Participants: Frank Fournier
Series Code: 15ASIC
Program Code: 15ASIC000014A
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00:19 Good evening, everyone.
00:22 Did you have a blessed Sabbath? Yes. 00:24 How many of you had a very blessed ASI? 00:26 Raise your hand. 00:27 How many of you are sad 00:29 that ASI is gonna be over in like, two hours? 00:32 Well, it is been a wonderful time together 00:34 Wayne, Steve, 00:36 we've had a great time here this week. 00:37 And I know that the Lord has much in store for ASI 00:40 in the years ahead, in this coming year. 00:42 How can we, Wayne, stay connected to ASI 00:45 throughout the year? 00:47 Well, there's all kinds of ways that we can stay connected 00:49 and probably the best place to start 00:51 is to go to our website. 00:53 We're going to have a graphic up here on the screen 00:54 where you can see all different ways 00:56 that you can stay connected with us. 00:58 But, if you go to our website, 01:00 you will see right there that you can connect on Facebook, 01:03 you can connect on Twitter, 01:04 you can send us a message directly as well 01:06 if you would like. 01:08 And we look forward to staying in touch with you 01:10 throughout the year. 01:11 All right. 01:13 And, we'll get that slide up there 01:14 but, Wayne, we were going to ask them to, 01:17 while you are here, before ASI is over, 01:20 if you could, if your on social media, 01:22 to take your phone, 01:23 maybe snap a picture tonight even during the meeting 01:26 or when you go to the exhibit hall, 01:27 find your favorite exhibit. 01:28 I think we did this last year, Wayne. 01:30 That's right. Yes. 01:31 And if you can snap a picture, 01:33 post it on social media and put our hash tag. 01:34 That's right. 01:35 So you see it up here on the screen there. 01:37 So you can see the hash tag 01:38 that we've been using throughout the convention. 01:40 So we invite you to use that hash tag, 01:42 #ASIConvention2015. 01:45 Take a picture of your friends 01:47 and post it on any of your choice of social media, 01:51 and so we can let the world know 01:53 what we've experienced here. 01:54 And we also have our website listed there as well. 01:57 Absolutely. 01:58 So you can see here, ASIMinistries.org. 02:02 In fact, that particular link 02:03 is if you want to find more information about joining, 02:06 but you can easily find 02:07 all of the other information as well. 02:09 You can send us a text message if you wish, 02:12 you can even send it to us right now at the number 02:14 on the screen there, 301-844-6035. 02:19 And we also want to bring to your attention that we have, 02:22 on your seats, we have a brochure that talks more 02:26 about ASI as well and it's different departments, 02:28 it's different dimensions, and evangelism tools 02:31 that are available free of charge. 02:33 A lot of tools that it would be very useful 02:35 and interesting for you along with QR codes for you 02:38 to scan if you want more information. 02:40 Amen. Thank you Wayne. 02:41 He's our communications director, 02:43 has done outstanding job this last year 02:44 with moving us forward. 02:46 Brother Steve Dyckman, is in a couple of... 02:49 well, probably less than two hours, Steve, 02:51 you're going to the president of this organization. 02:53 And he's been serving as our Vice President 02:56 for membership though 02:57 and he has a passion for ASI membership. 02:59 Steve, I know we've got a lot of potential members out here. 03:02 Tell us about that. 03:04 We have given you the opportunity this evening 03:07 by placing some of our ASI membership applications 03:11 on about every third or so chair there in the audience. 03:14 So if you're not an ASI member 03:16 and you want to consider becoming an ASI member, 03:20 after being here with us this weekend, 03:22 experiencing the joys and blessings of ASI, 03:25 we invite you to pick up this application 03:27 and take a look inside. 03:29 Just going to briefly describe. 03:31 Actually, it's better if you go online 03:33 and fill out the application, 03:35 but this paper gives you something 03:36 to take home to help you connect 03:38 with the proper website et cetera. 03:41 And so, I want to just mention 03:44 here's those who qualify for ASI membership. 03:48 If you own a business. 03:49 So if you're a business owner you qualify, 03:52 that business qualifies as what we call 03:54 an organizational member of ASI. 03:58 Or if you're a 501-C3 nonprofit ministry, 04:02 your ministry probably qualifies 04:05 to become a member of ASI. 04:08 Our third category is Associate Membership. 04:11 If you are a professional person, 04:13 a doctor, lawyer, dentist or some other profession 04:16 and you do not own your own practice 04:19 but you work for someone else, 04:21 you qualify for a category of membership called, 04:24 Associate Membership. 04:25 We invite you to consider joining ASI, 04:28 becoming part of the family 04:30 and helping us to move God's work forward 04:32 around the world. 04:34 As you've been here this week and you've seen 04:35 that it's a worldwide event as we get together. 04:38 Amen. 04:39 And, Steve, just real quick, 04:40 if I'm sitting out there and I'm thinking, 04:42 "Oh, I don't know about going to member of ASI." 04:44 What would you say to that person? 04:45 Why should they become a member of ASI? 04:49 What I would say to you is, it's a powerful, 04:51 spiritual experience for one thing. 04:54 You've been here this weekend, you have been blessed. 04:57 If you've been listening to the meetings, the seminars, 04:59 the speakers, it would be very, very difficult to go away 05:03 and not have a personal blessing. 05:05 And to me, the power for me personally 05:09 is that I go home energized and encouraged to do more 05:12 in sharing the gospel with other people, 05:14 and realize that my participation 05:17 in ASI helps me do something that I could never do alone. 05:21 ASI members engaging together today 05:23 have supported projects all around this world, 05:26 doing amazing things to help advance God's kingdom. 05:30 I can't do that by myself, 05:31 but when we as a group come together 05:33 we can do things like that. 05:35 It's a powerful experience for me, 05:36 I invite you to join us and let it change your life. 05:39 Amen. Thank you so much, Steve. Thank you, Wayne. 05:42 And may God bless you, Steve, 05:44 as you lead us in this next two year. 05:46 Amen. Amen. 05:47 At this time, we are going to invite some, 05:51 well, there are some good looking gentlemen 05:53 that are come out here. 05:54 And this first one, Taylor. 05:56 Hinkle is, you're with an organization called GYC. 06:01 Is that right, Taylor? That's right, Kyle. 06:03 And you know, I understand that you have something 06:06 to tell us about that involves everyone here, 06:10 tell us about that tonight. 06:11 Absolutely, this last year at Phoenix, GYC, 06:15 we launched an very fascinating program 06:17 which I think is one of the most impactful things 06:20 that GYC has done in quite a while 06:22 and it's the one million GLOW challenge. 