Participants: CA Murray, Pr. Edward Bryan
Series Code: FDOF
Program Code: FDOF000040A
|
00:19 Hello and we welcome you once again
00:20 to Foundation of our Faith. 00:22 I'm CA Murray. 00:24 And we do welcome you to the Thomson Wilson, 00:26 the Adventist Church. 00:28 The 3ABN worship center as together 00:30 we listen to the man of God preaching the word of God. 00:34 We welcome you to sadly the last, 00:38 the fourth in a wonderful series of sermons 00:40 by our pastor, our speaker Edward Bryan. 00:45 The first message 00:46 and I love these topics and the titles, 00:50 'Burn baby burn.' 00:51 And if you did not hear that message, 00:53 you want to make sure to get that 00:54 because it's a wonderful sermon followed by 00:57 'The Golden Touch' then 'Old Brother', 01:00 and our presentation for this particular sitting 01:03 back to the present. 01:05 We cannot wait to hear 01:07 what God has brought to pastor to give to us this very day. 01:11 As it has been mentioned, 01:13 he is pastoring in the Northern New England Conference. 01:16 He comes from a part of the country 01:18 that gets very cold in the winter, 01:20 but is very beautiful in the summer. 01:21 He's pastor in few churches there. 01:23 He's the husband of one wife 01:25 and the father of two lovely daughters, 01:27 and together they seek to encourage 01:29 the youth of our church, 01:32 to encourage young people 01:34 to be all that they can be for Jesus Christ to serve Him 01:37 faithfully and consistently, and it is his job, 01:42 his desire as still a young man 01:45 to see his fellow young people do great things for the Lord, 01:48 even as he preaches the word of God 01:50 each week and each day and wherever he can, 01:53 and whenever he can. 01:54 We are so happy to have him here 01:56 and we know that 01:57 God has a very special blessing for you from him this day. 02:02 So I ask you to give him your prayerful 02:04 and undivided attention. 02:05 Our music ministry is coming from a friend of long standing 02:10 when you get my age, I never say an old friend 02:13 because I just don't want to say that anymore. 02:15 So I will say a friend of long standing 02:17 and I've known his family for many, many years. 02:19 He is a New Yorker from Queens, New York, 02:23 and just a wonderful singer, 02:25 Mark Prentice is a gifted minister of the word. 02:29 He plays, he sings, he writes music 02:31 and God has given him an unusual talent, 02:34 very beautiful smooth voice, 02:37 but more than that he's a Christian young man. 02:40 I know his family comes from a Christian family. 02:43 He is a person who loves the Lord, 02:46 who cares about the things of God, 02:48 who has committed himself to full time music ministry 02:52 which means he's trusting in the Lord 02:54 and leaning on the Lord 02:56 to provide for him all that he needs 02:59 and he's given his considerable talent 03:02 back to the Lord, 03:03 and God is given him His presence and His power 03:06 in exchange for that surrender of his talent. 03:09 So we're going to pray 03:10 then we'll have Mark Prentice come forward. 03:13 He'll be followed by Pastor Bryan 03:16 and the Word of God 03:18 will be preached with power on this very day. 03:20 Pray with me, if you will. 03:21 Father God, 03:23 it is our privilege to call upon you. 03:27 And we know and understand that when we call, 03:30 you're sure to answer. 03:32 So we do call, dear Lord. 03:33 We ask you to answer the prayer of faith 03:37 as we ask from you 03:39 for your manservant and anointing 03:42 from the throne rule of God. 03:43 Bless his lips, bless his hand, bless his heart, 03:46 bless his head, 03:47 bless the words that You're going to say to him 03:51 so that those words will be transmitted through him 03:55 to our thirsty souls this day. 03:57 And then bless Mark as he lives up Christ in song. 04:01 May we sit even for a little while in heavenly places, 04:06 may we be blessed to see again the face of Jesus, 04:10 and hear the words of Christ. 04:13 And we thank you, dear father, 04:15 for the privilege we have of listening to you 04:21 and being blessed by you, in Jesus name, Amen. 04:42 I'm pressing on 04:46 The upward way 04:50 New heights I'm gaining every day 04:57 Still praying as I onward bound 05:05 Lord, plant my feet 05:09 On higher ground 05:14 My heart has no 05:18 Desire to stay 05:22 Where doubts arise and fears dismay 05:29 Though some may dwell 05:33 Where these abound 05:37 My prayer, my aim, is higher ground 05:44 Lord, lift me up 05:49 And I shall stand 05:53 By faith on heavens tableland 05:59 A higher plane 06:03 Than I have found 06:07 Lord, plant my feet on higher ground 06:22 I want to live above the world 06:30 Though Satan's darts at me are hurled 06:36 For faith has caught the joyful sound 06:44 The song of saints on higher ground 06:51 Lord, lift me up 06:55 And I shall stand 06:58 By faith on heavens tableland 07:05 A higher plane 07:08 Than I have found 07:16 Please, Lord 07:20 Plant my feet 07:25 Like only you can Lord 07:28 Plant my feet you're lovely 07:32 Yes, plant my feet 07:39 Oh, Lord 07:45 As I up look this Christian journey alive 07:51 He said I'll never, I'll never walk alone 07:57 Lord, plant my feet on higher ground 08:02 Please, plant my feet on higher ground 08:13 By faith, on Heaven's tableland 08:20 A higher plane, than I have found 08:28 Lord, plant my feet on higher ground 08:35 Please, plant my feet 08:38 On higher ground. 08:52 Praise the Lord and once again, 08:55 I count it a privilege to be able to lay before the Lord 08:59 alongside Brother Mark Prentice, 09:01 it's been an honor. 09:04 And before starting today's message, 09:08 I wanted to share, 09:10 maybe a little bit about my story, 09:13 maybe get you acquainted a little bit with who I am, 09:19 and maybe a little bit with who I was. 09:22 I had the privilege of growing up in a Christian home 09:27 with a very godly mother, 09:29 first in Miami, Florida, and then Atlanta, Georgia. 