3ABN Australia Homecoming

Knowing God Through The Great Controversy

Three Angels Broadcasting Network

Program transcript

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Series Code: HCAU

Program Code: HCAU180005A


00:01 Music...
00:30 Hello Friends, and welcome the Avondale Memorial Church
00:33 where we have been enjoying
00:35 Homecoming 2018 for 3ABN Australia,
00:38 have you been blessed, can you say, "Amen"?
00:40 Audience: Amen.
00:41 We have been so blessed here haven't we honey?
00:43 Every message has been a blessing
00:46 and I'm always learning something in every message.
00:48 God is so good.
00:50 And this message is going to be brought to us by Dr. Hal Lindsay
00:54 Allan Lindsay... did I say Hal Lindsay?
00:58 Please do not associate the two
01:02 because Dr. Allan Lindsay is not Hal Lindsay.
01:05 Dr. Allan Lindsay has a special place in our heart, doesn't he?
01:09 You know, through the years we've come to Australia
01:12 and when we had a chance to meet him,
01:14 we were first stunned to know that he has been the voice of...
01:18 "Keepers of the Flame. "
01:19 Keepers of the Flame...
01:21 work of showing the pioneer and the Adventist history
01:25 through the years,
01:26 that has blessed our hearts in tremendous ways
01:28 but Dr. Allan Lindsay was a Lecturer
01:30 at Avondale College for 30 years
01:32 he was teaching pastors and teachers in Adventist history
01:37 but that's not the only thing that's true about him,
01:39 what else is true?
01:40 Now he has a wonderful wife Deirdre...
01:42 he's been married for 61 years...
01:46 four children... ten grandchildren...
01:49 and two great-grandchildren...
01:51 what a blessing.
01:53 And just recently we went to the Ellen White Estates here
01:56 in Cooranbong... thank you for remembering that
02:00 and it was such a blessing to have that tour again
02:04 and he would affectionately call you...
02:06 now your name is Angela but what would he call you?
02:08 Angie...
02:09 and it is so... I pulled him aside, I said,
02:13 "Dr. Lindsay, you said that so affectionately. "
02:15 He said, "I'm sorry, John, should I not say that?"
02:17 I said, "No, it's okay,
02:18 I don't mind if you call my wife 'Angie'
02:20 you said that so wonderfully"
02:22 but also, he is the Historian Advisor
02:24 or the Historical Advisor for the...
02:27 for the beautiful narrative movie that had come out
02:31 not many years ago, called, "Tell the World. "
02:33 That was absolutely wonderful
02:36 and for the last 10 years he's been the Director
02:40 of the Ellen White Research Center.
02:43 That's right.
02:44 And this... this presentation Dr. Allan Lindsay is going to be
02:49 speaking about knowing God through the great...
02:51 I'll say it the way they say it in Australia...
02:53 the great con... con... contro versy.
02:56 Audience: Controversy.
02:58 It's the controversy, right?
02:59 but Australians say, Contra... versy...
03:01 Audience: No.
03:02 They said, "No... "
03:04 Okay, well, forgive us for that,
03:05 we're Americans, we don't know any better.
03:07 But knowing God through the great controversy...
03:11 and we're going to be blessed
03:12 but before Dr. Lindsay comes,
03:15 we're going to have some wonderful music from Tim Parton
03:17 and he's going to set the atmosphere
03:20 and also Ryan Day is going to be singing
03:23 and Ryan is one of the newest additions to 3ABN
03:26 and you'll know how God is blessing our hearts
03:29 as he comes to bless yours
03:31 through this wonderful song that Ryan is going to bring
03:34 and Tim is going to play.
03:35 Piano...
03:43 more piano...
03:48 The love of God
03:53 is greater far
03:58 Than tongue or pen
04:03 can ever tell;
04:08 It goes beyond
04:12 the highest star,
04:17 And reaches to
04:22 the lowest hell;
04:27 The guilty pair,
04:32 bowed down with care,
04:36 God gave His Son
04:42 to win;
04:46 His erring child
04:51 He reconciled,
04:55 And pardoned from
05:00 his sin.
05:04 Oh, love of God,
05:10 how rich and pure!
05:15 How measureless
05:20 and strong!
05:24 It shall forever more endure...
05:33 The saints' and angels'
05:41 song.
05:44 Piano...
05:46 Could we with ink
05:52 the ocean fill,
05:57 And were the skies
06:03 of parchment made,
06:07 Were every stalk
06:11 on earth a quill,
06:16 And every man
06:20 a scribe by trade;
06:25 To write the love
06:30 of God above
06:34 Would drain the ocean dry;
06:43 Nor could the scroll
06:48 contain the whole,
06:53 Though stretched from sky
06:58 to sky.
07:04 Oh love of God
07:10 how rich and pure!
07:15 How measureless
07:20 and strong!
07:23 It shall forevermore endure...
07:33 The saints' and angels' song...
07:43 The saints' and angels'
07:49 angels'
07:56 song...
08:02 song.
08:05 Amen.
08:10 Pause...
08:15 more pause...
08:23 Good morning everybody.
08:24 Wow! I hope your heart's been touched by that song.
08:29 Wonderful song... wonderful words
08:32 and that's the theme
08:33 of what I want to share with you this morning.
08:35 You know, I was looking at the brochure
08:38 that I'm sure you've received,
08:40 I'm looking at the photographs of the people
08:42 that are in the back page and I...
08:45 I guess you must have noticed there's only one with gray hair.
08:49 Audience: Laughter.
08:52 All the others look surprisingly young don't they?
08:56 One of them actually is a student of mine
08:58 but I won't identify him
09:00 but when I look at these photos and think of this gray hair,
09:05 I was reminded of a text I read recently
09:08 in the book of Leviticus chapter 19.
