Participants: P.C. Willis
Series Code: FC
Program Code: FC000205
|
00:32 Greetings friends, welcome to Faith Chapel.
00:36 I am Dr. P. C. Willis, Sr. 00:38 the Adult Ministries Director 00:40 for Lake Region Conference of 00:41 Seventh Day Adventists. 00:43 I welcome you here as we study 00:44 the striking topic 00:46 "The Joke that Tickled God!" 00:52 Can anything tickle God? Friends we'll see today. 00:54 So we encourage you to take notes today as we 00:57 study this most important topic. 01:01 Please note that the Devil has fooled people into thinking 01:04 that they can commit sin repeatedly and get away with it. 01:09 This scheme of the devil has been so successful 01:12 that millions of people today have come to the conclusion 01:16 that there will be no future literally burning lake of fire 01:21 where those who have disobeyed the will of God 01:24 will be punished. 01:25 They actually believe that everyone is going to heaven. 01:30 How incredible it is, I've never been to a funeral 01:34 where people actually said, "Folks today we have a problem" 01:39 "this person's going the other way... " 01:41 I've never been to one have you? 01:44 I've been to hundreds of funerals. 01:46 I've done hundreds of funerals. 01:48 And never no matter how the person lived 01:51 whether they were very wicked, they never said... 01:54 "This person! Ooh, we have problems today!" 01:57 So people have been fooled by the Devil's lie. 02:02 In spite of it all God has endeavored to save man, 02:06 in spite of man's sin. 02:08 God has sent His prophets to warn man about sin 02:12 and to persuade him to turn from sin. 02:15 Consider Matthew 23:34 02:40 Oh, this is terrible, ladies and gentlemen. 02:42 God has sent His prophets, His spokespersons 02:46 but they have been misused, abused and dismissed. 02:50 So God has sent His Son to make it possible for man to be saved. 02:54 But men have rejected the Son! 02:57 Note carefully Matthew 21:37-39 03:18 Ladies and gentlemen, 03:19 that's what people are still doing today. 03:23 In their minds, they are dismissing the Son. 03:26 But people took Jesus and literally killed Him! 03:31 God has sent the Holy Spirit 03:34 to influence man too accept the righteousness of Christ. 03:37 But men have despised the Holy Spirit. 03:41 Look at Hebrews 10:29 04:06 Oh, be careful my friend how you step on the cross. 04:09 Your foot might slip and your soul be lost. 04:13 When you have done despite to the Spirit of Grace, 04:16 At some point You may commit the sin God never forgives. 04:21 But God has given man His Word, the Bible. 04:26 But man has refused to read it much less obey it. 04:30 we discover this striking text: 04:44 It is striking because in Psalms 119 the question is asked, 04:47 "Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way?" 04:49 And the answer comes quickly, 04:50 "By taking heed thereto according to thy Word. " 04:53 If you want to get right then you must read the Bible. 04:58 How do you get it? You read it. You absorb it. 05:00 Then it becomes a part of you. 05:02 A story is told of a man who had trouble with his mouth. 05:06 He was so quick with the word when somebody did anything 05:09 he would eat them up one side 05:10 and down the other by using words 05:12 and yet he called himself a Christian 05:14 So he finally went to his pastor and said, 05:15 "You have to help me, I have cried and I've prayed 05:17 but nothing is happening. " 05:19 So he was given by his pastor a formula 05:23 He said, "I want you to read 2nd Peter seven times a day" 05:28 Get the book of 2 Peter. 05:29 Now remember Peter always had a word to say. 05:32 So it was a good thing to put this man who was very mouthy 05:35 with a disciple who had trouble with his mouth. 05:37 And he got it straight. 05:39 He had to read 2nd Peter seven times a day. 05:43 You know what? The man was a smart man. 05:46 He followed the counsel of his spiritual advisor, the pastor 05:49 who was under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. 05:53 Whenever that man got riled up 05:55 what would come out of his mouth? 05:56 2nd Peter would come out of his mouth! 05:58 Repetition deepens the impression. 06:01 It's the mother of all learning. 06:03 If you want to get better you must fill yourself 06:07 with the Word of God. 06:08 I do evangelistic meetings 06:10 and I've done them all over the world. 06:12 Over 100 evangelistic campaigns. 06:15 And over 8000 people have accepted the Lord 06:18 and been baptized. 06:19 And I came across a story where a lady was going 06:21 to one of those meetings. 06:22 And as she was going she had a no good lazy son at home 06:25 who began to make fun of her. 06:28 Like people do anytime you come to the Lord 06:30 somebody is going to make fun of you. 06:33 In fact the book 'Desire of Ages' states, 06:35 anytime God is about to do a work 06:37 Satan moves upon somebody to object. 