Hello, friends, and
welcome to 3ABN Worship Hour.
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And we are indeed
going to take this hour
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and dedicate it to
the Lord in worship,
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worship Him as the Bible
says, in spirit and in truth.
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And we're gonna worship Him
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just like that in
song and in word today.
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We have a powerful message
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in which I'm gonna be
declaring kind of a warning,
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it's a famine warning.
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The title of this
message is "A Famine is Coming."
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But before we get
right into the message,
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we have our brother, Tim Parton,
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who is going to sing
for us, the beautiful song,
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"Turn your eyes upon Jesus."
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O soul are you weary
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And troubled
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No light in the darkness You see
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There's light For
a look at the Savior
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And life more abundant And free
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His word will not fail you,
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He promised
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Believe it and all will be well
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Then go to a world That is dying
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His perfect salvation to tell
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Turn your eyes upon Jesus
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Look full in His wonderful face
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And the things of
earth Will grow strangely dim
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In the light of
His glory And grace
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If you turn your eyes Upon Jesus
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Praise the Lord.
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Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
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one of my favorite songs
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and that's
exactly kind of the theme,
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the motto of this message is
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as we're declaring a
warning, a coming famine.
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We're gonna be talking about
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what kind of
famine in just a moment,
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but the answer to
it, of course, is simple,
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a sermon in and of itself,
turn your eyes upon Jesus
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and everything will be okay.
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Let us pray
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before we get into
our message right now.
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Father in heaven,
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Lord, I just want to
thank You and praise You, Lord,
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at this moment.
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As You have
bestowed upon all of us,
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the wonderful
privilege of representing You,
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preaching the Word
of God for You, Lord,
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for the redemption of man.
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And so, Lord, as I
break open the bread of life,
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as we attempt to rightly
divide the word of truth, Lord,
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do not let it be a
man-made effort to do so.
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What I'm praying
right now in Jesus name
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that you will bestow upon
me and in me the Holy Spirit
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to lead and guide
me to speak Your word.
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But this message
will not only penetrate
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the hearts and minds
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of every person
around the world listening,
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but also mine as well.
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We thank You for
all that You have done
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and for who You are is our God.
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And we pray this in confidence
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and in the name of Jesus Christ.
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Amen.
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A famine is coming.
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A famine is on its way,
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perhaps one of the
greatest phenomenons.
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At least from my perspective,
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one of the most
interesting occurrences
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in the history of our nation
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and the history of this world
happened back in March of 2020.
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Exactly,
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not so far distant
away from where we are now,
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just March of 2020.
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You can read all the historical
occurrences of this nation
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and of this world,
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and one of the strangest
most interesting occurrences
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that happened in March of 2020,
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of course, was the very sudden,
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the very swift
shutdown of the world
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due to the pandemic COVID-19.
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Of course, it will
forever mark the year 2020
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as probably one
of the worst years
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that perhaps
we've ever experienced
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in our country in
recent times at least.
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It was almost as if
everyone was living in peace
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for the most part,
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living as if
everything was okay,
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everyone was safe,
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nothing was gonna happen,
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and then boom.
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It was upon us.
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A pandemic that would
forever change our society
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and rock the known world
that we happen to live in.
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You know, the Bible
gives us a couple of passages
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that provide some insight
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and somewhat of
a prophetic imagery
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toward this event
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and, of course, many others
that will soon take place,
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I believe
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as the Bible plainly
tells us that it will.
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I want to start by going
to 1 Thessalonians 5:1-3.
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Notice what the Bible says.
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And, of course,
this is Paul writing.
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He says,
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"But concerning the times
and the seasons, brethren,
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you have no need that
I should write to you.
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For you
yourselves know perfectly
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that the day of
the Lord so comes
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as a thief in the night.
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For when they say,
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'Peace and safety!'
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then sudden
destruction comes upon them,
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as labor pains
upon a pregnant woman,
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and they shall not escape."
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The words found right here,
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of course, that
really stand out to me
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is the concept of living in
a state of peace and safety.
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Similar to what perhaps,
maybe society somewhat felt
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prior to March 2020.
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While the world, of
course, we know is horrible
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and there's horrible
things that happen in the world.
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For the most part,
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most Americans and
most other citizens
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from other countries
all around the world,
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we're living in somewhat of
a state of peace and safety.
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But then it's
almost as if the pandemic
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that happened and occurred
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as it began to
spread across the world
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begin to cause a state of shock.
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It launched people
into a state of fear.
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And within just a week
and a half to two weeks
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our world was
changed, probably, permanently.
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I don't know that we'll ever see
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or see a world
that we once lived in,
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this probably
has forever marked...
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This historical event
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will for sure be
marked in history
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as a life-changing scenario.
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But nearly 2,000 years ago,
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Paul wrote as he was given
inspiration by the Holy Spirit
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that when they
say peace and safety,
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everything's okay,
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life's going on
just fine and dandy,
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then sudden
destruction comes upon them
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as labor pains
upon a pregnant woman
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and they shall
and the Greek says,
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"No, not escape."
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Of course,
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it begs to mention
that we also, I believe,
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have been living in a
state of peace and safety.
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And while some people consider
the pandemic to be a disruption
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to our way of
life and to society,
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and to the world as we knew it,
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my friends, I'm
here to tell you that
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I believe that was a very
small miniscule occurrence
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compared to what is
coming in the near future.
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Notice, also in Luke Chapter 17,
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this is another passage.
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Luke 17:26-27 and
also verses 28 and 29.
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In Luke chapter 17,
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it maps out for us
also in a similar scenario
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exactly what we've
been talking about so far.
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People living in a
state of what maybe the Bible,
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as the Bible clearly
says, peace and safety,
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a state of never-ending
bliss, I guess you could say.
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Everything's okay.
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We're just going
to live out our life
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and then all of a sudden,
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destruction comes
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that of course would
disrupt their known reality.
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Notice, Luke Chapter 17,
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we've all read the
passage many times.
00:10:01.30\00:10:02.93
Beginning at verse 26
and 27 the Bible says,
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"And as it was
in the days of Noah,
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so it will be also in
the days of the Son of Man:
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They ate, they
drank, they married wives,
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they were given in marriage,
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until the day that
Noah entered the ark,
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and the flood came
and destroyed them all."
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Now I'm gonna continue
on reading verse 28 and 29
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and we're gonna come back
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and just mark
something interesting here.
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Verse 28 continues to say,
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"Likewise as it was
also in the days of Lot.
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They ate, they drank,
they bought, they sold,
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they planted, they built,
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but on the day that
Lot went out of Sodom
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it rained fire and
brimstone from heaven
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and destroyed them all."
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Now I find this
passage interesting because,
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again it
communicates that same theme
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that we're talking about,
00:10:51.11\00:10:52.48
living in that
state of peace and safety,
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everything's okay,
00:10:54.65\00:10:55.98
everything's gonna be all right.
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Almost in some cases it's
living on as if there is no God
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and that Bible
prophecy is of no avail.
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That it's not
really that important
00:11:03.26\00:11:04.59
because everything
is just gonna be okay.
00:11:04.63\00:11:08.63
But it's interesting right here,
00:11:08.66\00:11:10.10
that the language
and the communication,
00:11:10.13\00:11:13.94
the literary devices
that are used from the author,
00:11:13.97\00:11:16.97
in this case, Luke,
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as he uses some language
to clearly communicate this
00:11:18.77\00:11:23.21
and emphasize it very clearly.
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For instance, if you go
back to verse 27 where it says,
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that they ate and they
drank and they, notice this,
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and they married
wives and, of course,
00:11:32.69\00:11:35.99
they were also
given in marriage.
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Well, in the original Greek,
00:11:38.89\00:11:40.63
the words they're used
00:11:40.66\00:11:42.00
actually communicates a sense
of almost like, nya-nya words,
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like kind of linear,
00:11:46.80\00:11:48.47
a passive like
00:11:48.50\00:11:49.84
yeah, they were doing
this and they were doing that.
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For instance if you
listen to the words,
00:11:52.14\00:11:53.68
they were esthio
and they were pio
00:11:53.71\00:11:57.28
and they were escamadiso
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and so it's kind of
like this blah, da-da.
00:11:59.85\00:12:02.42
And then boom,
00:12:02.45\00:12:04.25
sudden destruction
came and the flood came
00:12:04.29\00:12:06.69
and it washed
them all away, right?
00:12:06.72\00:12:08.52
It destroyed them all.
00:12:08.56\00:12:09.89
Same thing, same language
used, same concept communicated
00:12:09.92\00:12:13.43
in verses 28 and 29,
00:12:13.46\00:12:16.26
where it says, likewise it
was also in the days of Lot.
00:12:16.30\00:12:18.80
They did, they ate, they
drank, they bought, they sold,
00:12:18.83\00:12:25.01
they planted,
they built the Greek,
00:12:25.04\00:12:27.58
they ethizo, they pio,
00:12:27.61\00:12:30.98
they agorazo, they phuto.
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I know these are Greek words,
00:12:34.55\00:12:35.88
but still notice
the common theme.
00:12:35.92\00:12:37.59
It's kind of this
nya-nya kind of like, oh,
00:12:37.62\00:12:40.62
they were doing this
and they were doing that.
00:12:40.66\00:12:42.89
Life was just going on as
just so blissfully peaceful
00:12:42.92\00:12:47.43
and everything's okay.
00:12:47.46\00:12:48.80
And then all of a sudden
00:12:48.83\00:12:51.23
there came upon
Lot and his family
00:12:51.27\00:12:53.30
and of course, we
know they were saved
00:12:53.34\00:12:55.50
with the exception,
of course, of his wife.
00:12:55.54\00:12:57.94
But they were
taken out of the city
00:12:57.97\00:12:59.41
in which upon that city
00:12:59.44\00:13:00.91
fell fire and
brimstone from heaven
00:13:00.94\00:13:03.21
and destroyed them all.
00:13:03.24\00:13:04.85
You see,
00:13:08.02\00:13:09.85
in the last days
Bible prophecy tells us that
00:13:09.88\00:13:11.85
if there will come a time,
00:13:11.89\00:13:13.86
very soon,
00:13:13.89\00:13:15.66
where destruction
will come upon this earth.
00:13:15.69\00:13:19.13
And many of us
have been told this,
00:13:19.16\00:13:21.26
we've been warned about
it, we've heard about it,
00:13:21.30\00:13:24.03
we preach about
it, we teach about it.
