Participants:
Series Code: ASIC
Program Code: ASIC180014A
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00:20 Our scripture reading is found
00:22 in 2 Peter 3:9-12, 00:27 "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, 00:30 as some count slackness, 00:32 but is long suffering toward us, 00:35 not willing that any should perish, 00:37 but that all should come to repentance. 00:40 But the day of the Lord will come 00:41 as a thief in the night 00:43 in which the heavens will pass away 00:45 with great noise, 00:47 and the elements will melt with fervent heat, 00:50 both the earth and the works 00:51 that are in it will be burned up. 00:53 Therefore, since all these things 00:55 will be dissolved, 00:56 what manner of persons ought you 00:59 to be in holy conduct and godliness, 01:02 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, 01:05 because of which the heavens will be dissolved, 01:08 being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat." 01:11 May the Lord add a rich blessing 01:13 to the reading of His Word. 01:18 I'm here to introduce our speaker this morning, 01:21 Pastor Mark Finley, 01:23 who most people think of 01:24 as a consummate great evangelist, 01:27 our own Billy Graham. 01:29 But I am here to introduce him for my own personal testimony 01:35 of what he has done for me, 01:38 and the impact he's had in my life 01:40 in setting me on a path to business unusual. 01:45 It was at the 2008 ASI convention 01:50 on a Friday morning at the 9 o'clock session 01:53 that Pastor Finley preached 01:56 a sermon entitled Pentecost Revisited. 02:00 And at the end of the sermon, he gave an appeal. 02:05 And during that appeal, 02:07 he mentioned a quote from Ellen White 02:10 from The Great Controversy 02:12 in which she was talking about the end times. 02:15 And she said, 02:16 "Servants of God with their faces light it up 02:19 will hasten from place to place, " 02:22 going door-to-door was the sense of that. 02:26 And then Pastor Finley did something very interesting. 02:30 He presented a question from God's point of view. 02:34 He said, "Did He see you?" 02:36 And at that point, I was cut to the heart, 02:39 and my husband and I decided 02:41 that we would indeed go door-to-door 02:43 in our neighborhood 02:45 where everyone has almost everything 02:47 they need in this life except God. 02:51 And so as a result, 02:53 a direct result of that particular question 02:57 that Pastor Finley asked, 02:59 my husband and I did indeed go door-to-door. 03:02 And as a result, my husband became a big brother 03:08 to a young boy, a neighbor boy 03:11 whose father died prematurely of ALS. 03:14 And I began Bible studies with a neighbor 03:18 who knew nothing about Jesus Christ, 03:20 and who has been blessed, 03:21 and with who I've been studying for a couple of years. 03:25 And that started me 03:26 on the path of business unusual. 03:28 Over the years, Pastor Mark has become 03:31 a very precious and dear friend, 03:34 whose counsel and advice I've sought often, 03:38 and he answers immediately. 03:41 I really appreciate that. 03:43 His genuine love, and care, and compassion 03:46 for each individual soul for whom Christ died 03:50 is the thing that moves me most. 03:52 And for this reason, 03:55 he truly exemplifies business unusual. 03:58 And because of this, 04:00 I believe God chose him 04:02 to be our speaker for this hour. 04:18 When peace like a river 04:24 Attendeth my way 04:29 When sorrows like sea billows roll 04:38 Whatever my lot 04:43 Thou hast taught me to say 04:49 It is well, it is well 04:54 With my soul 05:00 It is well 05:04 It is well with my soul 05:10 With my soul 05:13 It is well 05:16 It is well, with my soul 05:26 Though Satan should buffet 05:32 Though trials should come 05:38 Let this blest assurance 05:43 Control 05:46 That Christ hath regarded 05:52 My helpless estate 05:57 And hath shed His own blood 06:02 For my soul 06:08 It is well It is well 06:14 With my soul With my soul 06:20 It is well It is well 06:26 With my soul 06:32 And Lord, haste the day 06:37 When our faith shall be sight 06:43 The clouds be rolled back 06:47 As a scroll 06:53 The trump shall resound 06:58 And the Lord shall descend 07:03 Even so, it is well 07:09 With my soul 07:15 It is well It is well 07:22 With my soul With my soul 07:28 It is well 07:33 It is well 07:40 With my soul 07:50 It is well 07:59 Amen. 08:08 It is well with my soul. 08:13 My wife and I've been coming to ASI 08:15 for well over 25 years. 08:20 And every convocation 08:23 is an incredible blessing to us. 08:26 We deeply appreciate ASI, it has become part of our DNA, 08:31 and we look forward every year to the convention. 08:35 Somebody asked me not long ago, they said, "Now Pastor Mark, 08:38 you and your wife are 73 years old. 08:41 And when are you going to retire?" 08:44 And I said, 08:46 "Where is that verse in the Bible? 08:47 I didn't quite catch that one." 08:50 Our ministry continues to expand and our radio 08:53 and television ministry around the world. 08:55 Our evangelistic ministry continues to grow. 08:58 I still have a few sermons left in me. 09:01 And so I am just thanking God for the joy of health, 09:05 for the joy of service. 09:07 We have what we call the living hope, 09:10 evangelistic training school. 09:12 If you did not get our little brochure 09:15 about our classes, 09:16 we run intense classes on how to do health ministry, 09:20 how to be effective in preaching for laypeople, 09:25 correct churches on church growth 09:27 and evangelism. 09:28 The wonderful thing about our classes 09:29 is they're all free. 09:31 Jesus has given us so much that at this point in our lives 09:34 after 50 years of ministry, 09:36 we want to give away what we have. 09:37 So if you want to schedule our classes 09:39 if you haven't gotten one, we are in Haymarket, Virginia, 09:43 Living Hope School of Evangelism. 