Participants: Wes Peppers
Series Code: 12GYC
Program Code: 12GYC000006
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00:13 The timeless theme
00:16 Earth and Heaven will pass away 00:22 It's not a dream 00:24 God will make all things new that day 00:31 Gone is the curse 00:35 from which I stumbled and fell 00:40 Evil is banished 00:44 to eternal hell 00:50 No more night, no more pain 00:58 No more tears, never crying again 01:05 And praises to the great, "I AM" 01:13 We will live in the light 01:18 of the risen Lamb 01:27 See all around, 01:29 now the nations bow down to sing 01:35 The only sound is the praises to Christ, 01:42 our King 01:44 Slowly the names from the book are read 01:52 I know the King, 01:55 so there's no need to dread 02:02 No more night, no more pain 02:09 No more tears, never crying again 02:17 And praises to the great, "I AM" 02:24 We will live in the light 02:29 of the risen Lamb 02:38 See over there, 02:40 it's a mansion prepared for me 02:46 Where I will live 02:48 with my Savior eternally 02:59 No more night, no more pain 03:05 No more tears, never crying again 03:11 And we will sing praises to the great, "I AM" 03:18 We will live in the light 03:22 of the risen Lamb 03:27 No more night, no more pain 03:34 No more tears, never crying again 03:42 And praises to the great, "I AM" 03:49 We will live in the light 03:53 of the risen Lamb 03:57 We will live in the light 04:01 of the risen Lamb 04:06 No more night, no more pain 04:33 Thank you ladies for that beautiful music, 04:35 I felt from few moments there 04:38 in the back as I closed my eyes, 04:40 I felt like I was in heaven, 04:42 listening to the angelic choir, amen. 04:45 I want to welcome you this morning, 04:47 thankful that you are here, excited that you are here. 04:50 And I hope that you are excited. 04:52 And we're thankful to be here this morning, 04:54 I'm really thankful to be alive. 04:57 And we were thankful that the person next to you is alive. 05:00 Amen. Amen. 05:01 Praise God this morning. 05:03 Are you tired yet GYC? 05:06 No. Praise the Lord. 05:07 You know, the temptation is as we go further along in GYC 05:11 you are going to get more tired 05:13 and the temptation is going to be 05:15 not to come to the meetings. 05:17 But I want to challenge you every morning friends, 05:19 wake up early, do your devotions, 05:22 spend time with Christ and then come to the meetings. 05:25 How many of you are ready for outreach this afternoon. 05:27 Amen. Praise the Lord. 05:29 I want to tell you something friends, 05:30 this experience of you have not been on it before 05:33 will change your life. 05:34 I want to encourage you to go 05:37 and not just to go 05:38 but take someone else with you. 05:40 Make sure that there is somebody 05:42 who is trying to skip out that you grab them say, 05:44 you are going with me, 05:45 you are going to be my outreach partner. 05:47 God has somebody behind the door today 05:50 that He wants you to impact. 05:52 You have the opportunity this afternoon, 05:56 to impact someone's life for all eternity. 06:00 I can remember, in Ukraine we had, 06:04 we had an AFCO school over in Ukraine 06:06 and we had 30 students and the leadership there said, 06:12 you can never knock on doors in Ukraine. 06:15 And we said why not. 06:16 They said it will never work here. 06:17 And we said, boy you must sound-- 06:20 it sounds like you had a negative experience with this. 06:23 They said well we never actually tried it. 06:25 But we know our people, we know it won't work. 06:28 We sent 30 AFCO students, 06:31 20 church members out knocking on doors 06:34 and in about five hours, 06:35 they had over 300 requests for Bible studies. Amen. 06:39 We are anticipating miracles today. 06:42 We are anticipating God to do great things. 06:45 It was once said if you are not a missionary, 06:47 you are a mission field. Amen. 06:51 I want to ask you to pray this morning for two things. 06:55 Pray this morning 06:56 one my son is very sick at home, he had-- 06:59 it's been conformed by the doctor yesterday 07:01 he has a flu, 07:02 so I want to ask you to pray for him 07:05 and that he will get better. 07:06 Secondly, I want you to pray for three things, 07:08 I want you to pray for me 07:10 that God spirit would speak through me 07:12 and through His word today 07:14 and that we would be passionate about Jesus, amen. 07:18 Third thing I want you to pray for is for yourselves 07:20 that God would impact your hearts with the word 07:23 and actually I want you to pray for four things 07:25 and that is the person beside you 07:27 that their hearts would be impacted, amen. 07:29 We want to be drawn closer to Jesus this morning. 07:31 We want to have an experience with the living Christ. 07:35 How about you? 07:37 Would you kneel with me this morning 07:38 as we pray and as we begin? 07:49 Father in heaven, we thank You so much today 07:53 for the rich treasure that is in Your word. 07:56 We're thankful today for Jesus 07:58 who loves us more than His own life. 08:01 We are thankful today for souls 08:03 whom you are drawing to yourself 08:06 even this very hour, 08:07 you are arranging divine appointments 08:10 for this afternoon, even this very moment. 08:13 And we want to pray Lord 08:14 in a special way that Your spirit 08:16 would be poured out upon our hearts today 08:19 and that Jesus would be uplifted. 08:21 We would be passionate and excited about Him, 08:24 about His word, about His mission, 08:25 about His church. 08:27 And I ask Lord today 08:28 that you would impact our hearts in a powerful way. 08:31 Speak through us today. 08:33 Help us to understand You in a way we haven't before. 08:37 We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. 08:41 I remember when I first had my-- 08:45 my first encounter with the word of God, 08:47 I was 22 years old, 08:49 I did not grow up as a Christian, 08:50 I did not grow up as a Seventh-day Adventist. 08:53 I didn't know much about the Bible, 08:54 I didn't know much about God 08:56 and through the course of my life, 08:58 I endured a lot of different things. 08:59 I'm gonna tell you a very brief version of my testimony. 09:03 Growing up I played high school football 09:06 and I was one of the most, 09:07 one of the top football players in the state of Alabama. 09:11 I was being recruited by number of different colleges 09:14 and I was kind of like the star of my community 09:17 but in that time in my life, 09:19 there was something missing from my life. 09:21 When I was 17 years old my parents 09:24 who had been married for 20 years 09:26 decided to get a divorce. 