00:13:24.07\00:13:27.10
But of course,
00:13:27.14\00:13:28.94
some of us are not
as prepared as others,
00:13:28.97\00:13:32.11
because we're living in a
state of peace and safety,
00:13:32.14\00:13:35.98
but the Bible says,
00:13:36.01\00:13:37.35
that then sudden
destruction comes upon them
00:13:37.38\00:13:40.62
as labor pains
upon a pregnant woman
00:13:40.65\00:13:42.95
and they shall no not escape.
00:13:42.98\00:13:46.72
You see, Paul continues on
00:13:49.02\00:13:51.39
in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3.
00:13:51.43\00:13:56.53
And he talks about how
00:13:56.56\00:13:58.27
not only the
world will be affected
00:13:58.30\00:14:00.94
by this coming destruction
00:14:00.97\00:14:02.60
or this horrible work
00:14:02.64\00:14:06.44
that will be going on in society
00:14:06.47\00:14:08.08
that will bring
about the end time events.
00:14:08.11\00:14:11.25
He talks about how it
would directly affect the church
00:14:11.28\00:14:15.12
and how people within the church
00:14:15.15\00:14:18.25
will respond to this,
00:14:18.29\00:14:19.62
not in a positive way
00:14:19.65\00:14:21.16
but in a very negative way.
00:14:21.19\00:14:23.39
Notice again 2
Thessalonians Chapter 2,
00:14:23.43\00:14:25.59
and I'm gonna read
verses 1 through 3,
00:14:25.63\00:14:27.36
part of verse 3,
00:14:27.40\00:14:28.73
'cause there's a point
that I want to emphasize here
00:14:28.76\00:14:30.60
for the message.
00:14:30.63\00:14:32.83
Paul starts by saying,
00:14:32.87\00:14:34.20
"Now, brethren, "
00:14:34.24\00:14:35.57
again we got to keep...
00:14:35.60\00:14:36.94
We got to
memorize and be reminded
00:14:36.97\00:14:38.94
that he is writing this to
the church at Thessalonica,
00:14:38.97\00:14:42.91
so his audience
is not non-believers,
00:14:42.94\00:14:45.65
it's church members.
00:14:45.68\00:14:47.62
So 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3,
00:14:47.65\00:14:51.12
he says, "Now, brethren,
00:14:51.15\00:14:52.75
concerning the coming
of our Lord Jesus Christ
00:14:52.79\00:14:55.42
and our gathering unto Him,
00:14:55.46\00:14:58.06
we ask you,
00:14:58.09\00:15:00.13
not to be soon
shaken in mind or troubled."
00:15:00.16\00:15:05.17
Okay, so pause
there for a moment
00:15:05.20\00:15:06.84
and let's get this in our mind.
00:15:06.87\00:15:08.20
He just said not
to be soon shaken.
00:15:08.24\00:15:10.44
That doesn't mean that
00:15:10.47\00:15:11.81
the church is not
gonna experience a shaking,
00:15:11.84\00:15:13.91
that doesn't mean
that there's not gonna come
00:15:13.94\00:15:15.41
some type of
trouble upon the world
00:15:15.44\00:15:17.21
that will soon obviously bring
00:15:17.25\00:15:19.21
some type of
discomfort to those,
00:15:19.25\00:15:21.75
perhaps in the church.
00:15:21.78\00:15:23.12
But he says
00:15:23.15\00:15:24.49
for these particular
brothers and sisters,
00:15:24.52\00:15:26.32
do not be soon
shaken in mind or troubled,
00:15:26.35\00:15:29.59
of course, either by
spirit or by word or by letter
00:15:29.62\00:15:32.93
as if it's
coming from us, right,
00:15:32.96\00:15:35.53
as though the day
of Christ has come
00:15:35.56\00:15:38.00
or had come.
00:15:38.03\00:15:39.37
He's saying,
00:15:39.40\00:15:40.74
look, you don't have to
worry about that just yet.
00:15:40.77\00:15:42.60
He says, why?
00:15:42.64\00:15:43.97
I'm gonna tell you why.
00:15:44.01\00:15:45.34
Paul says, I'm going to tell you
00:15:45.37\00:15:46.71
how you will know
00:15:46.74\00:15:48.08
when the day of the Lord is near
00:15:48.11\00:15:49.44
or when the coming of
the Son of man is coming.
00:15:49.48\00:15:52.71
He tells us in verse 3.
00:15:52.75\00:15:54.55
Notice what the Bible says.
00:15:54.58\00:15:56.45
It says,
00:15:56.48\00:15:57.82
"Let no one
deceive you by any means.
00:15:57.85\00:16:02.39
For that day,"
00:16:02.42\00:16:03.83
speaking of the
second coming of Jesus,
00:16:03.86\00:16:06.33
"that day will not come unless
the falling away comes first."
00:16:06.36\00:16:13.10
Did you catch that?
00:16:13.13\00:16:15.10
That day,
00:16:15.14\00:16:16.60
the second coming of
Jesus, the return of Christ,
00:16:16.64\00:16:20.24
will not come upon this world
00:16:20.28\00:16:22.38
until a great
falling away occurs.
00:16:22.41\00:16:26.25
Now again, not trying to
be over theological here,
00:16:26.28\00:16:30.85
but just a kind of a
surface blanket interpretation
00:16:30.89\00:16:34.72
and understanding of this text
00:16:34.76\00:16:36.12
does not provide the
fullest understanding
00:16:36.16\00:16:38.33
of what Paul is talking about.
00:16:38.36\00:16:40.00
Sometimes you got
to as the Bible says
00:16:40.03\00:16:41.70
study to show yourself approve
00:16:41.73\00:16:43.13
rightly dividing
the word of truth,
00:16:43.16\00:16:44.93
sometimes you got
to go below the surface
00:16:44.97\00:16:46.33
and dig a little deeper
00:16:46.37\00:16:47.70
and that's why sometimes
00:16:47.74\00:16:49.07
we have to do a
little bit of a word search,
00:16:49.10\00:16:50.74
some deeper word study.
00:16:50.77\00:16:53.21
When I looked up
this falling away,
00:16:53.24\00:16:55.68
what is the great falling
away that he's talking about?
00:16:55.71\00:16:58.45
What does it mean
that before Christ come
00:16:58.48\00:17:00.68
there's going to be
a great falling away?
00:17:00.72\00:17:02.78
Well, the word that he uses here
00:17:02.82\00:17:05.95
is the Greek word, apostasia.
00:17:05.99\00:17:09.62
The Greek word, apostasia.
00:17:09.66\00:17:12.49
It's where we get, of course,
our English word apostasy.
00:17:12.53\00:17:17.83
And, of course, many people
have a different understanding
00:17:17.87\00:17:19.73
of what apostasy is
00:17:19.77\00:17:21.40
or some people may have
this particular definition
00:17:21.44\00:17:23.37
of what apostasy is
00:17:23.41\00:17:24.74
and someone else
may somewhat have
00:17:24.77\00:17:27.21
their own personal
perspective of what apostasy is.
00:17:27.24\00:17:31.78
But yet right here
in the original Greek
00:17:31.81\00:17:33.31
the word apostasia,
00:17:33.35\00:17:35.65
the meaning of it
00:17:35.68\00:17:38.25
means to defect
from truth to divorce.
00:17:38.29\00:17:44.86
Now keep in mind,
00:17:44.89\00:17:46.23
Paul is writing
this to the church.
00:17:46.26\00:17:49.10
Why is he writing
this warning to the church?
00:17:49.13\00:17:51.43
Because Paul has already
reminded us as we just read
00:17:51.47\00:17:54.40
there in 1 Thessalonians
00:17:54.44\00:17:55.77
and we also saw the
imagery there in Luke 17,
00:17:55.80\00:17:59.77
similar to the days of Noah,
00:17:59.81\00:18:01.41
similar to the days of Lot,
00:18:01.44\00:18:02.81
so shall it be at the end
time before Christ comes back.
00:18:02.84\00:18:06.58
We see this Paul,
Jesus, the apostles,
00:18:06.61\00:18:09.68
all of the Bible writers
00:18:09.72\00:18:11.05
they warn us,
00:18:11.09\00:18:12.42
they're telling
us, they're shouting,
00:18:12.45\00:18:13.82
they're raising the
banner high and saying look,
00:18:13.86\00:18:15.69
there's coming a time and
it will affect the church.
00:18:15.72\00:18:20.10
In this case,
this great apostasia,
00:18:20.13\00:18:24.17
this great defection from truth,
00:18:24.20\00:18:26.33
this great divorcing.
00:18:26.37\00:18:28.60
That's right, divorcing.
00:18:28.64\00:18:31.51
He's telling and warning
the people of the church,
00:18:31.54\00:18:33.88
because, my friends,
00:18:33.91\00:18:35.34
before Christ comes back,
00:18:35.38\00:18:37.41
the state of the church,
the condition of the church,
00:18:37.45\00:18:40.82
in many people's understanding
and many people's eyes
00:18:40.85\00:18:43.32
will not look so great,
00:18:43.35\00:18:45.19
because it's not
called just a falling away,
00:18:45.22\00:18:47.76
it's called the
great falling away.
00:18:47.79\00:18:50.13
It's great.
00:18:50.16\00:18:51.49
It's huge,
00:18:51.53\00:18:54.63
and so the great falling away.
00:18:54.66\00:18:57.43
This apostasia,
this great apostasy,
00:18:57.47\00:19:00.84
it simply means that
people deceived into believing
00:19:00.87\00:19:04.64
that they know Jesus
00:19:04.67\00:19:06.78
will actually
fall away from Jesus.
00:19:06.81\00:19:09.74
While they are
convinced that they are bound to
00:19:09.78\00:19:14.78
and married to the truth,
00:19:14.82\00:19:17.12
they're actually
going to abandon the truth.
00:19:17.15\00:19:21.52
And, of course, the word here
that really sticks out to me
00:19:21.56\00:19:23.93
is divorce, to divorce.
00:19:23.96\00:19:27.06
And it's interesting
00:19:27.10\00:19:28.43
that we know that he's
writing this to the church
00:19:28.46\00:19:29.90
and not just...
00:19:29.93\00:19:31.27
Of course, this
message goes to everyone,
00:19:31.30\00:19:32.63
but specifically the church,
00:19:32.67\00:19:34.07
because you cannot
divorce yourself from someone
00:19:34.10\00:19:36.87
whom you weren't married to.
