Participants: John Lomacang (Host), Pr. Taj Pacleb
Series Code: AOT
Program Code: AOT000180A
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00:13 Welcome to Anchors Of Truth,
00:15 live from the 3ABN Worship Center. 00:23 Hello friends, welcome to the 3ABN Worship Center 00:26 for this final message in a five part series 00:29 brought to us by Pastor Taj Pacleb. 00:33 Now in the prior program, I had a lei around my shoulders 00:37 and neck, which was an indication of the diversity 00:40 of our speaker here today. 00:41 A young man that is from Hawaii. 00:44 He has so many nationalities; Filipino, German, Mexican. 00:50 His wife is Tongan and Fijian. 00:54 And the message, however, is not so much focused on 00:57 where they are from, but the message focuses us on 01:01 where we are all headed. 01:03 This afternoon's message is entitled, 01:04 Highway to the Upper Room. 01:08 We are reminded of how important it is to trust the Lord 01:10 in difficult times of hardship, how important it is 01:14 to lean on the Rock, Christ Jesus, that never 01:18 disappoints us, never forsakes us. 01:20 And as we recount our past, we can see that He has always 01:23 provided for the road we have taken, and He is faithful 01:27 for the road that is ahead of us. 01:30 What happened in the upper room on the day of Pentecost 01:32 is so imperative for us as we think about the power 01:36 that is available to live this Christian life. 01:38 And I know that we're going to be blessed 01:40 as the manservant of the hour, Pastor Taj Pacleb, 01:44 is going to be presenting the sermon entitled, 01:47 Highway to the Upper Room. 01:48 But we've also been blessed by the music of a young lady 01:51 by the name of Jackie Jewel. 01:53 I have to say, she is a jewel of a musician. 01:57 And she's going to bless us with this song entitled, 01:59 Your Grace Still Amazes Me. 02:01 After which, the next voice that we will hear will be that of 02:04 of our presenter, Pastor Taj Pacleb. 02:23 My faithful Father, 02:31 enduring Friend. 02:43 My faithful Father, 02:51 enduring Friend, 02:54 Your tender mercy is like a river with no end. 03:04 It overwhelms me, 03:11 covers my sin. 03:15 Each time I come into Your presence 03:22 I stand in wonder once again. 03:30 'Cause Your grace, it still amazes me; 03:37 Your love, it's still a mystery. 03:44 And each day I fall on my knees, 03:52 'cause Your grace still amazes me. 03:59 Your grace still amazes me. 04:18 Oh patient Savior, 04:24 You make me whole. 04:29 You are the Author and the Healer of my soul. 04:38 What can I give You? 04:44 Lord, what can I say? 04:49 I know there's no way to repay You; 04:56 only to offer You my praise. 05:04 'Cause Your grace, it still amazes me; 05:11 Your love, it's still a mystery. 05:17 And each day I fall on my knees, 05:26 'cause Your grace still amazes me. 05:33 Your grace still amazes. 05:39 It's deeper, it's wider, 05:46 it's stronger, it's higher. 05:52 It's deeper, it's wider, 05:59 it's stronger, and it's higher 06:05 than anything my eyes can see. 06:11 Your grace, it still amazes me; 06:18 Your love, it's still a mystery. 06:24 And each day I fall on my knees, 06:33 'cause Your grace still amazes me. 06:41 Your grace still amazes me. 07:07 Good evening, everyone. 07:09 I want to welcome you to another night here at the 07:11 Anchors Of Truth broadcast. 07:13 It's been a wonderful experience being here in these 07:15 last few days. 07:16 On behalf of our ministry, the Revelation of Hope ministries, 07:19 we want to thank 3ABN and this powerful outreach 07:22 they have here in this area and all over the world. 07:24 It's been a great joy. 07:25 And now we've come to our final presentation. 07:28 I want to thank all of those who have been joining us 07:30 online and at home. 07:32 We trust that God has another rich blessing in store for us 07:35 as we study the message tonight entitled, 07:37 Highway to the Upper Room. 07:39 I invite you to bow your heads as we pray together. 07:41 Father in heaven, please speak to our hearts 07:44 in a personal and intimate way tonight. 07:47 And give us spiritual ears to hear Your voice 07:50 as we open Your Word. 07:52 Open our hearts that we might receive this last message 07:55 for this hour. 07:57 This is our prayer. 07:58 In Jesus' name, amen. 08:01 I invite you to take your Bible and open with me to the book of 08:03 Revelation, and we're going to begin in the 12th chapter 08:07 as we begin our study tonight entitled, 08:09 Highway to the Upper Room. 08:11 In the 12th chapter of the book of Revelation, 08:13 we find a very powerful prophecy that describes the countdown, 08:18 the final showdown, between a demonic dragon 08:22 and a beautiful beloved bride. 08:24 Notice what it says in Revelation 12:17, it says... 08:40 Friends, according to these solemn words of prophecy, 08:43 we see that the dragon is filled with wrath and rage 08:47 against a woman. 08:48 Now we know according to verse 9 that the dragon 08:50 is none other than Satan. 08:52 And according to prophecy, a woman is a symbol of 08:54 God's church, the beloved bride of Christ. 08:57 And for those who need the Scriptures, 08:58 you can write it down; Ephesians 5:25, 09:01 Jeremiah 6:2, 2 Corinthians 11:2. 09:05 And many other passages make it clear 09:07 that in a prophetic context a woman is a symbol 09:10 of the church. 09:12 So here we read in this prophecy that Satan is angry with 09:15 the church, a specific woman which has 09:17 specific characteristics. 09:19 And I want us to note it carefully, friends, that the 09:21 devil is not angry at every church. 09:24 He is only angry at a church that is a threat 09:28 to his kingdom. 09:29 And here is a woman, a church, that excites the wrath 09:32 of the dragon, because it's this woman 09:35 who is filled with the spirit of Jesus, her heavenly Husband, 09:38 that will usher in the demise of the devil. 09:41 And so in these last days, Satan is focusing all of his 09:44 weapons of mass distraction against the woman, 09:48 this Bible believing, Christ following, faith walking, 09:50 commandment keeping, Sabbath resting, advent waiting, 09:53 spirit filled, gospel preaching people of God. 09:57 And that's who we are, amen? 09:59 And friends, according to this verse, 10:02 Satan is angry at this woman for at least three reasons. 10:05 Number one, because this is the beloved bride 10:07 of his enemy, Jesus Christ. 