Participants: Wes Peppers
Series Code: 12GYC
Program Code: 12GYC000002
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00:12 Today I have the privilege of introducing our speaker
00:15 for this morning: Pastor Wes Peppers. 00:17 Pastor Wes Peppers is currently a pastor in the 00:21 Michigan Conference and before that he was 00:23 an evangelist and a pastor for Amazing Facts. 00:27 As I chatted with him backstage I got the impression 00:30 that he's had a very interesting life. 00:32 As a young person he was such a strong atheist 00:36 that he decided he was going to study the Bible 00:38 to prove it to be wrong. But as he studied the Bible 00:41 the Bible proved itself to be true. 00:45 The Bible does that, doesn't it? 00:47 It proves itself to be true. 00:49 So I know that we're going to have something exciting 00:52 as God speaks through him this morning 00:54 and I'm looking forward to hearing Pastor Wes Peppers. 00:57 But before we go on, let's bow our heads in prayer. 01:03 Father in heaven, we have so much to be thankful for 01:06 this morning. I just want to thank You 01:07 for the opportunity to be here this Sabbath 01:10 to be with like-minded believers and to worship You. 01:14 I pray that You will prepare our hearts, Father, 01:16 that we will be ready to receive the message 01:19 that You have prepared for us. 01:22 Send Your Holy Spirit and help us to recognize 01:25 Your voice. Help us to respond to Your calling. 01:30 I also pray that You will be with Pastor Wes Peppers 01:33 as he speaks. Give a special measure of the Holy Spirit 01:36 to him this morning and guide his thoughts and words. 01:39 In Jesus' name, Amen. 01:42 As I see the day approaching... 01:48 day when Christ will come again, 01:53 here's a question I keep asking 01:58 of myself and of all men. 02:04 When He comes - when He comes - 02:08 when He comes - when He comes - 02:12 will I be ready when He comes? 02:18 Have I banished all my sin? 02:23 Do I have His peace within? 02:28 Am I ready for the Lord 02:33 to come? 02:36 While the signs are clearly showing 02:42 that our Lord will soon return 02:46 oh I pray these words I'm asking 02:52 in your quiet heart will burn. 02:57 When He comes - when He comes - 03:01 when He comes - when He comes - 03:05 will you be ready when He comes? 03:12 Have you banished all your sin? 03:16 Do you have His peace within? 03:22 Are you ready for the Lord 03:26 to come? 03:30 When He comes - when He comes - 03:34 when He comes - when He comes - 03:38 will we be ready when He comes? 03:44 Have we banished all our sin? 03:49 Do we have His peace within? 03:56 Am I ready? 04:00 Are you ready? 04:07 Are we ready for the Lord 04:13 to come? 04:20 Amen! 04:24 Good morning GYC. 04:26 Good morning! 04:28 Thankful that three of you are here this morning. 04:30 Good morning GYC. Good morning! 04:32 It's great to be here worshiping with you this morning. Amen? 04:36 Amen! It's great to be a Seventh-day Adventist 04:39 this morning and I'm thankful to be at GYC. 04:42 I'm thankful that you're here and I'm looking forward 04:45 to a very exciting weekend. What could be greater 04:48 than starting GYC on a Sabbath morning? Amen? Amen! 04:52 The only thing I think could be better 04:54 would be starting GYC in heaven. 04:57 How many think that might be possible next year? 05:00 Wonderful. It's so good to see each one of you here. 05:04 I'm excited about what the Lord's going to do. 05:06 It's good to see that all of you have survived the Mayan calendar 05:09 disaster. And that was, you know, in the news 05:14 and all these different things. But I'm thankful, friends, 05:16 that the hope that we have is not built upon superstition. 05:19 Amen? It's built upon the Word of God, 05:22 and the Word of God has been proven down through the ages. 05:26 And just so thankful today that we have a solid hope... 05:30 something that's real, something that's pure, 05:32 something that's true... and we can celebrate that. 05:34 We can worship our God this morning. 05:37 My wife is at home. She's watching online 05:41 with my 8-month-old son. 05:43 And we actually I think they have a picture of my son. 05:46 I don't know if they're going to be able to put that up. 05:48 But there they are... they're watching at home. 05:50 And I tell you what, friends: having a child will change your 05:54 life for eternity. And what a blessing it is. 05:57 Little Levi is there at home. 06:00 I hope this weekend that we are going to leave GYC 06:04 not the same people as when we came. 06:06 But we will be changed, we will be filled with the Holy Spirit 06:09 and we will be ready to fulfill Revelation 18, 06:13 the glory of God being shown into all the world: 06:15 that is my prayer this weekend. 06:17 I've been praying for each one of you 06:20 that God's Word - God's Spirit - would speak to your heart 06:23 this weekend. And friends, we want the Latter Rain 06:27 to be poured out. How many of you want to have 06:29 that experience today? Amen! 06:31 This weekend we're going to look at four different themes. 06:34 We're going to look at several things from the book of Acts, 06:36 some things that won't be from the book of Acts. 06:39 But today we're going to talk about the roots of the book 06:41 of Acts. And then tomorrow we're going to look at the 06:44 power line of Acts. 06:45 The next day we're going to look at the driving force of the 06:48 book of Acts. And then the last day 06:50 we're going to look at what it takes and what it took 06:52 to continue in the book of Acts 06:55 and what that means for our generation today. 07:00 The titles will be Rediscovering Character today. 07:04 Tomorrow: Redefining Culture. 07:05 The next day: Resurrecting the Church. 07:07 And the last day: Reaching the Cosmos. 07:11 I'm looking forward to a powerful weekend. 07:12 You know, as I was on my way out here I was on a plane 07:16 and I sat... I was flying Southwest. 07:19 It was open seating. 07:21 And as I got on the plane I have to confess 07:24 there was a man sitting in the seat by the window 07:27 and he was actually a very large man. 07:30 Very large. 07:32 In fact he kind of like spilled over into the next seat. 07:35 And I thought to myself... I said: "You know, if I 07:37 sit beside this man - 07:38 and there's actually extra seating available 07:41 then nobody's going to want to sit in the middle 07:44 between me and him. " 07:45 You were supposed to laugh. 