3ABN On the Road

Unless The Lord Builds The House?

Three Angels Broadcasting Network

Program transcript

Participants: John Moyer

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Series Code: OTR

Program Code: OTR000869


01:00 Happy Sabbath, happy Sabbath,
01:03 we've had a really good time with your children
01:05 in primary. They've been learning about messengers
01:08 of the prophets and the task that we have to use
01:12 to test those people that say they're prophets.
01:15 And so we learned the three angles messages
01:18 to music and we're gonna try and sing that
01:20 for you tonight. As well as one that
01:23 President Moyer wanted us to sing
01:25 named "I'm a Seventh-Day Adventist".
01:31 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven,
01:37 having the everlasting gospel to preach unto
01:44 them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation,
01:52 and kindred, and tongue, and people,
01:56 Saying with a loud voice, Fear God,
02:03 and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment
02:09 is come: and worship him that made heaven,
02:16 and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.
02:22 And there followed another angel, saying,
02:29 Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city,
02:34 because she made all nations drink of the wine
02:38 of the wrath of her fornication.
02:44 And the third angel followed them,
02:48 saying with a loud voice, If any man worship
02:54 the beast and his image, and receive his mark
03:01 in his forehead, or in his hand,
03:06 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath
03:10 of God, which is poured out without mixture
03:15 into the cup of his indignation;
03:20 and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone
03:24 in the presence of the holy angels,
03:28 and in the presence of the Lamb:
03:32 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up
03:37 for ever and ever: and they have no rest day
03:43 nor night, who worship the beast and his image,
03:52 and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
03:59 Here is the patience of the saints:
04:03 here are they that keep the commandments of God,
04:10 and the faith of Jesus.
04:17 Revelation 14:6 through 12, Amen, Amen.
04:45 So that everyone would know so that I believe,
04:49 and you'll do someday. I believe in the
04:55 Seventh-day, get very soon,
04:58 that's why I must rest today.
05:02 I am a Seventh-day Adventist and I want
05:07 the world to know it. My heart is full of Jesus
05:14 love and I want my life to show it.
05:20 I believe in the promises of God above and Jesus
05:25 shows me the way. So I worship on the
05:29 Sabbath day towards end of noon.
05:32 That's why I must rest today.
05:36 I am a Seventh-day Adventist and I want
05:41 the world to know it. My heart is full of Jesus
05:48 love and I want my life to show it. Amen.
06:00 Tonight it's a privilege to be able to introduce
06:02 somebody that I know just a little bit.
06:04 Somebody that I have become good friends
06:07 with over the last three plus years.
06:09 Doesn't seem like it's three years but it's gone
06:12 by quickly, but you know I enjoy being able
06:15 to introduce folk that love the Lord Jesus.
06:19 And the person that we're going hear from
06:20 tonight I know loves the Lord Jesus with
06:23 all his hearts. I like to introduce to you somebody
06:27 tonight that not only loves Jesus but loves to
06:30 tell people about Jesus. And that's what it's
06:34 all about isn't it? All through the week we've
06:37 heard great sermons. Lord has blessed us,
06:40 but sometimes it's good for us to hear from somebody
06:43 that we all know, somebody that we love and that
06:46 we trust and so it's a real privilege to be able
06:48 to introduce to you tonight our speaker,
06:50 our conference president Elder John Moyer
06:52 and John, we know the Lord is laid on you
06:55 a special message and we just asked the
06:57 Holy Spirit to speak to us through you tonight.
07:01 Before John speaks to us Brother Mike Rogers
07:04 is going to share with us, minister to us
07:07 through music. May the Lord bless Mike.
07:47 The Word is living The Word is light
07:54 The Word delights my soul, Preserves my life
08:03 Holy and hidden Forever new
08:12 The perfect sacrifice Our Lord...Jesus Christ
08:24 The Word is wisdom The Word is true
08:31 The Word takes all that's old
08:37 And makes it new When hearts are broken
08:45 It makes them whole The One who paid the price
08:55 Our Lord... Jesus Christ
09:12 The Word is wounded Time and again
09:25 The Word is greeving still
09:26 For those in sin Come now believing
09:34 Thy Word is true. The cross speaks this advice
09:44 Trust me...Jesus Christ. Amen.
10:38 Thank you Mike, thank you. You know just a few
10:44 weeks ago we celebrated the 4th of July.
10:49 And some of you probably went out to see
10:52 the fireworks and you know that it is the custom
10:57 at the 4th of July fireworks demonstrations.
