Participants: Mark Finley
Series Code: 15GYC
Program Code: 15GYC000012A
|
04:05 Amen. Have you been blessed so far this weekend GYC?
04:11 I know I have been richly blessed. 04:15 And it's such an incredible thing to realize that the 04:18 weekend is almost over, isn't it? 04:20 But as we come this morning it's my privilege also to introduce 04:25 to you our speaker again, Taj Pacleb. 04:28 I don't know, how many have been blessed by his messages? Amen. 04:32 And as I was talking to him backstage here before 04:35 the meeting, I was asking him, You know, is there anything 04:40 you'd like me to say? 04:41 And he said, You know, I just want to be known 04:44 as a beggar trying to share bread. 04:46 And I think that's a beautiful testimony of this man of God, 04:51 and what he has to share with us as he talks more about the life 04:54 of John the Baptist. 04:55 And so I just want to have a prayer for him as he prepares 05:00 to share with us this morning. 05:01 Please kneel with me where possible. 05:07 Father in Heaven, I thank You so much for all Your blessings, 05:12 that You have poured out. 05:13 I thank You for the privilege that we have had to 05:16 gather here this weekend. 05:17 And as it is drawing to a close, I pray that You will help us not 05:20 to lose our attention, but to have ears open, and hearts soft 05:27 to hear the messages that You have to speak 05:28 through Taj this morning. 05:30 I pray that You would help us to be convicted of the things 05:33 that You have placed on his heart to share with us. 05:36 And I pray that You will touch his lips with Your words, 05:40 that he may not speak his own, but he may speak 05:44 what You have given him, Father. 05:45 And I thank You so much for the privilege that we have 05:48 to commune with You. 05:49 In Jesus' name, Amen. 06:13 He called me long ago, but I didn't want to answer Him. 06:22 I told Him, Lord, I'm not the perfect soul. 06:28 I said, My Lord, do You see me? 06:33 You can choose from other men. 06:37 But He took my hand, and this is what He said. 06:44 You will be My fishers of men. 06:48 You will be My healer of souls. 06:52 And you will take the word to all the corners of this world. 07:00 You will be My cloak unto the poor. 07:04 You will be My peace amidst the storm. 07:10 Don't worry, I am with you till the end. 07:30 I traveled all the world, and I shared 07:35 the word of love with them. 07:37 I told them grace is offered to them now. 07:45 I told them Jesus came to love us, and He died to save 07:51 the world from sin. 07:53 And as we prayed the Lord came down and said, 08:00 You will be My fishers of men. 08:04 You will be My healer of souls. 08:08 And you will take the Word to all the corners of this world. 08:15 You will be My cloak unto the poor. 08:19 You will be My peace amidst the storm. 08:25 And don't worry, I am with you till the end. 08:31 Everyday they reached for home. 08:33 They're striving for the fruits of love. 08:37 So won't you open up your heart? 08:40 And be the fire from the storm. 08:49 And you will be My fishers of men. 08:53 And you will be My healer of souls. 08:57 And you will take the Word to all the corners of this world. 09:04 You will be my cloak to the poor. 09:08 You will be My peace amidst the storm. 09:14 And don't worry, I am with you till the end. 09:26 So go and be My fishers of men. 09:51 Amen, Amen. Thank you so much brothers 09:54 for that wonderful song. 09:55 Good morning family. Good morning. 09:58 I want to welcome you to our early morning devotion. 10:02 And that was a beautiful song that we just listened to, 10:05 how God is calling us to be fishers of men. 10:08 That's what I want to be. How about you? 10:10 You know what the difference is between a fisherman 10:13 and a fisher of men? 10:14 A fisherman catches fish that are alive and puts them 10:18 to death, but a fisher of men catches fish that are dead 10:22 and brings them back to life, Amen? 10:24 God has called us to share life with the world 10:28 that is dying in sin. 10:30 What a great privilege. 10:32 Before we pray and get into our message this morning, 10:35 I just want to say it's been a wonderful joy, 10:36 and a great privilege sharing this time with you each morning, 10:40 and for all the people that I got the chance to meet with, 10:44 and fellowship with. 10:45 It's been a wonderful blessing. 10:47 And I pray that as we get ready to part ways this morning, 10:50 that by God's grace, if we never see each other again, 10:53 we'll meet each other in God's eternal kingdom, Amen? 10:56 That we might be with the Lamb on that sea of glass, 10:59 singing that song of victory, of our deliverance from this 11:04 world into God's eternal kingdom. 11:06 We're almost there, friends. 11:07 And so lets move forward by God's grace, 11:10 and lets finish with a bang, Amen? 11:12 I invite you to bow your heads as we pray this morning. 11:16 Father in Heaven, thank You, Lord, so much for the rich 11:21 experience we've had this weekend. 11:23 And how You've given us this opportunity to press together 11:27 with each other, to get to know You better, to learn how we can 11:33 be faithful in these last days, as You have always 11:38 been faithful to us. 11:40 And now, Lord, as we turn to Your Word, we pray that our 11:43 hearts and minds will be open, and receptive. 11:46 Give us ears to hear Your voice, and a heart to know Your heart, 11:52 and a resolute determination to do not our will, but Your will. 11:59 Please speak to us now is our humble prayer. 12:02 In Christ's name we ask, Amen. Amen. 12:06 This morning we're going to continue our study from 12:09 yesterday, as we've been discussing the final 12:13 forerunners of the last day. 12:15 As I want to begin by sharing, and beginning with the verse 12:19 that we actually read yesterday, and so I invite you to take your 12:21 Bible and turn to the book of Mark 1. 12:24 Mark 1, beginning with verse 1, the Bible says this: 12:31 Mark 1:1, it says: The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, 12:36 the Son of God; As it is written in the prophets, 12:40 Behold I send my messenger before your face, 12:44 who will prepare your way before you. 12:47 The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare the way of 12:53 the Lord, and make His paths straight. 