Earlier this week, when I...
00:00:31.46\00:00:35.46
When people found out
about my sermon title,
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they said, "Are you serious?"
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I said, "Yeah, I'm serious."
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They said, "Is that
really your sermon title?"
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"Yeah, it is."
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And even on Facebook,
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it received quite
a bit of responses,
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I didn't put it there.
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But in this...
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politically-charged generation
that we have found ourselves...
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there's something we
can learn from everything.
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So this morning,
before I get into the sermon,
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I would like to
invite you to stand with me
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and we're going to read
the scripture reading together
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so that you can reset.
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Some of you have
been all comfortable
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and you look all
tired and ready to settle in
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for a long winter's nap,
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and winter's not even here yet.
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Now the blood is flowing.
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And I like us read
together this scripture
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that is on the screen,
after which I will pray,
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and then we would
enter the Word of God.
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Let's read together,
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"Then they said to one another,
'We are not doing right.
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This day is a day of good
news, and we remain silent.
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If we wait until morning light,
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some punishment
will come upon us.
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Now therefore, come, let us go
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and tell the king's household.'"
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Father in heaven,
as we open Your Word,
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we pray that You
will open our hearts
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and speak to us today
in this day of good news,
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in Jesus name I pray.
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Amen.
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You may be seated.
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We live undeniably
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in one of the most
politically charged climates
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in US history.
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And this hasn't just started
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under this
recent administration.
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You go back about
three administrations
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you find that there was a
trend building in America...
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where religion...
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in an inadvertent way
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had become a litmus
test for whoever would occupy
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the office of
president in the United States.
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And to some
degree, whenever we decide
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to veer away from
God's prescription
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and begin to lean
on man's prescription,
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we tend to inevitably
begin to receive the results
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of entering into something
that God never intended
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for this nation to experience.
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What I've been praying for,
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and I'm sure
that many of you have,
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is that we will not forget
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that this nation
is not our final home,
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but heaven is our final home.
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Amen.
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And regardless
of your affiliation,
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it is an undeniable fact
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that we are in a politically
unstable environment.
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The reasons for our
political instability
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vary depending on who you ask.
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But when you hear
children running around
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with the phrase fake news
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tumbling from their lips,
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and then seeing controversy
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between brother and
brother, or sister and brother,
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or sister and sister
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because of what's happening
in the political arena,
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I must say we are losing focus
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when earthly
things gain more attention
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than our heavenly calling.
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Even now many of you
are holding your breath
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and wondering where
this message is going to go.
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And so let me calm you
from the very beginning
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to say that this sermon
will be anything but political,
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but, as Pastor CA
knows, for a preacher
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whose mind is
guided by the Word of God,
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we can glean a
lesson from anything
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that society allows
us to be exposed to.
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If this is going
to be a monologue,
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a soliloquy, if I
could use that word,
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revealing Satan's attempt
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to distract us from
the good news of the hour,
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which is the gospel
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of the
salvation of Jesus Christ.
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The church..
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in these last days
regardless of denomination,
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evangelical or Catholic
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or protestant or non-protestant,
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the church has become
so infected and distracted
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that we have become
more enemies of each other
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than enemies of Satan.
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And politics
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has played a major
role in influencing us both
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in our church and
in our daily lives.
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And so let me make it very clear
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from the very beginning,
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this message will also
make it abundantly clear...
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You know, they say to preachers,
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"State what you're going to say.
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Say it, and then
state what you just said."
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I don't want you
to miss the message.
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This message will
make it abundantly clear
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that if the good
news of the gospel
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has not positively
affected the way we live,
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then our lives
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is an
advertisement for fake news.
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I believe that still today,
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the good news is
still the good news.
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Can you say amen? Amen.
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But the world
needs a demonstration,
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and the world
cannot look at Washington,
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and it cannot look at the news,
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it cannot look at
CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS,
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MSNBC, or Fox to
find the good news,
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we've got to look
to the Word of God
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where the good news
is always the good news.
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In this day and age,
00:07:03.62\00:07:05.29
the drama that
is being played out
00:07:05.32\00:07:06.65
on a global scale
is no surprise to God.
00:07:06.69\00:07:10.16
God knows the end
from the beginning.
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Look at the words of Isaiah
the Prophet in Isaiah 46:9-10,
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look at what he says.
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What we are today in America,
where we are today in America,
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where we are in the world
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is no surprise to
the God that we serve.
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Isaiah the
Prophet says these words,
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he says, "Remember
the former things of old,
00:07:27.54\00:07:29.91
for I am God, and
there is no other.
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I am God and
there is none like Me,"
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and then verse 10,
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"Declaring the end
from the beginning,
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and from ancient times
things that are not yet done,
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saying, 'My counsel shall stand,
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and I will do all My pleasure.'"
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Let me begin by
saying this morning,
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God's plans will
never be defeated,
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will never be
postponed by anything
00:08:00.21\00:08:02.98
that happens on planet earth.
00:08:03.01\00:08:05.58
Amen.
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The prophecies of God are coming
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to pass as He said they would.
00:08:08.35\00:08:11.09
The climate is being developed
as He said it would be.
00:08:11.12\00:08:15.02
The United States
is playing its role,
00:08:15.06\00:08:16.69
the Vatican is playing its role,
00:08:16.73\00:08:18.19
politics is playing
its role, and if you think
00:08:18.23\00:08:22.23
that Korean leader Kim Jong-un
00:08:22.26\00:08:25.20
or Russian
President Vladimir Putin
00:08:25.23\00:08:27.84
or ISIS or the LGBT
agenda or the US presidency
00:08:27.87\00:08:32.77
or any major concern to God,
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you are missing the big picture.
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God is still in charge.
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Amen somebody? Amen.
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And if you've been
around long enough,
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like I'm
beginning to admit I have,
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you know that the
climate of our world changes
00:08:48.62\00:08:51.19
from political
leader to political leader,
00:08:51.23\00:08:54.86
but I want to say this morning,
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but the God we
serve never changes.
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Amen.
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The writer of Hebrews said,
00:09:01.50\00:09:02.84
"Jesus Christ is the
same yesterday, today,"
00:09:02.87\00:09:07.58
and what else?
00:09:07.61\00:09:09.04
"And forever."
00:09:09.08\00:09:10.41
So it behooves us
00:09:10.45\00:09:12.88
in this
politically charged climate
00:09:12.91\00:09:16.85
to not allow fake news
00:09:16.89\00:09:22.09
to postpone us
00:09:22.12\00:09:23.49
proclaiming good news
and reflecting good news.
00:09:23.53\00:09:27.00
So the second
thing that this message
00:09:27.03\00:09:28.50
is going to be is an attempt
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to break our
fixation on fake news.
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The worst thing to do
when Jesus is trying to show us
00:09:37.01\00:09:40.04
how this great
controversy is going to play out
00:09:40.08\00:09:43.81
is to be a
people that are talking
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above His voice
00:09:45.38\00:09:47.38
and choosing to sleep at a time
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when we each
need to be wide awake.
00:09:49.15\00:09:52.52
The Apostle Paul
says, "Knowing the time,
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that now it is high time
that we awake out of our sleep.
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For now our salvation is nearer
than when we first believed."
00:09:57.69\00:10:01.10
2017 brings us that much
closer to the coming of Jesus.
00:10:01.13\00:10:05.63
Amen.
00:10:05.67\00:10:08.80
But what I love
about Jesus is this,
00:10:08.84\00:10:11.01
when we serve Him,
we don't have to wait
00:10:11.04\00:10:13.48
and guess what happens next.
00:10:13.51\00:10:15.34
Amos 3:7 speaks of
this about our Lord,
00:10:15.38\00:10:18.61
and the prophet says,
00:10:18.65\00:10:19.98
"Surely" what
word did I just say?
00:10:20.02\00:10:22.38
"Surely the
Lord God does nothing
00:10:22.42\00:10:24.85
unless He reveals His secrets
to His servants the prophets."
00:10:24.89\00:10:28.76
Amos 3:7, and then John 13:19,
this is the words of Jesus,
00:10:28.79\00:10:33.46
here's what He says to us,
00:10:33.50\00:10:37.10
"Now I tell you
before it comes,"
00:10:37.13\00:10:40.80
when, church?
00:10:40.84\00:10:42.30
"Before it comes, that
when it does come to pass,
00:10:42.34\00:10:46.21
you may believe that I am He,"
you may believe that I am He.
00:10:46.24\00:10:51.45
When we are
tuned into God's Word,
00:10:51.48\00:10:53.21
when we study prophecy,
00:10:53.25\00:10:55.25
when we are furnishing our minds
00:10:55.28\00:10:56.89
with the information
that we need every day...
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And by the way, it's
not just information.
00:10:58.75\00:11:00.49
Let me make it very clear,
00:11:00.52\00:11:01.86
it is God writing His
love letter to us every day.
00:11:01.89\00:11:06.33
If He has taken the time
to preserve this letter...
00:11:06.36\00:11:08.86
I've heard of the
phrase or the word heirlooms,
00:11:08.90\00:11:11.23
anybody know
what an heirloom is?
00:11:11.27\00:11:12.97
Something passed on
00:11:13.00\00:11:14.34
from generation to
generation to generation,
00:11:14.37\00:11:16.10
and we tend to take a
very respectful approach
00:11:16.14\00:11:18.44
to an heirloom because we say
00:11:18.47\00:11:19.91
this belonged to my grandmother,
00:11:19.94\00:11:22.08
and to her
mother, and to her mother
00:11:22.11\00:11:24.48
or to my father, and his father,
00:11:24.51\00:11:26.45
and has gone
back many generations,
00:11:26.48\00:11:28.08
and when people look it,
00:11:28.12\00:11:29.45
"Don't touch it.
It is very delicate.
