Participants:
Series Code: HC
Program Code: HC210003S
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00:01 Three Angels Broadcasting Network
00:02 is pleased to bring you something better, 00:06 a faith inspiring picture 00:07 of a loving God from the Book of Hebrews. 00:11 Welcome to 3ABN's 00:13 Virtual Homecoming Camp Meeting. 00:16 Hello, I'm Shelley Quinn, and we welcome you 00:20 to 3ABN Homecoming Fall Camp Meeting, 2021. 00:25 We so wish you could be here. 00:29 We really miss our live audience. 00:31 This is a virtual event 00:33 naturally because of the pandemic but we 00:37 welcome you, it's still going to be a wonderful time. 00:41 James Rafferty kicked us off last night 00:43 with such a superb message and the speaker of this hour 00:48 is my pastor, Pastor John Lomacang. 00:50 He's the pastor of the Thompsonville 00:53 Seventh-day Adventist Church, 00:55 and John is going to speak to us 00:58 about the leaning church but before he does, 01:02 John is also a dear friend and a minister of music, 01:07 and he's going to sing Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus. 01:34 Whoa, so are you weary 01:39 And troubled 01:43 No light in the darkness 01:47 You see 01:51 There's light for look 01:55 At the Savior 02:00 And there's life more abundant 02:04 And free 02:10 Turn your eyes 02:14 Upon Jesus 02:17 Look fully into His 02:20 Wonderful face 02:26 And the things of earth 02:29 Will grow strangely 02:33 Dim In the light 02:38 Of His Glory 02:41 And Grace 02:58 His word 03:01 Will not fail you for He's promised 03:07 Believe it 03:09 And all will be well 03:15 Then go to a world 03:18 That is dying 03:22 With His perfect salvation 03:27 To tell 03:32 Turn your eyes 03:36 Upon Jesus 03:40 Look fully into His 03:42 Wonderful face 03:48 And the things of earth 03:53 Will grow strangely 03:56 Dim Yeah 04:00 The light of His Glory 04:06 And Grace 04:11 In the light 04:13 Of God's Glory 04:18 And Grace 04:26 In the light 04:28 Of His Glory 04:32 And Grace 04:52 Let us pray. 04:55 Our gracious, kind, Father in Heaven. 04:59 Your grace is far 05:02 more amazing than we can ever anticipate. 05:07 And Your Word continues to shine amidst the dark world. 05:11 And we find that when we turn our eyes upon Jesus, 05:15 when we look away from what's around us 05:19 and look to who stands before us, 05:23 we find the glory and grace that each one of us 05:25 is in need of. 05:27 And so, Lord, I pray even now that as this message 05:30 is imparted about the leaning church, 05:35 that You will direct our eyes to see Christ 05:38 is the one that stands strong, 05:40 stands firm, stands unmoved in a shaken world 05:44 and that we can make a decision that we too by His grace 05:48 can stand with Him. 05:51 Now take this message and use it for your glory 05:55 and honor and speak to me and through me, 05:59 that Your name alone will receive the praise. 06:02 In Jesus' name I pray. 06:05 Amen. 06:09 Want to begin with a scripture in 1 Corinthians Chapter 10. 06:13 If you have your Bibles, you can turn there with me. 06:16 1 Corinthians Chapter 10. 06:18 It is a small but potent verse in the writings 06:23 of the Apostle Paul to the Corinthians 06:26 which now in fact is conveyed to us in this modern 06:28 age of challenges. 06:31 He says to us today, 06:32 "Therefore let him who thinks he stands 06:37 take heed lest he falls." 06:42 My wife and I have these conversations about 06:44 how God brings messages to me. 06:47 And this is one of those of the many 06:50 of the many that as I was driving 06:52 the Lord brought this to my mind 06:55 the title The Leaning Church. 06:58 And then He directed me to a story that many of you 07:00 may have been familiar with, that I'm going to use 07:03 today to illustrate 07:05 the powerful revelation that God 07:08 has entrusted to me to communicate to you. 07:12 And so pause with me as we look at one of the most 07:15 unintentionally famous buildings in the world, 07:20 unintentionally famous, the Bell Tower of Pisa. 07:25 When the Lord brought that picture to my mind, 07:27 I couldn't help but to start doing my homework 07:29 and I discovered that the Bell Tower in Pisa in Italy stands 07:35 183 feet tall. 07:39 It is now recognized, however, 07:43 for reasons unintended by the architect 07:47 and the builders. 07:48 I want to say that one more time, 07:50 so you can grab it, 07:52 grab the reins of that statement. 07:54 This tower is now recognized for reasons 07:58 unintended by the builders and the architect. 08:02 What began being built in 1173 and finished in 1399 08:08 was a tower made to accompany the Grand Cathedral 08:14 of the Italian city of Pisa. 08:17 What amazed me is, most of us don't talk about 08:19 the Grand Cathedral in the Italian city 08:23 of Pisa which is right next to the Bell Tower that we all 08:26 know so well. 08:28 There's something about the Bell Tower that robbed 08:31 that Grand Cathedral of the glory and the admiration 08:34 and the recognition that it needed 08:36 and I'll talk about that in a moment. 08:39 But I discovered that during the construction of this tower, 08:42 this Bell Tower, in the 12th century, 08:45 the tower began to lean due to the soft ground 08:48 which could not adequately support its weight. 08:53 But instead of halting the project to correct 08:55 the issue, construction continued. 08:59 The weak foundation continued to worsen 09:02 giving birth to the now famous name, 09:06 the Leaning Tower of Pisa. 09:13 You see the correctable issues 09:15 confronting the builders were ignored. 09:19 And in hindsight, the weakened foundation 09:22 could have been addressed 09:24 and remedied almost 850 years ago. 09:29 When I thought about that, 09:30 three questions poured into my mind that I had to find 09:34 the answers for. 09:36 One was, why did the builders 09:38 refuse to correct the Leaning Tower of Pisa 09:41 when they discovered the soft foundation beneath it? 09:45 Why didn't they strengthen the foundation 09:48 beneath this now leaning tower? 09:52 But the most important question, 09:53 what prompted them to allow the tower to continue leaning? 09:58 And what the Lord revealed to me is an amazing insight. 10:02 You see, I also discovered that the foundation 10:05 and first floor of the tower were finished in the year 1174. 10:09 The second floor was built four years later in 1178. 10:15 They didn't have the modern machinery that we have today. 10:18 So they had to hew the marble stones out 10:21 of the rock by handheld tools. 10:24 They didn't have compressors 10:26 and they didn't have anything that was dynamically powered 10:28 so they had to use manpower, 10:31 thus the delay to begin to build a second floor. 10:34 They began in 1178. 10:37 When they began building the second floor, 10:39 the tower began to sink. 10:42 And after construction had progressed, 10:45 they realize that as they added the second floor, 10:50 they saw the frailty of the foundation, 10:53 then something happened. 