Participants:
Series Code: ASIC
Program Code: ASIC000003A
|
03:51 The last hour: a window of opportunity.
04:01 This phrase, the last hour, brings a certain sense of 04:04 urgency, of finality, and yet in Earth's last hour there is a 04:13 window of opportunity for God to work. 04:17 This Earth is certainly in its last hour, and because of this 04:22 more and more people are literally in their last hour. 04:27 The world's coming apart; there's 04:29 bloodshed, there's conflict. 04:33 And in this world of uncertainty and danger we do not know 04:39 when our last hour might be. 04:42 What do we want to do in Earth's last hour? 04:52 I'm a physician, so news reports like the ones we have had 05:01 recently cut close to home. 05:06 Just last week there was a physician that was killed 05:10 because he refused to prescribe pain pills to 05:16 the wife of the killer. 05:23 A few years ago this incident happened. 05:28 So in health care we seem to think that because we're helping 05:32 people we're somehow immune from these 05:35 dangers, but we're not. 05:38 Do you ever wonder what would be most 05:40 important in your last hour? 05:42 In the last hour the mind clears, 05:45 life compresses and distills to what's most important. 05:54 I met a man I'll call Adam in my office for a routine visit. 06:00 He had excruciating hip pain, and his x-ray showed why. 06:05 He looked terrible. 06:06 He needed a hip replacement. 06:08 Well, I'm an Orthopedic Surgeon. 06:10 I enjoy doing hip replacements and helping people, 06:12 so I was happy to help him. 06:14 He also had some problems with his feet. 06:16 He had some congenital problems that made his 06:19 balance an issue for him, so he was concerned about his 06:21 rehabilitation after surgery. 06:24 He wanted to make sure that he went to a particular rehab 06:28 facility so he could get his balance and get the services 06:31 he needed when he was discharged from the hospital. 06:34 So we had the usual discussion. 06:36 We prayed together, as is my practice with patients like that 06:40 before we proceed with surgery. 06:43 And the surgery went well. 06:44 It went very well. In fact his new hip looked great. 06:48 But something strange happened when he got to his 06:51 room after surgery. 06:55 It's like he decompensated: the stress, the thought of, 06:58 Can I get what I need? 06:59 This self-focus turned into lashing out at other people. 07:05 This is what he did under stress, and I didn't know 07:10 that ahead of time. 07:11 He began to give the nurses a hard time. 07:14 I got reports of them throwing things, and swearing, 07:17 and things just went from bad to worse. 07:21 He was acting out his fears and creating a disaster for himself. 07:28 So what does a good physician do? 07:30 I ordered some medication to calm him down. 07:35 And it was so effective that when I got to his room 07:39 a few hours later, I was in surgery, and got to his room. 07:43 He was up in a chair, and he was sleeping in the chair. 07:47 So I didn't want to bother him because this was a stressful 07:52 situation, and I didn't want to wake him up and 07:54 have him swear at me. 07:59 But when he woke up again he continued to alienate 08:02 everyone around him. 08:05 Unfortunately, the nurses that work at the hospital also do 08:09 part time at the rehab facility. 08:12 And this was a problem because the word soon got to this place, 08:18 and they wanted nothing to do with this man at 08:20 that rehab facility. 08:23 But he refused to go to any other option, so what ended up 08:27 happening was our Physician Assistant 08:29 discharged him to home, put him on the 08:31 doorstep of the hospital. 08:33 I think it was snowing at the time. 08:35 And his estranged, not surprisingly estranged 08:38 wife, took him home. 08:42 And I thought, Well, okay, that's okay. 08:46 But then the phone calls began. 08:47 He had a few falls at home and it was my fault; 08:51 I had abandoned him. 08:53 I left him to suffer. 08:55 He'd swear at me on the phone, swear at my staff. 08:57 He was going to sue me. 09:00 It's a wonderful thought as a physician. 09:10 Well, he did agree to come back for a visit. 09:12 As a physician I have a responsibility to make 09:14 sure he's doing okay. 09:15 And he did agree to come back, but my thought was, Doing this 09:18 is going to be quite risky. 09:21 These reports of physicians being offed by their patients 09:27 are not comforting. 09:31 What risk was I taking in even letting him 09:33 come into the office? 09:34 Well, in the last days and hours preceding his visit I started 09:40 to think, I'm a Christian physician. 09:42 I'm here to minister to my patients. 09:45 How do I deal with the situation? 09:48 Didn't this man create his own disaster? 09:51 What's my responsibility in this situation? 09:54 Could this in any way be my fault, or my responsibility? 09:58 How could I handle the risk and the danger? 10:03 Well, my mind went in an interesting direction as I 10:07 pondered these questions. 