Participants: David Shin
Series Code: 16SCM
Program Code: 16SCM000005A
00:51 Welcome to 3ABN's Spring Camp Meeting:
00:57 Live from the 3ABN Worship Center. 01:02 And we do welcome every one of you. 01:04 Are you enjoying Camp Meeting so far? Amen! 01:08 That was incredible. You know, I want to tell our viewers 01:10 and listeners across the world 01:13 if you aren't able to attend 01:17 then every one of these sermons are going to be broadcast. 01:21 But I want to encourage every one of you about this also. 01:24 "Faith comes by hearing and... hearing by the Word of God. " 01:28 Be sure and get a copy of all of these DVDs. 01:32 Take them home and listen to them over and over and over. 01:35 It'll do nothing but good for you and change your life. 01:38 We're about to have Pastor David Shin come and share with us. 01:42 Pastor Shin is from Anchorage, Alaska. 01:45 He pastors the Hillside O'Malley church. 01:49 And I was having lunch the other day 01:52 with an old schoolmate of Pastor Shin. 01:55 And I asked her, I said: "Tell me a little about him. " 01:58 You know, you can read the bios that people send 02:01 or look at all their degrees and everything 02:04 that they have, and you don't really get to know the person 02:07 that way. You know how you get to? "Tell me something 02:10 about him. " So this is what she said about him: 02:13 "He was truly a deep thinker. 02:17 Studied to show himself approved; was a Bible scholar. " 02:21 But she said: "This is the thing 02:24 that stood out about him the most: 02:27 he had a real walk with God. 02:29 He had a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. " 02:34 Now that encourages me about someone I'm going to sit under 02:38 and listen to more than anything. 02:41 All those degrees don't mean anything if it's not backed up 02:45 by a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. 02:48 You know, people teach what they know 02:50 but they impart what they are. 02:53 And have you ever heard the saying: "More is caught 02:56 than taught? " You know what that means? 02:59 If somebody stands before you and they tell you that they've 03:03 got chickenpox but what they've really got is measles 03:07 what are you going to get? See you get what the person has 03:10 not what the person says. 03:13 And Pastor Shin is the real deal. 03:16 And so today we are going to receive spiritual impartation 03:21 from the Word of God. But before Pastor Shin comes 03:24 our own Pastor John Lomacang is going to come 03:28 and share a beautiful song with us. 03:30 Pastor, if you would come on, please? 03:32 The name of the song is Touch Your People Once Again. 03:36 Pastor Lomacang: I love you and I appreciate you. 03:39 And if you would, pray for us. 03:41 Gracious Father in heaven, as we now continue in Your 03:44 presence, Lord, we invite Your Holy Spirit to come 03:47 and manifest Himself through Your messenger: 03:50 Pastor David Shin. 03:52 We want to uplift Jesus that He might be seen. 03:54 Thank you, Lord, that as we have seen today 03:57 people receive not what we say but what we are. 04:01 And we pray Your anointing once again on this service 04:04 and on Your messenger in Jesus' name, Amen. 04:24 We need wisdom, we need power, 04:28 true love for each other, 04:31 we have had so many big but empty words. 04:37 So we come before Your face 04:42 asking for Your grace 04:45 Bring Your people to a state of kingdom life 04:51 Restore Your church again. 04:55 Touch Your people once again 05:02 with Your precious, holy hand 05:07 we pray 05:09 Let Your kingdom shine upon this earth 05:16 through a living, glorious church. 05:23 Not for temporary deeds 05:30 but to restore authority 05:35 and power... 05:37 Let a mighty, rushing wind 05:41 blow in 05:47 and touch Your people once again. 05:56 Lord, You see Your tired servants 06:00 and Your broken, wounded soldiers... 06:03 oh how much we need Your precious healing hand. 06:10 We need the power of the cross 06:14 as the only source for us 06:17 when we stand facing final battle cries. 06:23 Restore Your church again. 06:27 Touch Your people once 06:31 again 06:34 with Your precious holy hand 06:39 we pray 06:41 Let Your kingdom shine 06:44 upon this earth 06:48 through a living and glorious church. 06:55 Not for temporary deeds 07:02 but to restore authority 07:07 and power... 07:09 Let a mighty, rushing wind 07:13 blow in... 07:19 Touch Your servants once again. 07:27 Let that mighty, rushing wind 07:31 blow in 07:37 and touch Your people 07:39 once 07:42 again. 07:52 Amen! 07:56 Lord, touch Your people once again. 07:59 Thank you Pastor John Lomacang. 08:01 Let's bow our heads together as we pray. 08:05 Our Father in heaven, we pray 08:08 that You would touch Your people once again 08:13 with Your holy hand as we focus on the beauty 08:19 and the glory of the character of God as expressed 08:23 in the model of the sanctuary. 08:26 We pray that You would speak to our hearts. 08:28 Hide me behind the cross. 08:31 May Jesus be uplifted and Christ be seen. 08:35 For we ask these things in Jesus' name, Amen. Amen! 08:39 Our topic this morning is the altar of burnt offering. 08:43 And I invite you to open your Bibles to 08:45 Leviticus chapter 1 and verse 3. 