God is going to bless
us! When we leave here
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Saturday night... it's over
Saturday night at 9 o'clock...
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we will be so full spiritually.
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But don't you expect that
we might be totally exhausted
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physically? But it's worth it!
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And I would like to go
over with you all the speakers
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that we're going to have.
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And you know, some of
them are already in the house!
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Some of them are on the way.
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And something I
would like for you to do
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is pray for everyone
that's on the road...
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all of these
speakers that are on the road.
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We've already said that we
know that God's holy presence
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is here; God's blessing is here.
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But don't you know the
enemy wants to fight us.
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So let's pray for
our speakers that they...
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You know, as the
Holy Spirit touches them
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and as they present
their messages, oh, let's pray
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that our hearts are
open to receive every word
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and then that we'll be doers
of the Word and not hearers.
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Isn't that a good
thing for us to pray?
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Well let's go over
our list of speakers.
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David Asscherick
was going to be with us
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and you know, he's been
coming to 3ABN for nine years...
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never once has he had to cancel.
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But just in the last couple
of days he had to cancel on us.
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But I don't want you to be
discouraged one bit over that.
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There's still 22 others that
are going to be speaking here.
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Stephen Bohr is with us
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and as well as John Bradshaw.
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John Bradshaw, of
course, is the Speaker/Director
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of It is Written. C.D.
Brooks is going to be with us.
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Amen to that!
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Of course, our
own Pastor Gilley.
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Didn't he just do
an incredible job?
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John Lomacang, who is the pastor
of the Thompsonville SDA Church,
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our pastor. Then
Pastor C.A. Murray will be
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preaching next. Well, not in
this hour but in the next hour.
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And then Dr. Leslie
Pollard. He's the president
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of Oakwood University.
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Our own Shelley Quinn
is going to be speaking.
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We had to have one
beautiful blonde in the mix
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of all of these men, didn't we?
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And then Dr. Calvin
Rock is going to be with us.
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Jay Rosario, Kenny Shelton.
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And our next
speaker is David Shin.
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But let me mention the musicians
or those that are going
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to share with us in music.
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Tammy Chance. Now
Tammy is one of my favorite
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singers. She sings with
such a gentle compassion
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for people and I
appreciate her so much.
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Melody Firestone is with us.
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Yvonne Lewis who is going
to sing here in just a moment.
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Pastor John Lomacang,
C.A. Murray, Tim Parton,
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Danny Shelton. And
our all time favorite...
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Danny Shelton, who is
one of the most blessed men
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that I have met.
He... God has graced him
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and blessed him and anointed him
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and I'm always
inspired when I hear him speak
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or when I hear him sing.
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And then Reggie and
Ladye Love Smith are with us.
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Those... How many of you
were blessed by their ministry
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on the Pillars of our Faith CD?
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Well, they are
with us again this year.
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Jim and Pam Rhodes are with us.
Kristin Wilkinson is with us.
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But David Shin
is our next speaker.
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I want to tell you
a little about him.
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Um, he pastors two churches:
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one in East Lansing, Michigan,
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and one in Williamson, Michigan.
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Uh, he also... I
asked him in the green room
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a few minutes ago: "Tell
me a little about yourself. "
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And you know
where his passion was?
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He says that he lives about
two blocks from the campus.
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And there's about
45,000 students on the campus.
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It's Michigan State University.
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And he told about
going out door to door
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and giving 100 Bible studies
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and the people that have come
to the Lord as a result of that.
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He's a young man. He
looks much younger, evidently,
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than he is because he's
been married for 3-1/2 years
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to Tinelle. And he is just...
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How many of you have
heard Pastor Shin preach before?
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He is just a firecracker.
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He just does... And
you know, our church...
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we need these young eagles
that are coming up, don't we?
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And we appreciate them so much.
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But before Pastor Shin comes,
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Yvonne Lewis is going to come
and minister a beautiful song
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to us. And you know, I
only got to know Yvonne
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over the last few months.
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I know she's come to
3ABN for a few times.
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But I really got to know
her. And the longer I know her
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the more I appreciate her.
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She has such a
passion for souls.
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Such a passion to minister to
people that... that need a touch
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from the Lord. She's the general
manager of our Dare to Dream
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Network, our urban network
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that's going into darkened
areas and touching souls.
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And Yvonne, I
appreciate you so much
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and I know that you have
a heart for these people now
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as you minister in
song to them. God bless you.
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Thank you, Mollie.
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I heard He walked on water
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and opened blinded eyes.
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The deaf were made to hear again
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and the dead
were called to rise.
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Oh, but when I
gave Him all my heart
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a greater thing took place.
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The Lord of every miracle
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redeemed me by His grace.
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And wonders never cease
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as long as I believe
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and place my life
within the nail-scarred hands
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that bled for me.
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And when I think
I've seen His best
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I stand amazed to see
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His glory never ends
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and wonders
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never cease.
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He still walks on water
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to calm my troubled sea.
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And in the midst of thunder
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I can hear Him speaking peace.
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And though so many
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of His miracles are
just part of yesterday
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I'm living proof
His changing power
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has never passed away.
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And wonders never cease
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as long as I believe
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and place my life
within the nail-scarred hands
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that bled for me.
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And when I think
I've seen His best
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I stand amazed to see...
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oh...
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His glory never ends.
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Oh,
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Wonders never cease
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as long as I believe
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and I place my hand
within the nail-scarred hands
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that bled for me.
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And when I think
I've seen His best
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I stand amazed to see
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His glory never ends.
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Wonders never cease.
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Oh, His glory never ends
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and wonders never
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cease.
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Amen.
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Good evening. Good evening.
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Let's bow our heads
together as we pray.
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Our Father in heaven,
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We thank you for this
Pillars of Faith weekend.
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We thank you for the
privilege and opportunity
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that we have to come apart
from the cares of this life
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to meditate upon
You and Your holy Word.
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And this evening as
we spend a few moments
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studying about Your church -
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Your precious people, the
body and the bride of Christ -
00:11:03.48\00:11:08.30
we pray that You would
speak to each one of our hearts.
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We pray that
Jesus would be uplifted.
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That people would recognize
that you do have a visible
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church here on earth.
00:11:20.61\00:11:23.60
We pray that Your Holy Spirit
would speak to each one of our
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hearts. For we ask these things
in Jesus' name, Amen. Amen.
00:11:28.28\00:11:33.62
Tonight's topic is the church.
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And I want to tell
you as a young person,
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as a young adult,
when you mention the word
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church in today's society
- depending on which circles
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you go to - there's a
myriad of different responses
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that you receive when
you mention the word church.
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Isn't that right?
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I remember I used to go
canvassing door to door.
00:11:58.43\00:12:00.94
I would sell books and go
all throughout the country.
00:12:01.14\00:12:04.42
And it was amazing how I
would go to certain communities
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and I would share with
them these wonderful books.
00:12:09.34\00:12:12.69
And they would say:
"David... " They would stop me
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at a certain moment and
say: "David, I want you to stop
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right there. Is
this religious material
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and do you go to church? "
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And I would say: "Yes! "
00:12:22.75\00:12:24.53
And it was amazing how
fast that door would shut.
00:12:24.73\00:12:28.72
Just boom!
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And if you were to go
to a person on the street
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today and ask them
the fundamental question
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"What adjective do you think of
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when I mention
the word church? "
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I think that you would
not be surprised to find
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some of these names. Words like
00:12:48.97\00:12:52.90
hypocrites.
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FULL of hypocrites.
00:12:56.17\00:12:58.85
Uninformed.
00:12:59.83\00:13:01.88
Naive.
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Boring.
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If you were to ask them
"What emotion do you feel? "
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when you mention the word
church, they would say things
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like anger, hurt, apathy,
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feelings of distrust.
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It's very unfortunate
today that we live in a society
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in which the word church has
a certain tag, a certain stigma
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that is associated
with the word church.
00:13:32.44\00:13:34.72
We live in a day and
age where the word church
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is almost
radioactive, isn't that right?
00:13:38.58\00:13:42.08
Sad to say, there's another
movement within the church...
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there's a distrust
of organized religion.
00:13:49.26\00:13:52.42
We stress
independence and individuality.
00:13:52.72\00:13:57.34
It's between me and God.
00:13:57.44\00:14:00.45
Now I believe that
has an element of truth,
00:14:00.65\00:14:02.83
but I'd like to present here
today that the Bible presents
00:14:03.04\00:14:06.11
a relationship not only between
Christ and the individual
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but also between
Christ and the corporate body:
00:14:09.64\00:14:13.43
i. e. the church.
