Participants: C.A. Murray (Host), Pr. John Lomacang
Series Code: 14HC
Program Code: 14HC000004
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00:46 Good morning and happy Preparation Day.
00:51 This is the day before the Sabbath 00:53 and the second day of our Fall Homecoming Camp Meeting 00:57 here at Three Angels Broadcasting Network. 00:59 And if you were with us on last evening, I think you 01:01 can agree that we had a very fine time in the Lord, 01:04 did we not? Good music! Good preaching! 01:07 Good questions and answers. 01:09 And it was really a very, very quick three hours that we spent 01:13 together. And now we get to spend the whole day together. 01:16 Praise the Lord! Some forty years ago 01:21 I was the pastor of the Bethel SDA Church 01:27 in Brooklyn, New York. Youth pastor. 01:29 I'd like to say that I pastored from the cradle, 01:31 but I cannot. But I met 40 years ago 01:35 a young man who was running the streets of Brooklyn 01:37 by the name of John Lomacang. 01:39 He was painfully thin 01:42 and on the edges of the church, 01:45 but he had good parenting and he also had a very loyal 01:50 girlfriend by the name of Angela Marr... 01:53 who made sure that even though he was out Friday night 01:56 doing what he was not supposed to do 01:58 Sabbath morning he was in church next to her. 02:02 And she kept him close until the Lord got a hold of him. 02:05 And several years later he is now the pastor of the 02:08 Thompsonville SDA church and our pastor. I tease him. 02:14 I say he used to sleep on my sermons 02:16 40 years ago 02:22 and now I am not allowed to sleep on his 40 years later. 02:27 He is a good preacher, a good author, 02:29 a gifted singer, and a man of God. 02:33 He told me not to take too long in this introduction 02:36 and I will not do so because he has much to say. 02:38 He is writing a new book that I am very, very anxious 02:41 to have him finish because we all want to read it. 02:45 He and I are both writing at this time. 02:47 I don't know who's going to finish first. 02:49 Perhaps he will... but maybe he'll talk just a little bit 02:51 about that because it is a very timely book 02:55 and something that the church needs to have. 02:59 John is going to be speaking on the subject 03:02 Sand of the Sea. 03:05 I affectionately call him rabbi. 03:08 He calls me bishop. 03:10 When you've known somebody 40 years you can kind of play 03:12 with names like that a little bit. But he is a good friend... 03:14 he and Angela. We love them dearly. 03:16 And he is a talented servant of the Lord. 03:19 Before he speaks Celestine Berry 03:22 and her husband Mike are going to bring special music. 03:25 They have ambled down from Chicago to be part of 03:28 the 3ABN family, and we love them so very, very much. 03:32 And they just fit right in. She is the secretary 03:36 of the church and he is a gifted musician and pianist also. 03:40 Many stories we could tell about Mike and Celestine 03:43 but we don't have time to do that now. 03:45 I am asking from you for our pastor, our friend, 03:48 your undivided and prayerful attention. 03:50 We know that God has given him a message for us 03:53 and we ask that you hear the message of the Lord 03:56 and be blessed. Shall we pray? 03:58 Father God, we do praise You and thank you so very, very much 04:02 for the privilege we have of serving You. 04:06 For the call that brought us out of darkness into the 04:08 marvelous light of Your Word and Your truth. 04:11 We ask just now, dear Father, that You would be with 04:14 the speaker. Be with our friend and our pastor. 04:17 Give him words that will be meat in due season for us. 04:21 And then help us to hear and to do... because it is in 04:26 the doing that we are made like Christ Jesus. 04:29 We thank you and praise You in Jesus' name, Amen. 04:33 Mike and Celestine Berry followed by our pastor, 04:36 our friend John Lomacang. 05:05 Lead me, Lord... 05:09 lead me by the hand 05:12 and make me face the rising sun. 05:17 Comfort me through all the pain that life may bring. 05:23 There's no other hope 05:26 that I can lean upon. 05:31 Lead me, Lord... 05:34 lead me all my life. 05:41 Walk by me... 05:45 walk by me across the lonely road 05:49 that I may face. 05:52 Take my arms, and let Your hand show me God's way. 06:00 Show the way to live inside Your love 06:05 all my days... 06:09 all my life. 06:14 You are my light; 06:19 You're the lamp upon my feet. 06:22 All the time, my Lord, I need You there. 06:28 You are my light 06:33 I cannot live alone. 06:36 Let me stay by Your guiding love 06:41 all through my life 06:48 lead me, Lord. 06:56 Lead me Lord... 07:00 even though at times I'd rather go 07:04 alone my way. 07:06 Help me take the right direction... 07:11 take Your road. 07:14 Lead me, Lord, to never leave 07:18 Thy side all my days... 07:23 all my life. 07:29 You are my light 07:34 You're the lamp upon my feet. 07:37 All the time, my Lord, I need You there. 07:43 You are my light 07:47 I cannot live alone. 07:50 Let me stay by Your guiding love. 07:56 All through my life. 08:02 You are my light; 08:07 You're the lamp upon my feet. 08:10 All the time, my Lord, I need You there. 08:16 And You are my light 08:20 I cannot live alone. 08:23 Let me stay by Your guiding love 08:29 all through my life... 08:32 all through my days... 08:35 Lead me, Lord, 08:42 all my 08:47 life. 09:14 Thank you Mike and Celestine. Amen? 09:16 Amen! News that we need to know this morning 09:20 is that in our lives, in our trials, in our difficulties, 09:23 God is there. Amen. 09:26 I know that "bishop" already prayed 09:31 but I want to ask the Lord to lead again this morning. 09:33 Let's bow our heads. 09:37 Heavenly Father, take this opportunity, Lord, 09:41 to pour into Your manservant. 09:43 I yield myself to Your Spirit's impression 09:48 and leading in Jesus' name. Amen. 09:53 It's amazing what can come out of Bible study. 09:57 My wife and I have opportunity to read our Bibles 10:01 on a daily occasion. And sometimes we would take that 10:05 to the next level and read Patriarchs and Prophets 10:07 together which we're doing right now. 10:09 Sometimes I would read a devotion from Maranatha 10:12 or one of Ellen White's books and we would always 10:15 in that moment be prepared for what's coming next. 10:18 And we have been filled with no short amazement to see 10:23 how God takes our time of study 10:26 to prepare us for what we will face 10:28 either during that day or even during that week. 10:33 The topic of the sand of the sea came up 10:35 and I was immediately pointed to Revelation chapter 20:7-8 10:40 which I will read in just a moment. 