09:45 Then there's a class schedule, 09:46 it'll either be at the door if you haven't gotten it. 09:49 Let's bow our heads and pray, and ask the Lord 09:52 to especially draw near. 09:55 Father in heaven, 09:56 we thank You for the Word of God. 10:00 We thank You that the word is a creative word 10:04 that the seed of the word 10:06 planted in the soil of the heart 10:08 is life transformational. 10:10 So as we study Your Word today, 10:12 I pray Thee, that You touch our lives, 10:15 come and may creation take place all over again 10:20 in this auditorium 10:21 where there is darkness may there be light, 10:25 where there is barrenness, 10:27 may the fruits of the Spirit grow, 10:30 where there is death, may there be new life. 10:32 We pray in Jesus' name, amen. 10:35 Have you ever noticed 10:38 how children particularly young boys, 10:41 at 10 or 11 years old, are often quite forgetful? 10:46 Now their forgetfulness is selective forgetfulness. 10:50 As a lot of 10 or 11, 10:51 I had difficulty remembering my chores, 10:54 and mom would often ask, "Mark, have you made your bed?" 10:58 And my response was, "Oh, mom, I'm sorry, I forgot." 11:03 "Mark, have you cleaned your room?" 11:04 My response, "Oh, mom, I'm sorry, I forgot." 11:10 "Mark, have you taken up the trash today?" 11:12 "Mom, I'm sorry, but I forgot." 11:17 And I remember my mother with a smile would say, 11:20 "Mark, if you forget one more time, 11:24 I'm going to tie a red ribbon around your finger. 11:30 So you'll remember 11:31 when you get up in the morning." 11:32 Now no boy, 10 or 11 years old, 11:35 wants a red ribbon tied around their finger. 11:39 Sometimes we need a red ribbon tied around our finger. 11:43 Sometimes we tend to forget the obvious, 11:47 and this is what precisely what 2 Peter is all about. 11:52 It's about a red ribbon tied around our finger. 11:55 It's about the glory of the second coming of Jesus. 11:59 That's so easy in the hectic pace 12:02 of the 21st century to forget. 12:06 It was about AD 65. 12:08 Peter was a prisoner in Rome, 12:10 condemned to death by the Roman Emperor Nero. 12:14 He knew that the end was near. 12:16 And there was one thing on his mind, 12:19 one thing that filled his imagination, 12:21 one thing that captured his attention, 12:23 one thing that dominated his thoughts, 12:26 one truth that swallowed up every other, 12:29 the Christ he loved, 12:30 the Jesus that gave His life for him on Calvary's cross, 12:35 the Christ who redeemed him, 12:37 the Christ who accepted him in spite of his failures, 12:40 the Jesus that gave him grace to continuous ministry, 12:43 the Jesus of the second chance, this Jesus was coming again. 12:48 And Paul writes to scattered believers 12:51 throughout Asia in the first century, 12:54 but its words ring with eternal relevance 12:57 in the 21st century. 12:59 They come echoing and reechoing down the corridors of time. 13:02 If you have your Bible and I hope you do. 13:04 Take it and turn to 2 Peter Chapter 1. 13:08 And this morning, we're going to look at 2 Peter, 13:10 we'll look at Chapter 1 where Peter talks about 13:13 the certainty of the advent. 13:15 We'll look at Chapter 2, 13:16 where he talks about the judgment 13:18 in the light of the advent. 13:19 We'll look at Chapter 3, 13:21 where he talks about the delay of the advent, 13:22 and he confronts the scoffers head on. 13:25 2 Peter Chapter 1, 13:27 we look there beginning at verse 12. 13:30 Peter writes from Rome. 13:32 He's an old man now. 13:33 His hands are trembling. 13:35 There are deeply etched lines upon his face, 13:38 his hair is gray, but yet he writes, 13:41 he writes from a passionate heart, 13:44 he writes from a convicted soul, 13:46 there's something the old man wants to say, 13:48 and he wants to speak to us here at ASI this morning, 13:51 2 Peter Chapter 1, we look there at verse 12, 13:54 "Therefore, I will not be negligent 13:57 to remind you always of these things 14:01 though you know them, 14:02 and be established in the present truth." 14:06 Peter puts it clearly. 14:08 He says, I want to remind you of some things. 14:10 Some things that are obvious that are so easy to forget. 14:14 The Greek philosophers had a saying, 14:17 and the saying went something like this, 14:19 "Time wipes out all things. 14:24 Time wipes out all things." 14:27 The promise of Christ's return came 2,000 years ago. 14:33 But in the passage of time, 14:36 in the hectic pace of our society, 14:39 it's easy to have the second coming of Christ 14:43 someplace remotely back there in your brain, 14:46 someplace in the consciousness, and Peter says, 2 Peter 1:12, 14:52 "Therefore, I will not be negligent 14:55 to remind you of all things, 14:57 the passage of time causes us to forget." 15:01 And Peter is concerned, not with novelty, 15:05 he's not concerned with some innovative new truth, 15:09 he's concerned about taking believers 15:11 back to the eternal truths of scripture. 15:15 I'm not here this morning to wow you with novelty. 15:18 I'm not here to impress you 15:23 with eloquence or time setting. 15:26 I'm here to remind you of what you know already, 15:28 Jesus Christ is coming again. 15:31 And that coming 15:33 is the greatest hope of the ages. 15:35 Here in Chapter 1, 15:38 Peter discusses the certainty of Christ coming, 15:42 and he's speaking not only to his generation, 15:44 but to ours. 15:45 He's speaking not only to the first century, 15:47 but to the 21st century. 15:49 He's speaking not only to scattered believers in Asia, 15:53 but to gathered believers in Orlando. 15:55 He writes to remind us of eternal truth 15:58 of the return of our Lord. 15:59 You know, it is so easy to forget. 16:02 Life tends to go on as normal. 16:05 The ebb and flow of life seems to be 16:08 as it always has been. 16:10 We are born, we live, the decades pass, we die. 16:15 And Peter shakes us up. 16:17 He says, "Never forget that death is not the end, 16:20 Jesus Christ is coming again." 