08:49 Leviticus is the third book of the Bible 08:52 written by Moses. The entire book of Leviticus 08:55 deals with the sacrificial services of the Old Testament 09:01 sanctuary. And in the first chapter of Leviticus 09:06 verse 3 we have a description 09:10 of an offering called the burnt sacrifice. 09:15 I want to read a few verses in reference to this sacrifice. 09:19 Leviticus chapter 1 verse 3: "If his offering is a burnt 09:23 sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish. 09:29 He shall offer it of his free will 09:32 at the door of the tabernacle of the meeting before the Lord. " 09:36 Verse 8: "Then the priest Aaron's sons shall lay 09:40 the parts - the head, the fat - in order on the wood 09:43 that is on the fire upon the altar. 09:45 He shall wash its entrails and its legs with water 09:49 and the priest shall burn ALL on the altar 09:54 as a burn sacrifice, an offering made by fire, 09:58 a sweet aroma to the Lord. " 10:02 The offering called the burnt offering 10:05 was different than the trespass offering 10:08 or the sin offering or the peace offering. 10:11 The burnt offering was significant because 10:14 all of the sacrifice was consumed on the altar. 10:19 If you read verses 12 and 13... 10:24 let's pick up in verse 12... 10:26 "And he shall cut it in pieces with its head, its fat, 10:29 and the priest shall lay them in order on the wood 10:32 that is on the fire upon the altar. But he shall 10:34 wash the entrails and the legs with water. 10:37 Then the priest shall burn it ALL 10:40 and burn it on the altar. It is a burnt sacrifice... 10:44 an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to the Lord. " 10:51 You can see that this sacri- fice - the entire offering - 10:56 was burned on the altar. 11:00 This is different than the other sacrifices because 11:03 in many cases part of the animal would go 11:06 to the priest, but in this case 11:09 the entire offering was consumed on the altar. 11:16 In the book Sanctuary Service page 90 11:20 the author makes an application 11:22 of the significance of this sacrifice. 11:26 "The offerer placed himself 11:30 symbolically on the altar... 11:34 his entire life wholly devoted to God. " 11:41 In other words, when the person brought the offering 11:46 to the Lord and it was consumed on the altar 11:49 in a sense he or she was placing himself or herself 11:54 on the altar. Amen! 11:56 And this was an act of total surrender. 12:01 Wholeheartedly giving one's self to God. 12:05 As one person applied, the head represents the mind 12:09 and the intellect. The inwards: the will and the emotions. 12:13 The legs: the conduct and the lifestyle. 12:16 Every element of who we are was sacrificed 12:20 upon the altar. Amen! 12:24 And the person bringing the offering was saying 12:27 "All that I am is Christ's. " Praise God! 12:33 Wholehearted surrender to God. 12:38 There was another sacrifice - another offering - that was 12:42 brought to the Lord, and that is in chapter 2. 12:45 It's called the meal offering or the grain offering. 12:51 Leviticus chapter 2 verses 1 through 3: 12:53 "When anyone offers a grain offering to the Lord 12:57 his offering shall be made of fine flour 13:01 and he shall put oil on it and put frankincense on it. 13:04 And he shall bring it to Aaron's sons, the priests, 13:07 one of whom shall take it from his hands 13:09 full of fine flour and oil and frankincense. 13:12 And the priest shall burn it as a memorial on the altar, 13:17 an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to the Lord. " 13:20 Verse 3: "The rest of the grain offering shall be 13:23 Aaron's sons. It is most holy of the offerings 13:27 to the Lord made by fire. " 13:29 And in Numbers chapter 15 verses 8 through 10 13:32 it's interesting because with the burnt offering, 13:36 the meal offering or the grain offering 13:38 were many times combined. 13:40 Number 15:8-10: "When you bring a young bull 13:44 as a burnt offering or a sacrifice for a special vow 13:48 or a fellowship offering to the Lord 13:51 bring with the bull a grain offering 13:54 of 3/10 of an Ephah of finest flour mixed with 13:58 1/2 a hin of olive oil 14:00 and also bring 1/2 hin of wine as a drink offering 14:03 this will be a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the Lord. " 14:11 The first sacrifice - the burnt offering - 14:15 all that I am is Christ's. 14:19 The second was the meal offering 14:22 indicating all that I have is Christ's. 14:28 Dr. Leslie Hardinge comments in his book 14:31 "By his burnt offering the worshiper affirmed 14:35 all that I am is Christ's. 14:37 And then on the basis of this dedication 14:41 further declared through his meal offering 14:45 all that I have is Christ's. " 14:49 The two go together. 14:51 We cannot dedicate all that I am 14:54 without saying all that I have as well... 14:58 indicative of total surrender to God. 15:04 I want to invite them to put the slide that we had up here 15:07 last night of the sanctuary up on the screen. 15:11 It's a bird's-eye view of the Mosaic sanctuary. 15:15 And as you enter the sanctuary you will see 15:18 that the first thing that you come to 15:21 is the altar of burnt offering. 15:25 We just heard a wonderful message by Pastor Ivor Myers 15:28 on justification, sanc- tification and glorification. 