12:58 Yesterday we talked about what it means to be great 13:01 in the sight of the Lord. 13:03 And we saw that spiritual greatness was illustrated and 13:07 seen in the life of the first forerunner of the Lord, 13:11 John the Baptist. And we learned yesterday that he was great 13:17 1. Because of what he said and thought about himself. 13:21 Now he didn't say much about himself, but what he did say 13:25 about himself shows us three specific things 13:29 that makes us great. 13:30 And do you remember that? 13:31 Let's review. 1. John the Baptist was 13:34 confident in his identity. 13:38 2. He was secure in his simplicity, and 13:43 3. He was genuine in his humility. 13:47 That's what John said and thought about himself. 13:51 This was the content of the character of John. 13:55 Now his mission, as we read here, was to simply prepare 13:59 the way of the Lord, and make His paths straight. 14:03 You see friends, in ancient times, when a king prepared 14:07 for a journey to a specific destination, 14:10 he would send four runners ahead of his royal chariot, 14:13 and their mission was very simple. 14:15 Their mission was to clear the king's highway, 14:18 to prepare the way for the coming of the king. 14:21 And these forerunners were commissioned to level the steep 14:25 places of the highway, to fill in the potholes, 14:27 and remove all the stones, and the obstacles so that the king 14:31 could have an easy, and smooth travel to the specific 14:35 destination that he was heading without any hindrances. 14:38 And this is what the forerunner would do to prepare the way 14:43 of the Lord, to make His paths straight, to prepare people 14:46 for the coming of the king. 14:48 That was the purpose, and the mission of John the Baptist, 14:51 and so it is ours today. 14:53 Because that same King Jesus that came the first time, 14:57 is coming back the second time. 14:59 And in these last days He's looking not only for one, 15:02 but a whole generation of forerunners to prepare the world 15:06 for the return of King Jesus. 15:08 And it's simply by giving the message. 15:11 It's not us that prepares anyone, but it's the message 15:14 that God is wanting to speak in and through us that will prepare 15:17 a people for the coming of Christ. 15:19 This is what John was called and chosen to do. 15:23 He was not an alarmist. 15:24 He was not a sensationalist, or an extremist. 15:27 He was a revivalist. 15:29 This high and holy purpose is what he lived for. 15:32 You see, John the Baptist understood that it wasn't about 15:35 himself, but it was about the One that was coming after him, 15:38 and he knew his role. 15:40 His role was that he was not the king, he was simply the one 15:44 that was called, and chosen, to prepare the way for the king. 15:48 John simply looked upon himself as a voice of one 15:53 crying in the wilderness. 15:54 And he was great in the sight of the Lord because he was small 15:58 in the sight of himself. 16:01 But friends, it really doesn't matter what we think, 16:05 or say about ourselves, but rather what we think, 16:09 and say about Jesus. Amen? 16:11 And more so what Jesus thinks, and says about us. 16:16 And so this morning I want to highlight the second and third 16:21 reason why John the Baptist was so great 16:23 in the sight of the Lord. 16:24 Yesterday we talked about the first reason, and that was what 16:26 he thought about himself. 16:28 Today we'll discuss the second and third reason, 16:30 which are what John said about Jesus, and 16:33 3. What Jesus said about John. 16:36 The Bible tells us in the book of John 10:41 that, John did no 16:41 miracle: but all things that John spoke of Jesus were true. 16:46 You see, John was not miraculous, 16:49 but rather the beautiful words he spoke about Christ were true. 16:53 And so the question I want to ask is, 16:54 What did John say about Jesus? 16:57 What was the message that he gave to the world 17:00 concerning the Messiah? 17:01 Take your Bible and turn with me to the book of John, 17:03 and we're going to go to the first chapter, 17:06 and we're going to see friends that John said many things 17:08 about Jesus, many wonderful things, but there are two that I 17:11 want to share with you this morning. 17:13 So we're going to John. 17:15 What chapter did I say? John 1. 17:18 And notice what it says in verse 29; a very familiar verse. 17:22 John 1:29. The Bible says, The next day John what? 17:31 saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, 17:36 Behold the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world. 17:42 One of the first things that John said about Jesus when 17:47 he saw Jesus, He said, Behold the Lamb. 17:50 He has come to take away the sin of the world. 17:53 Now, friends, in this passage there's a lot of deep, 17:56 beautiful theology. 17:57 But one beautiful, practical point we can gain from this is 18:02 that John saw Jesus first, and then he called others 18:06 to look for themselves. 18:08 You see, friends, in order for us to point out Jesus, 18:12 and speak accurately concerning Him, we have to see Him first. 18:17 We have to see Jesus with our eyes first before we can 18:22 proclaim Him with our lips second. 18:25 We must see Him with the eye of faith before we can proclaim Him 18:29 with the words of faith. 18:31 And that's what John did in this passage. 18:34 And one thing clear that John said about Jesus is that He is 18:37 the Lamb coming to remove sin; to take away 18:40 the sin of the world. 18:41 And, friends, this salvific statement is founded upon the 18:45 theology of the sanctuary. 18:47 You see, we cannot fully understand the complete holistic 18:51 salvation of Christ without understanding Christ's work 18:55 in the sanctuary, in the outer court, the holy place, 18:58 and the most holy place. 19:00 You see, Jesus is not just the Lamb that died for us in the 19:04 outer court, but He's also our great high priest that ever 19:08 lives to intercede for us in the holy, and most holy place. 