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 really are
having a blessed time here
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during this series
with Pastor Frank Fournier.
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Now I call him,
"pastor," though I don't think
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he pastors a church.
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But he has demonstrated
God's gift of pastoral ministry.
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And he is the president of
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Adventist-laymen's
Services & Industries,
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which is the organization
that brings all of our
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self-supported institutions
and those who are involved in
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business together in presenting
Christ in the marketplace.
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It's an exciting organization.
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They have a national
convention every year.
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This year it's going
to be in Florida, I think.
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No, it's going to be
in Grand Rapids, Michigan
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this next year.
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So it is an exciting place.
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It was in Florida last year.
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And it's sometimes
hard for me to remember
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exactly where these
things are going to take place.
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If you're not a member of
ASI and you are involved in
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business or in some
type of an organization,
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you have a doctor's
office, a dentist office,
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or some type of self-supporting
ministry of any kind,
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we would love to invite
you to become a part of ASI.
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3ABN has been a part of
ASI since our beginning.
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And it was at a place,
in 1985 I believe it was,
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out in Montana when
Danny Shelton was able to
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talk to those at ASI and
suddenly began to get support
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from the members of that group.
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And as they say,
the rest is history.
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Because ASI and 3ABN
have been partners ever since.
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Well our speaker,
Frank Fournier, has had
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a wide range of experience.
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He has headed a number
of organizations that have
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reached out in
the mission field.
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He and his wife are both
in, in fact their entire family,
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their son Jason as well,
are involved in mission work.
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And he is the president
of the Eden Valley Institute.
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And he has been
bringing us this series called,
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Get Ready, Get Ready, Get Ready.
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And tonight, his sermon
is going to be entitled,
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The Loud Cry.
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Now we're excited and
we're ready to listen to that.
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But before he comes, I'm going
to invite Pastor John Lomacang
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to come and sing a song that
was done in the Pillars 2 album.
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It's an old Adventist song.
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It's about the second
coming of Jesus Christ.
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And I really love this.
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In fact, my wife
Camille says this is one of
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her very favorites.
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"Don't You See My Jesus Coming"
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Don't you see my Jesus coming,
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don't you see Him
come in yonder clouds?
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With ten
thousand angels round Him,
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see how they my Jesus crowd.
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I am bound for the kingdom,
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will you go to glory with me?
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Hallelujah, O
praise ye the Lord.
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Don't you see
the saints ascending,
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hear them
shouting through the air?
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Jesus smiling,
trumpets sounding;
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now His glory they will share.
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For I am bound for the kingdom,
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will you go to glory with me?
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Hallelujah, O
praise ye the Lord.
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Hallelujah, hallelujah.
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Hallelujah,
hallelujah, hallelujah.
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Don't you see the heavens open,
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and the saints in glory there?
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Shouts of triumph
bursting 'round them,
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glory, glory everywhere.
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I am bound for the kingdom,
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will you go to glory with me?
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Hallelujah, O
praise ye the Lord.
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Hallelujah, O
praise ye the Lord.
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Good evening, everyone.
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Again, it's a
blessing to be here.
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A wonderful opportunity for me.
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A tremendous honor to be asked
to share with you here at 3ABN.
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I would like to
invite you to turn with me to
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Deuteronomy chapter
6, Deuteronomy chapter 6.
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I quoted a specific
quotation earlier on today.
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And I would like to share
that with you one more time.
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Third Selected
Messages, 202, it says this,
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"Our sanctification
is God's object in all
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His dealings with us."
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Jesus; God wants
us to be like Him.
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God want us to be like Jesus.
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But the question we
need to ask ourselves now is,
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what is God like?
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Well I had you turn
to Deuteronomy chapter 6.
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And of course, this
isn't going to describe
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all that God is like.
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But it is one verse
that says one thing here.
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We're in Deuteronomy chapter
6, we're looking at verse 4.
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"Hear, O Israel: The
Lord our God is one Lord."
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And if you read that correctly,
it is, "The Lord, He is one."
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Now the Jews and the Muslims
and some anti-Trinitarians
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would like to take this word,
"one," and make it singular.
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Well obviously, in the English
language, it is singular.
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And yet we know that there
is something more to this issue
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than what meets the eye.
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I'll have you turn to
John chapter 10 and verse 30.
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John chapter 10 and verse 30.
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You can turn there, I'm going
to read more than one verse.
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John chapter 10 verse 30.
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We'll look at
what Jesus is saying.
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And He says, "I
and my Father are one."
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Now obviously, or not
obviously, but Jesus either
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doesn't know how to count or
He's giving this word, "one,"
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a deeper meaning.
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We're in John chapter 10.
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Now usually when
you and I as Christians
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speak about oneness,
we're talking about unity.
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We're talking
about being in agreement.
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We're talking about
having the same purpose,
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the same vision,
and the same goals.
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But Jesus here is thinking
about something much deeper.
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And the Jews within His hearing,
the Jews are knowing what
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He is trying to say
and they don't like it.
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As a matter of fact,
in verse 31, they pick up
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stones to throw at Him.
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We're going to
read that in verse 31.
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"Then the Jews took up
stones again to stone him."
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So the question is, why?
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All that He said is,
"I and my Father are one."
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Now if you and I
said, "I am one with God,"
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people would understand that
we're saying we're one in unity,
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we're one in spirit, we're
going in the same direction.
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And I kind of doubt that
in those days if Jesus had
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said that, or anyone else had
said that, they would have said,
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"Well, he's saying
that we're in unity."
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But they understood
what He was saying here.
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They picked up stones.
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Why did they pick up stones?
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We're looking at verse 32
and we're looking at verse 33
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in John chapter 10.
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"Jesus answered them, 'Many
good works have I showed you
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from my Father.
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For which of those
works do you stone me?'
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And the Jews answered
him, saying, 'For a good work
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we stone thee
not; but for blasphemy.
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And because that thou, being
a man, makest thyself God.'"
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Now humanly speaking, this
would be a pretty wild claim,
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I think, if a human being would
come along and call himself God.
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And you have to put yourself
in the shoes of the Jews.
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Here is Jesus.
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They know His
father, they know His mother,
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they know His
brothers, they know His sisters.
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He's human as
far as they can tell.
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When He walks the dusty
roads, His clothes become soiled
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like anybody else's.
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And now He is
announcing that He is God.
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And they're having to make...
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They're having to
think this through.
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And as far as they're
concerned, this is blasphemy.
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And they pick up
stones to throw at Him.
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Now we can see the same
thing happen in John chapter 8
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looking at verses 56 through 58.
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"'Your father Abraham
rejoiced to see my day.
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And he saw it, and was glad.'
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Then said the Jews
unto him, 'Thou art not yet
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fifty years old, and
hast thou seen Abraham?'"
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"You're not making sense here."
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"And Jesus said unto them,
'Verily, verily, I say unto you,
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before Abraham was, I am.'"
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Now that's an amazing saying.
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Jesus is actually
saying, "I am the eternal One.
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I am ever present.
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Before Abraham was, I existed.
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As a matter of fact, I
exist there right now."
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Jesus exists at
all times all the time.
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And they
understood what He was saying.
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And again, of
course, in verse 59,
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"They took up
stones to cast at him.
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But Jesus hid himself,
and went out of the temple,
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going through the midst
of them, and so passed by."
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So what would you have thought?
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What would you have
said, being one of them?
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Well friends, I don't
believe that Jesus expected
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everyone to take Him
just at His word just because
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He made the claim.
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I believe with all my heart that
He would have wanted them to
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take this claim and measure it
against the fruit that He bore;
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against the work that He did.
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If you turn to John
chapter 14, we can see that.
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In John chapter 14,
we're looking at verse 11.
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And we can see
how Jesus is thinking.
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John chapter 14,
we're looking at verse 11.
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Jesus speaking
says, "Believe me, I am
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in the Father,
the Father is in me.
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Or else believe me
for the very works' sake."
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"Believe me for
the fruit that I bear.
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Believe me for the things
that you see that I can do
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and the words that I say."
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Now if you were there
to see the works of Jesus,
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you would have seen
some marvelous things.
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Jesus, of course, He
performed all kinds of miracles.
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But miracles were
something that came through
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the whole Old Testament.
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And people had performed,
prophets had performed miracles.
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God had performed miracles
through other people before.
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And so to them,
this was not conclusive.
00:13:13.43\00:13:15.77
But they should have
studied His life more closely.
00:13:15.80\00:13:18.15
The holiness of His life,
and the beauty of His life,
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and the love that He expressed,
and the tenderness with which
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He dealt with people.
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His self-denial, His humility,
His holiness; all of this
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should have been seen by
these people as pointing to
00:13:30.84\00:13:34.50
something more than special.
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As a matter of fact, as He's
dying at the cross of Calvary,
00:13:37.32\00:13:40.89
there was a centurion there.
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And you remember, the
centurion being a pagan
00:13:42.83\00:13:46.44
Roman soldier
recognized who Jesus was.
00:13:46.47\00:13:49.58
And he said, "Surely,
this is the Son of God."
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Well now friends, I would
like to transfer our reasoning
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to ourselves;
Seventh-day Adventists.
00:13:59.91\00:14:02.44
Do we make any claims?
00:14:02.47\00:14:04.34
Do we claim to be
God's chosen people?
00:14:04.55\00:14:07.93
Do we claim to be
God's true church?
00:14:07.96\00:14:10.68
Do we claim to
worship God on the right day
00:14:10.88\00:14:13.47
as opposed to others?
00:14:13.50\00:14:14.98
Out of whom do we say
comes the remnant people?
00:14:15.93\00:14:18.86
Out of whom do we
say comes the 144,000?
00:14:18.89\00:14:22.92
Are we really the
repairers of the breach?
00:14:22.95\00:14:25.44
Are we really the
restorers of paths to dwell in?
