Participants: Pr. John Lomacang
Series Code: AOT
Program Code: AOT000137
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00:12 Welcome to Anchors Of Truth
00:15 live from the 3ABN Worship Center. 00:22 Hello and welcome to Anchors Of Truth. 00:25 I want to welcome our audience here in the house, 00:27 and also to you that are watching via maybe 00:30 the internet, on television, or even listening on the radio. 00:33 Don't want to forget that. 00:34 Welcome to Anchors Of Truth. 00:36 And what a wonderful series we've had so far. 00:38 We just had last night's meeting and it was on the... 00:41 Well the whole series, the five part series, 00:43 is, The Danger Zone. 00:45 And it's with Pastor John Lomacang. 00:46 What a fitting series title when you think about it, 00:49 The Danger Zone. 00:50 I tell you, we live in some scary times, don't we. 00:52 We don't have any need to be afraid, do we. 00:55 Because of Jesus Christ. 00:56 And we read the end of the book, Revelation, 00:58 we know that Christ has won and we have nothing to fear. 01:01 And what a blessing it is, you know, when you think about 01:04 the message of last night, The Danger of Neglect. 01:08 You know, a lot of times... 01:10 I shouldn't say a lot of times. 01:11 My mom would always tell me... 01:12 We lived in West Virginia growing up, and we had this 01:15 pond that would freeze over in the winter time. 01:17 But sometimes a part of the pond wouldn't freeze. 01:21 And there would be water there even in 01:22 the middle of winter time. 01:23 And so she would say, "Don't go, don't see how far or how close 01:27 you can get to that water. 01:28 Stay as far away as you can from that." 01:30 And a lot of times we do that with our Christian walk. 01:33 We say, "Well, let's see how far can I get away from Christ 01:37 but still be kind of close to Jesus Christ." 01:39 We don't want to do that, we want to see how close 01:41 we can get to Jesus Christ. 01:42 Isn't that right? 01:43 So what a blessing to know that Jesus Christ is there for us. 01:46 And one of the points that Pastor John mentioned 01:48 last night that I liked, there were many good points 01:51 that he brought up, is, "Why neglect Jesus 01:54 when He's the one who died for us?" 01:56 You know, a lot of times, when you think about it, 01:58 Jesus Christ is the answer for everything, isn't He. 02:02 And so there's no need to be afraid and say, 02:06 well I don't trust this or I don't trust that. 02:10 We can always go to Jesus Christ and say, 02:12 "You're the one that saves me. 02:13 You're the one that has the answers for me." 02:14 He's always the one we want to go to. 02:16 And tonight's message is, The Danger of Unbelief. 02:20 I'm looking forward to that. 02:22 I want to just say here before Pastor John Lomacang comes out 02:25 is, what a blessing it's been to work with Pastor John at 3ABN, 02:29 and his wife Angie. 02:30 But also I've been involved with him in our local church. 02:34 And one of the things I appreciate about Pastor John 02:36 is that he's a man of God. 02:38 And he has a heart to follow Jesus Christ. 02:41 And as I've worked with him, I've always been impressed 02:43 that he stands for truth no matter what. 02:46 And that to me means a lot. 02:49 That's basically making Jesus Christ number one in your life. 02:52 And Pastor John, and his wife Angie who's sitting here, 02:56 what a blessing it is to have you guys here. 02:58 And what a blessing it has been for me as well. 02:59 And I know for you around the world, 03:01 we're blessed here because he's our pastor, 03:03 but he can be your pastor of course through the airwaves. 03:06 What a blessing it is. 03:07 Now tonight we have a special treat because Pastor John 03:10 is actually bringing us our song tonight as well as our message. 03:13 And the song that he is going to be singing for us is, 03:16 Here Comes A Miracle. 03:19 So invite Pastor John out at this time. 03:22 Thank you, Greg. 03:23 You know, one of the reasons I chose to sing this tonight 03:25 is because we're living in a day and age of unbelief. 03:28 And in a day and age of unbelief, we still serve a God 03:33 who works in behalf of His people. 03:53 They followed Him on dusty roads, 03:57 wherever He would lead; 04:02 multitudes would gather 04:06 as He healed each disease. 04:10 With eyes of wonder they would watch 04:15 as He would stop to pray; 04:20 and when He spoke the word of faith 04:24 you could hear them say: 04:29 Here comes a miracle, 04:36 here comes a miracle. 04:42 Can you feel it in the air? 04:48 That look is on His face, 04:53 His glory will fill this place. 04:58 I know a miracle is near. 05:08 The lame could walk, the deaf could hear, 05:13 the blinded eyes could see. 05:17 And those who had been bound for years 05:21 were suddenly set free. 05:26 They came in desperation, 05:30 the hurting and the poor. 05:35 But when they saw Him through the crowd, 05:39 oh they knew what was in store. 05:45 Here comes a miracle, 05:51 here comes a miracle. 05:57 Oh, can't you feel it? It's in the air. 06:04 That look is on His face, 06:09 His glory will fill this place. 06:14 For I know a miracle is near. 06:40 And still today we follow Him, 06:45 we claim His Word is true. 06:49 And nothing is impossible; 06:53 oh they said He will do. 06:59 And though this world may doubt us, 07:03 and though they laugh and stare, 07:08 one day all men will see the truth 07:12 when we see Him in the air. 07:18 Here comes a miracle, 07:26 here comes a miracle. 07:32 Oh can you see Him? He is in the air. 07:39 Soon we will see His face, 07:46 His glory will fill this place. 07:50 I know a miracle is near. 08:00 I know that a miracle 08:07 is near. 08:11 Here come a miracle, 08:15 here come a miracle. 08:40 Let us pray. 08:45 Our gracious Father in heaven, tonight 08:47 we can lean our faith on the God who still works 08:52 in behalf of His people. 08:56 Lord, there is no need tonight for us to be worried about 08:59 the outcome of the future, 09:01 about the challenges in our lives, 09:04 about the daily obstacles we face, 09:08 and about the scoffing that exists in our world 09:10 concerning the reality of Jesus. 09:13 And so, Lord, tonight speak to our hearts that 09:15 we may avoid, by the work of Your Holy Spirit, 09:20 the danger of unbelief. 