Participants: Greg & Jill Morikone (Host), Pr. Wes Peppers
Series Code: AOT
Program Code: AOT000171A
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00:12 Welcome to Anchors Of Truth,
00:14 live from the 3ABN Worship Center. 00:21 Hello friends, and welcome to Anchors Of Truth. 00:23 We're here live at the 3ABN Worship Center, 00:26 which is located in Thompsonville, Illinois. 00:28 Or you could actually say West Frankfort too. 00:30 We're kind of right on the edge of 00:31 West Frankfort and Thompsonville. 00:33 But welcome to Anchors Of Truth. 00:34 It's always a blessing to hear God's word delivered. 00:37 And this series is by Wes Peppers, 00:40 and the whole five part series is entitled, 00:42 Before Men and Angels; Theater of the Universe. 00:46 Welcome also to our audience that is here 00:48 locally at our worship center. 00:50 It's a blessing, isn't it, to hear God's word 00:52 spoken and delivered, that's for sure. 00:53 You know, Pastor Wes, I have to say that for those of you 00:56 that have been watching on 3ABN recently, 00:59 we were in Lansing, Michigan with Pastor Doug Batchelor 01:02 and Heroes Of Faith. 01:03 And the church that we were at was the 01:05 Lansing Seventh-day Adventist Church. 01:07 And that happens to be Pastor Wes' church. 01:10 He's the senior pastor there. 01:11 And I have to say, he has a wonderful church there. 01:14 A great loving church family. 01:16 And we appreciated working with Amazing Facts 01:19 and his local church to be part of the Heroes Of Faith. 01:22 That was a blessing. So we appreciate Pastor Wes. 01:24 It was fun working with him a few weeks ago. 01:26 You know, as a young man... 01:28 He's not going to tell all of his testimony 01:29 in these five part series. 01:30 He's just going to mention it here and there. 01:32 But he actually, as a young man, was an atheist. 01:34 Isn't that amazing where God can bring someone 01:36 to where he is now? 01:38 He was an evangelist for Amazing Facts, 01:42 which we just talked about, for about five years. 01:44 And he's been the senior pastor at 01:45 Lansing Seventh-day Adventist Church 01:47 oh not that long, but he's enjoying it. 01:49 And I know, us being there, his church family 01:52 loves he and his wife. 01:54 And I know his wife is here, and you're going to 01:55 tell us about his family. 01:56 Absolutely. 01:58 To me, the beautiful thing is, when God calls people 02:00 into ministry, He not only calls an individual, 02:03 like He called Pastor Wes Peppers, but He also called 02:05 His wife Marion. 02:06 And Marion and Wes are a wonderful dynamic team. 02:10 They have two precious kids. 02:11 Levi is three or three and a half, 02:14 and Liana was just born just a few months ago. 02:18 Tonight, we're not only going to hear the spoken Word 02:20 from Pastor Wes Peppers, but Marion will be 02:23 bringing the Word in music. 02:26 She will prepare our hearts for the message. 02:28 The song she will be singing is, Draw Me Nearer. 02:32 Before she sings and before we hear from Pastor Wes Peppers, 02:36 let's just bow our heads for a word of prayer. 02:39 Father we come before You in the name of Jesus 02:42 and we thank You. 02:43 Thank You for the gift of Your Son. 02:45 Thank You that You have called us as Your sons and daughters. 02:49 Thank You for the message that is in Your Word 02:52 that's going to come forth from Pastor Wes Peppers. 02:56 We just ask right now for the anointing of Your Holy Spirit, 03:00 and that our ears and minds could be opened 03:04 to what You want to share with us. 03:06 In the precious and the holy name of Jesus, amen. 03:10 Amen. 03:26 For Your nearness, Lord, I hunger; 03:31 for Your nearness, Lord, I wait. 03:36 Hold me ever closer, Father; 03:41 such a love I can't escape. 03:49 For Your nearness I am hoping; 03:54 for Your nearness, Lord, I long. 03:59 I have no need of any other; 04:04 I have found where I belong. 04:09 Yes, I have found where I belong. 04:14 So draw me nearer, Lord; 04:20 never let me go. 04:25 Closer to Your heart, 04:30 draw me nearer, Lord. 04:35 Draw me nearer, Lord. 04:48 In Your nearness there is healing; 04:53 what was broken now made whole. 04:58 Restoration in its fullness; 05:03 lasting hope for all who come. 05:08 In Your nearness I take shelter; 05:12 where You are is where I'm home. 05:19 I have need of only one thing; 05:23 to be here before Your throne. 05:29 To be here before Your throne. 05:34 So draw me nearer, Lord; 05:39 never let me go. 05:44 Closer to Your heart, 05:49 draw me nearer, Lord. 05:54 So draw me nearer, Lord; 05:59 never let me go. 06:04 Closer to Your heart, 06:10 draw me nearer, Lord. 06:14 Draw me nearer, Lord. 06:21 And keep me here, keep me here; 06:26 there's nowhere else I'd rather be. 06:32 Keep me here, keep me here; 06:37 there's nowhere else I'd rather be. 06:42 There's nowhere else I'd rather be. 06:50 So draw me nearer, Lord; 06:55 never let me go. 07:01 Closer to Your heart, 07:06 draw me nearer, Lord. 07:11 Draw me nearer, Lord. 07:16 Draw me nearer, my Lord. 07:51 Good evening, friends. 07:53 I'm glad to have you here with us tonight, 07:55 those of you who are here in our studio audience. 07:58 And those that are watching around the world, 08:00 we just welcome you. 08:01 And I'm so glad to be here for Anchors Of Truth. 08:04 Excited to open God's Word together 08:06 and see what He has to speak to us from the sacred Scriptures. 08:10 How many are thankful to be here tonight? 08:12 And we have an exciting series, I'm so looking forward to it. 08:16 Because what we're going to do is we're going to take some 08:18 very important key issues that God's people will be 08:22 facing in the last days and we're going to see how 08:25 those things are very applicable to us today, 08:29 and some of the trials and the challenges 08:31 that we're going to be facing as we look forward 08:34 to Jesus' soon return. 08:35 And we're going to see how we can be overcomers 08:38 through faith and grace in Jesus. 08:41 Amen? 08:42 How many are looking forward to that? 08:43 And so tonight our subject is, 08:46 Sacrificial Surrender and Sleeping Saints. 08:49 And a lot of people ask me, "Boy, that's a very 08:51 interesting title, Pastor Wes." 08:52 In fact, somebody said to me, 08:54 "All your titles are very interesting." 08:56 And we believe today that we are living in the last days. Amen? 09:00 We believe that Jesus is coming soon. 09:02 And I believe that we don't have time to mess around 09:06 with foolishness. Amen? 09:08 That we need to be prepared, 09:09 we need to be seeking God's presence. 