00:19:36.91\00:19:39.17
And so this is somewhat
of a prophecy, of course,
00:19:39.21\00:19:42.11
very clearly a prophecy.
00:19:42.14\00:19:44.28
Where Paul is saying
that there will be people,
00:19:44.31\00:19:46.65
prior to the
second coming of Jesus
00:19:46.68\00:19:49.75
that believe that
they are 100 devoted
00:19:49.78\00:19:52.92
and married to Jesus Christ,
00:19:52.95\00:19:55.96
but yet they have
divorced themselves from Him.
00:19:55.99\00:19:59.49
What a
condition, what a condition.
00:19:59.53\00:20:02.23
In fact, we don't
even have to wonder
00:20:02.26\00:20:04.70
as to what kind of condition
00:20:04.73\00:20:06.23
or what this
condition looks like,
00:20:06.27\00:20:08.30
because by the time you
get over to Revelation 3,
00:20:08.34\00:20:11.04
Jesus Himself spells it out.
00:20:11.07\00:20:13.71
He tells us very
clearly in Revelation Chapter 3,
00:20:13.74\00:20:16.54
speaking to the
very last church age,
00:20:16.58\00:20:18.85
Laodicea,
00:20:18.88\00:20:20.95
He says these words,
00:20:20.98\00:20:22.85
"I know your works,
00:20:22.88\00:20:25.55
that you
neither are hot or cold.
00:20:25.59\00:20:28.72
I wish that you
were cold or hot.
00:20:28.76\00:20:31.59
So then, because
you are lukewarm,
00:20:31.63\00:20:34.46
and neither cold
nor hot, I will, "
00:20:34.50\00:20:37.13
and this is a strong word,
00:20:37.17\00:20:38.50
"I will vomit you, "
00:20:38.53\00:20:39.87
as the New King
James Version says.
00:20:39.90\00:20:41.50
King James
Version says spew you,
00:20:41.54\00:20:43.27
but again,
00:20:43.30\00:20:44.64
the same word here in the Greek
00:20:44.67\00:20:46.01
could mean spew or
vomit or regurgitate.
00:20:46.04\00:20:48.58
"I will vomit
you out of my mouth,
00:20:48.61\00:20:51.71
because you say,
00:20:51.75\00:20:53.15
'I am rich, have become wealthy,
00:20:53.18\00:20:55.12
and have need of nothing,'
00:20:55.15\00:20:57.59
and do not know
that you are wretched,
00:20:57.62\00:20:59.59
miserable, poor,
blind, and naked.'"
00:20:59.62\00:21:03.06
Of course, that passage is
found in Revelation 3:14-17.
00:21:03.09\00:21:08.50
You are wretched, miserable,
00:21:08.53\00:21:10.03
poor, blind and
naked Jesus says.
00:21:10.07\00:21:11.70
Yes, to that last church age.
00:21:11.73\00:21:14.17
You think that you
know me but you don't.
00:21:14.20\00:21:17.14
You think that you have accepted
00:21:17.17\00:21:19.27
and are living
according to the truth,
00:21:19.31\00:21:20.64
but you're not.
00:21:20.68\00:21:22.74
Of course, you believe
that you're married to me,
00:21:22.78\00:21:24.61
but yet you don't realize
because of your deception,
00:21:24.65\00:21:27.32
because of your self-denial
00:21:27.35\00:21:29.15
in the sense of
your deceiving denial,
00:21:29.18\00:21:34.52
you have
divorced yourself from me.
00:21:34.56\00:21:35.92
That's what Jesus
is saying right here.
00:21:35.96\00:21:38.33
You are neither cold nor hot.
00:21:38.36\00:21:39.69
I wish, you were
one or the other,
00:21:39.73\00:21:41.06
but you are lukewarm.
00:21:41.10\00:21:42.43
Now I found a rather interesting
00:21:42.46\00:21:44.07
and eye-opening
commentary on these verses
00:21:44.10\00:21:46.77
in reference of being cold and,
00:21:46.80\00:21:48.54
you know, cold or hot, lukewarm,
00:21:48.57\00:21:50.57
the condition of the
church, lukewarmness,
00:21:50.61\00:21:53.27
this Laodicean state.
00:21:53.31\00:21:56.75
This comes from,
00:21:56.78\00:21:59.11
looking in here,
it says July 26, 1874,
00:21:59.15\00:22:02.02
written by Charles Spurgeon.
00:22:02.05\00:22:04.35
Notice how he describes.
00:22:04.39\00:22:05.72
This is quite
lengthy but I want you to,
00:22:05.75\00:22:07.09
I wanna you to hear the
words, the detailed words
00:22:07.12\00:22:09.96
that he describes
which I think is spot on
00:22:09.99\00:22:12.49
as to what
Jesus is talking about
00:22:12.53\00:22:14.70
in reference to this
lukewarm condition of the church
00:22:14.73\00:22:17.97
prior to the
second coming of Jesus.
00:22:18.00\00:22:21.50
And this is what
Charles Spurgeon says,
00:22:21.54\00:22:23.61
"The condition described
in our text is secondly,
00:22:23.64\00:22:27.71
one of mournful
indifference and carelessness.
00:22:27.74\00:22:32.65
They were not cold
but they were not hot,
00:22:32.68\00:22:35.98
they were not infidels,
00:22:36.02\00:22:37.79
yet they were
not earnest believers
00:22:37.82\00:22:39.89
that they did not oppose."
00:22:39.92\00:22:41.26
Notice,
00:22:41.29\00:22:42.62
"That they did
not oppose the gospel
00:22:42.66\00:22:44.26
neither did they defend it.
00:22:44.29\00:22:46.53
They were not working mischief,
00:22:46.56\00:22:48.13
neither were they
doing any great good.
00:22:48.16\00:22:51.27
They were not
disreputable in moral character,
00:22:51.30\00:22:54.24
but they were not
distinguished for holiness."
00:22:54.27\00:22:57.51
He says,
00:22:59.81\00:23:01.14
"They were not irreligious,
00:23:01.18\00:23:03.88
but they were not
enthusiastic in piety
00:23:03.91\00:23:06.68
nor imminent for zeal."
00:23:06.72\00:23:09.78
They were what the
world calls moderates.
00:23:09.82\00:23:14.52
They were of the
broad-church school.
00:23:14.56\00:23:16.99
They were neither
bigots nor puritans,
00:23:17.03\00:23:19.16
they were prudent
and avoided fanaticism.
00:23:19.19\00:23:23.06
Respectable and
adverse to excitement,
00:23:23.10\00:23:27.00
good things were
maintained among them,
00:23:27.04\00:23:28.80
but they did not
make too much of them.
00:23:28.84\00:23:32.21
They had prayer meetings
but there were few and present,
00:23:32.24\00:23:37.95
for they liked
quiet evenings at home.
00:23:37.98\00:23:40.12
When more attended the meetings,
00:23:41.48\00:23:42.82
they were still very dull.
00:23:42.85\00:23:45.85
For they did not,"
00:23:45.89\00:23:47.22
notice, "for they did,
00:23:47.26\00:23:48.59
they're praying
very deliberately
00:23:48.62\00:23:50.33
and were afraid
of being too excited.
00:23:50.36\00:23:54.16
They were content to
have all things done decently
00:23:54.20\00:23:57.73
and in order,
00:23:57.77\00:23:59.37
but vigor and zeal,
they consider to be vulgar."
00:23:59.40\00:24:03.84
Notice, how he continues,
00:24:03.87\00:24:05.97
"Such churches have schools,
00:24:06.01\00:24:09.01
Bible classes,
00:24:09.04\00:24:10.48
preaching rooms and
all sorts of agencies.
00:24:10.51\00:24:14.22
But they might as
well be without them,
00:24:14.25\00:24:16.25
for no energy is displayed
and no good comes of them.
00:24:16.28\00:24:20.89
They have deacons and elders
00:24:20.92\00:24:22.26
who are excellent
pillars of the church
00:24:22.29\00:24:25.39
that's if the
chief quality of pillars
00:24:25.43\00:24:27.33
is to stand still
00:24:27.36\00:24:29.40
and exhibit no
emotion or motion.
00:24:29.43\00:24:33.03
They have their ministers,
00:24:33.07\00:24:35.30
who may be the
angels of the churches.
00:24:35.34\00:24:38.77
But if so,
00:24:38.81\00:24:40.14
they have their
wings closely clipped
00:24:40.18\00:24:44.35
for they do not fly very far
00:24:44.38\00:24:45.98
in preaching the
everlasting gospel,
00:24:46.01\00:24:48.12
and they certainly
are not flames of fire.
00:24:48.15\00:24:51.32
They may be shining
lights of eloquence,
00:24:51.35\00:24:54.16
but they are certainly
not burning lights of grace
00:24:54.19\00:24:57.59
setting men's hearts on fire."
00:24:57.63\00:25:01.10
Last paragraph,
listen to these words.
00:25:01.13\00:25:04.17
"In such communities,
00:25:04.20\00:25:05.53
everything is
done in a half-hearted,
00:25:05.57\00:25:08.40
listless dead and alive way.
00:25:08.44\00:25:11.64
As if it did not matter
much whether it was done or not,
00:25:11.67\00:25:16.41
it makes one's flesh creep
00:25:16.44\00:25:18.31
to see how
sluggishly they move."
00:25:18.35\00:25:21.42
And he says these words.
00:25:21.45\00:25:22.78
He says, "I long for a knife
to cut their red tape to pieces
00:25:22.82\00:25:27.39
and for a whip to
lay about their shoulders
00:25:27.42\00:25:29.96
to make them bester themselves.
00:25:29.99\00:25:32.53
Things are respectably done,
00:25:32.56\00:25:34.36
the rich
families are not offended,
00:25:34.40\00:25:36.30
the skeptical
party is conciliated,
00:25:36.33\00:25:38.60
and the good people
are not quite alienated,
00:25:38.63\00:25:41.04
things are made
pleasant all around.
00:25:41.07\00:25:45.04
The right things are done,
00:25:45.07\00:25:46.41
but as to doing
them with all your might,
00:25:46.44\00:25:48.71
soul and strength,
00:25:48.74\00:25:50.08
a Laodicean Church
00:25:50.11\00:25:51.51
has no notion
of what that means.
