Welcome to Anchors Of Truth
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live from the
3ABN Worship Center.
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Hello and welcome to
the 3ABN Worship Center.
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Thank you for joining us
this beautiful Sabbath morning.
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It's spring here
in southern Illinois.
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Beautiful weather, right?
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- You been enjoying it?
- I've been enjoying it.
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You've had to
stay in quite a bit.
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You're studying
the work in your heart.
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It's okay, I get to look
out and see the sun shining.
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We have Pastor
Lee Venden with us.
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If you haven't been watching
this series, you can get it;
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Anchors Of Truth
with Pastor Lee Venden.
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I've listened to the
sermons the last three nights,
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and you have given me...
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And I mentioned to
you behind back stage,
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you're like; we have a
big boat, but sometimes
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we don't have a motor.
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You're giving us the motor.
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The power behind the truths that
we teach, the biblical truths
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espoused by the
Seventh-day Adventist Church,
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is powered by the Holy Spirit.
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It's powered by a relationship
with the Lord Jesus Christ.
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Thank you so
much for bringing us.
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Sometimes we get so
caught up, Elder Venden,
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in our do's and don'ts,
and all of our doctrines,
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we leave out Jesus.
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That would be a tragedy.
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Thank you for
devoting your life.
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You're not the only one in
your family that's done this.
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The Venden's are known
for this, bringing us back.
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People have been
asking a number of questions.
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So I want to ask you one
quickly, is that alright?
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Well, I'll try.
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I have it written down.
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It says, "We
believe the teachings on
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righteousness by faith
that you have brought us
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are present truth.
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You have shown us from
the Bible that we are saved
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through faith and not our works.
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This has been confirmed
and you have confirmed this
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through many quotes
of the spirit of prophecy
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that you've shared with us.
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Now we also believe, as you
do, God has commissioned the
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SDA Church to proclaim
present truth to the world.
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My question, does the
Christian's acceptance
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of righteousness by faith
negate the need for proclaiming
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other present truth doctrine,
such as the seventh day Sabbath,
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the mark of the
beast, the state of the dead,
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the timeline prophecies
of Daniel and Revelation,
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etcetera, etcetera?"
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Well not only does
it not negate them,
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it is the core of
every one of them.
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You mentioned just a
moment ago, the motor
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that powers the boat.
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I have fourteen quotations that
I have gathered over the years
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that I keep in
the cover of my Bible.
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From the same author
you just referred to.
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And everyone of those quotations
summarized would say this;
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"Unless Jesus is seen as
the heart and core and central
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pivotal theme of each
of our pillar doctrines,
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they have not yet
been taught correctly."
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So the cool thing is, when
we get Jesus in our pillars
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to where they are, you know,
kissing, they're embracing,
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they're one,
then we've got them.
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We've got the one-two punch.
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We've got the winning dynamic.
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But yeah I totally
embrace them, with Jesus
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as the center of each one.
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Absolutely.
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And what that does, when
that happens and we develop that
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personal relationship
with the Lord Jesus Christ,
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then it's He that
shines out and not ourselves.
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I remember when I was young,
I grew up in a pretty legalistic
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era in a church, and
even when I was a kid I'd take
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my Bible to school
to beat up other kids.
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I was going to prove to
them that they were wrong.
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Now that's an extreme.
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So we don't want
to go to that extreme.
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But once I fell in love
with Jesus, everything changes.
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And as I said before,
that's the power of the gospel.
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That's the power
of present truth.
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So sometimes we do
get so far to either side.
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But thankfully, I'm so thankful
that 3ABN is a tool that God
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is allowing us to...
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He's allowing us as frail
human beings to have a tool
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that can disseminate
this gospel of the kingdom
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into all the world.
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Present truth to a
lost and dying world.
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Most of all, as you
have said, relationship
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with the Lord Jesus Christ.
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I'm so thankful
that you're here.
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Thank you for what you're doing.
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We're going to pray for you,
and you're going to be speaking
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in just a few
moments, but before you come
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we have Dr. Yvonne Lewis.
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She's going to be singing a
song that I heard you repeating
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the words to back
there a while ago,
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Great Is Thy Faithfulness.
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And so Dr. Lewis,
it's good to have her.
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She is the manager of
our "Dare To Dream" network.
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And Yvonne, thank
you for being here.
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And we love you, appreciate
you, and so much admire
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what you do for the
cause of Jesus on this earth.
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Great is Thy
faithfulness, O God my Father;
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there is no shadow
of turning with Thee.
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Thou changest not, Thy
compassions, they fail not;
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as Thou hast been,
Thou forever will be.
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Great is Thy faithfulness.
Great is Thy faithfulness.
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Morning by
morning new mercies I see.
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All I have needed
Thy hands hath provided;
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great is Thy
faithfulness, Lord, unto me.
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Summer and winter and
springtime and harvest,
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sun, moon, and stars
in their courses above
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join with all
nature in manifold witness
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to Thy great
faithfulness, mercy, and love.
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Great is Thy faithfulness.
Great is Thy faithfulness.
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Morning by
morning new mercies I see.
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All I have needed
Thy hands hath provided;
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great is Thy
faithfulness, Lord, unto me.
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Pardon for sin and
a peace that endureth;
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Thine own dear
presence to cheer and to guide.
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Strength for today and
bright hope for tomorrow;
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blessings all mine,
with ten thousand beside.
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Great is Thy faithfulness.
Great is Thy faithfulness.
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Morning by
morning new mercies I see.
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All I have needed
Thy hands hath provided;
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great is Thy
faithfulness, Lord, unto me.
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All I have needed
Thy hands hath provided;
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great is Thy
faithfulness, Lord, unto me.
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If it wasn't for
His faithfulness,
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we'd be in a heap of trouble.
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Morning by
morning new mercies I see.
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Just this morning, fresh mercies
as I was on my knees with Jesus.
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And I want to get on my
knees with Him one more time.
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Heavenly Father, thank You
for that great faithfulness.
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Thank You for sending us Jesus.
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And Jesus, thank You for coming.
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Thank You for
promising to come again.
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Thank You that You told a
dying thief You'd remember him.
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That You haven't forgotten
any of Your friends down here.
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And thank You that I
can be one of Your friends.
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And I'm asking for You
to remember me right now
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in a very special way.
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I think about Mother Teresa
saying, "I just want to be
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a pencil in the hand of God."
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And that's what I want
today right now for myself.
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I want to be a
pencil, I want You to use me.
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If You need to, Lord,
please sharpen the pencil.
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Whatever it takes.
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Crowd sin and self out
of me, out of all of us,
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as we look
together in Your direction.
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And open Your Word
to us with such a power
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that we see spiritually
and we hear spiritually.
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And it's more than words,
and it's more than information.
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It goes to our hearts.
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That's my prayer
for every one of us.
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In Jesus' name, amen.
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I don't know if you have
ever struggled along with this,
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but sometimes, even in
those we love the most,
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family members, moms and
dads, we see characteristics
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that we say, "When
I'm an adult, I'm going to
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make a little bit of a
difference in that way.
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I'm not going to go quite
that extreme here or there.
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I'm going to do a little more of
this or a little more of that."
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And you know, then as we
grow we discover we're doing
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the very thing we that said we
were going to try and be careful
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to be a little different in.
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And I think that was what
the writer was thinking when
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they wrote this little
thing that I saw in a touristy
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gift shop one time.
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It was a little plaque
and it said these words,
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it said, "Mirror,
mirror, on the wall,
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I am my mother after all."
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Today, we're going to
take a look at a beast
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in a book called
the book of Revelation.
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It happens to
be Jesus' own book.
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And we're looking for
Jesus, and we're looking for
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personal
applications relative to Jesus
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as we focus on His book.
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And so we're going to take
a look here at a portion of
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Revelation 14, which
is often referred to as
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the three angels' messages.
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We're going to look
at verses 9 through 11.
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Now, several things
pop up in this chapter 14.
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First of all there's a beast.
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Secondly, there is an image.
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The beast has an image.
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Thirdly, there is a mark
associated with the beast.
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And then in conjunction with
chapter 14 and Revelation 13,
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we have the name, the
beast has, and a number,
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the beast has.
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And as you look at all of
this in prophetic literature,
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it can sometimes
appear somewhat mystical.
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Maybe even somewhat confusing.
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But in the next
chapter, Revelation 15,
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we are told that the
saints are one day going to be
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gathered alongside a
sea that looks like glass,
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and they're
going to sing a song.
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I don't know if you've
ever been to summer camp,
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but I can remember
being at the camp fire bowl
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at summer camp as
the sun was going down.
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And the lake out
there all smooth like glass
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reflecting the
glory of the sunset
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as we're singing songs.
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And somehow in my mind,
I'm envisioning the saints
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singing a song beside
the sea that looks like glass
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mingled with fire.
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It says about them
in chapter 15 verse 2...
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The verse
continues, verse 3 goes on.
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I'm not going to add
that one, but then it says
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they were singing a song.
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So picture these
saints singing this song.
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Do you think they're going to
know what they're singing about?
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Do you think?
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Can you imagine one of the
saints, in the middle of singing
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and playing the harp
to accompany themselves,
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turning to another one of
the saints and saying to him,
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you know, a little bit
of an elbow, "Excuse me.
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This is a beautiful song.
00:14:00.71\00:14:01.74
I love the tune.
00:14:01.77\00:14:03.30
I love everything about it.
00:14:03.84\00:14:06.05
The harmonies are awesome.
00:14:06.08\00:14:07.86
But what's the beast though?
00:14:07.89\00:14:10.47
And that number and
that mark and that name?
00:14:10.77\00:14:13.42
Can you give me a little...
00:14:13.45\00:14:14.48
I'm not sure what
we're singing about.