11:02 That you see outstanding fireworks all through
11:07 the program but when you come to the end,
11:08 you have the grand finale. You know where
11:12 they go off or what seems like a half an hour
11:15 and the sky has laded up and you know what
11:18 I'm talking about. Well, I'm afraid that tonight
11:23 we had the grand finale all week. And
11:28 I hope it's a little bit more than just a dot,
11:31 but it's our time here together most of the
11:35 speakers have gone. We're blessed by them,
11:41 but it's time for the family to be here together
11:43 tonight, we want to ask the Lord his direction,
11:54 for the days and the months that lay ahead.
11:59 I wanna ask you to bow your heads with me
12:00 as we have one addition word of prayer.
12:02 Father in Heaven, we have prayed several times
12:06 this evening, we have been praying all week
12:12 and you have blessed us by answering those
12:14 prayers. We praying tonight Father that you would
12:18 shine a light from your throne that you would cause
12:25 it to shine upon and illuminate those pages
12:27 of scripture that we have chosen to look at tonight
12:33 and that you would reflect that light back
12:35 into the dusty dark recesses of our hearts
12:39 and light them up. So, we can go forth
12:42 from this place challenged,
12:43 because we ask it in Jesus name, Amen.
12:51 I would invite you to turn with me,
12:52 if you wish, to the Psalm 127 and I want to
12:58 read tonight from verse 1 is the basis of my remarks
13:04 to you. Psalm 127 verse 1 the title that's
13:11 placed above there in my Bible.
13:14 I realize it's not there in all Bibles but
13:16 it's says: Laboring and Prospering with the Lord
13:21 and it is a song of Solomon. Verse 1 says:
13:26 Unless the Lord builds the house,
13:29 They labor in vain who build it;
13:32 Unless the Lord guards the city,
13:36 The watchmen stays awake in vain.
13:44 Notice that the Psalm is attributed to Solomon
13:48 and it's I think about the experience of Solomon
13:50 I'm convince that Solomon knew something about
13:53 building. Solomon probably and I don't have scriptural
14:01 evidence for this, but I think that Solomon
14:04 probably spend most of his life even as a young
14:07 man before he was king hearing about building.
14:12 Because First Kings 8:17 gives us a little clue,
14:17 Solomon at the day of the dedication of the temple.
14:21 In First Kings 8:17 says: Now it was in the heart
14:25 of my father David to build a temple for the name
14:28 of the Lord God of Israel. It was in his father's
14:32 heart and have you ever noticed that whatever
14:35 is in somebody's heart is what they talk about.
14:40 And I can imagine conversations perhaps
14:43 around the dinner table or as the family was
14:47 gathered together or as David counseled with his
14:51 young man that he knew that one day would
14:53 be the King. Then David must have told him
14:57 of this burning desire that he had in his heart,
15:00 because you know with David it was a burning
15:02 desire and the only thing that kept David
15:05 from building the temple was the fact that the
15:07 Lord told him he couldn't do it. But
15:10 I can imagine all those years when Solomon
15:12 was growing up. Solomon maybe as a young man
15:15 may have said like some of us have said
15:17 in our experience. I just wish I didn't have to hear
15:20 anymore about that temple, that's all dad talks
15:23 about but as Solomon grew older and Solomon
15:28 saw where the Lord was leading him that he was
15:31 leading him into the kingdom. Solomon began
15:33 to accept the seriousness of it as well,
15:38 Solomon heard about building and he saw all
15:41 of the preparations that David had gone through
15:44 for the building and when Solomon became King one
15:46 of the first things that he did was to set about
15:51 answering or breaking into reality his father's dream.
15:56 He set about to built the temple. When you think
15:59 about it, for the kingdom, for the nation of Israel,
16:04 they had finally arrived. You know what I mean,
16:08 for all those hundreds of years, for the forty years
16:12 that they spend wandering in the desert and
16:15 for up until this time they have had a temporary
16:19 sanctuary. A tent sanctuary and it spoke of,
16:25 of a nomadic people. You remember that the
16:29 sanctuary was built in such away that when
16:31 the pillar of cloud or fire moved that they would
16:35 tear the sanctuary down, it was portable.
16:39 And when the pillar moved, they moved with it
16:43 and all these years since the Exodus they had been,
16:47 been remembering that they were,
16:49 they were not yet established in the
16:51 promised land. See only when they got the,
16:57 the permanent sanctuary, could they really feel
17:01 like they were home. They had been wondering
17:03 all these years, they had been fighting,
17:06 trying to conquer the Promised Land,
17:08 they're had been ups and downs because when
17:10 they were faithful to God it was up.
