Welcome to Anchors Of Truth
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live from the
3ABN Worship Center.
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Hello and welcome
to Anchors Of Truth.
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I want to welcome our
audience here in the house,
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and also to you that
are watching via maybe
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the internet, on television,
or even listening on the radio.
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Don't want to forget that.
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Welcome to Anchors Of Truth.
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And what a wonderful
series we've had so far.
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We just had last night's
meeting and it was on the...
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Well the whole
series, the five part series,
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is, The Danger Zone.
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And it's with
Pastor John Lomacang.
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What a fitting series
title when you think about it,
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The Danger Zone.
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I tell you, we live in
some scary times, don't we.
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We don't have any
need to be afraid, do we.
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Because of Jesus Christ.
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And we read the end
of the book, Revelation,
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we know that Christ has won
and we have nothing to fear.
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And what a blessing it is,
you know, when you think about
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the message of last
night, The Danger of Neglect.
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You know, a lot of times...
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I shouldn't say a lot of times.
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My mom would always tell me...
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We lived in West Virginia
growing up, and we had this
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pond that would freeze
over in the winter time.
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But sometimes a part of
the pond wouldn't freeze.
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And there would be
water there even in
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the middle of winter time.
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And so she would say, "Don't go,
don't see how far or how close
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you can get to that water.
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Stay as far away
as you can from that."
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And a lot of times we do
that with our Christian walk.
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We say, "Well, let's see how
far can I get away from Christ
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but still be kind of
close to Jesus Christ."
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We don't want to do
that, we want to see how close
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we can get to Jesus Christ.
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Isn't that right?
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So what a blessing to know that
Jesus Christ is there for us.
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And one of the points
that Pastor John mentioned
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last night that I liked,
there were many good points
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that he brought up,
is, "Why neglect Jesus
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when He's the
one who died for us?"
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You know, a lot of
times, when you think about it,
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Jesus Christ is the
answer for everything, isn't He.
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And so there's no
need to be afraid and say,
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well I don't trust
this or I don't trust that.
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We can always go to
Jesus Christ and say,
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"You're the one that saves me.
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You're the one that
has the answers for me."
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He's always the
one we want to go to.
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And tonight's message
is, The Danger of Unbelief.
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I'm looking forward to that.
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I want to just say here before
Pastor John Lomacang comes out
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is, what a blessing it's been to
work with Pastor John at 3ABN,
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and his wife Angie.
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But also I've been involved
with him in our local church.
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And one of the things I
appreciate about Pastor John
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is that he's a man of God.
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And he has a heart
to follow Jesus Christ.
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And as I've worked with
him, I've always been impressed
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that he stands for
truth no matter what.
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And that to me means a lot.
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That's basically making Jesus
Christ number one in your life.
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And Pastor John, and his
wife Angie who's sitting here,
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what a blessing it is
to have you guys here.
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And what a blessing it
has been for me as well.
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And I know for
you around the world,
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we're blessed here
because he's our pastor,
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but he can be your pastor
of course through the airwaves.
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What a blessing it is.
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Now tonight we have a special
treat because Pastor John
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is actually bringing us our song
tonight as well as our message.
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And the song that he is
going to be singing for us is,
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Here Comes A Miracle.
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So invite Pastor
John out at this time.
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Thank you, Greg.
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You know, one of the reasons
I chose to sing this tonight
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is because we're living
in a day and age of unbelief.
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And in a day and age of
unbelief, we still serve a God
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who works in
behalf of His people.
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They followed
Him on dusty roads,
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wherever He would lead;
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multitudes would gather
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as He healed each disease.
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With eyes of
wonder they would watch
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as He would stop to pray;
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and when He
spoke the word of faith
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you could hear them say:
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Here comes a miracle,
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here comes a miracle.
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Can you feel it in the air?
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That look is on His face,
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His glory will fill this place.
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I know a miracle is near.
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The lame could
walk, the deaf could hear,
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the blinded eyes could see.
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And those who had
been bound for years
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were suddenly set free.
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They came in desperation,
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the hurting and the poor.
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But when they saw
Him through the crowd,
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oh they knew what was in store.
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Here comes a miracle,
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here comes a miracle.
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Oh, can't you feel
it? It's in the air.
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That look is on His face,
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His glory will fill this place.
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For I know a miracle is near.
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And still today we follow Him,
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we claim His Word is true.
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And nothing is impossible;
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oh they said He will do.
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And though this
world may doubt us,
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and though they laugh and stare,
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one day all men
will see the truth
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when we see Him in the air.
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Here comes a miracle,
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here comes a miracle.
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Oh can you see
Him? He is in the air.
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Soon we will see His face,
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His glory will fill this place.
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I know a miracle is near.
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I know that a miracle
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is near.
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Here come a miracle,
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here come a miracle.
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Let us pray.
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Our gracious
Father in heaven, tonight
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we can lean our faith
on the God who still works
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in behalf of His people.
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Lord, there is no need tonight
for us to be worried about
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the outcome of the future,
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about the
challenges in our lives,
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about the daily
obstacles we face,
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and about the scoffing
that exists in our world
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concerning the reality of Jesus.
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And so, Lord, tonight
speak to our hearts that
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we may avoid, by the
work of Your Holy Spirit,
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the danger of unbelief.
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In Jesus' name I pray, amen.
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Tonight we take
another piece of the puzzle
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out of the book
of Hebrews as Paul,
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I believe who is the
writer of the book of Hebrews,
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reveals to us a very
significant piece to the puzzle.
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This piece of the puzzle warns
us of the existing dangers.
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That's why I've entitled
it, The Danger of Unbelief.
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As I read the account
of the children of Israel,
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what makes this piece
so diabolical is this:
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The devil used this
piece, he used unbelief,
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to hinder the children
of Israel from crossing over
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into the Promised Land.
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And so tonight as we look
at the danger of unbelief,
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as the children of Israel
were confronted with unbelief
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toward the
ending of their journey,
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we are also
confronted with unbelief toward
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the ending of our journey.
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The Bible says in
Hebrews 3 and verse 19...
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John R. Rice, a
Baptist preacher, once wrote
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these words back in the 1800s.
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He said these words, and I think
it's very fitting right here.
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He said, "Never put a
question mark where God
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has put a period."
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If God says He's going to
bless, God is going to bless.
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Can you say amen to that?
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If God says He
can win our battles,
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God can win our battles.
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Never put a question mark
where God has put a period.
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If ever there was a time that
belief in Jesus is imperative,
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it is now.
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If ever there
was a time to believe
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in His promises, it is now.
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We are living on the
borders of the eternal world.
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If ever there was a
time to believe that
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Jesus is coming
again, it is now.
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For the Lord said one of
the evidences of the last days
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is that people will begin
to doubt that He's coming.
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Matter of fact, I had a
discussion with a young man
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who was raised in the church.
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Grew up in the church.
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Had all the advantages
of Christian education.
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Grew up and worked
his way up in the ranks
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of the Adventist church.
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Became a very prominent leader.
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And to my dismay, in
our discussion I disclosed,
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or he disclosed that he
was no longer a believer.
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But now he was not just a
person that left the church,
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but he disclosed to
me that he is an atheist.
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And I asked myself the
question, how could someone
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being raised in the church,
being educated in the church,
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being in positions of
leadership in the church,
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how can you ever get to
the place where you no longer
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believe in an existing God
where you now proclaim with
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some sense of
confidence, "I am an atheist."
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The reason for this
series is, when we are done on
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Sabbath afternoon you'll
discover that each of these
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steps outline the small
yet progressive and undeniable
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steps that each person
takes where they finally
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get to the place where
they deny the existence of God.
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Think about it;
the danger of neglect,
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the danger of
unbelief, which is tonight,
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the danger of not maturing,
which is the next meeting,
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the danger of drawing back,
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and finally the
danger of refusing God.
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You never get to
refusing God immediately.
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It's always those
little imperceptible steps.
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Exposure to things that should
not be in your consideration,
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but you spend more time at
the tree of the knowledge of
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good and evil than you should.
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And I would say today,
if you want your belief
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to begin to be chiseled
away, allow your mind to be
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bombarded by things
that do not build your faith.
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Somebody once said, "John,
you need to have an open mind."
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Well when it comes to
the truth of God's Word,
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when it comes to the
validity of God's Word,
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my mind is closed.
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Can you say amen to that?
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I know it's true.
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I don't need to
have a discussion.
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I don't need to
read what Darwin said.
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I don't need to read any
other philosopher or person that
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finds himself in the
wrong intellectual camp.
00:13:34.59\00:13:37.17
I don't need to read
anything written by a man
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to convince me otherwise.
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I know by my own
personal experience
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that Jesus is real and
that God is His Father.
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Can you say amen to that?
00:13:46.73\00:13:47.88
But the children of Israel
were confronted with unbelief.
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And because the unbelief
that challenged the Israelites
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was real, the church in
the last days are going to be
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confronted with this
issue as to whether or not
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they're going to believe.
00:14:01.72\00:14:02.84
In the book of Luke
the question was asked,
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"When the Son of Man comes, will
He find faith on the earth?"
00:14:06.69\00:14:10.15
And I would say, faith
is a component to belief.