00:11:29.48\00:11:30.82
It's very, very, very valuable.
00:11:30.85\00:11:32.95
It holds a lot of
sentimental value to me."
00:11:32.99\00:11:37.56
But think about God's
Word, how many generations
00:11:37.59\00:11:40.73
God has preserved His
Word for us to read it today.
00:11:40.76\00:11:45.73
God's Word is more
valuable than any heirloom
00:11:45.77\00:11:48.80
that can be passed down
from generation to generation.
00:11:48.84\00:11:52.07
Therefore, it requires of
us to handle it delicately,
00:11:52.11\00:11:56.98
and to trust it, and
to apply to our lives
00:11:57.01\00:12:00.32
because this movie
called The Great Controversy,
00:12:00.35\00:12:06.42
this longest running
saga is soon, one day,
00:12:06.45\00:12:11.93
to come to a close,
00:12:11.96\00:12:13.40
and I am excited
about the end of sin.
00:12:13.43\00:12:16.50
What do you say?
00:12:16.53\00:12:20.67
Let's go ahead
and set the climate
00:12:20.70\00:12:23.81
for the sermon.
00:12:23.84\00:12:26.74
In Isaiah 14:13,
00:12:26.78\00:12:30.25
this great
controversy sets the scene
00:12:30.28\00:12:32.88
following the opening credits.
00:12:32.91\00:12:36.15
These vein-popping sentiments
00:12:36.18\00:12:37.82
of the main
character are revealed to us
00:12:37.85\00:12:41.22
by Isaiah the Prophet
00:12:41.26\00:12:42.82
set against the dark cinematic
background of rebellion,
00:12:42.86\00:12:46.06
and we read the
following manifesto
00:12:46.09\00:12:49.40
of an angel gone rogue.
00:12:49.43\00:12:52.90
Isaiah says,
speaking of Lucifer,
00:12:52.93\00:12:56.87
"For you have
said in your heart,"
00:12:56.91\00:13:00.14
what did he say,
let's read this together,
00:13:00.18\00:13:01.88
"I will," what?
00:13:01.91\00:13:03.24
"Ascend into heaven,
00:13:03.28\00:13:04.85
I will exalt my throne
above the stars of God,
00:13:04.88\00:13:10.52
I will also sit on the
mount of the congregation
00:13:10.55\00:13:14.02
on the farthest
sides of the north,
00:13:14.06\00:13:16.49
I will ascend above the heights
of the clouds, I will," what?
00:13:16.52\00:13:20.80
"Be like the Most High."
00:13:20.83\00:13:23.26
When I began to
study for this message,
00:13:23.30\00:13:26.40
and the sermon title
came to me earlier this week,
00:13:26.43\00:13:29.10
but when I began to
study for the message,
00:13:29.14\00:13:31.01
I thought, "Lord, well,
00:13:31.04\00:13:32.37
how can I get
the clearest picture
00:13:32.41\00:13:34.31
of how the great controversy
is unfolding before me?"
00:13:34.34\00:13:37.95
Now somebody would say,
"Read The Great Controversy."
00:13:37.98\00:13:39.91
And that's a big book.
00:13:39.95\00:13:41.52
And I've done that before,
00:13:41.55\00:13:42.88
but how can I get the
most condensed version,
00:13:42.92\00:13:44.92
and the Lord led me to a book
called Darkness Before Dawn,
00:13:44.95\00:13:49.79
one of Ellen White's,
00:13:49.82\00:13:52.56
praise the Lord
for her insights...
00:13:52.59\00:13:54.63
where she unfolds the blueprint
00:14:00.07\00:14:05.07
from in heaven
00:14:05.11\00:14:07.81
to the great
controversy extending to earth,
00:14:07.84\00:14:10.68
from the Garden of Eden through
the time of the antediluvians,
00:14:10.71\00:14:15.68
to the call of Abraham,
to the call of the prophets,
00:14:15.72\00:14:19.52
to the call of the disciples,
00:14:19.55\00:14:22.16
to the development of
a New Testament church,
00:14:22.19\00:14:23.93
to the Dark Age, she has
shown through inspiration,
00:14:23.96\00:14:27.60
and I praise God for the way
00:14:27.63\00:14:29.23
that the Lord has
given her this message,
00:14:29.26\00:14:32.50
she has shown
through inspiration
00:14:32.53\00:14:34.77
the many ways that Satan
has sought to defeat the church
00:14:34.80\00:14:39.44
from proclaiming the good news.
00:14:39.47\00:14:43.14
And she starts
by unfolding to us
00:14:43.18\00:14:45.98
how it began in heaven.
00:14:46.01\00:14:48.32
You see, when Satan
made the declaration that,
00:14:48.35\00:14:51.42
"I will ascend, I will exalt,
00:14:51.45\00:14:53.22
I will sit, I will
ascend, I will be like..."
00:14:53.25\00:14:56.59
she said he focused himself
00:14:56.62\00:15:00.00
in accomplishing
00:15:00.03\00:15:03.77
against the will of God
00:15:03.80\00:15:05.40
because the news
that was spread throughout
00:15:05.43\00:15:07.24
all the unfallen
worlds is that God is love.
00:15:07.27\00:15:10.47
Is that God is what?
00:15:10.51\00:15:12.14
That was the good news.
00:15:12.17\00:15:13.78
But Satan asserted
that God is not love,
00:15:13.81\00:15:15.81
that God is
exacting, God is mean,
00:15:15.84\00:15:18.28
God is
vindictive, God is not just.
00:15:18.31\00:15:21.15
And so from the very beginning,
00:15:21.18\00:15:23.05
this rogue angel called
Lucifer, now known as Satan...
00:15:23.08\00:15:26.45
he began to
advance the assertion
00:15:29.49\00:15:32.39
that although
God said He is love,
00:15:32.43\00:15:34.96
the good news,
He's not really love,
00:15:35.00\00:15:37.57
and you know the story.
00:15:37.60\00:15:38.93
But Ellen White says
in Darkness Before Dawn,
00:15:38.97\00:15:41.00
speaking of his mindset,
she says, after he grabbed on
00:15:41.04\00:15:45.27
to the goal of
distorting the news
00:15:45.31\00:15:48.34
about the character of God,
00:15:48.38\00:15:50.08
she says in
Darkness Before Dawn,
00:15:50.11\00:15:52.75
page 2 and paragraph 3,
00:15:52.78\00:15:54.18
she says, this is powerful,
00:15:54.22\00:15:56.99
"All the powers
of his mastermind
00:15:57.02\00:16:00.86
were now bent to
the work of deception,
00:16:00.89\00:16:04.79
to secure the
sympathy of the angels
00:16:04.83\00:16:09.53
that had been
under his command."
00:16:09.56\00:16:13.44
To begin to lay the foundation,
he began to amass an army,
00:16:13.47\00:16:18.41
and he began with those angels
that were under his command.
00:16:18.44\00:16:21.88
He began to influence
them by saying to them
00:16:21.91\00:16:24.51
that what God has said
is not really what God is,
00:16:24.55\00:16:28.28
what God has revealed
00:16:28.32\00:16:29.65
is not really the
truth about God's character,
00:16:29.68\00:16:31.49
the very same thing he
did in the Garden of Eden,
00:16:31.52\00:16:33.69
has God said...
00:16:33.72\00:16:35.56
He asserted the
idea that the good news
00:16:35.59\00:16:38.09
about God is
not really good news
00:16:38.13\00:16:40.20
but if you just
simply listen to me,
00:16:40.23\00:16:43.30
I've got more information
about what the news really is.
00:16:43.33\00:16:46.30
And so he sought to amass
00:16:46.33\00:16:49.94
a proclamation
that slowly but surely
00:16:49.97\00:16:52.71
began to infect
the minds of those
00:16:52.74\00:16:57.45
that were under his command.
00:16:57.48\00:17:01.88
She goes on to say
00:17:01.92\00:17:05.89
the way he did it...
00:17:05.92\00:17:07.32
Listen carefully, this
morning you'll be listening
00:17:07.36\00:17:09.96
more than you'll be saying amen.
00:17:09.99\00:17:12.39
Satan had represented
that he was wrongly judged
00:17:12.43\00:17:17.67
and that his
position was not respected,
00:17:17.70\00:17:19.97
and that his
liberty was to be a bridge.
00:17:20.00\00:17:22.07
In other words,
00:17:22.10\00:17:23.54
in other words,
00:17:23.57\00:17:24.94
"Because I've
been falsely accused
00:17:24.97\00:17:27.01
and my position disrespected,
00:17:27.04\00:17:28.74
my freedom has been limited,"
00:17:28.78\00:17:30.41
I want to say this morning,
00:17:30.45\00:17:31.78
this is something I
want to say amen about,
00:17:31.81\00:17:33.15
I am so glad that God
limits Satan's activity
00:17:33.18\00:17:37.59
because if He
didn't, we wouldn't be here.
00:17:37.62\00:17:40.12
We wouldn't be alive,
00:17:40.16\00:17:41.49
we wouldn't make
it to church alive,
00:17:41.52\00:17:42.86
we wouldn't make it
through the day alive.
00:17:42.89\00:17:44.73
If God did not have restraints
00:17:44.76\00:17:47.20
on Satan's
ability and his desires,
00:17:47.23\00:17:49.30
we would not make
it through the day.
00:17:49.33\00:17:52.03
But seeing and understanding
the heart of this rogue angel,
00:17:52.07\00:17:54.97
God began to
place limits on him.
00:17:55.00\00:17:57.21
And Satan began to
poison the minds of the angels
00:17:57.24\00:18:00.08
by saying to them,
"I've been falsely accused,
00:18:00.11\00:18:03.28
my position has
been disrespected,
00:18:03.31\00:18:05.15
therefore my freedom
is being limited by God."
