Participants:
Series Code: 17GYC
Program Code: 17GYC000005A
|
00:32 Let's all join together and sing our theme song,
00:35 "Let His glory be seen". 00:45 Please stand. 00:53 Oh I saw a distant land 00:56 And its glory was so grand 00:59 I cried oh Lord how I long to be there 01:04 Then I heard His gentle voice 01:07 "come my child it is your choice" 01:10 Oh such hope that I'd never heard before 01:15 Oh arise, let us run for the morning light has come 01:21 And the darkness of the night flies away! 01:27 He has risen, He has come and our home He has won 01:32 Let His glory be seen on you today 01:38 Then the way grew dark with care 01:40 My heart trembled in despair 01:43 I turned my eyes to my Lord with a prayer 01:49 Through the dimness of the dawn 01:51 Deeper truth then I was drawn 01:54 Oh such hope, even brighter than before! 01:59 Oh arise, let us run for the morning light has come 02:05 And the darkness of the night flies away 02:11 He has risen, He has come and our home He has won 02:16 Let His glory be seen on you today 02:21 There a lonely soul I saw 02:24 Standing near but yet withdrawn 02:27 I bade him come to the land bright and fair 02:32 With hope's glimmer in his eye 02:35 To the darkness said goodbye 02:38 Then we sang a note higher than before! 02:43 Oh arise, let us run for the morning light has come 02:49 And the darkness of the night flies away! 02:54 He has risen, He has come and our home He has won 03:00 Let His glory be seen on you today 03:07 Thank you so much for singing. 03:08 You may be seated. 03:12 Good morning. 03:15 How many of you guys had hot water today? 03:17 Let me see your hands. 03:19 How many of you had cold? 03:22 Early bird gets the warmth. 03:25 You must know. 03:27 Good morning, GYC. 03:29 I have the privilege, the very distinct honor 03:32 to introduce my friend Jonathan Walter 03:35 but before I do would you take out your Bibles 03:38 and turn with me to the Book of 2 Corinthians 3. 03:44 2 Corinthians 3, we are going to be getting in verse 18 03:50 for our scripture reading this morning. 03:52 When you are there, you can say amen. 03:55 If you are not there just say, have mercy. 03:57 Have mercy. 04:01 2 Corinthians 3:18. 04:06 Are we there? 04:07 Amen. 04:08 All right, the Bible says, "But we all, with open face, 04:14 beholding as in a glass, the glory of the Lord, 04:19 are changed into the same image 04:23 from glory to glory, 04:26 even as by the Spirit of the Lord." 04:30 Now turn with me to chapter 4 04:34 verses 5, verses 6 and 7. 04:39 The Bible says, "For God who commanded the light 04:43 to shine out of darkness, has shined in our hearts 04:49 to give the light of the knowledge 04:50 of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 04:55 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels 05:00 that the Excellency of the power 05:03 may be of God and not of us." 05:08 Jonathan Walter, 05:10 even though some people believe that he is German, 05:13 he would be offended 05:14 because he is Austrian and Norwegian, 05:18 more Austrian than Norwegian. 05:21 I asked Jonathan some questions 05:24 before I inserted my own personal input. 05:27 Jonathan is the vice president for programming here at GYC, 05:31 and so you've been blessed by the program 05:33 and by the preaching of the Word of God, 05:36 then God has used Jonathan 05:37 to organize a godly experience for you. 05:42 I asked Jonathan first, what was his favorite quote? 05:46 He said, "Christ in the heart, 05:49 Christ in the life, this is our safety." 05:53 Ministry of Healing, page 511. 05:56 I said, "Jonathan, how did you know 05:58 Amanda, your wife, was the one?" 06:02 Jonathan said, "Well, her love for God and others." 06:05 That sounds cliche. 06:07 "Her willingness to go to the ends of the earth 06:10 if that is where the Lord would call." 06:12 Okay, cliche. 06:13 And then he told us the real reason, 06:15 "And her incredible pad time." 06:20 I said, "Okay, now we are getting to the real meat." 06:24 And then I asked Jonathan, 06:27 "What is your biggest dream?" 06:30 Because you can't call yourself young and not dream. 06:35 And Jonathan said, "His biggest dream is to be used by Jesus 06:40 to win souls for His kingdom in spite of myself 06:45 and to see His return in my lifetime." 06:50 You know, I got to know Jonathan 06:52 extremely well in a hotel in Hungary. 06:58 He came over and we had a conversation 07:01 till almost 2 o'clock in the morning 07:03 despite the fact that we had to preach the next day 07:06 simply because 07:08 we were two brothers in Christ dreaming for God, 07:12 complaining about things in the church 07:13 and thinking about ways that could be better 07:16 and what we could do and we weren't just talking 07:17 about complaints and concerns, we were talking about action. 07:23 And if anybody wants to see action, it's Jonathan. 07:29 And so this morning, we are privileged 07:32 to have God choose a vessel for us 07:35 who is not just about talking about the things of God 07:38 but living the things of God, 07:40 and to be willing to stand and to be counted. 07:44 And so what is my request of you that as Jonathan 07:47 stands at this pulpit to bring the Word of God 07:50 that you would keep him in your prayers, 07:52 that God would channel all the passion, 07:55 all the pathos that is in Jonathan 08:01 directly into the message to reach your heart for Christ. 08:06 Can you do that? 08:08 Well, if you would, 08:10 kneel with me as we pray together. 08:20 Our Father, we are so grateful 08:26 that we have the gift and the privilege of life. 08:31 Lord, the Bible says 08:33 that your mercies are new every morning 08:36 and great is your faithfulness. 