Good evening,
have you been blessed?
00:05:11.14\00:05:12.90
Amen. Have you?
Amen. It's better.
00:05:12.93\00:05:16.78
It has been a
blessed Sabbath day hasn't it
00:05:16.81\00:05:19.54
and the
blessings are not over yet.
00:05:19.57\00:05:21.87
We have a
wonderful program left still
00:05:21.90\00:05:24.05
ahead of this,
this evening and I have
00:05:24.08\00:05:27.49
to tell you I'm one
of those who grew up
00:05:27.52\00:05:29.93
in an Adventist
home like many of you.
00:05:29.96\00:05:32.41
And I remember
when I was growing up
00:05:33.56\00:05:35.24
there was
something different about our
00:05:35.27\00:05:37.32
home then the homes
of the neighbor kids,
00:05:37.35\00:05:40.30
the friends of mine
around the neighborhood.
00:05:40.33\00:05:42.84
When we walked into their house,
00:05:43.88\00:05:45.48
they had a certain variety of
00:05:46.43\00:05:48.27
magazines on their table.
00:05:48.30\00:05:49.74
And when they
walked into our home
00:05:49.77\00:05:52.79
we had completely
different magazines.
00:05:52.82\00:05:54.83
Some you may
recognize like science
00:05:55.37\00:05:57.10
of the time, the
Review and Herald.
00:05:57.13\00:05:59.71
And I remember
the Review and Herald
00:06:01.61\00:06:03.13
always being a
center peace in our home.
00:06:03.16\00:06:05.45
Always was read thoroughly cover
00:06:06.25\00:06:08.30
to cover as I was growing up.
00:06:08.33\00:06:09.72
Still today we
have these old Review
00:06:11.35\00:06:14.43
and Herald
magazines you know I go back
00:06:14.46\00:06:16.27
often and look
at the ones that are
00:06:16.30\00:06:17.49
150 years old,
and I'm amazed and
00:06:17.52\00:06:22.88
what the Lord
taught through those
00:06:22.91\00:06:26.04
magazines that many years ago.
00:06:26.07\00:06:27.86
And I'm always
impressed that the men
00:06:27.89\00:06:30.40
that he put
in-charge James White,
00:06:30.43\00:06:32.56
Uriah Smith you know the names.
00:06:32.59\00:06:34.48
Were the men for the time,
00:06:34.51\00:06:36.91
the men for the
time. And I believe our
00:06:36.94\00:06:41.30
editor of the review
is the man for this time.
00:06:41.33\00:06:44.46
And I think you
understand that we
00:06:45.55\00:06:47.11
are living in a
very special time in
00:06:47.14\00:06:49.21
history amen?
Amen. And I believe that
00:06:49.24\00:06:53.93
the Lord has
chosen the man to be
00:06:53.96\00:06:55.48
in this position
that he wants their.
00:06:55.51\00:06:57.28
And I also believe
that everyone of us
00:06:59.13\00:07:01.02
needs to keep
that man in our prayers
00:07:01.05\00:07:03.10
as he leads out in
his pastoral ministry
00:07:03.13\00:07:06.28
to our whole church body.
00:07:06.99\00:07:08.54
Elder Bill Knott
I've just had the
00:07:09.68\00:07:11.01
pleasure of
meeting him here at this
00:07:11.04\00:07:14.06
convention and
I have to tell you
00:07:14.09\00:07:16.00
what really
makes his eyes laid up
00:07:16.03\00:07:18.34
is when he talks
about his family.
00:07:19.46\00:07:20.99
Amen, his wife
Debra serves at the
00:07:21.02\00:07:23.62
general conference
as a specialist in the
00:07:23.65\00:07:25.77
office of Human
Resources and they
00:07:25.80\00:07:27.40
have two boys Avid
and Brady and that's
00:07:27.43\00:07:30.03
when he really got
a smile on his face.
00:07:30.06\00:07:32.20
Both at Andrews
University, he is a
00:07:32.23\00:07:35.54
proud father, a
proud husband and
00:07:35.57\00:07:38.33
he is proud of his
church. And I think
00:07:38.36\00:07:40.53
you will be
blessed this evening as
00:07:40.56\00:07:42.84
Elder Knott
brings our message, amen.
00:07:42.87\00:07:45.01
Right after we
hear the music from our
00:07:45.04\00:07:47.15
choir this evening
my Lord bless, amen.
00:07:47.18\00:07:49.70
Mine eyes have seen the glory
00:08:39.34\00:08:41.62
of the coming of the Lord:
00:08:41.65\00:08:46.16
He is trampling out the vintage
00:08:46.19\00:08:50.93
where the grapes
of wrath are stored;
00:08:50.96\00:08:55.25
He hath loosed
the fateful lightning
00:08:55.28\00:08:59.97
of His terrible swift sword:
00:09:00.00\00:09:04.38
His truth is marching on.
00:09:04.41\00:09:12.35
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
00:09:14.82\00:09:21.22
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
00:09:23.42\00:09:29.52
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
00:09:33.64\00:09:38.11
His truth is marching on.
00:09:38.14\00:09:46.82
I have seen Him
in the watch-fires
00:09:54.75\00:09:57.64
of a hundred circling camps,
00:09:57.67\00:10:01.55
They have builded Him an altar
00:10:01.58\00:10:06.05
in the evening dews and damps;
00:10:06.08\00:10:10.08
I can read His
righteous sentence
00:10:10.11\00:10:14.40
by the dim and flaring lamps:
00:10:14.43\00:10:18.25
His day is marching on.
00:10:18.28\00:10:26.86
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
00:10:28.91\00:10:40.60
His day is marching on.
00:10:40.63\00:10:45.29
In the beauty of the lilies
00:11:15.19\00:11:20.13
Christ was born across the sea,
00:11:20.16\00:11:26.50
With a glory in His bosom that
00:11:27.55\00:11:34.69
transfigures you and me:
00:11:34.72\00:11:41.54
As He died to make men holy,
00:11:41.57\00:11:48.38
let us die to make men free,
00:11:48.41\00:11:53.20
While God is marching on.
00:11:53.23\00:12:01.62
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
00:12:02.93\00:12:16.74
While God is marching on.
00:12:16.77\00:12:20.75
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
00:12:22.84\00:12:36.70
While God is marching on.
00:12:36.73\00:12:42.38
As one of my
friends said after a similar
00:13:12.18\00:13:14.73
performance if
you can't preach after
00:13:14.76\00:13:17.11
music like that,
you can't preach.
00:13:17.14\00:13:18.90
I want to thank
the choir and they
00:13:18.93\00:13:23.25
did not know how
appropriate the song
00:13:23.28\00:13:26.56
they sang tonight
is for the message
00:13:26.59\00:13:29.67
I want to share with
you this evening, amen.
00:13:29.70\00:13:32.18
Turn with me to
the Book of Judges,
00:13:32.21\00:13:34.21
not a place we
often go for preaching
00:13:34.24\00:13:39.13
or teaching these days, but the
00:13:39.16\00:13:41.56
Book of Judges
chapter 4 and beginning
00:13:41.59\00:13:45.38
at verse 1. The Israelites again
00:13:45.41\00:13:51.42
did what was evil in
the sight of the Lord,
00:13:51.45\00:13:54.14
after Ehud died.
So the Lord sold them
00:13:54.17\00:13:56.94
into the hand of
King Jabin of Canaan,
00:13:56.97\00:13:58.95
who reigned in Hazor; the
00:13:58.98\00:14:01.43
commander of
his army was Sisera,
00:14:01.46\00:14:02.99
who lived in Harosheth-ha-goiim.
00:14:03.02\00:14:04.40
Then the
Israelites cried out to the
00:14:04.43\00:14:06.97
Lord for help; for he had nine
00:14:07.00\00:14:08.86
hundred
chariots of iron, and had
00:14:08.89\00:14:11.53
pressed the
Israelites cruelly twenty years.
00:14:11.56\00:14:15.28
"At that time
Deborah, a prophetess,
00:14:15.31\00:14:17.94
wife of Lappidoth,
was judging Israel. "
00:14:17.97\00:14:20.37
She used to sit under the palm
00:14:20.40\00:14:21.98
of Deborah between Ramah and
00:14:22.01\00:14:23.68
Bethel in the hill
country of Ephraim;
00:14:23.71\00:14:25.78
and the Israelites
came up to her for judgment.
