Participants: Kevin Hart
Series Code: 11POFCM
Program Code: 11POFCM000014
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00:48 Welcome to this hour of blessing on 3ABN
00:52 Spring Camp Meeting 2011. 00:54 The Pillars of our Faith continue here, 00:57 and I would just like to say that it's a blessing to be here 01:01 at Camp Meeting. Would you say "Amen" to that? 01:03 Amen. Amen! 01:05 So those of you that are watching anywhere in the world 01:07 that are enjoying the programs in your homes 01:11 or wherever you are, we would like to encourage you 01:13 to make an effort to be here for Camp Meeting. 01:17 There will be a Fall Camp Meeting, 01:18 and so we would like to encourage you to come 01:21 and enjoy the blessing here. 01:23 There's a blessing at home, but there seems to be an atmosphere 01:25 here, a very spiritual atmosphere, that is a great 01:28 blessing. Would you say "Amen" that that's true? Amen! 01:31 Amen. Praise the Lord! 01:33 During this hour we will have a message from Kevin Hart. 01:38 He works in the Pastoral Ministries Department at 3ABN. 01:41 Perhaps if you have called with a Bible question 01:44 or needed prayer, you may have talked to Kevin Hart. 01:48 You may have also seen him during the program 01:52 Books of the Book as one of the hosts in the program. 01:56 So he will be sharing a message entitled "Origins. " 02:00 And he has been praying and studying hard 02:03 and asking for the Holy Spirit to use him, 02:06 and I'm sure that you will be blessed. 02:08 We also are going to be blessed in a moment with music 02:11 but before that we would like to encourage you 02:13 to join me in prayer for this hour to be a blessing 02:18 not only to all of us here 02:20 but also to the people joining us by radio, 02:23 television, and the Internet 02:27 so they can also be blessed. 02:28 So would you please stand for a moment 02:31 so we can pray together? 02:33 Let us pray. 02:36 Our loving Heavenly Father, 02:39 how great Thou art! 02:42 We see evidence of Your love in our lives 02:46 and in the lives of others 02:48 and we see evidence of Your concern. 02:52 And Father, we pray that during this hour 02:55 You will help us to do our part to pay attention to the message 03:01 You have for us through Your servant Kevin Hart. 03:04 And we pray, Lord, for everyone here to be blessed. 03:08 And we pray that the signal will go out strong 03:11 and reach the hearts and homes of millions around the world. 03:16 We pray for Your Holy Spirit 03:19 to vivify the understanding of each individual 03:23 so that they can understand Your concern for them 03:27 and Your love for them. 03:28 And we pray, Lord, that as we look through the scriptures 03:33 we will recognize the voice of God speaking to us. 03:37 We pray for Your blessing upon the music. 03:40 We pray for Your blessing upon all this equipment 03:43 that You have blessed us with. 03:44 Bless the technical staff. 03:46 And we pray for Your name to be honored and glorified. 03:50 We ask it in Jesus' name, Amen. Amen. 03:55 You may take a seat. 03:58 I've been very blessed by the music of 04:02 Reggie and Ladye Love Smith. 04:04 And during this hour they will be participating, 04:09 actually any second now they will be walking here next to me, 04:15 and the message in song that you will hear is entitled 04:19 Somewhere Between Heaven and Earth. 04:23 I would like to invite you to listen to these words 04:26 as you are brought to God's throne of grace 04:29 through the ministry of Reggie and Ladye Love Smith. 04:33 God bless you. 04:35 After this you will hear the voice of Kevin Hart. 04:57 Suspended above 05:01 the world that He made 05:05 and below His home 05:08 in the sky. 05:13 God in flesh 05:16 came down to man 05:20 and man raised Him up 05:24 to die. 05:27 And there on a tree 05:31 the destiny 05:35 of every fallen man 05:42 was held by the nails 05:46 driven through 05:50 His sinless feet 05:54 and hands. 05:58 Somewhere between 06:02 heaven and earth 06:05 stood a symbol of grace 06:09 not based on our worth. 06:13 It was there He endured 06:16 what we deserved. 06:21 For the cross held the hope of the world 06:27 somewhere between 06:30 heaven and earth. 06:35 Somewhere between 06:37 time and space. 06:42 Somewhere between judgment 06:47 and grace. 06:50 He became the sin 06:53 He'd never known. 06:58 As the skies turned black 07:01 His Father turned His back 07:05 and for that moment 07:07 He was left alone. 07:12 He was left alone. 07:18 Somewhere between 07:21 heaven and earth 07:25 stood a symbol of grace 07:28 not based on our worth. 07:32 It was there He endured 07:36 what we deserved. 07:40 For the cross held the hope of the world 07:46 somewhere between 07:49 heaven and earth. 07:58 Stood a symbol of grace 08:02 not based on our worth. 08:06 It was there He endured 08:09 what we deserved. 08:14 For the cross held the hope of the world 08:20 Yes, the cross held the hope of the world... 08:27 Yes, the cross held the hope 08:31 of the world 08:36 somewhere... somewhere 08:40 between heaven 08:46 and earth. 08:52 Suspended above 08:56 the world that He made 09:01 and below His home 09:05 in the sky. 09:16 Amen. 09:27 Welcome to Camp Meeting. 09:31 Somewhere Between Heaven and Earth. Boy, those are words 09:33 to contemplate. 09:36 It's a privilege to stand here. 09:38 I'm not even going to try to fill Asscherick's shoes. 09:41 Number 1: I don't know what size he is 09:43 and Number 2: they're too fast! 09:45 So I will... I will do what I can. 09:49 It was asked of me to speak and I humbly accepted 09:53 in terror and in fear. 09:55 But God has a way of using those who are willing, 09:58 so I figure if I make myself available 10:00 maybe He'll use me. Amen. God is good. 10:03 And before we... Yeah, all the time. 10:05 Before we go any further, I'd like to open up 10:07 with a word of prayer. 10:10 Our Father in our heaven, we thank you so much... 10:12 Our Father which art in heaven, we thank you so much 10:15 for Your love toward us... 10:17 your unfailing love toward us. 10:20 A love that nothing can separate. 