In the beginning of
creation when the world
00:01:03.25\00:01:15.08
was full the Lord in
his splendor. This world he
00:01:15.11\00:01:26.52
had rendered. Still
the best was yet to come
00:01:26.55\00:01:36.79
God's greatest glory.
The world's life story.
00:01:37.89\00:01:52.88
Written just for me,
Jesus is God's greatest glory.
00:01:53.51\00:02:16.57
From his birth in a
manger to his death on
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Calvary He fulfilled
the Father's pledge Jesus
00:02:35.96\00:02:48.79
Christ loves sacrifice
Giving hope to every man
00:02:48.82\00:03:02.81
God's greatest glory.
The world's life story
00:03:04.17\00:03:19.01
Written just for me,
Jesus is God's greatest glory
00:03:19.67\00:03:45.15
Jesus is God's greatest glory.
00:03:46.77\00:04:08.02
Amen. Amen.
Amen. Thank you Melody.
00:04:09.57\00:04:13.80
Well, Melody is
still singing beautifully.
00:04:15.40\00:04:18.56
Ever since I first
met her and first saw her
00:04:18.90\00:04:21.61
was many years ago
when the two of you
00:04:21.64\00:04:24.15
before you ever even
built this ministry you
00:04:24.18\00:04:27.76
were traveling around
telling people about the
00:04:27.79\00:04:29.69
dream and Melody was
just a young teenager.
00:04:29.72\00:04:33.84
Oh, yeah 13-14. Yeah.
00:04:33.87\00:04:35.46
Its been a long time
and God gives you just
00:04:35.49\00:04:38.59
just what you need
and Melody has been such
00:04:38.62\00:04:40.53
a support over the
years to this ministry not
00:04:40.56\00:04:42.74
just to me
personally. Of course I love her
00:04:42.77\00:04:44.91
and Greg all the
grand kids but I am
00:04:44.94\00:04:46.78
saying in just in
general to have her and she is
00:04:46.81\00:04:49.72
willing to travel,
she is willing to sing.
00:04:49.75\00:04:51.51
Yes. And so thank you
00:04:51.54\00:04:52.73
Melody I love you
and appreciate you honey.
00:04:52.76\00:04:54.55
Wow! Well it's so
great to see all of these
00:04:54.96\00:04:57.55
people with us
here in Thompsonville.
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Amen, alright.
They have come from
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all over the United
States, Costa Rica and
00:05:00.92\00:05:04.92
some other places that. Yeah.
00:05:04.95\00:05:06.43
That have arrived
here and it's quite a crowd
00:05:06.46\00:05:09.47
for a Wednesday
night and I am really
00:05:09.50\00:05:11.25
impressed.
Impressed with you all.
00:05:11.28\00:05:13.25
Yes. I know we were going
00:05:13.28\00:05:14.30
to have a lot of
people because I saw all the
00:05:14.33\00:05:15.82
motor home places
were being taken up we
00:05:15.85\00:05:17.69
have those Camp grounds on
both sides and I see people
00:05:17.73\00:05:21.03
coming in and people
put up tents and people
00:05:21.06\00:05:23.58
do all sorts, so
we are happy. Yes.
00:05:23.61\00:05:25.90
It's a great time of
year to be here in Southern
00:05:25.94\00:05:27.72
Illinois, this is
God's country in case you
00:05:27.75\00:05:29.54
didn't know. Yeah.
00:05:29.57\00:05:30.62
And the weather
is always perfect;
00:05:30.88\00:05:32.21
year around the
weather is perfect.
00:05:32.76\00:05:34.13
That's right. And that's what I
00:05:34.59\00:05:35.56
told Jim Gilley. Yeah.
00:05:35.57\00:05:36.57
When I asked him to
come up, he said how is
00:05:36.60\00:05:38.25
the weather? This is
perfect all the time.
00:05:38.28\00:05:39.90
Yeah, it's always
prefect. Don't worry about it.
00:05:39.93\00:05:41.24
No, you get just what you want,
00:05:41.27\00:05:42.53
you understand. Yeah.
00:05:42.56\00:05:44.20
And it went from
winter to summer so we
00:05:44.24\00:05:47.08
skipped spring and
we've got really nice
00:05:47.11\00:05:50.82
weather out there.
So, if you are camping
00:05:50.85\00:05:52.94
you will be nice
and comfortably warm
00:05:54.09\00:05:55.99
at this time. That's right.
00:05:56.02\00:05:57.83
Sure, sure, and
we want to, want to
00:05:57.86\00:06:00.38
thank all of our
viewers at home also for your
00:06:00.41\00:06:02.96
love and your
prayers and financial support
00:06:02.99\00:06:04.88
and all of you
here at 3ABN. And we are
00:06:04.91\00:06:07.66
going to be this
weekend instead of we have
00:06:07.69\00:06:09.43
had a Ten Commandments
weekend camp meeting
00:06:09.46\00:06:11.77
last two, three years
or so, but this weekend
00:06:11.80\00:06:14.22
we literally it's
The Pillars of our Faith.
00:06:14.25\00:06:16.81
Right. Pillars of the Christian
00:06:16.84\00:06:17.91
Faith weekend and we
are inviting everybody,
00:06:17.94\00:06:21.15
we told the audience
here. At home a little
00:06:21.18\00:06:23.37
while ago, it's like
we are drawing a line in
00:06:23.40\00:06:25.68
the sand as
Christians in the sand, you know
00:06:25.71\00:06:27.50
what we have this
book called Pillars of our
00:06:27.53\00:06:29.84
Faith I'm picking it
up. But if I had the Bible
00:06:29.87\00:06:31.24
here I would do the
same thing, the Pillars
00:06:31.27\00:06:34.65
of our Christian
Faith are its not one
00:06:34.68\00:06:37.16
denominations,
belief it's what the Bible
00:06:37.19\00:06:39.13
says. Just happen to
be that some folk agree
00:06:39.16\00:06:41.53
with it. That's right.
00:06:41.56\00:06:42.53
We espouse it and
so we decided to have a
00:06:42.55\00:06:44.54
weekend and have
preaching on nothing
00:06:44.57\00:06:47.32
except the pillars of
our faith and its all Bible
00:06:47.35\00:06:50.99
preaching and I
can't wait myself, I don't
00:06:51.02\00:06:53.20
know about you,
some of you I know that's
00:06:53.23\00:06:54.87
true those of you
here to hear all the
00:06:54.90\00:06:57.35
preaching, all the
music. Music has been
00:06:57.38\00:06:59.67
written, the pillars
of our faith. How many
00:06:59.70\00:07:01.36
have heard the CDs
or DVDs here? Well,
00:07:01.39\00:07:03.68
most of you. That's right.
00:07:03.71\00:07:05.00
And that's
probably why you are here;
00:07:05.03\00:07:06.00
you have heard some
of that. Absolutely,
00:07:06.01\00:07:07.65
we will talk a
little bit more about it
00:07:07.68\00:07:09.22
tomorrow night how
the Lord blessed to put
00:07:09.25\00:07:11.94
this thing together
and songs that are written,
00:07:11.97\00:07:14.70
that literally from the
pillars of the Christian faith.
00:07:14.73\00:07:18.61
What we believe is
Seventh Day Adventist put to
00:07:18.64\00:07:21.87
music and then to
have the preachers coming
00:07:21.90\00:07:24.22
here is incredible
Jim. It really is and as we
00:07:24.25\00:07:27.91
have started to look
at these pillars, we have
00:07:27.94\00:07:31.26
seen that they been
eroded in most of the
00:07:31.29\00:07:34.64
churches and
starting to be eroded even in
00:07:34.67\00:07:37.56
some of our own churches. Yeah.
00:07:37.59\00:07:39.12
And so it is time
once again to say this is
00:07:39.15\00:07:44.00
what we believe,
this is where we stand and
00:07:44.28\00:07:47.99
we are not going to
be moved just like that
00:07:48.02\00:07:50.19
song, I will not be
moved, just like that
00:07:50.22\00:07:52.97
that we find, like a
tree planted by the waters.
00:07:53.00\00:07:57.18
I will not be moved
and we must take that
00:07:57.71\00:08:00.87
position folks in
order to stand for truth
00:08:00.90\00:08:04.52
because there are so
many people today that
00:08:04.55\00:08:06.65
are willing to say
well, what difference does
00:08:06.68\00:08:08.89
it make whether you
believe this or whether
00:08:08.92\00:08:11.26
you believe that. But
you can take the Bible
00:08:11.29\00:08:13.87
and go from cover to
cover and you'll never
00:08:13.90\00:08:17.48
find that phrase what
difference does it make,
00:08:17.51\00:08:21.20
its not in God's
word, it has always made a
00:08:21.52\00:08:25.09
difference to
God where we teach,
00:08:25.12\00:08:28.03
what we teach and how we live.