10:43 But it tapped me on the back to let me know that there is 10:47 a topic today in Christianity that has for some reason 10:52 been overlooked, been deleted and has been somewhat 10:56 ignored in place of the more common and acceptable 10:59 kinds of sermons and messages that are coming to the forefront 11:02 today, and that is the sermon about the destruction of the 11:06 wicked, the end of sin, the coming of our Lord and Savior. 11:10 And I am excited this morning that one day 11:13 sin will be no more. What do you say? Amen! 11:16 That there is coming a day when every impact that sin has 11:20 brought to this planet will not even be in our memory. 11:25 And sin is now today synonymous to something that the world 11:30 is not concerned about. 11:32 Just recently my wife and I went to Nairobi, Kenya. 11:35 And upon mentioning our plans to go the word "Ebola" 11:39 came to the forefront. Those that work here at 3ABN... 11:43 her boss, our friends, individuals that have come 11:47 in contact with us... said: "Be careful 11:49 because we know that you are going to a region where the 11:51 possibility of contracting Ebola is maybe at a higher risk 11:56 than it would be here in the United States. " 11:59 But I did my homework and assured them that Ebola was 12:01 3,363 miles away from us. 12:06 But still deep in the heart they said: "But there's still 12:09 a possibility. " And I've come to discover that Ebola 12:14 at the mention of its name the neighbors of western Africa 12:20 are filled with fear. First discovered in 1976 12:25 the name Ebola - as I did my homework - 12:27 come from a river in close proximity 12:31 to the Democratic Republic of Congo. 12:34 According to the New York Times scientists now believe that 12:37 bats are the natural source for the virus 12:41 and that humans and apes catch it from eating food 12:45 that bats have drooled or defecated on 12:49 according to the article 12:51 or by coming in contact with surfaces covered 12:54 in infected bat droppings and then touching the eyes 12:58 or the mouth. I wondered how the virus was spread. 13:02 I was encouraged when they told me it was not spread 13:04 by sneezing or just by casually passing in the same region. 13:11 However on Tuesday, just this week, September 23, 2014, 13:15 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 13:18 that in a worst-case scenario 13:21 Ebola could infect 1.4 million by January 2015. 13:28 The World Health Organization agrees with those estimates. 13:33 Collectively they say that if no cure is found 13:36 Ebola can potentially become a modern-day bubonic plague 13:42 that wiped out 1/3 of Europe. 13:46 Because the U.N. members know its potential as a global threat 13:49 steps are now being taken to contain and resolve 13:53 the Ebola crisis. And today when you turn the news on 13:57 and when you listen carefully there is hardly a place on earth 14:00 that has not expressed some concern for the Ebola virus. 14:05 But now this morning allow me to introduce to you 14:08 a pandemic that has a far- greater reaching impact 14:12 than the Ebola virus will ever have. 14:16 This pandemic has only three letters: SIN. 14:21 And I believe because of its far-reaching impact 14:24 that has been proven, we should invest a deeper interest 14:28 in avoiding the long-term effects of the sin pandemic. 14:32 Because if you look at the statistics, everybody agrees 14:35 with this: that sin boasts a mortality rate of 100%. 14:42 Everyone born is affected by it. 14:45 You don't have to be in the region... you're just born 14:47 affected by it. That's why Romans says in Romans 3:23 14:52 "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. " 14:57 When I read that verse and included it in this sermon 15:01 I praise God that there are more verses in the Bible about 15:04 sin, what do you say? It's not the final result. 15:07 That's not the final analogy; that is not the final prognosis. 15:10 And so this morning I have good news and bad news. 15:14 Let's begin with the bad news. 15:17 The day is quickly approaching 15:21 when the sin problem will forever be resolved. 15:25 Soon sin will forever be destroyed 15:29 in the fires of hell. What do you say, church? 15:32 You might ask the question: "What is the bad news? " 15:35 The bad news is those that refuse the cure 15:38 will also eventually be destroyed with it. 15:42 That's the bad news. 15:43 And I look at the world around me... I look at the things that 15:45 God is offering and I compare that on the scales 15:47 of what the world has been offering to man over the course 15:52 of human history and I ask myself the question: 15:54 "How can you refuse what God is offering 15:59 in place of what Satan is offering? " 16:01 How can you settle for that which is temporary 16:04 in light of that which is eternal? 16:06 How can you settle for that which by involving one's self 16:10 degrades and debilitates and destroys 16:13 in comparison to what God offers that elevates 16:17 and ennobles and renews and gives eternal life? 16:21 How can you make that comparison and find there is 16:25 any equity or any comparison in the two categories. 16:28 That's why when I think about the effect of sin 16:31 the teaching that God has an eternally-burning hell 16:34 to endlessly punish sinners is absurd. 16:39 The Word of God says: "I find no pleasure in the death 16:43 of those who die, says the Lord. Therefore turn and live. " 16:47 Ezekiel 18 and verse 32. 16:50 God finds no pleasure in the death of the wicked 16:54 but one day sin and sinners will be no more. 16:59 The other bad news is: preachers are no longer warning 17:04 sinners to avoid the approaching judgment on sin. 17:07 You think about it today. Just turn your television on 17:10 on any given day of the week. 17:11 I thank God that 3ABN is com- mitted to that. What do you say? 17:14 That we are committed to calling sin by its right name. 17:18 And while we call sin by its right name, we don't leave out 17:21 the solution to sin... and His name is Jesus! 17:26 But this is the hour, my brothers and sisters, that we 17:29 must calibrate our spiritual compass 17:32 and check our religious pulse and examine our spiritual 17:36 dedication. So this morning accept my invitation. 17:39 Come along with me on an archaeological excursion 17:42 to unearth long-forgotten scriptural themes. 17:47 Join me as we stroll the halls 17:50 of the Museum of Unpopular Biblical Themes 17:54 and climb on board as we embark on an unforgettable journey 17:58 to an island called Irrelevant Sermons. 