Participants: Pr. John Lomacang
Series Code: AOT
Program Code: AOT000139
|
00:13 Welcome to Anchors Of Truth
00:15 live from the 3ABN Worship Center. 00:22 Hello and welcome to the 3ABN Worship Center 00:25 to our special Anchors Of Truth today, this special Sabbath day. 00:29 Are you all happy here, I think I asked that to our crowd, 00:31 those of you at home? 00:32 We hope you're happy in the Lord today. 00:35 God has a plan for your life. 00:37 And that is, that when He comes back in the clouds of glory, 00:40 that you and I, all of us, go to heaven. 00:43 He says He died that not one should perish, 00:45 but all should have everlasting life. 00:47 Isn't that good news? 00:49 Well along the way, we have this controversy going on 00:52 between good and evil. 00:54 So the Lord has made a plan, and Satan says, "I want to 00:57 distract and discourage, and try to keep people from 01:00 making it to the kingdom." 01:02 So he's constantly... 01:04 And we're in a battle. 01:06 "But greater is He that is in us," the Bible tells us, 01:09 "than he that is in the world." 01:11 What it's saying is, that for where God guides, 01:14 He provides, right? 01:17 So today I don't want you to be discouraged. 01:19 No matter what your problems are, no matter what the 01:21 devil is throwing your way, you know that through 01:24 Christ you can overcome. 01:26 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." 01:30 Isn't that good news today? 01:32 I'm thankful for Pastor John Lomacang, his wife Angie. 01:35 What a great blessing they are to this area, to this church, 01:38 to the ministry of 3ABN. 01:40 And literally they evangelize around the world. 01:43 And I could stand here and give accolades all day, 01:46 but we'll just give credit to God. 01:48 I'm thankful that John has chosen to submit and commit 01:52 his life to Jesus, and that now he's being used of God 01:55 mightily, not only through his preaching, but his music also 01:59 literally around the world. 02:01 Right before John comes, he's asked me to sing this morning. 02:04 So, I like singing in groups anymore, 02:09 I don't do solos so much as I used to. 02:12 But when I stand on this platform, I think about 02:15 when we started our very first building almost 30 years ago. 02:19 We used to go out, and all we had was the shell of a building, 02:22 and we'd go out and gather hands together on a concrete slab 02:26 and sing, "We are standing on holy ground." 02:29 Today, I still feel like that when I come to 3ABN, 02:32 we come over, any of the buildings I go in, 02:34 because the presence of God is here. 02:36 So I hope this morning that you are blessed by this song, 02:40 Holy Ground. 02:58 As I walked through the door I sensed His presence, 03:07 and I knew this was the place where love abounds; 03:19 for this is the temple Jehovah God abides in. 03:30 We are standing in His presence 03:38 on holy ground. 03:43 We are standing 03:49 on holy ground, 03:56 and I know that there are angels 04:03 all around. 04:08 Let us praise, let us praise 04:15 Jesus now. 04:20 We are standing in His presence on holy ground. 04:41 In His presence there is joy beyond measure, 04:52 and at His feet 04:56 peace of mind can still be found. 05:05 If you have a need, my God has the answer. 05:16 Reach out and claim it, for, child, you're standing 05:23 on holy ground. 05:28 We are standing 05:33 on holy ground, 05:40 and I know that there are angels 05:47 all around. 05:52 Let us praise, let us praise 05:58 Jesus now. 06:03 We are standing in His presence on holy ground. 06:12 Sing it with me if you know it. 06:15 We are standing 06:21 on holy ground, 06:27 and I know that there are angels 06:34 all around. 06:39 Let us praise, let us praise 06:45 Jesus now. 06:51 We are standing in His presence, 06:57 we are standing in His presence, 07:04 we are standing in His presence 07:11 on holy ground. 07:19 Holy ground. 07:31 Thank you, Danny. 07:33 Good morning, everyone. Happy Sabbath. 07:36 As they would say in Kenya, "Happy day." 07:40 It's so good to be able to be here again this morning. 07:42 Where else would I be if I was in town? 07:46 The odd and challenging thing about doing an Anchors series 07:50 is switching out of the mindset of this is just 07:53 my normal Sabbath morning and remembering that 07:56 I'm dedicated to the clock. 07:58 But we have been walking this week through 08:00 the life and the journey of the children of Israel. 08:04 And if you ever want to know what the journey should entail 08:07 as we follow the Lord, just take a look at the 08:09 lives of the children of Israel. 08:12 Find out what they did, and do not do what they did. 08:17 For we have discovered that they neglected the danger of neglect. 08:21 They chose not to believe the danger of unbelief, 08:24 on Thursday night. 08:27 They chose to begin to not mature. 08:31 They chose that maturity was not something 08:34 that they would experience. 08:35 They chose not to participate in growing 08:38 in their relationship with God. 08:40 Today, we're talking about how those first three steps will 08:43 lead you to the place where you begin to draw back. 08:47 And finally, the final step; that of refusing God. 08:51 Which we will cover this afternoon. 08:53 So this morning, as we open God's Word together, 08:56 let's ask for the Spirit of God to lead in consideration of 08:59 the message, The Danger of Drawing Back. 09:01 Let us pray. 09:03 Gracious Father in heaven, we thank You for the 09:05 opportunity, human vessels are so inadequate, 09:09 but Lord, we pray that you'll come now and pour Your presence 09:12 into this place, into Your people. 09:15 And may we have ears tuned to listen to Your voice. 09:20 May we discover the blessing of continuing 09:22 to go forward in Christ. 09:23 In Jesus' name I pray, amen. 09:28 Now we're not going to immediately read the scripture 09:30 that pertains to this text. 09:32 Although, if you're following along, the verse that fits 09:35 best into the context of drawing back is 09:38 Hebrews chapter 10 verses 38 and 39. 09:41 We're not going to read that now. 09:43 This is one of those sermons where we're going to leave 09:45 that scripture to the very end. 09:47 We're going to see, as we build the platform, 09:49 that's where we're going to eventually end up. 09:53 But I want to begin today by talking about 09:55 the Christian journey. 09:57 Since I've been a Christian, I've discovered that 09:59 there are lots of pitfalls and lots of things that 10:01 we could avoid. 