Participants:
Series Code: WHO
Program Code: WHO210049S
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00:28 Thanks for joining us once again
00:29 here at 3ABN Worship Hour. 00:31 We are looking forward to a wonderful study 00:34 in the Word of God together. 00:36 And we're gonna be talking... 00:37 The subject is kind of get you when you talk 00:39 about little men handling great messages. 00:43 My name is Kenny Shelton. 00:45 And again, I am very thrilled and thankful 00:46 to be in your home or wherever it might be to be able to, 00:51 you know, bring the Word of God in a little bit closer. 00:53 So I pray that the title of the message, 00:55 and as we go along, it'll all fit together. 00:58 But you know, again, 01:00 before we really get into the Word of God, 01:02 I have a need. 01:03 I know you do too, a prayer. 01:05 And so, I'm going to kneel and pray. 01:07 Those of you who can please kneel with me and pray. 01:10 And those of you cannot, 01:12 just lift your voice up to heaven that the Holy Spirit 01:14 will have His will and His way as we study His Word today. 01:18 Let's pray, shall we? 01:22 Merciful Father in heaven, 01:24 we thank You again for the privilege of prayer. 01:26 Thankful that we can call You our Father. 01:28 How wonderful it is that we can come boldly 01:31 to the throne of grace and find help 01:32 in our time of need. 01:34 Lord, I need help today, 01:36 within myself I have nothing good 01:38 in which to offer Your people. 01:40 I realize it's life and death issue 01:42 in the time that we live in. 01:44 So I pray that You will open my heart, 01:46 my mind, my eyes, my ears, 01:48 that I may hear the Holy Spirit speaking to me. 01:50 And I may in return speak to Your children today. 01:53 Help us, O Lord, 01:54 we pray to be brought closer to You, 01:56 closer to one another as we see the day is approaching. 02:00 Thank You for hearing answering prayer. 02:01 Thank You just that You love us and You promise 02:04 I will come again. 02:06 Thank You in Jesus' name. 02:07 Amen. 02:10 Again, if you're taking notes, 02:11 whatever that you wanna jot down, the sermon title, 02:13 little men handling great messages. 02:18 Oh, what does that mean? 02:19 Well, again, hope we find out as we go along here. 02:23 You know, there's a story told and I like stories. 02:26 I think they have their place 02:27 in getting the word out to the world 02:30 and this one's kind of an interesting, 02:32 and I think you'll see it fit 02:33 all throughout the message here. 02:34 There was a man driving his car across a long bridge. 02:39 Now, you know what can happen sometime, but here lately, 02:41 I've been going down 02:43 main street there in West Frankfort 02:44 and they decided almost to just close off almost a whole, 02:48 you know, one or two miles 02:49 and it's really kind of aggravating. 02:51 And so first thing I began to do 02:52 is look for shortcuts. 02:54 I began to try to turn off on another street 02:56 and whatever it might take. 02:57 And so I kind of felt for this man here and, 03:00 you know, long lines, 03:01 slow moving cars and he was in a hurry. 03:04 And he actually saw a big sign at the beginning of the bridge 03:09 where it says, unlawful to pass on the bridge. 03:13 Well, he was in a hurry. 03:15 Like we would all say, well, I was in a hurry. 03:17 That's why I did what I did. 03:18 And he's anxious to travel a little bit faster 03:21 than the rest of the traffic was going. 03:23 And after he looked 03:27 there was no cars coming and he thought, 03:28 well, you know, I don't even see any 03:30 in the other direction. 03:31 So he pulled out and he passed 03:32 some of the slow pokes 03:34 and he wanted to get where he was going. 03:37 But at the far end of the bridge, 03:39 when he got to the far end of the bridge, 03:41 there was a motorcycle cop. 03:43 Can we call him an officer? 03:45 Was on duty. 03:46 And he saw him come around. 03:48 So he signaled him to stop, pull over. 03:49 I wanna talk to you for a moment. 03:52 And then the policemen reprimanded him 03:54 because he didn't obey that sign. 03:58 And he, oh, he reached in his pocket 03:59 and he pulled out a pad 04:01 and he pulled out his little pencil 04:02 and he began to write 04:04 a ticket for him as a law breaker. 04:08 Huh? 04:10 He finally said to the man, 04:11 "Didn't you see the great big sign 04:14 when you approached the bridge here?" 04:17 The officer asked him, 04:19 "Wasn't the letters big enough that you could see them." 04:23 Man said, "Yes, officer I did. 04:24 I saw them. 04:26 I read the sign and I knew when I pulled out 04:30 to pass and to go around that I shouldn't be doing it. 04:33 It was really breaking the law. 04:35 I was not really sorry. 04:36 I guess I did it. 04:38 I went ahead and did it and I was in a hurry. 04:41 So I was fully aware that I was doing wrong. 04:45 I thought of all of that, officer, 04:47 I thought of everything, 04:50 but there was one thing that I didn't think about." 04:53 "Oh really?" 04:54 The officer said, what might that have been? 04:56 What was it you didn't think about? 04:58 The officer asked. 05:00 I didn't think that I'd meet you 05:03 at the end of the bridge. 05:06 Kind of Interesting, isn't it? 05:07 I didn't think I'd meet you at the end of the bridge. 05:08 No, he hadn't counted on that. 05:12 But you know, I want you just to think with me 05:13 just for a moment here, let's don't forget, shall we? 05:17 Let's don't forget to read the signs, 05:20 the signs of the time, 05:22 signs about obeying what God has said 05:25 or obeying the signs of the road, 05:27 obeying God's law. 05:29 Jesus says, simply said, 05:31 teach them to observe all things. 05:35 You know why? 05:36 Notice this, for Jesus says, 05:38 I will meet you at the end of the bridge 05:42 or at the end of the road. 05:44 Now good food for thought, 05:46 I think is something that we need to be thinking 05:47 about here in this hour that we are living in. 05:51 I wanna read a quote. 05:53 Again, the quote is from Review and Herald 05:55 12/8/1885. 05:59 Let's start with this because it has something to do 06:02 with the title of the message. 06:03 And it says this, 06:05 "We have no great men among us, 06:11 none need try to make themselves 06:13 what they are not, remarkable men." 06:17 Wow. 06:19 I mean, that to me that's quite potent. 06:20 When you look at it here, 06:21 we have no great men among us. 06:23 That might be different than some men 06:25 are thinking today because they might think 06:27 that they're pretty great. 06:28 They might think, oh, well we have a big work. 06:31 We have a big ministry. 06:32 We have whatever it might be. 06:33 We're doing a lot of good things. 06:35 And people tell you 06:36 how great that you are all the time. 06:40 But notice here we have no great men, 06:45 and don't try to make yourself one. 06:48 We need to look at the approach here at that we are little men 06:52 handling great messages. 06:55 If we keep that balance, 06:57 I believe God will be able to use us 06:59 in a very special way. 07:02 We need to learn to guard the message 07:04 that God has given us as His people. 07:07 You know, in His commission to His disciples. 