00:18:05.18\00:18:09.22
But what he did not know
00:18:09.25\00:18:10.72
is that the sketchings
of his success would become
00:18:10.75\00:18:13.39
the design of his demise.
00:18:13.42\00:18:16.36
He thought he had
the mind above God,
00:18:16.39\00:18:18.06
but I want to
praise the Lord today
00:18:18.09\00:18:19.53
that there is no mind
greater than the mind of God.
00:18:19.56\00:18:24.77
But bear with me this morning
as I continue to reveal to you
00:18:24.80\00:18:28.14
as God gave
inspiration to this dear saint
00:18:28.17\00:18:34.18
as she unfolded so cleverly
00:18:34.21\00:18:36.51
the way that Satan was
able to weave the thought
00:18:36.54\00:18:40.85
that the good news
is really fake news.
00:18:40.88\00:18:45.12
She says continuing
in Darkness Before Dawn,
00:18:45.15\00:18:47.22
the same page, paragraph three,
page two, paragraph three,
00:18:47.26\00:18:50.66
she said,
00:18:50.69\00:18:52.59
"He sought also
to make a false issue
00:18:52.63\00:18:55.80
between himself
and the loyal angels."
00:18:55.83\00:18:59.37
In other words, those
angels that were loyal to God,
00:18:59.40\00:19:04.57
he began to create a
tension between Him and them
00:19:04.61\00:19:07.91
because of their loyalty to God.
00:19:07.94\00:19:09.91
And she goes on by saying,
00:19:09.94\00:19:11.95
"All that he could not undermine
00:19:11.98\00:19:14.18
and bring fully to his
side, he accused of indifference
00:19:14.22\00:19:18.92
to the interests
of heavenly beings."
00:19:18.95\00:19:21.62
In other words, he says,
00:19:21.66\00:19:22.99
"By not following my assertions,
00:19:23.02\00:19:25.36
then you're really not concerned
00:19:25.39\00:19:26.73
about the
well-being of all of us.
00:19:26.76\00:19:29.00
If you follow my assertions,
00:19:29.03\00:19:30.60
then my plan would become
00:19:30.63\00:19:32.83
more important than God's plan."
00:19:32.87\00:19:35.54
But she goes on to say,
00:19:39.51\00:19:41.51
"The very work which
he himself was doing,
00:19:41.54\00:19:44.78
he charged upon those
who remained true to God.
00:19:44.81\00:19:48.75
And to sustain his charge
of God's injustice toward him,
00:19:48.78\00:19:53.32
he resorted to misrepresentation
00:19:53.36\00:19:55.82
of the words and
acts of the Creator."
00:19:55.86\00:20:00.76
Follow me carefully
00:20:00.80\00:20:03.67
because when you get
00:20:03.70\00:20:06.00
the picture as it
is being unfolded to us
00:20:06.03\00:20:09.60
about how artful Satan is,
00:20:09.64\00:20:13.07
you will see even more
00:20:13.11\00:20:14.84
the need for there
to be unity among us,
00:20:14.88\00:20:19.35
because if he can
get us to be ununified,
00:20:19.38\00:20:24.32
if he can get us to
be divided on issues
00:20:24.35\00:20:26.86
that do not amount to eternity,
00:20:26.89\00:20:29.56
he can bring into us
00:20:29.59\00:20:32.19
an atmosphere of
division that is,
00:20:32.23\00:20:34.53
in fact, welcomed...
00:20:34.56\00:20:36.26
rather than denounced.
00:20:40.97\00:20:44.41
What God's
people need to be today
00:20:44.44\00:20:46.54
more than ever before
00:20:46.57\00:20:47.98
is we need to be
a people of unity.
00:20:48.01\00:20:51.05
Amen.
00:20:51.08\00:20:53.52
But we will never
be a people of unity
00:20:53.55\00:20:54.92
if we're focusing on politics,
00:20:54.95\00:20:56.95
but we will be a people of unity
00:20:56.99\00:20:58.32
if we're
focusing on spirituality.
00:20:58.35\00:20:59.89
Come on, say amen, somebody?
00:20:59.92\00:21:01.62
We will be a people of unity
00:21:01.66\00:21:03.56
if we're focusing
on lifting up Christ,
00:21:03.59\00:21:06.03
if we're focusing
on presenting the news
00:21:06.06\00:21:07.76
to those who are in darkness.
00:21:07.80\00:21:09.36
There are people all around us.
00:21:09.40\00:21:11.30
We don't have to
go to Carbondale.
00:21:11.33\00:21:12.93
We've got thousands of
books left, if somebody...
00:21:12.97\00:21:16.40
If you guys said,
"After fellowship lunch,
00:21:16.44\00:21:18.71
next Sabbath, Donald, Janelle,
00:21:18.74\00:21:20.38
we're going to
go to Thompsonville
00:21:20.41\00:21:22.64
and we're going to
saturate Thompsonville
00:21:22.68\00:21:24.75
with material for
the kingdom of God."
00:21:24.78\00:21:26.75
Do you know that
00:21:26.78\00:21:28.12
Satan's kingdom
will be pushed back
00:21:28.15\00:21:30.45
and the light of God will grow
00:21:30.49\00:21:31.82
brighter and brighter
even in this local community?
00:21:31.85\00:21:34.52
Amen.
00:21:34.56\00:21:36.22
Pastor CA was out there,
I think Abel was out there,
00:21:36.26\00:21:40.40
Donald, Janelle was out
there, Marlena was out there,
00:21:40.43\00:21:43.83
my wife and I were out there.
00:21:43.87\00:21:45.67
When I got to Carbondale,
00:21:45.70\00:21:47.04
I got so excited when I
walked into SIU Stadium,
00:21:47.07\00:21:49.84
saw all these people
walking around and I thought,
00:21:49.87\00:21:51.47
"Lord, how can I get
these books to these people?
00:21:51.51\00:21:54.31
What can I do to get
it into their hands?"
00:21:54.34\00:21:55.94
And I start getting
excited about it, and I said,
00:21:55.98\00:21:57.81
"You know,
00:21:57.85\00:21:59.18
okay, Lord, give me
a different statement
00:21:59.21\00:22:00.62
other than would
you like a book."
00:22:00.65\00:22:03.89
"Would you like a book?"
00:22:03.92\00:22:05.25
"Nah."
00:22:05.29\00:22:06.62
"Would you like a book?"
00:22:06.65\00:22:07.99
"What's it about?"
"Would you like a book?"
00:22:08.02\00:22:09.62
So the Lord said,
00:22:09.66\00:22:10.99
"John, that
approaches does not work."
00:22:11.03\00:22:13.86
So I said, "Okay,
Lord, what should I do?"
00:22:13.90\00:22:15.43
And the Lord gave me
this, the Lord gave me this,
00:22:15.46\00:22:17.63
Nancy, the Lord
gave me this approach,
00:22:17.67\00:22:19.23
He said...
00:22:19.27\00:22:20.97
And so I walked up,
00:22:21.00\00:22:22.47
they had a presentation
on science, and astronomy,
00:22:22.50\00:22:26.41
and all the other things
00:22:26.44\00:22:27.78
that were part of
the whole weekend.
00:22:27.81\00:22:29.54
And as soon as it was done
00:22:29.58\00:22:30.95
there in the SIU
basketball arena,
00:22:30.98\00:22:32.88
people began to
file out of the stands
00:22:32.91\00:22:35.18
like water pouring down
from a cascading waterfall.
00:22:35.22\00:22:39.12
I mean, people.
00:22:39.15\00:22:41.69
And I said, "Honey,
give me your bag of books."
00:22:41.72\00:22:43.99
And I went to the end
of the steps, and I said,
00:22:44.03\00:22:46.70
"Did you get your free
gift for attending this event?
00:22:46.73\00:22:48.60
Did you get your free
gift for attending this event?
00:22:48.63\00:22:50.20
Did you get your free gift?
00:22:50.23\00:22:51.60
Did you get your free
gift for attending the event?
00:22:51.63\00:22:53.13
Did you get yours?"
00:22:53.17\00:22:54.67
You know, when you say free gift
00:22:54.70\00:22:56.04
for attending an
event, everybody wants one.
00:22:56.07\00:22:57.97
Amen somebody?
00:22:58.01\00:22:59.61
And I finished my bag, I
said, "Honey, give me your bag.
00:22:59.64\00:23:01.94
And, Marlena, where
can I get more books?
00:23:01.98\00:23:03.35
Give me your bag."
00:23:03.38\00:23:04.71
And Marlena said,
"Pastor is on fire."
00:23:04.75\00:23:08.55
And all of a sudden,
00:23:08.58\00:23:09.92
I got excited
about being out there
00:23:09.95\00:23:11.52
because when I went out there...
00:23:11.55\00:23:12.89
I'd be very honest with you.
00:23:12.92\00:23:14.36
The devil has a way of making us
00:23:14.39\00:23:16.06
more afraid of people
than more in love with Jesus.
00:23:16.09\00:23:21.23
But that spirit is not from God.
00:23:21.26\00:23:22.63
God has not given
us the spirit of fear.
00:23:22.66\00:23:24.77
But if you go out there, knowing
00:23:24.80\00:23:26.17
that what you have in your hand
00:23:26.20\00:23:27.84
is the seed of
eternal life for somebody
00:23:27.87\00:23:30.87
who is exposed to it.
00:23:30.91\00:23:33.41
But somebody tried
to get smart on me.
00:23:33.44\00:23:36.24
They said, "Okay," I
said, "Have you seen the book?
00:23:36.28\00:23:37.98
Have you seen the movie
00:23:38.01\00:23:39.35
Hacksaw Ridge
produced by Mel Gibson?
00:23:39.38\00:23:40.85
A powerful story."