10:55 A war broke out in Italy and for the next 100 years, 10:59 they halted the building of the leaning tower. 11:04 But something happened during that 100 years. 11:06 And this gave me an insight, the spiritual insight 11:09 as to what happens when we don't immediately 11:13 remedy the things, immediately remedy 11:16 the things in our lives that the Lord reveals is soft 11:20 and is not strong and firm enough. 11:23 For you see the delay gave time to allow 11:25 the underlying soil to begin to settle 11:28 and to begin to get firm. 11:31 In December 1233, construction remained 11:34 and they would build for the next 51 years 11:37 and by the year 1284 construction halted again. 11:42 When the Pisans were defeated in battle, 11:44 the battle had not been completed, 11:46 but because the battle had not been finished, 11:49 they were defeated bringing 11:50 the construction to a halt temporarily. 11:54 After returning, the seven floors 11:57 were completed by the year 1319. 12:00 For today, if you go to the city of Pisa, 12:02 you see a tower with seven floors and on the very top like 12:06 a wedding cake the floor is a little smaller, 12:09 which is the bell tower that houses seven bells 12:13 thereby calling it the Bell Tower of Pisa. 12:17 By 1655, the largest of the seven bells 12:21 were installed in the tower. 12:24 But due to the worsening conditions of the lean, 12:27 numerous attempts were made, but look how long 12:30 numerous attempts were made 12:32 way down the road to try to correct it. 12:35 Let's go fast forward to the year 1964. 12:38 In February 1964, 12:41 the Italian government requested financial aid to keep 12:45 the tower from falling. 12:48 But now think about that. 12:50 From 1172 to 1964, 12:56 the question that came to my mind almost like 12:58 a flood was what took so long? 13:02 By 1990, 13:04 the Tower of Pisa was leaning at a dangerous lean 13:07 of five and a half degrees, 13:10 which forced construction crews to stabilize 13:12 the foundation that reduced the tilt to 3.97 degrees. 13:17 And once again, the question came to my mind. 13:20 Why didn't the architects 13:21 and the construction team straighten the tower? 13:24 Why did they not return it to what the original architects 13:27 and builders intended a straight tower, 13:30 straight up and down not leaning? 13:32 Why did they leave the tower leaning? 13:35 And I want to tell you 13:36 what the Lord poured into my mind was fascinating. 13:39 It showed that when God wants to reveal 13:42 and when God wants to give a picture clarity, 13:44 He begins to pour into our minds things that human eyes 13:47 will often ignore and often miss. 13:49 The answer the Lord revealed to me about the Tower of Pisa 13:53 describes the spiritual climate 13:56 of the church of the last days. 13:58 And this is powerful and listen carefully. 14:01 The tower was 14:03 admired for what it had become rather than 14:07 what the original architect had intended it to be. 14:12 You see that the tower now leaning was 14:15 more admired than all 14:16 the straight buildings in the city of Pisa. 14:18 Its leaning gave it a special look 14:21 and people were now attracted. 14:24 The leaning condition gave it preference 14:26 over the straight buildings around it. 14:30 People admired the tower 14:33 not for what the architects intended, 14:37 but for what the building had become. 14:41 And, friends, I had seen 14:42 a parallel that the Lord had given to me. 14:45 What is happening to the church today is the modern church, 14:48 the last day church is being 14:50 admired for what it has become naturally 14:55 rather than what the original architect Jesus 14:59 intended for it to be recognized for. 15:02 The church today is recognized for entertainment, 15:04 for music, for lights, camera, action. 15:06 The church today is recognized for doctrinal, 15:10 that's not doctrinal integrity. 15:12 The church is recognized today for tradition 15:14 and things that fit man preference but not for what God 15:17 intended it to be. 15:19 How amazing the parallel that Jesus 15:22 can bring out in the basic things of life. 15:24 Things that we often overlook 15:26 and when I look at the church today, 15:28 when I travel around the world, 15:29 and I begin to see the challenges, 15:31 not only facing the Seventh-day Adventist Church, 15:33 but I've spoken to Christians in many denominations 15:36 and you will be surprised how many people say that's not 15:38 what my church was intended to be by God. 15:42 Just recently, I heard a conversation, 15:44 I had a conversation with a young 15:45 man for more than three hours 15:47 and he's a Baptist young man and he said to me, 15:49 "The Bible doesn't support eternally burning hell. 15:52 And as a Baptist, I've been trying to straighten 15:54 out my Baptist brethren saying that's not in Scripture." 15:57 Another leaning belief that took 15:59 a long time to solidify in the minds 16:02 of those who embrace it as though 16:04 the original architect Jesus 16:07 intended for the church to be built on that. 16:11 But I must say when Jesus established 16:13 His church He made sure that the foundation 16:15 was sufficient because He built the church on Himself. 16:19 And the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 3:11 says, 16:22 "For no other foundation can anyone lay 16:25 than that which is laid which is Jesus Christ." 16:28 Praise God for that. 16:30 The church today, although frail and enfeebled 16:33 and wind beaten and torn by the trials 16:37 and the challenges of life, 16:39 not only what it has gone through but 16:41 what is still going through today. 16:42 The political challenges, the financial challenges, 16:45 the social challenges, the family challenges, 16:47 the church is being challenged by so many things 16:50 that God never intended. 16:52 But when it was built, it was built on the foundation 16:56 of Jesus Christ. 16:57 And that is why Jesus looking at the disciples in His day, 17:00 He said to them, 17:02 "Upon this rock I build My church and the gates 17:05 of hell shall not prevail against it." 17:07 When I think about that, friends, 17:09 when I think about that statement that Jesus made, 17:12 what He in essence is saying is the gates 17:14 of hell have more to be concerned about 17:17 than the church because the church 17:18 is pushing against the powers of darkness 17:23 and the powers of darkness cannot resist 17:26 the forward motion of the Christian Church. 17:28 The darkness of hell cannot resist 17:31 the brightness of God's truth. 17:34 But I must say, God never intended 17:36 the church to be built on what is being built on today. 17:39 And it saddens my heart as a pastor, 17:41 to hear members and hear people that speak more 17:44 about politics than about Jesus. 17:46 God never intended the church to be built on the political 17:50 agenda of the many or the few. 17:52 As a matter of fact, He never intended 17:55 the church to be built on the rhetoric of man at all. 18:00 That's why Jesus once again communicated a picture to us 18:03 that I encourage you to embrace. 