00:08:28.06\00:08:31.41
There is a friend of
mine who is always using
00:08:32.32\00:08:35.56
the statement when
we talk about something
00:08:35.59\00:08:37.82
he will say true
and also correct and you
00:08:37.85\00:08:41.12
know I have thought
about that statement so
00:08:41.15\00:08:43.39
many times and it is so
good because if something
00:08:43.42\00:08:47.47
is true it is
correct and somehow today
00:08:47.50\00:08:52.37
there has been a
premium on things that
00:08:52.40\00:08:55.13
are not true, people
taking something that
00:08:55.16\00:08:57.82
isn't true and trying
to make that a doctrine or
00:08:57.85\00:09:02.01
a teaching or
something of that nature.
00:09:02.04\00:09:04.08
And the devil has
been doing that from the
00:09:04.11\00:09:06.35
very beginning but
with God's word it is
00:09:06.38\00:09:09.59
true and it is
also correct. Amen.
00:09:09.62\00:09:13.43
The trouble with
deception is you don't
00:09:13.46\00:09:15.44
know you are deceived, right?
00:09:15.47\00:09:16.73
Right. Think about it, we don't
00:09:16.76\00:09:18.95
know where it is,
people if we knew we were
00:09:18.98\00:09:21.02
deceived we
wouldn't be deceived probably
00:09:21.05\00:09:23.01
we would change,
but that's the problem.
00:09:23.04\00:09:25.06
So, with 3ABN
hitting our 25th year.
00:09:25.09\00:09:28.03
C. A Murray said last
year, what are we going
00:09:28.06\00:09:29.93
to do? We need
something really big,
00:09:29.96\00:09:31.37
something special.
We didn't have anything
00:09:31.40\00:09:33.50
planned until I met
David Huntsinger and
00:09:33.53\00:09:36.84
Kris Wilkinson down
in Nashville and they
00:09:36.87\00:09:39.75
told us how excited
they were about the truths
00:09:39.78\00:09:43.23
they were learning
studying Adventists
00:09:43.26\00:09:45.53
beliefs which is
again just Bible beliefs and
00:09:45.56\00:09:48.04
doctrines they say
these were so unique.
00:09:48.07\00:09:49.97
They are very well
known creative musicians
00:09:50.49\00:09:53.06
and songwriters and
they said, David said I
00:09:53.09\00:09:55.72
would love to write
some songs on these,
00:09:55.75\00:09:58.13
what do we call it.
And it just kind of popped
00:09:58.16\00:10:00.16
out I said you are
talking about the pillars
00:10:00.19\00:10:02.27
of our faith and he
said that's got to be it,
00:10:02.30\00:10:04.12
lets do a pillars
of our faith project.
00:10:04.15\00:10:07.17
Now, what's so
important about it is because
00:10:07.65\00:10:09.82
after 25 years we
know what the Lord
00:10:09.85\00:10:12.15
impressed us to
do, build a television
00:10:12.18\00:10:13.93
station that would
reach the world with an
00:10:13.96\00:10:15.91
undiluted 3 Angels
messages. One that would
00:10:15.94\00:10:18.10
counteract the
counterfeit. You all
00:10:18.13\00:10:20.20
jumped on that
vision and made it possible
00:10:20.23\00:10:23.35
3ABN what it is
today, reaching literally
00:10:23.38\00:10:26.02
every continent and
the world and hundreds
00:10:26.05\00:10:28.25
and hundreds of
millions of potential people
00:10:28.28\00:10:30.04
can watch at any given
time or listen on radio.
00:10:30.07\00:10:32.74
But after 25 years
when we look at our
00:10:33.50\00:10:36.28
churches and we say
it seems these pillars
00:10:36.31\00:10:38.95
have been so
eroded, how do we know its
00:10:38.98\00:10:41.42
not happening at
3ABN. How do we know
00:10:41.45\00:10:43.57
that our preaching,
how do we know that our
00:10:43.60\00:10:45.09
teaching is still
solid. The only way you can
00:10:45.12\00:10:48.16
do is go back to the
Bible. Is to go back and
00:10:48.19\00:10:50.64
reexamine what God
gave us in the beginning
00:10:50.67\00:10:54.55
of this church when
it was raised and see are
00:10:54.58\00:10:57.41
we deviating from
that, are we eroding the
00:10:57.44\00:10:59.42
pillars. Have we
forsaken some of these,
00:10:59.45\00:11:01.74
if so we need to
make a change and we don't
00:11:01.77\00:11:04.74
care what the rest
world does, we've got to
00:11:04.77\00:11:07.11
change. So 3ABN
is determined and our
00:11:07.14\00:11:09.60
board is determined,
we had a meeting today.
00:11:09.63\00:11:11.40
I can speak for
every board member,
00:11:12.12\00:11:13.72
they are
determined the 3ABN gave an
00:11:13.75\00:11:15.95
undiluted Three
Angel's Messages one that
00:11:15.98\00:11:17.99
would
counteract the counterfeit.
00:11:18.02\00:11:19.47
They are not people
followers, they are not
00:11:19.50\00:11:21.67
excited about this
preacher or that preacher
00:11:21.70\00:11:24.17
or have them on at any
cost. The idea is if the
00:11:24.20\00:11:26.89
man is given
truth we want him on,
00:11:26.92\00:11:28.43
we support him. If he
isn't we don't care what
00:11:28.46\00:11:30.23
his name is, we
don't support it. Amen.
00:11:30.26\00:11:32.84
And it's that straight
forward and that's what
00:11:32.87\00:11:34.31
we want to be now.
All of us have sin in
00:11:34.34\00:11:36.27
our lives none of us
are perfect, we're not up
00:11:36.30\00:11:38.45
here saying that, we
are all struggling but
00:11:38.48\00:11:40.78
we all need to look
to the cross for those of
00:11:40.81\00:11:42.97
us, Christians
wanting to go to heaven we
00:11:43.00\00:11:45.15
need to look to the
cross of Jesus to Calvary
00:11:45.18\00:11:47.56
and say Lord what is
it? First of all submit or
00:11:47.97\00:11:50.13
commit our lives to
him and then go and tell
00:11:50.16\00:11:52.18
what he has done for
us. But if we don't know
00:11:52.21\00:11:54.23
what we are
supposed to go and tell
00:11:54.26\00:11:55.45
we are in
trouble. How do we know?
00:11:55.48\00:11:56.70
We go to the Bible. Amen.
00:11:56.73\00:11:58.44
And the Bible
defines and tells us what is
00:11:58.47\00:12:00.77
truth and what is
error. And so by God's grace
00:12:00.80\00:12:04.38
3ABN continues.
We want to make sure
00:12:04.41\00:12:07.23
we've invited our
viewers if you hear us
00:12:07.26\00:12:09.45
saying
something that's not true,
00:12:09.48\00:12:10.77
our preachers are
preaching things that are
00:12:10.80\00:12:12.39
not according to the
Bible, you let us know
00:12:12.42\00:12:14.68
we will take them
off. That's right.
00:12:14.71\00:12:16.06
We surely will. Right.
00:12:16.09\00:12:17.06
You agree with that,
shall we take them off.
00:12:17.07\00:12:18.44
I don't care who they are right.
00:12:18.47\00:12:20.31
Be the greatest named preacher
00:12:20.34\00:12:21.68
you know if they are
not telling the truth
00:12:21.71\00:12:23.17
we should take them off 3ABN.
00:12:23.20\00:12:25.00
Yeah, that's right.
00:12:25.03\00:12:26.00
Because we just
simply want the truth out
00:12:26.01\00:12:27.65
there. But every single program
00:12:27.68\00:12:29.04
that comes out on
3ABN goes through our
00:12:29.07\00:12:32.13
pastoral staff, we
have a group that reviews
00:12:32.16\00:12:35.15
these programs. if
they find anything that they
00:12:35.18\00:12:39.13
do not think is
according to God's word then
00:12:39.16\00:12:42.76
they pull that
program, that program doesn't
00:12:42.79\00:12:44.66
go on until we clear
on the fact that this is
00:12:44.69\00:12:48.33
supported by God's
word. So we are trying to
00:12:48.36\00:12:51.45
be very careful about
that but occasionally,
00:12:51.48\00:12:53.44
you know we are
human beings, some thing
00:12:53.47\00:12:55.65
will slip through
that really it might not be
00:12:55.68\00:12:58.97
exactly according to
God's word. And so if
00:12:59.00\00:13:02.18
that happens you be
sure to let us know.
00:13:02.21\00:13:04.74
We will make corrections.
And a lot of times it is
00:13:04.77\00:13:06.57
a matter of interpretation
and some things we may
00:13:06.60\00:13:09.36
never know till
we get to heaven.
00:13:09.39\00:13:10.95
But there are
certain pillars of truth
00:13:11.05\00:13:12.90
that we know, the
Sabbath would be one,
00:13:12.93\00:13:14.58
the state of the
dead, right. Those are the
00:13:14.61\00:13:16.37
things that we may
seem different from the
00:13:16.40\00:13:18.55
rest of the world but
it really doesn't make us
00:13:18.58\00:13:21.47
any difference
because we are not trying to
00:13:21.50\00:13:23.15
get the alms of
the world. Are you?
00:13:23.18\00:13:24.66
I mean really you
are not trying to get the
00:13:24.69\00:13:26.66
alms of world; we
just want to get the truth
00:13:26.69\00:13:28.28
out so to, for you
all to be a part of this
00:13:28.31\00:13:31.51
movement, we call
the movement this church.