00:14:13.63\00:14:16.16
Today as a reaction to
some of these things in society
00:14:20.36\00:14:23.27
church has taken the
perspective of being a
00:14:23.37\00:14:25.68
consumer operation.
00:14:25.78\00:14:27.75
There has been a paradigm shift
to where people go to church
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to see what they
can get out of church
00:14:34.18\00:14:36.72
rather than what you
bring to God in worship.
00:14:36.92\00:14:41.76
Church has become a
place where I get "benefits"
00:14:43.99\00:14:47.20
instead of a place where
I'm going to give glory to God.
00:14:47.40\00:14:53.00
There's narcissism that
has crept into the church
00:14:54.81\00:14:57.72
and it has gone
from being God-centered
00:14:57.82\00:15:00.86
to becoming human-centered.
00:15:01.06\00:15:03.49
This is a society
that we live in today.
00:15:04.80\00:15:07.94
And with all the
faults, with all the foibles,
00:15:09.32\00:15:13.61
with all of the idiosyncrasies
that our church today has,
00:15:13.82\00:15:17.37
Ephesians
chapter 5 verse 25 says:
00:15:17.57\00:15:21.43
"Christ also loved the
church. " Can you say Amen?
00:15:21.63\00:15:26.24
Amen. "Christ
also loved the church
00:15:26.45\00:15:29.27
and gave Himself for her. "
00:15:29.37\00:15:31.91
That with all the problems
that are in the church today:
00:15:32.11\00:15:34.88
all the "hypocrites,
" all the idiosyncrasies
00:15:35.08\00:15:38.85
and all the things that
are wrong with God's church,
00:15:38.95\00:15:43.12
it is still the apple of
God's eye. Can you say Amen?
00:15:43.32\00:15:46.35
God still has a
visible church on earth today.
00:15:46.95\00:15:50.20
This is from the
magazine Signs of the Times,
00:15:50.40\00:15:52.39
July 13, 1904. I
love this statement.
00:15:52.59\00:15:56.28
"To God the
dearest object on earth
00:15:56.39\00:16:00.03
is His church.
00:16:00.23\00:16:03.24
For thus saith
the Lord of Hosts:
00:16:04.38\00:16:05.84
'After the glory has
sent Me unto the nations
00:16:05.94\00:16:08.98
which spoiled you, for
He that toucheth you... '
00:16:09.08\00:16:11.80
listen to this:
'for He that toucheth you
00:16:12.00\00:16:14.34
toucheth the
apple of His eye. ' "
00:16:14.54\00:16:18.10
This is a
fundamental belief in scripture.
00:16:19.68\00:16:21.73
There is a doctrine of
the church: the organized body
00:16:21.83\00:16:25.33
of Christ. And
Paul uses this analogy,
00:16:25.43\00:16:28.08
this metaphor, to
describe the church.
00:16:28.28\00:16:30.57
Colossians chapter 1 verse 18:
00:16:30.77\00:16:32.73
"And He - Christ - is
the head of the body -
00:16:32.93\00:16:37.15
the church. " Paul is
trying to describe the nature
00:16:37.35\00:16:41.30
of the church and he's trying
to think of a metaphor that
00:16:41.40\00:16:43.73
would illustrate the
relationship of Christ
00:16:43.83\00:16:46.17
and the church. And
he's thinking in his mind
00:16:46.27\00:16:47.86
and he's trying to write
down this metaphor. And he says:
00:16:47.97\00:16:50.18
"Ah, I got it. The
relationship between Christ
00:16:50.39\00:16:52.83
and the church is
just like the human head
00:16:53.03\00:16:56.07
to the human body. "
00:16:56.27\00:16:57.87
I want you to think
about that relationship
00:16:58.07\00:16:59.95
because so many
times in society today
00:17:00.05\00:17:02.03
people put the church over here
00:17:02.23\00:17:04.28
and Christ way over there.
00:17:04.49\00:17:06.36
They are separate entities.
00:17:06.56\00:17:08.51
But the Bible presents
this picture of the head
00:17:08.61\00:17:11.51
and the body. Now,
if you sever your foot
00:17:11.71\00:17:15.20
or your toe,
life still can exist.
00:17:15.40\00:17:19.08
But if you sever your head...
00:17:20.12\00:17:22.92
that's an execution.
00:17:23.12\00:17:25.83
They are together.
00:17:27.07\00:17:28.78
They are distinct
but they are inseparable.
00:17:28.99\00:17:33.55
Paul goes on in
Colossians chapter 1 verse 24:
00:17:33.79\00:17:36.67
"What is lacking in
the afflictions of Christ
00:17:36.87\00:17:39.75
for the sake of His
body which is the church. "
00:17:39.95\00:17:45.76
Ephesians chapter 5 verse 23:
00:17:46.92\00:17:49.15
"Christ is the
head of the church.
00:17:49.35\00:17:54.09
He is the Savior of the body. "
00:17:54.29\00:17:59.06
Now I've heard
this in some circles:
00:18:00.58\00:18:02.89
"Why can't I just be
baptized into Christ? "
00:18:03.09\00:18:06.04
"Why do I have to be baptized
into a body, into a church? "
00:18:06.84\00:18:09.90
"Where in the Bible is
this concept that when you're
00:18:10.92\00:18:13.06
baptized you're
baptized into membership,
00:18:13.16\00:18:15.82
into an organized church? "
00:18:16.02\00:18:17.82
I take them to
Ephesians chapter 4 verse 5.
00:18:18.02\00:18:21.13
The Bible is very clear:
00:18:21.23\00:18:22.56
"For by one Spirit... "
Notice the language here
00:18:22.76\00:18:25.27
in Ephesians chapter 4 verse 5:
00:18:25.37\00:18:26.65
"For by one Spirit we
were all baptized... "
00:18:26.75\00:18:30.14
Notice the operative word here.
00:18:30.25\00:18:31.49
"We were all
baptized into one body. "
00:18:31.69\00:18:35.41
The Bible presents this very
clear picture that membership,
00:18:35.71\00:18:39.11
that when you are baptized
you are baptized into an
00:18:39.21\00:18:41.74
organized body: THE CHURCH.
00:18:41.84\00:18:44.91
And that the way we
become a part of God's church
00:18:45.21\00:18:49.97
or a part of
Christ's I should say
00:18:50.17\00:18:52.36
is by being baptized into
the church: the body of Christ.
00:18:52.56\00:18:57.58
Paul goes on:
"Whether Jews or Greeks,
00:18:57.78\00:19:01.32
whether slaves or free,
00:19:01.52\00:19:03.47
and have been all made
to drink into one Spirit. "
00:19:03.67\00:19:09.24
Now I want you to
notice the language here.
00:19:09.54\00:19:13.14
It says: "By one
Spirit we were all baptized
00:19:13.34\00:19:16.51
into one body. "
00:19:16.71\00:19:20.40
One body.
00:19:21.92\00:19:24.95
Have you ever
opened a phone book before?
00:19:25.15\00:19:28.04
Someone out there is
like "I feel the Holy Spirit
00:19:29.42\00:19:32.48
speaking to me. I
want to go to church. "
00:19:32.68\00:19:34.94
So they go to the
Cs in the yellow pages.
00:19:35.14\00:19:38.46
Not a lot of people use
yellow pages today, by the way.
00:19:38.66\00:19:40.66
They Google it.
00:19:40.76\00:19:41.81
And so they get on
Google and the put churches
00:19:41.91\00:19:44.44
in Thompsonville or East
Lansing or wherever you are.
00:19:44.54\00:19:47.78
And it's just
like a smorgasbord;
00:19:47.98\00:19:50.18
it's like going to the buffet.
00:19:50.28\00:19:51.91
And you go down through the Cs
00:19:52.12\00:19:54.43
and there are so
many different churches.
00:19:54.63\00:19:57.78
Many people wonder why
there are so many denominations
00:19:57.99\00:20:00.45
today. This is a fair question.
00:20:00.66\00:20:02.28
After all, there
is just one Bible.
00:20:02.48\00:20:04.38
I want you to think
about this: one Bible,
00:20:04.49\00:20:06.24
one Savior, one God.
00:20:06.45\00:20:09.72
Then why is it that there
is over 1,000 denominations
00:20:09.92\00:20:14.61
in the world today?
00:20:14.81\00:20:16.74
How do we get to this point?
00:20:16.94\00:20:18.37
It is so confusing
that the average person
00:20:18.57\00:20:21.00
by some point just
puts up their hands and says
00:20:21.20\00:20:23.92
"Forget it; I'm just going
to worship the Lord at home!