06:24 One million GLOW? One million GLOW. 06:26 In one year? In one year. 06:28 The goal is to get every attendee in GYC 06:30 to be sharing GLOW tracts with the friends, 06:32 their neighbors, putting on gas pumps, 06:34 all sorts of different things, 06:36 getting them involved in the mission of GLOW. 06:37 Okay, so that's great. 06:39 So you cha, I was actually there, Taylor, 06:40 I remember being challenge to do that. 06:43 And thank you for that. 06:44 But what does that have to do with me ASI, 06:46 I mean that's GYC, right? 06:48 Well, I know that GYC 06:50 is really kind of a relationed organization to ASI, right, 06:54 almost a little child of ASI. 06:56 And we don't want to be let astray. 06:59 We know that we should be partnering up together, amen. 07:01 And so what we're looking to do is as GYC and ASI, 07:05 we would like to partner together 07:07 for this next year 07:08 to pass out one million GLOW tracts. 07:10 Now, Kyle, there's something that's amazed me about ASI, 07:12 this is my first one. 07:14 I didn't realize that you guys are into big numbers. 07:17 By God's grace you're able to raise 07:18 lots of money for missions 07:20 and we praise the Lord for that. 07:22 But I think, by God's grace we can pass out 07:24 over a million GLOW tracts as well. 07:25 Amen. 07:26 So you're saying that if we can raise up $1.7 million, 07:30 oh, maybe we can pass out at least one million GLOW. 07:33 Absolutely. All right, that's awesome. 07:35 So, Taylor, next to you is Nelson Ernst. 07:39 Nelson, you are the GLOW director 07:41 for the Pacific Union Conference. 07:43 And, Nelson, by the way, what are some ways... 07:48 Tell us first of all, why we should share GLOW 07:50 and what are some ways that we can do that? 07:52 Yeah, good question. 07:53 Well, as your first question, 07:55 why should we pass out GLOW tracts, 07:56 I think that's a very appropriate question. 07:58 I like that, Taylor. 08:01 I'll share a story to illustrate. 08:02 Recently we got a phone call from this lady 08:05 who had her husband passed away and she was poor, 08:08 she didn't have money for a regular burial, 08:10 so she cremated him. 08:12 When she went and told her priest 08:13 that she had cremated him, 08:15 the priest told her, all aghast that, 08:17 "Oh, you cremated him that means that you made it 08:20 so they can't go to heaven." 08:22 And this woman was just under this terrible burden 08:25 that you know, she barred husband from going to heaven, 08:27 when all of a sudden she got one of our GLOW tracts 08:29 on the topic of guess what? 08:31 State of the Dead. 08:33 And so much to her relief, 08:34 she found out what the truth was 08:35 about what happens when you die. 08:37 And it was an incredible experience for her. 08:39 So why do we do literature? Why do we do GLOW? 08:41 Because it helps people. Okay. 08:42 So that's powerful, Nelsen. 08:44 But here's the question, how can we do this? 08:47 What are some ways that we can involved, 08:49 get involved in passing out GLOW? 08:51 Sure. 08:52 There's a lot of different ways. 08:53 I'm going to share a method, I think Bobby will too. 08:55 But basically, 08:56 one of the basic ways is just carrying literature with you 08:58 in your pockets wherever you go in your purses 09:01 and giving it to people as you find opportunity. 09:04 One of my favorite ways 09:05 and probably the most efficient way 09:07 of getting out large numbers of literature in everyday life 09:09 is believe it or not in parking lots. 09:11 Every time you go to a store park far away 09:13 from the entrance of the store 09:15 and weave in and out of a few cars. 09:17 And while you're doing that 09:18 you can take your little GLOW tracts, 09:20 and I don't like to put them on the windshield wipers, 09:22 but what I like to do is I take them 09:23 and I bend them a little bit 09:25 and I pop them right inside of that car door. 09:26 Nobody sees you. 09:28 Nobody rejects you. Oh, it's perfect. 09:30 And my wife, she loves it too, it's a perfect method. 09:31 So that's method number one that I would recommend. 09:33 Method number two, is utilizing gas stations. 09:36 You know, Jehovah's Witnesses have the market on Laundromats, 09:39 and I think as Adventists 09:40 we should take over the gas stations. 09:42 So, one way that we can do this is every time you know, 09:45 the receipt prints out, stick a GLOW track there, 09:46 put it inside, your GLOW track 09:48 instead of where the pump handle 09:49 goes into the little, 09:51 you know thing that it goes into. 09:53 And, yeah, you can leave it right there on the gas pump 09:55 and amazing things happen. 09:57 We have lots of stories to share about people 09:59 who had divine appointments when they pass out you know, 10:01 GLOW at gas stations. 10:03 So those are two methods. 10:04 And last, last, I just heard a story today 10:07 about 100 year old grandma from this area 10:11 who went to a mall, Macy's, 10:13 she asked the people who work there, 10:14 "Hey, can I put these GLOW tracts 10:15 in the pockets of all the jeans?" 10:17 And they said, "Yes." 10:18 So there's an opportunity as well. 10:20 So if someone that's 100 can do it... 10:22 That's right. Everybody here can do it. 10:24 Amen. All right. That's right. 10:25 So, Nelson, and now that's the way 10:27 that so many of us have heard about passing out GLOW. 10:29 But next to you is an another good man here, 10:33 Robert Carani, my friend. 10:34 And, Bobby, you have a specific way 10:38 that ASI members, 10:39 specifically people who own businesses 10:41 where they have offices 10:42 that they can get involved in an ASI GLOW challenge. 10:46 Tell us about that. Yeah. 10:47 If you take the cards 10:48 that you will found on your seats, 10:50 as you came in. 10:51 On the back of that there's two things. 10:53 Nelson just talked about 10:54 wherever you go passing out tracts, 10:56 I want to talk for just a minute 10:58 about the business challenge. 11:00 Since ASI kind of has its motto 11:02 sharing Christ in the marketplace. 11:04 Many people owned businesses and I'm guessing 11:07 that if you don't own a business, 11:08 you've probably been into a business. 11:10 How many have been into a business before? 11:13 All right, well then this is, this challenges for you, 11:16 especially if you own a business. 11:17 And with this business challenge 11:21 is you sign up for this, you get a rack, 11:24 and you get trucks sent to you every month 11:27 that you can use to fill that rack 11:28 and put in your business. 11:30 Even if you don't own a business, 11:32 we've had people, 11:33 different churches that have made goals 11:35 to sponsor putting literature racks in the communities, 11:37 at Laundromats, at hospitals, doctor's offices, 11:41 wherever they can find a good spot. 11:44 We've even had them put in a gas station, 11:47 little mini marts. 11:49 Wherever you can think of that has space 11:50 for a literature rack, you can sponsor a rack, 11:52 you can sign up for this business challenge, 11:55 and go and just fill that rack. 11:57 It's the perfect way for the Laodicean church 12:01 to pass out literature because it passes out itself, 12:03 you don't have to do anything. 