Participants: C.A. Murray
Series Code: 11POFCM
Program Code: 11POFCM000003
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00:40 Live from the 3ABN Worship Center
00:43 welcome to the Pillars of our Faith event. 00:48 Well good evening once again and welcome to the 00:50 Thompsonville 3ABN Worship Center for our continuation 00:54 of Spring Camp Meeting 2011. 00:56 We have been blessed wonderfully so far. 00:58 Can we all say Amen to that? Amen! 01:01 We began our evening with Pastor Jim Gilley: a wonderful 01:03 message and then followed by Pastor David Shin. 01:06 But I want you to stay tuned because Pastor C.A. Murray... 01:09 The message is entitled The Remnant and Its Mission. 01:12 If you are within the southern Illinois area 01:15 or you don't mind driving, we'd like to encourage you to come. 01:18 Even there are many here from Huntsville, Alabama, 01:21 already. Am I right? Anybody from California tonight? 01:25 OK, we have people that drove all week long to get here. 01:28 And so if you want to determine to be part of this wonderful 01:32 Spirit-filled weekend where we are talking about the pillars 01:35 of our faith, we encourage you to come. 01:37 We have some excellent speakers. 01:39 You can go to our 3ABN.org website and look at the lineup 01:43 of all the messages tomorrow. 01:45 We have on Friday a wonderful concert. 01:47 The new Pillars project is going to be released about the hymns. 01:51 It's wonderful; you don't want to miss that. 01:53 But tonight we want you to sit tight as the Lord 01:56 opens our hearts and our minds for a wonderful message. 02:00 We just heard about God's church... how precious it is. 02:03 And we know in the last days God has a remnant, 02:07 does He not? But the remnant also has a mission. 02:09 And the devil will do anything he can to thwart the mission 02:12 of the remnant church. But tonight there's 02:14 encouragement in the Word of God. 02:16 And it's my privilege to introduce my pastor, 02:19 Pastor C.A. Murray, who was my pastor when I was in 02:22 New York City out in the world. 02:23 Every Sabbath I would come to church and Pastor Murray 02:26 would preach to me until one day the Lord broke through. 02:28 So I'm his pastor now but he's still my pastor. 02:31 But tonight I want you to put your hearts 02:34 where God wants them to be. Pray for the Spirit of God 02:38 to open your ears to listen to what the Lord has 02:41 to say to you. The Lord has also given me the opportunity 02:44 to begin this meeting with a song. 02:47 You know, I think that the blessing of the remnant, 02:49 even its mission, is because 02:53 there is still power in the blood of Jesus Christ. 02:57 There's a fountain that continues to flow. 02:59 And I pray that the Lord will speak to your heart tonight 03:01 as you listen to this message. 03:03 After the song the next voice you will hear 03:05 will be that of Pastor C.A. Murray. 03:24 There is a fountain 03:29 filled with blood 03:32 Draw from Immanuel's veins; 03:40 And sinners plunged 03:43 beneath that flood, 03:47 Lose all their guilty 03:52 stains; 03:55 Lose all their guilty 04:00 stains, 04:03 Lose all their guilty 04:07 stains; 04:11 And sinners plunged 04:15 beneath that flood, 04:19 Lose all their guilty 04:23 stains. 04:27 The dying thief 04:30 rejoiced to see 04:34 That fountain in his day; 04:42 And there may I, 04:46 though vile as he, 04:50 wash all my sins 04:54 away; 04:57 Wash all my sins 05:01 away, 05:05 Wash all my sins 05:09 away; 05:13 And there may I, 05:17 though vile as he, 05:21 Wash all my sins 05:25 away. 05:32 Ever since by faith 05:37 I saw that stream 05:41 Thy flowing wounds 05:44 supply, 05:48 Redeeming love 05:52 has been my theme, 05:56 And shall be 05:59 till I die; 06:03 And shall be till I 06:08 die, 06:12 Yes, it shall be till 06:15 I die; 06:19 Your redeeming love 06:23 has been my theme, 06:27 And shall be till 06:31 I die... 06:38 And shall be 06:43 till I 06:49 die. 07:06 Amen. 07:11 Thank you my pastor, my friend. 07:16 Sometimes as his pastor I have to give him a little correction 07:19 still. But we've known each other for 07:23 well over 30 years 07:25 and we have been good friends that whole time. 07:28 I knew him before he married Angie 07:31 when she was one of the fair damsels 07:34 in the Bethel Seventh-day Adventist Church 07:35 in Brooklyn, New York. 07:37 Angie was much sought after 07:40 but she had eyes only for John. 07:43 And she corralled him, 07:48 and they have been happy ever after. 07:55 My burden tonight is the remnant and its mission. 07:59 And when I began to study the remnant 08:04 the theme that I was running into I wasn't really 08:08 that happy with. 08:09 Because I read some of the BRI material. 08:13 I read some of the things that were in 08:16 the 27 Fundamental Beliefs. 08:18 And I didn't want to move in that direction 08:21 because there was a redemptive aspect that 08:25 I thought was... was missing. 