10:23 A love that's always initiated and a love, Lord, that 10:26 changes us and softens us. 10:29 I pray today, Lord, that You will use me in some way. 10:34 That I will be hidden and Christ will be visible, 10:37 and that Your name will be lifted up 10:39 and You will receive all the honor and glory today. 10:42 We pray that hearts might be touched and souls drawn up 10:46 to Thee in love and gratitude is our prayer in Jesus' name, 10:49 Amen. Amen. 10:54 Memory is an interesting thing. 10:58 Memory is like a mental file cabinet 11:02 where we store information from all of life's experiences. 11:09 It's kind of the cabinet where we hide memories. 11:15 It's where we store memories. It's where we cherish memories. 11:19 It's the place where things are forgotten as well. 11:23 And sometimes the process by which the forgetting happens 11:27 is an interesting one. 11:29 Sometimes an external impact to someone's brain can impact 11:33 the capability of someone to recall certain pieces 11:36 of information. 11:39 Sometimes drug use can affect someone's ability to recall 11:43 certain pieces of information. 11:46 Old age affects our ability to remember over time. 11:49 And sometimes a traumatic experience can 11:53 alter the patterns of the brain where we have trouble accessing 11:56 certain periods of our life. 11:59 It's that strange mental file cabinet that we all need 12:03 and it's the same mental file cabinet that we all draw from 12:07 in our decision making. 12:09 Amen. The title of today's message is called "Origins. " 12:13 And I know that when you first hear that, most of our minds 12:16 will go back to the beginning of creation... 12:18 the creation of our world. 12:19 But today's message is not about creative origins, 12:23 it's about redemptive origins. 12:25 Because I think while both are extremely important 12:28 I think our redemptive origins somehow are a little more... 12:32 have the upper edge. Memory is a beautiful thing. 12:36 It can bring us back to a time long ago when we were 12:39 children and we played out in the yard 12:43 at our home under the warm sun 12:45 under a large grand blue sky. 12:49 Amen. As the clouds slowly drifted overhead 12:52 as a child time didn't really seem to exist 12:55 till our parents called us back in the house. 12:58 It's a beautiful thing. 13:00 Memory can bring us back to a time when we first 13:02 learned how to drive. 13:04 Y'all remember that? 13:06 I'm not that old, but I'm old enough 13:11 that when I was a child... A child... I think maybe 11 13:16 when my dad started doing this. He would place me on his lap 13:18 while we were driving in the car. 13:21 So that kind of dates me a little bit. 13:23 Um, and we would drive down the road. 13:25 And his feet would be on the pedals; my feet couldn't reach. 13:27 And he would do all the pedal working and I would do 13:29 the steering. And then maybe a year later 13:32 as I learned to shift the gears he would let me shift the gears. 13:34 You do that today... If we had done that today, 13:37 I guess my father and I might have ended up in jail. 13:40 So memory is interesting. 13:42 And that's a beautiful period of one's life 13:45 remembering our first time driving. 13:48 There could be a high school sweetheart 13:50 remembering could bring us back to. 13:52 Some of you have married your high school sweetheart, 13:54 and that is just a precious thing. 13:57 But memory also can be... have its pitfalls. 14:02 It seemed with Israel as we look over the history 14:08 of Israel, it seems as though they had a memory problem. 14:12 Some sort of spiritual amnesia, put it that way. 14:17 And as I thought about what to talk about today 14:20 my mind was brought back to a passage that I had always felt, 14:24 that I always gravitated to. 14:27 Never really figured out how to put it into a sermon 14:29 and I pray that I'm able to today. 14:31 But the Lord put it onto my heart again 14:33 and it's found in Ezekiel. And I would encourage you 14:36 to turn there with me. 14:39 Turn with me to the 16th chapter of Ezekiel. 14:47 And I will start reading from verse 1 14:53 through verse 5. 14:57 Memory is an interesting thing. 15:02 The Word of the Lord came to Ezekiel. 15:03 He said: "Again the Word of the Lord came to me; 15:07 Son of man, cause Jerusalem 15:10 to know her abominations. 15:13 and say: 'Thus says the Lord God to Jerusalem: 15:18 your birth and your nativity are from the land of Canaan; 15:22 your father was an Amorite 15:24 and your mother was a Hittite. 15:27 As for your nativity on the day you were born, 15:30 your navel cord was not cut 15:32 nor were you washed in water to cleanse you, 15:35 you were not rubbed with salt 15:38 nor wrapped in swaddling clothes. ' " 15:41 A common practice to the ancient folks. 15:44 "No eye fitted you to do any of these things for you 15:50 to have compassion on you. 15:52 But you were thrown out into the open field 15:55 when you yourself were loathed on the day you were born. " 15:59 The setting was grim. 16:04 Babylonian captivity had just begun 16:07 under the reign of Nebuchadnezzar. 16:09 The northern kingdom of Israel was destroyed 16:12 with its 10 tribes over 100 years before 16:15 at the hand of the Assyrians. 16:17 And because the southern kingdom of Judah continued in its 16:20 persistent rebellion, mimicking its northern brother so to speak 16:25 God had finally allowed them to be overtaken by Babylon. 16:31 They continued down the path of apostasy until there was 16:35 nothing more the Lord could do. 16:37 The Lord had tried everything to call His people back to Him, 16:41 but no response. 16:43 And so finally under the reign of Nebuchadnezzar 16:46 Ezekiel along with many, many others was carried captive 16:50 to Babylon. And now they sit by the river Chabar 16:54 contemplating their circumstances. 16:57 Strong language here, isn't it? 16:59 It's almost repulsive. 17:02 But to the ancient mind this was common language. 17:05 And it wouldn't have been as shocking to them 17:08 when they heard it. But maybe we need to be shocked 17:11 a little bit today. Amen. 17:14 It's not the kind of language one would think was needed 17:17 for a discouraged people. Remember, 17:18 they're in Babylonian captivity. 