We want to know the truth! Amen.
00:01:05.11\00:01:10.33
We want to be
sure That the bridge
00:01:10.70\00:01:13.02
that professes to
take us on into eternity
00:01:13.05\00:01:16.15
is going to do just that.
00:01:16.18\00:01:17.83
How can we know the truth?
00:01:19.91\00:01:23.43
God has provided a
means for us to know the truth
00:01:24.23\00:01:28.61
and that is through the
scripture and his church.
00:01:29.56\00:01:36.13
The church is a
safeguard for the truth.
00:01:36.25\00:01:39.85
So, the next question would be
00:01:40.68\00:01:42.12
what is the
church and if we open our
00:01:42.15\00:01:46.72
Bible's to
Colossians chapter 1 verse 18,
00:01:46.75\00:01:49.11
it says, he, speaking of Jesus,
00:01:49.23\00:01:51.45
he is the head of
the body, the church.
00:01:51.61\00:01:55.96
So, what is the
church? The church is the body
00:01:57.49\00:02:00.13
of Christ. Where is the
church? wherever there is
00:02:00.16\00:02:03.67
someone who
believes in Jesus Christ.
00:02:03.70\00:02:06.14
It doesn't matter
what building you're in,
00:02:06.17\00:02:08.90
any building or no building,
00:02:08.93\00:02:10.79
it doesn't matter
what country you live in,
00:02:10.82\00:02:13.02
it doesn't matter
what color your skin,
00:02:13.05\00:02:15.41
it doesn't matter the blood
flowing through your veins,
00:02:15.44\00:02:18.10
the only thing that matters is
00:02:18.13\00:02:19.90
do you know Jesus Christ?
00:02:19.93\00:02:22.24
And if you are in Christ then
00:02:23.06\00:02:24.76
you are part of his
body, which is the church.
00:02:24.79\00:02:28.35
This is what Luther called
00:02:33.84\00:02:36.68
The invisible body of Christ.
00:02:36.71\00:02:40.95
Invisible
because it's not located
00:02:41.53\00:02:44.30
in any one particular place,
it's located in every place,
00:02:44.33\00:02:48.41
there is a believer in Jesus.
00:02:48.44\00:02:49.95
But the question is does the
invisible body of Christ ever
00:02:50.43\00:02:58.62
become a visible organized
structure in the world?
00:02:58.65\00:03:04.51
And to answer that question
we turn to the Book of Acts,
00:03:06.53\00:03:09.16
in Acts chapter 13
verse 1, in the church,
00:03:09.61\00:03:14.37
he writes, in
the church at Antioch
00:03:15.42\00:03:18.02
there were
prophets and teachers,
00:03:18.05\00:03:19.81
and the Holy Spirit
said set apart from me
00:03:20.33\00:03:23.03
Barnabas and
Saul, and so they place
00:03:23.06\00:03:27.31
their hands on
them and sent them off.
00:03:27.34\00:03:29.88
Now, notice he is speaking
of the church at Antioch,
00:03:29.91\00:03:34.12
this is not the invisible
body of Christ consisting of
00:03:34.15\00:03:37.75
all believers in everyplace,
00:03:37.78\00:03:39.48
everywhere, this is
one local congregation
00:03:39.51\00:03:42.91
in a particular city just
like here the church in Pasco.
00:03:42.94\00:03:47.98
So, not only is the
church an invisible body
00:03:49.16\00:03:51.95
consisting of all
believers now we see the church
00:03:51.98\00:03:55.27
referred to in the
Bible as a local congregation,
00:03:55.30\00:03:59.18
this particular
one located in Antioch.
00:03:59.21\00:04:01.42
Acts chapter 9
in verse 31, then.
00:04:01.45\00:04:04.35
"The Church" again the
church throughout Judea,
00:04:04.38\00:04:08.47
Galilee and Samaria
enjoyed a time of peace,
00:04:08.50\00:04:11.44
it was
strengthened and encouraged
00:04:11.47\00:04:13.49
by the Holy Spirit
and it grew in numbers,
00:04:13.52\00:04:17.38
living in the fear of the Lord.
00:04:17.41\00:04:18.82
So, now we see again
"The Church" consisting
00:04:18.85\00:04:21.63
all around the area
and it grew in numbers,
00:04:24.46\00:04:27.78
someone was counting
00:04:27.81\00:04:29.29
of various
different congregations
00:04:29.32\00:04:30.29
all around the area
and it grew in numbers,
00:04:30.30\00:04:31.27
someone was counting
00:04:31.28\00:04:32.25
how many people were
a part of the church?
00:04:32.26\00:04:33.23
And as we read these
texts, we can easily see that
00:04:33.57\00:04:36.96
the church is becoming
more and more of a visible
00:04:36.99\00:04:40.66
organized
structure in the world.
00:04:40.69\00:04:44.05
In Acts the 2nd
chapter, we learn this morning
00:04:44.08\00:04:46.96
that Peter preached a
Sermon on the Day of Pentecost
00:04:46.99\00:04:49.99
filled with the
power of the Holy Spirit
00:04:50.02\00:04:51.70
and 3000 people were Baptized
00:04:51.73\00:04:54.61
and added to
their number that day.
00:04:54.64\00:04:57.61
Again, added to
their number means
00:04:57.64\00:04:59.93
that there were people who
were in some way affiliated
00:04:59.96\00:05:03.74
with and belong to a
body called "The Church"
00:05:03.77\00:05:07.47
and there were
others who were not a part
00:05:07.50\00:05:09.36
of the body of the church.
00:05:09.39\00:05:10.68
One lady said do
you mean to tell me
00:05:10.71\00:05:12.74
I need to be a card
carrying member of the church?
00:05:12.77\00:05:15.82
I said well, I
don't see anything about
00:05:16.42\00:05:18.14
carrying cards in here,
00:05:18.17\00:05:19.58
but I know one thing
00:05:19.61\00:05:21.14
if we want to be a
part of the body of Christ,
00:05:21.17\00:05:23.25
if we want to be
a part of the church
00:05:23.28\00:05:24.56
we need to be
added to their number
00:05:24.59\00:05:26.99
just like they
were in Bible times.
00:05:27.02\00:05:28.86
You can call it joining,
you can call it membership,
00:05:29.52\00:05:32.47
you can call it
adding to the number,
00:05:32.50\00:05:34.07
it doesn't
matter what you call it,
00:05:34.10\00:05:35.57
what matters is
that we're all a part
00:05:35.60\00:05:37.55
with some kind of a
commitment to the church
00:05:37.58\00:05:40.10
of Jesus Christ! Amen.
00:05:40.13\00:05:42.00
And again the church
is becoming more and more
00:05:42.03\00:05:45.36
of a visible and
organized structure,
00:05:45.39\00:05:48.47
but all wasn't
well with the church,
00:05:48.50\00:05:50.89
we find trouble in the
camp. In Acts chapter 6 verse 1,
00:05:50.92\00:05:54.84
in those days a number of
the disciples were increasing,
00:05:54.87\00:05:58.57
the Greek Jews among
them complained against
00:05:58.60\00:06:02.75
the Hebrew speaking Jews
00:06:02.78\00:06:04.41
because their widows
were being overlooked
00:06:04.44\00:06:07.11
in the daily
distribution of the food.
00:06:07.14\00:06:09.45
Now, we find a kind
of racial discrimination
00:06:09.48\00:06:13.61
Taking place in the
church, problems in the church,
00:06:13.64\00:06:17.46
so what did they
do? In verse 2, the 12
00:06:17.73\00:06:20.45
gathered all the
disciples together and said
00:06:20.48\00:06:22.86
it would not be
right for us to neglect
00:06:22.89\00:06:26.32
the ministry of the word of God
00:06:26.35\00:06:28.59
in order to wait on tables,
brothers choose seven men
00:06:28.62\00:06:32.77
from among you who are
00:06:32.80\00:06:34.19
known to be full of
the spirit and wisdom
00:06:34.22\00:06:36.78
and we will turn
this responsibility
00:06:36.81\00:06:39.44
over to them and give our
00:06:39.47\00:06:41.59
attention to prayer
and ministry of the word.
00:06:41.62\00:06:43.67
You see what was
happening was that the leaders
00:06:43.70\00:06:45.87
of the church were
having to spend so much time
00:06:45.90\00:06:48.98
putting out the fires
00:06:49.01\00:06:50.58
and dealing with
administrative problems
00:06:50.61\00:06:52.75
and hurt feelings
that they didn't have time
00:06:52.78\00:06:55.11
to preach the word.
00:06:55.14\00:06:56.16
And so they organized,
they said appoint some men
00:06:57.48\00:07:00.30
to be deacons and
those men would take care
00:07:00.33\00:07:02.74
of the administrative
chores of the church
00:07:02.77\00:07:04.76
And set the pastors free
to preach the word of God
00:07:04.79\00:07:07.87
and minister to the people.
00:07:07.90\00:07:09.54
Again the church is becoming
more organized and visible
00:07:10.36\00:07:16.34
and the purpose
was to facilitate
00:07:17.17\00:07:19.81
the preaching
of the word of God,
00:07:19.84\00:07:22.25
which was the
purpose of the church.
00:07:22.58\00:07:24.86
Another problem, in Acts
chapter 15 arises, verse 1,
00:07:25.00\00:07:29.11
some men came down
from Judea to Antioch
00:07:29.14\00:07:31.97
and they were
teaching the brothers,
00:07:32.00\00:07:33.94
unless you are circumcised,
00:07:33.97\00:07:36.33
according to the
custom taught by Moses
00:07:36.36\00:07:38.90
you cannot be saved.
00:07:38.93\00:07:40.85
Now, this didn't go down
too well with Paul and some
00:07:43.04\00:07:47.05
of the others who have
been preaching the Gospel
00:07:47.08\00:07:49.31
that we're saved
by grace through faith
00:07:49.34\00:07:51.52
and not by works,
it's the gift of God.
00:07:51.55\00:07:54.31
And so that brought
00:07:54.34\00:07:56.31
sharp dispute and
debate to the church.
00:07:56.34\00:08:00.10
So, how did they handle
it, now here is the church
00:08:01.06\00:08:03.93
being divided and
disputing in debate
00:08:04.42\00:08:07.65
over doctrinal
issues and the central issue
00:08:07.68\00:08:10.43
was the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
00:08:10.46\00:08:12.43
So, how did they
solve the problem,
00:08:12.46\00:08:14.53
he tells us, Paul and Barnabas
were appointed along with
00:08:15.29\00:08:19.87
some other believers
to go up to Jerusalem
00:08:19.90\00:08:23.40
to see the apostles and
the elders about this question.
00:08:23.43\00:08:28.14
So, Paul and
Barnabas went to Jerusalem
00:08:28.89\00:08:31.40
there they met with the
apostles and the elders,
00:08:31.43\00:08:34.36
they met with the
leadership of the church
00:08:34.39\00:08:37.05
and they debated,
they discussed the issue,
00:08:37.08\00:08:39.54
they prayed
about it, they appealed
00:08:39.57\00:08:41.59
to the Holy Spirit.