08:27 And so I wanted to change and I prayed about it 08:30 and then I found out that one of the other speakers 08:33 was going to be covering that same material from a 08:36 different aspect... so it left me free to do what I wanted 08:40 to do. I wanted to be a little more eclectic 08:42 as we talked about the remnant this night. 08:45 And I wanted to get through the remnant with all due respect 08:47 to my good buddy David Shin. 08:50 I wanted to talk about the remnant without mentioning 08:53 cloth or material. 08:56 I wanted to come from an entirely different place... 09:01 a little more esoteric look at the remnant. 09:04 So I ask you to turn with me to that text which stirred 09:07 the hearts of our forefathers 09:10 a century and a half ago: Revelation chapter 12 09:13 and verse 17 as we talk about 09:16 the remnant and its mission. 09:19 Revelation 12 and 17. 09:24 But before we dare read the Word of God, 09:27 let us talk to the Lord. 09:28 Gracious Father, we do praise you and thank you 09:31 for Your Word which is a lamp unto our feet 09:34 and a light that shines on the path to glory. 09:39 Open now our understanding 09:43 as we open the scriptures 09:45 so that we may see and know and do. 09:49 And we thank you in Jesus' name, Amen. 09:52 I am reading and you're hearing Revelation chapter 12 verse 17 09:56 from the New King James. 09:59 The Bible says: "And the dragon was enraged 10:02 with the woman and went to make war 10:06 with the rest of her offspring... " 10:10 Your Bible I think says in the King James 10:12 "the remnant of her seed. " 10:14 "Who keep the commandments of God 10:18 and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. " 10:25 Since our earliest days we have known 10:29 and called ourselves "the remnant. " 10:33 Now I hasten to say not A remnant 10:36 but THE remnant... 10:39 because there is only one true remnant. 10:45 In 1846 a young Ellen Harmon 10:49 yet to be married to James White 10:52 wrote the first and only tract that she wrote as 10:56 a single woman. And it was entitled 10:59 To The Little Remnant Scattered Abroad. 11:04 Ellen Harmon knew - even as a young girl - 11:09 that she was part of the remnant. 11:12 And even in the wake of that great disappointment of 1844... 11:17 you know about October 22, 1844, 11:20 when the Millerite Adventists to many in the evangelical world 11:26 had become a laughingstock. 11:29 A joke; a byword. 11:33 Even in the wake of that tough time 11:36 the early pioneers knew that they were a remnant. 11:41 In fact, it was remnant theology that allowed them 11:45 to make sense out of such a great disappointment. 11:48 It was remnant theology that allowed them 11:52 to hold up their heads. You know, I am tempted to... 11:55 to drift off into May 21, 12:00 2011, but I will resist the temptation. 12:06 Yeah, I'll resist it. 12:09 But it was remnant theology that allowed them 12:13 to holds their heads up in the face of what 12:17 must have been a devastating time for the believers. 12:21 You see, remnant can be a group of unified believers 12:25 gathered together as we are in this place. 12:28 Or it can be individuals in single places 12:32 or groups scattered all around the world. 12:34 Because what defines remnant is not proximity. 12:39 In fact, that which makes a person, a group, 12:43 a church, or a nation part of the remnant 12:46 is only partially discernable - 12:49 I need you to stick with me - 12:50 Because the remnant is in here 12:55 and the remnant is in here 12:58 and most importantly the remnant is in here. 13:04 The remnant has always been, is now, 13:09 and will always be part of what is found in 13:12 Colossians chapter 1 verse 27. 13:14 "Christ in you... the hope of glory. " 13:18 In fact, one the translations that I saw the other day 13:21 says: "Christ in you... the ONLY hope of glory. " 13:27 And so as the Advent pioneers studied, they saw 13:31 a remnant theology playing out in their own lives. 13:34 And they were drawn to this marvelous text: 13:37 Revelation chapter 12 verse 17. 13:40 They read that the dragon was wroth, was enraged 13:43 with the woman - that is, the church - and went 13:46 to make war. And they saw that as the answer 13:49 to the reasons why they were gettin' beat up. 13:53 They were gettin' beat up because they were at war. 13:58 And when you're at war, you get beat up. 14:05 And so the scattered brethren saw their plight, 14:09 their disappointment and subsequent chagrin 14:12 as further evidence that they were the remnant of God. 14:18 This text said to them 14:22 that Satan was intent on the destruction of the woman. 14:26 And they saw the woman in Jeremiah chapter 6 verse 2 14:29 as the church. Satan was setting out to annihilate 14:34 the end-time manifestation of the people of God. 14:38 These pioneers knew that the devil had always 14:43 trained his guns on the people of God. 14:46 And they realized that in these last days 14:49 Satan would train his guns on us! 14:55 So they accepted the dictum of Revelation 12:12 14:58 that Satan would come down having great wrath 15:02 because he knows... Ladies and gentlemen, 15:07 I assure you Satan knows. 