Participants: Stephen Bohr
Series Code: OTR
Program Code: OTR001005
01:01 Hello, welcome and good afternoon
01:03 to Spring Camp Meeting 2012 here 01:07 from the 3ABN worship center in West Frankford, Illinois. 01:12 And we welcome our audience before us 01:14 and our worldwide audience viewing and listening 01:17 from around the world. 01:19 And you look well, you look well fed 01:22 and I trust everyone dined sufficiently 01:24 and as I said before we were on air, 01:27 I trust you didn't eat too much 01:28 because we don't want anybody falling asleep. 01:31 We'll have to put usher out here to come 01:32 and wrap your knuckles if you asleep 01:34 because we've got a very good speaker this afternoon. 01:37 Our guest speaker is Pastor Stephen Bohr, 01:40 president of Secrets Unsealed. 01:42 I want to tell you a secret about 01:43 Secrets Unsealed and Pastor Bohr. 01:45 And he may say it but they have just about put the plans 01:49 and everything finished to move into their new building. 01:52 He is the pastor of Fresno Central 01:53 Seventh-day Adventist Church and for the longest time 01:55 Secrets Unsealed was headquartered 01:57 there in Fresno at the church, 01:59 but they have gotten their facility now 02:01 and I think in the little bit they are going to be moving in 02:03 and I know he's very, very excited about that 02:05 because if we speaks growth 02:07 for a very, very wonderful meeting. 02:09 I need you to pray for the pastor. 02:11 He should have been here on last evening. 02:14 He got to Dallas and Dallas was not kind to him. 02:18 They were number of thunder storms 02:20 and lightening storms. 02:21 They cancelled his flight immediately. 02:23 He got up this morning, 02:24 got out of the hotel, was supposed to be 02:26 on the plane at 6.00 to get here 02:27 for his 10.30 speaking appointment 02:29 and the plane didn't leave till 3.00 02:31 and half hours later again the same thunderstorms 02:35 and there was so much lightening, 02:36 they wouldn't even allowed the baggage handlers 02:38 to put the bags on the plane. 02:40 They just let no one out on the tarmac. 02:42 So he's just got in a little bit ago, 02:44 so he maybe little sleepy and if he notched 02:47 during the middle of his message 02:49 you tossed something at him, would you please? 02:50 And I rather tough that he would he would that, 02:53 but just in case because he's had a real hard night, 02:56 but he's a trooper and he's here 03:00 with this some little juggling this morning 03:02 and he has gotten here and we're very, very excited. 03:04 He is an internationally known speaker. 03:09 I say he is a bit of a show off 03:10 because he preaches in two languages, 03:11 that's, that's just showing off. 03:14 If you turn on 3ABN Latino, 03:16 he's also preaching the Pillars of Prophecy 03:19 for 3ABN Latino camp meeting which is going on, 03:22 on our Latino Network right now. 03:23 So he's on the English network and the Spanish network, 03:26 what a showoff. 03:30 No, we love Pastor Bohr so very, very much. 03:33 He's a man of God. 03:34 And if you've heard him preach, you know, 03:36 he comes right from the word, nothing but the word, 03:39 all of the word, all of the time 03:41 and we really love him here at 3ABN 03:43 and he's loved and appreciated around the world. 03:47 He is the husband of one wife, father of two children 03:51 and I think he brought his son with him 03:53 and he also works in production. 03:55 Stephen Junior and we're just happy that, 03:58 first of all that he made it, that God was kind to him 04:01 that allowed him to get here. 04:03 Really, really rough storms in Dallas but he made it 04:06 and we're so very, very thankful. 04:07 You will hear him later on during these meetings 04:09 but we're very, very excited and happy and blessed to have 04:12 Pastor Bohr with us this very afternoon. 04:15 I gonna have prayer, then I want to do just a song 04:19 and then the next voice you here after I sing will be 04:21 that of our friend, our Pastor Stephen Bohr. 04:24 Shall we pray? 04:25 Father God, we just praise You now 04:28 and thank You for traveling mercies 04:30 that You've extended to the man of God. 04:33 We thank You for Jesus 04:34 the author and finisher of our faith 04:36 and that the angel of the Lord encamps 04:38 around about those who fear Him to deliver. 04:43 And again we see Your goodness made manifest in our lives. 