18:05 Put this picture above your bed, 18:07 in your bathroom, in your mantel, 18:09 put it on the dashboard of your car, 18:11 this mental picture that Jesus draws for us today. 18:15 In Matthew 7:24-25, He says, 18:17 "Therefore, whoever hears these sayings of mine 18:19 and does them, I will liken him to a wise man 18:23 who built his house on the rock and the rain descended 18:26 and the floods came, and the winds blew 18:29 and beat on that house and it did not fall." 18:31 Why? "For it was founded on the rock." 18:36 But we noticed the church that is founded on the Rock. 18:39 The problem is not the Rock, Christ Jesus, 18:42 the problem is those that are standing on Him. 18:45 And I noticed that this was not immediate 18:47 because from the days of Christ to the present, 18:50 the foundation of the Christian church has gone through 18:52 several tests and trials. 18:55 Let's begin with the church of Ephesus in Revelation 2:1. 18:58 The church of Ephesus, 18:59 this brand new baby from the hand 19:01 of God unfolding from the heart of God. 19:04 The Lord looked at that victorious church 19:06 symbolized by the white horse 19:08 in Revelation in the four horses. 19:11 But these are the words He said about that church. 19:13 Revelation 2:1, 19:15 "To the angel of the church of Ephesus, 19:17 write, these things, He says, who holds 19:21 the seven stars in His right hand, 19:23 who walks in the midst of the seven 19:24 golden candlesticks." 19:26 You see, when the church of Ephesus was established, 19:29 that first church faced the burgeoning trials 19:32 of growth challenged by the power 19:34 of the Roman Empire but they endured. 19:37 Why? Because that baby church was established on the rock. 19:42 And the Lord looking at that church understanding 19:44 what they're facing. 19:45 He says in Revelation 2:2-3, "I know your works, 19:49 your labor and your patience and that you cannot bear 19:52 those who are evil." 19:54 If they were evil back then how much more 19:57 is evil advanced today? 19:59 Because the Bible says, "Evil men will wax worse and worse." 20:03 He continues in verse 2, 20:06 "You cannot bear those who are evil 20:08 and you have tested those who say they are apostles 20:11 and are not and have found them liars 20:15 and you have persevered and have patience 20:18 and have labored for my namesake 20:21 and have not become weary." 20:23 I want to tell you in an age where the world 20:25 is challenging the church, in an age where we are being 20:28 battered by issues from the left and the right, 20:30 from up and down, family issues and social issues 20:33 and political issues and issues of marriage 20:35 and issues of children. 20:37 In an age where we are challenged, 20:39 the Lord is saying, "Endure, persevere, have patience, 20:42 labor in my name and do not become weary." 20:46 And that infant church stood firm against 20:49 the monolith of pagan Rome. 20:53 Some endured, but some wavered. 20:57 We find Revelation 2:4-5, He said to that young church, 21:00 "Nevertheless, I have something against you, 21:03 that you have left your first love. 21:06 Remember therefore from when you have fallen, 21:08 repent and do the first 21:11 work or else I will come to you quickly 21:13 and remove your lampstand from its place 21:15 unless you repent." 21:17 Oh, I wish today, more pastors would preach repentance 21:23 and not success. 21:24 Not ships coming in and bank accounts burgeoning, 21:28 not your job, your favorite job is coming your way. 21:30 But if they would preach repentance, 21:33 people will become content with the little that they have, 21:36 as the Bible says, "Godliness with contentment 21:39 is great gain." 21:41 We have a philosophy and a teaching today 21:42 that's coming from the pulpits of the world. 21:44 People are looking for diamonds and jewels 21:46 and cars and planes and houses. 21:47 They're looking for possessions that they can 21:49 hold on to rather than asking for the Holy Spirit 21:53 to possess them. 21:55 How different the church has become, 21:58 leaning in a way that the architect Jesus Christ 22:02 has never intended for it to lean. 22:04 He told them to repent and I say to you today, 22:08 repentance has always been extended by Jesus. 22:10 What was true to the church of Ephesus is still true. 22:12 God accepts the heart of true repentance. 22:16 But Ephesus began the journey and then we go to Smyrna, 22:18 the church of Smyrna, Revelation 2:9. 22:21 He said to this church, "I know your works, 22:23 tribulation and poverty but you are rich." 22:27 And I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews 22:30 and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 22:33 When the church began to grow, 22:35 one of the greatest battles they had was against 22:37 the Jewish church established. 22:38 They buffeted the growing church, 22:40 they buffeted the apostles, 22:42 they couldn't stand by and see the church advance. 22:44 And the Lord knew that as the apostles died off, 22:48 the church would face fierce persecution. 22:51 But the persecution that the church faced was not 22:53 a shock to Jesus. 22:55 For in John 16:1-3, he said this to the fledgling 22:58 Christian Church, 23:00 "These things I have spoken to you that you 23:03 should not be made to stumble." 23:06 Get it? Falling over. 23:09 They will put you out of the synagogues. 23:11 Yes. 23:12 He said, "The time will come when whoever kills you 23:14 will think that he offers God's service." 23:17 Distorted Christianity. 23:18 That's why today you can see people attacking 23:20 the Capitol saying they're Christians, 23:23 naming the name of God and fighting, 23:25 willing to beat each other up in the name of God, 23:28 how dare they take God's name 23:30 and connect it to their nefarious behavior? 23:33 That's not the Spirit of Christ. 23:35 And I will never support that kind 23:37 of behavior on the left or on the right, to be candid. 23:41 Jesus said, "These things they will do to you 23:44 because they have not known the Father nor Me." 23:47 Today, we want politicians to be Christians. 23:50 The Lord never said that politicians 23:52 would be Christians. 23:53 He said, "Give to Caesar what's his but give to God 23:57 what's His." 23:58 And the church ought to wake up and stop trying to stand 24:00 behind a man when it's called to stand behind Christ. 24:04 But looking at that fledgling church, 24:05 Jesus revealed their fate. 24:07 He said, it's going to get bad but hold on. 24:10 Revelation 2:10, He said, 24:12 "Do not fear any of those things, 24:13 do not fear any of those things, 24:15 which you are about to suffer. 24:17 Indeed, the devil is about to throw some 24:20 of you into prison that you may be tested. 24:22 And you will have tribulation 10 days from 303 to 313 AD 24:27 under Roman Emperor Diocletian." 