00:23:40.88\00:23:42.22
He said, "Okay, but why
are you giving out the books?"
00:23:42.25\00:23:46.55
And my response was...
00:23:46.59\00:23:47.92
he wasn't going to
pull me into that one,
00:23:47.96\00:23:49.42
I said, "A good
story is a good story.
00:23:49.46\00:23:51.99
That's why I'm giving it out."
00:23:52.03\00:23:55.20
He said, "All right, I want one.
00:23:55.23\00:23:56.93
Give me another one
for somebody I might meet."
00:23:56.97\00:24:00.74
And when I left Carbondale,
00:24:00.77\00:24:04.44
I said, "Lord..."
00:24:04.47\00:24:06.31
Praise God that we
got people at Moonstock,
00:24:06.34\00:24:10.35
we got people in Carbondale,
00:24:10.38\00:24:12.41
we have people in
this place and that place,
00:24:12.45\00:24:16.05
and the people of God,
00:24:16.08\00:24:18.92
if the people of God
00:24:18.95\00:24:23.22
would draw near to God,
00:24:23.26\00:24:25.33
God will draw near to us.
00:24:25.36\00:24:27.50
If we would resist the devil
00:24:27.53\00:24:29.53
even in politics..."
00:24:29.56\00:24:35.60
Can I get an amen? Amen.
00:24:35.64\00:24:37.31
"Even in politics, if
we would resist the devil,
00:24:37.34\00:24:42.98
and resist
darkness, and resist politics,
00:24:43.01\00:24:47.68
if we would get excited about
spirituality and about Jesus,
00:24:47.72\00:24:52.22
there would be
nothing to stop us
00:24:52.25\00:24:53.99
'cause, you know
what, the Bible says,
00:24:54.02\00:24:55.36
"When you taste it for
yourself and it's good,
00:24:55.39\00:24:57.49
you taste and see
that the Lord is good,
00:24:57.53\00:24:58.99
you want somebody
else to taste it too."
00:24:59.03\00:25:00.96
Amen. Amen.
00:25:01.00\00:25:03.37
But this...
00:25:03.40\00:25:06.80
I don't know if you got it yet,
00:25:06.84\00:25:09.40
I'm sick of politics.
00:25:09.44\00:25:13.04
I don't care who
the former president was
00:25:13.07\00:25:15.88
and who the next
president's going to be,
00:25:15.91\00:25:18.11
I got my mind set on Jesus,
00:25:18.15\00:25:20.65
not the White
House but the right house
00:25:20.68\00:25:24.19
'cause nobody's
going to vote Him out,
00:25:24.22\00:25:27.62
and nobody is
going to prevent Him
00:25:27.66\00:25:30.49
from doing all His pleasure.
00:25:30.53\00:25:36.36
But this arch
enemy called Lucifer
00:25:36.40\00:25:40.87
kicked out of
heaven, renamed Satan,
00:25:40.90\00:25:43.04
that serpent of old
called the devil, and Satan,
00:25:43.07\00:25:46.47
his aim from the very
beginning is to misrepresent,
00:25:46.51\00:25:50.95
and to thwart, and to skew
00:25:50.98\00:25:55.25
the beauty of the
gospel so much so,
00:25:55.28\00:25:58.95
so much so...
00:25:58.99\00:26:00.79
that it is not
only not heard from us
00:26:05.96\00:26:10.73
but it's not even
seen in the way we live.
00:26:10.77\00:26:13.87
If Satan could deceive
00:26:27.08\00:26:29.68
perfectly royal angels...
00:26:29.72\00:26:32.82
who had not known sin,
00:26:36.83\00:26:40.20
who are in the very
presence of Almighty God,
00:26:40.23\00:26:44.17
how much more do we need
00:26:44.20\00:26:46.97
to be in the
presence of God every day?
00:26:47.00\00:26:51.67
There's no safety for a moment
00:26:51.71\00:26:54.18
outside of the presence of God.
00:26:54.21\00:26:56.85
When Satan sought to destabilize
00:26:56.88\00:26:58.38
God's government,
00:26:58.41\00:26:59.78
he began to
establish new policies.
00:26:59.81\00:27:02.15
Listen, in the book
Darkness Before Dawn,
00:27:02.18\00:27:04.42
I was amazed how
God used His servants
00:27:04.45\00:27:09.16
to so clearly
delineate and articulate
00:27:09.19\00:27:11.99
the movements of the one
00:27:12.03\00:27:13.46
who is seeking to
prevent the gospel
00:27:13.50\00:27:15.03
from being
reflected in our lives.
00:27:15.06\00:27:17.30
And in just a moment,
00:27:17.33\00:27:18.67
we're going to flip
the script in a direction
00:27:18.70\00:27:20.07
that you're not seeing coming.
00:27:20.10\00:27:21.64
But follow me carefully
as I continue to unfold
00:27:21.67\00:27:24.67
how Satan works
00:27:24.71\00:27:26.68
to cause the good news
00:27:26.71\00:27:30.45
to be fake news.
00:27:30.48\00:27:33.15
You're going to
get so sick of hearing
00:27:33.18\00:27:34.78
the word fake news today,
00:27:34.82\00:27:37.35
you ain't going to
want to hear it anymore.
00:27:37.39\00:27:38.99
Amen somebody?
00:27:39.02\00:27:41.76
Darkness Before Dawn,
00:27:41.79\00:27:44.03
listen what Ellen
White says about Satan,
00:27:44.06\00:27:47.50
"It was his policy to
perplex or confuse the angels
00:27:47.53\00:27:52.60
with subtle arguments
concerning the purposes of God.
00:27:52.63\00:27:57.24
Everything that was simple,
00:27:57.27\00:27:59.17
he shrouded or
cloaked in mystery,
00:27:59.21\00:28:01.94
and by artful
perversion, he cast doubt
00:28:01.98\00:28:05.51
upon the very plainest
statements of Jehovah."
00:28:05.55\00:28:10.95
Now let's broaden that.
00:28:10.99\00:28:12.59
Let's broaden that for a moment.
00:28:12.62\00:28:14.59
We know the end of the result.
00:28:14.62\00:28:15.96
We know the result,
00:28:15.99\00:28:17.33
and then I'm going to
go to that in a moment,
00:28:17.36\00:28:18.69
but just think about that,
00:28:18.73\00:28:20.06
do you know that
that has been happening
00:28:20.10\00:28:21.43
in Christianity ever since
the inception of Christianity?
00:28:21.46\00:28:25.37
The truth of God's
Word has been perverted,
00:28:25.40\00:28:28.37
has been enshrouded in
mystery, has been perplexed
00:28:28.40\00:28:32.64
because the plainest,
00:28:32.67\00:28:34.04
simple teachings of
God's Word had been distorted
00:28:34.08\00:28:38.31
to accomplish the
intention of kings,
00:28:38.35\00:28:41.68
and leaders, and prelates,
and governors, and popes,
00:28:41.72\00:28:45.69
and people that have opposed
00:28:45.72\00:28:47.19
the advance of the
gospel in every age.
00:28:47.22\00:28:52.13
That's why even still today,
00:28:52.16\00:28:54.56
when you try to talk to
somebody about a doctrine
00:28:54.60\00:28:56.33
that they may not
hold in common with you,
00:28:56.36\00:28:58.57
immediately,
you're met with suspicion.
00:28:58.60\00:29:00.64
Have you ever
noticed that, Donna?
00:29:00.67\00:29:03.44
Almost immediately
people threw up their guards.
00:29:03.47\00:29:06.27
They ask, "What
church are you a member of?"
00:29:06.31\00:29:11.41
You know, I've been asking now
00:29:11.45\00:29:12.78
instead of what
church are you a member of,
00:29:12.81\00:29:14.32
why are you a
member of that church.
00:29:14.35\00:29:17.25
It's a different
question altogether.
00:29:17.29\00:29:19.25
"Why do you believe that?"
00:29:19.29\00:29:23.32
Whenever the truth of God's Word
00:29:23.36\00:29:24.69
is being labeled as
the reason for confusion,
00:29:24.73\00:29:27.73
Satan is behind it.
00:29:27.76\00:29:30.83
But the fact of the
matter is there's nothing wrong
00:29:30.87\00:29:32.73
with the Ten
Commandments of God.
00:29:32.77\00:29:34.10
What do you say?
Nothing wrong with it.
00:29:34.14\00:29:36.34
But when you have
churches, listen carefully,
00:29:36.37\00:29:38.31
when you have churches
that claim to be connected
00:29:38.34\00:29:41.54
to the good news,
00:29:41.58\00:29:43.58
teaching that the commandments
of God are done away with,
00:29:43.61\00:29:47.12
that's fake news.
00:29:47.15\00:29:49.98
But there are
millions of Christians today
00:29:50.02\00:29:52.39
that have embraced fake news.
00:29:52.42\00:29:54.59
There are some that even
teach the commandments of God.
00:29:54.62\00:29:56.39
Now get this,
00:29:56.42\00:29:57.76
if the commandments of
God are done away with,
00:29:57.79\00:30:00.06
nailed to the cross,
been taken out of the way,
00:30:00.10\00:30:02.53
then that church that
proclaims that message
00:30:02.56\00:30:05.03
has no reason to exist
00:30:05.07\00:30:09.14
because if there's
no law, there's no sin.
00:30:09.17\00:30:11.74
If there's no sin,
there's no need of a savior.
00:30:11.77\00:30:15.28
So why are you
proclaiming salvation
00:30:15.31\00:30:16.95
from something
that doesn't even exist?
00:30:16.98\00:30:19.65
It doesn't even make sense.
00:30:19.68\00:30:22.18
There's nothing
wrong with the immutability
00:30:22.22\00:30:24.25
of God's Ten Commandments.