00:08:41.62\00:08:42.74
In verse 8 it
says, God who knows
00:08:43.06\00:08:44.99
the heart showed them,
showed that by accepting
00:08:45.02\00:08:48.56
them by giving his
Holy Spirit to the Gentiles.
00:08:48.59\00:08:51.67
So they were using the
word of God and the Holy Spirit
00:08:51.70\00:08:55.69
as their guide in this debate.
00:08:55.72\00:08:57.67
Finally after the
debate had finished,
00:08:58.03\00:09:00.64
James stood up and spoke
in verse 13 and James said,
00:09:02.33\00:09:07.69
brothers listen to me
Simon has described to us
00:09:07.72\00:09:13.57
how God has first
showed his concern
00:09:13.60\00:09:15.80
by taking from the Gentiles
00:09:15.83\00:09:17.70
a people for
himself and the words
00:09:17.73\00:09:19.82
of the prophet are in agreement
00:09:19.85\00:09:21.59
with this and he
quoted the prophecy of Amos.
00:09:21.62\00:09:24.23
So, here we see James
standing up and presiding
00:09:24.56\00:09:29.30
in this meeting
over the church leaders,
00:09:29.33\00:09:31.90
they used the Holy
Spirit, they used the scripture,
00:09:31.93\00:09:35.12
they made a
decision. In verse 19,
00:09:35.15\00:09:37.69
James said it is my judgment
00:09:37.72\00:09:40.23
therefore that we
should not make it difficult
00:09:40.26\00:09:43.31
for the Gentiles and
then they all decided,
00:09:43.34\00:09:46.37
they all voted and decided
00:09:46.40\00:09:48.08
what the church should
teach and that was that
00:09:48.11\00:09:50.60
the Gentiles should
not need to be circumcised.
00:09:50.63\00:09:53.46
In verse 24, they sent a letter
00:09:53.49\00:09:55.93
out to all the
churches requesting that they,
00:09:55.96\00:09:59.44
demanding that
they preach the Gospel
00:09:59.47\00:10:02.85
that they stick to
the word of God and then
00:10:02.88\00:10:05.45
in verse 24 he says we've heard
00:10:05.48\00:10:07.90
that someone out from us
00:10:07.93\00:10:09.45
without our
authorization disturbing you.
00:10:09.48\00:10:12.90
So, this clearly shows
that there was a leadership
00:10:12.93\00:10:16.72
group in Jerusalem
and all of the rest
00:10:16.75\00:10:19.77
of the church was
subject to the decisions
00:10:19.80\00:10:22.71
that this group of
leaders made and they were
00:10:22.74\00:10:25.59
expected to abide
by those decisions.
00:10:25.62\00:10:28.74
And this was God's way
of safeguarding the truth.
00:10:30.64\00:10:34.35
Now, I know for a fact
00:10:35.46\00:10:38.65
the Bible makes it clear
that there were some people
00:10:38.68\00:10:41.59
who went away from that meeting
00:10:41.62\00:10:43.75
convinced that the
church had made a mistake.
00:10:44.15\00:10:45.12
Because they went
out stirring up trouble,
00:10:49.26\00:10:52.03
but you see God
expected them to abide by the
00:10:52.33\00:10:56.28
decisions made at
the leadership level
00:10:56.31\00:10:59.27
of the church, whether
they agreed to it or not,
00:10:59.30\00:11:02.02
this was God's way of
safeguarding the truth.
00:11:04.30\00:11:07.89
And then in Matthew chapter 18,
00:11:09.48\00:11:11.80
in Matthew the 18th chapter,
00:11:12.08\00:11:14.27
Jesus gives us some
wisdom that would be
00:11:14.30\00:11:16.85
good for us to follow today.
00:11:16.88\00:11:18.72
In verse 15, if your
brother sins against you
00:11:18.94\00:11:21.90
get on the telephone and
tell everybody in the church,
00:11:23.37\00:11:27.31
is that what it says, they guess
00:11:28.35\00:11:31.22
what we do sometimes,
that isn't what it says,
00:11:31.25\00:11:34.58
what does he say, if
your brother sins against
00:11:34.61\00:11:36.85
you go and show him his fault
00:11:36.88\00:11:39.82
just between the two of you.
00:11:39.85\00:11:42.53
But if you're not listened,
00:11:43.21\00:11:45.06
if he listens to you then
you have won your brother over,
00:11:45.09\00:11:47.73
but if he'll not listen to
you then take one or two others
00:11:47.76\00:11:51.67
along so that every
matter maybe established
00:11:51.70\00:11:54.13
by the testimony of
two or three witnesses.
00:11:54.16\00:11:56.41
If he refuses to listen to them,
00:11:58.64\00:12:00.26
tell it to the church.
00:12:00.67\00:12:03.65
Now, how do you
tell it to the church?
00:12:04.06\00:12:06.57
The only way I know of to do
00:12:06.60\00:12:08.40
that is to have
some kind of a meeting
00:12:08.43\00:12:11.00
for the whole church
to deal with the problem
00:12:11.03\00:12:13.52
with his brother who refuses
00:12:13.55\00:12:15.06
to listen to the
leaders of the church,
00:12:15.09\00:12:17.26
that's not very popular today.
00:12:17.29\00:12:19.51
But isn't that
what Jesus said to do,
00:12:20.53\00:12:22.64
tell it to the church
00:12:22.67\00:12:23.91
and if he refuses to
listen even to the church,
00:12:25.31\00:12:27.95
treat him as you would a
pagan or a tax collector.
00:12:29.24\00:12:32.84
Pagans and tax collectors
are not a part of the church.
00:12:33.81\00:12:37.34
So what is Jesus saying to do?
00:12:38.57\00:12:41.02
How do we treat
pagans and tax collectors?
00:12:41.46\00:12:44.26
Did he expect them
to be mean to them?
00:12:44.29\00:12:46.67
Did he expect them to be
ugly to them? He expected
00:12:46.70\00:12:51.54
them to love them and
to reach out to them and to
00:12:51.57\00:12:56.65
restore them back to the
fold of the church again.
00:12:56.68\00:13:00.98
But the point is
that Jesus gave the church
00:13:01.01\00:13:05.97
the local congregation,
the authority to decide
00:13:06.00\00:13:10.18
who is and who is not to be
a part of that congregation,
00:13:10.21\00:13:15.34
he went on to say
I tell you the truth
00:13:15.37\00:13:17.45
whatever you bind on
earth will be bound in heaven
00:13:17.48\00:13:19.56
and whatever you lose on earth
00:13:19.59\00:13:20.81
you'd be losing in heaven.
00:13:20.84\00:13:21.91
He gave the local
church the authority to decide
00:13:21.94\00:13:24.77
who is and who
is not to be added
00:13:24.80\00:13:27.15
to their number in that church.
00:13:27.18\00:13:29.05
Now, we may not like that,
but he doesn't ask us to like
00:13:30.43\00:13:34.46
it he asks us to do it
and he does it with wisdom.
00:13:34.49\00:13:39.28
Now, we are not
saying that as some do that
00:13:39.31\00:13:43.19
Jesus gave the church
the authority to decide
00:13:43.22\00:13:46.45
who is saved and who is lost.
00:13:46.48\00:13:48.45
No man decides that,
that's God decision! Amen.
00:13:49.53\00:13:53.83
But he is absolutely
giving the church the authority
00:13:54.39\00:13:57.22
to decide who is and who is not
00:13:57.25\00:13:59.44
to be a part of
that congregation
00:13:59.47\00:14:02.10
and again the church
is becoming more visible
00:14:02.84\00:14:05.58
and more of an
organized structure.
00:14:05.61\00:14:08.07
In first Timothy, first
Timothy the 3rd chapter,
00:14:09.31\00:14:13.42
he gives us
instructions and qualifications
00:14:13.45\00:14:18.34
for a man who wants to
be an elder of the church,
00:14:18.37\00:14:22.88
a leader or a
pastor of the church
00:14:22.91\00:14:25.47
and he lists the requirements.
00:14:25.50\00:14:27.54
Now when he
list the requirements
00:14:27.57\00:14:29.57
for the officers of the church
then you can see that again
00:14:29.60\00:14:33.72
the church is
becoming more organized
00:14:33.75\00:14:36.33
into a visible
organized structure,
00:14:36.36\00:14:38.64
a institution on
the earth. In verse 8,
00:14:38.67\00:14:40.95
he gives the requirements
for deacons of the church again
00:14:40.98\00:14:43.86
more and more the
church is becoming
00:14:43.89\00:14:46.15
a visible organized
institution on this planet.
00:14:46.18\00:14:50.23
Then he addresses the
issue in verse 14 of chapter 3,
00:14:51.03\00:14:55.70
although I hope
to come to you soon,
00:14:55.73\00:14:57.91
I am writing you
these instructions
00:14:57.94\00:15:00.44
so that if I am
delayed you will know
00:15:00.47\00:15:03.06
how people ought to
conduct themselves in
00:15:03.09\00:15:06.33
God's household which is
the church of the living God,
00:15:06.36\00:15:10.55
the foundation and
pillar of the truth
00:15:10.58\00:15:12.86
and now he is telling us
I am giving you some rules,
00:15:12.89\00:15:15.82
I am giving you
Some regulations,
00:15:15.85\00:15:17.49
I am giving you
some instructions
00:15:17.52\00:15:18.84
and this is the way you
ought to behave in God's church
00:15:18.87\00:15:23.27
and some of those
instructions we saw last night
00:15:23.30\00:15:25.63
were even instructions
concerning the way we ought
00:15:25.66\00:15:28.03
to dress if we want to
be a part of God's church.
00:15:28.06\00:15:32.38
Now again today
it's not popular to say
00:15:32.41\00:15:36.24
that here are rules,
here are instructions,
00:15:36.27\00:15:38.34
here are regulations,
00:15:38.37\00:15:39.38
but the church gives
instructions to people
00:15:41.05\00:15:44.10
as to how they ought
to behave in the church,
00:15:44.13\00:15:46.94
which church, the
church of the living God,
00:15:46.97\00:15:50.20
the pillar and
foundation of the truth.
00:15:50.84\00:15:53.69
The problem is there is only
one invisible body of Christ
00:15:53.72\00:15:59.57
consisting of all
believers, but there are
00:15:59.60\00:16:05.01
many local visible institutions
00:16:05.04\00:16:09.21
all calling
themselves The Church.
00:16:09.24\00:16:13.08
And they all teach something
different from each other or
00:16:14.72\00:16:18.21
they would have no
reason to exist separately.
