Participants: Kameron DeVasher
Series Code: AOT
Program Code: AOT000070
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00:22 Hello and welcome once again to the 3ABN Worship Center.
00:28 The Thompsonville Seventh-day Adventist church. 00:30 We come now to our fifth and final presentation in this 00:34 wonderful series entitled The Greater Controversy. 00:38 And tonight's... this evening's message will be - 00:41 I've got to get this right - Respectable Conventionality. 00:45 You know it occurs to me that this week we have gone 00:47 as it were to a spiritual health club 00:50 and over and over we have heard the word "fitness... " 00:53 being fit for heaven. So Pastor DeVasher has been 00:56 as it were our personal instructor to help us get fit 01:01 for heaven. And I was thinking... 01:04 several years ago I was working on a sermon 01:07 called The Land of No Regrets which was another name that I 01:10 use for heaven. And we always say, you know, "all good things 01:14 must end. " But I'm so glad that one day in glory 01:18 all good things will never end. There will be no parting; 01:21 no saying good byes; no saying of so longs. 01:24 That's one of the things I think I look for in the kingdom. 01:26 That those good things will never end. 01:29 The preaching of the Word will never end. 01:32 The being with Jesus will never end. 01:33 The joy will never end; the fellowship will never end; 01:36 the friendship will never end. 01:38 There won't be any end. It'll just go on and on and on and on 01:43 throughout the ceaseless ages of eternity. 01:46 And certainly we want to be fit and ready for that day. 01:51 And it is soon and very soon to come. 01:53 And so this afternoon we have Pastor DeVasher 01:57 with us again. We were just talking with him back stage. 01:59 He is a wonderful person. 02:00 You know you like people who are steeped in the Word; 02:03 who are spiritual people but who are real people 02:05 if you know what I mean. And he's a real guy. 02:07 Just a wonderful, wonderful person. 02:10 It has been a blessing to get to know him 02:12 and to listen to him preach these four sermons 02:15 and again this afternoon. 02:17 Our special music this afternoon will come from our own 02:20 Jill Morikone. She'll be praying - playing rather - 02:23 a piece from her project: Great Is Thy Faithfulness. 02:27 A standard hymn of the church that we'll hear in just 02:31 a moment. But before she plays and Pastor DeVasher comes 02:34 to speak to us, would you now bow your heads with me 02:36 in a word of prayer? 02:38 Gracious Father, again we sit before You 02:41 as empty vessels needing to be filled. 02:45 As those who hunger and thirst for righteousness 02:50 we ask this day, Lord, that once again 02:54 You would be pleased to feed us from Your table. 02:59 That You would give us of the good things of the Lord. 03:01 That You would touch our hearts and touch our ears 03:04 and touch our minds as we sit before You. 03:07 We ask that You would use Your servant in a marked and special 03:11 way. That You would give him so that he has to give us. 03:15 So that we hear not the words of man 03:18 but indeed the thoughts, the mind, the words of God. 03:21 Be the honored guest and the teacher this day, 03:26 and we will listen and we will do as You give us strength 03:30 and the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. 03:33 Bless us now once again dear Lord. 03:35 Be with the technical aspects of this program. 03:38 And those who worldwide listen now to the Word of God... 03:42 may they eat until they are full. 03:45 And we thank you in Jesus' name, Amen and Amen. 03:51 Just now: Jill Morikone. 03:53 And then after she shall have played 03:56 our pastor, our friend: Kameron DeVasher. 07:35 Amen. 07:40 Amen and Amen. 07:42 What a beautiful piece of music. Thank you so much. 07:46 Well welcome back to our fifth and final installment 07:49 in The Greater Controversy. 07:51 I know that much of what we've covered could be perceived 07:55 as merely an intellectual pursuit... 07:58 just an interesting academic study and exercise. 08:01 And as much as I enjoy and appreciate and hope that you 08:04 also enjoy and appreciate such messages 08:08 I can't end this series without closing with a message 08:11 that is extremely practical. 08:14 So far we've established that God is casting the devil 08:17 out of existence... not in a single event 08:20 but through a logical and necessary four-step process 08:24 which allows every intelligent being in God's vast created 08:28 universe to make a decision for themselves 08:31 for or against God based on a clear demonstration 08:35 of both the character of Christ and the character of Satan. 08:40 The time in which we are now living 08:43 is the third of those four steps. 08:45 The evidence the universe needs to see 08:47 before Christ redeems fallen sinners from the earth 08:50 is that they will be safe to save. 08:53 Will we accept, they wonder, 08:57 Christ's sacrifice as both pardon and power 09:00 allowing Him to recreate within us the image of God 09:03 and thus not just get us in but to fit us in 09:06 to the society of heaven. 09:08 Will we in this life claim not only Christ's promise 09:12 to prepare a place for us but to prepare us for that place. 09:17 The Christ-like character is the goal to be attained. 09:20 It's the great object of life. 09:22 So it behooves us to study, to examine, 09:26 exactly what that entails. 09:28 But before we being our study today, let's bow our heads 09:30 one more time for a word of prayer. 09:33 Dear heavenly Father, thank you so much 09:36 for all of Your wonderful blessings. 09:38 And now as we come into the final message of our series, 09:42 Lord, we ask one more time that You send Your Holy Spirit 09:45 to soften our hearts and to sharpen our minds 09:47 that we may see the truth of Your Word. 09:50 And not just in theory, Lord, but help us to put it 09:52 into practice through Your power in our lives. 09:55 We pray this in Jesus' name, Amen. 09:59 Again, it's this third step that I want to focus on 10:01 in this final message entitled The Manifold Wisdom of God. 10:05 And it's a phrase taken from Ephesians chapter 3 verse 10. 10:09 We looked at that this morning 10:10 where we read of God's plan that "now the manifold 10:15 wisdom of God might be made known by the church 10:19 to the principalities and powers in the heavenly realm. " 10:25 And think about what a radical idea that is. 10:27 That there is some wisdom of God that He wants to teach 10:31 to other heavenly beings through the vehicle 10:34 of His people on earth. 