The Adventist
Medical Evangelism Network
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motivates, trains,
and equips healthcare
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professionals to share Jesus
Christ with their patients.
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Just like the woman
who reached out to touch
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the hem of Jesus'
garment, many patients today are
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desperately looking
for the same healing touch
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of faith, and our
members are there to help them
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find it. Welcome to the
16th annual AMEN conference.
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Touch of faith.
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[Andi]: Welcome to
the 16th annual and first
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virtual AMEN conference.
I want to welcome everyone
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from around the world,
and I also want to thank 3ABN
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for hosting us. We are
very blessed. Even though
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we have a pandemic, we
are still able to have a
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meeting, and God is
good, and we are grateful.
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I'd like to ask our speaker
of the hour, Kameron DeVasher,
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to join us on
stage. Kameron DaVasher is
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our morning speaker
for the devotionals, and we
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believe that
devotional times are very, very
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important. Kameron
spoke to us yesterday morning,
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off to a good start,
and my twin sister and I
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were very blessed. We
want to ask Mr. DeVasher
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to give us a little
fact check. - Sure. - On some
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of the points that we
learned that we thought
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were extremely important.
- Okay. - The first one
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was, "The church has
far too many members,
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and not enough missionaries."
- Absolutely correct.
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- Absolutely correct.
- What I meant by that
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is that the membership
of the church, it's too
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easy to be a member
now. Just have your name on
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the books and very little
expectation of actual work.
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But the reality is, we
should all be missionaries,
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laborers, for
Christ if we're members of
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His body, the church.
[Twins, together]: Amen, amen.
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[Andi]: And Lyndi,
what did you learn?
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[Lyndi]: Okay, this is
a wonderful one. It says
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that good works are not
the destination; they are
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just the preparation.
[Kameron]: That's absolutely
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true. We should have
disinterested benevolence
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and always looking for
opportunities to do good.
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But the reason we do
good works is so that
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they will hear and
give credibility to the good
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words that God has given
us - our distinct message
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that we're supposed
to share with the world.
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[Twins, together]:
Amen! [Andi]: For those of you
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who do not know
Kameron DaVasher, he's from the
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Michigan conference.
He's director of Sabbath
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school and lay ministries,
he's an avid hiker and
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outdoorsman, has a
wonderful family...
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We'll be blessed
this morning by his talk,
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"Did Stephen Say
Something Wrong?" But before he
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speaks, my twin
sister will now pray for us.
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[Lyndi]: Let's bow our
heads. Father in heaven,
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we are so grateful for
the opportunity we have
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to have this meeting
even though there's a
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pandemic. It could've
been canceled, but that
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was not your will.
We're grateful for the 3ABN
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family to host this
virtual event. We want to ask
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now for your Holy
Spirit to be poured out on
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Pastor DeVasher as
he opens again to us the
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word of life from Your
Word. As this important
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topic is going to be
delivered, we ask for
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Your Holy Spirit to
touch his tongue and
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his lips with a
life call from on high.
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Be with us as we
listen, that we'll have ears to
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hear and do what the
Spirit asks us to do,
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for Jesus' sake.
Amen. [Andi]: Amen.
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[Pr. DeVasher]: Amen.
Thank you, ladies, for
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that kind introduction.
Dynamic introduction,
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in fact. Pretty sure
this is the first time
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in my ministry that
I've been fact-checked about
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a sermon I've just
presented, and it makes me think
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of the Berean believers
in Acts chapter 17, where
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not only did they receive
the Word with all readiness
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and eagerness, but
they would go home and daily
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see if what was
presented was true, according to
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the Word of God, and
that's what we should
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always be doing. So,
I'm counting it a sincere
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blessing to be with the
AMEN company this morning
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in partnership with Three
Angels Broadcasting Network
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here, this beautiful
facility, and this Sabbath
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morning that we get
to open the Word of God
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together. Now, this
will be a follow-up. In our
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previous messages, as
was already mentioned,
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we discussed the importance
of not only preparing the
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soil of the heart
through good works, but also to
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sow the seed of the Word
of God at every opportunity
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the Lord gives us.
And today, we want to go
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a step beyond that and
take a look at a message
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entitled, "Did
Stephen Say Something Wrong?"
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Of course, Stephen
had this holy boldness to
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speak the Word of
God when the opportunity
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came, and...well, it
didn't work. In fact,
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he lost his life as
the first Christian martyr-
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or at least it
appeared it didn't work. What
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happened there, and how
can I avoid such a problem
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in my ministry, or
what lessons can we learn
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from that? So, we're
gonna study that deeply
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from the Word of
God today. But before we
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do any study of the
Word of God, we, of course,
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need to begin with
a word of prayer. So,
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please, bow your
heads with me. Dear Heavenly
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Father, thank You
so much for another day
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of life at all,
but particularly for a
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Sabbath day of rest
and worship, of fellowship,
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and of service in
Your cause. Lord, now, as
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we study these
words, we would ask that You
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would send the
Holy Spirit, as You have
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promised to do, to lead
us into all truth, for we
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don't merely want
to be informed; we want
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to be transformed to
become like Jesus. So
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to that end, Lord,
bless us today, for we pray it
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in Jesus' name. Amen.
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"Did Stephen Say
Something Wrong?"
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To begin our study
today, before we go to the
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experience of Stephen
that we'll be getting to
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later on, I'd like to
start with the life of
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Christ. Always, the life
of Christ is a great place
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to start any study of
God's Word. We'll start
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in Matthew chapter 19
this time, the very first
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book of the New Testament.
Matthew chapter 19...and
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we'll begin with
verse 16. Here, Jesus has an
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encounter with a rich
young ruler. Hopefully,
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all of us are well familiar
with this, but we're gonna
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look at three different
stories, right back-to-back,
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in the life of
Jesus. And through these
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different encounters,
look for the common thread
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of the experience.
First, the rich young ruler in
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Matthew chapter 19,
starting with the verse 16. The
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Scripture
reads... [text on-screen]
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Verse 17: "So He said
to him, 'Why do you call Me
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good? No one is good
but One, that is, God." Now,
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to be clear, sometimes,
people get confused on
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this particular passage,
saying, "Jesus was saying
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that He wasn't God!"
No, what He was doing
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was testing that
man's faith. "Do you truly
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address Me as the
God who sent Me?", right?
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The Son of God. He
goes on, "But if you want to
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enter the life, keep
the commandments." Well
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he said to Him, "Which ones?"
And Jesus said, "You shall
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not murder, you
should not commit adultery,
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you should not steal,
you should not bear false
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witness, honor your
father and your mother, and you
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shall love your
neighbor as yourself." Now verse
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20, "The young man said
to Him, 'All these things
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I have kept from my
youth. What do I still lack?'"
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Clearly, there was something
in the heart of this young
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man that knew that,
"Yes, I've been in a household
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of faith, and I've
been a commandment-keeper
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my whole life, but something
in me is obviously off!
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What do I still
lack?" And Jesus says to him
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in verse 21, "If you
want to be perfect, go
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sell all what you
have and give to the poor,
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and you will have treasure
in heaven...and come follow Me."
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Jesus invites the
man to, "Come follow Me,
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but first, sell what
you have, and give it away."
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And that's the rub.
In verse 22, "But when
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the young man heard
that saying, he went away
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sorrowful, for he
had great possessions."
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The rich young
ruler, Jesus spoke to him
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clearly, invited
him personally, and the
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man turned away. Let's
look at another example.
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In John chapter 6... We
were right there in Matthew,
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so turn to the
right. Matthew, Mark, Luke,
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then John, chapter
6. Now, we're not gonna
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look at everything we
could in this chapter,
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but I find it fascinating
what Jesus encounters
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here, and how He deals
with the people. In the
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beginning of John
chapter 6, and here in verse 1,
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it opens up the
story of the feeding of the
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5,000, and Jesus literally
gives them physical bread-
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meets their temporal
needs. He basically does that
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disinterested
benevolent work of winning their
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hearts, right? And
then, after a little sliver of
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a miracle where
Jesus walks on the sea, the
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next day, we pick up
the story in verse 22.
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[reads text on-screen]
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And you get the context
of the story. In the first
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part of John chapter
6, Jesus had been feeding
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the 5,000. They were
all so filled and pleased,
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that the next day,
they go seeking Jesus again.
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Now, it doesn't take
a great theological mind
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to ascertain what
their interest is. They got
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bread yesterday;
what do they want today?
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Seconds! [chuckles]
They're looking for more.
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They want that
daily bread, right? Well.
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After they find
Jesus, notice what we find
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here in verse 26.
[reads text on-screen]
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So now, He's transitioning.