04:47 We ask that you would bless our pastor as he speaks to us, 04:51 give him heavens words but more than that give us 04:56 listening and attentive ears so that we may hear and know 05:01 and be blessed and grow in Jesus. 05:05 We give all of our lives and our service to You 05:08 and we thank You in Jesus name, amen. 05:30 I give all my service to You 05:38 I give all 05:41 My service to You 05:47 No matter the cost or what others do 05:54 I give all 05:57 My service to You 06:03 I give all my problems to You 06:10 I give all 06:14 My problems to You 06:20 No matter the cost or what others do 06:26 I give all 06:30 My problems to You 06:35 I give all my family to You 06:42 I give all 06:46 My family to You 06:51 No matter the cost or what others do 06:58 I give all 07:02 My family to You 07:11 I give all 07:14 My future to You 07:19 I give all 07:22 My future to You 07:27 No matter the cost or what others do 07:35 I give all 07:39 My future to You 07:45 I give all 07:47 My worship to You 07:52 I give all 07:54 My worship to You 07:59 No matter the cost or what others do 08:07 I give all 08:11 My worship to You 08:16 I give all 08:20 My worship to You 08:48 Greetings. Greetings. 08:50 It's good to be at 3ABN after a long journey. 08:57 My son and I left yesterday afternoon at 2.00 09:01 with someone of an assurance 09:04 that we would make at the same day, 09:06 but in Dallas they cancelled our flight, 09:10 so we had to sleepover in Dallas 09:11 and then we were supposed to leave 09:12 at 6 o'clock this morning 09:15 but the flight actually left at 9.00. 09:18 They had a lot of lightening 09:19 and they couldn't get the personnel 09:21 onto the tarmac to load the suitcases 09:23 as long as there was lightening. 09:26 So we just got here about an hour ago 09:30 and ready to go. 09:32 Amen. 09:34 I'm really excited about having my son here. 09:38 He was born in West Frankford, 36 years ago. 09:42 He was born in a hospital that used to exist, 09:45 that doesn't exist anymore. 09:47 And this is the first time that he's comeback. 09:50 So it's really, really an excited experience. 09:53 He's not a very emotional person, 09:54 he won't show it but I'm sure that he's excited inside. 09:59 It's good to see all of you. 10:01 I hope you have been enjoying camp meeting. 10:05 I would like to thank brother Hiram 10:08 for being willing to switch with me 10:11 so that I could be here with you this afternoon. 10:14 Before we open God's word 10:15 we do want to ask the Lord's presence. 10:19 We always open scripture with prayer 10:22 because the spirit who inspired scripture 10:24 is the only one who can come and make it fresh to us today. 10:29 So let's bow our heads. 10:31 Father in Heaven, we thank You 10:32 for the privilege of being at 3ABN Camp Meeting. 10:36 We thank You Father, for the rain, 10:37 sometimes it's an inconvenience 10:40 but it makes everything so green and beautiful. 10:43 We thank You Father, for everything You do for us. 10:46 And especially now we thank You for Your word 10:49 which is a sure guide in a world that is so confused. 10:54 We ask that as we open that word 10:55 that Your Holy Spirit will be with us 10:57 to guide our thoughts and to open our hearts. 11:01 And we thank You for hearing our prayer, 11:03 for we ask it in Jesus name, amen. 11:06 Amen. 11:08 I invite you to turn in Bibles with me. 11:10 Did you bring your Bibles? Yes. 11:12 You know, with me you have to have your Bible. 11:15 It's an indispensable weapon. It's the sword of the spirit. 11:19 Revelation Chapter 1 11:22 and we will read versus 10 and 11. 11:25 Revelation 1:10, 11. 11:31 I'll give you just the couple of seconds 11:33 to locate that in your Bibles. 11:35 That should be quite easy to find. 11:37 It's the last book of the Bible, 11:39 of course the first chapter of that book. 11:43 And it says the following. 11:46 "I was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day, 11:49 and I heard behind me a loud voice, 11:53 as of a trumpet, saying, 11:57 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, 12:03 and, what you see, write in a book 12:06 and send it to the seven churches 12:08 which are in Asia, to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, 12:15 to Thyatira, to Sardis, 12:18 to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea." 12:23 Now what I want you to notice is that here 12:26 John has not seen anything yet. 12:30 John is simply hearing the names of the seven churches 12:36 and it's been uttered by a voice that he hears. 