17:20 The complete destruction of the southern kingdom of Judah 17:23 was about to happen within a few short years of this. 17:26 But Israel as a nation had always called themselves 17:30 God's chosen people. 17:31 They prided themselves as the descendants of Abraham. 17:36 So much so that even before the northern kingdom of Israel 17:39 was destroyed, while they were setting up the high places 17:41 of worship after the pattern of heathen nations, 17:44 polluting the temple of the Lord, setting up idols, 17:47 bowing down to wood and stone, 17:49 worshiping carved images, they had should I say the nerve 17:53 to believe that their worship was accepted. 17:57 As if their lineage sanctified their every act as the 18:01 descendants of Abraham 18:04 and that God would turn a blind eye. 18:09 And now they sit in Babylonian territory with a similar mindset 18:12 and God has to remind them of something. 18:15 Memory is an interesting thing. 18:19 You see, when the Lord said to them: 18:20 "Your father was an Amorite 18:23 and your mother was a Hittite" 18:24 it really was a two-fold rebuke. 18:28 Because they didn't realize that ancestral lineage 18:31 means nothing if one's actions reflect the ways of the world 18:36 around them. And so God was putting into perspective 18:41 that even though they had established the land 18:43 of Palestine, by example and behavior 18:48 and attitude they were really children of the heathen people 18:52 before them. 18:54 Father was an Amorite and your mother was a Hittite. 18:57 It was a rebuke. I mean... we're children of Abraham. 19:01 How dare you call us children of the heathen? 19:07 But it was a lesson God wanted them to learn. 19:08 It was a lesson that God wanted them to learn in times 19:12 of prosperity. 19:13 And they failed to learn the lesson. 19:15 They failed to learn that character assimilation 19:19 is so much more important than ancestral lineage. 19:22 It was a lesson that they failed to learn over and over 19:24 and over again. They forgot to remember 19:27 that origins mean nothing 19:30 if they're acting like those around them. 19:33 And they'd also forgotten the nothingness from which God had 19:37 rescued them. And so contained within this realistic allegory 19:42 we find three fundamental questions. 19:46 Not questions but it's implied. 19:48 We're talking about origins. 19:51 The first question is this: 19:54 where were they when the Lord found them? 19:58 The second question is: what were they doing 20:01 when the Lord found them? 20:03 And the third question is: who were they 20:06 when the Lord found them? 20:11 These three questions had great significance 20:13 for the children of Israel for in their long history 20:16 since the deliverance from Egyptian bondage 20:19 to the very seat they were taking now in Babylonian 20:23 captivity we find them over and over and over and over again 20:27 forgetting the where, the what, and the who. 20:33 The where is depicted by this child in misery 20:37 in the open field. You see, Israel was no great nation. 20:41 God did not call them because they were great, 20:45 because they were smart... or intelligent. 20:49 God did not call them because they were strong or wise. 20:53 God called them out of Egypt. 20:56 They were slaves. 20:59 And the circumstances are quite clear when we go back to 21:02 Exodus chapter 1 and we read verses 8 through 14. 21:11 Says: "Now their arose a new king of Egypt 21:14 who did not know Joseph. " We all know the story. 21:16 "And he said to his people: 'look, the children of Israel 21:21 are more and mightier than we. 21:23 Come let us deal shrewdly with them 21:26 lest they multiply and it happen in the event of war 21:29 that they also join our enemies and fight against us 21:31 and so go up out of the land. ' " 21:35 Therefore, they set taskmasters over them 21:39 to afflict them with their burdens. 21:42 And they built for Pharaoh supply cities... " 21:45 Not out of wood and nails. 21:46 Ever see the rocks that the city of Egypt was built with? 21:51 Those pyramids? 21:53 I wouldn't want to have to put those things together. 21:58 "So they built for Pharaoh supply cities 22:00 Pithom and Rameses. 22:02 But the more they afflicted them the more they multiplied 22:05 and grew, and they were in dread of the children of Israel. 22:08 So the Egyptians made the children of Israel serve with 22:11 rigor and they made their lives bitter with hard bondage. 22:15 And mortar and brick and in all manner of service in the field, 22:20 all their service in which they made them serve 22:23 was rigor. " 22:24 Time and time again, they forgot 22:28 where they were when the Lord found them. 22:33 This child was thrown out into the open field 22:39 and its misery is clear. 22:41 The navel cord was not cut. Something pretty important 22:45 for independent life. 22:48 It wasn't washed. It wasn't cleaned. 22:52 It wasn't pampered with swaddling clothes. 22:56 No, Israel was in a desperate situation when the Lord 23:01 found them. They were in need. 23:05 They were anything but independent. 23:08 Life was hard and cruel. 23:10 Life was a series of whips and lashes. 23:12 A series of directions and kickings and bruises. 23:19 There was no relief... no light at the end of the tunnel. 23:22 It was joyless from infancy to adulthood: life in Egypt. 23:27 And though they were in the midst of the most powerful 23:30 growing nation on earth 23:32 their lives really more reflected the vast, arid deserts 23:36 around them. 23:43 And it's amazing that they forgot all of that. 23:47 I wonder... where were we when the Lord found us? 23:52 It's amazing how we can forget probably the most fundamental 23:57 question to be answered in our Christian experience. 24:00 Where were we when the Lord found us? 24:05 The what is depicted by the child gasping and struggling 24:09 for air and wrestling in its own blood. 24:11 The King James says "flailing" 24:13 I believe... wallowing. 24:16 Israel was well nigh devoid of hope during Egyptian slavery. 