Message, I would
like to start this morning
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by reading the scripture
reading for this morning,
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and as you can
see in your bulletin,
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it's found in Malachi 3.
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So if you would
just turn with me there
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in your Bibles to Malachi 3.
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We're going to start
reading there in verses...
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Oops, I picked up a different,
that's a different one,
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that was last week's I think.
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Verses 2 and verse 3,
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Malachi 3:2-3,
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and this is what it says.
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And I'm reading actually from...
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Let me read from the
New King James version
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since that seems to be
the most popular version
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in the Adventist church today.
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Let me find my
spot here, here we go.
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Malachi 3:2 says,
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"But who can endure
the day of His coming
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and who can
stand when He appears,
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for He is like a refiner's fire,
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like launderer soap.
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He will sit as a refiner
and a purifier of silver,
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He will purify the sons of Levi
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and purge them
as gold and silver
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that they may offer to the Lord
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and offering in righteousness."
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Amen.
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At this moment I would
like to go to the Lord in prayer
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one more time as
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we prepare for
this morning sermon.
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Father in heaven,
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well, we have
gathered here today for You
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not with our hands out,
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Lord, asking what
can we get from You,
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but rather what
can we give to You.
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Lord, hopefully it's our lives,
our self, our time I worship
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because You are worthy.
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Lord, now that we take
this time to break the bread,
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the bread of life, I pray
that the Holy Spirit will be
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in each and every one of us
to open our eyes and our ears
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to give us the
spiritual eyesight
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and the spiritual hearing
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that we may be able
to completely comprehend
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what it is that you're
telling us this morning.
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I praise you, God, for
all that You have done for us
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and for who You are
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because You are
worthy, oh, Lord.
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Be with us, draw us together,
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but draw our eyes
to the uplifted Savior
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this morning we ask
in Jesus' name, amen.
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Amen.
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Church quake warning,
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I want to read you
something in the opening portion
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of this presentation
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and it goes like this,
it's an article I found.
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"At 2:15 am
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on December 16th, 1811,
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residents of the
frontier town of New Madrid
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and what is now Missouri
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were jolted from their
beds by a violent earthquake.
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The ground heaved and
pitched hurling furniture,
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snapping trees,
and destroying barns
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and homesteads,
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the shaking ring church bells
in Charleston, South Carolina,
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and toppled chimneys as
far as Cincinnati, Ohio..."
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And I've even read reports
where they said it was felt
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even as far north in
the US's Massachusetts,
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and in even some reports
unconfirmed but have told us
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that it was even
felt in parts of Canada.
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The screams of the affrighted
inhabitants running to and fro
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not knowing where
to go or what to do,
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the cities, excuse me,
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the cries of the
fowls of the beast,
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and of course of every species,
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it says the
cracking of the trees
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falling formed a
scene truly horrible,
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wrote one resident.
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As people were
starting to rebuild that winter
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two more major earthquake struck
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on January 23rd and February 7.
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Each New Madrid earthquake
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had a magnitude
of 7.5 or greater,
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making them three
of the most powerful
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in the continent
of United States,
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and shaking an
area 10 times larger
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than that affected
by the magnitude 7.8
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San Francisco
earthquake of 1906.
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The Midwest was sparsely
populated and deaths were few,
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but
eight-year-old Godfrey Lesieur
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saw the ground rolling in waves.
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Michael Brown has observed
the river suddenly rise up
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like a great loaf of bread
to the height of many feet.
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Sections of the riverbed
below the Mississippi River
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rose so high that
parts of the river
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actually ran backwards.
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Does anybody ever
heard this before?
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Okay, familiar with the story.
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Thousands of the
sewers ripped open fields
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and geysers burst from
the earth spewing sand,
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and water, and mud,
and coal high into the air.
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In a report filed
in November of 2008,
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the US Federal
Emergency Management Agency
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warned that a serious earthquake
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in the New Madrid
seismic zone could result
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in the highest economic
losses due to a natural disaster
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in the United States
further predicting widespread
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and catastrophic damage
across Alabama, Arkansas,
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Illinois, Indiana,
Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri,
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and particularly Tennessee
where a 7.7 magnitude quake
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or greater would cause damage
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to tens of thousands
of structures affecting
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water distribution,
transportation systems,
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and other vital infrastructures.
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Does that sound like something
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that we would look
forward to enduring?
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I don't think so, in fact
I have to just admit to you,
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my wife and I have
often talked about this
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over the years,
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but an earthquake
just terrifies me,
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that's the one thing,
if you want to talk about
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a fear of mine, a
major, major earthquake
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in this area would be
absolutely catastrophic.
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I've had opportunity
over the years to study
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this great earthquake
called the New Madrid Earthquake
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of 1811 and 1812.
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And I truly found to be one
of the most catastrophic events
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in the history
of the United States
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and we're only, really,
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we tell the story from
the perspective of a few
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because the United
States at that time
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was very, very
sparsely populated
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in the central to Midwest area.
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But if something like
this were to happen today,
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what do you think would happen?
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In fact I was able to
study a few maps here.
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You can see these
are the seismic zones
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around the United States.
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As you can see the
one to the far west there
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is the one that usually
gets the most attention,
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but of course
right there, dead center,
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as you can see there in
parts of northeastern Arkansas
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and of course
South Eastern Missouri,
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and then even in
the southern parts there
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of Illinois, the
New Madrid fault line
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extends from
approximately Cairo, Illinois
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all the way down to Marked Tree,
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Arkansas which is
actually just a few miles south
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of where I grew up
in Northeast Arkansas.
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It is considered one of
the most active fault lines
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in the US and around the world,
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but we relatively
don't really feel it,
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because over the
years it has produced
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really, really small earthquakes
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some of which we have
not even been able to feel,
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but nonetheless
if a major earthquake
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at 7.5, 7.7 or higher were to
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strike this particular area,
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it would affect...
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Some scholars and
some scientists are saying
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that it would affect probably
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more than half of
the United States.
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And that's a
powerful earthquake,
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the New Madrid fault line.
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In fact I was
reading some articles
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where some of the
professionals have said
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that we're actually
about 60 years overdue
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for a major earthquake.
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That is usually
according to the data,
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a major
earthquake every 150 years.
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And as you can see we
are over 200 years away
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from the last major earthquake
that struck this area.
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It's a scary topic
when you think about it,
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but I have, you know,
none of us should really...
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This should not surprise us
because the Bible does tell us,
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of course in Matthew 24,
these are the words of Jesus,
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notice what He says here
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as He was
prophesying the end times,
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He said, "For nation
will rise against nation,
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and kingdoms against kingdom.
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And there will be..."
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Notice, "Famines, pestilences,
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and earthquakes
in various places..."
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And then He says, "All of these
are the beginning of sorrows."
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And I believe this is
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the New King James version here,
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but some of the
other newer translations
00:09:04.21\00:09:07.14
actually translate it
a little more clearly.
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The word for sorrows
in the original Greek
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actually should be
properly translated,
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birth pains.
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All of these are the beginning
of birth pains or labor pains.
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That's a whole another
sermon in and of itself.
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My friends, I went
through all of that
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because while we are
warned that there will be
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literal geographic
earthquakes in the last days
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that of course we
expect to gradually get
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worse, and worse, and worse
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as we gain closer to
the second coming of Jesus.
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We are also told
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that there is
another type of quake
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or another kind of shaking
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that the church will
endure in the last days.
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I would like to draw
your attention to the screen,
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it's a rather lengthy
quote, but nonetheless
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I would like to read
it together this morning
00:10:01.40\00:10:03.47
as you fix your
eyes on the screen.
00:10:03.50\00:10:05.03
Notice what we find here,
00:10:05.07\00:10:06.80
this is from
November 20th, 1857.
00:10:06.84\00:10:13.04
She says, "I was
shown the people of God,
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and I saw them mightily shaken.
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Some, with strong
faith and agonizing cries,
00:10:20.85\00:10:24.29
were pleading with God.
00:10:24.32\00:10:26.65
Their countenances were pale,
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and marked with deep anxiety,
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expressive of
their internal struggle.
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Firmness and great
earnestness were expressed
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in their countenances,
00:10:39.47\00:10:40.80
while the large
drops of perspiration fell
00:10:40.84\00:10:43.20
from their foreheads.
00:10:43.24\00:10:45.94
Now and then their
faces would light up
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with the marks of
God's approbation,
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and again the
same solemn, earnest,
00:10:50.68\00:10:52.85
anxious look would
settle upon them..."
00:10:52.88\00:10:56.85
Notice what she says here,
00:10:56.89\00:10:58.22
"Evil angels
crowded around them,
00:10:58.25\00:11:01.89
pressing their
darkness upon them,
00:11:01.92\00:11:04.03
to shut out
Jesus from their view,
00:11:04.06\00:11:08.33
that their eyes might
be drawn to the darkness
00:11:08.36\00:11:11.00
that surrounded
them, and they distrust God
00:11:11.03\00:11:14.20
and next murmur against Him.
00:11:14.24\00:11:16.97
Their only safety
00:11:17.01\00:11:18.44
was in keeping
their eyes directed..."
00:11:18.47\00:11:20.64
Where?
00:11:20.68\00:11:22.21
"Directed upward...
00:11:22.24\00:11:23.85
Angels of God had
charge over His people..."
00:11:23.88\00:11:27.02
Amen.
00:11:27.05\00:11:29.38
"And as the poisonous
atmosphere from the evil angels
00:11:29.42\00:11:32.39
was pressed around
these anxious ones,
00:11:32.42\00:11:34.92
the heavenly
angels would continually
00:11:34.96\00:11:37.06
wafting their wings over them,
00:11:37.09\00:11:39.06
to scatter the
thickening darkness.
00:11:39.09\00:11:42.70
Some, I saw, did not participate
00:11:42.73\00:11:44.80
in this work of
agonizing and pleading.
00:11:44.83\00:11:47.70
They seemed
indifferent and careless.
00:11:47.74\00:11:52.14
They were not resisting
the darkness around them,
00:11:52.17\00:11:54.18
and it shut them
in like a thick cloud.
00:11:54.21\00:11:56.75
The angels of God left
these, and I saw them hastening
00:11:56.78\00:12:02.38
to the assistance of
those who were struggling
00:12:02.42\00:12:04.79
with all their energies
to resist the evil angels,
00:12:04.82\00:12:07.59
and trying to help
themselves by calling upon God
00:12:07.62\00:12:10.99
with perseverance.
00:12:11.03\00:12:13.23
But the angels left
those who made no effort
00:12:13.26\00:12:16.43
to help themselves,
and I lost sight of them.
00:12:16.46\00:12:20.74
As the praying ones
continued their earnest cries,
00:12:20.77\00:12:23.71
a ray of light from Jesus
would at times come to them,
00:12:23.74\00:12:27.28
to encourage their hearts,
00:12:27.31\00:12:29.28
and light up
their countenances."