12:05 All you do is put the literature in the rack 12:08 and it distributes itself. 12:09 And the rack does the work. 12:10 It does the work for you. That's great. 12:12 And now, Bobby, 12:13 how are we going to keep track of this challenge? 12:16 Yeah, if you see the website that's on your card there 12:19 GLOWNorthwest.org/ASI, and I think they have that link 12:23 if you're watching on 3ABN, GLOWNorthwest.org/ASI, 12:28 you will be able to sign up for that 12:30 from wherever you are around the world. 12:32 You can sign up for that. 12:33 There you can sign up for the business challenge 12:35 or you can just get GLOW tracts 12:37 and you can keep track 12:38 of all the literature that you distribute, 12:40 you can either call us or do it online there 12:44 and tell us how many tracks you've been distributing. 12:46 All right. 12:47 And, Nelson, where can we get the literature 12:50 after tonight's meeting? 12:52 Yeah, good question. We actually moved our booth. 12:54 It's not in the booth area, 12:56 it's right out of the exit doors. 12:57 So as you come out of the exit doors, 12:58 if you need literature, 13:00 we're going to be right there for you. 13:01 All right. 13:03 So, Taylor, and I'll finish with you, 13:04 we are going to join with GYC. 13:06 Here's what we're going to do. Are you ready ASI? 13:08 Are you ready for this challenge? 13:09 We are going to join GYC 13:11 in meeting your one million goal 13:12 before December. 13:14 Amen. Amen? 13:15 Can we do that ASI? What do you say? 13:17 And then at GYC you're going to challenge us 13:21 to do something. 13:22 Absolutely, at GYC, this next year 13:24 we're going to challenge all of the attendees 13:26 that come to join ASI 13:28 and meeting their goal for the next year. 13:30 Okay, so we're going to help each other reach our goals, 13:32 what do you say? Amen. 13:34 And by God's grace more and more people will hear 13:37 the truth of our Lord Jesus Christ. 13:39 Amen. 13:40 So thank you, and, Nelson, 13:42 anything you'd like to close with? 13:44 A quick story, a quick testimony? 13:46 Oh, boy, quick stories. 13:48 Yeah, actually, I'll share one with you 13:51 just to illustrate the impact of a tract. 13:53 Recently a young woman, 13:55 her little brother went out collecting hollowing Candy, 13:58 he came back, she sorted through his candy, 14:01 her little brother's candy, found a GLOW tract 14:04 that had been given to her little brother. 14:05 She read it, she called in for Bible studies, 14:08 ended up going Colportering for the next 10 weeks 14:11 after she met that Bible worker and he recruited her, 14:13 got baptized at the end of the Colportering and summer, 14:16 and then went to a two year Bible College 14:17 called Souls West, where she's currently a student. 14:19 Amen. 14:21 Because she found a tract 14:22 in her little brother's candy bag, 14:23 because some Adventist passed it out to hollowing. 14:25 Amen. 14:26 I can testify, I'm the pastor of the baptizer. 14:28 That's right, that's right. That is a powerful story. 14:31 May God be praised. 14:32 Thank you guys, for what you do 14:33 and may the work of GLOW continue to expand. 14:38 Praise the Lord, isn't that wonderful? 14:41 Aren't you glad to be a part of ASI? 14:43 Doesn't it really inspire you? 14:46 Well, here we are at the end of our wonderful session 14:50 here in Spokane. 14:52 And it has been such a blessing. 14:53 And what a wonderful Sabbath day. 14:56 Amen. Amen. 14:57 It has been from morning till now 14:59 it has been a wonderful experience. 15:02 It's my privilege tonight to introduce a friend, 15:05 Frank Fournier, 15:07 who is the current ASI president. 15:11 Now you've already met the new one, 15:14 Steve Dyckman, 15:15 but Frank still has a couple hours of glory, 15:17 so let's encourage him. 15:20 I'm sure after serving two terms faithfully, 15:23 four years, 15:25 he's looking forward to a little break as well. 15:28 But he's saved the best to the last. 15:31 So tonight, you get to hear from Frank Fournier. 15:36 Now, for our 3ABN audience and some from Spokane 15:40 that may not really know Frank very well, 15:42 it's interesting to see 15:44 how the Lord has led in his life. 15:47 So I'll take just a moment 15:48 to go back and tell you a little bit about it. 15:51 Frank was born and raised a Roman Catholic 15:54 in a French-Canadian home. 15:58 When he was 16-years old he had a bright idea, 16:02 I've had enough school 16:03 and he went off into the logging industry 16:06 for a couple of years. 16:08 From there, he graduated to the coal mines, 16:11 not the coal mines actually, it was nickel and copper. 16:15 And he spent almost the next 10 years in the mines. 16:20 While he was there, 16:22 in the latter part of that time period 16:25 the spirit of the Lord began to work on him, 16:27 he had been reading different things 16:29 and not finding satisfaction, 16:31 and eventually he turned to the Bible. 16:33 And you can almost put the rest together. 16:36 There is power in the word. Amen. 16:40 And so he began to read the Bible 16:41 and his life was transformed and he became, 16:45 through a province of the Lord, 16:46 he learned of Seventh-Day Adventists 16:48 and eventually was baptized. 16:51 It started a career in his life in what we call 16:55 self-supporting ministries or supporting ministries, 16:57 we use the term today. 16:59 And he started in Woodland Park, Canada, 17:02 were he served first, 17:04 and for the last 40 years he has continued to work 17:07 in various institutions such as Fountain View Academy, 17:11 which we have heard from today. 17:14 Riverside Farm Institute in Zambia, 17:18 Eden Valley in Colorado, and currently, 17:21 he is the executive vice president 17:23 for Outpost Centers International 17:26 an umbrella organization 17:28 that helps to network with multiple ministries, 17:32 100 different ministries in more than 30 some countries. 17:37 He's happily married for 47 years, 17:40 and he has three children, and 12 grandchildren. 17:45 So he's a happy camper. 17:48 Frank's a student of the word. 17:52 He's knowledgeable in the Spirit of Prophecy 17:55 and with the blessing of the Holy Spirit, 17:58 he will share tonight a powerful message 18:01 called 'Go, ye out to meet Him.' 18:05 Please pray for Frank in our open hearts 18:07 as we hear him tonight. 18:14 Good evening, everyone. 18:17 I was going to say, it's a blessing to be here. 18:20 It's been a blessing to be here all along. 18:23 And I found myself facing you more often 18:27 than makes me comfortable. 18:32 Jesus is coming. Amen. 18:36 And in Matthew 25:6 it says, "Go ye out to meet Him." 18:43 Now if we know the parable 18:44 this is the parable of the wise and foolish virgins. 18:49 We know that this 'going out to meet him', 18:51 is not the condition for being ready to meet him, 18:54 because half of these young virgins 18:58 were not ready to meet him, 18:59 they were not prepared to meet him. 19:02 And this is what I want to talk with you tonight. 19:05 How is it that they were not prepared, 19:08 yet, they were going out to meet him? 19:11 Is it possible that you and I are not prepared 19:14 for Jesus to come? 19:15 As a matter of fact in Amos 4:12, it says, 19:19 "Prepare to meet thy God." 19:23 This is not an option. 