08:40 Lord, we pause here a moment 08:42 in Your presence, thankful for Your audience 08:46 and we come on behalf of our brother Jonathan 08:50 asking Lord that as You promised to Moses, 08:52 You would put Your words in this young man's mouth. 08:57 Asking Lord that 08:58 You would be His shield and His buckler 09:01 that You would lift up His head as Isaiah 09:04 to see the glory of the Lord. 09:07 And that you would take that call off the altar 09:09 and put it upon his lips 09:11 that he may not be a man of unclean lips 09:14 but of lips that preach 09:16 the eternal truth of this gospel. 09:19 Father, we pray that You would speak through him 09:22 and You would speak to him. 09:24 May Jesus be lifted up, may He be seen 09:27 so that when we leave this place, 09:29 we will be revived again 09:31 with a flame of passion for our God and His Christ 09:36 and for the message that He has entrusted to us 09:39 to move this work forward for Your name. 09:44 Father, we love You and thank You 09:46 for hearing and answering this request 09:48 and we offer this prayer from our hearts, 09:51 in Jesus' name, 09:53 let all of God's people say amen. 10:25 You hear me when I call 10:29 You are my morning song 10:33 Though darkness fills the night 10:37 It cannot hide the light 10:42 Whom shall I fear? 10:48 I know who goes before me 10:51 I know who stands behind 10:55 The God of angel armies 10:58 Is always by my side 11:02 The one who reigns forever 11:05 He is a friend of mine 11:09 The God of angel armies 11:12 Is always by my side 11:22 You crush the enemy 11:26 Underneath my feet 11:30 You are my sword and shield 11:33 Though troubles linger still 11:39 My strength is in your name 11:43 For you alone can save 11:46 You will deliver me 11:50 Yours is the victory 11:56 Whom shall I fear? 12:03 Whom shall I fear? 12:09 I know who goes before me 12:12 I know who stands behind 12:16 The God of angel armies 12:19 Is always by my side 12:23 The one who reigns forever 12:26 He is a friend of mine 12:29 The God of angel armies 12:33 Is always by my side 12:38 Nothing formed against me 12:41 Shall stand 12:45 You hold the whole world in your hands 12:52 I'm holding on to your promises 12:57 You are faithful 13:01 Faithful 13:07 I know who goes before me 13:10 I know who stands behind 13:14 The God of angel armies 13:17 Is always by my side 13:20 The one who reigns forever 13:24 He is a friend of mine 13:27 The God of angel armies 13:30 Is always by my side 13:40 He is always by my side 13:47 Amen. 13:52 Good morning, friends. 13:56 Have you spent time 13:57 in the presence of the Lord this morning? 13:59 Amen. 14:00 I want to tell you I had a wonderful experience 14:02 this morning in the prayer room. 14:04 Amen. 14:05 It was as if you were in heaven. 14:07 Amen. 14:08 One thousand young people coming together to pray 14:12 and to just seek God. 14:15 It was wonderful and I want to thank you 14:16 for your prayers this morning. 14:18 I know the Lord has something for us in His Word, 14:23 and it is my prayer that He will speak this morning 14:26 that He will be seen and His glory will be revealed. 14:32 It was nine years ago that one morning I woke up 14:36 and overnight God had something incredible. 14:39 He had put into my heart a desire 14:43 to leave my home country of Austria. 14:46 Previously I had no intentions to leave, 14:48 but I woke up that morning and I knew I had to go. 14:52 Where? I didn't know. 14:53 Couple of days later, it was a Sabbath day, 14:55 I bumped into a missionary at church. 14:58 I knew he was a missionary in Papua New Guinea 15:00 and I asked him what could I do, 15:03 are there opportunities to serve? 15:06 And he directed me in the right direction. 15:08 Long story short, eight months later, 15:10 I was, found myself in a small boat 15:12 filled to the max with supplies and boxes 15:17 on my way to a tiny island called Wotje, 15:20 in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, 15:22 part of the Marshall Islands. 15:24 I was on my way to this missionary post. 15:26 I was surrounded by a glorious, beautiful place. 15:30 It was a glimpse of the Garden of Eden. 15:33 I remember well when we were driving, 15:35 or riding in the boats, 15:36 we were on our way there and I was looking in the water 15:38 and it was crystal clear, I thought I was in heaven. 15:41 And so I was so drawn into that glorious beauty, 15:44 I just had to jump in and as soon as I could, 15:46 I did and just immersed myself 15:49 in the beauty of God's creation. 15:52 It was overwhelming. 15:54 I will never forget that first night 15:55 on that island. 15:57 At the end of the earth, 15:59 surrounded by thousands of miles of nothing but ocean, 16:02 looking up into a sky with zero light pollution. 16:06 You have not seen that many stars, 16:08 I can guarantee you. 16:09 When you see the Milky Way clearly, 16:11 my eyes filled with tears and in my heart, 16:14 I confirmed the words of David in Psalm 19 where he says, 16:18 "The heavens declare the glory of God." 16:25 Through creation, God showed me a glimpse of His glory, 16:30 a reflection of His character that evening. 16:33 And He revealed to me through this experience His goodness 16:37 and it had a very certain sense of His peace in my heart 16:41 and I knew His presence was with me there, even there, 16:45 so far away from civilization. 16:47 God is glorious and, friends, it is my prayer 16:50 that through this GYC and this morning 16:52 that you will experience the glory of God. 16:57 Not just through pristine nature 16:59 but through His Word, 17:01 through a manifestation of Jesus in your life, 17:04 through prayer, 17:05 through an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. 