00:12:29.31\00:12:31.05
Now I went through all of that
00:12:31.08\00:12:32.41
because I was
getting to this next quote.
00:12:32.45\00:12:33.78
Notice how she now sums up
or brains this home for us.
00:12:33.82\00:12:38.05
Notice what the next quote says.
00:12:38.09\00:12:40.22
She says, "I asked the meaning
of the shaking I had seen,
00:12:40.26\00:12:45.83
and was shown
that it would be caused
00:12:45.86\00:12:48.40
by the straight testimony
called forth by the counsel
00:12:48.43\00:12:52.47
of the True
Witness to the Laodiceans.
00:12:52.50\00:12:56.14
This will have its effect
upon the heart of the receiver
00:12:56.17\00:12:59.34
and will lead him
to exalt the standard
00:12:59.37\00:13:02.64
and pour forth
the straight truth.
00:13:02.68\00:13:06.41
Some will not bear
this straight testimony.
00:13:06.45\00:13:09.78
They will rise up against it,
00:13:09.82\00:13:11.32
and this will cause a
shaking among God's people."
00:13:11.35\00:13:15.66
In other words, a church quake.
00:13:15.69\00:13:18.49
I ask the meaning of
the shaking she says,
00:13:24.90\00:13:27.47
"And I was seen
that it was shown
00:13:27.50\00:13:28.84
that it would be caused
by the straight testimony
00:13:28.87\00:13:30.74
called forth by the..."
00:13:30.77\00:13:32.11
Notice the
Lord's in yellow here,
00:13:32.14\00:13:33.78
"The Council of
the True Witness to..."
00:13:33.81\00:13:35.41
Who?
00:13:35.44\00:13:36.95
Now what message do
we find in the Bible
00:13:36.98\00:13:41.05
that is delivered or
directed to the Laodiceans?
00:13:41.08\00:13:43.95
Is that some...
00:13:43.99\00:13:45.32
What book of the Bible
might we find that message?
00:13:45.35\00:13:47.79
The Book of Revelation,
I just want to remind us
00:13:47.82\00:13:49.46
of what that
message is very quickly
00:13:49.49\00:13:50.83
and then we're going to zone in
00:13:50.86\00:13:52.93
on our major point this morning.
00:13:52.96\00:13:55.53
Revelation 3:14.
00:13:55.56\00:13:57.37
Notice what the Bible says.
00:13:57.40\00:13:59.03
"And to the angel of the
church of the Laodiceans write,
00:13:59.07\00:14:02.00
'These things says the Amen,
00:14:02.04\00:14:04.04
the Faithful and
the True Witness,
00:14:04.07\00:14:05.87
the beginning of
the creation of God.' "
00:14:05.91\00:14:08.01
So who is this
that's addressing Laodicea?
00:14:08.04\00:14:11.81
It's obviously
Jesus Christ, right?
00:14:11.85\00:14:13.82
Let's continue on.
00:14:13.85\00:14:15.78
"I know your works,
00:14:15.82\00:14:19.29
that you are
neither cold nor hot.
00:14:19.32\00:14:22.02
I could wish you
were cold or hot,
00:14:22.06\00:14:25.69
so then because
you are lukewarm,
00:14:25.73\00:14:28.16
and neither cold or hot,
00:14:28.20\00:14:30.73
I will vomit you
out of my mouth."
00:14:30.77\00:14:33.10
We're very
familiar with these words.
00:14:33.13\00:14:35.47
"Because you say,
00:14:35.50\00:14:36.84
'I am rich and
have become wealthy,
00:14:36.87\00:14:38.21
and have need of
nothing' and do not know
00:14:38.24\00:14:40.58
that you are
wretched, miserable,
00:14:40.61\00:14:42.51
poor, blind, and naked.
00:14:42.54\00:14:45.65
I counsel you to buy from Me
00:14:45.68\00:14:49.18
gold refined in the fire,
00:14:49.22\00:14:52.32
that you may be rich
00:14:52.35\00:14:55.29
and white garments
that you may be clothed,
00:14:55.32\00:14:57.53
and that the
shame of your nakedness
00:14:57.56\00:14:59.06
may not be revealed,
00:14:59.09\00:15:01.70
and anoint your
eyes with eye salve,
00:15:01.73\00:15:04.17
that you may see."
00:15:04.20\00:15:07.07
And then he
says, "As many as I..."
00:15:07.10\00:15:11.07
"As many as I love,
00:15:11.11\00:15:15.34
I rebuke and chasten.
00:15:15.38\00:15:17.18
Therefore be zealous
00:15:17.21\00:15:19.45
and repent."
00:15:19.48\00:15:23.32
This is a strong message.
00:15:23.35\00:15:25.99
It's a very
strong and direct message
00:15:26.02\00:15:28.12
from Christ to
the last generation,
00:15:28.16\00:15:30.79
the last church
age of this planet,
00:15:30.83\00:15:35.06
giving us a
diagnosis of lukewarmness.
00:15:35.10\00:15:38.37
He says, "I wish that
you were uncomfortable.
00:15:38.40\00:15:41.30
I wish that you
were so uncomfortable
00:15:41.34\00:15:42.87
that you were just icy cold
or on fiery, fiery hot for God
00:15:42.90\00:15:47.81
because I can work with
that, but you're so lukewarm,
00:15:47.84\00:15:51.08
you're so relaxed,
that I can't reach you
00:15:51.11\00:15:54.35
because you don't see
your need of a savior."
00:15:54.38\00:15:57.82
He says, "I'm rebuking you
00:15:57.85\00:15:59.62
My children because I love you."
00:15:59.65\00:16:01.79
And He calls us to repentance.
00:16:01.82\00:16:04.49
Now does anyone
know what Laodicea means?
00:16:04.53\00:16:07.13
Laodicea means, a people judged.
00:16:10.63\00:16:15.47
A people judged.
00:16:15.50\00:16:19.04
I want to go back, we're
going to look at this quote
00:16:19.07\00:16:21.11
a few more times this morning,
but I want you to notice again,
00:16:21.14\00:16:24.25
notice the words in
yellow because she says,
00:16:24.28\00:16:26.72
"The shaking that she saw
00:16:26.75\00:16:28.68
that would
happen in God's church."
00:16:28.72\00:16:30.69
Among the Christian
communities in the last days,
00:16:30.72\00:16:33.69
"Would be caused by
the straight testimony
00:16:33.72\00:16:35.89
called forth to the counsel
00:16:35.92\00:16:37.56
of the True
Witness to the Laodiceans."
00:16:37.59\00:16:39.96
So notice there the counsel,
did Jesus give a counsel
00:16:40.00\00:16:43.63
in the passages we just read?
00:16:43.67\00:16:45.43
Yes, He did.
00:16:45.47\00:16:46.80
Now I want to focus on
what those counsels are
00:16:46.84\00:16:48.90
and what it actually
means because many times we read
00:16:48.94\00:16:50.97
over these texts
and we've read them,
00:16:51.01\00:16:53.07
many of us have
even memorized them,
00:16:53.11\00:16:54.84
but have you ever ask yourself,
00:16:54.88\00:16:56.21
"What is it that Jesus
is actually counseling me?"
00:16:56.24\00:16:59.21
Jesus, you told me to buy gold.
00:16:59.25\00:17:01.08
You want me to
buy from You gold.
00:17:01.12\00:17:02.88
Does Jesus have a big
pot of gold coins up there
00:17:02.92\00:17:05.79
that He wants to
distribute to His people?
00:17:05.82\00:17:07.96
Obviously
there's some figurative
00:17:07.99\00:17:09.39
spiritual language here
00:17:09.42\00:17:11.03
and there's something
that He's trying to tell us,
00:17:11.06\00:17:13.06
and I want to just draw
your attention to that now.
00:17:13.09\00:17:15.36
Notice again, the
counsel to the true witness
00:17:15.40\00:17:18.30
to the Laodiceans, and
notice what it says here.
00:17:18.33\00:17:21.57
"I counsel you to
buy from Me gold..."
00:17:21.60\00:17:24.87
And then notice not
just any kind of gold
00:17:24.91\00:17:26.78
but, "Gold that has
been refined in the fire,
00:17:26.81\00:17:30.08
that you may be rich."
00:17:30.11\00:17:32.25
Now it's interesting
00:17:32.28\00:17:33.62
because in one part of Scripture
00:17:33.65\00:17:34.98
Jesus says it's easier
for a camel to go through
00:17:35.02\00:17:37.75
the eye of a
needle than a rich man
00:17:37.79\00:17:39.19
to making the kingdom of God.
00:17:39.22\00:17:40.56
But yet in this
passage it's like,
00:17:40.59\00:17:41.92
"Hey I want to make you rich."
00:17:41.96\00:17:43.29
Is Jesus saying,
00:17:43.32\00:17:44.66
I don't want you
in the kingdom of God?
00:17:44.69\00:17:46.03
No, He's not.
00:17:46.06\00:17:47.40
There's
figurative language here,
00:17:47.43\00:17:48.76
there's spiritual language here.
00:17:48.80\00:17:50.13
I ask myself many years ago,
00:17:50.17\00:17:51.50
"Lord, what kind of gold
00:17:51.53\00:17:54.80
are You asking
us to buy from You?
00:17:54.84\00:17:56.47
When You say gold, what is it,
00:17:56.50\00:17:58.14
what's the symbolism here?"
00:17:58.17\00:17:59.54
And as we always know
we should allow the Bible
00:17:59.57\00:18:01.94
to interpret itself.
00:18:01.98\00:18:03.31
I could pass out a
piece of paper around the room
00:18:03.35\00:18:04.81
and have everyone write on there
00:18:04.85\00:18:06.18
what they
believe this gold to be,
00:18:06.21\00:18:07.55
but at the end of
the day I want to know
00:18:07.58\00:18:09.32
what God tells
me this gold to be.
00:18:09.35\00:18:11.45
And the Bible tells us, notice,
it's found in 1 Peter 1:7,
00:18:11.49\00:18:16.02
notice what the
Bible says, it says,
00:18:16.06\00:18:17.83
"That the
genuineness of your..."
00:18:17.86\00:18:19.56
Say it with me, "Your faith."
00:18:19.59\00:18:21.66
That was a little weak,
let's try it one more time,
00:18:21.70\00:18:23.97
"That the
genuineness of your faith,
00:18:24.00\00:18:26.80
being much more
precious than..."
00:18:26.84\00:18:28.70
Notice the correlation,
faith and gold that perishes,
00:18:28.74\00:18:34.08
notice, "Though
it is tested by..."
00:18:34.11\00:18:36.48
What?
00:18:36.51\00:18:37.85
It is tested by fire.
00:18:37.88\00:18:39.21
Is John's gold that He
wrote about from Christ,
00:18:39.25\00:18:41.32
did Christ want that gold to
be refined or tried in the fire?