00:25:51.55\00:25:54.48
They are not so cold
as to abandon their work,
00:25:54.52\00:25:57.85
or to give up their
meetings for prayer,
00:25:57.89\00:26:00.29
or to reject the
gospel, if they did so,"
00:26:00.32\00:26:03.32
he says,
00:26:03.36\00:26:04.69
"then they could be
convinced of their error
00:26:04.73\00:26:06.76
and brought to repentance.
00:26:06.80\00:26:09.23
But on the other hand,
00:26:09.26\00:26:10.60
they are neither
hot for the truth
00:26:10.63\00:26:13.00
nor hot for conversions,
nor hot for holiness.
00:26:13.03\00:26:16.34
They are not fiery enough
to burn the stubble of sin
00:26:16.37\00:26:19.47
nor zealous enough
to make Satan angry
00:26:19.51\00:26:21.98
nor fervent enough
00:26:22.01\00:26:23.35
to make a living
sacrifice of themselves
00:26:23.38\00:26:25.58
upon the altar of their God."
00:26:25.61\00:26:26.95
He says,
00:26:26.98\00:26:28.32
"They are neither cold nor hot."
00:26:28.35\00:26:30.69
Probably the best description
00:26:33.72\00:26:35.12
of what it means to be Laodicean
00:26:35.16\00:26:38.06
coming from Charles Spurgeon.
00:26:38.09\00:26:40.80
You know,
00:26:40.83\00:26:43.83
Mrs. Ellen White actually
echoes this very same concept
00:26:43.87\00:26:48.97
in the first
volume of the Testimonies,
00:26:49.00\00:26:50.64
page 179 to 181.
00:26:50.67\00:26:53.17
So you can go there,
00:26:53.21\00:26:54.54
first volume of the Testimonies,
00:26:54.58\00:26:55.91
page 179 to 181.
00:26:55.94\00:26:57.75
And I'm going to read
a couple of quotes here,
00:26:57.78\00:26:59.61
just to kind of
provide some backup,
00:26:59.65\00:27:03.89
some foundation, again,
00:27:03.92\00:27:05.25
for what it is
we're talking about here.
00:27:05.29\00:27:06.69
But notice, on the same thing
that Spurgeon was speaking,
00:27:06.72\00:27:09.36
same theme as what Jesus
was speaking in Laodicea,
00:27:09.39\00:27:12.26
this is what she says about
the condition of the church
00:27:12.29\00:27:15.06
in the last days
00:27:15.10\00:27:16.43
prior to the
second coming of Jesus.
00:27:16.46\00:27:21.60
"Some I saw did not participate
00:27:21.64\00:27:24.67
in this work of
agonizing and pleading."
00:27:24.71\00:27:27.18
Of course, she's
referring to a great shaking
00:27:27.21\00:27:29.48
that she saw that would
occur among God's people,
00:27:29.51\00:27:32.01
the church in the last days.
00:27:32.05\00:27:34.02
She says, and she saw that
00:27:34.05\00:27:35.38
some of them
were not participating
00:27:35.42\00:27:36.75
in the prayerful agonizing
00:27:36.79\00:27:38.29
and, of course,
00:27:38.32\00:27:40.06
seeking after
Jesus on a daily basis.
00:27:40.09\00:27:42.16
So she goes on to say,
00:27:42.19\00:27:43.56
they, speaking of
those who are in the church,
00:27:43.59\00:27:45.69
but again,
00:27:45.73\00:27:47.06
are not seeking after
00:27:47.10\00:27:48.43
and pleading for the
Holy Spirit to work in them.
00:27:48.46\00:27:50.07
She says,
00:27:50.10\00:27:51.43
"They seemed
indifferent and careless.
00:27:51.47\00:27:53.97
They were not resisting
the darkness around them
00:27:54.00\00:27:56.37
and it shut them
in like a thick cloud.
00:27:56.40\00:27:59.57
The angels of God left these."
00:27:59.61\00:28:01.64
And, of course,
this is a vision she saw.
00:28:01.68\00:28:03.68
So she says,
00:28:03.71\00:28:05.05
"And I saw them..."
00:28:05.08\00:28:06.41
Oh, she said,
00:28:06.45\00:28:07.78
"The angel of God left
these and I saw them hastening
00:28:07.82\00:28:09.52
to the assistance of those
00:28:09.55\00:28:10.89
who were struggling
with all their energies
00:28:10.92\00:28:12.25
to resist the evil angels,
00:28:12.29\00:28:14.69
and trying to help themselves
00:28:14.72\00:28:16.09
by calling upon
God with perseverance,
00:28:16.12\00:28:18.83
but the angels left those
00:28:18.86\00:28:20.23
who made no
effort to help themselves
00:28:20.26\00:28:22.70
and I lost sight of them."
00:28:22.73\00:28:24.07
In this vision, she received
00:28:24.10\00:28:25.43
which she recorded
00:28:25.47\00:28:26.80
in the first
volume of the Testimonies,
00:28:26.84\00:28:28.20
she makes it very clear
00:28:28.24\00:28:29.57
that she saw them
00:28:29.60\00:28:30.94
they were
indifferent and careless.
00:28:30.97\00:28:32.71
That's Laodicea.
00:28:32.74\00:28:34.58
That's exactly what
Paul was talking about,
00:28:34.61\00:28:36.18
the great falling away,
00:28:36.21\00:28:37.55
people who believe
they're married to Jesus
00:28:37.58\00:28:39.21
but they're not,
00:28:39.25\00:28:40.58
they believe
they've accepted the truth
00:28:40.62\00:28:41.95
and living by the
truth but they're not.
00:28:41.98\00:28:43.75
This is the condition.
00:28:43.79\00:28:45.12
And, of course, it sets us
up for a great coming famine
00:28:45.15\00:28:48.62
and we're going to see about
00:28:48.66\00:28:49.99
what this famine
is in just a moment.
00:28:50.03\00:28:51.36
I want to read
another quote here.
00:28:51.39\00:28:52.79
This is from Early
Writings, page 54 and 56.
00:28:52.83\00:28:58.67
Of course, this is in
reference to another vision
00:28:58.70\00:29:01.50
that she had received
00:29:01.54\00:29:02.87
about the heavenly
throne room of God,
00:29:02.90\00:29:04.91
Jesus and the Father
sitting on the throne
00:29:04.94\00:29:06.57
and then they get up,
00:29:06.61\00:29:07.94
they leave the Holy Place
00:29:07.98\00:29:09.31
and go into the Most Holy Place,
00:29:09.34\00:29:10.95
but notice what
she says she saw here.
00:29:10.98\00:29:12.68
She says,
00:29:12.71\00:29:14.05
"Before the throne I
saw the advent people,
00:29:14.08\00:29:16.38
the church and the
world, I saw two companies.
00:29:16.42\00:29:20.46
One bowed down
before the throne,
00:29:20.49\00:29:22.99
deeply interested,
00:29:23.02\00:29:24.49
while the other stood,"
00:29:24.53\00:29:25.86
notice the words,
00:29:25.89\00:29:27.23
"uninterested and careless.
00:29:27.26\00:29:29.73
Then I saw an
exceeding bright light
00:29:29.76\00:29:31.43
come from the Father to the Son,
00:29:31.47\00:29:34.10
and from the Son it
waved over the people
00:29:34.14\00:29:36.30
before the throne.
00:29:36.34\00:29:38.84
But few would
receive this great light.
00:29:38.87\00:29:41.88
Many came out from under it
and immediately resisted it.
00:29:41.91\00:29:45.98
Others were careless and
did not cherish the light
00:29:46.01\00:29:48.68
and it moved off from them.
00:29:48.72\00:29:51.72
Then Jesus rose
up from the throne
00:29:51.75\00:29:54.09
and the most of those,
00:29:54.12\00:29:56.12
who were bowed
down arose with Him.
00:29:56.16\00:29:59.63
I did not see one ray of light
00:29:59.66\00:30:01.86
pass from Jesus to
the careless multitude
00:30:01.90\00:30:04.90
after He rose,
00:30:04.93\00:30:06.74
and they were left
in perfect darkness."
00:30:06.77\00:30:13.31
And I have to ask a question,
00:30:13.34\00:30:14.68
"How does the church
get to that condition?"
00:30:17.85\00:30:21.72
Now I want to clarify something.
00:30:21.75\00:30:23.12
When I say the
church, of course,
00:30:23.15\00:30:24.72
we're not talking about
everyone in the church, right?
00:30:24.75\00:30:28.16
The church is a body
00:30:28.19\00:30:29.86
and there just
happens to be wheat and tares
00:30:29.89\00:30:32.09
in that body.
00:30:32.13\00:30:34.10
But, of course,
00:30:34.13\00:30:35.46
how do people in the
church come to this condition?
00:30:35.50\00:30:40.10
How do they
arrive at this condition?
00:30:40.14\00:30:43.64
Of course,
there's multiple texts
00:30:43.67\00:30:45.04
and multiple passages
00:30:45.07\00:30:46.41
that I could
reference about this,
00:30:46.44\00:30:49.44
but there's one particular text
00:30:49.48\00:30:51.38
that comes to mind when
answering that question.
00:30:51.41\00:30:53.68
How in the world
00:30:53.72\00:30:55.25
do people reach
this state of apostasy,
00:30:55.28\00:30:58.69
the state of
defecting from truth,
00:30:58.72\00:31:01.46
divorcing themselves from Jesus
00:31:01.49\00:31:03.59
and which they will be caught up
00:31:03.63\00:31:05.19
in this great
famine that is coming?
00:31:05.23\00:31:08.60
Luke 9:23, Jesus
gives us the solution,
00:31:08.63\00:31:14.54
but notice what
the solution includes.
00:31:14.57\00:31:16.57
It says,
00:31:16.60\00:31:17.94
"Then He said to them all,
00:31:17.97\00:31:19.31
'If anyone
desires to come after Me,
00:31:19.34\00:31:23.11
let him deny himself,
00:31:23.14\00:31:25.78
and take up his cross
daily, and follow Me.'"
00:31:25.81\00:31:30.89
So how does a person
00:31:30.92\00:31:32.65
anyone in the church
00:31:32.69\00:31:34.16
arrive to this
careless, indifferent,
00:31:34.19\00:31:36.66
complacent
condition of Laodicea?
00:31:36.69\00:31:40.60
Lukewarmness.
00:31:40.63\00:31:42.53
How does it happen?
00:31:42.56\00:31:44.67
Well, it happens
00:31:44.70\00:31:46.90
because people abandon
00:31:46.94\00:31:49.04
their daily genuine
Christian walk with Christ.