15:31 It is God's purpose to restore and to bring us all the way 15:35 back. But you can see that as you enter the sanctuary 15:38 the first thing that the person is to do 15:43 in the process that God has in the plan of restoration 15:46 is at the altar of burnt offering. And the foundation 15:52 of this whole process begins with this concept 15:57 and this notion that we call surrender. 16:01 It is consent; it is giving God permission 16:06 and access to intervene in our lives. 16:11 The person comes in and says: "Lord, I surrender. 16:17 All that I am... all that I have is Christ's. " 16:23 Amen. We sing the song 16:27 "All to Jesus I surrender. " 16:32 I can't tell you how many times in ministry 16:35 I've told individuals: "Surrender your life 16:39 to the Lord Jesus. " Easier said than done. 16:46 Just rolls off the tongue... surrender. 16:49 But there is a struggle to surrender. Amen. 16:53 It's not easy to give consent, to trust God with our lives. 16:59 And I want to analyze a little bit 17:04 the struggle of surrender. As we come into the courtyard 17:07 and we say: "Lord, I want to give my heart to you" 17:09 but there's something - an existential struggle - 17:12 that we all go through. And it's described in Romans chapter 7 17:19 verses 14 through 20. I invite you to turn there 17:22 with me as Paul describes in the first person 17:27 this real struggle that we all have internally 17:31 as we struggle to surrender our lives to Jesus. 17:37 Romans chapter 7 verses 14 through 20. 17:44 "For we know that the law is spiritual. 17:46 But I am carnal... sold under sin. 17:50 What I'm doing I do not understand 17:53 for what I will to do that I do not practice. 17:57 But what I hate: that I do. 17:59 If then I do what I will not to do, 18:03 I agree with the law that it is good. 18:05 But it is no longer I who do it but sin who dwells in me. 18:10 But I know that in me, that is in my flesh, nothing 18:13 good dwells... for to will is present with me 18:16 but how to perform what is good I do not find. 18:20 For the good I will to do I do not do 18:23 but the evil that I will not to do... that I practice. 18:29 Now if I do what I will not to do 18:32 it is no longer I who do it but sin that dwells in me. " 18:37 Wow! What a tongue-twister! 18:41 What is Paul talking about here? 18:45 Paul is talking about a real, existential struggle 18:50 that we all face as long as we're alive on earth. 18:55 This struggle internally between the things that we know 18:58 that we should do but we don't do those things. 19:02 And the things that you hate? That you do. 19:06 Have you ever had something in your life you've said: 19:09 "You know, I'm never going to do that again. " 19:12 "I hate this habit... this addiction. " 19:17 But then you end up falling into it and you abhor yourself 19:21 for doing it. And this is what Paul is describing. 19:23 The things that he hates... that he does! 19:27 And the things that he knows that he should do 19:30 he does not do. Verses 21 through 23: 19:34 "So I find this law at work: although I want to do good 19:39 evil is right there with me for in my inner being 19:43 I delight in God's law. 19:45 But I see another law at work within me waging war 19:48 against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner 19:53 of the law of sin at work within me. " 19:58 It is a struggle to surrender. 20:02 All of us face this internal battle between the flesh - 20:07 which is the carnal nature - and our spiritual nature. 20:11 They are at conflict with one another. 20:17 There is a real battle. And we talk about the great controversy 20:21 above, or outside of us, 20:25 but the Bible also points out 20:28 that there is a great controversy within 20:31 that we all face each and every day. 20:36 Galatians chapter 5 verse 17 Paul describes it again: 20:40 "For the flesh desires what is contrary to the spirit 20:44 and the spirit what is contrary to the flesh. 20:49 They are in conflict with each other so that you are not to do 20:54 whatever you want. " 20:57 We have these two things at war: 20:59 the spirit... which is our con- science, intellect, and reason. 21:03 On the other hand we have the flesh: which is our appetites 21:06 and passions. Adam and Eve in Edenic perfection 21:12 God created man with his higher powers of reason 21:16 and conscience to rule over the lower passions. Amen! 21:21 That was the way that God created us. 21:23 So Adam as he went through the garden he saw a piece of fruit. 21:27 His reason kicked in and he said: "Oh, it's not lunch time" 21:32 and he walked right by. 21:34 After sin this was reversed. 21:40 Not only was it reversed but it was twisted and perverted. 21:44 And God's role in the plan of salvation 21:47 in conversion - which is a change of mind - 21:50 is to re-format the mind so that the higher powers 21:55 of conscience and reason are ruling over the lower 21:59 powers of passion and appetite. 22:02 It is a process. These are in conflict with each other, 22:07 and every person that is born into this world 22:10 struggles with their carnal nature. 22:15 I was working in Los Angeles as a Bible worker 22:19 in South Central. I was there for about 11 weeks. 22:25 We pitched a tent on Florence and Figueroa. 22:27 For those of you that are from Los Angeles you may know 22:30 where that is. Twenty Bible workers; we went door-to-door. 22:33 Saw miracles, 22:36 and I was commissioned to drive a van 22:40 to pick up the contacts that were studying the Bible 22:45 and wanted to come to the evangelistic meetings. 