Participants: James Rafferty
Series Code: 14SCM
Program Code: 14SCM000011S
|
00:38 Hello and welcome to 3ABN's 2014 Spring Camp Meeting.
00:44 This is another one of our big-themed events 00:46 and the whole weekend we are talking about the second coming 00:51 of Jesus Christ. I can't think of anything more important 00:55 to talk about. And we're very excited 00:58 to have all of you here. And I just want to say to you 01:01 good morning. And we are just hopeful that you are ready. 01:05 I know you had your cups filled yesterday, 01:09 but we're hopeful that you've got a little more room 01:12 'cause we've got a lot more that's coming. 01:14 This morning we are going to have James Rafferty 01:17 as our speaker. And James is the speaker and co-director 01:22 of Light Bearers Ministry. 01:24 I'll bet you all are familiar with him. 01:26 Have you seen their new program that James and Ty 01:28 and the ministry is doing called Table Talk? 01:32 It is one of the favorites for most people. 01:35 We get lots of wonderful comments on that. 01:37 James also has a program on Books of the Book. 01:42 But James early on recognized the call 01:46 of God on his life to go out and preach 01:50 the good news of Christ crucified, of the risen 01:54 and exalted Savior. 01:57 And he has had the opportunity - I'm going to read this - 02:00 he has been sharing the incomparable love of Jesus 02:04 in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Australia, 02:08 and all over America. 02:11 And in addition to his preaching 02:14 he also does seminars on the books of Daniel and Revelation. 02:19 So we're very very excited. His message today 02:23 will be The Apparent Delay. 02:26 But first we're going to have Celestine Barry 02:29 and her husband Michael come. 02:32 Michael is so talented on the piano, and Celestine is 02:37 an anointed singer. And she's going to be singing 02:40 The Power of the Cross. 03:23 Oh to see the dawn 03:28 of the darkest day 03:33 Christ on the road to 03:38 Calvary 03:42 tried by sinful men, 03:48 torn and beaten then 03:52 nailed to a cross of wood 04:00 This the pow'r 04:04 of the cross 04:09 Christ became 04:14 sin for us 04:18 took the blame, 04:22 bore the wrath 04:25 we stand forgiven 04:28 at the cross 04:41 Oh, to see the pain 04:45 written on Your face 04:50 bearing the awesome 04:54 weight of sin 04:58 every bitter thought, 05:03 every evil deed 05:07 crowning Your bloodstained brow 05:15 This the pow'r 05:19 of the cross 05:23 Christ became 05:28 sin for us 05:32 took the blame, 05:36 bore the wrath 05:38 we stand forgiven 05:42 at the cross 05:57 Now the daylight flees 06:01 Now the ground beneath 06:06 quakes as its Maker 06:10 bows His head 06:15 curtain torn in two 06:19 dead are raised to life 06:23 "finished" 06:25 the victory cry 06:30 This the pow'r 06:35 of the cross 06:39 Christ became 06:43 sin for us 06:47 took the blame, 06:51 bore the wrath 06:53 we stand forgiven 06:57 at that cross 07:09 Oh, to see my name 07:13 written in the wounds 07:17 for through Your suffering 07:21 I am free 07:25 death is crushed to death 07:29 life is mine to live 07:33 won through Your selfless love 07:40 This the pow'r 07:45 of the cross 07:48 Son of God 07:52 slain for us 07:56 what a love, 08:00 what a cost 08:03 We stand forgiven at 08:09 the cross... 08:17 at the cross. 08:24 Amen. 08:35 Amen. 08:42 I'm assuming that you're clapping because I'm here... 08:47 not because of anything else. 08:51 But you understand that it's important for a preacher 08:54 to have a good illustration for his sermon... 09:03 especially one that is somewhat relaxing to the audience 09:07 and gets us ready for... Let's open our Bibles 09:10 to II Peter chapter 3 as we begin. 09:13 I've heard some very good reports about Camp Meeting 09:16 so far, and I'm very blessed to be part of this opportunity 09:22 to look into one of the most fundamental 09:26 truths of the Bible: the second coming. 09:28 And of course, my presentation this morning - 09:31 the time that we're going to be spending this morning 09:34 in the Word of God - has to do with the apparent delay. 09:37 And there's different ways that you can interpret that title. 09:40 I didn't choose the title... it was given to me. 09:43 But one of the ways that we can understand that title 09:46 is the apparent delay. It's not really a delay, 09:49 it's just an apparent delay. 09:51 And I think that that's part of what I'm going to try to 09:55 emphasize here as we look into these Bible verses that 09:58 talk about the second coming of Jesus Christ. 10:01 Because I believe that God's purposes know no haste 10:05 and no delay. 10:08 Those are His purposes. 10:10 And so we need to ask the question in the context of that: 10:13 what are His purposes 10:15 as they relate to the second coming of Jesus Christ? 10:18 I'd like to just pause for another moment and have 10:20 another word of prayer with you as we open God's Word. 10:23 Father, we're just thankful this morning 10:25 for the opportunity to open Your Word. 10:27 We want to pause and just ask for the blessing of Your 10:29 Holy Spirit. You have promised that to us, each one of us 10:32 individually and perhaps even more so to us collectively 10:37 as we draw together and seek to study. 10:42 Father, we just want to pray that our hearts, our minds 10:45 will be in tune with heaven. 10:47 That we will give Your Holy Spirit an opportunity 10:49 to teach us. I pray personally and individually 10:53 that You will cleanse my heart, my thoughts 10:56 that I will be a channel just to communicate Your truth, 10:59 Your Word. And I pray these things in Jesus' name, Amen. 11:03 II Peter chapter 3 beginning with verse 1: 11:08 "This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you 11:11 in both which I stir up your pure minds 11:14 by way of remembrance. 