You notice He's like,
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"You're coming to me
because of the physical
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bread. I'm now transitioning
from the temporal to the
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eternal. We need to
now talk about the bread of
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life." He's making that
transition, right? Notice
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verse 35. Jesus is
patently clear, where Jesus said
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to them... [text on-screen]
00:10:06.53\00:10:09.07
Now, you would think
in our modern context,
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"Oh, beautiful!
He's the bread of life;
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it's a well-known
passage." But in that immediate
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context, they had
just had food yesterday.
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They've sought after
Jesus and found Him now
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today for another
serving of their daily bread,
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and Jesus now says,
"No food for you, except
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Me. I am the bread of
life." And this starts a
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discussion, and it
gets more and more, well,
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perilous, to the point
that, in fact, verse 66
00:10:51.55\00:10:54.92
says... [text on-screen]
00:10:55.02\00:10:57.49
He fed them food yesterday,
they came for food today,
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and He says, "No more
temporal food; let's go
00:11:06.66\00:11:09.90
to the eternal food.
I am the bread of life."
00:11:09.96\00:11:12.60
And friends, it
didn't go over very well.
00:11:13.87\00:11:15.90
When it says, "Many of
His disciples went back,"
00:11:17.81\00:11:20.11
how many were there
yesterday? Some 5,000.
00:11:21.61\00:11:25.35
And how bad does it
get today? Look at the
00:11:26.65\00:11:29.08
very next passage.
Verse 67. [text on-screen]
00:11:29.18\00:11:34.46
Which seems to
imply that that many was
00:11:38.29\00:11:41.36
a great many, if
not the vast majority-
00:11:41.46\00:11:44.63
so much so that
Jesus had to ask His core
00:11:45.67\00:11:47.57
twelve, "Are you
going, too?" Let's look at one
00:11:47.67\00:11:53.17
more example. Go
to Matthew chapter 26,
00:11:53.27\00:11:56.61
back to the left.
Matthew chapter 26.
00:11:57.05\00:11:58.98
We're gonna start in
verse 6. Jesus is here,
00:12:04.05\00:12:09.56
anointed for His burial.
Verse 6 says... [text on-screen]
00:12:13.26\00:12:22.10
What a, by the way,
pious-sounding reason!
00:12:41.72\00:12:44.36
To discourage this
act. But verse 10, "But when
00:12:44.59\00:12:49.46
Jesus was aware of it,
He said to them"... Now,
00:12:49.56\00:12:52.97
notice. It doesn't
say He drew them away
00:12:53.07\00:12:54.74
privately to reprimand
them gently. It seems very clear
00:12:54.80\00:12:59.81
that right then and
there, on the spot, Jesus called
00:12:59.91\00:13:02.81
out their hypocrisy.
[reads text on-screen]
00:13:02.91\00:13:08.25
And He rebuked His
disciples right then
00:13:19.23\00:13:22.03
and there. Interestingly,
the very next thing that
00:13:22.16\00:13:29.14
Scripture records
after that story in verse 14,
00:13:29.24\00:13:32.14
now: "Then, one of
the twelve," one of those
00:13:32.24\00:13:35.08
disciples Jesus
just chastened, "called
00:13:35.18\00:13:38.75
Judas Iscariot, went
to the chief priests and
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said, 'What are you
willing to give me if I deliver
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Him to you?' And they
counted out to him thirty
00:13:44.09\00:13:47.59
pieces of silver."
Now notice verse 16 very
00:13:47.69\00:13:50.59
carefully. "So from that
time, he sought opportunity
00:13:50.69\00:13:54.26
to betray Him." Apparently,
it had been in the back
00:13:54.96\00:13:59.03
of his mind at some
point, but there was a tipping
00:13:59.17\00:14:01.34
point in the experience
of Judas that that rebuke,
00:14:01.77\00:14:06.47
in front of
everyone, hardened his heart
00:14:07.64\00:14:11.18
and made his decision.
Each of these vignettes
00:14:12.88\00:14:20.32
from the ministry of
Jesus recounts a time
00:14:20.46\00:14:22.42
when people turned away
from Him. Thus, from these
00:14:24.06\00:14:28.66
three stories, we must
ask the almost unthinkable
00:14:28.76\00:14:31.83
question: Did Jesus make
a mistake in His dealings
00:14:31.93\00:14:38.17
with people? Mm.
Should He have required such
00:14:38.61\00:14:45.61
a sacrifice from
the rich young ruler?
00:14:45.71\00:14:47.38
He didn't even ask His
own disciples that. They
00:14:47.68\00:14:49.25
voluntarily left everything.
He just said, "Follow Me"!
00:14:49.35\00:14:51.75
But for this one, He
said, "Sell everything,
00:14:51.85\00:14:53.92
then follow Me." Why
did He up the stakes?
00:14:54.02\00:14:56.39
Why did He set the
cost so high? And with the
00:14:56.93\00:15:01.13
crowd that turned away
in John chapter 6 after
00:15:01.23\00:15:03.60
the feeding of the 5,000,
shouldn't He have understood
00:15:03.67\00:15:06.20
their mistake in
notions of the Messiah? I mean,
00:15:06.30\00:15:09.00
we talked about this.
Even His own family didn't
00:15:09.14\00:15:10.61
understand. We saw
later that John the Baptist
00:15:10.71\00:15:12.84
still didn't even understand
the nature of His true
00:15:12.97\00:15:15.88
ministry. Even when
Jesus was departing after His
00:15:16.01\00:15:18.41
resurrection, His disciples
still didn't have the right
00:15:18.55\00:15:21.28
conception of His ministry,
so is it really their fault
00:15:21.38\00:15:24.05
that they didn't understand
who He was? Maybe if He
00:15:24.19\00:15:26.25
had treated them a little bit...
00:15:26.35\00:15:27.69
...differently? Maybe a
little more gently? Maybe more
00:15:30.43\00:15:35.80
delicately confront their
confusion, than just denying
00:15:35.86\00:15:40.40
them bread? And
what about poor Judas?
00:15:40.47\00:15:45.94
Didn't Jesus know
the fierce battle raging
00:15:48.54\00:15:51.75
within His unconverted
disciple? Perhaps if He
00:15:51.81\00:15:57.85
would've chastened him
just a little more gently,
00:15:57.92\00:16:01.29
or called him aside to
speak to him privately,
00:16:01.79\00:16:05.16
could Jesus have
averted His own betrayal?
00:16:07.10\00:16:09.96
Of course, to all of
these suggestions, we rightfully
00:16:13.23\00:16:16.50
respond, absolutely
not. Jesus always did what
00:16:16.60\00:16:22.91
was best in every circumstance,
and never failed to fully
00:16:22.94\00:16:26.82
reflect the glory of
God! The self-evident fact is
00:16:26.88\00:16:32.72
that when those people
turned away from Jesus,
00:16:32.82\00:16:35.92
it was their fault, and
not His. Now, why is this
00:16:36.42\00:16:44.03
the case?-that some people,
given the opportunity, will
00:16:44.13\00:16:48.70
even, with Jesus Himself,
turn away from the grace
00:16:48.80\00:16:53.68
that's being
extended? To help answer this,
00:16:53.78\00:16:57.85
let's go back to
Luke chapter 8. We've made
00:16:57.95\00:17:00.02
reference to this yesterday
morning. Today, we're gonna
00:17:00.12\00:17:01.88
look at it specifically
in Scripture. Luke chapter 8.
00:17:01.98\00:17:04.65
Jesus gives the
well-known parable of the sower.
00:17:05.62\00:17:08.12
The story picks up in
verse 4 of Luke chapter
00:17:10.96\00:17:13.23
8. [reads text on-screen]
00:17:13.60\00:17:18.50
And when you skip down
to verse 11, Jesus decodes
00:17:56.07\00:17:58.84
the symbols of this
parable. He says in verse 11...
00:17:59.11\00:18:02.21
[reads text on-screen]
00:18:02.31\00:18:05.08
Now, many sermons
have been preached, and a
00:18:53.09\00:18:55.90
great number of
lessons can be drawn, from this
00:18:56.00\00:18:57.87
particular parable
of Jesus. But for our
00:18:57.93\00:19:02.00
purposes today, a few
lessons stand out in my
00:19:02.44\00:19:05.81
mind as particularly
pertinent. First of all,
00:19:05.91\00:19:10.25
if you noticed,
there is only one variable
00:19:10.35\00:19:14.12
that determined the
quality of the harvest.
