Participants: C. A. Murray
Series Code: AOT
Program Code: AOT000163A
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00:14 Welcome to Anchors Of Truth,
00:16 live from the 3ABN Worship Center. 00:24 Amen, welcome to Anchors Of Truth. 00:27 Glad that each one of you are here this evening. 00:29 Are you goad to be here? 00:31 Amen. 00:32 We want to welcome you at home as well, 00:34 watching over the airwaves, or maybe listening on the radio, 00:37 tuning in via the internet. 00:38 Welcome to Anchors Of Truth. 00:40 And what a tremendous series we've had so far 00:42 with Pastor C.A. Murray. 00:43 It's always a blessing to hear Pastor Murray 00:45 speak the word of God. 00:47 This is the third sermon in a five part series. 00:51 And it's entitled, You Gotta Get Wet. 00:54 Now I like Pastor C.A.'s titles to his sermons. 00:56 He comes up with some tremendously creative titles. 00:59 But the thing is, not only are the titles creative, 01:02 and that's a great thing, but Pastor C.A. is a 01:04 man of the Word. 01:06 He studies, he doesn't just go over it in a little fluff. 01:10 He studies hard. 01:11 And I've been truly blessed to get to know Pastor C.A., 01:14 his wife Irma who is sitting here in our audience. 01:17 A tremendous couple. 01:18 A tremendous couple for the spreading of the gospel 01:21 around the world. 01:22 And I know Jill and I have been blessed, 01:24 and I'm sure you've been blessed as you've listened 01:25 to this series and heard other sermons from 01:27 Pastor C.A. through the years. 01:29 Now this evening we have some wonderful 01:31 music with us too, don't we. 01:32 We do, absolutely. 01:33 It's always a blessing to hear the spoken word of God, 01:36 and to be ministered to by music. 01:40 That's just as much a ministry as the spoken word. 01:42 And tonight is no exception. 01:44 We have Michael Harris with us here tonight. 01:47 He and his wife, Lynn, have traveled in. 01:50 And we are so blessed to have them with us. 01:52 He's going to minister a song entitled, Ancient Words. 02:08 "Man shall not live by bread alone, 02:12 but by every word that proceedeth 02:14 out of the mouth of God." 02:26 Holy words long preserved 02:31 for our walk in this world. 02:36 They resound with God's own heart; 02:40 oh, let the ancient words impart. 02:48 Words of life, words of hope, 02:53 give us strength, help us cope. 02:58 In this world, where ever we roam, 03:02 ancient words will guide us home. 03:07 Ancient words ever true, 03:12 changing me and changing you. 03:17 We have come with open hearts; 03:21 oh, let the ancient words impart. 03:41 Holy words of our own faith 03:45 handed down to this age 03:50 came to us through sacrifice; 03:55 believe the faithful words of Christ. 04:02 Holy words long preserved 04:07 for our walk in this world. 04:12 They resound with God's own heart; 04:16 oh, let the ancient words impart. 04:22 Ancient words ever true, 04:26 changing me and changing you. 04:31 We have come with open hearts; 04:36 oh, let the ancient words impart. 04:41 Ancient words ever true, 04:46 changing me and changing you. 04:50 We have come with open hearts; 04:55 oh, let the ancient words... 04:58 Won't you sing with me. 05:00 Ancient words ever true, 05:05 changing me and changing you. 05:10 We have come with open hearts; 05:14 oh, let the ancient words impart. 05:19 Ancient words ever true, 05:24 changing me and changing you. 05:29 We have come with open hearts; 05:33 oh, let the ancient words impart. 05:41 We have come with open hearts; 05:45 oh, let the ancient words impart. 06:01 Amen and amen. 06:03 Thank you, Michael, so very, very much. 06:06 I have come to love and respect him so, so much. 06:09 Many years ago, I was introducing a friend 06:15 who was ministering in music, and I praised him greatly. 06:21 And someone later said, "Well, he's not as great as you think." 06:28 So I see Lynn sitting there. 06:30 I pray that he is at home as he is out. 06:34 And I think he is, because you're smiling. 06:36 Praise the Lord. 06:38 I respect and love Michael very, very much. 06:41 And it's good to have you here. 06:42 I am so glad that he has come to minister 06:45 before he is sent to prison on tomorrow morning. 06:51 And then he will be back tomorrow afternoon. 06:54 He's going to minister in prison, not to spend any 06:58 great length of time there. 07:01 Happy Sabbath. 07:04 And I almost apologize for the title. 07:07 It seems just a little pedestrian for 07:11 what we want to talk about. 07:13 When they asked me for the titles, the sermon 07:16 wasn't written yet. 07:19 The sermon actually came after the title. 07:22 And now that I've written it, perhaps the step of faith 07:25 might have been a little more exalted. 07:27 But it came out, You Gotta Get Wet. 07:30 So that is what it will forever be. 07:33 Turn with me, if you will, to Joshua chapter 3. 07:40 Joshua chapter 3, and we will consider verses 2 through 6, 07:44 after we shall have prayed... 07:50 ...on the title, You Gotta Get Wet. 07:53 Shall we pray. 07:54 Father God, how we praise You and thank You for the 07:59 blessing of the Sabbath day. 08:02 We thank You for time set aside to concentrate 08:07 on Christ, and to meet in a formal way with You. 08:13 We ask now that Your Spirit would attend us, 08:17 that You would be the honored Guest, 08:19 but more than that, that You would be our Instructor. 08:23 For we need to hear a word from the Lord. 08:28 And we wait upon You for that word. 08:31 And we thank You in advance for the moving of Your Spirit 08:35 in this place. 