09:10 And that's why I gave such bold titles. Amen? 09:14 So we're going to be seeing what we can learn from God's Word 09:16 over the next few nights. 09:18 Before we begin this evening, I just want to invite you to 09:21 bow your heads, wherever you are. 09:23 We're just going to ask God's presence to be with us 09:25 one more time. 09:27 Father in heaven, tonight we are so thankful 09:29 to be here for Anchors Of Truth. 09:31 We're thankful, Lord, that You are leading 09:33 in each one of our lives. 09:35 No matter where we are in life's journey, 09:37 whether we are truly faithful, whether our hand is securely 09:42 bound in Yours, or Lord, whether we are 09:44 floundering and struggling in our faith, 09:47 we believe tonight that You are reaching out to us. 09:50 We believe tonight that You want to give us hope, 09:52 that You want to give us victory, 09:54 that You want to give us strength. 09:55 And Lord, we are thrilled, as we open Your Word this evening, 09:59 that the precious promises of truth would speak 10:03 to our hearts this evening. 10:04 So we ask You to send the Holy Spirit to move us, 10:07 to guide us, to shake us, to convict us, to comfort us, 10:10 and give us assurance, leading us to Jesus. 10:14 And it's in His name we pray, amen. 10:17 I remember a story that I heard once, true story. 10:20 There was a young preacher who was new in town. 10:24 I know what's that like. 10:25 I haven't been to the Lansing church for very long. 10:28 And just several months ago I came there. 10:30 So I know what it's like to be the new preacher in town. 10:32 Well this new preacher was working late at night 10:35 in his church, he was in the church working on a sermon. 10:38 And as he left the church, he was catching the bus 10:42 to go on his way home. 10:44 And so he got on the bus and he gave the money to the drive, 10:49 and the drive gave him his change, 10:50 and he went to his seat and sat down. 10:53 And just before he put the money in his pocket, 10:56 he looked at it and he noticed, there was just a few coins, 11:00 but he noticed that the driver gave him ten cents too much. 11:04 One dime too much. 11:07 And his first inclination was, just like most of us would be, 11:11 to stick that money in his pocket and forget about it. 11:13 Right? How many of you would think that? 11:15 Yeah, sure we would, right? 11:16 Just, oh a dime. Not that big of a deal. 11:18 Probably overlooked. No need to worry, right? 11:22 But the Spirit of God began to convict him, 11:24 and the Spirit said to him, "You need to return that dime 11:29 when you leave the bus." 11:30 So the bus went through town, and after several stops 11:34 finally it was his stop. 11:35 And he goes to get off, and he takes that dime 11:38 and he says to the bus driver, 11:40 "Sir, you gave me a dime too much." 11:43 The bus driver took the dime into his hand and he says, 11:46 "Yes, I know." 11:48 The young man was shocked. 11:49 He says, "You knew you gave me ten cents too much?" 11:51 And he said, "Yes." 11:52 And he says, "I was testing you." 11:55 He says, "Aren't you the new preacher in town?" 12:00 That young man was taken back. 12:02 He said, "Well actually, yes I am." 12:04 And the bus driver said, "I was testing you." 12:07 He says, "I wanted to see if you were a man of integrity 12:11 and a man who was faithful to God even in small things." 12:16 The man said, "See, my wife and I, we use to attend church 12:19 many years ago. 12:21 We use to go every week." 12:23 And he said, "But through a course of events, 12:26 our lives became busy, we had children, 12:28 we had all kinds of things that we needed to tend to. 12:31 And gradually and slowly, we drifted away from the church." 12:35 And he says, "Many years went by." 12:37 And he said, "Just a few months ago," 12:41 he said, "my wife passed away." 12:45 And he said, "It shook me to my very core." 12:48 And he said, "It made me realize that if I, myself, 12:51 were to die, I would not know that I would be 12:54 ready to meet Jesus." 12:56 And he said, "And I thought to come to your church. 12:58 But before I did that, I wanted to see if you were a man 13:04 of integrity. 13:05 If you would be a man of honesty and truthfulness 13:09 and faithfulness, even when no one else was looking." 13:14 And he said, "I'll be at your church this weekend." 13:17 The young man got off the bus and he began to shake, 13:22 as some of you probably would. 13:23 I know that I would; trembling in the balance. 13:26 And as he came off the bus, he had to grab, 13:29 there was a stop sign or something there, 13:31 he had to grab the sign just to keep from 13:32 falling down on the ground. 13:34 As he was shaking, he said to himself, he prayed this prayer, 13:38 he said, "Dear God, please forgive me, 13:41 because I almost just sold Your son for a dime." 13:49 Integrity, faithfulness... 13:52 These are some of the virtues that God's people must possess 13:56 in the last days. Amen? 13:57 They must possess an integrity that goes beyond 14:01 when people are watching you, 14:03 beyond when people have their eye on you. 14:06 We must possess an integrity in the last days 14:10 that we will do the right thing for the right reason 14:13 when no one is watching. 14:15 Because the reality is, when no one is watching, 14:19 someone really is always watching. 14:21 Amen? 14:23 And that's what we're going to find tonight. 14:24 We're going to see in our study... 14:26 We're going to study a gentleman that many of you know well. 14:29 And we're going to dive into our Bibles tonight. 14:31 We're going to study the life of Abraham. 14:34 And so we're going to go to Genesis chapter 22. 14:37 I invite you to turn there with me. 14:38 Genesis chapter 22. 14:40 And we're going to find a very powerful story. 14:44 It's the story of Abraham taking his son Isaac up the mountain 14:48 and offering him there as a sacrifice before God. 14:53 Now, I have been an atheist in my past, 14:56 as Greg mentioned earlier. 14:58 And I remember that there are many skeptics that I've 15:01 encountered who use this story as a means to try to 15:06 give the indication or the idea that Christianity 15:09 is some type of fanatic weird religion. 15:13 How many have ever heard that before? 