Participants: Pr. John Lomacang
Series Code: AOT
Program Code: AOT000140
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00:12 Welcome to Anchors Of Truth
00:15 live from the 3ABN Worship Center. 00:22 Hi, I'm Brian Hamilton. 00:25 It is my privilege and pleaser to welcome you once again 00:30 back to the 3ABN worship studio, worship center, 00:37 for another Anchors Of Truth. 00:40 And we bring these Anchors Of Truth 00:42 live to you every couple of months or so. 00:46 And each time, we make a presentation of a subject 00:51 that's vital for Christians to know and understand. 00:54 This particular series called, The Danger Zone, 00:58 is no exception. 01:01 We have been blessed with four parts of a five part series 01:06 on danger; The Danger of Neglect, 01:10 The Danger of Unbelief, The Danger of Not Maturing, 01:16 and then most recently, The Danger of Drawing Back. 01:23 Elder Lomacang, John Lomacang, the pastor of our Thompsonville 01:27 church, will present in just a few minutes, 01:31 The Danger of Refusing God. 01:35 So if you're joining us on television, you're coming 01:37 to us on internet or radio, don't leave. 01:41 Stay with us, because you won't want to miss 01:44 the last presentation, The Danger of Refusing God. 01:52 I want to have a little fun with Pastor Lomacang 01:54 if I could for just a minute. 01:57 When I was a kid, I enjoyed toy stores. 02:01 And I think most of us as children did. 02:04 We like going into toy stores. 02:06 And when I was a kid and you went into a toy store, 02:08 they had these little toys that you could wind up. 02:12 Nowadays, they don't wind up. 02:13 They just run on batteries, you know. 02:16 But back in yesteryear they wound them up. 02:19 It could be a little train or a car, or it might be 02:23 a stuffed animal. 02:25 And you would wind that thing up and then it would go. 02:29 And I was mesmerized by watching those little toys go. 02:33 Well you know, if you want to wind up our own Pastor Lomacang, 02:38 give him a series of sermons to present. 02:41 And boy does he get wound up. 02:44 And we know that from our last presentation, don't we. 02:48 He was wound up. 02:49 So you'll want to stay with us for, The Danger of Refusing God. 02:54 But before Elder Lomacang comes and makes the presentation, 02:59 we'll be privileged to have Yvonne Lewis 03:03 sing, Amazing Grace. 03:05 Let me tell you a little bit about Yvonne. 03:07 Yvonne is the manager of one of our newest networks, 03:14 Dare To Dream. 03:16 And it's for inner city minorities. 03:19 That's the focus of Dare To Dream. 03:22 And if you have not had a chance to see Dare To Dream, 03:26 one of the easiest ways you can do that 03:29 is just go to the 3ABN home page. 03:32 3ABN.org Go to the home page. 03:36 And right under our logo and name, you'll see a 03:38 series of buttons. 03:40 They happen to be blue right now. 03:42 Blue buttons. 03:43 The first button, you just press that button. 03:46 It says, "Watch and Listen." 03:48 And on the list of broadcasts you'll find Dare To Dream. 03:52 In fact, Yvonne, I think it's the bottom one 03:55 on the list, is it not? 03:57 Yes it is. 03:58 You'll need to go there and check it out. 04:00 I just know it's on there. 04:01 It's the bottom one. 04:02 But remember, those who come first will be last, 04:07 and those last will be first. 04:08 The greatest will be least, and the least greatest. 04:11 So the fact that it's on the bottom is no problem. 04:12 Just hit it and get acquainted with one of our newest 04:18 networks or channels, Dare To Dream. 04:22 So Yvonne is going to bless us with the song, Amazing Grace. 04:26 And after Yvonne finishes, the next voice that you'll hear 04:29 will be the voice of our own pastor, Pastor John Lomacang. 04:52 Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound 04:59 that saved a wretch like me. 05:07 I once was lost but now I'm found, 05:15 was blind but now I see. 05:27 T'was Grace that taught my heart to fear, 05:35 and Grace my fears relieved. 05:43 How precious did that Grace appear 05:50 the hour I first believed. 06:02 Through many dangers, toils and snares 06:10 I have already come; 06:18 'Tis Grace that brought me safe thus far, 06:25 and Grace will lead me home. 06:37 When we've been there ten thousand years, 06:45 bright shining as the sun, 06:53 we've no less days to sing God's praise 07:01 than when we've first begun. 07:12 Amazing Grace. 07:36 Thank you, Yvonne. Amen. 07:39 That's what this series is all about; 07:40 the amazing grace of the Lord. 07:45 I don't think we're going to know how amazing His grace is 07:47 until we're at that first banquet. 07:51 I've been sitting back there thinking about that 07:53 very theme in my mind; 07:56 the amazing thought that these hands of mine 08:00 will one day touch the hand of God. 08:02 How amazing that thought is. 08:04 The God who made all of the unseen worlds, 08:08 the unnumbered stars, and solar systems, and galaxies; 08:13 one day we'll be able to sit down and watch God 08:16 remake earth all over again. 08:18 Then hear Him say, "Welcome, come ye blessed of My Father. 08:21 Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the 08:24 foundation of the world." 08:26 That you for that kind introduction, Brian. 08:29 If I'm wound up, it's because I've been looking at 08:32 Jesus all week long. 08:34 You cannot behold the glory of God and not be excited about it. 08:38 But this most solemn ending to our series entitled, 08:41 The Danger Zone, with the final topic, 08:44 The Danger of Refusing God. 08:46 Before we open the Word together, 08:48 let's go to the Lord in prayer. 08:50 Gracious Father in heaven, we shutter at the thought of 08:55 ever saying no to You, of ever walking away from the 08:59 invitation of our lifetime. 09:03 The thought permeates my mind, "To whom shall we go, 09:06 and to what shall we cling, if we refuse so great 09:13 an invitation." 09:15 And so, Father, as we close out our journey through the 09:18 book of Hebrews, may we close it out with a resolve 09:21 to continue to go forward, to say yes to God 09:24 when He speaks to our hearts. 09:26 So send Your Spirit now that He may speak to us. 09:30 In Jesus' name we pray, amen. 09:36 Yesterday when I was sitting at the chiropractor's office 09:39 getting some therapy on my neck, I picked up a TIME magazine 09:44 that I began to read the article about Flight MH17. 