09:33 She worked tirelessly multiple jobs 09:37 to provide perks for us that those around me 09:40 didn't get to have such as a Christian education 09:44 for my brother and I. 09:45 Unfortunately, very early on in life, 09:47 I made a series of mistakes. 09:49 I got into selling drugs and used licensed drugs 09:54 at around the age of 12, 09:57 got into heavy alcoholism shortly 10:00 after stealing, breaking into homes, 10:05 running around with the wrong crowds, 10:07 doing everything that I could do to derail my life. 10:11 And waste all of 10:14 the opportunities and privileges 10:15 that I had been given. 10:18 I could say by the age of 13 or 14, 10:22 I was a full blown addict 10:25 and I chose to surround myself to remove myself from people 10:29 who are good influences and from the church environment 10:32 that I had grown up in as a kid, 10:34 and to surround myself 10:36 with the violence types of individuals 10:40 that I could find and just get into trouble. 10:45 And it didn't take long 10:46 before consequences started piling up, 10:49 you know, having run ins with the law 10:51 or having constant spouts of violence, 10:54 and fights and things of that nature. 10:56 My life was just going downhill quickly 10:59 and this was my life 11:00 for probably about 12 or 13 years at which point, 11:07 I met a young lady 11:09 who herself had a troubled past and had a young daughter. 11:16 At that time probably eight or nine years old 11:20 and me and her got together and before I knew it, 11:23 we had a daughter. 11:25 And now I was a father, 11:29 soon I would be a husband, 11:35 but my life was spiraling out of control 11:38 as I had been for so many years 11:40 and I didn't know what to do to fix it. 11:44 I still had all the addictions, the drugs, 11:47 the drug addictions escalating 11:48 the heart of alcoholism got worse, 11:52 the consequences escalated and got worse 11:56 and now I had a family. 11:59 Well, by God's grace, my mother 12:01 who was a praying mother and never ceased to be, 12:06 relentlessly, pursued us or the Lord did through her. 12:10 And one day she took my.. 12:15 Soon to be wife who was a... 12:18 I was living with and had a daughter with, 12:20 took her and her older daughter to an evangelistic campaign 12:25 where the older daughter 10 years old at the time 12:28 decided to give her life to the Lord. 12:32 My wife fought her decision to give her life to the Lord 12:35 and her, my mother pretty much got into it 12:40 about how she did not have the right to keep this child 12:43 from giving her life to the Lord. 12:45 So my wife's older daughter 12:48 who is now my step daughter 12:53 at 10 years old decided to give her life to Jesus. 12:57 And despite her crazy upbringing, 12:59 despite how chaotic our life was 13:02 and everybody around us was, she would go to church, 13:06 she would get herself ready on the Sabbath. 13:09 She lived a Christian life and set such an example for us 13:11 that a year later, 13:13 my wife went to an Evangelistic campaign 13:14 with my mother and she decided to give her life to the Lord. 13:18 And then I was a final hold out. 13:20 And our marriage was so toxic, 13:25 mostly as a result of me 13:27 and the influences that I would bring 13:28 and the habits that I still had 13:32 that my wife said, "I can't do this anymore. 13:35 Lord, I don't know what to do?" 13:36 And she decided to pray and to fast for 40 days, 13:40 do a half-day fast, 13:45 to see if God could do something to fix the problem. 13:49 And unbeknownst to me on that 40th day, 13:53 I felt this overwhelming feeling a conviction 13:57 that I needed to surrender my life to Jesus, 14:00 that I had been running from him all this time 14:02 at a positive change 14:03 that I've been seeking in my life 14:04 to get out of the gutter 14:06 could only be found through him. 14:10 And I decided to stop running. 14:11 And that day, I decided give Jesus my life. 14:16 And that day, 14:17 the Lord took all of my drug addiction, 14:21 all of my alcoholism, my smoking habit, 14:23 the violence, 14:25 my desire for sexual misconduct, 14:30 and all the rest. 14:31 The Lord took it that day. 14:35 When I couldn't do in 10 or 11 years of trying, 14:39 the Lord took in an instant, 14:41 and he proved himself powerfully in my life 14:44 and I prayed. 14:45 And then I found out after the fact 14:47 that my wife had gone this 40 day prayer and fast 14:49 and it was the 40th day. 14:54 Now I can't say it's been an easy road, 14:58 since then back and tell you, 15:00 it's been a better road 15:01 and the God has been there all along. 15:04 And I praised his name for what he's done in my life 15:06 and for how he's changed my family's life, 15:07 and how he's gotten me to this point. 15:09 Now here, I stand 10 years later 15:12 as a minister, 15:14 10 years later, 15:16 privileged enough to stand on a stage 15:18 that great man of God 15:20 who I have listened to preach have stood on 15:22 knowing that I'm not worthy, 15:23 knowing that I'm not an experienced 15:25 enough preacher to occupy such a position, 15:28 but thanking the Lord 15:29 because he has gotten me to this point. 15:33 The danger though is to look back 15:36 at what happened 10 years ago, 15:39 with the Lord did in my life, and in the life of my family, 15:41 and to linger there, as though the work is finished, 15:45 as though he does not have more for us, 15:50 as though the work 15:53 that he's going to do to us is completed. 