00:13:31.54\00:13:33.71
We have made a
decision already; we are
00:13:33.74\00:13:36.39
different a little
bit than a lot of folk,
00:13:36.42\00:13:37.99
right. Everyone of you
are here you are a little
00:13:38.02\00:13:40.60
different; I mean you
have to be, Jim Gilley
00:13:40.63\00:13:42.64
said one day to be an
Adventist you got to be
00:13:42.67\00:13:44.69
different, you got to
be willing to stand up
00:13:44.72\00:13:46.39
and tell the rest
of world, I don't think
00:13:46.42\00:13:47.93
you are right on
some of these points
00:13:47.96\00:13:49.27
That's right.
Not everybody has got
00:13:49.30\00:13:50.66
the personality
or will to do that.
00:13:50.69\00:13:52.33
As I look at our
audience, some of them
00:13:52.36\00:13:54.23
are more different than others,
00:13:54.26\00:13:55.30
rightly. It's
alright. No comments.
00:13:55.33\00:13:59.86
We are God's children aren't we?
00:13:59.89\00:14:01.42
I think you are all
beautiful and perfect.
00:14:01.45\00:14:02.80
Amen, that's right.
But you know something
00:14:02.83\00:14:05.84
standing for the truth
will not ever be popular
00:14:05.87\00:14:09.35
and if it's popular
you probably are not
00:14:09.38\00:14:12.87
standing for the
truth. We have an
00:14:12.90\00:14:15.91
outstanding
presenter that is going to be
00:14:15.94\00:14:19.60
presenting the
message tonight on the Bible,
00:14:19.63\00:14:22.16
the inspired word of God
and this is Dr Bill Knott,
00:14:22.19\00:14:26.51
he is the editor of
the Adventist Review,
00:14:26.54\00:14:29.86
he is well-known.
He has been in this
00:14:29.89\00:14:33.18
message all of his
life, he has the advanced
00:14:33.21\00:14:36.85
degrees that some of
us don't have and at the
00:14:36.88\00:14:40.60
same time he is
humble and wonderful
00:14:40.63\00:14:44.21
person. I know him
personally and I know
00:14:44.24\00:14:47.93
that you are going to
find him to be the same
00:14:47.96\00:14:49.79
way. God has given
him a gift of writing and
00:14:49.82\00:14:53.02
the gift of speaking
and tonight you are going
00:14:53.05\00:14:56.43
to be blessed as he
brings you the message.
00:14:56.46\00:15:01.27
If you like to know
more about Pastor Bill Knott
00:15:01.30\00:15:04.37
you can look him
up on the Internet,
00:15:04.40\00:15:06.32
you go to the
Adventist review and when we
00:15:06.59\00:15:09.93
were talking back
there he said don't give
00:15:09.96\00:15:11.73
them one of these
long introductions,
00:15:11.76\00:15:13.70
you just tell them
that I love the Lord and I
00:15:14.14\00:15:16.83
want to talk about
Jesus. So that's what we
00:15:16.86\00:15:19.50
are doing tonight.
And then before that
00:15:19.53\00:15:21.73
happens we have some music.
00:15:21.76\00:15:23.03
We have some special
music, we have Nathan Young
00:15:23.06\00:15:25.50
and those of you
that have seen the
00:15:25.53\00:15:27.02
CDs and heard the
CDs and have the DVDs
00:15:27.05\00:15:31.45
and we get to say
Nathan, thank you for being
00:15:31.48\00:15:33.47
here tonight. You
come all the way from?
00:15:33.50\00:15:35.87
Nashville,
Tennessee. Nashville, Tennessee,
00:15:35.90\00:15:37.92
we are so glad that
you are here tonight.
00:15:38.04\00:15:39.55
Glad to be here.
What song you are going
00:15:39.58\00:15:40.55
to be doing
tonight? Written in stone.
00:15:40.58\00:15:42.15
Written in stone,
thank you so much and God
00:15:42.18\00:15:44.29
bless you and we
want to be praying for you
00:15:44.32\00:15:46.96
and also praying
for Brother Knott.
00:15:46.99\00:15:48.96
And as Brother Nathan
finishes, Pastor Bill Knott
00:15:48.99\00:15:53.54
will be the next for us here.
00:15:53.57\00:15:55.10
The Law is just
and the law is right.
00:16:08.27\00:16:14.25
Amen. Thank you Nathan
00:20:02.12\00:20:10.01
and thank you for
the chance to talk this
00:20:11.29\00:20:13.18
evening about the
importance of the word of
00:20:13.21\00:20:15.69
God in our lives
together as believers.
00:20:15.72\00:20:18.05
I am going to invite
you to take your Bibles
00:20:19.40\00:20:20.75
with me tonight and
turn to a passage of
00:20:20.78\00:20:23.50
scripture you may
not have heard read in a
00:20:23.53\00:20:25.40
while. One of the
historical books of the
00:20:25.43\00:20:28.95
Old Testament,
Second Chronicles, chapter
00:20:28.98\00:20:31.73
34, we are going to
begin to reading at verse
00:20:31.76\00:20:37.72
14. Story about
finding the book of law.
00:20:37.75\00:20:44.56
Second Chronicles 34:14-21
00:20:48.40\00:20:53.44
While they were
bringing out the money that
00:20:55.94\00:20:57.21
had been brought into
the house of the Lord,
00:20:57.24\00:20:59.30
the priest Hilkiah
found the Book of the Law
00:20:59.68\00:21:03.40
of the Lord given through Moses.
00:21:03.43\00:21:05.26
Hilkiah said to
the secretary Shaphan
00:21:06.53\00:21:09.14
"I have found the
Book of the Law in the
00:21:09.93\00:21:11.58
house of the Lord.
" And Hilkiah gave the
00:21:11.61\00:21:13.81
book to Shaphan.
Shaphan brought the book
00:21:13.84\00:21:16.75
to the King and
further reported to the King
00:21:16.78\00:21:19.35
all that was
committed to your servants they
00:21:19.38\00:21:22.26
are doing. They have
emptied out the money
00:21:22.29\00:21:25.06
that was found in
the house of the Lord and
00:21:25.09\00:21:26.99
have delivered it
into the hand of the
00:21:27.02\00:21:28.98
overseers and the
workers. " The secretary
00:21:29.01\00:21:31.51
Shaphan informed
the King, "The priest
00:21:31.54\00:21:34.34
Hilkiah has given me
a book. " Shaphan then
00:21:34.37\00:21:38.29
read it aloud to the King.
00:21:38.32\00:21:40.36
When the King heard
the words of the Law,
00:21:41.85\00:21:44.61
he tore his
clothes. Then the King
00:21:46.26\00:21:48.99
commanded Hilkiah, Ahikam son of
00:21:49.02\00:21:51.61
Shaphan, Abdon son
of Micah, the secretary
00:21:51.64\00:21:54.12
of Shaphan and the
King's servant Asaiah:
00:21:54.15\00:21:56.98
"Go and inquire of
the Lord for me and for
00:21:57.56\00:21:59.93
those who are left
in Israel and Judah
00:21:59.96\00:22:02.12
concerning the words
of the book that have
00:22:02.15\00:22:03.64
been found. For the
wrath of the Lord that is
00:22:03.67\00:22:06.32
poured out on us
is great because our
00:22:06.35\00:22:08.98
ancestors did not
keep the word of the Lord;
00:22:09.01\00:22:11.42
to act in
accordance with all that
00:22:12.35\00:22:14.07
is written this book. "
00:22:14.10\00:22:16.00
Often when I finish
reading a passage of
00:22:19.09\00:22:21.14
scripture like that
before starting a message
00:22:21.17\00:22:23.48
I say what I am
going to say tonight.
00:22:23.51\00:22:25.49
You have already
heard the most important
00:22:26.09\00:22:28.39
words you are going
to hear this evening and
00:22:28.42\00:22:30.28
they are not mine.
This evening I want to
00:22:30.31\00:22:34.52
to talk with you
about recoveries,
00:22:34.55\00:22:37.80
three of them in fact.
One of them a few years
00:22:38.94\00:22:43.67
ago, one of them
long, long ago and one of
00:22:43.70\00:22:48.68
them by the grace
of God soon to be.
00:22:48.71\00:22:52.06
And uncle Henry's
homemade pretzel store
00:22:55.16\00:22:58.53
near Adamstown, Pennsylvania,
00:22:58.56\00:23:00.52
you can satisfy just
about any pretzel whim
00:23:02.15\00:23:05.19
you may have. If you
like your pretzels extra
00:23:05.22\00:23:09.30
dark and salty, Uncle
Henry's has the stuff for
00:23:09.33\00:23:13.53
you. And if you have
been talking with your
00:23:13.56\00:23:16.60
doctor about
reducing salt intake,
00:23:16.63\00:23:18.87
Uncle Henry's can offer you your
00:23:20.27\00:23:22.39
favorite mouthwatering
snack in a low sodium
00:23:22.42\00:23:25.38
variety. As you
tour Uncle Henry's bakery
00:23:25.41\00:23:30.05
reveling in the warm
aroma of all that baking
00:23:31.72\00:23:34.51
wheat and those
seasonings you can munch
00:23:34.54\00:23:37.24
on whole wheat or
sesame or low protein or
00:23:37.27\00:23:40.95
regular or even
low protein extra salt.