10:36 Through the church He will teach other heavenly beings 10:39 something about Himself. 10:41 This is the "manifold wisdom of God. " 10:44 If you recall the statement from Sermons and Talks 10:46 volume 2 page 294: 10:48 "Without perfection of character no one can enter 10:51 the pearly gates to the City of God. For if... " 10:54 And here's the reason why: 10:55 "If with all our imperfections we were permitted 10:58 to enter that city, there would soon be in heaven 11:01 a second rebellion. 11:03 We must first be tried and chosen and found faithful 11:06 and true. Upon the purification of our character rests 11:09 our only hope of eternal life. " 11:11 And again, that's not to say that the development of a 11:14 Christ-like character causes you to be saved. 11:16 Only the blood of Jesus saves sinners. 11:18 But, a Christ-like character is the only guarantee 11:23 that we will never choose to rebel again. 11:26 I John chapter 3. 11:29 We're going to be doing another Bible study. 11:31 I John chapter 3 verse 2. 11:35 "Beloved, now we are children of God. 11:39 And it has not yet been revealed what we shall be... " 11:41 Again going back to the original premise that 11:43 the salvation Christ provides is not simply a transaction 11:47 that gets you in but a transformation that fits you in. 11:51 And notice this process language: 11:53 "Beloved, now we are children of God. " 11:55 Present tense. 11:57 "And it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, 12:01 but we know that when He is revealed 12:04 we shall be... " What? "like Him. " 12:07 And the reason we know we will be like Him 12:09 is very simple: "for we shall see Him as He is. " 12:14 So if we expect to live in the sight of a holy God 12:17 it behooves us to prepare for that event. 12:19 And here's how it's done... verse 3: 12:21 "And everyone who has this hope in him 12:23 purifies himself just as He is pure. " 12:29 "Just as He is pure. " 12:30 Notice that the hope of seeing Jesus face to face - 12:34 this is not the threat of seeing Jesus face to face. 12:36 This is the hope - drives you to purification... 12:40 "to purify yourselves as He is pure. " 12:43 Which begs to question: how pure is Christ? 12:47 How is He pure? 12:49 Go to the book of Hebrews. 12:51 Hebrews chapter 7. In fact, the entire book 12:54 of Hebrews... It starts at chapter 7 but the entire book 12:58 of Hebrews is a primer on the relation of Christ to sinners 13:03 and His power through the sacrifice that has been made 13:07 available to all who will place their lives in His hands. 13:12 Tells us who Christ is and what we can be through Christ. 13:15 Hebrews chapter 7 starting verse 25. 13:18 Speaking of Christ: "But He is also able to save to the 13:23 uttermost those who come to God through Him 13:26 since He always lives to make intercession for them. 13:29 For such a High Priest was fitting who is 13:33 holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners 13:38 and has become higher than the heavens. 13:42 Who does not need daily as those high priests who offer up 13:45 sacrifices for his own sins and then for the people. 13:48 For this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. " 13:52 Apparently Christ is our High Priest in the heavenly 13:55 sanctuary. He is holy; He is undefiled; 13:57 He is separate from sinners. He's the sinless Savior that 14:01 we need. Now, let's go back a few chapters to chapter 2. 14:05 The same book - the book of Hebrews - chapter 2 14:08 starting now with verse 16. 14:15 Scripture reads of Jesus: "For He indeed does not give aid 14:18 to angels but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham. " 14:21 And it makes sense. Why does He not give aid to the angels? 14:24 Why is He not interceding for them? 14:26 They don't need it! 14:27 They're already in the society of heaven. They're good. 14:32 "Therefore... " So because He's giving aid to us here... 14:35 "Therefore... " verse 17... "in all things He had to be made 14:38 like His brethren that He might be a merciful and faithful 14:42 High Priest in things pertaining to God 14:44 to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 14:47 For in that He Himself has suffered, 14:52 being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted. " 14:57 So you notice the contrast here? 14:59 He is separate from sinners enough that He's holy and 15:02 undefiled yet He's close enough to know what it's like to suffer 15:05 under temptation and He can give aid when it's needed. 15:08 This is the type of Savior that we have. 15:10 In fact we see this again two chapters to the right. 15:12 Hebrews chapter 4. I love this passage 15:15 starting with verse 14. 15:17 "Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has 15:21 passed through the heavens - Jesus, the Son of God - 15:23 let us hold fast our confession. " 15:26 Here's the reason why in verse 15: 15:28 "For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize 15:31 with our weaknesses but was in all points tempted 15:34 as we are yet... " Here's the big difference: 15:37 "without sin. " 15:40 "Let us therefore... " OK? Notice that he's building 15:43 the argument. Christ has been through everything we've done 15:47 except for sin. And because of that: "Let us therefore 15:52 come boldly to the throne of grace 15:55 that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help 15:59 in time of need. " 16:01 So when you're struggling, when you're suffering, 16:03 when you're tempted, there is power available 16:06 through the blood of Jesus. 16:08 Friends, there is power in the blood! Amen! 16:11 Hebrews chapter 12. 16:13 So the question remains: If we have such a High Priest 16:15 which I believe that we do, and if His offer is not just 16:18 pardon but also power... 16:23 Let's take this back out to the universal realm. 16:25 How does this affect this manifold wisdom of God? 16:28 Hebrews chapter 12 and verse 1. 16:29 "Therefore also, since we are surrounded 16:33 by so great a cloud of witnesses... " 16:38 Again, this is the apostle Paul. 16:40 He always has this idea that we're on display. 16:42 We're a spectacle both to angels and to men. 16:46 We're surrounded by a cloud of witnesses. 16:49 What should we do? "Let us lay aside every weight 16:52 and the sin which so easily ensnares us. " 16:57 We're being watched! 