Participants:
Series Code: AVGC
Program Code: AVGC210002S
|
00:05 Hello, friends,
00:06 and welcome back to now part two 00:09 of a series that we've done 00:10 entitled "Remnant, Mission, and Focus." 00:13 My name is Ryan Day with 3ABN 00:15 and it's a blessing that you're joining us 00:17 during this time. 00:18 If you didn't watch part one, 00:20 try to go back and watch part one. 00:21 If not, we're still blessed to have you during part two 00:23 because now we're gonna be taking 00:25 what we learned in part one, 00:26 we're gonna be expanding 00:28 going a little deeper here in part two, 00:30 talking about what is our mission? 00:33 What is our focus 00:34 as Seventh-day Adventist Christians 00:36 here in these last days? 00:38 Who are we as Seventh-day Adventist Christians? 00:40 And, you know, God has definitely we know, 00:43 given us a divine commission, a divine purpose. 00:46 And so we're gonna be talking about that, 00:48 obviously a little deeper during this time. 00:49 But before we go any further, let's have a prayer right now. 00:53 Our Father in heaven, Lord, 00:54 we are, again, just so privileged, 00:56 so thankful to be able to just be here, 00:59 to be alive in these times, 01:01 to be here in this special moment, 01:03 to be able to refocus, to rethink through 01:08 who it is that we are 01:09 and what You have called us to be. 01:11 We know, Lord, that You have a special plan for Your people, 01:14 for Your remnant movement. 01:16 And so Father, I pray right now that as we again, 01:19 dive deep into Your Word as we consider 01:22 what the prophet has to say to us today. 01:25 Lord, we pray that You will give us 01:27 an extra dosage of the Holy Spirit, 01:29 that we may be extra sharp in mind, 01:31 and we may be able to rightly divide 01:33 the word of truth, and more importantly, 01:35 be drawn closer to our Savior Jesus Christ, 01:38 and come to understand who we are in these last days. 01:41 We praise You, and we thank You. 01:43 And we ask this in Jesus' holy name. 01:45 Amen. Amen. 01:47 Remnant, Mission, and Focus, part two. 01:52 In part one, we talked about, 01:55 we went through a series of texts, 01:57 and I read some quotations 01:59 from the writings of the Spirit of Prophecy. 02:00 There's one that I want to read again, 02:02 during this hour. 02:04 And it comes from the sixth volume 02:05 of the Testimonies, page 295. 02:08 And this really is a clear, very clear summation, 02:12 or summary as to who we are, and what our purpose is? 02:15 Why God raised up 02:17 the Seventh-day Adventist Church? 02:19 And why He organized 02:20 the Seventh-day Adventist Church? 02:22 Again, sixth volume of the Testimonies, page 295. 02:26 Notice what it says. 02:27 It says, "Someone must fulfill the commission of Christ, 02:32 someone must carry on the work 02:34 which He began to do on earth, 02:37 and the church has been given this privilege. 02:40 For this purpose, it has been organized." 02:45 So we, God's people, 02:48 God's Church have been organized for the very purpose 02:52 of co-laboring with heaven, 02:54 in order to take this gospel, 02:56 this everlasting gospel to all over the world 02:59 in hopes of finishing the work that 03:02 Christ began more than 2,000 years ago. 03:05 And so, my friends, I want to take us now 03:07 to John Chapter 4 03:09 because this is really gonna set the foundation 03:11 for what we're gonna talk 03:12 about in the remainder of the time 03:13 that we have during this half hour together. 03:16 But John Chapter 4, 03:17 when I say that John Chapter 4 automatically, 03:20 probably some of us begin to think of that 03:22 great conversation that Jesus had 03:24 with the woman at the well. 03:26 And indeed, as powerful as that encounter was, 03:29 I'm actually highlighting a text here 03:31 that comes immediately after that encounter 03:34 that Jesus had with the woman at the well. 03:36 Now keep in mind, during this time 03:38 the disciples have went into the nearest town to buy, 03:41 you know, supplies and food 03:42 because obviously, they've been traveling 03:44 and they're going throughout Samaria and Judea, 03:46 and all the other parts, 03:47 and Jesus is preaching the gospel, 03:49 He's began His ministry. 