Participants: Randy Skeete
Series Code: 16GYC
Program Code: 16GYC000002A
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00:34 Please rise as we sing our opening song, Before The Throne.
02:51 You may all be seated. 02:57 Good morning, GYC. 02:59 Good morning, GYC. 03:01 ~ Good morning. 03:02 - God is good ~ all the time. 03:04 - And all the time ~ God is good. 03:07 And that is His nature. 03:10 This morning I have the privilege of introducing 03:12 our morning devotional speaker, Randy Skeete. 03:17 Pastor Skeete is an individual whom God has used 03:21 quite mightily in my life, and probably many young people 03:24 across the world. 03:26 I've known him for many years when he served as the campus 03:28 evangelist in Ann Arbor Michigan, 03:31 as well as sitting in many of his classes, 03:34 his weekly prayer meetings, and of course personal mentorship 03:38 and investment. 03:40 And so I trust that we will hear from the Lord 03:43 each and every morning. 03:45 And I ask that you would keep him in your prayers 03:49 as he speaks, and even when he's not speaking, 03:52 that God would continue to speak to him. 03:55 If you would stand this morning 03:56 as we have our Scripture reading. 03:59 Jude 24, 25 04:05 The Bible says, "Now unto him that is able to keep you 04:11 from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence 04:18 of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God 04:25 our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, 04:33 both now and ever. Amen." 04:37 Let us pray. 04:40 Mighty God, everlasting Father, we are grateful that You've 04:46 seen fit in Your mercies to wake us up this morning. 04:50 It is not because we were worthy that You've 04:52 drawn us to this place. 04:55 And so, Lord, we come with thanksgiving in our hearts 04:59 and we enter Your courts with praise. 05:02 We pray, Father, that if ever You have spoken by a man 05:06 that You would speak by Pastor Skeete this morning. 05:10 We pray that our hearts would be ready to receive 05:12 the Word of God with meekness, which is able to save our souls. 05:19 May Jesus be seen. 05:21 May the Spirit of God travel from heart to heart 05:24 and from mind to mind impressing the truth upon the soul 05:29 so that when all has been heard we will be on the right side. 05:35 This is our prayer. 05:37 And we trust that You will help this to be our experience. 05:41 For we offer this prayer from our hearts. 05:43 In Jesus' name. 05:45 Let all of God's people say amen. 06:11 Teach me, Father, what to say, 06:21 teach me, Father, how to pray; 06:30 teach me all along the way 06:39 how to be like Jesus. 06:51 Teach me how we may be one, 06:59 like the Father and the Son; 07:07 and when all is overcome 07:16 I will be like Jesus. 07:26 Lord make me like You, please make me like You. 07:36 You are a Servant; make me like You. 07:45 Oh Lord, I am willing; do what You must do 07:54 to make me like You, Lord. 07:58 Make me like You. 08:05 I would be like Jesus, 08:12 I would be like Jesus. 08:19 Help me, Lord, to daily grow 08:28 more and more like Jesus. 09:08 - God is good ~ all the time. 09:10 - And all the time ~ God is good. 09:13 Let's try that again. 09:14 - God is good ~ all the time. 09:16 - And all the time ~ God is good. 09:19 Psalm 100:5, "For the LORD is good; 09:24 his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth 09:29 to all generations." 09:31 - Good morning, everyone. ~ Good morning. 09:34 I said, good morning, everyone. 09:35 ~ Good morning. 09:37 Did I walk into a cemetery? 09:38 Good morning, everyone. 09:39 ~ Good morning. 09:41 - How are you? ~ Good. 09:42 How many of you love Jesus? Can I see your hand quickly? 09:45 Ah, God bless you. God bless you. 09:47 I love Him as well, so I'll raise both my hands. 09:50 I love Christ. I'm delighted to see you. 09:52 I thank God from the foundation of my soul 09:56 for this sweet privilege and this holy honor 09:59 to fellowship with you in this way. 10:02 And my prayer is that the Lord will tell me precisely 10:05 what to say, that your lives may be blessed. 10:09 But higher than that, that God's name may be glorified. 10:12 - Can I have an amen? ~ Amen. 10:15 Before I go any further, who is with us who is not 10:18 a Seventh-day Adventist, may I see your hand? 10:20 You are not a Seventh-day Adventist, may I see your hand? 10:23 Raise your hand wherever you are, and move the hand. 10:26 Ah, God bless you, my lovely sister. 10:29 Thank you for coming. 10:30 God bless you. 10:32 We are delighted to have you with us. 10:33 Anyone else? You are not...Ah. 10:35 God bless you. 10:37 God bless you, my good brother. 10:38 Just do that for me. 10:40 Ah, that's it. Now you'll go to heaven. 10:42 Just keep it off, keep it off, keep it off. 10:44 Alright. Take that thing off. 10:46 Anyone else, you are not a Seventh-day Adventist? 10:49 Anyone else? 10:50 - Come on, say amen. ~ Amen. 10:52 - Say it again. ~ Amen. 10:54 - Too weak. Say it again. ~ Amen. 10:56 - God is good ~ all the time. 10:58 - All the time ~ God is good. 11:00 Yes He is. God can't be anything but good. 11:02 Now time flies quickly, so I have to plunge into the message. 