00:18:41.35\00:18:45.12
Yes, right here Peter's talking
about the same thing, he says,
00:18:45.15\00:18:47.92
"Though it is tested by
fire, may it be found to praise,
00:18:47.96\00:18:51.83
honor, and glory
at the revelation
00:18:51.86\00:18:54.16
of Jesus Christ."
00:18:54.20\00:18:55.53
So when Christ says, I
want you to buy from Me gold,
00:18:55.56\00:18:58.30
what is this gold
He wants us to buy?
00:18:58.33\00:19:00.94
There's no doubt we're
talking about a faith of gold,
00:19:00.97\00:19:05.97
not just any old kind
of faith as we'll find out
00:19:06.01\00:19:08.18
in just a few moments,
there's a specific faith
00:19:08.21\00:19:10.58
that God is
calling for us to reflect,
00:19:10.61\00:19:13.11
and to replicate
here in these last days.
00:19:13.15\00:19:15.45
Let's go on to the
second part of this council,
00:19:15.48\00:19:17.32
notice what it says.
00:19:17.35\00:19:18.82
And He wants us
to receive from Him
00:19:18.85\00:19:21.36
what kind of garments?
00:19:21.39\00:19:23.12
"White garments
that you may be clothed,
00:19:23.16\00:19:26.43
that the shame of your nakedness
00:19:26.46\00:19:28.40
may not be revealed."
00:19:28.43\00:19:30.37
So even though we're walking
around in these last days
00:19:30.40\00:19:32.40
fully clothed
literally, Christ says,
00:19:32.43\00:19:35.10
"You're spiritually naked.
00:19:35.14\00:19:38.44
You don't see it."
00:19:38.47\00:19:40.08
And we're going to get to
that in just a few moments.
00:19:40.11\00:19:41.54
You don't see it,
because you're blind.
00:19:41.58\00:19:43.98
He says, "I want to give
you some spiritual eyesight too
00:19:44.01\00:19:45.41
while I'm at it."
00:19:45.45\00:19:46.78
We're going to get to that
in a few moments, but He says,
00:19:46.82\00:19:48.22
"I want to clothe you, not just
with any old kind of garment,
00:19:48.25\00:19:51.85
but I want to clothe
you with a white garment."
00:19:51.89\00:19:54.62
What are these white garments?
00:19:54.66\00:19:56.22
As a Seventh-day Adventist
00:19:56.26\00:19:57.66
we hear this
language all the time,
00:19:57.69\00:19:59.06
what kind of
garments are we talking about?
00:19:59.09\00:20:02.80
Well, let's the Bible
tell us in case those of you
00:20:02.83\00:20:04.63
may not be familiar with it.
00:20:04.67\00:20:06.27
Notice this is Isaiah 61:10,
00:20:06.30\00:20:09.80
"I will greatly
rejoice in the Lord,
00:20:09.84\00:20:12.14
My soul shall be
joyful in my God,
00:20:12.17\00:20:15.44
for He has clothed me
with a garments of..."
00:20:15.48\00:20:19.11
What?
00:20:19.15\00:20:20.48
"With the
garments of salvation..."
00:20:20.52\00:20:21.85
But then he further describes
00:20:21.88\00:20:23.22
what these
garments of salvation are.
00:20:23.25\00:20:24.79
Notice he says,
"He has covered me
00:20:24.82\00:20:26.65
with the robe of..."
00:20:26.69\00:20:28.79
What?
00:20:28.82\00:20:30.16
"Robe of righteousness."
00:20:30.19\00:20:31.53
So now we're
breaking this council down.
00:20:31.56\00:20:33.76
This is why it says,
"Look, I was shown and shaking."
00:20:33.80\00:20:36.53
I was shown that in
the last days God's people
00:20:36.56\00:20:38.70
would receive a church quake
and that this church quake,
00:20:38.73\00:20:43.51
this shaking would be
brought about by the council
00:20:43.54\00:20:47.08
that Jesus gives to the
people in the last days,
00:20:47.11\00:20:49.51
the Laodiceans, and
notice that council is
00:20:49.54\00:20:51.81
I want you to buy
from Me faith of gold,
00:20:51.85\00:20:53.85
the second part here
as we have already read,
00:20:53.88\00:20:56.38
now He's asking us to put
on garments of righteousness,
00:20:56.42\00:21:01.22
faith of gold,
garments of righteousness.
00:21:01.26\00:21:03.43
There's a third
point we want to make here,
00:21:03.46\00:21:05.06
notice what the scripture says.
00:21:05.09\00:21:06.83
He says, "And anoint
your eyes with eye salve,
00:21:06.86\00:21:10.63
that you may see."
00:21:10.67\00:21:12.20
Many of you may not be
aware of this, but, you know,
00:21:12.23\00:21:13.97
there was an actual
city over in Asia Minor
00:21:14.00\00:21:17.01
called Laodicea back in the day.
00:21:17.04\00:21:20.14
You know what Laodicea
was most famously known for
00:21:20.18\00:21:22.74
back in the time?
00:21:22.78\00:21:24.11
They were known
for their medical work.
00:21:27.92\00:21:29.78
They had one of the most
advanced medical institutions
00:21:29.82\00:21:33.92
in the known world at the time.
00:21:33.96\00:21:35.59
It would be people come
from all around the world
00:21:35.62\00:21:37.73
who would seek
medical attention in Laodicea,
00:21:37.76\00:21:41.16
and of course one of
the things that they were
00:21:41.20\00:21:42.76
most popularly known
for was a special eye salve
00:21:42.80\00:21:45.43
that they had created,
00:21:45.47\00:21:46.80
that the people
would come around
00:21:46.84\00:21:48.17
who had you know
sinus issues and eye issues,
00:21:48.20\00:21:50.24
and they would apply this salve,
00:21:50.27\00:21:51.61
and it would help bring
healing to their complications
00:21:51.64\00:21:54.31
and their ailments.
00:21:54.34\00:21:55.68
It's interesting
because Jesus says,
00:21:55.71\00:21:57.05
"Hey, Laodicea, you're blind.
00:21:57.08\00:21:59.45
You need to put on
some of your own eye salve.
00:21:59.48\00:22:01.88
You need to wake up
00:22:01.92\00:22:03.25
cause you're not
seeing correctly.
00:22:03.28\00:22:04.69
You can't see
your own condition.
00:22:04.72\00:22:07.32
You lost and I want to save you.
00:22:07.36\00:22:09.36
I love you as many as I
love I rebuke and chasten."
00:22:09.39\00:22:13.46
Therefore,
repent and it brings me
00:22:13.50\00:22:17.07
to this portion of scripture,
00:22:17.10\00:22:18.60
"Anoint your eyes with
eye salve if you may see.
00:22:18.63\00:22:20.94
I remember that
story in the Bible,
00:22:20.97\00:22:22.30
notice Jesus is
healing the blind man,
00:22:22.34\00:22:24.84
remember the
blind man that He heals?
00:22:24.87\00:22:26.41
Notice what he says here,
"When he had said these things,
00:22:26.44\00:22:28.74
He spat on the ground to
make clay with his saliva
00:22:28.78\00:22:32.28
and He anointed the eyes of
the blind man with the clay.
00:22:32.31\00:22:36.99
And then He said to him,
00:22:37.02\00:22:38.35
'Go, wash in
the pool of Siloam.'
00:22:38.39\00:22:39.72
which is translated, Sent.
00:22:39.75\00:22:41.09
So he..." Notice, "He went
and washed, and came back..."
00:22:41.12\00:22:43.99
What?
00:22:44.03\00:22:45.36
You see when Jesus
touches your eyes, you see.
00:22:45.39\00:22:48.13
When you have an encounter
with Jesus, He opens your eyes.
00:22:48.16\00:22:51.93
And I love that famous
line because He's found later on
00:22:51.97\00:22:54.67
in the sanctuary, and Pharisees
00:22:54.70\00:22:57.74
are actually interrogating
Him because they remember,
00:22:57.77\00:22:59.94
"Man, this guy was
blind and now He sees."
00:22:59.97\00:23:02.34
And they're interrogating him,
00:23:02.38\00:23:03.71
"How in the
world did this happen?
00:23:03.75\00:23:05.08
How in the world
did this happen?"
00:23:05.11\00:23:06.45
And I love his response,
very simple but very profound,
00:23:06.48\00:23:08.88
notice what it says,
He says, "One thing I know
00:23:08.92\00:23:11.95
that though I was blind,
00:23:11.99\00:23:14.69
now I see."
00:23:14.72\00:23:17.19
You know, I pray that
that will be the reality
00:23:17.23\00:23:18.99
for many of us in the last days.
00:23:19.03\00:23:21.06
At one day we've become so close
00:23:21.10\00:23:23.67
and so wrapped up in Jesus
00:23:23.70\00:23:25.93
that one day we
can wake up and say,
00:23:25.97\00:23:27.30
"You know, I once
was blind, now I see."
00:23:27.34\00:23:31.57
Isn't that awesome?
00:23:31.61\00:23:32.97
How many desire
that this morning?
00:23:33.01\00:23:34.81
Okay, half of you, that's okay.
00:23:34.84\00:23:36.38
We'll get the rest of you.
00:23:36.41\00:23:38.31
We'll get the rest of
you, stick with me now.
00:23:38.35\00:23:41.25
So when we put these
together we have faith of gold,
00:23:45.59\00:23:48.82
garments of righteousness,
00:23:48.86\00:23:52.06
spiritual eyesight.
00:23:52.09\00:23:55.86
If you take a glance at this
00:23:55.90\00:23:58.90
translation or
the interpretation
00:23:58.93\00:24:01.60
of this counsel,
you see something there?
00:24:01.64\00:24:04.44
She says that there
is going to be a shaking
00:24:09.64\00:24:11.61
in the last days
caused by the counsel
00:24:11.65\00:24:14.08
to the Laodiceans.
00:24:14.12\00:24:16.69
The counsel was,
00:24:16.72\00:24:18.05
"Hey, I want you
to have faith of gold.
00:24:18.09\00:24:19.42
I want you to have
garments of righteousness.
00:24:19.45\00:24:21.52
I want you to have
spiritual eyesight."
00:24:21.56\00:24:23.46
Now what's interesting
is a very similar message
00:24:23.49\00:24:26.36
went to a large group of
church fold back in 1888.
00:24:26.39\00:24:30.03
Did it cause a shaking?
00:24:30.07\00:24:31.40
You better believe it did.
00:24:31.43\00:24:33.87
What was that message?
00:24:33.90\00:24:35.47
What's the message to Laodicea?