15:11 And even if you don't, he does! 15:15 He doesn't conjecture; he doesn't suppose. 15:20 He doesn't guess; he doesn't think... 15:23 Satan KNOWS his time is short. 15:28 And even if you don't, he does. 15:33 We are, therefore, a people of the eschaton. 15:35 You know that word. 15:37 A people of the end. Our ecclesiology 15:41 is driven by our eschatology. In other words, 15:43 how we do church is informed by the fact 15:46 that we don't have long to do church. 15:49 What we do every day and on Sabbath is guided 15:52 by what Christ has done, is doing, 15:55 and one day soon will do. 15:58 We are moved and motivated by the fact 16:01 that Jesus is coming again 16:04 and He's coming soon. Amen. 16:09 So attacking the remnant is Satan's last shot at God. 16:15 It's not about us. 16:17 Satan doesn't care about you or me. 16:19 We're just pawns. 16:21 The great controversy is between Christ and Satan. 16:27 Heaven has a 7,000-year score to settle with the devil. 16:31 The devil hates Jesus. 16:34 He can't get to Jesus any more, 16:37 so he hurts Christ by hurting those for whom Christ died. 16:43 You know, somebody puts their hands on your child 16:45 they're putting their hands on you. 16:49 So Satan can't get to Christ. 16:51 So attacking the remnant is his last-ditch attempt 16:57 to hurt Jesus. 16:59 Satan has known his unalterable, 17:04 inevitable, unavoidable fate for a long time 17:08 ladies and gentlemen. 17:10 In John chapter 12 verse 31 the Bible says: 17:13 "Now is the judgment of this world; 17:15 now is the ruler of this world cast out. " 17:21 And when Jesus said: "It is finished, " Satan knew 17:26 he was too. 17:29 Matthew 25 verse 41 says 17:32 hell fire was prepared for the devil and his angels. 17:40 Don't you think Satan knows that? 17:43 And I submit to you ladies and gentlemen: 17:46 that is one party you don't want to crash. 17:49 There are no engraved tickets for you at that occasion, 17:55 so why would you print one for yourself? 18:03 Satan knows and understands Jesus. 18:06 He knows and understands that his end is not far. 18:10 Satan knows that you can't pin it on the Roman soldiers. 18:14 You can't pin it on Caiaphas. 18:16 You can't pin it on the Jews. 18:18 The ultimate person responsible for the death of Christ 18:22 is him... 18:25 and he will have to pay. 18:28 Is there anyone here... is there anyone in this building 18:32 that thinks Satan is not watching the clock? 18:38 You'd better believe he's watching the clock. 18:41 He knows his time is short. 18:43 He knows what's going to happen. 18:46 He knows better than we that God is not slack 18:50 concerning His promises... and that's any of His promises. 18:55 And so he's got the Laodicean church asleep 18:59 and he wants us to stay asleep 19:04 because Satan knows something that we may not know. 19:10 He has a true understanding of the remnant. 19:14 Now let me tell you what I now know 19:19 that Satan has always known. 19:23 When we contemplate remnant - 19:27 this is Remnant 101... 19:30 When we contemplate remnant we are not talking about 19:33 one remnant but three. 19:35 Or more accurately, three manifestations 19:40 of the same remnant. 19:43 When we parse remnant 19:46 we come out with three facets or manifestations. 19:49 One: we have the historical remnant. 19:51 What did I say? Historical remnant. 19:53 Secondly we have the faithful remnant. 19:56 What did I say? Faithful remnant. 19:58 And thirdly the eschatological remnant. 20:00 Eschatological remnant. That's what I said! 20:08 They can and have and do exist 20:11 individually, simultaneously, and sequentially. 20:15 Now we're going to work our way through all of that. 20:17 What is remnant? What is remnant? 20:18 Ideologically remnant is anything that is left 20:22 after a catastrophe. 20:24 The technical definition of remnant. 20:26 A catastrophe is something that tears or rips apart 20:31 anything that is intended to be a whole. 20:37 Biblically, remnant exists anytime, anywhere 20:42 there is a dividing of categories and classes. 20:47 Now you're in remnant school so stick with me. 20:51 Any time there's a dividing into categories. 20:54 Faithful and faithless. Godly; godless. 20:57 True; false. Sheep; goats. 21:00 Wheat; tares. Just; unjust. 21:03 Canonical; apocryphal. 21:05 Heterodoxy; orthodoxy. 21:09 Fidelity; perfidy. 21:11 Good; bad. Right; wrong. 21:14 Any time there's a division you've got a remnant. 21:17 In short, remnant coreference is judgment. 21:22 When you think remnant think judgment. 21:26 It is sanctified and it is judgment. 21:31 So then, remnant and judgment exist much like law and sin. 21:37 Whenever God creates separation, 21:41 when God chooses to drop a plumb line, 21:46 that act of separation is ipso facto 21:52 judgment. 21:53 And one of the two remaining groups 21:57 as you divide something - 21:59 that's a catastrophe, that's judgment - 22:01 is de facto apostate... the other, remnant. 