Participants: John Lomacang
Series Code: 16HC
Program Code: 16HC000007A
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00:48 You know, we do welcome every one of you
00:51 and that's what every one of the sermons that have been presented 00:56 here at 3ABN's Fall Camp Meeting 00:58 have been for is to prepare our hearts 01:01 for what? For the coming of the Lord! 01:04 How many of you want your hearts prepared 01:06 so that at His return He'll look into your heart 01:09 and you know what He'll find? Purity and holiness at work. 01:13 Don't we want to stand before God with clean hands 01:16 and a pure heart? So that is our prayer today: 01:19 for everyone that's listening on 3ABN radio, 01:23 that's viewing on 3ABN television, 01:26 here in southern Illinois and around the world 01:29 and for every one of you is that God will plant His Word 01:34 deep within your heart. It'll take root and it'll grow 01:37 and it will produce. And you know what it produces? 01:39 The image and likeness of the Lord Jesus Christ. 01:42 We've been predestined to be conformed to what? 01:45 The image of Christ. How do we do that? 01:47 We do that through His Word. 01:49 Well, we are going to be blessed this afternoon with 01:53 Pastor John Lomacang. He's my pastor 01:55 so I can speak firsthand about him. 01:58 You know, he's a good man! 02:00 He's a godly man. 02:01 He knows God's Word, and he will come today 02:05 under the anointing of Almighty God. 02:08 So all we need to do is open our hearts 02:11 and receive Him. And you know, I wanted to tell you this: 02:15 the scripture says: "faith comes by hearing 02:19 and hearing by the Word of God. " 02:22 So I always want to encourage people 02:25 to get these tapes, get the CDs, get the DVDs. 02:29 Listen to them over and over. You know what it does? 02:32 Builds faith in our hearts... strengthens us spiritually. 02:36 And that's what we want. But before Pastor Lomacang comes 02:40 we have Vonda Beerman with us. 02:42 And I'm going to ask Vonda to come on out now. 02:45 Vonda... we were talking earlier. She's been with 3ABN 02:49 for about 20 years. And some- thing we've noticed about Vonda 02:53 is: spiritually she continues to grow. 02:57 The depth of her ministry 02:59 is continuing to get closer and closer to the Lord Jesus Christ. 03:04 Vonda, we appreciate you so very much. 03:07 The name of her song is Life Is Hard, But God Is Good. 03:12 And we thought that fit so well with Pastor Lomacang's sermon. 03:17 He is going to minister I Believe God. 03:21 Vonda, minister to us. 03:38 You turn the key 03:41 then close the door behind you. 03:45 Drop your bag on the floor. 03:52 You reach for the light 03:55 but there's darkness deep inside 03:59 and you can't take it anymore. 04:06 'Cause sometimes living takes the life out of you 04:14 and sometimes living is all you can do. 04:22 Life is hard, 04:26 the world is cold 04:29 We're barely young 04:32 and then we're old. 04:36 But every falling tear 04:39 is always understood 04:43 Life is hard... 04:49 but God is good! 05:01 You start to cry 05:04 'cause you've been strong for so long 05:08 but that's not how you feel. 05:15 You try to pray 05:18 but there's nothing left to say 05:22 so you just quietly kneel. 05:29 And in the silence of all that you face 05:36 God will give you 05:39 His mercy and grace 05:45 Jesus never said it was an easy road to travel... 05:52 He only said you would never be alone. 05:59 So when your last thread of hope 06:02 begins to come unraveled 06:06 Don't give up, He'll walk beside you 06:10 on this journey home. 06:16 And He knows life is hard, 06:23 the world is cold 06:27 We're barely young 06:29 and then we're old 06:34 But every falling tear is always understood 06:40 Life is hard... 06:47 yes, life is hard 06:53 but God is good! 07:20 Amen? Amen! 07:23 Wasn't that a wonderful song? 07:25 Life IS hard, but God is good. 07:29 Thank you, Vonda, for that wonderful song. 07:31 It sets the stage perfectly for the message entitled 07:34 I Believe God. Let's bow our heads together. 07:40 Loving Father in heaven, we thank You for the opportunity 07:43 that in the midst of the storms of our lives 07:48 that God is the constant. 07:50 He is good all the time. 07:53 We pray now that You will take our minds and direct them 07:57 by the presence and power of Your Holy Spirit. 08:01 In Jesus' name I pray, Amen. 08:05 I know you have your Bibles. 08:07 Therefore, open with me to the book of Acts chapter 27. 08:12 One of my favorite stories in the Bible... 08:14 You know, one of the difficulties in reading about 08:16 the apostle Paul and particularly in this story 08:20 is trying to come up with a title 08:22 because this particular story has so many applications 08:28 that when you think of how to apply these to our lives 08:32 you've got to come with a single title. 08:35 And so the Lord impressed me to choose verse 25 08:38 as the central focus of the message today: 08:41 I Believe God. 08:44 Acts chapter 27 and verse 25. 08:51 And I'm reading the New King James version. 08:54 The Bible says: "Therefore take heart... 08:58 Take heart, men, for I believe... " 09:02 Let's read that together: "for I believe God 09:07 that it will be just as it was told me. " 09:12 You know, the initial attack on humanity was 09:15 the fact that Eve did not believe God 09:18 just the way it was told her. 09:20 And ever since the entrance of sin 09:22 the challenge has always been 09:24 when men have not taken God's Word just as it was told them. 09:30 And the apostle Paul outlines a number of parameters 09:35 that will cause our lives to be strengthened, to be safe, 09:39 as we prepare for the final leg in our Christian destination. 09:44 But we've arrived at a time where sharing your convictions 09:46 about Jesus can get you in trouble. 09:49 We're living in a new climate where you cannot share about 09:52 Jesus as freely as we used to be able to. 09:55 When I was raised in New York City, I went to public 09:57 high school. And on the top floor in my public high school 10:01 there was a brass copy of the Ten Commandments 10:04 on the top floor of our school. 10:06 In a public school! 10:08 And I believe one of the reasons our world is in the condition 10:11 that it is in is God is being legislated out of society. 10:15 Can you say amen to that? Amen! 10:17 You cannot have peace when you kick out the Prince of Peace. 