09:49 You know, Malaysia Airlines. 09:51 What an unfortunate airline over the last series of 09:54 six months or more. 09:56 It's an airline that has been so terribly damaged by 09:58 unfortunate events one after the other. 10:02 But the reason the article caught my attention is because 10:04 they said that, in the speculative world of aviation, 10:09 they said that the pilot on Flight MH17, as he was 10:14 flying to his destination, as he approached the region 10:19 where the accident occurred, he said he felt a little 10:21 uncomfortable, and he said, "I'm going to transition 10:24 to a different location." 10:26 He thought he was transitioning away 10:29 from the danger zone, when in fact he transitioned 10:32 into the danger zone. 10:35 And then they showed six other flights that preceded him 10:39 and the courses and the routes that they took. 10:40 They had flown around and above and below. 10:42 And he thought, he thought, he thought he was 10:47 flying away from the danger zone. 10:50 And the article starts, "He flew into the danger zone." 10:54 And I thought about that. 10:55 The Lord gave me that article towards the end of the series. 10:58 And the reason I'm being so emphatic about 11:00 what I'm pointing out is because it doesn't make sense 11:02 for the people of God to base their destination on feeling 11:06 that they're transitioning out of the danger zone. 11:09 We've got to know from God's Word that we are 11:12 far clear of the danger zone. 11:16 That's why the book of Hebrews winds down. 11:18 If you take the time to read the book of Hebrews, 11:20 it is in fact a logistical journey of the life of 11:26 the children of Israel. 11:27 Every particular. 11:29 And today you'll find out the two opposites, 11:31 as I wind down the message today. 11:34 But Paul, I believe, winds down the book with an emphatic 11:39 appeal to hold on. 11:41 He says, "Hold on. Don't let go. 11:45 Don't give up." 11:46 The apostle reminds us that we have come too far 11:50 to turn back now. 11:52 He says to the church, "Be encouraged. 11:54 It's not easy, but it's going to be worth it." 11:56 Can you say amen today? 11:58 It is not easy being a Christian. 12:00 But when we get to where we're headed, 12:02 it is going to be worth it. 12:03 I begin by using the ending scripture that I read 12:07 in the last presentation. 12:09 So I point your attention to Hebrews chapter 10 12:12 verse 36 to verse 39. 12:16 This is the scripture of encouragement 12:18 to keep going forward. 12:19 Do not draw back. 12:20 The writer of Hebrews says... 12:32 In other words, hold on. Don't let go. 12:35 Don't turn back. 12:48 Can the church say hallelujah to that? 12:50 He's coming. 12:52 It's been a long time, but He's on His way. 13:14 We are not going back. 13:15 What do you say? 13:16 We're going forward. 13:17 We've come too far. 13:18 As the song writer said, "It's too late to turn back now." 13:22 We've got to go forward. 13:24 Regardless of what comes our way 13:25 we've got to continue to going forward. 13:27 We are reminded of the cost of faith. 13:29 We are reminded of the reward of faith. 13:32 And the faithful are now silent, but as we read their 13:35 record today, they are silent now, but they will not 13:38 be silent eternally. 13:41 And so come with me to the wall of faith. 13:44 Come with me as we trace the testimonies. 13:46 They have left a record of testimony to strengthen 13:50 our resolve to go forward, to trust God, 13:53 and not to refuse God. 13:55 We begin with Abel. 13:57 Remember, remember, my brothers and sisters, 13:59 to be faithful like Abel. 14:01 His choice to be faithful cost him his life. 14:04 But God is able and God will reward him in the resurrection. 14:08 What do you say? 14:10 Be faithful like Abel. 14:12 How long has he been waiting? 14:14 He trusted God at the inception of his life. 14:17 And although he's waited long, He that shall come will come 14:21 and will not tarry. 14:23 Don't forget to walk with God like Enoch. 14:25 He walked so closely to God that one writer said, 14:28 "One day God said to Enoch, 'Enoch, come to My house. 14:33 It's closer than going back to yours.'" 14:36 Enoch walked closely with God. 14:38 We've got to have a daily close walk with God. 14:41 We've got to know He's with us. 14:43 We've got to be able to talk to Him as He's 14:45 right there by our side. 14:47 Walk with God like Enoch did. 14:50 Then be steadfast like Noah. 14:53 In a generation that wrote God off, Noah kept believing, 14:56 he kept preaching, he kept building. 14:58 And like Noah, one day we too will walk through the door 15:02 of our eternal deliverance. 15:04 What do you say? 15:06 Keep preaching, keep believing, keep building. 15:08 Like Abraham and Sarah, as they eventually learned, 15:12 we have to be patient and learn to wait on the Lord. 15:16 Gloria, God's promises are sure and His blessings 15:19 are never late. 15:21 Abraham and Sarah had to learn that lesson. 15:23 It may seem like God's timetable is out of harmony with yours, 15:26 but be patient. 15:28 God is always on time. 15:30 Like Isaac, don't forget to pass the blessing on 15:33 to the next generation. 15:34 Like Jacob, we must refuse to let God go until He blesses us. 15:40 Like Joseph, endure undeserved trial. 15:43 Because God is going to turn it around one day. 15:49 Like Moses, know that being raised in Egypt 15:52 prepares you for the call on your life. 15:54 Remember like Joshua that God can bring down the walls 15:58 in your life. 15:59 And like Rahab the harlot, don't forget that God 16:02 can redeem you from your past. 16:04 What do you say? 16:05 We don't have to be eternally identified by who we were 16:09 if we keep trusting in God, if we keep believing in God. 16:12 If we do not neglect the grace of God, 16:15 one day God is going to turn our lives around 16:18 for the good, for the best. 16:20 And that's going to be eternally. 16:21 What do you say? 16:22 But I'd like to tell you more, but as the song writer said, 16:25 "Word of God, speak." 16:27 Come with me to Hebrews chapter 11 16:29 verses 32 to 40. 16:31 And notice what else we are told to not forget. 