19:12 You see, the Lamb had to die in the outer court, 19:14 but it's blood had to be applied in the holy and most holy place. 19:20 And that understanding helps us to see what it means when it 19:25 talks about the Lamb taking away the sin. 19:28 It's because He died in the outer court, 19:29 and He blots it out. 19:32 He removes it. He takes it away in the most holy place 19:35 in the investigative judgment. 19:37 And John saw Jesus as the fulfillment 19:40 of that sanctuary message. 19:41 Jesus was the reality of which that shadowy type would point 19:46 to, and so that's one of the first things I want to share 19:49 with you of what John said about Jesus. 19:52 He is the Lamb that removes sin; a statement that is founded upon 19:56 the theology of the sanctuary. 19:59 Now notice something else John said about Jesus, 20:01 as we go to chapter 3, and verse 29. Notice John 3:29. 20:08 Here's what John says, and it's interesting. 20:12 He describes the Messiah in the context of marriage. 20:16 John 3:29, John said, But he who has the bride is the bridegroom: 20:23 but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and 20:27 hears him, rejoices greatly because of the 20:30 bridegroom's what? voice. 20:32 Therefore my joy is fulfilled. 20:36 Very interesting statement. 20:38 Here John describes the Messiah in the context of marriage. 20:42 Who's the bride in this passage? 20:46 It's none other than the church, right? 20:48 The Bible, the bride of Christ, is a symbol of 20:51 His people of the church. 20:52 You can write down Ephesians 5: 25, 2 Corinthians 11:2, 20:56 Jeremiah 6:2, and many other passages. 20:59 The bride, or the woman, represents the church. 21:01 If the church is the bride, who is the bridegroom? 21:04 It's Christ. He is our heavenly husband. 21:07 We are His earthly bride. 21:09 And then, who is the third character that John mentioned 21:13 here? the friend of the bridegroom that John 21:15 himself claimed to be. 21:17 The friend of the bridegroom was basically the best man in the 21:20 wedding; the one that was the closest to the bridegroom. 21:24 And the responsibility of the best man, the friend of the 21:27 bridegroom, was that he was responsible of making 21:30 arrangements for the wedding. 21:32 His goal was to do all that he could to relieve the stress 21:37 and anxiety of the bridegroom. 21:39 His role, he was to be the middle man of communication 21:43 between the groom and the bride. 21:45 He was the messenger between the betrothed parties 21:48 preparing for the wedding. 21:50 And when the bridegroom finally received the bride, 21:53 face to face, the mission of the friend of the 21:56 bridegroom was fulfilled. 21:58 And so that best man, when he sees the groom and the bride 22:02 coming together, face-to-face, 22:04 his mission is accomplished, and now he rejoices in the 22:08 happiness of the union that he had promoted. 22:11 And that was the role of John the Baptist. 22:13 He wasn't just a part of the bride of Christ, the church, 22:15 but he was also the friend of the bridegroom, 22:18 the best man in the wedding, and thus he said that his 22:21 joy was fulfilled. 22:22 And that's how our joy is fulfilled as well. 22:24 Just by hearing the bridegroom's voice, and the joy He has 22:29 once He's reunited with his church. 22:32 Our joy, friends, our joy is fulfilled not in the recognition 22:37 of the rulers, nor in the praises of the people, 22:41 but only that we can play a part in preparing the union 22:45 of the bride and the bridegroom. 22:48 Friends, how many of you want to be a part 22:49 of the bride of Christ? 22:50 And even more than that, how many of you want to be a friend 22:53 of the bridegroom? Amen? 22:56 And that's a wonderful, and beautiful picture that John 22:59 painted concerning Jesus. 23:01 Now I want us to notice, in the two passages we just read, 23:05 we see that John called Jesus the Lamb, and he also called 23:10 Jesus the bridegroom. 23:12 There are two pictures that John painted 23:14 concerning the Messiah. 23:16 One is more theological, and the other is more practical. 23:20 One is more doctrinal, the other is more relational. 23:24 The more theological and doctrinal picture that John 23:28 painted was that of the Lamb. 23:30 The relational, and the practical 23:34 is that of the bridegroom. 23:36 And so we see that John the Baptist gave a complete, 23:40 and balanced picture of the Messiah. 23:43 He's not just the theological Lamb, but he's also the 23:46 relational bridegroom that is married to us. 23:49 That was the message of the first forerunner, so it will be 23:53 the message of the final forerunners. 23:55 This is what John said about Jesus. 23:57 And friends what we say about Jesus to the world must be 24:00 clear, it must be complete, and it must be balanced. Amen! 24:05 And here's the reason. 24:06 Today, friends, we are living during a crisis of theology. 24:13 Bad theology abounds in the Christian world today. 24:17 Because just like the Jews of old misinterpreted the 24:21 Scriptures, and thus misrepresented the character 24:24 of the Messiah to the world, so too, Christianity today has done 24:29 the exact same thing. 24:30 Heresies and half-truths are being spread far and wide 24:35 concerning the character of God. 24:36 The character of God is being miss-represented and maligned; 24:40 not just by the world, but even by the church. 24:42 And as a result, atheism, and unbelief have been the 24:46 reaction of the world. 24:47 As the Christian community is painting a tainted picture of 24:52 who God is, many people are reacting in unbelief. 24:56 Because of bad theology, an over-correction, 25:02 and an over-reaction has actually taken place in the 25:05 church to the point that we have emphasized orthodoxy 25:08 to the point that we have become Pharisees, to the point 25:12 that we would rather win an argument than win a soul. 25:15 We come across as critical, and judgmental, and harsh, 25:18 and mean, and lacking grace. 25:20 Remember friends, it's not just about what we say, 25:23 but how we say it, and when we say it. 25:28 What we're doing is this: we're emphasizing the rightness of 25:33 truth while missing the person of truth. 