Participants: James Rafferty
Series Code: OTR
Program Code: OTR000671
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01:01 Happy Sabbath everyone, and welcome to North Florida
01:03 Camp Meeting at Camp Kulaqua. 01:06 We're privileged and happy to be 01:08 with each and every one of you today. 01:10 David says, 01:14 "I will sing a new song 01:15 unto thee, O God, upon a psaltery 01:18 and an instrument of ten strings 01:20 I will sing praise unto thee". 01:23 Join with us as we sing praise to Him this evening. 01:34 Come, Thou Fount of every blessing, 01:39 Tune my heart to sing Thy grace, 01:44 Streams of mercy, never ceasing, 01:49 Call for songs of loudest praise. 01:54 Teach me ever to adore thee. 01:59 May I still Thy goodness prove. 02:03 While the hope of endless glory. 02:08 Fills my heart with joy and love, 02:13 O to grace how great a debtor Daily I'm constrained to be! 02:23 Let Thy goodness, like a fetter, 02:28 Bind me closer still to thee. 02:33 Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, 02:38 Prone to leave the God I love, 02:43 Here's my heart, O take and seal it, 02:48 Seal it for thy courts above. 02:56 How many times do we feel, the Lord shield about us 02:59 and just know that He is with us. 03:02 That's why we're singing about tonight 03:04 "A shield about me". Join with us. 03:20 You, O Lord, Are a shield about me, 03:31 You're my glory, you're the lifter of my head. 03:44 You, O Lord are a shield about me, 03:55 You're my glory, you're the lifter of my head. 04:08 Hallelujah, Hallelujah, 04:20 Hallelujah, You're the lifter of my head 04:36 You, O Lord, Are a shield about me, 04:47 You're my glory, You're the lifter of my head. 04:59 You, O Lord, Are a shield about me, 05:10 You're my glory, You're the lifter of my head. 05:23 Hallelujah, Hallelujah, 05:35 Hallelujah, You're the lifter of my head 05:50 Hallelujah, Hallelujah, 06:03 Hallelujah, You're the lifter of my head. 06:17 I'm a college student. 06:19 And I have written a schedule for my classes, 06:23 that's easy for me to know, 06:24 what time I need to get the bus 06:26 and what time I need to go to class. 06:29 But it's a week schedule 06:30 and on Sabbath of course I have no class. 06:33 And I wrote on that calendar date, 06:36 O day of rest and gladness, sing with us. 06:48 O day of rest and gladness, O day of joy and light, 06:59 O Balm of care and sadness. 07:04 Most beautiful, most bright, On Thee the high and lowly 07:14 Who bend before the throne 07:18 Sing holy, holy, holy To the Eternal One. 07:31 Thou art a port protected, 07:36 From storms that round us rise, 07:41 A garden intersected, With streams from paradise, 07:50 Thou art a cooling fountain In life's dry, dreary sand, 08:00 From thee, like Pisgah's mountain, 08:04 We view our Promised Land, A day of sweet reflection, 08:17 Thou art, a day of love, A day to raise affection, 08:27 From earth to things above New graces ever gaining, 08:36 From this our day of rest We seek the rest remaining, 08:46 In mansions of the blest 09:11 Would you be free from the burden of sin? 09:16 There's pow'r in the blood, pow'r in the blood, 09:21 Would you o'er evil a victory win? 09:25 There's wonderful power in the blood. 09:30 There is pow'r, pow'r wonder working pow'r. 09:34 In the blood of the lamb, 09:39 There is pow'r, pow'r wonder working pow'r. 09:44 In the precious blood of the lamb. 09:49 Would you be free from your passion and pride? 09:54 There's pow'r in the blood pow'r in the blood, 09:59 Come for a cleansing to Calvary's tide? 10:03 There's wonderful pow'r in the blood. 10:08 There is pow'r, pow'r wonder working pow'r. 10:12 In the blood of the lamb, 10:17 There is pow'r, pow'r wonder working pow'r. 10:22 In the precious blood of the lamb. 10:27 Would you do service for Jesus your king? 10:32 There's pow'r in the blood, pow'r in the blood, 10:37 Would you live daily His praises to sing? 10:41 There's wonderful power in the blood. 10:46 There is pow'r, pow'r wonder working pow'r. 10:50 In the blood of the lamb, 10:55 There is pow'r, pow'r wonder working pow'r. 11:00 In the precious blood of the lamb. 11:05 There is pow'r, pow'r wonder working pow'r. 11:09 In the blood of the lamb, 11:14 There is pow'r, pow'r wonder working pow'r. 11:19 In the precious blood of the lamb. 11:26 I would like to invite all of you to stand. 11:28 We would like to introduce, 11:31 the theme song for our camp meeting this weekend, 11:33 "Open our eyes Lord, let us see Jesus". 11:51 Open our eyes, Lord, we want to see Jesus, 12:03 To reach out and touch Him, And say that we love Him. 12:16 Open our ears, Lord, and help us to listen, 12:28 Open our eyes, Lord, we want to see Jesus. 12:41 Open our eyes, Lord, we want to see Jesus. 