00:14:14.51\00:14:15.78
I like the tune, but
what are we singing about?"
00:14:15.81\00:14:17.62
Can you imagine that
kind of conversation?
00:14:18.28\00:14:20.16
I can't.
00:14:20.26\00:14:21.33
No, I think that they're
going to know what they got
00:14:21.53\00:14:23.33
victory over or they wouldn't
be singing about it, right?
00:14:23.36\00:14:26.48
They're going to know.
00:14:26.51\00:14:27.81
Well, maybe they
will know, but do we know?
00:14:28.27\00:14:32.83
Are we clear?
00:14:33.16\00:14:34.61
Could we have any confusion?
00:14:34.64\00:14:36.59
Perhaps. Perhaps not.
00:14:36.62\00:14:38.26
Let's take a
little look and find out.
00:14:38.29\00:14:41.18
When you consider Revelation,
particularly chapter 13,
00:14:41.75\00:14:46.09
and the book of
Daniel, another prophetic book,
00:14:46.52\00:14:48.77
particularly chapter 7,
there are numerous ways of
00:14:48.80\00:14:51.87
identifying who the beast is.
00:14:51.90\00:14:55.52
And many have done that.
00:14:55.62\00:14:56.80
And so I probably for
the most part would be just
00:14:56.83\00:14:59.57
repeating material that
many of you are familiar with.
00:14:59.77\00:15:02.72
But just a couple of
the identifiers, perhaps,
00:15:02.75\00:15:08.06
will help us as we sort
of set the platform for where
00:15:08.09\00:15:10.52
we're going this morning.
00:15:10.55\00:15:12.28
The beast, as you look in
Revelation 13 and in Daniel 7,
00:15:12.76\00:15:15.79
has tremendous power
over the entire world.
00:15:15.82\00:15:18.13
Over all the world.
00:15:18.16\00:15:20.41
Okay, that's one
of the identifiers.
00:15:20.85\00:15:22.47
Another of the identifiers is,
this beast springs out of Rome.
00:15:22.50\00:15:28.06
And Rome is identified
in the book of Daniel as the
00:15:28.76\00:15:31.82
fourth world power in
a chain of world powers.
00:15:31.85\00:15:36.17
So this beast
springs out of Rome,
00:15:36.28\00:15:38.78
which is the fourth world power.
00:15:38.81\00:15:40.11
So it becomes next in sequence.
00:15:40.14\00:15:42.48
Alright, we're just
looking for identifiers.
00:15:42.51\00:15:44.48
This beast speaks against God.
00:15:45.24\00:15:48.27
This beast blasphemes His
name and His dwelling place,
00:15:48.84\00:15:53.00
His sanctuary.
00:15:53.03\00:15:54.22
The beast actually rules
with power and persecutes
00:15:54.78\00:15:59.48
the saints, Scripture says,
for a period of 1260 years.
00:15:59.51\00:16:04.91
Daniel also tells us that
the beast thinks to change
00:16:06.18\00:16:10.97
times and laws.
00:16:11.00\00:16:12.54
Thinks to change them.
00:16:12.57\00:16:14.65
The idea that it thinks to
change them implies that it
00:16:14.85\00:16:17.72
can't really do it, but it's
thinking that it's going to try.
00:16:17.75\00:16:20.43
Alright?
00:16:20.83\00:16:21.89
So now, one more of the
identifiers about this beast
00:16:22.37\00:16:26.59
is that it is described
as a different power than the
00:16:26.91\00:16:30.38
ones that preceded it.
00:16:30.41\00:16:32.12
It's different.
00:16:32.15\00:16:33.18
There's something different
about this beast power.
00:16:33.21\00:16:36.53
It is a combination power.
00:16:36.56\00:16:40.14
The others have been what
you would call political powers.
00:16:40.39\00:16:43.96
This next beast is
a combination power.
00:16:43.99\00:16:48.62
Well, what followed
Rome in the sequence?
00:16:48.98\00:16:53.89
Pagan Rome transferred
its power to papal Rome,
00:16:54.45\00:17:00.94
which was a
religious political power.
00:17:01.37\00:17:07.07
Now we have a new
power on the scene.
00:17:07.10\00:17:08.63
This is different
than the ones before it.
00:17:08.66\00:17:10.49
What follows Rome
is a combination power.
00:17:10.52\00:17:13.96
So pagan Rome transfers
the power to papal Rome.
00:17:14.16\00:17:17.99
Now, must I be a church prelate
sitting on a throne in Europe
00:17:19.30\00:17:28.90
to qualify for what
this beast represents?
00:17:29.39\00:17:33.95
This is the question
we're going to probe into here.
00:17:33.98\00:17:36.04
This is the question.
00:17:36.52\00:17:37.55
See, prophetic literature
is filled with symbols.
00:17:37.58\00:17:42.44
Nobody would deny that.
00:17:43.22\00:17:44.26
Prophetic literature
is filled with symbols.
00:17:44.29\00:17:46.63
And it's filled with
symbols for a reason.
00:17:47.71\00:17:49.70
God has a personal application
that He would like us
00:17:49.73\00:17:53.72
to derive from the symbol.
00:17:53.75\00:17:56.17
And it would be tragic
if we missed the application
00:17:56.20\00:18:00.53
and focused
instead on the symbol.
00:18:00.56\00:18:03.41
See, He gave us the symbol
to alert us to an application
00:18:04.11\00:18:09.92
that has personal relevancy.
00:18:09.95\00:18:12.02
I've got a good
friend, Buddy Houghtaling.
00:18:15.28\00:18:18.37
I understand he has
taped here at 3ABN many times.
00:18:18.40\00:18:22.32
One of the things
I love about Buddy,
00:18:23.44\00:18:24.93
he's probably my favorite...
00:18:24.96\00:18:26.80
I shouldn't say,
"probably." He is.
00:18:26.83\00:18:28.17
He's my favorite song
writer and Christian musician.
00:18:28.20\00:18:30.47
I just love Buddy.
00:18:30.50\00:18:31.73
But one of the things that
I enjoy about Buddy's music,
00:18:32.03\00:18:34.48
so many of his songs,
just about every one of them,
00:18:34.51\00:18:36.41
they surprise you.
00:18:36.91\00:18:38.35
He starts off on a
theme that you think,
00:18:38.38\00:18:40.87
"Well that's kind of
neat," and all of a sudden he
00:18:40.90\00:18:42.16
twists and turns, and you
find yourself getting a message
00:18:42.19\00:18:44.89
that you hadn't expected.
00:18:44.92\00:18:45.95
Before the song is
over, you go, "Oh wow.
00:18:45.98\00:18:47.67
How did he do that?
00:18:47.70\00:18:48.86
That was kind of
neat the way it worked."
00:18:48.89\00:18:50.80
I want to give you an example.
00:18:51.38\00:18:52.55
I actually printed out
the lyrics to one of his songs
00:18:52.58\00:18:54.69
just a few minutes ago.
00:18:54.72\00:18:55.87
The song is entitled, My Nails.
00:18:56.27\00:18:58.22
And in this song, there's
this fellow who's like the...
00:18:58.25\00:19:01.35
He owns the
hardware store in Nazareth.
00:19:01.38\00:19:03.83
The Home Depot at Nazareth.
00:19:04.20\00:19:06.42
And in the song, the guy who
owns the Home Depot in Nazareth
00:19:06.62\00:19:11.00
is telling about a fellow
who has his own cabinet shop
00:19:11.03\00:19:14.06
there in town who keeps
coming in to get materials.
00:19:14.09\00:19:16.65
And he brings his
little boy with him.
00:19:16.68\00:19:18.08
And the fellow says the
little boy is just a prince.
00:19:18.11\00:19:20.42
He's just a
wonderful little guy.
00:19:20.45\00:19:22.13
And he says the father
is teaching this little guy
00:19:22.16\00:19:24.45
the tricks of the trade
and how to be a carpenter.
00:19:24.48\00:19:26.88
And he says, "I get
to watch this guy grow,
00:19:26.91\00:19:29.45
this little guy
grow, and he learns well.
00:19:29.48\00:19:31.62
And he does such a good job
that people start coming from
00:19:31.65\00:19:35.34
miles around just to
get a table or a chair
00:19:35.37\00:19:37.75
that this little
guy has hand crafted."
00:19:37.78\00:19:39.65
He says he gets a
reputation, in the song,
00:19:39.95\00:19:41.92
the little guy gets a reputation
that is just unbelievable.
00:19:41.95\00:19:45.12
Everybody talks, "Hey, have
you gotten any of the furniture
00:19:45.15\00:19:48.11
from that cabinet shop?
00:19:48.14\00:19:49.76
Because Joseph's son
does wonders with wood."
00:19:49.79\00:19:53.30
And in the song that
Buddy sings, the Home Depot guy,
00:19:53.54\00:20:00.39
he says, "Now, I'd just
like to point out something.
00:20:00.42\00:20:03.59
The wood that the little
guy uses, well that's my wood.
00:20:03.98\00:20:08.54
He bought that from me.
00:20:08.84\00:20:10.17
And the nails that he
uses, well those are my nails.
00:20:10.27\00:20:14.15
So, I'd like to take a
little credit, you know.
00:20:14.18\00:20:16.42
The work that he does is
using my wood and my nails.
00:20:16.45\00:20:19.76
I'll take a little
credit, thank you very much."
00:20:19.96\00:20:21.69
Trying to catch a ride on
the reputation of the young man.
00:20:21.93\00:20:26.05
Well as the song continues...
00:20:26.08\00:20:27.96
I probably should have
just played it, because
00:20:27.99\00:20:29.42
I'm taking longer to tell
you the song than it would
00:20:29.45\00:20:31.40
take to listen to the song.
