Welcome to Anchors Of Truth,
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live from the
3ABN Worship Center.
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Hello friends, and
welcome to Anchors Of Truth.
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We're here live at
the 3ABN Worship Center,
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which is located in
Thompsonville, Illinois.
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Or you could actually
say West Frankfort too.
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We're kind of
right on the edge of
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West Frankfort
and Thompsonville.
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But welcome to Anchors Of Truth.
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It's always a blessing to
hear God's word delivered.
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And this series
is by Wes Peppers,
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and the whole five
part series is entitled,
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Before Men and Angels;
Theater of the Universe.
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Welcome also to our
audience that is here
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locally at our worship center.
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It's a blessing,
isn't it, to hear God's word
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spoken and
delivered, that's for sure.
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You know, Pastor Wes, I have
to say that for those of you
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that have been
watching on 3ABN recently,
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we were in Lansing, Michigan
with Pastor Doug Batchelor
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and Heroes Of Faith.
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And the church
that we were at was the
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Lansing
Seventh-day Adventist Church.
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And that happens to
be Pastor Wes' church.
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He's the senior pastor there.
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And I have to say, he
has a wonderful church there.
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A great loving church family.
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And we appreciated
working with Amazing Facts
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and his local church to be
part of the Heroes Of Faith.
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That was a blessing. So
we appreciate Pastor Wes.
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It was fun working
with him a few weeks ago.
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You know, as a young man...
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He's not going to
tell all of his testimony
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in these five part series.
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He's just going to
mention it here and there.
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But he actually, as a
young man, was an atheist.
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Isn't that amazing
where God can bring someone
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to where he is now?
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He was an
evangelist for Amazing Facts,
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which we just talked
about, for about five years.
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And he's been
the senior pastor at
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Lansing
Seventh-day Adventist Church
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oh not that long,
but he's enjoying it.
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And I know, us being
there, his church family
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loves he and his wife.
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And I know his wife is
here, and you're going to
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tell us about his family.
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Absolutely.
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To me, the beautiful
thing is, when God calls people
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into ministry, He not
only calls an individual,
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like He called Pastor Wes
Peppers, but He also called
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His wife Marion.
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And Marion and Wes are
a wonderful dynamic team.
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They have two precious kids.
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Levi is three or
three and a half,
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and Liana was just
born just a few months ago.
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Tonight, we're not only
going to hear the spoken Word
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from Pastor Wes
Peppers, but Marion will be
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bringing the Word in music.
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She will prepare our
hearts for the message.
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The song she will be
singing is, Draw Me Nearer.
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Before she sings and before
we hear from Pastor Wes Peppers,
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let's just bow our
heads for a word of prayer.
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Father we come before
You in the name of Jesus
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and we thank You.
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Thank You for
the gift of Your Son.
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Thank You that You have called
us as Your sons and daughters.
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Thank You for the
message that is in Your Word
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that's going to come
forth from Pastor Wes Peppers.
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We just ask right now for the
anointing of Your Holy Spirit,
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and that our ears
and minds could be opened
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to what You want
to share with us.
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In the precious and the
holy name of Jesus, amen.
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Amen.
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For Your
nearness, Lord, I hunger;
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for Your nearness, Lord, I wait.
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Hold me ever closer, Father;
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such a love I can't escape.
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For Your nearness I am hoping;
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for Your nearness, Lord, I long.
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I have no need of any other;
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I have found where I belong.
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Yes, I have
found where I belong.
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So draw me nearer, Lord;
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never let me go.
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Closer to Your heart,
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draw me nearer, Lord.
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Draw me nearer, Lord.
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In Your nearness
there is healing;
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what was broken now made whole.
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Restoration in its fullness;
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lasting hope for all who come.
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In Your nearness I take shelter;
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where You are is where I'm home.
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I have need of only one thing;
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to be here before Your throne.
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To be here before Your throne.
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So draw me nearer, Lord;
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never let me go.
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Closer to Your heart,
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draw me nearer, Lord.
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So draw me nearer, Lord;
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never let me go.
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Closer to Your heart,
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draw me nearer, Lord.
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Draw me nearer, Lord.
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And keep me here, keep me here;
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there's nowhere
else I'd rather be.
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Keep me here, keep me here;
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there's nowhere
else I'd rather be.
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There's nowhere
else I'd rather be.
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So draw me nearer, Lord;
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never let me go.
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Closer to Your heart,
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draw me nearer, Lord.
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Draw me nearer, Lord.
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Draw me nearer, my Lord.
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Good evening, friends.
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I'm glad to have you
here with us tonight,
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those of you who are
here in our studio audience.
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And those that are
watching around the world,
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we just welcome you.
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And I'm so glad to be
here for Anchors Of Truth.
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Excited to open
God's Word together
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and see what He has to speak to
us from the sacred Scriptures.
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How many are
thankful to be here tonight?
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And we have an exciting series,
I'm so looking forward to it.
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Because what we're going to
do is we're going to take some
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very important key
issues that God's people will be
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facing in the last days
and we're going to see how
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those things are very
applicable to us today,
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and some of the
trials and the challenges
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that we're going to be
facing as we look forward
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to Jesus' soon return.
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And we're going to see
how we can be overcomers
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through faith
and grace in Jesus.
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Amen?
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How many are
looking forward to that?
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And so tonight our subject is,
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Sacrificial
Surrender and Sleeping Saints.
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And a lot of people
ask me, "Boy, that's a very
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interesting title, Pastor Wes."
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In fact, somebody said to me,
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"All your titles
are very interesting."
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And we believe today that we are
living in the last days. Amen?
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We believe that
Jesus is coming soon.
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And I believe that we
don't have time to mess around
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with foolishness. Amen?
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That we need to be prepared,
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we need to be
seeking God's presence.
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And that's why I gave
such bold titles. Amen?
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So we're going to be seeing what
we can learn from God's Word
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over the next few nights.
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Before we begin this evening,
I just want to invite you to
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bow your heads,
wherever you are.
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We're just going to ask
God's presence to be with us
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one more time.
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Father in heaven,
tonight we are so thankful
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to be here for Anchors Of Truth.
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We're thankful,
Lord, that You are leading
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in each one of our lives.
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No matter where we
are in life's journey,
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whether we are truly faithful,
whether our hand is securely
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bound in Yours, or
Lord, whether we are
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floundering and
struggling in our faith,
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we believe tonight that
You are reaching out to us.
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We believe tonight that
You want to give us hope,
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that You want
to give us victory,
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that You want to
give us strength.
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And Lord, we are thrilled, as
we open Your Word this evening,
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that the precious
promises of truth would speak
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to our hearts this evening.
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So we ask You to send
the Holy Spirit to move us,
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to guide us, to shake us,
to convict us, to comfort us,
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and give us
assurance, leading us to Jesus.
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And it's in His
name we pray, amen.
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I remember a story that
I heard once, true story.
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There was a young
preacher who was new in town.
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I know what's that like.
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I haven't been to the
Lansing church for very long.
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And just several
months ago I came there.
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So I know what it's like to
be the new preacher in town.
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Well this new preacher
was working late at night
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in his church, he was in
the church working on a sermon.
00:10:35.73\00:10:38.43
And as he left the
church, he was catching the bus
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to go on his way home.
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And so he got on the bus and
he gave the money to the drive,
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and the drive
gave him his change,
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and he went to
his seat and sat down.
00:10:50.98\00:10:53.25
And just before he put
the money in his pocket,
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he looked at it and he noticed,
there was just a few coins,
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but he noticed that the driver
gave him ten cents too much.
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One dime too much.
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And his first inclination was,
just like most of us would be,
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to stick that money in his
pocket and forget about it.
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Right? How many of
you would think that?
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Yeah, sure we would, right?
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Just, oh a dime.
Not that big of a deal.
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Probably overlooked.
No need to worry, right?
00:11:18.71\00:11:22.21
But the Spirit of
God began to convict him,
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and the Spirit said to him,
"You need to return that dime
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when you leave the bus."
00:11:29.12\00:11:30.89
So the bus went through
town, and after several stops
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finally it was his stop.
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And he goes to get
off, and he takes that dime
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and he says to the bus driver,
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"Sir, you gave
me a dime too much."
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The bus driver took the
dime into his hand and he says,
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"Yes, I know."
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The young man was shocked.
00:11:48.20\00:11:49.54
He says, "You knew you
gave me ten cents too much?"
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And he said, "Yes."
00:11:51.07\00:11:52.41
And he says, "I
was testing you."
00:11:52.47\00:11:54.61
He says, "Aren't you
the new preacher in town?"
00:11:55.38\00:11:58.25
That young man was taken back.
00:12:00.52\00:12:02.25
He said, "Well
actually, yes I am."
00:12:02.28\00:12:04.42
And the bus driver
said, "I was testing you."
00:12:04.92\00:12:07.29
He says, "I wanted to see
if you were a man of integrity
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and a man who was faithful
to God even in small things."
00:12:11.66\00:12:15.60
The man said, "See, my wife
and I, we use to attend church
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many years ago.
00:12:19.70\00:12:21.04
We use to go every week."
00:12:21.07\00:12:23.51
And he said, "But
through a course of events,
00:12:23.71\00:12:26.21
our lives became
busy, we had children,
00:12:26.31\00:12:28.54
we had all kinds of things
that we needed to tend to.
00:12:28.58\00:12:31.31
And gradually and slowly, we
drifted away from the church."
00:12:31.35\00:12:35.38
And he says,
"Many years went by."