09:23 In Jesus' name I pray, amen. 09:29 Tonight we take another piece of the puzzle 09:32 out of the book of Hebrews as Paul, 09:35 I believe who is the writer of the book of Hebrews, 09:38 reveals to us a very significant piece to the puzzle. 09:44 This piece of the puzzle warns us of the existing dangers. 09:49 That's why I've entitled it, The Danger of Unbelief. 09:54 As I read the account of the children of Israel, 09:57 what makes this piece so diabolical is this: 10:01 The devil used this piece, he used unbelief, 10:06 to hinder the children of Israel from crossing over 10:10 into the Promised Land. 10:12 And so tonight as we look at the danger of unbelief, 10:15 as the children of Israel were confronted with unbelief 10:19 toward the ending of their journey, 10:21 we are also confronted with unbelief toward 10:24 the ending of our journey. 10:26 The Bible says in Hebrews 3 and verse 19... 10:36 John R. Rice, a Baptist preacher, once wrote 10:38 these words back in the 1800s. 10:41 He said these words, and I think it's very fitting right here. 10:43 He said, "Never put a question mark where God 10:46 has put a period." 10:49 If God says He's going to bless, God is going to bless. 10:51 Can you say amen to that? 10:53 If God says He can win our battles, 10:55 God can win our battles. 10:56 Never put a question mark where God has put a period. 11:01 If ever there was a time that belief in Jesus is imperative, 11:05 it is now. 11:06 If ever there was a time to believe 11:08 in His promises, it is now. 11:11 We are living on the borders of the eternal world. 11:14 If ever there was a time to believe that 11:16 Jesus is coming again, it is now. 11:20 For the Lord said one of the evidences of the last days 11:22 is that people will begin to doubt that He's coming. 11:25 Matter of fact, I had a discussion with a young man 11:29 who was raised in the church. 11:31 Grew up in the church. 11:33 Had all the advantages of Christian education. 11:36 Grew up and worked his way up in the ranks 11:39 of the Adventist church. 11:40 Became a very prominent leader. 11:42 And to my dismay, in our discussion I disclosed, 11:45 or he disclosed that he was no longer a believer. 11:48 But now he was not just a person that left the church, 11:52 but he disclosed to me that he is an atheist. 11:56 And I asked myself the question, how could someone 11:58 being raised in the church, being educated in the church, 12:03 being in positions of leadership in the church, 12:06 how can you ever get to the place where you no longer 12:10 believe in an existing God where you now proclaim with 12:14 some sense of confidence, "I am an atheist." 12:19 The reason for this series is, when we are done on 12:22 Sabbath afternoon you'll discover that each of these 12:25 steps outline the small yet progressive and undeniable 12:31 steps that each person takes where they finally 12:35 get to the place where they deny the existence of God. 12:38 Think about it; the danger of neglect, 12:40 the danger of unbelief, which is tonight, 12:42 the danger of not maturing, which is the next meeting, 12:46 the danger of drawing back, 12:48 and finally the danger of refusing God. 12:51 You never get to refusing God immediately. 12:53 It's always those little imperceptible steps. 12:56 Exposure to things that should not be in your consideration, 13:01 but you spend more time at the tree of the knowledge of 13:03 good and evil than you should. 13:05 And I would say today, if you want your belief 13:07 to begin to be chiseled away, allow your mind to be 13:11 bombarded by things that do not build your faith. 13:16 Somebody once said, "John, you need to have an open mind." 13:19 Well when it comes to the truth of God's Word, 13:20 when it comes to the validity of God's Word, 13:22 my mind is closed. 13:23 Can you say amen to that? 13:25 I know it's true. 13:26 I don't need to have a discussion. 13:28 I don't need to read what Darwin said. 13:31 I don't need to read any other philosopher or person that 13:34 finds himself in the wrong intellectual camp. 13:37 I don't need to read anything written by a man 13:39 to convince me otherwise. 13:41 I know by my own personal experience 13:43 that Jesus is real and that God is His Father. 13:46 Can you say amen to that? 13:50 But the children of Israel were confronted with unbelief. 13:52 And because the unbelief that challenged the Israelites 13:55 was real, the church in the last days are going to be 13:58 confronted with this issue as to whether or not 14:01 they're going to believe. 14:04 In the book of Luke the question was asked, 14:06 "When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?" 14:10 And I would say, faith is a component to belief. 14:13 No faith, no belief. 14:15 Belief; your faith grows. 14:17 When you look at the journey of the children of Israel, 14:19 there was no problem with Moses. 14:21 The problem was not with the leader that God had chosen. 14:24 And I take some solace in that, because sometimes 14:26 people can blame the preacher for their condition. 14:29 There was no problem with the leader that God chose. 14:32 Moses, the Bible says, was a man who was faithful 14:35 in all of his household. 14:36 That's what Hebrews says. 14:38 And when God says you're faithful, you're faithful. 14:41 Israel failed, and not because of Moses' faithfulness. 14:45 They failed because of their own unfaithfulness. 14:49 Now today the church is not following Moses. 14:51 The church is following Jesus. 14:53 And I want to say today clearly for the record, 14:55 Jesus is faithful. 14:56 What do you say? 14:58 And our failures in the last days will not be because 15:01 of the failures or the inabilities of Jesus, 15:04 but because of our own abilities. 15:06 And so the question still hangs out there, 15:08 if the Israelites failed on the border of Canaan, 15:11 will we fail on the border of the Promised Land? 15:13 That's a question to seriously consider. 15:16 The Bible says in Hebrews 3 verses 5 and 6... 15:46 Moses was faithful in his household. 15:49 And the children of Israel would have been too 15:51 if they had followed the example set by Moses. 15:53 So the writer of Hebrews said the children of Israel 15:56 would have benefited from Moses' faithfulness. 15:59 Therefore, on the very same plane, we could benefit 16:01 from the faithfulness of Jesus. 