07:48 So I said: "I'm going to sit down. " 07:49 I felt heavily impressed to sit by this man. I thought: 07:52 "I'm going to be able to witness to this man 07:54 all the way to GYC... four-hour flight. " 07:57 Well all the people came on and the stewardess said: 07:59 "You know, this is going to be a very full flight. " 08:03 And so all the people came on. 08:05 The last guy got on and he walked past me 08:08 and I thought: "Man! This is it! I'm going to have 08:10 a seat to myself. I'm going to witness to this guy. 08:13 It's going to be wonderful. " 08:14 Then all of a sudden I get a tap on the shoulder 08:16 and it's the guy that went past me. He came back 08:18 and he said: "There's no more seats back there. " 08:20 This guy was about 6'4" 08:23 and his shoulders were about this wide. 08:25 And so you have the three biggest people on the plane 08:29 all sitting in the same seats. 08:32 This brother - the very large man - he like spilled over 08:36 into the next seat. Then there was this brother sitting beside 08:38 him... and I sat like this the whole time. 08:41 You think I'm joking? I'm totally serious. 08:44 And the stewardess kept like bumping into me with the cart. 08:49 But I started talking to this man in the middle. 08:51 The dude on the end... he like fell asleep 08:53 and I thought I was supposed to witness to this guy. 08:55 But the guy in the middle: he started telling me... 08:58 He was of a certain faith and he started telling me 09:01 how much he struggled with his faith. 09:02 And he said: "I struggle with my faith 09:05 because the picture I see of the character of God 09:08 in the Bible... " he says... "I don't understand how 09:10 there could be such a loving God and He would burn people 09:13 for all eternity. " 09:15 He made a list of these things and I said: 09:17 "Brother, " I said, "this is not the true picture of God 09:20 in the Bible. " And we opened our Bibles together 09:22 on the plane and we had a Bible study. Amen! 09:25 And at the end of that time the man said: "Man, my faith 09:28 has been renewed. I'm so excited! 09:30 Thank you for sharing this truth with me. " 09:33 You know, what that makes me think of is that there are young 09:36 people all around the world who are not even in the 09:39 Adventist church who want to be a part of the revolution 09:42 that you're experiencing here. 09:44 There are young people around the world 09:46 who would give anything to have the seat that you're in today. 09:51 And friends, there are young people who are going to be 09:53 joining this church when the Holy Spirit is poured out. 09:57 And the question is: what are they going to be coming into? 10:01 If they came to GYC, 10:05 what would they see in you? 10:08 Would they see Christ in you? 10:10 It is my prayer this weekend, friends, 10:13 that we will have such an experience with Jesus 10:16 it would radically change our lives. 10:22 Please bow your heads as we pray. 10:26 Father in heaven, 10:29 Lord, this weekend we need an outpouring of Your Holy Spirit. 10:32 This weekend we need to see Jesus. 10:34 This weekend we need to shun worldliness, 10:39 and selfishness, and self-seeking. 10:43 We need the true love that can only come from heaven. 10:46 We ask that Your Spirit would draw near to us today. 10:49 We ask that You would speak to our hearts 10:51 in a very powerful way. 10:54 We pray, Lord, that we would not be the same people 10:57 when we leave as when we came 10:59 but we would be transformed, we would be renewed, 11:02 we would be empowered, and You would bless Your people 11:06 and we would know that we have been in the presence 11:08 of Jesus today. This is our prayer. 11:12 We ask it in His name, Amen. 11:17 In order to oftentimes understand what lies ahead 11:21 many times you have to go backward. Is that not true? 11:24 In Bible prophecy we under- stand the book of Revelation, 11:26 and many of the symbols and themes in the book of 11:30 Revelation we find repeated - or first told - 11:34 in the Old Testament. Is it true? 11:36 Every revolution has its roots. 11:39 Every revolution had something that had to happen 11:42 before the revolution could take place, 11:44 and that's what we're going to look at today. 11:46 We're going to look at that 11:48 in the life of a very interesting character 11:50 in the Bible. His name is John the Baptist. 11:52 How many of you have heard of John the Baptist before? 11:54 Now what's interesting is without John the Baptist 11:57 there would be no book of Acts. 12:00 Because John the Baptist introduces Jesus onto the scene 12:04 and then Jesus introduces - He brings about - the Holy Spirit 12:08 after that. John the Baptist is actually mentioned 12:11 nine times in the book of Acts. 12:13 Nine times. And every time he's mentioned 12:16 it's with great reverence. In fact, in Acts chapter 1 12:19 Jesus talks about John the Baptist 12:21 in His closing words with the disciples. 12:24 John the Baptist we find in our study of scripture 12:27 he's actually a type of the final generation 12:31 that will live upon the earth. 12:33 John the Baptist: his role was to prepare the world 12:36 for the first coming of Jesus. 12:38 And the last generation: their role is to prepare the world 12:41 for the second coming of Jesus. 12:43 How many of you know this to be true? 12:44 You've seen this... you've studied this. 12:46 And so John represents what God wants His final generation 12:51 to be in the last days. And that is why 12:53 we're going to look at John. 12:55 We're going to see how he impacted. 12:57 The decisions he made, the life he lived 12:59 set the stage for the book of Acts. It was the root 13:03 of the revolution, and that's what we're going to see today. 13:05 We're going to find a very powerful, clear connection. 13:09 Jesus calls John the Baptist one of the greatest 13:12 prophets that ever lived. 13:13 And if he's one of the greatest that ever lived, 13:16 he is THE greatest, we know that he represents 13:19 the last generation. And the last generation will also be 13:22 the greatest. 13:24 Turn with me please in your Bibles to the book of Matthew, 13:27 the gospel of Matthew chapter 3, 13:29 and that's where we're going to begin our study this morning. 13:32 Some very powerful points that we want to make 13:34 and I'm praying that I'm going to finish on time. 13:38 How many of you are going to pray for me? 13:42 I've been a little bit sick, so if I cough you will forgive me. 13:46 But what I do not ask for 13:48 is a thousand people to come up to me after the meeting today 13:52 and give me all kinds of different home remedies. 