00:12:35.62\00:12:37.59
And he said,
"Just a few months ago,"
00:12:37.62\00:12:39.69
he said, "my wife passed away."
00:12:41.22\00:12:43.06
And he said, "It
shook me to my very core."
00:12:45.29\00:12:47.83
And he said, "It made me
realize that if I, myself,
00:12:48.66\00:12:51.43
were to die, I would
not know that I would be
00:12:51.47\00:12:54.64
ready to meet Jesus."
00:12:54.67\00:12:56.00
And he said, "And I
thought to come to your church.
00:12:56.77\00:12:58.91
But before I did that, I
wanted to see if you were a man
00:12:58.94\00:13:03.61
of integrity.
00:13:04.05\00:13:05.41
If you would be a man
of honesty and truthfulness
00:13:05.61\00:13:09.38
and faithfulness, even
when no one else was looking."
00:13:09.42\00:13:13.72
And he said, "I'll be at
your church this weekend."
00:13:14.49\00:13:17.23
The young man got off the
bus and he began to shake,
00:13:17.46\00:13:21.96
as some of you probably would.
00:13:22.00\00:13:23.57
I know that I would;
trembling in the balance.
00:13:23.60\00:13:26.53
And as he came off
the bus, he had to grab,
00:13:26.63\00:13:29.10
there was a stop
sign or something there,
00:13:29.20\00:13:31.14
he had to grab the
sign just to keep from
00:13:31.17\00:13:32.84
falling down on the ground.
00:13:32.87\00:13:34.21
As he was shaking, he said to
himself, he prayed this prayer,
00:13:34.24\00:13:38.51
he said, "Dear
God, please forgive me,
00:13:38.55\00:13:41.18
because I almost just
sold Your son for a dime."
00:13:41.22\00:13:45.59
Integrity, faithfulness...
00:13:49.49\00:13:51.33
These are some of the virtues
that God's people must possess
00:13:52.59\00:13:56.00
in the last days. Amen?
00:13:56.03\00:13:57.47
They must possess an
integrity that goes beyond
00:13:57.63\00:14:01.27
when people are watching you,
00:14:01.30\00:14:03.41
beyond when people
have their eye on you.
00:14:03.57\00:14:06.17
We must possess an
integrity in the last days
00:14:06.21\00:14:10.01
that we will do the right
thing for the right reason
00:14:10.11\00:14:13.72
when no one is watching.
00:14:13.75\00:14:15.28
Because the reality is,
when no one is watching,
00:14:15.85\00:14:18.92
someone really
is always watching.
00:14:19.02\00:14:21.66
Amen?
00:14:21.69\00:14:23.02
And that's what we're
going to find tonight.
00:14:23.06\00:14:24.79
We're going to
see in our study...
00:14:24.83\00:14:26.16
We're going to study a gentleman
that many of you know well.
00:14:26.19\00:14:29.36
And we're going to dive
into our Bibles tonight.
00:14:29.66\00:14:31.87
We're going to
study the life of Abraham.
00:14:31.97\00:14:34.24
And so we're going to
go to Genesis chapter 22.
00:14:34.34\00:14:37.01
I invite you to
turn there with me.
00:14:37.04\00:14:38.61
Genesis chapter 22.
00:14:38.71\00:14:40.58
And we're going to
find a very powerful story.
00:14:40.78\00:14:43.91
It's the story of Abraham taking
his son Isaac up the mountain
00:14:44.01\00:14:48.88
and offering him there
as a sacrifice before God.
00:14:48.92\00:14:53.25
Now, I have been
an atheist in my past,
00:14:53.29\00:14:56.49
as Greg mentioned earlier.
00:14:56.52\00:14:58.06
And I remember that there
are many skeptics that I've
00:14:58.16\00:15:01.86
encountered who use this
story as a means to try to
00:15:01.90\00:15:06.27
give the indication or
the idea that Christianity
00:15:06.47\00:15:09.94
is some type of
fanatic weird religion.
00:15:09.97\00:15:13.01
How many have
ever heard that before?
00:15:13.04\00:15:14.61
And many times I've
encountered people and they say,
00:15:14.78\00:15:17.28
"Look at that, you see
a man that wakes up and he
00:15:17.31\00:15:20.62
hears a voice telling him to
go take his son up a mountain
00:15:20.65\00:15:23.99
and to sacrifice him to God."
00:15:24.02\00:15:25.69
They say, "What kind
of craziness is that?"
00:15:25.72\00:15:27.86
And initially, if you
look at it on the surface,
00:15:28.36\00:15:30.73
it might seem so.
00:15:30.76\00:15:32.23
But when you look deeper
and you look more powerfully
00:15:32.39\00:15:35.03
into the story, you find
very wonderful beautiful lessons
00:15:35.06\00:15:39.63
that we're going
to look at tonight.
00:15:39.67\00:15:41.00
So Genesis chapter 22, and we're
going to go through this story.
00:15:41.04\00:15:45.27
Genesis 22:1,
notice what the Bible says.
00:15:45.54\00:15:49.34
It says, "And it came
to pass after these things,
00:15:49.88\00:15:52.41
that God tested Abraham,
and said to him, 'Abraham!'
00:15:53.38\00:15:56.79
He said, 'Here I am.'"
Abraham's response was.
00:15:56.82\00:15:59.85
"Then He said, 'Take now
your son, your only son Isaac,
00:16:00.02\00:16:03.12
whom you love, and go
to the land of Moriah,
00:16:03.16\00:16:05.76
and offer him there as a
burnt offering on one of the
00:16:05.79\00:16:09.30
mountains of
which I shall tell you.'
00:16:09.33\00:16:11.17
So Abraham rose early in the
morning and saddled his donkey,
00:16:11.23\00:16:14.37
and took two of his young
men with him, and Isaac his son;
00:16:14.40\00:16:18.77
and he split the wood
for the burnt offering,
00:16:18.81\00:16:21.11
and arose and went to the
place which God had told him.
00:16:21.14\00:16:24.01
Then on the third day
Abraham lifted his eyes
00:16:24.31\00:16:27.28
and saw the place afar off.
00:16:27.38\00:16:29.35
And Abraham said to his young
men, 'Stay here with the donkey
00:16:29.38\00:16:32.49
while the lad and I
will go yonder and worship,
00:16:32.59\00:16:35.16
and we will come back to you.'
00:16:35.19\00:16:36.99
So Abraham took the wood of
the burnt offering and laid it
00:16:37.13\00:16:39.89
on Isaac his son; and he
took the fire in his hand,
00:16:39.93\00:16:43.10
and a knife, and the
two of them went together.
00:16:43.13\00:16:45.83
But Isaac spoke to Abraham his
father and said, 'My father!'
00:16:46.10\00:16:49.57
And he said,
'Here I am, my son.'
00:16:49.60\00:16:51.17
Then he said, 'Look, the fire
and the wood, but where is the
00:16:51.47\00:16:54.84
lamb for the burnt offering?'"
00:16:54.88\00:16:57.05
Now what you find in the story
is a very beautiful picture,
00:16:57.35\00:17:01.35
a very beautiful
painting, of the gospel.
00:17:01.38\00:17:04.29
It's very beautiful; let me
make some illustrations here.
00:17:04.69\00:17:07.82
In verse 1 God
makes the point, He says,
00:17:08.02\00:17:10.46
verse 1 and 2, He says,
"Take your son, your only son,
00:17:11.19\00:17:15.53
whom you love, and
offer him as a sacrifice."
00:17:15.73\00:17:20.97
Think about what
God the Father did.
00:17:21.07\00:17:22.57
Did He give His
only Son, yes or no?
00:17:22.60\00:17:24.74
Did He love His Son, yes or no?
00:17:24.94\00:17:26.54
He loved Him greatly.
00:17:26.98\00:17:28.31
The Bible says that they went
on a journey to a far away land,
00:17:28.51\00:17:32.35
to a mountain.
00:17:32.45\00:17:33.78
Jesus left heaven and
came on a journey, did He not?
00:17:33.82\00:17:36.58
Far away from His
home to redeem us.
00:17:36.62\00:17:39.82
They journeyed about
three and a half days.
00:17:39.92\00:17:42.22
Jesus was on the earth for about
three and a half years, yes?
00:17:42.42\00:17:45.73
Isaac carried the wood
on his back up the mountain.
00:17:45.89\00:17:49.86
He laid the wood
upon Isaac's back.
00:17:50.17\00:17:52.17
Jesus bore the cross up
Calvary's hill, yes or no?
00:17:52.20\00:17:56.94
Very powerful.
00:17:57.34\00:17:58.67
Isaac, the Bible tells us, you
find this later in the story,
00:17:58.71\00:18:01.74
we'll read this, he
laid down without a fight.
00:18:01.78\00:18:04.75
A young man in his prime,
probably 20 something years old.
00:18:05.41\00:18:08.82
Abraham was a very old man.
00:18:09.02\00:18:10.85
Isaac could
have easily resisted.
00:18:10.89\00:18:12.99
But Isaac had learned
the lesson of submission
00:18:13.02\00:18:17.43
to his father.
00:18:17.46\00:18:18.79
And that is a lesson, dear
friends, that in the last days
00:18:19.19\00:18:22.26
you and I must
learn submission to God
00:18:22.50\00:18:25.80
and to His higher
authority, even when there is
00:18:25.83\00:18:27.94
an opportunity to escape it.
00:18:27.97\00:18:30.04
We must not escape
the will of God. Amen?
00:18:30.07\00:18:32.41
We must follow
it and submit to it.
00:18:32.44\00:18:35.08
The Bible tells us that
they saw a ram in the thicket
00:18:35.44\00:18:38.58
at just the right time. Yes?