17:08 I pray that God will reveal Himself to you and me 17:12 this morning. 17:14 Let us pray. 17:15 Bow your heads with me. 17:18 Father, please use this man of dust. 17:24 Please glorify Yourself this morning 17:26 through Your Word, may only You be seen, 17:29 we desire a revelation of who You are, 17:32 shine upon us, Father, we pray in Your name. 17:36 Amen. Amen. 17:39 Open your Bibles to Isaiah 60. 17:41 As you know our theme is found in Isaiah 60:1-3. 17:46 We are going to be reading verses 1 and 2 this morning. 17:49 My brother Chris already expounded 17:52 on some of these thoughts yesterday 17:53 and we want to go deeper this morning in Isaiah 60 17:57 as we ponder upon what it means 18:00 to be in the glory of God. 18:01 Isaiah 60:1-2, the Bible says this, 18:06 "Arise and shine, for your light has come! 18:09 And the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. 18:13 For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, 18:17 and thick darkness the peoples, 18:19 but the Lord will arise upon you," hallelujah, 18:22 "And His glory will be seen upon you." 18:26 Praise God for this wonderful promise. 18:28 As with large parts 18:30 of the Old Testament prophetic literature, 18:32 this prophecy was given by Isaiah 18:34 to the people of Israel to show them 18:38 what could become their experience. 18:42 Sadly, they did not remain 18:44 in the covenant relationship with God. 18:48 God had wonderful plans for them. 18:49 but they rejected this plan 18:52 and with this plan they rejected 18:55 the direct fulfillment of these prophecies. 18:58 But however, God's desire to glorify Himself 19:02 through frail human beings, 19:05 this plan never got cancelled. 19:08 Praise God, He wants to fulfill this promise again 19:12 in an adopted way through spiritual Israel today. 19:15 If you want to go to chapter 59 verse 20, 19:17 you will find the group of people 19:19 who this call to arise is addressed to. 19:22 Isaiah 59:20, it says, 19:25 "And the Redeemer will come to Zion, 19:28 to those in Jacob who turn from transgression," 19:33 declares the Lord. 19:36 To whom is this command given to arise and shine? 19:39 To those in Jacob who turn from transgression. 19:43 What does it mean to turn from transgression? 19:47 It means to choose God 19:49 to be the supreme ruler in life. 19:51 It means to choose Him as the sustainer of life 19:54 and to choose to live in harmony with His will. 19:58 The promise of a redeemer here is given to those in Jacob, 20:02 a faithful remnant. 20:04 This doesn't have so much to do with denominational membership, 20:06 but it has to do everything with your heart before God. 20:11 Where is your heart this morning, GYC? 20:15 Is your heart right with the Lord 20:17 or do you recognize a need deep inside of you 20:20 to turn away from sin and transgression, 20:24 and surrender your sins and life to Jesus? 20:27 Do not wait to turn away. 20:31 Do not wait to choose God. 20:33 Today is the day of your salvation. 20:37 You don't want to miss out 20:38 on the promise of the glory of God. 20:41 Isaiah 60:1-2, let's read it again. 20:44 "Arise and shine, for your light has come! 20:47 And the glory of the Lord has risen upon you." 20:51 What a sunrise that must be? 20:53 "For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, 20:55 thick darkness the peoples, 20:57 but the Lord will arise upon you, 21:00 and His glory will be seen upon you." 21:05 What is the light and the glory of the Lord 21:09 and what does it mean that He will shine? 21:11 What does it mean that God's glory will arise upon us 21:15 and will be seen upon us? 21:19 This morning, I want to study review the deeper meaning 21:21 of the term, "The glory of the Lord." 21:25 Have you ever longed to see God? 21:28 Have you ever wondered what does He look like? 21:31 I want to see Him. 21:32 I want to see His glory. 21:34 Sometimes when I read the Bible, 21:35 I'm a bit envious of the prophets 21:37 and those individuals who had the privilege 21:40 to see God or at least some kind of... 21:42 They've been in His presence, 21:43 they've seen Him from behind or some parts of Him. 21:47 I want to see God. 21:48 And this morning, I want to invite you to join me 21:50 in an overwhelming experience that one of these prophets had. 21:55 Go to Exodus 24. 21:57 Exodus 24:15, as we join Moses 22:03 as he enters into the glory of God. 22:07 Exodus 24:15. 22:14 Exodus 24:15, 22:17 "Then Moses went up on the mountain, 22:20 and a cloud covered the mountain." 22:23 The glory of the Lord dwelt on Mount Sinai 22:29 and the cloud covered it six days 22:30 and on the seventh day, he called Moses 22:32 out of the midst of the cloud. 22:34 Now the appearance of the glory of the Lord 22:38 was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain 22:40 in the side of the people of Israel. 22:42 Moses entered the cloud and went up on the mountain 22:47 and Moses was on the mountain 40 days and 40 nights. 22:52 Here Moses is called up on the mountain. 22:54 First, he has to wait but then he is asked to join God 22:58 in the glorious presence of His light. 23:03 God and the people of Israel 23:04 are establishing their first covenant 23:07 and He calls Moses up to Himself. 23:09 As Moses enters the cloud, he is surrounded 23:11 by the purifying glory of the Lord. 23:14 Imagine what an incredible experience 23:16 that must have been 23:18 walking into the glorious presence of God. 23:21 I don't know, that must have been amazing. 23:24 You just walk into this fire 23:25 and you are in the presence of the Almighty. 