Welcome to Anchors Of Truth
from the 3ABN Worship Center.
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His Character
Counts with Hiram Rester.
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Good evening and
welcome again, as has been said,
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to the 3ABN
Worship Center here in...
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Sometimes we say Thompsonville,
sometimes we say West Frankfort.
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It kind of straddles the
border between the two cities.
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Or dare I say towns.
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But we do welcome
you to night number one
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of our Anchors Of
Truth series for September.
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The overall title
is, His Character Counts.
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And Pastor Rester is
going to be speaking on the,
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Illuminated By His Glory.
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Our speaker is someone
that we've come to know and love
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here at 3ABN,
Pastor Hiram Rester.
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I made the
mistake this afternoon and
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called him Hiram Edson.
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And if anyone knows
Adventist history, you know that
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Hiram Edson plays a crucial and
important role in the history of
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the Seventh-day
Adventist Church.
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But he informed me that
this is not the first time
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that has happened, so I
felt a little bit better.
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He is not Hiram
Edson. He is Hiram Rester.
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And someone asked him was
he named after Hiram Edson.
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He was not.
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He came from the
Baptist persuasion
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into the Adventist church.
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So Hiram Edson has no
reference to Hiram Rester.
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So we had a little fun
with that earlier today.
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He is a native of Mississippi.
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And I asked him how
his state faired in the
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hurricane that
just went through.
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And he said they got a little
rain, but not much damage.
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So we're happy for that.
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He has been
pastoring for some 15 years.
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So he's been in
the work a long time.
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Much of that in evangelism.
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His heart is in evangelism.
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He is an evangelist of
note and began his ministry
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holding meetings in
various places before he took up
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his current pastorate, which
is in Springfield, Missouri.
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And he was so nice
that he brought some of
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his members with him.
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It's kind of nice
when you can bring your
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own audience with you.
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So he brought some of
his own members with him
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to hear him speak.
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And that says a lot about
the kind of pastor that he is,
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that his members will
travel to hear him speak.
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So we're very, very
excited to have Hiram Rester...
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And I've got to keep checking
myself that I don't say Edson.
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...Hiram Rester
here with us tonight.
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He is the husband of
one wife. His wife is Libby.
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The father of three children;
Lauren, Savannah, and Jackson.
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All are in his
quiver, as it were.
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And he is a great
father, a great pastor,
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and really just a fun guy.
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And a powerful
preacher of the Word.
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So we expect during
these next several sittings
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to hear a word from the Lord,
for the Lord, as Christ uses him
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to speak for Him.
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I'm going to ask you to
bow your heads with me now.
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Then we'll have a song.
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Then the next voice you
will hear will be that of our
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pastor and our
friend, Hiram Rester.
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Shall we pray.
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Father God, we
praise You now and thank You
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for this blessed opportunity
to hear a word from the Lord.
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We know that in these
last days, there's going to
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be a scarcity of preaching.
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And so while we have
the opportunity, Lord,
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we take full advantage
to hear the Word preached.
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But more than just
hearing this Word preached,
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we ask, Lord, for receptive
and open ears and hearts
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that we may feast on the Word,
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that we may take
the Word into our souls,
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and become not just hearers
of that Word, but doers thereof.
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Oh dear Jesus, be the
center and circumference
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of this meeting tonight.
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Let us hear what
You want us to hear.
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And then let us go from
this place motivated, energized,
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informed, and
inspired to live lives that are
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wholly dedicated to You.
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For we know that
Christ is coming soon.
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And who knows but that
this may be the last opportunity
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for some of us to hear
the Word of God preached.
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Oh Father, be the
honored guest tonight
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and speak through Your servant.
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And we thank You
in Jesus' name, amen.
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There's an old
standard Adventist hymn
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that you hear sung
so very, very much.
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And it sort of
endeared itself to me.
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No One Ever Cared
For Me Like Jesus.
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It's a standard, it's a classic.
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But the words are so
very, very, very true.
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When mother, father,
brother, sister lets you down,
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you know that Jesus never will.
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And as much as your wife
may love you, or your children
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may love you, or
your parents may love you,
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there's no one, but no
one, who will ever care
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for you like Jesus.
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I would love to tell
you what I think of Jesus,
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since I found in Him a
friend so strong and true.
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I would tell you how He
changed my life completely;
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He did something that
no other friend could do.
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No one ever cared
for me like Jesus.
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There's no other
friend so kind as He.
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No one else could take the sin
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and darkness from me.
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O how much He cares for me.
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All my life was full of
sin when Jesus found me.
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All my heart was
full of misery and woe.
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Jesus placed His
strong loving arms about me,
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and He led me in
the place I ought to go.
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No one ever cared
for me like Jesus.
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There's no other
friend so kind as He.
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No one else could take the sin
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and darkness from me.
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O how much He cares for me.
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Every day He comes to
me with new assurance.
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More and more and more I
understand His words of love.
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But I'll never know
just why He came to save me,
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till some day I see
His blessed face above.
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No one ever cared
for me like Jesus.
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There's no other
friend so kind as He.
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No one else could take the sin
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and darkness from me.
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O how much He cares,
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O how much He cares,
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O how much He cares for me.
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Thank you, C.A.
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No one ever cared
for me like Jesus.
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What a message in
song. Can you say amen?
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And what a blessing to
be here at 3ABN once again.
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Today, I had a
blessing as I was preparing
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for the message tonight.
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I was able to take a break
and enjoy lunch with a couple of
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guys from 3ABN; Ben and Bobby.
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And as we were
visiting, they began to help me
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with my sermon tonight.
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They didn't know they were.
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But they did.
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They began to tell and
to talk about how they view
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their heavenly Father.
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Ben talked about how
his son has helped him learn
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to view how God views him.
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For instance, he was praying,
"Lord, how can I experience
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Your love and
see how You view me?
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I know, Lord, that You love me,
but how can I experience that?"
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And he was talking
about how he was praying,
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and then the Lord impressed
him that the way he views
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his son is how God views him.
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Talking about His character
counts, talking about how
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the character, the
loving character of our God,
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matters so much.
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And then Bobby was
sharing with his history
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and things that he
has experienced that has
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shown him how
much God loves him,
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and over time changed
his perception to see God
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as so much more loving.
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And that was an
encouragement to me today.
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I was just sitting
there listening to the guys
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and thinking, this just
really feeds right into what I'm
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here to do this weekend.
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And I didn't warn them I was
going to share this with you.
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I just figured I would listen
at lunch, eat their food, and
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then talk about
them when I got up here.
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And so, that's what we did.
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About six years ago, my wife,
Libby, and I, and the kids,
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we were doing an
evangelistic series.
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It started in
Loveland, Colorado.
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And it was actually in
the Budweiser Event Center.
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The only time we got to
put the word "Budweiser" in one
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of our fliers in our
whole time of doing evangelism.
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The Budweiser Event
Center right on the highway.
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That's the name of
the building, folks.
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Okay? It didn't have
nothing to do with anything
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except that we're meeting
at this convention center
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with that name.
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And we were doing the series, it
was a good series of meetings.
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We had a good group
of people coming out,
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a couple hundred folks.
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And about half way
through the whole total series,
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we relocated, we transferred
over to the local church,
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the Adventist church there, to
finish out the last few nights
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of the series.
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Well, the local Adventist
church that invited us to come
00:12:07.09\00:12:10.75
did not have their
own church building.
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They were renting from a
church of another denomination.
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And so we
transferred to this church,
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and I'm up preaching one night.
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And I'm preaching, it
was a new topic for folks,
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but yet I was
using it to review.
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It was titled; The Scarlet
Woman, Mother Of Harlots.
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And I was talking about
the woman of Revelation 17,
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and clothed in purple and
scarlet and gold and pearls,
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and all of these
symbols of her apostasy.
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And I was going
through that topic.
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Well in the course of
that topic, I also review
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two key issues;
one, the topic of death,
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both the first
and the second death,
00:12:50.36\00:12:52.51
as well as the topic of
the change of the Sabbath
00:12:52.54\00:12:56.14
from Saturday to Sunday.
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And I review it.
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I've already preached
on those things, you see,
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by the time we get there.
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But I review it at that
point in the meeting for those
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coming to the seminar.
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Well, here's what happened.
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We had a good
group transfer over.
00:13:09.64\00:13:12.48
The parking lot was packed
out, there were cars everywhere.
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And a guy was driving down the
road that went to this church.
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Not the Adventist
church, but the other church
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they were renting from.
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And as he's driving along down
the road, he looks over and he
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sees the parking
lot is packed out.
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And he thought, "I didn't
know anything was going on
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at my church tonight."
00:13:33.42\00:13:34.79
And so what do you think he did?
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He pulled in and said, "I'm just
going to go in and see what's
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going on at my church tonight."
00:13:40.44\00:13:42.21
And he walks in and I'm about
half way through the sermon.
00:13:42.24\00:13:46.22
Okay?
00:13:46.25\00:13:47.62
And it's already way
past the middle of the
00:13:48.14\00:13:52.19
evangelistic series, and
this guy comes walking in and
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stands against the back wall.
00:13:54.89\00:13:56.66
Now what am I doing?
