Participants: Adam Ramdin
Series Code: 14GYC
Program Code: 14GYC000007A
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00:10 You know, as I was thinking this morning
00:12 about this Sabbath. 00:13 It's the day that God has set aside for us, 00:16 the special holy day for us, 00:20 because He wants to spend time with us. 00:22 And this day was set 00:23 from before the foundations of the world, 00:26 because He knew, 00:28 that in His purpose of making us, 00:30 it was to spend time with us, 00:32 because He loves us. 00:35 And we have come to worship Him this morning. 00:37 And as we have come to worship Him, 00:39 we are told by Sister White that when we sing, 00:44 it is as much of an active worship as His prayer. 00:47 So as we sing this morning, 00:48 let us enter His gates with thanks giving 00:51 and its chords with praise. 00:53 Let's be thankful to Him and praise His name 00:55 and bless His name, 00:57 for the Lord is what GYC? 01:00 "He is good, His mercy is everlasting 01:02 and his truth endureth to all generations." 01:05 Our first song is gonna be, 01:06 ''He leadeth me." 01:12 He leadeth me O blessed thought! 01:18 O words with heavenly 01:22 Comfort fraught! 01:25 Whate'er I do 01:29 Where'er I be 01:33 Still 'tis God's hand 01:36 That leadeth me 01:41 He leadeth me, He leadeth me 01:47 By His own hand 01:50 He leadeth me 01:54 His faithful follower I would be 02:00 For by His hand 02:03 He leadeth me 02:08 Sometimes 'mid scenes of deepest gloom 02:14 Sometimes where Eden's Bowers bloom 02:21 By waters still 02:24 O'er troubled sea 02:28 Still 'tis His hand 02:31 That leadeth me! 02:36 He leadeth me, He leadeth me 02:42 By his own hand 02:45 He leadeth me 02:49 His faithful follower I would be 02:55 For by His hand 02:58 He leadeth me 03:04 And when my task on earth is done 03:10 When, by Thy grace, the victory's won 03:17 E'en death's cold wave 03:19 I will not flee 03:24 Since God through Jordan leadeth me 03:31 He leadeth me, He leadeth me 03:37 By his own hand 03:40 He leadeth me 03:45 His faithful follower I would be 03:51 For by His hand 03:54 He leadeth me 04:00 As we look back on the way. 04:02 That He has lead in our lives. 04:03 I know as I have looked back in the way He has lead my life, 04:07 and I know that He has never ever failed. 04:13 The more you trust Him, 04:14 the more you want to get to know Him. 04:17 And the more you exclaim I would rather have Jesus 04:21 than absolutely anything this world affords today. 04:26 Our next song is, 'I'd rather have Jesus' 04:29 and I encourage you 04:30 and I challenge you to sing this 04:32 as a prayer from the bottom of your hearts. 04:43 Ladies, let's start. 04:46 I'd rather have Jesus 04:50 Than silver or gold 04:55 I'd rather be His 04:59 Than have riches untold 05:04 I'd rather have Jesus 05:09 Than houses or lands 05:13 I'd rather be led 05:18 By His nail pierced hand 05:23 Than to be the king 05:28 Of a vast domain 05:32 Or be held 05:35 In sin's dread sway 05:41 I'd rather have Jesus 05:46 Than anything 05:51 This world affords 05:56 Today-- 06:00 Gentlemen. 06:01 I'd rather have Jesus 06:06 Than men's applause 06:10 I'd rather be faithful 06:14 To His dear cause 06:18 I'd rather have Jesus 06:23 Than worldwide fame 06:27 I'd rather be true 06:32 To His holy name 06:36 Than to be the king 06:41 Of a vast domain 06:45 Or be held 06:47 In sin's dread sway 06:54 I'd rather have Jesus 06:59 Than anything 07:03 This world affords 07:08 Today 07:13 He's fairer than lilies 07:18 Of rarest bloom 07:22 He's sweeter than honey 07:27 From out of the comb 07:31 He's all that 07:34 My hungering spirit needs 07:41 I'd rather have Jesus 07:45 And let Him lead 07:50 Than to be the king 07:55 Of a vast domain 07:59 Or be held 08:02 In sin's dread sway 08:09 I'd rather have Jesus 08:14 Than anything 08:18 This world affords 08:24 Today. 08:30 Amen. 08:32 Is that your cry? Is that your claim? 08:34 Is that's what sends you to your knees? 08:37 I pray it is. 08:40 Our last song is gonna be our theme song 08:41 ''At the Cross'' and this is what keeps us, 08:44 looking to Christ. 08:46 Looking to Him and going I'd rather have you, 08:48 is by spending every morning at His cross. 08:51 So I encourage you to stand as we sing, ''At the Cross.' 09:03 Alas, and did my Savior bleed? 09:09 And did my Sovereign die? 09:15 Would He devote that sacred head 09:20 For someone such as I? 09:26 At the cross, at the cross 09:29 Where I first saw the light 09:32 And the burden of my heart rolled away 09:38 It was there by faith 09:41 I received my sight 09:44 And now I am happy all the day! 09:50 Was it for crimes that I have done 09:55 He suffered on the tree? 10:01 Amazing pity! 10:05 Grace unknown! 10:07 And love beyond degree! 