17:13 When they were unfaithful to God,
17:14 it was down and they're had been lots of ups
17:18 and downs in the Israelite experience.
17:20 But, they had gone through this experience with
17:22 King David; King David had established the kingdom
17:25 and now his son Solomon was going to come
17:27 in and praise God. He was going to do something
17:30 permanent, so they didn't have to think about being
17:34 a nomadic people anymore. They had arrived,
17:38 they were home and Solomon was building the temple.
17:43 Now, you know about this temple don't you?
17:45 I mean it was a beautiful place, lets just read
17:48 a few verses in chapter 6 of First Kings
17:53 and you can find this in First Kings you can find
17:54 in II Chronicles. But just a few selected verses
17:59 from chapter 6 in First Kings and it says:
18:02 And it came to pass in the four hundred and
18:05 eightieth year, did you get that? It had been four
18:09 hundred and eighty years after children of Israel
18:13 had come out of the land of Egypt.
18:15 Can you see why this was important to them?
18:18 Can you see why on the dedication day they were
18:21 so filled with joy. "And the four hundred and
18:24 eightieth year after the children of Israel
18:25 had come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth
18:27 year of Solomon's reign over Israel in the month
18:30 of I guess that's pronounced Zif.
18:33 I'm not sure, which is the second month that
18:36 he began to build the house of the Lord.
18:40 Now, keep that in mind as you look at that,
18:43 that it was in the fourth year of Solomon's reign
18:48 that he began to build the house of the Lord.
18:51 Let's look at the few other verses that give us
18:53 a little idea about how beautiful this house
18:55 was and I'm just picking out a few,
18:59 not covering it in great detail but look what
19:01 it says in verse 18 it says: The inside of the
19:04 temple was cedar, carved with ornamental buds
19:08 and open flowers. That must have been beautiful,
19:13 look what it says after that all was cedar;
19:18 there was no stone to be seen. I would think that
19:22 would be a beautiful place then look what
19:24 he says in verse 20 just speaking about
19:26 the inner sanctuary, it says, the inner sanctuary
19:29 was twenty cubits long, twenty cubits wide and
19:33 twenty cubits high. Now, I wasn't sure what
19:37 a cubit was I've heard all kinds of things someone
19:39 told me once they said that a cubid was the
19:42 length of a man's arm from his elbow to the tip
19:45 of his finger depending on who was the
19:47 King of England. You can see that would be kind
19:51 of iffy, but I did check one source and it said
19:56 that this building was about 36 feet.
19:59 It was about 36 feet long, 36 feet wide and
20:05 36 feet high, now that's not very big.
20:09 But look what the next line says:
20:12 He overlaid it with pure gold, and overlaid the
20:16 altar of cedar, in other words he overlaid the
20:20 whole room this inner sanctuary and this would
20:25 just part of the temple. You know what we called
20:28 the holy of holies, he overlaid it with pure gold,
20:33 he overlaid the altar of cedar. Verse 21:
20:35 So Solomon overlaid the inside of the temple
20:38 with pure gold. He stretched gold chains
20:42 across the front of the inner sanctuary,
20:45 and overlaid it with gold. The whole temple, not
20:49 just the inner sanctuary, but the whole temple
20:53 he overlaid with gold, until he had finished
20:56 all the temple, also he overlaid with gold the
21:01 entire altar that was by the inner sanctuary.
21:05 Wow, that must have been some place you know
21:10 I try to figure out one time how much all this gold
21:16 would have been worth in the places where
21:18 it talks about you know all the measurements
21:20 and the weights and everything and
21:22 I try to figure it all out and when I got it figured
21:24 out I read some place that they don't weigh gold
21:26 the same way they weigh other things so it just
21:28 blew my calculations all out of the window. But
21:30 all I can say is this must have been one fantastic
21:34 place with all of this gold, look what it says
21:36 in verse 28: Talking about the cherubim,
21:40 you know that stood by the mercy seat in the holy
21:44 of holies. Verse 28 says, he overlaid the cherubim
21:46 with gold and verse 30 says: And the floor of the
21:49 temple, the floor of the temple he overlaid
21:52 with gold, both the inner and outer sanctuaries.
21:58 I heard somebody here when I mention about,
21:59 about the streets of heaven being paved with gold.
22:02 Well, the floor in the temple, in Solomon's temple
22:04 was paved with gold. Verse 35 that says:
22:08 Then he carved cherubim, palm trees,
22:11 and open flowers on them, and overlaid them
22:13 with gold applied evenly on the carved wood.
