Participants: Greg & Jill Morikone (Host), Pr. Wes Peppers
Series Code: AOT
Program Code: AOT000175A
|
00:13 Welcome to Anchors Of Truth,
00:15 live from the 3ABN Worship Center. 00:21 Hello friends and welcome to 3ABN, the worship center. 00:24 We're live here in Thompsonville or West Frankfort, Illinois. 00:27 We're right on that line between the two towns. 00:30 But welcome to Anchors Of Truth with Pastor Wes Peppers. 00:33 It's been a blessing. It's already program number 5. 00:36 And it's hard to believe. It's gone by quickly. 00:38 And today's message is called, The Second Coming, Squared. 00:44 Now he has some neat titles to his sermons, I have to say. 00:48 Now he's the senior pastor of the 00:50 Lansing Seventh-day Adventist Church. 00:51 And he and his wife are a fantastic team. 00:55 It's been a blessing having them here at 3ABN. 00:57 Amen, I know Greg and myself knew Pastor Wes and his wife 01:01 just in passing. 01:03 Meeting them at ASI, GYC, something like that. 01:05 But getting to know them here, they're a precious dedicated 01:09 couple; dedicated to the Lord Jesus Christ, 01:11 dedicated to ministry, and to evangelism. 01:14 I think Pastor Wes has a heart for evangelism. 01:17 It comes through in his messages. 01:19 And each one of the messages that he has presented, 01:22 the Holy Spirit has brought conviction to my own heart. 01:25 And just to realize we are in the end times 01:28 and Jesus is about ready to come again. 01:30 So we're excited about the message he has for us today. 01:33 The Second Coming, Squared. 01:35 Before he will present the word of God, 01:39 Marion will be singing again. 01:41 And her song is entitled, When Love Was Slain. 01:44 And it's a beautiful thing, because the music 01:47 prepares our hearts in a special way for the message. 01:51 Before she sings and before he brings the message, 01:53 let's bow our heads in prayer. 01:54 Father in heaven, Lord, we're grateful again for 01:58 Your holy Sabbath day. 01:59 Lord, this is Sabbath afternoon here and, Lord, we just 02:02 thank You for being with Pastor Wes as he has 02:04 brought us the messages over this past week. 02:07 Lord, we just pray for a continued blessing upon him 02:09 as he brings us the message today. 02:11 Lord, that it would not be his words but it would be 02:13 Your words, Lord, through him. 02:15 He is the vessel. 02:16 And Lord, we just all want to be clay, Lord, 02:19 that we want You to be the Molder, Lord, of us. 02:22 We don't want to be in the way or stand in the way. 02:25 So Father, as Your words prick our hearts, 02:27 Lord, that we would listen and, Lord, that we would obey. 02:31 We thank You again for Your love for us. 02:33 We thank You for Jesus Christ and the gift of salvation. 02:36 Lord, thank You that we can turn to You at any moment, 02:39 and You hear us, and we know You answer our prayers. 02:42 - In Jesus' name we pray, amen. - Amen. 02:57 This world is not my home, 03:03 oh, this world is not my home. 03:11 My home's been made by heaven's throne; 03:20 this world is not my home. 03:28 This life is not my own, 03:35 oh, this life is not my own. 03:43 I am His and His alone; 03:52 this life is not my own. 03:59 I was bought when Love was slain; 04:07 what I cost to pay death's wage. 04:14 Now ransomed, I am freedom's slave; 04:22 my Jesus raised me from the grave. 04:35 Come now and walk with me, 04:42 oh, come now and walk with me. 04:50 Together we the Lord shall meet; 04:59 come now and walk with me. 05:06 I was bought when Love was slain; 05:14 what I cost to pay death's wage. 05:21 Now ransomed, I am freedom's slave; 05:29 my Jesus raised me from the grave. 05:37 Oh, I was bought when Love was slain; 05:45 what I cost to pay death's wage. 05:52 Now ransomed, I am freedom's slave; 06:00 my Jesus raised me from the grave. 06:14 Soon Lord, very soon, 06:20 oh, soon Lord, very soon, 06:28 You'll come to take me to be with You. 06:37 Soon Lord, very soon. 06:53 Good greetings again, friends. 06:57 How are you today? 06:58 It is good to be back with you once again for our final 07:03 meeting of Anchors Of Truth for this series. 07:05 And what a beautiful song, amen? 07:08 When Love Was Slain. 07:09 The ransom that was paid for your life and mine 07:12 that we might spend eternity with our Lord and Savior. 07:16 Aren't you so thankful today for the redeeming grace 07:19 that Jesus so freely offers to each one of us? 07:22 The price that He was willing to pay. 07:25 And you know, I was reading just the other day, 07:28 yesterday I believe it was, in the book, Desire Of Ages. 07:31 And I can't even remember which chapter it was. 07:33 Actually it was, The Foreshadowing of the Cross, 07:36 was the chapter I read. 07:37 And the very first couple of paragraphs mentioned 07:40 that Jesus saw, even before He stepped down to this earth, 07:45 Jesus saw every wound that He would receive, 07:50 every ill word that was spoken to Him, 07:52 every time that someone would speak something that would 07:55 slight His heart, He saw every single one of those times 07:59 and He felt the pain of it. 08:01 And yet He was still willing to step down 08:04 and come and die for us. 08:06 What a beautiful Savior we have. Amen? 08:08 A precious wonderful Savior. 08:11 Well our subject is, The Second Coming, Squared. 08:14 Somebody may say, "Well, what does that have to do?" 08:17 Well you're going to find out, right? 08:18 I always have these titles, but the Lord always promises 08:23 a precious revelation from His Word. Amen? 08:26 So let's just bow our heads together and ask for His 08:28 blessing one more time. 08:30 Father, we thank You so much that once again 08:32 we can gather here together for Anchors Of Truth 08:35 and to open Your Word and to study the true messages 08:39 that You have for us. 08:40 Lord, we have seen indeed that we are living in the last days. 08:43 We have seen that we are a theater to the universe, 08:47 that the whole universe is watching 08:49 and really essentially cheering us on 08:52 as we are transformed back into the image of Jesus. 08:56 And Lord, we want to pray today that the second coming 08:59 would be the hope and the center of our lives, 09:02 and that it would be our focus and our thoughts 09:05 on a daily basis. 09:07 We ask just now that You would send Your Holy Spirit 09:09 to guide and direct our hearts, to direct our minds, 09:13 as we open Your Word. 09:15 And we ask Your blessing. 