08:37 In Jesus' name, amen. 08:41 The text is Joshua chapter 3, and we begin with verse 2. 08:48 The Bible says, "So it was, after three days..." 08:53 I'm reading from the New King James. 08:55 "...that the officers went through the camp; 08:58 and they commanded the people, saying, 'When you see 09:02 the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the priests, 09:08 the Levites, bearing it, then you shall set out 09:12 from your place and go after it.'" 09:15 It simply means, to follow it. 09:18 "Yet there shall be a space between you and it, 09:22 about two thousand cubits by measure." 09:24 About half a mile. 09:26 "Do not come near it, that you may know the way 09:30 by which you must go, for you have not passed 09:33 this way before." 09:37 Verse 5, "And Joshua said to the people, 'Sanctify yourselves, 09:42 for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you.' 09:48 Then Joshua spoke to the priests, saying, 09:50 'Take up the ark of the covenant and cross over 09:54 before the people.' 09:57 So they took up the ark of the covenant 09:59 and went before the people." 10:05 Ellen White, in the book, Patriarchs and Prophets, 10:07 describes the Jordan valley in the days of Abraham 10:12 as one of the most beautiful in all of Palestine. 10:18 She says it put you in memory of the Nile valley 10:22 in Egypt and Ethiopia. 10:27 She said it almost looked like paradise lost. 10:29 And I suspect that the Jordan valley has lost something 10:33 in the intervening years with industrialization and 10:38 they way we tend to siphon off water. 10:39 It does not look now like I suspect it looked 10:42 three millennia ago. 10:45 But the valley certainly was important and beautiful. 10:51 And in some respects, it is still a beautiful place 10:54 to be even today. 10:55 One of the most beautiful sights and experiences 10:57 that I have had, and I see Jim here, is being on the 11:02 Sea of Galilee on a Sabbath morning. 11:06 Tranquil and beautiful. 11:09 The music floating as Christians are singing the songs of Zion. 11:15 You can almost see in your mind how it must have been 11:19 back in the days of Christ, and even before. 11:24 The Sea of Galilee is actually a bulge in the Jordan River. 11:29 It's about 13 miles long, about 8.1 miles wide. 11:35 At its greatest depth it is 141 feet. 11:37 It's not a large sea. 11:40 It is really just a decent sized lake. 11:45 If you compare it to the smallest of the Great Lakes, 11:47 which is Lake Eerie, by volume, Lake Eerie is 141 miles long 11:52 and 57 miles wide, average depth of 210 feet. 11:56 So the Sea of Galilee is really just a nice sized lake. 12:03 But it and the Jordan River are very crucial to at least 12:07 four nations: Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, and Syria. 12:13 And its headwaters are in Mount Hermon; 12:17 just about the place where Lebanon and Syria 12:21 and Israel come together. 12:24 The area that Israel occupied after the seven day war. 12:27 You remember, back in 1967 they went up to 12:30 what is now the Golan, and they went over into Syria, 12:32 and they captured that part of what was then Syria. 12:38 They annexed it in 1981. 12:41 And this includes Mount Hermon where the headwaters 12:44 of the Jordan River are. 12:45 An Israeli historian told me some time ago, 12:49 they will never give up that area simply because 12:52 that's the source of the Jordan River. 12:55 And Israel wants to be in control of the source 12:58 of the most important waterway in its country. 13:02 So they will always be there on the Golan Heights. 13:09 All of the Sea of Galilee is in Israel. 13:14 And it is central to what we know of Bible history. 13:22 So crossing the Jordan was of great import. 13:28 Crossing the Jordan was a God thing. 13:32 Crossing the Jordan was a major step in the 13:36 life of God's people. 13:39 Ellen White describes the coming into the Canaan land 13:43 and the crossing of the Jordan as a watershed experience 13:48 in the life of God's people. 13:51 Crossing the Jordan was acceptance of the fact 13:54 that they were God's people, 13:56 that they were fulfilling God's commission, 13:58 that they were going to move into the Holy Land 14:01 with all which that entailed. 14:03 Be it war or conquest, they were moving in God's way 14:08 and walking in God's power, and obeying God's instructions. 14:16 They were also instructed to celebrate the Passover 14:20 once they crossed the Jordan, 14:23 and to re-instate circumcision, which had been suspended 14:27 for 40 years. 14:29 The next day after crossing the Jordan, manna ceased 14:33 to flow from heaven. 14:34 They were now remanded to grow what they could grow 14:37 and gather what they could gather. 14:40 God had waited on them for 40 years, and now it was 14:42 their turn to sustain themselves. 14:46 So I want us now to consider and see the difference, 14:51 the dissidence, between crossing the Jordan 14:56 and what happened when they crossed another body of water 14:59 some 40 years earlier and see if there are any lessons 15:04 that we can learn from these two crosses. 15:09 40 years earlier, on the edge of the Canaan land, 15:14 they sent out spies. 15:16 Twelve in number. 15:19 40 years before, ten of the twelve spies came back 15:22 with a negative report. 15:25 This time, Joshua personally sends out only two spies. 15:30 And rather than reporting to the whole camp, 15:33 they report only to Joshua. 