10:13 At the cross, at the cross 10:16 Where I first saw the light 10:19 And the burden of my heart rolled away 10:25 It was there by faith 10:28 I received my sight 10:31 And now I am happy all the day! 10:37 But drops of grief can ne'er repay 10:43 The debt of love I owe 10:49 Here, Lord, I give myself away 10:55 'Tis all that I can do! 11:01 At the cross, at the cross 11:04 Where I first saw the light 11:07 And the burden of my heart rolled away 11:12 It was there by faith 11:16 I received my sight 11:19 And now I am happy all the day! 11:24 At the cross, at the cross 11:27 Where I first saw the light 11:30 And the burden of my heart rolled away 11:36 It was there by faith I received my sight 11:43 And now I am happy all the day! 11:50 Amen. Thank you for singing with us. 11:52 You may be seated. 11:56 Good morning. 11:57 How you guys doing this morning? 12:00 Did you sleep well? 12:02 How many of you are happy that it is finally Sabbath? 12:05 Amen. Praise the Lord, it is so good. 12:08 And you know, I'm especially excited that it's Sabbath 12:10 because last year in Orlando, Florida, 12:13 I was so sick all the Sabbath 12:15 that I was in bed the entire day. 12:17 I didn't get to go to a single seminar, 12:19 a single sermon and I was bummed. 12:21 So now I am excited 12:22 to finally be at a Sabbath meeting at GYC. 12:25 Amen. 12:26 So before we get into day's message, 12:29 I just, I found a quote this morning 12:31 that I wanted to share with you guys. 12:33 It says, ''We are pilgrims and strangers in this world, 12:36 but we are traveling to a heavenly country.'' 12:39 Amen. Amen. 12:40 ''We shall meet with disappointments. 12:43 But it is our privilege to turn every apparent 12:46 defeat into a victory. 12:49 Satan will contend for our souls 12:51 every step of the way, 12:52 but if we look over to Jesus, 12:54 our present help in every time of need, 12:57 He will lift up for us a standard against the enemy.'' 13:00 Amen. 13:01 So even when we face apparent defeat, 13:03 we can turn those into victories. 13:05 Amen. Amen. 13:07 Before we get in, let's go ahead 13:08 and I would ask that everyone kneel 13:10 and as we invite God to be with us today. 13:18 Father in heaven, Lord, we thank You, 13:21 we thank You for the gift of Christ to us on the cross 13:24 and now as He's ministering for us 13:26 in the heavenly sanctuary Lord, we are in such debt to Him. 13:30 But, Lord, thank You that You have given us grace 13:34 and, Father, we put our lives in Your hands 13:36 and we ask that You will be with us today 13:38 in a special way, 13:39 and You will guide us and keep us, Lord. 13:41 We love You. 13:43 Send Your Holy Spirit to be with us, Lord, 13:44 and rain it down. 13:46 Father, we need Him in so many ways. 13:48 We love you, Lord, 13:50 and in the mighty name of Jesus we pray. 13:51 Amen. 13:54 As many of you know, 13:55 we have been having-- 13:57 We have been having a lot of blessings this morning-- 13:59 Or sorry this week 14:01 in our morning devotionals with Adam Ramdin, 14:03 Amen. Amen. 14:04 And for those of you who don't know, 14:06 Adam Ramdin is again speaking this morning 14:09 and he comes all the way from England, 14:11 where he does, 14:12 where he works with the Peace Evangelism School, 14:14 so I know you guys will be blessed 14:16 and I know that you guys will go away 14:18 with something from it. 14:19 So I-- 14:21 have a good day. 14:22 And yeah, God bless. 14:27 Amen. 14:29 Amen. 14:45 I've tried in vain a thousand ways 14:50 My fears to quell 14:53 My hopes to raise 14:56 But all I need 14:59 The Bible says 15:01 Is ever, only Jesus 15:08 My soul is night 15:11 My heart is steel 15:13 I cannot see 15:16 I cannot feel 15:18 For light, for life 15:21 I must appeal 15:23 In simple faith to Jesus 15:29 For whatever if I should die 15:34 Without a promised home 15:36 My tears undone 15:39 And tears and dried 15:41 For fears we lied 15:44 On hopes tonight 15:49 So I will take him at his word 15:54 For his name sake 15:57 Whose spirit spurred 15:59 My heart away 16:01 When first met him 16:04 Sweet promises of Jesus 16:28 His promise remind for bread and wine 16:33 My faith will follow Him for now I find 16:37 My fears resign 16:39 And hopes are lined 16:41 With my Lord's mind 16:47 He died, He lives, He reigns, He pleads 16:53 There's love in all His words and deeds 16:58 There's all a guilty sinner needs 17:03 Forever more 17:06 In Jesus. 17:12 Amen. Amen. 17:23 Good morning. Good morning. 17:26 Happy Sabbath! Happy Sabbath! 17:32 Shall we bow our heads as we start this morning 17:34 worship thought with a word of prayer. 17:41 Father in Heaven, 17:43 Lord, as we bow our heads this morning, 17:49 I pray Lord that You may speak to each one of our hearts 17:55 on this most beautiful theme about the cross. 17:59 Lord, touch us, move us, 18:03 shape us, convict us. 18:06 I pray Lord, You would speak through me 18:10 and in Jesus' name we pray. 18:12 Amen. 18:25 Do any of you know what it's like 18:27 to experience being outside of the conversation 18:31 that's going on in the room? 18:35 It can be a little bit awkward. 18:38 When a joke is taking place 18:40 and you're not part of the joke. 18:42 It's not funny for you. 18:45 We have a saying that sometimes you can feel 18:47 like you are out of the loop. 18:51 When you're out of the loop, it feels frustrating. 18:55 When you're the odd person out, it's uncomfortable. 19:00 If you are an outcast, it's lonely. 