Welcome to Anchors Of Truth live
from the 3ABN Worship Center.
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Get Ready, Get Ready, Get
Ready, with Frank Fournier.
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Well we welcome you to
the worship center here
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in West Frankfort, Illinois.
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And we're so happy that each
one of you could be with us.
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And those of you who are joining
us by radio and television,
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we welcome you as well.
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And we're so happy
that our speaker tonight
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is Frank Fournier.
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Frank was born and raised
in a French Canadian home.
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And he gave his heart to Jesus
Christ when he was 25 years old.
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And he's been
sharing the Word ever since.
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He and his wife, Janet,
are so active in ministry.
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In fact, while he's
running a ministry in Colorado,
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she is running a
ministry over in Tanzania
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in a place called Eden
Valley Foster Care Mission.
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Now Frank and Janet
have three children.
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Their son Jason, who
is also a missionary,
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and two
daughters, Angela and Julia.
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Now Frank has all
kinds of experience.
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He's been president
of the Woodland Park
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Foundation in Ontario.
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He's been a Bible teacher
at Fountain View Academy.
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Director of the Riverside Farm
Institute in Zambia, Africa.
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This is a
famous mission outpost.
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And then he's been
executive vice president for the
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Outpost Centers of America.
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As I mentioned, he's in Colorado
now and is the president of
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the Eden Valley Institute.
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And in addition, he is
serving as president of ASI.
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And as most of you know,
this is a Christian organization
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of business people who
are trying to present Christ
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in the market place.
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We've been looking
forward to this series.
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Last year when he did
the key note address at ASI,
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I mentioned to someone
that we needed to get Frank
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to come here and
do one of our Anchors.
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And then when Julia
Oukina was here, she said,
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"When you get a chance,
you need to get Frank Fournier
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to do one of your Anchors."
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And I said, "Well you
know, I've thought of that
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and I think that's
a great idea, Julia.
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But everything is full."
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And then we had a cancellation.
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Jim Nix had to have
surgery and he's postponed.
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On his knee, I think it was.
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And he postponed until
the spring when he will be
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coming back with the
series on church history.
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And so this gave us an opening.
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And Frank has done everything
to change his schedule
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in order to be with us.
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Because when he finishes
this series, he will immediately
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leave and fly over seas.
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I'll let him share with
you where he's going to be.
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I'd like for us to bow our
heads right now and just have
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a moment of prayer.
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Father in heaven, we're just
so thankful for the opportunity
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to study Your Word.
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We're so thankful,
Lord, that You have given us
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the task of sharing
the gospel to the world.
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I thank You for Frank
and for his wife, Janet.
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And for their
family and their commitment
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to sharing the gospel.
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And I pray, Lord, that
You'll be with Frank tonight
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in a very special way.
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Pour out Your
Holy Spirit upon him.
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And may we really truly
get ready for the second coming
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of our Lord and
Savior, Jesus Christ.
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In His wonderful and powerful
and loving name we ask it, amen.
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Well before Frank comes, I'm
going to invite John Lomacang,
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one of my favorite people,
one of my favorite singers,
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to come and sing,
The Refiner's Fire.
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There burns a
fire with sacred heat,
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white hot with holy flame;
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and all who dare
pass through its blaze
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will not emerge the same.
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Some as bronze,
and some as silver,
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some as gold;
yet with great skill
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all are hammered
by their sufferings
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on the anvil of His will.
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The Refiner's fire
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has now become my soul's desire.
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Purged and cleansed and purified
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that the Lord be glorified.
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He is consuming my soul;
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refining me, making me whole.
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No matter what I may lose,
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I choose the Refiner's fire.
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I'm learning now
to trust His touch,
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to crave that fire's embrace.
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For though my past
with sin was etched,
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His mercies did erase.
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Each time the
purging cleanses deeper
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I'm not sure if I'll survive.
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Yet the strength
from growing weaker
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keeps my hungry soul alive.
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The Refiner's fire
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has now become my soul desire.
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Purged and cleansed and purified
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that the Lord be glorified.
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He is consuming my soul;
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refining me, making me whole.
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No matter what I may lose,
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I choose the Refiner's fire.
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Choose the Refiner's fire.
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Good evening, everyone.
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Nice to see your smiling faces.
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I trust we're going to have
a tremendous blessing tonight.
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I'm going to invite you to
turn with me in your Bibles
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to Revelation chapter 6.
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We're in Revelation chapter 6.
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We're going to start with
just a short history here.
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As we all know,
on October 22, 1844
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Jesus entered into the
Most Holy Place of the Sanctuary
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for the purpose, according
to Daniel chapter 8 verse 14,
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for the purpose of
cleansing the Sanctuary.
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That's what He
was going to do there.
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But at the same time,
He intended that His people
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on earth should be purified.
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This was going to
be a dual purpose.
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This was going to
happen at the same time.
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And you can read about
that in Malachi chapter 3.
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In John 15 verse 3, it says,
"Ye are clean through the word."
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This is what it says.
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And so God sends His Word
in order to cleanse His people.
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Since 1844, He had a
very special intention
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in cleansing His people.
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His people were to be
cleansed by His Word, of course,
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but very specific words.
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We often talk about
the three angels messages.
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And I believe with all my
heart that the Lord sent the
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three angels messages
to cleanse God's people
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in the last days to
have a very special effect.
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These messages, if received,
if understood, if internalized,
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would form what we
see in the Scriptures
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in Revelation chapter 14;
what we call, the 144,000.
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These people, once they're done,
once they are formed by God,
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you can see in
Revelation chapter 14 verse 1,
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they have the Father's
name written in their foreheads.
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They have God's
character formed in them.
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It's amazing.
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Now this is what God is
looking to do for His people
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in the last days.
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And I wish that as a people, we
would look at this more often.
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Because we need to
understand where God is going
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if we're ever going
to cooperate with Him.
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We need to cooperate with Him.
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Secondly, it says there that
we are going to sing a new song.
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It's a new song because
this song has never been sung
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by anyone in this world before.
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It's a song of victory
such as no man has ever
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experience before.
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And again, we need to have that
in our hearts and in our minds.
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This is where God is leading us.
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This is where we want to go to.
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This is where He's
been wanting to bring us.
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Thirdly, it says that
they are undefiled with women.
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Now we understand
that "women," in so far as
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Bible symbol is
concerned, represents a church.
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If it's a good woman,
then it's a good church.
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And if it's a
defiled woman, then obviously
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it's a bad church.
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And these people are
not corrupted with the
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false doctrines, the
doctrines of false churches.
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Fourthly, it says
that they follow the Lamb
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whithersoever He goes.
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Now of course, Jesus
isn't here in this day and age.
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But if He was here,
would you follow Him?
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Would you go where He goes?
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Would you do as He does?
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This is the kind of
people we're looking at.
00:12:06.14\00:12:08.47
And fifth, they have no guile.
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They're childlike.
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They're innocent in heart.
00:12:13.71\00:12:15.18
They're clean, they're pure.
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This is the kind
of people they are.
00:12:17.69\00:12:19.93
And in the end, it says
they are faultless before
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the throne of God.
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What a beautiful picture of
God's people in the last days.
00:12:25.94\00:12:30.12
Once these people are
formed by the righteousness of
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Jesus Christ, once they
are formed, God fills them
00:12:33.96\00:12:37.50
with His Holy Spirit
and latter rain power.
00:12:37.53\00:12:39.93
And then they go on, according
to Revelation chapter 18
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verse 1, to enlighten the
whole world with the glory
00:12:43.94\00:12:47.61
of God's character.
00:12:47.64\00:12:49.32
Now, I'd like to
have that experience.
00:12:49.35\00:12:51.01
Wouldn't you?
00:12:51.04\00:12:52.08
This is our destiny.
00:12:52.11\00:12:55.73
This is the reason
that God raised the
00:12:56.26\00:12:58.62
Seventh-day Adventist Church.
00:12:58.65\00:13:00.08
There's no doubt in my mind.
00:13:00.11\00:13:02.23
Yet, it seems to me
that as a people, we've never
00:13:02.86\00:13:06.43
bought into this program.
00:13:06.46\00:13:08.11
We've never fully
bought into it, obviously,
00:13:08.31\00:13:10.68
because we are still here.
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I'm told that the Lord
would have come long ere this.
00:13:12.46\00:13:15.64
But why hasn't He come?
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Except that as a people, we
have never really bought into
00:13:17.32\00:13:21.28
what He had in mind.
00:13:21.31\00:13:22.86
Now this reminds me of something
like Moses went through
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in the wilderness.
00:13:28.50\00:13:29.53
You remember when Moses
was used of heaven to deliver
00:13:29.70\00:13:32.81
God's people
from Egyptian slavery.
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Two years after he delivered
them, two years after he
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was used of heaven
to deliver these people,
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they came to the
borders of Canaan and God said
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to these people, "I
want you to go in there
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and receive the land.
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Take the land.
I'm giving it to you."
00:13:49.17\00:13:51.06
Now you remember, the
people said, "Well, can we not
00:13:51.33\00:13:53.97
send some spies in there
to see what the land is like?"
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Now friends, they really
had no reason to go in there
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and spy the land.
00:14:01.53\00:14:03.01
It was enough to
have faith in God.
00:14:03.04\00:14:05.07
And when God says,
"Go in and take the land,"
00:14:05.10\00:14:07.21
we should have gone in
there and taken the land.
00:14:07.24\00:14:10.08
Right?
00:14:10.12\00:14:11.15
But they wanted to go
in because they wanted to
00:14:11.18\00:14:14.03
see what they were up against.
00:14:14.06\00:14:15.46
It's amazing to me, but it
seems to me they wanted to have
00:14:15.49\00:14:18.78
the last word.
00:14:18.81\00:14:19.84
They wanted to make the decision
00:14:19.87\00:14:21.54
instead of God
making the decision.
00:14:21.72\00:14:23.89
And what's also very interesting
is that you can find in the
00:14:24.07\00:14:27.46
Bible where God
says, "I want you to send
00:14:27.49\00:14:30.08
twelve spies in there."
00:14:30.11\00:14:31.58
So they asked to send
twelve spies; God commands them
00:14:31.61\00:14:34.64
to send twelve spies.
00:14:34.67\00:14:35.89
Why would He do that?
00:14:35.92\00:14:37.53
He didn't need to do
that. He could have gone in...