07:09 And I love it. Jesus always, 07:10 He talked to His disciples 07:12 and He told them what was taking place 07:14 and what was going to take place 07:16 and how they could be ready. 07:19 That kind of interesting, you know, 07:20 when we think about here, Jesus even outlined, 07:24 He outlined 07:26 that what He would have the disciples to be doing 07:29 and what we should be doing today. 07:31 First of all, and this is very simple, 07:33 He outlined their work. 07:36 As today, He outlines our work. 07:38 What He wants us to be doing. 07:40 The question would come back. 07:41 Are you doing what God wants you to do right now? 07:46 Are you? 07:48 And number two, He gave them their message. 07:52 So if He did, if He outlined the work 07:55 and then He gave the message for the work, 07:57 you can't go wrong. 08:00 That ends up in a familiar passage of scripture, 08:03 found in the Book of Matthew 28:20. 08:06 And people read this over and over and over. 08:08 And I hope you really get it today. 08:10 I'm struggling to get it. 08:12 Matthew 28:20. 08:13 Here's what the Bible says, 08:15 "Teaching them to observe," what? 08:18 "All things whatsoever I have commanded you: 08:22 and, lo, I am with you always 08:25 unto the end of the world." 08:29 Wow. 08:30 To me, that's just so powerful. 08:34 Jesus said, He teach them to observe all things. 08:37 How many things? 08:38 All things, pick, are you a picker and a chooser? 08:40 There're lot of picker and choosers out there. 08:42 But Jesus made it very simple. 08:44 He said to observe all things that I have commanded you. 08:48 So you can't erase anything. 08:49 You can't add anything, just what He said to do. 08:52 And if you do this, now notice, 08:54 if you do this, what does He say? 08:56 Then I'll be with you. 08:58 He didn't say He'd be with you if you went off 08:59 on your own road and did your own little thing. 09:03 So the commission that Jesus gives us is to go 09:06 and then to what? 09:08 To teach. 09:09 Now, If you look at it closely, 09:11 I looked at it, 09:12 prayed about it, thought about it. 09:13 I said, wow, it's more than just a command. 09:16 It's more than just go teach. 09:18 Like someone might say, well, you need to go to work now. 09:23 It's different than that. 09:25 There's an encouragement in His words when He said, 09:30 we need to go to work. 09:31 Here's the work because He says, notice, 09:34 He tells us scripture, we need not fear. 09:37 If He's given us our 09:38 and He has our outline, our work. 09:40 He's given us the message. 09:43 Then He says, I'm going to be with you, fear not. 09:46 How often we fear? 09:49 How often we play 09:50 into the hands of the enemy with? 09:53 We're fearful of the outcome. 09:54 We're fearful of what might take place. 09:57 We're all, we're fearful 09:58 that we might be laughed at, huh? 10:03 Laughing at you. 10:05 Does that bother you? 10:06 Some people it's ruined their ministry. 10:08 It's ruined their life. 10:10 They just couldn't take it. 10:12 The God's people need to rise above that 10:14 by His grace and His strength. 10:17 It's encouraging fear not, have I not sent you. 10:21 He says, absolutely. 10:23 So now Christ then does something 10:24 for the disciples that He's doing for us today. 10:27 I want this to be an encouragement to you. 10:29 Because again, we have little men 10:32 handling big messages, 10:34 but sometime they try to think they're big men 10:36 handling little messages. 10:37 You've got it backwards in my opinion. 10:42 Jesus now opens the gospel door wider for the disciples. 10:48 Huh. 10:50 Why? 10:51 Because they had relied upon Him bodily. 10:54 See the disciples, they followed Jesus. 10:56 Come on somebody stay with me. 10:57 Look, they followed Jesus, 10:59 where He went they followed Jesus. 11:01 Jesus was now getting, 11:02 trying to get them to be used to, notice, 11:05 following as it were the voice of the Holy Spirit. 11:07 Why? Because He would not always be with them. 11:12 It's kind of, I don't want this to be a bad thing, 11:16 but I look at it as, oh boy, 11:20 we have two puppy dogs, two dogs, 11:22 now one's older naturally. 11:24 And we have a puppy, but you know, 11:26 the older dog leads out, 11:30 and what happens? 11:32 The puppy follows everything that the older dog does 11:36 and learns from. 11:39 Poor illustration you might say, 11:40 but hey, think about it. 11:42 Jesus led out. 11:45 Disciples watched and they learned from Him. 11:48 But He also knew that what? 11:50 I'm not gonna always be. 11:52 I'm not always going to be with you. 11:54 And so we need to learn to do that, 11:58 which He has spoken to us. 12:01 They must learn to spread their wings. 12:05 You know, you might've heard that home. 12:06 Hey, son, it's about time you spread your wings. 12:08 Get out on your own. 12:11 You think about spreading the wings. 12:13 It's kind of like you think of an eagle. 12:15 An eagle, you know, when it's time for the little 12:17 ones to get out of the nest 12:19 and they don't wanna get out of the nest, why should they? 12:20 Oh, the eating's good. 12:22 They don't have to do too much. 12:23 Just kind of stay in there and the parents 12:25 are gonna take care of you, 12:28 But the eagle then begins to stir up the nest. 12:32 Now think, the eagle is what? 12:35 Going to stir up the nest and the little ones. 12:38 And how does she do it? 12:40 Oh, she begins to flutter her wings. 12:42 Oh yeah flutter, her wings. 12:43 And then the little ones are watching 12:45 and seeing the flutter, oh, this is the way that it's done. 12:48 And all of a sudden, the little ones are excited 12:50 and they wanna fly. 12:52 Don't you get excited and you're like, 12:53 excited in the cause of Christ. 12:55 And as it were, they're fluttering their wings, 12:57 or they're trying to encourage you 12:58 to go do something for the cause of Christ. 13:00 Get involved, get involved in ministry, do something. 13:03 The gift that God has given you is exciting. 13:06 Huh. 13:08 Here what Christ was doing was I like to say was stirring up. 13:12 He was stirring up the disciples 13:14 to begin to move out, 13:16 you know, to stay in your four walls 13:18 or just go to church every week. 13:19 And the message stays there and dies. 13:22 Wouldn't go into all the world highways 13:24 and byways and compel them to come in. 13:28 We need to be fluttering as it were stirring things up. 13:34 And He stirred up the disciples to get them out of the nest 13:36 and go into all the world. 13:38 And when we accept the call of Christ, 13:42 we find that Christ will teach us. 13:44 And I like this word, He disciples us. 13:48 Christ will disciple us. 13:51 But, oh, you say, well, He's taught me, 13:52 He's discipled me now and so on, 13:54 but He's not done 13:55 because there's something very important here. 13:57 He enlists us into His service. 14:00 Don't you like that? 14:01 Oh, I like that. 14:03 He enlists us into His service as what? 14:06 As soldiers. 14:08 Absolutely. 14:10 As soldiers 14:11 that He can train us for service. 14:15 What do you think in life? 14:16 You ask yourself, why am I here? 14:18 Why was I born here? 14:19 What's going on here? 14:21 You accept Christ as your savior. 