24:21 The promise given to Abraham was all but forgotten... 24:24 except by the Lord 24:26 and Israel was gasping for air. 24:28 They were multiplying in numbers 24:29 but their misery was proportionate to their growth 24:31 because of the decree that Pharaoh had made 24:36 to the Minister of Population Control. 24:40 Exodus chapter 2 verse 23 says: 24:42 "Now it happened in the process of time that 24:44 the king of Egypt died. 24:45 That all the children of Israel groaned because of the bondage 24:49 and they cried out. And their cry came up to the Lord God 24:52 because of the bondage. " 24:53 What were they doing? They were groaning. 24:57 What were you doing when the Lord found you? 25:00 Did you have it all together? 25:03 And who were they? The who is indicated 25:08 in verse 5 of Ezekiel chapter 16. 25:12 It says: "No eye pitied you to do any of these things 25:16 for you" - this poor baby lying in this field helpless - 25:19 "to have compassion on you. 25:21 But you were thrown out into the open field 25:23 when you yourself were loathed on the day you were born. " 25:26 It's very important to remember who we were 25:28 before the Lord found us... when the Lord found us. 25:33 It's hard to imagine that no eye would pity a struggling 25:37 infant in an open field, 25:39 exposed to the heat of the sun, 25:41 wrestling in its own blood. 25:46 It's hard to imagine that no one would have compassion on it... 25:49 on a little infant as that. 25:51 And even today in our modern society 25:54 from what I understand even in the prison systems 25:57 one of things you do not want to end up in prison for 25:59 is child abuse. Because even the most hardened of criminals 26:03 for some reason that's a sore spot with them. 26:04 It's hard to imagine that no one would take pity on this child. 26:12 The Egyptians didn't care about them as long as they met 26:15 the daily quota of brick laying. 26:17 Nobody else cared. 26:19 Boy, origins are so important, aren't they? 26:22 And it's when we forget our beginnings 26:26 that everything else suffers. 26:29 And it's also interesting to note that when God 26:32 finally brought them out of Egypt 26:34 and brought them to Mt. Sinai and gave them His law 26:38 it's interesting that even the Decalogue itself 26:40 that we exalt so high because we recognize it as 26:44 the transcript of God's character 26:46 that the preamble, the historical prologue 26:47 begins with these words: "I am the Lord your God 26:50 which brought you out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. " 26:54 It's so important... origins... because it sets the stage 26:58 for everything else that follows. 27:00 It's the springboard for every action, 27:04 every word, every look, every choice we make. 27:09 Where were we when the Lord found us? 27:12 Who were we? What were we doing? 27:17 Pretty powerful scene... this scene here. 27:21 But it was a fitting representation of the history 27:26 of Israel. 27:30 But then it shifts from this 27:32 helpless child to probably 27:34 the most glorious passage I find 27:36 in scripture. I just... 27:37 something here just really connected with me. 27:42 Verse 6 says, speaking of the Lord Himself: 27:45 "And when I passed by you I saw you struggling 27:48 in your own blood. And I said to you in your blood: 27:52 'Live! ' Yes, I said to you in your blood: Live! ' " 27:57 You know, God never gets tired of searching. 27:59 He's depicted here as a traveler 28:01 who just so happens to show up at the most critical moment 28:04 in this infant's life. 28:06 Isn't that just like our Lord? Amen. 28:09 You know, He may never be early 28:11 but He's definitely never late. 28:13 Never late. 28:15 Never stops roaming; never stops searching 28:19 for lost and dying souls. 28:22 Never stops caring for those who are hurting. 28:24 God is ever on the move tracking us down. 28:28 We use the term "when I found the Lord, " but really 28:30 it's when God found us. 28:31 And some say: "Well God always knew where you were! " 28:34 But we never seek after God. That's what the Bible says. 28:37 "There is no one righteous... no not one. " 28:40 None that seeketh after God. 28:43 If it hadn't been for the Lord initiating the relationship, 28:46 we wouldn't even be here... we wouldn't even be having 28:47 Camp Meeting. 28:49 And that is what Israel failed to remember... their origins. 28:54 That God had initiated the relationship. 28:57 God had been... honored the covenants. 29:00 God was the One who had blessed them with so many things. 29:04 It was a gift! 29:06 God was not obligated to do any of these things. 29:09 He established the covenant with Abraham, 29:11 but He even initiated that. 29:16 Men may not notice what you're going through. 29:19 Women may not notice what you're going through. 29:23 But God's eye is on the sparrow. Amen! 29:25 He numbers the hairs of our head. 29:28 He has loved us with an everlasting love. 29:31 Yes, God cares! Even when men and women do not. 29:35 But the problem is that when we - His people - live 29:40 out of a disappreciation, an unappreciation for all 29:44 that He has done for us 29:47 the issue is that we misrepresent Him. 29:51 And that really was the issue with Israel 29:53 time and time and time again, you know. 29:56 It wasn't... it DID have to do with the fact 29:59 that they had become like the heathen nations around them 30:02 so many times. And God had to send judgments 30:03 and bring them back. And the cycle repeated itself 30:07 over and over and over again. 30:08 That was bad in and of itself. 30:09 But what really made it worse was the fact that 30:12 they called themselves "God's chosen people. " 30:16 And this was no secret title like the Masons. 30:21 This was no secret thing. 30:23 All the surrounding nations knew that they took that name 30:26 on themselves: "God's chosen people, 30:27 descendants of Abraham. " 30:29 Well, what kind of an example were they giving 30:32 when they were bowing down to images? 30:34 Throwing their children in the fire as we find out... 30:38 that they let themselves be debased to such a level. 