00:16:18.24\00:16:21.30
So, how can we
find the church that
00:16:22.24\00:16:27.18
God has especially
preserved to safeguard the truth
00:16:27.21\00:16:32.17
for the last days,
they cannot all be teaching
00:16:32.20\00:16:36.22
the truth because one
says you should pray to Mary
00:16:36.25\00:16:39.93
and other says no
don't pray to Mary,
00:16:39.96\00:16:42.25
one says Baptism by immersion
00:16:42.28\00:16:44.10
and another says
a few drops will do,
00:16:44.13\00:16:45.89
one says that we
should keep Sunday
00:16:45.92\00:16:49.00
another says no we
should keep the seventh day holy
00:16:49.03\00:16:51.92
and on and on and on
00:16:51.95\00:16:53.65
the differences go
between the churches.
00:16:53.68\00:16:55.82
So which church is
safeguarding the truth?
00:16:55.85\00:16:59.23
Because the Bible says,
the church of the living God
00:16:59.26\00:17:03.49
is the pillar and
foundation of the truth.
00:17:03.52\00:17:07.47
Does this mean,
that we have to look
00:17:08.87\00:17:10.56
at all of the churches
and compare their teachings
00:17:10.59\00:17:14.17
to the scripture to find
out which one teaches the truth,
00:17:14.20\00:17:17.38
that would take
the work of a lifetime,
00:17:17.41\00:17:19.43
in fact you probably couldn't
finish it in a lifetime.
00:17:19.46\00:17:22.31
But God has given us a shortcut.
00:17:24.69\00:17:26.99
When you understand
the church in Revelation,
00:17:27.92\00:17:28.89
but first let's
answer the question,
00:17:30.61\00:17:33.01
why are there so
many churches today?
00:17:34.20\00:17:38.62
Why are there so
many denominations
00:17:38.65\00:17:41.73
all claiming to
have the truth and
00:17:41.76\00:17:44.90
all claiming
practically to get their truth
00:17:44.93\00:17:47.77
from the scripture?
Why are there so many?
00:17:47.80\00:17:51.25
The Book of Revelation
answers that question for us,
00:17:51.28\00:17:54.28
let's begin our search
00:17:54.31\00:17:55.47
in the Book of
Revelation with chapter 2,
00:17:55.50\00:17:57.85
Jesus issuing seven
letters to the seven churches
00:17:57.88\00:18:02.55
and the first one is
the church in Ephesus
00:18:02.58\00:18:05.14
and he says write these words,
00:18:05.17\00:18:06.98
if you go down to the
middle of verse 2 in chapter 2,
00:18:07.01\00:18:10.34
he says I know that you
cannot tolerate wicked men
00:18:10.37\00:18:13.94
and you have tested
those who claim to be apostles,
00:18:13.97\00:18:16.84
but are not. So
Jesus is commanding
00:18:16.87\00:18:20.17
the church at Ephesus
because they cannot tolerate
00:18:20.20\00:18:23.84
wicked men and they
test the words of those
00:18:23.87\00:18:27.19
who claim to be
apostles, how did they test it?
00:18:27.22\00:18:29.74
With the word of
God, that's the only way
00:18:29.77\00:18:31.38
you can test
anyone. With the scripture
00:18:31.41\00:18:34.17
and then he goes so
far as to say in verse 6,
00:18:34.69\00:18:37.07
you hate the
practices of the Nicolaitans,
00:18:37.10\00:18:40.36
which I also hate.
Now, they don't hate
00:18:40.39\00:18:42.87
the Nicolaitans and God
doesn't hate the Nicolaitans,
00:18:42.90\00:18:46.43
but he hates their
practices because they are false
00:18:46.46\00:18:49.69
and they turn
people away from the truth.
00:18:49.72\00:18:52.10
He says therefore I'll give you
00:18:52.13\00:18:53.95
the right to eat
from the tree of life
00:18:54.03\00:18:55.86
God commends the
church at Ephesus because
00:18:56.75\00:19:02.17
they don't tolerate
wicked men and they test those
00:19:03.15\00:19:07.49
who claim to be
apostles and they shunned,
00:19:07.52\00:19:10.26
they abhor false
doctrines and false teachings,
00:19:10.29\00:19:13.98
he commends them for that.
00:19:14.01\00:19:15.53
Then we go to
the church at Smyrna
00:19:15.56\00:19:17.31
and he says don't
be afraid in verse 10,
00:19:17.34\00:19:19.49
of what you're about to suffer.
00:19:19.52\00:19:20.94
Now, in the early
stages of the church,
00:19:21.12\00:19:24.66
the church began to grow
rapidly and the devil realized
00:19:24.69\00:19:28.35
that he had to do
something to stop this growth
00:19:28.38\00:19:30.65
or he thought well
I'll try persecution
00:19:30.68\00:19:33.25
and he begins
persecuting the church,
00:19:33.28\00:19:35.58
and he says
you're about to suffer,
00:19:35.61\00:19:37.00
you're be about
to, you're about to
00:19:37.03\00:19:39.31
be put into prison
and you'll be tested,
00:19:39.34\00:19:41.64
you'll suffer
persecution for 10 days,
00:19:41.67\00:19:44.14
but hold on, don't be
afraid and so here is the church
00:19:44.66\00:19:47.87
now plunged in to
the mist of persecution.
00:19:47.90\00:19:51.09
Stay pure he says
00:19:51.12\00:19:53.41
and you'll not be
hurt by the second death.
00:19:53.44\00:19:55.70
Then the church in Pergamum,
00:19:55.73\00:19:57.17
persecution
seizes, the devil realized
00:19:58.08\00:20:00.57
that as he began to
persecute the church
00:20:00.60\00:20:02.32
the more he persecuted it
the faster it seemed to grow,
00:20:02.35\00:20:05.51
it was backfiring,
his plans always backfire.
00:20:05.54\00:20:08.43
So now he'll try
something else, he says,
00:20:08.46\00:20:10.85
I'll leave them
alone, I let them prosper,
00:20:10.88\00:20:13.21
I may even help
them a little bit,
00:20:13.24\00:20:14.88
may be they can
handle persecution,
00:20:14.91\00:20:17.11
but they can't
handle prosperity.
00:20:17.14\00:20:18.90
And he was right because
in the church in Pergamum,
00:20:20.16\00:20:23.42
Jesus wrote in
verse 14, Nevertheless
00:20:23.45\00:20:26.01
I have a few things against you,
00:20:26.04\00:20:27.99
you have people there
00:20:28.02\00:20:29.60
who hold to the
teachings of Balaam,
00:20:29.63\00:20:32.36
repent of this otherwise
I'll come and fight against them
00:20:32.39\00:20:36.15
with the sword of my
mouth, in Revelation 19.
00:20:36.18\00:20:39.90
So, Jesus is saying hey
you're doing some good things,
00:20:41.60\00:20:45.85
but you've got a
problem what's the problem?
00:20:45.88\00:20:47.49
You've got people among you
00:20:47.52\00:20:49.09
who hold to the
teachings of Balaam.
00:20:49.12\00:20:51.10
Remember in Ephesus
00:20:51.81\00:20:52.89
They did not
tolerate false doctrines,
00:20:52.92\00:20:55.64
but now they have
people there who teach false
00:20:55.67\00:20:58.61
doctrines and he
condemns them for that.
00:20:58.64\00:21:00.86
In chapter 2 verse
29, now we're looking
00:21:01.27\00:21:04.97
at the church in Thyatira
and the church is plunging
00:21:05.00\00:21:07.61
more and more into
darkness here in verse 20,
00:21:07.64\00:21:10.07
I have this against
you, you tolerate that woman
00:21:10.10\00:21:13.27
Jezebel who
calls herself a prophet
00:21:13.30\00:21:15.76
and by her teaching
she misleads my servants,
00:21:15.79\00:21:18.18
not only are there people there,
00:21:18.21\00:21:19.76
but now they
tolerate false doctrines,
00:21:19.79\00:21:22.55
they tolerates false teachings.
00:21:22.58\00:21:24.35
It sounds like the church
00:21:24.38\00:21:25.63
Today people boast
about being tolerant.
00:21:25.66\00:21:28.71
Oh! Whatever
you believe is okay,
00:21:31.28\00:21:32.67
we're just all one
and we love one another,
00:21:32.70\00:21:34.92
but Jesus said he abhors,
00:21:34.95\00:21:36.92
he hates false doctrine, why?
00:21:36.95\00:21:38.95
Because it leads people
down the pathway to destruction,
00:21:38.98\00:21:42.53
the people that he loves,
the people that he cares for,
00:21:42.56\00:21:45.62
the people that he died
for. And he has a church
00:21:45.65\00:21:49.78
that boast about being tolerate.
00:21:49.81\00:21:51.59
The church is being
plunged into the darkness
00:21:52.12\00:21:55.08
of the Dark
Ages in the Thyatira.
00:21:55.11\00:21:57.64
The first of
the Doctrines to go,
00:21:57.67\00:21:59.73
we've already seen,
was the Gospel of Jesus
00:21:59.76\00:22:02.20
Christ and they began
to teach that you are saved
00:22:02.23\00:22:04.57
by works and not by grace
00:22:04.60\00:22:06.30
alone and then
once the Gospel went,
00:22:06.33\00:22:08.53
it was easy for the
rest of the doctrines
00:22:08.56\00:22:10.81
to begin to tumble
00:22:10.84\00:22:11.81
like dominoes and they
began to teach that Baptism
00:22:11.83\00:22:14.75
by sprinkling is
enough, you don't need to be
00:22:14.78\00:22:17.01
immersed under the water,
00:22:17.04\00:22:18.21
when you die you
go straight to heaven,
00:22:18.24\00:22:20.32
you don't sleep in the grave
waiting for the resurrection.
00:22:20.35\00:22:23.11
All of the false doctrines
00:22:23.14\00:22:24.66
began to creep into the church.
00:22:24.69\00:22:26.52
The Sabbath was
changed from the seventh day
00:22:26.55\00:22:28.94
to the first day in
the year 364 at the council
00:22:28.97\00:22:31.72
of Laodicea and again
the church is being plunged
00:22:31.75\00:22:34.64
into the depths of
darkness and despair.
00:22:34.67\00:22:37.17
But God always has
true believers on the earth.
00:22:37.20\00:22:41.16
The visible church had
fallen, but there is always
00:22:41.98\00:22:45.68
an invisible body
of Christ present,
00:22:45.71\00:22:48.36
the Waldensians and Albigensians
00:22:48.39\00:22:50.47
and others would
hide in the mountains,
00:22:50.50\00:22:52.67
they'd hide in
caves with the scripture
00:22:52.70\00:22:55.96
and they'd write
little pieces of scripture
00:22:55.99\00:22:58.91
on little pieces of paper
00:22:58.94\00:23:00.09
and put it into the
helms of their garments
00:23:00.12\00:23:02.49
and smuggle it out
into the communities.