00:14:25.81\00:14:29.24
She sent and
summoned Barak son of
00:14:29.27\00:14:31.08
Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali,
00:14:31.11\00:14:33.76
and said to him, The Lord,
00:14:33.79\00:14:35.02
the God of Israel, commands you,
00:14:35.05\00:14:37.01
Go, take
position at Mount Tabor,
00:14:37.04\00:14:39.83
bringing ten
thousand from the tribe
00:14:39.86\00:14:42.25
of Naphtali and
the tribe of Zebulun.
00:14:42.28\00:14:44.13
"I will draw out
Sisera, the general
00:14:44.16\00:14:46.55
of Jabin's army,
to meet you by the
00:14:46.58\00:14:49.49
brook Kishon
with his chariots and
00:14:49.52\00:14:51.64
his troops; and I
will give him into
00:14:51.67\00:14:54.94
your hands. Barak said to her,
00:14:54.97\00:14:57.70
if you will go
with me, I will go;
00:14:57.73\00:14:59.71
but if you will not go with me,
00:14:59.74\00:15:01.26
I will not go.
And she said rather,
00:15:01.29\00:15:04.87
I will surely go
with you; nevertheless
00:15:04.90\00:15:07.72
the road on which
you are going will
00:15:07.75\00:15:09.34
not lead to your
glory, for the Lord
00:15:09.37\00:15:11.96
will sell Sisera
into the hand of a woman.
00:15:11.99\00:15:14.32
Then Deborah got up and she went
00:15:14.35\00:15:18.03
with Barak to
Kedesh. Barak summoned
00:15:18.06\00:15:21.21
Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh;
00:15:21.24\00:15:23.79
and ten
thousand warriors went up
00:15:23.82\00:15:25.76
at his heels; and Deborah
00:15:25.79\00:15:28.19
went up with him. "
00:15:28.22\00:15:30.11
Let's pray
together tonight, not to us
00:15:31.41\00:15:35.75
oh Lord, not to
us but to your name
00:15:35.78\00:15:40.70
give glory, amen.
May our time in our
00:15:40.73\00:15:45.90
word this evening,
remind us of the call
00:15:45.93\00:15:50.20
to personal
involvement in the victory
00:15:50.23\00:15:54.66
you intend for your people
00:15:54.69\00:15:56.37
I pray in Jesus name amen, amen.
00:15:56.40\00:16:01.64
There is
something in the soul of
00:16:07.94\00:16:10.67
every child that
hates the class bully.
00:16:10.70\00:16:15.30
Unless of course
he is the class bully.
00:16:17.13\00:16:18.87
But, since there can
be usually only be one
00:16:21.53\00:16:23.33
bully at a time
most of you know that
00:16:23.36\00:16:26.35
hate of which I
speak. We dreamed
00:16:26.38\00:16:31.25
about the day
when that bigger kid or
00:16:31.28\00:16:34.93
that older kid who
raft us would get drag
00:16:34.96\00:16:38.54
down to the
principles of his while
00:16:38.57\00:16:40.49
the rest of us
broke out into a starring
00:16:40.52\00:16:42.54
rendition then I feel good.
00:16:42.57\00:16:44.06
When I was 10
and my older brother
00:16:47.85\00:16:49.56
was 12, we came
to know a thing or
00:16:49.59\00:16:53.45
two about bullies.
Each afternoon Dave
00:16:53.48\00:16:57.38
and I would walk
the one mile home
00:16:57.41\00:16:59.63
between the school and our house
00:16:59.66\00:17:02.31
and it was
usually a very pleasant
00:17:03.82\00:17:05.13
walk especially
in the winter when
00:17:05.16\00:17:06.60
new falling snow
would make all kinds
00:17:06.63\00:17:09.17
of fantastic
shapes on the bushes
00:17:09.20\00:17:11.76
and the hermits
beside the black top.
00:17:11.79\00:17:13.56
But, as all
journeys do this one had
00:17:13.59\00:17:16.21
what John Bunyan
would have called
00:17:16.24\00:17:17.62
a hill of difficulty.
It was a slight knoll
00:17:17.65\00:17:22.55
that rose past
the homes of our two
00:17:22.58\00:17:25.77
worst tormenters.
They were seventh graders,
00:17:25.80\00:17:30.06
classmates of my
brother at school
00:17:31.40\00:17:33.56
and they
tormented him mercilessly
00:17:33.59\00:17:36.16
at school and on the
way home from school.
00:17:36.19\00:17:38.83
And since I was sharing the walk
00:17:38.86\00:17:40.45
I came in for my
share of the abuse too.
00:17:40.48\00:17:44.35
I remember
hating those late warm
00:17:44.38\00:17:48.88
winter afternoons. When the sun
00:17:48.91\00:17:52.40
would melt the snow just enough
00:17:52.43\00:17:54.29
to make ice balls because I knew
00:17:54.32\00:17:57.03
only two well
that Bobby and Steve
00:17:57.06\00:17:59.54
would be waiting for
us at the top of a knoll.
00:17:59.57\00:18:02.42
They would stand there grinning
00:18:04.49\00:18:06.57
as we walked closer. Armed with
00:18:07.61\00:18:10.64
their arsenal of
snowballs and cactus
00:18:10.67\00:18:14.23
getting by their
men running a gantlet
00:18:14.26\00:18:16.70
of ice and abuse
that struck terror
00:18:16.73\00:18:19.57
into my 10-year-old heart.
00:18:19.60\00:18:21.04
And everyday the closer we got
00:18:23.81\00:18:26.28
to that awful spot on the way
00:18:26.31\00:18:27.98
home from
school. I would wish that
00:18:28.01\00:18:30.54
there was some
other way to get home.
00:18:30.57\00:18:32.96
Some alternate
route that would let us
00:18:34.66\00:18:36.28
miss that days'
battle. And when Dave and
00:18:36.31\00:18:41.02
I finally did discover another
00:18:41.05\00:18:42.77
way home across the fields.
00:18:42.80\00:18:44.10
Believe me, we did
not wait long to take it.
00:18:44.13\00:18:47.00
I remember
laughing to myself that
00:18:49.29\00:18:50.80
we had out with it the enemy,
00:18:50.83\00:18:53.39
we had outsmarted
those awful bullies
00:18:53.42\00:18:55.95
by taking well it
really was the long
00:18:55.98\00:18:59.80
way home. In
reality I supposed they
00:18:59.83\00:19:03.95
had never
succeeded in controlling us
00:19:03.98\00:19:06.08
so well as when our fear of the
00:19:06.11\00:19:08.71
coming battle
meant that we would
00:19:08.74\00:19:10.80
do anything to avoid them.
00:19:10.83\00:19:13.81
They were the masters of laying
00:19:16.56\00:19:17.96
in road and for
all of our shrewdness
00:19:17.99\00:19:22.43
it was Dave and
me trudging along
00:19:22.46\00:19:24.96
indeed deep
unplowed snow on those
00:19:24.99\00:19:27.82
storming
afternoons when no one would
00:19:27.85\00:19:29.93
be there to pick us
up and give us a ride.
00:19:29.96\00:19:31.94
The fear of the
battle meant that we
00:19:33.96\00:19:35.79
had to take the long way home.
00:19:35.82\00:19:37.89
My friends I suspect that some
00:19:37.92\00:19:43.97
of you here know that
fear as well. Someone,
00:19:44.00\00:19:50.66
something in your
life is looming large
00:19:52.63\00:19:56.72
and intimidating
and fear some and
00:19:57.91\00:20:02.65
remembering it
thinking about it saps
00:20:02.68\00:20:05.03
all your
strength and makes all of
00:20:05.06\00:20:07.60
your courage
evaporate. You would
00:20:07.63\00:20:09.95
gladly go out of
your way to avoid that
00:20:09.98\00:20:12.92
battle on the
horizon. I take some comfort
00:20:12.95\00:20:18.36
when I read God's
word to discover that
00:20:18.39\00:20:20.50
my brother and I
where the only ones
00:20:20.53\00:20:22.33
who have ever
been afraid of bullies.