09:29 My mother in the midst of that tried to commit suicide. 09:34 Thank God that He prevented it. 09:38 But growing up friends, 09:39 I did not have the advantage 09:42 of a Seventh-day Adventist Christian home 09:43 that many of you have. 09:46 And because of the hard things that I experienced in my life, 09:49 I became an atheist. 09:51 I wanted nothing to do with the God 09:53 that will allow me to suffer that much, 09:55 not knowing how much He had suffered for me. 09:58 And so I became a hardcore atheist, 10:01 not just an atheist that says 10:03 I don't believe in God 10:04 but an atheist that would have been 10:05 in the face of any Christian 10:07 cursing them and swearing at them, 10:09 telling them what a foolish thing 10:11 that they believed in. 10:12 I went to a state university where I studied evolution, 10:15 I studied all these different theories of, 10:18 of you know the stuff that they teach there evolution, 10:21 I know all that stuff. And my life became a disaster. 10:27 And my life continued to spiral downward 10:29 until I reach the point, 10:31 where I was thinking about committing suicide. 10:36 I thought the Bible was a fable, 10:37 I wasn't afraid to tell people so. 10:42 And so there I was thinking about suicide, 10:44 I thought if this all the life has to offer 10:46 I was miserable, I was broken, I was hurt, 10:49 I'd experienced a lot of pain in my life. 10:51 And I said, if this is what life is about, why even live? 10:55 And so the more I thought about suicide, 10:57 a thought began to come to my mind 10:59 and I only know now 11:00 that it was from the God of heaven. 11:02 God said, why don't you study the Bible. 11:06 And the more I tried to put that thought out of my mind, 11:09 the more it came, it got stronger. 11:13 And so finally one day I said, you know what, 11:15 this what I am going to do. 11:16 I am going to prove the Bible wrong, 11:18 I am going to prove that God doesn't exist 11:21 but there is no purpose, there is no real meaning to life 11:24 and then I am going to commit suicide 11:26 and I want to cause great pain to my family 11:29 and those around me who have hurt me so. 11:32 And so I started studying the Bible, 11:36 started studying Bible prophecy 11:39 I began to see that God predicted things 11:42 that happened in the world thousands of years 11:45 and even in hundreds and even thousands of years 11:48 before they ever happened. 11:50 I saw that Bible prophecy was being fulfilled today 11:53 and He gave me the confidence 11:54 to know that the word of God was real, 11:56 the word of God was true and it gave purpose. 11:59 And when I had that confidence, 12:01 I turned to the gospels 12:02 and I began to read about the life of Jesus 12:04 and never in my life had I ever read something so pure, 12:09 something so powerful, something so life changing 12:12 and Christ changed my life, 12:14 22 years old college student 12:17 on a secular state university of-- 12:19 about 12,000 people, 12:21 I gave my heart to Jesus in my college apartment room 12:25 and Christ changed my life for ever. 12:27 It was His word that transformed me 12:31 and I don't stand before you perfect, 12:33 I can assure you. 12:34 I will be the second person 12:35 to tell you that I am not perfect 12:36 and my wife will be the first person. 12:40 By the grace of God everyday 12:42 I want to be growing more like Jesus, amen. 12:45 I want to spend time in His word 12:48 because His word is powerful friends. 12:51 It is living, it is a alive, 12:53 and it speaks to our generation today. 12:56 The early church experienced the revolution 12:59 because of the power 13:01 and their experience in the word of God. 13:04 I appreciate it Brother Valmy's post on the GYC website 13:08 about the driving force in the Book of Acts. 13:10 He said that 25 times in the Book of Acts 13:14 the word of God is mentioned. 13:15 But you know I looked at the indirect quotes, 13:18 the indirect statements as well as the direct 13:20 and the word of God is actually talked about 50 times 13:25 within direct and indirect. 13:27 It was the word of God in its pure unadulterated form 13:30 that transformed the lives of the apostles 13:33 from cowards into champions. 13:36 Champions of Christ, 13:38 champions of the gospel, champions of His cause. 13:41 It was that which would allow them 13:42 to stand unashamed 13:44 to proclaim His word to a lost generation. 13:48 It was the word of God that gave them more wisdom 13:50 to stand before the Pharisees 13:52 unflinchingly in the face of death 13:54 when before they tuck tail and run. 13:59 No longer cowards 14:01 but men of character, men of Christ. 14:06 Today friends, I don't want to be a coward 14:08 when it comes to God's word, how about you? 14:10 I want to be bold, I want to be sure, 14:13 I don't want to be annoying and obnoxious. 14:16 I don't want to be angry but I want to be passionate 14:18 about God's word, amen. 14:20 It was the word of God that was a driving force 14:22 in the revolution of the Book of Acts 14:24 and it will be also the driving force 14:27 in the revolution in the last days. 14:29 I want to look at four points with you very quickly, 14:32 because I have some counterpoints 14:33 to go along with them. 14:35 Four points this morning 14:36 about the word of God in the Acts. 14:38 Number one, it was received. It was what everyone? 14:41 It was received. Number two, it was belief. 14:44 What was it? 14:45 Number three, it was proclaimed, say with me. 14:49 All right, thank you all five people that said that. 14:53 What was it the third one? 14:55 Proclaim and the fourth one it-- it reclaimed. 14:59 What was it everyone? Reclaim. 15:01 We are going to look at those points 15:03 real quickly from the Book of Acts. 15:04 Please turn with me to the Book of Acts 2. 15:08 We are going to look at our very first point 15:11 that it was received Acts 2:41 and 42. 15:17 Are you there, if you are there please say, amen. 15:21 All right, ten of you were there. 15:24 Are you there? 15:25 All right, Acts 2:41 the Bible says, 15:29 "Then those who gladly received his word were baptized 15:32 and that day about three thousand souls 15:35 were added to them. 15:37 And they continued steadfastly 15:39 in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, 15:41 in the breaking of bread, and in prayers." 15:44 I want you to notice something very interesting 15:46 about this passage, 15:48 the simplicity of the faith of the disciples. 15:52 The Bible says that they received the word how everyone? 15:58 How do they receive it? They received it gladly. 16:02 I want you to think about this for just a minute. 