15:14 And many times I've encountered people and they say, 15:17 "Look at that, you see a man that wakes up and he 15:20 hears a voice telling him to go take his son up a mountain 15:24 and to sacrifice him to God." 15:25 They say, "What kind of craziness is that?" 15:28 And initially, if you look at it on the surface, 15:30 it might seem so. 15:32 But when you look deeper and you look more powerfully 15:35 into the story, you find very wonderful beautiful lessons 15:39 that we're going to look at tonight. 15:41 So Genesis chapter 22, and we're going to go through this story. 15:45 Genesis 22:1, notice what the Bible says. 15:49 It says, "And it came to pass after these things, 15:53 that God tested Abraham, and said to him, 'Abraham!' 15:56 He said, 'Here I am.'" Abraham's response was. 16:00 "Then He said, 'Take now your son, your only son Isaac, 16:03 whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, 16:05 and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the 16:09 mountains of which I shall tell you.' 16:11 So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, 16:14 and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; 16:18 and he split the wood for the burnt offering, 16:21 and arose and went to the place which God had told him. 16:24 Then on the third day Abraham lifted his eyes 16:27 and saw the place afar off. 16:29 And Abraham said to his young men, 'Stay here with the donkey 16:32 while the lad and I will go yonder and worship, 16:35 and we will come back to you.' 16:37 So Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it 16:39 on Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, 16:43 and a knife, and the two of them went together. 16:46 But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, 'My father!' 16:49 And he said, 'Here I am, my son.' 16:51 Then he said, 'Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the 16:54 lamb for the burnt offering?'" 16:57 Now what you find in the story is a very beautiful picture, 17:01 a very beautiful painting, of the gospel. 17:04 It's very beautiful; let me make some illustrations here. 17:08 In verse 1 God makes the point, He says, 17:11 verse 1 and 2, He says, "Take your son, your only son, 17:15 whom you love, and offer him as a sacrifice." 17:21 Think about what God the Father did. 17:22 Did He give His only Son, yes or no? 17:24 Did He love His Son, yes or no? 17:26 He loved Him greatly. 17:28 The Bible says that they went on a journey to a far away land, 17:32 to a mountain. 17:33 Jesus left heaven and came on a journey, did He not? 17:36 Far away from His home to redeem us. 17:39 They journeyed about three and a half days. 17:42 Jesus was on the earth for about three and a half years, yes? 17:45 Isaac carried the wood on his back up the mountain. 17:50 He laid the wood upon Isaac's back. 17:52 Jesus bore the cross up Calvary's hill, yes or no? 17:57 Very powerful. 17:58 Isaac, the Bible tells us, you find this later in the story, 18:01 we'll read this, he laid down without a fight. 18:05 A young man in his prime, probably 20 something years old. 18:09 Abraham was a very old man. 18:10 Isaac could have easily resisted. 18:13 But Isaac had learned the lesson of submission 18:17 to his father. 18:19 And that is a lesson, dear friends, that in the last days 18:22 you and I must learn submission to God 18:25 and to His higher authority, even when there is 18:27 an opportunity to escape it. 18:30 We must not escape the will of God. Amen? 18:32 We must follow it and submit to it. 18:35 The Bible tells us that they saw a ram in the thicket 18:38 at just the right time. Yes? 18:42 And Jesus is our Lamb who came just at the right time. Right? 18:46 Isaac did not fight. 18:47 Isaiah 53 says Jesus laid down like a lamb, 18:51 like a sheep. 18:52 The ram was caught by its horns in a thicket; 18:58 and Jesus wore a crown of thorns. 19:03 The ram was Isaac's substitute, and Jesus is our substitute. 19:10 How many are thankful for this story 19:12 that illustrates the beauty of the gospel? 19:15 The only difference between this story and the gospel 19:20 is that there was an angel... 19:21 In fact, you read about it in verse 10. 19:24 It says, "And Abraham stretched out his hand 19:28 and took the knife to slay his son." 19:30 After he had laid him on the altar. 19:32 "But the Angel of the LORD called to him from heaven 19:34 and said, 'Abraham, Abraham!' 19:35 So he said, 'Here I am.' 19:37 And He said, 'Do not lay your hand on the lad, 19:39 or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, 19:42 since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.'" 19:46 The only difference between this story and the true gospel 19:50 is that there was not an angel who staid the hand 19:56 that had to slay God's Son. 19:58 There was no angel to cry out to save the life of Jesus. 20:03 Jesus had to pay the price, while Isaac was able to go free. 20:10 What a beautiful picture of the gospel. 20:13 But there was a pain in God's heart that He experienced, 20:16 was there not? 20:17 A deeper pain than Abraham could understand. 20:20 God had called Abraham to this test for a 20:23 very specific purpose. 20:25 It was simply that He wanted Abraham to understand 20:29 what He Himself had gone through to provide the provision 20:35 for salvation for all humanity. 20:37 He wanted Abraham to taste the bitter cup 20:40 that God Himself, the Father, had experienced; 20:43 the cup that He had tasted. 20:45 And also that Abraham might reach the highest standard 20:50 of faith in giving all to the God of heaven; 20:59 the sacrifice of all. 21:02 God had saved Abraham's biggest test for the final 21:08 days of his life. 21:10 Abraham had had this test many times before. 21:12 He had tests of faith at different increments 21:15 of his life, but he had failed it almost every time. 21:18 And God had saved this greatest test for last, 21:22 when Abraham was the oldest and he was the weakest 21:25 that he had ever been. 21:28 And there's a parallel, friends. 21:30 Because the greatest test for humanity 21:33 are still yet to come. 21:36 The greatest test for God's church are still yet 21:39 to come in the future. 21:43 This generation of people, this church in its lukewarm 21:48 stage in the last days of earth's history, 21:50 fulfilling the prophecies of Revelation chapter 3 21:53 about Laodicea lukewarm, this church often knows the least... 21:58 At least in North America, I should say. 22:01 There are many folk around the world that know what it means 22:04 to suffer for Christ's sake. 22:05 And I'm not saying that every person, 22:07 but you understand the point I'm making here. 22:10 ...that the church in North America knows, this generation, 22:13 knows the least about what it means to suffer for Christ 22:16 of any generation before us. 22:18 But before it's all said and done, they will know the most 22:21 of what it means to suffer for Christ before Jesus comes. 