00:24:39.21\00:24:40.84
Righteousness comes
by, and we got into this
00:24:43.14\00:24:46.75
a little bit last night,
was it the previous night,
00:24:46.78\00:24:49.85
we did the Thursday Night
Live, we were talking about
00:24:49.88\00:24:52.05
spiritual warfare,
00:24:52.09\00:24:54.49
and got into a
little bit of this,
00:24:54.52\00:24:55.86
but, you know,
when we're talking about
00:24:55.89\00:24:57.23
righteousness by faith,
00:24:57.26\00:24:59.66
I want you to
consider that for a moment
00:24:59.69\00:25:01.03
'cause we hear that language
a lot, we hear a lot of people,
00:25:01.06\00:25:03.10
you know, talk
about righteous by faith
00:25:03.13\00:25:04.73
or you although use those terms
that we are saved, you know,
00:25:04.77\00:25:07.27
of course by the righteousness,
and that comes by faith.
00:25:07.30\00:25:10.07
But what does that mean?
00:25:10.11\00:25:11.44
What type of righteousness
are we talking about
00:25:11.47\00:25:13.51
when we're talking
about righteousness?
00:25:13.54\00:25:17.75
My righteousness?
00:25:17.78\00:25:19.55
Your righteousness?
00:25:19.58\00:25:20.95
Absolutely not.
00:25:20.98\00:25:22.32
What does the Bible say
about mining your righteousness.
00:25:22.35\00:25:25.02
It's like filthy
rags, nasty, dirty.
00:25:25.05\00:25:28.69
But, of course,
00:25:28.72\00:25:30.06
when we're talking
about righteousness by faith,
00:25:30.09\00:25:31.43
we're talking about
Christ's righteousness, right?
00:25:31.46\00:25:34.73
Are we together so far?
00:25:34.76\00:25:36.10
Okay.
00:25:36.13\00:25:37.47
Christ righteousness
only comes by what?
00:25:37.50\00:25:40.37
By faith and this
is where we talked
00:25:40.40\00:25:43.14
a little bit about
this on Thursday Night Live.
00:25:43.17\00:25:46.01
What kind of faith?
00:25:46.04\00:25:48.91
If it's the
righteousness of Christ,
00:25:48.94\00:25:51.48
many people
would say, "Well, yes.
00:25:51.51\00:25:53.01
I need to obtain the
righteousness of Christ
00:25:53.05\00:25:55.05
by my faith."
00:25:55.08\00:25:56.79
You know that very thing
is kind of an open rebuke
00:25:59.99\00:26:03.29
when you start to read
the third angel's message
00:26:03.32\00:26:05.66
because the
third angel's message
00:26:05.69\00:26:07.03
in the last days,
00:26:07.06\00:26:08.40
the very end part,
for Revelation 14:12 says,
00:26:08.43\00:26:12.03
"Here is the
patience of the saints,
00:26:12.07\00:26:14.74
here are they that keep
the commandments of God,
00:26:14.77\00:26:16.14
and have..."
00:26:16.17\00:26:17.51
Notice, "Not
necessarily faith in Jesus,
00:26:17.54\00:26:20.28
but the faith of Jesus..."
00:26:20.31\00:26:23.35
Faith in Jesus, faith of Jesus,
two separate things, okay.
00:26:23.38\00:26:28.02
Now I can actually
prove that scripturally
00:26:28.05\00:26:30.85
if you would like to
talk with me about that,
00:26:30.89\00:26:32.62
I would be glad to
share that with you,
00:26:32.65\00:26:33.99
that's a whole
another sermon though.
00:26:34.02\00:26:36.22
The faith of Jesus,
righteousness by faith,
00:26:36.26\00:26:39.13
I need and desire to obtain
the righteousness of Christ
00:26:39.16\00:26:43.03
not by my faith,
00:26:43.06\00:26:44.40
but also by the faith of Christ,
00:26:44.43\00:26:46.40
does that make sense?
00:26:46.43\00:26:48.27
Righteousness by
faith, in other words,
00:26:48.30\00:26:49.77
the great shaking that
will occur in the last days,
00:26:49.80\00:26:52.74
we have been told that
it would be brought to us
00:26:52.77\00:26:54.94
because of the
message that Jesus delivers
00:26:54.98\00:26:57.25
to the Laodiceans and
it is the great council
00:26:57.28\00:26:59.78
in which Jesus says,
00:26:59.81\00:27:01.15
"You need to experience
righteousness by faith."
00:27:01.18\00:27:04.55
You need to
obtain the righteousness
00:27:04.59\00:27:06.09
of the Son of God.
00:27:06.12\00:27:07.46
You need to replicate
that and exercise that
00:27:07.49\00:27:09.92
of the faith of Jesus Christ.
00:27:09.96\00:27:11.63
That's the only way
that we will be tested
00:27:11.66\00:27:14.46
and tried in that
fire to be made perfect
00:27:14.50\00:27:17.27
to stand at His coming.
00:27:17.30\00:27:18.73
You guys are quite.
00:27:21.94\00:27:23.27
I want to go
into this next part.
00:27:26.68\00:27:28.34
Notice what the
next part of this says.
00:27:28.38\00:27:32.05
So she was asked the
meaning of the shaking,
00:27:32.08\00:27:33.55
it would be brought
notice forth by the counsel
00:27:33.58\00:27:35.98
of the True
Witness to the Laodiceans,
00:27:36.02\00:27:37.49
and notice what she says here,
00:27:37.52\00:27:38.92
"This will have its effect
upon the heart of the receiver
00:27:38.95\00:27:43.36
and will lead him to exalt..."
00:27:43.39\00:27:45.89
What is that?
00:27:45.93\00:27:47.26
"The standard and
pour forth the..."
00:27:47.30\00:27:51.43
It's hard to be a true spirit
filled and spirit led minister
00:27:51.47\00:27:55.30
in these last days.
00:27:55.34\00:27:56.67
And I'll tell you why?
00:27:56.71\00:27:58.04
Because there's a constant pull,
00:27:58.07\00:28:00.84
a constant drawling of
the minister to dilute,
00:28:00.88\00:28:05.88
and sugarcoat, and dumb
down the truth of God's Word.
00:28:05.91\00:28:10.45
Because the closer
we get to the last days,
00:28:10.49\00:28:12.55
the closer we
get to the appearing
00:28:12.59\00:28:14.19
of Jesus Christ,
00:28:14.22\00:28:15.66
there are more and more
people falling away from Jesus
00:28:15.69\00:28:18.26
than there are coming to Jesus.
00:28:18.29\00:28:19.86
And that's not because
Jesus planned for it to be that,
00:28:19.89\00:28:22.33
that's not because
Jesus has made it so unfair
00:28:22.36\00:28:24.83
that people simply
cannot come to Him,
00:28:24.87\00:28:26.67
salvation is a free gift, amen.
00:28:26.70\00:28:29.27
But we have become so
distracted with the world,
00:28:29.30\00:28:32.17
we have become so infiltrated
with the ways of the world
00:28:32.21\00:28:34.94
that even church folk
00:28:34.98\00:28:36.44
now walking through
the doors of the sanctuary
00:28:36.48\00:28:39.38
when a brother
stands up to preach,
00:28:39.41\00:28:40.82
the straight
shoot either you like it
00:28:40.85\00:28:43.08
and it comes to you,
00:28:43.12\00:28:45.12
you realize you
need to receive it
00:28:45.15\00:28:46.65
or you'll see people
sitting in the crowd going...
00:28:46.69\00:28:48.42
And I always
tell on people's face,
00:28:55.06\00:28:58.10
is it's when I'm
studying the Word of God,
00:28:58.13\00:29:01.40
I'm always in prayer, Lord,
00:29:01.44\00:29:03.91
I don't just want
to preach a message.
00:29:03.94\00:29:07.51
You know, and I've
recognized ministers,
00:29:07.54\00:29:10.58
true ministers of God, you know,
00:29:10.61\00:29:11.95
they have to preach
what God lays on their heart.
00:29:11.98\00:29:15.02
But I've always prayed, Lord,
00:29:15.05\00:29:16.38
I just don't
want to preach them.
00:29:16.42\00:29:17.75
I'm going to
preach you a message.
00:29:17.79\00:29:20.29
Lord, if there's
something that I need to say
00:29:20.32\00:29:21.96
that's not something
that's very popular to say,
00:29:21.99\00:29:25.06
Lord, I want to say that.
00:29:25.09\00:29:27.60
Lord, I don't know what the
repercussions are going to be
00:29:27.63\00:29:29.46
from why You want me to say this
00:29:29.50\00:29:31.00
or what it's going to
be like after I say this,
00:29:31.03\00:29:33.00
but Lord, whatever, if
I have to walk in there
00:29:33.03\00:29:35.20
and say it and be
hated, then may it be so.
00:29:35.24\00:29:38.31
But nonetheless
there is a temptation
00:29:38.34\00:29:40.58
on the heart of a
minister in the last days
00:29:40.61\00:29:43.71
to sugarcoat and water
down God's message to the point
00:29:43.75\00:29:46.75
because we're worried about
00:29:46.78\00:29:48.12
what people are
going to say about us,
00:29:48.15\00:29:49.48
we're worried about how
people are going to respond.
00:29:49.52\00:29:52.55
You know, I have to...
00:29:52.59\00:29:53.92
I'll be the first one to stand
on the highest mountain top
00:29:53.96\00:29:55.59
in the world and say, "I
love when people love me."
00:29:55.62\00:29:59.73
I love to be received by people.
00:29:59.76\00:30:02.96
I like to be liked
by the church folk,
00:30:03.00\00:30:06.87
but I want Him to like me more.
00:30:06.90\00:30:09.84
I want Him to like me more.
00:30:09.87\00:30:13.94
"This will lead him
to exalt the standard
00:30:13.98\00:30:17.11
and pour forth
the straight truth..."
00:30:17.15\00:30:20.35
And then notice
what it says here,
00:30:20.38\00:30:21.75
"Some will not bear
this straight testimony."
00:30:21.78\00:30:26.09
Now why is that?
00:30:26.12\00:30:27.96
If it's the truth of God coming
straight from the Word of God,
00:30:27.99\00:30:31.39
why would someone
not want to receive
00:30:31.43\00:30:34.20
the straight truth of God,
00:30:34.23\00:30:35.96
the straight
testimony coming from the Lord?
00:30:36.00\00:30:39.37
Because that
person needs conversion,
00:30:39.40\00:30:43.10
that person needs
Jesus more than ever.
00:30:43.14\00:30:47.24
"They will rise up against it,
00:30:47.28\00:30:48.78
and this will
cause a..." Notice,
00:30:48.81\00:30:51.31
"When they rise up
against the..." What?
00:30:51.35\00:30:53.55
The truth, what
is it going to cause?
00:30:53.58\00:30:56.05
"A shaking among God's people."
00:30:56.08\00:30:57.65
There's going to
be a church quake.
00:30:57.69\00:31:01.79
You know, I have to say
00:31:01.82\00:31:03.73
we are experiencing
some of that right now
00:31:03.76\00:31:06.70
what I like to refer to
as I guess some pre trimmers.
00:31:06.73\00:31:12.20
Where more and more
00:31:12.23\00:31:13.97
of the undiluted
three angels' messages,
00:31:14.00\00:31:16.17
the straight testimony,
00:31:16.20\00:31:17.67
the straight truth of
God's Word is being presented,
00:31:17.71\00:31:21.34
more and more
people are becoming
00:31:21.38\00:31:22.71
more unfunded of God's Word.