16:23 It's so easy to forget, to become complacent, 16:26 to become half hearted, to become lackadaisical. 16:29 And Peter says, "Listen to me, there is a divine certainty, 16:33 all of life is moving to one grand, glorious climax, 16:37 Jesus Christ is coming again." 16:39 It's so easy to forget. 16:41 Life presses in on us. 16:42 There are family responsibilities, 16:44 financial pressures, health concerns, 16:47 and a thousand other things. 16:49 And Peter says, "Listen to me. 16:51 There's a divine certainty, Jesus is coming again." 16:54 In 2 Peter 1:14-16. 16:59 Let's go back and pick up verse 13. 17:02 The aged warrior of the cross is dying now. 17:05 His strength is ebbing away, he's been through the battle, 17:09 his body has been battered, and bruised, and bloodied. 17:13 He focuses in verses 13 and on what? 17:16 On the brevity of life. 17:18 Now, there are two interesting words there. 17:21 Verse 13, "Yes, I think it is right, 17:23 as long as I'm in this tent 17:26 to stir you up by reminding you." 17:29 Now circle the word tent in your mind. 17:31 "Knowing that I surely must put off my tent," 17:35 again, the word tent, 17:37 "just as our Lord Jesus Christ showed me. 17:39 More over I will be careful to ensure you 17:43 that you always have a reminder of these things 17:45 after my decease." 17:48 Now notice what Peter says, he talks about the tent. 17:52 He's writing to scattered believers 17:55 in Asia of a Jewish persuasion. 17:59 When Israel wandered in the wilderness, 18:02 they lived in tents. 18:04 And for 14 years, they wandered there, 18:07 but they had a destination. 18:10 Now notice the second word beside tent that Peter uses. 18:15 It is the word decease. 18:16 You see that there at the end of verse 15. 18:21 "Moreover, I will be careful to ensure you always 18:24 that you have a reminder of these things 18:27 after my decease." 18:30 The word decease in the Greek language 18:33 is the root word for Exodus. 18:36 So what does Peter say? 18:38 Just as Israel lived in tents 18:42 that were temporary dwellings 18:44 on their way to the Promised Land 18:46 during the Exodus. 18:48 So every single one of us are traveling through life. 18:52 We travel in these feeble bodies, 18:55 we travel in these frail bodies, 18:58 we travel in this tent like structures, 19:01 but there is a destination. 19:04 That destination is the second coming of Christ. 19:07 That destination is eternity. 19:10 That destination is the Promised Land. 19:13 We are all on this Exodus, 19:15 a journey through the desert of this world 19:17 where pilgrims passing through this world 19:20 on the way to glory. 19:21 We have a destination, 19:23 we are not wandering mindlessly to nowhere. 19:27 If life is going nowhere, if there's no end in sight, 19:31 if we're drifting aimlessly along in the cosmos, 19:36 life has no meaning. 19:38 You know, there are epitaphs on the heathen graves. 19:42 And one epitaph goes like this, 19:45 "I was not, I was, 19:49 I am not. 19:52 So eat, drink, and be married 19:54 because some time you will be like me." 19:57 What hopelessness. 19:59 "I was not, I was, 20:03 I am not after death," 20:06 this epitaph. 20:07 So, eat, drink, and be married 20:09 because one day you'll be like me. 20:10 In other words, life is not going anywhere. 20:12 Shakespeare once defined life as this. 20:14 He said, "It's a tale told by any idiot, 20:17 full of sound and fury, signifying nothing." 20:21 And I read an interesting contest 20:23 in a college newspaper, 20:25 and the college newspaper offered university students 20:29 a significant prize if they could define life 20:32 in one sentence. 20:34 And here is the sentence that won the top prize 20:38 in that contest on a definition of life. 20:41 "Life is the penalty that we pay 20:44 for the crime of being born." 20:47 What hopelessness, 20:49 what despair in the secular world today? 20:52 If there's nothing in life to live for, 20:55 but ultimate extinction at the end of the days, 20:58 life has little meaning. 21:01 If all of life is moving to absolute nothingness, 21:04 if time is a fleeting moment, 21:07 if every breath takes us closer to a step of oblivion, 21:11 life becomes a cruel saga of pain, 21:14 suffering, and injustice. 21:15 But the aged apostle breeze a breath of hope, 21:19 light pierces the darkness, and he says, 21:22 "Jesus Christ is coming again." 21:26 That all of life is moving to one great, 21:28 glorious climax that one day the earth will shake, 21:31 one day lightning will flash, 21:34 one day the sky will be illuminated 21:36 with the glory of God, 21:37 and one day Jesus Christ will come. 21:39 Now Peter gives two great evidences of that, 21:43 2 Peter Chapter 1, 21:45 he gives two great evidences of the return of our Lord. 21:50 We start there in verse 16, 21:52 and we look at the first of those evidences 21:54 that he gives, the first witness, he says, 21:57 "For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, 22:00 when we made known to you the power 22:03 and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, 22:05 but were eyewitnesses of His glory, 22:09 for we received from God, the Father, honor and glory. 22:13 When such a voice came to him 22:17 from the excellent glory, 22:19 'This is my beloved Son in whom I'm well pleased.' 22:22 And we heard this voice 22:24 which came from heaven 22:25 when we were with Him on the mountain.' 22:27 Peter says this, "Look, I've seen the glory of God. 22:30 I've seen the majesty of God. 22:32 I was with Christ on the Mount of Transfiguration, 22:35 and I was clothed with the glory of God.'" 22:38 That was a miniature second coming 22:40 when God revealed His glory through Christ 22:42 like it'll be revealed in eternity. 22:44 That's a witness. 