10:09 Satan is also angry at this woman because this woman 10:12 keeps the commandments of his enemy, Jesus Christ. 10:17 And this woman also has the testimony of Jesus Christ. 10:21 In other words, Jesus, through His bride, 10:23 is testifying against the false accusations of Satan 10:27 in this great controversy between good and evil. 10:30 And Satan hates the testimony of Jesus. 10:33 He wants to silence that testimony. 10:35 And the way in which he's seeking to silence the 10:38 testimony of Jesus is by trying to silence the bride, 10:42 the woman, that has it. 10:44 But the question is, what exactly is 10:46 the testimony of Jesus? 10:48 Well the Bible tells us in Revelation 19:10. 10:56 And friends, the spirit of prophecy is what gives 10:59 to the woman her message and her mission, 11:02 as well as her methods, in spreading that message 11:05 and fulfilling that mission in all the world. 11:08 And friends, we have to understand that the 11:10 spirit of prophecy, which is the testimony of Jesus, 11:13 is not just one prophet in the last days, 11:16 but it's Jesus' testimony speaking through all of the 11:18 prophets from the very beginning of time 11:21 all the way to the end of time. 11:23 For notice what Jesus said in the book of John chapter 14. 11:27 Jesus made it clear that the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit, 11:31 testifies, or simply repeats the words that 11:33 He received from Jesus. 11:35 In John chapter 14 and beginning with verse 26, 11:39 Jesus said... 11:53 So once again, friends, the testimony of Jesus 11:56 is the spirit of prophecy. 11:58 The Holy Spirit only gives that which Jesus had spoken Himself. 12:02 In fact, if you notice in chapter 16 of the book of John, 12:05 chapter 16 and verse 12, Jesus said... 12:31 So Jesus made it clear that the Spirit doesn't speak 12:33 of His own authority. 12:35 He takes that which is Jesus' and He gives it to us. 12:38 Again, the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy, 12:42 which is the Holy Spirit speaking through all 12:45 the prophets of God from the beginning of time 12:48 all the way to the end of time. 12:49 If that's clear, would you please say amen? 12:52 Now I want us to notice, Jesus said that when that Spirit 12:54 comes, He will guide us into all truth. 12:58 Not just some of it, not just a part of it, 13:00 but all truth. 13:02 In other words, the job description of the Holy Spirit 13:04 is to fill us in on everything Jesus wants us to know 13:09 and everywhere Jesus wants us to go. 13:12 And that word, "guide," denotes that there is a journey, 13:16 a pathway, a destination. 13:18 A "guide" denotes that we're being led along a way 13:21 that we naturally know not. 13:23 It implies that there's movement from point A to point B. 13:28 We're heading to a specific destiny. 13:30 We're not staying still in spiritual stagnation, 13:33 but we're moving forward, upward, and onward 13:36 into an understanding of all truth; 13:38 which is the testimony of Jesus Christ. 13:41 And friends, the chief characteristic of a movement 13:44 is that they're moving. 13:45 Amen? 13:47 A movement that's not moving is not a movement at all. 13:50 And friends, we're more than a church, we're a movement. 13:52 And we're not just a conversation, friends. 13:55 Some people say, "Oh we're just here to have a conversation." 13:57 No friends, we're a movement. 13:59 God wants us to move forward. 14:00 But the question I want to ask this evening is this: 14:03 Where is God calling this remnant movement to go? 14:08 Which way do we go? 14:10 Well friends, in order to know the way in which 14:12 God is calling us to go, we must go back 14:16 and study the characteristics of the early apostolic church. 14:20 Because that early church, those early Christians, 14:22 were known as the people of the Way. 14:26 So in order for us to know the way in which we need to go 14:29 as the remnant, we have to study to know where the 14:32 early church went. 14:33 Because this word, "remnant," in Revelation 12:17, 14:37 simply means, that which remains and is just like the original. 14:43 You see, this woman in Revelation 12 14:46 is the early apostolic church. 14:48 The dragon is angry at her but is seeking to take out his 14:53 wrath, not on the woman, but rather upon the remnant 14:56 of her seed. 14:58 And the reason why is that the early apostolic church 15:01 at this point in the prophecy is past off the scene. 15:04 However, she has a remnant. 15:06 And as I mentioned, the word, "remnant," means... 15:11 Or those in the last days who remain original. 15:14 They have the same pure faith just like the early 15:17 apostolic church. 15:19 They keep all the commandments 15:20 just like the early apostolic church. 15:22 They have all the gifts of the Spirit and the same mission 15:25 just like the early apostolic church. 15:27 And so friends, as we lay the foundation for our 15:29 study tonight, in order to know the way in which we 15:32 as a remnant must go, we have to go back to the past 15:36 to see how the Spirit moved the first church yesterday. 15:41 For what happened back then is a glimpse 15:44 of what God is seeking to do today in our midst. 15:47 Pentecost is going to be repeated at the end of time. 15:51 And we want to discover tonight what is the prerequisite 15:54 for the power of Pentecost? 15:57 Because in order to have their results on the day of Pentecost, 16:00 we first have to have their experience. 16:03 It was an experience they had that brought profound 16:06 results that they experienced. 16:08 And so, what was it that they experienced 16:12 that we need to today? 16:14 I want to summarize it with two things. 16:16 Perhaps more, but surely not less, than these two things. 16:19 Two things that those early apostles experienced 16:23 that we must experience. 16:25 I want to summarize it with just two words. 16:28 A road and a room. 16:31 A road and a room. 16:34 So let's go back to the day of Pentecost 16:36 and trace it backwards from effect to its cause. 16:41 And then we'll review from cause to effect. 16:44 Before Pentecost could take place, the disciples first 16:47 had to go to the upper room. 16:49 And it was in that upper room experience that they were 16:52 unified, not just in spirit, but spirit and in truth. 16:55 It was there that they made wrongs right 16:58 as they humbled themselves before one another 17:00 and humbled themselves before the Lord. 17:01 They prayed together and they pleaded for the 17:04 power of the Holy Spirit. 