16:58 They're looking for evidence that we're safe to save, 17:01 and we've got a powerful Savior who can make us safe to save. 17:05 So because of that - not in our own strength but in the 17:07 power of Christ - let us put off everything that weights us down. 17:11 Every besetting sin. 17:13 "and let us run with endurance 17:15 the race that is set before us. " 17:17 Not in spurts but that long, steady marathon 17:20 hand in hand with Jesus Christ. 17:22 "Looking unto Jesus... " There's the key. 17:25 "Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, 17:30 who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross 17:33 despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand 17:37 of the throne of God. 17:39 For consider Him who endured such hostility for sinners 17:44 against Himself lest you become weary and discouraged 17:48 in your souls. " He said: "I understand it's going to be 17:51 difficult but through Christ you can do it. 17:54 Not on your own, but through Christ there's victory. " 17:58 Which brings him to his point in verse 4: 18:02 "You have not yet resisted to bloodshed 18:05 striving against sin. " 18:07 He's like: "Basically the problem in the Christian life 18:10 is you walk up to a temptation and you just fall down and play 18:13 dead! You're done! 18:14 You don't exercise the power that Christ offers you. " 18:18 He said: "He's got all the power. You just step forward 18:21 in faith but you start to step ba... You don't even try; 18:23 you don't resist. " 18:24 He's like: "Of course you don't have the strength, 18:27 but why don't you exercise some faith 18:29 and let Christ work through you to conquer that which 18:33 in your own strength would be defeat every time? " 18:35 This is the offer that Christ has given us. 18:38 Again, in Desire of Ages page 490, 18:40 speaking of Christ's work on the cross: 18:42 "Henceforth Christ's followers were to look upon Satan 18:45 as a conquered foe. Upon the cross Jesus was to gain 18:48 the victory for them. " And here's the key: 18:50 "That victory He desires them to accept as their own. " 18:55 Why don't you take the victory of Jesus and apply it 18:58 in your life? Purify yourself even as He is pure... 19:02 Hmmm. I Corinthians 10:13. 19:05 "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. 19:10 And God is... " What? "faithful. " 19:13 He doesn't say: "And therefore you are faithful. " 19:15 No you're not! But God is faithful. 19:18 God is faithful. "He will not let you be tempted 19:21 beyond what you can bear. 19:23 But when you are tempted He will also provide 19:25 a way out so that you can stand up under it. " 19:28 The Christian life is not free of temptation. 19:30 It just has a guarantee of vic- tory in our Savior Jesus Christ. 19:33 James chapter 4 and verse 7. 19:35 "Submit yourselves then to... " Whom? 19:38 "to God. " Remember, you aren't fighting any more. 19:41 You submit yourself to God 19:43 and in that context "resist the devil 19:45 and he will flee from you. " 19:47 That would be fleeing from you? Or is he fleeing from you 19:50 in Christ? There's the key. 19:52 "Submit yourselves to God... " Ephesians chapter 6 19:55 starting with verse 10: 19:57 "Finally be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. 20:01 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand 20:05 against the devil's schemes. 20:08 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood 20:11 but against the rulers, against the authorities, 20:14 against the powers of this dark world, 20:15 and against the spiritual forces of evil 20:18 in the heavenly realms. " 20:20 Notice that Paul repeatedly comes back to this idea 20:23 of we're being watched and there's a cosmic aspect 20:27 to the controversy in which we find ourselves. 20:29 But through Christ we can stand up under the devil's schemes, 20:33 refute the claims of Satan, 20:36 and demonstrate the character of God before an onlooking 20:39 universe. Perhaps one more point. 20:43 Go to John chapter 8 so we see this practically lived out. 20:48 Jesus speaking to the woman caught in adultery: 20:51 John chapter 8. You know the story well. 20:55 And if you don't, read John chapter 8. 20:59 But the woman is dragged out, caught in adultery, and Jesus 21:02 before the stoning begins sits down and begins to write 21:06 in the sand. And we pick up the story in verse 10: 21:11 "And when Jesus had raised Himself up and saw that no one 21:14 but the woman... saw no one but the woman, He said 21:17 to her: 'Woman, where are those accusers of yours? 21:21 Has no one condemned you? ' 21:25 She said: 'No one, Lord. ' 21:28 And Jesus said to her: 'Neither do I condemn you. ' " 21:31 Which isn't that beautiful? 21:33 But it doesn't end there. 21:35 "Go and sin no more. " 21:39 If there was a thesis statement for what God wants to accomplish 21:41 through the great controversy, 21:44 it is that simple phrase: "Go and sin no more. " 21:50 And of course He doesn't ask you to do this in your own strength 21:52 because He understands that you have no strength. 21:54 He just simply says: "Not by might nor by power 21:57 but by My Spirit saith the Lord. " 21:59 There is victory in Jesus. 22:04 Now that's a fantastic - I believe - study of 22:07 Biblical foundation that we can overcome besetting sins 22:10 through Jesus Christ and therefore develop the character 22:14 of Christ. But I want to take this to a deeper level again. 22:20 The other side of character. 22:25 Follow me along here. 22:27 When we come to believe that the most decisive evidence 22:29 of genuine faith is merely avoiding evil... 22:33 Right here... if we stop right here in the sermon 22:35 you say: "Man, I understand there's a cosmic conflict. 22:39 There's a greater controversy than just saving me. 22:41 I need to help be part of the solution for the entire universe 22:44 for eternity and I'm supposed to develop the character of Christ 22:47 as a witness unto the watching worlds and 22:49 therefore I will stop sinning through the power of Christ. 22:51 I will avoid evil and therefore I'm being like Jesus. " 22:58 That's good but that's also incomplete. 23:01 All right? Follow me with this. 23:03 When we come to believe that the most decisive or the 23:06 singular evidence of genuine faith is avoiding evil 23:10 our commitment to Christ tends to revolve around 23:14 what we want to stop doing. 23:16 All right? 23:18 We become the people who don't. 23:22 We don't use foul language. 23:24 Praise the Lord! 23:26 We don't eat unclean or really any meat. 23:28 We don't wear jewelry; don't work on Sabbath. 