03:50 And so now the disciples have returned, 03:53 you can imagine the woman that Jesus had 03:55 the encounter with her at the well. 03:56 She ran into town to tell everyone 03:58 about this man that she had an encounter 04:00 with the Messiah. 04:01 And so now the disciples have come, 04:03 they've rejoined with Jesus. 04:04 And it's interesting there 04:06 because they show up and they say, 04:07 "Hey, Jesus, look, you know, we brought You some food, 04:09 we brought You something to drink, 04:11 you know, eat up, you know, get Your strength, 04:12 we got to keep moving forward." 04:14 And Jesus says something interesting. 04:15 He says, "Look, you know, 04:17 I have food that you don't even know about." 04:20 And you can just imagine, 04:21 as the scripture actually shows there 04:23 is they turn to one another, 04:24 and they're saying, you know, "Hey, did you give Him food? 04:26 Did you?" No, I didn't give Him food. 04:27 Did this brother bring a lunch. I didn't. 04:29 We didn't see him bring anything. 04:31 And then Jesus clarifies, notice, this is John 4:34. 04:36 Notice what Jesus then says. 04:38 It says, "Jesus said to them, 04:40 'My food is to do the will of Him 04:44 who sent Me, and to finish His work.'" 04:49 I love that so simple, but yet very, very profound. 04:53 And that is the fact that Jesus, 04:55 He made it clear. 04:56 Yes, I've come to seek and save the lost. 04:58 Yes, I've come to bring 04:59 about the preaching of the kingdom of heaven, 05:01 but right there summed up all in one, John 4:34, 05:04 "My food, My meat, My whole reality, 05:07 My whole existence is to do the will of Him 05:12 that sent Me and to," and I love this, 05:14 "and to finish His work." 05:19 I want to ask you, 05:21 as Seventh-day Adventist Christians 05:23 living in these last days, 05:25 is our agenda any different 05:28 than that of Jesus nearly 2,000 years ago? 05:34 My friends, when Jesus said, 05:38 He came to do the will of His father, 05:40 and to finish His work. 05:43 I'm gonna submit to you today 05:45 that is exactly what our agenda is. 05:50 In fact, it's in our very name, the very name, 05:55 the very title Seventh-day Adventist, 05:58 I'm gonna submit to you that it tells a story, very similar 06:02 to the one that you see Jesus 06:03 telling right there in John 4:34. 06:06 You see, when you think about Seventh-day Adventist, 06:09 again, many people's mind immediately go to 06:12 exactly what it means, which is the seventh day 06:14 pointing back to the fact that 06:15 we are a people who believe in keeping 06:18 all the commandments of God, but more specifically, 06:20 and upholding the one commandment 06:21 that the rest of the world has forgotten, 06:23 the fourth commandment of the Ten Commandments, 06:25 which points us to the fact that 06:26 we need to be honoring and upholding 06:28 and observing the seventh day of the week 06:30 as the Sabbath of the Lord. 06:32 And, of course, Adventist, anybody who is looking forward 06:37 and striving to prepare for the soon coming, 06:40 that is the return, 06:41 the Second Coming of Jesus is an Adventist. 06:44 So we are Seventh-day Adventist, 06:46 but I want to submit to you today, my friends, 06:48 that in that very name, there's something deeper, 06:50 there's another story kind of under, 06:53 you know, under it all, 06:54 in the deep of it all that 06:56 I believe points us back to creation 06:58 because if you're gonna talk about 07:00 Seventh-day Adventist, 07:01 and you're gonna mention seventh day, 07:03 it's gonna take you back 07:05 to the root of the seventh day Sabbath, 07:07 which is at creation week. 07:09 And we see there if you read in the first few verses 07:12 that is verses 1-3 of Genesis Chapter 2. 07:15 You see there, God, you know, 07:16 as He's created the seventh day, 07:19 He done three things on the seventh day that 07:21 He didn't do to any of the other six days, right? 07:23 He rest, He blessed, He made holy, 07:25 sanctified the seventh day, but the fact that He rested. 07:30 He did indeed rest. 07:32 But it's powerful to consider what that word rest means. 07:35 When you go into the original Hebrew there, 07:37 it simply means that He finished, 07:40 He ceased His labors. 