Greetings, everyone.
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My name is Kameron De Vasher,
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I am a pastor in
the Michigan Conference
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of Seventh-day Adventist.
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Yet today we're coming to you
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from the
beautiful state of Hawaii
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on the island of Oahu
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and we're so blessed to
be with the friends here
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in this part of the world field.
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And at this time, we're
gonna begin a series of messages
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entitled "Equipping the Saints."
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You know, it was Jesus
who said in Matthew 24:14,
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"And this gospel of the kingdom
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will be
preached in all the world
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as a witness to all the nations
and then the end will come."
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Friends, I don't know about you,
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but I am anxious, I am eager,
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I am ready for that end to come.
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But we want to be
part of God's team,
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part of God's body and the earth
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to accomplish the work
that He's given us to do.
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That is the giving of
the gospel to the world
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in this generation.
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So that's what we're looking
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at in this
series of presentations
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entitled Equipping the Saints.
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We're gonna look
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from the
perspective of the Bible,
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what our responsibility is
in God's work of redemption.
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Now, as we go
through this series,
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let me outline the
flow of the thought.
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We're gonna begin
in the courts of heaven
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and roughly through a
chronological sequence,
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walk through the
history of God's people
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and His expectation for them
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right down to our day today,
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these very last
days of earth's history,
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and to see what
God wants from us
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and what He has promised
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to provide for us
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in the responsibility
of finishing the work
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and hastening
the coming of Jesus.
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So we're gonna move
from broad principle
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and each time we walk down,
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in the next presentation,
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it'll get a little
bit more practical,
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a little bit more
practical until we leave here.
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Hopefully not just
having some theory,
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but having some
practical lessons
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that we can take home
to our local communities,
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our local church families,
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and do the work as
God gives us the ability.
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So we've got a large task
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and we're gonna start today
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with a message entitled
"The Ministry of Angels."
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But before we begin
any study of God's Word,
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we always need to
begin with a word of prayer.
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Please bow your heads.
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Dear heavenly Father,
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I thank You so much for the life
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that You've given us to live.
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Lord that would be
yours, that would be ours,
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even if we spurned Your
invitation for salvation
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but more than just this life,
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You've provided eternal
life for us in Jesus Christ.
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So, Lord, we're double yours.
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So You have the
ownership of our lives
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and You expect
from us loving service.
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Help us now as we
study Your Word to understand
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Your thoughts,
Your plans for Your work
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that we can be part of.
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So bless us now,
send the Holy Spirit
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to guide our minds for
we pray it in Jesus' name.
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Amen.
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Please take your Bibles out
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since you
already have them open,
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hopefully to Matthew 24.
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Let's go to the right
to the Book of Revelation.
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The Book of Revelation,
we're gonna go to Chapter 4.
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Revelation Chapter 4.
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We're not gonna be studying
Bible prophecy from the book,
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but we're gonna learn
some practical lessons
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that begin here in
the Book of Revelation
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again starting with Chapter 4.
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The Apostle John out
on the island of Patmos
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receives a
message from the Lord.
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Were recorded
here in Revelation 4:1
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it says, "After these things
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I looked, and,
behold, a door standing open,"
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where?
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"In heaven:
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and the first voice
which I heard was like
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a trumpet
speaking with me saying,
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'Come up here and I
will show you things
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which must take
place after this.'"
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Now here's a
very practical lesson
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right from the start
for any Christian believer.
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Anytime the Lord God
calls you from heaven
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and opens the door and says,
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"Come up here," you
know, what you should do?
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Go.
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Anytime the Lord
wants to take you to heaven,
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go with Him.
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We can talk about Enoch,
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we can talk about Elijah,
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they've got good testimonies.
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Moses raised from the
dead and went to the heavens.
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But here the Apostle John,
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in spirit, in vision,
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was invited into the
throne room of heaven
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and watch what
he writes, Verse 2,
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"Immediately I
was in the spirit:
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and behold, a
throne set in heaven,
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and one sat on the throne."
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Notice it was
not an empty throne,
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it was an occupied
throne and one sat there.
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This is God the
Father sitting on His throne
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in the courtroom of heaven.
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Verse 3, "And he who
sat there was like a jasper
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and a sardine
stone in appearance,
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and there was a
rainbow around the throne
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and an emerald in
appearance like an emerald,
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around the
throne were 24 thrones
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and on the thrones I
saw 24 elders sitting
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clothed in white robes
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and they had crowns
of gold on their heads.
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And from the throne
proceeded lightnings,
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thunderings and voices,
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seven lamps of fire
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were burning before the throne,
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which are the
seven Spirits of God."
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Now, you see that it's starting
to describe the attendees
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in this courtroom.
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This throne room of God,
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you have the Father
Himself sitting on the throne,
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you have the 24 thrones
for the 24 elders around there.
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And in verse 5, it describes
the seven Spirits of God,
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which is a representation
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symbolically of the Holy Spirit.
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You never see
the term Holy Spirit,
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by the way, in
the Book of Revelation
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but repeatedly you see
the seven Spirits of God
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being a symbolic representation
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for that third
person of the Godhead.
00:05:49.41\00:05:52.41
But it goes on in verse 6,
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"Before the throne
there was a great sea
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of glass like crystal
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and in the midst of the
throne, and around the throne,
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were four living creatures
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full of eyes in
front and in back.
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The first living
creature was like a lion,
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the second like a calf,
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the third living
creature had a face like a man,
00:06:04.93\00:06:06.86
and the fourth living creature
was like a flying eagle.
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The four living creatures,
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each having six wings,
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were full of eyes
around them within,
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and they do not
rest day or night saying,
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Holy, holy, holy,
Lord God Almighty,
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who was and is and is to come."
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Now if you notice each time,
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it doesn't just say
that God was on the throne,
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there was one sat on the throne
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and then there's the 24 thrones,
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and of course,
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there's the seven Spirits of God
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which
represents the Holy Spirit,
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that person of the,
third person of the Godhead.
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And then you have the
four living creatures,
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everything is enumerated,
everything is quantified,
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that's an
interesting thing about this.
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Now, we're gonna find
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why that's
particularly interesting.
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But in all of
Revelation, Chapter 4
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you see the
Father, you see the Spirit,
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you see the 24 elders,
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and you see the
four living creatures,
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but there's one
member of the Godhead
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who's notably missing
and that is Jesus Christ.
00:06:55.84\00:06:59.18
But in Revelation Chapter
5, He joins the scene as well.
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Notice in verse 5,
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"But one of the
elders said to me
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do not weep, behold, the
lion of the tribe of Judah,
00:07:06.86\00:07:09.79
the Root of David has prevailed
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to open the scroll and
to loose its seven seals.
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Verse 6, "And I
looked and behold,
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in the midst of the throne,
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and of the four
living creatures,
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and in the midst of
the elders stood a lamb
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as though it had been slain,
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having seven
horns and seven eyes,
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which are the
seven Spirits of God
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sent out into all the earth."
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There's so much we
can say about this,
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but for our purposes today,
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I just want to highlight
the attendees in this room.
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Now we have the Father,
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the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
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all three
members of the Godhead.
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You also have the
four living creatures
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and the 24 elders.
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And almost every sermon
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I've ever heard
on Revelation 4 and 5
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outlines and discusses
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and studies
deeper into some aspect
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of those persons
we've just described.
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Either it's about the
members of the Godhead
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or maybe it's the 24 elders,
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maybe it's the
four living creatures.
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But there's one
group of individuals
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that is in Revelation 4 and 5
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but somehow we missed
them almost every time.
00:08:14.62\00:08:17.73
Stay in Revelation Chapter 5,
00:08:17.76\00:08:20.43
and go down now to verse 11,
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says, "Then I looked and I
heard the voice of many," what?
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"Angels around the throne,
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the living
creatures and the elders."
00:08:34.28\00:08:37.35
So notice the
throne is the headquarters
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of the Godhead.
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And we, of course, we
have the living creatures,
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the four living
creatures, the 24 elders,
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but beyond that,
00:08:44.59\00:08:45.92
apparently
there are many angels.
00:08:45.95\00:08:49.22
And if everything else has
been quantified and enumerated,
00:08:49.26\00:08:53.13
we should anticipate
the answer to the question,
00:08:53.16\00:08:55.46
well, how many?
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Well, let's keep reading.
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"And the number of them
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was ten thousand
times ten thousand,
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and thousands of thousands."
00:09:05.41\00:09:09.48
Now, friends, ten thousand times
00:09:09.51\00:09:12.01
ten thousand is what?
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That's a 100 million
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and beyond that there
are thousands of thousands.
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Now I'm not here to debate
whether this number is literal
00:09:21.96\00:09:24.99
or symbolic.
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But can we all agree that
either way it's really big.
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That there is a vast
congregation of angels
00:09:31.00\00:09:35.50
in the heavenly places here.
00:09:35.54\00:09:38.57
And it says here,
00:09:38.61\00:09:39.94
"Saying with a loud voice,
00:09:39.97\00:09:41.31
Worthy is the Lamb
00:09:41.34\00:09:42.68
who was slain to receive power,
00:09:42.71\00:09:44.05
and riches, and
wisdom, and strength,
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and honor, and
glory, and blessing."
00:09:45.45\00:09:46.78
So they're joining
the refrain of praise
00:09:46.82\00:09:49.25
to the God the Father,
00:09:49.28\00:09:50.62
they are in the
courts of heaven.
00:09:50.65\00:09:53.76
And one has to ask.
00:09:53.79\00:09:56.73
Well, let's just at least note
00:09:56.76\00:09:59.29
that according
to Scripture itself,
00:09:59.33\00:10:01.40
the overwhelming majority
00:10:01.43\00:10:04.33
of heaven's inhabitants
00:10:04.37\00:10:07.00
are not the three
members of the Godhead,
00:10:07.04\00:10:10.21
the four living
creatures or the 24 elders
00:10:10.24\00:10:13.58
even though they get
most of the attention.
00:10:13.61\00:10:16.24
There's this
almost innumerable throng
00:10:16.28\00:10:21.05
of angels.
00:10:21.08\00:10:23.22
Now why are we
bringing that out today?
00:10:23.25\00:10:26.02
Well, let's find out
what the Bible tells us
00:10:26.05\00:10:28.36
is their job description.
00:10:28.39\00:10:29.72
What is it that they do?
00:10:29.76\00:10:31.43
Let's go now to
the Book of Hebrews.
00:10:31.46\00:10:33.40
Go back to the left
00:10:33.43\00:10:34.76
because you can't go to
the right in Revelation.
00:10:34.80\00:10:36.53
Go back to the
left, Hebrews Chapter 1
00:10:36.56\00:10:40.50
and notice what the Apostle Paul
00:10:40.54\00:10:42.24
describes when he's contrasting
00:10:42.27\00:10:44.31
the grand superiority
of the ministry of Christ
00:10:44.34\00:10:46.61
over that of any other angel.