00:20:24.02\00:20:25.99
Have home church. "
00:20:26.19\00:20:27.95
And people ask the question:
00:20:27.98\00:20:29.64
"Is it ever
possible to find the truth? "
00:20:29.84\00:20:34.06
I'd like to present
this simple principle:
00:20:35.68\00:20:38.19
you go to the Bible to
find out what the truth is.
00:20:38.39\00:20:42.33
Amen? Amen.
00:20:42.53\00:20:44.34
And you find a church teaching
in harmony with the Bible...
00:20:44.44\00:20:48.29
not the other way around.
00:20:48.49\00:20:49.97
And so I'd like to
present here this evening:
00:20:50.17\00:20:55.19
how many churches did Jesus
establish when He left earth?
00:20:55.59\00:21:00.41
One. Ephesians
chapter 5 verses 25 through 32
00:21:00.61\00:21:04.22
reveals the same thing.
00:21:04.46\00:21:05.74
Jesus gave
Himself for THE CHURCH,
00:21:05.94\00:21:09.02
singular, definite article.
00:21:09.12\00:21:10.92
This is an
essential point to grasp.
00:21:11.32\00:21:14.18
How did we get to the
point today where we have
00:21:14.38\00:21:16.98
over a myriad - over
1,000 denominations -
00:21:17.08\00:21:20.47
in the world today
00:21:20.57\00:21:22.36
when Ephesians chapter
4 verse 5 says: "One Lord,
00:21:22.56\00:21:25.96
one faith, and one baptism? "
00:21:26.16\00:21:30.80
I'd like to invite you to
turn with me in your Bibles
00:21:31.10\00:21:33.64
here this evening. The first
metaphor that the Bible uses
00:21:33.84\00:21:37.08
is the body of
Christ. Christ is the head;
00:21:37.28\00:21:40.34
we are the body. I'd
like to invite you to go to
00:21:40.44\00:21:43.21
another symbol in
the Bible that describes
00:21:43.41\00:21:45.82
the church of
Christ, and that's found in
00:21:46.02\00:21:47.71
Revelation chapter 12.
00:21:47.81\00:21:49.67
Revelation
chapter 12 and verse 1.
00:21:49.87\00:21:53.00
The Bible describes
another symbol of the church:
00:21:55.04\00:21:59.79
Revelation
chapter 12 and verse 1.
00:21:59.99\00:22:03.99
"Now a great sign
appeared in heaven:
00:22:04.29\00:22:07.37
a woman clothed with the sun
00:22:07.58\00:22:11.01
and the moon under her feet
00:22:11.21\00:22:13.86
and on her head a
garland of twelve stars. "
00:22:14.07\00:22:17.64
Revelation 12
describes a chaste, beautiful
00:22:17.94\00:22:21.73
and virtuous woman. I
want you to notice the nature
00:22:21.83\00:22:24.29
of the symbols that
Revelation chapter 12 verse 1
00:22:24.39\00:22:27.26
uses. It says that she
is standing on the what?
00:22:27.36\00:22:29.61
She is standing on the moon.
00:22:29.81\00:22:31.56
She is clothed with the
sun and she has a garland
00:22:31.76\00:22:34.98
of twelve stars. The only
way we get light here on earth
00:22:35.09\00:22:38.31
apart from man-made
light is the sun and the moon
00:22:38.61\00:22:42.24
and the stars. This
woman is clothed with light.
00:22:42.44\00:22:45.80
The Bible describes the
church as being a woman.
00:22:46.93\00:22:51.70
You can see that in
Jeremiah chapter 6 verse 2
00:22:51.90\00:22:54.17
and II Corinthians 11 verse 2.
00:22:54.37\00:22:56.35
And so here in the metanarrative
of the book of Revelation
00:22:56.55\00:23:00.38
you see here in the beginning
of this panoramic picture
00:23:00.58\00:23:03.87
that God depicts the church
as being a beautiful woman
00:23:04.07\00:23:08.42
clothed in light,
00:23:08.62\00:23:11.10
clothed in truth,
and clothed in purity.
00:23:11.30\00:23:15.04
This is one woman.
00:23:15.54\00:23:17.26
And yet the fundamental question
that people have asked is
00:23:17.56\00:23:20.78
or I ask here tonight:
00:23:20.98\00:23:22.75
is Jesus Christ a polygamist?
00:23:22.85\00:23:26.59
Here we have the bride
of Jesus... the church.
00:23:26.79\00:23:31.04
One woman, clothed in light.
00:23:31.24\00:23:34.05
And yet people when
they go to look for a church
00:23:34.26\00:23:37.74
there are myriad of churches
in the phone book today.
00:23:37.84\00:23:41.44
I want us to go to
a contrasting picture
00:23:41.84\00:23:44.65
in Revelation chapter 17.
00:23:44.85\00:23:46.88
Revelation
chapter 17 and verse 3.
00:23:47.18\00:23:51.00
Revelation chapter 12 presents
a woman clothed with light.
00:23:51.84\00:23:55.18
In Revelation chapter 17 and
verse 3 we have another woman
00:23:55.28\00:23:58.34
that is the exact opposite
00:23:58.54\00:24:01.82
of the woman in
Revelation chapter 12.
00:24:02.02\00:24:03.76
Revelation chapter 17 verse 3.
00:24:03.86\00:24:05.80
"So he carried me
into the wilderness
00:24:06.00\00:24:08.79
and I saw a woman
sitting on a scarlet beast
00:24:08.99\00:24:13.50
which was full of
the names of blasphemy,
00:24:13.70\00:24:17.00
having seven
heads and ten horns. "
00:24:17.20\00:24:19.65
Now in Bible prophecy a beast
represents a political power.
00:24:19.68\00:24:23.56
And this woman is doing what?
She is sitting on this beast.
00:24:23.76\00:24:27.74
Now if I sit on a horse -
00:24:28.67\00:24:30.92
well not me... but someone
more trained that I am...
00:24:31.12\00:24:35.14
an equestrian, all right? -
00:24:35.24\00:24:36.86
if an equestrian sits on a horse
the equestrian is dominating.
00:24:37.06\00:24:42.16
Is leading the horse.
00:24:42.36\00:24:44.17
And so you see
here a woman, a church,
00:24:44.37\00:24:46.97
dominating a political power.
00:24:47.17\00:24:48.94
There's a union there
between church and state.
00:24:49.04\00:24:51.87
Verse 4: "The woman was
arrayed in purple and scarlet
00:24:52.07\00:24:56.19
and adorned with
gold and precious stones
00:24:56.39\00:24:58.89
and pearls and having
in her hand a golden cup
00:24:59.10\00:25:02.38
full of the
abomination and the filthiness
00:25:02.58\00:25:06.10
of her fornication.
00:25:06.30\00:25:08.59
And on her
forehead a name was written:
00:25:08.79\00:25:11.62
MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT,
00:25:11.82\00:25:14.94
THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS
AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS
00:25:15.14\00:25:19.36
OF THE EARTH. "
00:25:19.56\00:25:21.03
I want you to
notice the contrast.
00:25:21.43\00:25:23.31
In Revelation chapter 12
we have the epitome of purity
00:25:23.51\00:25:27.32
and light. A woman
clothed with the sun,
00:25:27.52\00:25:29.55
the moon under her
feet, on her head a garland
00:25:29.75\00:25:31.78
of twelve stars. And
in Revelation chapter 17
00:25:31.88\00:25:35.16
we have a woman
who in three times...
00:25:35.26\00:25:37.57
In Revelation chapter
17 the word fornication
00:25:37.77\00:25:40.71
is mentioned three
times to describe this woman.
00:25:40.91\00:25:44.45
It actually says "the
filthiness of her fornication. "
00:25:44.65\00:25:48.65
So here you have a woman:
purity - Revelation chapter 12.
00:25:48.85\00:25:52.42
Impurity -
Revelation chapter 17.
00:25:52.63\00:25:56.83
I want you to notice
something else about this woman.
00:25:57.03\00:25:59.96
She is a mother.
00:26:00.16\00:26:02.94
In other words,
she has daughters.
00:26:04.14\00:26:08.16
One side... pure
church, singular.
00:26:09.28\00:26:13.81
The other side -
Revelation chapter 17-
00:26:14.01\00:26:16.06
a mother with daughters.
00:26:16.26\00:26:18.51
You have churches... plural.
00:26:18.61\00:26:21.28
Everyone
following here this evening?
00:26:21.48\00:26:22.99
Purity...
singular; impurity... plural.
00:26:23.19\00:26:27.26
And I want you to notice
that on her forehead is written
00:26:27.46\00:26:29.66
the name Babylon
which means confusion.
00:26:29.86\00:26:33.70
That's what you experience when
you open the yellow pages today:
00:26:34.87\00:26:37.41
confusion.