16:03 We will make it if we hold fast the confidence and the 16:08 rejoicing of the hope firm to the end. 16:13 So I don't plan on meandering in the maze of mediocrity, 16:16 or pondering at the pool of popularity, 16:17 or negotiating at the table of the enemy. 16:20 I plan on trusting in the Lord. 16:21 What about you? 16:23 The fact of the matter is, Satan did not care 16:25 how far Israel journeyed. 16:26 And he really doesn't care how far we journey either. 16:30 As I mentioned before, there are people that 16:32 grow up in the church, raised in the church, 16:34 educated in the church. 16:35 But the fact of the matter is, if education is what is needed 16:38 to have a relationship with Christ, then we can be 16:40 educated into the kingdom. 16:42 But there's a personal connection that we 16:44 must not ignore. 16:46 You see, education can give you intellect, 16:48 but intellect without God is dangerous. 16:51 There are those that feel they get to a certain point 16:53 and they become so smart... 16:55 I like the way that Paul said it in Hebrews. 16:57 He says, "Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools 17:01 and changed the glory of God into that of corruptible beasts 17:05 like birds and four-footed beasts and creeping things." 17:09 And what happened, God gave them up to the vilest 17:11 of their own imagination. 17:13 "Professing themselves to be wise," the Bible says, 17:15 "they became fools." 17:16 And I'm going to tell you, if you want to be educated 17:18 into the kingdom, the only education 17:20 you need is a BA degree. 17:22 That is, Born Again. 17:23 Can you say amen to that? 17:24 But so many people, you know, they get to the place 17:27 where they feel, "If I could just learn a little bit more." 17:30 And I thought about the analogy of a smart person. 17:33 And I zoomed out and I thought to myself, 17:36 "How smart is that ant compared to me?" 17:41 And I thought to myself, you know, in the sight of God 17:43 and His creation, we are smaller than an ant. 17:46 And some man comes along in the 1800s like Charles Darwin 17:50 and he figures out God, when Job in all of his wisdom said, 17:55 "Can we by searching find out God? 17:58 Can we find out the place where God stores His food, 18:01 and His hail, and His lightening, 18:03 and all of His arsenal for the time of trouble? 18:05 Can we find that out?" 18:07 And God said to Job, "Where were you when I laid 18:09 the foundation of the world?" 18:10 So brothers and sisters, don't ever think that intellect 18:14 is something that causes a person now to question 18:17 the validity and the power that resides only in Jesus. 18:21 Satan doesn't care how far we journey. 18:23 His aim is to prevent us from entering the Promised Land 18:27 just like he did with the children of Israel. 18:31 One of the most amazing accounts of that attack 18:33 is wrapped up in the story of the twelve spies. 18:35 Look at Numbers chapter 13. 18:37 And it's on the screen for those of you watching tonight. 18:39 Numbers chapter 13 verses 1 and 2. 18:41 Let's begin to unwrap why the children of Israel 18:44 failed in the way that they did. 18:45 I think there's a great responsibility in leadership. 18:48 If the leaders are faithful, 18:50 I believe the people will be affected in a positive way 18:54 by the faithfulness of the leaders. 18:56 Here's what the Bible says. 18:57 Numbers chapter 13 and verse 1. 19:17 What do you think about what the Lord said? 19:18 At the very outset of the surveillance mission 19:22 God's promise was inserted, "I am giving..." 19:27 He didn't say, "Go see if you can fight your way 19:29 into the land," or, "Go see if you can battle your way 19:32 beyond the inhabitants of Canaan." 19:34 He says, "Just go ahead and do some window shopping in Canaan. 19:37 That's what you're getting." 19:38 Amen, somebody? 19:39 Go and do some window shopping. 19:40 And every now and then God gives us a glimpse 19:43 in His goodness of those things that are ahead of us. 19:46 If the leaders had only believed the Lord, 19:49 their journey to Canaan would have been nothing more 19:52 than a journey of confirmation. 19:56 The fact of the matter is, it's one thing to hear 19:58 the Word of the Lord, but it's something all together different 20:01 to believe it. 20:02 Look at verses 17 to 20. 20:04 They went to the land, they made it in. 20:07 Under the darkness of night they made sure that they 20:10 got in without the inhabitants noticing them. 20:12 And verse 17 of Numbers 13 says this, 20:15 "Then Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan..." 20:59 Now that's an amazing thing. 21:00 I thought about that for a moment. 21:01 God didn't send them during the winter time when 21:04 there would be no fruit on the trees. 21:07 God sent them at the height of the harvest 21:09 where abundance would be every direction they looked. 21:13 God sent them at the best time of the year, 21:15 the time of the harvest when everything was ripe. 21:18 Lush grapes, watermelon patch, carrots, and flowers, 21:23 in abundance in every direction. 21:25 They saw everything that God intended to give them. 21:28 God is just like that. 21:30 Sometimes the Lord gives us a glimpse 21:33 in the small things in our lives of the abundance that waits us 21:37 on the other side of this life. 21:39 When my wife and I went to California, 21:41 it was amazing about this whole ideology, 21:43 that when God opened the door, we didn't say, 21:45 "Lord, what's going to happen with us a few years from now?" 21:49 Sometimes you just have to trust God. 21:51 Sometimes you just have to believe that if God is 21:53 going to send you, He's going to clear the way that everything 21:56 He sends you to is going to be successful. 21:59 Amen? 22:00 God does not have to give us a list. 22:02 We don't have to check off God's list in order for God to be God. 22:05 One of the reasons why He's God is because He does things 22:08 exceedingly abundantly above all that we can ask for or think. 22:13 But the secret is according to the power that's working in us. 22:15 You've got to have faith there. 22:17 The Lord wanted to give them a glimpse of His blessings. 22:19 And God does that. 22:21 When the Lord answers our prayers, 22:23 when God answered our prayer to be in ministry, 22:25 we said, "We're going to go." 22:27 And that's how God is. 22:28 Look at Genesis chapter 12. 