15:36 Joshua had already gotten God's assurance 15:40 that they would succeed in their conquest of the Canaan land, 15:44 that Jericho would fall, and that as long as they held on 15:48 to the hand of God and followed the dictates of God, 15:51 success would be theirs. 15:53 Nothing has changed in the intervening years, 15:55 ladies and gentlemen. 15:56 As long as we hold onto the hand of God 15:58 and follow the dictates of God, success will be ours. 16:06 The crossing, then, into Canaan land over the Jordan 16:10 is a type of our journey into heaven. 16:16 Heaven is our goal. 16:19 And perhaps it is time for me to ask you a question. 16:23 The question is simply, is heaven guaranteed? 16:28 Yes or no? 16:29 Is heaven guaranteed? 16:33 Yes, no. 16:36 If it is guaranteed, for whom is it guaranteed? 16:41 Is it guaranteed for everyone? 16:44 Is it guaranteed for the child of God? 16:47 Is it guaranteed for everybody for whom Christ has died? 16:51 Or is it guaranteed only for those who live for Jesus? 16:58 Revelation 22:12, "And behold, I am coming quickly, 17:02 and My reward is with Me to give to everyone 17:07 according to his work." 17:10 So heaven is a sure thing for those who are living in Jesus. 17:15 Can you say amen? 17:17 Revelation 22:7, "Blessed is he who keeps these words..." 17:22 Revelation 22:14, "Blessed are those who do His commandments, 17:27 that they may have a right to the tree of life..." 17:31 Titus 3:8, "...be sure to maintain good works." 17:37 Ephesians 2:10, we are created for good works. 17:44 There's a pattern here. 17:47 Heaven is a sure thing for those who live in and allow Christ 17:53 to work through them. 17:58 So the Promised Land is guaranteed, 18:02 and the Promised Land is sure. 18:05 The Bible says in 2 Timothy 3:16, 18:07 "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, 18:10 and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, 18:13 for instruction in righteousness, 18:15 that the man of God may be complete, 18:18 thoroughly equipped for every good work." 18:27 So Joshua sent out two spies. 18:31 And the Bible says the two spies came back and told them 18:34 what to do. 18:37 The Bible contains the two witnesses. 18:40 And the two witnesses tell us what to do. 18:45 And if you do them, by the grace of God you will be saved. 18:52 The Bible tells us, then, who we are fighting, 18:56 when to fight, what we are fighting for, 19:01 why we are fighting, where we are fighting, 19:05 how to fight, and even tells us how the fight is going to end. 19:12 Revelation 21:5, Christ says, "Behold, I make all things new." 19:20 So the spies returned and they said basically 19:24 the same thing that Joshua had said 40 years before. 19:29 "There are giants there, there are walled cities there, 19:32 there are obstacles there, but we are able, 19:35 because God is able." 19:41 You know, a little side light. 19:44 Ellen White lets us know, and the Bible says this also, 19:48 those people in those cities were pretty much scared stiff. 19:53 They had heard that the children of Israel served a mighty God. 19:58 They had vanquished seven kings; five on the other side 20:00 of the Jordan who were Midianite kings, 20:03 Sihon, king of the Amorites, and Og, king of Bashan. 20:06 They knew that these people served a mighty God. 20:13 Dare I say, if you're walking with Jesus, 20:16 you ought to see where God has helped you defeat 20:19 your own Midianites along the way. 20:23 It is important, ladies and gentlemen, on this journey 20:26 that sometimes we look back over our shoulders 20:29 to see from whence we've come. 20:33 Looking back over your shoulder gives you courage 20:36 to move ahead. 20:38 Because sometimes you cannot see the way in front of you. 20:41 Sometimes you don't know quite where you're going. 20:44 And Ellen White says, when you don't know where you're going, 20:47 look back over your shoulder, 20:49 and see that the same God who got your here 20:52 can get you home, because of the past history. 20:56 So you don't want to forget about the past. 20:57 You don't want to live in the past. 21:01 That's counterproductive. 21:03 But you don't want to forget about the past. 21:05 You see, the only thing worse than nostalgia is amnesia. 21:10 You don't want to forget about the way that God has led you. 21:13 When you can't see ahead, look over your shoulder. 21:17 Because God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. 21:20 God gives us these little remembrances 21:24 so that we can remember to glorify Him, 21:27 so that we can recall, when we're going in a dark place, 21:31 that the same God that got us to today 21:33 will get us through to tomorrow. 21:36 Patriarchs and Prophets, page 485, Ellen White says, 21:39 "To the Canaanites, to all Israel, and to Joshua himself, 21:43 unmistakable evidence had been given that the living God, 21:48 the King of heaven and earth, was among His people, 21:51 and that He would not fail them nor forsake them." 21:55 You see, God is waiting, she says, to give us 21:57 unmistakable evidence that He is on our side, 22:00 and that we are on His side, and that He is with us. 22:04 Is anyone here that can remember a time in your life 22:07 when you are sure that you made a decision 22:09 that came straight from God? 22:11 Anybody? 22:13 You did something, said something, went somewhere, 22:15 had an experience in your life, and you know 22:17 that you know, that you know, that was God, not me. 22:21 Anybody? 