09:12 It's an interesting chapter
09:13 because it talks about a lot of things
09:15 that God expected of His people
09:17 and told them about things that they should do...
09:20 keep the Sabbath... it says,
09:22 and also to not regard mediums
09:25 and then I came across verse 32 where it says,
09:29 "You shall rise before the gray-headed,
09:34 and honor the presence of an old man. "
09:35 Now, the King James says, I think, "a hoary head"
09:40 and a hoary head is always...
09:42 well, I've always been wondering what a hoary head was
09:44 but then I looked at the dictionary
09:46 and was discouraged to find that it said,
09:48 "Old and gray-headed. "
09:50 Audience: Laughter.
09:52 But I'm so grateful
09:54 and I thank 3ABN for the privilege of sharing
09:57 a wonderful topic with you this morning
09:59 and I just want you to bow your heads in a word of prayer.
10:02 "Dear loving Father,
10:06 as we contemplate this tremendous theme this morning,
10:10 help us to see the love of God that has been manifested
10:15 in every part of this great controversy... down through time
10:20 open up our hearts to the Holy Spirit,
10:22 speak through this very poor agent this morning
10:27 as we uplift Jesus and His love for each one of us
10:31 is my prayer in His wonderful name, amen. "
10:36 During this weekend, our minds and our hearts
10:39 are being directed to a very wonderful text,
10:42 the text that reminds us
10:44 from the High Priestly prayer of Jesus
10:47 just before He died
10:48 that this is life eternal
10:51 that they might know you... the only true God
10:55 and Jesus Christ whom You have sent
10:59 and in each presentation of this weekend
11:02 there is a topic or a theme that will help us,
11:06 that's its aim... to help us to get to know God better.
11:10 David Jeremiah, a New York Times best-selling author
11:14 has recently published a book, "The God You May Not Know"
11:18 and in his introduction, he writes these words,
11:21 some say, "The greatest question in life is 'Does God exist?'
11:27 I say, the greatest question is,
11:31 'Do I know the God who does exist?'
11:34 Do I know about Him and do I know Him personally
11:39 personally...?"
11:41 Can I suggest to you this morning dear friends
11:43 that that last question is the most important
11:46 because I can know a lot about someone
11:49 and not know them at all personally.
11:52 I know a lot about the Queen,
11:54 I have lived longer than she has reigned,
11:58 but I can't say that I know her personally.
12:02 Now, this is the problem
12:04 of those people that Jesus speaks about
12:07 in Matthew chapter 7...
12:10 it's the end of the sermon on the mount
12:12 and I know you've heard these words
12:14 but I want you to think of the significance this morning
12:17 in Matthew 7 verse 21 to 23,
12:20 where Jesus says, "Not everyone who says to me,
12:23 Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven;
12:27 but He who does the will of my Father in heaven.
12:30 Many will say to me in that day,
12:33 Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name?
12:38 cast out demons in your name?
12:40 and done many wonders in your name?
12:42 and done many wonders in your name?
12:44 And then, I will declare to them,
12:48 I never knew you:
12:51 depart from me, ye who work iniquity. "
12:56 Dear friends, that... that verse
12:59 has always been a challenge to me.
13:01 here is Jesus speaking to people
13:04 who venerated His name...
13:06 it's the last generation... just before Jesus comes
13:10 and these people are not pagans,
13:12 they're not Atheists,
13:14 they are people who have venerated the name of Jesus,
13:17 but why did Jesus say to them, "I never knew you?"
13:21 In spite of being busy,
13:23 evidently, in the activities of life in His name,
13:27 they didn't take the time or the effort
13:30 to get to know God.
13:33 It wasn't a top priority in their lives.
13:36 I'm sure if you had asked these people,
13:39 "Do you believe in Jesus?"
13:41 the answer will be, "Yes"
13:43 but the Bible tells me that the devils believe and tremble.
13:48 evidently dear friends, we can be busy
13:52 in doing the Lord's work...
13:54 casting out demons in the name of Jesus,
13:57 preaching in the name of Jesus
13:59 and yet not know God.
14:03 Pause.
14:06 I want to say this this morning,
14:07 in spite of the fact
14:09 there is nothing more important in life
14:12 and can I just say that again, dear friends,
14:14 there is nothing more important in life
14:16 than your getting to know God and His Son Jesus Christ
14:22 for our eternal destiny is at stake.
14:26 How important then is the study of our theme for this weekend?
14:30 The topic that I have been given within that theme
14:34 is getting to know the God revealed
14:37 in the great controversy between Christ and Satan.
14:42 But first can I explain why I am going to use some quotations
14:47 that I'm going to put on the screen this morning,
14:49 it's true that the major theme of the Bible
14:52 is the story of the great controversy
14:55 between Christ and Satan
14:56 and the unfolding of the plan of salvation
15:00 but as a church, we believe that in 1844
15:03 God gave to a young 17-year-old girl,
15:06 Ellen Harmon, as she was at that time,
15:09 the Gift of Prophecy
15:10 and that a major role of her voluminous writings
15:14 that she would produce over the next 70 years,
15:17 were not given to replace the Bible...
15:21 I want to underscore that in your thinking this morning
15:23 but they were given to uplift the Bible...
15:27 to magnify the Bible...
15:29 to point you and me to its continual study
15:33 because that alone will help us to get to know God
15:38 and therefore, I would expect if the major theme of the Bible
15:42 is the story of the great controversy,
15:44 it would be the major theme of her counsel
15:47 and I have found that to be true.