22:25 And so God, at the very end of time, 22:27 we will pass that test as well. 22:31 And God will wait until humanity reaches its weakest point of 22:34 earth's history before they pass that test. 22:38 And why does God do this? 22:40 Very simply, because He can show His greatest wonders. 22:45 Because that which is the weakest, He will make 22:48 the strongest by His power. 22:51 He will wait until humanity, our church, God's people, 22:55 have no ounce of self-trust left in their bones 23:00 as they pass the final test of earth's history. 23:03 How many are thankful today for the grace of God? 23:05 His power, His grace, will sustain His people. 23:09 Now backing up in the chapter, if you go to verse 2 and 3, 23:15 you know, God gave Abraham some very specific, 23:20 not specific, but very vague directions, did He not? 23:23 He did not tell him everything that He was going to do. 23:26 He just said, "Take your son, go up to this mountain, 23:29 and then I'll tell you what to do. 23:31 You're going to offer him as a sacrifice." 23:34 You know, Abraham didn't know everything 23:38 that God was planning for him. 23:40 But he obeyed anyway. 23:42 Now imagine if you woke up in the middle of the night 23:44 and you heard the same voice that Abraham heard 23:47 telling you to take your son or your daughter 23:50 up to this mountain to sacrifice them. 23:52 I would think to myself that I had gone crazy. 23:55 How about you? 23:56 I would think, "Man, I've lost it here. 23:58 What is this happening? 23:59 I'm hearing this voice telling me to slay my son." 24:03 And yet, here is the ironic thing, 24:05 is that Abraham obeyed anyway. 24:07 Why? Why did he obey? 24:08 It's simply this: 24:10 Because he had heard God's voice speak to him before. 24:15 When He told him that he would be the father of many nations, 24:19 when He gave him that promise, Abraham knew and understood 24:22 the voice of God. 24:24 And so when God called him to something radical, 24:27 to something that seemed strange, 24:29 something that seemed unlike God's character, 24:32 Abraham had been so close to his Father 24:37 that he knew the voice and he obeyed. 24:41 Dear friends, God's going to call us to radical things 24:43 in the last days. 24:45 I'm not saying He's going to call us to this. 24:46 I don't know what He'll call us to. 24:48 But He's going to call us to radical things. 24:50 And it's only if we know His voice in peace 24:55 that we will hear and understand and know His voice 24:58 when difficulties and trials come. 25:01 Are you hearing God's voice in your difficulties today? 25:04 Are you seeking His presence? 25:07 During those three days that he made that journey, 25:10 I'm sure it seemed very quiet. 25:14 God's voice, we're told in the book, Patriarchs and Prophets, 25:17 he did not hear God's voice during the journey. 25:20 God seemed to be silent. 25:21 And sometimes, the dark times of our lives, 25:23 God seems silent, doesn't He? 25:25 He seems quiet. 25:26 He seems like He's not speaking to us. 25:29 And sometimes in the silence, we're tempted with the thought 25:33 that maybe God didn't really mean 25:35 what He said when He said it. 25:38 "Maybe God said that, but maybe now He doesn't mean it. 25:41 Because He's not speaking to me, even though I'm praying. 25:43 Maybe I don't really need to do that. 25:45 I don't really need to follow through with that thing 25:47 that He's asked me to do." 25:49 And here's the point: 25:53 God may have been silent, but He wasn't absent. 25:58 He was drawing close to Abraham. 26:01 But there was someone else who was drawing close to him; 26:03 and that was Satan. 26:05 And he was seeking to bring the dark clouds of doubt 26:07 over Abraham's eyes, trying to get him to decide against 26:13 what God had asked him to do. 26:16 Abraham pressed on. 26:18 You see, this temptation was even more severe 26:21 and more difficult than the temptation that Adam 26:24 had in the Garden of Eden. 26:25 Do you know why? 26:28 Because Adam's compliance and obedience to God's command 26:33 would have brought no suffering upon himself. 26:36 It would have actually brought eternal happiness and joy. 26:40 Yet Abraham was willing to obey when it would bring 26:44 a great loss to himself, a great personal loss. 26:49 Abraham, and God our Father through giving up Jesus, 26:52 was willing to do what Adam did not. 26:57 Which was give up his most prized possession, 27:01 his only son. 27:03 Adam would not give up Eve. 27:06 But God gave up His Son, Abraham gave up his son. 27:08 Can you see how beautifully Abraham is modeling 27:12 the gospel? 27:13 Very powerful. 27:15 But some people might say, "But hey, God, do I 27:17 really need to give up my son?" 27:19 Abraham could have asked that question. 27:21 He probably did ask that question to himself. 27:24 Why then would he need to be willing to give up his son? 27:27 Because, very simply, before Abraham could become the 27:30 father of the nations, he would need to understand 27:33 and would need to suffer and know what God Himself 27:37 would go through. 27:39 He must drink of the cup that Jesus drank from 27:42 if he were to be the father of the nations. 27:44 And God's glory never comes without 27:47 some kind of pain, does it? 27:49 It never comes without some sort of pain. 27:52 See, Lucifer wanted to be like God, but he was 27:55 unwilling to suffer loss. 27:58 And the glory of God is another phrase for the character of God. 28:04 And the character of God always comes 28:07 or is always willing to handle and willing to give great loss 28:11 to benefit others. 28:14 It's a selfless love. 28:15 There's no stronger power in the universe 28:18 than the selfless love of God. 28:22 How many of you would agree with that tonight? 28:24 So the sacrifice of Isaac impresses upon us 28:31 and upon Abraham the truth of the gospel. 28:34 So you must understand something. 28:37 Every single thing that was precious to Abraham 28:41 in his life, all his hopes, all his dreams, all his joys, 28:46 all the promises of God, everything that he lived for 28:50 was wrapped up in that one boy named Isaac. 28:55 Everything that he loved, everything that he cherished, 28:58 everything that he possessed, everything that he lived for 29:01 was in Isaac. 29:02 And here is God asking him to lay his son upon the altar 29:08 to be slain. 