Welcome to Anchors Of Truth
from the 3ABN Worship Center.
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The Great
Controversy with John Bradshaw.
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Hello friends and
welcome to 3ABN's worship center
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here in Thompsonville, Illinois.
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Located right down the
street from 3ABN which is in
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West Frankfort, Illinois.
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And that may sound like it's
very confusing and far apart,
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but it's just a
stones throw away.
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But tonight, you're joining
us here at our worship center
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for the continuation of the
meetings that have been held
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by Pastor John Bradshaw on the
topic of The Great Controversy.
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Tonight's sermon title
is, Help In A Time Of Crisis.
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Now as you know, the world is in
crisis in one way or the other.
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We're even wondering
how the season's have
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become so warm so quickly.
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And maybe on the
heels of that blessing
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there's another crisis coming.
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We don't know.
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But we always know that in
every crisis there is an answer.
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And that answer is Jesus.
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So tonight, as Pastor
Bradshaw brings the message,
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take time to sit down.
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The Sabbath has
started here in the Midwest.
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And wherever you're joining
us from, we know the blessing of
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the Lord is available to you.
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We also have some
messages on tomorrow.
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We'd like to encourage you
to join us on tomorrow morning,
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Sabbath morning, for
our 11 o'clock message.
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And then Sabbath afternoon
for our final presentation
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on the five part series
on The Great Controversy.
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Pastor John Bradshaw is
the speaker and director
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of It Is Written.
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He is an exuberant person, one
that is on fire for the Lord.
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Can you say amen to that?
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And he has blessed
us from night to night.
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And we know that tonight is
not going to be an exception.
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We have some wonderful
music also from one of our
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very own, Jill Morikone.
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We are blessed from Sabbath to
Sabbath with her musical gift.
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And tonight, she's going to
bless us right after our prayer.
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So bow your heads with us
as we go to the Lord in prayer.
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Let's pray together.
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Our gracious Father in heaven,
we thank You for Your goodness
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and for Your mercy.
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We thank You, Lord,
that in this time of crisis
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when the world is looking
for an answer, whatever the
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question may be, the
answer is still Jesus.
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Lord, we pray tonight that You
will fill Your manservant again,
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that You'll pour into him
that he will be the vessel
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through which You share
the blessing with our audience;
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whether by television
or by radio or by computer,
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whatever the medium may be.
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May they sense the
connection to Christ as
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the Word of God is unfolded.
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We also pray a blessing
on our music tonight, Father.
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What a wonderful song,
His Eye Is On The Sparrow.
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And tonight, as the sparrow
continues to fly and You provide
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his need, we pray that
tonight, Father, in the midst of
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this crisis we will
know that You will continue
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to provide our need.
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So keep our hearts focused,
Father, as You speak to us.
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In Jesus' name we pray, amen.
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After our music tonight,
the next voice that you'll hear
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is Pastor John Bradshaw.
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Well, I have
been blessed already.
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What about you?
Can you say amen?
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Good evening everyone and
welcome to Anchors Of Truth.
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We are studying about
the great controversy,
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which itself is one of
the great anchors of truth.
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One of the great
anchors of truth.
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You know, there is a
book by that same name.
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Are you aware of that?
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I hope you know about that.
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There is a book by the
name, The Great Controversy.
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We're not
studying the book tonight.
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The book is aptly titled
because it deals with that
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great controversy down
through the eons of time
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between Christ and Satan.
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I have a soft
spot for that book.
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It was that book
that changed my life.
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Now truth be
told, truth be told,
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it's the Bible that
changes a person's life.
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But without the book
called, The Great Controversy,
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I may never had come to
the place where I would have
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picked up the Bible.
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It spoke to my heart and helped
me understand big issues and
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large questions and significant
things that were taking place.
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It answered a lot
of questions for me.
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And I discovered the answer
to those questions was Jesus.
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And perhaps before
we're done this weekend,
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I might have a chance to share
a little bit more with you about
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what the book, The
Great Controversy, did for me.
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In the meantime, we'll study
the great controversy theme.
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The great central theme of
the Bible, it has been called.
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I concur. I
believe that is true.
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And I think that if you don't
mind, we will pray and dive in.
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And make the most of the time,
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always limited
time, that we have.
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Let's pray.
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Our Father in heaven, we
thank You tonight that we can
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come to you in
the name of Jesus.
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We gather here in this
location, but we gather together
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around the world, from
sea to shining sea and beyond.
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I pray that You would
grab our attention and focus it
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with laser beam intensity
on the things of Scripture.
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I pray that You
would have our attention.
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I pray that You would
give this faulty vessel
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freedom of expression
and clarity of thought.
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I pray that You would
give everybody watching and
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listening and
meditating upon these things
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clear minds and a willing
heart and an openness to the
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moving of Your Holy Spirit.
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Guide and bless us please.
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And I don't pray bless
us for selfish reasons.
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I pray please will You
bless us for Your glory.
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Undoubtedly, You would
like to see something achieved
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over these next few minutes.
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Whatever that is,
please Lord, do Your work.
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This we pray in Jesus' name.
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And we say it together, amen.
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The year is 2154.
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I'm not trying to tell
you the year now is 2154.
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It's still what it
was when you arrived.
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But in this little
illustration, the year is 2154.
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And a mining operation on
a distant moon in this galaxy
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has begun to threaten the
existence of the native peoples
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in that corner of the galaxy.
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You see, the human
beings doing the mining
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have come up with a clever
plan to convince the natives
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to cooperate with them.
00:11:02.10\00:11:04.15
But it wouldn't be a
Hollywood movie worth anything
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if everything didn't
turn to custard and if a good
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war did not break out.
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Both things happened.
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The plan failed, war took
place, the natives were angry,
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the miners were upset.
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Everybody was at each
others throats, people died.
00:11:20.12\00:11:23.32
A human being fell
in love with an alien.
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And the movie, remarkably,
based on my description
00:11:29.36\00:11:34.19
you'd think,
"Well, that's ridiculous."
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Evidently, the more
ridiculous, the better.
00:11:36.64\00:11:39.77
Because that movie has gone
on to gross just about as much
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money, if not more,
than any other movie
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in the history of movie making.
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Interplanetary travel, good
versus evil, greed and lust,
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and the existence of
a planet jeopardized.
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Does it sound familiar?
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It ought to.
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You don't have to see
the movie to experience
00:11:59.38\00:12:03.43
a plot line like that.
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Ladies and gentlemen,
we are living it right now.
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Interplanetary travel as beings,
holy and unholy, travel from
00:12:08.99\00:12:13.70
here to there.
00:12:13.72\00:12:15.01
Many of them with
mischief on their mind.
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Some of them with
good on their mind.
00:12:17.13\00:12:20.15
Good versus evil. That's easy.
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Greed and lust.
00:12:23.83\00:12:25.28
Anyone who hasn't surrendered to
God embodies those principles.
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The existence of a
planet jeopardized.
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Our planet is in jeopardy.
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We are in the
middle of something big.
00:12:37.09\00:12:39.29
It is not science fiction.
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It is more compelling than
science fiction could ever be.
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It's the real thing.
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Too real.
00:12:46.77\00:12:47.92
And the stakes are much higher.
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Much, much higher than anything
Hollywood could ever dream up.
00:12:50.94\00:12:57.26
As we look at the Bible,
it's important that we consider
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the big picture.
00:13:01.50\00:13:03.09
Vital, as a matter of fact.
00:13:03.12\00:13:04.78
The Bible is more than
just a collection of stories
00:13:04.79\00:13:08.19
and of thoughts.
00:13:08.20\00:13:09.60
If you pick up the Bible
and start at the beginning,
00:13:09.63\00:13:12.52
you will read
the creation story.
00:13:13.21\00:13:15.23
Shortly thereafter, you will
read about the tragic fall and
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descent of our
original grandparents;
00:13:19.26\00:13:21.51
granddaddy Adam
and grandmamma Eve.
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You will then read
about the history of the
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patriarchs and of the prophets.
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There's a lot of ink given in
the book of Genesis to Abraham.
00:13:29.76\00:13:32.27
Even more, I believe,
given to the story of Joseph.
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Long story.
00:13:35.39\00:13:36.39
Takes up a lot of the back
part of the book of Genesis.
00:13:36.40\00:13:39.05
And you wonder why.
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You get into Exodus, they start
wandering in the wilderness.
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They eat bread from
heaven and they drink water
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that came from a rock.
00:13:45.93\00:13:47.27
And they complain and
want to turn their backs on God
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and wander back to
Egypt from whence they came.
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Then we come to Leviticus
and the sacrificial system.
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And there was blood flowing.
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Man, there was blood of bulls
and there was blood of goats.
00:13:57.90\00:14:00.31
And there were
turtle doves being offered,
00:14:00.65\00:14:02.24
and there were lambs slain.
00:14:02.27\00:14:04.55
There were meat
offerings and drink offerings,
00:14:04.58\00:14:07.27
and offerings of fine
flour, and all of the rest.
00:14:07.30\00:14:10.43
What in the world?
00:14:10.65\00:14:12.22
And then we read on in
Deuteronomy and the law,
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and Numbers and the numbers.
00:14:16.94\00:14:20.73
And we say, "What is this?
00:14:21.71\00:14:23.56
What really is it all about?
00:14:24.13\00:14:27.19
Is the book of
Numbers just a civics lesson?
00:14:27.51\00:14:29.55
There were so many of these
folks and so many of those."
00:14:29.56\00:14:32.60
We go on and
read the story of Job.
00:14:32.90\00:14:34.72
Poor man
suffering. I mean suffering.
00:14:34.75\00:14:37.49
Why?
00:14:37.59\00:14:39.17
What's at the heart of
what Job is going through?
00:14:39.27\00:14:43.14
Is that story just to
tell us that some poor fellow
00:14:43.17\00:14:45.58
had a hard time?
00:14:45.61\00:14:46.76
Some man was sick
and wanted to be well.
00:14:46.79\00:14:48.76
And he suffered and his
friends came, and his wife said,
00:14:48.79\00:14:50.90
"Curse God and die."
00:14:50.93\00:14:52.03
What's that?