15:55 I'll tell you, it would be a depressing reality, 15:57 if he was done working in us 15:59 because I have so much further to go. 16:03 Friends, I've talked to you a little bit about my past, 16:05 but now I want to come back to the present, 16:09 back to the present 16:11 because God has something 16:12 that he wants to say to us today 16:14 and I pray that it would be a message of inspiration 16:16 and a message of encouragement to each and every one of you. 16:18 So I want to invite you 16:20 just bow your head for one moment as I kneel 16:23 and then we'll jump into God's word. 16:25 Dear heavenly father, Lord, I come to you 16:28 because they didn't come to hear about me, 16:29 they came to hear about you. 16:31 And your Holy Spirit can do something powerful 16:33 at this moment 16:35 and I just pray that you would Lord. 16:36 I'm trusting that you're going to do just that, 16:39 speak to our hearts father, in Jesus' name, amen. 16:46 Among the most powerful events 16:48 they're described in all of the Bible, 16:51 and the most notable in the Old Testament 16:53 is the deliverance of the Israelites 16:56 from out of Egypt to a series of prophecies, 17:00 plagues, and miracles, the Lord God, 17:03 defined conventional wisdom, 17:05 as well as the very laws of nature 17:08 which he established in order to deliver 17:10 his children out of the state of the bondage of slavery. 17:16 By doing this, God distinguish himself 17:17 from all the false gods. 17:19 He distinguished his children 17:20 from all other peoples on the earth 17:22 and he proved that He, 17:24 the Almighty God was not only willing, 17:26 but anxious to work powerfully on his people's behalf. 17:31 This event was one 17:33 which God intended for them to remember 17:36 as evidence by his call for the Israelites 17:38 to commemorate it annually. 17:40 That's found in Exodus chapter 13:3. 17:42 I'm gonna read just the first part of it, it says, 17:44 and Moses said to the people, 17:46 "Remember this day in which you went out of Egypt, 17:49 out of the house of bondage, 17:51 for by strength of hand the Lord brought you 17:55 out of this place." 17:57 The important thing to know for the purpose of this study 18:00 is that God called for them to remember this, 18:02 Him delivering them out of Egypt. 18:05 He calls them to remember it, 18:07 he wants us to remember the things which he's done, 18:09 that's what we stand here 18:11 and open up his word, and listen to sermons. 18:16 You know, memory as it relates to history, 18:19 is a beautiful thing 18:20 when it's utilized for the right purpose. 18:22 It can spare us a whole lot of hardship and negativity 18:26 if we're willing to learn the lessons 18:29 which God is trying to teach us by our past experience 18:32 and those experiences of others. 18:36 And at the same time, 18:37 it can be encouraging to us and a boost to our faith, 18:42 renew our confidence in God 18:44 when we remember the things that he's done in the past. 18:49 One inspired writer once said, 18:50 "We have nothing to fear for the future lest, 18:52 we forget the way the Lord has led us 18:54 and His teaching in our past history." 18:57 If you read the story of the Israelites in the Bible, 18:59 the author had very short term memory. 19:02 And they seemed to forget the marvelous things 19:04 which God had done no sooner 19:06 than they had to reap the benefits of them. 19:09 Yet and still, the story of the miraculous deliverance 19:12 from slavery in Egypt 19:15 was told and retold among them in the surrounding region 19:18 and from generation to generation for a long time. 19:22 Actually, he never stopped being retold. 19:26 Now, to fill you in what happened after that, 19:28 when the Israelites left Egypt, 19:30 they would eventually wind up in the Promised Land of Canaan. 19:33 It took them 40 years to get there, 19:34 not because God intended it to take so long, 19:37 but because they were stubborn and stiff necked people. 19:41 After they got into Canaan, 19:42 they began to conquer territories with God's help, 19:44 one after the other. 19:46 Before he knew it, 19:47 all 12 of the tribes of Israel had its own territory. 19:52 However, to a series of bad decisions 19:54 and infidelities to God, 19:56 they winded up being relegate to only two territories, 20:00 Israel to the North, and Judah to the South. 20:02 Israel being 20:05 basically absorbed 10 of the 12 tribes of Israel, 20:10 Judah to the South 20:12 was comprised of the tribe of Judah 20:14 and the tribe of Benjamin. 20:16 Both of these kingdoms had their own kings, 20:19 both of these kingdoms had their own prophets, 20:21 and they both had their own spiritual as well 20:24 as physical warfare going on. 20:27 Eventually, the Northern Kingdom of Israel 20:30 would be taken over by the Assyrians. 20:33 And over a century later, 20:35 the Southern kingdom of Judah 20:37 would also meet the same faith 20:39 at the hands of the greatest empire 20:41 that the world had ever known up until that point, Babylon. 20:45 Now, this is where I need to pump the brakes 20:47 for just a moment. 20:48 I'm going to back up about 40 years 20:50 to the time of a prophet by the name of Jeremiah 20:55 and maybe you've heard of him. 20:57 Jeremiah was a young man 20:58 when he was called to be a prophet. 21:00 Just to give you a taste of his life 21:02 of how good his life was, 21:03 God told him to not even marry and to especially not have kids 21:08 because the future of Judah only contains suffering. 21:13 Jeremiah himself had to suffer to humiliations, 21:15 and public beatings. 21:18 He had to contend with the word of false prophets 21:20 whose job was a lot easier than his was 21:22 because all he did was tell the people 21:23 what they wanted to hear. 21:25 Jeremiah lived under a king 21:30 that hated the message that God sent to him 21:32 so much that he thought to kill him. 21:34 The following King 21:35 actually sucked the messages that God sent to him, 21:38 only he refused to apply them in his own life. 21:45 Jeremiah prophesied in Judah during the last 40 years 21:47 before they went into exile in Babylon, 21:50 while there, there were some minor moments of spiritual, 21:54 revival, renewal during his time as a prophet 21:57 before the most part the people 21:59 just carried out their empty religious rituals 22:01 while believing that God would somehow bless them 22:04 regardless to how they chose to live their lives. 22:07 Jeremiah's messages went completely unheeded. 22:11 He told them, 22:12 "Hey, if you guys don't turn from your wicked ways, 22:15 you're going to fall prey to the nations around you." 22:17 But Israel refused to believe that God would actually allow 22:23 His people to fall prey 22:27 and be judged by the surrounding nations. 