14:22 He doesn't want you to stay home, do nothing. 14:24 He wants you to train for service, 14:27 to go out and work for salvation of others. 14:32 I like a book called Christ Object Lesson, 326. 14:36 It reads like this, Christ Object Lesson, 14:39 326 says 14:42 "Christ's followers have been redeemed for," what? 14:45 Good, "Redeemed for service. 14:47 Our Lord teaches us that the true object 14:50 of life is ministry." 14:52 Come on now, think with me. 14:54 "Christ himself, 14:55 no doubt was a worker and all His followers," 14:59 He goes, notice this, 15:00 "He gave the law of service-service to God 15:04 and to their," what? 15:06 "And to their," good, "to their fellow man." 15:09 And the Bible is very clear on these two hang what? 15:12 All the law and the testimony. 15:13 Our duty to God and our duty to man, 15:16 God training us for service work in ministry as it were. 15:20 Oh, I've got to go out and start a ministry. 15:22 Didn't necessarily say that. 15:25 In ministry, in the work off to be helping someone else. 15:28 It could be out doing something somewhere, 15:32 you know, for others rather than yourself. 15:34 So we are to, notice this, we're to teach, 15:37 we are to instruct, 15:39 we are to persuade by the power of the Holy Spirit. 15:43 We are to notice this, 15:44 observe all things that He's commanded us. 15:49 And I wonder if we're doing that today. 15:53 He makes it really clear that we must not then, 15:57 remember it, all things I taught you, He said. 15:59 So He makes it very clear to me. 16:00 Well, Kenny, you're not supposed to accept 16:02 man's teaching as it were. 16:04 You're not supposed to accept traditions. 16:07 You realize there's people out there 16:08 as Christians that says, 16:10 well, I know this is, you know, man teaches. 16:12 This is man's thought, but I guess that's all right. 16:14 It's not all right. 16:16 Not man's theories, not his traditions, 16:19 not his teachings or sometime they'll say, 16:22 this is what I think. 16:23 Hmm. 16:25 Or it seems like this. 16:28 And I'm gonna say this, 16:30 not even what the church teaches. 16:33 Of course, and we say, 16:35 it's okay if Christ laid it out in the word, it's okay. 16:40 But I've heard people say, well, 16:41 I don't know if it's in the Word of God 16:42 or not, but my church teaches it. 16:44 That's what I'm going to do. 16:45 No, we need some better ground than that. 16:46 We need a better foundation than that, don't we? 16:49 Foundation has to be in the Word God. 16:54 If Christ taught it. 16:57 And since Christ has given us this last day message warning 17:01 to go into the whole world, 17:03 that's just something exciting about that. 17:05 I mean, I just get excited about thinking 17:08 that He has commissioned 17:09 each one of us to go into the whole world 17:12 and preach the gospel. 17:13 Give the three angels' message of Revelation 14. 17:17 I mean, aren't you really, 17:18 doesn't that really excites you 17:19 to think about that God has chosen you, 17:23 He's chosen me. 17:25 Anyone who wants to be involved to give the last day warning 17:29 message to a... 17:30 We call it lost and dying world before He shall come. 17:34 And let me tell you, I believe it's shortly to be, 17:37 signs of the times are everywhere. 17:39 If you've got your head stuck in the mud or the sand, 17:41 it's time to pull out and come on. 17:44 These are warning message. 17:46 You remember, these are big messages. 17:48 These are not little light sought off, 17:51 little wrong message 17:52 if you know what I'm talking about, 17:53 these are heavy duty and they should be. 17:57 Now, someone will say, don't get too excited. 17:58 I can't help, but get excited, 18:00 because it's life and death issue. 18:04 If you're one of those saying calm down, don't get excited. 18:06 Well, I'm going to just say shame on you. 18:09 Shame on you. 18:11 The house is burning. 18:13 Please call the fire department, 18:14 screaming, yell. 18:16 Jesus is coming. Listen. 18:18 This world is soon to be burned up. 18:22 Hmm. 18:25 So are you not gonna warn anyone? 18:27 You're not going to talk about it to anyone? 18:29 I pray that you, that you will. 18:32 I love the three angels' message. 18:35 I've learned so much from and so much more to learn 18:39 as we give these three angels' message 18:43 and that people hear them, 18:44 they accept them, they come out of Babylon 18:46 and they begin to join up with God's last day people 18:49 giving this message. 18:50 And I'm again, I'm talking about a full message. 18:52 I'm talking, about no little, can I say mickey mouse? 18:55 No little mickey mouse message. 18:57 If you think we have time for water down, 18:59 fooling around, doing all the things 19:01 that maybe the world is doing right now 19:03 in the church service, something is dreadfully wrong. 19:06 That's how I feel about it. 19:08 And so therefore I will be, 19:09 I guess at times I don't mean to be mean, 19:11 I don't need to be to, 19:13 you know, but it's because I see what is happening, 19:16 that somehow we have to stir up the people of God. 19:21 We know the Holy Spirit does it, 19:22 but He uses people just exactly what Jesus did. 19:25 He stirred up the disciples to get them to go. 19:30 Full message, especially signs of the time. 19:36 Why? 19:37 Remember, there's little men. 19:39 They're handling great messages, 19:42 messages of life and death. 19:44 And I say pastors, all of us including myself. 19:48 If we don't believe that what we're doing 19:49 in the pulpit is life and death issues. 19:52 I've said it many times before, 19:54 and I know you'll be aggravated at me again. 19:55 If you don't feel that, get another job. 20:01 Did you get that? 20:03 You must feel as you see the signs of the time 20:06 they are life and death issues. 20:08 This world is soon to be destroyed. 20:11 Judgments of God are falling in the land 20:13 and what are we doing? 20:18 Evangelism 17. 20:20 Evangelism 17 gives this information. 20:23 To me it's so pertinent today. 20:28 Listen to every word, hang on every word. 20:30 You know why? 20:31 Because the principles are deep in the Word of God. 20:36 Evangelism 17 says this. 20:39 If there was ever a crisis, 20:44 it is now. 20:46 "Decided effort should be made to bring the message 20:49 for this time prominently." 20:51 Did you get that? 20:53 "Before the people, get you, before the people prominently." 20:57 Huh. 20:58 What does that mean? 21:01 "The third angel is going to" what? 21:03 Forth with great power." 21:05 We understand that, 21:06 but we're to get these messages, and notice it, 21:09 it should be prominent before the people. 21:11 That means it needs to be what? 21:12 Conspicuous. 21:14 That means the message needs to stick out. 21:18 It's not an everyday kind of easy come easy go, 21:20 sugar-coated type thing. 21:23 It's a standout message. 21:25 And I believe that God has given His last day church 21:27 a stand out message, 21:29 and not everybody is going to like that. 21:33 We need to sound words like this 21:37 found in 2 Timothy 1:13-14. 21:43 Please notice these words. 21:45 2 Timothy 1:13-14. 