19:25 The Lord is giving us a command, 19:27 the Lord is telling us that we should be intentional 19:31 about the preparation that we need to make 19:34 in order to be ready for Jesus to come. 19:37 I'm going to ask you to bow with me, 19:40 we're going to ask the Lord to speak to us this evening. 19:45 Heavenly Father, thank you for being our God, 19:49 thank you for the time that we've had together 19:52 this past few days, 19:54 and for the Spirit of God as it has moved among us. 19:57 Thank you, for all the speakers, 19:59 and all the inspiration. 20:01 And this evening as we come together for the last time, 20:05 we're looking for thy Holy Spirit, 20:07 we're looking for freedom, and power, and understanding, 20:12 especially as we look at ourselves 20:15 in the terms of being prepared to meet you. 20:18 And we thank you. In Jesus name, Amen. 20:23 To interest you to come to the meeting tonight, 20:26 you may have read in the ministry 20:28 that I wrote this, "If as a church, 20:32 we only had six months to work, 20:35 would we spend our time arguing women's ordination, 20:38 new age mysticism, theistic evolution, 20:42 and internal politics or would we buckle down 20:45 to deal with the issue most important to God?" 20:49 Now obviously that begs the question, 20:51 what is the issue most important to God? 20:55 Now don't get me wrong, all these issues that I name 20:58 just a few minutes ago, are important to God, 21:01 and they are ought to be important to us also. 21:04 It's just that I have in my head the idea, 21:06 the notion that if every single Seventh-Day Adventists 21:10 in the world, 80 million of them 21:12 were focused on present truth. 21:17 If every Seventh-Day Adventists was focused on, 21:20 what it means that Jesus is working 21:22 in the most holy place of the sanctuary? 21:24 If we knew what it meant to be living 21:27 in the anti-typical day of atonement, 21:29 if we understood the three Angels' messages 21:31 and what it is that God expects of his people, 21:35 I believe that all the issues 21:37 that we think are issues today would be non-issues 21:39 because they would be eclipsed by the truth 21:42 that we ought to be focused on. 21:44 And the only reason that they are issues 21:47 is because they are controversial 21:50 and the only reason they are controversial 21:52 is because we are not united, and we are not united 21:55 because our experience is not what it ought to be. 21:59 We are not ready. 22:01 And we revealed that we're not ready. 22:03 And I don't have time to list all the adjectives 22:05 that Ellen White would use to say 22:07 why we're not ready, 22:09 and why it is that the Lord would have come along here 22:11 this except that we aren't insubordinate, 22:14 and because we're worldly, and because we're selfish, 22:17 and because we strive, 22:19 and we're fighting for supremacy, 22:21 and all those other things that she has to say about it. 22:24 But that's the truth, it's only proof 22:27 that as a people we are not ready. 22:31 In Daniel 8:14, 22:34 you all know it by heart, on to 2300 days, 22:38 then shall the sanctuary be cleansed. 22:41 Do you know that this verse birth 22:43 the Seventh-Day Adventist church? 22:46 You know, we say that, and we've heard that, 22:49 and we know that, and then in our minds, 22:51 I don't know what happens in our minds. 22:55 But it had to be an awfully powerful verse 22:59 in order that there be 80 million people, 23:01 all denominated, organize together 23:04 to prepare a world for the second coming of Jesus. 23:07 There's power in that verse, 23:10 sometimes we don't understand it. 23:14 I think the power of it is because Jesus transferred 23:18 from the holy place of the sanctuary 23:20 to the most holy place of the sanctuary, 23:23 and he went there 23:24 because he intended to raise for himself 23:27 the Seventh-Day Adventist church 23:29 so that he could prepare them, so that he could grow them, 23:33 so that he get them into the place 23:34 where they would reflect the image of Jesus so perfectly 23:38 that the whole world would be lightened 23:40 with the glory of his character. 23:42 But, friends, we've lost sight of that, 23:45 we really have because 23:47 we have become more or less in our thinking nominal. 23:51 We see ourselves as just another denomination, 23:54 when we are not just another denomination. 23:57 We are indeed a movement of destiny. 24:00 I hope you know that. 24:02 So we've occupied our minds with minor matters. 24:06 In the Book, Acts of the Apostles, 24:07 page 50, paragraph 1, 24:10 "Whenever minor matters occupy the attention, 24:14 the divine power..." 24:15 and I stop right there, I just hesitate right there. 24:17 Do you know what the divine power is? 24:21 The apostle Paul says, in Romans 1:16, 24:24 "I am not ashamed of the gospel 24:26 because it is the power inherent in God 24:30 to save them that believe," 24:33 the Jew first and also the Greek, 24:34 "For there in 24:36 is the righteousness of Christ revealed." 24:39 And when you analyze that long enough 24:40 you will see that there is some words here 24:43 that are synonymous, 24:44 the word power, the word gospel, 24:46 the word righteousness of Christ all mean one thing, 24:49 it is the power of God to save. 24:52 That's what it is. 24:53 In Faith and Works, page 27, paragraphs 0, 24:57 "Divine power and the human agency combined 25:01 will be a complete success. 25:03 Why? 25:04 For Christ's righteousness accomplishes everything." 25:08 What does Christ righteousness accomplish? 25:10 That's where the power is. 25:12 Christ's righteousness accomplishes everything. 25:15 So we'll go back to our quotation 25:17 "Whenever a minor matters occupy, 25:19 the attention, the divine power 25:21 which is necessary for the growth 25:23 and prosperity of the church," 25:25 which is necessary for the growth 25:27 and prosperity of ASI, 25:29 which is necessary for the growth and prosperity 25:31 of the North American Division, GC, OCI, the local church, 25:34 I don't care what you want to say, 25:36 all the power that is necessary is in the Holy Spirit 25:41 and in God himself, in Jesus Christ. 25:44 So, "Whenever minor matters occupy the attention 25:47 the divine power which is necessary for the growth 25:50 and prosperity of the church, 25:52 which would bring all other blessings 25:54 in its train is lacking though offered in infinite plenitude." 26:00 What's the problem? 26:02 Minor matters occupy the attention. 26:07 And we know that we have delayed 26:10 the second coming of Jesus, don't we? 26:13 It's very biblical. 26:14 I'll have you turn with me to Revelation 7, 26:16 you can see it there. 26:17 I've preached this before, 26:19 maybe some of you have heard this just the same, 26:21 it's obvious that we have delayed 26:22 the second coming of Jesus. 26:24 And it isn't he who is delaying anything. 26:28 He would have come long here this, 26:29 we have the proof of it right here, 26:31 we're in Revelation 7. 26:34 Now in Revelation 7, 26:36 Jesus sends four angels what to do? 26:40 Do you remember? 