Participants: Shelley Quinn (Host), Philip Dunham
Series Code: IAA
Program Code: IAA000337
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00:30 Hello, I'm Shelley Quinn and you know
00:32 this is a day that I'm filled with joy because 00:35 we have such a special guest with us. 00:37 I want to take just a moment, 00:38 read you a scripture, then I'll introduce him. 00:40 Today we are going to talk about Rich Rejoicing. 00:44 And when you see who is with us, 00:46 you will understand why he is qualified to talk about this. 00:50 I wanted to share a scripture with you though, 00:53 that comes from Zephaniah 3:17 and when we think of rejoicing, 00:57 you know the Bible says rejoice in the Lord always. 01:01 Let the joy of the Lord be your strength 01:05 but here in Zephaniah 3:17 01:08 it talks about the Lord's rejoicing. 01:11 Here's what the Bible says, 01:13 "The Lord your God in your midst, 01:16 the mighty one who will save, he will rejoice over you 01:20 with gladness, he will quiet you with his love, 01:24 he will rejoice over you with singing." 01:27 Do you ever stop to think about God like that? 01:30 God your Father, is up there in heaven, 01:33 and when you accept His Son as your Savior, 01:36 when you turn to Him and look to Him to be your strength, 01:40 God is rejoicing over you with singing, 01:43 that's an exciting thing. 01:45 Well without further adieu, let please allow me to introduce 01:49 our special guest to you today and we have returning 01:53 Pastor Philip Dunham from Salem, Oregon 01:57 and he was a conference president 01:59 of the Seventh-day Adventist Church for 40 years. 02:02 18 years in retirement but let me tell you 02:05 he didn't slow down in retirement because 02:07 the Bible really doesn't talk about retirement. 02:09 So he had 14 interim pastorates in that time. 02:13 He also does camp meetings, 02:14 retreats, going to revival series. 02:17 And he also has written two books, 02:20 one called True Salvation, the other Blinded by the Light. 02:24 Help me to welcome Pastor Philip Dunham, 02:27 Pastor Phil, so glad to have you back here again. 02:30 Shelley, it's such a privilege to be here. 02:32 We look at you people on television 02:35 and it's so nice to be able to meet you in person. 02:38 Oh, well, its lovely to meet you my brother 02:41 and I wish that Evelyn could have joined you today, 02:44 but since she is not able to be here we'll just, 02:47 why don't you just look right 02:48 into that camera and say hi to her. 02:51 Hi Evelyn, sweet heart, I love you. 02:55 Well, said, how many years? 02:57 We have been in-- in June 6th we will have been married 60 years. 03:02 Isn't that amazing glory to God? 03:04 So I tell her that she will receive her reward for that. 03:09 She has got her special stars in her career? Yes. 03:12 What we are going to be talking today about a beautiful secret 03:17 that should be in every Christian life 03:20 and it's sad that it's a secret 03:22 but some people don't seem to know why do you feel 03:25 it is so important for us to understand that 03:29 a Christian's heart should be filled with joy and rejoicing. 03:33 The greatest problem in the Christian life 03:36 is in trying, not trusting. Yes. 03:42 And the greatest secret of the Christian life 03:45 is in trusting, not trying. 03:49 Shelley, one time in Southeastern California, 03:54 I was driving into Glendale for a meeting 03:57 and I came off the freeway and you drove up to a place 04:02 where there was a church right across the street 04:05 where you turn and they had a signboard out in front. 04:09 And it was a beautiful saying, 04:15 "When I try I fail, 04:19 when I trust He succeeds." 04:24 That has impacted my life and I have shared that 04:28 so many times with people. 04:30 When I try I fail, when I trust he succeeds. 04:37 And you know, the way I explain it, 04:40 this is a little illustration if you will that the Lord gave me. 04:46 If we try to do something in our human strength we have-- 04:50 it would be like the strength of a little tiny sugar ant. 04:54 You know the kind that are always around at the picnics 04:56 and all and compared to God if you would see a huge elephant, 05:02 millions of times larger than this little ant. 05:05 We can either be trying in our limited human strength 05:09 or trusting in His power, knowing that His strength 05:12 made perfect in our weakness 05:13 and when we finally get yoked with Christ. 05:18 What I see is this elephant and the yoke 05:21 and this little ant carrying us around and He leads us 05:26 in this path of righteousness. 