16:05 There was no issue or debate or discussion about the word, 16:10 they had a simple faith 16:12 that accepted the Bible as it was. Amen. 16:17 And when they received it as it was, it made them glad. 16:22 How many of you want to be glad this morning? 16:25 We want to accept the Bible just as it reads. 16:28 They did not allow their personal opinions 16:30 to get in the way of the word working in their hearts, amen. 16:35 Does the word of God bring joy to your heart today 16:39 or does it simply interfere with your own personal desires. 16:42 If Jesus is leading you in the word, 16:45 it will bring joy to your heart. 16:46 I remember the first-- first church I attended 16:50 after I became a Seventh-day Adventist, 16:52 it was near the university where I attended 16:55 and I went to that church for the first time. 16:57 There was about 20 people there 16:59 and all of them were over the age of 65. 17:04 You had like-- you had like 82, 78, 75, 65, 60 17:10 and then 22 that was me. 17:13 And you know what friends? 17:14 I sat in that church service 17:16 and I was so overjoyed to be there 17:19 because the word of God was being preached 17:22 and it was the word of God that drew me to the church 17:26 not because my friends were there, 17:28 not because there was good music 17:30 but because I could hear something 17:31 that would transform my life. 17:34 Today friends we need to have this kind of experience, 17:38 the early church was a pure faith. 17:41 Let me tell you what friends? 17:42 It was that pure faith, it was that acceptance, 17:45 the glad acceptance of the word 17:47 that transformed their lives. 17:49 There is transforming power in the word of God today. 17:52 How many of you are thankful for that? 17:55 My father-in-law 17:56 who I think is watching right now 17:59 there with my wife, my wife's grandfather, 18:02 my father-in-law's father was the grand dragon 18:05 of the Ku Klux Klan 18:07 for the entire state of Alabama. 18:10 When my father-in-law was growing up, 18:12 his father was so abusive 18:15 that at night time they would hear 18:16 gunshots in their mother's room, 18:19 they would hear their mother screaming, 18:20 they would run in to find their father drunk 18:23 shooting holes through the ceiling. 18:25 When he was 16 his father tried to kill his mother 18:29 and to intervene he ran and got a pistol and shot him. 18:33 This is the environment 18:34 that my father-in-law grew up in. 18:36 Well by the grace of God 18:38 when he left the navy, when he went into the navy 18:42 there was a Seventh-day Adventist there, 18:44 who led him to Christ 18:45 and led him to the truth of God's word, amen. 18:48 My father-in-law since that day 18:50 has become a Seventh-day Adventist pastor. 18:52 He has raised three churches, 18:54 he has been an overseas missionary 18:56 and the power of God 18:57 is working through his life today. 18:59 Let me tell you what friends, 19:00 it doesn't matter what background we come from, 19:02 the word of God has transforming power. Amen. 19:06 How many of you believe that today? 19:08 It can change your life but unfortunately today friends, 19:12 we have entered a trend 19:13 where un-biblical culture is attempting 19:16 to drown out our commitments 19:19 and our stance on the word. 19:22 In Acts the word defines the function of the church. 19:26 The culture did not define the church, amen. 19:30 When this happened there was no question 19:33 when the question was driven by the word, 19:35 there was no questions about cultural issues 19:38 like music, like dress, 19:40 like worship styles, like gender, 19:43 like gender confusion or gender distinction. 19:46 These issues are clearly defined in the word. 19:49 And if they are not guided by the word in our lives, 19:52 then the culture around us will surely guide us. 19:59 We should never be steered by unbiblical culture, 20:02 no matter which one. 20:05 All culture must come under 20:06 the authority of scripture today. 20:09 The word will transform us but culture will conform us. 20:14 There are cultures today 20:16 that are seeking to invade our church, 20:18 cultures from the world, cultures from Babylon, 20:22 cultures of self. 20:24 We are called to call people out of Babylon 20:27 but as a people of God, 20:28 we must get Babylon first out of our own hearts. 20:36 We think they were calling people out of Babylon today, 20:39 but Babylon needs to be kicked out of our hearts. 20:43 The only way to keep unbiblical culture 20:46 from invading our church is to take a firm stand 20:49 upon the word of God 20:50 and upon the spirit of prophecy today. 20:53 This is what the early church did 20:54 and this is what allowed them to grow, 20:56 this is what allowed them to be driven forward 20:59 as a movement of God and that is the same thing 21:02 that must drive us in the last days, 21:06 the word of God and not culture. 21:09 Many times even our own Adventist culture 21:11 has become a hindrance. 21:13 Many times we love the positive good things 21:16 about Seventh-day Adventist culture. 21:19 We love our veggie links. 21:21 We love our morning start grillers. 21:23 We love all these different things 21:25 and there is nothing wrong with those things. 21:28 But dear friends, if we are adapted 21:29 to Seventh-day Adventist culture 21:31 but we have an un-surrendered heart to Christ, 21:34 there is a great problem with that today. 21:37 Many times we love 21:38 the Seventh-day Adventist culture 21:39 but we hate the spirit of Three Angels' Messages 21:42 because it calls for a full surrender of our lives 21:46 and we are unwilling to do it. 21:48 Unbiblical culture never requires 21:50 a surrendered to anything 21:52 but my own selfish desires and indulgence. 21:56 Because the early church was led by the word, 21:58 they were able to redefine the culture 22:01 not just of the church but of the world, of the world. 22:05 They made it impact. 22:07 World culture was re-stamped in the New Testament church 22:12 because they were driven by the word. 22:13 In our culture today, 22:14 what stamp do you want to leave? 22:17 Do you want to just leave 22:18 some Adventist mark like a veggie link? 22:21 You want to just improve people's diets, 22:24 so that they can become healthy sinners. 22:27 All these things are biblical friends, 22:29 I'm not saying that they are not. 22:30 These are good things that we must do. 22:32 But if that's all we do, 22:33 that all we have done has left a little mark of culture 22:37 but we need to see people transform 22:38 by the word of God, amen. 22:40 We need people transformed by the truth. 