11:16 That ye... " verse 2... "may be mindful of the words 11:20 which were spoken before by the holy prophets 11:23 and the commandment of us, the apostles 11:27 of the Lord and Savior. " 11:29 Verse 3... II Peter 3: 11:33 "Knowing this first that there shall come in the last days... " 11:38 Do you believe we're living in the last days? Amen! 11:41 So we're going to now find out what the Bible says 11:45 is going to come in the last days that would be an indication 11:47 or confirmation that we're living in the last days. 11:50 The first word here that we read is that there will come 11:54 in the last days "scoffers 11:57 walking after their own lusts 12:00 and saying... " verse 4... 12:03 "where is the promise of His coming? 12:07 For since the fathers fell asleep 12:10 all things continue as they were from the beginning 12:14 of the creation. " 12:17 Where is the promise of His coming? 12:19 And it indicates in this verse and in the context 12:23 of this second epistle of Peter 12:26 it indicates that these people are somewhat 12:31 believers or Christians or followers 12:35 because they're calling it a promise. 12:38 And in the context of this Peter warns about 12:40 those who are departing from the faith. 12:44 Who are turning from the holy commandment once delivered 12:47 unto them. Who have known the Lord but have 12:50 turned away from the power of His salvation. 12:53 From the grace of God. That's the context of II Peter. 12:57 And then he goes on to say this, verse 5: "For this 12:59 they willingly are ignorant of 13:03 that by the Word of God the heavens were of old 13:06 and the earth standing out of the water and in the water. " 13:09 And I would just want to summarize there that they're 13:11 willingly ignorant of this one thing, and that is 13:14 the Word of God. 13:16 The Word of God. That's going to be our focus 13:18 for understanding the apparent delay. 13:20 There are a number of prophecies in the Bible 13:23 that talk about or predict or point to the second coming 13:27 of Jesus Christ. It seems as though every writer of the Bible 13:30 has a little something to give us about the second coming 13:34 of Jesus. I think we're very familiar, perhaps, 13:36 with the book of Revelation. 13:38 That is the inspired writings that were given to John 13:42 about the second coming of Jesus Christ... 13:45 about prophecy and end-time events. 13:47 But John was not the only apostle, not the only disciple 13:51 that wrote about the second coming. 13:53 Matthew had a whole chapter in Matthew 24 about the second 13:56 coming of Jesus. Mark also had a whole chapter 13:59 that was designated in Mark 13. 14:02 And Luke wasn't left out of the picture. 14:04 He had an entire chapter in Luke 21. 14:06 And we find Paul talking about the second coming 14:11 in II Thessalonians chapter 2. 14:14 And each one of these writers was inspired to give us 14:18 a little something that helps us to answer the question 14:22 why the apparent delay. 14:24 The one I want to look at first... because we're actually 14:27 going to conclude with II Peter... is found in 14:29 Matthew 24. And it's not going to be much different 14:32 from Mark 13 or from Luke 21. 14:36 All of these eschatological 14:41 or end-time event chapters are very similar. 14:44 Some of them have a little bit of detail that isn't 14:46 in the other, but we'll look at Matthew 24 14:48 just to understand this one reason or this one point 14:51 that's being made here in Matthew. 14:54 You may be familiar with the fact that Matthew 24 14:57 gives us a layout of events that were to take place 15:00 prior to the destruction of Jerusalem and then repeated 15:05 prior to the second coming of Jesus Christ 15:08 at the end of the world. It's what we call a dual prophecy. 15:12 Now we don't see that in Daniel; we don't see that in Revelation. 15:15 It's unique to Matthew and Mark 13 and Luke 21. 15:19 Because the disciples asked Jesus: "What will be the end 15:22 of these things? " The temple, where not one stone would be 15:26 left upon another... "and the sign of Your coming 15:29 and the end of the world? " And so Jesus mixes the events. 15:32 Mixes the signs that lead to both of the events. 15:35 He mixes them together, and so when we read Matthew 24 15:38 we see... we know... that all of these signs 15:41 in the first few verses leading up to verse 14 and onward 15:45 all of them were fulfilled just before the destruction 15:48 of Jerusalem and they will be repeated 15:52 just before the second coming of Jesus Christ. 15:55 But there's one sign that I want you to look at 15:56 with me specifically, and this sign is found in verse 14. 16:02 It answers the question more directly: 16:04 Why the apparent delay? 16:07 Verse 14: "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached 16:11 in all the world for a witness unto all nations 16:15 and then shall... " What? "the end come. " 16:19 Why the apparent delay? Because according to Matthew 24 16:22 and verse 14 the gospel hasn't been preached in all the world 16:26 for a witness unto all nations. 16:31 If you were to take all of the signs in Matthew 24 16:34 and put them on one side of a scale... 16:36 The wars and rumors of wars... we've seen that. 16:38 Nation rising against nation. 16:40 Famines, pestilence, natural disasters like earthquakes 16:43 in different places... If you were to put all of those signs 16:46 on one side of the scale and you would put one sign - 16:50 the one sign in Matthew 24 and verse 14, 16:52 the gospel being preached as a witness to all nations - 16:55 on the other side of the scale, 16:57 you know what would happen to that scale? 16:59 It would tip this way. 17:01 Because this one sign in Matthew 24 and verse 14 17:05 outweighs all the others. 17:07 All of these other signs can be fulfilled, but if this one sign 17:10 isn't fulfilled... guess what? 17:13 Jesus is not coming. 17:16 Why? We're going to see this more when we look at II Peter - 17:22 when we go back to II Peter - but I'll just tell you 17:24 that one of the reasons why - probably the most important 17:26 reason why - is because God doesn't want anyone 17:31 to be lost. Amen. He wants every single person 17:37 possible to be in heaven, 17:39 and therefore it is vital that the gospel goes to every nation 17:44 before Jesus returns so everyone has an opportunity. 17:47 Now Paul says that in his day the gospel was preached 17:49 to every creature under heaven. 