00:31:22.74\00:31:25.28
My heart goes
out to those people
00:31:25.31\00:31:27.88
'cause there's
not a day in my life
00:31:27.92\00:31:29.55
that I open up the Word
of God and I read God's Word,
00:31:29.58\00:31:31.79
it rebukes me from one
side of the room to the next.
00:31:31.82\00:31:35.02
It's not always easy to
receive, but my, friends,
00:31:35.06\00:31:37.56
God never said that it
would be always easy to receive,
00:31:37.59\00:31:40.83
that's why it's referred
to as a two edged sword.
00:31:40.86\00:31:42.86
It sometimes cuts.
00:31:42.90\00:31:44.30
It sometimes pierces,
00:31:44.33\00:31:45.80
but God does not
cut us to kill us,
00:31:45.83\00:31:48.47
or cut us to hurt us,
or cut us to embarrass us,
00:31:48.50\00:31:52.14
God cuts us to heal us.
00:31:52.17\00:31:55.34
He wants His
people to be healed.
00:31:55.38\00:31:56.78
He wants His people
to rise up in revival
00:31:56.81\00:31:59.75
and be united together
00:31:59.78\00:32:01.22
under the banner of
the truth of God's Word
00:32:01.25\00:32:03.02
so that we may finish
the work and go home, amen.
00:32:03.05\00:32:05.25
Does that sound good?
00:32:05.29\00:32:06.62
Amen.
00:32:06.65\00:32:08.86
I just went from
teaching to preaching.
00:32:08.89\00:32:13.19
What did Paul say?
00:32:13.23\00:32:16.56
Preach what you want.
00:32:16.60\00:32:19.17
What did he say?
00:32:19.20\00:32:20.74
Every time I read this text,
all I can hear is Brother C.D.
00:32:20.77\00:32:23.41
Brooks' voice.
00:32:23.44\00:32:24.77
There was a sermon
he preached years ago,
00:32:24.81\00:32:26.14
he said, "Preach the word,
00:32:26.17\00:32:29.54
be instant in
season, and out of season,
00:32:29.58\00:32:33.45
reprove, rebuke, exhort
00:32:33.48\00:32:34.98
with all
longsuffering and doctrine."
00:32:35.02\00:32:37.09
But what does that start
with the preaching of the...
00:32:37.12\00:32:39.69
Preach the word he
says, for the time will come.
00:32:39.72\00:32:43.16
Notice, this is a
prophecy about the end times.
00:32:43.19\00:32:45.46
If there was ever a
time that this is happening,
00:32:45.49\00:32:47.46
it's happening
right now, my friends,
00:32:47.50\00:32:49.56
right here in
the Christian world.
00:32:49.60\00:32:50.93
"For the time will come
00:32:50.97\00:32:52.30
when they will not
endure sound doctrine..."
00:32:52.33\00:32:54.17
But notice this,
00:32:54.20\00:32:55.54
why are the people
rejecting the sound doctrine?
00:32:55.57\00:32:57.94
Because after their own lust,
00:32:57.97\00:33:00.54
that is their own
desires, what they want,
00:33:00.58\00:33:02.94
you know, the Bible
says and what is it,
00:33:02.98\00:33:04.95
Proverbs 14:12,
00:33:04.98\00:33:06.85
"There is a way which
seem with right unto a man,
00:33:06.88\00:33:09.18
but the end thereof
are the ways of death..."
00:33:09.22\00:33:11.92
You know what?
00:33:11.95\00:33:13.29
There may be something
that seems right unto us,
00:33:13.32\00:33:14.89
but at the end of the day
00:33:14.92\00:33:16.26
we have to go back to
the Word of God and say,
00:33:16.29\00:33:17.63
"Lord, it may
seem right to me now,
00:33:17.66\00:33:19.09
but is it right to You?"
00:33:19.13\00:33:21.50
If I have an idea or perception,
00:33:21.53\00:33:23.57
or speculative
theory about something,
00:33:23.60\00:33:25.83
Lord, does my
opinion, does my lifestyle,
00:33:25.87\00:33:28.27
does my ideas and theories
line up to Your Word, God?
00:33:28.30\00:33:33.07
"After their own lusts shall
they heap to themselves..."
00:33:33.11\00:33:35.61
See, they want to
heap to themselves teachers
00:33:35.64\00:33:37.75
because when you put the
pressure on the minister,
00:33:37.78\00:33:40.95
you know, there are
two kinds of ministers,
00:33:40.98\00:33:42.32
there are those ministers
00:33:42.35\00:33:43.69
that's going to preach
the word no matter what,
00:33:43.72\00:33:45.05
and those ministers
that's going to bend
00:33:45.09\00:33:46.42
to the pressure of the folk.
00:33:46.45\00:33:50.79
Rising up...
00:33:50.83\00:33:53.36
"After their own lusts
they shall heap to themselves
00:33:53.40\00:33:55.33
teachers having itching ears."
00:33:55.36\00:33:58.37
Then notice what it says,
00:33:58.40\00:34:00.14
"And they shall turn
away their ears from the truth
00:34:00.17\00:34:04.81
and shall be
turned unto fables."
00:34:04.84\00:34:07.38
There are people in times past.
00:34:12.65\00:34:15.55
In fact there are
people in our time
00:34:15.58\00:34:18.85
that have given
their life for this truth.
00:34:18.89\00:34:22.62
There are people
that have been tortured,
00:34:22.66\00:34:27.00
they've been
burned alive at the stake
00:34:27.03\00:34:29.66
because of this word,
because of this truth.
00:34:29.70\00:34:33.84
Persecution still and
still reigns around the world
00:34:33.87\00:34:39.11
for many people who
stand to preach and declare
00:34:39.14\00:34:42.38
and live according
to the Word of God.
00:34:42.41\00:34:45.31
I found this quote and it
was quite interesting quote.
00:34:45.35\00:34:49.15
It says, "Why is it, then,
00:34:49.18\00:34:52.62
that persecution seems in
a great degree to slumber?
00:34:52.65\00:34:57.49
The only reason..."
00:34:57.53\00:34:58.86
Now don't miss this,
00:34:58.89\00:35:00.70
this was
powerful when I read this.
00:35:00.73\00:35:02.20
"The only reason is that
00:35:02.23\00:35:03.57
the church has conformed
to the world's standards
00:35:03.60\00:35:06.90
and therefore
awakens no opposition.
00:35:06.94\00:35:09.90
The religion which
is current in our day
00:35:09.94\00:35:11.77
is not the pure
and holy character
00:35:11.81\00:35:14.14
that marks the Christian faith
00:35:14.18\00:35:15.51
in the days of
Christ and His apostles."
00:35:15.54\00:35:20.75
He goes on to say,
00:35:20.78\00:35:22.62
"It is only because of the
spirit of compromise with sin,
00:35:22.65\00:35:26.05
because the great
truths of the Word of God
00:35:26.09\00:35:27.89
are so
indifferently regarded..."
00:35:27.92\00:35:29.82
Notice that, "So
indifferently regarded,
00:35:29.86\00:35:32.13
because there was so little
vital godliness in the church,
00:35:32.16\00:35:35.40
that Christianity is apparently
so popular with the world."
00:35:35.43\00:35:41.54
There's interesting
last point here, notice,
00:35:41.57\00:35:43.41
"Let there be a revival
of..." What kind of faith?
00:35:43.44\00:35:47.51
"The faith..."
00:35:47.54\00:35:49.28
Not just faith,
but, "The faith..."
00:35:49.31\00:35:50.65
Remember?
00:35:50.68\00:35:52.01
Here is the
patience of the saints,
00:35:52.05\00:35:53.38
they keep the
commandments of God
00:35:53.42\00:35:54.75
and have the faith of Jesus,
00:35:54.78\00:35:56.82
it says, "And power
of the early church,
00:35:56.85\00:35:58.65
and the spirit of
persecution will be revived,
00:35:58.69\00:36:01.06
and the fires of
persecution will be rekindled."
00:36:01.09\00:36:05.36
That's powerful, my friends.
00:36:05.39\00:36:07.23
Have any of you,
just by show of hands,
00:36:07.26\00:36:09.66
have any of you experienced
recently or in recent times
00:36:09.70\00:36:14.90
and the times that we're living,
00:36:14.94\00:36:16.77
in our world rapidly changing?
00:36:16.81\00:36:20.44
It seems like that,
00:36:20.48\00:36:22.71
you know, like I
grew up in the 90s, okay,
00:36:22.74\00:36:25.68
some of you thought that
00:36:25.71\00:36:27.05
we were going
to hell in the 90s,
00:36:27.08\00:36:28.88
but seriously I
think back to the '90s,
00:36:28.92\00:36:31.89
and then I think
of today, and I think,
00:36:31.92\00:36:33.29
"Lord, I wish it
was the '90s again."
00:36:33.32\00:36:36.19
Now some of you,
00:36:36.22\00:36:38.46
more experienced folk, wiser...
00:36:38.49\00:36:42.16
some of you grew up
in the, I don't know,
00:36:47.04\00:36:48.87
'50s, '60s, '70s, '80s,
00:36:48.90\00:36:53.64
you look at today's world,
00:36:53.68\00:36:56.34
what do you think to yourself?
00:36:56.38\00:36:58.91
What in the world is going on?
00:36:58.95\00:37:01.98
What in the world is going on?
00:37:02.02\00:37:04.45
In fact you can look at
the day and, you know, what?
00:37:04.49\00:37:06.52
Whether you want to
be a believer or not?
00:37:06.55\00:37:07.89
Whether you
believe in the Bible,
00:37:07.92\00:37:09.26
whether you
believe in Jesus or not?
00:37:09.29\00:37:11.66
It doesn't take a
rocket scientist to know that
00:37:11.69\00:37:13.16
if our world
continues the way that it is,
00:37:13.19\00:37:15.33
we're not going to
be here much longer.
00:37:15.36\00:37:18.73
Jesus is coming
soon, my friends.
00:37:18.77\00:37:20.64
What is the Bible saying?
00:37:23.97\00:37:25.31
2 Timothy 3:1-2, "But know this,
00:37:25.34\00:37:28.14
that in the last days
perilous times will come.
00:37:28.18\00:37:33.11
For men will be
lovers of themselves."
00:37:33.15\00:37:35.38
Is that a reality today?
00:37:35.42\00:37:37.25
Does it seem like, you know,
00:37:37.29\00:37:38.62
people are loving
more of themselves
00:37:38.65\00:37:39.99
than they are loving
each other as Christ said
00:37:40.02\00:37:41.52
love your brother as
you love yourself, right?
00:37:41.56\00:37:45.26
It goes on to tell
us, "Lovers of money..."
00:37:45.29\00:37:47.53
Is that true?