15:49 Out of the 2,000 visions that God gave to Ellen White,
15:54 the one given on Sunday afternoon March the 14th 1858
15:59 was the most comprehensive
16:01 and we call it, "The Great Controversy Vision. "
16:04 At the end of that vision,
16:06 she was instructed to write out what she had seen
16:09 but she was warned that the devil would attack her
16:12 because of the content of that vision
16:16 and I believe dear friends, it's significant
16:20 that of the 2,000 visions that she received,
16:24 this one... The Great Controversy Vision
16:26 was the only one in which Satan tried to kill her
16:30 soon after she received the vision.
16:32 I want you to think about that...
16:35 the reality of this controversy
16:37 in which all of us are engaged...
16:39 tried to kill her to prevent her from writing out the book
16:44 outlining the great controversy between Satan and Jesus.
16:49 Many visions of course followed that first vision
16:53 and finally she produced five volumes
16:56 which incidentally were called,
16:58 "The Conflict of the Ages Series. "
17:00 Five volumes... "Patriarchs and Prophets"
17:03 dealing with the first half of the Old Testament.
17:06 "Prophets and Kings... " the 2nd half of the Old Testament.
17:09 The book "Desire of Ages" centering on the life of Jesus.
17:13 Then "Acts of the Apostles"
17:14 the beginnings of the Christian Church
17:16 and finally, the book, "The Great Controversy"
17:19 going from the destruction of Jerusalem in the first century
17:23 down to the creation of the new earth...
17:25 what five wonderful volumes to have
17:29 and practically all the quotations I will give you,
17:32 I am taking from those inspired accounts
17:35 of this Great Controversy
17:36 but I notice in preparing for this morning,
17:39 that in the last of those volumes,
17:41 in the book "Great Controversy"
17:43 she makes the comment that throughout eternity...
17:46 think about this... throughout eternity
17:48 where our love and our reverence and our happiness
17:52 will continue to increase... why?
17:54 Because we will learn more and more revelations
17:57 of the character of the God of the great controversy
18:01 and it's my prayer this morning dear friends
18:04 that as we contemplate getting to know God
18:06 through the great controversy
18:09 that you will be drawn to love Him all the more.
18:12 I'm going to speak about three aspects
18:15 of this great controversy...
18:17 how do you choose... what aspects do you deal with
18:19 in a story that's lasted for 1,000s of years?
18:22 But first of all, I want you to think about
18:25 the character of God challenged.
18:28 As we think about the beginnings of this great controversy,
18:32 you know, the bible begins with a text,
18:34 "In the beginning... " what?
18:36 God created...
18:38 but what kind of a God created?
18:40 I asked that question because the Deists now...
18:44 Deism was a philosophy that particularly was promoted
18:47 during the French Revolution
18:49 but it's based upon the Latin word for God... "Deus"
18:53 and a Deist has a certain picture of God
18:56 and many people have adopted this view.
18:58 What is it?
19:00 They believe in a God who created the world, yes,
19:03 but then placed it under Law and withdrew from the world...
19:07 showed no more interest in the world or its inhabitants
19:11 a bit like an absentee landlord
19:14 and if you're a Deist, there is no Bible
19:17 because why would this God
19:18 who's gone to the edge of the universe
19:21 with no more interest in the affairs of this world...
19:23 why would he write a book for that...
19:25 people of that... who inhabit that little planet?
19:28 There's no Savior...
19:29 why would He bother to visit this world
19:32 when He lives so far away with no more interest in...
19:36 in the things of this earth?
19:37 There's no prayer...
19:39 you can't talk to a God who's that far away
19:42 who's no longer interested in you...
19:44 there's no resurrection.
19:46 But oh, dear friends,
19:48 that's not the character of the God revealed in the events
19:52 that even preceded the creation of the world
19:55 and that are most shockingly described
19:59 in the book of Revelation
20:00 and I go to that amazing chapter,
20:03 chapter 12 of Revelation and I read in verse 7
20:06 and war broke out... where?
20:09 in heaven of all places
20:11 not on earth though filled with wars...
20:14 this is a war in heaven...
20:17 where all is peace and harmony
20:20 and beauty and perfection where love reigns...
20:24 war in heaven...
20:26 and that war all started, I would remind you this morning,
20:30 next to God's throne where God governed the universe
20:34 because I read in Revelation chapter 12 and going on
20:39 in chapter... in verse 7...
20:41 "Michael and his angels fought with the dragon;
20:46 and the dragon fought and his angels,
20:48 and they did not prevail;
20:50 nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer,
20:53 so the great dragon was cast out,
20:55 that serpent of old,
20:56 called the devil, and Satan... "
20:58 in those simple words, what tremendous events are covered
21:02 Michael on one side and His angels...
21:05 now, let me just very quickly affirm
21:09 that Michael, I believe, is another name for Jesus,
21:11 it's only used in Scripture
21:14 whenever Jesus is in contact with Satan
21:16 which is interesting.
21:18 But Michael, the name... who is like God...
21:20 a threatening name...
21:23 when in conflict with Satan directly Himself.
21:26 Michael is called the Archangel and people have said,
21:29 "Well, that means, He must be an angel. "
21:32 No, my friends, because the word "Archangel"
21:34 "archaggelos" in the Greek means Leader of the angels.
21:38 Chief of the angels, and that's why Revelation says,
21:42 "Michael and His angels
21:43 fought against the dragon and his angels"
21:46 identified here in verse 9 very clearly as Satan
21:51 the adversary
21:53 previously with the name, Lucifer.
21:56 Lucifer...
21:58 how did a being like Satan find a place
22:03 in the perfection of heaven?
22:05 The book of Ezekiel gives us a great deal of insight into this
22:10 and I'd like you, if you have your Bibles,
22:13 to turn to Ezekiel chapter 28 and notice these words
22:16 as Ezekiel is addressing Satan
22:19 under the symbol of the King of Tyre...
