Participants: Mark Finley
Series Code: 14ASIC
Program Code: 14ASIC000011A
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00:19 I'd like to invite you,
00:20 to turn with me in your Bibles to Romans Chapter 1, 00:26 Romans Chapter 1. 00:29 One of my favorite passages in the scriptures, 00:31 one of the most powerful I believe. 00:34 We're in Romans Chapter 1 00:36 and we're gonna begin reading with verse 14. 00:40 "I am debtor both to the Greeks, 00:45 and to the barbarians, both to the wise, 00:48 and to the unwise. 00:50 So as much as in me is, 00:53 I'm ready to preach the gospel to you 00:55 that are in Rome also. 00:57 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, 01:02 for it is the power of God onto salvation, 01:05 to everyone that believes, 01:07 to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 01:11 For there in is the righteousness 01:13 of God revealed from faith to faith, 01:17 as it is written, the just shall live by faith." 01:23 May the Lord add His blessing to this reading. 01:27 Pastor Mark Finley is not a stranger to any of us, 01:30 I assume. 01:31 Pastor Mark Finley is a friend to Seventh-day Adventist. 01:36 He's a friend to supporting ministries. 01:38 He's a friend to ASI. 01:41 He was telling me a few minutes ago 01:43 that he's been coming to ASI since 1988 01:48 and he says since that time, 01:50 he's only missed a couple of conventions 01:54 and so now we've come to the place 01:57 where we wouldn't think of having 01:59 a convention without him. 02:01 Well, that's a bit of an exaggeration 02:02 but I believe it's true. 02:04 We're truly, truly happy that he is with us. 02:07 He was sharing with me just a few comments 02:10 on what his sermon would be this morning 02:13 and I'm excited. 02:14 I'm not gonna miss a word of it. 02:16 He wants to develop for us the grace of God to our souls 02:21 and the cross of Calvary and I can't wait. 02:24 May God bless his reading. 03:02 One faith, one hope, one Lord 03:06 One church for which He died 03:09 One voice 03:11 One song we lift in praise 03:17 To Him Who was and is 03:21 And shall be evermore 03:36 There is one body one spirit 03:44 As you were called to one hope 03:53 One Lord one baptism and faith 04:01 One God and Father of all 04:05 One God and Father of all 04:09 One God and Father of all 04:15 Who is in you all 04:30 One faith one hope, one Lord 04:34 One church for which He died 04:38 One voice 04:40 One song we lift in praise 04:46 To him who was and is 04:50 And shall be evermore 04:56 Though we be many people 05:03 Diverse with various gifts 05:09 We are given to each other 05:17 For the unity of faith 05:21 To grow in the knowledge 05:25 Of the Son of God 05:29 In the fullness 05:35 Of Christ 05:45 One faith one hope, one Lords 05:48 One church for which He died 05:53 One voice, one song 05:57 We lift in praise to him 06:02 Who was and is 06:04 And shall be evermore 06:10 One faith, one hope 06:14 One Lord, one God 06:27 Amen. 06:35 Thank you for the song, it's inspired our hearts, 06:38 encouraged us and prepared us for worship. 06:42 For the last 25 years, 06:44 Teenie and I've attended ASI Conventions. 06:47 We have missed very, very few during that period of time. 06:51 And ASI has enriched our lives. 06:54 We've been blessed in our fellowship 06:57 with consecrated Seventh-day Adventist lay people 07:02 who are committed to the mission of the church 07:06 and committed to working with church organization 07:10 to see God's work powerfully impact this world for Christ. 07:16 So thank you ASI for enriching our lives 07:21 and for leading us to a broader vision 07:25 of what lay people can do. 07:27 This morning as we talk about the one motivation 07:31 stronger than any other that will finish God's work 07:36 on earth, let's pray together. 07:38 Father in heaven, open our eyes to see 07:43 the cross in a deeper, fuller, 07:48 broader, richer way. 07:52 May we see Jesus giving up all for us 07:57 and may we give all to Him. 08:01 May we sense His grace pardoning us, forgiving us, 08:07 redeeming us, empowering us, transforming us 08:12 and may that make a difference in our lives. 08:15 The hour is too late 08:18 to come and to go as we are. 08:23 Your people are assembled on Sabbath in Grand Rapids. 08:29 Come and do something special, in Christ's name, amen. 08:34 Amen. 08:36 Robert Robertson was eight years old. 08:40 He was living a carefree life, 08:44 playing enjoying life in a little English village 08:48 and there in 1743, his father died, 08:54 changed his life dramatically as any child knows 08:58 who at a young age has lost the father. 09:02 Robert was bright, intelligent 09:05 but headstrong, difficult for his mother to handle. 09:10 She did everything she could but he went from bad to worse. 09:17 When he was 14 years old, his mother sent him 09:20 to London to apprentice with a barber. 09:24 She thought if he got a job and useful employment 09:27 that would make a significant difference in his life. 09:30 It did not. 09:32 Things went from bad to worse. 09:34 He began drinking heavily, gambling, 09:39 got in with the wrong crowd. 09:41 And when he was 17, he and some of his buddies 09:45 decided to go to an evangelistic meeting 09:48 held by George Whitfield 09:51 and he wanted to mock the evangelist 09:54 and wanted to create quite a scene at the meetings. 09:58 But as Whitfield opened his Bible 10:01 and began to talk about Jesus. 10:04 There was a strange stirring 10:07 in this 17 year old boy's heart. 