00:37:47.56\00:37:49.43
"Boasters..." Is that true?
00:37:49.46\00:37:51.83
"Proud, blasphemers,
00:37:51.87\00:37:56.60
disobedient to parents,
00:37:56.64\00:38:01.54
unthankful, unholy, unloving..."
00:38:01.58\00:38:05.41
Is this is
reality in today's world?
00:38:05.45\00:38:06.92
Unloving, unforgiving?
00:38:06.95\00:38:09.42
"You know, I
just can't forgive her
00:38:09.45\00:38:10.79
for what she done."
00:38:10.82\00:38:12.15
And it breaks my heart
when I hear someone say that
00:38:12.19\00:38:14.89
because we're told in the Bible,
00:38:14.92\00:38:16.26
the Jesus says that,
00:38:16.29\00:38:17.63
"You know, if we can't
learn to forgive others,
00:38:17.66\00:38:19.29
we cannot forgive us."
00:38:19.33\00:38:21.00
That's salvation, my friends.
00:38:21.03\00:38:24.17
"Slanderous
without self-control,
00:38:24.20\00:38:26.63
brutal, despisers of good,
00:38:26.67\00:38:28.54
traitors, headstrong..."
00:38:28.57\00:38:31.94
It goes on to say,
00:38:31.97\00:38:33.31
"Lovers of pleasure
rather than lovers of God.
00:38:33.34\00:38:38.15
Having a form of godliness
but denying its power."
00:38:38.18\00:38:42.82
God wants to
bestow upon His people
00:38:42.85\00:38:45.12
His power to overcome,
His power to be victorious.
00:38:45.15\00:38:48.99
The question is, are
we denying its power?
00:38:49.02\00:38:52.29
My friends, it
is this very issue,
00:38:52.33\00:38:54.30
denying the transforming
power of God in our lives
00:38:54.33\00:38:57.43
that is going to bring about
00:38:57.47\00:38:58.93
such a shaking of
division in the last days
00:38:58.97\00:39:02.07
that none of us are
really prepared for.
00:39:02.10\00:39:05.94
Earthquakes,
00:39:05.97\00:39:07.31
you know, how an
earthquake works?
00:39:07.34\00:39:09.84
You know how an
earthquake happens?
00:39:09.88\00:39:14.62
So all around this entire globe,
00:39:14.65\00:39:16.79
this entire planet,
00:39:16.82\00:39:18.72
each segment of the planet
00:39:18.75\00:39:20.56
is sitting on
either a relatively small
00:39:20.59\00:39:22.76
or relatively large area
known as a tectonic plate.
00:39:22.79\00:39:26.96
In other words, burning big
huge mass chunk of the earth
00:39:27.00\00:39:30.07
what is called a tectonic
plate and which is separated
00:39:30.10\00:39:32.90
or divided by great fosse that
go miles and miles and miles
00:39:32.93\00:39:36.94
through to the
center of the earth,
00:39:36.97\00:39:38.44
and an earthquake occurs
00:39:38.47\00:39:40.31
when these two areas
or two tectonic plates
00:39:40.34\00:39:44.15
or fault lines
begin to rub or friction,
00:39:44.18\00:39:48.25
it causes friction and
which eventually, it's caught,
00:39:48.28\00:39:51.32
and then it just can't hold
it anymore and then it slips.
00:39:51.35\00:39:55.96
And when that
breaks and it slips,
00:39:55.99\00:39:59.23
it will keep
sliding and slipping
00:39:59.26\00:40:02.83
until it finally catches
itself again on each other.
00:40:02.86\00:40:08.90
How many of you
have ever endured
00:40:08.94\00:40:10.27
a pretty good earthquake?
00:40:10.31\00:40:11.64
Has anyone ever felt
a pretty good side of,
00:40:11.67\00:40:13.01
you know, I've even
heard of people talk about
00:40:13.04\00:40:14.58
how the earthquake was so strong
00:40:14.61\00:40:15.94
they couldn't even stand
00:40:15.98\00:40:17.85
because literally it
even make you almost,
00:40:17.88\00:40:19.45
it make you sick.
00:40:19.48\00:40:20.88
I've heard reports of
people getting nauseous
00:40:20.92\00:40:22.78
because it's like their
whole world, their equilibrium
00:40:22.82\00:40:24.79
and everything is
just kind of upside down
00:40:24.82\00:40:26.55
because the ground is
literally moving under you
00:40:26.59\00:40:30.06
because those tectonic plates,
that fault line is moving,
00:40:30.09\00:40:34.33
and frictioning
against each other.
00:40:34.36\00:40:36.43
And sometimes in some
cases, maybe not all cases,
00:40:39.47\00:40:43.10
but in some rare occasions
there are areas of this globe
00:40:43.14\00:40:47.54
which have more
than one tectonic plate
00:40:47.58\00:40:49.54
that are actually frictioning
or rubbing against each other.
00:40:49.58\00:40:51.65
And that's when you
have real big problems.
00:40:51.68\00:40:53.55
Let me give an
example, the country of Japan,
00:40:53.58\00:40:55.98
there seems like you hear a
lot of earthquakes happening
00:40:56.02\00:40:58.29
in the country of Japan,
you want to know why that is?
00:40:58.32\00:41:00.59
Because there's not
one, there's not two,
00:41:00.62\00:41:02.12
there's not three, but
four tectonic plates right there
00:41:02.16\00:41:05.16
on that one general
region that are rubbing
00:41:05.19\00:41:07.30
and frictioning
against each other
00:41:07.33\00:41:08.70
and they cause some of the
most catastrophic earthquakes
00:41:08.73\00:41:11.17
on the planet,
00:41:11.20\00:41:13.64
four different fault lines,
four different tectonic plates
00:41:13.67\00:41:19.07
rubbing, frictioning together
00:41:19.11\00:41:22.51
causing this great shaking.
00:41:22.54\00:41:25.15
Does that
happen in God's church?
00:41:29.12\00:41:32.72
Is there a
little bit of friction
00:41:32.75\00:41:35.52
going on among God's people?
00:41:35.56\00:41:39.83
Would you say there might be
a few different tectonic plates
00:41:39.86\00:41:44.97
that exist among the
Christian world today
00:41:45.00\00:41:48.60
that are constantly rubbing
each other the wrong way?
00:41:48.64\00:41:52.27
Now let me bring to you
the reality of the situation.
00:41:56.54\00:41:59.41
Now this next part
either you can understand,
00:41:59.45\00:42:02.42
I never ever say
anything to offend anyone,
00:42:02.45\00:42:04.22
but there's a sign
hanging up in ETs office, Danny,
00:42:04.25\00:42:08.29
that says, let me
see if I can remember,
00:42:08.32\00:42:09.82
you might can help me, Tim.
00:42:09.86\00:42:11.19
It says, "I need a speed bump
between my brain and my mouth."
00:42:11.23\00:42:14.66
I wish there was a speed bump
between my brain or my mouth,
00:42:14.70\00:42:16.87
I probably need one of those.
00:42:16.90\00:42:18.23
I never say
anything to offend anyone,
00:42:18.27\00:42:19.87
although I have been told
that I've done that a few times,
00:42:19.90\00:42:22.30
but there's
something I've got to say here.
00:42:22.34\00:42:24.11
When I was thinking about,
00:42:24.14\00:42:25.47
there is this one
thing that came to my mind,
00:42:25.51\00:42:27.08
you know, in our church,
00:42:27.11\00:42:28.94
never in the history
of the Christian church,
00:42:28.98\00:42:30.71
and I'm not just talking about
Adventism, understand this.
00:42:30.75\00:42:33.35
I'm not just talking
about Seventh-day Adventism,
00:42:33.38\00:42:34.72
we're talking
about all Christianity.
00:42:34.75\00:42:36.08
Never in the
history of Christianity has
00:42:36.12\00:42:38.59
the Christian community been
more divided than it is today,
00:42:38.62\00:42:43.89
never before.
00:42:43.93\00:42:47.20
Now I'm going to show you
that there I can prove at least
00:42:47.23\00:42:50.17
that there's four
different tectonic plates
00:42:50.20\00:42:53.40
within the Christian world,
within the Christian church,
00:42:53.44\00:42:57.24
that can't function together
00:42:57.27\00:42:58.61
or has not proven
to function together,
00:42:58.64\00:43:00.31
and until it does to become one,
00:43:00.34\00:43:02.38
we are going to continue
00:43:02.41\00:43:03.75
to have shaking
after shaking after shaking
00:43:03.78\00:43:07.15
until the saints
have been shaken out.
00:43:07.18\00:43:10.95
The first group I
like to call the Adventist.
00:43:10.99\00:43:17.53
Now understand, usually
when you say the word Adventist
00:43:17.56\00:43:20.16
most people think of
Seventh-day Adventists,
00:43:20.20\00:43:22.63
now understand I'm taking this
beyond Seventh-day Adventism.
00:43:22.66\00:43:25.63
Now I want you to think
about Seventh-day Adventism,
00:43:25.67\00:43:27.40
don't get me wrong.
00:43:27.44\00:43:29.64
But an Adventists says,
00:43:29.67\00:43:31.01
we know is simply a
person who is looking forward
00:43:31.04\00:43:32.67
to the soon return of Jesus,
00:43:32.71\00:43:35.34
doesn't matter if
you're Seventh-day Adventist,
00:43:35.38\00:43:36.71
doesn't matter if you're
Baptist, Catholic, whatever,
00:43:36.75\00:43:38.18
doesn't that
matter where you are,
00:43:38.21\00:43:39.55
somewhere if
you've read your Bible
00:43:39.58\00:43:41.52
and then you're looking forward
to the soon coming of Jesus,
00:43:41.55\00:43:43.42
you are an Adventist.
00:43:43.45\00:43:46.32
Now what I found out is there's
many different type of ventists
00:43:46.35\00:43:48.86
in our church.
00:43:48.89\00:43:50.23
You have your Adventist,
00:43:53.63\00:43:56.77
you have your
Sadventist, your Badventist,
00:43:56.80\00:43:59.03
and you have your Madventist.
00:43:59.07\00:44:04.47
Now some people might be a
little bit offended by this
00:44:04.51\00:44:07.41
and thinking that
I'm trying to joke.
00:44:07.44\00:44:09.54
Now there might be a little bit
of a humorous element to this.
00:44:09.58\00:44:12.45
There's a lot of truth
to this, stay with me here.
00:44:12.48\00:44:15.85
You see in almost every church
00:44:15.88\00:44:17.22
these four
groups of people exist.
00:44:17.25\00:44:18.65
And the church remains
divided in the state that it is
00:44:21.82\00:44:23.89
because of these, because mainly
00:44:23.93\00:44:25.49
because of three of them, okay.
00:44:25.53\00:44:29.33
But nonetheless, there are
still those Adventist who rub
00:44:29.36\00:44:33.03
the Madventist, Badventist,
and Sadventist the wrong way.