21:47 Not anything new to you, but notice, it says, 21:49 "We need to hold fast," the form of what? 21:51 "Sound words, which thou hast heard of me, 21:55 in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus." 21:58 Verse 14, 22:00 "That good thing which was committed 22:01 unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost 22:04 which dwelleth in us." 22:06 Wow. 22:07 Notice the whole fast. 22:09 I wonder how many of us are holding fast 22:11 to that which we know is the truth today. 22:14 Are we holding fast to the world? 22:16 Are we grabbing the world? 22:17 Are we just tied into it? 22:19 Are we handcuffed to it? 22:20 Or we don't even want to let go. 22:23 Oh Lord, have mercy. 22:25 If we realize the nearness of the coming of Jesus, 22:28 the closing of probation, 22:31 maybe we would make different priorities. 22:33 Maybe we would choose differently 22:35 than we are right now. 22:36 'Cause most of them you say, oh yeah, amen, praise God. 22:39 Oh, that's wonderful. That's good. 22:40 But there won't be a change made. 22:42 We'll go about our same little routine 22:43 that we ordinarily do. 22:44 God's looking for us 22:46 to get out of our routine 22:51 and get into His Word. 22:54 Paul, remember, these words here, Paul wrote, 22:57 I wanna call it. 22:58 Is it okay to call it his last will and testament? 23:01 Anyone's writing their will, their last will and testament. 23:05 These are heavy duty words. 23:06 I want you to notice that. 23:08 I mean, these are really heavy duty that he wrote them, 23:10 notice to the church 23:11 and he wrote them also to Timothy. 23:14 You know, that's just spiritual son, Timothy. 23:17 Now he warned Timothy. 23:18 And just what we have to be doing today of course, 23:21 all Christian believers. 23:22 This goes to every Christian believer 23:24 today against heresies that come into the church. 23:29 Heresies that what? 23:30 That would come into the church, 23:32 things that would be coming into the world, 23:33 it's not biblical. 23:35 And so he says, as you see these things come in, 23:37 hold fast to the sound words. 23:41 That means the healthy words, 23:44 that means the free from error words 23:48 and to be faithful till Jesus comes. 23:52 See this first chapter of 2 Timothy, 23:57 we are encouraged then to stand 24:00 and not to be ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ. 24:04 We're to use all the gifts that God has given us 24:07 to further spread the gospel. 24:11 We're encouraged. 24:12 Notice this, to remain loyal to God. 24:15 Man, you can't have two loyalties. 24:17 You can't be loyal to the world and loyal to God. 24:20 We say, we know that, 24:22 but look how mixed up we are sometimes. 24:26 Be loyal to your calling 24:28 because he's called you out of darkness 24:30 into marvelous light. 24:33 And be warned that many, that maybe your friends, 24:37 relatives, it could be pastor, teachers, whatever it might be. 24:39 Many will desert their posts before it's over, post of duty. 24:44 And what are you going to do? 24:46 Are you going to be like a little bit puppy dog 24:47 and follow? 24:49 Are you going to stand for what is truth? 24:54 God's people are encouraged to have boldness, 24:58 boldness in the hour that we're living in, 25:01 boldness to go to the throne room of God, 25:04 to find help in our time of need. 25:06 I don't know about you, but man, I need it. 25:07 Oh, I need help. 25:11 Wow. 25:14 And so we're encouraged in this chapter 25:16 to do something, notice, 25:18 to keep that which was committed, 25:21 to keep that which what? 25:23 Was committed that keep that good thing, huh. 25:28 Hold fast it says here. 25:32 This is interesting. 25:33 I want you to please pay attention to this 25:34 and nothing else. 25:36 In this clause, and you look at it 25:37 in the original language here. 25:38 It says here, when it says, you know, keep that good thing. 25:41 Or you know, hold fast to this thing. 25:43 It literally reads this. 25:45 Guard the excellent deposit. 25:50 See, this is commissioned from God 25:52 that we have to guard the deposit. 25:56 That means we are to keep our deposit of what? 25:59 Our deposit of truth free from error. 26:02 There's no doubt about it. 26:03 And we have to faithfully pass it on to others. 26:07 Are we really, you know, are we really doing that today? 26:12 Faithfully pass it on. 26:14 He's deposited this truth. 26:17 And He said, we pass it on to someone else. 26:20 This can only be done I might add through the power 26:23 of the Holy Spirit, because there again, 26:26 you got little man trying to be big, man. 26:28 We've got a big message. 26:31 And sometime they're making a little message. 26:33 This is no time for little messages. 26:36 This is the cream of the crop. 26:38 This is the last warning to go to the world 26:41 and who's going to be calm about it. 26:42 I'm not gonna be calm about it. 26:44 I have a lot of loved ones. I have a lot of friends 26:46 and I'm thinking about my own soul. 26:47 Where am I going to spend eternity? 26:49 And I need to get tuned in to heaven. 26:52 A comment from the Spirit of Prophecy 26:54 on this verses that we just read 26:58 from 2 Selected Messages, 252. 27:02 Now again, if you're jotting it down, 27:03 be sure and jot it down. 27:05 Notice these, 2 Selected Message, 252, 27:08 "The form of sound words 27:10 is to be prized above gold and silver, 27:13 every earthly attraction oh, 27:17 to be light minded with God." 27:22 How powerful, how powerful this is. 27:26 Sound words based on the Word of God, 27:29 based on the teachings of Jesus Christ 27:31 is to be prized above gold and silver. 27:34 But look how the world has it backwards. 27:37 They prize gold and silver 27:38 and all of these earthly attractions. 27:41 And they don't wanna have the mind of Christ. 27:43 I want the mind of Christ. 27:45 Bible said, let this mind be in you, which was what? 27:47 And also in Christ Jesus, 27:50 Certainly this passage would fit into Psalms 103. 27:55 Psalms 103:1. 27:57 Now just notice it with me. 27:59 You've got your Bible. You're turning there. 28:00 I know that you are. 28:01 Psalms 103:1. 28:05 Again, I like to say, this is what the Bible says. 28:07 "Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, 28:12 bless His holy name." 28:15 Lord, that is exciting. 28:17 Bless the Lord, O my soul. 28:19 Have you blessed the Lord this morning? 28:20 You sang praises unto Him. 28:22 You're excited that you be able to get up this morning. 28:24 You're excited that you have something to do. 28:26 There's a place to go. 28:28 There's people to visit. 28:29 Huh. 28:31 There's a message to give to the world. 28:32 Absolutely. 28:33 Let's bless His holy name. 28:37 So we are encouraged then over and over and over to guard 28:40 the truth and to, remember, 28:42 guard the truth and keep it free from error. 28:45 So you see somebody coming up and starting to try 28:47 to stick a little bit error. 28:48 Remember errors, you know, it sticks itself to the truth. 28:53 Think about, error does what? 28:55 Error sticks itself to the truth, 28:57 to lend a little bit of something, 28:58 you know like, oh, this is legitimate. 