17:05 And as a result of those powerful prayers, 17:08 the healing rain of God's power and love 17:10 fell upon and flowed through the early apostles. 17:14 And its ripple effects grew into a tsunami of revival 17:17 that brought spiritual revolution to the whole world. 17:21 And what happened back then is to be repeated again. 17:25 But first, we've got to go to the upper room, friends. 17:28 How many of you see your need of an upper room experience? 17:31 We come together, and God unifies us. 17:33 But friends, I want to submit to us this evening 17:35 that many of God's people are not ready for the upper room. 17:40 There's a previous preparatory experience that comes 17:44 before the upper room that we must have 17:47 in order for the upper room to even make a difference. 17:50 You see, the reason why there was power in the 17:53 prayers of the apostles in the upper room is because 17:56 they had this experience we're talking about tonight. 17:59 This experience, in other words, was the foundation 18:02 for the upper room. 18:03 You see, before they could be filled with the Spirit... 18:12 In other words, when you study the Bible carefully, 18:15 there was a road that led to the upper room. 18:19 And friends, many of us are not ready for the room 18:23 because we're not walking on this specific road. 18:27 And friends, the lessons that the apostles learned on this 18:29 road is what prepared them for the upper room. 18:32 And so, it is on this road I would invite you 18:35 to walk with me upon today; 18:37 this upper road that led to the upper room. 18:40 This road that we're referring to is found in the 18:44 book of Luke chapter 24. 18:45 And so take your Bible and open there with me. 18:48 Luke 24 is a very familiar story. 18:50 Jesus had resurrected from the grave. 18:53 This is the first day of the week, early Sunday morning. 18:57 Jesus came forth from the grave. 18:59 And then we find the story of two disciples 19:03 walking away from Jerusalem, the city of peace. 19:07 They're leaving just after they celebrated the great 19:09 feast of the Passover. 19:11 And as they're walking on this road that leads to Emmaus, 19:15 I want us to notice as we read about the cogitations 19:18 of their mind and the meditations of their heart, 19:20 these disciples are discouraged. 19:22 They're walking away from Jerusalem. 19:24 They're walking away from the city of peace. 19:26 Notice what it says. 19:28 Luke 24:13, the Bible says this... 19:45 Now friends, we have to understand the mindset 19:47 of these disciples. 19:49 The sun of hope had gone down, and now the night of woe 19:52 had settled upon their hearts. 19:54 These disciples were absorbed in gloom and grief. 19:58 They were utterly hopeless, bitterly disappointed, 20:01 crushed by confusion, and drowning in 20:03 despondency and despair. 20:05 And the reason why is because they had just witnessed 20:08 with their own eyes the one they thought was the Messiah 20:11 being nailed to a cruel Roman cross. 20:15 And as believers in Him, they thought that perhaps 20:18 they would meet the exact same fate. 20:21 And so the future seemed dark and uncertain for them. 20:24 There was no light in sight. 20:26 They were standing in the dark shadow of the cross, 20:28 and it was unbearable. 20:30 You see, they had seen the cross, 20:33 but they did not understand it. 20:35 And friends, I wonder, could it be possible that we, 20:38 the Christian community, have seen the cross 20:41 but we really don't understand its true significance of it. 20:46 That's these two disciples. 20:48 They represent all who have suffered disappointment in life. 20:51 These two disciples represent those whose faith has faltered 20:55 and whose commitments have cooled down due to the 20:58 cares of this life. 20:59 But notice what Jesus does for those who are plagued with pain 21:03 and feel so far away from His peace. 21:06 The next verse, the Bible says in 15, 21:08 "And it came to pass that while they communed together 21:11 and reasoned, Jesus Himself drew near and went with them." 21:16 Oh friends, I'm so thankful that when we feel the 21:19 farthest away from God, that's when God is closest to us. 21:24 Can you say amen? 21:25 These two disciples were absorbed in darkness, 21:28 and yet the Light of the universe drew near 21:32 to penetrate the darkness of their discouragement. 21:35 Friends, I want you to know, you may feel so far away 21:37 from God right now. 21:38 You may have messed up and sinned greatly, even today. 21:42 And you feel like heaven is so far away. 21:45 The farther away you feel from God, that's the closer He is. 21:49 He's right outside the door of your heart knocking. 21:52 That's how close. 21:53 And I want to appeal to you, my friends, open the door of your 21:56 heart and let Jesus come in today. 21:59 Christ draws near to these disciples. 22:01 And He's wanting to lift them up out of the valley 22:05 of discouragement on the mountain top of hope. 22:08 You see, these disciples were leaving Jerusalem, 22:10 the city of peace, and they were headed to the 22:13 village called, Emmaus. 22:14 Now that word, "Emmaus," if you look it up in the 22:16 original language, it means, "warm baths." 22:20 And their destination, Emmaus, warm baths, 22:23 was a reflection of their experience. 22:26 As they're walking away from Jerusalem, 22:27 their commitment has cooled down and now they're settling 22:30 into a somewhat Laodicean lukewarm experience. 22:35 Maybe they were just trying to head home to take a nice 22:38 warm bath and forget about their troubles 22:40 and forget about their disappointment. 22:42 But when you read the story, by the time Jesus is finished 22:45 with them, from being lukewarm in warm baths, 22:48 they are on fire as they testify, 22:51 "Did not our hearts burn within us 22:55 when He walked with us by the way?" 22:57 You see, friends, the fire of Pentecost actually began 23:01 right here in this upper road when their hearts became hot. 23:05 That's when the baptism of fire started to begin, friends. 23:09 The reason why is because on that road to Emmaus, 23:12 the upper road experience I call it, 23:14 they heard the testimony of Jesus, 23:18 which is the spirit of prophecy. 23:21 So Jesus draws near to help these disciples understand 23:26 the prophetic significance of the cross. 23:30 But how Jesus does it is absolutely unremarkable 23:34 to human eyes. 23:36 Notice what He does in verse 25, Luke 24:25. 