09:16 In Jesus' name we ask, amen. 09:20 A beautiful passage that many of us, I'm sure, are familiar with; 09:24 Titus 2:13. 09:28 Now in our last presentation, we saw that the entire 09:32 universe, essentially, through the story of the prodigal son, 09:35 the entire universe is waiting for God's people 09:38 to come back together. Amen? 09:40 And I made that appeal for those folks who maybe 09:44 have left the church, who have been watching online 09:47 or have still been wrestling with that, to come back. 09:50 And that's what Jesus is looking for. Amen? 09:53 He's waiting for us to come back to be one body 09:56 and one people. 09:57 And also I believe that the whole universe is watching 10:00 and waiting for that second coming of Jesus. 10:03 They are eagerly anticipating the moment when God's people 10:08 will finally be back with Him face to face for eternity. 10:13 How many of you, friends, are looking forward to that time? 10:15 Look with me in the Bible at Titus 2:13. 10:19 A beautiful passage that we're very well familiar with. 10:23 The Bible says, "...looking for the blessed hope 10:26 and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior 10:29 Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, 10:33 that He might redeem us from every lawless deed 10:37 and purify for Himself His own special people, 10:41 zealous for good works." 10:44 Verse 15 says, "Speak these things, exhort, 10:47 and rebuke with all authority. 10:49 Let no one..." What? 10:51 "...despise you." 10:53 And I believe today, friends, that it has been the vision 10:58 and the excitement of the second coming of Jesus 11:02 that has driven the Adventist church into mission, 11:05 and really into existence. 11:07 And all the success that we've had over the last 150 years 11:11 as a church has all been centered and focused around, 11:15 yes Jesus dying on the cross, 11:16 but also Jesus coming again. Amen? 11:20 But you know, it seems like in the last days we have become 11:23 a bit lethargic with our vision, our hope, our belief 11:27 that Jesus is coming back to this world. 11:30 You know, I hear people talk all the time and they say, 11:32 "Oh well, you know, I've been hearing all my life 11:35 that Jesus is coming back again. 11:37 And I've heard all my life that He's coming back soon. 11:39 People told me not to get married. 11:41 People told me not to go to college. 11:43 People told me not to have children. 11:44 Because Jesus is coming soon. 11:46 But time passed, and Jesus has not come." 11:50 Is it really true that Jesus is coming again? 11:53 What do you think, friends? 11:54 Based upon what we've already studied in our series, 11:57 I believe that the time is getting near. 11:59 One thing we can be sure of, one thing we can be certain of, 12:03 is that every single day that passes 12:06 draws us one day closer to the return of Jesus. Amen? 12:10 It will come in His time. 12:13 And you know, another passage that I wanted to share with you 12:16 that kind of illustrates this, if you go with me 12:19 to 2 Peter chapter 3. 12:22 2 Peter chapter 3. 12:24 And it's a very powerful passage that I believe 12:26 actually describes the day in which we are now living. 12:30 2 Peter chapter 3, and notice what the Bible says here. 12:35 We're going to start in verse 3. 12:38 Peter here says, "...knowing this first: 12:43 that scoffers will come..." When? 12:46 "...in the last days," it says, "walking according 12:52 to their own lusts, and saying, 'Where is the promise 12:55 of His coming? 12:57 For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue 13:00 as they were from the beginning of creation.'" 13:03 Isn't that interesting? 13:04 Doesn't that sound like you've heard people say that before? 13:07 "Oh you know, I've heard Jesus is coming, 13:09 but He still hasn't come." 13:10 Well the Bible says that we should be careful 13:13 not to fall into that temptation. 13:15 Because when we begin to fall into the temptation 13:19 of believing, "Oh we've been saying a long time 13:21 Jesus is coming, but He's still not yet come. 13:23 All things are as they were since before," 13:25 we fall into the temptation of getting comfortable. 13:32 And I believe that's what has happened 13:35 to many in the church today. 13:36 We've become comfortable, we've become settled, 13:39 we've become eased. 13:40 We've become just not pilgrims in this world anymore, 13:45 but we've become citizens of this world. 13:48 And Jesus tells us, "Do not become citizens of this world." 13:52 Do not join yourself, as from our last talk, 13:55 to the citizen of this far country. 13:57 But align yourself and look to another time 14:01 when Jesus will come. 14:02 We should live every day by faith that Jesus 14:05 is coming soon. Amen? 14:06 Because even if Jesus doesn't come in our lifetime... 14:09 I think He probably will. 14:11 We don't know that for sure. 14:12 But even if He doesn't come, that time for us 14:16 is going to come soon, isn't it, when we pass from this earth. 14:20 And so we should always be living with the vision 14:23 of the second coming before us. 14:25 And that's why I've entitled this message, 14:28 The Second Coming, Squared. 14:30 Because I believe that as we have lost our vision, 14:34 not completely lost it, but as we've kind of 14:36 gotten lackadaisical and sleepy in our vision of Jesus 14:41 coming soon, we need it to come back exponentially. Amen? 14:46 We need it to come back. 14:47 You notice that's squared. 14:48 If you take two and there's two squared, 14:51 that means you multiply two by itself, right? 14:53 Two squared is four. I think I got that right. 14:56 I was not so great in math. 14:58 Three squared I think would be nine, or something like that. 15:01 Six, something along the lines. 15:03 It's nine, I believe it is. 15:04 I was never a math major. 15:06 But we need the vision of the second coming of Jesus 15:11 to come back exponentially. 15:13 Not just in the church, but in our hearts, amen? 15:17 In our lives. 15:18 And that every decision that we make in this life, 15:22 as we are surrendered to Jesus, we are making that decision 15:26 based upon the fact and the context that Jesus 15:30 will one day come back. 15:31 We make a lot of decisions, I believe, friends, 15:34 that are not eternal. 15:36 Just like I talked about my truck, I backed into the tree. 15:40 And my friend said to me, "That's not the truck 15:43 you're going to take to heaven with you, is it?" 15:45 Right? Sometimes we make these decisions in our lives 15:47 that are just very earthly and temporally based. 