00:14:10.67\00:14:13.22
No faith, no belief.
00:14:13.25\00:14:15.24
Belief; your faith grows.
00:14:15.27\00:14:17.22
When you look at the journey
of the children of Israel,
00:14:17.67\00:14:19.82
there was no problem with Moses.
00:14:19.92\00:14:21.70
The problem was not with
the leader that God had chosen.
00:14:21.73\00:14:24.08
And I take some solace
in that, because sometimes
00:14:24.39\00:14:26.67
people can blame the
preacher for their condition.
00:14:26.77\00:14:29.37
There was no problem with
the leader that God chose.
00:14:29.40\00:14:32.12
Moses, the Bible says,
was a man who was faithful
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in all of his household.
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That's what Hebrews says.
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And when God says you're
faithful, you're faithful.
00:14:38.08\00:14:40.33
Israel failed, and not
because of Moses' faithfulness.
00:14:41.76\00:14:45.29
They failed because of
their own unfaithfulness.
00:14:45.32\00:14:48.49
Now today the church
is not following Moses.
00:14:49.26\00:14:51.50
The church is following Jesus.
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And I want to say
today clearly for the record,
00:14:53.41\00:14:55.40
Jesus is faithful.
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What do you say?
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And our failures in the
last days will not be because
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of the failures or
the inabilities of Jesus,
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but because of
our own abilities.
00:15:04.22\00:15:06.38
And so the question
still hangs out there,
00:15:06.41\00:15:08.28
if the Israelites
failed on the border of Canaan,
00:15:08.38\00:15:11.09
will we fail on the
border of the Promised Land?
00:15:11.12\00:15:13.85
That's a question
to seriously consider.
00:15:13.88\00:15:16.27
The Bible says in
Hebrews 3 verses 5 and 6...
00:15:16.82\00:15:19.05
Moses was
faithful in his household.
00:15:46.96\00:15:49.63
And the children of
Israel would have been too
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if they had followed
the example set by Moses.
00:15:51.64\00:15:53.76
So the writer of Hebrews
said the children of Israel
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would have benefited
from Moses' faithfulness.
00:15:56.58\00:15:59.08
Therefore, on the very
same plane, we could benefit
00:15:59.30\00:16:01.61
from the faithfulness of Jesus.
00:16:01.64\00:16:03.26
We will make it if we hold
fast the confidence and the
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rejoicing of the
hope firm to the end.
00:16:08.83\00:16:12.26
So I don't plan on meandering
in the maze of mediocrity,
00:16:13.20\00:16:16.33
or pondering at
the pool of popularity,
00:16:16.36\00:16:17.86
or negotiating at
the table of the enemy.
00:16:17.89\00:16:20.08
I plan on trusting in the Lord.
00:16:20.11\00:16:21.31
What about you?
00:16:21.34\00:16:22.49
The fact of the
matter is, Satan did not care
00:16:23.47\00:16:25.26
how far Israel journeyed.
00:16:25.29\00:16:26.68
And he really doesn't
care how far we journey either.
00:16:26.71\00:16:30.34
As I mentioned
before, there are people that
00:16:30.75\00:16:32.11
grow up in the
church, raised in the church,
00:16:32.14\00:16:34.08
educated in the church.
00:16:34.11\00:16:35.30
But the fact of the matter is,
if education is what is needed
00:16:35.33\00:16:38.37
to have a relationship
with Christ, then we can be
00:16:38.40\00:16:40.53
educated into the kingdom.
00:16:40.56\00:16:42.43
But there's a
personal connection that we
00:16:42.46\00:16:44.04
must not ignore.
00:16:44.07\00:16:45.92
You see, education
can give you intellect,
00:16:46.01\00:16:48.62
but intellect
without God is dangerous.
00:16:48.65\00:16:50.77
There are those that feel
they get to a certain point
00:16:51.69\00:16:53.77
and they become so smart...
00:16:53.80\00:16:55.31
I like the way that
Paul said it in Hebrews.
00:16:55.34\00:16:57.19
He says, "Professing themselves
to be wise, they became fools
00:16:57.22\00:17:01.25
and changed the glory of God
into that of corruptible beasts
00:17:01.28\00:17:05.24
like birds and four-footed
beasts and creeping things."
00:17:05.27\00:17:08.76
And what happened, God
gave them up to the vilest
00:17:09.06\00:17:11.34
of their own imagination.
00:17:11.37\00:17:12.67
"Professing themselves
to be wise," the Bible says,
00:17:13.10\00:17:15.14
"they became fools."
00:17:15.17\00:17:16.32
And I'm going to tell
you, if you want to be educated
00:17:16.35\00:17:18.75
into the kingdom,
the only education
00:17:18.78\00:17:20.40
you need is a BA degree.
00:17:20.43\00:17:22.07
That is, Born Again.
00:17:22.10\00:17:23.31
Can you say amen to that?
00:17:23.34\00:17:24.56
But so many people, you
know, they get to the place
00:17:24.92\00:17:27.42
where they feel, "If I could
just learn a little bit more."
00:17:27.45\00:17:30.56
And I thought about the
analogy of a smart person.
00:17:30.68\00:17:33.51
And I zoomed out
and I thought to myself,
00:17:33.91\00:17:36.16
"How smart is that
ant compared to me?"
00:17:36.19\00:17:39.97
And I thought to myself,
you know, in the sight of God
00:17:41.50\00:17:43.82
and His creation, we
are smaller than an ant.
00:17:43.85\00:17:46.44
And some man comes along in
the 1800s like Charles Darwin
00:17:46.91\00:17:50.09
and he figures out God, when
Job in all of his wisdom said,
00:17:50.29\00:17:54.99
"Can we by
searching find out God?
00:17:55.02\00:17:57.72
Can we find out the place
where God stores His food,
00:17:58.16\00:18:01.31
and His hail,
and His lightening,
00:18:01.34\00:18:03.77
and all of His arsenal
for the time of trouble?
00:18:03.80\00:18:05.78
Can we find that out?"
00:18:05.81\00:18:07.14
And God said to Job,
"Where were you when I laid
00:18:07.74\00:18:09.49
the foundation of the world?"
00:18:09.52\00:18:10.62
So brothers and sisters,
don't ever think that intellect
00:18:10.65\00:18:13.69
is something that
causes a person now to question
00:18:14.21\00:18:17.05
the validity and the power
that resides only in Jesus.
00:18:17.08\00:18:20.82
Satan doesn't care
how far we journey.
00:18:21.56\00:18:23.92
His aim is to prevent us
from entering the Promised Land
00:18:23.95\00:18:27.16
just like he did with
the children of Israel.
00:18:27.19\00:18:30.50
One of the most
amazing accounts of that attack
00:18:31.24\00:18:33.82
is wrapped up in the
story of the twelve spies.
00:18:33.85\00:18:35.85
Look at Numbers chapter 13.
00:18:35.88\00:18:37.26
And it's on the screen for
those of you watching tonight.
00:18:37.29\00:18:39.67
Numbers chapter
13 verses 1 and 2.
00:18:39.70\00:18:41.54
Let's begin to unwrap
why the children of Israel
00:18:41.57\00:18:44.36
failed in the way that they did.
00:18:44.39\00:18:45.81
I think there's a great
responsibility in leadership.
00:18:45.99\00:18:48.68
If the leaders are faithful,
00:18:48.71\00:18:49.98
I believe the people will
be affected in a positive way
00:18:50.01\00:18:54.35
by the
faithfulness of the leaders.
00:18:54.38\00:18:56.00
Here's what the Bible says.
00:18:56.03\00:18:57.37
Numbers chapter 13 and verse 1.
00:18:57.40\00:18:59.55
What do you think
about what the Lord said?
00:19:17.27\00:19:18.65
At the very outset of
the surveillance mission
00:19:18.68\00:19:21.98
God's promise was
inserted, "I am giving..."
00:19:22.01\00:19:26.79
He didn't say, "Go see
if you can fight your way
00:19:27.55\00:19:29.92
into the land," or, "Go
see if you can battle your way
00:19:29.95\00:19:32.48
beyond the
inhabitants of Canaan."
00:19:32.51\00:19:34.15
He says, "Just go ahead and do
some window shopping in Canaan.
00:19:34.18\00:19:37.00
That's what you're getting."
00:19:37.03\00:19:38.06
Amen, somebody?
00:19:38.09\00:19:39.12
Go and do some window shopping.
00:19:39.42\00:19:40.58
And every now and
then God gives us a glimpse
00:19:40.61\00:19:43.65
in His goodness of those
things that are ahead of us.
00:19:43.86\00:19:46.88
If the leaders had
only believed the Lord,
00:19:46.91\00:19:49.49
their journey to Canaan
would have been nothing more
00:19:49.73\00:19:52.28
than a journey of confirmation.
00:19:52.31\00:19:54.72
The fact of the matter
is, it's one thing to hear
00:19:56.02\00:19:58.67
the Word of the Lord, but it's
something all together different
00:19:58.70\00:20:01.55
to believe it.
00:20:01.58\00:20:02.67
Look at verses 17 to 20.
00:20:02.70\00:20:04.45
They went to the
land, they made it in.