22:18 As a matter of fact if you I don't turn there
22:20 but in Second Chronicles 3 where it talks about
22:23 this same thing. It says: The weight of the nails
22:28 was fifty shekels of gold, just the nails that were
22:32 used to hold the place together each one weighed
22:36 fifty shekels and each one was gold.
22:41 Wow, the last verse of chapter 6 it says: So,
22:51 he spent, so he was seven years in building it.
22:58 When you think about the magnificence of this temple,
23:03 when you think of, of what went into it and all of
23:06 the intricate details, to me it was incredible
23:09 that Solomon could finish it in seven years.
23:14 But right here is where we began to see a problem.
23:19 Now, see if you read too quickly sometimes,
23:23 you don't catch these things, you can read on
23:25 past this and not even stop to think about it.
23:30 The last part of verse 38 in chapter 6 says:
23:35 So he was seven years in building it, what was that?
23:40 The temple, the house of God, he was seven years
23:45 in building the house of God. but then look what
23:48 it says in chapter 7 in verse 1: But Solomon took
23:53 thirteen years to build his own house;
24:04 have you ever noticed that before.
24:07 He took seven years to build the house of God
24:09 and it was a beautiful and magnificent place,
24:12 but he took thirteen years to build his own house.
24:20 I said, I thought Solomon knew something about
24:23 building of course he built the temple but you know
24:30 Solomon was busy building something else.
24:36 He was building a kingdom and if you turn to Second
24:40 Chronicles 9 let's read a few verses about
24:43 Solomon's kingdom building activities.
24:49 Keep that problem in mind, seven as compared
24:53 to thirteen keep that in mind we're gonna
24:55 comeback to that. Chapter 9 of Second Chronicles
25:01 verse 13: The weight of the gold that came
25:06 to Solomon yearly was 666 talents of gold;
25:16 imagine that 666. There's probably a lesson
25:22 in there somewhere. Don't want to go there
25:25 right now, it was 666 talents of gold, besides
25:31 what the traveling merchants and traders
25:34 brought. And all the Kings of Arabia and governors
25:39 of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon.
25:42 See we're not talking about the temple anymore,
25:44 we're talking about the kingdom;
25:47 we're talking about the government.
25:50 My treasure would be thrilled with this kind
25:52 of an income. King Solomon made 200 large shields
26:00 of hammered gold; six hundred shekels of
26:03 hammered gold went into each shield.
26:05 He also made three hundred shields of
26:06 hammered gold, three hundred shekels of gold
26:09 went into each shield. The king put them in the
26:11 house of the forest of Lebanon.
26:12 These were things that were just ornaments,
26:17 they were trinkets. Verse 17: Moreover the King
26:23 made a great throne of ivory, listen to this.
26:28 Moreover, the King made a great throne of ivory
26:32 and overlaid it with pure gold. Now ivory wasn't
26:36 enough, he took the ivory and overlaid the ivory
26:42 with pure gold, the throne had six steps,
26:49 can you get a picture, can you get a concept
26:52 to the size of this thing. It had six steps with a
26:58 footstool of gold which were fastened to the
27:02 throne there were armrests on either side
27:06 of the place of the seat, and two lions stood
27:09 beside the armrests. Twelve lions stood there,
27:14 one on each side of the six steps;
27:18 nothing like this had ever been made for
27:20 any other kingdom. Wow, I guess not,
27:26 it continue ins verse 20: All of King Solomon's
27:29 drinking vessels were gold, and all the vessels
27:31 of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold.
27:34 Not one was silver, and notices this phrase.
27:38 Not one was silver, for this was accounted as
27:40 nothing in the days of Solomon.
27:45 There were so much gold that silver was worthless,
27:48 mark I wish we could go back there and just picked
27:51 up some of that worthless silver.
27:56 The King's ships went to Tarshish with the servants
27:59 of Hiram. Once every three years the merchant
28:02 ships came bringing gold, silver, ivory,
28:04 apes and monkeys. Now, I don't know what he
28:06 wanted with monkeys. But whatever so King,
28:09 now notice with this in verse 22:
28:12 So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth
28:15 in riches and in wisdom. He was building a
28:19 kingdom and he was doing a pretty good job,
28:24 he had built a temple and he did a pretty good job.
28:30 All the kings of the earth sort the presence
28:32 of Solomon, to hear his wisdom which God had
28:34 put in his heart. Each man brought his present:
28:37 articles of silver and gold, garments, armor, spices,
28:39 horses, and mules, at a set rate year by year.