29:12 Essentially he was saying, "God, everything that I live for, 29:15 you're asking me to give away." 29:17 "That's exactly right, Abraham." 29:20 And that's exactly right for you and I tonight; 29:23 that God asks us to give all. 29:25 And listen, friends, it is only when you and I 29:31 in these last days are willing to give up everything, 29:36 we are willing to lay everything that we possess on the altar, 29:43 that we will see the wonders of God, 29:46 and we will know His presence, 29:48 and we will experience His power, 29:50 unlike we ever have before. 29:52 It is only when we lay all; our jobs, our bank accounts, 29:57 our houses, our vehicles, our families, 30:01 those things that we hold near and dear to our hearts, 30:04 it's only when we lay them all upon the altar 30:07 that we are able to see the wonder and true power of God. 30:10 Because listen, friends, Abraham did not know where that 30:14 sacrifice was coming from. 30:16 He thought that he was going to have to slay his son. 30:18 But he believed in the promise that he would come back, 30:22 that God would raise him from the dead. 30:23 Look there in verse 5, it says, "And Abraham said to his 30:27 young men, "Stay here with the donkey; 30:29 and the lad and I will go yonder and worship..." 30:32 And look at this, he says, "..and we will..." Do What? 30:36 "...we will come back..." 30:37 He doesn't say, "And I will come back." 30:39 He says, "And we will come back." 30:41 He believed that God had the power, if he would slay his son 30:44 there on the altar, he believed that God had the power 30:47 to raise him from the dead. 30:50 And he didn't understand everything. 30:51 He didn't understand why all these things were happening. 30:54 And we in our own circumstances don't always understand why. 30:57 But the truth is that we must trust and obey. 31:03 That's the lesson that we're trying to instill 31:05 in my son when he's disobedient. 31:07 "Son, you must trust us that what we're asking you to do 31:10 is for your best interest. 31:12 And if you really believe that we love you, 31:14 you will know and trust that we never will hurt you. 31:17 And anything we ask you to do is for your own good." 31:21 That's the lesson that God's people in the 31:23 last days must learn. 31:24 It is a lesson that God's people today have not yet learned. 31:28 But we must learn it. 31:30 We must learn it. 31:32 And it wasn't until Abraham laid everything upon the altar 31:38 that he found the means of escape for his son. 31:42 It wasn't until Abraham surrendered Isaac to God, 31:49 that's when the ram appeared in the bushes. 31:51 You see? 31:52 Many people say, "Well, God, I don't want to 31:55 give this thing up. 31:56 Can't You just provide another way?" 31:58 No, He will not until we surrender that thing to Him. 32:01 Are you with me? 32:03 Not just that thing, but everything. 32:08 Everything. 32:10 And it's only in our lives when we yield all to Christ 32:12 that we will see the hand of God move in ways that 32:16 will seem like utter impossibilities to us now. 32:20 I remember when I first was coming to Christ, 32:25 when I was an atheist, I studied the Bible 32:29 to try to prove it wrong, 32:31 to try to prove that God didn't exist. 32:34 And I pulled out this old Bible that my grandma had given me, 32:37 and I knocked the dust off that thing, 32:39 and I opened that thing and I said, 32:41 "Let me read about this foolishness." 32:43 I said, "Let me read about this nonsense. 32:46 Let me prove that there's no God." 32:47 And when I do that, I was going to commit suicide. 32:53 Because I said, "I'm going to prove that this life 32:55 is meaningless, without purpose, and without hope. 32:59 And then I'm going to die. 33:00 And it's going to be all over." 33:02 And the only thing that kept me from going through with it 33:06 right at that moment was that I was trying, 33:10 I wanted to do it in such a way that it would cause my family 33:13 to suffer and feel guilty for the rest of their lives. 33:15 That's how deranged I had become. 33:18 And I opened that Bible and began to study 33:20 the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation. 33:22 And I began to see that God had a plan for this world 33:25 long ago, and that He unraveled that plan through the 33:28 prophecies hundreds and even thousands of years 33:32 before they ever came to pass. 33:34 And the more I studied that, the more I saw that, 33:37 the more real the Bible became to me 33:38 and the more God began to speak to my heart. 33:40 And I began to come to the realization 33:42 that this book is no ordinary book. 33:46 It is a book that is divinely inspired, 33:49 it is a book that gives direction to this world, 33:52 and it's a book that can give direction 33:53 to our lives personally. 33:57 And when I read about the Lord Jesus 34:00 and what He had done for me, my heart melted. 34:02 And I was 22 years old. 34:03 And I knelt down beside my bed and I wept, and I cried, 34:09 because I had never seen a love like His. 34:13 And I claimed that promise in John 6:37, when He says, 34:17 "All who come to Me, I will by no means cast away." 34:24 And I cried before God for hours, 34:27 because my life was a living wreck. 34:32 I had so many addictions. 34:34 I had alcohol addiction. 34:35 I used to drink, many times, a case of beer per day. 34:40 Per day. 34:42 I was addicted to video games. 34:43 I played a video game once for three days and two nights 34:47 without sleeping. 34:49 I was addicted to pornography. 34:51 I was addicted to tobacco. 34:53 I remember many times, there were times when I would have 34:58 a beer in one hand, a dip in my lip, a chew of tobacco 35:03 in my mouth, and a cigarette in the other hand. 35:05 Many times. 35:07 And there were times when I'd try to give up that tobacco 35:10 and I would throw it away. 35:12 And I would find myself on my hands and knees 35:14 digging through the trash can. 35:17 And one day, as God had already begun to work in my life, 35:20 one day God spoke to me and He said, "Is this the thing 35:23 that you're worshiping?" 35:26 He said, "Look, you're on your knees. 35:28 You're digging in the garbage. 35:30 What extent will you go to fulfill your addiction?" 35:36 And that struck my heart. 35:41 And when I was thinking about committing suicide, 35:44 God also spoke to my heart and He said, "If you're willing to 35:46 take your life, won't you just be willing to give it to Me? 35:52 Try Me out and see what I'll do for you." 35:55 And so I did. 35:57 And God gave me victory. 