16:34 "And what more shall I say? 16:36 For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon... 16:48 Look at what they went through, and be encouraged. 17:29 And you think our life is difficult? 18:06 Can you say hallelujah? 18:07 You see, brothers and sisters, the day is coming that 18:10 God is going to place a crown on Abel's head 18:12 and on mine at the same time. 18:15 God is going to crown Abraham and Sarah 18:17 for their righteousness as God is going to crown 18:20 John and Angie for their righteousness. 18:22 And it's all because of Him. 18:24 God is going to bless us all at the same time. 18:27 We're going to be at the banquet at the same time. 18:30 We're going to walk through the gates into the New Jerusalem 18:32 on the same occasion. 18:33 So it may be tough, but when the days get difficult, 18:37 revisit the wall of the faithful. 18:39 Revisit what they went through to get where they are. 18:42 Revisit the steps they took. 18:45 And if your steps become difficult, just remember, 18:48 it is not as bad as it use to be, 18:51 and it's going to get better eternally. 18:52 What do you say? 18:54 And don't forget, just when you think it's not worth 18:56 pressing on, we can get off of our bench of excuses 19:00 and look around us. 19:02 Look at what Paul continues to say to us, 19:04 Hebrews chapter 12 verses 1 and 2, 19:06 as he unfolds those things that bring us faith. 19:10 He says... 19:13 Let's read this together. 19:53 That's where Jesus is now. 19:55 But he tells us, as one of the churches in Revelation, 19:58 "If you are faithful, you'll get the chance to 20:01 sit with Me on My throne." 20:03 Come on, think about that. 20:05 Not sit in the White House, 20:07 not sit on the seat of congress, 20:09 not sit as the head of the United Nations, 20:11 but sit with the King of the universe on His throne. 20:14 What a privilege. 20:16 But sometimes we think it's so ethereal and so far away 20:18 that we don't grasp that. 20:21 We don't think of that as a reality. 20:22 Sometimes we think of that as a really good Bible story. 20:25 But I want to tell you, when I think about what God has 20:28 done in my own life individually, 20:31 in our lives collectively, I know that it's not 20:34 coincidence, I know it's not an accident. 20:35 So because God has promised, He who has promised is faithful. 20:40 One day, we're going to sit down with Jesus on His throne. 20:45 Amen? 20:46 And do you know what? 20:47 Even if I don't sit on His throne, 20:48 I'll just be glad to be there. 20:50 What about you? 20:51 I don't need a mansion, just give me a sleeping bag, 20:54 as long as I make it into the New Jerusalem, 20:56 as long as the door closes behind me. 20:57 What do you say? 20:59 I don't care if my name is called first, 21:00 as long as it's called. 21:02 I don't care where I sit on the table, 21:04 as long as I sit on the table. 21:06 I don't need many crowns, I just need a single star. 21:11 I just want to be there. What about you? 21:13 We've got to start thinking of the eternal world. 21:16 We've got to go beyond the muck and mire of this daily life 21:20 that the devil brings to us that seeks to press us 21:23 into this mold of depression. 21:25 And you know what? 21:26 I think about those who live up in Michigan. 21:28 When we went up there for a funeral not too long ago, 21:31 for Owen Troy's funeral, somebody said to me, 21:34 "This corner of the world is a place where depression is high. 21:38 People hardly see the sun." 21:40 God's got an answer for that, because the sun 21:42 will never set in the New Jerusalem. 21:44 What do you say? 21:45 There will be no depressed people there. 21:47 I'm looking forward for that day for another reason. 21:49 I've got two mothers I'm going to meet in the resurrection. 21:52 And I'm praying for the two fathers. 21:54 I hope they're there, but if not, I'm just going to be 21:57 glad that God is going to call my name. 21:59 So you've got to look at these. 22:00 You've got to, when the world is saying it's not 22:03 going to work out, you've got to look unto Jesus, 22:06 the Author and Finisher of your faith. 22:09 You've got to sing when nobody else is singing. 22:11 You've got to pray when nobody wants to pray. 22:13 You've got to talk to God when it doesn't seem like 22:16 a logical thing to do. 22:18 When you feel down, you've got to look up. 22:20 When you feel broken, you've got to remember that 22:22 God has held you together. 22:24 Oh, I look at the life of those. 22:26 And what I want you to know today is, heaven has invested 22:29 in the outcome of our story. 22:31 Do you know that angels have watched over us 22:35 since the day of our birth? 22:36 Amen, somebody? 22:38 I remember reading in Ellen White's writings one day, 22:40 and some people get kind of fickle about that, 22:42 but I use to always think I had one angel. 22:43 She said, "No, no, no. 22:44 In this world we have one angel on our left, 22:47 and one angel on our right." 22:48 And then all of a sudden, the words of David make sense. 22:51 "The angel of the Lord encampeth..." What? 22:54 "...round about those that fear Him, and deliver them." 22:58 Well, if I have one angel or two, I'm going to be able to 23:01 recognize them, because they will have 23:03 gray hair just like me. 23:07 How difficult it has been. 23:10 But day by day when we are driving and we are delivered, 23:13 when something that could have happened doesn't happen, 23:16 it's because the angels of the Lord have been assigned 23:19 to watch over us from the day that we were created. 23:23 But not only that is good news; the Holy Spirit 23:25 has wrestled with us since the day of our new birth. 23:29 And praise the Lord, I can say today 23:31 the Holy Spirit hasn't left me. 23:32 Come on, somebody. 23:34 The Holy Spirit hasn't left us. 23:35 This ideology that we must live in the sight of God 23:37 without the Holy Spirit is not true. 23:40 Jesus will one day end His mediatorial work, 23:43 but we'll never make it without the Holy Spirit. 