22:08 As such, judgment and remnant 22:13 function in the same co-relative sense 22:17 as do law and sin. 22:19 Now what did he just say? 22:23 I John chapter 3 verse 4: 22:26 "He who commits sin transgresses also the law 22:29 for sin is the transgression of the law. " 22:32 Let's see if I can remember my Greek. "He who commits 22:34 hamartia - missing the mark - 22:36 also transgresses the law for hamartia is anomia. " 22:40 In other words, there can be no sin 22:45 without law. 22:48 You know that. In order to have sin 22:50 you've gotta have law. 22:52 Where there is no law there can be no... 22:54 because sin is the transgression of the... 22:57 So you don't have law you cannot have... 22:59 So sin presupposes law. 23:04 In fact, sin is defined by law. 23:08 You understand that? 23:09 I submit that where there is no judgment 23:14 there can be no remnant 23:16 because remnant is defined by judgment. 23:21 Sin presupposes law, 23:25 remnant presupposes judgment, 23:28 and Satan knows it. 23:32 Because remnant defines God's kingdom 23:36 so it also must define his. 23:39 Because you will forgive my pejorative English 23:42 either you is or you aint. 23:47 Amen? Amen. So if you're in God's kingdom 23:52 you can't be in Satan's kingdom. 23:57 And if you're in Satan's kingdom 24:00 EXCUSE ME 24:03 you can't be in... So if you're in the remnant 24:08 you can't be in Satan's kingdom. 24:11 And Satan knows that. 24:14 Painfully aware of that. 24:16 And so remnant is as old as Eden 24:21 and as modern as today. 24:24 It is remnant theology that allows us to call ourselves 24:28 spiritual Israel. Amen. 24:31 That's remnant theology. 24:32 Remnant theology is all through the Bible even though 24:35 the name remnant may not be there. 24:38 Spiritual Israel is a remnant statement. 24:43 Every time you say spiritual Israel 24:46 you are making a remnant statement that's part of 24:50 remnant theology. 24:52 It is remnant theology that allows us to appropriate 24:55 to ourselves and accept the promises 24:58 given to Abraham as pointing to us. 25:03 That's remnant theology. 25:05 Abraham looked for a city 25:08 whose builder and maker is God. 25:12 Well hey! I'm looking for the same town. 25:17 What about you? 25:19 And the promises that God gave to Abraham 25:24 I take for myself because of remnant theology. 25:29 If I'm in Christ 25:32 then I am Abraham's seed. 25:36 That's a remnant statement. 25:38 That is remnant theology. 25:40 "And heirs according to the promise. " Now, 25:42 that's remnant speak. We're going to get to a text - 25:47 Hebrews 11:40... 25:48 I want you to prepare to put your dancing shoes on 25:53 so when we get to it if you don't dance... 25:56 Well, you will. 25:59 Galatians chapter 3 verse 29. 26:01 What book did I say? 26:02 Galatians chapter 3 and verse 29. 26:06 Love this text! 26:07 "If you are Christ's... " that's judgment 26:11 because either you are or you're not... 26:14 "then you are Abraham's seed... " that's remnant... 26:19 "and heirs... " that's remnant. 26:21 Christ is historical remnant theology. 26:25 Abraham's seed: faithful remnant theology. 26:29 Heirs: eschatological remnant theology. 26:32 All in that one text. 26:34 So if the remnant is a last-day definition, 26:38 where is the first? 26:40 Well, we have to go back to the Old Testament 26:43 to a line beginning with Adam, 26:47 running through Abel, 26:51 then to Seth and to the patriarchs of old, 26:55 to Israel as a nation, 27:00 but within the reality of the historical remnant. 27:05 See the historical remnant is easy to spot. 27:07 When you say historical remnant 27:08 you're really talking about Israel. 27:10 Plain and simple. They're there; they're easy to spot. 27:16 The challenge comes 27:18 that within the historical remnant 27:24 there has always been a faithful remnant. 27:28 They're a little tougher to spot. 27:33 You see, the game changed - 27:38 if I can use that terminology - 27:41 the terrain shifted when God called a people. 27:49 When it was one on one - God and Adam, 27:53 God and Eve, God and Seth - 27:57 then God changed the game 28:04 by calling a people. 28:06 Now let me give you a news flash: 28:12 putting truth in the hand of human beings 28:18 is risky business. 28:21 Say Amen. 28:24 If you can't say Amen, say ouch. 28:29 But putting truth in the hands of people 28:35 is risky, risky business. 28:41 When you take the oracles of God 28:44 and give it to a frail human being 28:49 expecting that human being to handle it 28:54 with the deference to which it is due 28:57 and to rightly represent the giver... 29:02 that's risky business. 29:06 When you've got a message that is of divine 29:12 sublime origin and you put it in the tongue 29:17 of a frail human being 29:20 you're taking a big chance. 29:24 When I was studying for my doctorate in mass communications 29:29 one of the things they told us in crisis management 29:31 is that when you've got a message to get out - 29:34 particularly if you're in a crisis - 29:36 give it to one person. 