12:53 To reach out and touch Him, And say that we love Him. 13:06 Open our ears, Lord, and help us to listen, 13:19 Open our eyes, Lord, we want to see Jesus. 13:44 You may be seated. 13:49 I want to welcome everyone this evening 13:52 to North Florida Camp Meeting held here at Camp Kulaqua. 13:56 We appreciate everyone coming 13:58 and as seats continue to fill up. 14:01 We know that God is just gonna 14:03 continue to bless here tonight. 14:06 We have a speaker James Refferty 14:08 that will be up here. 14:10 We want to thank the Gainesville, 14:15 praise and worship team for coming over 14:17 and sharing with us this evening, amen. Amen. 14:20 The Lord has really blessed. 14:22 We want to start out toning with the word of prayer, 14:25 let us bow our heads. 14:28 You are heavenly father are great and wonderful, 14:33 majesty beyond compared. 14:36 Lord, this weekend as we focus upon heaven, 14:41 that place where once again, we'll been reunited with you. 14:46 I ask that you would bless everyone here, 14:50 that you would open up their hearts to receive you in 14:55 that we would see you more clearly, 14:58 because what's happen to us this weekend. 15:01 We asks in Your name and for Your sake 15:04 and may all glory honor 15:05 and praise go to you in Jesus name, amen. 15:11 I want to thank all of our viewers, 15:13 that are joining us via satellite 15:15 all around the world. 15:18 We thank you for being here tonight 15:20 and we look forward to spending more time with you 15:22 as the weekend continues. 15:38 Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father, 15:46 There is no shadow of turning with thee, 15:53 Thou changest not, thy compassions, they fail not 16:01 As thou hast been thou forever will be. 16:15 Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest, 16:22 Sun, moon and stars in their courses above, 16:30 Join with all nature in manifold witness 16:38 To thy great faithfulness, mercy and love. 16:46 Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness! 16:54 Morning by morning new mercies I see, 17:02 All I have needed Thy hand hath provided 17:10 Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me! 17:24 Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth, 17:32 Thy own dear presence to cheer and to guide, 17:39 Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow, 17:47 Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside! 17:55 Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness! 18:03 Morning by morning new mercies I see, 18:11 All I have needed Thy hand hath provided 18:19 Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me! 18:27 Great is Thy faithfulness! Great is Thy faithfulness! 18:35 Morning by morning new mercies I see, 18:43 All I have needed Thy hand hath provided 18:51 Great is Thy faithfulness, Great is Thy faithfulness, 19:00 Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me! 19:38 Good evening, how you are doing this evening? 19:41 Good! Good, I'm so glad to be here, 19:44 it is a divine appointment. 19:46 And now I'll tell you more about that, 19:48 as the weekend goes on, 19:51 but I like you to open your Bibles with me this evening. 19:56 To Hebrews Chapter 12 our theme here at Camp Kulaqua, 20:03 I've to look at that to say it, it's two fold. 20:07 The first one, focus on heaven 20:10 and the second one, 20:12 bound or bonded by the spirit. 20:15 And I can think of a more appropriate 20:17 section of scripture than 20:19 this one in Hebrews Chapter 12. 20:21 This is one of my favorite sections of the Bible 20:25 and it's been a long time since I've looked at it 20:27 and recently my mind was impressed 20:29 to focus on Hebrews 12. 20:32 And amazingly this is part of what our Sabbath school 20:37 quarterly is going to be 20:38 about this weekend, this Sabbath. 20:40 So I'm thankful, that this is the theme 20:43 that God has impressed me 20:44 to share with you tonight and tomorrow. 20:47 Hebrews Chapter 12 beginning with verse 1 says, 20:49 this, "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about 20:55 with so great a cloud of witnesses, 20:58 let us lay aside every weight, 21:02 and the sin that doth so easily beset us, 21:07 and let us run with patience 21:11 the race that is set before us, 21:13 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith, 21:16 who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, 21:21 despising the shame, and is set down 21:25 at the right hand of the throne of God. 21:27 For consider him that endured 21:30 such contradiction of sinners against himself, 21:33 lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. 21:36 For Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, 21:40 striving against sin" 21:44 Some powerful scriptures there, 21:45 wouldn't you say? Amen. 21:47 There are few points 21:48 that I think we should focus on this evening 21:51 from these scriptures. 