Three Angels
Broadcasting Network
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is pleased to bring
you something better,
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a faith inspiring
picture of a loving God
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from the Book of Hebrews.
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Welcome to 3ABN's
Virtual Homecoming Camp Meeting.
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Hello, and welcome to 3ABN
Fall Homecoming Camp Meeting.
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It's hard to believe,
kind of sad, actually,
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that we're down
to the final message
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of our fall camp meeting,
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but we know that
God has been here.
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We felt His presence here.
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What an incredible music
hour that we just experienced,
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sweet, sweet spirit.
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We think of the Holy
Spirit as He impresses us,
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we need to listen right away.
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Do you all believe
in divine providence?
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Do you believe
in miracles? I do.
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Let me just share
something with you just,
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this is incredible.
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This is
pretending to the Rafferty's
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and Pastor James, of course,
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going to be bringing
us our last message here,
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fall camp meeting.
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And I'm going to give you
the shortened version here
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of how they came to 3ABN.
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You know Mr. Danny and I,
we dream some time just say,
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"Man wouldn't it be
neat of this and wow,
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wouldn't it be incredible
this and we mentioned,
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you know, wouldn't be
amazing if the Rafferty's
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'cause somehow
joined the 3ABN team?"
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We kind of smiled
at each other said,
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"Oh, you know,
it's, there's no way.
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They're involved in
other work, other ministries.
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There's no way
that they would come
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anytime soon to 3ABN."
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I kid you not just
a day or two later,
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this is on a Friday,
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and there's a local store
here that the farmer store
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and I was there
and 3ABN is not open.
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So I was going
into the farmer's store
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and I get a phone
call from Mr. Danny.
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I picked it up
and he said, "Greg,"
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he said, "You
won't believe this.
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Are you sitting
down?" I said, "No.
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I'm actually walking
inside this farmer store.
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Let me just step outside."
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He said you know what?
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He said, "I
believe the Rafferty's
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can actually
join the 3ABN team."
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I said, "You've
got to be kidding me."
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So we find out never say never.
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You know, all we do is
lay our plans and lives
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before the Lord Jesus Christ.
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That's what they were doing,
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that's what 3ABN was
doing and praise God,
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they've joined the
team, an incredible team,
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both Pastor James
and his wife Rise.
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They are great team players.
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We've just
enjoyed having them here
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as part of our team here
for the last several months.
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They love the Lord.
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They are
passionate for the Lord.
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They love each other
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and they're
passionate for each other.
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They love others
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and they're
passionate for others
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and souls for
the kingdom of God.
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This closing message
will be brought to us
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like I
mentioned by Pastor James,
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it's entitled, The Finisher.
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I've enjoyed the study
through the Book of Hebrews
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that he's presented
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and before he comes and
gives us the final message,
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we have a wonderful song
being brought to us by Doctor,
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I'm going to call
him Dr. John Stoddard
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and it's a
beautiful song entitled
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Were it not for Grace.
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Thank you Dr. John.
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Time measured out my days
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Life carry me along
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In my soul I yearned
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To follow God
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But knew I'd never be so strong
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I looked hard at this world
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To learn how heaven
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Could be gained
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Just to end where I began
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Where human effort
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Was all in vain
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Were it not for grace
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I can tell you
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Where I'd be
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Wandering down
some pointless road
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To nowhere
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With my salvation up to me
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I know how that would go
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The battles I would face
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Forever running
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But losing the race
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Were it not for grace
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So here is all my praise
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Expressed with all my heart
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Offered to the Friend
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Who took my place
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And ran a course
I could not start
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And when He saw in full
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Just how much
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This would cost
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He still went the final mile
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Between me and heaven
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So I would not be lost
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Were it not for grace
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I can tell you
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Where I'd be
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Wandering down
some pointless road
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To nowhere
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With my salvation up to me
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I know how that would go
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The battles I would face
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Forever running
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But losing the race
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Were it not
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For grace
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Forever running
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But losing the race
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Were it not
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For grace
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Amen. Amen.
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Praise God.
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Thank you, John.
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I was flying to Florida,
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I had a destination
with 3ABN camp meeting,
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set up by a 3ABN
organizational expert
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with the initials D.H.
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Okay, Dee
Hildebrand, right, right, right.
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Unfortunately,
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our plane was traveling
through Salt Lake City,
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and there was a snowstorm.
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We got in late,
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we actually had to land
somewhere else and refuel.
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And by the time we got
to Salt Lake City myself
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with hundreds
of other passengers
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were stranded.
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No planes were leaving.
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And as I tried to rebook,
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there were no
planes that I could rebook
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on to get to my
destination in time
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for the time slot that D. H,
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Dee Hildebrand had set for me.
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So I was in a
lose-lose kind of a situation
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and I was not a happy camper.
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I don't know if you've ever been
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in situations like this,
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where you face
the certain trials.
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You have the certain images
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of what's going to happen to you
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when you get on the other side.
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And as you're
going through the trial,
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you just feel like
what am I doing here
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in this packed out airport,
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with all these
people having a time crunch,
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and no way of
getting out of here in time?
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It was at that point
that God impressed me
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to sit down in
this crowded airport,
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to take out my
Bible and to study.
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Now, I don't do that very often.
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In fact, nowadays I have
it on my phone or my computer
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and nobody really knows
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that I'm studying the Bible,
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but back then it was the Bible.
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I didn't have a
Bible on the phone.
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I didn't have it on a computer.
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So it was my Bible.
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This was a few years ago
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and I was somewhat
embarrassed with the idea,
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just to be honest with you,
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of sitting
around all these people,
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you know, this was a situation
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where you're
sitting next to people,
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there's no seats in between,
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there's no empty seats anywhere,
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people are sitting in seats,
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they're sitting on the
floor, it's packed out,
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opening my Bible, hello,
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I'm going to be
studying the Bible right now.
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I felt like,
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oh, that's the
last thing I want to do.
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But the
impression was really strong.
00:10:30.16\00:10:35.13
And the other problem was,
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is that I was
irritated right now.
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And I thought to myself,
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this is not the
time to be studying
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the Word of God.
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And then there was the text,
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I opened up to
Hebrews Chapter 12.
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This is the book
we've been studying
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for the last few days,
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the theme, Something Better.
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And we've looked at
the Languages of Love,
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the Heart Transplanter,
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the Faith of Jesus,
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and now the Finisher.
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So these were the Bible
verses that God led me to read
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and I started reading them.
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And in Hebrews 12:1-3,
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"Wherefore seeing we
also are compassed about
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with so great a
cloud of witnesses,
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let us lay aside every weight,
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and the sin that
does so easily beset us
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and one with patience the
race that is set before us."
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And that word just jumped
out of the page at me, patience.
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It didn't help.
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And then I kept
reading, reading,
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"Looking unto Jesus the author
and the finisher of our faith,
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who for the joy
that was set before him,"
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joy, I wasn't feeling that,
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"endured the cross,
despising the shame,
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and is set down
at the right hand
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of the throne of God.
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For consider," verse 3,
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"who endured such contradiction
of sinners against himself,
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lest ye be wearied
and faint in your minds."
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I was definitely wearied
00:12:04.85\00:12:06.55
and fainting in my mind.
00:12:06.59\00:12:10.63
"For ye have not
yet resisted unto blood,
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striving against sin."
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There it was, verse number 4
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in Hebrews Chapter 12.
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And right away, I had
a bone to pick with God,
00:12:23.77\00:12:27.58
because this was a verse,
00:12:27.61\00:12:30.21
I don't know if
you have these verses
00:12:30.25\00:12:31.95
that I just didn't understand.
00:12:31.98\00:12:33.95
You have not yet
resistant unto blood
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striving against sin.
00:12:35.48\00:12:36.82
What's that? What
does that look like?
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Resisting unto
blood, striving against sin?
00:12:38.65\00:12:40.56
I don't know if you have them,
00:12:40.59\00:12:41.92
but I have the
back shelf Bible verses.
00:12:41.96\00:12:44.16
They're the Bible
verses I can't figure out,
00:12:44.19\00:12:45.53
I don't know what they mean.
00:12:45.56\00:12:46.90
So I put them on the back shelf.
00:12:46.93\00:12:48.26
And I just wait
for a time and place
00:12:48.30\00:12:50.33
when God will reveal them to me.
00:12:50.37\00:12:52.07
And so I
decided since this verse
00:12:52.10\00:12:54.57
was on the back shelf,
00:12:54.60\00:12:55.94
and God was
impressing me to study my Bible
00:12:55.97\00:12:57.51
in public in front
of all these people,
00:12:57.54\00:12:59.37
and I was in a irritated mood,
00:12:59.41\00:13:01.94
because I was
stuck in Salt Lake City,
00:13:01.98\00:13:04.35
and wasn't going to make
it to my destination time
00:13:04.38\00:13:06.45
was going to have
to meet up with D.H.
00:13:06.48\00:13:12.19
That this was the verse
that I was going to study
00:13:12.22\00:13:15.22
and I was going to expect
00:13:15.26\00:13:16.62
that God was going
to give me an answer.
00:13:16.66\00:13:20.10
And you know how it is
when you challenge God.
00:13:20.13\00:13:23.06
He always comes
through because He is faithful.
00:13:23.10\00:13:28.90
So tonight as we finish up
this theme on something better,
00:13:28.94\00:13:32.51
we're going to be
looking at these texts
00:13:32.54\00:13:34.64
because they contain for us
00:13:34.68\00:13:36.58
not only the closing motto,
00:13:36.61\00:13:40.92
the closing hope that we have
00:13:40.95\00:13:44.09
that Jesus is
not only the author,
00:13:44.12\00:13:45.72
but the finisher of our faith.
00:13:45.75\00:13:47.89
And that's in verse 2,
00:13:47.92\00:13:49.26
but they also indicate how it is
00:13:49.29\00:13:52.69
that we are to
strive to resist unto blood,
00:13:52.73\00:13:58.13
striving against sin,
00:13:58.17\00:13:59.77
which didn't make
sense to me at the time,
00:13:59.80\00:14:01.87
but I believe that God
will help us to understand
00:14:01.90\00:14:04.41
what it means this evening.
00:14:04.44\00:14:07.34
Before we dive in,
let's just pause for a moment
00:14:07.38\00:14:09.74
and ask God to be with
us through His Holy Spirit.
00:14:09.78\00:14:12.25
Father in heaven, thank You
again tonight for Your Word.
00:14:12.28\00:14:14.95
Thank You so much for guiding us
00:14:14.98\00:14:18.15
through all of
this camp meeting,
00:14:18.19\00:14:19.92
this homecoming fall
camp meeting here at 3ABN
00:14:19.95\00:14:22.96
for choosing the speakers,
00:14:22.99\00:14:24.53
the themes, the
music, for keeping us on,
00:14:24.56\00:14:30.50
focus on target on time,
00:14:30.53\00:14:33.70
for giving us
answers to questions,
00:14:33.74\00:14:35.70
for being with the team here,
00:14:35.74\00:14:37.91
behind the scenes,
the sound, the video,
00:14:37.94\00:14:40.48
the tech, all
of the technicians.
00:14:40.51\00:14:43.85
For those who've
been able to come,
00:14:43.88\00:14:45.21
for those who
are listening Father,
00:14:45.25\00:14:46.58
we just thank You for this,
00:14:46.61\00:14:47.95
but we also pray
that You won't let us
00:14:47.98\00:14:50.75
end this camp
meeting without feeding us,
00:14:50.79\00:14:52.85
without ministering to us,
00:14:52.89\00:14:54.22
without communicating to us
through Your Spirit once again.