26:42 Now, obviously, you can't talk to me, 26:43 I probably wouldn't hear you from where you are, 26:45 but usually people say, that he sent the four angels 26:49 for the purpose of holding back the winds of strife. 26:51 Friends, that isn't true. 26:54 This is what the angels end up doing 26:56 but that's not why they were sent. 26:58 They were sent to destroy the earth, 27:00 and every tree, and everything that's in the sea. 27:03 They were sent to destroy because Jesus was coming. 27:07 Look at verse 2, 3, this is Revelation 7, 27:12 "I saw another angel ascending from the east..." 27:15 Keep your eye on that angel, we'll come back to him. 27:18 "I saw another angel ascending from the East, 27:21 having the seal of the Living God 27:22 and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels 27:25 to whom it was given to hurt the earth and to sea." 27:29 To whom it was given to destroy this earth saying, 27:33 "Don't do it, don't do it, hurt not the earth, 27:35 neither the sea, nor the trees till you have sealed 27:38 the servants of our God in their foreheads." 27:41 And so you can see that things are on hold, 27:43 the Holy Spirit being poured out 27:45 and latter rain power is on hold. 27:49 The loud cry is on hold, the time of trouble is on hold, 27:52 the seven last place can't fall, 27:54 the battle of Armageddon can't be fought, 27:56 Jesus cannot come. 27:58 And why is it? 27:59 It's because the servants of our God 28:01 are not sealed in their foreheads, 28:03 we're not prepared, we're are not ready. 28:08 I don't know how I'm going to emphasize this tonight. 28:11 I really, really don't. You know we're in trouble. 28:16 If I ask you where in the Bible we should go to see 28:21 what is the problem with God's people? 28:23 Where would you look? 28:25 Well, it's very easy, 28:26 that's right, it's Revelation 3. 28:28 We know that for sure. 28:30 We are neither hot nor cold, we are lukewarm, 28:32 we are deceived thinking 28:34 that we're better than we are really, spiritually. 28:38 We feel no need of God because we are self righteous, 28:41 self sufficient, self satisfied, 28:43 we're spiritually poor, spiritually naked, 28:45 spiritually blind, 28:46 and the whole, the real problem, 28:48 the bottom line of this thing is that we don't know it. 28:52 Can you imagine we don't know it. 28:53 This chapter on Laodicea 28:56 is very, very clear and clarifying 28:58 what our spiritual condition is. 29:00 We read it all the time, we preach it all the time, 29:03 and in the end, God looking down 29:04 the annals of times can point to God's people 29:07 and say, "They don't know it." 29:09 Even though, I have told them in clear words right here 29:13 in the Bible, we have not believed... 29:19 but as he call himself, in the true witness 29:20 and what he has to say for us in his counsel. 29:23 And the proof of the fact is that we don't believe 29:27 is that we have not taken the counsel. 29:30 It's obvious, we have not taken the counsel. 29:33 "Buy of me gold tried in the fire, 29:37 and white raiment, and eyesalve. 29:41 You know, God even sent two young men in 1888, 29:45 in order to flesh this out for us 29:47 so that we could be better 29:49 or more easily understand this thing. 29:52 And friends, we've been like the 10 spies in Numbers 14, 29:57 haven't we? 29:59 God said to them "I'm going to give you the land, 30:02 go in there and possess the land." 30:04 And they said, "Well, couldn't we go in there 30:06 and spy the land," and the Lord says, 30:07 "Go on in there and tell me what you think about it. 30:10 It's a great land, it really is." 30:12 So they go in there and they come back 30:13 and they say, "It was great land, it really was. 30:15 But do you know that there are giants there?" 30:19 There were giants there. And God said, "So?" 30:25 "Yeah, yeah but you don't know the walls, 30:26 you know how high the walls are?" 30:28 And God said, "So?" "yeah. 30:32 But they have iron chariots and we are like grasshoppers 30:35 in our own site compared to these people over there." 30:39 And God said, "I didn't ask you to tackle these giants 30:42 or these walls. 30:43 I told you that I'm giving it to you." 30:47 And, friends, it's the same thing, 30:48 it's been the same thing for us. 30:50 When we studied this thing as a denomination 30:53 we've come to Revelation 14, 30:55 where the three Angles' messages are 30:57 and we begin to realize 30:59 that God is wanting us to be like the 144,000. 31:04 With God's character written in our frontal lobe, 31:07 not corrupted with false doctrine, 31:10 following Jesus whether so wherever he goes. 31:13 No guile in our mouth 31:15 and faultless before the throne of God, 31:17 we need to be perfect, we need to be ready. 31:19 God wants to make a special demonstration with us, 31:22 he wants this demonstration to cover the whole world, 31:25 and we look at it and say, "Oh, wait a minute, 31:27 it's a lot easier to be just like other churches around." 31:30 I mean, after all isn't that a high bar? 31:33 We can't be like that. 31:36 Well, friends I want to tell you something, 31:38 we are well able to do this. 31:41 Amen. Because it isn't us doing it. 31:45 It's the same thing 31:46 as for the children of Israel way back then. 31:49 It's the same thing, God has promised to work in us 31:53 if we will work it out just what he gives us. 31:57 In the book Early Writings, 32:00 were I usually get my impetus is in the chapter 32:02 called The Shaking, it's on page 269. 32:05 Ellen White is speaking about the future, 32:07 as future to our time today, it really is. 32:10 She's speaking of the future 32:13 and she see's two groups of people 32:15 in the Seventh-Day Adventist church 32:16 in the future from now. 32:18 And the one group is with strong faith, 32:20 in agonizing cries, pleading with God. 32:23 There pictured perspiring profusely and... 32:29 they have an internal struggle, an internal struggle. 32:34 Doesn't say what it is, 32:35 just that it's an internal struggle. 32:37 She pictures another group 32:38 and they're indifferent about the whole situation 32:41 and doesn't say what they're fighting about. 32:43 I mean, what the issue is, 32:45 it's just that it's just that way. 32:48 And for years, I've been studying this thing on my knees 32:51 and all the while I've been thinking 32:53 what is it that will get us to the place 32:55 where we're going to agonize with God 32:58 like Jacob agonized with God and said, 33:00 "We won't let you go except you bless me." 33:04 So something's got to bring us to that place as a church 33:07 and I always thought, well, 33:08 maybe the national Sunday law will do it. 33:10 I assume when the national Sunday law comes, 33:12 if it should hit us any day now, 33:15 I think it would bring us to our knees, don't you? 33:18 But I've come to realize, no, that's not going to be it. 33:21 I believe and I got this, conviction this week 33:24 sometime that the issue 33:26 is somehow the Lord's going to get through to my brain 33:29 that I am not as perfect as God wants me to be. 33:36 That I don't reflect the image of Jesus 33:38 like, he wants me to reflect the image of Jesus. 