28:43 Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and
28:46 chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen;
28:48 whom he stationed in the chariot cities and
28:50 with the King at Jerusalem. So he reigned over
28:54 all the kings from the river to the land of the
28:57 Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt.
29:04 The King made silver as common in Jerusalem as
29:07 stones, and he made cedar trees as abundant
29:12 as the sycamores which are in the lowland.
29:16 What do you say, sounds like Solomon were
29:18 doing a pretty good job of building a kingdom
29:22 if you measure prosperity, the way we most often
29:27 measure prosperity. Solomon was
29:31 doing a good job, remember when we talked about
29:35 him building the kingdom we said there was a
29:37 problem or when he talked about he building
29:39 the temple we said there was the problem.
29:44 I want you to go back to First Kings again,
29:48 chapter 10 and verse 1. Because I think I see
29:53 another problem. First King chapter 10 and verse 1,
29:59 now I was told that I had to preach till Sabbath
30:03 was over, but as soon as Sabbath was
30:05 over everybody is going with the ABC,
30:06 so I better stop. We'll see, chapter 10:
30:13 Now when the queen of Sheba, you know this
30:18 story right? How well do you know listen.
30:23 Now when the queen of Sheba heard of the
30:25 fame of Solomon concerning the name
30:27 of the Lord, she came to test him with hard
30:30 questions. See, what had she heard about?
30:34 She heard about the fame of Solomon concerning
30:38 the name of the Lord. Keep that in mind.
30:42 She came to Jerusalem with a very great
30:45 retinue, with camels that bore spices,
30:48 very much gold, just what he needed right
30:51 some more gold. What's the little saying says
30:54 them that have gets, he kept just getting and
30:57 getting, she brought him some more gold,
30:59 and precious stones: and when she came to
31:02 Solomon, she spoke with him about all that was
31:04 in her heart. So Solomon answered all her questions;
31:08 there was nothing so difficult for the King that
31:11 he could not explain it to her. What a guy?
31:14 And when the Queen of Sheba had seen all wisdom
31:17 of Solomon, the house that he had built,
31:21 the food on his table, the seating of his servants,
31:24 the service of his waiters and their apparel,
31:26 his cupbearers and his entryway by which he went
31:30 up to the house of the Lord,
31:31 there was no more spirit in her.
31:35 Then she said to the king, "It was a true report
31:38 that I heard, a true report which I heard in my
31:42 own land about your words and your wisdom.
31:46 However I did not believe the words until
31:49 I came and saw with my own eyes;
31:51 and indeed the half was not told.
31:53 Your wisdom and prosperity exceed the
31:55 fame of which I heard. Happy are your men,
32:00 happy are your servants, who stand continually
32:03 before you, and hear your wisdom.
32:08 Here comes the problem. Blessed be the Lord your
32:14 God who delighted in you, setting you on the
32:18 throne of. Israel. Because the Lord has loved
32:20 Israel forever, therefore He made you king,
32:25 to do justice and to do righteousness."
32:30 You say what's the problem? Do you hear
32:32 what she's saying? And you can't blame her
32:36 for saying it, she's a heathen queen,
32:38 she doesn't know. But do you hear what
32:41 is she saying, she saying Oh! Solomon you are
32:44 so wonderful the Lord sure is lucky to have you.
32:52 Now, as I said you can't blame her, it's not
32:55 her fault but notice Solomon doesn't set
32:58 the record straight. See she said the Lord
33:02 loved Israel so much that he put you here, it's
33:05 almost like Solomon if it wasn't for you all this
33:10 wouldn't exist. Come on you know better then that,
33:19 the Lord wasn't lucky to have him.
33:22 He was blessed to be chosen by the Lord,
33:26 to fill the position that the Lord had for him.
33:30 Well, sad to say Solomon build something else,
33:40 Second or First Kings chapter 11 and verse 7:
33:48 Then Solomon build a high place for Chemosh the
33:54 abomination of Moab, on a hill that is east of
33:57 Jerusalem and for Molech, the abomination of the
34:02 people of Ammon. Do you know who Molech was?
34:10 Molech was the God of the Ammonites to whom
34:14 people sacrifice their babies.
34:20 And Solomon built an altar, he built a temple
34:26 of the Lord, but he built a place of worship for
34:28 these two heathen deities. And the
34:34 problem is in verse 4: For it was so when Solomon
34:38 was old, that his wives turned his heart after
34:46 other Gods, and his heart was not loyal to the
34:51 Lord his God, as was the heart of his father David.