00:14:54.26\00:14:59.73
We give You this time, we
give You this opportunity.
00:14:59.76\00:15:02.16
We're thankful that
when we pray You answer
00:15:02.20\00:15:04.33
because we pray
in the worthy name
00:15:04.37\00:15:05.70
of Jesus Christ, the
author and the finisher.
00:15:05.73\00:15:08.34
And we say, "Amen."
00:15:08.37\00:15:11.94
Well, there I
was in this airport,
00:15:11.97\00:15:14.14
not feeling very good,
00:15:14.18\00:15:16.61
and kind of
embarrassed a little bit.
00:15:16.64\00:15:21.22
And deciding that I was
going to read this verse.
00:15:21.25\00:15:23.49
I don't know why I
open up to this verse.
00:15:23.52\00:15:25.12
I can't remember
what it was that caused me
00:15:25.15\00:15:27.22
to look at this
particular scripture.
00:15:27.26\00:15:31.53
But as I did, I
remember thinking in my mind,
00:15:31.56\00:15:36.20
"How do I resist unto
blood striving against sin?
00:15:36.23\00:15:38.53
It just doesn't
make sense to me.
00:15:38.57\00:15:39.90
Am I supposed to try so hard
00:15:39.93\00:15:42.50
that I start sweating like Jesus
00:15:42.54\00:15:44.31
did great drops of blood?"
00:15:44.34\00:15:45.67
See, I'd always
looked at this verse
00:15:48.94\00:15:51.18
from that perspective.
00:15:51.21\00:15:52.55
How do I do this?
00:15:52.58\00:15:53.92
How do I do this?
00:15:53.95\00:15:55.28
How do I do this?
00:15:55.32\00:15:56.65
And I think a lot of times
00:15:56.69\00:15:58.02
when we come to the Word of God,
00:15:58.05\00:15:59.39
that's the perspective we have.
00:15:59.42\00:16:00.79
We read God's
Word, and we think,
00:16:00.82\00:16:02.16
how do I get this done?
00:16:02.19\00:16:03.53
How do I get that done?
00:16:03.56\00:16:04.89
And sometimes we
even jump ahead of God,
00:16:04.93\00:16:07.30
and we say, "You
know, everything you said,
00:16:07.33\00:16:08.66
I'm going to do, I'm
just going to do it."
00:16:08.70\00:16:10.97
Kind of like that
Old Covenant promise
00:16:11.00\00:16:12.73
that the
children of Israel made.
00:16:12.77\00:16:15.40
And as I sat
there, I started thinking,
00:16:15.44\00:16:18.81
"How did Jesus do it?
00:16:18.84\00:16:20.84
How did Jesus strive
against sin resisting unto...
00:16:20.88\00:16:24.65
What did He do?"
00:16:24.68\00:16:26.01
I started asking a
different question,
00:16:26.05\00:16:27.82
not how do I do it?
00:16:27.85\00:16:29.35
But how did He do it?
00:16:29.38\00:16:31.22
I started focusing on Christ.
00:16:31.25\00:16:33.05
That's where our
focus needs to be, isn't it?
00:16:33.09\00:16:34.89
It needs to be on Jesus,
00:16:34.92\00:16:36.26
because He's the
author, and He's the finisher.
00:16:36.29\00:16:37.86
And so I started
focusing on Christ.
00:16:37.89\00:16:40.20
And when I did that,
when I asked that question,
00:16:40.23\00:16:44.20
light just
started streaming through.
00:16:44.23\00:16:46.90
I mean, in this packed airport,
00:16:46.94\00:16:49.37
with my Bible open
00:16:49.40\00:16:50.74
with all those people around me,
00:16:50.77\00:16:52.41
I actually felt
like I was filled
00:16:52.44\00:16:55.18
with the joy of the Holy Spirit.
00:16:55.21\00:16:57.15
And I started
seeing this text unfold
00:16:57.18\00:16:59.15
as I never had before.
00:16:59.18\00:17:00.85
This new focus on Christ
00:17:00.88\00:17:02.78
impressed me to
ask the question,
00:17:02.82\00:17:05.52
"Well, where was it
00:17:05.55\00:17:07.82
that Christ
resisted sin unto blood?
00:17:07.86\00:17:11.96
Where was it He was
striving against sin,
00:17:11.99\00:17:15.36
so that He sweat
great drops of blood?"
00:17:15.40\00:17:18.97
And the answer, of course,
00:17:19.00\00:17:20.34
that came back was Matthew
26, the Garden of Gethsemane.
00:17:20.37\00:17:24.57
This is where Christ resisted,
00:17:24.61\00:17:27.91
striving against sin unto blood.
00:17:27.94\00:17:30.25
And so I went back
to Matthew Chapter 26,
00:17:30.28\00:17:31.98
and I was reading
Matthew Chapter 26.
00:17:32.01\00:17:33.92
Now, before this time, I had,
you know, an irritated mind,
00:17:33.95\00:17:39.05
but I wanted the
patience and I wanted the joy.
00:17:39.09\00:17:41.12
So I was
claiming those promises,
00:17:41.16\00:17:42.49
as I was reading,
00:17:42.52\00:17:43.86
and I went to
Matthew Chapter 26.
00:17:43.89\00:17:45.36
And I went back to the
section where it kind of begins,
00:17:45.39\00:17:48.20
you know, this is
just before Gethsemane,
00:17:48.23\00:17:50.53
and I thought, in my mind,
00:17:50.57\00:17:51.90
what was Jesus doing
just before Gethsemane
00:17:51.93\00:17:55.10
that prepared Him for
the Gethsemane ordeal.
00:17:55.14\00:17:58.61
'Cause I started realizing,
00:17:58.64\00:17:59.97
you know, maybe it's
not so much sweating blood
00:18:00.01\00:18:03.11
that God is
asking us to do here.
00:18:03.14\00:18:04.48
But maybe it's the
preparation that comes
00:18:04.51\00:18:07.35
where Jesus engaged in
00:18:07.38\00:18:09.65
before He went
through this experience.
00:18:09.68\00:18:12.59
Matthew 26:20-21.
00:18:12.62\00:18:14.12
Let's look at those
verses this evening,
00:18:14.16\00:18:16.02
Matthew, 26:20-21.
00:18:16.06\00:18:20.13
They're powerful verses,
the whole story is powerful.
00:18:20.16\00:18:22.93
Everything that we see here
00:18:22.96\00:18:24.63
that Jesus is
doing with His disciples,
00:18:24.67\00:18:27.00
this is
actually the Last Supper,
00:18:27.04\00:18:28.40
so it's right before Gethsemane
and the cross and Calvary,
00:18:28.44\00:18:32.17
Jesus is in the upper
room with His disciples,
00:18:32.21\00:18:34.38
He's getting ready to have
00:18:34.41\00:18:35.81
the last supper
with His disciples.
00:18:35.84\00:18:38.08
And in verses 20 and 21,
00:18:38.11\00:18:41.65
it says, "Now
when the even was come,
00:18:41.68\00:18:44.52
He sat down with the twelve.
00:18:44.55\00:18:46.39
And as they did eat, He said,
00:18:46.42\00:18:48.49
'Verily, verily, I say unto you,
00:18:48.52\00:18:51.09
that one of you
shall betray Me."
00:18:51.13\00:18:55.43
One of you shall betray Me.
00:18:55.46\00:18:58.63
Now, the reason why I
think this is so important
00:18:58.67\00:19:00.37
is because these
are the last moments
00:19:00.40\00:19:04.14
of Christ's life on earth.
00:19:04.17\00:19:05.91
And you and I face,
00:19:05.94\00:19:08.51
or are going to
face the final moments
00:19:08.54\00:19:11.21
of our life on this earth.
00:19:11.25\00:19:12.61
And one of the first
things that Jesus does
00:19:12.65\00:19:14.52
as He's facing the last
moments of His life on earth
00:19:14.55\00:19:18.02
is He exposes apostasy.
00:19:18.05\00:19:23.16
He talks about the apostasy,
00:19:23.19\00:19:25.86
the betrayal
that's going to take place
00:19:25.89\00:19:27.93
right within the 12,
00:19:27.96\00:19:29.30
right within the church.
00:19:29.33\00:19:31.33
In other words,
He doesn't shy away
00:19:31.37\00:19:33.54
from confronting the
elephant in the room.
00:19:33.57\00:19:36.74
Are you following me?
00:19:36.77\00:19:38.17
He confronts the elephant
in the room and He says,
00:19:38.21\00:19:40.04
"Basically, one of you
is going to betray Me."
00:19:40.08\00:19:43.28
Now, the reason why I
think this is so significant
00:19:43.31\00:19:45.48
is because Jesus
later tells us that Judas
00:19:45.51\00:19:49.85
or the Bible tells us
00:19:49.88\00:19:51.22
that Judas is called
the son of perdition.
00:19:51.25\00:19:53.49
And that son of
perdition was to be revealed,
00:19:53.52\00:19:56.29
according to John 13:19.
00:19:56.32\00:19:57.99
So the disciples
could have courage
00:19:58.03\00:20:01.53
after Christ's
death and resurrection.
00:20:01.56\00:20:03.26
You see, if the disciples
00:20:03.30\00:20:05.00
had not been told
about this apostasy,
00:20:05.03\00:20:07.27
when the apostasy came,
when Judas betrayed Him,
00:20:07.30\00:20:10.14
it would have put
doubt into their minds
00:20:10.17\00:20:12.41
that Jesus was actually prepared
00:20:12.44\00:20:14.71
for what was coming.
00:20:14.74\00:20:16.08
But because Jesus
foretold this apostasy,
00:20:16.11\00:20:18.75
because Jesus
says in John 13:19,
00:20:18.78\00:20:21.02
"I've told you ahead of time
00:20:21.05\00:20:22.38
so that when it comes to
pass, you might believe."
00:20:22.42\00:20:24.35
And He was talking
specifically about Judas,
00:20:24.39\00:20:26.72
the son of perdition,
according to John 17:12.
00:20:26.76\00:20:29.82
When Jesus told
the disciples this,
00:20:29.86\00:20:32.13
it helped their faith
00:20:32.16\00:20:34.23
to know that Jesus
knew that this was coming.
00:20:34.26\00:20:38.30
And so I want to
say to you this evening,
00:20:38.33\00:20:39.97
that it's so important for us
00:20:40.00\00:20:41.50
because we're told
in 2 Thessalonians 2:3,
00:20:41.54\00:20:46.01
that there is
another son of perdition,
00:20:46.04\00:20:47.61
the lawless one, the
Antichrist that is coming.
00:20:47.64\00:20:51.38
And it's so
important for us as Christians,
00:20:51.41\00:20:53.78
as Bible believing Christians,
00:20:53.82\00:20:56.15
not to avoid an
understanding of this truth.
00:20:56.18\00:20:59.75
Jesus didn't avoid it,
00:20:59.79\00:21:01.12
He didn't avoid
exposing the son of perdition.
00:21:01.16\00:21:03.63
A lot of people
will read the Bible
00:21:03.66\00:21:05.49
and they'll get to
the Book of Revelation,
00:21:05.53\00:21:06.86
they'll say, "I'm
not going any further.
00:21:06.90\00:21:08.23
I don't want to
even know about that.
00:21:08.26\00:21:09.90
I don't want to
understand the Antichrist."
00:21:09.93\00:21:11.57
And then, of
course, Satan has all kinds
00:21:11.60\00:21:13.23
of different
interpretations to get off,
00:21:13.27\00:21:15.14
get us off base as Christians,
00:21:15.17\00:21:16.91
so we can't even figure out
who or what the Antichrist is.