10:10 There's a strange awakening in his soul. 10:16 He felt the warmth of Christ love. 10:19 He sensed the magnificence of Christ grace, 10:23 and although he did not go forward 10:25 in the altar call that night, for three years, 10:28 Robert was haunted by a vision of the cross 10:34 that he got at 17 years old. 10:36 When he was 20, December 10th, 1755, 10:40 he surrendered his life to Christ. 10:43 It changed his life totally. 10:45 Shortly thereafter he took theology, became a preacher. 10:51 Methodist preacher. 10:53 He was preparing a sermon one Sunday morning 10:57 for a little church in Norfolk, England, 11:00 and to accompany that sermon he wrote a song, 11:04 the hymns words speak of a grace 11:07 we do not deserve and a debt we cannot pay. 11:11 They speak of mercy beyond relief. 11:14 They speak of forgiveness beyond our comprehension. 11:18 They speak of grace beyond our human understanding. 11:21 You know the song well. 11:22 Come, thou fount of every blessing 11:26 Tune my heart to sing Thy grace 11:30 Streams of mercy, never ceasing... 11:33 You know the song. 11:34 Jesus sought me when a stranger 11:36 Wandering from the fold of God 11:38 He, to rescue me from danger 11:40 Interposed His precious blood 11:43 O to grace how great a debtor 11:47 Daily I'm constrained to be 11:50 Let Thy goodness like a fetter 11:53 Bind my wandering heart to Thee 11:56 This morning we look at the Book of Romans 12:00 and we cry out with a hymn writer, 12:02 O to grace how great a debtor 12:07 Daily I'm constrained to be 12:10 Take your Bibles, please and turn to the Book of Romans. 12:14 Romans the first chapter, 12:17 you may have it in a printed copy, 12:20 you may have it on your iPhone, your iPad, 12:25 but look at the text and do not text. 12:31 Romans 1:14 and onward. 12:36 What is the single motivation 12:40 that impelled the early church 12:44 to take the gospel to the world? 12:47 I suggest to you that the cross came before Pentecost. 12:54 I suggest to you that being filled with grace 12:59 comes before being filled with the spirit, 13:03 unless the church comes to the cross 13:07 and it's broken at the cross and transformed by grace, 13:13 the power of Pentecost will not fall. 13:18 The cross always comes before Pentecost. 13:22 Take your Bible and turn to Romans the first chapter 13:27 and we're looking there at verses 14-16. 13:32 Romans 1 beginning with the 14th verse. 13:37 The Apostle Paul says... 13:41 "I am a debtor both to Greeks, 13:44 and to the barbarians, both to the wise, 13:47 and to the unwise. 13:49 So much as in me is, I'm ready to preach 13:52 the gospel to you who are in Rome also. 13:56 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, 13:59 for it is the power of God to salvation, 14:02 for everyone who believes, to the Jew first 14:05 then to the Greek. 14:07 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed 14:10 from faith to faith, it is written, 14:12 the just shall live by faith." 14:13 Notice Paul makes three I am statements. 14:16 He says I am a debtor, he says I am ready 14:20 and he says I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. 14:23 We will look at that first phrase this morning. 14:28 I am a debtor. 14:29 It is the essence of indebtedness 14:33 that in prompts and motivates Paul's witness. 14:37 Paul was a debtor. In Christ he found mercy. 14:40 In Christ he found forgiveness. In Christ he found pardon. 14:45 In Christ he found grace. 14:47 In Christ his life was transformed. 14:49 In Christ he was made new. 14:51 In Christ he had a new reason for living. 14:54 And the passion that motivated him 14:56 was this debt to the Christ that died for him. 15:00 The crucified Christ redeemed him 15:02 from the guilt of the past. 15:04 The resurrected Christ gave him power 15:06 for the present and the returning Christ 15:09 gave him hope for the future. 15:11 Paul cries out from the depths of his being, 15:13 I am a debtor. 15:16 It is the essence of death. 15:19 Paul continues describing this amazing grace 15:23 through the Book of Romans. 15:24 He could never get tired of telling of God's grace. 15:28 He was never bored of sharing the story of the cross. 15:33 There was a passion within him. 15:36 If you are motivated, merely to make a name 15:39 for your ministry that is insufficient motivation. 15:42 If you're motivated by pride, 15:44 that is insufficient motivation. 15:46 The cross of Christ, laying the glory of man in the dust. 15:50 If you talk more about your ministries 15:52 than you do about Jesus, more about your accomplishments 15:55 than you do about Jesus. 15:56 Something is wrong, if there's a tinge of pride 15:59 in your soul about who you are. 16:02 The third angel's messages, 16:04 "Fear God and give glory to Him." 16:07 Amen. 16:08 The Book of Roman shares that glory is Jesus. 16:12 It's the laying of all glory of man in the dust. 16:15 When we don't care about who we are but who Jesus is. 16:19 When we're more concern about giving glory to him 16:21 than we are to ourselves. 16:23 When we we're more anxious to glorify his name 16:25 than we are our name. 16:27 When we talk more about Him than we do ourselves. 16:31 When we don't care who gets the glory 16:33 but we desire His work to go forward powerfully. 16:37 The spirit of God will be poured out in an amazing way 16:41 on a people that are united to give Him glory. 16:45 Now what is the basis of this indebtedness? 16:48 What is the real story of the cross? 16:51 What is the real story of grace? 16:54 Romans the 3 chapter, Romans Chapter 3, 16:58 we look at the Book of Romans, the story of grace. 17:02 Grace is amazing, Romans the third chapter, 17:06 we look there at verse 23 and onward. 17:09 "For all have sinned 17:11 and fall short of the glory of God." 17:12 That is you, that is me. 17:14 We are sinners by birth. We are sinners by nature. 