07:45 He finished, He ceased His work. 07:50 What did Jesus say in John 4:34, 07:52 "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, 07:54 and to finish His work." 07:57 My friends, Jesus finished His work at creation, 08:02 when He brought about the seventh day Sabbath, 08:05 and He rested on that seventh day Sabbath. 08:07 He finished, He ceased from His labors, 08:10 and He finished His work. 08:12 Now you come 4,000 some odd years later, 08:14 now Jesus is preaching the same message, 08:16 "I've come to do the will of Him 08:18 who sent Me, and to finish His work." 08:22 Now fast forward to our time. 08:25 As Seventh-day Adventist Christians, 08:27 my friends, I'm gonna submit to you that 08:29 not only are we a commandment keeping people 08:31 that upholds the biblical Sabbath, 08:32 and not only are we a people 08:34 who are looking forward to living out 08:36 and being prepared for the soon coming 08:38 of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, 08:40 but I'm gonna submit to you that 08:41 even in our very name, Seventh-day Adventist, 08:43 we are a people who have been called 08:46 to finish His work. 08:49 It's right there in Scripture. 08:51 And you say, Ryan, what work is it? 08:54 Well, we wouldn't have to go very far to know that 08:56 God has given us a divine commission. 08:59 We see this divine commission 09:00 coming from Jesus Christ Himself, 09:02 right there in the 28th Chapter of Matthew. 09:05 Notice what the Bible says, 09:06 this is verse 19 and 20 of Matthew 28. 09:10 Jesus says, "Go therefore 09:12 and make disciples of all nations, 09:15 baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, 09:19 and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them 09:21 to observe all things that 09:23 I have commanded you, and lo, 09:26 I am with you always, 09:28 even to the end of the age." 09:33 We are commissioned not to just go tell people something. 09:36 Yes, a proclamation, an announcement, 09:41 a herald of God's message absolutely is required, 09:45 absolutely is necessary. 09:47 And we should be proclaiming and teaching 09:49 and preaching the gospel, 09:51 but taking the gospel to all the world 09:53 is much more than 09:54 just telling people something 09:56 or relaying a message to be 09:59 a Seventh-day Adventist Christian, 10:01 a part of God's last day remnant movement 10:03 in these last days means much more than 10:05 just simply relaying a message, 10:07 but also living out that message 10:09 and showing out that message revealing that message 10:13 through you that is revealing Christ through you, 10:16 so that when they see Christ in you, 10:18 they know that God is real, 10:21 that our Savior is real, and that He is indeed coming 10:24 because they trust in the word 10:26 that you're giving them. 10:29 Evangelism, page 119, 10:32 talking about that divine commission message. 10:36 There is a specific message that we are to be living 10:39 and proclaiming in these last days. 10:41 Yes, it is the gospel. 10:43 And we're about to show that, 10:44 but I'm gonna dial it in even more. 10:46 We're gonna dial in that vision just a little clearer. 10:49 And we're gonna see that 10:51 God has a specific message that 10:52 He has commissioned us 10:54 as Seventh-day Adventist Christians, 10:55 as His remnant people in these last days. 10:58 This comes from Evangelism, page 119. 11:01 Notice what it says. 11:03 It says, "In a special sense Seventh-day Adventists 11:07 have been set in the world as watchmen 11:10 and light-bearers. 11:13 To them it has been entrusted the last warning 11:15 for a perishing world. 11:17 On them is shining wonderful light 11:19 from the Word of God. 11:21 They have been given 11:22 a work of the most solemn import," 11:26 and here it is, "the proclamation 11:29 of the first, second, and third angels' messages. 11:34 There is no other work of so great importance. 11:38 They are to allow nothing else to absorb their attention." 11:43 My friends, I wish, oh, how I wish that 11:46 I could just scream this from the mountaintops 11:50 to all Seventh-day Adventists across the world. 11:53 I just want to reiterate that. 11:54 Let me say that one more time 11:56 that last couple of lines there, 11:58 this is, there is no other work of so great importance. 12:03 They are to allow nothing else to absorb their attention. 