22:30 While the annals of history have shown us 22:32 that everything that Jeremiah predicted 22:34 was absolutely correct. 22:36 They did wind up being seized by Babylon. 22:43 But how could this happen? 22:45 After all, 22:47 they were the descendants of the very Israelites 22:49 that God had brought out of Egypt. 22:52 Why is he now allowing them 22:53 to go into captivity in Babylon? 22:58 They have recounted time and time again, 23:00 the marvelous things that God had done for their ancestors. 23:03 Weren't they blessed and highly favored too? 23:05 Why did it seem that 23:07 they were going backwards instead of forwards? 23:11 Maybe you can relate, 23:13 maybe you find yourself in life right now, 23:17 in a place where you don't want to be. 23:19 Maybe you're in a spiritual slump 23:21 that you can't manage to get out of, 23:23 no matter how many sermons you listen to, 23:25 no matter how much you read your Bible. 23:28 Maybe you feel like a prisoner to your life right now 23:30 and you're looking for some kind of a breakthrough 23:34 and despite hearing testimonies of others 23:37 who have had great things happened, 23:39 despite everything that you read in the Bible, 23:42 you cannot figure out, 23:43 why you can't seem to catch a break? 23:47 Why doesn't God manifest himself in your life 23:51 the same way he manifested Himself 23:53 in the written word? 23:54 Why don't you see 23:56 the miraculous things happening to you 23:58 that you hear others so frequently talking about? 24:02 Why can't it just be like these days? 24:04 Why can't it be like the good old days? 24:07 Well, let's talk about the good old days, shall we? 24:10 God counseled his children 24:12 then like he does not remember the good old days. 24:15 We're gonna jump to the book of Jeremiah 24:17 and that's where we're gonna spend the rest of our time. 24:18 We're gonna let Jeremiah, 24:20 the prophet that lived during the time of Judah 24:23 tell us what God informed His people. 24:26 Jeremiah 6:16, 24:28 God actually instructed us to recall the good old days. 24:31 I'll read the first part of it, it says, 24:33 "Thus says the Lord, 24:34 stand in the ways and see 24:36 and ask for the old paths where the good way is." 24:40 So God absolutely wants us to reminisce 24:43 and look back at the good way 24:45 in which he led his people, but look what he says. 24:48 He says, "And walk in it, 24:50 then you will find rest for your souls." 24:54 But they said, God predicted what Judah's response will be. 24:58 He says, "But they said, we will not walk in it." 25:03 You see they like to talk about the good old days, 25:06 but they didn't like to walk in the good old ways. 25:11 They like to sit around, listening to studies, 25:15 talking about what God had done in the past, 25:17 but they themselves 25:18 weren't willing to live in those experience. 25:20 Friends, is that much different than us. 25:22 We congregate sometimes that churches we preach, 25:25 we teach, we listen to sermons, 25:29 and we share how God had manifested Himself powerfully 25:33 on behalf of his people in the past, 25:35 but then sometimes 25:36 we experience very little results ourselves, 25:40 but could it be that the Lord doesn't want to people 25:42 that merely talk about experiences in the past, 25:45 but the people that are actually willing to walk 25:48 through fresh experiences with him in the present. 25:53 Now I know that sounds very simple, 25:55 that sounds very cliché(C), but think about it. 25:59 The people in the Bible, the stories that we read, 26:01 and we hear so often, 26:02 they didn't experience success in a vacuum, 26:05 they too dealt with hardships, 26:07 they too dealt with frustrations, 26:09 well, let downs, 26:10 but we're often faithful to the Lord, 26:12 in route to those miraculous victories and experiences 26:17 that we so often retell time and time again. 26:21 You know what? 26:22 I can imagine those Jewish captives 26:24 on their way to Babylon saying, Where is God? 26:29 Where is God now? 26:31 Where is the God of Abraham, the founding father? 26:37 Where is the God of Moses 26:39 who led our ancestors out of slavery in Egypt? 26:43 Where is the God of Joshua and Caleb 26:47 who helped lead us into the Promised Land? 26:51 Where is the God of Elijah 26:52 who God manifested himself so powerfully 26:55 for on Mount Carmel? 26:57 Where is the God of David, 26:59 who put our city on the map, who made us a great people? 27:03 Where is this God now when we need him? 27:07 Maybe we asked similar questions 27:09 when we were looking for a spiritual breakthrough 27:11 or a miraculous intervention. 27:16 Maybe we ask, yes, where is this God? 27:19 I'm reading great stories, 27:20 but where is the God of the Bible? 27:22 Where is the God of these individuals? 27:26 Churches long to see 27:29 the Holy Spirit work in their communities 27:32 like he did for the disciples. 27:33 Where is the God of the disciples? 27:37 I often wonder, what will happen 27:39 if God is simply put the question back on us? 27:42 You ask where the God of Abraham is. 27:45 Let me ask you something. 27:47 Where is the modern day Abraham? 27:52 You ask where the God of Abraham is, 27:53 where is the modern day Abraham? 27:55 Where are my servants 27:57 that are willing to step out of the comfort zone, 28:00 leave behind everything they know, 28:02 and venture into uncharted territory trusting in me? 28:07 You ask where the God of Moses is. 28:09 No. Where is the millennial Moses? 28:13 Where are my servants 28:14 that are willing to rather than follow, lead, 28:18 even if they're leading a stiff-necked people? 28:21 Where are my servants, 28:22 that are willing to spend time on their knees, 28:24 pleading, interceding 28:27 for those unfaithful folks around them? 28:30 You ask where the god of Joshua and Caleb are. 28:32 No. Where is Joshua and Caleb? 