00:14:25.47\00:14:28.45
Are these claims true or
are we just being arrogant?
00:14:28.48\00:14:33.55
Ah friends, listen.
00:14:33.84\00:14:35.16
These claims that we
make as Seventh-day Adventists
00:14:35.19\00:14:38.29
would be outlandish
unless we act like God's people
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are suppose to act.
00:14:42.14\00:14:43.33
Unless we love as Jesus loved.
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Unless we sacrifice
as Jesus sacrificed.
00:14:45.74\00:14:49.11
Unless we are
self denying as He was.
00:14:49.14\00:14:51.64
Unless we serve as He served.
00:14:51.67\00:14:54.01
Does that make sense to you?
00:14:54.04\00:14:55.71
Because it makes sense to me.
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But friends, we
will act that way.
00:14:58.56\00:15:02.45
We will do as Jesus did.
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We're still in John chapter
14, look at verse 12 here.
00:15:05.05\00:15:09.83
"Verily, verily, I say unto
you, He that believes on me,
00:15:09.93\00:15:14.47
the works that I
do shall he do also.
00:15:14.67\00:15:17.01
And greater works
than these shall he do;
00:15:17.04\00:15:19.17
because I go to my Father."
00:15:19.20\00:15:21.65
Every time I read this
verse, I am reminded of what it
00:15:21.68\00:15:25.22
means to have faith.
00:15:25.25\00:15:26.70
Can you imagine
having faith in this word,
00:15:26.73\00:15:29.28
in this Bible
text, in this verse,
00:15:29.31\00:15:31.55
in this wonderful promise?
00:15:31.58\00:15:33.04
It is saying here that if
we had faith in every word that
00:15:33.34\00:15:36.83
proceeds out of the
mouth of God, we would act
00:15:36.86\00:15:39.25
just like Jesus and we
could do the works of Jesus.
00:15:39.28\00:15:42.10
And greater works
than these would we do.
00:15:42.13\00:15:44.69
That's what the Bible promises.
00:15:44.72\00:15:46.48
Can you believe it?
00:15:46.98\00:15:48.12
Do you operate that way?
00:15:48.79\00:15:50.68
Have you gone forward
to serve as Jesus serves?
00:15:50.98\00:15:54.04
Ah friends, we need
to serve as Jesus serves.
00:15:54.07\00:15:56.73
We're here in this world.
00:15:56.76\00:15:58.10
I believe that we
quoted another verse earlier.
00:15:58.20\00:16:00.73
Matthew chapter 6 verse
33, "Seek ye first the kingdom
00:16:00.83\00:16:04.50
of God," that is,
to enlarge His kingdom,
00:16:04.53\00:16:06.76
"and His righteousness," that
is, to become just like Jesus,
00:16:06.79\00:16:09.97
"and all the rest
shall be added on to you."
00:16:10.00\00:16:12.66
I believe that we have the
privilege today to live like
00:16:12.69\00:16:15.47
Jesus lived, to do as Jesus did.
00:16:15.50\00:16:18.22
And the claims that
we make as to who we are
00:16:18.25\00:16:21.50
will be ratified in our
example and in our good works.
00:16:21.53\00:16:26.64
You believe it?
00:16:26.67\00:16:27.70
I believe it with all my heart.
00:16:28.14\00:16:30.14
Now what kind of works
am I talking about here?
00:16:30.17\00:16:33.05
Am I talking about walking
on water, multiplying bread,
00:16:33.08\00:16:36.03
or raising the dead, or
calling fire down from heaven?
00:16:36.06\00:16:39.23
Why no, friends.
00:16:39.33\00:16:40.61
We know that in the last
days, miracles are not going to
00:16:40.64\00:16:43.93
be that upon which we
can base our credibility.
00:16:43.96\00:16:48.66
We know that the two
beasts, the two great beasts of
00:16:48.84\00:16:51.55
Revelation chapter 13,
deceive the whole world by the
00:16:51.58\00:16:55.22
means of those miracles
that they are able to do.
00:16:55.25\00:16:58.35
Oh, that doesn't mean that you
and I will not work miracles.
00:16:59.35\00:17:02.18
As a matter of fact, the
Lord works miracles on my
00:17:02.21\00:17:04.46
behalf all the time.
00:17:04.49\00:17:05.69
It's amazing, I wish
I had time to tell you
00:17:05.72\00:17:08.26
story after story of
what the Lord has done for me.
00:17:08.29\00:17:11.41
Ah, but miracles are not
what the people are going to see
00:17:11.92\00:17:17.05
and be able to determine whether
this is God's true people
00:17:17.08\00:17:20.57
or whether it is a false people.
00:17:20.60\00:17:23.34
You know, I run a
lifestyle center at Eden Valley.
00:17:24.21\00:17:26.96
And we have all kinds of people
coming to the lifestyle center.
00:17:27.27\00:17:30.37
And because we have been
so successful at dealing with
00:17:30.47\00:17:33.27
cancer, more and more and
more people come to Eden Valley
00:17:33.30\00:17:37.36
with cancer in the
hope of finding healing.
00:17:37.39\00:17:40.31
Now every time I see
them coming, my heart goes out
00:17:40.65\00:17:43.79
to these wonderful people.
00:17:43.82\00:17:45.22
How I wish that I had
the power to work a miracle
00:17:45.25\00:17:48.63
so that every one of
them would go home healed.
00:17:48.66\00:17:51.33
What a blessing
that would be to me.
00:17:51.36\00:17:53.54
Wouldn't it be something?
00:17:53.76\00:17:55.17
As soon as they walk through
the door I could say that,
00:17:55.20\00:17:58.09
"In the name of
Jesus be healed,"
00:17:58.12\00:18:00.49
and they would be
healed and go home.
00:18:00.52\00:18:02.36
Well how many people do
think would come to Eden Valley
00:18:02.39\00:18:05.18
if I had the power to do that?
00:18:05.21\00:18:06.88
You see, this is not
how God works anymore.
00:18:07.22\00:18:09.93
It wouldn't be any benefit
to God if I could heal people
00:18:09.96\00:18:13.65
just by speaking a few words.
00:18:13.68\00:18:16.70
Friends, I would have a
list of people, I would have a
00:18:16.90\00:18:20.14
line of people right from
the lifestyle center all to the
00:18:20.17\00:18:22.99
city of Loveland not far away.
00:18:23.02\00:18:25.34
And these people would
come and we would be so rich
00:18:25.44\00:18:27.82
it wouldn't even be funny.
00:18:27.85\00:18:29.04
But this is not God's way.
00:18:29.07\00:18:31.52
What would be the point of
healing everyone that comes
00:18:32.84\00:18:35.06
with cancer if all of these
people go back to their homes
00:18:35.09\00:18:38.16
only to live as they
have always lived before?
00:18:38.19\00:18:41.38
There's no way of glorifying
God and living like a worldling
00:18:41.41\00:18:45.12
and doing things
that dishonor God.
00:18:45.15\00:18:47.46
And so God sends these
people to the lifestyle center
00:18:48.02\00:18:51.42
where we have an opportunity
to preach the gospel of
00:18:51.45\00:18:53.96
Jesus Christ and where we
have an opportunity to use
00:18:53.99\00:18:57.05
those methods that we find
from the spirit of prophecy
00:18:57.08\00:19:00.25
and from the Bible
by which God would bring
00:19:00.28\00:19:02.79
healing to the people.
00:19:02.82\00:19:04.07
And then God's name
is glorified and honored.
00:19:04.10\00:19:08.11
And what a blessing it is.
00:19:08.14\00:19:09.48
So this is how God operates.
00:19:09.51\00:19:11.21
I'll have you
turn to Luke chapter 7.
00:19:11.52\00:19:13.90
Go to Luke chapter 7,
we're going to read verse 19
00:19:14.11\00:19:17.29
in Luke chapter 7.
00:19:17.32\00:19:19.55
Verse 19, "And John, calling
unto him two of his disciples,
00:19:21.69\00:19:27.65
sent them to Jesus, saying,
'Art thou he that should come?
00:19:27.68\00:19:34.10
Or look we for another?'"
00:19:34.13\00:19:36.15
Now you know that
John is in the dungeon.
00:19:36.18\00:19:38.45
He is going to lose his head.
00:19:38.74\00:19:40.50
He doesn't know
that, probably, already.
00:19:40.53\00:19:42.42
But he is confused.
00:19:42.45\00:19:44.75
He doesn't know what's going on.
00:19:44.95\00:19:47.20
"Who are we anyway,"
he's saying to himself.
00:19:47.23\00:19:49.38
"Am I on the right team?"
00:19:49.41\00:19:51.11
If you'll look at
verse 20, now, to verse 23.
00:19:51.39\00:19:54.08
"When the men were
come unto him, they said,
00:19:54.66\00:19:57.83
'John Baptist has
sent us unto you, saying,
00:19:58.03\00:20:00.75
"Art thou he that should
come? Or look we for another?"'
00:20:00.78\00:20:04.48
And in that same hour Jesus
cured many of their infirmities
00:20:05.23\00:20:08.68
and plagues and of evil spirits.
00:20:08.71\00:20:11.03
And unto many that
were blind he gave sight.
00:20:11.06\00:20:13.92
Then Jesus answering
said unto them, 'Go your way,
00:20:14.02\00:20:17.57
and tell John what
things you have seen,
00:20:17.67\00:20:20.32
what things I have demonstrated,
and what things you have heard;
00:20:20.52\00:20:26.25
how that the blind see, the lame
walk, the lepers are cleansed,
00:20:26.28\00:20:30.04
and the deaf hear,
and the dead are raised,
00:20:30.07\00:20:32.52
to the poor the
gospel is preached.'"
00:20:32.55\00:20:35.65
Now watch, verse 23.
00:20:35.68\00:20:37.63
"And blessed is he, whosoever
shall not be offended in me."