12:07 But yet in the days, we just have to be candid, 12:10 we've to be honest 12:11 and transparent with each other. 12:13 It doesn't take a rocket scientist 12:14 inside the Seventh-day Adventist Church 12:16 to know that the enemy is at work to distract people. 12:19 And there's this little group over there proclaiming this, 12:21 and this little group over here that thinks that 12:23 this message is more important, 12:24 and there's a group over here that thinks this message 12:26 is more important, and there's a group over here, 12:28 and over here, and over here, and over here. 12:29 And I could just go on and on 12:30 and list all of the different little groups 12:32 with their individual messages that they teach 12:35 and believe and proclaim to be 12:37 the most important solemn message of this time. 12:39 But yet we have been told right here, it's very clear, 12:42 there's no way of getting around it. 12:44 Evangelism, 119, it makes it clear that 12:47 the first, second, and third angels' messages 12:51 are the most important message. 12:53 And again, I quote, 12:54 "They are to allow nothing else to absorb their attention." 12:58 Our message, our purpose, our goal, 13:00 the divine commission, that has been given to us 13:03 as Seventh-day Adventist Christians 13:04 is to proclaim 13:06 and to live out the first, second, 13:08 and third angels' message of Revelation Chapter 14. 13:11 In fact, in a letter to E.J. Waggoner in 1902, 13:17 this is what Sister White wrote, 13:19 this is powerful. 13:20 Notice what she says, 13:22 "The theme of greatest importance 13:26 is the third angel's message, 13:28 embracing," notice, "the messages of the first 13:33 and second angels. 13:35 All should understand the truths contained 13:38 in these messages, 13:39 and demonstrate them in daily life, 13:42 for this is essential to salvation." 13:46 My friends, I can't emphasize that enough. 13:49 And I don't think 13:50 she could emphasize that enough. 13:51 It's very clear, the first, second, 13:53 and third angels' messages. 13:55 Yes, those great three angels' messages of Revelation 14. 13:59 It is essential to salvation, that we comprehend them, 14:03 that we understand them, 14:04 that we live them out in our daily life, 14:06 and that we are proclaiming them 14:08 as a part of the divine commission 14:09 that God has given us here in these last days. 14:13 I love that first angels' message... 14:14 I love all the three angels' messages, 14:16 but I love just, it gets you so excited 14:19 about the three angels' messages, 14:20 when you just read 14:21 the first angel's message, right? 14:23 Revelation 14:6-7. 14:25 You've heard that many times, 14:27 but let's look at it again 'cause it's powerful. 14:29 Revelation 14:6-7 says, 14:31 "Then I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, 14:34 having the," there it is, "everlasting gospel 14:38 to preach to those who dwell on the earth, 14:40 and it is to everyone, to every nation, tribe, tongue, 14:44 and people, saying with a loud voice, 14:47 'Fear God and give glory to Him, 14:50 for the hour of His judgment has come, 14:54 and worship Him who made heaven and earth, 14:57 the sea, and the springs of waters.'" 15:01 I love that, the everlasting gospel 15:05 that's going to all over the world, 15:06 every nation, every tribe, every tongue, every people. 15:10 Did you get that? It's powerful. 15:12 God is going to use us. 15:14 And we are going to co-labor with God 15:16 in taking the everlasting gospel 15:18 to all of the world, 15:19 to every nation, to every tribe, 15:21 to every tongue, 15:22 to all people all over the world. 15:24 And, of course, we know 15:25 that it has to happen by the power of God, 15:27 by the power of the Holy Spirit 15:28 'cause we in of ourselves don't have that power 15:30 to complete such a mighty work. 15:32 And I have to admit, 15:33 there's times that I look at the overwhelming work 15:35 that's left to do. 15:37 And I say, oh, my goodness, Lord, you know, 15:38 how is it gonna be get done 15:39 when we've only put a small dent in the planet, 15:42 but I know that the Lord works miracles, 15:44 we serve a miracle working God, and He is gonna pour out 15:46 His Spirit in such a mighty way, 15:48 especially during that latter rain that 15:50 is soon to come, 15:51 in which He's gonna pour out the Holy Spirit 15:53 in such a mighty way on His remnant people 15:55 all across the world. 