28:36 Where are the Christians 28:37 who are willing to hold on to their faith 28:39 even while everybody else seems to be dying off 28:41 in the wilderness, seems to be abandoning the ship 28:43 that will hold on 28:45 until they make it to the Promised Land. 28:48 You ask for the God of Elijah's? 28:50 Where is Elijah? 28:53 Where are the servants 28:55 that are willing to stand up for Christ 28:57 even when they think they're standing up alone, 28:59 even when they think everybody else's bow, 29:01 they need a bell or want to hang in there. 29:05 Where is the God of David? 29:07 No, no, no, no, no, where are the Davids? 29:09 Where are the young men and the young women? 29:11 That are willing to utilize their gifts and their talents 29:14 to glorify the Lord rather then to bring applauds for self. 29:20 Where are the young men and young women, 29:22 who are willing to leave evangels in God's hand 29:26 rather than retaliate and go tit for tat 29:28 when somebody comes for their neck? 29:31 Where are the servants that are willing to 29:33 when they fall on their face and sin 29:38 or willing to repent 29:40 and face the consequences that come with it 29:44 and continue to glorify the Lord's name and get back, 29:47 when they get back on their feet? 29:51 We talk about the disciples, 29:52 you know, we want the success of disciples experience, 29:55 but think about it, how did their story end? 29:58 They didn't just get success out of nowhere. 30:00 No, they spent days and days in prayer and nights. 30:05 And when it was all set and done, 30:07 practically all of them 30:09 with the exception of John died as martyrs. 30:12 We're not going to ask where the God of Job is, right? 30:14 'Cause we don't want to repeat Job's experience, 30:19 we're not going to ask where the god of John, 30:21 the Baptist is, right? 30:22 'Cause we don't want to meet John's end, 30:25 we want to talk just about the benefits 30:30 and that's the thing. 30:31 You look at this faithful servants, 30:34 they weren't just looking for the happy ending, 30:37 they were seeking to be faithful to the Lord 30:38 no matter what they had to go through. 30:42 Sometimes we just look for the benefits, 30:44 we just want to claim the promises, right? 30:46 That's what we say. Name it and claim. 30:48 If you can name the promise, you can claim it. 30:50 Well, here's the problem. There are conditions. 30:55 I realize that conditional is almost a dirty word 30:59 in Christianity nowadays. 31:01 We accept it in a rest and every other area of life. 31:05 We don't even read the fine print 31:06 and we are signing 31:07 'cause we know that conditions apply, 31:09 there's no need to get into particulars. 31:10 But then when it comes to God, 31:12 we just want to name it and claim it, 31:13 but no, brothers, 31:14 there are conditions to claiming God's promises. 31:18 His love is unconditional. 31:20 There is absolutely nothing that you can do 31:22 to make God love you any less. 31:26 But claiming the promises in this book, no, 31:27 there are conditions for that. 31:30 Now, you look a little skeptical. 31:32 So we're going to jump into the world, 31:34 we're going to look at Chapter 18, 31:36 we're still in Jeremiah chapter 18. 31:39 And there's a plethora of verses 31:41 but I'll just read a couple here. 31:44 Jeremiah 18, we'll start with verse 7 and 8. 31:49 "The instant I speak, 31:51 concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, 31:54 to pluck up, or to pull down, and destroy it." 31:57 Now, let me pause there. 31:59 Do you realize that that's actually a promise? 32:03 You say, "That sounds like a threat." 32:05 No, it's not a threat, it's a promise. 32:07 The soul that thinks shall die, 32:09 when you turn your back on the Lord, 32:12 you have to deal with the enemy. 32:16 You do wrong judgment comes, that's a promise. 32:19 Who would want to claim that promise, 32:22 the day we pluck down and destroy? 32:23 Nobody, but look at verse 8, if... 32:26 that's a conditional clause, 32:27 "If that nation against 32:29 whom I have spoken turns from its evil, 32:32 I will relent of the disaster 32:33 that I thought to bring upon it." 32:36 Praise the Lord that His promises are conditional. 32:39 That's all we get to escape many of the judgments 32:43 that would naturally come upon us. 32:44 I praise the Lord, at the day I gave my life to the Lord, 32:47 I felt like He was telling me, "Well, it's now or never. 32:49 I didn't understand that. 32:51 But you know what, 32:52 within about two or three months of me 32:53 giving my life to the Lord, 32:55 the grand majority of my friends, 32:57 in my close circle of friends 32:58 that I would love to make money with, 33:00 wind up getting rounded up and incarcerating, 33:03 getting 10, 15, and 20 year sentences. 33:08 I should have fallen victim to the same thing, 33:11 to the same faith, 33:12 but praise the Lord 33:14 that His promises are conditional 33:15 and being willing to relent, 33:17 He was willing to pull me out of that situation. 33:22 Let's continue to read, let's read verse 9, it says, 33:24 "And the instant, I speak, 33:26 concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom 33:29 to build and to plant it. 33:32 If it is evil in my sight so that does not obey my voice 33:38 then I will relent concerning the good 33:40 with which I said I would benefit it." 33:43 So this works both ways. 33:44 God said, "You know what, I want nothing but good. 33:46 I want to prosper you, but it is conditional 33:51 and then if you decide to turn your back on me, 33:53 then I can't do for you what I wish to do." 33:57 As you can see, God does not mince words here, 34:00 his promises have conditions, 34:02 this works as much in our favor as it does to our detriment. 34:08 My wife and I have a couple of daughters 34:10 as I mentioned which I love with all my heart 34:13 and there is nothing they can do 34:14 to change that reality. 34:15 As long as they're in our home, their clothing, their food, 34:20 their shelter is guaranteed, 34:21 they have no reason to question whether the provision is sure. 34:24 However, 34:26 "Oh, no, he's about to 34:28 put a condition on his daughter's love?" 34:29 No, no, no the love is unconditional. 