00:23:02.52\00:23:04.66
God has always
had true believers,
00:23:04.69\00:23:06.89
the church was invisible,
00:23:06.92\00:23:08.73
the visible church
was plunged into darkness,
00:23:08.85\00:23:11.67
but the invisible church was
always present on this earth.
00:23:11.70\00:23:15.19
Amazingly some of the
more recent discoveries
00:23:16.40\00:23:19.34
of those times are showing that
00:23:19.37\00:23:21.13
there were even
people keeping the Sabbath,
00:23:21.16\00:23:24.06
even after it had
become outlawed and banned.
00:23:24.09\00:23:26.75
Now we come to
the Church in Sardis,
00:23:30.20\00:23:32.55
something special
is beginning to happen.
00:23:32.58\00:23:34.63
In chapter 3 verse 4, he says
00:23:35.32\00:23:37.11
you have a few people in Sardis
00:23:37.14\00:23:38.45
who have not
soiled their clothes,
00:23:38.48\00:23:40.34
they will walk with
me dressed in white and
00:23:40.37\00:23:42.88
he who overcomes will
like them be dressed in white.
00:23:42.91\00:23:46.11
The white robe of Christ
00:23:47.17\00:23:48.56
Righteousness is the
Gospel of Jesus Christ.
00:23:48.59\00:23:51.74
And we've already
discovered that Martin Luther
00:23:52.78\00:23:55.24
was a Roman Catholic
priest who discovered that
00:23:55.27\00:23:57.55
we are saved by
grace through faith
00:23:57.58\00:23:59.10
and not by works.
So now we discover
00:23:59.13\00:24:01.47
that the church in the
depths of the Dark Ages
00:24:01.50\00:24:04.28
is beginning to
step by step restore
00:24:04.31\00:24:07.41
the truth that had
been lost through the ages
00:24:07.44\00:24:10.65
and fallen into
darkness, now it's coming back
00:24:10.68\00:24:13.42
and he begins with
the Gospel of Luther,
00:24:13.45\00:24:15.52
but then Luther died
and the church was afraid
00:24:15.55\00:24:22.77
that the false
doctrines of Rome,
00:24:22.80\00:24:25.29
the false Gospel,
that we're saved by grace
00:24:25.32\00:24:27.54
and works would begin to
creep back into the church.
00:24:27.57\00:24:30.46
So, they establish a
creed and they said this is
00:24:30.49\00:24:34.91
what we believe, this is
the meaning of the church,
00:24:34.94\00:24:39.37
this is what we
believe, no more no less,
00:24:39.40\00:24:41.62
the creed was
intended to be a fence
00:24:41.65\00:24:44.05
to block out false doctrine,
but it stunted their growth.
00:24:44.08\00:24:47.87
Because Luther as
great a man a God as he was,
00:24:48.12\00:24:51.07
Luther had come out of
incredible darkness and
00:24:51.10\00:24:53.52
we need to praise
God for what he saw,
00:24:53.55\00:24:56.07
he saw the light of the Gospel,
00:24:56.10\00:24:58.29
but he didn't see everything.
00:24:58.32\00:25:01.38
Someone asked me
00:25:01.47\00:25:02.47
why didn't the
Luther see the Sabbath?
00:25:02.87\00:25:04.24
Hey, he was doing
good in the darkness
00:25:04.61\00:25:07.04
that he came from
to see the Gospel,
00:25:07.07\00:25:09.12
but we need like one
of my professors said,
00:25:09.15\00:25:11.59
we need to stand
on Luther shoulders
00:25:11.62\00:25:13.65
and then we can see
further than Luther saw.
00:25:13.68\00:25:16.42
But the church
boxed themselves in,
00:25:16.45\00:25:18.77
they were afraid
of false doctrine,
00:25:19.08\00:25:20.66
so they boxed themselves in
00:25:20.69\00:25:22.22
and they couldn't grow anymore.
00:25:22.25\00:25:24.22
John Calvin
comes along and says,
00:25:24.25\00:25:25.80
yes Luther was
right about the Gospel,
00:25:25.83\00:25:28.08
but not about the sacraments,
not about the Lord's supper
00:25:28.11\00:25:31.13
and so the reformed
tradition was established
00:25:31.16\00:25:33.83
and they boxed
themselves in with a creed
00:25:33.86\00:25:36.61
and then the Wesley's
come along and they say yeah,
00:25:36.64\00:25:39.05
Luther and Calvin were
right as far as they saw,
00:25:39.08\00:25:41.56
but they didn't understand
the importance of holy living.
00:25:41.59\00:25:42.56
And the Methodist
church was established
00:25:44.59\00:25:46.36
and then there the
Anabaptists who said, oh!
00:25:46.39\00:25:48.72
This is all good, but
they are not baptizing right
00:25:48.75\00:25:51.75
and the Baptist
church was established
00:25:51.78\00:25:53.39
and each one contributing
one more piece of the truth
00:25:53.42\00:25:57.04
that had been
lost in the Dark Ages.
00:25:57.07\00:25:59.04
Pentecostals come
along and said well,
00:25:59.95\00:26:02.51
this is alright but
we need the Holy Spirit
00:26:02.54\00:26:04.95
and the Pentecostal
Church was established,
00:26:04.98\00:26:07.30
and then there was
Alexander Campbell who said
00:26:07.33\00:26:09.64
look they are still locking
themselves in with creeds,
00:26:09.67\00:26:12.27
we need to have a
creed of the scripture and
00:26:12.30\00:26:14.95
the scripture only for
the church and he was right.
00:26:14.98\00:26:17.73
But the problem was
that he never saw it all and
00:26:17.76\00:26:20.39
they still never observed the
Sabbath that the Bible taught
00:26:20.42\00:26:23.77
and that the
apostles taught in Bible days
00:26:23.80\00:26:25.92
and finally in 1844 the
hour of God's judgment has come.
00:26:25.95\00:26:30.17
God raised up a people
to announce to the world
00:26:30.20\00:26:33.78
that God's judgment has
began, fear God, give him glory,
00:26:33.81\00:26:38.16
worship God the creator
of the heavens and the earth,
00:26:38.19\00:26:40.90
the God who made this
world in 6 days and rested
00:26:40.93\00:26:44.28
on the seventh day and
blessed it and made it holy,
00:26:44.31\00:26:47.45
and now finally the
truth from the New Testament
00:26:47.48\00:26:52.83
and the Old
Testament has been restored
00:26:52.86\00:26:55.56
and God has a
beacon light shining
00:26:56.52\00:26:59.71
on this earth like never before.
00:26:59.74\00:27:01.75
But then there is another
church in chapter 3 verse 14,
00:27:01.78\00:27:09.45
write to the church
in Laodicea verse 15,
00:27:09.48\00:27:12.39
I know your deeds,
you're neither hot nor cold,
00:27:12.42\00:27:16.17
I wish you are one of the other
00:27:16.20\00:27:17.55
because you are
lukewarm neither hot or cold,
00:27:17.58\00:27:19.74
I am about to spit
you out of my mouth
00:27:19.77\00:27:23.05
and there is the judgment.
00:27:23.08\00:27:25.77
God sifting and God judging
and God determining those
00:27:25.80\00:27:32.39
who are faithful
and those who are true
00:27:32.42\00:27:34.52
and those who are not
00:27:34.55\00:27:35.91
and the ones that are not are
00:27:35.94\00:27:37.18
spit out of the mouth of Jesus.
00:27:37.21\00:27:38.87
So, now the truth
has been restored,
00:27:40.24\00:27:42.44
where can we find
on this earth a church
00:27:42.49\00:27:48.76
that is the
safeguard for the truth,
00:27:48.79\00:27:50.67
the same truth that was taught
00:27:50.70\00:27:52.87
in the New
Testament by the disciples
00:27:52.90\00:27:55.29
and the apostles
and Jesus himself.
00:27:55.32\00:27:57.67
God has given us a
shortcut it's in the Book of
00:27:58.12\00:28:01.30
Revelation, chapter 12, in
Revelation the 12th chapter,
00:28:01.33\00:28:05.24
I want to start with verse
13, remember this is the dragon,
00:28:05.99\00:28:09.21
the battle between
the dragon and the woman,
00:28:09.39\00:28:11.48
the dragon is whom.
00:28:11.51\00:28:12.79
The devil or Satan, and
the woman who is the woman,
00:28:12.94\00:28:17.33
the woman always symbolizes
00:28:17.43\00:28:19.33
God's people in the
Old Testament, the woman
00:28:19.36\00:28:22.06
was the nation of
Israel in the New Testament,
00:28:22.09\00:28:24.66
the woman is the
church of Jesus Christ.
00:28:24.69\00:28:27.19
So here in verse 13, we
see the dragon had been hurled
00:28:27.22\00:28:31.17
down to the earth and
then he pursued the woman.
00:28:31.20\00:28:34.99
So, who is this
woman? Let's compare
00:28:35.02\00:28:37.92
scripture with
scripture, let the scripture,
00:28:37.95\00:28:40.33
let the prophecy interpret
itself, who is the woman?
00:28:40.36\00:28:43.95
The woman before Christ
was the nation of Israel,
00:28:44.63\00:28:48.36
the woman after
Christ is the church,
00:28:48.39\00:28:50.86
so it's easy to ask
the question is this woman
00:28:50.89\00:28:54.25
before Jesus or after Jesus
00:28:54.28\00:28:56.64
and the answer is right
there in the same verse.
00:28:56.67\00:28:59.07
The dragon saw he had
been hurled to the earth,
00:28:59.10\00:29:01.29
he pursued the woman who had
given birth to the male child
00:29:01.67\00:29:07.34
that was Jesus Christ.
00:29:07.37\00:29:08.70
She had already
given birth to Jesus.
00:29:08.73\00:29:11.55
So who is the woman, the
woman symbolizes the church,
00:29:11.58\00:29:15.98
because the Jesus
Christ had already come.
00:29:16.01\00:29:18.33
And so now we see the dragon
is at war with the church.
00:29:18.36\00:29:22.26
Verse 14, the woman was given
two wings of a great eagle,
00:29:22.29\00:29:25.70
so that she might fly off
to the place prepared for her
00:29:25.73\00:29:28.39
in the desert where she
would be taken care of for time,
00:29:28.42\00:29:31.08
times and half a time
out of the serpent's reach,
00:29:31.11\00:29:33.45
1260 years, we've
already looked at that prophecy,
00:29:33.48\00:29:36.58
the very same time
that the beast or the
00:29:36.61\00:29:39.36
Antichrist is persecuting
God's church trying to
00:29:39.39\00:29:42.68
stamp out God's
truth on this earth,
00:29:42.71\00:29:45.10
the very same time
we find God protecting
00:29:45.13\00:29:48.61
the woman by hiding
her in the wilderness.
00:29:48.64\00:29:51.27
In other words now the
church is invisible because
00:29:51.30\00:29:54.87
the visible body of Christ
had fallen in to darkness.