15:50 But Jesus is calling us by faith to look beyond this world 15:54 to what yet is to come. 15:56 Beyond what is seen to what is unseen. Yes? 15:59 Now I find one of the most beautiful books 16:03 on the second coming is actually the book of 1 Thessalonians. 16:08 And you find a very beautiful picture, a very consistent 16:13 picture, that the apostle Paul gives us throughout the book 16:17 on the second coming. 16:19 So if you would, turn there with me. 16:20 And that's where we're going to spend most of 16:23 the rest of our time. 16:25 1 Thessalonians chapter 1. 16:29 And what you find throughout the book of Thessalonians, 16:32 it's a very interesting thing how this worked out, 16:35 but at the end of every chapter in the book of Thessalonians 16:40 Paul gives us a picture and a vision of the 16:44 second coming of Jesus. 16:45 And he gives some aspect from that chapter 16:49 on how we need to be ready for Jesus when He comes. 16:54 So are you ready to go on this adventure today 16:56 talking about the second coming? 16:57 Are you ready for that? 16:59 Those of you watching, are you ready for that? 17:00 We welcome you as well, by the way. 17:02 I'm sorry I forgot to do that earlier. 17:03 But we welcome you as well. 17:04 We're glad you're here with us. 17:06 We're going to go to 1 Thessalonians chapter 1. 17:10 Notice what the Bible says, we're going to start in verse 5. 17:14 Paul the apostle speaking here says, "For our gospel did not 17:17 come to you in word only, but also in power, 17:21 and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance, 17:25 as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake." 17:29 Let me ask you a question as we pause for just a moment. 17:33 Does the gospel have power? Yes or no, friends. 17:36 When we experience the power of divine grace upon our life, 17:41 it changes us, does it not? 17:43 It took me from a hardcore alcoholic, drug using, 17:48 and all kinds of other stuff using, maniac 17:55 and God transformed my heart, 17:57 and He transformed my life. 18:00 And friends, those of you watching today, 18:02 He can do the same for each one of us. Amen? 18:05 I'm nobody special. 18:06 But there's a power in the gospel when we yield our lives 18:11 to the Lord Jesus. 18:12 He takes us wherever we are and He begins to shape us, 18:16 and He begins to mold us, and He begins to transform us 18:20 day by day, moment by moment. 18:23 And there is power in the gospel. Amen? 18:27 There is power in Christ working in our lives. 18:30 And I am living proof of that. 18:32 And you can be too. 18:34 And verse 6 says, "And you became followers of us 18:37 and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, 18:42 with joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became examples 18:46 to all in Macedonia and Achaia who believe. 18:50 For from you the word of the Lord has sounded forth, 18:53 not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place. 18:57 And your faith towards God has gone out, so that we 19:00 do not need to say anything." 19:02 And watch this in verses 9 and 10. 19:04 "For they themselves declare concerning us what manner 19:08 of entry we had to you, and how you turned to God from idols 19:14 to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son 19:19 from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, 19:22 even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come." 19:27 Here, Paul paints a beautiful picture of the gospel 19:32 and the second coming of Jesus. 19:34 And he says that it was the power of the gospel 19:37 and the hope of the second coming of Jesus, 19:40 that Jesus would return from heaven, that broke the power 19:44 of idols in the lives of the people whom he 19:48 was ministering to. 19:49 How many of you are thankful for that power of the gospel? Yes? 19:52 And so we're going to look at several points 19:54 from this chapter. 19:56 And the first point that I want to look at is this: 19:58 That the hope of the second coming of Jesus... 20:15 Amen? 20:17 Now every single one of us, whoever we are, 20:19 if we are not serving and living for Christ, 20:24 we are serving idols... 20:26 ...of some kind. 20:28 And you know, many times we think about idols as 20:31 being these statues, these things that people would 20:35 bow down and worship. 20:36 And surely that was the case back in more primitive times. 20:40 But today, idols very much still exist, do they not? 20:45 There are still idols everywhere. 20:47 And some people might ask the question, 20:50 "Well, what exactly is an idol?" 20:52 An idol very simply is this: 20:54 Anything that we choose to put in first place before God 20:59 becomes an idol in our lives. 21:01 Anything that takes our affection away from Christ 21:05 and places it on something or somebody else becomes an idol. 21:11 And those idols, when we begin to give the affection 21:14 to those idols, they begin to have a power over us. 21:18 Do they not? 21:20 Whether it's electronics, whether it's entertainment, 21:23 whether it's a boyfriend, a girlfriend, 21:25 whether it's our houses, our jobs, our bank accounts, 21:29 our vehicles, whatever it may be in our lives 21:32 that we give affection to and we'd rather spend time 21:36 with that thing than with the Lord, 21:38 that thing becomes an idol in our lives. 21:40 What do you think? 21:41 Now idols are not necessarily always bad, are they? 21:46 Bad things. 21:48 Some people think, well idols are usually like drugs 21:51 or alcohol, or something like that. 21:53 But we can actually make idols out of good things, can't we? 21:57 We can make idols out of children. 22:00 You know, my wife and I, we have seen a lot of people 22:03 make idols out of children. 22:05 And sometimes, many times actually, the temptation 22:08 is for us to do the same. 22:10 You know, when a child disobeys, and they need to have that 22:16 loving guidance and correction, sometimes it's so easy 22:20 when they disobey and they look up and give you that smile 22:24 to just let that thing slide, right? 22:27 But we don't often realize that in doing so, 22:30 when we think, "Oh, I don't have the heart to discipline them," 22:35 or, "It's just so cute, I just can't resist," 22:39 we don't realize that when we do that, 22:41 it begins to damage their characters. 