24:02 Friends, I want you to notice, on this upper road experience 24:06 Jesus helped them to understand the significance of the cross, 24:10 but He did it by expounding, giving a systematic 24:14 sequential exposition on Bible prophecy. 24:19 He pointed to the Scriptures, friends. 24:21 Now the approach of Christ is very peculiar and very unique. 24:24 It would have been a lot easier and a lot faster 24:27 for Jesus simply to appear to them. 24:30 Maybe perform some miracle, demonstrate His power, 24:33 reveal Himself, and the disciples would have been 24:35 satisfied instantly. 24:37 But instead of doing that, Jesus took the long route 24:40 in breaking down Bible prophecy and showing how prophecy 24:44 is all about Himself. 24:47 Instead of appealing to their feelings, their senses, 24:50 or the emotions, Jesus appealed to their reason 24:53 as He helped them to understand Bible prophecy. 24:55 And here's the reason why, friends. 24:57 I want you to notice what it says in the book, 24:58 Desire Of Ages, page 796. 25:19 You see, Jesus did not want their faith to rest upon 25:21 some outward demonstration, some sign or wonder, 25:24 or some type of burning in the bosom. 25:26 He wanted their faith to rest solely and completely 25:29 upon the greatest evidence for our faith; 25:32 and that is the prophetic Scriptures, the Word of God. 25:36 Can you say amen? 25:37 And so what Jesus is doing here is amazing. 25:39 It was Christ's first work to help them understand the cross 25:44 in the context of prophecy. 25:47 In fact, friends, listen, it was cross-centered prophecy 25:52 that made all the difference in their lives. 25:55 This is what caused their hearts to grow hot; 25:58 when they saw Jesus in prophecy. 26:00 And shortly after that, you read verse 44, 26:02 Jesus appeared to the rest and did the exact same thing. 26:06 He explained current events in the light of 26:09 Christ-centered prophecy. 26:12 And because they first understood Christ-centered 26:15 prophecy, now they were ready for the upper room. 26:18 Now they knew how to pray in the upper room. 26:20 And that's why their prayers were effective. 26:22 Because those prayers were based upon sound theology, 26:27 founded in the Word, focused in Christ, 26:30 framed in prophecy, and filled with the Spirit. 26:33 And because they were led by the Spirit on the 26:36 upper road to the upper room, now they were ready to be filled 26:39 with the Spirit in that upper room experience. 26:43 And friends, listen, the remnant will have the exact 26:47 same experience. 26:49 For, friends, the remnant are those who are just like 26:52 the original. 26:53 You see, the point that I'm making tonight is this: 26:56 Many of us are not ready for the upper room experience 27:00 because we've failed to learn the lessons 27:02 on the upper road. 27:04 We have failed to see how Jesus and prophecy 27:07 are not two separate things, but they are together, friends. 27:12 For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. 27:18 That's the unity that God wants us to experience. 27:21 It's the true unity. 27:22 Remember, friends, for every truth that God has, 27:26 Satan has a counterfeit. 27:28 Do you realize, friends, that there is a counterfeit 27:30 upper room experience that's sweeping across 27:33 the Christian world today? 27:35 It's a room without the road. 27:39 It's a destination without a clear way of arriving to it. 27:43 And friends, if you don't have a clear road 27:45 or a clear way of arriving, you just might end up, 27:48 not in the upper room, but a séance room 27:51 or some type of other room. 27:54 And friends, that's what we're seeing in a general sense 27:56 in the religious world today; 27:58 where people, Christian churches, are saying, 28:01 "Let's put aside all our doctrinal differences 28:05 and let's just come together and pray." 28:08 What they're saying is, "Let's unify in the spirit." 28:12 And it sounds good, friends. 28:13 But it is at the sacrifice and the cost of the truth. 28:17 They're saying, "Let's put aside the doctrines, 28:19 let's put aside truth, and let's just come together and pray." 28:22 But friends, we've been told in prophecy 28:27 that this is not a true unity. 28:29 God cannot bless a union that is not in harmony with His Word. 28:33 And tragically, there's a watering down of the 28:36 true gospel of Christ in the world today. 28:38 And the true everlasting gospel is being replaced by a false, 28:42 counterfeit, greasy grace, cheap, prosperity gospel. 28:45 In Christianity, friends, we're seeing that there is 28:47 actually a crisis of theology. 28:50 An ecumenical apostasy that prophecy has predicted 28:54 is emerging all over the world. 28:57 And even in some pockets of the remnant church 29:00 we're hearing messages that are downplaying 29:03 our distinctiveness. 29:04 There's a lot of one-sided preaching that's throwing 29:07 God's people off balance. 29:09 Friends, let's never forget that the upper road experience 29:12 is strait and narrow. 29:14 And Satan in these last days is seeking to get God's remnant 29:18 church off track, off of the upper road, the narrow road, 29:22 into one of two separate ditches that are on either side 29:28 of this narrow road. 29:30 And friends, Satan does not care which ditch 29:33 we fall into as long as he knocks us off the upper road 29:38 that leads to the upper room. 29:40 And these two ditches, I want to focus on with you this evening. 29:43 One ditch on the right, the ditch of legalism. 29:48 And then another ditch on the left, the ditch of liberalism. 29:53 And friends, these are the two ditches, the two extremes, 29:57 that Satan wants God's people to fall into. 29:59 Let's deal with the first one; 30:01 the ditch on the right, the ditch of legalism. 30:03 I want you to notice what it says in the book, 30:05 Gospel Workers, and on page 156. 30:07 It says this... 30:39 Oh friends, what a tragedy. 30:41 When we dwell upon the law and not upon Christ, 30:44 who is the schoolmaster, to bring us to the... 30:49 ...dwell upon the law, which is the schoolmaster, 30:51 to bring us to Christ. 30:53 You see, friends, we've been told that Christ-less sermons 30:56 are the offerings of Cain. 30:58 When you think about the offering of Cain, 31:00 there was no fire that fell upon the altar. 31:02 There was no light and no warmth from that worship. 31:05 Because even though Cain offered something in sincerity, 31:09 he offered the wrong thing. 