13:54 I don't need cloves of garlic; I don't need a bunch of stuff. 13:58 Just pray for me. Amen? 14:00 Man, I'm doing all those things already, so please don't. 14:03 Thank you. 14:04 Matthew chapter 3 and verse 1: 14:07 the Bible reads... Are you there? 14:09 Yes. If you're there, say "Amen. " 14:11 Amen! All right. Matthew chapter 3: 14:15 "In those days John the Baptist came preaching 14:18 in the wilderness of Judea and saying: 14:21 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. 14:25 For this is He who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah 14:28 saying: the voice of one crying in the wilderness 14:31 prepare the way of the Lord; make His paths straight. ' " 14:36 John the Baptist was called to preach a message, 14:40 to bear a message of repentance 14:43 to a world who was not repentant. 14:45 John was called to prepare the way for Jesus 14:48 to come on the scene as the Savior of the world. 14:51 We as Seventh-day Adventists are called to prepare the world 14:54 for not the coming of Jesus as a Savior 14:57 but the coming of Jesus as a conquering King. Amen? 15:01 The Bible says that John bore a message of repentance. 15:04 We ask the question: "What is repentance? " 15:07 What is real, genuine repentance? 15:09 It means that I was once going this way 15:13 but I've made a turn and now I'm going where? 15:16 I'm going the opposite direction. 15:17 That's what a message of repentance is. 15:20 A message of repentance is a deep sorrow for sin that 15:24 leads us to want to please Jesus in every area of our lives. 15:28 Not the areas that are comfortable, 15:30 not the areas that are convenient... 15:32 but in every area of our lives. 15:34 That is true repentance. 15:36 I wonder how many of us today have actually experienced 15:39 that type of true repentance in our lives. 15:42 I pray that before the weekend is over every one of us 15:45 will have that experience. It is the Holy Spirit's work 15:48 to change our attitudes and our actions. 15:52 That is true repentance. 15:54 It is not a work that you do, it is not a work that I do. 15:57 It's a work that the Holy Spirit does in us. Amen? 16:01 Repentance is absolutely necessary 16:04 to receive the Latter Rain. 16:06 How many of you would agree with that today? 16:08 It's necessary... it's essential. 16:11 Bearing a message of repentance is not an easy work. 16:14 Some people actually have the wrong idea of repentance. 16:18 I remember once I was in charge of a certain group 16:22 of people. I can't tell you who or what 'cause 16:25 then somebody would know. 16:26 But I remember I was in charge of a group of young people. 16:30 And somebody brought me a cell phone with a video on it. 16:35 And on this video was one of the young people 16:38 whom I was in charge of. 16:40 And it was a picture of them - not a picture but a video - 16:44 on the street corner standing on top of a 5-gallon bucket 16:49 screaming at the people across the street 16:53 "Repent or be burned in hell! " 16:58 And I was like... I stood there for like five minutes. 17:02 I could not believe that one of the young people 17:04 I was in charge of... 17:05 Friends, that is not a message of repentance. 17:08 That's a message of annoyance. 17:11 Are you with me? 17:13 What is a message of repentance? 17:15 What is it that John bore that we need today? 17:18 John's message was one of great love. 17:21 He called the people to turn from their ways. 17:24 In other words, this: John told the people 17:27 not what they wanted to hear 17:30 but what they needed to hear. 17:34 John told the people not what they wanted to hear 17:37 but what they needed to hear. 17:39 John the Baptist loved the souls of the people 17:43 he was preaching to more than their opinions of him. 17:49 Are you with me? Amen! 17:51 He loved their souls more than what they thought about him. 17:57 We don't have that same experience today. 18:02 We've come to the place where we want to entertain people 18:05 instead of directing them towards heaven. 18:08 We've come to the place where we want to pat people on the back 18:11 and say: "Follow your heart and do whatever makes you happy. 18:15 Do whatever pleases you. " And we send them on their way 18:18 down to the road of destruction 18:21 because we're too afraid of what people think about us. 18:27 I'm not talking about being in peoples' face, friends. 18:30 I'm not talking about being annoying or obnoxious 18:33 but I'm talking about loving people enough 18:36 to tell them what is right. 18:38 To tell them what God would have them to do. 18:41 This is the message that John bore. 18:46 He was more interested in their salvation than he was 18:51 their opinion. 18:52 This is a love, friends, that can only come from heaven. 18:57 This is the type of love, this is the type of power, 19:00 this is the type of experience that the disciples had 19:04 in the book of Acts. 19:05 This is what enabled Peter to stand up before the 19:08 Pentecost crowd and say: "Repent! You nailed Jesus 19:12 to the cross! " 19:15 We need to have this type of repentance in our lives. 19:19 That we value the favor and the approval of God 19:23 more than those around us. 19:25 More than our family... more than our friends. 19:29 More than anyone else in our lives. 19:32 Today Seventh-day Adventists are called, they've been raised 19:35 to call a world out of spiritual and eternal darkness. 19:40 We've been called, we've been raised in these last days 19:44 to lead people to bear a message of repentance 19:47 and holiness. 19:50 This word "holiness" is a word that is often taboo 19:53 in modern Adventism today. 19:55 Many times people will criticize you. They'll laugh 19:57 at you, they'll make fun of you. They'll say that is not 20:00 something that can be attained. 20:01 But let me tell you what, friends: the New Testament 20:04 Bible, the works of the Bible in the New Testament, 20:07 all call for resounding acts of holiness... 20:12 a life of holiness. 20:13 And holiness can only come when we have experienced 20:17 repentance first. 20:19 Let me give you a perfect layman's version of holiness. 20:24 So many times we have people in our church, 20:26 we have Adventists that claim to know the truth... 