00:14:37.56\00:14:39.47
He told them to
go and take the land.
00:14:39.52\00:14:40.93
He would have
given them the land.
00:14:40.96\00:14:42.28
You know why He told them
to send twelve spies in there?
00:14:42.31\00:14:45.49
Because He knew that
they did not have faith
00:14:45.52\00:14:49.58
to face what they were
going to face on that side.
00:14:49.89\00:14:53.16
So He says, "Go in
and send some spies."
00:14:53.19\00:14:55.59
And then when they see the
giants, and the high walls,
00:14:55.62\00:14:58.55
and all the rest
that they see in there,
00:14:58.58\00:15:00.34
then obviously
they're going to lose faith.
00:15:00.37\00:15:03.42
And He wanted them to
lose faith on the right side
00:15:03.45\00:15:06.12
of the river, you understand.
00:15:06.15\00:15:07.83
He knew this was going to
happen and He didn't want them
00:15:07.86\00:15:10.16
on the other side of
the river to lose faith.
00:15:10.19\00:15:12.00
And so He allowed
them to send twelve spies.
00:15:12.11\00:15:14.80
Well when the spies came back,
of course they had a negative,
00:15:14.90\00:15:17.89
they had an evil report.
00:15:17.92\00:15:19.34
And the whole camp lost faith.
00:15:19.44\00:15:21.46
And with losing
faith, obviously, they lost
00:15:21.49\00:15:24.60
the opportunity
that was given them.
00:15:24.63\00:15:26.57
Now I have a question for you.
00:15:26.60\00:15:28.25
How long before God would
give them another opportunity,
00:15:28.89\00:15:32.40
do you think?
00:15:32.43\00:15:33.46
Thirty-eight years.
00:15:34.06\00:15:35.87
Now you add two
years to this thirty-eight,
00:15:35.90\00:15:37.96
that's forty years.
00:15:37.99\00:15:39.08
Now I don't know how
you compute a generation,
00:15:39.11\00:15:43.04
but it seems to me that forty
years is about a generation.
00:15:43.14\00:15:45.98
Isn't it?
00:15:46.20\00:15:47.23
Apparently, God likes to give
one opportunity per generation.
00:15:47.29\00:15:52.41
Now I don't know that this
is exactly true all the time.
00:15:52.44\00:15:55.23
But it appears to be
that way right there.
00:15:55.26\00:15:57.50
They were there one
generation and He waited until
00:15:57.70\00:16:00.30
that generation was past to
give them another opportunity.
00:16:00.33\00:16:04.03
And likewise, I wonder if
God doesn't do the same for us?
00:16:04.06\00:16:07.51
He moved from the Holy
Place of the Sanctuary into the
00:16:08.01\00:16:10.56
Most Holy Place of
the Sanctuary in 1844.
00:16:10.60\00:16:14.22
And then it was not until 1888
until He sent two young men,
00:16:14.25\00:16:19.81
Jones and Waggoner, with a
very special, a very precious
00:16:19.84\00:16:23.06
message in order to excite
the people over this issue of
00:16:23.09\00:16:26.58
righteousness by faith.
00:16:26.61\00:16:28.07
Because He intended at
that point to give them,
00:16:28.10\00:16:30.94
our people, to give us
another chance at going
00:16:30.97\00:16:34.05
into the kingdom.
00:16:34.08\00:16:35.33
But what did we do with
this most precious message?
00:16:35.78\00:16:38.34
What did that generation
do with their opportunity?
00:16:38.37\00:16:41.12
Well friends, we squandered it.
00:16:41.84\00:16:43.48
We negated the
opportunity by our unbelief.
00:16:43.68\00:16:48.64
That's what happened.
00:16:48.67\00:16:50.08
Now what I'm going to
say, we've had opportunities
00:16:50.11\00:16:53.48
at different
times since that time.
00:16:53.51\00:16:55.61
And I can't just easily go from
40 years to 40 years to 40 years
00:16:55.64\00:17:00.37
because it doesn't add up.
00:17:00.40\00:17:01.80
But I know a little bit down the
line the Lord raised up a man
00:17:02.00\00:17:05.74
by the name of A.G.
Daniells and W.W. Prescott.
00:17:05.94\00:17:10.22
And they brought back this
issue of righteousness by faith
00:17:10.26\00:17:13.25
to the church.
00:17:13.28\00:17:14.31
But again, we did not
take hold of this thing.
00:17:14.34\00:17:16.94
In 1950, the Lord sent
two young men from Africa
00:17:17.14\00:17:20.61
who addressed the church
and challenged the church
00:17:20.64\00:17:23.25
with the idea of
righteousness by faith.
00:17:23.28\00:17:25.14
And again, it was not taken up.
00:17:25.17\00:17:27.62
When I came into the
church in the early 1970's
00:17:27.80\00:17:30.45
and leading to the 1980's,
there was a huge emphasis
00:17:30.48\00:17:35.60
on righteousness by
faith in those days.
00:17:35.63\00:17:37.83
Men like Morris Venden and Bill
Lehman and Wieland and Short
00:17:37.86\00:17:41.92
and Margaret Davis,
and all kinds of people,
00:17:41.95\00:17:44.79
bringing a lot of emphasis
on righteousness by faith.
00:17:45.00\00:17:48.44
And some
confusing too, I suppose.
00:17:48.47\00:17:50.26
Nevertheless, the Lord
was trying to reach His people
00:17:50.46\00:17:53.57
with this idea.
00:17:53.60\00:17:55.02
And somehow we
either do not understand,
00:17:55.05\00:17:57.70
we did not receive it,
we did not internalize it.
00:17:57.73\00:18:00.99
I don't know what it is.
00:18:01.02\00:18:02.21
Whatever it might
be, we are still here.
00:18:02.24\00:18:05.32
And this is the year, what?
00:18:05.35\00:18:07.35
2013.
00:18:08.26\00:18:10.46
Are we going to say
with other unbelievers,
00:18:10.49\00:18:13.18
"The walls are too high."
00:18:13.21\00:18:15.01
"Our sins are like
giants in our lives."
00:18:15.04\00:18:18.74
"God's grace is insufficient."
00:18:18.77\00:18:20.43
"The bar is too high."
00:18:20.46\00:18:21.90
No, no.
00:18:22.56\00:18:24.18
Isn't it about time
that, as a people, we looked at
00:18:24.21\00:18:27.32
what God is trying to do
for us and we had faith in the
00:18:27.35\00:18:31.05
Word of God to go
ahead with His program
00:18:31.08\00:18:33.71
and not with our program?
00:18:33.74\00:18:35.24
What is it with us?
00:18:35.27\00:18:36.81
Ah friends, we
need to go forward.
00:18:37.21\00:18:40.46
Now obviously,
something is wrong.
00:18:41.07\00:18:43.27
Something is wrong.
00:18:43.30\00:18:44.33
Now as you know, we're
going to do a little series
00:18:44.36\00:18:46.53
here this week.
00:18:46.56\00:18:47.71
And the series is on
righteousness by faith
00:18:47.74\00:18:51.08
in relation to the
three angels messages.
00:18:51.11\00:18:53.51
It's an amazing title
and it's an amazing theme.
00:18:53.54\00:18:57.08
I don't know that this
preacher can do it any justice.
00:18:57.58\00:19:00.26
I'm going to do the best I can
with what I've got, for sure.
00:19:00.29\00:19:03.93
Ah, but it's a huge issue.
00:19:04.03\00:19:06.42
Because if God's people ever
got a glimpse of this thing,
00:19:06.45\00:19:09.15
things are going
to begin to change.
00:19:09.18\00:19:10.83
And you're going to have
to pray that the Holy Spirit
00:19:10.86\00:19:14.12
takes hold of this guy.
00:19:14.15\00:19:15.73
Now in order to start,
what I would like to do
00:19:16.13\00:19:18.98
is start by identifying
the problem that we're facing.
00:19:19.01\00:19:23.45
The problem that
we've had all along.
00:19:23.48\00:19:25.57
I've had you turn to
Revelation chapter 6.
00:19:25.60\00:19:27.92
This is where we
are, Revelation chapter 6.
00:19:27.95\00:19:30.22
You might wonder what it is
that these verses have anything
00:19:30.25\00:19:34.09
to do with anything.
00:19:34.12\00:19:35.19
But I'll try to make
the link in a minute.
00:19:35.22\00:19:37.94
We're in Revelation chapter 6.
00:19:38.48\00:19:40.42
We're trying to identify
the problem that we have
00:19:40.45\00:19:43.31
before we can go on
to identify the solution.
00:19:43.34\00:19:46.37
We're going to
start with verse 9.
00:19:46.47\00:19:48.35
"And when he had opened
the fifth seal, I saw under the
00:19:48.38\00:19:51.90
altar the souls of them that
were slain for the word of God,
00:19:51.93\00:19:54.98
and for the
testimony which they held.
00:19:55.01\00:19:57.20
And they cried with a loud
voice saying, 'How long, O Lord,
00:19:57.23\00:20:01.46
holy and true, dost thou
not judge and avenge our blood
00:20:01.49\00:20:04.51
on them that
dwell on the earth?'
00:20:04.74\00:20:06.55
And white robes were
given unto every one of them.
00:20:06.58\00:20:09.34
And it was said unto
them that they should rest yet
00:20:09.37\00:20:12.39
a little season, until
their fellow servants also
00:20:12.42\00:20:15.51
and their brethren that
should be killed as they were
00:20:15.54\00:20:18.63
should be fulfilled."
00:20:18.66\00:20:20.51
And we look at these
verses and we scratch our heads,
00:20:20.54\00:20:22.80
and we say, "Well, what is
that got to do with anything?"
00:20:22.83\00:20:25.74
Well friends, I read all
that, not so much because of
00:20:25.77\00:20:28.75
what it says in these
verses, but because of what the
00:20:28.78\00:20:32.10
modern day prophet
has to say as a commentary
00:20:32.13\00:20:34.73
to these verses.
00:20:34.76\00:20:35.81
Do you know that
she quotes these verses,
00:20:35.84\00:20:37.86
and then she jumps all the
way to Revelation chapter 18
00:20:37.89\00:20:41.78
as if this was a
natural sequence?
00:20:42.71\00:20:45.54
Now I've seen that and I'm
going to read that in a second.
00:20:45.66\00:20:49.52
But I've always
puzzled over this thing.