00:44:33.07\00:44:37.07
They can't coexist.
00:44:37.11\00:44:38.44
What did Jesus say?
00:44:38.47\00:44:39.81
Light and
darkness cannot coexist.
00:44:39.84\00:44:44.55
You know, what a Sadventist is?
00:44:44.58\00:44:46.41
Let me explain to
you what a Sadventist is.
00:44:49.95\00:44:53.15
We might have a few in
here today, we don't know.
00:44:53.19\00:44:56.59
You see a Sadventist
is someone who struggles
00:44:56.62\00:44:59.63
to be joyous in their
relationship with God.
00:44:59.66\00:45:03.20
They struggle to
experience the joy
00:45:03.23\00:45:06.30
of living for Christ.
00:45:06.33\00:45:09.84
You might see a
Sadventist singing a hymn,
00:45:09.87\00:45:12.97
and they're not singing it
as if Jesus is there with them,
00:45:13.01\00:45:15.48
they're singing it as
if they're at a funeral?
00:45:15.51\00:45:18.41
Have you ever seen these
type of people, Sadventist?
00:45:18.45\00:45:21.88
Great is Thy faithfulness
00:45:21.92\00:45:26.39
Great is Thy faithfulness
00:45:26.42\00:45:30.69
Morning by morning
00:45:30.73\00:45:33.50
Saints, when did
we stop believing
00:45:40.10\00:45:43.30
that Jesus is
with us in a service?
00:45:43.34\00:45:49.44
Jesus walked in the
flesh right through those doors
00:45:49.48\00:45:51.45
and came up here today
and we started singing,
00:45:51.48\00:45:54.25
Great is Thy faithfulness,
00:45:54.28\00:45:55.62
I don't believe there's a
single person in this room
00:45:55.65\00:45:56.99
that would stand
in front of Jesus
00:45:57.02\00:45:58.52
and sing, Great is
Thy faithfulness...
00:45:58.55\00:46:01.99
Do we find joy
in living for Jesus?
00:46:05.86\00:46:09.16
Do we find joy in
worshipping our Lord?
00:46:09.20\00:46:12.07
Great is Thy faithfulness
00:46:12.10\00:46:16.34
Great is Thy faithfulness
00:46:16.37\00:46:19.97
Why?
00:46:20.01\00:46:21.34
Morning by
morning new mercies I see
00:46:21.38\00:46:26.11
Oh, does that make you happy?
00:46:26.15\00:46:28.28
All right, I'm not
talking about being Pentecostal.
00:46:28.32\00:46:30.52
I'm just talking
about being joyful.
00:46:30.55\00:46:32.95
You can be joyful and
not have to be Pentecostal.
00:46:32.99\00:46:37.19
Then you got those Badventists,
00:46:37.23\00:46:39.19
those Badventists are
indifferent about anything.
00:46:39.23\00:46:42.43
They might be at church,
they may not be at church.
00:46:42.46\00:46:44.77
They might return tithe,
they may not return tithe.
00:46:44.80\00:46:46.84
They might keep the Sabbath,
00:46:46.87\00:46:48.20
they might not keep the Sabbath.
00:46:48.24\00:46:50.37
But those
Badventists are indifferent,
00:46:50.41\00:46:52.34
there's some of the
worst examples of them all
00:46:52.37\00:46:54.54
because they know the
truth, they've heard the truth,
00:46:54.58\00:46:57.41
but they don't live
the truth, Badventist.
00:46:57.45\00:47:02.18
We need to pray for them.
00:47:02.22\00:47:04.02
You know, I've been
guilty of being a Badventist.
00:47:04.05\00:47:05.69
I've experienced every
single one of these before
00:47:05.72\00:47:07.82
in my life.
00:47:07.86\00:47:09.19
I've been a Sadvenist,
I've been a Badventist,
00:47:09.22\00:47:10.63
and you know I've been
a few times in my life,
00:47:10.66\00:47:12.33
I've been a Madventist.
00:47:12.36\00:47:13.90
And many of us know, have
known one or two Madventists.
00:47:13.93\00:47:17.07
And these Madventists
are the ones that, you know,
00:47:17.10\00:47:18.60
they're involved, in
fact there's not a meeting
00:47:18.63\00:47:21.24
that they're not going to be it,
00:47:21.27\00:47:22.60
and they're going to show up
00:47:22.64\00:47:24.04
and they're
going to let you know
00:47:24.07\00:47:26.07
how the church
needs to be reformed.
00:47:26.11\00:47:28.84
Those Madventists,
they're mad at the conferences,
00:47:32.78\00:47:35.45
they're mad at the
General Conference,
00:47:35.48\00:47:37.12
the devil's
infiltrated everything,
00:47:37.15\00:47:38.85
now there's no
doubt, my friends,
00:47:38.89\00:47:40.26
I'll be the first to stand
and admit that devil is at work
00:47:40.29\00:47:42.79
in the Adventist church,
but I'll tell you right now
00:47:42.82\00:47:45.33
God is at work as well
and even more than the devil.
00:47:45.36\00:47:48.60
You better believe that
God still has His people.
00:47:48.63\00:47:51.10
There might be a
remnant within the remnant,
00:47:51.13\00:47:52.73
but God still has a remnant.
00:47:52.77\00:47:54.20
And you know what?
00:47:54.24\00:47:55.57
We still want to love
our Sadventist friends,
00:47:55.60\00:47:57.07
and we still want to
love our Adventists friends,
00:47:57.11\00:47:58.94
and I still want
to pray every day
00:47:58.97\00:48:00.31
for those Madventists
because, well, you know what?
00:48:00.34\00:48:01.98
They're children of
God and God loves them
00:48:02.01\00:48:03.88
and so should we.
00:48:03.91\00:48:05.55
It's hard to coexist
with people like this,
00:48:05.58\00:48:07.75
but nonetheless, my friends,
00:48:07.78\00:48:09.45
when we are all drawn together
as Christ prayed in John 17,
00:48:09.48\00:48:13.52
"And we are one as
Christ and His Father are one."
00:48:13.56\00:48:16.83
All of that is erased, and
do you know what we become?
00:48:16.86\00:48:19.49
We become true Adventist,
00:48:19.53\00:48:23.97
true Adventist.
00:48:24.00\00:48:25.33
What do you do when
there's an earthquake?
00:48:28.37\00:48:29.70
If an earthquake were to strike
right now, what would you do?
00:48:33.38\00:48:37.61
What did I tell you to do?
00:48:37.65\00:48:39.18
Take cover.
00:48:39.21\00:48:42.18
Where would you
take cover right now
00:48:42.22\00:48:43.55
if an earthquake
would hit this building?
00:48:43.59\00:48:44.92
Some of you
ain't even got a clue.
00:48:49.49\00:48:50.83
Some of you're like,
00:48:50.86\00:48:52.19
well, I didn't
thought of that before.
00:48:52.23\00:48:53.56
You know, I'll never
forget my first experience
00:48:57.53\00:49:00.24
to being
introduced to what to do
00:49:00.27\00:49:02.64
during an
earthquake was at school.
00:49:02.67\00:49:05.61
And, of course,
it was just protocol
00:49:05.64\00:49:06.98
that if there was an earthquake
or there was a great shaking
00:49:07.01\00:49:08.64
what we need to do?
00:49:08.68\00:49:10.01
Get under our desk.
00:49:10.05\00:49:11.38
That's what they would
tell us, get under our desk.
00:49:11.41\00:49:12.75
Now sometimes I
was a little, you know,
00:49:12.78\00:49:14.12
I would think
about that in school
00:49:14.15\00:49:15.48
and I don't know about that,
00:49:15.52\00:49:16.85
because what if this one
of the big beams comes falling
00:49:16.89\00:49:18.22
through this drop
ceiling right on my desk,
00:49:18.25\00:49:19.65
that willy-nilly little
things not going to hold up
00:49:19.69\00:49:22.72
a high steel beam.
00:49:22.76\00:49:24.59
You know, it bothered me a
little bit, but nonetheless,
00:49:24.63\00:49:26.80
you know, when a
true shaking occurs,
00:49:26.83\00:49:30.70
you don't have time to sit down
and go, "What do I want to do?
00:49:30.73\00:49:36.14
What to do? What to
do in this situation?"
00:49:36.17\00:49:38.51
No, you don't have much time.
00:49:38.54\00:49:41.41
You have to be prepared.
00:49:41.44\00:49:45.11
I'll never forget one
day I was sitting in class
00:49:45.15\00:49:46.95
and an earthquake happened,
00:49:46.98\00:49:48.32
I didn't know it was
an earthquake at first,
00:49:48.35\00:49:49.72
but it scared me to death.
00:49:49.75\00:49:52.59
We're sitting in class, I
never forget geometry 2005,
00:49:52.62\00:49:57.03
and my, you know, left
here on the side of the wall
00:49:57.06\00:49:58.83
in every class they
would have the little protocols
00:49:58.86\00:50:00.66
of what to do if a,
you know, a tornado came,
00:50:00.70\00:50:03.06
on earthquake
happen, or fire happen,
00:50:03.10\00:50:04.60
all that stuff's on the side
of the wall on the classroom.
00:50:04.63\00:50:06.74
And we were all
there, we were having class,
00:50:06.77\00:50:08.80
the teachers are lecturing,
00:50:08.84\00:50:10.17
and all of a sudden
we heard a big boom!
00:50:10.21\00:50:14.64
The first thing that
come to my mind is, you know,
00:50:14.68\00:50:16.34
a couple of times
throughout the class
00:50:16.38\00:50:18.05
the lady who
was mowing the grass
00:50:18.08\00:50:19.61
using one of those
zero turn lawn mowers,
00:50:19.65\00:50:21.12
she was outside, and I thought
00:50:21.15\00:50:22.85
this lady then hit
the side of the building.
00:50:22.88\00:50:25.15
That's how loud
it was, it was...
00:50:25.19\00:50:27.72
And then a few seconds
right after that big boom,
00:50:27.76\00:50:30.73
the ground started going...
00:50:30.76\00:50:33.19
And there was this
loud roar in the room...
00:50:33.23\00:50:35.23
My instinct, because
the class was located
00:50:38.53\00:50:40.74
like right near the
exit of the building,
00:50:40.77\00:50:42.70
my instinct was to
immediately jump up
00:50:42.74\00:50:44.67
and start running out
that door and outside.
00:50:44.71\00:50:47.41
But then I caught
myself before it happened
00:50:47.44\00:50:49.08
and by the time I had stopped
from running out the door,
00:50:49.11\00:50:52.05
the shaking had stopped,
00:50:52.08\00:50:53.42
but nonetheless I
had always remembered
00:50:53.45\00:50:54.78
because I'd read
about the stuff, well,
00:50:54.82\00:50:56.15
if there's one
tremor there could be
00:50:56.18\00:50:57.52
an even greater one coming,
00:50:57.55\00:50:58.89
and my heart's
pumping, boom, boom, boom, boom.