22:45 I saw it, Peter says. 22:47 But Peter says, "Let me give you the second witness 22:49 of the coming of the Lord." 22:51 Let your eyes drop down to verse 19. 22:54 He says, "We also have the prophetic word made sure." 22:59 Paul says, Peter says rather, "The echo of the prophets, " 23:03 the prophets have spoken in the Old Testament. 23:06 Jude 14, Enoch, the seventh from Adam prophesied, 23:10 "The Lord will come with 10,000 of His saints." 23:12 The prophet speak, David declares, Psalm 50:3, 23:16 "Our God will come and not keep silence." 23:18 Isaiah cries out in 35:10, 23:22 "The ransom of the Lord will come to Zion with singing 23:25 and everlasting joy on their heads." 23:27 Daniel adds, "Let me add my word," 23:29 Daniel says, 23:31 "That God of heaven will set up a kingdom 23:32 that will never be destroyed," Daniel 2:44. 23:36 Ezekiel speaks, Amos speaks, Micah speaks, Hosea speaks, 23:40 Peter says, "The prophets 23:43 are speaking down through the ages, 23:45 listen to the prophets." 23:48 The prophets speak of the coming of the Lord, 23:50 the prophets speak of the return of Christ. 23:53 Each of the gospel writers, 23:54 Matthew, Mark, Luke, John herald it. 23:56 The angel say at the ascension of Christ, 24:00 this same Jesus that you've seen 24:02 go up into heaven shall so come in like manner 24:05 as you've seen Him go into heaven. 24:07 And Jesus Himself says, 24:09 "Let not your heart be troubled." 24:12 You believe in God, believe also in Me. 24:15 Do you have a troubled heart this morning? 24:20 A loved one has died of cancer. 24:22 A child died prematurely. 24:26 You lost the job. Your business went bust. 24:29 You went through a tragedy of divorce. 24:32 Up seems down, and down seems up, 24:34 and your life seems confused. 24:37 Jesus says, "Let not your heart be troubled. 24:40 You believe in God, believe also in Me. 24:43 In my Father's house are many mansions, 24:45 if it were not so, I would have told you. 24:47 I go to prepare a place for you. 24:49 If I go and prepare a place for you, 24:51 I will come again." 24:54 The second coming of Christ lifts our eyes 24:57 from what is to what will be. 24:59 They take our eyes of time, 25:01 and they focus them on eternity. 25:02 We look from the mud of the earth to the glory 25:05 of the joy of heaven. 25:07 Here's what Peter is saying, "Don't lose hope, 25:10 echoing and reechoing down the centuries 25:12 through the voice of the prophets." 25:14 You know, the words, "Jesus Christ is coming again." 25:18 Now, one of the greatest dangers 25:19 facing God's people today is a loss of sense of identity, 25:24 a failure to understand who we are and why we're here. 25:28 We exist for one prime reason as a church, as a people, 25:32 as a denomination, 25:34 to prepare a world for the return of our Lord, 25:37 to reveal His love, and grace, and goodness, 25:41 and the eternal truth of the gospel 25:42 to a waiting world and a watching universe. 25:45 And as time passes, 25:48 and the second coming of Christ is delayed 25:50 because the Adventist movement was always in it 25:53 for the sprint, never for the marathon. 25:56 We were sprinters, sprinting to the end, 25:59 and we're part of a movement that really should not be here, 26:02 but should be in eternity by now. 26:06 But yet the longer time goes on, 26:09 the more difficult it is to pass on to a new generation, 26:13 the passion, the urgency 26:15 of the second coming of our Lord. 26:18 And that's why Peter's message is so important 26:21 because he says, "Never lose hope." 26:23 Chapter 1, the certainty of the Advent. 26:26 Chapter 2, he takes on the scoffers, 26:28 and he takes on the rebellious, and he says, 26:31 "The judgment will come." 26:33 But it is Chapter 3 that we want to focus on. 26:36 Take your Bible please, and turn to 2 Peter Chapter 3. 26:41 The words of this preacher 26:42 may not be critically important, 26:44 but the words of Peter are. 26:46 And the Word of God still speaks, 26:48 and the Word of God still changes lives, 26:50 and the Word of God still transforms us inside. 26:53 2 Peter Chapter 3, we'll begin with verse 1, 26:56 "Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle 27:02 of which I stir up your pure minds 27:05 by way of reminder 27:07 that you may be mindful of the words 27:09 which are spoken by the Holy Prophets." 27:11 Again, he's saying, 27:12 I'm taking it back to the prophets, 27:14 "Christ indeed is going to come, 27:16 and He's going to come soon." 27:18 Peter's not letting the church forget that Jesus Christ 27:21 is going to return. 27:22 Then he says this, verse 3, "Knowing this first, 27:27 that scoffers will come in the last days 27:31 walking after their own lusts, 27:33 saying, 'Where is the promise of His coming?' 27:36 For since the Father's fell asleep, 27:37 all things continuously work 27:39 as they were from the beginning of creation.' " 27:41 Peter's point is clear, the scoffers can scoff, 27:44 the mockers can mock, the ridiculers can ridicule, 27:48 the doubters can doubt, the skeptics can skepticize. 27:51 I hope my English teacher is not here, 27:52 I made up that word. 27:56 But that does not change the eternal truth one wit. 28:01 Jesus Christ is coming in spite of their skepticism. 28:04 Jesus Christ is coming in spite of their mockery. 28:07 His coming is not altered by their unbelief. 28:11 The certainty of Christ coming is a reality, 28:14 Jesus is coming again. 28:16 And that gives life meaning. 28:18 But Peter says something really fascinating here. 28:21 Notice what he says, verse 3, 28:24 "Knowing this first, 28:26 the scoffers will come in the last days, 28:29 walking according to their own lusts." 28:35 Listen to me, church, 28:36 our morality often dictates our theology. 28:42 What you believe impacts how you live, 28:46 but how you live impacts what you believe. 