21:52 The first one is found right here in verse 1, 21:56 it says because we are uncompressed 22:00 or surrounded by so great cloud of witnesses, 22:02 that's Hebrews 11. 22:04 And all the faithful of the past 22:07 who have gone before us, who have paved the way, 22:09 who have left us examples and encouragement and hope. 22:17 Since we're surrounded by all these witnesses, 22:21 we should lay aside every weight. 22:25 And that sin, you know what that sin is, don't you? 22:30 That sin, you know, our eyes kind of shift the other way 22:34 when we get little uncomfortable 22:35 but all of us have that sin, 22:38 that one that so easily entangle us, 22:42 so easily overcomes us, so easily besets us. 22:48 We should lay it aside and all the weights too, 22:51 just lay them all aside. 22:54 Well, that's quite a statement, isn't it? 22:57 What do you think of that statement tonight? 23:00 Do you believe it? 23:02 It's a statement of faith 23:04 and really when you think about it, 23:06 we find in this verse both our solution and our problem. 23:13 The solution is, in the context. 23:17 That we should do it run with patience 23:20 the race that is set before us by what? 23:23 Verse 2, looking unto Jesus, 23:28 that's how, really that's the only way, isn't it? 23:32 By looking unto Jesus, 23:37 here is the solution and the problem. 23:39 Solution we can overcome every sin, 23:44 we can lay aside all of those weights, 23:47 by looking unto Jesus. 23:50 You are awful quite tonight? Amen. 23:52 Amen, amen, see once we respond 23:58 to the spoken word of Gods, 24:01 we open our hearts and our minds 24:02 for the power that word to enter in and transform us. 24:07 We can overcome every sin 24:10 and lay aside every weight by looking unto Jesus, amen. 24:16 Solution, problem, we don't look unto Jesus. 24:22 We look everywhere else. 24:26 We get distracted in side tracked, 24:28 we focus, we don't look unto Jesus. 24:33 And I really like this second verse 24:35 because it says, that we know not only have the solution, 24:40 but we have the author 24:42 and the finisher of our faith. 24:45 Tonight I like to talk to you about the finisher. 24:48 That's the title of our sermon tonight, the finisher. 24:51 I would like to ask you just a pause for moment with me 24:54 and let's pray once more for God to be with us. 24:57 Father in heaven, 24:58 I just want to thank you for this opportunity 25:00 to open Your word to take in the promises 25:04 that You have given to us 25:05 and to understand in this particular Chapter 25:09 in the book of Hebrews, 25:11 the solution we have to the sin problem. 25:14 I pray tonight Father that You would give me words 25:16 and thoughts and utterance that you would speak 25:19 not only to those who are gathered here, 25:22 but our entire television audience 25:25 each one out there listening tonight 25:26 that you would touch their hearts 25:28 and their minds and draw them to Jesus, 25:30 the author and the finisher 25:34 and let all the peoples say, amen. 25:37 The finisher, I really like that. 25:39 Jesus is not the author of our faith. 25:44 Jesus is not the author of our faith. 25:48 Jesus is the author and the finisher. 25:52 Do you like that? Amen. 25:54 That is so key, because you see 25:57 if Jesus is not the finisher of our faith, 26:02 He's not the author. 26:05 If Jesus is not the finisher of our faith, 26:09 He's not the author of our faith, 26:10 because Jesus doesn't author any faith 26:12 that He doesn't finish. 26:15 Now there are lot of faiths out there, 26:18 that are being authored. 26:20 Supposedly some of them have been authored by Jesus, 26:23 but none of them are actually 26:26 genuinely the faith of Jesus, 26:29 unless Jesus is also the finisher. 26:33 Amen. Amen. 26:34 Now the reason I like this so much is 26:37 because each one of us are tempted 26:40 in our Christian experience 26:42 to look to Christ to author our faith, 26:44 to begin our journey, 26:46 to set us on our way and then as time goes on, 26:51 as we grow in experience and strength and grace. 26:55 As we learn more about biblical truth. 26:57 As we become habitual Christians going to church 27:01 and paying our tithe 27:02 and doing the things we're supposed to do. 27:03 There is a temptation even an unconscious, 27:08 temptation for us to become our own finisher, 27:12 to finish our own faith. 27:15 Jesus authored it, but we somehow want to finish it, 27:18 you don't think this is true. 27:19 Just slip back a few Chapters, 27:21 a few books to the book of Galatians. 27:25 The Galatians had the same problem. 27:27 Paul spokes of them quite boldly 27:28 in Galatians Chapter 3. 27:30 He actually called them a name, 27:33 foolish, Galatians 3 verse 1. 