00:10:46.64\00:10:48.44
He describes the
work of the angels.
00:10:48.48\00:10:52.25
We'll look at
verse 7, Hebrews 1:7,
00:10:52.28\00:10:56.52
"And of the angels he says,"
and now he quote scripture,
00:10:56.55\00:11:00.46
"who makes his angels spirits,
00:11:00.49\00:11:03.22
and his
ministers a flame of fire."
00:11:03.26\00:11:07.36
Do you notice
there's an equivalence
00:11:07.40\00:11:08.73
there between
angels and ministers?
00:11:08.76\00:11:12.60
Look at verse 14
in the same passage.
00:11:12.63\00:11:15.47
Speaking of the angels
again, he asked rhetorically,
00:11:15.50\00:11:17.94
"Are they not all
ministering spirits
00:11:17.97\00:11:21.84
sent forth to minister
00:11:21.88\00:11:23.68
for those who will
inherit salvation."
00:11:23.71\00:11:27.15
According to the Bible,
00:11:27.18\00:11:28.52
what is the job description
00:11:28.55\00:11:30.12
of the typical run of
the mill angel in heaven?
00:11:30.15\00:11:33.92
Is to be a ministering
spirits sent forth to minister
00:11:33.96\00:11:38.43
to those who will
inherit salvation.
00:11:38.46\00:11:40.70
They're not just decorative
00:11:40.73\00:11:42.06
and they're not just onlookers,
00:11:42.10\00:11:43.47
they're actually
workers in the cause of God.
00:11:43.50\00:11:47.27
Sometimes we might just read
through Revelation and think,
00:11:47.30\00:11:49.20
oh, they're
just watching things.
00:11:49.24\00:11:50.64
No, no, friends,
apparently the Lord uses them
00:11:50.67\00:11:53.01
as His workers in His
field seeking the lost.
00:11:53.04\00:11:58.75
That's a fascinating concept.
00:11:58.78\00:12:01.28
Go now back to the Old Testament
00:12:01.32\00:12:02.88
to the Book of Psalms
00:12:02.92\00:12:04.85
as we study deeper
into the ministry of angels.
00:12:04.89\00:12:10.43
The 104th Psalm is exactly
00:12:10.46\00:12:15.63
what Hebrews was
quoting from there.
00:12:15.66\00:12:18.83
Psalm 104:1-4 it says,
00:12:18.87\00:12:22.90
"Bless the Lord, O
my soul, O Lord, my God,
00:12:22.94\00:12:25.57
You are very great.
00:12:25.61\00:12:26.94
You are clothed
with honor and majesty.
00:12:26.98\00:12:29.18
Who cover yourself with
light as with a garment,
00:12:29.21\00:12:31.75
who stretch out the
heavens like a curtain.
00:12:31.78\00:12:33.72
He lays the beam
of his upper chambers
00:12:33.75\00:12:35.35
in the waters,
00:12:35.38\00:12:36.72
who makes the
clouds his chariot,
00:12:36.75\00:12:38.12
who walks on the
wings of the wind,
00:12:38.15\00:12:40.09
who makes his angels spirits,
00:12:40.12\00:12:42.79
his ministers a flame of fire."
00:12:42.82\00:12:46.56
So again, that
New Testament concept
00:12:46.59\00:12:49.06
was just a quote
from the Old Testament,
00:12:49.10\00:12:51.00
Book of Psalms.
00:12:51.03\00:12:53.23
In fact, let's
go back even deeper
00:12:53.27\00:12:55.44
into the Old Testament
00:12:55.47\00:12:56.81
as far back as you can
to the Book of Genesis.
00:12:56.84\00:12:59.34
We're gonna see that
this concept of the angels
00:12:59.37\00:13:02.31
being the ministering spirits
of God sent forth to minister
00:13:02.34\00:13:05.78
for those who
will inherit salvation
00:13:05.81\00:13:08.78
is not a novel concept,
00:13:08.82\00:13:10.59
it's a one off
in one little book
00:13:10.62\00:13:12.45
or you might be
able to twist scripture
00:13:12.49\00:13:14.32
and see it this way,
00:13:14.36\00:13:15.69
that this is a theme
from literally Genesis
00:13:15.72\00:13:18.23
to Revelation
00:13:18.26\00:13:19.86
of how God operates His work.
00:13:19.89\00:13:24.27
Let's go to Genesis Chapter 28.
00:13:24.30\00:13:27.30
Genesis Chapter 28.
00:13:27.34\00:13:31.07
We'll start with verse 10.
00:13:31.11\00:13:33.07
This is the story of Jacob
00:13:33.11\00:13:36.01
as he's fleeing,
00:13:36.04\00:13:38.18
and he's having a
night there off by himself,
00:13:38.21\00:13:41.35
and he goes to sleep.
00:13:41.38\00:13:42.72
It says in Genesis 28:10,
00:13:42.75\00:13:45.52
"Now Jacob went
out from Beersheba
00:13:45.55\00:13:47.62
and went toward Haran.
00:13:47.66\00:13:49.49
So he came to a certain place
and stayed there all night,
00:13:49.52\00:13:52.13
because the sun had set.
00:13:52.16\00:13:53.50
And he took one of
the stones of that place
00:13:53.53\00:13:55.53
and put it at his head,
00:13:55.56\00:13:56.97
and he lay down in
that place to sleep."
00:13:57.00\00:13:59.80
Now the crucial
verse is verse 12.
00:13:59.83\00:14:02.27
"Then he dreamed, and behold,
00:14:02.30\00:14:06.94
a ladder was
set up on the earth,
00:14:06.98\00:14:09.84
and its top reached to heaven."
00:14:09.88\00:14:13.98
So there's a
ladder that he dreamed.
00:14:14.02\00:14:16.02
He saw in his dream
00:14:16.05\00:14:17.72
and it went all the
way down to the earth
00:14:17.75\00:14:20.06
and he extended all
the way up into heaven.
00:14:20.09\00:14:23.79
Please note it
didn't sit on the earth
00:14:23.83\00:14:25.89
and get halfway to heaven
00:14:25.93\00:14:27.26
or didn't
dangle down from heaven
00:14:27.30\00:14:28.63
and not make it all
the way down to the earth.
00:14:28.66\00:14:30.07
It extended all the way
down and it went all the way up.
00:14:30.10\00:14:35.64
And then it adds this,
00:14:35.67\00:14:37.24
"And there the angels of God
00:14:37.27\00:14:41.84
were ascending
and descending on it."
00:14:41.88\00:14:47.72
So ascending
means going up, right?
00:14:47.75\00:14:50.02
Descending means coming down.
00:14:50.05\00:14:52.22
So apparently they
are both going up and down
00:14:52.25\00:14:54.82
on this ladder,
00:14:54.86\00:14:56.19
so I imagine it's a wide ladder,
00:14:56.22\00:14:57.56
you've got an up lane
and a down lane, right?
00:14:57.59\00:14:59.39
But there's angels going
back and forth, up and down
00:14:59.43\00:15:02.13
between earth and heaven
00:15:02.16\00:15:03.87
on this ladder.
00:15:03.90\00:15:09.20
Now that's basically
the end of the dream,
00:15:09.24\00:15:11.57
it leads to its principal parts.
00:15:11.61\00:15:13.54
And what's fascinating to me is
00:15:18.01\00:15:20.15
there is almost zero commentary
00:15:20.18\00:15:22.92
in the rest of the Scripture
about this mysterious ladder.
00:15:22.95\00:15:27.09
He just dreamed about a ladder.
00:15:27.12\00:15:29.42
The Lord gave him reassurance
that He was still with him
00:15:29.46\00:15:33.73
and there were angels going
up and down on this ladder.
00:15:33.76\00:15:37.63
Dream over.
00:15:37.67\00:15:39.97
In fact, it's not
until we go all the way
00:15:40.00\00:15:42.40
to the New
Testament Gospel of John,
00:15:42.44\00:15:45.21
do we see the
biblical interpretation,
00:15:45.24\00:15:49.81
the explanation of
this mysterious ladder?
00:15:49.84\00:15:54.15
Matthew, Mark,
Luke, then John Chapter 1,
00:15:54.18\00:15:58.99
the very beginning
of Jesus' ministry.
00:15:59.02\00:16:03.06
John Chapter 1.
00:16:03.09\00:16:04.59
We're gonna begin in Verse 43.
00:16:04.63\00:16:07.80
Here Jesus is just
beginning His ministry,
00:16:07.83\00:16:10.23
He's gathering some of
His first disciples to Him.
00:16:10.27\00:16:14.04
And it says here in verse 43,
00:16:14.07\00:16:15.40
"The following day
Jesus wanted to go to Galilee,
00:16:15.44\00:16:18.07
and he found
Philip and said to him,
00:16:18.11\00:16:20.78
'Follow me.'
00:16:20.81\00:16:23.48
Now Philip was from Bethsaida,
the city of Andrew and Peter.
00:16:23.51\00:16:28.58
Philip found Nathanael
00:16:28.62\00:16:30.15
and said to him,
we have found him,
00:16:30.19\00:16:32.62
of whom Moses in the law,
00:16:32.65\00:16:34.16
and also the prophets wrote,
00:16:34.19\00:16:35.92
Jesus of
Nazareth, the son of Joseph.
00:16:35.96\00:16:41.30
And Nathanael said to him,
00:16:41.33\00:16:43.43
'Can anything good
come out of Nazareth?'"
00:16:43.47\00:16:49.30
Now, let's put a
little context here.
00:16:49.34\00:16:51.67
Philip was called
by Jesus directly.
00:16:51.71\00:16:55.54
Jesus said, come
follow Me and he obeys.
00:16:55.58\00:16:58.71
But notice that the
first response of anybody
00:16:58.75\00:17:01.25
who comes to Jesus is to find
someone else to bring to Jesus.
00:17:01.28\00:17:04.52
So Philip goes in
search of Nathanael
00:17:04.55\00:17:07.26
who he knows
apparently to be a devoted
00:17:07.29\00:17:09.32
student of the Word of God,
00:17:09.36\00:17:10.93
eager to see the
Messiah come in his lifetime.
00:17:10.96\00:17:13.90
And now he eagerly goes back,
00:17:13.93\00:17:15.56
he joyously reports
that we have found him
00:17:15.60\00:17:18.43
of whom Moses in the law
and also the prophets wrote.
00:17:18.47\00:17:20.90
And I'm guessing at that point,
00:17:20.94\00:17:22.64
Nathanael's heart
was beating excited.
00:17:22.67\00:17:24.34
Oh, yes, tell me,
tell me who it is?
00:17:24.37\00:17:25.77
And he said of,
"It's Jesus of Nazareth."