00:14:52.06\00:14:53.21
The wisdom of the Psalms.
00:14:54.49\00:14:55.56
Is it just wisdom?
00:14:55.66\00:14:57.11
The wisdom of the Proverbs,
I'm sure I meant to say.
00:14:57.65\00:15:00.92
Is it just wisdom?
00:15:01.42\00:15:03.60
The Psalms, David's rather
up and down journey through
00:15:03.63\00:15:08.24
his meditations.
00:15:08.27\00:15:09.46
He deals with
God's faithfulness to him
00:15:09.49\00:15:11.71
and his struggle at
the hands of his enemies.
00:15:11.74\00:15:14.44
He's running, he's
fleeing. He is sinning.
00:15:14.47\00:15:16.86
He deals with the sin
issues and the salvation issues.
00:15:16.89\00:15:19.24
David cries out to God.
00:15:19.27\00:15:20.70
What's that?
00:15:20.73\00:15:22.08
Is it more than just
the struggles, the travails,
00:15:22.09\00:15:25.01
and the joys of a
Middle Eastern king?
00:15:25.04\00:15:28.05
What is the framework
that transforms the varied,
00:15:28.07\00:15:32.74
the disparate stories
and facets of the Bible
00:15:32.77\00:15:36.05
into a cohesive narrative?
00:15:36.08\00:15:37.48
What is it?
00:15:37.51\00:15:38.59
What lines up the stories
of the Bible, and the teachings
00:15:38.62\00:15:40.87
of the Bible, and the
doctrines of the Bible,
00:15:40.90\00:15:42.45
in such a way as they're
pointing in the same direction
00:15:42.48\00:15:45.51
as they are pieces
that make up the one picture
00:15:45.54\00:15:49.92
presented by a
puzzle, a beautiful thing?
00:15:49.95\00:15:52.69
Pieces put together presenting
us the picture of the whole.
00:15:52.72\00:15:56.78
What is it that helps us
make sense of, not just a story
00:15:57.89\00:16:01.69
in the Bible, not
just a verse in the Bible,
00:16:01.72\00:16:03.86
not just a character in
the Bible, but what is it that
00:16:03.89\00:16:07.33
helps us bring it all together
and helps us see that the Bible
00:16:07.36\00:16:11.27
is as a whole pointing in
a direction and illuminating
00:16:11.30\00:16:14.52
certain central truths?
00:16:14.55\00:16:15.62
What is that?
What do we call it?
00:16:15.65\00:16:18.80
This framework, this
cohesion, we call it the
00:16:19.74\00:16:21.96
great controversy theme.
00:16:21.97\00:16:24.00
And if you'll look in your
Bible, you will discover that
00:16:24.57\00:16:26.41
this great controversy
theme runs like a golden thread
00:16:26.44\00:16:29.24
from the creation and fall of
man to the restoration of man.
00:16:29.27\00:16:32.80
From sin to salvation,
from creation to redemption.
00:16:33.49\00:16:37.61
Or should I say
more appropriately,
00:16:37.64\00:16:39.88
from creation to recreation.
00:16:39.91\00:16:42.29
The great controversy
theme traces all of that.
00:16:42.32\00:16:45.49
It provides us with a
clear understanding of
00:16:46.07\00:16:49.75
where this world is heading.
00:16:49.78\00:16:51.59
It helps us to see where
we've been, where we are,
00:16:52.07\00:16:55.67
and why all that is
taking place is taking place.
00:16:55.70\00:17:01.35
I'd like for you to
keep something in mind
00:17:01.89\00:17:03.42
as we begin tonight.
00:17:03.45\00:17:04.80
Long ago, this
world was a perfect place.
00:17:05.09\00:17:08.69
The heartbeat of the
universe was one heartbeat.
00:17:08.98\00:17:14.37
There was no sin.
00:17:15.89\00:17:17.56
Only harmony.
00:17:17.59\00:17:19.46
Can you imagine that?
00:17:19.49\00:17:22.28
Can you imagine what
your life would be like
00:17:22.76\00:17:25.09
if there was no
sin in the world?
00:17:25.12\00:17:26.93
How much different would it be?
00:17:27.13\00:17:29.08
I remember when I was a
little boy and our family was
00:17:29.46\00:17:31.89
getting ready to go
away for the weekend.
00:17:31.92\00:17:33.42
And I said to my dad,
"Dad, what are you doing?"
00:17:33.45\00:17:35.38
He was up on a ladder
or standing on a chair,
00:17:35.41\00:17:38.05
or something, and he was
messing around with the windows
00:17:38.06\00:17:41.51
in a room, like the living room.
00:17:42.68\00:17:45.22
And I said, "Dad,
what are you doing?"
00:17:45.57\00:17:47.08
He said, "Son, I'm locking
the windows before we go away."
00:17:47.93\00:17:52.52
I was shocked.
00:17:53.30\00:17:54.59
I said, "Dad, our
windows have locks?"
00:17:54.62\00:17:58.40
I had no idea.
00:17:58.41\00:18:01.07
We had never
locked the windows ever.
00:18:01.10\00:18:04.08
Dad had to get out the
WD-40 just to get those
00:18:04.63\00:18:07.52
locks working again.
00:18:07.53\00:18:08.98
When we went on vacation, it
was our practice to leave the
00:18:09.53\00:18:12.95
back door of the house open in
case somebody wanted to get in.
00:18:12.98\00:18:16.51
Now when we go on
vacation, we lock the back door
00:18:17.23\00:18:20.47
in case
somebody wants to get in.
00:18:20.50\00:18:22.56
Life has changed.
00:18:23.64\00:18:24.97
It's almost impossible
to imagine life without sin.
00:18:25.00\00:18:29.37
Without insurance and
without doctors and without...
00:18:29.94\00:18:34.49
I mean, would you
even need Kleenex?
00:18:34.52\00:18:36.69
I just wonder.
00:18:38.18\00:18:39.26
I don't know.
00:18:39.29\00:18:40.63
A fairly agricultural
thing to be thinking, I suppose.
00:18:41.15\00:18:43.77
But how would life change?
00:18:44.45\00:18:46.26
Back then, there was no sin.
00:18:46.29\00:18:49.49
Nothing like that.
00:18:49.52\00:18:51.02
There were no arguments,
there was no dissension.
00:18:51.43\00:18:53.94
There were no brows furrowed
in frustration and anger.
00:18:53.97\00:18:58.70
None of that.
00:18:58.73\00:19:00.41
Only harmony.
00:19:00.96\00:19:02.23
And then sin entered.
00:19:02.50\00:19:05.25
Like a rock
smashing a glass window,
00:19:06.03\00:19:09.72
the peace of
heaven was shattered.
00:19:10.15\00:19:13.72
It was broken.
00:19:14.04\00:19:15.27
And there would be no
going back for a time.
00:19:15.28\00:19:19.48
Lucifer chose, for
reasons that we can never really
00:19:19.78\00:19:22.25
fully understand, to
rebel, to harden his heart,
00:19:22.26\00:19:24.68
to choose to place himself,
before himself, above God.
00:19:24.71\00:19:29.65
We've read in our Bible in this
series on The Great Controversy
00:19:29.68\00:19:32.80
already that in Isaiah
chapter 14, Lucifer said,
00:19:32.83\00:19:35.92
"I will be like..." Who?
00:19:35.95\00:19:38.75
"I will be like the
Most High." That's right.
00:19:39.30\00:19:41.83
He wanted to sit in God's place.
00:19:41.86\00:19:44.08
He wanted
ultimately to receive worship,
00:19:44.11\00:19:50.32
to receive worship.
00:19:50.35\00:19:52.80
"I will be like the Most High."
00:19:52.83\00:19:56.54
When Jesus was
living on this earth,
00:19:56.57\00:19:59.29
Satan came to Him in
the wilderness of temptation
00:19:59.32\00:20:02.02
with three temptations.
00:20:02.05\00:20:03.83
Jesus was out there just weeks
after He had been baptized,
00:20:04.41\00:20:07.60
just weeks after He
had heard His Father say,
00:20:07.63\00:20:10.87
"This is My beloved Son
in whom I am well please."
00:20:10.88\00:20:15.03
And Lucifer turns up and the
first thing he says to Him is,
00:20:15.06\00:20:18.11
"If You are the Son of God..."
00:20:18.41\00:20:19.93
Isn't that something?
00:20:19.96\00:20:21.00
Jesus just heard His Father
say, "This is My beloved Son,"
00:20:21.03\00:20:23.91
and Lucifer says,
"Really? Really? Is that right?
00:20:23.94\00:20:26.78
Can You even trust Your Father?"
00:20:26.81\00:20:29.60
That's what Lucifer said to
Adam and Eve down there by the
00:20:30.26\00:20:32.66
tree of the
knowledge of good and evil.
00:20:32.69\00:20:33.95
"I know what God said,
but did He really mean that?
00:20:33.98\00:20:35.96
Can you really trust that?"
00:20:35.99\00:20:37.31
And so he said to Jesus,
"I know that You are hungry.
00:20:38.04\00:20:39.91
You haven't eaten
in almost six weeks.
00:20:39.94\00:20:41.39
Why don't You just make
these stones into bread?"
00:20:41.42\00:20:43.65
And I don't know if you've
ever had a good look at the
00:20:43.68\00:20:45.82
wilderness there in Israel.
00:20:45.85\00:20:46.89
I've never been there.
00:20:46.90\00:20:48.11
But I've seen a lot of pictures
and video of folks who have.
00:20:48.49\00:20:51.06
This place is rocky.
00:20:51.07\00:20:52.41
Man, there's rocks everywhere.
00:20:52.44\00:20:54.10
This is a real bona fide desert.
00:20:54.13\00:20:56.61
And Satan said, "If
You're the Son of God,
00:20:56.64\00:20:59.88
just turn these
stones into bread."
00:20:59.91\00:21:01.18
And then Jesus answered
by saying, "It is written..."
00:21:01.21\00:21:03.63
And I'm partial to
those verses in the Bible that
00:21:03.66\00:21:05.91
begin with the
words, "It is written."