12:41 Now the question is, why do you have seven churches? 12:46 The fact is that they were many other churches in Asia Minor. 12:51 For example there was the church of Troas 12:54 in Asia Minor. 12:55 There was the church of Assos also in Asia Minor. 12:59 Miletus was there. 13:01 Colossae, Hierapolis, Magnesia and we could go on and on 13:08 that they were other churches in Asia Minor at this time. 13:13 And yet in Revelation 1:10, 11 13:16 we find only seven specific churches named by name. 13:23 And of course the question is why these particular seven? 13:29 I would like to read a statement 13:30 that we find in the Book Acts of Apostles page 585 13:35 and then I'm going to read a statement 13:37 by a modern expositor of scripture that collaborates 13:42 what we're going to read from Acts of the Apostles 13:46 which was of course written by Ellen White. 13:49 Here she states, "The names of the seven churches 13:54 are symbolic of the church 13:57 in different periods of the Christian era. 14:01 The number seven indicates completeness 14:05 and is symbolic of the fact 14:07 that the messages extend to the end of time, 14:11 while the symbols used revealed the condition of the church 14:15 at different periods in the history of the world. 14:20 So now we know why seven churches were chosen 14:23 because the number 7 represents totality or completeness. 14:29 And so in these seven churches you have characteristics 14:32 of the Christian church from the days of the apostles 14:35 till the end of time represented by the number 7, 14:41 the complete or total history of the church. 14:46 Now the statement that I would like to read 14:48 from an author who as Adventist 14:53 we would disagree with most everything 14:56 that he's ever written. 14:58 However, we do agree 15:01 and Ellen White agrees with this statement 15:03 that I'm going to read from Hal Lindsey. 15:06 Have you ever heard of Hal Lindsey? 15:09 We probably would not agree with 99% of what he's written 15:14 but what I'm going to read, he's right on target, 15:17 he's agreeing with what we read from Acts of the Apostles. 15:21 In his book "Vanished Into Thin Air" page 276, 15:27 he states the following about the seven churches. 15:30 I believe along with many scholars 15:34 that these seven letters were not only written 15:39 to seven literal churches with real problems 15:44 but also that they have 15:46 a prophetic application to church history. 15:51 I believe that these seven churches 15:54 were selected and arranged by our ambitioned Lord 16:00 because they had problems and characteristics 16:03 that would prophecy seven stages of history 16:08 through which the church universal would pass. 16:13 Interesting that He along with other scholars 16:17 I might say agrees that the seven churches 16:21 represent the totality of the history 16:24 of the Christian church denoted by the number 7 16:28 which represents totality or completeness. 16:34 Now I would like us to go 16:35 to the very next verse, Revelation 1:12. 16:41 Up till this point John has heard 16:44 the names of the seven churches in Asia Minor 16:48 but now John is going to see. 16:52 Notice Revelation 1:12. 16:56 "Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. 17:02 And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands." 17:09 So he hears the names of the seven churches 17:13 and then he turns to see who's speaking with him 17:16 and now he sees seven golden lampstands. 17:24 Now the question is what do these 17:25 seven golden lampstands represent or symbolize? 17:31 We don't have to guess because in Revelation 1:20 17:36 the same chapter if you go with me to verse 20 17:39 we find an explanation of what the seven lampstands represent. 17:45 It says there, "The mystery of the seven stars 17:49 which you saw in My right hand," 17:51 this is Jesus speaking 17:53 "and the seven golden lampstands. 17:56 The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, 18:00 and the seven lampstands 18:03 which you saw are the seven churches." 18:08 So we know that the seven lampstands 18:10 represent the seven churches. 18:12 So basically here in chapter 1 we have two realities. 18:17 First of all we have the symbol which is the seven lampstands 18:24 and we also have that which has symbolized 18:27 by the seven lampstands which are the seven churches. 