20:29 And we know the truth, do we not? 20:31 But they take that truth - they take the 10 Commandments - 20:34 and they'll take it like a spiritual 2x4 20:36 and they'll knock somebody over the head! 20:39 And when the person falls down they come over 20:41 and they start beating them. 20:44 You know what I'm talking about. 20:46 Some of you are victims of that. 20:47 I'm a victim of... I've been a victim of that. 20:50 Some people think we're preaching the truth. 20:52 Then there's the opposite end, there's the other end of the 20:55 stick, there's the opposite end of the ditch... 20:58 and that is lovingkindness. 21:00 And some people take that to an extreme. 21:03 And when we take that to an extreme we turn a blind eye 21:06 to sin in peoples' lives 21:09 and we're unwilling to tell them what is right. 21:12 But let me tell you what, friends: 21:13 true repentance - bearing a message of repentance - 21:16 is having the perfect blend of both. 21:19 It is achieving Christ-likeness. 21:22 Is achieving being not just more like Jesus 21:26 but just like Jesus. 21:29 But in order to become just like Jesus we have to 21:31 become more like Him every single day. 21:35 What is holiness? It is a pursuit of Christ-likeness 21:39 until we die or until Jesus comes. 21:42 And we must have this, friends. 21:45 We must have it or we're going to fall by the wayside, 21:48 we're going to fall into Babylon. 21:50 This is what John called the people to: 21:52 holiness, Christ-likeness, being like Jesus. 21:57 It was the standard throughout the book of Acts: 21:59 a perfect blend of the law and lovingkindness, 22:02 mercy and truth, primitive godliness and apostolic love. 22:06 That is the experience we must have 22:09 if we are to be a part of that revolution. 22:12 If we are to be a part of it. 22:13 What about you today, friends? 22:16 Do you love the opinions of your friends more than the 22:21 opinion of God? 22:22 Do you love the opinion of your boyfriend or your girlfriend 22:26 more than the opinion of God? 22:28 Let me get a little bolder. Do you love the opinion 22:30 of your wife or your husband 22:32 above the approval of God? 22:35 The men of the book of Acts were men who loved the approval 22:39 of God more than their very life. 22:41 And they were willing if necessary to lay down their 22:44 lives that God's name might be glorified on earth. 22:49 I dare to say, friends, I tremble to think 22:52 how many of us in this room fit that same description. 22:58 We must be faithful to heaven's call. 23:02 Holiness is nothing more than loving God and loving others 23:07 like Jesus did. Just as simple as that. 23:11 When we love God the way Jesus did, 23:13 when we love others the way Jesus did, 23:15 we will be ready to go to heaven. 23:18 We will be ready as Pastor Kameron said last year 23:20 to fit into heaven. 23:22 We will be ready to stand in the presence of God. 23:25 How many of you want to have that experience at GYC 23:28 this weekend, friends? 23:29 How many of you want to have that experience? 23:32 Acts chapter 3 verse 19 Peter says "Repent. " 23:36 Let's look at it real quickly. 23:38 Acts chapter 3 verse 19. 23:44 Acts chapter 3 and verse 19 Peter says: 23:47 "Repent therefore and be converted 23:49 that your sins may be blotted out and the times of refreshing 23:53 may come from the presence of the Lord 23:55 and that He may send Jesus Christ who was preached to you 23:59 before whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration 24:03 of all things which God has spoken by the mouth of all 24:06 His holy prophets since the world began. " 24:09 Even back in the book of Acts 24:11 the deep longing of their soul, friends, 24:14 was that Jesus would come. 24:16 The deep longing of the soul is that the world would be turned 24:19 to Christ so that it could be fitted and ready 24:21 for a soon-coming King. Is that your goal today? 24:24 Is that your primary objective today? 24:26 I beg that for many of us it is not. 24:30 You see, friends, I've heard all kinds of things 24:33 before coming to GYC. 24:35 I've heard people actually dare to say 24:37 "GYC is becoming repetitious. 24:40 We've heard the same messages time and time again. 24:44 They're getting recycled. " 24:46 "I've heard it all before. " 24:48 "What a joke! " 24:50 Then I think about that young man on the plane 24:54 who would give anything to be here. 24:56 I think: "How dare we say something like this? " 25:01 Someone said that "I would rather come and just pay $2,000 25:05 to come to GYC so I can network with people 25:08 rather than hear the messages. I've heard them all before. " 25:12 Friends, we think that we're something that we're not. 25:16 We'd rather be at the booth than in the prayer room. 25:22 We'd rather go to a restaurant than to go to outreach. 25:27 We'd rather text in the meeting because we've heard it all 25:30 before than to pray for the non-Adventist or the weak 25:33 brother sitting beside us 25:34 that his heart might be touched, that her heart might be touched. 25:39 We'd rather chat with our friends about nonsense... 25:42 about what we bought downtown... 25:44 than to share the testimony 25:46 what Jesus has done in our lives. 25:49 Oh yes, friends. We're really ready for Jesus to come, 25:51 aren't we? We're really an army of young people. 25:54 I wonder if Jesus were to come today how many would He 25:57 take in this room with Him? 26:04 We are lukewarm. 26:07 We are lukewarm at the most spiritual conference 26:10 on the earth. 26:13 Did you hear that? 26:16 Not the most spiritual conference in Adventism... 26:19 the most spiritual conference on earth! 26:21 And we are lukewarm. 26:24 Thank God for His mercy. 26:27 Thank God for His compassion. 26:30 Thank God for His patience... 26:33 because what we see today will not always be! 26:37 God's going to be victorious, Amen? Too many of us 26:41 are loving the world too much. 26:44 I want to read a verse to you: I John chapter 2 verse 15. 26:48 "Do not love the world or the things in the world. 26:51 If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father 26:53 is not in him. 26:54 For all that is in the world - the lust of the flesh, 26:56 the lust of the eyes and the pride of life - 26:58 is not of the Father but of the world. 27:01 And the world is passing away and the lust of it. 27:04 But he who does the will of God 27:06 abides... " How long GYC? How long? 27:10 "forever. " Forever! 