18:02 I believe somebody's got to preach what God's Word 18:04 wants us to preach. What do you say? 18:07 As your tour guide the purpose of my trip is 18:10 to resurrect the fragments of out-of-date preaching, 18:12 to open the sealed containers labeled Don't Preach That 18:15 Any More, and to dust off the pulpit where urgent messages 18:19 were once preached. This is the hour that we've 18:22 got to get away from meandering in the maze of mediocrity 18:26 and pondering at the pool of popularity 18:28 and get back to proclaiming with a voice of urgency 18:32 the call that one day sin and sinners will be no more. 18:37 The apostle Timothy records the words 18:40 of an urgent preacher. He says: "Preach the Word. " 18:42 Preach the what, church? "Preach the Word. " 18:45 Be instant in season... and this is a season 18:49 the days of diluted messages have come to the forefront. 18:54 Be instant in season, out of season. That means 18:58 when it's popular and when it's not popular be ready. 19:02 Reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering 19:05 and doctrine: that word that people seek to avoid today. 19:09 For the time will come... Can I modify that? 19:12 "For the time has come when they will not endure sound doctrine" 19:17 the Bible says, "but after their own lusts 19:21 they shall heap for themselves teachers having itching ears. 19:26 They shall turn away their ears from the truth 19:29 and shall be turned unto fables. " 19:32 It's been a long journey but we have finally arrived 19:34 at the time where popular preaching is preferred 19:38 above solemn sermons. This is the day and age 19:41 when preachers tell you about financial stability 19:45 and how to launch social programs. 19:47 That's all well and good but you cannot leave out Jesus 19:50 in the social setting for He is as social as 19:53 He is divine. Can you say amen to that? 19:56 But I find it repulsive somehow 19:58 that when you turn on television men that have been called 20:01 by God to proclaim an undiluted message 20:05 are selling out for material wealth. 20:08 I was turned off by one of the preachers that said 20:11 as he continues to raise millions and millions of dollars 20:15 to fund his lavish lifestyle. 20:17 And let me make a point right here: God is not upset 20:20 with those that have wealth. 20:22 Many men in the Bible were very wealthy. 20:25 God is not upset with wealth, 20:27 but it's the love of money that is the root of all evil. 20:30 And when a preacher stands in the pulpit and gives this reason 20:34 for his indulgence in materialism 20:37 when he says: "When I get to heaven I'm not going to go 20:39 to heaven poor" I find that an offense. 20:43 Because I want to tell you: Today, no matter what you buy 20:46 and what you possess, the only thing we're taking to heaven 20:48 is our character. There ain't going to be any trailer trucks 20:52 in heaven. Nobody's going to have any delivery trucks 20:56 coming to heaven. "This is Preacher So-and-So's stuff. " 20:58 It's all going to go up in flames one day. 21:00 So that's why the Bible says: "Do not invest in those things 21:04 that rust and moths will decay 21:09 and thieves will break in and steal. " 21:11 And so today - nowadays - these prosperity preachers are 21:15 amassing wealth. And all you have to do is look at the news 21:19 and see that there are no shortage of preachers 21:22 that want to be wealthy. 21:24 Well I don't want to be wealthy. 21:26 I don't mind having a little bit more money. 21:30 But I want to tell you that the greatest wealth to have 21:32 is Jesus... Amen! 21:35 for My Father owns the cattle on a thousand hills. 21:39 I serve One who doesn't count cattle by the head; 21:42 He counts His cattle by the hill. 21:44 Like the little boy said to the young man who was boasting 21:49 about his father's boat in the ocean, 21:51 about his father's plane in the sky, 21:54 and about his father's mansion on the hillside. 21:56 This little poor boy had no comeback until God impressed 21:59 his humble little heart and he said: 22:01 "Well you see that boat that your father has? 22:04 Your boat is on the water that my Father owns. " 22:08 Amen somebody? 22:10 "You see that plane that your father flies? 22:13 Your father flies his plane in the air that my Daddy owns. " 22:17 "You see that hill on which your father's house sits? 22:21 Your father's house sits on land that my Daddy owns. " 22:24 I tell you friends, it's going to get rough before it gets 22:26 better. But I never forgot the story: 22:27 As one plane was filled with passengers that were gripped 22:31 by fear as turbulence all but brought that plane down. 22:34 But they couldn't help but notice a little girl. 22:37 Couldn't be more than seven or eight years old. 22:39 She just continued coloring in her book 22:41 while all the passengers were gripped with fear. 22:43 And somebody could not hesitate to ask her when the plane landed 22:46 safely: "Why were you not afraid? " 22:49 She said: "Well my daddy's the pilot. 22:51 He was just taking me home. " 22:53 Amen church? It's going to get rough before it gets better. 22:56 But we've got to know that our "Daddy" is the pilot. 22:59 We're going to get home. 23:01 That's why in this day and age messages intended by God 23:04 to wake up a slumbering society have been substituted 23:08 by messages that increase our desire for material gain 23:12 and then at same time decrease our desire for eternity. 23:15 I want to be in the kingdom. What about you? Amen! 23:17 In the midst of covetous ministries, political pulpits, 23:21 and Christians that have their minds set on occupying 23:24 the White House, I can almost hear heaven calling us 23:28 to return to scriptural integrity. 23:30 And the reason is clear. 23:32 The destruction of the days of Noah are about to be repeated 23:37 again on a grand scale. Amen. 23:40 As it was in his day... I don't hear preachers talking about 23:44 that... about the coming destruction. 23:48 They talk about attitudes that your family members have. 23:50 And you know, we've got to find a way to deal with that, too. 23:54 But while you talk about the temporal, don't leave out 23:56 the eternal. A converted preacher by the name of Peter 24:00 wrote these words in II Peter chapter 3 verses 3-7. 24:03 And he says: "Knowing this first: that scoffers will come 24:07 in the last days... " Are there scoffers in the last days? 24:12 There is no shortage of scoffers. 24:14 "Walking according to their own lusts. 24:16 And they will be saying: 'Where is the promise of His coming? 24:19 For since the fathers fell asleep... ' they say... 24:22 'all things continue as they were from the beginning 24:26 of creation. ' " Let me insert something here: 24:28 things are not the same as they were when I was a young man! 24:32 Come on... help me out, somebody. 