00:18:38.68\00:18:40.85
And Jesus is our Lamb who came
just at the right time. Right?
00:18:42.78\00:18:46.32
Isaac did not fight.
00:18:46.52\00:18:47.86
Isaiah 53 says Jesus
laid down like a lamb,
00:18:47.89\00:18:50.83
like a sheep.
00:18:51.19\00:18:52.53
The ram was caught by
its horns in a thicket;
00:18:52.93\00:18:57.93
and Jesus wore
a crown of thorns.
00:18:58.23\00:19:01.00
The ram was Isaac's substitute,
and Jesus is our substitute.
00:19:03.67\00:19:10.01
How many are
thankful for this story
00:19:10.65\00:19:12.31
that illustrates the
beauty of the gospel?
00:19:12.65\00:19:15.42
The only difference between
this story and the gospel
00:19:15.58\00:19:19.69
is that there was an angel...
00:19:20.12\00:19:21.56
In fact, you read
about it in verse 10.
00:19:21.59\00:19:24.39
It says, "And Abraham
stretched out his hand
00:19:24.43\00:19:28.80
and took the
knife to slay his son."
00:19:28.83\00:19:30.73
After he had
laid him on the altar.
00:19:30.77\00:19:32.43
"But the Angel of the
LORD called to him from heaven
00:19:32.47\00:19:34.54
and said, 'Abraham, Abraham!'
00:19:34.57\00:19:35.94
So he said, 'Here I am.'
00:19:35.97\00:19:37.31
And He said, 'Do not
lay your hand on the lad,
00:19:37.34\00:19:39.24
or do anything to him; for
now I know that you fear God,
00:19:39.27\00:19:42.24
since you have not withheld your
son, your only son, from Me.'"
00:19:42.28\00:19:46.61
The only difference between
this story and the true gospel
00:19:46.65\00:19:50.59
is that there was not
an angel who staid the hand
00:19:50.62\00:19:55.36
that had to slay God's Son.
00:19:56.36\00:19:58.03
There was no angel to cry
out to save the life of Jesus.
00:19:58.96\00:20:03.40
Jesus had to pay the price,
while Isaac was able to go free.
00:20:03.50\00:20:10.14
What a beautiful
picture of the gospel.
00:20:10.34\00:20:13.27
But there was a pain in
God's heart that He experienced,
00:20:13.74\00:20:16.01
was there not?
00:20:16.04\00:20:17.38
A deeper pain than
Abraham could understand.
00:20:17.41\00:20:19.85
God had called
Abraham to this test for a
00:20:20.45\00:20:23.42
very specific purpose.
00:20:23.45\00:20:25.32
It was simply that He
wanted Abraham to understand
00:20:25.35\00:20:29.59
what He Himself had gone
through to provide the provision
00:20:29.79\00:20:34.96
for salvation for all humanity.
00:20:35.00\00:20:37.67
He wanted Abraham
to taste the bitter cup
00:20:37.93\00:20:40.64
that God Himself, the
Father, had experienced;
00:20:40.67\00:20:43.57
the cup that He had tasted.
00:20:43.61\00:20:45.24
And also that Abraham
might reach the highest standard
00:20:45.51\00:20:50.11
of faith in giving
all to the God of heaven;
00:20:50.15\00:20:57.82
the sacrifice of all.
00:20:59.52\00:21:02.09
God had saved Abraham's
biggest test for the final
00:21:02.76\00:21:08.00
days of his life.
00:21:08.03\00:21:09.66
Abraham had had this
test many times before.
00:21:10.17\00:21:12.83
He had tests of faith
at different increments
00:21:12.87\00:21:15.10
of his life, but he had
failed it almost every time.
00:21:15.14\00:21:18.21
And God had saved this
greatest test for last,
00:21:18.24\00:21:21.98
when Abraham was the
oldest and he was the weakest
00:21:22.01\00:21:25.38
that he had ever been.
00:21:25.41\00:21:26.78
And there's a parallel, friends.
00:21:28.12\00:21:30.09
Because the
greatest test for humanity
00:21:30.39\00:21:33.59
are still yet to come.
00:21:33.89\00:21:35.49
The greatest test for
God's church are still yet
00:21:36.22\00:21:39.43
to come in the future.
00:21:39.46\00:21:40.83
This generation of people,
this church in its lukewarm
00:21:43.26\00:21:48.64
stage in the last
days of earth's history,
00:21:48.67\00:21:50.74
fulfilling the prophecies
of Revelation chapter 3
00:21:50.77\00:21:53.34
about Laodicea lukewarm, this
church often knows the least...
00:21:53.38\00:21:58.31
At least in North
America, I should say.
00:21:58.35\00:22:00.28
There are many folk around the
world that know what it means
00:22:01.12\00:22:04.52
to suffer for Christ's sake.
00:22:04.55\00:22:05.89
And I'm not
saying that every person,
00:22:05.92\00:22:07.26
but you understand
the point I'm making here.
00:22:07.29\00:22:09.46
...that the church in North
America knows, this generation,
00:22:10.33\00:22:13.19
knows the least about what
it means to suffer for Christ
00:22:13.23\00:22:16.40
of any generation before us.
00:22:16.43\00:22:17.97
But before it's all said and
done, they will know the most
00:22:18.00\00:22:21.07
of what it means to suffer
for Christ before Jesus comes.
00:22:21.54\00:22:24.77
And so God, at
the very end of time,
00:22:25.27\00:22:27.64
we will pass that test as well.
00:22:27.68\00:22:30.91
And God will wait until humanity
reaches its weakest point of
00:22:31.15\00:22:34.95
earth's history
before they pass that test.
00:22:34.98\00:22:38.45
And why does God do this?
00:22:38.65\00:22:40.49
Very simply, because He
can show His greatest wonders.
00:22:40.69\00:22:45.26
Because that which is
the weakest, He will make
00:22:45.76\00:22:48.90
the strongest by His power.
00:22:48.93\00:22:50.93
He will wait until humanity,
our church, God's people,
00:22:51.07\00:22:55.60
have no ounce of
self-trust left in their bones
00:22:55.64\00:23:00.78
as they pass the final
test of earth's history.
00:23:00.81\00:23:03.04
How many are thankful
today for the grace of God?
00:23:03.24\00:23:05.51
His power, His grace,
will sustain His people.
00:23:05.81\00:23:08.98
Now backing up in the chapter,
if you go to verse 2 and 3,
00:23:09.02\00:23:15.72
you know, God gave
Abraham some very specific,
00:23:15.92\00:23:20.06
not specific, but very
vague directions, did He not?
00:23:20.10\00:23:23.77
He did not tell him everything
that He was going to do.
00:23:23.80\00:23:26.50
He just said, "Take your
son, go up to this mountain,
00:23:26.53\00:23:29.37
and then I'll
tell you what to do.
00:23:29.40\00:23:31.21
You're going to
offer him as a sacrifice."
00:23:31.24\00:23:34.38
You know, Abraham
didn't know everything
00:23:34.58\00:23:38.88
that God was planning for him.
00:23:38.91\00:23:40.52
But he obeyed anyway.
00:23:40.62\00:23:42.05
Now imagine if you woke
up in the middle of the night
00:23:42.08\00:23:44.85
and you heard the same
voice that Abraham heard
00:23:44.89\00:23:47.36
telling you to take
your son or your daughter
00:23:47.39\00:23:50.33
up to this
mountain to sacrifice them.
00:23:50.36\00:23:52.56
I would think to
myself that I had gone crazy.
00:23:52.59\00:23:55.00
How about you?
00:23:55.03\00:23:56.36
I would think,
"Man, I've lost it here.
00:23:56.67\00:23:58.57
What is this happening?
00:23:58.60\00:23:59.93
I'm hearing this voice
telling me to slay my son."
00:23:59.97\00:24:02.80
And yet, here is
the ironic thing,
00:24:03.00\00:24:05.37
is that Abraham obeyed anyway.
00:24:05.41\00:24:07.34
Why? Why did he obey?
00:24:07.38\00:24:08.71
It's simply this:
00:24:08.74\00:24:10.08
Because he had heard
God's voice speak to him before.
00:24:10.11\00:24:14.85
When He told him that he would
be the father of many nations,
00:24:15.62\00:24:19.02
when He gave him that promise,
Abraham knew and understood
00:24:19.05\00:24:22.96
the voice of God.
00:24:22.99\00:24:24.33
And so when God called
him to something radical,
00:24:24.46\00:24:27.10
to something
that seemed strange,
00:24:27.13\00:24:29.56
something that seemed
unlike God's character,
00:24:29.60\00:24:32.03
Abraham had been
so close to his Father
00:24:32.07\00:24:35.60
that he knew the
voice and he obeyed.
00:24:37.01\00:24:40.38
Dear friends, God's going
to call us to radical things
00:24:41.28\00:24:43.38
in the last days.
00:24:43.41\00:24:44.75
I'm not saying He's
going to call us to this.
00:24:45.18\00:24:46.68
I don't know
what He'll call us to.
00:24:46.72\00:24:48.22
But He's going to
call us to radical things.
00:24:48.42\00:24:50.25
And it's only if we
know His voice in peace
00:24:50.35\00:24:53.86
that we will hear and
understand and know His voice
00:24:55.22\00:24:57.86
when
difficulties and trials come.
00:24:58.09\00:25:00.03
Are you hearing God's voice
in your difficulties today?
00:25:01.46\00:25:04.17
Are you seeking His presence?