05:28 He leads us in this perfect way where we find joy 05:32 in His presence for ever more. 05:34 And I ask Christians sometime, 05:38 how is your walk with the Lord? 05:40 And they say, well, kind off you know, 05:44 they grit their teeth and well I'm really trying. 05:48 You know what? I'm not sure that their walk is that great. 05:52 You know why? Because we never try hard enough. 05:57 We never try long enough. 06:01 You can just know that things aren't that great 06:04 and you can tell by your conversation with the person, 06:07 you can see it in their face 06:09 whether they are trying or trusting. 06:13 And you know, I know this 06:14 about you Pastor Phil, we are not saying 06:17 and you are not saying that we are not to make 06:19 an effort, I mean-- Oh, no. 06:21 Because the Bible is full of instruction 06:23 about make every effort. 06:25 But what we are saying today 06:27 is not to do this in your own strength. 06:30 You got to put on Christ Jesus and let Him be working 06:36 in you to will and to act according to His good pleasure. 06:39 Yes, and this is what I am saying. 06:41 When we lived in Hawaii, we had ten banana plants in our yard. 06:48 It was so much fun to watch them grow and to pick them. 06:52 And one time on one branch we had over 200 bananas. Mercy. 06:56 How do you eat 200 bananas and-- 07:00 but I never heard of banana plant 07:03 in the night or day straining to grow to produce bananas. 07:11 They just produce bananas because they were banana plants. 07:17 So a trusting Christian, trusting in the 07:20 Lord Jesus Christ believing with Him, walking with Him. 07:25 Filled with the spirit. 07:26 Filled with the spirit, just bears fruit. 07:31 And the fruit of the spirit is love, 07:33 joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness 07:35 and gentleness, humility and soft control so on. 07:38 Amen, all of those and when He is living in me, 07:43 He bears the fruit and He is the one 07:46 that does the fruit bearing. 07:49 You know, you have a saying that kind of intrigued me, 07:51 because you've said you like to talk about 07:53 dressing for success and I think it comes 07:56 from where, Matthew 22. Matthew 22. 07:58 Why don't we turn there, why don't you join us, 08:01 audience and turn to Matthew 22 and let's talk about this. 08:05 My poor Bible is in so many sections now, 08:09 that it's getting difficult for me to find things. 08:13 You may need a new Bible so. 08:15 I have several and I just can't-- 08:17 I can't make this rich. Okay. 08:20 Jesus was talking here in a parable. 08:24 He said in Matthew 22:2, "The kingdom of heaven is like a 08:29 certain king who arranged a marriage for his son." 08:33 And then the parable goes on to tell about all the people 08:37 who were invited and then in verse 11 it says, 08:42 "But when the king came in to see the guests, 08:46 he saw man there who did not have on a wedding garment." 08:52 This is an interesting custom of that time 08:55 and in the parable the king supplies the dress 09:00 that would make the people acceptable 09:03 in the sight of the king. At this big weeding banquet. 09:07 At this big weeding banquet, but one man didn't receive 09:13 the garment that God gave to him. 09:16 He was offered the garment-- 09:18 the king offered him the garment, he refused it. 09:20 Yes. Okay. 09:21 And then in verse 12, So he said to him, 09:24 "The king said to him, 'Friend, how did you come 09:28 in here without a wedding garment?' 09:31 and He was speechless, Then the king said 09:34 to the servants, 'Bind him hand and foot, 09:37 take him away, and cast him into 09:39 the outer darkness there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, 09:43 For many are called, but few are chosen.'" 09:47 He came in his own garments. 09:52 So when Jesus told this parable about this man. 09:57 How do we make that spiritual application? 09:59 There may be some today that are watching 10:01 who have never heard this parable 10:04 and they will say so what? 10:06 A man showed up without putting on the garment 10:09 the king offered and he got kicked out. 10:12 What is Jesus referring to here? 10:15 He is referring to the fact that in order to be 10:19 at the weeding feast in the kingdom of heaven, 10:22 we must receive the garment that He provide 10:26 which is the righteousness of Jesus Christ. 10:30 The perfection of Jesus Christ, the sinlessness of Jesus Christ, 10:37 He perfectly pleased the Father. 10:40 This is the robe, this is the gift that God 10:45 wants to cloth us with, so that we will be dressed for success. 