23:30 We don't participate in ungodly entertainment. 23:33 You know: music, movies, TV, Internet, etc. 23:36 We don't lie, cheat, steal, kill, fornicate, 23:38 fight, drink, smoke, etc. 23:41 And of course we should do none of those things! 23:43 But... is it possible in our zeal to not sin 23:49 we actually commit a sin? 23:54 When we come to think of Christian character as merely 23:57 the avoidance of evil we leave ourselves vulnerable 24:01 to deeper and more subtle temptations. 24:04 For instance, if I were to ask... And this is, 24:07 this is I'm sure a Biblically- literate congregation... 24:11 if I were to ask what is the Biblical definition of sin, 24:16 I John chapter 3 verse 4, 24:18 everyone could help me finish the sentence. 24:20 "Sin is the transgression of the law. " 24:23 Of course. But how many of us know James chapter 4 verse 17? 24:28 "Therefore to him who knows to do good 24:32 and does not do it, to him it is... " What? "sin. " 24:37 Do you see his intention here? 24:42 Sin is not merely the avoidance of evil. It is also 24:44 the neglect to do good. 24:49 This is... now follow this now. 24:52 Education page 264: 24:54 "Those who reject the privilege of fellowship with Christ 24:57 in service reject THE ONLY training 25:02 that imparts a fitness for participation 25:05 with Him in His glory. 25:07 They reject the training that in this life gives strength 25:10 and nobility of character. " 25:13 Apparently, again, sin is more than the doing of bad 25:17 but is also the refusal or neglect to do good. 25:19 Matthew chapter 19. Let's study this out just a little bit. 25:23 Matthew chapter 19 starting with verse 16. 25:27 Jesus has an interaction with a young man. 25:30 Matthew chapter 19 starting with verse 16: 25:35 "Now behold one came and said to Him: 25:38 'Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have 25:41 eternal life? ' " Now just from his question alone 25:43 is he saying: "Lord, how can I fit into Your kingdom? " 25:48 or "Lord, how can I get into Your kingdom? " 25:51 Obviously he's looking just to get in. 25:53 "What can I do to have it? " 25:55 OK. 25:57 "So He said to him... " verse 17: 25:59 " ' Why do you call Me good? 26:00 No one is good but one... that is God. 26:02 But if you want to enter into life, 26:04 keep the commandments. ' 26:06 He said to Him: 'Which ones? ' " 26:07 Obviously trying to make a list here. 26:10 "Jesus said: 'You shall not murder; shall not commit 26:11 adultery; you shall not steal; shall not bear false witness. 26:15 Honor your father and your mother; and you shall 26:17 love your neighbor as yourself. ' 26:18 The young man said to Him: 'All these things I have kept 26:22 from my youth. What do I still lack? ' " 26:25 Notice that most of the things Jesus lists off are not doing. 26:28 I have not done this, not done this, not done this. 26:30 He's like: "Great! Is there anything else? " 26:35 "Jesus said to him: 'If you want to be... ' " 26:37 What's the next word? " 'perfect... ' " 26:40 Jesus' words... not mine. 26:42 " 'If you want to be perfect, go sell what you have 26:47 and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven 26:52 and come follow Me. ' But when the man 26:54 heard what He was saying he went away sorrowful 26:57 for he had great possessions. " 27:00 Not doing in order to get into heaven? 27:04 No problem for this guy. He'll avoid evil till the day 27:07 he dies because it's an investment in self-preservation; 27:10 going to get something at the end of it. 27:11 The Lord says: "Now do some- thing. Sell all you have. 27:16 Give to the poor. " 27:18 And he went away sad. That's a bridge too far. 27:22 He couldn't do it. It wasn't... 27:25 He says the same thing in Luke chapter 10 27:27 in the story of the Good Samaritan. 27:29 Jesus once again - in the same spirit as the one we just saw 27:32 there - was asked a question: 27:34 Luke chapter 10 starting with verse 25: 27:37 "And behold a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him... " 27:40 Jesus had to face theological questions all the time. 27:42 "tested Him saying: 'Teacher, what shall I do 27:46 to inherit eternal life? ' " 27:48 The same premise. He's not asking "Lord, how can I fit into 27:51 Your kingdom? " he's saying "How can I get in? 27:53 What do I have to do to obtain it? " 27:57 "And He said to him: 'What is written in the law? 27:59 What is your reading of it? ' 28:00 So he answered and said: 'You shall love the Lord your 28:02 God with all your heart, with all your soul, 28:03 with all your strength and with all your mind AND 28:07 your neighbor as yourself. ' 28:09 And He said to him: 'You have answered rightly. 28:11 Do this and you will live. ' 28:13 But he... " notice the reason why in verse 29... 28:16 "wanting to justify himself, 28:23 said to Jesus: 'And who is? ' 28:25 He didn't say: "Who is the Lord who I should love with all 28:29 of my heart? " No. 28:31 He said: "Who is my neighbor? " 28:35 "Lord I have no problem with this stuff that's for You. 28:37 You know we have a great rapport. But this 28:39 helping my neighbor? What exactly do You mean by that? 28:43 Who... Who is that? " 28:47 And of course the answer that Jesus gave was the parable 28:50 of the Good Samaritan. 28:51 And at the end, Jesus asked a salient question in verse 36. 28:56 "So which of these three do you think was 28:58 neighbor to him who fell among the thieves? " 29:01 "And he said: 'he who showed mercy on him. ' " 29:04 And notice what Jesus says: 29:05 "Then Jesus said: 'Go and do likewise. ' " 29:10 He doesn't say just: "Go and don't do... " 29:14 He says: "Go and do like I've just told you in this parable. " 29:21 In Matthew chapter 16 verse 27 29:23 when Jesus discusses His own return He says that: 29:26 "The Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father, 29:29 with His angels, and He will reward each according to his" 29:32 Was it faith? No. "according to his works. " 29:37 Revelation chapter 22:11-12. 29:39 "Behold I am coming quickly and My reward is with Me 29:41 to give to everyone according to his works. " 29:46 Apparently... for Seventh-day Adventists this might 29:50 blow our minds just a little bit... 29:52 apparently living a Christ-like life entails more than 29:57 not doing bad but actually, actively doing good. 30:03 Christian character is active. 30:07 Turn with me to the book of Isaiah chapter 58. 30:14 I believe there's a significance in Isaiah 58 30:16 that we have yet to tap into completely 30:19 and the Lord intends us to study this chapter. 