00:21:16.94\00:21:19.47
Is it a computer?
00:21:19.51\00:21:20.84
Is it a beast in
a museum somewhere?
00:21:20.88\00:21:22.21
What is this Antichrist?
00:21:22.24\00:21:24.61
Jesus exposes,
00:21:24.65\00:21:27.48
He brings up the
conversation because He knows
00:21:27.52\00:21:30.19
it's going to build
the faith of the disciples,
00:21:30.22\00:21:32.22
and we need to
do the same thing.
00:21:32.25\00:21:33.72
I believe the mark of the beast
is like the ace in our pocket,
00:21:33.76\00:21:37.49
so to speak.
00:21:37.53\00:21:38.86
I believe that when
we share with people
00:21:38.89\00:21:41.10
what we know about
the son of perdition
00:21:41.13\00:21:43.13
and the apostasy that's coming,
00:21:43.16\00:21:44.50
when it happens,
00:21:44.53\00:21:45.97
their faith is
going to be built up.
00:21:46.00\00:21:47.90
And God is
encouraging us to do this,
00:21:47.94\00:21:49.64
we cannot neglect
it, 'cause Jesus didn't.
00:21:49.67\00:21:53.54
This is what prepared Him
00:21:53.58\00:21:55.04
to be faithful to
God in the end of time,
00:21:55.08\00:21:56.85
and we need to be prepared.
00:21:56.88\00:21:58.21
We don't want all of
these events to happen.
00:21:58.25\00:22:00.08
And people all around to
say, "You knew about this.
00:22:00.12\00:22:01.75
You didn't tell us?
00:22:01.78\00:22:03.12
Why didn't you tell us?"
00:22:03.15\00:22:04.49
Now, of course, sometimes
it's kind of embarrassing,
00:22:04.52\00:22:06.55
and we feel embarrassed.
00:22:06.59\00:22:07.92
Because what we say
how we interpret prophecy
00:22:07.96\00:22:11.99
will sometimes
solicit the responsive,
00:22:12.03\00:22:14.80
that's crazy, no
way, that can't be.
00:22:14.83\00:22:17.90
But we need to
leave that with God.
00:22:17.93\00:22:20.37
They thought no He
was a crazy fanatic,
00:22:20.40\00:22:22.37
because He predicted rain,
00:22:22.40\00:22:23.74
they never even seen rain
in the antediluvian world.
00:22:23.77\00:22:27.74
Lot, his family all thought
that was crazy to leave Sodom.
00:22:27.78\00:22:32.18
In fact, the
angel had to basically
00:22:32.21\00:22:33.55
drag him out of there.
00:22:33.58\00:22:36.05
Jesus was called the devil
00:22:36.08\00:22:38.49
because He was
faithful with the Word of God,
00:22:38.52\00:22:41.32
and the servant is no
greater than the master.
00:22:41.36\00:22:45.36
The next thing Jesus does
is found in verses 22 to 25,
00:22:45.39\00:22:49.86
of Matthew 26.
00:22:49.90\00:22:51.23
Let's just look
there at 22 to 25.
00:22:51.27\00:22:53.44
"And they were
exceeding sorrowful,
00:22:53.47\00:22:55.47
and then began every
one of them to say unto Him,
00:22:55.50\00:22:57.07
'Lord is it I?'
00:22:57.11\00:22:58.44
And He assured,
He answered and said,
00:22:58.47\00:23:00.71
'He that dippeth his
hand with me in the dish,
00:23:00.74\00:23:03.28
the same shall betray Me."
00:23:03.31\00:23:04.78
The Son of Man goes
as it is written of Him,
00:23:04.81\00:23:06.95
verse 24,
00:23:06.98\00:23:10.05
"But woe unto that man
00:23:10.09\00:23:11.42
by whom the Son
of Man is betrayed!
00:23:11.45\00:23:12.82
It had been good for that
man that he had not been born."
00:23:12.85\00:23:15.76
Then Judas," verse
25, "which betrayed him,
00:23:15.79\00:23:19.03
answered and
said, 'Master, is it I?'
00:23:19.06\00:23:21.26
And He said unto
him, 'Thou hast said.'"
00:23:21.30\00:23:25.63
Jesus was more specific
about who was betraying Him.
00:23:25.67\00:23:28.20
He was more specific.
00:23:28.24\00:23:29.97
Jesus actually identifies Judas.
00:23:30.01\00:23:35.68
Because the
unveiling would lead Judas
00:23:35.71\00:23:39.71
to separate from the disciples.
00:23:39.75\00:23:41.38
It was right after this,
00:23:41.42\00:23:42.78
according to John
13:30 that Judas left.
00:23:42.82\00:23:46.35
And we know we face a separation
00:23:46.39\00:23:47.79
in the end of time.
00:23:47.82\00:23:49.16
And we know we
have to get specific,
00:23:49.19\00:23:51.33
we need to talk about
the details of apostasy.
00:23:51.36\00:23:55.56
Because it's important for us
00:23:55.60\00:23:57.60
not to be
overwhelmed and discourage
00:23:57.63\00:24:00.00
when it actually happens.
00:24:00.04\00:24:01.74
You know, we think about things
00:24:01.77\00:24:03.10
that are happening in
the church in the world,
00:24:03.14\00:24:04.51
and we go, "Oh, I
can't believe it."
00:24:04.54\00:24:06.51
Well, why can't you believe it?
00:24:06.54\00:24:07.88
We've been told
it's going to happen.
00:24:07.91\00:24:09.61
God has prepared us for it.
00:24:09.64\00:24:11.21
Don't be so shocked,
00:24:11.25\00:24:13.42
as more in a spirit of prayer,
00:24:13.45\00:24:17.45
weeping in agony,
00:24:17.49\00:24:19.05
for the things
that are happening
00:24:19.09\00:24:20.62
in our church and in the world
00:24:20.66\00:24:22.69
and are going to
happen in these last days.
00:24:22.72\00:24:25.49
Then we look at
Matthew Chapter 26,
00:24:25.53\00:24:29.40
continuing on from verse 26
00:24:29.43\00:24:31.03
and we read all
the way to verse 29.
00:24:31.07\00:24:33.64
"And as they were eating,
00:24:33.67\00:24:35.00
Jesus took the
bread and blessed it,
00:24:35.04\00:24:36.54
and break it, and gave it
to the disciples and said,
00:24:36.57\00:24:38.51
'Take, eat, this is my body.'
00:24:38.54\00:24:40.34
And he took the
cup, and gave thanks,
00:24:40.38\00:24:42.08
and gave it to them,
saying, 'Drink ye all of it,
00:24:42.11\00:24:44.68
for this is my blood
of the new testament,
00:24:44.71\00:24:46.75
which is shed for many
for the remission of sins.
00:24:46.78\00:24:49.12
But I say unto you,
00:24:49.15\00:24:50.49
I will not drink henceforth
of the fruit of the vine,
00:24:50.52\00:24:52.65
until that day
when I drink it new
00:24:52.69\00:24:54.59
with you in my
Father's kingdom.'"
00:24:54.62\00:24:57.33
Many times we focus on apostasy.
00:24:57.36\00:24:59.79
We need to know about it.
00:24:59.83\00:25:01.16
We focus on the
specifics of apostasy.
00:25:01.20\00:25:03.16
Obviously Jesus did too.
00:25:03.20\00:25:04.77
But we've got to
get our focus back
00:25:04.80\00:25:08.24
on the bread and on the wine.
00:25:08.27\00:25:11.57
We've got to get
our focus back on Jesus,
00:25:11.61\00:25:13.94
and His great sacrifice for us.
00:25:13.98\00:25:15.74
We've got to get our focus back
on fellowshipping with Christ,
00:25:15.78\00:25:18.45
on supping with Him,
00:25:18.48\00:25:19.81
on letting Him in on
that personal relationship.
00:25:19.85\00:25:21.78
That's what the
whole Book of Hebrews
00:25:21.82\00:25:23.15
has been delivering to us,
00:25:23.18\00:25:24.52
that personal relationship.
00:25:24.55\00:25:25.95
And this section
of Matthew Chapter 26
00:25:25.99\00:25:28.76
is all about
personal relationship.
00:25:28.79\00:25:30.56
Jesus Christ was able
to speak to the disciples,
00:25:30.59\00:25:33.29
He was able to speak about Judas
00:25:33.33\00:25:35.30
because He had a personal
close relationship with them,
00:25:35.33\00:25:38.47
and that's what we
want with Jesus also.
00:25:38.50\00:25:40.57
We want that close
personal relationship
00:25:40.60\00:25:43.20
that is depicted symbolically,
00:25:43.24\00:25:45.61
in our partaking of
the bread and of the wine.
00:25:45.64\00:25:49.84
But He also says,
00:25:49.88\00:25:51.21
"I'm not going to
drink this henceforth,
00:25:51.25\00:25:52.91
until I drink it new with
you in My Father's Kingdom."
00:25:52.95\00:25:56.22
Jesus exercise
faith in the future.
00:25:56.25\00:25:59.22
I'm going to
drink it again with you,
00:25:59.25\00:26:00.76
we need to have faith
00:26:00.79\00:26:02.39
that our future is
settled, it's sealed.
00:26:02.42\00:26:05.73
We have a hope.
00:26:05.76\00:26:07.10
We have a destiny.
00:26:07.13\00:26:08.46
This is not it.
00:26:08.50\00:26:09.83
If we lose our earthly life,
00:26:09.86\00:26:11.73
we just rest in the
grave for a short time,
00:26:11.77\00:26:13.77
and then we go to that
destiny that God has for us.
00:26:13.80\00:26:16.97
And this is what Jesus did,
00:26:17.01\00:26:18.51
as He focused here
with the disciples.
00:26:18.54\00:26:20.78
And that goes on to
say this in verse 30.
00:26:20.81\00:26:23.21
And I love this
because this is what
00:26:23.24\00:26:25.15
we've been doing
in this camp meeting,
00:26:25.18\00:26:26.65
it's been saturated with it.
00:26:26.68\00:26:28.22
And then it says in verse 30,
"And when He had sung a hymn,
00:26:28.25\00:26:31.99
a song, they went out
to the Mount of Olives."
00:26:32.02\00:26:35.52
You know, music is powerful,
00:26:35.56\00:26:36.89
and they're
going to be many people
00:26:36.93\00:26:38.26
who are going to be
in the Kingdom of God
00:26:38.29\00:26:39.63
because of music.
00:26:39.66\00:26:41.00
Because of the musical talents
00:26:41.03\00:26:43.40
that have been
dedicated to God service
00:26:43.43\00:26:45.70
by people like John,
00:26:45.73\00:26:47.54
and Dino, and Ryan.
00:26:47.57\00:26:52.61
My wife was telling me on
the way over this morning,
00:26:52.64\00:26:54.78
she said, "I sure hope Ryan..."
00:26:54.81\00:26:57.55
When we woke up this
morning, sometime this morning,
00:26:57.58\00:26:59.11
"I sure hope Ryan is
going to sing some more."
00:26:59.15\00:27:01.42
And I said, "Oh,
yeah, Ryan told me
00:27:01.45\00:27:02.82
he's singing more
at this camp meeting.
00:27:02.85\00:27:04.19
He hasn't any
other camp meeting."
00:27:04.22\00:27:05.55
Oh, good.
00:27:05.59\00:27:06.92
Because song is powerful,
00:27:06.96\00:27:09.12
song is like a weapon
to destroy discouragement.