10:20 You cannot have morals when you get rid of the moral law. 10:24 And our world is a world where sharing your convictions 10:27 about Jesus can get you in trouble. 10:29 That is not only true today. That was also true 10:32 at the birth of the New Testament church. 10:35 All of the church fathers when the church was being formed 10:39 went under the same challen- ges of sharing their faith 10:43 in a society that was not ready to accept Jesus. 10:48 It's becoming less and less favorable to share your 10:51 convictions about Jesus. 10:53 You've got to be careful about where and under what set 10:56 of circumstances you tell people about Jesus 10:59 because before you know it... Like recently there was a story 11:02 about a little boy that read the Bible verses his mother 11:05 gave to him. She put them in his lunch basket 11:08 and on his lunch hour he read the Bible verses 11:11 that his mother gave to him during his lunch hour. 11:14 And before you know it the police showed up at his door. 11:18 In America: 11:20 the land of the free. 11:22 Really? 11:25 The apostle Paul was a man that did not disrespect 11:28 the government of heaven. 11:30 He respected the government of heaven above the government 11:33 of earth. When it comes down to choosing 11:35 on whose side we stand we must always choose 11:39 the government of God over the government of man. 11:43 The apostles were not confused about their stand. 11:46 When they chose on whose side to show honor 11:50 they always chose to stand on God's side. 11:53 The apostle Peter wrote these words in Acts 5 and verse 29. 11:57 He said: "But Peter and the apostles said 12:00 we ought to obey God rather than... rather than man. " 12:06 Now I'm not preaching anarchy; I'm not talking about 12:09 overthrowing the government. 12:11 But when it comes to the place where we are getting soon 12:14 where we have to choose God's Word over man's word, 12:17 God's laws over man's laws, 12:20 we've got to make up our minds NOW 12:22 that when that time does come 12:24 we will stand on the side of God. 12:26 The apostle Paul shared the same convictions 12:29 as the early church fathers 12:31 but he also shared the same trouble 12:33 as the early church fathers. 12:35 And all of his troubles were based on the fact 12:38 that he always took his stand on the side of Jesus. 12:43 Look at Acts chapter 24 and verse 1. 12:45 This story actually is built... it's foundation is 12:49 built many chapters before Acts chapter 27. 12:52 And so as we walk through the story together 12:54 you will begin to see that the apostle Paul 12:57 was not a man that was unfamiliar with trouble. 13:01 That's why he said "all that desire to live godly 13:04 in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. " 13:08 And our society is getting just like it was in those days. 13:12 Being maligned was the fabric of Paul's life. 13:14 Look at Acts chapter 24 and verse 1. 13:18 The Bible says: "Now after five days 13:22 Ananias the high priest came down with the elders 13:26 and a certain orator... " And a certain orator: 13:29 that's a guy who can talk very well... 13:32 "named Tertullus. 13:34 These gave evidence to the governor against Paul. " 13:40 You know, when Paul stood to preach about Jesus 13:43 he did not care about the common vernacular of society. 13:47 He was in a generation that was establishing 13:50 the pattern that the last-day church ought to learn from. 13:54 You see, if you wait for God to be familiar, 13:57 if you wait for God to be popular, 13:59 you'll never tell about Jesus at all. 14:01 You've got to stand for the Lord in spite of the fact that 14:04 society doesn't consider God to be the popular One 14:06 in our last days. He will never be popular 14:09 in a secular world. 14:11 And Paul the apostle took his stand boldly. 14:14 He was always remanded into custody for the convictions 14:17 that he had. He became a "convict" 14:20 because of his convictions. 14:23 But he always stood on the side of God. 14:25 And Paul's words were expressed in his sentiments 14:29 found in Hebrews chapter 13 and verse 6. 14:31 Notice what he said. 14:33 He says in Hebrews 13:6 14:35 "So we may boldly say the Lord is my helper: 14:40 I will not fear. What can man do to me? " 14:43 What do you say? When God is on your side 14:45 man can't do anything. 14:47 But men will try 14:48 in every attempt to quiet those who stand for God. 14:51 Paul's hands and his feet were bound by chains 14:55 but they could never bind Paul's mouth. 15:01 Isn't that wonderful? 15:02 His feet and hands were always bound, 15:04 but they could never shut him up. 15:07 And the Jews wanted Paul dead at any cost. 15:10 And so they suggested an ambush. 15:12 Go to Acts chapter 25. They suggested: 15:16 "Let's go ahead and ambush him. " 15:18 I'm cutting the story down 15:19 so that we can get the high points of the story. 15:22 He stood before men that didn't like to hear what he had to say 15:25 but he said it anyhow. 15:27 Acts chapter 25 verses 2 and 3. Notice 15:29 what the high priest suggested: 15:33 "Then the high priest and the chief men of the Jews 15:37 informed him against Paul 15:40 and they petitioned him - that is, Festus - 15:43 asking a favor against him 15:46 that he would summon him to Jerusalem 15:49 while they lay in ambush along the road to kill him. " 15:53 They said: "Send Paul to Jerusalem so he can appeal his 15:56 case there, and while he is on his way 15:58 we'll kill him on the way. " 16:00 But I'm so glad to know... You know, I believe that 16:03 not until we get to heaven - hear me carefully - 16:05 not until we get to heaven will we see the many ways 16:08 that God has shielded our lives. 16:12 The way that God has delivered us. 16:14 I firmly believe that my life would have been taken 16:17 a long time ago had God not been the One protecting us 16:21 and guiding us everywhere that we have gone. 16:25 I remember years ago when I was on my way to... 16:28 I was living in Weaverville, California, 16:30 and I was on my way to Redding, California, 16:32 to do worship for the academy there. 16:35 It was an early morning and I had my Forerunner. 16:38 I was driving from our mountain home that was 2,500 feet in 16:42 the mountains. And it was foggy on the road - 16:45 the two-lane highway - 16:47 and I was behind a L-O-N-G logging truck, 16:50 double long logging truck. 