00:30:24.29\00:30:25.62
In other words,
00:30:25.65\00:30:26.99
the unchangeable
nature of God's commandments
00:30:27.02\00:30:29.39
is founded upon the fact
00:30:29.42\00:30:31.16
that it is a revelation
of His very character.
00:30:31.19\00:30:35.70
Nothing wrong with it.
00:30:35.73\00:30:37.77
There's nothing
wrong with about...
00:30:37.80\00:30:39.13
There's nothing fake
about the Seventh-day Sabbath.
00:30:39.17\00:30:42.60
Amen, Adventists? Amen.
00:30:42.64\00:30:47.98
But almost all the
popular TV preachers,
00:30:48.01\00:30:51.11
when they get to
the Sabbath command,
00:30:51.15\00:30:52.88
they belittle it.
00:30:52.91\00:30:56.38
They minimize it.
00:30:56.42\00:30:58.52
And then they claim to be
00:30:58.55\00:30:59.89
connected to a government of God
00:30:59.92\00:31:01.66
that does not minimize
it, that does not belittle it.
00:31:01.69\00:31:05.46
How can they be
connected to good news
00:31:05.49\00:31:08.13
and minimize the good news?
00:31:08.16\00:31:10.03
That's fake news.
00:31:10.07\00:31:11.83
There's nothing wrong
00:31:11.87\00:31:13.20
with the
Seventh-day Sabbath of God,
00:31:13.23\00:31:14.57
there's nothing
wrong with the truth
00:31:14.60\00:31:15.94
that when we die we are asleep.
00:31:15.97\00:31:17.97
As a matter of fact, to me,
00:31:18.01\00:31:19.34
that's a comforting
thing to know that when we die,
00:31:19.37\00:31:21.84
we're sleeping,
nobody looking down on me.
00:31:21.88\00:31:24.21
There's nothing fake
about the sanctity of marriage,
00:31:30.82\00:31:34.26
but our society
has done a job with it.
00:31:34.29\00:31:36.99
There's nothing fake
00:31:37.03\00:31:39.39
about God uniting man and
woman of the Garden of Eden.
00:31:39.43\00:31:42.96
There's nothing fake
about the truth that God
00:31:43.00\00:31:45.73
only created two genders.
00:31:45.77\00:31:49.87
But today,
00:31:49.90\00:31:51.47
if you look on the Internet,
00:31:51.51\00:31:52.84
they say there's more than
120 different types of genders.
00:31:52.87\00:31:55.04
Don't look.
00:31:58.98\00:32:00.85
If you don't know
the truth about that yet,
00:32:00.88\00:32:02.82
please don't go looking.
00:32:02.85\00:32:05.62
There's only two genders.
Can the church say, amen?
00:32:05.65\00:32:08.02
Amen.
00:32:08.06\00:32:09.39
But the world in
which we live today,
00:32:09.42\00:32:10.76
and the sad fact of
that is there are churches
00:32:10.79\00:32:13.50
that are embracing that ideology
00:32:13.53\00:32:15.86
and proclaiming it from
their pulpits in America.
00:32:15.90\00:32:19.17
There's nothing fake
00:32:22.24\00:32:23.57
about the literal
visible return of Jesus.
00:32:23.61\00:32:27.84
But we all know
00:32:27.88\00:32:30.35
that when this news
began to permeate heaven,
00:32:30.38\00:32:32.91
God did not allow the
devil to remain there.
00:32:32.95\00:32:36.38
Revelation 12:7,
this is good news,
00:32:36.42\00:32:39.52
the Bible says, "And
war broke out in heaven,
00:32:39.55\00:32:42.79
Michael and his angels
fought with the dragon,
00:32:42.82\00:32:45.16
and the dragon and
his angels fought."
00:32:45.19\00:32:46.90
Now when I said
see that as good news,
00:32:46.93\00:32:49.16
I read that verse many years ago
00:32:49.20\00:32:50.70
and it says, "The
dragon and his angels fought",
00:32:50.73\00:32:53.20
what that meant was
even among the angels
00:32:53.23\00:32:56.20
that Satan had chose
to bring on his side,
00:32:56.24\00:32:59.31
there was
division even among them.
00:32:59.34\00:33:03.14
There's no
unity among those that
00:33:03.18\00:33:05.85
refuse to stand
firm on good news.
00:33:05.88\00:33:10.45
Every teaching that
has ever been advanced
00:33:10.49\00:33:13.76
to undermine the truth
of God's Word is fake news.
00:33:13.79\00:33:18.73
When the errors of any
position are pointed out
00:33:18.76\00:33:21.86
and the culprits
refused to change course,
00:33:21.90\00:33:25.10
he or she is
standing on the side of Satan.
00:33:25.13\00:33:30.04
Listen to this,
Darkness Before Dawn,
00:33:30.07\00:33:32.31
once again,
00:33:32.34\00:33:35.21
page two, paragraph
three, a very short statement,
00:33:35.24\00:33:39.28
"To the very close of
the controversy in heaven,
00:33:39.31\00:33:42.85
the great usurper
continued to justify himself."
00:33:42.88\00:33:47.39
And we all know too
well the result of Satan
00:33:47.42\00:33:49.59
trying to justify himself.
00:33:49.62\00:33:51.53
says it this way,
00:33:51.56\00:33:54.80
"So the great
dragon was cast out,
00:33:54.83\00:33:58.13
that serpent of old,
called the Devil and Satan,
00:33:58.17\00:34:00.84
who deceives the whole world,
he was cast out to the earth,
00:34:00.87\00:34:06.51
and his angels
were cast out with him."
00:34:06.54\00:34:09.44
So today, where is
Satan and his angels?
00:34:09.48\00:34:13.82
Right here on the earth,
00:34:13.85\00:34:15.18
not in some hole
somewhere in Washington D.C.,
00:34:15.22\00:34:17.35
or some hole
somewhere in the Midwest,
00:34:17.39\00:34:18.82
not in some
cavern in South America,
00:34:18.85\00:34:21.46
he is right here and his
angels are roaming the earth,
00:34:21.49\00:34:24.93
peppering the minds
of leaders of every hue
00:34:24.96\00:34:28.03
in every standing of society,
00:34:28.06\00:34:30.07
whether
political or educational.
00:34:30.10\00:34:31.83
That's why today,
what's troubling me
00:34:31.87\00:34:33.80
is you have atheism on one side,
00:34:33.84\00:34:38.04
you have Hinduism,
Buddhism, Islam, Judaism,
00:34:38.07\00:34:41.64
all these isms that all
eject Jesus from the scenario...
00:34:41.68\00:34:46.15
and people entertain these isms.
00:34:49.25\00:34:53.22
You cannot find
light in darkness.
00:34:53.25\00:34:56.16
People entertain these isms,
00:34:56.19\00:34:58.43
and then they
look at Christianity
00:34:58.46\00:35:00.80
and wonder what's wrong.
00:35:00.83\00:35:02.40
Let me say something you hear,
00:35:02.43\00:35:04.67
in a world where
there's so much darkness,
00:35:04.70\00:35:07.54
the church ought to be the place
00:35:07.57\00:35:09.30
where the light
of God is continuing
00:35:09.34\00:35:11.37
to shine brighter and brighter,
00:35:11.41\00:35:13.54
through the
lives of those claiming
00:35:13.58\00:35:16.91
to be connected to Jesus
who is the light of the world.
00:35:16.95\00:35:21.95
But it's hard to find that.
00:35:21.98\00:35:24.19
That's why I'm no longer...
00:35:24.22\00:35:25.55
When I meet people,
00:35:25.59\00:35:26.92
I'm no longer
ashamed to tell them,
00:35:26.96\00:35:28.29
I carry my booklet with me,
00:35:28.32\00:35:30.19
your friends at
Seventh-day Adventist,
00:35:30.23\00:35:31.56
I want people...
00:35:31.59\00:35:32.93
"You know, if I
don't meet you again,
00:35:32.96\00:35:34.50
if I don't meet you again,
00:35:34.53\00:35:35.86
I'm going to make sure my
single meeting with you...
00:35:35.90\00:35:37.37
If I don't meet you again,
00:35:37.40\00:35:39.07
I'm going to make sure
my single meeting with you
00:35:39.10\00:35:41.47
will give you what you
need to hopefully find the truth
00:35:41.50\00:35:46.07
and find Jesus."
00:35:46.11\00:35:49.68
When I used to
travel on the road...
00:35:49.71\00:35:51.05
Now it's full-time
00:35:55.22\00:35:58.32
in traveling music
with the heritage singers,
00:35:58.35\00:36:01.76
I used to cause trouble.
00:36:01.79\00:36:05.89
I go to Sunday churches
00:36:05.93\00:36:07.50
and pass out the
Great Controversy
00:36:07.53\00:36:08.96
after the concert.
00:36:09.00\00:36:10.33
It would have been
nice if you said amen,
00:36:15.00\00:36:16.34
but that's okay.
00:36:16.37\00:36:19.47
Somebody pulled
me aside and said,
00:36:19.51\00:36:20.84
"Now do you know that
that book teaches everything
00:36:20.88\00:36:23.75
that this church is against?"
00:36:23.78\00:36:25.38
I said, "That's why I
gave it to the pastor."
00:36:25.41\00:36:27.08
Amen? Amen.
00:36:30.42\00:36:32.09
Because he needs the truth too.
00:36:32.12\00:36:34.82
Why do we fear people
more than we fear darkness?
00:36:34.86\00:36:39.23
It's almost like we're saying,
00:36:39.26\00:36:40.63
"Okay, Lord, I'm
not going to bother him.
00:36:40.66\00:36:44.30
He's
comfortable in his religion.
00:36:44.33\00:36:46.20
I'm not going to take
time to give the truth to him.
00:36:46.23\00:36:48.40
I'll let the devil have him.