10:10 The approach of the last hour had a clarifying 10:12 effect on my thoughts. 10:14 I needed a new way of thinking, a new way of seeing 10:17 this problem with Adam. 10:19 I needed a metanoia, as it says in the original language. 10:26 A change of mind. So I thought only with heaven's help can I 10:33 have this paradigm shift that I need. 10:35 And the word of God provides us the paradigm sift that we need 10:39 in Earth's last hour to deal with the danger and 10:42 stress that we face. 10:44 We read in 2 Corinthians 5:14-16, 11:12 Seeing that Christ's death was a representative death put me on 11:17 equal footing with Adam in the sense his sin was my sin. 11:22 We share the same human nature. 11:25 I have the same weaknesses he does. 11:28 Have I ever lashed out at someone when I'm under stress? 11:34 Not only that, I was compelled, according to this text, 11:40 by the love of God in Christ, to repent myself for not 11:45 ministering this gospel to him. 11:52 I needed the gift of heavenly repentance in order to 11:56 effectively minister to Adam. 11:59 Here's how Ellen White puts it: Repentance represents the 12:05 process by which the soul seeks to reflect the image 12:11 of Christ to the world. 12:13 For me that was a mind altering thought, and my prayer is that 12:20 it might be for us collectively as well. 12:26 Well, how could actual reconciliation with Adam occur? 12:34 How much of this was my responsibility? 12:36 How much of this was his responsibility? 12:40 Did I need to hold him to account for 12:42 what his behavior was? 12:44 How did this actually work out in practical ways? 12:49 So as I thought about this I read further down 12:54 in 2 Corinthians 5. 13:04 Here's what it looks like: 13:26 In this wonderful, glorious act God has gifted us with the 13:31 ministry of reconciliation. 13:32 This is His promise, especially in what could be, 13:37 or is, our last hour. 13:40 I saw that I did not have to hold Adam's 13:45 transgressions against him. 13:48 In fact my not doing so was the key to our reconciliation. 13:59 But more than that I wanted Adam to actually be restored. 14:02 I wanted his mind to actually have a change. 14:06 Could he be restored to a better way of thinking and of living? 14:09 I found that my fear was relieved by 14:14 focusing on what he needed. 14:19 As I interceded with heaven on Adam's behalf 14:22 my focus became clear. 14:28 But I would need resources that I don't possess to help Adam. 14:34 But here was my hope: we, I do not have a High Priest who 14:39 cannot sympathize with my weakness, 14:54 I have a High Priest interceding for me. 14:57 I could boldly ask for the gift of His restoring power on behalf 15:02 of Adam, because He's the second Adam. 15:06 And he already has done the work to reconcile the first Adam 15:13 and complete that restoration. 15:20 Well, it came down to the literal last hour. 15:24 Do you want to know what happened? 15:28 I had arranged, in my weakness, to have a Sheriff's Deputy 15:34 in the office, but out of sight to Adam, because I didn't want 15:39 to stress Adam out. 15:41 That would be the wrong trigger for Adam. 15:43 But I did have a responsibility, actually, to protect my staff 15:47 in case Adam brought something. 15:48 But I would still have to go into the room alone, 15:52 and there would be a moment where Adam and I would have 15:55 to interact one on one. 16:00 But I saw that the confrontation that we were facing, 16:03 potentially facing, was primarily a Spiritual one. 16:06 Because we wrestle not against flesh and blood, 16:09 but against the rulers of darkness, the Spiritual hosts 16:12 of wickedness, as it says in Ephesians 6:12. 16:15 So I needed to apply the mighty weapons of the gospel to pull 16:19 down the strongholds that were holding Adam in place; 16:23 the strongholds that are mentioned in 2 Corinthians 10:4. 16:27 Well, here's what I did. 16:30 I walked in the room and Adam said, Doc, we need to talk. 16:38 I said, Yes, we do. 16:39 Let me start. Adam I want to ask your forgiveness. 16:47 You were in great need. 16:48 You were under stress, and I didn't come and minister to you, 16:53 and for that I ask your forgiveness. 16:56 I'd had another patient bring me some thank you gifts; some food, 17:03 some olives and eggs. 17:05 It doesn't matter what it was. 17:06 But I asked him, Hey, would you like these things? 17:09 And I gave him some gifts. 17:14 And we experienced reconciliation at that moment. 17:18 And then I asked again at the end of the visit, 17:20 Can I pray for you? And he said, Yes. 17:23 But he said, I want you to intercede for me with my family, 17:30 with my wife; these people I've estranged. 17:32 Would you call them? 17:34 So I agreed to do that, and I did call them later. 17:37 And I found out that the reconciliation for this family 17:40 was already occurring. 