16:52 And I decided: "If I'm going to get to that school on time 16:56 or in a hurry, I need to pass this logging truck. " 17:00 So I was on my way passing the logging truck 17:04 and as I was half way in the middle of the truck 17:07 another truck came out of the fog right toward me. 17:10 To my left was the Trinity River 17:13 about 1,500 feet down. 17:15 There was no way to pull off the road... 17:17 just a gravel patch. And I closed my eyes 17:21 and I asked: "Lord, is this it? " 17:23 And I believe to this very day the angels of God 17:26 grabbed that steering wheel 17:28 and guided my vehicle to the only place it could have gone 17:31 and that was down a narrow path that was barely wide enough 17:35 for a vehicle. My vehicle went airborne 17:38 over the tops of trees... cutting them off. 17:41 And when I came to a halt I came to a halt 17:43 just inches from the edge where I could have gone over 17:46 into the river. But God was there with me. What do you say? 17:49 Amen. God allowed me to put that vehicle in four-wheel drive 17:52 and I drove up the hill backwards 17:56 without ever slipping once. Did I do that? Or did God do that? 18:00 I believe that not until we get to heaven 18:02 will we know how many times God has shielded us 18:05 because we dedicate our lives to telling the truth about Jesus. 18:10 Look at verse 9 of Acts chapter 25. 18:13 There are people that have ill intent 18:14 toward those who tell the truth in the behalf of heaven. 18:19 The Bible says: "But Festus, wanting to do the Jews a favor, 18:23 answered Paul and said: 18:26 'Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and there be 18:30 judged before me concerning these things? ' " 18:32 What Paul didn't know 18:35 was that Festus wanted Paul to go to Jerusalem 18:39 so that on the way the Jews could kill him. 18:42 Paul didn't know that but God knew! Amen somebody? 18:46 God orders the steps of those who stand for the right! 18:51 And so Paul decided: "I'm not going to go to Jerusalem. " 18:54 You see, he knew that to be in Jerusalem 18:56 or in any of the vicinities of the Jews 18:59 was a threat on his existence. 19:01 And so he did the wise thing. Look at verse 12... 19:03 he did the wise thing. 19:05 He said: "You have appealed to Caesar, 19:09 to Caesar you shall go. " 19:11 Paul decided "my only safety was to get out of the region 19:16 of Jerusalem at any cost. " 19:19 And he knew that as a Roman citizen he could 19:23 put his life in the hand and let Caesar decide his fate. 19:26 Just get out of Jerusalem at any cost. 19:28 Make sure that you leave the city alive. 19:31 To leave town in bondage is better than leaving 19:36 town in a box. 19:39 So Paul decided to appeal to Caesar. 19:43 Look at verse 28 of chapter 26. 19:47 Paul had one more meeting. He was called before a man 19:52 by the name of Agrippa. 19:54 You heard his story before. 19:56 You see, all the Jewish leaders - all of the government 19:59 council - decided that they were going to examine Paul 20:02 one at a time to find out what there was about him 20:05 that kept him preaching with such conviction about Jesus. 20:09 And when Paul stood before Agrippa - when you read the 20:12 story there in Acts chapter 26- 20:13 when Paul stood before Agrippa he preached with such conviction 20:18 Agrippa said these words in verse 28: 20:22 "Then Agrippa said to Paul... " 20:23 What did he say? Together... 20:25 "You almost persuaded me to become a Christian. " 20:30 To be almost persuaded is to be entirely lost. 20:36 To almost accept the truth is to totally accept a lie. 20:40 To almost accept the light 20:42 is to totally remain in darkness. 20:44 To almost receive Jesus is to totally reject Him. 20:48 To almost be saved is to be altogether lost. 20:53 In I Peter chapter 4 and verse 18 Peter says these words: 20:57 "Now if the righteous one is scarcely saved 21:00 where will the ungodly and the sinner appear? " 21:04 You know what, friends? I'm glad that the righteous 21:07 will scarcely be saved. What do you say? 21:10 You didn't get that. 21:11 I didn't say saved. 21:14 We'll only be saved by the grace of God. What do you say? 21:17 Not by our deeds... not by our works. 21:19 "For by grace are we saved through faith, and that not of 21:23 ourselves... " It is the what? "the gift of God, 21:26 not of works lest any man should boast. " 21:28 So all the good that we do 21:30 we can only be saved by the grace of God. 21:33 But Agrippa stood there and said: "Paul, you almost 21:35 persuaded me to be a Christian. " 21:39 Then Agrippa said in verse 32 of Acts chapter 26... 21:43 he said to him: 21:46 "This man might have been set free 21:50 if he had not appealed to Caesar. " 21:52 He might have been set free 21:54 if he had not appealed to Caesar. 21:57 Paul was bound but very much free; 22:01 his accusers were free but very much bound. 22:05 Sometimes being in chains... you can be more free in chains 22:09 than those who are not in chains. 22:11 And so Paul decided to take his chances 22:14 being in chains and he decided at whatever cost 22:18 to bring his case before Caesar. 22:21 Now the sermon begins. 22:22 I just laid the foundation... now the sermon begins. 22:26 Acts chapter 27 verse 1. 22:33 "And when it was decided that we should sail to Italy 22:37 they delivered Paul and some other prisoners 22:42 to one named Julius, 22:43 a centurion of the Augustan regiment. " 22:47 Paul decided to get on board with all the other prisoners. 22:52 And Paul was the preacher in chains. 22:55 You know, sometimes as preachers 22:57 we feel like our hands are bound... that we are in chains. 23:00 After pastoring as many churches as I have 23:03 and after becoming familiar with many of my members 23:06 and after encouraging our people from week to week 23:09 to come to prayer meeting sometimes I feel like my hands 23:11 are in chains. Because you can encourage people all you want 23:14 but unless we find the personal need in our own lives 23:19 to present ourselves before the Lord 23:21 nobody can set us free from our habits 23:24 except Jesus Himself. 23:27 So Paul got on board, and in the book Acts of the Apostles 23:31 we read on page 439 the conditions under which Paul 23:35 entered the ship. 23:36 Ellen White says: "In the first century of the Christian era 23:39 traveling by sea was attended with peculiar hardship 23:44 and peril. Mariners directed their course largely by the 23:48 position of the sun and stars. " They didn't have GPS. 23:51 They didn't have what we have today. 