00:20:04.48\00:20:06.67
Under the darkness of
night they made sure that they
00:20:07.27\00:20:09.99
got in without the
inhabitants noticing them.
00:20:10.02\00:20:12.25
And verse 17 of
Numbers 13 says this,
00:20:12.28\00:20:14.86
"Then Moses sent them to
spy out the land of Canaan..."
00:20:15.33\00:20:19.03
Now that's an amazing thing.
00:20:59.55\00:21:00.58
I thought about
that for a moment.
00:21:00.61\00:21:01.64
God didn't send them
during the winter time when
00:21:01.84\00:21:04.61
there would be no
fruit on the trees.
00:21:04.64\00:21:06.51
God sent them at the
height of the harvest
00:21:07.18\00:21:09.31
where abundance would be
every direction they looked.
00:21:09.34\00:21:12.69
God sent them at the
best time of the year,
00:21:13.79\00:21:15.61
the time of the harvest
when everything was ripe.
00:21:15.64\00:21:18.22
Lush grapes, watermelon
patch, carrots, and flowers,
00:21:18.25\00:21:23.22
in abundance in every direction.
00:21:23.25\00:21:25.64
They saw everything that
God intended to give them.
00:21:25.67\00:21:28.39
God is just like that.
00:21:28.66\00:21:30.07
Sometimes the
Lord gives us a glimpse
00:21:30.10\00:21:33.08
in the small things in our lives
of the abundance that waits us
00:21:33.43\00:21:37.09
on the other side of this life.
00:21:37.12\00:21:38.72
When my wife and I
went to California,
00:21:39.30\00:21:41.15
it was amazing
about this whole ideology,
00:21:41.76\00:21:43.82
that when God opened
the door, we didn't say,
00:21:43.85\00:21:45.60
"Lord, what's going to happen
with us a few years from now?"
00:21:45.63\00:21:48.84
Sometimes you
just have to trust God.
00:21:49.01\00:21:51.49
Sometimes you just have
to believe that if God is
00:21:51.59\00:21:53.57
going to send you, He's going
to clear the way that everything
00:21:53.60\00:21:56.53
He sends you to is
going to be successful.
00:21:56.56\00:21:59.12
Amen?
00:21:59.15\00:22:00.18
God does not have
to give us a list.
00:22:00.48\00:22:02.17
We don't have to check off God's
list in order for God to be God.
00:22:02.20\00:22:05.19
One of the reasons why He's
God is because He does things
00:22:05.22\00:22:08.27
exceedingly abundantly above all
that we can ask for or think.
00:22:08.30\00:22:12.99
But the secret is according to
the power that's working in us.
00:22:13.23\00:22:15.52
You've got to have faith there.
00:22:15.55\00:22:16.84
The Lord wanted to give
them a glimpse of His blessings.
00:22:17.24\00:22:19.42
And God does that.
00:22:19.62\00:22:20.94
When the Lord
answers our prayers,
00:22:21.55\00:22:23.03
when God answered our
prayer to be in ministry,
00:22:23.82\00:22:25.93
we said, "We're going to go."
00:22:25.96\00:22:27.22
And that's how God is.
00:22:27.25\00:22:28.28
Look at Genesis chapter 12.
00:22:28.31\00:22:29.39
This has become a
verse of my wife and I.
00:22:29.42\00:22:31.25
We study our Bibles
together, and we have now
00:22:31.28\00:22:33.72
claimed this verse.
00:22:33.75\00:22:35.39
I've somewhat modified it
by leaving certain words out
00:22:35.42\00:22:38.07
because it has
become personal to us.
00:22:38.10\00:22:40.22
It reminds us, it
reminds us of what happened
00:22:40.25\00:22:43.55
when God called us
from Orland, Florida
00:22:43.58\00:22:47.11
in our no furniture apartment.
00:22:47.21\00:22:49.71
Look at Genesis
chapter 12 verses 1 to 3.
00:22:50.35\00:22:52.46
"Now the Lord had
said to Abraham..."
00:22:53.23\00:22:54.81
And I'm going to put my
name there; to John, to Angie.
00:22:54.84\00:22:57.63
Get out of Florida.
00:22:59.64\00:23:00.76
And at that time
it was California.
00:23:04.11\00:23:06.23
Now I'm not saying I'm
everybody's piece of cheese,
00:23:25.27\00:23:27.48
but it's every now and then...
00:23:27.51\00:23:28.94
You know, I got a letter
in the mail from a lady I've
00:23:28.97\00:23:30.67
never met and I've talked to
her on the phone several times.
00:23:30.70\00:23:32.83
I've never met her.
00:23:32.86\00:23:33.89
And when I read this text,
the day that we read this text
00:23:34.29\00:23:37.15
and it became personal to
us, we opened this letter,
00:23:37.18\00:23:40.47
we opened this card.
00:23:40.67\00:23:42.20
And as we read through this
card, she said at the bottom,
00:23:42.23\00:23:45.68
"I don't think you
know how many people
00:23:45.71\00:23:48.52
in the world you have blessed."
00:23:48.55\00:23:50.38
And we looked at each
other with tears in our eyes
00:23:51.20\00:23:53.42
and repeated the promise,
00:23:53.62\00:23:55.22
"I will bless
those who bless you.
00:23:55.42\00:23:58.23
I will make you a blessing."
00:23:58.26\00:24:00.00
And whenever we travel for the
Lord, we remember that it's God
00:24:00.32\00:24:03.57
who's going ahead of us.
00:24:03.60\00:24:04.63
We don't go ahead of God,
God always goes ahead of us.
00:24:04.66\00:24:07.92
If we follow the
Lord, God will always remain
00:24:07.95\00:24:11.16
faithful to those
that trust in Him.
00:24:11.19\00:24:13.13
Can you say amen?
00:24:13.16\00:24:14.27
We believed God.
00:24:14.55\00:24:15.67
And the fact of the
matter is, what could be better
00:24:15.70\00:24:18.32
than believing God?
00:24:18.35\00:24:19.38
Look at Romans 4 and verse 3...
00:24:19.41\00:24:21.19
...about Abraham and
about anybody who's faithful.
00:24:22.82\00:24:25.15
"For what does the
Scripture say," it says...
00:24:25.58\00:24:28.69
Wherever the Lord
leads, remember this,
00:24:37.04\00:24:39.39
wherever the Lord leads is
better than where you were.
00:24:39.42\00:24:44.44
I just wasted that on you guys.
00:24:45.97\00:24:47.70
Wherever the
Lord leads is always
00:24:48.41\00:24:50.63
better than where you were.
00:24:50.66\00:24:51.84
And amen to that?
00:24:51.87\00:24:53.05
You don't need to know that.
00:24:53.35\00:24:54.84
You just need to know
that God never takes you
00:24:54.87\00:24:56.82
from good to bad.
00:24:56.85\00:24:58.32
He always takes
you from bad to good.
00:24:58.35\00:25:00.77
He takes us from Egypt
always and always points us
00:25:00.80\00:25:04.26
toward the Promised
Land, wherever that may be
00:25:04.29\00:25:07.34
in our journey
toward that eternal kingdom.
00:25:07.58\00:25:10.16
God gave the leaders a
reason to believe His promises.
00:25:10.46\00:25:12.94
Look at verse 23
of Numbers chapter 13.
00:25:12.97\00:25:16.03
God gave them a reason.
00:25:16.24\00:25:17.58
But amazingly when I read this
verse I could not understand
00:25:17.90\00:25:20.56
why they decided to distrust
God when God gave them a reason.
00:25:20.59\00:25:24.83
Look at verse 23.
00:25:25.28\00:25:27.05
This is not grapes
that they got from Wal-Mart.
00:25:36.22\00:25:38.19
This was huge.
00:25:38.22\00:25:39.38
I going to tell you, if my
wife comes home from the store
00:25:48.60\00:25:51.95
and somebody is carrying
grapes in the house on a pole,
00:25:51.98\00:25:55.84
I need to know
where that store is.
00:25:55.87\00:25:57.30
What about you?
00:25:57.33\00:25:58.53
"Where'd you get
those grapes?" "Wal-Mart."
00:25:58.73\00:26:00.38
I tell you, if
Wal-Mart had grapes that size,
00:26:00.41\00:26:02.70
the store would have a
line outside that they could not
00:26:02.88\00:26:05.28
possibly supply all the people
waiting for grapes that large.
00:26:05.31\00:26:08.85
Isn't that right?
00:26:08.88\00:26:09.94
God gave them a
reason to trust Him.
00:26:09.97\00:26:11.83
God didn't give them some
tiny little shriveled up grapes
00:26:11.86\00:26:14.75
at the end of the harvest.
00:26:14.78\00:26:15.90
He gave it to them at
the beginning of the harvest
00:26:15.93\00:26:18.07
bursting with
the juices of Canaan.
00:26:18.10\00:26:21.20
And they took
this into the camp.
00:26:22.24\00:26:23.80
And I could see the eyes of
the people as they walked in.
00:26:23.90\00:26:26.76
They looked at each other
and they probably inhaled.
00:26:26.79\00:26:29.79
Oh.
00:26:29.82\00:26:30.98
"Where'd you get that from?"
00:26:31.34\00:26:32.37
"The Valley of Eshcol
in the land of Canaan."