00:20:49.55\00:20:51.83
Why should it be that way?
00:20:51.86\00:20:54.27
So in seven Bible Commentary,
page 968, I read this...
00:20:54.30\00:20:59.24
If I could see it.
00:20:59.43\00:21:00.66
"When the fifth seal
was opened," this is the one
00:21:02.20\00:21:04.55
we've just read, "John
the Revelator in vision
00:21:04.58\00:21:07.77
saw beneath the altar
the company that were slain
00:21:07.80\00:21:10.50
for the Word of God and
the testimony of Jesus Christ."
00:21:10.64\00:21:13.57
Now watch.
00:21:13.60\00:21:14.63
"After this came the
scene described in the
00:21:14.66\00:21:18.01
eighteenth of Revelation, when
those who are faithful and true
00:21:18.04\00:21:21.85
are called out from Babylon."
00:21:21.88\00:21:23.79
Wow.
00:21:24.32\00:21:25.35
Now why does she do that?
00:21:25.56\00:21:26.95
I mean, she reads the
fifth seal and then she says
00:21:27.53\00:21:32.61
after this comes
Revelation chapter 18 verse 1.
00:21:32.64\00:21:36.81
And you have to
scratch your head and wonder
00:21:36.84\00:21:39.04
why she went there.
00:21:39.07\00:21:41.58
I mean, is
there a reason for it?
00:21:41.61\00:21:43.51
Well obviously, there
must be a reason for it.
00:21:43.54\00:21:45.61
And I have to speculate
here because she doesn't
00:21:45.64\00:21:48.78
tell us what the reason is.
00:21:48.81\00:21:50.30
But can it be even...
00:21:50.33\00:21:51.90
Well, let me go
somewhere else first.
00:21:51.93\00:21:53.93
By the way, if this is
so; fifth seal, Revelation 18,
00:21:53.96\00:21:58.64
what do you
suppose should come next?
00:21:58.67\00:22:00.29
Well the second coming, right?
00:22:01.20\00:22:02.58
It wouldn't be very far behind.
00:22:02.61\00:22:04.02
What is the next
seal, do you think?
00:22:04.05\00:22:06.05
If you look at the sixth seal,
and we're not going to read
00:22:06.08\00:22:08.84
the whole thing, but
you can start with verse 15.
00:22:08.87\00:22:11.42
"And the kings of the
earth, and the great men,
00:22:11.45\00:22:13.50
and the rich men, and the chief
captains, and the mighty men,
00:22:13.53\00:22:16.64
and every bondman,
and every free man,
00:22:16.67\00:22:19.21
hid themselves in the dens and
in the rocks of the mountains;
00:22:19.24\00:22:22.03
and said to the mountains
and rocks, 'Fall on us,
00:22:22.06\00:22:25.04
and hide us from the face of
him that sitteth on the throne,
00:22:25.24\00:22:28.40
and from the wrath of the Lamb.
00:22:28.43\00:22:30.19
For the great day
of his wrath is come;
00:22:30.22\00:22:32.91
and who shall
be able to stand?'"
00:22:32.94\00:22:34.58
Now what is this talking about?
00:22:34.61\00:22:36.14
It's talking about the
second coming of Jesus.
00:22:37.11\00:22:39.40
So we have the fifth
seal, we have Revelation 18,
00:22:39.50\00:22:42.86
and then the sixth seal is
the second coming of Jesus.
00:22:42.89\00:22:46.15
Is it possible...
00:22:46.18\00:22:47.44
And I'm not
saying that it is here.
00:22:47.47\00:22:49.18
I am not a prophet,
nor am I a theologian.
00:22:49.21\00:22:51.44
All that I can do
is speculate my mind.
00:22:51.47\00:22:53.96
Is it possible that God's people
were not ready at this time?
00:22:53.99\00:22:57.51
That there was a time
when Jesus intended to come
00:22:57.54\00:23:00.27
and God's people were not ready?
00:23:00.30\00:23:02.37
And so He was held
up, He couldn't come?
00:23:02.40\00:23:05.55
Well, I know that this is true.
00:23:06.17\00:23:07.67
Now whether it relates
to this or not, I can prove
00:23:07.70\00:23:10.55
that God's people were not
ready when God wanted to come,
00:23:10.58\00:23:13.75
when Jesus wanted to come.
00:23:13.78\00:23:15.11
And we don't have to go very far
if you just go to the next verse
00:23:15.14\00:23:18.47
in Revelation chapter 7.
00:23:18.77\00:23:20.52
And I want to ask you a
question before we look at
00:23:20.55\00:23:23.12
Revelation chapter 7.
00:23:23.15\00:23:24.70
God sends four angels
in Revelation chapter 7.
00:23:25.06\00:23:28.80
What did He send them to do?
00:23:29.19\00:23:30.75
To hold back
the winds of strife.
00:23:31.70\00:23:33.56
I'm sorry, that's not so.
00:23:33.59\00:23:35.67
Every time I ask that question,
that's what everyone says.
00:23:35.70\00:23:38.49
But that's what
they end up doing.
00:23:38.52\00:23:40.24
That's not what
God sent them to do.
00:23:40.27\00:23:42.75
And you can see
that in verses 1 to 3.
00:23:42.78\00:23:45.13
"And after these things I
saw four angels standing on the
00:23:45.64\00:23:48.86
four corners of the
earth holding the four winds
00:23:48.89\00:23:51.42
of the earth, that the wind
should not blow on the earth,
00:23:51.45\00:23:53.99
nor on the sea, nor on any tree.
00:23:54.02\00:23:56.24
And I saw another angel
ascending from the east,
00:23:56.27\00:23:58.93
having the seal
of the living God.
00:23:58.96\00:24:00.88
And he cried with a loud
voice to the four angels,
00:24:00.91\00:24:03.49
to whom it was given to," watch,
"hurt the earth and the sea,
00:24:03.52\00:24:08.51
saying, 'Hurt not the earth,
neither the sea, nor the trees,
00:24:08.54\00:24:11.66
till we have sealed the servants
of our God in their foreheads.'"
00:24:11.69\00:24:16.89
What did He send them to do?
00:24:16.92\00:24:18.45
He sent them to
destroy the earth.
00:24:18.86\00:24:20.90
Jesus was coming and He was
going to destroy everything.
00:24:20.93\00:24:24.41
This is what this is all about.
00:24:24.44\00:24:25.97
You can see a parallel passage
to this in Ezekiel chapter 9.
00:24:26.00\00:24:30.13
In Ezekiel chapter 9,
the Lord says to six men with
00:24:30.34\00:24:33.53
destroying weapons in
their hands, "Go to Jerusalem."
00:24:33.56\00:24:36.77
And to one of them He says...
00:24:36.90\00:24:38.19
The one dressed in
linen, which represents Jesus.
00:24:38.22\00:24:41.44
He has a writers
ink horn in his hand.
00:24:41.47\00:24:43.47
And He says, "Put a mark
on the foreheads of those that
00:24:43.50\00:24:47.04
sigh and cry for the
abominations that are done
00:24:47.07\00:24:49.84
in Jerusalem, in the world,
in their own individual lives."
00:24:49.87\00:24:53.05
And after this mark is
put in their foreheads...
00:24:53.25\00:24:55.71
By the way,
that's the seal of God.
00:24:55.74\00:24:57.63
After the seal of God has
been placed in the foreheads
00:24:57.83\00:25:00.31
of those who sigh and
cry, He sends the men with the
00:25:00.34\00:25:03.57
destroying weapons
to start at the church.
00:25:03.60\00:25:06.17
Start with the elders at the
church and destroy everything.
00:25:06.20\00:25:10.75
That's the end of the world.
00:25:10.78\00:25:11.89
This is the
second coming of Jesus.
00:25:11.92\00:25:13.74
This is the same
thing that we see here.
00:25:13.77\00:25:16.07
Yeah.
00:25:16.24\00:25:17.27
Jesus wanted to
come at some time.
00:25:17.34\00:25:19.58
But God's people were
not sealed in their foreheads
00:25:20.25\00:25:23.87
with the seal of the living God.
00:25:23.90\00:25:25.79
And so, what are
the four angels holding?
00:25:25.89\00:25:29.31
They're holding the winds.
00:25:30.67\00:25:32.10
Winds of strife.
00:25:32.79\00:25:34.10
Ah but friends, that's
not all that's held up.
00:25:34.13\00:25:36.76
God cannot send His Holy Spirit
until God's people are sealed
00:25:36.79\00:25:40.17
in their foreheads with
the seal of the living God.
00:25:40.20\00:25:42.90
The last
warning cannot be given.
00:25:43.10\00:25:45.29
The time of trouble can't come.
00:25:45.32\00:25:47.09
The seven last
plagues can't fall.
00:25:47.12\00:25:48.72
The battle of
Armageddon can't be fought.
00:25:48.75\00:25:51.03
And the second
coming is delayed.
00:25:51.06\00:25:53.60
Everything is on hold.
00:25:53.63\00:25:55.08
God is waiting for a
people to get serious
00:25:55.11\00:25:59.51
about their
Christian experience.
00:25:59.54\00:26:01.38
He's waiting for the
three angels messages
00:26:01.41\00:26:03.72
to take affect in the
hearts of God's people.
00:26:03.75\00:26:07.19
And this is
where we are right now.
00:26:07.92\00:26:09.77
The year is 2013,
almost turning over to 2014.
00:26:10.09\00:26:16.26
Don't you suppose
that it's about time?
00:26:16.29\00:26:18.67
Oh yeah.
00:26:19.82\00:26:20.85
Do you know that
there's something wrong with us?
00:26:21.09\00:26:23.80
Yeah.
00:26:23.83\00:26:24.86
If we had to ask ourselves,
"Is there anywhere in the Bible
00:26:24.89\00:26:29.44
that describes what's wrong
with God's last day people,"
00:26:29.47\00:26:32.90
where would you go?
00:26:32.93\00:26:33.96
Well you know already, right?
00:26:35.96\00:26:37.41
The Laodicean church.
00:26:37.86\00:26:39.05
Turn with me to
Revelation chapter 3.
00:26:39.08\00:26:41.61
Revelation chapter 3.
00:26:41.64\00:26:43.65
We're going to cut to the chase.
00:26:44.67\00:26:46.20
We're going to go
straight to verse 17
00:26:46.23\00:26:48.24
in Revelation chapter 3.