34:31 However, should they decide to leave 34:36 and choose paths for themselves, 34:38 independent of the influence of my wife and I, 34:42 independent of our involvement, 34:44 then we certainly cannot be held accountable 34:46 for the consequences that come as a result of the decisions. 34:51 So it is with God, He says, 34:53 "Oh, yeah, I've made a whole lot of promises 34:56 and I honor them as well as their conditions." 34:59 Don't get me wrong friends, 35:01 there are times when God is definitely unfair. 35:07 There are times when God is just outright, unfair 35:09 because oftentimes His mercy and His Grace 35:12 far exceed His fairness. 35:15 Therefore, we don't always get what we deserve. 35:18 We oftentimes get better. 35:20 However, when I don't get better than I deserve, 35:25 it's not God's fault, 35:26 but let me get back to Judah, being taken captive by Babylon. 35:32 Could this have been prevented? 35:34 Certainly right, this is what 35:36 the prophet Jeremiah has spent his life doing, 35:38 trying to prevent these circumstances. 35:42 "But while Judah had been unfaithful to God 35:45 in the present, believe it or not, 35:48 they actually relished the memories of 35:50 what God had done in the past to their ancestors, 35:53 the children of Israel. 35:55 They love to talk about it, 35:56 this was after all 35:58 what had carved out their legacy, 35:59 this was their greatest hit. 36:01 Have you ever heard somebody who is a broken record? 36:05 Who will talk about their heyday, 36:07 time and time again? 36:10 Maybe they played basketball in high school 36:12 and they scored 40 points 36:14 and you got to hear it at least twice a week. 36:19 Maybe they, I don't know, maybe they claim the fame is, 36:22 there are, their little Richard's, 36:25 cousins, nephew 36:30 and they're going to make sure you don't forget it. 36:34 Whatever that story is, 36:35 everybody's got a different story, right? 36:36 Maybe they got to serve breakfast 36:38 at the inauguration ball 36:41 and they bring it up time and time again, 36:43 this is their claim the fame. 36:45 This was Judah with Israel's deliverance from Egypt. 36:50 They said, "That's our claim the fame, 36:52 that was the heyday, that's when we were great." 36:54 So while they were not allowing God 36:56 to work in their life in the present, 36:58 they relished what God had done in the past. 37:01 But listen to what God tells Jeremiah 37:04 as recorded in Jeremiah 23:7. 37:08 "Therefore, behold, the days are coming, 37:11 says the Lord, 37:13 that they shall no longer say, as the Lord lives, 37:16 who brought up the children of Israel from the land of Egypt." 37:22 He says, "There's actually a day coming 37:24 where you're going to stop talking, 37:25 you've never stop talking about that 37:27 but the day is coming 37:28 where you're going to stop talking about, 37:30 what God had done for the children of Israel 37:33 and bring them out of Egypt." 37:34 Why? 37:36 Why would they ever stop talking about 37:37 what God had done? 37:38 It was great, it was a miracle. 37:41 Is it because they would become too discouraged, 37:43 once they became, went into captivity in Babylon 37:47 because they would become too ashamed of 37:49 what they had been relegated to? 37:51 No. 37:52 Rather God was telling him that the day was coming 37:54 when they, when He would do 37:56 even greater things on their behalf, 37:58 the day was coming 37:59 when they could stop talking about 38:01 the testimony of their ancestors 38:02 'cause they could start talking about 38:03 the testimony of what God was doing to them personally. 38:06 Let's read, Jeremiah 23:7 again, 38:09 but this we're going to read it with verse 8. 38:12 It says, "Therefore, behold, the days are coming, 38:15 says the Lord, that they shall no longer say, 38:17 as the Lord lives, 38:18 who brought up the children of Israel from the land of Egypt. 38:21 But, as the Lord lives, who brought up 38:24 and led to the centers of the house of Israel 38:25 from the North Country and from all the countries 38:28 where He had driven them 38:29 and they shall dwell in their own land." 38:33 See, they were a broken record 38:35 about how God had brought the children of Israel 38:37 out into the Promised Land, 38:38 but once they got there and they were established, 38:40 they were forgetting all about God. 38:43 They were taking it for granted. 38:45 God had to take them to an experience, 38:47 He had to bring deliverance into their lives 38:49 that they might appreciate 38:50 where they were and say, 38:52 "Praise the Lord, we're on our own land." 38:56 As we can see in this verse, God clearly was aware 38:58 that Judah was going to go captive 39:03 as a result of their own stubbornness. 39:06 But He tells them that one day 39:09 they will come back from captivity 39:10 and have their own story of deliverance. 39:15 God is the same God 39:16 who brought deliverance for Israel 39:19 and He would do the same on their behalf. 39:24 Friends, I hope you realize 39:25 that every time you hear a great testimony, 39:27 every time you hear great stories 39:29 something that God has done, 39:30 He's willing to do it also for you. 39:34 God's desire is not a people 39:37 who live reminiscing about the past, 39:40 His desire is the people 39:41 who allow Him to do great things for Him today. 39:45 Friends, never take for granted today, 39:48 the here and now, it's a gift, 39:50 that's why it's called the present. 39:54 The beautiful stories in the Bible 39:56 are not given to us 39:58 that we may marvel about what God once did, 40:00 they're given to us as examples of what God yearns to do, 40:03 time and time again. 40:05 The canon of scripture may be close, friends, 40:07 no more authors allowed here, the canon may be close, 40:10 but the God of the Bible is still open, 40:13 24/7, 365 from here to Eternity, 40:16 He's open to manifesting Himself powerfully 40:19 on behalf of those 40:20 who are willing to be led by Him. 40:22 The apostles, who are one time filled with the Holy Spirit, 40:26 when I turn the world upside down. 40:29 You know, where they are today? 