29:01 But our job is to stand say, oh, 29:02 that's not the truth according to the Word of God. 29:05 Why? 29:07 Why has something happened? 29:10 Listen, something has happened 29:12 and people don't wanna talk about it. 29:13 But by the grace of God, we will talk about it. 29:17 4 Testimonies, 211. 29:20 4T, 211. 29:22 Now I... 29:23 Please pay attention to every word. 29:25 4T, 211 says this. 29:28 Now again, the Word of God, Satan... 29:30 To me this is the Word of God. 29:32 "Satan has gained marked advantage." 29:34 Why? 29:35 "Because the people of God have not guarded the outposts." 29:40 What does that possibly mean? 29:43 Satan has gained marked what? 29:45 He said an advantage, 29:47 that should just put us in an uproar, 29:50 that should put us in an uproar. 29:51 What do you mean he's gained marked advantage? 29:53 You know what? 29:54 Most people today are Christians, 29:56 well he ain't gained, 29:57 he hasn't gained any market advantage on me? 29:58 Don't kid yourself. 30:00 Time to wake up and look and say, well, if this be true, 30:02 where could it be? 30:04 Let's be open to it. 30:06 Then maybe there's some changes that need to be made. 30:09 Guard the outposts, you're gonna say to me, 30:10 well, what's an outpost? 30:12 Well, an outpost, it could be just one person. 30:15 It could be several people coming together, 30:18 occupying maybe a place or many places. 30:21 And what are these folks doing? 30:23 I'm thankful for the outpost 30:24 that people are guarding, right? 30:27 Guarding the truth against a surprise attack. 30:32 The enemy likes to surprise us. 30:36 The outpost you think in the military 30:39 would be kind of like the first line of defense. 30:44 The enemy is coming. 30:45 When the enemy attacks 30:48 and their duty then is to warn others. 30:51 I'm thankful for those who are out there. 30:52 They're hearing, you know, a trumpet sound, 30:55 but it's a wrong sound. 30:56 They're out of tune 30:58 and not I'll just say, well, they're out of tune. 30:59 We're just going down the road. 31:01 They're out of tune. 31:02 Somebody needs to tell them they're out of tune. 31:06 There's a lot of out of tune people. 31:10 Maybe I should leave it at that. 31:13 Have we? 31:14 The question, have we guarded our message? 31:17 Well, have we really guarded 31:19 the message that God has given us? 31:21 It seems like it's kind of splattered everywhere 31:24 in different directions. 31:26 And hardly any two people can seem to agree. 31:29 What has went wrong? 31:32 We're commissioned to guard. 31:33 We're commissioned to be watching. 31:36 We know these things will come in. 31:38 We're told they would be coming in. 31:39 And yet it's like, well, 31:41 they're not gonna come in on my watch, 31:42 while you're sitting there song Zs 31:44 that came in on your watch possibly. 31:49 I love this book, 9 Testimonies, 158. 31:52 9 Testimonies, 158. 31:55 Maybe this will help us, maybe it won't. 31:57 But notice this. 31:59 It helped me. 32:00 I have been shown, check it. 32:02 "I have been shown that the principles 32:04 that were given us in the early days 32:06 of the message are," what? 32:09 "Are important and should be regarded 32:11 just as conscientiously today as they were then." 32:17 Wow. 32:21 I hope you got that. 32:23 The message that was given to us in what? 32:25 The early days, all the things have changed 32:27 while everything's different now, 32:28 we live in darkness, so what? 32:31 The Word of God never changes. 32:33 Inspiration says this early days, 32:35 the message God has given is important 32:37 and should be regarded just as conscientiously 32:40 today as were then. 32:42 Why? 32:43 That's simple, 32:45 because God's Word doesn't change. 32:46 You can't alter it. 32:47 You can't change it. 32:49 And what audacity 32:52 may I say sometime when we... 32:55 Well, that's, it's different now. 32:56 I know what it reads. 32:58 And it seems to say this and I think it does, 33:00 but why do we do that? 33:03 Is that maybe because we just don't want the truth. 33:06 We just don't care. 33:07 We don't wanna change our life. 33:09 What is it? 33:11 God's principles, truth never changes. 33:15 I love a little book that Testimonies 33:16 to Ministers, page 236. 33:19 Testimonies to Ministers, 33:21 236 and I just, I can't help myself. 33:24 Sometimes I have to just, have to say some things. 33:25 Some of our ministers need to get their nose 33:27 in the Testimonies of Ministers. 33:30 I'm including myself 'cause I do. 33:32 I think it's very important 33:33 and I can always improve on it, I know. 33:35 Testimonies to Ministers, 236 said, 33:37 "The outpost are to be kept," what? 33:40 "Are to be kept guarded." 33:44 That's still clear. 33:45 So they must be guarded by people who are number one, 33:48 guarded by people who are converted. 33:50 Not by people who are half converted. 33:53 There's no such thing as far as I'm concerned, 33:55 you're either on God's side or you're not. 33:58 To say you're half converted. 33:59 Well, we'd rather have them here like they are rather than, 34:02 why do we say that as Christians? 34:05 Knowing they're living in sin, living where it shouldn't be. 34:07 Well, it's better to have them here. 34:09 No, 34:11 you're inviting the devil in. 34:15 Must be guarded by people who are converted. 34:20 A people who sense the power of God in their life. 34:25 You know, how long has it been maybe since you've sensed 34:27 the power of God in your life. 34:30 The power of God taking possession of you 34:34 at each and every day, 34:36 that is almost the, 34:38 you can hear that still small voice saying, 34:40 this is the way walk in it. 34:42 This is what I should be doing. 34:44 Warning you at times, don't go here. 34:46 Don't do that. 34:47 Don't get involved in these things. 34:49 We need the power of God. 34:50 It's no time to for a cold lifeless church 34:54 to exist or a cold lifeless message to be given. 35:00 Oh, interesting. 35:01 Huh. 35:03 For why? 35:04 Little men are handling big messages. 35:10 And we need to make sure by the grace of God, 35:12 we stay little men. 35:13 There's no such thing. 35:15 You think you're a big man today in the cause of Christ. 35:17 I'm just gonna invite you to step back down 35:18 off of the platform. 35:21 We're nothing without Christ. 35:23 There's no conviction without the Holy Spirit. 35:25 There's no changes made, 35:27 you see without the spirit of the living God. 35:30 We're just little mouthpieces. 35:34 Interesting. 35:37 So we've got to shun 35:39 and I'm talking about shun it like the plague, 35:42 shun this cold lifeless formality 35:47 that I see sometime going on, 35:49 coldness, all this fun and games. 35:52 There's more fun and games in some church 35:54 than preaching of the last day message. 35:58 This worldly ambition, this love of self as it were, 36:02 holding self-up in high esteem, 36:04 this pride that's in the church. 36:07 The church needs, listen, 36:09 more than just a form of godliness. 36:14 As we're told in the Word of God 36:16 in 2 Timothy 3:5. 