23:54 "And when these did not appear... " In other words, 23:58 when they could not see the sun or the moon or the stars... 24:01 "and there were indications of storms 24:05 the owners of the vessels were fearful of venturing into 24:09 the open sea. During a portion of the year 24:12 safe navigation was almost impossible. " 24:15 So when they decided now to undertake this journey 24:18 to go to Rome, it was at the edge of the season. 24:21 The most favorable time of the year was the time of Pentecost. 24:25 What time did I say? 24:26 Pentecost. That's when most people attended the services. 24:29 They came because it was the most beautiful weather 24:31 of the year. But when Pentecost was past 24:33 the weather began to change. 24:36 And Paul stayed in Jerusalem long enough 24:38 to get on board. And when the journey began 24:41 he was on a small vessel. But when the winds began to change 24:45 they put Paul on a larger vessel. 24:48 Look at Acts chapter 27 and verse 4. 24:51 This freedom journey. 24:55 The Bible says: "When we had put to sea 25:01 from there we sailed under the shelter of Cyprus 25:05 because the winds were... " What? "contrary. " 25:09 As Christians we are all involved in a journey 25:12 of freedom. But God never said that we would not 25:16 contend with contrary winds. 25:18 We are living in a generation where the winds are becoming 25:21 more and more contrary. That's why when I look at... 25:24 I said to the Lord I wouldn't mention this, but I have to... 25:28 I think this is the portion of the sermon where we have to 25:30 pray: "Lord, deliver us from evil. " 25:32 When we talk about the elections "deliver us from evil. " 25:38 I said I wouldn't say anything but I've got to say something. 25:42 "Lord, whoever's in the White House next 25:45 please don't ever get off Your throne. " 25:50 We don't have a whole lot of choices. 25:54 That's why I am so glad that God is still in charge 25:57 of how things are going to turn out. 25:59 "Lord, when I turn the news on I don't know what to say! " 26:04 I'm praying that the next person will be an adult 26:12 'cause you know whatever promises they make 26:14 they're not going to keep. 26:15 And why do we get drawn into that? 26:18 From one election to the other, every four years 26:20 we get drawn into standing behind somebody. 26:24 We think that's the guy... or in this case that's the woman. 26:27 Brothers and sisters, it ain't a man on earth 26:29 or a woman on earth... it's God in heaven that's 26:32 in charge of the direction of this church. 26:35 Get all bent out of shape. 26:37 That's why just earlier this week I said 26:39 "You know, the disciples - when they listened to the words 26:41 of Jesus - Jesus said: 'My kingdom is not 26:44 of this world. If My kingdom were of this world 26:48 My disciples would fight. ' " 26:50 We should never be fighting amongst ourselves 26:52 about political issues. Come on, somebody say amen. 26:55 We should be so on fire for the issues of the kingdom 26:58 that we are tuned in to being unified for one purpose 27:02 alone... and that's leading people to Jesus. 27:05 All this political quagmire. 27:07 Now we've got a Green Party and a Libertarian Party. 27:11 I'm so glad there's only one party that I want to be in: 27:14 that's the saved party! 27:16 There was Paul, dealing with the contrary winds. 27:19 And when you look at the history of the Christian church 27:22 I like to call this part of the sermon the contrary winds. 27:25 I always like to do research to find out what kind of 27:28 environment it was in Paul's day. 27:30 What made Paul such a target in his society 27:34 like we are becoming targets in our society? 27:38 I was just in London in a society where 27:42 the Christian church is shrinking. 27:44 Just about 10 years ago Christians were in the 39%... 27:48 now they're in the 26th percent. 27:50 And all non-Christian religions are booming, doubling in size... 27:54 quadrupling in some cases. 27:56 Secularism is on the rampant rise. 27:59 And witches... 80,000 registered witches. 28:02 Only 30,000 pastors registered. 28:05 All that against the rise of the Christian church. 28:08 And in America where we said that we are a Christian nation 28:11 we have more to fear from our own country... 28:16 But I want to say God is still in charge. 28:19 Can you say amen? Amen! 28:21 I always say to my brethren and my church members 28:25 there are certain things that the government could never 28:27 get me to do, 28:36 and that is to perform a same-sex marriage. 28:40 I'll leave it right there. 28:42 A whole lot of other things will be imposed upon the 28:45 Christian church, but God is our ever-present help 28:49 in time of need. In the early church religion was mystical. 28:54 It was based on philosophy, science and Eastern mysticism. 28:58 That was the atmosphere of Paul. 29:01 That was the atmosphere of Peter and the apostles. 29:03 They were preaching... Can you imagine going back to 29:06 a time where the church is just beginning to get started. 29:08 And the first churches opened up in the midst of a mystical 29:12 generation... a generation filled with philosophy and 29:15 science and Eastern mysticism... 29:17 and Rome was at the head of it all! 29:20 Historians say Rome offered the world a pseudo style 29:25 of religion. The historians called this artificial religion 29:30 and here are the reasons why: 29:31 they said Rome offered peace apart from Jesus. 29:35 Rome offered politically-driven society. 29:39 Rome had a church/state society before they even adopted 29:43 the Catholic church. 29:45 Rome offered the good life without conversion. 29:47 Rome merged religions that had very little in common 29:52 and that's happening today in our society. 29:55 Evangelicals and Catholics getting together. 29:57 They have so little in common, but the push is 30:00 let's find ways to control our government. 30:03 The only government that we should be controlling... 30:06 Let me just repeat that: the only government that 30:08 we should be concerned about is the government of God. 30:11 Rome created a false eschatology... 30:15 distorted prophecies. And Rome also established 30:18 a man-centered religion. Historians say that the Roman 30:22 leaders believed themselves to be the sons of God. 30:26 Look at Matthew chapter 24 verses 4 and 5. 30:29 That's why Matthew wrote these words. 30:32 I used to think that these had just application to the end 30:35 but I've discovered that many of what the gospel writers wrote 30:38 has a dual application. 