27:13 Let me tell you what, friends: 27:15 in our church we are loving the world way too much. 27:21 And the way that we love... John says "Do not love 27:24 the world. " The way that we love the world less 27:30 is by loving Jesus more. 27:32 We don't love Jesus more by loving the world less. 27:35 We love Jesus... let me make sure I get this right... 27:39 we love the world less by loving Jesus more. 27:45 Too often we think that we have to make this brick house 27:49 stand against the world. 27:51 We have to double up our fists and tighten our belt 27:54 and say: "I'm going to stand right here. I will not be moved 27:56 any more. " But how many times are we moved? 27:59 It's because we're trying to make a stand against the world 28:03 without making a stand for Jesus! 28:06 We're not called to stand against the world, 28:08 we're called to stand for Christ. 28:11 And in standing for Christ 28:12 it's a natural stance against the world. 28:15 Do you understand this? 28:17 This is the experience that we need to have. 28:20 Today it seems like worldliness is dominating our church. 28:26 But let me tell you something: 28:27 it will not have the final word. 28:29 God will remove worldliness out of the church 28:33 one way or the other. But you know what, friends? 28:36 You know what God's deepest desire is today? 28:38 You know what His deepest passion is? 28:40 It's not that you would just simply grit your teeth 28:44 and stand up but you would give your affection totally 28:46 to Jesus. You see, when we look to Jesus and He fills our 28:50 hearts with love, it squeezes the love of the world out 28:53 day by day, moment by moment, until there remains no more 28:58 love for the world but a heart that's full of love for Jesus. 29:02 You want to have a heart that's full of love for Jesus today? 29:04 Amen? That's what we need, friends. 29:06 That's what we need. 29:08 If we're going to carry a message of repentance, 29:10 friends, we must first experience it. 29:14 We must first experience it. 29:17 This is what separated John from this generation. 29:20 This is what makes the people in the book of Acts 29:23 different from us. 29:25 We need to have an experience of repentance. 29:29 We need to have an experience with forgiveness. Amen? 29:35 We need to rise to holiness. 29:38 The second point I want to make to you 29:40 is that John had influence. 29:43 What did he have everyone? 29:45 He had influence. Please look with me 29:46 back in Matthew chapter 3 and verse 4. 29:49 The Bible says: Now John himself was clothed 29:53 in camel's hair with a leather belt around his waist. 29:56 And his food was locust and wild honey. " 30:00 I want you to think about this for just a minute. 30:02 Want you to think about John. 30:04 John was the kind of person 30:06 that like really stood out in the crowd. You know what I mean? 30:10 Like he was not your ordinary dude coming to GYC. 30:13 He would have like probably wild hair 30:15 and he's wearing this camel suit. 30:18 And for breakfast instead of eating oatmeal and bananas 30:21 he's over there eating like locust and wild honey. 30:25 He's the kind of guy that would stand out 30:27 in any crowd... even a crowd of like a bunch of hippies, 30:31 weirdos. He would stand out! 30:33 Not that John was a weirdo. I'm not saying that. 30:36 But he was different! Are you with me? 30:39 He was different. 30:41 As Seventh-day Adventists, friends... 30:44 Let me back up. John the Baptist 30:46 was a peculiar person. 30:50 As Seventh-day Adventists we are called to be peculiar. 30:56 We are called to eat differently than the world. 31:00 We are called to dress differently from the world. 31:03 We are called to talk differently than the world. 31:06 We are called to be different... to be peculiar people. 31:11 But today we've become ashamed of that 31:14 and we say to ourselves: "How in the world can I 31:18 influence other people if I'm different than them? " 31:22 And so the temptation has been for many of us 31:25 to compromise what we know is right 31:29 in order to gain influence over people. 31:33 And let me ask you a quick question, friends: 31:35 how has that worked out for you? 31:39 How has that worked out for you? 31:41 I can't think of a single instance ever 31:44 in the Bible or in modern times 31:48 when that's ever worked for anybody. 31:50 Ever. 31:53 We are not called to compromise. 31:55 We are called to stand. 31:58 How to can I witness to somebody whom I'm not like? 32:02 And so we compromise. 32:06 We get moved in a direction that we don't ever want. 32:08 John never compromised. 32:11 I want you to look at this, friends. 32:12 John was a peculiar person; he had a simple lifestyle. 32:15 He had... Everything in his life was simple 32:17 and he lived his life to glorify God. 32:19 And you know what, friends? 32:21 He had some of the most powerful influence 32:23 in the history of the Bible. 32:25 Watch this: the guy is eating locust 32:28 and honey and he's wearing a suit of camel hair. 32:31 And notice what happens in verse 5: 32:34 "Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around Jordan 32:38 went out to him and were baptized by him 32:40 in the Jordan confessing their sins. " 32:43 Think about that! 32:46 John stood for what he knew was right. 32:49 He would not compromise. 32:51 And God gave him such influence that the whole region 32:55 came out to hear him preach. 32:58 What about you? 33:00 Does your whole town come out to hear you preach? 33:03 Maybe if we stood more for the principles of God 33:06 in our lives God would bring us into positions 33:09 of honor that we could be able to be a witness 33:11 to somebody else. Amen? 33:14 John was unwilling to compromise. 33:16 Uncompromising faithfulness is what God is looking for today. 33:21 I'm not saying that we should all go out 33:23 and buy camel suits and camel skirts. 33:25 I'm not saying that we should serve locust and wild honey 33:28 at GYC breakfasts. 33:30 I'd probably fast that morning. 33:35 But at the same time we know the principles 33:39 that God has laid upon our hearts as a people... 33:42 as a people of the last days 33:43 and we are called to live by them, friends. 33:46 Not out of obligation, not out of duty, 33:48 but out of dedication and devotion to our Savior Jesus. 33:52 Amen? I want to read a quote to you very quickly. 33:57 It says in the book Desire of Ages: 34:00 "Jesus Himself never purchased peace by compromise. 34:04 His heart overflowed with love for the whole human race 34:07 but He was never indulgent to their sins. 34:10 He was too much their Friend to remain silent 34:13 while they were pursuing a course 34:15 that would ruin their souls... 