00:21:05.94\00:21:07.32
He said, "It is written, man
shall not live by bread alone,
00:21:07.35\00:21:11.30
but by every word that proceeds
from out of the mouth of God."
00:21:11.33\00:21:13.71
There, Satan was defeated.
00:21:13.74\00:21:16.02
But he wasn't done yet.
00:21:16.05\00:21:17.18
He said, "I know what the
Bible says, so why don't You
00:21:17.21\00:21:19.49
throw Yourself
off this high place.
00:21:19.50\00:21:21.24
The word of God says the angels
are going to catch You up,
00:21:21.25\00:21:23.50
lest You dash Your
foot against a stone."
00:21:23.53\00:21:26.04
And Jesus turned to him and
He said again, "It is written."
00:21:26.58\00:21:29.41
I hope you're
getting the picture.
00:21:29.44\00:21:30.51
I hope you're
seeing the pattern.
00:21:30.54\00:21:31.68
When Satan comes to
you with temptation,
00:21:31.71\00:21:33.91
you can afford to meet
him with the Word of God.
00:21:33.94\00:21:36.48
If you can confront him
with the claims and the power of
00:21:36.49\00:21:39.20
God's word, he will
be defeated every time.
00:21:39.23\00:21:41.49
"It is written, thou shalt
not tempt the Lord thy God."
00:21:41.52\00:21:44.45
"Hmmm," he said.
00:21:44.48\00:21:45.61
"Now I'm going to
play my ace card."
00:21:45.64\00:21:47.19
He said, "Now Jesus, I
know that You know that
00:21:47.22\00:21:49.55
You're going to
go die on a cross.
00:21:49.58\00:21:51.12
And I know that You're
not very glad about that.
00:21:51.15\00:21:53.29
I was watching when You
saw the lamb being slaughtered
00:21:53.32\00:21:55.86
back there in Jerusalem
when You were 12 years old.
00:21:55.89\00:21:57.90
And the penny dropped and You
understood why You were here.
00:21:57.93\00:22:01.15
And it's been 18 years.
00:22:01.18\00:22:03.73
And You're getting
closer to the cross.
00:22:04.97\00:22:06.45
Listen Jesus, I can
save You the trouble.
00:22:06.48\00:22:08.56
I own this world.
00:22:08.59\00:22:09.72
I am the prince of this world.
00:22:09.75\00:22:10.91
I stole it.
00:22:10.94\00:22:12.80
I got Adam and Eve and
they came over to my side,
00:22:12.83\00:22:15.37
and virtually everybody since.
00:22:15.40\00:22:17.42
They're following me,
so here's what I'll do.
00:22:17.45\00:22:19.29
I will give it to You.
00:22:19.32\00:22:20.98
You won't even have to go
to the cross to buy it back.
00:22:21.01\00:22:23.61
I will give it to You if
You'll just bow down and..."
00:22:23.64\00:22:27.77
Do what?
00:22:27.80\00:22:28.81
You see, what he's
been after is worship.
00:22:28.82\00:22:31.40
In heaven he wanted worship.
00:22:31.43\00:22:32.62
Now he was somewhat successful.
00:22:32.65\00:22:34.19
One out of three
angels went with him.
00:22:34.22\00:22:35.89
But he wasn't wholly
successful, and heaven stood.
00:22:36.73\00:22:39.27
Heaven withstood
his coup attempt.
00:22:39.30\00:22:42.07
He came down to the
earth and he said to Jesus,
00:22:43.46\00:22:45.67
"Why don't You just
bow down and worship me."
00:22:45.70\00:22:49.73
The audacity, the audacity.
00:22:49.76\00:22:51.65
Ultimately, the book
of Revelation makes clear
00:22:53.10\00:22:55.14
that Satan has not
abandoned his agenda
00:22:55.17\00:22:57.53
to gather for himself
the worship of the world.
00:22:58.36\00:23:01.06
The Word of God says in
Revelation chapter 13 verse 8,
00:23:01.60\00:23:04.51
"And all that dwell upon
the earth shall..." Do what?
00:23:04.52\00:23:07.76
"...worship him, those
whose names not written
00:23:08.27\00:23:10.25
in the Book of Life of
the Lamb slain from the
00:23:10.28\00:23:12.55
foundation of the world."
00:23:12.58\00:23:14.04
Revelation chapter 13 and
14 talks about Satan using
00:23:14.46\00:23:17.58
the mark of the beast as a focal
point, as a rallying point,
00:23:17.59\00:23:22.19
as a meeting place,
as a mark of authority.
00:23:22.22\00:23:25.23
Of a sign that says,
"Satan is in control.
00:23:25.53\00:23:29.07
Here, Satan owns my heart."
00:23:29.10\00:23:31.17
That's the sign,
the mark of the beast.
00:23:31.20\00:23:33.53
God is letting
sin run its course.
00:23:33.56\00:23:36.42
This is the great controversy
that burns white hot.
00:23:38.41\00:23:43.04
Is there wisdom
in that, I wonder?
00:23:45.03\00:23:47.09
God being God can do
anything that He wanted to do
00:23:47.99\00:23:50.41
were He to allow
Himself to do it.
00:23:50.44\00:23:52.06
He could have
just wiped Lucifer out.
00:23:52.07\00:23:53.74
He could have just
taken him with a thought.
00:23:53.77\00:23:57.47
He could have been gone.
00:23:57.50\00:23:58.68
Maybe with a thought, He
could have adjusted the thinking
00:23:59.13\00:24:01.32
process of everybody
else in the universe and they
00:24:01.35\00:24:03.22
would never have known.
00:24:03.25\00:24:04.25
I don't know.
00:24:04.70\00:24:05.70
If He's God.
00:24:07.18\00:24:08.18
But God is letting this thing
called sin runs its course.
00:24:09.03\00:24:12.16
It's a great controversy.
00:24:12.19\00:24:13.64
Satan is seeking to receive
the worship of the world,
00:24:14.66\00:24:16.99
to win the world, to steal
the world, to gain the world,
00:24:17.02\00:24:20.30
to demonstrate
that God is untrue.
00:24:20.33\00:24:23.71
God is letting this
thing run its course.
00:24:24.71\00:24:26.30
He knows He has nothing to hide.
00:24:26.31\00:24:27.48
You know, I have had certain
people, medical people even,
00:24:27.51\00:24:30.27
tell me that with some
sicknesses it's better to just
00:24:30.30\00:24:33.29
let them run their course.
00:24:33.32\00:24:35.23
There are times you get a
sniffle or a snuffle or a fever,
00:24:36.81\00:24:39.23
or a this or a that, and
you run to the drug store
00:24:39.26\00:24:41.08
and you buy
something and you take it
00:24:41.09\00:24:42.62
because you
want to knock it out.
00:24:42.65\00:24:43.99
Now there might be
times that's appropriate.
00:24:44.02\00:24:46.27
Sure, I'm not against that.
00:24:46.30\00:24:47.83
But there might be times
that by buying something and
00:24:48.88\00:24:51.06
intervening medically
or chemically that you are
00:24:51.07\00:24:52.86
causing a little
more harm than good.
00:24:52.89\00:24:55.47
The good is,
you recover quickly.
00:24:56.45\00:24:58.00
The harm is, maybe
there are side effects.
00:24:58.01\00:24:59.78
The harm is, maybe
you address the symptoms
00:24:59.79\00:25:02.51
without addressing the cause.
00:25:02.54\00:25:04.28
See?
00:25:04.31\00:25:05.34
So maybe there are
times when intervening,
00:25:05.41\00:25:09.05
maybe there are time when
refusing to let a sickness
00:25:09.08\00:25:12.86
run its course, might
not be the best thing.
00:25:12.89\00:25:15.26
There are times, undoubtedly,
it is the best thing.
00:25:15.29\00:25:17.45
But there might be times when
intervening to cut a sickness
00:25:17.95\00:25:22.30
short might not be
the very best thing.
00:25:22.33\00:25:24.99
I am told that if you want
to, you can get your children
00:25:26.12\00:25:30.22
vaccinated against chicken pox.
00:25:30.23\00:25:32.51
Now when I was a
child, of course there were no
00:25:33.30\00:25:35.09
vaccinations for chicken pox.
00:25:35.12\00:25:36.46
And good chance that when
you were a child, there was no
00:25:36.49\00:25:39.29
vaccination against chicken pox.
00:25:39.32\00:25:40.62
You got it, you got over
it, and you went right on.
00:25:40.65\00:25:42.72
But now you're offered a
vaccine, and inoculation,
00:25:42.75\00:25:47.07
for your children
against chicken pox.
00:25:47.08\00:25:48.75
Now that's one way to
deal with it, I suppose.
00:25:48.78\00:25:50.79
But there is another way.
00:25:50.82\00:25:51.80
Several ways.
00:25:51.83\00:25:53.13
I've heard of
parents, I have not done this,
00:25:53.16\00:25:55.33
I've heard of parents
who, when they find out that
00:25:55.36\00:25:57.91
one of the kids in
the group has chicken pox,
00:25:57.94\00:26:01.10
they call around and
they say, "We're having a
00:26:01.77\00:26:03.76
chicken pox party.
00:26:03.79\00:26:05.68
Let's go."
00:26:06.01\00:26:07.23
And they crowd all the
kids into the room with
00:26:07.26\00:26:09.35
the sick kid with chicken pox.
00:26:09.38\00:26:11.40
For the purpose of
causing their children to become
00:26:11.93\00:26:16.94
contaminated with
chicken pox so they get it,
00:26:16.97\00:26:19.40
they fight it, they
get over it, and it's gone.
00:26:19.43\00:26:23.51
Now you will understand
that I'm not recommending that,
00:26:23.79\00:26:26.19
nor am I speaking against it.
00:26:26.22\00:26:27.47
I'm simply reporting it.
00:26:27.48\00:26:28.75
You can intervene and prevent.
00:26:30.20\00:26:33.87
And there are some who
say, "Well, by doing that
00:26:33.90\00:26:36.50
you might be doing
more harm than good."
00:26:36.53\00:26:38.42
Or you can let it run its course
and take the natural approach
00:26:38.43\00:26:42.37
and say, "Bring it on.