00:20:38.21\00:20:44.21
Now why did Jesus say that?
00:20:44.57\00:20:47.44
"Blessed is he that
shall not be offended in Me."
00:20:48.02\00:20:51.08
Ah friends, it's because
John the Baptist was offended.
00:20:51.11\00:20:54.91
Yeah.
00:20:55.21\00:20:56.24
He's thinking to
himself, "What's the deal here?
00:20:56.35\00:20:59.20
Is this really the Messiah?
00:21:00.95\00:21:02.79
Why isn't He
conquering the Romans?
00:21:03.73\00:21:06.55
Why isn't He rescuing me?
00:21:06.85\00:21:09.17
Why, in the very
least, has He not come to
00:21:09.20\00:21:11.67
visit me in the dungeon?"
00:21:11.70\00:21:13.42
Ah friends, listen.
00:21:13.62\00:21:15.17
John the Baptist
was a human being.
00:21:15.20\00:21:17.55
John the Baptist was
a sinner like you and I.
00:21:17.58\00:21:20.45
Oh, he had a very
special beginning in life
00:21:20.48\00:21:24.12
and God used
him in a mighty way.
00:21:24.15\00:21:25.88
But he was still human.
00:21:25.91\00:21:27.17
And to one degree or
another, he had bought into the
00:21:27.27\00:21:30.13
false expectations of the Jews.
00:21:30.16\00:21:32.23
He had really expected
Jesus that He would conquer,
00:21:32.44\00:21:35.94
the Messiah, that He
would conquer the Romans
00:21:35.97\00:21:37.92
when He came.
00:21:37.95\00:21:38.98
He expected the Messiah
to lead the Jewish race to be
00:21:39.01\00:21:43.56
the head and not the
tail, to rule the world,
00:21:43.59\00:21:45.72
to fill their coffers,
to bolster their pride.
00:21:45.75\00:21:49.50
But the Messiah that
the Jews got had no interest
00:21:49.86\00:21:52.88
in any of this.
00:21:52.91\00:21:53.96
He was not interested in
gaining anything for Himself.
00:21:55.11\00:21:58.27
He was not
interested in gaining anything
00:21:58.30\00:22:00.47
for His followers either.
00:22:00.50\00:22:02.87
This world is not our home.
00:22:02.90\00:22:05.16
And it's not the
home of Jesus either.
00:22:05.33\00:22:07.68
He wanted us to
follow Him in His ministry.
00:22:08.28\00:22:11.54
The one thing that Jesus
wanted to gain was souls.
00:22:11.57\00:22:14.78
And that should be
our desire as well as His.
00:22:14.88\00:22:18.40
And by the way, who was
John the Baptist anyway?
00:22:18.43\00:22:22.08
Shall we turn to
Matthew chapter 11.
00:22:22.44\00:22:24.77
It's an amazing verse
and I turn to it all the time
00:22:24.80\00:22:28.76
because it has so
much to say to me.
00:22:28.79\00:22:30.86
I believe that if we
could be as is demonstrated
00:22:30.89\00:22:33.77
in the verse we're
about to read, that we would
00:22:33.80\00:22:36.33
be ready for heaven.
00:22:36.36\00:22:38.30
We're in Matthew chapter 11,
and we're looking at verse 11
00:22:38.80\00:22:42.99
in chapter 11.
00:22:43.02\00:22:44.50
Jesus speaking says,
"Verily I say unto you,
00:22:45.48\00:22:49.05
among them that are born
of women there hath not risen
00:22:49.45\00:22:53.64
a greater than
John the Baptist."
00:22:53.67\00:22:55.70
Now who is the greatest
man ever born of a woman?
00:22:55.73\00:23:00.28
Jesus said it is
John the Baptist.
00:23:00.84\00:23:03.81
Who said that? It's Jesus.
00:23:03.84\00:23:05.58
Does Jesus know
what He's saying?
00:23:05.61\00:23:07.21
Well what in the world
did John the Baptist do
00:23:07.31\00:23:10.19
in order to be accounted the
greatest man that ever lived?
00:23:10.22\00:23:13.03
It's amazing, but he
overthrew no government.
00:23:13.24\00:23:15.76
He never wrote a
book in the Bible.
00:23:15.79\00:23:17.41
I don't know that he
ever performed a miracle.
00:23:17.44\00:23:19.57
I never heard that John
the Baptist was used of heaven
00:23:19.60\00:23:22.32
to perform miracles.
00:23:22.35\00:23:23.61
He was sent of God to
prepare the way for Jesus.
00:23:23.81\00:23:26.53
There's no doubt about it.
00:23:26.56\00:23:27.66
That's what it
says in the Scriptures.
00:23:27.69\00:23:29.36
And how many
people received that?
00:23:29.56\00:23:32.34
You know, it's questionable
how successful he was.
00:23:33.01\00:23:35.90
I suppose he was as successful
as God wanted him to be.
00:23:36.10\00:23:39.13
But humanly speaking, you
look at it and you wonder,
00:23:39.16\00:23:41.79
what is it that makes John
the Baptist the greatest man
00:23:41.99\00:23:45.80
ever born of a woman?
00:23:46.13\00:23:47.53
Do you know that the
answer to that question
00:23:48.12\00:23:50.31
is in the second
half of that Bible verse?
00:23:50.34\00:23:52.66
Let's read it.
00:23:53.22\00:23:54.25
But I'm telling you,
you're going to have to put
00:23:54.28\00:23:55.89
your thinking cap on.
00:23:55.92\00:23:56.95
You're going to have to put your
spiritual discernment cap on.
00:23:56.98\00:24:00.35
Because it's not
that easy to see.
00:24:00.45\00:24:02.38
And I'm hoping that I
can share it with you.
00:24:02.41\00:24:04.84
So in the second half
of verse 11, Matthew 11.
00:24:05.23\00:24:08.79
"Notwithstanding, he that is
least in the kingdom of heaven
00:24:08.97\00:24:14.47
is greater than
John the Baptist."
00:24:14.50\00:24:16.87
What is it saying?
00:24:16.90\00:24:18.11
Ah friends, if you
look at it carefully,
00:24:18.64\00:24:20.76
you can see that it is
saying that John the Baptist
00:24:20.86\00:24:24.14
esteemed himself
least than anyone else.
00:24:24.35\00:24:27.20
He was so humble, he
was so self-abnegating,
00:24:27.53\00:24:31.47
that he esteemed everyone
else greater than himself.
00:24:31.67\00:24:35.00
And if you could be more
humble than John the Baptist,
00:24:35.31\00:24:38.21
you would be the greatest
in the kingdom of heaven.
00:24:38.24\00:24:40.91
Let me read it to you from the
spirit of prophecy, if I can.
00:24:40.94\00:24:43.90
This is from Last Day
Events, 296, paragraph 3.
00:24:44.54\00:24:48.09
"The greatest there," that
is, the greatest in heaven,
00:24:48.33\00:24:51.52
"is the least in self-esteem,
and the least is the greatest
00:24:51.63\00:24:55.82
in his gratitude
and wealth of love."
00:24:55.85\00:24:58.11
If you and I get to
the kingdom of heaven,
00:24:58.14\00:25:00.94
we will be so grateful.
00:25:00.97\00:25:02.86
We will be happy for
any position in heaven,
00:25:02.89\00:25:05.36
it'll be so fantastic.
00:25:05.39\00:25:06.88
And we're going to
esteem everyone else
00:25:06.98\00:25:08.99
greater than ourselves.
00:25:09.02\00:25:10.51
This is a commandment from God.
00:25:10.54\00:25:12.13
You know that it says so
in Philippians chapter 2.
00:25:12.16\00:25:16.17
I'm going to go there.
00:25:16.20\00:25:17.23
You can follow me if you'd like.
00:25:17.26\00:25:18.97
Philippians
chapter 2 verse 3, watch.
00:25:19.27\00:25:21.81
"Let nothing be done
through strife or vainglory;
00:25:22.36\00:25:25.58
but in lowliness of
mind let each esteem others
00:25:25.61\00:25:29.22
better than themselves."
00:25:29.25\00:25:31.11
That's a commandment from God.
00:25:31.14\00:25:32.89
And friends...
00:25:32.92\00:25:34.22
...that's what
heaven is going to be like.
00:25:36.68\00:25:38.22
That's how it's
going to be like.
00:25:40.18\00:25:41.61
Shouldn't it be
that way in this world?
00:25:42.11\00:25:44.43
Ah it should, but it isn't.
00:25:44.46\00:25:46.27
Can you imagine being in
heaven and you're walking
00:25:46.99\00:25:49.90
down one of those
proverbial streets of gold.
00:25:49.93\00:25:53.50
And way down there,
you can see a man coming.
00:25:54.33\00:25:57.22
And because you have
such good eyesight in heaven,
00:25:57.25\00:25:59.85
you've
determined that it's Moses.
00:25:59.88\00:26:01.97
Now you've been there,
well you haven't met Moses yet.
00:26:02.00\00:26:04.65
And you begin to feel a little
nervous, because after all
00:26:04.75\00:26:08.59
this is Moses and
you look up to him.
00:26:08.62\00:26:10.88
But the closer and
closer you come to Moses,
00:26:11.32\00:26:14.14
the more you recognize that
he's having the same feelings
00:26:15.00\00:26:18.48
and he's looking up to you.
00:26:18.51\00:26:20.47
And you ask him,
"Well, why in the world?
00:26:20.67\00:26:22.66
This doesn't make any sense.
00:26:22.69\00:26:23.78
You're Moses; the greatest human
leader this world has ever seen.
00:26:23.81\00:26:27.47
How is it that
you're looking up to me?"
00:26:27.50\00:26:29.63
And Moses would say, "Well
listen, it's one thing to be
00:26:29.66\00:26:32.67
living way back then.