30:42 What do these three questions mean for us today? 30:46 Why are they so important? 30:48 Why is it so important to remember origins? 30:51 Well, it really is everything. 30:54 You see, because how we view what God has done for us 30:59 affects every single aspect of our being. 31:02 It affects everything... 31:04 including our relationship to one another. 31:08 In Luke chapter 7... turn there with me if you would. 31:14 In Luke chapter 7 we find Mary Magdalene 31:17 anointing the feet of Jesus. 31:23 And after she anoints His feet 31:25 Simon the Pharisee 31:28 mutters under his breath: 31:31 "If the Lord only knew what kind of woman this was. " 31:34 And of course the Lord heard that. 31:37 You can whisper, but the Lord still hears. 31:40 You know, you don't have to say anything and the Lord hears 31:42 because He reads our hearts. 31:43 And even if Simon had said nothing, the Lord still 31:46 would have read what... the spoken words of his heart. 31:49 "If He really knew what kind of woman this was, 31:53 He would have nothing to do with her. " 31:55 But then Jesus responds to Simon with this parable. 32:00 Says: "Jesus answered and said to him, 'Simon, I have something 32:03 to say to you. ' 'Teacher, say it! ' 32:07 Simon replied. 'There was a certain creditor who had 32:10 two debtors: one owed 500 denarii and the other 50. 32:15 And when they had nothing with which to repay 32:18 he freely forgave them both. 32:19 Tell me, therefore, which of them will love him more? ' 32:26 Simon answered and said: 32:28 'I suppose the one whom he forgave more. ' 32:30 And He said to him: 'You have judged rightly. ' 32:39 The degree to which we appreciate all that God has done 32:44 for us is the degree to which we love one another. 32:49 And that's why God had to... needs to remind us 32:54 from time to time. 33:00 The degree to which I appreciate what God has done to me... 33:04 for me... is the same degree, it's directly proportionate, 33:08 to the level of love that I have for those around me. 33:12 How lost I comprehend myself to have been before God's 33:15 intervention in my life determines how I treat those 33:19 who have not let the Lord intervene in their lives. 33:23 Perspective is so important. 33:27 And it's important because it's always about relationships. 33:31 God is a God of relationships, 33:33 and that's what frustrated Him with Israel so much. 33:38 We find in Isaiah: "Is this the fast that I have called for? " 33:42 Wanted them to feed, to visit the widow. 33:45 Feed the fatherless, to take them in. I'm paraphrasing. 33:48 That's what frustrated Him so much is that His people 33:50 who were called by His name, 33:52 who were supposed to represent Him in character 33:56 to the heathen nations around them, 33:59 were no better. In fact, they were so often worse. 34:04 That's why it's important... because 34:07 how we perceive what God has saved us from 34:10 will completely determine the way that we relate to others 34:14 and interrelate with others. 34:17 So when we talk behind each other's backs, 34:21 and we do that sometimes, 34:25 when we discourage instead of encourage, 34:27 when we segregate and separate instead of drawing together, 34:31 we cast a shadow on God's character. 34:36 And that is why Israel found themselves in captivity. 34:40 You see, it was always about God's character. 34:44 God's plan for Israel in the beginning was to 34:47 make them a thriving nation, 34:49 an example to all the other nations, 34:52 a nation that the others would look at and say: 34:54 "Why are they so blessed? " 34:55 "Why are they so blessed? " 34:57 "Who is this God that they serve? " 34:59 "Why do they call themselves a peculiar people? " 35:03 That was God's original plan for them. 35:06 Gratitude. Are you grateful today 35:11 for what the Lord has done in your life? 35:13 I believe you are. I know I am. 35:16 And by the way, I'm preaching to myself 35:18 because I'm not perfect. 35:20 I don't stand up here as a perfect person... 35:22 well, that's kind of a given... but I'm far from perfect, 35:24 put it that way. 35:28 If we really believe that we've been saved by grace 35:30 through faith and that not of ourselves, 35:32 if we really believe that it's a gift of God 35:34 and cannot be contributed to, 35:37 then why do we not treat others 35:41 as if they're deserving of the same gifts? 35:43 I mean, if it never originated with us, then why would 35:46 we treat someone else as less than us? 35:50 It's about attitude and gratitude. 35:55 There are some husbands who once knew the Lord 35:59 and for various reasons have drifted 36:02 and now they're treating their wives as subservient 36:06 and inferior... as less than nothing. 36:12 It's amazing. I get calls like that all the time in Pastoral. 36:16 There's wives who once loved the Lord 36:18 and for various reasons they've allowed themselves to drift 36:21 and now they don't want anything to do with spiritual things. 36:24 They don't care about the things of the Lord. 36:30 There's children that are disrespecting their parents 36:33 left and right. Children old enough to know 36:35 what God has done for them. 36:37 A sign of the times, really. 36:42 And then when we look at society 36:44 we just see the results of sin. 36:49 We see a world out there that could really care less 36:52 about one another. 36:54 We hear of these organizations, humanitarian organizations, 36:58 you know... humanity. On what basis? 37:01 It's always about what God has done for us. 37:04 You know... You do know that what gives something its value 37:09 is the fact that God loves that thing? 37:14 The object upon which God places His love 37:17 is what gives it its value. Amen. 37:19 Because without God's love we have no value. 37:22 Not in and of ourselves. 37:27 So what does attitude and gratitude? 37:29 Why are these three fundamental questions so important? 37:32 Because it should change the way we relate to one another. 37:35 In the home, in our neighborhoods, on the job. 37:40 At the bus station and in the marketplace... 37:44 and Black Friday. 