00:20:31.43\00:20:32.69
But as the song continues, the
fellow says, "I made a lot of
00:20:33.10\00:20:35.88
money and I went off
and I began to pursue
00:20:35.91\00:20:37.72
a lot of
material stuff, and so on.
00:20:37.75\00:20:39.24
And my life kind of
took a different path,
00:20:39.27\00:20:40.69
and the little guy went
off in a different path.
00:20:40.72\00:20:42.44
And then one day, I happened
to be coming outside the
00:20:42.47\00:20:45.35
city of Jerusalem and
I saw a mob of people,
00:20:45.38\00:20:47.31
and they were doing something
that caught my attention.
00:20:47.34\00:20:49.22
And I went over to where
they were, and I realized
00:20:49.25\00:20:51.94
it was the little guy.
00:20:51.97\00:20:53.35
He's not little anymore.
00:20:53.38\00:20:54.52
And they're
nailing him to a cross.
00:20:54.55\00:20:56.58
And all of a sudden, a flash of
illumination came into my mind.
00:20:56.61\00:21:00.01
And I recognized something.
00:21:00.04\00:21:02.17
I said, wait a minute..."
00:21:02.20\00:21:03.97
Let me read you
the last two stanzas.
00:21:04.00\00:21:07.72
"That's my wood.
00:21:08.15\00:21:10.56
The cross you laid
Him on should be my wood,
00:21:11.24\00:21:14.59
because He's done nothing wrong.
00:21:14.62\00:21:16.58
You're pardoning the guilty
and you're punishing the Good.
00:21:16.61\00:21:20.42
If things were like they should
be, I'd be laying on that wood.
00:21:20.45\00:21:24.73
And those, those nails
you've driven in His hands,
00:21:24.76\00:21:27.80
they should be my nails.
00:21:27.83\00:21:29.67
Oh can't you understand?
00:21:29.70\00:21:31.23
You've crucified
Perfection and you've spared
00:21:31.26\00:21:33.49
the one who failed.
00:21:33.52\00:21:34.94
If everybody knew the
truth, those are my nails."
00:21:34.97\00:21:39.69
You see how that song just,
boom, reaches out and grabs you?
00:21:39.72\00:21:42.93
It just about had me in
tears just now as I read it.
00:21:43.32\00:21:46.07
And Buddy would say, "Please
don't get distracted with
00:21:47.89\00:21:51.68
the Home Depot guy.
00:21:51.71\00:21:53.88
Because the song is
not about his products.
00:21:53.91\00:21:56.78
The song is about Jesus
on the cross for you and me."
00:21:56.81\00:22:02.46
Don't miss the application
because you got sidetracked
00:22:02.49\00:22:06.75
with the symbol.
00:22:06.78\00:22:08.21
You understand what I'm saying?
00:22:08.24\00:22:09.53
Did the song help
illustrate my point?
00:22:09.73\00:22:11.55
For example, if I
thought I was sick and I took a
00:22:12.03\00:22:14.61
thermometer and I
put it in my mouth,
00:22:14.64\00:22:16.43
and I pulled it out
again and it said I had a
00:22:16.93\00:22:18.67
temperature of 104.5,
I would say, "Oh my word.
00:22:18.70\00:22:23.11
I need to get to a doctor."
00:22:23.14\00:22:24.92
The thermometer
wasn't going to fix me.
00:22:25.30\00:22:28.23
The thermometer was
going to direct me to where
00:22:28.26\00:22:30.32
I need to go to get help.
00:22:30.35\00:22:31.64
It's going to direct me
to the physician, right?
00:22:31.67\00:22:33.85
So it'd be a shame for me
to spend the rest of my illness
00:22:34.05\00:22:38.76
cradling the
thermometer and looking at it
00:22:38.96\00:22:41.82
and trying to get all
the intricate little detail
00:22:41.85\00:22:44.70
about that thermometer
well blazed into my mind.
00:22:44.73\00:22:47.20
That would be a mistake.
00:22:47.23\00:22:48.56
Because the thermometer is
just pointing me to something
00:22:48.95\00:22:51.73
far more important;
get help from a physician.
00:22:51.76\00:22:55.55
Jesus is the great Physician.
00:22:55.58\00:22:57.17
This book is about Jesus.
00:22:57.60\00:22:59.46
And the symbols in this
book are there to get us to Him.
00:22:59.66\00:23:04.76
That's what they're there for.
00:23:04.79\00:23:05.94
To get us to Him.
00:23:05.97\00:23:07.39
So I ask the
question once again,
00:23:07.42\00:23:10.29
do I have to be a church prelate
sitting on a throne in Europe
00:23:11.28\00:23:14.75
to qualify for what
the beast symbolizes?
00:23:14.78\00:23:19.10
Symbolizes.
00:23:19.13\00:23:21.67
Rome has taken a lot of heat.
00:23:21.70\00:23:24.89
Some of it has been deserved.
00:23:25.44\00:23:27.26
And some of it
has been undeserved.
00:23:27.76\00:23:29.98
And perhaps it even
has an apology coming to it
00:23:30.50\00:23:34.45
for some of the
undeserved heat that has been
00:23:34.48\00:23:36.34
directed towards Rome.
00:23:36.37\00:23:37.88
Protestants, including
Seventh-day Adventists,
00:23:38.26\00:23:40.57
around the world for centuries
have pointed fingers at Rome.
00:23:40.60\00:23:44.88
But we need to be very careful,
because we need to recognize
00:23:47.12\00:23:49.90
that when you point a
finger, you have three fingers
00:23:49.93\00:23:52.19
pointing back at yourself.
00:23:52.22\00:23:53.86
And it's easy to overlook
the three fingers coming back
00:23:55.00\00:23:58.22
when we're so focused on
the finger pointing away.
00:23:58.25\00:24:00.88
Michael Card, in a
lyric of a song that he wrote,
00:24:03.29\00:24:05.36
says these words, "Judas,
don't you come too close.
00:24:05.39\00:24:07.80
I fear that I might see the
traitor's look upon your face
00:24:07.83\00:24:11.36
might look too much like me.
00:24:11.39\00:24:12.97
For just like you,
I've sold the Lord;
00:24:13.00\00:24:14.98
and often for much less.
00:24:15.01\00:24:16.67
And like a wretched traitor,
I've betrayed Him with a kiss."
00:24:16.70\00:24:20.56
Don't come too close, see.
00:24:20.66\00:24:22.90
One finger
pointing at the beast,
00:24:22.93\00:24:24.81
three fingers could be
pointing right back at us.
00:24:25.37\00:24:27.92
We need to be really
careful that we understand
00:24:28.02\00:24:30.17
what the application is.
00:24:30.20\00:24:31.72
Are we safe if we aren't
members of Rome's church?
00:24:31.75\00:24:36.41
Well let me show you a quotation
from a little book called,
00:24:36.69\00:24:40.08
Selected Messages, page 406.
00:24:40.11\00:24:42.46
The first coming, now.
00:24:52.80\00:24:53.83
So let's just refresh ourselves.
00:25:05.82\00:25:07.42
Kind of do a quick
summary or a paraphrase
00:25:07.45\00:25:09.20
of what was just read.
00:25:09.23\00:25:10.49
"Over and over again,"
the author says, "I have been
00:25:11.05\00:25:14.05
referred to the children
of Israel at the time of
00:25:14.08\00:25:18.05
Christ's birth as examples
of what the church will be like
00:25:18.08\00:25:24.84
just before Jesus comes."
00:25:24.87\00:25:26.77
She said that.
00:25:27.03\00:25:28.10
That's not my
words, those are her words.
00:25:28.13\00:25:29.71
Alright?
00:25:29.75\00:25:30.78
Now let me read
you one more thing.
00:25:30.87\00:25:32.79
This is taken from the
book called, Great Controversy.
00:25:33.16\00:25:34.92
This is a book that
Seventh-day Adventists
00:25:34.95\00:25:36.31
distribute and
share with neighbors.
00:25:36.34\00:25:39.43
Page 568 says this...
00:25:40.38\00:25:42.49
Now, something I
learned in algebra.
00:25:54.85\00:25:57.93
Two things equal
to each other are also
00:25:58.97\00:26:01.20
equal to the same thing.
00:26:01.23\00:26:02.35
If A = B and B = C, then A = C.
00:26:03.32\00:26:06.70
Alright?
00:26:07.00\00:26:08.03
So let's put our thinking
caps on for just a minute
00:26:08.06\00:26:10.38
and do a couple of little
exercises in simple logic.
00:26:10.41\00:26:12.70
If she has been shown repeatedly
that the church at the end
00:26:13.52\00:26:17.66
is very similar to the
church at the first advent,
00:26:17.69\00:26:20.69
and if she says the church at
the first advent had a striking
00:26:20.72\00:26:26.75
similarity to Rome, then
it follows that the church
00:26:26.78\00:26:31.58
at the end will have a
striking similarity to Rome.
00:26:31.61\00:26:35.96
Whoa, all of a sudden we have
three fingers pointing back.
00:26:36.42\00:26:39.18
"Mirror, mirror on the wall.
00:26:39.34\00:26:41.14
I am my mother after all."
00:26:41.17\00:26:43.58
Whoa.
00:26:44.51\00:26:45.90
See, boiled down,
the beast power...
00:26:47.07\00:26:49.95
And we've looked at
it a little bit so far.
00:26:49.98\00:26:52.39
And this is just a
compressed presentation series.
00:26:52.42\00:26:55.79
I mean, I have 22 presentations
I'm boiling down into five.
00:26:55.82\00:27:00.58
So you know, you try to take
a drink from a fire hydrant,
00:27:00.61\00:27:03.17
you're probably going to choke.