00:26:32.70\00:26:34.16
Ah, but to go through the
last days and to go through
00:26:34.46\00:26:37.74
what you've been
through and to find your way to
00:26:37.77\00:26:40.23
the kingdom of heaven,
you have all the admiration
00:26:40.26\00:26:42.93
from me that I can muster."
00:26:42.96\00:26:45.10
Friends, that's how
it's going to be in heaven.
00:26:45.63\00:26:47.79
Everyone's going to
look up to everyone else.
00:26:47.82\00:26:50.31
Ah, praise God.
00:26:50.34\00:26:52.21
It's not that way in this world.
00:26:52.24\00:26:54.00
Ah, but at least it's that
way in this church, isn't it?
00:26:54.03\00:26:57.32
Oh, I hope so.
00:26:57.64\00:26:58.90
I hope so.
00:26:59.10\00:27:00.26
That's how it
ought to be, anyway.
00:27:00.29\00:27:01.95
And I say, friends, if we
could have that experience
00:27:02.06\00:27:06.56
we would be
ready to be translated.
00:27:07.68\00:27:10.08
We would be ready for
the kingdom of heaven.
00:27:10.11\00:27:13.69
Now, we're
suppose to be like Jesus.
00:27:14.21\00:27:16.14
And we're not like Jesus
unless we serve as He served.
00:27:16.87\00:27:20.09
If you'll turn with
me to Acts chapter 10.
00:27:20.12\00:27:23.55
We're going to read
verse 38 in Acts chapter 10.
00:27:23.81\00:27:27.21
This is Acts 10 verse 38.
00:27:28.98\00:27:31.04
"How God anointed
Jesus of Nazareth with the
00:27:31.46\00:27:34.87
Holy Ghost and with
power, who went about doing good
00:27:34.90\00:27:39.32
and healing all that
were oppressed of the devil;
00:27:39.35\00:27:42.75
for God was with him."
00:27:42.78\00:27:45.28
Yes.
00:27:45.78\00:27:46.81
And there's a commentary on
that from the pen of inspiration
00:27:46.84\00:27:49.63
that says, "From His earliest
years, He was possessed,
00:27:49.66\00:27:54.21
He was possessed
with one purpose;
00:27:54.66\00:27:58.54
He lived to bless others."
00:27:58.57\00:28:01.31
I would like to be
possessed. Wouldn't you?
00:28:01.68\00:28:03.69
Ah, with the Spirit, I
would like to be possessed.
00:28:03.98\00:28:06.87
In Acts Of The
Apostles, 551, it says,
00:28:07.07\00:28:10.09
"The completeness of the
Christian character is obtained
00:28:10.72\00:28:13.94
when the impulse to
help and bless others springs
00:28:14.14\00:28:16.96
constantly from within."
00:28:16.99\00:28:18.78
That's what I want.
00:28:18.81\00:28:20.09
I want an impulse in
my heart that springs
00:28:20.12\00:28:22.55
constantly from within.
00:28:22.58\00:28:24.04
I want to be a
blessing to everyone with whom
00:28:24.07\00:28:27.15
I have anything to do.
00:28:27.18\00:28:28.51
Anything; that's what I want.
00:28:28.54\00:28:30.19
Now it's easy enough
to look at Jesus and see
00:28:30.22\00:28:32.63
that it was so in His life.
00:28:32.66\00:28:34.52
He was meek, and He was
mild, and He was gracious,
00:28:34.55\00:28:37.00
and He was good.
00:28:37.03\00:28:38.06
And He went about ministering
to every need that He saw.
00:28:38.09\00:28:41.39
But when we look at
ourselves, we think it's hard.
00:28:41.42\00:28:43.65
But as a matter of fact,
it's hard to believe that
00:28:43.95\00:28:45.72
we could be like Jesus.
00:28:45.75\00:28:47.03
After all, we are
only human. Aren't we?
00:28:47.06\00:28:50.32
Ah friends, I have news for you.
00:28:50.72\00:28:52.84
If you are only
human, you are not Christian.
00:28:53.37\00:28:56.95
Because a Christian is a
partaker of God's divine nature.
00:28:57.39\00:29:02.71
And if you're a Christian,
the works that Jesus did
00:29:02.98\00:29:05.91
you will do also, "and greater
works than these shall you do."
00:29:05.94\00:29:09.90
We dare not limit
ourselves with words that say,
00:29:09.93\00:29:13.51
"I can't do it
because I am only human."
00:29:13.54\00:29:16.25
Ah friends, no, no.
00:29:16.63\00:29:18.55
We're not dependent on
ourselves to do any works.
00:29:18.65\00:29:21.28
We're dependent on
what God can do for us.
00:29:21.54\00:29:24.53
When Jesus came to
this world, He came to live
00:29:24.56\00:29:27.53
as we have to live.
00:29:27.56\00:29:28.68
With the very same equipment.
00:29:28.71\00:29:30.26
And He said, "I can
of Myself do nothing."
00:29:30.49\00:29:34.10
Now for sure to a lot
of people that doesn't
00:29:34.13\00:29:35.95
make any sense at all.
00:29:35.98\00:29:37.26
But it makes sense to me.
00:29:37.84\00:29:39.53
Because it is Jesus that said,
"Without Me you can do nothing."
00:29:39.56\00:29:44.48
And friends, if I can do
nothing without God's help,
00:29:44.51\00:29:47.39
then it's the
same thing for Jesus.
00:29:47.69\00:29:49.62
He came here to
live as I have to live.
00:29:49.65\00:29:51.55
He came here to live by faith.
00:29:51.58\00:29:53.74
And so He said, "I
can of Myself do nothing."
00:29:53.77\00:29:56.81
And yet, did He do great works?
00:29:56.84\00:29:59.66
Did He perform mighty miracles?
00:29:59.69\00:30:01.56
Yes, but remember, He said,
"The Father that dwells in Me,
00:30:01.66\00:30:06.77
He doeth the works."
00:30:06.80\00:30:08.67
And friends, God is willing
to work through you also.
00:30:08.70\00:30:14.96
God is willing to
work through me also.
00:30:15.35\00:30:18.17
And we must not limit God
by a faith that is stunted.
00:30:18.20\00:30:22.73
Because there is a God in heaven
who is willing to work for us.
00:30:23.03\00:30:26.84
Turn with me to Luke chapter 10.
00:30:26.87\00:30:29.87
We're looking
at Luke chapter 10.
00:30:29.90\00:30:32.35
We're going to
read verses 31 and...
00:30:37.51\00:30:40.40
Well, we'll start with
verse 30 in Luke chapter 10.
00:30:40.43\00:30:43.36
"And Jesus answering said,
'A certain man went down from
00:30:43.39\00:30:48.61
Jerusalem to Jericho,
and fell among thieves,
00:30:48.64\00:30:51.24
which stripped him of
his raiment, and wounded him,
00:30:51.54\00:30:54.66
and departed,
leaving him half dead.'"
00:30:54.69\00:30:57.28
Now you recognize that
we're going to read a few verses
00:30:57.31\00:31:01.98
in the story of the
good Samaritan here.
00:31:02.01\00:31:04.95
The next verse, the first
three words in verse 31 says,
00:31:04.98\00:31:09.09
"And by chance..."
00:31:09.12\00:31:10.66
Now that's an interesting word.
00:31:10.85\00:31:12.74
Does anything
actually happen by chance?
00:31:12.77\00:31:15.56
I don't think so.
00:31:15.92\00:31:17.17
As a matter of fact,
I can read that to you
00:31:17.28\00:31:19.53
in Desire Of Ages, page 500.
00:31:19.56\00:31:21.70
"God in His providence
has brought the priest and the
00:31:21.81\00:31:24.56
Levite along the road
where the wounded sufferer lay,
00:31:24.59\00:31:29.10
that he might see his
need of mercy and of help."
00:31:29.31\00:31:33.51
Was it by chance? No.
00:31:33.54\00:31:35.12
God allowed these two men;
the Levite and the Pharisee...
00:31:35.15\00:31:39.65
What was it? The
Levite and the...
00:31:39.68\00:31:41.98
Whatever it was.
00:31:42.01\00:31:43.04
They came there.
00:31:43.59\00:31:44.72
So here it is,
verse 31, "By chance..."
00:31:44.75\00:31:47.28
It was not by chance.
00:31:47.57\00:31:48.99
God led these two men to
see what was happening here.
00:31:49.99\00:31:53.20
"By chance there came
down a certain priest that way.
00:31:53.23\00:31:57.65
And when he saw him, he
passed by on the other side.
00:31:57.68\00:32:00.71
And likewise a Levite,
when he was at the place,
00:32:00.74\00:32:03.65
came and looked on him, and
passed by on the other side."
00:32:03.68\00:32:09.00
By chance?
00:32:10.80\00:32:12.02
Oh no.
00:32:12.05\00:32:13.08
God had organized it so
that these men could see
00:32:13.26\00:32:16.63
someone who had a need of help;
the help that they could offer
00:32:16.66\00:32:20.69
and the mercy that
they could give him.
00:32:20.72\00:32:22.85
In the book,
Christ Object Lessons,
00:32:22.88\00:32:24.90
page 388, paragraph 0, watch.
00:32:25.20\00:32:27.54
"Never..."
00:32:27.66\00:32:28.69
That's not very often, is it?
00:32:28.72\00:32:30.06
"Never should we
pass by one suffering soul
00:32:30.50\00:32:35.02
without seeking to impart
to him the comfort wherewith
00:32:35.05\00:32:38.41
we are comforted of God."
00:32:38.44\00:32:40.58
Never.
00:32:40.61\00:32:41.64
When you see someone has a
need, you are obligated by the
00:32:42.05\00:32:46.29
love of God in your soul.
00:32:46.32\00:32:48.22
You are obligated to do whatever
you can do to bring healing,
00:32:48.25\00:32:52.34
to bring help, to
bring something to that soul.