27:38 Paul here is speaking to a church 27:40 that began with Jesus as the author. 27:43 These people were Christians. 27:45 They followed the Lord just like us. 27:48 Do you think there is the danger 27:50 that this could happen to us? 27:51 Oh, listen carefully, O foolish Galatians, 27:54 who has bewitched you, 27:56 that you should not obey what, the truth. 28:00 What is the truth? 28:02 Well, tonight the truth is 28:04 that Jesus is the finisher as well as the author, 28:08 that's the truth tonight. 28:10 And so tonight the book of Galatians is telling us 28:13 to be careful not to be bewitched. 28:17 You know, there's a lot of people 28:18 out there being bewitched, you know that, don't you? 28:22 I was on a plane from 28:24 Salt Lake City to Orlando yesterday 28:27 and on these planes 28:28 this longer flights they have movies. 28:31 And this particular movie was all about witchcraft, 28:35 Harry Potter and some something like this. 28:39 And there are people especially young people 28:41 who are going crazy for this and we can look at that 28:45 and we can say aah, I would never get involved 28:48 or let my children get involved 28:50 in anything like that. 28:52 However, there is another kind of bewitching 28:55 that can take place in our Christian experience. 28:59 We can stay away from all that other kind of bewitching 29:01 and yet be bewitched by something else. 29:04 Paul says in Galatians Chapter 3, 29:06 who hath bewitched you, 29:09 who hath bewitched you that you should not obey the truth 29:13 before whose eyes 29:15 Jesus Christ has been evidently set forth, 29:17 crucified among you? 29:19 This only what I learn of you, 29:21 you receive the spirit what, 29:23 by the works of law or by the hearing of faith, 29:25 which one was it? 29:29 By faith! Are you so foolish having begun in the Spirit 29:34 that you are now made perfect by the flesh? 29:38 The Galatians had begun in the Spirit, 29:40 they begun with the author, 29:41 they had move forward fervently. 29:44 And now they were seeking to finish themselves. 29:48 They were becoming the finishers 29:51 of their own faith. 29:53 You think, it can happen to us? 29:55 Oh, it can happen to us 29:57 and so Hebrews tells us in Chapter 12. 30:00 You can actually lay aside every weight 30:04 and the sin that so easily beset you. 30:09 If you want to know 30:10 whether Jesus Christ is the finisher of your faith, 30:14 all you need to understand in your heart 30:16 and mind is whether or not, 30:19 this promise is something that 30:22 you believe in your heart. 30:25 Sometimes and Satan does this, 30:29 there is this extreme that we go 30:32 to on a Christian experience 30:33 and in fact Satan tries to get us two extremes, 30:36 formalism on the one hand or fanaticism on the other. 30:40 And in relation to this idea of overcoming every sin, 30:43 there are these two extremes. 30:45 The one extreme is, you know, 30:46 I've tried that so many times 30:47 and I've just given up. 30:49 That extreme, we sometimes call up the liberal extreme 30:53 or the new theology extreme. 30:56 That extreme to some degree is based upon our experience. 31:01 We just don't seem to be able to do it. 31:05 And finally we get to the place 31:07 where we can become complacent. 31:09 We just say well, 31:11 I'm just gonna do the best I can and I, 31:13 I don't know, want to see what happens. 31:16 And then there's the other extreme. 31:19 The other extreme doesn't deny the promise. 31:22 The other extreme does believe that 31:24 we can overcome sin every single one of them. 31:27 But it's so busy pointing, looking at, 31:32 focusing on the problems of the Church 31:35 criticizing everyone else, 31:37 that it never gets around to actually doing it, 31:40 that is overcoming sin. 31:43 Because really when the rubber meets the road, 31:45 when we get right down to the nitty-gritty, 31:47 sin is the absence of love 31:51 and the presence of selfishness. 31:55 God is love, and He longs to restore us 32:03 to the image in which we were created. 32:06 He longs to have flow from our hearts and minds, 32:10 this never ceasing, 32:11 never ending natural tendency to love. 32:15 And we can't do it ourselves, 32:16 we can't love others by trying to love others 32:18 and that's why this first point says to Jesus Christ. 32:22 That's why this verse says, 32:23 He is the author and He is the what, the finisher. 32:27 He is going to finish, 32:28 he begun it, He is going to finish it. 32:29 He'd begun a good work and He will also finish it, 32:31 He will perform it. 32:34 He will perform it right up 32:35 until the point when He comes. 32:36 And when Jesus comes in the clouds 32:38 and we see Him and we lift up our heads 32:40 and everyone cries, who will be able to stand, 32:42 Jesus will say to us, 32:43 My grace is sufficient for you. Amen. 32:47 He is the finisher and so we can trust 32:51 the He will fulfilled His promise. 