17:44 The gospel of Jesus Christ applied was 17:46 indeed the power of God. 17:53 So in my last hour what would I want to do? 17:56 Like Daniel I would repent on behalf of the body of 17:58 Christ, the church. 18:00 I would repent of not doing more for others, of not believing 18:02 and living the gospel that transforms lives. 18:07 I would accept my identity truly with Christ, who has identified 18:10 His humanity with me as He gives me the gift of repentance, 18:14 which He exercised on behalf of the race. 18:16 In my last hour I would want to help someone else reconcile 18:20 with God and others, believing the initiative that God has 18:23 taken with me, and applying that as a reconciling 18:26 force in the world. 18:28 In my last hour I would intercede to see people in 18:30 relationships restored. 18:31 I can trust my Intercessor to restore all things. 18:35 He will restore my life if I lose it for His sake. 18:39 I pray He will use me to heal and restore the relationships 18:43 of those around me. 18:45 And it's my prayer in this last hour of Earth's history that we 18:48 can all experience this power of God's love 18:49 revealed in the cross to cast out all fear, so that we can 18:53 become effective ambassadors for Christ. 18:56 Our message will be that God has already reconciled each 19:01 and every member of the human race to Himself through Christ. 19:05 And our simple yet powerful call will be to each one 19:11 this call: be reconciled. Amen! 19:29 To my knowledge I've not faced imminent death. 19:32 However, about a year and a half ago I did walk through the 19:36 valley of the shadow of death with my friend and colleague 19:40 during her battle with an aggressive form of Leukemia; 19:43 A battle which she lost three months following 19:47 the day of diagnosis. 19:48 Because of the severity of the diagnosis she was hospitalized 19:54 from the moment of diagnosis until three days before she 19:57 died, when she was released home to die. 20:01 Being hospitalized in the same hospital in which we both worked 20:05 allowed me to visit her every day. 20:10 And our visits became sort of like Tuesdays with Morey, 20:13 except it was every day with Beatrice. 20:16 She was an English woman, crisp, very stoic, raised Catholic, 20:21 but not particularly religious. 20:23 And initially our conversations were very general; 20:27 things like work, her children, things like that. 20:31 But about a month before she died it became increasingly 20:35 obvious that she was not going to make it, 20:38 and our conversations turned to more serious topics. 20:43 Topics like heaven and God. 20:46 What is He like? and death. 20:49 How was she going to face this death that was unexpected? 20:54 These visits always ended with my praying with her. 20:59 And as I turned to go she would always say, 21:01 Andi, please come back. 21:03 I enjoy your visits. 21:06 About two weeks before she died she looked me straight 21:10 in the eyes and she said, Andi, have you considered what you 21:15 would do if you were facing imminent death? 21:20 I hadn't. And taking in the look on my face 21:24 she said, You should. 21:26 And about the same time that I was going through this 21:29 experience with Beatrice, I was studying the book of 2 Timothy, 21:34 the last book Paul ever wrote; his swan song. 21:39 He was facing imminent and certain death 21:42 at the hands of Nero. 21:43 And on this backdrop the book of 2 Timothy was written. 21:48 And it is a window into how he faced death. 21:53 And I was reminded of a quote made famous by Sir Isaac Newton. 21:57 If I have seen further it is by standing on the 22:02 shoulders of giants. 22:03 And today I would like us to stand on the 22:07 shoulders of giants, giants like the Apostle Paul. 22:11 And see not further than they saw, but what they saw 22:15 as they faced death. 22:18 In 2 Timothy Paul is writing with a chilling 22:21 urgency to Timothy. 22:23 He says, Timothy be diligent to come to me quickly, 22:26 and when you come bring my cloak and my books, 22:30 especially the parchments. 22:32 Why the parchments? 22:33 Well the Bible Commentaries tell us that the parchments were 22:38 his copy of the Septuagint, and early copies of 22:42 the words of Christ. 22:45 Paul in his final hour in this urgent message uses a very 22:51 interesting phrase in 2 Timothy 1:9. 22:54 He says, Timothy grace was given to us in Christ 22:58 Jesus before time began. 23:00 Some translations say before the world began. 23:03 For several years that phrase, Scriptures that contained that 23:09 phrase, before time began, before the beginning of the 23:13 world, or from the foundation of the world, 23:15 have arrested my attention, and captivated my imagination. 23:21 And for the Apostle Paul to use this phrase in this urgent 23:27 letter means that this is not just some poetry, 23:30 some vague theory, but one with profound gospel implications. 