Anchors of Truth

Highway to the Upper Room

Three Angels Broadcasting Network

Program transcript

Participants: John Lomacang (Host), Pr. Taj Pacleb

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Series Code: AOT

Program Code: AOT000180A


00:13 Welcome to Anchors Of Truth,
00:15 live from the 3ABN Worship Center.
00:23 Hello friends, welcome to the 3ABN Worship Center
00:26 for this final message in a five part series
00:29 brought to us by Pastor Taj Pacleb.
00:33 Now in the prior program, I had a lei around my shoulders
00:37 and neck, which was an indication of the diversity
00:40 of our speaker here today.
00:41 A young man that is from Hawaii.
00:44 He has so many nationalities; Filipino, German, Mexican.
00:50 His wife is Tongan and Fijian.
00:54 And the message, however, is not so much focused on
00:57 where they are from, but the message focuses us on
01:01 where we are all headed.
01:03 This afternoon's message is entitled,
01:04 Highway to the Upper Room.
01:08 We are reminded of how important it is to trust the Lord
01:10 in difficult times of hardship, how important it is
01:14 to lean on the Rock, Christ Jesus, that never
01:18 disappoints us, never forsakes us.
01:20 And as we recount our past, we can see that He has always
01:23 provided for the road we have taken, and He is faithful
01:27 for the road that is ahead of us.
01:30 What happened in the upper room on the day of Pentecost
01:32 is so imperative for us as we think about the power
01:36 that is available to live this Christian life.
01:38 And I know that we're going to be blessed
01:40 as the manservant of the hour, Pastor Taj Pacleb,
01:44 is going to be presenting the sermon entitled,
01:47 Highway to the Upper Room.
01:48 But we've also been blessed by the music of a young lady
01:51 by the name of Jackie Jewel.
01:53 I have to say, she is a jewel of a musician.
01:57 And she's going to bless us with this song entitled,
01:59 Your Grace Still Amazes Me.
02:01 After which, the next voice that we will hear will be that of
02:04 of our presenter, Pastor Taj Pacleb.
02:23 My faithful Father,
02:31 enduring Friend.
02:43 My faithful Father,
02:51 enduring Friend,
02:54 Your tender mercy is like a river with no end.
03:04 It overwhelms me,
03:11 covers my sin.
03:15 Each time I come into Your presence
03:22 I stand in wonder once again.
03:30 'Cause Your grace, it still amazes me;
03:37 Your love, it's still a mystery.
03:44 And each day I fall on my knees,
03:52 'cause Your grace still amazes me.
03:59 Your grace still amazes me.
04:18 Oh patient Savior,
04:24 You make me whole.
04:29 You are the Author and the Healer of my soul.
04:38 What can I give You?
04:44 Lord, what can I say?
04:49 I know there's no way to repay You;
04:56 only to offer You my praise.
05:04 'Cause Your grace, it still amazes me;
05:11 Your love, it's still a mystery.
05:17 And each day I fall on my knees,
05:26 'cause Your grace still amazes me.
05:33 Your grace still amazes.
05:39 It's deeper, it's wider,
05:46 it's stronger, it's higher.
05:52 It's deeper, it's wider,
05:59 it's stronger, and it's higher
06:05 than anything my eyes can see.
06:11 Your grace, it still amazes me;
06:18 Your love, it's still a mystery.
06:24 And each day I fall on my knees,
06:33 'cause Your grace still amazes me.
06:41 Your grace still amazes me.
07:07 Good evening, everyone.
07:09 I want to welcome you to another night here at the
07:11 Anchors Of Truth broadcast.
07:13 It's been a wonderful experience being here in these
07:15 last few days.
07:16 On behalf of our ministry, the Revelation of Hope ministries,
07:19 we want to thank 3ABN and this powerful outreach
07:22 they have here in this area and all over the world.
07:24 It's been a great joy.
07:25 And now we've come to our final presentation.
07:28 I want to thank all of those who have been joining us
07:30 online and at home.
07:32 We trust that God has another rich blessing in store for us
07:35 as we study the message tonight entitled,
07:37 Highway to the Upper Room.
07:39 I invite you to bow your heads as we pray together.
07:41 Father in heaven, please speak to our hearts
07:44 in a personal and intimate way tonight.
07:47 And give us spiritual ears to hear Your voice
07:50 as we open Your Word.
07:52 Open our hearts that we might receive this last message
07:55 for this hour.
07:57 This is our prayer.
07:58 In Jesus' name, amen.
08:01 I invite you to take your Bible and open with me to the book of
08:03 Revelation, and we're going to begin in the 12th chapter
08:07 as we begin our study tonight entitled,
08:09 Highway to the Upper Room.
08:11 In the 12th chapter of the book of Revelation,
08:13 we find a very powerful prophecy that describes the countdown,
08:18 the final showdown, between a demonic dragon
08:22 and a beautiful beloved bride.
08:24 Notice what it says in Revelation 12:17, it says...
08:40 Friends, according to these solemn words of prophecy,
08:43 we see that the dragon is filled with wrath and rage
08:47 against a woman.
08:48 Now we know according to verse 9 that the dragon
08:50 is none other than Satan.
08:52 And according to prophecy, a woman is a symbol of
08:54 God's church, the beloved bride of Christ.
08:57 And for those who need the Scriptures,
08:58 you can write it down; Ephesians 5:25,
09:01 Jeremiah 6:2, 2 Corinthians 11:2.
09:05 And many other passages make it clear
09:07 that in a prophetic context a woman is a symbol
09:10 of the church.
09:12 So here we read in this prophecy that Satan is angry with
09:15 the church, a specific woman which has
09:17 specific characteristics.
09:19 And I want us to note it carefully, friends, that the
09:21 devil is not angry at every church.
09:24 He is only angry at a church that is a threat
09:28 to his kingdom.
09:29 And here is a woman, a church, that excites the wrath
09:32 of the dragon, because it's this woman
09:35 who is filled with the spirit of Jesus, her heavenly Husband,
09:38 that will usher in the demise of the devil.