00:26:37.61\00:26:39.55
There's a
cacophony of noise today
00:26:39.76\00:26:43.10
in Christendom,
and I want you to...
00:26:43.30\00:26:45.87
remind each one of you
that the daughters look similar
00:26:46.07\00:26:49.41
in their respective... to
their respective mothers...
00:26:49.61\00:26:52.26
yet they are not identical.
00:26:52.36\00:26:54.29
In short, end-time
Babylon has fallen:
00:26:54.49\00:26:58.10
an unfaithful group of churches
which adhere to the teachings
00:26:58.30\00:27:02.25
and the doctrines and
the commandments of men
00:27:02.35\00:27:05.83
and yet ignore the plain
teachings of the Word of God.
00:27:05.86\00:27:10.64
Thus they create a
confusion- laden environment.
00:27:10.84\00:27:14.87
End-time Babylon is
the churches fallen...
00:27:15.08\00:27:18.55
she is not the bride of Christ.
00:27:18.76\00:27:23.17
I want to dwell a little bit
more on this concept of Babylon.
00:27:24.39\00:27:27.58
This is a Babylonian bride.
00:27:27.78\00:27:30.30
Even though Babylon
was never inhabited again
00:27:30.70\00:27:33.95
after its fall, even
though Saddam Hussein tried to
00:27:34.15\00:27:37.68
rebuild Babylon, it is
never rebuilt to this day
00:27:37.78\00:27:40.92
according to the
prophecy of Isaiah.
00:27:41.12\00:27:42.79
Babylon is the center...
or was the center... of
00:27:42.99\00:27:46.98
image worship. This is
from Dr. Alexander Hislop
00:27:47.18\00:27:50.49
in the book The Two Babylons.
00:27:50.69\00:27:53.02
And he says: "Babylon was the
primal source from which all the
00:27:53.22\00:27:56.86
systems of idolatry flowed. "
00:27:56.96\00:28:00.67
So when each and every
kingdom came into being,
00:28:00.87\00:28:03.66
Medo-Persia conquered Babylon,
they took many of the customs
00:28:03.86\00:28:06.98
and the idols from
the previous kingdom.
00:28:07.18\00:28:08.70
When Greece came along
they did the same thing.
00:28:08.91\00:28:10.97
When Rome came along,
they were known for polytheism.
00:28:11.17\00:28:14.27
They thought
the more the better.
00:28:14.47\00:28:15.91
And could it be today
that some of the pagan rites
00:28:16.11\00:28:19.69
all the way from ancient
Babylon have been infused
00:28:19.89\00:28:23.41
and injected into
Christendom today?
00:28:23.61\00:28:26.33
Not only was Babylon
the center of image worship
00:28:27.61\00:28:30.34
but it was also the
center of sun worship as well.
00:28:30.44\00:28:34.07
This is from The Worship of
Nature. Dr. James G. Frazer says
00:28:34.47\00:28:39.39
"In ancient
Babylonia the sun was worshiped
00:28:39.60\00:28:42.99
from immemorial antiquity. "
00:28:43.20\00:28:46.14
So here we have it:
00:28:46.44\00:28:48.33
the center of sun worship
and the center of image worship.
00:28:48.53\00:28:54.13
Here are some clues that we
can derive about identifying
00:28:55.36\00:29:00.03
ancient Babylon. Nine clues.
00:29:00.23\00:29:01.86
Number 1: It's a church.
00:29:01.96\00:29:04.78
Number 2: It's an
area of many nations.
00:29:05.67\00:29:08.88
Number 3: According
to Revelation chapter 17
00:29:09.28\00:29:12.62
it's a city.
00:29:12.83\00:29:14.18
Number 4: It rules over kings.
00:29:14.48\00:29:17.48
It's set on seven
mountains or hills.
00:29:17.68\00:29:20.47
It's clothed with
purple and scarlet.
00:29:20.67\00:29:23.50
It is rich; it
persecutes; and it blasphemes.
00:29:23.70\00:29:29.63
I want to dwell a little bit
on the colors here this evening.
00:29:29.97\00:29:33.06
I want you to notice
that it is dressed in the same
00:29:33.27\00:29:36.63
exact colors as the
priests of the Old Testament:
00:29:36.83\00:29:40.02
purple and scarlet.
00:29:40.22\00:29:42.23
But there's one color that is
missing. It is the color blue.
00:29:42.43\00:29:46.88
This is an intentional
omission because in the Bible
00:29:47.08\00:29:50.47
blue represents a
significant symbol for something
00:29:50.57\00:29:54.33
very specific found
in the Old Testament.
00:29:54.43\00:29:56.31
I want to invite you to turn
with me to Numbers chapter 15
00:29:56.41\00:29:59.14
and verse 37.
00:29:59.34\00:30:01.37
The Israelites were
instructed very specifically
00:30:01.57\00:30:04.27
to include the color
blue in their garments.
00:30:04.37\00:30:07.89
This is from Numbers
chapter 15 and verse 37.
00:30:08.09\00:30:12.68
Moses spoke to
the children of Israel
00:30:12.98\00:30:16.26
and instructed them
in this manner regarding
00:30:16.46\00:30:19.23
a specific color
that was to be included
00:30:19.44\00:30:21.60
in the tassels
of their garments.
00:30:21.80\00:30:23.42
Numbers chapter
16... 15 verse 37.
00:30:23.62\00:30:27.40
"And again the Lord
spoke to Moses saying:
00:30:28.58\00:30:31.99
'Speak to the
children of Israel.
00:30:32.19\00:30:35.31
Tell them to make tassels on
the corners of their garments
00:30:35.51\00:30:39.42
throughout their
generations and to put a... '
00:30:39.62\00:30:42.36
What color? 'a blue thread
00:30:42.56\00:30:45.22
in the tassels of
their corners. ' "
00:30:45.32\00:30:47.33
This is a very
specific command by God Himself
00:30:47.50\00:30:50.79
to Moses and said when they
were to weave their clothing,
00:30:50.89\00:30:53.88
to make their
clothing, they were to include
00:30:54.08\00:30:55.96
the color blue in
the form of a thread
00:30:56.16\00:30:58.63
in the tassels of their corners.
00:30:58.83\00:31:00.47
Why? In verse 39 it
gives us the answer.
00:31:00.67\00:31:03.13
"And you shall have the tassels
that you may look upon it
00:31:03.33\00:31:06.60
and remember" what?
00:31:06.80\00:31:08.43
"and remember all the
commandments of the Lord
00:31:08.63\00:31:11.48
and do them that you may
not follow in the harlotry
00:31:11.68\00:31:15.68
to which your own heart and
your own eyes are inclined. "
00:31:15.79\00:31:19.28
So the Israelites when
they are going through their day
00:31:19.48\00:31:21.48
and they looked at their
blue tassels they were to
00:31:21.68\00:31:23.49
remember to keep
the commandments of God.
00:31:23.60\00:31:25.94
And here in
Revelation chapter 17
00:31:26.14\00:31:27.96
the woman is clothed
with the exact same colors
00:31:28.16\00:31:31.87
of the priests of
the Old Testament except
00:31:32.07\00:31:34.09
for the color blue.
00:31:34.19\00:31:36.05
This is an implication that the
woman of Revelation chapter 17
00:31:36.25\00:31:42.04
purports to be a priest -
00:31:42.24\00:31:44.07
God's representative -
but is missing the color blue.
00:31:44.27\00:31:48.94
The author of
Revelation is communicating
00:31:49.14\00:31:52.36
that this is an unfaithful
church that has forgotten
00:31:52.56\00:31:55.37
the commandments of God.
00:31:55.47\00:31:56.91
Clearly she cannot be
the true bride of Christ
00:31:57.21\00:32:01.50
because the end-time church
keeps the commandments of God
00:32:01.70\00:32:04.14
and has the testimony of Jesus.
00:32:04.34\00:32:07.96
So just as a review:
Revelation chapter 12.
00:32:08.36\00:32:10.69
The pure church,
clothed with the sun.
00:32:10.89\00:32:13.00
The moon under her feet.
The garland of twelve stars:
00:32:13.20\00:32:15.87
the symbol of light and purity.
00:32:15.97\00:32:17.39
Revelation chapter
17. A myriad of churches.
00:32:17.49\00:32:20.50
A woman, a harlot,
with her daughters.
00:32:20.70\00:32:23.84
A symbol of impurity. Not
keeping the commandments of God.
00:32:24.04\00:32:27.61
And in Revelation
chapter 18 and verse 2
00:32:27.81\00:32:30.44
we have the most stark
warning I believe in all of
00:32:30.47\00:32:34.69
the scriptures...
yet a message of hope.