00:25:04.63\00:25:06.37
During those three days
that he made that journey,
00:25:07.10\00:25:09.80
I'm sure it seemed very quiet.
00:25:10.21\00:25:13.58
God's voice, we're told in the
book, Patriarchs and Prophets,
00:25:14.61\00:25:17.11
he did not hear God's
voice during the journey.
00:25:17.15\00:25:20.08
God seemed to be silent.
00:25:20.18\00:25:21.52
And sometimes, the
dark times of our lives,
00:25:21.55\00:25:23.28
God seems silent, doesn't He?
00:25:23.32\00:25:24.95
He seems quiet.
00:25:25.32\00:25:26.72
He seems like He's
not speaking to us.
00:25:26.76\00:25:28.99
And sometimes in the silence,
we're tempted with the thought
00:25:29.02\00:25:33.40
that maybe God
didn't really mean
00:25:33.50\00:25:35.46
what He said when He said it.
00:25:35.50\00:25:37.13
"Maybe God said that, but
maybe now He doesn't mean it.
00:25:38.03\00:25:41.00
Because He's not speaking
to me, even though I'm praying.
00:25:41.04\00:25:43.10
Maybe I don't
really need to do that.
00:25:43.14\00:25:45.54
I don't really need to
follow through with that thing
00:25:45.57\00:25:47.38
that He's asked me to do."
00:25:47.41\00:25:48.74
And here's the point:
00:25:49.54\00:25:50.98
God may have been
silent, but He wasn't absent.
00:25:53.05\00:25:57.69
He was drawing close to Abraham.
00:25:58.85\00:26:01.52
But there was someone else
who was drawing close to him;
00:26:01.72\00:26:03.69
and that was Satan.
00:26:03.73\00:26:05.06
And he was seeking to
bring the dark clouds of doubt
00:26:05.23\00:26:07.66
over Abraham's eyes, trying
to get him to decide against
00:26:07.70\00:26:12.93
what God had asked him to do.
00:26:13.64\00:26:15.07
Abraham pressed on.
00:26:16.67\00:26:18.24
You see, this
temptation was even more severe
00:26:18.27\00:26:21.14
and more difficult than
the temptation that Adam
00:26:21.18\00:26:24.45
had in the Garden of Eden.
00:26:24.48\00:26:25.81
Do you know why?
00:26:25.85\00:26:27.18
Because Adam's compliance
and obedience to God's command
00:26:28.92\00:26:33.05
would have brought no
suffering upon himself.
00:26:33.09\00:26:35.62
It would have actually brought
eternal happiness and joy.
00:26:36.16\00:26:39.93
Yet Abraham was willing
to obey when it would bring
00:26:40.73\00:26:44.13
a great loss to
himself, a great personal loss.
00:26:44.17\00:26:47.90
Abraham, and God our
Father through giving up Jesus,
00:26:49.57\00:26:52.81
was willing to do
what Adam did not.
00:26:52.84\00:26:56.61
Which was give up his
most prized possession,
00:26:57.25\00:27:00.42
his only son.
00:27:01.25\00:27:02.58
Adam would not give up Eve.
00:27:03.35\00:27:05.25
But God gave up His
Son, Abraham gave up his son.
00:27:06.02\00:27:08.39
Can you see how
beautifully Abraham is modeling
00:27:08.42\00:27:11.33
the gospel?
00:27:12.43\00:27:13.76
Very powerful.
00:27:13.80\00:27:15.13
But some people might
say, "But hey, God, do I
00:27:15.16\00:27:17.50
really need to give up my son?"
00:27:17.53\00:27:19.43
Abraham could have
asked that question.
00:27:19.70\00:27:21.04
He probably did ask
that question to himself.
00:27:21.07\00:27:23.47
Why then would he need to
be willing to give up his son?
00:27:24.51\00:27:27.51
Because, very simply,
before Abraham could become the
00:27:27.54\00:27:30.55
father of the nations,
he would need to understand
00:27:30.58\00:27:33.92
and would need to suffer
and know what God Himself
00:27:33.95\00:27:37.72
would go through.
00:27:37.75\00:27:39.09
He must drink of the
cup that Jesus drank from
00:27:39.12\00:27:42.36
if he were to be the
father of the nations.
00:27:42.39\00:27:44.46
And God's glory
never comes without
00:27:44.76\00:27:47.20
some kind of pain, does it?
00:27:47.23\00:27:48.73
It never comes
without some sort of pain.
00:27:49.73\00:27:51.63
See, Lucifer wanted to
be like God, but he was
00:27:52.47\00:27:55.70
unwilling to suffer loss.
00:27:55.74\00:27:57.74
And the glory of God is another
phrase for the character of God.
00:27:58.74\00:28:03.71
And the character
of God always comes
00:28:04.38\00:28:07.05
or is always willing to handle
and willing to give great loss
00:28:07.98\00:28:11.62
to benefit others.
00:28:11.95\00:28:13.29
It's a selfless love.
00:28:14.36\00:28:15.69
There's no stronger
power in the universe
00:28:15.72\00:28:18.33
than the selfless love of God.
00:28:18.43\00:28:21.70
How many of you would
agree with that tonight?
00:28:22.20\00:28:23.67
So the sacrifice of
Isaac impresses upon us
00:28:24.87\00:28:31.31
and upon Abraham
the truth of the gospel.
00:28:31.51\00:28:34.58
So you must
understand something.
00:28:34.61\00:28:36.81
Every single thing
that was precious to Abraham
00:28:37.01\00:28:40.95
in his life, all his hopes,
all his dreams, all his joys,
00:28:41.25\00:28:46.02
all the promises of God,
everything that he lived for
00:28:46.22\00:28:50.09
was wrapped up in
that one boy named Isaac.
00:28:50.13\00:28:54.30
Everything that he loved,
everything that he cherished,
00:28:55.30\00:28:58.07
everything that he possessed,
everything that he lived for
00:28:58.10\00:29:01.00
was in Isaac.
00:29:01.04\00:29:02.37
And here is God asking him
to lay his son upon the altar
00:29:02.90\00:29:08.18
to be slain.
00:29:08.28\00:29:09.64
Essentially he was saying, "God,
everything that I live for,
00:29:12.81\00:29:15.65
you're asking me to give away."
00:29:15.68\00:29:17.02
"That's exactly right, Abraham."
00:29:17.05\00:29:19.35
And that's exactly
right for you and I tonight;
00:29:20.32\00:29:22.76
that God asks us to give all.
00:29:23.73\00:29:25.43
And listen, friends,
it is only when you and I
00:29:25.46\00:29:31.43
in these last days are
willing to give up everything,
00:29:31.47\00:29:36.54
we are willing to lay everything
that we possess on the altar,
00:29:36.64\00:29:41.54
that we will see
the wonders of God,
00:29:43.08\00:29:45.01
and we will know His presence,
00:29:46.31\00:29:48.18
and we will
experience His power,
00:29:48.38\00:29:50.52
unlike we ever have before.
00:29:50.72\00:29:52.49
It is only when we lay all;
our jobs, our bank accounts,
00:29:52.79\00:29:57.86
our houses, our
vehicles, our families,
00:29:57.89\00:30:01.73
those things that we hold
near and dear to our hearts,
00:30:01.76\00:30:04.47
it's only when we lay
them all upon the altar
00:30:04.50\00:30:07.54
that we are able to see the
wonder and true power of God.
00:30:07.64\00:30:10.84
Because listen, friends,
Abraham did not know where that
00:30:10.87\00:30:14.74
sacrifice was coming from.
00:30:14.78\00:30:16.48
He thought that he was
going to have to slay his son.
00:30:16.51\00:30:18.55
But he believed in the
promise that he would come back,
00:30:18.58\00:30:22.25
that God would
raise him from the dead.
00:30:22.28\00:30:23.89
Look there in verse 5, it
says, "And Abraham said to his
00:30:23.92\00:30:27.76
young men, "Stay
here with the donkey;
00:30:27.79\00:30:29.82
and the lad and I will
go yonder and worship..."
00:30:29.86\00:30:32.26
And look at this, he says,
"..and we will..." Do What?
00:30:32.29\00:30:36.10
"...we will come back..."
00:30:36.13\00:30:37.47
He doesn't say,
"And I will come back."
00:30:37.50\00:30:39.03
He says, "And
we will come back."
00:30:39.17\00:30:40.90
He believed that God had the
power, if he would slay his son
00:30:41.00\00:30:44.57
there on the altar, he
believed that God had the power
00:30:44.61\00:30:47.68
to raise him from the dead.
00:30:47.71\00:30:49.71
And he didn't
understand everything.
00:30:50.15\00:30:51.78
He didn't understand why
all these things were happening.
00:30:51.81\00:30:54.18
And we in our own circumstances
don't always understand why.
00:30:54.22\00:30:57.75
But the truth is that
we must trust and obey.
00:30:57.95\00:31:02.29
That's the lesson that
we're trying to instill
00:31:03.29\00:31:05.39
in my son when he's disobedient.
00:31:05.43\00:31:07.06
"Son, you must trust us
that what we're asking you to do
00:31:07.10\00:31:10.77
is for your best interest.
00:31:10.80\00:31:12.23
And if you really
believe that we love you,
00:31:12.27\00:31:14.57
you will know and trust
that we never will hurt you.
00:31:14.60\00:31:17.57
And anything we ask you
to do is for your own good."
00:31:17.61\00:31:20.61
That's the lesson
that God's people in the
00:31:21.24\00:31:23.01
last days must learn.
00:31:23.04\00:31:24.38
It is a lesson that God's people
today have not yet learned.