11:07 The title of this morning's message is, 11:09 Laughing Out Loud. 11:12 - What did I say? ~ Laughing Out Loud. 11:15 Now for those of you who were born in the Facebook 11:17 maternity ward of the social media hospital, 11:20 you know that laughing out loud is referred to as what? 11:24 ~ lol. - Ah, lol. 11:25 Do you know the Bible as well as that? 11:27 Okay, lol. 11:30 But our subject is, Laughing Out Loud. 11:34 I understand there's one called, rolling on the floor laughing. 11:38 Am I right? 11:40 Yeah, there's another one you can't mention from the pulpit. 11:42 But so, LOL is our subject for this morning. 11:47 Before I go any further, you need to help me. 11:51 I'm always in need of help. 11:53 - What's this? ~ Cell phone. 11:55 - Ah, come on. What's this? ~ Cell phone. 11:58 - What's that? ~ iPhone. 11:59 - What do I want you to use? ~ The Bible. 12:01 Yes, now we're meeting for the first time, 12:04 so you don't know how to get along with me. 12:06 I am telling you how. 12:08 Bring a Bible to the service. 12:13 I want to see you walking through the hotel lobby 12:16 with a Bible. 12:17 I want to see you walking on the streets with a Bible. 12:22 Someone may say to you, "Are you a Christian?" 12:25 And I hope you'll say, "Yes." 12:27 The person may say, "Where are you going?" 12:29 "To GYC." 12:31 "What's that?" You'll tell them. 12:32 "May I come?" "Yes." 12:36 We thank God for technology. 12:37 This is not a Bible. 12:43 This is the Holy Bible. 12:45 This is not the holy iPhone. 12:49 Bring a Bible. 12:51 Now how many of you have Bibles, raise your hands. 12:53 You have Bibles, raise your hands. 12:55 Ah, God bless you. 12:57 The rest of you who don't, please repent, 13:00 and bring your Bible tomorrow. 13:03 Alright. 13:06 This has Viber, Snapchat. 13:08 Is it Snapchat? 13:10 Instagram, WhatsApp, email, Google. 13:16 What else? 13:18 What else? You know them. 13:19 Don't play as though you don't. You do. 13:21 What does this have? 13:23 Only the word of God. 13:25 No temptations with this. 13:27 I came into the meeting last night, 13:28 there was someone on the phone just... 13:32 You know God can kill you for that? 13:34 No, I'm serious. 13:35 He can kill you for that. 13:38 We must respect God. 13:39 Something else to do for me, I want you to pretend 13:42 you're in the presence of an earthly judge. 13:44 Now, what are some things you cannot do? 13:48 You can't talk. 13:49 You can't chew gum. Who said that? 13:52 I like you. God bless you. 13:53 What else? 13:55 What else you cannot do? 13:57 You can't text. 13:58 You cannot even take the phone into a courtroom. 14:01 What else you cannot do? You can't drink water. 14:04 A courtroom is not a restaurant. 14:05 Drink your water before you come. 14:07 You will not die of thirst. Can you say amen? 14:09 Alright. 14:10 Pretend you're in the presence of a judge. 14:13 Now confer that to the Judge of all the earth. 14:17 Show God reverence. 14:19 - If you agree, say amen. ~ Amen. 14:21 - What's our subject? ~ Laughing Out Loud. 14:24 Alright, so this off, the Bible on. 14:26 Second favor, while I'm speaking pray for me and say, 14:28 "Lord, put Your words into that man's mouth." 14:32 That's based on Jeremiah 1:9. 14:34 "Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. 14:38 And the LORD said unto me, 'Behold, I have put 14:41 my words in thy mouth.'" 14:43 Favor number three, think. 14:46 Isaiah 1:18, "'Come now, let us reason together,' 14:50 saith the LORD." 14:51 You know, young people are treated 14:54 too much like young people. 14:55 What do I mean? 14:57 When you take the SAT, when you take calculus, 15:00 when you take honors physics, you're serious. 15:02 Right or wrong? 15:03 Yes, you're right. 15:05 But when it comes to the Bible, you giggle and laugh, 15:12 and ignore it. 15:14 I want you to be rigorous in your thinking. 15:20 God deserves it. 15:21 Heads bowed, eyes closed. 15:23 Father in heaven, You know how honored I am 15:27 to stand in Your presence, to speak to those 15:30 for whom Your Son shed His blood. 15:34 In the all-conquering name of Jesus Christ, dear God, 15:39 give me the words, give me the sequence of ideas. 15:44 Help me to speak, dear God, with boldness 15:48 fearlessness, but humility. 15:52 Bless everyone who has come. 15:54 But Father, in a very special way 15:56 bless the visitors, dear God. 15:58 Those who are not Seventh-day Adventists, 16:00 who have come to be with us, a double blessing on them. 16:04 Now, dear God, take all the glory and give us the blessings. 16:09 In Jesus' name I pray. 16:11 Let God's people say amen and amen. 16:15 Genesis 5, reading from verse 3, quickly. 16:20 Genesis 5, reading from verse 3. 16:26 The Bible says, "And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, 16:29 and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; 16:33 and called his name Seth. 16:36 And the days of Adam after he had begotten Seth 16:38 were eight hundred years. 16:40 And he begat sons and daughters. 