33:42 And that I cannot do it, 33:44 all my righteousness's are as filthy rags, 33:48 there is none righteous, no, not one. 33:54 But God has promised to do it, right? 33:56 Yeah. 33:58 What is justification by faith? 33:59 Ellen White says, "It is the work of God. 34:02 It's his work to lay the glory of man in the dust." 34:07 That's how he's going to do it. 34:09 One of these days we're going to wake up groveling 34:12 because we have not by faith, 34:14 follow Jesus where he wants us to go. 34:17 He's going to bring us there. 34:19 And I can't wait but at the same time 34:21 I wish I could bypass this thing. 34:23 It's going to be painful. Yeah. 34:27 And half the church will be wise in this matter, 34:30 half the church will be foolish. 34:33 I'm still in Early Writings, page 270, 34:36 want you to hear this. 34:38 "I saw that the testimony of the true witness 34:41 has not been half heeded." 34:43 Now what is the testimony of the true witness? 34:46 It's the Laodicean message. Watch, watch carefully now. 34:50 "The Solemn testimony, 34:52 upon which the destiny of the church hangs, 34:56 has been lightly esteemed if not entirely disregarded." 34:59 If our destiny hangs on the Laodicean message, 35:04 do you think we ought to take this thing seriously? 35:08 What do you think? 35:09 But you know, God in His graciousness, 35:11 in the paragraph above, 35:12 he narrows this thing even more. 35:15 The straight testimony called forth 35:16 by the counsel of the true witness. 35:18 What God has done here is taken all Bible, 35:21 and by the way, friends, we ought to live by every word 35:24 that proceeds out of the Bible, isn't that true? 35:26 Yes, it's true. 35:28 But God takes the whole Bible, 35:29 he concentrates it down to one verse, Revelation 3:18, 35:34 and he says, the destiny of the church, 35:36 the destiny of souls 35:38 hangs upon the reception of that verse. 35:43 "Buy of me gold tried in the fire, 35:46 and white raiment, and eyesalve." 35:49 It's amazing. That's what it says. 35:52 Now you're still in Revelation 7, 35:56 "And there we saw that God send an angel 36:00 with the seal of the living God." 36:01 Do you know who that Angel is? Do you? 36:06 Let me read it to you, Early Writings, 118, 36:10 paragraph 1, "I then saw the third angel," 36:14 of Revelation 14, "said, my accompanying Angel, 36:18 fearful is his work, awful is his mission, 36:21 he is the angel that is to seal the wheat from the, 36:24 for the heavenly Garner.'" 36:26 Do you see which angel it is? 36:28 The ceiling angel of Revelation 7 36:31 is the angel of Revelation 14, the third Angel. 36:35 In Early Writings, 258, watch now, 36:38 "I was shown three steps, 36:40 the first second and third Angels' messages, 36:43 the destiny of souls hangs upon the manner 36:47 in which they are received." 36:50 The three Angles' messages. 36:51 Now watch what we just heard, and I don't know 36:54 if you put it together, but watch, 36:56 "The destiny of souls 36:57 hangs upon receiving the three Angels messages, 37:00 the destiny of the church hangs upon receiving the council," 37:03 of Revelation 3:18. 37:05 So here's the question, 37:07 on how many things can our destiny hang? 37:10 And I'm here to tell you it's only one thing, 37:13 because it's one, 37:14 and the same thing the third Angles' message. 37:16 Have you ever wondered what the third Angles' message was? 37:19 Why is it that Elle White says, 37:21 "It's righteousness by faith in verity." 37:23 Well, we're just seeing it right now, 37:25 the third Angles' message is, 37:27 "Buy of me gold tried in the fire, 37:30 and white raiment, and Eyesalve." 37:33 And then I want you to repent and let me in already. 37:37 Five years ago, 37:40 my vice president At Eden Valley, 37:44 she was working in the kitchen 37:46 and I happened to be walking through the kitchen, 37:48 it was a time of convention. 37:49 I was just walking through 37:51 and she arrested me right there, 37:53 and she said, "Doesn't Ellen White say, 37:56 that the third Angels' message is righteousness 37:58 by faith in verity?" 38:00 Well, actually, it doesn't say that, it says, 38:01 "Justification by Faith is righteousness." 38:04 But its the same thing, it's the same thing. 38:06 And I said, "Yes, that's what it says." 38:09 So she go on to say, 38:10 "How is it then when our evangelists 38:13 are conducting an evangelistic series 38:15 and they speak on the third Angels' message, 38:18 they speak about the mark of the beast, 38:20 and the and the resulting wrath of God. 38:22 Where is righteousness by faith in that?" 38:27 Have you been able to answer that question? 38:29 You know, I didn't have much time 38:30 that day I was just passing through, 38:32 I wasn't thinking about anything like that. 38:34 But it's amazing 38:35 because I think today that the Holy Spirit 38:37 must have inspired me because, I said, 38:40 "It's in there not explicit in the text. 38:44 It's implied. 38:45 It's there, it's there by contrast." 38:48 And you know five years later, 38:49 after studying this thing as long as I have, 38:54 I still believe the same thing that that's where it is. 38:58 In the beast of Revelation 14, 39:01 you will not find righteousness by faith. 39:05 You're going to find righteousness by works, 39:07 you're going to find righteousness by force, 39:09 you're going to find righteousness by legislation, 39:12 by flattery, by bribery. 39:14 If nothing else works 39:15 you'll find righteousness by torture. 39:17 And when it's all said and done, 39:19 there's no righteousness there at all, none. 39:21 In essence, the beast does not care a hoot 39:24 about righteousness. 39:25 All he cares about is control. That's it. 39:29 Theologically, you cannot find righteousness by faith 39:33 with the beast because the faith 39:35 that you find in righteousness by faith implies self-distrust, 39:40 which necessitates putting our faith in God 39:42 for righteousness. 39:45 With the beast, we are expected to put our faith 39:49 in the traditions of men, in church decrees and creeds, 39:53 in ecclesiastical pronouncements. 39:56 We are expected to put the human 39:58 above the divine. 39:59 And, friends, that always leads 40:00 to the mark of the beast, that's what it is. 40:02 It's in forcing human dogma above the word of God. 40:07 That's all it is, that's what it is, 40:09 it is righteousness by faith in the message by contrast. 40:14 Now you and I have two problems, of course, 40:16 and we're already looking at them. 40:18 First of all, we've never felt our need of the counsel 40:21 of the true witness. 40:23 And the reason for that is we've been comparing ourselves 40:26 among ourselves. 40:27 We look at other denomination and it's obvious to see, 40:31 doctrinally they don't match up, 40:33 because we have based our doctrines on the word of God 40:37 and they have based their doctrines on traditions 40:39 and a mixture of the word of God. 40:41 And it hasn't worked for them, 40:42 and we could debate them any time and win. 40:45 And because we do, 40:46 we think we're doing really well 40:48 and we're ill focused, ill focused all together. 