10:02 There are lots of benefits and there are lots of deficits. 10:05 We've got to choose which one we want to be a 10:07 part of our Christian experience. 10:09 There are good days, and then there are bad days. 10:12 There are moments that we can disappoint God, 10:14 and there are moments that we can thrive 10:16 in our relationship with God. 10:19 But there is no more solemn a journey for the Christian 10:22 than the journey that we enter after accepting Jesus. 10:27 Notice I said, it becomes solemn after we accept Jesus. 10:32 We can do whatever we want before that, 10:34 but once we dedicate our lives to the Lord, 10:36 the journey becomes a solemn one. 10:38 There is no more vibrant a life than the life that 10:43 we experience when we decide to follow Jesus. 10:47 You know, I compare my life often times to the life I 10:49 could have had if I did not follow the Lord. 10:52 I compare myself to the world that I lived in before I 10:54 gave my heart to the Lord. 10:56 And I want to tell you, it's quite a bit different 10:58 between traveling from Brooklyn to Manhattan, 11:02 from Brooklyn to Manhattan, just about four or five miles, 11:06 as compared to what God has done in our lives 11:08 since we put our lives in the hand of the Lord. 11:11 Only God can take a couple to 54 countries around the world 11:16 for His glory and His honor. 11:17 Can you say amen to that? 11:19 That's an abundant life. 11:20 But it's never about us, it's always about God. 11:23 And I believe that God will send you on a mission for Him 11:27 if He knows that sending you will not put His name at risk. 11:31 And so I always pray, "God, keep us humble. 11:33 Wherever we go, may You go before us and prepare us." 11:36 There's no more vibrant a life that we can experience 11:39 than the life that we can experience when we follow Jesus. 11:42 There is no other time that being sober is more necessary 11:47 than after giving our hearts to Christ. 11:50 There's no greater purpose than dedicating one's life 11:53 to serving God. 11:55 And also, there is no greater danger than 11:59 walking away from Jesus after accepting and experiencing 12:03 the blessing of being delivered. 12:06 But before I get to the drawing back stage, 12:08 I'd like to begin with the going forward stage. 12:12 I want to say emphatically this morning, 12:14 where would we be had it not been for Jesus? 12:17 Can I get an amen somewhere? 12:19 Where would we be? 12:21 Where would we be? 12:22 You can think of a number of places where your 12:24 life would have been, a number of alleys where your life 12:27 would have ended, a number of places where at the end of a gun 12:30 your life would have ceased. 12:31 And I've had those experiences. 12:33 But I believe that the reason I'm here today 12:35 is because the plan of God can never be diverted by 12:39 the plan of the enemy. 12:40 "Greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world." 12:43 What do you say to that? 12:45 Who would we have been apart from God? 12:47 You know, God takes a bundle of clay and forms it and 12:51 puts into that clay His breath of life, 12:53 as it were His Holy Spirit, and makes that vessel 12:56 a vessel of honor. 12:57 So who would we be apart from the Lord. 13:01 And finally, what hope would we have apart from the Lord? 13:05 We wouldn't have any hope. 13:06 We would be hopeless. 13:08 As Paul said, "We would be of all men most miserable." 13:13 So let's begin by taking a look at the mercy of God. 13:16 Exodus chapter 3 verses 7 and 8. 13:19 And as you know, the text will appear on the screen. 13:22 Thank you so much, Will, for doing what you do 13:24 every time we get together. 13:26 Exodus 3 verses 7 and 8, notice the mercy of God. 13:32 He's speaking to His own people. 14:03 Let me just say this again, I said this a few nights ago, 14:05 but here's my point. 14:07 Any place that the Lord finds you is not as good as the 14:12 place that the Lord is going to lead you. 14:15 Any place that the Lord leaves you is a whole lot better 14:19 than the place that the Lord finds you. 14:22 Any life that God empowers when He finds you, 14:26 He takes you to a more abundant, a more empowered life. 14:30 And you never know that unless you get to the place 14:32 where you decide that you are not God, and He is. 14:36 For He doesn't see as we see. 14:37 He sees the end from the beginning. 14:40 And Isaiah the prophet says, "From ancient times, 14:43 things that are not yet done." 14:45 So God sees us in our moments of disbelief, 14:48 in our moments of rebellion. 14:49 In our moments of falling away, God sees us. 14:53 And He saw the children of Israel in the land of Egypt, 14:56 and He knew that there must be a better place. 14:59 Like I said to my wife when we worked together at 15:02 an excavation construction company there 15:04 in Winter Springs, Florida. 15:06 I'll never forget that. 15:08 Shortly after we came home from traveling around the world 15:11 with the Heritage Singers, I sat there at my office 15:14 fiddling with paper, kind of like Brian Hamilton, doing my 15:18 accounting work, and I said, "Lord, there's got to be 15:21 more to life than this." 15:24 Now some people are cut out for that. 15:26 Can we give Brian an amen? 15:28 But it wasn't for me. 15:29 After being in a different location every day 15:31 singing and praising and seeing people come to the Lord, 15:33 I said, "Lord, I cannot spend the rest of my life 15:35 sitting behind a desk." 15:36 She said, "John, what's wrong?" 15:37 I said, "Honey, I want to be in the ministry." 15:42 And we began to pray and beseech the Lord. 15:44 And God found us in an excavation construction company 15:48 dissatisfied by our present circumstances. 15:51 And God, how merciful He is, reached down and took these 15:55 two balls of discombobulated clay and has been forming us 16:00 ever since that day for His glory. 16:02 What do you say? 16:03 That's what God does. 16:04 He saw the children of Israel in Egypt. 16:07 And I thank God today that we do not serve a 16:09 stand by and do nothing God. 16:11 And I also say this, to witness the unrivaled power of God, 16:15 just mess with His children. 16:18 I wish I could preach a sermon on that. 16:20 We've had battled through the years, 16:22 and we've left those battles to the Lord. 16:23 If you've got a battle, let the Lord fight your battles for you. 16:26 What do you say, church? 