00:23:40.98\00:23:43.90
And, if you haven't
quite gotten the victory over
00:23:45.94\00:23:48.15
chocolate yet, you
can buy a tin of Uncle
00:23:48.18\00:23:52.98
Henry's chocolate
covered pretzels and sneak
00:23:53.01\00:23:55.33
them into the car when
no one else is looking.
00:23:55.36\00:23:57.37
There are many
reasons to visit Adamstown,
00:24:00.03\00:24:03.67
Pennsylvania on
a lazy summer day
00:24:03.70\00:24:05.94
and Uncle Henry's
handmade pretzel store is
00:24:07.75\00:24:11.21
just one of the
better ones. Thousands,
00:24:11.24\00:24:13.87
actually tens of
thousands of people flock
00:24:13.90\00:24:16.82
to this small town
in the Amish countryside
00:24:16.85\00:24:20.47
every year, they come
there to tour the pretzel
00:24:20.82\00:24:23.94
factory. To eat at all
the charming restaurants
00:24:23.97\00:24:27.33
and most of all to
browse through the antique
00:24:27.36\00:24:32.46
stores and the flea
markets that line route
00:24:32.49\00:24:35.62
272, those antiques
and flea markets that have
00:24:35.65\00:24:39.51
caused this town to be known as
00:24:39.54\00:24:41.96
The Antiques Capitol of America.
00:24:42.00\00:24:44.39
An hour North West
of Philadelphia in the
00:24:46.74\00:24:48.80
midst of the rolling
green acres of the old
00:24:48.83\00:24:51.59
order Amish,
Adamstown and its many
00:24:51.62\00:24:55.52
antique markets have
capitalized on the fact
00:24:55.55\00:24:58.55
that city
residents want to get away.
00:24:58.58\00:25:00.59
They want to escape
to some place where the
00:25:00.62\00:25:03.60
dominant color is
green instead of gray.
00:25:03.63\00:25:06.64
They wanted to go
some place where you can
00:25:08.03\00:25:09.24
cross the street
without taking your life in
00:25:09.27\00:25:11.36
your hands. It
doesn't hurt that one of the
00:25:11.39\00:25:14.60
most important
documents in the history of
00:25:14.63\00:25:17.66
American
antiquities was found in one of
00:25:17.69\00:25:20.70
those antique
markets in Adamstown a few
00:25:20.73\00:25:23.77
years ago. Though
you probably can't get
00:25:23.80\00:25:27.07
very many of them to
admit it, some hundreds
00:25:27.10\00:25:30.31
of people who come
there every summer to
00:25:30.34\00:25:33.13
paw through the old
clothes and look at all
00:25:33.16\00:25:36.87
those chip kerosene
lamps and study those
00:25:36.90\00:25:40.41
fading portraits of
someone else's relatives,
00:25:40.44\00:25:43.26
they come there
because they're secretly
00:25:44.75\00:25:46.65
hoping that they will
be as fortunate as one
00:25:46.68\00:25:51.71
other very
fortunate man who came there
00:25:51.74\00:25:54.46
more than 20 years ago.
00:25:54.49\00:25:55.90
In the summer of
1989 a Philadelphia stock
00:25:58.02\00:26:00.99
analyst who's
remained anonymous to this
00:26:01.02\00:26:04.04
day. He was combing
through the piles of
00:26:04.07\00:26:07.66
stuff in one of
the antique stores in
00:26:07.69\00:26:09.64
Adamstown. His eye
laid on a wooden frame,
00:26:09.67\00:26:13.97
caught his fancy and
he picked it up to look at
00:26:15.75\00:26:17.91
the price tag, at
four dollars. The frame was
00:26:17.94\00:26:22.73
what you might call
as sort of a medium fine,
00:26:22.76\00:26:25.34
pretty good bargain,
not great. Something he
00:26:26.75\00:26:31.30
might be able to use to
put a better picture in,
00:26:31.33\00:26:33.34
when he took it home.
00:26:33.37\00:26:34.34
He certainly didn't
have any use for the
00:26:36.99\00:26:38.43
picture that was
already in the frame, he has
00:26:38.46\00:26:41.09
quoted as calling it
a dismal country scene,
00:26:41.12\00:26:44.43
probably by some
armature artist who had
00:26:45.11\00:26:47.43
painted a hay stack
or a barn from the late
00:26:47.46\00:26:50.20
neighboring
countryside. The analyst put the
00:26:50.23\00:26:53.64
frame after he paid
for it in his trunk and
00:26:53.67\00:26:56.41
drove home to Philadelphia.
00:26:56.44\00:26:57.67
It was only when
he took off the wooden
00:26:59.16\00:27:01.55
backing behind the
canvas that he began to
00:27:01.58\00:27:03.96
think he might
have bought more than he
00:27:03.99\00:27:05.98
knew. The old frame
literally fell apart in
00:27:06.01\00:27:11.61
his hands as he tried
the work the backing off,
00:27:11.64\00:27:13.88
but instead being
disappointed that he had
00:27:15.29\00:27:17.22
bought four dollars
worth of junk his eye lit
00:27:17.25\00:27:19.82
up when a crisply
folded yellowing document
00:27:19.85\00:27:23.16
fell out from
between the canvas and the
00:27:23.77\00:27:26.54
broken wooden back.
00:27:26.57\00:27:27.60
Tucked between the
canvas and the wooden
00:27:29.26\00:27:32.20
back of that old
frame was a sheet folded
00:27:32.23\00:27:37.32
carefully, that had
been undisturbed for
00:27:37.35\00:27:41.73
decades, maybe even centuries.
00:27:41.76\00:27:45.01
I am sure his eyes
widened a bit and his
00:27:47.37\00:27:51.03
heart began to beat
a little faster as he
00:27:51.06\00:27:54.60
read these words.
In Congress, July 4th
00:27:54.63\00:28:00.36
1776, the unanimous
declaration of the 13
00:28:01.42\00:28:06.93
United States of
America when in the course
00:28:06.96\00:28:10.15
of human events it
becomes necessary for one
00:28:10.18\00:28:13.14
people to dissolve
the political bands which
00:28:13.17\00:28:15.98
have connected
them with another and to
00:28:16.01\00:28:17.87
assume the powers of
the earth, the separate
00:28:17.90\00:28:20.47
and equal station to
which the laws of nature
00:28:20.50\00:28:23.17
and nature's God
entitled them, a descent
00:28:23.20\00:28:25.96
respect to the
opinions of mankind requires
00:28:25.99\00:28:29.23
that they should
declare the causes that
00:28:29.26\00:28:31.30
impel them to this separation.
00:28:31.33\00:28:33.09
We hold these
truths to be self evident.
00:28:33.83\00:28:37.86
That all men are
created equal, that they are
00:28:38.54\00:28:42.13
endowed by their
creator with certain
00:28:42.16\00:28:44.91
unalienable rights.
That among these are life,
00:28:44.94\00:28:48.55
liberty and the
pursuit of happiness.
00:28:49.13\00:28:52.08
That to secure these
rights governments are
00:28:52.31\00:28:54.91
instituted among
men deriving their just
00:28:54.94\00:28:57.90
powers from the consent of the
00:28:57.93\00:29:00.70
government. There in
his hands lay one of the
00:29:00.73\00:29:06.90
most important
documents in America history.
00:29:06.93\00:29:10.59
What he later learned
was one of the first 25
00:29:10.62\00:29:15.08
copies of the declaration
of independence printed
00:29:15.11\00:29:18.61
on the evening of
July 4th 1776 by a
00:29:18.64\00:29:22.77
Philadelphia
printer named Don Bayer.
00:29:22.80\00:29:24.97
All the other 24
had long since been
00:29:27.07\00:29:29.42
accounted for, 21 of
them in institutional
00:29:29.45\00:29:33.18
collections and
archives, three of them in
00:29:33.21\00:29:35.65
private hands, his
was the last and arguably
00:29:35.68\00:29:40.08
the most precious
copy of what one expert
00:29:40.11\00:29:44.76
has rightly called
the cornerstone document
00:29:44.79\00:29:48.67
in the history of world freedom.
00:29:49.86\00:29:51.11
When that
anonymous Philadelphia stock
00:29:53.89\00:29:56.11
analyst sold that
incredible document at
00:29:56.14\00:29:59.47
Sotheby's auction
house two years later,
00:29:59.50\00:30:01.72
it netted a cool 2.42 million.
00:30:01.75\00:30:04.48
The very fortunate
and very wealthy man
00:30:07.33\00:30:10.19
who bought it
certainly realized what he was
00:30:10.22\00:30:13.01
buying. The words in
this document he said
00:30:13.04\00:30:17.84
the words in this
document are the words
00:30:17.87\00:30:21.40
that knocked
down the Berlin war.
00:30:21.43\00:30:23.92
Nine years later a
Hollywood producer out
00:30:26.07\00:30:28.47
bid another rival
and paid 8.14 million for
00:30:28.50\00:30:32.84
that same folded
piece of yellow paper.