00:17:25.81\00:17:30.15
And
automatically, Nathanael thinks
00:17:34.62\00:17:38.59
whang, whang, whang.
00:17:38.62\00:17:44.16
You had me there at first
00:17:44.19\00:17:45.53
but then you, come
on, Nazareth, really?
00:17:45.56\00:17:50.27
It's a response
can anything good
00:17:50.30\00:17:52.50
come out of Nazareth.
00:17:52.53\00:17:53.87
I love Philip's response.
00:17:57.37\00:17:59.01
It was not
argumentative, it was not harsh,
00:17:59.04\00:18:02.11
it was not cutting or cruel.
00:18:02.14\00:18:03.48
He simply said, "Come and see."
00:18:03.51\00:18:08.15
You come see for yourself.
00:18:08.18\00:18:10.55
Now, let's lay
the foundation again.
00:18:10.59\00:18:13.36
Is Nathanael
genuinely seeking the Messiah?
00:18:13.39\00:18:16.59
Yes.
00:18:16.62\00:18:17.99
Is he been studying
the scriptures of Moses
00:18:18.03\00:18:20.03
and the writings of the law?
00:18:20.06\00:18:21.43
Of course, but
he has some doubt,
00:18:21.46\00:18:24.17
does he not?
00:18:24.20\00:18:25.53
Yes, he's
skeptical about the identity
00:18:25.57\00:18:27.77
of this
individual being the Messiah.
00:18:27.80\00:18:30.97
So Philip says, come and see.
00:18:31.01\00:18:32.94
Verse 47, "Jesus saw
Nathanael coming toward him
00:18:32.97\00:18:35.61
and said of him,
00:18:35.64\00:18:36.98
Behold, an Israelite
indeed, in whom is no deceit."
00:18:37.01\00:18:43.72
Now we don't have
record of him saying
00:18:43.75\00:18:45.12
anything that affirmative
00:18:45.15\00:18:46.49
and positive about
any of the other disciples
00:18:46.52\00:18:48.12
who he called, He just
said, "Come follow me,"
00:18:48.16\00:18:49.79
and they said, "Okay."
00:18:49.82\00:18:51.36
But He takes a different
approach with Nathanael.
00:18:51.39\00:18:53.40
Why?
00:18:53.43\00:18:54.80
Because Nathanael
has some skepticism,
00:18:54.83\00:18:57.77
and so the Lord is breaking down
00:18:57.80\00:18:59.87
those walls of
suspicion and doubt,
00:18:59.90\00:19:04.01
and He makes this
interesting pronouncement,
00:19:04.04\00:19:05.97
Behold an Israelite
indeed in whom is no deceit.
00:19:06.01\00:19:10.71
That caught
Nathanael's interest.
00:19:10.75\00:19:13.42
Verse 48,
00:19:13.45\00:19:14.78
Nathanael said to
him, how do you know me?
00:19:14.82\00:19:20.12
And look at one of the tiniest
little slivers of a miracle
00:19:20.16\00:19:23.26
in all the Bible is right here.
00:19:23.29\00:19:26.13
"Jesus answered and said to him,
00:19:26.16\00:19:28.76
'Before Philip called you,
00:19:28.80\00:19:32.43
when you were
under the fig tree,
00:19:32.47\00:19:35.80
I saw you.'"
00:19:35.84\00:19:37.17
Now, I don't know the topography
00:19:41.28\00:19:43.55
and the geography of that
land exactly where they were.
00:19:43.58\00:19:46.31
I don't know if the
fig tree was far, far away,
00:19:46.35\00:19:48.95
was around the
corner or down a hill
00:19:48.98\00:19:51.02
or some sort of obscuring thing,
00:19:51.05\00:19:52.69
but apparently the fact
00:19:52.72\00:19:54.06
that Jesus before
Philip even talked to him
00:19:54.09\00:19:57.29
had knowledge of where he
was and what he was doing.
00:19:57.33\00:20:01.23
That little bit of a
flash of divine insight
00:20:01.26\00:20:05.73
was enough to melt
all of Nathanael's doubts.
00:20:05.77\00:20:12.37
Watch his response, Verse 49
00:20:12.41\00:20:14.71
"Nathanael
answered and said to him,
00:20:14.74\00:20:16.38
'Rabbi, you are the Son of God,
00:20:16.41\00:20:18.88
you are the king of Israel.'"
00:20:18.91\00:20:22.25
And I look at that and I think,
00:20:22.28\00:20:23.69
I wonder if Jesus thought, wow!
00:20:23.72\00:20:25.72
That was easy.
00:20:25.75\00:20:27.59
I hope the rest of My
ministry go so swimmingly well.
00:20:27.62\00:20:34.56
In fact, look at verse 15,
00:20:34.60\00:20:35.93
"Jesus answered and said to him,
00:20:35.96\00:20:38.07
'Because I said to you,
00:20:38.10\00:20:39.83
I saw you under the
fig tree, do you believe?"
00:20:39.87\00:20:43.00
Like that's it.
00:20:43.04\00:20:46.07
"You will see
greater things than these.'"
00:20:46.11\00:20:50.15
Now pause right here.
00:20:50.18\00:20:51.51
What are the things
00:20:51.55\00:20:52.88
that He's gonna
see that are greater
00:20:52.91\00:20:54.25
than these he had just seen?
00:20:54.28\00:20:56.62
Clearly, He's talking
about miracles, right?
00:20:56.65\00:21:00.66
Because it was a miraculous,
00:21:00.69\00:21:02.02
it was a divine, it
was a superhuman thing
00:21:02.06\00:21:04.46
for Christ to have been
able to identify Nathanael
00:21:04.49\00:21:07.00
before Philip had
even spoken to him, right?
00:21:07.03\00:21:10.03
And that little bit of a miracle
00:21:10.07\00:21:12.00
was all that
Nathanael needed to say,
00:21:12.03\00:21:14.30
You're the king of
Israel, you're the Son of God.
00:21:14.34\00:21:17.34
And Jesus comes back,
like, really, that's all.
00:21:17.37\00:21:22.14
What you're gonna see next
is gonna knock your socks off.
00:21:22.18\00:21:26.61
The blind are gonna see,
00:21:26.65\00:21:27.98
the deaf are gonna hear,
00:21:28.02\00:21:29.35
the lame are gonna walk,
the dead will live again.
00:21:29.38\00:21:32.55
And you're here
because of the fig tree thing,
00:21:32.59\00:21:35.62
has nothing.
00:21:35.66\00:21:37.83
And then he adds this
one interesting sentence.
00:21:37.86\00:21:40.46
Verse 51
00:21:40.50\00:21:41.83
"And he said to
him, most assuredly,
00:21:41.86\00:21:45.97
I say to you
00:21:46.00\00:21:47.34
here after you
shall see heaven open,
00:21:47.37\00:21:49.64
and the angels of God
00:21:49.67\00:21:52.07
ascending and descending upon,"
00:21:52.11\00:21:55.04
and he doesn't say the ladder.
00:21:55.08\00:21:56.98
He says, "The Son of Man."
00:21:57.01\00:22:01.45
Jesus interprets
the ladder of Jacob
00:22:01.48\00:22:07.26
and he says that ladder is Me.
00:22:07.29\00:22:12.23
Jesus is the one who
comes down to the earth
00:22:12.26\00:22:14.76
and takes our experience,
00:22:14.80\00:22:16.40
our humanity as His own and yet,
00:22:16.43\00:22:19.10
He remains His divinity
00:22:19.13\00:22:20.57
linking heaven
with earth, right?
00:22:20.60\00:22:23.57
And notice that in the dream,
the ladder is a fixed thing.
00:22:23.61\00:22:28.24
It does not go up and
down every time there's a need.
00:22:28.28\00:22:30.95
It remains planted on the earth
and it extends into heaven.
00:22:30.98\00:22:34.62
What are the moving
parts of the ladder?
00:22:34.65\00:22:36.32
It's not the ladder itself.
00:22:36.35\00:22:38.45
It is the angels moving
up and down upon the ladder.
00:22:38.49\00:22:42.32
Does that make sense?
00:22:42.36\00:22:44.43
So every time something happens,
00:22:44.46\00:22:46.26
Jesus is talking about
miracles here, by the way,
00:22:46.29\00:22:48.96
and he doesn't say
that I'm gonna do this.
00:22:49.00\00:22:51.30
He says the angels
are gonna go up and down
00:22:51.33\00:22:53.64
through the conduit,
through the ladder that I am.
00:22:53.67\00:22:57.77
Jesus connects
heaven with earth,
00:22:57.81\00:23:00.01
but His ministering
spirits are the angels.
00:23:00.04\00:23:03.78
And if you start
looking through Scripture
00:23:06.92\00:23:09.05
with this lens in mind,
00:23:09.08\00:23:11.02
it actually is
quite eye opening.
00:23:11.05\00:23:14.89
Genesis Chapter 19.
00:23:14.92\00:23:18.79
Two angels visited Lot.
00:23:18.83\00:23:21.73
In Daniel Chapter 9
angels give messages.
00:23:21.76\00:23:25.33
By the way, the same
Gabriel in Daniel Chapter 9
00:23:25.37\00:23:28.17
shows up 500 years
later in Luke Chapter 1
00:23:28.20\00:23:31.37
to speak to Zachariah,
00:23:31.41\00:23:32.74
the father of John, the Baptist.
00:23:32.77\00:23:36.61
Go to Daniel Chapter 6.
00:23:36.64\00:23:37.98
Let's give an example of this.
00:23:38.01\00:23:39.35
We could look
at so many of them,
00:23:39.38\00:23:40.72
I just want to
highlight one or two.
00:23:40.75\00:23:42.32
In Daniel Chapter 6
00:23:42.35\00:23:45.02
when Daniel faced
persecution for his faith.
00:23:45.05\00:23:50.16
Verse 18,
00:23:50.19\00:23:51.53
"Now the king went to his palace
00:23:51.56\00:23:52.89
and spent the night fasting
00:23:52.93\00:23:54.26
and no musicians
were brought before him."
00:23:54.30\00:23:55.83
You remember the context
of course this is King Darius
00:23:55.86\00:23:58.30
who was tricked
into enforcing a law
00:23:58.33\00:24:00.37
that would punish
his good friend Daniel.
00:24:00.40\00:24:03.87
And he spent all day
trying to look for a loophole
00:24:03.91\00:24:06.47
in that law to save his
friend from this sentence,
00:24:06.51\00:24:09.61
but he had sealed it
with the signet ring.
00:24:09.64\00:24:11.55
It was the law of
the Medes and Persians.
00:24:11.58\00:24:13.08
It could not be changed.
00:24:13.11\00:24:14.45
There was no loophole,
00:24:14.48\00:24:16.45
and Daniel went into lions' den.