32:53 So sometimes we don't see it, I know. 32:55 But don't depend on yourself, don't get discouraged. 33:01 It says in verse 3, 33:03 "Consider him that endured 33:06 such contradiction of sinners against himself, 33:10 lest ye be wearied and faint, lest ye be loose heart 33:13 and you become discouraged. 33:15 Don't consider yourself, 33:17 don't look at your weaknesses at your faults, 33:20 at your failures, don't do it. 33:22 Keep your focus on Jesus. Amen. 33:27 And He will see you through. 33:31 I like this because it reminds me 33:34 of what He went through for us in verse 2 it says, 33:38 "He endured the cross, 33:39 despising the shame, I like that. 33:43 Last week, last weekend, 33:45 I was in South Carolina, 33:46 I was doing some meetings there 33:48 in a church in Westminster. 33:51 It was a real blessing 33:52 and as I I was engaging in these meetings, 33:55 I felt something going on, 33:58 some kind of transformation taking place in my lips. 34:05 I know it sounds kind of funny, but it's true. 34:07 The first night I was there, 34:09 my lips began to dry out and kind of tingle. 34:14 Now I'm a speaker 34:15 and so that's significant for me, 34:16 I've to be really aware of something like that, 34:19 so immediately I went in the plan, 34:20 plan A, first thing to do get some chaps, 34:23 so I can start putting chapstick on, 34:24 that's why I was doing drinking lots of water. 34:26 The next morning my lips were kind of red 34:29 and just kind of a little swollen, 34:31 but I continue to do the meetings, 34:33 I had a morning a Sabbath worship 34:35 and then I had afternoon meeting with the break 34:37 and then another afternoon meeting 34:38 and then I had a question answers time 34:40 and people want to talk 34:41 and things got going into the night 9:30, 34:45 10 o'clock I was going to bed 34:46 and my lips were getting worst. 34:48 I woke up the next morning 34:50 and my lips were swollen and growing. 34:55 I didn't know what to do, 34:56 I didn't know what was going on, 34:57 I had to catch a plane that morning, 35:00 I had to make two connections, 35:02 so I was going to three different airports, 35:03 the first airport was okay, 35:04 there weren't lot of people there 35:05 and I felt kind of uncomfortable, 35:08 you know, like people might look at me 35:09 and so my lips were so large 35:12 that the best thing for me to do was to smile like this 35:15 and now that would kind of cut them in half. 35:17 So I would smile, you know going through the airport, 35:22 but by the time I got to the next airport 35:24 which was Chicago, 35:27 there are lot more people around 35:28 and my lips were actually larger. 35:32 I had no idea what was going on, 35:33 but they looked really bad, they were all red 35:36 and they were just growing 35:37 and it was getting very hard for me to smile all the time, 35:40 because I didn't feel like smiling 35:42 and no one was smiling back at me. 35:45 People were looking at me. 35:48 I learned a valuable lesson from this. 35:50 I learned that when I see people who are disfigured 35:53 or deformed or look different from me, 35:55 I'm gonna remember that 35:57 maybe all they need is for me to smile at them, 35:59 because I was just longing for me to smile at me. 36:05 By the time I got to Portland, 36:08 my next stop before I got to Eugene, 36:10 I was hiding around the corner waiting 36:12 for them to call my plane, 36:13 I didn't want anyone to see me. 36:14 I was just a recluse, it was so embarrassing. 36:21 I got home and I immediately called Joe 36:24 and I said listen Joe, I say I'm not gonna sure 36:26 I may be able to make it out there 36:28 and I'm nervous about this I've got problem. 36:31 Actually I call Ty, my associate 36:34 and I said Ty, can you feel in for me, 36:36 if I can't make it because I can't, 36:38 I can't even do meetings never mind 36:40 get on television with my lips the way they are. 36:44 And in that moment I remembered the experience 36:49 I had gone through just a couple of weeks before, 36:51 see we live in a area now, 36:53 we've been there for very long 36:54 and my hair was getting kind of long 36:57 and I decided to visit my local barber 36:59 and well it's a new barber, I've never really, 37:01 you know, been to him before, 37:03 so I went there to get a haircut. 37:05 The guy that was leaving right when I went in was, 37:08 in the military, he had a military cut, 37:12 I didn't want a military cut but I got a military cut. 37:16 And I'm telling you what, I was so worried, 37:20 I've got a meeting on TV in two weeks 37:23 and look at my hair, 37:24 is it gonna grow back or what. 37:28 And now, my lips and at that point, 37:34 I didn't care about my hair anymore, 37:36 I wasn't even, I wasn't even concerned about 37:38 what I was going to say, 37:39 I wasn't even nervous or anything, 37:40 I just wanted to be able to come to these meetings, 37:43 that's all I wanted. 