00:13:56.69\00:13:58.06
I'm going through
verses like Ecclesiastes 9:5,
00:13:58.09\00:14:01.35
"The dead know not anything."
00:14:01.38\00:14:04.02
And all kinds of other verses
showing that when someone dies,
00:14:04.05\00:14:08.33
they wait in the grave
in an unconscious state
00:14:08.36\00:14:10.71
until the
resurrection, you know.
00:14:10.74\00:14:13.32
And how when Jesus comes,
the righteous are resurrected;
00:14:13.35\00:14:16.92
in John 5:28 and 29, and
1 Thessalonians 4:16 and 17.
00:14:16.95\00:14:21.94
And all of these important
verses on these topics. Right?
00:14:21.97\00:14:25.49
And also on the
change of the Sabbath.
00:14:25.52\00:14:27.19
And also talking about hellfire,
how that Malachi 4 talks about
00:14:27.22\00:14:32.43
the wicked will be consumed,
they will be burned up.
00:14:32.46\00:14:35.80
Now if you're thinking of this
from an Adventist perspective,
00:14:36.14\00:14:39.82
if you're a Seventh-day
Adventist and were raised so,
00:14:39.85\00:14:42.00
you may not realize
how big a deal this was.
00:14:42.03\00:14:44.29
But this guy comes walking
into his church and there's some
00:14:44.75\00:14:48.16
young whipper
snapper up there with a Bible
00:14:48.19\00:14:50.62
that is teaching that what
his church has always believed
00:14:51.83\00:14:55.79
about what happens
when you die, and hellfire,
00:14:55.82\00:14:58.77
and the day they go to church,
is not Biblical, is not correct.
00:14:58.80\00:15:03.69
And I'm going through it quickly
because I'm reviewing for
00:15:04.74\00:15:07.90
the rest of my
group that is with me.
00:15:07.93\00:15:10.40
And so he's standing against the
back wall, and I see this guy.
00:15:10.43\00:15:13.83
I don't recognize him,
I don't know who he is.
00:15:13.86\00:15:16.03
But his demeanor gets
meaner and meaner and meaner.
00:15:16.06\00:15:20.04
He's mad, he's upset.
00:15:20.07\00:15:21.67
"How dare this guy be
in the pulpit at my church
00:15:21.70\00:15:25.24
preaching this stuff."
00:15:25.27\00:15:26.74
Because his church was the
church that was being rented.
00:15:27.47\00:15:30.38
Well, he talked to
the pastor that night.
00:15:31.16\00:15:32.58
He didn't talk to me,
but I knew he was upset.
00:15:32.61\00:15:34.59
I arrived the next evening
to get started with the program.
00:15:34.62\00:15:39.36
I arrived, you know, I
was the first one there.
00:15:39.39\00:15:41.72
And then as I'm sitting there
in the parking lot waiting for
00:15:42.06\00:15:44.45
someone else to get there
and open up the building for me,
00:15:44.48\00:15:47.49
this guy pulls
into the parking lot.
00:15:47.52\00:15:49.98
He gets out and he starts
somberly walking toward my car.
00:15:50.64\00:15:55.75
And I'm thinking,
"Oh, this could be bad."
00:15:57.45\00:16:01.20
He didn't look happy.
00:16:01.79\00:16:03.25
And he certainly didn't
look happy the night before.
00:16:04.08\00:16:06.20
And I'm thinking, "Okay,
what do I do, what do I do?"
00:16:06.23\00:16:08.24
So I roll my window
down, but I leave my car on
00:16:08.27\00:16:11.06
in case I need to hit it in
reverse, lay down on the seat,
00:16:11.09\00:16:13.50
and punch the gas, you know,
if something doesn't go right.
00:16:13.53\00:16:16.65
I mean, I don't know.
00:16:16.68\00:16:18.05
I'm kind of, scenarios
running through my mind. Right?
00:16:18.08\00:16:20.76
And the guy comes
closer and he goes, "Pastor,
00:16:20.79\00:16:23.09
I need to talk with
you. Do you have a minute?"
00:16:23.12\00:16:25.23
And I'm thinking,
"Talking sounds good.
00:16:25.26\00:16:26.63
I can talk, talking
sound great, that's good."
00:16:26.66\00:16:28.75
So I turn off the
car and I get out.
00:16:28.78\00:16:30.33
He puts down the
tailgate of his truck.
00:16:30.36\00:16:32.70
And we sit there on
the tailgate of his truck,
00:16:32.73\00:16:35.00
and he begins to
tell me his story.
00:16:35.03\00:16:37.18
He said, "I was really
upset at you last night,
00:16:37.21\00:16:40.19
that you were in my
church building teaching things
00:16:40.22\00:16:43.49
that my church doesn't believe."
00:16:43.52\00:16:45.82
He said, "That
really, really upset me."
00:16:45.88\00:16:49.04
He said, "But I went to bed last
night, and for the first time
00:16:49.99\00:16:54.57
in a long time, I
slept all the way through."
00:16:54.60\00:16:57.80
Now I didn't realize how
big a deal this was at first.
00:16:59.85\00:17:02.62
As this man began to
share his history with me,
00:17:03.42\00:17:05.97
he started with Vietnam,
and he was a soldier in Vietnam
00:17:06.00\00:17:09.61
and knew that he had killed
several people with his gun.
00:17:09.64\00:17:13.32
And as many bullets as he
sprayed around in the jungle,
00:17:13.35\00:17:16.06
he suspected it was
many more than he knew about.
00:17:16.09\00:17:19.04
And how that had really brought
him a lot of guilt in his life.
00:17:20.24\00:17:24.88
And then he went on to tell me
that as he came back to America
00:17:25.36\00:17:29.68
after the war, that he was
so disillusioned after having
00:17:29.71\00:17:34.32
gone to war, that how could a
loving God allow the atrocities
00:17:34.35\00:17:38.38
of war to take place,
that he really didn't practice
00:17:38.41\00:17:41.97
his Christian beliefs anymore.
00:17:42.00\00:17:44.86
Well, he got married
and he raised a family.
00:17:46.51\00:17:49.09
But he raised his kids
without going to church at all.
00:17:50.03\00:17:52.89
And his teenage daughter
got pregnant out of wedlock,
00:17:53.75\00:17:57.12
secretly had an abortion,
00:17:59.04\00:18:00.95
could not live
with the guilt of it.
00:18:02.49\00:18:04.94
And one night while
he was in the living room
00:18:06.20\00:18:10.91
watching television, he
heard a noise in her bedroom.
00:18:10.94\00:18:15.70
He didn't think anything of it.
00:18:15.73\00:18:17.49
A few minutes later, he went
by her bedroom to check on her
00:18:18.19\00:18:21.27
to make sure
everything was alright.
00:18:21.30\00:18:23.56
But it wasn't.
00:18:23.59\00:18:24.96
The noise he had heard in
her bedroom was her kicking
00:18:25.44\00:18:28.25
the bucket, literally,
out from under herself.
00:18:28.28\00:18:31.73
She had hung herself in her
bedroom and committed suicide.
00:18:32.77\00:18:37.25
Now based on his
belief system as a Christian,
00:18:39.05\00:18:43.12
most Christians believe
that when you die, what happens?
00:18:43.78\00:18:46.84
You immediately
go to heaven or hell.
00:18:46.87\00:18:50.40
He believed you have to
accept Christ as your Savior.
00:18:51.46\00:18:54.88
And he had never
taken her to church.
00:18:54.91\00:18:56.44
She had never made any
kind of profession of faith.
00:18:56.47\00:18:58.94
She had just had an abortion.
00:18:58.97\00:19:00.77
And then she committed suicide.
00:19:00.80\00:19:03.27
And as a father, he didn't
have much hope that she was
00:19:04.05\00:19:07.94
in heaven, as he believed.
00:19:07.97\00:19:10.29
But rather, that his baby
girl was now likely where?
00:19:10.32\00:19:13.83
Burning in hell.
00:19:17.46\00:19:19.33
Do you think that
messed with his ability to
00:19:20.34\00:19:22.25
get a good night sleep?
00:19:22.28\00:19:23.65
It did.
00:19:24.49\00:19:25.86
In fact, he told me, he
said, "I lay there at night and
00:19:26.17\00:19:28.77
it's almost as if I can hear
my baby girl crying from the
00:19:28.80\00:19:32.01
fires of hell, 'Daddy,
why didn't you tell me?
00:19:32.04\00:19:34.40
Daddy, why didn't
you take me to church?
00:19:34.43\00:19:36.35
Daddy, help me, please.'"
00:19:36.38\00:19:38.23
He said, "And I
can't sleep and I have
00:19:38.26\00:19:39.95
nightmares all night long."
00:19:39.98\00:19:41.45
He said, "After my daughter's
suicide, my marriage fell apart.
00:19:41.48\00:19:44.51
I couldn't hold
down a regular job."
00:19:44.54\00:19:46.30
He said, "And it
has just destroyed me.
00:19:47.62\00:19:49.54
As if going to war had not
messed me up enough already."
00:19:49.57\00:19:53.43
He said, "And last
night, I laid down."