17:51 It is possible. 17:53 And sometimes we think: "Well, you know, statistically 17:58 it doesn't look like it's going to happen. " 18:00 Well the Bible is not based on man's 18:06 statistics, is it? 18:10 I don't even want to hear about how long it would take 18:13 at our present rate to reach every country 18:16 and to reach every person and to reach every kindred 18:17 and nation. I don't even want to hear about that. 18:20 Twelve men didn't base their preaching on that 18:23 when they took the gospel to the entire world. 18:25 Of course it was not just the 12 but those whom God called 18:29 through them. And we ought not to base our thinking on that 18:34 either... because God can finish this up just like that. 18:37 Amen. So what is the context of Matthew 24 and verse 14? 18:42 What is it that's causing the delay? 18:45 Well I want you to look with me in the context of these verses 18:48 just go back a little bit to verse 9. It says: 18:51 "Then... " And that word then infers what's gone before... 18:54 Then when all of these wars and rumors of wars 18:57 and all this pestilence and famine and earthquake, 18:59 all these natural disasters... when they increase with 19:02 intensity and frequency like a woman in birth pains - 19:06 a woman giving birth to a child - 19:08 more intense and more frequent, more intense and more frequent. 19:10 Have we seen that taking place? 19:12 I was a little nervous about traveling out here. 19:14 I was in Maryland at the General Conference just before 19:17 I came out here, and I was checking the weather reports. 19:23 And I heard about this extreme weather and what was taking 19:26 place in the Midwest, and I thought: "I wonder 19:28 if that's going to be in Illinois? I wonder if I really 19:30 should be going out there? I wonder, I wonder, I wonder. " 19:32 And I thought: "No, this is a divine appointment. " 19:35 Just like I thought when I was driving here this morning. 19:38 This is a divine appointment, and God is going to get me there 19:41 on time. In fact, Shelley told me, she said: 19:42 "Now there's construction on the freeway and there's 19:45 construction in West Frankfort, and there's construction 19:48 on the last part of the highway there coming through. 19:50 And sometimes we have to wait 10 minutes and sometimes 19:52 you have to wait 15 minutes. 19:53 Did you get delayed in any of that construction? " 19:54 I said: "No, God took me right through it all. " 19:56 Amen! 19:58 I don't know if they were taking a lunch break 20:00 or they just hadn't shown up yet 20:01 or what was going on but I just went "pshht" 20:03 straight through. Amen. 20:06 And I believe that this is a divine appointment. 20:08 In fact, it was really interesting because on the way 20:09 over here God was giving me part of the sermon. 20:11 He was saying: "OK James, I know you've got it all prepared 20:13 but I'd like you to digress just a little bit. 20:15 I want you to share this and this and this and this. " 20:17 And I said: "OK, OK, OK, OK. " 20:18 And I was ready for Dee to call me and say: "James, 20:21 you're too late. We found someone else to preach. " 20:23 And I was going to say: "That's not possible because 20:25 God has given me a message so I can't not preach... 20:30 so just sing another song and I'll be there. " 20:34 And this is the message: the message is - 20:36 'cause I was going to spend the whole time in II Peter 3- 20:39 that the context of Matthew 24 and verse 14 20:43 is a time when "you are hated of all nations 20:46 for My name's sake. 20:48 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted... " 20:50 verse 9 says... "and they shall kill you 20:51 and you will be hated of all nations for My name's sake. " 20:53 Not only that, but "then in that time... " verse 10... "many will 20:57 be offended and shall betray one another 21:00 and hate one another. " 21:01 The church will look like it's about to fall. 21:03 It doesn't fall. 21:05 Company after company is going to go out. 21:08 Our test will be to gather warmth from the coldness 21:10 of others. "Many false prophets... " verse 11... 21:16 "will rise and shall deceive many. 21:19 And because iniquity shall abound... " verse 12... 21:21 "the love of many will wax cold. 21:24 But he that endures until the end the same shall be saved. 21:27 And this gospel will be preached as a witness. " 21:30 That's the context. 21:32 The context is not the present time. Not the ease and 21:35 prosperity that the church is experiencing right now 21:38 where we send out missionaries, you know, on these little 21:40 ten-day visits and these two-week visits and these 21:42 three-week visits to India and to Africa. 21:45 You know, we struggle and we wrestle with 21:48 living in these different con- ditions, but we're all doing it 21:51 for the Lord and it's really a good thing. 21:52 And it's a blessing to us and it's a blessing to others. 21:54 That's all good, but the time we're talking about here 21:59 is the time when that becomes the reality 22:02 that never ends. 22:04 When there's no more cushy bed and there's no more luxury car 22:07 and there's no more clean, nice clothes 22:09 and there's no more adulations and applause and kudos 22:13 because you went out there to India and you braved it 22:16 for a few weeks and you won souls to Jesus. 22:18 Well people hate you because you're preaching the gospel... 22:20 they don't love you. They don't like what you're doing at all. 22:24 When it looks like the church has vanished. 22:26 When we don't have anyone to pat us on the shoulder 22:32 and say "Good job! " 22:34 When we're just doing it because of Him 22:39 and our focus is on Jesus. Are we ready for this time? 22:47 I have to say honestly that I'm not. 22:49 It's very difficult for me to be in a situation where I 22:52 don't have nice accommodations, especially at my age. 23:01 I know this audience thinks that's funny. 23:06 And by the way, just so you know 23:11 don't tell him that I told you this 23:14 but today is Ty's birthday. 