00:19:14.68\00:19:17.55
Notice it was the same
sower for every different
00:19:18.82\00:19:22.42
hearer...right? So he
didn't say, "A team of
00:19:23.43\00:19:26.19
sowers went out, and
this one had this technique,
00:19:26.29\00:19:28.53
and that one had that
technique, and this one
00:19:28.63\00:19:30.37
was more public, and
this one's more personal,
00:19:30.43\00:19:32.40
or this one's more
digital, or this one-"... No.
00:19:32.50\00:19:34.94
I don't know that digital's
a biblical term, but you
00:19:35.24\00:19:36.87
understand what I'm
saying. It's the same
00:19:36.97\00:19:39.51
sower in every instance,
right? #1) One constant is
00:19:39.61\00:19:44.18
the sower. The next
constant is the seed.
00:19:44.28\00:19:47.68
It's the same seed,
right? It's not like
00:19:48.18\00:19:50.09
he sowed the Word of
God here, and then he
00:19:50.19\00:19:51.79
sowed personal
opinions here, and then he sowed
00:19:51.85\00:19:53.56
this over here, or
that over there-no, no, no.
00:19:53.66\00:19:55.79
It was the same
sower, sowing the same seed.
00:19:55.86\00:19:59.26
Also by implication,
we can ascertain that
00:20:00.23\00:20:03.03
he sowed the same
seed the same way! So you
00:20:03.16\00:20:06.10
have the same sower
sowing the same seed
00:20:06.17\00:20:08.54
the same way, yet
vastly different outcomes.
00:20:09.04\00:20:12.24
Okay, so what makes the
difference? The only variable
00:20:13.31\00:20:16.04
in the whole parable
is the condition of the
00:20:16.58\00:20:18.85
heart! Of the four
examples mentioned, by the way-
00:20:18.91\00:20:25.92
'cause that's why
we [say] the condition
00:20:26.02\00:20:27.36
of the heart is so
prime and such a premium, such
00:20:27.39\00:20:30.56
an issue, because
that's where everything starts,
00:20:30.66\00:20:32.96
right? But notice this
also... And I- it just-
00:20:33.06\00:20:37.70
I don't know-maybe
people have seen this
00:20:37.80\00:20:39.13
for years, and I'm just
coming late to the party-
00:20:39.17\00:20:41.20
but it wasn't that
terribly long ago at all that as
00:20:42.10\00:20:44.47
I was reviewing
this parable, the thought
00:20:44.54\00:20:46.54
struck me...that here
is Jesus, talking about
00:20:47.01\00:20:51.18
the work of soul-saving,
giving the seed of the
00:20:51.28\00:20:53.78
Word of God to the
whole world, and He gives
00:20:53.88\00:20:56.45
multiple examples of
how it might go. And if you
00:20:56.55\00:20:59.55
notice, of the four
different types that
00:20:59.65\00:21:01.86
happened, three of them
didn't work. Now, I don't
00:21:01.96\00:21:08.20
know if you
appreciate that like I do, but I
00:21:08.30\00:21:10.87
like a good testimony
of failure. [laughter]
00:21:11.03\00:21:14.47
I know that seems a
little- we like to talk about
00:21:15.50\00:21:17.41
testimonies, and sometimes
I've been in testimony services
00:21:17.51\00:21:19.64
b- and it almost becomes
a spiritual one-upmanship.
00:21:19.71\00:21:22.48
"Yes, well, you found
your car keys, but I found a
00:21:22.54\00:21:24.58
whole car! And this
one..." [laughter] Whatever- it
00:21:24.68\00:21:27.02
goes on and on, and we
always want to hear the
00:21:27.12\00:21:28.72
next big thing. But
if you notice, the Word
00:21:28.82\00:21:30.29
of God is
different. The Word of God not
00:21:30.35\00:21:32.95
only tells us all the
good things that happen,
00:21:33.05\00:21:35.02
but also includes the
bad things. It not only
00:21:35.12\00:21:37.33
tells us all the accolades
of the hearers, but also
00:21:37.43\00:21:39.33
their downfalls and
their shortcomings - their
00:21:39.43\00:21:41.40
struggles, their?,
the temptations, the...
00:21:41.50\00:21:43.80
failures...alongside
the successes. Right?
00:21:44.50\00:21:47.00
And here, in Luke
chapter 8, Jesus wasn't even
00:21:47.60\00:21:49.77
just telling a story;
He was making up something
00:21:49.84\00:21:51.77
to make sure we understood
the process in our minds,
00:21:51.87\00:21:54.31
and yet, most of what
He described didn't work!
00:21:54.41\00:21:59.01
I find that
fascinating. Now, each one works
00:22:00.98\00:22:05.19
a little better. That's
also an interesting thing,
00:22:05.25\00:22:07.16
too, right? But at
the end, only one of those
00:22:07.26\00:22:11.66
crops produced a harvest!
We shouldn't be surprised,
00:22:11.76\00:22:18.07
then, if in most of
the work we do in laboring
00:22:18.20\00:22:21.57
for Christ appears to,
or in reality truly does,
00:22:21.67\00:22:27.58
fail of meeting the
success we intend. Let that sink
00:22:28.11\00:22:35.68
in, friends. Christ
Himself taught that most of our
00:22:35.82\00:22:40.69
work won't succeed as
we'd like it to. And He
00:22:40.79\00:22:47.06
does not say, "Therefore,
the lesson is, farming doesn't
00:22:47.20\00:22:50.23
work." No! He just
said, "This is the reality in
00:22:50.37\00:22:56.40
the world. This is
what you're going to face."
00:22:56.50\00:22:58.44
You're gonna have
people respond this way, people
00:22:58.87\00:23:00.38
respond this way,
people respond this way, people
00:23:00.48\00:23:02.24
respond this way...but
your job isn't, "Determine
00:23:02.38\00:23:05.81
which will work";
your job is simply, "Go to
00:23:05.91\00:23:07.82
work." [Amen.]
[Yes.] Mm. I'm reminded of
00:23:07.95\00:23:12.15
this passage from Christian
Service, pg. 264. "The good
00:23:12.29\00:23:17.16
seed may, for a time,
lie unnoticed in a cold,
00:23:17.26\00:23:20.16
selfish, worldly
heart, giving no evidence that
00:23:20.26\00:23:23.43
it has taken root. But
afterwards, as the Spirit
00:23:23.57\00:23:27.50
of God breathes on
the soul, the hidden seed
00:23:27.64\00:23:30.11
springs up, and at last
bears fruit to the glory
00:23:30.21\00:23:33.21
of God. In our lifework we
know not which shall prosper,
00:23:33.31\00:23:38.38
this or that." Which,
of course, is taken from
00:23:38.65\00:23:40.72
Ecclesiastes chapter
11, where the agricultural
00:23:40.78\00:23:43.52
metaphor is
employed again to talk about:
00:23:43.59\00:23:45.79
Don't just wait till
everything is just right;
00:23:46.19\00:23:48.02
you sow your seed, and
let the results lie with God.
00:23:48.09\00:23:51.96
She says, "We do not
know which shall prosper,
00:23:54.66\00:23:56.73
this or that. This is not
a question for us to settle.
00:23:56.80\00:24:00.07
We are to do our work, and
leave the results with God."
00:24:01.14\00:24:04.21
Praise the Lord for that
admonition-that encouragement,
00:24:05.01\00:24:09.21
actually-from Scripture
and the Spirit of Prophecy.
00:24:09.28\00:24:11.61
But let's come back
to that. Why is it...
00:24:12.11\00:24:14.98
Now, we understand that
the heart and the condition
00:24:17.42\00:24:20.39
of the heart is a preparation
for the reception of gospel
00:24:20.46\00:24:26.53
truth. We understand
that concept now. But even if
00:24:26.59\00:24:31.30
we've done that heartwork,
even if we've done our
00:24:31.37\00:24:35.37
best to do what God
has asked us to do, why is
00:24:35.90\00:24:40.28
it that some people just
aren't interested in spiritual
00:24:40.48\00:24:45.05
things? Or choose, as
is in the case with the
00:24:45.15\00:24:47.95
rich young ruler, or
those in John chapter 6, the
00:24:48.65\00:24:51.19
many who decided not
to follow Him anymore...
00:24:51.32\00:24:54.36
Why does some evangelistic
work succeed, and why
00:24:56.16\00:24:59.13
does some evangelistic
work fail? To understand
00:24:59.26\00:25:04.47
this, I would submit
to you that redemption
00:25:04.60\00:25:07.67
requires three
distinct and essential steps.
00:25:08.80\00:25:13.98
Hear me out. The transformation
of a life is always-always
00:25:16.88\00:25:23.42
occurs, I should say- in
three distinct sequential
00:25:23.55\00:25:26.49
steps. #1) You must be
convinced of the truth.