35:58 I knelt down upon my hands and knees, 22 years old, 36:02 and I gave my life to Christ. 36:05 And the power to overcome those addictions came in a moment. 36:09 In a moment. 36:11 I stopped smoking, I stopped drinking, 36:13 I stopped chewing, I stopped playing games, 36:15 I stopped watching pornography. 36:17 I stopped doing all these different things. 36:19 The power of God is real, dear friends. 36:22 And He works in different ways in different people. 36:24 He doesn't always give it to everybody right then. 36:26 He gives us the victory then, 36:28 but sometimes we need to learn things. 36:29 But He does it different ways for different people. 36:31 But the truth is that when we believe by faith, 36:34 He will give it to us. 36:37 This is what Abraham... 36:38 I had to be willing to come to the point where I 36:41 would surrender all. 36:43 I had to use all my human strength and reach the place 36:48 within my human strength that I couldn't do it 36:52 anymore on my own. 36:55 I couldn't do it anymore. 36:56 Sometimes you have to hit rock bottom to know that 36:59 God is the rock at the bottom. 37:03 And that's what happened to me. 37:07 And this generation of God's people who live in the last days 37:13 must have that experience. 37:16 But you know what friends? 37:18 God doesn't just want us to experience it then. 37:19 He wants us to experience it now. Amen? 37:23 He wants us to experience it now. 37:26 So Abraham takes him up. 37:28 And verse 10 through 12, look at this. 37:31 It says, "Abraham stretched out his hand 37:32 and he took the knife to slay his son. 37:34 But the Angel of the LORD called to him from heaven 37:36 and said, 'Abraham, Abraham!' 37:38 So he said, 'Here I am.' 37:39 And He said, 'Do not lay your hand on the lad, 37:44 nor do anything to him...'" 37:46 But I want you to notice this next little phrase. 37:48 He says, "...for now I..." What? 37:52 "...I know that you fear God, since you have not 37:57 withheld your son, your only son, from Me." 38:01 I found this phrase very interesting. 38:03 Because God says, "...for now I know..." 38:05 But I have a question. 38:07 Didn't God already know? 38:11 Didn't God already know what Abraham would do? 38:13 Because God knew his heart, yes? 38:16 God already knew. 38:17 So my question was, why then would God cause him to do it? 38:21 It wasn't for God, because He already knew. 38:25 I want to propose to you tonight that it was for three different 38:27 categories of people. 38:29 Number one, it was for Abraham. 38:32 Why? Because Abraham had previously faltered 38:35 in his faith. 38:37 Are you with me? 38:38 He had previously faltered. 38:40 And before he could be the father of the nations, 38:42 he would have to demonstrate that he could have an experience 38:45 in his life that his faith in God and his trust in God 38:49 would not waver despite his circumstances. 38:52 You see, when he was in the previous places, 38:55 and the Pharaoh and the king asked him about 38:58 his sister and his wife Sarah, he lied. 39:01 He failed the test. 39:03 And God rebuked him for it. 39:04 Twice he did the same thing. 39:06 And now here he was; and God, he had to have an experience 39:11 in which his faith and trust would not falter 39:13 despite his circumstances. 39:14 And let me tell you what, friends, God is looking 39:16 for that same thing from us in the last days. 39:21 And He will give us experience after experience 39:25 because He loves us. 39:28 And He wants us, through His grace and through His power, 39:32 to submit, and then overcome. 39:37 That is the experience that we must have. 39:43 So what about you tonight? 39:46 Those of you watching on TV? 39:49 Do you believe that promise that God has for you? 39:53 When times are tough, when your loved one dies, 39:57 when they're sick, when you lose your job, 40:02 when difficulties arise, 40:04 where's our faith and where's our trust? 40:07 Are we trusting? 40:08 The second person that it was for was Satan. 40:14 It was for Satan. 40:16 Because Satan had accused Abraham before God, 40:19 just like he had done to Job, you see. 40:22 He had done the same thing. 40:25 And as Abraham passed the test, by God's grace, 40:29 it would be a testimony to Satan. 40:31 And God could point to Abraham just like He pointed to Job 40:34 and say, "Here is a man that I can trust 40:37 to do My will despite what happens in his life." 40:41 Are you with me? 40:44 Sometimes people say, "Well, why do bad things happen? 40:47 Why doesn't God stop them. 40:48 Why doesn't God hold His hand?" 40:50 How do we know that He's not? 40:53 Sometimes God allows certain things to happen 40:56 to get our attention. 40:58 But He holds His restraining hand over Satan 41:01 so that he doesn't take our lives. 41:03 And it's going to be amazing when we get to heaven 41:06 and when we get to watch that replay of earth's 41:08 final events in our life, and we're going to see 41:11 all the times when we thought, 41:12 "Oh man, this is really, really bad. 41:14 How could God let this happen to me?" 41:16 Etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. 41:17 And we're going to see how God held His restraining hand 41:20 over that situation, and it would have been ten times 41:23 or a hundred times or a thousand times worse 41:27 if He had not done that. 41:30 And instead of saying, "Why, God?" 41:31 we're going to fall down and say, "Thank You, Jesus. 41:34 Thank You for Your power." 41:37 You see, friends, the universe must see the full capacity 41:40 of Satan's plan. 41:41 And that's why God allows some things to happen. 41:44 That's why God sometimes brings us into these trials. 41:47 Because the world and the universe must see Satan's 41:51 full plan to realize that he never really had a 41:54 plan in the first place. 41:58 And God uses us. 42:02 Not as chess pieces. 42:05 Because God only works through people who yield to Him. 42:09 But He uses us to display His glory and His wonders 42:14 to the universe. 42:18 God sometimes allows us to suffer to prepare us 42:21 for a greater task. 42:23 See, Abraham suffered because God was preparing him 42:25 to be the father of the nations. 42:27 To be the seed from whom which Jesus would come through. 42:32 Isn't that amazing? 42:33 And sometimes God allows us to go through trials 42:36 because that's the only place where we can learn 42:39 the lesson that we need to learn in a broken world that we live. 42:44 You see, if God just fixed every pain that we had, 42:50 if He just fixed every time we got in trouble, 42:53 if we got into trouble and then He just came and just like a 42:55 genie or a magic wand and He just put us right out of that, 43:00 He would not be a deliverer, He would be an enabler. 