23:37 And Proverbs 8 helps us understand that. 23:42 And it was not until I read a paper by Andrews University 23:47 Seminarian, Dr. Richard Davidson, on Proverbs 8:22-31, 23:52 that this took on significance for me. 23:55 Proverbs 8:30 is very well known to us, as it describes the 23:59 relationship of God and Jesus, that they had in Heaven before 24:04 Jesus came to this earth. 24:05 He says, Then I was daily His delight. 24:10 I was beside Him, rejoicing always before Him. 24:14 And we acknowledge that it is Jesus that is 24:17 saying these words. 24:19 But it's interesting because Verse 30 has a context, 24:23 and the context is Verses 22 to 31. 24:26 There's a story being told in Verses 22 to 31 which 24:31 incorporate us as human beings. 24:33 Verse 22, it's the dawn of creation. 24:38 And someone identified as Wisdom is speaking in the first 24:42 person and telling a story. 24:44 That person is identified as Wisdom. 24:48 But it's not just any old story, it's his own story. 24:51 And it's obvious from the surrounding texts that there's 24:55 not just a personification of wisdom, 24:57 but an intelligent person telling a story. 25:00 And that person is the Son of God Himself 25:04 telling His own story. 25:05 He says, The Lord possessed Me at the beginning of His ways, 25:12 before His works of old. 25:14 I've been established from everlasting, from the beginning, 25:18 before there was an earth, I was brought forth. 25:21 Strange words, strange language, language which can be 25:24 misconstrued as someone being created. 25:28 However the Hebrew is helpful here because in the Hebrew 25:32 those words actually mean anointed to, appointed to a 25:37 new office, set up or install into a new role, a new job. 25:42 It has nothing to do with someone being created. 25:47 It is the dawn of creation, and they are about to do 25:53 something risky: create man; thinking, self-willed man 25:58 with the ability to choose, the ability to choose to accept 26:02 and love them, or the ability to rebel. 26:05 This being the case, they make a decision: one of us needs to 26:13 step down into a new role, that of a Savior. 26:17 And so in this passage, the Divine second person in the 26:21 Godhead, the Son of God Himself is describing for us in this 26:26 short autobiography His formal instillation into a new office, 26:32 a new role: that of a son, a faithful and obedient son 26:37 who thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself 26:42 of no reputation, took the form of a servant, came in the 26:48 likeness of man, and became obedient to death, 26:50 even the death of the cross. 26:53 Before time began the Lord cared about us. 27:01 The cross was manifested not just at Calvary, 27:05 but before time began. 27:07 John the Revelator says it this way: that He was the Lamb slain 27:12 from the foundation of the world. 27:13 But I don't want you to miss Proverbs 31, Proverbs 8:31. 27:18 It's my favorite part of this passage. 27:20 It says, and my delight was with the sons of men. 27:25 They did this because they delighted in us. 27:27 Even though They knew that we could rebel, 27:29 They delighted in us. 27:33 And in the fullness of the times He shows up. 27:35 In Isaiah 9:6 it says, for unto us a child is born. 27:43 At Christmastime many of us like to participate in, 27:45 or attend performances of Handel's Messiah. 27:50 And there's one of the best choruses: For unto us a child is 27:54 born; unto us a son is given. 27:56 And the government shall be upon His shoulders. 27:59 It's sung with a triumphant jaunty lilt. 28:03 The choir continues, soaring in emphasis: And His name shall 28:08 be called Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting 28:12 Father, the Prince of Peace. 28:16 But have you considered the first few words: for unto us 28:23 a child is born, unto us a son is given? 28:36 What did that cost? 28:38 What did that cost Heaven? 28:46 Zachariah describes their relationship this way. 28:49 He says that they were friends. 28:55 He said he was his companion. 28:58 He says he was his best friend, his best beloved, the one who 29:03 stood close to him. 29:06 Most of you know that I have an identical twin sister, Lindy, 29:12 who I love very much, and to whom I am very close. 29:17 And before Bob and I got married, we, I don't know, 29:21 went to premarital counseling. 29:23 And our pastor gave us a questionnaire. 29:27 He knew Bob and me, but he also knew the relationship 29:30 I had with my twin sister. 29:33 So he added a question, true or false: Your family comes 29:37 before your spouse. 29:39 Tough question. God the Father and God the Son were even closer 29:47 than my twin sister and me. 29:50 Nevertheless, God the Father agreed to separate from His 29:57 best beloved and give Him to us. 30:02 And one day, like a poof, He was gone from Heaven. 30:10 And there was a long period of silence when there was no 30:14 communication between Them, because He was 30:17 in the womb of Mary. 30:20 Absolute silence. Someone who was your best friend, your best 30:28 beloved, in the bosom of the Father. 