18:30 So you have the symbol and you have the reality. 18:33 In other words, the symbol would be the seven lampstands 18:38 and the reality to which the seven lampstands point 18:42 would be the seven churches. 18:45 Now I want you to notice what we find in verse 13. 18:49 Revelation 1:13. 18:52 John not only sees the seven golden lampstands, 18:57 he's not only heard the names of the seven churches 19:01 but now he's going to see something else. 19:05 Notice Revelation 1:13. 19:09 "And in the midst of the seven lampstands 19:15 One like the Son of Man, 19:18 clothed with a garment down to the feet 19:22 and girded about the chest with a golden band." 19:26 Now we're not gonna read this verse 19:28 but if you want you can write down the reference. 19:30 Exodus 28:4 tells us that this description 19:36 that has given to the Son of Man 19:38 in Revelation Chapter 1 is really the description 19:42 of the attire of the High Priest. 19:46 Particularly two details are mentioned here 19:48 which indicate that this is speaking about 19:51 the High Priest, Jesus the High Priest. 19:54 Number one, the word garment in the New Testament applies 19:58 to the High Priest and secondly 20:00 girded about the chest with a golden band 20:03 that also according to Exodus 28:4 20:07 is part of the High Priestly garments. 20:11 And so basically you see Jesus 20:14 and Jesus is walking among the seven lampstands. 20:18 Now what do the seven lampstands represent? 20:21 They represent the seven churches. 20:23 So what we find here is that Jesus 20:26 is walking throughout the course of history 20:30 in the midst of His church. 20:31 In all of the different stages of the history of the church, 20:35 Jesus is walking in the midst of church history 20:38 as the High Priest. 20:41 Now the question is, what is Jesus doing there 20:46 walking in the midst of the seven golden lampstands 20:50 which represent the seven churches, 20:52 which teaches that Jesus is walking 20:55 in the course of church history. 20:57 He's walking in the midst of the church 20:59 throughout its whole history 21:00 from apostolic times till the end of time. 21:03 What is Jesus doing there? 21:06 Well, we have to go back to a passage 21:08 that we find in the Old Testament 21:10 to understand exactly what Jesus is doing 21:14 as He walks among the seven golden lampstands. 21:17 He's not simply just, you know, 21:20 walking and walking and doing nothing. 21:22 There's a specific intentional purpose 21:25 why Jesus is walking in the midst 21:27 of the seven golden lampstands. 21:30 Go with me to the Book of Leviticus 24:1-4. 21:35 Leviticus 24:1-4. 21:40 Here we find a description of one of the duties 21:44 of Aaron the high priest in the Old Testament. 21:47 The high priest had several duties. 21:50 This is one of the duties that was given 21:53 to the high priest in ancient Israel. 21:55 And I want you to notice what it is. 21:56 It's related to what we're studying 21:58 in Revelation Chapter 1. 22:01 It says there in Leviticus 24:1 22:04 "Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 22:07 'Command the children of Israel that they bring to you 22:11 pure oil of pressed olives for the light.' 22:17 " Of course what was made from olives? 22:20 Oil that's right. 22:22 So in verse 2 it says, "Command the children of Israel 22:24 that they bring to you pure oil of pressed olives for the light 22:29 to make the lamps burn" How? 22:33 "Continually." 22:35 That's a very important little word. 22:37 It's repeated three times. 22:39 Notice verse 3, "Outside the veil of the Testimony, 22:43 in the tabernacle of meeting, Aaron shall be in charge of it 22:48 from evening until morning before the Lord continually, 22:55 it shall be a statute forever in your generations. 22:59 He shall be in charge of the lamps 23:02 on the pure gold lampstand before the Lord" What? 23:07 "Continually." 23:09 So what is Jesus doing walking among the seven candle sticks? 23:14 What is Jesus doing walking in the midst 23:17 of the history of the church in its different stages? 23:20 What Jesus is doing is making sure that at no stage 23:26 will the church be left without oil. 23:30 And the oil represents what? The Holy Spirit. 23:33 Now let me ask you, where there stages 23:35 of the church where it appeared 23:37 that the light of the lamps was about to go out? 23:41 Have you ever heard of the Dark Ages? 23:44 Why do you suppose they are called the Dark Ages? 23:47 Because there was very little, what? 23:50 There was very little light. 