00:32:52.37\00:32:55.33
And some of us are going
to say, "Well, I don't...
00:32:55.36\00:32:57.48
You know, what do I know.
00:32:57.98\00:32:59.46
I've got no education.
00:32:59.49\00:33:00.78
I don't know what to
do in all circumstances."
00:33:00.81\00:33:03.20
We all don't know what
to do in every circumstance.
00:33:03.41\00:33:06.25
Ah but friends,
we know how to smile.
00:33:06.28\00:33:08.88
We know how to
speak a word of comfort.
00:33:09.35\00:33:11.34
We know how to
give a lifting hand.
00:33:11.64\00:33:13.54
And then sometimes, the Lord
will help us to do more than
00:33:13.57\00:33:16.31
we think we can do.
00:33:16.34\00:33:17.74
If we will only place
ourselves in the situation.
00:33:17.77\00:33:20.43
If we only had faith
that God is willing to use us.
00:33:20.53\00:33:24.66
Is God willing to use us?
00:33:24.69\00:33:26.40
Ah friends, the Lord
is willing to use us.
00:33:26.66\00:33:29.32
We need to put
ourselves, you know.
00:33:29.35\00:33:31.80
We don't need to go
looking for trouble.
00:33:31.83\00:33:33.74
But God is going to organize
circumstances in our lives
00:33:35.00\00:33:39.03
that we will be in
connection with people who
00:33:39.06\00:33:42.05
have need of help.
00:33:42.08\00:33:43.16
And He says, never
should we allow a suffering soul
00:33:43.24\00:33:46.39
go forward or go
wherever without our help,
00:33:46.42\00:33:50.00
without our doing something.
00:33:50.03\00:33:51.74
I'll turn now to
Isaiah 58, Isaiah 58.
00:33:51.94\00:33:56.29
A wonderful chapter.
00:33:56.58\00:33:58.08
It ought to be
read, I think, every day.
00:33:58.18\00:34:00.19
Isaiah 58.
00:34:00.57\00:34:02.51
And before I read anything
in Isaiah 58, I do want to
00:34:02.72\00:34:05.50
read a couple of quotations.
00:34:05.53\00:34:07.06
This is Christian Service, 161.
00:34:07.72\00:34:10.19
"He has a plan
for us individually."
00:34:10.41\00:34:13.15
God has.
00:34:13.18\00:34:14.42
"To all who serve Him,
He has appointed a work.
00:34:15.40\00:34:18.67
He bids us to interest ourselves
in every case of suffering
00:34:18.94\00:34:23.23
or need that shall
come to our knowledge."
00:34:23.26\00:34:26.00
How many cases?
00:34:26.03\00:34:27.17
Every case.
00:34:27.20\00:34:28.23
If a case of
suffering comes to your mind,
00:34:28.26\00:34:31.36
if God, by His providence,
allows you to know that
00:34:31.39\00:34:35.80
someone is suffering,
then God is telling you,
00:34:35.83\00:34:38.99
"I want you to participate
in helping that individual."
00:34:39.02\00:34:42.83
This is what it's saying.
00:34:42.93\00:34:44.02
Desire Of Ages, 87.
00:34:44.05\00:34:45.84
"Jesus worked to relieve every
case of suffering that He saw."
00:34:46.04\00:34:51.17
Every single one, He attempted
to do something to bring relief
00:34:51.20\00:34:55.12
to that individual.
00:34:55.31\00:34:57.49
Now we're in Isaiah 58.
00:34:58.21\00:35:00.27
And I don't know if you
know, but Ellen White spoke
00:35:00.47\00:35:04.09
or wrote about Isaiah 58
more than on any other chapter
00:35:04.29\00:35:08.77
in the Scriptures.
00:35:08.80\00:35:09.83
Did you ever wonder why?
00:35:09.86\00:35:11.50
Why was that so
important to her?
00:35:11.53\00:35:13.84
Well this is what we want
to try to investigate here
00:35:13.87\00:35:17.87
this afternoon.
00:35:17.98\00:35:20.10
Isaiah 58, we're
going to look at verse 1.
00:35:20.52\00:35:23.10
The first two
words in Isaiah 58.
00:35:23.13\00:35:25.32
"Cry aloud..."
00:35:25.53\00:35:27.88
Now what do you think
would happen if we would
00:35:28.43\00:35:30.79
take those two words and
switch them, invert them?
00:35:30.82\00:35:34.39
It would say, "Loud cry."
00:35:34.82\00:35:37.78
Now as Seventh-day Adventists,
we've studied the loud cry
00:35:38.95\00:35:42.22
for a long, long
time; all our lives.
00:35:42.25\00:35:44.34
And when we talk about the loud
cry, usually we're talking about
00:35:44.37\00:35:47.94
Revelation chapter 18
verse 1, all the way to verse 5.
00:35:47.97\00:35:51.78
And we see an angel
coming down having great power
00:35:52.33\00:35:55.76
to enlighten the whole
world with the glory of
00:35:55.96\00:35:58.13
God's character.
00:35:58.16\00:35:59.48
And he has a final warning
for the rest of the world,
00:35:59.51\00:36:02.67
"Babylon the great
is fallen, is fallen.
00:36:02.70\00:36:04.93
Come out of her My people."
00:36:04.96\00:36:07.24
This is what we
usually think of, of course.
00:36:07.27\00:36:10.21
But do you know that
Isaiah 58 is addressed squarely
00:36:10.96\00:36:15.45
at Seventh-day Adventists?
00:36:15.48\00:36:17.73
And do you know that we
have a hope in our hearts
00:36:20.55\00:36:24.82
that we can be instrumental
in God's hand in bringing
00:36:25.08\00:36:28.99
the loud cry, the last
warning, to this world.
00:36:29.02\00:36:32.38
Well friends, doesn't it
make sense that if you and I are
00:36:32.41\00:36:36.14
going to be instrumental
in giving the loud cry
00:36:36.17\00:36:39.73
to the world, that we're
going to have, first, to receive
00:36:39.76\00:36:42.99
the loud cry to our own hearts?
00:36:43.02\00:36:45.31
And I am here to suggest today
that Isaiah 58 is God's loud cry
00:36:45.74\00:36:53.86
to His children in
preparation, in preparing them,
00:36:53.89\00:36:57.87
so that they can
enlighten the whole world
00:36:57.90\00:37:00.18
with the glory
of God's character.
00:37:00.21\00:37:01.84
Take note of that word, "light,"
because we're going to see it
00:37:01.87\00:37:05.18
more and more and more.
00:37:05.21\00:37:06.87
You and I need to study
this chapter in preparation
00:37:06.90\00:37:10.46
to be used by God to give
the last warning to this world.
00:37:10.59\00:37:14.77
Okay, we're in Isaiah 58.
00:37:15.68\00:37:18.58
We're going to
begin with verse 2.
00:37:18.61\00:37:20.32
And this is
talking about God's people.
00:37:20.77\00:37:23.07
It's a
description of God's people.
00:37:23.41\00:37:25.34
And it is not a
flattering description.
00:37:25.49\00:37:27.65
Even though it
looks like it in verse 2.
00:37:27.68\00:37:30.66
And it's God speaking now.
00:37:31.55\00:37:33.95
And He's
speaking to God's people.
00:37:34.18\00:37:36.35
"Yet they seek me daily..."
00:37:36.68\00:37:38.39
Isn't that good?
00:37:38.42\00:37:39.74
That's what it says.
00:37:40.68\00:37:41.71
"They seek me daily."
00:37:41.74\00:37:43.03
I wish that everyone of us,
every Christian in the world,
00:37:43.06\00:37:46.59
every Seventh-day Adventist
would be seeking God daily.
00:37:46.62\00:37:50.09
Because it says in the
Scriptures that whoever
00:37:50.12\00:37:52.76
seeks Him with all
his heart will be found,
00:37:52.79\00:37:55.15
He will be found of them.
00:37:55.18\00:37:56.69
"They seek me daily, and
they delight to know my ways,
00:37:56.72\00:38:00.56
as a nation that did
righteousness, and forsook not
00:38:00.59\00:38:04.08
the ordinance of their God.
00:38:04.11\00:38:05.82
They ask of me the ordinances
of justice; they take delight
00:38:05.85\00:38:10.01
in approaching to God."
00:38:10.04\00:38:11.46
Wow, what a wonderful people.
00:38:11.49\00:38:13.79
What a beautiful people.
00:38:13.82\00:38:15.01
But the people are confused.
00:38:15.04\00:38:16.33
You'll see that
in the next verse.
00:38:16.36\00:38:17.83
Here they are, they're spending
time in their devotions.
00:38:18.03\00:38:21.27
They're fasting,
they're spending time with God.
00:38:21.37\00:38:23.67
They want to know
His ways and all the rest
00:38:23.70\00:38:25.62
so that they can do it.
00:38:25.65\00:38:26.91
Now we know we're
talking about the Jewish people,
00:38:27.11\00:38:29.40
and we know that they
were very legalistic in their
00:38:29.43\00:38:31.53
approach to religion.
00:38:31.56\00:38:32.86
And so this was
all self motivated.
00:38:32.89\00:38:36.16
Verse 3, they ask a question.
00:38:37.00\00:38:39.91
"Wherefore," that is,
why, "'have we fasted,'
00:38:39.94\00:38:42.86
say they, 'and thou seest not?
00:38:43.10\00:38:46.48
Why have we afflicted our soul,
and you take no knowledge?'"
00:38:46.51\00:38:50.60
"Something is
wrong with this picture,"
00:38:50.80\00:38:52.79
is what they're saying.
00:38:52.82\00:38:53.86
"We are so religious.
00:38:53.89\00:38:55.82
And we want to know Your
ways so that we can do it,
00:38:56.03\00:38:58.50
albeit in our own strength.
00:38:58.53\00:39:00.23
How is it that
when we fast and pray,
00:39:00.26\00:39:02.67
You don't answer our questions?"