09:41 And so in these last days, Satan is focusing all of his
09:44 weapons of mass distraction against the woman,
09:48 this Bible believing, Christ following, faith walking,
09:50 commandment keeping, Sabbath resting, advent waiting,
09:53 spirit filled, gospel preaching people of God.
09:57 And that's who we are, amen?
09:59 And friends, according to this verse,
10:02 Satan is angry at this woman for at least three reasons.
10:05 Number one, because this is the beloved bride
10:07 of his enemy, Jesus Christ.
10:09 Satan is also angry at this woman because this woman
10:12 keeps the commandments of his enemy, Jesus Christ.
10:17 And this woman also has the testimony of Jesus Christ.
10:21 In other words, Jesus, through His bride,
10:23 is testifying against the false accusations of Satan
10:27 in this great controversy between good and evil.
10:30 And Satan hates the testimony of Jesus.
10:33 He wants to silence that testimony.
10:35 And the way in which he's seeking to silence the
10:38 testimony of Jesus is by trying to silence the bride,
10:42 the woman, that has it.
10:44 But the question is, what exactly is
10:46 the testimony of Jesus?
10:48 Well the Bible tells us in Revelation 19:10.
10:56 And friends, the spirit of prophecy is what gives
10:59 to the woman her message and her mission,
11:02 as well as her methods, in spreading that message
11:05 and fulfilling that mission in all the world.
11:08 And friends, we have to understand that the
11:10 spirit of prophecy, which is the testimony of Jesus,
11:13 is not just one prophet in the last days,
11:16 but it's Jesus' testimony speaking through all of the
11:18 prophets from the very beginning of time
11:21 all the way to the end of time.
11:23 For notice what Jesus said in the book of John chapter 14.
11:27 Jesus made it clear that the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit,
11:31 testifies, or simply repeats the words that
11:33 He received from Jesus.
11:35 In John chapter 14 and beginning with verse 26,
11:39 Jesus said...
11:53 So once again, friends, the testimony of Jesus
11:56 is the spirit of prophecy.
11:58 The Holy Spirit only gives that which Jesus had spoken Himself.
12:02 In fact, if you notice in chapter 16 of the book of John,
12:05 chapter 16 and verse 12, Jesus said...
12:31 So Jesus made it clear that the Spirit doesn't speak
12:33 of His own authority.
12:35 He takes that which is Jesus' and He gives it to us.
12:38 Again, the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy,
12:42 which is the Holy Spirit speaking through all
12:45 the prophets of God from the beginning of time
12:48 all the way to the end of time.
12:49 If that's clear, would you please say amen?
12:52 Now I want us to notice, Jesus said that when that Spirit
12:54 comes, He will guide us into all truth.
12:58 Not just some of it, not just a part of it,
13:00 but all truth.
13:02 In other words, the job description of the Holy Spirit
13:04 is to fill us in on everything Jesus wants us to know
13:09 and everywhere Jesus wants us to go.
13:12 And that word, "guide," denotes that there is a journey,
13:16 a pathway, a destination.
13:18 A "guide" denotes that we're being led along a way
13:21 that we naturally know not.
13:23 It implies that there's movement from point A to point B.
13:28 We're heading to a specific destiny.
13:30 We're not staying still in spiritual stagnation,
13:33 but we're moving forward, upward, and onward
13:36 into an understanding of all truth;
13:38 which is the testimony of Jesus Christ.
13:41 And friends, the chief characteristic of a movement
13:44 is that they're moving.
13:45 Amen?
13:47 A movement that's not moving is not a movement at all.
13:50 And friends, we're more than a church, we're a movement.
13:52 And we're not just a conversation, friends.
13:55 Some people say, "Oh we're just here to have a conversation."
13:57 No friends, we're a movement.
13:59 God wants us to move forward.
14:00 But the question I want to ask this evening is this:
14:03 Where is God calling this remnant movement to go?
14:08 Which way do we go?
14:10 Well friends, in order to know the way in which
14:12 God is calling us to go, we must go back
14:16 and study the characteristics of the early apostolic church.
14:20 Because that early church, those early Christians,
14:22 were known as the people of the Way.
14:26 So in order for us to know the way in which we need to go
14:29 as the remnant, we have to study to know where the
14:32 early church went.
14:33 Because this word, "remnant," in Revelation 12:17,
14:37 simply means, that which remains and is just like the original.
14:43 You see, this woman in Revelation 12
14:46 is the early apostolic church.
14:48 The dragon is angry at her but is seeking to take out his
14:53 wrath, not on the woman, but rather upon the remnant
14:56 of her seed.
14:58 And the reason why is that the early apostolic church
15:01 at this point in the prophecy is past off the scene.
15:04 However, she has a remnant.
15:06 And as I mentioned, the word, "remnant," means...
15:11 Or those in the last days who remain original.
15:14 They have the same pure faith just like the early
15:17 apostolic church.
15:19 They keep all the commandments
15:20 just like the early apostolic church.
15:22 They have all the gifts of the Spirit and the same mission
15:25 just like the early apostolic church.
15:27 And so friends, as we lay the foundation for our
15:29 study tonight, in order to know the way in which we
15:32 as a remnant must go, we have to go back to the past
15:36 to see how the Spirit moved the first church yesterday.
15:41 For what happened back then is a glimpse
15:44 of what God is seeking to do today in our midst.
15:47 Pentecost is going to be repeated at the end of time.
15:51 And we want to discover tonight what is the prerequisite
15:54 for the power of Pentecost?
15:57 Because in order to have their results on the day of Pentecost,
16:00 we first have to have their experience.
16:03 It was an experience they had that brought profound
16:06 results that they experienced.
16:08 And so, what was it that they experienced
16:12 that we need to today?
16:14 I want to summarize it with two things.
16:16 Perhaps more, but surely not less, than these two things.
16:19 Two things that those early apostles experienced
16:23 that we must experience.
16:25 I want to summarize it with just two words.
16:28 A road and a room.
16:31 A road and a room.
16:34 So let's go back to the day of Pentecost
16:36 and trace it backwards from effect to its cause.
16:41 And then we'll review from cause to effect.
16:44 Before Pentecost could take place, the disciples first
16:47 had to go to the upper room.
16:49 And it was in that upper room experience that they were
16:52 unified, not just in spirit, but spirit and in truth.