40:30 Today, they rest in their graves. 40:34 But, the god 40:37 who poured his spirit into disciples 40:38 is willing to pour His spirit of fresh 40:41 into His modern day disciples 40:43 and do through them 40:45 the same or more or better things 40:47 than He ever did to the original apostles. 40:50 Why? How can I say that? 40:52 Because the latter rain will be poured out in great imagine 40:55 in the early rain was. 40:56 God wants to continue the work that He started. 41:00 You know what? 41:01 Christian history has seen 41:03 its share of powerful revivals throughout history. 41:07 One of the most notable ones is the Reformation. 41:11 And yes, God did incredible things to individuals like 41:14 Martin Luther, Zwingli, John Huss, John Wycliffe. 41:20 God did incredible things to him, 41:22 but do you know that God is not done? 41:25 He desires to do the same thing to you, 41:27 the work of regenerating hearts 41:29 and bringing His children 41:30 to the soul dependence on his word 41:33 and soul dependence 41:34 on the merits of Jesus Christ for salvation, 41:36 that work actually continues. 41:40 You know, I'm proud to call myself 41:43 a Seventh Day Adventist Christian. 41:46 And I am grateful 41:48 for the faithful legacy of the pioneers, 41:51 they came a forth, 41:52 this is actually one of my favorite topics of study. 41:55 However, I must acknowledge, 41:57 that even our pioneers were not the height of Christianity. 42:01 They weren't the climax of the Christian experience, 42:03 otherwise the Lord Jesus Christ would have already returned. 42:09 We do well to acquaint ourselves 42:10 with their stories, with their history, 42:13 with how we got to where we are. 42:15 As long as we remember that the story continues with us. 42:19 When the character of Christ 42:20 is perfectly reproduced in His people, 42:22 then He will come to claim them as his own. 42:27 Friends, at the offset of our pioneers 42:31 there was doctrine that needed to get sorted out, 42:33 we needed to understand the Sabbath, 42:34 we needed to understand health, 42:36 we needed to understand 42:37 the true place in deity of Jesus Christ, 42:41 we needed to understand righteousness by faith. 42:44 There was legalism 42:45 that needed to be contended with. 42:47 God has brought us this far not to stop, 42:51 He has brought us this far to continue that great work 42:54 until the day of Christ Jesus 42:56 'cause when our characters already, 42:59 when our characters are like Christ, 43:00 then He will come and receive us. 43:03 The work of deliverance which got started so long ago, 43:07 getting back to Judah and as Judah, 43:09 the work of deliverance that God started so long ago 43:11 by delivering the Israelites out of Egypt 43:14 and delivering Judah out of Babylon 43:18 is the same work that He desires to do for us 43:21 in bringing us out of spiritual Egypt 43:24 and spiritual Babylon. 43:26 Egypt being symbolic of the world 43:28 and its trappings, 43:30 Babylon being symbolic of a false system of worship, 43:33 both of which can hold us captive, 43:36 but the Lord is working on a deliverance 43:38 that makes those others hale in comparison, 43:43 pale in comparison, sorry. 43:45 It is that which will take place 43:48 at the coming of Jesus Christ, which is very soon. 43:52 This is as much a reality for Judah as it is for us. 43:57 You may say, "Well, what are you talking about? 43:59 How can this be the same reality for Judah?" 44:02 Well, for us, 44:03 the great deliverance happens at the second coming 44:05 but for Judah, 44:07 it was to take place at the first coming. 44:09 You see, we just read Jeremiah 23:7 and 8 44:15 and that is called, that is what is called 44:17 a "Dual prophecy" meaning it has two applications. 44:20 What I talked about, 44:22 what was to be Judah's literal return from captivity 44:27 which the prophet Jeremiah predicted 44:29 would happen 70 years after the captivity. 44:32 It also refers to the ultimate deliverance 44:35 which would take place more than 500 years later 44:37 when Jesus Christ would come to set the captives free. 44:41 This is why the two verses that proceed Jeremiah 23:7 and 8 44:46 talk about the coming of the Messiah. 44:49 Let's read it. 44:50 It says, 44:54 "Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, 44:57 that I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness. 45:01 A King shall reign and prosper, 45:03 and execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. 45:06 In his days, 45:07 Judah will be saved and Israel will dwell safely. 45:11 Now this is his name by which he is to be called, 45:14 "The Lord Our Righteousness." 45:19 Clearly this is a reference to Jesus Christ 45:22 who is still to visit His people. 45:25 He was going to visit them 45:27 by taking on the form of humanity. 45:29 So while they thought 45:30 that their heyday had come and gone was back 45:34 when Israel was delivered out of Egypt, 45:36 God is trying to tell them, "No, no, no, 45:38 your heyday has not yet come, 45:39 your heyday is going to be 45:41 when Jesus Christ comes to this earth and God, 45:45 Emmanuel walks among you." 45:50 Just like us, think about it. 45:52 I'm here in America 45:53 and in America we spend at least a tithe, 45:57 easily 10% of the year 45:59 focusing, celebrating Christmas 46:02 or in the Christmas season 46:05 which for Christians means 46:07 supposedly reminiscing about Jesus coming. 46:12 He's coming to this earth, the first time. 46:14 However, very few Christians live their lives 46:18 in anticipation of the second coming 46:20 which will be so much more glorious. 46:22 Very few Christians who even are aware, 46:24 who are aware the Christ is coming to soon, 46:26 live their lives in that anticipation. 