22:47 I drove into Watts with a 15-passenger van. 22:53 I had my window rolled down and I was on a street corner 22:59 waiting for my contacts when a few young people 23:03 walked by. They looked at me. 23:07 They saw that I was of Asian descent. 23:12 And I will not repeat the things that came out of their mouths 23:14 as they saw me there parked on that street corner. 23:17 It had racial innuendos. 23:21 And as a minority growing up in this country 23:23 brought back a lot of baggage I want to tell you. 23:27 And as those young people were spewing these racial slurs 23:33 at me I want to tell you that within me 23:39 there was a feeling that was not positive. 23:47 Anyone else know what I'm talking about here? 23:50 Anyone else human? 23:52 I felt this rage just coming up within me 23:57 like a volcano. 24:01 And it was just coming up within me and I actually asked 24:04 this question: "Why is that there? " 24:07 Here I was doing the Lord's work, 24:10 had accepted Him as my Savior and Lord, 24:13 I had given my life to God that morning... and yet 24:16 here I was on that street corner and all of these negative 24:20 emotions are rising within me. 24:24 And it is at that moment that we need to re-commit 24:29 our lives to Jesus. Amen? 24:31 There is this notion in Christianity that once we accept 24:35 Jesus as our Savior and we're baptized 24:38 we come out the other side and we no longer have to deal with 24:41 the sinful nature any more. 24:43 I wish that was the case. Amen! 24:46 If I remember correctly, I got up the next day 24:49 and the carnal nature was still with me. 24:52 And some people say: "You know, if you struggle with the sinful 24:55 nature, you're not converted. " 24:58 Well friends, that is not what the Bible teaches. 25:03 Now I want to clarify what the Bible teaches 25:05 about the carnal nature. But the carnal nature 25:09 remains with us till glorification. 25:15 Doesn't mean that we have to succumb to the carnal nature. 25:19 That's why the Bible says we must die to self. 25:23 It is a daily process. 25:26 Now in Romans chapter 8 verse 1 here is the good news: 25:32 "There is therefore now no condemnation 25:37 to those that are in Christ Jesus... " 25:40 because they don't have to deal with the sinful nature any more. 25:44 That's not what the Bible says. 25:46 It says: "who do not walk according to the flesh 25:49 but according to the Spirit. " 25:52 Now this is the implication of this verse. 25:56 This verse does not say that after we accept Jesus 25:59 as Savior and Lord the sinful nature is eradicated. 26:04 The implication of this verse is: now, after accepting Jesus, 26:08 we now have the ability to choose 26:12 to walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh. 26:17 In other words, it's still there. 26:19 But God has freed us from the bondage to the carnal nature 26:24 and He gives us the ability to walk in the Spirit 26:28 and not in the flesh. 26:31 I like this notion of prevenient grace. 26:34 What God does when we accept Him as our Savior 26:36 we give Him our will. He vivifies our will. 26:41 He strengthens our will so even our ability to choose 26:45 is grace. It doesn't have any merit 26:50 because it's prevenient grace. 26:54 And God strengthens our will so that we can every single day 27:00 choose to walk in the Spirit 27:04 and not in the flesh. Amen! Praise God 27:08 for the way that He works. So we have this conflict 27:12 within us between the Spirit and the flesh. 27:16 We give God our will; He strengthens our will 27:21 and every day we choose to walk in the Spirit 27:25 and not in the flesh. Amen! And the beauty of sanctification 27:29 is, friends, that we can choose to starve the flesh 27:35 and feed the Spirit. Amen! 27:39 That's why Paul says: "I keep under my body... 27:42 bring it into subjection 27:45 lest having preached to others I myself become a castaway. " 27:49 That is the role: we must put parameters on the flesh. 27:53 That's why we need to be careful 27:54 what we listen to, what we watch, what we eat. 27:59 Because those things can affect how our carnal nature 28:04 responds. Steps to Christ: 28:10 "Many are inquiring: 'How am I to surrender myself 28:15 to God? ' You desire to give yourself to Him 28:19 but you are weak in moral power. 28:22 In slavery to doubt and and controlled by the habits 28:26 of your life your promises and resolutions are like 28:31 ropes of sand. You cannot control your thoughts, 28:34 your impulses, your affections. 28:36 What you need to understand is the true force of the will. 28:40 This is the governing power in the nature of man: 28:43 the power of decision or of choice. 28:44 Everything depends on the right action of the will. 28:48 The power of choice God has given to man: 28:50 it is theirs to exercise. You cannot change your heart. 28:54 You cannot of yourself give to God its affections 28:58 but you can choose to serve Him. 29:01 You can give Him your will. 29:06 Thus your whole nature will be brought under the control 29:10 of the Spirit of Christ. " Amen! 29:13 This is foundational, friends. 