24:29 Rome made a valiant attempt to wipe out 24:32 the church but because they were firmly 24:34 standing on the Rock, Christ Jesus, 24:38 they were not successful. 24:39 He said to them, "Be faithful unto death 24:42 and I will give you a crown of life." 24:44 You see, friends, when I look at this, 24:46 I wonder how different the church is today. 24:49 We can't handle suffering. 24:51 So many people are turned off by little things. 24:54 I'm offended. 24:55 Well, if you were living in those days, 24:56 offence would be nothing. 24:58 We're talking about persecution, being beheaded, 25:00 torn apart by lions, put in dungeons. 25:02 Offended? 25:04 That's why the Lord allows suffering. 25:05 There is something about suffering that brings out 25:08 a determination that evades us in times of ease. 25:12 What happens when suffering comes, 25:14 the Bible becomes more real. 25:16 Jesus becomes a friend that sticks closer than a brother. 25:19 Like the three Hebrews we find deliverance in the fire. 25:22 But today Christian say Lord saved me from the fire. 25:25 What if God intended for you to go through the refining 25:28 fires of your life? 25:30 Like the Hebrews, could somebody testify 25:33 about God's goodness in a fire? 25:35 Whatever happened to those days? 25:37 God has forsaken me? 25:38 He has not, you've forsaken him. 25:40 And like Daniel, we discover comfort in the lions' den. 25:43 How would you like to spend a night in the motel 25:46 where it's not on a comfortable bed, 25:47 not on a posturepedic mattress, 25:49 but you're leaning on the belly of a ferocious lion? 25:52 And you can only do that by God's grace. 25:54 I'm so thankful today that God can spend 25:57 the night with me in a den of lions, that's God. 26:02 But the church is soft today. 26:04 We discover comfort in the lions' den, 26:07 we find joy that sustains us in the midst of trial. 26:11 And like Paul and Silas, we can sing behind 26:15 the prison bars of despair. 26:18 What has happened to the church? 26:20 It's leaning so far that it has forgotten 26:24 that Jesus has declared 26:26 unto him that is able to keep you from falling. 26:30 But David the Psalmist reminds us in Psalm 34:15 26:35 when we are going through difficulty and despair 26:37 when we are facing trials, he says, 26:39 "The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous 26:41 and His ears are open to their cries." 26:44 You see, we often cry to one another. 26:46 And if somebody cries to you, pray for them. 26:48 Do not allow their failures 26:50 and their weaknesses to become the top 26:53 newspaper article in your life with your friends. 26:55 Do not broadcast the weaknesses of your brothers and sisters, 26:58 for God has given you grace, that you may grow through 27:01 the times of your weakness. 27:03 Whatever happened to bearing one another's burdens 27:07 and fulfilling the law of Christ? 27:09 The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous 27:12 and His ears are open to their cries. 27:15 That's why I asked the question, 27:17 how well do you know about the power 27:18 of God to deliver unless you need 27:23 the power of God to deliver? 27:26 And David who knows well what deliverance is all about. 27:30 He says in Psalm 34:17, 27:32 "The righteous cry out and the Lord hears 27:35 and delivers them out of all their troubles." 27:40 That passage is important to me because if that were 27:43 not the case, I wouldn't be here today. 27:46 Many of you wouldn't be where you are. 27:48 You wouldn't be standing firmly where you are if God 27:51 did not hear your cries and deliver you out of, 27:55 listen to this, all of your troubles. 27:59 There's nothing you can face that is too difficult 28:02 for God to deliver. 28:03 Psalms 34:19, 28:05 "Many are the afflictions of the righteous, 28:07 but the Lord delivers him out of them all." 28:11 But the problem today with the Christian churches, 28:13 people want easy religion. 28:15 They can't handle the simplest of offences. 28:17 When something or somebody rubs them wrong, 28:19 they shrink or they're ready to fight. 28:22 That's what's happening in our nation, 28:24 Christians fighting Christians over what? 28:27 Over what? 28:29 A vaccine and a mask? 28:31 Go back to the days of real persecution 28:35 when things were really an issue. 28:37 If you think that wearing a mask is a trial, 28:39 ask the Hebrews how the furnace felt. 28:42 And some of us have never been in the furnace because 28:44 we are not strong enough to even go that far. 28:47 The Lord will never put some of us in a furnace because 28:49 we will deny our faith because we have become soft 28:54 bed Christians, 28:56 leaning so far, that we have 28:58 forgotten that we should be leaning on Christ. 29:01 In Testimonies for the Church, volume 6, page 408, 29:05 the servant of the Lord Ellen White makes it clear about 29:07 what the church is going to face. 29:08 She says, "The signs thickening around us, 29:12 telling of the near approach of the Son 29:14 of God are attributed to anything 29:16 other than the true cause. 29:18 Men cannot discern the sentinel angels restraining 29:22 the four winds that they shall not blow until 29:24 the servants of God are sealed. 29:26 But when God shall bid his angels loose the winds, 29:30 there shall be such a season or scene of strife, 29:35 as no pen can picture." 29:36 If you don't strengthen your foundation today, 29:39 if you're comfortable leaning, if you're comfortable 29:42 just leaning, if all you want to do as a Christian 29:44 is lean on the foolishness of this life, 29:47 the uncertainty, the changing climate, 29:49 a horizon that has nothing of assurance in it. 29:52 If you are content to lean in this kind of environment 29:56 you won't be able to stand when the strife that is coming 30:01 is something that our minds could never even imagine. 30:05 Today, friends, truth based Christianity has been avoided 30:08 like a plague. 30:10 The Apostle Paul predicted that the time would come 30:13 when Christians will be identified by a form 30:16 of godliness. 30:17 But there'll be denying the power thereof. 30:19 And we are living in that time. 30:22 The church today, so many Christians are content to feel 30:27 good when the music sounds good. 30:30 But my favorite preacher, one of my favorite preachers, 30:32 Pastor CD Brook said, "It is not how high you jump 30:36 when you sing, but it's how straight 30:38 you walk when you hit the ground." 30:40 What's happened to the church today? 30:42 The church, we fight each other. 30:45 We have forgotten that sickness and death 30:47 and suffering doesn't come from a God that snatches 30:49 children away. 30:51 God is not an assassin, He does not take your mother 30:52 or your father, He did not plan the death 30:54 of your child in that car accident. 30:56 He did not go to the hospital and say your son 30:59 would not make it through this COVID environment. 31:02 An enemy has done that. 31:04 Give the blame to whom the blame is due, 31:07 the devil, who is a liar 31:08 and a murderer from the very beginning. 