00:26:42.40\00:26:43.67
Let the antibodies build up.
00:26:43.70\00:26:45.41
Let the system throw it off.
00:26:45.44\00:26:47.04
And then we'll
let the kids move on."
00:26:47.07\00:26:48.89
Again, understand, I'm
not trying to position myself
00:26:49.72\00:26:51.76
as a physician or
give you medical advice.
00:26:51.79\00:26:53.69
I'm simply saying
there's more than one approach.
00:26:53.72\00:26:55.81
Sometimes you
intervene, sometimes you let it
00:26:55.82\00:26:58.11
run its course.
00:26:58.14\00:26:59.18
God chose that He
would run its course.
00:26:59.21\00:27:02.74
Now if you let it
run its course, the kid
00:27:02.77\00:27:05.77
may end up itchy,
may end up with bumps.
00:27:05.80\00:27:07.83
May end up with a couple
of scars depending on the
00:27:07.86\00:27:09.72
severity of the chicken pox.
00:27:09.75\00:27:10.80
That's no fun.
00:27:10.83\00:27:11.91
It can be uncomfortable to
let something run its course.
00:27:13.96\00:27:16.58
It might cause you some pain
to let something run its course.
00:27:17.65\00:27:22.74
God is letting this
sin thing run its course.
00:27:22.77\00:27:28.74
Could it mean a
little pain for God?
00:27:28.97\00:27:32.83
God could have treated it,
I'm sure, with a single shot.
00:27:33.06\00:27:35.78
Bam, Lucifer's
gone. One shot, gone.
00:27:35.81\00:27:39.51
He could have.
00:27:39.52\00:27:40.73
But He knew that in this case,
intervention would not have
00:27:40.76\00:27:45.42
been the smartest thing.
00:27:45.45\00:27:46.83
He knew that even
though there would be
00:27:46.86\00:27:50.52
some pain to bear, the
complications caused by
00:27:50.55\00:27:54.77
intervention would be too great.
00:27:54.80\00:27:56.80
You can just imagine how heaven
would have been destabilized
00:27:57.54\00:28:00.76
when Lucifer started to question
and then the angels got together
00:28:00.79\00:28:04.90
under the tree of
life, or wherever it was they
00:28:04.93\00:28:06.52
congregated, and
said, "Did you hear?
00:28:06.55\00:28:08.64
Lucifer asked the question.
00:28:08.67\00:28:10.08
Yes, God wiped him out; dead."
00:28:10.11\00:28:11.56
"What?"
00:28:11.59\00:28:12.70
You can imagine the
trouble that would have caused.
00:28:13.26\00:28:15.38
You can imagine the
questions that would
00:28:15.70\00:28:17.01
not have been answered.
00:28:17.02\00:28:18.02
Everybody would have
said, "Maybe Lucifer was right."
00:28:18.03\00:28:21.55
There was just one way
for God to demonstrate the
00:28:22.25\00:28:24.35
true nature of Lucifer and
the true nature of Himself.
00:28:24.38\00:28:26.94
And that was to
let sin run its course.
00:28:26.97\00:28:29.74
There'd be some pain.
00:28:29.75\00:28:33.11
But this way, our recovery
from sin would be complete
00:28:33.61\00:28:37.13
and it would be total.
00:28:37.16\00:28:39.15
A price to pay? Yes.
00:28:39.18\00:28:41.90
A price even for
us to pay if you want.
00:28:41.93\00:28:45.07
In Ephesians chapter 6,
Paul said that we wrestle.
00:28:45.10\00:28:49.46
Now what he said was, "We do not
wrestle with flesh and blood,
00:28:49.87\00:28:54.20
but we do wrestle with
principalities and powers.
00:28:54.76\00:28:57.70
We wrestle with spiritual
wickedness in high places."
00:28:57.73\00:29:00.80
We're involved in
a fight down here.
00:29:01.12\00:29:04.38
We're involved in a
titanic struggle down here.
00:29:04.73\00:29:08.44
And we'll come back and
speak more about this later,
00:29:08.47\00:29:10.43
maybe tomorrow.
00:29:10.46\00:29:11.61
But it helps us to remember just
what we are on this earth for.
00:29:11.64\00:29:15.75
We are here to glorify God.
00:29:15.78\00:29:18.71
And in the context of
the everlasting gospel found
00:29:18.74\00:29:21.48
in the three angels
messages, we discover God has a
00:29:21.49\00:29:25.26
very special
purpose for His people.
00:29:25.29\00:29:27.20
A special purpose.
00:29:27.23\00:29:28.55
If we read in the book
of Revelation, we see in
00:29:29.52\00:29:31.51
chapter 13 that there
comes a time, I said before,
00:29:31.54\00:29:33.77
that all the world
wonders after the beast.
00:29:33.80\00:29:36.46
Keep the big picture
in mind of you would.
00:29:36.49\00:29:38.62
Long ago Satan lied about
God, made accusations about God.
00:29:38.90\00:29:42.10
He charged things to
God's account that were not
00:29:42.13\00:29:45.39
appropriate and were not valid.
00:29:45.42\00:29:46.86
God could have wiped
out Satan, as I just said,
00:29:46.89\00:29:49.51
but the universe would
have been destabilized.
00:29:49.54\00:29:51.52
So God said, "Let
sin run its course.
00:29:51.55\00:29:53.67
Here's what We'll do.
00:29:53.70\00:29:54.70
If they want to know
what I'm really like,
00:29:54.71\00:29:56.47
I will send My
Son made in My image.
00:29:56.50\00:29:59.74
The One who will
say, 'If you have seen Me,
00:29:59.77\00:30:01.48
you have seen the Father.'
00:30:01.51\00:30:02.64
I will send My
Son to this earth.
00:30:02.67\00:30:04.86
And My Son will
demonstrate to the universe
00:30:04.89\00:30:08.43
what heaven really is like.
00:30:08.46\00:30:10.19
And in so doing, it will be
demonstrated to the universe
00:30:10.22\00:30:13.51
what Satan is really like."
00:30:13.54\00:30:15.56
God knew that one day He
would have a group of people on
00:30:16.18\00:30:18.55
this earth who would vindicate
Him before the universe.
00:30:18.56\00:30:21.80
Let's turn in our Bibles
to Revelation chapter 14,
00:30:21.83\00:30:24.08
for there we read
the message that produces
00:30:24.11\00:30:28.37
God's last day people.
00:30:28.40\00:30:30.96
Revelation chapter 14 verse
6 I shall read in your hearing.
00:30:32.19\00:30:36.40
"And I saw another angel
flying in the midst of heaven,
00:30:36.43\00:30:39.40
having the everlasting gospel
to preach to them that dwell
00:30:39.87\00:30:42.54
on the earth; to every nation,
kindred, tongue, and people."
00:30:42.74\00:30:46.78
I am glad God has a message
that will ultimately go to
00:30:46.81\00:30:49.67
every last
creature under the sun.
00:30:49.77\00:30:53.33
Verse 7, "The angel
says with a loud voice,
00:30:53.36\00:30:56.17
'Fear God and give glory to Him,
for the hour of His judgment
00:30:56.18\00:31:00.29
is come; and worship Him...'"
00:31:00.32\00:31:03.28
Do not worship the beast of
Revelation 13 and Revelation 14.
00:31:03.31\00:31:06.83
"...worship Him who
made heaven and earth,
00:31:06.86\00:31:09.61
and the sea and the
fountains of waters.
00:31:09.64\00:31:11.82
Now there was
another angel that said,
00:31:11.85\00:31:13.67
'Babylon is
fallen, is fallen...'"
00:31:13.70\00:31:16.20
You see what's interesting.
00:31:16.21\00:31:17.38
Ultimately it is going to
be proven that sin is a lie.
00:31:17.41\00:31:22.05
Ultimately it is going
to be proven that injustice
00:31:22.08\00:31:25.11
and oppression and
hatred cannot stand
00:31:25.14\00:31:29.28
before the presence of God.
00:31:29.31\00:31:30.82
It will be
said, Babylon is what?
00:31:30.85\00:31:34.91
Fallen.
00:31:34.94\00:31:36.46
Sin may think it
is having its day now,
00:31:36.49\00:31:40.79
but there is going
to be payday someday;
00:31:40.82\00:31:42.87
as Babylon will be fallen.
00:31:42.90\00:31:45.01
"...that great city, because
she made all nations drink of
00:31:46.50\00:31:49.84
the wine of the
wrath of her fornication."
00:31:49.87\00:31:51.50
And now verse 9, "A third angel
followed them saying with a
00:31:51.51\00:31:54.59
loud voice, 'If anyone worships
the beast and his image,
00:31:54.62\00:31:57.68
and receives his mark in
his forehead, or in his hand,
00:31:57.90\00:32:03.00
the same shall drink of
the wine of the wrath of God,
00:32:03.03\00:32:07.07
which is poured out without...'"
00:32:07.10\00:32:09.65
You know, this is some
serious language, isn't it.
00:32:09.85\00:32:11.72
It's some serious language.
00:32:12.63\00:32:14.00
But it's good to know that
this is a serious business.
00:32:14.66\00:32:17.20
And it's good to know seriously
that God is seriously going to
00:32:17.52\00:32:20.50
triumph in this
great controversy.
00:32:20.53\00:32:22.22
Satan cannot win.
00:32:22.75\00:32:23.79
We are on the right side.
00:32:23.82\00:32:25.13
"He shall be tormented with fire
and brimstone in the presence
00:32:25.57\00:32:28.40
of the holy angels, and
in the presence of the Lamb."
00:32:28.43\00:32:30.36
We're going to jump
verse 11 and get to verse 12.
00:32:30.39\00:32:32.43
Verse 12 says, "Here is
the patience of the saints:
00:32:32.44\00:32:35.16
here are they that..." Do what?
00:32:35.56\00:32:38.20
"...that keep the
commandments of God..."
00:32:38.64\00:32:40.04
Don't end. "...and..." What?
00:32:40.07\00:32:41.27
"...and the faith of Jesus."