06:40 And he was making fun of her 06:42 because she couldn't quote the text yet 06:43 she couldn't do this and that. 06:45 And she became angry. She said, "Come here boy!" 06:48 When he heard that word he straightened up and came 06:51 and he thought he was going to get a good whipping. 06:52 She said, "Go get a bushel basket and set it in the yard. " 06:54 So he went and got a big bushel basket 06:56 and set it in the yard. 06:57 "Now take that bucket and go fill it at the well. " 07:00 So he filled it up and brought it back. 07:02 Then she said, "Now pour it in that bushel basket. " 07:04 So he poured it in. And she kept him going about 10 times. 07:07 From the bucket to the basket, the water just ran out. 07:10 But he was afraid because she was angry now 07:12 and she was giving him orders. 07:14 "Go get another bucket and bring it and pour it in that basket. " 07:16 He's pouring it in and finally she stopped. 07:19 She asked him, "How much water is in that bushel basket?" 07:22 And he said, "Nothing. " 07:23 And she said, "Yes but it's cleaner. " 07:26 Friend when you get the Word of God 07:28 in you, you might not be able to remember everything. 07:30 But it will clean your body and your mind. 07:33 Hallelujah! 07:34 You need to feast on the Word of God. 07:36 And let God clean you up. 07:39 God has given us His Word but men haven't even read it. 07:43 They have refused to read it much less obey it. 07:46 And God said He was grieved. 07:50 God has always had two characteristics 07:52 to identify His people. 07:54 I want you to get this. God has always had a people. 07:58 Ladies and gentlemen, in the text 08:01 Revelation 12:17, we discover a striking text... 08:21 God has always used these two identifying marks 08:25 to identify His children: 08:28 the Ten Commandments and the faith of Jesus 08:31 have always been the identifying marks. 08:34 Before the cross men looked forward to the death of Christ 08:37 on Calvary while they kept the commandments 08:40 Since the cross Christians look back 08:43 at the death of Christ upon Calvary, 08:45 while they show their acceptance of Him 08:48 by keeping His Commandments. 08:50 A person can say they love Jesus 08:54 until their tongue drops out of their mouth. 08:56 But unless they show their love for Him 08:59 by obeying His commandments 09:02 they are hell bound. 09:04 Friends I want you to note what it states in Matthew 15:8,9 09:11 Consider this wonderful text. 09:14 Matthew 15: 8, 9... 09:24 Now listen as I read, it states... 09:30 "This people draweth nigh unto Me with their mouth, 09:33 And honoreth Me with their lips, 09:36 but their heart is far from Me. 09:39 But in vain do they worship Me, 09:42 teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. " 09:46 There are individuals who would rather crawl up a staircase 09:50 on their knees than just simply do what God asks them. 09:54 There are people who will travel half way around the world 09:57 thinking they'll find something with the face of Jesus or 10:00 one of the saints on a tree or out in a desert. 10:03 They'd rather do that than what Jesus simply said. 10:07 He asks, "If you love Me, 10:10 keep my commandments. " John 14:15 10:13 A simple request, "If you love Me, 10:16 keep my commandments. " 10:18 And in 1 John it is stated that 10:20 "... the commandments are not grievous. " 10:22 Oh friends, it's not enough to say that you love Jesus 10:26 you must show it by your actions! 10:29 I'm reminded of a story 10:31 of a very wicked man when he was drunk. 10:34 He was a good man when he was sober. 10:36 But he's a terrible fellow when he got a little liquor in him. 10:38 Now this fellow would tear places up 10:41 with just a little liquor. 10:42 Mostly he was alright. He would bring his check home. 10:45 He had his wife in a beautiful home. 10:47 But he would always cut up when he got a glass or 2 of liquor 10:51 and then he'd always go running to his wife 10:53 and he'd say, "Honey, I've got three little words for you" 10:57 "I love you. " 10:59 Well one night he got some liquor in him and he pushed 11:02 the baby grand piano out the front window. 11:04 It was a mess, all the neighbors were out looking to see 11:07 what in the world was happening. 11:08 He woke up, he was laying flat on his back on the front lawn. 11:11 Then the police sirens were coming down the street 11:14 and he looked around and said "Oh, I'm in trouble now... " 11:16 He jumped up and there's his wife. She was sick of him. 11:19 And she was standing in the door 11:21 with her terry cloth robe on 11:22 and her Mickey Mouse house shoes 11:24 and he rushed up to the door and said, 11:25 "Honey, I have three little words for you. " 11:27 "I love you. " 11:28 She had had it up to here. She looked back at him and said 11:30 "well I have two for you... " 11:32 "Show me!" 11:34 Friends, if you love God you'll show Him. 11:37 And His commandments are not grievous! 