10:51 And He is inviting all if you look in this parable, 10:54 people from all different backgrounds 10:56 and they are same-- the spiritual application 10:59 is God invites all men to be saved. Amen. 11:02 And he is offering them this weeding garment. Yes. 11:08 But some people are refusing to put in on. Yes. 11:11 And the garment is to make them appear acceptable 11:14 to the king and it's something that the king provides. 11:18 Back in Genesis, Shelley, when Adam and Eve sinned, 11:25 then they realize that they were naked 11:29 and their attempt to make themselves appear acceptable 11:37 was to make a garment of fig leaves 11:41 and I have often wondered, you know, 11:45 what would a man of 14 foot tall possibly man, 11:49 appear like in fig leaves. That's quite a picture. 11:53 I think the Bible calls it a little apron, 11:54 so they kind of had a bikini of the fig leaves, didn't they? 11:57 Anyway of something they provided 11:59 for themselves, but in Genesis 3:21 12:06 we have something beautiful. 12:11 Also for Adam and his wife the Lord God 12:17 made tunics of skin, and clothed them. 12:22 Tunic is a long quote. 12:24 The fig leaf syndrome wasn't going to cut it. 12:29 That was their idea. 12:31 God's idea was something that He made for them 12:34 and it took the life evidently of some animal for Him 12:38 to have the skin to cloth them, but the clothing was God's idea. 12:44 And that is really important to me. Amen. 12:48 And there is a text in Zechariah because I want us to get 12:52 a feel that God is always going around covering this up. 12:58 And in Zechariah 3, there is a passage 13:03 from verses 1 to 5. 13:06 "Then he showed me Joshua the high priest 13:09 standing before the angel of the Lord, 13:12 and Satan standing at his right hand to oppose him. 13:16 And the Lord said to Satan, "The Lord rebuke you, Satan! 13:21 The Lord, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! 13:25 Is this not a brand pluck from the fire. 13:29 Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments 13:34 and was standing before the angel." 13:36 And this is Joshua the high priest? 13:38 He was and even the high priest was clothed in filthy garments. 13:43 Every thing we do is tinged with self. 13:47 Then he answered in verse 4 and spoke to those 13:50 who stood before him saying take away the filthy garments 13:55 from him And to him He said, 13:57 "See, I have removed your iniquity from you, 14:02 and I will clothe you with rich robes." 14:06 And I said, "Let them put a clean turban on his head." 14:11 So they put a clean turban on his head, 14:14 and they put the clothes on him. 14:17 And the Angel of the Lord stood by." 14:20 A beautiful picture again, Shelley, 14:23 God clothing Joshua the high priest, 14:27 a figure of his clothing every sinner who comes to him 14:33 in his own garments, our own treads, 14:37 our own filthy rags of righteousness 14:40 and God wants to cloth us like He did to the prodigal son. 14:47 The son came to him in his pigpen garments dirty, 14:54 ragged and the very first thing that the father did 14:59 was to take his royal robe took it off and covered up the son. 15:06 Why? Because he didn't want the others to see him 15:12 appearing as he really was, in his pigpen garments. 15:17 He wanted him to appear just right 15:19 and he gave him his own royal robe. 15:23 And all through scripture God is going around covering this up 15:29 with a precious royal robe 15:32 of the righteousness of Jesus Christ. 15:35 Amen, you know, a lot is said about that 15:37 in the Old Testament as well as the New. 15:40 So dressing for success then as Paul put it, 15:43 he said to put off that form away, 15:46 put off that old self and put on Christ Jesus 15:51 in 1 Corinthians 1:30 he said that because of God 15:55 we're in Christ who has become, 15:58 Jesus has become our wisdom from God, 16:00 our righteousness, our sanctification 16:03 and our redemption. All of that. 16:05 So then that setting us up to say, 16:09 is this a true statement, true or false? 16:12 The only righteousness that there is, 16:15 is righteousness by faith? 16:17 Amen, it is so true. 16:20 See only because we don't have anything righteous to offer Him. 16:24 We can't make ourselves righteous 16:28 and so we have to trust in His 16:32 and that's a beautiful gift that He gives us. 16:35 So then the joy of rejoicing is when you accept this 16:41 through your salvation, this assurance of salvation 16:45 and when you recognize that you know 16:48 Paul had so much to say in Romans 7, 16:51 when he would say, you know, 16:53 ah what I want to do I don't do and what I should-- 16:56 you know what I do not want to do, then I do. 17:00 But he says in Romans 8:1 though, 17:03 when he's saying he ends up saying, 17:06 "Who will deliver me from this." 17:09 When he is talking in Romans 7 that's a last verse of Romans 7 17:12 but then he says there-- thank God He will 17:15 because there is now, therefore no condemnation 17:19 for those who are in Christ Jesus. Yes. 17:21 That's where the rejoicing comes. 