24:34 Times have changed. I was raised in quite a different world... 24:37 and I'm not that old. 24:39 I didn't mean to use the word old, but I'm not that young. 24:44 Fits me in a category. 24:45 But it's quite different than it was in the 70's and 80's 24:48 and the 90's. Can I get an amen on that? 24:50 So things have not continued the way they were 24:52 from the beginning of creation. 24:54 But the reason is clear: "For this they willingly forget" 24:57 Peter said, "that the Word of God... 25:00 that by the Word of God the heavens were of old 25:03 and the earth standing out of water and in the water 25:05 by which the world that then existed perished 25:10 being flooded with water. " 25:13 You can look at the evidences. 25:14 Although there are many contending in the school of 25:17 intellectuality, it is clear that when you find fossils 25:21 at the top of Mt. Everest people did not take the time 25:24 to carry them there. 25:28 He goes on to say: "But the heavens and the earth which are 25:31 now preserved by the same Word 25:33 are reserved for fire until the day of judgment 25:37 and perdition of ungodly men. " 25:39 We've got to be like Noah in this diluted generation. 25:43 We've got to be like faithful men of God of the past. 25:46 God is calling for faithful men. 25:48 God is not calling for famous men. 25:50 God is calling for faithful men. 25:53 Noah preached and Noah built, and he directed the ark 25:56 and the building of the ark. By faith he built a boat. 25:59 And for 120 years God's Spirit pleaded with mankind 26:04 that became convinced that what God had to offer was not 26:08 worth notice. "And in the year that Methuselah died 26:12 the flood came. " And by the way, Methuselah means 26:15 when he dies the water comes. 26:17 How'd you like to have that kind of name? 26:19 "How's Methuselah doing today? 26:21 I just heard he died... the water's coming. " 26:24 We live in a world just like Noah's world. 26:27 Luke 17 verse 26: 26:29 "As it was in the days of Noah... " 26:32 the Lord says... "so it will be in the days of the Son of Man. 26:36 They ate, they drank, they married wives 26:39 and they were given in marriage 26:40 until the day that Noah entered the ark 26:43 and the flood came and destroyed them all. " 26:44 There's another flood coming. This time it's not water... 26:47 it's going to be fire this time. 26:50 The prosperity gospel has overshadowed the preparation 26:52 gospel. Let me encourage you today: when you go home and you 26:55 think about what to do with your money, stop spending 26:57 your money to support marshmallow ministries that 27:00 avoid telling the truth. Amen! 27:03 Spend it where God will get a clear proclamation. 27:07 Just in case you don't know where that is, 27:11 allow me to give you a hint. 27:13 It's only got four letters: 3ABN. 27:17 Amen somebody? Amen! 27:19 We've got to get away from all this diluted sermonizing 27:22 and get back to the urgency of the hour. 27:25 It doesn't matter how many people you cram into a building. 27:27 What really matters is how many people are going to be 27:29 in the ark when Jesus comes. 27:31 So people boast about the great numbers in a building. 27:33 I want to boast when I get on the inside of the ark. 27:35 Somebody once said the ark was an awful place to be 27:38 with all those stink animals. I'd rather be in a stink place 27:41 of safety than a sweet- smelling place of insecurity. 27:45 What do you say? But today the Bible says: 27:48 "Watch out for how they preach for when they shall say 'peace 27:51 and safety' then sudden destruction comes upon them. 27:54 As labor pains upon a pregnant woman they will not escape. " 27:57 I Thessalonians 5 and verse 3. 28:00 God is calling on faithful preachers to warn the world 28:03 of the coming destruction. 28:05 Don't believe the feel-good Lazy Boy recliner sermons any more. 28:12 Too many of those. Every time I go to a book stand 28:15 "The Seven Habits Of A Highly-Effective Christian" 28:18 and you can't find sin in the entire book. 28:21 And then they say it's the number one best seller on the 28:23 New York Times Best Seller List. 28:26 Well there's a lot of books that fall into that category 28:28 but I'm not concerned about the New York Times Best Sellers List 28:31 because the Bible is still on the top of that list. 28:33 What do you say? Amen! It's still 28:34 the number one selling book of all time. 28:39 Nobody's saying that on the horizon a storm of judgment 28:42 is brewing like none that humanity has ever witnessed 28:47 before. And so if you know where the book of Zephaniah is 28:50 turn there with me to Zephaniah chapter 1. 28:52 Let's begin to resurrect scriptures that have lost their 28:55 impact in modern society. 28:57 Let's begin to use verses that you don't hear on television... 29:00 at least not on that television. 29:03 Zephaniah chapter 1:14-18. You won't hear this 29:07 in that 30,000-seat stadium. 29:10 Zephaniah chapter 1 verses 14 to 18. 29:14 Here is the word of the day from the God who has prognosticated 29:19 the coming destruction. He says in His Word: 29:24 "The great day of the Lord is near. 29:28 It is near and hastens quickly. 29:31 The noise of the day of the Lord is bitter. 29:34 There the mighty men shall cry out. 29:38 The day is a day of wrath... a day of trouble and distress. 29:42 A day of devastation and desolation. 29:44 A day of darkness and gloominess. 29:47 A day of clouds and thick darkness. " 29:50 God continues: "A day of trumpet and alarm against the 29:54 fortified cities, against the high towers. " 29:57 And then He proclaims: "I will bring distress upon men" 30:00 the Lord says, "and they shall walk like 30:03 blind men because they have sinned against the Lord. 30:07 Their blood shall be poured out like dust 30:10 and their flesh like refuse. 30:13 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able 30:16 to deliver them in the day of the Lord's wrath. 30:20 But the whole land shall be devoured by the fire 30:23 of His jealousy. For He will make speedy riddance 30:27 of all those who dwell in the land. " 30:30 This is not a La-Z-Boy recliner text. Come on somebody, 30:33 say amen. These are the verses that have somehow been 30:36 highlighted and deleted in the pulpits of our world. 30:40 But they are there for God to give it to us 30:45 and let this text of urgency resonate throughout the world 30:48 today... for this day is coming. 30:51 You know, you can ignore a sign, 30:53 but the impact of the sign does not change. 