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Series Code: HHJ
Program Code: HHJ000011S
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00:01 Music...
00:15 Hello and welcome to the second in our Series of Presentations 00:20 under the theme: The Hour of His Judgment. 00:25 We're calling our Presentation for today: 00:29 A Call to Arms... 00:32 A Call to Arms. 00:33 The Scripture lesson is one that I have certainly used before 00:37 and perhaps, you here at other times during this Summit 00:42 because it is so appropriate to the times 00:45 in which we find ourselves. 00:46 Turn with me, if you will, to the book of Romans... 00:49 the book of Romans chapter 13... 00:52 I will give you just a moment to find it. 00:54 When you get to Romans 13, we want to zero in 00:58 on verses 11 through 13... 01:03 Romans 13:11 through 13 01:08 will serve as our foundation text 01:10 for our message today. 01:13 Before we read from the Word of God, 01:16 let's go to the Lord in prayer, 01:18 "Father God, again we praise you and thank you 01:22 for the privilege that is ours 01:24 not only to attend this virtual summit 01:28 but to hear words of impress and import 01:32 that our soul very much calculated 01:36 to prick our minds and consciences 01:39 as we get closer and closer 01:43 to the time when Christ shall come to take us home. 01:46 We ask, Lord, that You would teach us those things 01:49 that You'd have us to know... 01:51 that You would bless us, Father, with Your presence... 01:54 Your power... Your Holy Spirit... 01:55 for we need not only to hear a word from the Lord 01:59 but we need the power of the Lord 02:02 to put into practice those things 02:04 that will help prepare us 02:05 for that day when Christ comes again, 02:08 we know that it is soon 02:09 but we want more than anything, Lord, 02:12 to be ready for that day. 02:14 Would you be pleased, dear Father, 02:17 to equip us anew and again on this day 02:21 so that we can be prepared for that day 02:25 which we know is soon to come 02:26 and we thank you and praise you, 02:29 in Jesus' name, amen and amen. " 02:32 I'm in Romans 13 beginning at verse 11 02:35 and reading through to verse 13. 02:39 The Bible says, "And do this... " 02:42 I'm reading from the New King James... 02:43 verse on screen. 03:31 And I'll just go on and read verse 14 03:33 since it's the last one in the chapter... 03:34 concludes this thought... 03:36 "But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, 03:38 and make no provision for the flesh, 03:40 to fulfill its lusts. " 03:43 On February 6 in the year 1890, 03:50 some 130 years ago, 03:53 Ellen White delivered a morning worship talk 03:57 to a group of students. 03:59 These students had braved the chilly February 04:05 Battle Creek, Michigan air 04:08 and on that cold, frigid day, 04:12 they came to hear words of special import 04:15 to her and to them. 04:19 She chose as directed by God and the Holy Spirit, 04:25 to interweave themes dealing with war and sin 04:29 and Satan and the plight of the remnant... 04:34 in fact, her message dealt very much with the idea 04:39 of the remnant and how the remnant were called 04:44 to carry on the age-old fight with Satan. 04:48 She talked about the never-ceasing conflict 04:53 that each of us must find ourselves in. 04:57 Her words were, perhaps, a little more sober... 05:02 a little more somber. 05:04 They expressed a bit more gravitas 05:08 than perhaps at other times. 05:12 They gave voice... I would dare say 05:16 to a rising burden in her soul. 05:19 You see, throughout the 1880s and the 1890s 05:23 and even to a greater extent 05:26 throughout the rest of her life... 05:28 through the turn of the century 05:31 and into the early teens of the 20th century, 05:35 she became keenly aware 05:39 of this idea that the hour of His judgment had come 05:45 but more than that, 05:48 special preparation must be made 05:52 by the people of God 05:53 to address and redress the times in which we were living. 05:58 She was aware that the ancient Day of Atonement... 06:04 the typical... the anti-typical atonement services 06:09 the 2300-year/day prophecy... October 22, 1844... 06:15 the realigning of our preaching 06:18 and its theological underpinnings 06:21 all were very, very important 06:25 and all were part of present truth. 06:28 It gave a very special tenor to her speaking 06:33 and to her addressing the days in which 06:37 this Adventist church was finding itself. 06:41 She knew and understood that Christ needed to be 06:49 the center of all that we do 06:52 and all that we say 06:55 and all that we are 06:57 given what He was and is doing 07:01 in the sanctuary. 07:03 She was convinced that we needed to move 07:07 Christ and the doctrine of Christ 07:10 which we call: Christology 07:11 from the periphery of our preaching 07:15 to the very heart and center of our preaching 07:19 and our teaching. 07:20 She understood that Jesus had to be at the center. 07:25 It all had to surround Christ... 07:28 it was all about lifting up Christ. 07:32 The idea... 07:37 the understanding that Christ 07:39 was not on the edge of our theology... 07:42 He was indeed at the heart of our theology... 07:46 and now, mind you... that this Battle Creek worship address 07:51 was just a year... year and a half 07:55 after that tectonic 1888 Minneapolis General Conference 08:01 that we've talked about so many, many times 08:04 and that Adventists are so familiar with... 08:08 Adventism was still in the throes, dare I say, 08:13 of its own internal counter reformation. 