22:29 This has become a verse of my wife and I. 22:31 We study our Bibles together, and we have now 22:33 claimed this verse. 22:35 I've somewhat modified it by leaving certain words out 22:38 because it has become personal to us. 22:40 It reminds us, it reminds us of what happened 22:43 when God called us from Orland, Florida 22:47 in our no furniture apartment. 22:50 Look at Genesis chapter 12 verses 1 to 3. 22:53 "Now the Lord had said to Abraham..." 22:54 And I'm going to put my name there; to John, to Angie. 22:59 Get out of Florida. 23:04 And at that time it was California. 23:25 Now I'm not saying I'm everybody's piece of cheese, 23:27 but it's every now and then... 23:28 You know, I got a letter in the mail from a lady I've 23:30 never met and I've talked to her on the phone several times. 23:32 I've never met her. 23:34 And when I read this text, the day that we read this text 23:37 and it became personal to us, we opened this letter, 23:40 we opened this card. 23:42 And as we read through this card, she said at the bottom, 23:45 "I don't think you know how many people 23:48 in the world you have blessed." 23:51 And we looked at each other with tears in our eyes 23:53 and repeated the promise, 23:55 "I will bless those who bless you. 23:58 I will make you a blessing." 24:00 And whenever we travel for the Lord, we remember that it's God 24:03 who's going ahead of us. 24:04 We don't go ahead of God, God always goes ahead of us. 24:07 If we follow the Lord, God will always remain 24:11 faithful to those that trust in Him. 24:13 Can you say amen? 24:14 We believed God. 24:15 And the fact of the matter is, what could be better 24:18 than believing God? 24:19 Look at Romans 4 and verse 3... 24:22 ...about Abraham and about anybody who's faithful. 24:25 "For what does the Scripture say," it says... 24:37 Wherever the Lord leads, remember this, 24:39 wherever the Lord leads is better than where you were. 24:45 I just wasted that on you guys. 24:48 Wherever the Lord leads is always 24:50 better than where you were. 24:51 And amen to that? 24:53 You don't need to know that. 24:54 You just need to know that God never takes you 24:56 from good to bad. 24:58 He always takes you from bad to good. 25:00 He takes us from Egypt always and always points us 25:04 toward the Promised Land, wherever that may be 25:07 in our journey toward that eternal kingdom. 25:10 God gave the leaders a reason to believe His promises. 25:12 Look at verse 23 of Numbers chapter 13. 25:16 God gave them a reason. 25:17 But amazingly when I read this verse I could not understand 25:20 why they decided to distrust God when God gave them a reason. 25:25 Look at verse 23. 25:36 This is not grapes that they got from Wal-Mart. 25:38 This was huge. 25:48 I going to tell you, if my wife comes home from the store 25:51 and somebody is carrying grapes in the house on a pole, 25:55 I need to know where that store is. 25:57 What about you? 25:58 "Where'd you get those grapes?" "Wal-Mart." 26:00 I tell you, if Wal-Mart had grapes that size, 26:02 the store would have a line outside that they could not 26:05 possibly supply all the people waiting for grapes that large. 26:08 Isn't that right? 26:09 God gave them a reason to trust Him. 26:11 God didn't give them some tiny little shriveled up grapes 26:14 at the end of the harvest. 26:15 He gave it to them at the beginning of the harvest 26:18 bursting with the juices of Canaan. 26:22 And they took this into the camp. 26:23 And I could see the eyes of the people as they walked in. 26:26 They looked at each other and they probably inhaled. 26:29 Oh. 26:31 "Where'd you get that from?" 26:32 "The Valley of Eshcol in the land of Canaan." 26:35 "Are there more?" 26:36 "Oh this is just a sample. 26:37 And I've got some pomegranates and I've got some figs too." 26:42 And I'm sure they ate those grapes. 26:44 And I'm sure they had those pomegranates and those figs. 26:48 The sad reality is, what they brought back was good, 26:51 but the people were not just waiting for good food. 26:54 They were waiting for a good report. 26:56 And the leaders were in the position to strengthen 26:58 their belief in God's promises. 27:00 But what was the outcome? 27:01 Look at verse 27. 27:03 Verse 27 of Numbers 13. 27:06 "Then they told him..." That is, they told Moses. 27:22 I wish the story ended right there. 27:25 I always read this and wish the story ended right there. 27:28 When I was thinking about this, it reminds me of 27:31 people that have testimonies that are too long. 27:35 They keep on talking until they talk themselves out of the 27:38 initial blessing. 27:39 They keep meandering and their story gets so long 27:41 that sometimes they forget. 27:43 They've said so much that they have talked themselves 27:45 beyond the blessing. 27:46 Sometimes your testimony has got to be short and to the point. 27:50 God is good, amen. 27:53 Here's the fruit. 27:55 But that's not the end of the story. 27:56 Look at verses 28 and 29. 27:58 "Nevertheless..." 28:00 Oh, I wish that wasn't in the Bible. 28:30 "How are we going to get in there?" 28:32 They forgot what God said. 28:35 God said, "I'm going to give it to you." 28:38 You know, when... 28:39 I tell you, sometimes you've got to dream. 28:42 Sometimes you've got to go beyond reality. 28:44 Because sometimes reality is not always reality. 28:47 The reality of the matter is, we have things in our lives 28:50 that if it really relied on our finances, 28:53 it wouldn't happen. 28:54 But God's got a window somewhere that opens up every now and then 28:58 and pours out a blessing on His children 29:00 that there's not room enough to receive it. 29:01 Can you say amen to that? 29:03 Sometimes we look at people, like I'm looking at 29:05 Resa tonight, I remember when Resa was 29:06 struggling with cancer. 29:08 How we looked at her on many days when she sat up there 29:11 in the mother's room and had her little mask over her face, 29:13 and we thought, "Is she going to survive?" 29:17 And I look at her now, her hair is all grown back, 29:20 her color has returned. 29:22 And I believe that has happened because we serve a God that 29:25 she trusted in no matter what we saw. 29:28 She still trusted God. Amen? 29:30 You cannot base your faith on always the things you see. 29:34 And the fact of the matter is, as I think about what they said, 29:37 everything that they said was true. 29:39 And you know what, you don't have to tell a lie 29:42 to sow seeds of unbelief. 