22:22 a very evil king that we know
22:24 but in Ezekiel chapter 28 and we read in verse 12,
22:29 "Son of man, take up a lamentation for the king of Tyre
22:32 and say to him, 'Thus says the Lord God... '"
22:34 but listen to the words that follow...
22:36 speaking directly to Lucifer...
22:38 "You were the seal of perfection,
22:41 full of wisdom... perfect in beauty.
22:43 You were in Eden, the garden of God;
22:45 Every precious stone was your covering... "
22:48 then He lists all the beautiful stones
22:50 like diamonds and sapphires and turquoises and emeralds
22:54 that covered this leading angel in heaven.
22:56 "You... " it says,
22:59 "Were prepared for you on the day you were created.
23:02 You were the anointed cherub that covereth... "
23:05 and those words, dear friends,
23:07 remind us of the ark that was placed in the Most Holy Place
23:11 and the two angels that were called "the Covering Cherubim"
23:15 right there next to the throne of God the Shekinah glory.
23:19 Lucifer was that leading...
23:22 one of those two leading angels in heaven
23:24 from the day that he was created
23:26 he stood by God's throne perfect, it says,
23:30 in wisdom and beauty
23:32 and I read there in verse 15, "You were perfect in your ways
23:38 from the day you were created until... "
23:41 and what an "until" it is because it says,
23:44 "Until iniquity was found in you.
23:47 You were perfect in the day you were created... "
23:52 and my friends, what I marvel at here
23:54 is that Jesus was the Creator, the Bible says,
23:57 of all the angels...
23:58 it was Jesus who created Lucifer...
24:00 but think of the significance therefore, of the war in heaven
24:05 when Jesus is on one side
24:08 fighting against that created being...
24:11 that He had created way back before
24:14 and it tells us there in verse 17
24:17 "Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty;
24:21 you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor;
24:25 I cast you to the ground,
24:27 that they might gaze at you... these kings... "
24:29 That's the origin, dear friends,
24:32 right there at the heart of the Government of God,
24:35 war in heaven...
24:36 was God responsible for his iniquity?
24:39 Was He?
24:42 Oh no, my friends, God created...
24:44 Jesus created a perfect being...
24:46 "you were perfect in your ways...
24:48 from the day you were created
24:51 until iniquity was found in him. "
24:54 Dear friends, God never desired evil
24:57 but listen to what I'm about to say,
25:00 that God never desires evil
25:04 but the very allowance of evil testifies of God's love.
25:09 Think about it, why?
25:12 For love requires freedom to exist,
25:14 and for love to exist,
25:16 there must always be the possibility
25:19 of a wrong choice being made.
25:21 John Peckham, in his book, "The Love of God"
25:25 has written this, "God allowed evil
25:28 while passionately despising it
25:32 because to exclude its possibility
25:35 would exclude love,
25:37 central to this great controversy
25:40 and the issues at stake,
25:42 was the power to freely choose
25:44 that God gave to angels and to men
25:46 and to each one of us here in this church this morning.
25:49 I read in the book "The Great Controversy"
25:53 page 493, these words,
25:57 "God desires from all His creatures the service of love...
26:01 homage that springs from an intelligent appreciation
26:06 of His character.
26:07 He takes no pleasure in a forced allegiance,
26:11 and to all He grants... " what?
26:13 "freedom of will,
26:16 that they may render Him voluntary service. "
26:19 But dear friends, the gift of choice
26:22 brings with it a terrible risk
26:24 for it means that some time... somewhere,
26:28 one of those creatures or more
26:32 would take advantage of that choice that was given to them
26:36 and choose the path of iniquity
26:39 and of course the tragedy in Lucifer's life came
26:43 when, at one point in the eternity of the past,
26:48 he indeed did choose that pathway of iniquity
26:52 and what led to it?
26:53 The answer is found very clearly in the book of Isaiah
26:57 and if you have it there, look at Isaiah chapter 14
27:01 because here in Isaiah's book,
27:04 speaking this time,
27:05 not to the king of Tyre, as in Ezekiel,
27:07 but to the king of Babylon, a man... a symbol again
27:11 of all that went against God, He speaks in verse 12,
27:15 "How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!
27:20 How you are cut down to the ground,
27:22 you who weaken the nations
27:24 for you have said in your heart... "
27:26 here the prophet is revealing what went on
27:29 in that day until iniquity was found in him.
27:32 "you have said in your heart,
27:34 'I will ascend into heaven,
27:36 I will exalt my throne above the stars of God,
27:39 I will sit on the mount of the congregation
27:42 on the farthest sides of the north;
27:44 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds,
27:48 I will be like the Most High. '
27:51 Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol,
27:56 to the lowest depths of the Pit. "
27:59 Oh, my dear friends,
28:02 here is the beginnings of that great controversy
28:05 this perfect being next to the throne of God
28:09 beginning to think that he was wanting to be
28:13 number one in the universe,
28:14 he wanted to lift his throne
28:16 above the throne of all created beings in heaven,
28:20 he wanted to sit on God's throne and push God away
28:24 because he had a better form of government than God had,
28:27 he was not satisfied by standing by the throne,
28:31 he wanted to sit on the throne,
28:34 and where he thought in his heart,
28:36 "I will be like the Most High... "
28:38 he wasn't saying, "I want to be like God in character"
28:41 "I want to be like God to be worshiped... "
28:45 would you keep that in mind?
28:47 Because over time, he managed to persuade by his lies...
28:53 one-third of the angels in heaven
28:56 to join him in his attacks against God
29:00 and there were three things that he attacked particularly,
29:04 number one, he attacked God's character,
29:06 God had ruled the universe by love since the days of eternity,
29:11 Lucifer claimed that God was a tyrant...