16:42 And all the days of Adam were nine hundred and thirty years: 16:46 and he died. 16:48 And Seth lived an hundred and five years, and begat Enos. 16:53 And Seth lived after he begat Enos 16:55 eight hundred and seven years, and begat sons and daughters. 16:59 And all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years: 17:03 and he died. 17:05 And Enos lived ninety years, and begat Cainan. 17:10 And Enos lived after he begat Cainan 17:12 eight hundred and fifteen years, and begat sons and daughters. 17:17 And all the days of Enos were nine hundred and five years: 17:21 and he died. 17:23 And Cainan lived seventy years, and begat Mahalaleel. 17:28 And Cainan lived after he begat Mahalaleel 17:31 eight hundred and forty years, and begat sons and daughters. 17:35 And all the days of Cainan were nine hundred and ten years: 17:40 and he died." 17:41 Adam, Seth, Enos, Cainan. 17:45 Adam, 930; Seth, 912; Enos, 905, Cainan, 910. 17:53 What we will do is total those lifespans, 17:56 we're going all the way to Noah, and then come up with an average 17:59 minus the lifespan of Enoch. 18:02 Verse 15, "And Mahalaleel lived sixty and five years, 18:07 and begat Jared. 18:09 And Mahalaleel lived after he begat Jared 18:12 eight hundred and thirty years, and begat sons and daughters. 18:16 And all the days of Mahalaleel 18:18 were eight hundred ninety and five years: and he died. 18:23 And Jared lived an hundred sixty and two years, 18:26 and he begat Enoch. 18:28 And Jared lived after he begat Enoch eight hundred years, 18:32 and begat sons and daughters. 18:35 And all the days of Jared 18:36 were nine hundred sixty and two years: and he died. 18:41 And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah. 18:45 And Enoch walked with God after he began Methuselah 18:49 three hundred years, and began sons and daughters. 18:52 And all the days of Enoch 18:54 were three hundred sixty and five years. 18:56 And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him." 19:01 Remember, we do not include the lifespan of Enoch 19:04 because it has not yet ended, and it will never end. 19:07 He did not die. 19:08 And so we have Adam, 930; Seth, 912; Enos, 905; 19:13 Cainan, 910; Mahalaleel, 895; Jared, 962. 19:18 We pass Enoch, we go to Methuselah. 19:20 Verse 25 of Genesis 5. 19:23 And Methuselah lived an hundred eighty and seven years, 19:26 and begat Lamech. 19:29 And Methuselah lived after he begat Lamech 19:31 seven hundred eighty and two years, 19:33 and begat sons and daughters. 19:36 And all the days of Methuselah 19:37 were nine hundred sixty and nine years: and he died. 19:43 And Lamech lived an hundred eighty and two years, 19:47 and begat a son. 19:48 And he called his name Noah, saying, 'This same shall 19:51 comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, 19:54 because of the ground which the LORD hath cursed.' 19:57 And Lamech lived after he begat Noah 20:01 five hundred ninety and five years, 20:03 and begat sons and daughters. 20:05 And all the days of Lamech 20:07 were seven hundred seventy and seven years: and he died." 20:12 So we've reached Lamech, beginning at Adam. 20:15 The last of the ten patriarchs before the flood is Noah. 20:20 Verse 32, Genesis 5. 20:23 "And Noah was five hundred years old: 20:25 and Noah begat Shem, Ham, and Japheth." 20:29 And how long did Noah live? 20:30 Chapter 9 verse 29, "And all the days of Noah 20:34 were nine hundred and fifty years: and he died." 20:40 We pause. 20:42 Let's calculate from Adam to Noah minus Enoch. 20:48 The average lifespan, 912. 20:56 If someone were alive today, and that person was 912, 21:01 he was born hundreds of years before Columbus. 21:07 He could tell you about Marco Polo and how he met him. 21:12 He could tell you about John Wycliffe, 21:14 the Morning Star of the Reformation. 21:16 Nine hundred and twelve is a long time to live. 21:24 Those are the ten patriarchs before the flood. 21:28 Let's look at ten patriarchs after the flood. 21:31 What's our subject, quickly? 21:34 Laughing Out Loud; or shorten it, yes, LOL. 21:37 Genesis 11, reading from verse 10. 21:42 Has anyone prayed and said, "Lord, put Your words 21:43 in that man's mouth," yet, anyone? 21:45 Ah, God bless you. God bless you wherever you are. 21:48 I am profoundly grateful. Thank you very much. 21:50 Genesis 11, reading from verse 10. 21:53 "These are the generations of Shem: 21:56 Shem was an hundred years old, and begat Arphaxad 21:59 two years after the flood." 22:02 Now we have Shem, a son of Noah. 22:05 "And Shem lived after he begat Arphaxad 22:08 five hundred years, and begat sons and daughters." 22:11 So Shem lived six hundred years. 22:14 Verse 12, "And Arphaxad lived five and thirty years, 22:18 and begat Salah. 22:20 And Arphaxad lived after he begat Salah 22:23 four hundred and three years, and begat sons and daughters. 22:26 And Salah lived thirty years, and begat Eber. 22:31 And Salah lived after he begat Eber 22:33 four hundred and three years, and begat sons and daughters. 22:37 And Eber lived four and thirty years, and begat Peleg. 22:42 And Eber lived after he begat Peleg 22:44 four hundred and thirty years, and begat sons and daughters." 