40:53 We have a form of godliness. 40:55 But we deny the power thereof, 40:58 because the righteousness of Christ 41:00 has not been internalized. 41:02 There isn't anything I want more 41:04 than to experience Christ as my righteousness, 41:07 to have them take possession of this individual 41:10 and to work through me 41:11 so that he can do whatever he wants. 41:14 What can God do if he gets hold of you and me? 41:18 He can do anything. 41:20 The second thing that is a problem 41:22 is that generally speaking, 41:24 we do not understand the three Angels' messages. 41:28 We don't. 41:31 In 1888, Materials, 165, paragraph 4. 41:36 There are few and Ellen White will saying in one place, 41:39 not 1 in 100, there are few 41:42 even of those who claim to believe it 41:45 that comprehend the three Angels' messages, 41:47 and yet, this is the message for this time. 41:52 How many of you are living in this time? 41:55 That's a stupid question. We're all living in this time. 41:59 I'm living in this time 42:01 and this message is for this time. 42:03 Don't tell me it's not applicable today. 42:06 Then she says, just five more little words, 42:09 "It is present truth." 42:14 Our ASI secretary treasurer in January made a trip 42:17 to another continent, and they had meetings on, 42:22 at ASI they had a big ASI meeting on another continent 42:26 and there were officials there. 42:27 And after the meetings, 42:28 a group of officials all got together 42:30 and eventually during that meeting one official, 42:33 I'm not going to tell you whether he is an ASI official 42:36 or non-church official or who he is. 42:38 But an official stood up and said, 42:40 "I don't see what the three Angels' messages have to do 42:44 with our identity." 42:47 And our secretary treasurer jaw dropped like... 42:52 How can that be? 42:54 That doesn't make any sense. 42:55 How is it then that we have three Angels' message, 42:59 three Angels' pictured on our marquees 43:01 before the churches, 43:02 and our walls outside the church, 43:04 and on our walls inside the church, 43:06 and on the pulpit, 43:07 three Angels' messages everywhere, 3ABN even. 43:11 Why do we go there 43:12 if we don't understand what it means, 43:14 if it has nothing to do with our identity. 43:17 Now you might say, poor people. 43:22 Well, don't say poor people. 43:24 If I was to call you up, could you explain to me, 43:30 to us what the three Angels' messages 43:34 have to do with our identity? 43:36 Could you? 43:42 I don't want to be too hard on anyone, 43:45 after all it took me 40 years to make a connection 43:48 between Revelation 14 to third Angle to Revelation 7, 43:55 to understand that the sealing Angel 43:59 is the Angle of Revelation 14. 44:02 It took me 40 years to realize that the message, 44:07 "Buy of me gold tried in the fire," 44:08 is the three Angels' messages, 44:10 to us and to the world as it is. 44:14 Do you know that we call the Angels, 44:16 the fourth Angel in Revelation 18, 44:19 that he gives a loud cry of the third Angel? 44:23 Do you see that third angel is everywhere. 44:27 Because we're living at this time and God wants 44:30 and wants us to understand what this is all about 44:33 and how important it is for us. 44:37 You and I are in specials spiritual trouble. 44:44 Did you ever hear the phrase in the Old Testament, 44:47 'The God of our fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob?' 44:51 Did you ever hear that? 44:53 Why is it that God bunches up those three names like that 44:57 in the Old Testament so often? 44:59 Well, the reason is because it takes Abraham, Isaac, 45:03 and Jacob to produce Israel. 45:06 That's what it is. 45:08 These are simple symbols of course, 45:10 and Abraham is known for what? 45:14 Faith, right? 45:16 Sure, he believed God 45:17 and it was accounted to him for what? 45:19 Righteousness. 45:21 He believed God so much he was willing to sacrifice 45:23 that upon which he had bestowed the most affection ever. 45:27 That's how much he had faith, 45:29 when God asked him to do something, 45:31 he trusted God in the matter. 45:32 It's amazing. 45:34 Now Isaac, what is Isaac, known for? 45:37 He's a child of promise. 45:40 I don't know how long Abraham and Sarah were married, 45:43 50 years, 60 years, 70 years, 80 years. 45:47 Do you think that in this time 45:48 they did not try to have children? 45:51 My guess is they were always trying to have children. 45:54 How long would they have had to continue to try 45:57 in order to succeed to have children? 46:00 They could never have done it because she was barren, 46:02 could not have children. 46:04 The only reason they had children 46:06 is because God had promised to give it to them 46:08 and he worked an absolute miracle, 46:11 it was a creative act. 46:15 Do you know that we need to be born again? 46:18 Do you know that you can't... 46:21 how many people can make themselves, 46:24 can bring themselves into this world? 46:27 It doesn't work that way, we can't do it. 46:31 And it was especially hard for Abraham and for Sarah, 46:34 of course, it was a miracle. 46:37 The third one on our list of course, is Jacob. 46:40 Now Jacob is a special individual 46:41 and I'd like to focus on him because we are like Jacob, 46:45 we are spiritual, we are religious. 46:47 He wanted the birth right, he wanted the blessing, 46:49 he wanted the priesthood of the family 46:51 right from the beginning. 46:52 The angle had told his mother, didn't he? 46:56 That he would have the blessing, 46:58 he would have the birth right, 46:59 he would be the spiritual priest in the family. 47:02 He wanted it. 47:03 He didn't want anything bad, he wanted something good. 47:05 The only problem is he didn't have any tools 47:07 by which to bring this thing to happen, 47:10 so he worked with what he had. 47:13 And he had a collaring temperament. 47:17 And he got what he wanted, 47:19 but in the end he didn't get what he wanted. 47:22 No, no. 47:24 He had to cheat his brother, he had to lie to his father, 47:26 he had to connive with his mother, 47:28 he thought he got what he wanted, 47:30 and all he got is exiled from his mother 47:32 and from his family for 20 years. 47:35 He comes back 60 to 90 years later, 47:37 excuse me, he comes back 47:40 when he is 60 to 90 years of age. 47:42 I don't know exactly how old he was, 47:45 and different people you talk to tell you different things. 47:49 And then his brother comes with an army to meet him. 47:53 Jacob is scared to death because he knows it's his fault 47:56 and he deserves what he's going to get. 47:58 So he gets on his knees to pray with God, 48:00 he's going to claim two promises. 48:02 God said, "You go out there and I'll protect you." 48:04 That's one promise. 48:06 And while he's praying and pleading this promise, 48:08 somebody comes along, puts his hand on his shoulders, 48:10 he thinks it's an enemy, 48:12 and he wrestles from midnight to the breaking of the day. 48:15 That's a long time to wrestle, I'll tell you that. 48:19 Eventually he realizes 48:21 that who he is wrestling with is Jesus Christ, 48:23 and he lays hold on Jesus, 48:25 he lays hold on Jesus, and he agonizes. 