00:36:48.44\00:36:50.01
I don't want to
upset his church."
00:36:50.04\00:36:51.37
No, I want to
upset everybody's church,
00:36:51.41\00:36:56.01
including ours.
00:36:56.04\00:36:57.68
Amen.
00:36:57.71\00:37:01.08
Because in the final analysis,
we need to see that the work
00:37:01.12\00:37:04.32
that God has called us
to do will lead somebody,
00:37:04.35\00:37:08.22
not just by
television and by radio
00:37:08.26\00:37:12.86
but by one-to-one contact,
00:37:12.89\00:37:15.80
we will allow the Lord to use us
00:37:15.83\00:37:17.37
to lead somebody, unashamedly,
00:37:17.40\00:37:20.67
to the light of the Word of God,
00:37:20.70\00:37:22.37
to the good news in
a terrible generation.
00:37:22.40\00:37:25.57
Now let me transition.
00:37:30.61\00:37:31.95
I got 16 minutes.
00:37:35.25\00:37:38.85
Don't time me.
00:37:38.89\00:37:40.22
The distortion of good
news began with one angel.
00:37:46.03\00:37:49.03
How many did I say? One.
00:37:49.06\00:37:51.87
And the other angels,
00:37:51.90\00:37:53.27
the other angels,
00:37:56.40\00:37:57.74
if they had only
chosen to investigate
00:37:57.77\00:38:03.21
what Satan had suggested,
00:38:03.24\00:38:06.68
they would not have
become victims of his fake news,
00:38:06.72\00:38:11.45
if they'd only
chosen to investigate.
00:38:11.49\00:38:15.29
And so if that's
not disturbing enough,
00:38:15.32\00:38:18.09
the fact of the matter is,
00:38:18.13\00:38:20.63
good news doesn't
cease to be good news
00:38:20.66\00:38:23.57
because one person said it.
00:38:23.60\00:38:26.90
But the Angels
chose not to investigate
00:38:26.94\00:38:31.14
what was being said,
00:38:31.17\00:38:32.51
and the alarming reality is
00:38:32.54\00:38:35.41
the one that claims that
the good news is fake news
00:38:35.44\00:38:37.91
and the one that believes
that the good news is fake news
00:38:37.95\00:38:40.48
does not remove the
culpability of either party.
00:38:40.52\00:38:44.85
Both parties,
00:38:44.89\00:38:48.72
Satan and his angels,
00:38:48.76\00:38:53.50
are not only guilty
00:38:53.53\00:38:54.96
but they both
share the same fate,
00:38:55.00\00:38:57.77
one for the
development of the lie
00:38:57.80\00:39:00.34
and the other one for
the acceptance of the lie.
00:39:00.37\00:39:05.51
Let me show you how I know that.
00:39:05.54\00:39:06.88
Luke 6:39, look at
that very quickly with me.
00:39:06.91\00:39:10.45
The verdict is unmistakable,
the verdict is unmistakable.
00:39:10.48\00:39:15.68
I can tell you how
many controversies I've had.
00:39:15.72\00:39:18.35
I don't want to tell you
the different denominations.
00:39:18.39\00:39:19.99
I don't want to do that.
00:39:20.02\00:39:21.72
But I've had people
that would argue with me
00:39:21.76\00:39:24.03
to the chickens go to sleep,
00:39:24.06\00:39:26.90
is it the
chickens that go to sleep,
00:39:26.93\00:39:28.26
which ones go to sleep?
00:39:28.30\00:39:30.30
Any whichever ones go to sleep,
00:39:30.33\00:39:32.23
going to have them
in New York anyway,
00:39:32.27\00:39:33.70
but they'll argue with
me till the sun goes down,
00:39:33.74\00:39:36.94
as they're looking at the
plain statements in God's Word,
00:39:36.97\00:39:39.41
they'll argue what's clearly
being revealed in God's Word.
00:39:39.44\00:39:42.51
But whether you
call it fake news
00:39:42.54\00:39:45.38
or whether you
accept it as fake news,
00:39:45.41\00:39:47.95
notice the unmistakable
verdict that Jesus points out.
00:39:47.98\00:39:52.12
He said in Luke 6:39,
00:39:52.15\00:39:55.52
"And He spoke a
parable to them,"
00:39:55.56\00:39:57.83
and He said this,
00:39:57.86\00:39:59.73
"Can the blind lead the blind?
00:39:59.76\00:40:03.80
Will they not both
fall into the ditch?"
00:40:03.83\00:40:07.80
Can the blind lead
the blind? Yes or no?
00:40:07.84\00:40:10.61
Yes?
00:40:10.64\00:40:14.68
Of course, they can.
00:40:14.71\00:40:17.15
But if they both can't see,
00:40:17.18\00:40:18.81
what's going to
happen to both of them?
00:40:18.85\00:40:22.02
The last person you'd
cross the street with you
00:40:22.05\00:40:26.19
when you can't see is
a person that can't see.
00:40:26.22\00:40:28.62
Come on.
00:40:28.66\00:40:31.39
Am I right?
00:40:31.43\00:40:32.99
So can the blind lead the blind?
00:40:33.03\00:40:34.83
Yes.
00:40:34.86\00:40:36.33
Of course, they can.
00:40:36.36\00:40:37.70
But can they lead them safely?
00:40:37.73\00:40:39.60
No.
00:40:39.63\00:40:40.97
That's the suggestion of Jesus,
they cannot lead them safely.
00:40:41.00\00:40:43.67
But blind folk are
leading blind folk,
00:40:43.71\00:40:45.81
there is
pompous all over America
00:40:45.84\00:40:47.28
with blind preachers.
00:40:47.31\00:40:49.64
Can I tell it like it is?
00:40:49.68\00:40:52.61
You got to be blind
to look at God's Word
00:40:52.65\00:40:56.85
and preach
something completely different
00:40:56.89\00:40:58.62
and have 30,000 people
saying amen every week.
00:40:58.65\00:41:03.19
But the fact of the matter
is no one can be made blind
00:41:07.33\00:41:12.63
apart from his
or her own choice.
00:41:12.67\00:41:15.37
Matthew 13:15,
00:41:15.40\00:41:17.47
Matthew 13:15, look
very carefully with me.
00:41:17.51\00:41:21.01
And by the way,
it took centuries
00:41:24.08\00:41:26.41
and millennia to get
this world where it is today.
00:41:26.45\00:41:30.55
People today...
00:41:30.59\00:41:31.92
What frustrates me,
00:41:31.95\00:41:33.29
and I'm going to peek into
this little valley very quickly,
00:41:33.32\00:41:35.69
what frustrates me
more than anything else
00:41:35.72\00:41:37.66
about this present climate
in which America finds itself
00:41:37.69\00:41:41.60
is people have buckled
down in one camp or the other,
00:41:41.63\00:41:45.23
and all I have to do
is let my leaders say it,
00:41:45.27\00:41:48.77
on this side of my leader,
they say it on that side,
00:41:48.80\00:41:50.81
and we swallow it
hook, line, and sinker
00:41:50.84\00:41:53.41
without studying for ourselves.
00:41:53.44\00:41:56.44
But I was
raised in grade school,
00:41:56.48\00:41:59.45
and I remember the
story of the Sky is Falling.
00:41:59.48\00:42:02.28
You remember that?
00:42:02.32\00:42:04.39
The lion said what?
00:42:04.42\00:42:06.82
"The sky is falling."
00:42:06.86\00:42:09.12
And because the lion
said the sky is falling,
00:42:09.16\00:42:10.69
what everybody think?
00:42:10.73\00:42:12.06
The sky was... And they all ran.
00:42:12.09\00:42:13.80
I forgot what the
chicken or whatever duck
00:42:13.83\00:42:15.33
or whatever animal it was,
00:42:15.36\00:42:16.70
it said, "The
sky is not falling."
00:42:16.73\00:42:18.47
If we would only
investigate for ourselves,
00:42:18.50\00:42:20.34
we will discover.
00:42:20.37\00:42:21.70
But you cannot be made
blind without your choice.
00:42:21.74\00:42:23.81
Matthew 13:15, the Bible says,
"For the hearts of this people
00:42:23.84\00:42:26.68
have grown dull.
00:42:26.71\00:42:29.48
Their ears are hard of
hearing, and their eyes,"
00:42:29.51\00:42:33.82
what, "they have closed,
00:42:33.85\00:42:37.29
lest they should
see with their eyes
00:42:37.32\00:42:40.32
and hear with their ears,
00:42:40.36\00:42:42.46
lest they should," what,
00:42:42.49\00:42:44.23
"understand with
their hearts and turn,
00:42:44.26\00:42:46.66
so that I should heal them."
00:42:46.70\00:42:50.80
People that have been led
to investigate the Word of God
00:42:50.83\00:42:55.87
have come out free,
00:42:55.90\00:42:59.21
have come out joyful,
00:42:59.24\00:43:02.11
have come out delivered,
00:43:02.14\00:43:04.55
have come out excited,
00:43:04.58\00:43:06.65
and some of you are here today.
00:43:06.68\00:43:09.85
Can you say amen? Amen.
00:43:09.88\00:43:11.72
There are some of you
that would not be here
00:43:11.75\00:43:14.29
had you not
investigated the Word of God.
00:43:14.32\00:43:17.03
There's some of
you that were raised
00:43:17.06\00:43:19.19
where the leaders were
blind and did not even know it.
00:43:19.23\00:43:22.26
There were some of
you that were raised,
00:43:22.30\00:43:23.63
that were continually blind
until the Lord and His mercy
00:43:23.67\00:43:26.53
chose not to let you go
until He opened your eyes,
00:43:26.57\00:43:30.87
and you're here today.
00:43:30.91\00:43:33.84
But don't let being here today
00:43:33.88\00:43:36.11
make you comfortable
00:43:36.14\00:43:39.21
with the status quo.