00:25:26.99\00:25:32.19
#2) You must be convicted
by the truth. And #3) You
00:25:34.66\00:25:43.44
must be converted by
the truth. [Amen!] And
00:25:43.54\00:25:49.44
it works like this
every single time. When men
00:25:49.58\00:25:53.05
and women are
presented with Bible truth, the
00:25:53.15\00:25:55.95
Holy Spirit convinces
the mind. The Word of God
00:25:56.08\00:26:00.32
is living and
powerful, and it demonstrates,
00:26:00.89\00:26:04.26
it self-authenticates,
the reality that this is
00:26:04.39\00:26:08.43
true, #1. Now, as soon
as your mind understands
00:26:08.56\00:26:15.50
that what's being presented
is true, automatically,
00:26:15.57\00:26:18.81
because we are
holistic beings, our heart is
00:26:18.91\00:26:22.98
connected to that
mind, right? So for instance.
00:26:23.04\00:26:25.75
I've heard people
ask the question: Why do
00:26:27.48\00:26:29.08
we start all of our
public presentations of
00:26:29.22\00:26:31.79
evangelistic
seminars, or even personal Bible
00:26:32.32\00:26:35.69
studies - why do
they always seem to start
00:26:35.79\00:26:37.39
with Daniel chapter
2? "Wouldn't you rather
00:26:37.49\00:26:40.03
talk about the
gospel?" Well, here's the trick
00:26:40.16\00:26:42.26
of what happens,
right? When you walk through
00:26:42.36\00:26:44.43
Daniel chapter 2, we
think we're conveying the truth
00:26:44.53\00:26:46.74
about a metal man,
right? An ancient dream that
00:26:46.84\00:26:49.64
outlined the
history of the world. And we
00:26:49.74\00:26:51.37
think from our perspective,
"Why be so clinical?
00:26:51.47\00:26:53.51
Why be so mechanical?
Why not be alive with
00:26:53.61\00:26:56.68
the gospel and the
love of Jesus?" Well, here's
00:26:56.85\00:26:58.78
the thing that's gonna happen.
When people start hearing
00:26:58.88\00:27:01.92
the truth, and
they recognize there was
00:27:02.08\00:27:04.92
a Daniel who did
live then and there, who
00:27:05.02\00:27:08.29
spoke about Babylon,
then Medo-Persia, then
00:27:08.39\00:27:11.46
Greece, and then Rome.
Rome didn't fall, but it
00:27:11.56\00:27:13.80
was divided, and
that brings us down to our
00:27:13.90\00:27:16.26
time. It doesn't- we
think we're still talking
00:27:16.36\00:27:18.60
about a metal man, but
those people are having
00:27:18.70\00:27:20.54
an encounter with
Jesus Christ. [Amen!] They're
00:27:20.64\00:27:23.14
recognizing, "Whoa,
whoa, whoa, whoa! So you're
00:27:23.24\00:27:24.84
telling me that this is
true, and this is true?"
00:27:24.94\00:27:27.71
They're connecting
the dots from the head
00:27:28.51\00:27:30.01
to the heart,
saying, "If that's true, then
00:27:30.15\00:27:31.88
I'm here, and He's
real, and I-"... [Amen!]
00:27:31.98\00:27:35.82
Right? [Yes.] There's
something working. They're
00:27:36.35\00:27:39.55
being convinced of
the truth, and immediately
00:27:39.65\00:27:42.56
upon understanding
the Word of God, it goes
00:27:42.69\00:27:44.83
to the heart, and
they're convicted that applies
00:27:44.93\00:27:47.40
to them. [Amen.] 'Cause
what they're taking away
00:27:47.50\00:27:51.13
is, "Babylon, Medo-Persia,
Greece, Rome, divided
00:27:51.23\00:27:54.07
Rome, here we are, in
the very toenails of time,
00:27:54.17\00:27:56.77
Jesus is coming soon,
God is real, and He is
00:27:57.17\00:27:59.84
my judge." Now, I've
gone from temporal to
00:27:59.97\00:28:04.91
spiritual. Now
there's accountability; now,
00:28:05.05\00:28:08.48
there's a reality to
what I thought was merely
00:28:08.58\00:28:10.62
mythology. When that
switch goes from mythology to
00:28:10.79\00:28:17.03
reality, that's the jump
from convincing to convicting.
00:28:17.19\00:28:23.10
But let me tell you
something else: Conversion
00:28:26.63\00:28:30.31
does not consist
merely of being convinced of
00:28:30.81\00:28:34.38
the truth, or even feeling
the conviction of the truth!
00:28:34.48\00:28:38.38
There's that third
essential step where you yield
00:28:39.85\00:28:42.32
your will to that
truth - to the God of truth -
00:28:42.85\00:28:48.59
and conversion takes
place. Over and over in the
00:28:50.46\00:28:55.56
ministry of Jesus,
He encountered otherwise
00:28:55.93\00:28:59.03
brilliant people,
who as soon as the truth
00:28:59.17\00:29:01.67
of what Jesus was saying,
and the application of it
00:29:01.80\00:29:04.21
came to their own
hearts, they would very quickly
00:29:04.31\00:29:07.88
become uncomfortable
in the situation, and try
00:29:07.98\00:29:10.11
to deflect and obfuscate
and turn away and hedge
00:29:10.21\00:29:13.15
them, and... Let me
give you a couple examples.
00:29:13.25\00:29:16.08
Go to Luke chapter
10. You're already in the
00:29:16.18\00:29:17.52
gospel of Luke; just
go over two pages to Luke
00:29:17.62\00:29:19.79
chapter 10. Look in verse
25. It says... [text on-screen]
00:29:19.89\00:29:27.40
By the way, this is not
attorney-at-law, esquire,
00:29:34.87\00:29:36.87
like we think of
today; this is a lawyer in the
00:29:37.01\00:29:39.27
biblical sense. He was
a specialist in the Word
00:29:39.37\00:29:42.21
of God, right? So,
Jesus says, "You know the
00:29:42.28\00:29:44.71
Word; you tell me what
must I do! It's all written
00:29:44.81\00:29:47.62
down. You're a
scholar in it. What is your
00:29:47.75\00:29:51.25
reading of it?" Verse
27. [reads text on-screen]
00:29:51.35\00:29:54.59
Time out. We don't
have time to get into this,
00:30:00.96\00:30:02.56
but did you know
there's not a single passage in
00:30:02.66\00:30:04.43
the Old Testament that
has that entire phrasing
00:30:04.53\00:30:06.50
in there? What this
man has done is taken two
00:30:06.97\00:30:09.37
passages from two different
books of Moses, and synthesized
00:30:09.50\00:30:12.74
them into a single
answer that says to love the
00:30:12.87\00:30:14.91
Lord your God and
your neighbor as yourself.
00:30:15.01\00:30:17.25
Friends, if you
were to look through the
00:30:17.61\00:30:18.95
study of the New Testament,
you would find that other
00:30:18.98\00:30:20.78
times, when Jesus was
asked this very question,
00:30:20.88\00:30:23.02
He didn't defer the
answer to someone else; He gave
00:30:23.12\00:30:25.15
it Himself, and it was
exactly, word for word,
00:30:25.22\00:30:27.46
the same answer. This
man didn't just answer
00:30:27.56\00:30:29.99
a good answer; he answered
the best answer. He gave,
00:30:30.36\00:30:33.83
in fact, the Jesus-owned
answer. Thus, when Jesus
00:30:33.93\00:30:37.90
responds to him, verse
28... "...He said to him, 'You
00:30:38.00\00:30:41.24
have answered
rightly!" If He was us, He would
00:30:41.34\00:30:47.51
say, "Good job!
Well answered. Let's bow
00:30:47.61\00:30:49.81
our heads for a word
of prayer." But He adds
00:30:49.94\00:30:52.31
something else. He said,
"You have answered rightly,
00:30:52.41\00:30:54.38
do this, and you will
live." What was the problem?
00:30:55.78\00:31:00.12
The man was convinced
of the truth, but Jesus
00:31:00.22\00:31:03.53
knew he wasn't converted
to doing it, right? So He
00:31:03.63\00:31:07.83
calls them out. He
says, "Now, not only is this
00:31:07.96\00:31:09.80
true, but you need to
do something about it.
00:31:09.93\00:31:12.57
Do this and live." But
verse 29, "But he, wanting
00:31:12.67\00:31:17.77
to justify himself,
said to Jesus, 'And who is my
00:31:17.87\00:31:22.61
neighbor?'" Time
out. This man has already
00:31:22.74\00:31:28.08
evidenced his
knowledge of the Word of God.