00:27:09.16\00:27:14.13
So I've really been blessed.
00:27:14.16\00:27:15.73
You know, I said,
"You like Ryan Day?"
00:27:15.76\00:27:18.13
And she said,
"Yeah, I like Ryan Day.
00:27:18.17\00:27:19.50
But I also like
Celestine, I like her voice,
00:27:19.53\00:27:23.07
but I also like
Yvonne, I like her voice.
00:27:23.10\00:27:25.34
But I also like
Danny, I like his voice.
00:27:25.37\00:27:27.41
But I also like,
Reggie and Ladye Love,
00:27:27.44\00:27:30.38
but I also like,"
00:27:30.41\00:27:31.75
I guess we like
everyone singing up here.
00:27:31.78\00:27:35.45
God speaks to us through song.
00:27:35.48\00:27:38.92
And He wants to encourage us.
00:27:38.95\00:27:40.36
And so Jesus sang the song.
00:27:40.39\00:27:42.99
Now one of the
reasons why He sang this song
00:27:43.02\00:27:44.43
is because He knew
00:27:44.46\00:27:45.79
where He was going.
00:27:45.83\00:27:47.16
He was going to
Gethsemane on the cross,
00:27:47.20\00:27:48.83
and He knew what He was
going to experience there,
00:27:48.86\00:27:50.90
is predicted in Psalm 22.
00:27:50.93\00:27:52.83
Just look there
in Psalm 22 quickly.
00:27:52.87\00:27:54.50
Keep your hands right here in
00:27:54.54\00:27:57.14
or keep your Bibles
open here in Matthew 26,
00:27:57.17\00:28:00.08
because we're
going to come back there.
00:28:00.11\00:28:01.44
But Psalm 22:1
00:28:01.48\00:28:03.85
is a prophetic prediction,
00:28:03.88\00:28:07.48
description of the
experience of Christ,
00:28:07.52\00:28:10.42
on the cross,
and even in Calvary.
00:28:10.45\00:28:12.39
"My God, My God, why
hast thou forsaken me?
00:28:12.42\00:28:15.09
Why art thou so
far from helping me
00:28:15.12\00:28:17.93
and from the
voice of my roaring?
00:28:17.96\00:28:19.96
Oh, My God, I
cry in the daytime,
00:28:20.00\00:28:22.33
but thou hears not.
00:28:22.36\00:28:23.70
And in the night
season, I am not silent."
00:28:23.73\00:28:26.33
That's exactly
what Christ went through
00:28:26.37\00:28:28.27
in Gethsemane and on the cross.
00:28:28.30\00:28:30.14
But notice verse 3,
00:28:30.17\00:28:31.87
because it's really significant.
00:28:31.91\00:28:33.58
You see, God, Jesus Christ
was guided by the Holy Spirit.
00:28:33.61\00:28:37.85
He was guided by
God in all that He did.
00:28:37.88\00:28:40.68
He was familiar
with the scriptures.
00:28:40.72\00:28:42.22
And He was familiar
with verse 3 which says,
00:28:42.25\00:28:44.19
"But thou art holy,
00:28:44.22\00:28:45.59
oh, thou that inhabits
the praises of Israel."
00:28:45.62\00:28:50.66
Jesus was
familiar with this verse
00:28:50.69\00:28:52.36
that was in the context
of being forsaken that says
00:28:52.39\00:28:55.33
that God inhabits
the praises of Israel.
00:28:55.36\00:29:00.60
And so as He's
going to Gethsemane,
00:29:00.64\00:29:02.04
He's going to the cross.
00:29:02.07\00:29:03.51
And He knows and senses
00:29:03.54\00:29:04.87
that God is going to
be separating from Him.
00:29:04.91\00:29:06.74
He begins to sing,
00:29:06.78\00:29:08.11
because this
promise right here says
00:29:08.14\00:29:09.91
that God will inhabit
the praises of Israel.
00:29:09.94\00:29:12.15
God will be in the presence
00:29:15.38\00:29:17.49
of the praises of His people.
00:29:17.52\00:29:21.89
And Jesus believed
that God was with Him
00:29:21.92\00:29:24.89
by faith in His Word,
00:29:24.93\00:29:26.56
and so can we.
00:29:26.59\00:29:28.20
In the end of time,
00:29:28.23\00:29:29.56
we're going to feel
all kinds of opposition,
00:29:29.60\00:29:30.93
people are going to mock us,
00:29:30.97\00:29:32.30
they're going to make fun of us,
00:29:32.33\00:29:33.67
they're going to say,
"Where's your God now?
00:29:33.70\00:29:35.04
Where's your God now?"
00:29:35.07\00:29:36.40
And song is going to be
a powerful weapon for us.
00:29:36.44\00:29:39.34
Because as we sing those
songs, Satan and his angels,
00:29:39.37\00:29:42.88
those songs that glorify Christ,
00:29:42.91\00:29:44.35
Satan and his
angels are going to,
00:29:44.38\00:29:46.38
it's going to sound to them like
00:29:46.41\00:29:47.75
nail scratching a chalkboard.
00:29:47.78\00:29:49.62
They're going to hate it.
00:29:49.65\00:29:51.19
They're going to want to
have nothing to do with it.
00:29:51.22\00:29:53.89
And it's going
to lift our spirits
00:29:53.92\00:29:55.66
like it lifted
the spirits of Christ.
00:29:55.69\00:29:59.06
Verse 31,
00:29:59.09\00:30:01.26
this is where we see
some major preparation
00:30:01.30\00:30:05.93
for Gethsemane,
00:30:05.97\00:30:07.30
that is so practical.
00:30:07.34\00:30:09.50
Then saith Jesus unto them all,
00:30:09.54\00:30:13.27
Jesus unto them, the disciples,
00:30:13.31\00:30:15.28
all ye shall be offended
because of me this night:
00:30:15.31\00:30:17.85
for it is written, I
will smite the shepherd,
00:30:17.88\00:30:20.12
and the sheep of the flock
shall be scattered abroad."
00:30:20.15\00:30:22.65
Jesus turned to the scriptures.
00:30:22.68\00:30:24.75
And as He turned
to the scriptures,
00:30:24.79\00:30:26.65
He became
beautifully, excuse me,
00:30:26.69\00:30:29.72
brutally honest
with His disciples.
00:30:29.76\00:30:32.19
He turns to the scriptures,
00:30:32.23\00:30:33.60
and He tells them
according to Word of God,
00:30:33.63\00:30:35.40
"You are going to forsake Me.
00:30:35.43\00:30:38.27
You are going to forsake Me."
00:30:38.30\00:30:39.67
In the end of time,
00:30:39.70\00:30:41.04
we're going to have to be
brutally honest with people.
00:30:41.07\00:30:42.97
We're going to have
to be brutally honest
00:30:43.00\00:30:44.34
based on the Word of God.
00:30:44.37\00:30:46.21
You know, sometimes the church
kind of lets things slide,
00:30:46.24\00:30:49.14
they let things
go by the wayside,
00:30:49.18\00:30:50.95
we're not
really on top of stuff,
00:30:50.98\00:30:52.78
we're kind of like,
"Yeah, doesn't matter."
00:30:52.81\00:30:54.32
In the end of time,
everything is going to matter.
00:30:54.35\00:30:56.48
It's going to be
very important for us.
00:30:56.52\00:30:58.65
And we must be honest
with our brothers and sisters,
00:30:58.69\00:31:02.39
in the church and in the world.
00:31:02.42\00:31:04.36
Because Jesus has died for
all, and we must be honest,
00:31:04.39\00:31:07.73
based on scripture.
00:31:07.76\00:31:09.46
We must go to the Word of God,
00:31:09.50\00:31:10.83
and we must honestly
share the Word of God.
00:31:10.87\00:31:12.23
You know, sometimes
we're reluctant to do that.
00:31:12.27\00:31:14.44
And then there's some of us
00:31:14.47\00:31:15.80
that don't have a reluctant bone
00:31:15.84\00:31:17.17
in our body, right?
00:31:17.21\00:31:18.54
We'll say whatever it is,
00:31:18.57\00:31:19.91
let the chips
fall where they may.
00:31:19.94\00:31:21.28
But there's a
verse in Colossians 4:6,
00:31:21.31\00:31:22.98
that's meant a lot to me
00:31:23.01\00:31:24.35
when it comes to
sharing the truth.
00:31:24.38\00:31:25.71
It says that our
speech should always be grace,
00:31:25.75\00:31:29.62
full of grace,
seasoned with salt.
00:31:29.65\00:31:32.69
And I'm Irish,
on my mother's side,
00:31:32.72\00:31:34.96
I'm a salt and potatoes guy.
00:31:34.99\00:31:37.09
I like my potatoes
with a little bit of salt.
00:31:37.13\00:31:39.83
And if you come
over to our house,
00:31:39.86\00:31:41.20
you're going to get potatoes,
00:31:41.23\00:31:42.56
you're going to get
rice and beans also,
00:31:42.60\00:31:43.93
because my wife is Hispanic,
00:31:43.97\00:31:45.30
but you're
going to get potatoes.
00:31:45.33\00:31:47.10
But if you were to
come to my house for dinner,
00:31:47.14\00:31:48.67
and I was to set a
plate in front of you,
00:31:48.70\00:31:50.04
and I was to pile on salts,
00:31:50.07\00:31:52.04
I mean, the whole
plate is full of salt,
00:31:52.07\00:31:54.11
and sprinkle on a
few potatoes on the top,
00:31:54.14\00:31:56.44
what would you think?
00:31:56.48\00:31:57.98
Ugh, right?
00:31:58.01\00:31:59.88
But sometimes that's what we do
00:31:59.91\00:32:01.95
with the three angels' messages.
00:32:01.98\00:32:04.29
We are the salt of the world.
00:32:04.32\00:32:06.65
And we need to
have the savior of salt.
00:32:06.69\00:32:09.59
But to make it all salt,
00:32:09.62\00:32:12.93
with a sprinkle of
potatoes is like telling people
00:32:12.96\00:32:15.26
about all of the prophecies
in the mark of the beast
00:32:15.30\00:32:17.03
and then closing
up with the line,
00:32:17.07\00:32:18.53
and by the way, Jesus loves you.
00:32:18.57\00:32:21.50
We need the plate to
be filled with grace.
00:32:21.54\00:32:24.21
But don't leave off the salt
00:32:24.24\00:32:25.97
because the world
is bland with iniquity.
00:32:26.01\00:32:29.68
We need a combination of the two
00:32:29.71\00:32:31.18
but we need to be
heavy on the grace
00:32:31.21\00:32:32.78
according to
Colossians 4, 6:4, 4:6.
00:32:32.81\00:32:38.15
If you read the
whole book of Colossians,
00:32:38.19\00:32:39.72
you'll find that verse in there.
00:32:39.75\00:32:42.32
So Jesus is honest.
00:32:42.36\00:32:45.13
And then verse 32.
00:32:45.16\00:32:47.30
"But after I am risen again,
00:32:47.33\00:32:49.63
I will go before
you into Galilee."
00:32:49.66\00:32:52.17
This is powerful.
00:32:52.20\00:32:53.54
Jesus gave the
disciples assurance,
00:32:53.57\00:32:56.47
even though they
were going to desert Him.
00:32:56.50\00:32:58.31
He gave them
assurance of forgiveness,
00:32:58.34\00:33:00.01
before the denial,
00:33:00.04\00:33:01.41
they have the
assurance of forgiveness.