22:23 Praise God. 22:24 Praise God. 22:26 You don't need to have them every day. 22:28 You don't need to have them weekly or monthly. 22:30 You just need to have one, one time in your life, 22:35 when you know God was moving. 22:38 Then if you look closely, you will probably find out 22:40 that you've had several. 22:43 Several times when you knew that it was God. 22:47 You see, slaying enemies in the Old Testament 22:50 translates to tearing down strongholds in the New. 22:54 2 Corinthians chapter 10 tells us, Paul says, 22:57 though we walk in the flesh, we don't war in the flesh. 23:06 We war in the spirit. 23:09 Looking at God and looking at what God has done 23:15 through you in the past emboldens and encourages you 23:20 to do greater things in the future. 23:24 Now they didn't know what was coming across Jordan. 23:27 But they knew that God was with them. 23:30 And when you know God is with you, you can walk 23:34 through the valley of the shadow of death 23:36 and fear no evil. 23:38 Because whatever comes your way, you know 23:41 you and God can handle it. 23:47 And when you've got that knowledge, 23:48 really that's all you need to know. 23:51 I may not know who holds tomorrow... 23:55 Rather, I may not know what tomorrow holds, 23:57 but I know who holds tomorrow. 24:02 And I know who holds my hand. 24:05 Crossing the Jordan was a big deal. 24:11 God had led them through the desert. 24:14 Now if you look at the way from Egypt to Canaan, 24:16 the quickest way, the most efficacious way, 24:19 was really just go by the sea. 24:22 But God took them out into the desert, and then back 24:26 across the Jordan, for a particular reason. 24:30 It was the spring of the year. 24:33 And back in those days, the Jordan overflowed in the spring. 24:37 The melting snows from Mount Hermon 24:41 gorged the Jordan River, and it was impossible to cross 24:47 during those seasons. 24:51 And God wanted it that way. 24:53 Ellen White describes the Jordan as being 24:56 swollen, raging, and angry. 24:59 And so God's people knew and understood 25:02 they could not get across the river without the express 25:05 help of God. 25:08 So as they camped on the eastern shore, 25:11 God wanted His people to understand 25:14 that the same God who called you out of Egypt 25:18 is now going to take you in. 25:21 That's a lesson for us today, brothers and sisters. 25:23 God doesn't call you out of the world to have you 25:25 die on the way. 25:28 God calls you out that you might go in. 25:33 It's God's purpose for every called soul 25:37 to make it into the kingdom. 25:44 So here's a news flash. 25:47 Jeremiah 12:5 25:50 If the footmen weary you, and you can't contend 25:55 with the horsemen, what are you going to do with the 25:58 swelling of the Jordan? 26:00 And I looked up that word, because 26:03 I like to do stuff like that. 26:06 And the Hebrew word is, ga'own. 26:14 Not only does it mean, the swelling of the Jordan, 26:16 but interesting enough the word means 26:18 also pride, anger, and arrogance. 26:25 So what Jeremiah is trying to say is, "If you can't deal with 26:31 light stuff, when the Jordan rises up to oppose you, 26:37 when strong things come into your life, 26:41 when things that are bigger than you that you cannot gainsay, 26:44 that you cannot understand, that you cannot defeat, 26:47 when they oppose you, what are you going to do then?" 26:53 And I say again, everybody gets a Jordan in their life. 26:57 We all get our Jordans. 27:00 But before you get Jordan, you've got to get Jesus. 27:06 And Jesus will get you through your Jordans. 27:11 I return to, Patriarchs and Prophets, page 483, 27:14 Ellen White writes, "Leaving their encampment, 27:16 the host descended to the border of the Jordan. 27:20 All knew, however, that without divine aid 27:24 they could not hope to make the passage." 27:28 Now depending on whose numbers you go by, 27:29 it's either three or five million people 27:32 trying to cross over. 27:35 "God willed that the passage of Israel over Jordan 27:39 should be miraculous. 27:43 Joshua, by divine direction, commanded the people 27:45 to sanctify themselves and to put away their sins, 27:48 and free themselves from all outward impurity; 27:51 'for tomorrow,' he said, 'God will do wonders among you.'" 27:58 You know, it's the same way for us today on the 28:00 borders of the heavenly Jordan. 28:02 We've got to purify ourselves, we've got to sanctify ourselves, 28:05 and let God do His wonders in our heart. 28:09 Ellen White goes on to say, the Lord instructed them 28:12 to lead with the ark of the covenant. 28:17 And the people were instructed to follow the ark 28:19 at about a half mile distance. 28:21 Now that's important that God gave them the instruction 28:24 to lead with the ark, because about 700 years later 28:27 they went into the battle leading with the ark, 28:29 and the ark was taken because it was not God's direction. 28:32 It was their own. 28:34 But this time God said, "Lead with the ark, 28:37 stay back about 2000 cubits. 28:40 Because you don't know where you're going. 28:42 I do." 28:44 That's good advice for today. 28:47 Let God lead. 28:49 Because you don't know where you're going. 28:51 He does. 28:53 So follow, not lead. 28:57 Now let's focus on Joshua 3:15. 