34:59 Now, folks as I've look at this is, I've thought
35:01 about this, I've prayed about this for this last
35:04 couple of weeks. You know usually we look at
35:08 this last part, and we say yeah that was Solomon's
35:11 downfall. Those heathen wives, I was
35:18 in the Sabbath school class once and somebody
35:22 said something about Solomon being just the
35:24 smartest man who ever lived.
35:26 And the Sabbath school teacher and elderly
35:28 gentlemen shake his head and he said no he
35:30 wasn't the smartest man ever lived and this person
35:32 said what do you mean? He said anybody that
35:34 had that many wives didn't have lick of sense.
35:39 And usually we blame the wives for
35:42 Solomon's downfall, but what we've seen tonight
35:45 is we've looked at this that it happened gradually.
35:53 I heard Elder Oatfield say this week that we
35:55 excepted the Lord to come in like roaring lion.
35:58 But he's come in like a swarm of termites.
36:02 That's what he did in Solomon's life, it started
36:06 with a little thing. Solomon knew something
36:10 about building, but he also knew something
36:12 about decay. He knew something about decay
36:16 in the temple, because even his lifetime with all
36:19 of this beautiful temple that he had built.
36:21 That was sitting there shining in the sun;
36:23 the decay had already started to set it.
36:26 Because it had already started to set
36:28 in the worship, you know what Solomon was
36:35 experiencing was not escaping his people and
36:39 people don't usually come up any higher than
36:42 their leaders. And there was decay in the temple,
36:47 the priesthood had already started to be
36:51 corrupted and it was a gradual thing,
36:55 it didn't happen all at once. Solomon knew
36:57 something about decay in the kingdom,
37:01 because even while Solomon was King during
37:03 this forty years of this marvelous reign.
37:05 There were people who were plotting to take his
37:07 life and overthrow him, there were all kinds
37:10 of political schemes there were going on behind
37:12 the scenes. And yes, Solomon knew something
37:17 about decay in his own life, he must have known.
37:23 How could somebody who was called by God?
37:28 How could somebody who was established by God
37:32 as one of the greatest kings that ever ruled
37:34 in Israel, built a high place, an altar to a
37:39 heathen God to whom they sacrifice babies.
37:48 You know what they think the problem was,
37:54 he got to thinking that he had built the temple.
37:59 He got to thinking that he had built the kingdom,
38:03 and he got to thinking that he had built the life.
38:12 But Solomon couldn't have built anything without God,
38:17 it's like the bird house that I built once,
38:19 bird feeder I built and a sparrow came in land out
38:23 and it fell down. That's how effective Solomon
38:30 would have been, it hadn't been for the blessings
38:34 of God, but he wised up at the end of his life.
38:40 You know that's the incredible thing about
38:42 Solomon, and you maybe that's a good place
38:46 to stop the sermon I don't know to say.
38:48 Solomon wised up at the end of his life,
38:50 he listened to the voice of the Lord and in his
38:52 old age I believe I believe he wrote Psalm 127
38:55 verse 1 in his old age. Because as a young man
38:59 he wouldn't realize that and all through those
39:01 forty years, he didn't realize that,
39:03 but when he came down to the end of his life
39:05 he said unless the Lord builds the house.
39:10 They labor in vain who build it;
39:17 well you know its kind of fun to sit here and make
39:19 criticisms to old Solomon. After all he's been gone
39:25 along time, but how much as human nature
39:30 changed in those hundreds and thousands
39:34 of years. Folks, we had a wonderful week here,
39:39 Amen. Last Sabbath we celebrated victory over
39:49 something that has been like a milestone around
39:52 our neck for the last twenty years. Amen,
39:59 the servant, the Lord says you should avoid death
40:02 like it was the plague. Amen, we have been
40:05 plagued by death for I don't know how long.
40:12 And last week we celebrated victory, amen,
40:20 amen. I think this week; we've been touched by
40:25 God's hand, amen. We have listened to powerful
40:28 sermons; we have sat in Holy Spirit filled seminars.
40:38 I've been told by some that this was the best
40:41 camp meeting ever, of course some of the
40:45 same people told me that last year so I'm
40:47 assuming that each one just keeps getting better
40:48 and better. Amen, and that's good,
40:55 well I want you to know something it's not
40:59 because of us, amen. It's not because of the officers
41:04 of the Oklahoma conference, it's not because of the
41:09 unique talents and abilities that presenters
41:12 and preachers have brought to our camp meeting
41:14 this year. It is because of the blessing of God,
41:22 Amen, there is a poem that I learned years ago
41:27 and I was thinking about it, I can't remember at all.