22:42 We must be a people of the word. 22:44 We must be people who spend time in God's word. 22:48 How much time are you spending 22:49 on God's word today versus facebook, 22:53 video games, time with your friends? 22:57 Is God's word impacting your life today? 23:04 The second thing we find is that the word was believed. 23:07 It was what everyone? It was believed. 23:10 First it was received, then it was believed. 23:12 Please turn over with me to Acts 4 23:15 and we are going to look at verse 4. 23:17 Bible says, "However many of those 23:19 who heard the word believed 23:21 and the number of men came to be about 23:24 how many, five thousand." 23:29 But I want you to notice in the second point 23:31 is that the word of God 23:32 was not only a simple faith for them, 23:35 but it was authoritative in their life. 23:39 You see friends, there is one thing 23:40 to hear the word of God and know the word of God 23:42 but it's another thing to act upon the word of God 23:46 and God today is not calling us 23:47 simply to hear and to know but to act. 23:51 And when the apostles were willing to act 23:53 upon the word of God 23:55 something divine happened, 23:56 souls began to be won to Jesus Christ. Amen. 24:02 The root word believe comes from the word be-live. 24:08 Did you realize that? 24:10 The word believe comes from the word be-live. 24:13 Another words we are not called to just know the word 24:16 but we are called to be the word. 24:18 We are called to be like Jesus. 24:20 We are called to live by the word, that is action. 24:26 They said, Mark Finley my favorite preacher says this. 24:28 "There is a difference between having the word of God 24:30 in your hand to defend the truth 24:32 and having the word of God 24:33 in your heart to live the truth." 24:37 Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, "If you believe you will do 24:40 and if you do it is because you believe." 24:44 Please take note of something very interesting friends. 24:47 The Bible says that when the disciples believed 24:50 they freely and joyfully accepted the word. 24:54 Somehow I've lost my notes here, 24:56 let me come back here. 24:57 The Bible says that when they believe 24:59 the number of them came to be about five thousand. 25:04 I want you to take note of this. 25:06 There is a direct link between the people of Acts 25:11 living the word and growing in numbers. 25:17 Are you with me? 25:18 There is a direct link between the people of God 25:21 being faithful to God's word 25:23 and then seeing the church grow. 25:29 They added 2,000 from the 3,000 25:32 that had been already there. 25:34 Now it's interesting 25:35 because someone will make the argument and say, 25:37 well, look at the Adventist church, 25:39 we are growing by 3,000 a day. 25:41 It was mentioned yesterday, 25:42 thankfully I had to mention that. 25:44 But let me explain something with to you friends. 25:47 They grew by thousands in a day 25:50 and they were 12 men. 25:53 We are going by 3,000 a day and we are 20 million. 26:00 What does that say about our belief in the word? 26:04 Friends, when we begin to live the word, 26:07 God will move powerfully. 26:10 The Ministry of Healing, page 514, 26:13 "The mere hearing of sermons Sabbath after Sabbath, 26:15 the reading of the Bible through and through, 26:17 or the explanation of it verse by verse, 26:19 will not benefit us or those who hear us, 26:22 unless we bring the truths of the Bible 26:25 into our individual experience. 26:29 The understanding, the will, the affections 26:31 must be yielded 26:32 to the control of the word of God. 26:34 Then through the work of the Holy Spirit 26:36 the precepts of the word 26:38 will become the principles of the life." Amen. 26:42 Somebody ought to say amen. 26:47 I remember a story. 26:49 A little boy was with his grandfather 26:53 and he said grandpa, how come grandma 26:55 every times she reads the Bible, 26:58 she weeps and she cries. 27:00 Every morning this woman would read Matthew 27 27:03 the story of Jesus being crucified on the cross. 27:06 And he said everyday grandpa she reads the same story 27:09 and she cries, why does she cry? 27:13 Grandpa looked at his little grandson 27:14 and simply said this because she believes it. 27:21 Do you weep 27:23 at the word of God this morning? 27:25 Do you weep? 27:28 The third point I want to bring out 27:29 is that it was proclaimed. 27:30 We got to move quickly 27:32 because I want to get into something else 27:34 before it's time to close. 27:36 Acts 4:31 please, Acts 4:31. 27:40 The Bible says, "And when they had prayed, 27:43 the place where they were 27:44 assembled together was what, everyone? 27:46 It was shaken." 27:47 The Bible says, "And they were all filled 27:50 with the Holy Spirit and they spoke 27:52 the word of God with" meekness. 27:56 They spoke the word of God with modesty. 28:00 They spoke the word of God as they fell inclined. 28:05 "They spoke it with boldness" the Bible says. 28:09 Boldness can only come when we spend time 28:13 in the presence of our God and Savior. 28:17 You cannot have boldness without Christ. 28:22 The Bible says that the room 28:24 where they were at were shaken 28:25 and I would pray today friends 28:27 that not only the room would be shaken 28:29 but God would shake our hearts. Amen. 28:35 They preach the word of boldness. 28:36 When was the last time friends 28:39 you prayed all night for a soul. 28:43 When was the last time that you prayed 28:45 all night over some Bible passage 28:47 that you wanted to understand 28:49 and you are asking and pleading with God 28:51 to reveal the truth to you? 28:53 When was the last time you did that? 28:56 Disciples were dedicated friends. 28:58 I remember when I first became a Christian, 29:01 it was so exiting, I would spend hours 29:03 and hours and hours in the word of God. 29:06 I could not get enough, I was a college student 29:08 going to classes three to four hours a day, 29:10 I had no job, I was living off student loans 29:12 which later we really regretted. 29:16 But I would study the Bible 29:18 all the several hours into the night 29:20 and into the early mornings. 