37:46 When everybody is shoving for the door. 37:48 The Lord just threw that in my head. I don't know why. 37:53 But it's relevant because of this: 37:55 I was in a dark place when the Lord found me. 37:58 Therefore when I encounter others who are in a dark place 38:01 I'll remember what the Lord did for me 38:03 and I treat them the same. 38:06 I was a mess when the Lord found me! 38:09 And therefore when I see others who are a mess 38:12 I don't recoil and turn the other way or walk to the 38:16 other side of the street. 38:18 But I have compassion and I have sympathy 38:21 because I was a mess when the Lord found me. 38:23 Amen! Origins are so important. 38:25 Redemptive origins are of utmost importance. 38:27 I wasn't the brightest bulb when the Lord found me. 38:30 And I wasn't. 38:32 I was a high school dropout. 38:34 I got kicked out of three different high schools 38:36 and then finally I was... It was just a mess. 38:38 I dropped out of high school 38:41 and I was a mess when the Lord found me. 38:43 I didn't really look like a mess on the outside, 38:45 but inside I was just... I was a mess. 38:47 And I wasn't the brightest bulb on the tree. 38:52 But when I encounter others who may not be as eloquent 38:54 or articulate as myself 38:57 I encourage them and point them to Jesus. 38:59 Amen. Because He is the light of the world. Amen. 39:03 I was definitely not the brightest bulb on the tree. 39:05 And I remember that I Corinthians 1:26-28... 39:09 somewhere in there... 39:11 that "God chooses the foolish things of the world 39:15 to put to shame the things that are mighty. " 39:19 I remember these things, and that's why I treat people 39:22 different. Amen! That's why I have compassion. 39:25 Amen! Not inherent in and of myself. 39:27 I'm selfish by nature. We all are selfish by nature. 39:31 And there are hurting people left and right. 39:34 We rub against them every day. 39:36 We bump shoulders with them every day. 39:38 It's about attitude and it's about gratitude. 39:41 Amen. And when we forget 39:44 what God has done for us whether it be by neglect, 39:48 by choice, by cherished sin, 39:54 the relationship with the Lord is not the only thing 39:56 that's affected but it's our relationship with one another. 40:00 So what does your Christianity consist of today? 40:03 is the question you need to ask. Vege-pattie? 40:06 Vege-loaf? Vegan? 40:09 Fri-chick? Morningstar? Skirts to the ankles? 40:12 Not a splash of makeup? 40:14 Humble car? Don't drink; don't smoke? 40:16 Meaningless if in attitude 40:21 and behavior we are a reflection of the world around us. 40:26 Now, all these things are important. They are! 40:30 But they're meaningless. 40:32 Descendants of Abraham: what does that mean? 40:36 We are spiritual Israel. What does that mean? 40:39 We are the remnant. What does that mean? 40:44 I don't think any of us have been dancing around the 40:46 golden calf lately. 40:49 I don't think any of us have bowed down to wooden images 40:50 lately or set up idols on a high mountain. 40:52 Most of us don't swear and we don't' drink. 40:54 And we don't cheat; we don't party all night long. 40:56 But could we in our own way be more trusting 40:59 of our heritage and church membership 41:03 than of the Lord who is the head of the church? 41:08 Because many of us have it subconsciously that if we 41:10 show up every Sabbath morning and sit in a pew 41:12 and hear the sermon and even get moved by the sermon 41:15 and then stay after for potluck 41:18 and fellowship with the saints 41:22 all the while we pass by lost and dying souls 41:26 what does it mean? What does the remnant mean? 41:29 The remnant of what? 41:35 When you go back in Israel's history, the remnant 41:37 were the few that remained faithful to the Lord. 41:42 Amen! And if we are the remnant church of God, 41:44 then we should be examples of faithfulness to the Lord. 41:48 And yes, I have fallen. Yes, I make mistakes. 41:50 We've all fallen short of the glory of God. 41:54 But sometimes we need to remember our origins. 42:00 It's a sad thing when we become comfortable. 42:05 It's a very sad thing. And that's the danger with time. 42:08 It's always a danger with time that we forget these things. 42:11 You know, I was baptized when I was 21 years old. 42:14 I don't want to keep talking about myself. 42:15 It's not because... I'm just the best example I can think of. 42:19 Because I know me, you know. 42:21 I was baptized when I was 21 years old. 42:24 And I'm not going to lie... I'm 39 now. 42:26 It's almost 20 years ago. 42:27 Twenty years is a long time, see? 42:31 A lot of you have a lot more years on me 42:34 and I... I respect that. 42:37 There's nothing more precious than someone who's advanced 42:40 in years. I've always loved elderly people 42:43 because it seems like they've got the richest stories. 42:46 Amen. You know, a rich heritage of memory. 42:50 And that's just a precious thing. 42:52 One of our dear church members, Helen, is our babysitter now 42:57 and she's... you know, she's advanced in years 43:01 and boy, is she a spark. 43:02 I... I came home the other day. Our schedules are so crazy. 43:06 I came home the other day... Rather, I was already home. 43:09 She takes over babysitting around noon. 43:11 And the night before the garbage cans were set out. 43:14 Not the little ones, you know... these giant things that they 43:16 give you now. What is it? 80? 150-gallon garbage cans, 43:19 I don't know. And so she likes to walk. 43:22 I mean, we always see her walking back and forth in town. 43:24 Helen. Boy, she's a fitting example of health. 43:29 Um, and I looked out the window 43:31 and Asher, you know, my little boy, he says: 43:34 "Oh, Helen's here. " 43:35 And so I look out the window and there she is 43:37 pulling in my garbage cans. 43:40 Precious lady. 43:42 And that's why we appreciate having our kids around 43:45 someone who's elderly because she has a rich 43:47 experience to draw from. 43:50 But the danger with time is that we forget these things. 43:52 We forget where we were when the Lord found us. 44:00 Continuing in the 16th chapter of Ezekiel. 