41:31 So, can I do just what I can remember,
41:33 because I think it gets the point.
41:35 It says: Sometime when you're feeling important,
41:40 Sometime when your ego's in bloom,
41:43 Sometimes when you're get the feeling you're the
41:45 best qualified in the room, take a bucket and fill
41:49 it with water, plunge your arm in it up to wrist
41:54 and pull it out and the hole that's remaining
41:57 is the symbol of how you'll be missed.
42:03 And the last line says: Be proud of yourself,
42:06 but remember: There is no indispensable man.
42:11 I've often said you know in our office going
42:14 down the hall way to the ABC in our office.
42:16 We have picture, picture frames that are up
42:21 there each frame has four pictures in it.
42:24 And there are the pictures of the past presidents
42:27 of the Oklahoma Conference. And I've often
42:31 said you know my picture is the last one there
42:35 right now. But I've often said two weeks after
42:39 I walk out of this office someone will be
42:41 walking down this hall and look at that picture
42:44 and say who is that old guy? Because isn't that
42:49 the way life is? Yeah, it's not because of us,
42:58 we haven't build anything God has worked with,
43:05 worked with weak and sinful people.
43:09 After all in the book of Numbers he could even
43:11 speak through a donkey. So, he could work with
43:15 any of us, but we have to keep in mind the real
43:20 wisdom of Solomon, which in later life said unless
43:24 the Lord builds the house, unless the Lord builds
43:27 the church, unless the Lord builds the conference,
43:30 unless the Lord builds the school, unless the
43:32 Lord builds the work. Now, there is one other
43:38 thing that you need to remember.
43:42 It was at the height of Solomon's prosperity that
43:48 things began to fall apart, and it was so with his,
43:53 with his father David. You remember the story of David
43:56 and Bathsheba and it says just before that incident
43:59 came about with Bathsheba it said and at the times
44:01 when the kings go forth to battle,
44:04 David stayed home. See things were going so well,
44:08 he could send the generals out.
44:11 He could stay at home, it was at the height of his
44:14 success, at the height of his prosperity and
44:17 with Solomon when all of this gold was flowing
44:19 all around like water. And whatever things were
44:21 just going so well and when every King in the earth
44:24 was coming to him, when everyone was praising
44:27 his name. It's when things began to fall apart,
44:36 beware, beware lest we make God second.
44:46 See that's what Solomon did, he spend seven years
44:49 building his house or the Lord's house.
44:52 But he spend thirteen years building his,
44:54 whose house was more important with Solomon?
44:57 Beware unless we make God second,
45:00 beware unless we take credit for what
45:02 God has done. Don't ever let anybody say God sure
45:09 is lucky to have you in this Church,
45:10 don't ever say yourself. Beware lest our hearts
45:16 be turned to other Gods. We ask Pastor Dye
45:22 to sing a favorite song of mine and I think a
45:26 favorite of his too. Listen to the first stanza.
45:34 There is singing up in Heaven
45:36 such as we have never known,
45:41 Where the angels sing the praises
45:44 of the Lamb upon the throne,
45:49 Their sweet harps are ever tuneful,
45:53 and their voices always clear,
45:57 O that we might be more like them
46:00 while we serve the Master here!
46:06 Holy, holy, is what the angels sing,
46:17 And I expect to help them make
46:20 the courts of heaven ring;
46:23 But when I sing redemption's story,
46:28 they will fold their wings,
46:31 For angels never felt the joys
46:36 that our salvation brings.
46:42 For that last book in the Bible,
46:47 the Book that we as Adventists turn to so much,
46:51 we hear the beings in heaven,
46:58 praising Jesus Christ. "You are worthy to take
47:02 the scroll, and to open its seals;
47:05 For You were slain, And have redeemed us
47:08 to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and
47:11 tongue and people and nation and have made us
47:15 kings and priests to our God and we shall reign
47:17 on the earth." But it's because of him nothing
47:23 that we've done, the only thing that we can
47:27 do is consents to allow him to use us.