23:22 I'm 51 23:27 and I can't tell you how old he is, 'cause he wouldn't like 23:29 me to tell you that, but today Ty and I are the same age. 23:36 What? 23:44 Now I'll be 52 in a month, so we are only the same age 23:47 for about a month. 23:53 I've been preaching for 30 years 23:56 and I feel... I FEEL different than I used to feel 24:00 when I was a kid. And if you think I still look young 24:03 you can only imagine what people used to think 24:06 30 years ago when I got up to preach. 24:08 Like: "What's that kid doing up there? " 24:16 But I know that I'm not ready. 24:19 I am reminded of that when I'm inconvenienced. 24:22 I am reminded of that when I have a difficult time 24:26 because I'm not appreciated as I think I should be. 24:30 Hatred of the world? 24:33 Love waxing cold? 24:36 Nobody appreciating... everyone opposing? 24:39 Being considered by the world as a terrorist of some kind? 24:45 The enemy of everyone 24:47 and being able to preach the gospel as a witness? 24:50 Having a love that doesn't wax cold? 24:53 Why the apparent delay? 24:55 Well you know why and I know why. 24:58 We know in our heart of hearts. We know when we look in the 25:00 mirror... we know when we face the reality of who we are 25:02 we know why the apparent delay. 25:04 Because this one sign outweighs all the others 25:08 and we're not ready. 25:11 God is so merciful, isn't He? Amen! 25:13 We talk about all the signs that are taking place 25:15 in the world. We know it's becoming more intense 25:19 and more intense and more frequent and more frequent. 25:22 And somehow we want to be ready. 25:26 We want to be motivated. 25:28 But none of that is really going to motivate us... 25:31 at least not as we need to be motivated. 25:35 Paul talks about in II Corinthians 5 verse 14 25:38 the only thing that actually can motivate us, 25:40 and he says it's the love of Christ. 25:42 The love of Christ compels us or motivates us. 25:46 That and only that can take us through because 25:49 it's that love that will not grow cold, will not wax cold 25:53 when the whole world hates us. 25:58 Why the apparent delay? Well II Peter was written 26:01 back in the day... 2,000 years ago. 26:03 And Paul in II Thessalonians tells us about this apparent 26:07 delay and why this apparent delay would be. 26:10 He talks here in II Thessalonians chapter 2 26:13 about the second coming of Jesus. He says: 26:15 "Now we beseech you brethren by the coming of our Lord 26:19 Jesus Christ and by our gathering together unto Him 26:21 that ye be not soon shaken in mind... " 26:27 Verse 2... II Thessalonians chapter 2: 26:30 "or troubled, neither by spirit nor by word nor by letter 26:35 as from us as that the day of Christ is at hand. " 26:39 Don't be troubled about this; don't be shaken about this. 26:43 But the Thessalonians were shaken, they were troubled. 26:46 They struggled to understand what was going on. 26:50 Paul had written them an epistle 26:53 that seemed to indicate in chapter 4 that some of them 26:58 would be remaining until the coming of Jesus. 27:01 Some had fallen asleep and some would remain. 27:03 Those of us who remain will be caught up with them 27:06 in the air to meet the Lord. 27:08 And then we're wondering why? why? why? 27:11 And I'm thinking that these words in this situation 27:13 are so applicable to us... some of us who may be 27:16 second, third, fourth, or fifth generation Adventists. 27:21 Why the delay? Why the delay? Why the apparent delay? 27:24 And Paul says: "Well wait a minute. Don't be shaken; 27:26 don't be troubled in spirit. " 27:28 "Let no man deceive you by any means for that day 27:31 shall not come except there be a falling away first 27:35 and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition. " 27:39 Now we could spend a lot of time on these verses. 27:41 We're not going to because we really need to get back 27:43 to II Peter chapter 3. But just in passing, we need to recognize 27:48 that this man of sin lines up with Daniel's prophecies, 27:54 specifically Daniel chapter 7, 27:56 and Revelation's prophecies, 27:58 specifically Revelation chapter 13. 28:01 And we know that from Paul's time until the time of the end 28:06 this power ruled for 1,260 years. 28:10 And we also know that a wound was inflicted which was to be 28:14 healed and he was to be restored to power. 28:18 And we see that taking place right now more and more. 28:21 A deadly wound takes some time to heal. 28:25 And it is point by point steadily increasing 28:30 in the healing process. 28:32 So Paul tells us instructively that there are these prophecies 28:37 that are to be fulfilled. There are these time prophecies 28:40 leading to certain events that are going to transpire 28:42 in relation to this man of sin power 28:45 that is going to be re- established in the earth 28:47 in the end of time. 28:49 So it's not just about us... it's also about Bible prophecy. 28:54 But in the context of both of those there's a conflict 28:57 taking place. Because one of the things that this power is doing 29:01 is in concert with a couple of other powers 29:08 on planet earth. It's seeking to undermine 29:11 the message of the everlasting gospel. 29:14 To block it if you will. 29:16 To hinder it; to stop it. 29:20 This power does it in many ways. 29:22 It sets up counterfeits 29:25 or it works through the world to get our minds distracted 29:29 and focused on other things other than Jesus Christ. 29:33 It would, in fact, enjoy it if we would just focus on 29:37 this power, talk about this power, 29:39 identify this power. 29:41 Spend all of our time just directing people to the 29:46 wonder of this power. 29:48 Because it says the world will wonder after this power. 29:50 And in the process know everything about this - 29:55 code name Babylon - 29:58 and lose sight of Jesus. 30:03 That's why it's so important for us to recognize 30:05 that when Matthew 24:14 is fulfilled 30:09 in the context of Revelation it takes first place. 30:14 We see this in two ways. 30:16 In Revelation chapter 14 and verse 6 the everlasting gospel - 30:20 Matthew 24 verse 14- is preached to every nation, 30:23 kindred, tongue, and people with what kind of voice? 30:26 A LOUD voice. 