00:26:48.44\00:26:51.11
"Because you say, 'I am rich,'"
00:26:51.72\00:26:54.50
spiritually rich,
"and increased with goods,
00:26:55.36\00:26:57.99
and have need of nothing;'
and knowest not that thou art
00:26:58.02\00:27:00.78
wretched, and miserable,
and poor, and blind, and naked."
00:27:00.81\00:27:05.77
Now I want you to
notice something in this verse.
00:27:05.80\00:27:08.23
The word "Laodicea"
means, "God's people judged,"
00:27:08.26\00:27:11.89
or, "people judged."
00:27:11.92\00:27:13.42
Did you notice that in the
verse, there are two judges?
00:27:13.73\00:27:16.36
We are judging ourselves.
00:27:17.36\00:27:19.92
And we say we're in good shape.
00:27:19.95\00:27:21.68
Rich and increased with
good, and in need of nothing.
00:27:21.78\00:27:24.06
"We are God's true people.
00:27:24.09\00:27:25.74
We have the truth."
00:27:25.77\00:27:27.10
And we could look at
all the other denominations,
00:27:27.13\00:27:29.14
or many of the other
denominations, and say,
00:27:29.17\00:27:32.14
"These people don't know
what they're talking about.
00:27:32.17\00:27:34.18
They don't know
the Bible as we do.
00:27:34.21\00:27:36.03
We are in good shape."
00:27:36.06\00:27:37.99
And Jesus turns
around and says, "No.
00:27:38.38\00:27:41.03
You are spiritually poor.
00:27:41.58\00:27:43.62
You are spiritually blind.
00:27:43.65\00:27:45.17
You are spiritually naked.
00:27:45.20\00:27:46.69
You are miserable and wretched."
00:27:46.72\00:27:49.15
And we're like, "No."
00:27:49.18\00:27:51.52
And do you know
what the bottom line is?
00:27:52.26\00:27:54.44
"Thou knowest not."
00:27:55.50\00:27:58.22
Now there
couldn't be anything worse.
00:27:58.45\00:28:00.87
I mean, how big a
deception is this?
00:28:01.35\00:28:04.80
How would you like to
be naked and not know it?
00:28:05.66\00:28:08.21
Well that
wouldn't be very much fun.
00:28:08.51\00:28:10.16
Yeah.
00:28:10.32\00:28:11.35
And if you were blind
and you didn't know it.
00:28:11.48\00:28:13.84
You'd be walking
into all kinds of stuff.
00:28:14.04\00:28:15.96
How can it even be possible?
00:28:16.13\00:28:17.95
Yes, but that's what Jesus says.
00:28:18.17\00:28:20.47
That's the situation
we're in and we don't know it.
00:28:20.50\00:28:23.28
And friends, I would like
to encourage us this evening
00:28:23.31\00:28:26.40
to believe it.
00:28:26.43\00:28:27.54
Believe it.
00:28:27.57\00:28:28.60
This is the True
Witness that's speaking.
00:28:28.63\00:28:30.90
And we have to judge against
our own word and His word.
00:28:30.93\00:28:34.76
Who are you going to believe?
00:28:34.79\00:28:36.23
Yourself or Jesus?
00:28:37.55\00:28:39.18
I would like to
encourage us to believe Jesus.
00:28:39.41\00:28:41.67
Because He is the True
Witness and we are not.
00:28:41.77\00:28:46.15
Now I'm going to illustrate what
I'm trying to teach right now
00:28:46.76\00:28:49.79
with three illustrations.
00:28:49.82\00:28:51.24
If we have enough time, we'll
get through all three of them.
00:28:51.27\00:28:54.20
Turn with me to
Matthew chapter 24.
00:28:54.23\00:28:57.04
We're in Matthew chapter 24.
00:28:58.01\00:28:59.87
As you know, this is
that great chapter where Jesus
00:28:59.90\00:29:03.65
gives us all the
signs of His coming.
00:29:04.39\00:29:07.17
And He does an
amazing job of it.
00:29:07.40\00:29:09.32
We get to verse 36.
00:29:09.35\00:29:10.77
We're nearly to the
end of that chapter.
00:29:10.80\00:29:13.16
Let's look at verse 36.
00:29:13.32\00:29:14.80
"But of that day
and hour knoweth no man.
00:29:14.83\00:29:18.06
No, not the angels of
heaven, but my Father only."
00:29:18.09\00:29:22.17
And then Jesus, because
He's coming to the end of
00:29:22.55\00:29:24.73
the chapter, He
wants to illustrate
00:29:24.76\00:29:27.03
what He's been saying,
all that He's been teaching.
00:29:27.06\00:29:29.69
So in verse 37, we couldn't get
a better illustration than this.
00:29:29.79\00:29:35.33
"But as the days of Noah
were, so shall also the coming
00:29:35.36\00:29:39.47
of the Son of man be.
00:29:39.50\00:29:41.07
For as in the days that
were before the flood they were
00:29:41.62\00:29:45.15
eating and drinking,
marrying and giving in marriage,
00:29:46.00\00:29:49.09
until the day that
Noah entered into the ark."
00:29:49.12\00:29:52.22
Now tell me, is there anything
wrong with eating and drinking,
00:29:52.25\00:29:55.37
and marrying and
giving in marriage?
00:29:55.40\00:29:57.68
No, there's not
anything wrong with that.
00:29:57.78\00:29:59.97
Until eating and
drinking and marrying becomes
00:30:00.00\00:30:03.69
more important
than eternal realities.
00:30:03.72\00:30:06.04
And this is exactly what
Jesus is trying to teach here.
00:30:06.18\00:30:10.07
As a people, we are interested
in what this world has to give.
00:30:10.25\00:30:14.95
If you'll keep your finger here
and go to Matthew chapter 6.
00:30:15.26\00:30:19.25
Matthew chapter 6,
we're going to go to verse 31.
00:30:20.06\00:30:22.60
As you know, this is
the sermon on the mount.
00:30:22.63\00:30:25.38
The greatest sermon
that Jesus has ever preached.
00:30:25.41\00:30:27.84
We're going to look
starting with verse 31.
00:30:28.04\00:30:30.61
I just really am taking
a little side trip here.
00:30:30.64\00:30:33.57
But how important it is.
00:30:33.60\00:30:35.33
Especially in the light
that it's actually possible
00:30:35.43\00:30:38.55
to put too much importance
on the very things that are
00:30:38.65\00:30:41.55
needed in this
world, it seems like.
00:30:41.58\00:30:43.53
And more importance there
than on eternal realities.
00:30:43.56\00:30:46.95
Look at verse 31.
00:30:46.98\00:30:48.20
Jesus speaking says,
"Therefore take no thought,
00:30:48.96\00:30:53.04
don't worry yourselves
saying, 'What shall we eat?'
00:30:53.07\00:30:56.18
or 'What shall we drink?'
00:30:56.21\00:30:57.63
or 'Wherewithal
shall we be clothed?'"
00:30:57.66\00:30:59.78
Jesus wants us to
waste no brain energy
00:31:00.51\00:31:03.83
on clothing, and eating,
and drinking, and making money,
00:31:04.12\00:31:09.74
and having houses,
and all of these things.
00:31:09.77\00:31:12.71
Verse 32, "For after all these
things do the Gentiles seek."
00:31:13.16\00:31:17.87
Who are the Gentiles?
00:31:17.90\00:31:19.37
I think the word,
"Gentiles," means ungodly, or
00:31:20.00\00:31:22.97
people without God.
00:31:23.00\00:31:24.47
And so, if people have
no God, then they only have
00:31:24.50\00:31:28.10
one thing to think about.
00:31:28.13\00:31:29.32
And it's the things
that belong to this earth.
00:31:29.35\00:31:31.30
Right? To this world.
00:31:31.33\00:31:32.36
They have to worry about what
they're going to eat and drink.
00:31:32.39\00:31:35.01
They have to worry about
what they're going to wear.
00:31:35.04\00:31:37.50
If they're
going to have a house.
00:31:37.53\00:31:38.56
If their marriages will survive.
00:31:38.59\00:31:40.55
And if they're
going to have a car,
00:31:40.65\00:31:41.90
if they're going
to make enough money.
00:31:41.93\00:31:43.21
And if their
children will survive.
00:31:43.24\00:31:44.75
And, oh, there's no
end to the thing you can
00:31:44.78\00:31:46.59
worry about in this world.
00:31:46.62\00:31:47.89
But Jesus says, "Don't waste any
time worry about these things."
00:31:47.92\00:31:52.19
Why?
00:31:52.22\00:31:53.25
Well first of all,
because that's what people
00:31:53.31\00:31:55.57
without God worry about.
00:31:55.60\00:31:56.79
And we are not without God.
00:31:56.82\00:31:59.04
And the second thing,
in the rest of the verse,
00:31:59.61\00:32:02.40
"For your heavenly
Father knows that ye have need
00:32:02.43\00:32:05.17
of these things."
00:32:05.20\00:32:06.42
What's implied here?
00:32:06.90\00:32:08.38
Do you know what's implied?
00:32:08.99\00:32:10.27
That God will
supply all these things.
00:32:10.53\00:32:13.92
Well if God is going to
supply them, you don't have to
00:32:13.95\00:32:16.60
worry about it.
00:32:16.63\00:32:17.66
Yeah. Is it?
00:32:18.24\00:32:19.78
Yeah. It's amazing.
00:32:20.26\00:32:22.26
God is relieving us of a
lot of responsibility here.
00:32:22.29\00:32:25.80
God is relieving us
of a lot of worry here.
00:32:25.83\00:32:28.77
We don't have to worry
about the things of this world.
00:32:28.80\00:32:31.57
"I'll supply all of
that if you will focus in
00:32:31.60\00:32:35.30
on what I care about."
00:32:35.33\00:32:37.71
Verse 33, "But seek ye
first the kingdom of God,
00:32:37.74\00:32:41.55
and his righteousness;
and all these things
00:32:41.58\00:32:44.35
will be added unto you."
00:32:44.38\00:32:45.71
"Seek ye first the
kingdom of God to enlarge it,
00:32:45.74\00:32:48.52
and the righteousness
of God so that you can have
00:32:48.68\00:32:50.97
the character of Jesus Christ,
and I will give you everything.
00:32:51.00\00:32:54.43
You will have nothing lacking."