16:27 Because nobody can hit with a left hook like Jesus can. 16:31 And nobody can prevent your enemies from totally 16:34 bringing you down like Jesus can. 16:36 But Israel didn't understand that. 16:38 They didn't know that. 16:40 Notice what the Bible says in 2 Chronicles 16 verse 9 16:43 about the wonderful power of God. 16:46 The writer says... 17:03 You want to see a strong God? 17:05 Simply be loyal to God. 17:06 You want to see God move in your behalf? 17:08 Simply be faithful to God. 17:09 You want to see God remove the obstacles that are before you? 17:12 Simply trust what God can do. 17:14 For nobody, nobody can do what God can do. 17:20 As long as Israel trusted in God, He provided their needs. 17:24 As long as Israel followed God, He removed their obstacles. 17:30 As long as Israel stood with the Lord, 17:33 He stood in their defense. 17:36 The nations that surrounded Israel... 17:38 You should read some of the stories in the Bible. 17:40 There were instances where they heard that the Israelites 17:42 were passing through. 17:43 And even though the Israelites were miles away, 17:46 the nations that heard that the Israelites were passing through, 17:49 they were filled with fear. 17:51 They said to one another, "We hear the Israelites 17:53 are coming our way. 17:55 What do we do?" 17:56 Just the very thought of hearing the trodden hooves, 18:00 just the thought of seeing the thunderous cloud of the 18:03 millions that were traveling through the wilderness, 18:06 the nations that surrounded them shook with fear. 18:08 Because they knew that if Israel were faithful, 18:11 there was no nation that could ever withstand 18:13 the God of Israel. 18:17 And whoever stood against Israel, 18:18 they were no match for God. 18:19 Look at Deuteronomy 26 verse 8. 18:22 They were no match for the Lord of Israel. 18:27 Deuteronomy 26 and verse 8. 18:40 "...with great terror..." 18:41 That is to the nations around them. 18:46 Who else but God can put a pillar of fire between 18:50 you and your enemies? 18:51 Come on, talk to me. 18:52 Who else but God can cool your journey down 18:55 in the desert of your days other than God 18:57 by creating a cloud just for you to travel under? 19:01 Who else but God can bring water out of a rock 19:04 and cause serpents to lose their appetite when you pass by? 19:07 Come on, somebody say amen. 19:09 Whoever but God can do that? 19:11 But the children of Israel, and I say this to us today, 19:14 look at their lives where they failed, 19:15 and where they failed to trust God. 19:17 If God can do that for them, He wants to do the same for us. 19:21 But they forgot to trust God. 19:23 The problem with Israel was not God. 19:26 God was fully committed to Israel. 19:28 He made a covenant with them that He ratified 19:30 with His own blood. 19:31 Look at Jeremiah 32 and verse 40. 19:34 The Lord made it very, very clear what kind of 19:35 covenant He made. 19:37 He says in Jeremiah 32 and verse 40... 19:42 What kind of covenant, church? 19:43 Everlasting. 19:44 God's not going to change His mind. 19:46 He's fully committed, He's in for the long haul. 20:05 Oh, sometimes if God has to shake your house 20:07 to get you to stay home, He'll do it. 20:09 Come on, somebody, talk to me. 20:10 If God has to make your car break down 20:12 when you're about to leave your family, He'll do it. 20:16 The book of Hosea is so replete with examples of God 20:19 preventing Gomer from completely destroying her life. 20:22 That's how God is. 20:23 Sometimes He puts obstacles in our way to prevent us 20:27 from making havoc of our lives. 20:30 God said, "I'll put the fear of the Lord in their hearts 20:33 so they will not go to anybody else." 20:35 And they heard thunder. 20:37 And the voice of God brought them to a great place of fear. 20:39 But they know that God was still with them. 20:42 As long as Israel remained faithful to the covenant, 20:44 the benefits were theirs. 20:46 The Lord also was planning and hoping that they would not 20:52 depart from Him. 20:55 But now let's go to the next level. 20:57 When you think about this relationship 20:59 that we have now as God had with the children of Israel. 21:02 I think of a saving relationship in the same way that 21:05 I think of a marriage relationship. 21:07 Look at Ephesians chapter 5 verses 25 to 27. 21:10 The saving relationship and the marriage relationship; 21:13 a lot of similarities. 21:14 That's why Jesus is called the husbandman. 21:17 Look at this, my brothers and sisters. 21:19 He says... 21:55 That's God's ideal for His people. 21:57 One day we're going to see ourselves 21:59 like God always sees us. 22:00 Come on say amen, J.D. 22:01 One day we're going to see ourselves in the spotless 22:03 robes of His eternal righteousness. 22:06 But until then, we've got to trust that God is continuing 22:09 to clean up all the spots and wrinkles in our lives. 22:14 But married people know... 22:16 See, I'm going somewhere with this. 22:17 Married people know that it takes time to get rid of the 22:22 spots and wrinkles in your relationship. 22:26 Married people know that. 22:28 But the good news is that Jesus can sanctify 22:31 and cleanse His church. 22:32 Jesus can sanctify and cleanse the marriage relationship. 22:35 I've sat down with countless couples. 22:37 And I always am amazed when they get together, 22:40 when they're married on that first day, 22:41 they're getting married, they're filled with 22:43 what I call, euphoria. 22:45 They are excited about things that they are 22:49 completely unaware of. 22:50 They don't know that there's a storm coming, 22:53 a tsunami of relationship challenges. 22:55 And they are so unaware that all they can say is, 22:57 "I love her." 23:00 "I just love the way he smells." 23:04 "She just has such a beautiful figure." 23:08 Brothers and sisters, don't fall in love with things that change. 23:11 Help me out, somebody. 23:13 Because it's going to change. 23:15 I've finally given up. 23:16 You know, I've been confessing for years. 23:18 I've finally given up. 23:19 You know, I have a young person here I see over here. 23:22 She says, "Pastor, don't color your hair. 23:24 I like the gray." 23:25 When a young person tells you that, 23:27 you've got to do something. 23:28 Help me out. 23:29 "I like the gray." 23:30 I don't know if I'm getting older or getting wiser. 