22:48 Let's pause. 22:49 From Shem to Eber, Shem lived 600 years; 22:53 Arphaxad, 438; Salah, 433; 23:03 and Eber 464. 23:06 Now the next longest lifespans will be Peleg, who is next, 23:12 and Reu, who is after him. 23:14 Both lived 239. 23:17 Now the ten patriarchs after the flood stretched from Shem, 600, 23:23 to Abraham, 175. 23:26 So we have ten before the flood, ten after the flood. 23:29 One crossed both sides of the flood; that was Noah. 23:32 Now why am I saying all of this? 23:37 In the days of Enoch, Methuselah, Noah, Shem, 23:44 Cainan, Enos, Mahalaleel, 23:50 900 was nothing to be amazed at. 23:56 Are you with me? 23:57 Nine hundred was customary. 24:01 Methuselah had his first child when he was 187. 24:08 I checked on the lifespans in various countries. 24:11 No country on the face of the earth has a lifespan 24:14 for any citizen beyond 90. 24:17 Not one country. 24:20 The leading countries I think Japan, Sweden. 24:22 They're in the high 80's. 24:24 The United States in the 70's. 24:26 You take it online and see where your country is, 24:28 you may be shocked and mortified. 24:30 Noah: above a hundred, above ninety. 24:34 Nine hundred, I say, was standard. 24:37 But listen to Moses as he describes the lifespan 24:42 of Abraham. 24:44 Go to Genesis 25, let's read verse... 24:47 Before we go to Genesis, let's go to Genesis 17. 24:52 We're looking at now a change of mindset. 24:55 Genesis 17, we'll read from verse 15. 24:58 Our subject, Laughing Out Loud. 25:01 "And God said unto Abraham, 'As for Sarai thy wife, 25:05 thou shalt not call her name Sarai, 25:07 but Sarah shall her name be. 25:10 And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her. 25:14 Behold I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; 25:18 kings of people shall be of her.'" 25:20 That's what God said to Abraham. 25:23 If you have the King James Version, read verse 17 with me. 25:27 Are you ready? Let's read. 25:29 "Then Abraham fell..." Where? 25:32 "...upon his face, and laughed..." 25:37 Laughed at whom? 25:39 God. Why? 25:40 Because God said, "You will have a son at the age of 100. 25:45 Sarah will have a child at the age of 90." 25:48 Abraham fell on his face and lol. 25:55 And for those of you above the age of 25, 25:57 he laughed out loud 26:00 Why did Abraham laugh at God? 26:04 Because Abraham's mind could not entertain the thought 26:09 of someone having a child at 100, even though his forefather 26:14 had a son at 187. 26:17 What am I saying? 26:18 The thinking had changed. 26:22 Sustained exposure to certain conditions changes the mind. 26:33 In the book, Patriarchs and Prophets, page 95, 26:37 paragraph 3, Ellen White writes, speaking of the antediluvians, 26:42 "As sin became general, it appeared less and less sinful, 26:50 and they finally declared that the divine law 26:54 was no longer in force; that it was contrary to the 26:59 character of God to punish transgression; 27:02 and they denied that the judgments of God 27:06 were to be visited upon the earth." 27:08 That paragraph ends with these words, 27:10 "...their minds had become so blinded by rejection of light 27:14 that they really believed Noah's message 27:17 to be a delusion." 27:20 They really believed, hundreds of years of sin, 27:24 no judgment from God. 27:25 They could not accept that God would finally send judgment. 27:29 My young brothers and sisters, I am saying to you, sustained 27:33 exposure to a certain condition changes the mind. 27:42 Now God said, "You'll have a son." 27:44 Abraham laughed. 27:46 He could not even accept what God said because his mind 27:50 had been so changed. 27:52 He's now accustomed to a short lifespan. 27:56 And so he fell on his face and laughed at God. 28:01 God is merciful. He understood. 28:04 It's good when husbands and wives cooperate. 28:06 In chapter 18, Sarah also laughed. 28:09 But the Bible had her in a tent door behind God and Abraham, 28:12 so we don't know if she fell on her face. 28:14 But she laughed. 28:16 Now, let's see how Moses, under the inspiration of the 28:20 Spirit of God describes the lifespan of Abraham. 28:24 Genesis 25, we'll read verse 7 and verse 8. 28:31 Genesis 25:7-8 28:33 "These are the days of the years of Abraham's life, 28:36 an hundred threescore and fifteen years." 28:38 Verse 8, "Then Abraham gave up the ghost, and died..." 28:42 Pick up the verse with me now. 28:44 Come on. "...and died..." 28:46 "...in a good old age..." 28:48 Finish the verse. 28:50 "...an old man, and full of years..." 28:54 Pause. 28:56 175 is an old man? A good old age? 29:02 And Methuselah had his first child at 187? 29:06 Something had changed in the mind of humanity. 29:11 They now accepted a lifespan less than 200 29:16 as a long life. 29:21 And so Abraham was an old man, full of years. 29:25 He died in a good old age. 29:29 Because in his day 900 no longer made sense, 29:35 chronologically or physiologically. 29:38 If I am getting through to you, say amen. 29:41 ~ Amen. - Alright. 29:43 Let's leave Abraham and go to an age where it got worse. 29:47 Go to Psalm 90. 29:49 - What's our subject? ~ Laughing Out Loud. 29:52 - What book did I just say? ~ Psalm. 