31:10 Stop blaming God and saying that God took, 31:12 God does not take, He takes the bad things 31:15 and give the good things. 31:17 Every good and every perfect gift comes from God. 31:21 He said, "I've come that you might have life 31:23 and have it more abundantly." 31:24 But He talks about the thief who comes to steal, 31:27 to kill and destroy. 31:28 What has happened to the church? 31:31 It is leaning, this is the leaning generation, 31:34 the generation where Christians are leaning on preferences. 31:38 And Isaiah the prophet describes that the church 31:41 would come to this. 31:42 Isaiah 4:1. Notice what he says. 31:44 He says, "In that day, seven women shall take hold 31:48 of one man, seven churches, seven conditions." 31:51 What are Christians today saying? 31:54 We will eat our own bread. 31:56 This is our own doctrines. 31:57 We will wear our own apparel. 31:59 This is what my righteousness is comfortable with. 32:04 Only let us be called by your name to take away our approach. 32:08 And that's what Jesus meant when He said, 32:10 "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain." 32:14 To name the name of God means to live the life that Christ 32:17 intended for us to live. 32:19 Don't be content with just the name 32:21 and be discontent with the life. 32:25 When you think about it, what good is your preference 32:28 if you are not determined to stand on God's requirements? 32:32 What good is your preference? 32:33 The church has become like the Cain of the days of Abel. 32:37 Cain killed his brother Abel. 32:38 Why? 32:40 Because Cain gave God what he wanted to give him. 32:43 When Abel gave God what he required. 32:47 Today, Christians give Jesus 32:48 what they want to and not what He requires. 32:52 Why? Because they are leaning in the wrong direction. 32:56 But make no mistake about it. 32:57 Jesus is not bought by your leaning preferences. 33:02 His Word is sure John 4:23. 33:05 He says, "But the hour is coming 33:07 and now is when the true worshipers will worship 33:10 the Father in spirit and in truth." 33:12 Why? For the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 33:16 Verse 24, "God is spirit and those who worship Him, 33:19 notice, not should or might think about it, 33:22 must worship in spirit and in truth. 33:27 It's amazing, the more arguments I've ever had, 33:30 the most arguments I've ever had are not 33:32 with people that are drinking and smoking 33:34 and dancing and partying. 33:35 I've had more arguments with pastors and Christians 33:39 about the truth of God's Word 33:41 because they're content to lean on their preferences. 33:45 Jesus is not in the business 33:47 of trading His Word for a well written song. 33:51 Because when He faced temptation in the garden, 33:53 in the wilderness, He did not say to the devil, 33:56 it is sung, He said it is written, 33:58 but the church has been seduced today leaning on a song 34:02 rather than leaning on the undefeated Word of God. 34:06 Jesus didn't sing 34:07 a lullaby to Satan in the wilderness of temptation. 34:09 He said it is written. He said it is written. 34:11 He said it is written. 34:12 And today, if you don't stand on it is written, 34:14 you can sing your way into hell. 34:16 It's not going to change the devil's attitude about 34:19 his hold on your life. 34:21 The Lord is saying to the church today, 34:23 "Stop leaning on emotion. 34:24 Stop leaning on lights that make you feel good. 34:26 Stop leaning on an atmosphere that is designed to seduce 34:29 you to ignore requirements in place of preference." 34:34 And I'm speaking firmly 34:36 today because we're living in a very crisis 34:39 centered environment. 34:42 This is the generation leaning on sermons that lean. 34:48 They like leaning sermons because just like 34:50 the Tower of Pisa, 34:52 the leaning sermons are more attractive than the straight 34:54 testimony and thus saith that the Lord 34:57 is not desired anymore. 34:59 Instead of doing what God says many 35:01 Christians contend to maintain their leaning beliefs, 35:04 their leaning positions. 35:06 I know what the Bible says but that's the word that will 35:10 get you leaning until one day you fall over. 35:13 This is the generation leaning on tradition and not on truth. 35:16 This generation prefers leaning on feeling 35:20 and not on Christ's Word. 35:22 They like to lean on religion and not on the sure foundation 35:25 of the unwavering promises of God. 35:28 This is the hour 35:30 where people are leaning on their own understanding. 35:32 Some Christian said to me, 35:34 "I didn't think that God would expose me to that." 35:37 You know why? Because you're not God. 35:38 His ways are higher than your ways. 35:40 His thoughts are higher than your thoughts. 35:42 And like a person that's washing clothes, 35:44 the Lord knows how long you need to be agitated to get 35:48 the dirt out of your life because His number 35:51 one commitment is to get us into the kingdom. 35:53 He knows that we cannot get into the kingdom 35:55 the way we are. 35:57 We will only get into the kingdom 35:58 when as the Bible says, "We shall be like Him, 36:01 for one day we shall see Him as He is." 36:03 He's not done yet. 36:05 Praise God for that. 36:07 So when God chastens us and tries us, He is saying, 36:11 "I cannot take you in that way. 36:14 I gotta clean you up. 36:16 Get the garbage out of your life. 36:18 I don't want leaning Christians in a kingdom that is standing 36:22 strong and firm. 36:23 We're not going to walk through the gate tilting, 36:25 we're going to walk through the gates on the firm 36:27 righteousness of Jesus." 36:30 Paul the Apostle says, 36:32 "Don't get confused by how things are gonna work out. 36:35 Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus, 36:36 the only one that can work it out when you can't make 36:39 heads or tails out of your trials. 36:40 Remember this promise of the Word of God." 36:43 Romans 8: 28, and we know that all things. 36:45 How many things? 36:47 All things work together for good to those who love God, 36:50 to those who are called according to His purpose. 36:52 You see, if there's no purpose in your life, 36:54 things may not work out. 36:55 If you choose to try it your way other than God's way it may 36:58 not work out because the promise 36:59 is not made to those who don't do it God's way. 37:02 The promise is not made to those 37:04 who are according to their purpose. 37:06 It is those according to His purpose. 37:09 What's your purpose today? 37:11 Is your purpose just to buy a new house, 37:12 buy a new car or is your purpose to embrace eternity? 37:15 What's your purpose today? 37:18 Do you want a great job at six figures? 37:20 Do you want a beautiful wife or a handsome husband? 37:23 What's your purpose today? 