16:55 It was there that they made wrongs right
16:58 as they humbled themselves before one another
17:00 and humbled themselves before the Lord.
17:01 They prayed together and they pleaded for the
17:04 power of the Holy Spirit.
17:05 And as a result of those powerful prayers,
17:08 the healing rain of God's power and love
17:10 fell upon and flowed through the early apostles.
17:14 And its ripple effects grew into a tsunami of revival
17:17 that brought spiritual revolution to the whole world.
17:21 And what happened back then is to be repeated again.
17:25 But first, we've got to go to the upper room, friends.
17:28 How many of you see your need of an upper room experience?
17:31 We come together, and God unifies us.
17:33 But friends, I want to submit to us this evening
17:35 that many of God's people are not ready for the upper room.
17:40 There's a previous preparatory experience that comes
17:44 before the upper room that we must have
17:47 in order for the upper room to even make a difference.
17:50 You see, the reason why there was power in the
17:53 prayers of the apostles in the upper room is because
17:56 they had this experience we're talking about tonight.
17:59 This experience, in other words, was the foundation
18:02 for the upper room.
18:03 You see, before they could be filled with the Spirit...
18:12 In other words, when you study the Bible carefully,
18:15 there was a road that led to the upper room.
18:19 And friends, many of us are not ready for the room
18:23 because we're not walking on this specific road.
18:27 And friends, the lessons that the apostles learned on this
18:29 road is what prepared them for the upper room.
18:32 And so, it is on this road I would invite you
18:35 to walk with me upon today;
18:37 this upper road that led to the upper room.
18:40 This road that we're referring to is found in the
18:44 book of Luke chapter 24.
18:45 And so take your Bible and open there with me.
18:48 Luke 24 is a very familiar story.
18:50 Jesus had resurrected from the grave.
18:53 This is the first day of the week, early Sunday morning.
18:57 Jesus came forth from the grave.
18:59 And then we find the story of two disciples
19:03 walking away from Jerusalem, the city of peace.
19:07 They're leaving just after they celebrated the great
19:09 feast of the Passover.
19:11 And as they're walking on this road that leads to Emmaus,
19:15 I want us to notice as we read about the cogitations
19:18 of their mind and the meditations of their heart,
19:20 these disciples are discouraged.
19:22 They're walking away from Jerusalem.
19:24 They're walking away from the city of peace.
19:26 Notice what it says.
19:28 Luke 24:13, the Bible says this...
19:45 Now friends, we have to understand the mindset
19:47 of these disciples.
19:49 The sun of hope had gone down, and now the night of woe
19:52 had settled upon their hearts.
19:54 These disciples were absorbed in gloom and grief.
19:58 They were utterly hopeless, bitterly disappointed,
20:01 crushed by confusion, and drowning in
20:03 despondency and despair.
20:05 And the reason why is because they had just witnessed
20:08 with their own eyes the one they thought was the Messiah
20:11 being nailed to a cruel Roman cross.
20:15 And as believers in Him, they thought that perhaps
20:18 they would meet the exact same fate.
20:21 And so the future seemed dark and uncertain for them.
20:24 There was no light in sight.
20:26 They were standing in the dark shadow of the cross,
20:28 and it was unbearable.
20:30 You see, they had seen the cross,
20:33 but they did not understand it.
20:35 And friends, I wonder, could it be possible that we,
20:38 the Christian community, have seen the cross
20:41 but we really don't understand its true significance of it.
20:46 That's these two disciples.
20:48 They represent all who have suffered disappointment in life.
20:51 These two disciples represent those whose faith has faltered
20:55 and whose commitments have cooled down due to the
20:58 cares of this life.
20:59 But notice what Jesus does for those who are plagued with pain
21:03 and feel so far away from His peace.
21:06 The next verse, the Bible says in 15,
21:08 "And it came to pass that while they communed together
21:11 and reasoned, Jesus Himself drew near and went with them."
21:16 Oh friends, I'm so thankful that when we feel the
21:19 farthest away from God, that's when God is closest to us.
21:24 Can you say amen?
21:25 These two disciples were absorbed in darkness,
21:28 and yet the Light of the universe drew near
21:32 to penetrate the darkness of their discouragement.
21:35 Friends, I want you to know, you may feel so far away
21:37 from God right now.
21:38 You may have messed up and sinned greatly, even today.
21:42 And you feel like heaven is so far away.
21:45 The farther away you feel from God, that's the closer He is.
21:49 He's right outside the door of your heart knocking.
21:52 That's how close.
21:53 And I want to appeal to you, my friends, open the door of your
21:56 heart and let Jesus come in today.
21:59 Christ draws near to these disciples.
22:01 And He's wanting to lift them up out of the valley
22:05 of discouragement on the mountain top of hope.
22:08 You see, these disciples were leaving Jerusalem,
22:10 the city of peace, and they were headed to the
22:13 village called, Emmaus.
22:14 Now that word, "Emmaus," if you look it up in the
22:16 original language, it means, "warm baths."
22:20 And their destination, Emmaus, warm baths,
22:23 was a reflection of their experience.
22:26 As they're walking away from Jerusalem,
22:27 their commitment has cooled down and now they're settling
22:30 into a somewhat Laodicean lukewarm experience.
22:35 Maybe they were just trying to head home to take a nice
22:38 warm bath and forget about their troubles
22:40 and forget about their disappointment.
22:42 But when you read the story, by the time Jesus is finished
22:45 with them, from being lukewarm in warm baths,
22:48 they are on fire as they testify,
22:51 "Did not our hearts burn within us
22:55 when He walked with us by the way?"
22:57 You see, friends, the fire of Pentecost actually began
23:01 right here in this upper road when their hearts became hot.
23:05 That's when the baptism of fire started to begin, friends.
23:09 The reason why is because on that road to Emmaus,
23:12 the upper road experience I call it,
23:14 they heard the testimony of Jesus,
23:18 which is the spirit of prophecy.
23:21 So Jesus draws near to help these disciples understand
23:26 the prophetic significance of the cross.
23:30 But how Jesus does it is absolutely unremarkable
23:34 to human eyes.
23:36 Notice what He does in verse 25, Luke 24:25.