29:54 - What chapter? ~ Ninety. 29:56 - What verse? ~ You didn't say. 29:57 I didn't say. You were listening. 29:59 God bless you. 30:00 Psalm 90, reading verse 10. 30:03 We're going from Abraham to David. 30:05 Hundreds of years later from Abraham to David. 30:08 Are you with me? 30:09 Read with me if you have the King James Version. 30:11 What does the Bible say? 30:13 "The days of our years are..." What? 30:15 "...threescore and ten; and if by reason of strength, 30:20 they be..." What? "...fourscore." Stop. 30:24 In David's time, Abraham's lifespan made no sense. 30:32 A hundred and seventy-five? Oh no. Seventy. 30:37 From 912, the average lifespan before the flood. 30:42 The ten patriarchs after the flood, 30:44 the average lifespan is 316; from Shem to Abraham. 30:50 In Abraham's day, 175, long life. 30:54 In David's time, 70. 30:59 And if you follow Ellen White's counsel in, 31:01 Counsels on Diet and Foods, maybe 80. 31:07 The thinking had changed... 31:11 ...to the point that not even God's word was accepted. 31:16 Let me explain what I mean. 31:18 Go to 2 Peter 3, we'll read from verse 3. 31:22 2 Peter 3, reading from verse 3. 31:24 Find these passages quickly. 31:27 Time is slipping away, as it always does. 31:30 Do you have 2 Peter 3? Say yes or no. 31:33 Alright, what verse did I say? 31:35 "Knowing this first, that there shall come..." When? 31:39 "...in the last days..." Whom? 31:40 "...scoffers, walking after their own lusts, 31:43 and saying..." What? 31:44 "Where is the promise of his coming? 31:48 For since the fathers fell asleep, 31:50 all things continue..." What? 31:53 "as they were from the beginning of the creation." 31:54 Yes. 31:56 They were saying, "Where is the coming?" 31:58 That's what they were saying. 31:59 "For hundreds and hundreds of years we have heard, 32:02 'Jesus is coming.' 32:04 He has not come. He's not coming." 32:11 Taking too long. 32:13 I have said all of that to say this: 32:19 We have lived in a world of sin for approximately 32:23 six thousand years. 32:27 Listen to me carefully. Don't sleep. 32:31 Weakness is passed on from generation to generation. 32:34 I didn't say sin. I said weakness. 32:38 I can't pass my sin to my son. 32:40 Weakness, dispositions, attitudes are passed on 32:45 from generation. 32:46 So each succeeding generation is weaker 32:50 than the one that preceded it. 32:54 After six thousand years of the earth being a sewer of sin 33:02 we have come to the place, listen to me carefully, 33:05 as in Abraham's time 900 years made no sense, 33:11 as in David's time 175 made no sense. 33:15 we have come to the time where it makes no sense 33:19 to many Christians, among them Seventh-day Adventists, 33:23 it makes no sense to say, "It is possible to live above sin." 33:35 We are surrounded by sin. 33:39 Your college campus on any given night 33:42 somebody is sleeping with somebody else 33:44 who should not be in that room. 33:48 I say college because you are all young people. 33:51 On any college campus someone is introducing someone 33:54 to marijuana. 33:57 And it may be on our campuses as well. 34:02 On any college campus someone is being introduced to alcohol. 34:09 On any given campus someone is doing something 34:12 contrary to the standards of God. 34:15 And the environment is so steeped, it reeks with sin, 34:20 to the extent that it is difficult for Christians 34:23 to believe that by the power of God they can conquer sin. 34:31 And so when someone says it is possible to conquer 34:35 every sin in the life, we lol. 34:46 We serve a God for whom nothing is impossible. 34:52 Let's go back to Abraham's experience. 34:55 We go to Genesis 18. 34:58 This time Sarah is the one laughing. 35:01 Remember, the thinking has changed. 35:03 In Abraham's day 900 years made no sense. 35:08 But God does not relate to time the way we do. 35:11 Genesis 18, we read from verse 10. 35:14 This is God speaking to Abraham. 35:16 Of course He came in human form with two angels. 35:19 When I said He came in human form in Abraham's day, 35:21 that was not the incarnation. 35:23 Are you with me? 35:24 The incarnation required the virgin birth. 35:26 Are you following me? He had to be born of a woman. 35:28 It was not the incarnation. 35:30 But He came in human form. 35:32 - If that's clear, say amen. ~ Amen. 35:34 I'm not convinced. 35:37 Christ appeared in human form in Genesis 18. 35:41 He consumed meat, drank milk, put butter on the bread. 35:47 It was not the incarnation. 35:50 - If that's clear, say amen. ~ Amen. 35:52 What was required for the incarnation? 35:54 He had to be born of a woman. 35:56 He was not born of a woman in Genesis 18, 35:59 but He appeared in human flesh. 36:00 Alright, in that condition He sat down with Abraham 36:04 and spoke to him. 36:05 Verse 10, "And he said, 'I will certainly return unto thee 36:10 according to the time of life; 36:11 and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son.'" 36:16 That's what God said. 36:18 "And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him. 36:22 Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in years; 36:25 and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. 