30:21 Isaiah chapter 58. 30:24 We'll just read through it so you understand what's here. 30:28 And there's some great things in Isaiah 58, but I want you 30:30 to see the whole context. 30:31 Isaiah chapter 58 starting with verse 1. 30:34 "Cry aloud; spare not. 30:36 Lift up your voice like a trumpet. 30:38 Tell My people their trans- gression and the house of 30:41 Jacob their sins. Yet they seek Me daily 30:44 and delight to know My ways. As a nation they did 30:47 righteousness and did not forsake the ordinance of their 30:50 God. They ask of Me the ordinances of justice. 30:53 They take delight in approaching God. " 30:55 So notice that the people he's addressing: 30:57 these aren't pagans... these aren't heathens. 31:00 But he's supposed to call these people out for their sins. 31:03 But what is their sin? He says: "They seek Me daily. 31:06 They delight to know My ways. 31:08 They did not forsake the ordinance of God. 31:10 They take delight in approaching God. " 31:13 They come to church every Sabbath. 31:16 They even come to special events in the afternoon. 31:21 But look at their question. Verse 3: 31:22 " 'Why have we fasted? ' they say 31:26 'and You have not seen? 31:29 And why have we afflicted our souls 31:31 and You take no notice? ' " 31:33 These people are God's people. 31:35 Worshiping God but they're not receiving the blessing 31:38 they feel that they're supposed to be having. 31:40 They're not having the spiritual experience they long for. 31:42 They're saying: "Lord, we have been doing all of this 31:45 and yet You haven't heard a word we said! " 31:51 "In fact in the day of your fast you find pleasure in it 31:54 and exploit all your laborers. 31:55 "Indeed... " the Lord responds "you fast for strife and debate 31:58 and you strike with a fist of wickedness. 32:00 You will not fast as you do this day 32:03 to make your voice heard on high. " And look at God's 32:06 question in verse 5: 32:07 "Is it a fast that I have chosen? " 32:10 What's it mean to fast? 32:12 Does it mean to withhold things? You know, to limit yourself... 32:16 To really? Look what He's saying here: 32:19 "Is it a fast that I have chosen? 32:21 A day for a man to afflict his soul? 32:24 Is it to bow down his head like a bullrush 32:27 and spread out sackcloth and ashes? " 32:29 These people were coming before God: 32:30 "Oh Lord, we want to receive Your Holy Spirit's power. 32:33 We want to... " 32:34 And nothing happened. 32:39 "Would you call this a fast, an acceptable day to the Lord? " 32:44 And then the Lord says: "Here's the fast that I've 32:46 chosen for you... " verse 6: 32:48 "Is this not the fast that I have chosen: 32:52 to loose the bonds of wickedness; 32:54 to undo the heavy burden; 32:56 to let the oppressed go free; 32:59 and to break every yoke? " 33:01 Verse 7 continues: 33:03 "Is it not to share your bread with the hungry 33:06 and that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out? 33:11 And when you see the naked, that you cover him 33:15 and not hide yourself from your own flesh? 33:19 Then... " verse 8... "Then your light shall break 33:24 forth like the morning. Your healing shall spring forth 33:27 speedily and your righteousness shall go before you, 33:30 the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. 33:32 Then you shall call and the Lord will answer; 33:35 you shall cry and He will say: 'Here I am. ' 33:38 If you take away the yoke from your midst - 33:41 the pointing of the finger, the speaking wickedness - 33:43 if you extend your soul to the hungry 33:46 and satisfy the afflicted souls 33:49 then your light shall dawn in the darkness 33:51 and your darkness shall be as the noonday. 33:54 The Lord will guide you continually 33:56 and satisfy your soul in drought 33:58 and strengthen your bones. 34:00 You shall be like a watered garden and like a spring of 34:02 water whose waters do not fail. " 34:04 Do you understand what it's saying here? 34:06 These people are not pagans and heathens. 34:08 They are not godless infidels. 34:10 They are people who want the blessing of the Lord. 34:13 They seek to know His will. 34:15 They seek to meet with Him. They want that deeper 34:19 spiritual experience. They come to church. 34:21 They go through the sacrificial process 34:23 and yet at the end of the day they feel unrefreshed. 34:26 And they say: "Lord, where's the blessing You promised? " 34:28 And the Lord looks at them and says: "Have I ever asked 34:31 you to simply not do? " 34:34 "Is this the fast that I want? " 34:36 "Why don't you get up and do for others? " 34:42 He says: "Why aren't you caring for the hungry? " 34:43 "Why aren't you bringing in the homeless? " 34:45 "Why aren't you clothing the naked? " 34:46 "Why aren't you visiting the sick? " 34:51 One-dimensional righteousness is incomplete righteousness. 34:57 Hmmm. 35:00 You know, Mrs. White picked up on that chapter. 35:08 You know, it seems to me that these people were so intent 35:11 on being good before God 35:13 that they neglected to do good for others. 35:16 They were so focused on receiving a blessing 35:19 that they forgot that the entire purpose of Israel's 35:22 establishment was to be a blessing to others. 35:26 And looking at God's remnant people - 35:29 the Seventh-day Adventist church in the last days - 35:31 Mrs. White interestingly enough picks up on this. 35:37 Notice the strong words she uses to recommend 35:40 a study and implementation of the principles of Isaiah 58. 35:45 You know, sometimes we think 35:48 at the end of this series I tell you I know 35:50 what the work to be accomplished is. 35:52 Number 1: I'm going to... I'm going to review my own soul. 35:56 I'm going to afflict my soul. I'm going to purge every 35:58 besetting sin; I'm going to be like Jesus. 36:01 And so you become even more insular. 36:04 Be careful little eyes... be careful little ears. 36:06 You shut yourself out from the world in an effort to be 36:09 Christ like. Exactly what the people in Isaiah 58 were doing. 36:15 Oh, but then we also have to give the three angels' messages. 36:17 Which we should do! So our Christianity takes 36:20 the form of reclusive piety 36:24 with a proclamation of Bible truth. 36:28 Reclusive piety and a proclamation of Bible truth 36:34 which seems to be an incomplete righteousness. 