00:29:54.90\00:29:58.61
But the woman is
hidden in the wilderness.
00:30:00.02\00:30:02.68
God still had an invisible
church present on this earth.
00:30:02.71\00:30:06.36
He always has and he will
all the way through to the end.
00:30:06.39\00:30:10.14
In verse 15, things
are beginning to change,
00:30:13.03\00:30:16.18
out of the serpent's mouth
he spewed water like a river to
00:30:16.21\00:30:18.64
overtake the women and
sweep her away with the torrent,
00:30:18.77\00:30:21.02
but the earth helped the
woman by opening his mouth
00:30:21.05\00:30:23.93
and swallowing
the river that the
00:30:23.96\00:30:26.39
dragon had
spewed out of his mouth.
00:30:26.42\00:30:28.04
When did the
earth helped the woman,
00:30:30.76\00:30:33.31
who was being
persecuted by the Antichrist
00:30:33.36\00:30:36.97
taking place in
Europe, as we've already
00:30:37.50\00:30:39.60
seen during the
time of the Dark Ages,
00:30:39.63\00:30:42.18
when did the
earth help the woman.
00:30:42.71\00:30:44.60
We've already learned
that the false prophet
00:30:44.63\00:30:47.76
was that beast in Revelation 13,
00:30:47.79\00:30:50.17
that came up out of the earth.
00:30:50.20\00:30:51.68
The first one came
up out of the water,
00:30:51.71\00:30:53.94
the false prophet
comes out of the earth,
00:30:53.97\00:30:55.76
we identified it
as Protestant America.
00:30:55.79\00:30:58.71
So now we see the
earth helping the women by
00:30:58.74\00:31:01.95
opening his mouth,
swallowing up the river,
00:31:01.98\00:31:05.00
the dragon had
spewed, so the river,
00:31:05.03\00:31:06.67
the waters
represent multitudes of people
00:31:06.70\00:31:09.14
persecuting God's church,
00:31:09.17\00:31:10.74
trying to wipe her off
of the face of the earth,
00:31:10.77\00:31:13.26
but the earth helps the
woman, swallows up the river.
00:31:13.29\00:31:16.38
That's when the puritans,
that's when the pilgrims,
00:31:16.41\00:31:19.33
that's when the
people came from Europe
00:31:19.36\00:31:21.48
over to this country
to establish a nation
00:31:21.51\00:31:22.48
that would be
free to worship God,
00:31:24.07\00:31:26.24
as they pleased and
the earth helps the women.
00:31:26.27\00:31:29.91
Now watch, around this
time, late 1700s and thereafter
00:31:31.15\00:31:39.89
the dragon in verse 17 was
angry at the woman and went
00:31:39.92\00:31:44.75
off to make war against
the remnant of her offspring,
00:31:44.78\00:31:49.22
those who obey
God's commandments
00:31:49.25\00:31:51.47
and have the testimony of Jesus.
00:31:51.50\00:31:53.01
Once again the invisible
church is becoming a visible
00:31:53.24\00:31:58.74
organized force
in the world today.
00:31:58.77\00:32:01.64
When is it, after the
earth helps the woman,
00:32:01.67\00:32:04.78
sometime in the
late 17 or early 1800s,
00:32:04.81\00:32:08.05
we should be looking for
a church to become visible,
00:32:08.08\00:32:12.02
to become organized, to
be a force in the world today
00:32:12.05\00:32:14.82
and it's called
the remnant church
00:32:14.85\00:32:17.50
because the word
remnant means the last, the end.
00:32:17.53\00:32:21.59
Those of you ladies who
have ever done a little sowing,
00:32:21.62\00:32:24.02
tell me if I'm right,
they tell me that if you go to
00:32:24.05\00:32:26.86
the material store and
buy some material and you get
00:32:26.89\00:32:29.70
a roll of the remnant that
means there is no more left
00:32:29.73\00:32:32.28
after that, am I right? I
see some nodding your heads,
00:32:32.31\00:32:36.02
when you buy the remnant,
men, you need to understand
00:32:36.05\00:32:38.52
this, the ladies already
do, when you buy the remnant
00:32:38.55\00:32:41.67
that means that's
the end of the roll,
00:32:41.70\00:32:43.88
there is no more, that's it.
00:32:43.91\00:32:45.59
And so here we see
the remnant, the rest,
00:32:45.62\00:32:47.93
the last of God's
people on this earth,
00:32:47.96\00:32:50.10
there are no more after this.
00:32:50.13\00:32:52.14
No wonder the
dragon is so angry,
00:32:52.62\00:32:55.04
no wonder he
launches to make war
00:32:55.07\00:32:57.15
against the remnant of
God seed, who are they?
00:32:57.18\00:33:00.81
Two identifying
marks, that's all,
00:33:01.91\00:33:04.18
just two, you see
God gives us a shortcut.
00:33:04.21\00:33:06.48
They obey the
commandments of God
00:33:07.26\00:33:08.65
God and have the
testimony of Jesus.
00:33:09.11\00:33:10.55
Now, I want you to listen to
me carefully, if this church,
00:33:12.24\00:33:16.24
this remnant church
that's becoming visible
00:33:16.73\00:33:19.40
for the last time in
early 1800s, if this church
00:33:19.43\00:33:24.37
teaches obedience
to God's commandments,
00:33:25.35\00:33:29.66
then any church on this
earth that does not teach
00:33:29.69\00:33:35.43
obedience to God's
commandments, all of them,
00:33:35.46\00:33:38.99
cannot be this church.
00:33:39.02\00:33:41.15
Are you with me now.
00:33:42.59\00:33:44.09
Any church that does not
teach obedience to all of
00:33:44.12\00:33:47.94
God's commandments
cannot be this remnant church
00:33:47.97\00:33:51.07
because here they're
identified as obeying
00:33:51.15\00:33:54.70
the commandments of God
and that means all of them
00:33:54.95\00:33:57.60
because if you break one,
00:33:57.63\00:33:59.01
you're guilty of
breaking them all.
00:33:59.04\00:34:00.55
This is a shortcut
folks, this allows us to
00:34:00.58\00:34:05.44
immediately eliminate
a whole bunch of churches
00:34:05.47\00:34:08.83
all claiming to
be the true church.
00:34:08.86\00:34:11.03
Some say, well we're
the true church because
00:34:11.20\00:34:13.56
we're the biggest,
00:34:13.59\00:34:14.56
but the Bible says straight
is the way that leads to life
00:34:14.97\00:34:18.47
and straight is the
way, broad is the way that
00:34:18.50\00:34:22.38
leads to destruction
and many are gonna go there,
00:34:22.41\00:34:24.64
but straight and narrow
the way that leads to life
00:34:24.67\00:34:26.98
and only a few
that are gonna find it.
00:34:27.01\00:34:28.76
So the biggest church
can't be the one that's talked
00:34:28.79\00:34:31.40
about here as the
remnant because the remnant
00:34:31.43\00:34:33.18
is gonna be a small group.
00:34:33.21\00:34:34.93
There are those who say, Wow!
00:34:35.97\00:34:37.51
The true church has
to have a certain name,
00:34:37.54\00:34:39.72
the church of God, the
church of the first born, the
00:34:39.75\00:34:42.47
church of Christ, the church
of this, the church of that.
00:34:42.50\00:34:45.30
Well, if the Bible
ever said the true church
00:34:45.33\00:34:47.60
has a certain name
then everyone would put
00:34:47.63\00:34:49.99
their name on the church,
00:34:50.02\00:34:51.13
you don't find truth by looking
00:34:51.16\00:34:52.82
at science over church doors.
00:34:52.85\00:34:54.65
You find truth
by the word of God.
00:34:54.68\00:34:56.67
And the Bible says,
00:34:58.57\00:34:59.60
the remnant is the
one that teaches obedience
00:35:00.94\00:35:05.03
to the commands
of God, some say,
00:35:05.06\00:35:06.55
well we need to be able to
trace ourselves back all the
00:35:06.58\00:35:09.64
way to the beginning,
00:35:10.02\00:35:11.33
and then you'll know
that's the true church.
00:35:11.36\00:35:13.47
But the Bible says
that the organized church
00:35:13.50\00:35:15.51
was plunged into
darkness and it becomes visible
00:35:15.54\00:35:18.70
again after 1798, after
the infliction of the deadly
00:35:18.73\00:35:22.32
wound it becomes visible.
So, you cant' trace it back
00:35:22.35\00:35:25.17
to the roots that way folks
00:35:25.20\00:35:26.67
there is only one
way to trace it back
00:35:26.70\00:35:28.22
and that is does
it teach everything
00:35:28.25\00:35:31.10
according to the scripture.
00:35:31.13\00:35:32.70
Does it teach obedience
to the commandments of God?
00:35:35.71\00:35:38.46
Any church that does
not teach obedience to
00:35:38.61\00:35:41.03
all of God's commandments,
including the fourth one,
00:35:41.06\00:35:43.27
that says
remember the Sabbath day
00:35:43.30\00:35:44.87
to keep it holy
cannot be this church
00:35:45.39\00:35:46.70
In Revelation 12, verse 17.
00:35:46.73\00:35:49.53
Now, Seventh Day
Adventists believe that
00:35:50.55\00:35:56.46
this prophecy identifies
the Adventist movement
00:35:56.49\00:36:00.98
as the remnant that
God raised up to preach the
00:36:01.82\00:36:05.24
Gospel to the world,
00:36:05.27\00:36:06.54
to announce the judgment
hourhas begun in the 1844
00:36:06.57\00:36:11.33
as we learned last night
and to teach obedience to all
00:36:11.36\00:36:14.39
of God's commandments,
but don't say Amen,
00:36:14.42\00:36:17.98
very loud, that's
strange coming from me, Amen.
00:36:18.01\00:36:22.63
Not too loud, why not?
00:36:22.66\00:36:26.19
Because Revelation chapter
3 says that the last church,
00:36:26.22\00:36:30.84
which is that
remnant church that you would
00:36:30.87\00:36:33.16
think would be on
fire for God is lukewarm.
00:36:33.25\00:36:36.41
And Jesus even
said, I'm about to spit
00:36:39.20\00:36:41.76
some of you out of my mouth.
00:36:41.79\00:36:43.17
There is no room to boast,
00:36:44.51\00:36:46.50
the Seventh
Adventist church is no better
00:36:46.82\00:36:49.10
than any other
church, but in one sense
00:36:49.13\00:36:53.21
God raised up the
Seventh Day Adventist
00:36:53.24\00:36:55.82
to proclaim the
three angels messages
00:36:55.85\00:36:58.00
and folks I've
never heard anyone else,
00:36:58.03\00:37:00.15
I've never heard any other
church even claim to preach,
00:37:00.18\00:37:03.42
the three angels
messages of Revelation,
00:37:03.45\00:37:05.84
God's last warning
to a perishing world.