00:27:03.20\00:27:04.26
But that's what we're doing.
00:27:04.29\00:27:05.47
Alright?
00:27:05.50\00:27:06.84
But boiled down, the
beast power simply represents
00:27:07.16\00:27:11.42
an organization that
is built on the notion
00:27:11.45\00:27:15.06
that man can save himself.
00:27:15.09\00:27:18.41
That's the common denominator.
00:27:18.80\00:27:20.88
That you can depend on a man.
00:27:21.12\00:27:23.98
You can confess to a
man, a man can forgive you.
00:27:24.27\00:27:27.23
A man even has power to
absolve or to change laws
00:27:27.26\00:27:31.24
that God has written.
00:27:31.27\00:27:32.35
Man; it's a man based religion.
00:27:32.38\00:27:35.75
Alright?
00:27:36.33\00:27:37.36
So boiled down, the beast simply
represents an organization
00:27:37.79\00:27:40.43
built on the notion that
man has power to save himself.
00:27:40.46\00:27:42.85
In fact, written on the
crown that Rome's leader wears
00:27:42.88\00:27:48.50
is a title; Vicarious Christi.
00:27:49.50\00:27:52.29
You look up the word, vicarious,
in Webster's Dictionary
00:27:52.32\00:27:54.37
and it says, "in place of."
00:27:54.40\00:27:56.42
That's what
vicarious means, in place of.
00:27:56.45\00:27:58.98
So Vicarious
Christi actually translates,
00:27:59.33\00:28:02.59
"in place of Christ."
00:28:02.62\00:28:04.84
And so the crown says that there
is a man sitting on a throne
00:28:05.23\00:28:09.34
who is able to act in
place of Christ on earth.
00:28:09.37\00:28:12.96
So you see, here we
have man depending on man.
00:28:12.99\00:28:16.91
In place of Christ.
00:28:17.70\00:28:20.12
Anywhere you have self
dependence in a spiritual sense,
00:28:21.77\00:28:27.97
you have the beast.
00:28:28.00\00:28:29.36
And you don't have to be
sitting on a throne with a crown
00:28:29.94\00:28:33.65
to be depending on yourself.
00:28:33.68\00:28:36.35
Do you hear me?
00:28:37.26\00:28:38.45
This goes across
every denominational border.
00:28:38.84\00:28:44.92
It includes every human on the
planet, regardless of whether
00:28:44.95\00:28:49.20
they are a Christian nation
or a non-Christian nation.
00:28:49.23\00:28:52.44
Self-dependence is
the beast's problem.
00:28:52.47\00:28:57.36
And it's the
problem of the human race.
00:28:57.69\00:29:00.13
Depending on ourselves.
00:29:00.51\00:29:02.79
Is it possible for a
church to be depending on itself
00:29:03.08\00:29:07.03
even if it has not been
pinpointed in Scripture?
00:29:07.06\00:29:10.32
The answer is, yes.
00:29:11.13\00:29:12.44
Yes it is.
00:29:12.94\00:29:13.97
Have you ever
heard somebody say,
00:29:14.23\00:29:17.00
"We need to rise up
and finish the work."
00:29:17.78\00:29:20.00
Ever heard that phrase?
00:29:20.03\00:29:21.23
"We need to rise up
and finish the work."
00:29:21.26\00:29:22.86
That sounds very
similar to me of something that
00:29:23.19\00:29:25.14
Moses once said as
he was preparing to get
00:29:25.17\00:29:27.07
water out of a rock.
00:29:27.10\00:29:28.13
Do you remember what he said?
00:29:28.16\00:29:29.19
"Must we bring forth
water from this rock?"
00:29:29.28\00:29:33.05
The book of Romans says
that when the work is finished,
00:29:33.08\00:29:34.97
God is going to
finish it Himself.
00:29:35.00\00:29:36.58
So when I say,
"Must we finish the work,"
00:29:36.84\00:29:39.53
"Must we bring
water out of the rock,"
00:29:41.17\00:29:43.04
"We need to rise up
and finish the work,"
00:29:43.07\00:29:44.45
friends, we need to be
very careful that self doesn't
00:29:44.48\00:29:46.57
somehow eclipse who it is
that's going to finish the work.
00:29:46.60\00:29:49.56
When it's finally
finished, He finishes it.
00:29:49.59\00:29:51.12
We're told the final
movements will be rapid ones.
00:29:51.15\00:29:53.54
And the reason they'll
be rapid ones is because
00:29:53.81\00:29:55.92
He steps up and takes off.
00:29:56.16\00:29:58.30
And when He does
it, there's no more
00:29:58.33\00:29:59.66
dilly-dallying, no more lagging.
00:29:59.69\00:30:01.21
It's going to take off and it's
going to go around the globe
00:30:01.24\00:30:03.93
like fire in stubble.
00:30:04.62\00:30:06.50
Okay, so it's possible
for a church not pinpointed
00:30:07.36\00:30:12.05
in prophecy to
depend upon itself.
00:30:12.08\00:30:14.23
But let's take this
application deeper still.
00:30:14.26\00:30:16.89
Because don't forget, the
church is not a headquarters
00:30:16.92\00:30:22.93
in Silver Springs, Maryland.
00:30:23.13\00:30:24.87
The church is made up of people.
00:30:25.11\00:30:27.66
We are the church.
00:30:27.87\00:30:29.91
The church is you and me.
00:30:29.94\00:30:31.42
And we don't want to
hang on the organized
00:30:31.94\00:30:35.93
church what God
intends for us to understand
00:30:36.70\00:30:40.12
and apply personally.
00:30:40.15\00:30:41.66
So let's go for the
deeper application even yet.
00:30:42.21\00:30:44.55
Is it possible for me
as an individual to be
00:30:44.58\00:30:47.96
depending upon myself?
00:30:47.99\00:30:50.16
Well friends, if I am
not experiencing a meaningful
00:30:50.40\00:30:53.68
ongoing daily time alone
with Christ for the purpose of
00:30:53.71\00:30:57.65
becoming better acquainted
with Him through His Word
00:30:57.68\00:30:59.73
and through prayer, if
He's not a focus of my life
00:30:59.76\00:31:02.26
on a daily basis in something
more than a text for the day
00:31:02.29\00:31:05.00
with my hand on the doorknob,
then I am living apart from Him.
00:31:05.03\00:31:09.54
Regardless of how I
want to describe it,
00:31:09.57\00:31:11.39
I'm living apart from Him.
00:31:11.42\00:31:12.79
I am not in a
meaningful intimate relationship
00:31:13.16\00:31:16.10
with Christ if all He hears from
me is a prayer when I eat food
00:31:16.13\00:31:20.45
and maybe a song
or two when I show up
00:31:22.37\00:31:24.35
on the weekend at church.
00:31:24.38\00:31:25.89
Friends spend a lot
more time than that together.
00:31:26.67\00:31:29.41
They spend as much time
as they possibly can spend.
00:31:29.98\00:31:32.07
And if Jesus and I are
not in regular communion,
00:31:32.10\00:31:34.85
then I am depending upon
myself regardless of what I say.
00:31:34.88\00:31:38.27
And if that's true, then
the problem with the beast
00:31:38.30\00:31:41.21
is my problem too.
00:31:41.24\00:31:43.70
My problem too. Lee
Venden's problem too.
00:31:44.35\00:31:47.00
Regardless of what
day I go to church on,
00:31:47.03\00:31:49.90
I can have the
problem of the beast.
00:31:49.93\00:31:53.03
We need not forget that.
00:31:53.39\00:31:54.79
Now remember, the
beast appeared to have a
00:31:55.25\00:32:01.19
mortal wound, to
receive a mortal wound.
00:32:01.67\00:32:04.22
If you've done a little bit of
study on this, or heard others
00:32:04.25\00:32:06.35
present on it, this is
something you're familiar with.
00:32:06.38\00:32:09.21
Revelation 13:3 says...
00:32:09.24\00:32:10.97
Though it appeared
to be a fatal wound.
00:32:13.15\00:32:15.81
The reason that it says,
"appeared," is because it didn't
00:32:15.84\00:32:17.52
turn out to be permanent.
00:32:17.55\00:32:18.82
Well this has not happened yet.
00:32:27.97\00:32:29.52
But Jesus showed John
what would bring it about.
00:32:30.29\00:32:35.58
He said that there was going
to be another beast in prophecy
00:32:36.04\00:32:38.63
that's going to be revealed.
00:32:39.32\00:32:40.35
And it's referred
to as lamb-like beast
00:32:40.38\00:32:43.03
which speaks like a dragon.
00:32:43.06\00:32:44.95
Now, biblical studies
and historical studies
00:32:45.31\00:32:48.84
by people who are far
more skilled and experts than I
00:32:48.87\00:32:52.17
have identified the lamb-like
beast as the United States,
00:32:52.48\00:32:58.12
or Protestant America.
00:32:58.15\00:32:59.77
Now we have noticed
that the previous beast was a
00:33:00.16\00:33:04.06
religious political power.
00:33:04.09\00:33:07.59
Okay?
00:33:07.62\00:33:08.71
According to prophecy,
that beast fades in power;
00:33:09.61\00:33:15.38
appears to have a
mortal wound, fades in power.
00:33:16.34\00:33:19.42
And another power appears on
the scene, Protestant America,
00:33:20.10\00:33:24.51
and resurrects the beast, or
at least an image to the beast.
00:33:24.99\00:33:30.35
That forms an
image to the beast.
00:33:32.57\00:33:33.77
Well what is an image?
00:33:33.80\00:33:34.95
An image is a replica that looks
very much like the original.