00:32:34.89\00:32:37.84
Revelation chapter 18
verse 2: "And he cried mightily
00:32:38.04\00:32:41.03
with a loud voice saying:
'Babylon the great is fallen
00:32:41.13\00:32:45.03
is fallen. ' And I heard
another voice come from heaven
00:32:45.23\00:32:48.53
saying: 'Come out
of her My people. ' "
00:32:48.73\00:32:53.68
This is a beautiful message
because even though Babylon
00:32:53.98\00:32:57.16
is about to fall,
Babylon IS FALLEN,
00:32:57.36\00:33:00.11
God says that His
people are still in Babylon.
00:33:00.31\00:33:05.05
The reason is: "Lest
you share in her sins
00:33:05.25\00:33:07.70
and lest you
receive of her plagues. "
00:33:07.90\00:33:11.47
Revelation chapter
18 verses 1 through 5 is
00:33:11.67\00:33:14.73
God calling His people
out of end-time Babylon.
00:33:14.93\00:33:18.09
God claims the people of
the systems that teach error
00:33:18.39\00:33:22.79
and ignore the plain
teachings of the Bible
00:33:22.99\00:33:25.37
are disavowed.
00:33:25.57\00:33:27.34
I want you to notice
that the Bible is very clear
00:33:27.55\00:33:31.56
that Babylon is not to
be reformed but to be left.
00:33:31.76\00:33:36.76
God is calling His
people out of Babylon.
00:33:36.99\00:33:41.86
One commentator says: "The
first justification of the woman
00:33:42.06\00:33:46.44
is in her being called
out of Babylon the harlot. "
00:33:46.48\00:33:50.41
When judgment is about to
fall her apostate Christendom
00:33:50.65\00:33:54.29
Babylon is not to be
converted but to be destroyed.
00:33:54.49\00:33:58.68
In every apostate or world-
loving or world-conforming
00:33:58.98\00:34:03.06
church there are some of God's
invisible and God's true church
00:34:03.16\00:34:07.05
who if they would be
saved must come out. "
00:34:07.25\00:34:11.69
This is what I believe
to be the final warning
00:34:14.30\00:34:18.82
to go out before the world.
00:34:19.02\00:34:21.74
And yet the fundamental
question comes to each one of us
00:34:21.94\00:34:24.51
here tonight: if God is calling
His people out of Babylon,
00:34:24.71\00:34:29.39
He must be calling them
out of something into what?
00:34:29.79\00:34:35.48
Isn't that right?
00:34:35.68\00:34:37.53
If God is calling His people
out of Babylon and He says:
00:34:37.83\00:34:40.08
"My people are out of Babylon, "
00:34:40.18\00:34:42.66
He must be calling
them into something.
00:34:42.77\00:34:44.81
Something visible... His visible
church in the end of time.
00:34:44.91\00:34:48.66
And could it be that as
we approach the second coming
00:34:48.86\00:34:51.92
of Jesus that God is
calling us press together
00:34:52.02\00:34:55.36
as never before? We're not to
be out there doing our own thing
00:34:55.56\00:34:59.70
but God is calling an
end-time movement together.
00:34:59.81\00:35:03.65
He's calling them
into His visible church.
00:35:03.75\00:35:08.91
God's end-time church will
uphold the teachings and the
00:35:09.14\00:35:12.24
commandments of God over
the teachings and traditions
00:35:12.34\00:35:15.27
of men. It will
uphold the divine law
00:35:15.47\00:35:18.15
as a great moral standard.
00:35:18.35\00:35:20.60
Does God have a
church on earth today?
00:35:20.80\00:35:23.68
The answer must be yes.
00:35:23.89\00:35:25.85
If the answer is no,
00:35:26.05\00:35:27.91
then Jesus was wrong when
He said: "The gates of hell
00:35:28.11\00:35:31.03
will not prevail against her. "
00:35:31.23\00:35:33.42
Jesus wasn't
wrong. He wasn't lying.
00:35:33.62\00:35:37.13
His church is still alive.
00:35:37.33\00:35:38.91
And amidst the
confusion and the fallenness
00:35:39.11\00:35:42.22
of the contemporary
religious environment
00:35:42.33\00:35:44.30
she upholds
God's Word, God's law,
00:35:44.50\00:35:47.28
and most
importantly God's gospel. Amen.
00:35:47.48\00:35:51.66
And so very
quickly here this evening
00:35:51.86\00:35:53.95
I'd like to
identify some characteristics
00:35:54.15\00:35:57.64
of God's visible
church here on earth.
00:35:57.84\00:36:01.23
Number 1: It will
recapture the pure faith
00:36:01.43\00:36:05.49
of God's disciples.
00:36:05.69\00:36:08.21
If you're looking
for a church today
00:36:08.41\00:36:10.56
you're looking for a group
of people that hold to the same
00:36:10.76\00:36:15.00
exact characteristics
as the disciples.
00:36:15.20\00:36:18.19
The Bible calls it the remnant.
00:36:18.39\00:36:20.40
Now I don't sew...
I'm not a seamstress.
00:36:20.60\00:36:24.03
But I hear that when
you go to a fabric store
00:36:24.23\00:36:27.17
there is a remnant
bin. Isn't that right?
00:36:27.37\00:36:29.48
For those of you that sew...
00:36:29.68\00:36:30.85
Let's say you go
to the remnant bin,
00:36:31.05\00:36:32.70
and in the remnant
bin is a black cloth
00:36:32.80\00:36:35.48
that has polka dots
and inside the polka dot
00:36:35.68\00:36:38.37
is a red square. Can
you see that in your mind?
00:36:38.58\00:36:41.43
A black cloth, a white
polka dot, and a red square.
00:36:41.63\00:36:45.64
You're like... I'm
going to try to find
00:36:45.74\00:36:47.35
the larger piece of cloth.
And so you're going through
00:36:47.45\00:36:50.46
the fabric store. You're
looking for a black cloth
00:36:50.66\00:36:53.50
with a white polka
dot with a red square.
00:36:53.70\00:36:55.67
And you come to another
piece of clothing and it's a...
00:36:55.77\00:36:57.55
and it's a black
polka dot with a...
00:36:57.75\00:37:00.35
I don't even know what I'm
talking about here today...
00:37:00.45\00:37:01.74
But it's a black cloth
with a white polka dot.
00:37:01.94\00:37:04.88
It has to match the
exact same characteristics.
00:37:05.08\00:37:08.29
In Revelation chapter 12
and verse 17 the Bible says
00:37:08.49\00:37:10.95
that they will "keep
the commandments of God
00:37:11.15\00:37:13.47
and have the
testimony of Jesus. "
00:37:13.67\00:37:16.03
The end-time
movement will be a renaissance
00:37:16.23\00:37:18.99
of the exact same
characteristics as the apostles.
00:37:19.19\00:37:23.31
Number 2: Segueing
into number 1, have the dual
00:37:23.51\00:37:28.92
characteristics of
keeping the commandments of God
00:37:29.02\00:37:31.38
and having the
testimony of Jesus as well.
00:37:31.58\00:37:35.99
Revelation
chapter 12 verse 17 says
00:37:36.19\00:37:38.96
that the testimony of Jesus
is one of the characteristics.
00:37:39.06\00:37:42.09
Revelation chapter 19 verse 10
00:37:42.29\00:37:43.96
says: "The testimony of Jesus
is the Spirit of Prophecy. "
00:37:44.16\00:37:49.75
These two characteristics
are linked together.
00:37:50.05\00:37:53.66
You need to find a
church that keeps all ten of
00:37:53.86\00:37:57.05
God's commandments
including the Bible Sabbath
00:37:57.25\00:37:59.60
and has the gift
of prophecy as well.
00:37:59.80\00:38:02.86
We'll expound on
that in a minute.
00:38:02.96\00:38:05.37
It will be - Number 3- a
world-wide, mission-driven
00:38:05.40\00:38:09.32
movement. In other
words, it's not just going to be
00:38:09.43\00:38:13.12
a group of people
in Guyana somewhere,
00:38:13.32\00:38:16.78
locally-based, locally-driven.
00:38:16.98\00:38:19.77
This is going to be a world-wide
mission-driven movement.
00:38:19.97\00:38:23.92
How do we know that?
Matthew chapter 28 verses 19-20
00:38:24.02\00:38:26.71
gives the gospel commission.
00:38:26.91\00:38:28.91
"Go ye therefore and
make disciples of all nations,
00:38:29.11\00:38:32.39
baptizing them in
the name of the Father,
00:38:32.59\00:38:35.16
in the name of the Son, and
in the name of the Holy Spirit.