00:32:54.46\00:32:56.47
How easy is that?
00:32:56.50\00:32:57.94
Well I'm not saying it's really
easy to be just like Jesus,
00:32:57.97\00:33:00.79
because I have a long way to go.
00:33:00.82\00:33:02.69
But still in all, if that
is my focus, Jesus has promised
00:33:02.72\00:33:06.57
to supply all the rest.
00:33:06.75\00:33:08.11
Isn't that a fantastic promise?
00:33:08.14\00:33:09.94
And doesn't it relieve us
of a lot of worry over nothing?
00:33:10.17\00:33:14.55
Let's go back to
Matthew chapter 24.
00:33:15.08\00:33:17.70
The people in the days
of Noah were just like that.
00:33:18.71\00:33:21.28
They were focused on this world
and the things of this world.
00:33:21.31\00:33:25.63
And God wanted to take
care of them and have them
00:33:25.84\00:33:29.16
focus on eternal realities.
00:33:29.19\00:33:31.87
Well, we're
looking at verse 39 now.
00:33:31.90\00:33:34.47
Notice the first three words.
00:33:34.72\00:33:36.41
"And knew not..."
00:33:36.44\00:33:38.37
Hmm.
00:33:38.77\00:33:39.80
"And knew not until the flood
came, and took them all away;
00:33:39.83\00:33:44.19
so shall also the
coming of the Son of man be."
00:33:44.22\00:33:48.17
And so, what will be wrong with
God's people in the last days?
00:33:48.20\00:33:52.17
The same thing that
was wrong with the people
00:33:52.20\00:33:54.71
in the days of Noah.
00:33:54.74\00:33:56.55
They knew not.
00:33:56.76\00:33:58.13
"Thou knowest not."
00:33:58.16\00:34:00.43
Now what is it that the people
in the days of Noah didn't know?
00:34:00.46\00:34:03.67
That there would be a flood?
00:34:03.95\00:34:05.22
Oh no, they knew that
there would be a flood.
00:34:05.25\00:34:07.36
Noah, for 120 years, preached
that there was coming a flood.
00:34:08.01\00:34:12.85
And he backed up all
his preaching by building
00:34:12.88\00:34:16.73
a huge boat on top of a
dry hill in a land that had
00:34:16.76\00:34:20.59
never seen rain.
00:34:20.62\00:34:21.75
He believe it, there
was no doubt about it.
00:34:22.26\00:34:24.23
His sermon was
backed up with action.
00:34:24.26\00:34:27.33
That's what it was.
00:34:27.74\00:34:28.86
The people knew that
there was going to be a flood.
00:34:29.04\00:34:31.12
At least they had heard
that there would be a flood.
00:34:31.15\00:34:33.14
The thing that they
didn't know was God.
00:34:33.17\00:34:37.28
They didn't know Him.
00:34:38.43\00:34:39.80
They had not walked with Him.
00:34:40.23\00:34:41.76
They had not been
heart to heart, arm and arm,
00:34:41.86\00:34:43.88
shoulder to shoulder with God.
00:34:43.91\00:34:47.07
He'd never had the opportunity
to rescue them when they
00:34:47.10\00:34:49.55
were in trouble because
they never turned to Him.
00:34:49.58\00:34:51.72
They did not know Him.
00:34:51.75\00:34:53.45
Now what's amazing, you
know if you think of faith,
00:34:53.48\00:34:56.27
God said, "If anyone gets
into that ark, I'll save them."
00:34:56.30\00:34:59.43
Now how much faith would
it take to walk up a gangplank
00:34:59.90\00:35:03.24
and go into an ark?
00:35:03.27\00:35:04.65
It wouldn't
take very much faith.
00:35:04.68\00:35:06.08
Ah, but that isn't the
issue. And we all realize it.
00:35:06.11\00:35:08.89
But to turn your back on your
friends, and to turn you back
00:35:08.92\00:35:12.04
on your family, and to embrace
a crazy man's wild prediction;
00:35:12.07\00:35:16.55
that's another
matter all together.
00:35:16.58\00:35:18.52
And friends, you and I are
going to face the same thing.
00:35:18.68\00:35:22.22
We are going to be asked
to turn our backs on family,
00:35:22.25\00:35:24.90
on friends, on wealth,
on property, on position,
00:35:24.93\00:35:27.41
on our ambitions.
00:35:27.44\00:35:28.87
And what for?
00:35:28.90\00:35:30.15
For a message that will bring
all hell down upon our heads.
00:35:30.18\00:35:33.50
Yes.
00:35:33.90\00:35:34.96
If you study
Revelation chapter 13,
00:35:35.33\00:35:37.85
you're going to see
that God's last day people
00:35:37.88\00:35:40.71
are going to come to the place
where they will not be able to
00:35:40.91\00:35:43.49
buy or sell.
00:35:43.52\00:35:44.93
Every earthly support
will be cut off, according to
00:35:45.17\00:35:47.95
Desire of Ages, 161.
00:35:47.98\00:35:49.86
And then there's going
to come a death decree.
00:35:50.91\00:35:52.85
Do you know how many
things we're dependent on today?
00:35:52.88\00:35:55.75
That we find support in today?
00:35:56.09\00:35:58.44
Why?
00:35:58.47\00:35:59.50
Everything.
There's no end to it.
00:35:59.53\00:36:01.34
You need gas
stations, you need a car.
00:36:01.56\00:36:03.93
You need, you know, we find
support in our own families.
00:36:03.96\00:36:07.63
We find support in our friends,
we find support in Wal-Mart.
00:36:07.66\00:36:10.64
We find support...
00:36:10.67\00:36:11.70
I mean, everything
that's going on in this world
00:36:11.73\00:36:14.43
we gain support from.
00:36:14.64\00:36:16.90
Every earthly
support will be cut off.
00:36:17.91\00:36:20.16
Now listen.
00:36:20.19\00:36:21.24
If you find support nowhere,
you're left alone to stand,
00:36:21.27\00:36:25.28
you and God alone in a world
that is trying to kill you,
00:36:25.31\00:36:32.15
are you going to
survive this thing?
00:36:32.89\00:36:34.50
Are you going to have
enough faith to believe that
00:36:34.53\00:36:36.25
God will carry you through?
00:36:36.28\00:36:37.85
How are you going to
get that kind of faith?
00:36:37.88\00:36:40.59
Can you see?
00:36:40.62\00:36:41.67
We've got to get it now.
00:36:42.92\00:36:44.52
We've got to be able to
believe that whatever happens
00:36:45.05\00:36:47.59
is the best thing that happens.
00:36:47.62\00:36:48.89
Because there's a
God in heaven who is the
00:36:48.99\00:36:53.79
orderer of all our experiences.
00:36:53.82\00:36:56.20
And Ministry of Healing,
417, says the only order is
00:36:56.52\00:36:59.74
that which His
providence sees best.
00:36:59.77\00:37:01.77
If we could see the
end from the beginning,
00:37:01.80\00:37:03.41
we would choose no
other way to be led.
00:37:03.44\00:37:04.94
That's what we're told.
00:37:04.97\00:37:06.01
If only we could
see, but we can't see.
00:37:06.04\00:37:07.93
But we can live by faith.
00:37:07.96\00:37:09.41
We can trust Him who can see.
00:37:09.63\00:37:11.64
And the thing that's happening
to you is the best thing that
00:37:11.67\00:37:14.17
can be happening to you.
00:37:14.20\00:37:15.23
Because God is
behind the curtain.
00:37:15.26\00:37:18.05
And He's organizing everything.
00:37:18.25\00:37:19.82
He's preparing us for
a time that is coming.
00:37:19.85\00:37:21.92
And it's going to be rough time.
00:37:22.21\00:37:23.61
As far as I can tell,
it's going to be a rough time.
00:37:23.64\00:37:27.29
It's a very
practical thing, this thing.
00:37:27.99\00:37:30.11
You know, somebody
mentioned that I...
00:37:31.21\00:37:33.69
No, maybe not.
00:37:33.72\00:37:34.85
Let me mention
it now, in any case.
00:37:34.88\00:37:36.66
I worked for nine and a
half years in the mines.
00:37:37.00\00:37:40.25
Nickel and copper mines in
Sudbury, Ontario in Canada.
00:37:41.12\00:37:45.36
Do you know that I
was making $100 a day
00:37:47.15\00:37:49.96
working in the
mines 40 years ago?
00:37:49.99\00:37:52.07
Now that might not
seem like a lot today.
00:37:52.10\00:37:53.84
I don't know because I haven't
made that kind of money since.
00:37:53.87\00:37:57.58
Yeah.
00:37:57.91\00:37:58.94
I built a house
when I was 20 years old.
00:37:58.97\00:38:00.87
I married my wife when I was 20.
00:38:00.90\00:38:02.46
And I was able to bring her into
a house that was already built.
00:38:02.49\00:38:05.27
20 years old, I had a
new car in the driveway.
00:38:05.78\00:38:07.94
I had the toys of the age.
00:38:07.97\00:38:09.50
Hunting and fishing equipment.
00:38:09.53\00:38:10.70
That's what it was, you know.
00:38:10.73\00:38:12.84
And when I turned my
sights to the Word of God
00:38:12.92\00:38:16.60
and to God Himself, He
tapped me on the shoulder
00:38:16.63\00:38:19.30
and He said, "I want you to come
and sell everything you have.
00:38:19.33\00:38:22.58
Come and follow Me."
00:38:22.61\00:38:23.70
And I did it.
00:38:23.73\00:38:24.76
And I joined a little work;
Outpost Centers International.
00:38:24.79\00:38:27.96
And in this little work,
do you know what I was getting
00:38:28.16\00:38:30.32
for a stipend for
about seven years?
00:38:30.35\00:38:33.06
Twenty dollars a month.
00:38:33.72\00:38:35.21
Now, is there a difference
between $100 a day and
00:38:35.47\00:38:38.17
$20 a month?
00:38:38.20\00:38:39.34
Ah, yes.
00:38:40.08\00:38:41.51
There's a difference.
00:38:41.54\00:38:42.67
But do you know that I
have never lacked anything?
00:38:42.70\00:38:45.89
I have been in
this work for 38 years.
00:38:45.92\00:38:49.42
And I still stand; I'm not very
fat, but I'm still standing.
00:38:49.45\00:38:52.82
Yeah.
00:38:53.75\00:38:54.85
The Lord is good.