08:17 As the doctrines of grace and righteousness by faith 08:23 and faith in general 08:27 had moved along with the doctrine of Christ 08:33 and His sacrifice had moved... or were being moved 08:40 from the edges of our teaching 08:42 to the very heart of our teaching. 08:44 Remember... we were a people who got our identity... 08:50 got our name... got our identity 08:51 from what Christ was doing in the heavenly sanctuary 08:55 in October of 1844 08:57 and this understanding of the centrality of Christ 09:02 and the importance of Christ 09:04 and the work of Christ 09:05 and the sacrifice of Christ 09:07 was being buried under an avalanche of law keeping 09:13 and law preaching 09:14 and Ellen White struggled along with Jones and Waggoner 09:19 and others in the church 09:20 who saw that the way we were going was not the way 09:24 that God would have us to go... 09:26 that Christ needed to be the foundation 09:29 and the super structure of all that we were doing 09:33 and all that was happening in the church 09:36 yet this idea struggled to gain traction and acceptance 09:41 in the highest echelons of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. 09:46 In the book third Selected Messages, page 183, 09:50 Ellen White decries where the church was going 09:55 and where it was headed. 09:57 She says this, 09:58 "There have been entire discourses 10:03 dry and Christless 10:07 in which Jesus has been scarcely named. 10:12 'Why'" she asked... 10:15 "are our lips so silent 10:17 upon the subject of Christ's righteousness 10:21 and His love for the world?" 10:24 She saw the direction that the church was heading in 10:28 and she tried as best she could... 10:31 as God gave her strength to reverse that course 10:36 as did Jones... as did Waggoner... 10:38 and, of course, this was the burden... 10:40 the overriding burden of the 1888 Minneapolis 10:44 General Conference. 10:46 She continues... 10:48 "We have preached law until our messages 10:53 are as dry as the hills of Gilboa 10:56 which received neither dew nor rain... " 11:00 Again, third Selected Messages, page 183. 11:04 My paraphrase... 11:05 Some preachers were actually afraid of... in fear of 11:12 teaching and preaching the message 11:15 of righteousness by faith. 11:18 They thought that the preaching of grace 11:23 would give people license to sin. 11:26 They thought that the preaching of cheap grace... 11:29 the idea... the understanding 11:31 that all we had to do is believe in Christ 11:34 and accept Christ and surrender to Christ 11:37 and our sins were forgiven 11:39 would encourage men and women in sin. 11:42 They did not understand the working 11:45 of the power of the Holy Spirit 11:47 and so, "Justification" was not preached... 11:50 "Sanctification" certainly was not preached... 11:53 it was Law... Law... Law... Law... 11:57 and as she said, we have preached "Law" 11:59 until our messages are as dry as the hills of Gilboa 12:04 which received neither dew nor rain... 12:08 we had skewed our theology over to the right 12:12 leaning too much on Law 12:16 and squeezing out the love of Jesus Christ. 12:19 Ellen White continues... 12:21 "Because this work has not been done... 12:26 lifting up of Christ in His character 12:30 the remnant has... or rather... is... 12:34 unprepared for battle... they have no strength. 12:39 The churches are ready to die" she says, 12:44 "because so little of Christ is presented. 12:48 The churches are ready to die 12:53 because so little of Christ is presented. 12:58 They... " that is the churches... 13:00 "have no spiritual life or discernment. " 13:03 Now as you're listening to these words 13:07 from a 130 years ago, 13:08 I want you to ask yourself a question, 13:10 Look at your church... 13:13 look at the Adventists that you know... 13:15 the Christians that you know. 13:17 Do you think in the last 130 years, 13:20 the churches have gotten stronger or weaker? 13:25 Have we gotten better... 13:28 even though we've gotten bigger, 13:31 have we gotten better? 13:34 Are we better now than we were a 130 years ago? 13:40 Are we closer to Christ now 13:42 than we were 130 years ago? 13:45 We are closer to His coming 13:47 but is this Laodicean church in which we now find ourselves, 13:54 is it closer to Christ or is it further from Him? 13:58 Is it stronger in Christ or is it weaker? 14:03 Is it more prepared for the coming of the Lord 14:06 or less prepared? 14:09 I daresay that, for many of us we have 14:13 and I will use this term, "Zombied our way" 14:17 to this hour in which we find ourselves. 14:22 Interestingly, there was a program for many years 14:25 on AMC called: Fear the Walking Dead. 14:29 Now, I must admit, I've never seen it... 14:32 never watched one second of it... 14:35 I don't really have time to waste 14:37 and the Lord has given me X number of hours on this earth 14:40 and I would never want to waste any of it 14:44 watching something like that 14:46 but I am told that it was very, very popular. 14:50 I don't know if it's still on... ran for many years 14:53 but I... I do have a very facile mind 14:56 and I found the title intriguing... 14:59 "Fear the Walking Dead. " 15:02 The Bible tells me in John 6:63 15:05 that it's the... it's the Spirit that quickeneth... 15:07 the flesh profiteth nothing... 15:10 so, we ought to fear the walking dead 15:15 and a Christless church is a dead church. 15:19 Christless churches are dead churches. 