29:02 Turn to that with me, if you will. 29:04 Joshua 3:15 29:10 Joshua 3:15 29:16 "...and as those who bore the ark came to the Jordan, 29:20 and the feet of the priests who bore the ark dipped in the 29:25 edge of the water, (for the Jordan overflows all its banks 29:29 during the whole time of harvest), 29:32 that the waters which came down from upstream stood still, 29:36 and rose in a heap very far away at Adam, 29:41 the city that is beside Zaretan. 29:46 So the waters that went down into the Sea of the Arabah, 29:51 the Salt Sea, failed, and were cut off; 29:55 and the people crossed over opposite Jericho." 30:02 Before a miracle of any kind happened, 30:07 the people in general, the priest in particular, 30:11 had to get wet. 30:16 They had to get their feet wet before the miracle took place. 30:21 I want you to stick with me here. 30:23 Because there is a point to be made. 30:25 They had to put their feet into that rushing flowing stream, 30:30 which Ellen White calls, angry and swollen, 30:34 prior to the miracle taking place. 30:37 God did a miracle. 30:39 But He only did that miracle after God's people 30:43 showed a little faith. 30:45 Are you listening to me? 30:47 Now getting wet doesn't seem like much. 30:50 It was only their little toes that got wet. 30:54 Particularly when you compare it to the last time 30:57 they crossed a body of water. 30:59 And that is the Red Sea. 31:00 Now let's look at the mental state of that mixed multitude 31:05 the last time they crossed a body of water. 31:07 I'm in Exodus chapter 14. 31:08 Exodus 14:10-12 31:12 Turn with me quickly, Exodus 14. 31:19 Verses 10, 11, and 12. 31:28 "And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel 31:31 lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians 31:34 marched after them. 31:36 So they were very afraid, and the children of Israel 31:40 cried out to the Lord. 31:42 Then they said to Moses, 'Because there are no 31:45 graves in Egypt, have you taken us away 31:48 to die in the wilderness? 31:49 Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt? 31:55 Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, 31:59 "Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians."'" 32:06 Isn't that interesting? 32:08 Humans are interesting people. 32:13 I often wonder how God, and even angels, look at us sometimes. 32:19 Heaven must shake its head in disbelief 32:23 at some of the stunts we pull and some of the things we say. 32:30 We wish we were back in Egypt. 32:35 "It wasn't so bad in Egypt. 32:38 In fact, it was pretty good." 32:41 Turn with me to Exodus 1:13. 32:43 Just look at this for a second. 32:44 This is rich. This is cute. 32:47 Exodus 1:13; first chapter of Exodus, verse 13. 32:53 I'll show you something, this is interesting. 32:55 "So the Egyptians made the children of Israel 32:59 serve with rigor." 33:02 Do you know what, "rigor," means? 33:05 They served with rigor. 33:09 I looked up that word because rigor can mean just hard. 33:14 But the Jewish word, the Hebrew word, "perek," 33:18 means, extreme cruelty and severity. 33:24 It also means, to tear apart, to break, to rip asunder. 33:31 The word, "perek," or, "rigor," is only used 33:34 five times in the whole Old Testament. 33:37 Two times it describes how the Egyptians treated Israel. 33:42 The next three times are found in Leviticus 25, 33:46 and it's part of a law where God is saying to His people, 33:51 "Don't ever treat anybody like that. 33:55 Don't treat fellow Jews, don't treat slaves, 33:59 don't treat strangers from other countries. 34:01 Don't you ever treat anybody with rigor. 34:05 Even those who are under you, don't treat like that." 34:09 And in Leviticus 25:43 it says, "You shall not rule over 34:12 them with rigor, but you shall fear the Lord." 34:15 The Bible intimates that treating somebody with rigor 34:18 is a godless act. 34:21 And so He is saying, "Don't every treat anybody 34:24 how the Egyptians treated you. 34:26 Because they treated you in a godless fashion. 34:28 Don't every be found treating them like they treated you." 34:34 So now Israel is free, and Pharaoh is chasing them. 34:39 And so history gets revised. 34:43 We wish we were still in Egypt. 34:46 Things weren't so bad in Egypt. 34:50 I like how the NIV puts it here in Exodus 14:12. 34:53 "Didn't we say to you Moses, 'Leave us alone 34:57 and let us just serve the Egyptians.'" 35:00 Isn't it funny how history gets revised? 35:03 "It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians 35:06 than to die here in the desert." 35:08 Now when they were making bricks without straw, 35:10 and being beaten like slaves, they were begging for 35:14 deliverance or death. 35:17 I'm so glad that I don't serve a fickle or capricious God. 35:21 Aren't you? 35:23 I'm so glad He's the same yesterday, today, and forever. 35:30 So God immediately works to answer their prayer 35:36 and to help them. 35:38 Ellen White says the Lord was leading in front. 35:41 The Bible says this. 35:43 Ellen White backs this up. 35:45 He moves around behind them, between the Egyptian army 35:50 and the children of Israel. 35:52 And He stays there all night long. 35:55 See how good God is? 35:56 Darkness on the Egyptian side and bright as the noon day 36:02 on the Israeli side. 36:04 That's God. 36:06 Then that night God sent a wind to separate the waters, 36:09 and the children of Israel walked over on dry ground. 36:15 Now remember, their feet never got wet. 36:21 Hold onto that. 36:23 Went over on dry ground. 36:26 They needed a major miracle, didn't they. 36:31 Of course they did. 36:32 And they got a major miracle. 