00:38:35.36\00:38:38.99
Teaching them to observe all
things that I have commanded you
00:38:39.19\00:38:43.13
and lo, I am with you always,
00:38:43.27\00:38:46.04
even to the end of the age. "
00:38:46.24\00:38:49.70
The Bible presents that
the last-day church will be
00:38:49.90\00:38:52.44
a global,
mission-driven movement.
00:38:52.54\00:38:56.76
Number 4: It will
be Christ-centered.
00:38:56.96\00:38:58.64
It will call all
people to a total commitment
00:38:58.75\00:39:01.81
to Jesus Christ.
00:39:02.01\00:39:03.35
Number 5: It will lead
people to the Bible Sabbath.
00:39:03.55\00:39:07.90
They will keep all
ten of God's commandments
00:39:08.30\00:39:10.90
including the Bible Sabbath.
00:39:11.00\00:39:12.30
I want to remind us of
some verses here tonight.
00:39:12.50\00:39:14.42
Genesis chapter 2:2-3.
Before there was any Jew
00:39:14.62\00:39:17.67
on planet earth - Adam
was not a Jew, by the way -
00:39:17.87\00:39:21.03
at the end of creation
- Genesis chapter 2:2-3-
00:39:21.23\00:39:23.81
"And on the seventh day God
ended His work which He had done
00:39:24.01\00:39:28.15
and He rested on the seventh day
00:39:28.35\00:39:30.93
from all His work
which He had done.
00:39:31.13\00:39:33.69
Then God blessed the seventh day
00:39:33.89\00:39:36.16
and sanctified it
00:39:36.36\00:39:38.00
because in it He had
rested from all His work
00:39:38.20\00:39:41.81
which God had
created and made. "
00:39:42.01\00:39:45.28
I want to notice three
simple things here tonight.
00:39:45.48\00:39:48.01
God blessed the seventh day.
00:39:48.21\00:39:49.72
He sanctified it.
00:39:49.92\00:39:51.26
And He rested
on the seventh day.
00:39:51.47\00:39:54.39
Now if you had a room and all
the churches were symbolically
00:39:54.59\00:39:58.24
there and you were to say: "All
the Sabbath-keeping churches
00:39:58.35\00:40:01.62
please stand up, "
00:40:01.82\00:40:03.25
I think that it
would be a simple equation
00:40:03.45\00:40:05.94
because there'll be
only a few churches standing.
00:40:06.14\00:40:09.32
God has made it very simple.
00:40:09.52\00:40:11.16
In order to find the true church
00:40:11.36\00:40:13.01
they need to keep all
ten of God's commandments
00:40:13.22\00:40:15.42
including the memorial of
creation which is the Bible
00:40:15.62\00:40:20.30
Sabbath. Amen. It
was given at creation.
00:40:20.50\00:40:23.60
It was given and
re-instituted at Sinai
00:40:23.90\00:40:28.90
in the Ten Commandments.
00:40:29.00\00:40:30.00
It was kept by His people.
00:40:30.20\00:40:32.26
It was kept by Jesus.
00:40:32.46\00:40:34.34
It was honored by the disciples.
00:40:34.55\00:40:36.48
It's a sign of God's
power according to Ezekiel.
00:40:36.51\00:40:39.47
It will be kept
in the New Earth.
00:40:39.57\00:40:42.36
Now logic would have it: if
it's instituted at creation;
00:40:42.56\00:40:46.30
it's kept all
throughout the Bible;
00:40:46.40\00:40:48.44
Jesus kept the Sabbath;
00:40:48.64\00:40:50.20
the apostles kept the Sabbath;
00:40:50.40\00:40:51.96
we'll keep the
Sabbath in heaven;
00:40:52.16\00:40:54.19
isn't it only logical that
we should be keeping the Sabbath
00:40:54.39\00:40:57.54
right now? Amen.
00:40:57.64\00:40:59.01
God will have a community
of faith in the end of time
00:40:59.21\00:41:02.24
that will be a
commandment- keeping people
00:41:02.44\00:41:05.63
which includes the
seventh-day Sabbath.
00:41:05.83\00:41:08.10
Number six: It will encourage
people to give their bodies
00:41:08.20\00:41:13.28
to Him. I
Corinthians chapter 6 verse 20.
00:41:13.49\00:41:17.61
"For you were bought at a price.
00:41:17.81\00:41:19.93
Therefore glorify God in
your body and your spirit
00:41:20.13\00:41:24.11
which are God's. "
00:41:24.31\00:41:26.55
God's end-time message
will be a holistic message
00:41:26.75\00:41:29.54
that not only includes
the uplifting of the spiritual
00:41:29.64\00:41:32.93
nature but also the
physical nature as well.
00:41:33.04\00:41:36.59
I Corinthians
chapter 10 verse 31:
00:41:36.79\00:41:39.03
"Therefore
whether you eat or drink
00:41:39.23\00:41:41.29
or whatever you do, do all
00:41:41.49\00:41:44.00
to the glory of God. "
00:41:44.10\00:41:46.67
Number 7: It will
make a final appeal
00:41:46.87\00:41:50.57
to accept the truth.
00:41:50.77\00:41:53.88
This final
message is encompassed in
00:41:54.08\00:41:56.07
Revelation
chapter 14 verses 6 and 7.
00:41:56.17\00:41:58.80
"Then I saw another angel
flying the midst of heaven
00:41:59.00\00:42:03.26
having the everlasting
gospel to preach to those
00:42:03.56\00:42:07.09
who dwell on the earth -
00:42:07.29\00:42:09.00
to every nation, every tribe,
00:42:09.10\00:42:11.62
every tongue and people.
00:42:11.83\00:42:13.74
Saying with a loud voice:
'Fear God and give glory to Him
00:42:13.94\00:42:17.05
for the hour of
His judgment has come.
00:42:17.25\00:42:19.59
And worship Him who
made the heaven, the earth,
00:42:19.80\00:42:23.36
the sea, and the
springs of water. ' "
00:42:23.56\00:42:27.28
God's church is
not in the majority.
00:42:27.48\00:42:31.93
God's church is not
always the most popular.
00:42:32.13\00:42:36.07
God's church is not
always the most spectacular,
00:42:36.27\00:42:39.71
and God's church does not
need the approval of the popular
00:42:39.91\00:42:45.12
religious leaders today.
00:42:45.32\00:42:47.31
And so when we look for a church
00:42:47.51\00:42:50.00
we do not always have to
look for the most dazzling
00:42:50.10\00:42:52.51
or the most brightest or
the church with the largest
00:42:52.61\00:42:54.91
architecture, but we need
to go to the Bible to find
00:42:55.02\00:42:58.24
these Biblical characteristics
and then find a church
00:42:58.34\00:43:01.75
that matches those
characteristics as well.
00:43:01.95\00:43:06.12
As we go to truth...
00:43:06.32\00:43:07.93
as we go to the
Bible to find these truths,
00:43:08.14\00:43:10.78
the truth
beckons us to follow it.
00:43:10.98\00:43:13.84
It burns in our souls.
00:43:14.04\00:43:17.31
It frees our mind from error.
00:43:17.51\00:43:20.46
It demands that we take a stand.
00:43:20.66\00:43:24.76
Now, this evening I'd like to
00:43:26.30\00:43:30.72
ask some questions that
people have when we talk about
00:43:30.92\00:43:34.06
an organized body or a church.
00:43:34.27\00:43:36.61
And as a pastor I've had to
address some of these questions.
00:43:36.82\00:43:40.38
And one question that I
get many times is this one:
00:43:40.68\00:43:45.98
"Why do I see so many
people problems in the church? "
00:43:46.19\00:43:50.71
I baptize someone every year -
00:43:52.33\00:43:56.39
a host of individuals throughout
my ministry by God's grace -
00:43:57.89\00:44:02.01
and it seems like when
they go down into the water
00:44:02.22\00:44:04.65
and they come up the other side
00:44:04.85\00:44:06.72
they are rejoicing in
the truth they've found,
00:44:06.82\00:44:09.14
they're rejoicing in
the community of faith
00:44:09.34\00:44:10.95
that they've found, and they
almost come out the other side
00:44:11.05\00:44:13.95
with rose-colored glasses.
Perhaps you've experienced
00:44:14.15\00:44:16.69
this before. And they
imagine and I believe that
00:44:16.89\00:44:19.94
the Holy Spirit for a time
puts blinders on their eyes.
00:44:20.14\00:44:22.84
But it's only a
matter of a few weeks
00:44:23.04\00:44:25.51
into post-baptism
or perhaps even before
00:44:25.71\00:44:29.23
because they have this mentality
that when they enter into the
00:44:29.44\00:44:32.65
church they are entering
into the gates of heaven.