17:18 The heart is deceitful above all things 17:21 and desperately weakened. 17:23 In us there is no righteousness. 17:25 We are condemned to eternal loss. 17:28 Verse 23, "For all have sinned 17:31 and come short of the glory of God, 17:33 Being justified freely by His grace 17:37 through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 17:41 whom God set forth to be a propitiation by His blood, 17:46 through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, 17:50 because in His forbearance God passed over the sins 17:54 that were previously committed." 17:57 Now notice this word propitiation. 17:59 This is quite an amazing word. 18:04 You can translate propitiation satisfaction 18:08 in Christ death on the cross, 18:12 he satisfies the justice of God 18:16 in meeting the demands of a broken law. 18:20 So you can translate propitiation as satisfaction. 18:25 But there's an interesting association 18:29 in the Greek language. 18:31 The word propitiation is in a family of words 18:36 that are the Hilasterion family. 18:39 Now the word mercy seat in the sanctuary 18:42 is a Hilasterion and propitiation 18:45 is in a family of words that leads you to the sanctuary. 18:50 In the sanctuary of the Israel in the court, 18:55 there is the altar, it is there 18:57 that the sacrifice is slain in the bloody shed. 19:01 The priest takes that blood and goes into the holy place 19:05 of the sanctuary. 19:07 And sprinkles the blood before the veil. 19:11 But once a year, on The Day of Atonement, 19:15 the high priest enters into the most holy place 19:18 of the heavenly of the earthly sanctuary. 19:22 And sprinkles the blood there on the mercy seat, 19:28 the Hilasterion. 19:29 Now below this mercy seat is the Ten Commandment law, 19:34 the Ark-- it's the Ark of the Covenant. 19:36 There on the mercy seat are the two cherubims. 19:41 And so there on The Day of Atonement, 19:46 reconciliation that has been wrote out in the court 19:52 is finally applied to the entire universe 19:56 in the universe ultimately 19:58 becomes clean at the end of the Day of Atonement. 20:02 The mercy seat is the place where God's love and grace 20:09 and justice meet together in the ransom of sinners. 20:16 The bloodshed in the court 20:18 is finally brought into the tabernacle 20:21 in an ultimate Day of Atonement 20:24 to cleanse the entire universe for sin 20:27 to apply what Jesus did on the cross. 20:31 So when Paul says here in Romans Chapter 3, 20:36 he talks about the fact in Romans 3:23, 20:42 "Whom God set forth to be propitiation by His blood." 20:46 What is he saying? 20:47 He's saying Christ satisfies the demands of the law. 20:51 The just assumes the role of those who are unjust. 20:57 The righteous assumes the role of those that are sinners. 21:00 The innocent assumes the role of those that are guilty. 21:04 The perfect one assumes the role of the ones 21:06 that are imperfect. 21:08 We see this again in Romans the 5 chapter. 21:11 Romans 5:6-8, what is the story of the cross? 21:17 The story of the cross is the divine son of God, 21:23 the one worshipped by all the angels, 21:26 the one who'd knew no sin becoming sin for us. 21:30 For cursed is everyone that hangs on the tree, 21:33 the story of the cross 21:34 is more than the story of nails through Jesus' hands 21:37 and a crown of thorns upon His head 21:39 and blood running down His face 21:41 and His feet being spiked to a wooden bar. 21:45 It is more than the story of Judas betraying Him 21:48 and Peter denying Him. 21:50 And the Romans forsaking Him and nailing Him there 21:55 and the Jews not quite understanding 21:57 what was going on there. 21:58 It is much more than that. 22:00 The story of the cross is the story of the divine 22:04 sinless perfect Son of God, 22:08 assuming the condemnation of sin 22:11 for the entire human race. 22:13 A judgment bar is set up on the cross 22:15 and Christ is considered before the whole universe 22:18 to be a sinner for you and me. 22:20 And He experiences on that cross, 22:23 the death that I should have died. 22:24 The death that you should have died, 22:26 not merely a physical death, 22:28 but He plunges the depths of the tomb 22:31 and He goes into hell itself for us 22:34 as He hangs on that cross. 22:35 Take your Bibles please 22:36 and look at Romans the 5 chapter. 22:39 Romans 5 we're looking there at verse 6 and onward. 22:43 "For when we were still without strength, 22:45 in due time Christ died for the ungodly." 22:50 Christ did not die because we were godly, 22:52 He died because we were ungodly. 22:55 Notice verse 8, 22:57 "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, 23:00 in that while we were still sinners, 23:02 Christ died for us." 23:06 Christ grace is unmerited. 23:08 It's undeserved. It's unearned. 23:11 Jesus died the agonizing painful death 23:14 that all sinners will die. 23:15 He experienced the fullness 23:17 of the Father's wrath against sin. 23:20 He was rejected so we could be accepted. 23:22 He died the death that was ours 23:23 so we could live the life that was His. 23:26 He wore the crown of thorns 23:27 so we would wear the crown of glory. 23:29 He was nailed upright in torturous pain, 23:33 so that we could reign on a throne 23:34 with the redeemed of all ages, 23:36 wearing robes of royalty forever. 23:38 Marvel of all marvels. Wonder of all wonders. 23:44 In our shame and guilt Jesus did not reject us. 23:48 On the cross, He descended to the depths of hell, 23:52 so we could ascend to the heights of heaven. 23:56 I love the way Ellen White puts it. 24:00 In language that no human pen could write. 24:05 In words so sublime, so magnificent 24:09 that one almost does not want to read them standing 24:13 but fall to their knees. 