36:19 Let's dissect this just a little bit, shall we? 36:22 2 Timothy 3:5 is powerful, notice this. 36:26 "Having a form of," what? 36:28 "A form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: 36:33 from such turn away." 36:36 Now, does that make sense to us at all? 36:40 Does that make sense to us having a form of godliness? 36:43 Notice what that means. 36:45 A form in the Greek means 36:47 having an appearance of godliness, 36:50 having a shape of godliness, 36:52 having a semblance of godliness. 36:56 Godliness means holiness, but denying. 37:00 That means denying, I'm rejecting. 37:01 That's what that means. 37:03 I'm rejecting. 37:04 I'm gonna refuse it. 37:06 I'm gonna contradict it, notice that, the power thereof. 37:10 The power, what? 37:12 The force of the gospel, the force, the strength, 37:16 the miracle working power of God from such, notice this, 37:22 from such turn away. 37:23 Oh, we need to be careful here. 37:25 People say you need to turn away, turn away. 37:26 Turning away here simply means this. 37:28 We need to avoid this business. 37:32 If the church is denying true godliness 37:37 and the power in the church 37:39 turn away and you know, 37:41 the word turn away there translated 37:42 is separate from, if that be, no, no, separate from. 37:48 We have to have more. 37:50 I want you to notice. 37:51 We have to have more than these 37:52 outside characteristics of our faith. 37:56 Such as, you talk to someone about religion, 38:00 you talk to somebody about Christ 38:02 or belonging to God's Church. 38:04 And they say things like, well, we give. 38:08 Praise God, I'm glad you do. 38:10 Wonderful, nothing wrong with that, we give. 38:13 This is what they're using. 38:15 And well, we attend and they say things like, 38:18 well, we serve, 38:21 but we're on some kind of a committee 38:22 and we do this and we do that. 38:24 Well, how wonderful, 38:27 but what about, we must have the power of God, 38:33 which will give us the victory that we need, 38:35 which will prepare us 38:37 to gain victory over every sinful practice. 38:44 Please note this very carefully with me, please. 38:48 We talk about Luke warmness, a lukewarm Christian. 38:52 So you call yourself a lukewarm Christian. 38:54 You may not say, no, I'm a Christian, 38:55 but you may be lukewarm. 38:57 And we'll define that in just a moment. 38:58 A lukewarm Christian 39:01 is a, notice this, is a handicap. 39:05 The lukewarm Christian is a handicap 39:09 to the forward motion of the church. 39:13 Did you get it? 39:14 If you're just lukewarm, you're not on fire at all. 39:18 You're not on fire. 39:20 You're just kind of going and you're not sure 39:23 what's going to take place. 39:24 You're not sure what's going to happen. 39:25 And you're lukewarm. 39:27 God said, I'm gonna spew you out. 39:28 Number one, God's people need to be on fire 39:31 right now for the cause of Christ. 39:33 We must be. 39:34 And if you're not, say, oh Lord, set me on fire. 39:38 Set me on fire by the power of the Holy Spirit. 39:40 Because one of these days, if we don't get set on fire 39:42 by the Holy Spirit will be set on fire by another. 39:45 Are you with me? 39:46 I hope you are. 39:49 1 Timothy, 4:16. 39:51 1 Timothy 4:16 in the Word of God. 39:56 It's another warning, you say, oh, 39:58 you all you're doing is giving warnings. 39:59 Absolutely. 40:02 If there's a fire, 40:04 somebody has a stove on, right? 40:05 They got a stove on it there. 40:07 You get have children around there. 40:08 I'm gonna be constantly talking about the fire. 40:10 I'm gonna be constantly talking about the stove is hot. 40:13 Now you turn the burner off 40:15 and there's another hot plate or something over here. 40:17 I'm gonna be talking about the hot plate. 40:22 You got a fireplace is going and right it's rip roaring 40:24 and little children around. 40:26 I'm gonna be talking about the fire 40:27 in the fireplace. 40:29 I hope that makes sense. 40:31 1 Timothy 4:16. The Bible say, I love this. 40:34 "Take heed unto thyself,' who? 40:37 Everybody else, no to thyself and unto the doctrine, 40:41 continue in them: 40:42 for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself 40:46 and them that hear thee." 40:48 Oh, my brothers and my sisters. 40:50 Whoa. 40:52 You talk about powerful here. 40:54 First of all, it's a warning,. 40:55 Kenny, you better take heed to yourself. 40:57 Easy to try to give information to everybody else. 40:59 I need to take heed to myself here, notice this, 41:02 and into the doctrines, which most people, 41:05 can I use the word hate. 41:06 I'll just do it anyway. 41:08 They hate when you say doctrine in some churches. 41:11 Have you found that to be true? 41:12 I'm sure some of you have. 41:14 Oh, we don't have doctrine in our church. 41:16 Well, don't tell me that. 41:18 I'll fuss with you on that if you don't mind, 41:21 because doctrine simply means a teaching. 41:23 Tell me you don't have teachings in your church. 41:24 Then what do you have? 41:26 See, sometime we answer and we really don't. 41:27 You know, we haven't really thought it over. 41:29 Take heed to thyself unto the doctrine. 41:32 Doctrine is here is take heed to the instruction. 41:35 Take heed to the information that God has given us 41:39 to the learning, to the teaching. 41:41 Notice. 41:42 And then it says, I love this, continue. 41:44 How many of us are really continuing? 41:46 There's some of us are sleepwalking. 41:49 Some of us are sleepwalking, 41:50 we're just going through the motions. 41:52 We're hoping no one detects us. 41:55 We hope that... 41:56 I hope the preacher doesn't notice 41:58 I'm just sleepwalking. 41:59 Hope the elders don't know that I'm just sleepwalking. 42:01 No, my brother and sister, 42:03 God knows whether you're sleepwalking or not. 42:07 Continue, it says continue in them, 42:10 these doctrines that means remain in them. 42:13 That means abide in them. 42:15 You know what that means? 42:16 Kind of interesting here. 42:18 I thought it was interesting. 42:19 It's related to a stay over. 42:22 You ever done that? 42:23 Maybe a friend or something you went and you stayed over, 42:26 remained, stay over with them for in doing, 42:30 this is a powerful thou shall say both thyself. 42:35 Are you interested in being saved in God's kingdom? 42:37 Sure, you are. 42:38 And I am too. 42:40 And also those that hear thee. 42:42 Listen, it's difficult to find somebody 42:44 who wants to hear the truth anymore. 42:46 You go to the highways and byways and start shaking 42:48 the bushes and you very found, hardly few fall out. 42:53 But we are told that we need to do that 42:55 because they're still honest souls out there. 42:59 If, listen, if we really believe 43:01 with our whole heart, 43:04 that the investigative judgment is really going on 43:10 and that your name is coming up, 43:14 maybe has, Hmm. 43:18 Hmm. 43:20 That men are being weighed 43:22 in the balances right now, 43:26 maybe just maybe there might be a couple of things 43:29 that we should maybe investigate 43:32 and examine in our own life. 43:34 And two things, is number one, my moral character. 43:38 What kind of character is going to make it to heaven? 43:42 What kind of character do I have? 43:46 Is it wishy-washy and it comes and goes. 43:48 Number two, my spiritual condition. 