29:13 that he had a better form of government
29:16 to offer to created beings
29:18 where all would have total freedom
29:21 to go and to be and to do what they chose
29:25 but then too, he attacked God's Law
29:29 claiming that angels... perfect angels...
29:32 they don't need a Law to tell them what they should do
29:36 or what they should not do,
29:37 and I read in "Patriarchs and Prophets"
29:41 page 338,
29:43 "From the beginning of the great controversy,
29:47 it has been Satan's purpose to misrepresent God's character,
29:52 and to excite rebellion against His law. "
29:56 But then, thirdly, Satan...
29:59 Lucifer was also particularly envious of Jesus,
30:03 he hated the supremacy and the authority of Christ,
30:06 even though Christ had been the One who had created him
30:10 and given him life
30:12 and because Satan could tell lies, my friends,
30:16 and God couldn't.
30:17 Many angels were beguiled by these deceptions.
30:21 How could God have responded to Lucifer?
30:26 I believe that His response would reveal much
30:30 about the character of this God of the great controversy.
30:33 He could, of course, have destroyed Lucifer.
30:37 That would have crushed the rebellion at the very heart
30:40 but perhaps Lucifer knew things
30:44 since he was the angel standing next to God's throne,
30:48 he knew more about God's dealings
30:51 than any other angel in heaven,
30:53 perhaps he knew something that God doesn't want revealed
30:59 and therefore, He destroys him.
31:01 My dear friends, if God had taken that...
31:05 just made that decision...
31:06 it would have upset the very basic rule in heaven
31:11 of love... not fear
31:15 and the relationship with the other angels at that time
31:19 would have changed from love to fear
31:21 and would have caused...
31:23 have backed up Satan's charge that God was a tyrant
31:27 obliterating anybody who stood in his way
31:30 and of course such a decision would not prevent
31:34 rebellion arising up some... another time
31:37 because all the other angels had the power of choice
31:40 but then, God could also have taken away from Lucifer
31:44 the power of choice.
31:45 He could have said, "Okay, if you've done this...
31:48 I'm going to take away from you the power of choice
31:51 and never again will you choose the path of rebellion... "
31:54 pause
31:56 but that's not possible...
31:59 not for a God of love.
32:00 The only response my dear friends
32:04 of a God who is love
32:06 was to allow the controversy between Himself and Lucifer
32:10 to be played out to the very end
32:12 to reveal to the universe the true nature of God...
32:16 what He was really like...
32:18 the righteousness of God's government
32:21 and the consequences of Satan's character and of his government.
32:27 I want you to notice some very important words
32:30 that were written in "Patriarchs and Prophets"
32:32 page 42.
32:34 "For the good of the entire universe... "
32:38 listen to this,
32:39 not just little planet Earth...
32:41 we can become so localized in our thinking
32:43 that we fail to realize that there's a whole universe
32:47 that is involved in in what we're talking about this morning
32:50 "For the good of the entire universe
32:52 through ceaseless ages,
32:53 Satan... he must more fully develop his principles,
32:57 that his charges against the divine government might be seen
33:01 in their true light by all created beings,
33:05 and that the justice and mercy of God
33:08 and the immutability of His law
33:12 might be forever placed beyond question. "
33:16 And so, the Biblical record in Revelation chapter 12
33:21 is very simple,
33:23 but as a result of that war in heaven
33:26 and the decisions that a God of love made,
33:28 in Revelation 12 and verses 8 and 9,
33:32 we read these words,
33:34 "They didn't prevail... "
33:36 these angels and Lucifer in heaven,
33:39 "neither was a place for them found any longer...
33:41 the great dragon was cast out,
33:42 that old serpent, called the Devil and Satan
33:45 who deceives the whole world,
33:47 he was cast out to the earth... "
33:50 and this earth became the battleground
33:53 for the ongoing great controversy.
33:56 In Genesis 2 as you know... well know dear friends,
34:00 tells the tragic story of the temptation of Satan...
34:04 that Satan set before those two perfect beings...
34:09 beings who had been also made with freedom to choose
34:13 pause
34:17 they believed this creature, Satan... rather than God
34:21 and the consequences you and I see
34:26 in our world of today.
34:28 But at this time we see a wonderful revelation
34:31 of the character of God the Father
34:33 because He called a council with His Son
34:36 and because of their great love for the human race,
34:39 for the fallen race...
34:40 they made public... a wonderful plan for saving the human race
34:45 from the consequences... the awful consequences of sin.
34:49 A plan... we are told that had been kept in silence
34:53 from the days of eternity.
34:56 Jesus, the second of the godhead would come to earth
35:02 and give His life as a ransom for many...
35:04 He would take upon Himself the sentence of death
35:06 that the human race deserved
35:10 so that whoever believes in Him
35:13 should not perish but have everlasting life.
35:17 What love!
35:18 Reluctantly we must pass through
35:21 the Old Testament outworkings of the great controversy
35:24 and what is revealed about the character of God there
35:28 for very quickly but for a brief diversion
35:31 into Exodus 33... and I'll share that in just a moment.
35:34 But finally the time came in this great controversy
35:38 when He who was God came into human form
35:41 and how beautifully did the apostle Paul
35:45 describe these words...
35:47 describe this action of condescension
35:49 in Philippians 2, "Let this mind be in you... "
35:53 you know the text, "which was also in Christ Jesus"
35:56 think about what is said here, "Who, being in the form of God,
36:01 did not consider it robbery to be equal with God:
36:05 but made himself of no reputation,
36:09 taking the form of a bondservant,
36:13 and coming in the likeness of men:
36:17 and being found in appearance as a man,
36:21 he humbled himself, and became obedient
36:26 to the point of death, even the death of the cross. "
36:32 God... His character demonstrated
36:39 here is described the most wonderful revelation of God
36:44 that you and I can read of in Scripture.