00:39:02.70\00:39:04.62
And then God answers,
we're still in verse 3,
00:39:06.13\00:39:08.37
"Behold, in the day of
your fast you find pleasure,
00:39:08.40\00:39:11.82
and exact all your labours."
00:39:11.85\00:39:13.68
"In the day of your fast
it's against somebody else.
00:39:14.25\00:39:17.90
To your advantage.
00:39:17.93\00:39:19.35
This is what the problem is."
00:39:19.38\00:39:21.16
If you look at verse
5, God asks the question,
00:39:21.45\00:39:25.51
"Is it such a fast
that I have chosen?
00:39:25.54\00:39:28.18
A day for a man
to afflict his soul?
00:39:28.21\00:39:30.31
Is it to bow down his head
as a bulrush, and to spread
00:39:30.34\00:39:34.41
sackcloth and ashes under him?
00:39:34.44\00:39:36.34
Wilt thou call this a fast, and
an acceptable day to the Lord?"
00:39:36.37\00:39:40.43
You know, when we
think of fasting, we think of
00:39:40.55\00:39:43.34
doing without food.
00:39:43.37\00:39:44.40
Denying ourselves food
for a meal, or for two meals,
00:39:44.43\00:39:47.73
or three, or a
day or so many days.
00:39:47.76\00:39:50.09
That's what we
think in terms of fasting.
00:39:50.29\00:39:52.30
But if you read Isaiah
58, you're going to see that
00:39:52.40\00:39:55.07
God has a different idea
of what fasting is all about.
00:39:55.10\00:39:57.79
He's saying it's denial alright.
00:39:59.45\00:40:01.38
You don't have to deny
yourself food to be fasting.
00:40:01.51\00:40:04.67
You need to deny your "self."
00:40:04.70\00:40:06.63
Deny your time; deny
yourself the time that you want.
00:40:07.06\00:40:11.90
You need to go out
of your way to sacrifice
00:40:11.93\00:40:14.06
to help somebody else.
00:40:14.09\00:40:15.32
That's the kind of
fast that God believes in.
00:40:15.35\00:40:17.92
This is the kind of fast
that we're talking about here
00:40:17.95\00:40:20.84
in Isaiah 58.
00:40:20.87\00:40:23.20
We're going to see that
looking from verse 6 and on.
00:40:23.23\00:40:26.16
God again speaking, "Is not this
the fast that I have chosen?
00:40:27.03\00:40:31.05
To loose the bands of
wickedness, to undo the
00:40:31.08\00:40:33.45
heavy burdens, to let
the oppressed go free,
00:40:33.48\00:40:35.95
and that you break every yoke?
00:40:35.98\00:40:37.60
Is it not to deal
thy bread to the hungry,
00:40:37.63\00:40:40.22
and that you bring the poor
that are cast out to thy house?
00:40:40.42\00:40:43.22
When thou seest the
naked, that you cover him;
00:40:43.25\00:40:45.82
and that thou hide not
thyself from thine own flesh?"
00:40:45.85\00:40:48.54
"This is the fast
that I have chosen.
00:40:48.57\00:40:50.77
Deny yourself all the pleasures
and the comforts and the time
00:40:50.80\00:40:54.79
and the energy, and
go and help somebody."
00:40:54.82\00:40:57.95
This is what God is asking.
00:40:58.15\00:40:59.79
And notice the next word.
00:40:59.82\00:41:01.14
The next word is,
"then." At that point.
00:41:01.17\00:41:03.76
When you've come to the
place when you are like Jesus,
00:41:03.79\00:41:06.32
serving as Jesus served.
00:41:06.35\00:41:07.98
At that point. Watch.
00:41:08.01\00:41:09.43
"Then shall thy light
break forth as the morning,
00:41:09.62\00:41:13.29
and thine health
shall spring forth speedily.
00:41:13.62\00:41:16.71
Then shall thy
righteousness go before thee;
00:41:17.11\00:41:19.65
and the glory of the
Lord shall be thy reward."
00:41:19.68\00:41:22.15
At that point, when God's
people have adopted this program
00:41:22.18\00:41:26.30
then shall the earth
be enlightened with the
00:41:26.41\00:41:29.04
glory of God's character.
00:41:29.07\00:41:31.34
We read on, verse 9.
00:41:31.37\00:41:33.54
"Then shalt thou call, and the
Lord will answer your prayers;
00:41:34.24\00:41:38.81
Thou shalt cry, and he
shall say, 'Here I am.'
00:41:39.07\00:41:41.94
If you take away from
the midst of thee the yoke,
00:41:41.97\00:41:44.56
the putting forth of the
finger, and speaking vanity;
00:41:44.59\00:41:47.50
and if you draw out
thy soul to the hungry,
00:41:47.53\00:41:50.12
and satisfy the
afflicted; then shall thy light
00:41:50.15\00:41:53.35
rise in obscurity, and thy
darkness be as the noon day."
00:41:53.38\00:41:57.25
Can you see how many times
we're talking about light here?
00:41:57.35\00:41:59.89
I see a direct connection
with Revelation chapter 18;
00:41:59.92\00:42:03.60
when the whole world
is lightened with the
00:42:03.63\00:42:05.52
glory of God's character.
00:42:05.55\00:42:06.92
This is the preparation
in order to be used of heaven
00:42:06.95\00:42:10.52
to do that work.
00:42:10.55\00:42:12.40
If I skip over two chapters
to chapter 60 of Isaiah...
00:42:12.43\00:42:17.08
By the way, chapter 60 of
Isaiah is a parallel passage of
00:42:17.11\00:42:21.12
Revelation chapter 18.
00:42:21.15\00:42:23.11
And the first two words
are, "arise," and "shine."
00:42:23.21\00:42:28.34
"For thy light is come,
and the glory of the Lord
00:42:29.22\00:42:32.55
is risen upon thee."
00:42:32.58\00:42:33.94
When did the light come?
00:42:33.97\00:42:35.57
Ah friends, listen.
00:42:35.94\00:42:37.89
We've got the Word of God.
00:42:38.24\00:42:39.89
We've got the
spirit of prophecy.
00:42:40.46\00:42:42.14
We've got Isaiah 58.
00:42:42.30\00:42:44.28
We've got the
information that we need.
00:42:44.41\00:42:46.69
God is telling us that
if we would be converted,
00:42:46.72\00:42:50.20
if we could become like Jesus,
if we had the love of Jesus
00:42:50.23\00:42:53.73
and the faith of Jesus, and if
we had the desire in our hearts
00:42:53.76\00:42:57.14
to serve as He served,
we would go out and meet
00:42:57.17\00:43:00.29
every need that comes our way.
00:43:00.32\00:43:02.23
God is going to
arrange the appointments.
00:43:02.26\00:43:04.81
He's telling us never to let
an individual who's suffering
00:43:04.88\00:43:08.82
go by you and
you not deal with it.
00:43:08.85\00:43:11.21
And as we grow in service,
dealing more and more and more
00:43:12.20\00:43:16.42
with the needs of others around
us, then shall our light arise.
00:43:16.45\00:43:20.69
And then shall we arise.
00:43:20.90\00:43:22.13
"Arise and shine; for thy light
is come, and the glory of the
00:43:22.16\00:43:24.82
the Lord is come upon thee."
00:43:24.85\00:43:26.18
And it goes on to say,
"For, behold, the darkness shall
00:43:26.21\00:43:29.33
cover the earth, and
gross darkness the people.
00:43:29.36\00:43:31.67
But the Lord shall arise
upon thee, and his glory shall
00:43:31.87\00:43:34.63
be seen in thee."
00:43:34.66\00:43:35.79
Because Jesus will be in us.
00:43:35.82\00:43:38.17
And we will have the
character of Jesus in us.
00:43:38.81\00:43:41.56
"Then the Gentiles
shall come to thy light,
00:43:41.59\00:43:44.45
and kings to the
brightness of thy rising."
00:43:45.48\00:43:48.40
All kinds of
promises are made to us;
00:43:48.43\00:43:50.74
that our children shall
return to us, and all the rest.
00:43:50.77\00:43:53.60
Verse 5, "Then shalt
they see, and flow together,
00:43:53.63\00:43:56.64
and thine heart shall
fear, and be enlarged;
00:43:56.67\00:43:58.52
because the abundance of the sea
shall be converted unto thee,
00:43:58.89\00:44:02.49
and the forces of the
Gentiles shall come to thee."
00:44:02.69\00:44:06.40
What a glorious time.
00:44:06.43\00:44:08.57
What an amazing thing is
yet coming to this world.
00:44:09.60\00:44:13.40
I can see it,
it's going to come.
00:44:13.43\00:44:15.18
There must be a people in
this world that is preparing
00:44:15.21\00:44:17.86
to do this in the
name of Jesus Christ.
00:44:17.89\00:44:20.54
There's a people who
are preparing their hearts
00:44:20.74\00:44:23.38
by receiving His love
and going out and sharing
00:44:23.41\00:44:26.25
that love with people.
00:44:26.28\00:44:27.83
There are people receiving the
loud cry aimed at God's people
00:44:27.86\00:44:32.20
so that they can give the
loud cry aimed at the world.
00:44:32.23\00:44:36.40
In Welfare Ministries,
page 32, it says this,
00:44:37.10\00:44:40.43
"Thou shalt love thy
neighbor as thyself."
00:44:40.66\00:44:44.15
That's a Bible verse.
00:44:44.18\00:44:45.50
Comment, "As a people, we
must take hold of this work.
00:44:46.06\00:44:49.91
Love revealed for suffering
humanity gives significance
00:44:50.40\00:44:54.83
and power to the truth."
00:44:54.93\00:44:57.31
Did you hear what I just said?
00:44:57.34\00:44:59.22
"Love revealed for suffering
humanity gives significance
00:44:59.53\00:45:04.16
and power to the truth."