30:31 Now absolute silence. 30:43 A loss was sustained in Heaven that day. 30:46 The Incarnation cost Deity dearly. 30:48 The Godhead was radically changed, but not just for nine 30:52 months, but forever. 30:57 He was given to us willingly, even though we rebelled. 31:03 And then it's time. 31:09 He thinks back to Heaven, when before time began, 31:15 a plan was laid, and now He's in Gethsemane and He trembles. 31:19 He remembers three days before when the Greeks came to Him 31:24 and He said, Father, what should I do? 31:26 Save Me from this hour? 31:29 He says, No, I can't do that. 31:31 Because for this reason I came into the world. 31:37 And He says to the disciples, Watch and pray that you enter 31:42 not into temptation. 31:43 The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. 31:46 How did He know that? 31:51 Most of us interpret that as being a teachable 31:55 moment for the disciples. 31:56 He's giving them a lecture. 31:58 But I want to submit that the Divine Son of God was speaking 32:03 from the flesh that He took when He joined Himself to us, 32:08 and became one with us. 32:10 And was telling them listen, My spirit is willing, 32:14 but the flesh that I took, it is weak, 32:16 and I'm trembling at this hour. 32:19 Abba, Father all things are possible for You. 32:23 Take this cup from Me. I want to go home. 32:28 But praise God, as the Lionel Harrison song says, 32:32 When He saw unfold just how much His love would cost, 32:36 He still ran the final mile between me and heaven 32:39 so I would not be lost. 32:43 In February of 1990, twelve years after its launch, 32:48 Voyager 1 reached the edge of the solar system, and was 32:52 commanded by NASSA to turn around and photograph Earth, 32:56 photograph the planets rather. 32:58 They returned several photographs to Earth, 33:03 and one of them was this one. 33:08 You probably cannot see that very well. 33:12 It's circled here for you. 33:15 It's called the Pale Blue Dot. 33:20 And my clicker's not working very well. 33:26 Carl Sagan, the late great Carl Sagan reflected on that dot 33:30 in a lecture given at Cornell University in 1994, 33:35 and he said this: Look again at that dot. 33:39 That's here, that's home, that's us. 33:41 Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic 33:48 dark, and are obscured in all this vastness. 33:51 There is no hint that help will come from elsewhere 33:55 to save us from ourselves. 33:57 That is one man's opinion, but I want to submit to you that as 34:03 the Godhead looked on that pale blue dot, the shadow of a cross 34:09 arose upon a lonely hill. 34:13 And They made a decision: save man at any cost to Themselves. 34:19 This is what the Apostle Paul saw; 34:22 the giant the Apostle Paul saw. 34:24 He saw that there was a God who, before time began loved him, 34:29 even though he was the chief of sinners. 34:30 He saw that there was a God who before time began decided 34:35 to save man at any cost to Themselves. 34:38 So he turns to Timothy, and he says to Timothy, Timothy, grace 34:42 was given to us before time began. 34:44 And then he says in Verse 10, and has now been revealed 34:48 at the pairing of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 34:52 Praise God! Immanuel, God with us! Amen! 35:07 Just one question this morning that I'd like to ask you. 35:11 And that question is: 35:19 Some, of course, might respond and say, Well, yes, I have. 35:26 Others might say, Well, I probably should. 35:32 And maybe others might say, No way! 35:36 I'm not praying for the President. 35:40 Not this President. 35:42 Because this President is not my President. 35:51 This last political election was extremely disappointing 35:59 to me personally, and individually, 36:03 and I think to many of us. 36:05 But the reason it was disappointing to me is because 36:08 I realized through the process of this political election that 36:14 my heart and my spirit was prone to be drawn away from my God 36:21 given commission, and embroiled in the political influences 36:28 of this world to become critical and negative. 36:32 That was the disappointment personally, individually. 36:35 It was disappointing for me in other ways because I saw that 36:39 same spirit that was cropping up in me, especially in the 36:44 Republican runoffs, I saw that same spirit in my brothers and 36:48 sisters all around me. 36:50 I don't know if you experienced that, but I certainly did. 36:54 It was disappointing to see how I was effected by this 37:00 political election. 37:01 And I think this political election was a test 37:06 of our hearts and characters. 37:08 I think it was a test as to whether or not we really believe 37:14 and practice this gospel. 37:18 If we really are Christians in more than just name, 37:22 if we are really Christ like. 37:28 The whole process has really helped me actually to consider 37:32 prayerfully the question facing us this morning. 