00:30:32.87\00:30:35.16
So if you're ever
at a flea market in
00:30:37.76\00:30:40.46
Adamstown,
Pennsylvania and you notice that
00:30:40.49\00:30:44.15
people seem to be
paying special attention to
00:30:44.18\00:30:46.87
old wooden frames,
now you'll know why.
00:30:46.90\00:30:50.89
In the back rooms of
our lives and the piles
00:30:50.92\00:30:56.21
of stuff we have
inherited from our
00:30:56.24\00:30:58.30
ancestors and
ourselves. There are treasures
00:30:58.33\00:31:02.75
that still make
the heart beat quickly,
00:31:02.78\00:31:05.56
Make the eyes light
up. They burn into our
00:31:05.59\00:31:09.69
imagination the
possibilities of a world
00:31:09.72\00:31:14.19
we can only
glimpse, perhaps like me you
00:31:14.22\00:31:18.56
were also a treasure
seeker in your youth.
00:31:18.59\00:31:20.78
Oh, yes I made the
usual runs of collecting
00:31:22.56\00:31:25.96
stamps, you know
gluing all those little
00:31:25.99\00:31:28.81
plastic squares to
the back of the stamps and
00:31:28.84\00:31:31.76
mounting them on
the appropriate pages.
00:31:31.79\00:31:33.81
And for a while I
used to walk through the
00:31:34.80\00:31:36.79
children's wing of the
town library looking at
00:31:36.82\00:31:39.88
old books hoping
that I might find some
00:31:39.91\00:31:42.53
treasure map there
that would lead to a vast
00:31:42.56\00:31:45.54
golden orb, but
mostly I collected coins,
00:31:45.57\00:31:50.25
American coins,
mostly copper, occasionally
00:31:50.28\00:31:55.31
silver. I learned how to spot
00:31:55.34\00:31:58.14
the markers of
condition that the coin
00:31:58.17\00:32:01.36
collecting guides
told you would fetch the
00:32:01.39\00:32:03.43
highest price on the
market. As a 12 year old
00:32:03.46\00:32:06.24
I would walk the
three mile round trip to the
00:32:06.27\00:32:09.02
Worcester County
Savings Bank to trade 30
00:32:09.05\00:32:12.92
wrapped rolls of
Lincoln pennies for another
00:32:12.95\00:32:16.56
30, hoping as I
combed through them that I
00:32:16.59\00:32:21.45
would find
something really precious.
00:32:21.48\00:32:24.27
As every Lincoln
penny collector of the
00:32:25.70\00:32:27.92
1960s knew, there
was one penny above
00:32:27.95\00:32:31.51
others that
collectors sought, coveted even.
00:32:31.54\00:32:35.29
A 1909 SVDB, a
Lincoln penny produced by
00:32:36.83\00:32:43.10
the San Francisco mint
that bore the initials of
00:32:43.13\00:32:46.03
Vincent D Brenner,
the designer of the
00:32:46.06\00:32:48.20
Lincoln penny. Only
484,000 of those were
00:32:48.23\00:32:52.05
ever struck by the
mint and when I was 12
00:32:52.08\00:32:55.36
they were
fetching a $100 a piece,
00:32:55.39\00:32:58.68
10,000 times the
face value of the penny.
00:32:59.73\00:33:03.01
Today on Internet
auctions they fetch
00:33:04.48\00:33:08.35
at least $ 6000 each,
600,000 times the face
00:33:08.38\00:33:14.05
value of the coin. I
use to imagine stumbling
00:33:14.08\00:33:18.52
into an old
abandoned house near where we
00:33:18.55\00:33:21.19
lived and finding
behind the ripped wall
00:33:21.22\00:33:24.93
paper an entire
wrapped roll of 1909
00:33:24.96\00:33:29.27
SVDB pennies all
in mint condition.
00:33:29.30\00:33:32.27
Oh, the dreams of
treasure waiting to be
00:33:34.73\00:33:37.39
discovered. In the
backrooms of our lives,
00:33:37.42\00:33:41.24
in the stuff we
have inherited from our
00:33:41.27\00:33:43.71
ancestors and
ourselves there are treasures
00:33:43.74\00:33:46.71
that still make the
heart beat quickly that
00:33:46.74\00:33:49.61
make the eyes light
up, that burn in to our
00:33:49.64\00:33:52.87
imagination
possibilities that we have only
00:33:52.90\00:33:55.80
glimpsed. And you know its not
00:33:55.83\00:33:58.40
just economic hard
times of the last several
00:33:58.43\00:34:02.01
years that have
turned us into a nation of
00:34:02.04\00:34:04.61
treasure seekers.
We all would like a
00:34:04.64\00:34:08.69
little extra cash I
am sure if we discovered
00:34:08.72\00:34:11.35
something great in the backyard.
00:34:11.38\00:34:13.03
But everywhere
you go people seem to
00:34:13.89\00:34:15.46
looking for a lost
treasure, on civil war
00:34:15.49\00:34:18.25
battle fields, in
camps grounds, middle aged
00:34:18.28\00:34:21.83
men with metal
detectors go around
00:34:21.86\00:34:23.89
trying to find coat
buttons and insignia and
00:34:23.92\00:34:28.77
bayonets and canteens
from that huge struggle
00:34:28.80\00:34:32.11
150 years ago.
Genealogists assist
00:34:32.14\00:34:36.84
thousands of
American families every year
00:34:37.45\00:34:39.84
who are trying to
discover if they might be
00:34:39.87\00:34:42.30
related to someone
who left a fortune that's
00:34:42.33\00:34:45.57
been unclaimed? We
pour through documents
00:34:45.60\00:34:50.19
of the registry of
deeds at the country court
00:34:50.22\00:34:52.22
house. We are
wondering if maybe there is
00:34:52.25\00:34:55.59
something yet
undiscovered in one of
00:34:55.62\00:34:58.24
those land titles we
hold, deep within our
00:34:58.27\00:35:02.57
collective mind is
this primal belief that
00:35:02.60\00:35:05.94
something,
something near at hand,
00:35:05.97\00:35:09.68
something within
reach. Something close to
00:35:09.71\00:35:13.02
where we live and
work and cry and play,
00:35:13.05\00:35:17.02
it might hold the
key to a future so much
00:35:18.21\00:35:22.00
better than this moment.
00:35:22.03\00:35:23.24
In the midst of
deadening routine our minds go
00:35:25.49\00:35:29.51
go treasure hunting.
In the middle of baking
00:35:29.54\00:35:32.92
bread and picking
up after children and
00:35:32.95\00:35:35.93
stamping out
electrical components and even
00:35:35.96\00:35:39.52
writing editorials,
we begin to imagine what
00:35:39.55\00:35:43.47
our lives could be
like if we found just that
00:35:43.50\00:35:46.56
one thing, that one
thing that would make us
00:35:46.59\00:35:50.87
happy. Why, we would
be free, free from our
00:35:50.90\00:35:56.46
debts, free from
worry, free from care,
00:35:56.49\00:35:59.66
if we just had
that one thing and it's
00:35:59.69\00:36:03.95
somewhere not far away.
00:36:03.98\00:36:05.30
Our story, you see
is really a very old,
00:36:08.64\00:36:12.74
old story. As long as
there has been a people
00:36:13.25\00:36:18.03
of God in this
world there have been
00:36:18.06\00:36:20.75
moments when the
drifts and the confusion
00:36:20.78\00:36:24.82
and the worry and
the pressures got so
00:36:25.80\00:36:27.97
pervasive that they
could only be arrested by
00:36:28.00\00:36:30.47
a dramatic movement
of the spirit of God that
00:36:30.50\00:36:33.62
brings clarity, that
brings light, that brings
00:36:33.65\00:36:36.26
restoration and
brings recovery, that's what
00:36:36.29\00:36:38.77
we read about in
Second Chronicles 34
00:36:38.80\00:36:41.37
tonight and that's
what we are here to talk
00:36:41.40\00:36:43.01
about tonight,
finding God's word again
00:36:43.04\00:36:46.79
For 60 years the
nation of Judah had been
00:36:48.79\00:36:51.97
sliding down that
slippery slope that always
00:36:52.00\00:36:55.26
occurs when men and
women have a form of
00:36:55.29\00:36:57.91
Godliness but
they deny the power.
00:36:57.94\00:37:00.79
After the great
revivals of Hezekiah's reign,
00:37:02.63\00:37:05.51
the nation under
Manasseh, the nation
00:37:06.13\00:37:08.10
under Ammon had slip
back into apostasy with
00:37:08.13\00:37:11.42
an ease that must have
surprised even the Lord.
00:37:11.45\00:37:14.22
When you read
around Second Chronicles 34
00:37:16.64\00:37:19.96
you discover that
even in the temple of the
00:37:20.41\00:37:23.00
Lord at Jerusalem
there was an amazing array
00:37:23.03\00:37:26.10
of pagan idols and
pagan practices that
00:37:26.13\00:37:29.32
weren't only
tolerated, they were actually
00:37:29.35\00:37:31.74
welcomed.
Vessels dedicated to the
00:37:31.77\00:37:36.86
Canaanite fertility
God 'Baal' were used in the
00:37:36.89\00:37:40.92
worship of God. His
female consort 'Asherah'
00:37:40.95\00:37:47.24
she had her own
fertility pole right there in
00:37:47.51\00:37:49.65
the temple.