00:31:28.18\00:31:30.62
He's already demonstrated
not only to have a good
00:31:31.49\00:31:34.06
answer, but have
the best answer - the
00:31:34.16\00:31:35.56
Jesus answer to the
question! His knowledge base is
00:31:35.62\00:31:39.09
sound. Yet when Jesus
comes back with a simple,
00:31:39.19\00:31:44.63
"Well done! Now just
go do it," this otherwise
00:31:45.17\00:31:49.64
brilliant man comes up
with this-well, I don't
00:31:49.74\00:31:56.08
know-ridiculous
question. I mean, "Who is my-"
00:31:56.14\00:32:02.35
I mean, "Lord, I
would do, but the problem is
00:32:03.28\00:32:05.15
I can't figure out,
and I don't know where,
00:32:05.25\00:32:06.92
and I don't know
who, and I don't know-"
00:32:07.02\00:32:08.46
The implication being,
"If I could only figure
00:32:09.92\00:32:12.29
out who my neighbor is,
I would go and do likewise;
00:32:12.39\00:32:14.70
but..." But the
Bible tells us why he asked
00:32:14.80\00:32:17.93
that silly
question. "And he, wanting to
00:32:18.07\00:32:23.97
justify himself, said,
'And who is my neighbor?'"
00:32:24.07\00:32:28.14
I would submit to
you, friends, that he knew
00:32:29.78\00:32:31.61
exactly who his neighbor
was. He just didn't like
00:32:31.71\00:32:34.38
it. [chuckles] He knew
the truth; he also recognized
00:32:34.52\00:32:38.32
it and applied to
him... but he wasn't ready to
00:32:38.42\00:32:41.96
yield to that truth
and put into practice what
00:32:42.06\00:32:44.89
he knew to be right.
Sometimes, I call this
00:32:45.06\00:32:49.56
what we know as
the parable of the Good
00:32:49.70\00:32:51.40
Samaritan. I call it
the unnecessary parable.
00:32:51.50\00:32:53.80
This man already
knew who his neighbor was.
00:32:54.77\00:32:56.84
And after Jesus walks
him through like a children
00:32:58.27\00:33:00.18
story... "There was one
time this man, and these
00:33:00.28\00:33:02.98
other men were not"-
and He goes through it.
00:33:03.11\00:33:04.71
Look at the end of the
parable. Verse 36. Jesus
00:33:04.81\00:33:08.02
asked him again.
"So..." [reads text on-screen]
00:33:08.08\00:33:12.29
Remember the question
is, "Who is my neighbor?"
00:33:15.32\00:33:16.83
Jesus said, "Alright,
we listened to the story-
00:33:16.93\00:33:18.49
now you tell me who was
the neighbor?" "And he said,
00:33:18.59\00:33:25.83
'He who showed mercy
on him.'" And Jesus comes
00:33:25.93\00:33:29.67
right back to the same
point they already had.
00:33:29.80\00:33:31.14
Then He said to him,
"Go and do likewise."
00:33:31.51\00:33:34.18
You see the same kind
of silliness coming out of
00:33:37.21\00:33:39.05
the mouth of Nicodemus,
a Sanhedrin leader, right?
00:33:39.15\00:33:41.68
He comes to have that
midnight interview with
00:33:42.12\00:33:43.65
Jesus, and Jesus cuts
right to the quick and
00:33:43.75\00:33:45.85
says, "No-no, you
need to be born again!" And
00:33:45.99\00:33:48.56
then, when that conviction
comes to his heart, what
00:33:48.66\00:33:50.93
does he do? He comes
up with silly, obscure,
00:33:51.03\00:33:53.90
ridiculous
questions, right? "Well, how can
00:33:54.40\00:33:56.33
a man be born
again? Am I supposed to go
00:33:56.43\00:33:58.03
back in my mother's womb?
I don't-"... Jesus would say
00:33:58.13\00:34:01.44
things like, "Are you
a teacher of Israel and
00:34:01.54\00:34:03.27
you don't know these
things? I'm talking about
00:34:03.37\00:34:05.67
spiritual truth. You
know what I'm talking
00:34:05.77\00:34:07.74
about!" In fact, go to
John chapter 3. If you're
00:34:07.88\00:34:11.35
in the gospel of
Luke, just go to the right
00:34:11.45\00:34:12.95
one book. John chapter
3. Notice how Jesus lays
00:34:13.05\00:34:17.19
the case to Nicodemus,
and it's an issue of the
00:34:17.25\00:34:19.99
heart. Verse 19. John
3:19. [reads text on-screen]
00:34:20.09\00:34:27.73
The reason they don't
accept the light isn't
00:34:37.24\00:34:38.94
because they don't
understand it, nor is
00:34:39.07\00:34:41.18
it because they don't
see the application in
00:34:41.31\00:34:43.08
their lives; they
just don't like where it's
00:34:43.18\00:34:44.51
going! 'Cause if I go
that way, that's gonna
00:34:44.55\00:34:47.52
take me away from this
thing that I like to do
00:34:47.65\00:34:49.48
over here, and then
love darkness rather
00:34:49.58\00:34:51.85
than light. It's an issue
of love; where is your heart?
00:34:51.95\00:34:54.12
[reads John 3:20 on screen]
00:34:56.12\00:34:59.26
That's the real
issue. You can be convinced
00:35:03.80\00:35:10.11
of the truth. You
can be convicted by the
00:35:10.21\00:35:13.64
truth...and still
not be converted. For
00:35:13.78\00:35:21.45
the rest of our
time, I want to look at
00:35:21.55\00:35:22.88
two particular stories
in Scripture, both found
00:35:22.92\00:35:27.09
in the book of Acts.
We'll start with Acts
00:35:27.22\00:35:28.86
chapter 2. Acts
chapter 2 - very well-known
00:35:28.96\00:35:33.36
passage about the Day
of Pentecost. Many sermons
00:35:33.50\00:35:36.13
have been preached
about this, and we don't have
00:35:36.26\00:35:38.27
time to get into
all the context of this
00:35:38.37\00:35:40.47
particular message, but
this is only 50 days after
00:35:40.60\00:35:44.31
the events of the death
of Jesus and His resurrection
00:35:44.41\00:35:46.81
on that Sunday
morning. And the same people
00:35:46.91\00:35:50.35
who were in the crowd
that day, chanting things
00:35:50.45\00:35:52.58
like, "Crucify Him!
Crucify Him! Let His blood be on
00:35:52.71\00:35:56.32
us and on our children!"
are now back in Jerusalem
00:35:56.45\00:35:59.69
for the next feast,
which is known as the Feast of
00:35:59.82\00:36:02.19
Weeks, or Pentecost.
But on this feast, Peter
00:36:02.32\00:36:05.76
is now fully converted;
the Holy Spirit has been
00:36:05.83\00:36:08.00
poured out, and he
preaches a message. My does he
00:36:08.10\00:36:12.27
preach messages- and
in fact- at this point,
00:36:12.40\00:36:14.67
I want to submit an
idea here that may not be
00:36:14.80\00:36:16.87
popular, at least
for a few minutes till I
00:36:16.97\00:36:18.91
explain it...and it is
this: I believe that the
00:36:19.01\00:36:23.88
Seventh-day
Adventist Church should be more
00:36:23.98\00:36:26.08
Pentecostal. [Amen!]
Let me explain. [laughter]
00:36:26.18\00:36:32.85
Now, when we say
that term, 'Pentecostal',
00:36:32.95\00:36:35.42
the picture that
often comes to our mind is
00:36:35.89\00:36:37.89
what's commonly known
today as Pentecostalism,
00:36:38.03\00:36:40.86
right? And this
picture of very demonstrative
00:36:40.96\00:36:44.17
praise and worship
with loud music-right?-or
00:36:44.27\00:36:46.70
you might have faith
healings, or speaking
00:36:46.77\00:36:48.20
in unintelligible tongues,
right? Holy roller - the
00:36:48.30\00:36:50.51
whole thing, right?
But let me ask you some
00:36:50.64\00:36:52.74
questions: What we
know today as Pentecostalism
00:36:52.84\00:36:55.64
is not actually found
in the Day of Pentecost.
00:36:56.98\00:36:59.81
For example, how much
mention of music is made
00:36:59.91\00:37:03.69
on the Day of
Pentecost? None! Now, that's not
00:37:03.75\00:37:06.99
to say that they didn't
sing some hymns or something -
00:37:07.09\00:37:08.42
but we don't know.
But clearly, it wasn't the
00:37:08.49\00:37:09.82
central thing that
moved the church, because it
00:37:09.86\00:37:11.53
didn't even make it
in the Bible record! How
00:37:11.63\00:37:14.50
about faith healings?
None. Now, maybe there
00:37:14.60\00:37:19.43
were people healed.