36:48 In the death... the life...
36:50 the death and the resurrection of Jesus,
36:52 but we need to see this event in the light of a request
36:56 that Moses made of God some 1,500 years before
37:01 that's recorded in the book of Exodus.
37:03 Reference was made to it, I think, last night as well
37:07 but I want you to notice this request,
37:09 for the first time in human history,
37:12 a man made a request of God, "Show me... "
37:16 do you remember what it was?
37:17 "Show me Your... show me Your glory...
37:20 Your glory... "
37:22 Israel had just violated the commandment of God
37:24 that they just received from... on Mount Sinai...
37:28 and then you remember
37:29 Moses had broken the tables of stone
37:32 and wondered how could God love a people
37:35 that had heard His Law and then broken it
37:39 dancing naked around a golden calf,
37:41 pause...
37:43 at that time, Moses says, "I want to see Your glory,
37:46 what kind of a God are You
37:49 that's going to lead these people out of Egypt
37:51 into the promised land?"
37:53 And you remember in Exodus chapter 33 and verse 19,
37:58 God said, "I will make all My goodness
38:01 pass before you,
38:04 and I will proclaim the name of the Lord
38:07 because the character of God... His goodness
38:10 is equivalent to His name"
38:12 and we read in the next few verses in Exodus 34,
38:17 where Moses was invited to go up to the top of Mount Sinai
38:21 with two more tablets of stone,
38:23 for God to re-write the Ten Commandments
38:25 and while he was there, the Lord passed by him,
38:30 and proclaimed His name... His character...
38:35 His goodness and love...
38:37 because I read in the New Living translation
38:41 verses 6 and 7,
38:43 God passed in front of Moses and said,
38:46 "I am the Lord, the merciful and gracious God,
38:51 I am slow to anger
38:53 and rich in unfailing love and faithfulness,
38:56 I show this unfailing love to many thousands
39:00 by forgiving every sin and rebellion
39:04 even so, I do not leave sin unpunished.
39:08 That last sentence has been described by somebody
39:12 as the dark line in God's face
39:15 but when we stop to think about it
39:17 and it explains some of those "heavy-to-believe" episodes
39:21 in the Old Testament
39:22 where God doesn't seem to reveal the character of God...
39:26 the character of God
39:27 that God's justice is a necessary part of his love,
39:32 and 1,500 years later after Moses made that request,
39:37 on the night before Jesus died,
39:39 Jesus looked back on His life in His High Priestly prayer
39:45 recorded in John 17,
39:47 that prayer that He prayed the Thursday night...
39:52 the next day... He was to die
39:54 and in that prayer,
39:56 we read in John chapter 17, verse 3,
39:59 the theme of this weekend, "This is life eternal,
40:03 that they might know You the only true God,
40:06 and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent. "
40:09 But dear friends, what amazes me,
40:11 is the statement that He made in that prayer in verse 6,
40:15 we're looking back on His life... on His ministry
40:19 those thee-and-a-half years,
40:20 He said to His Father that night,
40:22 "And now, O Father,
40:24 glorify Me together with Yourself,
40:27 with the glory that I had with You
40:29 before the world was.
40:31 I have manifested Your name to the men you've given Me. "
40:36 Remember Moses' request?
40:38 "I want to see Your glory. "
40:40 And the Lord said, "My glory is My name...
40:43 My character of love. "
40:45 And here this God who became man says to His Father,
40:50 "I have manifested Your name before men. "
40:55 The message paraphrased...
40:59 "I spelled out Your character in detail
41:03 to the men and women you gave me. "
41:07 But dear friends, did you notice in Scripture
41:11 that earlier that same evening...
41:13 the Thursday night before Jesus died,
41:15 Jesus was in conversation with His disciples
41:20 and one of them came with a request of Jesus
41:24 in verse 8 of chapter 14,
41:27 where Philip said to Him, "Lord, show us the Father. "
41:32 Jesus says, just a little while later to His Father,
41:38 I've manifested your character...
41:40 I've told the world what you're like"
41:42 how disappointed Jesus must have been
41:45 to hear one of His disciples say,
41:47 "After all this, what's God like?
41:50 Show us the Father. "
41:51 Pause.
41:54 There follows those wonderful words
41:57 where Jesus said to him in verse 9,
42:00 "Have I been with you so long and yet you have not known Me?"
42:06 I hear Jesus... those words almost dripping
42:11 with the disappointment of Jesus.
42:12 "Have I been so long with you
42:15 that you haven't known what the Father is like?"
42:17 and then He said, "He who has seen me... "
42:19 what? Do you remember the text?
42:20 "has seen... " who?
42:22 "The Father"
42:23 and I could well imagine that Jesus may have been tempted
42:27 at least to say on to Philip,
42:30 "Oh Philip, do you remember those villages
42:32 where they were filled with the sick
42:35 and when I walked out of the end of the village,
42:37 I looked back and there wasn't one sick person left there,
42:41 that's the Father,
42:43 do you remember, Philip, the day,
42:46 when that woman caught in the act of adultery
42:48 was dragged into My presence
42:49 and I could assure her that her sins were forgiven,
42:53 'Go and sin no more. '
42:55 Philip, that's what God the Father is like
43:00 and when I fed those 5,000 men plus women and children
43:04 with five loaves and two fish,
43:06 seeing their need and I wanted them to understand
43:09 that God the Father can supply all their need...