00:45:04.19\00:45:06.06
Friends, not very long ago,
as a matter of fact it was about
00:45:06.09\00:45:08.77
a year ago, I did
an evangelistic series.
00:45:08.80\00:45:11.81
And do you know that
not one person was baptized.
00:45:11.84\00:45:15.84
We made up these
beautiful flyers.
00:45:15.87\00:45:18.45
We sent thousands of
flyers out into the community.
00:45:18.48\00:45:21.42
Some people came, but
none of them, none of them
00:45:21.67\00:45:25.32
made a commitment to be
baptized for Jesus Christ.
00:45:25.35\00:45:28.69
So here's the question.
00:45:28.72\00:45:30.22
Do you think that a little
bit of significance and power
00:45:31.28\00:45:34.46
injected into that situation
would have made a difference?
00:45:34.49\00:45:37.91
I think so. I think so.
00:45:37.94\00:45:40.18
Oh somebody might
say, "But wait, wait.
00:45:40.21\00:45:41.82
When we're doing an evangelistic
series, it's for the purpose
00:45:41.85\00:45:45.07
of helping people to see
our distinctive doctrines.
00:45:45.17\00:45:48.10
They need to
learn about the Sabbath.
00:45:48.13\00:45:49.45
They need to learn
about the Sanctuary and the
00:45:49.48\00:45:51.14
state of the dead and
salvation, and all these things.
00:45:51.17\00:45:54.15
Ah friends, it's all true.
00:45:54.18\00:45:55.99
But watch, watch.
00:45:56.02\00:45:57.49
Another quotation,
Manuscript Release 5, page 33.
00:45:57.52\00:46:01.83
Watch.
00:46:01.86\00:46:02.89
"We cannot keep the Sabbath
holy unless we serve the Lord
00:46:02.92\00:46:08.28
in the manner brought
to view in the Scriptures."
00:46:08.31\00:46:11.29
Well what Scriptures
are we talking about?
00:46:11.39\00:46:13.30
Let me read it again.
00:46:13.33\00:46:14.40
"We cannot keep the
Sabbath holy unless we serve
00:46:14.43\00:46:18.41
the Lord in the manner brought
to view in the Scriptures."
00:46:18.81\00:46:21.11
What Scriptures?
00:46:21.14\00:46:22.17
Then she quotes Isaiah 58.
00:46:22.20\00:46:25.08
Deal thy bread to the hungry,
bring the outcast to thy house,
00:46:25.11\00:46:30.44
clothe the naked, visit
the sick and the imprisoned,
00:46:30.47\00:46:33.70
take care of the
widows and the fatherless,
00:46:33.73\00:46:35.85
loose the bands of wickedness,
relieve the heavy burdened,
00:46:35.88\00:46:39.33
set free the
oppressed, break every yoke.
00:46:39.43\00:46:42.02
Mow the lawn if you
have to, paint their fences.
00:46:42.05\00:46:44.55
Do something to help
people where they have a need.
00:46:44.58\00:46:48.85
Can you see it?
00:46:48.88\00:46:49.96
Ah friends, I would hope
that everyone within my voice
00:46:50.87\00:46:56.30
can see what I'm
trying to say here.
00:46:56.54\00:46:58.50
The truth on the Sabbath,
the truth about tithing,
00:46:58.53\00:47:02.94
the truth about the 2300
days, the spirit of prophecy,
00:47:03.04\00:47:06.03
or health, any other truth
that we would like to preach
00:47:06.06\00:47:08.85
in an evangelistic series,
all will lose their significance
00:47:09.15\00:47:13.38
and power if we don't
love our neighbors enough
00:47:13.41\00:47:16.15
to go out there and help
them when they have a need.
00:47:16.18\00:47:19.41
Personal,
practical, and hands on help.
00:47:19.44\00:47:22.50
This is the highest
form of Christian standards
00:47:23.16\00:47:26.00
that can be reached.
00:47:26.03\00:47:27.13
This is what Jesus is hoping
that He can have in His people.
00:47:27.16\00:47:31.81
Then God can use us to
call His people out of Babylon.
00:47:31.84\00:47:38.38
Are you willing?
00:47:39.12\00:47:40.15
You know, friends, I sincerely
believe that God would have
00:47:41.24\00:47:46.90
far more missionaries.
00:47:46.93\00:47:48.72
Oh I'm not saying that
these missionaries would travel
00:47:48.75\00:47:52.12
to foreign lands.
00:47:52.15\00:47:53.66
We can be a
missionary right where we are.
00:47:54.59\00:47:57.04
Ah, but I sincerely
believe that God's people would
00:47:57.24\00:48:01.30
interest themselves in the work
of God more and more and more,
00:48:01.33\00:48:05.58
and we would interest
ourselves less and less and less
00:48:05.61\00:48:08.34
in secular jobs.
00:48:08.37\00:48:10.87
Not that there's anything
wrong with secular jobs.
00:48:10.90\00:48:13.15
Hey, there's got to be
God's people everywhere.
00:48:13.18\00:48:16.17
But every single individual
should be imbued with this,
00:48:16.20\00:48:19.59
should be possessed with
the spirit of Jesus Christ,
00:48:19.62\00:48:22.37
to be a blessing to
every single soul that we meet
00:48:22.40\00:48:26.04
so that our desire is
to see everyone saved in
00:48:26.14\00:48:30.11
the kingdom of heaven.
00:48:30.14\00:48:31.26
And especially those
who are suffering and we can
00:48:31.36\00:48:33.63
see their suffering.
00:48:33.66\00:48:34.71
Because there is nothing that
reveals that we are Christians
00:48:34.74\00:48:39.90
than that we are willing to
deny ourselves to be a blessing
00:48:40.27\00:48:43.79
to those people who
have need of our help.
00:48:43.99\00:48:46.56
Ah friends, there's not
that many people in the world
00:48:46.79\00:48:50.78
who are willing to go
that far to be a Christian.
00:48:50.81\00:48:53.84
Just a little story in ending.
00:48:54.82\00:48:57.77
My wife and I spent
ten years in Africa.
00:49:00.51\00:49:03.10
I brought my son to
Africa when he was fourteen.
00:49:03.13\00:49:05.72
He's my baby.
00:49:05.75\00:49:06.98
He's 40 years old.
00:49:07.01\00:49:08.62
And he's still in Africa.
00:49:08.95\00:49:10.20
He's still a
missionary in Africa.
00:49:10.23\00:49:12.74
I have two daughters.
00:49:12.77\00:49:13.81
One is a missionary in the
Yukon Territory north of Canada.
00:49:13.84\00:49:17.18
And I have a
daughter in Washington state.
00:49:17.28\00:49:20.67
And she's in charge of
all these choirs that she
00:49:20.70\00:49:23.69
does for her church.
00:49:23.72\00:49:24.81
My whole family is involved
in serving in the church.
00:49:24.84\00:49:28.62
We came home, my wife and I.
00:49:29.19\00:49:31.01
And after we had
been home for some time,
00:49:31.21\00:49:33.63
we began receiving
emails saying that there were
00:49:34.72\00:49:38.49
28 thousand orphans in the
Makete District of Tanzania.
00:49:38.52\00:49:43.28
And we thought to ourselves,
"That can't be possible.
00:49:43.31\00:49:46.59
That can't be right.
00:49:46.62\00:49:48.09
How can there be
28 thousand orphans
00:49:48.12\00:49:52.13
and nobody is doing anything?"
00:49:52.16\00:49:53.95
And so my wife and I decided
that we would go over there
00:49:54.20\00:49:57.25
to investigate.
00:49:57.28\00:49:58.53
We made a trip to Tanzania.
00:49:58.56\00:50:00.58
We got over there
and we began to search.
00:50:01.00\00:50:03.32
We would go from village to
village and we would go to the
00:50:03.35\00:50:05.79
local public
schools in these villages.
00:50:05.99\00:50:09.39
And it was true.
00:50:09.42\00:50:10.92
35 to 50 percent of the
students in these schools
00:50:11.30\00:50:16.12
were indeed orphans.
00:50:16.15\00:50:17.52
They were orphans.
00:50:17.55\00:50:18.93
It began to work
on my wife's heart.
00:50:20.59\00:50:24.05
She couldn't leave
the thing like that.
00:50:24.93\00:50:29.46
There was no one
else doing anything there.
00:50:29.49\00:50:31.84
And so we decided ten
years ago, seeing that I am the
00:50:32.14\00:50:35.51
president of Eden Valley
Institute, that she would
00:50:35.54\00:50:38.45
go and live in Africa in
order to take care of some of
00:50:38.48\00:50:42.49
these people to
do all that she can.
00:50:42.52\00:50:44.36
Do you know, she went
over there with nothing.
00:50:44.39\00:50:46.97
Nothing in her pocket.
00:50:47.00\00:50:48.44
She went over there and rented.
00:50:49.19\00:50:51.23
The first house she rented for
$20 a month; that was the rent.
00:50:51.26\00:50:54.57
That was the biggest
house in town, by the way.
00:50:54.60\00:50:57.04
Twenty dollars a month.
00:50:57.07\00:50:58.29
She rented it
and she lived there.
00:50:58.39\00:50:59.97
It was the coldest
most miserable house
00:51:00.00\00:51:02.48
I've ever been in my life.
00:51:02.51\00:51:03.77
There was no ceiling,
it was all cement blocks.
00:51:03.91\00:51:06.64
And it's cold there because
it's at 7500 feet elevation.
00:51:06.95\00:51:12.02
And it's, you know, very
wet and humid, and all the rest.
00:51:12.15\00:51:15.18
And it was, oh it was miserable.
00:51:15.21\00:51:17.13
She stayed there. By the
way, it's been ten years.
00:51:17.16\00:51:19.33
She's not still in
that house, though I can
00:51:19.36\00:51:20.90
tell you more in a minute.