00:20:22.36\00:20:24.43
In the opening
verse that we read
00:20:26.56\00:20:27.72
from the fourth
chapter of Judges,
00:20:27.75\00:20:29.58
I find that for
20 years the entire
00:20:29.61\00:20:32.83
people of Israel
struggled with their
00:20:32.86\00:20:35.44
fear of two of
the biggest bullies of
00:20:35.47\00:20:37.35
the Canaanite
world. And you know Jabin
00:20:37.38\00:20:39.39
and Sisera were
armed with something
00:20:39.42\00:20:41.79
a little more impressive then
00:20:41.82\00:20:43.54
ice balls. In a land were metal
00:20:43.57\00:20:47.30
weapons were
exceedingly rare they
00:20:47.33\00:20:49.54
controlled nine
hundred chariots of iron.
00:20:49.57\00:20:53.47
Chariots that made the Plain of
00:20:55.73\00:20:57.70
Esdraelon tremble as they rolled
00:20:57.73\00:21:01.03
along in
procession. And the frighten
00:21:01.06\00:21:05.60
Hebrews up there
in the hills peered
00:21:05.63\00:21:07.93
down from the
crags and thought that
00:21:07.96\00:21:10.25
Jabin must be a mighty king that
00:21:10.28\00:21:12.50
the Jabin and
Sisera had to be obeyed
00:21:12.53\00:21:14.88
because of those
nine hundred chariots
00:21:14.91\00:21:18.02
of iron. But up in
the wild gorges were
00:21:18.05\00:21:24.54
God's people had
gone to hide for safety
00:21:24.57\00:21:27.28
there was
something new in the wind.
00:21:27.31\00:21:32.04
There was talk of
revival in the wind.
00:21:34.83\00:21:38.34
There was talk of
reformation in the wind,
00:21:40.06\00:21:42.56
hearts were beginning to change,
00:21:42.59\00:21:44.70
minds were
beginning to be reshaped
00:21:44.73\00:21:47.05
by the spirit of the living God.
00:21:47.08\00:21:48.40
There was talk of
sincere repentance
00:21:48.43\00:21:50.81
before a God
whom they had offended
00:21:50.84\00:21:52.88
with their
idolatry. And in late night
00:21:52.91\00:21:55.37
tales beside
smoky camp fires old man
00:21:55.40\00:21:59.31
told stories of a
time when Israel was free.
00:21:59.34\00:22:03.18
A time when
Israel was righteous.
00:22:04.09\00:22:06.11
A time when
Israel was true to the
00:22:06.14\00:22:07.99
God of heaven.
Have you ever noticed
00:22:08.02\00:22:12.02
my friends that whenever God's
00:22:12.05\00:22:13.92
people seek him
he sense a leader
00:22:13.95\00:22:17.84
to fan the
flames of revival, amen.
00:22:17.87\00:22:22.02
Under the
shadow of Mount Ephraim
00:22:23.20\00:22:25.02
God raised up a
leader to keep the
00:22:25.05\00:22:27.60
revival going.
We don't know a lot
00:22:27.63\00:22:29.44
about her
background and we don't
00:22:29.47\00:22:30.90
know much about
the special gifts
00:22:30.93\00:22:32.89
with which the spirit of God had
00:22:32.92\00:22:34.64
equipped her for the
role she was to play.
00:22:34.67\00:22:36.89
But, beneath the
palm tree that came
00:22:37.91\00:22:39.95
to be known was Deborah's palm
00:22:39.98\00:22:42.01
the textiles that she sat and
00:22:42.04\00:22:44.53
judge the people. And everyday,
00:22:44.56\00:22:47.91
everyday as she listen to their
00:22:49.69\00:22:51.14
stories of pagan,
their tales of grief
00:22:51.17\00:22:54.59
and the record
of their oppression
00:22:54.62\00:22:56.78
by the enemy.
The conviction grew
00:22:56.81\00:22:58.99
in her mind that
she had to help her
00:22:59.02\00:23:00.94
people over come
their fear of fear, amen.
00:23:00.97\00:23:05.02
The people had to
be led overcome their
00:23:05.71\00:23:07.79
incapacitating fear
of those nine hundred
00:23:07.82\00:23:11.15
chariots of iron. And so Deborah
00:23:11.18\00:23:15.55
went about
breaking that dark spell
00:23:15.58\00:23:17.72
of
discouragement and despair that
00:23:17.75\00:23:19.92
over her people.
She talked to them
00:23:19.95\00:23:21.95
how to believe
and again in a God
00:23:21.98\00:23:23.27
who could do mighty miracles.
00:23:23.30\00:23:24.83
She talked to him
how to pray again.
00:23:24.86\00:23:26.48
And you know life began change.
00:23:26.51\00:23:29.85
Men and women
began to change, men
00:23:29.88\00:23:32.06
and women and
teenagers and little
00:23:32.09\00:23:33.50
kids began to
search their hearts
00:23:33.53\00:23:35.52
in the side of a
holy God and make
00:23:35.55\00:23:38.11
a commitment in
the battle against
00:23:38.14\00:23:40.53
evil that they knew was coming
00:23:40.56\00:23:42.39
on the near
horizon. Interestingly,
00:23:42.42\00:23:49.16
my friends we don't
read in the word of God,
00:23:49.19\00:23:51.96
any discontent with
Deborah's leadership?
00:23:51.99\00:23:56.55
We don't hear
any murdering in the
00:23:59.29\00:24:00.73
corners that women were supposed
00:24:00.76\00:24:02.87
to be at home that
women were supposed
00:24:02.90\00:24:04.97
to be meek and
submissive creatures
00:24:05.00\00:24:07.08
not one voice was
raised to question
00:24:07.11\00:24:09.74
Deborah's role as
a judge in Israel.
00:24:09.77\00:24:12.40
You see those
ancient Hebrews had
00:24:12.43\00:24:14.17
the good sense
to realize that when
00:24:14.20\00:24:16.17
God gave gifts
of skill and nerve
00:24:16.20\00:24:18.83
to human beings
gendered in matter
00:24:18.86\00:24:21.01
of one day. They accepted the
00:24:21.04\00:24:23.93
leadership of a
women because they
00:24:23.96\00:24:25.44
saw the fire of
God and arise. And we,
00:24:25.47\00:24:29.93
who call
ourselves modern sometimes
00:24:29.96\00:24:37.14
my friends we
excuse ourselves from
00:24:37.17\00:24:40.65
allowing gifted
people to the roles
00:24:40.68\00:24:44.17
for which God had equip them.
00:24:44.20\00:24:46.12
And we say that the times aren't
00:24:47.38\00:24:48.91
ready for it yet, you are right
00:24:48.94\00:24:50.65
it's only been 3400 years.
00:24:50.68\00:24:52.67
God chooses whom he
wills to fill positions
00:24:54.67\00:24:57.12
of leadership
among his people and
00:24:57.15\00:24:59.27
I want to tell you
I would much rather
00:24:59.30\00:25:01.11
follow one
Deborah into battle then
00:25:01.14\00:25:04.10
any number of weak
and fearful men, amen.
00:25:04.13\00:25:12.06
Deborah found
herself at the heart
00:25:13.56\00:25:15.30
of a genuine
religious revolution.
00:25:15.33\00:25:18.10
She understood that the time had
00:25:19.24\00:25:20.55
come for action. And so she send
00:25:20.58\00:25:24.35
a message to the strongest man
00:25:24.38\00:25:26.94
she could find, the tribal chief
00:25:26.97\00:25:28.70
with the
interesting name of Barak.
00:25:28.73\00:25:31.00
He lived about
100 miles to the north
00:25:32.57\00:25:34.21
of her. And even
though she made it
00:25:34.24\00:25:35.96
abundantly clear
that the message didn't
00:25:35.99\00:25:38.73
come from her, it
came from the Lord.
00:25:38.76\00:25:40.68
Even though she
specified in advance
00:25:40.71\00:25:43.04
the place of the
battle and the certainty
00:25:43.87\00:25:45.74
of success that
God had promised Barak
00:25:45.77\00:25:48.27
said no, I won't go
unless you go with me.
00:25:48.30\00:25:52.18
So, terrible had
the fear of Jabin and
00:25:54.54\00:25:57.17
Sisera's
chariots become among the
00:25:57.20\00:25:59.12
Hebrews that even
the strongest of all
00:25:59.15\00:26:01.76
of their tribal
chiefs, the man whose
00:26:01.79\00:26:03.81
very name meant
lightening refuse to go
00:26:03.84\00:26:08.23
unless Deborah was at his side.