31:10 Instead of giving the lamb that is slain, 31:13 he gave the fruit of his own labors. 31:15 Salvation by works; that was his offering. 31:18 And there was no fire, there was no warmth, 31:21 there was no light, because it was missing the essential 31:24 ingredient; the blood of the lamb. 31:27 Cain's offering was centered in what he was giving to God; 31:32 the works and fruits of his own labor. 31:35 But friends, Christianity is not about what we give to God, 31:39 it's about what God is seeking to give to us. 31:42 Can you say amen? 31:43 And that is His very life. 31:45 That's why Abel's offering was accepted. 31:47 Because it was centered, not in what man was giving to God, 31:50 but rather in what God was giving to man; 31:52 His very own life, typified in that lamb whose blood was shed. 31:58 Christ-less sermons; offerings of Cain. 32:01 The reason why there's not a lot of fire in many pulpits 32:05 of the world today is because it's missing 32:07 the blood of Jesus Christ. 32:09 And then that same quotation continues. 32:25 "This truth, with others, included in the message 32:29 is to be proclaimed." 32:36 Can you say amen to that, friends? 32:38 We need to give the whole truth and nothing but the truth. 32:41 But we need to make sure that it's all centered 32:44 and founded in the center of attraction; 32:47 that is Jesus Christ. 32:48 Let us never forget, oh my beloved brothers and sisters, 32:50 that Jesus is the content and the context 32:53 of our communication. 32:55 Jesus is the focus and foundation of all true faith. 32:58 Jesus is the purpose and the premise of all prophecy. 33:02 Because it's not about what we know, it's about who we know. 33:06 And too many times, friends, we as a people, we know the "what," 33:10 but we don't know the "Who." 33:11 Our heads are full, but our hearts are empty. 33:14 Many times we preach prophecy without Christ. 33:18 And as a result, we have people serving God out of fear 33:21 instead of love. 33:22 People focusing so much on the beast that they 33:24 lose sight of the Lamb. 33:26 Yes, friends, as faithful watchmen, were are to 33:28 understand the signs so that we might give that solemn warning. 33:31 But at the same time, when we point out the signs, 33:33 let us quickly point to the Savior and the refuge we have; 33:37 the shelter in our times of storm. Amen? 33:39 Too many times we've preached standards without Christ. 33:42 And as a result, we have placed a Christ-less cross 33:47 upon the shoulders of people. 33:48 And many have been crushed by this legalistic 33:51 and loveless religion. 33:52 And many people have given up their walk. 33:54 Why? Because it's impossible to live the standard 33:57 without first loving the Savior. 34:01 Christ-less preaching has created many fanatics 34:04 and legalists who are constantly judging 34:06 and criticizing and condemning others. 34:08 All the while, they're filled with spiritual 34:11 pride and hypocrisy. 34:12 Remember, friends, that health reform, education reform, 34:15 dress reform without Christ are nothing but empty forms. 34:19 We need to make sure, friends, that our message 34:22 and our methods and our mission is always 34:25 Christ and cross-centered. Amen? 34:28 Sometimes we preach doctrines without Christ. 34:30 And as a result, we have people whose heads are full 34:33 with the right answers, but whose hearts are empty 34:36 and they have the wrong experience 34:38 and the wrong attitudes. 34:39 We have people who know the Word of God, 34:42 they can tell you the truth, but they don't know the God 34:45 of the Word and He who is the truth. 34:48 And friends, I remember when I was first converted 34:50 when I was 16 years old. 34:52 I wasn't brought up in this or any other church. 34:54 And I heard the message for the first time 34:56 and I was excited about it; it made sense. 34:58 And the Lord Jesus Christ won my heart and conquered my soul. 35:02 I will never forget, friends, I use to be just like this 35:05 when I first started. 35:07 My zeal for the truth sometimes pushed people away. 35:11 But as I continued to grow in the love of God 35:13 I spent more time at the foot of the cross, 35:15 and my dear Lord showed me a better way. 35:17 And now my greatest desire in our ministry 35:20 is to point people to Jesus and to help people understand 35:23 that prophecy is a revelation of hope. 35:27 It is the revelation of Jesus Christ. 35:29 You see, friends, doctrine without the love of Jesus 35:32 is irrelevant. 35:34 Prophecy without the love of Jesus is scary. 35:37 Standards without the love of Jesus are oppressive. 35:41 However, doctrine with the love of Jesus is important. 35:45 Prophecy with the love of Jesus is exciting. 35:48 And standards with the love of Jesus 35:51 is a blessing and a delight. 35:53 Amen? 35:54 And so let us not fall into the ditch of legalism, friends. 35:57 Let's stay on that strait and narrow upper road 36:00 that leads to the final upper room. 36:02 I want you to notice in this quotation in the book, 36:05 Lift Him Up, page 98, it says this... 36:33 Can you say amen to that? 36:38 And so, my brothers and sisters, we need to give the 36:41 message in Revelation. 36:43 We need to share all the truth and not water it down 36:46 and cut corners, and flower and fluff it up. 36:49 But we need to make sure that it's centered 36:51 and founded in Jesus Christ. 36:53 Can you say amen? 36:54 So let's avoid the ditch on the right, the ditch of legalism. 36:58 But friends, there's another ditch on the left 37:01 that is equally as dangerous. 37:02 It's the ditch of liberalism. 37:05 Soft, sweet, fluffy, but no substance. 37:09 The best thing I can use to illustrate it is cotton candy. 37:13 You've eaten cotton candy before, right? 37:15 What is the characteristic of cotton candy? 37:17 It's nice, it's colorful, it's sweet, it's fluffy. 37:23 But when you put it in your mouth, it melts. 37:26 There is no substance. 37:27 And it gives you absolutely no spiritual nourishment. 37:31 That's what I like to call, cotton candy Christianity. 37:34 It's nice, it looks good, it feels good, 37:37 but there's no substance in it. 37:39 It gives people a sugar rush, a spiritual high, 37:42 but it leaves people biblically malnourished. 37:46 You see, friends, this is dangerous. 37:48 There is a subtle deception that Satan has introduced 37:52 within the remnant church today. 37:55 And that's where we hear people saying things like this: 37:58 "I don't want to hear doctrine. 