15:23 Christless Christians are dead Christians 15:27 if we can call them "Christians" at all 15:30 and we ought to fear the walking dead. 15:34 In fact, we ought to fear 15:36 becoming part of the walking dead. 15:38 We need to make sure that we are not walking dead 15:43 but that we are full of the Spirit of God 15:47 for it is the Spirit that quickeneth... 15:50 it is the Spirit that gives life 15:52 and we must have the Spirit of God... 15:55 the love of Jesus 15:56 if we are to be ready for the times in which we live... 16:01 if we are to meet the assaults of Satan... 16:04 if we are to be given the strength 16:07 to lift up the name of Jesus... 16:10 if we are to be the overcomers that God has called us to be... 16:15 if we are to be the successful examples of Christian living 16:21 that Christ wants us to be, 16:23 we must be filled with the Spirit 16:25 and filled with the love of Christ 16:28 so that we are not part of the walking dead. 16:31 How appropriate... that given the hour of judgment 16:35 in which we find ourselves 16:37 that given the hour of judgment of this world 16:41 that has come... 16:42 that not only are we to be aware of the times 16:47 in which we live, 16:48 but we ought to be awake and alert 16:53 and at our post of duty 16:56 so that Christ can use us to do a mighty work for Him. 17:02 Ladies and Gentlemen, 17:04 the time for play is past... 17:06 the time for "Armchair Christianity" 17:10 and you will hear me say this over and over again... is past, 17:14 it's time to get off the couch 17:17 and in the game for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 17:20 This hour demands 17:24 that Christians be at their post of duty... 17:26 that nothing takes the place of doing the work of the Lord... 17:30 that nothing takes the place of being ready 17:33 to go about our Father's errands and to do His business 17:39 and doing His will. 17:42 Now, let me give you just a side bar very quickly. 17:45 A few short months after this speech, 17:50 the brethren shipped Ellen White off to Australia 17:55 and I say, "shipped her off to Australia" 17:57 because she wrote in her diary 18:02 and... and mentioned to her secretary 18:04 that, "I feel no call from the Lord to go... " 18:08 of course, going to Australia even today... 18:11 I've been there once... twice... three times... 18:14 Irma and I have been there and we ministered in Australia, 18:18 it's an awful trip to go by plane now a days... 18:23 I think, as I recall, 18:24 it's around 27 hours on the plane... 18:28 that's an awful long time to be on an airplane... 18:32 back then... during the days of Ellen White, 18:36 I think it was the better part of six months by ship... 18:40 an awful trip... 18:42 just beats your body up 18:45 and you get to Australia and you are just worn out 18:50 and as bad as it is going from the United States to Australia 18:55 and ministering... 18:56 the trip back is worse than the trip out. 19:00 When we came back from... from Australia... 19:03 your body is just out of sorts for ten days to two weeks. 19:08 You're sleeping in the middle of the day 19:10 and can't sleep at night 19:12 and you're hungry at one time and the wrong time... 19:14 it's just... it just... it just messes with your... 19:17 your... your constitution. 19:19 It's not a good trip and not one that you want to do 19:23 too often... but the saints there are beautiful 19:26 and the church is growing but it... 19:29 it's a tough ministry trip. 19:32 Well, back then... six months on a boat... 19:34 really, really tough 19:36 and so, shortly after she went to 19:39 the Minneapolis General Conference, 19:42 the brethren shipped her off to Australia... 19:45 she said, "I don't feel a call from God to go 19:48 but I'm going because I'm trying to be obedient. 19:51 While there, interestingly enough, 19:53 once she got to Australia, 19:55 she wrote that she suffered worse 19:58 during the next couple of months... 20:01 six weeks or two months... I don't remember exactly... 20:04 the worst suffering of her life. 20:07 She was crippled... she was paralyzed... 20:09 she could not move... 20:11 sometimes only her hand was able to move so that she could write 20:14 but everything else ached... everything else was in pain... 20:18 she suffered mentally... physically... spiritually... 20:21 attacked by the devil... 20:22 the worst suffering of her life... 20:25 but she did say... she did say in praise to God 20:29 that that suffering drove her closer to the Lord 20:33 than at any time in her life 20:35 but she did suffer greatly. 20:37 God used her during that trip to start Avondale College... 20:42 the publishing work in Australia... 20:46 the health work in Australia... 20:48 the... the... an orchard was purchased 20:51 that was giving no fruit 20:53 and God showed her how to do a couple of things... 20:57 add a couple of changes 20:58 and the orchard began to bloom wonderfully... 21:01 just a number of miracles at the hand of God 21:04 to let her know that even though she was sent there 21:07 because the Brethren were trying to get her out of the way 21:10 for a while, that God was with her 21:12 and that wherever she went, 21:13 the hand of the Lord was upon her. 21:15 She bought a German Shepherd dog that she named: Tiglath Pileser 21:19 and a number of very nice things happened when she was there 21:23 because the Lord was with her during that time 21:25 but I digress 21:27 because on that freezing morning... 21:30 that February 1890 freezing morning, 21:34 she spoke to older saints and to the young people 21:40 at Battle Creek 21:41 and she laid her burden upon them. 21:46 Among other things, she said this, 21:50 "We shall have to battle with the enemy of our souls 21:54 until the coming of the Lord... " 21:57 and so, she wanted her people to have no illusions 22:01 as to the battles that they were going to be called to fight. 