37:34 And that question, of course, is if we just had one hour to 37:37 live, what would we say about the gospel? 37:42 If we just had one hour to live, what would we 37:44 say about the gospel? 37:45 And I thought and pondered this. 37:46 And I thought to myself, wouldn't it be a blessing if we 37:53 could actually answer that question from the Bible? 37:56 What I mean by that is, if we could actually go to people, 37:59 individuals in the word of God, in the Bible, 38:02 and find people who were living in their last hour, 38:06 and see demonstrated in their actions, or in their words, 38:11 what they had to say about the gospel. 38:13 What do you think about that? 38:14 So I found three; three that really hit home with me. 38:18 The first one was Stephen. 38:20 Stephen, we all know, had this incredible last hour moment. 38:29 His experience is recorded in Acts 7:60. 38:35 It says that as Stephen, who had been rehearsing the history of 38:40 Israel to the religious leaders of his day, the Sanhedrin 38:44 and the Pharisees. 38:46 As he had come to the close of this discourse, that the anger, 38:51 and the animosity, and the hatred of these religious 38:54 leaders was stirred against, and they began to knash their 38:58 teeth and they grabbed him, and they took him out to a place 39:01 where they could stone him to death. 39:03 And as they began to stone him, throwing stones at him, 39:06 and of course, Saul was there consenting to his death. 39:08 As they began to stone Stephen it says that he kneeled down, 39:12 and he cried with a loud voice, and he said, Lord, lay not this 39:17 sin to their charge. 39:20 Hum, that was quite a revelation for me. 39:24 See the thing I love about the Bible is no matter what the 39:28 media tells us, and no matter what politics tells us, 39:31 no matter what the world tells us, the Bible has a power 39:34 to draw us away from the influences of the world. 39:38 It's powerful! Amen! 39:41 And as I looked at this man, Stephen, in his last hour of 39:48 life, and I thought about what he had to say about the gospel, 39:54 it occurred to me that, well, Stephen was giving a powerful 39:59 testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ. 40:03 There was another man that I thought 40:06 about, and that was Paul. 40:07 Now you remember Paul was actually Saul, 40:09 who consented to Stephen's death. 40:11 He was standing there next to Stephen when Stephen was being 40:13 stoned, and yet Paul eventually was converted. 40:16 Called out of time as an apostle of Jesus Christ 40:20 by the Lord Himself. 40:21 And Paul became a powerful preacher of the 40:25 gospel of Jesus Christ. 40:27 The Bible tells us that when Paul came to the end of his 40:31 life he was imprisoned, probably because of the Jews, 40:36 and the accusations they made against him. 40:38 He was imprisoned under the Romans. 40:40 And Nero, being the Emperor at that time, wasn't about to 40:45 let him go, though he was released the first 40:49 time he was in prison. 40:52 And Paul, in 2 Timothy, talks about his experience as he went 40:56 before Nero, as he was tried before Nero. 40:58 And he says there in 2 Timothy, he says, 41:05 Paul was deserted like Christ on the cross. 41:08 He was forsaken of friends and companions. 41:12 He stood by himself. 41:13 All men forsook me. 41:15 And then he says this: he says, I pray God that it may not be 41:19 laid to their charge. 41:23 The Bible is powerful. 41:25 Here's a man standing alone, when he should have all of the 41:28 encouragement, and the prayers, and the support of his 41:31 brothers and sisters. 41:33 He's standing alone, and yet he's praying, Don't lay to their 41:37 charge the way they've treated me. 41:43 Then I think about Jesus, of course, our Savior, the One who 41:49 is the gospel incarnate, and His experience as He came to 41:54 the last hour of His life, like Paul and 41:57 Stephen, who followed Him. 41:59 He was hanging on a cross, and there as the Romans, 42:04 the political leaders of his time, and the Jews, 42:10 the religious leaders of his time, and all of the people 42:13 railed against him, accusing and condemning him. 42:18 There, Jesus said, Father, forgive them for they 42:23 know not what they do. 42:26 I think about these experiences: Christ praying for the combined 42:31 religious and civil authorities who were torturing Him to death, 42:36 Stephen praying for the religious leaders and 42:40 authorities who were stoning him to death, Paul praying for those 42:46 people who were responsible for abandoning him 42:48 and forsaking him, praying to God that that sin would not be 42:52 laid to their charge. 42:54 I thought about all of that, and then I thought about this 42:56 political election, and my attitude, and my spirit, 43:05 and the spirit and attitude of those around me. 43:07 I thought about it long and hard, and I began to realize 43:12 that this was a test. 43:14 Truly this was a test. 43:15 Now Paul's death is not described as specifically as 43:20 Stephen and Christ's death are in the Scriptures, but as he was 43:26 nearing the end of his life, he recorded for us something 43:30 that I think is really powerful. 