37:45 And the Lord in that moment reminded me, 37:47 you know James, I hung up on the cross naked, 37:52 for the whole world to stare at me, 37:54 I was humiliated and I did all of that for you. 37:59 Consider me, focus on me, don't worry about, 38:03 get your mind off yourself. 38:07 Well, you can see my lips healed. 38:10 But I'm so thankful for the experience, 38:12 because it reminded me to look to Jesus. Amen. 38:16 We've got a lot of pride, 38:17 don't we as humans beings, we do. 38:20 And that's why we get nervous up here. 38:24 I know because we're thinking about ourselves, 38:26 but when we get our focus on Christ, 38:28 when we get our focus on Jesus. 38:31 When you look at him who endured 38:33 such contradiction against himself, 38:37 so far we lost sight off and our hearts 38:40 and our minds will be encouraged. 38:42 Verse 4 says, "If you have not resisted unto blood, 38:45 striving against sin". 38:46 Now that is a challenging verse. 38:49 I mean most of us haven't even broken a sweat, 38:53 never mind resisted unto blood. 38:56 What is that mean? 38:59 Please tell me, 39:01 there is only one place in the Bible that I know of, 39:04 that talks about this kind of an experience, 39:07 and that's in relation to Gethsemane and Jesus Christ, 39:14 you remember don't you? 39:15 What happen there as he went to the Father three times. 39:18 It says that he sweat as it were great drops of blood. 39:26 That's the account in the Gospel Luke. 39:28 I want to share with you 39:29 or I want you to open your Bibles with me 39:30 to the account found in Matthew Chapter 26, 39:34 Matthew 26 because I believe 39:38 that what it means to resist unto blood is very practical, 39:46 not necessarily literal, it was for Christ. 39:49 But there is something to the whole experience there 39:51 that Christ went through 39:52 that is very practical for us tonight. 39:55 Who need our finisher, the one who author our faith, 40:01 to give us that victory 40:04 that we so desperately long for that seems to elude us. 40:10 Matthew 23, you know, the story, 40:13 Jesus is preparing to go to the cross. 40:17 He is going to begin this journey 40:20 with the sins of the world 40:21 weighted upon Him in Gethsemane. 40:24 He knows exactly what's coming 40:27 and so the first thing that he does, 40:29 verse 30 of Matthew 26 is he sings. 40:33 He sings a hymn with His disciples, 40:35 I like that, don't you? 40:37 Jesus is telling us, 40:40 that if you want to prepare to resist unto blood, 40:45 you need to incorporate song, 40:49 music into your Christian experience, 40:53 you need to do that. 40:55 Extreme religion will tell you that music is bad, 40:57 it's sinful, it's wrong, no, provoked music is wrong, 41:00 but music is a weapon and we need to use it. Amen. 41:04 Music is a power, didn't you feel, 41:07 didn't you sense that 41:09 this evening as we sung those words 41:11 and those hymns and those songs 41:13 and entered into praise the God. 41:15 You see it all through the scriptures. 41:17 In fact in the book of Revelation, 41:19 note this with me, because it is so powerful. 41:22 In the book of Revelation, the book of prophecy, 41:25 a book that delineates the history of nations 41:28 and moves us from history past, 41:30 present all the way down to the end of time. 41:32 In this book that is jam packed with prophecy 41:35 over and over and over again, 41:37 you find divine interruptions filling our hearts 41:42 and minds and directing us to music. 41:45 One of them is found right here 41:46 in Revelation Chapter 5. 41:48 The seal book has just been taken by Jesus Christ, 41:52 He's about ready to break the seals 41:54 and let for those horsemen of Revelation 6. 41:57 But befor he does that, 41:59 before we get into that prophetic picture, 42:02 we find here in Revelation 5 verse 11 that John sees 42:06 and he hears the voice of many angels 42:08 round about the throne and beasts 42:10 and elders and the number of them was 42:12 ten thousand times ten thousand, 42:17 ten thousands times ten thousand, what's that. 42:21 One hundred million, 42:26 that's a lot angles, isn't it? 42:29 And thousand of thousands, one hundred million 42:35 and thousands of thousands are gathered 42:37 around the throne, what are they there for? 42:39 They are there to sing verse 12 42:41 saying with what kind of voice, 42:43 a loud voice. Amen. 42:45 Are you here tonight, 42:47 is there anyone out there yes a loud voice 42:50 and what are they singing? 