00:31:24.58\00:31:27.88
But we must learn it.
00:31:28.68\00:31:30.02
We must learn it.
00:31:30.05\00:31:31.39
And it wasn't until Abraham
laid everything upon the altar
00:31:32.52\00:31:36.22
that he found the
means of escape for his son.
00:31:38.49\00:31:41.10
It wasn't until Abraham
surrendered Isaac to God,
00:31:42.56\00:31:48.30
that's when the ram
appeared in the bushes.
00:31:49.00\00:31:51.51
You see?
00:31:51.54\00:31:52.87
Many people say,
"Well, God, I don't want to
00:31:52.97\00:31:55.48
give this thing up.
00:31:55.51\00:31:56.85
Can't You just
provide another way?"
00:31:56.88\00:31:58.21
No, He will not until we
surrender that thing to Him.
00:31:58.25\00:32:01.18
Are you with me?
00:32:01.85\00:32:03.18
Not just that
thing, but everything.
00:32:03.69\00:32:07.02
Everything.
00:32:08.16\00:32:09.49
And it's only in our lives
when we yield all to Christ
00:32:10.06\00:32:12.29
that we will see the
hand of God move in ways that
00:32:12.33\00:32:16.40
will seem like utter
impossibilities to us now.
00:32:16.43\00:32:19.67
I remember when I
first was coming to Christ,
00:32:20.24\00:32:24.74
when I was an
atheist, I studied the Bible
00:32:25.94\00:32:29.38
to try to prove it wrong,
00:32:29.41\00:32:30.91
to try to prove
that God didn't exist.
00:32:31.31\00:32:34.38
And I pulled out this old Bible
that my grandma had given me,
00:32:34.42\00:32:37.75
and I knocked the
dust off that thing,
00:32:37.79\00:32:39.79
and I opened
that thing and I said,
00:32:39.82\00:32:41.16
"Let me read
about this foolishness."
00:32:41.19\00:32:43.02
I said, "Let me
read about this nonsense.
00:32:43.63\00:32:46.03
Let me prove
that there's no God."
00:32:46.13\00:32:47.80
And when I do that, I
was going to commit suicide.
00:32:47.83\00:32:52.43
Because I said, "I'm
going to prove that this life
00:32:53.90\00:32:55.60
is meaningless, without
purpose, and without hope.
00:32:55.64\00:32:59.04
And then I'm going to die.
00:32:59.24\00:33:00.58
And it's going to be all over."
00:33:00.88\00:33:02.24
And the only thing that kept
me from going through with it
00:33:02.61\00:33:06.35
right at that moment
was that I was trying,
00:33:06.38\00:33:10.22
I wanted to do it in such a way
that it would cause my family
00:33:10.55\00:33:13.79
to suffer and feel guilty
for the rest of their lives.
00:33:13.82\00:33:15.82
That's how
deranged I had become.
00:33:15.86\00:33:18.16
And I opened that
Bible and began to study
00:33:18.53\00:33:20.46
the prophecies of
Daniel and Revelation.
00:33:20.50\00:33:22.63
And I began to see that
God had a plan for this world
00:33:22.73\00:33:25.70
long ago, and that He
unraveled that plan through the
00:33:25.73\00:33:28.84
prophecies hundreds
and even thousands of years
00:33:28.87\00:33:32.24
before they ever came to pass.
00:33:32.27\00:33:34.54
And the more I studied
that, the more I saw that,
00:33:34.58\00:33:36.98
the more real the
Bible became to me
00:33:37.01\00:33:38.55
and the more God
began to speak to my heart.
00:33:38.58\00:33:40.52
And I began to
come to the realization
00:33:40.55\00:33:42.88
that this book
is no ordinary book.
00:33:42.92\00:33:46.15
It is a book that
is divinely inspired,
00:33:46.52\00:33:49.22
it is a book that gives
direction to this world,
00:33:49.26\00:33:52.39
and it's a book
that can give direction
00:33:52.43\00:33:53.93
to our lives personally.
00:33:53.96\00:33:55.70
And when I read
about the Lord Jesus
00:33:57.13\00:33:59.33
and what He had done
for me, my heart melted.
00:34:00.67\00:34:02.57
And I was 22 years old.
00:34:02.60\00:34:03.94
And I knelt down beside my
bed and I wept, and I cried,
00:34:03.97\00:34:09.24
because I had never
seen a love like His.
00:34:09.54\00:34:13.11
And I claimed that promise
in John 6:37, when He says,
00:34:13.55\00:34:17.65
"All who come to Me, I
will by no means cast away."
00:34:17.69\00:34:23.22
And I cried
before God for hours,
00:34:24.39\00:34:27.53
because my life
was a living wreck.
00:34:27.73\00:34:31.80
I had so many addictions.
00:34:32.20\00:34:34.34
I had alcohol addiction.
00:34:34.37\00:34:35.77
I used to drink, many
times, a case of beer per day.
00:34:35.80\00:34:40.34
Per day.
00:34:40.98\00:34:42.31
I was addicted to video games.
00:34:42.34\00:34:43.95
I played a video game once
for three days and two nights
00:34:43.98\00:34:47.42
without sleeping.
00:34:47.45\00:34:48.78
I was addicted to pornography.
00:34:49.32\00:34:51.45
I was addicted to tobacco.
00:34:51.49\00:34:53.29
I remember many times, there
were times when I would have
00:34:53.39\00:34:58.29
a beer in one hand, a dip
in my lip, a chew of tobacco
00:34:58.33\00:35:03.00
in my mouth, and a
cigarette in the other hand.
00:35:03.03\00:35:05.57
Many times.
00:35:05.60\00:35:06.94
And there were times when
I'd try to give up that tobacco
00:35:07.67\00:35:10.34
and I would throw it away.
00:35:10.37\00:35:11.97
And I would find
myself on my hands and knees
00:35:12.24\00:35:14.61
digging through the trash can.
00:35:14.64\00:35:16.85
And one day, as God had already
begun to work in my life,
00:35:17.08\00:35:20.32
one day God spoke to me
and He said, "Is this the thing
00:35:20.35\00:35:23.18
that you're worshiping?"
00:35:23.22\00:35:24.55
He said, "Look,
you're on your knees.
00:35:26.19\00:35:28.59
You're digging in the garbage.
00:35:28.62\00:35:30.79
What extent will you go
to fulfill your addiction?"
00:35:30.83\00:35:34.86
And that struck my heart.
00:35:36.36\00:35:38.07
And when I was thinking
about committing suicide,
00:35:41.34\00:35:44.07
God also spoke to my heart and
He said, "If you're willing to
00:35:44.67\00:35:46.91
take your life, won't you just
be willing to give it to Me?
00:35:46.94\00:35:51.81
Try Me out and see
what I'll do for you."
00:35:52.81\00:35:54.95
And so I did.
00:35:55.15\00:35:56.48
And God gave me victory.
00:35:57.09\00:35:58.89
I knelt down upon my
hands and knees, 22 years old,
00:35:58.99\00:36:02.32
and I gave my life to Christ.
00:36:02.36\00:36:04.06
And the power to overcome those
addictions came in a moment.
00:36:05.19\00:36:09.46
In a moment.
00:36:09.76\00:36:11.10
I stopped smoking,
I stopped drinking,
00:36:11.43\00:36:13.13
I stopped chewing, I
stopped playing games,
00:36:13.17\00:36:15.54
I stopped watching pornography.
00:36:15.57\00:36:17.87
I stopped doing all
these different things.
00:36:17.91\00:36:19.74
The power of God
is real, dear friends.
00:36:19.84\00:36:21.98
And He works in different
ways in different people.
00:36:22.14\00:36:24.88
He doesn't always give
it to everybody right then.
00:36:24.91\00:36:26.88
He gives us the victory then,
00:36:26.92\00:36:28.25
but sometimes we
need to learn things.
00:36:28.28\00:36:29.62
But He does it different
ways for different people.
00:36:29.65\00:36:31.22
But the truth is that
when we believe by faith,
00:36:31.25\00:36:34.06
He will give it to us.
00:36:34.16\00:36:35.56
This is what Abraham...
00:36:37.03\00:36:38.36
I had to be willing to
come to the point where I
00:36:38.39\00:36:40.96
would surrender all.
00:36:41.00\00:36:43.13
I had to use all my human
strength and reach the place
00:36:43.16\00:36:48.44
within my human
strength that I couldn't do it
00:36:48.54\00:36:52.21
anymore on my own.
00:36:52.24\00:36:53.71
I couldn't do it anymore.
00:36:55.34\00:36:56.68
Sometimes you have to
hit rock bottom to know that
00:36:56.71\00:36:59.48
God is the rock at the bottom.
00:36:59.51\00:37:02.45
And that's what happened to me.
00:37:03.18\00:37:04.55
And this generation of God's
people who live in the last days
00:37:07.26\00:37:11.46
must have that experience.
00:37:13.23\00:37:15.03
But you know what friends?
00:37:16.77\00:37:18.10
God doesn't just want
us to experience it then.
00:37:18.13\00:37:19.83
He wants us to
experience it now. Amen?
00:37:19.87\00:37:23.24
He wants us to
experience it now.
00:37:23.54\00:37:25.17
So Abraham takes him up.
00:37:26.01\00:37:28.04
And verse 10
through 12, look at this.
00:37:28.71\00:37:31.21
It says, "Abraham
stretched out his hand
00:37:31.25\00:37:32.95
and he took the
knife to slay his son.