24:02 Friends, I want you to notice, on this upper road experience
24:06 Jesus helped them to understand the significance of the cross,
24:10 but He did it by expounding, giving a systematic
24:14 sequential exposition on Bible prophecy.
24:19 He pointed to the Scriptures, friends.
24:21 Now the approach of Christ is very peculiar and very unique.
24:24 It would have been a lot easier and a lot faster
24:27 for Jesus simply to appear to them.
24:30 Maybe perform some miracle, demonstrate His power,
24:33 reveal Himself, and the disciples would have been
24:35 satisfied instantly.
24:37 But instead of doing that, Jesus took the long route
24:40 in breaking down Bible prophecy and showing how prophecy
24:44 is all about Himself.
24:47 Instead of appealing to their feelings, their senses,
24:50 or the emotions, Jesus appealed to their reason
24:53 as He helped them to understand Bible prophecy.
24:55 And here's the reason why, friends.
24:57 I want you to notice what it says in the book,
24:58 Desire Of Ages, page 796.
25:19 You see, Jesus did not want their faith to rest upon
25:21 some outward demonstration, some sign or wonder,
25:24 or some type of burning in the bosom.
25:26 He wanted their faith to rest solely and completely
25:29 upon the greatest evidence for our faith;
25:32 and that is the prophetic Scriptures, the Word of God.
25:36 Can you say amen?
25:37 And so what Jesus is doing here is amazing.
25:39 It was Christ's first work to help them understand the cross
25:44 in the context of prophecy.
25:47 In fact, friends, listen, it was cross-centered prophecy
25:52 that made all the difference in their lives.
25:55 This is what caused their hearts to grow hot;
25:58 when they saw Jesus in prophecy.
26:00 And shortly after that, you read verse 44,
26:02 Jesus appeared to the rest and did the exact same thing.
26:06 He explained current events in the light of
26:09 Christ-centered prophecy.
26:12 And because they first understood Christ-centered
26:15 prophecy, now they were ready for the upper room.
26:18 Now they knew how to pray in the upper room.
26:20 And that's why their prayers were effective.
26:22 Because those prayers were based upon sound theology,
26:27 founded in the Word, focused in Christ,
26:30 framed in prophecy, and filled with the Spirit.
26:33 And because they were led by the Spirit on the
26:36 upper road to the upper room, now they were ready to be filled
26:39 with the Spirit in that upper room experience.
26:43 And friends, listen, the remnant will have the exact
26:47 same experience.
26:49 For, friends, the remnant are those who are just like
26:52 the original.
26:53 You see, the point that I'm making tonight is this:
26:56 Many of us are not ready for the upper room experience
27:00 because we've failed to learn the lessons
27:02 on the upper road.
27:04 We have failed to see how Jesus and prophecy
27:07 are not two separate things, but they are together, friends.
27:12 For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
27:18 That's the unity that God wants us to experience.
27:21 It's the true unity.
27:22 Remember, friends, for every truth that God has,
27:26 Satan has a counterfeit.
27:28 Do you realize, friends, that there is a counterfeit
27:30 upper room experience that's sweeping across
27:33 the Christian world today?
27:35 It's a room without the road.
27:39 It's a destination without a clear way of arriving to it.
27:43 And friends, if you don't have a clear road
27:45 or a clear way of arriving, you just might end up,
27:48 not in the upper room, but a séance room
27:51 or some type of other room.
27:54 And friends, that's what we're seeing in a general sense
27:56 in the religious world today;
27:58 where people, Christian churches, are saying,
28:01 "Let's put aside all our doctrinal differences
28:05 and let's just come together and pray."
28:08 What they're saying is, "Let's unify in the spirit."
28:12 And it sounds good, friends.
28:13 But it is at the sacrifice and the cost of the truth.
28:17 They're saying, "Let's put aside the doctrines,
28:19 let's put aside truth, and let's just come together and pray."
28:22 But friends, we've been told in prophecy
28:27 that this is not a true unity.
28:29 God cannot bless a union that is not in harmony with His Word.
28:33 And tragically, there's a watering down of the
28:36 true gospel of Christ in the world today.
28:38 And the true everlasting gospel is being replaced by a false,
28:42 counterfeit, greasy grace, cheap, prosperity gospel.
28:45 In Christianity, friends, we're seeing that there is
28:47 actually a crisis of theology.
28:50 An ecumenical apostasy that prophecy has predicted
28:54 is emerging all over the world.
28:57 And even in some pockets of the remnant church
29:00 we're hearing messages that are downplaying
29:03 our distinctiveness.
29:04 There's a lot of one-sided preaching that's throwing
29:07 God's people off balance.
29:09 Friends, let's never forget that the upper road experience
29:12 is strait and narrow.
29:14 And Satan in these last days is seeking to get God's remnant
29:18 church off track, off of the upper road, the narrow road,
29:22 into one of two separate ditches that are on either side
29:28 of this narrow road.
29:30 And friends, Satan does not care which ditch
29:33 we fall into as long as he knocks us off the upper road
29:38 that leads to the upper room.
29:40 And these two ditches, I want to focus on with you this evening.
29:43 One ditch on the right, the ditch of legalism.
29:48 And then another ditch on the left, the ditch of liberalism.
29:53 And friends, these are the two ditches, the two extremes,
29:57 that Satan wants God's people to fall into.
29:59 Let's deal with the first one;
30:01 the ditch on the right, the ditch of legalism.
30:03 I want you to notice what it says in the book,
30:05 Gospel Workers, and on page 156.
30:07 It says this...
30:39 Oh friends, what a tragedy.
30:41 When we dwell upon the law and not upon Christ,
30:44 who is the schoolmaster, to bring us to the...
30:49 ...dwell upon the law, which is the schoolmaster,
30:51 to bring us to Christ.
30:53 You see, friends, we've been told that Christ-less sermons
30:56 are the offerings of Cain.
30:58 When you think about the offering of Cain,
31:00 there was no fire that fell upon the altar.
31:02 There was no light and no warmth from that worship.
31:05 Because even though Cain offered something in sincerity,
31:09 he offered the wrong thing.
31:10 Instead of giving the lamb that is slain,
31:13 he gave the fruit of his own labors.