00:33:01.44\00:33:03.38
And after His
death and resurrection,
00:33:03.41\00:33:04.81
they knew that
they were forgiven,
00:33:04.85\00:33:06.92
and they were dear
to the heart of God.
00:33:06.95\00:33:08.42
We need assurance.
00:33:08.45\00:33:09.78
If we're going to get
through the end of time,
00:33:09.82\00:33:11.15
we need assurance,
00:33:11.19\00:33:12.52
we need the
assurance of God's forgiveness,
00:33:12.55\00:33:13.89
that He's with us
00:33:13.92\00:33:15.26
that we have the
righteousness of Jesus Christ.
00:33:15.29\00:33:16.93
And the disciples had that
00:33:16.96\00:33:18.29
and that's what was
going to take them through
00:33:18.33\00:33:20.23
even their own betrayal.
00:33:20.26\00:33:23.53
But notice how
the disciples respond.
00:33:23.57\00:33:26.57
26:33-34,
00:33:26.60\00:33:31.01
"And Peter
answered and said unto Him,
00:33:31.04\00:33:32.87
the all men will be offended
00:33:32.91\00:33:34.51
because of thee yet
well, I never be offended."
00:33:34.54\00:33:37.35
You know, that's the way we are,
00:33:37.38\00:33:38.71
especially, I think,
00:33:38.75\00:33:40.08
as Seventh-day
Adventist Christians,
00:33:40.12\00:33:41.45
well, we know that
all the other churches
00:33:41.48\00:33:43.05
are going to
apostatize and be offended
00:33:43.08\00:33:45.65
and receive the
mark of the beast,
00:33:45.69\00:33:47.02
but we're not
going to because we know
00:33:47.06\00:33:48.46
what the mark of the beast is,
00:33:48.49\00:33:49.82
and we would never
receive the mark of the beast.
00:33:49.86\00:33:52.49
We're like Peter.
00:33:52.53\00:33:54.36
But notice,
00:33:54.40\00:33:55.73
the other disciples
respond in verse 34.
00:33:55.76\00:34:00.44
Excuse me, verse
36, we just read 35,
00:34:00.47\00:34:04.41
oh verse 35, excuse
me, we just said 34.
00:34:04.44\00:34:06.61
"And Peter said unto Him,
though I should die with thee,
00:34:06.64\00:34:10.45
yet will I not deny thee.
00:34:10.48\00:34:11.81
Likewise said
all the disciples."
00:34:11.85\00:34:14.65
They didn't know themselves,
00:34:14.68\00:34:16.15
and many times we
don't know ourselves,
00:34:16.18\00:34:17.59
we don't know our weaknesses.
00:34:17.62\00:34:19.12
And so Jesus
Christ has to be again,
00:34:19.15\00:34:22.19
honest with us and we
have to receive His words.
00:34:22.22\00:34:26.59
But Jesus, verse 35,
00:34:26.63\00:34:28.70
doesn't argue
with the disciples.
00:34:28.73\00:34:30.07
And many times, you
know, we argue with people.
00:34:30.10\00:34:31.63
Sometimes we need to
just put the truth out there,
00:34:31.67\00:34:34.17
we needed to
share the Word of God,
00:34:34.20\00:34:35.84
and we need to
let the Holy Spirit
00:34:35.87\00:34:37.71
do the convicting.
00:34:37.74\00:34:39.64
And many times when we
share the truth with people,
00:34:39.67\00:34:42.14
it's going to take
time for it to settle in.
00:34:42.18\00:34:44.88
Share the
principles of Bible prophecy.
00:34:44.91\00:34:47.25
Don't worry about
how people respond.
00:34:47.28\00:34:48.68
Don't worry if
they don't accept it,
00:34:48.72\00:34:50.09
but when they go
through the trial,
00:34:50.12\00:34:52.02
maybe they will
be more receptive.
00:34:52.05\00:34:53.39
The disciples
were not ready to hear
00:34:53.42\00:34:55.39
the straight
testimony from Jesus Christ,
00:34:55.42\00:34:57.23
He shared it anyway.
00:34:57.26\00:34:58.73
But He didn't
start arguing with them
00:34:58.76\00:35:01.36
when their
response was a denial.
00:35:01.40\00:35:03.30
No, no, no, no, no,
we'll never do that.
00:35:03.33\00:35:05.87
He didn't argue with them.
00:35:05.90\00:35:07.24
He just left it.
00:35:07.27\00:35:08.60
He just left it.
00:35:08.64\00:35:10.37
Verse 35, He just left it.
00:35:10.41\00:35:12.74
"Peter said unto Him,
though I should die with you,
00:35:12.77\00:35:15.04
I will not deny you
like all the disciples.
00:35:15.08\00:35:17.41
Then comes Jesus with them
00:35:17.45\00:35:19.58
unto the place
called Gethsemane,
00:35:19.61\00:35:21.28
and said unto the disciples,
00:35:21.32\00:35:22.65
sit here while I
go and pray yonder."
00:35:22.68\00:35:24.05
So He doesn't argue with them.
00:35:24.09\00:35:25.79
When we share the truth,
and people argue against it,
00:35:25.82\00:35:30.09
and resist it, leave it.
00:35:30.13\00:35:32.19
They will go through
their own experiences,
00:35:32.23\00:35:33.96
their own trials,
00:35:34.00\00:35:35.33
and hopefully those experiences
will bring them to the place
00:35:35.36\00:35:38.27
where they remembered
what you shared with them,
00:35:38.30\00:35:40.40
and they'll be
open to receiving.
00:35:40.44\00:35:43.00
We're told that
00:35:43.04\00:35:44.37
when the mark of
the beast is enforced,
00:35:44.41\00:35:46.91
the seeds that have been sown
will spring up and bear fruit.
00:35:46.94\00:35:51.58
And a lot of that will happen
00:35:51.61\00:35:52.95
because of the
conviction of the Holy Spirit,
00:35:52.98\00:35:54.42
not because of our
theological arguments.
00:35:54.45\00:35:56.15
The arguments
have all been given.
00:35:56.18\00:35:58.95
Then it says in verse
36, as Jesus goes yonder,
00:35:58.99\00:36:01.82
it says in verse 6,
that He went to pray.
00:36:01.86\00:36:04.26
This is one of the most
significant preparations
00:36:04.29\00:36:07.36
we can make for the end of time.
00:36:07.40\00:36:09.16
We need to pray, we
need to be on our knees,
00:36:09.20\00:36:10.87
we need to be just
listening for the voice of God.
00:36:10.90\00:36:13.37
You have nothing to say to God,
00:36:13.40\00:36:14.77
just listen and think about
the truths that He's given you
00:36:14.80\00:36:17.24
and He will share
with you thoughts.
00:36:17.27\00:36:19.04
He will impress you
with exactly what it is
00:36:19.07\00:36:22.41
that you need to say and do.
00:36:22.44\00:36:25.61
I experienced that
over and over again
00:36:25.65\00:36:28.25
as I wait in His presence.
00:36:28.28\00:36:29.62
Sometimes we just
don't wait long enough.
00:36:29.65\00:36:30.99
We say a quick
prayer, and then we're off
00:36:31.02\00:36:32.45
to do whatever is we plan to do
00:36:32.49\00:36:34.06
when God might be
wanting to change our plans,
00:36:34.09\00:36:36.56
He might have
something else in mind for us.
00:36:36.59\00:36:39.96
And then in verses 37 and 38,
00:36:40.00\00:36:42.33
it says that
"Jesus took with Him
00:36:42.36\00:36:43.70
Peter and the
two sons of Zebedee,
00:36:43.73\00:36:46.77
and began to be
sorrowful and very heavy.
00:36:46.80\00:36:48.67
And then He said
unto them, verse 38,
00:36:48.70\00:36:50.84
'My soul is exceeding sorrowful,
00:36:50.87\00:36:52.54
even unto death:
00:36:52.57\00:36:53.91
tarry here and watch with me.'"
00:36:53.94\00:36:57.28
So Jesus asked for help.
00:36:57.31\00:36:59.41
He asked for help.
00:36:59.45\00:37:01.45
He asked people to pray
for Him and to pray with Him.
00:37:01.48\00:37:04.29
We need to do that also.
00:37:04.32\00:37:06.02
That's a big part of
the ministry here at 3ABN.
00:37:06.05\00:37:09.99
We have prayer requests
that come in all the time.
00:37:10.03\00:37:12.43
Sometimes we pray
about those requests
00:37:12.46\00:37:15.00
at our staff meetings,
at our smaller meeting,
00:37:15.03\00:37:16.60
sometimes I get texts
from the management here
00:37:16.63\00:37:20.40
to pray for a specific person.
00:37:20.44\00:37:22.70
We've been praying
for a young lady recently.
00:37:22.74\00:37:24.61
And as you know,
Danny shared with you,
00:37:24.64\00:37:26.57
God is answering those
prayers, praise the Lord.
00:37:26.61\00:37:29.31
God will answer prayers.
00:37:29.34\00:37:31.28
We need to ask
people to pray for us,
00:37:31.31\00:37:33.05
we need to pray.
00:37:33.08\00:37:34.45
And then it says in verse 39,
00:37:34.48\00:37:35.82
and this is huge
for Jesus, this is huge.
00:37:35.85\00:37:38.79
"And He went a little
further, He fell on His face,
00:37:38.82\00:37:42.16
and He prayed, 'Oh, my Father,
00:37:42.19\00:37:45.63
if it be possible,
let this cup pass for me:
00:37:45.66\00:37:49.10
nevertheless not as I
will, but as thou wilt."
00:37:49.13\00:37:54.67
Jesus Himself, the
perfect Holy Son of God,
00:37:54.70\00:38:00.14
separate from
sinners, blameless,
00:38:00.18\00:38:02.98
confessed the
weakness of His human world,
00:38:03.01\00:38:06.61
of His human nature.
00:38:06.65\00:38:08.62
His human nature
shrank from the cross
00:38:08.65\00:38:13.89
as decidedly as ours does.
00:38:13.92\00:38:18.23
He came to meet us where we are.
00:38:18.26\00:38:20.40
And the greatest battle
00:38:20.43\00:38:21.76
we face is the
battle against our wills,
00:38:21.80\00:38:24.17
the surrender
of the will to God,
00:38:24.20\00:38:25.63
it's like plucking out the
eye or cutting off the arm.
00:38:25.67\00:38:28.60
Jesus faced that battle.
00:38:28.64\00:38:31.51
And He
surrendered His will to God.
00:38:31.54\00:38:34.41
He said,
"Nevertheless, not My will,
00:38:34.44\00:38:36.04
but Thine will be done."
00:38:36.08\00:38:37.55
And that was it, right?
00:38:37.58\00:38:38.91
It was all over.
00:38:38.95\00:38:40.28
He prayed, He
made that surrender,
00:38:40.32\00:38:41.65
and it was done.
00:38:41.68\00:38:43.02
And then He went
back in verses 40 and 41,
00:38:43.05\00:38:44.59
"And He came to the disciples
and He found them asleep,
00:38:44.62\00:38:47.09
and He said unto Peter,
00:38:47.12\00:38:48.46
'What, could you not
watch with me for one hour?
00:38:48.49\00:38:52.23
Watch and pray that ye
enter not into temptation,
00:38:52.26\00:38:54.16
for the spirit
indeed is willing,
00:38:54.20\00:38:55.53
but the flesh is weak."
00:38:55.56\00:38:56.90
So He prays to God,
00:38:56.93\00:38:58.27
He surrenders His will
to God, He's all filled up.