17:23 That's where the rejoicing comes. 17:25 Do you know when we apply the text that we talked about 17:30 in the previous time, that if we confess our sins, 17:34 he is faithful and just to-- Cleanse us of our sin. 17:38 Still forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us 17:40 from all unrighteousness if you are cleansed from 17:45 all unrighteousness, how clean are you? 17:48 Ha-ha, that's good. 17:49 You know, there is something that I say, 17:52 and it's hard for me to say, I'm as clean as Christ. 17:57 Who that is? 17:58 If I am cleansed from all unrighteousness, 18:02 I'm as clean as Christ. 18:06 You know, someone out here is gonna 18:07 probably take issue with that, but here is what I would say, 18:11 what you are saying lines up with the testimony of the Bible 18:16 and that actually is-- it may sound like if-- 18:20 if someone says, I'm as clean as Christ, 18:22 that may sound like they are exalting themselves. 18:24 But actually that's a statement of humility because as you said, 18:28 it's very difficult to say that but you are saying 18:34 Lord I agree with what You say about me. 18:37 So that shows you exalt God's word 18:40 in His opinion over your own. 18:42 And I never go around and say, 18:44 I'm as clean as Jesus, I don't do that. 18:50 But it's a fact when I accept His life, 18:54 His sinlessness, His righteousness, 18:58 His holiness and then at that point, 19:02 God looks at me as He does to His Son. 19:06 Isn't that amazing? It is so beautiful. 19:08 Now, when we are talking about the joy of rejoicing. 19:14 And I think that you say it rich rejoicing. 19:18 This rich rejoicing begins when you have 19:23 this spiritual burden of guilt that is cut off from you 19:29 as you come to the foot of the cross 19:31 and lay down this burden of guilt. 19:34 When you recognize that you can take Jesus' yoke upon you 19:38 and in doing so, you are going to be yoked with Him. 19:43 And He says, My burden is light 19:46 so He is basically carrying most of the burden. 19:48 So, it's when God cut you free, Psalm 129:4, 19:52 God cut you free from the cord that is binding you, 19:56 that old burden of guilt that's when 19:59 the rejoicing begins, isn't it? 20:02 So many people have read Pilgrim's Progress 20:06 and I love it even it says, I saw in my dream Christian 20:12 walking briskly up a highway 20:14 fenced on both sides with a high wall. 20:18 He began to run, through he could not run fast 20:22 because of the load on his back. 20:26 On top of the hill, he came to a cross. 20:30 And just as he got to the cross, his burden became loose, 20:36 dropped from his shoulders, and went tumbling down the hill. 20:43 It fell into an open grave, and I saw it no more." 20:48 Glory to God. There is something that 20:49 we need to remember. 20:51 He had already accepted Christ, 20:53 he had already started on the way to the kingdom, 20:56 but he had load on his back. 20:59 What was the load? Guilt and condemnation. 21:03 Guilt and condemnation and may be the load 21:05 of trying to do it himself, trying to make himself 21:11 all that he should be, but when he came up 21:14 to the cross, the load fell off his back. 21:19 Martin Luther said, "When I look at myself, 21:25 I don't see how I can be saved, 21:27 when I look at Jesus I don't see how I can be lost." 21:31 Isn't that beautiful? 21:32 And so the focus is upon Jesus 21:35 and that's where the load tumbles off the back. 21:39 It reminds me when Paul was quoting Jesus 21:42 in 2 Corinthians 12:9 and Jesus had told Paul, 21:46 "My grace is sufficient for you, 21:48 for my power is made perfect in your weakness." 21:52 When we get to-- you know, and Paul, 21:54 his rejoicing was he says, I will therefore 21:56 gladly confess my weaknesses before the Lord 21:59 because when I'm am weak, then I am strong 22:03 and you know we all confess our weakness 22:06 and some of us feel like it's a negative confession, 22:09 but if we just go before the Lord, 22:11 it's actually something that He wants us to do, 22:14 to learn to lean on Him. 22:16 Shelley, in our conversation about these beautiful things 22:21 that make our hearts rejoice. 22:23 I want to just be careful as you have been careful. 