00:31:49.07\00:31:55.11
They abandoned their
daily looking unto Christ
00:31:55.14\00:32:00.15
and having a genuine
00:32:00.18\00:32:01.52
spirit-filled
experience with Him.
00:32:01.55\00:32:04.09
Notice, how I keep saying daily,
00:32:04.12\00:32:06.12
because what did Christ say?
00:32:06.15\00:32:07.89
Let him deny himself
00:32:07.92\00:32:09.26
and take up his
cross, how often?
00:32:09.29\00:32:11.06
Daily.
00:32:11.09\00:32:13.09
You see, you got a
lot of people, my friends,
00:32:13.13\00:32:14.83
a lot of Christians,
00:32:14.86\00:32:16.20
professed
Christians, in the church,
00:32:16.23\00:32:18.80
who are not having that
00:32:18.83\00:32:20.17
daily communion
experience with Christ.
00:32:20.20\00:32:24.01
They profess them as Jesus says,
00:32:24.04\00:32:25.57
they honor Me with their lips,
but their heart is far from Me.
00:32:25.61\00:32:30.01
Many of us find
ourselves in that condition,
00:32:30.05\00:32:32.81
some of us can't see
it because we're deceived.
00:32:32.85\00:32:36.79
Deceived into believing that
we know Jesus when we do not,
00:32:36.82\00:32:40.02
deceived into believing
that we're gonna go to heaven,
00:32:40.06\00:32:42.49
when in reality,
if we don't shape up,
00:32:42.52\00:32:44.63
examine ourselves
00:32:44.66\00:32:45.99
and allow Jesus to
cleanse us from the inside out,
00:32:46.03\00:32:48.13
we won't be seeing
the kingdom of God,
00:32:48.16\00:32:49.73
as Jesus said.
00:32:49.76\00:32:51.83
Paul wrote of
this daily experience,
00:32:51.87\00:32:54.70
this great righteousness
by faith experience.
00:32:54.74\00:32:59.31
He referred to
it using the words
00:32:59.34\00:33:01.98
from faith to faith,
00:33:02.01\00:33:04.41
day by day, glory to glory.
00:33:04.45\00:33:09.52
You see,
00:33:09.55\00:33:11.19
the righteousness
by faith experience
00:33:11.22\00:33:13.69
is a daily ongoing
experience with Jesus.
00:33:13.72\00:33:19.13
And the condition
of Laodicea exists,
00:33:19.16\00:33:23.43
this falling away apostasy
experience exists for many,
00:33:23.47\00:33:30.37
because they are not
having a genuine step by step,
00:33:30.41\00:33:36.44
day by day, faith to faith,
00:33:36.48\00:33:40.15
glory to glory
moment with Jesus.
00:33:40.18\00:33:41.88
You see,
00:33:41.92\00:33:43.25
what Paul is
describing in his letters
00:33:43.28\00:33:44.62
when he writes about
00:33:44.65\00:33:45.99
this righteousness
by faith experience
00:33:46.02\00:33:47.56
and coming to know Christ
00:33:47.59\00:33:50.43
and Him washing you
00:33:50.46\00:33:51.79
and cleansing you
daily from your sins,
00:33:51.83\00:33:53.76
you see that is a process.
00:33:53.80\00:33:55.96
We know it's a lifelong
process of sanctification,
00:33:56.00\00:33:58.53
but it's a
never-ending ongoing process.
00:33:58.57\00:34:00.77
And some people,
00:34:00.80\00:34:02.14
well, truth is they
have hit the pause button
00:34:02.17\00:34:04.87
on their
righteousness by faith journey.
00:34:04.91\00:34:07.18
We've reached a point
that for whatever reason
00:34:07.21\00:34:08.74
we become distracted,
we become complacent,
00:34:08.78\00:34:12.11
we become comfortable
00:34:12.15\00:34:14.02
in our peace and
safety environment,
00:34:14.05\00:34:17.49
and we stop seeking
and looking and searching
00:34:17.52\00:34:21.92
for the
righteousness of Jesus Christ.
00:34:21.96\00:34:24.39
You see, many of
us hear this language,
00:34:24.43\00:34:27.10
righteousness by faith,
00:34:27.13\00:34:28.83
righteousness by
faith experience,
00:34:28.86\00:34:31.07
and sometimes we
really can't fully grasp
00:34:31.10\00:34:32.93
what is that,
what does that mean?
00:34:32.97\00:34:35.17
And, Ryan, what do you mean
00:34:35.20\00:34:36.54
by people have
pressed the pause button
00:34:36.57\00:34:38.24
on their righteousness
by faith experience?
00:34:38.27\00:34:40.11
Well, I'm going to take
you to Matthew Chapter 5 here.
00:34:40.14\00:34:42.88
I want to spell this
out for you very clearly.
00:34:42.91\00:34:44.81
Probably, in no
other passage of scripture
00:34:44.85\00:34:47.02
is it more clear,
00:34:47.05\00:34:49.15
clearly mapped out,
I guess you could say,
00:34:49.18\00:34:50.89
as it did Christ
make it more clear
00:34:50.92\00:34:54.46
other than Matthew Chapter 5
00:34:54.49\00:34:55.82
here in the, what
we call the Beatitudes.
00:34:55.86\00:35:00.03
Now many people
read the Beatitudes
00:35:00.06\00:35:01.40
and they see them
00:35:01.43\00:35:02.76
as these kinds of
individual bullet point,
00:35:02.80\00:35:04.50
you know, just kind of like,
00:35:04.53\00:35:06.03
you know, blessed
is this kind of person,
00:35:06.07\00:35:07.74
and blessed is
this kind of person,
00:35:07.77\00:35:09.20
and oh, these kind of
people will be blessed.
00:35:09.24\00:35:10.84
But really,
00:35:10.87\00:35:12.21
what Christ is
doing in the Beatitudes
00:35:12.24\00:35:14.04
is He's mapping out,
00:35:14.08\00:35:15.54
He's showing you a step by step,
00:35:15.58\00:35:18.51
you know,
00:35:18.55\00:35:19.88
one level of
Christian character development
00:35:19.91\00:35:21.92
to the next kind of experience
00:35:21.95\00:35:24.59
that we call
righteousness by faith.
00:35:24.62\00:35:26.99
So why don't we go
there, Matthew Chapter 5?
00:35:27.02\00:35:29.32
I want to show you this
very clearly in the Bible.
00:35:29.36\00:35:31.76
We're gonna read
through these Beatitudes
00:35:31.79\00:35:33.13
and I'm gonna show you how
they're all interconnected.
00:35:33.16\00:35:35.90
Jesus is spelling out.
00:35:35.93\00:35:37.80
He's illustrating out.
00:35:37.83\00:35:39.43
He's clearly
putting it on display
00:35:39.47\00:35:41.34
as to what this righteousness
by faith experience must be
00:35:41.37\00:35:45.51
if you're going to make sure
00:35:45.54\00:35:47.14
that you're not caught
up in the great falling away
00:35:47.18\00:35:49.68
and find yourself in trouble
during the coming famine.
00:35:49.71\00:35:54.78
Matthew Chapter 5,
00:35:54.82\00:35:56.25
we're going to
start reading in verse 3.
00:35:56.28\00:35:57.95
Notice, what the Bible says.
00:35:57.99\00:35:59.69
Of course, Jesus is speaking
00:35:59.72\00:36:01.39
and He gives us that
first great Beatitude.
00:36:01.42\00:36:04.03
"Blessed are the
poor in spirit, for theirs
00:36:04.06\00:36:07.46
is the kingdom of heaven."
00:36:07.50\00:36:10.33
And you can go
through and read these.
00:36:10.37\00:36:11.70
Blessed are those who
mourn, blessed are the meek,
00:36:11.73\00:36:13.67
blessed are...
00:36:13.70\00:36:15.04
And so again,
00:36:15.07\00:36:16.40
we almost look at it
almost in a poetic sense,
00:36:16.44\00:36:18.07
like Jesus is just like, ah,
00:36:18.11\00:36:19.44
blessed are this kind of people,
00:36:19.47\00:36:21.14
blessed are those
kind of people over there,
00:36:21.18\00:36:23.31
oh, these kinds of
people would be blessed.
00:36:23.35\00:36:24.91
But, my friends, notice,
00:36:24.95\00:36:26.28
Jesus is actually taking us
00:36:26.31\00:36:27.65
through the righteousness
by faith experience,
00:36:27.68\00:36:30.12
so somebody has
pressed the pause button
00:36:30.15\00:36:32.95
along this journey.
00:36:32.99\00:36:34.32
You don't want to
press that pause button.
00:36:34.36\00:36:36.39
You want to make sure that
you continue on this journey
00:36:36.42\00:36:38.66
because Jesus wants you
00:36:38.69\00:36:40.33
to have a genuine
experience with Him.
00:36:40.36\00:36:43.26
So what does Jesus
say right off the cuff?
00:36:43.30\00:36:45.60
Blessed are the poor in spirit,
00:36:45.63\00:36:49.90
for theirs is the
kingdom of heaven.
00:36:49.94\00:36:53.74
Interesting.
00:36:53.78\00:36:55.54
What does Jesus mean by this?
00:36:55.58\00:36:58.28
What does He mean
blessed are the poor in spirit?
00:36:58.31\00:37:02.08
Again, when the
Pharisees heard this,
00:37:02.12\00:37:03.59
you could just imagine
their mouths flew open,
00:37:03.62\00:37:06.35
you know, whoop,
whoop, what did He just say?
00:37:06.39\00:37:08.52
Whoa, you know,
00:37:08.56\00:37:09.89
because all they probably
heard was blessed are the poor.
00:37:09.92\00:37:13.09
Because back in
their day if you were poor
00:37:13.13\00:37:15.36
and you weren't rich,
you were cursed, right?
00:37:15.40\00:37:17.83
You were cursed by God.
00:37:17.87\00:37:19.20
If you were rich
00:37:19.23\00:37:20.57
and you were an
abundance of worldly goods,
00:37:20.60\00:37:22.17
well, then you
must be blessed by God
00:37:22.20\00:37:23.57
because He has given you
all these wonderful things
00:37:23.61\00:37:26.07
and He's prospered you.
00:37:26.11\00:37:27.81
And so I'm sure probably
the Pharisees off to the side,
00:37:27.84\00:37:30.05
they're hearing Jesus,
you know, say these words
00:37:30.08\00:37:32.15
and they're just
oh, what He just said,
00:37:32.18\00:37:33.75
blessed are the poor,
but that's not what He said.