44:05 And we won't have time, because this is a big chapter... 44:07 we won't have time to deal with all of it today. 44:10 But the Lord continues to speak saying: 44:15 "I made you thrive like a plant in the field. 44:19 And you grew and matured and became very beautiful. 44:22 Your breasts were formed; your hair grew; 44:25 but you were naked and bare. 44:27 When I passed by you again and looked upon you 44:30 indeed your time was the time of love. " 44:34 And the allegory at this point: 44:36 Israel had already grown into a nation. 44:38 Um, and it was their time of love. It was when God 44:43 really had established them under the Davidic kingdom 44:45 and Solomonic kingdom where God really wanted 44:48 them to flourish and fit the ideal. 44:50 Everything He wanted to give them, 44:52 everything that He wanted them to reflect in His own character. 44:56 "Your time was a time of love. 44:57 I washed you in water. I thoroughly washed off your blood 45:00 and I anointed you with oil. 45:02 I clothed you in embroidered cloth and gave you sandals 45:04 of badger skin. I clothed you with fine linen. " 45:06 A lot of this language is confusing for us today. 45:08 But back in those times, I mean, that was the deal! 45:11 Badger skin? Badger skin! 45:14 We don't wear badger skin today but back then 45:16 that might have been like Lord and Taylor, I don't know. 45:20 "I adorned you with ornaments and put bracelets on your wrists 45:23 and a chain on your neck and I put a jewel in your nose, 45:25 earrings in your ears, and a beautiful crown on your head. 45:27 Thus you were adorned with gold and silver 45:30 and your clothing was of fine linen, silk, and embroidered 45:32 cloth. You ate pastries of fine flour, honey, and oil. 45:35 You were exceedingly beautiful 45:37 and succeeded to royalty. " 45:40 And this is the key verse and always the clincher: 45:44 "Your fame went out among the nations 45:47 because of your beauty for it was perfect 45:50 through My splendor 45:53 which I had bestowed on you says the Lord God. " 45:57 How was Israel's beauty perfect? 46:00 By His splendor. 46:03 How are our stains today covered and washed? 46:06 By His righteousness. 46:10 And when we start to take the blessings of God 46:13 and hoard them up for ourselves 46:14 if you happen to be so blessed, 46:18 something usually starts to change. 46:22 And verse 15 tells the tale of that: 46:24 "But you trusted in your own beauty and played the harlot. " 46:26 And it goes on to say how Israel took the blessings of God 46:30 and started to act as if they were inherently... 46:33 they possessed them inherently in and of themselves. 46:37 Origins are so important. 46:40 Because what they failed to remember was that everything 46:42 they had during their hey-day, during the glorious years, 46:46 the golden years... they forgot that everything they had was 46:49 because God had given it to them. 46:52 That reminds me of Deuteronomy 8... 46:54 Deuteronomy chapter 8 verse 7. 46:59 Turn there very quickly here. 47:06 Possessions and blessings, 47:09 things that the Lord loves to give us, 47:11 are things that He will not hesitate to take away from us 47:14 if by attitude and ingratitude 47:18 we fail to realize the giver of them all. 47:22 "For the Lord God... " verse 7 chapter 8 in Deuteronomy 47:24 "For the Lord God is bringing you into a good land... 47:26 a land of brooks and water, of fountains and springs 47:28 that flow out of valleys. " This... this is, um, 47:32 pre-Palestinian establishment. 47:36 God wanted to bring them into the Promised Land, but He 47:38 gave this to them ahead of time so that they would remember 47:41 their origins. 47:43 "A land of wheat and of barley, of vines and fig trees, 47:46 pomegranates, a land of olive oil and honey, 47:48 a land in which you will eat bread without scarcity; 47:50 in which you will lack nothing. A land whose stones and iron 47:54 and out of whose hills you can dig copper. 47:57 When you have eaten and are full, you shall bless the Lord 47:59 your God for the good land which He has given you. 48:02 BEWARE that you do not forget the Lord your God 48:07 by not keeping His commandments, His judgments, and His statutes 48:11 which I command you today. 48:12 Lest when you have eaten and are full 48:15 and have built beautiful houses and dwell in them. 48:17 And when your herds and your flocks multiply 48:19 and your silver and your gold are multiplied 48:21 and all that you have is multiplied 48:23 when your heart is lifted up and you forget the Lord your God 48:26 who brought you out of the land of Egypt... " 48:28 Origins. 48:30 "from the house of bondage" 48:32 Origins. 48:34 "who led you through the great and terrible wilderness 48:36 in which were fiery serpents and scorpions 48:38 and a thirsty land where there was no water, 48:42 who brought water for you out of the flinty rock. 48:45 Who fed you in the wilderness with manna 48:46 which your fathers did not know that He might humble you 48:49 and that He might test you 48:52 to do you good in the end. " 48:55 You ever wonder why the Lord tests us sometimes? 48:58 It's to do us good in the end. 49:00 Amen. 49:02 We look at Job's experience and it's certainly nothing any 49:05 of us would want to go through. But so many of us go 49:07 through that to a degree on a daily basis. 49:10 Called all the time. People hurting! 49:12 Going through all kinds of difficult stuff. 49:14 And I can't say to each one of them why they're going 49:17 through it. But certainly I think this principle applies 49:20 every once in a while. 49:21 "That He may do good to you in the end. " 49:25 "And then you say in your heart: 'my power 49:29 and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth. ' 49:35 And you shall remember the Lord your God 49:38 for it is He who gives you power to get wealth 49:41 that He may establish His covenant which He swore 49:45 to your fathers as it is to this day. " 49:47 Origins are so important. 49:50 Everything we have... everything we own. 49:54 And it may not be much. 49:56 You know, in some countries it's really nothing at all. 49:59 But anything we have, anything we're able to accomplish, 50:03 is simply because God loves us so dearly. 