23:45 Don't ever get those mixed up. 23:47 He said, "I'll never leave you, I'll never forsake you." 23:50 The Holy Spirit is going to be there 23:52 and He will wrestle with us. 23:55 Even at the hour of our greatest doubt, He will sustain us 23:59 if we trust in the Lord. 24:02 Not only is heaven invested by the angel 24:05 and the Holy Spirit, but God. 24:06 Think of the investment of God. 24:08 He gave His only Son. 24:10 His only Son. 24:12 Not to good people, but in that while we were yet sinners 24:16 Christ did what? 24:17 Died for us. 24:19 What a thing to do; to lay down your glory, 24:21 to leave an unsullied world, a place where angels 24:24 adore you, to come down and face the fury 24:28 of a demon cut loose. 24:30 All of that. 24:32 And I have been told if there was only one, 24:34 Jesus would have come. 24:36 Praise the Lord for that. 24:39 And think about the investment of Jesus. 24:41 He saved us, He claimed us, 24:44 and He's building a home for every one of us. 24:47 What do you say? 24:49 There's nothing that heaven wouldn't do just to see 24:52 that we will make it through. 24:53 Look at Romans 8 verses 31 and 32. 24:55 You'll understand where this is going, about refusing God. 24:58 I'm going to take a turn on you so sharp that 25:00 you're going to have to stay with me. 25:01 There's nothing that heaven wouldn't do 25:03 just to see that we make it through. 25:04 Look at Romans 8 verse 31 and verse 32. 25:09 Paul says... 25:30 We've got a guarantee. 25:32 We don't just have a judge, we've got an attorney. 25:37 And He's the same person. 25:38 Amen, someone. 25:39 I remember years ago when I discovered what 25:41 Revelation actually meant. 25:42 I was reading and studying Revelation. 25:44 I have these small little very thin books, 25:46 about the thickness of Steps To Christ, 25:48 and it breaks down the seven churches. 25:49 One deals with each of the seven churches. 25:52 And I was sitting one day wondering what was this 25:54 black stone and white stone all about. 25:58 And I discovered that in Roman courts, 26:01 if the jury didn't reach a verdict, Steve, it would be 26:05 up to you to decide your fate. 26:06 And what they did is they brought out a bag 26:09 that you couldn't see into. 26:11 And in that bag was a white stone and a black stone. 26:14 And think of the terror of that, Karen. 26:16 You have to reach in that bag. 26:17 You pick the black stone, it's certainly death. 26:20 But you pick that white stone, it's certainly life. 26:24 And how terrifying it was for the one that had been accused 26:29 to reach in the bag of his fate and reach for the stone 26:34 that would set him free. 26:35 And then I read the text, hallelujah, 26:38 I read the text where Jesus said in Revelation, 26:41 "I will give you a white stone." 26:43 Come on, amen, somebody. 26:45 You don't have to reach in there. 26:46 "I'm your lawyer, here's a white stone. 26:48 I'll give you a white stone with a new name on it. 26:51 I'll not only set you free, but I'll change your name." 26:54 And you will have not only a new identity, 26:57 but like Jacob changed to Israel, your name will 27:00 no longer be connected to your deceptive past. 27:03 That's the good news. 27:05 So when I read that He will do everything for us, 27:08 He will freely give us all things, 27:10 I want to tell you today, Jesus gave me a white stone. 27:13 Come on, what about you? 27:15 A white stone with a new name on it. 27:17 Sometimes we spend so much time talking about all the 27:20 bad things of life. 27:21 I think sometimes we should get our chairs designed 27:24 so that we can have it lean back automatically. 27:26 So that if we can't look up, at least our chairs will 27:29 recline so we can look up. 27:31 We need to look unto Jesus, 27:34 the Author and Finisher of our faith. 27:37 And I look at what they've gone through, and you know, 27:39 I think about some of us and we complain about the 27:40 most mundane things. 27:42 Some of us rarely miss a meal, and we talk about hunger. 27:46 Did you read what they went through? 27:48 The clouds begin to gather and we run for cover. 27:51 The temperature drops and we talk about how cold we are. 27:53 Some of them slept in dungeons and lion's dens. 27:57 Read the book, if you can, Foxe's Book Of Martyrs. 28:00 Oh how tragic it is to read. 28:01 You've got to have a strong faith to read that. 28:03 It'll mess you up. 28:04 It'll give you some bad dreams if you ain't close to Jesus. 28:09 But we haven't gone through anything 28:11 compared to those who have gone before us. 28:12 We haven't gone through nothing... 28:18 ...compared to what they went through. 28:20 We haven't seen the enemy cut loose. 28:24 But just give it some time. 28:27 That's why if you don't have faith in God now, 28:29 if your faith in God is not being strengthened day by day, 28:32 there is no way that you're going to stand before your fate 28:35 and be willing to give your life if you have not given 28:38 your life to the Lord on a day by day basis. 28:42 Sometimes the light goes out for a few minutes and we 28:44 think the world is ending. 28:46 They spent hours and days in dungeons and darkness, 28:49 but they trusted God. 28:50 And you know what? 28:52 When you trust God, even in the darkest moment 28:55 the light of God continues to shine. 28:57 He is the light of the world. 28:59 Fear not what happens in the darkness of your life, 29:02 because the light of the world is always there with you. 29:07 When I think about the hours that Paul spent 29:12 in his moments of persecution. 29:14 I read his letter. 29:15 And if you ask the apostle Paul to tell you his story 29:18 about how he held on, how he did not refuse God, 29:21 he will tell you the story. 29:22 Listen to his story. 29:23 2 Corinthians 11 verses 23 to 27. 29:26 Listen to what the apostle says. 29:28 He tells us his account. 29:30 He tells us how he found courage by looking back 29:33 to find faith to look forward. 29:34 Notice what he says. 30:09 Have mercy, somebody. 30:24 And he kept trusting God. 30:29 I wonder at what point we would have said, 30:30 you know, "That's it. 30:32 I ain't staying in Thompsonville, 30:33 I'm going through too much." 30:41 When I get to heaven, I'm going to ask Paul, 30:44 "How did you do it?" 30:46 Because you read this record and it's so amazing 30:49 at what he went through. 30:51 He had had to have an encounter 30:54 with God to make it through that. 30:56 Amen? 30:57 Sometimes you wonder, "How am I going to make it?" 30:59 If you think your day is bad, check Paul's life out. 31:02 If you think his life ain't bad enough, check out what the 31:04 faithful before him went through. 