15:56 And they are going to participate 15:58 in making disciples of Jesus Christ 16:01 by proclaiming and living out the everlasting gospel 16:04 as found in the first, second, and third angels' messages 16:06 of Revelation Chapter 14. 16:09 I love the first, second, and third angels' messages 16:11 because, you know, I just say this, 16:13 and I've said this many times, you know, 16:14 there really wouldn't even be a need 16:16 for second and third angels' message, 16:18 if everyone would just positively respond 16:20 to the first angel's message. 16:22 But because the world and all that are in the world, 16:26 will not inevitably respond positively 16:29 to the first angel's message. 16:31 That's why God loves us enough to send a second 16:33 and a third angels' message warnings, 16:36 to be aware of the devil's deceptions 16:39 and his distractions, and how God is still pleading 16:42 for His people to turn to Him. 16:44 And He has called us that is me, 16:46 that is you watching. 16:47 He has called us to participate, 16:49 and to take up our banner of truth, 16:52 to stake our faith on the gospel of Jesus Christ, 16:55 to stand as repairers of the breach, 16:58 filling the gaps, building up the walls 17:00 and the foundations of truth 17:01 so that when we go out to the water, 17:03 we proclaim and live out this message 17:05 before the people of the world, 17:06 they will know that God is king, 17:09 that He is the king of the universe, 17:10 and that the people, the God of the people, 17:14 that is the God of the Seventh-day Adventists 17:16 remnant movement, He is the true God 17:19 because they can see 17:20 the loving character of God in them. 17:24 Speaking of character, again, 17:27 I go back to Ezekiel 22:30. 17:31 I said this in the first one, 17:32 I want to reiterate it here in the second one, 17:33 just to make an illustration. 17:36 Ezekiel 22:30, notice what again, 17:38 God says here. 17:39 He says, "So I sought for a man among them 17:41 who would make a wall, and stand in the gap 17:45 before Me on behalf of the land, 17:47 that I should not destroy it, but I found no one." 17:53 You know, as I preach, 17:55 as I teach, as I go from church to church, 17:58 and I spend time with God's people, 17:59 sometimes I can relate and come to understand 18:03 what is being said here in Ezekiel 22 18:06 because our ministers all across this world, 18:08 all across this nation, and then all the other nations, 18:13 we're pleading, we're preaching, 18:16 that God will spark within His people 18:21 a renewed spirit of revival. 18:24 And you know what I believe God wants to do that. 18:27 I believe He wants to do that now. 18:29 But we serve a God that is not a forceful God. 18:33 It is a choice on behalf of His people 18:35 to either want to partake in this work, 18:38 to partake in the divine commission or not. 18:41 And I ask you today, who are you? 18:44 Are you just a church member? 18:47 Are you a part of this divine remnant movement, 18:51 that is taking the gospel to all of the world 18:54 and doing all that you can to live out 18:56 the everlasting gospel among your brethren? 18:59 He said, "I found no one." 19:01 A desire for them to stand in the gap. 19:03 Are you standing in the gap for the Lord Jesus Christ? 19:06 Are you a repairer of the breach of the enemy? 19:09 Because that's what God needs. 19:11 He needs His people to stand firm 19:13 in such a time as this. 19:15 In fact, Christ Object Lessons, page 69, 19:19 powerful message here. 19:20 Don't miss these words. 19:22 Again, Christ Object Lessons, page 69. 19:24 Notice what it says, "Christ is waiting 19:27 with longing desire for the manifestation 19:30 of Himself in His church. 19:34 When the character of Christ shall be perfectly reproduced 19:38 in His people, 19:39 then He will come to claim them as His own. 19:43 It is the privilege of every Christian 19:45 not only to look for but to hasten 19:48 the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 19:51 We're all who profess His name 19:54 bearing fruit to His glory, 19:56 how quickly the whole world would be sown 19:59 with the seed of the gospel. 