38:00 I don't want to hear prophecy. 38:03 Let's just talk about Jesus. 38:06 Let's get together and have a conversation about Jesus. 38:09 It's all about Jesus." 38:11 And friends, listen, I believe that statement 38:13 is a true statement. 38:14 It is all about Jesus. 38:16 However, there's a subtle implication that many 38:20 people have in making that statement. 38:23 And the implication is a faulty deceptive one. 38:27 The implication is that doctrine and prophecy 38:30 somehow is not about Jesus. 38:33 "So let's not worry about those. Let's just focus on Jesus." 38:35 But friends, here's the question: 38:37 Is it biblically possible to separate Jesus from prophecy? 38:44 Now friends, listen, it's possible, 38:47 but it's not biblically possible. 38:49 People do it all the time. 38:51 They talk about prophecy without Jesus. 38:54 They talk about Jesus without prophecy. 38:57 People are trying to separate that which is 38:59 indelibly joined together. 39:01 It's possible, but according to the Bible, 39:03 it's not biblically possible. 39:04 And here's the reason why, friends. 39:06 Because Jesus is the Word. 39:08 The Logos. 39:10 Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. 39:13 And every prophecy, every doctrine, every principle, 39:16 every standard is to bring us closer to Jesus. 39:19 You see, Christ said, "Out of the abundance of the heart..." 39:22 What happens? "...the mouth speaks." 39:24 In other words, the heart is made known by the words. 39:28 And so if we ignore the words of Jesus, the testimony of Jesus, 39:32 which is the spirit of prophecy, that which God has revealed 39:35 through all the prophets from the beginning to the end, 39:37 if we put aside the words of Jesus, 39:40 we're not going to be able to know the 39:41 true heart of Jesus. 39:44 It's not biblically possible, friends, to separate Jesus 39:48 from His own words. 39:49 Now friends, it's true, we can preach doctrine without Christ, 39:54 but we cannot truly preach Christ without preaching 39:58 everything that He taught as well; 40:00 doctrines and prophecy and standards. 40:02 And here's the reason why. Allow me to illustrate it. 40:04 Every doctrine, and standard, and prophecy, and principle 40:07 is like a camera lens that magnifies an object. 40:12 You see, the function of a camera lens... 40:14 I'm an amateur photographer. 40:16 I have different lenses in my collection. 40:18 Different lenses that do different things. 40:20 And the purpose of a lens is to magnify and clarify an object. 40:25 Jesus is the object, friends. 40:28 The different lenses are the doctrines and prophecies. 40:31 Now obviously the object is more important than the lens. 40:35 However, when you remove the lens of doctrine and prophecy, 40:39 you can't clearly see the object. 40:42 It's blurry. 40:44 And the blurrier your picture of God is, 40:47 the more easily Satan can introduce an antichrist. 40:51 And you're looking, but because you removed the lens of 40:54 prophecy and doctrine, you think it's the real Jesus Christ. 40:58 And the devil can easily deceive you. 41:01 You see, friends, this is what has happened 41:05 in the religious world today. 41:07 Liberalism is sweeping many people off the cliff 41:11 of ecumenism. 41:12 The daughters of Babylon are turning back 41:14 to the mother church because they've removed the lens of 41:17 doctrine and prophecy. 41:19 Now Satan has introduced an antichrist. 41:21 You see, it's the lens that helps us to see the 41:23 true Jesus Christ, and by contrast to recognize 41:26 who the antichrist really is. 41:29 Well friends, allow me to remind us all what is the 41:32 primary purpose of prophecy. 41:34 Notice what it says in 2 Peter 1:19. 41:51 Friends, what is the primary purpose of prophecy? 41:54 The Bible said it right there. 41:55 It's so that the Day Star can arise in our hearts. 41:59 Who's the Day Star? 42:01 It's Jesus. 42:02 You see, those who say, "I don't want to hear about Revelation," 42:06 they don't realize it but what they're really saying is, 42:08 "I don't want to hear about Jesus." 42:10 Because the Revelation is a revelation of Jesus Christ. 42:15 It's not just a revelation from Jesus, 42:18 it's a revelation of Jesus. 42:20 So you never want to say, "Forget about Revelation." 42:23 What you're really saying is, "Forget about Jesus." 42:25 You see, those who say, "Oh I don't want to hear the 42:27 three angels' messages," what they're really saying is, 42:30 "I don't want the everlasting gospel." 42:32 Because the three angels' messages are called, 42:34 the everlasting gospel. 42:37 And it's all about Jesus, friends. 42:39 Those who say, "Oh I don't want to hear the spirit of prophecy," 42:42 what they're really saying is, "I don't want to hear the 42:44 testimony of Jesus." 42:47 To silence the spirit of prophecy 42:49 is really to silence Jesus. 42:51 "For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." 42:55 Not one prophet in the last days, but all of God's prophets 42:59 from the very beginning to the end of time. 43:02 Those who say, "I don't want to hear doctrine," 43:04 what they're really saying is, 43:05 "I don't want to hear about Jesus." 43:07 Because Jesus is the doctrine. 43:08 He is the Logos. 43:09 He is the Word and the truth. 43:11 You see, the Sabbath teaches us about Jesus. 43:14 The 2300 days, the Sanctuary, the state of the dead; 43:16 all the doctrines that the Bible teaches all come from Jesus. 43:20 And each and every one of those are a beautiful lens 43:23 that magnifies the beauty of Jesus Christ. 43:26 Don't take away the lens, friends, 43:29 because you won't know who the true Jesus really is. 43:32 You'll have a picture, but it might be blurry. 43:34 The lens magnifies the object. 43:37 I want you to notice in the book, Evangelism, 43:39 and on page 195, it says this, notice what it says... 43:57 The Root and Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star. 44:00 Friends, we need to let Daniel and Revelation speak. 44:03 Don't keep them silent. Let them speak. 44:06 But in every phase, point to Jesus. Amen? 44:10 And then in, Evangelism, page 196, it says this... 44:33 Friends, I believe that one of the reasons why evangelism 44:37 is growing dim and weak, and faith is growing weak, 44:40 and love is growing cold, is because sometimes 44:43 we've fallen into the ditch of trying to replace, 44:46 supplement, water down Christ-centered prophecy. 