19:05 If you are an outsider, nobody, nobody, 19:10 likes to be an outsider. 19:15 Our sermon this morning is entitled 'The Outsider." 19:20 If you turn with me in your Bibles, 19:21 if you have them to the Book of Hebrews 13. 19:26 Hebrews 13, 19:27 we're going to look at a verse of scripture there 19:30 in our morning study. 19:32 Hebrews 13. 19:42 Hebrews 13 19:43 and the theme for today is total saving grace. 19:45 In Hebrews 13 and verse 12, 19:48 the Bible says, "Wherefore Jesus also, 19:52 that he might sanctify the people with his blood.'' 19:57 What did he do? 19:59 He suffered without the gate. 20:03 In order it says that, 20:05 Jesus might sanctify the people with His blood. 20:07 The Bible says, 20:08 He suffered without the gate. 20:10 And we're going to take a look at this verse 20:12 this morning step by step and work our way through it. 20:15 What does it mean, when it says, 20:16 Jesus in order to sanctify us? 20:20 What does the word sanctification mean? 20:23 What is sanctification? 20:26 There is a view 20:29 that at the cross 20:30 Jesus deals only with your forgiveness. 20:33 Your justification at the cross 20:36 is all that is needed to qualify you for heaven. 20:39 This theory or teaching goes on to say 20:42 that the righteousness God produces in you, 20:45 after that has no saving value. 20:47 It only gives evidence of your salvation, 20:50 but does not contribute towards it. 20:53 Sanctification is therefore a fruit of salvation 20:56 but not a prerequisite for it. 21:00 Some say. 21:03 Some say. 21:05 But this does not match with 2 Thessalonians, 21:07 if you are taking notes, 21:08 I don't have time to turn there, 21:09 Chapter 2 and verse 13 21:11 where the Bible says, 21:13 "God has from the beginning chosen you to salvation, 21:18 through sanctification 21:21 of the spirit and belief of the truth." 21:24 Just like in justification, 21:25 it's our part to believe in God, 21:27 to choose, to surrender to Him, 21:29 to confess our sins to Him. 21:32 It's God's part to forgive us, 21:34 to count us righteous 21:35 and cleanse us from our filthy garments. 21:38 So in sanctification, 21:40 it's our part to choose, to obey God, 21:45 to surrender our weak fallen natures to Him daily, 21:48 and it's God's part to count us holy to dwell within us, 21:52 to empower us 21:54 and give us the ability 21:55 to obey Him in the areas where He requires obedience. 22:01 When we look at the word sanctification, 22:02 it can sometimes seem like a long word. 22:05 It refers to the work of the Holy Spirit in us, 22:07 from the moment 22:09 we accept Christ until our last moment. 22:12 A work in which our lusts are restrained, 22:15 our faith is increased 22:17 and our character 22:18 begins to more fully reflect the character 22:21 and beauty of Jesus Christ. 22:23 This is the work 22:25 that the Holy Spirit does in us. 22:28 Now, how does God sanctify His people? 22:31 The verse that we just read says, 22:34 "Through His blood He sanctifies us, 22:36 and He suffered without the gate." 22:40 He suffered without the gate. 22:42 We are sanctified 22:43 by the powerful blood of Jesus Christ. 22:46 When Jesus died, 22:48 He accomplished two things. 22:49 Number one, His objective was to pardon and forgive us. 22:53 Number two, His objective is to cleanse us. 22:56 So in sanctification we have to look for the cross. 22:59 But let me ask you 23:00 at the beginning of this year 2015, sorry. 23:04 How has the year been with you? 23:09 How much God's purpose in your life 23:10 for sanctifying you been in this past year? 23:14 Ponder the questions 23:16 if you would. 23:17 In the past year, has your faith increased 23:20 during the year? 23:22 In the past year, have you over come 23:26 some corruptions in your heart? 23:29 Are you living nearer to Christ now, 23:31 today on this Sabbath 23:32 than you were the first Sabbath of last year? 23:35 Do you know more of your Savior? 23:37 Are you approaching Him more in likeness? 23:40 Do you have more power in your prayer? 23:42 Are you more careful in your life? 23:44 Are you more loving than you used to be? 23:47 Are you more decisive for what is right 23:50 and at the same time more humble 23:52 in being decisive? 23:55 Are you in all aspects standing for Jesus Christ 23:59 as your Savior? 24:01 How is it with you at the beginning of this year? 24:04 Whatever you answer to that question, 24:07 from this day forward the key is to press on. 24:11 Now in Hebrew 13:12, 24:14 in Hebrews 13:12, 24:16 we read the verse and it says, 24:18 "Wherefore Jesus that He might sanctify the people 24:22 with His own blood, suffered 24:24 without or outside the gate." 24:28 I want to take a few moments 24:29 and look at this phrase outside the gate, 24:31 outside the gate. 24:33 Why did Jesus have to suffer outside the gate? 24:36 You see, when you look at the Jewish sanctuary 24:38 in the Old Testament, 24:40 in particular the sin offering. 