43:32 In 1 Timothy 2, beginning with Verse 1, he says, 44:00 But it goes beyond that. 44:01 In Verses 3 through 5 he says, For this is good and acceptable 44:04 in the sight of God our Savior who will have... 44:07 How many men to be saved? 44:09 All men to be saved, and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 44:12 The reason why we should pray for kings and presidents, 44:16 for prime ministers, and all those who are in authority is 44:18 because God wants everyone to be saved. 44:24 For there is one God, and one mediator between man and God, 44:27 God and men, the man Christ Jesus who gave Himself a ransom 44:31 for all to be testified in due time. 44:38 It's time to testify. 44:40 If there was ever a time in Earth's history when there is an 44:45 atmosphere, a climate in which we can testify of the Savior 44:50 of all men, this is the time. 44:52 If there was ever a time when we would get distracted 44:56 from it this is the time. 44:57 I guess when Paul wrote these words he didn't get 45:02 the memo about Nero. 45:05 He forgot what a wicked, debased person Nero was. 45:10 He forgot that Nero was capable of more atrocious cruelty than 45:15 any ruler that had preceded him. 45:16 That he killed his stepbrother, the rightful heir to the throne. 45:20 And he killed his mother, and eventually killed his wife. 45:26 Pray for Nero? Are you sure about that, Paul? 45:30 Are you sure about that? 45:32 Because he's the one that's going to have you beheaded. 45:37 He's the one that's going to take off your head. 45:40 I guess Paul didn't get the memo, or did he? 45:47 And so I have to ask myself the question, Am I going to be 45:54 siding with the thousands, perhaps the hundreds of 45:58 thousands, perhaps the millions, who are boldly declaring 46:02 NOT MY PRESIDENT? 46:04 Am I going to be influenced by the media, 46:09 or by the word of God? 46:12 I have to ask this question because it's a question that 46:16 relates to us personally, and individually, not just now but 46:20 as we near the end; the end of this Earth's history. 46:24 The question that relates to our destiny, and the destiny 46:31 of others: Have you prayed for the President? 46:38 Now this election was startling, I think, both from a political 46:43 perspective, and from a religious perspective. 46:46 People are under the impression that this 46:50 President is a disgrace. 46:54 And many find it justifiable to engage in unlawful 46:58 demonstrations, and destroy property, and block traffic, 47:02 and generally violate the rights and liberties of whoever happens 47:07 to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. 47:10 We think it's justifiable. 47:12 But I think a lot of this has to do with the way the media 47:17 influences us rather than the way the Bible influences us. 47:22 I think that myself personally, and we as Bible believing 47:27 Christians need to step back and take a second 47:30 look at all of this. 47:32 Because to a large degree the media has not, is no longer 47:36 reporting, and investigating, but it's actually telling us how 47:41 to think, and what to do. 47:43 Have you noticed that? 47:46 The very thing that the Bible is supposed to do for us, 47:50 the media is trying to step in and take over. 47:54 For believers in God's holy word, the media is 47:59 spiritually poisoning us. 48:01 It's killing our spiritual experience. 48:04 The media stands in direct opposition, I believe, 48:07 to our heavenly orders, to the position that we would occupy as 48:11 Ambassadors for God. 48:14 When I read my Bible I'm reminded that the kings of Sodom 48:19 had their Abraham. 48:22 Pharaoh had his Joseph. 48:24 Nebuchadnezzar had his Daniel. 48:28 Even the king of Assyria had his reluctant Jonah. 48:33 I'm reminded that the Sanhedrin had their Stephen, 48:39 that the Romans had their Paul, and that the world has a 48:45 Savior, Jesus Christ. 48:50 The entire world is living in the last hour of time. 48:53 And in this last hour some of us may end up in prison, 48:57 some of us may end up being persecuted and mistreated. 49:00 We'll be tested much more than by an election 49:05 that didn't go our way. 49:06 What will be we doing then? 49:08 Will we, like Paul, be praying for all men? 49:15 You know, the Bible isn't called a good book for nothing. 49:19 It reminds us of how wicked, and sinful, and evil, 49:24 and selfish all of us are. 49:28 Therefore we need a Savior. 49:29 You need a Savior, I need a Savior, we need a Savior. 49:32 The political election in the United States of America has 49:34 reminded us that we need a Savior. 49:37 Every political leader, and every person on planet Earth 49:40 needs a Savior, and we have one. 49:43 We have Jesus Christ, who is the Savior of all men. 49:49 So understanding our corporateness, the corporateness 49:54 of our fallen humanity should lead us to pray for all mankind, 50:01 which begs the question, 50:12 Three presentations: one message. 