22:05 She wanted them to understand clearly 22:07 that this battle with the enemy 22:10 is a battle that will continue till the coming of the Lord. 22:14 No detour... no reproachment... 22:16 no vacations... no breaks... 22:18 no pauses... no downtime... 22:20 no timeout 22:21 that we will have to constantly fight against the enemy 22:25 until Jesus comes again 22:27 or until we close our eyes in death. 22:31 Things will not get any better... 22:32 the battle is going to get more fierce 22:35 and it's going to wax hotter and hotter 22:38 until Christ comes. 22:40 That's the legacy of being a Christian in God, 22:44 you see the... the... the... the burden of the Christian... 22:48 the thing that... that... 22:51 that you got to watch out for and understand 22:53 is that you never get vacation from fighting the enemy. 22:57 You fight from the time you give your heart to the Lord 23:01 until the time you close your eyes in death. 23:05 No breaks... no stops... 23:07 no vacations... 23:09 one continual warfare... 23:11 praise God we are assisted in that warfare 23:15 with and by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ 23:18 and our victory is assured. 23:21 She continues... 23:23 this is from that February 1890 message, 23:27 "When Christ was upon the earth, 23:30 He contended with the enemy for the salvation of men... " 23:34 of man rather... 23:36 "and when He left the world, 23:38 He committed the conflict to His followers. " 23:43 So, Christ carried on the battle while He was here 23:46 and when He left, 23:47 He put the war in our hands. 23:50 He committed the conflict to His followers 23:54 to be carried forward in His name. " 23:58 I'm so glad that we are called to fight 24:02 in the name of Jesus 24:03 for in the name of Jesus, there is victory. 24:07 She continues, 24:09 "We are to wage this war day by day... 24:15 hour by hour... 24:18 minute by minute. " 24:21 So, there's no break... there's no downtime. 24:25 This war had to be carried on and even more so 24:29 as we see... the Bible says, 24:31 'the day approaching. ' 24:33 To every soul of us belongs the battle. " 24:39 Now, if these words were present truth in 1890, 24:44 some 130 years ago, 24:46 we are 130 years closer now to the coming of our Lord. 24:53 There's certainly our present truth for you and for me today. 24:58 They are the watch word for this hour of judgment 25:04 which has come. 25:07 This is a call to arms... 25:11 this is, as it were, reveille for the world 25:16 and certainly for the people of God. 25:19 This is God's wake-up call for His church 25:24 and for His people. 25:27 The truth is... like it or not, 25:29 believe it or not... 25:32 accept it or not... ready or not... 25:36 the judgment is set... Daniel chapter 7... 25:40 the books are opened and we will discuss this 25:44 and examine this a little bit more closely in our next message 25:49 and the Court is in session 25:53 and eternal destinies are being determined 26:00 even as we speak. 26:03 God's people must be about God's business 26:08 because judgment is going on even now 26:13 and we are in the throes 26:16 of a cosmic conflict. 26:19 You see, the... the conflict... the controversy 26:22 is between Christ and Satan 26:24 and we, His people, are but collateral damage. 26:27 Satan doesn't care about us. 26:29 Satan knows that hurting us hurts Jesus. 26:32 Satan is a liar and a murderer. 26:34 That's his M.O. 26:35 when he had Christ in his clutches, 26:39 he immediately set out to murder Him... 26:42 he did so at His birth... 26:44 he did so in the years following His birth... 26:46 he did so throughout His ministry 26:48 and finally, after 33 years of service, 26:53 he succeeded in his end 26:56 but death could not hold Jesus, praise God... 27:00 Christ defeated Satan when He defeated death 27:05 and became victor in the cosmic conflict. 27:10 So, then... this cosmic conflict now has a personal dimension 27:19 because we are the saints for whom Christ had... 27:26 has died. 27:27 Didn't start out that way... 27:29 this war did not begin with us, 27:31 it was ongoing... and when we gave our life to the Lord, 27:36 we stepped in... we enlisted, as it were. 27:40 The moment you decided to follow Jesus, 27:43 the moment you decided to surrender your life to Him, 27:47 that's the same moment Satan decided 27:51 to put you on his "Enemies List" 27:53 and to fight against you 27:57 and the cosmic conflict became personal 28:02 because you enlisted in the Lord's army. 28:07 Satan says, "No" when you say, "Yes" to Christ. 28:12 The idea of what heaven is like, 28:16 eyes have not seen... ears have not heard... 28:20 neither has it entered in your heart 28:23 what's in heaven 28:26 and the fact that you've decided to go to heaven... 28:29 Satan says, "You don't know what heaven is like 28:33 but I used to live there 28:34 and I want to make sure that you never get a chance to... " 28:38 and so, the cosmic conflict now becomes a personal conflict. 28:43 I'm so glad that we serve a personal savior 28:49 who can help us 28:52 in this personal fight with the enemy. 28:55 There is a cosmic conflict. 28:58 There is a conflict between dark angels and good angels 29:02 and Satan as the accuser of the Brethren 29:05 and so, there's this meta-physical cosmic 29:08 aspect to this 29:10 but there is also a very personal aspect to it. 29:13 Satan wants to hurt you... 29:15 Satan wants to destroy you... 29:17 Satan wants to separate you from the Lord. 29:20 That is why, it is so important 29:22 that we accept Christ as our personal Savior 29:26 to help us in this personal conflict 29:31 in which we are all involved. 