24:42 The high priest offered the sin offering, 24:45 is only when he offered the sin offering 24:47 because it was offensive to God. 24:49 It was burned not on the altar of sacrifice, 24:53 but it was burned outside the camp 24:55 to show Gods detestation for sin 24:58 and His determination to put it away from His people 25:00 and His church. 25:02 In Leviticus 6:30, 25:04 the Bible says, 25:06 "And no sin offering, where of any of the blood 25:10 is brought into the tabernacle of the congregation 25:13 to reconcile in the holy place, shall be eaten: 25:16 it shall be burnt with fire." 25:18 The sin offering was burnt outside the camp 25:21 not on the altar inside the courtyard. 25:23 Now interesting, 25:24 when Jesus came to this world to be our sin offering, 25:28 it's interesting how accurately 25:30 He fulfilled the type in order to be our Savior. 25:35 It's interesting. 25:36 It's remarkable how providence provided 25:39 for Jesus to fulfill the type. 25:42 Had Jesus been killed in Luke 4, 25:45 when they wanted to kill Him, 25:46 it's likely He may have died 25:48 within the realms of the city. 25:51 When you read in John 8, 25:52 as we referenced yesterday in our sermon. 25:54 And you read in John 10, 25:56 as we referenced yesterday in our sermon. 25:58 When they wanted to kill Jesus, 25:59 not only was it the wrong time to kill Jesus. 26:02 It had not yet been three and a half years. 26:04 It was the wrong place. 26:05 In John 8, Jesus was inside the city. 26:09 In John 10, Jesus was inside the city 26:12 and, and as a sin offering, 26:14 He had to suffer outside of the gate. 26:19 Unless, Jesus was put to death judicially, 26:22 it would have been unlikely for Him to die 26:25 on the Mount of Doom, Golgotha. 26:27 It's remarkable, I think it's quite remarkable 26:29 that the Romans chose 26:30 a place outside the city to do the crucifixion. 26:34 If I was the Romans and I wanted to put fear 26:36 in the heart of the Jews 26:38 for disobeying the Roman Empire. 26:40 I would put that cross 26:42 right in the middle of the city, 26:44 where everyone can see it and where the person 26:46 who's dying dies a slow 26:48 and painful death in view of everybody. 26:52 If you go to England 26:53 there are certain cities you can go to, 26:55 I can take you to the city of Oxford. 26:57 And there right in the middle of the city, 26:59 there's a white cross on the ground, 27:01 right on the main street 27:02 outside one of the colleges in Oxford 27:04 near the main shopping street. 27:05 There's a white cross on the ground 27:07 signifying the place 27:08 where Ridley, Latimer and Cranmer 27:10 were burnt to death 27:11 right in the middle of the city. 27:14 As a spectacle, don't defy the church 27:17 or you will die too. 27:19 Today, on the news you watch ISIS 27:21 going around chopping people's heads off 27:23 in the Middle East, terrible. 27:26 But if you compared the number of people 27:27 who have had their heads chopped off 27:29 to the number of people who have died by gunfire, 27:31 it's probably vastly different in numbers. 27:34 But the beheadings is so ghastly, 27:36 it's so raw 27:38 that it strikes fear 27:39 into the hearts of the people 27:40 when they hear ISIS is coming to the town. 27:43 Fear is a great motivator of people unfortunately. 27:48 But the cross 27:49 which struck fear into the heart of the Jews 27:51 was not there in the middle of the city. 27:54 Jesus must not die in a commotion, 27:56 in the midst of the city. 27:58 He must die outside the city. 28:00 And so the Romans had a place of execution 28:02 outside the city limits, that by dying outside, 28:07 Jesus might be our sin offering. 28:12 Let me ask you a question. 28:14 Who was outside the city? 28:18 If you had gone to the great camp of Israel 28:20 there in the Old Testament, 28:21 who was outside the camp of Israel? 28:24 You would have seen that the standard of Dan, 28:27 the standard of Judah, the standard of Ruben, 28:29 there in the camp of Israel, but who was outside. 28:32 If you had looked far into the distance, 28:34 you would have seen some wretched huts 28:36 in the distance, 28:37 and if you would ask someone 28:38 who is living in those huts out there. 28:40 The answer would have come back to you, 28:41 in those huts out there, 28:43 that is the unclean, that is the lepers, 28:47 they're outside the camp, for they cannot come in. 28:50 And if you had wandered 28:51 your way out through the tents 28:54 and you were gone outside the camp, 28:56 and as you wandered around outside the camp, 28:58 somewhere sooner or later, 29:00 you would have heard the cry coming out 29:03 unclean, unclean, unclean. 29:07 For the leper's responsibility was to warn you, 29:10 that you did not come close to their presence. 29:12 Lest even the wind should blow and you would catch the leprosy 29:16 through the wind. 29:20 If you'd gone closer, if you could see closer, 29:24 you would see the leper, 29:25 not with a nice red ruddy lips that you have today, 29:30 but there above his teeth 29:31 would be a white line where the lips had been... 29:34 the lips had been eroded away 29:36 so to speak. 29:37 And as you got closer, 29:38 they would cover their mouth with a cloth or a hand 29:40 and say unclean, unclean, 29:42 unclean again. 