00:38:55.87\00:38:56.92
Now, I have tasted
and I have experienced it.
00:38:57.12\00:39:00.62
And the Lord has had to rescue
me out of all kinds of troubles.
00:39:00.65\00:39:04.64
And I know that
the Lord is good.
00:39:05.03\00:39:07.46
Well what happens to
an individual whose whole
00:39:07.71\00:39:10.78
Christian
experience is intellectual?
00:39:10.81\00:39:13.13
What happens to an
individual who has never
00:39:14.05\00:39:16.26
tried God's promises?
00:39:16.29\00:39:18.22
Who has never had
to be rescued by Jesus?
00:39:18.25\00:39:20.62
Who has never
known His faithfulness?
00:39:20.65\00:39:22.72
They won't be able to trust Him.
00:39:23.31\00:39:24.91
We can't wait until that day.
00:39:25.18\00:39:27.88
We've got to
walk with Jesus now.
00:39:27.91\00:39:30.17
Because right
now we're in trouble.
00:39:31.49\00:39:33.73
"Thou knowest not."
00:39:34.09\00:39:36.84
Illustration number two.
00:39:37.28\00:39:38.68
Turn with me to Luke chapter 19.
00:39:38.71\00:39:41.23
Luke chapter 19.
00:39:41.48\00:39:43.12
And we're going
to go to verse 41.
00:39:44.82\00:39:46.49
This is the Sunday
before Jesus' crucifixion.
00:39:46.82\00:39:50.16
As a matter of fact, it's
called the triumphal entry.
00:39:50.33\00:39:53.35
He's sitting on a donkey.
00:39:53.38\00:39:54.75
And He's climbing a little hill.
00:39:54.94\00:39:56.85
People are
throwing palm branches and
00:39:56.88\00:39:59.39
their jackets on the ground.
00:39:59.42\00:40:01.00
They're going to
proclaim Him king.
00:40:01.03\00:40:02.86
And as He crests the
hill looking over Jerusalem,
00:40:02.89\00:40:06.46
He spies Jerusalem.
00:40:06.49\00:40:08.05
And all of a sudden,
He's convulsed with sorrow.
00:40:08.08\00:40:12.28
He's weeping such
as no man as ever wept.
00:40:12.55\00:40:15.77
And the people are scratching
their heads wondering,
00:40:15.80\00:40:17.83
"What in the world?
00:40:17.86\00:40:18.89
He's going to be crowned
king and He's crying this way.
00:40:18.92\00:40:21.88
What's wrong?"
00:40:21.91\00:40:23.44
Jesus is getting a
glimpse of Jerusalem
00:40:24.65\00:40:27.30
and He sees what's coming.
00:40:28.22\00:40:30.06
And He's broken
hearted by this thing.
00:40:30.16\00:40:33.26
Verse 41, "And when he was
come near, he beheld the city
00:40:33.75\00:40:38.60
and wept over it,
saying, 'If thou hadst known,
00:40:38.63\00:40:41.95
even thou, at least in
this thy day, the things which
00:40:41.98\00:40:45.61
belong unto thy peace.
00:40:45.64\00:40:46.94
But now they are
hid from thine eyes.'"
00:40:47.61\00:40:49.65
Could they have known?
00:40:49.68\00:40:51.10
Oh yeah. Did they know?
00:40:51.63\00:40:53.56
Apparently not.
00:40:53.59\00:40:54.65
"For the days shall come
upon thee, that thine enemies
00:40:55.33\00:40:58.25
shall cast a trench about
thee, and compass thee round,
00:40:58.28\00:41:01.69
and keep thee in on every
side, and shall lay thee even
00:41:01.72\00:41:04.94
with the ground, and
thy children within thee.
00:41:04.97\00:41:06.99
And they shall not leave in
thee one stone upon another..."
00:41:07.02\00:41:10.69
Why?
00:41:10.72\00:41:11.79
"...because thou knewest
not the time of thy visitation."
00:41:11.82\00:41:17.16
What is it they didn't know?
00:41:18.35\00:41:19.91
That Jerusalem
would be destroyed?
00:41:20.52\00:41:22.36
Well friends, they didn't know
Jerusalem would be destroyed.
00:41:22.39\00:41:25.25
They didn't.
00:41:25.28\00:41:26.31
Ah, He was telling them.
00:41:26.51\00:41:27.95
And I suppose He
told them more than once.
00:41:27.98\00:41:29.87
But who was He?
00:41:29.90\00:41:31.42
If a stranger came to town
today wearing a batter board
00:41:32.41\00:41:35.84
and it said on there that, "Your
city is going to be destroyed.
00:41:35.87\00:41:38.54
Escape for your
life." would you run?
00:41:38.57\00:41:40.76
Well probably not,
especially if he's a stranger
00:41:41.50\00:41:43.94
and you think he
has a strange message,
00:41:43.97\00:41:46.07
and you don't believe it.
00:41:46.10\00:41:47.26
And this is what
they were facing.
00:41:47.29\00:41:48.68
Oh, they knew Jesus.
00:41:48.71\00:41:50.12
There is no doubt
that they knew who He was.
00:41:50.15\00:41:51.80
They knew His
mother, they knew His father,
00:41:51.83\00:41:53.50
they knew His claims.
00:41:53.53\00:41:54.89
But the problem with that,
of course, is He made claims
00:41:54.92\00:41:57.85
for being the Messiah.
00:41:57.88\00:41:59.47
But He did not meet their
expectations as they thought
00:42:00.15\00:42:03.37
the Messiah would meet them.
00:42:03.40\00:42:05.04
And because He did not
meet their expectations,
00:42:05.07\00:42:08.61
they could not
believe what He said because,
00:42:08.64\00:42:11.06
obviously if He's deceiving
us here, then whatever He says
00:42:11.09\00:42:14.54
might be a deception also.
00:42:14.57\00:42:16.24
And so they could not credit the
words that they were hearing.
00:42:16.27\00:42:20.61
"He came unto His own,
and His own received Him not."
00:42:20.64\00:42:24.63
But friends, this is the point.
00:42:24.66\00:42:26.65
They were religious people.
00:42:27.04\00:42:28.56
They were God's chosen people.
00:42:28.86\00:42:30.77
They were Bible students.
00:42:30.98\00:42:32.83
They had been to
rabbinical schools.
00:42:32.86\00:42:34.48
They had been to the
schools of the prophets.
00:42:34.51\00:42:36.61
They were educated
in the Word of God.
00:42:37.21\00:42:40.65
But they
misinterpreted the prophecies.
00:42:40.88\00:42:43.38
They built up
false expectations.
00:42:43.41\00:42:45.32
And because He did not
agree with their expectations,
00:42:45.56\00:42:48.65
they rejected Him.
00:42:48.68\00:42:50.24
Friends, they did not know Him.
00:42:50.27\00:42:54.26
They didn't know who He was.
00:42:54.29\00:42:56.03
Oh He told them, but
they could not accept that.
00:42:56.06\00:42:59.08
And therefore, you
know what happened.
00:42:59.11\00:43:02.45
Now, do you think
this could happen to us?
00:43:03.12\00:43:05.50
Do you think?
00:43:05.53\00:43:06.57
Friends, it's not
that it can happen to us.
00:43:06.71\00:43:09.15
It's the very thing
that will happen to us.
00:43:09.18\00:43:11.32
There's no
choice in this matter.
00:43:11.35\00:43:13.09
God has always
operated that way.
00:43:13.12\00:43:15.88
He comes to His own, and
He comes always in the way
00:43:15.91\00:43:19.62
as to surprise them.
00:43:19.65\00:43:21.09
Why does He do that?
00:43:21.34\00:43:22.63
That's what happened
in the days of Jesus.
00:43:22.66\00:43:25.31
Why didn't He come
giving them what they expected?
00:43:25.51\00:43:28.69
If He had been willing
to overthrow the Romans
00:43:28.92\00:43:32.31
and come there as a king, they
all would have received Him.
00:43:32.34\00:43:36.80
But He didn't, did He?
00:43:37.55\00:43:38.72
Yeah.
00:43:39.34\00:43:40.37
In 1844, how many
people were disappointed
00:43:40.40\00:43:43.16
because they believed
that Jesus was going to come
00:43:43.19\00:43:45.81
October 22, 1844?
00:43:45.84\00:43:48.00
How many people lost their
faith because their expectations
00:43:48.03\00:43:51.65
were not met?
00:43:51.68\00:43:52.71
Why did He do that?
00:43:52.74\00:43:54.34
He could have told them.
00:43:54.56\00:43:55.65
He could have revealed it
before what was really going on.
00:43:55.68\00:43:59.44
But He didn't, did he?
00:43:59.47\00:44:00.61
In 1888, He sends two young
men with a very special message
00:44:02.09\00:44:05.79
on righteousness by faith.
00:44:05.82\00:44:07.40
And the people were
saying, "Well, how can He bypass
00:44:07.43\00:44:10.75
our leaders and go
to two young upstarts?
00:44:10.78\00:44:14.87
They're overthrowing everything.
00:44:15.22\00:44:16.99
That can't
possible come from God."
00:44:17.02\00:44:18.95
Well let me ask you,
if God had wanted to,
00:44:18.98\00:44:21.54
don't you suppose He
could have sent the messages
00:44:21.57\00:44:23.81
through G.I.
Butler and Uriah Smith?
00:44:23.84\00:44:26.68
Don't you suppose?
00:44:26.71\00:44:27.89
Yes, He could have done that.
00:44:27.92\00:44:29.41
And if He had done that, the
people would have received it,
00:44:29.44\00:44:31.96
probably.
00:44:31.99\00:44:33.02
Well why didn't He do that?
00:44:33.05\00:44:34.14
Wasn't the point for
them to get the message?
00:44:34.17\00:44:36.91
No, that wasn't
the point at all.
00:44:36.94\00:44:38.86
The point was to separate
the sheep from the goats.
00:44:39.05\00:44:41.80
The point was to determine
who it was that really had a
00:44:42.83\00:44:45.63
sensitivity to
spiritual realities.
00:44:45.66\00:44:48.23
The point is the
same in the end of days.
00:44:49.20\00:44:52.03
God is going to send us
a surprise that's going to
00:44:52.16\00:44:54.77
have our heads spinning.