23:28 And he spent 40 days with God. 23:31 What I would give for just one minute of that? 23:35 I believe the prayer room here at GYC is a glimpse of that. 23:38 Amen. 23:40 Shortly afterwards, in Exodus 33, 23:42 turn there with me. 23:44 Exodus 33, God calls Moses once more 23:48 into this glorious experience. 23:54 And Moses makes a daring request. 23:57 Exodus 33, we're going to be start reading 24:00 here in verse 13 and 14. 24:05 Moses is speaking, "Now therefore, 24:07 if I have found favor in Your sight 24:10 please show me now Your ways, 24:12 that I may know You in order to find favor in Your sight, 24:15 consider too that this nation is Your people." 24:18 And He said, "God, my presence will go with you, 24:22 and I will give you rest." 24:25 What a beautiful promise. 24:29 Continue here down to verse 18. 24:32 Moses said, "Please, show me Your glory." 24:37 God answers him in verse 19. 24:39 And He said, "I will make all My goodness pass before you, 24:43 and will proclaim before you My name." 24:46 The Lord, Yahweh. 24:50 Moses is looking for reassurance from God, 24:53 God's guidance, he wants to know His will. 24:55 And God promises him, 24:56 "My presence will go with you." 25:01 But this assurance is not enough for Moses. 25:04 He longs for more. 25:06 And he makes this daring request and says, 25:09 "Lord, show me Your glory." 25:13 He wants more of God's presence in his life. 25:16 He wants to experience 25:17 the glory again that he had previously. 25:20 When you look at God who is eternal, 25:23 you will have an eternal craving for more of Him. 25:26 And this is what Moses was experiencing here. 25:28 You know, when my wife and I were dating, 25:30 she is Canadian, I am from Austria, 25:32 so we were in a long distance relationship for three years. 25:36 Amen? 25:38 We were separated by the Atlantic Ocean, 25:41 by empty bank accounts, 25:43 and six to eight time zones. 25:46 It was a commitment, friends. 25:49 But God is good. 25:50 When you are in a relationship like this, 25:52 you just long to be in the presence 25:54 of that individual. 25:56 You want to be with them, 25:57 Skype and FaceTime and Whatsapp, 25:59 that's all great, but you want to be 26:01 in the visible physical presence 26:04 of that person that you love. 26:05 Amen? 26:07 Moses wanted to get more of God. 26:09 He wanted to be embraced in His glory. 26:11 He wanted to just be in the presence of God. 26:15 'Cause he knew Him, 26:16 and he saw Him, and he loved Him. 26:18 Brothers and sisters, 26:19 have you tasted the glory of God? 26:22 Do you long like Moses for a deeper experience with him? 26:27 Is it your desire to be fully immersed 26:29 in His presence today and every day? 26:33 God grants the request of Moses 26:37 even though it was a daring one 26:39 and He calls him up on the mountain once more. 26:42 Jump down to chapter 34 verse 5, 26:47 "The Lord descended in the cloud 26:49 and stood with him there, 26:51 and proclaimed the name of the Lord. 26:53 The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, 26:56 'The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, 26:59 slow to anger and abounding 27:02 and steadfast love and faithfulness. 27:04 Keeping steadfast love for thousands, 27:07 forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, 27:11 but who will by no means clear the guilty, 27:13 visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children 27:15 and the children's children 27:17 to the third and fourth generation.'" 27:20 Friends, this is a remarkable situation. 27:24 This time God is not showing primarily 27:27 His visible glory, 27:29 but He is proclaiming to Moses 27:31 the content of His glorious character. 27:35 His grace, His patience, 27:38 His love, His faithfulness, 27:39 His forgiveness, and His justice. 27:43 This is according to God Himself the definition 27:46 of the glory of God, His character. 27:50 The glory of God is much more 27:52 than just the magnificent visible light of His presence. 27:55 It is primarily the content of His character. 27:58 God is glorious outwardly 28:01 but most importantly, inwardly. 28:04 Don't miss this point. 28:05 The glory of God is found in a symmetric completeness 28:08 of His presence and activity. 28:10 The glory of God is the perfect visible outward manifestation 28:15 of his perfect inward character. 28:19 Life, light, truth, love, 28:21 holiness, purity, righteousness, 28:23 it all springs forth from God in endless glory. 28:26 He is the fountain of eternity. 28:29 He is the light of life, 28:31 the never ending spring of selflessness 28:33 and self sacrificial love. 28:35 Who God is inside 28:39 is perfectly manifested outwardly 28:41 in all His words and actions. 28:44 God's glory consists both of character 28:47 and character actualization, character manifestation. 28:51 His glory consists of who He is and what He does. 28:55 Who He is is what He does 28:57 and what He does is who He is. 29:01 God's glory is not like the glory 29:02 of this world, friends. 29:04 A shiny façade but empty inside 29:06 with no lasting effects on your life, 29:09 no lasting positive effects that is. 29:11 No. 29:12 His visible glory that is the brightness 29:15 of His presence and all His works 29:18 and actions and words, this is the direct revelation 29:21 of His invisible glory, of His beautiful, loving, 29:23 and righteous character. 29:25 God's glory has been revealed to us in Jesus Christ, 29:30 in His incarnation, 29:31 in His life of absolute surrender, 29:34 in His death on the cross, 29:35 His resurrection, and His ministry for you and me 29:38 in the holy place and the most holy place 29:40 of the heavenly sanctuary. 