43:06 You get that? 43:07 God is not an enabler, He is a deliverer. 43:11 He gives the power, the grace, and the strength that we need 43:15 to carry us through that trial. 43:17 How many can say amen to that? 43:20 Sometimes God will refer our name to the devil. 43:23 Just like He did Job. 43:25 He said, "Have you considered My servant Job?" 43:29 Now put your name in there; 43:30 "Have you considered my servant..." Whoever. 43:33 Right? 43:36 And God sometimes allows us to suffer because He trusts us 43:43 to suffer for His name's sake and bring glory to Him. 43:49 He trusts us to endure persecution. 43:53 He trusts us because we trust Him. 43:59 Think about that for just a minute. 44:01 2 Corinthians chapter 4, if you'll go there 44:05 in your Bibles, 2 Corinthians chapter 4. 44:07 A very powerful verse you're probably very familiar with. 44:11 Verse 8 says, 2 Corinthians chapter 4, 44:14 "We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; 44:17 we are perplexed, but not in despair; 44:19 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not..." What? 44:24 "...destroyed: always carrying about in the body 44:28 the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus 44:31 may also be manifested in our body." 44:33 Sometimes it feels like we are dying on the outside. 44:38 Sometimes it feels like we're dying on the inside. 44:41 But as we bear it patiently and with grace, 44:45 and with trust, God forms life within us 44:51 and His glory is seen to the world. Amen? 44:54 Verse 16, "Therefore we do not lose heart. 44:57 Even though our outward man is perishing, 44:59 yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. 45:02 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, 45:05 is working for us a far more exceeding 45:08 and eternal weight of glory..." 45:10 Hallelujah, yeah? 45:11 "...while we do not look to the things which are seen, 45:14 but at the things which are not seen." 45:16 That's God's hand. 45:17 That's by faith we look through the clouds of darkness. 45:20 "For the things which are seen are temporary, 45:22 but the things which are not seen are eternal." 45:25 How many of you can say amen to the Lord today? 45:28 Even in the suffering, God is there. Amen? 45:30 God suffers with us. 45:32 And Abraham understood this, 45:34 through his willingness to give all to Jesus. 45:36 We can never come to the knowledge of these truths 45:39 unless we're willing to give all to Jesus. 45:42 And the third group that it was for, 45:46 the title of our series, Before Men and Angels, 45:49 was for the rest of the universe. 45:55 For the universe to see the glory of God. 46:01 Abraham would trust and believe in God even when he was alone 46:06 and no one was watching. 46:08 The Bible tells us in James 2:23, 46:11 "'Abraham believed God, and it was imputed to him 46:13 for righteousness.' 46:15 And he was called the friend of God." 46:18 The friend of God. 46:20 Imagine having that title, friends. 46:22 The friend of God. 46:24 Because he trusted and he believed explicitly. 46:27 He was willing to surrender all. 46:29 The Bible tells us in James 2:21-22, 46:33 "Was not Abraham our father justified by works 46:37 when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 46:40 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, 46:44 and by works faith was made perfect?" 46:50 Think about this. 46:53 There are many who say today, "Only believe in Christ 46:58 and you will be saved. 47:00 Works are not needed in the life." 47:02 How many have heard people say that before? 47:04 "We just need faith, and that's it." 47:08 Well I believe we need to have faith, amen? 47:10 Faith is a beautiful... 47:11 I have studied the subject of faith for more than 47:14 the last year very much in depth. 47:16 And I am just in awe of the truth that's in God's Word 47:19 about that subject. 47:22 But works are needed. 47:23 Why are works needed? Not for salvation, you see. 47:26 We cannot earn our way for salvation through works 47:32 rather than grace, because grace is given. 47:35 As a measure of grace, if we worked for it, 47:37 it wouldn't be grace, right? 47:38 It's given as unmerited favor. 47:42 And here is the truth: 47:43 That God knows the heart, does He not? 47:45 People say, "Well God knows my heart." 47:47 Well sure He does. 47:48 So then why the works? Why are works necessary? 47:52 It's very simple. 47:53 The works that Abraham committed outwardly 48:00 was a revelation of what was happening inwardly. 48:05 God knew his heart, and God knew that he would 48:10 make the right decision, but the rest of the universe did not. 48:15 And Satan did not. 48:18 Because Satan cannot read the heart. 48:19 The rest of the universe cannot read the heart. 48:21 Only God. 48:22 And so the works were manifested for the rest of the universe. 48:25 Because God could read his heart, 48:28 but everyone else couldn't. 48:30 That's why works are so important in the Christian life. 48:33 Not for our salvation, because we're saved by grace, 48:36 but for other's salvation. 48:38 As they see God working in us, they are drawn to Christ 48:42 through our works that are demonstrated by a heart 48:46 that has been transformed by grace. 48:48 How many are thankful for the grace of God today? 48:51 You know what, friends? We need good works in our lives. 48:54 The Bible is very clear about this all the way through, 48:56 all the way through. 48:58 Abraham was faithful when no one else was watching. 49:02 Why? 49:03 Because the rest of the universe looked on. 49:07 Notice this statement from the book, Patriarchs and Prophets. 49:11 A very, very powerful statement. 49:13 It says, "The sacrifice required of Abraham 49:17 was not alone for his own good, nor solely for the benefit of 49:21 succeeding generations; but it was also for the instruction 49:25 of the sinless intelligences of heaven and of other worlds. 49:29 The field of the controversy between Christ and Satan, 49:33 the field on which the plan of redemption is wrought out, 49:36 is the lesson book for the universe. 49:40 Because Abraham had shown a lack of faith in God's promises, 49:44 Satan had accused him before the angels and before God 49:48 of having failed to comply with the conditions of the covenant, 49:51 and unworthy of its blessings. 