00:38:58.30\00:39:00.14
And then He
goes to the disciples
00:39:00.17\00:39:01.70
and He sees
that they're failing,
00:39:01.74\00:39:03.64
and He encourages them.
00:39:03.67\00:39:05.11
He encourages
them to be faithful
00:39:05.14\00:39:06.57
and watching in prayer.
00:39:06.61\00:39:07.94
And you know, sometimes
when we encourage others
00:39:07.98\00:39:10.08
or sometimes when we see others
who aren't being faithful,
00:39:10.11\00:39:12.45
it actually affects us.
00:39:12.48\00:39:16.45
Jesus goes back in verse 42,
00:39:16.48\00:39:19.75
again, the second
time and He prayed, saying,
00:39:19.79\00:39:21.59
"Oh, My Father, if this
cup may not pass away from Me,
00:39:21.62\00:39:24.43
except I drink
it, Thy will be done."
00:39:24.46\00:39:26.06
He prays the second time
to surrender His will to God.
00:39:26.09\00:39:31.10
No, it wasn't done in
complete the first time.
00:39:31.13\00:39:33.57
Jesus had to pray again.
00:39:33.60\00:39:36.40
No, it's not good enough for
us to just pray in the morning
00:39:36.44\00:39:39.11
to have our
devotions in the morning.
00:39:39.14\00:39:40.48
We need to maybe need to
pray again in the afternoon.
00:39:40.51\00:39:43.28
We may need to pray
again in the midmorning.
00:39:43.31\00:39:45.08
We may need to pray
again in the midafternoon.
00:39:45.11\00:39:46.78
We may need to
pray every single hour.
00:39:46.82\00:39:48.62
We may need to constantly
surrender our will to God.
00:39:48.65\00:39:51.32
Jesus Christ
surrenders His will to God
00:39:51.35\00:39:53.76
and then He does it again.
00:39:53.79\00:39:57.73
We need to continue
00:39:57.76\00:39:59.09
surrendering our
will to the Lord,
00:39:59.13\00:40:01.96
surrendering it to
God again and again.
00:40:02.00\00:40:05.60
And then in verse 43,
00:40:05.63\00:40:07.27
"Jesus goes back
to the disciples,
00:40:07.30\00:40:08.74
He came again, He
found them asleep,
00:40:08.77\00:40:10.51
again, for
their eyes were heavy,
00:40:10.54\00:40:12.47
and He left them
and He went away again."
00:40:12.51\00:40:15.68
Jesus Christ doesn't
rebuke the disciples this time.
00:40:15.71\00:40:18.85
You know, you can get on people,
00:40:18.88\00:40:20.22
you can write people,
you can just tell them
00:40:20.25\00:40:21.82
what they're doing
wrong, what they're doing wrong,
00:40:21.85\00:40:23.22
what they're doing
wrong over and over again.
00:40:23.25\00:40:25.32
But Jesus tells us, "No."
00:40:25.35\00:40:26.69
We need to tell people,
00:40:29.66\00:40:30.99
we need to be
faithful to people,
00:40:31.03\00:40:32.36
but don't write it.
00:40:32.39\00:40:33.73
Leave that with the Lord.
00:40:33.76\00:40:35.66
You've done your
job, you've been faithful.
00:40:35.70\00:40:37.87
Now it's time to pray up.
00:40:37.90\00:40:39.53
And it says in that same verse,
00:40:39.57\00:40:42.44
that Jesus,
verse 43, 44, 45, 44,
00:40:42.47\00:40:47.61
He left them,
He went away again.
00:40:47.64\00:40:49.14
And He prayed the third
time saying the same words.
00:40:49.18\00:40:51.71
Sometimes we write other people,
00:40:51.75\00:40:53.88
because we have
our own weaknesses.
00:40:53.92\00:40:55.55
And Jesus saying, "No,
I have my own issues here.
00:40:55.58\00:40:57.25
I have my own weaknesses,
00:40:57.29\00:40:58.62
I have the thing
that I need to surrender.
00:40:58.65\00:40:59.99
And I'm not going
to spend a lot of time
00:41:00.02\00:41:01.36
writing other people
00:41:01.39\00:41:02.72
when I need to be
surrendering My will to God."
00:41:02.76\00:41:04.09
And so Jesus
focuses, this third time,
00:41:04.13\00:41:07.16
on confessing
His weakness to God
00:41:07.20\00:41:09.00
and surrendering
His will to God's will,
00:41:09.03\00:41:11.30
His human will to God's will.
00:41:11.33\00:41:12.77
And you know,
it's really interesting
00:41:12.80\00:41:14.27
that Jesus reveals Himself
00:41:14.30\00:41:17.77
as one with us in
this one instance.
00:41:17.81\00:41:20.44
I'm sure that
there were many times
00:41:20.48\00:41:21.84
when Christ
surrendered His will to God,
00:41:21.88\00:41:23.21
but here, we see it clearly
00:41:23.24\00:41:26.08
in some of the
greatest struggles
00:41:26.11\00:41:27.45
that He faced.
00:41:27.48\00:41:29.82
And then in verse 45,
00:41:29.85\00:41:31.95
Jesus comes to
the disciples again,
00:41:31.99\00:41:34.19
He sees them sleeping,
00:41:34.22\00:41:36.36
and He says, "Sleep
now, take your rest, behold,
00:41:36.39\00:41:38.93
the hour's at hand,
00:41:38.96\00:41:40.63
and the Son of Man is betrayed
into the hands of sinners."
00:41:40.66\00:41:46.53
Christ battle is over.
00:41:46.57\00:41:48.14
His personal battle
00:41:48.17\00:41:50.07
with the surrender
of His will is over.
00:41:50.11\00:41:53.11
He is at rest, He
is at peace with God,
00:41:53.14\00:41:57.71
and He exudes that
peace to His disciples.
00:41:57.75\00:42:03.59
He lets them rest,
00:42:03.62\00:42:05.29
because He knows a
battle is coming for them
00:42:05.32\00:42:07.39
that they were unwilling
to face in this moment.
00:42:07.42\00:42:13.06
So Matthew Chapter 26
00:42:13.09\00:42:14.60
was just exploding
open in this airport.
00:42:14.63\00:42:20.14
And I was so excited.
00:42:20.17\00:42:21.67
You know, I was sitting there,
I was reading all these verses,
00:42:21.70\00:42:23.41
and I was just like,
"Wow, this is amazing.
00:42:23.44\00:42:25.47
Look at all of us."
00:42:25.51\00:42:26.84
This is what it means
00:42:26.88\00:42:28.21
to resist unto
blood, striving against sin.
00:42:28.24\00:42:29.58
I see it now, it
makes so much sense.
00:42:29.61\00:42:31.18
God isn't asking
me to sweat blood.
00:42:31.21\00:42:32.91
He's asking me to follow Jesus,
because Jesus is the author,
00:42:32.95\00:42:36.32
and Jesus is the finisher.
00:42:36.35\00:42:39.12
And He wants us
to let Jesus finish
00:42:39.15\00:42:42.36
what He's begun.
00:42:42.39\00:42:44.23
He wants us to get
our focus on Christ.
00:42:44.26\00:42:47.03
And so I'm in this
airport, and I'm just excited.
00:42:47.06\00:42:49.30
You know, I've already tried
00:42:49.33\00:42:50.90
my hardest to
get on another flight
00:42:50.93\00:42:52.77
and they just
aren't any available.
00:42:52.80\00:42:54.14
But I finally, as I'm done here,
00:42:54.17\00:42:55.54
and I'm kind of happy
00:42:55.57\00:42:56.91
and all that
irritation and impatience
00:42:56.94\00:42:58.64
is all gone away, my
heart is filled with joy.
00:42:58.67\00:43:00.48
And I'm just looking
around and everyone's my friend.
00:43:00.51\00:43:03.71
They're probably wondering,
what's happened to this guy?
00:43:03.75\00:43:07.62
I get a brilliant idea,
00:43:07.65\00:43:09.02
I decided to
call my travel agent.
00:43:09.05\00:43:10.55
She's the one that
booked the flight and asked her
00:43:10.59\00:43:12.39
if she can get me
out of this situation.
00:43:12.42\00:43:13.86
So I called her up,
00:43:13.89\00:43:15.22
and I tell her
what my situation is,
00:43:15.26\00:43:16.59
and I have to get to Florida.
00:43:16.62\00:43:17.96
That's the destination
for the camp meeting,
00:43:17.99\00:43:19.33
the 3ABN camp meeting.
00:43:19.36\00:43:20.70
And I have a certain D.H. person
00:43:20.73\00:43:23.73
that has set my schedule.
00:43:23.77\00:43:25.73
And if I don't make it,
00:43:25.77\00:43:27.10
I'm going to be in
big trouble with D.H.
00:43:27.14\00:43:31.41
And she says, "Oh, that's easy."
00:43:31.44\00:43:33.07
She says that's
not a problem at all.
00:43:33.11\00:43:35.11
I said, "What do you mean?"
00:43:35.14\00:43:36.48
And she said, "Every flight
00:43:36.51\00:43:38.85
has open seats in first class.
00:43:38.88\00:43:43.12
I said, "How can I
get in first class?"
00:43:43.15\00:43:46.79
She said, "You
are a premier fly,
00:43:46.82\00:43:48.72
you fly a lot on this airline,
00:43:48.76\00:43:50.73
all you need to do
is walk up to the podium
00:43:50.76\00:43:53.50
and tell the flight attendant,
00:43:53.53\00:43:54.86
you really need to
get to your destination
00:43:54.90\00:43:56.26
and you would like,
00:43:56.30\00:43:57.63
you would request for them
to put you in first class."
00:43:57.67\00:44:00.00
And I thought, "Would that work?
00:44:00.04\00:44:02.94
I mean, it'd be great to be
in first class anyway, right?
00:44:02.97\00:44:05.14
Would that work?"
00:44:05.17\00:44:06.57
And so I decided to try it.
00:44:06.61\00:44:08.64
I mean, why not?
00:44:08.68\00:44:10.01
Give it a chance, right?
00:44:10.05\00:44:11.81
So sure enough, I go up there.
00:44:11.85\00:44:15.15
I mentioned that I need
to get to this destination.
00:44:15.18\00:44:17.39
I mentioned what
my travel agent said
00:44:17.42\00:44:19.85
and I request if they
would put me in first class.
00:44:19.89\00:44:22.46
And they did a little bit of,
00:44:22.49\00:44:23.83
you know, button
pushing on the computer
00:44:23.86\00:44:25.29
and they looking on the screen
00:44:25.33\00:44:26.76
and they said, "Yep, no problem.
00:44:26.80\00:44:29.46
We can get you in first class
on the next plane out of here."
00:44:29.50\00:44:32.17
And I was like, "Yes.
00:44:32.20\00:44:33.97
This is amazing."
00:44:34.00\00:44:35.50
I was so happy.
I was so excited.
00:44:35.54\00:44:37.84
I had a sermon
for the camp meeting
00:44:37.87\00:44:40.58
in Matthew 26
00:44:40.61\00:44:41.94
in relation to
Hebrews Chapter 12.
00:44:41.98\00:44:43.51
I had figured out a verse
00:44:43.55\00:44:45.11
that I put on the
back shelf for years,
00:44:45.15\00:44:47.02
I didn't understand,
00:44:47.05\00:44:48.38
what does it mean
to resist unto blood?
00:44:48.42\00:44:49.75
And now I was going
to fly to my destination.
00:44:49.78\00:44:51.65
I was going to
get there on time.
00:44:51.69\00:44:53.19
D.H. was going to
be super happy with me.