29:44 But what was wrong with this story is they suggested 29:47 that the task of getting into Canaan required more strength 29:52 than they had. 29:53 They said, "We can't do it. 29:55 They're strong, the cities are large, the people are giants, 29:58 the walls are fortified and very large. 30:00 They've got the sea cut off, they've got the gates blocked." 30:04 But I want to tell you, that's what faith is all about. 30:08 You could look at a situation and say, "I can't it," 30:10 and God says, "I know that. 30:12 That's why I'm God." 30:13 There's no situation that we could be in 30:15 that God cannot handle. 30:18 That's why God is God. 30:20 But there was a deeper problem there. 30:22 Look at Hebrews 3 and verse 12. 30:24 It was not that God didn't give them enough evidence, 30:27 but it was a deeper problem. 30:30 It was a deeper issue here. 30:32 Hebrews 3 verse 12, the Bible says... 30:46 I'd like to suggest at this point that ten of the 30:49 twelve men that went to spy out the land had problems already. 30:53 Because Joshua and Caleb evidently didn't. 30:56 They came back with a good report. 30:58 I would suggest to you that the problem is not that God 31:01 can't reveal Himself. 31:02 But if there's something wrong in your heart 31:04 while God is trying to change that, 31:07 sometimes that's evil heart. 31:10 They didn't say they had a heart of unbelief. 31:11 It was an evil heart. 31:12 Which meant ten of those twelve leaders were already 31:16 leaning away from believing God. 31:19 So they went with their minds already made up. 31:21 And by the time they got there instead of focusing on 31:23 all the good things that they could see, 31:25 they focused on all the bad. 31:28 That's the difference between a chicken and an eagle. 31:32 There's no such thing as Kentucky fried eagle. 31:34 Can you say amen to that? 31:36 Kentucky fried chicken, because you can catch those. 31:39 They spend all their time on the ground picking 31:41 whatever you throw at them. 31:44 But those of us who are eagles in the will of God, 31:47 we will mount up with wings like eagles. 31:49 We will run and not be weary, we'll walk and not faint. 31:52 They went to Canaan with chicken hearts 31:55 and came back with a chicken report. 32:00 When you read the story, Joshua and Caleb said, "Enough. 32:03 We can go up at once and possess the land." 32:05 But the fact of the matter is, they had already tipped 32:07 the scale so that so many of the people were affected. 32:12 Look at verse 32. 32:14 They believed the leaders rather than believing God's promise. 32:17 They believed what they heard rather than what 32:20 God showed them. 32:21 Verse 32 of Numbers chapter 13. 32:44 I've got to say this right here. 32:45 Stop magnifying the obstacles and start magnifying the Lord. 32:49 Come on, help me out somebody. 32:51 That's why David in Psalms said, "Magnify the Lord 32:54 and let us rejoice and praise Him together." 32:57 We could put a magnifying glass on the hole in the wall 33:04 or we could put a magnifying glass on the promises of God. 33:07 They magnified the men that they saw 33:10 rather than the God that promised He was going to 33:14 bless them with that land. 33:16 I tell you, there's some people nowadays... 33:17 I had a discussion with somebody that said, "You guys 33:20 believe that heaven is for real. 33:21 What evidence do you have that heaven is for real?" 33:24 I said, "What year is this?" They said, "2014." 33:26 I said, "2014 what?" 33:29 Anno Domini. You know what that means? 33:31 In the year of our Lord. 33:33 That means even in atheist countries they rely on the 33:36 calendar which the dating began A.D., Anno Domini, 33:41 after Jesus. 33:43 If even atheists today have to put 2014, 33:47 they couldn't put 2014 unless something happened 33:50 2014 years ago. 33:51 Come on, say amen to that. 33:53 Even the atheist countries have got to go by a system that was 33:56 determined by a man called Jesus. 34:00 No matter what culture you go to, everybody has evidence 34:02 that He walked the earth. 34:04 They may not all say He's the Christ or the one 34:06 who brings them salvation, but there is no doubt. 34:08 Matter of fact, when you read the Bible in James, 34:11 there are no atheists among demons. 34:14 They're so convinced that God exists that the belief of God 34:17 makes them tremble. 34:18 That shows you that some men are far beyond demons. 34:22 Their belief in God has evaporated, 34:24 but the demons still to this day believe that God exists. 34:27 Matter of fact, when Jesus came to a demoniac man, 34:30 they said to him, "Have you come to torment us before our time?" 34:34 Even the demons know. 34:36 Matter of fact, the devil knows. 34:37 He knows he has but a short time. 34:40 Amen for that. 34:41 These men, they magnified the obstacles 34:44 and they did not magnify the Lord. 34:46 And this was the act that sealed the fate 34:49 of the children of Israel. 34:50 Look at Hebrews chapter 3 verses 16 to 19. 34:54 This is a sad commentary. 34:56 It didn't need to be there, it didn't need to be this way. 34:59 But the verses read as follows... 35:39 I thought about that. 35:41 Unbelief is a seed that keeps producing a harvest 35:43 long after the first harvest has been gathered in. 35:49 The unbelief that was sown in the wilderness 35:52 was still alive more than 1500 years later. 35:55 You would think that all those that died out in the wilderness, 35:58 20 years old and over of all the males, 36:01 you would think that when the last one of them died 36:04 that unbelief had ended. 36:05 But that's not the case. 36:06 Look at John chapter 5 verse 46. 36:08 When Jesus came, He had to deal with the same old unbelief. 36:12 Among the family line, those that had followed along, 36:17 somehow unbelief still filtered through to the children 36:19 and the children's children. 36:22 Look at John 5 verse 46. 36:24 The Lord goes right back to that same example. 36:27 He said... 36:40 "If you don't belief Moses..." 36:41 They didn't believe Moses. 36:42 "If you don't believe Moses, there's no way 36:44 you're going to believe Me." 36:45 Matter of fact, they had problems. 36:47 They said that, "This well was given to us by 36:49 Abraham our father." 