30:40 The reason why they saw the end 30:42 is the began to repeat the very things happening in their day. 30:46 Look at Matthew chapter 24 verses 4 and 5. 30:48 Notice what they said about the world of their day. 30:57 "And Jesus answered and said to them... " What did He say? 31:00 "take heed that... " What? "no one deceives you. " 31:04 They tried to deceive through a man-centered form of religion 31:09 through a philosophical, science, Eastern mysticism 31:13 based form of religion. So when Jesus talked about deception 31:17 he was not talking about 2016 or 2017. 31:20 My wife always tells me: "Don't date the sermon... " 31:22 so forget the date. 31:24 He was not talking about the end time. He was talking about 31:27 what was happening in their day will happen also in OUR day. 31:31 There were earthquakes then. There will be earthquakes when? 31:35 Now! There were wars and rumors of wars when? 31:37 Then! When will there be wars and rumors of wars? 31:40 Today. There was something else that was amazing about that 31:44 generation. That was the generation... 31:47 I don't want to jump ahead of myself, but that was the 31:49 generation the kind of mysticism that Rome offered 31:52 was the kind of worship where they worshiped, this is amazing, 31:57 where they worshiped some strange gods. 31:59 And they mentioned two of the gods. 32:02 One god named Mythra 32:04 and one named Isis. 32:09 Is that amazing or what? 32:12 Isis affected the generation in their day 32:15 and ISIS is affecting the generation in our day. 32:18 Quite a different ISIS 32:20 because the one today is an acronym. 32:21 But I thought how strange it was, under a Roman-dominated 32:26 government, Rome offered 32:32 Eastern mystical worship with those gods becoming 32:36 the central focus. Look at Matthew 24:9-10. 32:40 Another context of their day is existing in our day. 32:47 Opposition to the rise of the Roman religion was met with 32:49 betrayal. Notice the words of Jesus. 32:51 Matthew 24:9-10. The Bible says: 32:55 "Then they will deliver you up to... " What? 32:59 "tribulation... " And what else? "and kill you and you will be 33:03 hated by all nations for My name's sake. 33:07 And then many will be offended and will betray one another 33:12 and will hate one another. " 33:14 In their day, wherever the church was rising up... 33:19 wherever the Christian church was being formed... 33:21 there were those that were a part of the mystical worship 33:25 of that generation, and they would report each other. 33:27 You should read the stories. They would report each other. 33:30 A mother would turn on a father. 33:33 A daughter would turn on the mother. 33:36 All kinds of in-family fighting because if one decided to 33:40 impose his or her beliefs on the other 33:43 they reported it to the government. 33:45 That's what's happening today. 33:49 In some parts of our world you can't talk about Jesus 33:54 and it's becoming that way in our own society. 33:58 In public places you cannot talk... and if you think about 34:01 this, this was not something that just happened. 34:03 This was something that was taking place a long time ago. 34:06 Some of you are old enough when the issue of prayer in schools 34:09 came up. Do you remember that? 34:10 Couldn't pray in schools. 34:12 I always say you don't have to worry about prayer in schools. 34:15 Just give the kids a test... they'll pray! 34:19 Give them homework... they'll pray! 34:21 Don't have to impose that on anybody. 34:24 I've discovered that in airplanes there are no atheists 34:27 in airplanes... especially in turbulence. 34:30 When things go bad, people all of a sudden find God 34:33 somehow... somewhere. 34:35 Today the Christian church is under the same attack. 34:37 Non-Christian cults are growing with such rapidity 34:41 that the Christian faith is being challenged even in 34:44 America. Look at some of the ways. 34:47 Worship of false gods are happening in our day. 34:50 Now you know, people are not bowing down to idols, 34:52 but let me suggest some of the idols that are being worshiped 34:55 today. It's hard to come to church today and turn off 34:58 the world. You know what kind of gods come to church today? 35:02 The "i-god" and the "android god. " 35:13 Now I'm not supposed to have so much silence on the radio. 35:15 Don't change the channel. 35:17 But you know, some people come to church and they can't even 35:19 hear the sermon because the "i-god" and the android god 35:23 are stealing the attention of the worshipers 35:26 who spend more time looking at their devices 35:29 than listening to the Word of God. 35:33 No wonder they call them smart phones. 35:36 Smarter than the people that use them! 35:40 And on the other note, we're more concerned about 35:42 the release of the next device than the return of Jesus! 35:45 Have you noticed that? "When is it coming out? " 35:48 Instead of "When is He coming back? " 35:50 it's "When is it coming out? " 35:52 Have you noticed that? "Does anybody know the date? " 35:54 And I go on the Internet and you see: "What's the rumors? " 35:57 When will the next iPad come out? 35:58 When will the next iMac come out? 36:00 When will the next release come out? 36:01 Everybody's concerned about that. "We've heard 36:03 that it's not going to be too long from now. " 36:05 That's what they do. I'm a computer geek, 36:06 I can talk like this. 36:08 I sometimes get drawn in but at the same time 36:11 I am concerned about when Jesus is coming again, 36:14 what about you? Then there's the social media. 36:19 Don't know why they call it social media 36:22 'cause "social media" has been the number one reason why people 36:28 don't talk to each other normally any more. 36:33 Social media? There are certain things you don't need 36:38 to put on the Internet. 36:43 Hallelujah! 36:47 "I'm going to the bathroom, I'll be right back. " 36:49 Who? Who cares about? 36:52 "I just bought a new phone. " Who? 36:58 We ought to use the Internet to share Jesus. 37:01 There ought to be an Adventist movement that any Adventist 37:03 website you go to there's a Bible study that can be had. 37:06 The Lord pricked my heart last week, and I got an e-mail 37:09 from somebody who was struggling with the idea of 37:12 life after death. And I decided: "You know what? 37:14 I'm going to go to the Amazing Facts website, 37:17 copy their study on what happens when you die, 37:20 and paste it on Facebook 37:24 and then go copy the other link about what the Sabbath is, 37:27 paste it on Facebook. " Come on, amen somebody. 