29:42 What a God we have? 29:44 He is beautiful. 29:47 I hope that God is beautiful to you. 29:51 Have you beheld Him? 29:53 Have you comprehended His glory? 29:55 I pray that you have. 29:57 And if you haven't, let today be the day 30:00 of your encounter with the glory of God. 30:04 Pray with Moses this morning. 30:05 Lord, show me Your glory. 30:10 "Arise and shine, for your light has come! 30:13 And the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. 30:17 For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, 30:19 and thick darkness the peoples, 30:21 but the Lord will arise upon you, 30:24 and His glory will be seen upon you." 30:26 Isaiah is describing the people here 30:28 who have turned away from sin, who have chosen God 30:32 and who have beheld the glory of God. 30:37 And this glory has transformed their lives 30:40 so that they have become a channel 30:42 of God's character being manifested in this world. 30:45 Friends, this morning, 30:46 I want to look at three stories, 30:48 three men in the Bible who represent, 30:51 I believe, three groups of people and experiences 30:55 here and with people who are watching at home. 30:58 I want to quickly go through these stories. 31:00 Are you ready for this? 31:02 Amen. 31:03 First story is found in Genesis 28. 31:06 Genesis 28. 31:09 I hope you are awake this morning. 31:13 Genesis 28. 31:16 Here we meet a man named Jacob. 31:18 I know many of you know his story. 31:20 A man who fled his home in shame, 31:23 downtrodden by guilt, 31:25 and on the run from his brother Esau's deadly wrath. 31:29 Rejected, haunted by guilt, and overwhelmed 31:32 by the darkness of this world, the world around him 31:35 and the thick darkness in his heart. 31:38 We are told he broke down somewhere in the wilderness 31:40 and cried for Lord for help and then he fell asleep. 31:44 Here's a man at the darkest moment of his life. 31:49 This morning you might be feeling like Jacob. 31:55 You are trapped in cycles of sin 31:58 unable to escape from your guilt, 32:00 you are downtrodden by shame 32:02 and you have distanced yourself 32:03 from your families and your friends. 32:06 You feel alone and rejected with little hope 32:09 that anything could ever change for your life. 32:13 To you I say this morning, take heart. 32:15 Turn to God in simple humility in the wilderness, 32:19 in the darkness that surrounds you, 32:21 turn to Jesus, surrender to Him and I promise you, 32:24 the experience of Jacob will be yours. 32:26 What was his experience? 32:28 Jacob went into prayer, 32:30 turned to his last option God 32:32 and, boy, was his prayer heard. 32:35 Jacob surrounded by darkness outside 32:37 and within was about to have his world lit up 32:40 with the glory of the Lord. 32:41 Genesis 28:12, "And he dreamed, and behold, 32:47 there was a ladder set up on the earth, 32:49 and the top of it reached to heaven, 32:51 and behold the angels of God were ascending 32:53 and descending on it. 32:55 And behold, the Lord stood above it 32:58 and said: 'I am the Lord, 33:00 the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac, 33:03 the land on which you lie I will give to you 33:06 and to your offspring.'" 33:08 Jump down to verse 15, 33:10 "Behold, I am with you 33:11 and will keep you wherever you go, 33:13 and will bring you back to this land, 33:15 for I will not leave you until I have done 33:18 what I have promised you." 33:19 Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and says, 33:21 "Surely the Lord is in this place, 33:24 and I didn't know it." 33:26 And he was afraid and said, "How awesome is this place! 33:30 This is none other than the house of God, 33:32 and this is the gate of heaven!" 33:35 Wow! 33:36 What an incredible experience Jacob had. 33:41 This desperate man's prayer was heard 33:42 and revelation of God's love was given to him, 33:45 an assurance of forgiveness, 33:47 the promise of continual guidance, 33:49 and not one word of condemnation. 33:53 At bethel, the house of God, 33:55 Jacob had an unexpected encounter 33:59 with the glory of God. 34:01 How awesome is this place? 34:03 The Lord is here and I didn't know it. 34:07 Friend, God is nearer than you think. 34:10 An encounter with Him can happen at any moment. 34:14 When you don't expect it, 34:15 it can happen right here at GYC. 34:18 GYC could become your bethel experience. 34:21 Amen. 34:25 What was Jacob's reaction 34:27 to his encounter with the glory of God? 34:29 What will happen when you see God's glory? 34:32 Genesis 28:20, 34:34 "Then Jacob made a vow, saying, 'If God will be with me, 34:37 and will keep me in this way that I go, 34:41 and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, 34:44 so that I come again to my father's house in peace, 34:48 then the Lord shall be my God. 34:51 And this stone which I have set up for a pillar 34:54 shall be God's house, 34:57 and all that You give me I will give a full-tenth to You." 35:02 Jacob made a decision right there 35:04 and then to make this God of glory, His God. 35:08 And he vowed to remain faithful to Him from that day on. 35:12 This is what a real experience with God will do for you. 35:16 It will change your life, 35:18 it will radically transform you. 35:20 It changed Jacob's life from being a lying, 35:23 stealing man of guilt, worry and shame 35:25 to become a humble loyal hero of faith. 35:29 The second he looked at Christ, 35:32 his worry was turned into God's glory. 35:36 Have you beheld God's glory today? 35:41 Our second example is found in Psalm 27. 