00:43:39.25\00:43:40.95
If God led you out,
let me rephrase that,
00:43:40.98\00:43:43.69
because God led
you out of darkness
00:43:43.72\00:43:46.82
into this marvelous light,
00:43:46.86\00:43:48.62
pray that God could use
you to lead somebody else
00:43:48.66\00:43:51.49
out of darkness into
this marvelous light.
00:43:51.53\00:43:54.53
Amen? Amen.
00:43:54.56\00:43:55.90
It is this settlement.
00:43:55.93\00:44:00.90
See, the thing
that makes my skin itch,
00:44:00.94\00:44:05.17
it is this comfort
with the status quo,
00:44:05.21\00:44:09.14
with this idea
that we got the message,
00:44:09.18\00:44:11.18
that we got the truth.
00:44:11.21\00:44:12.75
What I want is for
the truth to get us,
00:44:12.78\00:44:17.09
that we know the
Sabbath, and the commandments,
00:44:17.12\00:44:19.45
and the 28 fundamentals,
and we got the right diet
00:44:19.49\00:44:21.92
and right day of worship.
00:44:21.96\00:44:23.29
O brethren, what I
want more than anything else
00:44:23.32\00:44:25.39
is for us to be
so right with Jesus
00:44:25.43\00:44:27.36
that we cannot wait
to tell somebody else
00:44:27.40\00:44:31.40
about how good it is.
00:44:31.43\00:44:34.00
Don't get settled
in the restaurant,
00:44:34.04\00:44:36.20
go out and pass out
flyers, and say to the people,
00:44:36.24\00:44:38.21
"This is the place
you want to come and eat.
00:44:38.24\00:44:39.81
This is where the good news is.
00:44:39.84\00:44:41.28
This is where the good food is."
00:44:41.31\00:44:42.68
Don't be
comfortable as an Adventist,
00:44:42.71\00:44:44.68
be uncomfortable
that there's somebody
00:44:44.71\00:44:46.41
who does not know the good news
that Jesus has revealed to you.
00:44:46.45\00:44:53.39
And when we don't do that...
00:44:53.42\00:44:54.76
we lose the qualities of
the New Testament church.
00:44:59.19\00:45:03.00
Acts 17:11,
00:45:03.03\00:45:05.90
notice the qualities of a person
00:45:05.93\00:45:07.57
whose mind is led by God,
00:45:07.60\00:45:09.64
the qualities of a person
whose mind is led by God...
00:45:09.67\00:45:13.14
the Bible says,
"These were more fair-minded
00:45:17.35\00:45:20.42
than those in
Thessalonica," why?
00:45:20.45\00:45:22.45
Those in Thessalonica
didn't search the scriptures,
00:45:22.48\00:45:26.19
they accepted
whatever they heard,
00:45:26.22\00:45:29.26
"in that they received the
Word of God with all," what,
00:45:29.29\00:45:32.13
"readiness,"
00:45:32.16\00:45:33.50
and what did they do, church?
00:45:33.53\00:45:35.16
"They searched the
scriptures," how often?
00:45:35.20\00:45:37.73
"Daily to find out
whether these things were so."
00:45:37.77\00:45:43.30
They didn't say,
00:45:43.34\00:45:44.67
"The preacher said
it, so I believe it."
00:45:44.71\00:45:47.54
They said, "Let's
check out the preacher to see
00:45:47.58\00:45:50.61
whether what he
says is believable."
00:45:50.65\00:45:54.02
And that's how the
New Testament church grew,
00:45:54.05\00:45:56.58
what has happened
00:45:56.62\00:45:57.95
to cause the development
of the New Testament church
00:45:57.99\00:46:00.92
is what needs to happen today.
00:46:00.96\00:46:02.36
The people of God need to be
00:46:02.39\00:46:03.83
searching the
scriptures of God daily
00:46:03.86\00:46:06.59
to see whether the
things that are being said
00:46:06.63\00:46:09.06
are in fact founded on
the reliable Word of God.
00:46:09.10\00:46:14.50
But now I wind up.
00:46:14.54\00:46:16.14
What does this have to do
00:46:16.17\00:46:20.11
with the opening scripture?
00:46:20.14\00:46:21.68
The opening scripture,
we saw four leprous men,
00:46:27.15\00:46:31.49
four leprous men,
00:46:31.52\00:46:33.79
halted between life and death.
00:46:33.82\00:46:36.29
They were in famine,
before them was certain death.
00:46:40.86\00:46:46.77
But in summary of the story,
God not only delivered them
00:46:46.80\00:46:51.14
from the sentence of death
00:46:51.17\00:46:54.14
but at the point of
their lowest hopelessness,
00:46:54.18\00:46:58.08
the Lord furnished
everything that they needed.
00:46:58.11\00:47:04.05
When I read this story,
00:47:04.09\00:47:05.42
I saw myself in it.
00:47:05.45\00:47:07.49
I had done a sermon
about the four leprous
00:47:07.52\00:47:09.32
before but I saw it
differently this time
00:47:09.36\00:47:11.09
because, you know what,
00:47:11.13\00:47:12.46
when God delivers you
00:47:12.49\00:47:13.83
from the certainty of death
00:47:13.86\00:47:16.46
and God begins to
provide everything
00:47:16.50\00:47:18.27
that you are in need
of, that's the kind of God
00:47:18.30\00:47:21.04
that you can fall in love with.
00:47:21.07\00:47:22.80
Can somebody say amen? Amen.
00:47:22.84\00:47:25.41
Four leprous men can't go
back, there's nothing there,
00:47:25.44\00:47:28.44
can't go
forward, I'm going to die,
00:47:28.48\00:47:30.11
so why sit here, they said,
00:47:30.15\00:47:32.38
"Why do we sit here till we die?
00:47:32.41\00:47:34.55
Let's do something."
00:47:34.58\00:47:36.55
So they decided, church,
they decided to stop sitting.
00:47:36.58\00:47:41.56
They decided to stop sitting.
00:47:41.59\00:47:45.63
So here they are,
leprous, cannot feel anything,
00:47:45.66\00:47:48.80
numb fingers, flesh fallen off,
00:47:48.83\00:47:50.70
don't even know
when it falls off,
00:47:50.73\00:47:52.50
have no feeling whatsoever,
00:47:52.53\00:47:53.87
but they decided to
get up and start moving.
00:47:53.90\00:47:55.60
And when they decided
to get up and start moving,
00:47:55.64\00:48:01.08
then God moved in their behalf.
00:48:01.11\00:48:06.31
And their bad
news became good news
00:48:06.35\00:48:09.35
because the Bible made it clear,
00:48:09.38\00:48:11.45
when they got up to move,
00:48:11.49\00:48:13.19
the Lord says, "Okay, now
that you're going to move,
00:48:13.22\00:48:15.42
I'm going to move."
00:48:15.46\00:48:16.79
You see, God doesn't
move when we don't move.
00:48:16.83\00:48:19.06
God caused there to be a noise,
and the army of the Syrians,
00:48:24.90\00:48:27.70
and the camp of the
Syrians, and they heard horses
00:48:27.74\00:48:29.97
and chariots, and they thought
00:48:30.01\00:48:31.34
that outside of
the walls of their camp
00:48:31.37\00:48:33.34
was a massive army
ready to devour them.
00:48:33.38\00:48:36.24
But I want to tell you,
00:48:36.28\00:48:37.61
God can create any scenario
00:48:37.65\00:48:39.75
to defeat the enemy
00:48:39.78\00:48:41.12
that comes up
against His people.
00:48:41.15\00:48:43.55
So there they are,
only four leprous men,
00:48:43.59\00:48:46.22
no great army,
00:48:46.25\00:48:47.59
four leprous men,
00:48:47.62\00:48:48.96
and they went into
the camp of the Syrians,
00:48:48.99\00:48:50.33
and they found gold,
and silver, and food,
00:48:50.36\00:48:53.56
and garments, and
changes of clothing,
00:48:53.60\00:48:56.30
everything they
needed, God supplied.
00:48:56.33\00:48:58.33
But here's the key,
00:48:58.37\00:49:00.94
God only moved when
they decided to move.
00:49:00.97\00:49:04.91
Up until that point, they
had accepted the fake news
00:49:08.74\00:49:10.88
that they can't do anything
to change their situation.
00:49:10.91\00:49:13.72
Let me tell you
something, it's fake news.
00:49:13.75\00:49:15.58
We can do something
to change our situation.
00:49:15.62\00:49:19.59
We got to move and let
God move in our behalf.
00:49:19.62\00:49:21.72
And the Bible says, they got...
00:49:21.76\00:49:23.09
But then what
happened, all of a sudden,
00:49:23.12\00:49:24.49
in the midst of God
providing their needs,
00:49:24.53\00:49:26.13
they became so absorbed,
00:49:26.16\00:49:28.43
they became so absorbed,
in all their blessings,
00:49:28.46\00:49:33.17
they became so
absorbed in all their blessings,
00:49:33.20\00:49:35.40
you got to read the story
00:49:35.44\00:49:36.77
for yourself in
2 Kings chapter 7,
00:49:36.81\00:49:38.47
they became so
absorbed, Pastor CA,
00:49:38.51\00:49:41.61
that they hid the good news.
00:49:41.64\00:49:47.18
Put all of my
veggie, meat in this tent,
00:49:47.22\00:49:51.85
put all my Sabbath
school lessons in this tent,
00:49:51.89\00:49:54.59
put my Spirit of
Prophecy writings
00:49:54.62\00:49:56.02
in this tent.
00:49:56.06\00:49:58.73
They began to hide
everything God gave them,
00:49:58.76\00:50:02.53
and somebody said,
00:50:02.56\00:50:03.90
"Wait a minute, wait
a minute, wait a minute.