31:06 And that will tell you, if God can deliver them in their time 31:09 of difficulty, God will deliver us in our time of difficulty. 31:13 Amen? 31:14 I think of the fiery furnace. 31:15 You know, it was fire to the Babylonians, 31:17 but it was cool to the children of Israel. 31:20 In the lion's den... 31:22 I've looked at this video recently, there's a 31:23 guy called, the lion whisperer. 31:26 I'm always amazed by that. 31:27 It's all over the internet. 31:28 This guy hugs lions daily. 31:30 These massive cats, when they see him they run to him 31:35 and jump on his neck, and they rub their cheek 31:37 and their face together. 31:39 And they say, well he raised all those lions. 31:42 I hope he did. 31:44 Because if he picks up the wrong one, 31:46 he'll discover that the nature of the lion is to destroy. 31:49 It's amazing to me. 31:50 I see him, he walks into the... 31:52 Even his camera crew, as he walks into the 31:54 jungles of Africa, his camera crew is surrounded by 31:57 strong caging, lest they lose their lives. 32:01 But he walks among a prey, he walks among a pride of lions, 32:05 both male and female. 32:06 And they come to him, 700, 800, 1200 pounds. 32:10 And he just lays on their belly. 32:13 I'm telling you, I said to my wife today when she 32:15 showed me this video, I said, "Honey, don't worry about it. 32:17 Our day is coming." 32:19 Amen? 32:21 The lion and the lamb will lie down together. 32:25 And we're going to get a chance to experience what it's like to 32:27 finally get a lion to hug us. 32:29 Amen? Without any fear. 32:31 But these who went before us spent the night... 32:34 Daniel is the only one that knew before the lion whisperer 32:37 what it's like to spend the night with hungry lions 32:40 and come out in the morning unscathed. 32:42 Only God can keep us through the difficulties of our lives. 32:46 What do you say, church? 32:47 Paul looks over the shoulder of his shredded garments 32:49 and asks us the question in Romans 8 and verse 35. 32:53 Notice what he says. 32:54 He asks us... 33:10 I hope the answer is no. 33:11 Because some people leave just because they get a bad look. 33:16 "Where have you been?" 33:17 "I didn't like the way so and so looked at me 33:19 a couple of weeks ago." 33:22 And you left? 33:23 You know, I've always said, if you don't like the way that 33:25 people look at you, let them leave. 33:27 You stay. 33:29 Right? 33:30 Somebody is going to give you a hard time. 33:33 Does it make sense that I miss out on heaven just because 33:35 you gave me a bad look? 33:37 Are you going to get off the plane because somebody 33:39 across the aisle gave you a bad look? 33:41 Come on, talk to me. 33:42 Absolutely not. 33:43 To get off of an airplane because of a bad look 33:46 is just as ridiculous as leaving the church 33:49 because of a bad look. 33:50 Let that person deal with his or her issues, 33:53 but I'm not going anywhere. 33:54 What do you say? 33:56 "Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, 33:58 or nakedness, or peril, or the sword?" 34:00 We don't go through any of that. 34:01 We've got to get some thick skin. 34:03 One of the problems with modern Christianity is, 34:07 it always talks about God's blessings. 34:09 You know, I think that I've heard some preachers, 34:11 you would think that the second half of the book of Hebrews 34:14 has been deleted, because they only talk about the blessings. 34:17 They never talk about the persecutions, the difficulty. 34:19 They never talk about the times that the prayer 34:21 was not answered. 34:22 They never talk about the moment that the life wasn't spared. 34:25 They never talk about when somebody did die in the Lord. 34:29 I want to tell you, if you die in the Lord 34:31 it's going to be okay, because there is a resurrection coming. 34:36 I read in Ellen White's writings, she said 34:37 sometimes we should not always pray for even the 34:40 young to be healed, because only God in His sovereignty 34:43 understands whether or not that person needs to be laid to rest 34:47 to be spared from the trouble that's coming. 34:50 So sometimes we're saying, "Lord, heal them." 34:52 "Lord, fix them." "Lord, deliver them." 34:55 We've got to say, "Let Your will be done." 34:58 Because only God is sovereign. 34:59 Only God sees the end from the beginning. 35:04 So when we lay to rest our loved ones, 35:06 we've got to know there's a better day coming. 35:11 When we consider the offers of this world, 35:14 the eternal realities are far greater. 35:17 Look at this, 2 Corinthians 4 verses 16 and 17. 35:22 Paul continues... 35:37 You know, I love this. I've embraced this text. 35:50 Now you understand why Moses chose to suffer affliction 35:53 with the people of God rather to enjoy the 35:56 pleasures of sin for a season. 35:59 Momentary pleasure cannot contribute to eternal joy. 36:04 Momentary pleasure eclipses the permanent joy 36:06 that God has in store for us. 36:08 And so when you're going through difficulty, Paul says, 36:10 "It's just light affliction. 36:11 It's just but a moment." 36:13 We know that. 36:14 Sometimes it lasts for longer than we want to. 36:16 But in the light of eternity, it wouldn't even be a thin line 36:20 on the scale of the eternal world that's waiting for us. 36:24 That's why Paul encourages us to follow in his footsteps. 36:27 Notice what he says in Romans 8 verses 37 to 39. 36:30 We haven't gotten to the refusing God yet. 36:32 That's going to be a twist toward the end. 36:34 But I'm building the foundation so that when we get there 36:37 you'll ask yourself the question, 36:39 "How could somebody go through and refuse a God 36:43 who can deliver us from all of that?" 36:46 Look at it, Romans 8 verse 37 to verse 39. 36:50 Whatever you go through, Paul says... 36:59 You've got to get persuaded. 37:01 You just can't be lightly convinced. 37:30 You've got to draw from the coldness of other people. 37:33 You can't wait for everybody to love you. 37:36 You've got to come to the place of solace that Jesus 37:39 loves you with an everlasting love. 37:43 You've got to come to the reality that not everybody is 37:45 going to even like you. 37:48 I had to learn that the hard way. 37:50 I think about the second church I pastored. 