25:37 We are proclaiming the Word of God, but not painting a true 25:42 picture of the God of the Word, with one-sided preaching. 25:47 What we're doing is we're pointing to the theology 25:50 of the Lamb while we're not pointing to the 25:53 character of the bridegroom. 25:54 And this imbalanced emphasis has caused many people to 25:58 crash into the ditch of legalism, which is on the right 26:02 side of the narrow way of the Lord. 26:05 And as a result of this imbalanced emphasis, 26:10 people crashing into the ditch of legalism, 26:12 preaching the theology of the Lamb without pointing to the 26:15 character of the bridegroom, another reaction, 26:19 and over-correction has taken place on the other side. 26:22 People are crashing into the ditch of liberalism. 26:26 Legalism on the right, liberalism on the left. 26:29 Because, see, there's not only a crisis of theology in the 26:32 world, but there's also a crisis of relevancy. 26:36 We're trying to be relevant to the world 26:39 by trying to become like the world. 26:42 But in seeking to become like the world we are actually 26:46 becoming irrelevant to the world. 26:48 And here's the reason: If the church becomes post-modern 26:51 progressives like the world, she looses her relevance. 26:54 Because if you look like me, think like me, speak like me, 26:57 and live like me, than what's the difference? 27:00 You see, friends, we are relevant. 27:03 That which makes us relevant, I should say, is because we have 27:07 something different, and not only different, 27:09 but we have something better to offer to the world. 27:12 Can you say Amen? Amen! 27:14 So we can't try to be like the world to win the world. 27:18 We lose our relevance if we do that. 27:20 We are relevant because we have something different. 27:23 We have something better. 27:24 And the watchword of all true education is something better. 27:30 We have something better to offer than the world views 27:33 of the world today. 27:34 Well, friends this, what is being called progressive 27:38 Christianity is causing many people to downplay objective 27:43 doctrine, and to exalt and elevate a 27:47 subjective personal experience. 27:50 Many people in Christianity today are becoming more and more 27:54 focused on questions rather than the clear-cut answers 27:58 that God has given us in the world. 28:00 That's what the daughters of Babylon are doing. 28:03 They're saying it's not about doctrine. 28:05 Let's put aside all of those things. 28:08 It's an overreaction. 28:11 The same thing has been happening, 28:13 perhaps even among us. 28:15 It seems like ecumenism is emerging even among us. 28:21 It's an overreaction friends. 28:23 There are two ditches on either side of the narrow road of God's 28:26 way: legalism, and liberalism. 28:30 And that's why it's been said in the book, Last Day Events, 28:33 on page 179. Notice what it says: 28:47 Wow! Lord have mercy! 28:50 And that's the reason why I want to challenge, and encourage 28:53 all of us young people, that we must study 28:55 the Bible for ourselves. 28:57 Can you say Amen? 28:58 We can't take a man's word for it. 29:00 Just because it comes from an approved pulpit, 29:05 doesn't mean that it is true. 29:07 We must study to show ourselves approved unto God. 29:11 And in order to avoid the two ditches on either side of the 29:14 way of the Lord: the ditch of legalism, and the ditch of 29:17 liberalism, we must study for ourselves, and we must give 29:20 the complete, balanced, whole picture of Jesus; 29:24 not just a picture of Christ based upon a few Scriptures, 29:28 but of all the Word of God, because Jesus says that the 29:31 Scriptures testify of Him. 29:34 The revelation of Jesus Christ, the testimony of Jesus 29:37 is the spirit of prophecy, and that's not just one prophet 29:40 in the last days, it's God speaking through all the 29:43 prophets, from the beginning to the end. 29:45 And friends, that's what John came to do. 29:49 Based upon what he understood, he sought to give a complete 29:54 picture of who the Messiah was. 29:57 And in order to avoid the ditches, we must prepare 30:00 the way of the Lord. 30:02 You see, as we do this, true progressivism will be restored. 30:06 You see, friends, I want to share this with you. 30:08 What is called progressive Christianity today, 30:11 is not really taking us forward, but it's taking us backward. 30:14 It's actually taking us all the way back to the tree of the 30:18 knowledge of good and evil, when the serpent said to the 30:21 woman, Has God said? 30:25 He was causing her to doubt that which God had clearly said. 30:30 This is higher criticism. 30:32 This is the origin of higher criticism. 30:34 When the serpent said, You will not surely die. 30:37 In other words, God does not mean exactly what He says. 30:43 That's progressivism. 30:44 That's what is labeled as progressivism, but it's taken us 30:48 back to the Garden of Eden, and the tree of 30:50 knowledge of good and evil. 30:52 You see, what the serpent said there is, you know, 30:54 God is not telling the truth. 30:56 He doesn't mean exactly what He says. 30:57 If you eat of this fruit, you won't die, 31:00 but you will be like God, knowing good and evil. 31:02 Your eyes are going to be opened. 31:04 You're going to be enlightened. 31:05 In other words, it's all relative. 31:07 That's what the Devil will say. 31:08 It's all relative. You can be your own God. 31:12 You can make your own decisions. 31:13 You can make your own law, because truth is relative. 31:17 And you can continue to sin and still be like God, 31:20 and still be saved. 31:22 And this postmodern progressivism is saying 31:25 the exact same thing. 31:27 It's not really taking us forward, 31:28 it's taking us backward. 31:30 You see, my friends, to be truly progressive 31:32 we've got to move forward. 31:33 And in order to move forward, we have to have a 31:36 clear way in front of us. 31:38 And in order to have a clear way we, like John the Baptist, 31:42 have to prepare the way of the Lord. 31:46 Are you with me, yes or no? 31:49 And so what does it mean then to prepare the way of the Lord? 31:53 What does that mean? 31:54 Well, some of you already know the verse I'm going to next. 31:57 Where is God's way illustrated for us? 32:02 The way of salvation is found in Jesus. 