00:32:41.30\00:32:42.89
In actual fact, if you
look in Revelation chapter 7,
00:32:42.92\00:32:46.50
you discover that God is
planning on putting the seal
00:32:46.53\00:32:51.56
of God into the foreheads,
which is another way of saying
00:32:51.59\00:32:55.49
into the minds of
His people, the 144,000.
00:32:55.52\00:33:00.83
The 144,000 are the saved people
on earth ready to meet Jesus
00:33:01.39\00:33:06.31
when He comes again.
00:33:06.34\00:33:07.64
The living saints
when Jesus returns.
00:33:07.67\00:33:10.62
Revelation 22 and verse 4 says,
"And they shall see His face;
00:33:10.82\00:33:15.75
and His name shall
be in their foreheads."
00:33:15.78\00:33:19.48
And it has been said, I'm
not the first to say this,
00:33:19.51\00:33:22.25
that God's name
represents His character.
00:33:22.28\00:33:25.26
You see, what we read
here is that at the end of this
00:33:25.95\00:33:28.78
great controversy
between Christ and Satan;
00:33:28.81\00:33:31.35
a battle over who
rules the minds of the
00:33:31.38\00:33:36.39
people of this earth.
00:33:36.42\00:33:37.59
I mean where does it end up?
00:33:38.01\00:33:39.37
Everybody's got a mind.
00:33:39.40\00:33:40.61
In it, either the seal of
God or the mark of the beast.
00:33:40.64\00:33:43.61
This great controversy is
a battle for the mind of you,
00:33:44.74\00:33:50.61
as a matter of fact.
00:33:50.64\00:33:51.93
The mind of you.
00:33:51.94\00:33:53.44
The Word of God says,
ultimately we will see His face.
00:33:53.97\00:33:56.53
And His name, His
character, will be in our minds.
00:33:56.56\00:33:59.48
The image...
00:33:59.51\00:34:00.58
Now I want you to think
about that, if you would.
00:34:00.61\00:34:02.90
The image of God is going
to be restored in the minds
00:34:04.48\00:34:07.20
of the very people...
00:34:07.21\00:34:08.22
And by that I mean
the very type of people.
00:34:08.23\00:34:10.11
...who, just two millennia
before, took the Messiah
00:34:10.12\00:34:13.26
and nailed His hands
to a cross, like you might
00:34:13.66\00:34:16.62
nail two pieces
of wood together.
00:34:16.65\00:34:18.47
I wonder if you would
stop and think about that.
00:34:20.41\00:34:22.26
I met a fellow the other
day, this was on an airplane.
00:34:25.00\00:34:27.72
He was traveling to the United
States to pick up some dogs.
00:34:27.75\00:34:32.16
He was taking a dog
with him to California.
00:34:33.00\00:34:36.34
And he was going to get...
00:34:37.54\00:34:39.28
I don't know, they had been
breeding or something like that.
00:34:39.31\00:34:41.47
And he was going to bring
his dog and three others home.
00:34:41.97\00:34:44.67
And he lived in the Netherlands.
00:34:44.69\00:34:46.38
I said, "What kind of dogs?"
00:34:47.76\00:34:49.33
I like dogs.
00:34:49.58\00:34:50.84
Man, I like Labradors.
I like Golden Retrievers.
00:34:50.85\00:34:56.01
These little things that
look like dogs if they grew up,
00:34:56.83\00:35:00.39
they're okay, but I like the big
ones that go "woof," like that.
00:35:00.42\00:35:03.90
German Shepherds; I like them.
00:35:04.32\00:35:06.82
There are some other dogs
I've seen; these Weimaraners
00:35:07.12\00:35:09.55
and Rhodesian
Ridgebacks, oh lovely dogs.
00:35:09.58\00:35:13.12
I said, "What kind of a dog?"
00:35:14.73\00:35:16.19
He said, "Let me show you."
00:35:16.22\00:35:17.60
And he pulled out his phone,
because that's how you show
00:35:17.61\00:35:20.61
people photographs these days.
00:35:20.64\00:35:22.13
He pulled out his phone.
00:35:22.61\00:35:24.34
I may be getting this wrong.
00:35:24.37\00:35:25.66
He said they're
called Bully Pits, I think.
00:35:25.69\00:35:28.85
I should have looked that up.
00:35:28.86\00:35:29.86
I think he said
they're called Bully Pits.
00:35:29.87\00:35:31.57
It was like a
Pitbull, but if you had taken a
00:35:32.54\00:35:36.22
bicycle pump and
pumped the Pitbull up.
00:35:36.25\00:35:38.62
It was like a Pitbull,
but it's chest is this wide.
00:35:39.69\00:35:42.86
And his head is this big.
00:35:43.50\00:35:45.45
He said they grow
up and they weigh...
00:35:46.10\00:35:48.43
Did he say they weight about 180
pounds when they're full grown?
00:35:49.98\00:35:53.95
Now you know, when he said
Pitbull, I kind of did this...
00:35:54.58\00:35:57.97
Like that.
00:35:58.54\00:35:59.54
I didn't mean to.
00:35:59.74\00:36:00.93
I meant to look like this...
00:36:01.34\00:36:02.69
But Pitbulls.
00:36:07.09\00:36:08.46
Now I know that there is
someone listening or watching
00:36:09.21\00:36:11.08
and they're
saying, "Come on Bradshaw.
00:36:11.11\00:36:12.20
Don't say anything
wrong with Pitbulls.
00:36:12.21\00:36:13.89
They're the nicest
dogs that ever lived."
00:36:14.67\00:36:16.62
At the same time,
there's someone saying,
00:36:17.00\00:36:18.86
"Please stop
talking about Pitbulls.
00:36:18.89\00:36:20.24
My child was attacked by one."
00:36:20.27\00:36:21.84
You know.
00:36:21.87\00:36:23.06
You see, when this man
talked about a Pitbull,
00:36:23.72\00:36:25.74
I said, "Oh, those
things are killers, aren't they?
00:36:25.75\00:36:28.92
I've read the news reports.
00:36:28.95\00:36:30.78
Those things will eat
you up one arm at a time.
00:36:31.33\00:36:34.80
Then your legs and
then whatever is left.
00:36:34.83\00:36:36.58
They'll eat you up.
00:36:36.61\00:36:37.68
Chew on your bones."
00:36:38.27\00:36:40.23
You know what he said?
00:36:40.24\00:36:41.24
He said, "These dogs
are just the nicest things
00:36:41.25\00:36:45.36
that you'll ever find.
00:36:45.39\00:36:46.99
Sweetest dog."
00:36:47.46\00:36:49.47
He could tell I was skeptical.
00:36:49.50\00:36:51.38
"Sweetest dog."
00:36:52.25\00:36:53.36
You know what was
in my mind was this,
00:36:53.39\00:36:55.30
this was what was in my mind,
00:36:55.33\00:36:56.66
those dogs have got
a lot of bad publicity.
00:36:56.96\00:36:58.80
I'm not calling them bad
dogs. I'm not doing that.
00:36:58.83\00:37:01.04
I'm simply saying they've
got a lot of bad publicity.
00:37:01.07\00:37:03.75
My question was, is
it possible for one,
00:37:03.78\00:37:07.92
especially one that big...
00:37:07.95\00:37:09.14
It was like the
incredible hulk of dogs.
00:37:09.15\00:37:11.87
Is it possible
for them to be sweet?
00:37:12.92\00:37:15.88
And according to my Dutch
friend, the answer was yes.
00:37:16.98\00:37:20.24
These great big
things, he says, sweet as pie.
00:37:20.27\00:37:26.73
I thought, "That's
almost hard to believe.
00:37:28.60\00:37:31.49
But I'll believe you."
00:37:31.52\00:37:32.57
Now here in the Bible,
the Word of God says that
00:37:32.60\00:37:35.24
God is going to take His
seal, put it in the foreheads
00:37:35.27\00:37:39.63
of a bunch of Pitbulls.
00:37:39.66\00:37:41.63
Yea?
00:37:42.39\00:37:43.39
Of a bunch of
savage human beings
00:37:43.63\00:37:46.27
who took the Savior
and opened up His back with
00:37:46.30\00:37:48.84
whips and plucked out His
beard and nailed Him to a cross.
00:37:48.87\00:37:53.32
And then out of spite, took a
sword and jammed it in His side
00:37:53.35\00:37:57.15
and caused all the blood to
flow out, and then the water.
00:37:57.18\00:38:00.01
How can it be possible
that God is going to take
00:38:01.18\00:38:04.25
these people and restore
them so that you look at a
00:38:04.28\00:38:09.11
Pitbull human
being and see a kitten?
00:38:09.14\00:38:12.46
How can that be possible?
00:38:13.66\00:38:15.33
The Word of God says
it's going to happen.
00:38:15.72\00:38:18.30
But friend, if we're
going to be honest, getting from
00:38:18.33\00:38:21.00
here to there, getting
from lost to saved, getting from
00:38:21.03\00:38:25.54
a cesspool to paradise, getting
from unconverted to converted,
00:38:25.57\00:38:29.91
the truth of the matter
is, it's a battle in the march.
00:38:29.92\00:38:32.65
Now we might want to word
that better in case you think
00:38:33.53\00:38:36.06
that I'm being just a
little bit self reliant here.
00:38:36.09\00:38:38.17
It's a journey of
faith that rests solely upon
00:38:38.20\00:38:40.88
the grace of God.
00:38:40.91\00:38:42.06
But how in the world
in this great controversy
00:38:42.16\00:38:44.14
would God take a group of rebels
and turn them into loyalists?
00:38:44.17\00:38:48.57
How would God take the
offscouring of the earth
00:38:48.58\00:38:51.09
and turn them into exhibit
A before the entire universe
00:38:51.12\00:38:53.80
of what God's
grace is able to do?
00:38:53.83\00:38:56.14
How?
00:38:56.17\00:38:57.63
You read about Adam and Eve,
and they're down there in the
00:38:58.04\00:39:00.15
Garden of Eden and
they eat the tree...
00:39:00.18\00:39:01.83
No, they don't eat the tree.
00:39:01.86\00:39:03.12
They eat the fruit
off the wrong tree.