37:30 So I'm doing it. There are links all over the Internet that 37:32 you can turn your Facebook... You may not preach a sermon 37:35 but turn your Facebook page into a breathing Bible study 37:39 page. People come to your page they'll learn the truth! 37:44 I've got family members that think my relatives have died 37:47 and gone to heaven. When I see some of my family 37:50 members: "Well, they're lookin' down on you now. " 37:52 My wife said: "Don't say anything. " I said: "Honey, 37:54 I've gotta say something... that's my family. " 37:56 "They might get upset with you. " I said: "I don't care! " 37:59 Get upset with me now, but I'm going to tell you the truth. 38:01 What do you say? So I said: "No, they ain't 38:04 in heaven now... they are sleeping. 38:06 That's a demon in your house. " 38:09 Tell it like it is when you can! 38:13 'Cause one day they're going to have to face The Book. 38:17 We are so caught up in life, liberty, and the pursuit of 38:20 happiness that it's replaced love, 38:24 witnessing, and the pursuit of godliness. 38:26 America: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. 38:31 You can go into New York 38:34 and find a stick and a can 38:38 and start beating on the ground, 38:41 spray paint yourself five different colors, 38:44 and everybody will follow you 38:46 and a crowd will gather around you. 38:48 But you talk about Jesus and they'll think you lost 38:51 your mind. That's the kind of world we live in! 38:54 You say: "Jesus is coming again! " 38:56 "Ah, he's lost his mind! " Now I know how Noah felt 38:59 in his day! That's OK. 39:02 It's all right to be weird because we are not citizens 39:07 of this world anyhow. 39:09 Paul the apostle - this very same Paul - talked about the 39:13 conditions of the last days. Go to that familiar place: 39:15 II Timothy 3:1-7. 39:17 Notice what he said: contrary winds... 39:20 we are living in contrary winds. 39:22 These winds are going to pick up fairly soon. 39:25 He says: "This know also... " 39:28 He talked about conditions that existed in HIS day 39:31 that will be duplicated in our day. 39:35 He said: "This know also that in the last days... " 39:38 What kind of times? 39:39 "perilous times shall come. 39:41 For men shall be lovers of their own selves... " 39:45 No... no explanation needed... 39:49 "covetous, boasters, proud, 39:52 blasphemers, disobedient to parents... " 39:55 I'm not going to pause there... 39:57 "unthankful, unholy... " Some people just 40:01 never say thank you no matter how much you do for them. 40:04 "without natural affection, truce breakers... " 40:07 Can't keep a promise... 40:09 "false accusers, incontinent, 40:12 fierce, despisers of those that are good... " 40:16 That is the strangest thing I've ever heard: 40:18 people that hate people that are good. 40:21 "traitors, heady, high-minded... " 40:25 Some people get a degree and they know more than God. 40:29 "lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God, 40:33 having a... " What? "form of godliness 40:37 but denying the power thereof. " 40:38 And the Bible says: "from such... " Do what? 40:41 "don't even associate. " 40:44 But the journey of Paul went from contrary winds 40:47 to a full-strength storm. 40:50 That's exactly what's going to happen in these last days. 40:53 All these little things that we see 40:55 one day are going to change suddenly. 40:57 All the things that seem to be an irritation right now 40:59 will one day all of a sudden God is going to less loose the 41:02 winds that He's holding back, and everything that 41:05 seemed to be just an irritation 41:07 is going to turn into a full-blown storm. 41:10 Look at Acts chapter 27 verses 14 and 15. 41:15 Let's now talk about some of the full-blown storm issues. 41:18 We talked about some of the... 41:22 some of the contrary winds. 41:24 Let's talk about some of the full-blown issues. 41:27 Acts 27:14-15. 41:30 Look at how the Bible out- lines the storm that's coming. 41:35 The apostle Paul says, or Dr. Luke writes: 41:37 "But not long after a tempestuous headwind arose 41:41 called Euroclydon 41:44 so when the ship was caught we could not head into the wind 41:47 and we let her drive. " Now a couple of things 41:50 that I want to bring out very quickly here 41:51 is whenever a storm gets a name it is no longer just a storm. 41:57 It's a hurricane; it's a typhoon! 41:59 It's a storm that you cannot contend with. 42:01 It is now at the point where you cannot control it. 42:03 That's why the Bible says: "we could not head into the wind... 42:07 we let her drive. " 42:10 Now I was amazed by that because as a preacher 42:12 sometimes as preachers we think we're in control of something. 42:15 But God is going to get the church to the place where we 42:17 have to let it drive. Come on, somebody. 42:19 When we have to put the destiny of the church back into 42:23 the hand of God. 42:26 But we are now faced with Euroclydon-type storms 42:29 in these last days. Let's talk about some of the 42:31 Euroclydon issues. Are you ready for it? 42:33 The Euroclydon issues that are all around us. 42:38 We have feminism and gay rights on one side 42:42 and same-sex marriage being pushed on the other. 42:45 No comment necessary. 42:47 We have Christians losing rights on one side 42:51 and non-Christians gaining rights on the other side... 42:54 in America. 42:56 The issue of to ordain or not to ordain is still 42:59 an internal issue even in our own church. 43:02 Our own Euroclydons are here. 43:05 You can take the life of a baby 43:07 but you can't talk about baby Jesus. 43:11 You can be arrested for reading your Bible 43:13 on your lunch break in public 43:15 but you can go free after you abort a child. 43:19 Our Euroclydon issues. 43:21 Can I tell the truth today? 43:23 Rome is now favored in America more than ever before. 43:26 ROME is now more favored in AMERICA than ever before! 43:32 The supremacy of the pope is recognized on a global scale. 43:37 Not coincidence but a prediction that has come to pass 43:41 with startling accuracy in our day. 43:45 Evangelicals and Catholics are merging 43:48 on the same political issues. 43:51 Like the church of old, these religions that have little 43:54 in common are uniting for strange, unusual reasons. 44:00 I was looking at the Internet today. 