22:45 Are you with me? 22:46 Makes sense. 22:48 And so we often will let those things slide. 22:50 And children can even become idols. 22:54 And we don't want children to become idols, do we? 22:56 But it can; the devil will use anything he can. 22:58 Any relationship, anything that we attach ourselves to. 23:02 But Jesus wants to break the power of idols in our lives. 23:06 He wants us to love our children, but He wants 23:08 us to teach them the ways of the Lord. Amen? 23:11 So idols can be something that are very close to us, 23:14 or something animate or inanimate. 23:17 So we can make idols out of good things. 23:20 And here's a principle that I have found. 23:23 When we compromise truth in our lives, in our Christian walk, 23:27 in our witness before the world and before others, 23:30 when we compromise truth in our life, 23:34 we lose divine power in our lives. 23:37 Yes or no? 23:39 Because when we compromise truth, our wills and our 23:42 decision making processes become weaker. 23:46 And it becomes easier to say "yes" to sin and "no" to God. 23:51 Right? 23:52 That's why when the Bible says to be on the strait and narrow, 23:55 Jesus wants us to be on that walk. 23:58 And to deviate one direction or another, even one degree, 24:02 can lead us on a path that will take us further and further away 24:07 from God's ideal for our lives. 24:09 And Jesus says, "You need to stay on that path, 24:12 you need to stay on that track, on that pathway that 24:16 leads to life, and not allow ourselves to go 24:19 to the left or to the right." 24:22 Because the more choices... 24:24 Sometimes we think, "Well, this decision is not really going to 24:27 make that big of a difference." 24:31 But every decision has the opportunity 24:34 to have eternal impact. 24:37 What do you think? 24:39 Very much so. 24:43 When we make something an idol, we are serving it over Christ. 24:49 And idols of men have no power except to enslave us 24:56 to a meaningless and purposeless life. 24:59 What do you think today? 25:00 But Jesus, through the power of the gospel 25:03 and the hope of the second coming, wants to free us 25:06 from these idols. 25:07 What do you think? 25:09 How many of you have ever had an idol in your life? 25:10 Those of you watching, maybe you've had idols in your life. 25:12 Maybe today, even right now, there's an idol that you know 25:16 God has been touching your heart, speaking to your heart, 25:19 to release to Him, to let go to Him. 25:24 And you've been battling, and you've been struggling, 25:26 and you've been wrestling with that thing. 25:28 And you know that God is convicting you to let it go. 25:32 But you hang onto it as if it's going to do 25:34 something good for you. 25:35 Well friends, if it was going to do something 25:38 good for you, Jesus would never ask you to give it away. 25:42 He only asks us to give away and to surrender to Him 25:46 those things which He knows are going to be a 25:49 curse to us in the end. 25:51 And so the Spirit of God lovingly every day leads us 25:55 to the foot of the cross. 25:57 And He can so fill our hearts with the love of Jesus 26:02 that there becomes no more room for idols in our lives. 26:06 How many are thankful for that today? 26:08 What a powerful promise. 26:10 People ask me all the time, 26:11 "How do I get rid of idols in my life? 26:14 How do I let go of my love for the world? 26:18 How do I get rid of these desires to do the things 26:21 that I know are contrary to God's will?" 26:23 It's very simple, friends. 26:26 It's not to resist wholly the temptation. 26:30 Now we have to resist in the power of Christ. 26:32 I'm not saying that we're not to do that. 26:34 But the way is to not stand up and fight that temptation. 26:38 The way to do it is to fill your life with Jesus, 26:42 to fill your heart with His presence. 26:45 And as Jesus comes into the heart, and we kneel 26:48 before Him, and we plead with Him, 26:50 and we say, "Lord Jesus, give me a love for You 26:54 that surpasses the love for the world," 26:57 He will begin to do this. 26:59 I know this for a fact, because when I entered into the 27:02 Christian journey from atheism, it's not been all roses 27:06 and pomegranates. 27:08 You understand? 27:10 It's been difficult, there's been ups and downs. 27:12 And there's been times when I've loved the world. 27:14 And I plead with God and I say, "Give me a love for Jesus 27:18 that surpasses the love for the world. 27:20 Give me a love for Your Word 27:22 that surpasses the love for entertainment." 27:24 And every single time, without fail, Jesus 27:28 has answered that prayer. 27:30 And He will do it for you too. 27:31 He will do it for you too. 27:33 So as the love for Jesus comes into our hearts, 27:36 it will squeeze out the love for the world. 27:40 And as the love of Christ fills our hearts, 27:42 there will become no room for love for the world. 27:45 Aren't you so thankful today for Jesus? 27:48 So the Spirit of God leads us to search our hearts 27:51 and to search His Word, and to gracefully change 27:55 in our life that which is not in harmony with His Word and will. 27:58 Is there something today that needs to change in your life? 28:01 Is there something that you need to let go to Jesus? 28:04 Is there some idol that's holding you down, 28:06 that's preventing you from being all that God wants you to be? 28:09 Jesus invites you today to surrender that to Him. 28:15 Charles Spurgeon made the statement, he said... 28:25 Amen? 28:26 When we make Jesus our all, we shall find all in Him. 28:30 All His promises can begin to come true in our lives. 28:34 All His hopes and dreams, His complete transformation 28:38 of our lives, all these things and more become ours 28:43 when we make Jesus our all. 28:46 Friends, there is not room in the heart for two masters. 28:52 Jesus told us this. 28:54 There is not room in the heart for two masters. 28:57 And we must choose. 28:59 You see, some people enjoy their life sitting on the fence. 29:05 You know what I mean by that? 29:06 There's a phrase, "Don't sit on the fence," right? 29:09 And I say to you today, you cannot sit on the fence, 29:12 because the devil owns the fence. 29:16 And if you sit on the fence, he owns you. Right? 29:19 So get off the fence and get on the side of Jesus. Amen? 29:23 Point number two comes from chapter 2 verses 19 and 20. 29:29 Notice what this says. 29:31 Chapter 2 verses 19 and 20. 