00:26:08.26\00:26:10.51
Even though, he could
count on the support of
00:26:12.58\00:26:16.67
10000 of the best
soldiers of Naphtali
00:26:16.70\00:26:19.40
and Zebulun.
Barak wouldn't budge
00:26:19.43\00:26:22.26
an inch until he
had God's prophet by
00:26:22.29\00:26:24.66
his side; not a
bad thought that.
00:26:24.69\00:26:26.90
He had the normal
courage of the average
00:26:28.68\00:26:30.34
captain but he knew
that the battle ahead
00:26:30.37\00:26:33.48
required more
then normal courage.
00:26:33.51\00:26:36.68
He needed God's
prophet by his side.
00:26:36.71\00:26:38.91
And Deborah
quickly agreed to go,
00:26:41.12\00:26:42.26
there wasn't any
hesitation on her part,
00:26:44.72\00:26:46.40
she didn't try to hide
behind ruffles and lace.
00:26:47.70\00:26:50.44
She didn't try to
shyly insist that you
00:26:50.47\00:26:53.26
know war is only for the men.
00:26:53.29\00:26:55.11
She knew that she
was intimately bound up
00:26:56.17\00:26:58.46
with a movement
of destiny and that
00:26:58.49\00:27:00.19
she couldn't
shirk her duty then,
00:27:00.22\00:27:02.10
Scripture says
Deborah arose with
00:27:05.43\00:27:08.95
Barak to Kedesh.
And Barak summoned
00:27:08.98\00:27:11.97
Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh;
00:27:12.00\00:27:14.15
and ten thousand men went up at
00:27:14.18\00:27:16.47
his heels and Deborah
went up with him. Amen.
00:27:16.50\00:27:18.62
And down on the
plain of Esdraelon
00:27:21.35\00:27:23.67
crafty Sisera must
have smiled to himself.
00:27:25.55\00:27:28.46
Let them come he
thought, let them
00:27:30.73\00:27:33.46
come with their bows and arrows.
00:27:33.49\00:27:36.37
Let them come with their rusty
00:27:37.76\00:27:39.44
swords in size.
Let them come and
00:27:39.47\00:27:43.31
throw their rocks and run.
00:27:43.34\00:27:45.03
You see when a
man has nine hundred
00:27:45.06\00:27:47.31
chariots of iron
he longs for something
00:27:47.34\00:27:51.06
to do with them. And Sisera was
00:27:51.09\00:27:54.60
already mentally
counting the corpuses
00:27:54.63\00:27:56.90
of all of the Hebrew peasants;
00:27:56.93\00:27:58.94
his trained
soldiers would cut down.
00:27:58.97\00:28:01.59
But, Sisera,
Sisera had made all of his
00:28:04.07\00:28:07.42
calculations as if
there were no God in heaven.
00:28:07.45\00:28:10.66
Sisera had made
all of his calculations
00:28:12.31\00:28:14.77
as no God wasn't
watching out for his
00:28:14.80\00:28:17.07
chosen people.
Sisera foolishly fought
00:28:17.10\00:28:19.51
along with all of
God's enemies that
00:28:19.54\00:28:21.44
he was only
dealing with a weak and
00:28:21.47\00:28:23.18
pathetically
helpless group of people.
00:28:23.21\00:28:25.68
You know some
tired senior citizens,
00:28:25.71\00:28:27.91
some flaming young teenagers he
00:28:27.94\00:28:30.78
thought he could
crush his uprising the
00:28:30.81\00:28:33.22
way you crush a
fly on the wall, amen.
00:28:33.25\00:28:36.42
But, the record
says and the Lord routed
00:28:37.36\00:28:41.16
Sisera and all his
chariots and all his
00:28:41.19\00:28:45.22
army before Barak
at the edge of the
00:28:45.25\00:28:47.16
sword and Sisera
alighted from his
00:28:47.19\00:28:49.52
chariot and fled away on foot.
00:28:49.55\00:28:51.08
And Barak
pursued the chariots and
00:28:51.11\00:28:53.53
the army to
00:28:53.56\00:28:55.44
Harosheth-ha-goiim, amen.
00:28:55.47\00:28:56.44
And all the army
of Sisera fell by the
00:28:56.45\00:28:59.13
sword not a man was
left, Hallelujah amen.
00:28:59.16\00:29:04.01
And before the
day was over man who
00:29:05.71\00:29:09.69
had thought to
crush God's people
00:29:09.72\00:29:12.31
had his own temple crushed by a
00:29:12.34\00:29:16.21
temper driven by
the hand of a woman.
00:29:16.24\00:29:18.05
I hope my friends
I hope, I hope that
00:29:20.96\00:29:24.33
every violent
person whoever even
00:29:24.36\00:29:26.77
thinks about
raising his hands against
00:29:26.80\00:29:29.98
the people of
God will remember how
00:29:30.01\00:29:32.29
Sisera died. Evil
will so occupy the
00:29:32.32\00:29:37.62
mind of the one that
possess that he can't
00:29:37.65\00:29:39.85
even lie down to sleep in peace
00:29:39.88\00:29:41.71
because he always fears a hand
00:29:41.74\00:29:43.49
bloodier than his own, amen.
00:29:43.52\00:29:45.45
The scripture
tells us that in the
00:29:48.22\00:29:49.44
aftermath of this
great victory over there
00:29:49.47\00:29:51.65
oppresses. Israel
gathered for a great
00:29:51.68\00:29:54.64
celebration of
praise and thanksgiving.
00:29:54.67\00:29:57.61
And the woman would
had inspired it all;
00:29:57.64\00:29:59.70
she proved that
she was a superlative
00:29:59.73\00:30:02.85
poet as well.
Deborah were told to
00:30:02.88\00:30:07.27
raise her voice in
a song that she wrote,
00:30:07.30\00:30:10.28
a song that really
has left a high water
00:30:10.31\00:30:13.75
mark on the record of
the worlds literature.
00:30:13.78\00:30:15.85
Wherever you go
in the textbooks you
00:30:17.89\00:30:20.55
will discover that
the song of Deborah
00:30:20.58\00:30:23.13
is treated by both
believers and skeptics
00:30:23.16\00:30:26.07
alike as one of the
great pieces of poetry
00:30:26.10\00:30:29.42
of the ancient
world. It's full of all
00:30:29.45\00:30:31.98
the fire and the
energy of the holy
00:30:32.01\00:30:34.16
cause that
inspired it. That reveals a
00:30:34.19\00:30:38.73
depth of thought
and emotion that many
00:30:38.76\00:30:41.48
people didn't
believe could have existed
00:30:41.51\00:30:43.43
that long ago. The
song of Deborah rises
00:30:43.46\00:30:48.75
to a height of exaltation in
00:30:48.78\00:30:51.21
proclaiming the
alliance between God and
00:30:51.24\00:30:53.81
his people.
According to Deborah even
00:30:53.84\00:30:56.00
the stars in
their courses fought
00:30:56.03\00:30:59.05
again Sisera. The
torrent Kishon, the
00:30:59.08\00:31:03.42
unrushing
torrent, the torrent Kishon
00:31:03.45\00:31:05.41
march on my soul with my Jesus.
00:31:05.44\00:31:08.85
March on my soul
with my. But, in the
00:31:10.00\00:31:16.05
midst of all of
this exaltation, in the
00:31:16.08\00:31:20.09
middle of all the
thanksgiving and the
00:31:20.12\00:31:21.90
celebration there
is a note of great
00:31:21.93\00:31:24.95
anger and great
bitterness. In the
00:31:24.98\00:31:29.92
23rd verse of
Judges 5, we find these
00:31:29.95\00:31:34.67
lines that seems so
strangely out of place.
00:31:34.70\00:31:37.34
Curse Meroz says
the Angel of the Lord.
00:31:40.00\00:31:43.94
Curse bitterly its
inhabitance because
00:31:45.70\00:31:49.13
they came not to
the help of the Lord,
00:31:49.16\00:31:52.02
to the help of the
Lord against the mighty.
00:31:53.69\00:31:55.42
In the flesh of
triumph, well the victory
00:31:58.46\00:32:02.91
party was in full swing.