36:39 Let me show you. 36:40 Again, the words of Mrs. White. This is from Welfare Ministry 36:43 page 32. By the way, did you even know there's a book called 36:46 Welfare Ministry? Good! 36:50 "The work specified in these words... " 36:52 referring to Isaiah 58... 36:53 "The work specified in these words is THE WORK 36:57 God requires His people to do. 36:59 It is a work of God's own appointment. 37:02 With the work of advocating the commandments of God 37:05 and repairing the breach that has been made in the 37:07 law of God... " By the way, I'm not saying we should 37:09 do this instead of evangelistic campaigns. 37:12 Please hear me out. 37:13 But apparently with that proclamation work 37:17 we are to mingle compassion for suffering humanity. 37:22 "We are to show supreme love to God and we are to exalt 37:26 His memorial. " Speaking of the Sabbath. 37:27 "which has been trodden down by unholy feet. 37:30 And with this we are to manifest mercy, benevolence, 37:34 and the tenderest pity for the fallen race. " 37:36 Apparently we're not just supposed to proclaim 37:39 the truth of God. We're supposed to demonstrate 37:42 the love of God. Amen. And together that will have 37:46 significance and power. 37:48 Again the next page. Welfare Ministry 33: 37:50 "I cannot too strongly urge all our church members, 37:55 all who are true missionaries... " 37:57 Parenthetically, I love that she thought all church 38:00 members should be true missionaries. 38:02 Amen. You don't hire missionaries; we're supposed 38:04 to be missionaries. But... another sermon. 38:07 "I cannot too strongly urge all our church members, 38:10 all who are true missionaries, 38:12 all who believe the third angel's message, 38:14 all who turn away their feet from the Sabbath, 38:17 to consider the message of the 58th chapter of Isaiah. 38:22 The work of beneficence enjoined in this chapter 38:25 is THE WORK which God requires His people to do at this time. " 38:31 I don't know about you, but I've been in some areas before 38:34 where people try to do some sort of outreach activity 38:37 and they say: "No, no, no, no. That's for the Salvation Army 38:38 to do. We have a message to give. " 38:43 And praise the Lord we do have a message to give, 38:45 but it should be clothed in the character of Christ. Amen. 38:49 If they don't hear the message of Christ from a people who are 38:52 Christ-like, it seems to undermine the message. 38:58 Christ Object Lessons 384: 39:01 "When self is merged in Christ 39:03 love springs forth spontaneously. " 39:09 Ever met a Christian who doesn't seem anything like Christ? 39:13 All right. The saddest, most angry, bitter kind of thing. 39:17 Let me tell you something: a real connection with Jesus 39:21 will turn you into a person who's kind of like Jesus. Amen. 39:24 And you'll smile and you'll be warm and you'll open your arms 39:29 and you'll soften your heart. 39:31 "When self is merged in Christ 39:33 love springs forth spontaneously. " 39:35 You won't even have to fake it! 39:37 We smile now... please don't fake it. 39:40 And watch this next phrase: 39:42 "The completeness of Christian character is attained when... " 39:46 Don't you want to know how that sentence ends? 39:48 'Cause if the whole great object of our life is to attain 39:51 a character like Christ it would be nice to know 39:55 when the completeness of Christian character is attained. 39:58 "The completeness of Christian character is attained when 40:00 the impulse to help and bless others springs constantly 40:05 from within. When the sunshine of heaven fills the heart 40:09 and is revealed in the countenance. " 40:12 Sometimes I think as Seventh- day Adventists we think 40:15 the completeness of Christian character will be attained 40:17 when I stop completely... when I eliminate all sugar 40:19 from my diet. 40:23 That's good... good. It's healthy. 40:25 When we keep the Sabbath... when all of us collectively 40:27 are keeping the Sabbath the way we should be keeping it... 40:29 then the Lord will pour out His blessing. 40:32 Or when we get a... no... 40:37 It's such a simple concept. 40:39 The completeness of Christian character is attained 40:41 when the impulse to help and bless others 40:44 springs forth naturally from within. 40:45 It just comes out of your pores... Christlikeness. 40:52 My Life Today page 241: 40:57 "In the 58th chapter of Isaiah the work that the people of God 41:01 are to do in Christ's lines is clearly set forth. 41:05 They are to break every yoke. 41:07 They are to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked. 41:10 If... " I'm bringing it back to the cosmic conflict, 41:14 the greater controversy... "If they carry out 41:17 the principles of the law of God in acts of mercy 41:20 and love, they will represent the character of God 41:25 to the world AND receive the richest blessings of heaven. " 41:31 Is it possible that by our refusal or neglect 41:35 to do good for others that we are not only 41:40 robbing ourselves of an experience 41:43 that the Lord wants to give us but we're also robbing others 41:46 of an opportunity to see Jesus more clearly. 41:48 With the proclamation of truth should be mingled compassion 41:53 like our Savior. Going back to Ephesians chapter 3 verse 10. 41:59 With this framework in mind we see more clearly 42:04 the mystery of what Paul was speaking about. 42:06 Ephesians chapter 3... 42:15 well we'll start with verse 8. 42:17 Paul again giving his job description. 42:19 "To me whom am less than the least of all the saints 42:21 this grace is given me that I should preach 42:23 among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ. " 42:25 So one aspect of his ministry was simply preaching 42:28 to the Gentiles about Christ. 42:29 Verse 9: "And... " In addition to that... 42:32 "to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery 42:35 which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God 42:41 who created all things through Jesus Christ 42:43 to the intent... " verse 10: "to the intent that now 42:47 the manifold wisdom of God might be made known 42:51 by the church to the principalities and powers 42:55 in the heavenly places. " 42:57 There is something about the character of God, 43:01 the wisdom of God, that people who are right there in heaven 43:04 with God cannot see directly from God. 43:08 He can't just turn to them and have a conversation 43:10 and explain it to them in theory. 43:11 They need to see it practiced out in a life. 43:14 You know when Jesus Christ came He was undefiled by sin. 43:17 He was separate from sinners. And He kept the law of the Lord 43:20 beautifully, perfectly... and He lived out its principles. 