43:53 All God is looking today for you and me 43:55 is to be honest with Him. 43:58 I look at my spiritual condition 44:00 and you can't just go and point out and say, 44:02 well, I'm doing this wrong or I'm doing all that. 44:05 I'm looking, and I'm looking at my example is Jesus Christ. 44:08 And I'm saying, oh, I fall so short. 44:14 But with my spiritual condition, 44:15 I must look as heaven looks at things. 44:20 How does it line up 44:21 with the blessings that God has given me? 44:25 Man, those of you 44:26 who have been called out of darkness 44:28 into marvelous light. 44:31 You're going to be held accountable for that 44:33 as well as me. 44:35 The blessings and light 44:37 and benefits that God has given you. 44:39 You think He just gives you all of those things 44:40 and then nothing? 44:44 We should jump and shout every day 44:46 that He's called us in to help finish this work 44:51 instead of be, can I use the word deadhead? 44:54 Well, I did. 44:56 We don't need to be deadheads. 44:58 We need to be wide awake right now. 45:01 We need to quit trying to be big men 45:04 and give little messages. 45:05 We're little men with big messages to give. 45:07 Praise God for that. 45:11 Don't be found, 45:13 my brothers and sisters, unprepared. 45:15 Don't be found wanting. 45:19 I pray by the grace of God every day to be more effective 45:23 in the cause of Christ. 45:26 And I don't mean to be overbearing. 45:28 And I don't mean to continue on, 45:31 'cause some people are just, they're turned differently. 45:34 I'm turning it, put it out there. 45:37 Put it out there. 45:38 You still with me? 45:41 Give me the whole message. 45:42 Somebody gets it, tell me the whole thing. 45:44 Somebody comes out, 45:45 I've got good news and I've got bad news. 45:47 Give me the bad news first. 45:49 Okay. 45:52 Because the good news is on the way you know that. 45:55 Huh. 45:58 Remember, please remember. 46:01 Remember the calamity that struck Jerusalem in AD 70? 46:04 Do you remember that? 46:07 There was starvation. 46:09 Notice, there was suffering. 46:12 Oh, there was death. 46:14 It was a horrible nightmare. 46:17 But notice what happened? 46:19 What happened to the people? 46:21 They begin to realize. 46:22 They remembered the words of Jesus. 46:25 And they saw that they had by their neglect 46:28 brought these things on themselves. 46:31 Come on somebody, listen. 46:34 We blame everybody else. 46:35 We blame the church, we blame the pastor, 46:36 we blame one another. 46:38 Well, they caused me, they made it, 46:39 they did our circumstances. 46:42 Remember circumstances are never, ever, ever 46:45 to control God's people. 46:46 We are by the grace of God to control circumstances. 46:50 By the grace of God, did you get that? 46:54 Even in Jerusalem destruction, 46:55 many people realized we were warned about this. 46:58 We just did not listen. 46:59 Today, you're being warned of what's happening in the world. 47:01 What's going on in the world? 47:03 The message in the world today, 47:04 I've never seen anything like it. 47:06 I can't help but bring it up. 47:07 I can't help but talk about it. 47:08 It's so far out of line. 47:10 It's so far out of whack. 47:14 That tells me something is going on big, 47:19 especially this judgment hour message 47:21 and investigative judgment 47:23 and names coming up in judgment. 47:24 God have mercy on us. 47:27 Satan has a plan. 47:29 We'll have a few moments just to talk about. 47:31 Hopefully we get into. 47:32 Satan has a plan, and listen, mask his plan. 47:35 Shall we just as quickly as we can 47:37 in our last 10 minutes or so we have here. 47:42 He's got a plan in place right now 47:45 to where he wants to attack. 47:47 Listen, he's going to attack 47:49 those who are giving the real message. 47:53 Not everybody's giving the real message. 47:57 And the message you're going to increase in intensity 48:02 before it's over. 48:03 There's no doubt about it. 48:06 But he knows who's getting out the message 48:08 to warn the people right now. 48:09 And so, he's going to attack. 48:11 If you happen to be a ministry or just person, self-going. 48:14 The enemy is looking at you. 48:16 Don't worry about it. 48:17 You have nothing to fear, but notice 48:18 you're going to be attacked in a lot of ways. 48:20 How does he accomplish? 48:21 Most generally with the world. 48:23 We could say, it's same way that he's always done it. 48:25 That's a simple answer. 48:26 But you say, well, can we be a little more specific? 48:29 Absolutely. 48:31 The enemy begins. 48:32 And boy does he ever, 48:34 begins by challenging the Word of God. 48:36 And I'm going to include here 'cause of our time, 48:38 Spirit of Prophecy, 48:40 he begins to challenge. 48:42 Notice this. 48:43 He begins to throw things out there. 48:44 Challenge the Bible, Spirit of Prophecy, prophecy, 48:48 which we know condensed form 48:52 that will be operating in the church prophets 48:54 until Jesus shall come. 48:56 Sure. 48:57 Read Joel 2: 28-29. 49:01 Identifying mark of God's last day church. 49:03 Revelation 12: 17, 49:05 "The dragon was wroth with a woman, 49:06 went to make war with a remnant of her seed, 49:08 who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony 49:11 or the faith of Jesus Christ." 49:14 God has left a gift to the church. 49:19 And we should praise God for it. 49:20 Some of you embarrassed about. 49:22 Some of you don't even read it. 49:23 Some of the pastors don't even read them. 49:25 Some of you would throw them in the trash can. 49:26 Please don't do that. 49:27 There's the, God gave him for a help 49:30 so that we can understand, why? 49:31 Can I just say blaming, you know, 49:33 playing before we really get it? 49:34 Because we have not been in the Word of God 49:37 like we should. 49:38 We don't understand it. 49:40 You'll say, well, does God do that? 49:41 Listen, He sent prophets and what did he do? 49:44 All through the ages they kissed 49:45 on them and they killed them. 49:47 Did they not? 49:48 He did everything possible to get the attention 49:49 of the world before the flood, before it happens again, 49:52 destruction of this world, but what happened? 49:54 Jesus Himself left glory. 49:56 And He came down here to warn us. 49:59 And what did we do? 50:01 We nailed Him to the cross. 50:05 The enemy, a gift. 50:10 1 Corinthians 12:28. 50:11 I must read that quickly. 50:13 1 Corinthians 12:28, the Bible says it. 50:15 And lot of people try to get away from this, I don't know. 50:17 "And God hath set some in the church, 50:20 first," What? 50:21 Good, "Apostles and secondarily prophets, 50:24 apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachings, 50:27 and after that the miracles and gifts of healings, 50:29 helps and governments and diversities of tongue. 50:32 So we see God does what? 50:34 He uses the human agent here. 50:36 But notice what he said. 50:37 He said apostles was first, really point in point of time. 50:42 Yes, absolutely true. 50:43 In rank. absolutely true. 50:44 It's true. 50:46 Ones that are sent forth the apostles. 50:48 And then secondly, he said what? 50:50 Prophets or someone who would be God's mouthpiece, 50:52 someone that would speak for God. 50:54 Let me tell you, today I need hear somebody speaking for God, 50:58 don't you? 50:59 I need to hear God's Word. 51:01 I need to have it clear. 