31:15 Salvation by works; that was his offering.
31:18 And there was no fire, there was no warmth,
31:21 there was no light, because it was missing the essential
31:24 ingredient; the blood of the lamb.
31:27 Cain's offering was centered in what he was giving to God;
31:32 the works and fruits of his own labor.
31:35 But friends, Christianity is not about what we give to God,
31:39 it's about what God is seeking to give to us.
31:42 Can you say amen?
31:43 And that is His very life.
31:45 That's why Abel's offering was accepted.
31:47 Because it was centered, not in what man was giving to God,
31:50 but rather in what God was giving to man;
31:52 His very own life, typified in that lamb whose blood was shed.
31:58 Christ-less sermons; offerings of Cain.
32:01 The reason why there's not a lot of fire in many pulpits
32:05 of the world today is because it's missing
32:07 the blood of Jesus Christ.
32:09 And then that same quotation continues.
32:25 "This truth, with others, included in the message
32:29 is to be proclaimed."
32:36 Can you say amen to that, friends?
32:38 We need to give the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
32:41 But we need to make sure that it's all centered
32:44 and founded in the center of attraction;
32:47 that is Jesus Christ.
32:48 Let us never forget, oh my beloved brothers and sisters,
32:50 that Jesus is the content and the context
32:53 of our communication.
32:55 Jesus is the focus and foundation of all true faith.
32:58 Jesus is the purpose and the premise of all prophecy.
33:02 Because it's not about what we know, it's about who we know.
33:06 And too many times, friends, we as a people, we know the "what,"
33:10 but we don't know the "Who."
33:11 Our heads are full, but our hearts are empty.
33:14 Many times we preach prophecy without Christ.
33:18 And as a result, we have people serving God out of fear
33:21 instead of love.
33:22 People focusing so much on the beast that they
33:24 lose sight of the Lamb.
33:26 Yes, friends, as faithful watchmen, were are to
33:28 understand the signs so that we might give that solemn warning.
33:31 But at the same time, when we point out the signs,
33:33 let us quickly point to the Savior and the refuge we have;
33:37 the shelter in our times of storm. Amen?
33:39 Too many times we've preached standards without Christ.
33:42 And as a result, we have placed a Christ-less cross
33:47 upon the shoulders of people.
33:48 And many have been crushed by this legalistic
33:51 and loveless religion.
33:52 And many people have given up their walk.
33:54 Why? Because it's impossible to live the standard
33:57 without first loving the Savior.
34:01 Christ-less preaching has created many fanatics
34:04 and legalists who are constantly judging
34:06 and criticizing and condemning others.
34:08 All the while, they're filled with spiritual
34:11 pride and hypocrisy.
34:12 Remember, friends, that health reform, education reform,
34:15 dress reform without Christ are nothing but empty forms.
34:19 We need to make sure, friends, that our message
34:22 and our methods and our mission is always
34:25 Christ and cross-centered. Amen?
34:28 Sometimes we preach doctrines without Christ.
34:30 And as a result, we have people whose heads are full
34:33 with the right answers, but whose hearts are empty
34:36 and they have the wrong experience
34:38 and the wrong attitudes.
34:39 We have people who know the Word of God,
34:42 they can tell you the truth, but they don't know the God
34:45 of the Word and He who is the truth.
34:48 And friends, I remember when I was first converted
34:50 when I was 16 years old.
34:52 I wasn't brought up in this or any other church.
34:54 And I heard the message for the first time
34:56 and I was excited about it; it made sense.
34:58 And the Lord Jesus Christ won my heart and conquered my soul.
35:02 I will never forget, friends, I use to be just like this
35:05 when I first started.
35:07 My zeal for the truth sometimes pushed people away.
35:11 But as I continued to grow in the love of God
35:13 I spent more time at the foot of the cross,
35:15 and my dear Lord showed me a better way.
35:17 And now my greatest desire in our ministry
35:20 is to point people to Jesus and to help people understand
35:23 that prophecy is a revelation of hope.
35:27 It is the revelation of Jesus Christ.
35:29 You see, friends, doctrine without the love of Jesus
35:32 is irrelevant.
35:34 Prophecy without the love of Jesus is scary.
35:37 Standards without the love of Jesus are oppressive.
35:41 However, doctrine with the love of Jesus is important.
35:45 Prophecy with the love of Jesus is exciting.
35:48 And standards with the love of Jesus
35:51 is a blessing and a delight.
35:53 Amen?
35:54 And so let us not fall into the ditch of legalism, friends.
35:57 Let's stay on that strait and narrow upper road
36:00 that leads to the final upper room.
36:02 I want you to notice in this quotation in the book,
36:05 Lift Him Up, page 98, it says this...
36:33 Can you say amen to that?
36:38 And so, my brothers and sisters, we need to give the
36:41 message in Revelation.
36:43 We need to share all the truth and not water it down
36:46 and cut corners, and flower and fluff it up.
36:49 But we need to make sure that it's centered
36:51 and founded in Jesus Christ.
36:53 Can you say amen?
36:54 So let's avoid the ditch on the right, the ditch of legalism.
36:58 But friends, there's another ditch on the left
37:01 that is equally as dangerous.
37:02 It's the ditch of liberalism.
37:05 Soft, sweet, fluffy, but no substance.
37:09 The best thing I can use to illustrate it is cotton candy.
37:13 You've eaten cotton candy before, right?
37:15 What is the characteristic of cotton candy?
37:17 It's nice, it's colorful, it's sweet, it's fluffy.
37:23 But when you put it in your mouth, it melts.
37:26 There is no substance.
37:27 And it gives you absolutely no spiritual nourishment.
37:31 That's what I like to call, cotton candy Christianity.
37:34 It's nice, it looks good, it feels good,
37:37 but there's no substance in it.
37:39 It gives people a sugar rush, a spiritual high,
37:42 but it leaves people biblically malnourished.
37:46 You see, friends, this is dangerous.
37:48 There is a subtle deception that Satan has introduced
37:52 within the remnant church today.
37:55 And that's where we hear people saying things like this:
37:58 "I don't want to hear doctrine.
38:00 I don't want to hear prophecy.
38:03 Let's just talk about Jesus.