32:06 Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. 32:08 But before Jesus came into the world, 32:10 where was that way illustrated? 32:12 Psalm 77 says, Thy way, O God, is where? in the sanctuary. 32:19 You see, when you look at the sanctuary, friends, 32:21 you actually see a path that leads from darkness into light. 32:26 A path that leads from the outer court, where the Lamb was slain, 32:32 all the way into the holy place, and into the most holy place, 32:36 where the bridegroom awaits us. 32:39 You see, the way of the Lord that needs to be prepared, 32:42 before Jesus can come, is that way that's illustrated in the 32:46 sanctuary; the true way of salvation; a straight path that 32:49 leads from the Lamb slain in the outer court, 32:51 to the groom that's waiting for us in the most holy place. 32:54 You see, that most holy place, if you study it, 32:56 it's the bedroom chamber of God. 32:59 It's the secret place of the Most High. 33:01 It's the place of ultimate intimacy. 33:03 It's the place where the bride and the groom become one 33:07 in atonement; at-one-ment. 33:11 You know the book, Song of Solomon? 33:13 That book describes the union of a husband and wife. 33:18 And did you know that the Jews, they called the Bible Holy? 33:23 But when it comes to the book, the Song of Solomon, 33:25 they called that book of the Bible the Holy of Holies. 33:30 The Song of Solomon, they say, is the most holy place. 33:33 It's when the bride and groom become one; 33:35 atonement, at-one-ment. 33:37 Here is where the marriage is consummated, 33:40 where the bride is sealed for all eternity. 33:43 This is where the sin of the world is taken away. 33:47 You see, friends, the ransom in the outer court, where the Lamb 33:50 was slain, is what prepares for the reunion of the bride, 33:55 and the bridegroom in the most holy place. 33:57 So to prepare the way of the Lord, is to restore the path 34:01 that leads all the way back to seeing our heavenly husband 34:05 face to face. Can you say Amen? 34:07 That's the path that the first forerunner came to prepare, 34:10 or to begin to make straight. 34:12 But it's that same path that the final forerunners will actually 34:16 finish in making straight. 34:18 And so remember, friends, it doesn't matter so much 34:20 what you say about yourself, but what you say about Jesus. 34:22 And what we say about Christ must be complete. 34:25 He's not just a lamb, He's also the groom. 34:28 In order to be God's faithful voice, 34:31 let's give that complete message. 34:33 You see, we need to be relational in our theology 34:36 in order to have relevancy. 34:39 But our relationships need to be based on sound theology 34:42 in order to have eternal permanency. 34:45 Because, friends, when the storm hits, all the heresies and half 34:49 truths, and creeping compromise are going to be washed away, 34:52 and only the truth as it is in Jesus is going to remain. 34:58 And so let us go and make straight the way of the Lord. 35:04 Let's avoid the two ditches on either side. 35:06 Let's point people to Jesus, the Lamb in the outer court, 35:11 and the groom in the most holy place. 35:13 John was great in the sight of the Lord 35:15 because he gave that message. 35:16 Let us do the same. 35:18 Well friends, it's not so much what we even say about Jesus, 35:24 that makes us great, but rather it's what Jesus says about us. 35:30 Amen? So now I'd like you to turn with me to our next 35:34 point as we go to the book of Matthew 11. 35:38 And I want us to notice what Jesus said 35:40 concerning John the Baptist. 35:42 Matthew 11:7. The Bible says this: Matthew 11:7. 35:51 As they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes 35:54 concerning John, What did you go out into the wilderness to see? 35:59 A reed shaken by the wind? 36:01 Here Christ is making a contrast to the life and character of 36:05 John the Baptist to that of a reed that's shaken and moved 36:08 by the wind of circumstance. 36:10 And the obvious answer to the question that Jesus is asking, 36:13 is that John was not like a shaken reed. 36:16 He was not one that was easily moved by the opinions of the 36:20 day, and the circumstances of his life. 36:22 Instead of being like a shaking reed, 36:24 John was like an unmovable rock. 36:27 That's what Jesus said about John. 36:29 He was unmovable, he was firm, he had spiritual backbone, 36:33 he stood up for the truth. 36:36 And so, number one, two things that Jesus says about John 36:39 that I want to highlight. 36:41 1. John the Baptist was unmovable 36:43 for the cause of Christ. 36:44 And then notice the next verse, verse 8. 36:48 But what did you go out to see? 36:49 A man clothed in... What kind of garments?... soft garments? 36:53 Indeed, those who wear soft clothing 36:56 are in the king's houses. 36:58 So in contrast to the kings that like to wear soft, comfortable 37:01 clothes, John the Baptist was not like that. 37:04 The point that Jesus is making is that John the Baptist was not 37:07 only unmovable for the cause of the Messiah, but he was also 37:11 willing to be uncomfortable; uncomfortable 37:15 for the cause of Christ. 37:16 My friends, many people are failing of reaching their full 37:21 potential, because they are afraid of leaving 37:25 their comfort zone. 37:26 But friends there is no growth in the comfort zone. 37:29 And many times there's no comfort in the growth zone. 37:34 If we want to grow we have to get out of the comfort zone. 37:38 We have to be willing to stand up, and stand out, 37:42 and not be ashamed, or afraid to speak up, and speak out 37:46 for the cause of Christ. Amen. 37:48 We need to speak the truth. 37:49 We need to do it in love. 37:50 And as we go, that's how we grow. 37:54 Can you say Amen? Amen. 37:56 There is no growth in the comfort zone, 37:58 and there is no comfort in the growth zone, 38:01 only the fact that the comfort of the Holy Spirit is with us, 38:03 and He is growing us, and preparing us for the kingdom. 38:07 And so what enables us to leave the comfort zone 38:10 for the cause of Christ? 