28:50 Many a man, many a woman, reasons away divine truth 28:56 not because they don't understand 28:58 divine truth, 28:59 but because there's some cherished sin in their life 29:04 that they would have to surrender 29:06 if they gave up divine... 29:08 If they accept the divine truth. 29:10 If you are struggling with some divine truth, 29:13 ask yourself this question. 29:15 Is it because I do not understand? 29:19 Is it more knowledge that I need? 29:21 Or is there some long cherished sin in my life? 29:26 Is there some ingrained lifestyle practice? 29:30 Is there some questionable behavior? 29:33 Is there some deep seated selfish attitude 29:37 that I'm reluctant to give up? 29:40 Often we plateau in our Christian experience, 29:44 not because we need more knowledge, 29:47 not because we don't know enough, 29:49 not because we need to discover some hidden truth, 29:52 but because there's some hidden sin in our life, 29:55 some long cherished habit lurking deeply within, 29:59 some attitude of lust, some attitude of jealousy, 30:02 some attitude of competition with somebody else. 30:06 Their attitudes and practices, 30:09 not in harmony with God's will 30:11 that requires spiritual surgery in our lives 30:14 if we're going to be ready for the coming of Jesus. 30:17 And there are times that surgery is painful. 30:19 I pray that the Holy Spirit 30:23 will speak to our hearts this morning 30:26 and reveal any Christ like attitudes in our lives, 30:30 so we can be done with them in the name of Jesus. 30:33 I pray the Holy Spirit will so move among us today, 30:37 here in this place that a revealed cherished sin 30:40 that's deep down there in the heart, 30:43 deep within the mind, and then we can surrender it. 30:47 I pray that the Holy Spirit 30:49 will so powerfully be present here this morning 30:52 that we will see our sin, surrender our sin, 30:55 and by the grace of God become overcomers. 30:57 What do you say, church? 31:00 There's a wonderful statement in the book, Desire of Ages. 31:04 And it's like this, "Holiness is wholeness for God. 31:09 It is a surrender of the heart in life 31:12 to the principles of heaven." 31:14 Can you say that with me this morning? 31:16 Holiness is wholeness for God. 31:19 Together, holiness is wholeness for God. 31:24 It is a surrender of the principles of heart. 31:28 It is a surrender of the heart 31:30 and life to the principles of heaven. 31:31 What is holiness, everybody? 31:33 It's wholeness for God. 31:36 It is cooperation and not competition. 31:39 It is service and not selfishness. 31:42 It is commendation and blessing others 31:45 when you see them succeed, not criticizing them. 31:48 It is giving and not grasping. 31:50 It is respect and not revenge for those that do wrong to you. 31:54 It is thankfulness, not thoughtlessness. 31:57 It is mercy, not meanness. 32:00 Does Jesus have every part of you? 32:04 Does He have every fiber of your being? 32:08 Are you Christ, in Christ totally? 32:12 Peter speaks to you this morning. 32:15 What would the old man say if he were here? 32:19 He would say, 32:21 "Is there anything in your life, 32:25 any cherished sin, any selfish attitude, 32:30 anything lurking deeply within 32:33 that would keep you from being ready 32:36 for the coming of Christ." 32:38 Now Peter apart employs three major arguments 32:43 against the scoffers. 32:45 He argues from the perspective of history, 32:48 he argues from the perspective of time, 32:51 and he argues from the perspective 32:53 of the graciousness of God's character. 32:55 Take your Bible please, and go to 2 Peter Chapter 3. 33:00 And look at Peter's arguments. 33:02 He first argues 33:04 from the perspective of history. 33:06 We go and pick up verse 3, 33:07 and then we move on from verse 3 and onward. 33:10 "Knowing this first, 33:12 that the scoffers will come in the last days 33:14 walking after their own lusts and say, 33:17 'Where is the promise of His coming?' " 33:19 In other words, the delay has been so long 33:22 that Christ may not come. 33:25 "For since the Father's fell asleep 33:27 all things continue as they were 33:29 from the beginning of creation." 33:31 So the argument of the scoffers is that history is a continuum, 33:37 and there's never been a change that life 33:39 and history have flown uninterruptedly. 33:42 Now Peter meets that argument head on 33:45 when he says, "For this, they willingly forget, 33:48 that by the Word of God, the heavens were of old 33:51 and the earth standing on a water." 33:53 He said, this is they forget that God created the world 33:56 at a historical period of time in history. 34:00 God broke through, the world was created by God. 34:04 Then he says, he argues from creation, 34:08 then he argues from the flood, 34:09 the earth standing on a water by which, verse 6, 34:12 "The world that then existed perished 34:15 and being flooded with water." 34:16 Peter says, look, we're not skin covering bones, 34:19 we're not some genetic accident, 34:21 God created us, God fashioned us, 34:23 we have purpose. 34:24 And the God that created us is the Christ 34:26 that is going to come and redeem us. 34:28 Then he says, 34:29 "God destroyed the world with a flood once." 34:31 You're willingly ignorant, you don't know history. 34:33 God created the world at a historical period of time, 34:38 God destroyed the world with a flood, 34:40 Christ came at a historical period of time, 34:43 and Jesus is coming again. 34:44 Then he argues from the point of time. 34:47 Notice verse 8, 34:50 "But beloved, do not forget 34:54 that this one thing that with the Lord one day 34:58 it says a 1,000 years and a 1,000 years is one day." 35:02 He says they fail to understand God's view of time. 35:05 God's relationship with time is dramatically different 35:09 than our relationship with time. 35:11 The delay of the Advent is from our perspective, 35:15 but God is doing things in a way 35:18 that will settle the great controversy 35:20 in the universe forever. 