00:44:54.80\00:44:56.84
And only those who
hear His still small voice,
00:44:56.87\00:44:59.95
only those who feel the
wafting of an angel wing
00:44:59.98\00:45:05.04
as it flies by are going to
be able to detect where it is
00:45:05.07\00:45:08.91
that God is going.
00:45:08.94\00:45:10.50
How spiritual are you?
00:45:10.94\00:45:12.46
How much in tune
are you with Jesus?
00:45:13.00\00:45:15.48
Do you walk with Him?
00:45:15.51\00:45:16.94
Do you know when He's
going contrary to expectations?
00:45:16.97\00:45:19.94
This is how
sensitive we need to become.
00:45:20.20\00:45:22.74
This is who we need to become.
00:45:22.77\00:45:24.62
We're in
illustration number three now.
00:45:24.65\00:45:27.57
Turn with me to Luke chapter 22.
00:45:27.60\00:45:30.76
We're in Luke chapter 22,
we're looking at verse 31.
00:45:31.44\00:45:34.56
"And the Lord said, 'Simon,
Simon, behold, Satan hath
00:45:35.15\00:45:40.02
desired to have you that
he may sift you as wheat.'"
00:45:40.05\00:45:44.11
"Simon, Simon."
00:45:44.62\00:45:46.39
God wants to send
a shaking your way.
00:45:47.85\00:45:50.18
Satan is the instrument.
00:45:52.31\00:45:54.10
And you're going to be shaken.
00:45:54.76\00:45:56.02
Was Peter shaken?
00:45:56.05\00:45:57.26
Oh yes, he was shaken.
00:45:57.63\00:45:59.89
Has God promised us
a shaking as a church?
00:45:59.92\00:46:03.15
What do we know is
going to be the outcome
00:46:03.59\00:46:06.59
of this church being shaken?
00:46:06.62\00:46:08.87
Do you remember?
00:46:08.90\00:46:09.93
The great majority
will be shaken out.
00:46:11.14\00:46:14.08
Whoa.
00:46:14.11\00:46:15.32
That's not pleasant, is it?
00:46:15.58\00:46:17.04
That's not a pleasant thought.
00:46:17.35\00:46:18.79
I mean, if this hall was full
packed and the great majority
00:46:18.82\00:46:23.17
would be shaken
out, what would be left?
00:46:23.20\00:46:25.65
In the days of Noah, I
don't know how many millions of
00:46:26.45\00:46:29.19
people there were, but
only eight entered into the ark.
00:46:29.22\00:46:32.21
Two million people leave
Egypt and how many actually
00:46:32.91\00:46:35.90
make it into the land
of Canaan from that group?
00:46:35.93\00:46:38.84
Only two.
00:46:38.87\00:46:39.99
Jesus comes to His own
and His own receive Him not.
00:46:40.55\00:46:43.54
A hand full of people
know who He is because
00:46:43.57\00:46:46.50
they're spiritually sensitive.
00:46:46.53\00:46:48.38
Yeah.
00:46:49.02\00:46:50.05
Fifty thousand people...
00:46:50.22\00:46:51.58
Somebody said
five hundred thousand.
00:46:51.61\00:46:52.96
I don't know how
many there were in 1844
00:46:52.99\00:46:55.34
expecting Jesus to come.
00:46:55.37\00:46:56.78
I don't know, but a
hand full of them was left
00:46:56.81\00:46:59.28
to go in the direction
that He wanted us to go.
00:46:59.31\00:47:02.43
What's it going to be
like in the last days?
00:47:02.78\00:47:05.24
Will there be a shaking?
There will be a shaking.
00:47:05.27\00:47:07.20
How many are going to be left?
00:47:07.23\00:47:08.63
I can't tell you, but I
know that the great majority
00:47:08.66\00:47:11.71
will be shaken out.
00:47:11.74\00:47:13.79
What's interesting is
that some will be shaken in.
00:47:14.68\00:47:18.43
And some will be shaken out.
00:47:19.53\00:47:21.11
Why? How does that happen?
00:47:21.82\00:47:23.76
In the story of
Jesus, Peter was shaken in.
00:47:25.47\00:47:29.15
Judas was shaken out.
00:47:29.98\00:47:32.27
Why?
00:47:33.27\00:47:34.31
Well, I've had to
think about this thing.
00:47:34.51\00:47:36.36
And I, you know...
00:47:36.39\00:47:37.60
You have to think, I guess.
00:47:39.50\00:47:40.93
And you have to form an opinion.
00:47:40.96\00:47:42.55
There's no doubt.
00:47:42.82\00:47:43.85
Anyway, just look at Peter.
00:47:43.88\00:47:46.00
Jesus had told Him
that before the cock crowed,
00:47:46.28\00:47:49.40
"Thou shalt deny Me thrice."
00:47:49.43\00:47:51.15
Right?
00:47:51.18\00:47:52.21
And when he did deny
Him thrice, the cock crew.
00:47:52.39\00:47:55.52
And what happened to Peter?
00:47:55.55\00:47:57.48
Do you know?
00:47:57.51\00:47:58.54
He looked at Jesus
and Jesus looked at him.
00:47:59.28\00:48:02.86
And there was a tear
running down Jesus' cheek.
00:48:03.25\00:48:06.85
What did it do to Peter?
00:48:06.88\00:48:08.31
Oh, it broke his heart.
00:48:09.16\00:48:11.73
But he read
something in that tear.
00:48:11.76\00:48:14.09
He read forgiveness.
00:48:14.59\00:48:16.11
He went out and wept bitterly.
00:48:16.14\00:48:18.00
And he went out and
repented bitterly also.
00:48:18.03\00:48:21.52
Because he knew
that Jesus loved him.
00:48:21.62\00:48:24.43
And he had broken Jesus' heart.
00:48:24.79\00:48:27.11
And it drew him to Jesus.
00:48:27.14\00:48:29.16
Ah, but Judas has
the same experience.
00:48:29.39\00:48:32.02
Judas was the one
that betrayed Him.
00:48:32.05\00:48:33.77
Do you know
that Judas came back?
00:48:33.80\00:48:35.66
And he came back
to the high priest.
00:48:35.96\00:48:38.41
Jesus was standing beside
the high priest a prisoner.
00:48:38.44\00:48:41.47
Probably His hands
were tied behind His back.
00:48:41.50\00:48:43.52
And Judas comes back and
he has a hand full of coins,
00:48:43.72\00:48:46.54
twenty silver coins, and
he throws them at the feet
00:48:46.94\00:48:50.06
of the high priest, and
he says, "I have betrayed
00:48:50.09\00:48:52.99
innocent blood."
00:48:53.02\00:48:54.13
And the high priest
said, "So. Who cares?
00:48:54.43\00:48:57.91
Do with it what
you want." You know.
00:48:58.42\00:49:00.04
Do you think...
00:49:01.32\00:49:02.35
And I know it's
not written anywhere.
00:49:02.69\00:49:04.52
Do you think there's
even a chance that Judas
00:49:04.55\00:49:08.59
didn't look at Jesus?
00:49:08.62\00:49:10.15
That Jesus didn't look at Judas?
00:49:10.18\00:49:11.89
Do you think there's a chance
that their eyes didn't meet?
00:49:11.92\00:49:14.48
Now I don't know that
there was a tear running down
00:49:15.08\00:49:17.42
Jesus' cheek, but I
wouldn't be surprised.
00:49:17.45\00:49:19.92
I know that He loved Judas
as much as He loved anyone else.
00:49:19.95\00:49:23.06
And so, Judas looks at
Jesus and Jesus looks at Judas.
00:49:23.58\00:49:28.02
And there's a tear.
00:49:28.26\00:49:29.57
And what's
happening in Judas' heart?
00:49:29.73\00:49:32.75
He's saying to himself,
"If someone had done that
00:49:34.64\00:49:37.26
to me, I'd hang him."
00:49:37.29\00:49:40.22
So he went out and hung himself.
00:49:40.58\00:49:42.50
Because he did not
see forgiveness in Jesus.
00:49:42.97\00:49:47.21
All the time that he was
with Jesus, approximately
00:49:47.34\00:49:50.74
three to three and a half
years, all the time that he was
00:49:50.77\00:49:53.58
with Jesus, he thought
himself superior to Jesus.
00:49:53.61\00:49:56.67
He always wanted to
tell Jesus how this thing,
00:49:56.70\00:49:59.15
how this little program should
be run so as to have success.
00:49:59.18\00:50:02.82
He was not going to
receive instruction from Jesus.
00:50:03.33\00:50:06.80
So he had no
confidence in Jesus.
00:50:06.83\00:50:09.05
He had never tried Him,
in spite of the fact that
00:50:09.08\00:50:12.23
they had been
together all this time.
00:50:12.26\00:50:14.42
So he had no basis
for having any faith.
00:50:15.82\00:50:19.61
Isn't that amazing.
00:50:20.31\00:50:21.48
Well, what about us?
00:50:21.68\00:50:22.99
We've got to have a
basis for faith also.
00:50:24.52\00:50:26.79
Have you tried Jesus in
the fullest sense of the word?
00:50:26.82\00:50:31.23
Have you taken a risk with Him?
00:50:31.66\00:50:33.55
Verse 32 and 33.
00:50:35.88\00:50:37.85
Jesus is still
speaking to Peter.
00:50:38.08\00:50:40.04
"'But I have prayed for
thee, that thy faith fail not.
00:50:40.57\00:50:44.35
And when thou art converted,
strengthen thy brethren.'
00:50:44.55\00:50:48.58
And he said unto him, 'Lord,
I am ready to go with you,
00:50:49.00\00:50:51.86
both into prison and to death.'"
00:50:52.37\00:50:54.86
Now something's wrong
with Peter here, right?
00:50:54.89\00:50:57.04
Yeah.
00:50:57.07\00:50:58.10
Do you know
what's wrong with Peter?
00:50:58.13\00:50:59.34
Well first of all,
he's not converted.
00:50:59.44\00:51:01.85
Now friends, you
have to understand what
00:51:02.23\00:51:04.43
this is saying here.
00:51:04.46\00:51:05.56
He was converted enough
to be a disciple of Jesus.
00:51:05.66\00:51:08.14
And you and I
are that converted.
00:51:08.17\00:51:09.96
He was converted
enough to keep the Sabbath.
00:51:09.99\00:51:13.00
You and I are that converted.
00:51:13.30\00:51:14.99
He was converted on many things.