00:37:32.98\00:37:34.55
But the Angel of the
LORD called to him from heaven
00:37:34.58\00:37:36.79
and said, 'Abraham, Abraham!'
00:37:36.82\00:37:38.49
So he said, 'Here I am.'
00:37:38.52\00:37:39.89
And He said, 'Do not
lay your hand on the lad,
00:37:39.92\00:37:44.03
nor do anything to him...'"
00:37:44.06\00:37:46.49
But I want you to
notice this next little phrase.
00:37:46.53\00:37:48.70
He says, "...for now I..." What?
00:37:48.86\00:37:52.10
"...I know that you
fear God, since you have not
00:37:52.37\00:37:57.34
withheld your son,
your only son, from Me."
00:37:57.37\00:38:01.14
I found this
phrase very interesting.
00:38:01.24\00:38:03.01
Because God says,
"...for now I know..."
00:38:03.04\00:38:05.85
But I have a question.
00:38:05.88\00:38:07.22
Didn't God already know?
00:38:07.35\00:38:09.38
Didn't God already
know what Abraham would do?
00:38:11.12\00:38:13.56
Because God knew his heart, yes?
00:38:13.59\00:38:15.49
God already knew.
00:38:16.02\00:38:17.36
So my question was, why then
would God cause him to do it?
00:38:17.39\00:38:21.36
It wasn't for God,
because He already knew.
00:38:21.56\00:38:24.40
I want to propose to you tonight
that it was for three different
00:38:25.30\00:38:27.77
categories of people.
00:38:27.80\00:38:29.24
Number one, it was for Abraham.
00:38:29.50\00:38:32.27
Why? Because Abraham
had previously faltered
00:38:32.31\00:38:35.64
in his faith.
00:38:35.74\00:38:37.11
Are you with me?
00:38:37.31\00:38:38.65
He had previously faltered.
00:38:38.68\00:38:40.02
And before he could be
the father of the nations,
00:38:40.05\00:38:42.12
he would have to demonstrate
that he could have an experience
00:38:42.22\00:38:45.15
in his life that his faith
in God and his trust in God
00:38:45.19\00:38:49.52
would not waver
despite his circumstances.
00:38:49.56\00:38:52.63
You see, when he was
in the previous places,
00:38:52.66\00:38:55.16
and the Pharaoh and
the king asked him about
00:38:55.20\00:38:58.00
his sister and his
wife Sarah, he lied.
00:38:58.03\00:39:01.20
He failed the test.
00:39:01.47\00:39:03.04
And God rebuked him for it.
00:39:03.20\00:39:04.61
Twice he did the same thing.
00:39:04.64\00:39:06.54
And now here he was; and God,
he had to have an experience
00:39:06.57\00:39:11.05
in which his faith
and trust would not falter
00:39:11.21\00:39:13.42
despite his circumstances.
00:39:13.45\00:39:14.78
And let me tell you
what, friends, God is looking
00:39:14.88\00:39:16.95
for that same thing
from us in the last days.
00:39:16.99\00:39:20.72
And He will give us
experience after experience
00:39:21.22\00:39:25.39
because He loves us.
00:39:25.49\00:39:27.56
And He wants us, through
His grace and through His power,
00:39:28.16\00:39:32.30
to submit, and then overcome.
00:39:32.33\00:39:36.00
That is the
experience that we must have.
00:39:37.64\00:39:39.64
So what about you tonight?
00:39:43.51\00:39:45.08
Those of you watching on TV?
00:39:46.01\00:39:48.05
Do you believe that
promise that God has for you?
00:39:49.35\00:39:52.65
When times are tough,
when your loved one dies,
00:39:53.66\00:39:57.49
when they're sick,
when you lose your job,
00:39:57.53\00:40:01.23
when difficulties arise,
00:40:02.63\00:40:04.43
where's our faith
and where's our trust?
00:40:04.80\00:40:06.87
Are we trusting?
00:40:07.34\00:40:08.67
The second person
that it was for was Satan.
00:40:08.90\00:40:12.34
It was for Satan.
00:40:14.61\00:40:16.04
Because Satan had
accused Abraham before God,
00:40:16.88\00:40:19.95
just like he had
done to Job, you see.
00:40:19.98\00:40:22.42
He had done the same thing.
00:40:22.85\00:40:24.19
And as Abraham passed
the test, by God's grace,
00:40:25.35\00:40:29.16
it would be a
testimony to Satan.
00:40:29.19\00:40:31.43
And God could point to Abraham
just like He pointed to Job
00:40:31.53\00:40:34.83
and say, "Here is a
man that I can trust
00:40:34.86\00:40:37.90
to do My will despite
what happens in his life."
00:40:37.93\00:40:41.14
Are you with me?
00:40:41.17\00:40:42.50
Sometimes people say,
"Well, why do bad things happen?
00:40:44.14\00:40:47.11
Why doesn't God stop them.
00:40:47.14\00:40:48.54
Why doesn't God hold His hand?"
00:40:48.58\00:40:50.65
How do we know that He's not?
00:40:50.68\00:40:52.41
Sometimes God allows
certain things to happen
00:40:53.35\00:40:56.58
to get our attention.
00:40:56.62\00:40:58.09
But He holds His
restraining hand over Satan
00:40:58.79\00:41:01.72
so that he
doesn't take our lives.
00:41:01.76\00:41:03.89
And it's going to be
amazing when we get to heaven
00:41:03.93\00:41:06.56
and when we get to
watch that replay of earth's
00:41:06.59\00:41:08.86
final events in our
life, and we're going to see
00:41:08.90\00:41:11.17
all the times when we thought,
00:41:11.20\00:41:12.53
"Oh man, this is
really, really bad.
00:41:12.57\00:41:14.37
How could God let
this happen to me?"
00:41:14.40\00:41:16.07
Etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.
00:41:16.10\00:41:17.51
And we're going to see how
God held His restraining hand
00:41:17.54\00:41:20.84
over that situation, and
it would have been ten times
00:41:20.88\00:41:23.95
or a hundred times or
a thousand times worse
00:41:23.98\00:41:27.12
if He had not done that.
00:41:27.15\00:41:29.12
And instead of
saying, "Why, God?"
00:41:30.05\00:41:31.92
we're going to fall down
and say, "Thank You, Jesus.
00:41:31.95\00:41:34.32
Thank You for Your power."
00:41:34.79\00:41:37.13
You see, friends, the universe
must see the full capacity
00:41:37.33\00:41:40.20
of Satan's plan.
00:41:40.23\00:41:41.66
And that's why God
allows some things to happen.
00:41:41.70\00:41:44.53
That's why God sometimes
brings us into these trials.
00:41:44.77\00:41:47.64
Because the world and
the universe must see Satan's
00:41:47.67\00:41:51.87
full plan to realize
that he never really had a
00:41:51.91\00:41:54.48
plan in the first place.
00:41:54.51\00:41:55.94
And God uses us.
00:41:58.75\00:42:02.55
Not as chess pieces.
00:42:02.98\00:42:04.62
Because God only works
through people who yield to Him.
00:42:05.25\00:42:08.32
But He uses us to display
His glory and His wonders
00:42:09.39\00:42:13.76
to the universe.
00:42:14.33\00:42:15.66
God sometimes allows
us to suffer to prepare us
00:42:18.13\00:42:21.40
for a greater task.
00:42:21.44\00:42:23.51
See, Abraham suffered
because God was preparing him
00:42:23.61\00:42:25.87
to be the father of the nations.
00:42:25.91\00:42:27.68
To be the seed from whom
which Jesus would come through.
00:42:27.98\00:42:31.28
Isn't that amazing?
00:42:32.35\00:42:33.68
And sometimes God
allows us to go through trials
00:42:33.92\00:42:36.18
because that's the only
place where we can learn
00:42:36.22\00:42:39.62
the lesson that we need to learn
in a broken world that we live.
00:42:39.72\00:42:42.99
You see, if God just
fixed every pain that we had,
00:42:44.79\00:42:49.33
if He just fixed every
time we got in trouble,
00:42:50.67\00:42:53.17
if we got into trouble and then
He just came and just like a
00:42:53.20\00:42:55.77
genie or a magic wand and He
just put us right out of that,
00:42:55.80\00:42:59.51
He would not be a deliverer,
He would be an enabler.
00:43:00.01\00:43:03.98
You get that?
00:43:06.25\00:43:07.58
God is not an
enabler, He is a deliverer.
00:43:07.72\00:43:11.02
He gives the power, the grace,
and the strength that we need
00:43:11.35\00:43:15.19
to carry us through that trial.
00:43:15.29\00:43:17.79
How many can say amen to that?
00:43:17.99\00:43:19.43
Sometimes God will
refer our name to the devil.
00:43:20.00\00:43:23.06
Just like He did Job.
00:43:23.87\00:43:25.20
He said, "Have you
considered My servant Job?"
00:43:25.80\00:43:29.04
Now put your name in there;
00:43:29.20\00:43:30.54
"Have you considered
my servant..." Whoever.
00:43:30.57\00:43:33.07
Right?
00:43:33.58\00:43:34.91
And God sometimes allows us
to suffer because He trusts us
00:43:36.58\00:43:42.62
to suffer for His name's
sake and bring glory to Him.
00:43:43.95\00:43:48.56
He trusts us to
endure persecution.
00:43:49.06\00:43:53.29
He trusts us
because we trust Him.
00:43:53.70\00:43:58.70
Think about that
for just a minute.
00:43:59.40\00:44:01.00
2 Corinthians
chapter 4, if you'll go there
00:44:01.20\00:44:05.21
in your Bibles, 2
Corinthians chapter 4.