42:52 Worthy is the lamb, that was slain, 42:55 to receive power and riches and wisdom, 42:57 and strength and honor and glorycand blessing", 42:59 Verse 13 here it is this is our cue, 43:01 this is when we step in, so far it's a hundred million 43:04 and thousand of thousands in heaven. 43:06 But here we go right here. 43:07 Revelation 5:13 "And every creature which is in heaven, 43:10 and on the earth", that's us, 43:15 that's us and what kind of voice 43:17 we're suppose to praise God with? 43:18 A loud one. Amen. 43:21 Amen. Amen. 43:23 I've got a mic, so I'm little higher 43:26 but I think that me with the mic 43:29 surely can't out do you without one 43:32 because there are lot of you out there, 43:34 shall we try, shall we see. 43:37 I'll say amen first, and then you say amen second. 43:41 Amen. Amen. 43:44 You got it hands down, now let me just, 43:48 just put a little bit of, I've got some extra time 43:51 and so I want to put a little point just one thing 43:53 and why can't we do that all the time. Amen. 43:59 You see we occult 44:03 by the example of the book of Revelation 44:04 all through Revelation over and over again, 44:06 there is this heavenly interruptions, 44:07 Revelation 7 of this great crowded is gather around 44:10 the throne there in Revelation 7 verse 9, 44:14 "They stood before the throne 44:15 and before lamb a great multitude 44:16 that no man could number 44:18 yet there is the hundred million angles 44:19 and thousands times and thousands 44:20 but there is so many of the redeem 44:22 you can't count them all. 44:23 They are all gather around the throne 44:25 and notice what it e says here in verse 10, 44:27 it says, "And they cried out with a loud voice". 44:31 Salvation to our God, because He is the, 44:36 author and finisher, He is the finisher, 44:38 He is the author and He is the finisher of our faith 44:43 and so they are excited. 44:46 Friends if Jesus is the author 44:50 and the author only, I can understand, 44:53 why there would be silence, but if Jesus is the author 44:58 and he is the finisher, common. Amen. 45:03 Praise God, because 45:06 that's what this group of people are doing, 45:08 the once that can't be numbered, 45:10 they are praising God with a what kind of voice? 45:12 Loud. Loud voice. 45:15 Oh! This is all through scripture 45:17 and it is a power that Jesus used in Matthew Chapter 26. 45:22 Let's go back there to Matthew 26, 45:24 because there are number of other beautiful insights 45:27 that God give us here 45:28 that will help us resist unto blood. 45:31 Jesus is preparing to go to Gethsemane 45:33 where He resisted unto blood. 45:36 What was it that strengthened Him, 45:37 well, first and foremost it was song, 45:40 it was praise and secondly it was hope. 45:45 He had hope, He knew verse 31 45:50 that his disciples who all be offended Him 45:51 and forsake Him, he knew that, 45:53 that they be scattered abroad. 45:55 He knew He was going to the cross to the crucified. 45:58 But he said verse 32, "After I am resin again". 46:06 Praise God, He had hope. 46:10 Do you have hope tonight? 46:14 Are you ever in a situation like Jesus was? 46:19 Where you feel totally forsaken 46:20 and alone where there is no one and nothing, 46:25 because if you do, if you ever do, 46:28 I want you to know tonight that you have hope, 46:31 you have hope. 46:33 God wants to you know that you have hope, 46:36 because you have a finisher, you have a finisher. 46:40 Jesus had hope 46:42 and this helped Him to resist unto blood. 46:46 He also verse 33 had the truth. 46:50 And, you know, sometimes the truth hurts. 46:52 Peter most off all, His disciple was kind of, 46:56 well, he was hard headed, to say the least. 47:02 And he felt like there is no way that I'm gonna do 47:05 what all those other guys are going to do. 47:06 There is no way that I'm gonna deny you, 47:08 they might, but I won't, 47:10 because I get up earlier and I pray longer 47:12 and I study harder and I right. 47:15 What was he doing? 47:17 He was looking at them, 47:18 he got his eyes off the finisher. 47:22 He got his eyes off Jesus. 47:24 And Jesus said, I'm sorry Peter, 47:27 I hate to tell you this, but I've to tell you this. 47:29 See if we're going to be fake, 47:31 if we're gonna be phony, if we're gonna pretend, 47:33 if we're gonna cover it up 47:35 and not be honest with people, 47:37 it's not gonna help us to resist unto blood. 47:40 Our conscience is not going to be pure and undefiled. 47:44 Sometimes we've to tell like it is. 47:47 Make sure we're filled with the Spirit of Christ. 47:48 Make sure the love of God is on our hearts, 47:50 but let's be honest let's be honest. 47:55 The eternal salvation of souls is at stake. 47:58 Jesus was honest, 47:59 He was honest with His disciples, 48:01 to the very end He was honest 48:03 and this helped Him to resist unto blood. 