44:52 We're trying to separate Jesus from His own words. 44:55 And listen, friends, when we try to separate Jesus 44:58 from prophecy, and prophecy from Jesus, 45:00 we are essentially neutralizing the power 45:04 of the everlasting gospel. 45:06 We're giving an incomplete message. 45:08 And that's exactly what the devil wants. 45:12 Please don't let it happen. 45:14 Oh my beloved brothers and sisters, 45:16 my church family, my fellow workers, 45:19 don't let it happen. 45:20 Let's move forward together, both in spirit and in truth. 45:25 Let's avoid either ditch on either side of the narrow road. 45:29 Let's walk the strait and narrow with Jesus. 45:32 But here's the thing, friends. 45:34 There is also a danger of overcorrection. 45:38 You see, when you study the history of our beloved church, 45:41 we see that the theological pendulum swings 45:44 back and forth from one generation to another. 45:48 Swinging from legalism to liberalism, 45:51 then from liberalism to legalism. 45:53 And friends, as human beings, our natural tendency 45:56 is to overcorrect. 45:59 In other words, what I mean by that is this: 46:02 Children who grow up in a legalistic household 46:05 many times will raise their children in a liberal household. 46:09 Children who grow up in a liberal household 46:12 many times will raise their children 46:13 in a legalistic household. 46:15 The pendulum continues to swing back and forth, 46:18 and back and forth. 46:19 And just like driving down a highway, 46:21 overcorrection can lead to a serious accident. 46:25 And unfortunately, that is what has happened 46:27 in many churches and institutions. 46:29 Many have caused spiritual wrecks on the narrow road 46:33 due to overcorrection. 46:35 And there are those who try to pit Jesus against doctrine. 46:41 They're creating a straw man that's distracting us 46:44 from our mission that God has given us 46:47 to accomplish in the world. 46:49 Friends, let us put a stop to the pendulum swinging 46:52 in our church and in our lives. 46:54 Can you say amen? 46:55 Let us never forget, there are two ditches on both 46:57 sides of the narrow road; legalism and liberalism 47:00 So as we avoid those, let's choose the right way; 47:03 the way of love. 47:07 And what does that look like? 47:09 The way of love looks like this: 47:11 We serve a God that will take us just as we are 47:15 no matter what condition we're in. 47:17 Amen? 47:18 But at the same time, He will never leave us as we are. 47:22 He will change us. 47:23 We serve a God that says, no condemnation; 47:26 but at the same time He says, no compromise. 47:29 He's the one that said to the woman that was 47:31 caught in adultery, "Neither do I condemn you." 47:34 And that was beautiful. 47:35 But immediately after that, He then said, "Go and sin no more." 47:39 The perfect balance, the way of love. 47:41 "I don't condemn you. Go and sin no more. 47:43 I accept you just as you are, 47:44 but I'm not going to leave you in that condition. 47:47 I will do the change in your life." 47:49 The perfect balance, the way of love, says, 47:51 God says, "I will come down to meet you where you're at, 47:56 but then I will lift you up to bring you where I am at, 48:01 that you might sit with Christ in heavenly places 48:04 even as you continue in the wilderness of this world." 48:06 You see, my friends, love is the fulfilling of the law, 48:10 not the breaking of the law. 48:12 Jesus said, "If you love Me, keep My commandments." 48:15 The perfect balance, the way of love. 48:18 When you look at the cross, the cross reveals that God 48:21 hates sin with a perfect hatred. 48:23 But at the same time, God loves sinners with a perfect love. 48:27 At the cross you see that God is 100% just 48:30 and 100% merciful at the very same time. 48:33 For at the cross Jesus met the just demands of the law, 48:37 but at the same time extended mercy and grace 48:40 to whoever wants to receive it. 48:43 This is the way of love. 48:44 And so, friends, I believe that this is the generation that will 48:48 finally connect the dots. 48:50 We just got done doing meetings two weeks ago 48:54 in the beautiful islands of Hawaii. 48:56 And we had a four week meeting there. 48:59 The Lord blessed in a very beautiful way. 49:01 And I just want to share a short story. 49:03 One of my aunties came to those meetings. 49:05 Now this is an aunt I'm very, very close with. 49:08 Aunty Helen is her name. 49:10 And she never really went to church before. 49:13 This was the first time she actually attended 49:15 my meetings consistently. 49:16 And she came almost every single night. 49:18 Now she had been religious in her younger years, 49:21 but when she became an adult, I remember I would get into 49:24 arguments with her. 49:25 She said that there is no absolute, 49:26 everything is relative. 49:28 There's no such thing as evil. 49:29 And I would argue with her and I couldn't get anywhere. 49:31 But I just decided I needed to shut my mouth and pray for her. 49:35 Amen. That's what we need to do sometimes. 49:37 We need to shut our mouths and get on our knees, amen? 49:41 And let our life do the talking. 49:43 And so I've been praying for her for the last 16 years 49:46 since I've been a Christian. 49:47 And a couple weeks ago when we had those meetings, 49:50 she came night after night. 49:52 And I'll never forget, we talked about Christ-centered prophecy. 49:57 We uplifted the beauty of Jesus in the prophecies. 50:00 And her heart was so moved. 50:01 And the thing that moved her the most, she said, 50:04 "Now I finally understand what the cross really means." 50:09 Her heart was moved. 50:11 And just last night she sent me this text 50:14 I want to share with you. 50:16 Because when I read this text, I fell on my knees 50:18 and I wept with joy. 50:20 Here's what she said. 50:22 She said, "I have not drank a single drop alcohol 50:29 nor smoked since before Thanksgiving weekend. 50:32 God is good." 50:34 Amen? 50:36 And then I said, "Well, that's awesome Aunty. 50:38 What a wonderful victory. Praise the Lord." 50:39 Then this text that she said. 50:41 She said, "Amen. I do crave, but it's wiped out 50:45 when I focus my mind on His greatness. 50:49 I see the light." 50:51 I see the light. 50:53 Amen. 50:56 Then she gave me not just one high-five, she gave it high-ten. 50:59 Right there, you see it? 51:01 Christ-centered prophecy. 51:03 Yes, we are tempted. 51:05 Our flesh cries out for stimulation. 