Healing is a genuine
00:37:19.53\00:37:21.20
gift of the Spirit,
praise the Lord, but there's
00:37:21.30\00:37:23.27
no mention of it on the
Day of Pentecost. It didn't
00:37:23.37\00:37:25.14
have some big healing
service, and people were
00:37:25.24\00:37:26.57
slain, and- no! How about
speaking in unintelligible
00:37:26.68\00:37:30.91
tongues? [No.] No!
Now, there was speaking in
00:37:31.01\00:37:34.52
tongues, but it was
intelligible, right?
00:37:34.62\00:37:36.42
The Bible goes out
of its way to even list
00:37:36.48\00:37:38.15
the languages and countries
where they were from, right?
00:37:38.25\00:37:40.56
So, what made the Day
of Pentecost so powerful
00:37:40.66\00:37:43.69
was the outpouring of the
Holy Spirit, and the preaching
00:37:43.79\00:37:45.39
of present truth!
[Amen!] Peter opened his mouth,
00:37:45.49\00:37:48.26
and he preached a
sermon that day. 26 verses. 13
00:37:48.36\00:37:51.43
of them were just
quotes from the Old Testament.
00:37:51.57\00:37:53.44
Prophecies leading
up to the Messiah as he
00:37:54.44\00:37:56.50
now understood Him,
right? 11 of those verses were
00:37:56.60\00:37:59.84
just commentary about
the verses he just quoted,
00:37:59.94\00:38:02.84
and the final two were
just an appeal. And look
00:38:02.94\00:38:05.61
at the appeal Peter
makes - my goodness.
00:38:05.71\00:38:07.88
Verse 36. By the way,
let me go back to verse
00:38:07.98\00:38:11.09
32 to demonstrate it
was present truth. Jesus
00:38:11.19\00:38:13.19
was not just
preached that He was born in a
00:38:13.29\00:38:14.96
manger. He didn't just
talk about the good life
00:38:15.06\00:38:17.66
of Jesus that He lived,
He didn't just talk about
00:38:17.76\00:38:20.30
His death, or even
His resurrection! Look at
00:38:20.36\00:38:22.20
verse 32. [text on-screen]
00:38:22.30\00:38:25.53
So notice He, even the
resurrection at this point,
00:38:31.37\00:38:33.48
was old news and well
known to those people. Here's
00:38:33.61\00:38:37.85
the next part.
[reads text on-screen]
00:38:37.95\00:38:41.28
He said, "What you're
seeing now is the work
00:38:52.39\00:38:54.50
of Jesus in the
heavenly sanctuary at the right
00:38:54.60\00:38:56.97
hand of God." He was
preaching present truth
00:38:57.07\00:39:00.04
of Christ and His work
in the heavenly sanctuary.
00:39:00.14\00:39:03.14
Accompanied by the Holy
Spirit's power, that message
00:39:03.84\00:39:07.04
moves people. [Amen!]
"Therefore," verse 36,
00:39:07.11\00:39:11.01
"let all the house of
Israel know assuredly..." Now,
00:39:11.11\00:39:14.65
think of our three
steps. "Know assuredly." They
00:39:14.75\00:39:17.62
need to be convinced,
from Scripture, that Jesus
00:39:17.72\00:39:20.46
is the Messiah.
"...know assuredly that God has
00:39:20.56\00:39:25.23
made this Jesus..." Now
let's go to the convicting
00:39:25.33\00:39:28.33
part. Comma, "whom you
crucified, both Lord and
00:39:28.46\00:39:33.74
Christ." Now, notice
he wasn't just speaking
00:39:33.84\00:39:37.11
of Jesus in abstract,
generic terms that might
00:39:37.21\00:39:40.71
be separate from
them; he said, "No, no, no,
00:39:40.81\00:39:42.41
that Jesus we just
learned is true, you killed."
00:39:42.48\00:39:45.65
It was a present
truth message with a pointed
00:39:50.95\00:39:53.76
personal appeal. Now
look very carefully at
00:39:53.86\00:39:59.49
verse 37. "Now when they
heard this, they were cut
00:39:59.59\00:40:05.83
to the heart." They
are convinced of the
00:40:07.00\00:40:12.24
truth he's presenting-
they're convicted that
00:40:12.34\00:40:15.18
that truth applies particularly
to them!-but at this
00:40:15.31\00:40:21.98
moment, are they
converted? Not yet. There's one
00:40:22.08\00:40:25.85
more step, right? Watch
this now: "...and said to
00:40:25.92\00:40:29.99
Peter and the rest of
the apostles, 'Men and
00:40:30.09\00:40:31.63
brethren, what shall
we do?'" How do I take the
00:40:31.73\00:40:36.33
convincing and the convicting,
and evidence it with converting?
00:40:36.43\00:40:41.77
[reads text on-screen]
00:40:44.51\00:40:47.28
And I don't know if my
reading of this is off,
00:40:53.58\00:40:55.12
but I think verse 39
is particularly beautiful.
00:40:55.18\00:40:57.59
Remember, these are the
people who said, "Crucify
00:40:57.69\00:40:59.45
Him, and let His
blood be on us and on our
00:40:59.55\00:41:03.36
children." Now verse 39 of
Acts 2. [reads text on-screen]
00:41:03.49\00:41:09.40
Goes on in verse 41 to
say that those who gladly
00:41:17.11\00:41:18.91
received his word were baptized;
and that day, about 3,000
00:41:19.04\00:41:23.75
souls were added to
them. Beautiful story. Let's
00:41:23.85\00:41:30.29
go to Acts chapter
7. Acts chapter 2 is a
00:41:30.39\00:41:33.92
story of success!
Right? He convinced them from
00:41:34.02\00:41:40.10
Scripture. He made a
direct appeal to their
00:41:40.20\00:41:42.30
hearts; and by the power
of God, they were converted
00:41:42.40\00:41:45.47
when they repented and
were baptized. Beautiful
00:41:45.57\00:41:48.77
story. Acts chapter
7. A very, very similar
00:41:48.87\00:41:55.24
story, but a
vastly different outcome.
00:41:55.34\00:41:58.78
If you read through Acts
chapter 7, you essentially
00:42:01.18\00:42:03.32
have Stephen, who
is a lay member of the
00:42:03.45\00:42:08.26
church, one of the
first appointed deacons, and
00:42:08.36\00:42:11.36
is now called to
answer for his faith in Jesus
00:42:11.43\00:42:13.96
Christ before the Sanhedrin,
the religious leaders of
00:42:14.10\00:42:16.36
the day. And if you
were to compare the message
00:42:16.46\00:42:19.37
that Stephen presented
that day with what Peter
00:42:19.47\00:42:22.17
presented in Acts
chapter 2, they are very, very
00:42:22.27\00:42:24.71
similar. He walks
them through the history of
00:42:24.77\00:42:26.91
their own people using
Bible evidence to demonstrate
00:42:27.01\00:42:30.81
the veracity of his
claims, and then he makes a
00:42:30.88\00:42:33.68
specific application to
his audience. Okay? By the
00:42:33.75\00:42:37.52
way, he's also
talking about the heavenly
00:42:37.59\00:42:39.22
sanctuary! Start with
verse 44. [text on-screen]
00:42:39.29\00:42:46.03
So he's going through
the history of the sanctuary,
00:43:06.41\00:43:09.65
the tabernacle, or as
they had it in this day,
00:43:09.78\00:43:12.12
now, the temple,
right? It started with Moses,
00:43:12.22\00:43:14.52
it went to the
Promised Land, David wanted to
00:43:14.66\00:43:16.73
build him a house,
but Solomon built him the
00:43:16.83\00:43:18.49
temple... By the way,
these people loved the
00:43:18.63\00:43:21.06
temple, didn't they?
Right? This is meeting
00:43:21.16\00:43:23.16
them where they are!
It's exactly- but then
00:43:23.26\00:43:25.33
he makes a transition
from the temporal temple
00:43:25.47\00:43:27.80
that they know and love
to the spiritual temple that
00:43:27.90\00:43:30.31
God wants to have
a focus on. Verse 48.
00:43:30.44\00:43:33.11
[reads text on-screen]
00:43:33.21\00:43:36.18
"...What house will
you build for Me?" says
00:43:41.98\00:43:43.32
the Lord, or it's, "What
is the place of my rest?"