00:24:16.48\00:24:18.39
But all that night
King Darius was troubled.
00:24:18.42\00:24:21.09
It says here also,
"his sleep went from him."
00:24:21.12\00:24:23.46
Verse 19,
00:24:23.49\00:24:24.83
"Then the king arose
very early in the morning
00:24:24.86\00:24:26.56
and went in haste
to the den of lions,
00:24:26.59\00:24:28.60
and when he came to the den,
00:24:28.63\00:24:29.96
he cried out with a
lamenting voice to Daniel.
00:24:30.00\00:24:32.27
The king spoke to Daniel saying,
00:24:32.30\00:24:33.74
'Daniel, servant
of the living God,
00:24:33.77\00:24:36.44
has your God whom
you serve continually
00:24:36.47\00:24:39.41
been able to
deliver you from the lions."
00:24:39.44\00:24:42.68
He says, "Did God save you?"
00:24:42.71\00:24:46.28
Verse 21, "Then
Daniel said to the king,
00:24:46.31\00:24:49.48
O King, live forever."
00:24:49.52\00:24:51.62
By the way, what a great example
00:24:51.65\00:24:52.99
for Christians in persecution.
00:24:53.02\00:24:54.79
Even from the
midst of a lions' den
00:24:54.82\00:24:57.09
to the man who threw him in,
00:24:57.13\00:24:59.19
he was respectable.
00:24:59.23\00:25:00.56
Oh, good morning, King.
00:25:00.60\00:25:01.93
I hope you slept
well, live forever.
00:25:01.96\00:25:03.90
Then he adds, verse
22, "How he's still alive.
00:25:07.07\00:25:11.24
My God sent his" what?
00:25:11.27\00:25:14.78
"Angel and shut
the lions' mouth,
00:25:14.81\00:25:17.88
so that they have not hurt me
00:25:17.91\00:25:19.25
because I was found
innocent before him and also,
00:25:19.28\00:25:21.32
O King, I have done
no wrong before you."
00:25:21.35\00:25:24.09
By the way the reason
that Daniel would come out,
00:25:24.12\00:25:26.05
he lifts him out
because apparently
00:25:26.09\00:25:28.06
there was no what do you
do after you throw them in,
00:25:28.09\00:25:30.89
the law presume
that once you went in,
00:25:30.93\00:25:33.03
you never come out.
00:25:33.06\00:25:34.46
So there was no like exit
strategy for the lions' den,
00:25:34.50\00:25:37.37
you go in and
it's a one way trip.
00:25:37.40\00:25:39.47
But Daniel survived the
trip into the lions' den
00:25:39.50\00:25:42.04
so Darius was
still within the law
00:25:42.07\00:25:44.01
to bring him back out
00:25:44.04\00:25:45.37
because he'd executed
faithfully the written code.
00:25:45.41\00:25:48.18
So Daniel can come
back out and by the way,
00:25:48.21\00:25:50.18
a replacement was
found and they filled that...
00:25:50.21\00:25:52.61
We won't get
into that right now.
00:25:52.65\00:25:54.48
But Daniel does
say that God saved him
00:25:54.52\00:25:56.92
but he says, how
did God save him?
00:25:56.95\00:25:59.42
Did he say God
himself came down?
00:25:59.45\00:26:01.92
No, he said he sent His angel.
00:26:01.96\00:26:06.49
Go to Psalm 91.
00:26:06.53\00:26:08.00
This principle is laid
out of how God operates
00:26:08.03\00:26:12.13
from His throne room in heaven
00:26:12.17\00:26:14.94
that He Himself does not go
00:26:14.97\00:26:16.50
up and down, up and down
00:26:16.54\00:26:17.87
between heaven
and earth every time
00:26:17.91\00:26:19.24
there's an emergency.
00:26:19.27\00:26:20.71
But He works through
His ministering spirits,
00:26:20.74\00:26:23.71
the angels.
00:26:23.75\00:26:25.08
Look at Psalm 91:10-12,
00:26:25.11\00:26:28.52
it says, "No
evil shall befall you,
00:26:28.55\00:26:30.72
nor shall any plague
come near your dwelling,
00:26:30.75\00:26:33.19
for he shall give his," what?
00:26:33.22\00:26:35.66
"Angels charge over you
00:26:35.69\00:26:37.69
to keep you in all your way."
00:26:37.73\00:26:39.06
So you notice that God
00:26:39.09\00:26:40.43
is the one caring for them,
00:26:40.46\00:26:41.80
but He gives the responsibility
00:26:41.83\00:26:43.67
to His angels to
take care of people.
00:26:43.70\00:26:47.37
He shall give His
angels charge over you
00:26:47.40\00:26:49.40
to keep you in all your ways.
00:26:49.44\00:26:50.91
"In their hands
they shall bear you up,
00:26:50.94\00:26:54.51
lest you dash your
foot against a stone."
00:26:54.54\00:26:57.58
So God's
protective care of His people.
00:26:57.61\00:26:59.51
His watch care over his own
00:26:59.55\00:27:01.78
is of course personal with Him,
00:27:01.82\00:27:03.35
but He doesn't directly do it,
00:27:03.39\00:27:05.09
He sends His agent, His
angel to execute His care.
00:27:05.12\00:27:09.69
Does that make sense?
00:27:09.72\00:27:11.06
This is how God operates.
00:27:11.09\00:27:13.09
Go to Matthew Chapter 4.
00:27:13.13\00:27:14.83
Jesus Himself was a
recipient of this angel care.
00:27:14.86\00:27:20.87
When Jesus was wrestling
00:27:20.90\00:27:22.80
in the wilderness of temptation,
00:27:22.84\00:27:26.01
three times He was
tempted by the devil
00:27:26.04\00:27:29.04
and each time He
responded with a confident
00:27:29.08\00:27:31.51
thus saith the
Lord, it is written,
00:27:31.55\00:27:35.08
and through that
power of the Word of God,
00:27:35.12\00:27:37.52
He was able to repel the devil.
00:27:37.55\00:27:39.29
But after 40 days of
not eating and drinking,
00:27:39.32\00:27:42.26
and after three
rounds of hand to hand
00:27:42.29\00:27:44.83
spiritual combat with the devil,
00:27:44.86\00:27:46.19
you can imagine that Christ
00:27:46.23\00:27:47.56
was completely worn out.
00:27:47.60\00:27:49.66
And that is an understatement.
00:27:49.70\00:27:51.23
Apparently, He was
near the point of death.
00:27:51.27\00:27:54.44
Look at Chapter 4 verse 11,
00:27:54.47\00:27:58.14
"Then the devil left him
00:27:58.17\00:27:59.51
and behold," what happened?
00:27:59.54\00:28:01.94
"Angels came and
ministered to Him."
00:28:01.98\00:28:06.35
By the way, that happened
00:28:06.38\00:28:07.72
at the
beginning of His ministry,
00:28:07.75\00:28:09.08
it also happened at
the end of His ministry
00:28:09.12\00:28:10.45
in the Garden of Gethsemane,
00:28:10.49\00:28:12.15
when He was near death again,
00:28:12.19\00:28:13.52
this time spiritual death,
leading to His physical death.
00:28:13.56\00:28:16.59
He was literally
bleeding drops of blood,
00:28:16.62\00:28:18.59
and He was calling
out and what happened?
00:28:18.63\00:28:20.40
Angels ministered to Him.
00:28:20.43\00:28:22.56
Every time God
wants to help His people,
00:28:22.60\00:28:25.27
He sends His angel messengers.
00:28:25.30\00:28:27.94
That's how He
accomplishes His work.
00:28:27.97\00:28:30.37
God has a method of working.
00:28:30.41\00:28:33.91
And we're not anywhere
near the application for today.
00:28:33.94\00:28:36.48
But let me tell
you something, friends,
00:28:36.51\00:28:37.91
the Seventh-day Adventist Church
00:28:37.95\00:28:39.28
has been given a
message to give to the world.
00:28:39.31\00:28:42.88
We find it right in Scripture.
00:28:42.92\00:28:45.09
But let me tell
you something else.
00:28:45.12\00:28:46.72
Seventh-day Adventist
Church also has a method
00:28:46.76\00:28:49.09
of giving that message
00:28:49.12\00:28:51.19
and it's also
found in Scripture.
00:28:51.23\00:28:53.23
Let's keep studying.
00:28:53.26\00:28:56.23
Let me lay out this framework.
00:28:56.26\00:28:58.37
Most of the things,
00:28:58.40\00:29:01.80
most of the things God does,
00:29:01.84\00:29:06.07
God doesn't do personally,
00:29:06.11\00:29:11.61
God delegates.
00:29:11.65\00:29:14.42
Okay.
00:29:14.45\00:29:15.78
Most of the work that God does,
00:29:15.82\00:29:18.79
He does not do Himself
directly or personally,
00:29:18.82\00:29:23.53
He does it through an agent,
00:29:23.56\00:29:24.93
He delegate
someone else to do this.
00:29:24.96\00:29:27.76
I mean, you think of
the great works of God.
00:29:27.80\00:29:29.96
For example, the
inspiration of Scripture itself.
00:29:30.00\00:29:34.24
The Bible is the
Word of God. Amen?
00:29:34.27\00:29:37.21
But did God come down,
00:29:37.24\00:29:39.04
take out a blank piece of paper
00:29:39.07\00:29:40.41
and physically take a pen
and ink and write out the Word?
00:29:40.44\00:29:42.74
Of course not, how did He do it?
00:29:42.78\00:29:46.18
He inspired the authors
and they wrote down, right?
00:29:46.21\00:29:50.35
He sent His agent,
00:29:50.39\00:29:51.72
He worked through the middleman,
00:29:51.75\00:29:53.09
that's how He worked.
00:29:53.12\00:29:54.46
It's fascinating.
00:29:54.49\00:29:55.82
Let's get some other examples.
00:29:55.86\00:29:57.19
Go back to the Book
of Genesis Chapter 4.
00:29:57.23\00:30:00.13
Maybe some that we
haven't thought of before
00:30:00.16\00:30:01.90
and there will be a
little bit of eye opener here.
00:30:01.93\00:30:06.10
Genesis 4:4 says,
00:30:06.13\00:30:11.57
"Abel also brought of
the firstborn of the flock
00:30:11.61\00:30:14.54
and their fat.
00:30:14.58\00:30:15.98
And the Lord
respected Abel and his offering,
00:30:16.01\00:30:18.01
but he did not
respect Cain and his offering.
00:30:18.05\00:30:20.02
And Cain was very angry,
and his countenance fell.
00:30:20.05\00:30:24.29
So the Lord said to Cain..."
00:30:24.32\00:30:26.19
Pause right there, timeout.
00:30:26.22\00:30:27.56
What?