37:52 I kept getting offended. 37:54 People, you know, it seemed like some people didn't like me. 37:57 And I thought, "Was it something I did?" 37:58 And I fell into the category of trying to please everybody. 38:01 You know, there's no formula for success. 38:03 But the formula for failure is trying to please everybody. 38:07 I haven't found the formula for success. 38:09 But I've discovered this, as Jeremiah learned 38:13 when Jeremiah was faced as a young man with the 38:15 very same difficulty. 38:17 He was called to proclaim as a prophet of the children 38:19 of Israel, and he said, "Lord, I'm afraid of their faces." 38:25 And the Lord said, "Jeremiah, I'm going to be with you 38:28 and I'll give you a head as hard as flint. 38:32 Just do what I've called you to do." 38:34 Amen? 38:35 I remember after that second church, 38:37 I went to the third church. 38:38 And I remember after going through about 38:39 three and a half years of trials and tribulations, 38:41 I declared to the church one day, "I'm not going anywhere. 38:43 Y'all just need to stop trying to get rid of me." 38:46 Amen? 38:48 And we had two more years and four months 38:50 of good church attendance. 38:52 We had two more years, they figured the coalition 38:54 of destruction had to fall apart. 38:56 Because you know what? 38:57 You've got to be determined that no matter how difficult it gets, 39:00 you're going to keep on plowing through. 39:02 If God be for us, as we said this morning, what else? 39:04 Who can be against us? 39:06 When you think about Paul, you've got to take up 39:09 where the faithful have left off. 39:11 And when you think about taking up, it's a sobering thought. 39:15 Because to gain assurance from our faithful family 39:19 will inspire resilience. 39:21 To have their stories preserved will renew our hope. 39:24 Look at Romans 15 and verse 4. 39:26 This is an amazing thought. 39:28 Romans 15 and verse 4. 39:29 And then after this we're going to transition 39:31 into an area that will catch you slightly off guard. 39:34 Notice what he says in Romans 15 and verse 4. 39:38 "All these things we read," Paul says... 39:58 I want to testify before I turn the page. 40:04 This book... 40:09 Got so many different translations, 40:10 they're all in digital form. 40:12 But let me just tell you something. 40:13 If you want to find hope... 40:16 ...dive into this book. 40:19 You want to read a love letter? 40:21 Dive into this book. 40:23 You want some more wisdom? 40:25 Dive into this book. 40:27 Don't read it because you want to, 40:29 read it because you have to. 40:31 If you read it because you have to, you'll get to the place 40:34 where you'll read it because you want to. 40:37 It's not a normal book. 40:38 It's the only book that the devil fights tooth and nail 40:42 to keep us from. 40:44 He doesn't want to keep us from the movie guide. 40:47 He doesn't even want to keep us from other devotional books, 40:50 because there's no more concentration in any other book 40:53 about the love of God, and the power of God, 40:55 and the freedom of God, and the joy of God, 40:57 and the sustaining power of God than you find in this book. 41:02 It's like diluting your medication. 41:05 The person that wants to keep you sick 41:07 will dilute your medication. 41:09 The devil wants to dilute our medication by getting us 41:11 to look in every other direction other than the Word of God 41:14 where we find the only power and comfort 41:16 that can really resolve the issues of our human walk. 41:20 Even our spiritual walk. 41:21 This is the book. 41:23 And this whole week, I tell you... 41:26 You've got to see my little pod there. 41:27 I got a little, I got my chair, I finally got to the place 41:30 where I could get a comfortable chair. 41:31 Because, you know, if you sit down six or seven hours 41:34 days on end to work on sermons, you've got to 41:37 have something comfortable. 41:39 I've got all the Bible commentaries. 41:41 They're there and my extra materials are there. 41:44 But the closest book to me is the Bible. 41:48 It's the first source, it's the first reference guide. 41:51 It's the thing that you digest. 41:52 And you know what happens? 41:53 This is what happens to me after I do a series like this. 41:56 I get so fired up... 41:59 Not that you can tell. 42:02 But I get so fired up that I'm going to go, I don't get tired. 42:05 I mean, I just don't get tired. 42:07 I eat because I have to. 42:09 I finally understand, when I spend time in God's Word, 42:12 what Jesus meant when He said to the disciples 42:14 when they perceived that He was physically hungry, 42:17 He said to them, "I have food that you don't even know about." 42:22 And then He says, "My food is to do the 42:25 will of Him that sent me." 42:27 Brothers and sisters, the best... 42:33 That's the best diet, studying God's Word. 42:34 Come on help me out, somebody. 42:37 You could burn calories by eating this. 42:42 You'll be physically fit and spiritually fit 42:44 by spending more time in this book. 42:47 Amen. 42:49 When you get it together with... 42:51 I remember when one day I couldn't find my Bible. 42:55 And hours went by and I couldn't 42:57 remember what I had done with it. 42:58 Because sometimes I go from this Bible to the brown Bible. 43:01 When I travel, I take the lighter Bible. 43:03 Because my real Bible weighs about eight pounds. 43:06 And you know you're only allowed about so much weight. 43:08 And I thought one day, did I lose my Bible? 43:11 And the very thought that I almost lost it 43:13 brought me to a state of panic. 43:15 "Lord, where is my Bible." 43:17 You know what I'm talking about, Shelley? 43:18 "Where's my Bible? 43:19 I feel like I've lost my sustaining grace. 43:23 My battery pack has been unplugged." 43:27 That actually happened to me in the Heritage Singers, 43:29 until three or four days later when Federal Express 43:32 delivered my Bible to the ranch in Placerville. 43:34 Everybody in the group said, "Yea, John's got his Bible back. 43:38 Now we can talk to him." 43:43 I felt like I lost my reason to live. 43:46 My Bible. 