00:44:53.22\00:44:56.56
That's what I was
thinking foremost, of course.
00:44:56.59\00:44:58.49
And I was going
to fly first class.
00:44:58.53\00:45:01.40
Well, it was a late flight.
00:45:01.43\00:45:02.76
But I got on the plane,
00:45:02.80\00:45:04.13
I went into first
class, I sat down,
00:45:04.17\00:45:05.50
there was another
guy sitting next to me.
00:45:05.53\00:45:06.87
And he looked over at
me kind of sheepishly,
00:45:06.90\00:45:08.24
and he said, "I don't
normally fly first class."
00:45:08.27\00:45:11.64
And I said,
"Yeah, I don't either."
00:45:11.67\00:45:13.01
He was a plumber,
and I was a pastor,
00:45:13.04\00:45:15.01
and none of us usually
can afford first class.
00:45:15.04\00:45:16.91
And we just started talking.
00:45:16.95\00:45:18.95
And long story short,
this man was an atheist.
00:45:18.98\00:45:22.58
And I told him,
"I was a pastor."
00:45:22.62\00:45:25.12
And he said, "You know,
00:45:25.15\00:45:26.49
I've gone through
a divorce recently,
00:45:26.52\00:45:27.89
and my daughter, I think, needs
to know a little bit about God.
00:45:27.92\00:45:30.93
So I started going to church."
00:45:30.96\00:45:32.73
And we started
having this conversation
00:45:32.76\00:45:35.26
about the Bible, and about
God, and it was incredible.
00:45:35.30\00:45:38.50
It was a providential encounter.
00:45:38.53\00:45:40.87
You know, God is overruling.
00:45:40.90\00:45:45.67
He is working together for
good to them that love Him,
00:45:45.71\00:45:49.68
and are called
according to His purpose.
00:45:49.71\00:45:52.21
And as we started talking,
00:45:52.25\00:45:54.42
they brought us
our meals back then,
00:45:54.45\00:45:57.55
and still today, in
first class, you get meals.
00:45:57.59\00:46:00.69
And he got his
meal and I got my meal.
00:46:00.72\00:46:02.89
And I was a little bit
sheepish about what to do.
00:46:02.92\00:46:06.09
Because, you know, I
always pray over my meals.
00:46:06.13\00:46:07.83
And sometimes I feel like
00:46:07.86\00:46:09.20
well, he's, you know,
like, "What should I do?"
00:46:09.23\00:46:11.40
And he looks at me and he said,
00:46:11.43\00:46:13.54
"Should we pray over our meals?"
00:46:13.57\00:46:16.04
The atheist says
to me on this plane,
00:46:16.07\00:46:19.14
"Should we pray over our meals?"
00:46:19.17\00:46:20.81
And I said,
"Yeah. Yeah. Let's pray.
00:46:20.84\00:46:22.44
Let's pray." We prayed together.
00:46:22.48\00:46:24.48
It was amazing.
00:46:24.51\00:46:26.88
Anyway, finally, we
got to our destination.
00:46:26.92\00:46:28.88
I got into Atlanta, I
don't know what time it was,
00:46:28.92\00:46:30.72
it was probably 12 o'clock
at night, it was really late.
00:46:30.75\00:46:33.62
And I went to
my car rental place
00:46:33.66\00:46:36.09
and it was closed,
00:46:36.12\00:46:37.53
the booth was closed.
00:46:37.56\00:46:39.16
And so are all of the
others except for one,
00:46:39.19\00:46:42.30
and the one that was open
had a line that was so long,
00:46:42.33\00:46:45.77
it would
probably take another hour
00:46:45.80\00:46:47.14
just to get to the counter.
00:46:47.17\00:46:48.50
But I got in the
back of that line.
00:46:48.54\00:46:49.87
And I'm telling you I
was in the back of that line.
00:46:49.90\00:46:51.41
It wasn't my car rental place.
00:46:51.44\00:46:53.54
And I waited for a long time,
00:46:53.58\00:46:55.04
and I was just hoping
that they would have a car
00:46:55.08\00:46:57.31
and that they
would rent me a car
00:46:57.35\00:46:58.68
even though I
hadn't reserved one.
00:46:58.71\00:47:02.78
So I got to the
front of the line.
00:47:02.82\00:47:04.92
Finally I got to the counter.
00:47:04.95\00:47:06.96
And the...
00:47:06.99\00:47:08.69
I told the lady my
dilemma, my situation.
00:47:08.72\00:47:10.63
She said, "Oh, yes, yes,
00:47:10.66\00:47:12.29
we can rent you
a car, no problem.
00:47:12.33\00:47:13.66
We've got some cars left."
00:47:13.70\00:47:15.03
And so she went to
look at what they had.
00:47:15.06\00:47:17.27
And she came back and she said,
00:47:17.30\00:47:18.63
"Well, unfortunately,
we've only got two cars left,
00:47:18.67\00:47:22.84
and they're both
Ford Mustang GTs."
00:47:22.87\00:47:27.64
Now, that was right back
00:47:27.68\00:47:29.21
when the new old Ford
Mustang GTs was coming out.
00:47:29.24\00:47:32.35
I don't know if
you remember that,
00:47:32.38\00:47:33.72
you know, when they
went back to the old style,
00:47:33.75\00:47:35.32
but they made the new.
00:47:35.35\00:47:36.79
I was like, "You mean
the new Ford Mustang GTs?"
00:47:36.82\00:47:41.02
And they said,
"Yeah, yeah, yeah."
00:47:41.06\00:47:42.76
I saw that is a bummer.
00:47:42.79\00:47:44.13
That's the only
two cars you have left.
00:47:44.16\00:47:46.46
Oh, that's going to be tough.
00:47:46.49\00:47:48.46
And they said, "Would
you like red or yellow?"
00:47:48.50\00:47:52.30
I said, "Well,
driving into camp meeting
00:47:52.33\00:47:55.30
as this pastor speaker
in a red Ford Mustang GT
00:47:55.34\00:47:59.77
might be a little
bit overwhelming."
00:47:59.81\00:48:01.71
I'm thinking in my brain.
00:48:01.74\00:48:03.45
So I'll take the yellow one.
00:48:03.48\00:48:05.28
And so they went
back and they checked,
00:48:05.31\00:48:07.65
and they came
back and they said,
00:48:07.68\00:48:09.02
you know, "We're really sorry.
00:48:09.05\00:48:10.49
But the red one is the
only one we have left."
00:48:10.52\00:48:12.69
I said, "Well, I'll
take the red one then."
00:48:12.72\00:48:15.22
And so here I
was, in a situation
00:48:15.26\00:48:19.03
where my plane was
delayed, frustrated, impatient,
00:48:19.06\00:48:23.26
impressed to open
the Bible and study,
00:48:23.30\00:48:26.43
challenging God with a
verse that I put on back shelf,
00:48:26.47\00:48:29.07
and having God finally
give me understanding that verse
00:48:29.10\00:48:32.61
in such a way that
it blessed my heart,
00:48:32.64\00:48:35.41
and actually gave me a
sermon for the camp meeting
00:48:35.44\00:48:37.25
I was going to that I
wasn't planning on sharing.
00:48:37.28\00:48:39.88
God redirects us sometimes.
00:48:39.91\00:48:41.88
And then getting a
first class ticket,
00:48:41.92\00:48:44.82
a first class
seat next to an atheist
00:48:44.85\00:48:46.89
who was seeking God,
getting to the airport so late
00:48:46.92\00:48:49.76
that my rental
car wasn't available,
00:48:49.79\00:48:51.53
but getting another rental car
00:48:51.56\00:48:52.89
that was a Ford Mustang GT
00:48:52.93\00:48:55.23
that just came
out of the factory,
00:48:55.26\00:48:57.00
'cause that's what rental
cars use, they use new cars,
00:48:57.03\00:48:59.37
and driving into camp
meeting, and I'm telling you,
00:48:59.40\00:49:01.60
it was about 12:30 at
night, and when I got to my car,
00:49:01.64\00:49:04.07
I thought, man,
"It's going to be so cool
00:49:04.11\00:49:06.64
to see what this
thing has under the hood."
00:49:06.68\00:49:10.45
Right?
00:49:10.48\00:49:11.81
That's Bible speak for,
00:49:11.85\00:49:13.18
I want to put the
pedal to the metal
00:49:13.21\00:49:14.75
and see how far and how
fast I can get down the road.
00:49:14.78\00:49:17.42
So I pulled out of
the rental car place,
00:49:17.45\00:49:21.39
and I saw a police officer.
00:49:21.42\00:49:22.79
I thought, "Well,
I'm going to have to wait
00:49:22.82\00:49:24.16
a little bit longer."
00:49:24.19\00:49:25.53
Went down the road a few blocks.
00:49:25.56\00:49:26.90
I saw another
police officer, I'm like.
00:49:26.93\00:49:28.63
"Whoa, are they waiting for me?
00:49:28.66\00:49:30.23
What's going on here?"
00:49:30.27\00:49:31.80
Maybe God is, and lo and behold,
00:49:31.83\00:49:34.64
I arrived there
00:49:34.67\00:49:36.27
the evening of a
motorcycle rally,
00:49:36.30\00:49:39.37
and I discovered that there
were hundreds of motorcycles
00:49:39.41\00:49:42.48
everywhere driving through town,
00:49:42.51\00:49:44.71
and there were
police everywhere,
00:49:44.75\00:49:46.21
and I wasn't going to
get my opportunity to see
00:49:46.25\00:49:48.48
what was under the hood
of that fourth Mustang GT
00:49:48.52\00:49:51.59
on my way to camp meeting.
00:49:51.62\00:49:54.06
So I ended up
spending the night in town.
00:49:54.09\00:49:55.92
And then I drove the next
day down to the camp meeting.
00:49:55.96\00:49:58.79
And I remember coming
in there in the daytime,
00:49:58.83\00:50:00.83
and everyone looking at me,
00:50:00.86\00:50:03.47
looking at that Ford Mustang GT
00:50:03.50\00:50:05.67
and figuring out
that I was driving.
00:50:05.70\00:50:11.01
I thought, "Well,
I can live that down,
00:50:11.04\00:50:12.54
I'll just tell the story.
00:50:12.57\00:50:13.91
You know, that'll get
me out of the situation
00:50:13.94\00:50:15.88
where people are wondering why
I'm driving a Ford Mustang GT."
00:50:15.91\00:50:18.61
And sure enough,
in the camp meeting,
00:50:18.65\00:50:21.15
I open up the Word of
God to Hebrews Chapter 12,
00:50:21.18\00:50:25.05
and shared the story,
00:50:25.09\00:50:26.42
the testimony experience
that God has just given me.
00:50:26.45\00:50:32.19
God wants to give each one of us
00:50:32.23\00:50:34.93
an experience with Him.
00:50:34.96\00:50:37.57
An experience
not only in His Word,
00:50:37.60\00:50:39.70
but an experience from His
Word that impacts our lives.
00:50:39.73\00:50:44.11
There are a lot of verses
00:50:44.14\00:50:46.51
that we skip over in
the Book of Revelation,
00:50:46.54\00:50:49.31
that identify
God's remnant church,
00:50:49.34\00:50:52.28
and we need to stop doing that.
00:50:52.31\00:50:54.42
There's only two
that we normally focus on,
00:50:54.45\00:50:56.28
Revelation 12:17, right?
00:50:56.32\00:50:58.42
And Revelation 14:12.
00:50:58.45\00:51:00.96
But you know, there
are five other places
00:51:00.99\00:51:02.49
where God's
remnant church is described
00:51:02.52\00:51:04.86
in the Book of Revelation.