35:23 The reason we've had a delay of the Advent 35:27 is because in the divine drama of destiny, 35:32 in the light of the great controversy 35:34 between good and evil, 35:36 God's love that was revealed on the cross 35:39 will be revealed in His people before end time, 35:43 and before a waiting world and a watching universe, 35:46 God will have people that are so committed to Him, 35:50 that are so transformed by His grace, 35:52 so charmed by His love, 35:54 so attracted by the cross that they revealed to the world 36:00 the life of Jesus, of unselfish love, of kindness, 36:04 and compassion. 36:06 And here, Peter says, "God's never in a hurry." 36:10 He's dealing with the great controversy 36:12 in a way that His love, and grace, and power 36:14 will be revealed to the universe. 36:16 God's concern is the security 36:19 of the universe forever. 36:22 God's concern is that sin never rises a second time. 36:28 Peter says to the scoffers, "You don't know history." 36:30 Peter says to the scoffers, 36:32 "You don't understand God's purpose is in time." 36:35 But he says one other thing to the scoffers. 36:37 He says, "You fail to understand 36:38 the gracious character of God." 36:41 Verse 9, 36:42 "But the Lord is not slack concerning his promise, 36:45 as some men count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, 36:49 not willing that any should perish, 36:51 but that all should come to repentance." 36:54 The delay of the Advent is not because God is tardy, 36:59 it's not because He's slow to fulfill His promises, 37:02 He is longsuffering. 37:04 The longsuffering of God 37:08 refers not only to the patience of God, 37:12 it refer not only to God's desire 37:14 to save all humanity, 37:16 it refers not only to His gracious mercy, 37:20 it refers not only to His patient longing 37:23 to see every individual in His kingdom, 37:26 but it refers also to His suffering. 37:30 God is longsuffering. 37:34 He suffers long, 37:37 and He's willing to suffer 37:39 the pain and the agony of a sinful world 37:43 to ensure the security of the universe forever. 37:47 This planet in rebellion brings sorrow to God's heart. 37:53 He has endured the pain of sin for millenniums 37:57 because of His great love. 37:59 He doesn't want one person lost. 38:01 His heart is broken over sin. 38:04 His capacity to suffer is in direct proportion 38:09 to His capacity to love. 38:12 His suffering began the day that sin began. 38:15 And His suffering will never end 38:17 until the day that sin ends. 38:20 He is the Lamb 38:22 slain from the foundation of the world. 38:26 And when God created the human race, 38:27 He took a risk, 38:29 and that risk was to create human beings 38:31 with the capacity of choice, knowing full well, 38:34 they could make wrong choices, 38:35 and knowing that 38:37 sin would bring grief to his own heart, 38:38 but love could do no other. 38:40 And as day-by-day, 38:42 Jesus sees the heartache and suffering in our world, 38:45 His heart grieves, and as Isaiah puts it, 38:48 "In all their affliction, He was afflicted." 38:51 Ellen White describes it in the book Education this way, 38:55 "Those who think..." 38:57 I'm reading Education, page 263. 39:00 "Those who think of the result of hastening 39:02 or hindering the gospel, 39:04 think of it in relationship to themselves 39:06 and to the world. 39:08 Few give thought of its relationship to God. 39:12 All heaven suffered in Christ agony, 39:16 but that suffering did not begin or end 39:19 with this manifestation in humanity." 39:22 "The cross," and I'm quoting, 39:24 "is a revelation to our dull senses of the pain, 39:28 that sin from its very inception 39:30 is brought to the heart of God. 39:32 Every deed of cruelty, every departure from right, 39:35 every failure of humanity to reach the divine ideal 39:39 brings grief to Him." 39:41 The greatest motivation to turn loose of sin 39:45 is not the fear of hell 39:48 or the joy of heaven, 39:50 it is the one that loves me so much 39:56 has pain in His heart 39:58 every time I turn away from Him. 40:03 The greatest motivation to turn loose of sin 40:06 is seeing Christ on the cross with nails 40:10 through His hands and a crown of thorns 40:12 upon His head 40:13 and blood running down His face, 40:15 and knowing that He bears the sins of all humanity. 40:20 And looking at that cross, 40:23 knowing that my rebellion today, 40:25 knowing that my selfishness today, 40:28 knowing that my greed today 40:30 brings grief and sorrow to His heart. 40:33 Peter comes to a conclusion, 2 Peter 3:10, 11. 40:38 In Chapter 1, he talks about the certainty of the Advent, 40:42 in Chapter 2, he talks about judgment 40:43 in the light of the Advent. 40:45 In Chapter 3, he talks about the delay of the Advent 40:47 and the longsuffering patience of God. 40:50 And then he says in 3:10, 11, 40:56 "But the day of the Lord will come, 40:59 the delay of the Advent will not take place forever." 41:02 There is a point beyond 41:04 which God will not allow sin to go. 41:07 There's a point upon 41:08 which God's people on their knees seeking Him 41:10 received the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. 41:12 "The gospel is preached to the end of the world. 41:14 But the day of the Lord will come 41:17 as a thief in the night 41:18 in which the heavens will pass away 41:20 with great noise, 41:21 the elements will melt with fervent heat, 41:23 both the earth and the works 41:25 that are there in will be burned up, 41:26 therefore 41:29 since all these things will be dissolved, 41:32 what manner of persons ought you to be 41:35 in holy conduct and godliness." 41:38 Peter's urgent appeal 41:40 in the blazing light of the second coming of Christ 41:44 is an appeal to the church today, 41:46 it's an appeal for holiness, it's appeal for godliness, 41:50 it's appeal for a grace that is so powerful 41:53 and life transforming 41:54 that it makes you a different man 41:56 or a different woman. 