00:19:55.11\00:19:57.71
He said, "And I was
angry at you, pastor,
00:19:57.74\00:20:00.81
for preaching what
you preached last night.
00:20:01.11\00:20:02.90
Because it's not
what my church teaches.
00:20:02.93\00:20:04.78
And you were in the
pulpit of my church.
00:20:04.81\00:20:07.11
And as I lay there, I
actually went to sleep.
00:20:08.67\00:20:13.25
I thought of the verses you
had brought out from the Bible.
00:20:13.73\00:20:17.09
About how the
dead know not anything.
00:20:17.12\00:20:19.66
About how Jesus
calls death a sleep.
00:20:19.69\00:20:22.34
And that even if my daughter,
which means my daughter is not
00:20:22.79\00:20:25.93
not in hell right now.
00:20:25.96\00:20:27.33
She's sleeping in the
grave awaiting the resurrection.
00:20:27.36\00:20:29.54
And even if she's not saved,
that the fire that destroys
00:20:29.57\00:20:33.58
the wicked goes out,
00:20:33.61\00:20:35.49
that ultimately it
turns them to ashes."
00:20:36.45\00:20:39.04
He said, "And I don't know how
long that would burn, pastor,
00:20:39.14\00:20:42.07
but you understand
that it coming to an end
00:20:42.10\00:20:44.60
is completely different
than it never coming to an end."
00:20:45.90\00:20:48.84
He said, "And I was
able to go to sleep."
00:20:51.19\00:20:53.33
He said, "I got
a good night sleep,
00:20:53.36\00:20:55.41
though I still went
to sleep angry with you."
00:20:55.44\00:20:58.39
And we began to
talk and to share.
00:21:00.79\00:21:02.71
And what I realized that day
is that this man saw a different
00:21:02.74\00:21:08.29
picture of who God was.
00:21:08.32\00:21:09.79
Not only did it give him peace,
but he said, "For the first
00:21:09.82\00:21:14.61
time, I can reconcile in
my mind that God is love.
00:21:14.64\00:21:17.99
Because I was wondering,
how can my God love my daughter
00:21:18.02\00:21:22.10
as much as I do, and yet
plan on burning her through the
00:21:22.13\00:21:26.71
unending
ceaseless ages of eternity."
00:21:26.74\00:21:29.90
And so as he thought
about the truth he had
00:21:30.55\00:21:33.38
learned in the seminar...
00:21:33.41\00:21:34.78
Though he got it
rapid fire, like drinking
00:21:34.81\00:21:37.33
from fire hydrant.
00:21:37.36\00:21:38.73
It was just coming
out in review form.
00:21:38.76\00:21:40.52
...it sunk in.
00:21:40.55\00:21:41.92
He got the DVD's that he
had missed from the seminar.
00:21:41.95\00:21:45.26
He began to watch those
DVD's and he got caught up.
00:21:45.29\00:21:49.17
And before I left
town, he was baptized.
00:21:49.20\00:21:51.64
He still attended
church at the same building,
00:21:51.67\00:21:55.13
just a day earlier.
00:21:55.82\00:21:57.51
It was quite an amazing thing
that God did in this man's life.
00:21:59.75\00:22:03.78
And it planted a seed in my
mind that would take a long time
00:22:03.81\00:22:07.41
to sprout and
really come to fruition.
00:22:07.44\00:22:09.34
And that seed
would grow much later.
00:22:09.86\00:22:12.83
I'll try to bring
that back in a moment.
00:22:12.86\00:22:15.23
Well a few years
later, actually 2011 at the
00:22:15.57\00:22:20.64
Iowa Missouri Camp Meeting,
I had taken my video ministry
00:22:20.67\00:22:24.52
team to the camp meeting.
00:22:24.55\00:22:26.03
We have a little video
ministry at our church.
00:22:26.06\00:22:28.80
And we were filming the camp
meeting and streaming it live
00:22:28.83\00:22:31.68
over the internet.
00:22:31.71\00:22:33.30
And I was sitting
there at the controls
00:22:33.33\00:22:35.58
talking to camera people.
00:22:35.61\00:22:36.98
You know, "Zoom in, zoom
out." All of that kind of stuff.
00:22:37.01\00:22:39.80
And choosing the best shots.
00:22:39.83\00:22:41.68
But I was
listening to the speaker.
00:22:41.71\00:22:43.27
And the speaker we had, some
of you are familiar with him.
00:22:43.30\00:22:46.02
He name is Ty Gibson.
00:22:46.05\00:22:48.56
He was there to speak.
00:22:48.59\00:22:49.96
And I was listening to
this man and I was enjoying it.
00:22:49.99\00:22:52.86
But, you know, camp meeting...
00:22:52.89\00:22:54.26
That's more for the
church members, right?
00:22:54.29\00:22:56.02
And I'm a pastor and
I've got duties to do.
00:22:56.05\00:22:58.45
And it's more
what the members get.
00:22:58.48\00:23:00.26
But I'm sitting there and
as we're switching cameras
00:23:00.29\00:23:03.51
and I'm giving instructions
to my camera people,
00:23:03.54\00:23:06.39
the Holy Spirit is getting
the message through to me.
00:23:06.42\00:23:09.96
And I realized something.
00:23:10.81\00:23:12.31
I realized something
crystal clear that very evening.
00:23:12.75\00:23:16.40
And that is, that being Christ
centered and gospel centered
00:23:16.70\00:23:22.71
with the truth is so much
more than I ever thought it was.
00:23:22.74\00:23:26.81
You see, I would always,
in my evangelistic meetings,
00:23:28.15\00:23:31.82
include Jesus in
every sermon that I did.
00:23:31.85\00:23:34.76
I would make sure He was
worked in several places.
00:23:34.79\00:23:37.63
And I believed that to be
a Christ centered message.
00:23:37.66\00:23:41.19
No, my friends.
00:23:41.92\00:23:43.29
What I realized was this...
00:23:43.32\00:23:45.65
That a Christ centered message
is a message that uplifts Christ
00:23:46.25\00:23:50.25
as the center.
00:23:50.28\00:23:51.65
Not one that
mentions Him along the way.
00:23:52.00\00:23:54.90
And I became convicted
that what I had done in my
00:23:55.25\00:23:58.80
evangelistic ministry to
that point is, I had used
00:23:58.83\00:24:02.09
Jesus to preach the truth
00:24:02.12\00:24:04.24
instead of using the
truth to preach Jesus.
00:24:05.75\00:24:11.66
It was a conviction,
deep heart conviction,
00:24:13.12\00:24:15.84
with me as God was
working in my heart.
00:24:15.87\00:24:18.42
But not only did see that I
hadn't done something right,
00:24:18.45\00:24:21.04
at the same time, I
saw God's love for me
00:24:21.07\00:24:24.86
in a way I had not seen before.
00:24:24.89\00:24:27.36
You know, if our
Christian experience is growing
00:24:27.39\00:24:31.03
as it should, we're going to
hit new heights of understanding
00:24:31.06\00:24:34.84
God's love all along
throughout our walk with Him.
00:24:34.87\00:24:38.74
Yes or no? Yes.
00:24:38.77\00:24:40.52
And I began to see that
God loves me beyond measure.
00:24:40.55\00:24:46.60
And I also began to...
00:24:46.63\00:24:48.21
I mean, these are
concepts you'll say,
00:24:48.24\00:24:50.10
"Didn't you already
know that?" Yes, but...
00:24:50.13\00:24:51.86
And I fail to find
words to describe to you
00:24:51.89\00:24:55.59
how it impacted me.
00:24:55.62\00:24:58.88
I also was reminded
that God is infinitely good.
00:24:59.74\00:25:03.53
That His goodness, that
His character, matters so much.
00:25:03.56\00:25:07.66
And what I realized is
that as I was preaching
00:25:08.11\00:25:12.45
to that man and those
people in Colorado years before,
00:25:12.48\00:25:16.71
I was trying to
give them the facts.
00:25:16.74\00:25:19.84
I was trying to get the
doctrines across to them.
00:25:19.87\00:25:22.98
And what God did
especially with this one man
00:25:23.82\00:25:26.73
is He showed
this man His goodness
00:25:26.76\00:25:30.55
through the doctrines.
00:25:31.27\00:25:33.17
And I realized that is
a direction that God was
00:25:33.88\00:25:36.51
calling me to go in.
00:25:36.54\00:25:38.82
May I share with you in
Revelation chapter 18 verse 1,
00:25:38.85\00:25:43.28
Revelation chapter 18
and verse 1, here today.
00:25:43.31\00:25:47.25
This is powerful.
00:25:47.28\00:25:48.82
Revelation
chapter 18 and verse 1.
00:25:48.85\00:25:52.50
It says in Revelation
18:1, "And after these things
00:25:52.53\00:25:57.43
I saw another angel come down
from heaven, having great power;
00:25:57.46\00:26:01.45
and the earth was
lightened with his glory."
00:26:01.48\00:26:05.79
In our series here,
His Character Counts,
00:26:06.40\00:26:09.55
the message titled this evening
is, Illuminated By His Glory.