51:02 I need to understand that what it is. 51:04 There's all this dancing around all the time 51:06 and not getting it right. 51:10 All these gifts. 51:12 Give you one quick example there in the Word of God. 51:14 2 Samuel 23:2. 51:17 2 Samuel 23:2. 51:21 Notice how clear these words are please. 51:23 It says, "The Spirit of the Lord spake by me. 51:28 His words were, was in my," what? 51:31 "His words were in my tongue." 51:33 Wow. 51:34 Definitely that's just so exciting 51:35 when you think about it, 51:37 but it goes on a little bit deeper. 51:38 Let's go a little quicker, a little bit deeper. 51:39 2 Peter 1:21. 51:41 I love to say here's what the Bible said. 51:44 Here's the truth of God's Word. 51:45 Do you love the truth, then you're gonna love it. 51:47 If you hate the truth, 51:48 then you're not gonna like this. 51:50 Notice, 2 Peter 1:21 says, 51:51 "For prophecy came not what? 51:53 In old time, by the will of man, 51:56 not by man's will, notice, 51:57 but by holy men of God 51:59 spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." 52:02 Oh, I'm telling you right now, 52:04 we need to be moved by the Holy Ghost. 52:06 Some of us just kind of laying down, doing nothing. 52:08 God needs to get a spark underneath us. 52:10 We need to be praying for that spark. 52:12 Lord, I know I'm lazy. 52:13 I know, I just seem like I've lost my first love. 52:15 I need a spark. 52:17 God, give me that spark. 52:19 I need something. 52:20 I need to be moved by the Holy Spirit 52:22 as it were that prophecy, how it came. 52:25 Do you really want to be moved 52:27 by the Holy Spirit of the living God? 52:28 I know I do. 52:31 God will use me. This is a gift. 52:33 It's wonderful. 52:34 Men moved by what? 52:35 By the Holy Ghost, 52:37 spake the message that God gave them. 52:40 God gave them a message. You know what? 52:41 God's giving message. 52:43 I hear people say all the time. 52:44 Well, you know, God impressed me 52:45 and I wrote this down about it. 52:49 Surely when you go to prepare a message 52:52 or Sabbath school class or whatever might be, 52:54 or a worship hour, surely you could say, 52:56 I don't think I've ever said this ever before 52:58 in over 35 years or ever say, 53:01 when I sat down the Holy Spirit of the living God 53:03 impresses my mind what to write, 53:05 but you know what? 53:06 He does. 53:08 Because when I do and sit down and I pray about it, right? 53:10 I might sit down, thumb through a few things 53:12 and be thinking about something. 53:13 But until I get earnest with God, 53:15 until I begin to say, God, I have nothing. 53:17 I can't even come up with anything. 53:19 Then the Spirit of the living God 53:20 speaks through. 53:21 It doesn't make you good. 53:23 It means you're one that knows where your help is. 53:24 And you're willing to go there So miracles... 53:28 performed by God 53:30 Wow Here again we find the message 53:34 given for today You can't It needs to be little men 53:38 given life and death issue messages today. 53:42 Humble men know that it's God that's speaking 53:45 and living and working in them 53:47 and all that you are doing is simply what? 53:50 Speaking the truth as it is in Jesus Christ. 53:55 Some people have trouble with the, 53:58 you know, the gift of prophecy. 54:00 Oh, I feel sorry for you. 54:02 I really do. 54:04 I'll tell you why. 54:06 And I don't know why some people don't like it. 54:07 Let me just read something to you, 54:09 Testimonies to Ministers, 89. 54:10 I know our time's running out. Come on. 54:11 Somebody stay with me. 54:13 Why do some people say I don't like this? 54:15 Because, notice, could it be that they are plain 54:19 and sometime cutting? 54:21 Hmm. 54:23 The Spirit of Prophecy sometimes very plain 54:24 and very cutting. 54:26 And yet when you speak plain things 54:27 and cutting things, no one likes to be cut. 54:29 No one wants it too plain, 54:31 because it points out sin in their life. 54:32 And so they want to get rid of the messenger. 54:34 Hmm. 54:40 Plain, straight testimonies has to come 54:43 from behind moving of the Holy Spirit of God, 54:49 that many, many they're going to disdain it. 54:52 We don't like it. 54:53 We don't want it. 54:55 But I tell you this before we close today. 54:57 The living testimony and the straight testimony, 54:59 sharp and pointed today 55:01 needs to be living in the church. 55:04 It needs to be, it keeps sin out of the church. 55:09 You know why we were given the Spirit of Prophecy? 55:12 2 Testimonies 605, 55:14 "It is because you have neglected 55:16 to acquaint yourself with God's inspired book." 55:20 Maybe just put that in a nutshell 55:21 as our times get way. 55:24 Spirit of Prophecy was given 55:25 because we haven't spent time in the Word of God. 55:26 We're not familiar with it. 55:28 And God said, I want you to be familiar with it. 55:30 I want you to understand it. 55:32 Simple words as it were, direct testimonies, 55:35 calling attention to be obedient, 55:39 follow in the footsteps of Jesus. 55:43 As I just appeal to you for the last little bit 55:45 that we have right here, 55:46 the last minute and a half or so. 55:50 My appeal 55:52 and what's going on in my heart today is, 55:54 I'm looking around and I'm seeing so much 55:57 that's going on. 55:59 I'm just, I'm overwhelmed. 56:02 And so I know I need to draw close to Jesus Christ. 56:06 I know I need to understand the Word better than I do. 56:10 I know I need to dedicate more time 56:12 into studying and giving the Word, 56:14 and thank God for every opportunity 56:15 and privilege. 56:17 Sometimes it seems pretty difficult 56:19 and almost burdensome and so much to do, 56:22 but we need to be praying 56:24 that God will lighten the burden 56:27 that if we just shoulder up with Him, 56:30 we wear the yoke of Christ. 56:34 Thus we look and we ponder over this great wonderful message 56:38 that God has given this church, 56:41 that He's called us very special. 56:43 He's anointed us each one's with different gifts. 56:47 And I encourage you to use that gift 56:48 for His honor and His glory. 56:50 Stay on the side of Christ. 56:53 Please stay on the side of Christ. 56:55 He's coming soon. 56:56 I know you wanna be ready. 56:58 Oh, just 30 seconds. 56:59 So I wanna pray for you. 57:01 And when I'm praying, 57:02 I know you're gonna be praying for me. 57:04 Would it be all right? 57:05 I'm just gonna kneel right here and have a closing prayer 57:06 and then maybe I'll have time to get up, 57:08 but if don't then I just don't. 57:09 But I want to pray for you right now. 57:12 Merciful Father in heaven, 57:13 again, we thank You for Your precious Word. 57:15 Thank You that You call us 57:16 out of darkness into marvelous light. 57:18 Thank You. 57:19 You said I will come again. 57:20 Thank You for these beautiful truths 57:22 that You have help us to fortify them 57:23 in our hearts and our minds. 57:24 And we stand, you know, for You in all things. 57:26 Thank You for hearing. 57:28 Thank You for answering prayer in Jesus' name. 57:29 Amen. |
Revised 2021-05-29