29:22 And I remember friends that there were times 29:25 when I would-- as I would read the word 29:26 and as I would pray that I could sense 29:29 God's very presence in the room. 29:32 Some people say, I pray and I study 29:34 but I don't get anything out of it. Let me tell you. 29:36 You will get out of it what you put into it. 29:40 If you are not having an experience with God, 29:43 get on your knees and do not get up until you do. 29:46 Somebody says how long should I pray? 29:49 How long should I spend time in God's word? 29:51 You should spend the amount of time it takes 29:53 to know you've had an experience with Him. 29:57 We need to be a people that come back to the word. 30:01 The fourth thing I want you to notice 30:02 is that it reclaimed those that were lost. 30:06 Turn to the Book of Acts 6:7, 30:09 "Then the word of God spread 30:11 and the number of disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem 30:15 and a great many of the priests 30:17 were obedient to the faith." 30:19 It was so powerful in the lives of the disciples 30:22 that it transformed 30:23 even the leaders of the Jewish church. 30:26 Amen. 30:28 What if we could go out and we could be baptizing 30:32 ministers of other places, other faiths. 30:36 Amen. 30:38 I remember studying with a man 30:40 who was a minister of another faith 30:42 and when he heard the word of God, 30:44 he was baptized. 30:45 I want you to notice friends. 30:47 When was the word of God-- when the word of God 30:49 was boldly proclaimed, they were multiplied? 30:54 Today we are simply adding to the church 30:58 but in the Book of Acts God was multiplying. Amen. 31:03 How many of you think that we need to have 31:05 a multiplication factor today? 31:07 In Acts the word of God 31:09 was received, it was believed, 31:12 it was proclaimed and it reclaimed. 31:15 It fed them, it led them, 31:17 they said it and they spread it. 31:19 Amen. 31:20 If we were to have that experience today, 31:23 we would see miracles taking place, 31:25 we would see miracles taking place. 31:27 Today in Adventism we long to see 31:29 those miracles of three, five thousand 31:32 added to the church, not just the world church 31:35 but the local church. 31:40 But unfortunately there are many things 31:42 that are preventing us from having 31:44 that experience like the early church. 31:47 I want to highlight a few of those with you. 31:49 Please turn with me in your Bibles to 2 Peter 3, 31:54 2 Peter 3, we are going to see 31:56 something very significant to us today. 31:59 I got to move rapidly. 32:00 2 Peter 3, I am going to begin in verse 3, 32:05 I'm just going to cut to the point here. 32:07 Bible says Peter the great apostle, 32:09 the great acts revolutionary says this about the last days. 32:14 He predicts a time when people would begin 32:16 to depart from the word of God. 32:20 I'm sorry, 2 Peter 3:3, Bible says, "Knowing this first, 32:24 that scoffers will come in the last days--" 32:27 When and where are we? Thank you. 32:33 "Walking according to their own lusts and saying, 32:36 "Where is the promise of His coming? 32:38 For since the fathers fell asleep, 32:40 all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation." 32:44 Does that sound like what some people said to you here today? 32:47 Not may be today but at some point of your life, 32:49 they say, oh, we've been hearing for years 32:52 that Jesus is going to come. 32:54 I remember when I was in college 32:55 they said don't go to college, because Jesus is coming, 32:58 don't get married, don't have kids 33:00 but Jesus still hasn't come. 33:01 Did you ever heard somebody say that? 33:04 Notice this verse 5. 33:08 "For this they willfully forget 33:10 that by the word of God the heavens were of old, 33:14 and the earth standing out of water 33:15 and in the water by which the world 33:17 that was then existed perished, 33:19 being flooded by water. 33:20 But the heavens and the earth 33:21 which are now preserved by the same word, 33:23 are reserved for fire until the day of judgment." 33:27 Peter tells us that in the last days 33:29 people would forget 33:31 that the word of God has creative power. 33:37 Not people that were outside of the church 33:39 but people that are inside the church 33:40 because they are saying, 33:41 where is the promise of His coming. 33:43 Let me ask you a question. 33:44 Does that sound like an issue 33:46 that we have dealt with in recent times? 33:51 How be it, there are schools, 33:52 some of them are teaching evolution today 33:57 forgetting that by the word of God 34:00 the heavens were created. 34:02 Peter is speaking about 34:03 our generation today right here in his book. 34:08 We have left the word of God. 34:10 We have forgotten that the word of God 34:12 has creative power and that is being taught. 34:15 You see, friends, if you don't believe in creation, 34:17 you cannot be an Adventist, 34:19 because the Advent movement believes 34:20 that the same power by the word of God 34:22 which created the world is the same power 34:25 that can recreate your heart today. 34:28 When God spoke it, it stood fast. 34:30 And when God says create in him a clean hearts. 34:34 We have to believe by faith that it will happen. 34:37 If we lose our grip on creation, 34:39 we lose our grip on salvation, we lose our grip on salvation, 34:42 we lose our grip on the second coming. 34:45 And it has lead to the shipwreck of many 34:48 in their faith and in the church. 34:50 And friends this is an issue 34:52 that we are dealing with today. 34:55 Friends, I want to share with you a quote here, 35:00 The Great Controversy, page 595, it says, 35:03 "But God will have a people 35:04 upon the earth to maintain the Bible, 35:07 and the Bible only, as the standard of all doctrines 35:10 and the basis of all reforms. 35:12 The opinions of learned men, the deductions of science, 35:15 the creeds, the decisions of ecclesiastical councils, 35:18 as numerous and discordant as are the churches 35:21 which they represent, the voice of the majority-- 35:24 not one nor all of these should be regarded as evidence 35:27 for or against any point of religious faith. 35:31 Before accepting any doctrine or precept, 35:34 we should demand a plain 35:36 "Thus saith the Lord" for its supports." 35:41 We have drifted away 35:43 from the pure simple faith of the word of God. 35:48 Now, friends, it's easy here at GYC to sit 35:53 and point the finger at those who have gone astray, isn't it? 36:01 So easy. 36:03 Jesus said, "Before you take the speck 36:07 out of your brother's eye, 36:10 take the plank out of your own eye." 36:13 Did He not? 36:15 In my years as a lay person 36:18 working in and also working in ministry 36:21 as an evangelist, as a pastor, 36:23 as a administrator, teacher and whatever else, 36:27 I begun to see a trend that is increasing in Adventism, 36:32 a very troubling trend and it exist even here at GYC. 36:38 I see a trend that's causing spiritual erosion 36:42 amongst young people today 36:44 and I am going to give it to you in three parts. 