38:06 Let's get together and have a conversation about Jesus.
38:09 It's all about Jesus."
38:11 And friends, listen, I believe that statement
38:13 is a true statement.
38:14 It is all about Jesus.
38:16 However, there's a subtle implication that many
38:20 people have in making that statement.
38:23 And the implication is a faulty deceptive one.
38:27 The implication is that doctrine and prophecy
38:30 somehow is not about Jesus.
38:33 "So let's not worry about those. Let's just focus on Jesus."
38:35 But friends, here's the question:
38:37 Is it biblically possible to separate Jesus from prophecy?
38:44 Now friends, listen, it's possible,
38:47 but it's not biblically possible.
38:49 People do it all the time.
38:51 They talk about prophecy without Jesus.
38:54 They talk about Jesus without prophecy.
38:57 People are trying to separate that which is
38:59 indelibly joined together.
39:01 It's possible, but according to the Bible,
39:03 it's not biblically possible.
39:04 And here's the reason why, friends.
39:06 Because Jesus is the Word.
39:08 The Logos.
39:10 Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.
39:13 And every prophecy, every doctrine, every principle,
39:16 every standard is to bring us closer to Jesus.
39:19 You see, Christ said, "Out of the abundance of the heart..."
39:22 What happens? "...the mouth speaks."
39:24 In other words, the heart is made known by the words.
39:28 And so if we ignore the words of Jesus, the testimony of Jesus,
39:32 which is the spirit of prophecy, that which God has revealed
39:35 through all the prophets from the beginning to the end,
39:37 if we put aside the words of Jesus,
39:40 we're not going to be able to know the
39:41 true heart of Jesus.
39:44 It's not biblically possible, friends, to separate Jesus
39:48 from His own words.
39:49 Now friends, it's true, we can preach doctrine without Christ,
39:54 but we cannot truly preach Christ without preaching
39:58 everything that He taught as well;
40:00 doctrines and prophecy and standards.
40:02 And here's the reason why. Allow me to illustrate it.
40:04 Every doctrine, and standard, and prophecy, and principle
40:07 is like a camera lens that magnifies an object.
40:12 You see, the function of a camera lens...
40:14 I'm an amateur photographer.
40:16 I have different lenses in my collection.
40:18 Different lenses that do different things.
40:20 And the purpose of a lens is to magnify and clarify an object.
40:25 Jesus is the object, friends.
40:28 The different lenses are the doctrines and prophecies.
40:31 Now obviously the object is more important than the lens.
40:35 However, when you remove the lens of doctrine and prophecy,
40:39 you can't clearly see the object.
40:42 It's blurry.
40:44 And the blurrier your picture of God is,
40:47 the more easily Satan can introduce an antichrist.
40:51 And you're looking, but because you removed the lens of
40:54 prophecy and doctrine, you think it's the real Jesus Christ.
40:58 And the devil can easily deceive you.
41:01 You see, friends, this is what has happened
41:05 in the religious world today.
41:07 Liberalism is sweeping many people off the cliff
41:11 of ecumenism.
41:12 The daughters of Babylon are turning back
41:14 to the mother church because they've removed the lens of
41:17 doctrine and prophecy.
41:19 Now Satan has introduced an antichrist.
41:21 You see, it's the lens that helps us to see the
41:23 true Jesus Christ, and by contrast to recognize
41:26 who the antichrist really is.
41:29 Well friends, allow me to remind us all what is the
41:32 primary purpose of prophecy.
41:34 Notice what it says in 2 Peter 1:19.
41:51 Friends, what is the primary purpose of prophecy?
41:54 The Bible said it right there.
41:55 It's so that the Day Star can arise in our hearts.
41:59 Who's the Day Star?
42:01 It's Jesus.
42:02 You see, those who say, "I don't want to hear about Revelation,"
42:06 they don't realize it but what they're really saying is,
42:08 "I don't want to hear about Jesus."
42:10 Because the Revelation is a revelation of Jesus Christ.
42:15 It's not just a revelation from Jesus,
42:18 it's a revelation of Jesus.
42:20 So you never want to say, "Forget about Revelation."
42:23 What you're really saying is, "Forget about Jesus."
42:25 You see, those who say, "Oh I don't want to hear the
42:27 three angels' messages," what they're really saying is,
42:30 "I don't want the everlasting gospel."
42:32 Because the three angels' messages are called,
42:34 the everlasting gospel.
42:37 And it's all about Jesus, friends.
42:39 Those who say, "Oh I don't want to hear the spirit of prophecy,"
42:42 what they're really saying is, "I don't want to hear the
42:44 testimony of Jesus."
42:47 To silence the spirit of prophecy
42:49 is really to silence Jesus.
42:51 "For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."
42:55 Not one prophet in the last days, but all of God's prophets
42:59 from the very beginning to the end of time.
43:02 Those who say, "I don't want to hear doctrine,"
43:04 what they're really saying is,
43:05 "I don't want to hear about Jesus."
43:07 Because Jesus is the doctrine.
43:08 He is the Logos.
43:09 He is the Word and the truth.
43:11 You see, the Sabbath teaches us about Jesus.
43:14 The 2300 days, the Sanctuary, the state of the dead;
43:16 all the doctrines that the Bible teaches all come from Jesus.
43:20 And each and every one of those are a beautiful lens
43:23 that magnifies the beauty of Jesus Christ.
43:26 Don't take away the lens, friends,
43:29 because you won't know who the true Jesus really is.
43:32 You'll have a picture, but it might be blurry.
43:34 The lens magnifies the object.
43:37 I want you to notice in the book, Evangelism,
43:39 and on page 195, it says this, notice what it says...
43:57 The Root and Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.
44:00 Friends, we need to let Daniel and Revelation speak.
44:03 Don't keep them silent. Let them speak.
44:06 But in every phase, point to Jesus. Amen?
44:10 And then in, Evangelism, page 196, it says this...
44:33 Friends, I believe that one of the reasons why evangelism
44:37 is growing dim and weak, and faith is growing weak,
44:40 and love is growing cold, is because sometimes
44:43 we've fallen into the ditch of trying to replace,
44:46 supplement, water down Christ-centered prophecy.