38:11 It's when we remember that Jesus, our heavenly King, 38:17 left the comfort zone for you and me. 38:21 He left the throne of glory, the beautiful mansions above; 38:25 born in a barn in a manger, a very uncomfortable manger; 38:30 grew up in poverty, misunderstood by His peers, 38:33 and even His parents, and then He hung naked 38:36 on a cruel Roman cross. 38:39 Oh friends, that was so uncomfortable. 38:42 But Jesus did it for us. 38:44 And that love demonstrated therein, is the power 38:49 that enables us to leave the comfort zones; 38:51 our comfort zones for Him. 38:53 Can you say Amen? Amen! 38:54 Friends, in these last days God is looking for an Army that is 38:58 not moved by comfort, but moved by Holy Spirit conviction; 39:02 an Army that is more concerned with God's glory 39:06 than their own reputation. 39:08 You see, friends, we have to be willing to be uncomfortable, 39:10 and unmovable, because the stage is set for the final 39:13 crisis to break upon us, and it's going to be uncomfortable, 39:16 but in that moment God wants us to be unmovable. 39:20 I'll never forget going door to door. 39:24 A few years back we were Colporteuring doing big books, 39:29 in a real bad city in California; very dangerous city. 39:33 It was on a Sunday afternoon that we were going door to door. 39:36 But it wasn't an ordinary Sunday. 39:37 It was a very special Sunday here in America. 39:40 It was Super Bowl Sunday. 39:42 During the game we're going door to door because we knew 39:46 that everyone would be home, right? 39:47 And we were facing rejection, after rejection, 39:50 after rejection, but it didn't matter because the sooner they 39:52 rejected us the quicker we could go to the next house, 39:55 and find the person that was interested. 39:57 And so we're heading down this street, and on the other side 39:59 of the street we saw a group of brothers in the garage watching 40:03 the football game; drinking and partying, and what not. 40:06 And we knew that we're going to head to that house soon. 40:09 And so as we're knocking on the doors on one side of the 40:11 street, we're praying for those brothers on the other side. 40:13 We crossed the street and now their house is the next house. 40:17 They saw us coming from the distance. 40:19 They knew what we were doing, because they saw us walking 40:22 on the other side of the street. 40:23 So they knew that their house was the next house. 40:26 So from a distance they started shouting at us, 40:28 and yelling at us saying, You don't want to come here. 40:31 We're not interested in what you have to say. 40:32 Keep right on going! 40:34 You see the Devil did not want me to go to that house, 40:36 because he knew that something powerful was going to happen. 40:39 So I just made like I didn't hear what they were saying, 40:41 and I just walked right up to the garage; 40:43 right into their house. 40:44 And they couldn't believe that I had the audacity to do that. 40:47 And so these 5 or 6 Hispanic brothers started surrounding my 40:53 partner and I, and they tried to intimidate us. 40:56 I mean they were drinking, they were partying, and what not, 40:58 and one guy got in my face, and started shouting at me. 41:01 And he was saying, What are you doing? 41:03 You're wasting your time out here. 41:05 When was the last time you saw God? 41:07 How can you believe in this that you've never seen before? 41:09 You know, it wasn't a comfortable situation. 41:13 Alcoholic breath, spit flying on me; it wasn't a pretty sight. 41:16 But, thank the Lord, I had good devotions that morning, Amen? 41:19 And thank the Lord I was prayed up that morning. 41:22 I had the armor of God. 41:23 And so, by God's grace, even though it was uncomfortable, 41:26 I would not be moved. 41:27 I stood right there, because this individual was asking 41:30 a very good question. 41:31 His question, When was the last time you saw God? 41:34 How can you believe in something that you cannot see? 41:36 Is that a good question? Yes! Absolutely! 41:39 So I tried to answer, but he wouldn't let me talk. 41:41 And so finally I said, Hey, I have an answer. 41:43 Are you ready to hear it? 41:45 So he stopped talking. 41:46 And, by the way, my other partner, I don't think he had 41:49 good devotions that morning, because he started backing up. 41:52 Hey, you guys are drunk! And he left me! 41:57 I was all by myself, but I wasn't alone, 41:59 because God was with me, Amen? 42:01 The Bible says that God has not given us the spirit of fear, 42:03 but power, love, and a sound mind. 42:06 And so it was uncomfortable, but I stood my ground. 42:09 And I tried to answer the question. 42:11 And I finally said, Hey, I have the answer. 42:12 He stopped talking long enough for me to give the answer. 42:15 And I said, Let me answer your question with a question. 42:18 That's a method of Christ. 42:19 Let me answer your question with a question. 42:22 Have you ever seen your brain before, I asked? 42:27 He was half drunk, so he didn't know where 42:29 I was going with this, so he said, No! 42:31 And I said, Oh, well how do you know you have one then? 42:37 I got him thinking. 42:39 And I said, Have you ever seen the wind before? 42:41 No, you can't see the wind, but if you notice this tree right 42:43 here, it's moving because the wind is blowing. 42:45 And I told him, I don't believe in God because I've 42:47 seen Him with my eyes. 42:48 I believe in Him because He has moved so beautifully in my life. 42:53 And I started sharing my personal testimony; 42:55 how I used to be a druggie, a pot head. 42:58 I was chasing the world, and burning up my brain cells; 43:01 not caring about anyone but myself. 43:03 And I shared with him how the Lord had rescued me, 43:06 and made me free, and that's the reason why 43:08 I was going door to door. 43:09 And as I was sharing my testimony with him, 43:11 all of a sudden he said, You know, I wish God would send 43:14 someone in my life to help me stop doing what I'm doing. 