00:39:03.15\00:39:05.25
And then you get to
the end of the Bible
00:39:05.26\00:39:06.72
and now we're all
gathered under the tree of life.
00:39:06.75\00:39:09.40
To me, this is almost,
this would be unthinkable.
00:39:09.43\00:39:13.32
This would be the
grand impossibility.
00:39:13.35\00:39:15.29
Except we read in the Bible
that it's going to take place.
00:39:15.32\00:39:18.20
Adam and Eve fall into sin.
00:39:18.23\00:39:19.63
Adam blames Eve for
all of his problems.
00:39:19.66\00:39:22.41
They are kicked
out of the garden.
00:39:22.44\00:39:23.90
Cain kills Abel.
00:39:24.19\00:39:25.73
It doesn't get any
better for thousands of years.
00:39:25.76\00:39:28.92
It fact, it isn't long and God
destroys the world with a flood.
00:39:28.95\00:39:33.47
It even says in the
Bible that God repented
00:39:33.50\00:39:36.82
that He had made man.
00:39:36.85\00:39:38.14
Satan harries God's
people, he hounds God's people,
00:39:38.56\00:39:42.86
he hassles God's
people, he tempts God's people.
00:39:42.87\00:39:47.97
He makes animals
out of God's people.
00:39:48.00\00:39:51.98
And yet these are the same
people God uses to demonstrate
00:39:52.01\00:39:55.93
to the universe
that His side of the
00:39:55.96\00:39:59.67
great controversy story is true.
00:39:59.70\00:40:01.95
How in the world?
00:40:03.17\00:40:04.90
Revelation 12 and verse 17 says,
"The dragon was angry with the
00:40:04.93\00:40:08.14
church and went to make war
against the remnant of her seed;
00:40:08.17\00:40:12.15
those who keep the
commandments of God
00:40:12.18\00:40:13.93
and have the
testimony of Jesus Christ."
00:40:13.96\00:40:16.17
There's that warfare again.
00:40:16.20\00:40:17.81
That same idea Paul
expressed to the Ephesians
00:40:17.84\00:40:20.65
in Ephesians chapter 6.
00:40:20.68\00:40:22.13
A thinking person would wonder,
if a third of the angels fell,
00:40:22.16\00:40:26.56
angels, and if a
third of them fell...
00:40:26.59\00:40:30.59
I don't know how long Adam and
Eve had been alive on the earth
00:40:30.97\00:40:33.13
before Lucifer
got them in his noose.
00:40:33.16\00:40:35.20
I don't know. It wasn't long.
00:40:35.81\00:40:38.34
A thinking person would
be excused if they wondered
00:40:39.42\00:40:42.55
just how is
that going to happen.
00:40:43.60\00:40:45.25
I want to assure
you of something.
00:40:47.17\00:40:48.84
God has not left us without
help in a time of crisis.
00:40:49.41\00:40:54.00
There are times you
wonder why God bothers.
00:40:54.99\00:40:57.31
At the time of the golden calf
apostasy, God said to Moses,
00:40:58.50\00:41:02.38
"Whoever has sinned
against Me, I'm going to blot
00:41:02.39\00:41:04.37
that person out of My book."
00:41:04.40\00:41:06.75
They only survived due to
the intercession of Moses.
00:41:07.56\00:41:11.01
Moses was a type of Jesus.
00:41:11.04\00:41:12.60
They survived
because Moses interceded.
00:41:12.63\00:41:15.71
There's a message there
for us, ladies and gentlemen.
00:41:15.74\00:41:18.17
David asked God a
searching question,
00:41:19.06\00:41:20.83
"What is man that
Thou art mindful of him?"
00:41:20.84\00:41:22.86
What?
00:41:22.89\00:41:23.96
He wrote later on in the
Psalms that God knows our frame,
00:41:24.41\00:41:28.18
and He remembers
that we are dust.
00:41:28.21\00:41:30.55
God knows all about us.
00:41:30.58\00:41:32.19
He knows that we are
feeble and we are frail.
00:41:32.22\00:41:34.69
He knows that we
are prone to wonder.
00:41:34.72\00:41:36.55
He knows that we
are weak at best.
00:41:36.58\00:41:39.37
But God has promised you
help in a time of crisis.
00:41:39.40\00:41:44.92
And friends, this
is a time of crisis.
00:41:44.95\00:41:47.78
Can you say amen?
00:41:47.81\00:41:48.84
There's no question.
00:41:48.87\00:41:49.91
The enemy of
souls has got us weak.
00:41:50.27\00:41:53.57
After 6000 years of
sin, we are a sin addled,
00:41:54.08\00:41:59.13
sin addicted bunch.
00:41:59.16\00:42:01.84
Access to sin has
never been easier.
00:42:02.14\00:42:04.83
There have been more ways
to sin now than ever before.
00:42:04.86\00:42:09.05
I remember that somebody
wrote over a hundred years ago
00:42:09.95\00:42:12.21
when the author said,
daily the church is being
00:42:12.24\00:42:15.21
converted to the world.
00:42:15.24\00:42:16.61
My goodness, what about now?
00:42:16.64\00:42:19.01
History is littered with
the failings of God's people.
00:42:19.56\00:42:24.68
They wanted to turn around and
go back to slavery back there.
00:42:25.53\00:42:28.88
They killed the prophets,
they crucified the Messiah.
00:42:29.78\00:42:33.80
They rejected truth and the
purity of the early Christian
00:42:33.83\00:42:37.34
church gave away to the
darkness of the medieval church.
00:42:37.37\00:42:40.28
Today, Christianity is
a mess. It's confusion.
00:42:40.31\00:42:45.43
There is
pluralism and postmodernism
00:42:46.47\00:42:49.87
and lackadaisicalism.
00:42:49.90\00:42:51.11
And I know I just
invented that word.
00:42:51.14\00:42:52.56
And there's laodiceanism.
00:42:52.57\00:42:53.98
And yet, you know
what I'm grateful for?
00:42:55.19\00:42:56.71
I'm glad that God didn't
cut me off when I failed.
00:42:56.72\00:42:59.38
I am glad that
where sin abounds,
00:43:00.76\00:43:03.25
grace does much more abound.
00:43:03.28\00:43:05.21
Instead, God promises us that
even though the world is dark,
00:43:05.67\00:43:09.43
and even though the
question might be asked,
00:43:10.11\00:43:12.16
"When the Son of Man comes, will
He find faith in the earth,"
00:43:12.19\00:43:16.10
we can say, look
into the Revelation.
00:43:16.66\00:43:20.36
"Here is the
patience of the..." Who?
00:43:20.39\00:43:22.38
"...the saints.
00:43:22.75\00:43:24.30
They keep the commandments
of God and the faith of Jesus."
00:43:24.33\00:43:29.09
Friends, according to what
we read in the Word of God,
00:43:29.12\00:43:31.91
God is going to get
it done in our lives.
00:43:32.21\00:43:35.74
Thank the Lord.
00:43:35.77\00:43:37.08
Two men were in a car.
00:43:37.76\00:43:39.24
One of them was
late for an appointment.
00:43:39.27\00:43:40.79
"Oh no," he said, "we
are going to be late."
00:43:40.82\00:43:43.15
The driver said, "Don't
you worry about a thing."
00:43:43.18\00:43:45.22
And when he put his foot down,
this unassuming looking car
00:43:45.25\00:43:48.66
took off like a rocket.
00:43:48.69\00:43:49.77
The passenger looked at
him with eyes wide open.
00:43:49.80\00:43:52.05
The driver said, "There
is something under the hood
00:43:52.06\00:43:54.68
of this car that
you don't know about."
00:43:54.69\00:43:56.79
I'm not going to tell
you who those gentlemen were.
00:43:57.53\00:43:59.75
You see, there
was a power there.
00:43:59.78\00:44:02.93
There was a power that
was unseen to the passenger.
00:44:03.42\00:44:06.15
In fact, it was
unseen to the driver.
00:44:06.18\00:44:07.90
But there was a power
there that could turn mom's car
00:44:07.91\00:44:11.96
into the space shuttle.
00:44:11.99\00:44:13.68
We find ourselves
in a spiritual battle.
00:44:14.32\00:44:16.49
We are up against a
foe bigger than ourselves.
00:44:16.52\00:44:18.44
Bigger, much bigger.
00:44:18.47\00:44:19.61
But the good news is that
God is able to transform us
00:44:19.91\00:44:22.43
from weakened failures into
champions for truth, champions.
00:44:22.46\00:44:26.84
God said in Luke 11 verse
13, "If you then being evil
00:44:26.85\00:44:31.27
know how to give good
gifts to your children,
00:44:31.30\00:44:32.93
how much more will your
heavenly Father give the
00:44:32.96\00:44:35.64
Holy Spirit to them that ask."
00:44:35.67\00:44:37.27
God will give
us this great gift.
00:44:37.30\00:44:39.51
Which in other words is
simply the personal presence
00:44:39.52\00:44:43.14
of Jesus Christ in our lives.
00:44:43.17\00:44:45.25
God has called us
to a high calling.
00:44:45.28\00:44:47.31
But higher than the highest
human thought can think is
00:44:47.34\00:44:50.02
God's ideal for His children.
00:44:50.05\00:44:51.75
"He is able to do
exceeding abundantly..."
00:44:51.76\00:44:53.50
What's the next word?
"...exceeding abundantly..."
00:44:53.53\00:44:55.30
"...above.." Above what?
00:44:55.64\00:44:56.65
"...above all
that we can ask or..."
00:44:56.68\00:44:59.53
When you can't
think it, God can do it.
00:44:59.93\00:45:02.31
When you can't
think it, God can do even
00:45:02.93\00:45:04.81
more than you can't think.
00:45:04.84\00:45:05.84
Wait.
00:45:05.87\00:45:06.87
That makes sense
of you think about it.
00:45:06.90\00:45:08.66
When it seems way too big
for you, it's nothing for God.
00:45:09.88\00:45:15.48
Because God is
God and God is able.