30:29 In Revelation chapter 14 and verse 8 30:32 the second angel's message follows and announces 30:35 the fall of Babylon in what kind of voice? 30:38 No... read the text. 30:42 There's no loud voice. 30:46 The first angel is given in a loud voice... 30:49 the first angel's message. The second angel's message 30:51 doesn't have the loud voice. 30:54 There's no loud voice on the second angel's message. 30:56 The fall of Babylon is not given with a loud voice 30:58 because the fall of Babylon doesn't take the precedence 31:02 of a loud voice... the gospel does! 31:06 Preach the gospel with a loud voice. 31:09 And then the second reason is because the first angel 31:12 goes first... not the second angel. 31:17 We do not preach the fall of Babylon with a loud voice. 31:20 We preach the gospel with a loud voice. 31:22 And we preach the gospel first because the gospel is the only 31:25 thing that can bring Babylon down. Amen! 31:28 The second angel is waiting for the first angel. 31:31 The second angel is waiting for the first angel 31:34 to preach the everlasting gospel. 31:37 "Preach that everlasting gospel with a loud voice 31:40 and I'll follow you and I will announce the fall of Babylon. " 31:43 Because Babylon will fall when the gospel is preached. Amen! 31:48 We could spend a lot of time focusing on Babylon 31:50 and we can never bring it down. 31:52 Because it is so intricate and so detailed 31:54 we'll never be able to figure out everything about Babylon. 31:56 But if we will focus on the gospel, the everlasting gospel, 31:59 and preach that with a loud voice, IT will bring Babylon 32:02 down. Guaranteed. Amen. 32:07 And so in II Peter we have this powerful 32:12 admonition and I love it. 32:15 Because it's reminding us that there's only one thing 32:19 that we are ignorant of in the context of understanding 32:23 the second coming of Jesus Christ. 32:25 Willingly ignorant of the Word of God... 32:30 which to me is powerful. 32:33 Thirty years ago I accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior. 32:35 Many of you know that I was not a Seventh-day Adventist 32:38 at that point. I had been raised a Catholic 32:41 and I accepted Christ and was not affiliated with any church 32:44 but began attending the Calvary Chapel church because 32:47 the person who introduced me to the sinner's prayer 32:51 was going to Calvary Chapel. 32:53 Shortly after that I was also attending a Pentecostal church. 32:56 Going to both of these churches, 32:58 one on Sunday and one on Wednesday with the youth group, 33:01 I was introduced to Adventism through my sister 33:05 who was studying with Adventists. 33:07 And immediately she began to share with me 33:11 some of the unique teachings of Adventists 33:14 like the idea of going to church on Saturday 33:17 instead of Sunday. 33:19 My concern led me to study with Adventists 33:23 to get my sister out of the church. 33:28 Not to get in the church but to get out. 33:30 My mother was also concerned being a Roman Catholic, 33:34 Irish, that my sister was joining a cult. 33:38 In her mind anything that wasn't Roman Catholic was a cult. 33:40 And so I as her brother - my mother was living in England 33:43 at the time - it was my duty to get her out of this church. 33:46 And I did everything I could to get her out. 33:47 With my mother's help. With help from my friends 33:50 in the Pentecostal church and my friends in Calvary Chapel. 33:53 With everything on my side to get my sister out 33:58 except for this... the Word of God. 34:05 With all of those motives tending to pull my sister out 34:08 of the Adventist church there was only one thing 34:11 that was working to put me in the Adventist church... 34:14 and that was the Word of God. Amen! 34:16 For this one thing they are willingly ignorant of. 34:20 Willingly in the sense that they know better. 34:23 They ought to know better. 34:24 And that is the power of the Word of God... the creative 34:28 power of the Word of God 34:30 to create in us a clean heart. 34:32 To renew in us a right spirit. 34:35 To convert us from the inside out. 34:36 And you may say: "Well, I've fallen, Well I've failed. 34:39 Well I've been an Adventist; I just haven't lived up to... " 34:41 Stop focusing on yourself - Amen - for just a moment 34:46 and get your focus back on the Word of God. 34:52 I recently watched a video 34:54 of a young runner by the name of Heather Dorniden. 35:00 She was running in a 600-meter relay in 2008 35:06 at a Big Ten Conference track meet for Minnesota. 35:12 She was a favorite to win. There were four runners in the race. 35:14 One was her fellow teammate and two others. 35:17 And as they went around the lap - the first lap - 35:22 the runner behind her - she was in first place - 35:25 caught her heel and immediately she went down. 35:31 She fell hard... cut her face. 35:36 But in an instant she popped up again. 35:39 Back on her feet. 35:41 Now she was well behind the runners in front of her 35:44 who had not lost their pace. 35:46 They were way ahead, but as she jumped up 35:50 she picked up her pace and she began to run 35:53 and run and run. 35:56 And in a short time she caught up with the last person. 35:59 As they were coming around the corner for the last stretch 36:02 she caught up with the second person, 36:04 and as they came to the finish line she passed the first person 36:09 and won the race. 36:11 Now it would have been something for her 36:13 if she would have just won the race. 36:16 Just if she would have won that would have been amazing. 36:19 Just to win the race. 36:21 But the fact that she fell and still won the race... 36:27 now that is something else. Amen! 36:30 Don't focus on the falling... don't focus on the failure. 36:34 Don't focus on what you haven't done. 36:37 Get your focus on Jesus, the Author and the Finisher. 36:40 "Run with patience the race that is set before you 36:42 looking unto Jesus, the Author and the Finisher. " 36:46 Amen! And what will happen then will be greater. 36:50 Amen! Just like it was for Heather. 36:54 An inspiration for us all. 36:57 "A just man falls... " Proverbs 24 verse 16... 