24:15 Listen Desire of Ages page 753, 24:19 "Upon Christ as our substitute and surety 24:23 was laid the iniquity of us all. 24:26 He was counted a transgressor, that He might redeem us 24:30 from the condemnation of the law. 24:33 The guilt of every descendant of Adam 24:36 was pressing upon His heart." 24:37 Now think of it. 24:39 He hangs on the cross 24:42 and the guilt of every descendent of Adam, 24:46 the guilt of every sin ever committed. 24:50 The condemnation of every sin ever committed. 24:53 The shame of every sin ever committed 24:56 is pressing upon Him. 24:58 We continue. 24:59 "The wrath of God against sin, the terrible manifestation 25:04 of His displeasure because of iniquity, 25:07 filled the soul of His Son with consternation." 25:11 Listen next paragraph. 25:13 "Satan with his fierce temptations 25:15 wrung the heart of Jesus." 25:18 What is Satan tempting Jesus about 25:20 as He hangs on the cross? 25:22 Next sentence. 25:23 "The Savior could not see 25:25 through the portals of the tomb. 25:27 Hope did not present to Him His coming forth 25:30 from the grave a conqueror, 25:32 or tell Him of the Father's acceptance of the sacrifice. 25:35 He feared that sin was so offensive to God 25:40 that their separation was to be eternal. 25:44 Christ felt the anguish that the sinner will feel 25:47 when mercy shall no longer plead for the human race. 25:51 It was the sense of sin, bringing the Father's wrath 25:54 upon Him as the sinners substitute, 25:57 that made the cup He drank so bitter, 25:58 and broke the heart of the Son of God." 26:00 So when Jesus is hanging on the cross, 26:03 Satan says to Him, if you go through with this 26:07 bearing the guilt in shame of the human race, 26:09 You will never see your Father again. 26:11 The separation is to be eternal 26:14 and although Jesus said before the cross, 26:16 you destroy this body in three days, 26:18 I'll raise it up again. 26:19 On the cross, the guilt of sin is so great. 26:23 The shame of sin is so overwhelming. 26:25 The condemnation of sin that He bears for the human race 26:28 is so large, so huge. 26:31 All He senses on that cross, 26:34 is that if He goes into that grave, 26:36 He will be separated from the Father forever. 26:39 The separation will be eternal and Jesus says on that cross, 26:44 "I would rather experience hell itself 26:48 and be not in heaven with my father," 26:50 if Mark Finley can be there. 26:52 If John can be there, if Mary can be there. 26:55 This is a love so amazing. 26:57 This is a love so incredible. 26:59 This is a love so divine 27:02 that all I can do is fall at His feet 27:04 and say, I'm a debtor. 27:06 A debtor to grace. 27:09 This is the story of the Christ that loves us so much, 27:12 that He would rather experience hell itself 27:14 than have you lost. 27:16 This is the story of boundless, unfathomable, 27:19 incomprehensible, undying, unending, infinite love. 27:24 That longs for us to be with Him through all eternity. 27:30 Notice the text. This is what motivated Paul. 27:34 This was the passion beating in his heart. 27:37 This was the fire in his belly and this is the passion 27:41 that will inspire an end time church 27:44 to go to the end of the world, 27:46 that the passion of the cross, 27:48 the transformation of the grace of Christ. 27:51 We cry out with Paul in Romans 1, 27:53 notice what Paul says. 27:55 Romans 1 Paul says, 27:58 I'm a debtor to the Greeks and the barbarians. 28:01 The Greeks were the educated elite. 28:03 The Greeks were 28:04 the sophisticated intellectuals. 28:07 The Greeks were the higher classes. 28:09 In Greek understanding of culture, 28:11 the barbarians were everybody else 28:14 and so what is Paul saying, 28:16 I'm indebt to the educated and the uneducated, 28:19 to the rich and the poor, 28:21 to the royal class and the working class. 28:23 I'm indebt for all humanity. 28:25 Catch a glimpse of Paul's passion for lost people. 28:30 He couldn't stop telling the story. 28:32 In Acts 16, he tells the story 28:35 to a business woman in Thyatira called Lydia 28:38 and she's converted and becomes a member of ASI 28:42 and uses her resources to spread the gospel. 28:46 Later in the chapter Paul and Silas sing 28:49 God's grace in prison 28:50 and a Philippian jailer and his family are baptized. 28:53 In Acts 17 Paul shares God's grace 28:56 with philosophers in Athens and some of them are baptized. 28:59 Later in the Book of Acts he tells the story to Felix 29:03 and to Agrippa, Roman rulers and they stand there trembling 29:07 before the grace of God. 29:09 Paul goes to Rome 29:10 and there in prison he tells the story of God's grace. 29:14 And some in Caesar's household are baptized throughout Acts. 29:19 Paul never tires of telling the story. 29:21 He echoes it from Jerusalem to Rome. 29:24 He proclaims it to Roman rulers and Jewish slave girls. 29:27 He shares that in prisons, on ships, in market places, 29:30 in the country side, in private homes 29:32 and public squares. 29:34 Why? What prompts him? 29:36 What motivates him? 29:38 He's motivated by one thing 29:40 not the desire to baptize more than anybody else. 29:43 Not the desire to make his ministry 29:44 the best, the highest, the greatest. 29:46 Paul doesn't talk about himself, 29:48 you read Romans, you read Philippians, 29:50 you read Colossians, you read Ephesians. 29:52 He's is so in love with Jesus. 29:54 Jesus has changed his life and Paul says, 29:56 redeemed how I love to proclaim it. 29:59 Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. 30:01 That's Paul. 30:02 Passionate about this Christ. Transformed by this Christ. 30:06 Did he have any difficulties? 