22:29 Righteous living is the result of righteousness by faith. 22:35 Amen, I'm so glad you brought that. 22:37 Righteous living is the fruit of righteousness. 22:43 Righteous living is what a person does 22:46 when he receives the gift of salvation. Amen. 22:49 Sanctification follows justification and if it doesn't, 22:55 there hasn't been any justification. 22:58 You know, I'm so glad you brought that up, 23:00 because we always want to keep this balanced 23:01 and we are telling one part of the glorious truth 23:04 and this is the second half of that glorious truth 23:06 is as John wrote in 1 John 3:7. 23:09 It says, "Do not be deceived, 23:13 he who practices righteousness is righteous." 23:18 So it's when we've got Christ in us, 23:21 our hope of glory when the Holy Spirit is working in us, 23:24 that power--all power is at work within us. 23:28 He is the one who enables us to walk this path of life. Amen. 23:35 So we must remember I believe, 23:38 the believer does not live righteously 23:42 in order to become righteous, He becomes righteous by faith 23:48 in the righteousness of Christ and then the power of God 23:53 through the Holy Spirit makes the righteous living happen. 23:58 Absolutely, absolutely. 24:00 So important for us to understand. 24:04 Well, we have just a few moments left. 24:06 Why don't you share some of the precious promises 24:09 of the present assurance of salvation 24:12 and the reason the cause for our rejoicing. 24:17 Let me share a real inspired writer, 24:24 "Each one of you may know for yourself 24:27 that you have a living Savior, 24:29 that he is your helper and your God. 24:33 You need not stand where you say, 24:36 'I don't know whether I am saved.' 24:39 Do you believe in Christ as your personal Savior? 24:43 If you do, then rejoice." 24:48 And another statement, "If you are right 24:51 with God today, you are ready 24:55 if Christ should come today." Amen. 24:59 This is so important because life is very uncertain. 25:04 Four years ago I walked three miles a day, 25:08 five days a week, done it for many years, 25:11 and I was walking across a main street in Salem. 25:15 I was in the walk lines, Shelley, 25:18 I want you to know that, it said for me to walk, 25:22 you didn't know that I was doing it just right. 25:26 And about half way across the street, 25:30 I saw a car coming and I said well, 25:33 they see me I'm right here in so they will-- 25:37 they will stop but she didn't see me. Oh, mercy. 25:42 And the next thing I knew I was up on the hood, 25:46 had hit my head on the windshield. 25:48 The lady braked very hard, 25:50 and dumped me off on my back on the wet pavement. 25:55 I was taken to the emergency room in the hospital. 25:58 All kinds of tests, everything was fine. 26:03 I went home, throw away my torn jeans, 26:07 took a shower, dressed and went downtown 26:10 and did errands for couple of hours. 26:13 But that could have been so easily 26:16 the last experience of my life. 26:19 That's incredible that you live through that 26:21 without any injury and it could have been the end. 26:25 But we never know, the time that we have. 26:30 You know, let me ask you this question 26:33 because we are almost out of time. All right. 26:35 And that's so sad, but the inspired writer 26:37 you are speaking off is Ellen White, 26:39 those are both comments from her. 26:41 Didn't she also say something, 26:43 I'm paraphrasing but you can correct me. 26:45 But didn't she also say that if you do not have 26:49 assurance of salvation then you need to be born again? 26:52 Yes, she did and that is-- you know, 26:55 that's pretty, pretty stark statement. 26:59 And it's a beautiful statement, 27:00 I don't know that we can find the reference but, 27:03 I would be happy to supply that to you later. 27:06 You know, I can't believe Pastor Phil, 27:08 how quickly the time passes when you are here, 27:11 but that's because you are a man of rejoicing 27:13 and you make my heart rejoice to just, 27:15 because you share the Lord so well. Praise God. 27:18 Thank you so much for being here. 27:19 It is a privilege, Shelley. Amen. 27:22 You know for those of you at home, 27:24 I hope that you know, Romans 15:13 27:28 God talks about the God of all peace 27:31 who will fill you to over flowing with hope, 27:35 eager expectation by the power of His Holy Spirit. 27:39 I pray that you will turn to the word of God 27:42 and find your reasons for rejoicing today. 27:45 There are so many promises that God wants you to know 27:49 that you can rejoice in the Lord always. Again I'd say Rejoice. |
Revised 2014-12-17