00:37:05.87\00:37:08.70
And, then what about
the other identifying mark,
00:37:11.67\00:37:14.28
says they hold to
the testimony of Jesus,
00:37:14.31\00:37:16.58
what's the
testimony of Jesus comparing
00:37:16.61\00:37:18.72
scripture with scripture,
00:37:18.75\00:37:19.85
we go to Revelation chapter 19.
00:37:19.91\00:37:22.55
John had just seen a
vision, an Angel was there,
00:37:22.58\00:37:24.90
he fell at the feet of the angel
00:37:25.17\00:37:26.82
and he went to
worship the angel,
00:37:26.85\00:37:28.77
but the angel said in
verse 10, do not do that,
00:37:28.80\00:37:31.40
I'm a fellow servant with
you and with your brothers
00:37:31.43\00:37:34.61
who hold to the
testimony of Jesus,
00:37:34.64\00:37:36.66
worship God for
the testimony of Jesus
00:37:36.69\00:37:39.76
is the spirit of prophecy.
00:37:39.79\00:37:41.40
Now, we see the second
identifying mark and that is
00:37:41.43\00:37:44.29
that God's true
church would be identified as
00:37:44.32\00:37:46.92
as not only obeying
all of God's commandments,
00:37:46.95\00:37:49.08
but it would have
the testimony of Jesus,
00:37:49.11\00:37:51.50
which is the spirit of prophecy.
00:37:51.53\00:37:54.37
So, we should be
looking for a church
00:37:55.86\00:37:57.35
coming visible in the
late 18, in the mid 1800s,
00:37:57.38\00:38:00.43
just in time to
announce the judgment hour
00:38:01.19\00:38:03.08
that taught obedience to
all of God's commandments
00:38:03.64\00:38:06.20
and has the gift
of prophecy manifest
00:38:06.23\00:38:08.79
in that church as
it is becoming visible.
00:38:08.82\00:38:11.17
Now, some say, what a
prophet in the last days,
00:38:11.20\00:38:14.87
no way, we don't need prophets.
00:38:14.90\00:38:17.00
The Bible says that
we should not despise
00:38:17.03\00:38:19.71
prophecy. First
Thessalonians chapter 5:19-22,
00:38:19.74\00:38:23.65
don't despise prophecy,
00:38:23.68\00:38:24.93
but test everything
and hold on to the good.
00:38:24.96\00:38:27.36
How do you test it
with the word of God,
00:38:27.39\00:38:29.40
don't despise it, test it.
00:38:29.43\00:38:31.31
In Joel 2, he said,
I'll pour out my Spirit on
00:38:31.34\00:38:33.75
all flesh and many will
prophecy in the last days.
00:38:33.78\00:38:36.85
We should be
looking for an explosion
00:38:36.88\00:38:39.20
of the gift of
prophecy in the last days,
00:38:39.23\00:38:41.58
and Jesus himself
said, there will be many
00:38:41.61\00:38:43.88
false prophets
coming in my name.
00:38:43.91\00:38:46.21
You don't have a false prophet,
00:38:46.24\00:38:47.78
if there is no
true prophet, you don't
00:38:47.81\00:38:50.38
counterfeit something
that it doesn't exist.
00:38:50.41\00:38:52.58
You don't make a
counterfeit $11 bill,
00:38:52.61\00:38:54.75
the fact that there
would be many false prophets,
00:38:54.78\00:38:57.05
Jesus is pointing
to show that the devil
00:38:57.08\00:38:59.62
would make a smoke screen,
00:38:59.65\00:39:01.40
so that when the
true prophet would appear
00:39:01.43\00:39:03.26
no one would wanna listen to it.
00:39:03.29\00:39:04.93
And, then
Revelation says, that when
00:39:06.97\00:39:09.73
God's church is becoming
visible for the last time,
00:39:09.76\00:39:12.32
it would teach obedience
to the commandments of God
00:39:12.35\00:39:14.22
and it would have
the spirit of prophecy
00:39:14.25\00:39:15.99
manifested in that
church at that time and
00:39:16.02\00:39:18.62
the Seventh Day Adventist
church does believe that
00:39:18.65\00:39:20.85
the gift of
prophecy was manifest in the
00:39:20.88\00:39:23.24
ministry of a woman
named Ellen G. White.
00:39:23.27\00:39:27.10
Have you ever
heard about her yet,
00:39:27.13\00:39:29.76
at least most of you haven't
00:39:29.79\00:39:31.47
and there is a reason for that,
00:39:31.50\00:39:33.36
because we believe
that all of our teachings
00:39:34.03\00:39:36.67
and all of our
doctrines should come from the
00:39:36.70\00:39:38.55
scripture and
the scripture alone.
00:39:38.58\00:39:41.19
In fact Ellen G.
White herself said,
00:39:41.22\00:39:44.71
the writings of
Ellen White should
00:39:44.74\00:39:47.10
not be carried to the front.
00:39:47.13\00:39:49.21
God's word is the
un-airing standard.
00:39:50.04\00:39:53.17
Ellen White is not to take
the place of the word of God.
00:39:53.42\00:39:57.15
Let everyone prove
their point from scripture
00:39:57.18\00:39:58.15
never do we want
anyone to put Ellen White
00:39:59.74\00:40:02.31
ahead of the Bible.
00:40:02.34\00:40:03.61
That's what I would
expect a prophet to say,
00:40:03.64\00:40:07.15
you test the
prophet by the scripture.
00:40:07.18\00:40:09.88
She said she is the
lesser light to lead us
00:40:10.76\00:40:13.43
to the greater
light which is the Bible.
00:40:13.46\00:40:15.63
One day, my door bell
rang and I came to the door
00:40:15.66\00:40:19.15
and there was some
really two handsome
00:40:19.35\00:40:21.23
looking young
man dressed nicely,
00:40:21.26\00:40:23.45
that were out
witnessing, sharing their faith
00:40:23.48\00:40:25.71
and they said we want
to tell you about God,
00:40:25.74\00:40:28.18
I said, come right in.
00:40:28.21\00:40:29.41
Oh! I love for people to
come in to tell me about God,
00:40:29.44\00:40:32.47
because I've
good news for you too.
00:40:32.50\00:40:34.32
So, come in here and tell me,
00:40:35.43\00:40:37.46
and they said, did you
know that God has prophets
00:40:37.49\00:40:40.31
in the last days, I
said, yep, I know that,
00:40:40.34\00:40:42.96
they said you do.
00:40:42.99\00:40:44.75
I do, the Bible
says it and I believe it,
00:40:44.78\00:40:47.25
I said then I've
a question for you,
00:40:47.28\00:40:49.41
tell me, if the
prophet says something
00:40:49.44\00:40:54.42
that contradicts the scripture,
00:40:54.45\00:40:56.27
which one would you believe
the prophet or the scripture.
00:40:56.30\00:40:59.91
And, they said, Oh!
Well, we believe the prophet.
00:41:00.96\00:41:03.58
I said, well why would
you believe the prophet
00:41:04.78\00:41:07.71
over scripture, he says
00:41:07.74\00:41:09.70
because he is a prophet
and he has to tell the truth
00:41:09.73\00:41:14.07
and I said, but just a minute,
00:41:14.92\00:41:16.94
if the Holy Spirit
gave us the scripture
00:41:18.33\00:41:21.14
and someone shows up at my
door claiming to be a prophet
00:41:21.17\00:41:25.32
and he
contradicts the scripture,
00:41:25.35\00:41:26.32
how do you know that
he is really a prophet.
00:41:27.16\00:41:30.12
Oh! You can feel
it in your heart.
00:41:31.15\00:41:32.98
Well, I can feel it in
my heart that he is not.
00:41:33.95\00:41:37.32
Now, where all we,
your heart against mine,
00:41:37.35\00:41:40.81
is that how we find truth?
00:41:41.38\00:41:42.95
We find truth by
the word of God, Amen.
00:41:42.98\00:41:46.43
And, I would expect a prophet
00:41:47.01\00:41:48.54
to say to the law
and the testimonies,
00:41:48.57\00:41:51.17
if they speak not
according to these,
00:41:51.20\00:41:52.75
there is no light in them.
00:41:52.78\00:41:53.86
Then why do we need
to gift the prophecy,
00:41:54.90\00:41:56.84
if we have the
scripture, because the world
00:41:56.87\00:41:58.79
had been plunged into
the depths of darkness
00:41:58.82\00:42:01.08
and despair and God was
finally letting that light
00:42:01.11\00:42:04.27
shine and establishing
His remnant church and He
00:42:04.30\00:42:07.13
wanted to give it help
with the gift of prophecy.
00:42:07.16\00:42:10.00
And, let me share with you
00:42:11.02\00:42:12.29
just a few things
about Ellen White.
00:42:12.32\00:42:14.44
First of all, she only
had a third grade education
00:42:15.37\00:42:18.02
because she was injured
when she was a youngster
00:42:18.05\00:42:20.51
and in spite of that
she wrote more pages of
00:42:20.90\00:42:23.10
manuscript then any
women who has ever lived
00:42:23.13\00:42:25.29
on this earth, wrote a
book called Steps of Christ.
00:42:25.32\00:42:28.17
It has been published
more than any other book
00:42:28.20\00:42:30.27
expect the Bible in
more different languages
00:42:30.30\00:42:32.29
than any other
book except the Bible.
00:42:32.32\00:42:33.92
She wrote a book
called Education, that
00:42:34.44\00:42:36.70
was used as a text book
for years at universities
00:42:36.73\00:42:39.53
and colleges across
the country and all she
00:42:39.56\00:42:41.92
had was a third
grade education, but let me
00:42:41.95\00:42:44.79
show you how God
used the gift of prophecy.
00:42:44.82\00:42:47.00
Last night, we discovered
that there was a great
00:42:47.03\00:42:49.38
disappointment in 1844
and that many people following
00:42:49.41\00:42:52.94
the teachings of a baptist
minister named William Miller
00:42:52.97\00:42:55.38
believed that Jesus
was coming October 22 1844.
00:42:55.41\00:42:58.36
But he didn't come and
what a bitter disappointment
00:42:59.59\00:43:02.53
it was and during that time
a group of men got together,
00:43:02.56\00:43:05.56
they began to study
and they began to pray
00:43:05.59\00:43:07.16
and they
understood from scripture
00:43:07.19\00:43:08.68
that 1844 was indeed
the correct date, but it
00:43:08.71\00:43:12.60
didn't refer to the
return of Jesus to this earth,
00:43:12.63\00:43:14.91
it referred to Jesus into
the presence of the father
00:43:14.94\00:43:17.12
to begin the
judgment and we saw that
00:43:17.15\00:43:20.12
last night and
that's when they discovered
00:43:20.15\00:43:22.59
that the standard of
the judgment is the law,
00:43:22.62\00:43:24.51
the Ten Commandments
and so God restored the law
00:43:24.54\00:43:28.60
as a part of the new
covenant Gospel in 1844
00:43:28.63\00:43:32.55
in the judgment setting
like it had never been before.