36:28 Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, 36:31 'After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, 36:34 my lord being old also?'" 36:36 Sarah said, "Look, I am too old to have children." 36:39 She laughed. 36:41 Abraham laughed in chapter 17, set the example, 36:43 Sarah followed in chapter 18. 36:47 Read verse 13. 36:50 "And the LORD said unto Abraham, 'Wherefore did Sarah laugh, 36:53 saying, "Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old?"'" 36:57 Now let's go to verse 14. 36:58 Read the question in verse 14, the first part, out loud. 37:03 You read it, I'll listen to you. 37:04 "Is any thing too hard for the LORD?" 37:08 - You answer the question loud. ~No. 37:10 That was not loud. I said, loudly. 37:12 ~ No. - No. 37:15 No. 37:16 If nothing is too hard for God... 37:22 Listen to what God is saying. 37:24 Remember the context. 37:25 God is saying, "I don't care if the lifespan is no longer 900. 37:31 That's not a problem for Me. 37:34 I don't care if the physiology of human beings has changed. 37:38 That's not a problem for Me. 37:42 I don't care how sociology has changed. 37:46 That's not a problem for Me. 37:51 That's a problem for you, Abraham, 37:53 and for your giggling wife. 37:57 It is not a problem for Me." 37:59 So is anything too hard for the Lord? 38:01 The answer is no. 38:03 Now, question for you. 38:04 Answer me loudly, yes or no. 38:05 Can God give you victory over your addiction 38:09 to social media, yes or no? 38:11 ~ Yes. - Yes. 38:16 I walked through the lobby last night. 38:18 There were four young people sitting on a couch, 38:20 looking very comfortable. 38:23 They were probably a GYC group, I don't know. 38:26 Everyone on a cell phone. 38:29 So I deliberately walked close to the couch 38:32 to see which book of the Bible they were reading. 38:38 You know what they were doing? 38:39 Take a guess. 38:41 Playing games. 38:43 And with concentration reserved for an honors program. 38:46 And they're playing. 38:51 Listen to me. 38:53 We're familiar with addiction to alcohol, 38:56 addiction to drugs, addiction to pornography. 39:00 There is addiction to this. 39:05 That's why when I say, "Turn it off," 39:06 you find it so hard to obey. 39:08 But if you disobey me, you may fail all your exams. 39:10 When I say, "Turn this off," turn this off. 39:13 Are you listening to me? 39:15 Does God have power to break your addiction 39:18 to pornographic websites, yes or no? 39:21 ~ Yes. - Yes. 39:22 Does God have the power to break your connection 39:26 with that boyfriend who's not of the church? 39:29 ~ Yes. - Ah, say yes loudly. 39:31 ~ Yes. - Say it again. 39:32 ~ Yes. - Say it again. 39:34 Yes. And some of you are guilty. 39:35 I see it in your lovely vegetarian faces. 39:39 And before GYC is over, break off those relationships. 39:44 Did you hear what I said? 39:45 Break them off. 39:49 Adventist Home, page 67, paragraph one, 39:51 "To unite with an unbeliever is to place 39:54 yourself on Satan's ground. 39:58 You grieve the Spirit of God and forfeit His protection." 40:05 Our Scripture reading, where did it come from? 40:08 Jude 24, 25. Blessings upon you. 40:12 What does it say? 40:13 "Now unto him that is able to..." What? 40:17 "...keep you from falling... 40:20 ...and to present you..." How? 40:22 "...faultless..." Before whom? 40:26 "...the presence of his glory with exceeding joy..." 40:29 Listen to the verse again. 40:30 We shall read it microscopically. 40:35 "Now unto him that is..." What? 40:38 ~ Able. - What does, "able," mean? 40:39 Give me a longer version. 40:41 A longer word that expresses, "able." 40:42 It means ability or capability, yes. 40:46 "Now unto him that is able..." 40:50 - To do what? ~ "...keep..." 40:51 "...keep..." Go on. "...you..." 40:53 So we have, "him." 40:56 What else do we have? 40:58 Ability. 40:59 To keep whom? You. 41:03 The ability does not lie in you. It lies where? 41:07 In Him. 41:11 As long as you think the ability lies in you 41:14 to conquer sin, you will fail. 41:16 Now you may conquer that individual sin 41:19 or that individual sin, or I may conquer, 41:22 but you and I will never conquer the power of sin 41:26 until we acknowledge the power for that lies in Jesus Christ. 41:31 And so, "Now unto him," God, "that is able..." 41:36 Remember, is anything too hard for the Lord? 41:38 "...to keep you from..." What? 41:40 "...falling..." 41:43 We've lived so long in the world of sin, as I've said earlier, 41:46 we read that verse and we say, "No way." 41:52 When you do not believe God's Word, you effectively 41:56 call God a liar. 42:05 Let me say it again. 42:08 When we disbelieve God's Word, we effectively call God a liar. 42:23 "He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself. 42:26 He that believeth not hath made God a liar; 42:30 because he hath not believed the testimony God gave of his Son." 42:35 1 John 5:10 42:36 "He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself. 42:41 He that believeth not hath made God a liar." 42:46 Listen to me carefully, my friends. 