00:30:30.36\00:30:33.19
Well, I thought that
00:30:33.23\00:30:34.56
after the fall
of our first parents
00:30:34.60\00:30:36.83
in the Garden of Eden
00:30:36.87\00:30:38.20
and their separation from God
00:30:38.23\00:30:40.54
that our sins have
separated from God, right?
00:30:40.57\00:30:44.91
Is God here speaking
with rebellious Cain,
00:30:44.94\00:30:49.24
face to face directly?
00:30:49.28\00:30:51.61
What does it mean when it
says, "The Lord said to Cain."
00:30:51.65\00:30:55.78
Why are you angry
00:30:55.82\00:30:57.15
and why is your
countenance fallen?
00:30:57.19\00:30:58.85
Did he just have
a voice from heaven,
00:30:58.89\00:31:00.22
what happened here?
00:31:00.26\00:31:02.66
He counseled in
verse 7, "If you do well,
00:31:02.69\00:31:05.26
will you not be accepted?
00:31:05.29\00:31:06.63
And if you do not do
well, sin lies at the door.
00:31:06.66\00:31:08.90
And its desire is for you,
but you shall rule over it."
00:31:08.93\00:31:11.30
But notice this
00:31:14.34\00:31:15.67
from the book Patriarchs
and Prophets, page 74.
00:31:15.70\00:31:17.91
A direct commentary
on what we just read
00:31:17.94\00:31:19.84
from Scripture.
00:31:19.87\00:31:21.34
Sister White writes,
"Through an angel messenger
00:31:21.38\00:31:26.21
the divine warning was conveyed:
00:31:26.25\00:31:28.42
'If thou doest well,
shalt thou not be accepted?
00:31:28.45\00:31:31.22
If thou does not do
well, sin lieth at the door.'"
00:31:31.25\00:31:35.66
How did the Lord speak?
00:31:35.69\00:31:37.93
Through an angel messenger.
00:31:37.96\00:31:40.40
Fascinating.
00:31:40.43\00:31:41.76
Let's go to the Book
of Genesis Chapter 11.
00:31:41.80\00:31:43.50
We're just with a few
examples from the Bible here.
00:31:43.53\00:31:46.33
Genesis Chapter 11.
00:31:46.37\00:31:49.67
Here at the building
of the Tower of Babel.
00:31:49.70\00:31:51.17
When the people start rebelling
00:31:54.94\00:31:56.28
against God
shortly after the flood,
00:31:56.31\00:31:58.01
once again, verse 5 says,
"But the Lord came down to see
00:31:58.05\00:32:01.85
the city and the tower
00:32:01.88\00:32:03.22
which the sons of men had built.
00:32:03.25\00:32:04.69
And the Lord said,
'Indeed the people are one
00:32:04.72\00:32:07.79
and they all have one language
00:32:07.82\00:32:09.16
and this is what
they begin to do.
00:32:09.19\00:32:10.93
Now nothing they propose
00:32:10.96\00:32:13.16
to do will be withheld for them.
00:32:13.19\00:32:14.86
Come let us go down
00:32:14.90\00:32:16.90
and there
confound their language,
00:32:16.93\00:32:18.83
or confused their language,
that they may not understand
00:32:18.87\00:32:21.44
one another's speech.'
00:32:21.47\00:32:22.80
So the Lord scattered them
abroad from there over the face
00:32:22.84\00:32:26.51
of all the earth
00:32:26.54\00:32:27.88
and they ceased
building the city.'"
00:32:27.91\00:32:32.18
There's a lot of
the Lord doing thing,
00:32:32.21\00:32:33.85
the Lord saw,
the Lord went down,
00:32:33.88\00:32:35.88
the Lord confused,
the Lord scattered,
00:32:35.92\00:32:37.99
there's a lot of action verbs
00:32:38.02\00:32:39.42
that are
credited directly to God.
00:32:39.45\00:32:42.22
But now notice this
Story of Redemption, page 73.
00:32:42.26\00:32:45.29
How did He actually
execute that plan of confusing
00:32:45.33\00:32:48.16
and scattering the people?
00:32:48.20\00:32:49.86
Story of Redemption, page
73, "As the word was passing
00:32:49.90\00:32:53.97
from one to
another and its descent,
00:32:54.00\00:32:56.67
the angels
confounded their language,
00:32:56.71\00:33:00.38
and when the word reached
the workmen upon the ground,
00:33:00.41\00:33:02.74
material was called for
which had not been required."
00:33:02.78\00:33:05.38
So how did God execute His plan
of confusion and scattering?
00:33:05.41\00:33:09.78
He sent His angel
messengers to do His bidding.
00:33:09.82\00:33:13.02
The Lord always has a
message and He has a method
00:33:13.05\00:33:16.22
that is consistent
from heaven to earth
00:33:16.26\00:33:18.89
to our time today.
00:33:18.93\00:33:21.46
Perhaps no better
example of this is found
00:33:21.50\00:33:23.87
than in the Matthew account
00:33:23.90\00:33:26.10
of one of the
encounters of Jesus.
00:33:26.13\00:33:27.80
Matthew Chapter 8,
00:33:27.84\00:33:29.17
starting with verse 5.
00:33:35.18\00:33:41.05
During the ministry of Jesus,
00:33:41.08\00:33:43.15
this principle
is clearly outlined.
00:33:43.18\00:33:47.79
Matthew Chapter 8
starting with verse 5,
00:33:47.82\00:33:50.89
says, "Now when Jesus
had entered Capernaum,
00:33:50.93\00:33:55.46
a centurion came to
Him, pleading with Him,
00:33:55.50\00:33:58.23
saying, 'Lord, my servant
is lying at home paralyzed,
00:33:58.27\00:34:01.90
dreadfully tormented.'
00:34:01.94\00:34:05.47
And Jesus said to him,
00:34:05.51\00:34:07.44
'I will come and heal him.'"
00:34:07.48\00:34:09.14
Now that seems like a
pretty typical interaction
00:34:12.18\00:34:14.28
for the day in life of Jesus.
00:34:14.32\00:34:16.05
Someone comes, makes an appeal,
Christ graciously responds
00:34:16.08\00:34:19.49
and said, "I will come."
00:34:19.52\00:34:21.29
But what changed in
the situation make it quite
00:34:21.32\00:34:23.76
unusual is what
happened in verse 8
00:34:23.79\00:34:27.16
"The centurion
answered and said,
00:34:27.20\00:34:28.86
'Lord, I am not worthy
00:34:28.90\00:34:31.57
that You should
come under my roof.'"
00:34:31.60\00:34:34.90
So Jesus Christ has
heard about the man's need,
00:34:34.94\00:34:38.91
offers himself to
come directly to his house
00:34:38.94\00:34:41.64
and the centurion bids Him no.
00:34:41.68\00:34:45.01
He says, Lord and
He gives two reasons.
00:34:45.05\00:34:46.78
What was the first one?
00:34:46.82\00:34:48.22
Lord, first of
all, I am not worthy
00:34:48.25\00:34:51.22
that You should
come under my roof.
00:34:51.25\00:34:53.56
He recognized the
divinity of Christ and say,
00:34:53.59\00:34:56.32
woe, woe, woe, woe am I,
00:34:56.36\00:34:58.19
woe is me that I'm
a man of unclean lips,
00:34:58.23\00:35:00.23
quoting from Isaiah.
00:35:00.26\00:35:01.60
He says, I'm not worthy
to have You come in my house.
00:35:01.63\00:35:05.73
But then he adds a
second more intriguing idea.
00:35:05.77\00:35:10.64
"I'm not worthy that You should
00:35:10.67\00:35:12.01
come under my roof.
00:35:12.04\00:35:13.38
But only speak a word,
00:35:13.41\00:35:16.41
and my servant will be healed."
00:35:16.44\00:35:19.48
Now notice this,
Christ was willing to go
00:35:19.51\00:35:21.58
directly to the
house and perform this act
00:35:21.62\00:35:24.65
right then and there.
00:35:24.69\00:35:26.02
And this centurion said,
00:35:26.05\00:35:27.56
please don't
come for two reasons.
00:35:27.59\00:35:30.86
Number one, I'm not worthy
of Your presence in my house,
00:35:30.89\00:35:34.20
and number two,
You don't need to come,
00:35:34.23\00:35:37.47
all You have to
do is speak a word.
00:35:37.50\00:35:40.10
Now, when I was growing
up, and I heard this story,
00:35:40.14\00:35:44.81
what I had in my mind
is that God had the ability
00:35:44.84\00:35:49.31
which of course He
does through the power
00:35:49.34\00:35:51.01
of His Word to
do things directly.
00:35:51.05\00:35:53.52
Now let's be clear,
there are some things God
00:35:53.55\00:35:55.95
does directly.
00:35:55.98\00:35:57.75
For instance, when He
says let there be light,
00:35:57.79\00:35:59.62
He didn't say,
angel, go make light.
00:35:59.65\00:36:01.29
And angel can do that.
00:36:01.32\00:36:02.89
God makes a
light out of darkness.
00:36:02.92\00:36:04.56
Amen?
00:36:04.59\00:36:05.93
He makes
something out of nothing.
00:36:05.96\00:36:07.86
When God wanted to write down
and articulate for the people
00:36:07.90\00:36:11.17
His own law, He
sent Himself, right?
00:36:11.20\00:36:14.47
To speak the Ten Commandments
00:36:14.50\00:36:15.90
and to write
with His own finger,
00:36:15.94\00:36:17.27
the tablets of stone.
00:36:17.31\00:36:18.64
There are
occasions where God Himself
00:36:18.67\00:36:20.74
does things directly,
00:36:20.78\00:36:22.11
but for most of the things
He does, He sends an agent.
00:36:22.14\00:36:24.41
And here I had
the impression well,
00:36:24.45\00:36:26.18
this must be one of the things
00:36:26.21\00:36:27.55
Jesus will just dig
into that bag of divinity
00:36:27.58\00:36:29.52
and speak this powerful word.
00:36:29.55\00:36:31.32
But watch very carefully,
00:36:34.89\00:36:36.32
that is not what the
centurion had in mind.
00:36:36.36\00:36:39.66
He explains what he means.
00:36:39.69\00:36:41.03
Look at the text again.
00:36:41.06\00:36:42.86
After he says
but only speak a word
00:36:42.90\00:36:44.43
and my servant will be healed,
00:36:44.47\00:36:45.80
He goes on in
verse 9 to explain.
00:36:45.83\00:36:47.70
"For..." Here's his explanation.
00:36:47.74\00:36:49.24
"For I also,"
00:36:49.27\00:36:53.24
now think about
that, I also means,
00:36:53.27\00:36:55.44
I just like you,
00:36:55.48\00:37:00.78
"am a man under authority."
00:37:00.82\00:37:04.62
What an interesting concept.
00:37:04.65\00:37:07.29
He says, I'm under
authority just like you are.