36:50 And the Lord said to them, "Abraham? 36:52 Before Abraham was, I AM." 36:55 Don't ever point your blessings to a human vessel. 36:58 Our blessings are always the result of a divine vessel. 37:04 Today for us to believe in Jesus we must believe in His Word. 37:09 For us to believe His Word, we must believe in Jesus. 37:13 You can't believe just His Word, you've got to believe in Him. 37:16 You can't just believe in Him, you've got to believe His Word. 37:19 That's why Jesus confronted the children of Israel. 37:21 He said to the disciples, "You believe in God, 37:24 believe also..." Where? "...in Me." 37:29 Unbelief in the Hero undermines the power of the Word. 37:33 Look at Hebrews 4 and verse 2. 37:35 Hebrews 4 and verse 2. 37:53 You know, I've discovered today that preaching 37:55 is not the problem. 37:56 Preaching is not the problem. 37:58 Preaching is not the problem. 38:00 Believing is. 38:02 In the parable of the sower... 38:06 ...the Lord is the Sower. 38:08 The seed is His Word. 38:11 How could Jesus sow good seed, and still seventy-five percent 38:17 of those that heard it had no positive effect by it? 38:25 Shallow ground, stony ground, thorny ground. 38:30 The seed was good. 38:31 God's Word is always good. 38:32 I'm always amazed by that. 38:33 I've somehow found a way to relieve myself. 38:37 Sometimes I would go away and I'd say, 38:39 "Did I not make a good enough appeal? 38:41 Was it something that I said or something that I didn't say?" 38:43 And I've discovered, it's not always the preacher. 38:46 Sometimes it's the soil. 38:48 That was the issue with the children of Israel. 38:50 It was not the Word, it was not the promises of God, 38:52 it was not Moses, it was not what they saw in Canaan. 38:55 It was the heart. 38:57 Deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. 39:00 An evil heart of unbelief. 39:03 But on the other side, the Word of God is effective 39:06 to those that believe. 39:07 Look at 1 Thessalonians chapter 2 and verse 13. 39:10 Look at that very quickly with me. 39:12 1 Thessalonians chapter 2 and verse 13. 39:37 Nothing wrong with God's Word. 39:39 You've got to put it in and you've got to believe. 39:41 You've got to put it in and you've got to believe. 39:44 It works in those who believe it. 39:46 The Bible is one of the best books ever written, 39:48 but it's not a text book. 39:50 It's a living book. 39:52 It's a book from the living God. 39:54 It's the only living book on the planet. 39:56 The proof of its life is, every time you read it 39:58 you find some new nugget that can encourage you 40:01 and strengthen you for the entire day. 40:03 Amen? 40:04 It's a living book, but it only works in those who believe. 40:07 Satan not only leads men to disbelieve God's Word, 40:10 he introduces theories and false doctrines that are 40:13 contrary to the Bible. 40:15 But the problem is, because the hearers don't study 40:17 they are easily deceived. 40:18 Look at Romans chapter 16 verses 17 and 18. 40:21 Look at the Bible, as it makes it very clear 40:24 how deception works, how unbelief is undermined. 40:27 How belief is undermined. 40:41 The King James Version says, "Mark those." 40:43 Avoid them. 40:58 That's why it's so amazingly necessary to study God's Word. 41:03 The Bible says that the Word of God, "making wise the simple." 41:09 Remember that song you use to sing? 41:10 Making wise the simple. 41:13 Those that don't study the Word of God are sitting ducks 41:17 waiting for smooth talking preachers, both in the truth 41:21 and out of the truth, to come along and deceive you. 41:25 I know folk that were raised in the Adventist church. 41:27 Now they boast about being a member 41:29 of a different denomination. 41:30 And I'm not saying that people of another 41:31 denomination are lost. 41:32 But I'm simply saying, you can't walk away from light 41:35 and walk into darkness and think you're still in the light. 41:38 Amen? 41:39 You can't do that. 41:40 But there are those that walk out of the light 41:42 and boast about, "Well you guys are bound, 41:45 still keeping the Sabbath. 41:46 You know, you're still trying to be saved by keeping the law." 41:49 I'm not trying to be saved by keeping the law. 41:52 But because I am saved in Jesus, 41:53 "If you love Me, keep My commandments." 41:55 Come on, say amen to that. 41:57 But we're living in an age of contrary doctrine. 42:00 That's what Paul pointed out. 42:02 Who do you think Sunday sacredness, and the 42:05 secret rapture, and the immortality of the soul, 42:08 and eternally burning hell, who do you think that comes from? 42:11 Contrary doctrine. 42:13 Now I don't want to spend a lot of time on it, 42:15 but we've got our own contrary doctrine 42:17 in our own denomination. 42:19 Don't want to spend a whole lot of time, 42:20 because there's some things that some of you never heard about. 42:23 I don't want to even put the seed there to make you 42:25 investigate darkness. 42:26 But as a pastor when we travel around, 42:28 even sometimes I get phone calls, or sometimes I'm in a 42:31 particular area, and somebody says, 42:33 "Well help me understand this. 42:35 Has our church missed this doctrine?" 42:37 And I say, "No, our church hasn't missed it. 42:39 But somebody went out and developed a 42:41 new contrary doctrine." 42:44 And unfortunately people are running after 42:47 the devil's rabbits. 42:49 They're trying to figure out whether 42:50 this is true and that is true. 42:51 You know, my brethren, God has not passed His people by 42:54 and given one man here and one man there something that 42:58 His entire denomination has missed. 43:00 Can you say amen to that? 43:02 There are those that come along and preach division. 43:04 They say, "If you follow us, then we have new light." 43:08 New? 43:09 It just means you haven't read it yet, 43:11 but it's always been there. 43:12 Amen. 43:13 But look what happens. 43:14 Look at how the devil undermines our faith. 43:16 1 Timothy 4 and verse 1, here's what Paul says... 43:35 That's the age in which we live. 43:36 Demonic doctrines. 43:38 And you know what some of them say? 43:39 "Well Pastor, you don't believe it because 43:41 you haven't studied it." 43:43 You know what? 43:44 I don't need to spend all my time, I worked in a bank, 43:48 I don't need to spend all my time looking at all the 43:50 counterfeit bills. 