00:26:09.58\00:26:16.43
Well as we talk here about this
issue, the earth is going to be
00:26:17.03\00:26:21.00
lightened with his glory
of this angel, it says here.
00:26:21.03\00:26:23.69
In verse 2, "And he cried
mightily with a strong voice,
00:26:23.72\00:26:26.97
saying, 'Babylon the great is
fallen, is fallen, and is become
00:26:27.07\00:26:30.55
the habitation of devils, and
the hold of every foul spirit,
00:26:30.58\00:26:33.30
and a cage of every
unclean and hateful bird.'"
00:26:33.33\00:26:35.67
This is a powerful passage.
00:26:37.55\00:26:39.61
And first off,
it's a fourth angel.
00:26:40.20\00:26:42.68
As Adventist Christians,
we read about three angels in
00:26:43.11\00:26:46.17
Revelation chapter 14.
00:26:46.20\00:26:48.04
There's an angel with
the everlasting gospel
00:26:48.07\00:26:50.53
and he proclaims,
"The judgment hour is come,
00:26:50.56\00:26:52.34
and worship Him that
made heaven and earth."
00:26:52.37\00:26:54.21
Then there's the angel,
the second angel, follows him.
00:26:54.24\00:26:57.18
And he proclaims
that Babylon has fallen.
00:26:57.21\00:26:59.41
And this fourth
angel repeats that message
00:26:59.44\00:27:01.14
that Babylon is fallen.
00:27:01.17\00:27:02.54
Okay?
00:27:02.57\00:27:03.94
And then there's the
third angel warning of the
00:27:03.97\00:27:06.30
mark of the beast.
00:27:06.33\00:27:07.70
But also of keeping
the commandments of God
00:27:07.73\00:27:10.57
and having the faith of
Jesus, or faith in Jesus.
00:27:10.60\00:27:14.52
Focusing on Jesus and loving Him
and keeping His commandments.
00:27:14.55\00:27:18.44
And then we get to
Revelation chapter 18.
00:27:18.74\00:27:21.38
Now this fourth angel is also
the loud cry of the third angel.
00:27:21.66\00:27:25.64
It also corresponds
with the time, likely,
00:27:25.67\00:27:28.78
of the latter
rain and the loud cry.
00:27:28.81\00:27:32.08
Now as we look
here, what is this angel?
00:27:32.11\00:27:34.89
Just like the three
angels of Revelation chapter 14,
00:27:34.92\00:27:39.35
this angel represents a movement
among the people of God.
00:27:39.69\00:27:43.65
Sure, it does. Absolutely.
00:27:44.84\00:27:47.07
But is it something
new that's yet to come?
00:27:47.10\00:27:49.51
Is it some new
doctrine, some new beliefs,
00:27:49.54\00:27:52.69
some newfangled
thing that's coming along?
00:27:52.72\00:27:55.79
No, no it's not.
00:27:55.82\00:27:57.92
Notice, he's repeating
the second angel's message.
00:27:57.95\00:28:01.55
Right?
00:28:01.58\00:28:02.95
So what is this?
00:28:03.18\00:28:04.55
This is what got my attention,
because I would use this
00:28:04.58\00:28:07.33
passage in evangelism.
00:28:07.36\00:28:08.98
In fact, that night in
that evangelistic meeting
00:28:09.01\00:28:11.85
in Colorado, I
had read this passage.
00:28:11.88\00:28:15.08
But I read right over verse one
over the years so many times.
00:28:15.11\00:28:19.58
How many of you
have ever done that?
00:28:19.61\00:28:20.98
You read over a Bible
verse many, many times
00:28:21.01\00:28:22.67
and you miss what's in it.
00:28:22.70\00:28:24.32
And then all of a
sudden it hits you that there's
00:28:24.93\00:28:26.93
something more there.
00:28:26.96\00:28:28.33
I had read over verse 1
about the angel and the earth
00:28:28.36\00:28:31.49
illuminated with his
glory, and I went right
00:28:31.52\00:28:34.19
on to how Babylon is fallen.
00:28:34.22\00:28:35.63
And I would point out the
sins of Babylon and I would
00:28:35.67\00:28:37.87
talk about all of these
things that needed pointing out
00:28:37.90\00:28:40.90
in the seminar.
00:28:40.93\00:28:42.30
But I had missed the
significance of verse 1.
00:28:44.01\00:28:47.30
Well what had happened
is, I was preaching verse 2
00:28:47.79\00:28:51.69
and that guy
was getting verse 1.
00:28:51.90\00:28:54.55
Let me explain it to you.
00:28:56.04\00:28:58.00
God began to open this up to me.
00:28:58.03\00:28:59.97
What a blessing it has been.
00:29:00.00\00:29:01.83
It says that the earth will
be illuminated with his glory.
00:29:01.93\00:29:04.81
That's a global
message. Yes or no?
00:29:04.84\00:29:07.07
A global
movement. Praise the Lord.
00:29:07.10\00:29:09.87
He'll be
illuminated by his glory.
00:29:09.90\00:29:13.19
And what is the glory of God?
00:29:13.22\00:29:14.59
I could give you a quote, but
how about a Bible verse instead?
00:29:14.62\00:29:17.04
Go with me to Exodus chapter 33.
00:29:17.07\00:29:19.91
Exodus chapter 33, as
we look here together.
00:29:19.94\00:29:22.78
Exodus 33, as we dig in
once again here this evening
00:29:22.81\00:29:27.55
as we talk about
the glory of God.
00:29:27.58\00:29:29.72
What is the glory of God?
00:29:29.75\00:29:32.70
In Exodus chapter
33, we see Moses here.
00:29:32.73\00:29:36.54
And in verse 18,
Exodus 33 and verse 18,
00:29:36.57\00:29:39.59
"And he said, 'I beseech
Thee, show me Thy...'" What?
00:29:39.62\00:29:43.82
"...glory."
00:29:44.19\00:29:45.62
And God said, "And He said,
'I will make all My...'" What?
00:29:45.87\00:29:49.32
"...goodness pass before thee,
and I will proclaim the name of
00:29:49.95\00:29:54.82
the Lord before thee; and will
be gracious to whom I will be
00:29:54.85\00:29:57.51
gracious, and will show mercy
on whom I will show mercy."
00:29:57.54\00:30:02.02
Notice chapter 34,
the same type of thing.
00:30:02.05\00:30:04.94
"And the Lord descended in the
cloud, and stood with him there,
00:30:05.24\00:30:09.00
and proclaimed
the name of the Lord.
00:30:09.03\00:30:10.44
And the Lord passed by
before him, and proclaimed,
00:30:10.47\00:30:12.94
'The Lord, The Lord
God, merciful and gracious,
00:30:12.97\00:30:17.14
longsuffering, and abundant
in goodness and truth.'"
00:30:17.17\00:30:22.42
Moses asked God,
"Show me Thy glory."
00:30:23.89\00:30:27.72
And what did God show him?
00:30:27.75\00:30:29.65
His what?
00:30:30.67\00:30:32.04
His goodness.
00:30:32.49\00:30:33.86
"Show me Your glory."
00:30:34.34\00:30:36.35
And He shows him His goodness.
00:30:36.38\00:30:38.89
Well, did God show
Moses what he asked to see?
00:30:39.76\00:30:43.55
He did.
00:30:44.38\00:30:45.75
He showed him His goodness.
00:30:45.78\00:30:47.45
These characteristics...
00:30:47.48\00:30:49.77
The word "characteristics"
seems to come from
00:30:49.80\00:30:51.89
the word "character."
00:30:51.92\00:30:53.72
These characteristics
of what God is like.
00:30:53.75\00:30:57.23
My friends, the glory of God
is definitively His character.
00:30:58.16\00:31:04.33
Now the angel that
comes down, this is a movement
00:31:05.74\00:31:08.23
among God's people.
00:31:08.26\00:31:09.70
And the earth is
lightened with his glory.
00:31:09.73\00:31:11.80
This is the glory of God.
00:31:11.83\00:31:13.56
The character of God
lights the world with a combined
00:31:13.59\00:31:18.96
three angels messages.
00:31:18.99\00:31:21.99
You say, "So
it's not new truth?"
00:31:23.08\00:31:24.81
No, my friends.
00:31:24.84\00:31:26.39
The truth is going
to still be the truth.
00:31:26.42\00:31:28.56
Saturday is still the Sabbath.
00:31:28.59\00:31:30.15
The dead are still
dead until the resurrection.
00:31:30.18\00:31:33.04
The truths that we hold dear in
Scripture will not be changing.
00:31:33.07\00:31:38.20
No, not at all.
00:31:38.23\00:31:39.60
But, they may be reframed.
00:31:39.63\00:31:42.64
Could it be that God is calling
me, that's He's calling you,
00:31:43.63\00:31:47.83
that He's calling others
to begin to teach these truths
00:31:47.86\00:31:51.42
not just so people know
doctrinally what it says,
00:31:51.45\00:31:55.29
but so they know
more about who He is?
00:31:55.32\00:31:58.67
Oh, I believe that movement
is coming among our people.
00:31:59.76\00:32:03.74
I believe God is
leading us that way.
00:32:03.77\00:32:05.84
I know He's leading me that way.