37:25 If your purpose is to serve God, 37:27 all things will work together for good. 37:30 You see, friends, the worries 37:32 and anxieties that are causing Christian saline 37:35 is occurring by putting weight on issues 37:37 that have nothing to do with eternity. 37:40 This society is busy leaning on, 37:43 on the shoulders of men that make 37:45 promises that they cannot keep and they are not 37:47 leaning on the promises of God. 37:49 That's why Jesus once again hear the words of Jesus. 37:51 He says to them in Luke 6:46, "Why do you call me Lord, 37:55 Lord and do not do the things which I say?" 37:59 I was talking to a Christian not too long ago 38:01 and I was showing him the Word of God. 38:03 And I said that brother, "Bro, you are doing some 38:05 serious acrobats to try to get around 38:07 what God's Word clearly says." 38:11 We think that we should file down 38:13 God's Word to fit our lives. 38:15 When God wants to file down 38:17 our lives to fit His words. 38:20 You see the like the Leaning Tower of Pisa, 38:22 false doctrines have taken years to solidify, 38:25 like the 100 years 38:27 when there was no work done on the Leaning Tower of Pisa. 38:29 When they went back the foundation was solid, 38:31 but let me make a point. 38:33 Errors taught for long 38:34 may be solid because it's solid in your mind. 38:39 But what is true about the Leaning Tower 38:40 is also true about false doctrines. 38:42 It may be solid, but it cannot support the Word of God. 38:47 It cannot be supported by the Word of God. 38:50 You know, the tower couldn't stand because the foundation 38:53 was solid, but it was shallow. 38:55 Shallow religion, shallow doctrines, 38:59 with no foundation in God's Word cannot stand. 39:03 There's something else I learned about 39:05 this tower that I want to share with you now, 39:06 I left parts of the story for later because it's very 39:09 instrumental, very significant. 39:12 In 1998, something happened. 39:15 Architects learned that if they don't do something 39:18 now the tower is going to fall. 39:19 So in 1998, the architects in the city of Pisa, 39:23 they added lead counterweights. 39:26 Lead, if you look at the internet, 39:28 you find on one side of the building, 39:30 there are about 200 lead weights. 39:32 Large massive pieces of lead weight. 39:36 They put it on the opposite side of the building. 39:39 They were added to the opposite side of the Leaning Tower 39:41 of Pisa to prevent the weight on the front side 39:46 from causing the building to topple on itself. 39:51 Because they determined that even though 39:53 the foundation had solidified, it was too shallow. 39:57 It was not deep enough to guarantee the survival 40:00 of the bell tower. 40:02 Today, friends, I'm going to come home to you. 40:04 Today, the greatest need of the last day Christian 40:08 is counterweights. 40:10 Whoa, praise God. He has counterweights. 40:15 The tower is still standing today 40:17 because of the counterweights. 40:19 They realize left to itself it will fall. 40:21 Left to yourself you will fall. 40:25 Today God is saying you need 40:26 counterweights because you haven't seen 40:28 the best that Satan has to unfurl before you. 40:32 You haven't seen Satan's big guns. 40:35 We need counterweights, because without 40:38 counterweights in our lives, our lives cannot stand. 40:41 Without counterweights in our lives, 40:43 we will eventually fall. 40:45 Why? 40:47 Because we are no match for the forces 40:49 of darkness that come against us. 40:51 So I'm going to bring five points home today 40:54 just before I close and I want to lean into them, 40:58 but the question to you, 40:59 what are the counterweights that will 41:02 guarantee that as a Christian 41:04 you will survive? 41:08 Allow me to introduce 41:10 counterweight number one, prayer. 41:12 The Apostle Paul, a very short verse but very 41:15 relevant for the Christian today. 41:18 1 Thessalonians 5:17. 41:20 He says these words, "Pray without ceasing." 41:22 I'll say it again, pray without ceasing. 41:24 Why would he say that? 41:26 Because he knows that in these days 41:28 if we are not in an attitude of prayer, 41:30 for those of you that think you need to kneel all the time, 41:33 then you can pray when you're driving 41:35 or you can pray when you're in the checkout 41:37 line in the food store or you can pray 41:39 when the salesperson is trying to seduce you 41:41 into buying something you can't afford. 41:43 The Bible says, "Pray without ceasing." 41:44 We must always be in an attitude of prayer, 41:47 Review and Herald, June 15, 1886, 41:49 paragraph seven, Ellen White describes 41:51 how important prayer is. 41:53 She says, "We need a close connection with God. 41:57 We are not safe a moment unless guided 42:00 and controlled by the Holy Spirit. 42:03 The soul should be often uplifted to God in prayer 42:09 even while we are engaged in our business vocation." 42:14 Is prayer something important to you 42:17 or is it just something you do before you eat 42:20 or before you go to bed or before you walk out the house? 42:23 Oh, Daniel prayed three times a day. 42:26 I heard a story about a person that was on the plane praying 42:29 and the pastor turned to him and said, 42:30 "Are you a Christian?" 42:32 He says, "No, I'm not a Christian. 42:33 I'm an atheist." 42:34 He said, "We pray five times a day against Christian pastors." 42:38 How is your prayer life going to sustain? 42:40 How are you going to make it if there are forces 42:42 praying against you? 42:44 How will you make it without prayer in your life? 42:46 In the book The Faith I Live By, page 318 in paragraph 3, 42:50 we are told once again by God's servant, 42:53 the people of God must be prepared to withstand 42:55 the wily foe. 42:57 It is this resistance that Satan dreads. 43:00 When you don't fight against falling over, 43:02 he has no concern but when you begin to make decisions about 43:05 I'm not going to fall, 43:07 I'm going to stand firm on Christ. 43:08 All of a sudden he's concerned. 43:10 She goes on to say, he knows better than we do the limit 43:13 of his power and how easily he can be overcome. 43:17 If we resist and face him 43:21 and listen to how we can do it. 43:23 Through divine strength. 43:25 The weakest saint is more than a match for him 43:29 and all his angels. 43:33 And if brought to the test, 43:35 he the weakest saint would be able to prove 43:38 his superior power. 43:39 When you look at the rest of the quotation, 43:41 what is she talking about? 43:43 When a Christian prays, 43:44 we have power that we do not naturally possess, 43:47 but how many of you call on Jesus in your time 43:49 of difficulty? 43:50 Or do you find a corner somewhere and roll up like 43:53 a rolly poly in a pile of yourself aggrandizement 43:56 trying to find answers in your own empty life? 44:00 We are being told to pray, pray without ceasing. 44:02 But the second thing we must do is Bible study. 44:05 So many Christians leave 44:07 the Bible for when they go to church 44:10 or when they pick up their Sabbath School lesson 44:12 or their Sunday school lesson, 44:13 whatever the case may be in your own practicing life. 44:15 But the Bible is the sword that Satan fears. 