00:44:32.76\00:44:35.47
And it's only a
matter of a few Sabbaths
00:44:35.67\00:44:40.45
that they start looking around
00:44:40.65\00:44:43.07
or they start
looking at the pastor.
00:44:43.27\00:44:46.10
Have mercy!
00:44:46.30\00:44:47.64
Or they look at
the church elder.
00:44:47.84\00:44:50.07
Or they look at that
dear sister sitting in the pew
00:44:50.27\00:44:53.26
and they notice that
these people are very human.
00:44:53.36\00:44:56.55
They start
noticing faults... problems.
00:44:57.74\00:45:02.17
And heaven forbid,
sometimes they are even hurt.
00:45:02.37\00:45:05.55
Why is it that
there are people problems
00:45:07.11\00:45:10.70
in the church? After
all, isn't this God's church?
00:45:10.90\00:45:13.61
Isn't this the woman
of Revelation chapter 12?
00:45:13.81\00:45:16.45
Clothed with the
sun: the symbol of epitome
00:45:16.65\00:45:20.10
of light and purity?
00:45:20.30\00:45:22.06
In Matthew chapter 13
verses 24-30 I'd like to
00:45:22.26\00:45:26.47
invite you to turn
with me there. This is
00:45:26.67\00:45:28.27
a principle that
the Bible presents
00:45:28.47\00:45:31.67
for God's church on earth today.
00:45:31.88\00:45:34.59
It's the parable of
the wheat and the tares.
00:45:34.79\00:45:39.47
Matthew chapter 13
verses 24 through 30.
00:45:39.57\00:45:44.70
"Another parable He
put forth to them saying:
00:45:47.21\00:45:50.34
The kingdom of
heaven is like a man
00:45:50.44\00:45:51.92
who sowed good
seed in his field.
00:45:52.03\00:45:54.93
And while the man
slept his enemy came
00:45:56.12\00:45:58.98
and sowed tares among them...
00:45:59.18\00:46:01.41
and the wheat... among
the wheat and went his way.
00:46:01.61\00:46:06.02
And when the grain had
sprouted and produced a crop
00:46:07.07\00:46:10.50
then tares also appeared.
00:46:10.70\00:46:13.36
So the servant of the
owner came and said to him:
00:46:13.66\00:46:16.38
Sir, did you now sow
good seed in your field?
00:46:16.58\00:46:19.28
How does it now have tares?
00:46:19.48\00:46:22.30
And he said to them:
an enemy has done this.
00:46:22.50\00:46:25.13
Then the servant said to him:
00:46:25.33\00:46:26.73
Do you want us to
then go and gather them up?
00:46:26.93\00:46:29.55
But he said: No, lest
while you gather up the tares
00:46:29.75\00:46:33.29
you also uproot
the wheat with them. "
00:46:33.50\00:46:36.70
I want you to notice verse
30, this is very important.
00:46:36.90\00:46:39.53
"Let them grow... "
what? "Let them grow together
00:46:39.73\00:46:44.03
until the harvest.
And at the time of harvest
00:46:44.23\00:46:47.73
I will say to the reapers:
first gather together the
00:46:47.93\00:46:50.04
tares and bind them
in bundles and burn them
00:46:50.14\00:46:52.81
and gather the
wheat in my barns. "
00:46:53.01\00:46:55.84
I want you to
notice that in this parable
00:46:56.04\00:46:58.07
there are the wheat and
the tares, and they are to
00:46:58.27\00:46:59.91
grow together until
the time of harvest.
00:47:00.01\00:47:03.39
I want to skip down to
verse 36 in which Jesus
00:47:03.49\00:47:05.68
explains the wheat and the
tares. Let's go very quickly
00:47:05.78\00:47:08.35
to verse 36. "Then
Jesus sent the multitude
00:47:08.45\00:47:10.51
away and went into the house.
And His disciples came to Him
00:47:10.62\00:47:13.14
and said: 'Explain to
us the parable of the tares
00:47:13.24\00:47:16.44
of the field. '
And He said to them:
00:47:16.54\00:47:19.28
'He who sowed the good
seed is the Son of Man.
00:47:19.48\00:47:22.22
The field is the world.
00:47:22.42\00:47:23.65
The good seeds are
the sons of the kingdom
00:47:23.75\00:47:25.76
but the tares are the
sons of the wicked one.
00:47:25.96\00:47:28.00
The enemy who
sowed them is the devil.
00:47:28.20\00:47:29.99
The harvest is at the end
of the age, and the reapers
00:47:30.19\00:47:32.37
are the angels.
00:47:32.47\00:47:33.51
Therefore as the tares are
gathered and burned in the field
00:47:33.71\00:47:36.10
so it will be at
the end of the age. ' "
00:47:36.30\00:47:39.38
I want to read a
quotation from a devotional book
00:47:39.58\00:47:42.45
called The Faith I
Live By. This is page 302.
00:47:42.65\00:47:45.83
"Has God no
living church on earth? "
00:47:46.03\00:47:50.27
I want you to
notice the language here.
00:47:51.60\00:47:53.44
"He has a church,
00:47:53.64\00:47:54.99
but it is the church militant...
00:47:55.19\00:47:58.26
not the church triumphant.
00:47:58.46\00:48:01.76
We are sorry that
there are defective members.
00:48:01.96\00:48:07.73
While the Lord brings
into His church those who
00:48:07.93\00:48:11.08
are truly converted,
Satan at the same time
00:48:11.18\00:48:14.09
brings persons who are not
converted into its fellowship.
00:48:14.29\00:48:18.90
While Christ is
sowing the good seeds
00:48:19.10\00:48:22.03
Satan is sowing the tares.
00:48:22.23\00:48:24.14
There are two
opposing influences exerted on
00:48:24.17\00:48:27.39
the members of the church.
00:48:27.49\00:48:29.21
One influence is working on
the purification of the church
00:48:29.42\00:48:33.27
and the other for the corrupting
of the people of God. "
00:48:33.37\00:48:37.67
Now sometimes people
want to go into the church
00:48:37.87\00:48:41.21
and identify the tares.
00:48:42.33\00:48:44.60
That is not our work. Amen?
00:48:44.90\00:48:48.43
Amen. The other temptation
that people have is to focus
00:48:48.63\00:48:52.06
on people. We need to
focus our eyes on Jesus, Amen?
00:48:52.16\00:48:57.26
The Author and the Finisher of
our faith: this is HIS church.
00:48:57.46\00:49:00.61
It may be
faulty; it may be frail;
00:49:00.81\00:49:02.77
it may have people problems...
00:49:02.97\00:49:04.49
but it is God's church
and He loves His church.
00:49:04.59\00:49:07.37
He will carry it
through to the end. Amen?
00:49:07.47\00:49:10.11
Amen. Last Day Events 181:
00:49:10.31\00:49:12.91
"The church may
appear as about to fall
00:49:13.01\00:49:15.82
but it does not fall. " Amen.
00:49:16.02\00:49:20.22
I do not believe in
this principle of a remnant
00:49:20.32\00:49:22.42
within the remnant.
This is God's remnant
00:49:22.52\00:49:24.90
and it is going
through to the end. Amen?
00:49:25.01\00:49:27.34
We need to stay on the ship.
00:49:27.55\00:49:29.28
We need to stay on this boat
because Christ is the captain
00:49:29.48\00:49:33.85
of this ship.
00:49:34.05\00:49:35.16
The other question: the
temptation that people have...
00:49:36.57\00:49:40.85
"Why should I
even go to church? "
00:49:41.05\00:49:44.31
Ever heard that before?
00:49:44.51\00:49:45.77
Why not just stay home?
00:49:46.96\00:49:49.48
Have home church!
00:49:51.01\00:49:53.13
Well, this is something that I
believe should be an exception.
00:49:54.71\00:49:58.53
I'm not saying that
there are some weekends or some
00:49:58.63\00:50:01.29
Sabbaths that it's
not a sin to stay home
00:50:01.40\00:50:04.73
and worship the Lord.
But I say that it should be
00:50:04.83\00:50:07.40
something that is not a rule.
00:50:07.50\00:50:09.22
In Hebrews chapter
10 verse 25 we notice:
00:50:09.42\00:50:11.72
"Not forsaking the
assembling of ourselves together
00:50:11.82\00:50:15.15
as the manner of some is
but exhorting one another -
00:50:15.35\00:50:19.15
and so much the more
00:50:19.29\00:50:21.25
as you see the
Day approaching. "
00:50:21.45\00:50:25.23
The Bible is very clear
that we are not to forsake
00:50:26.40\00:50:30.51
the assembling of
ourselves together
00:50:30.61\00:50:32.62
as the manner of some is
but exhorting one another -
00:50:32.82\00:50:35.67
and so much the more as
you see the Day approaching.