23:52 The church was almost totally in apostasy 23:55 and yet there was a faithful remnant 23:57 because Jesus was walking in the midst of His church 24:01 in that period making sure that, 24:04 that candlestick did not burnout, 24:07 making sure that the Holy Spirit 24:09 was present there in the midst of His church. 24:13 And so Jesus basically is trimming the lamps 24:16 and He's providing the church with oil. 24:18 Sometimes the church burns brighter 24:21 and sometimes the church burns darker 24:25 but never did the light of the church ever go out. 24:30 Now you know, there's something very interesting. 24:32 If you look at the geography of the seven churches 24:36 you're gonna find that in the exact order 24:39 in which they appear in the Book of Revelation, 24:42 if you intersect the different places 24:44 where the churches were 24:46 you have the form a candelabrum. 24:52 I challenge you to do that. 24:54 Go to a map and intersect like a candelabrum 24:58 the different places where the churches were 25:01 and you're gonna see a candlestick. 25:03 In other words God on purpose shows these churches, 25:07 not only because of their characteristics 25:10 but also because they formed a candlestick 25:12 and of course the candlestick represents the church. 25:17 Are you understanding what we're studying so far? 25:19 Now there are two specific characteristics of Jesus 25:23 in Revelation Chapter 1 25:24 that I want us to dwell upon in the rest of our study. 25:28 Go with me to Revelation 1:14. 25:32 Jesus is described in chapter 1. 25:35 There are several characteristics 25:37 that are given of Him. 25:38 There are two of those that I particularly want to dwell on 25:42 as it relates to what we're studying today. 25:47 Revelation 1:14. 25:50 It says, "His head and hair 25:54 were white like wool, as white as snow," 25:58 and here comes the symbol that I want us to notice. 26:01 "And his eyes like a flame of fire." 26:07 So what were the eyes of Jesus like? 26:10 They were like flames on fire. 26:12 Have you ever met somebody who's-- look at your burns? 26:19 Maybe your mother when you were a child. 26:23 Eyes can burn 26:25 and so here we find Jesus described 26:28 as having eyes of fire. 26:32 Now what does He do with His eyes? 26:34 Is Jesus aware of what's going on in the church? 26:38 Can Jesus see what's going on at each stage of the church? 26:42 He most certainly can because the each church 26:45 He says, I know your works. 26:49 In other words He knows because He, what? 26:51 He knows because He sees. He knows all. 26:56 In fact, if you read Revelation 5:6 26:59 you would discover something very interesting. 27:01 It describes Jesus the lamb there as having seven eyes. 27:08 Now Jesus does not literally have seven eyes. 27:11 Jesus is a human being. He has two eyes. 27:14 But the number 7 represents fullness or totality 27:18 and the eyes represent seeing everything. 27:21 They represent wisdom. 27:23 So is there anything 27:24 that escapes the attention of Christ 27:26 in the history of the Christian Church? 27:29 Absolutely not. 27:30 He sees all. He has envisioned. 27:33 He knows everything that is going on. 27:36 In fact, in Proverbs 15:3, we find this interesting verse 27:41 that I'm sure that you've read before. 27:44 It says, "They are the eyes of the Lord." 27:46 Are where? 27:48 "Are in every place keeping watch 27:52 on the evil and on the good." 27:55 His eyes are in every place because He has seven eyes 27:59 which represent fullness of wisdom and understanding. 28:03 As He walks in the midst of the church 28:05 and He make sure that the church 28:07 has the necessary oil to give light to the world 28:10 Jesus is also looking at the church with eyes on fire 28:15 and He says, I know your works, nothing escapes My attention. 28:21 Now let's take a look at the second symbol 28:23 that I want us to notice about Jesus. 28:26 Go with me to Revelation 1:16. 28:30 Revelation 1:16 the second symbol, 28:34 both of these symbols are closely related 28:36 one with the other. 28:38 It's says there in Revelation 1:16. 28:42 "He hath in His right hand seven stars" 28:46 and now comes the symbol "out of His mouth 28:51 went a sharp two-edged sword." 28:56 What is that comes out of the mouth? 28:59 Words, teachings. 