11:40 I want you to know, 11:41 if you see a Christian who believes in Jesus only 11:45 or one who believes in the commandments only 11:47 his religion is no good. 11:49 Now most Catholics and Protestants believe in Jesus 11:53 but they don't keep all of the commandments. 11:55 The Bible says the true Christian will keep both. 11:58 The Orthodox Jews keep the commandments 12:00 but they do not believe in Jesus 12:02 therefore, their religion is no good. 12:04 The Bible says you must do both. 12:08 There is only one group of people in town 12:11 both keeping the commandments and having 12:15 the faith of Jesus Christ. 12:17 And Jesus said this is the way you can identify 12:21 His true followers. 12:23 And that is the Seventh Day Adventist Church. 12:27 They keep the commandments of God and have 12:30 the testimony of Jesus Christ. 12:33 God is sending the everlasting Gospel 12:37 to all the world. 12:39 In Revelation 14:6 12:41 it tells us ladies and gentlemen 12:43 and I want you to know that whenever God speaks, 12:46 He speaks three times. 12:47 He speaks once to the Father, 12:49 once to the Son, 12:50 and once to the Holy Ghost. 12:51 That's God, Their each speaking. 12:53 Now I want you to get this. 12:55 When God was speaking 12:56 to the world that was going to die by a flood 12:58 in Genesis the 6th chapter 13:00 you discover that God spoke three times. 13:02 "God said,.. ", "God said.. " and "The Lord said.. " 13:05 In Revelation 14 you find God speaking to a world 13:08 that is going to die by fire! 13:09 Any time Jesus speaks, He speaks twice. 13:12 He speaks to the Father and to the Holy Ghost. 13:14 So every time He says something this is His modus operandi. 13:17 He says, "Verily, Verily... " 13:19 "Amen, Amen... " 13:20 "Simon, Simon... " 13:22 "Martha, Martha... " 13:23 "Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin.. " 13:27 Every time Jesus says something 13:29 He said it twice, 13:30 so you could understand Him. 13:31 Well ladies and gentlemen, God has a threefold message. 13:34 He's speaking once to the Father 13:36 once to the Son and once to the Holy Ghost. 13:38 In the book of Revelation Chapter 14 13:43 We call it God's Final Message, the Three Angels Messages... 13:47 In Revelation 14:6 it states: 14:03 God is speaking to people. Everybody is not a 'kind' 14:06 Everybody is not a nation. 14:08 Everybody is not a tongue. 14:10 Even in this place. We have individuals 14:11 from all over the place. 14:13 From Texas, from New England, 14:15 from south, from north, 14:16 everyone has a different tongue as it were, 14:19 a different type of brogue. 14:21 And ladies and gentlemen, we are all people. 14:25 I'm so glad we are all people. 14:28 Tall people, short people, skinny people, fat people, 14:33 good smelling people, stinky people. 14:36 People! 14:37 God has the everlasting Gospel 14:39 for all of us! 14:40 He has it that we might be saved from this wicked world. 14:47 God sends this message to us to cause us to study the Scriptures 14:52 In John 5:39, note carefully this text. 15:08 Friends get it! The Bible testifies of Jesus! 15:11 The Old Testament speaks, the New Testament says, "Amen!" 15:15 The Old Testament is the foundation, 15:18 the New Testament is the superstructure. 15:20 And it's all about Jesus. 15:23 I want you to understand friends 15:25 that this day in which we're living 15:27 is all about Jesus. 15:29 The faith we have is all about Jesus. 15:32 You might be a fine person. 15:34 You might be a wonderful person, 15:35 You may be 'all that and a bag of chips'. 15:38 But friends, it's all about Jesus! 15:42 If you don't have Jesus, you don't have life! 15:46 "Search the Scriptures," Jesus said. 15:48 And what Bible did He have? 15:50 It was the Old Testament. 15:52 You have some people who want to throw out the Old Testament. 15:54 But the Old Testament is still good today. 15:56 2 Timothy 3:16,17 says, "All scripture is given 16:00 by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine 16:03 for correction, for reproof, for instruction in righteousness 16:06 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished 16:10 unto all good works. " 16:11 God wants you to have it all. 16:13 You can have it all when you take the whole Bible 16:16 from Genesis to Revelation. 16:18 Friends, God said, "Search the Scriptures 16:21 for in them ye think ye have eternal life 16:24 and they are they which testify of Me. " 16:27 We must prepare for the Second Coming of Christ. 16:31 In Amos 4:12 16:34 we discover why God sends the Everlasting Gospel 16:38 to all the world. 16:54 Oh yes friends. 16:55 Is God going to allow this Gospel to be preached 16:58 over and over again and let man go marching into sin forever? 