29:33 "For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? 29:38 Is it not even you in the presence of our 29:41 Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? 29:44 For you are our glory and joy." 29:49 What's the second point from these verses 29:51 about the second coming of Jesus? 29:52 It is that the transforming power... 30:04 Amen? 30:05 It gives us a passion for soul winning and mission. 30:09 And the more that we think about the second coming of Jesus, 30:12 the more it burns within our hearts that others 30:16 would be ready to meet Him as well. 30:18 How many of you want your friends and family to be in the 30:20 kingdom of God eternally with you? 30:22 And Jesus wants us to develop that passion, 30:25 He wants to place that in our hearts, 30:28 to share the gospel with those around us. 30:32 And so the Holy Spirit... 30:33 This is very important, friends. 30:35 The Holy Spirit desires to lead us to a place 30:39 where we value the salvation of others 30:43 more than their opinions of us. 30:49 Think about that for just a minute. 30:51 Because often times God will impress us to say this 30:56 or to say that to somebody. 31:00 And we will say, "Well, I don't know, Lord. 31:02 Because if I say that, what will they think of me?" 31:07 You know, I find it very interesting that there's a 31:10 certain class of people who don't want to answer to anybody, 31:14 they don't want to come under any authority, 31:17 they don't want to have to answer to 31:21 the choices that they've made. 31:23 They want to be free. 31:25 And yet at the same time they spend their whole life 31:29 worrying about what other people think of them. 31:31 They say, "I don't care what people think," 31:33 but really they do, don't they? 31:35 And sometimes the Lord impresses us 31:38 to do something instrumental for the salvation of others, 31:41 and we cringe back and we say, "Oh Lord, what would happen if 31:46 I said that to them? 31:48 They might think badly of me. 31:49 Or maybe it's not the right time." 31:51 And so we hesitate. 31:53 Because we value their opinion more than their salvation. 31:59 And the Lord says, "No." 32:01 He says, "You must awaken and trust that I am leading 32:05 your life when I impress upon you to speak." 32:09 Pray for divine appointments. 32:11 You know, I've got to tell you, friends. 32:13 It is incredible, incredible, what happens 32:18 when I pray for divine appointments. 32:22 It's amazing. 32:23 Because every single time I pray for a divine appointment, 32:27 the Lord gives me one right then. 32:30 Maybe not at that moment, but that day. 32:32 You know, just the other day I prayed. 32:34 I was picking up my suits from the dry cleaner, 32:36 and I was praying, I said, "Lord, give me a 32:38 divine appointment today." 32:39 I walk into the place and the lady served me, 32:44 and she was playing Christian music on the radio. 32:47 And I said, "Is that Christian music?" 32:48 And she said, "Yes." 32:49 And I said, "I really always appreciate Christian music." 32:53 And I said, "Are you a Christian?" 32:54 She said, "Yes." I said, "Wow." 32:56 And I had some GLOW tracts in my pocket. 32:59 And I said, "Well, you might enjoy one of these." 33:01 And she said, "Do you mind if I have one of each?" 33:05 And I said, "Amen, no problem." 33:06 So I actually laid them out on the counter 33:09 and they were all spread out there. 33:10 And she was taking them all, and she said, 33:12 "Do you have any more?" 33:13 I said, "Actually, I have some more different 33:15 ones in my vehicle." 33:17 So I went out to my car and I got that packet 33:19 and I brought it back in and I laid it out. 33:21 And she took one of each of those. 33:22 I said, "What makes you so eager to understand 33:26 God's will for your life?" 33:27 I said, "Do you study the Bible?" 33:29 She said, "Actually, yes." 33:30 She said, "Four months ago my father passed away." 33:35 And she said, "And since that time, my daughter and I 33:38 every day have been reading the Bible." 33:40 And I said, "Well have you understood 33:42 everything that you've been reading?" 33:43 She said, "Not always." 33:45 And I said, "Well, would you like to understand it better? 33:48 Would you like to have somebody do Bible studies with you?" 33:50 She said, "I would love that." 33:52 Got her name and number, took it to one of the ladies 33:54 in the church, they're doing Bible studies together. Amen? 33:57 Every single time God will work this out. 34:00 A couple of months ago I was at Sam's Club 34:02 and I met this young man at the gas station. 34:06 And he started talking to me. 34:08 And I started asking him some questions. 34:12 And I actually had on an Amazing Facts shirt. 34:14 I use to work at Amazing Facts. 34:16 And he said, "What's Amazing Facts?" 34:17 And I said, "It's a Christian radio and television ministry." 34:20 He said, "You're a Christian?" I said, "Yes." 34:22 He started telling me about his journey with God 34:25 and how God had brought him out of this and that and 34:28 all these different things. 34:29 And I said, "Wow." 34:31 And he said, "Well, where do you go to church?" 34:32 And I said, "Well, I'm a Seventh-day Adventist." 34:35 We shouldn't be ashamed of that, should we? 34:37 We should be excited about it because we believe 34:39 Jesus is coming soon. 34:41 And I said, "Well, I'm a Seventh-day Adventist." 34:43 And he says, "You're a Seventh-day Adventist?" 34:45 And I said, "I am." He said, "Whoa." 34:48 He said, "I recently listened to some talks 34:53 by a man named Roger Morneau." 34:55 And he said, "And I've been waiting, I've been wanting 34:59 to meet a Seventh-day Adventist." 35:01 And he looked at me and he said, "You're the first real live 35:04 one I've ever met." 35:05 I got a kick out of that. 35:06 I'm the first real live one, right? 35:08 And so we got to talking. 35:10 And he just opened up, and the Lord had done 35:13 so many things in his life. 35:14 We started Bible studies. 35:16 And he is studying now, preparing, wants to be baptized. 35:20 And God is good. Amen? 35:22 When I studied at his house, we'd be studying 35:25 and there were times he would jump up off the couch 35:29 and say, "Man, that makes more sense than anything 35:31 I've ever known in my whole life." 35:33 He says, "I've been waiting my whole life to understand 35:36 truth like this." 35:38 It's the wonders of the Bible, amen? 35:40 The wonders of God's Word. 35:41 It transforms our lives. 