30:08 I'll tell you one thing, if there's a one proud 30:12 selfish tinge in your body. 30:17 When the going gets tough, you're gonna drop out. 30:19 You will get Paul. 2 Corinthians 11: 24-28. 30:24 2 Corinthians 11: 24-28. 30:29 Did Paul have problems preaching the gospel? 30:33 Why didn't he give up? What kept him going on? 30:37 2 Corinthians 11:24-28, 30:41 here he is telling his story verse 24, 30:44 "From the Jews five times 30:45 I received forty stripes minus one." 30:47 Give up Paul, this thing about preaching the gospel 30:50 talking about grace this is tough. 30:52 Five times they beat you verse 25, 30:56 "Three times I was beaten with rods; 30:58 once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; 31:02 a night and a day I have been in the deep; 31:04 in journeys often, in perils of waters, 31:06 in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, 31:09 in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, 31:11 in perils in the country." 31:13 And that must been easy life, right. 31:14 "In perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren, 31:17 in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, 31:20 in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, 31:22 in cold beside other things." 31:24 I mean that's kind of you know, 31:25 that's a little humor showing, intense his story, I'm beaten. 31:28 I'm shipwrecked. I stay in the night and day. 31:31 They hit me with rods, they forsake me. 31:34 Then he says beside other things, 31:40 why did you keep doing it Paul? 31:43 What was the motivation? Why didn't you just give up? 31:48 Why didn't you go home and make tents 31:50 and live a comfortable life. 31:52 2 Corinthians 5 he explains why. 31:56 He summarizes the heart of the reason. 31:59 In 2 Corinthians 5 32:01 is one of the most powerful passages 32:06 in all of scripture that motivates evangelism, 32:10 that motivates witness when you come to the cross, 32:15 and your heart is transformed by the grace of God. 32:20 When you understand grace and its transforming power, 32:25 when it wills up inside of you 32:28 and you see what Christ has done for you 32:32 that He's forgiven you 32:33 that in Christ your guilt is gone. 32:36 In Christ there is no condemnation. 32:39 In Christ there's a new power in your life 32:42 that makes you over again. 32:44 In Christ there is a new hope, 32:47 when that living Christ enters your life, 32:50 you cannot be silent. 32:53 Amen. 32:54 Whether you get accolades or you do not. 32:57 Whether the days are tough or they are not. 33:02 Whether the journey is long and the mountain is high 33:06 and the road is rough. 33:08 There's a passion in your life to tell the story. 33:11 2 Corinthians 5 we see at there verse 14, 33:15 "For the love of Christ constrains us." 33:21 What's that word constrains me? 33:22 It compels us, it causes us to do things 33:26 for the love of Christ constrains us 33:30 because we judged us that 33:31 if one died for all then all die 33:34 and He died for all that those who live 33:37 should no longer live for themselves. 33:42 And we who are saved by grace. 33:46 Echo the same sentiments as Paul, grace liberates us, 33:51 grace empowers us, grace changes us, 33:54 grace transforms us and grace compels us to tell the story. 33:58 What do you say? 34:00 We can do no other. 34:02 Good news is for sharing 34:04 and we too are debtors for grace. 34:07 What has Christ done for you? 34:10 In the divine drama of destiny in the providence of God, 34:15 you too have been touched by grace. 34:17 His grace has pardoned you. 34:19 His grace has freed you from guilt. 34:22 His grace has redeemed you. His grace has empowered you. 34:25 His grace has led you to be a son or daughter of God. 34:31 His grace has guided you into the advent movement, 34:35 a divine movement God has raised up 34:37 in the last days of earth's history. 34:39 You are here today because of grace. 34:43 And grace motivates us. 34:45 Great grace compels us. 34:47 We're not primarily motivated by numbers. 34:49 We're not motivated by statistics. 34:50 We're not motivated 34:51 by the desire to attract attention. 34:54 We're not motivated by the desire 34:55 for notoriety or publicity. 34:58 We're motivated by one thing. We are motivated by grace. 35:03 We're motivated by the love of the one who redeemed us. 35:07 We're motivated by the love of the Christ that hung 35:09 on Calvary's cross for us. 35:12 We're motivated by a love 35:13 that is so powerful, so redeeming, 35:15 so life transformational, 35:18 we could nothing else but tell the story. 35:21 What has motivated? 35:23 Adventists, through the centuries 35:26 to lead their families, to lead their friends, 35:30 to cross oceans, to traverse desert sands, 35:35 to climb rough mountain passes, 35:38 to fought rivers, to brave mosquito infested jungles. 35:43 What has motivated these Adventist pioneers? 35:49 One thing, the love of Christ. 35:52 They were motivated by grace. 35:55 And they could do nothing else 35:58 but tell the story of a soon coming returning Lord. 36:04 One of the hallmarks of much of today's Christianity 36:07 is many of us have lost the fire in our belly. 36:10 We've lost the burning desire in our hearts. 36:13 We've lost the zeal. We've lost the vision. 36:14 We've lost the passion. 36:16 But the weakness of early Adventist pioneers 36:19 is when they come to Christ and the cross 36:22 and have a vision of that cross 36:23 and when they're indebted to grace. 36:26 And they sense there's a story to tell 36:28 to prepare a world for the coming of Christ. 36:31 They often left family, friends, 36:32 braved unusual circumstance I think of George Riffel. 