00:33:36.37\00:33:42.37
That's what an image is,
it's a replica that looks
00:33:43.15\00:33:46.20
very much like the original.
00:33:46.23\00:33:48.78
Therefore, the image
to the beast must also be
00:33:49.09\00:33:55.48
a religious political power.
00:33:55.51\00:33:57.72
Or it wouldn't be very
similar to the original.
00:33:58.93\00:34:01.99
Okay?
00:34:02.43\00:34:03.52
Now here's a paragraph some
of you have read before from
00:34:04.26\00:34:06.68
Great Controversy, page 445.
00:34:06.71\00:34:08.61
Now take a deep breath
and hang onto your seats.
00:34:34.13\00:34:36.66
If they have a
seatbelt, you should put it on.
00:34:37.33\00:34:38.97
You should
fasten it tight and low.
00:34:39.00\00:34:40.94
I'm not going to go into
the deal about, you know,
00:34:42.61\00:34:44.60
your seat can be
used as a floating device.
00:34:44.63\00:34:47.04
And that, you know, the
oxygen will drop from above.
00:34:47.07\00:34:49.43
But you fasten
your seatbelts for what
00:34:50.27\00:34:51.59
I'm going to show you next.
00:34:51.62\00:34:52.69
Just before I show it to
you though, I'm going to remind
00:34:52.72\00:34:54.63
us of what we just read.
00:34:54.66\00:34:55.83
"When those leading churches
unite on points they hold in
00:34:56.54\00:34:59.16
common and influence the
state to enforce their decrees,
00:34:59.19\00:35:03.57
Protestant America
will have formed an image
00:35:03.99\00:35:05.80
to the Roman Hierarchy.
00:35:05.83\00:35:07.03
Now here you go.
00:35:07.06\00:35:08.18
Great Controversy, page 449.
00:35:08.48\00:35:10.56
I don't know if you caught that.
00:35:23.90\00:35:25.32
I don't know if you caught that.
00:35:26.73\00:35:28.16
The image to the beast...
00:35:30.43\00:35:32.85
Did you catch
it? Did you see it?
00:35:41.51\00:35:42.88
I didn't even change the words.
00:35:42.91\00:35:44.66
That's what it is.
00:35:45.32\00:35:46.44
Secular power is human power.
00:35:52.52\00:35:54.50
Have you ever tried to
enforce a religious duty
00:35:56.16\00:36:00.99
in your own strength?
00:36:01.80\00:36:03.22
Have you ever made a
new year's resolution?
00:36:03.66\00:36:05.83
Have you ever
tried harder to be good?
00:36:08.84\00:36:12.03
Have you ever gritted your
teeth and by determined effort
00:36:14.01\00:36:18.18
tried to stay away
from something that you knew
00:36:18.89\00:36:21.05
you shouldn't do?
00:36:21.08\00:36:22.45
Have you ever burned all that
stuff and thrown that out and
00:36:23.25\00:36:26.18
killed your television
and done this and done that
00:36:26.21\00:36:29.03
because you're going
to try and make sure that
00:36:29.06\00:36:31.12
you don't fall when the...
00:36:31.15\00:36:32.67
"I'm going to try
and be a better person,
00:36:33.71\00:36:35.19
going to try and
get a handle on it,
00:36:35.22\00:36:36.51
going to try and produce
a Christ-like character."
00:36:36.54\00:36:39.33
Have you ever tried to
do this in your strength?
00:36:39.36\00:36:42.58
People say, "Well I know
I couldn't do it in my own
00:36:42.61\00:36:44.60
strength, but wait a minute,
wait a minute, wait a minute."
00:36:44.63\00:36:46.14
If I'm not daily in communion
and fellowship with Jesus,
00:36:46.58\00:36:50.91
I am in my own strength.
00:36:50.94\00:36:52.87
And if I'm trying to
enforce religious duty
00:36:52.90\00:36:55.64
while I am not in a personal
relationship with Jesus,
00:36:55.67\00:36:58.42
I am enforcing it
in my own strength.
00:36:58.45\00:37:00.77
Which happens to be
the image to the beast.
00:37:00.80\00:37:06.04
Whoa.
00:37:06.26\00:37:07.81
The image to the beast is
enforcing a religious duty
00:37:08.14\00:37:12.07
with secular power.
00:37:12.10\00:37:13.62
We say, "God helps
those who help themselves.
00:37:17.37\00:37:20.27
Got to do your part."
00:37:20.30\00:37:21.64
We have all
sorts of psychological
00:37:24.35\00:37:25.92
and humanistic gimmicks
for behavior modification.
00:37:25.95\00:37:30.31
Picture yourself thin.
00:37:32.25\00:37:34.05
Positive thinking.
Possibility thinking.
00:37:34.46\00:37:37.64
Far too many counselors,
analysts, and psychiatrists
00:37:41.20\00:37:43.77
will tell you, "You can do it.
00:37:43.80\00:37:44.85
You just need to
have the right attitude.
00:37:44.88\00:37:46.39
You just need to
get a handle on things.
00:37:46.42\00:37:48.02
You just need to
be more determined.
00:37:48.05\00:37:49.30
You just need to
be more methodical."
00:37:49.33\00:37:50.56
I even have heard
one line of thinking
00:37:50.59\00:37:53.12
that you just need to
reprogram the little synopses
00:37:53.15\00:37:55.26
and pathways in your brain.
00:37:55.29\00:37:56.33
And you can reprogram
them by six weeks of habitually
00:37:56.36\00:37:58.83
doing something, and eventually
it reprograms your brain.
00:37:58.86\00:38:00.99
And all of a sudden, you have
righteousness by reprogramming.
00:38:01.09\00:38:04.21
Just reprogram your brain.
00:38:04.93\00:38:05.97
Get those little synopses going
off in the right direction.
00:38:06.00\00:38:08.23
That is enforcing a religious
duty with secular power.
00:38:08.68\00:38:12.95
Human power. That is
an image to the beast.
00:38:13.95\00:38:18.00
Whenever I am forcing
myself to be obedient,
00:38:20.47\00:38:23.10
I am a victim of the beast.
00:38:23.13\00:38:25.36
Understanding where the power
for victory and overcoming lies,
00:38:25.66\00:38:29.91
and on Whom we are to
depend, is what brings
00:38:30.01\00:38:34.07
the revival of the three angels.
00:38:34.10\00:38:36.15
Actually, it is.
00:38:36.35\00:38:37.62
What brings on the
revival of the three angels
00:38:37.65\00:38:40.12
is understanding
upon Whom we are to depend
00:38:40.15\00:38:41.87
and where victory
and power come from.
00:38:41.90\00:38:43.49
That's what it
is, it's on a Person.
00:38:43.98\00:38:45.31
It's on a personal
relationship with Jesus.
00:38:45.69\00:38:47.28
Now I'm going to tell
you, those preachers who
00:38:47.31\00:38:49.88
preach about righteousness
by faith in Christ alone...
00:38:49.91\00:38:52.66
Or sometimes we
refer to it as salvation
00:38:52.69\00:38:55.19
by faith in Christ alone.
00:38:55.22\00:38:56.25
Because salvation is an
even more inclusive word.
00:38:56.28\00:38:58.45
Those who preach this
are sometimes misunderstood
00:38:58.48\00:39:03.03
and are sometimes accused
of being soft on obedience.
00:39:04.21\00:39:08.88
I can't tell you the number
of times I've been accused of
00:39:10.48\00:39:12.79
being soft on obedience.
00:39:12.82\00:39:14.56
"Well, he doesn't
talk about obedience
00:39:15.51\00:39:16.88
like others I've heard.
00:39:16.91\00:39:18.09
And so, you know, all
he wants to talk about is
00:39:18.12\00:39:20.09
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.
00:39:20.12\00:39:21.25
Just love Jesus. Have
a friendship with Jesus.
00:39:21.28\00:39:23.41
Everything else doesn't matter,
just as long as you love Jesus."
00:39:23.44\00:39:26.27
Well that is a
tragic misunderstanding.
00:39:27.81\00:39:31.56
A tragic misunderstanding.
00:39:31.75\00:39:33.97
People who preach
righteousness by faith,
00:39:35.18\00:39:37.28
the real deal, not some
imitation version of it,
00:39:37.31\00:39:42.62
but the real deal, are
very interested in obedience.
00:39:43.18\00:39:47.70
Very interested in obedience.
00:39:47.73\00:39:49.27
In fact, I will suggest to
you they are the most interested
00:39:49.30\00:39:52.55
in obedience of
anybody on the planet.
00:39:52.58\00:39:54.59
And here's why.
00:39:54.62\00:39:55.65
There's only one way to
produce genuine obedience;
00:39:55.68\00:39:59.27
it comes from the
inside, not the outside.
00:39:59.30\00:40:01.26
And our very first presentation,
we pointed out that the problem
00:40:01.29\00:40:04.29
with the church at Laodicea
is they focus on externals.
00:40:04.32\00:40:07.56
They are working
on trying to make the
00:40:07.96\00:40:09.50
outside of the cup look good.
00:40:09.53\00:40:10.85
That is phony obedience.
00:40:10.88\00:40:12.86
And yet, more than 50% of
the church known as Laodicea
00:40:13.06\00:40:16.71
is working on it
from that approach.
00:40:16.74\00:40:18.64
What does that mean?
00:40:18.94\00:40:20.20
That means they're not
serious about obedience.
00:40:20.23\00:40:22.00
It means they're
soft on obedience because
00:40:22.03\00:40:23.63
they're willing to
accept an external version of it
00:40:23.66\00:40:25.88
rather than go
for the real thing.
00:40:25.91\00:40:27.33
The real thing only
comes from within the context
00:40:27.64\00:40:31.17
of a loving ongoing
daily relationship with Christ.