Royally appointed priests,
00:37:49.68\00:37:54.17
they were offering
incense to the sun,
00:37:55.60\00:37:57.76
the moon, the stars
and all the high places of
00:37:57.79\00:38:00.69
the land including in Jerusalem.
00:38:00.72\00:38:02.24
Male cult prostitutes
were applying their trade
00:38:04.76\00:38:09.70
in the very temple of the Lord.
00:38:09.73\00:38:12.05
There was an age
of the what these
00:38:14.63\00:38:15.74
sociologists of religion
like to call syncretism,
00:38:15.77\00:38:18.94
it's just a fancy
word for blending.
00:38:18.97\00:38:20.70
It was an age of
consensus; it was an age
00:38:22.72\00:38:27.13
of cheap unanimity
and causal agreement.
00:38:27.16\00:38:30.18
It was an age when
almost no one stood up to
00:38:30.50\00:38:32.46
proclaim their
loyalty to the God of heaven
00:38:32.49\00:38:35.24
almost always
required separation from the
00:38:35.27\00:38:37.96
things of earth. Yes,
you are already thought
00:38:37.99\00:38:42.04
it tonight; there
was an age very much like
00:38:42.07\00:38:45.50
our own. And even
though King Josiah had
00:38:45.53\00:38:51.59
made some early
righteous attempts to
00:38:51.62\00:38:53.82
straighten out some
of the corruption in the
00:38:53.85\00:38:55.61
land everything I just
told you about was still
00:38:55.64\00:38:58.80
in place 18
years under his reign.
00:38:58.83\00:39:01.59
The boy King, the
one who had inspired the
00:39:03.82\00:39:07.11
repair of the temple,
well he was now in the
00:39:07.14\00:39:10.94
grip of young
adulthood and things looked a
00:39:10.97\00:39:13.11
little differently.
Maybe even as the King,
00:39:13.14\00:39:16.79
maybe even as the
head of the nation he had
00:39:16.82\00:39:19.21
got discouraged that
all the work it was going
00:39:19.24\00:39:22.15
to take to take clean
up not only the temple
00:39:22.18\00:39:24.13
but the whole
nation. Perhaps Josiah like a
00:39:24.16\00:39:28.82
whole lot of us
step back behind the
00:39:28.85\00:39:34.09
glittering image of
organized religiosity.
00:39:34.12\00:39:38.05
While his inner
man, his inner man got
00:39:40.05\00:39:42.97
increasingly sick and
diseased, may be he felt
00:39:43.00\00:39:47.24
helpless, may be
he felt he couldn't do
00:39:47.27\00:39:49.84
anything to effect
great changes in the nation
00:39:49.87\00:39:52.26
when he himself
lacked a clear vision of what
00:39:52.29\00:39:55.26
revival and recovery
and reformation might
00:39:55.29\00:39:57.77
need. Then friends
the Spirit of God began to
00:39:57.80\00:40:04.93
move. The Spirit of
God began to move as he
00:40:04.96\00:40:09.04
always does just when
the darkness gets most
00:40:09.07\00:40:13.01
intense. 150 years
ago the great English
00:40:13.04\00:40:17.20
writer Thomas Carlyle
wrote a line that I have
00:40:17.23\00:40:19.97
written on the walls
of my life, when it gets
00:40:20.00\00:40:23.41
dark enough the
eternal stars shine through.
00:40:23.44\00:40:27.33
When it gets dark
enough the eternal stars
00:40:28.90\00:40:32.07
shine through. No,
the spirit of God didn't
00:40:32.10\00:40:36.32
need to send a
dream to the King in the
00:40:36.35\00:40:38.40
middle of the night
to tell him what needed
00:40:38.43\00:40:40.40
reforming and when
and no, God didn't send
00:40:40.43\00:40:43.33
down a lighting bolt
to consume the altars of
00:40:43.36\00:40:45.92
Baal and to sizzle
all those cult prostitutes
00:40:45.95\00:40:49.06
in the middle of
their debauchery.
00:40:49.29\00:40:50.69
Oh, my friends all
that the Spirit of God had
00:40:53.26\00:40:55.60
to do to begin the
time of healing and
00:40:55.63\00:40:59.34
recovery and
restoration and reformation,
00:40:59.37\00:41:03.75
all the Spirit of
God had to do was to open
00:41:05.01\00:41:07.75
someone's eyes.
We can't even be sure
00:41:07.78\00:41:12.76
of just who that
someone was. Maybe it was
00:41:12.79\00:41:16.73
one of the day
laborers who was working on
00:41:16.76\00:41:19.46
rebuilding the
dilapidated portions of
00:41:19.49\00:41:21.59
the temple. It might
have been of the Levites
00:41:21.62\00:41:25.12
who went into the
backrooms and started
00:41:25.15\00:41:27.54
moving the dust around.
00:41:27.57\00:41:29.12
It might have even
be as he claimed that it
00:41:31.52\00:41:33.90
was Hilkiah the high
priest himself who made
00:41:33.93\00:41:37.48
the discovery. Maybe
he was the one who had
00:41:37.51\00:41:40.75
his eyes open, maybe
in fact Hilkiah picked
00:41:40.78\00:41:45.02
up this old wooden
frame that sort of fell
00:41:45.05\00:41:48.22
apart in his
hands. But whoever it was,
00:41:48.25\00:41:52.09
whether it was a
carpenter or a Levite or
00:41:52.12\00:41:55.87
the chief priest
himself. When the Spirit of God
00:41:55.90\00:42:00.15
opened his eyes to
see that forgotten and
00:42:00.18\00:42:02.73
ignored book of the
law lying there in all
00:42:02.76\00:42:05.13
the dust and the
cobwebs in the backroom that's
00:42:05.16\00:42:08.28
when you can date Judah's
recover from, right then.
00:42:08.31\00:42:11.53
All the good things
that happened, everyone
00:42:13.80\00:42:15.71
of the good things
that happened during the
00:42:15.74\00:42:17.68
next four months
came about when God
00:42:17.71\00:42:21.16
managed to get
one man's eyes open.
00:42:21.19\00:42:24.77
There in the
darkness covered with trash,
00:42:27.54\00:42:30.47
lost in the debris,
there was the hand written
00:42:31.73\00:42:35.93
scroll called the
book of the covenant.
00:42:35.96\00:42:39.21
It was the solemn
agreement between Judah
00:42:40.67\00:42:42.82
and God that it was
recorded in the book of
00:42:42.85\00:42:45.15
Deuteronomy. It
bound them together as the
00:42:45.18\00:42:48.87
people of God. That
old book of the law had
00:42:48.90\00:42:53.77
been written almost
700 years earlier just as
00:42:53.80\00:42:57.21
the people of Israel
were preparing to cross
00:42:57.24\00:42:59.98
the Jordan and
enter the land of promise.
00:43:00.01\00:43:02.30
But for the last
century no one had said a
00:43:03.02\00:43:04.73
word about it, for
almost 100 years no one
00:43:04.76\00:43:10.28
had gone looking
for it, almost three
00:43:10.31\00:43:13.86
generations had
passed and no one even knew
00:43:13.89\00:43:17.91
it was there anymore.
Hilkiah the high priest
00:43:17.94\00:43:22.91
read it first, I
don't think it requires much
00:43:22.94\00:43:27.01
imagination to guess
that his heart began to
00:43:27.04\00:43:31.17
pound and his hands
began to shake just like
00:43:31.20\00:43:37.04
that Philadelphia
stock analyst I told you
00:43:37.07\00:43:39.48
about. And Hilkiah
the high priest gave it to
00:43:39.51\00:43:43.80
Shaphan the King's
secretary and then it was
00:43:43.83\00:43:46.05
Shaphan's turn to
tremble here in this old
00:43:46.08\00:43:49.39
dusty scroll, here in
this forgotten piece of
00:43:49.42\00:43:53.34
literature, here in
this relic of the past,
00:43:53.37\00:43:56.17
here was the living
and active word of God.
00:43:56.85\00:43:59.41
And you know my
friends that living and
00:44:01.85\00:44:03.52
active word of God
did its old faithful work
00:44:03.55\00:44:06.17
on Shaphan's heart
that day as it will do on
00:44:06.20\00:44:08.84
any day of any
week of any month of any
00:44:08.87\00:44:10.91
year in your life and
mine, it appears to the
00:44:10.94\00:44:13.93
division of soul and
spirit. And it discerned
00:44:13.96\00:44:17.72
the thoughts and the
intentions of his heart.
00:44:17.75\00:44:19.84
Just like that man
whom Jesus told us about
00:44:21.76\00:44:23.89
in the parable who
found a treasure out in the
00:44:23.92\00:44:26.11
field. Pretty soon
the knowledge of that book
00:44:26.14\00:44:30.55
of the law began to
pound in the mind of the
00:44:30.58\00:44:33.21
King's secretary until
all that he could think
00:44:33.24\00:44:35.82
about was that
book of the law they had
00:44:35.85\00:44:38.15
found out there in
the debris in the backroom
00:44:38.18\00:44:40.57
and he knew, he
couldn't keep it from the
00:44:42.99\00:44:45.79
King. And when
Shaphan told the King about
00:44:45.82\00:44:49.04
the scroll and when
he read it in the hearing
00:44:49.07\00:44:51.65
of King Josiah, the
scripture tell us that
00:44:51.68\00:44:53.68
Josiah rent his clothes.