43:51 I just need to spend my time studying the true bill. 43:54 What do you say? 43:55 If you study the truth of God's Word, you can spot a 43:58 three legged rabbit any day. 44:03 I have to go through all the species of rabbits 44:05 to figure out, is there a three legged rabbit I missed? 44:07 No, just look at the four legged ones. 44:09 If a three legged rabbit comes along 44:11 and they say this is a new one that just got created, 44:14 you better run to the hills. 44:15 Amen. 44:16 By the way, the word, "depart," there comes from the 44:19 Greek word, "apostasia," which means, "apostasy." 44:23 Look at 2 Thessalonians 2 and verse 3. 44:25 He makes it even clearer. 44:26 He unfolds it even more. 44:28 Why is unbelief waning in the last days 44:30 even among those claiming they have the truth? 44:32 Look at what the Bible says... 44:54 When I study this, sometimes I talk to... 44:56 You know what? 44:57 I've got to just tell it to you the way I wrote it down. 44:59 The most effective and deceptive opponents of the church 45:02 are former members. 45:05 The most wicked ones that you've got to deal with 45:08 are people that use to stand where you stand. 45:13 That's why Paul says, "After my departing 45:15 grievous wolves will enter into the flock, 45:17 not sparing the flock, 45:19 drawing disciples away after themselves." 45:21 You've got to worry about people that know the truth 45:24 but whose hearts are not converted. 45:26 I remember when I was a young man back in New York City. 45:28 This little offshoot group called The Shepherd's Rod 45:31 tried to get me when I just started coming back 45:33 into the church. 45:34 They tried to pull me out. 45:37 And I went back to studying God's Word 45:39 and studying the things that they said were new light 45:42 in the writings in Ellen White. 45:43 And I discovered it's not new light. 45:44 It's been there all along. 45:46 But they twisted that, and that's exactly what happens. 45:49 Look what the Bible says in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 45:51 and verses 11 and 12. 45:53 This is what happens. 45:54 The inevitability is condemnation. 45:58 And the Bible says... 46:19 Their love for unrighteousness was preferred above 46:25 belief in the truth. 46:27 And the fact of the matter is, belief in the truth is the 46:29 antidote to unrighteousness. 46:31 It's the antidote to deception. 46:33 You believe the truth, you won't be deceived. 46:35 You accept the truth, you cannot be deceived. 46:37 You believe the truth, you cannot have a faith 46:39 that turns into unbelief. 46:42 But I also discovered something else. 46:44 It's possible to look like a believer when in fact 46:46 the people that sometimes you condemn end up 46:49 becoming a believer before you do. 46:52 Look what Jesus confronted in His day. 46:54 Matthew 21, this is what He said about the Pharisees. 46:57 They looked like believers, but they had 47:00 evil hearts of unbelief. 47:01 Matthew 21 verses 31 to 32. 47:04 Notice what the Bible says. 47:07 "Jesus said to them..." That is to the Pharisees. 47:33 Oh my brothers and sisters, don't get settled 47:35 in looking religious. 47:37 Have a connection with God that's based on the validity 47:40 and the veracity and the tried foundation 47:44 of His unchanging Word. 47:47 Don't just get content in looking religious. 47:50 The harlots and the tax collectors and sinners 47:51 did not look religious. 47:53 The Pharisees did. 47:54 But they ended up believing, and the Pharisees rejected, 47:58 the very knowledge that Jesus was the Christ. 48:01 And so here are the three things that I want to point out 48:03 that will help your belief become strong. 48:05 Mark 9 verse 23. 48:07 Belief results in strong Christians. 48:09 Mark 9 verse 23, look at what the Bible says... 48:17 How many things are possible? 48:25 How many things? 48:26 All things. 48:28 Sometimes people take that and twist that and try to 48:31 use that "all things" to manipulate themselves 48:33 into personal selfishness. 48:35 Whenever it is within the plan of God, it's possible. 48:39 God is not a God who's a grocery store. 48:41 God is not a "bless me only" kind of God. 48:44 And one of the things that really troubles me about 48:46 this generation is people are more concerned about 48:48 God's blessings than God's righteousness. 48:52 Listen to some of those television preachers. 48:55 "Send for your prayer cloth so God can bless you." 48:57 "Get your anointing oil so God can bless you." 48:59 "If you bless me, I'll bless you." 49:01 "God will bless you if you sow a seed." 49:03 Sometimes I hear the word, "sow a seed," or the phrase, 49:05 "sow a seed," and it just sickens me because 49:07 I know what's going to follow that. 49:08 "If you sow a seed of a thousand dollars, 49:11 God is going to bless you." 49:13 And folk go to their graves broke because these 49:15 smooth talking preachers living in their 18,000 square foot 49:20 houses and their many mansions and their bars and their cars. 49:25 Like this new show, The Preachers of LA. 49:27 They've got bling more than they have a connection 49:31 to the living God. 49:33 You've got to have a connection. 49:35 Belief results in strong Christians. 49:38 Secondly, Romans 1 verse 16. 49:41 Belief connects the Christian to spiritual power. 49:43 Notice Paul's writings, Romans 1 and verse 16. 49:47 He says... 50:08 Salvation for those who believe. 50:12 Salvation for those who believe. 50:15 You cannot have an evil heart of unbelief. 50:18 One person said to me, and I'll never forget this, 50:21 he said to me, "How come I pray 50:23 and my prayers don't get answered?" 50:26 I said, "That's not my fault. 50:28 I pray and my prayers get answered." 50:29 Amen, somebody? 50:31 Don't blame God... 50:32 He said, "I've prayed for the sick and they died anyway. 50:35 I prayed for God to heal somebody and they died anyway." 50:40 So now you're upset with God because 50:41 God didn't listen to your will? 50:45 I said, "Have you heard of the resurrection?" 50:48 "Well no, that's not what I asked for. 50:50 I asked for God to heal them." 50:51 He will in the resurrection. 50:53 Help me out, somebody. 50:55 If God stepped into every situation in this life, 50:59 this would be heaven. 51:00 But this is not heaven. 51:03 This is earth. 