36:38 George Riffel and his brother Frederick 36:41 were Germans living in Russia, Moravians, 36:43 later part of the 19th century. 36:47 George Riffel and his brother decided to leave Russia, 36:52 move to South America or North America. 36:57 Frederick came to North America, 36:58 settled in Kansas, 37:00 George came to first Brazil 37:04 and then he moved into Argentina. 37:06 They were farmers, planted crops, 37:09 Frederick in Kansas, George in Argentina. 37:13 But George fell in tough times. 37:15 He had six years of very difficult farming, 37:20 crop failure, living among 37:22 the Germans speaking portion of Argentina 37:25 decided to join his brother in Kansas and he did. 37:29 And there in 1885, these two brothers 37:33 George Riffel and his brother Frederick 37:35 became Seventh-day Adventists. 37:39 They developed some of the richest farms 37:44 in the central portion of Kansas. 37:48 They were prosperous business people. 37:51 But there was a stirring in George's soul. 37:56 There was a moving in George's heart. 37:59 He could not live 38:01 a comfortable convenient life in Kansas. 38:07 Farms were prospering, crops were growing. 38:11 But George Riffel had come to Christ. 38:15 He was indebt and he thought about that 38:19 German speaking community in Argentina. 38:23 In late 1800s and he said to his brother, 38:27 I'm gonna sell out everything in the farm and I'm gonna go. 38:31 I'm gonna go to Argentina. I have to tell the story. 38:36 I've got a passion in my heart. I've got a fire in my belly. 38:39 George Riffel, this lay person went to South America. 38:43 At that time we did not have 38:44 one Seventh-day Adventist church in South America. 38:49 Riffel gets there begins sharing Christ, 38:52 begins translating literature there in Argentina 38:57 place called Crespo, Argentina. 39:01 A number of people accept Jesus. 39:04 They accept the Adventist message. 39:05 They accept the Sabbath. They become Sabbath keepers. 39:08 They're looking for the coming of Jesus, 39:09 but there's no Adventist pastors of course, 39:11 no Adventist churches. 39:12 So George Riffel this lay person 39:14 baptizes 50 of them. 39:17 Writes to the General Conference 39:18 in glowing terms brethren 39:21 I've been down here in Argentina 39:23 working as a lay person. 39:24 I just baptized 50 people, come. 39:28 The General Conference wrote him 39:29 an interesting letter back. 39:32 My dear brother, you do not have authorization 39:35 to baptize down there. 39:38 Riffel writes them back. 39:41 Oh, I thank God for consecrated dedicated laymen 39:44 who want to cooperate with the church. 39:46 Riffel writes them back. 39:47 My dear brethren, thank you for giving me that counsel 39:51 but please send somebody quick 39:53 because I have more people to baptize. 39:56 The brethren did it 39:59 and when Frederick Wheeler 40:01 rather when Frank Westfall came in 1894 to Argentina, 40:08 he found a whole group that Riffel and other 40:11 literature evangelists had gotten ready to baptize. 40:16 The Seventh-day Adventist church in South America, 40:22 largely started 40:24 because a Seventh-day Adventist business person 40:30 was willing prompted by the cross of Christ 40:37 sensing his debt to all humanity 40:42 to share the story of Christ 40:44 and the Adventist message to go to South America. 40:48 And today we've over 40:50 Two million three hunderd thousand 40:53 Seventh-day Adventists in South America. 40:56 Ten thousand six hundred churches in South America. 41:00 I just got an email from the president 41:03 of the South American Division Erton Kohler, 41:05 and he was talking to me about comprehensive health evangelism 41:08 and we've just written a new book 41:10 on health and spirituality. 41:12 And he said, "Pastor Mark, in our division alone, 41:15 we're gonna pass out Twenty one million. 41:21 of this book on helping Jesus, what do you say? 41:24 Amen. 41:25 The church was started by lay people. 41:26 I think of China. 41:28 Abraham La Rue, a shepherd, a woodcutter 41:33 and living in California comes to Christ. 41:38 He has a burning ambition. 41:39 He's praying one day, 41:40 The Lord impressed him go to China. 41:42 He's 65 years old. 41:44 Writes to the brethren, and the brethren say, 41:47 oh, thank you for your commitment 41:49 but you are too old to go to China. 41:52 You're 65 and by the way we don't having the budget. 41:56 You know what that lay person does? 41:58 Hitches a ride on a freighter, goes half way to China, 42:02 goes to Hawaii 42:04 but then he works witnesses there. 42:06 He ends up in China ultimately, 42:09 shares the gospel in China and eventually coming to China 42:16 is J.N. Anderson, 42:18 who finds converts 42:19 from Abraham La Rue, a lay people. 42:21 If you look at the countries around the world, 42:26 the Seventh-day Adventist church 42:30 is rooted in a lay movement. 42:33 Scores of our countries were started 42:35 by consecrated lay people, 42:38 who sensed the moving of the spirit of God. 42:43 Lay people, motivated by love, made sacrifices for Christ 42:47 and witness in the first century. 42:49 Lay people motivated by love 42:52 have made sacrifices throughout the history of Christianity 42:55 and these same lay people 42:57 are motivated by the love of Christ 42:59 are doing some amazing things 43:01 in the last century of earth's history. 43:04 The work of God will not flicker like a candle 43:08 and go out in obscurity. 43:11 Listen to the words of the prophets. 43:13 Listen to the words of Jesus, 43:15 Matthew 24 look there please at verse 14. 43:23 Jesus completes His sermon on the last day events. 43:28 Matthew 24:14, this gospel of the kingdom, 43:33 this what of the kingdom? 43:35 This gospel. What is the gospel? 