51:09 But those cravings are removed when we focus our mind 51:13 on His greatness. 51:15 And it's then that we see the light. 51:18 Oh my beloved brothers and sisters, 51:20 there are people all around us in the world 51:22 that must hear the message that God has given to us. 51:25 And let is preach it, the whole message, 51:27 but let us do it Christ and cross-centered. 51:30 Can you say amen? 51:32 I believe that this is the generation that will finally 51:34 connect the theological dots; 51:36 to see the connection of the altar of sacrifice 51:39 there in the outer court where Jesus died, 51:41 the connection with that to the Most Holy Place, 51:44 the ark of the covenant, where the law of God is. 51:46 To realize that both the altar of sacrifice 51:48 and the Most Holy Place ark of the covenant, 51:50 those two places is where mercy and justice 51:54 kiss and embrace. 51:57 We're not to stop at the outer court, 51:59 at the altar of the cross, friends. 52:00 Nor are we to skip all the way to the Most Holy Place 52:03 and deal with the law. 52:04 We need to walk the path in its entirety. 52:07 This is the upper road leading to the upper room. 52:11 And how do we do this? 52:13 Here is how. 52:14 Isaiah 30:21. We're almost finished. 52:17 It says... 52:18 How do we attain this balance? Here's what it says... 52:33 Human nature is prone to fall into the ditch on the right 52:36 or the ditch on the left. 52:37 But God promises us that when we open our ears 52:40 and hearts and minds to Him, that we'll hear that voice 52:43 behind us teaching us how to walk the strait and narrow. 52:46 This is the voice of Jesus, the testimony of Jesus, 52:49 the spirit of prophecy. 52:51 And that was the voice speaking to the disciples 52:54 on the road to Emmaus. 52:56 It was taught by Jesus. 52:58 We can't go to the upper room, friends, 53:01 until we first walk the upper road with Jesus. 53:05 This is the reason why Christ broke down 53:07 prophecy on that road. 53:09 True unity must be founded upon sound theology. 53:12 This is what prepares us for the final upper room. 53:15 You see, the apostles, as well as us, we need to 53:19 see clearly first in order to preach and pray correctly. 53:25 And as we close tonight, that which the disciples experienced 53:29 on the upper road is actually illustrated in the Sanctuary. 53:33 The Bible says in Psalm 77:13... 53:39 You see, when you look at the Sanctuary, 53:40 there is actually a road that leads to a room. 53:44 Look at the Sanctuary, friends. 53:46 There's a road, there's a path, and it leads to two rooms. 53:49 Listen carefully, it was the upper road experience 53:52 on Emmaus that led the early church from the outer court, 53:56 the altar, into the Holy Place experience. 54:00 But it's that same road that leads the remnant church 54:03 from the Holy Place into the Most Holy Place, 54:06 the secret place of the Most High, that we might receive 54:09 the full light of truth and the rain might fall 54:13 with fire upon us, that we might lighten the world 54:18 with the glory of God. 54:20 This is where the true remnant are being led. 54:22 So if we want to be truly progressive, 54:24 let's not go outside the court. 54:26 Let's go to the upper room. 54:27 That's what true progressivism is, friends. 54:30 You move forward into the upper room, 54:32 to the Most Holy Place. 54:34 And it's that experience that's exciting 54:37 the wrath of the dragon. 54:39 That's what gives power to the testimony of Jesus, 54:42 the spirit of prophecy. 54:43 So what are we to proclaim to the world? 54:46 We are to proclaim the present truth as it is in Jesus. 54:51 And what is the present truth? 54:53 Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." 54:58 He said, "I am." That's present. 55:00 Not, "I was," or, "I will be." 55:02 "I am," present, "I am truth." 55:04 What's the present truth? 55:05 It's Jesus, but specifically, the present truth 55:08 is wherever Jesus is presently. 55:12 And where is Jesus presently right now? 55:15 He's in the upper room, friends. 55:18 He's in the Most Holy Place. 55:21 The Sanctuary is a road that leads to the room. 55:25 And that's where God is calling us to go. 55:27 So let's go there, shall we? 55:29 Let's go there in three ways. 55:31 Number one, we need to go to the upper room theologically. 55:34 Let us never downplay or de-emphasize our message. 55:36 Let us study these things that we might understand it, 55:39 the concepts of the courtyard and the experience in the Holy 55:42 and the Most Holy Place. 55:44 Let us never turn away from the present truth in the upper room. 55:46 Let's go to the upper room theologically. 55:48 Number two, experientially. 55:50 Let's go into that intimate place with Jesus. 55:53 The place where we are at one with Christ, 55:55 where we receive the full atonement. 55:57 The place that we receive the everlasting 55:59 righteousness by faith. 56:01 And then number three. 56:03 Let's go to the upper room theologically, experientially, 56:06 and evangelistically. 56:07 Let us give to the world the complete message 56:11 that points people to, not only what Jesus did for us 56:13 in the outer court, but what He's doing for us right now 56:16 in the Most Holy Place. 56:17 To give the complete testimony of Jesus. 56:20 And when we do that, the world will come to know 56:22 the real Jesus, not the anti-Jesus. 56:26 How many of you see your need of more of Jesus in your life? 56:30 And that's, by the way, what it means 56:34 when we use the expression, "Jesus. All." 56:39 What does that mean, friends? 56:40 It's Jesus through all that the prophets had spoken. 56:44 Let's not settle for anything less than all. 56:48 Our pray is, Lord, give me all of You 56:51 as I give You all of me. 56:53 Let's move forward together. 56:55 Shall we, friends? 56:56 Let's take the complete everlasting gospel to the world. 57:00 Because we're almost home. 57:02 We need to give that message so that people can be ready 57:04 so that Jesus can come. 57:06 So that we can go home together. 57:08 Oh my friends, it's been a pleasure being with you 57:10 these last few days. 57:11 I look forward to meeting you personally one day. 57:14 But if not in this world, I will meet you in the Promised Land. 57:19 Don't you be missing, friends. 57:21 And when we get there, it's then that we will be home at last. 57:25 Home at last. 57:27 Home at last. 57:28 Thank God Almighty, we'll be home at last. |
Revised 2016-05-04