36:35 And the reason they needed such a great miracle 36:38 is because they had little faith and no history with God. 36:43 There was a mixed multitude that didn't understand God. 36:47 Many of the Hebrews who had been in slavery so long 36:51 had really lost a vision of God. 36:53 They needed something big, and God gave them something big. 36:58 He gave them what they needed. 37:01 They were children in their faith, 37:03 and God treated them like children in faith. 37:04 Patriarchs and Prophets, page 284. 37:06 "Moses was greatly troubled that his people should 37:09 manifest so little faith in God, notwithstanding they had 37:14 repeatedly witnessed the manifestation 37:16 of His power in their behalf. 37:18 How could they charge him with the dangers and difficulties 37:24 of their situation, when he had followed the express 37:27 command of God? 37:30 True, there was no possibility of deliverance 37:34 unless God Himself should interpose for their release; 37:38 but having been brought into this position in obedience 37:42 to the divine direction, Moses felt no fear 37:46 of the consequences. 37:48 His calm and assuring reply to the people was, 37:52 'Fear not, stand, and see the salvation of the Lord...'" 37:57 See, that's what when you trust God, when you've tried God, 38:00 and you see that God is all that He claims to be. 38:05 "...which He will show you today. 38:07 For the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, 38:13 ye shall see them again no more forever. 38:18 The Lord shall fight for you, and you shall hold your peace." 38:24 Moses knew God through a 40 year internship in Midian. 38:30 He had a longstanding history with God. 38:33 So when trouble came, Moses knew where to turn. 38:38 Because he had gone to God so many times before. 38:41 Ministry of Healing says this, "Our hearts must be educated 38:46 to become steadfast in God. 38:48 We are to form habits of thought that will enable us 38:51 to resist temptation. 38:53 We must learn to look upward." 38:55 To look upward. 38:57 To look upward. 38:58 To look upward. 39:01 "The principles of the Word of God, principles that are 39:04 as high as heaven and that compass eternity, 39:07 we are to understand in their bearing upon our daily life." 39:11 It doesn't make any sense, it doesn't do any good, 39:17 to read the Bible and make no application to your life. 39:22 Power comes when the word gets out of here 39:25 and into here. 39:27 Amen? 39:28 That's when victory comes. 39:29 So she says, you've got to read the word, 39:32 you've got to know the word, 39:34 but you've got to apply the word. 39:35 That's when victory comes. 39:37 "Every act, every word, every thought, 39:40 is to be in accord with those principles. 39:48 All must be brought into harmony with, 39:51 and subject to, Christ. 39:53 The precious graces of the Holy Spirit are not 39:57 developed in a moment. 39:59 Courage, fortitude, meekness, faith, unwavering trust 40:05 in God's power to save, are acquired by the 40:09 experience of years." 40:11 Amen? 40:13 You don't get the kind of faith that has Pharaoh 40:17 in back of you and the Red Sea in front of you, 40:21 and say, "Stand still," you don't get that in a second. 40:25 That doesn't come over night. 40:28 Now there are some cases where something will happen 40:31 and a person will get instant faith. 40:33 But as a rule, that ain't the way it's going to be. 40:36 Amen? 40:38 You're going to have times in your life when 40:40 you've got a big ole fat bill, and all that's left in your 40:44 pocket is your tithe. 40:48 Mm-hmmm. 40:50 And the devil is saying, "Pay it." 40:55 And you're going to want to pay it. 40:57 And maybe your spouse is saying, "Pay it." 41:03 Mm-hmmm. 41:07 But see, when you trust God and you... 41:09 I had a member of my church come to me one time. 41:12 She brought all of her bills in front of me. 41:14 She said, "Pastor, look at this. 41:17 This is for this, this is rent, this is daycare for my son, 41:21 this is this, this is this, this is this, this is this. 41:23 When I'm done, I have five dollars left. 41:25 I can't pay tithe." 41:29 And I said, "With that little five bucks, you can't afford 41:32 not to pay tithe. 41:36 You're trusting in that little five dollars? 41:39 Better to go in the hole and give your money to God." 41:42 And I heard myself say, I've only done this one or twice, 41:45 but I heard myself say, "Pay your tithe. 41:48 I guarantee you, God will do something for you." 41:52 See, when you put yourself on the line like that, 41:55 that can get icky. 41:58 And you know what? 41:59 Two weeks later, two weeks, two weeks later, 42:04 she got fired. 42:10 "Pastor?" 42:13 One week after that, she got a brand new job. 42:18 One and a half times the salary. 42:23 Is anybody listening when I say, God takes care of His own? 42:30 Trust in the Lord. 42:32 Stuff will get rough. 42:36 But when it does, God will show you how good He is. 42:42 So there are two ways to look at this. 42:44 One, saving faith, as a rule, is not developed in a moment. 42:50 It takes time to build real trust in God. 42:53 And real trust in God only comes when you test Him. 42:58 Amen? 42:59 The second is, given time, those who have been in the Lord 43:05 the longest ought to be the strongest in the Lord. 43:11 Amen. 43:12 A person who's been in the church 50 years 43:15 ought to be stronger than a person who's been in 50 minutes. 