00:50:58.92\00:51:00.86
And what was more interesting
than anything is that
00:51:00.89\00:51:03.66
the one person in the
room that we were to look to
00:51:03.69\00:51:06.13
as a leader to help us
in a situation like this,
00:51:06.16\00:51:08.63
she was the one
freaking out the most.
00:51:08.66\00:51:11.63
As soon as the shaking happened,
00:51:11.67\00:51:13.00
my teacher went,
"Oh, my goodness.
00:51:13.03\00:51:14.44
Oh, my goodness, what do we do?
00:51:14.47\00:51:15.80
What do we do?"
00:51:15.84\00:51:17.17
Looking to the
students, "What do we do?
00:51:17.21\00:51:18.54
What do we do?"
00:51:18.57\00:51:19.91
You know, it's kind
of an object lesson in
00:51:19.94\00:51:21.28
and of itself because many times
00:51:21.31\00:51:22.64
when there's a
shaking among God's people,
00:51:22.68\00:51:24.35
we look to the ministers.
00:51:24.38\00:51:26.85
We look to men to
solve our problems.
00:51:26.88\00:51:30.29
We look to men to
say, "Hey what do we do,
00:51:30.32\00:51:31.79
tell me what to do?"
00:51:31.82\00:51:35.62
That's not what
my Bible tells me.
00:51:35.66\00:51:38.49
When there is a
shaking among God's people,
00:51:38.53\00:51:41.86
we are to take cover.
00:51:41.90\00:51:44.70
Not the cover that man tells us,
00:51:44.73\00:51:47.37
but the cover that
the Word of God tells us.
00:51:47.40\00:51:49.77
What does it say?
00:51:49.80\00:51:51.14
You know they tell you to hide
in a doorway, hide in a closet,
00:51:51.17\00:51:54.11
hide somewhere in
something where the structure,
00:51:54.14\00:51:56.78
what does the Bible say?
00:51:56.81\00:51:58.38
"There is
therefore now no condemnation
00:51:58.41\00:52:00.08
in those who are..." Where?
00:52:00.12\00:52:02.12
When a shaking
happens you go hide,
00:52:02.15\00:52:04.15
"In Jesus Christ..."
00:52:04.19\00:52:05.95
Notice, "Who do not
walk according to the flesh,
00:52:05.99\00:52:08.46
but according to the Spirit."
00:52:08.49\00:52:10.53
Let me give you another one,
it says, "So we, being many,
00:52:10.56\00:52:13.29
are one body..." Where?
00:52:13.33\00:52:14.76
Where are we found?
00:52:14.80\00:52:16.13
"In Christ and individual
members of one another..."
00:52:16.16\00:52:19.17
Here's another one,
"But of Him you are..."
00:52:19.20\00:52:22.07
Where are you found?
00:52:22.10\00:52:23.47
"In Christ Jesus..."
00:52:23.51\00:52:24.94
Notice, "Who became
for us wisdom from God
00:52:24.97\00:52:27.71
and righteousness
00:52:27.74\00:52:29.08
and
sanctification and redemption."
00:52:29.11\00:52:30.45
Amen.
00:52:30.48\00:52:31.81
And then I love this
last one here, it's beautiful,
00:52:31.85\00:52:33.28
"Therefore, if
anyone is..." Where?
00:52:33.31\00:52:35.88
"In Christ, he is new,
he is a new creature of..."
00:52:35.92\00:52:39.12
Notice, "Old things
have passed away, behold,
00:52:39.15\00:52:41.12
all things have become new."
00:52:41.16\00:52:46.66
We hide in Christ.
00:52:46.70\00:52:49.10
Because I
promise you, my friends,
00:52:49.13\00:52:50.47
if there's ever a
place you want to be
00:52:50.50\00:52:52.00
when an earthquake comes,
it's on a strong foundation.
00:52:52.03\00:52:55.04
You want to be on
a strong foundation.
00:52:55.07\00:52:57.71
Christ is that
rock and we've been told
00:52:57.74\00:53:01.41
a little bit of something
about a rock that will come.
00:53:01.44\00:53:06.11
You see while the
world is broken up
00:53:06.15\00:53:08.48
into these tectonic plates
that are constantly shifting
00:53:08.52\00:53:11.75
and causing catastrophic
events all over this world,
00:53:11.79\00:53:14.92
the Bible tells us
that there is a rock coming
00:53:14.96\00:53:18.39
that will
destroy this whole world.
00:53:18.43\00:53:20.00
It will create a new world.
00:53:20.03\00:53:21.36
It will fill this new
world and He, Jesus Christ,
00:53:21.40\00:53:25.00
the rock will
fill that entire planet
00:53:25.03\00:53:27.40
and become a
great mighty mountain
00:53:27.44\00:53:30.11
and guess what in that
we can foundation our faith.
00:53:30.14\00:53:32.51
What did Jesus say?
00:53:37.58\00:53:39.11
Have you never
read in the Scriptures?
00:53:39.15\00:53:41.52
"The stone which
the builders rejected
00:53:41.55\00:53:42.98
has become the
chief cornerstone.
00:53:43.02\00:53:45.89
This was the Lord's
doing and it is marvelous
00:53:45.92\00:53:48.09
in our eyes'?"
00:53:48.12\00:53:49.46
And I love this next part,
00:53:49.49\00:53:50.89
"And whoever
falls on this stone..."
00:53:50.93\00:53:54.80
Which stone?
00:53:54.83\00:53:56.20
Who's the stone? Christ.
00:53:56.23\00:53:58.13
"Whoever falls on the
stone will be broken."
00:53:58.17\00:54:00.34
Guess what? That's a good thing.
00:54:00.37\00:54:01.70
Would you like
Christ to break you?
00:54:01.74\00:54:03.64
I want Christ to break me.
00:54:03.67\00:54:05.34
He's the potter, I'm the clay,
00:54:05.37\00:54:07.51
I want Him to shape and mold me,
00:54:07.54\00:54:08.94
break me however
way He needs me to be.
00:54:08.98\00:54:11.48
I want Him to make me
that vessel of honor prepared
00:54:11.51\00:54:13.92
for the Kingdom of
God, how about you?
00:54:13.95\00:54:16.75
And whoever falls on
a stone will be broken,
00:54:16.79\00:54:18.72
but notice the
second part, it says,
00:54:18.75\00:54:20.36
"But on whomever it falls,
it will grind him to powder."
00:54:20.39\00:54:25.96
I would rather be
broken by Jesus in advance
00:54:25.99\00:54:29.16
than to have Jesus
come break me in another way
00:54:29.20\00:54:31.03
that I don't want to be broken.
00:54:31.07\00:54:33.57
When I read this text,
it reminds me that song...
00:54:33.60\00:54:36.17
Lean on me, when
you're not strong
00:54:36.20\00:54:41.98
I'll be your friend...
00:54:42.01\00:54:43.75
Jesus is our friend.
00:54:43.78\00:54:45.11
I'll help you
carry on Lean on me...
00:54:45.15\00:54:48.78
We want to lean on
Jesus, fall on Jesus
00:54:48.82\00:54:51.45
because He is our rock.
00:54:51.49\00:54:54.32
We come to the
end, aren't you happy?
00:54:57.63\00:55:01.43
Some of you're saying...
00:55:01.46\00:55:04.83
My dinner's going to
burn if I don't get home.
00:55:04.87\00:55:09.64
You know, I talked
about all this today
00:55:09.67\00:55:11.61
because Christ is
preparing the people.
00:55:11.64\00:55:16.34
You know, the
shaking that is coming,
00:55:16.38\00:55:17.75
it will affect everyone,
but those who are grounded
00:55:17.78\00:55:23.55
on the rock of ages,
00:55:23.59\00:55:27.46
those people
will be able to stand
00:55:27.49\00:55:29.56
when the shaking occurs.
00:55:29.59\00:55:32.06
Those people who have put
inside unimportant things,
00:55:32.09\00:55:35.80
not allowed the
ways of the world
00:55:35.83\00:55:37.23
to succumb their life,
00:55:37.27\00:55:39.23
those people will be able
to stand on the rock of ages
00:55:39.27\00:55:43.47
when He appears.
00:55:43.51\00:55:46.91
Jesus is coming
soon, my friends,
00:55:46.94\00:55:48.28
and I pray that
each and every one of us
00:55:48.31\00:55:50.51
can stand for
Him in Jesus Christ.
00:55:50.55\00:55:55.92
So that when
those clouds split open,
00:55:55.95\00:55:59.85
we can stand confident
at His appearing, amen.
00:55:59.89\00:56:03.93
Let's pray.
00:56:03.96\00:56:06.29
Father in
heaven, the rock of ages,
00:56:06.33\00:56:11.63
thank You, Lord.
00:56:11.67\00:56:13.00
Thank You so much
for Your goodness,
00:56:15.90\00:56:19.01
Your blessings,
Your love, Your mercy.
00:56:19.04\00:56:22.41
Father, I don't think
there's a single person
00:56:25.78\00:56:27.25
in this room that
can deny Your goodness,
00:56:27.28\00:56:30.99
for You have
blessed us abundantly more
00:56:31.02\00:56:33.46
beyond what we're worthy, Lord.
00:56:33.49\00:56:37.09
We thank You for
the sacrifice of Jesus.
00:56:41.03\00:56:44.80
We thank You for the
road that He has paved,
00:56:44.83\00:56:48.00
and we can simply
walk in His footsteps.
00:56:48.04\00:56:51.34
And, Lord, as you
know there's an enemy
00:56:51.37\00:56:52.71
that does not want us
walking in those footsteps.
00:56:52.74\00:56:57.31
I pray God that You will
bestow and pour out Your Spirit
00:56:57.35\00:57:00.15
upon every single person here,
00:57:00.18\00:57:02.62
all of those that
will ever watch the sermon,
00:57:02.65\00:57:05.72
those who could not
be with us today, God,
00:57:05.75\00:57:08.39
we pray for our revival
00:57:08.42\00:57:11.29
and our
reformation among Your people.
00:57:11.33\00:57:14.10
And we will set
aside unimportant things
00:57:14.13\00:57:16.16
and all of the
divisional things in the church
00:57:16.20\00:57:20.04
that are dividing us.
00:57:20.07\00:57:22.50
Now we will
simply stake our faith
00:57:22.54\00:57:24.24
on the foundation of
the truth of God's Word.
00:57:24.27\00:57:27.84
We will be drawn
closer to each other
00:57:27.88\00:57:30.38
and closer to our Savior.
00:57:30.41\00:57:32.95
Praise you God,
thank You for this Sabbath,
00:57:32.98\00:57:35.58
keep us safe as
we go home today,
00:57:35.62\00:57:37.89
and bring us back again
safely once again we ask
00:57:37.92\00:57:40.89
in Jesus' holy
precious name, amen.
00:57:40.92\00:57:44.69
Amen.
00:57:44.73\00:57:46.06