35:43 So friends, pray for divine appointments. 35:46 Share literature, share your testimony. 35:48 Be burdened for souls to be in God's kingdom. 35:52 Because the hope of the second coming leads us 35:55 to want others to be saved. Amen? 35:58 I think of a young lady named Vera who I met in Ukraine. 36:03 And Vera was a teenage girl, she was 17 years old. 36:07 And she was ready to give up on God. 36:12 And she was actually getting some medical treatment 36:15 for a problem with her back in Ukraine, 36:17 and she was actually going to move away. 36:20 But because of her back pain, it kept her there 36:23 in the town. 36:25 And so she was walking to the doctor one day 36:28 and one of our students, our missionary students, 36:31 handed her an invitation to the series of meetings 36:35 that I was doing right there in the city. 36:37 And she looked at that invitation and she said, 36:39 "Well, since I'm going to be here anyway, 36:43 I might as well give God one more opportunity, 36:47 one more chance to prove Himself." 36:49 So she started coming to the meetings, 36:51 and she came to the meetings every night. 36:53 And she was so excited about what she was learning. 36:56 And on her way, it was about a week into the meetings, 36:59 on her way to the meetings she was crossing the street. 37:02 And as she was crossing the street, she said a car 37:05 came out of nowhere and it was going to strike her 37:08 right in the side. 37:10 And she said, "I only had enough time in just a few moments 37:14 to say a prayer." 37:15 And she said, "Lord Jesus, please save my life." 37:18 And she said, "Instantly, it was like a hand just 37:21 stopped that car." 37:22 And it stopped one inch from striking her right in the side. 37:27 It was that night that I preached on Jesus 37:31 and His love and His gift of salvation. 37:34 And she accepted Jesus into her heart that night. 37:37 When she went home... 37:39 She rode the bus about 40 miles each night 37:43 to come to the meetings. Amazing. 37:45 When she went home, she told her mother about the meetings. 37:49 Her mother began to come to the meetings with her. 37:51 And together, they were actually both baptized. 37:55 And they both were with joy. I think we have a picture. 37:58 I don't know if we can get that picture up. 38:00 There it is, there they are getting baptized. 38:02 Well after that, she was very excited 38:05 about her new faith. 38:07 And so she went home and she actually came back in the fall 38:10 as a missionary student. 38:12 And she brought her sister to the next series of meetings. 38:15 I think we have a picture of that as well. 38:17 She brought her sister to the next series of meetings. 38:20 And her sister studied the Bible and she was baptized as well. 38:23 And this girl was so on fire that she went out knocking 38:27 on doors inviting people to do Bible studies. 38:29 And she met an elderly man named Eugene. 38:32 I think we have a picture of him as well. 38:34 There he is. 38:35 And if you notice that newspaper that he's holding in his hand. 38:39 That newspaper is an article about him from 15 years prior. 38:44 He had been diagnosed with fatal cancer. 38:47 He was going to die from cancer. 38:49 And the doctors said to him, they said, "Look, there's 38:51 nothing else we can do for you. 38:53 Go home and prepare to die." 38:55 He went home and he was not satisfied with that answer. 38:58 So he got on his knees and he began to plead with God 39:02 to bring healing to him. 39:03 And he began to fast and pray and read the Bible. 39:07 And he was suppose to die within a few months, 39:09 and 15 years later he was still alive. 39:12 How many of you can say amen? 39:13 I don't know how God worked that out, 39:15 but God knew, and He did something. 39:17 And that young girl knocked on his door and gave him 39:19 an invitation to study the Bible. 39:20 And he began to study the Bible, he came to the meetings, 39:23 he gave his life to Christ, and he joined the Adventist church. 39:27 How many of you can say amen? 39:28 How much today do we spend asking Jesus 39:33 to bring somebody into our life to witness to? 39:37 How much? 39:39 Sometimes we might be afraid of what will happen 39:44 if we did pray that prayer. 39:47 Dear friends, if we believe in the second coming of Jesus, 39:51 we must ask God to give us a burden and a heart 39:56 to see souls saved for the kingdom. Amen? 39:59 It is not an option. 40:02 The heart that is transformed wants to tell others 40:05 about the Friend that they have found in Jesus. 40:09 It ought to always be on our minds. 40:11 It ought to always be on our hearts. 40:13 Because it is always on the mind and the heart 40:17 of God Himself. Amen? 40:19 His entire existence exists to see His children saved. Amen? 40:24 And we ought to follow that example. 40:26 The third thing that I want you to look at 40:29 from Thessalonians about the second coming. 40:31 Go to chapter 3 verse 12. 40:34 Notice what the Bible says. 40:36 It says, "And may the Lord make you increase and abound 40:39 in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you..." 40:47 You know, the Bible tells us that the hope of the 40:49 second coming gives us a deep love for each other. Amen? 40:54 You look at the book of Acts and the love that 40:57 they displayed for one another. 40:58 They laid down their lives for each other. 41:01 They ate together, they lived together, 41:04 they slept together. 41:06 In the same house, you understand. 41:08 You know what I'm talking about. 41:10 Appropriate sleeping, right? 41:11 They were together. 41:12 They were in one mind and one heart and one unity. 41:16 And they had this deep love, an agape love, 41:20 that Christ had placed in their hearts for each other. 41:23 We need that kind of love, amen? 41:26 When we have the hope of the second coming, 41:28 when we see our fellow church members... 41:30 Sure maybe they said something nasty to us. 41:33 Sure they may have scoffed us or blown us off 41:35 at some point or another. 41:36 But we see them with the eyes that Jesus sees them with. Amen? 41:41 We don't see people as they are, we see them as they can become. 41:45 Because that's how Jesus sees us. 41:49 Amen? 41:50 That's how Jesus sees us. 41:52 When He looks at us, He doesn't see us as we are, 41:55 but as we can become by His grace. 41:58 We need a deeper love for one another, don't we? 42:01 We need that heart's plea to make us brothers and sisters 42:06 in Christ that we'll lay down our lives for one another. 