42:47 When you say, whether by word or attitude, 42:50 that God is not able to give you victory over your besetting sin, 42:56 you have called God a liar. 43:01 Let me take it one step further and alarm you. 43:06 The liar is Satan. 43:10 Listen to John 8:44. Just listen. 43:12 "Ye are of your father..." What? 43:14 "...the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. 43:18 He was a murderer from the beginning, 43:20 and abode not in the truth, 43:21 because there is no truth in him." 43:25 Now the Bible says Jesus is truth, John 14:6; 43:28 the Holy Ghost is truth, 1 John 5:6; 43:30 the Father is truth, Deuteronomy 32:4. 43:33 The whole family of heaven is truth. 43:35 Jesus says there is no truth in Satan. 43:39 "When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: 43:42 for he is a liar..." 43:47 Let me alarm you. 43:50 Satan is a liar. 43:53 The Bible says when we doubt God's Word 43:56 we make Him a liar. 44:00 Do you see where I'm going? 44:01 ~ Yes. - You sure? 44:03 I don't see you trembling. 44:07 It's virtually equating God with Satan to disbelieve 44:13 the plainly revealed. 44:14 I am not referring to ignorance, but the plainly revealed 44:17 and stated word of God. 44:20 "The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God." 44:22 It is plain, it is clear. 44:25 To preach Sunday is the Sabbath is to call God a liar 44:30 and equate Him with the originator of lies, Satan. 44:36 When you say God cannot give you victory over sin, 44:41 you are calling God a liar. 44:48 And you ought to tell Him, "I'm sorry," this morning. 44:55 - What's our subject? ~ Laughing Out Loud. 44:57 Laughing Out Loud. 45:00 There are too many Christians laughing at God 45:03 by laughing at His Word. 45:07 Because the Word says, "If ye do these things, 45:11 ye shall never fail." 45:16 Because the Word says, "Now to him that is able 45:21 to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless..." 45:30 What does, "faultless," mean? 45:32 Without sin, effectively. 45:35 How are the last day believers described, 45:40 the end time generation? 45:41 Revelation 14:5, say it with me, 45:44 "And in their mouth was found..." 45:47 Come on, say it loudly. 45:48 "In their mouth was found no guile." Why? 45:52 "For they are without fault before the throne of God." 45:58 Not before the White House, the Kremlin, or 10 Downing Street, 46:02 not before your friends, but before God. 46:08 How you appear before your friends is not as crucial 46:11 as how you appear before God. 46:17 Am I too hard on you? 46:18 ~ No. - Are you sure? 46:20 Do you want a, "Mary had a little lamb," 46:21 sermon tomorrow morning? 46:23 ~ No. 46:28 There is something you're doing, you've been doing for years; 46:33 you need to stop. 46:37 You have been doing it, not because you're so 46:39 extraordinarily vicious. 46:41 Because you really don't believe you can stop. 46:46 You just don't believe it. 46:49 Do you know unbelief is a foundation of sin? 46:53 Listen to the words of Jesus. 46:55 "Nevertheless I tell you the truth, it is expedient for you 46:59 that I go away; for if I go not away, the Comforter 47:03 will not come unto you. 47:04 But if I depart, I will send Him unto you. 47:07 And when He's come, He'll reprove the world of..." 47:09 Three things. What are they? 47:10 Sin. What's the next one? 47:12 Righteousness, judgment. 47:13 Now Jesus lists the three and then He comments on each one. 47:16 "Of sin because they believe not on Me." 47:26 There's something you're doing. 47:28 You must stop. 47:32 Not only are we affected by the fact this world has been 47:36 6000 years of sin, and so the thought of a sinless life 47:39 is virtually unwelcome to everyone's mind, virtually, 47:43 but also because pulpits no longer preach 47:46 the question of sin. 47:49 Because sin is uncomfortable. 47:52 "Don't tell me of sin. 47:53 Tell me how to be rich." 47:56 "Tell me how to get a husband, or a second one." 47:59 "Tell me how to prosper." 48:02 "Tell me how to fight school fees." 48:06 "Tell me how to get a larger house." 48:10 "Tell me how to feel good about myself." 48:14 "Give me some psychology." 48:16 "Give me some, 'How to win friends and influence people.'" 48:20 "Give me some, 'Think positive and grow,' whatever it is, 48:22 'Think and grow rich.'" 48:24 "Don't tell me about sin." 48:31 Come tomorrow morning, and the next morning, 48:35 and the next morning to hear what God has given me for you. 48:42 For this morning, as I come to the final moments 48:45 of, Laughing Out Loud, I want you to change your thinking 48:50 regarding the nature of sin and the power of God. 48:55 Yes, the greatest power in the universe after God 48:59 is the power of Satan. 49:02 What did I just say? 49:04 This side. 49:05 This side, what did I just say? 49:07 ~ The greatest power in the universe after God 49:08 is the power of Satan. 49:09 Next time don't be so slow, I'll go to that side. 49:12 The greatest power in the universe after God 49:17 is the power of Satan. 