17:04 No! God will punish those who refuse to repent. 17:09 Note this striking text in 2 Chronicles 36:14-16 17:41 "betimes" = urgently 18:14 No remedy, friends. 18:16 Nobody could save them. 18:18 The cup of their indignation was full and overflowing. 18:23 God said He would punish those who refuse to repent. 18:28 So trouble will come to those who refuse to come to God. 18:33 In Jeremiah 25:30-33 19:51 Oh friends, imagine that day. 19:53 That day when Jesus comes and takes His saints 19:56 but the wicked are spread out all over the ground. 20:00 No undertaker there, no family members standing around crying. 20:03 You are either in heaven, on your way to the Holy City 20:07 and going to heaven or you are 20:09 dead upon the ground. 20:11 But we are not finished. Consider this text: 20:13 In Jeremiah 4:23-27 21:12 What do you mean Lord? 21:13 What do you mean you won't make a full end? 21:14 That's during the time of the 1,000 years 21:18 when the earth will be at rest. 21:20 And now here is Satan, 21:22 he is bound, as it were, with a chain of circumstances 21:28 on this earth with all his evil angels. 21:31 The wicked are dead, the righteous are gone 21:33 the living righteous are caught up. 21:35 The righteous dead have been resurrected. 21:37 And here's Satan, as it were, stewing in his own mess. 21:41 The earth, he has something to work with. 21:44 When God created, He created something out of nothing. 21:48 But He's given Satan something to work with. 21:49 Now go ahead Satan and create something. 21:51 See all the angels he's deceived. 21:53 There they are sizing up his head. 21:55 "Now we've been following this fellow low these many years... 21:59 ...and now he'd better show us something. " 22:01 "He wanted to be God. " "This is his chance! " 22:03 Satan takes off. 22:06 Somebody said he goes around 22:08 the world, comes back 22:11 and gathers his evil angels. 22:12 They come over to see 22:13 and here's a big field of waving grass. 22:16 "What is it? " It's astro-turf... 22:18 He can't create anything. 22:21 Help me somebody. 22:22 Friend I don't want to be there when God 22:25 has a controversy with the wicked. 22:28 Please understand. God's messengers are His ministers. 22:33 And God's message is, Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. 22:37 God's reproofs include many of the messages that you 22:40 have heard in the Faith Chapel. 22:42 And friends you do well to understand it 22:45 it so that you can do well. 22:47 God sends this message of warning to those 22:50 who have heard the Gospel but refuse to accept it. 22:54 But instead they treat it lightly. 22:56 Woe unto you that are full! For you shall hunger. 22:59 Woe unto you that laugh now for you shall mourn and weep. 23:05 Consider this text in Luke 6:25 23:22 Oh consider this ladies and gentlemen. 23:23 God says there are those who spurn the Gospel message 23:27 and who today laugh at it 23:29 and scorn those who proclaim it. 23:31 God said His day to laugh will soon come. 23:35 And those who laugh now will then weep and mourn. 23:38 Is this the 'joke' that tickled God? 23:41 Let us turn to the book of Proverbs 23:45 Proverbs 1:23-33 26:26 The way is clear. 26:28 There is no middle ground. 26:29 You're either right or you're wrong. 26:32 It's either the truth or it's a lie. 26:35 You are either worshipping God or you're worshipping the Devil. 26:38 There's no middle ground. There are no shades of gray. 26:41 You're either right or you're wrong. 26:44 Ladies and gentlemen, listen to God. 26:47 Give yourself to Him. 26:50 Now is the time to say, "Yes" to God 26:52 or one day because you laughed at Him 26:55 He's going to laugh at you. 26:57 I can imagine a sound going all the way back from eternity 27:00 and laughter coming forth... 27:02 "Oh Lord, I'm ready to do right now. " 27:05 TOO LATE! 27:07 One day someone's gonna be standing in the supermarket line 27:09 somebody's gonna be buying a Buick and something is going 27:13 to happen up in the sky. 27:14 What's happening? 27:15 Jesus is Coming! 27:16 "Oh Lord, I'm ready now... " 27:18 TOO LATE! 27:19 That's why the Bible says, "Be ye therefore also ready... 27:21 for in such an hour as you think not... " 27:24 For individuals who laugh at God 27:26 this is the 'joke', that tickled God? 27:29 Friends, when Jesus comes I want Him to call my name. 27:33 I want to hear him say well done thou good and faithful servant. 27:36 Come you blessed of my Father, inherit a place prepared for you 27:40 from the foundation of the world. 27:43 I want to rise from this earth. 27:45 If I'm asleep I want to come up out of the ground. 27:47 I want to see Jesus. I want to be received. 27:49 And it can be ours if you accept Him today. 27:51 Oh, be faithful friends. 27:53 God bless you. |
Revised 2014-12-17