23:33 I think I'm getting a little bit of both. 23:34 Amen? 23:35 But you've got to understand that it takes time 23:39 from where God finds you to get to where God's ideal is for you. 23:43 The children of Israel were just impatient. 23:47 That's why when you get married, you've got to get married 23:50 and be in that thing for the long haul. 23:52 When we were married, we entered a marriage relationship. 23:56 When we are saved, we enter a saving relationship. 24:00 Now I want to tell you, the first day you get married, 24:03 that's not the rest of your life. 24:04 You've got to live that thing. 24:06 You've got to get up every morning, 24:08 you've got to brush your teeth, she's got to brush her teeth. 24:11 And then you've got to kiss good morning. 24:12 Help me out, somebody. 24:14 But after a while you stop brushing your teeth. 24:16 Can I get a witness? 24:18 After a while you figure, "You know my breath smells now. 24:20 I'm going to kiss you anyhow." 24:21 Come on, help me out. 24:23 After a while we start peeling away all the layers 24:26 of things that we tried to hide in the early stages of marriage. 24:30 And that's the sad part. 24:31 When you get too comfortable, sometimes your spouse has to 24:33 remind you, "Honey, you never did that before. 24:35 What's up?" 24:37 That's how it is with the children of Israel. 24:39 They got so comfortable in the relationship with God, 24:41 they began to do things that God had never envisioned 24:44 that they could do. 24:45 So as in the marriage covenant, 24:47 also so as the Christian covenant. 24:49 But what I like about this analogy is, 24:52 Jesus is the husbandman of His bride. 24:55 Jesus is committed. 24:57 He's not going anywhere. 24:59 He's not going anywhere for us, 25:01 He wasn't going anywhere for the children of Israel. 25:03 They just never embraced that. 25:05 They were so Egypt... They were so... 25:07 I'm going to try to find a word here. 25:09 They were so Egyptologized... 25:12 Don't look for that in the dictionary. 25:13 It ain't there. 25:14 ...that they could not think of being Canaanized. 25:18 They were so stuck with where they were; 25:20 their hip-hop in Egypt, their food in Egypt, 25:23 their dress in Egypt, their nightclubs in Egypt. 25:25 Sitting up at 2:30 in the morning eating 25:27 Kentucky Fried Chicken. 25:28 That's where they were in Egypt. 25:30 But God was trying to say, "Health reform, dress reform. 25:33 You've got to change your music, you've got to walk differently." 25:36 Help me out, somebody. 25:38 He was getting them ready for the better party; 25:40 the great celebration. 25:42 And you can't celebrate in Canaan like you 25:44 celebrated in Egypt. 25:46 But the problem has never been God. 25:48 The problem always was Israel. 25:50 Look at Hosea 11 verse 7. 25:52 Hosea 11 verse 7. 25:55 God is never the problem. 25:56 He never will be the problem. 25:57 He said of Israel... 26:08 You know what that means? 26:09 Some people pray all week long, "Lord, help me with this." 26:12 "Lord, help me with that." 26:14 But He said, "I wish you would stop praying and start 26:16 exalting Me by the way you live." 26:19 They called Him, but they did not exalt Him. 26:21 They thought that God was Wal-Mart, MP, Sam's Club, 26:24 you name it. 26:25 But they were not willing to do what God had said. 26:27 He said in Luke, I don't remember the actual verse, 26:30 but Luke chapter 6, He says, "Why call Me, 'Lord, Lord,' 26:33 and do not do the things which I say?" 26:37 Some people like the fact that God is a Savior. 26:39 But He's also a Lord. 26:40 And there's a difference. 26:41 You see, the Savior saves you, 26:43 but the Lord tells you how to live. 26:45 The, "Lord," comes from the Greek word, "landlord." 26:47 He's the one that tells us how to live. 26:49 People want saviors, but they don't want landlords. 26:53 The Lord wanted to be the Savior of Israel, 26:54 and also their Landlord. 26:56 That's why today when you think about this whole topic, 26:58 one of the most deceptive teachings embraced by 27:01 Christianity, is the idea that we are, 27:03 "once saved, always saved." 27:06 There is no such thing. 27:09 Follow me carefully. 27:10 The promise, even the promise, "I will never leave thee, 27:13 nor forsake thee," is conditional. 27:17 Now let's build on that. God always does His part. 27:19 But we're the ones that often walk away. 27:21 He said, "I won't leave." 27:23 But He didn't say that you wouldn't leave. 27:25 Look at Judges chapter 10 verses 11 to 14. 27:28 The problem always is the people. 27:29 The problem is never God. 27:31 Judges chapter 10 verses 11 to 14. 27:34 Continue on the screen. 27:39 I like this. 27:40 You know, when they were about to mess up, 27:41 God said, "Let's have a talk. 27:43 Before you mess up, let's talk this out." 27:44 He said... 28:06 "Didn't I do that? You remember that?" 28:08 Verse 13... 28:25 That's amazing. You think about that. 28:27 This whole idea that God ain't going anywhere. 28:29 You know, my brothers and sisters, the reason why the 28:32 Israelites ended up in Babylon is because God would not 28:35 allow them to act like Babylonians 28:38 while living in Jerusalem. 28:40 You want to live like Babylonians? 28:42 Do it in Babylon. 28:44 But if you're in Israel, if you're in Jerusalem, 28:46 you've got to live like Jews, 28:48 you've got to live like Israelites. 28:50 You've got to live in the church like folk that 28:53 are in the church. 28:55 Some folk come to church and want to live like 28:57 they're still in the world. 29:01 If you're going to be in the church, be in the Lord. 29:03 Help me out, somebody. 29:05 But don't be in the church acting like 29:08 you're in Babylon still. 29:09 God said, "I'm not into that." 29:12 When you get to that point, He says, "Let those that 29:14 you have chosen as your gods deliver you next time 29:17 you're bill can't get paid. 29:20 Call on them. 29:21 Call on Jay Z and Beyoncé to pay your bills. 29:26 I bet you they won't send you a nickel. 29:29 But if you believe Me, if you trust Me, I will provide 29:32 all your needs according to My riches and glory." 29:35 Amen, somebody. 29:36 And God's got a bank account. 29:39 I ain't seen the end of the zeros yet. 29:42 There's a one in the front and there's... 29:45 I've been following those zeros and I don't have that much 29:47 time to keep looking. 29:49 But God does not count His wealth by the cattle. 29:52 He counts it by the hills. 