00:32:02.94\00:32:04.40
We might have
expected Deborah to be
00:32:06.05\00:32:08.58
charitable to
those who some how didn't
00:32:08.61\00:32:10.83
manage to show up
when the battle was on.
00:32:10.86\00:32:13.35
We find ourselves
inventing all sorts of
00:32:13.38\00:32:17.53
excuses for why the
people of Meroz might
00:32:17.56\00:32:20.36
have failed to
come to the help of the
00:32:20.39\00:32:22.79
Lord against the
mighty. Well maybe the
00:32:22.82\00:32:27.24
grain harvest
needed every available
00:32:27.27\00:32:30.84
laborer or just
that. You know maybe the
00:32:30.87\00:32:33.98
local economy
would have been hurt
00:32:34.01\00:32:35.87
if all the
merchants picked up their
00:32:35.90\00:32:37.89
fathers swords
and spears and went
00:32:37.92\00:32:41.08
of to war. Maybe
they were pressing
00:32:41.11\00:32:45.24
political issues
and Meroz just then
00:32:45.27\00:32:47.97
that required
every citizen to stay
00:32:48.00\00:32:50.53
home and get
involved. But Deborah
00:32:50.56\00:32:55.48
doesn't know of
any such excuses.
00:32:55.51\00:32:57.42
And with
righteous fire in her eyes,
00:32:57.45\00:33:01.73
she denounces those who chose
00:33:01.76\00:33:04.21
the safety of
wharf and home while
00:33:04.24\00:33:06.72
legions of
Naphtali and Zebulun were
00:33:06.75\00:33:08.85
risking their necks
out their on the plains.
00:33:08.88\00:33:11.16
It's an accident
of history that we
00:33:14.80\00:33:17.47
know nothing more about the city
00:33:17.50\00:33:20.41
of Meroz today
then the memory of
00:33:20.44\00:33:23.77
her curse. An
entire city has passed
00:33:23.80\00:33:30.73
into abyss of
history and it's left
00:33:30.76\00:33:33.25
only its name. Meroz
as a symbol for shame,
00:33:33.28\00:33:39.34
dishonor. Meroz
has come to stand
00:33:39.37\00:33:45.11
for uselessness.
Meroz has come to
00:33:45.14\00:33:49.70
stand for
neutrality when no good
00:33:49.73\00:33:52.22
person could be
neutral. Meroz has come
00:33:52.25\00:33:54.42
to stand for
passivity when no honest
00:33:54.45\00:33:57.45
person can stand
idle by. Meroz has
00:33:57.48\00:34:00.94
become the label of
the shirker in the way
00:34:00.97\00:34:05.14
that the word
quisling in World War II
00:34:05.17\00:34:07.81
became a synonym for someone who
00:34:08.97\00:34:11.66
would sell his
native country in that case
00:34:11.69\00:34:14.26
Norway to the
enemy. But Meroz didn't
00:34:14.29\00:34:19.63
do anything so
actively evil as playing trader
00:34:19.66\00:34:24.50
or a spy, no.
Meroz simply did nothing.
00:34:24.53\00:34:30.57
In the face of a
monumental crisis
00:34:33.42\00:34:35.75
confronting the
people of God, Meroz
00:34:35.78\00:34:38.26
continued acting
as though nothing
00:34:38.29\00:34:40.33
unusual was
happening. And so she
00:34:40.36\00:34:43.70
became mark to
the pages of history
00:34:43.73\00:34:45.72
as a cursed city.
In a time of desperate
00:34:45.75\00:34:51.97
conflict, an
inactive friend is counted
00:34:52.00\00:34:57.73
as an enemy did you
hear what I said? Yes.
00:34:57.76\00:35:00.56
In a time of
desperate conflict an inactive
00:35:01.26\00:35:05.78
friend is counted
as an enemy, amen.
00:35:05.81\00:35:09.43
Could God concur
those iron chariots
00:35:10.96\00:35:13.63
of Jabin and
Sisera without the help
00:35:13.66\00:35:15.85
of Meroz? Certainly
he could, he didn't need
00:35:15.88\00:35:17.61
a human army at
all. But, could Meroz
00:35:17.64\00:35:20.47
survive without
committing herself
00:35:20.50\00:35:22.67
wholeheartedly to
the battle of God.
00:35:22.70\00:35:24.60
Not at all, not at
all. And so we know
00:35:25.96\00:35:29.68
nothing today of
Meroz other then the
00:35:29.71\00:35:32.78
memory of her
curse. But, I'm here
00:35:32.81\00:35:37.83
this evening to
tell you my friends that
00:35:37.86\00:35:40.99
the curse of
Meroz has not entirely
00:35:41.02\00:35:44.93
left the people
of God. As much as we
00:35:44.96\00:35:51.53
may flinch, as
much as we may stop
00:35:51.56\00:35:55.76
our ears, as much as we may want
00:35:55.79\00:35:59.18
to pretend we have
not heard. Those words,
00:35:59.21\00:36:03.92
those divine words of
criticism are directed
00:36:05.56\00:36:09.90
today against
the members of God's
00:36:09.93\00:36:13.02
church who refuse
to answer the call
00:36:13.05\00:36:17.62
to the battle
that's on the near horizon.
00:36:17.65\00:36:20.33
The sin of Meroz,
oh it's simply the sin
00:36:23.26\00:36:25.68
of trying to save
our own neck at the
00:36:25.71\00:36:28.38
expensive somebody else's neck.
00:36:28.41\00:36:30.27
It's the attempt
to save our own souls
00:36:30.30\00:36:34.23
without a thought
for the souls of others.
00:36:34.26\00:36:36.08
The people of
Meroz in the church today
00:36:38.39\00:36:40.34
are those who want
to come out of their
00:36:40.37\00:36:43.23
safe hiding places
all cool and unwounded
00:36:43.26\00:36:47.43
after the victory has been won.
00:36:47.46\00:36:49.33
And I hope, I hope
with all my heart that
00:36:51.75\00:36:55.36
you are not one of
them. Most of us here
00:36:55.39\00:37:00.33
this evening are
Americans and I suspect
00:37:00.36\00:37:03.47
it's harder for us
then for almost any
00:37:03.50\00:37:05.93
other people in
the world to understand
00:37:05.96\00:37:08.72
the necessity of
personal involvement
00:37:08.75\00:37:11.50
when there is a battle on, amen.
00:37:11.53\00:37:13.66
It has been a 145
years since there was
00:37:13.69\00:37:18.86
any pitched combat
in the lower 48 states.
00:37:18.89\00:37:22.46
We abuse to the
idea that, you know,
00:37:24.23\00:37:25.81
somebody else.
Somebody else's son,
00:37:25.84\00:37:28.20
somebody else's
daughter is gonna cross
00:37:28.23\00:37:30.13
sought water and do
our fighting for us.
00:37:30.16\00:37:32.56
But, I'm here
this evening to point
00:37:35.65\00:37:36.82
out that there is
a battle going on,
00:37:36.85\00:37:39.42
on American soils tonight and on
00:37:39.45\00:37:41.87
Canadian soils
and Bermudian soil.
00:37:41.90\00:37:44.67
It's on Alabama
soil and it's on Florida
00:37:44.70\00:37:47.52
soil and it's on
Georgia soil and it's
00:37:47.55\00:37:49.87
on Tennessee soil
and it's not some civil
00:37:49.90\00:37:52.54
war reenactment, amen. You would
00:37:52.57\00:37:57.45
actually be more
accurate to say this
00:37:57.48\00:37:59.33
evening that there are 1500 or
00:37:59.36\00:38:02.52
3000 or 5000
separate battles going
00:38:02.55\00:38:07.23
on in front of
each of us this evening
00:38:07.26\00:38:09.65
there is some issue,
there is some contest,
00:38:09.68\00:38:13.20
there is some
topic that the Lord Jesus
00:38:13.23\00:38:16.04
has been placing in front of us.
00:38:16.07\00:38:17.90
You know what that
is, I don't in our life,
00:38:17.93\00:38:20.43
but you have
already been living with
00:38:20.46\00:38:22.13
it for quite
sometime, you don't have
00:38:22.16\00:38:23.99
to go scanning
the horizon to figure
00:38:24.02\00:38:25.83
out what it is?
You don't have to go
00:38:25.86\00:38:27.50
staring into a
crystal ball or examining
00:38:27.53\00:38:30.02
your horoscope.