48:07 I've made mistakes in that area 48:08 so many times not being honest, 48:10 being scared, I hurt someone's feelings. 48:13 I don't want to make those mistakes anymore, 48:14 it doesn't help, it doesn't, 48:15 it doesn't really in the long run, 48:19 it doesn't really help. 48:20 It's best to the honest. 48:24 What was the next thing that Jesus did? 48:26 Number 4 verse 36, He prayed, 48:33 he went to the place called Gethsemane 48:36 and He prayed, He prayed. 48:40 We need to pray, don't we? 48:42 We do, if we're gonna resist unto blood, 48:45 we need to be in prayer. 48:47 Number 5, Jesus sought help, 48:53 verse 37, He ask Peter and sons of Zebedee, 48:57 help Me, pray with Me, comfort Me. 49:01 We need help friends. Amen. 49:03 We need brothers and sisters 49:05 who will intercede for us and with us, 49:06 will lift up our hands, who will ask us how we do it, 49:09 we need to help one and other 49:11 if we're going resist unto blood. Amen. 49:13 That's the reason why we haven't overcome, 49:15 that's the reason why we can't lay aside every weight 49:17 because we haven't been helping one another. 49:19 We've been pointing fingers and, 49:21 and giving a checklist etcetera, etcetera. 49:22 We need to help each other, lift each other up. 49:28 And then the next one, 49:31 Jesus the pure faultless son of God, 49:35 confessed His weaknesses. 49:38 Father, I don't want to do this, 49:42 I don't want to go and drink the cup. 49:46 We're so reluctant, 49:47 aren't we to confess our weaknesses. 49:49 We want to look good, right. 49:50 We don't want anyone to see our faults, no not us. 49:53 But Jesus was willing to put it all out there. Amen. 49:57 And then finally what He did he say, 50:00 number 7 "Not My will, He submitted to God". 50:05 And friends tonight, God is encouraging us, 50:11 do you want what Hebrews Chapter 12 is offering. 50:16 Do you want it with all your hearts. Amen. 50:19 Here is the way you can have it. 50:21 Here is the way you can have it give it all to me, 50:24 I'm not just the author, I'm the finisher. 50:28 Let's do that tonight shall we. 50:45 When peace like a river attendeth my way 50:54 When sorrows like sea billows roll 51:03 Whatever my lot thou has taught me to say 51:12 It is well it is well with my soul 51:21 It is well with my soul 51:30 It is well it is well with my soul 51:44 My sin oh the joy of this glorious thought 51:53 My sin not in part but the whole 52:02 Is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more 52:11 Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul 52:20 It is well with my soul 52:29 It is well, it is well with my soul 52:52 And Lord haste the day when my faith shall be sight 53:01 The clouds be rolled back as a scroll 53:09 And the trump shall resound and the Lord shall descend 53:19 Even so it is well with my soul 53:28 It is well, with my soul 53:37 It is well, it is well with my soul 53:46 It is well with my soul It is well with my soul 54:04 It is well, it is well with my soul 54:23 It is well with my soul It is well with my soul. 54:55 Thank you Jason, praise the Lord, amen. Amen. 55:00 I just want to thank James 55:02 for the beautiful message this evening. 55:07 How many would people like to raise their hand 55:09 and say praise God that He is the author 55:13 and finisher of our faith, amen. 55:15 Amen! God is just too good. 55:19 Let us bow our heads for prayer. 55:23 Our Father in heaven, 55:24 we come before Your throne once again, 55:27 because You are the author and finisher of our faith. 55:32 And Lord, it can truly be well with our soul 55:34 because we realized how great and might You are. 55:41 Father I ask tonight as we're here at Camp Kulaqua. 55:45 There are many viewers around the world 55:48 that Lord we would set everything aside knowing 55:54 how great You truly are in Jesus name, amen. 56:03 I appreciate everyone being here tonight. 56:05 I especially appreciate our audience around the world. 56:09 God has blessed us here tonight. 56:12 I hope that each and every one of you here 56:13 plan on coming back tomorrow morning. 56:16 And also all you viewers that are around the world 56:20 that you are looking forward to being here tomorrow, 56:24 God has planned many things for us this weekend. 56:28 We're looking forward to get into heaven, amen. 56:30 Amen! We're looking forward 56:32 to being bounded by the spirit 56:36 or bound by the spirit, amen. 56:38 Amen! God has started a great work 56:42 in each and every one of our lives. 56:44 And we're promised in His word 56:47 that He will finish the work that He starts. 56:51 And so I challenge each and every one of you 56:54 to take what James has said tonight. 56:57 Apply it to your life 56:58 and allow God to make the difference. |
Revised 2014-12-17