29:34 I'm reminded... I'm reminded of those powerful words 29:38 of the Reformist Martin Luther 29:41 when he wrote that powerful hymn of the church: 29:45 A Mighty Fortress is our God. 29:48 Listen to these words, 29:49 he says, "For still our ancient foe 29:55 doth seek to work us woe; 29:58 his craft and power are great, 30:03 and armed with cruel hate, 30:07 on earth is not his equal. " 30:11 True and sobering words. 30:14 The equal of Satan does not exist on this earth. 30:19 We are no match for the wiles of the enemy 30:23 but Christ is... 30:25 and that's why you need to have Christ in your life 30:28 if you're going to defeat Satan 30:30 because only Christ is powerful enough 30:32 to defeat Satan. 30:34 You want to read a chilling account 30:35 in the book: Early Writings... 30:39 Ellen White was shown in vision... Satan. 30:43 She says she saw him sitting with his head in his hands... 30:51 sort of sitting like this... 30:53 she describes his frame... 30:55 she says he's large-framed individual... 30:58 she says his skin hung loosely about his... his... 31:02 his... his frame... 31:05 she talks about the slyness and the cunningness 31:09 and the evil that has etched itself in his face. 31:13 She says, he was once a beautiful shining angel 31:16 and there are still vestiges of that beauty there 31:20 but they have been marred by the evil 31:23 to which he's bent himself for so long. 31:26 She talks about his... his head... 31:28 she says, the... the... the skull... 31:29 the... the... the... the.. the... the forehead 31:33 receded back from the eyes 31:36 and she talked about his eyes deep and penetrating 31:40 and very, very scary. 31:42 She said... when she saw him, he was thinking very deeply... 31:45 head in hand... thinking. 31:48 She says... as she saw and looked... 31:51 she saw a smile begin to go across his face. 31:55 She said it was Satanic and... and evil and very frightening 32:00 and she says... that's the smile that Satan gets 32:05 just about the time he is catching a Christian 32:10 in his snare. 32:12 That's the kind of smile that he gets 32:14 when he is closing the trap door 32:17 on one of God's children 32:20 when he has wounded Christ 32:23 by seizing and taking hostage 32:25 one of His children... 32:28 one of those for whom Christ had... had died... 32:31 has died... so, she talks about the reality of this warfare 32:37 and understanding the wiles of the enemy. 32:42 The truth is, one of the mistakes that we can make 32:48 is under estimating our enemy. 32:52 The cold reality of these times in which we find ourselves, 32:56 is the undeniable fact 32:59 that Satan... the dragon... the devil... 33:02 the adversary is enraged with the Church of God. 33:08 You never want to underestimate him... 33:12 by the same token, 33:13 you don't want to give him too much credit 33:15 because he's a defeated foe 33:17 and though he is trying to take as many 33:20 of God's people with him as he can, 33:23 the truth is, he's a defeated foe. 33:27 Judgment has not been executed on him 33:31 but Christ defeated him at the Cross. 33:34 When Christ was obedient unto death... 33:37 even the death at the Cross, 33:39 that marked the death knell for Satan 33:42 and when Christ came forth from the grave, 33:46 he defeated death 33:47 given the promise that all of those who die in Christ 33:52 will also defeat death. 33:54 The last enemy that will be destroyed is death 33:58 but before death is destroyed, 34:01 Satan will be destroyed so he is a defeated foe. 34:05 As powerful as he is... as wily as he is... 34:08 as strong as he is... 34:10 we must put above his name the word: Defeated. 34:16 Not executed yet... but defeated... 34:19 on death row as it were 34:22 and awaiting his destruction which one day will come. 34:29 So, this battle... 34:31 this Corporate battle that we're talking about, 34:33 is just as real as any battle in... that has ever been fought 34:40 and the consequences are as real as any battle 34:46 that has ever been fought. 34:49 Ellen White says, if the curtain could be pulled back 34:52 and we can see and witness 34:54 the pitched battles between the forces of good 34:57 and the forces of evil, 34:58 we would be shocked and amazed and impressed 35:02 with the reality of the state in which we find ourselves. 35:05 One of the things that shocked me 35:10 and... and really is sobering 35:13 is this idea that in the last days, 35:17 when the seven last plagues fall 35:20 and the protecting power of the Lord is being withdrawn... 35:24 the kinds of things... the kinds of turmoil... 35:27 and Satan... 35:29 and chaos that Satan is going to put this world through 35:31 when the restraining power of the four angels 35:35 which are holding back the winds of strive... 35:37 and Satan is loosed for a little while... 35:40 the kinds of chaos and mayhem 35:42 that this world is going to go through... 35:44 but again... and we'll talk about this a little more 35:47 in the next... in our next Presentation... 35:49 God's people will be delivered. 35:52 That's the thing that... that settles my heart 35:55 and gives me courage and understanding 35:56 that God is going to take care of His own... 35:59 God will not lose any of those who are sealed unto salvation 36:04 but a war is being fought for your souls Brothers and Sisters, 36:08 don't miss that point... as important as it is. 36:11 Satan would like to have you... would like to destroy you... 36:15 but God has promised to protect you and give you victory 36:19 and deliver you in these last days. 36:23 I turn now to Titus chapter 2 and verse 12. 