29:38 Yeah. You notice when you want to get a message 29:41 from the White House everybody doesn't speak 29:43 for the president. You go to his press person 29:46 and that's the only person who speaks for the president. 29:50 Because when you give your message to a lot of people 29:53 the message can get muddled. 29:58 That's the first thing about crisis. 29:59 When you've got a crisis one person speaks... 30:03 not everybody. 30:06 And that is because truth - 30:10 listen to me - truth, though taught, 30:18 the vision that underscores and undergirds truth 30:25 is not taught... it is caught. 30:32 Truth has to be taught, 30:33 but the vision that upholds truth - 30:37 the foundation really upon which truth stands - 30:42 is not taught... it is caught. 30:47 Now I can teach you "God so loved the world. " 30:53 I can teach you that. 30:55 But those are just words 30:58 until you realize that God so loved the world 31:04 that He gave Jesus for you. 31:08 I can't teach you that. 31:10 You've got to catch that. 31:13 You follow me? 31:15 I can teach you the words. 31:16 I can drill the Bible into your head. 31:20 But the reality of that, the beauty of that, 31:23 the pathos of that, the strength of that... 31:26 you've got to catch that. 31:28 Cannot be taught. 31:32 In fact, catching the gospel is so important 31:36 that the Bible tells us precisely the moment 31:39 that Jesus caught it. 31:42 You remember that famous trip? 31:45 That Passover voyage of Mary and Joseph 31:51 where they lost Jesus. 31:54 Lost the Son of God. 31:59 Thought He was somewhere in the back of the mini-van. 32:05 Lost Him. 32:07 But He wasn't lost. 32:11 He was about His Father's business. 32:13 And as He went to the temple, He went to the services 32:19 and saw the priests... 32:22 You read that wonderful book Desire of Ages, 32:24 has to be the best book ever written on the life of Christ 32:27 by Ellen White, 32:29 she says that He stood there in the court and He watched 32:32 what was going on. He began to perceive. 32:34 He saw the priests and their garments 32:37 and He saw the lamb and He saw the sacrifice 32:40 and He watched it all. He watched it all. 32:43 He watched it all and as He stood there 32:46 a young boy at age 12, all of the things that Mary 32:50 taught Him coalesced in His mind 32:54 and He said: "Wait a minute. 32:58 This is Me. " 33:02 "This is all about Me. " 33:06 "This is the stuff that My mother taught me. " 33:11 And at that moment He caught it. 33:17 He understood that He was the Lamb of God 33:19 slain from the foundation of the world. 33:23 Mary taught it 33:26 but it was in the temple that Jesus caught it 33:30 and began to ask questions. And the Pharisees said: 33:34 "Who is this kid? " 33:39 "He didn't go to our schools. " 33:41 "I didn't teach Him. " 33:45 "Where'd He get this stuff? " 33:50 He got it through His mother from God. 33:58 I say again: giving truth to people 34:02 is risky business. 34:05 And putting truth in the hands of frail human beings 34:10 is risky. When God called a people, He called Abraham. 34:15 And Abraham caught it... Sarah didn't. 34:20 Right off the bat, 50 per cent of the church doesn't get it. 34:26 Abraham caught it; Sarah laughed. 34:30 Didn't get it. 34:38 And that singular lack of faith has produced issues 34:42 that we are wrestling with to this very day 34:45 in the Middle East. 34:49 And the truth is, brothers and sisters, 34:51 except for a very short time 34:54 Israel as a nation - though she taught it - 35:00 never caught it. 35:03 Never caught it. 35:05 They could spew it out. 35:07 I've got a Mishnah this thick that says they knew 35:11 how to teach it. They just never caught it. 35:17 Never really understood. 35:20 And history has shown, indeed is showing, 35:23 that when you have a group of people, a remnant, 35:26 a clan... call it what you will... 35:29 oft times everybody in the remnant 35:32 is not in the remnant. 35:36 Um-hmm. 35:40 Everybody in the remnant is not in the remnant... 35:44 and Satan knows that. 35:49 He knows that everybody in this room 35:54 is not in Jesus. 36:02 He knows that. 36:04 Tell you who else knows. 36:06 Jesus knows. 36:08 You may or may not know. 36:12 Um-hmm. 36:16 Don't look at me... 36:19 look at Jesus. 36:21 That's your problem: looking at me. Look at Him. 36:26 Satan knows everybody in the remnant is not in the remnant. 36:33 And as it was in ancient Israel so it is in latter-day Israel. 36:37 Everybody in the remnant is not in the remnant. 36:40 There is no guarantee that everybody in the world, 36:43 everybody in the church, 36:44 everybody watching tonight, 36:46 everybody in this room is in the remnant. 36:49 Because I say again: everybody in the remnant 36:52 is not in the remnant. 36:58 In other words, everybody in the church 37:01 is not necessarily in Christ. 37:09 And everybody in Christ may not be in the church... 37:15 yet. 37:21 Matthew chapter 13 verse 30 37:25 the Bible says: "Let the wheat and tares grow together" 37:28 which presupposes that some of us are wheat 37:39 and are growing together. 