35:46 Pastor Chris last night already 35:48 talked about King David experience. 35:50 Psalm 27, the shepherd king and artist 35:55 and Prophet David had a remarkable life as you know. 36:01 A man after God's own heart we are told, 36:04 he had his downfalls, but he returned to the Lord. 36:10 David had many experiences with the Lord, 36:14 but one look into his personal writings 36:16 will reveal to us 36:19 that this was not enough for him. 36:21 Experiences with God, incredible victories, 36:25 it's one thing but David wanted more. 36:28 Psalm 27:1. 36:31 Psalm 27:1, David says, "The Lord is my" what? 36:38 "Light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? 36:43 The Lord is the stronghold of my life, 36:45 of whom shall I be afraid? 36:47 When evil doers assail me to eat up my flesh, 36:50 my adversaries and foes, 36:51 it is they who stumble and fall, 36:54 though an army encamp against me, 36:56 my heart shall not fear, 36:58 though war arise against me, yet, I will be confident." 37:05 David's life was plastered with miraculous adventures 37:09 and victories in worse. 37:11 A thousand fell at his right side, 37:12 ten thousand at his left 37:15 and God kept him safe through it all. 37:17 Here's a man who has experienced God 37:18 in a personal marvelous way and yet, 37:23 what is his outermost desire? 37:24 Go to verse 4, 37:27 "One thing have I asked of the Lord 37:32 that I will seek after, 37:35 that I may dwell in the house of the Lord 37:39 all the days of my life 37:41 to gaze on the beauty of the Lord 37:45 and to inquire in His temple." 37:51 Primarily, David isn't seeking for more victories in battle, 37:55 more miracles, more intervention 37:58 in his fight for Israel in the kingdom of God, 38:00 but what is his outermost desire? 38:02 What trumps every good endeavor? 38:05 To dwell in the house of God, the sanctuary, 38:08 to gaze in the beauty and the glory of the Lord, 38:12 not just on the Sabbath day, but all the days of his life. 38:19 To dwell in the house of God, to have a deeper walk, 38:22 a deeper revelation, more of you Jesus. 38:25 David is craving for the presence 38:28 of the glory of God forever. 38:31 You might be a faithful Seventh-day Adventist believer, 38:35 actively engaged in outreach and missionary work. 38:39 You might be running evangelistic campaigns, 38:41 you might be preaching, and teaching, and volunteering, 38:44 running your own ministry and don't get me wrong, 38:47 all these things are wonderful, and very important, 38:49 and part of a prophetic calling, 38:52 but how easy it is to get so busy doing ministry 38:56 that the focus shifts primarily to what I am doing 38:59 and all the tasks that I need to accomplish 39:01 instead of taking time to gaze in the beauty 39:04 of the Lord 39:07 and to let that shape your ministry. 39:11 When was the last time you spent time 39:13 beholding the glory of Jesus, His Word, His sacrifice, 39:17 His character, 39:19 and letting His glory penetrate your entire being in existence 39:22 and your entire ministry. 39:26 When was the last time you let Jesus, 39:27 the Son of righteousness rise upon you 39:32 not superficially but in full exposure 39:35 and to let that transform your life. 39:37 David was a busy leader. 39:39 He had a lot on his plate, but he realized 39:42 what he needed first and foremost 39:45 was the continual presence of the glory of God 39:48 in his life 39:50 through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. 39:52 He realized that it's only in the presence of the Lord God 39:56 that any success will happen in ministry. 40:00 For when you dive into God's glory 40:04 and you take it to lighten His character, 40:06 you'll realize His will 40:08 and He will teach you that you can rely on Him 40:12 for true success in your ministry. 40:14 Is gazing upon God's glory more important to you 40:18 than striving to make your ministry successful? 40:24 Our third and last example this morning is Brother Saul. 40:30 Acts 9. 40:31 Go to Acts 9 with me. 40:35 Saul, an educated man... 40:41 Acts 9. 40:43 Saul, an educated man rich in knowledge, 40:47 fervent in devotion... 40:54 and zealous in defending what he thinks is the truth. 41:00 A rising star amongst Jewish scholars and leaders 41:04 but in one of his trips 41:06 to crush the latest liberal apostate group of Jews 41:10 called "followers of the way", 41:12 he had the encounter of a lifetime. 41:15 Acts 9:1, 41:20 "But Saul, still breathing threats and murder 41:24 against the disciples of the Lord 41:26 went to the High Priest and asked him for letters 41:29 to the synagogues at Damascus, 41:31 so that if he found any belonging to the Way, 41:35 men or women, 41:37 he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 41:40 Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus 41:43 and suddenly" a what? 41:45 "A light from heaven shone around him 41:48 and falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him 41:51 'Saul, Saul why are you persecuting me?' 41:57 And he said, 'Who are You, Lord?' 42:00 And he said, 'I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting 42:05 but arise and entered a city 42:08 and you will be told what you are to do.'" 42:12 Down to verse 8, 42:14 "Saul arose from the ground 42:16 and although his eyes were opened, 42:17 he saw nothing." 42:23 Here is a man, a defender of ultra conservative 42:27 traditional beliefs and customs, 42:31 ready at any given moment to fight perceive apostasy, 42:35 ready to openly criticize and persecute. 42:38 A man so consumed with his seal to uphold the ways 42:42 which he is convinced of are righteous 42:45 and crucial for salvation and the success of the church, 42:49 a man who thought himself to be so close to God 42:52 and then he encounters the light and glory of this God 42:57 he thought he served. 