43:48 And I tell you, my brethren, we've got to get such a 43:50 connection with our Bible now, because the danger is coming 43:53 when men are going to search from the east to the west, 43:55 from the north to the south. 43:56 There's a famine coming. 43:57 Not a famine for bread or for water, 43:59 but of the hearing of the Word of God. 44:01 How valuable it is whenever the Word of God is going forward 44:05 that we're there to ingest, digest, to masticate, 44:08 and to be nourished on what God is feeding us; 44:11 truly the bread of life. 44:13 What do you say? 44:15 But with such impeccable stories of robust 44:17 faith and unwavering dedication, you've got to ask the question, 44:22 why use the title, The Danger of Refusing God? 44:29 When I studied back into this particular story, 44:31 and I tell you, in putting all these sermons together, 44:33 this was the hardest one. 44:35 Because I couldn't fathom after reading all that I did 44:39 in the book of Hebrews, the hall of faith, 44:41 I couldn't fathom that knowing that, having that kind of 44:44 experience with God, will still lead somebody to refuse God 44:49 when He appealed for them to follow Him. 44:51 I couldn't figure that out. 44:52 And so I began to look behind the scenes, 44:54 and I discovered that Moses and Israel witnessed 44:58 the terrible power of God when Moses ascended Mount Sinai 45:02 to receive the Ten Commandments. 45:04 When you study that in the various writings, 45:06 you'll discover that the thunderous voice of God, 45:08 it's in Deuteronomy, it's in Numbers, it's there. 45:11 The thunderous voice of God, it's in Exodus. 45:15 His voice was so magnificent and so strong and so thunderous 45:18 that it made Moses and Israel tremble. 45:23 But they feared nothing, 45:26 they feared nothing but the voice of God. 45:28 They heard the voice of God, they saw the mountain glow 45:31 with the presence of God, 45:32 they heard the thunder on the mountain. 45:34 And they said, "There's only one thing that we fear 45:36 more than hearing the voice of God. 45:38 That is doing what God has asked us to do." 45:42 And the reason why God spoke to them in that manner 45:44 is He know the rebellion that was among them 45:47 that still had to be rooted out. 45:51 And so when God spoke with that voice of thunder, 45:53 it was somewhat of a, "Listen up. 45:57 Listen up, Israel. 45:59 Here's what I need to say." 46:02 And even though it was a spectacular event, 46:04 there was a problem. 46:06 There was a problem of what happened that day. 46:08 And Paul introduces that occasion kind of in the 46:11 context of; if you missed it, here it is again. 46:14 Look at Hebrews chapter 12. 46:15 Hebrews chapter 12 verses 22 to 24. 46:18 He takes us now behind the scenes of what happened 46:21 on Mount Sinai. 46:22 And he says to us, and he says to us, 46:26 "You may not have been there, 46:28 you haven't come to the mountain, 46:30 you haven't come to the mountain..." 46:32 Let's look at Hebrews chapter 12, 46:34 I believe that's where I am, verses 18 to 21. 46:37 Hebrews chapter 12 verses 18 to 21, he says... 46:44 We were not there. 46:51 "You weren't there." 46:59 Can you imagine that kind of thunderous voice and say, 47:01 "I don't want to hear it. I don't want to hear that." 47:23 Can you imagine? 47:24 That's the setting that Moses went forth to receive 47:29 the Ten Commandments. 47:32 It was such a spectacular, earth shattering, 47:35 mountain shaking event that Moses trembled to be 47:42 in the presence of that kind of power. 47:44 So powerful it was that he asked for a peak, and God said, 47:47 "You better hide in the rock, because if you don't, 47:50 it's lights out for you." 47:52 And the children of Israel heard, they heard the thunder, 47:55 they saw the lightening, and it brought to them great fear. 47:58 But there was a greater problem. 48:01 Even though they feared the voice of God, 48:03 they did not fear disobeying God. 48:07 Look at verse 22 to verse... 48:09 They feared the voice of God, but they did not fear 48:12 disobeying God. 48:13 Now let me put that into context. 48:15 When I was being raised, I want to tell you, 48:17 when I was being raised, and I heard my father's voice... 48:21 Anybody know what I'm talking about? 48:22 ...and I heard my father's voice, that was enough 48:26 to get me to straighten up 48:27 before we had a personal encounter. 48:29 You know what I mean? 48:31 He would walk through the house with his strong Barbadian accent 48:33 and he'd say, "Junior..." 48:37 And I remember that Mama earlier said, 48:39 "You wait till Papa gets home." 48:42 And when Papa came home and the voice of a trumpet 48:44 just resonated through that house, I knew what that meant. 48:48 And that was the moment that I came to him with such humble, 48:51 humble, such a subdued spirit. 48:53 I wasn't rebellious like when he was at work, 48:55 but I came and said, "Yes, papa." 48:59 You know how you do, right? You know how you do. 49:00 You come, you almost come like, "I repent. 49:03 Please don't beat me to death. 49:06 I repent. Don't hit me any further." 49:08 God put the fear of the Lord in them. 49:12 But it didn't change their attitude about refusing God. 49:17 They were not that fearful. 49:20 Because when the clouds were gone, and the thunder ceased, 49:24 and the lightening no longer flashed, 49:28 they got caught in one rebellious 49:31 situation after the other. 49:33 And then the writer of Hebrews said, "You weren't there. 49:37 You didn't have to go to that terrifying setting. 49:39 You were not there; God did not bring you 49:41 to the point of terror." 49:43 But he said, "God has something better for you." 49:45 Listen to what he says in verse 25 to verse 29 49:49 of Hebrews chapter 12. 49:50 Notice what he says. 49:51 Israel refused God, but this time God is not 49:55 just going to shake the mountain. 49:57 He said, "See that you do not refuse Him..." 50:12 If they didn't make it, and He only spoke on earth, 50:15 how are we going to make it, and this time 50:17 He's going to speak from heaven? 50:18 He goes on, "...whose voice then shook the earth..." 50:29 That means this is the last time. 50:47 That's what the shaking is all about. 50:50 When the shaking comes, the question is, 50:52 will we refuse God or will we continue trusting. 