00:37:33.78\00:37:35.38
He didn't said
blessed are the poor.
00:37:35.42\00:37:36.75
He said blessed
are the poor in spirit.
00:37:36.79\00:37:38.62
What in the
world does that mean?
00:37:38.65\00:37:42.32
You see, Jesus is
giving us the very first step
00:37:42.36\00:37:48.86
that we must experience
00:37:48.90\00:37:52.03
in order to have a
genuine experience with Him.
00:37:52.07\00:37:56.54
When He says, blessed
are the poor in spirit,
00:37:56.57\00:37:58.34
what He's saying is
00:37:58.37\00:38:00.61
blessed are you
00:38:00.64\00:38:02.41
when you realize
your spiritual poverty.
00:38:02.44\00:38:07.08
Blessed are you
00:38:07.12\00:38:08.45
when you come to
the point in your life
00:38:08.48\00:38:09.82
where you realize
00:38:09.85\00:38:11.19
you have hit rock bottom
00:38:11.22\00:38:12.55
and there's nothing
else for you to give.
00:38:12.59\00:38:15.59
Blessed are you
00:38:15.62\00:38:16.96
when you come to the realization
00:38:16.99\00:38:18.36
that you see your condition
00:38:18.39\00:38:20.36
and you recognize
00:38:20.40\00:38:21.73
that you are
spiritually bankrupt
00:38:21.76\00:38:25.50
and that only
Jesus Christ, the Savior
00:38:25.53\00:38:30.21
can get you out.
00:38:30.24\00:38:33.17
Blessed are the poor in spirit,
00:38:33.21\00:38:36.64
for theirs is the
kingdom of heaven.
00:38:36.68\00:38:39.75
But then notice
the next Beatitude,
00:38:39.78\00:38:41.32
He says in verse 4,
00:38:41.35\00:38:44.42
"Blessed are those
00:38:44.45\00:38:46.32
who mourn, for they
shall be comforted."
00:38:46.35\00:38:49.86
Interesting.
00:38:49.89\00:38:52.16
So blessed are
the poor in spirit,
00:38:52.19\00:38:55.13
for theirs is the
kingdom of heaven.
00:38:55.16\00:38:56.56
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they shall be comforted.
00:38:56.60\00:38:59.80
So people who are mourning,
00:38:59.83\00:39:01.77
you know,
they're blessed, right?
00:39:01.80\00:39:03.30
Well, some people would
probably disagree with that.
00:39:03.34\00:39:05.17
Well, when they're mourning,
00:39:05.21\00:39:06.54
they probably
don't feel very blessed.
00:39:06.57\00:39:07.91
But it's in connection
to the previous Beatitude,
00:39:07.94\00:39:10.61
you see the natural
response when you realize.
00:39:10.65\00:39:15.08
Once you realize
your spiritual depravity,
00:39:15.12\00:39:19.72
you will mourn but
yet you'll be comforted.
00:39:19.75\00:39:24.33
You see, when you realize that
your sins nailed Jesus Christ,
00:39:24.36\00:39:29.26
the Son of God, to a cross
00:39:29.30\00:39:31.53
that because of
your sins He had to die.
00:39:31.57\00:39:34.60
When that, when you
really comprehend that
00:39:34.64\00:39:36.54
and that settles into your mind,
00:39:36.57\00:39:38.27
it brings about
a natural response.
00:39:38.31\00:39:40.11
In fact, it's talked
about in Zachariah Chapter 12,
00:39:40.14\00:39:43.01
I believe it is,
00:39:43.04\00:39:44.38
where he makes
it very, very clear
00:39:44.41\00:39:45.98
that they will look upon me,
00:39:46.01\00:39:47.35
whom they have
pierced and they will mourn.
00:39:47.38\00:39:50.59
That's the natural response.
00:39:50.62\00:39:52.02
Jesus, You died for
me, I deserved that death.
00:39:52.05\00:39:55.36
I deserve to die
on a cross, not You.
00:39:55.39\00:39:57.99
You're perfect,
You're wonderful,
00:39:58.03\00:39:59.66
You've never sinned,
00:39:59.69\00:40:01.03
You don't deserve my punishment,
00:40:01.06\00:40:02.40
but Jesus did it out of love.
00:40:02.43\00:40:04.03
And when you
comprehend that, you will mourn,
00:40:04.07\00:40:10.31
but yet you'll be comforted.
00:40:10.34\00:40:12.54
Notice, the next
Beatitude, verse 5,
00:40:15.74\00:40:19.51
"Blessed are the meek,
00:40:19.55\00:40:22.35
for they shall
inherit the earth."
00:40:22.38\00:40:23.95
Blessed are the meek,
00:40:28.36\00:40:30.63
for they shall
inherit the earth.
00:40:30.66\00:40:33.06
You see, this is in
connection to the previous two.
00:40:33.09\00:40:37.57
You see, after you're
broken by the love of Jesus,
00:40:37.60\00:40:43.27
you adopt an
attitude of meekness.
00:40:43.30\00:40:46.98
That's right.
00:40:47.01\00:40:49.51
Which brings us to
our next Beatitude,
00:40:49.54\00:40:52.35
"Blessed are those
who do hunger and thirst
00:40:52.38\00:40:55.62
for righteousness,
for they shall be filled."
00:40:55.65\00:41:00.82
Notice, how this
is Jesus taking you
00:41:00.86\00:41:02.66
from one level of
Christian character development
00:41:02.69\00:41:04.96
to the next.
00:41:04.99\00:41:06.80
So before you became meek,
00:41:06.83\00:41:09.26
because you were
broken by the love of Jesus
00:41:09.30\00:41:12.77
and you adopted an
attitude of meekness.
00:41:12.80\00:41:14.44
So when you adopt an
attitude of meekness,
00:41:14.47\00:41:18.14
true genuine
Christ-like meekness,
00:41:18.17\00:41:21.94
you begin to hunger and
thirst for His righteousness.
00:41:21.98\00:41:27.52
That's powerful.
00:41:27.55\00:41:29.68
Jesus is taking it.
He's mapping it out.
00:41:29.72\00:41:34.16
And then, of course, verse 7,
00:41:34.19\00:41:36.52
"Blessed are the merciful,
for they shall obtain mercy."
00:41:36.56\00:41:41.10
You see,
00:41:41.13\00:41:42.46
there's a difference between
human mercy and godly mercy.
00:41:42.50\00:41:49.40
You see, once you accept
00:41:49.44\00:41:51.64
the righteousness
of Christ in your life,
00:41:51.67\00:41:55.98
you become merciful.
00:41:56.01\00:41:57.35
That's just the
natural response.
00:41:57.38\00:41:59.28
Jesus is shaping and
molding you into the person
00:41:59.31\00:42:02.62
that He wants you to be,
00:42:02.65\00:42:03.99
that vessel of
honor for His kingdom.
00:42:04.02\00:42:06.45
So when you hunger and
thirst for righteousness,
00:42:06.49\00:42:08.92
you begin to
receive His righteousness
00:42:08.96\00:42:10.96
on your behalf,
00:42:10.99\00:42:12.33
and when you accept
the righteousness of Christ
00:42:12.36\00:42:14.36
in your life,
00:42:14.40\00:42:15.73
you become merciful.
00:42:15.76\00:42:17.10
But it's not just
any old kind of mercy.
00:42:17.13\00:42:19.13
We're gonna see what
that is in just a moment.
00:42:19.17\00:42:20.67
Let's go to the next Beatitude
because it's in connection.
00:42:20.70\00:42:23.41
"Blessed are the pure in heart,
00:42:23.44\00:42:26.54
for they shall see God."
00:42:26.57\00:42:30.98
Pure in heart,
00:42:31.01\00:42:33.08
so how does that
connect to the previous one?
00:42:33.11\00:42:35.18
Very simple.
00:42:35.22\00:42:36.55
Once you are
merciful, true godly mercy,
00:42:36.58\00:42:41.12
once you are merciful,
00:42:41.16\00:42:42.62
and here it is,
true godly mercy,
00:42:42.66\00:42:44.89
and begin to treat
others the way God treats us,
00:42:44.93\00:42:49.20
then and only then
00:42:52.43\00:42:54.40
you become pure in heart.
00:42:54.44\00:42:58.04
Now will you ever feel that way?
00:42:58.07\00:42:59.41
I don't think
any of us are gonna,
00:42:59.44\00:43:00.78
you know, wake up
one day and be like,
00:43:00.81\00:43:02.14
"Oh, man, I just feel
so pure in heart today.
00:43:02.18\00:43:04.55
I just feel so perfect."
00:43:04.58\00:43:06.48
None of us are
gonna feel that way,
00:43:06.51\00:43:09.22
because when you look
at Christ's righteousness
00:43:09.25\00:43:11.69
and you see your own,
00:43:11.72\00:43:13.05
you kind of have
that Isaiah experience.
00:43:13.09\00:43:15.02
Woe is me, right?
00:43:15.06\00:43:16.62
For I am undone,
I am a sinful man,
00:43:16.66\00:43:19.06
oh, woe is me, right?
00:43:19.09\00:43:21.06
I'm the chief of sinners.
00:43:21.10\00:43:22.43
That's how Paul made it out.
00:43:22.46\00:43:24.43
He said, I feel like
the chief of sinners,
00:43:24.47\00:43:26.94
but yet God sees you.
00:43:26.97\00:43:29.20
He sees that when you
begin to show true godly mercy,
00:43:29.24\00:43:33.14
you begin to treat
others the way He treats us,
00:43:33.17\00:43:37.35
then through His eyes
you are pure in heart.
00:43:37.38\00:43:41.28
But it doesn't stop there.
00:43:44.39\00:43:46.69
Notice, verse 9,
00:43:46.72\00:43:48.76
"Blessed are the peacemakers,
00:43:48.79\00:43:52.26
for they shall be
called sons of God."
00:43:52.29\00:43:56.40
And what in the
world does that have to do
00:43:56.43\00:43:58.07
with the previous Beatitudes?
00:43:58.10\00:43:59.43
Again, we're on a journey.
00:43:59.47\00:44:00.84
Christ is
changing us, so here it is.
00:44:00.87\00:44:04.01
Once you are pure in heart,
00:44:04.04\00:44:08.81
you begin to live
00:44:08.84\00:44:10.68
and share the message
of the Prince of Peace.