00:51:15.02\00:51:17.13
And you and I
are that converted.
00:51:17.16\00:51:18.96
But Jesus could
come to him and say,
00:51:18.99\00:51:21.37
"You are not fully converted.
00:51:21.40\00:51:22.89
You are not converted
enough to meet the trial
00:51:22.92\00:51:25.06
that you're facing."
00:51:25.09\00:51:26.37
Are we converted enough to meet
the trial that we're facing?
00:51:26.40\00:51:29.38
That's what was
wrong with Peter.
00:51:29.41\00:51:31.19
And the second thing
that was wrong with Peter
00:51:31.66\00:51:33.56
was that he is unbelieving.
00:51:33.59\00:51:35.39
He's looking...
00:51:35.70\00:51:36.73
As a matter of fact, if
you went to Matthew chapter 16,
00:51:36.76\00:51:39.17
and you don't have to
go to Matthew chapter 16,
00:51:39.20\00:51:41.55
but if you went
to Matthew chapter 16
00:51:41.75\00:51:43.79
Jesus asked a question there.
00:51:43.82\00:51:45.85
"Who do men say that I am?"
00:51:45.88\00:51:47.74
And they gave Jesus a
list of men they thought
00:51:47.77\00:51:50.90
that perhaps He was.
00:51:50.93\00:51:52.14
Then He said, "Who
do you say that I am?"
00:51:52.17\00:51:54.56
And Peter said...
00:51:55.04\00:51:56.08
It's Peter that's speaking.
00:51:56.11\00:51:57.69
"Thou art the Son
of the living God.
00:51:57.72\00:52:00.19
I know who You are."
00:52:00.22\00:52:01.56
And it was so dead on
that Jesus could commend
00:52:01.59\00:52:05.15
Peter by saying, "Hey,
no man has told you this.
00:52:05.18\00:52:10.05
The Father in heaven
has revealed it to you.
00:52:10.08\00:52:12.14
You know who I am."
00:52:12.17\00:52:13.75
Well, did he?
00:52:14.09\00:52:16.05
We come down the pike
here, we come down later,
00:52:16.49\00:52:19.21
and now Jesus tells him,
"You're going to be shaken.
00:52:19.37\00:52:22.28
You're going to have
a... I'm praying for you.
00:52:22.31\00:52:24.06
Because this is
going to be rough."
00:52:24.09\00:52:25.57
And Peter says, "Well You don't
know what You're talking about.
00:52:25.60\00:52:28.19
Why, I'll go to prison
and I'll go to death with You.
00:52:28.83\00:52:32.02
You don't know."
00:52:32.05\00:52:33.22
Well can you face God, can
you look Him in the eye and say,
00:52:33.67\00:52:36.92
"You don't know
what You're saying."
00:52:36.95\00:52:38.76
But isn't that...
00:52:40.02\00:52:41.05
Yeah well, we're going
to see that in a minute.
00:52:41.08\00:52:43.70
The third thing that
Peter didn't know was himself.
00:52:44.38\00:52:49.65
He didn't know himself.
00:52:50.18\00:52:51.29
And that's obvious, isn't it?
00:52:51.32\00:52:52.83
So what's wrong
with Christianity today?
00:52:52.86\00:52:55.26
Unbelieving.
00:52:57.30\00:52:58.52
The True Witness comes
to us and says, "You think
00:52:59.02\00:53:02.43
you're rich and
increased with goods.
00:53:02.79\00:53:04.24
You're not, you're not.
00:53:04.27\00:53:05.59
You are spiritually
poor, you're spiritually blind,
00:53:06.01\00:53:09.01
you're spiritually naked.
00:53:09.04\00:53:10.62
Believe it.
00:53:11.13\00:53:12.24
Because if you could
believe it, then you would know
00:53:12.44\00:53:14.92
that you have need of My help.
00:53:14.95\00:53:17.21
You're not all that there is."
00:53:17.56\00:53:19.62
The second thing is that they
don't, we don't, know ourselves.
00:53:20.30\00:53:25.57
We're facing
something and we don't know how
00:53:25.74\00:53:28.18
we're going to
come through this thing.
00:53:28.21\00:53:29.93
And we will not
come through this thing
00:53:30.20\00:53:32.08
any better than Peter.
00:53:32.11\00:53:33.52
And hopefully we'll come through
this thing better than Judas.
00:53:33.55\00:53:36.67
Ah friends, we need God's help.
00:53:37.17\00:53:39.84
Don't you think?
00:53:39.87\00:53:40.94
The third thing
that we don't know
00:53:41.13\00:53:43.18
is that we're not converted.
00:53:43.81\00:53:45.45
If you'll turn with me
to Revelation chapter 3.
00:53:45.80\00:53:48.72
Now some of you are going
to say, "Now wait a minute.
00:53:49.11\00:53:50.83
That's going too far."
00:53:50.86\00:53:51.99
"No, no."
00:53:52.56\00:53:53.63
Turn with me to
Revelation chapter 3.
00:53:53.83\00:53:55.78
We're in the
Laodicean message here.
00:53:55.81\00:53:59.15
We're going to look at verse 20.
00:53:59.18\00:54:00.93
"Behold, I stand at
the door and knock."
00:54:02.14\00:54:04.73
Who's speaking here?
00:54:04.76\00:54:06.00
Jesus is.
00:54:06.45\00:54:07.76
"Behold, I stand
at the door and knock.
00:54:07.79\00:54:09.75
If any man will
hear my voice," My word,
00:54:09.78\00:54:12.87
"and open the door, I will come
in to him and will sup with him,
00:54:13.17\00:54:16.16
and he with me."
00:54:16.19\00:54:18.21
Now where is
Jesus, inside or out?
00:54:18.82\00:54:20.83
Oh, He's outside?
00:54:22.40\00:54:23.71
"Oh no, no.
Jesus is in my heart."
00:54:23.74\00:54:26.45
Have you ever heard people
say, "Jesus is in my heart."
00:54:26.48\00:54:29.14
Is He really?
00:54:29.72\00:54:30.83
How is it then...
00:54:30.86\00:54:31.99
Now I'm not here to
say that Jesus is not
00:54:32.02\00:54:34.27
in your heart individually.
00:54:34.30\00:54:36.16
But let me tell you something.
00:54:36.19\00:54:37.26
He's speaking to us as a church.
00:54:37.29\00:54:40.04
And apparently, the
great majority have Jesus
00:54:40.91\00:54:44.97
standing outside.
00:54:45.00\00:54:47.10
Therefore, you
can say, we can say,
00:54:48.60\00:54:52.12
until we're blue in the
face, that Jesus is in my heart,
00:54:52.15\00:54:55.76
but it may not be so
just because we say so.
00:54:55.79\00:54:58.50
Because the True Witness
says, "I am standing, knocking
00:54:58.53\00:55:02.60
at the door wanting entrance.
00:55:02.63\00:55:04.78
And I don't have entrance."
00:55:04.81\00:55:08.02
"Thou knowest not."
00:55:09.52\00:55:12.83
How serious is that?
00:55:13.18\00:55:14.73
How is it with you?
00:55:15.75\00:55:17.07
Are you ready to admit
that you need help in this area?
00:55:17.79\00:55:23.42
That you may not know
all that you need to know
00:55:23.77\00:55:26.41
in this respect?
00:55:26.44\00:55:27.56
Friends, we have to admit it.
00:55:27.59\00:55:29.13
I can stand, isn't it weird,
I can stand here and tell us,
00:55:29.16\00:55:33.11
"We don't know," and be
one of those who doesn't know.
00:55:33.32\00:55:36.61
Praise the Lord that
the Lord will use people
00:55:37.09\00:55:39.81
and He will speak the
truth through them even though
00:55:39.84\00:55:42.77
I need it as
well as anyone else.
00:55:43.15\00:55:45.15
I am determined to
believe that this is true.
00:55:45.47\00:55:48.83
And if this is true, then I
have to take the steps necessary
00:55:48.98\00:55:53.24
to bring myself into line.
00:55:54.05\00:55:55.68
Not that I can bring myself.
00:55:55.71\00:55:56.93
Oh really friends, it's a
matter of getting on my knees
00:55:57.23\00:56:01.01
with God and asking Him
for the gift of a new heart
00:56:01.04\00:56:04.11
that He's promised.
00:56:04.14\00:56:05.17
Has He promised us a new heart?
00:56:05.20\00:56:06.94
Has He promised to
renew the right spirit in us?
00:56:07.26\00:56:09.76
Has He promised to raise
a people called the 144,000?
00:56:09.79\00:56:13.43
Without fault
before God? Really?
00:56:13.46\00:56:16.08
Having the character of
the Father and having His name
00:56:16.11\00:56:19.22
in their foreheads?
00:56:19.25\00:56:20.48
He's promised to do it.
00:56:21.49\00:56:22.84
He can do it for us.
00:56:23.40\00:56:24.62
How much do we want it?
00:56:24.65\00:56:25.93
That's the issue.
00:56:26.37\00:56:27.76
That's the issue.
00:56:28.06\00:56:29.27
I would like to ask you to bow,
00:56:29.59\00:56:31.63
and we're going
to pray together.
00:56:31.83\00:56:33.24
Heavenly Father,
Lord, we have such needs.
00:56:33.94\00:56:38.16
We are such a small people.
00:56:38.86\00:56:40.74
We have formed ideas and
expectations in our minds
00:56:41.53\00:56:46.32
that may not be true.
00:56:46.35\00:56:47.80
We are ignorant, we are weak.
00:56:48.65\00:56:51.45
But You said that the
weak things of this world are
00:56:51.48\00:56:55.06
going to confound the mighty.
00:56:55.09\00:56:56.71
And we'd like to see
ourselves as You see us
00:56:56.74\00:56:59.41
so that we can lean
on You all the more.
00:56:59.44\00:57:02.02
Oh heavenly Father,
glorify Thyself in us, we pray.
00:57:02.22\00:57:05.96
Bless us the rest of this
week as we now go in to study
00:57:05.99\00:57:10.32
what the solution
is to our situation.
00:57:10.35\00:57:12.84
And we thank You for it.
00:57:13.03\00:57:14.59
In Jesus' name, amen.
00:57:14.62\00:57:17.32
God bless you all.
00:57:17.96\00:57:19.38
And we'll see you
all tomorrow night.
00:57:19.93\00:57:21.49