00:43:32.58\00:43:36.12
And then they discovered
we're not keeping the law
00:43:36.91\00:43:40.26
because the fourth
commandment said remember
00:43:40.29\00:43:42.28
the Sabbath Day to keep it holy.
00:43:42.31\00:43:44.23
Now, after all of this
had been hammered out from
00:43:44.26\00:43:48.56
scripture and scripture
alone then God gave his prophet
00:43:48.59\00:43:55.66
Ellen White a vision and
she saw Jesus going into the
00:43:55.69\00:43:59.58
most holy place of
the heavenly sanctuary,
00:43:59.61\00:44:02.34
she saw the Ark
of the Covenant open,
00:44:02.37\00:44:04.82
the Ten
Commandment tables of stone
00:44:04.85\00:44:06.90
with a ring of light
around the fourth commandment.
00:44:06.93\00:44:10.01
Now, they had
already, it's important to know
00:44:10.59\00:44:13.34
they had already hammered
out their positions from
00:44:13.37\00:44:15.84
the scripture and God was
using the gift of prophecy
00:44:15.87\00:44:20.29
to confirm and affirm that
they were on the right track
00:44:20.32\00:44:24.44
because they had just gone
00:44:24.47\00:44:26.29
through the
great disappointment,
00:44:26.32\00:44:27.74
the whole world
was laughing at them
00:44:27.77\00:44:30.08
and now they've
discovered that in spite of
00:44:30.11\00:44:32.88
what everyone else
practically on earth is teaching
00:44:32.91\00:44:35.68
that Sunday is the first day,
00:44:35.71\00:44:37.35
they're
discovering the Lord's day
00:44:37.38\00:44:39.05
is the Sabbath and not Sunday,
00:44:39.08\00:44:41.10
Saturday and not Sunday,
00:44:41.13\00:44:42.68
and God was
saying with his stamp of
00:44:42.71\00:44:45.09
endorsement of the Holy Spirit,
00:44:45.12\00:44:46.63
you're on the right track,
00:44:46.66\00:44:48.66
you got it from
scripture, keep your
00:44:48.69\00:44:50.91
nose in the Bible
and out of the world. And
00:44:50.94\00:44:54.65
you'll always be safe, in
other words follow the lamb.
00:44:54.68\00:44:57.61
So, he used the
spirit of prophecy to endorse
00:44:57.64\00:45:01.82
the scripture not
to give new doctrines,
00:45:01.85\00:45:04.50
come from the scripture
and the scripture alone.
00:45:04.53\00:45:07.96
Another way he used
the gift of prophecy,
00:45:08.65\00:45:10.90
Ellen White had a vision,
00:45:10.93\00:45:12.40
this little church
was beginning to grow
00:45:12.43\00:45:15.98
and the message was
going around the world
00:45:16.01\00:45:17.97
because the first
angel said, to every nation,
00:45:18.00\00:45:20.43
tribe, language and
people, but it wasn't going
00:45:20.46\00:45:22.44
fast enough and
God gave her a vision.
00:45:22.70\00:45:25.05
She saw a printing
press with streams of lights,
00:45:25.08\00:45:27.57
circling around the
globe and she understood that
00:45:27.60\00:45:31.49
to mean that we need to
establish a publishing house
00:45:31.52\00:45:33.72
and they did, they
saved their money, they bought
00:45:34.74\00:45:37.22
a press and began to
publish the messages of
00:45:37.25\00:45:39.40
the three angels and it
began to go around the globe
00:45:39.43\00:45:42.08
and that is one of the
largest Protestant publishing
00:45:42.11\00:45:44.73
houses in the world today.
00:45:44.76\00:45:46.30
Third way that God
used to gift the prophecy
00:45:48.18\00:45:51.26
to help this
fledgling church grow.
00:45:51.29\00:45:53.43
One day God gave her a
vision that we needed to
00:45:54.56\00:45:57.79
be establish in the medical
work in the healing arts,
00:45:57.82\00:46:00.87
and he showed her a
little plot of land and said,
00:46:02.08\00:46:05.11
I want to see a
medical college on that land
00:46:05.14\00:46:08.39
and shortly after that Ellen
White traveled to California
00:46:09.63\00:46:10.60
and pointed out to some of
the leaders in the area there
00:46:13.64\00:46:16.67
that was the very spot
that God showed her in vision
00:46:16.70\00:46:20.38
and it was a little
town called Loma Linda,
00:46:20.41\00:46:23.37
California and today
Loma Linda University
00:46:23.40\00:46:26.71
is one of the
foremost medical institutions
00:46:26.74\00:46:29.42
on this earth.
00:46:29.45\00:46:31.51
and the purpose was
to train mena and women
00:46:31.54\00:46:33.99
in the medical arts.
00:46:34.61\00:46:35.58
So that they could
reach out in the healing
00:46:35.61\00:46:38.31
and taking care of
patients to do more
00:46:38.91\00:46:40.98
than just heal the body,
00:46:41.01\00:46:42.32
but heal their souls by
leading them to the lamb
00:46:42.73\00:46:44.88
Jesus Christ
00:46:44.91\00:46:45.88
and in that way those things
helped the church to grow,
00:46:46.48\00:46:50.33
to become one of the
fastest growing bodies
00:46:50.36\00:46:53.28
today on this earth,
going around the world,
00:46:53.31\00:46:56.31
preaching the
three angels messages
00:46:56.34\00:46:58.51
like it has
never happened before.
00:46:58.54\00:47:00.46
One thing, I do
want to make it clear
00:47:02.91\00:47:04.57
is that we don't
require Seventh Day Adventist
00:47:04.60\00:47:07.50
to testify that they
believe that Ellen White was
00:47:07.53\00:47:09.48
a true prophet,
00:47:09.51\00:47:10.74
we just ask that people are
open to the gift of prophecy
00:47:10.77\00:47:14.41
and to test it
with the word of God,
00:47:14.44\00:47:16.41
if it squares up with
scripture than hang-on,
00:47:16.90\00:47:19.63
if it doesn't
square up with scripture
00:47:19.66\00:47:21.86
then let it go
that's all we can do, Amen.
00:47:21.89\00:47:24.47
To the law and
the testimonies that
00:47:24.50\00:47:26.37
they speak not
according to these,
00:47:26.40\00:47:27.70
there is no light in them.
00:47:27.73\00:47:29.74
Well, if God raised
up the Adventist church
00:47:29.77\00:47:34.40
to be that remnant
church of Revelation 12:17, do
00:47:34.43\00:47:37.70
I have to join it, do I
have to be a part of any church,
00:47:37.73\00:47:41.36
a lot of people ask
that question and of course
00:47:41.93\00:47:44.68
we're not saved
by joining a church,
00:47:44.71\00:47:46.97
we're saved by faith
in Jesus Christ alone.
00:47:47.00\00:47:50.55
But should we become a part,
00:47:50.58\00:47:53.37
should we be added to the number
00:47:53.40\00:47:56.03
of an organized church,
00:47:56.06\00:47:57.70
I guess that would
depend on the reason
00:47:58.46\00:48:00.45
people give for not wanting
to be a part of the church.
00:48:00.48\00:48:03.11
There are some people say,
00:48:03.25\00:48:04.22
well, I won't join a church
because I'm not good enough.
00:48:04.23\00:48:07.44
Well, Jesus said in
Luke chapter 5, verse 31,
00:48:08.78\00:48:11.17
it's not the healthy who
need a doctor it's the sick,
00:48:11.20\00:48:14.06
I've not come to
call the righteous,
00:48:14.14\00:48:15.93
but sinners to repentance.
00:48:15.96\00:48:17.06
Did you know that the
church is the only organization
00:48:17.15\00:48:21.36
on this earth where the
requirement to be a part of
00:48:21.39\00:48:23.57
it is that you
not be good enough,
00:48:23.60\00:48:25.51
did you know that?
00:48:25.54\00:48:26.84
If you're good enough,
you wouldn't need the church.
00:48:26.87\00:48:29.08
So that's not a
good enough excuse,
00:48:29.11\00:48:31.62
then there were those
who take the opposite extreme
00:48:32.34\00:48:34.42
and they say, well, I
would join the church,
00:48:34.45\00:48:37.28
but I'm too good
to join the church.
00:48:37.31\00:48:40.43
Oh! I never
heard anybody say that.
00:48:40.46\00:48:42.69
it doesn't come out that way,
00:48:42.72\00:48:44.35
it usually comes out like this.
00:48:44.38\00:48:46.21
I would join the church,
00:48:47.65\00:48:48.97
but there are
hypocrites in the church.
00:48:49.00\00:48:53.30
Have you ever
heard that, I would join,
00:48:54.40\00:48:57.06
what are they really saying,
00:48:57.09\00:48:58.13
what's a hypocrite,
00:48:58.16\00:48:59.13
hypocrite is somebody who
knows what they ought to do,
00:48:59.14\00:49:00.92
but they don't do it.
00:49:00.95\00:49:01.92
I would join the church,
00:49:04.01\00:49:05.09
but look at
those people in there,
00:49:05.12\00:49:06.43
they're no better than I am,
00:49:06.46\00:49:07.88
in fact I'm
better than those people,
00:49:07.91\00:49:09.85
I don't need the church.
00:49:09.88\00:49:11.30
You know, I think there
are more people on the outside
00:49:12.42\00:49:17.19
of the church that know
that they ought to be inside
00:49:17.22\00:49:18.19
the church then they are
hypocrites in the church.
00:49:18.20\00:49:19.91
But what about the
hypocrites in the church.
00:49:22.75\00:49:24.64
What did Jesus
have to say about them?
00:49:25.91\00:49:28.17
In Matthew chapter
13, verse 24, Jesus told
00:49:28.20\00:49:31.14
this parable the
Kingdom of Heaven is like a man
00:49:31.17\00:49:33.46
who sowed good
seed in his field,
00:49:33.49\00:49:34.93
but while everyone was sleeping,
00:49:34.96\00:49:36.02
the enemy came and
sowed weeds among the wheat,
00:49:36.05\00:49:38.54
he went away and
when the wheat sprouted
00:49:38.96\00:49:41.16
and formed heads than
the weeds also appeared.
00:49:41.19\00:49:43.96
In verse 27, the
servant said, well where these
00:49:44.16\00:49:47.10
weeds come from, an
enemy did this he replied,
00:49:47.13\00:49:50.29
servants said you want
us to go and pull them up.
00:49:50.32\00:49:52.65
Oh! The church is
always wanting the weed out,
00:49:52.68\00:49:54.77
the hypocrites, you
want us to go pull them up,
00:49:55.62\00:49:59.07
Jesus said no, because while
you're pulling out the weed,
00:49:59.10\00:50:04.38
Oh! The church is
always wanting the weed out,
00:50:04.41\00:50:05.38
the hypocrites, you
want us to go pull them
00:50:05.39\00:50:06.36
up, Jesus said no,
00:50:06.37\00:50:07.34
because while
you're pulling up the weed,
00:50:07.35\00:50:08.32
you might pull out
some of the wheat with them.