50:07 Amen. And because of the covenant He made 50:10 with our forefathers long, long, long, long ago. 50:13 God is faithful. Amen! 50:16 God is so faithful; God loves us so dearly. 50:18 He's always the initiator of the relationship. 50:21 Amen. He's always the One that lifts us up out of the pit. 50:24 Out of the mud; out of the dirt and the filth. 50:27 He's always the One that cleans us up 50:29 because we can never clean ourselves. 50:31 Amen. 50:35 Any time we start to act like those around us 50:38 it's usually a simple reason. 50:41 It's because memory has been stifled by pride 50:45 and disobedience. 50:48 And I think of the words of Ellen White. 50:50 Very short, but it's always resonated with me. She says: 50:53 "We are creatures who are slow to learn 50:55 and quick to forget. " 50:57 Amen. Slow to learn; quick to forget. 51:01 It seems like God has to bring us sometimes like Israel of old 51:03 40 years in the wilderness, back and forth 51:05 over the same ground. Over and over 51:07 and over again until we finally get it. 51:09 If I ever look back over my life and be honest with myself 51:12 I can see some loops that I've done. 51:15 You know, but God loves us that much. 51:17 Amen. And He doesn't let us continue down a path 51:20 where there's a giant pit at the end of it. 51:22 Amen. And so if it means bringing us back and forth 51:25 over and over again until we learn it 51:27 it's always in our best interest. 51:31 Slow to learn and quick to forget. 51:33 Israel was quick to forget. 51:35 We don't want to be like Israel of old, do we? 51:38 I mean, hasn't God done so much for us? Amen! 51:43 Hasn't He loved us with an everlasting love? Yes. 51:48 Haven't there been moments in our life when we can truly see 51:51 where the Lord just showered us with His love? 51:55 Protected us because of His love? 51:57 Encouraged us because of His love? 52:00 Saved us out of a depressing state because of His love? 52:06 God is always the One who walks around the field of 52:09 our life's experience 52:10 looking to see who's wallowing in their own mess. 52:16 I think He'd have us do the same today. 52:19 Don't you think? Amen! 52:22 I think God would have us do the same today. 52:25 Remember: the degree to which we love one another - 52:31 those outside and those within - 52:33 is always directly proportionate 52:36 to the degree that we perceive the mess that God saved us from. 52:42 Amen. 52:44 Human history will close with a record of ingratitude. 52:47 II Timothy 2:3 says that. 52:49 "Men will be lovers of themselves and unthankful. " 52:55 But God is faithful. 52:56 The good work He has begun in us He is faithful to complete 52:59 if we will just simply remember. 53:04 Sometimes that memory just means simply going back 53:06 to the foot of the cross. 53:08 And you know the ground is level at the foot of the cross. 53:10 Amen. There's no place for boasting. 53:13 It's all the same sea level. 53:17 Same altitude. 53:19 And sometimes that's what it takes. We need to go back 53:22 to the foot of the cross. 53:23 And it doesn't mean you need to be a drug dealer 53:26 or a partier or a criminal 53:30 to appreciate what God has saved us from. 53:33 Amen! 53:35 Because one look at the cross of Calvary 53:38 and it should become painstakingly apparent 53:41 what our sins cost. 53:45 Only a God of love would look upon us with pity 53:50 when no eye pitied us. 53:54 No eye. 53:59 Is there anyone here today that has forgotten 54:03 what the Lord has done for you? 54:06 I know there may be many out there 54:10 among our viewing audience... 54:11 You know, maybe you, too, have forgotten 54:16 and maybe it's time to go to the cross 54:19 and stay at the foot of the cross - Amen! - until the Lord 54:22 softens our hearts again 54:24 and we remember our humble beginnings. 54:29 The words of probably the most famous hymn go: 54:36 "Amazing grace... how sweet the sound 54:42 that saved a wretch like me. " 54:46 Amen. 54:47 Flailing in my own mess. 54:48 "I once was lost but now I'm found... " 54:52 Amen. Why? Because the Lord found me. 54:55 The Lord found you. Amen. 54:59 He was the One looking. "I was blind... 55:01 but now I see. " Yes. 55:08 Origins are so important. 55:11 They're so important to remember. 55:13 As Isaiah says: "Remember the rock from which you were hewn 55:20 and the pit from which you were dug. " 55:25 Boy, I pray that we never forget 55:27 what God has done for us. 55:30 I pray that we never forget how deep that pit was. 55:34 How hopeless we were; how powerless we were. 55:37 And I hope that with every blessing He sends our way 55:40 should we be privileged to have those things 55:43 whatever it may be in your mind, 55:45 I pray that we will never see that as something inherently 55:49 deserving in and of ourselves 55:51 but realize that every good and perfect gift 55:54 comes down from the Father of lights. Amen. 55:57 May the Lord bless all of you as we remember our origins 56:00 and may that always affect and change the way we relate 56:05 to others. The Lord bless you today. 56:07 Amen. 56:10 Amen, amen. Praise the Lord. 56:15 Kevin Hart from 3ABN Pastoral Ministries Department. 56:19 The Lord has marvelous ways in which He blesses His children. 56:24 Amen. And we are so grateful for what God has done 56:29 in each of our lives. 56:31 I know that every one of you is a story that should be told. 56:38 And I look forward to the moment when we can all sit down 56:41 in heaven and start hearing the stories 56:45 of how God worked in each of our lives. 56:49 Amen. And God will draw back the curtain 56:52 and show us things that He has done for us 56:56 that we were not aware that He was at work. 57:00 Amen. And we will thrill 57:03 and rejoice and praise the Lord even more 57:07 than we know how to praise Him now. 57:10 And I praise the Lord that we will not be bothered by 57:15 "Oh, I've got to go somewhere. " 57:18 We will have plenty of time to rejoice 57:21 in the great things that God has done for us. |
Revised 2014-12-17