37:00 "seven times and rises up again. " 37:03 It's not in the falling... it's in the rising! Amen! 37:07 And when you fall beneath the billows of this world 37:10 reach out that hand for Jesus and say: "Lord, save me 37:15 or I perish. " And He will be there for you. 37:17 Amen. Don't be ignorant of the power of the Word of God. 37:25 "Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water 37:28 perished. But the heavens and the earth... " verse 7... 37:30 "which are now by the same Word are kept in store 37:33 reserved unto fire against the day of judgment 37:36 and perdition of ungodly men. 37:38 But beloved... " verse 8... 37:42 "be not ignorant of this one thing. " 37:45 And here is where we're just going to 37:48 finish up our focus on the apparent delay. 37:52 We're just going to spend the rest of our time right here 37:54 in these next few verses primarily. 37:57 "Beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing. " 38:02 Now before we finish that verse 38:04 though some of you may have already 38:06 I want to ask a question that will help us to understand 38:09 what follows. "Be not ignorant of this one thing. " 38:12 What is that? What is the implication there? 38:16 Wouldn't it be that there's something that we could 38:19 possibly be ignorant of. Something that isn't in the 38:22 forefront of our brain? Something that we don't think 38:24 about often? Something that Peter has a burden for? 38:28 "I want you to remember this; I don't want you to forget this. 38:31 Don't be ignorant of this; don't not know this. " 38:33 "Know this. Understand it. Let it be in the forefront 38:36 of your brain. This is really important; 38:38 this is really significant. 38:39 I'm talking here about Bible prophecy. " 38:42 Context of II Peter? More sure word of prophecy 38:45 where you do well that you take heed. 38:46 That's I Peter chapter 1. 38:49 Context of II Peter... Excuse me, II Peter chapter 1. 38:52 Context of II Peter? Present truth. 38:55 This is present truth. The only place in the Bible 38:58 that present truth is ever mentioned is II Peter 39:01 chapter 1 and verse 12. 39:03 "Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always 39:05 in remembrance of these things so you know them 39:08 and be established in the present truth. " 39:10 By the way, the context of what we need to remember 39:12 is God's love and forgiveness. 39:14 And the context again following it is Bible prophecy. 39:17 Don't be negligent of this; don't be ignorant of this. 39:21 What is following is HUGE. 39:23 It's big; it's important and significant. 39:26 Are you ready for it now? 39:34 Are you ready for it now? Yes! OK. 39:37 "Be not ignorant of this one thing: that one day is with 39:40 the Lord as a thousand years 39:41 and a thousand years is as one day. " 39:44 There it is. 39:49 That's it. 39:52 I don't know how that fits into Bible prophecy. 39:54 I know a day for a year prophetic time, but I'm not sure 39:57 how this... where this fits. How this applies 40:00 and how significant it is in our prophetic timelines. 40:06 But it is important because Peter said it was. 40:08 I don't know how it helps us to understand the apparent delay. 40:13 I don't even know if anyone ever preaches on this verse. 40:16 If you've ever heard a sermon on this verse? 40:19 But for some reason Peter is telling us that this verse 40:23 is very significant. Don't be ignorant of it. 40:28 That with the Lord one day is like a thousand years 40:32 and a thousand years is as a day. 40:37 We're all familiar with the different time zones 40:41 in the United States, aren't we? 40:43 We have Eastern Standard Time and Central, Pacific Time 40:48 or Standard Time and Pacific Standard Time. 40:52 I live in Pacific Standard Time and so I have a difficult time 40:54 when I get over to Eastern Standard Time or Central 40:56 Standard Time or Australian Standard Time... 41:00 when I'm way off kilter. 41:03 But have you ever heard of the time zone that could be 41:07 characterized as Eternal Standard Time? 41:13 Eternal Standard Time. 41:15 Peter is telling us here that in eternity when you live forever, 41:19 when there's never any end to anything, 41:22 when it just goes on and on and on and on, 41:25 when a million years turns into a billion years 41:27 turns into a trillion years turns into a nonillion years 41:29 turns into a zillion years turns into a googolplex, 41:32 and then eternity is just beginning, in that time 41:35 a thousand years goes by and it's just like one day 41:41 in that time. Don't be ignorant of this. 41:44 You think that Jesus has been gone for a long time 41:49 but you're not living in eternity, you're living on this 41:51 earth. And when I was a kid 41:56 it took a long time to get to double digits. 42:02 And it seemed like it'd take even longer to get to be 42:05 16 years old and get my driver's license. 42:08 And from there to 18 was just like taking eternity. 42:11 And then to 21. Oh man, the days were just going by so slowly. 42:16 And then once I got to 21 vr voom voom voom voom. 42:18 Here I am 51 years old! Just like it was yesterday. 42:22 Nothing to it. 42:26 "Ahhh, " some of you say. "Oh to be 51 again, " right? 42:32 BUT that is insignificant. 42:36 When you get into eternity a thousand years goes by 42:41 and it's like one day... twenty-four hours. 42:43 Which means if you think about it, if we could live for 42:45 a hundred years... let's just say we could... 42:49 We exercise; we eat our vege-dogs; 42:53 we drink our soy milk. I like rice milk, but... 42:56 And we get to 100 years, 100 years, 42:59 in eternal time 100 years based on 24 hours = 1,000 years 43:04 would be equivalent to 2 hours and 24 minutes 43:09 in eternal time. Two hours and 24 minutes. 43:16 So let's just say we're all granted 100 years. 43:19 Some of us have an hour left. 43:23 Half an hour left. 43:26 Some of us have a couple hours left. 43:28 But 2.4 hours in the context of eternity. 