00:44:53.71\00:44:56.48
That's an old custom
that probably doesn't
00:44:59.20\00:45:01.42
mean so much to us
anymore. In the ancient
00:45:01.45\00:45:05.07
world if you wanted
to express profound grief
00:45:05.10\00:45:08.81
or sincere repentance
you tore your clothes,
00:45:09.99\00:45:14.45
when I think if the
cost of even a modest suit
00:45:16.95\00:45:20.87
it would certainly
have to be something fairly
00:45:22.97\00:45:24.81
powerful to get me
to start ripping these
00:45:24.84\00:45:26.77
threads. But Josiah
he was so overcome with
00:45:26.80\00:45:32.98
a deep and powerful
sense of just how far he
00:45:33.01\00:45:36.47
and his people had
wandered away from the
00:45:36.50\00:45:38.24
word of God that he
began ripping his royal
00:45:38.27\00:45:40.89
robes from top to
bottom and lets just he
00:45:40.92\00:45:43.23
wasn't picking up the threads,
00:45:43.26\00:45:45.00
clear word of God,
the undiluted word of
00:45:48.59\00:45:54.72
God, the
unadulterated word of God.
00:45:54.75\00:45:59.10
It did what God
promised it would do when
00:46:00.46\00:46:03.18
ever it was read,
whenever it was paid
00:46:03.21\00:46:05.18
attention to,
whenever it was cherished,
00:46:05.21\00:46:07.05
it cut through all
of those decades of
00:46:07.29\00:46:10.17
compromise, it cut
through all of those
00:46:10.20\00:46:13.38
stages of accommodation.
It cut through all of
00:46:13.41\00:46:17.25
that blending and
that unanimity that
00:46:17.28\00:46:19.87
everyone was seeking,
it turned a search light
00:46:19.90\00:46:22.73
of the wickedness of
that syncretism they like
00:46:22.76\00:46:25.16
to talk about, it shot
a laser beam of light and
00:46:25.19\00:46:27.79
truth on the mind of
that King and it made a
00:46:27.82\00:46:30.76
new King and a
new man out of him.
00:46:30.79\00:46:32.61
And my friends what
began with one man's
00:46:34.67\00:46:38.01
pounding pulse,
what began with one man's
00:46:38.04\00:46:42.67
shaking hands soon
had the whole nation
00:46:42.70\00:46:46.41
shaking. The
throne itself, the symbol
00:46:46.44\00:46:51.61
of that Judah was, of
that line of Kings from
00:46:51.99\00:46:55.20
whom the Messiah
would come that throne
00:46:55.23\00:46:57.86
began to shake, that
throne began to rock.
00:46:57.89\00:47:00.29
It began to vibrate,
it began to resonate with
00:47:00.53\00:47:03.03
the rhythm of repentance.
00:47:03.06\00:47:04.37
It began to tremble.
But the thought that there
00:47:07.14\00:47:11.43
was a God high and
lifted up, whose mercy
00:47:11.46\00:47:15.85
seat had used to be
in that temple and who
00:47:15.88\00:47:18.88
was offended by all
the wickedness and the
00:47:18.91\00:47:21.41
blasphemy and that
the debauchery that had
00:47:21.44\00:47:23.14
been going on in his own house.
00:47:23.17\00:47:25.06
And all the gold leaf
that had been hammered
00:47:29.39\00:47:32.42
on to that throne,
all of the ornate gold
00:47:32.45\00:47:37.37
leaf that had been
put there carefully by the
00:47:37.40\00:47:40.24
craftsmen I think
it began to crack off,
00:47:40.27\00:47:43.04
and it began to
slough off and it began to
00:47:43.07\00:47:45.73
shake off when
someone started opening the
00:47:45.76\00:47:48.22
leaves of the word of God.
00:47:48.25\00:47:49.50
Friends the
results of finding that old
00:47:52.43\00:47:54.81
forgotten book of
the law were nothing less
00:47:54.84\00:47:57.15
than
revolutionary in land of Judah.
00:47:57.18\00:47:59.98
And it all began
when someone's eyes were
00:48:01.97\00:48:05.80
finally opened, out
went that sacred vessel
00:48:05.83\00:48:10.98
dedicated to
the worship of Baal,
00:48:11.01\00:48:13.80
down went the
Asherah pole in the heart of
00:48:13.83\00:48:17.57
the temple, crash
went all of the high places
00:48:17.60\00:48:22.27
where the alters
worshiped the sun, moon
00:48:22.30\00:48:24.63
and stars. Smashed
were all of the chariots
00:48:24.66\00:48:27.85
dedicated to the
worship of the sun.
00:48:27.88\00:48:30.17
From one end of
Judah to the other and even
00:48:31.23\00:48:33.56
we're told in
regions beyond Judah wherever
00:48:33.59\00:48:36.62
Josiah had
influenced the work of recovery
00:48:36.65\00:48:40.09
and reform went on and
on at an unstoppable pace.
00:48:40.73\00:48:45.03
Inspired by a good
example, a whole lot of
00:48:47.47\00:48:49.83
timid believers found
their courage and found
00:48:49.86\00:48:52.71
their consciences again.
00:48:52.74\00:48:53.95
They were accelerated
to discover that they
00:48:56.57\00:48:58.50
had a leader who
would take them in a
00:48:58.53\00:49:01.24
righteous direction
and families, the building
00:49:01.27\00:49:06.23
block of God's righteous people,
00:49:06.26\00:49:08.27
families began to
worship together again;
00:49:08.30\00:49:11.29
they began to
pray together again.
00:49:11.77\00:49:13.32
They began to
repent, they began to reform,
00:49:13.68\00:49:16.09
they were delighted to
learn that the Spirit of
00:49:16.12\00:49:18.34
God could shake
things up and make things
00:49:18.37\00:49:21.02
possible that
they couldn't have even
00:49:21.05\00:49:22.37
dreamed about a few weeks before
00:49:22.40\00:49:24.30
Believers all across
the land of Judah they
00:49:26.21\00:49:28.17
stepped forward and
they said believe it,
00:49:28.20\00:49:31.92
that's me, that's me.
Lord God you can count
00:49:33.20\00:49:37.83
on me, I am done with
the tawdry in my life.
00:49:37.86\00:49:41.84
Lord God I only
want what's eternal.
00:49:41.87\00:49:44.31
Lord God plant
your word in my heart.
00:49:46.22\00:49:48.55
Lord God; make me
something more than I
00:49:48.98\00:49:52.09
am. Make me
something more than I am.
00:49:52.12\00:49:56.24
The recovery that
began with the rediscovery
00:49:57.92\00:50:00.34
of the word of God,
it kept going until all
00:50:00.37\00:50:03.37
of Judah was
ready for a great day of
00:50:03.40\00:50:05.89
redemption and
rejoicing again, the scripture
00:50:05.92\00:50:08.67
tells us that the
whole nation came back to
00:50:08.70\00:50:11.48
celebrate the Passover again.
00:50:11.51\00:50:13.22
What a confidence
building time it must
00:50:14.23\00:50:16.47
have been to be a
believer. What a great
00:50:16.50\00:50:18.65
time to belong to the
people of God, I wish I
00:50:18.68\00:50:21.58
could have been
there; I wish you could have
00:50:21.61\00:50:23.79
been there too.
Well, I've told you this
00:50:23.82\00:50:27.39
evening about two
recoveries, one a few
00:50:27.42\00:50:32.90
years ago and
one a long time ago.
00:50:32.93\00:50:36.80
Now, I want to tell
you about the recovery
00:50:38.55\00:50:42.14
that by the grace
of God it soon to be.
00:50:43.03\00:50:45.98
It would begin my
friends when the Spirit of
00:50:49.30\00:50:52.32
God manages to get
someone's eyes open.
00:50:52.35\00:50:55.62
It will begin when
people like you and me
00:50:58.08\00:51:01.02
start going to the
backrooms of our lives
00:51:02.38\00:51:04.90
with an honest
prayer that God will help us
00:51:04.93\00:51:07.50
clean out what's
there and turn over to him
00:51:07.53\00:51:10.99
whatever is there
for consecration and
00:51:11.02\00:51:13.85
rededication. It
will begin my friends when
00:51:13.88\00:51:17.53
we start shutting off
a clean house and do a
00:51:17.56\00:51:20.29
little house
cleaning of our own.
00:51:20.32\00:51:21.78
The recovery that's
going to begin soon in
00:51:23.82\00:51:25.64
this church, the
recovery that's going to begin
00:51:25.67\00:51:28.36
in this movement
of destiny will happen
00:51:28.39\00:51:30.79
when ordinary
average regular people like
00:51:30.82\00:51:33.15
you and me start
brushing away all the
00:51:33.18\00:51:35.69
dust and cobwebs
that have been obscuring
00:51:35.72\00:51:38.62
the word of God in our
lives for way too long.