43:21 Ought to be. 43:23 May not be. 43:25 But if you've trusted in God and developed a relationship 43:28 with God, you are going to be. 43:31 It's inevitable. 43:33 When you try Him, you find out that is true. 43:36 So God had to do a little more at the Red Sea 43:41 because the people who were there had no history, 43:45 had no faith, and had very little relationship 43:47 with the Lord. 43:50 I've been in the Adventist church since 1961. 43:54 I was a little tiny... Well... 44:00 I was baptized as a boy. 44:05 There is nothing that anybody can say, 44:08 hear me, 44:10 there is nothing that anybody can do... 44:15 And people have said some rough stuff about me. 44:20 People have done some things. 44:25 There is nothing that the Lord can take me through 44:29 that could shake my faith in God. 44:31 Now that's not bragging, that's not patting myself on the back. 44:35 That's the goodness of God. 44:39 Because I've been in this thing too long, 44:44 I've seen too much, my roots go too deep, 44:51 I've had too many experiences with God. 44:54 So there's nothing you can do, nothing you can say, 44:57 nothing you can put me through that's going to make me 45:01 turn my back on God. 45:05 Because He's done so much for me. 45:10 I'll tell you something else. 45:12 When you are deep in the Lord, it gives you a tolerance, 45:17 not an acceptance, per se, but a tolerance 45:20 for those who are not where you are. 45:23 Because everybody is growing in Christ. 45:27 And when I woke up from that surgery last year 45:31 and realized I was still alive... 45:35 Mm-hmm. 45:38 ...I determined, "Lord, there's nothing that can happen to me 45:42 that will make me turn my back on You." 45:48 Some people have to grow up in Jesus. 45:51 Everybody is not in the same place. 45:54 God's people coming out of Egypt were really, 45:59 and I use this word advisedly, brats in Jesus. 46:04 They were. 46:06 They were brats in God. 46:08 God knew that, and Moses soon realized that. 46:12 Now when you're dealing with a spiritual brat, 46:17 you've got to be very careful how you train them. 46:20 You've got to train, teach, disciple, protect, 46:24 and encourage. 46:26 And God at this point is protecting and encouraging 46:29 because He knows who He's dealing with. 46:32 But even little children have to grow up, ladies and gentlemen. 46:36 That which does not grow does not evolve. 46:39 And that which does not evolve soon dies. 46:44 Your baby faith has got to grow. 46:48 You can't stay a baby. 46:51 It's got to develop teeth and muscles. 46:55 And what that trip from the Red Sea to Beth-Peor showed 46:59 was a lack of growth and a lapse in spiritual maturity. 47:06 Volume 5, Testimonies, page 263, "God's people are encouraged 47:14 to seek spiritual growth. 47:17 God calls upon those who know His will to be 47:19 doers of the Word. 47:21 Weakness, half-heartedness, and indecision..." 47:24 Get this, this is fascinating. 47:26 "Weakness, half-heartedness, and indecision 47:30 provoke the assaults of Satan." 47:34 Mm-hmm. 47:36 When Satan sees that you are not resolute, 47:37 when Satan sees that you are not sincere, 47:40 when he sees that you can be swayed, 47:42 he will try to sway you. 47:45 When he sees that you are resolute, the Bible says, 47:48 "Resist the devil, and he will flee." 47:54 But she says, half-doing, half-heartedness, and indecision 47:59 provoke the assaults of Satan. 48:02 That's 5T, 263-264. 48:06 "Those who permit these traits to grow will be borne helplessly 48:13 down the surging waves of temptation." 48:15 When Satan knows that you are indecisive, 48:19 he stays on your back. 48:20 You want to get him off your back? 48:22 Make a decision. 48:24 "Everyone who professes the name of Christ is required to," 48:28 here's her words, "grow up in the full stature of Christ, 48:33 the Christian's living head." 48:35 Now here's, Acts of the Apostles, page 284-285. 48:38 "The natural life is preserved," this is fascinating, 48:41 "moment by moment by divine power; 48:43 yet it is not sustained by a direct miracle, 48:47 but through the use of blessings placed within our reach. 48:51 So the spiritual life is sustained by the use of 48:55 those means that Providence has supplied. 48:59 If the follower of Christ would grow up," here's the word again, 49:03 "'unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature 49:06 of the fullness of Christ,' he must eat of the bread of life 49:11 and drink of the water of salvation. 49:14 He must watch and pray and work, in all things giving heed 49:19 to the instructions of God in His word." 49:23 She goes on to say, you've got to test God. 49:25 You've got to try God. 49:27 You've got to take Him at His word and see 49:29 if He will not be faithful. 49:31 But you will find, as David found, "I've been young, 49:34 now I am old. 49:36 I have never seen His children forsaken 49:40 or His seed begging bread." 49:42 You will find that God is faithful to His word. 49:47 Third volume, Testimonies, page 379. 49:49 "The reason why they are dwarfs in spiritual things is because 49:53 they do not by exercise grow spiritually strong. 49:57 They stand still when they should be going forward." 50:02 Now get this. 50:03 "Every step in the life of faith and duty 50:09 is a step forward toward heaven." 50:13 So every time something comes in your way 50:16 and you step over it, you're stepping one step closer 50:19 to the kingdom of God. 50:21 Fourth volume of, Testimonies, page 367. 