42:59 Unexpectedly, this God shows up 43:02 in the Revelation of Jesus Christ. 43:05 And the glory of God blinds Saul physically 43:09 so that he can learn to see spiritually. 43:13 Friends, sometimes it seems to me 43:18 that we have more Sauls in our midst than Pauls. 43:23 Maybe you are one of them and let me be real. 43:26 I know I have been a Saul many times. 43:29 Proud of your conservative views, 43:32 zealous for right doctrine and behavior, 43:36 ready to cut off the sinner in his sin, 43:39 ready to flout the Facebook status 43:41 of that liberal church member or the comment section 43:44 under the latest church 43:46 criticizing online magazine article 43:47 with rebuke someone high, 43:51 ready to bring judgment down 43:54 on that inappropriately dressed teenage girl at church 43:57 and the cheese eater in your midst, 44:00 ready to defend your stance on every nuance in theology 44:04 to the bitter end so occupied with judgment, 44:08 rebuke, and correction that you've missed the obvious 44:12 Jesus Christ, whom you've been persecuting. 44:17 But praise God. 44:18 what happened next to Saul 44:20 is the miracle that will take place for all who encounter 44:24 and behold the glory of the living God. 44:25 Verse 17. 44:28 "So Ananias departed and entered the house 44:31 and laying his hands on him he said, 44:32 'Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, 44:35 who appeared to you on the road by which you came, 44:38 has sent me so that you may regain your sight 44:41 and be filled with the Holy Spirit.' 44:43 And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes 44:46 and he regained his sight. 44:48 Then he arose and was baptized 44:51 and taking food he was strengthened. 44:53 For some days, he was with the disciples at Damascus.'" 44:57 I love this. 44:58 "And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues." 45:04 Hallelujah. 45:05 Even for a misled zealot, there is hope. 45:08 Saul's encounter with God's glory 45:11 led to his repentance which led to the manifestation 45:14 of the glory of God in Paul's life, 45:17 from persecuting to loving, 45:19 from rebuking to helping, from judgment to grace. 45:23 How? 45:24 By beholding Jesus, by being filled with the Holy Spirit, 45:28 through letting Jesus Christ 45:30 bring His glorious presence into Paul's heart. 45:33 Then suddenly, the gospel was no longer 45:36 about righteousness by works, 45:38 but all about righteousness by faith in Jesus Christ. 45:43 Friends, in order to arise and shine, 45:46 you and I need an ongoing encounter 45:48 with the glory of the living God. 45:50 When we experience it, we will be changed. 45:55 As we continually behold our glorious and lovely Jesus, 45:58 Jesus the Word made flesh, 46:00 Jesus the living manifestation of God's glory, 46:02 Jesus the character of God revealed, 46:05 we are continually transformed into His likeness. 46:10 Listen to these powerful words from the Spirit of Prophecy, 46:13 Testimonies for Ministers, page 458. 46:16 "The world today is in crying 46:18 need of a revelation of Christ Jesus 46:20 in the person of His saints. 46:22 The message of truth that is to call men 46:24 out of darkness into God's marvelous light 46:27 is given by the church. 46:29 The lives of its members 46:31 sanctified by the Spirit of truth are to bear witness 46:35 to the verity of the messages proclaimed. 46:39 In other words, God's glory shining on 46:42 and through you and me is His character proclaimed 46:45 in words of truth and manifested 46:49 in works and actions of benevolence, 46:51 and love, and grace. 46:54 Our message of truth, salvation, and hope 46:56 must be confirmed by another centered life 46:59 full of these qualities. 47:01 Character content and character manifestation 47:04 go hand in hand. 47:06 For what we do reveals to the world 47:08 if we really believe in the message that we preach. 47:13 Praise God. 47:14 Christ in us will make this a reality. 47:18 Praise God. 47:19 He will live out His life within us. 47:22 We can't do it on ourselves. 47:24 Christ's Object Lessons, page 420. 47:27 Ellen White writes, 47:28 "The revelation of His own glory 47:30 in the form of humanity will bring heaven 47:33 so near to men that the beauty adorning the inner temple, 47:38 that's our transformed character, 47:40 Jesus in us will be seen in every soul 47:42 in whom the savior dwells." 47:45 What would be the result? 47:47 She says, "Men will be captivated 47:49 by the glory of an abiding Christ, 47:52 and in currents of praise and thanksgiving 47:54 from the many souls thus won to God, 47:57 glory will flow back to the great giver." 48:01 Christ looks upon His people as the supplement of His glory. 48:06 In other words, when you behold God 48:10 and let the Lord arise upon you, 48:12 you will yourself become part of the glory of God 48:16 and He will shine through you unto others. 48:19 Isn't it beautiful? 48:21 Isn't it glorious? 48:24 God wants to do this miracle for you. 48:28 God wants to shine in and through you. 48:31 Do you believe this, GYC? 48:34 Do you believe this? 48:37 When you behold Him in His glory 48:39 and receive Him through the Holy Spirit, 48:42 when you look at Jesus in the light of the world, 48:44 when you trust Him and study Him, 48:46 you'll learn from Him. 48:47 When you get to know Him and listen to Him, 48:49 your character will be transformed 48:51 to reflect His glorious character, 48:54 and your life work will be luminous with the love of God. 48:59 Christ will help you. 49:01 Christ will empower you to love, 49:04 to help others to lift them up. 49:06 Your words and actions will be a glorious manifestation 49:10 of Christ in you, the hope of glory. 