43:23 And by the way, Christ did not demonstrate His character 43:27 by living like a hermit. 43:31 Jesus you know... the glory of God could have been 43:34 sent in a form like that. It could have just been, 43:36 you know, Jesus like in a museum on a display case. 43:39 You know... shaft of light: Ahhhhhh. 43:42 People would come from far and wide to line up and pass by 43:45 and see for themselves the glory of God in a box. 43:49 But that's not how Jesus did it. 43:51 Jesus wanted people to see the Father 43:55 in His character and He wanted them to see 43:59 His character in His good works. 44:02 And He went about doing ministry. 44:04 Sabbath was the busiest day of His week. 44:07 Not because He was trying to earn a living here 44:10 but He was trying to demonstrate and work for the Father 44:12 who's always at work blessing others. In fact, 44:15 the angels - if they could envy - would envy us. 44:19 Hebrews says that they're all "ministering spirits" 44:24 and they love to minister to those in need. 44:26 And we're the only place in all the universe 44:29 where there's people in need. 44:32 And they're like: "If I could switch places with you, 44:35 I'd do it in a heartbeat 'cause I live to help others. " 44:40 And that's what the society of heaven is all about. 44:42 We receive to give... the cycle of benevolence. 44:48 And when Gabriel and the other angels look down on this world 44:51 and they see those who claim to be Christ's 44:54 they say: "OK, the claim is good but we need to see 44:57 some evidence. Not only will God get you here but 45:01 would you fit in if you came? 45:04 There's no selfishness here. 45:06 There's only love; there's only mercy; there's only benevolence. 45:11 And if you don't appreciate that... if that's not part of 45:14 who you are now... you would not be happy in our association. 45:21 Therefore God wants to make known... He can't just say 45:24 'Trust Me, guys, it'll happen. ' We need to see the evidence. " 45:28 So now the manifold wisdom of God is being made known 45:32 by the church to the principalities and powers 45:35 in the heavenly places. You know I found this in manuscript... 45:40 It's the most obscure reference 45:42 I'm going to give this whole series. 45:44 I saved it till the very end so you can't say that I'm 45:45 always doing obscure references. OK. 45:48 Manuscript 73A written in 1900. 45:53 Just a couple of sentences, but listen how it ties 45:56 to Ephesians 3:10. 45:58 "God desires His people to show by their lives 46:02 the advantage of Christianity over worldliness. " 46:06 Let's just pause right there. 46:08 If we walk out in the world will people look at us and say 46:10 "I don't know what you have but I want some of that. " 46:14 "That is advantageous over what the experience I'm having is. " 46:17 "Whatever you've got... teach me. " 46:21 "God desires His people to show by their lives the advantage 46:24 of Christianity over worldliness. 46:26 Through us God desires to reveal His manifold wisdom. " 46:32 And what does that look like when it's revealed? 46:35 What's the practical application of all of this theory we've been 46:38 discussing? "Therefore He bids us let our light shine 46:43 forth in good works. " 46:47 Sounds very much like Jesus, does it not? 46:49 Matthew chapter 5 and verse 16: 46:51 "Let your light so shine before men that they might see 46:55 your profession of faith... " 46:58 That they might see what? 47:00 "your good works and glorify your Father 47:04 which is in heaven. " 47:06 Apparently through your good works they're going to learn 47:08 something about God and they're going to say: 47:12 "I want some of that. " 47:17 In Matthew chapter 25 47:23 we see a picture 47:26 that Jesus describes of His second coming. 47:35 And we're going to start with verse 31. 47:37 Matthew chapter 25 verse 31. 47:42 "When the Son of Man comes in His glory and all the angels 47:45 with Him then He will sit on the throne of His glory. 47:48 All the nations will be gathered before Him 47:51 and He will separate them one from another 47:53 as a shepherd divides the sheep from the goats. 47:56 And He will set the sheep on His right hand 47:59 but the goats on the left. 48:01 Then the King will say to those on His right hand: 48:04 'Come, you blessed of My Father, 48:05 inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation 48:09 of the world for 48:13 I was hungry and you gave Me food. 48:20 I was thirsty and you gave Me drink. 48:25 I was a stranger and you took Me in. 48:28 I was naked and you clothed Me. 48:31 I was sick and you visited Me. 48:34 I was in prison and you came to Me. ' 48:39 Then the righteous will answer and say: 48:41 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You? 48:43 Or thirsty and give You drink? 48:45 And when did we see You a stranger and take You in? 48:47 Or naked and clothe You? 48:49 And when did we see You sick or in prison and come to You? ' 48:52 And the King will answer and say to them: 48:54 'Assuredly I say to you 48:56 inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these 48:58 My brethren you did it to Me. ' 49:02 Then He will also say to those on the left hand: 49:05 'Depart from Me, you cursed... 49:08 into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil 49:12 and his angels. ' " 49:14 I do not want to hear that phrase when Jesus returns. 49:19 And notice that the fire is not prepared for us. 49:22 It's for the devil and his angels. 49:25 There's no reason any of us needs to participate in it. 49:30 But here's the reason why they do... verse 42: 49:32 " 'For I was hungry and you gave Me no food. 49:36 I was thirsty; you gave Me no drink. 49:40 I was a stranger and you did not take Me in. 49:43 Naked... and you did not clothe Me. 49:46 Sick and in prison... and you did not visit Me. ' 49:50 Then they will answer and say: 49:52 'Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty 49:53 or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and did not 49:56 minister to You? ' 49:58 And He will say to them: 'Assuredly I say to you 50:01 inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these 50:03 you did not do it to Me. ' 50:05 And these will go away into everlasting punishment 50:09 but the righteous into eternal life. " 50:12 The significance of this passage 50:15 cannot be mistaken. 