30:56 You can ignore the high-voltage warnings, but the fence remains 31:00 electrified just the same. 31:03 You cannot ignore... And some must believe that missing heaven 31:07 means going to clubs and parties forever. 31:10 That's not what the Bible says. 31:11 Others must think that hell is somehow a place where they 31:15 have eternal alcohol, drugs, and eternal immorality. 31:18 That's not what the Bible says. 31:20 I cannot wrap my head around the idea that when sermons are 31:24 preached and people are pleading to give your life to Jesus 31:29 when sermons are proclaimed and the preacher stands and says 31:33 "Come into the ark of safety" I cannot fathom the idea that 31:38 somebody would miss eternity for another drink of alcohol 31:43 or for another hit of drugs 31:47 or for another moment of immorality. 31:49 I cannot fathom that. 31:51 But as it was in Noah's day so also will it be in the day 31:54 of the coming of the Son of Man. 31:56 The good news is there will be no alcohol, there will be no 31:59 drugs, there will be no party- ing, there will be no clubbing, 32:02 and there will be no immorality in the kingdom of heaven. 32:04 What do you say? Amen! Nothing could be further from the truth. 32:08 Listen to the faithful prophet: Malachi chapter 4 verse 1. 32:11 What is God going to do to resolve this sin epidemic? 32:15 "For behold the day is coming, " the Lord says, 32:18 "burning like an oven. 32:21 And all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly" 32:25 the prophet says "will be stubble. 32:27 And the day which is coming shall burn them up 32:32 says the Lord of Hosts that will leave them neither 32:35 root nor branch. " Amen somebody. 32:38 That's why last night I mentioned that fact. 32:40 How are sinners going to be around forever 32:43 when there are no roots? 32:45 If the devil himself is going to be destroyed, 32:48 how can you appoint sinners eternal existence 32:53 when the one who markets their indulgence is no longer around? 32:59 How can you have drugs in your community 33:02 when there are no drug dealers? 33:04 How can you have immorality when all the smut shops are 33:07 closed up? Amazing how America is so conflicted. 33:13 On one hand we talk about avoiding immorality in this 33:16 avenue but we market and we push immorality 33:20 in another camp. We concern ourselves about 33:23 the legalization of marijuana while we're selling alcohol 33:26 and cigarettes by the billions of dollars? 33:30 There's going to be no alcohol and cigarettes in heaven. 33:33 Nobody's going to be blowing smoke in our face. 33:35 Come on, say amen somebody. Amen! 33:37 The only smoke that's going to be up there is "holy smoke. " 33:40 When we stand in the presence of a God who is a consuming fire 33:43 what do you say? That's the good smoke! 33:47 That's why we're going to need immortality! 33:51 Do you know the only difference between 33:52 immorality and immorality is the "T? " 33:55 The cross? Come on, say amen. 33:57 Take out the "T" it becomes immorality. 33:59 Put the "T" in, it becomes immortality. 34:05 Whatever we treasure and embrace more than God 34:08 it's going to be consumed. 34:10 II Peter 3 and verse 10... another very unpopular text... 34:14 "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night 34:17 in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise 34:20 and the elements will melt with fervent heat. " 34:26 There will be no ISIS in the kingdom. Come on, help me out 34:28 somebody. There'll be no terrorism in the kingdom 34:32 because the root of terrorism will be destroyed in the fires 34:34 of hell. There will be no kidnapping; 34:37 there'll be no bloodshed, no crime, no violence. 34:40 No pain, no suffering: no crime, no funerals. 34:43 There'll be none of that in heaven because the Bible says 34:46 "both the earth and the works that are therein 34:50 shall be burned up. " 34:55 It's amazing how the scriptures about destruction are so hardly 34:59 mentioned that you may come to the conclusion 35:01 that somehow they have been deleted from the Bible. 35:06 I can't forget the story that one of my members told me 35:09 one day. We had a new member that came to our church. 35:13 Came out of a church he had been in for 35 to 40 years. 35:17 And he asked me the question: "How old is too old 35:19 to be baptized? " I said: "If you're breathing, 35:22 you can be baptized. " Amen! 35:25 And he told me a story as to one of the reasons 35:28 why he decided to exit where he was and to come into God's 35:30 remnant church. I make no apologies about that. 35:36 But he said he looked at his preacher's Bible one day 35:38 and he saw highlighting everywhere in his Bible. 35:41 I think this is one of the reasons why these texts 35:42 are not being used today. 35:44 And he said to his preacher: "You really do study your 35:46 Bible. " He said: What do you mean? " 35:48 He said: "I'm looking at all those yellow highlights 35:50 throughout your Bible. I'm impressed by that. " 35:54 And he said: "Well you know actually when I was in Bible 35:56 college those scriptures that are highlighted in yellow 36:00 are the verses that they told us in Bible college 36:02 not to talk about. " What? 36:06 As they say: "If there is a fog in the pews, 36:10 there is a mist in the pulpit. " 36:14 The reason why these scriptures are not talked about any more... 36:17 I listened to a commentator once say: 36:19 "Why preach about things that bring fear? 36:22 Why preach about things that don't advance social causes? " 36:26 There's only one social cause and Jesus mentioned that 36:29 when He came: "Call His name Jesus for He will save His 36:33 people from their sins. " 36:35 That's the social cause of the age. 36:37 "The Son of Man is come to seek and to save 36:39 that which is lost. " THAT is the social cause of the age. 36:43 You can give me bread, and I can still die in the fires of hell. 36:46 You can give me a nice home to live in 36:50 but I would miss out on my eternal mansion. 36:53 While we address social causes, let's not forget 36:56 that there are eternal causes that demand our attention. 36:59 And Jeremiah the prophet makes it clear why 37:01 we must address those eternal issues: Jeremiah chapter 25. 37:06 Look with me to verse 32 and verse 33. 