29:15 As you enter the sanctuary, the foundation 29:20 and the continuance of the Christian experience, 29:23 the ground of it is right here: giving God your will. 29:30 Saying: "Lord, help me to be willing 29:34 to be made willing. " Amen! 29:38 I have a confession to make. 29:41 They say that confession is good for the soul. 29:46 Growing up as a young person my parents noticed 29:52 from early childhood and adolescence that I was wired 29:57 in a certain way so that when they placed me in front of the 30:00 television I was mesmerized. 30:06 I became addicted to television. 30:11 It became such an issue and my parents did not have 30:15 the gall or the audacity to get rid of the television 30:18 because we had a very expensive piece there in our living room. 30:23 And they prayed to God and said: "Lord, please help us 30:27 with this television. We don't know what to do. 30:29 Our son is in front of this thing all the time 30:33 and we cannot control it. " We came home one evening - 30:37 Friday night. All the lights were on. 30:41 Doors were open. We had been robbed 30:52 and they took our television. 30:57 I was upset! 31:00 What kind of prayer is that? 31:05 Parents said: "Praise God! " 31:11 Later on I was at Andrews University 31:16 as a youth pastor. 31:19 Saturday night... I was single at the time, 31:24 didn't have much to do, got online and was on eBay. 31:29 Online bidding... and I got into a bidding war 31:32 on something that I did not even want to purchase. 31:35 But the testosterone kicked in. It was Saturday night... 31:38 My higher powers were not working properly 31:42 and as I got into this bidding war the other person 31:45 who I assumed would bid at any minute failed to do so. 31:49 And the clock went to zero and I found that I had bought 31:53 a television. Came in the mail. 31:59 And you know how it begins. I said: "You know what? 32:01 I'm going to watch 3ABN. " 32:06 Praise God for 3ABN! 32:08 I started to watch it, but then I said: "I want to see 32:11 what's on some of the other channels too. " 32:15 Clicked to the news. 32:18 Then a few days later I clicked to something else. 32:22 And it's just like a downhill slope began, and I was watching 32:27 things that were in this gray area that I should not be 32:31 watching. And I'll never forget it. I got up one morning 32:33 and instead of reaching for my Bible 32:37 I reached for the remote. 32:40 And the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart and said: "David, 32:44 this is going to be a problem. 32:47 It's either the television or Me. " 32:53 Now is surrender easy? 32:56 I said: "Lord, I paid good money for this thing! 33:01 How do You expect me to get rid of this? " 33:03 And I'd rationalize... and for days I could not sleep. 33:06 When we fight with the Holy Spirit it's an internal battle 33:09 because I knew what I SHOULD do 33:11 but my carnal nature said: "I enjoy this thing; I like it. " 33:16 I had absolutely no power to give this thing up. 33:20 I enjoyed it. 33:22 Sometimes we come to the Lord and we're so inauthentic. 33:27 The Lord knows our hearts. 33:29 So I prayed this prayer in Steps to Christ 33:32 and I said: "Lord, I'm going to be honest with You. 33:36 I love television. 33:38 I enjoy it. Frankly, I want to keep it. 33:44 Change my desires. " Amen! 33:47 "Do for me what I'm incapable of doing on my own. 33:51 I surrender. " Amen! 33:55 And somehow by the grace of God 33:58 I got up from my knees and the Lord gave me His 34:04 prevenient grace. Amen! 34:07 That's all He needed... my consent. 34:10 And with the vivified will I got up, grabbed that television, 34:16 put it in a cardboard box, 34:19 and dropped it off at the Community Service Center 34:22 there in Berrien Springs, Michigan. 34:24 Praise God! Amen! 34:28 Now you fill in the blank. 34:30 It may not be television. 34:33 It may be something else... but you know what it is. 34:37 That area in your life that God is calling you 34:41 to place on the altar. 34:44 And you're saying: "Lord... I don't know. 34:46 I want to hang on to this area. " 34:49 And no amount of human will power can enable you to 34:54 do this. It takes supernatural strength, friends. 34:57 And we need the grace of God. And it's in this moment 35:01 of vulnerability that we need to get on our knees 35:04 and say: "Lord, this is the way I feel. 35:08 Change my desires. " Amen! 35:11 "Take my heart, because I can't give it. 35:14 Save me in spite of myself... my weak, unChristlike self. 35:19 Work within me. " Christ Object Lessons says 35:23 that not only at the beginning of the Christian experience 35:26 that this renunciation of self is to be made. 35:29 "At every advance step heavenward it is to be renewed. 35:35 All our good works are dependent on a power 35:39 outside of ourselves. " Praise His name! 35:42 "Therefore there needs to be a continual reaching out 35:45 of the heart after God... a continual, earnest, 35:49 heartbreaking confession of sin and humbling of the soul 35:52 before Him. Only by continual renunciation of self 35:57 and dependence on Christ can we walk safely. " Amen! 36:03 You see it's not only at the beginning of the Christian 36:05 experience that we need to surrender. 36:07 But at every step in our process of restoration 36:11 God says: "Are you willing to give up this area of your life? 36:15 Are you willing to give up this area of your life? " 36:18 It's a continual process of surrender... 36:22 a continual battle against self. 36:28 I saw a documentary that broke my heart. 