29:43 For they did not want you to come there 29:44 into his presence, 29:46 it was a deadly disease, a contagious disease 29:50 of whom is the leper a type. 29:57 The leper is a type of you and I 29:59 in our natural state. 30:01 Without Jesus Christ, we are like the leper, 30:05 sinful, miserable, unjustified. 30:11 Jesus died outside the camp, that He might sanctify us. 30:16 Follow me now, picture the scene. 30:18 Use your righteous imagination. Your what imagination? 30:23 Your righteous imagination. Picture the scene if you will. 30:26 You know, you will not find this 30:28 written in the pages of scripture, 30:29 but picture the scene if you will. 30:32 There is a leper outside the camp, 30:35 he cannot mingle with the others. 30:36 He is not allowed inside to the camp 30:39 and as he is out there outside the camp, 30:40 there are certain things they couldn't do. 30:41 If they came to a stream, you know, probably likely, 30:44 they weren't allowed to drink from the stream, 30:45 lest they contaminate the water 30:47 and people live further on would catch leprosy. 30:50 So maybe, just maybe, 30:51 if they want to get a drink of water, 30:53 they find a puddle, stagnant, dirty water 30:56 and there they sip from the stagnant dirty water. 31:00 If their own father comes outside the city, 31:02 they have to run and go away from him. 31:04 If the man's wife came outside the city, 31:07 she as the wife would have to shun her husband, 31:10 lest she catch the leprous disease. 31:14 And as this leper is walking along 31:16 outside the camp, 31:17 he walks along and he goes around 31:19 some big boulders there in the desert, 31:20 and as he walks around the boulders in the desert, 31:23 there he sees just not too far away 31:27 a cross. 31:31 Lifting up on the cross, 31:32 there is one dying on it and he stops. 31:35 Now he knows he is not allowed 31:36 into the presence of any living person. 31:38 He has to warn them that he is coming, 31:40 but he thinks to himself, this man is dying. 31:45 Surely, surely, he can approach a dying man, 31:49 for a man who is dying cannot die twice. 31:52 And so slowly, carefully, he walks toward the man 31:55 hanging on the cross timidly at first, 31:57 but as he gets closer, he notices that on the cross 32:00 the one who is there is still alive. 32:04 Craving some human company, 32:06 even if it is a dying man, he gets closer and closer 32:09 and as he stands there finally under the cross, 32:12 and he looks up, 32:14 the face looking down at him is a face of love, 32:16 compassion, tenderness, mercy 32:19 and goodness looking down at him. 32:23 Wilt thou be made whole? 32:28 Joy fills his heart. He is outside the city. 32:32 He is unclean. 32:33 But here outside the city, he finds one dying on a cross. 32:38 This man spoke to him. 32:39 Not any old words, but words of life, 32:43 encouragement and joy filled his heart, 32:46 he has been cleansed. 32:52 This morning, 32:56 look to Jesus. 32:58 He died outside the camp where the poor, unclean sinners 33:03 like you and I might find Him. 33:06 The leper would never have been allowed inside the city, 33:09 only outside. 33:11 But as one man was dying, figuratively speaking, 33:15 he gave life to another, the beauty of salvation. 33:20 This is the first lesson this morning from the text. 33:24 Jesus died outside the camp, because that's where we are 33:27 before we accept Christ into our life. 33:30 The leper is a type of us in our unconverted state, 33:33 where we need Jesus outside the camp. 33:35 But the text says, 33:37 ''In order that Jesus 33:38 might sanctify us through His blood.' 33:41 'You see this comes a little closer. 33:43 Now you may say, 33:44 ''Oh, that was a nice word picture that you just said, 33:46 that was interesting, 33:47 but I accepted Christ into my heart 10 years ago, 33:50 20 years ago, 30 years ago, 33:52 two years ago three decades ago 33:54 is when I accepted Christ into my heart, 33:56 and I can't quite resonate 33:57 necessarily with that experience.'' 34:00 But you see sanctification is the work of a lifetime. 34:04 It's a school from which you never graduate from. 34:07 It's something that happens every week, 34:08 every moment. 34:11 How many of you can resonate with this? 34:13 You know the feeling 34:14 where you've accepted Christ into your heart. 34:17 And as you're going along your Christian journey, 34:19 some evil propensity comes back to life 34:22 that you thought had gone. 34:23 And you feel in that moment, in that moment you feel, 34:29 as though you couldn't come before God again. 34:32 You feel like you've lost His presence, 34:35 you slipped again, 34:36 and you knew you shouldn't slip up, 34:38 you prayed about the very thing, 34:39 but you still slipped up and went into sin, 34:41 and the same old feeling of sin 34:43 and guilt and filthiness comes back to you. 34:48 You feel like you can't meet God, 34:49 you can't go into His presence. 34:52 You feel like your prayers are bouncing off the ceiling. 