00:40:31.20\00:40:34.55
That's the only way
the real thing comes.
00:40:34.58\00:40:36.68
So when you focus on
righteousness by faith
00:40:37.11\00:40:39.28
in Christ alone,
you're looking at the only
00:40:39.31\00:40:41.27
possible way to
produce real obedience.
00:40:41.57\00:40:44.21
Now I talked to somebody
just last week who told me that,
00:40:44.48\00:40:47.89
"I hear people talk about Jesus
and I don't see any changes
00:40:48.44\00:40:51.30
in those congregations."
00:40:51.33\00:40:52.36
Well I'm going to tell you what.
00:40:52.39\00:40:53.63
There are congregations of
people who say they love to
00:40:54.21\00:40:58.88
hear about Jesus and
still don't go back and spend
00:40:58.91\00:41:01.72
time with Him on a daily basis.
00:41:01.75\00:41:03.98
You're not going to
become like Him if you're not
00:41:04.20\00:41:06.20
spending time with Him.
00:41:06.23\00:41:07.59
It's not enough to talk
about Him on the weekend.
00:41:07.98\00:41:11.14
There's two kinds of legalists.
00:41:13.13\00:41:15.12
They look like opposites.
00:41:18.03\00:41:19.78
There's one group who find
their assurance based on the
00:41:20.19\00:41:23.63
rules they keep and
the stuff they avoid.
00:41:23.66\00:41:25.92
That's one kind.
00:41:27.24\00:41:28.32
We call them the
conservative legalists.
00:41:28.53\00:41:30.60
There's another legalist though.
00:41:31.07\00:41:32.75
It's the liberal legalist.
00:41:32.78\00:41:34.83
And the liberal
legalist finds his assurance
00:41:35.06\00:41:38.67
in the rules he doesn't
have to worry about anymore,
00:41:38.87\00:41:40.59
because he believes in grace.
00:41:40.62\00:41:42.07
He's still
focusing on the rules,
00:41:43.02\00:41:44.52
he's just saying, "I
don't have to worry about them."
00:41:44.55\00:41:45.70
But his focus for assurance
is still based on rules.
00:41:45.73\00:41:48.09
It's still rules
based, it's on the rules
00:41:48.12\00:41:49.38
he doesn't worry about.
00:41:49.41\00:41:50.46
They're both
focusing on the rules.
00:41:50.49\00:41:52.14
Neither one of them
have a personal relationship
00:41:52.17\00:41:54.20
with Jesus, which is the
only solution for all of us.
00:41:54.23\00:41:56.87
A personal relationship.
00:41:56.90\00:41:58.05
I don't want to
fall in either dish.
00:41:58.08\00:41:59.96
I want to be in the
middle of the arms of Jesus.
00:42:00.42\00:42:04.80
That's where I want to be.
00:42:05.06\00:42:06.50
Jeremiah 17:9 says, "The
heart is the most deceitful
00:42:09.23\00:42:12.21
thing there is and
desperately wicked..."
00:42:12.24\00:42:14.92
Couple that with
Proverbs 20 verse 9...
00:42:17.89\00:42:20.07
I could give you just a ton
of Scriptures that make it clear
00:42:25.62\00:42:31.17
from the Bible that man
cannot change the inside.
00:42:31.20\00:42:35.07
Man can't do it.
00:42:35.58\00:42:36.61
Can the Ethiopian
change the color of his skin
00:42:36.91\00:42:38.32
or the leopard remove his spots?
00:42:38.35\00:42:39.38
Neither can you.
We're accustomed to evil.
00:42:39.41\00:42:41.16
Perform good works; you can't.
00:42:41.99\00:42:43.35
Oh there's all kinds of them.
00:42:43.63\00:42:44.85
None righteous, no not one.
00:42:44.88\00:42:46.38
On and on they go.
00:42:46.66\00:42:48.00
We cannot...
00:42:50.39\00:42:52.02
Even a heart surgeon of
the highest caliber cannot
00:42:52.49\00:42:56.02
perform his own triple bypass.
00:42:56.05\00:42:58.20
Somebody else is
going to have to do it.
00:42:59.40\00:43:00.50
See, our problem is
we have heart trouble.
00:43:00.53\00:43:03.34
And we can't fix our hearts.
00:43:04.08\00:43:06.01
There's only one great Physician
who can fix the kind of
00:43:06.42\00:43:09.62
heart trouble that we have.
00:43:09.65\00:43:11.18
Someone else is going
to have to do it for us,
00:43:11.37\00:43:13.22
because we cannot do it for Him.
00:43:13.25\00:43:15.00
We noted earlier that
the problem with Laodicea
00:43:15.80\00:43:18.21
was it focused on
external goodness.
00:43:18.24\00:43:19.77
Now I want to show you
where true obedience comes from.
00:43:19.80\00:43:22.29
This is a little bit longer
of a quotation than you're
00:43:22.32\00:43:24.87
customarily use to,
because it's going to take a few
00:43:24.90\00:43:27.35
moments for me to unpack it.
00:43:27.38\00:43:28.41
But I'm going to put
it on the screen anyway.
00:43:28.44\00:43:29.77
It's classic. In,
Desires Of Ages, page 668.
00:43:29.80\00:43:33.27
It starts out by saying this...
00:43:33.30\00:43:34.78
Now the word,
"true," the author inserts
00:43:38.70\00:43:40.13
the word, "true," on purpose.
00:43:40.16\00:43:42.12
The author wants us to make
sure that we know that there's a
00:43:42.15\00:43:43.95
difference between true
obedience and false obedience.
00:43:43.98\00:43:46.23
False obedience is the
kind Laodicea is known for.
00:43:46.63\00:43:49.24
It's external goodness.
00:43:49.27\00:43:50.59
It is focusing on rules
and regulations without having
00:43:50.99\00:43:53.80
a personal
relationship with Jesus.
00:43:53.83\00:43:54.95
That's external.
That's false obedience.
00:43:54.98\00:43:56.72
Now the author is saying,
of Desire Of Ages is saying,
00:43:56.75\00:43:59.18
"Now true obedience
however, true obedience..."
00:43:59.21\00:44:01.98
I'm going to pause in
that quotation for a moment
00:44:23.51\00:44:25.48
because I want to
unpack for just a minute,
00:44:25.51\00:44:26.81
and we'll come back and
finish it in just a second.
00:44:26.84\00:44:28.64
But did you catch that?
00:44:28.90\00:44:30.49
It said that if we will
consent, Jesus will come in.
00:44:30.52\00:44:34.20
Through an abiding relationship
that we have and maintain
00:44:34.23\00:44:36.97
with Him, He will come in.
00:44:37.00\00:44:38.88
And as He dwells
within, He will so transform us
00:44:38.91\00:44:42.68
from the inside out that we
will actually find ourselves
00:44:42.71\00:44:47.93
delighting to do His will.
00:44:47.96\00:44:50.98
Obedience will become a delight.
00:44:51.01\00:44:53.67
Something that we
actually find joy in.
00:44:53.90\00:44:58.28
I mean, think about it.
00:44:58.87\00:44:59.90
Have you ever had a
doctor do a little exam on you,
00:44:59.93\00:45:02.10
a little, what do
they call it, physical?
00:45:02.13\00:45:06.17
And he's got you sitting
on a table and gets his little
00:45:06.20\00:45:08.28
rubber mallet, you know,
and he hits you right here.
00:45:08.31\00:45:10.38
And you go, boom.
00:45:10.41\00:45:11.44
He's checking
your reflex, right?
00:45:12.01\00:45:14.75
I remember trying to fool a guy.
00:45:15.15\00:45:16.80
You know I thought, "I'm
not going to do it," you know.
00:45:16.90\00:45:18.69
I'm going to fool him,
he's going to think I've got
00:45:18.72\00:45:19.93
something wrong, because I'm
not going to kick out, you know.
00:45:19.96\00:45:22.04
So he goes like
that and I'm like...
00:45:22.24\00:45:23.44
He does it again...
00:45:25.01\00:45:26.53
You see, you can't.
00:45:27.25\00:45:28.58
It's reflexive.
00:45:28.61\00:45:29.87
It's so part of you that you
can't keep from not doing it.
00:45:30.17\00:45:33.59
And it says that He wants
to so identify Himself with us,
00:45:33.83\00:45:36.77
our thoughts and our
desires, that when obeying Him
00:45:37.07\00:45:39.61
we'll be just
carrying out our own reflexes.
00:45:39.64\00:45:41.93
You can't even keep it...
00:45:42.13\00:45:43.43
You're not working to do it
because it becomes natural for
00:45:43.46\00:45:46.33
you to be like Jesus when Jesus
lives His life through you.
00:45:46.36\00:45:49.55
It's wonderful.
00:45:50.13\00:45:51.16
Well let's finish the paragraph.
00:45:51.61\00:45:53.58
So how does it work?
00:45:53.71\00:45:55.18
If you delight to do something,
is it hard for you to do it?
00:46:02.17\00:46:05.26
Oh, I delight in
pure maple sugar candy.
00:46:05.66\00:46:11.62
Oh my.
00:46:11.92\00:46:12.95
We did a seminar in
Vermont in the fall.
00:46:12.98\00:46:15.85
What a time to be there, right?
00:46:15.88\00:46:17.64
And oh, I mentioned that
the river of life in heaven
00:46:17.84\00:46:22.51
will be flowing
with pure maple syrup.
00:46:22.54\00:46:24.79
And they caught on.
00:46:26.07\00:46:27.58
And I can't tell you
the amount of plunder
00:46:27.78\00:46:29.54
I got back from Vermont with.
00:46:29.57\00:46:31.38
Boy, I got some...