37:41 Amen! 37:43 And that's the way it's supposed to be. 37:45 And it's not your job to pluck up wheat 37:49 or tares... because you don't know. 37:52 And in your grabbin' 37:57 So the Bible says: "Let the wheat and tares grow together. " 38:03 Now why does it say that? 38:04 It says that because there are some tares in the church 38:08 right along with the wheat. 38:10 Amen. 38:12 So just glance at the person the other side of you. 38:17 Don't stare... that'd be impolite. 38:23 Wheat and tares growing together. 38:24 Amen? 38:27 Some are saints; some are aints. 38:35 Wheat and tares is remnant theology 38:38 because a dividing line, a judgment has been made. 38:42 Some are in; some are out. 38:43 That's remnant theology. 38:45 Those of us who are in the church and in Christ 38:49 are the true remnant. That's the faithful remnant 38:52 or the remnant within the remnant. 38:54 Remember I said the remnant can exist 38:57 coincidentally, sequentially, or at the same time. 39:04 The faithful remnant is the remnant within the remnant. 39:09 Or the faithful remnant in the eschatological remnant, 39:14 which is the latter-day manifestation 39:16 of the historical remnant. 39:20 You want to know who your Daddy is? 39:28 Remnant of what? 39:31 Then go with me to Hebrews chapter 11. 39:37 My wife, Irma, is sitting back there. 39:40 She has watched me write sermons. 39:42 She knows every now and again 39:44 in the middle of a sermon I will get up and just walk 39:47 around the room. 39:48 Just can't sit down. 39:50 I'll get up and just shake. 39:57 I'll just walk around the dining room table. 39:59 She's seen me doing that many, many times. 40:02 When I hit this, this was a walking time. 40:07 Hebrews chapter 11 verse 32. 40:12 This is the who's your Daddy answer. 40:23 I'm at verse 32. 40:25 "And what more shall I say? 40:28 For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, 40:32 and Barak and Samson 40:35 and Jephthah. Also of David and Samuel 40:39 and the prophets, who through faith 40:44 subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, 40:48 obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, 40:53 quenched the violence of fire, 40:56 escaped the edge of the sword, 40:58 out of weakness, praise God, were made strong; 41:02 became valiant in battle, 41:05 turned to flight the armies of aliens. 41:08 Women received their dead raised to life again. " 41:11 Praise God. 41:13 "Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance 41:19 that they might obtain a better resurrection. " 41:23 Hallelujah! 41:25 "Still others had trials of mockings and scourgings, 41:28 yes, of chains and imprisonment. 41:31 They were stoned; they were sawed in two; 41:36 were tempted; were slain with the sword. 41:40 They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, 41:46 being destitute, afflicted, 41:50 tormented... 41:52 of whom the world was not worthy. 41:58 They wandered in deserts 42:01 and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth. 42:06 All these having obtained 42:10 a good testimony through faith 42:13 did not receive the promise. " 42:17 That, ladies and gentlemen... 42:19 those are your spiritual progenitors. 42:25 That's the heritage 42:27 from which we get remnant theology. 42:32 It is their blood 42:36 spiritually that flows through our veins. 42:40 We are their progeny. 42:44 Those are the ones who went before 42:47 who set the example. When we say remnant 42:52 these are the ones that we are tied to. 42:57 You know, I think sometimes... 42:58 Irma and I were talking about this the other night... 43:01 You know one of the best times to have a good conversation 43:03 with your wife is when you're laying in bed, 43:06 day's over, and you're just beginning to talk stuff. 43:10 One of the things I said to her the other night... 43:13 we may have still been in the dining room... 43:16 "I wonder if I could have taken it. " 43:23 You ever think about that? 43:26 I wonder if I could have taken it? 43:32 You're in an arena 43:35 and all you've got to say is: "I give" 43:39 and they'll pull that lion back who's approaching you. 43:43 Or a tiger or a leopard. I don't even like house cats! 43:51 We had one for a little while. 43:54 Nope. 43:59 You ever think about that? 44:02 I wonder if I could have taken it? 44:04 I don't know if I could have. 44:09 Roman dungeon, living in your own filth, 44:13 the lash, the whip, torture. 44:19 The Inquisition. 44:22 Having my eyes plucked out. 44:25 Fingernails ripped and torn. 44:28 The tortures of the Middle Ages. 44:31 Being burned at the stake 44:33 or stretched out on the rack. 44:39 Or nails driven through your fingers... 44:41 all because you love Jesus. 44:45 I wonder. I wonder sometimes. 44:48 Could I have taken it? 44:56 But they did. 44:59 And they loved their lives not unto death. 45:01 I've read Fox's Book of Martyrs 45:05 where Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna, 45:07 praised the name of God. And so they made a metal chair 45:11 and heated it to red-hot glowing 45:16 and then for the name of Jesus they sat him in it. 45:24 Story about a man - I can't remember his name. 45:26 I heard it just the other day. 45:28 Was in England. 