00:32:05.87\00:32:08.03
I look here in 2
Corinthians chapter 4.
00:32:08.06\00:32:10.85
Would you go there with me?
00:32:10.88\00:32:12.31
2 Corinthians chapter 4.
00:32:12.34\00:32:14.46
It says here in 2 Corinthians
chapter 4 and verse 6,
00:32:15.56\00:32:19.60
2 Corinthians 4 verse 6 says,
"For God, who commanded the
00:32:19.63\00:32:25.67
light to shine out of darkness,
hath shined in our hearts..."
00:32:25.70\00:32:30.85
So this is a
reference to creation.
00:32:31.67\00:32:33.62
"The God who has commanded
light to shine out of darkness
00:32:33.65\00:32:36.97
has shined in our hearts, to
give the light of the knowledge
00:32:37.00\00:32:42.12
of the glory of God in
the face of Jesus Christ."
00:32:42.15\00:32:46.51
"The light of the
knowledge of the glory of God."
00:32:47.00\00:32:49.95
And what is God's glory?
00:32:49.98\00:32:51.38
His goodness, His character.
00:32:52.77\00:32:54.70
And we're going to see
that shining forth, my friends.
00:32:55.41\00:32:58.93
Praise the Lord.
00:32:58.96\00:33:00.52
Now, a light that shines.
00:33:00.55\00:33:02.78
Oh, today as I was
sitting over at the apartment
00:33:03.11\00:33:06.05
working on my sermon, rain
came through more than once.
00:33:06.08\00:33:10.23
It was a real hard rain shower.
00:33:10.26\00:33:12.06
And I thought, "This is good."
00:33:12.09\00:33:13.46
I carried the rocking
chair out on the porch
00:33:13.49\00:33:15.59
and I'm sitting there and
I'm thinking, "This is great.
00:33:15.62\00:33:18.33
I can work on my
sermon, I can study.
00:33:18.36\00:33:20.16
And I'm sitting
here and it's raining.
00:33:20.19\00:33:21.73
This is awesome."
00:33:21.76\00:33:23.14
You say, "Really, is it
good for it to rain when you're
00:33:24.08\00:33:26.35
trying to write a sermon?"
00:33:26.38\00:33:27.75
Yea, because I like to go
out and run and jog and fish.
00:33:28.18\00:33:31.11
And so rain is good
sermon writing weather.
00:33:31.14\00:33:33.86
Okay?
00:33:34.05\00:33:35.42
And so everything is going fine.
00:33:35.45\00:33:37.48
And then the
lightening comes; boom, boom.
00:33:37.59\00:33:41.57
It struck around me
several different places.
00:33:41.60\00:33:44.51
Actually kind of
scared me there once.
00:33:44.54\00:33:46.02
It was close,
really close right here.
00:33:46.05\00:33:48.62
And it reminded me of a
lightening storm I saw in
00:33:49.39\00:33:53.91
Taos, New Mexico where my
wife and I when we were first
00:33:53.94\00:33:58.59
traveling in evangelism.
00:33:58.62\00:34:00.06
Back before the
kids had come along.
00:34:00.09\00:34:01.77
And we were in Taos, New Mexico.
00:34:02.97\00:34:05.77
And at night, the lightening
began to come on the horizon.
00:34:06.47\00:34:10.31
And it was unlike
anything I had ever seen.
00:34:11.91\00:34:14.76
A lightening storm.
00:34:14.79\00:34:16.16
You could see for miles and
miles in the dry desert air.
00:34:16.99\00:34:20.90
And so we took
chairs out and sat outside
00:34:21.37\00:34:24.12
and watched the lightening.
00:34:24.15\00:34:25.52
It wasn't close,
but it was spectacular.
00:34:25.55\00:34:27.78
The trails of
lightening all over the sky.
00:34:27.81\00:34:30.76
And then it would
go completely black.
00:34:30.79\00:34:32.16
And then it would go again.
00:34:32.19\00:34:33.56
And I was reminded how
light shines out of darkness.
00:34:34.30\00:34:37.91
When that lightening
would strike, all of a sudden
00:34:37.94\00:34:40.98
you could see almost
as good as we can see
00:34:41.01\00:34:42.92
right now for a split second.
00:34:42.95\00:34:44.33
And then it's dark again.
00:34:44.36\00:34:45.95
Well my friends, the light of
the glory, the goodness of God,
00:34:45.98\00:34:50.12
is going to shine out of
the darkness into this world.
00:34:50.15\00:34:53.64
You see, light dispels darkness.
00:34:54.02\00:34:57.29
Darkness causes us
not to be able to see.
00:34:57.32\00:34:59.79
Darkness, that absence of
light, inhibits our vision.
00:35:00.96\00:35:05.20
And God says, "I want
to illuminate your vision.
00:35:05.23\00:35:07.98
I want you to see a
better picture of Me."
00:35:08.01\00:35:11.61
And as we do so, we're going to
see that more than we may have
00:35:11.64\00:35:15.04
realized, His character counts.
00:35:15.07\00:35:18.47
Oh, indeed it does.
00:35:18.50\00:35:20.03
Look with me here now in
Romans chapter 2 and verse 4.
00:35:20.06\00:35:24.50
Romans chapter 2 and verse 4.
00:35:24.53\00:35:27.58
It says here in
Romans 2 and verse 4...
00:35:28.48\00:35:30.87
This is a verse
that so often I would use
00:35:30.90\00:35:34.08
preaching evangelistic meetings.
00:35:34.11\00:35:36.21
My wife and I
traveled full time on the road
00:35:36.24\00:35:38.77
for ten and a half years.
00:35:38.80\00:35:40.17
We did over 70 full
message evangelistic meetings.
00:35:40.20\00:35:43.01
And it was so much fun.
00:35:43.04\00:35:44.78
We now are settled in the
pastorate and enjoying that
00:35:44.81\00:35:48.59
very much as our
family is growing up.
00:35:48.62\00:35:51.07
And what a blessing that is.
00:35:51.10\00:35:52.84
But look here, this
verse I shared so often.
00:35:52.87\00:35:55.22
This is another verse.
00:35:55.25\00:35:56.62
This is a humbling
message for me tonight.
00:35:56.65\00:35:58.38
You realize, this is the
second verse I'm going to
00:35:58.41\00:36:01.21
that I'm going to tell
you I preached in every
00:36:01.54\00:36:03.88
evangelistic series and read
right through without realizing
00:36:03.91\00:36:07.78
what it was saying.
00:36:07.81\00:36:09.18
Humbling message. Okay?
00:36:09.29\00:36:11.23
It says here in
Romans 2 and verse 4,
00:36:11.53\00:36:13.67
"Or despisest thou the riches
of His goodness and forbearance
00:36:13.70\00:36:19.05
and longsuffering; not
knowing that the..." What?
00:36:19.08\00:36:23.22
"...the goodness of God
leadeth thee to..." What?
00:36:23.73\00:36:28.93
"... to repentance?"
00:36:29.48\00:36:30.85
Wow, think about that.
00:36:31.60\00:36:33.64
I would preach this
verse and I would say,
00:36:34.02\00:36:35.81
"See, there it
is. We have to repent.
00:36:35.84\00:36:38.05
And God will lead us to it."
00:36:38.09\00:36:40.20
But what was I missing?
00:36:42.22\00:36:43.74
How do we end up there?
00:36:45.30\00:36:47.11
You say, "Well, He leads us."
00:36:47.14\00:36:49.06
But what is it that draws
us, that pulls us towards God?
00:36:49.09\00:36:54.50
The goodness of God
leads you to repentance.
00:36:55.74\00:37:01.27
So often, to bring people
to repentance, I would try to
00:37:01.30\00:37:04.66
point out their sins
even stronger and harder.
00:37:04.69\00:37:07.94
God does convict us of
sin, I'm not denying that.
00:37:07.97\00:37:10.74
But ultimately, what
is God's tool to bring you
00:37:10.77\00:37:16.18
and to bring me to repentance?
00:37:16.21\00:37:18.05
The... What? ...goodness of God.
00:37:18.08\00:37:21.38
His character
counts, my friends.
00:37:21.43\00:37:23.94
Right here at salvation,
right here at repentance,
00:37:23.97\00:37:27.60
the goodness of God leads
us, it draws us to repentance.
00:37:27.63\00:37:33.25
Now as we look at
these important issues,
00:37:33.28\00:37:37.28
I want to go back
to Revelation 18 again.
00:37:37.89\00:37:41.94
Revelation chapter 18.
00:37:41.97\00:37:43.99
It's where we
started here this evening.
00:37:44.67\00:37:47.18
And no, we're not done.
00:37:47.21\00:37:48.94
But let's look here
and see how this applies to
00:37:48.97\00:37:52.14
what we're looking at.
00:37:52.17\00:37:53.54
Revelation 18 and verse
1, "And after these things
00:37:53.57\00:37:56.72
I saw another angel come down
from heaven, having great power;
00:37:56.75\00:38:02.67
and the earth was
lightened with his..." What?
00:38:02.70\00:38:07.06
"...with his glory."
00:38:07.36\00:38:08.73
Let's unpack that.