20:02 Quickly the last great harvest would be ripened, 20:06 and Christ would come to gather the precious grain." 20:10 My friends, did you catch that? 20:12 When God's character is perfectly reproduced 20:15 in His people, 20:16 then He will come to claim them as His own, 20:19 then can we be empowered 20:21 to really take this gospel 20:23 and sow it among the people of this world. 20:27 Now take what I just read 20:28 in Christ Object Lesson, page 69, 20:31 and tie that with what I'm about to read 20:33 in Desire of Ages, page 142 20:36 because it really just projects 20:38 and depicts this beautiful picture. 20:40 This is Desire of Ages, page 142. 20:42 Notice what it says. 20:43 It says, "God could have reached His object 20:45 in saving sinners without our aid, 20:50 but in order for us 20:51 to develop a character like Christ's, 20:54 we must share in His work. 20:57 In order to enter into His joy, 21:01 the joy of seeing souls redeemed by His sacrifice, 21:05 we must participate in His labors 21:08 for their redemption." 21:10 Notice how this is really just, 21:13 it kind of just comes all that full circle, 21:16 as we need the character replicating in us, 21:18 Christ is not going to return 21:20 until His character is perfectly reproduced 21:22 within His people. 21:24 But notice that can only happen 21:25 if we are partaking in the labors of Jesus Christ. 21:29 What did Jesus say, "My purpose, 21:33 My food is to do the will of Him 21:34 who sent Me and to finish His work." 21:37 My friends, when we get serious 21:39 about the work that Christ 21:41 has divinely commissioned us to do, 21:42 then as we are seeing and experiencing 21:45 the joy of Christ's work, 21:47 then His character will begin 21:49 and become reproduced in His people. 21:52 And then will Christ be able to say, 21:55 "My people are ready. 21:56 Look. 21:57 Look at the harvest, for it is ripe, it's ready, 22:00 and then He will return. 22:02 Christian Service, page 69. 22:05 Notice what it says here. 22:06 It says, "Let ministers teach church members 22:10 that in order to grow in spirituality, 22:13 they must carry the burden 22:15 that the Lord has laid upon them, 22:18 the burden of leading souls into the truth." 22:22 My friends, did you catch that? 22:24 In order to grow in spirituality, 22:27 I am just, I have people all the time 22:29 that asked me, 22:31 "Ryan, you know, I want to be saved. 22:32 But I just don't know 22:33 if the Holy Spirit is really working in my life. 22:35 I just don't know 22:36 if I'm experiencing that sanctifying work in my life." 22:39 And I will say to them, 22:41 "I know one way clearly that you can know 22:43 if the Holy Spirit is working in your life." 22:46 Just simply go read Acts 1:8, 22:49 it's the very last words that Christ would have said 22:53 before He ascended into heaven. 22:56 Acts 1:8 reminds us, it says, 22:59 "And when you receive the Holy Spirit, 23:01 you shall receive power to be a witness 23:05 into all the world." 23:07 So one indication that 23:09 the Holy Spirit is working in your life, 23:11 and that you're experiencing that 23:12 powerful sanctifying work, 23:14 that character transforming power in your life, 23:17 is you have to have a desire, 23:19 the same loving desire that 23:21 Christ has for us, and for His people, 23:23 we will have for His people, 23:25 we will partake and want to in join him 23:28 in participating in that commission 23:30 to take the everlasting gospel to all the world, 23:34 then our spirituality will grow, 23:36 He will increase and we will decrease. 23:38 Isn't it awesome? 23:40 It comes full circle, full circle back around. 23:44 So I urge you, my friends. 23:47 Are you participating in the work that 23:49 God has called you to do? 23:52 You are not here. 23:54 Again, as I've said many times, 23:55 you are not here just by some coincidence, 23:58 that all, you know, so many years ago, 24:00 your parents came together 24:02 and the Lord blessed them with the baby. 24:03 Now, well, it's not just that simple. 24:05 I believe as the Bible tells us very clearly, 24:07 that the Lord thought of you 24:09 even before you even existed, 24:12 even before your parents existed. 24:14 God knew that you would be here 24:17 and He would create you during this time that 24:21 you would make the decision to join God's remnant church. 