00:46:31.41\00:46:32.55
I tell you what, every
time I eat one of those little
00:46:32.58\00:46:34.91
brown sugars,
oh, I delight in it.
00:46:34.94\00:46:38.92
I just delight in it.
00:46:38.95\00:46:39.98
It's not hard for me to eat
a piece of maple sugar candy.
00:46:40.01\00:46:42.99
And folks, it's okay. Right?
00:46:43.02\00:46:44.66
Because that's
natural, it's normal.
00:46:44.69\00:46:45.99
This is like a healthful thing.
00:46:46.02\00:46:47.80
You find this stuff
in health food stores.
00:46:47.83\00:46:50.60
Because it's
natural. It's just...
00:46:50.63\00:46:52.64
So give me a little credit
for picking the right kind.
00:46:53.11\00:46:56.29
But it's not hard
for me to eat a piece,
00:46:58.49\00:47:00.77
because I delight in it.
00:47:00.80\00:47:02.25
I don't have to
force myself to do it.
00:47:02.28\00:47:04.36
In fact, if I was going
to use any kind of force
00:47:04.88\00:47:06.82
I'd have to force
myself not to eat two pieces.
00:47:06.85\00:47:09.45
Because I delight
in it, you understand.
00:47:09.95\00:47:11.90
Well, keep going.
00:47:13.02\00:47:14.15
I'm sort of
dragging this thing on.
00:47:14.18\00:47:16.21
But I wanted to
unpack a little as I went.
00:47:16.24\00:47:18.27
So here it goes, "The
will, refined and sanctified,
00:47:18.30\00:47:20.39
finds its highest
delight in doing His service."
00:47:20.42\00:47:22.33
Now here's the key right here.
00:47:22.36\00:47:23.98
Now you're talking
relationship, friends.
00:47:28.28\00:47:29.91
Friends, do you see
where victory comes?
00:47:46.83\00:47:49.38
Do you see where
real obedience comes from?
00:47:49.41\00:47:51.64
It comes through appreciating
the character of Christ
00:47:51.67\00:47:55.15
and communion with Him.
00:47:55.18\00:47:57.33
That's where real
obedience comes from.
00:47:57.36\00:47:59.27
And anybody who is
trying to obey apart from that
00:47:59.30\00:48:02.17
is victim to the beast.
00:48:02.20\00:48:04.19
It doesn't matter
what church they go to.
00:48:04.22\00:48:06.40
They're a victim to the beast.
00:48:06.60\00:48:07.94
Because the beast is
about enforcing a religious duty
00:48:08.29\00:48:12.20
through your own strength.
00:48:12.23\00:48:13.57
That's what it is.
00:48:13.60\00:48:14.79
Now it said that sin would
actually become hateful to us.
00:48:16.30\00:48:19.86
If there's something you
hate, do you have to try hard
00:48:20.91\00:48:23.46
to stay away from it?
00:48:23.49\00:48:24.61
I mean if you really
hate it, literally hate it,
00:48:25.37\00:48:27.12
do you struggle to
resist something you hate?
00:48:27.97\00:48:30.02
I hate snakes.
00:48:30.05\00:48:31.59
I just detest snakes.
00:48:32.06\00:48:33.74
I'm telling you, it doesn't
matter what size the snake is.
00:48:34.22\00:48:36.82
You can come to me
with a little snake and say,
00:48:36.85\00:48:38.00
"You know, Pastor Venden,
it's just a little garter snake.
00:48:38.03\00:48:40.01
I mean, it's mouth
isn't even big enough.
00:48:40.04\00:48:41.29
It couldn't even bite your
little finger if it wanted to.
00:48:41.32\00:48:43.53
And they don't feel
all clammy and slimy.
00:48:43.56\00:48:45.40
Here, just go
ahead and touch it.
00:48:45.43\00:48:46.46
Just feel it. It'll
be okay, Pastor Venden."
00:48:46.49\00:48:48.07
I say, "Get thee
behind me, Satan."
00:48:48.10\00:48:50.91
We did a seminar
in a town in Idaho.
00:48:53.42\00:48:56.88
It was a town,
Grangeville, Idaho.
00:48:57.16\00:49:00.52
Full of ranchers and ranch kids.
00:49:00.55\00:49:02.89
And I told, as an illustration
in one of our presentations,
00:49:03.46\00:49:06.97
that I was just
terrified of snakes.
00:49:07.00\00:49:08.98
And you know what, the
next night when we were
00:49:09.01\00:49:10.46
coming into the parking
lot to come to that meeting
00:49:10.49\00:49:12.14
there's half a dozen little
ranch kids standing outside
00:49:12.54\00:49:15.06
the door of the entrance to
that building waiting for me.
00:49:15.09\00:49:17.15
And they're all saying,
"Pastor Venden, Pastor Venden."
00:49:17.43\00:49:20.40
And I thought,
"Oh, isn't that sweet.
00:49:20.60\00:49:23.83
They like me. Oh, they like me.
00:49:23.86\00:49:25.95
Oh, little ranch kids.
Blessed little ranch kids, oh."
00:49:25.98\00:49:29.05
And they all
have their hands out,
00:49:29.25\00:49:30.30
"Pastor Venden, Pastor Venden."
00:49:30.33\00:49:32.04
"Oh, they want to
shake my hand, oh, oh."
00:49:32.07\00:49:35.05
And I go over, and suddenly
I realize that everyone of them
00:49:35.08\00:49:37.44
has a live snake wrapped around.
00:49:37.47\00:49:39.03
And I'm thinking, "Ranch kids!
00:49:40.32\00:49:42.82
What's wrong with these kids?"
00:49:44.01\00:49:46.29
I'm telling you, I have
the victory over snakes.
00:49:46.93\00:49:49.90
You can't tempt me with snakes.
00:49:50.10\00:49:51.94
I don't struggle
to resist snakes.
00:49:52.17\00:49:54.45
I am out of here
when snakes are around
00:49:54.87\00:49:57.28
because I hate
them, I hate snakes.
00:49:57.31\00:49:59.72
Well if you hate something, it's
not hard to stay away from it.
00:50:00.65\00:50:03.94
And did you follow
that wonderful passage
00:50:03.97\00:50:07.17
that I just read?
00:50:07.20\00:50:08.34
It said, through communion
and fellowship with Jesus
00:50:08.38\00:50:12.43
we will be brought to the point
where we actually hate sin.
00:50:12.46\00:50:17.05
Hate it.
00:50:17.08\00:50:18.22
And if you hate it,
you don't have to...
00:50:18.25\00:50:20.84
"I know I shouldn't do this."
00:50:21.78\00:50:23.84
Hateful.
00:50:24.74\00:50:25.77
If I passed a cup
around to everybody here,
00:50:26.05\00:50:27.82
one of those 32 ounce cups,
the big gulp cups, or whatever,
00:50:27.85\00:50:31.00
and I asked everybody in
here to please spit in the cup.
00:50:31.03\00:50:32.85
Just pass it on back.
00:50:32.88\00:50:33.91
Everybody take a good
spit and go on with that.
00:50:33.94\00:50:35.45
And then come on
down, back to the back.
00:50:35.48\00:50:36.68
Back, back, back,
back. Everybody spit.
00:50:36.71\00:50:38.16
Not just a wimpy
spit. I mean dig down.
00:50:38.19\00:50:39.93
Come up with
some real spit, okay.
00:50:39.96\00:50:41.86
And let's just say
we get all the way back
00:50:41.89\00:50:43.46
over here to this side.
00:50:43.49\00:50:44.55
And let's just say that some
of you have been thinking about
00:50:44.83\00:50:47.50
how you can't wait for
this meeting to be over
00:50:47.53\00:50:48.99
because you want to get a drink.
00:50:49.02\00:50:50.13
Well, I can save you
from having to wait till then.
00:50:50.16\00:50:53.25
I go over and get that
cup of spit brimming full
00:50:53.28\00:50:55.62
and I come over to you and say,
00:50:55.65\00:50:56.68
"Here go ahead.
Quench your thirst."
00:50:56.71\00:50:58.21
Are you tempted?
00:50:58.75\00:50:59.96
Do you have to say to
me, "Pastor Venden, please.
00:51:00.61\00:51:02.10
Get behind me, because I
know this isn't good for me.
00:51:02.13\00:51:04.33
In my mind, in my heart,
I understand the principle
00:51:04.36\00:51:06.82
of spit is not good for me.
00:51:06.85\00:51:08.23
So on principle, I'm
going to avoid that cup.
00:51:08.26\00:51:11.19
But it is a struggle,
so please get it out of my
00:51:11.22\00:51:13.20
sight before I yield."
00:51:13.23\00:51:14.26
Is that how it works for you?
00:51:14.29\00:51:15.52
Do you have to white knuckle it?
00:51:15.80\00:51:17.05
Do you have to stiffen up
your backbone and resolve?
00:51:17.08\00:51:19.64
Do you have to pull out
some kind of a little book and
00:51:20.36\00:51:22.27
read something to help
you stay away from spit?
00:51:22.30\00:51:24.19
No.
00:51:24.89\00:51:26.28
It's a disgusting illustration
but you won't forget it.
00:51:26.31\00:51:28.88
And it makes the point.
00:51:31.14\00:51:32.47
Because if you have a
relationship with Jesus
00:51:32.95\00:51:35.19
that's ongoing day by
day, His promise to you
00:51:35.22\00:51:37.61
is that He will so live His
life in you and so transform
00:51:37.64\00:51:42.43
your desires that
looking at sin will be like
00:51:42.46\00:51:46.60
looking at a
cup of spit for you.
00:51:46.63\00:51:48.19
Do you see why I say the
only person who is serious about
00:51:48.78\00:51:52.32
obedience is the
person who's focusing on
00:51:52.35\00:51:54.33
knowing Jesus better daily.