44:52 We're trying to separate Jesus from His own words.
44:55 And listen, friends, when we try to separate Jesus
44:58 from prophecy, and prophecy from Jesus,
45:00 we are essentially neutralizing the power
45:04 of the everlasting gospel.
45:06 We're giving an incomplete message.
45:08 And that's exactly what the devil wants.
45:12 Please don't let it happen.
45:14 Oh my beloved brothers and sisters,
45:16 my church family, my fellow workers,
45:19 don't let it happen.
45:20 Let's move forward together, both in spirit and in truth.
45:25 Let's avoid either ditch on either side of the narrow road.
45:29 Let's walk the strait and narrow with Jesus.
45:32 But here's the thing, friends.
45:34 There is also a danger of overcorrection.
45:38 You see, when you study the history of our beloved church,
45:41 we see that the theological pendulum swings
45:44 back and forth from one generation to another.
45:48 Swinging from legalism to liberalism,
45:51 then from liberalism to legalism.
45:53 And friends, as human beings, our natural tendency
45:56 is to overcorrect.
45:59 In other words, what I mean by that is this:
46:02 Children who grow up in a legalistic household
46:05 many times will raise their children in a liberal household.
46:09 Children who grow up in a liberal household
46:12 many times will raise their children
46:13 in a legalistic household.
46:15 The pendulum continues to swing back and forth,
46:18 and back and forth.
46:19 And just like driving down a highway,
46:21 overcorrection can lead to a serious accident.
46:25 And unfortunately, that is what has happened
46:27 in many churches and institutions.
46:29 Many have caused spiritual wrecks on the narrow road
46:33 due to overcorrection.
46:35 And there are those who try to pit Jesus against doctrine.
46:41 They're creating a straw man that's distracting us
46:44 from our mission that God has given us
46:47 to accomplish in the world.
46:49 Friends, let us put a stop to the pendulum swinging
46:52 in our church and in our lives.
46:54 Can you say amen?
46:55 Let us never forget, there are two ditches on both
46:57 sides of the narrow road; legalism and liberalism
47:00 So as we avoid those, let's choose the right way;
47:03 the way of love.
47:07 And what does that look like?
47:09 The way of love looks like this:
47:11 We serve a God that will take us just as we are
47:15 no matter what condition we're in.
47:17 Amen?
47:18 But at the same time, He will never leave us as we are.
47:22 He will change us.
47:23 We serve a God that says, no condemnation;
47:26 but at the same time He says, no compromise.
47:29 He's the one that said to the woman that was
47:31 caught in adultery, "Neither do I condemn you."
47:34 And that was beautiful.
47:35 But immediately after that, He then said, "Go and sin no more."
47:39 The perfect balance, the way of love.
47:41 "I don't condemn you. Go and sin no more.
47:43 I accept you just as you are,
47:44 but I'm not going to leave you in that condition.
47:47 I will do the change in your life."
47:49 The perfect balance, the way of love, says,
47:51 God says, "I will come down to meet you where you're at,
47:56 but then I will lift you up to bring you where I am at,
48:01 that you might sit with Christ in heavenly places
48:04 even as you continue in the wilderness of this world."
48:06 You see, my friends, love is the fulfilling of the law,
48:10 not the breaking of the law.
48:12 Jesus said, "If you love Me, keep My commandments."
48:15 The perfect balance, the way of love.
48:18 When you look at the cross, the cross reveals that God
48:21 hates sin with a perfect hatred.
48:23 But at the same time, God loves sinners with a perfect love.
48:27 At the cross you see that God is 100% just
48:30 and 100% merciful at the very same time.
48:33 For at the cross Jesus met the just demands of the law,
48:37 but at the same time extended mercy and grace
48:40 to whoever wants to receive it.
48:43 This is the way of love.
48:44 And so, friends, I believe that this is the generation that will
48:48 finally connect the dots.
48:50 We just got done doing meetings two weeks ago
48:54 in the beautiful islands of Hawaii.
48:56 And we had a four week meeting there.
48:59 The Lord blessed in a very beautiful way.
49:01 And I just want to share a short story.
49:03 One of my aunties came to those meetings.
49:05 Now this is an aunt I'm very, very close with.
49:08 Aunty Helen is her name.
49:10 And she never really went to church before.
49:13 This was the first time she actually attended
49:15 my meetings consistently.
49:16 And she came almost every single night.
49:18 Now she had been religious in her younger years,
49:21 but when she became an adult, I remember I would get into
49:24 arguments with her.
49:25 She said that there is no absolute,
49:26 everything is relative.
49:28 There's no such thing as evil.
49:29 And I would argue with her and I couldn't get anywhere.
49:31 But I just decided I needed to shut my mouth and pray for her.
49:35 Amen. That's what we need to do sometimes.
49:37 We need to shut our mouths and get on our knees, amen?
49:41 And let our life do the talking.
49:43 And so I've been praying for her for the last 16 years
49:46 since I've been a Christian.
49:47 And a couple weeks ago when we had those meetings,
49:50 she came night after night.
49:52 And I'll never forget, we talked about Christ-centered prophecy.
49:57 We uplifted the beauty of Jesus in the prophecies.
50:00 And her heart was so moved.
50:01 And the thing that moved her the most, she said,
50:04 "Now I finally understand what the cross really means."
50:09 Her heart was moved.
50:11 And just last night she sent me this text
50:14 I want to share with you.
50:16 Because when I read this text, I fell on my knees
50:18 and I wept with joy.
50:20 Here's what she said.
50:22 She said, "I have not drank a single drop alcohol
50:29 nor smoked since before Thanksgiving weekend.
50:32 God is good."
50:34 Amen?
50:36 And then I said, "Well, that's awesome Aunty.
50:38 What a wonderful victory. Praise the Lord."
50:39 Then this text that she said.
50:41 She said, "Amen. I do crave, but it's wiped out
50:45 when I focus my mind on His greatness.
50:49 I see the light."
50:51 I see the light.
50:53 Amen.
50:56 Then she gave me not just one high-five, she gave it high-ten.
50:59 Right there, you see it?
51:01 Christ-centered prophecy.
51:03 Yes, we are tempted.
51:05 Our flesh cries out for stimulation.