50:55 Look at verse 28. 51:22 Oh, I told you about that. 51:25 There are two seats at the end of this journey; 51:27 smoking and non-smoking. 51:29 I'm going to pick a non-smoking one. 51:31 Come on help me out, somebody. 51:34 That's why I sell fire insurance. 51:37 Fire insurance. 51:38 I don't want to be lost in the fires of destruction. 51:40 Because our God is a consuming fire. 51:43 I once heard a preacher say, "God is not going to 51:46 destroy sinners." 51:47 And I had a problem with that. 51:50 Because the Lord said He is going to deal with sin. 51:52 And then he went and explained himself. 51:53 And I thought, that's a very interesting take on 51:56 the destruction of God. 51:58 That is a very interesting approach to the fact that 52:00 God is going to eradicate sin. 52:02 God will eradicate sin. 52:03 But when he explained it this way, he did this in the 52:06 context of the fact that God is love. 52:08 He said that the final destruction of the wicked 52:13 is going to happen when they receive the final embrace 52:18 from a God of love. 52:20 When they have not been fire proofed, 52:22 there's only one thing that can happen. 52:25 When you are not immortal and incorruptible, 52:28 and your final embrace from a God of love 52:30 is that of a consuming fire, there's nothing else to happen 52:34 but that person will be consumed. 52:36 Oh how sad it's going to be when God reigns fire down from heaven 52:41 on earth in the sight of men. 52:43 It doesn't make sense. 52:44 And I made up my mind. 52:45 I want to tell you, there are days it's not easy to be a 52:47 Christian, but I'm making my declaration very clear. 52:49 I'm going to keep trusting God. 52:51 I'm going to go all the way through. 52:52 What about you, church? 52:53 I don't want to be lost. 52:55 You know, you get to the place where you think, 52:57 "Oh, is it really worth it?" 52:58 Don't base your worth on what happens in your life 53:01 on a day by day basis. 53:02 Because when Paul really narrows down the story, 53:06 he does a comparison that really caught me 53:09 and pulled me in center stage, which made me say, 53:12 "Praise God that's not the only part of the story." 53:16 You see, if I made my decision to follow God because 53:19 I don't want to be consumed, that's a fire escape religion. 53:23 I'm just afraid of the fire. 53:25 I want to serve God because I'm not afraid of the fire, 53:28 but I'm in love with the Lord. 53:29 Come on, somebody. 53:30 I want to be saved because I love the Lord, 53:32 not because I'm afraid of the fire. 53:34 And then I discovered, as the book of Hebrews 53:36 from beginning to end, all of a sudden it dawned on me 53:40 that this is not a comparison between Abel, and Moses, 53:44 and Sampson, and Barak, and Abraham, and Sarah, 53:47 and all the other names of the faithful. 53:49 But this is a comparison between the weakness of man 53:56 and the superiority of Christ. 53:59 You see, our story doesn't have to end like their story did, 54:04 our story doesn't have to wind up like their story did, 54:07 because of the superiority of Christ. 54:09 They missed out on the greatest blessing of all the ages. 54:12 They refused the blessing of God. 54:14 But Abel didn't. Come on. 54:15 Enoch didn't, Noah didn't, Abraham and Sarah didn't. 54:19 Isaac didn't miss out. 54:21 Jacob, and Joseph, and Moses, and Joshua, and Rahab, 54:24 and Sampson, and David, and Samuel, they didn't miss out. 54:27 And neither do we have to miss out. 54:29 What do you say? 54:30 They didn't miss it. 54:32 They caught it. 54:33 They didn't miss it. 54:34 But the reason why they did not miss it 54:39 is because they learned that the story of redemption 54:43 was not about their faithfulness, 54:46 but about the faithfulness of Christ. 54:49 You see, the superiority of the deity of Christ 54:52 is more powerful than the deity of angels. 54:55 The superiority of Christ's leadership is greater than 54:57 the leadership of Moses. 54:59 The superiority of Christ's foresight is greater than 55:02 the insight of the prophets. 55:03 The superiority of the mission of Christ 55:06 is greater than the mission of the disciples. 55:09 The superiority of the message of Christ 55:11 is greater than the sermons of the apostles. 55:14 The superiority of Christ and His power 55:17 is greater than the mission of the church. 55:19 And the superiority of the sacrifice of Christ 55:22 is greater than just dying on the cross. 55:24 It's leaving an empty tomb for us 55:27 to get that blessed assurance. 55:28 What do you say? 55:29 It's the superiority of Christ. 55:31 It's not how good Moses was. 55:33 It's not how good Sampson was. 55:36 They were good. 55:37 But it's all about Jesus. 55:39 It's about His willingness to give His life, 55:42 His determination to save us, His decision to risk it all, 55:47 that we one day might inherit it all. 55:52 And so my favorite quotation from the book, Steps To Christ, 55:57 I cannot miss it. 55:59 I cannot miss it. 56:01 "Christ was treated as we deserve 56:05 that we might be treated as He deserves. 56:09 He was condemned for our sins, in which He had no share, 56:15 that we might be justified by His righteousness, 56:19 in which we had no share. 56:22 He suffered the death which was ours, 56:26 that we might receive the life which was His." 56:31 And together, "By His stripes we are..." What? 56:34 "...we are healed." 56:37 How could anyone, 56:39 how could anyone refuse a God like that? 56:45 Come with me to the banquet of the ages. 56:47 The day that we're going to meet Abel, and Noah, 56:50 and Abraham, and Isaac, and Sarah, and Jacob, 56:53 and Joseph, and Moses, and Joshua, and Rahab, 56:56 and Sampson, and David. 56:57 And then finally we're going to meet Jesus. 56:59 What do you say? 57:01 We're going to see Him step out in His regal robes of 57:04 majesty and royalty. 57:06 And the first thing that we're going to do 57:08 is throw our crowns at His feet and show Him by our act 57:13 of homage that outside of Jesus, we would not make the kingdom. 57:20 My brothers and sisters, it is too late to refuse God. 57:24 Make up your mind that, come what may, 57:26 you will accept His invitation that you might have 57:29 eternal life. 57:30 God bless you. |
Revised 2015-01-28