49:19 And the power of Satan is the power of sin. 49:25 To break it you need God. 49:30 Bible Commentary, volume 5, page 1083, paragraph one. 49:34 How many of you have heard of Ellen White, 49:35 can I see your hand? 49:37 Hands down. Wrong question. 49:38 You've never heard of Ellen White, raise your hand. 49:40 You've never heard of Ellen White, can I see your hand? 49:43 Alright, how many of you have read a book of Ellen White 49:45 within the past ten years, can I see your hand? 49:48 Ah, God bless you. 49:50 Let me pause and make a commercial 49:52 I was not asked to do. 49:53 Read the writings of Ellen White. 49:56 Are you with me? This side said nothing. 49:58 I said, read the writings of Ellen White. 50:01 Read, "Messages to Young People." 50:04 Read, "Letters to Young Lovers." 50:06 Read, "Education." 50:07 Read, "Mind, Character, and Personality." 50:10 Read those books and put down, "Harry Potter." 50:17 Let your mind change. 50:20 Read the writings of Ellen White. 50:23 If there's a booth, go and buy all the books. 50:28 Leave that pizza alone, buy the books. 50:31 Read them. 50:32 Bible Commentary, volume 5, page 1083, paragraph one, 50:36 Ellen White writes, "Bear in mind it is none but God 50:40 that can hold an argument with Satan." 50:46 The only power that can break you and me free from sin 50:49 is the power of God. 50:51 And the power is available through the Word of God. 50:56 But it has to be believed. 50:58 My brothers and sisters, let us stop laughing out loud at God. 51:04 You can gain victory over your sin. 51:08 I don't care what it is; pride, selfishness, 51:13 always late for church, but early for class, 51:16 you can gain the victory over sin. 51:19 - If you agree, say amen. ~ Amen. 51:21 Now, listen to me carefully. My time is running. 51:25 If there is a particular weakness you have, 51:27 and right now you want to commit that to God and say, 51:30 "Father, I want the victory over this." 51:33 This is very specific. 51:34 "I smoke in secret." 51:36 "I drink in secret." 51:37 "I am a professional fornicator." 51:38 Whatever it is. 51:42 "I want to break away from that." 51:47 If you will identify a particular weakness, 51:52 and you want God to help you, stand up. 51:55 And stand up quickly. 51:58 I won't call to the front. Just stand. 52:00 Listen to me carefully. 52:01 There is a particular weakness you have. 52:06 Watching a lot of movies, 52:09 buying CDs from Taylor Swift, and Lady Gaga, and Beyoncé. 52:12 And what's the other girl's name? 52:14 Blac Chyna and Ziggy Agalea, or whatever her name is. 52:19 And all their cousins. 52:23 Which is an entrance the devil gets into your mind. 52:27 You want to stop wasting God's money 52:29 and ruining your minds. 52:31 You say, "God, give me victory over my love for the world. 52:36 Let me love Jesus." 52:39 How can you put Beyoncé and Jesus, 52:41 and you prefer Beyoncé over Jesus? 52:44 It's because you don't know Jesus. 52:49 I'll repeat the call one more time. 52:51 I ask you to stand, 52:53 having identified an individual weakness. 52:55 "Father, I want victory over that, beginning now." 53:01 As the words of God to Abraham ring in your mind, 53:04 "Is anything too hard for the Lord?" 53:06 Give me the answer. 53:08 - No. ~ No. 53:09 Can God break your addiction to social media? 53:11 - Yes. ~ Yes. 53:13 Can God break your addiction to movies? Yes. 53:15 Can He give you victory over immorality? Yes. 53:18 Can He help you break that "out of church" relationship? 53:21 Yes. 53:24 - Do you want it? Say yes. ~ Yes. 53:27 Heads bowed, eyes closed. 53:30 Father in heaven, if I was too hard on Your people, 53:33 may God forgive me; my heart is love. 53:37 Look at these beautiful young people, dear God. 53:39 You want them... 53:41 ...but the devil also wants them. 53:43 And sometimes, dear God, it looks as if You're losing 53:46 the battle and the devil is winning. 53:49 Your Word says, "Remember now thy Creator 53:52 in the days of thy youth." 53:54 The devil functions the same way. 53:56 He wants them when they're young. 53:59 The same way Nebuchadnezzar wanted young people 54:01 in whom was no blemish, skillful in all wisdom, 54:04 cunning in knowledge; he wanted the best. 54:06 The devil wants Your people, dear God, but You want them too, 54:10 as proven by Calvary. 54:12 Dear God, some of my young brothers and sisters 54:15 are trapped in one weakness after another. 54:19 They may have reached the point of hopelessness. 54:21 "I can't conquer this." "I can't conquer that." 54:23 And they laugh out loud, 54:24 effectively not believing Your Word. 54:27 In the name of Jesus Christ, who conquered death, hell, 54:31 sin, the grave, and Satan, let them leave this place believing 54:36 they can break free from that sin that has 54:39 handcuffed them to Satan. 54:41 Give them that deliverance, dear God. 54:44 Let them experience freedom in Christ. 54:47 Bless us for the remainder of this day. 54:50 Bless every speaker that comes. 54:52 Let lives change, I pray. 54:55 We thank You, we praise You. 54:57 In Jesus' name. 54:59 Let all God's people say, amen and amen. 55:03 God bless you. 55:05 God bless you. |
Revised 2017-06-12