00:26:32.40\00:26:35.02
"Are there more?"
00:26:35.05\00:26:36.08
"Oh this is just a sample.
00:26:36.11\00:26:37.75
And I've got some pomegranates
and I've got some figs too."
00:26:37.78\00:26:41.26
And I'm sure
they ate those grapes.
00:26:42.56\00:26:44.19
And I'm sure they had those
pomegranates and those figs.
00:26:44.39\00:26:46.93
The sad reality is, what
they brought back was good,
00:26:48.16\00:26:51.93
but the people were not
just waiting for good food.
00:26:51.96\00:26:54.15
They were waiting
for a good report.
00:26:54.18\00:26:56.26
And the leaders were in
the position to strengthen
00:26:56.55\00:26:58.71
their belief in God's promises.
00:26:58.74\00:27:00.15
But what was the outcome?
00:27:00.18\00:27:01.21
Look at verse 27.
00:27:01.24\00:27:02.44
Verse 27 of Numbers 13.
00:27:03.12\00:27:05.79
"Then they told him..."
That is, they told Moses.
00:27:06.60\00:27:09.13
I wish the story
ended right there.
00:27:22.81\00:27:24.57
I always read this and wish
the story ended right there.
00:27:25.03\00:27:28.86
When I was thinking
about this, it reminds me of
00:27:28.89\00:27:31.32
people that have
testimonies that are too long.
00:27:31.35\00:27:34.16
They keep on talking until
they talk themselves out of the
00:27:35.33\00:27:38.02
initial blessing.
00:27:38.05\00:27:39.38
They keep meandering
and their story gets so long
00:27:39.41\00:27:41.45
that sometimes they forget.
00:27:41.48\00:27:43.31
They've said so much that
they have talked themselves
00:27:43.34\00:27:45.61
beyond the blessing.
00:27:45.64\00:27:46.68
Sometimes your testimony has got
to be short and to the point.
00:27:46.71\00:27:50.30
God is good, amen.
00:27:50.33\00:27:52.52
Here's the fruit.
00:27:53.86\00:27:55.05
But that's not
the end of the story.
00:27:55.37\00:27:56.48
Look at verses 28 and 29.
00:27:56.51\00:27:58.14
"Nevertheless..."
00:27:58.70\00:28:00.08
Oh, I wish that
wasn't in the Bible.
00:28:00.11\00:28:03.32
"How are we
going to get in there?"
00:28:30.15\00:28:31.74
They forgot what God said.
00:28:32.75\00:28:35.02
God said, "I'm
going to give it to you."
00:28:35.05\00:28:37.26
You know, when...
00:28:38.20\00:28:39.23
I tell you,
sometimes you've got to dream.
00:28:39.49\00:28:42.42
Sometimes you've got
to go beyond reality.
00:28:42.45\00:28:44.56
Because sometimes
reality is not always reality.
00:28:44.59\00:28:47.06
The reality of the matter
is, we have things in our lives
00:28:47.09\00:28:50.72
that if it really
relied on our finances,
00:28:50.92\00:28:53.42
it wouldn't happen.
00:28:53.45\00:28:54.54
But God's got a window somewhere
that opens up every now and then
00:28:54.87\00:28:58.20
and pours out a
blessing on His children
00:28:58.23\00:29:00.28
that there's not
room enough to receive it.
00:29:00.46\00:29:01.96
Can you say amen to that?
00:29:01.99\00:29:03.15
Sometimes we look at
people, like I'm looking at
00:29:03.35\00:29:04.99
Resa tonight, I
remember when Resa was
00:29:05.02\00:29:06.72
struggling with cancer.
00:29:06.75\00:29:08.07
How we looked at her on
many days when she sat up there
00:29:08.17\00:29:11.31
in the mother's room and had
her little mask over her face,
00:29:11.34\00:29:13.80
and we thought, "Is
she going to survive?"
00:29:13.83\00:29:16.10
And I look at her now,
her hair is all grown back,
00:29:17.79\00:29:20.24
her color has returned.
00:29:20.67\00:29:22.08
And I believe that has happened
because we serve a God that
00:29:22.11\00:29:25.32
she trusted in no
matter what we saw.
00:29:25.35\00:29:27.98
She still trusted God. Amen?
00:29:28.01\00:29:29.94
You cannot base your faith
on always the things you see.
00:29:30.32\00:29:33.99
And the fact of the matter is,
as I think about what they said,
00:29:34.96\00:29:37.49
everything that
they said was true.
00:29:37.52\00:29:39.42
And you know what, you
don't have to tell a lie
00:29:39.45\00:29:41.59
to sow seeds of unbelief.
00:29:42.14\00:29:44.27
But what was wrong with
this story is they suggested
00:29:44.47\00:29:47.30
that the task of getting into
Canaan required more strength
00:29:47.33\00:29:52.00
than they had.
00:29:52.03\00:29:53.67
They said, "We can't do it.
00:29:53.94\00:29:55.27
They're strong, the cities are
large, the people are giants,
00:29:55.30\00:29:58.38
the walls are
fortified and very large.
00:29:58.41\00:30:00.62
They've got the sea cut off,
they've got the gates blocked."
00:30:00.65\00:30:03.26
But I want to tell you,
that's what faith is all about.
00:30:04.78\00:30:07.49
You could look at a
situation and say, "I can't it,"
00:30:08.03\00:30:10.75
and God says, "I know that.
00:30:10.78\00:30:12.27
That's why I'm God."
00:30:12.30\00:30:13.41
There's no
situation that we could be in
00:30:13.44\00:30:15.50
that God cannot handle.
00:30:15.53\00:30:17.36
That's why God is God.
00:30:18.19\00:30:19.64
But there was a
deeper problem there.
00:30:20.78\00:30:22.55
Look at Hebrews 3 and verse 12.
00:30:22.58\00:30:24.34
It was not that God didn't
give them enough evidence,
00:30:24.64\00:30:27.78
but it was a deeper problem.
00:30:27.81\00:30:29.69
It was a deeper issue here.
00:30:30.43\00:30:32.12
Hebrews 3 verse
12, the Bible says...
00:30:32.15\00:30:34.82
I'd like to suggest at
this point that ten of the
00:30:46.71\00:30:49.00
twelve men that went to spy out
the land had problems already.
00:30:49.03\00:30:52.83
Because Joshua and
Caleb evidently didn't.
00:30:53.68\00:30:55.92
They came back
with a good report.
00:30:56.56\00:30:58.11
I would suggest to you
that the problem is not that God
00:30:58.67\00:31:01.75
can't reveal Himself.
00:31:01.78\00:31:02.82
But if there's
something wrong in your heart
00:31:02.85\00:31:04.59
while God is
trying to change that,
00:31:04.70\00:31:06.70
sometimes that's evil heart.
00:31:07.01\00:31:10.04
They didn't say they
had a heart of unbelief.
00:31:10.07\00:31:11.50
It was an evil heart.
00:31:11.53\00:31:12.56
Which meant ten of those
twelve leaders were already
00:31:12.59\00:31:16.01
leaning away from believing God.
00:31:16.45\00:31:19.02
So they went with
their minds already made up.
00:31:19.51\00:31:21.83
And by the time they got
there instead of focusing on
00:31:21.86\00:31:23.90
all the good things
that they could see,
00:31:23.93\00:31:25.67
they focused on all the bad.
00:31:25.70\00:31:27.63
That's the difference
between a chicken and an eagle.
00:31:28.02\00:31:30.29
There's no such thing
as Kentucky fried eagle.
00:31:32.29\00:31:34.31
Can you say amen to that?
00:31:34.34\00:31:35.69
Kentucky fried chicken,
because you can catch those.
00:31:36.41\00:31:39.90
They spend all their
time on the ground picking
00:31:39.93\00:31:41.64
whatever you throw at them.
00:31:41.67\00:31:42.88
But those of us who are
eagles in the will of God,
00:31:44.40\00:31:47.08
we will mount up
with wings like eagles.
00:31:47.18\00:31:49.55
We will run and not be
weary, we'll walk and not faint.
00:31:49.58\00:31:52.36
They went to
Canaan with chicken hearts
00:31:52.39\00:31:54.95
and came back
with a chicken report.
00:31:55.68\00:31:57.70
When you read the story,
Joshua and Caleb said, "Enough.
00:32:00.37\00:32:03.13
We can go up at once
and possess the land."
00:32:03.46\00:32:05.81
But the fact of the matter
is, they had already tipped
00:32:05.84\00:32:07.95
the scale so that so many
of the people were affected.
00:32:07.98\00:32:11.27
Look at verse 32.
00:32:12.26\00:32:13.63
They believed the leaders rather
than believing God's promise.
00:32:14.58\00:32:17.92
They believed what
they heard rather than what
00:32:17.95\00:32:20.43
God showed them.
00:32:20.46\00:32:21.87
Verse 32 of Numbers chapter 13.
00:32:21.97\00:32:24.11
I've got to say this right here.
00:32:44.00\00:32:45.36
Stop magnifying the obstacles
and start magnifying the Lord.
00:32:45.47\00:32:49.14
Come on, help me out somebody.
00:32:49.17\00:32:50.51
That's why David in
Psalms said, "Magnify the Lord
00:32:51.37\00:32:54.07
and let us rejoice
and praise Him together."