34:55 You open your Bible to read it, 34:56 and it seems like God just, 34:58 it is just dry. 35:01 Your religious experience has dried up. 35:04 There have been times when I have gone to church 35:06 knowing what I might be struggling with, 35:09 and while serving God, 35:10 I may feel 35:11 there in the presence of other believers 35:13 as if I am the most unclean of everyone there 35:18 outside the camp. 35:21 How many times, 35:22 have you may be being to camp meeting 35:25 had that spiritual high and on the way back home, 35:28 you're right back to where you were one week previous. 35:33 How is it gonna be for you on Monday morning, 35:36 when there is no GYC devotion to come to? 35:41 How will it be on Tuesday morning, 35:43 when you're back home and you don't have 35:45 2,3000 Adventists around you anymore? 35:48 It's just you and your Bible and audio books and 3ABN. 35:52 Message. 35:55 How will it be? 35:58 You know what it's like to go to Bible camp. 36:01 And on the way home, you load those same web pages, 36:05 you said, you would never load again. 36:08 You go to church on Sabbath, maybe, and that very night 36:13 you're somewhere where you should not be. 36:16 How many of you know 36:17 the experience to preach a sermon, 36:19 to teach a Sabbath school class, 36:20 to be there in some important meeting in church 36:23 or planning the next greatest thing 36:25 to hit the Adventist Church, 36:26 and when you get back home with your wife, your husband, 36:29 your son, your daughter, your mother, your father, 36:31 your brother, your sister, 36:32 you fly into a rage at the slightest provocation. 36:37 Message. 36:42 And you feel outside the camp. 36:46 Sometimes you wonder 36:47 why it's easy to be a Christian here, 36:49 around Christians than around your family. 36:53 And you sometimes wish if only 36:55 I didn't have to see my family, 36:56 I would be ready for translation. 37:03 At this time, 37:04 your faith is sluggish, your hope is dull. 37:12 Who here today 37:15 in this esteemed gathering of Seventh-day Adventists, 37:18 the largest annual gathering of Seventh-day Adventists 37:20 on the top side of the earth 37:22 of Bible believing Seventh-day Adventist? 37:25 Who is they here 37:26 who has not been put outside the camp. 37:30 Who is they here. 37:31 Maybe today, 37:33 you feel you are outside the camp 37:35 physically inside, but spiritually outside. 37:39 Through the actions of thoughts, 37:40 the motives of your heart, you feel outside the camp. 37:43 In the process of sanctification, 37:46 I believe God puts us outside the camp, 37:49 where our sin needs to be forgiven 37:51 and our sin needs to be cleansed. 37:52 It doesn't matter what titles we hold, 37:54 it doesn't matter who we are, 37:56 what position we have in the church, 37:57 the process of sanctification in our life is a real process. 38:01 But don't miss the point, when we're outside the gate 38:04 because we have sinned. 38:06 When we're outside the gate because we have sinned. 38:08 Remember that Jesus died outside the gate 38:11 that He might sanctify us with His own blood. 38:14 Amen. 38:16 He's not there with us in our action. 38:17 Amen. 38:19 He is there to cleanse us when we come to Him. 38:23 Jesus Himself shut Himself out. 38:26 He was despised and rejected of men. 38:28 He was outside the gate. 38:31 No matter who you are today, no matter where you come from, 38:33 no matter how many times you've gone in and out, 38:36 back and forth from the city. 38:38 Today, today the call is, if you're outside the camp, 38:41 Jesus says, "Come back in, come to me." 38:45 Come to me for Jesus died outside the gate, 38:48 that in the process of sanctification, 38:50 He can cleanse us and give us power. 38:52 It's not something 38:54 you and I should struggle with on our own, 38:56 getting ourselves in a fit condition 38:58 before we come back to God, that's often how we feel, 39:00 I slipped, I've gone away from God, 39:02 I've got to clean myself up 39:03 and then come back to Him. 39:07 When we're there outside the gate, 39:10 Jesus is there to sanctify us. 39:12 He died outside the gate that He might sanctify us 39:14 and give us power and cleanse us 39:16 each time we come back to Him. 39:19 The problem is that, 39:20 well, too often when we're outside, 39:22 we think we're too far from God. 39:24 We're too far. 39:27 You know in the process of sanctification, 39:28 Jesus deals with us. 39:31 He brings different points to our character. 39:33 1 Testimony, page 187 says, 39:35 ''At every advance point 39:37 the heart is tested and tried a little closer. 39:39 Some are willing to receive one point, 39:41 but when God brings them to another testing point, 39:44 they shrink from and stand back 39:45 because they find it strikes directly 39:47 at some cherished idol." 39:49 The process what God does with us, 39:50 He brings us and He shows us our heart 39:52 what we are cherishing. 39:55 And sometimes we may overcome and surrender. 39:57 But sometimes we don't, 39:58 and we cling on to it. 40:00 And in the process of clinging on to it, 40:03 we are outside. 40:07 No matter when you accept Jesus as your Lord 40:08 and Savior into a heart. 