45:30 Part of the Protestant Reformation. 45:32 His life was threatened and he recanted. 45:36 Wrote a bunch of things against the church 45:38 and became a titular Catholic. 45:42 And then he changed his mind 45:44 because the Spirit of God touched him. 45:45 And he said: "I can't do this. 45:48 I'm a Protestant. I believe in Jesus. " 45:51 And the Catholics burned him at the stake. 45:54 And he said: "I'm going to put the hand that wrote against 45:58 Jesus in the fire first. " 46:00 Volitionally he put that hand in first. 46:05 I don't know if I could do that... 46:10 I just don't know. 46:13 But this one thing I do know: 46:16 I know that every second, every minute, 46:22 every hour of every day 46:25 we - you and I - are under an attack. 46:30 A persistent, focused, insistent, 46:35 incessant, unrelenting, 46:37 insidious, virulent, 46:40 unmitigated, malignant assault of the devil. 46:45 And we will overcome today 46:49 like our brothers and sisters overcame years ago. 46:53 By the same faith we will overcome 46:58 as the saints of old overcame 47:02 for they are our brothers. Amen. 47:06 Abel is my brother. 47:07 And Seth is my brother. 47:09 And Noah is my brother. 47:11 And Abraham is my brother. 47:13 And Isaac, and Jacob, and Joseph. 47:15 And Samson, and Gideon, and Abraham. 47:18 And Moses, Caleb, and Joshua. 47:20 Josiah, Elijah, Elisha, the faithful kings. 47:24 And my sisters Rahab and Ruth 47:29 and Naomi and Esther and Elizabeth. 47:32 And Mary and Deborah and Dorcas and Miriam. 47:37 And Matthew and Mark and John and Luke 47:40 and Saul named Paul and the apostolic fathers. 47:44 And 1,000 members of the family that I will never know. 47:48 And the unknown soldier. 47:50 Tens of thousands killed by Nero. 47:53 Hundreds of thousands killed by Diocletian. 47:56 Millions killed by the Roman church in the Middle Ages 48:00 who we will only meet in paradise. 48:03 The Albigencies who were totally exterminated 48:06 from the face of the earth in the 12th and 13th centuries. 48:09 The Cathars, the Lollards, 48:11 driven nearly to extinction. 48:13 The Waldenses and Huguenots. 48:15 The Subbotniks in Russia, 48:16 The Goas in India. 48:18 Who all took the torture and loved their lives 48:23 not unto death. 48:24 How can I claim to be family members with them? 48:29 Very simple: different mother, 48:32 same Father. Amen. 48:35 They are mine because I am the remnant, 48:40 and victory for them is the same as victory for us. 48:48 The words of our testimony and the blood of the Lamb. 48:54 So now we go back and read that one text 48:59 that I omitted. Hebrews chapter 11 49:03 verses 39 and 40. 49:07 Thirty-nine and forty. 49:12 "All these having obtained a good testimony 49:17 through faith did not receive the promise. " 49:23 Now this is what makes God so good. 49:28 "God having provided something better for us 49:34 that they should not be made perfect 49:40 apart from us. " 49:43 Now the only reason you are not standing on your chairs 49:48 and swinging from this ceiling 49:53 is because one... you're too Methodist; 49:58 two... you haven't been trained right; 50:02 three... you don't understand what this text just said. 50:09 God is saying here as good and great 50:14 and marvelous and God-filled 50:18 as those saints of old were, 50:22 it's God's design that they don't get into glory 50:27 one second before you. 50:31 Amen. 50:32 They apart from us... not gonna get it. 50:38 God has determined we all go in together! 50:44 Amen? 50:45 That's why I know I'm the remnant. 50:48 Because God's holding them for me. 50:55 They without us? Not going to be made perfect. 51:01 Didn't receive the promise. 51:03 But one day the promise is coming 51:07 and we will go in together. 51:09 Now I've got to leave that and run to mission real quick 51:12 before my time gets away. 51:13 Mission is kind of simple 51:15 because our mission was given to us by Jesus. 51:18 Matthew 18:19-20. 51:21 "Go ye therefore... teach, preach, and baptize. " 51:24 Period. 51:25 That's just not the preacher's job, that's everybody's job. 51:28 Everybody can preach; everybody can teach. 51:31 And preaching is not just standing in the pulpit 51:33 yelling at folk. 51:34 Amen. 51:38 Preaching is telling what good thing God has done for you. 51:43 That's preaching. 51:45 Amen? And that's everybody's job. 51:49 Everybody's job. 51:51 Preach, teach, and baptize. 51:53 Now, why did Christ do that? 51:55 You've got to go to the verse before where He says 51:57 "All power is given to Me 52:01 and I'm giving it to you. " 52:04 You've got what you need to do what I've asked you to do. 52:09 Amen? Amen. 52:10 That's the gospel. 52:11 That's the gospel. 52:13 Time is going to get away from me. 52:14 Four reasons for the church: 52:16 David did a nice job, going to add to that. 52:17 Four reasons why the church exists: 52:19 1. Visible manifestation of the people of God. 52:22 God needed something visible... 