50:18 God's love is greater than we imagined. 50:21 God's grace is larger than we've thought. 50:24 Todd reminded us that God's love and grace leads us to 50:30 repentance, that there can never be reconciliation with another 50:36 human being unless we take the initiative in repentance in our 50:41 own lives for our failures in that relationship. 50:45 Todd reminded us that that repentance leads to 50:50 reconciliation, and that repentance in it's very self 50:54 is not something that we conjure up, but repentance is a gift 50:59 that God gives us, not only for what we've done, 51:03 but for what we haven't done. 51:05 All reconciliation is based on that repentance. 51:10 Jesus came, identified with the human race, and repented, 51:16 not for what He had done, but for what we had done, 51:20 and hung on Calvary's cross, taking our guilt and shame, 51:24 and all of our condemnation for one purpose: to restore us to 51:29 the relationship with God, and He reminded us that before the 51:35 world began, that deep within the heart of God was that desire 51:41 to be one with His children again. 51:43 That before the world began God set in motion, in Christ, a plan 51:50 to reconcile the human race. 51:53 I was moved with the thought, and I know you were, too, 51:57 that when Jesus was in the womb of Mary 52:00 there was silence in Heaven. 52:02 That was a new thought for me. 52:04 I hadn't thought about that before. 52:07 And that that separation between the Father and the Son cost 52:13 Heaven something significant. 52:15 Grace is amazing! God's love is far greater than we have 52:22 imagined or thought. 52:24 And then James reminded us that when we are consumed with God's 52:31 love, and amazed by God's grace, it leads us to reach out and 52:37 pray for those that may abuse us, and may persecute us. 52:43 It leads us to pray for the most unlovely people around like 52:48 Stephen did as he prayed for his persecutors. 52:52 What was it about today's presentations that 52:56 touched your heart? 52:57 What was it about today's presentations that you will go 53:03 away with that will make you a different man 53:06 or a different woman? 53:08 Did you just come and listen, and then go away and say, 53:13 Weren't those nice talks? 53:15 Is there something that you will grasp, something that you will 53:20 go away with, something that will be life 53:24 transformational for you? 53:26 As we bow our heads to pray, I want you to think of this one 53:32 thought, and meditate upon it, and ask God to burn it into your 53:38 heart, to indelibly stamp it upon your mind. 53:45 One single thought, and here it is: God's love is more 53:50 amazing than I've thought. 53:52 And because of that love I today am reconciled to God. 53:59 And is being reconciled to God, I today am an 54:06 Ambassador for Christ. 54:08 I want to live like an Ambassador. 54:10 What does it mean to you today to be reconciled to God 54:14 and to be an Ambassador to Christ? 54:16 As we bow our heads to pray, I'm going to give you just a few 54:19 seconds in your own heart, in your own 54:21 mind to talk to Jesus. 54:26 Tell Him what it means to you to have that thought 54:32 of His amazing grace. 54:33 Tell Him what it means to you that you're an 54:38 Ambassador for Christ. 54:39 Ask Him to help you to be reconciled to others, 54:45 to be restored in every aspect of your being, and every thought 54:52 of your mind into a relationship with Him, 54:55 to reflect His character. 54:58 Ask Him today to enable you to be a powerful 55:03 Ambassador for Christ. 55:13 All that I am, all I can be, all that I have, all that is me. 55:28 Accept the news Lord, as You would choose 55:35 Lord, right now today. 55:43 Take every passion, every skill, take all my dreams, 55:54 and bend them to Your will. 55:57 My all I give Lord, for You I'll live Lord, come what may. 56:13 Often I come with my problems and cares, running to You when 56:24 distressed, but I must bring You the whole of my life. 56:34 Lord I must give You my best. 56:41 All that I am, all I can be, all that I have, all that is me. 56:56 Accept the news Lord, as You would choose 57:01 Lord, right now today. 57:10 Take every passion, every skill, take all my dreams, 57:20 and bend them to Your will. 57:24 My all I give Lord, for You I'll live Lord, come what may. 57:39 Life has no purpose unless it is Yours. 57:46 Life without You has no goals. 57:54 All that fulfills me is doing Your will, 58:00 knowing that You're in control. 58:07 All that I am, all I can be, all that I have, all that is me, 58:23 accept the news Lord, as You would choose 58:29 Lord, right now today. 58:37 Take every passion, every skill, take all my dreams 58:49 and bend them to Your will. 58:52 My all I give Lord, for You I'll live Lord, come what may. 59:06 All that I am. |
Revised 2018-01-29