43:17 I'm sick of my life! 43:20 When he said that, tears filled his eyes. 43:24 He was a tough guy, but the Holy Spirit was breaking him down. 43:29 He started to cry. Then he ran away, because he didn't want 43:31 his friends to see him crying, so he left. 43:33 And so I went after him. 43:36 And when I got to where he was he said, 43:38 Why are you doing this man? 43:39 You're making me cry. 43:41 You're making me think. 43:42 Why are you doing this? 43:43 I said, I'm not doing anything. 43:45 Right now God is moving on your heart, my friend. 43:46 And I started telling him about the love of Jesus. 43:49 How Christ would accept him just as he was, 43:53 but wouldn't leave him as he was. 43:56 How Christ would win the victory in his life. 43:58 He was listening, and he received the book, 44:01 Steps to Christ. Amen? 44:04 Friends, in these last days God is calling us to go out 44:06 of the comfort zone for His cause. 44:08 There are souls all around us that need to see the things 44:11 that we have seen, to hear the things we have heard, 44:14 and to know the great God that we know. 44:15 So let us go and make Him known to others, Amen? 44:20 We must be uncomfortable, and unmovable. 44:23 Because, friends, in these last days, in this crisis hour, 44:27 our faith is going to be severely tested 44:29 just like John the Baptist. 44:31 And if we have been wearied with the footmen, 44:33 what are we going to do when the horses come? 44:35 What are we going to do when the time of trouble hits, friends? 44:37 We need to pray, Lord make me uncomfortable in this world, 44:41 and unmovable in this walk. 44:44 Uncomfortable in the world, unmovable in the walk. 44:48 And so that's what Jesus said about John. 44:51 Then notice what He said in verse 9. 44:52 Matthew 11:9. But what went you out to see? A prophet? 44:59 yes, I say to you, and what? more than a prophet. 45:02 Then jump down to verse 11. 45:04 Assuredly I say to you, Among those born of women there is not 45:08 risen a greater than John the Baptist: but he that is least 45:11 in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. 45:14 Friends, it's beautiful. 45:15 Here we find Jesus, God in the flesh, giving a great stamp of 45:21 approval on the life of John. 45:22 He said that John is more than a prophet, and there hasn't been 45:26 one greater than him. 45:28 Friends, as we contemplate these words, this confirmation 45:34 of Christ, there's a strange and disturbing dichotomy between 45:39 the life that Jesus affirmed, and the death 45:43 that John experienced. 45:45 Because John the Baptist, we know that the end of the story 45:49 was that he was in a cold, dark dungeon, 45:52 in prison for preaching the truth. 45:56 And I can imagine that as John was in that dungeon cell, 46:00 he had to have been thinking to himself, If Jesus came to 46:03 preach deliverance to the captives, 46:05 why does He not set me free? 46:07 You see, John the Baptist himself did not have a complete 46:13 understanding of the Messiah's character. 46:16 And I could imagine that his faith in that 46:18 dungeon cell was tested. 46:20 His faith faltered, but it did not fail. 46:24 And what he experienced is what we will experience 46:27 in these last days. 46:28 We're going to go through a similar test; a time of shaking, 46:33 a time called the time of Jacob's trouble. 46:36 It's our own personal Gethsemane experience, where our will must 46:41 die so that God's will can be accomplished. 46:44 It is the cross that comes before the crown. 46:46 It is the crucifixion that comes before the resurrection. 46:50 It's the rain that precedes the rainbow. 46:52 It's the pit and the prison before the heavenly palace. 46:55 It is the time that would try our souls to the uttermost. 46:59 A time that we will be forsaken of men, 47:01 and seemingly forgotten by God. 47:04 And perhaps you're there right now today. 47:07 Perhaps you've already been in that shaking, 47:10 testing experience. 47:12 Maybe you're experiencing, this morning, a major health 47:15 issue that is draining the hope out of you. 47:18 Perhaps you feel crushed by an overwhelming debt. 47:21 You have school loans to repay. 47:23 Your house has gone into foreclosure. 47:26 You don't know how you're going to provide for your family. 47:28 Or maybe you're a young person, and your parents have gone 47:31 through, or are going through, a devastating divorce. 47:34 And you're confused, and you're angry. 47:36 Maybe your friends have betrayed you, 47:38 and your fiancé has walked out on you. 47:40 Maybe your spouse has left you for somebody else, 47:43 your children disrespecting you. 47:45 Your parents have forsaken you, or maybe there's a loved one 47:48 that's abusing you, and you're in that cold, dark dungeon 47:52 like John the Baptist was. 47:53 And you're asking the question, Why? 47:55 And as you pray it seems like heaven is deaf to your cries. 47:59 Such was the situation of John the Baptist. 48:03 How can one called so great be left to perish in a cold, dark 48:09 dungeon all by himself? 48:11 How can one that was so affirmed by Christ 48:13 be left to lose his head? 48:15 Well friends, the key is this: even though John was by 48:20 himself, he wasn't alone. 48:22 It only seemed that way. 48:25 The book, The Desire of Ages, 224 says, 48:46 And so, my brothers, and my sisters, if you find yourself 48:49 all by yourself, remember that you are not alone; 48:52 That God is with us to the very end. 48:55 God is with us in the prison, and in the pit, the same way 48:59 He's with us in the pew, and in the pulpit. 49:02 God is always there, even though we don't feel like He's there. 49:06 He is our shining light when we're surrounded by darkness. 49:09 Our God is our faithful friend when all 49:11 others have forsaken us. 49:12 He is our saving shield when we're being 49:14 attacked from all sides. 49:16 He's our compassionate comforter when we've 49:18 got no one to turn to. 49:19 He is our living bread when we have nothing to eat, 49:21 our living water when we're dying of thirst. 49:23 He is our healing balm when we've been wounded by sin. 49:26 He is our lifeguard when we're being pulled down by the strong 49:30 currents of our own sinful flesh. 