00:44:05.34\00:44:07.48
A very powerful verse you're
probably very familiar with.
00:44:07.58\00:44:11.11
Verse 8 says, 2
Corinthians chapter 4,
00:44:11.15\00:44:14.02
"We are hard-pressed on
every side, yet not crushed;
00:44:14.42\00:44:17.32
we are perplexed,
but not in despair;
00:44:17.52\00:44:19.55
persecuted, but not forsaken;
struck down, but not..." What?
00:44:19.59\00:44:24.39
"...destroyed: always
carrying about in the body
00:44:24.49\00:44:28.00
the dying of the Lord
Jesus, that the life of Jesus
00:44:28.03\00:44:31.10
may also be
manifested in our body."
00:44:31.13\00:44:33.74
Sometimes it feels like
we are dying on the outside.
00:44:33.77\00:44:37.67
Sometimes it feels like
we're dying on the inside.
00:44:38.24\00:44:41.24
But as we bear it
patiently and with grace,
00:44:41.64\00:44:45.05
and with trust, God
forms life within us
00:44:45.08\00:44:50.69
and His glory is
seen to the world. Amen?
00:44:51.52\00:44:53.92
Verse 16, "Therefore
we do not lose heart.
00:44:54.59\00:44:57.33
Even though our
outward man is perishing,
00:44:57.36\00:44:59.73
yet the inward man is
being renewed day by day.
00:44:59.76\00:45:02.60
For our light affliction,
which is but for a moment,
00:45:02.63\00:45:05.47
is working for us
a far more exceeding
00:45:05.50\00:45:08.27
and eternal weight of glory..."
00:45:08.30\00:45:10.14
Hallelujah, yeah?
00:45:10.17\00:45:11.51
"...while we do not look
to the things which are seen,
00:45:11.87\00:45:14.31
but at the things
which are not seen."
00:45:14.41\00:45:16.18
That's God's hand.
00:45:16.21\00:45:17.55
That's by faith we look
through the clouds of darkness.
00:45:17.58\00:45:19.78
"For the things which
are seen are temporary,
00:45:20.12\00:45:22.75
but the things which
are not seen are eternal."
00:45:22.85\00:45:25.59
How many of you can
say amen to the Lord today?
00:45:25.62\00:45:27.86
Even in the
suffering, God is there. Amen?
00:45:28.26\00:45:30.49
God suffers with us.
00:45:30.63\00:45:32.23
And Abraham understood this,
00:45:32.26\00:45:34.00
through his willingness
to give all to Jesus.
00:45:34.03\00:45:36.53
We can never come to the
knowledge of these truths
00:45:36.63\00:45:39.60
unless we're willing
to give all to Jesus.
00:45:39.63\00:45:41.67
And the third
group that it was for,
00:45:42.97\00:45:45.57
the title of our
series, Before Men and Angels,
00:45:46.37\00:45:49.04
was for the
rest of the universe.
00:45:49.58\00:45:52.88
For the universe to
see the glory of God.
00:45:55.35\00:45:57.72
Abraham would trust and believe
in God even when he was alone
00:46:01.36\00:46:05.23
and no one was watching.
00:46:06.73\00:46:08.36
The Bible tells
us in James 2:23,
00:46:08.56\00:46:11.00
"'Abraham believed God,
and it was imputed to him
00:46:11.03\00:46:13.37
for righteousness.'
00:46:13.40\00:46:14.74
And he was called
the friend of God."
00:46:15.10\00:46:18.27
The friend of God.
00:46:18.94\00:46:20.28
Imagine having
that title, friends.
00:46:20.31\00:46:22.31
The friend of God.
00:46:22.34\00:46:24.08
Because he trusted and
he believed explicitly.
00:46:24.45\00:46:27.28
He was willing to surrender all.
00:46:27.32\00:46:29.02
The Bible tells
us in James 2:21-22,
00:46:29.45\00:46:32.89
"Was not Abraham our
father justified by works
00:46:33.86\00:46:37.09
when he offered
Isaac his son on the altar?
00:46:37.13\00:46:39.69
Do you see that faith was
working together with his works,
00:46:40.03\00:46:43.87
and by works
faith was made perfect?"
00:46:44.07\00:46:48.87
Think about this.
00:46:50.77\00:46:52.11
There are many who say
today, "Only believe in Christ
00:46:53.14\00:46:58.48
and you will be saved.
00:46:58.51\00:46:59.91
Works are not
needed in the life."
00:47:00.58\00:47:02.75
How many have heard
people say that before?
00:47:02.78\00:47:04.35
"We just need
faith, and that's it."
00:47:04.95\00:47:08.32
Well I believe we
need to have faith, amen?
00:47:08.76\00:47:10.53
Faith is a beautiful...
00:47:10.56\00:47:11.89
I have studied the
subject of faith for more than
00:47:11.93\00:47:14.33
the last year
very much in depth.
00:47:14.43\00:47:16.23
And I am just in awe of
the truth that's in God's Word
00:47:16.26\00:47:19.67
about that subject.
00:47:19.70\00:47:21.04
But works are needed.
00:47:22.10\00:47:23.44
Why are works needed?
Not for salvation, you see.
00:47:23.47\00:47:26.57
We cannot earn our way
for salvation through works
00:47:26.61\00:47:32.71
rather than grace,
because grace is given.
00:47:32.75\00:47:35.42
As a measure of
grace, if we worked for it,
00:47:35.45\00:47:37.19
it wouldn't be grace, right?
00:47:37.22\00:47:38.62
It's given as unmerited favor.
00:47:38.65\00:47:40.92
And here is the truth:
00:47:42.02\00:47:43.36
That God knows the
heart, does He not?
00:47:43.39\00:47:45.53
People say, "Well
God knows my heart."
00:47:45.56\00:47:46.96
Well sure He does.
00:47:47.00\00:47:48.33
So then why the works?
Why are works necessary?
00:47:48.70\00:47:51.77
It's very simple.
00:47:52.13\00:47:53.47
The works that
Abraham committed outwardly
00:47:53.90\00:47:59.97
was a revelation of
what was happening inwardly.
00:48:00.01\00:48:03.85
God knew his heart,
and God knew that he would
00:48:05.71\00:48:10.22
make the right decision, but the
rest of the universe did not.
00:48:10.25\00:48:15.12
And Satan did not.
00:48:15.69\00:48:18.09
Because Satan
cannot read the heart.
00:48:18.13\00:48:19.69
The rest of the
universe cannot read the heart.
00:48:19.73\00:48:21.06
Only God.
00:48:21.10\00:48:22.43
And so the works were manifested
for the rest of the universe.
00:48:22.46\00:48:25.83
Because God
could read his heart,
00:48:25.87\00:48:28.40
but everyone else couldn't.
00:48:28.50\00:48:30.17
That's why works are so
important in the Christian life.
00:48:30.21\00:48:33.71
Not for our salvation,
because we're saved by grace,
00:48:33.74\00:48:36.75
but for other's salvation.
00:48:36.78\00:48:38.35
As they see God working in
us, they are drawn to Christ
00:48:38.45\00:48:42.48
through our works that
are demonstrated by a heart
00:48:42.52\00:48:45.99
that has been
transformed by grace.
00:48:46.19\00:48:48.32
How many are thankful
for the grace of God today?
00:48:48.79\00:48:50.86
You know what, friends? We
need good works in our lives.
00:48:51.29\00:48:53.96
The Bible is very clear
about this all the way through,
00:48:54.00\00:48:56.70
all the way through.
00:48:56.73\00:48:58.07
Abraham was faithful
when no one else was watching.
00:48:58.37\00:49:02.27
Why?
00:49:02.47\00:49:03.81
Because the rest of
the universe looked on.
00:49:03.84\00:49:06.78
Notice this statement from the
book, Patriarchs and Prophets.
00:49:07.31\00:49:11.01
A very, very powerful statement.
00:49:11.48\00:49:13.55
It says, "The
sacrifice required of Abraham
00:49:13.75\00:49:17.62
was not alone for his own good,
nor solely for the benefit of
00:49:17.65\00:49:21.59
succeeding generations; but
it was also for the instruction
00:49:21.62\00:49:25.53
of the sinless intelligences
of heaven and of other worlds.
00:49:25.56\00:49:29.86
The field of the controversy
between Christ and Satan,
00:49:29.90\00:49:33.23
the field on which the plan
of redemption is wrought out,
00:49:33.27\00:49:36.64
is the lesson
book for the universe.
00:49:36.67\00:49:39.77
Because Abraham had shown a
lack of faith in God's promises,
00:49:40.28\00:49:43.98
Satan had accused him
before the angels and before God
00:49:44.01\00:49:48.28
of having failed to comply with
the conditions of the covenant,
00:49:48.32\00:49:51.72
and unworthy of its blessings.
00:49:51.75\00:49:54.26
God desired to prove
the loyalty of His servant
00:49:54.86\00:49:57.46
before all of heaven,
to demonstrate that nothing
00:49:57.49\00:50:00.16
less than perfect
obedience can be accepted,
00:50:00.20\00:50:03.16
and to open more fully before
them the plan of salvation."
00:50:03.20\00:50:09.50
Think about that
for just a minute.
00:50:09.54\00:50:11.11
Isn't that powerful?
00:50:11.51\00:50:12.84
God allowed Abraham to
go through that experience
00:50:13.27\00:50:16.54
so that the rest of the universe
could understand more deeply
00:50:16.58\00:50:21.65
the plan of the gospel.