43:37 It's the good news that independent of my merit, 43:41 Christ has redeemed me on Calvary's cross. 43:43 What is the gospel? 43:44 It's the good news that in Jesus I'm justified. 43:48 What is the gospel? 43:49 It's the good news that in Christ I'm sanctified. 43:52 The same grace that justifies me 43:54 by His grace, he'll sanctify me. 43:57 What is the gospel? 43:58 It is the message of scripture that Christ died, 44:01 Christ was resurrected, Christ is living 44:04 and Christ is coming again. 44:07 "And this gospel of the kingdom 44:09 will be preached in all the world 44:11 as a witness to all nations, then the end will come." 44:15 The third-- the first angel's message, 44:18 Revelation 14 Chapter. 44:20 Notice in these end time messages 44:23 that there is an end time hope 44:26 and that end time hope is that men and women 44:30 transformed by God's grace. 44:33 Men and women empowered by God's grace. 44:37 Methods will not finish the work, 44:40 television, radio, literature will be used of God 44:45 but they are not the prime agencies 44:47 to finish God's work. 44:48 God will use people, lay people, 44:51 pastors, administrators. 44:53 Men and women like you and me 44:56 who have an authentic experience with Christ, 44:58 who've been transformed by the grace of God. 45:01 What did the early disciple say 45:03 when they were told not to preach? 45:06 You remember what Peter said. 45:09 He said, "How can we not speak 45:12 the things we've seen and heard." 45:17 The world longs for an authentic representation 45:23 of human life, in human life of the gospel. 45:27 And the Three Angels' Message, the first angel's message says, 45:30 "And I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, 45:34 having the ever lasting gospel to go to every nation, 45:41 kindred, tongue and people." 45:43 The preaching of the everlasting gospel 45:46 will leap across geographical boundaries. 45:49 It will penetrate earth's remotest areas. 45:52 It will reach people of every language and every culture. 45:55 It'll impact the entire world. 45:57 The foundations of hell will tremble, 46:00 for Jesus said, I will built my church 46:03 and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. 46:07 Amen. 46:09 Grace is greater than sin. Love is greater than hate. 46:15 Light will dispel the darkness. 46:18 And Revelation 18 says, in verse 1, John says, 46:24 "I saw the earth lightened with the glory of God." 46:29 The glory of His love. The glory of His character. 46:31 I love the way Ellen White puts it. 46:33 Listen to these words, Great Controversy, page 670, 46:37 "Servants of God, with their faces lighted up 46:40 and shining with holy consecration." 46:42 What are their faces lighted up with? 46:44 The grace of God. 46:45 What are their faces shinning with the holy consecration 46:48 about the passion. 46:50 The fact that they are indebt to share the cross. 46:53 "Servants of God, with their faces lighted up 46:55 and shining with holy consecration, 46:58 will hasten from place to place 46:59 to proclaim the message from heaven. 47:01 By thousands of voices, all over the earth, 47:04 the warning will be given. 47:06 Miracles will be wrought, the sick will be healed, 47:08 and signs and wonders will follow the believers." 47:10 What we are going to experience in end time 47:13 is absolutely magnificent. 47:14 Yes, persecution has come. 47:16 Yes, there'll be a time when church and state unite. 47:18 Yes, there will be economic boycott 47:20 but my brother, my sister, look beyond that 47:24 to the glory of men and women transformed by the cross. 47:28 Paul says, "God forbid that I should glory 47:31 in anything, save the cross of Christ." 47:33 Men and women transformed by grace, 47:36 filled by the spirit, passionate about witness 47:39 who go out to the ends of the earth. 47:41 Listen to this statement, 47:42 Review and Herald, July 23, 1895, 47:45 "Many will be seen hurrying hither and thither, 47:49 constrained by the Spirit of God 47:51 to bring the light to others. 47:53 The truth, the word of God, is as a fire in their bones, 47:57 filling them with a burning desire 48:00 to enlighten those in darkness." 48:03 Look at this one. 48:04 Testimonies, volume 9, page 28-29, 48:07 "I saw jets of light shining from cities and villages, 48:11 and from the high places 48:13 and the low places of the earth. 48:15 God's Word was obeyed, and as a result 48:18 there were memorials for Him in every city and village. 48:21 His truth was proclaimed throughout the earth." 48:24 Memorials in every city and village. 48:27 IskolokoyCafe God's word true, what do you say? 48:30 Amen. Is God's word true? 48:31 Is God gonna do what He said? 48:34 Is He gonna do it through you? 48:36 Amen. 48:39 Is your one goal to be broken at the cross? 48:46 Amen. 48:51 Is your one goal to bring His name glory? 48:58 Do you have some self centeredness 49:01 still in the heart? 49:04 Some pride still in the heart. 49:07 You have a theological pride 49:10 because you know the word and others don't. 49:14 You have an institutional pride. 49:20 Because your ministry is doing so good. 49:25 You have a professional pride because of academic degrees. 49:30 You have a pride because you're not proud. 49:38 When Jesus has a people 49:42 that are more interested in His glory than their glory, 49:50 when Jesus has a people who are broken at the cross 49:56 and all they want is what He wants. 50:01 All they care about is what He cares about. 50:06 All they want is to bring glory to His name and not theirs. 50:13 When Jesus has a people who are so charmed by grace, 50:20 so filled with love, so transformed at the cross, 50:27 they will be safe for him 50:30 to pour out His Holy Spirit upon 50:34 to finish His work on earth. 