44:18 That's why Jesus said it's a two edged sword. 44:21 That's why Jesus in His moments of temptation 44:23 and trial quoted it. 44:26 If Jesus quoted the Word to defeat the devil, 44:31 how much more do we need to quote 44:33 the Word to withstand the forces of darkness? 44:38 The Apostle Paul in 2 Timothy 2:15. 44:41 What does he say to us about Bible study today? 44:42 He says, "Study to show thyselves approved unto God, 44:46 a workman that needeth not to be ashamed rightly dividing 44:50 the Word of truth." 44:53 Do you even know the Word of truth that you can 44:54 rightly divide it? 44:56 Are you still saying, I know it's in the Bible somewhere? 44:58 You won't make it unless you stop making decisions about 45:03 storing the Word of God in your life. 45:04 David said it, "Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might 45:09 not sin against Thee." 45:10 The day is coming, friends, 45:11 that there's going to be a famine in the land, 45:13 a famine in the land, not for bread 45:16 and water but for the hearing of the Word of God. 45:18 For those of you that think church 45:20 is something that's optional, you're going to stand around 45:22 one day and try to break into the churches 45:24 when sermons are no longer being preached. 45:26 When there's no more an opportunity to give your 45:28 life to Christ. 45:29 You can think of it as just something optional 45:31 and you can keep partying and living the way you live, 45:33 but one day you're going to be looking for bread 45:35 and water and none will be found. 45:37 You'll be saying, "Preach a sermon to me." 45:38 But the pulpits will be empty. 45:42 Stop leaning on the foolishness 45:44 of a life that continues to lie to you. 45:46 Study God's Word. 45:48 We are told in the book A Call to Stand Apart, 45:51 page 69, paragraph 1 once again, 45:53 the humble servant, Ellen White says this 45:56 and I praise God that she stands in harmony 45:58 with God's Word. 45:59 She says, "There is nothing more calculated to energize 46:03 the mind and strengthen the intellect than the study 46:05 of the Word of God." 46:06 No other book, hear me, 46:08 no other book is so potent to elevate the thoughts, 46:12 to give vigor to the faculties as the broad ennobling truths 46:16 of the Bible. 46:19 And this is powerful. 46:20 If God's Word was studied 46:23 as it should be, 46:27 men would have a breath of mind, 46:30 a nobility of character 46:33 and a stability of purpose that are rarely 46:36 seen in these times. 46:38 The world needs an evidence of a real Christian man, 46:42 a man that says no and means it. 46:45 A woman that says no and means it. 46:47 A man that can, by God's grace, resist the advancement 46:50 of seduction, whether by Satan 46:54 or by a woman or by money or by power or by politics. 46:59 The world needs evidence of a real Christian man. 47:03 The world need evidence of Christian young people. 47:05 Too many people want to be Christians one day a week. 47:08 That's why we argue over Sabbath or Sunday. 47:10 Let me tell you something, you can keep the Sabbath 47:12 and still be lost. 47:13 You can go to church every Sunday and still be lost. 47:15 God's not looking for first day or seventh day Christians. 47:17 He's looking for everyday Christians. 47:20 Yes, the Sabbath is God's day of worship. 47:23 Yes, the Sabbath is ordained and blessed by God. 47:25 He didn't bless Sunday. 47:27 But my point is clear, until you become a Christian 47:30 every day, one day is not going to save you. 47:33 Give yourself to Bible study, give yourself to prayer. 47:36 But there's something else you have to do in these closing 47:37 hours of life. 47:39 You got to trust God. 47:40 Point number three, you got to put your trust in God. 47:43 You got to put your trust in God. 47:44 So many people don't know what that means. 47:47 Proverbs 3:5-6. 47:50 A wise man who understood 47:52 what it meant to not trust God wrote these words, 47:55 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart 48:00 and lean not on your own 48:01 understanding in all your ways." 48:05 In all your ways, financially, socially, in your marriage, 48:08 in your life, in your dealing with your children, 48:10 when you walk through the doors of the church 48:12 and you look at other Christians, 48:13 see them as another citizen of the kingdom, 48:15 not somebody that you can't get along 48:17 with because you can't get along with them 48:19 and they can't get along with you, neither one of you 48:21 is going to make the kingdom. 48:23 Put your understanding aside. 48:25 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, 48:27 lean not on your own understanding, 48:29 in all your ways acknowledge Him and what's going to happen? 48:32 And He will direct your paths. 48:34 The leaning church needs some new direction. 48:37 In the book Confrontation, our Redeemer, page 49, 48:42 in paragraph 2, 48:44 "Our Redeemer in the victory here gained has left 48:48 man a perfect pattern, 48:50 showing him that his only safety is an affirm trust 48:55 and unwavering confidence in God in all trials 48:59 and perils." 49:00 Jesus did it. 49:02 What's preventing you from doing it? 49:05 As I bring on my last two points, 49:07 I want you to hear that song in the background. 49:09 I'm having Tim play learning to lean. 49:12 Oh, my brother and sister, my pastor friends, 49:16 those of you called to great responsibility 49:19 have you learned what it means? 49:21 Do you have a childlike faith? 49:23 Do you know what it means 49:25 when no one and nothing around you can bring you satisfaction? 49:30 Do you know what it means 49:33 when Jesus sits with you on the couch of your despair 49:37 and He says lean on me? 49:39 Do you know what it means? 49:41 When you can lean on Jesus, you can do the fourth thing, 49:43 you can begin to share your faith. 49:46 The Psalmist David said in Psalm 107:2, 49:49 "Let the redeemed of the Lord say so 49:52 whom the Lord hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy." 49:55 I'm preaching this way because I've been redeemed 49:56 from the hand of the enemy. 49:58 Are all my battles over? 49:59 Absolutely not. 50:01 If I lean on Jesus every day, He'll fight my battles for me, 50:05 I can stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. 50:09 Like He told the Israelites in the wilderness 50:12 of fear when pharaoh and his metal armies 50:15 were coming after them. 50:16 They were free but the devil didn't forget. 50:18 Let me tell you today, you may say you're free from your past, 50:21 but the devil is pursuing your life. 50:22 And if you think that for a moment that he's gonna 50:25 leave you alone before you get to the Promised Land, 50:27 you are mistaken. 50:29 Your faith has to stand up. 50:32 But if you've been redeemed, you got to say to somebody, 50:34 I've been redeemed. 