43:33 Don't be ignorant of this; don't be ignorant of this. 43:36 When Jesus says repeatedly in the book of Revelation 43:39 "Behold I come quickly; behold I come quickly" 43:42 we say: "Wow! What did He mean by that? " 43:45 Well He meant what He said, but He was speaking in eternal time. 43:49 Peter is talking about the second coming here. 43:52 He's talking about the second coming. 43:53 This isn't taken out of context. 43:55 He's saying: "Listen! Don't be ignorant of this. 43:58 Remember this. With God in heaven 44:02 a thousand years is like a day. 44:05 So Jesus didn't say: "I'll be back in 2,000 years. " 44:07 He said: "I'll be back in two days! 44:10 Two days. I'll be back in two days. I'm coming quickly. 44:13 I'll be back in a couple of days. " 44:15 The Bible admonishes us we need to sit in heavenly places 44:19 with Christ Jesus. We need to think about this from heavenly 44:22 realities. God's purposes know no haste and no delay. 44:27 So when I was a brand new Christian 44:30 and accepted Christ as my Savior 44:33 and then became a Seventh-day Adventist 44:36 what else can you do if you're going to follow this? 44:39 What else could I do? I was in love with Jesus. 44:41 He had forgiven me for all of my sins. 44:43 I accepted Him as my personal Savior 44:44 and then I was confronted with the truth and the reality of the 44:46 Sabbath which I though was always Sunday 44:48 but then the Bible showed me verse after verse after verse 44:51 and there it was time and time again 44:53 in the Bible clear in prophecy, example in Christ's life... 44:57 In every way, shape, and form there it was. 44:59 And then that final verse where Jesus said: "If you love Me... " 45:02 All right - "keep My commandments. " 45:04 I said: "Well I love Jesus! - Amen! - 45:07 "Because He first loved me. " Praise the Lord! 45:10 So it just wasn't even an issue. 45:13 And I remember the first time I got up in front of that 45:15 Adventist congregation I was giving my testimony and sharing. 45:19 And this was my verse: II Peter 3 verse 9. 45:22 This was my verse. This was THE verse 45:25 that God gave to me 30 years ago as a new believer 45:30 in His second coming. 45:31 "The Lord is not slack 45:35 concerning His promise as some men count slackness 45:41 but is longsuffering to usward, not willing 45:46 that ANY should perish but that ALL should come to repentance. " 45:51 Will all come to repentance? No. 45:54 Unfortunately they won't... and it will break His heart. 45:59 He will wipe away our tears; who will wipe away His tears? 46:06 There will be an empty space in His heart for all eternity 46:09 because He has graven us upon the palms of His hands. 46:16 He is not slack concerning His promise. 46:19 And I remember telling the congregation 46:22 in Spokane, WA, in 1984 46:26 "This is the verse that God shared with me. 46:28 He's been waiting for me. " 46:30 And I'm so glad He waited for me. Amen! 46:34 Brand new believer. So glad He waited for me. 46:37 There are thousands, yea, maybe millions 46:41 that God is waiting for 46:44 that are going to be so thankful for this verse. 46:47 That are going to be so thankful for the longsuffering 46:49 of God. Amen! 46:53 They're waiting... and God is waiting. 46:59 What is He looking for? 47:02 Well according to Matthew 24 He's looking for a people 47:07 who keep their focus on Jesus, 47:10 who spend all of their time directing their attention 47:15 to Him. According to Revelation 14 they 47:19 "follow the Lamb wherever He goes. " 47:25 I long by the spirit of God to be part of that people. 47:30 My flesh doesn't long for it. 47:32 My flesh pulls me in other directions, 47:34 but the Spirit of God is willing though my flesh is weak. 47:39 I want to be part of that people. 47:42 And I know as I follow Jesus He's going to direct me 47:45 to witness and share and do the things that He wants me 47:48 to do and live the way that He wants me to live. 47:50 But my needs... the vital key for success in my experience 47:56 is to keep my focus on Jesus. And Satan does everything he can 47:59 to sever that connection. 48:01 To break up... to pull me away from that focus. 48:06 Because he knows that when we have that focus 48:09 and we see the heart of God we recognize His longing 48:14 for the world. That we will be... verse 11... 48:20 "Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved 48:24 what manner of persons ought you to be 48:26 in all holy conversation and godliness? 48:29 Looking for and hastening unto... " - or hastening the day 48:36 as the Greek actually says - 48:40 "hastening the coming of the day of God wherein the heavens 48:45 being on fire shall be dissolved and the elements shall melt 48:48 with fervent heat. 48:49 Nevertheless, we according to His promise... " verse 13... 48:52 "look for a new heavens and a new earth 48:55 wherein dwells righteousness. " Amen! 49:02 I've got one of these new contraptions. 49:06 It's new for me. You know, at my age you have a hard time 49:09 adapting to stuff like this. Amen. But it works. 49:14 It works, and I like it from time to time. 49:18 It becomes handy. My Bible is wearing out 49:21 and I'm very loathe to exchange it. I've had this Bible 49:24 for 30 years and I've got it all marked up. 49:27 But more than that, I know where the verses are. 49:32 I may not know the chapter and the verse 49:36 but I know where they are. 49:38 It's the left side of the page... it's the top part. 49:41 I know where they are. 49:43 And I can't find another Bible just like this one 49:47 that has the verses in the same place. 49:50 So I am loathe to give it up at my age 49:52 'cause I know where they are 49:53 and I want to be familiar with my Bible. 49:56 And the thing that I recognize in this context 50:01 is that when, verse 10: "the day of the Lord comes... " 50:06 And it's going to come as a thief in the night. 50:09 That's what it says here. It says: "The day of the Lord 50:11 will come as a thief in the night. " 50:14 But it doesn't say that the Lord will come as a thief 50:18 in the night. The verse doesn't say that. 50:21 It says the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night. 50:24 But the Lord's not coming as a thief, 'cause when He comes 50:26 we're going to know it. Amen! But the day... 50:29 That day is going to be a surprise to a lot of people. 