50:38 This is the destiny to which you have been called. 50:43 This is heaven's appeal to your heart. 50:48 This is Christ appeal to your soul. 50:53 Will you accept heaven's appeal? 50:56 As a debtor to grace, 50:59 will you fall on your knees 51:05 and say Jesus I'm a debtor to grace. 51:09 You paid such an infinite price for me. 51:13 There's a passion in my heart. 51:16 I've seen a vision of Christ, 51:18 a Christ who would rather go into the grave 51:22 and never come out then for me to be lost. 51:25 A Christ that would rather be condemned for all eternity 51:30 if that was necessary for me to be in heaven. 51:33 A Christ with a boundless unfathomable, undying love, 51:36 I've seen that price. 51:40 I have to tell the story. 51:43 Are the words of your heart, the words that-- 51:47 I will sing of my Redeemer and His wondrous love to me. 51:52 On the cruel cross he suffered. 51:54 From the curse, He set me free. 51:57 Sing-- oh, sing of my Redeemer 52:00 with His blood He purchased me. 52:03 On the cross He sealed my pardon. 52:05 Paid the debt and set me free. Let's stand and sing it. 52:09 I will sing of my redeemer and his wondrous love to me. 52:14 Make this song your commitment. 52:16 Let Jesus touch your heart with the words of the song. 52:20 Their pride be crushed, may arrogance be demolished. 52:26 May self be set aside, 52:28 and may Jesus and Jesus only be exalted. 52:31 I will sing of my redeemer. Let's sing it together. 52:46 I will sing of my Redeemer 52:52 And His wondrous love to me 52:58 On the cruel cross He suffered 53:04 From the curse to set me free 53:10 Sing, oh, sing of my Redeemer 53:17 With His blood He purchased me 53:23 On the cross He sealed my pardon 53:30 Paid the debt 53:33 And made me free 53:39 I will tell the wondrous story 53:46 How my lost estate to save 53:52 In His boundless love and mercy 53:58 He the ransom freely gave 54:05 Sing, oh, sing of my Redeemer 54:12 With His blood He purchased me 54:19 On the cross He sealed my pardon, 54:26 Paid the debt and made me free 54:33 Now we're gonna pray. 54:35 But before we pray, the spirit of God 54:38 is speaking to somebody here today. 54:41 What is righteousness by faith? 54:47 It is the glory of God 54:50 in laying man and woman in the dust 54:54 and doing for us 54:56 what we cannot do for ourselves. 55:00 Christ loved you so much 55:03 that heaven wouldn't be heaven without you. 55:06 He did not remain in that tomb. 55:09 He's resurrected from the dead. 55:11 He's alive, He's coming again 55:16 and He's longing for His church 55:19 to want to be in heaven as much as He wants us there. 55:25 He's longing for His church, transformed by grace, 55:30 empowered by love, indebted to grace 55:38 to share His gospel with the world. 55:39 Is there somebody here today? 55:42 This is not a general appeal, it's specific. 55:45 Somebody here today 55:47 that you sense this meeting is gonna change your life, 55:51 that you want to say Jesus, 55:53 there's something I've got to surrender, 55:54 something I've got to give up. 55:56 Lord, I want nothing between you and me. 55:59 Lord, if you love me that much, 56:02 Lord, I want to tell the story 56:04 somebody that senses the call of God to service. 56:12 Somebody that's sitting in the church 56:14 but you sense the call of God to witness. 56:16 And you just want to raise your hand and say, 56:18 I'm going out of these doors, 56:20 sensing Christ love in a new way. 56:22 Sensing Christ grace and I cannot be silent, 56:25 I want to make a change in my life to tell the story. 56:28 Can I see your hand? God bless you, God bless you. 56:31 God bless you, God bless you. 56:33 Somebody else the second appeal before I pray. 56:38 You can only know 56:41 that there is no self-centeredness 56:43 and pride in your heart. 56:46 If you can honestly rejoice when somebody else's ministry 56:51 is more successful than yours. 56:55 Do you rejoice at the successes of others? 56:59 Do you sense that we're a team as an Adventist family? 57:07 Would you like to say Jesus? 57:09 See, Jesus wants to do more through you as an individual, 57:12 He wants to do more through you as a business person. 57:15 He wants to do more through your ministry. 57:18 We have not dreamed yet 57:20 what God is gonna do through ASI miniseries. 57:24 We haven't dreamed yet. 57:25 What's God gonna do through pastors? 57:27 What's God gonna do through lay people? 57:29 What's God gonna do through initiatives 57:31 of the General Conference? 57:32 We haven't dreamed of that yet. 57:34 The earth will be lighted with the glory of God. 57:37 Memorials for God in every village, in every town. 57:45 Would you like to say Jesus, 57:47 take away any tinge of pride in me. 57:52 May the glory of Your name 57:55 and Your name alone be revealed. 57:57 If you-- if that's Spirit of God 57:59 has put his finger on something in your life, 58:00 you want to say God, help me be broken at the cross, 58:04 so you can do something in my heart, 58:06 would you just raise your hand. 58:09 Oh, my Father, my Father, 58:14 we've heard the voice of God. 58:16 We've heard the appeal of the cross. 58:19 We've heard the call of grace. 58:23 May we go out of here 58:25 deep within our hearts crying with Paul. 58:28 God forbid that I should glory 58:33 in anything except the cross of Christ. 58:35 For the cross comes before Pentecost 58:38 and Calvary comes before the outpouring of Holy Spirit. 58:42 Oh, God, work in us. 58:44 And work in these ministries and use us in ways 58:49 beyond for we could imagine 58:50 for the glory of the name of Jesus. 58:53 Amen. |
Revised 2015-06-22