36:27 I'm going to ask you to turn to that text with me if you will. 36:31 The book is Titus... chapter 2... 36:35 and verse 12... 36:38 Titus 2:12... 36:41 pause... 36:46 give you a moment to find it, 36:48 Titus chapter 2... just a tiny book tucked there, 36:52 it only has three chapters, 36:54 Philemon and then follows Hebrews 36:58 if you go to Hebrews and work your way back just a little bit, 37:01 Philemon... a very short book... 37:03 and Titus... just a tad longer... 37:06 I'm in Titus chapter 2 and verse 12. 37:08 The Bible says... Titus 2:12, 37:10 in fact, I'm going to go against myself here 37:14 and go back to verse 11 37:16 and then we can pick it up on the screen at verse 12. 37:19 "For the grace of God that brings salvation 37:22 has appeared to all men... " 37:24 that text is a sermon in itself. 37:27 Here's Titus 2:12, 37:29 "teaching us that, denying ungodliness 37:34 and worldly lusts, 37:35 we should live soberly, righteously, 37:41 and godly in this present age. " 37:46 So the grace of God that has appeared to all men... 37:50 teaches us that denying ungodliness 37:55 and worldly lusts... 37:57 we should live soberly. 37:59 The... the New Testament word for "soberly" 38:04 is a word that lets us know that we need to live 38:11 with an awareness of the times, 38:14 the Bible says, "Don't get caught up... 38:16 so caught up in this world 38:17 that so overcharged with the drunkenness 38:21 and the wildness of this world, 38:23 that you forget the times in which we find ourselves. 38:26 Over and over again, we find this. 38:29 The Bible says in Romans chapter 12, 38:31 "Be not conformed to this world... " 38:34 you know, we... we... we are told 38:36 and I think I want to just turn to that 38:39 because it's a good text 38:40 and Romans chapter 12 verse 1, 38:44 I didn't have it in my list of texts 38:49 but I want to just... just... just add this, 38:52 it says, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, 38:54 by the mercies of God, 38:56 that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, 38:58 holy, acceptable to God, 39:00 which is your reasonable service... " 39:02 and verse 2... 39:04 "And do not be conformed to this world: 39:07 but be transformed... " the Bible says, 39:11 "by the renewing of your mind, 39:12 that you may prove what is that good, 39:16 and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. " 39:19 Again, you see this over and over again 39:22 in the New Testament. 39:23 Don't be conformed to this world... 39:25 don't be molded to this world... 39:29 don't be compacted by this world 39:32 but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. 39:36 Here in Paul's letter to Titus, 39:39 we... we see a similar exhortation... 39:43 live soberly... 39:45 live righteously... 39:48 live Godly in this present age. 39:53 Now, why is it important? 39:55 Why should we do that? 39:57 Because the hour of His judgment is come. 40:03 It is... it is too late to trifle... 40:06 it is too late to mollycoddle sin... 40:09 it is too late to indulge in sin... 40:12 it is too late to wallow in sin... 40:15 it's time to get the victory over sin... 40:18 to overcome sin 40:20 and to be keenly aware of the times in which we live. 40:26 Our very first text... 40:28 the Scripture lesson for this particular sermon, 40:30 Romans chapter 13, 40:33 "And do this... knowing the time... " 40:37 being aware of the time... 40:39 you see, there's a lot of people who don't know the time... 40:41 who are not aware of the time... 40:43 who don't understand the time... 40:45 their minds are too caught up in the things of this world 40:48 but we as Christians ought to be keenly aware 40:54 of the time. 40:56 I like the Darby translation of Titus chapter 2 verse 12, 41:01 the Bible says... in the Darby translation... 41:04 "to live soberly... justly... 41:08 piously... in this present course of things. " 41:14 The thought is the same... 41:16 the burden is the same... 41:18 we've got to be aware. 41:20 We've got to have our feet planted firmly on the ground 41:24 and our head and our heart in lockstep with Jesus 41:28 as we address the times in which we find ourselves. 41:33 God is doing so much for us... to us... with us... 41:37 through us... 41:38 and we must serve Him faithfully 41:41 in these last days. 41:42 So, Satan now is angry with the church, 41:44 he always has been 41:46 but he has reserved a particular animus... 41:50 a particular venom for the church in these last days. 41:54 The church that exists just prior to the coming 41:57 of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 41:59 The church is the object of Satan's rage. 42:03 He wants to destroy the remnant... 42:07 the last remaining portion of the people of God. 42:12 I want to nuance that word "remnant" 42:16 for just a little bit 42:17 because remnant has always been... 42:20 there has always been a remnant... 42:23 there is now a remnant... 42:25 there will always be a remnant. 42:28 From the days of old until this day, 42:31 God has always had a faithful people 42:34 that could be termed "the remnant. " 42:37 Faithful men and women who are loyal soldiers 42:41 in the army of God have always existed. 42:43 We... we have a view of them in Hebrews chapter 11. 42:46 We don't have time to read that very, very beautiful chapter, 42:49 but it is worth study and contemplation. 