00:51:20.93\00:51:22.07
No, but she went
over there with nothing.
00:51:22.85\00:51:25.70
And what was she to do?
00:51:25.73\00:51:26.93
All that she could do
is mix with the people,
00:51:26.96\00:51:30.01
go around the villages from
hut to hut, from house to house,
00:51:30.04\00:51:33.03
to see if anyone of these
people had any kind of need.
00:51:33.06\00:51:36.62
And she would help
to meet their needs.
00:51:36.65\00:51:38.75
If the students needed
school uniforms, she saw to it
00:51:39.10\00:51:43.32
that they had school uniforms.
00:51:43.35\00:51:44.79
If these people needed food,
she helped them to find food.
00:51:44.82\00:51:47.63
If they needed a ride somewhere,
she would give them a ride.
00:51:47.66\00:51:50.27
By the way, she has
the only hearse in town.
00:51:50.47\00:51:53.05
It's just a pickup, but everyone
comes to her when someone dies
00:51:53.08\00:51:56.26
and they need to go somewhere.
00:51:56.29\00:51:57.44
She has the ambulance.
00:51:57.47\00:51:58.65
It's still only a pickup,
but it's the ambulance in town.
00:51:58.68\00:52:01.72
Yeah.
00:52:01.82\00:52:02.85
And she began to take
pictures of those people
00:52:02.93\00:52:05.26
she was helping.
00:52:05.29\00:52:06.35
Epileptics who would fall
in the fire and get burned;
00:52:06.38\00:52:09.09
she would nurture, she
would do the wound care.
00:52:09.12\00:52:12.25
She would do everything
she could do in order to
00:52:12.28\00:52:14.80
meet their needs.
00:52:14.83\00:52:16.78
She began to take
pictures and she would come home
00:52:17.21\00:52:20.85
to America and she
would go from church to church
00:52:20.88\00:52:22.99
and show these pictures.
00:52:23.09\00:52:24.60
And people began to throw money
at her from every direction.
00:52:24.63\00:52:27.98
Do you know that ten
years later, ten years later,
00:52:28.01\00:52:31.92
she has, by the help
of God and local people,
00:52:31.95\00:52:35.84
and a lot of people who
have volunteered to help her
00:52:35.87\00:52:38.25
from the United
States and other places,
00:52:38.28\00:52:39.98
she has built up a whole school.
00:52:40.38\00:52:42.57
She has all these buildings,
like 15 new buildings.
00:52:42.90\00:52:45.80
Not small buildings either.
00:52:45.83\00:52:47.60
She has a
cafeteria, she has dormitories,
00:52:47.63\00:52:50.41
she has schools, and she has
houses, and she built a church.
00:52:50.44\00:52:54.60
And she has 50
students at a time.
00:52:54.80\00:52:57.58
They're learning
all kinds of things.
00:52:57.61\00:52:59.47
Sewing and advanced
sewing, carpentry and advanced
00:53:00.49\00:53:03.46
carpentry, and gardening,
and all kinds of things
00:53:03.49\00:53:07.14
she's teaching these people.
00:53:07.17\00:53:08.55
Because she could not stand
to go into the little village
00:53:08.65\00:53:12.27
where there was just
a little store and see
00:53:12.30\00:53:14.33
all these young people.
00:53:14.36\00:53:15.71
Do you know that over
there, if a young person fails
00:53:15.74\00:53:19.70
grade seven, he is
through with school forever.
00:53:19.73\00:53:23.15
He does not get a second chance.
00:53:23.18\00:53:24.97
Every young person goes
to school to grade seven.
00:53:25.75\00:53:28.34
And if they fail grade seven
they cannot go back to school.
00:53:28.37\00:53:31.39
Well friends, it
touched my wife's heart.
00:53:31.42\00:53:33.93
It really did.
00:53:34.51\00:53:35.62
And she began to
think, these young people;
00:53:36.26\00:53:38.72
they hang around
smoking and drinking,
00:53:38.75\00:53:40.58
and there's aids everywhere.
00:53:40.61\00:53:42.83
Because that's why
there's so many orphans.
00:53:42.86\00:53:44.84
And they're all getting into
trouble and they're dying young.
00:53:44.87\00:53:47.84
What can she do for them?
00:53:47.87\00:53:49.69
And so she conceived
the idea of having a school.
00:53:49.72\00:53:52.61
And now she is able to
minister not only to all
00:53:52.64\00:53:55.14
the orphans around.
00:53:55.17\00:53:56.24
By the way, there were
800 of them in seven villages
00:53:56.40\00:53:59.57
that she was overseeing.
00:53:59.60\00:54:02.02
And today, ten years later,
there's only 500 and some;
00:54:02.18\00:54:05.64
because of prolonged life
medicine and people are not
00:54:05.74\00:54:09.86
dying as quickly, and the young
orphans are now older orphans.
00:54:09.89\00:54:13.00
They're ten years older.
00:54:13.03\00:54:14.30
And there are
fewer, fewer people dying.
00:54:14.33\00:54:16.89
And my wife is
still there ministering.
00:54:16.92\00:54:19.99
Friends, this is what God wants.
00:54:20.87\00:54:24.08
He wants a people who will
see a need and who will go.
00:54:24.28\00:54:28.60
She didn't have any
special, how should I say...
00:54:28.70\00:54:32.09
It's not because
she went to school.
00:54:32.12\00:54:33.81
She has a grade ten education.
00:54:33.84\00:54:35.59
Oh she's a very
practical individual.
00:54:35.62\00:54:38.08
She knows how to work.
00:54:38.11\00:54:39.30
And when she sees a
problem, she knows how to
00:54:39.33\00:54:41.19
approach the problem.
00:54:41.22\00:54:42.25
The Lord has
given her that gift.
00:54:42.28\00:54:44.08
But friends, she's
only one lone woman.
00:54:44.11\00:54:46.98
Four foot eleven, by the way.
00:54:47.01\00:54:49.13
And she's out there.
00:54:50.74\00:54:52.08
She went with nothing
and God has blessed her
00:54:52.11\00:54:55.44
in raising a whole institution
by herself, single handedly;
00:54:55.80\00:54:59.80
by the help of God and the
people that God would send.
00:54:59.83\00:55:03.70
Could you do
something like that?
00:55:03.73\00:55:05.43
Yes you could.
00:55:06.11\00:55:07.40
Friends, read Isaiah 58.
00:55:08.55\00:55:11.21
It says there, "Cry aloud."
00:55:12.22\00:55:14.12
It's the loud
cry to God's people
00:55:14.62\00:55:17.37
in preparation to give the
loud cry warning to the world.
00:55:18.15\00:55:22.68
This is the preparation.
00:55:22.71\00:55:24.36
And may everyone of you be
willing to see and jump in,
00:55:24.39\00:55:28.50
both feet, and begin to serve
as God would have you to serve.
00:55:28.53\00:55:32.70
What do you say?
00:55:32.73\00:55:33.77
Can you do it?
00:55:34.09\00:55:35.12
Yeah.
00:55:35.44\00:55:36.51
I would like to invite
you to bow your heads with me.
00:55:37.23\00:55:40.63
We're going to ask God
to organize this for us
00:55:40.66\00:55:43.88
in each one of our lives.
00:55:43.91\00:55:45.41
Ask God to show you what
it is that He wants you to do.
00:55:45.44\00:55:48.83
And it's easy,
friends. It's easy.
00:55:49.03\00:55:50.87
All He's going to have to show
you is someone that has a need.
00:55:50.90\00:55:55.79
And He's going to say,
"Start here, start here."
00:55:55.82\00:55:59.12
You don't have
to have big bucks.
00:55:59.43\00:56:00.77
You don't have to have
anything but a smile to begin.
00:56:00.80\00:56:03.06
And God will use it.
00:56:03.49\00:56:04.70
Shall we bow.
00:56:04.73\00:56:05.76
Heavenly Father, Lord thank You.
00:56:06.35\00:56:09.31
Thank You for helping us
to see what it is that You
00:56:09.50\00:56:12.88
want for Thy people.
00:56:12.91\00:56:14.51
Ah, Lord, it seems
like we have so far to go
00:56:14.61\00:56:20.07
and it seems
like we're so small.
00:56:20.10\00:56:21.96
And it seems like
we're so unprepared.
00:56:22.16\00:56:25.10
But we don't need the
preparation so much as
00:56:25.28\00:56:27.73
we need to be working with God.
00:56:27.76\00:56:30.06
We need to ask You
to come into our lives.
00:56:30.67\00:56:32.83
We need to ask You to
point us in the direction
00:56:32.86\00:56:35.67
You would have us to go.
00:56:35.70\00:56:36.73
Help us to see the individual
that needs the help we can give.
00:56:36.76\00:56:39.74
Give us the power,
give us the energy,
00:56:39.90\00:56:41.97
give us the time,
give us whatever it takes
00:56:42.00\00:56:44.57
that we might
deal with these people
00:56:44.84\00:56:46.97
in the way that You would do it.
00:56:47.00\00:56:48.83
That we might bring a
blessing to these people
00:56:48.86\00:56:51.14
so that they can say,
"There must be something
00:56:51.17\00:56:53.59
special in that individual.
00:56:53.62\00:56:55.56
Why does he go out of his
way, her way, to help me?"
00:56:55.59\00:56:59.14
Father, help us to be
Christians like Jesus was,
00:56:59.24\00:57:02.28
in the fullest
sense of the word,
00:57:02.31\00:57:03.86
so that Jesus can come.
00:57:03.96\00:57:05.65
When it's time for Him to
come, He will find a people
00:57:05.76\00:57:09.04
at work blessing others.
00:57:09.07\00:57:11.25
And we thank You
for hearing our prayer.
00:57:11.28\00:57:13.37
In the name of Jesus, amen.
00:57:13.40\00:57:15.90