00:50:08.33\00:50:09.30
Let them grow
together until the harvest
00:50:09.31\00:50:11.67
and then I'll
decide who is the weed
00:50:13.18\00:50:16.30
and who is the wheat,
00:50:16.33\00:50:18.26
and he never makes a mistake.
00:50:18.92\00:50:20.56
So Jesus expected hypocrites
to be there until the harvest.
00:50:21.86\00:50:26.90
It didn't bother him,
so don't let it bother you.
00:50:28.13\00:50:31.71
There are
hypocrites in the church,
00:50:32.25\00:50:34.17
in fact some say
well if our church
00:50:34.20\00:50:36.32
was like the early church
in the times of the disciples,
00:50:36.35\00:50:39.13
in the times of Christ
00:50:39.16\00:50:40.19
then I would really want
to be a member of that church.
00:50:40.22\00:50:42.83
No you wouldn't,
one of the 12 was Judas,
00:50:43.81\00:50:47.12
it wasn't perfect,
00:50:48.98\00:50:49.95
not even when there was
just Jesus and the twelve
00:50:49.96\00:50:51.96
and what about the Greek
widows getting discriminated
00:50:52.72\00:50:55.43
against the Greek
speaking Jewish widows.
00:50:55.46\00:50:57.17
They were getting, there
was racial discrimination
00:50:57.20\00:50:59.52
in the early church.
Anais and Sapphira lied
00:50:59.55\00:51:02.62
to the Holy Spirit,
there was financial scandal
00:51:02.65\00:51:04.99
in the early church
and what about Peter.
00:51:05.02\00:51:07.53
Peter goes to the
church in Galatia,
00:51:07.56\00:51:09.35
refused to sit at the
same table with the Gentiles.
00:51:09.38\00:51:12.41
Paul comes and
sees This happening,
00:51:12.44\00:51:14.29
calls him down to his face
in front of the congregation,
00:51:14.32\00:51:16.97
imagine two Pastors going
at it in front of the church
00:51:17.00\00:51:19.85
what would you do if
that happened in your church.
00:51:19.88\00:51:21.51
The church is not
perfect. The message is perfect,
00:51:24.42\00:51:32.25
the church is not perfect
00:51:32.28\00:51:34.11
The church
consists of men and women
00:51:34.63\00:51:36.25
who are growing
in the grace of our
00:51:36.28\00:51:38.37
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
00:51:38.40\00:51:40.55
Jesus knew that the
church wasn't perfect.
00:51:40.93\00:51:43.72
Jesus knew that there would
be hypocrites in the church
00:51:43.75\00:51:47.02
and yet the Bible
says, Ephesians 5:25,
00:51:47.05\00:51:50.01
Christ loved the church
and he gave himself up for her.
00:51:50.04\00:51:54.58
So, that's not a
good enough excuse
00:51:56.56\00:51:57.98
either and there are others.
00:51:58.01\00:52:01.33
Charles Spurgeon had
just preached a sermon
00:52:01.88\00:52:04.10
like this one
time, a great preacher,
00:52:04.13\00:52:05.95
he preached his
sermon on the church
00:52:05.98\00:52:07.58
and a man came up
to him and said Pastor,
00:52:07.61\00:52:10.02
he said, I don't
care what you say,
00:52:10.05\00:52:11.20
I'm gonna keep searching
till I find the perfect church.
00:52:11.23\00:52:13.99
And when I find
a perfect church,
00:52:14.61\00:52:16.05
I'm gonna join that one
00:52:16.08\00:52:17.57
and Spurgeon just
smiled and he says you look,
00:52:18.49\00:52:21.75
but you'll never
find the perfect church
00:52:22.61\00:52:24.96
and the even if you did find it,
00:52:26.22\00:52:28.07
when you join it, it
wouldn't be perfect anymore.
00:52:28.10\00:52:31.30
The church isn't perfect,
00:52:33.25\00:52:34.22
the message is
perfect not the church.
00:52:34.76\00:52:37.85
Then there are
those who say well,
00:52:41.00\00:52:42.64
I'm not
committing, I'm not joining,
00:52:42.67\00:52:45.75
I'm not adding to the number,
00:52:45.78\00:52:47.56
I'm not becoming a
part of any organization,
00:52:47.59\00:52:50.35
I'm nondenominational,
Nondenominational
00:52:50.77\00:52:53.86
was getting to be the
biggest denomination today.
00:52:53.89\00:52:55.78
I'm nondenominational,
I don't join anything,
00:52:55.81\00:52:58.21
you don't have to be a member
00:52:59.20\00:53:00.89
to enjoy the
benefits of this church,
00:53:00.92\00:53:05.07
for example,
you're welcome here.
00:53:05.10\00:53:07.80
One lady said, I'll
never join the church pastor,
00:53:07.83\00:53:10.83
I'll come here after
Revelation Now is over,
00:53:10.86\00:53:13.24
I'll come here, I'm
even planning to send
00:53:13.27\00:53:15.36
my little girl to
your church school,
00:53:15.39\00:53:16.77
and I'll come and attend
and go to the Bible class
00:53:16.80\00:53:19.59
in Revelation Now,
but I'll never join.
00:53:19.62\00:53:21.71
That's okay, you don't
have to join to be here.
00:53:21.74\00:53:24.23
And, we hope you feel welcomed,
00:53:24.51\00:53:26.07
but you are a
member here or not,
00:53:26.10\00:53:27.66
but what if
everybody felt that way,
00:53:27.69\00:53:31.61
then there would be no church,
00:53:32.93\00:53:34.36
there would be no building,
there would be no playschool
00:53:34.39\00:53:37.10
for you to send your
girl to, she says you know,
00:53:37.13\00:53:40.51
I've really never thought
about it like that before.
00:53:40.54\00:53:43.14
God needs the church, he
choose to use the church.
00:53:45.14\00:53:50.42
Listen the church is God's idea,
00:53:50.45\00:53:53.40
as we can feeble as
it maybe with members
00:53:55.67\00:53:58.34
who don't live up to everything
00:53:58.37\00:54:00.63
they ought to live up
to, it's still God's idea
00:54:00.66\00:54:03.29
and to say I
want to be baptized,
00:54:03.32\00:54:05.72
but I don't want to join
the church is like saying,
00:54:05.75\00:54:08.15
I wanna go
through your front door,
00:54:08.18\00:54:09.75
but I don't wanna
be in your living room.
00:54:09.78\00:54:11.85
The church needs you,
00:54:14.36\00:54:15.50
we're gonna preach
this Gospel to the world,
00:54:16.93\00:54:18.89
the church needs you,
but you need the church,
00:54:18.92\00:54:24.31
forsake not the
assembling together
00:54:25.25\00:54:27.97
for the
encouragement of one another.
00:54:28.00\00:54:30.33
God needs you,
the church needs you,
00:54:31.22\00:54:33.11
but you need the
church, some say Oh! Not me,
00:54:33.14\00:54:35.28
I can handle it all on my own.
00:54:35.31\00:54:36.76
The church was God's
idea because he knows,
00:54:36.79\00:54:39.64
he needed it, and he
knows that you need it.
00:54:39.67\00:54:42.57
One day there was an elderly man
00:54:45.00\00:54:49.27
that had worked and
slaved all of his life,
00:54:49.30\00:54:51.74
poor, didn't
have hardly anything,
00:54:51.77\00:54:53.73
he saved every penny,
00:54:53.76\00:54:55.06
so that he could send
his son to medical school,
00:54:55.09\00:54:57.82
he wanted his
boy to be a doctor.
00:54:57.85\00:54:59.86
So, his son
graduated from college
00:55:01.51\00:55:03.74
and went to medical school.
00:55:03.77\00:55:05.06
The old man just did
without so many things
00:55:05.53\00:55:07.98
that you and I would
never think of doing without,
00:55:08.01\00:55:10.15
but he didn't mind
because his son was gonna
00:55:10.18\00:55:12.65
to be a doctor and the
day for graduation came,
00:55:12.68\00:55:15.14
he didn't even
have enough money to buy
00:55:15.17\00:55:16.79
a ticket to go and
see his boy graduate,
00:55:16.82\00:55:19.07
but he didn't care because
his son was a doctor now.
00:55:20.33\00:55:24.58
His boy came home from
school and after a few days,
00:55:26.02\00:55:30.06
he said, dad I need
to tell you something.
00:55:30.09\00:55:32.09
He said, dad, I'm not gonna
00:55:33.64\00:55:38.81
be going to
church with you anymore.
00:55:38.84\00:55:40.63
And, the old
man's heart was broken,
00:55:43.98\00:55:46.50
he knew that he
couldn't argue with his son,
00:55:47.97\00:55:50.64
he was no match.
He just put his arm
00:55:50.67\00:55:55.35
around his shoulder walked
him over to the fireplace,
00:55:55.38\00:55:59.58
it's all he had
for heat in his house,
00:56:00.11\00:56:02.20
he picked up the
shovel next to the fireplace
00:56:03.60\00:56:06.99
and scooped out a beautiful
white hot glowing coal,
00:56:07.60\00:56:10.69
put it on the
heart and it wasn't long
00:56:11.79\00:56:15.22
until it was just
grey and ugly and coaled.
00:56:15.25\00:56:18.76
Then he scooped it back
up with that shovel again,
00:56:18.79\00:56:22.65
he put it back into the
fire. It wasn't long until
00:56:23.35\00:56:27.67
it was white hot
and glowing again.
00:56:27.70\00:56:31.09
We need each other,
the church needs us,
00:56:31.88\00:56:37.21
Jesus needs us, he
could have preached
00:56:37.74\00:56:41.07
the Gospel to the
world all by himself,
00:56:41.10\00:56:42.98
but he choose you to do
it and you need the church.
00:56:43.01\00:56:48.34
God's church is
gonna march triumphantly
00:56:49.19\00:56:54.99
through the gates into
that New Jerusalem City above.
00:56:55.02\00:56:59.31
God has a place for you
there, the church is gonna
00:57:00.00\00:57:04.48
make it, doesn't
matter what color your skin,
00:57:04.51\00:57:10.83
doesn't matter what blood
flowing through your veins,
00:57:10.86\00:57:13.78
the only thing that matters
is that you follow the lamb.
00:57:13.81\00:57:18.37
God raised up a
church in the last days
00:57:19.18\00:57:22.64
just for the
purpose of calling the world
00:57:23.16\00:57:26.30
to worship the creator
and to follow the lamb.
00:57:26.33\00:57:30.45
Won't you follow
the lamb wherever
00:57:31.14\00:57:35.42
he leads you, follow him.
00:57:35.45\00:57:38.51