29:54 Even the economy of the world is based on God's gold. 29:56 "The gold and silver is Mine," He says. 29:58 And then He says, "If I were hungry, 30:01 I won't even tell you. 30:03 Because you don't have the kind of food that I eat." 30:06 What a God. 30:10 But God is so faithful that even sometimes in our moments of 30:13 backsliding, God is still there. 30:15 Come on say amen, somebody. 30:16 Look at Jeremiah 3 and verse 14. 30:18 Even in the time of rebellion, God remained unchanged. 30:22 We've got to get that. 30:23 Because our rebellion doesn't change God. 30:27 Our rebellion affects us. 30:29 But our rebellion never changes God. 30:31 "He's the same," come on, "yesterday, today, and forever." 30:36 Jeremiah 3 and verse 14, the unchangeable nature of God. 30:57 That's how good God is, He says, 30:59 "Bob, you want to come back? I'll take you." 31:01 You know what I like about God? Somebody once said... 31:03 I've said this before, but it fits right here. 31:05 When people are not on talking terms with God, 31:07 you're in serious trouble. 31:09 Because if you ain't on talking terms with God, 31:11 the devil would love to have a conversation with you. 31:13 But the problem is, you've got to check out what happened 31:15 to Eve when she had a conversation with him. 31:18 The devil does not play fair. 31:19 Some people think that when you don't want to hear God, 31:21 that somehow the devil is going to say, 31:22 "Oh, I feel really bad for you." 31:25 He's not going to do that. 31:26 He's going to try to do you in as quickly as he can. 31:28 That's why we have to be sober and be vigilant. 31:31 And remember that the devil, at no point in his existence, 31:34 is ever on our side. 31:36 Matter of fact, not even the evil angels 31:39 are on each other's side. 31:40 They are selfish, they battle amongst each other. 31:45 They don't even support each other, 31:47 let alone the children of God. 31:49 But God is different. 31:50 He says, "I have loved you, I'm married to you. 31:54 And if you go away, I'll have you come back; I love you." 31:58 Can you say amen to that? 32:00 Sometimes we wonder why God wants us back. 32:02 I'll tell you why. 32:03 Because when God makes a covenant, that covenant 32:05 is based on God's character, not our character. 32:09 That's why we can still have hope, even when things go bad. 32:12 Look at Jeremiah 31 verse 3. 32:14 Even when it's not going the way we'd like it to go, 32:16 we still have hope. 32:18 Because God is an unchanging God. 32:22 Jeremiah 31 beginning with verse 3. 32:44 You know what I like about God? 32:45 If you mess up, God doesn't take a broomstick 32:48 to go look for His sheep. 32:52 God goes out there looking for that lost sheep, 32:55 shaking in the cold weather, frozen in fear in a dark 32:59 wilderness somewhere. 33:01 And God finds that sheep and picks it up, and says, 33:04 "It's going to be alright." 33:06 He doesn't even yell at it and say, "Where you been? 33:09 What's wrong with you?" 33:11 He picks that sheep up and puts it to His bosom. 33:15 And the heart of God warms the heart of that sheep. 33:19 Then he turns and says, "Papa, I'm so glad to be back home." 33:25 You know what I love about the love of God? 33:26 Is that even when we strain our walk with God, 33:29 sometimes we make left turns when we shouldn't, 33:31 and we get off in the rest areas of the world where we shouldn't, 33:34 but God is right there when you get back on the highway. 33:36 "I've been waiting for you." 33:38 That's who God is. 33:39 He's got this love that is an everlasting love. 33:41 And the love of God is so good that if you think about 33:43 the love of God, it'll draw you. 33:45 It'll draw you, because you have never experienced 33:47 anything like the love of God. 33:49 Paul the apostle said, it is not the commandments of God 33:52 that leads you to repentance, nor the anger of God that 33:54 leads you to repentance, nor the doctrines of God that 33:57 leads you to repentance. 33:58 It is the goodness of God that leads us to repentance. 34:01 Can the church say amen? 34:02 You know, when you think about people that are good, 34:03 you think, "Now why did I leave? 34:06 And where am I going? 34:08 I'm going back home." 34:10 I remember one night I told my German Shepherd 34:11 when I was a young foolish kid, I was about maybe 34:14 11 or 12 years old and I didn't like discipline, 34:16 I remember telling my German Shepherd one day... 34:20 He didn't know what I said, but I told him. 34:24 I said, "I'm running away." 34:27 He looked at me like... 34:28 Like he always does; "What did he say?" 34:32 "I'm running away. 34:33 I'm tired of getting spankings, I'm running away." 34:36 You know where I ran to? Right back to my bed. 34:40 Because I figured, you know, "Where am I going? 34:41 This is Brooklyn. 34:43 Where is an 11 year old boy going to find 34:45 safety in Brooklyn?" 34:46 Can I get an amen, Jason? 34:48 Where is an 11 year old boy going to find... 34:49 I said, "You better get your little narrow 34:51 behind back to bed. 34:52 You ain't going nowhere." 34:53 And I ran away, right back to my bedroom. 35:00 Because I knew when I woke up the next morning 35:02 there's going to be food on the table. 35:03 Help me out, somebody. 35:04 There's going to be some food on the table, 35:06 there's going to be hot water, I'm going to have a bed, 35:08 and somebody else is going to pay for the 35:10 reason that I can stay there. 35:12 Papa is going to pay the rent, mama is going to cook the food. 35:14 Why would you mess that up? 35:17 Some folk walk away from God and forget the provision of God. 35:20 It's far greater than the provision of man could ever be. 35:22 God has no bottom to His money bag. 35:25 God has no stopping point to His gracious love towards us. 35:29 That's why when I talk about drawing back, 35:31 you see, I'm building the platform because don't know 35:34 what they were thinking to draw back from this kind of God. 35:40 God is love. 35:42 And because He's eternal, His love is also eternal. 35:47 Why would anyone want to draw back from that kind of love? 35:53 Now in order to answer the question, we've got to 35:55 take some time and look at people that did draw back 35:57 to discover where the dangers are. 35:59 Let's go to the first example. 36:01 Let's call this example, "When doing everything right 36:05 is not enough." 36:06 Did you hear what I said? 36:07 When doing everything right is not enough. 36:11 Let's go to Matthew chapter 19, the first example. 