42:51 God has never been without a faithful witness. 42:55 So, this remnant is the final remnant. 42:59 Satan us wroth with the remnant of the church's seed... 43:04 he is angry with that last portion. 43:08 That's the portion that exists just prior to the second coming 43:11 of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 43:14 He has special venom for the remnant. 43:16 Remnant is not just the last portion of something. 43:21 Remnant is a very wonderful term. 43:25 It... it... it means that portion 43:29 that exists after trauma. 43:33 What is judged as faithful 43:36 after there has been a rending or a trauma 43:40 or drama... or conflict... 43:42 a rending... a forced separation... 43:46 the original has been tried and tested 43:50 and a declaration has been made 43:52 that that which is left 43:54 is true to the original 43:56 and it is called "Remnant. " 43:59 Now, let me stress this point because it's very important. 44:01 You cannot have remnant without judgment. 44:05 Somebody... some court... some tribunal... 44:09 some judiciary has looked at the evidence 44:13 before and after trauma 44:16 and made a determination 44:19 that what is left... what remains... 44:22 what endures... 44:24 that part is identical to the original part 44:28 and is called: Remnant. 44:31 So, the remnant is not just what remains, 44:37 remnant is: what has remained after trial and drama, 44:47 so, the remnant has gone through something 44:52 and has remained faithful to the original 44:56 and as such is called: remnant. 45:00 Revelation chapter 14... we want to turn to that quickly, 45:06 Revelation 14 and verse 12, 45:10 Revelation 14 and verse 12... 45:12 and I'm turning quickly to Revelation 14 and verse 12... 45:19 pause... 45:24 and I got my new Bible and my pages are... 45:27 there we go, Revelation 14 and verse 12, 45:30 on screen. 45:38 Remnant is that group or that portion 45:47 that has endured and persevered. 45:51 "Here is the patience of the saints... " 45:56 says the New King James... 45:58 there are many translations that translate this, 46:02 "Here is the endurance or the perseverance 46:07 of the saints. " 46:08 So, remnant... understand me... 46:11 is a consequence of conflict. 46:14 When we look at Isaiah chapter 10 verses 20 through 34, 46:18 it's a long passage and we don't have time to read it now. 46:21 The theme of remnant after judgment 46:25 is very, very clear. 46:27 You cannot have remnant without judgment. 46:32 You cannot have remnant without trauma. 46:38 You cannot have remnant unless a judgment has been... 46:42 a verdict has been rendered... 46:44 a judgment has been set 46:46 and it had been determined that that which is left 46:51 is equal to that which was there at the beginning. 46:55 So, remnant is that part that's not only left over 47:00 but that has endured the trial and the drama 47:04 and the separation and the rending... 47:08 so, remnant then is defined by crisis. 47:13 The remnant is that part that remains 47:17 after a crisis has taken place. 47:21 In Isaiah chapter 10, we see a number of things. 47:26 In Isaiah chapter 7 verse 3... 47:29 Isaiah has two sons... 47:32 one is called: Shearjashub 47:35 which means: a remnant shall return. 47:39 So, God was... was... was telling Israel 47:43 that even after the trauma and drama of Assyrian captivity, 47:48 that there is going to be a remnant 47:51 but, again you've got the drama... 47:54 the trauma of Assyrian captivity. 47:57 The other son was: Mahershalalhashbaz 48:01 which is a mouthful 48:02 meaning: a remnant shall return. 48:06 Isaiah prophesied in the days of crisis in Israel. 48:11 There were two major crises... 48:13 the first national crisis came 48:16 when Judah was threatened by an alliance 48:19 between Israel and Assyria in about 734 B.C. 48:22 The key issues were: God's sovere... 48:27 sovereignty... rather 48:29 and His power to deliver and save. 48:32 In other words, those very things 48:35 that make you the remnant. 48:37 The second crisis which came about in 701 48:40 during the siege of Jerusalem 48:43 when people were literally eating their own children 48:47 and even unclean animals 48:49 and unclean foods were being sold 48:51 for large sums of money... 48:53 so desperate were the times during this siege... 48:58 the prophetic call was the same in both instances. 49:02 Are we going to trust God or rely on man? 49:06 In this instance... the politics of man 49:11 and in both instances... 49:13 both times of crisis... 49:15 God assured His faithful that after the trauma... 49:21 after the drama... 49:23 after the war... 49:24 after the rending... 49:27 after the separation... 49:28 a remnant 49:30 would return to Him. 49:33 So, you understand my point 49:35 that "remnant" is a consequence of drama and trauma. 49:40 The remnant is not just that which is left over, 49:45 the remnant is that part which withstands the trauma... 49:51 which withstands the drama... 49:53 which remains standing and faithful 49:57 in the face of opposition and loss. 50:01 So, the remnant is the part that has been judged by God 50:05 to be faithful even in times of faithlessness 50:10 and has been judged by God to be faithful 50:14 to the original after a rending or a separation 50:19 has taken place. 50:21 So, Isaiah covers the time from the first crisis 50:24 through the second crisis 50:25 and reaches down to the coming 50:27 of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ 50:29 So, those prophecies of faithfulness... 