00:32:54.71\00:32:57.29
We could put a magnifying
glass on the hole in the wall
00:32:57.32\00:33:01.30
or we could put a magnifying
glass on the promises of God.
00:33:04.24\00:33:07.28
They magnified
the men that they saw
00:33:07.63\00:33:10.41
rather than the God
that promised He was going to
00:33:10.44\00:33:14.04
bless them with that land.
00:33:14.07\00:33:15.56
I tell you, there's
some people nowadays...
00:33:16.10\00:33:17.93
I had a discussion with
somebody that said, "You guys
00:33:17.96\00:33:20.19
believe that heaven is for real.
00:33:20.22\00:33:21.25
What evidence do you
have that heaven is for real?"
00:33:21.28\00:33:23.78
I said, "What year is
this?" They said, "2014."
00:33:24.16\00:33:26.44
I said, "2014 what?"
00:33:26.47\00:33:28.62
Anno Domini. You
know what that means?
00:33:29.39\00:33:31.42
In the year of our Lord.
00:33:31.45\00:33:33.06
That means even in atheist
countries they rely on the
00:33:33.16\00:33:36.07
calendar which the
dating began A.D., Anno Domini,
00:33:36.10\00:33:41.00
after Jesus.
00:33:41.03\00:33:43.08
If even atheists
today have to put 2014,
00:33:43.51\00:33:47.13
they couldn't put 2014
unless something happened
00:33:47.16\00:33:50.29
2014 years ago.
00:33:50.32\00:33:51.83
Come on, say amen to that.
00:33:51.86\00:33:53.09
Even the atheist countries have
got to go by a system that was
00:33:53.39\00:33:56.49
determined by a
man called Jesus.
00:33:56.52\00:33:59.21
No matter what culture you
go to, everybody has evidence
00:34:00.28\00:34:02.75
that He walked the earth.
00:34:02.78\00:34:04.10
They may not all say
He's the Christ or the one
00:34:04.13\00:34:06.52
who brings them salvation,
but there is no doubt.
00:34:06.55\00:34:08.90
Matter of fact, when
you read the Bible in James,
00:34:08.93\00:34:11.05
there are no
atheists among demons.
00:34:11.08\00:34:14.21
They're so convinced that God
exists that the belief of God
00:34:14.24\00:34:16.99
makes them tremble.
00:34:17.02\00:34:18.23
That shows you that some
men are far beyond demons.
00:34:18.98\00:34:21.77
Their belief in
God has evaporated,
00:34:22.18\00:34:23.98
but the demons still to this
day believe that God exists.
00:34:24.01\00:34:27.37
Matter of fact, when
Jesus came to a demoniac man,
00:34:27.80\00:34:30.17
they said to him, "Have you come
to torment us before our time?"
00:34:30.20\00:34:34.80
Even the demons know.
00:34:34.91\00:34:35.97
Matter of fact, the devil knows.
00:34:36.00\00:34:37.63
He knows he has
but a short time.
00:34:37.66\00:34:39.97
Amen for that.
00:34:40.00\00:34:41.11
These men, they
magnified the obstacles
00:34:41.72\00:34:44.05
and they did not
magnify the Lord.
00:34:44.08\00:34:45.80
And this was the
act that sealed the fate
00:34:46.80\00:34:48.92
of the children of Israel.
00:34:49.38\00:34:50.64
Look at Hebrews
chapter 3 verses 16 to 19.
00:34:50.67\00:34:53.55
This is a sad commentary.
00:34:54.12\00:34:55.98
It didn't need to be there,
it didn't need to be this way.
00:34:56.01\00:34:58.86
But the verses
read as follows...
00:34:59.90\00:35:01.80
I thought about that.
00:35:39.95\00:35:40.98
Unbelief is a seed that
keeps producing a harvest
00:35:41.01\00:35:43.63
long after the first
harvest has been gathered in.
00:35:43.66\00:35:49.01
The unbelief that was
sown in the wilderness
00:35:49.49\00:35:52.02
was still alive more
than 1500 years later.
00:35:52.05\00:35:55.31
You would think that all those
that died out in the wilderness,
00:35:55.83\00:35:58.72
20 years old and
over of all the males,
00:35:58.82\00:36:01.25
you would think that
when the last one of them died
00:36:01.52\00:36:04.09
that unbelief had ended.
00:36:04.12\00:36:05.50
But that's not the case.
00:36:05.53\00:36:06.56
Look at John chapter 5 verse 46.
00:36:06.59\00:36:08.38
When Jesus came, He had to
deal with the same old unbelief.
00:36:08.41\00:36:11.96
Among the family line,
those that had followed along,
00:36:12.57\00:36:16.98
somehow unbelief still
filtered through to the children
00:36:17.01\00:36:19.71
and the children's children.
00:36:19.74\00:36:21.07
Look at John 5 verse 46.
00:36:22.10\00:36:24.00
The Lord goes right
back to that same example.
00:36:24.31\00:36:26.99
He said...
00:36:27.03\00:36:28.06
"If you don't belief Moses..."
00:36:40.22\00:36:41.31
They didn't believe Moses.
00:36:41.34\00:36:42.63
"If you don't
believe Moses, there's no way
00:36:42.83\00:36:44.54
you're going to believe Me."
00:36:44.57\00:36:45.90
Matter of fact,
they had problems.
00:36:45.93\00:36:47.02
They said that, "This
well was given to us by
00:36:47.05\00:36:49.39
Abraham our father."
00:36:49.42\00:36:50.84
And the Lord said
to them, "Abraham?
00:36:50.87\00:36:52.48
Before Abraham was, I AM."
00:36:52.51\00:36:54.56
Don't ever point your
blessings to a human vessel.
00:36:55.22\00:36:58.58
Our blessings are always
the result of a divine vessel.
00:36:58.61\00:37:03.13
Today for us to believe in Jesus
we must believe in His Word.
00:37:04.00\00:37:09.60
For us to believe His
Word, we must believe in Jesus.
00:37:09.80\00:37:13.39
You can't believe just His Word,
you've got to believe in Him.
00:37:13.42\00:37:16.69
You can't just believe in Him,
you've got to believe His Word.
00:37:16.72\00:37:19.51
That's why Jesus confronted
the children of Israel.
00:37:19.54\00:37:21.93
He said to the
disciples, "You believe in God,
00:37:21.96\00:37:24.37
believe also..."
Where? "...in Me."
00:37:24.40\00:37:27.32
Unbelief in the Hero undermines
the power of the Word.
00:37:29.47\00:37:33.27
Look at Hebrews 4 and verse 2.
00:37:33.30\00:37:34.91
Hebrews 4 and verse 2.
00:37:35.19\00:37:36.63
You know, I've
discovered today that preaching
00:37:53.97\00:37:55.36
is not the problem.
00:37:55.39\00:37:56.58
Preaching is not the problem.
00:37:56.61\00:37:58.00
Preaching is not the problem.
00:37:58.62\00:38:00.40
Believing is.
00:38:00.43\00:38:02.52
In the parable of the sower...
00:38:02.55\00:38:04.71
...the Lord is the Sower.
00:38:06.09\00:38:08.34
The seed is His Word.
00:38:08.37\00:38:10.77
How could Jesus sow good seed,
and still seventy-five percent
00:38:11.06\00:38:17.83
of those that heard it
had no positive effect by it?
00:38:17.86\00:38:23.06
Shallow ground, stony
ground, thorny ground.
00:38:25.38\00:38:29.63
The seed was good.
00:38:30.07\00:38:31.15
God's Word is always good.
00:38:31.18\00:38:32.60
I'm always amazed by that.
00:38:32.63\00:38:33.66
I've somehow found a
way to relieve myself.
00:38:33.69\00:38:37.52
Sometimes I would
go away and I'd say,
00:38:37.55\00:38:39.37
"Did I not make a
good enough appeal?
00:38:39.40\00:38:41.24
Was it something that I said
or something that I didn't say?"
00:38:41.27\00:38:43.90
And I've discovered,
it's not always the preacher.
00:38:43.93\00:38:46.25
Sometimes it's the soil.
00:38:46.28\00:38:47.81
That was the issue
with the children of Israel.
00:38:48.37\00:38:50.07
It was not the Word, it
was not the promises of God,
00:38:50.10\00:38:52.86
it was not Moses, it was
not what they saw in Canaan.
00:38:52.89\00:38:55.82
It was the heart.
00:38:55.85\00:38:57.12
Deceitful above all
things and desperately wicked.
00:38:57.15\00:39:00.63
An evil heart of unbelief.
00:39:00.66\00:39:03.71
But on the other side,
the Word of God is effective
00:39:03.74\00:39:06.10
to those that believe.
00:39:06.30\00:39:07.33
Look at 1 Thessalonians
chapter 2 and verse 13.
00:39:07.36\00:39:10.62
Look at that
very quickly with me.
00:39:10.65\00:39:12.19
1 Thessalonians
chapter 2 and verse 13.
00:39:12.22\00:39:14.42
Nothing wrong with God's Word.
00:39:37.00\00:39:38.57
You've got to put it in
and you've got to believe.