40:10 We must go through the process of justification, 40:12 forgiveness, pardon, 40:13 opening the heart to God and sanctification, 40:16 that daily moment by moment cleansing of the heart. 40:20 Jesus died outside the gate 40:21 to give us hope in justification, 40:23 but also to be there throughout out sanctification. 40:28 After we've surrendered our heart to Jesus, 40:29 the struggle continues. 40:31 The struggle is real. 40:32 And as we're married to Jesus Christ, 40:35 we see ourselves in ways 40:36 that we would never see our self before. 40:39 I recently got married 14 months ago, amen. 40:42 Amen. 40:43 Marriage is a beautiful thing. Amen. 40:46 The marriage also shows you things about yourself 40:48 that you never knew were there. 40:50 You never thought they were there. 40:52 There're certain aspects of my character 40:54 my wife will tell me 40:55 that I have and I'm like, 40:57 ''No, way.'' 41:01 No way. 41:03 Now not necessary, maybe you say this is sinful, 41:05 maybe you say it's not sinful, 41:06 but my wife has told me since we got married, 41:08 I always thought my yay was yay 41:09 and my nay was nay. 41:11 And my wife says, "Uh-uh, 41:14 you exaggerate all the time." 41:18 All the time. 41:21 I don't know, I'm an evangelist, 41:22 we like to play with numbers, I don't know. 41:24 You exaggerate all the time. 41:29 When we're married to Christ, we see ourselves 41:33 in a way that we have never seen 41:34 our self before. 41:38 And Christ shows us, who we are. 41:40 But the beauty is, we have a Savior 41:43 who suffered outside the gate. 41:46 We have a high priest who knows how we feel. 41:49 Amen. 41:51 He was tempted in all points like as we are, 41:53 yet without sin. 41:54 I am glad that today, we have a high priest, 41:57 the one who is in heaven who has walked in my shoes, 41:59 has walked in your shoes, 42:01 knows my struggles, knows your struggles, 42:03 knows what it is like to live on Earth as a man. 42:06 Forever he will share an affinity with us, 42:09 because He died on Calvary outside the camp. 42:13 When Jesus came down here to Earth, 42:15 He took upon Himself a humanity that He forever retains. 42:18 He died as a man to give us an example 42:22 that we can also overcome as He overcame. 42:25 He came to this earth 42:27 not just to provide the payment for the penalty of sin, 42:30 but to give us an example 42:31 of how to overcome through the power of God. 42:36 He shares an affinity with us that cannot be broken. 42:39 I read, there's an army 42:41 in the world called ''The French Foreign Legion.'' 42:44 It's a unique fighting unit, 42:45 because they've been around for over 100 years 42:47 or more than that. 42:48 They're made up entirely 42:49 except for the officers or foreigners, 42:52 but they fight for France. 42:54 They have a pretty 42:56 high amount of respect in military circles 42:59 and they maintain a high standard of excellence 43:01 in their ranks. 43:02 Traditionally, some would say romantically 43:04 it was a hiding place for criminals and undesirables. 43:07 Because they could join this army, 43:08 and go and fight in a foreign country. 43:10 And if they served long enough, 43:11 they could become a citizen of France. 43:13 But there was another way they could get citizenship. 43:17 And that was if they were wounded 43:18 or suffered an injury in battle, 43:20 they have a phrase in the French Foreign Legion, 43:22 that says this, 43:24 Francais par le sang verse, 43:27 Francais par le sang verse, 43:30 translated into English is French 43:33 ''By spilled blood.'' 43:37 If you spilled blood in battle, automatically you became 43:42 a citizen of France. 43:47 Jesus spilled His blood outside the gate. 43:52 Forever able to relate to understand 43:55 and empathize 43:57 and compassionately judge mankind, 44:00 because He shares an inseparable bond with us 44:03 due to the blood He shed 44:05 while He was outside the gate. 44:09 This morning, you have a high priest, 44:12 a Savior who knows exactly 44:14 what your struggle this morning is. 44:16 He knows exactly 44:18 what sin you are grappling with, 44:20 what sin has put you outside of the camp. 44:23 He knows exactly what it is in your heart. 44:28 Different for every single one of us individually. 44:31 He knows the struggle that you face this morning. 44:38 He knows the struggle that is awaiting you 44:40 come Monday morning, when you go back home 44:44 and you go back to your workplace 44:46 and your boss is there 44:47 who just winds you up like no one else can. 44:53 That teacher you got to go to the class on Monday 44:56 and that teacher does not like you 44:58 and just seems to be able to get under your skin. 45:00 He knows 45:02 all of those individual situations in our lives. 45:07 He knows them. 45:10 He can understand and compassionately be with us. 45:14 Jesus suffered outside the gate. 45:16 Let us remember, 45:19 remember that. 45:21 What are you struggling with today? 45:23 What are you struggling with today? 