34:17 the souls He had purchased with His own blood. 34:20 He labored that man should be true to himself, 34:24 true to his higher and eternal interests. 34:27 The servants of Christ are called to do the same work 34:31 and they should be aware lest in seeking to prevent 34:34 discord they surrender the truth. 34:36 They are to follow after the things which make for peace. 34:39 But real peace can never be secured by compromising 34:42 principle, and no man can be true to principle without 34:45 exciting opposition. 34:48 A Christianity that is spiritual will be opposed by the children 34:51 of disobedience but Jesus bade His disciples 34:54 'Fear not them which kill the body but are not able 34:57 to kill the soul. ' Those who are true to God 34:59 need not fear the power of men nor the enmity of Satan. 35:02 In Christ their eternal life is secure. 35:04 Their only fear should be lest they surrender the truth 35:07 and thus betray the trust with which God has honored them. " 35:13 What is your only fear today, friends? 35:16 Dishonoring your God or dishonoring your friends? 35:22 John's example, the example we find in the book of Acts, 35:27 is uncompromising faithfulness 35:31 to everything in the Word of God. 35:35 A lot of young people ask me about different issues. 35:38 One of them is jewelry. 35:39 Young people say: "Isn't it OK to wear jewelry? 35:43 I mean, is it really that bad? Is it really that bad? " 35:46 Well the Bible is actually pretty clear about that. 35:48 We're not going to look these up but let me give you two texts. 35:50 I Timothy 2 verses 8 and 9. 35:52 I Peter 3 verses 1 and 4. 35:55 But the real question is this, friends... 35:56 You look these texts up and it will answer that question 35:58 for you. But the real question is this: 36:00 Why do you need it? 36:02 Why do you need it? 36:04 What good does it do to you? 36:06 Whenever I ask somebody that question I've never received 36:10 a solid answer. 36:12 Most of the answers I get: "Because it makes me feel good" 36:16 or "Just because I like it. " 36:19 I want to ask you this: When somebody compliments 36:21 your jewelry, are they complimenting you 36:25 or are they complimenting the metal that's on you? 36:28 It's a false sense of security. The question is this, friends: 36:33 can that jewelry or whatever it is, that issue in your life, 36:37 can that thing give you anything that Jesus cannot 36:42 give you? Let me ask that question again. 36:47 I would expect an answer from you GYC. 36:50 Can that thing - whatever it is - 36:52 give you anything in your life 36:55 that Jesus cannot give you? Yes or no? 36:58 No. No. 37:01 In Ephesians 1 verse 6 it says "We are accepted 37:05 in the beloved. " Jesus created us exactly the way we are 37:09 and we don't need anything to add to it. Amen? 37:12 If you look at the pattern in the Bible, 37:15 when God's people... if you look, trace this pattern 37:18 through the Old Testament, when God's people strayed 37:21 away from Him you know what they would do? 37:24 They would put on jewelry. 37:26 And every time God's people... He called them back to Himself 37:29 you know what He told them to do? 37:31 Take it off. 37:33 Why is that the case? 37:35 Because when we leave the presence of God, 37:38 when we break our relationship - our covenant relationship - 37:41 with Him, our self-worth takes a plummet 37:44 and we need something that the world says is valuable 37:47 to replace that. 37:49 And the world says gold is valuable; pearls are valuable. 37:52 And so what we do is we put that stuff on 37:54 trying to replace what we lost in our relationship with Christ. 37:59 Young people today: you don't need it! 38:03 You don't need anything but Christ. 38:07 He will fulfill you. 38:09 Uncompromising faithfulness. 38:13 The Bible says II Corinthians 6 verse 16 38:16 "And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? 38:20 For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said 38:24 'I will dwell in them and walk among them. 38:27 And I will be their God and they shall be My people. ' " 38:31 God wants so desperately for us to be His people. 38:35 He wants to dwell inside of us. 38:38 That is the mystery of the gospel, the hope of glory. 38:41 The last point I want to make to you very quickly. 38:43 Time is running out. Matthew chapter 3 verses 7-9. 38:48 Matthew chapter 3 verses 7 through 9. 38:52 "But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees 38:57 coming to his baptism he said to them: 39:00 'Brood of vipers. Who warned you to flee from the wrath 39:04 to come? Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance. ' " 39:09 That is not exactly something I'd want to say 39:12 to my baptismal candidates. 39:15 "You dirty little snakes in the grass. 39:17 Why did you come here today? 39:19 Turn back around and go out until you repent. " 39:22 I wouldn't say that. 39:24 There's a young man here today who was just baptized 39:27 in my church two weeks ago. 39:28 I'm sure he's thankful that I didn't say that to him! 39:33 But John the Baptist knew their hearts 39:36 and he knew what was there: unrepentance, unwillingness 39:40 to turn to Christ. 39:41 And this is what he says, verse 9: "And do not think 39:45 to say to yourselves 'We have Abraham as our father. ' 39:49 For I say to you that God is able to raise up 39:52 children to Abraham from these stones. " 39:56 There is a huge lesson for us right here. 40:01 These people thought that they were excluded. 40:05 They thought that they were above what John was offering, 40:10 what John was preaching 40:11 because they were the sons of Abraham. 40:16 But he called them to the fruit of repentance. 40:20 And today, my friends, as Seventh-day Adventists, 40:24 as a lukewarm Seventh-day Adventist church, 40:28 we somehow think that we are above 40:32 what we are calling the rest of the world to follow. 40:37 We attended all of the Adventist academies. 40:43 We attended all of the Adventist colleges. 40:46 We've been to all the GYCs. 40:50 We think that we're something that we're not. 40:52 Paul says: "If any man thinks that he's something better 40:56 than he is, God has a lesson for him. " 41:02 We've become comfortable in our wonderful Adventist lifestyle 41:07 eating our Vegelinks and watching our 3ABN on satellite. 41:12 We love 3ABN. Amen? 41:15 Some people think they ought to stay home from church 41:19 and watch 3ABN instead of gathering with God's people. 