The spirit of God
00:38:30.05\00:38:32.01
has been talking to
you over many months
00:38:32.04\00:38:33.96
about what that
issue is in your community,
00:38:33.99\00:38:36.84
in your life, in
your church, in this
00:38:36.87\00:38:39.30
movement, that's right. And my
00:38:39.33\00:38:42.19
friends this is
into battle that you can
00:38:42.22\00:38:46.29
get someone else to
fight for you, amen.
00:38:46.32\00:38:49.33
You can't wait for someone
00:38:51.26\00:38:52.37
else to get
drafted. You can't hire
00:38:52.40\00:38:54.97
someone else to
go in your place this
00:38:55.00\00:38:57.14
is in every sense a private war.
00:38:57.17\00:38:59.84
It's a personal
war, it's a struggle
00:39:01.03\00:39:03.12
against wrong,
that the spirit of God
00:39:03.15\00:39:07.08
is laid on your heart and there
00:39:07.11\00:39:08.66
is only person
who can do something
00:39:08.69\00:39:11.21
about it, amen.
Don't think my friends,
00:39:11.24\00:39:15.27
don't think
that this is a battle
00:39:15.30\00:39:16.79
you can skip,
hallelujah. Don't suppose
00:39:17.72\00:39:20.84
that you're
gonna be able to climb
00:39:20.87\00:39:22.06
out from under
Iraq after the battle
00:39:22.09\00:39:24.26
is over and still
claim a share in the victory.
00:39:24.29\00:39:26.73
If you're gonna
dance at the victory party
00:39:29.43\00:39:31.51
you better have been
their when the battle
00:39:31.54\00:39:33.64
was on, amen.
Those who hide in fear
00:39:33.67\00:39:37.93
during the battle scripture says
00:39:37.96\00:39:41.50
they are counted
the enemies of God's
00:39:41.53\00:39:43.26
people, amen. Scripture abounds
00:39:43.29\00:39:46.21
actually with numerous examples
00:39:46.24\00:39:48.15
of the sin of
Meroz. From the lips of
00:39:48.18\00:39:51.46
Jesus himself we
hear denunciation
00:39:51.49\00:39:54.33
of that
unfaithful servant who took
00:39:54.36\00:39:57.40
his talent and did nothing.
00:39:57.43\00:40:00.12
We hear Jesus cursing that show
00:40:02.90\00:40:05.15
a fig tree that
produced many leaves,
00:40:05.18\00:40:08.14
but in the way of
fruit it produced nothing.
00:40:08.17\00:40:11.17
We hear Jesus
rebuking that Lukewarm
00:40:13.35\00:40:15.48
Church of
Laodicea, which thought it
00:40:15.51\00:40:17.86
was rich and increased in goods,
00:40:17.89\00:40:19.68
but actually of
the things that count
00:40:19.71\00:40:22.10
it possessed
nothing. And his awful word
00:40:22.13\00:40:26.92
to them is
because you are Lukewarm
00:40:26.95\00:40:29.30
neither hot nor
cold, I will spew you
00:40:29.33\00:40:31.85
out of my mouth.
Friends there really is
00:40:31.88\00:40:35.87
such a thing as
the sin of omission.
00:40:35.90\00:40:39.01
It's a sin that
Jesus talks about,
00:40:41.26\00:40:42.80
and if God forbid
any of us should be
00:40:45.17\00:40:49.64
lost in the
end. I don't think it
00:40:49.67\00:40:53.71
will primarily be
because of all of the
00:40:53.74\00:40:55.75
bad things we did, but because
00:40:55.78\00:40:58.15
of the good
things we failed to do.
00:40:58.18\00:41:01.07
The sin of Meroz
it's not a sin of
00:41:04.76\00:41:07.12
impetuousness. It's not just a
00:41:08.53\00:41:12.74
mistaken opinion
like choosing vanilla
00:41:12.77\00:41:16.51
when every same person those you
00:41:16.54\00:41:18.02
should chose chocolate.
00:41:18.05\00:41:19.02
Now the sin of
Meroz is the sin of
00:41:21.36\00:41:23.79
a person or a
family, or a church,
00:41:23.82\00:41:28.42
or a campus, or a
conference that is
00:41:29.99\00:41:33.38
gotten used to only low risk
00:41:33.41\00:41:35.27
investments, amen.
A person or a family,
00:41:35.30\00:41:39.55
or a church, or a
campus, or a conference
00:41:39.58\00:41:43.27
those decided it
wants a low risk portfolio
00:41:44.30\00:41:47.59
as it goes into the
future, it's the sin
00:41:47.62\00:41:50.17
of fear for those
who have lost the fire
00:41:50.20\00:41:52.86
of their first
love out there thinking
00:41:52.89\00:41:56.05
about the coming battle, Jesus.
00:41:56.08\00:41:58.31
You may be
thinking that these are
00:41:59.97\00:42:01.23
pretty strong
words. This is pretty
00:42:01.26\00:42:04.33
tough language.
But, when the Lord
00:42:04.36\00:42:08.13
himself is leading
his people into battle.
00:42:08.16\00:42:12.23
The person who hides in fear,
00:42:15.66\00:42:17.62
if I hide in fear
I'm calling God a liar
00:42:19.76\00:42:23.24
because he has
said I will give Sisera
00:42:23.27\00:42:25.52
into your hand,
Jesus. Before it's
00:42:25.55\00:42:29.90
too long my friends,
Seventh-Day Adventists
00:42:29.93\00:42:31.99
have allowed our
fear of conflict to
00:42:32.02\00:42:35.07
incapacitate us
and cripple us, amen.
00:42:35.10\00:42:38.81
We forget the words of the Lord
00:42:38.84\00:42:39.99
when he said I
have not come to bring
00:42:40.02\00:42:41.70
peace but a sword, hallelujah.
00:42:41.73\00:42:45.18
We ignore the plain language
00:42:45.21\00:42:46.68
of the Lord when
he said he that is
00:42:46.71\00:42:49.80
not with me, he is against me.
00:42:49.83\00:42:53.33
The struggle in
which God's church
00:42:53.36\00:42:57.20
is always engaged
is a struggle between
00:42:57.23\00:43:01.42
the truth and a
world that is determined
00:43:01.45\00:43:04.03
to stamp it up.
Well you say that's right
00:43:04.06\00:43:07.32
I agree with you
Bill. That's the kind
00:43:07.35\00:43:10.00
of thing that
others really need to
00:43:10.03\00:43:11.94
hear that, that
40% who never come
00:43:11.97\00:43:14.58
to church but are
still on our books.
00:43:14.61\00:43:16.48
That 50% who
never return a faithful
00:43:18.35\00:43:20.24
tie or support the church with
00:43:20.27\00:43:22.42
their offerings,
they need to realize
00:43:22.45\00:43:24.19
Bill I agree
with you they need to
00:43:24.22\00:43:25.68
realize that
unless they join in the
00:43:25.71\00:43:28.53
struggle they
are not gonna end up
00:43:28.56\00:43:29.83
on the winning side, amen. But,
00:43:29.86\00:43:31.78
my friends I'm
speaking tonight to the 60%
00:43:31.81\00:43:35.79
who come to
church. I'm talking tonight
00:43:35.82\00:43:41.01
to the 50% who
return a faithful tie.
00:43:41.04\00:43:44.02
I'm talking to men and women who
00:43:46.32\00:43:48.76
are ministry
leaders, who are local church
00:43:48.79\00:43:52.29
leaders, who are
leaders of movements
00:43:52.32\00:43:56.34
and ministries
across the face of his
00:43:56.37\00:43:58.55
denomination. Men and women who
00:43:58.58\00:44:00.73
make plans and
look for support and try
00:44:00.76\00:44:04.42
to think
strategically. An 31 years
00:44:04.45\00:44:07.24
of ministry have thought me that
00:44:07.27\00:44:08.80
these words from
the song of Deborah
00:44:08.83\00:44:10.78
apply to God's
people today with the same
00:44:10.81\00:44:14.15
force as they
were once directed.
00:44:14.18\00:44:16.21
Remember that the city of Meroz
00:44:16.24\00:44:18.07
undoubtedly had
its leaders as well.