00:37:07.32\00:37:10.36
He recognizes that
in the work of Christ,
00:37:10.39\00:37:12.46
there is a chain of
command and being a military man
00:37:12.49\00:37:15.86
he recognizes that for himself.
00:37:15.90\00:37:17.73
He says, "I also am
a man under authority."
00:37:17.77\00:37:20.14
And then he explains
what he means by that.
00:37:20.17\00:37:22.44
Having soldiers" where?
00:37:22.47\00:37:25.21
Under me.
00:37:25.24\00:37:28.18
So this man was an
centurion, you got to know
00:37:28.21\00:37:30.08
he's got to have a general
or a boss or some sort of,
00:37:30.11\00:37:32.31
you know, commend on above him.
00:37:32.35\00:37:35.32
But in his chain of command,
00:37:35.35\00:37:36.69
he also has
soldiers underneath him.
00:37:36.72\00:37:39.29
And he explains
how he uses them.
00:37:39.32\00:37:41.12
"I say to this
one, 'Go,' and he goes,
00:37:41.16\00:37:44.13
and to another,
'Come,' and he comes,
00:37:44.16\00:37:46.39
and to my servant 'Do this,'
00:37:46.43\00:37:48.06
and he does it.'"
00:37:48.10\00:37:49.43
Think about the power of this.
00:37:55.00\00:37:56.71
He says, I have this structure
just like You do, Jesus.
00:37:56.74\00:38:03.61
And notice, it almost
took Jesus by surprise,
00:38:03.65\00:38:06.68
if something can be
taken by surprise by Jesus.
00:38:06.72\00:38:09.28
Look at verse 10,
"When Jesus heard it,
00:38:09.32\00:38:12.45
He," what does it say?
00:38:12.49\00:38:14.36
"Marveled."
00:38:14.39\00:38:18.26
Now, friends, there
are a lot of occasions
00:38:18.29\00:38:21.46
in Scripture where people
marveled at what Jesus said,
00:38:21.50\00:38:25.40
but there are very few indeed
00:38:25.43\00:38:26.77
where Jesus
marveled at what they said.
00:38:26.80\00:38:30.54
But Jesus heard this centurion,
this Gentile, by the way,
00:38:30.57\00:38:35.84
saying, please don't come
to my house, I'm not worthy.
00:38:35.88\00:38:39.88
Look at that humility,
and beyond the humility,
00:38:39.91\00:38:43.92
the wisdom of understanding
how my ministry works.
00:38:43.95\00:38:48.82
He says in verse 10,
this is from Jesus' own lips.
00:38:48.86\00:38:50.76
"When Jesus heard
it, He marveled and said
00:38:50.79\00:38:52.53
to those who followed,
'Assuredly, I say to you,
00:38:52.56\00:38:55.56
I have not found
such great faith,
00:38:55.60\00:38:57.47
not even in Israel!'"
00:38:57.50\00:38:59.83
Everywhere I go in Israel,
if I get an invitation home,
00:38:59.87\00:39:02.57
they're like, yeah, come on in.
00:39:02.60\00:39:05.01
But this man won't even have me
00:39:05.04\00:39:07.54
and besides that
he knows how I work.
00:39:07.58\00:39:12.08
It's fascinating.
00:39:12.11\00:39:14.35
Now, we're gonna take
this chapter that we just read,
00:39:14.38\00:39:18.05
and we'd look at the second
account of the same story,
00:39:18.09\00:39:20.89
this time from
the Gospel of Luke.
00:39:20.92\00:39:22.99
And you will very
quickly notice some,
00:39:23.02\00:39:26.90
I'm not gonna say discrepancies,
00:39:26.93\00:39:29.36
but some distinctions
between the two accounts.
00:39:29.40\00:39:32.87
Go to Luke now,
Matthew, Mark, Luke Chapter 7.
00:39:32.90\00:39:37.81
And I want you
to notice something.
00:39:37.84\00:39:40.01
Luke 7:2 says,
00:39:40.04\00:39:45.78
"And a certain
centurion's servant,
00:39:45.81\00:39:48.08
who was dear to him,
was sick and ready to die.
00:39:48.12\00:39:51.75
So when he heard about Jesus,
00:39:51.79\00:39:54.22
he sent elders
of the Jews to Him,
00:39:54.26\00:39:58.13
pleading with Him to
come and heal his servant."
00:39:58.16\00:40:02.53
Wait a minute.
00:40:02.56\00:40:04.77
Leave your finger there.
Go back to Matthew Chapter 8.
00:40:04.80\00:40:07.57
What is the
first thing you notice?
00:40:07.60\00:40:09.90
In Matthew 8:5, when it talks
about this example, it said,
00:40:09.94\00:40:15.21
"Now when Jesus
had entered Capernaum,
00:40:15.24\00:40:17.48
a centurion came to Him."
00:40:17.51\00:40:20.58
Luke Chapter 7 does not
say that the centurion came.
00:40:20.62\00:40:25.99
It's saying the centurion
sent people to go to Jesus.
00:40:26.02\00:40:30.56
By the way, let's
think about the strategy.
00:40:30.59\00:40:32.23
Why would you send
elders of the Jews to Jesus?
00:40:32.26\00:40:36.90
He's a Gentile, right?
00:40:36.93\00:40:39.20
And He's got a need
00:40:39.23\00:40:40.57
and he's being
very strategic here.
00:40:40.60\00:40:41.94
He's like, you know what?
00:40:41.97\00:40:43.87
I don't know
this Jewish Messiah.
00:40:43.91\00:40:46.51
I believe in Him,
but He doesn't know me
00:40:46.54\00:40:48.14
and there's a pretty
big rift between the Jews
00:40:48.18\00:40:50.01
and the
Gentiles, you understand?
00:40:50.05\00:40:51.38
So my best move
is to send someone
00:40:51.41\00:40:56.28
who will be
sympathetic to my cause.
00:40:56.32\00:40:58.69
And by the way, why
are they sympathetic?
00:40:58.72\00:41:00.06
Well, let's just keep reading.
00:41:00.09\00:41:01.42
Luke 7:3,
00:41:01.46\00:41:04.63
"So when he heard about Jesus,
00:41:04.66\00:41:05.99
he sent elders
of the Jews to Him,
00:41:06.03\00:41:07.50
pleading with Him to
come and heal his servant."
00:41:07.53\00:41:09.26
Verse 4, "And when
they came to Jesus,
00:41:09.30\00:41:12.67
they begged Him earnestly,
00:41:12.70\00:41:14.47
saying that the one
for whom He should do this
00:41:14.50\00:41:16.71
was deserving, for
he loves our nation,
00:41:16.74\00:41:19.61
and has built us a synagogue.'"
00:41:19.64\00:41:22.61
Isn't that so kind
of these Jewish leaders
00:41:22.64\00:41:25.81
to embrace this Gentile friend?
00:41:25.85\00:41:30.72
How honestly unexpected of them.
00:41:30.75\00:41:35.19
But why were they in favor
of this particular Gentile?
00:41:35.22\00:41:39.23
Because he loves our
nation and has demonstrated
00:41:39.26\00:41:41.30
it by building us a synagogue.
00:41:41.33\00:41:44.83
He's worthy because
he's given us money.
00:41:44.87\00:41:49.34
Now I'm in verse 6,
"Then Jesus went with them.
00:41:49.37\00:41:53.07
And when He was
already not far from the house,
00:41:56.34\00:41:59.31
the centurion sent
friends to Him, saying to Him,
00:41:59.35\00:42:04.12
'Lord, do not trouble
Yourself, I am not worthy
00:42:04.15\00:42:06.65
that You should
enter under my roof.
00:42:06.69\00:42:08.39
Therefore I did not even think
myself worthy to come to You.'"
00:42:08.42\00:42:12.76
He specifically says,
00:42:12.79\00:42:14.13
I'm trying not
to come talk to You.
00:42:14.16\00:42:18.60
"But say the word, and
my servant will be healed."
00:42:18.63\00:42:22.24
"For I also am a man
placed under authority,
00:42:22.27\00:42:24.61
having soldiers under me.
00:42:24.64\00:42:25.97
And I say, 'Go,'
00:42:26.01\00:42:27.34
and this one goes
and to another, 'Come,'
00:42:27.38\00:42:28.71
and he comes and to my servant,
'Do this,' and he does it.'"
00:42:28.74\00:42:30.95
Now first of all,
let's talk about this.
00:42:35.25\00:42:37.42
What do you do when you find
00:42:37.45\00:42:38.79
what appears to be a
discrepancy in the scripture?
00:42:38.82\00:42:44.33
Two different
accounts of one story,
00:42:44.36\00:42:47.46
but the details
are quite different.
00:42:47.50\00:42:51.23
Do you do as the non
believer and say, Ah-huh,
00:42:51.27\00:42:54.50
riddled with inconsistencies,
sits contradictory.
00:42:54.54\00:42:58.24
It's a man made document.
00:42:58.27\00:43:01.08
Of course not.
00:43:01.11\00:43:03.35
Listen to this.
00:43:03.38\00:43:05.18
From the introduction
to the Great Controversy,
00:43:05.21\00:43:06.85
we find this explanation,
"Written in different ages,
00:43:06.88\00:43:11.45
by men who differed
widely in rank and occupation,
00:43:11.49\00:43:14.32
and in mental and
spiritual endowments,
00:43:14.36\00:43:16.73
the books of the Bible present
a wide contrast in style,
00:43:16.76\00:43:20.36
as well as the
diversity in the nature
00:43:20.40\00:43:22.33
of the subjects unfolded."
00:43:22.36\00:43:23.87
We understand how
inspiration works,
00:43:23.90\00:43:25.50
that God did not pick up
their hand and make them write.
00:43:25.53\00:43:27.44
So it's the dictated Word of God
00:43:27.47\00:43:29.10
from Genesis to Revelation.
00:43:29.14\00:43:30.47
He inspired the
individual and they wrote
00:43:30.51\00:43:32.61
from their
perspective in their language
00:43:32.64\00:43:34.31
with their own
experience, right?
00:43:34.34\00:43:35.94
That's why the style
of writing is different
00:43:35.98\00:43:38.61
from Moses to the Apostle
Paul, or Luke and Matthew
00:43:38.65\00:43:42.18
might have two different ways
of expressing the same thing
00:43:42.22\00:43:45.35
or perspectives
on the same event.
00:43:45.39\00:43:47.82
She continues,
"Different forms of expression
00:43:47.86\00:43:50.86
are employed by
different writers,
00:43:50.89\00:43:52.69
often the same truth is
more strikingly presented
00:43:52.73\00:43:55.56
by one than by another."
00:43:55.60\00:43:58.13
So for instance, the fact
that the foot washing of Jesus,
00:43:58.17\00:44:01.04
where He washed
His disciples' feet
00:44:01.07\00:44:02.54
is only found
in John Chapter 13.