00:51:38.65\00:51:40.89
You know in a odd
sort of way we were right
00:51:42.38\00:51:44.01
all along it really
was something close at
00:51:44.04\00:51:46.04
hand; it really was
something within reach.
00:51:46.07\00:51:50.28
It was something
close, close to where we
00:51:51.74\00:51:54.39
live and work and cry and play.
00:51:54.42\00:51:58.09
The recovery that's
going to happen in these
00:52:00.09\00:52:02.93
people of God will
start when one by one,
00:52:02.96\00:52:05.38
one family at a time,
one apartment at a time,
00:52:06.94\00:52:10.11
one house at a time,
one classroom at a time,
00:52:10.14\00:52:12.51
one Sabbath
school class at a time,
00:52:12.54\00:52:14.73
one church at a
time, one conference at a
00:52:14.76\00:52:17.12
time, one union at a
time, one division at a
00:52:17.15\00:52:19.66
time, we come back
to the word of God with
00:52:19.69\00:52:22.29
a sincere prayer that
our lives are going to be
00:52:22.32\00:52:24.65
reshaped, our
lives going to changed,
00:52:24.68\00:52:27.16
our lives are going to
be molded, our lives are
00:52:27.19\00:52:29.50
going to be transformed
by what's still in this
00:52:29.53\00:52:32.26
great old book. Amen.
00:52:32.29\00:52:34.28
I suspect that some
of you maybe thinking
00:52:36.36\00:52:38.17
this is a rather
strange message to be
00:52:38.68\00:52:40.79
preaching as the
lead off message at a 3ABN
00:52:40.82\00:52:44.26
series on the pillars
of our faith, whether you
00:52:44.29\00:52:47.29
are sitting here in
this auditorium tonight or
00:52:47.32\00:52:49.39
you are watching
from any number of
00:52:49.42\00:52:51.14
thousands of
locations around the world and
00:52:51.17\00:52:53.42
across the country.
You may be wondering
00:52:53.45\00:52:55.74
why I am
bothering to remind you that
00:52:55.77\00:52:58.18
of something you
have already taken for
00:52:58.97\00:53:00.47
granted perhaps.
Seventh Day Adventism has
00:53:00.50\00:53:05.03
always believed that
the Bible is the inspired
00:53:05.06\00:53:08.60
word of God. Amen.
00:53:08.63\00:53:10.57
Oh, its true in
recent years a few voices had
00:53:11.71\00:53:15.39
been raised to
challenge the historicity of the
00:53:15.42\00:53:19.11
account of creation
in Genesis. A few voices
00:53:19.14\00:53:22.66
have been raised to
challenge the story of
00:53:22.69\00:53:24.98
God leading his
people in the Exodus and
00:53:25.01\00:53:27.23
there are even a few
Adventists who dare to
00:53:27.26\00:53:29.72
say that Jesus
might not have existed.
00:53:29.75\00:53:32.06
But the vast, the vast
majority of believers in
00:53:35.09\00:53:37.94
this faith have
always cherished the belief,
00:53:37.97\00:53:40.97
the idea, the truth
that the Bible is God's
00:53:41.22\00:53:43.80
inspired word. Amen.
00:53:43.83\00:53:45.60
Every week we open
this word, we open it in
00:53:45.63\00:53:49.39
thousands of
Sabbath school classes and
00:53:49.42\00:53:51.38
classrooms, five
days a week thousands of
00:53:51.41\00:53:54.58
Adventist school
children around the world
00:53:54.61\00:53:56.99
study in Bible
classes. At elementary schools
00:53:57.59\00:54:01.27
and academies and
colleges and universities
00:54:01.30\00:54:04.85
and so some of you
may be thinking well,
00:54:04.88\00:54:07.00
why make such a
fuss about it then.
00:54:07.03\00:54:09.08
Its part of our lives,
it's like the wall paper
00:54:10.21\00:54:12.77
on our lives, its
just there all around us.
00:54:12.80\00:54:15.61
Of course we believe
that the Bible is the
00:54:16.08\00:54:18.48
inspired word of
God, there may be even
00:54:18.51\00:54:20.76
some of you who
are summoning up your
00:54:20.79\00:54:22.39
nerve to come talk
with me in the foyer after
00:54:22.42\00:54:24.74
this ceremony and
tell me that you didn't
00:54:24.89\00:54:26.55
really need to
preach that we have a
00:54:26.58\00:54:28.40
that done. And so
lest any of you leave here
00:54:28.43\00:54:33.37
tonight troubled
only by the man and not by
00:54:33.40\00:54:37.54
the message. I want
you to hear that what
00:54:37.57\00:54:41.92
God is saying tonight
is not about a criticism
00:54:41.95\00:54:46.89
of anybody who
stands in your pulpit or any
00:54:46.92\00:54:50.39
teacher in any
classroom, those people bring
00:54:50.42\00:54:53.12
value because
they open the word,
00:54:53.31\00:54:54.99
they talk to us
about it, they show us what
00:54:55.02\00:54:57.27
meaning there is
there. But as much as those
00:54:57.30\00:54:59.48
teachers and those
pastors and those friends
00:54:59.53\00:55:01.81
can advice us and
coach us and plead with us
00:55:02.27\00:55:04.80
to study this word,
they cannot be changed by
00:55:05.92\00:55:09.35
that word for us, they
can only be changed for
00:55:09.38\00:55:12.18
themselves. Amen.
00:55:12.21\00:55:13.69
The recovery that's
going to happen here by
00:55:15.17\00:55:16.54
the grace of God is
going to happen when one
00:55:16.57\00:55:19.27
family at a
time, one home at time,
00:55:19.30\00:55:22.41
one student at a
time, one grandparent at a
00:55:22.44\00:55:24.91
time, one grandchild at a time.
00:55:24.94\00:55:27.11
We put ourselves in
front of this word of God
00:55:27.14\00:55:29.59
and we invite his
Spirit to make it something
00:55:29.62\00:55:32.43
more then a
document of dead antiquity in
00:55:32.46\00:55:35.05
our lives. The
recovery is going to start when
00:55:35.08\00:55:38.54
you and I each take
our 10 minutes and our
00:55:38.84\00:55:42.50
30 minutes and better
yet that thoughtful hour
00:55:42.53\00:55:44.95
and we open this
word and we say to God
00:55:46.65\00:55:48.41
Lord Jesus I believe,
I believe this is your
00:55:48.44\00:55:52.62
word and more importantly
I believe its your word
00:55:52.65\00:55:55.18
to me. And these
pages Lord God you've
00:55:55.21\00:55:58.80
revealed yourself,
open my eyes, turn on the
00:55:58.83\00:56:02.11
lights, I want to
see what you have for me
00:56:02.14\00:56:04.58
here not my parents
vision of you and not my
00:56:04.61\00:56:07.42
teachers vision of
you and not even my
00:56:07.45\00:56:09.29
preachers vision of
you. Show me yourself as
00:56:09.32\00:56:11.91
only you can show me
yourself in these pages
00:56:11.94\00:56:14.35
Lord Jesus. Let me
hear you are speaking to me
00:56:14.38\00:56:16.99
through this word as
clearly as if you were in
00:56:17.02\00:56:19.48
the same room with
me because you know
00:56:19.51\00:56:21.06
come to think of
it you actually are.
00:56:21.09\00:56:22.88
Give me the grace;
give me the strength to let
00:56:24.91\00:56:27.83
your word change me
by the power that is
00:56:27.86\00:56:30.72
still in these pages. Amen.
00:56:30.75\00:56:32.99
The line that ended
the story for King Josiah,
00:56:35.65\00:56:39.51
the word is very near
you, in your heart and
00:56:40.84\00:56:44.88
in your mind that
you may do. I remind you
00:56:44.91\00:56:48.24
tonight the word is
very near you in your
00:56:48.27\00:56:51.48
heart and in your
mind that you may do it.
00:56:51.51\00:56:55.01
You see you were right
all alone; it really is
00:56:56.23\00:56:58.44
something within
reach, it's something near at
00:56:58.47\00:57:01.60
hand, but it will
change our life together as
00:57:01.63\00:57:04.53
people when we start
opening it and praying
00:57:04.56\00:57:07.68
over it for
ourselves. So pray with me now.
00:57:07.71\00:57:10.74
Lord Jesus, make this
word come alive in our
00:57:10.89\00:57:14.17
lives with unusual
power and strength,
00:57:14.20\00:57:17.33
don't let us go
back to our old ways of
00:57:18.35\00:57:20.26
reading it, just doing
time, just turning pages
00:57:20.29\00:57:23.27
Lord. Let it become
about living and active
00:57:23.30\00:57:26.31
word in our lives that
puts us on fire for your
00:57:26.34\00:57:29.64
kingdom. May the
kingdom be always before
00:57:29.67\00:57:32.85
us and let us Lord
believe in things thought
00:57:32.88\00:57:35.62
impossible by others,
we ask these things in
00:57:35.76\00:57:38.69
the name of the one
who inspired these words
00:57:38.72\00:57:41.34
even our Lord
Jesus Christ. Amen.
00:57:41.37\00:57:44.28