45:26 Now there's another application that I want to say briefly 45:28 before we close of the verse and that is this. 45:31 And that sometimes in another application 45:33 when you choose to follow Christ, 45:35 when you choose to follow Christ, 45:37 you feel like you are outside 45:39 the gate of the world. 45:42 What Christian is there 45:43 that having given their heart to Jesus 45:45 should not feel outside the gate of the world's camp. 45:49 Can you be a true saint sanctified set apart for God 45:53 unless somehow the world views you as too strict, 45:57 too austere, too something else. 45:59 If your mannerisms 46:01 and everything is like the world, 46:03 you're not outside the camp of the world. 46:05 It could be though as well today, 46:07 another application. 46:11 Maybe... 46:14 you feel it's almost impossible to serve your master today 46:17 without being shut out of the camp of some 46:20 even in the church. 46:22 I did not mean disfellowship for open sin. 46:24 I mean something far different from this. 46:26 Ellen White says, 46:27 ''To fight the battles of the Lord 46:29 when the champions are few, this will be our test.'' 46:32 The church has become so lacerate, 46:33 so incoherent in doctrine, so trifling inexperience 46:36 and so on holy in lifestyle that to be a Christian today 46:39 can means that you are outside the fellowship of the world 46:42 and outside the fellowship of some in the church. 46:47 How many times have you seen anger, pride, 46:49 backslidden habits lacks Sabbath keeping, 46:52 disregarding the pillars of Christianity, 46:54 let alone Adventism? 46:56 Today, if you believe in the six day creation, 46:58 you're outside the camp of the world, 47:00 you're outside the camp of Christianity, 47:02 and in some circles outside those in our church too. 47:08 If you believe 47:09 that on the Sabbath you shouldn't buy and sell, 47:11 you should not go to restaurants to eat on Sabbath 47:13 that can put you outside the camp 47:14 of some in our church. 47:16 If you believe that the Spirit of Prophecy 47:18 is the inspired revelation from God, 47:20 it can put you outside the camp 47:22 in some circles today. 47:24 Anytime you dare to be too bold, 47:27 too honest for the average Adventist, 47:29 maybe you will be maligned. 47:31 Don't seek it, don't look for it. 47:33 Message. 47:35 But if it comes remember, Jesus went there before. 47:39 Amen. 47:41 He went there before. 47:47 As we come to a close, 47:50 we are naturally outside the gate 47:52 in our unconverted state. 47:54 Jesus wants us back in, to come to Him to the cross. 47:58 But even after we have accepted Jesus 48:00 and we are living with Him, 48:01 we have this struggle of sanctification, 48:03 and sometimes it puts us outside the gate. 48:05 Remember, when you are out there, 48:07 whatever you may be struggling with, 48:08 Jesus is there with you outside the gate. 48:11 He died outside the gate, I mean, 48:13 He is right there willing 48:15 and ready to accept you 48:16 when you come to Him. 48:18 Remember the text in the Bible where it says, 48:20 "If I be lifted up, 48:22 I will draw all men unto Me." 48:26 This morning, 48:27 what is it that you are struggling with? 48:29 What sin is holding you? 48:30 Is it anger? 48:31 Is it bitterness? 48:33 Is it lack of forgiveness? 48:35 Is it arrogant? Is it pride? 48:36 What are you struggling with today? 48:43 Don't struggle alone, know that outside the gate, 48:48 Jesus died so that you can be sanctified. 48:53 Amen. 48:55 So that you can be made whole. 48:57 This morning as we close, 48:59 I like to invite you to bow your heads. 49:02 May every head be bowed, and every eye be closed. 49:04 Father in heaven, as we come to a close today, 49:08 as we recognize Your word that gives us the encouragement 49:13 that You died outside the camp where we are. 49:18 Lord, we come to You with bowed heads, 49:24 humble hearts. 49:26 And Lord this morning, if there be anyone here. 49:32 I just want to give you an opportunity 49:34 to respond to God. 49:37 That in the silence of this moment, 49:40 what the Holy Spirit has convicted on your heart, 49:43 that secret sin that you 49:45 maybe even planning to do come Monday, Tuesday. 49:51 Or maybe, it's going to side 49:52 swipe you and catch you unaware. 49:54 Whatever it might be, 49:57 that secret sin that one that hold you down. 50:01 That attitude that you may have 50:04 that is destroying you spiritually. 50:07 If the Lord is convicting you at this moment 50:09 and you just want to say 50:11 in the silence of this moment to you and God. 50:14 Lord, take that from me, 50:16 I just want to invite you at this time 50:18 to raise your hand to heaven. 50:21 To raise your hand to raise it high, 50:24 God sees the hand, 50:25 He reads the heart. 50:29 Lord, you know Your children, 50:31 you know the struggles that we face. 50:33 And we thank you Lord 50:35 that You came down lived on this earth. 50:39 And that You forever share an affinity with us 50:42 through the blood You spilled outside the gate. 50:45 Lord bless us. Bless the decisions 50:48 that have been made today, we ask this in Jesus' name. 50:53 Amen. 50:55 Amen. |
Revised 2016-07-21