00:51:04.89\00:51:06.76
And one of them I
know we're familiar with,
00:51:06.80\00:51:09.26
one of them is Revelation 12:11.
00:51:09.30\00:51:14.34
You know what it says?
00:51:14.37\00:51:16.00
And they, God's people,
overcame him, the dragon,
00:51:16.04\00:51:19.51
by the word of their testimony,
and the blood of the Lamb,
00:51:19.54\00:51:25.35
and they love not
their lives unto the death.
00:51:25.38\00:51:28.35
Actually, it says it
in a different order.
00:51:28.38\00:51:30.39
It says, they overcame
him by the blood of the Lamb,
00:51:30.42\00:51:32.19
and by the word
of their testimony.
00:51:32.22\00:51:34.49
And I see that in Matthew 26,
00:51:34.52\00:51:37.76
I see the blood of the
Lamb, the focus on Jesus.
00:51:37.79\00:51:42.03
I see the relationship
00:51:42.06\00:51:44.10
that Jesus had
with His disciples,
00:51:44.13\00:51:45.97
the relationship
that God wants us
00:51:46.00\00:51:48.14
to have with one another,
00:51:48.17\00:51:49.50
the relationship
that God wants us
00:51:49.54\00:51:51.07
to have in the church,
00:51:51.11\00:51:53.34
and the testimony
that He wants us to bear,
00:51:53.38\00:51:55.48
not a testimony,
00:51:55.51\00:51:56.85
that's a one-time testimony
00:51:56.88\00:51:58.21
of how God worked in
our life so many years ago,
00:51:58.25\00:51:59.85
that's a
powerful, valid testimony.
00:51:59.88\00:52:02.08
All through His life,
from the beginning to the end,
00:52:02.12\00:52:04.15
Paul shared that testimony,
00:52:04.19\00:52:05.52
he never stopped
sharing his testimony.
00:52:05.55\00:52:07.59
You find it several
times in the New Testament,
00:52:07.62\00:52:10.56
in the New Testament experience
of the Acts of the Apostles,
00:52:10.59\00:52:13.29
you find Paul sharing
his testimony more than once,
00:52:13.33\00:52:16.03
and that's very important.
00:52:16.06\00:52:17.40
But Paul shares
other testimonies.
00:52:17.43\00:52:20.30
And when we're
in the Word of God,
00:52:20.34\00:52:22.70
and God speaks to us,
and we're honest with Him,
00:52:22.74\00:52:25.87
and we tell Him our frustrations
00:52:25.91\00:52:27.64
and our
impatience and the things
00:52:27.68\00:52:29.01
that we're struggling with,
00:52:29.04\00:52:30.38
we too will have fresh testimony
00:52:30.41\00:52:34.12
of how God is
working in our lives.
00:52:34.15\00:52:40.09
Hebrews is a relational book.
00:52:40.12\00:52:42.92
And we haven't
been able to cover
00:52:42.96\00:52:44.29
everything that's in there.
00:52:44.33\00:52:45.66
There's so much here
00:52:45.69\00:52:47.26
that God wants to share with us.
00:52:47.30\00:52:49.73
But there are
some basic principles
00:52:49.76\00:52:51.87
that are powerful
for us to understand.
00:52:51.90\00:52:56.00
First principle we've looked
at is that love is practical.
00:52:56.04\00:53:00.28
It's not just a
definition of who God is.
00:53:00.31\00:53:03.91
Love is practical,
00:53:03.95\00:53:05.28
because it
communicates in practical ways.
00:53:05.31\00:53:07.28
God communicates His
love, Hebrews Chapter 1.
00:53:07.32\00:53:10.02
In giving the gift of Himself,
He communicates His love,
00:53:10.05\00:53:12.32
Hebrews Chapter 2, in
touching us physically
00:53:12.35\00:53:14.52
becoming one with the human race
00:53:14.56\00:53:16.02
for all eternity.
00:53:16.06\00:53:17.39
He communicates His
love, Hebrews Chapter 4,
00:53:17.43\00:53:19.36
in spending quality time with us
00:53:19.39\00:53:21.00
and calling us into the Sabbath
00:53:21.03\00:53:23.57
as a doorway
into that eternal rest
00:53:23.60\00:53:26.90
or that salvation rest.
00:53:26.94\00:53:30.31
Because it's by spending time
with Jesus and beholding Him
00:53:30.34\00:53:32.81
that we become changed,
00:53:32.84\00:53:34.18
2 Corinthians 3:18.
00:53:34.21\00:53:38.11
We learned also that
00:53:38.15\00:53:39.48
God communicates His love to us
00:53:39.51\00:53:42.98
through acts of service.
00:53:43.02\00:53:45.45
Right now, He's continually
mediating in our behalf,
00:53:45.49\00:53:48.66
continually hearing our prayers,
00:53:48.69\00:53:50.59
and covering our sins
with His righteousness
00:53:50.63\00:53:53.73
as we confess them to Him.
00:53:53.76\00:53:57.43
And we learned
earlier in Hebrews Chapter 11,
00:53:57.47\00:54:02.64
that God is
communicating His love to us
00:54:02.67\00:54:05.37
through words of affirmation.
00:54:05.41\00:54:06.98
He affirms us continually
showing us what it looks like
00:54:07.01\00:54:12.25
to stand before Him in
the investigative judgment
00:54:12.28\00:54:14.55
without the record of our sins,
00:54:14.58\00:54:17.95
to stand in the
righteousness of Jesus Christ,
00:54:17.99\00:54:19.95
to be vindicated
by His righteousness,
00:54:19.99\00:54:21.76
and to have all of
our failures blotted out,
00:54:21.79\00:54:25.06
cast into the depths of the sea.
00:54:25.09\00:54:27.13
So our record looks
like the record of Noah,
00:54:27.16\00:54:29.70
and Abraham, and
Moses, and Jacob,
00:54:29.73\00:54:32.50
without a flaw,
without a failure.
00:54:32.53\00:54:35.77
And finally, God says,
00:54:35.80\00:54:37.81
as He concludes this
book of relationship,
00:54:37.84\00:54:41.51
He says to us in
Hebrews Chapter 12,
00:54:41.54\00:54:43.98
"Now don't forget, don't forget,
00:54:44.01\00:54:47.58
I'm the author,
and I'm the finisher."
00:54:47.62\00:54:51.05
I began this work of faith,
00:54:51.09\00:54:54.09
and I'm going to
finish this work of faith.
00:54:54.12\00:54:58.39
So what you need
to do is look unto me,
00:54:58.43\00:55:04.37
so that you can
deal with that sin
00:55:04.40\00:55:08.90
that so besetting
and lift off the weights,
00:55:08.94\00:55:12.34
have those weights lifted
off to you that drag you down.
00:55:12.37\00:55:16.51
But then Paul goes on
to say in Hebrews 12:15,
00:55:16.54\00:55:19.75
he says, "Looking diligently
00:55:19.78\00:55:24.29
lest any man fail
of the grace of God,
00:55:24.32\00:55:28.52
lest any root of bitterness
springing up trouble you,
00:55:28.56\00:55:32.06
and thereby many be defiled."
00:55:32.09\00:55:34.26
And I think that's going
to be our special challenge
00:55:34.30\00:55:36.23
in the end of time.
00:55:36.26\00:55:37.93
I think when we
engage with the apostasy,
00:55:37.97\00:55:42.97
that Jesus foretold to
the disciples, and that,
00:55:43.00\00:55:45.24
of course, He's foretold
us in the Book of Revelation.
00:55:45.27\00:55:47.51
When we deal with betrayal,
when we deal with coldness,
00:55:47.54\00:55:51.45
when we deal with what's
going to happen in this nation,
00:55:51.48\00:55:53.85
in the world with the deceit,
00:55:53.88\00:55:56.32
the overwhelming
evil that's going to come
00:55:56.35\00:55:58.62
against the
gospel of Jesus Christ,
00:55:58.65\00:56:00.89
we're going to be
tempted to be bitter.
00:56:00.92\00:56:04.69
And there's only one way
00:56:04.73\00:56:06.06
we can get rid of
that root of bitterness
00:56:06.09\00:56:09.23
that sometimes
we stuff way down,
00:56:09.26\00:56:11.17
hoping that it'll never come up.
00:56:11.20\00:56:13.03
There's only one way.
00:56:13.07\00:56:14.60
We to look unto
Jesus, it says, diligently.
00:56:14.64\00:56:18.84
And tonight, I
want to make an appeal
00:56:18.87\00:56:20.21
that we would do that.
00:56:20.24\00:56:21.81
We're distracted
by a lot of things
00:56:21.84\00:56:23.18
that are going on in the world.
00:56:23.21\00:56:24.55
But God wants us to
keep our focus on Christ,
00:56:24.58\00:56:27.42
and we need to do
that with all diligence
00:56:27.45\00:56:29.85
now never than ever before.
00:56:29.88\00:56:32.15
pictures of people
00:56:32.19\00:56:35.66
who follow the
Lamb wherever He goes.
00:56:35.69\00:56:39.26
That's the
diligence, wherever He goes.
00:56:39.29\00:56:42.70
Daniel Chapter
12, reveals a people
00:56:42.73\00:56:44.80
who are delivered
in the time of trouble.
00:56:44.83\00:56:46.40
Why?
00:56:46.43\00:56:47.77
Because they have been
focusing on the name of Christ
00:56:47.80\00:56:49.64
and talking
often one to another,
00:56:49.67\00:56:51.17
according to Malachi 3:60.
00:56:51.21\00:56:52.81
Let that be us.
00:56:52.84\00:56:54.38
I'm appealing to
you this evening,
00:56:54.41\00:56:56.11
those of you who are listening,
00:56:56.14\00:56:57.48
let that be
you, each one of you.
00:56:57.51\00:56:59.91
Let's get our
focus on Jesus Christ,
00:56:59.95\00:57:01.88
because He's the
only one that can finish
00:57:01.92\00:57:04.02
the work He has begun.
00:57:04.05\00:57:06.69
Let's pray.
00:57:06.72\00:57:08.19
Father in heaven,
thank You so much,
00:57:08.22\00:57:10.56
that Jesus
Christ is the finisher.
00:57:10.59\00:57:12.03
Thank You so much
that He has begun,
00:57:12.06\00:57:14.66
and He promises to
finish and calls us
00:57:14.70\00:57:16.46
to look to Him diligently.
00:57:16.50\00:57:17.83
Thank You so
much that we can know
00:57:17.87\00:57:20.64
how to resist unto
blood, striving against sin
00:57:20.67\00:57:24.24
by following the
patterned Jesus Christ,
00:57:24.27\00:57:27.64
the patterned man.
00:57:27.68\00:57:29.01
Thank You so much
that He took our humanity,
00:57:29.04\00:57:30.91
our human nature and showed us
00:57:30.95\00:57:32.78
how to surrender our wills
and trust You with everything.
00:57:32.81\00:57:36.22
Father, please, for
those out there tonight,
00:57:36.25\00:57:39.12
please deliver them,
bless them, encourage them.
00:57:39.15\00:57:44.26
And each one of us, Father,
we surrender our hearts to You
00:57:44.29\00:57:46.70
and we thank You and praise You
00:57:46.73\00:57:48.60
for this wonderful camp meeting,
00:57:48.63\00:57:50.00
for this wonderful theme,
00:57:50.03\00:57:51.53
in the name of Jesus Christ.
00:57:51.57\00:57:53.27
Amen.
00:57:53.30\00:57:54.64