00:44:02.57\00:44:04.54
Does that mean
that Matthew disagreed?
00:44:04.57\00:44:06.88
No, it just means he
didn't record it, right?
00:44:06.91\00:44:10.61
She goes on,
00:44:10.65\00:44:11.98
"And as several
writers present a subject under
00:44:12.01\00:44:14.98
varied aspects and relations,
00:44:15.02\00:44:17.39
there may appear
to the superficial,
00:44:17.42\00:44:20.56
careless, or prejudiced reader,
00:44:20.59\00:44:22.49
to be
discrepancy or contradiction,
00:44:22.52\00:44:25.29
where the
thoughtful reverent student
00:44:25.33\00:44:27.43
with clearer insight discerns
00:44:27.46\00:44:29.56
the underlying harmony."
00:44:29.60\00:44:32.70
So somehow Matthew Chapter 8
00:44:32.73\00:44:35.04
and Luke Chapter 7 are
saying the exact same event
00:44:35.07\00:44:38.37
but from two
different perspectives
00:44:38.41\00:44:40.44
or two different emphases.
00:44:40.48\00:44:43.28
Let me ask you a question.
00:44:43.31\00:44:44.65
Did the centurion come to Jesus?
00:44:44.68\00:44:46.72
I love this room.
00:44:50.29\00:44:51.62
It's so full of honesty.
00:44:51.65\00:44:52.99
I have heads going like
this and heads going like this.
00:44:53.02\00:44:56.52
Well, you're both right.
00:44:56.56\00:44:58.66
In a sense, did he come?
00:44:58.69\00:45:00.53
Yes, He directed
his agents to go speak.
00:45:00.56\00:45:04.30
But did he personally show up?
00:45:04.33\00:45:06.17
No.
00:45:06.20\00:45:08.40
Could you write the same thing
00:45:08.44\00:45:10.61
and say apparently
contradictory things
00:45:10.64\00:45:12.71
but mean the same thing?
00:45:12.74\00:45:14.28
Sure, you can.
00:45:14.31\00:45:15.64
Let me give you an illustration,
00:45:15.68\00:45:17.01
it's from my own life.
00:45:17.05\00:45:18.38
When I was first in ministry,
00:45:18.41\00:45:19.75
I lived out in the great state
of Idaho and I built a house.
00:45:19.78\00:45:23.95
I did, it was a
wonderful little house.
00:45:23.99\00:45:26.02
I wish I had a
picture I could show you.
00:45:26.05\00:45:27.39
It's a cute little
house, I was very proud of it.
00:45:27.42\00:45:29.42
And I was happy
that the price was right
00:45:29.46\00:45:30.96
and I got to
pick out the location
00:45:30.99\00:45:32.33
and the style of the house
00:45:32.36\00:45:34.06
and although the
finances all that kind of stuff,
00:45:34.10\00:45:35.70
it worked it all out
and I got to live in it.
00:45:35.73\00:45:38.47
I built a house.
00:45:38.50\00:45:41.67
But when that process was done,
00:45:41.70\00:45:43.17
I could claim rightfully
that I built that house but,
00:45:46.21\00:45:48.88
you know, one thing I never did.
00:45:48.91\00:45:52.85
I never built that house.
00:45:52.88\00:45:56.52
Now what do I mean?
00:45:56.55\00:45:59.45
Never one time in
that whole process
00:45:59.49\00:46:01.02
did I pick up a hammer.
00:46:01.06\00:46:03.83
I didn't saw a
board, I didn't lay a tile,
00:46:03.86\00:46:06.93
I didn't put a
shingle on the roof,
00:46:06.96\00:46:08.30
I didn't do any of the plumbing.
00:46:08.33\00:46:09.66
I didn't do any
of the concrete work,
00:46:09.70\00:46:11.03
nor the landscaping,
00:46:11.07\00:46:12.40
not one bit of the first
hand frontline labor did I do.
00:46:12.43\00:46:17.31
But at the end of the day,
00:46:17.34\00:46:18.67
I get to claim
that I built a house.
00:46:18.71\00:46:22.91
What right do I had to do that?
00:46:22.94\00:46:26.45
Because I chose it.
00:46:26.48\00:46:27.95
By the way, I funded it.
00:46:27.98\00:46:31.39
I built the house,
but I didn't go down
00:46:31.42\00:46:33.79
with a hammer and nails.
00:46:33.82\00:46:35.82
I hired a
contractor and, by the way,
00:46:35.86\00:46:38.63
you know what
the contractor did?
00:46:38.66\00:46:40.76
He didn't do the work either.
00:46:40.80\00:46:42.13
He hired sub-contractors
for each part of it.
00:46:42.16\00:46:44.37
And you know what they
did? They hired laborers.
00:46:44.40\00:46:46.23
So at the end of the
day, my house was built
00:46:46.27\00:46:48.30
by some 16 year old
kid that I'll never meet,
00:46:48.34\00:46:50.14
you know, but I still get to say
00:46:50.17\00:46:53.51
I built the house.
00:46:53.54\00:46:57.21
This is how Jesus operates,
00:46:57.25\00:46:58.58
this is how God operates
from the throne room of heaven.
00:46:58.61\00:47:03.85
Notice what the Desire of Ages,
00:47:03.89\00:47:05.22
going back to our
centurion illustration,
00:47:05.25\00:47:06.82
Desire of Ages, page
316 speaking first person
00:47:06.86\00:47:10.66
from the
perspective of the centurion,
00:47:10.69\00:47:13.19
Sister White
gives us this insight.
00:47:13.23\00:47:15.20
Desire of Ages, 316,
00:47:15.23\00:47:17.63
"As I represent
the power of Rome,
00:47:17.67\00:47:21.57
and my soldiers recognize
my authority as supreme,
00:47:21.60\00:47:26.81
so dost Thou represent
the power of the Infinite God,
00:47:26.84\00:47:30.68
and all created
things obey Thy word.
00:47:30.71\00:47:35.88
Thou canst command
the disease to depart,
00:47:35.92\00:47:39.25
and it shall obey Thy voice."
00:47:39.29\00:47:41.29
What was one option
Christ had with His voice?
00:47:41.32\00:47:43.22
Could He command
the disease directly
00:47:43.26\00:47:44.99
through the power of divinity
00:47:45.03\00:47:46.46
that He had at His command?
00:47:46.49\00:47:47.83
Of course, He could.
00:47:47.86\00:47:49.20
But then she
adds, "Thou canst summon
00:47:54.67\00:47:56.94
Thy heavenly messengers,
00:47:56.97\00:47:59.37
and they shall
impart healing virtue."
00:47:59.41\00:48:03.75
Which is clearly
what he meant in the text.
00:48:03.78\00:48:06.72
Speak but the word and
my servant shall be healed.
00:48:06.75\00:48:09.62
So I started thinking,
you telling me that not just
00:48:15.52\00:48:17.69
from God on the throne,
but even when Christ was here
00:48:17.73\00:48:20.36
on the earth that
most of what He did,
00:48:20.40\00:48:24.33
He didn't do
directly, He even used
00:48:24.37\00:48:26.70
the ministry of
angels in His own work.
00:48:26.74\00:48:31.54
Yes.
00:48:31.57\00:48:33.84
Let me give you some inspiration
00:48:33.88\00:48:35.21
to back this up.
00:48:35.24\00:48:36.58
Anytime I say something
even remotely controversial.
00:48:36.61\00:48:38.18
I want to hide
behind inspiration, okay?
00:48:38.21\00:48:42.35
Desire of Ages, page 143.
00:48:42.38\00:48:44.42
Listen carefully.
00:48:44.45\00:48:45.79
"The angels of
God are ever passing
00:48:48.86\00:48:52.43
from earth to heaven,
00:48:52.46\00:48:53.93
and from heaven to earth."
00:48:53.96\00:48:56.03
Remember that's a
reference to the ladder, right?
00:48:56.06\00:48:59.27
She goes on, "The
miracles of Christ
00:48:59.30\00:49:04.57
for the afflicted and
suffering were wrought
00:49:04.61\00:49:07.61
by the power of God
00:49:07.64\00:49:10.05
through the
ministration of the angels.
00:49:10.08\00:49:14.15
And it is through
Christ, by the administration
00:49:14.18\00:49:16.89
of his heavenly messengers,
00:49:16.92\00:49:18.29
that every blessing
comes from God to us."
00:49:18.32\00:49:22.89
That's a powerful thought.
00:49:22.92\00:49:27.26
In fact, you can
find for the deep scholar
00:49:27.30\00:49:30.60
if you'd like to look
at the original context,
00:49:30.63\00:49:32.50
because the Desire
of Ages actually pulled
00:49:32.53\00:49:34.34
that from a previous writing.
00:49:34.37\00:49:37.64
You can find in the Review
and Herald, January 21, 1873,
00:49:37.67\00:49:42.84
also the second volume
of the Spirit of Prophecy,
00:49:42.88\00:49:44.75
page 67, it's
word for word identical
00:49:44.78\00:49:48.05
from what we find in the
Desire of Ages with one change.
00:49:48.08\00:49:51.52
It says instead of
saying the miracles
00:49:54.62\00:49:56.96
of Christ for the afflicted
and suffering were wrought,
00:49:56.99\00:50:00.06
it adds this one word,
00:50:00.10\00:50:01.43
three letters at the beginning.
00:50:01.46\00:50:02.80
It says, all the miracles
of Christ, for the afflicted
00:50:02.83\00:50:08.40
and suffering were
wrought by the power of God
00:50:08.44\00:50:11.71
through the
ministration of the angels.
00:50:11.74\00:50:14.94
That everything God
does, through Christ's ministry
00:50:14.98\00:50:19.91
on earth even was
through the agency
00:50:19.95\00:50:22.48
of those ministering
spirits sent forth to minister
00:50:22.52\00:50:26.49
for those who
will inherit salvation.
00:50:26.52\00:50:29.22
That God has a
ministry of angels,
00:50:29.26\00:50:34.56
and that's how He operates
His government in heaven.
00:50:34.60\00:50:39.83
Is that making sense?
00:50:39.87\00:50:41.64
Now let's go a
little bit deeper.
00:50:41.67\00:50:43.00
Go to Luke Chapter 11.
00:50:46.88\00:50:48.21
Luke Chapter 11.
00:50:55.72\00:51:00.29
Jesus is praying to His Father,
00:51:00.32\00:51:03.53
and His disciples
catch Him in the act.
00:51:03.56\00:51:09.36
Verse 1, "Now it came to pass
00:51:09.40\00:51:11.27
as he was praying
in a certain place,
00:51:11.30\00:51:14.40
when He ceased that one
of His disciples said to Him,
00:51:14.44\00:51:19.57
'Lord, teach us to pray,
00:51:19.61\00:51:22.18
as John also
taught his disciples."