49:32 He is our guiding compass when we've lost our way, 49:35 and have no one to turn to. 49:36 He is our stable voice when we've lost all words, 49:40 and when we don't know what to say. 49:41 He is our solidifying purpose when we have no 49:45 other reason to live. 49:46 He is our solid rock when all the foundations 49:49 have been washed away. 49:50 He is our breath of life when we're drowning 49:52 in discouragement and despair. 49:54 He is, friends, the great I Am, not the I was, or the I will be. 49:58 The great I Am, that's present tense. 50:01 The one that is with us in every single situation, 50:04 in every single difficulty, the present tense God, 50:07 our ever present help in time of need. 50:10 And friends, if there was ever a time that we needed the Lord, 50:12 we sure do need Him now. 50:15 How many of you need Jesus? 50:18 He is the I Am. You fill in the blank. 50:22 Whatever you need Him to be; I Am. 50:26 He is our friend when we don't have any more friends, 50:30 our shelter when we're homeless, our bread 50:33 when we have nothing to eat. 50:35 How many of you are thankful for Jesus, Amen? 50:36 I want you to notice, trials will come, so let it come. 50:41 But here's what God says: in the book The Desire of Ages, 50:44 page 24. We're almost finished. 50:46 It says this: Oh, I love this passage. 50:48 It's in the context of death of John the Baptist. 50:51 It says: God never leads His children otherwise than they 50:58 would choose to be led... 50:59 We're in The Desire of Ages, page 224. 51:01 ...if they could see the end from the beginning, 51:04 and discern the glory of the purpose which they are 51:09 fulfilling as co-workers with Him. 51:11 Did you catch that? 51:12 God never leads us otherwise than we would choose to be led, 51:17 if we could see the end from the beginning like He does. 51:19 In other words, if you're going through something this morning, 51:22 and you'd rather not go through it, well friends, if you knew 51:25 what God is going to bring out of that situation, you would be, 51:28 Yes, I want to go through this situation. 51:32 And then it says, Not Enoch, who was translated to heaven, 51:37 not Elijah, who ascended in the chariot of fire, was greater or 51:42 more honored than John the Baptist, 51:45 who perished alone in the dungeon. 51:48 You have Enoch, Elijah, and John the Baptist. 51:51 Which one do you want to be? 51:53 We want to be like Enoch, isn't that right? 51:56 Translated without seeing death. 51:59 Oh we don't mind being like Elijah, 52:01 caught up in that chariot of fire. 52:03 But to be like John the Baptist in the dungeon, 52:07 normally that's not our first choice, isn't that right? 52:10 But it says here that Elijah and Enoch were not more honored 52:14 than John the Baptist, even though he lost his 52:17 head in the dungeon. And then it says: 52:40 My friends, come what may, God is with us. 52:46 He is always faithful. 52:48 His presence will go with us. 52:50 His love will embrace us. 52:52 His grace will sustain us. 52:55 His mighty arm will protect us. 52:57 And if we perish alone in the dungeon, 53:01 His voice will resurrect us. 53:05 And so don't worry, friends, about being great 53:08 in the sight of the world, but great in the sight of the Lord. 53:14 And now as we conclude, What makes us great? 53:19 Three things: 1. What we say about ourselves. 53:24 He must increase, we must decrease. 53:28 2. What we say about Jesus. 53:32 He's not only the Lamb, He's also the bridegroom. 53:36 And 3. What Jesus says about us: unmovable, and uncomfortable 53:42 for the sake of Christ. 53:44 How many of you want to be that voice crying in the wilderness 53:48 to prepare the way of the Lord? 53:51 My last verse, John 1:37, is I believe the greatest compliment 53:59 that can be said concerning God's people. 54:03 It was said of John, may it be said of us. 54:06 John 1:37, the Bible says: And the two disciples heard him 54:15 speak... Referring to John the Baptist. 54:18 They heard John speak. 54:20 They heard that voice crying in the wilderness. 54:22 And what did they do when they heard the voice? 54:25 It says,...and they followed Jesus. 54:30 They did not follow the man, they followed the Lamb. 54:35 That's the greatest thing, compliment that can be said, 54:39 concerning God's voices. 54:40 They heard us speak, and they followed Jesus. 54:44 May that be said of us. 54:46 May that be said of you. 54:49 How many of you want to have that experience that when people 54:52 hear us speak they follow Jesus? 54:56 Friends, it's been a pleasure sharing this time with you 54:59 in these past few days. 55:01 As we face a brand new year, with brand new challenges, 55:04 and brand new victories, let us never forget that we've been 55:08 called, we've been chosen. 55:11 By God's grace let us be faithful. 55:14 And if I never see you again, if we never meet each other 55:19 again in this world, by God's grace let us commit this morning 55:24 that we will meet again in God's eternal kingdom. 55:28 Because they that are with Him are called, 55:31 and chosen, and are faithful. 55:32 Are you going to be there? 55:34 Let's pray that we will all be there. 55:37 And let us close this morning. 55:40 Father in Heaven, thank You so much dear God, for Your amazing 55:48 grace, Your marvelous mercy, for calling us, for choosing us 55:56 even when we did not choose You. 56:00 Lord forgive us for using our voices for our own gain, 56:06 for our own glory. 56:07 Lord make us like John the Baptist, 56:12 more so make us like Jesus. 56:15 Make us Your voice that proclaims Your Word, 56:19 that points people to the Lamb that died for us, 56:23 and the bridegroom that's returning for us. 56:27 We thank You so much for the experience we've had together. 56:31 Bless us as we get ready to depart today. 56:34 As we descend from this mountain top experience, as we go to the 56:39 valley's below where people are dying, Lord may we be the light, 56:43 make us the light of the world. 56:46 And Father, as we are about to experience a great time of 56:51 trouble, give us Your faithfulness, and help us to 56:57 trust in Your faithfulness. 57:00 Thank You for hearing this prayer. 57:02 In Jesus' name we pray. 57:04 Let all of God's children say Amen, Amen. |
Revised 2016-08-29