36:47 Are you ready? Are you sure you are ready? 36:51 It's going to be strong and I don't say it in anger, 36:54 I say it in passion and love, urgency. 36:57 Are you with me? 37:00 Firstly, we've had laws of simplicity. 37:03 You remember we said that the Book of Acts 37:05 the disciples had simple belief in the word, 37:09 they accepted it as it was read. Yes? 37:14 Adventism's failure to make the same impact on the world 37:17 that the early church did 37:18 is because of our relation to the word of God today. 37:21 As Adventist we are always looking for some new deep 37:26 truth to tickle our ears but not to change our hearts. 37:33 We have left the simplicity of the straight message. 37:37 We do not want it anymore. 37:40 We want something that will tickle our ears, 37:42 something that will wow us. 37:44 And this has become like an addiction, 37:48 this tickling has been an addiction 37:50 and we are not satisfied with anything less. 37:53 God wants us to follow 37:55 the simple truth of the word, amen. 37:59 And God is not wanting to give us 38:01 anything new until we follow what He has already given, 38:05 but today we have left the basics. 38:08 We want something deep, 38:10 something rich, something true, 38:11 but we want to avoid the simple truth 38:13 like loving our brother. 38:18 We have left the simple truth. 38:21 The church doesn't need the latest and greatest sermon 38:23 that unpack some truth until that lives 38:26 and believes the truth that God has already laid out. 38:31 We need to start living it out. 38:34 2 Corinthians 11:3, "But I fear, lest somehow, 38:38 as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, 38:40 so your minds may be corrupted 38:42 from the simplicity that is in who, that is in Christ." 38:47 That is number 1. We have left the simple faith. 38:50 Number 2, we have become a celebrity house. 38:57 I heard somebody say, oh, ho, 39:01 I don't know if that was for me or for you. 39:04 We have become a celebrity house. 39:07 We have begun to focus, 39:09 I am going to read some of this 39:10 because I want to make sure I get it right. 39:12 We have begun to focus more on the one 39:15 that brings the word than the word itself. 39:21 We have elevated speakers to a level 39:25 that ought not to be done. 39:29 When we have a conference coming like GYC 39:32 or some regional GYC and praise God for GYC, amen, 39:37 Praise God for a place we can come 39:39 and experience revival and study the word 39:41 and learn more about Jesus and His last day message. 39:44 Thank God for the GYC's everywhere. 39:48 But a trend that has begun is when there is a GYC 39:51 a youth conference that is put on, 39:53 the first thing we ask is what everybody, you tell me? 39:57 You said it, not me. 40:00 I'm off the hook. No, I'm just kidding. 40:03 We always say who is speaking? 40:06 And we think that if such and such a speaker isn't there, 40:10 then we can't get a blessing. 40:18 I don't want to name names but some of us consider 40:21 preacher A, preacher B 40:23 or preacher C to be the man of the hour 40:26 and when we attend those meeting 40:28 where that speaker is present, 40:30 we will go and we will hang on every word 40:33 that they speak and then when that preacher is done, 40:36 we will leave and go hang out with our friends. 40:41 For some we are looking for our next hit 40:43 or next fix of our favorite speaker preacher 40:47 and while we ignore everything else. 40:49 This is an addiction and an unhealthy one 40:54 and an unbiblical one. 40:58 Should it matter who is speaking friends? 41:00 If that speaker has poured his heart out before God 41:04 to prepare a message to deliver to the people of God, 41:08 who are we to say I can't get a blessing from him. 41:13 Who are we to say, oh, he is boring, 41:16 because you know what friends, 41:18 we have come to the point where we are more interested 41:20 in theatrics than in truth. 41:24 We would rather see the preacher dance across the stage 41:27 than to deliver a true straight statement. 41:32 Do you think popular speakers 41:34 are all there are that has preaching talent. 41:37 They are men and women who pour out their hearts 41:39 and if they had surrendered their hearts to the word of God 41:41 and prepared a message, 41:42 then Christ speaks through them. 41:44 This is much than he does anyone else. 41:50 We have elevated the speaker above the word. 41:54 We have become-- many times 41:57 we often have more endearing things 41:59 to say about speakers than we do about Jesus. 42:05 Yes, I said it. 42:08 We've become real, a real American. 42:17 You know where I'm going. 42:19 We've become a real Adventist idols for sure. 42:25 Is that right or no? 42:30 We like to compare speakers and line them up. 42:32 We have our favorites. 42:34 And this one is better than that one. 42:36 But Paul addressed this issue in his day. 42:38 I invite you to turn in your Bibles with me please 42:47 to 1 Corinthians 1:12, 13, Corinthians 1, 42:50 the apostle Paul speaks here with all biblical authority, 42:54 he says, "Now I say this, that each of you says, 42:59 "I am of Paul," or "I'm of Apollos," 43:02 or "I'm of Cephas," or "I'm of Christ." 43:05 Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? 43:09 Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? 43:13 We are not called brothers and sister 43:15 to say I'm of this preacher, I am of that preacher, 43:18 this preacher does it for me 43:20 or that preacher doesn't do it for me. 43:22 If they are preaching the word of God, 43:23 it should be the world of God doing it in your hearts. 43:27 Turn over to Chapter 3 please, 43:29 Chapter 3, Paul gets a little bit more bold. 43:33 Please keep in mind 43:34 that I'm not trying to step on your toes 43:36 but the Holy Spirit is. 43:42 I'm only the messenger, don't throw tomatoes at me. 43:46 Talk to the author of the book. 43:49 Verse 3 Paul says, "For you are still carnal" 43:57 if we have this mind set, "For where there was envy, 44:02 strife, and divisions among you, 44:04 are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? 44:07 For when one says, "I am of Paul," and another, 44:10 "I am of Apollos," are you not carnal? 44:15 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, 44:17 but ministers, ministers through whom you believed, 44:23 as the Lord gave each one? 44:25 Look over in verse 21, 44:26 "Therefore let no one boast in men. 44:29 For all things are yours, 44:31 whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas, 44:33 or the world or life or death, 44:35 or things present or things to come--all are yours. 