00:43:43.35\00:43:45.42
[continues reading text]
00:43:45.52\00:43:47.76
So, he's taking their
minds from the earthly
00:43:48.52\00:43:50.16
sanctuary to the heavenly
sanctuary; and apparently,
00:43:50.29\00:43:55.93
that was a bridge too
far. Now, we don't have a
00:43:56.56\00:44:01.97
film adaptation of this-
we don't have the insights
00:44:02.07\00:44:05.07
exactly to know what
happened. But clearly,
00:44:05.17\00:44:07.14
something happened
right then and there, 'cause
00:44:07.24\00:44:10.38
look at verse 51. Stephen
says... [reads text on-screen]
00:44:10.48\00:44:17.32
Now, we know
what's about to happen to
00:44:25.29\00:44:26.63
Stephen in just a
few verses from now. And
00:44:26.70\00:44:28.60
the burden of our question
this morning: Did Stephen
00:44:28.70\00:44:30.33
say something
wrong? Was he too pointed?
00:44:30.43\00:44:33.54
Was he too direct? Was
he too clear with the Bible
00:44:33.64\00:44:37.31
truths? Should he have
hidden his light a little
00:44:37.41\00:44:38.87
bit more obscurely
to lead them more gently
00:44:38.97\00:44:40.88
along the way? I would
submit to you that everything
00:44:40.98\00:44:45.45
was going well, to
the point, at least, they
00:44:45.58\00:44:47.38
were able to listen
to what he was saying,
00:44:47.48\00:44:49.18
until he took that
temple on earth and went to
00:44:49.42\00:44:51.75
the temple in
heaven. And I don't know what
00:44:51.85\00:44:55.76
they showed on
their faces or their body
00:44:55.86\00:44:57.79
language or if they started
picking up rocks, [chuckles]
00:44:57.89\00:44:59.69
you know. But
clearly, something happened
00:44:59.86\00:45:03.26
that he said, "You know
what? I need to cut the rest
00:45:03.40\00:45:04.73
of the sermon short;
let me go straight to
00:45:04.80\00:45:06.13
the appeal."
[laughter] Time was up on his
00:45:06.17\00:45:10.21
countdown clock, if
you will, and he just laid
00:45:10.31\00:45:14.51
the lumber to it!
"You stiff-necked..." Was
00:45:14.61\00:45:20.88
anything he's
saying untrue, by the way?
00:45:21.02\00:45:22.58
[No.] No! He was
saying- by the way, what did
00:45:22.68\00:45:25.52
Peter say? "The same
Jesus whom you crucified
00:45:25.62\00:45:29.62
is now both Lord and
Christ. That Jesus who
00:45:30.26\00:45:32.66
you thought was
just a man is now God in
00:45:32.79\00:45:34.70
the heavens, and He
holds your life in His
00:45:34.83\00:45:37.27
hands." It's the same
message, the same appeal.
00:45:37.33\00:45:41.47
In fact, he goes on in
verse 52. [text on-screen]
00:45:43.57\00:45:47.61
It's identically
the same message as what
00:45:55.98\00:45:58.55
Peter said to the
people on the Day of Pentecost.
00:45:58.65\00:46:00.59
Verse 54. Look carefully at
the response. [text on-screen]
00:46:03.83\00:46:10.93
Pause right here. Were
they convinced that what
00:46:16.50\00:46:20.88
he was saying was
true? Yes, they were. Were
00:46:20.98\00:46:24.71
they convicted that that
truth applied particularly
00:46:24.85\00:46:27.45
to them? Yes, they were.
Third question: Were they
00:46:27.55\00:46:32.19
converted? No.
Friends, I would submit to you,
00:46:32.25\00:46:36.86
it's possible to be
convinced of the truth,
00:46:36.96\00:46:38.49
to even feel the conviction
of the Holy Spirit in your
00:46:39.09\00:46:42.26
heart, and still
not be converted. "When
00:46:42.36\00:46:48.20
they heard these
things, they were cut to the
00:46:48.30\00:46:49.84
heart, and they gnashed
at him with their teeth."
00:46:49.97\00:46:54.01
I love that verse 55
does not say, "And he
00:46:58.55\00:47:01.02
laid down his life
at that-" no. He wasn't
00:47:01.12\00:47:03.28
done. He's gonna
preach until either they're
00:47:03.39\00:47:06.15
converted, or he's
buried. Right? He said, "There's
00:47:06.29\00:47:10.16
only one way out of
this. I'm just still going
00:47:10.26\00:47:11.66
straight ahead."
[Amen!] "But he, being full of
00:47:11.76\00:47:15.13
the Holy Spirit..."
By the way, don't ever
00:47:15.26\00:47:17.13
think that, you
know, Stephen went off the
00:47:17.23\00:47:19.03
rails and kind of put
his own personality into
00:47:19.13\00:47:21.34
it-no! He was still
being led by the Holy Spirit,
00:47:21.44\00:47:23.24
even in that sharp rebuke.
"...full of the Holy Spirit,
00:47:23.34\00:47:26.37
gazed into heaven
and saw the glory of God,
00:47:26.78\00:47:29.28
and Jesus standing at
the right hand of God,"
00:47:29.41\00:47:31.25
the very same
message that Peter preached!
00:47:31.38\00:47:32.95
There's Jesus, in
the heavens, at the right
00:47:33.05\00:47:34.65
hand of God, and you
can almost picture Moses
00:47:34.72\00:47:37.05
in the wilderness
with the serpent, brazen on
00:47:37.15\00:47:38.82
the stick, and he
said, "Just look and live!"
00:47:38.92\00:47:41.19
He's literally just
standing there! "Just
00:47:42.76\00:47:45.39
look." Verse 57.
[reads text on-screen]
00:47:45.49\00:47:54.64
Notice this: They
start speaking back to the
00:48:02.18\00:48:05.21
preacher, yet I don't
know if it even coherent,
00:48:05.31\00:48:08.62
but they're just making
noises. Wah-la-la-la-la-la-la,
00:48:08.68\00:48:11.05
right? And they're literally
physically blocking the
00:48:11.09\00:48:16.22
sound waves from
hitting their ear canal so that
00:48:16.29\00:48:19.26
they can hold off that power.
00:48:19.29\00:48:22.86
And they ran at him
with one accord. We don't
00:48:29.90\00:48:33.61
have time for this
sermon, either, but by the way,
00:48:33.68\00:48:35.34
the results of Acts
2 and Acts 7 were that
00:48:37.41\00:48:39.35
everyone was in one
accord. God wants to
00:48:39.41\00:48:46.59
bring us into unity
when we receive the Word,
00:48:46.65\00:48:49.02
and Satan will bring
us into unity when we
00:48:49.62\00:48:51.53
reject the Word.
At the end of the day,
00:48:51.59\00:48:56.43
the question
remains, though: Did Stephen
00:48:56.50\00:48:58.00
say something
wrong? I would emphatically
00:48:58.07\00:49:02.60
say, "No." His
audience was convinced that what
00:49:02.70\00:49:07.54
he was saying was
true, and they, according to
00:49:07.61\00:49:10.31
Scripture, were cut to
the heart that it applied
00:49:10.41\00:49:12.35
to them. The only
difference between the people in
00:49:12.41\00:49:15.82
Acts 2 and those in
Acts 7 was the folks on the
00:49:15.88\00:49:19.89
Day of Pentecost yielded
to the Spirit and received
00:49:19.95\00:49:22.02
the Word, while the
folks in Act 7 resisted the
00:49:22.09\00:49:24.16
Spirit and rejected
the Word. We're living in
00:49:24.23\00:49:30.37
the very last days
of earth's history...and
00:49:30.40\00:49:35.10
Scripture has told
us that we will witness
00:49:35.14\00:49:38.77
in the world this type
of willful, active ignorance
00:49:40.04\00:49:48.95
in the last days of
earth's history. Listen to this-
00:49:50.25\00:49:54.32
from 2 Peter chapter 3.
He speaks of how scoffers
00:49:54.39\00:49:57.53
will come in the last
days, walking according
00:49:57.63\00:50:00.33
to their own lusts,
and saying, "Where is
00:50:00.40\00:50:01.96
the promise of His coming?"
[text continued on-screen]
00:50:02.06\00:50:06.03
Notice that they're
not uninformed; they're
00:50:14.58\00:50:17.01
trying to take
something that's in their head
00:50:17.11\00:50:18.45
and push it back out.
They willfully forget,
00:50:18.48\00:50:22.62
[text continued on-screen].
00:50:22.75\00:50:25.15
They don't like where
the truth leads, so they
00:50:40.60\00:50:43.81
are, quote,
"willfully ignorant" of what it
00:50:43.91\00:50:46.57
says. The apostle Paul,
speaking to his protégé,
00:50:46.68\00:50:52.78
Timothy, and I
believe speaking to us today.
00:50:52.91\00:50:54.58
2 Timothy chapter 4. He
says... [reads text on-screen]
00:50:55.18\00:50:58.99
Please take and look
at that passage again.