00:51:54.36\00:51:55.39
Do you see why I say that?
00:51:55.42\00:51:56.51
It's the only place
you get real obedience.
00:51:56.54\00:51:58.32
People who preach salvation
by faith in Christ alone
00:51:58.54\00:52:01.57
are not soft on obedience.
00:52:01.60\00:52:03.25
One more thing; the Sabbath.
00:52:03.59\00:52:04.93
I was asked if I believe
the Sabbath was important.
00:52:04.96\00:52:06.88
Man, I do. Seventh day Sabbath.
00:52:06.91\00:52:08.32
I'm all for the
seventh day Sabbath.
00:52:08.35\00:52:09.64
I'm even for some
things that we often overlook.
00:52:09.67\00:52:12.08
Jesus, in Scripture, He
says, "I give you My Sabbath
00:52:12.48\00:52:16.34
as a sign that I am the
God who sanctifies you."
00:52:16.54\00:52:22.51
Now you think about that.
00:52:22.72\00:52:23.82
If there's one thing we know
about the Sabbath, the fourth
00:52:23.85\00:52:26.50
commandment says man is
to rest from his own labor.
00:52:26.53\00:52:29.19
Right?
00:52:29.22\00:52:30.25
We've got that part figured out.
00:52:30.28\00:52:31.56
But if He says, "I gave
you My Sabbath as a sign
00:52:32.21\00:52:34.46
that I am the God
who sanctifies you,"
00:52:34.49\00:52:35.94
He's also telling you,
"A Christ-like character,
00:52:35.97\00:52:38.18
victory and overcoming;
the Sabbath is a symbol
00:52:38.21\00:52:40.68
that I do that for you
because you can't do it for Me."
00:52:40.71\00:52:42.81
Man rests from his
own labor at producing a
00:52:42.84\00:52:44.73
Christ-like
character because Christ
00:52:44.76\00:52:46.15
is going to have
to do that for you.
00:52:46.18\00:52:47.49
See, in the very
beginning in Eden, they said,
00:52:47.52\00:52:49.51
"Let us make man in our image."
00:52:49.54\00:52:51.49
Why did they say that?
00:52:51.52\00:52:52.55
Because man couldn't
make himself in God's image.
00:52:52.68\00:52:55.50
And 6000 years later,
man still can't make himself
00:52:55.76\00:52:58.65
in God's image.
00:52:58.68\00:52:59.71
Only God can make
man in God's image.
00:52:59.74\00:53:02.37
And it comes through
a daily walk with Jesus.
00:53:02.58\00:53:05.06
That's where it comes from.
00:53:05.24\00:53:06.61
Which is the message
of the three angel's.
00:53:06.64\00:53:08.92
An invitation to a
fellowship with Christ
00:53:08.95\00:53:11.30
and a focus on
righteousness in His faith.
00:53:11.33\00:53:13.34
The gold and the white raiment
and the Holy Spirit, the salve.
00:53:13.37\00:53:16.15
We went over some of
this earlier in the series.
00:53:16.18\00:53:18.48
It's the message
of the three angel's.
00:53:18.70\00:53:20.97
Scripture is full of
this wonderful promise.
00:53:21.00\00:53:23.35
Zechariah 4:6 says...
00:53:23.70\00:53:25.44
Who's in charge?
00:53:31.81\00:53:33.13
Last night we noticed
that the fruits of the Spirit
00:53:33.16\00:53:36.02
are descriptors of a
Christ-like character.
00:53:36.05\00:53:39.05
Did we not notice that?
00:53:39.08\00:53:40.19
Yeah, and they're
the fruits of the Who?
00:53:40.49\00:53:42.58
The Spirit, not the
fruits of the person.
00:53:43.01\00:53:44.93
See, the message of Scripture
is, you don't try to enforce
00:53:45.34\00:53:49.21
a religious duty
with secular power.
00:53:49.24\00:53:51.40
It's the fruit of the Spirit.
00:53:51.43\00:53:53.59
But how do you get
the fruit of the Spirit?
00:53:53.79\00:53:55.36
In John 15 Jesus
said, abide, abide, abide.
00:53:55.79\00:53:58.56
Depending on the translation
you use, at least ten times
00:53:58.59\00:54:01.65
in six verses, it
depends on the translation,
00:54:02.95\00:54:05.49
but ten times in six verses
Jesus uses the word, "abide."
00:54:05.52\00:54:08.17
Abide.
00:54:08.64\00:54:09.67
This is His farewell speech.
00:54:09.70\00:54:11.17
He's on His way to Gethsemane,
He's soon going to die.
00:54:11.37\00:54:13.67
It's His last
chance with His disciples.
00:54:13.70\00:54:15.53
If you have one last
chance with people that you love
00:54:16.07\00:54:18.47
before and you die and you had a
chance to say something to them,
00:54:18.50\00:54:20.77
what would you tell them?
00:54:20.80\00:54:21.90
Something real important, right?
00:54:21.93\00:54:23.28
Like always brush your teeth and
change your underwear every day.
00:54:23.31\00:54:26.31
No you wouldn't.
00:54:26.37\00:54:27.40
You would think of
something that was really,
00:54:27.43\00:54:29.19
you know, a winner.
00:54:29.68\00:54:31.52
So here's Jesus, and what does
He come up with as a winner?
00:54:31.70\00:54:34.18
Abide.
00:54:34.42\00:54:35.78
He says it over and over.
00:54:36.11\00:54:37.75
Abide is a relationship word.
00:54:37.78\00:54:39.27
It's another way of saying;
cling to, be in communion with,
00:54:39.48\00:54:43.04
be in
relationship with, depend upon.
00:54:43.07\00:54:45.53
He says, "I am the
vine, you are the branches.
00:54:45.89\00:54:49.02
If you abide in Me
and I abide in you..."
00:54:49.05\00:54:51.73
You will what?
00:54:51.76\00:54:52.79
"...bear much fruit."
00:54:53.05\00:54:55.33
Jesus is not being soft
on obedience even though He
00:54:55.70\00:54:58.42
doesn't even mention obedience
as His farewell speech.
00:54:58.45\00:55:01.49
He's actually giving them
the only cure for disobedience.
00:55:01.81\00:55:05.96
Jesus is actually being
strong in obedience because
00:55:06.54\00:55:09.58
He's saying if you
will focus on relationship;
00:55:09.61\00:55:11.34
abiding, abiding, abiding,
00:55:11.37\00:55:12.68
you will bear fruit;
obedience, obedience, obedience.
00:55:12.71\00:55:15.66
So it's not soft on
obedience to focus on abiding.
00:55:15.96\00:55:19.67
Do you
understand what I'm saying.
00:55:19.95\00:55:21.13
Jesus did it.
00:55:21.16\00:55:22.61
And anybody who makes
Jesus the center of their
00:55:22.81\00:55:25.36
presentations is doing it too.
00:55:25.39\00:55:27.36
And we don't want to,
you know, overlook that.
00:55:27.69\00:55:31.45
2 Corinthians says...
00:55:32.05\00:55:33.66
It tells you what your part is,
00:55:42.84\00:55:44.38
and it tells you
what His part is.
00:55:44.41\00:55:46.12
What's your part?
Beholding who? The Lord.
00:55:46.15\00:55:49.11
So we're talking about
keeping your eyes on Jesus.
00:55:49.14\00:55:51.26
We're talking
about focusing on Jesus.
00:55:51.29\00:55:52.83
We're right back again
to that daily relationship
00:55:52.86\00:55:54.68
and time alone with Him.
00:55:54.71\00:55:56.04
And it says if you will
continue to focus on Jesus,
00:55:56.07\00:55:58.80
you will be
transformed into His image.
00:55:59.23\00:56:00.79
Who's image?
00:56:00.82\00:56:01.85
Jesus' image.
00:56:02.05\00:56:03.17
If you were
transformed into Jesus' image,
00:56:03.46\00:56:05.78
would it be safe to assume that
you had a Christ-like character?
00:56:05.81\00:56:08.18
Okay.
00:56:08.44\00:56:09.47
And where does a
Christ-like character come from?
00:56:09.50\00:56:11.17
As you focus on Jesus, you're
transformed into His image
00:56:11.20\00:56:15.15
by the Spirit of the Lord.
00:56:15.18\00:56:18.05
So He says, "You focus on Me
and I will take it from there.
00:56:18.25\00:56:22.30
I will make you obedient
commandment keeping people.
00:56:22.33\00:56:25.81
I will do that if
you will focus on Me."
00:56:25.84\00:56:28.01
Jesus is the heart of everything
that's important in Scripture.
00:56:28.28\00:56:32.19
You know, He said
to a group of people,
00:56:32.22\00:56:33.87
"You search the Scriptures
because in them you think
00:56:33.90\00:56:35.75
you have eternal life,
but they all point to Me.
00:56:35.78\00:56:37.86
So come to Me that
you might have life."
00:56:37.89\00:56:39.84
And that's just what I
want to pray for right now.
00:56:40.07\00:56:42.36
So let's do.
00:56:42.39\00:56:43.42
Lord Jesus, help us
to realize that it's not
00:56:43.45\00:56:49.16
just some beast in Scripture
that needs to be avoided,
00:56:49.72\00:56:54.55
but that all of us are
being invited into a richer
00:56:55.28\00:56:58.34
deeper personal
relationship with You.
00:56:58.37\00:57:00.93
Forgive us for looking
past the personal application
00:57:01.31\00:57:05.42
and teach us to know You
better and love You more,
00:57:05.67\00:57:07.99
is my prayer in
Jesus' name, amen.
00:57:08.02\00:57:11.81