37:09 We cannot ignore the eternal causes 37:13 in place of the temporary ones. 37:16 He speaks of disaster that's coming. He says 37:18 again, and this morning I say with an emphatic heart 37:22 filled with concern and love for those that don't know Jesus: 37:26 "There's something coming 37:28 that we've got to get ready for! " 37:30 There's a disaster coming that we've got to get ready for. 37:33 Before I read the text - you're turning to Jeremiah 25- 37:36 but as you turn there think about this: 37:38 if the news anchormen and the prognosticators 37:44 and the meteorologists' knew that an earthquake of magnitude 37:48 proportion was coming would they not warn us? 37:51 Can you imagine getting an email: "Tomorrow at 2 o'clock 37:54 there's going to be an 11.0 earthquake. Leave! " 37:57 Would you leave? Would you get out? 38:02 If they said to you: "There's a tornado of apocalyptic 38:06 proportions heading your way, " would you move? 38:09 The problem why people are settled in their sin today 38:13 is nobody is saying 38:17 that this world is about to be destroyed. 38:21 And this whole ideology that Jesus is coming back 38:24 to spend 1,000 years down here... 38:26 He's already been down here. 38:28 As a matter of fact, I even hear people say: "You know 38:30 there are aliens out there. " If there were aliens out there, 38:33 why would they want to come down here and get robbed? 38:36 Help me out somebody. 38:38 Why would people from other worlds want to come down here 38:41 and get beat up? There ain't no aliens... 38:44 that's the devil playing games with peoples' minds. 38:47 And this whole idea about the rapture... 38:48 this second-chance theology: that's a lie. 38:51 The devil is continuing to find ways to keep people inoculated 38:57 from getting ready. As if the Left Behind series hasn't done 39:01 enough damage already now they have Nicholas Cage 39:04 coming out with this movie again... Left Behind. 39:07 Let me tell you something: don't even go to see it. 39:09 Don't go to see Noah... that's a lie. Amen! 39:12 At least the way that the movie producers... 39:14 Did you not know that the guy that produced that movie 39:16 is a self-proclaimed atheist? What? 39:19 That produced the movie Noah. 39:22 And folk are paying money to go see Noah. 39:25 You want to see Noah? Read your Bible! Amen! 39:28 That's where the truth is told. 39:29 Now they have shows on tele- vision like The Resurrection. 39:32 I remember preaching a number of years ago... and I think 39:33 the devil heard me. I said: "You know what? People are not 39:36 talking about the resurrection any more. They're talking about 39:38 dying and going directly to heaven. " 39:40 And all of a sudden a show comes on ABC: The Resurrection. 39:43 I ain't seen it yet and I ain't gonna watch it. 39:45 What about you? Come on... folks showing up knocking on 39:48 your house door, ringing the bell after forty years? 39:51 If somebody rings your bell that's been dead 40 years, 39:54 you better fall on your knees - Amen! - and call on Jesus. 39:57 'Cause the Bible says: "They will enter into rest 40:01 and they will not know their houses any more. " 40:03 Amen! But the devil has now cut loose. He's trying to 40:06 get people to formulate their doctrinal beliefs based on 40:10 what movie producers produce. That's right. 40:13 And he's in charge of their minds. That's right. 40:16 We've got to go to the Word of God where God is in charge 40:19 of their mind. Jeremiah the prophet says in Jeremiah 25 40:23 verses 32 and 33... he warns us again. 40:27 You see the theme of des- truction is clear in scripture, 40:30 as clear as the theme of salvation. 40:33 "Thus says the Lord... " verse 32... 40:37 "Thus says the Lord of Hosts: 40:39 'Behold, disaster shall go forth from nation to nation 40:42 and a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the farthest 40:46 part of the earth. And at that day the slain of the Lord 40:50 shall be from one end of the earth even to the other 40:54 end of the earth. They shall not be lamented 40:57 or gathered or buried. They shall become refuse on the 41:02 ground. ' " There will be no funeral directors rubbing their 41:07 hands together for inordinate financial gain when this time 41:11 comes, because either the funeral director will be in 41:14 the kingdom or he will be in the refuse himself. Amen! 41:20 But at the end of that awful time there's another event 41:24 that's going to take place. Go quickly to Revelation 41:25 chapter 20 verses 7 to 9: 41:28 the source of the inspiration for the title of this message. 41:31 Revelation chapter 20 verse 7 to verse 9: 41:35 the source of inspiration for the title of this message. 41:41 The setting is: the saints are in the kingdom. 41:44 Oh praise God! One day the saints are going to be 41:46 in the kingdom. You know, every now and then 41:49 I sit down and think about that. I have a sermon title that 41:52 I have not preached yet, but it's called Living For The City. 41:55 Years ago when I was in the world, Stevie Wonder had a song 41:58 called Living For The City. 42:00 But I'm living for the city. I'm from New York, 42:03 but I'm on my way to New Jerusalem. 42:04 Come on, help me out somebody. 42:05 I'm living for The City. You've got to think... 42:07 you've got to see yourself there. You have to envision 42:10 yourself walking the streets of gold. 42:13 Sitting down and talking with Abraham and Isaac 42:16 and Jacob. You've got to see yourself there. 42:21 The setting is: the saints are in the kingdom. 42:24 And finally that long-awaited period for the eradication - 42:27 the eternal eradication of sin - 42:30 arrives and thus the text unfolds: 42:33 Revelation 20:7-9: 42:35 "Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be 42:39 released from his prison and go out to deceive the nations 42:43 which are in the four corners of the earth. " 42:46 How does he deceive them? Because there's a second resurrection. 42:50 "Gog and Magog... to gather them together to battle 42:54 whose number is as the... " together... 42:57 "sand of the sea. 43:01 And they went up on the breadth of the earth 43:03 and surrounded the camp of the saints 43:04 and the Beloved City. And fire came down from God 43:10 out of heaven and devoured them. " 43:16 You know, the irony of that verse is it doesn't have to 43:18 be that way. It doesn't have to be that way. 43:24 God never intended for destruction to apply 43:28 to His children. God never intended 43:32 for humanity to be included in the destruction at the end. 43:36 As a matter of fact, Matthew 25:41 teaches that 43:39 the fires of hell are only prepared for the devil 43:42 and his angels. 