49:54 God desired to prove the loyalty of His servant 49:57 before all of heaven, to demonstrate that nothing 50:00 less than perfect obedience can be accepted, 50:03 and to open more fully before them the plan of salvation." 50:09 Think about that for just a minute. 50:11 Isn't that powerful? 50:13 God allowed Abraham to go through that experience 50:16 so that the rest of the universe could understand more deeply 50:21 the plan of the gospel. 50:26 The plan that God cannot only redeem humanity, 50:34 but that He could restore them back into His image. 50:38 Think about that for just a minute. 50:40 Because that's the argument of the universe. 50:42 That's the argument between Christ and Satan. 50:44 The great controversy, if you will; 50:46 is God's power, is His grace sufficient, not to just 50:52 forgive man from sin, but to be able to restore him 50:56 back into the image of God. 51:00 Can God's grace not just cleanse, but can it re-create? 51:06 That's powerful, friends. 51:08 And the demonstration of Abraham was evidence 51:11 that indeed it can. 51:12 And dear friends, that is the exact experience that 51:15 you and I will go through in these last days. 51:17 How much more is it true, 51:21 if Abraham's actions brought satisfaction to the rest of the 51:25 universe of understanding God's plan, how much more is it true 51:28 for you and I today living in the last days 51:31 that we also, like Abraham, must lay everything on the altar? 51:35 We must have the sacrifice of all 51:38 and we must lay our whole life upon the altar 51:43 before God's wonders can be seen before the universe. 51:45 And Jesus is waiting in these last days 51:48 for His people to come to a place, His church, 51:51 His beloved church whom He loves, to come to a place 51:54 of absolute total surrender and consecration 51:59 to His will for their lives. 52:02 Dear friends, in today's western culture, 52:08 we are far from that. 52:12 We are far from that. 52:14 Never has a generation loved more comfort 52:20 and joys of the pleasures of this world 52:26 than this generation. 52:29 In fact, this is the greatest problem with our society today. 52:33 And we think we have to have a pill for everything. 52:36 Abraham was willing to lay his most prized possession 52:40 on the altar. 52:43 What about this final generation of God's people? 52:47 The Bible tells us in Galatians 2:20 52:53 that I have been what? 52:56 "I have been crucified with Christ: 53:01 And I no longer live, but Christ lives within me. 53:07 The life I now live in the body I live by faith 53:11 in the Son of God, who loved me and who gave Himself for me." 53:22 The ultimate sacrifice, dear friends, in these last days 53:25 is the sacrifice of self. 53:30 And we must be willing, as God's people in the last days, 53:33 to give away all in order to receive all of God's promises. 53:42 Just a number of years ago, I was diagnosed with 53:45 a certain kind of cancer. 53:47 And I believe that they have some pictures that they'll show, 53:51 those who are watching. 53:52 And I almost was on my deathbed. 53:56 Actually, I was on my deathbed. 53:59 I laid upon the hospital bed for forty days. 54:01 I was in ICU for two weeks. 54:04 And I was at my last breaking point. 54:08 The doctors thought that I would die. 54:10 And they called my wife back one night, 54:13 she went home from the hospital, and they called her back. 54:16 And night after night, they thought that I was going to die. 54:21 And I reached a point in my life where I had to say 54:26 to the Lord, "Lord, You have to take complete control 54:30 of my life. 54:33 Because if You don't, I'm going to die." 54:36 And I had never reached that point. 54:38 I mean, I had surrendered to Jesus, 54:40 I had done those things before, but I had never come to the 54:43 point where I was completely and totally surrendered, 54:46 except on the day that I first accepted Jesus. 54:48 But you know how the battle rages. 54:50 And I came to the place, it was either surrender complete 54:53 control to God or I knew I was going to die. 54:57 And I made that decision, it was about three o'clock in the 55:00 morning, and I said, "Lord Jesus, You take my life. 55:02 And whatever You see fit, whether I live or whether I die, 55:06 whatever happens, just let Your glory be known." 55:12 And friends, you talk about having the sense 55:15 and the feeling of feeling frail, 55:17 and the Bible says that we are but dust and life is fragile, 55:21 I experienced that to its fullness. 55:25 And I called upon the Lord my God. 55:29 And He came down and He rescued me. 55:33 Just like He rescued Isaac. 55:36 And just like He'll rescue each one of us today 55:39 if we are willing to yield our wills entirely to Him. 55:42 This is what it's going to take for Jesus to return. 55:46 Because the Bible tells us that Jesus will not return 55:48 until there's a people on earth who look like Him, 55:51 who talk like Him, who act like Him. 55:53 People who keep the commandments of God, Revelation 14:12, 55:58 and have the faith not just in Jesus, 56:01 but the faith of Jesus. 56:03 You see, faith in Jesus must, as God continues to work 56:08 in our hearts and in our minds, faith in Jesus must become 56:12 the faith of Jesus. 56:15 So dear friends, I laid on that hospital bed 56:19 and I gave all to Jesus. 56:20 What about you tonight? 56:22 Have you given all to Jesus? 56:25 Have you given Him your houses, your bank accounts, 56:29 your cars, your children, your spouses, your parents? 56:33 Have you given Him everything in your life? 56:37 The decisions that you make, are you making every day 56:41 to live them for Jesus or for yourselves? 56:46 Jesus is calling us to the sacrifice of all, 56:49 not to be sleeping saints in the last days, 56:53 but to give him all in our lives. 56:56 Would you make that decision tonight? 56:58 Those of you watching this evening, would you 57:00 make that decision? 57:01 How many of you would make that decision this evening? 57:03 Let me see your hands tonight. 57:05 Let's pray together. 57:06 Father in heaven, we thank You so much for the opportunity 57:10 that we have to know You and to understand the depths 57:14 that You went through to save us and to redeem us. 57:17 Father, we ask that You give each of us a measure of faith, 57:20 that may our hearts, Lord, be one with Yours. 57:23 And may we have the faith that Abraham had 57:27 living in these last days. 57:28 And may You carry us all the way through to Your second coming. 57:31 We pray this in Jesus' precious name, amen. |
Revised 2016-03-29