00:44:10.71\00:44:17.35
Christ has
taken you on a journey
00:44:17.39\00:44:20.06
from one level of
Christian character development
00:44:20.09\00:44:22.09
to the next.
00:44:22.12\00:44:24.96
You're pure in heart.
00:44:24.99\00:44:27.80
You've received the
peace of God in your life.
00:44:27.83\00:44:31.43
You have accepted
00:44:31.47\00:44:32.80
the Prince of
Peace's righteousness
00:44:32.83\00:44:36.44
and so now
00:44:36.47\00:44:37.87
you begin to live out
00:44:37.91\00:44:39.57
and share that message of peace,
00:44:39.61\00:44:42.34
the message of
Jesus with others.
00:44:42.38\00:44:45.81
You don't do it
because you're prompted to.
00:44:49.65\00:44:52.95
You don't do it
because you tell yourself
00:44:52.99\00:44:54.66
well, I'm a Christian
00:44:54.69\00:44:56.42
and that's what
I'm supposed to do.
00:44:56.46\00:44:58.66
You see, it's a
natural response.
00:44:58.69\00:45:02.50
It's kind of like
00:45:02.53\00:45:05.40
when someone burns their finger
00:45:05.43\00:45:07.50
or burns their
hand in a hot fire,
00:45:07.54\00:45:10.64
they don't leave it there
00:45:10.67\00:45:12.01
and go oh, that
burns, that's hot.
00:45:12.04\00:45:16.04
There's a natural
response to pull back into,
00:45:16.08\00:45:19.01
because you've been hurt.
00:45:19.05\00:45:22.78
I know that's probably
not the greatest illustration,
00:45:22.82\00:45:26.25
but nonetheless
in a positive sense.
00:45:26.29\00:45:30.46
When you have a
relationship with Jesus Christ,
00:45:30.49\00:45:32.83
a true genuine daily
experience with Christ,
00:45:32.86\00:45:37.93
the natural
response of living out
00:45:37.97\00:45:41.27
and declaring the message
of the Prince of Peace is that
00:45:41.30\00:45:44.64
you just got to do it.
00:45:44.67\00:45:46.64
It's a part of your life.
00:45:46.68\00:45:48.01
It's a lifestyle now,
00:45:48.04\00:45:51.05
because God has
bestowed His love upon you,
00:45:51.08\00:45:53.72
you can't help to tell
people about it and about Him,
00:45:53.75\00:46:00.36
which leads us
00:46:00.39\00:46:02.32
to the last
Beatitude of this section.
00:46:02.36\00:46:06.80
Verse 10,
00:46:06.83\00:46:09.30
"Blessed are those
00:46:09.33\00:46:11.43
who are persecuted
for righteousness' sake,
00:46:11.47\00:46:15.90
for theirs is the
kingdom of heaven."
00:46:15.94\00:46:19.37
Wait, wait, a second.
00:46:19.41\00:46:20.74
Jesus, hey, you're
supposed to end on a good note.
00:46:20.78\00:46:23.95
You're supposed to end
with something positive, Jesus.
00:46:23.98\00:46:26.95
See we're kind of
in that mind frame
00:46:26.98\00:46:28.38
where everything kind of
lead to this big happy ending.
00:46:28.42\00:46:32.05
And in reality,
this is a happy ending,
00:46:32.09\00:46:34.82
but the words don't necessarily
resonate well with us.
00:46:34.86\00:46:39.16
Blessed are those
who are persecuted.
00:46:39.19\00:46:41.96
Jesus, you're telling me that
I'm gonna be persecuted, what?
00:46:42.00\00:46:46.43
That's what
You're leading me to.
00:46:46.47\00:46:48.07
Well, it's not in God's
plan for you to be persecuted,
00:46:48.10\00:46:51.57
but nonetheless,
there's an enemy.
00:46:51.61\00:46:54.24
And as long as
that enemy exists,
00:46:54.28\00:46:57.91
the kingdom agenda of God
00:46:57.95\00:47:01.12
flies in the face
00:47:01.15\00:47:03.05
of the dark agenda of the enemy.
00:47:03.08\00:47:07.46
You see, once you are
living, genuinely living,
00:47:07.49\00:47:11.63
and sharing the
message of the Prince of Peace,
00:47:11.66\00:47:15.40
Jesus Christ,
00:47:15.43\00:47:17.83
you will receive persecution,
00:47:17.87\00:47:23.00
not you might, you know,
not that you could, you will.
00:47:23.04\00:47:27.98
That's why
Jesus says, you shall.
00:47:28.01\00:47:31.01
Those who receive Him
00:47:31.05\00:47:32.58
shall be
persecuted for His name sake.
00:47:32.61\00:47:36.25
Now some of us,
00:47:36.28\00:47:38.55
we don't really know
what it means to be persecuted
00:47:38.59\00:47:43.69
and many of us of all of
that that we just read through.
00:47:43.73\00:47:46.39
Again, let me read through these
00:47:46.43\00:47:47.76
really quickly
here so you get it.
00:47:47.80\00:47:49.13
You see, blessed are you
00:47:49.16\00:47:50.50
when you realize
your spiritual poverty.
00:47:50.53\00:47:52.37
It starts there.
00:47:52.40\00:47:53.74
And then once you
realize your spiritual depravity
00:47:53.77\00:47:56.10
that you're bankrupt,
00:47:56.14\00:47:57.54
you see, you're gonna mourn
00:47:57.57\00:47:58.91
because you recognize that
00:47:58.94\00:48:00.28
Jesus has
bestowed His love upon you.
00:48:00.31\00:48:02.64
He wants to change you.
00:48:02.68\00:48:04.01
He has taken your penalty,
and therefore you'll mourn,
00:48:04.05\00:48:07.72
but He's gonna
come, sweep you up,
00:48:07.75\00:48:09.72
and He's gonna comfort you.
00:48:09.75\00:48:11.99
After being broken
by the love of God,
00:48:12.02\00:48:14.76
you adopt an
attitude of meekness.
00:48:14.79\00:48:18.66
And, of course, when you
adopt an attitude of meekness,
00:48:18.69\00:48:21.16
you hunger and
thirst for righteousness.
00:48:21.20\00:48:25.47
The next one,
00:48:25.50\00:48:27.07
once you accept the
righteousness of Christ
00:48:27.10\00:48:29.90
in your life,
00:48:29.94\00:48:31.51
you become
merciful, true godly mercy.
00:48:31.54\00:48:35.38
And, of course,
once you are merciful
00:48:35.41\00:48:37.28
and begin to treat
others the way God treats us,
00:48:37.31\00:48:41.55
then you become pure in heart.
00:48:41.58\00:48:45.15
And then once you
are pure in heart,
00:48:45.19\00:48:48.12
you begin to live and share
00:48:48.16\00:48:49.49
the message of
the Prince of Peace.
00:48:49.52\00:48:52.56
And then, of course, once
you are living and sharing
00:48:52.59\00:48:55.46
the message of
the Prince and Peace,
00:48:55.50\00:48:58.43
you will receive persecution.
00:48:58.47\00:49:01.80
Why doesn't it seem like
00:49:05.71\00:49:07.04
there's more
persecution in the church today?
00:49:07.08\00:49:11.81
That's an interesting thought.
00:49:11.85\00:49:13.62
Now you may be
watching and saying,
00:49:13.65\00:49:14.98
well, Ryan I'm
persecuted all the time.
00:49:15.02\00:49:17.15
Only you and God truly
know if that's the case.
00:49:17.19\00:49:21.12
But it just doesn't seem like
there's much persecution today.
00:49:21.16\00:49:24.43
I want to read you a quote
00:49:24.46\00:49:25.79
from Great Controversy, page 48.
00:49:25.83\00:49:27.70
Listen to this quote.
00:49:27.73\00:49:30.30
So she asks a
question, she says,
00:49:30.33\00:49:32.37
"Why is it, then,
00:49:32.40\00:49:34.14
that persecution seems in
a great degree to slumber?"
00:49:34.17\00:49:38.01
She says,
00:49:38.04\00:49:39.37
"The only reason is
that the church has conformed
00:49:39.41\00:49:41.14
to the world's standard
00:49:41.18\00:49:43.58
and therefore
awakens no opposition.
00:49:43.61\00:49:46.72
The religion which
is current in our day
00:49:46.75\00:49:48.52
is not of the
pure and holy character
00:49:48.55\00:49:51.39
that marked the Christian faith
00:49:51.42\00:49:53.05
in the days of
Christ and His apostles.
00:49:53.09\00:49:55.92
It is only because of
the spirit of compromise
00:49:55.96\00:49:58.83
with sin,
00:49:58.86\00:50:00.86
because the great
truths of the word of God
00:50:00.90\00:50:03.13
are so indifferently regarded,
00:50:03.16\00:50:05.83
because there is so little
vital godliness in the church
00:50:05.87\00:50:08.60
that Christianity is apparently
so popular with the world.
00:50:08.64\00:50:13.01
Let there be, she says, notice,
00:50:13.04\00:50:15.38
"Let there be a
revival of the faith
00:50:15.41\00:50:19.21
and power of the early church
00:50:19.25\00:50:21.45
and the spirit of
persecution will be revived
00:50:21.48\00:50:25.15
and the fires of
persecution will be rekindled."
00:50:25.19\00:50:28.42
Why is there no persecution?
00:50:34.23\00:50:39.33
Because we have people
that are not living out
00:50:39.37\00:50:42.40
and declaring the
message of the Prince of Peace.
00:50:42.44\00:50:47.01
We have people that
have pressed the pause button
00:50:47.04\00:50:48.91
somewhere along that journey,
00:50:48.94\00:50:51.25
perhaps maybe
they've accepted Jesus,
00:50:51.28\00:50:54.48
maybe they've had
that mournful experience,
00:50:54.52\00:50:57.32
but somewhere along the
way, they failed to become meek,
00:50:57.35\00:50:59.95
they failed to become humble,
they failed to become merciful,
00:50:59.99\00:51:02.82
perhaps they're not hungering
00:51:02.86\00:51:04.19
and thirsting for righteousness.
00:51:04.23\00:51:05.56
Again, that daily righteousness
by faith experience,
00:51:05.59\00:51:09.26
my friends.
00:51:09.30\00:51:12.50
You see, Acts 1:8
gives us some insight
00:51:12.53\00:51:15.94
of what the natural
response is of a person
00:51:15.97\00:51:19.91
who is genuinely led
by the Holy Spirit of God.