36:34 It was following a group of pilgrims in the Far East 36:40 in Asia that were on this pilgrimage 36:48 and every eight steps 36:53 they would get on their knees 36:56 and go into a full prostration. 37:00 Then they would get up. Eight steps again. 37:04 Full prostration 37:10 in a position. And they would wear these leather aprons, 37:15 these clogs on their hands, because this journey 37:21 would go for 1,200 miles. 37:27 Can you imagine? 37:29 Twelve hundred miles... every eight steps bowing 37:33 in prostration. Because these individuals 37:36 believed that in this pilgrimage they were getting merit. 37:42 It was a way of earning favor. 37:48 And these individuals would go for six months - 1,200 miles - 37:53 six miles a day. I read the account of how sometimes 37:57 they ran out of money so they would have to stop 38:00 their pilgrimage and do odd jobs and then continue it because 38:04 there's a longing within these individuals 38:06 to gain merit... to earn essentially 38:10 their salvation. 38:15 And I want to tell you 38:18 that our surrender to Jesus 38:23 does not earn an iota 38:29 of our salvation or grace. 38:31 It does not merit ANYTHING! 38:34 In other words, we do not lay ourselves on the altar 38:37 to appease deity or to earn merit before God. 38:43 The Bible tells us Ephesians chapter 2 verses 8-9 38:46 "For by grace you have been saved through faith. 38:49 And it is not of yourselves. It is a gift of God 38:52 not by works so that no one can boast. " 38:55 The Desire of Ages tells us that every false religion 38:59 is grounded on the belief that we can work our way to heaven. 39:05 The beauty of the gospel is that nothing we can ever do 39:10 can pay for or earn merit before God. 39:16 Then why do we surrender? 39:20 In Romans chapter 12- I want to invite you to turn with me 39:23 there - Paul makes a concluding statement 39:28 after he has just given a description of the nature 39:32 of the gospel and what God has done for us. 39:39 In Romans chapter 12 verses 1 and 2 Paul says 39:45 the word therefore. 39:49 Roman 12:1-2 "I beseech you therefore... " 39:53 The word therefore is a concluding statement. 39:56 Paul has just gone through the beauty of the gospel: 39:59 justification, sanctification, how we are saved by faith 40:02 through grace in Jesus Christ alone. 40:05 And in Romans 12:1-2 we have the response to grace. 40:11 Romans chapter 12 verse 1: "I beseech you therefore 40:13 brethren by the mercies of God 40:15 that you present your bodies a living sacrifice 40:19 wholly acceptable to God 40:22 which is your reasonable service. " 40:25 In other words, our surrender to God 40:29 is a response to what God has done for us. 40:34 And Paul says that this is "reasonable. " 40:39 In light of all of the mercies of God, 40:43 in light of everything that God has done for us, 40:46 we respond by saying: "Lord, all that I am, 40:51 all that I have is Yours. " 40:56 And Paul says this is "reasonable. " 41:02 We don't do it to earn our salvation. 41:08 We do it in response to what Jesus has done - Amen - 41:13 for us. Amen! How much did God give? 41:16 Steps to Christ page 21: 41:18 "In giving up His Son He has poured out to us 41:23 all heaven in one gift. " 41:32 When I was going through the Seminary 41:35 I switched majors or emphasis from the Master of Divinity 41:40 to the Master of Arts in Theological Studies. 41:42 It sounds the same, but one degree, the Masters in Divinity, 41:47 was subsidized by the North American Division. 41:49 The Master of Arts in Theological Studies was not. 41:52 And this came to an astronomical change in the bill 41:56 that I received at the end of the semester. 41:58 Rather than paying $1,500 a semester 42:01 I was paying almost $1,000 per credit! 42:05 So I'd take one 3-credit class it was almost $3,000! 42:10 There was no way that I could pay the tuition. 42:13 And I received a phone call from my grandfather. 42:16 He called me and said: "David, I pray for you every day. 42:19 I love you. " And he said: "By the way, 42:22 I will be your sponsor. " Amen! 42:28 Every few months I would receive a check in the mail. 42:35 He subsidized my way through grad school. 42:41 And when you are a recipient of something so undeserving 42:47 it does something to you. 42:51 My grandfather can get on the phone right now and say: 42:53 "I need you to do this... please come down" 42:55 I would drop everything and go - 42:58 Amen - because of the grace I received. 43:02 On a quantum level higher we have been blessed, friends. 43:07 Amen! We have been the recipients 43:10 of the mercies of God. Amen! And in response 43:14 and in gratitude to what He has done 43:17 we say: "Lord, here I am. " Amen! 43:21 "All of me I want to give to You. " 43:27 Ministry of Healing 473-474: 43:31 "We are never called upon to make a real sacrifice for God. 43:36 Many things He asks us to yield to Him, but in doing this 43:39 we are but giving up that which hinders us 43:42 in the heavenward way. Even when we are called to surrender 43:46 those things which in themselves are good 43:49 we may be sure that God is working out for us 43:52 something higher. In the future life the mysteries 43:57 that here have annoyed and disappointed us 44:00 will be made plain. We shall see that our seemingly unanswered 44:06 prayers and disappointed hopes 44:09 have been among our greatest blessings. " 44:14 When I was picked up by the Michigan Conference 44:18 I was single. 