00:51:22.21\00:51:25.75
Now there's a lot we
can say about prayer.
00:51:25.78\00:51:27.45
But clearly
Christ lived His life
00:51:27.48\00:51:32.65
through prayer
00:51:32.69\00:51:34.02
and that connection
with His heavenly Father.
00:51:34.06\00:51:37.73
And as He was
starting His morning that day,
00:51:37.76\00:51:39.83
He was praying to
His Father and apparently
00:51:39.86\00:51:41.76
he was so poignantly
praying that His disciples came
00:51:41.80\00:51:46.13
upon Him took
note and step back,
00:51:46.17\00:51:47.50
they didn't interrupt Him,
00:51:47.54\00:51:48.87
they didn't peck on His shoulder
00:51:48.90\00:51:50.24
they waited till He was done.
00:51:50.27\00:51:51.61
Christ, you look at the Spirit
of Prophecy will even tells us
00:51:51.64\00:51:53.27
that He was praying out loud
and they were just listening
00:51:53.31\00:51:55.54
in eavesdropping
on this personal time
00:51:55.58\00:51:58.18
between Christ and His Father.
00:51:58.21\00:52:01.55
And whatever it
was about His prayer,
00:52:01.58\00:52:03.18
they looked at
that and they said,
00:52:03.22\00:52:04.55
"Lord, teach us to pray."
00:52:04.59\00:52:05.92
Now does that mean
00:52:05.95\00:52:07.29
that they had
never prayed before?
00:52:07.32\00:52:08.66
Of course not,
00:52:08.69\00:52:10.03
but there is
something qualitative
00:52:10.06\00:52:11.39
about that prayer life
of Jesus that He thought
00:52:11.43\00:52:14.36
that they thought
we must have that.
00:52:14.40\00:52:18.17
And they said,
"Lord, teach us to pray."
00:52:18.20\00:52:23.37
And don't we serve a
good God whenever we ask?
00:52:23.41\00:52:25.74
He answers.
00:52:25.77\00:52:27.11
Look at verse 2,
"So He said to them,
00:52:27.14\00:52:29.94
'When you pray, say,
00:52:29.98\00:52:34.25
Our Father in heaven,
00:52:34.28\00:52:37.05
hallowed be Your name."
00:52:37.09\00:52:40.76
Now listen
carefully, "Your kingdom come,
00:52:40.79\00:52:43.76
Your will be done on
earth, as it is," where?
00:52:43.79\00:52:49.40
"In heaven."
00:52:49.43\00:52:50.87
I don't know what your
experience was growing up.
00:52:55.14\00:52:56.64
That was just
words that we said.
00:52:56.67\00:52:59.67
Ironically, when
Jesus other times
00:52:59.71\00:53:01.14
would teach them how to pray,
00:53:01.18\00:53:02.91
He would say make sure
00:53:02.94\00:53:04.28
you don't pray in
vain repetitions, right?
00:53:04.31\00:53:06.45
That you think
you'll be thought,
00:53:06.48\00:53:07.82
you'll be heard
for your many words.
00:53:07.85\00:53:09.95
And then He says,
00:53:09.98\00:53:11.32
"When you pray, pray like this."
00:53:11.35\00:53:12.72
And, you know
what people have done?
00:53:12.75\00:53:14.09
Have taken that model prayer
00:53:14.12\00:53:15.59
and turn it into
a vain repetition.
00:53:15.62\00:53:17.13
But Christ was not
saying these are the magic words
00:53:21.00\00:53:23.43
that if you pray, your
prayer will get answered.
00:53:23.47\00:53:25.03
You must say it
like this in this way.
00:53:25.07\00:53:26.40
No, no, He was teaching
them how to pray, right?
00:53:26.43\00:53:28.27
He was giving the
template for prayer.
00:53:28.30\00:53:30.11
Think these thoughts,
think along these lines,
00:53:30.14\00:53:32.37
communicate in this style.
00:53:32.41\00:53:34.01
Does that make sense?
00:53:34.04\00:53:35.38
So when he says,
Our Father in heaven,
00:53:35.41\00:53:38.31
hallowed be Your name.
00:53:38.35\00:53:39.81
He's saying this
is how you approach
00:53:39.85\00:53:41.32
He's not just God on the throne,
00:53:41.35\00:53:42.88
He's Your Father in heaven.
00:53:42.92\00:53:44.55
Address Him familiarly,
but still with reverence.
00:53:44.59\00:53:47.29
Amen?
00:53:47.32\00:53:49.56
That's that
hallowed be Your name,
00:53:49.59\00:53:51.29
recognize the character
00:53:51.33\00:53:52.66
of the one to
whom you're addressing
00:53:52.69\00:53:54.03
and remember to
reverence His name.
00:53:54.06\00:53:57.73
So after you
address Him as your Father
00:53:57.77\00:54:01.07
and you recognize His
character of love and justice.
00:54:01.10\00:54:05.94
Your first appeal
should be your kingdom come,
00:54:05.97\00:54:09.21
Your will be done.
00:54:09.24\00:54:12.45
And then it
specifies how we should expect
00:54:12.48\00:54:15.48
that will to be accomplished.
00:54:15.52\00:54:17.65
It should be done on
earth, as it is in heaven.
00:54:17.69\00:54:23.56
Friends, we just spent
the better part of an hour
00:54:23.59\00:54:25.76
looking at the biblical
basis for how heaven operates,
00:54:25.79\00:54:29.96
how God's system
of governance runs.
00:54:30.00\00:54:33.67
And we recognize
that there is structure
00:54:33.70\00:54:36.50
that there's a hierarchy,
there's a chain of command,
00:54:36.54\00:54:39.64
and then when God says,
00:54:39.67\00:54:41.01
'Go,' He doesn't come Himself
00:54:41.04\00:54:42.38
but He sends the
angel messengers,
00:54:42.41\00:54:44.21
He sends His agents,
00:54:44.25\00:54:45.68
He sends His
people to do His bidding.
00:54:45.71\00:54:50.45
So when we pray
Your will be done,
00:54:50.49\00:54:54.62
we should want the
earth to operate like heaven.
00:54:54.66\00:54:57.46
In the Desire of Ages, page 297,
00:55:05.40\00:55:10.17
we find these powerful words
00:55:10.21\00:55:13.27
as we come to our close today.
00:55:13.31\00:55:14.64
"With almost
impatient eagerness..."
00:55:23.45\00:55:27.86
That's interesting.
00:55:27.89\00:55:29.22
It's not impatient.
00:55:29.26\00:55:31.63
Angels don't sin, but
they're almost impatient.
00:55:31.66\00:55:37.23
"With almost impatient
eagerness the angels wait
00:55:37.27\00:55:41.57
for our co-operation,
00:55:41.60\00:55:44.91
for man must be the channel
00:55:44.94\00:55:48.54
to communicate with man.
00:55:48.58\00:55:51.08
When we give ourselves
00:55:51.11\00:55:52.45
to Christ in
whole-hearted devotion,
00:55:52.48\00:55:54.25
angels rejoice
that we may speak,
00:55:54.28\00:55:58.62
that they may speak
00:55:58.65\00:55:59.99
through our voices
to reveal God's love."
00:56:00.02\00:56:04.96
And so let me
tell you something.
00:56:04.99\00:56:08.06
The Seventh-day Adventist Church
00:56:08.10\00:56:09.66
has been raised up
by God not to be just
00:56:09.70\00:56:11.97
another denomination,
00:56:12.00\00:56:13.34
but to be a movement to finish
the work in this generation.
00:56:13.37\00:56:18.21
We have a message,
00:56:18.24\00:56:19.71
we have the
three angels' messages,
00:56:19.74\00:56:21.41
but you know what we lack?
00:56:21.44\00:56:23.51
Are the three angels messengers?
00:56:23.55\00:56:27.72
God has a message
that He wants to give
00:56:27.75\00:56:30.32
to the world and
He wants to use angels
00:56:30.35\00:56:32.39
but He said, wait, wait,
00:56:32.42\00:56:33.76
I'm not gonna let the angels go,
00:56:33.79\00:56:35.12
now we need man to
co-operate with the angels.
00:56:35.16\00:56:37.43
Now I want to use you just as
the angels are used in heaven.
00:56:37.46\00:56:41.26
We need man's
co-operation on earth.
00:56:41.30\00:56:42.90
We want the Father's
will to be done on earth
00:56:42.93\00:56:45.47
as it is in heaven.
00:56:45.50\00:56:47.47
As we go through
the rest of the series,
00:56:51.57\00:56:53.17
we're gonna be taking
a look at what it means
00:56:53.21\00:56:55.21
to do God's work on earth
the way it is done in heaven.
00:56:55.24\00:57:00.25
That if God has His ministering
spirits sent forth to minister
00:57:00.28\00:57:03.72
for those who
will inherit salvation
00:57:03.75\00:57:05.29
in the courts of heaven,
00:57:05.32\00:57:06.65
He needs ministering
spirits down here as well.
00:57:06.69\00:57:09.69
God's looking for
three angels' messengers,
00:57:09.72\00:57:12.03
and He's calling
each one to play our part.
00:57:12.06\00:57:14.86
Let's bow our heads
for a word of prayer.
00:57:14.90\00:57:16.23
Heavenly Father, we
want to thank You so much
00:57:16.26\00:57:17.90
today that You give us
not only the great joy,
00:57:17.93\00:57:23.94
but the responsibility of
being co-laborers with You.
00:57:23.97\00:57:29.54
Lord, help us to
study more deeply,
00:57:29.58\00:57:31.48
not only the
message You have to give,
00:57:31.51\00:57:34.25
but the method You
want to use in giving
00:57:34.28\00:57:38.35
that warning to the world.
00:57:38.39\00:57:40.26
We know that You have raised
up the Seventh-day Adventist
00:57:40.29\00:57:43.02
movement at this
time in earth's history
00:57:43.06\00:57:45.73
to give that gospel message
00:57:45.76\00:57:47.20
to the world and
then the end will come.
00:57:47.23\00:57:51.63
But, Lord, help us not to be
00:57:51.67\00:57:53.00
merely satisfied being watchers,
00:57:53.03\00:57:54.60
but help us to be
workers in Your cause.
00:57:54.64\00:57:57.54
Forgive us if we've
been merely mission members
00:57:57.57\00:58:00.51
of a church instead of
missionaries of the gospel.
00:58:00.54\00:58:04.08
Lord, transform us
into ministering spirits
00:58:04.11\00:58:07.42
so that Your will may be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
00:58:07.45\00:58:11.45
For we pray it in Jesus' name.
00:58:11.49\00:58:13.25
Amen.
00:58:13.29\00:58:14.62