00:51:19.94\00:51:23.35
If you are genuinely led
by the Holy Spirit of God,
00:51:23.38\00:51:25.98
there's a natural response,
there's an automatic response.
00:51:26.01\00:51:29.88
Notice what it says, Acts 1:8
00:51:29.92\00:51:31.62
and I'm gonna
read a portion of it.
00:51:31.65\00:51:32.99
And here's what it
says, and then, of course,
00:51:33.02\00:51:34.76
this message comes from Jesus.
00:51:34.79\00:51:36.12
He says, "But you
shall receive power
00:51:36.16\00:51:38.53
when the Holy
Spirit has come upon you,
00:51:38.56\00:51:40.70
and you shall be
witnesses to Me."
00:51:40.73\00:51:44.33
You see, when the Holy Spirit
has come upon us, my friends,
00:51:44.37\00:51:46.53
we want, we desire,
00:51:46.57\00:51:47.90
we need to become
a witness for Christ,
00:51:47.94\00:51:51.84
because you're being led
00:51:51.87\00:51:53.21
by the true
genuine Spirit of God.
00:51:53.24\00:51:54.58
But many of us, my
friends, have mercy.
00:51:54.61\00:51:59.05
We're quenching the Holy Spirit.
00:51:59.08\00:52:01.92
We're no longer listening
00:52:07.52\00:52:09.72
to the work of the
Holy Spirit in our life.
00:52:09.76\00:52:12.39
We're going our own way.
00:52:12.43\00:52:14.96
All we like
sheep have gone astray.
00:52:15.00\00:52:18.00
The work cannot be finished
00:52:21.87\00:52:24.87
and we cannot go home
00:52:24.91\00:52:27.68
until the church wakes up,
00:52:27.71\00:52:33.21
but there's a famine coming.
00:52:33.25\00:52:35.85
And because of
the current condition
00:52:35.88\00:52:38.19
many of us are not
ready for the famine.
00:52:38.22\00:52:41.29
Have you heard the story
about the four people named
00:52:41.32\00:52:44.43
everybody, somebody,
00:52:44.46\00:52:48.60
anybody, and nobody?
00:52:48.63\00:52:51.73
Let me tell you that story.
00:52:51.77\00:52:53.87
There was an
important job to be done
00:52:53.90\00:52:55.44
and everybody was sure
that somebody would do it.
00:52:55.47\00:52:59.11
Anybody could have
done it, but nobody did it.
00:52:59.14\00:53:01.74
Somebody got angry about this
because it was everybody's job.
00:53:01.78\00:53:06.48
Everybody thought
anybody could do it,
00:53:06.51\00:53:08.25
but nobody realized that
everybody wouldn't do it.
00:53:08.28\00:53:11.49
It ended up that
everybody blamed somebody,
00:53:11.52\00:53:13.62
when nobody did what
anybody could have done.
00:53:13.66\00:53:17.39
That right there
00:53:17.43\00:53:18.86
sums up the condition
for most Christians today.
00:53:18.89\00:53:23.90
We need the fire of the
Holy Spirit in our lives
00:53:23.93\00:53:27.14
to not only just wake us up,
00:53:27.17\00:53:29.37
but to give us the power
00:53:29.40\00:53:30.94
to declare the
truth of God's Word
00:53:30.97\00:53:32.51
to live it out among the world,
00:53:32.54\00:53:34.14
so that we can
prepare for the coming famine.
00:53:34.18\00:53:37.05
I've talked about a famine.
00:53:37.08\00:53:39.81
You see, what we
need in our time,
00:53:39.85\00:53:42.15
what we need
today is more Josephs.
00:53:42.18\00:53:44.72
Joseph experienced
a famine in his day.
00:53:44.75\00:53:48.76
Now I told you
there's a famine coming
00:53:48.79\00:53:51.13
and I believe that there is.
00:53:51.16\00:53:52.49
And I'm gonna tell you
about that famine right now
00:53:52.53\00:53:53.86
in our closing minutes.
00:53:53.90\00:53:55.50
Everything we've been
talking about leads up to this
00:53:55.53\00:53:57.33
and is connected to this.
00:53:57.37\00:54:00.17
If you think 2020
was bad, my friends,
00:54:00.20\00:54:05.04
if we're not rooted and
grounded in Jesus Christ,
00:54:05.07\00:54:06.74
I don't know that we're prepared
00:54:06.78\00:54:08.11
for what is coming.
00:54:08.14\00:54:09.48
You see, we need some Josephs.
00:54:09.51\00:54:11.55
You see, there's
a little something
00:54:11.58\00:54:12.91
we can learn from Joseph.
00:54:12.95\00:54:14.85
Joseph experienced some things.
00:54:14.88\00:54:17.69
You see, he had some brothers,
00:54:17.72\00:54:19.05
and, of course,
00:54:19.09\00:54:20.42
Joseph and his
brothers had the same father
00:54:20.46\00:54:22.86
but different mothers.
00:54:22.89\00:54:25.29
Did you catch that?
00:54:25.33\00:54:26.90
Joseph and his
brothers had the same father,
00:54:26.93\00:54:30.60
but different mothers,
00:54:30.63\00:54:32.53
just like us, right?
00:54:32.57\00:54:34.00
We all worship the
same God, but some of us,
00:54:34.04\00:54:36.67
well, we're kind of...
00:54:36.71\00:54:38.84
We're on our own
spiritual journey
00:54:38.87\00:54:40.78
that may not necessarily be
in connection with the Father.
00:54:40.81\00:54:44.51
You see, the 11.
Joseph had 11 brothers.
00:54:44.55\00:54:47.68
The 11 did not like Joseph, why?
00:54:47.72\00:54:51.62
Because he kept the
commandments of his father
00:54:51.65\00:54:54.02
and had the gift of prophecy.
00:54:54.06\00:54:58.86
And, of course,
00:54:58.89\00:55:00.23
he was persecuted for his faith,
00:55:00.26\00:55:01.60
just like many of
us will be persecuted
00:55:01.63\00:55:03.30
for our faith.
00:55:03.33\00:55:05.53
So he ends up in Egypt, right?
00:55:05.57\00:55:07.50
Persecuted, sent to Egypt,
00:55:07.54\00:55:09.50
the Mecca of false
worship of his day.
00:55:09.54\00:55:12.64
And while he's
there, he's tempted.
00:55:12.67\00:55:15.11
Get this, he's
tempted by a harlot.
00:55:15.14\00:55:17.28
And he's thrown into prison.
00:55:20.82\00:55:24.49
But because he had
the spirit of prophecy,
00:55:24.52\00:55:28.42
he was able to
interpret a dream by pharaoh.
00:55:28.46\00:55:30.89
What was pharaoh's dream?
00:55:30.93\00:55:32.26
Listen to this, my friends.
00:55:32.29\00:55:34.20
Remember the seven fat
cattle and the seven scrawny,
00:55:34.23\00:55:38.23
you know, sickly cattle
and it ate up the fat cattle.
00:55:38.27\00:55:41.84
Same thing with
the ears of corn.
00:55:41.87\00:55:43.34
Seven healthy ears of corn,
00:55:43.37\00:55:45.37
that represented
seven years of famine.
00:55:45.41\00:55:47.51
What did Joseph tell?
00:55:47.54\00:55:49.28
He foretold there
was a famine coming,
00:55:49.31\00:55:51.38
but how did he tell the people
to prepare for that famine?
00:55:51.41\00:55:54.82
See, many of us,
00:55:54.85\00:55:56.18
we need to receive this counsel.
00:55:56.22\00:55:58.99
We are told that
there's a famine coming.
00:55:59.02\00:56:02.62
You see, Joseph told his
people to prepare for the famine
00:56:02.66\00:56:07.80
during that seven years
of plenty to gather grain.
00:56:07.83\00:56:12.60
Now what did they
do with the grain?
00:56:12.63\00:56:14.24
They made bread.
00:56:14.27\00:56:16.34
You see, we need
to be gathering bread.
00:56:16.37\00:56:18.24
If we're gonna make it
through this coming famine.
00:56:18.27\00:56:19.91
In fact, Amos 8:11
reminds us of this famine.
00:56:19.94\00:56:23.61
"Behold, the days are coming."
00:56:23.65\00:56:25.11
Here it is,
00:56:25.15\00:56:26.48
"Says the Lord God,
00:56:26.51\00:56:27.85
'That I will send a
famine upon the land,
00:56:27.88\00:56:29.22
not a famine of bread
nor a thirst for water,
00:56:29.25\00:56:32.72
but a hearing of
the Word of the Lord.'"
00:56:32.75\00:56:36.49
My friends, a famine is coming
00:56:36.52\00:56:38.59
and Laodicea ain't ready for it.
00:56:38.63\00:56:41.63
We've got to get our
hearts right today, my friends.
00:56:41.66\00:56:44.43
Jesus is coming soon,
00:56:44.47\00:56:47.07
and so I echo the words found
in the first volume of the...
00:56:47.10\00:56:50.64
1 Manuscript from 1890
when Ellen White screamed,
00:56:50.67\00:56:53.74
I could just hear her screaming
in loving agony, God of heaven,
00:56:53.78\00:56:57.28
wake us up.
00:56:57.31\00:56:58.75
That should be our prayer today.
00:56:58.78\00:57:00.38
And my final appeal
to you today, my friends,
00:57:00.42\00:57:02.35
is pray that prayer.
00:57:02.38\00:57:04.05
God of heaven, wake me up,
00:57:04.09\00:57:06.12
wake me from my
Laodicean slumber.
00:57:06.15\00:57:08.62
Help me to receive this time
00:57:08.66\00:57:10.56
in which I'm
living to prepare bread
00:57:10.59\00:57:12.69
and to seek the Lord in His Word
00:57:12.73\00:57:14.70
to prepare my
heart for what is coming.
00:57:14.73\00:57:17.43
That should be our prayer.
00:57:17.47\00:57:18.80
In fact, let's
pray that in closing.
00:57:18.83\00:57:20.90
Father in heaven,
00:57:20.94\00:57:23.00
wake us up, Lord,
give us Your Holy Spirit,
00:57:23.04\00:57:27.18
prepare us for the
famine that is coming.
00:57:27.21\00:57:30.91
That is what we ask
in Jesus' holy name.
00:57:30.95\00:57:33.75
Amen.
00:57:33.78\00:57:35.18