50:33 But in that day the heavens are going to pass away 50:37 with great noise and the elements are going to melt 50:39 with fervent heat and the earth also. 50:40 And the works that are therein are going to be burned up. 50:43 God is longsuffering with us because He knows what the day 50:45 of the Lord is going to bring. 50:49 As W. W. Prescott said in his sermons in Armidale, 50:54 Australia, in 1895: "In that day God's people 51:00 cry unto Him for deliverance, 51:02 but He seems to put off the day of delivering them 51:06 because we shall have come to that time 51:10 when the deliverance of God's people means the death 51:15 of our adversaries. The deliverance of God's people 51:18 from their foes can only be followed by the coming 51:21 of the Lord Jesus and the destruction of their enemies. 51:24 God is slow to pour out His wrath upon those who have 51:28 rejected Him and He seems almost to have deserted His people. 51:33 But God will avenge His own elect which cry day and night 51:38 unto Him though He bear long with them. " 51:44 Do you understand what he's saying here? 51:46 There is in God's heart this struggle that He has. 51:52 He loves His people; He wants to deliver His people. 51:54 But He knows delivering us means 51:57 the end of our enemies. 52:01 His children. Children of wrath but children nonetheless. 52:07 You know how that is, don't you parents? Grandparents? 52:10 You know how that is 52:12 to have a wandering son or daughter or granddaughter. 52:15 Someone that you love... adopted or real. 52:18 Connected... biological... you know how that is 52:23 to be concerned for their future, for their eternity. 52:28 For wanting to do anything and everything to reach them. 52:31 For wanting time to stand still so it doesn't come 52:35 to an end. That's the heart of God! Amen! 52:39 And yet we're told - and we know this - 52:42 that there is coming a day when Jesus will say 52:45 "It's finished... it's done. " 52:47 But He will only say that because if He looks out upon 52:51 this world He can say: "He that is holy will be holy still. 52:56 And he that is righteous will be righteous still. 52:58 And he that is filthy will be filthy still; and he 52:59 that is unrighteous will be unrighteous still. 53:01 Nothing will make a difference. 53:03 Not another year, not another month, not another week, 53:05 not another day, not another moment. 53:08 Everyone has made a decision for or against Me. 53:11 It's time to close it up. 53:14 There's no reason for sin and pain and evil and suffering 53:17 to continue on. I need to close this up. " 53:20 But that can only come when this gospel 53:23 we're told in Revelation 18 lightens the whole earth 53:26 with the glory of God. 53:28 With the character of God, with the heart of God, 53:30 with who He is, with how He feels about all of us. 53:34 O Thou that from eternity upon Thy wounded heart has 53:39 worn each pang and cry of misery 53:41 wherewith our human hearts are torn. 53:44 Thy love upon the grievous cross 53:46 the flow, the beacon light of time 53:49 forever sharing pain and loss 53:52 with every man in every clime. 53:54 How vast, how vast Thy sacrifice! 53:57 As ages come and ages go 54:00 still waiting till it shall suffice to draw the last 54:05 cold heart and slow. 54:10 That's why the delay. 54:12 God is longsuffering toward us. 54:16 He is not willing that any would perish. 54:19 He wants everyone - all - to come to repentance. 54:24 So we could sum it up this way. 54:28 We could say from a Biblical perspective 54:32 that God has been waiting and is waiting 54:37 because - number one - there are developments 54:41 that need to take place in Bible prophecy. 54:44 Always have been. 54:45 And as we follow the projection of Bible prophecy, 54:49 we follow the timelines of Bible prophecy, 54:50 we follow the fulfillment of Bible prophecy we know 54:52 why it is we're still here. 54:55 Number two: God is waiting for us. 55:01 He wants us to be ready. 55:03 He wants us to be prepared 55:05 to be His witnesses... to share His truth. 55:08 Number three: 55:11 God is reluctant 55:15 to destroy even the children of wrath. 55:18 He longs for them to be saved. 55:20 He longs for one more sinner... one more person 55:25 to accept Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. 55:29 To believe in the gift that has been given to them 55:31 in Jesus Christ. And then to sum it all up: 55:35 we must remember... we must not be ignorant 55:40 of this one thing: 55:42 with God in eternal time 55:45 a day? Like a thousand years. 55:48 A thousand years? It's like a day. 55:51 It's an apparent delay but Jesus is coming quickly. 55:55 And in eternity, when I am a thousand and 51 years old, 56:00 when I am a million and 51 years old, 56:03 when I am a billion and 51 years old, 56:06 when I am a decillion and 51 years old, 56:08 when I am a googolplex and 51 years old 56:11 I'm going to look back on this earth and I'm going to say: 56:13 "Wow! A week of sin and evil and pain and misery. 56:21 Six thousand years... six days. 56:27 A week of sin and pain and misery. 56:31 Don't even remember it; it's forgotten. 56:35 Not even worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be 56:37 revealed in us. " Let's pray together. 56:41 Father in heaven, we want to thank you this morning 56:43 for helping us to understand 56:45 the reasons for the apparent delay. 56:48 For reminding us not to be ignorant of this one truth, 56:50 this one reality: that You are indeed coming quickly 56:54 and that You are reluctant to punish those who have 56:57 rejected You. To give them the ultimate consequence 57:01 of what they are choosing... death. 57:05 That You are longsuffering to usward, not willing that any 57:08 would perish but that all would come to repentance 57:11 and that You want to use us... Your people... 57:13 as a witness in a time when love waxes cold 57:18 and hatred prevails toward us 57:21 and that we're now in the quarry... the testing time. 57:25 Not just loose, idle rocks in the quarry 57:28 but rocks that feel the hammer and the chisel... |
Revised 2022-03-28