41:22 We're comfortable but we are lukewarm. 41:25 Just like in the days of John there were a lot of people there 41:29 on that day that were convinced but they were not converted. 41:33 Rather than a people who the revival of the book of Acts 41:36 we have become the epitome of Laodiceism. 41:42 We're so comfortable. We thump our chest and we say 41:44 "We're GYC" like it's some kind of good-old-boy club. 41:47 We thump our chest and we say "We do more outreach 41:50 than anybody else. " "We have the coolest booths. " 41:53 "We have all vegan meals. " 41:56 "We're really something. " 41:57 "We have arrived! " 41:59 We think that we're like the savior of the church 42:03 while the God of heaven sits on His throne 42:05 and His heart is breaking and He's got tears in His eyes 42:09 and saying: "Yes, you have all those things. 42:12 but these things you should have done without leaving 42:14 the others undone. 42:16 You are void of My Spirit. " 42:19 We have vegan meals and everyone is at breakfast 42:23 but the prayer room is empty. 42:24 We have booths pleading for missionaries to go 42:27 but very few volunteers. 42:30 I wonder how many of us would be here 42:34 if these devotions were before breakfast. 42:41 What will it take to wake us up, GYC? 42:46 The Great Controversy page 48 42:49 the apostle Paul declares that "All who will live godly in 42:53 Christ Jesus shall suffer... " What? "persecution. " 42:58 Why is it then that persecution seems 43:02 in a great degree to slumber today? 43:05 The only reason is that the church has conformed 43:07 to the world's standard 43:10 and therefore wakens no opposition. 43:12 The religion which is current in our day 43:15 is not of the pure and holy character that marked 43:19 the early church. " 43:21 The book of Acts. 43:27 "It is only because of the spirit of compromise with sin, 43:31 because the great truths of the Word of God are so 43:34 indifferently regarded, 43:35 because there is so little vital godliness in the church, 43:39 that Christianity is apparently so popular with the world. 43:45 Let there be a revival of faith and power of the early church 43:50 and the spirit of persecution will be revived 43:53 and the fires of persecution will be continued. " 44:00 What will it take, GYC? What will it take? 44:04 How dare we claim to be a continuation of the book of Acts 44:07 when we really know little of what it means to suffer 44:12 for Jesus? You know what, friends? 44:14 The last generation we are told will be Laodicea. 44:17 They will be the generation that knows the least 44:22 about what it means to suffer for Christ. 44:24 But by the time they go through the little time of trouble 44:28 they will be the generation that knows what it means 44:30 to suffer the most for Jesus. 44:33 I don't know about you 44:35 but if it's persecution that it takes to wake me up 44:39 then by the grace of God let them bring it. 44:42 Because where God allows persecution 44:45 God also brings mercy 44:47 and He brings change and He brings transformation. 44:51 We don't really want true godliness, friends, 44:54 because we're afraid of what it might cost us. 44:58 We are afraid of what the penalty... not the penalty 45:02 but the consequence may be. 45:04 We're too comfortable 45:06 and we like it and we want to stay there. 45:09 But God is too loving, God is too merciful 45:13 to leave us there. 45:16 How many of you are thankful for that today? 45:18 God will do what it takes. 45:20 God is calling us back to our first love, friends. 45:23 The solution is the Holy Spirit. 45:26 And where the Spirit is little thought of little will be given. 45:29 God will give us the Spirit in the same measure that 45:33 we are serious about receiving it. 45:38 How many of you are serious today? 45:40 I want to take you to very quickly our close. 45:43 If you'll turn with me I have ten minutes' worth to say 45:46 in two minutes. So please, turn with me to the book 45:48 of John. John chapter 1. 45:51 John chapter 1. We're going to look at a very, 45:54 very powerful principle that's going to apply to us today. 45:57 I want you to see this. John chapter 1. 46:00 Quickly, quickly. Are you there? 46:02 If you're there, say "Amen. " John chapter 1 46:04 verse 19 the Bible says: 46:07 "Now this is the testimony of John when the Jews sent 46:10 priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him 46:13 'Who are you? ' he confessed and did not deny 46:17 but confessed: 'I am not... ' Who? 'I am not the Christ. ' " 46:23 They came to him; they said: "Who are you? " 46:24 And the first thing that John says is "I am not the Christ. " 46:28 Which means that John knew that that's exactly what they were 46:33 thinking. Are you with me? 46:35 Desire of Ages tells us... you can look it up... 46:38 Desire of Ages Ellen White says 46:40 that if John were to call for an army to throw out the Romans 46:45 all of Israel would have followed him. 46:47 They all thought that he was the one. 46:50 And he comes to them and he says... 46:52 or they come to him and he says: 46:54 "I am not the Christ. " 46:56 I want you to take note of this. 46:59 This was one of the most crucial times 47:02 in the life of John the Baptist. 47:04 Why? Because it was when he was tempted 47:08 to take what solely belonged to Christ 47:12 and claim it as his own... 47:15 Are you with me? He could have been the one 47:20 that they all looked to. 47:22 That had to be the biggest temptation he ever experienced. 47:26 That had to be huge in his life 47:29 yet he lived by a principle 47:32 that all of heaven is looking for in God's people today. 47:35 Turn over with me to John chapter 3 verse 30. 47:38 We all know this verse. 47:40 The Bible says John said "He must... " What? 47:43 "increase but I must decrease. " 47:47 At the crucial point of his life, friends, 47:51 at a moment when everything was on the line... 47:54 Imagine if John would have made the wrong decision 47:56 and said: "Yes, I'm the Christ! 47:59 Raise an army. We're going to go out and we're going to 48:01 conquer the Romans. We're going to throw them out. 48:02 I'm your deliverer. " 48:04 We think that that's not a huge temptation for John 48:07 but how many times in our own personal life 48:09 when somebody gives us a compliment 48:11 do we take the credit for ourselves? 