36:14 We're going to look at a couple of those. 36:15 The first example, "When doing everything right is not enough." 36:19 Sometimes you've got to want more than just what you ask for. 36:25 Matthew 19 verse 16. 36:31 This is the story of the young ruler. 36:33 We call him the rich young ruler. 36:47 In other words, "What must I do to get from where I am 36:51 to where I need to be? 36:53 What do I need to do?" 36:55 He looked at Jesus knowing that His name had been 36:58 all around town, that every place Jesus goes 37:00 folk are healed, dead are raised, 37:03 eyes of the blind are opened. 37:05 I mean, that's the kind of friend you want to have. 37:07 Jesus had a résumé that was impeccable. 37:09 He never failed a case. 37:11 They couldn't recluse Him, they couldn't refuse Him, 37:14 they couldn't shut Him down or shut Him out. 37:15 Jesus was successful wherever He went. 37:17 So this young man, with all of his possessions, 37:19 "What do I need to do, what good thing do I need to do 37:22 that I may have eternal life?" 37:25 And in summary, Jesus said to him, "Keep the commandments." 37:29 Now hold onto that thought. 37:31 Because if keeping the commandments were a 37:34 pre-requisite to salvation, this young ruler 37:37 would have been saved already, Adventists. 37:46 Keeping the commandments won't get us into a 37:51 relationship with Jesus. 37:53 We keep them because we are in a relationship with Jesus. 37:58 There's some folk that hang around Adventists 38:01 to keep the Sabbath, but they don't know Jesus. 38:03 They eat vegan food, but they don't know Jesus. 38:08 You can know all of that stuff, but it's not going to 38:12 amount to a hill of beans. 38:14 None of those things are going to make 38:15 a difference in your life. 38:16 You can be in the right location, 38:18 keeping the right day, eating the right diet, 38:21 dressing the right way, walking on the... 38:24 You know, doing everything right. 38:26 But my point is, when doing everything right 38:29 is not enough. 38:31 "What good thing do I need to do?" 38:33 And Jesus said, "Keep the commandments." 38:36 But I want you to know that keeping the commandments 38:38 don't motivate love. 38:39 Love motivates keeping the commandments. 38:43 That's why the Lord didn't say, 38:44 Keep My commandments, and then you'll love Me." 38:46 He said, together, "If you love Me..." 38:49 What did He say? John 14:15, look at it. 38:56 "If you love Me..." 38:57 Some folk have a problem with the commandments, 38:59 but the problem is not the commandments. 39:01 The problem is, you don't love the Lord. 39:04 "Many will say to Me in that day, 39:06 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied, 39:09 cast out demons, done many wonderful works?'" 39:11 Then God will say, "I never knew you." 39:15 And the reason why the Lord won't know many of us 39:17 is because we don't approach our relationship 39:21 from the basis of love. 39:23 You've got to approach your relationship with Jesus 39:25 from the basis of love. 39:27 Don't go on the 28 fundamental route first. 39:30 Fall in love with somebody, and then what they require 39:33 is an easy thing because you love them. 39:37 I didn't give my wife three books to read 39:40 before she married me. 39:42 "Honey, don't forget chapter 4. 39:43 If you can agree with that, we'll get married." 39:46 Am I telling the truth? 39:48 "Honey, don't... I think... 39:49 Did you check chapter 9, the second question? 39:52 'Will you cook my food really well?'" 39:55 No, we didn't do that. 39:56 But all the things that she does for me, and all 39:59 that I do for her, is because I love her. 40:01 And you know what? 40:02 Some of us would be terrified if we knew how many laws 40:05 there were on the books that govern the 40:07 relationship of marriage. 40:09 You never know until you say, "D." 40:14 I don't even use that word. 40:15 So you figure out what the rest of the word is. 40:18 When you start going down the "D" word... 40:23 I don't even use that word. 40:24 We've never, in 31 years, ever even uttered 40:29 that word to one another. 40:32 We don't do that. 40:33 If you wouldn't kick out your poodle when he 40:36 tinkles on the carpet, why would you treat 40:38 your wife worse than a poodle? 40:42 Well that's another sermon. 40:45 The young ruler said to Jesus, "I've been a commandment 40:47 keeper since I was young. 40:48 What else do I need to do?" 40:49 Look at verse 21 and 22 of Matthew 19. 40:51 "What else do I need to do? 40:52 I've been doing that all my life." 40:54 Some of you have been keeping the commandments all your life 40:55 and still don't know Jesus. 40:57 But don't think too long on that. 40:58 Let's keep going. 41:01 You've got to have that intimate connection. 41:02 Verse 21... 41:11 Now the reason why that is there is because 41:13 God knew, Jesus knew, that whatever possessions 41:15 that people receive was for the purpose of helping others. 41:19 Think about that. 41:20 That's why the New Testament church, when they got together, 41:22 they sold their possessions and helped one another. 41:26 He didn't do that yet. 41:27 That's why Jesus brought that to his plate. 41:29 Look at the rest of the text. 41:47 Now, don't miss this. 41:49 We often point out that he had great possessions, 41:53 and if we were him, we would have gladly given it up 41:56 to follow Jesus. 42:00 Don't fool yourself. 42:03 Don't fool yourself. 42:05 I don't want to put any test your way, 42:06 but it's going to come. 42:08 Because we ain't taking none of this stuff with us to heaven. 42:10 Amen, somebody. 42:11 It could be shiny and polished, it could be 1500 square feet, 42:15 it could be 3 square feet, you ain't taking with you 42:18 into the kingdom. 42:19 Somewhere along the way, we're going to have to 42:20 leave our possessions to follow Jesus. 42:22 They follow the Lamb withersoever He goes. 42:25 That's what Christianity is all about. 42:27 We often get to this point and say, "I would have gladly 42:29 given that up." 42:31 But one of the first principles of drawing back, 42:34 or drawing back from God, is he was not content 42:38 to give the leadership of his life to Jesus. 42:42 He was a leader already. 42:45 Those that are used to being leaders must one day, 42:49 in order to be a follower of Jesus, 42:50 must learn to be followers. 42:54 Because Jesus is the leader. 42:55 Look at Luke 9 verse 23. 