43:46 But God - in His eternal love for His children - 43:49 I need to answer the question that is included in this Ebola 43:53 virus and the bubonic plague and all the other pandemics 43:57 that have gripped our planet... I need to include this statement 44:00 here. One of the reasons I'm looking forward to the kingdom 44:03 is because the Bible says there's going to be no disease 44:07 in heaven. I remember a number of years ago 44:10 when I heard the thought... I heard somebody preach 44:14 the idea that there's a possibility that sin will 44:17 rise up a second time. That angered me so that the 44:20 hairs of my neck stood up and I thought to myself: 44:23 "You mean to tell me that Jesus 44:25 who gave His life to eradicate sin, 44:28 to save sinners, to defeat the devil, 44:31 do you mean to tell me that the sacrifice of Jesus 44:34 is not sufficient enough to eternally eradicate sin? 44:38 Who could preach such? I can't find the word. 44:45 Why could preach such heresy 44:48 that there's a possibility that the sin problem will rise up 44:51 again? When the Bible says: "Affliction shall not rise 44:56 a second time. " 44:59 My Word says... God's Word says: Revelation 21:27: 45:04 "But there shall by no means - 45:07 speaking of the kingdom - "enter it anything that defiles 45:11 or causes an abomination or a lie 45:16 but only... " say only... 45:19 "but only those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life. " 45:25 Amen somebody? Amen. 45:27 I don't know that people understand what happens 45:29 when we are transformed. When we are finally in the image 45:32 of the Son of God, the Man without sin 45:35 who proclaimed that even when Satan came to tempt Him 45:38 He said: "The prince of this world has come and he has 45:40 nothing in Me. " If Satan did not have anything in Jesus 45:45 and we get covered by the righteousness of Jesus 45:48 and Jesus is perfect, would we not be finally perfect? 45:53 So to suggest that in the perfection of Jesus 45:58 we can fall into sin is to suggest that Jesus' perfection 46:01 is not really perfection. 46:07 Heresy... and another nugget from hell. 46:13 I say today: the righteousness of Jesus 46:17 is sufficient to completely eradicate sin. 46:19 Come on, get an amen from the back. Amen! 46:24 So as I wind down, I have to ask you some questions. 46:27 Why insist on attending an event prepared for the devil and his 46:30 angels? Why insist on breaking into a party 46:34 that wasn't established for you? 46:37 Why insist on being in a furnace that has no lasting 46:43 good end result? Why be determined 46:48 to make it into the flames of eternal destruction? 46:53 Why insist on attending an event 46:57 to which you were not even invited? 47:03 But I have to ask the other questions. 47:06 Why miss out on an event to which you are invited? 47:10 Oh today we are invited... Come on, somebody 47:13 say hallelujah! We are invited! 47:16 I remember the ABC News story about a couple that 47:19 attended the White House dinner and their names were not 47:21 on the guest list. I want to tell you today 47:24 there's nobody going to get into the heavenly kingdom without 47:26 their names being on the guest list. What do you say? 47:28 When that trumpet sounds the Bible says in Revelation 19:9 47:32 "Then he said to me: 'Write! Blessed are those who are called 47:37 to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. ' 47:39 And he said to me: 'These are the true sayings of God. ' " 47:42 The question today is: is your name written there 47:45 on that page white and fair? 47:48 In the book of God's kingdom, is your name written there? 47:52 Praise God! Make sure your name is written there. 47:53 What do you say? Make sure that your name 47:55 is in the right book. Not the checkbook... but God's book. 47:59 What do you say? The Book of Life. 48:01 The only book that ever really matters. 48:03 I once preached a sermon called The Best Book Ever Written. 48:06 The best book ever written is not the Bible. 48:09 The best book ever written is the Book of Life! 48:13 'Cause we won't need a Bible in heaven. 48:16 But in the Book of Life when the pages are being turned 48:20 and my name... Oh, I tell you, I'm going to be standing there 48:24 antsy waiting till I hear my name. 48:26 Come on, help me out somebody. 48:27 "He's in the L's now... He's getting close. " 48:31 "He's at La... I'm coming up! " 48:35 And when He says: John Lomacang come and get your crown, " 48:38 am I going to be happy? 48:39 Some of you conservative Adventists are going to finally 48:41 learn how to shout. 48:43 Some of you people that talk about "It's too loud... " 48:45 If it's too loud for you down here, you don't want to 48:48 be up there because there's going to be a hallelujah chorus 48:51 that outlasts all hallelujah choruses on earth. 48:54 What do you say? There's going to be a celebration! 49:00 And they're not going to be saying: "I'm glad we made 49:02 the kingdom. " 49:06 That's right, no whispering hope. Praise God! 49:08 No whispering hope. 49:09 We are going to be echoing throughout the ceaseless ages 49:13 of eternity, and I think I am going to say: "I am so glad that 49:17 my carcass has been saved. " Come on somebody, help me out. 49:21 I want to tell you, you're not going to get into that dinner. 49:23 There's a better dinner coming, and we can have our names 49:28 on that guest list. And the dinner's not at the White House. 49:31 THIS dinner is at the right house. 49:33 Come on, help me out somebody. 49:34 "Blessed are those that are called to the Marriage Supper of 49:38 the Lamb. " I had bad news but I've got to end on good news... 49:40 is that all right? Even though many will be lost 49:44 multitudes will be saved. 49:47 And since many will be saved I might as well be on that list. 49:50 Come on, help me out. I might as well be in that number. 49:53 We sing the song. Don't just settle there. 49:55 Oh Lord, I want to be in that number. Let's change the words: 49:58 Oh Lord, I'm glad I am in that number. 50:00 Help me out somebody. Amen! The day is coming! 50:03 Let us not give up that seat for anything else. 50:05 I've said it a thousand times but it fits right here: 50:08 there are only two seats at the end of this journey: 50:10 smoking and non-smoking. 50:11 I'm going to get a non-smoking one... what about you? 50:13 Amen? And I'm still employed by the Lord... 50:17 I'm still selling fire insurance. Help me out somebody. 50:20 And life insurance and they tell me that God's retirement plan 50:24 is "out of this world. " Oh, one day it's coming. 50:28 It's coming. "And He will send His angels with the great sound 50:31 of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from 50:35 the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. " 50:38 I'm going to be in that number, what about you? 50:40 Amen! I'm going to be in that number. By God's grace, 50:42 I'm going to be there. I'm not yet perfect, but God's still 50:45 chiseling. Hallelujah! He's still working. Praise! 