00:39:39.11\00:39:41.36
You've got to put it in
and you've got to believe.
00:39:41.74\00:39:43.86
It works in
those who believe it.
00:39:44.30\00:39:46.30
The Bible is one of the
best books ever written,
00:39:46.63\00:39:48.95
but it's not a text book.
00:39:48.98\00:39:50.46
It's a living book.
00:39:50.76\00:39:52.29
It's a book from the living God.
00:39:52.32\00:39:54.26
It's the only
living book on the planet.
00:39:54.29\00:39:56.44
The proof of its life
is, every time you read it
00:39:56.47\00:39:58.72
you find some new
nugget that can encourage you
00:39:58.75\00:40:01.45
and strengthen you
for the entire day.
00:40:01.48\00:40:03.45
Amen?
00:40:03.48\00:40:04.51
It's a living book, but it
only works in those who believe.
00:40:04.61\00:40:07.46
Satan not only leads men
to disbelieve God's Word,
00:40:07.94\00:40:10.72
he introduces theories
and false doctrines that are
00:40:10.75\00:40:13.32
contrary to the Bible.
00:40:13.35\00:40:15.07
But the problem is,
because the hearers don't study
00:40:15.37\00:40:17.41
they are easily deceived.
00:40:17.44\00:40:18.91
Look at Romans
chapter 16 verses 17 and 18.
00:40:18.94\00:40:21.53
Look at the Bible, as
it makes it very clear
00:40:21.94\00:40:24.43
how deception works,
how unbelief is undermined.
00:40:24.76\00:40:27.65
How belief is undermined.
00:40:27.68\00:40:29.42
The King James
Version says, "Mark those."
00:40:41.13\00:40:43.73
Avoid them.
00:40:43.76\00:40:45.00
That's why it's so amazingly
necessary to study God's Word.
00:40:58.98\00:41:02.72
The Bible says that the Word of
God, "making wise the simple."
00:41:03.65\00:41:08.90
Remember that
song you use to sing?
00:41:09.20\00:41:10.52
Making wise the simple.
00:41:10.87\00:41:13.69
Those that don't study the
Word of God are sitting ducks
00:41:13.72\00:41:17.50
waiting for smooth talking
preachers, both in the truth
00:41:17.53\00:41:21.92
and out of the truth, to
come along and deceive you.
00:41:21.95\00:41:24.59
I know folk that were
raised in the Adventist church.
00:41:25.27\00:41:27.18
Now they boast
about being a member
00:41:27.21\00:41:29.07
of a different denomination.
00:41:29.10\00:41:30.51
And I'm not saying
that people of another
00:41:30.54\00:41:31.82
denomination are lost.
00:41:31.85\00:41:32.90
But I'm simply saying,
you can't walk away from light
00:41:32.93\00:41:35.72
and walk into darkness and
think you're still in the light.
00:41:35.75\00:41:38.19
Amen?
00:41:38.39\00:41:39.44
You can't do that.
00:41:39.54\00:41:40.63
But there are those
that walk out of the light
00:41:40.66\00:41:42.57
and boast about,
"Well you guys are bound,
00:41:42.60\00:41:45.01
still keeping the Sabbath.
00:41:45.04\00:41:46.46
You know, you're still trying
to be saved by keeping the law."
00:41:46.66\00:41:49.82
I'm not trying to be
saved by keeping the law.
00:41:49.85\00:41:51.90
But because I am saved in Jesus,
00:41:52.00\00:41:53.87
"If you love Me,
keep My commandments."
00:41:53.90\00:41:55.53
Come on, say amen to that.
00:41:55.56\00:41:56.86
But we're living in an
age of contrary doctrine.
00:41:57.43\00:42:00.76
That's what Paul pointed out.
00:42:00.79\00:42:02.10
Who do you think
Sunday sacredness, and the
00:42:02.38\00:42:05.35
secret rapture, and the
immortality of the soul,
00:42:05.38\00:42:08.03
and eternally burning hell, who
do you think that comes from?
00:42:08.06\00:42:10.98
Contrary doctrine.
00:42:11.63\00:42:13.43
Now I don't want to
spend a lot of time on it,
00:42:13.94\00:42:15.48
but we've got our
own contrary doctrine
00:42:15.51\00:42:17.93
in our own denomination.
00:42:17.96\00:42:19.46
Don't want to spend
a whole lot of time,
00:42:19.56\00:42:20.91
because there's some things that
some of you never heard about.
00:42:20.94\00:42:23.28
I don't want to even put
the seed there to make you
00:42:23.31\00:42:25.14
investigate darkness.
00:42:25.17\00:42:26.72
But as a pastor
when we travel around,
00:42:26.75\00:42:28.46
even sometimes I get phone
calls, or sometimes I'm in a
00:42:28.56\00:42:31.23
particular area,
and somebody says,
00:42:31.26\00:42:33.10
"Well help me understand this.
00:42:33.20\00:42:35.05
Has our church
missed this doctrine?"
00:42:35.08\00:42:37.68
And I say, "No, our
church hasn't missed it.
00:42:37.71\00:42:39.56
But somebody went
out and developed a
00:42:39.59\00:42:41.60
new contrary doctrine."
00:42:41.63\00:42:43.77
And unfortunately
people are running after
00:42:44.30\00:42:47.03
the devil's rabbits.
00:42:47.06\00:42:48.44
They're trying to
figure out whether
00:42:49.17\00:42:50.27
this is true and that is true.
00:42:50.30\00:42:51.61
You know, my brethren, God
has not passed His people by
00:42:51.64\00:42:54.70
and given one man here and
one man there something that
00:42:54.73\00:42:58.45
His entire
denomination has missed.
00:42:58.48\00:43:00.59
Can you say amen to that?
00:43:00.62\00:43:01.79
There are those that come
along and preach division.
00:43:02.45\00:43:04.50
They say, "If you follow
us, then we have new light."
00:43:04.53\00:43:08.05
New?
00:43:08.65\00:43:09.68
It just means you
haven't read it yet,
00:43:09.71\00:43:11.22
but it's always been there.
00:43:11.25\00:43:12.28
Amen.
00:43:12.31\00:43:13.34
But look what happens.
00:43:13.62\00:43:14.72
Look at how the
devil undermines our faith.
00:43:14.75\00:43:16.84
1 Timothy 4 and verse
1, here's what Paul says...
00:43:16.87\00:43:19.75
That's the age in which we live.
00:43:35.21\00:43:36.70
Demonic doctrines.
00:43:36.73\00:43:38.23
And you know
what some of them say?
00:43:38.26\00:43:39.35
"Well Pastor, you
don't believe it because
00:43:39.38\00:43:41.20
you haven't studied it."
00:43:41.23\00:43:43.03
You know what?
00:43:43.63\00:43:44.66
I don't need to spend all
my time, I worked in a bank,
00:43:44.69\00:43:48.07
I don't need to spend all
my time looking at all the
00:43:48.10\00:43:50.37
counterfeit bills.
00:43:50.40\00:43:51.82
I just need to spend my
time studying the true bill.
00:43:51.85\00:43:54.69
What do you say?
00:43:54.72\00:43:55.75
If you study the truth of
God's Word, you can spot a
00:43:55.78\00:43:58.52
three legged rabbit any day.
00:43:58.55\00:44:00.85
I have to go through
all the species of rabbits
00:44:03.05\00:44:05.08
to figure out, is there a
three legged rabbit I missed?
00:44:05.11\00:44:07.73
No, just look at
the four legged ones.
00:44:07.76\00:44:09.64
If a three legged
rabbit comes along
00:44:09.67\00:44:11.31
and they say this is a
new one that just got created,
00:44:11.60\00:44:13.94
you better run to the hills.
00:44:14.04\00:44:15.17
Amen.
00:44:15.20\00:44:16.26
By the way, the word,
"depart," there comes from the
00:44:16.70\00:44:19.32
Greek word, "apostasia,"
which means, "apostasy."
00:44:19.35\00:44:23.02
Look at 2
Thessalonians 2 and verse 3.
00:44:23.05\00:44:25.55
He makes it even clearer.
00:44:25.58\00:44:26.89
He unfolds it even more.
00:44:26.92\00:44:28.34
Why is unbelief
waning in the last days
00:44:28.37\00:44:30.67
even among those
claiming they have the truth?
00:44:30.70\00:44:32.77
Look at what the Bible says...
00:44:32.80\00:44:34.00
When I study this,
sometimes I talk to...
00:44:54.30\00:44:56.16
You know what?
00:44:56.62\00:44:57.65
I've got to just tell it to
you the way I wrote it down.
00:44:57.97\00:44:59.77
The most effective and deceptive
opponents of the church
00:44:59.80\00:45:02.40
are former members.
00:45:02.43\00:45:04.30
The most wicked ones
that you've got to deal with
00:45:05.99\00:45:08.88
are people that use
to stand where you stand.
00:45:08.91\00:45:12.17
That's why Paul
says, "After my departing
00:45:13.19\00:45:15.65
grievous wolves will
enter into the flock,
00:45:15.68\00:45:17.72
not sparing the flock,
00:45:17.75\00:45:19.08
drawing disciples
away after themselves."
00:45:19.11\00:45:21.16
You've got to worry about
people that know the truth
00:45:21.19\00:45:24.00
but whose hearts
are not converted.