00:44:18.10\00:44:20.19
There was probably some tribal
00:44:22.00\00:44:24.27
chief in there.
There was probably
00:44:24.30\00:44:27.38
some local elder,
there was probably
00:44:27.41\00:44:30.89
some Merozion
Conference President
00:44:30.92\00:44:33.75
who would stand up
in font of his people
00:44:33.78\00:44:35.67
and say, no folks, folks this
00:44:35.70\00:44:37.23
really isn't in
our fight. We have got
00:44:37.26\00:44:41.49
no quarrel with
Sisera and Jabin.
00:44:41.52\00:44:43.47
I mean they have always treated
00:44:43.50\00:44:45.55
us fairly well
haven't they and besides
00:44:45.58\00:44:48.96
there is a whole
lot of work that won't
00:44:48.99\00:44:51.18
get done around
here if we all go running
00:44:51.21\00:44:52.89
off to war. That
crunching sound you
00:44:52.92\00:44:59.51
are hearing now is all the toes
00:44:59.54\00:45:01.12
I'm stepping out,
amen. My wife will
00:45:01.15\00:45:05.74
tell you that I have
never been particularly
00:45:05.77\00:45:08.15
layed on my feet.
And the great pity is
00:45:08.18\00:45:13.53
my friends, the
great pity is that we
00:45:13.56\00:45:15.81
have so long
thought of conflict of
00:45:15.84\00:45:18.43
any kind as
something to be avoided
00:45:18.46\00:45:20.43
that we are
hardily able to recognize
00:45:20.46\00:45:22.65
a moral battle
when we see one now.
00:45:22.68\00:45:24.73
The great rally and
cry of my generation
00:45:28.37\00:45:30.83
was nothing more
profound then chill.
00:45:30.86\00:45:34.43
Ten years ago, I
followed bumper stickers
00:45:37.24\00:45:39.24
all around Washington DC that
00:45:39.27\00:45:42.05
simply said
whatever. My sons are part
00:45:42.08\00:45:48.37
of a generation
that puts premium
00:45:48.40\00:45:51.54
I'm looking cool, and slack, and
00:45:51.57\00:45:53.83
clean, and funny.
But, those who don't
00:45:53.86\00:45:58.57
want to get
involved, those who wanna
00:45:58.60\00:46:01.85
a chorus chill,
those who are willing
00:46:01.88\00:46:06.04
to follow whatever to wherever,
00:46:06.07\00:46:08.43
those who wanna
stay cool and funny,
00:46:10.07\00:46:11.88
and clean in a
world of pain and sin
00:46:11.91\00:46:14.61
and dirt ought to
hear the truth, and
00:46:14.64\00:46:16.53
the truth is
Meroz will disappear.
00:46:16.56\00:46:18.77
Meroz will
vanish without a trace.
00:46:20.62\00:46:22.18
Meroz will be
destroyed by its own apathy
00:46:23.80\00:46:26.82
as surly as if an
enemy had attacked, amen.
00:46:26.85\00:46:30.45
As fearful modern Christians we
00:46:33.87\00:46:35.91
sometimes justify
those fears by saying
00:46:35.94\00:46:41.36
to each other well
the will of God will be
00:46:41.39\00:46:44.82
worked out in the
end and God really
00:46:44.85\00:46:48.61
doesn't need our
tiny help does he?
00:46:48.64\00:46:51.60
After all why
stress yourselves about
00:46:54.04\00:46:57.11
things that are
wrong in the world,
00:46:57.14\00:46:59.00
I mean if we
just wait long enough
00:46:59.03\00:47:01.76
the Lord will come
and like fearful children.
00:47:01.79\00:47:06.93
Like Dave and
me in grade school,
00:47:08.73\00:47:10.73
we take the long way home.
00:47:12.53\00:47:13.87
We avoid the very
conflict with sin,
00:47:15.79\00:47:19.01
that would give
us last encourage and
00:47:20.17\00:47:21.85
confidence, we are afraid of,
00:47:21.88\00:47:23.67
of offending the
forces of evil as though
00:47:23.70\00:47:26.62
righteousness was
just a matter of good
00:47:26.65\00:47:29.15
breading. My friends go ahead,
00:47:29.18\00:47:34.95
offend the
devil, plant a flag on
00:47:36.15\00:47:40.68
your lawn, put a
poster on your door
00:47:40.71\00:47:42.60
that says as for me in my house,
00:47:42.63\00:47:44.62
as for me in my
family, as for me in
00:47:44.65\00:47:47.02
my church, as for
me in my conference,
00:47:47.05\00:47:49.19
we will serve the Lord, amen.
00:47:49.22\00:47:52.15
We are not
gonna get through this
00:47:54.54\00:47:55.69
thing without a
fight my friends.
00:47:55.72\00:47:57.17
The evil in this
world is very strong
00:47:57.20\00:48:00.80
and we will surly
be wrestling against
00:48:00.83\00:48:03.25
it until that very moment when
00:48:03.28\00:48:05.18
Jesus breaks
through the eastern sky.
00:48:05.21\00:48:07.13
Story is told of a
man out walking one day,
00:48:11.08\00:48:13.77
he came across
two boys fighting.
00:48:15.88\00:48:17.52
As he watched he saw one of them
00:48:19.86\00:48:22.83
pounding the
other, whom he had already
00:48:23.66\00:48:26.75
tackled on the
ground. And so he stop
00:48:26.78\00:48:30.55
the apparent
attacker and said you
00:48:30.58\00:48:32.56
know you really
shouldn't hit a man
00:48:32.59\00:48:34.31
who is already
down. But, wiping the
00:48:34.34\00:48:39.10
sweat and the
blood from his forehead,
00:48:39.13\00:48:41.44
the boy stood
up and said ha, ha,
00:48:43.20\00:48:46.83
but you don't know what trouble
00:48:46.86\00:48:48.29
I had to get
him down. My friends
00:48:48.32\00:48:52.78
don't let some
misguided notion of
00:48:52.81\00:48:56.28
sympathy or tolerance keep you
00:48:56.31\00:48:59.08
from acting in
the name of goodness
00:48:59.11\00:49:01.45
when God gives
you the chance, amen.
00:49:01.48\00:49:04.32
Good news is a
fragile thing in this world,
00:49:04.35\00:49:07.40
it's all too
easily crushed out by that
00:49:07.43\00:49:10.04
iron chariot of
evil. The real measure
00:49:10.07\00:49:13.01
of your commitment
to anything is your
00:49:13.04\00:49:14.95
willingness to
defend it against the
00:49:14.98\00:49:17.21
attacks made on
it. That's true of
00:49:17.24\00:49:19.28
your home, that's
true of your family,
00:49:19.31\00:49:21.04
that's true of
your local church,
00:49:21.07\00:49:22.72
that's true of this world wide
00:49:22.75\00:49:24.31
movement of God.
By defending something
00:49:24.34\00:49:27.57
we come to know
how much we value it.
00:49:27.60\00:49:29.94
Sometimes I
worry, I worry that as
00:49:33.15\00:49:37.01
Seventh-Day Adventist Christians
00:49:37.04\00:49:39.65
we have insufficiently
involved ourselves
00:49:39.68\00:49:43.01
in the struggle for
goodness in this world.
00:49:44.03\00:49:45.79
Perhaps because we have had one
00:49:45.82\00:49:50.21
eye fixed on the soon coming
00:49:50.24\00:49:51.88
of the Lord we haven't noticed,
00:49:51.91\00:49:54.21
we haven't notice
the ground that evil
00:49:56.34\00:49:58.06
is gaining all
around us. But, friends
00:49:58.09\00:50:02.16
I believe in the
soon coming of Jesus,
00:50:02.19\00:50:04.65
my belief in the
soon coming of Jesus
00:50:04.68\00:50:07.90
will never be a
justification for
00:50:07.93\00:50:10.81
ignoring the
battle against evil that
00:50:10.84\00:50:13.00
goes on in your living
room, in your community,
00:50:13.03\00:50:16.20
in your church,
throughout the world
00:50:16.23\00:50:19.14
wide range of this
movement, hallelujah.
00:50:19.17\00:50:23.26
Tell me my
friends, tell me, when the
00:50:24.14\00:50:29.65
big developers
best laid plans will
00:50:29.68\00:50:35.36
displace 20 Hispanic
families who literally
00:50:35.39\00:50:39.47
have no other
place to live is there
00:50:39.50\00:50:42.95
a moral issue
involved, Jesus, Jesus.