44:38 And you are Christ's and Christ is God's." 44:42 We are not called to follow speakers, 44:45 we are called the follow the word. 44:47 And praise God for godly speakers, 44:49 I am not condemning them, I am not putting them down. 44:52 We need godly speakers, amen. 44:54 But we cannot idolize them, 44:56 they put on their pants the same way 44:59 that you do in the morning. 45:02 We have folks, ladies put on their skirts 45:05 however they put them on 45:06 but they all put them on the same. 45:08 I don't know anything about it, my wife could tell you. 45:13 We tend to take sometimes their word for everything 45:17 and we often depend more upon the speaker 45:20 than on the Holy Spirit to guide 45:22 our own personal study of the Bible. 45:28 It's like traveling back to the Dark Ages 45:32 brothers and sisters, 45:33 where the people were dependent 45:35 upon the priest to tell them what to do. 45:41 We have replaced our own personal devotional life 45:44 with downloaded sermons of popular speakers 45:47 and books about the Bible. 45:51 We have neglected the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy 45:54 and we have been receiving many of us 45:55 the word secondhand and I am not speaking 45:57 to all of you but as a result 45:59 we have become spiritually weak. 46:01 We think that we don't have 46:02 the time to invest in God's word. 46:05 And let me tell you something friends today. 46:07 If you think you don't have the time to spend in God's word, 46:10 then you are busier than heaven ever intended you to be. 46:14 Every day you must spend time in the word of God. 46:19 There is nothing wrong with respecting these men. 46:22 Cornelius comes and bows 46:26 before Peter and Peter picks him up 46:28 and he says stand up for I myself I am also a man. 46:33 Speakers are just men, they are capable of false, 46:35 do not look to them. 46:36 Too many people have looked to men and idolized them 46:39 and when that men falls, 46:41 it creates a disaster of their faith. 46:44 We must look to Christ. We must look to His word. 46:47 You know what friends, 46:48 the devil can preach a good sermon. 46:52 I am not calling our speakers devils, 46:54 you understand, don't misunderstand me. 46:56 But my point is as just because somebody can dance 46:59 across the stage and entertain you 47:00 and even preach a good sermon. 47:02 Doesn't mean always a hell of beans. 47:05 What matters is the character of the life, 47:08 the character of the life. 47:10 We have become a generation 47:11 who heard instead of a generation of the word. 47:14 We are hearing the word spoken through others today 47:17 but are we hearing Jesus speak 47:20 through us personally from His word. 47:26 We need to come back to our personal experience 47:28 with the word Jesus said to the Pharisees 47:30 and He says to us today. 47:32 You search the scriptures 47:33 because in them you think there is eternal life 47:35 but they are those which testify of me. 47:38 You must have your own experience 47:40 with the word of God young people. 47:42 You must have-- we must come back 47:44 to a personal experience of the word. 47:47 I am not saying it's wrong to listen to sermons. 47:50 I am not saying it's wrong to read other books. 47:52 But those things were only meant to supplement our own 47:56 study of the word, not to replace it, 47:59 never to replace it. 48:01 I encourage you to use audio verse. 48:03 I encourage you to read other books by good speakers, 48:07 but do not let that replace your own account, 48:10 your own experience. 48:12 We think that we'd heard it all before. 48:18 But let me ask you something friends. 48:21 We think we've heard it all before, 48:22 but have you applied it to your own lives today? 48:26 You remember the power behind 48:28 the Book of Acts was not simply 48:30 that they heard the word, 48:31 not simply that they knew the word, 48:33 but that they acted on the word. Amen. 48:38 How many of you are acting on the word today? 48:40 How many of you have been to at least one of the GYC? 48:44 Let me see your hands. 48:45 Those of you that are watching, 48:46 you can raise your hands in your living rooms. 48:49 How many of you have been to at least five GYC's? 48:53 How many of you have been to all the GYC's? 48:55 How many of you have been to some camp meetings 48:57 or some other type of youth meeting somewhere? 49:00 We have all been there 49:02 and we all seem to just befall into the rut 49:05 that we are becoming seminar junkies 49:07 and this word is not taking route in our lives 49:11 and we know this because we are not acting 49:14 upon what we are hearing. 49:16 I am not speaking to allof you, but many of you. 49:20 Now let me ask you something. 49:21 Here is something little bit more practical. 49:23 Is it taking action in your life? 49:25 When was the last time 49:26 that you memorized the Bible promise? 49:30 When was the last time that you shared with somebody 49:33 what you've learned in your devotional life today? 49:37 May be you didn't share with them 49:39 what you didn't learn, may be you didn't ask them 49:41 that question because you are afraid 49:43 that they would ask you the same question back 49:46 and you won't have anything to say. 49:52 When was the last time you lead a person to Christ 49:56 and to baptism or how about these. 49:59 We are almost finished for 3ABN. 50:01 I know they are stressing out. We're almost finished. 50:04 How many of you, but I got to say this. 50:06 How many of you could come up on the stage right now. 50:09 Do not raise your hands 50:10 because I may call you up to do it. 50:12 How many of you could come up on the stage right now 50:15 and give a thorough discourse on 2300 day prophecy? 50:20 How many of you could come up on the stage right now 50:22 and explain what and why Jesus is doing 50:25 in the heavenly sanctuary? 50:27 How many of you could come up on the stage right now 50:29 and explain why the Seventh-day Adventist church 50:32 is God's last day remnant church of Bible prophecy. 50:37 I am not saying you have to do everything to share something. 50:40 Don't misunderstand me. 50:42 But listen brothers and sisters, for many of us, 50:44 this word has not taken effect in our lives, 50:49 because we have not acted on it. 50:52 We have simply heard and we've simply known 50:56 but we have not done. 51:01 I am going to make an appeal this morning. 51:04 The Bible brings purpose power to our lives 51:10 and it carries us into the presence of God. 51:15 When you study the Bible you get inside the mind of God. 51:19 What a blessing, amen. 51:21 Hebrew 4:12 says that it pierces our very soul, 51:26 is it piercing your soul today? 