44:02 I try to use the Internet for good reasons. 44:05 Research for my message. 44:06 And I noticed that there... You know the colors in politics? 44:09 They have the blue and the red. 44:10 You know how that does. I don't know which one is the 44:12 donkey and which one is the elephant. 44:14 Well, what are they? Elephants and donkeys? 44:16 I don't know. You can hardly move either one. 44:20 I mean really, honestly... you can't move either one. 44:24 I tried... I saw a donkey once at one of our member's houses 44:27 in California... a little, short donkey. 44:29 I thought: "Oh, cute! I could pull him. " 44:31 Not! 44:32 I grabbed his rope; he almost burned my hand. 44:36 But what I'm talking... I noticed this article about 44:41 evangelicals and Catholics are now saying 44:45 in light of what's happening in the political arena today 44:47 they said they have to "find a NEW path" 44:50 to the White House. 44:54 Think about that for a moment: a new path. 44:56 See, what's happening in America is not new. 44:59 Evangelicals and Catholics have been trying to control 45:02 religion for many decades. Remember the religious right? 45:06 The moral majority? 45:07 How can a majority be moral and reject the moral law? 45:15 That's why today I'm so glad, brethren, that God is 45:18 still in charge of how this thing is going to turn out. 45:22 If you think that it's bad now, though, look at verse 10 45:25 of Acts chapter 27. 45:27 Paul says: "Men, I perceive that this voyage 45:32 will end with disaster and much loss... 45:35 not only of the cargo and ship 45:39 but also our lives. " 45:43 Many are going to be laid to rest before Jesus comes. 45:48 Many are going to be put into positions where they have to 45:51 stand for what they believe. But let me encourage you: 45:53 it's better to die and be laid in the grave temporarily 45:57 than to not stand for Jesus and be lost eternally! 46:02 "Fear not him who is able to destroy the body but not 46:05 able to destroy the soul. Fear him who is able 46:08 to destroy both body and soul in hell. " 46:11 That is... only God can do that. 46:16 So if you have to lose your job at K-Mart to keep the Sabbath... 46:24 Even if you have to lose your executive six-figure job 46:27 in favor of the Sabbath, lose it so that you can gain heaven. 46:31 There's nothing worth down here holding on to 46:34 to lose out on eternity. 46:37 One of my favorite writers, Ellen White, says in 46:40 Selected Messages book 2 page 391 46:43 talking about the journey of the Christian. She says: 46:45 "When you think that the work is in danger 46:48 pray: "Lord, stand at the wheel. 46:52 Carry us through the perplexity; bring us safely into port. " 46:56 And then she says: "Have we not reason to believe 46:59 that the Lord will bring us through triumphantly? " 47:04 Has God taken us this far? 47:06 Can He take us the rest of the way? 47:07 Yes He can! 47:10 There are certain things that God can do, but I'm going to 47:12 suggest as I close the message three things that God won't do 47:17 that we've got to do. 47:19 Acts chapter 27 and verse 19 47:21 Paul suggested these, and they apply in a very real way 47:25 to our lives. God can save us, but there are certain things 47:28 that God has called us to do 47:31 personally if we are to survive the storm. 47:33 Acts 27 verse 19... the Bible says: 47:38 "On the third day... " That is, the 3rd day of this hurricane... 47:42 "we threw the ship's tackle overboard with... " 47:46 And what are the next three words? 47:48 "our own hands. " You know, there are certain things that 47:52 no one can do for you but you. 47:55 You've gotta clean out your own life. 47:57 Come on somebody. 47:59 There are certain things that your brother in church, 48:02 your sister in church, your pastor... 48:04 You can't clean out my life; I can't clean out your life. 48:07 We've got to throw the things that are in our lives 48:10 that don't need to be there... we've got to get rid of them 48:12 with our own hands. 48:15 Paul suggests the only thing that can keep us safe in the 48:18 storm is we have to clean out our lives. What do you say? 48:22 Second thing he suggests in verse 34... 48:28 verse 34: 48:35 You've got to keep in mind the ship is rocking. 48:38 The water is tossing the boat. 48:40 The timber is creaking. 48:42 People are fearful that they will lose their lives 48:45 and here's what Paul says. While he's standing there 48:48 in chains he says: 48:51 "Therefore... " verse 34... "I urge you to take nourishment 48:54 for this is for... " What? "your survival 48:58 since not a hair will fall from the head of any of you. " 49:03 What I need to add is between Paul's perception that 49:06 they would lose their lives and God's intervention... 49:09 See, Paul perceived earlier that they would lose their lives. 49:12 But the Lord visited Paul in a vision by night 49:16 and said: "Nobody's going to lose their life. " 49:18 "We might lose the ship, 49:22 but we're not going to lose our lives. " 49:24 So Paul said: "For you to make it, you've got to nourish 49:27 yourselves spiritually. " Let me tell you something: 49:30 nobody could feed you but you. 49:36 Sabbath morning is not enough to carry you through the week. 49:40 Even Wednesday nights is not enough! 49:43 If you don't eat the Word of God every day, 49:45 you will starve to death in this storm. 49:49 The one thing that all of us must do to make it through 49:52 successfully is we've got to nourish ourselves 49:55 every day. And that is particularly a focus for me 49:59 because I'm so busy. I thank the Lord that my wife is 50:02 not as busy as I am. Now she IS busy... 50:06 but when I'm too busy she "unbusies" herself 50:11 to help her busy husband. Amen, somebody? Amen! 50:14 When I was in London we were there for 19 days 50:17 with our London evangelism series with 3ABN and the 50:21 South England Conference. That chair in my room... 50:26 I'm sure that that chair in my hotel room is glad 50:29 I left London. 50:32 From morning till about 4:30 PM every day I was 50:35 sitting in that one chair all day long working on my sermon, 50:38 working on my slides. Couldn't get outside. 50:41 And even after all the preparation for the sermons 50:45 and the slides and preaching every day 50:47 when I got back to the room my wife said: "Let's read 50:49 together. " And I said: "Honey, I'm tired. " 50:53 She said: "No, you're feeding everybody... you need to 50:55 feed yourself. " You could be a cook in the kitchen 50:58 and die of starvation. 