49:16 Every eye is closed and every head is bowed. 49:22 I believe God has spoken to you this morning 49:24 through His Word 49:27 and there might be some here this morning 49:29 who feel like Jacob, surrounded by darkness outside and within. 49:35 Your sins have ruined your life and your relationships. 49:40 Guilt and shame have crushed your soul. 49:42 You are right now in a very dark place. 49:46 But this morning, you've caught a glimpse of the glory of God 49:50 and you want that. 49:52 You want a new revelation of that gracious glory 49:55 in the light of God. 49:56 You want to behold Jesus. 49:57 You want to receive forgiveness and transformation 50:01 and a new beginning. 50:03 If that is you this morning, I want to invite you to come 50:05 to the front, just slip out to the side 50:07 and come to the front. 50:09 You want a fresh revelation of Jesus. 50:11 You want the darkness in your heart to be filled 50:13 with the glory of God. 50:15 Praise God, just come. 50:16 Don't be afraid. No one is judging. 50:18 No one's looking. 50:19 Like Jacob, you want today, this GYC to be 50:22 your bethel experience with Him. 50:25 God is calling you this morning to fill you with His light. 50:30 You want forgiveness. 50:32 Look at Jesus and you will have it. 50:34 Just come. 50:36 You can continue to come 50:38 as I go to my second appeal this morning 50:40 is for those of you who have been... 50:42 never, maybe never walked away from the Lord, 50:44 you feel like David. 50:45 You're busy in ministry. 50:47 You're actively engaged in your mission 50:50 in the work of the Lord in the church, 50:52 but you've neglected to gaze 50:53 upon the beauty of the Lord, 50:55 and this morning you want to say, 50:56 "Lord, I need a renewed baptism of the Holy Spirit right now. 51:01 I need my ministry to be converted to be so filled 51:04 with the glory and the character of God, 51:07 that it will be luminous with the love of God. 51:10 I want to stop looking at my perspective. 51:12 I want to stop trying to make this ministry work in my way. 51:15 I want it all to be your way." 51:16 If you want a converted ministry, 51:18 you want a converted life, just come to the front 51:20 and ask the Lord to give you 51:22 an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. 51:24 Just come. 51:25 You feel like Jacob, you feel like David, just come. 51:29 My third appeal. 51:31 It's for you who realized this morning 51:34 that you need a Saul to Paul conversion. 51:38 You realize that you have focused so much on rebuke, 51:41 and judgment, and criticism, 51:44 and finding and pointing out the sin in others 51:46 instead of reaching out in grace, and love, and help. 51:49 Today, this Jesus whom you've been persecuting 51:52 has revealed Himself to you. 51:53 This Jesus appeared in His glory through His Word 51:56 and you desire more of Him. 51:58 You want Him to convert your heart, 52:00 to give your heart of love and grace for others. 52:03 You want His glory to be seen upon you. 52:05 You want your life to become 52:07 a channel of His goodness and love 52:09 and if necessary, you want God to blind you 52:11 so you can learn to see spiritually 52:13 and proclaim righteousness by faith throughout your life. 52:16 God is calling you. 52:17 Is there anyone else, you feel like Jacob, 52:19 darkness is inside and outside. 52:21 You want God to light up your world right now. 52:23 Come to the front. 52:25 You feel like David, you want more of the presence of God 52:28 and a converted ministry, just come. 52:31 You feel like Saul, you have been focusing too much 52:35 on rebuke and judgment and you want grace and love 52:38 to be the fulfillment in your life 52:40 and to be a channel of God's life. 52:42 God is waiting, GYC, for each and every one of us 52:45 to become channels of His glory. 52:47 Let's look at Jesus. 52:48 Let's behold Him in His Word, His righteousness. 52:51 Let us ask the Holy Spirit to fill us 52:54 with His presence to completely shut out any darkness, 52:57 to be so full of His light that only He is seen. 53:00 The one who spoke, 53:01 let there be light and so it was, 53:04 will speak that light and righteousness 53:06 into your life this morning if you let Him. 53:08 Just come. 53:11 Is there anyone else? 53:13 God is good. 53:16 He's beautiful. 53:18 He's glorious. 53:20 Let us pray. 53:22 Father, this morning we have seen 53:27 a glimpse of the glory of God in Your Word. 53:30 Oh, Lord, we thank you for Jesus. 53:33 We thank You for righteousness, 53:34 and purity, and love, and holiness. 53:36 We thank You that You are so wonderful. 53:38 All we desire is what Moses said, 53:40 "Show us Your glory." 53:42 Shine on us this morning. 53:44 Lord, I claim the promise 53:46 that You will give us the Holy Spirit 53:48 when we ask for it. 53:49 Right now, Lord, we pray for the Holy Spirit. 53:52 We pray for forgiveness of sin 53:54 and cleansing of all unrighteousness. 53:56 Lord, we'll pray that You will convert our lives, 53:59 You will convert our ministries. 54:01 We want to be channels of Your love and grace. 54:04 Lord, forgive us for judgment, forgive us for criticism. 54:08 Bring us together, Lord. 54:10 Help us to see and help each other. 54:13 Father, we desire Your glory to be seen upon us. 54:17 Rise upon us. 54:19 May the righteousness and love of Jesus 54:20 rise upon us this morning. 54:22 May we become a channel of Your love and truth. |
Revised 2018-07-23