00:38:08.76\00:38:10.13
You've got an angel; this is
a movement among God's people.
00:38:10.16\00:38:13.30
He comes down from
heaven having great power.
00:38:13.83\00:38:17.47
And the earth is lightened.
00:38:17.50\00:38:20.46
People are going
to be able to see.
00:38:21.29\00:38:22.87
The earth is lightened.
00:38:24.71\00:38:26.08
What it is that
enables them to be able to see?
00:38:26.11\00:38:28.66
His character, His
glory, His goodness.
00:38:30.37\00:38:33.66
That's right.
00:38:33.69\00:38:35.06
Now it ties in with
the three angels messages.
00:38:35.98\00:38:39.01
It says in verse 2,
"And he cried mightily with a
00:38:39.04\00:38:41.33
strong voice, saying, 'Babylon
the great is fallen, is fallen,
00:38:41.36\00:38:44.70
and is become the habitation
of devils, and the hold of every
00:38:44.73\00:38:47.35
foul spirit, and a cage of every
unclean and hateful bird.'"
00:38:47.38\00:38:50.28
So the fall of Babylon,
the second angels message,
00:38:50.31\00:38:53.48
is repeated here.
00:38:53.51\00:38:54.88
It's a combined
three angels message.
00:38:54.91\00:38:56.60
You find parts of
all three angels messages
00:38:56.63\00:38:59.55
here in Revelation 18.
00:38:59.58\00:39:01.23
But it's packaged in such a
way that the earth is lightened
00:39:02.59\00:39:08.50
with the goodness,
with the glory, of God.
00:39:08.53\00:39:13.16
This has been profound for me.
00:39:14.18\00:39:17.16
You say, "Well, it doesn't
sound like it's that big a deal.
00:39:18.54\00:39:21.97
What's the difference?"
00:39:22.00\00:39:23.80
Well, I was a professional
evangelist on the road
00:39:24.50\00:39:27.22
for ten and a half years.
00:39:27.25\00:39:28.68
My wife and I
lived out of a suitcase
00:39:28.71\00:39:30.84
preaching the Adventist message.
00:39:30.87\00:39:32.84
I've preached the
three angels messages.
00:39:32.87\00:39:35.58
I have seen
hearts and lives changed.
00:39:35.86\00:39:38.90
But I believe God is calling
us to present it in such a way
00:39:39.22\00:39:45.24
that we're not just teaching
the people the things on the
00:39:45.27\00:39:48.88
checklist that they need to know
to become part of the church.
00:39:48.91\00:39:53.11
I believe He's calling us
to show how the things that
00:39:54.35\00:39:58.55
the Bible teaches changes
their life and shows them a
00:39:58.58\00:40:05.72
different picture
of what God is like.
00:40:05.75\00:40:08.16
A better picture.
00:40:08.19\00:40:09.67
A picture of who He is.
00:40:09.70\00:40:12.76
I don't think
anything that I was preaching
00:40:13.40\00:40:16.20
needs to change,
doctrinally speaking.
00:40:16.30\00:40:18.75
But the emphasis, the
way that I would share it,
00:40:18.78\00:40:21.84
God said, "Okay, it's time.
00:40:21.87\00:40:24.69
I'm going to take you deeper.
00:40:24.72\00:40:26.09
And I want you
to repackage this.
00:40:26.12\00:40:28.50
I don't want you to teach
the topic of death so that when
00:40:29.09\00:40:32.92
you're done, they
know the dead are dead.
00:40:32.95\00:40:34.88
Sure, they're
going to know that.
00:40:34.91\00:40:36.32
But I want you to
teach the topic of death,
00:40:36.35\00:40:38.22
that in your showing
them that the dead are dead,
00:40:38.25\00:40:40.63
that they're seeing a better
picture of who I am and how
00:40:40.66\00:40:42.92
that's better than what the
error is they had been taught.
00:40:42.95\00:40:45.62
And when you preach about
hellfire, don't just show them
00:40:48.99\00:40:52.19
that the wicked
are turned to ashes.
00:40:52.22\00:40:54.37
That's not the point."
00:40:54.40\00:40:55.77
Sure, the wicked are destroyed,
but there's a lie out there
00:40:55.80\00:40:58.50
about what God is like.
00:40:58.60\00:41:00.60
That God is going to torture
people through the unending
00:41:00.63\00:41:04.85
ceaseless ages of eternity.
00:41:04.88\00:41:07.16
And God says,
"That's not what I'm like.
00:41:07.19\00:41:09.10
Go tell the world
the truth about Me."
00:41:09.13\00:41:11.58
That's what being a witness
is, is telling the truth.
00:41:11.61\00:41:14.61
The truth about
who? The truth about Him.
00:41:14.64\00:41:17.42
And so, God is calling
me to share these things.
00:41:18.78\00:41:21.93
And you as well.
00:41:21.96\00:41:23.33
Now what I find interesting is,
I would read in Revelation 18
00:41:23.36\00:41:28.24
and I'd say, "This is
something yet to come.
00:41:28.27\00:41:30.23
This is before us, this is
a mission for us as a church."
00:41:30.26\00:41:34.35
And it says, "And he cried
mightily with a strong voice,
00:41:34.38\00:41:37.55
'Babylon the great is
fallen, is fallen...'"
00:41:37.58\00:41:39.43
And I thought, if we're
going to fulfill this message
00:41:39.46\00:41:42.28
of the fourth angel, this
loud cry of the third angel,
00:41:42.31\00:41:45.31
we've got to get more
aggressive at laying bare
00:41:45.34\00:41:49.48
the sins of Babylon.
00:41:49.51\00:41:51.30
And so I would get
more explicit, more direct.
00:41:51.33\00:41:54.81
I would get more quotes from
history and religious sources
00:41:54.84\00:41:58.27
on these false teachings.
00:41:58.30\00:42:00.52
And I was missing the boat.
00:42:00.55\00:42:02.65
I was missing verse 1.
00:42:05.70\00:42:07.66
Verse 2 doesn't
happen without verse 1.
00:42:08.86\00:42:12.37
Do you know why people
see that Babylon is fallen?
00:42:14.34\00:42:17.77
Because as they have a better
picture of what God is like,
00:42:18.30\00:42:22.31
through the doctrines, through
the beliefs the Bible teaches,
00:42:23.20\00:42:27.28
the false teachings
and traditions of Babylon
00:42:27.78\00:42:31.12
are going to be seen as bankrupt
00:42:31.15\00:42:33.80
in comparison with the goodness
and the glory of our God.
00:42:34.26\00:42:39.98
And that's why we see in
verse 4, and it says this,
00:42:41.16\00:42:45.52
as we think about
how His character counts,
00:42:45.55\00:42:48.38
"And I heard another
voice from heaven, saying,
00:42:48.41\00:42:50.76
'Come out of
her...'" Who? "...My people."
00:42:50.79\00:42:53.62
My friends, the
majority of God's people are in
00:42:53.65\00:42:56.30
what is called
Babylon; spiritual confusion.
00:42:56.33\00:42:59.13
And it says, "Come out of
her, My people, that ye be not
00:42:59.71\00:43:02.17
partakers of her sins, and that
ye receive not of her plagues."
00:43:02.20\00:43:05.35
As God's people see the beauty
that the Bible reveals about
00:43:05.38\00:43:10.16
who He is, His glorious
character, His goodness,
00:43:10.19\00:43:13.84
His mercy, and His passionate
love, they're going to say,
00:43:13.87\00:43:18.64
"I want this. I
now believe this.
00:43:18.67\00:43:21.91
And one of the reasons I
do, yea the Bible says it.
00:43:21.94\00:43:24.48
And that's the
basis, and that's important.
00:43:24.51\00:43:26.52
But one of the things I
love is it shows me a wonderful
00:43:26.55\00:43:30.62
better picture of
what my God is like."
00:43:30.65\00:43:33.95
That's a message
we have, my friends.
00:43:34.61\00:43:37.08
That's a message God has
given to us to share with
00:43:37.11\00:43:41.82
a lost and dying world.
00:43:41.85\00:43:44.66
So as we look at this
angel, it's a movement
00:43:45.60\00:43:48.55
among God's people.
00:43:48.58\00:43:50.20
Is it the second
angel? Is it the third angel?
00:43:50.54\00:43:53.63
It's a fourth angel, but
it's repeating a combined
00:43:54.12\00:43:58.40
three angels messages.
00:43:58.43\00:44:01.82
Is this new light or new truth?
00:44:02.02\00:44:04.62
No, my friends.
00:44:04.65\00:44:06.02
God has always been
good and always been loving.
00:44:06.05\00:44:08.86
And His
character has always been
00:44:08.89\00:44:11.57
better than we can describe.
00:44:12.44\00:44:14.09
Yes or no?
00:44:14.12\00:44:15.49
And the truth's that
we hold dear are the same
00:44:15.52\00:44:18.62
that we've always preached.
00:44:18.65\00:44:21.04
But, my friends,
the difference is this.
00:44:21.14\00:44:23.88
Do I use Jesus
to preach the truth?
00:44:23.91\00:44:27.18
For example, do I share Jesus
enough times to make people
00:44:27.21\00:44:32.36
more open to the topic of
what the Bible says about death?