00:50:42.98\00:50:47.69
When ravaging
problems with alcohol
00:50:47.72\00:50:50.73
and drugs are
destroying the lives of
00:50:50.76\00:50:52.99
teenagers and
adults in your community,
00:50:53.02\00:50:55.94
on your streets is there a moral
00:50:55.97\00:50:59.06
issue involved?
Jesus. When hundreds
00:50:59.09\00:51:04.72
of Adventist
young adults are being
00:51:04.75\00:51:07.79
let down the
garden path of theistic
00:51:07.82\00:51:10.63
evolution some to
lose their faith in
00:51:10.66\00:51:14.09
Jesus is their a
moral issue involved?
00:51:14.12\00:51:19.75
When growing
percentages of the material
00:51:23.54\00:51:25.56
resources that
God has blessed his
00:51:25.59\00:51:28.05
people within
North America are spent
00:51:28.08\00:51:30.56
on getting
deeper carpets for out
00:51:30.59\00:51:32.76
sanctuaries instead
of deeper compassion
00:51:32.79\00:51:35.40
for the lost is
there a moral issue
00:51:35.43\00:51:37.62
involved? Hallelujah. When the
00:51:37.65\00:51:41.05
apparatus of so
many of our structures
00:51:41.08\00:51:43.14
is better
turning out recedes and
00:51:43.17\00:51:47.28
giving
reimbursements then to focusing
00:51:47.31\00:51:50.11
on revival and
reformation is there
00:51:50.14\00:51:52.79
a moral issue
involved? I'm gonna do
00:51:52.82\00:51:57.00
something today that
most Adventist ministers
00:51:57.03\00:52:00.50
won't do. I'm
gonna take exception
00:52:00.53\00:52:03.99
to this
scripture here in my hand.
00:52:04.02\00:52:05.39
I'm gonna take exception to
00:52:08.05\00:52:09.34
what the word of God says.
00:52:09.37\00:52:10.57
I'm gonna tell you
that Jabin and Sisera
00:52:10.60\00:52:13.33
are not dead. They
are not dead, Jesus.
00:52:13.36\00:52:17.02
I'm gonna remind
you that Sisera erases
00:52:19.88\00:52:23.54
his head with
every new television
00:52:23.57\00:52:27.15
comedy that gets
us to laugh at things
00:52:27.18\00:52:30.39
that the holy word
of God calls honorable.
00:52:30.42\00:52:33.22
Things like
marriage, and religion, and
00:52:33.25\00:52:35.52
honor and
loyalty. Sisera loves that
00:52:35.55\00:52:39.21
by the way.
Sisera comes to life with
00:52:39.24\00:52:43.66
every anthem that
flowns godlessness
00:52:43.69\00:52:46.77
in a morality and
pokes fun at people
00:52:46.80\00:52:49.58
who hold to the
values of the word of God.
00:52:49.61\00:52:52.28
Sisera comes to
life again every time,
00:52:52.31\00:52:54.95
anywhere, a
government restricts the
00:52:54.98\00:52:57.47
right of its
citizens to worship the God
00:52:57.50\00:52:59.84
of their
conscience. Whether those
00:52:59.87\00:53:01.51
are Iraqi Baptists
or Pakistani Adventists
00:53:01.54\00:53:04.93
or Bible
believing Sabbath keepers
00:53:06.67\00:53:09.32
who risk their
jobs on Friday afternoon
00:53:09.35\00:53:11.64
when they go home to keep the
00:53:11.67\00:53:12.80
commandment of
the Lord, Hallelujah.
00:53:12.83\00:53:15.46
Sisera thrives on
the front pages of
00:53:17.21\00:53:19.31
tabloids that
scream sex and scandal
00:53:19.34\00:53:23.03
in three inch
type. Sisera comes back
00:53:23.06\00:53:27.86
from the dead, wherever God's
00:53:27.89\00:53:31.23
little once go
hungry because we just
00:53:31.26\00:53:35.85
can't see it. We
just can't see it.
00:53:35.88\00:53:39.82
Read the 25
chapter of Matthew my
00:53:41.18\00:53:43.27
friends see what
it is that Jesus says
00:53:43.30\00:53:45.98
he really cares
about. In the end
00:53:46.01\00:53:47.87
of it all, Jesus
wants the answer to some
00:53:47.90\00:53:50.43
fairly simple
questions. Did you feed
00:53:50.46\00:53:53.05
my hungry people? Did you give
00:53:53.08\00:53:54.80
a cup of cold water in my name?
00:53:54.83\00:53:56.63
Did you lift up
your hand to defend
00:53:56.66\00:53:58.59
the truth? Did
you lift up your hands
00:53:58.62\00:54:00.62
to defend the
weak or those who are
00:54:00.65\00:54:02.66
weak in faith? Did
you stand up whenever
00:54:02.69\00:54:05.58
you were called
for, can you recognize
00:54:05.61\00:54:07.92
a moral battle
when you see one? Jesus.
00:54:07.95\00:54:11.68
Call to you
tonight is very simple,
00:54:13.33\00:54:15.41
be brave, be
strong in your corner of
00:54:17.38\00:54:22.13
the battlefield. Be
distinctly on God side
00:54:22.16\00:54:27.54
in this running
warfare against the
00:54:27.57\00:54:29.72
host of Sisera.
Make a choice today
00:54:29.75\00:54:34.25
that the God of Deborah is gonna
00:54:34.28\00:54:36.76
be your God. Make a choice today
00:54:36.79\00:54:38.35
that the God of
the courageous men
00:54:38.38\00:54:40.14
and women who
raised up this movement
00:54:40.17\00:54:42.60
will be the Lord of your life.
00:54:42.63\00:54:44.26
Commit yourself today to being
00:54:44.29\00:54:46.45
a man and or a woman in whom the
00:54:46.48\00:54:48.25
spirit of God
still burns with that
00:54:48.28\00:54:50.98
Holy Fire. Ellen
White said it with great
00:54:51.01\00:54:56.71
clarity, she
said it with courage,
00:54:56.74\00:54:59.93
she said it with conviction
00:55:01.50\00:55:02.81
"there is indeed
a great controversy
00:55:04.37\00:55:07.47
between Christ
and Satan that rages
00:55:07.50\00:55:10.17
in this world. " But, my friends
00:55:10.20\00:55:13.22
it must yet become
a great controversy
00:55:13.25\00:55:16.67
between you and Satan.
00:55:16.70\00:55:18.71
A great anger
against evil in your
00:55:20.03\00:55:21.69
heart, a great
desire to see God's
00:55:21.72\00:55:24.53
goodness triumph in the end.
00:55:24.56\00:55:26.31
Are you
sometimes gonna be afraid?
00:55:28.42\00:55:29.92
Absolutely. Are
you sometimes gonna
00:55:29.95\00:55:33.48
wonder if it's all
worth it? Undoubtedly.
00:55:33.51\00:55:37.09
But, when next, when next you
00:55:37.12\00:55:41.91
shiver in the
fear of the battle.
00:55:41.94\00:55:44.19
When next the ground around you
00:55:47.21\00:55:49.10
trembles as those
nine hundred chariots
00:55:49.13\00:55:52.49
of iron come
rolling by remember the
00:55:52.52\00:55:55.36
words of Psalm 46 Come,
00:55:55.39\00:55:57.71
behold the works of the Lord how
00:55:57.74\00:56:00.28
he has wrought desolations in
00:56:00.31\00:56:02.02
the earth. He
makes wars to seize to
00:56:02.05\00:56:04.25
the end of the
earth. He brakes the bow,
00:56:04.28\00:56:06.42
he shatters the
spear, now get this line.
00:56:06.45\00:56:08.80
He burns the chariots with fire.
00:56:08.83\00:56:12.55
Be still and know that I'm God,
00:56:14.81\00:56:17.20
I will be
exalted among the haven,
00:56:17.23\00:56:19.14
I will be exalted in the earth.
00:56:19.17\00:56:21.01
The Lord of hosts oh he is still
00:56:21.04\00:56:24.64
with us, Hallelujah. The God
00:56:24.67\00:56:26.85
of Jacob is still our refuge.
00:56:26.88\00:56:31.75