00:45:24.10\00:45:26.23
I remember when I was a
young man back in New York City.
00:45:26.49\00:45:28.75
This little offshoot
group called The Shepherd's Rod
00:45:28.98\00:45:31.34
tried to get me when I
just started coming back
00:45:31.37\00:45:33.67
into the church.
00:45:33.70\00:45:34.79
They tried to pull me out.
00:45:34.99\00:45:36.45
And I went back to
studying God's Word
00:45:37.22\00:45:39.19
and studying the things
that they said were new light
00:45:39.39\00:45:42.27
in the writings in Ellen White.
00:45:42.30\00:45:43.39
And I discovered
it's not new light.
00:45:43.42\00:45:44.71
It's been there all along.
00:45:44.74\00:45:45.97
But they twisted that, and
that's exactly what happens.
00:45:46.17\00:45:49.07
Look what the Bible says
in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2
00:45:49.48\00:45:51.72
and verses 11 and 12.
00:45:51.75\00:45:53.10
This is what happens.
00:45:53.33\00:45:54.69
The
inevitability is condemnation.
00:45:54.72\00:45:57.74
And the Bible says...
00:45:58.02\00:45:59.05
Their love for unrighteousness
was preferred above
00:46:19.91\00:46:25.27
belief in the truth.
00:46:25.30\00:46:26.51
And the fact of the matter
is, belief in the truth is the
00:46:27.51\00:46:29.70
antidote to unrighteousness.
00:46:29.73\00:46:31.42
It's the antidote to deception.
00:46:31.45\00:46:33.04
You believe the
truth, you won't be deceived.
00:46:33.07\00:46:35.21
You accept the truth,
you cannot be deceived.
00:46:35.24\00:46:37.27
You believe the truth,
you cannot have a faith
00:46:37.30\00:46:39.67
that turns into unbelief.
00:46:39.70\00:46:41.92
But I also
discovered something else.
00:46:42.92\00:46:44.26
It's possible to look
like a believer when in fact
00:46:44.29\00:46:46.70
the people that
sometimes you condemn end up
00:46:46.80\00:46:49.79
becoming a
believer before you do.
00:46:49.82\00:46:52.20
Look what Jesus
confronted in His day.
00:46:52.92\00:46:54.66
Matthew 21, this is what
He said about the Pharisees.
00:46:54.69\00:46:57.92
They looked like
believers, but they had
00:46:57.95\00:47:00.00
evil hearts of unbelief.
00:47:00.03\00:47:01.27
Matthew 21 verses 31 to 32.
00:47:01.30\00:47:04.17
Notice what the Bible says.
00:47:04.27\00:47:05.73
"Jesus said to them..."
That is to the Pharisees.
00:47:07.00\00:47:08.95
Oh my brothers and
sisters, don't get settled
00:47:33.26\00:47:35.77
in looking religious.
00:47:35.80\00:47:37.27
Have a connection with God
that's based on the validity
00:47:37.30\00:47:40.60
and the veracity
and the tried foundation
00:47:40.63\00:47:44.69
of His unchanging Word.
00:47:44.72\00:47:46.93
Don't just get
content in looking religious.
00:47:47.38\00:47:49.70
The harlots and the
tax collectors and sinners
00:47:50.04\00:47:51.92
did not look religious.
00:47:51.95\00:47:52.98
The Pharisees did.
00:47:53.01\00:47:54.37
But they ended up believing,
and the Pharisees rejected,
00:47:54.88\00:47:57.72
the very knowledge
that Jesus was the Christ.
00:47:58.07\00:48:01.18
And so here are the three
things that I want to point out
00:48:01.21\00:48:03.24
that will help your
belief become strong.
00:48:03.44\00:48:05.46
Mark 9 verse 23.
00:48:05.49\00:48:07.42
Belief results in
strong Christians.
00:48:07.45\00:48:09.31
Mark 9 verse 23, look
at what the Bible says...
00:48:09.34\00:48:12.10
How many things are possible?
00:48:17.78\00:48:19.32
How many things?
00:48:25.03\00:48:26.12
All things.
00:48:26.15\00:48:27.52
Sometimes people take
that and twist that and try to
00:48:28.19\00:48:31.17
use that "all things"
to manipulate themselves
00:48:31.20\00:48:33.82
into personal selfishness.
00:48:33.85\00:48:35.14
Whenever it is within the
plan of God, it's possible.
00:48:35.53\00:48:39.08
God is not a God
who's a grocery store.
00:48:39.28\00:48:41.79
God is not a "bless
me only" kind of God.
00:48:41.82\00:48:44.78
And one of the things
that really troubles me about
00:48:44.81\00:48:46.60
this generation is
people are more concerned about
00:48:46.63\00:48:48.62
God's blessings
than God's righteousness.
00:48:48.65\00:48:52.24
Listen to some of
those television preachers.
00:48:52.66\00:48:54.48
"Send for your prayer
cloth so God can bless you."
00:48:55.41\00:48:57.57
"Get your anointing
oil so God can bless you."
00:48:57.60\00:48:59.69
"If you bless
me, I'll bless you."
00:48:59.72\00:49:01.49
"God will bless
you if you sow a seed."
00:49:01.52\00:49:03.23
Sometimes I hear the word,
"sow a seed," or the phrase,
00:49:03.56\00:49:05.83
"sow a seed," and it
just sickens me because
00:49:05.86\00:49:07.50
I know what's
going to follow that.
00:49:07.53\00:49:08.62
"If you sow a seed
of a thousand dollars,
00:49:08.76\00:49:11.50
God is going to bless you."
00:49:11.53\00:49:12.72
And folk go to their
graves broke because these
00:49:13.17\00:49:15.80
smooth talking preachers living
in their 18,000 square foot
00:49:15.83\00:49:20.31
houses and their many mansions
and their bars and their cars.
00:49:20.34\00:49:24.54
Like this new show,
The Preachers of LA.
00:49:25.19\00:49:27.50
They've got bling more
than they have a connection
00:49:27.98\00:49:31.33
to the living God.
00:49:31.80\00:49:33.15
You've got to have a connection.
00:49:33.72\00:49:35.48
Belief results in
strong Christians.
00:49:35.58\00:49:38.92
Secondly, Romans 1 verse 16.
00:49:38.95\00:49:41.08
Belief connects the
Christian to spiritual power.
00:49:41.11\00:49:43.85
Notice Paul's
writings, Romans 1 and verse 16.
00:49:43.88\00:49:47.21
He says...
00:49:47.48\00:49:48.69
Salvation for those who believe.
00:50:08.34\00:50:11.94
Salvation for those who believe.
00:50:12.21\00:50:15.72
You cannot have an
evil heart of unbelief.
00:50:15.75\00:50:18.56
One person said to me,
and I'll never forget this,
00:50:18.59\00:50:20.99
he said to me, "How come I pray
00:50:21.02\00:50:23.44
and my prayers
don't get answered?"
00:50:23.47\00:50:25.70
I said, "That's not my fault.
00:50:26.18\00:50:27.97
I pray and my
prayers get answered."
00:50:28.00\00:50:29.34
Amen, somebody?
00:50:29.37\00:50:30.41
Don't blame God...
00:50:31.07\00:50:32.28
He said, "I've prayed for
the sick and they died anyway.
00:50:32.31\00:50:35.62
I prayed for God to heal
somebody and they died anyway."
00:50:35.65\00:50:39.05
So now you're
upset with God because
00:50:40.06\00:50:41.61
God didn't listen to your will?
00:50:41.64\00:50:44.07
I said, "Have you
heard of the resurrection?"
00:50:45.71\00:50:47.49
"Well no, that's
not what I asked for.
00:50:48.78\00:50:50.10
I asked for God to heal them."
00:50:50.13\00:50:51.25
He will in the resurrection.
00:50:51.35\00:50:53.11
Help me out, somebody.
00:50:53.14\00:50:54.49
If God stepped into
every situation in this life,
00:50:55.17\00:50:59.76
this would be heaven.
00:50:59.79\00:51:00.91
But this is not heaven.
00:51:00.94\00:51:02.27
This is earth.
00:51:03.08\00:51:04.16
This is not heaven.
00:51:04.19\00:51:05.47
So God's sovereignty
decides to let some go
00:51:05.84\00:51:08.48
and some be laid to rest.
00:51:08.51\00:51:09.80
A number of years ago I
found a text in Isaiah 57.
00:51:10.01\00:51:13.40
The righteous die and
no one takes it to heart
00:51:14.16\00:51:16.64
that God allows them to
be laid to rest to be spared
00:51:16.67\00:51:20.58
from the evil that is to come.
00:51:20.61\00:51:23.39
You never know what a
person's future holds.
00:51:23.42\00:51:25.36
Just trust the
sovereignty of God.
00:51:25.39\00:51:27.51
When you trust the
sovereignty of God,
00:51:27.80\00:51:29.44
belief in God will make
you realize that belief in God
00:51:29.69\00:51:33.45
brings with it the
unashamed context of the gospel,
00:51:33.48\00:51:37.70
and you'll
experience the spiritual power
00:51:37.73\00:51:39.56
because you believe.