00:50:21.75\00:50:24.32
The plan that God
cannot only redeem humanity,
00:50:26.42\00:50:34.10
but that He could restore
them back into His image.
00:50:34.70\00:50:38.63
Think about that
for just a minute.
00:50:38.67\00:50:40.14
Because that's the
argument of the universe.
00:50:40.17\00:50:42.14
That's the argument
between Christ and Satan.
00:50:42.17\00:50:44.71
The great
controversy, if you will;
00:50:44.74\00:50:46.68
is God's power, is His
grace sufficient, not to just
00:50:46.71\00:50:52.38
forgive man from sin,
but to be able to restore him
00:50:52.58\00:50:56.22
back into the image of God.
00:50:56.25\00:50:59.15
Can God's grace not just
cleanse, but can it re-create?
00:51:00.16\00:51:05.56
That's powerful, friends.
00:51:06.59\00:51:08.16
And the demonstration
of Abraham was evidence
00:51:08.43\00:51:11.17
that indeed it can.
00:51:11.20\00:51:12.53
And dear friends, that
is the exact experience that
00:51:12.57\00:51:15.00
you and I will go
through in these last days.
00:51:15.04\00:51:17.67
How much more is it true,
00:51:17.77\00:51:19.84
if Abraham's actions brought
satisfaction to the rest of the
00:51:21.84\00:51:25.81
universe of understanding God's
plan, how much more is it true
00:51:25.85\00:51:28.65
for you and I today
living in the last days
00:51:28.68\00:51:31.59
that we also, like Abraham, must
lay everything on the altar?
00:51:31.89\00:51:35.32
We must have
the sacrifice of all
00:51:35.36\00:51:38.23
and we must lay our
whole life upon the altar
00:51:38.99\00:51:42.36
before God's wonders can
be seen before the universe.
00:51:43.00\00:51:45.53
And Jesus is
waiting in these last days
00:51:45.97\00:51:48.50
for His people to come
to a place, His church,
00:51:48.77\00:51:51.61
His beloved church whom
He loves, to come to a place
00:51:51.64\00:51:54.81
of absolute total
surrender and consecration
00:51:54.84\00:51:59.48
to His will for their lives.
00:51:59.68\00:52:01.45
Dear friends, in
today's western culture,
00:52:02.08\00:52:05.99
we are far from that.
00:52:08.29\00:52:09.82
We are far from that.
00:52:12.06\00:52:13.46
Never has a
generation loved more comfort
00:52:14.60\00:52:19.27
and joys of the
pleasures of this world
00:52:20.54\00:52:25.64
than this generation.
00:52:26.81\00:52:28.28
In fact, this is the greatest
problem with our society today.
00:52:29.21\00:52:33.62
And we think we have to
have a pill for everything.
00:52:33.65\00:52:35.88
Abraham was willing to
lay his most prized possession
00:52:36.48\00:52:40.46
on the altar.
00:52:40.49\00:52:41.82
What about this final
generation of God's people?
00:52:43.46\00:52:45.99
The Bible tells
us in Galatians 2:20
00:52:47.43\00:52:51.70
that I have been what?
00:52:53.84\00:52:55.34
"I have been
crucified with Christ:
00:52:56.17\00:52:59.37
And I no longer live,
but Christ lives within me.
00:53:01.08\00:53:06.38
The life I now live in
the body I live by faith
00:53:07.25\00:53:11.89
in the Son of God, who loved
me and who gave Himself for me."
00:53:11.92\00:53:18.99
The ultimate sacrifice,
dear friends, in these last days
00:53:22.23\00:53:25.40
is the sacrifice of self.
00:53:25.93\00:53:28.64
And we must be willing, as
God's people in the last days,
00:53:30.37\00:53:33.07
to give away all in order to
receive all of God's promises.
00:53:33.11\00:53:40.85
Just a number of years
ago, I was diagnosed with
00:53:42.02\00:53:45.49
a certain kind of cancer.
00:53:45.52\00:53:47.56
And I believe that they have
some pictures that they'll show,
00:53:47.82\00:53:50.53
those who are watching.
00:53:51.06\00:53:52.43
And I almost was on my deathbed.
00:53:52.56\00:53:56.63
Actually, I was on my deathbed.
00:53:56.90\00:53:59.03
I laid upon the
hospital bed for forty days.
00:53:59.07\00:54:01.70
I was in ICU for two weeks.
00:54:01.74\00:54:04.77
And I was at my
last breaking point.
00:54:04.94\00:54:08.74
The doctors
thought that I would die.
00:54:08.78\00:54:10.51
And they called my
wife back one night,
00:54:10.88\00:54:13.01
she went home from the hospital,
and they called her back.
00:54:13.05\00:54:16.79
And night after night, they
thought that I was going to die.
00:54:16.82\00:54:21.02
And I reached a point in
my life where I had to say
00:54:21.72\00:54:26.19
to the Lord, "Lord, You
have to take complete control
00:54:26.23\00:54:30.30
of my life.
00:54:30.40\00:54:31.83
Because if You
don't, I'm going to die."
00:54:33.03\00:54:35.90
And I had never
reached that point.
00:54:36.81\00:54:38.51
I mean, I had
surrendered to Jesus,
00:54:38.54\00:54:40.31
I had done those things before,
but I had never come to the
00:54:40.34\00:54:43.35
point where I was completely
and totally surrendered,
00:54:43.38\00:54:46.48
except on the day that
I first accepted Jesus.
00:54:46.51\00:54:48.75
But you know how
the battle rages.
00:54:48.78\00:54:50.52
And I came to the place, it
was either surrender complete
00:54:50.75\00:54:53.56
control to God or I
knew I was going to die.
00:54:53.59\00:54:57.13
And I made that decision, it
was about three o'clock in the
00:54:57.83\00:55:00.16
morning, and I said,
"Lord Jesus, You take my life.
00:55:00.20\00:55:02.53
And whatever You see fit,
whether I live or whether I die,
00:55:02.56\00:55:06.67
whatever happens, just
let Your glory be known."
00:55:06.70\00:55:11.54
And friends, you talk
about having the sense
00:55:12.27\00:55:15.04
and the feeling
of feeling frail,
00:55:15.08\00:55:17.71
and the Bible says that we are
but dust and life is fragile,
00:55:17.81\00:55:21.68
I experienced
that to its fullness.
00:55:21.88\00:55:24.79
And I called
upon the Lord my God.
00:55:25.35\00:55:28.29
And He came down
and He rescued me.
00:55:29.36\00:55:32.73
Just like He rescued Isaac.
00:55:33.86\00:55:35.76
And just like He'll
rescue each one of us today
00:55:36.03\00:55:39.20
if we are willing to
yield our wills entirely to Him.
00:55:39.23\00:55:42.87
This is what it's going
to take for Jesus to return.
00:55:42.97\00:55:46.14
Because the Bible tells
us that Jesus will not return
00:55:46.34\00:55:48.51
until there's a people
on earth who look like Him,
00:55:48.54\00:55:51.25
who talk like
Him, who act like Him.
00:55:51.28\00:55:53.72
People who keep the commandments
of God, Revelation 14:12,
00:55:53.92\00:55:58.59
and have the
faith not just in Jesus,
00:55:58.62\00:56:01.39
but the faith of Jesus.
00:56:01.49\00:56:03.69
You see, faith in Jesus
must, as God continues to work
00:56:03.73\00:56:08.33
in our hearts and in our minds,
faith in Jesus must become
00:56:08.36\00:56:12.67
the faith of Jesus.
00:56:12.70\00:56:14.20
So dear friends, I
laid on that hospital bed
00:56:15.34\00:56:18.37
and I gave all to Jesus.
00:56:19.07\00:56:20.41
What about you tonight?
00:56:20.44\00:56:21.78
Have you given all to Jesus?
00:56:22.84\00:56:24.58
Have you given Him your
houses, your bank accounts,
00:56:25.15\00:56:28.88
your cars, your children,
your spouses, your parents?
00:56:29.32\00:56:32.79
Have you given Him
everything in your life?
00:56:33.69\00:56:37.06
The decisions that you
make, are you making every day
00:56:37.09\00:56:41.10
to live them for
Jesus or for yourselves?
00:56:41.20\00:56:45.27
Jesus is calling us
to the sacrifice of all,
00:56:46.33\00:56:49.50
not to be sleeping
saints in the last days,
00:56:49.77\00:56:52.94
but to give him
all in our lives.
00:56:53.58\00:56:56.04
Would you make
that decision tonight?
00:56:56.54\00:56:58.41
Those of you watching
this evening, would you
00:56:58.98\00:57:00.58
make that decision?
00:57:00.62\00:57:01.95
How many of you would make
that decision this evening?
00:57:01.98\00:57:03.39
Let me see your hands tonight.
00:57:03.42\00:57:04.79
Let's pray together.
00:57:05.19\00:57:06.52
Father in heaven, we thank
You so much for the opportunity
00:57:06.55\00:57:10.06
that we have to know You
and to understand the depths
00:57:10.09\00:57:13.96
that You went through to
save us and to redeem us.
00:57:14.00\00:57:16.90
Father, we ask that You give
each of us a measure of faith,
00:57:17.20\00:57:20.20
that may our hearts,
Lord, be one with Yours.
00:57:20.24\00:57:23.27
And may we have the
faith that Abraham had
00:57:23.54\00:57:27.08
living in these last days.
00:57:27.11\00:57:28.44
And may You carry us all the way
through to Your second coming.
00:57:28.48\00:57:31.58
We pray this in
Jesus' precious name, amen.
00:57:31.78\00:57:35.02