48:13 Everybody's looking to you. You're the man. 48:15 You're the man of the hour. 48:17 Everybody's been saying to me about preaching today 48:20 "Oh, you're the man of the hour. " 48:21 Jesus is the Man of the hour. Amen! 48:24 The Holy Spirit. At the most crucial time in John's life 48:30 he had to decide who was going to sit on the throne 48:35 of his heart. 48:37 And that decision... On that decision hinged 48:41 the entire future of the book of Acts. 48:44 Does that make sense, GYC? 48:47 If John would have chosen to live for himself 48:50 in that moment, we might not have a book of Acts today. 48:55 I've got to ask you a question today. 48:59 His one choice could have altered the whole course 49:01 of Christianity. And what if your decision today at GYC - 49:07 the decision you make this weekend either for or against 49:10 Christ - what if that decision 49:13 could hinge the future of Christianity and have an impact 49:18 on the world and in Jesus coming soon? 49:24 Don't miss this, friends. 49:27 God could do great things through you 49:29 if you will choose today to let Him sit unreservedly 49:34 on the throne of your hearts. 49:35 He could do powerful things... 49:38 greater than the book of Acts. 49:40 Greater than John the Baptist. 49:42 What John displayed in his character before Pentecost 49:46 is what the disciples did not figure out 49:49 until after the cross and after Pentecost. 49:52 You understand? What Jesus was trying to get the disciples 49:56 to figure out in their life was exactly what John the Baptist 49:59 was: somebody completely and utterly surrendered 50:04 to the will of God. 50:05 Now listen to this... don't miss this. 50:08 If John is a type of the last generation, 50:12 then his life before Pentecost 50:15 is living proof that we can live fully for Jesus Christ 50:21 before the Latter Rain. 50:22 Did you hear that? 50:24 If John's life was pure and holy... totally committed 50:28 to Jesus before the Early Rain fell at Pentecost... 50:32 and he is a type of the final generation - you and I - 50:36 then it is evidence that you and I can live 50:39 full of the Holy Spirit even before the Latter Rain. 50:43 In fact, we must! It is crucial. 50:50 A few years ago - three years ago to be exact - 50:57 I was diagnosed with cancer. I'm a two cancer survivor 51:02 by the grace and the glory of God. 51:07 I was in the hospital on my deathbed for 40 days. 51:11 I had my 40-day wilderness experience. 51:14 Many of you prayed for me 51:16 and God worked a miracle in my life. 51:20 And I'm standing here before you today free of cancer. 51:25 And when I was on that bed 51:29 I began to realize what things were really important. 51:33 I began to realize 51:36 that all the stuff that we fight over, 51:39 all the stuff that we just think is so precious, 51:44 is all going to melt in the eyes of eternity. 51:49 And what's most important today 51:52 is the character that Christ is developing in you. 51:57 What's most important is the person next to you 52:00 who you lead to Jesus. 52:02 The world deserves to see a people upon the earth 52:07 that fully reflect the character of Christ in their lives. 52:12 The world deserves it. 52:14 That young man I talked to on the plane... 52:16 he deserves it. 52:18 How else is God going to do it unless He does it through you? 52:25 What's important for you today, friends? 52:27 What are you living your lives for? 52:31 If you want to be a part of the revolution 52:34 that continues, we need to have an experience with repentance. 52:40 We need to have an experience of uncompromising faithfulness 52:44 to God. We need to be a people 52:49 that reflect His image to the world. 52:54 Do you value the opinions of your friends 52:57 more than the opinion of God? 53:00 God is calling you today to be something greater 53:04 than this world can ever have to offer you. 53:07 God is calling you today to be a part of something 53:10 bigger than you can even imagine. 53:13 Where are you at today? 53:15 I'm going to make and appeal this morning 53:16 and then we're going to close. 53:18 In Romans chapter 8 it says that creation 53:23 is groaning. Very, very quickly 53:26 Romans chapter 8 verse 19. It says: 53:29 "The earnest expectation of the creation 53:33 eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. " 53:39 God is waiting for a generation. 53:42 He's not waiting for more earthquakes. 53:44 He's not waiting for the Pope. 53:46 He's not waiting for any other thing, but He's waiting 53:48 for His church to wake up. 53:53 What is it going to take for you to wake up today, friends? 53:56 What are you living for today? 53:58 I'm calling you today in this moment to live for Jesus. 54:03 I'm calling you to leave behind the opinions of your friends. 54:06 I'm calling you to leave behind the opinions of Facebook... 54:10 the opinions of whatever it is that's driving you today. 54:14 I'm calling you to live for the approval of the God of heaven. 54:21 Maybe there's somebody today that says 54:23 "I'm finished. I will no longer live 54:27 for the opinions of others 54:29 but the opinion of God and I want to be among 54:32 that number whom God lives in today, 54:35 on whom God pours His Spirit out today. 54:37 But also whom He's preparing me day by day 54:40 to be filled with the Latter Rain power. " 54:42 If that's you today, friends, 54:45 if you want to leave those issues behind you 54:48 and look forward to Jesus, 54:50 I'm going to ask you to stand wherever you are. 54:53 I'm not making a general appeal, but if there's an individual 54:55 today who will say: "Jesus, use me. 54:58 Fill me. Let me be the one 55:03 whom You will live Your life through... " 55:06 would you stand with me? 55:08 Praise God! 55:10 GYC never forgets that the mystery of the gospel 55:16 is Jesus living in you. 55:18 And that's His deepest passion; 55:20 that's everything that He lives for. 55:23 Don't throw it away. 55:26 Amen? Let's pray. Father in heaven, 55:29 Lord today we want to be a people 55:34 who are fully and utterly surrendered to You. 55:37 We don't want to be just another GYC come and gone 55:41 but we want this to be the last GYC. 55:44 We want to be in heaven next year! 55:48 Lord, empty us of ourselves and fill us with Yourself. 55:52 Empty us of sin and fill us with Your Spirit. 55:56 Be in our hearts. Be in our minds, Lord, 55:59 and do not let us compromise with the world 56:02 but let us rise above the world and lead others out of it. 56:05 This is our prayer, and we ask it in Jesus' name, 56:09 Amen. |
Revised 2014-12-17