00:44:32.39\00:44:35.54
Or am I preaching the topic
of death in such a way that
00:44:35.57\00:44:40.90
when I get done,
they have a better picture
00:44:40.93\00:44:43.02
of what my Jesus is like?
00:44:43.05\00:44:45.05
That is the difference.
00:44:46.07\00:44:49.00
That, I believe, our
God is calling us to.
00:44:49.03\00:44:54.01
And so, what is this
glory that lights the world?
00:44:54.45\00:44:57.75
And how would this apply
to sharing the three angels
00:44:57.78\00:45:00.40
messages with people?
00:45:00.43\00:45:01.80
Well, let me ask you this.
00:45:01.83\00:45:03.20
What is the Sabbath truth?
00:45:03.23\00:45:05.85
Now it's
interesting, I've tried this.
00:45:08.24\00:45:10.29
You ask an audience of
Seventh-day Adventist Christians
00:45:10.32\00:45:13.45
what the Sabbath truth
is, and what do they tell you?
00:45:13.48\00:45:16.64
The vast majority will tell
you, well, that Saturday is the
00:45:18.02\00:45:21.26
Sabbath, not Sunday.
00:45:21.29\00:45:22.98
Something along that.
Not exact words, but that.
00:45:23.01\00:45:25.67
My friends, that is truth.
00:45:26.47\00:45:30.00
But that's not
the Sabbath truth.
00:45:30.20\00:45:32.65
That's not going to move people.
00:45:33.66\00:45:35.62
That doesn't say
anything about who God is,
00:45:36.38\00:45:39.10
just that bare fact.
00:45:39.13\00:45:40.69
I mean, here, let me
give you another bit of truth.
00:45:42.08\00:45:44.23
Let's see how
well this moves you.
00:45:44.26\00:45:46.13
Ten plus ten is twenty.
00:45:46.92\00:45:51.31
Did that really
get your heart beating?
00:45:52.61\00:45:54.31
It's the truth, yes or no?
00:45:55.86\00:45:57.68
But it's just a dry fact.
00:45:58.79\00:46:01.87
My friends, the Sabbath
truth embodies so much more
00:46:02.84\00:46:06.18
than the fact that Saturday is
the Sabbath instead of Sunday.
00:46:06.21\00:46:09.67
I mean, it
reaches back to creation.
00:46:10.53\00:46:12.73
It points to how
God made this world.
00:46:13.30\00:46:17.15
Not that it was
theistic evolution,
00:46:18.19\00:46:21.51
that God created
through a process of pain
00:46:22.31\00:46:25.48
and death and horror.
00:46:25.51\00:46:27.93
But no.
00:46:27.96\00:46:29.33
That our God made a
sinless world in six days
00:46:29.36\00:46:31.91
and rested on the seventh.
00:46:31.94\00:46:33.66
That He planned a date
day, a date day, a go on a date
00:46:34.11\00:46:40.75
relationship day with His
creation from creation week.
00:46:40.78\00:46:46.24
And that He loves us so much
He says, "I'm going to have this
00:46:46.89\00:46:49.40
special time
with you every day."
00:46:49.43\00:46:52.67
It points also, embodied
in the Sabbath, to how Jesus
00:46:52.70\00:46:58.78
as the Creator is
also the re-Creator.
00:46:58.81\00:47:02.07
And at the cross on Friday,
He said, "It is finished."
00:47:02.10\00:47:05.65
Just like He did creation week.
00:47:05.68\00:47:07.20
And He rested in the
grave over the Sabbath hours.
00:47:07.23\00:47:09.91
And on Sunday morning, He
said, "Now it's time to get up
00:47:09.94\00:47:12.69
and go back to work.
00:47:12.72\00:47:14.09
Now they're going
to need to mediator."
00:47:14.12\00:47:15.49
And we have a living Savior.
00:47:16.19\00:47:18.16
The Sabbath truth embodies
all of that, and so much more.
00:47:18.19\00:47:21.17
The mere bare fact that Saturday
is the Sabbath, not Sunday;
00:47:22.85\00:47:26.48
that's not what
we're called to proclaim.
00:47:26.51\00:47:29.01
At least not all.
00:47:29.04\00:47:30.41
My friends, we're called
to proclaim the truth about
00:47:30.44\00:47:32.96
who God is.
00:47:32.99\00:47:34.96
And that's why it matters.
00:47:34.99\00:47:37.77
You know, I like
to go to the gym some.
00:47:39.40\00:47:42.94
I was at the gym to work out.
00:47:43.33\00:47:45.46
And while I was at the gym,
I began to visit and talk with
00:47:46.71\00:47:51.44
an elderly gentleman there.
00:47:51.47\00:47:53.37
And we talked and he
found out I was from Mississippi
00:47:54.39\00:47:57.76
and that I went to
school some in California.
00:47:57.79\00:48:00.06
And he said, "What
are you doing though
00:48:00.09\00:48:01.65
here in Springfield, Missouri?"
00:48:01.68\00:48:03.28
I said, "Well
actually, I'm a minister."
00:48:03.31\00:48:05.93
And he said,
"Really? What church?"
00:48:06.37\00:48:07.77
I said, "The Seventh-day
Adventist Church here in town."
00:48:07.80\00:48:10.44
He said, "Okay."
00:48:11.37\00:48:12.89
A couple of moments went
by and then he started the
00:48:13.78\00:48:16.25
conversation up again.
00:48:16.28\00:48:17.65
He said, "Well, what's
different about your church?
00:48:17.68\00:48:20.12
I mean, every church is
a little different somehow.
00:48:20.15\00:48:23.01
What's different
about your church?"
00:48:23.04\00:48:25.22
Well, in the past
when I've been asked
00:48:26.52\00:48:29.98
what's different
about my church...
00:48:30.01\00:48:31.78
Seventh-day Adventist, I mean.
00:48:31.81\00:48:33.45
What's the easy
way to explain it?
00:48:33.48\00:48:36.11
Well, you know,
it's in our name.
00:48:37.81\00:48:39.76
Right?
00:48:40.41\00:48:41.78
Seventh-day; we go
to church on Saturday.
00:48:41.81\00:48:43.69
And Adventist; we
believe Jesus is coming.
00:48:43.72\00:48:45.93
I'm not saying
anything is wrong with that.
00:48:46.26\00:48:47.88
That's a fair way to explain it.
00:48:48.52\00:48:50.42
That's the way I
would usually explain it.
00:48:50.45\00:48:52.34
But after I'd had
this experience that I'm
00:48:52.37\00:48:55.03
sharing with you tonight, I
had to try something different.
00:48:55.06\00:48:58.79
I'd never really accomplished
much with that answer anyway.
00:48:59.72\00:49:03.01
Quite frankly.
00:49:03.04\00:49:04.41
Usually, the conversation
was over by the time
00:49:04.99\00:49:07.20
I got done explaining it.
00:49:07.23\00:49:08.86
I don't know if you've ever had
that experience as well or not,
00:49:09.73\00:49:11.89
but they heard enough, okay.
00:49:11.92\00:49:13.56
No, I said, "Well, what's
different about my church,
00:49:14.24\00:49:16.95
sir, is what we
believe about who God is."
00:49:16.98\00:49:21.70
And then I
didn't say nothing else.
00:49:23.89\00:49:25.83
And there was silence as he did
his thing and I did my thing.
00:49:27.09\00:49:30.26
Silence.
00:49:30.47\00:49:31.90
And finally, a few
minutes passed, he said,
00:49:32.69\00:49:37.74
"I know you're baiting me.
00:49:37.77\00:49:39.14
But I have to ask, what do
you mean what is different about
00:49:40.06\00:49:44.81
your church is what you
believe about who God is?"
00:49:44.84\00:49:48.35
I said, "Well with
your permission, I'd like to
00:49:49.01\00:49:50.76
take a few
minutes and tell you."
00:49:50.79\00:49:52.16
He said, "Well, go for it."
00:49:52.19\00:49:53.96
And I said, "Well, it's in
our name; Seventh-day Adventist.
00:49:55.50\00:50:01.98
The seventh day
points to creation.
00:50:02.01\00:50:04.53
It's the memorial of
God's creative power.
00:50:04.56\00:50:06.99
And the fact that God made
the world in six days," I said,
00:50:07.70\00:50:10.73
"we don't believe in
evolutionary teaching.
00:50:10.76\00:50:13.26
We don't believe that God
guided a process of evolution
00:50:13.67\00:50:17.68
which puts death before its
biblical cause, which is sin.
00:50:17.71\00:50:21.16
We don't believe that God
created through all that pain
00:50:22.31\00:50:25.39
and agony and horror and death.
00:50:25.42\00:50:27.40
We believe that God
made a sinless world,
00:50:27.43\00:50:29.70
like the Bible says.
00:50:29.73\00:50:31.25
But that God prized freedom of
choice above all other things.
00:50:31.28\00:50:35.90
He gave Adam and
Eve freedom of choice.
00:50:35.93\00:50:38.97
And they chose to
rebel against God.