00:51:20.08\00:51:21.81
Notice they have no
problem being taught,
00:51:22.38\00:51:24.45
as long as they get
to set the curriculum.
00:51:25.41\00:51:27.12
Right? It doesn't say
they'll leave the Church;
00:51:28.52\00:51:30.85
they say they'll
leave your church. They
00:51:30.95\00:51:35.52
want to be taught.
They want their ears to be
00:51:35.59\00:51:37.83
scratched. They like
what they wanna like,
00:51:37.96\00:51:39.79
right? But when it
comes to preaching truth,
00:51:39.93\00:51:41.96
present truth, cutting
truth, convincing truth,
00:51:42.06\00:51:44.97
convicting truth,
they don't wanna hear it.
00:51:45.07\00:51:46.90
Thus, you read in 2 Timothy
chapter 3... [text on-screen]
00:51:50.17\00:51:53.74
When we think of the
perils of the last days,
00:51:56.24\00:51:57.75
we often think of
earthquakes and disasters and
00:51:57.81\00:51:59.68
pestilences and wars,
and all kinds of things,
00:51:59.78\00:52:01.98
which are true; but
even Jesus said, "These are
00:52:02.12\00:52:04.59
just the beginnings
of sorrows," right? "The
00:52:04.72\00:52:07.02
end is still not yet."
But here, he's speaking
00:52:07.12\00:52:08.66
of the very last
days. He said, "In the last
00:52:08.76\00:52:10.49
days, perilous
times will come," and he's
00:52:10.59\00:52:12.39
not talking about the
condition of the physical
00:52:12.49\00:52:15.96
world, ecology, or
economy, or even military; he's
00:52:16.10\00:52:19.07
talking about character.
"For men will be lovers
00:52:19.17\00:52:23.27
of themselves, lovers
of money, boasters, proud,
00:52:23.41\00:52:26.74
blasphemers, disobedient
to parents, unthankful,
00:52:26.88\00:52:29.54
unholy..." [text
continues on-screen]
00:52:29.64\00:52:32.11
They're gonna do all
of this, in an otherwise
00:52:46.23\00:52:48.56
Christian context.
They might even have the
00:52:48.66\00:52:52.03
label of Christianity.
They might be in a country
00:52:52.13\00:52:54.24
that espouses Christian
values, or makes statements
00:52:54.30\00:52:58.01
and slogans and logos
and whatever, all about
00:52:58.07\00:53:00.74
good Jesus-y type
stuff... but at the end of the
00:53:00.81\00:53:04.41
day, what's going on
in their heart? They're
00:53:04.48\00:53:06.95
unthankful, they're unholy,
they're unloving, they're
00:53:07.02\00:53:09.08
unforgiving, they're
disobedient to parents,
00:53:09.18\00:53:11.35
despise the- all down the
list. You know, oftentimes
00:53:11.45\00:53:17.96
whenever someone
doesn't understand a message
00:53:18.06\00:53:19.76
in a preaching context,
or even a personal Bible
00:53:19.86\00:53:22.76
study, we think,
"You know, what they need
00:53:22.86\00:53:24.20
is more texts." [snaps,
laughs] "They need to understand
00:53:24.23\00:53:26.87
that this-" so we
take them to the Sabbath,
00:53:26.97\00:53:29.14
and, honestly, the Sabbath
is so clear in Scripture.
00:53:29.24\00:53:31.94
You start from Genesis,
you go all the way through
00:53:32.51\00:53:34.08
Revelation, all
points in between, Jesus is
00:53:34.18\00:53:35.81
the Lord of the
Sabbath, we're gonna be keeping
00:53:35.91\00:53:37.25
the Sabbath in eternity
- you'd go on and on and
00:53:37.31\00:53:38.85
on, right? And if
someone has an objection to the
00:53:38.91\00:53:42.62
Sabbath, we often
think, "Oh, they haven't heard
00:53:42.72\00:53:44.55
THIS text, or
that-" but the reality is,
00:53:44.65\00:53:46.86
they probably understand
exactly what you're saying,
00:53:47.49\00:53:49.52
and they're convicted
that it applies to them!
00:53:49.62\00:53:52.19
The issue is a matter
of the heart. Men love
00:53:53.40\00:53:56.77
darkness because
their deeds are evil. That's
00:53:56.90\00:54:00.17
the issue. Jesus saw it
in His ministry. Stephen saw
00:54:00.27\00:54:04.94
it in his ministry.
And I believe that's why
00:54:05.04\00:54:07.31
Jesus in Luke chapter
8, when he described the
00:54:07.41\00:54:09.68
work of sowing the seed
of the Word of God, said
00:54:09.78\00:54:11.71
that most of it
won't work the way we want
00:54:11.81\00:54:13.92
it to. Now praise the
Lord, there'll also be
00:54:14.02\00:54:16.82
seeds sown that we
won't ever see the results,
00:54:16.92\00:54:18.59
but there will be
results to the positive - amen?
00:54:18.72\00:54:20.86
But regardless, God
enjoins upon us, He requires
00:54:22.72\00:54:28.56
of us, a service regardless
of whether it appears to be
00:54:28.70\00:54:36.37
successful or not. You
see, the work of the Holy
00:54:36.50\00:54:40.84
Spirit is to take
the truth of God's Word.
00:54:40.94\00:54:42.74
And like a sword, a
sharp two-edged sword, apply
00:54:43.68\00:54:46.21
it in such a way that
we are cut to the heart
00:54:46.35\00:54:48.95
and convicted...but
conviction alone does
00:54:49.05\00:54:52.19
not save. One's
response to the prompting of the
00:54:52.32\00:54:55.96
Holy Spirit determines
whether they're converted.
00:54:56.09\00:54:58.63
Thus, in our work
of personal evangelism,
00:54:59.76\00:55:04.27
let us not withhold
the Word of God for fear of
00:55:04.60\00:55:07.04
saying something
wrong. While we, of course,
00:55:07.17\00:55:10.57
want to be as winsome
as possible and Christ-like
00:55:10.71\00:55:13.44
as He enables us,
the ultimate decision to
00:55:13.54\00:55:17.38
yield to the work of
the Holy Spirit is always
00:55:17.51\00:55:19.91
an individual one.
Friends, we are not responsible
00:55:20.55\00:55:24.75
for the conversion
of any soul. However, we
00:55:24.85\00:55:28.86
are responsible to
have the conversation with
00:55:28.96\00:55:32.39
every soul. [Amen!] In
the words of that great
00:55:32.49\00:55:35.86
old hymn, let us,
then, be true and faithful,
00:55:35.93\00:55:38.77
trusting, serving,
every day-because just one
00:55:39.30\00:55:42.90
glimpse of Him in
glory will the trials of life
00:55:43.00\00:55:45.41
repay. [Amen!]
Let's bow our heads for a
00:55:45.91\00:55:48.64
word of prayer as we
close today. Heavenly
00:55:48.78\00:55:50.85
Father, I thank You so
much, for in Your infinite
00:55:50.95\00:55:55.05
wisdom, entrusting to
us the co-laboring work
00:55:55.15\00:56:01.99
of soul-saving with
You. And Lord, help us to
00:56:03.29\00:56:08.13
learn deeply from
the experience of Christ,
00:56:08.23\00:56:11.03
from the record of
Scripture, from the
00:56:12.73\00:56:15.27
insights from the
Spirit of Prophecy, so we can
00:56:15.34\00:56:17.41
do Your work, Your
way. And Lord, we want to be
00:56:17.51\00:56:21.28
winsome! We want to
be genial; we want to be
00:56:21.38\00:56:25.28
warm and welcoming,
hospitable - we want
00:56:25.91\00:56:28.75
to clear every obstacle
out of the way. But Lord,
00:56:28.85\00:56:32.75
we also see from
Your own testimony and the
00:56:32.85\00:56:35.56
examples of early
church leaders that even if we
00:56:35.86\00:56:39.89
do everything right,
it still may not work out
00:56:40.00\00:56:43.80
the way we expect.
Please, Lord, help us to never
00:56:44.27\00:56:48.14
become discouraged or
distracted or dissuaded
00:56:48.24\00:56:52.37
from doing the work You've
given us to do, but let us
00:56:52.47\00:56:55.31
be true and faithful,
trusting, serving, every day.
00:56:55.84\00:56:59.81
To that end, Lord, we
dedicate ourselves once
00:57:00.42\00:57:02.38
again, and we ask that
You would make us laborers
00:57:02.48\00:57:06.05
for You, for we pray
it in Jesus' name. Amen.
00:57:06.15\00:57:09.62
[Amen!] [intro/outro music]
00:57:09.92\00:57:15.40