41:57 God is a problem, 41:59 and God's problem is the sin problem. 42:01 Sin reigns in the universe, and it reigns in our hearts. 42:05 And the central issue in the Great Controversy 42:08 is over the character of God. 42:10 Is the grip of grace greater than the grip of sin? 42:16 Is God's love more powerful than selfishness? 42:19 Will there ever be a group of people in this world 42:23 who love Jesus more than they love sin, 42:26 whose hearts are more set on heaven 42:28 than the things of this world, 42:29 whose minds are more fixed on eternity, 42:32 who live totally dedicated, 42:34 unselfish, godly lives, a service. 42:37 What can break the hold of sin in our lives? 42:43 What can transform us into His image? 42:47 What can deliver us 42:49 from the chains of evil that bind us? 42:52 What can release us from the prisons 42:57 that so often enslave us? 43:00 There is only one thing that has the power to do it, 43:03 the cross of Calvary. 43:06 Why is the cross the remedy for the sin problem? 43:11 At the cross, we see love in action. 43:14 At the cross, we see the divine righteous 43:17 Son of God suffering in agony, pouring out His life for us. 43:21 At the cross, 43:22 we see the just dying for the unjust, 43:24 the righteous one dying for the unrighteous, 43:27 the innocent one dying for the guilty, 43:30 the obedient dying for the disobedient. 43:32 At the cross, the Son of God bears the guilt, 43:35 the weight, the burden, the shame, 43:37 the condemnation of our sin. 43:40 At the cross, we are freed from the shackles 43:42 that bind us. 43:44 At the cross, love breaks our hearts. 43:46 At the cross, the chains are severed. 43:50 At the cross, we are set free. 43:52 At the cross, healing grace flows to heal 43:55 our sin sick souls. 43:57 Listen to this amazing reference 43:59 in Acts of the Apostles, page 532. 44:02 "Before the believer is held out, 44:05 the wonderful possibility of being like Christ." 44:09 Oh Jesus, that can't be me. 44:11 I know myself better than anybody else knows me. 44:13 I know this sinful, wicked heart, 44:15 Jesus, that can't be me, Jesus. 44:18 Notice, 44:21 Jesus will lead us to be obedient 44:23 to all the principles of His law. 44:25 But of himself, 44:26 man is unable to reach this condition. 44:28 The holiness that God's Word declares he must have 44:31 before it can be saved 44:32 is the result of the working of divine grace 44:35 as he bows in submission to the discipline 44:38 and restraining influence of the Holy Spirit. 44:39 Now listen to this one. 44:41 Man's obedience can be made perfect 44:44 only by the incense of Christ's righteousness, 44:48 which fills with divine fragrance, 44:50 every act of obedience. 44:52 I cannot but He can. 44:56 I am not, but He is. 44:58 I am weak, but He is strong. 45:00 I am frail, but He is almighty. 45:03 I am sinful, but He is righteous. 45:06 And as we come to Him, 45:11 opening our hearts to Him, 45:15 Jesus says, "My child, 45:17 I'm not only the author of your faith, 45:19 I'm the finisher of it." 45:21 Jesus can finish in you what He began in you. 45:27 When you see your defects, when you see your weakness, 45:32 when you struggle with those cherished habits, 45:37 the cross is all sufficient. 45:40 Our Savior longs to do something in us, 45:44 so He can do something through us. 45:47 He longs to do something for us, 45:50 so He can do something with us. 45:52 He longs to change us, 45:55 so we can change the world. 45:59 You have only one life to live, 46:04 time is passing. 46:06 It's the urgent hour. 46:09 It's no longer business as usual, 46:11 it's business unusual. 46:13 The present is rapidly becoming the past, 46:19 and the future is rapidly becoming the present 46:25 in the flood light of eternity, 46:28 in the blazing light of the coming of Christ. 46:33 Will you this morning make that full, 46:38 complete, absolute, total, 46:41 radical all out commitment 46:44 to this Christ of the cross? 46:47 Recently, in fact it was last Sabbath, 46:51 my wife and I were in a little village in England 46:55 at a place called the Cotswolds where the houses, 46:58 they have stone houses. 47:01 We're taking a Sabbath to refresh our souls. 47:05 And I came upon a little stone house. 47:08 And in that stone house, there was etched in stone 47:12 these words, 47:14 "Every noble life 47:17 leaves the fabric of it forever 47:20 woven into the work of this world." 47:25 "Every noble life 47:28 leaves the fabric of it forever 47:31 woven into the work of this world." 47:36 You've one life to live. 47:39 What are you going to leave behind? 47:42 What legacy will you leave? 47:46 What will you weave 47:49 into the fabric of this world? 47:53 Will you live in the joyful light 47:55 of the second coming of Christ 47:58 committed to share His love 48:01 and His grace with others. 48:06 Is there anything in your life, any attitude, 48:11 any habit, any cherished sin 48:16 that keep you from being the man, the woman, 48:20 the young person that God wants you to be. 48:25 I love that old song, 48:26 "Come every soul of sin oppressed." 48:29 There's mercy with the Lord, only trust Him, 48:34 and only trust Him, and only trust Him now. 48:39 Beth is going to come and sing. 48:42 I want you to bow your head and meditate. 48:45 Listen to the words of the song. 48:47 Let Jesus speak to your heart. 48:50 Let Jesus touch you deeply inside. 48:54 Is there something way down there inside, 48:58 something that keeps you 48:59 from being totally committed to Jesus? 49:04 Have you been holding something back for Him? 49:06 His plans for your life are amazing, 49:11 far greater than you could ever imagine. 49:13 Listen as Beth sings, 49:15 and let the Spirit of God speak to your heart. 