51:04 This is not heaven. 51:05 So God's sovereignty decides to let some go 51:08 and some be laid to rest. 51:10 A number of years ago I found a text in Isaiah 57. 51:14 The righteous die and no one takes it to heart 51:16 that God allows them to be laid to rest to be spared 51:20 from the evil that is to come. 51:23 You never know what a person's future holds. 51:25 Just trust the sovereignty of God. 51:27 When you trust the sovereignty of God, 51:29 belief in God will make you realize that belief in God 51:33 brings with it the unashamed context of the gospel, 51:37 and you'll experience the spiritual power 51:39 because you believe. 51:41 Belief also assures us that God is listening when we pray. 51:44 Look at Matthew 21 and verse 22. 51:48 Matthew 21 and verse 22, look at this one. 51:52 Sometimes people pray. 51:54 The Lord said... 52:04 Oh I can spend the rest of the night talking about that, 52:06 how that works. 52:08 You see, the thing is you've got to understand God's Word. 52:11 When you study God's Word, you learn how to pray. 52:16 When you read God's Word, you learn how to pray. 52:20 Let me use an analogy. 52:21 You don't go to a person that is a seamstress 52:25 and ask them to build a house for you. 52:28 Because they ain't going to do it. 52:30 You don't go to a person that bakes bread 52:32 and ask them to build an engine for you, 52:34 because they're not going to do it. 52:36 You've got to understand God's Word. 52:38 You will have your prayers answered when you pray 52:43 in harmony with God's list of promises. 52:47 But sometimes people try to add what God never put in His Word, 52:51 and then manipulate God to try to get Him to answer that. 52:54 "Lord, I need a jet." 52:55 You don't need a jet, you need a new heart. 53:03 But then you also add, if God wants to give you a jet, 53:05 He can give you one. 53:06 If you need it. Amen. 53:11 But as I wind up this message, the good news is there is a 53:15 solution to unbelief. 53:17 You don't have to end up on the outside of Canaan. 53:20 We don't have to end up on this side of the promise of God. 53:24 We can make it in this time because the God that led Israel 53:28 is still leading us today. 53:30 The God that opened the gate for Israel to go in 53:33 is still leading us today. 53:34 The God that led them out of Egypt led us out of our 53:37 darkness into this marvelous light. 53:39 And brothers and sisters, my commitment, 53:41 and I believe that yours should be the same, 53:43 you should commit yourself to keep following the Lord 53:45 until the journey is over. 53:47 And when it's done, you need to look down because 53:51 you'll be standing on streets of gold. 53:52 Amen, somebody. 53:54 Don't quit now. 53:56 You don't quit when you're near the journey's end. 53:58 But you've got to be a praying man. 54:00 You've got to be a praying woman. 54:02 You have to be reading your Bible, taking God's promises. 54:06 You can't claim what you don't know. 54:08 And when you don't know God's promises, 54:10 the devil can come along and sow anything in your heart 54:13 because your heart has not been furnished. 54:15 That's why David said, "Thy word have I hid in my heart," 54:17 in my heart, my mind, my life, 54:19 "that I might not sin against Thee." 54:21 You've got to put something in there 54:24 to get something to come out when times are difficult. 54:26 And when times are good, God will bring those blessings 54:30 to the forefront. 54:31 There is a solution to unbelief. 54:32 Acts chapter 16 and verse 31. 54:35 Notice what the Bible says. 54:43 And so tonight I want to say, there is a way for unbelief 54:47 to be replaced with faith. 54:48 There is a way for doubt to be replaced with assurance. 54:52 There is a way for cheap grace to be replaced with 54:55 blessed assurance. 54:56 There is a way for eternal loss to be replaced with 55:01 eternal life. 55:03 You don't need to drown in the sea called, unbelief. 55:08 You don't need to fall for the devil's lies. 55:12 I would guarantee you that there's no way that you could 55:14 study and pray and read and talk to God... 55:17 Sometimes I talk to God like He's right there. 55:19 I just talk out loud, regular voice tones. 55:22 I don't whisper. 55:23 You don't always have to bow your knees to talk to God. 55:27 You can walk through your house to talk to God. 55:28 Anybody know what I'm talking about? 55:30 You can drive in your car and say, 55:31 "God, is this the right direction?" 55:34 "Well God, am I going the right way?" 55:36 God will lead us. 55:37 "Lean not on your own understanding; 55:39 in all your ways..." Do what? 55:41 "...acknowledge Him and He'll direct your path." 55:43 The children of Israel, with all the knowledge and 55:46 all the vicissitude that God had given to them, 55:49 they pushed it all aside and they banked their destination 55:52 on their own ability to decide what direction to go. 55:58 When I read that story, it's a sad one because 56:01 the journey from Egypt to Canaan was just a few weeks. 56:03 But they ended up for 40 years meandering in the maze 56:07 called, the wilderness of sin. 56:10 Tonight there is a way for eternal loss to be replaced 56:14 with eternal life. 56:16 I want to read my favorite text tonight, I think you know it. 56:18 John 3:16, are you ready? 56:20 Let's read it together. 56:36 Salvation is not only what you believe, 56:38 but in Whom you believe. 56:40 If you believe in Jesus, you will believe His Word. 56:43 If you believe His Word, you would be walking in the light. 56:46 If you're walking in the light, you will be a witness for Jesus. 56:50 If you are a witness for Jesus, others will come 56:54 to believe in Him. 56:56 Brothers and sisters, don't miss this. 56:58 We are nearing our journey's end. 57:02 There's no better time to begin to believe the 57:05 promises of God than now. 57:07 Can you say amen? 57:08 I'm going to keep going until He comes. 57:10 I'm going to keep trusting His Word. 57:12 I'm going to bank my future on the promises of 57:15 God's written Word. 57:17 I'm going to keep in touch with Him through prayer 57:18 and lean upon the everlasting arms. 57:21 And when He comes, unbelief will be gone 57:24 because we will be leaving this earth eternally. 57:27 God bless you. Trust Him. 57:29 Get rid of unbelief. 57:30 Let us pray. |
Revised 2014-12-17