24:25 But the question is, it's one thing to be 24:27 a physical member of God's Church. 24:29 It's another thing to understand the mission, 24:33 the focus, the agenda, the purpose, 24:37 the goal of Seventh-day Adventism 24:40 and that is to finish His work. 24:44 Jesus was all about the work. 24:46 Jesus was all about completing the work 24:48 that His Father had sent Him to do. 24:51 That's why He said in John 9:4, 24:54 He said, "I must work the works of Him 24:57 who sent Me while it is day, 25:00 the night is coming when no one can work." 25:04 My friends, I want to share with you now, 25:07 the night is coming when no one can work. 25:12 The Book of Amos tells us that 25:15 there is a famine coming in the land. 25:18 But there was a time coming, when there will be a famine, 25:21 not of bread, 25:22 but of the hearing of the Word of the Lord. 25:25 You see, we're living in that time now, 25:28 even with all of the chaos of COVID 25:30 and the pandemic and everything that's happened. 25:32 As dark as these times have been, 25:36 we are still somewhat living 25:37 in a time of peace and safety. 25:42 What did Paul say about that time of peace and safety? 25:46 You can read about in 1 Thessalonians Chapter 5. 25:49 He says, "When they say, 'Peace and safety!' 25:50 then sudden destruction comes upon them, 25:52 as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. 25:54 And they shall no not escape." 25:59 We'll read that chapter relating it to Christ coming 26:05 the end of the world as a thief in the night. 26:08 Some of us, some of us need to be at work, 26:12 some of us need to be about our Father's business, 26:15 but we're a little sleepy. 26:17 We might have our vessels with us. 26:21 And some of us may not have put enough oil 26:23 in that vessel and we find ourselves sleeping 26:25 and slumbering at the delay of the Bridegroom coming. 26:28 But, my friends, the Bridegroom is coming. 26:31 Have you filled your vessels with oil? 26:34 If you haven't, it's not too late. 26:36 You may be listening right now 26:37 as a Seventh-day Adventist Christian 26:39 at home saying, "Oh man, you know, 26:40 I hear what you're saying, Ryan, and I understand it. 26:42 But man, I just feel like I'm just so far out. 26:44 I just feel like, I'm so far gone. 26:45 I can't do anything for God's kingdom. 26:46 I'm useless." 26:48 No, it's there still time, 26:49 my friends, there's still time left. 26:54 That's why Ephesians 5:8, 14. 26:57 It says, "For you were once darkness, 27:01 but now you are light in the Lord. 27:03 Walk as children of the light. 27:05 Therefore He says, 'Awake, you who sleep. 27:08 Arise from the dead. 27:10 And Christ will give you light.'" 27:13 My friends, are you children of the light? 27:18 God has called you a part of this 27:21 great Seventh-day Adventist movement. 27:23 We're not just a church, we're not just another church, 27:26 we are a movement that God has divinely commissioned 27:30 to take the gospel to all the world. 27:35 So in closing, I want to read to you again, 27:38 the beautiful, powerful promise in Isaiah 60:1-3. 27:44 It says, "Arise and shine, for your light has come! 27:49 And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. 27:53 For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, 27:56 and deep darkness the people, 27:58 but the Lord will arise over you, 28:01 and His glory will be seen upon you." 28:05 And I love this last one. 28:07 "The Gentiles shall come to your light, 28:10 and kings to the brightness of your rising." 28:14 Who are we? I'll tell you. 28:18 We are Seventh-day Adventist Christians. 28:21 We are a part of God's remnant movement. 28:24 And I want to encourage you today in closing, 28:27 are you doing what you need to be doing 28:28 for the Lord's call? 28:30 It's not too late. 28:31 God has a light that He wants to shine through you. 28:34 And in these moments, 28:35 I just want to say a quick prayer 28:37 that that will be the case for you in your life. 28:39 Let's pray in closing. 28:40 Father in heaven, very simple, give us Your light, 28:44 fill us with Your Holy Spirit, 28:46 shine through us today, and transform us 28:49 in the power in the name of Jesus' Christ we ask. 28:52 Amen. |
Revised 2021-06-10