00:50:35.87\00:50:40.60
I was just reading
the other day an article.
00:50:40.80\00:50:45.11
And this was a
secular person that was amazed
00:50:46.51\00:50:51.03
as a scientist at the
tornadoes that have torn through
00:50:51.23\00:50:55.76
our country the last few days.
00:50:55.87\00:50:58.32
The last few weeks.
00:50:58.52\00:51:00.56
It seems like you just
can't wake up one morning
00:51:00.76\00:51:03.24
and there's natural
disaster after natural disaster
00:51:03.44\00:51:07.04
after natural disaster.
00:51:07.24\00:51:09.35
And here's a
secular person saying
00:51:09.55\00:51:11.53
"Hold onto your seats
00:51:11.73\00:51:13.89
because this is the
tip of the iceberg. "
00:51:13.92\00:51:16.92
He thinks that the
natural disasters in the future
00:51:17.22\00:51:20.75
are going to be even greater
00:51:20.95\00:51:22.85
than the ones that
we have now experienced.
00:51:23.05\00:51:25.79
And I can't help but read that
00:51:26.09\00:51:28.69
and remember Christ's
words in Matthew chapter 24.
00:51:28.79\00:51:33.04
These are the
footsteps of an approaching God.
00:51:33.24\00:51:36.96
And the Bible tells us
that we are not to forsake
00:51:37.26\00:51:41.32
the assembling of
ourselves together
00:51:41.42\00:51:43.44
as the manner of some is
00:51:43.54\00:51:45.02
but so much the more as
you see the Day approaching. "
00:51:45.22\00:51:49.70
Could it be possible
00:51:49.90\00:51:52.56
that we need to press together
as God's people as never before
00:51:52.76\00:51:56.80
as we approach the end of time?
00:51:57.00\00:51:59.11
We are going to need
each other as never before
00:51:59.31\00:52:02.83
to encourage and
build each other up.
00:52:02.93\00:52:05.30
This is not a time
for doing our own thing.
00:52:05.50\00:52:08.22
This is a time to come
together as a community of faith
00:52:08.42\00:52:12.19
in the end of time because
God is calling His people
00:52:12.39\00:52:15.25
out of Babylon
into His remnant church.
00:52:15.35\00:52:19.47
He'll take care of His church;
00:52:19.67\00:52:21.38
He'll take care of His body;
He'll take care of His bride.
00:52:21.58\00:52:25.75
The other reason that I
believe that coming to church is
00:52:27.09\00:52:30.17
so important is found in
Matthew chapter 18 and verse 20.
00:52:30.27\00:52:34.83
You remember in
the Old Testament that
00:52:36.33\00:52:40.44
in Exodus chapter 25 verse 8
00:52:40.64\00:52:42.84
you see the intention of
the scripture. Even though
00:52:43.04\00:52:45.61
that sin had
separated man from God
00:52:45.81\00:52:48.22
in Exodus chapter 25
verse 8 He says: "Let them build
00:52:48.42\00:52:51.50
Me a sanctuary
and I may... " what?
00:52:51.60\00:52:53.75
"That I may dwell among them. "
00:52:53.85\00:52:55.61
You see that in the theology
of the Bible God is wanting
00:52:55.81\00:52:59.49
to come very close.
Even so that when He built
00:52:59.59\00:53:02.68
the tabernacle on earth, there
is no floor on the tabernacle.
00:53:02.78\00:53:06.42
In other words,
heaven came all the way down.
00:53:06.62\00:53:09.85
God wants to be
here; He wants to be close.
00:53:10.05\00:53:12.51
And in the New
Testament you see Emmanuel:
00:53:12.71\00:53:15.90
God with us.
00:53:16.00\00:53:18.35
So even though sin
has separated us from God
00:53:18.56\00:53:21.90
in the message of the
Bible God wants to be as close
00:53:22.10\00:53:26.53
as possible. We are told
in the book Desire of Ages
00:53:26.63\00:53:30.10
that even though sin
separated us from God
00:53:30.20\00:53:32.17
that in Emmanuel
- in Jesus Christ -
00:53:32.37\00:53:34.83
that God has come closer than
00:53:35.03\00:53:37.14
before sin ever
came into the world.
00:53:37.34\00:53:40.22
Heaven is very near.
00:53:40.42\00:53:42.65
And yet in Matthew
chapter 18 and verse 20 it says:
00:53:42.85\00:53:46.89
"For where two or
three are gathered together
00:53:47.09\00:53:50.44
in My name, there I am
in the midst of them. "
00:53:50.64\00:53:55.73
We no longer have an
Old Testament sanctuary.
00:53:56.04\00:53:58.98
We no longer have the
ark of the covenant with the
00:53:59.18\00:54:00.91
Shekinah glory,
but the Bible presents
00:54:01.01\00:54:03.09
this incredible principle
00:54:03.19\00:54:05.03
that when God's people
gather together in His name
00:54:05.23\00:54:08.40
He says: "I am
there. " Amen? Amen.
00:54:08.43\00:54:11.75
"I am in the midst. "
00:54:11.95\00:54:13.62
And to me this is the
most compelling argument
00:54:13.82\00:54:16.62
for why we
should press together,
00:54:16.82\00:54:19.20
why we should come together,
00:54:19.30\00:54:20.44
and why we should
come to church: - Amen -
00:54:20.54\00:54:23.67
because Jesus is there.
00:54:24.75\00:54:26.30
If Jesus said:
"Saturday morning Sabbath School
00:54:28.41\00:54:33.24
I'm going to be
physically there, "
00:54:33.45\00:54:35.94
I believe all of us
would clear our calendars.
00:54:37.35\00:54:39.64
We'd be there early. Amen?
00:54:39.84\00:54:41.69
To meet with Jesus,
and yet through His Spirit
00:54:41.89\00:54:44.73
He says: "I am there. "
00:54:44.83\00:54:48.15
We go to church
to meet with Jesus.
00:54:49.55\00:54:52.74
The people, the architecture...
all of those things are
00:54:54.15\00:54:58.74
important but
they are secondary.
00:54:58.94\00:55:00.88
Does God have a
visible church on earth today?
00:55:02.17\00:55:05.60
You'd better believe it.
00:55:05.80\00:55:07.70
John chapter 10 and verse 16
00:55:09.62\00:55:11.70
gives us words of hope
from the mouth of Jesus Himself.
00:55:13.58\00:55:17.11
And He says:
00:55:19.42\00:55:20.97
"And other sheep have I
00:55:21.17\00:55:24.59
which are not of this fold. "
00:55:24.80\00:55:27.52
I want you to notice
the language of Jesus.
00:55:27.72\00:55:29.85
"I have other sheep out there
that are not of this fold...
00:55:29.95\00:55:32.82
not of this visible church. "
00:55:33.02\00:55:34.71
"Them also must I bring
and they also hear My voice
00:55:34.91\00:55:40.48
and there shall be... "
What does your Bible say?
00:55:40.68\00:55:43.03
"And there shall be one fold,
00:55:43.23\00:55:46.35
and there shall
be one shepherd. "
00:55:46.55\00:55:49.48
God is calling people
together to His visible church
00:55:49.68\00:55:54.05
to be part of one
fold, part of one shepherd.
00:55:54.25\00:55:59.26
My question to you this evening:
00:55:59.46\00:56:02.18
"Do you hear the
Shepherd's voice? "
00:56:02.38\00:56:06.56
Is Jesus calling
you? I believe that He is.
00:56:06.87\00:56:11.80
Is Jesus calling you?
00:56:12.01\00:56:15.40
Could it be that
God is calling you
00:56:15.60\00:56:20.94
to join His end-time movement?
00:56:21.14\00:56:24.81
Will you accept that invitation?
00:56:26.91\00:56:31.01
I believe it's not by
accident that you're hearing
00:56:31.21\00:56:35.49
this presentation.
00:56:35.59\00:56:37.09
God has brought Bible
truth to you because He believes
00:56:37.29\00:56:41.13
that you can be trusted with it.
00:56:41.23\00:56:43.27
Walk in the light while Jesus
is presenting the light to you.
00:56:44.34\00:56:50.32
Will you hear His
voice this evening?
00:56:50.62\00:56:55.98
Will you hear His call?
00:56:56.28\00:56:59.32
Let's bow our heads
together as we pray.
00:56:59.52\00:57:01.95
Our Father in heaven,
00:57:04.45\00:57:06.88
We thank you that You
have called us out of darkness
00:57:07.08\00:57:11.60
into His marvelous light.
00:57:11.80\00:57:16.72