42:57 Look at what He says to those that want to be Christians, 43:00 to those that want to follow Him. 43:02 "He said to them all..." 43:10 ...and take us his cross weekly. 43:13 Monthly. 43:15 Just on Sabbath morning. 43:17 Just on Wednesday night. 43:18 Oh help me out, somebody. 43:20 Every day. Amen, church. 43:23 But some folk don't do that. 43:24 They figure, "It's Sabbath morning. 43:25 I need to take up my cross." 43:27 And it's a bigger cross if the pastor preached 43:29 more than an hour. 43:33 Don't say anything. 43:34 Just giggle. 43:38 Take it up. 43:40 I'm going to invite Paul the apostle to preach. 43:43 He'll preach till midnight. 43:45 And some of you will fall down and bust your head 43:47 just like Eutychus did. 43:49 You've got to understand, following Jesus is never 43:52 on our condition. 43:53 The other problem with this rich young ruler 43:55 is he did not own his possessions. 43:57 His possessions owned him. 44:00 There's some folk that own their possessions. 44:03 And then some people that are owned by their possessions. 44:05 You know that man that Jesus try to get him to follow Him, 44:08 he said, "I bought some land. 44:10 I need to go check it out." 44:12 "I bought me a cow, I need to go see if it could be milked." 44:16 And the other one was amazing. 44:18 "I just got married." 44:19 That's why the Bible says, "No man can serve two masters." 44:22 Come on help me out, somebody. 44:24 You've got to sometimes put the Lord before your spouse. 44:29 That's another sermon. 44:32 Those possessed by possessions cannot be possessed by Jesus. 44:38 You've got to decide who you want to be possessed by. 44:41 And don't get possessed by things, because you know what? 44:43 When the next iPhone comes out, you're going to lose your love 44:46 for the iPhone you have. 44:48 Come on, techies, say amen. 44:50 When the next laptop comes out, you know 44:53 there's some folk can't wait. 44:54 What's today's date? The 9th? 44:55 I don't know what it is. 44:56 But there's some people lining up already 44:58 for the 9th of September. 45:01 Apple is going to unveil something new. 45:04 You know, let me tell you something. 45:05 Jesus unveils something new every morning. 45:08 Come on help me out. 45:09 His mercies are new every morning. 45:10 You don't got to wait for a date. 45:13 You've got to just get up in the morning and say, 45:14 "Lord, thank You for opening my eyes. 45:17 Thank You for giving me breath. 45:19 Thank You for making my legs work." 45:23 Just all those things are far greater than any new advice 45:26 or any new device that can come out by Samsung or Apple. 45:30 Some people say it's Android, others say it's Apple. 45:32 It's Jesus. Help me out, somebody. 45:36 Those possessed by possessions cannot be possessed by Christ. 45:39 Think of Ananias and Sapphira. 45:41 Lost their souls over possessions. 45:43 The rich man with all of his full barns lost his eternity, 45:47 traded eternity for his possessions. 45:49 Lot's wife. 45:51 First salt shaker; lost her life over her possessions. 45:57 Mark 10 verse 25. 45:59 That's why Jesus said these words... 46:27 You know what amazes me about this text? 46:29 Instead of people listening to it, they theologically 46:32 debate whether Jesus meant a sewing needle 46:34 or the needle gate. 46:35 Whichever one He meant, it's still easier. 46:41 You know, they try to say, 46:42 "Well Jesus didn't mean a sewing needle. 46:45 He meant the needle gate where the camel had to 46:48 kneel down and crawl through on his legs." 46:50 If I need to kneel down to crawl through to get 46:52 to the New Jerusalem, I'll kneel down. 46:54 Help me out, somebody. 46:56 That's what He meant when He said it's easier for a camel. 46:58 The point is, if you think your riches are something, 47:01 you ain't getting in there. 47:03 Don't ever put that before the Lord. 47:07 Many are willing to exchange paradise for possessions. 47:10 But look at Matthew 16 verse 26. 47:15 The Lord continues talking to those that 47:17 may think about drawing back. 47:35 What would he give? 47:36 He wants a corner office with red carpet, 47:39 a seven figure salary. 47:41 What can he give? 47:42 Joan rivers just died. 47:45 Every picture I saw of Joan Rivers... 47:47 And I am not deciding her fate. 47:50 But she's opulent. 47:51 The lady could dress. 47:53 She was funny. 47:56 But I hope that her salvation is secure in Jesus. 48:00 Amen, somebody? 48:01 I can't decide her fate. 48:02 And that's not the purpose of my comment. 48:05 And God does not hate rich people. 48:06 Don't leave with that thought either. 48:08 Because there are very many people in the Bible 48:09 that were wealthy, but they were not possessed 48:11 by their possessions. 48:13 They were possessed by the Lord. Amen? 48:14 Solomon, Abraham, the list goes on and on, Job. 48:17 He had so much cattle that they didn't know where to put it. 48:19 Abraham and his nephew, Lot; 48:21 they had so much they had to separate. 48:23 God is not a God who doesn't like possessions. 48:25 But if your possessions go before the Lord, 48:28 you've got a problem. 48:32 There are many that are not wealthy, but they still exchange 48:34 heaven for things. 48:36 Some people exchange their job. 48:40 They'd rather keep their job than honor the Sabbath. 48:44 Some people will rather keep drinking their alcohol, and 48:48 smoking their cigarettes, and eating their unclean foods, 48:51 and viewing unholy entertainment. 48:56 It's not just about what the rich young ruler did. 48:58 Some people would rather wear precious stones 49:00 than walk on precious stones. 49:03 Some people exchange family religion over 49:07 the truth of God's Word. 49:09 The question that God is posing to those who may think of 49:12 not going all the way with Jesus is, "What will you hold onto 49:17 that's better than holding onto Me?" 49:21 What could you hold onto that's better than holding onto Jesus? 49:24 Go through your inventory. 49:25 Take all the time you need. 49:26 But you don't have a whole lot of time. 49:29 Because there ain't nothing that we can hold onto 49:32 that can take away the luster and the glory 49:34 of the Lord Jesus Christ. 49:36 So here's the solution. 49:38 Don't allow anything to get between you and Jesus. 49:40 Can the church say amen? 49:41 Don't allow anything to get there. 49:43 You know, as we get older... 49:44 I don't know if it's just about age. 49:47 I keep talking about age. I must be getting older. 49:49 But there's something about getting older. 