49:23 Come, every soul by sin oppressed 49:30 There's mercy with the Lord 49:37 And He will save you 49:41 He will save you 49:45 By trusting in His Word 49:53 Only trust Him Only trust Him 50:00 Only trust Him now 50:08 He will save you He will save you 50:15 He will save you now 50:21 Would you like to say to Jesus this morning? 50:25 Lord, the best I know, I'm giving my life to you. 50:31 You know, that's what God requires. 50:34 We don't know everything about ourselves. 50:37 The past for you is but a memory, 50:42 the future for you is but a dream, 50:46 but this moment is yours. 50:48 This moment is yours. 50:51 Would you like to stand and say, 50:52 "Jesus, the best I know, I'm giving my life to You, 50:57 and I want to be ready for Your return. 51:02 When we make those kind of decisions, 51:05 come to this Christ of the cross, 51:08 His arms are open for us. 51:11 You know, I could offer the benediction, 51:12 and we could go out and say that was a nice meeting. 51:18 But we're too late in earth's history 51:20 for nice meetings. 51:23 I have a special appeal, 51:25 this is not a general appeal. 51:29 But as I was thinking and praying about this message, 51:32 I have an appeal for three groups of people. 51:35 First, there is somebody here in this audience 51:39 that you have been struggling with something in your life, 51:44 not in harmony with God's will, 51:47 and the Spirit of God, this morning, has touched you 51:50 about that thing. 51:51 It may be some habit, it may be some attitude. 51:56 And just now, 51:57 I'm going to invite you to come and say, 52:00 "Jesus, I'm giving that thing to you. 52:02 I'm giving that thing to you." 52:04 Beth is going to sing. 52:05 Secondly, there's somebody here today 52:07 that you have been disappointed, 52:09 something in your life has disappointed you, 52:12 and that disappointment 52:14 has fogged your vision of the coming of Christ. 52:17 But you're walking out of here with new hope today, 52:19 and you're coming to this altar and you're saying, 52:20 "Lord, I'm leaving all those disappointments behind. 52:24 I'm leaving them all behind, Lord. 52:26 I'm coming to You to lay that thing down." 52:29 And thirdly, there's somebody here 52:33 that maybe you've never made a full surrender to Jesus 52:35 and you want to do that today. 52:37 Just say, "Lord, I want to be ready for Your coming." 52:39 If there's something in your life, come, 52:41 forget about this audience, 52:42 just come here and pray, and say, "Jesus, it's yours." 52:45 Somebody that had something in their life 52:47 that's disappointed you, 52:49 and you've seen that thing, and you say, 52:51 "I'm laying that down, You come." 52:54 And somebody here, 52:55 who's never fully made a decision for Christ, 52:57 you want to make it. 52:58 Let's sing, Beth. 52:59 And if you know the chorus, when you come, only trust Him, 53:02 only trust Him, only trust Him now. 53:04 Let's sing it together with Beth on the chorus. 53:07 You just come as Beth sings. 53:09 Forget about the audience, 53:10 just come, bow your head and pray. 53:12 Let God speak to your heart, 53:13 let this be a special moment in your life. 53:15 Look back on this at a time when God came and touched you 53:19 and Christ spoke to you. 53:27 For Jesus shed His precious blood 53:35 Rich blessings to bestow 53:42 Plunge now into that crimson flood 53:49 That washes white as snow 53:53 Only trust Him, let's sing it together. 53:56 Only trust Him Only trust Him 54:03 Only trust Him now 54:10 He will save you He will save you 54:17 He will save you now 54:23 Yes, Jesus is the truth, the way 54:30 That leads you into rest 54:37 To dwell in that celestial land 54:44 And you are of holy bands 54:52 Only trust Him Only trust Him 54:58 Only trust Him now 55:05 He will save you He will save you 55:12 He will save you now 55:17 We're going to pray. 55:21 Here is the gracious good news. 55:25 Jesus wants to save you 55:28 more than you want to be saved. 55:31 The longing of Christ 55:34 is to have you in heaven with Him. 55:37 Heaven's not going to be worth it for Him 55:40 if you're not there. 55:42 That's what the cross is all about, 55:45 His desire to have you with Him. 55:47 That's what the second coming of Christ is about. 55:50 He's not coming predominantly to burn up a world, 55:54 He's coming to take you home, He's coming to take you home. 55:58 And an ancient prophet 2,000 years 56:02 speaks down through the ages, 56:04 and his message comes echoing 56:06 and reechoing down the course of time. 56:08 Never forget it, Jesus is coming for you. 56:13 Let that hope inspire your heart. 56:16 Let that hope break down 56:17 every barrier of sin in your life. 56:19 Let that hope send you from this place 56:22 impelled to serve Him now and forever. 56:25 Let's pray, Father in heaven, 56:28 thank You that life is not an endless journey 56:33 to nowhere. 56:35 Thank You that life is not some cosmic joke. 56:38 Thank You that we're not moving to oblivion. 56:40 Thank You for the blessed hope 56:43 that Jesus Christ is coming again. 56:46 Thank You that You want us in heaven so badly 56:49 that You sent Christ to die. 56:52 Father, the words of the song echo in our hearts, 56:56 and we trust You today. 56:58 We come to You today, 56:59 I prayed for those at the altar today. 57:01 May the barriers of sin be broken down, 57:03 may the shackles of sin be released. 57:07 Put new hope in our hearts 57:09 where there's been discouragement, 57:10 new joy in our souls. 57:14 Send us from this place as powerful witnesses for You, 57:18 now through all eternity, amen. 57:21 Let's sing that chorus again as you get back to your seats. 57:24 Go in the joy of Jesus, go in the grace of Jesus. 57:27 Just the chorus, 57:29 "Only trust Him. Only trust Him." 57:31 Only trust Him Only trust Him 57:36 Only trust Him now 57:43 He will save you He will save you 57:49 He will save you now |
Revised 2019-01-03