46:29 Rather, we focus on the past 46:31 when great days are right ahead of us 46:34 and God wants to do something now. 46:37 "Yes, sure enough, 46:38 Judah was going to go into captivity. 46:40 However, just as God had prophesied 46:43 that they would go into it, 46:45 He had prophesied that he would bring them out of it." 46:49 Look at proverbs, sorry Jeremiah 29:10-11. 46:56 "For thus says the Lord, 46:58 after 70 years are completed at Babylon, 47:01 I will visit you, 47:02 and perform my good of word toward you 47:06 and cause you to return to this place. 47:09 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, 47:12 says the Lord, 47:13 thoughts of peace and not of evil, 47:15 to give you a future and hope." 47:20 Friends, Jesus is coming soon, 47:27 every trial that you experience in your life 47:30 is with the purpose of getting you ready 47:33 for his soon coming. 47:36 I know that there's times in life 47:37 when we go through hardships 47:38 and we go through trial oftentimes 47:40 as a result of our own decisions. 47:44 And it feels like that's the end of our story, 47:46 God has abandoned us, that's it. 47:48 But friends, let me assure you, it's not the end of your story. 47:50 God intends it for good. 47:52 It is the beginning of your comeback story. 47:56 God does not allow things to come up on us 47:58 that would harm us, 47:59 but rather He can use the adversities 48:01 that come upon us from our missteps for good 48:06 to get us ready for something better. 48:10 Friends, God does not want us to linger in the past, 48:13 God wants to work in our lives in the present. 48:16 You know, how sad it is, often times visiting churches, 48:20 they'll tell you, "Oh, we're dying now," why? 48:23 Phew, in the '70s, in the '60s, 48:26 in the '20s, in the '80s. 48:30 We were so full, 48:31 they'll talk about their heyday, 48:33 as though the God who got that church started 48:35 and guided on fire back then can't do it again today. 48:38 How sad that sometimes 48:40 we get caught up in the past talking about 48:44 what God once did in our lives. 48:47 You know, that's the reason, I'll tell you the truth, 48:48 I don't even like sharing my testimony 48:51 because easily, we're caught up in what God did a decade ago. 48:56 Yes, praise the Lord that He delivered me 48:58 from alcoholism and from smoking 49:00 and from drinking. 49:02 But, He's not done the good work which he started, 49:04 He wants to complete, 49:06 and I still have health habits 49:08 that need to get worked out as you can see by this guide. 49:13 I still have character flaws that need to be worked out. 49:16 Praise the Lord that I no longer start fistfights, 49:18 praise the Lord that I no longer cuss and swear. 49:22 But you know what, 49:23 that's not the only thing God wants to take, friends. 49:26 God wants to take our bad attitudes, 49:28 God want to take our critical spirits, 49:31 God wants to take our self-righteousness, 49:33 our willing to gossip and tear others down. 49:36 He has a work 49:37 that He wants to complete in you, 49:39 but sometimes we look at the past and we think, 49:41 "Oh, the good old days when we were sanctified. 49:44 Thank God, we're perfect Christians now." 49:45 No, the only reason you have breath in your lungs is 49:47 'cause God is still working on you. 49:55 You know, it's a beautiful thing 49:56 that God has done what He's done 49:59 through the reformation. 50:00 It's a beautiful thing 50:02 that God has done what He's done 50:03 to the Seventh Day Adventist Church. 50:05 But, He is not done yet. 50:08 He needs the people 50:10 who will perfectly reproduced 50:11 His character, He longs for that. 50:15 Friends, are we going to give him the opportunity 50:17 to do that in our lives? 50:25 I love this book, I will never stop to read it, 50:29 and I always stop to read it, I will never cease to read it 50:33 because there's so much wisdom in these pages. 50:39 But I need to realize 50:40 that these are just examples of what God is still doing 50:44 and willing to do in my life and in your life. 50:49 Friends, I challenge you 50:55 to stop listening to sermons, if you do as a history lesson. 51:00 Stop reading your bible almost as a textbook 51:05 and start pleading with the Lord 51:08 to give you fresh new experiences. 51:11 If you were converted 10 years ago, praise the Lord, 51:14 20 years ago, praise the lord, two weeks ago, praise the Lord. 51:18 But, pray to the Lord that he gave you that fire, 51:21 that first love that you had at the beginning 51:23 and that you never lose it. 51:25 If you haven't had it for years, 51:26 He can restore that in your life. 51:29 He will give you this, He will answer that prayer 51:31 'cause this is what he wants. 51:35 Friends, it was a pleasure to be with you this week. 51:39 I pray that you don't walk away 51:41 with a better understanding of the Bible, 51:43 I pray that you walk away 51:44 with a better understanding of Jesus 51:46 and His Holy Spirit and how He yearns 51:48 to work in your life. 51:50 May God be with you all. 52:11 All to Jesus 52:16 I surrender 52:21 All to Him 52:25 I freely give 52:31 I will ever love 52:37 And trust Him 52:40 In His presence 52:46 Daily live 52:50 I surrender all 52:59 Lord, I surrender all 53:06 All 53:11 To Thee my blessed 53:17 Savior 53:20 I surrender all 53:29 All to Jesus 53:35 I surrender 53:39 Humbly at His feet 53:45 I bow 53:49 Worldly pleasures 53:54 All forsaken 53:59 Take me, Jesus 54:04 Take me now 54:08 I surrender all 54:18 I surrender all 54:24 All 54:30 To Thee my blessed 54:35 Savior 54:38 I surrender 54:45 I surrender all 54:54 Lord I surrender all 55:05 I surrender 55:09 All Lord 55:15 I surrender 55:19 All 55:22 All 55:29 To Thee my blessed 55:34 Savior 55:37 I surrender all 55:49 Oh, Lord, all of me 55:52 I give to you dear Lord 55:58 My heart, my mind 56:02 My soul 56:06 Oh, Lord 56:09 My eyes, my hands 56:12 Dear Lord 56:17 Use me as you please 56:22 Lord, I'm yours 56:24 I'm yours, yours I'm yours 56:28 I'm yours all of me, all of me 56:34 Dear Lord 56:45 All to Thee my blessed 56:52 Savior 56:55 I surrender all |
Revised 2017-11-26