00:45:15.51\00:45:18.53
God is going to take
some of these Rottweilers,
00:45:18.56\00:45:21.21
some of these people
with a nature that you think
00:45:22.36\00:45:24.07
can't be tamed, and
he's going to take them and
00:45:24.10\00:45:26.49
use them to tell His side
of the great controversy story.
00:45:26.52\00:45:30.55
I would have found
more reliable witnesses.
00:45:30.58\00:45:33.54
But the grace of God can do
more than we might even imagine.
00:45:34.51\00:45:38.80
In Philippians 2 and verse 13,
it says, "It is God who works
00:45:38.83\00:45:42.54
in you both to will and
to do for His good pleasure."
00:45:42.94\00:45:46.90
Powerful things
when God works in you.
00:45:46.93\00:45:49.18
God transforms.
00:45:49.21\00:45:50.98
That's what the
gospel is all about.
00:45:51.01\00:45:53.02
Ladies and
gentlemen, never sell it short.
00:45:53.05\00:45:54.79
The gospel is another
word for transformation.
00:45:54.82\00:45:58.60
The gospel is another word
for saying God can take the lost
00:45:58.63\00:46:01.83
and make them saved.
00:46:01.84\00:46:02.84
God can take the
broken and make them whole.
00:46:02.87\00:46:05.34
God can take the ruined
and make them pristine again.
00:46:05.37\00:46:10.15
God wants to take the
grump and make the grump joyful.
00:46:10.57\00:46:13.89
You know what's
interesting in our churches?
00:46:13.90\00:46:15.47
We talk about the big sins, man.
00:46:16.53\00:46:18.32
We talk about, you don't want to
get smoking that and eating that
00:46:18.35\00:46:22.26
and you don't want to
do that with your money.
00:46:22.29\00:46:24.64
We don't spend
nearly enough time
00:46:25.22\00:46:26.54
talking about grumpy people.
00:46:26.57\00:46:28.13
Hmmm?
00:46:32.45\00:46:33.50
You mean it's a sin to
break the Sabbath but it's
00:46:34.42\00:46:36.62
perfectly
acceptable to be mean as sin?
00:46:36.65\00:46:38.93
I don't think so.
00:46:40.59\00:46:41.96
Folks ought to be happy.
00:46:42.97\00:46:44.25
But the good news is, God is
able to take the grumpy person
00:46:45.09\00:46:49.15
and give that person
something to smile about.
00:46:49.46\00:46:51.57
God is able to take
the addict and dry him out.
00:46:51.94\00:46:54.78
God is able to take
the drunk and sober her up.
00:46:54.99\00:46:57.68
God can take the crooked
and make the crooked straight.
00:46:57.98\00:47:01.15
The crooked and the
drunks and the liars,
00:47:01.46\00:47:03.37
and the grumps
too for that matter,
00:47:03.38\00:47:05.87
are telling
Satan's side of the story.
00:47:06.17\00:47:09.05
They're saying, "This
is all we're capable of."
00:47:09.59\00:47:11.38
But when Jesus takes
possession of a life,
00:47:11.41\00:47:15.01
that life changes dramatically.
00:47:15.04\00:47:18.89
In answer to the prayer of faith
God will send the Comforter.
00:47:19.19\00:47:22.47
I like that name, the Comforter.
00:47:22.50\00:47:25.75
God will comfort
you when you're broken.
00:47:26.71\00:47:28.12
He will lift you
up when you're down.
00:47:28.14\00:47:29.44
He will put His arm around
you and say, "It can be better."
00:47:29.47\00:47:32.17
God will sit down next
to you when nobody else will
00:47:32.20\00:47:34.64
and say, "There's a better day
coming if you'll lean on Me."
00:47:34.67\00:47:37.60
God sends the
Comforter to bring Jesus to us.
00:47:37.63\00:47:40.16
You can't get
more power than Jesus.
00:47:40.19\00:47:42.35
It is Jesus who said,
"All power in heaven and earth
00:47:42.38\00:47:45.85
is given unto Me."
00:47:45.88\00:47:47.44
I read where somebody wrote...
00:47:47.84\00:47:49.48
Friend, I would like for
you to develop some sanctified
00:47:49.51\00:47:53.93
impatience here.
00:47:53.96\00:47:55.07
Somebody said that
the Holy Spirit awaits our
00:47:55.41\00:47:57.66
demand and reception.
00:47:57.69\00:47:59.29
When was the last time...
00:47:59.32\00:48:00.94
I mean, I'm not going
to ask you this question,
00:48:01.68\00:48:03.51
but if I did, I might
say, when was the last time
00:48:03.54\00:48:05.93
you went up to the teller
at the bank or at Wal-Mart
00:48:05.94\00:48:08.69
and said, "I demand
some service around here."
00:48:08.72\00:48:10.45
Now you would never do that.
00:48:10.48\00:48:11.55
But you can imagine
somebody doing that.
00:48:12.32\00:48:14.33
When was the last time you
turned up to the throne of God,
00:48:14.59\00:48:17.27
and I don't mean
to be blasphemous,
00:48:17.30\00:48:19.68
but after a holy fashion
pounded on the throne and said,
00:48:19.71\00:48:21.84
"I demand that You
give me the Holy Spirit."
00:48:21.87\00:48:24.54
And why would we not?
00:48:25.98\00:48:27.17
We've been told the Holy Spirit
awaits our demand and reception.
00:48:27.49\00:48:30.21
Now you might want
to be careful about your
00:48:30.24\00:48:31.97
tone of voice and your manner.
00:48:31.98\00:48:33.47
But maybe in pray
you can pray and say,
00:48:33.48\00:48:35.23
"God, You must.
God, You have promised.
00:48:35.26\00:48:38.39
Now keep Your promise and pour
Your Spirit out on my life."
00:48:38.42\00:48:42.76
And when He does, this power...
00:48:42.79\00:48:46.22
You know, it is insanity
that we don't appeal to God
00:48:46.23\00:48:50.54
day in and day out that He
baptize us in the Holy Spirit.
00:48:50.57\00:48:55.07
And when He does,
we are complete in Him.
00:48:55.10\00:48:58.54
And you know, the
Spirit of God isn't given to us
00:48:58.57\00:49:00.14
like a tank of gas.
00:49:00.15\00:49:01.15
You go and buy...
00:49:01.16\00:49:02.16
First, you mortgage your house.
00:49:02.17\00:49:03.74
Then you buy a tank of gas.
00:49:03.77\00:49:05.47
Your car is filled up with gas,
or your truck or whatever it is.
00:49:07.40\00:49:10.06
And you go on your way
and you watch the gauge.
00:49:10.09\00:49:12.48
And it starts at F for full and
then it comes on down like this.
00:49:12.51\00:49:16.57
And when it's down
about E, you go back and say,
00:49:16.58\00:49:19.90
"I need you to
fill it up again."
00:49:19.93\00:49:21.28
That's not how we go
with the Holy Spirit.
00:49:21.31\00:49:22.85
We come to God
and we get connected.
00:49:22.88\00:49:24.84
The pump goes in
wherever it goes and stays in.
00:49:24.87\00:49:28.56
It stays in.
00:49:29.63\00:49:30.68
It's like an IV.
00:49:30.71\00:49:32.12
It stays there for as long as
you're in the hospital so that
00:49:32.42\00:49:35.15
the drip can keep on going
right into your bloodstream.
00:49:35.18\00:49:37.50
The Holy Spirit wants to get
connected to us in such a way
00:49:38.26\00:49:40.62
that there's no place, there's
no time for unhooking the pump;
00:49:40.63\00:49:43.79
going your own way
and coming back when
00:49:43.82\00:49:45.73
you see the tank getting low.
00:49:45.76\00:49:47.42
No, we stay connected.
00:49:47.45\00:49:48.87
When we are connected,
God does amazing things.
00:49:48.88\00:49:54.04
You know what happens.
00:49:54.07\00:49:55.30
God's character
will be seen in even you.
00:49:56.09\00:49:59.76
Paul wrote to the
Thessalonians and he said,
00:50:00.26\00:50:02.17
"Faithful is He that calleth
you, who also will do it."
00:50:02.20\00:50:05.29
I like that.
00:50:05.30\00:50:06.70
He wrote those words after
he was discussing the subject
00:50:06.73\00:50:09.52
of sanctification.
00:50:10.17\00:50:11.96
And after talking
about sanctification...
00:50:13.00\00:50:14.39
Now, you know what?
00:50:14.40\00:50:15.40
There are some who have
this idea that we are justified
00:50:15.41\00:50:17.27
by faith and
sanctified by works.
00:50:17.28\00:50:18.79
No.
00:50:18.80\00:50:19.80
When it comes to sanctification,
"faithful is He who calleth you,
00:50:19.81\00:50:22.67
who also will do it."
00:50:22.70\00:50:23.81
God's power will work
sanctification in your life.
00:50:24.26\00:50:27.93
Who is up to such a thing?
00:50:28.73\00:50:30.22
Only God.
00:50:30.25\00:50:32.11
Which of us can
say we are worthy?
00:50:32.59\00:50:34.44
None.
00:50:34.45\00:50:35.46
But if we will
yield, if we will surrender,
00:50:35.47\00:50:38.85
the Holy Spirit will come
and be the power, the help,
00:50:38.88\00:50:41.28
that we need in
earth's final crisis.
00:50:41.31\00:50:43.74
"Faithful is He who calls
you, who also will do it."
00:50:43.77\00:50:46.51
That's the same as saying,
"The life that I now live
00:50:46.54\00:50:48.79
in the flesh, I live by
the faith of the Son of God
00:50:48.80\00:50:50.98
who loved me and
gave Himself for me."
00:50:51.01\00:50:54.13
It's like saying, "Here is
the patience of the saints,
00:50:54.16\00:50:56.51
here are they that
keep the commandments of God
00:50:56.71\00:50:58.94
and the faith of Jesus."
00:50:58.97\00:51:00.97
Controversy raging.
00:51:01.00\00:51:02.35
Satan has said,
"This is my place."
00:51:02.38\00:51:04.25
Satan has said,
"You can't trust God."
00:51:04.28\00:51:06.26
Satan has said, "God is a liar."