52:23 because you've got 30,000 people saying "I'm here. " 52:27 30,000 people can't be hid. 52:34 So the church exists because God needed a visible 52:37 manifestation to draw people to. 52:39 2. Friendship, fellowship, information, encouragement, 52:42 and inspiration. You need to hang out with people 52:45 who think and act like you do. 52:46 Amen. I love going to Panama with my wife's family. 52:52 And I can do pretty good in Spanish one on one. 52:55 But when they get together at the table and everybody's 52:57 cracking jokes, I'm like "I'll see you when you land. " 53:02 I can't keep up. 53:04 So I'm looking for somebody to speak English. 53:07 Because my wife, bless her heart, speaks both languages 53:09 well. But when she finds somebody that speaks Spanish 53:12 lights out. 53:14 It's Spanish from now on. 53:16 So I'll see you when you land. I'll be here. 53:18 So one of the reason that it's called the church 53:20 is because we need the fortification that comes from 53:22 hanging out with people who think and act like you do. 53:25 Amen? That's what... fellowship is 53:27 an important part of worship. 53:29 An important part of being with the Lord. 53:31 All right. 3. Regularization of the gospel message. 53:35 Focus and synchronization 53:38 so that we're all preaching the same thing. 53:39 One of the good things about going to an Adventist church 53:41 anywhere in the world - those of you who travel, you know - 53:43 when you step into an Adventist church on Sabbath morning 53:46 anywhere on planet earth you pretty much know 53:48 what you're going to get. 53:49 Amen? It may not be in a language you can understand 53:54 but you know they're telling the truth. 53:56 Amen. Amen. 53:58 I used to... I used to... In fact, Yvonne Lewis 54:00 and I used to do a talk show on another channel. 54:02 For years... we kind of honed our skills. 54:05 When I came to 3ABN they talked about hosting a show. 54:08 They said: "Are you nervous? " I said: "Are you kidding? " 54:09 We used to talk to people... in the evangelical world 54:13 used to talk to their dead relatives and stuff. 54:15 You know, all that kind of stuff. 54:16 At 3ABN I could ask a question and have to... don't worry 54:18 about the answer. But on this other channel 54:21 we used to have to arm wrestle our guests 54:24 'cause they'd say something and as Christians we'd 54:27 have to find some nice way of kind of cleaning that up 54:31 'cause that aint the gospel and we couldn't leave it out there. 54:33 So it's nice to be around people who talk the same way 54:37 as you do. So when you go anywhere on planet earth 54:40 even if you can't speak the language 54:42 it's all right 'cause they're Seventh-day Adventist, 54:43 they're telling the truth. Amen. Amen. 54:46 So that's important. And number 4: 54:48 The launching pad for gospel mission. 54:50 The reason the church exists is because of mission. 54:54 Now, the mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church 54:56 is as easy as 1, 2, 3. I'm kind of speeding up 54:58 because time is getting away from me. 54:59 Revelation chapter 14 verses 6 through 12. 55:01 Those are the three angels' messages. 55:05 That's the mission of the church 55:07 and the early pioneers knew it. 55:09 1. "Fear God, give glory to Him 55:12 for the hour of... " These are the most solemn 55:17 and serious messages ever given to the world 55:21 because they are the last messages 55:24 ever given to the world. 55:25 And it is God's answer to the almost overwhelming 55:29 irresistible Satanic deception 55:32 that is and will sweep the world before Christ returns. 55:37 Matthew 24:24 gives that warning: 55:42 tells us that we've got to be in the Word and of the Word. 55:47 So message #1: "Fear God and give glory to Him 55:49 for the hour of His judgment is coming... " 55:52 Then message #2: 55:55 "Babylon is fallen. " 55:57 Everybody that claims the name of Jesus is not in Jesus. 56:01 There's a lot of fake out there 56:03 so you need to study the Word. 56:05 Because God is dropping a plumb line. 56:08 And if you're in a church that doesn't preach the truth, 56:10 the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, 56:13 then for God's sake get out and find one that does. 56:18 Because Babylon is fallen... 56:20 the churches have lost their spiritual franchise. 56:23 You need to find one that preaches the truth 56:25 and lives the truth. Amen? 56:28 Amen and Amen. 56:30 And then angel #3: identification and condemnation. 56:36 God is saying: "If you worship the beast, 56:39 then you're going to receive the punishment of the beast. " 56:43 So you need to check your pedigree 56:46 and make sure that you're in Jesus. 56:49 And then once you've found a church 56:53 worth dying for, live for Jesus. 56:59 Walk with Jesus. 57:01 Follow Jesus 57:03 and then call men and women to the side of Jesus. 57:10 Pray to Jesus. 57:12 Talk to Jesus. 57:14 Stand for Jesus. 57:17 Live for Jesus 57:20 and, if necessary, die for Jesus. |
Revised 2014-12-17