48:28 With strong faith and agonizing cries 48:31 he pleads with God, 48:33 I will not let you go until you convert my soul, 48:37 until you give me a new heart, and a new spirit. 48:40 Has God promised to do that for us? 48:43 Is it true? Do you have it? 48:46 Do you have it to the extent that God can use you 48:50 to enlighten the whole world with his own character? 48:54 That's what it's all about. That's what we want. 48:58 That's what is righteous by faith. 49:01 In 7 BC... 49:02 Thank you. 49:04 In 7 BC, pages 980, paragraph 3, watch, 49:08 "Everything is now at stake." 49:12 How many things? 49:13 Everything is at stake, now, at this time. 49:17 "The third Angels' messages 49:20 is to be regarded as of the highest importance. 49:23 It is a life and death question." 49:26 That's what she writes. 49:27 Now let me tell you something, it is for me. 49:32 Everything that the Laodicean message has to say 49:35 about the Laodicean church applies to me. 49:38 I am neither hot nor cold, I am lukewarm, 49:40 I'm self-sufficient, I'm in self righteous, 49:43 I'm complacent, I'm indifferent, 49:45 and all the other adjectives that Ellen White could use. 49:48 Now would I be wrong to think for a moment 49:50 that I'm alone in this thing? 49:52 No. 49:53 Why are we here on 171 years later? 49:56 This is why. 49:58 Why haven't we taken this thing seriously? 50:00 Why are we running with it? 50:01 Do you see how important this is to God. 50:04 This is the only thing that's delaying his coming. 50:07 Volume 9, page 19, paragraph 1, 50:11 "Seventh-Day Adventists have been given a work 50:13 of the most solemn importance, the most solemn importance, 50:18 the proclamation 50:19 of the first, second and third Angels' messages. 50:21 They are to allow nothing else to absorb their attention." 50:24 How many other things? Nothing else. 50:27 Well, friends, we have allowed other things 50:30 to absorb attention. 50:32 From soup to nuts we have allowed it. 50:34 In Testimonies to Ministers, 331, paragraph 2, 50:38 "The third Angels' message is to be our burden of warning. 50:42 The side issues are not for us to meddle with." 50:46 So what are we doing 50:47 all tangled up in women's ordination, 50:50 in spiritual formation, in jazz with mysticism, 50:53 in reinstating dead feasts 50:55 and basing the Sabbath on the lunar calendar, 50:57 in denying the personhood of the spirit of Holy Spirit. 51:00 In promulgating conspiracy theories 51:03 that fly through our inboxes every day 51:06 should we leave all that confusion to Babylon? 51:10 Shouldn't we? That's why Babylon is confused. 51:13 Why do we go there? 51:16 Especially when God has given us a message 51:20 that we'll turn this world upside down, 51:23 we get all involved everywhere else. 51:24 Do you know why Babylon has fallen? 51:27 Go with me to Genesis 11, Genesis 11. 51:34 This of course is the story of the fall of Babylon. 51:38 There's a man there by the name of Nimrod. 51:41 He's a mighty hunter according to the Bible. 51:43 According to Google, 51:44 they say that his name is kind of a by-word. 51:47 You're just such an Nimrod. Like, you're so stupid. 51:51 Who in the world can think to get to heaven using brick 51:53 and mortar, that's pretty dumb really. 51:55 But you know that wasn't the issue, 51:57 that wasn't the issue. 51:59 We're in Genesis 11, the issues in verse 3, 4, 52:04 "And then they said to one another, go to, 52:07 let us make bricks and by implication 52:10 let us burn them thoroughly." 52:12 Verse 4, "And they said, go to, let us build us a city, 52:17 and by implication, 52:18 let us build us a tower whose top reach unto heavens, 52:20 and let us make a name, lest we be scattered abroad 52:24 over the face of the whole earth." 52:27 That's the issue friends. 52:29 Let us, five times in two verses. 52:32 Let us, we can't trust God, let us save ourselves. 52:36 Let us do religion our way. 52:39 Let us make a name for ourselves. 52:41 And Nebuchadnezzar had the very same issue. 52:43 You member in the Book of Daniel 4:30, 52:49 "Isn't this Babylon 52:51 that I have built for my glory?" 52:54 And on and on he went. 52:55 What happened to poor old King Nebuchadnezzar? 53:00 And what about his grandson? 53:03 When Daniel approach him, in Daniel 5 53:05 and I'm going to skip going over there, 53:07 you know the story. 53:09 He said, "Though you have known all these things, 53:13 yet, you took all the glory to yourself." 53:18 You turned your back on God, you did religion 53:22 the Babylonian way. 53:24 Well, friends, what about us? 53:29 Isn't that the whole issue? 53:34 We can't save ourselves. There isn't anything we can do. 53:40 You heard Pastor Bradshaw this morning, 53:45 amazing sermon on Righteousness by Faith. 53:47 How clearly he said it out there, 53:51 "Can an Ethiopian change his skin? 53:53 Can a leopard change his spot? 53:55 Neither are ye who are custom to do evil do good. 53:58 You can't, you can't. You can't. 54:01 And unless you get God to work a miracle on your behalf, 54:04 you're going to do religion human way." 54:07 You're going to do the best you can 54:08 with what you've got 54:09 and what you've got is not sufficient. 54:11 It's not going to work, there is none righteous, 54:13 no not one, all our righteousness is filthy rags, 54:17 God needs to work a miracle in us. 54:19 He needs to give us the gift of his own righteousness 54:22 so that he glorifies himself in this world through us. 54:28 That's what it is. Lord help us what he is saying. 54:38 I'm going to invite you to stand. 54:43 And we're going to pray together, 54:44 then you can sit down again, 54:45 because we're going to introduce our team. 54:48 Shall we stand? 54:54 Heavenly Father, Lord, we understand. 55:01 I don't know why it is that as a church 55:02 we've never fully bought into your plan. 55:06 Why the Three Angle's messages haven't made the impression 55:09 they should have made on our hearts. 55:12 Why it is that we do church like other people do church, 55:16 in our own strength with our own wisdom, 55:20 fighting among ourselves 55:22 while all the while all we would have to do 55:24 is get on our knees and ask you to show us 55:26 and we just have to follow. 55:28 Lord, forgive us, we failed you. 55:32 But thank you, thank you, thank you, 55:34 for the gift of your righteousness 55:36 and forgiveness, and for your love 55:39 and we know that it's not too late 55:42 and we're going to follow through. 55:44 Bless as we pray, and we thank you. 55:47 In Jesus' name, amen. 55:56 Though you are homeless 56:00 Though you're alone 56:04 I will be your home 56:11 Whatever's the matter 56:16 Whatever's been done 56:20 I will be your home 56:27 I will be your home 56:35 I will be your home 56:43 In this fearful fallen place 56:51 I will be your home 57:02 When time reaches fullness 57:06 When I move my hand 57:10 I will bring you home 57:17 Home to your own place 57:21 In a beautiful land 57:25 I will bring you home 57:33 I will bring you home 57:40 I will bring you home 57:48 From this fearful fallen place 57:56 I will bring you 58:00 Home 58:06 I will bring you 58:11 Home. |
Revised 2022-05-18