43:12 God's like that
43:14 and you remember Philip, the day when we stood
43:18 in front of the tomb of Lazarus,
43:19 he'd been dead for four days
43:22 and you remember, I just said to him,
43:25 "Lazarus, come forth"
43:26 and he who was dead... came forth.
43:30 That's what the Father's like. "
43:33 And of course, the very next day,
43:36 we see Jesus tried, condemned,
43:38 and nailed to the cross,
43:40 suffering for the next six hours the most terrible agony
43:44 of body and mind
43:45 and as the guilt of every descendent of Adam...
43:48 all of our guilt here in church this morning...
43:51 plus the guilt of the world was laid upon Him...
43:54 the wrath of God against sin filled Him with consternation.
44:00 We're told that the withdrawal of His Father's face
44:03 from the Savior... in this hour of supreme anguish
44:06 pierced His heart with a sorrow
44:08 that could never be fully understood by man.
44:11 Do you realize, dear friends, that afternoon
44:14 that for the first time in eternity...
44:18 you and me... we cannot really understand
44:22 the anguish that that produced
44:24 but for the first time in eternity,
44:26 of the relationship that the Son had with the Father,
44:30 Jesus felt absolutely alone...
44:33 think there is no greater revelation of the love of God...
44:38 the love of the God of the great controversy
44:40 than this moment on the cross,
44:42 I read in "Desire of Ages" page 753,
44:46 "Satan with his fierce temptations
44:49 wrung the heart of Jesus.
44:51 The Savior could not see through the portals of the tomb.
44:55 Hope did not present to Him
44:57 His coming forth from the grave as a conqueror,
45:00 or tell Him of the Father's acceptance of His sacrifice.
45:05 He feared that sin was so offensive to God
45:09 that Their separation was to be eternal. "
45:14 Think about what that means.
45:16 "It was the sense of sin,
45:18 bringing the Father's wrath upon Him
45:20 as man's substitute,
45:21 that made the cup He drank so bitter,
45:26 and broke the heart of the Son of God. "
45:30 He died of a broken heart...
45:35 a broken heart.
45:38 Therefore, can we hear the agonizing cry,
45:43 "My God... Lama Sabachthani
45:45 My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?"
45:50 Because He was tied to that cross, dear friends, by love...
45:55 love for each one of us here this morning
45:57 that you and I might have life with Him for eternity.
46:01 Here was the ultimate evidence to the watching universe
46:05 of the length and the breadth and the height
46:07 and depth of God's love and grace
46:09 that He desires to save sinners and grant them forgiveness
46:14 and the gift of eternal life.
46:16 Dear friends, I believe that there was no greater display
46:20 of the falsity of Satan's charges in the beginning
46:24 that God was a tyrant but in that moment...
46:28 that Friday afternoon...
46:31 1st John 4:9 and 10 says,
46:34 "God showed how much He loved us"
46:37 by sending His own Son into the world
46:40 so that we might have eternal life through Him.
46:45 This is real life... it is not that we loved God
46:49 but that He loved us and sent His son as a sacrifice
46:53 to take away our sins. "
46:56 Jesus died... but the grave could not hold Him.
47:02 Had He remained in the grave that day, dear friends,
47:06 there would be no final victory
47:07 in the great controversy
47:10 played out before the watching universe.
47:12 When on that Sunday morning, Jesus arose, death was conquered
47:17 death was conquered
47:18 and Satan knew that his cause was lost,
47:21 that his kingdom would have an end
47:24 and that finally he would be destroyed
47:26 and that's why we read in Revelation 12 verse 12
47:29 the devil has now come down as a result of the cross
47:33 having great wrath
47:35 because he knows his time is short,
47:39 he also knew that Jesus had promised to come back again
47:44 and so, in that third aspect of God's character,
47:50 we see it declared
47:52 because time permits us an all too brief review of the events
47:56 that are involving God's character
47:58 as the great controversy draws to a close,
48:01 but as we do, we need to ask the question,
48:04 since Jesus showed the falsity of Satan's charges,
48:08 2000 years ago,
48:10 why are there 2,000 years of Satan's malignity
48:13 and his hatred against the human race continuing?
48:17 Haven't events within the last 2,000 years
48:21 proved to the watching universe the malignity of Satan?
48:26 And I offer you very quickly several reasons,
48:29 there are many but I want to suggest two,
48:33 at the beginning Satan wanted worship
48:37 pause
48:40 he wanted worship...
48:41 he wanted to be Number One in the universe
48:44 and therefore, I read the amazing verse
48:47 that's found in Revelation chapter 13 and verse 8
48:51 where the Bible says that in the last...
48:54 very last days of time,
48:55 all that dwell on the earth will worship a beast power...
49:01 a beast power that is a symbol of a religious organization
49:06 and a political organization
49:08 that will grow up during that 2,000-year period,
49:11 but that eventually,
49:14 all the world is going to worship this beast
49:16 whose names have not been written in the Book of Life
49:20 which means that those whose names are written
49:23 in the Book of Life... will not be worshipping the beast
49:26 pause...
49:29 but I want you to notice having read that verse dear friends,
49:32 that the Bible tells me
49:35 that with all the world worshiping this beast,
49:39 they are, in reality, worshiping Satan.
49:45 Pause.
49:47 Think about what I'm saying,
49:49 he wanted worship...
49:52 he attacked God's character
49:55 and before Jesus can return,
49:59 this power must be allowed to demonstrate to the fullest
50:04 his extent of deceiving the world into worship.
50:09 God needed to give Satan time, you remember,
50:12 to display the ultimate results of his way of government
50:16 and in this power, the book of Revelation
50:19 which incidentally, you remember
50:20 is called the Revelation of Jesus,
50:22 tells us that the time is going to come at the end
50:26 when almost all the world...