49:51 You know the things that used to thrill you when you were young, 49:54 as one song writer said, "The thrill is gone." 49:58 You know, sometimes you've got to say, 49:59 "I use to be excited about that. 50:01 Now I'd be glad if I could play once a week." 50:05 You know? 50:06 The things that used to thrill us when we were young, 50:08 they start losing. 50:09 I think that's what the song writer meant when he says, 50:11 "And the things of earth will grow strangely dim 50:14 in the light of His glory and His grace." 50:16 You've got to keep your eyes focused in the right direction. 50:19 When you lose focus, things look good, 50:21 but they're not really good. 50:24 Second reason why people often decide to draw back. 50:27 Here's the other one. 50:28 When your origin is more important than your destiny. 50:33 Luke 14 verses 26 to 30, look at this one very quickly. 50:36 Don't have a lot of time, don't hold me up. 50:38 Here we go. 51:14 The point simply is, drawing back principle number two, 51:18 holding onto Jesus requires letting go of anyone 51:24 that prevents Jesus. 51:26 That's serious. 51:29 You know, we hear the stories. 51:30 We were down in Africa, and the young lady, Arabian lady, 51:33 we were living at the home with the people that knew her. 51:36 There's some people in foreign lands that would rather die 51:39 than give up Jesus. 51:41 But in America, we give up Jesus for a job offer at Wal-Mart. 51:48 Oh, my good friend Doug Batchelor, "Can you imagine 51:50 missing heaven for a $12 an hour job at K-Mart?" 51:57 It's going to burn up. 51:59 You've got to be willing to give it all up for Jesus. 52:01 Anybody that gets between you and the Lord. 52:03 I remember making an appeal one day in a sermon. 52:07 And I've got to move on here. 52:08 I remember making an appeal one day in a sermon. 52:09 And a young sailor who was in the Marines stood up 52:13 there in Vallejo, California. 52:16 He stood up to give his life to the Lord. 52:18 God had been wrestling with his heart all seminar long. 52:20 And his wife said to him when he stood up, she said, 52:22 "If you go down that aisle, I'm going to leave you." 52:27 And he sat down. 52:30 She didn't leave him, he just joined another church. 52:33 She stayed with him. 52:34 The devil will do anything he can to keep you from drawing, 52:38 to keep you from accepting the truth of God's Word. 52:41 He's only concerned if you stand for the truth. 52:44 He doesn't care where you go, as long as you don't 52:46 follow the truth of God's Word. 52:48 Be willing to give up anybody that stands 52:51 between you and the Lord. 52:52 Amen, church? 52:53 Some think that following Jesus means you get 52:55 nothing in return. 52:56 That's not the case. Look at Mark 10 verses 28 to 30. 52:59 I'm going to finish this sermon. 53:00 Here we go. 53:31 Come on, somebody, say amen. 53:33 I talked to somebody the other day, I talked to somebody 53:35 not too long ago, they said, "You know, if so and so 53:37 is not in heaven, I don't want to go." 53:38 You know what, brethren? 53:39 That kind of philosophy does not apply to any other area of life. 53:44 Let me test it for a moment. 53:46 If I give you a Mercedes and not give your brother, 53:48 would you refuse it? 53:50 I bet you'd keep it and just give him a ride in it. 53:53 If I give you a million dollars and not give your sister, 53:56 would you refuse the million dollars? 53:58 I don't think so. 53:59 If I give you a new house and not give your best friend, 54:02 would you refuse it? 54:03 I don't think so. 54:04 That philosophy doesn't work in any other area of life. 54:07 Don't ever allow anybody or anything or any situation 54:11 to eclipse the blessing that's on the other side 54:14 of following Jesus. 54:16 Matthew 16 verse 25, look at it. 54:25 We won't experience abundant life until we choose Jesus. 54:28 Solution number two, make your destiny more important 54:32 than your origin. 54:33 Amen, church? 54:35 And our final example is called, "When your roots are missing." 54:39 Matthew 13 verses 20 and 21. 54:41 Come on, let's move on now. 54:58 He gets excited, but because he has no root, 55:01 because it doesn't appeal to his heart's desire, 55:03 he turns away from it. 55:05 And why does he turn away from the Word? 55:06 Here's the reason. 55:07 Hebrews 4 and verse 12. 55:26 Some people don't read the Bible because it reveals 55:28 how foolish they really are. 55:32 Oh, you think about it. 55:33 "A fool says in his heart, 'There is no God.'" 55:35 If you're an atheist, something's wrong. 55:37 All you've got to do is look up at night and realize 55:39 that wasn't an accident. 55:41 All you've got to do is even look at your own intellect 55:43 and realize that was not an explosion. 55:44 That was a design. 55:47 Solution number three, accept God's Word as the standard, 55:50 and not your heart. 55:53 You see, there are those that won't draw back. 55:56 And they won't draw back because they are willing to 55:59 abandon material possession, they're willing to sacrifice 56:02 the people connection, and they are willing to resolve 56:04 their heart connection for the sake of Jesus. 56:08 Abandon materials, sacrifice some people, 56:11 resolve your heart issues; but don't draw back from God. 56:14 Don't allow anything to get you to draw back from God. 56:19 And here's the closing scripture. 56:21 Hebrews 10 verses 38 and 39. 56:23 This was the foundation of the entire message. 56:42 Can we say amen today? 56:44 I'm going to keep going forward. Anybody else? 56:46 I'm going to keep trusting God. 56:48 It's not going to get better, it's going to get worse. 56:50 But when it gets better, it's going to be good eternally. 56:53 I'm not worried about what people say, 56:55 and what the politics say, and what's happening in the ISIS. 56:58 I'm looking at what's happening in the 56:59 Holy Land, the New Jerusalem. 57:01 What do you say? 57:02 I'm not worried about the decisions of the president, 57:04 because there's somebody in the Right House 57:05 that has never let me down. 57:08 So don't let anything get you to draw back. 57:09 Don't think about the family ties, and the worldly pursuits, 57:13 and the financial gains, and the situational ethics. 57:15 Think about the blood of Jesus that has gone all the way 57:19 to make salvation possible for you. 57:21 And when Jesus comes, my brother and my sister, 57:24 you will be glad that you have not drawn back. |
Revised 2015-01-15