50:50 "He's still working on me" the kids sing. We ought to sing 50:52 that song: He's still working on us! 50:54 Amen! And there's enough room in the kingdom for all of us. 50:57 Luke says, that faithful doctor, he writes in Luke 13:29 51:01 "They will come from the east and the west, 51:04 from the north and south, and sit down in the kingdom 51:08 of God. " Oh, I don't know where I'm going to stand 51:11 because they've got four walls. Somebody said that heaven is not 51:14 big enough. That's not my concern. 51:15 I think God is a good architect. What do you think? 51:18 And I think He's made room. And whether there are mansions 51:21 or not, I'll be happy with a sleeping bag. 51:25 Amen. Amen! "All the rooms are filled. " 51:28 "Well just give me a sleeping bag. " 51:31 I'll be all right no matter where I get as my good preacher 51:33 Dr. Henry Wright says: "I don't care if I go in first 51:36 or go in last as long as the door shuts behind me. " 51:38 What about you? Oh my brothers and sisters, 51:42 we can't run from Jesus so we might as well run to Jesus. 51:46 We can't hide from Jesus so we might as well hide in Jesus. 51:50 We can't defy Jesus, and it makes no sense to deny Jesus. 51:55 On one side there will be the sands of destruction. 51:58 But I plan on being on the other side: the jewels in the 52:00 kingdom of God. Oh, I thank God for that faithful man 52:03 by the name of Malachi, when he wrote 52:06 in Malachi 3 and verse 17: 52:09 "The Lord says 'they shall be Mine' 52:13 says the Lord of Hosts. " "They shall be Mine. " 52:17 Oh I tell you: one day we are going to be in the kingdom. 52:19 Think about it. No more blemishes. 52:22 No more need for glasses. 52:23 No dual-strength contact lenses. Help me out somebody. 52:26 No need for canes and walkers; 52:29 no more forgetting to take your medication. 52:30 We will be whole in Jesus. 52:33 No more gates. We just came back from Nairobi, Kenya. 52:36 Lord have mercy. They've got more gates in Nairobi, Kenya, 52:39 than they've got in the kingdom of heaven. 52:41 Gates everywhere... high gates. 52:44 Electrified fences... barbed wire. 52:47 There will be no need for barbed wire in heaven. 52:50 As a matter of fact, sin will be so absent 52:54 that there will be no need to even close the gates of the 52:56 New Jerusalem. Some of you need to move 52:59 down here to Thompsonville to know what we're talking about. 53:03 Some of you people live in the city... scared of your shadow. 53:07 You've got to come down where the only noise you hear at night 53:09 as I said to one of our guests: "If you hear any noise, 53:11 it's probably a raccoon trying to find some food 53:14 or a possum trying to find something to eat. " 53:17 "If you hear any noise in the morning, that's the birds 53:20 reminding you to wake up and feed them. " 53:22 Oh, one day we're going to hear good noise. 53:25 Holy noise. Noise that says to us sin has forever been 53:29 eradicated. What do you say? Amen! 53:32 So my question is: how could anyone choose Satan 53:35 who hates us with a hell-born hatred? 53:39 But how could anyone refuse Jesus who loves us with an 53:41 everlasting love? Ebola? I'm not concerned about 53:45 the name Ebola. Jesus! Just the mention of His name 53:49 brings hope. Jesus: the name above all names. 53:53 Jesus: the One that never fails! 53:57 Jesus: the lion, the Lamb, and the coming King of kings. 54:01 What do you say today? Amen! And I tell you 54:04 there's a lot of books I read. One of my favorite books 54:07 that I go to as I close this message. 54:10 You see, brothers and sisters, it makes no sense... 54:12 Those of you that are watching or maybe listening on the radio 54:15 it makes no sense to miss out on this great eternal 54:18 celebration. It makes no sense for your crown that is being 54:24 prepared for you to be left in a heap of unclaimed treasure. 54:28 It makes no sense 54:31 where there's more room in the Book of Life for your name 54:34 not to be entered there. It makes no sense 54:38 for the blood of Jesus not to cover your sin. 54:41 It makes no sense to turn down a ticket 54:46 whose ride ends in the gates of the New Jerusalem. 54:51 It makes no sense to miss out on hearing your name called. 54:55 It makes no sense to not tell your story about how God 54:58 redeemed you. There are unfallen worlds that need to hear 55:01 how God has redeemed us. And I want to tell you 55:03 my good friend Pastor Batchelor, he said this to me a number 55:06 of years ago. And you know, we always... Whenever we get 55:09 together, he never sings... he always preaches 55:12 and I always sing. 55:14 And he said to me: "John, don't worry about it. 55:17 I'm going to sing like you one day. " 55:20 He said: "When I get to heaven it'll be easy to find me because 55:23 I'll be the only one singing throughout eternity. " 55:25 He does sing; he's a good song writer 55:28 but he knows in which his strength lies. Amen somebody? 55:32 Doesn't make any sense to miss out on the kingdom. 55:35 Why be a grain of sand in the fires of hell 55:38 when you can be a jewel in the kingdom of God? 55:40 Amen! I thank God for the paragraph I'm going to end with 55:45 this morning: Great Controversy page 678. 55:49 This faithful messenger of God has taken our mind down to a 55:54 time when all the issues of sin are finally laid to rest 56:00 and everyone is finally home. 56:03 When we're in; when we can rest; when we can relax; 56:06 when we can breathe. She says: "The great controversy 56:08 is ended. Sin and sinners are no more. " 56:13 Amen! The day is coming when the entire universe 56:16 will be clean. "One pulse of harmony and gladness beats 56:20 through the vast creation. From Him who created all 56:25 flow life and light and gladness throughout the realms of 56:29 illimitable space... " Those billions of galaxies 56:33 that astronomers say are there? We're going to be traveling 56:36 to those. Come on... help me out somebody. 56:39 "From the minutest atom to the greatest world 56:41 all things animate and inanimate 56:45 in their unshadowed beauty and perfect joy 56:50 declare that God is love. " Amen! 56:55 Why be a grain of sand on the shore of destruction 56:59 when you can be a jewel on the streets of gold? 57:03 Why be in a flame that's going to burn out 57:07 when you can be a light that shines eternally? 57:11 For those who are meandering in the maze of sin, today 57:14 I am calling on you to consider the end of your journey 57:18 and make up your mind that when this plane lands 57:22 you're getting on it. And when it finally arrives 57:24 you'll be in it. May God bless you 57:26 as you trust Him and serve Him faithfully. 57:29 Let's pray. |
Revised 2015-07-01