51:29 Psalm 119:11 says, "Thy word I have hidden in my what? 51:35 In my heart that I might not sin against you." 51:38 Let me--let me make something very clear. 51:41 Who is the word? Jesus. 51:44 If we have not hidden the word in our hearts, 51:49 then we have not hidden Christ in our hearts, 51:56 and if Christ is not in our hearts, 51:58 because the word is not there, 52:01 then how can He possibly be doing the work 52:04 of your eternal redemption in your life today. 52:09 We must be a people who come back to the word. 52:14 We must be a people who has a simple faith, 52:17 who takes it and reads it and takes it as it says. 52:22 We must be a people who believe 52:23 that the word of God is authoritative in our lives. 52:26 We must receive it and believe it, 52:30 but we also must act on it, 52:31 we must say it and we must spread it. 52:35 This was why the early church was so powerful. 52:39 My appeal is this, this morning, three parts. 52:44 Number 1, may be today your devotional life stinks. 52:49 May be today you've come to GYC 52:51 and you have not touched your Bible in two months, 52:54 three months, six months, a year. 52:58 God has spoken to your heart today 53:00 and He is convicted you by His Spirit 53:02 and by the power of His word. 53:04 And today you say, God I don't know 53:07 how I am going to do it, 53:08 but I am going to get back in Your word. 53:10 Young people do it whatever it takes. 53:12 We are so willing to do 53:13 whatever it takes in the secular world to accomplish. 53:16 We will stay up all night to study for that biology test. 53:20 We will stay up all night to prepare for that math test, 53:23 but when it comes to the word of God, 53:25 we want to read one chapter 53:26 and say I can't get anything out of it, lay it aside. 53:28 Do what it takes, find a book that teaches you 53:30 how to study the Bible. 53:32 Find a pastor that teaches you how to study the Bible. 53:34 Do something, do whatever it takes 53:37 but get yourselves back to the word. 53:40 And you will experience power, you will experience Christ. 53:45 I want to challenge you today to get back to the word. 53:50 Secondly, I don't want to make it easy for you. 53:54 I don't want you to go home and memorize a Bible promise. 53:59 I want you to go home 54:00 and memorize an entire book of the Bible, 54:04 an entire book of the Bible 54:06 and when you memorize that book, 54:07 memorize another book. 54:08 Why can't you do it young people. 54:10 We can memorize the songs, 54:12 the words of popular songs, secular songs. 54:16 For three minutes long we know the words to a song 54:19 that's three minutes long, five minutes long 54:21 but we can't memorize a Bible verse 54:23 that takes us ten minutes, ten seconds to recite. 54:27 Why can't you memorize the book of the Bible? 54:29 Why can't you memorize the Book of Daniel, 54:31 the Book of Revelation, the Book of Hebrews, 54:33 it talks about heavenly sanctuary? 54:34 Why can't you do it young people? 54:36 You are bright, intelligent young people, 54:38 who are being lead by the Spirit of God, 54:41 don't go for the easy thing, go for the hard thing, 54:46 that's my second appeal. 54:48 Thirdly, I want you to act upon that word. 54:53 I am challenging every single one of you 54:57 to lead somebody to Christ in 2013. 55:02 Lead somebody to Christ. 55:03 Let that word take action in your life. 55:07 Read it, memorize it, live it and act upon it. 55:13 This is my appeal to you today. 55:14 I'm not going to be fancy about, 55:16 I'm not going to tell some story, 55:18 but I want to invite everyone of you 55:20 to stand wherever you are, 55:21 just stand wherever you are. 55:25 And I want to give you an invitation 55:26 this morning to respond to act on this appeal. 55:32 If you want to restore your devotional life 55:34 and I don't know you could all come at the same time, 55:36 you may be coming for different reasons 55:39 but if you want to renew your devotional experience, 55:42 renew your devotional life, 55:44 I'm gonna invite you to slip out of your seat 55:47 and come down here to the front. 55:48 You say God, I don't know how I'm going to do it, 55:51 I don't--I don't know but you know. 55:55 Somebody here today needs to get themselves 55:57 back in the word of God. 55:59 I invite you to come down here to the front. 56:01 Secondly there may be somebody who says, 56:03 I don't want to accept a easy challenge, 56:05 I'm going to accept the hard challenge, 56:07 I'm not going to memorize just a Bible promise, 56:09 you can start with that 56:11 but I'm going to memorize an entire book, 56:12 I'm going to take the hard things. 56:15 And thirdly there may be somebody here today 56:19 who says I want to lead somebody to Christ. 56:21 I want that word of God to become real. 56:23 And let me tell you something friends, 56:24 when you lead somebody to Christ, 56:26 it is a greatest joy in the world, 56:30 it is a spiritual high that only heaven can give. 56:34 Young people today, 56:35 do not set up for anything less than God's best for you. 56:40 Do not set up for anything less 56:42 than thus saith the Lord 56:44 for the foundation of your life today. 56:47 Be renewed, be empowered 56:50 by the word of God, the word of God. 56:53 It must be the thing that drives our movement 56:57 all the way until Jesus comes. 57:00 Is that your desire this morning 57:03 to not just have as you have the word of God in your hearts, 57:07 knowing that your have Christ in your hearts as well. 57:10 Is that your desire this morning? 57:12 I'm gonna invite you wherever you are to pray, 57:14 bow your heads with me, as we pray. 57:16 Father in heaven, you see the young people that have come. 57:19 There may be others in their seats who need to come. 57:23 I pray Lord that You will prick their hearts 57:25 and You will not allow them to rest this weekend 57:26 until they surrender to you. 57:29 Lord, empower us by Your spirit, 57:31 empower us by Your word. 57:33 Let Your word dwell richly in us 57:36 and let our lives be transformed 57:39 and let us change the world by Your grace and strength. 57:44 I pray for each one here 57:45 that whatever their need is today, 57:46 whatever reason they came forward 57:48 that You will minister to their hearts, 57:50 You will minister their mind and You would make them 57:53 close with You in a very intimate and special way 57:57 and then you would use them 57:59 to press forward this Seventh-day Adventist 58:02 movement to the outermost parts to the globe and see Jesus come. 58:07 This is our prayer, we ask it in Jesus' name. Amen. |
Revised 2014-12-17