00:50:39.72\00:50:42.55
And because of that,
that's why we have all of the
00:50:42.97\00:50:45.91
problems and the sin and
the agony in this world today.
00:50:45.94\00:50:50.39
But, God has that
Sabbath day there as a reminder
00:50:51.17\00:50:56.44
of His goodness,
His creative power.
00:50:56.47\00:50:59.40
And also as a day for
relationship with us."
00:50:59.91\00:51:02.67
And then I pointed to
the cross and how He said,
00:51:02.70\00:51:05.28
"It is finished," and
died on Friday and was in the
00:51:05.31\00:51:07.37
grave over the Sabbath.
00:51:07.40\00:51:08.77
And so I brought the cross out.
00:51:08.80\00:51:10.76
And I said, "And very
soon, Jesus is coming again.
00:51:10.79\00:51:15.13
He allows sin to run its
course and go just long enough
00:51:15.16\00:51:18.83
that every person
that can be saved will be.
00:51:18.86\00:51:21.60
And so that He
knows that sin will never
00:51:21.63\00:51:24.88
arise again in the universe.
00:51:24.91\00:51:26.77
You see, Nahum 1:9 says,
'Affliction shall not rise up
00:51:26.80\00:51:30.73
the second time.'
00:51:30.76\00:51:32.38
But God never removes
our freedom of choice.
00:51:32.87\00:51:36.68
He's such a
good and awesome God.
00:51:37.40\00:51:39.44
During the millennium,
as we go through the process
00:51:39.47\00:51:42.29
God has for us, then the
ceaseless ages of eternity
00:51:42.32\00:51:46.51
will role, and sin
will never rise up again."
00:51:46.54\00:51:52.67
And I said, "And even
when it comes to hellfire,
00:51:54.27\00:51:56.56
we believe that
there is a real hellfire.
00:51:56.59\00:51:58.73
The Bible speaks of it.
00:51:58.76\00:52:00.13
But there are so many verses
that many churches don't look at
00:52:00.16\00:52:03.49
that explain how that
the wicked are destroyed.
00:52:03.99\00:52:07.54
That they're not going to
be burned and tortured through
00:52:08.51\00:52:13.07
the unending
ceaseless ages of eternity.
00:52:13.10\00:52:15.48
That if God were to let
them continue in His presence,
00:52:16.34\00:52:19.53
they would be miserable.
00:52:19.56\00:52:21.07
They would have the
conviction upon them
00:52:21.10\00:52:25.33
that the weight of
sin was on Jesus in the
00:52:25.89\00:52:28.16
garden of Gethsemane.
00:52:28.19\00:52:29.77
And the revealing of the perfect
glory and character of God
00:52:30.00\00:52:34.97
would be agony for them.
00:52:35.00\00:52:36.77
And so God, in His
mercy, allows them to be
00:52:36.80\00:52:39.94
put out of their misery."
00:52:39.97\00:52:41.73
And I said, "And then there's
a perfect and sinless world
00:52:43.01\00:52:46.04
like there was
in the beginning."
00:52:46.07\00:52:50.27
And he was
listening to all of this.
00:52:50.83\00:52:53.12
This was a new
concept, a new approach,
00:52:53.15\00:52:56.91
for this man.
00:52:56.94\00:52:58.41
And he said, "I have
never heard it put like that.
00:52:58.44\00:53:01.78
I may come visit
your church some time."
00:53:02.49\00:53:04.32
I haven't seen him yet.
00:53:04.35\00:53:05.77
But he might show up.
00:53:06.31\00:53:07.84
But I was able to
cover so much more ground
00:53:08.50\00:53:11.94
in just a few minutes
with this fellow at the gym.
00:53:11.97\00:53:14.21
I wouldn't have covered it that
way in an evangelistic meeting.
00:53:14.24\00:53:16.85
Not that quick, not
that much all at once.
00:53:17.19\00:53:19.58
But I discovered that I was
able to share new things quicker
00:53:19.61\00:53:24.07
because the way I was
sharing them was not saying,
00:53:24.10\00:53:27.30
"What I do is right
and what you do is wrong."
00:53:27.33\00:53:29.92
It was sharing, "This
is what my God is like.
00:53:30.64\00:53:33.56
This is what my God is like.
00:53:34.56\00:53:36.41
And that's why it
means so much to me.
00:53:36.44\00:53:39.52
That is why it is so special."
00:53:39.55\00:53:42.71
Let me share a quote with you.
00:53:42.74\00:53:44.44
"The last message of
mercy to be given to the world
00:53:44.47\00:53:49.30
is a Revelation of
His character of love."
00:53:49.33\00:53:55.46
As we look here, that's Christ's
Object Lessons, page 415.
00:53:56.93\00:54:01.32
One of my favorite
books in all the world on the
00:54:01.35\00:54:05.82
life and teachings, especially
the parables, of Jesus.
00:54:05.85\00:54:10.37
You know, in John 12
and verse 32, Jesus said,
00:54:10.40\00:54:14.54
"If I be lifted up, I
will draw all men to me."
00:54:14.57\00:54:20.21
You know, Jesus came.
00:54:20.71\00:54:22.27
And as Jesus went around
and ministered to the people
00:54:22.30\00:54:25.71
of the world, we see His loving
character, we see His goodness.
00:54:25.74\00:54:30.96
And my friends, you realize that
Jesus said, "If you've seen Me,
00:54:30.99\00:54:35.02
you've seen the Father."
00:54:35.05\00:54:36.42
That He was showing us the
love, the care, the compassion,
00:54:36.45\00:54:39.73
of our heavenly Father.
00:54:39.76\00:54:41.49
His character counts.
00:54:41.52\00:54:44.05
And my friends, I don't
believe it's too far off
00:54:44.08\00:54:46.91
that the world will be
illuminated, that it will be
00:54:46.94\00:54:50.44
lightened with His glory.
00:54:50.47\00:54:53.34
Praise God.
00:54:53.37\00:54:54.74
As we look at these truths,
I think of another verse.
00:54:55.67\00:54:59.06
I think of Ephesians
chapter 4 and verse 15.
00:54:59.09\00:55:02.98
Ephesians
chapter 4 and verse 15.
00:55:03.01\00:55:06.46
It says it here, Ephesians
chapter 4 and verse 15.
00:55:06.49\00:55:12.29
Ephesians 4:15
00:55:13.31\00:55:15.21
"But speaking the truth..." How?
00:55:15.51\00:55:19.52
"...in love, may grow
up into Him in all things,
00:55:20.01\00:55:26.67
which is the head, even Christ."
00:55:26.70\00:55:31.00
My friends, it's time that
we speak the truth in love.
00:55:31.61\00:55:37.61
That we lift Jesus
up like never before.
00:55:37.64\00:55:40.21
"I can tell you that there
is one great central truth,"
00:55:41.51\00:55:44.74
listen to this, "to be
kept ever before the mind in the
00:55:44.77\00:55:47.14
searching of the Scriptures;
Christ and Him crucified.
00:55:47.17\00:55:50.31
Every other truth is invested
with influence and power
00:55:50.34\00:55:55.03
corresponding to its
relation to this theme."
00:55:55.06\00:55:58.72
The Faith I Live By, page 50.
00:55:58.75\00:56:01.03
"Every other truth," death,
hell, baptism, the Sabbath,
00:56:01.06\00:56:06.64
the second coming,
"Every other truth is invested
00:56:06.67\00:56:10.83
with influence and
power corresponding to its
00:56:10.86\00:56:13.95
relation to..." What?
00:56:13.98\00:56:15.75
Christ and Him crucified.
00:56:16.09\00:56:19.19
My friends, I
believe that God is getting
00:56:20.06\00:56:22.55
ready to do something.
00:56:22.58\00:56:24.08
And that is to reveal
His character, His love,
00:56:24.47\00:56:28.34
more fully to you and me.
00:56:28.42\00:56:30.31
I believe that we're going
to be changed more and more
00:56:31.45\00:56:34.29
as we think of
His love and mercy.
00:56:34.59\00:56:36.72
That we're going to be
changed from the inside out.
00:56:37.12\00:56:40.81
And that we're going
to see that while God,
00:56:41.75\00:56:44.52
He's infinitely good, and
we're going to think about that.
00:56:44.55\00:56:48.35
We're going to dwell upon
His goodness and His mercy
00:56:48.38\00:56:50.94
and character, and
it's going to change us.
00:56:50.97\00:56:53.40
And in turn, a message
is going to flow out of us
00:56:53.94\00:56:58.19
that doesn't come from us.
00:56:58.22\00:56:59.59
It comes from Him.
00:56:59.62\00:57:00.99
That flows then out of us.
00:57:01.32\00:57:03.30
We become conduits
to share with others
00:57:03.33\00:57:06.60
to light the world with
the message of the mercy
00:57:06.63\00:57:11.65
and the goodness and
the character of our God.
00:57:11.68\00:57:17.44
And my friends, what I
want to ask you at this point...
00:57:17.47\00:57:20.31
Is it your desire, by
God's glory, to be part of this
00:57:20.34\00:57:24.49
message that lights
the earth with His glory?
00:57:24.52\00:57:27.86
Amen and amen.
00:57:28.56\00:57:30.30