50:32 of an abiding presence with God 50:34 even through wicked and tough times 50:36 can be applied to our times 50:38 so, we are not just a remnant... 50:41 we are the remnant. 50:43 We are those who will be faithful to God 50:47 through times of trouble... 50:49 through times of drama... 50:51 through times of trauma... 50:54 through times of separation... 50:55 through times of wickedness... 50:57 through times of apathy... 50:59 through times of Laodiceanism... 51:02 God is going to have a faithful people 51:05 who will stand with Him... 51:07 stand by Him... 51:08 stand for Him... 51:10 who will allow Him to work with them... 51:12 for them... 51:14 through them 51:15 to do a great work for Him... 51:18 they will be accounted... the remnant 51:21 and God will deliver them 51:23 because He has promised to do so 51:26 and because God is faithful to His word. 51:29 So, we see in Isaiah... a love that will not let go 51:34 and a love that will keep God and His people 51:37 until the second coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 51:42 We see in Isaiah this desperate determination of God... 51:49 this view of God that is tenacious 51:52 and will not let us go 51:54 and will hold on to us until Jesus comes again... 51:59 pause... 52:03 as we approach the judgment of this world. 52:06 I want to go... before my time gets away 52:10 to 2nd Peter chapter 3 verses 8 through 10. 52:14 You're in your New Testament... 52:17 we want to go to 2nd Peter... 52:20 James and Peter... 52:23 or rather... Peter... 52:27 and then we go to 2nd Peter chapter 3 52:32 pause... 52:38 2nd Peter chapter 3 52:40 and we consider verses 8 through 10. 52:46 Pause... 52:52 2nd Peter 3 and we pick it up at verse 8, 52:56 The word of God says, 52:58 "But beloved do not forget this one thing, 53:00 that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, 53:04 and a thousand years as one day. " 53:06 That gives us background for what He says in verse 9, 53:12 "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, 53:15 as some count slackness, 53:17 but is longsuffering towards us, 53:21 not willing that any should perish 53:24 but that all should come to repentance. " 53:27 Pause... 53:29 and I'll read verse 10, 53:31 "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, 53:33 in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, 53:36 and the elements will melt with fervent heat; 53:39 both the earth and the works that are in it 53:42 will be burned up. " 53:44 The key is tucked right there in the middle of those verses. 53:48 In verse 9... 53:49 "The Lord is not slack concerning His promises... " 53:53 whether it be a day or a thousand years, 53:55 the promises are true 53:57 that God will have a remnant. 53:59 He is longsuffering toward us 54:02 and He is not willing that any should perish 54:07 for which we can praise and thank God. " 54:10 So when the question is asked as it is so often, 54:15 "Where is God?" 54:16 The answer is: right where you left Him. 54:19 He is right there waiting for you... 54:22 loving you 54:24 and working in your behalf. 54:29 Luke chapter 19 verse 13 is important 54:36 as respects this idea of working for the Lord. 54:41 Luke 19:13. 54:43 Matthew... Mark... Luke... and John... 54:46 17... 18... and 19... 54:49 I like this particular text 54:52 because of the... the... the Greek language that is used, 54:56 Luke chapter 19 and verse 13. 55:03 Luke 19 and 11... 12... and 13, here we go, 55:10 On screen. 55:22 I want to stop there... that's verse 13... 55:24 This is the same parable 55:26 that takes place in Matthew chapter 25. 55:29 In Matthew 25 it's called: The Parable of the Talents. 55:32 Luke calls it the parable of the Minas... 55:36 a Mina is about a 100 days' wages 55:42 so, it's considerable amount of money. 55:44 These men are given a... a Mina... 55:48 they're given a fairly substantial amount of money 55:50 and then the Lord comes back some time later and asks them, 55:54 "What did you do with the money that I gave you?" 55:56 What is important here is that 56:00 pause... 56:05 the Lord says, "Do business... " 56:08 in the King James, it's "occupy" till I come, 56:12 so, this idea of occupying... of doing business 56:17 is what God wants us to do in these last days 56:21 while He is away preparing to return. 56:26 He's saying, "Do business... " 56:29 this word "occupy" means... transact business. 56:34 It means, "Don't sit around idle... 56:37 don't just look at the world... 56:39 don't just observe what's going on... 56:42 be part of what's going on... 56:44 occupy until I come... 56:47 busy yourself with the work of the Lord 56:50 until I come 56:51 because I am coming quickly 56:54 and I want you to be with me. 56:58 Keep on working until I see you 57:01 face to face... to face. " 57:04 Now, quickly, I want to go to this last text, 57:06 John chapter 9:4... 57:08 book of John... Matthew, Mark, Luke, John 57:10 chapter 9 and verse 4. 57:13 John 9:4. 57:14 I want to read it very quickly 57:16 before my times gets away, 57:17 John 9 and verse 4, 57:19 on screen. 57:27 Christ is saying, "Soon work time will be over" 57:33 so, we must work the works of God 57:37 while we can 57:39 because there is coming a time 57:41 when we will not be able to. 57:43 Again we go back to our key text, 57:47 Romans 13 and that knowing the times 57:50 that now it is high time... 57:53 cast off the works of darkness 57:56 and to take on the works of light... 57:59 the hour is far spent... 58:01 the day is at hand 58:03 and we must be about our Father's business. 58:06 God bless you. |
Revised 2021-03-16