50:29 Satan will almost have his aim achieved,
50:32 when the world worships the beast.
50:36 When that display is fully achieved... Jesus will come.
50:41 But there's a second reason that's related to this delay
50:46 also that I would mention
50:47 and that's related to the first...
50:50 because God has known of Satan's desire
50:54 to place himself on the throne
50:57 and because God knew in advance
51:00 and as we see in the book of Revelation
51:02 that he would accomplish his aim
51:05 of deceiving the world into worshiping Him,
51:08 He did... God did what only a God of love and justice would do
51:13 all the world must be warned
51:15 of that crisis to come at the end,
51:19 all the world must understand the issues involved,
51:23 Jesus had predicted in Matthew 24,
51:25 "And this gospel of the kingdom should be preached... "
51:28 whereabouts? "in all the world
51:30 as a witness to all nations and then shall the end come. "
51:34 And included in the preaching of that final appeal to the world
51:40 surely a God of love
51:43 seeing what Satan would do at the end of time,
51:47 in his desire for worship, He would send the warning
51:52 because a God of love would always send warnings
51:57 to the people of the world
51:59 and that's why dear friends in the book of Revelation
52:02 chapter 14 and you know it well,
52:04 there is report of the last message to go to the world
52:08 and I'm encouraged as I read it in Revelation chapter 14,
52:13 where it says in verse 6,
52:15 "Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven,
52:17 having... " what?
52:19 "the everlasting... " what?
52:21 The good news... the everlasting gospel to preach
52:24 Jesus said, "When the gospel has gone to the world,
52:27 then the end will come. "
52:29 And here now, in the book of Revelation,
52:31 we see the fulfillment of that
52:32 with the message going to the whole world
52:35 which is the gospel, saying with a loud voice,
52:38 "Fear God, give glory to Him,
52:40 for the hour of His judgment is come,
52:42 and worship... " notice that word...
52:45 "Him who made the heavens and the earth
52:47 and the sea and the springs of water"
52:50 who is that?
52:51 The Bible tells me... Colossians 1, Hebrews 1, John 1,
52:56 that Jesus was the Creator,
52:59 this last message to go to the world
53:02 based upon the everlasting gospel
53:05 will call the world to worship Jesus,
53:08 but I go on and read down to the third angel's message
53:12 that follows
53:13 and it says this in verse 9 and 10,
53:15 "Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice,
53:19 'If anyone worships the beast and his image,
53:22 and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand,
53:24 he himself also shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God,
53:29 which is poured out full strength
53:31 into the cup of his indignation. '"
53:33 Pause...
53:35 Do you notice... the God of love who is seeing the future
53:40 sends a message...
53:42 there will be a temptation that will come to all the world
53:46 to worship the beast
53:48 and all the world will succumb practically,
53:50 except for a small group of people
53:52 and this God of love warns what's coming.
53:57 Dear friends, at first a friend of mine said to me
54:01 a little while ago,
54:03 when I pointed out to him verses 9 and 10,
54:06 "and the wrath of God poured out unmixed with mercy"
54:09 he said to me,
54:11 "Allan, where's the love of your God in these verses?"
54:17 Do you know what I said to him?
54:20 It's precisely because God is love
54:24 that he sends a warning to all the people of the world
54:29 and when that message has gone to all the world,
54:34 then Jesus will come
54:35 but it's only God's love, in a sense,
54:38 that's holding Him back until all the world is warned
54:42 and all the world has made a decision...
54:44 it's precisely because of that great love
54:47 that Jesus is sending this final message to the world.
54:53 Dear friends, before Jesus comes,
54:56 the Bible tells me that God's glory
54:58 is going to arise on His people.
55:01 A time when gross darkness... in Isaiah 60 verses 1 and 2
55:05 covers the world and surely that is today
55:08 the glory of the Lord will rise upon His people.
55:13 Remember, "Surely your glory"
55:15 what was the glory?
55:17 The name... the character of God
55:19 that's to be seen upon God's people
55:22 and therefore I read in "Christ's Object Lessons"
55:25 page 415,
55:26 "It is the darkness of misapprehension of God
55:29 that is enshrouding the world.
55:31 Men are losing their knowledge of His character. "
55:33 Notice that...
55:35 the darkness lost understanding of His character.
55:38 "It is being misunderstood and misinterpreted.
55:41 At this time... a message from God is to be proclaimed,
55:45 a message illuminating in its influence
55:47 and saving in its power.
55:49 His character is to be made known. "
55:52 And then, following on,
55:55 "The last rays of merciful light,
55:57 the last message of mercy to be given to the world,
56:01 is a revelation of His character of love. "
56:06 And that's your role and mine, dear friends,
56:11 The last message... is it not the three angels' messages?
56:16 Yes, but the last message to go
56:19 is a message of His character of love.
56:22 What a day when all that's fulfilled!
56:25 What a day!
56:27 Could we with ink the ocean fill,
56:30 And were the skies of parchment made;
56:33 Were every stalk on earth a quill,
56:35 And every man a scribe by trade;
56:37 To write the love of God above
56:39 Would drain the ocean dry;
56:41 Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
56:45 Though stretched from sky to sky.
56:49 My dear friends,
56:51 do you love the God revealed in the great controversy?
56:55 Have you made Him your friend?
56:57 Let us bow our heads,
56:59 "Dear Father, we thank you for this revelation of God
57:03 that has come to us.
57:04 A God who not only loves the universe,
57:07 loving the angels,
57:09 but also who has loved us each one enough
57:13 for Jesus to die
57:15 that we might have the hope of eternal life
57:18 help us dear Father to reflect that love
57:21 into the lives of those we meet
57:22 and we ask it in Jesus' precious name, amen. "


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Revised 2019-02-26