42:11 Well if you look at the next verse, verse 13, it says, 42:18 just continuing on from verse 12, "...so that He may 42:22 establish your hearts blameless in holiness 42:26 before our God and Father at the coming of our 42:30 Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints." 42:34 Let me tell you, friends, that God wants His people 42:40 to be holy. 42:42 God wants His people to be spiritual. 42:45 And that can sometimes become a taboo word, 42:50 or a word that we reflect upon and we think, 42:54 "Oh, you know, that's very difficult and no one 42:58 can achieve perfection," and whatever else. 43:01 I like to view it this way: 43:03 God has an ideal for our lives. Amen? 43:06 He wants to complete us and He wants to restore us 43:10 back into the image of His Son Jesus 43:14 before He comes to heaven. 43:15 So that way, borrowing from a friend of mine, 43:18 the language, that way we don't just get into heaven, 43:22 but we will fit into heaven. Amen? 43:24 Because He wants us to adopt the culture of heaven 43:28 here on earth. 43:29 Earth once had heaven's culture, but it's been lost. 43:32 And Jesus says, "Before My people can spend eternity 43:35 with Me, that culture must be returned to the church. 43:39 But it must be taking place in our hearts 43:42 and in our minds." Amen? 43:43 And so God wants us to be transformed. 43:46 And so I believe today that the transforming grace of the gospel 43:50 and the hope of the second coming gives us a desire 43:53 to place God first in our lives and gives us a love for Him 43:57 so deep that we don't want to sin anymore. 44:02 Amen? 44:04 If we can put the vision of Jesus before us 44:06 every single day, it can, I believe, lead us to the place 44:10 where we reject sin in our lives. 44:13 What do you think; do you think that's a possibility? 44:15 If Jesus Christ is living within us by faith, 44:19 as He has promised to do when we open our hearts to Him, 44:22 then tell me, friends, what sin it is in our lives 44:26 that He cannot gives us victory over? 44:28 There is none. 44:30 Because Jesus' power, the resurrection power of Christ, 44:34 is greater than any power of sin and death 44:38 that can be in our hearts. 44:39 What do you think? 44:41 And wherever Jesus goes, wherever Jesus enters, 44:44 He brings light and joy and peace and power to overcome. 44:49 What do you say, friends? 44:50 What do you say, watching today? 44:52 I believe, friends, that the power of God 44:55 is stronger than the power of sin. 44:57 The power of sin. 45:00 The Bible tells us in Titus 2:11-14, 45:05 I'm going to read this, it says, "For the grace of God 45:09 that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 45:13 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, 45:17 we should live soberly, righteously, and godly 45:21 in this present age..." 45:24 You see, friends, we've got to make the choice 45:28 to surrender our sins to Jesus. 45:31 We've got to make the decision and be determined about it. 45:36 But even though we're determined, 45:38 it doesn't matter how determine we are, 45:39 we still don't have the power to do it, do we? 45:42 But He has the power. Amen? 45:45 He has infinite power of heaven to cast away 45:49 anything in our lives that would separate us from Him. 45:52 But we have to want it. 45:54 He doesn't just give it flamboyantly. 45:56 He doesn't just give it haphazardly. 45:58 He only gives it to those who truly hunger 46:01 and thirst for righteousness. 46:03 And friends, you may be thinking to yourself today, 46:05 "I really don't have that hunger and thirst." 46:09 Pray for it. 46:11 Pray for it, and watch and see God gradually 46:14 increase it in your life. 46:16 Increasing it in your life. 46:19 Someone once said that, "God is becoming so beautiful to me 46:24 that I never want to sin again." 46:26 Amen? 46:28 I want you to notice this statement in, 46:29 Testimonies for the Church, volume 4, page 625. 46:33 Notice this statement here, it's very powerful. 47:05 Now notice that. 47:06 A couple of things here. 47:08 It says that there must be a continual reliance. 47:12 Sometimes we rely sometimes, sometimes we rely most times, 47:17 sometimes we rely a lot. 47:19 But it says there must be a continual. 47:22 Which means, an unbroken reliance upon the merits 47:27 and the blood of Jesus, because that's the only thing 47:30 in this world that has power over sin. 47:34 What do you think today? 47:35 Now she also says that when the Holy Spirit 47:38 is breathing upon the soul. 47:40 That's another word for bringing conviction to your hearts. 47:44 Okay? 47:45 When the Holy Spirit is convicting the heart, 47:48 she says, that man, or I will add, that woman, 47:51 must respond to its influence. 47:54 If we don't respond to the convicting power of the 47:57 Holy Spirit in our lives, there will be no transformation. 48:01 You understand? 48:02 When the Spirit convicts and we resist, 48:05 our moral abilities and our moral nature 48:09 becomes more weakened. 48:11 But when we respond, God injects in us, 48:14 our hearts and minds, divine power; 48:17 and we find strength and victory. 48:18 I've seen it happen. 48:20 You know, I remember just a few months ago, 48:26 I was wrestling with this temptation that 48:28 Satan had brought to me. 48:30 Yes, pastors have temptations, and they wrestle too. 48:32 And I was wrestling, and I just sensed myself 48:36 growing weaker and weaker and weaker. 48:40 And I was just about to the point where I was going to 48:43 yield to that temptation. 48:47 And I heard my little boy, 3 years old, 48:51 in the very moment... 48:52 I'm telling you, friends, this was divine. 48:54 In the very moment I was about to yield to that temptation 48:57 and give in, he began to sing the song, 49:01 "Jesus loves me, this I know; 49:04 for the Bible tells me so. 49:07 Little ones to Him belong; 49:09 they are weak, but He is strong." 49:14 And it was in that moment that I gathered myself 49:18 and I said, "Lord Jesus, take this thing from me." 49:21 And He gave me power over that temptation, 49:25 and I did not yield. 49:27 It was all His glory and His power and strength, amen? 49:30 We need that. 49:32 How much time do we spend each day asking God 49:35 to give us the power of the Holy Spirit? 49:38 We need to pray that prayer every day, friends. 