47:34 I've said this before and I believe it with all
47:37 my heart. The best days for the
47:40 Oklahoma Conference are just ahead and I would
47:45 not suggest this evening that we are at the
47:48 point of prosperity. We're kind of like this story,
47:52 I like to tell about the accountant who came
47:55 to his boss and said I've good news we are finally
47:59 in the black. And he said I would like to make
48:03 an entree in the ledger. But I don't have any black
48:07 ink and the boss said well why don't you buy
48:10 a bottle and he said because if I did
48:12 we be in the red. I'm certainly not comparing
48:18 our prosperity with Solomon's prosperity,
48:21 but I'm saying things are going well.
48:25 The Lord is blessing us with tithe increase;
48:29 the Lord is blessing us with baptisms.
48:32 You know last year we had four hundred baptisms,
48:34 which was the largest baptism we've had
48:37 in recorded history, amen. We set a new goal
48:40 next year for five hundred and right now
48:43 at the end of the year with the official report
48:46 and the ones that I know that are floating out
48:48 there that didn't get reported.
48:49 We are at two hundred and fifty.
48:51 Now, at the end of June two hundred fifty
48:53 we're on target for five hundred.
48:57 But it's not because of what we've done
49:00 it's because of what the Lord is doing for the
49:03 Oklahoma Conference and don't you ever forget it.
49:06 Amen. Nobody's indispensable and when
49:11 we get to heaven, we're going to be praising God
49:17 for what Jesus did. So, we better keep praising
49:21 him what he's doing right now,
49:24 pastor. Mark, Trevor.
49:31 Then the angels stand and listen,
49:34 for they cannot join that song,
49:38 Like the sound of many waters,
49:41 by that happy, blood washed throng,
49:45 For they sing about great trials,
49:49 battles fought and victories won,
49:53 And they praise their great Redeemer,
49:56 who hath said to them, "Well done."
50:01 Holy, holy, is what the angels sing,
50:12 And I expect to help them make
50:15 the courts of heaven ring;
50:18 But when I sing redemption's story,
50:23 they will fold their wings,
50:27 For angels never felt the joys
50:32 that our salvation brings.
50:36 So, although I'm not an angel,
50:40 yet I know that over there
50:44 I will join a blessed chorus that
50:48 the angels cannot share;
50:52 I will sing about my Savior,
50:55 who upon dark Calvary
50:59 Freely pardoned my transgressions,
51:03 died to set a sinner free.
51:08 Holy, holy, is what the angels sing,
51:19 And I expect to help them make
51:22 the courts of heaven ring;
51:26 But when I sing redemption's story,
51:31 they will fold their wings,
51:35 For angels never felt the joys
51:41 that our salvation brings.
51:48 We wanna stand before you tonight as your three
51:50 elected officers of the Oklahoma Conference.
51:55 Saying that by God's grace and through his
51:59 blessing Oklahoma Conference will continue
52:02 to grow. It's not easy sometimes I've often though
52:09 in Mark's position of treasurer that he's had
52:12 to made bricks without straw.
52:17 And you know Trevor has worked tirelessly
52:21 to put this camp meeting together,
52:23 so many of you have come to me and thanked me
52:24 for this camp meeting. This is man you're really
52:27 need to thank, but you're really need to be thanking
52:29 the Lord for it. Amen. We appreciate your prayers
52:35 and your support and we appreciate the
52:39 opportunity to serve you. But we appreciate more
52:43 the opportunity to serve Christ. Amen,
52:46 it's not about me, it's not about Trevor,
52:51 it's not about Mark and it's not about you.
52:56 It's about Jesus Christ, Amen. Would you stand
53:01 with me tonight as we determine that by
53:05 God's grace we are going to keep him at the center?
53:10 Reach out and touch somebody,
53:15 you got to hold of somebody's hand,
53:17 everybody touching somebody else.
53:23 O Father, Our Father, the one who really holds
53:28 this family together, the one who is responsible
53:33 for everyone sitting here tonight.
53:36 For every chair that we sit on,, for every inch
53:39 of ground that we walk on, for every victory
53:41 we have gained. We praise your name tonight.
53:47 When the angels up in heaven sing that glory song.
53:52 We will forget about the day we paid the debt
53:55 at Wewoka Woods, we'll forget about the buildings
53:59 we were to built and we will say praise Jesus
54:04 that we're here Amen. We praise you for
54:07 this and we praise you for what is yet to come
54:11 and I pray Lord that at this last moment
54:14 of camp meeting. That if it is your desire,
54:19 if it is in your plan that Jesus not come before
54:23 next year. That you would bless your
54:26 people abundantly and help us not to let
54:33 prosperity make us lay our decision.
54:37 We have to have you Lord in Jesus name
54:40 we pray amen. Good night and God bless you.


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Revised 2014-12-17