51:09 But those cravings are removed when we focus our mind
51:13 on His greatness.
51:15 And it's then that we see the light.
51:18 Oh my beloved brothers and sisters,
51:20 there are people all around us in the world
51:22 that must hear the message that God has given to us.
51:25 And let is preach it, the whole message,
51:27 but let us do it Christ and cross-centered.
51:30 Can you say amen?
51:32 I believe that this is the generation that will finally
51:34 connect the theological dots;
51:36 to see the connection of the altar of sacrifice
51:39 there in the outer court where Jesus died,
51:41 the connection with that to the Most Holy Place,
51:44 the ark of the covenant, where the law of God is.
51:46 To realize that both the altar of sacrifice
51:48 and the Most Holy Place ark of the covenant,
51:50 those two places is where mercy and justice
51:54 kiss and embrace.
51:57 We're not to stop at the outer court,
51:59 at the altar of the cross, friends.
52:00 Nor are we to skip all the way to the Most Holy Place
52:03 and deal with the law.
52:04 We need to walk the path in its entirety.
52:07 This is the upper road leading to the upper room.
52:11 And how do we do this?
52:13 Here is how.
52:14 Isaiah 30:21. We're almost finished.
52:17 It says...
52:18 How do we attain this balance? Here's what it says...
52:33 Human nature is prone to fall into the ditch on the right
52:36 or the ditch on the left.
52:37 But God promises us that when we open our ears
52:40 and hearts and minds to Him, that we'll hear that voice
52:43 behind us teaching us how to walk the strait and narrow.
52:46 This is the voice of Jesus, the testimony of Jesus,
52:49 the spirit of prophecy.
52:51 And that was the voice speaking to the disciples
52:54 on the road to Emmaus.
52:56 It was taught by Jesus.
52:58 We can't go to the upper room, friends,
53:01 until we first walk the upper road with Jesus.
53:05 This is the reason why Christ broke down
53:07 prophecy on that road.
53:09 True unity must be founded upon sound theology.
53:12 This is what prepares us for the final upper room.
53:15 You see, the apostles, as well as us, we need to
53:19 see clearly first in order to preach and pray correctly.
53:25 And as we close tonight, that which the disciples experienced
53:29 on the upper road is actually illustrated in the Sanctuary.
53:33 The Bible says in Psalm 77:13...
53:39 You see, when you look at the Sanctuary,
53:40 there is actually a road that leads to a room.
53:44 Look at the Sanctuary, friends.
53:46 There's a road, there's a path, and it leads to two rooms.
53:49 Listen carefully, it was the upper road experience
53:52 on Emmaus that led the early church from the outer court,
53:56 the altar, into the Holy Place experience.
54:00 But it's that same road that leads the remnant church
54:03 from the Holy Place into the Most Holy Place,
54:06 the secret place of the Most High, that we might receive
54:09 the full light of truth and the rain might fall
54:13 with fire upon us, that we might lighten the world
54:18 with the glory of God.
54:20 This is where the true remnant are being led.
54:22 So if we want to be truly progressive,
54:24 let's not go outside the court.
54:26 Let's go to the upper room.
54:27 That's what true progressivism is, friends.
54:30 You move forward into the upper room,
54:32 to the Most Holy Place.
54:34 And it's that experience that's exciting
54:37 the wrath of the dragon.
54:39 That's what gives power to the testimony of Jesus,
54:42 the spirit of prophecy.
54:43 So what are we to proclaim to the world?
54:46 We are to proclaim the present truth as it is in Jesus.
54:51 And what is the present truth?
54:53 Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life."
54:58 He said, "I am." That's present.
55:00 Not, "I was," or, "I will be."
55:02 "I am," present, "I am truth."
55:04 What's the present truth?
55:05 It's Jesus, but specifically, the present truth
55:08 is wherever Jesus is presently.
55:12 And where is Jesus presently right now?
55:15 He's in the upper room, friends.
55:18 He's in the Most Holy Place.
55:21 The Sanctuary is a road that leads to the room.
55:25 And that's where God is calling us to go.
55:27 So let's go there, shall we?
55:29 Let's go there in three ways.
55:31 Number one, we need to go to the upper room theologically.
55:34 Let us never downplay or de-emphasize our message.
55:36 Let us study these things that we might understand it,
55:39 the concepts of the courtyard and the experience in the Holy
55:42 and the Most Holy Place.
55:44 Let us never turn away from the present truth in the upper room.
55:46 Let's go to the upper room theologically.
55:48 Number two, experientially.
55:50 Let's go into that intimate place with Jesus.
55:53 The place where we are at one with Christ,
55:55 where we receive the full atonement.
55:57 The place that we receive the everlasting
55:59 righteousness by faith.
56:01 And then number three.
56:03 Let's go to the upper room theologically, experientially,
56:06 and evangelistically.
56:07 Let us give to the world the complete message
56:11 that points people to, not only what Jesus did for us
56:13 in the outer court, but what He's doing for us right now
56:16 in the Most Holy Place.
56:17 To give the complete testimony of Jesus.
56:20 And when we do that, the world will come to know
56:22 the real Jesus, not the anti-Jesus.
56:26 How many of you see your need of more of Jesus in your life?
56:30 And that's, by the way, what it means
56:34 when we use the expression, "Jesus. All."
56:39 What does that mean, friends?
56:40 It's Jesus through all that the prophets had spoken.
56:44 Let's not settle for anything less than all.
56:48 Our pray is, Lord, give me all of You
56:51 as I give You all of me.
56:53 Let's move forward together.
56:55 Shall we, friends?
56:56 Let's take the complete everlasting gospel to the world.
57:00 Because we're almost home.
57:02 We need to give that message so that people can be ready
57:04 so that Jesus can come.
57:06 So that we can go home together.
57:08 Oh my friends, it's been a pleasure being with you
57:10 these last few days.
57:11 I look forward to meeting you personally one day.
57:14 But if not in this world, I will meet you in the Promised Land.
57:19 Don't you be missing, friends.
57:21 And when we get there, it's then that we will be home at last.
57:25 Home at last.
57:27 Home at last.
57:28 Thank God Almighty, we'll be home at last.


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Revised 2016-05-04