49:41 Pray that prayer every day. 49:42 Lord Jesus, give me more and more of the Holy Spirit 49:45 until I'm completely transformed into the image of Christ Jesus. 49:51 We're going to go now to 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, 49:54 and we're going to read verses 16 through 18. 49:57 We're going to look at our next point. 49:58 Verses 16 through 18, the Bible tells us... 50:03 This is a passage that as Seventh-day Adventists, 50:05 we know very well, don't we? 50:07 Verse 16, "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven 50:11 with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, 50:14 and with the trumpet of God. 50:15 And the dead in Christ will rise first. 50:18 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together 50:21 with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. 50:24 And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 50:27 Therefore comfort one another with these words." 50:32 Do those words bring comfort to your heart today? 50:34 They bring comfort to our heart. 50:35 And I believe today, friends, that the hope of the 50:37 second coming gives us a comfort in our hearts 50:41 that can keep us through the darkest times of our lives... 50:50 If we keep the vision and the hope of the second coming 50:53 ever before us, Jesus will guard our hearts. 50:57 He will draw close in the darkest time. 51:00 But you know, friends, some people tell me, they say, 51:02 "You know, it's all nice and well that we would 51:04 have the hope of Jesus in the future, but what about 51:07 the present, Pastor Wes? 51:08 What about the here and now when my heart is aching 51:11 and it's breaking, and the dark clouds have surrounded me? 51:14 What about this moment?" 51:16 Never fear, friends. 51:18 For the Bible says we have a great High Priest 51:21 who intercedes for us. 51:23 And He says you can come boldly to the throne of grace 51:26 in time of need. 51:28 When we draw close to Jesus in our darkest hour, 51:32 He will draw close to us. Amen? 51:35 The hope and the assurance of His presence 51:38 is always with us, even to the end of the age. 51:42 How many of you can say amen? 51:44 He promises to never leave us, nor forsake us. 51:49 What a great God that we serve. Amen? 51:51 He is with us now, He is with us tomorrow. 51:54 He is with us every day until we see Him face to face 51:57 in the clouds of heaven. 51:58 We can take heart, we can be encouraged, 52:01 in those dark moments of our life. 52:02 What do you say today? 52:04 Our last point for this message is found in chapter 5, 52:13 and it is in verse 23 and 24. 52:17 Paul the apostle gives a final vision of the second coming. 52:21 He says, "Now may the God of peace Himself 52:24 sanctify you completely; 52:27 and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless 52:31 at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 52:34 He who calls you is faithful, and also will do it." 52:42 Isn't that a beautiful promise, friends? 52:44 That He would sanctify us completely. 52:47 It's His power, not ours. 52:49 It's His grace, not our own strength. 52:52 It's His works on the cross, not our own. 52:55 It's He that sanctifies us completely. 52:58 And our last point is that the transforming grace... 53:14 All the joy of Jesus living within, amen? 53:17 The joy of Jesus living within. 53:19 He has power over every sin that can come into our lives. 53:25 I want to come to this quote from the book, 53:28 Acts of the Apostles, page 507. 53:31 Notice this, friends. 54:31 Who will stand, friends? 54:34 We need an exponential vision of the second coming of 54:38 Jesus in our hearts and minds, amen? 54:41 An exponential vision. 54:45 There was a young man who had strayed away from God. 54:51 And he was in Ukraine. 54:54 And he told his father, who was a pastor, he said, 54:57 "I want you to give me your apartment, 54:59 or I'm going to kill you." 55:02 He actually told him this. 55:03 So his father moved out, he moved in. 55:06 And one night he was sitting there after a party that he had 55:09 thrown in his house, and he was sitting there about 55:12 three in the morning smoking a cigarette. 55:15 And he said, all of a sudden a vision of the door 55:20 became just bright as the sun. 55:23 And he said that someone stepped through that door, 55:28 and his face was so bright he could not even look upon him. 55:31 And he said to him, this happened just a few years ago, 55:35 "If you only knew how much I love you 55:38 and how much I care for you, and how soon I am returning 55:43 to the earth," he said, "You would not be throwing away 55:47 your life like this. 55:48 Won't you come back to me before it's too late?" 55:55 The person stepped back through the door 55:58 and it returned to normal. 56:00 He said that it so shook him up that he came back to the church 56:06 and he was re-baptized. 56:08 And he said, "I believe that Jesus is coming soon." 56:12 Dear friends, are we really ready for Jesus 56:15 to return to this earth? 56:17 Have we really surrendered our lives? 56:19 Have we asked Jesus to take away the idols of our lives? 56:24 Have we asked Jesus to give us a transforming love 56:28 for others in the church and for the lost? 56:31 Have we asked Jesus to completely sanctify us? 56:35 Are we trusting in Him in the darkest times of our lives? 56:39 Are our lives totally surrendered to the 56:41 living Christ who is coming soon? 56:44 Is every decision that we make and everything that we do 56:47 in this life, dear friends, is it centered around the fact 56:51 that Jesus is returning to the earth today? 56:54 He's asking us to surrender our lives to Him. 56:57 He's asking you today, dear friends that are watching, 57:00 He's asking you, He's inviting you, 57:02 to make that decision to make a complete surrender to Him 57:07 and to allow that work of grace in your heart 57:10 to prepare you for His soon return. 57:13 Friends that are watching, friends here locally, 57:15 will you make that decision today? 57:17 Is that the desire of your hearts? 57:18 Would you make that decision and heed the voice of Jesus? 57:20 Let me see your hands. Let's pray. 57:23 Father, we thank You so much for the hope of Jesus' return. 57:26 And we pray, dear Father, that our hearts would be transformed 57:30 and changed by the power of Your glory 57:33 and the power of Your grace, and we will be standing with You 57:36 when You return in the clouds of heaven. 57:38 In Jesus' name we pray, amen. |
Revised 2016-04-19