50:17 He boils it down. 50:19 Jesus was a master at taking these great, huge, significant 50:24 spiritual truths and making them so applicable to the daily life. 50:29 That here's what heaven looks like: 50:31 there's people who are hungry... feed them. 50:35 There's people who are thirsty... give them drink. 50:39 And He says when the Son of Man comes there's going to be 50:42 two groups. And to those on the left side who do not come in 50:48 what's fascinating about that is they give the exact 50:51 same response to Jesus Christ as do the righteous. 50:56 Word for word their response is the same. 50:58 "Lord, when did we see You? " 51:02 The implication being in their case 51:04 "Lord, when did we see YOU? 51:06 I mean, if we'd have known it was YOU... 51:09 we'd have put on a potluck! 51:12 We'd have had a clothes drive. 51:15 We'd have had a canned food drive. 51:16 We would have done prison ministry. 51:17 We would have visited people in the hospital. 51:19 We would have done this kind of thing. 51:20 But Lord it wasn't YOU... it was just people! " 51:26 My friends, these people are fully expecting to get into 51:31 heaven, but in this life 51:35 they did not develop a character that would fit into heaven. 51:43 And what I love is that on the other side 51:46 the same exact words: "Lord, when did we see You? " 51:50 And they're not complaining. They're like 51:52 "Hey, whoa, whoa... I'm taking You up on Your offer. 51:54 I'm coming in. " You know? 51:55 "But Lord, when did we see You 51:58 hungry or thirsty or naked or in prison 52:02 and minister to You? " It's like: "We didn't see You. 52:05 We just... we just saw people. " 52:08 And Christ is like: "That's My point. 52:12 You didn't even know it was Me and you did it anyway. 52:17 You fit in. " Amen! 52:21 "Come on in. " 52:31 I don't want to come to the conclusion of these meetings 52:33 and just leave everything 30,000 feet up in the air. 52:36 What an interesting debate... what a fascinating study... 52:40 what a trivial pursuit. 52:41 Theory is good but God works in practical application. 52:49 And friends, Jesus is soon to come. 52:51 What He's looking for now is faith on the earth... 52:56 the faith of Jesus. 52:58 Not just the statement of faith but the actual, real-life 53:03 faith of Jesus lived out in daily duties. 53:07 Practical godliness on the personal level. 53:11 Now praise God if your church does evangelism. 53:13 Fantastic! But can we please begin to see the world 53:19 through Jesus' eyes and begin to see the Jesus in every need. 53:23 Take practical steps to demonstrate the character 53:27 of God, not just to this world but to the worlds around us 53:29 so that maybe as we continue to walk with Christ 53:32 it will... it will just become part of who we are. 53:36 Remember we talked about the reason that we make decisions? 53:38 The choices? Isn't just to prepare for the second coming. 53:41 It isn't just because we might die any day. 53:43 It's because we are forming a character day by day 53:46 that will determine our destiny. 53:50 And that's what the character of heaven looks like: 53:52 the practical daily benevolence. 53:56 Yes! Give them the three angels' messages. 53:59 But it seems to me that giving the truth 54:02 in the character of Christ 54:04 will give a significance and power to the truth 54:07 that would not be available any other way. 54:11 This is Christ's method alone, 54:13 and this is what He asks for His people to see. 54:17 So I love the theory; I love the application; 54:20 I love the four stages; I love the four steps; 54:22 I love to see what's out there. 54:24 But what they're looking for up there 54:26 is what Christ is doing in your life down here. 54:30 And so I don't know about you 54:32 but I want to live a life of practical godliness. 54:36 I want that fitness for partici- pation with Him in His glory. 54:40 I want to... I want to live the faith of Jesus 54:44 in every aspect and I want our churches to do the same. 54:47 Hmmm. 54:51 I would love to make an appeal. 54:53 I'm not going to have you come down front, but 54:55 I want you to first of all... Has this series 54:58 of thought... has it strung together well? 55:00 Has it made sense? Amen! Praise God for clarity. 55:06 But just understanding a concept... there is too much 55:09 theory in the Seventh-day Adventist church. 55:12 We need practical application. 55:15 Can you take these ideas - 55:17 these scriptural ideas, these messages from inspiration - 55:21 and now say: "Lord, I want to do something for You. " 55:26 "I've been inspired; I've been filled. That's great. 55:29 But Lord take me now. Here I am: send me! " 55:32 "Lord, if You want me to do community services, 55:34 I'm going to do it. " 55:36 "If You want me to work with children's ministries, 55:37 I'm going to do it. " "Do You want me in the prisons? 55:39 I will do it. In fact, Lord, maybe You want me to do 55:41 a thing that we haven't even thought of yet! " 55:46 "So Lord, will you take whatever this is that I am 55:49 and turn it into the character of Jesus 55:52 and let people in this world and the other worlds out there 55:56 see the life of Jesus lived out in me. " 56:01 "Lord, let me decrease and let You increase. " 56:05 Hmmm. That's my appeal. 56:08 We don't want theory, we want practical application. 56:11 We want to see Jesus in real life in real ways. 56:14 Is that a commitment we can make tonight? 56:16 Praise God! Let's bow our heads for a word of prayer. 56:20 Dear heavenly Father, 56:23 Lord I cannot thank you enough 56:25 for being a God of due process. 56:28 A God who had a plan for the eventuality, the possibility 56:32 of sin's entrance into the universe. 56:34 And as we've studied the stages of how You are 56:37 step by step, methodically, logically 56:39 of necessity casting out the devil in the way that You are 56:44 Lord help us to not only see the theory of it 56:46 but help us to see our role in the greater controversy. 56:50 Lord, help us in our daily lives 56:53 to be more like Jesus. 56:56 Lord, help us to be a witness not only to the worlds 56:58 above but to the world right here in our midst, 57:00 in our presence. Wherever it is You've placed us 57:02 let us shine forth in good works that they may see 57:07 a glimpse of our Father in heaven. 57:10 Lord, help us to be more like Jesus every day. 57:13 Help us to win souls to Your kingdom and help us 57:17 to be not ashamed at Your soon coming. 57:21 And Lord I pray that when that day comes 57:23 that not one will be missing. 57:25 We pray this in Jesus' name, Amen. |
Revised 2014-12-17