00:50:03.93\00:50:06.40
We are not doing what's right."
00:50:06.43\00:50:10.64
Brothers and sisters,
as I close this morning,
00:50:10.67\00:50:14.71
if we hide what
God has given to us,
00:50:14.74\00:50:20.08
we ain't doing right.
00:50:20.12\00:50:24.02
This is a day of good news.
00:50:24.05\00:50:27.62
We cannot hold our
peace, we cannot remain silent,
00:50:27.66\00:50:30.79
if we wait until
the morning light,
00:50:30.83\00:50:32.79
punishment will come upon us.
00:50:32.83\00:50:34.76
Now therefore, come let us
go and tell the king's house,
00:50:34.80\00:50:37.77
let's go and tell
the king's household,
00:50:37.80\00:50:40.50
they got up, and they turned
00:50:40.54\00:50:43.00
from the sediment
of their own lives,
00:50:43.04\00:50:46.98
from the sedentary practices
00:50:47.01\00:50:48.58
of their daily
inability to move,
00:50:48.61\00:50:51.41
God covered them with His glory,
00:50:51.45\00:50:53.62
and all He wanted them to do
00:50:53.65\00:50:55.38
is go reflect that glory,
00:50:55.42\00:50:58.62
but they began to hide it.
00:50:58.65\00:50:59.99
It is too late for us
to hide the Advent message.
00:51:00.02\00:51:03.36
Amen.
00:51:03.39\00:51:04.99
If we hide it, it
becomes fake news.
00:51:05.03\00:51:07.23
If we reveal it,
it becomes good news,
00:51:07.26\00:51:08.93
but even more than just
the good news that is revealed.
00:51:08.96\00:51:11.33
My last three quotations...
00:51:14.44\00:51:16.04
In 1911, Ellen White
wrote in letter number 44,
00:51:19.07\00:51:22.28
she said,
00:51:22.31\00:51:24.28
"The world is waiting,"
00:51:24.31\00:51:26.58
listen, "The
world is waiting to hear
00:51:26.61\00:51:30.29
the last message of
warning to be given to man."
00:51:30.32\00:51:36.22
They're waiting.
00:51:36.26\00:51:37.69
Who's going to share it?
00:51:37.73\00:51:40.66
Those to whom
it's been given, us.
00:51:40.70\00:51:44.03
The world is waiting
00:51:44.07\00:51:45.60
but what is the
last message of warning?
00:51:45.63\00:51:48.07
Christ's Object
Lessons, page 415, paragraph 5,
00:51:48.10\00:51:52.67
"The last rays
of merciful light,
00:51:52.71\00:51:56.28
the last message to
be given to the world
00:51:56.31\00:51:59.95
that they're waiting to hear
00:51:59.98\00:52:01.48
is a revelation of
His character of love.
00:52:01.52\00:52:05.69
The children of God
are to manifest His glory.
00:52:05.72\00:52:10.76
In their own life and character,
00:52:10.79\00:52:13.80
they are to reveal
what the grace of God
00:52:13.83\00:52:16.53
has done for them."
00:52:16.56\00:52:18.17
Amen.
00:52:18.20\00:52:19.53
So now let me hit
you, and I'm a duck.
00:52:22.47\00:52:25.54
If the good news is not
being reflected in our lives,
00:52:25.57\00:52:29.24
we are declaring fake news.
00:52:29.28\00:52:33.11
If we are not
searching the scriptures,
00:52:33.15\00:52:36.05
we will never
know the good news.
00:52:36.08\00:52:37.69
If we are talking
it but not walking it,
00:52:37.72\00:52:40.02
our religion is fake news.
00:52:40.06\00:52:41.72
If we are studying
it but not living it,
00:52:41.76\00:52:44.03
it's fake news.
00:52:44.06\00:52:45.39
If we are singing
it but not showing it,
00:52:45.43\00:52:47.60
it is fake news.
00:52:47.63\00:52:48.96
If we are saying it
and not practicing it,
00:52:49.00\00:52:51.60
it is fake news.
00:52:51.63\00:52:52.97
We have got to get
to the place as a people
00:52:53.00\00:52:57.81
that we have to
not allow the enemy
00:52:57.84\00:52:59.91
to keep us
sidetracked and divided
00:52:59.94\00:53:03.45
and enamored with
the things of this world
00:53:03.48\00:53:05.48
while the world
is waiting to see
00:53:05.51\00:53:07.32
what the good news of
Christ has done in our lives.
00:53:07.35\00:53:11.92
Now why is that important?
00:53:11.95\00:53:13.99
Here's the last quote,
00:53:14.02\00:53:15.79
Christ's Object
Lessons, page 69, paragraph 1,
00:53:15.82\00:53:18.79
I don't have sermons with a
ton of quotes from Ellen White,
00:53:18.83\00:53:21.33
but this is
very important today,
00:53:21.36\00:53:24.07
servant of God says,
00:53:24.10\00:53:25.43
"Christ is waiting
with longing desire
00:53:25.47\00:53:28.70
for the manifestation
of Himself and His church.
00:53:28.74\00:53:31.81
When the character of Christ
00:53:31.84\00:53:34.18
shall be perfectly
reproduced in His people,
00:53:34.21\00:53:37.48
then He will come to
claim them as His own."
00:53:37.51\00:53:42.68
Amen.
00:53:42.72\00:53:44.22
You're wasting
your time in fake news,
00:53:44.25\00:53:46.32
let's get together
00:53:46.35\00:53:47.69
and start sharing the good news.
00:53:47.72\00:53:49.06
Come on,
somebody, say amen. Amen.
00:53:49.09\00:53:50.43
The good news,
Jesus is coming again.
00:53:50.46\00:53:52.79
The good news,
He forgives our sins
00:53:52.83\00:53:55.10
and cleanses us
from all unrighteousness.
00:53:55.13\00:53:57.37
The good news,
00:53:57.40\00:53:58.73
He is a God that still delivers.
00:53:58.77\00:54:00.57
The good news,
00:54:00.60\00:54:01.94
He will provide all of our
need according to His riches.
00:54:01.97\00:54:04.17
The good news, He'll
fight our battles for us.
00:54:04.21\00:54:07.28
The good news, that even though
you may get sick and may die,
00:54:07.31\00:54:10.45
there is a resurrection.
00:54:10.48\00:54:12.08
The good news,
00:54:12.11\00:54:14.08
that's what this world needs,
00:54:14.12\00:54:15.88
got enough fake news,
00:54:15.92\00:54:18.22
got enough politicizing,
00:54:18.25\00:54:20.09
let's get back to the call
00:54:20.12\00:54:21.46
that God has
placed on our lives.
00:54:21.49\00:54:22.89
Forget about all
that junk in Washington,
00:54:22.92\00:54:26.19
and talk about what's
happening in the New Jerusalem,
00:54:26.23\00:54:28.36
talk about what's
taking place in heaven,
00:54:28.40\00:54:29.86
the angels are
hastening back and forth,
00:54:29.90\00:54:31.80
finishing the work that
God has appointed for them,
00:54:31.83\00:54:34.30
and soon He will come, we
cannot be caught off guard
00:54:34.34\00:54:37.94
with bad news, fake news.
00:54:37.97\00:54:40.38
We've got to be busy proclaiming
00:54:40.41\00:54:42.31
the good news of Jesus.
00:54:42.34\00:54:45.78
And so, Heavenly
Father, this morning,
00:54:45.81\00:54:47.15
Your people are standing
in this confusing, divided,
00:54:47.18\00:54:53.29
in this quagmire of politics
00:54:53.32\00:54:57.69
and diluted religion,
00:54:57.73\00:55:00.76
there is a people called
to reflect the good news,
00:55:00.80\00:55:05.57
to proclaim the good news,
00:55:05.60\00:55:08.17
to tell the good news.
00:55:08.20\00:55:12.34
But, Lord, the enemy has
come in even to our camp.
00:55:12.37\00:55:17.51
And he's put a wall before us
00:55:17.55\00:55:20.75
and a depressing
situation behind us,
00:55:20.78\00:55:22.95
and he's made us
00:55:22.98\00:55:24.35
and our sin feel
that there is no hope.
00:55:24.39\00:55:26.19
But, Lord Jesus,
You've told us this morning,
00:55:26.22\00:55:28.86
if we move, You will move.
00:55:28.89\00:55:32.33
So, Father, help us to move that
00:55:32.36\00:55:34.56
You may move in our behalf,
00:55:34.60\00:55:36.93
that You will
show Yourself strong
00:55:36.97\00:55:39.73
in behalf of those
whose hearts are loyal to You.
00:55:39.77\00:55:43.47
May the only party we
choose be a righteous party,
00:55:43.51\00:55:47.88
a godly party, a heavenly party,
00:55:47.91\00:55:53.78
the party where the
cross of Christ still abides,
00:55:53.82\00:55:57.69
where the blood
of Jesus was shed,
00:55:57.72\00:56:00.62
where salvation
is still available
00:56:00.66\00:56:02.86
for hopeless
and fallen humanity.
00:56:02.89\00:56:05.26
May we go forth to
unashamedly proclaim that
00:56:05.29\00:56:08.96
to our neighbors and friends,
00:56:09.00\00:56:11.33
but even more than
just the hand movements
00:56:11.37\00:56:13.74
and our voice,
00:56:13.77\00:56:15.20
may the good
news be reflected in
00:56:15.24\00:56:17.31
and through our lives.
00:56:17.34\00:56:19.41
This is our prayer and
we ask this for Your glory.
00:56:19.44\00:56:24.48
In Jesus' name, we pray,
and all of God's people said...
00:56:24.51\00:56:27.35
Amen. Amen and amen.
00:56:27.38\00:56:30.92