50:35 The children sing, I've been redeemed by the blood 50:37 of the Lamb. 50:38 And I'm saying to you, you got to learn how to lean. 50:41 If you've been redeemed say so. 50:44 In Councils for the Church, page 356 in paragraph 6, 50:48 we are told by the servant of the Lord once again, 50:51 "Perplexities will increase," and I can tell you they have, 50:55 "but let us as believers in God, 50:58 encourage one another." 51:00 Oh, how beautiful would be if when you walk 51:03 through the church with burdens on your shoulder, 51:05 you can walk up to a brother or a sister 51:07 or a group of Christians and say, 51:09 "I just want you to pray for me. 51:10 That's all I'm asking. 51:12 I don't need to tell you what I'm burdened by, 51:13 but I just want you to hold my arms, 51:15 I just want you to, it took all I can find to get here today." 51:20 But instead, the leaning Christian says, "Look at them. 51:24 They got what they deserve." 51:26 Oh, my brothers and sisters, 51:27 that should never come from the mouth 51:29 of someone claiming to be connected with Christ. 51:31 He saw people in the deepest of sin and He says go 51:33 and sin no more and neither do I condemn you. 51:36 What happened to the church? 51:38 What are you leaning on? 51:40 She says, Councils for the Church, page 356, 51:43 paragraph 6, she says, "Perplexities will increase, 51:46 but let us as believers in God encourage one another. 51:50 Let us not lower the standard, 51:52 but keep it lifted high looking to Him, 51:55 who is the author and finisher of our faith." 51:59 Yes. 52:01 We've got to pray, study our Bibles, 52:03 trust in God, we got to share our faith. 52:06 But there's something else the last thing 52:08 I want you to do, today. 52:11 When I saw the picture of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, 52:14 I sat back in amazement, I said, "Honey, 52:17 God just showed me a picture 52:20 that I cannot be a leaning person. 52:22 I can't be a leaning pastor leaning in this direction today 52:25 and leaning in that direction tomorrow. 52:27 I cannot be a person leaning 52:29 when one person says this on the left 52:31 and another person says this on the right. 52:32 I can't be leaning on what I hear on the internet. 52:34 I can't be leaning on what people are saying 52:36 and arguing about vaccines and mass. 52:39 God have mercy on us. 52:43 I can't be leaning on the understanding 52:46 of one physician over another." 52:49 There's only one master physician, 52:50 His name is Jesus. 52:53 Whatever happened to the church is leaning. 52:56 It's leaning. 52:58 My last point, take a firm stand. 53:03 Take a firm stand. 53:07 Who better to say that than the Apostle Peter, 53:10 take a firm stand. 53:12 This milky way of disciple. 53:16 This back boneless disciple of Jesus had to go through 53:20 the trials that the Lord exposed him to. 53:23 The Lord said, "You are too weak to preach on the day 53:24 of Pentecost. 53:26 I am going to let the devil sift you. 53:27 The devil desires to sift you as wheat, 53:29 but I have prayed that your faith will not fail." 53:33 Are you going through stuff? 53:35 Because God is trying to teach you how to learn to lean. 53:39 He will not put you through what He doesn't see necessary. 53:42 He said to Peter, "You're going to say some stuff. 53:45 I've got your name on the roll to preach on the day 53:48 of Pentecost, but you're not ready yet. 53:49 So I'm gonna let the devil sift you. 53:51 And when you are converted, 53:54 then you'll be able to strengthen the brethren." 53:57 I tell you today, a leaning Christian 54:00 is no value in the kingdom or the work of God. 54:04 But I want to say this, 54:05 but God loves leaning Christians. 54:08 He doesn't love their lean. 54:10 He wants to tell them and teach them 54:12 and show them and guide them on how they can stand 54:16 strong in Christ. 54:17 And who better to tell us that than the Apostle Peter. 54:21 2 Peter 1:10. 54:23 Peter gives the list of things that he learned to do. 54:27 And he said, "Wherefore, the wrath of brethren?" 54:31 He said brethren. 54:32 A converted man saying brethren. 54:34 He's talking to the people, brethren, 54:36 give diligence to make your calling 54:39 and election sure. 54:42 And then this converted fisherman who no longer curses, 54:46 who no longer has a desire to deny Jesus, 54:49 this converted fisherman 54:50 who knows what it's like for the Lord to say, 54:52 "Do you love me? 54:53 Do you really love me?" 54:55 I've been saying that the Christians 54:57 if you love the Lord, He doesn't want lip service. 54:59 If you love Him, He says, keep His commandments. 55:02 Pastor, if you love Him feed His sheep. 55:04 God does not get persuaded by lip service, 55:09 no matter what your position is. 55:11 He said, "Make your calling and election sure." 55:14 And Peter ends with these words in 2 Peter 1:10, 55:17 "For if you do these things," 55:19 listen, "you shall never fall." 55:24 Now let me give you the last part of the story 55:26 of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. 55:28 In May 2008, 55:30 engineers announced that the Tower of Pisa 55:35 had finally been stabilized. 55:39 They announced to the city fathers in Pisa, Italy, 55:43 they said it has stopped moving for the first time in history. 55:47 They stated that it would remain stable for the next 55:50 200 years. 55:52 Wow. 55:54 When I heard that, I said, Father, 55:57 that's just too much for me. 56:01 Can it be said about me that I'm no longer leaning 56:05 and for the next 200 years 56:07 my life will be stable in Christ? 56:11 I want that to be said about me that I'm finally at the place 56:14 where heaven can announce, 56:16 "John has stopped moving for the first time in history. 56:20 He'll be stable for the rest of his life." 56:23 Peter knows what that's like. David knows what that's like. 56:25 Solomon knows what that's like. 56:28 Men who have failed, finally found a way to lean on Jesus. 56:32 In that short little quotation in Ellen White's 56:34 writings in Selected Messages, book 2, page 380. 56:37 She says, "The church may appear 56:41 as about to fall but it does not." 56:44 You know why it doesn't fall because it's leaning 56:46 on the everlasting arms. 56:48 It's leaning on Jesus. 56:49 The church will not fall, you know why? 56:51 Because they're leaning on the promises of God. 56:53 They're leaning on the truth of God's Word. 56:55 And so the question is not what are you leaning on? 56:58 The question is more specifically, 57:00 who are you leaning on? 57:05 It's not too late to lean on Jesus. 57:07 For I end with the scripture that I began with. 57:11 The Apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 10:12, 57:14 "Therefore that him who thinks he stands, 57:18 take heed lest he fall." 57:20 My prayer for you, my brother and sister, 57:23 is that you learn what it means to lead on Jesus 57:27 and you no longer be a part of a leaning church. 57:31 God bless you. |
Revised 2021-11-18