00:51:06.29\00:51:08.19
Satan has said, "This whole
idea of obeying God and keeping
00:51:08.22\00:51:11.27
His commandments; unusual,
unreasonable, unacceptable."
00:51:11.28\00:51:16.53
But God is going to have a
people who don't believe the
00:51:16.81\00:51:19.69
publicity of Satan, who
instead say, "Lord, here I am.
00:51:19.72\00:51:24.19
Give me Your Holy Spirit.
00:51:24.22\00:51:25.86
Let it be a regenerating agent."
00:51:25.89\00:51:28.08
Christ died, yes.
00:51:28.38\00:51:29.68
But without the Holy
Spirit, what Jesus did will
00:51:29.71\00:51:32.52
not be made
effectual in your life.
00:51:32.55\00:51:34.12
We must be filled up
with the Holy Spirit of God.
00:51:34.15\00:51:36.67
We will be cleansed and be made
partakers of the divine nature.
00:51:37.40\00:51:40.44
We can see ourselves
in that group by faith,
00:51:40.47\00:51:43.13
that Revelation 14:12 group,
when we are vessels to be filled
00:51:44.50\00:51:47.70
with the Holy
Spirit of Almighty God.
00:51:47.73\00:51:49.75
The Holy Spirit is power.
00:51:49.78\00:51:51.73
A power against which all the
powers of hell cannot prevail.
00:51:52.47\00:51:56.39
Jesus taught a parable.
00:51:57.06\00:51:58.54
He said the kingdom of heaven
is like when a woman took some
00:51:58.57\00:52:01.18
leaven and put it in
three measures of meal.
00:52:01.38\00:52:04.80
I think that's flour, isn't it?
00:52:04.83\00:52:06.28
And what happened
was, the leaven worked.
00:52:06.61\00:52:08.77
And before long, that
flour was transformed.
00:52:08.80\00:52:11.33
And instead of being a
flat little pile of something,
00:52:11.36\00:52:14.05
it was a, it
was a, well it grew.
00:52:14.06\00:52:17.46
It was leavened
now. It rose now.
00:52:17.47\00:52:20.37
You couldn't see it working.
00:52:20.40\00:52:22.49
You can't tell
exactly how it did it.
00:52:23.00\00:52:24.73
But you could see the results.
00:52:25.19\00:52:26.37
It's like when
Jesus spoke to Nicodemus
00:52:26.40\00:52:28.41
talking about the wind,
the wind blows where it will.
00:52:28.44\00:52:30.44
You don't know where it
comes from, you don't know
00:52:30.47\00:52:31.87
where it's going, but
you can see its results.
00:52:31.88\00:52:33.47
That's the Holy Spirit
working in you like leaven
00:52:33.50\00:52:36.88
to change you
from the inside out.
00:52:38.22\00:52:40.38
You don't know
what you're capable of
00:52:40.41\00:52:42.53
until God gets hold of you.
00:52:42.54\00:52:44.29
When God gets hold of you
and you are His completely,
00:52:45.26\00:52:48.52
there is no
telling what God can do.
00:52:49.09\00:52:52.36
Ours is to cooperate.
00:52:52.39\00:52:54.20
Take heart, Christian.
00:52:54.23\00:52:55.62
Yes, you're involved
in a great controversy.
00:52:55.65\00:52:57.89
Yes, day in and day
out you might find yourself
00:52:57.92\00:53:01.03
flattened on the roadway of life
00:53:01.06\00:53:04.14
hit again by what
the devil throws at you.
00:53:05.30\00:53:07.94
But take heart, Christian.
00:53:07.97\00:53:09.49
God can change your character
into the image of Christ
00:53:10.33\00:53:15.42
if you'll let Him.
00:53:15.45\00:53:16.92
Ours is to yield,
ours is to cooperate.
00:53:16.93\00:53:19.79
Ours is simply to
learn to say "yes."
00:53:19.82\00:53:23.03
Yes to Jesus.
00:53:24.18\00:53:25.67
We come to another
fork in life's road,
00:53:25.70\00:53:27.76
we say "yes" to Jesus.
00:53:27.79\00:53:29.74
Again, "yes" to Jesus.
00:53:29.75\00:53:31.61
And you know something?
00:53:31.62\00:53:32.67
If you get into the
groove, you can find that saying
00:53:32.68\00:53:34.82
"yes" to Jesus become a joy.
00:53:34.85\00:53:36.63
"Yes" to Jesus
can become a habit.
00:53:36.66\00:53:38.47
"Yes" to Jesus becomes
transformation in your life
00:53:38.50\00:53:41.49
so that it's all God
and it's none of you.
00:53:41.52\00:53:43.82
"He must increase
and we must..." Do what?
00:53:43.83\00:53:45.97
"...decrease."
As the prophet said.
00:53:46.27\00:53:48.73
You don't know what
God can do in your life
00:53:49.02\00:53:51.28
until you let Him have you.
00:53:51.31\00:53:52.71
Recently, I was
in Oxford England.
00:53:54.30\00:53:56.96
What a great place.
00:53:58.29\00:53:59.98
I stood on the spot, the
very spot where some great men
00:54:01.82\00:54:05.63
of God gave their lives.
00:54:05.64\00:54:07.43
Gave their lives for
the sake of the gospel.
00:54:08.75\00:54:11.04
In 1555, and that sounds like
a long time ago because it was,
00:54:12.95\00:54:16.94
Nicholas Ridley,
the Bishop of London,
00:54:19.05\00:54:20.90
and Hugh Latimer, who had
been the Bishop of Worcester
00:54:22.08\00:54:25.76
and the chaplain
to King Edward VI,
00:54:26.06\00:54:29.00
were burned at the stake.
00:54:29.01\00:54:30.98
You see, they
supported the reformation.
00:54:32.06\00:54:34.13
The church in England at
that stage didn't like it.
00:54:34.16\00:54:36.77
The Catholic
church hadn't been turned
00:54:36.80\00:54:38.18
into the Church of England.
00:54:38.20\00:54:39.30
And it must be
admitted that even when the
00:54:39.31\00:54:41.90
Church of England
became the Church of England,
00:54:41.91\00:54:43.67
it didn't leave
behind persecution.
00:54:43.70\00:54:45.44
They still knew how
to do plenty of that.
00:54:45.47\00:54:47.99
But there were Latimer
and Ridley taken to a spot.
00:54:48.02\00:54:53.76
And in Oxford right on Broad
Street outside Balliol College,
00:54:53.77\00:54:58.80
where Wycliffe was
educated, historic place,
00:54:58.83\00:55:01.60
there is a cross in
the road made of stones.
00:55:01.63\00:55:03.90
It's in the roadway.
00:55:03.91\00:55:05.56
It's remarkable.
00:55:05.95\00:55:06.95
You go over there and buy
tee shirts just right there.
00:55:06.96\00:55:09.04
You turn and
there's a tee shirt shop.
00:55:09.05\00:55:10.90
You buy a tee shirt, "Oh
that's where the men died.
00:55:11.27\00:55:13.12
They were martyred, oh yes.
00:55:13.13\00:55:14.14
Can I have
another tee shirt please."
00:55:14.15\00:55:15.31
It just doesn't seem right.
00:55:15.41\00:55:16.41
It seems to me like
this is a sacred place.
00:55:16.42\00:55:18.54
Students ride by
on their bicycles.
00:55:20.38\00:55:22.26
Riding right over the top of it.
00:55:22.90\00:55:24.50
And I wonder, do they
know where they're riding.
00:55:24.87\00:55:26.52
I just wonder.
00:55:26.55\00:55:27.65
What gave these men the guts
to be able to stand for Jesus
00:55:30.56\00:55:39.44
even though their
lives were on the line?
00:55:40.38\00:55:42.51
You know, it is said
that Latimer said to Ridley
00:55:43.79\00:55:46.83
as they were about to be
burned, "Be of good comfort.
00:55:46.86\00:55:49.49
We shall light this day
such a candle, by God's grace,
00:55:49.52\00:55:53.17
in England, as I trust
shall never be put out."
00:55:53.20\00:55:55.51
And the reformation began
to take hold and it flourished.
00:55:57.05\00:55:59.89
A year later on the same spot,
the Archbishop of Canterbury,
00:56:00.89\00:56:04.43
Thomas Cranmer, was,
let's be honest, murdered.
00:56:04.84\00:56:09.20
Executed, but it was murder.
00:56:10.37\00:56:12.29
He had seen the
other two burned.
00:56:14.02\00:56:17.68
It's never pretty.
00:56:18.76\00:56:19.90
And so he wrote a recantation.
00:56:21.00\00:56:23.77
And then when they
put him on trial again,
00:56:26.28\00:56:28.31
he recanted of his recantation.
00:56:29.13\00:56:31.33
And when they took
him out to that same spot
00:56:32.19\00:56:34.17
right on Broad
Street, and burned him,
00:56:34.20\00:56:35.93
he did what he said he would do.
00:56:35.94\00:56:37.32
He took the hand that he
wrote the recantation with and
00:56:37.35\00:56:39.84
thrust it into the flames.
00:56:39.87\00:56:41.62
He died a martyr's death.
00:56:43.70\00:56:45.38
You ought to see the Martyrs'
Memorial on Magdalen Street
00:56:45.41\00:56:48.22
right by St. Mary's
church where the trial,
00:56:48.25\00:56:50.36
the sham trials took place.
00:56:50.39\00:56:53.15
Magnificent memorial.
00:56:53.55\00:56:54.88
What can turn
ordinary men into champions?
00:56:56.86\00:57:01.91
Only the Holy Spirit.
00:57:03.18\00:57:04.64
That same power
that's going to turn
00:57:05.39\00:57:07.07
sinful human beings
00:57:09.40\00:57:11.14
into such
creatures as they reflect
00:57:13.03\00:57:15.24
the image of Jesus Christ.
00:57:15.27\00:57:17.16
In this great controversy,
God has promised you help
00:57:18.11\00:57:23.93
in a time of crisis.
00:57:23.96\00:57:25.36
And you can receive from God now
the power of the Holy Spirit.
00:57:25.39\00:57:30.65