51:06 That was divine... I didn't have it in my notes. 51:11 You could be a good cook and die of starvation. 51:13 Whoo! 51:15 Paul didn't just tell them to eat. Notice what Paul did. 51:17 He set an example. Look at verse 35. 51:19 This preacher in chains set an example. 51:22 As leaders we've got to set an example. 51:24 Our members need to see us feeding on the Word of God 51:27 for them to want to feed on God's Word. 51:30 Paul did this in verse 35: "And when he had said these things" 51:34 here he is... "he took bread and gave thanks to God... " 51:38 and notice where he did it... "in the presence of them all. 51:42 And when he had broken it he began to eat. " 51:46 When you read the story... When they saw Paul 51:48 starting to eat then they began to eat. 51:52 If you're a deacon or deaconess or just a basic church member, 51:56 you can encourage other church members by letting them 52:00 see you study your Bible. 52:03 Instead of wasting time at fellowship lunch by talking 52:05 about stuff that don't mean anything 52:08 wouldn't it be nice if we had socials like they did in 52:10 Ellen White's day? You know what kind of socials they had? 52:13 We call it the same thing, but they didn't have socials 52:16 like we have today. What their socials were 52:18 is after they had their lunch they got together in groups 52:22 and studied the message that was presented that morning 52:25 from the pulpit. That's what they called social. 52:29 Social gatherings. And they said sometimes 52:31 the Holy Spirit will fall down on Sabbath School. 52:34 Or sometimes the Holy Spirit would be more present 52:36 after the sermon was done 52:38 because they got together and they fed themselves. 52:41 They let each other see that what was more important 52:44 to them than just the message they heard 52:47 was the nourishment that they got for themselves personally. 52:52 And finally, you've got to do what Paul says. 52:56 Verse 25 of Acts chapter 27. 53:02 You've got to clean out your life; nourish yourself; 53:05 set an example by letting people see you study God's Word. 53:09 And finally you've got to do what he says in verse 25. 53:11 He said: "Brethren, therefore take heart, 53:15 men, for I believe that it will be... " How? 53:21 "just as it was told me. " 53:27 It is too late to modify God's Word. 53:29 God's Word has survived every attempt of extinction 53:34 and God's Word will carry us through to the coming of Jesus. 53:39 But we cannot modify it or alter it or change it. 53:42 We have to believe God's Word just as it reads. 53:45 When Paul stood there he said: "I believe God's Word. " 53:49 Notice he didn't say: "I believe IN God. " 53:52 He said: "I believe God that it will be 53:55 just as it was told me. " 53:59 And so today I stand with the apostle Paul. 54:02 I could preach a message of peace and safety 54:04 but I believe God that it should be just as it was told me. 54:08 I could tell you that the world's economy will stabilize 54:11 but you know better than that. 54:13 One day there'll be jobs for everybody, but the Bible says 54:16 I believe God that it shall be 54:20 just as it was told me. 54:23 I could preach that the next president will have all 54:25 the answers. Please... let's not go there. 54:30 I believe God that it shall be just as it was told me. 54:35 It would be comforting to preach that one day 54:38 men will have a sudden change of heart and the world will be 54:40 converted, but I say again: 54:42 "I believe God that it will be" How? "just as it was told me. " 54:48 To the skeptics that doubt the return of Jesus 54:51 JESUS IS COMING AGAIN! 54:54 "He that shall come will come and will not tarry. " 54:58 What do you say? One day there'll be no more heartache; 55:00 no more pain; no more suffering; no more death. 55:02 All these things will be forever eradicated 55:06 because we can hold onto the unchanging promises of God 55:10 today. Why? Because I believe God 55:12 that it shall be just as it was told me! 55:15 To the atheist that doubts that God exists 55:18 oh I say to them today: "I believe God 55:20 that it shall be just as it was told me. " 55:24 When we trust God's Word over the word of man 55:27 we can find courage in the midst of darkness. 55:30 Hope... in a world that is falling apart. 55:33 We can find even comfort in the midst of our storm. 55:36 if we allow ourselves to be kept secure by the study 55:41 of God's Word. The study of God's Word has 55:43 kept me through many difficulties... 55:45 has kept my wife and I through many difficulties, 55:47 many challenges because we read God's Word 55:49 and we take God at His word. 55:52 That's why still today in our changing world, 55:55 in a challenging church, 55:57 in a compromising society I still believe God 56:02 that it shall be just as it was told me. 56:04 And finally to the Christian that thinks that Jesus 56:07 has forgotten us, I am so glad that Jesus 56:09 has not forgotten us. What do you say? 56:11 He's coming again! 56:12 He's going to come to take us to our home 56:14 that He's preparing even now. 56:16 And every now and then I imagine what that home is going to be. 56:19 I see myself sitting at the welcome table. 56:21 I see myself walking the golden streets of the New Jerusalem. 56:24 I see myself moving in! 56:27 And by the way, when I'm moving I'm not taking anything from 56:29 earth to heaven. 56:33 That's why my wife and I sat down the other day; 56:35 we talked about the cycles of life. 56:38 When you're young, you want to buy everything 56:40 and own everything and gather everything 56:43 and compile everything and store everything. 56:45 But she said: "There comes a point where you've got to start 56:47 unloading everything 'cause you can't take it with you. " 56:50 Amen somebody. Amen! And she said to me: 56:52 "We've got a whole lot of unloading to do! " 56:56 We'll tell you when so our junk can become your treasure. 57:03 Believe me, brother, today the only hope is to believe 57:06 God that it shall be just as it was told me. 57:10 So the question I end with is why am I going to keep 57:13 holding on? Why am I going to keep trusting God 57:15 in His Word? The answer is simple: 57:18 I believe God that it shall be 57:21 just as it was told me. Let us pray. 57:25 Loving Father in heaven, continue blessing our hearts 57:28 and our minds. May we be faithful 57:30 to trust Your Word. |
Revised 2024-10-08