50:26 "Man may," here's the word again, "grow up in Christ, 50:30 his living head. 50:32 It is not the work of a moment, but that of a lifetime." 50:36 As good as you are, you can always get better. 50:42 "By growing daily in the divine life, 50:45 he will not attain to the full stature of a perfect man 50:49 in Christ until his probation ceases." 50:52 Which simply says, every day you are to get better and better 50:56 and better and better, and closer and closer, 51:00 and stronger and stronger, until you close your eyes 51:03 in death or until Jesus comes to take you home. 51:09 "This growing is a continuous work." 51:15 And God will send you trials and allow trials to come in your way 51:19 simply because you need those trials for growing. 51:30 So no one in that first group made it into Canaan. 51:37 The Bible says 40 years later they came again. 51:44 Hebrews 4:6 talks about entering into God's rest. 51:53 Now ostensibly, the text deals with the Sabbath. 51:56 But it also deals with the Canaan rest and rest in Jesus. 52:01 A whole generation lost its way. 52:05 They went to Kadesh, got to the borders of the kingdom, 52:09 "and all of the children of Israel complained 52:11 against Moses," Numbers 14:2 says, 52:15 except Caleb and Joshua. 52:19 And they said, "We wish we were dead. 52:22 We wish we were back in the wilderness. 52:24 We wish we had died there." 52:27 And God granted them their wish. 52:30 "Let's select a leader and go back to Egypt," they said. 52:35 And God said, "If that is what you wish, 52:37 that is what you shall have." 52:40 But the Bible says, "He who began a good work in you 52:47 is able to complete it." 52:51 The Bible says God brought them out that they might go in. 52:57 The same God who got you started can keep you going 53:02 and get you into the kingdom, if you will follow Him. 53:06 It's Philippians 1:6. Write that down. 53:09 "...being confident of this, that He who has begun 53:13 a good work in you will complete it until the day 53:19 of Jesus Christ." 53:22 The God who got you started will get you to heaven, 53:25 if you work with Him. 53:26 That new generation 40 years in the wilderness. 53:31 You know, it occurred to me that all of those young people, 53:34 children, older people, who grew up and were born 53:37 of that second group in the wilderness, 53:40 from the time they opened their eyes until the time they 53:42 crossed Jordan, all they knew was the pillar of cloud by day 53:47 and the pillar of fire by night. 53:48 They never knew anything else. 53:50 God was always there. 53:52 So by the time they got now to the Jordan River, 53:56 their experience was not like those who had 53:59 died in the wilderness. 54:01 They had a 40 year head start. 54:03 They knew who God was. 54:05 They had eaten at God's hand every day. 54:08 They had eaten the manna every day. 54:10 They had seen the miracles of God every day. 54:12 They had seen God defeat the five Midianite kings 54:15 and the two other kings. 54:16 They had seen the miracles of God. 54:18 So now when they come to the Jordan River, 54:21 they've got much more faith, they've got a history with God, 54:24 they know who He is. 54:26 They don't know where they're going, 54:27 but they know who's standing by their side. 54:30 So God expects a little more of them. 54:33 So He says, "This time, before you get to dry ground, 54:38 you've got to get wet. 54:40 You've got to step in the water and trust Me." 54:44 You see, the 40 year Christian ought to have a little more 54:48 faith than the 40 minute Christian. 54:50 Amen? 54:52 So God changes His tact and His tactics. 54:56 The truth is, though, we need God in the 50th year 55:00 like we do in the 50th day. 55:03 But our faith ought to be stronger, 55:05 because we've walked with God so much longer. 55:11 Patriarchs and Prophets, page 484. 55:14 "All watched with deep interest as the priests advanced 55:18 down the bank of the Jordan. 55:20 They saw them with the sacred ark move steadily forward 55:27 toward the angry, surging stream, till the feet of the 55:32 bearers were dipped into the waters." 55:37 The dry ground came, but it came after their feet got wet. 55:46 So many times we are standing waiting for God to move, 55:51 and God is saying, "I'm waiting for you to move. 55:53 You take one step, I'll meet you. 55:58 I'll work through you. 56:00 I'll show you miracles. 56:03 But I need you to show a little faith in Me. 56:06 I'll open up the windows of heaven and pour you out 56:08 a blessing, but you've got to trust Me with your tithe. 56:13 You've got to trust Me with your last dime. 56:15 And I will show you that I am faithful." 56:19 Ladies and gentlemen, I submit to you 56:22 that God will seldom work for you when what He really wants 56:26 to do is work through you. 56:29 He could move that mountain, but He can also give you 56:33 strength to climb it. 56:35 Both are miracles. 56:38 Both are blessings of the Lord. 56:41 Faith is a gift from God. 56:45 But the more we use it, the stronger it gets. 56:50 And it becomes living faith when we lean totally on Jesus Christ. 56:59 God will give you dry ground, 57:01 but He may ask you to get wet first, to show Him 57:06 that you trust Him. 57:08 And when you trust Him, you will find 57:11 God is faithful. 57:15 Shall we pray. 57:16 Father God, we thank You, Lord, for this example, 57:21 this example of faith. 57:24 Father, give us that faith; victorious faith, 57:27 healing faith, saving faith. 57:31 And we thank You in Jesus name, amen. |
Revised 2016-02-10