44:20 When I was ordained by the Michigan Conference 44:23 I was single. 44:26 And friends, it is a challenge being a single pastor... 44:31 especially in a large church there in Berrien Springs. 44:34 At the Village Church I was the youth pastor 44:36 and everyone would try to set me up with people. 44:40 "Have you met so and so? " 44:41 "Let me give you this person's number. " 44:44 And I'll be honest with you: this area of my life 44:47 was an area that I did not want to surrender. 44:51 Because I thought if I gave the Lord the rights to whom 44:54 I am to marry that the Lord may put me with someone that 44:57 may not be pleasing. 45:02 You know what I'm talking about. 45:04 And so I held on, and I was making a mess 45:09 of my life in this area. 45:12 Rejection. Awkwardness. 45:16 All types of just awkward situations. 45:21 And I was coming back from a ministerial meeting 45:25 at Camp Au Sable. I was driving down 45:27 and the person that was presenting talked about prayer 45:30 and surrender. And the Holy Spirit was speaking to my heart. 45:33 I heard the Lord saying to me: "David, 45:35 why is it that you're hanging onto this area of your life? " 45:39 And I said: "You know why, Lord. " 45:45 And the Holy Spirit was speaking to me 45:48 and I said: "Lord, help me be willing to be made willing. 45:53 I don't want to let go 45:56 but I know that You're calling me to surrender. " 45:58 And I prayed this prayer and I said: "Lord, 46:01 I don't want to give this area up 46:03 but help me to do it. " 46:06 And I said: "Lord, even if I'm single for the rest of my life 46:11 I won't like it... but I surrender. " 46:17 And I want to tell you that when I prayed that prayer 46:19 it was like a burden just lifted from my soul. 46:25 And I pulled into town and my phone rang. 46:32 It was a young lady 46:36 who invited me to this get together and so forth. 46:41 And later on she became my wife. Amen! 46:46 Praise God! And it hit me 46:50 that it's not so much the area. 46:53 It's where that place holds on the throne of my heart. 46:58 Amen! And as soon as I said: "Lord, I let go" 47:01 He said: "OK... now you can have this area. " 47:04 God wants to have the place in our hearts: 47:09 the number one position. Yes! Yes Lord! 47:12 And if there's any other area He's not going to share 47:16 the throne, friends. It's either Him or this other entity - 47:21 all right - this other thing. 47:22 God is calling us to surrender. 47:26 Acts of the Apostles 482: 47:30 "But He cannot help us without our consent and cooperation. 47:36 The divine Spirit works through the powers and faculties 47:39 given to man. Of ourselves we are not able to bring 47:44 the purposes and desires and inclinations 47:47 into harmony with the will of God. 47:49 But if we are willing to be made willing 47:53 The Savior will accomplish this for us. " 47:57 Amen! Did you hear that? 48:00 Willing to be made willing. In other words, you can come 48:03 to God and say: "Lord, I'm not even willing. 48:05 Help me to be willing. " 48:08 So many people say: "You know, I'm not going to come to Jesus 48:11 because I don't want to be in... or not authentic. " 48:14 Well, the truism of this is we can never be really authentic. 48:19 Amen! We need to come to God and say: "Lord, 48:21 I love this thing. Help me to hate it. " 48:23 "I'm hanging onto this area of my life; help me to let go. " 48:27 "I don't even desire it. Help me to be willing to be made 48:32 willing by the grace of God. " Amen! 48:37 I want to touch on this notion 48:41 that is a misunderstanding in terms of the gospel 48:48 and it is this: many people assume 48:53 that we must repent before we come to Jesus. 49:00 That repentance is somehow a barrier between us and God. 49:04 And you remember repentance is a sorrow for sin 49:08 and a turning away from it. 49:11 You remember the story of Zacchaeus. 49:13 Jesus was walking through Jericho. He called Zacchaeus 49:16 and said: "Today I must come into and abide in your home. " 49:21 Notice that there were no prerequisites 49:23 for Jesus coming into the home of Zacchaeus. 49:27 Jesus did not say: "Look, I'm going to come to your house 49:29 today but before you do this you need to get some things right. " 49:33 There were no preconditions. 49:35 He said: "I'm going to come to your house. And you remember 49:37 the story. As soon as Jesus came into the house 49:40 of Zacchaeus, Zacchaeus stood up and said: "Lord, 49:43 half of my goods I will give to the poor. 49:46 And if any person I've charged... overcharged 49:49 I will pay them back fourfold. " 49:53 Zacchaeus had experienced repentance. 50:00 I want to read this statement from the book Steps to Christ 50:04 page 26 in terms of repentance. 50:09 "Just here is a point on which many may err 50:15 and hence they fail of receiving the help that Christ desires 50:19 to give them. They think they cannot come to Christ 50:23 unless they first repent and that repentance prepares 50:29 for the forgiveness of their sins. 50:31 But must the sinner wait till he has repented 50:34 before he can come to Jesus? 