00:51:39.59\00:51:41.04
Belief also assures us that
God is listening when we pray.
00:51:41.07\00:51:44.84
Look at Matthew 21 and verse 22.
00:51:44.87\00:51:47.98
Matthew 21 and verse
22, look at this one.
00:51:48.01\00:51:52.91
Sometimes people pray.
00:51:52.94\00:51:54.48
The Lord said...
00:51:54.51\00:51:55.54
Oh I can spend the rest of
the night talking about that,
00:52:04.45\00:52:06.74
how that works.
00:52:06.77\00:52:07.83
You see, the thing is you've
got to understand God's Word.
00:52:08.82\00:52:11.49
When you study God's
Word, you learn how to pray.
00:52:11.59\00:52:15.22
When you read God's
Word, you learn how to pray.
00:52:16.36\00:52:20.24
Let me use an analogy.
00:52:20.27\00:52:21.56
You don't go to a
person that is a seamstress
00:52:21.59\00:52:25.64
and ask them to
build a house for you.
00:52:25.67\00:52:27.71
Because they
ain't going to do it.
00:52:28.54\00:52:29.60
You don't go to a
person that bakes bread
00:52:30.33\00:52:32.79
and ask them to
build an engine for you,
00:52:32.82\00:52:34.90
because they're
not going to do it.
00:52:34.93\00:52:36.13
You've got to
understand God's Word.
00:52:36.46\00:52:38.50
You will have your
prayers answered when you pray
00:52:38.53\00:52:43.02
in harmony with
God's list of promises.
00:52:43.05\00:52:46.43
But sometimes people try to add
what God never put in His Word,
00:52:47.54\00:52:51.37
and then manipulate God to
try to get Him to answer that.
00:52:51.40\00:52:53.97
"Lord, I need a jet."
00:52:54.00\00:52:55.03
You don't need a
jet, you need a new heart.
00:52:55.06\00:52:57.04
But then you also add, if
God wants to give you a jet,
00:53:03.66\00:53:05.67
He can give you one.
00:53:05.70\00:53:06.80
If you need it. Amen.
00:53:06.99\00:53:09.02
But as I wind up this message,
the good news is there is a
00:53:11.86\00:53:15.36
solution to unbelief.
00:53:15.39\00:53:17.09
You don't have to end up
on the outside of Canaan.
00:53:17.56\00:53:20.47
We don't have to end up on
this side of the promise of God.
00:53:20.50\00:53:24.30
We can make it in this time
because the God that led Israel
00:53:24.33\00:53:28.16
is still leading us today.
00:53:28.19\00:53:30.29
The God that opened the
gate for Israel to go in
00:53:30.55\00:53:33.17
is still leading us today.
00:53:33.20\00:53:34.90
The God that led them out
of Egypt led us out of our
00:53:34.93\00:53:37.76
darkness into
this marvelous light.
00:53:37.79\00:53:39.30
And brothers and
sisters, my commitment,
00:53:39.33\00:53:41.32
and I believe that
yours should be the same,
00:53:41.35\00:53:43.22
you should commit yourself
to keep following the Lord
00:53:43.42\00:53:45.90
until the journey is over.
00:53:45.93\00:53:47.83
And when it's done, you
need to look down because
00:53:47.86\00:53:51.18
you'll be standing
on streets of gold.
00:53:51.21\00:53:52.79
Amen, somebody.
00:53:52.82\00:53:54.05
Don't quit now.
00:53:54.45\00:53:55.56
You don't quit when
you're near the journey's end.
00:53:56.02\00:53:58.48
But you've got
to be a praying man.
00:53:58.94\00:54:00.90
You've got to
be a praying woman.
00:54:00.93\00:54:02.57
You have to be reading your
Bible, taking God's promises.
00:54:02.60\00:54:06.03
You can't claim
what you don't know.
00:54:06.06\00:54:08.64
And when you don't
know God's promises,
00:54:08.67\00:54:10.36
the devil can come along
and sow anything in your heart
00:54:10.39\00:54:12.90
because your heart
has not been furnished.
00:54:13.00\00:54:14.89
That's why David said, "Thy
word have I hid in my heart,"
00:54:15.09\00:54:17.77
in my heart, my mind, my life,
00:54:17.97\00:54:19.90
"that I might not
sin against Thee."
00:54:19.93\00:54:21.96
You've got to put
something in there
00:54:21.99\00:54:23.79
to get something to come
out when times are difficult.
00:54:24.19\00:54:26.70
And when times are good,
God will bring those blessings
00:54:26.96\00:54:30.11
to the forefront.
00:54:30.14\00:54:31.22
There is a solution to unbelief.
00:54:31.25\00:54:32.86
Acts chapter 16 and verse 31.
00:54:32.89\00:54:35.04
Notice what the Bible says.
00:54:35.52\00:54:37.06
And so tonight I want to
say, there is a way for unbelief
00:54:43.97\00:54:47.41
to be replaced with faith.
00:54:47.44\00:54:48.96
There is a way for doubt
to be replaced with assurance.
00:54:48.99\00:54:52.10
There is a way for cheap
grace to be replaced with
00:54:52.13\00:54:55.24
blessed assurance.
00:54:55.27\00:54:56.60
There is a way for
eternal loss to be replaced with
00:54:56.70\00:55:01.64
eternal life.
00:55:01.67\00:55:03.38
You don't need to drown
in the sea called, unbelief.
00:55:03.82\00:55:08.74
You don't need to
fall for the devil's lies.
00:55:08.77\00:55:11.92
I would guarantee you that
there's no way that you could
00:55:12.54\00:55:14.95
study and pray and
read and talk to God...
00:55:14.98\00:55:17.20
Sometimes I talk to
God like He's right there.
00:55:17.53\00:55:19.82
I just talk out
loud, regular voice tones.
00:55:19.85\00:55:22.45
I don't whisper.
00:55:22.91\00:55:23.95
You don't always have to
bow your knees to talk to God.
00:55:23.98\00:55:26.95
You can walk through
your house to talk to God.
00:55:27.05\00:55:28.70
Anybody know what
I'm talking about?
00:55:28.73\00:55:30.17
You can drive in
your car and say,
00:55:30.20\00:55:31.46
"God, is this
the right direction?"
00:55:31.49\00:55:33.51
"Well God, am I
going the right way?"
00:55:34.32\00:55:36.18
God will lead us.
00:55:36.21\00:55:37.62
"Lean not on your
own understanding;
00:55:37.65\00:55:39.20
in all your ways..." Do what?
00:55:39.23\00:55:40.74
"...acknowledge Him and
He'll direct your path."
00:55:41.04\00:55:43.06
The children of Israel,
with all the knowledge and
00:55:43.09\00:55:46.91
all the vicissitude
that God had given to them,
00:55:46.94\00:55:49.34
they pushed it all aside and
they banked their destination
00:55:49.73\00:55:52.91
on their own ability to
decide what direction to go.
00:55:52.94\00:55:57.94
When I read that
story, it's a sad one because
00:55:58.94\00:56:00.96
the journey from Egypt to
Canaan was just a few weeks.
00:56:01.06\00:56:03.64
But they ended up for 40
years meandering in the maze
00:56:03.92\00:56:07.16
called, the wilderness of sin.
00:56:07.19\00:56:09.75
Tonight there is a way for
eternal loss to be replaced
00:56:10.12\00:56:14.67
with eternal life.
00:56:14.94\00:56:16.17
I want to read my favorite text
tonight, I think you know it.
00:56:16.27\00:56:18.69
John 3:16, are you ready?
00:56:18.83\00:56:20.60
Let's read it together.
00:56:20.90\00:56:21.93
Salvation is not
only what you believe,
00:56:36.20\00:56:38.73
but in Whom you believe.
00:56:38.76\00:56:40.43
If you believe in Jesus,
you will believe His Word.
00:56:40.60\00:56:43.37
If you believe His Word, you
would be walking in the light.
00:56:43.40\00:56:46.64
If you're walking in the light,
you will be a witness for Jesus.
00:56:46.84\00:56:50.21
If you are a witness
for Jesus, others will come
00:56:50.24\00:56:54.29
to believe in Him.
00:56:54.32\00:56:56.10
Brothers and
sisters, don't miss this.
00:56:56.39\00:56:58.38
We are nearing
our journey's end.
00:56:58.41\00:57:01.99
There's no better time
to begin to believe the
00:57:02.19\00:57:05.93
promises of God than now.
00:57:05.96\00:57:07.56
Can you say amen?
00:57:07.59\00:57:08.62
I'm going to keep
going until He comes.
00:57:08.77\00:57:10.82
I'm going to keep
trusting His Word.
00:57:10.85\00:57:12.95
I'm going to bank my
future on the promises of
00:57:12.98\00:57:15.65
God's written Word.
00:57:15.68\00:57:16.98
I'm going to keep in
touch with Him through prayer
00:57:17.01\00:57:18.91
and lean upon
the everlasting arms.
00:57:18.94\00:57:21.15
And when He comes,
unbelief will be gone
00:57:21.18\00:57:24.23
because we will be
leaving this earth eternally.
00:57:24.33\00:57:27.38
God bless you. Trust Him.
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Get rid of unbelief.
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Let us pray.
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