50:36 Is repentance to be made an obstacle between the sinner 50:39 and the Savior? The Bible does not teach 50:43 that the sinner must repent before he can heed 50:45 the invitation of Christ: 'Come unto Me 50:48 all ye that labor and are heavy laden 50:51 and I will give you rest. ' " 50:55 In other words, we can come to Jesus 50:58 and say: "Lord, I'm not sorry. 51:03 Help me to be sorry. " 51:06 That's the beauty of the gospel. 51:09 We can come to Jesus and say: "Lord, I'm not even sorry for 51:12 what I've done. Matter of fact, I enjoyed it. 51:15 Help me! Give me the gift of repentance. " 51:20 Repentance is not a pre- requisite to coming to Christ. 51:24 It follows coming to Jesus. 51:26 So God is at the door of the sanctuary. He says: "Just come 51:30 just the way that you are. 51:32 You don't have to repent before you come to Me. 51:35 As a matter of fact, you cannot repent before you come to Me. " 51:39 I can't tell you how many young people have said: 51:41 "You know what? I don't even feel sorry. 51:43 I want to come to God. " Well I have news for you, friends. 51:45 The Bible says repentance is a gift. 51:48 You can only come to Christ and receive the gift 51:52 of repentance. It is not something that is keeping you 51:55 from God. It is something that God wants to give 51:58 each and every one of us. Acts chapter 5 verse 31: 52:01 "Him hath God exalted with His right hand 52:04 to be a prince and a Savior for to give repentance 52:09 to Israel and the forgiveness of sins. " 52:13 God longs to give us repentance. 52:19 And repentance begins at the altar of burnt offering. 52:25 Amen! Steps to Christ page 28: 52:30 "You who in heart long for something better 52:36 than this world can give 52:38 recognize this longing as the voice of God 52:43 to your soul. " 52:47 How many times have we in the quietness of our own hearts... 52:53 I can remember distinctly before I came to Jesus 52:56 after a good time out with friends 52:59 or the pleasures of this world I would come back home 53:04 and there was an emptiness inside. 53:07 A void... an inner ache of loneliness. 53:12 We all know what that is. And Blaise Pascal says 53:15 there's a God-shaped hole in our hearts that only He can fill. 53:19 And you can see it. In society today people with 53:23 a lot of money, people with a lot of fame, 53:25 are trying to fill this void with all types of addictions 53:29 and novelties, but it seems like it is a bottomless pit. 53:33 The more they try to fill it the emptier and the emptier 53:36 that they get. Steps to Christ tells us 53:40 that this longing is the voice of God to our souls 53:46 telling us that it is only the Desire of the Ages 53:50 that can fill that void within our hearts. 53:53 He is drawing us; He is appealing to us. 53:57 And she goes on by saying: "Ask Him to give you 54:01 repentance. To reveal Christ to you in His infinite love 54:07 in His perfect purity. 54:11 Ask Him to give you repentance. 54:19 What brings us to repentance? 54:22 Christ must be revealed to the sinner as the Savior dying 54:26 for the sins of the world. And as we behold the Lamb of God 54:30 upon the cross of Calvary 54:32 the mystery of redemption begins to unfold to our minds 54:35 and the goodness of God leads us to repentance. 54:40 In dying for sinners Christ manifested a love 54:43 that is incomprehensible. 54:45 And as the sinner beholds this love 54:49 it softens the heart, impresses the mind, 54:52 and inspires contrition in the soul. " 54:57 Friends, we need to uplift Jesus. Amen! 55:01 And as we uplift Jesus His righteousness, 55:06 His beauty, His glory, 55:08 the cross, and the sacrifice that He made for each one of us 55:13 we are told that there's something that happens 55:18 within all of us. And as we see the goodness of God 55:23 it leads us to repentance. 55:28 Repentance is grace, friends. 55:30 Repentance is not a barrier. 55:33 Romans chapter 2 and verse 4: 55:35 "Or do you not despise the riches of His goodness, 55:40 forbearance, longsuffering, not knowing that 55:44 the goodness of God leads you to repentance? " 55:50 Jesus is there, friends, at the door of the sanctuary 55:53 saying: "Come just as you are. " 56:01 I want to conclude by reading this statement from the book 56:04 Steps to Christ. "If you see your sinfulness, 56:08 do not wait to make yourself better. 56:12 How many there are who think they are not good enough to come 56:14 to Christ. Do you expect to become better through your own 56:18 efforts? Can the Ethiopian change his skin 56:22 or the leopard his spots? 56:24 Then may ye also do good that are accustomed to do evil. 56:28 There is help for us only in God. 56:31 We must not wait for stronger persuasions, 56:36 for better opportunities, for holier tempers. 56:40 We can do nothing of ourselves. 56:43 We must come to Christ just as we are. " 56:50 Praise His holy name! Amen! 56:52 We must come to Christ just as we are. 56:55 But the beauty of the gospel is 56:58 even though we come just as we are 57:00 we do not leave just the way that we came. 57:04 Amen! It is grace that transforms. 57:07 And the Bible tells us: "If any man be in Christ, 57:10 he is a new creation. 57:12 Old things are passed away; 57:14 all things are become new. " And it is my prayer today 57:18 that the God that started this work in us 57:22 will be faithful and true to complete it in us. 57:27 Let us let the Lord complete this process. Amen? |
Revised 2019-11-27