29:04 And so Jesus not only sees what's going on in the church 29:07 He also what? 29:09 He also speaks to the church through His word. 29:13 And so it says, He had it in his hand seven stars, 29:15 out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword 29:19 and His countenance was like the sun 29:21 shining in it's strength. 29:23 Now what does the sword represent? 29:26 The sword represents of course the Word of God. 29:31 Now what does it mean when it says, 29:32 that this is a two-edge sword? 29:34 What does the sword do? 29:35 How is the sword-- how is the Word of God used? 29:39 I want to read you an interesting description 29:42 that was presented by an individual 29:44 by the name of L. D. Fleming. 29:46 He attended one of the camp meetings 29:48 where William Miller was preaching. 29:51 And so he wrote a description of what it was like 29:54 to go to a meeting where William Miller was preaching. 29:58 Notice what he had to say, if you want the reference, 30:01 this is Review and Herald, November 25, 1884, 30:04 where he gives this testimony about 30:06 what it was like to be there, 30:08 listening to William Miller preach. 30:10 He says this and this is taken at, 30:12 taken place in Portland, Maine. 30:15 "Things are moving powerfully, 30:18 last evening about 200 requested prayers 30:22 and the interest seems constantly increasing. 30:26 The whole city seems agitated. 30:29 Brother Miller's lectures have not the least effect 30:32 to frighten people they are far from it. 30:35 The great alarm is among those who do not come near them. 30:40 Many who stay away and oppose 30:42 seem excited and perhaps alarmed. 30:44 But those who candidly hear 30:47 are far from excitement or alarm. 30:51 The interest awakened by his lectures 30:53 is of the most deliberate and dispassionate kind." 30:56 Now this is not a lot of jumping in excitement 30:59 and halleluiah's and praise the Lord, 31:01 it's a dispassionate kind. 31:03 He continues saying, 31:04 "Though this is the greatest revival I ever saw, 31:09 yet there is the least passionate excitement about it. 31:15 It seems to take a deep hold 31:17 on the main part of the community." 31:20 And then he explains why the preaching 31:22 of William Miller had this effect. 31:25 He says, "What produces the effect is this. 31:29 Brother Miller simply takes the sword of the Spirit, 31:33 unsheathed and lays its sharp edge 31:37 on the naked heart, and it cuts! 31:41 That is all. 31:43 Before the edge of this mighty weapon, 31:45 infidelity falls, and Universalism withers. 31:49 False foundations vanish, and Babel's merchants wonder. 31:54 It seems to me that this must be a little to the nearest 31:58 of the apostolic revivals of anything 32:01 that modern times have witnessed." 32:04 So how is that the word cuts, 32:07 the word that comes from the mouth of Jesus? 32:09 It cuts as a result of the preaching 32:11 of the Word of God. 32:14 You see that's why God has not called us 32:16 to preach human opinions. 32:17 There is no power in human opinions. 32:20 There is power in the Word of God. 32:22 It's a living and powerful tool in the hands of God 32:26 and so this eyewitness 32:28 at one of William Miller's meeting says 32:30 he just unsheathe the sword, 32:32 placed that on the naked heart and it cut. 32:35 In other words it had a profound effect 32:38 on the hearers. 32:39 I would also like to read from Signs of the Times, 32:42 May 17, 1881, actually 1883, where Ellen White 32:48 uses the metaphor of the sword as well. 32:52 She says, "The worldliness in the church 32:55 which is the great cause of spiritual death," 32:59 what is the great cause of spiritual death? 33:01 Worldliness. 33:02 "The worldliness in the church 33:04 which is the great cause of spiritual death 33:07 is attributable to the influence of selfish, 33:11 ease-loving members. 33:13 The progress," now listen she compares it to disease. 33:16 She says, "The progress of this 33:18 deadly malady must be checked. 33:22 The surgeon's knife cuts deep when it is necessary 33:27 to remove festering, pestilent matter." 33:30 And then she says this, "So the Word of God, 33:35 sharper than any two-edged sword, 33:37 must be made to cut to the heart 33:40 or the evil will never be removed." 33:46 Now you say what is the relationship 33:48 between the eyes and the sword 33:51 that cuts and removes? 33:55 I'd like to compare it with medical practice today. 34:02 Let me ask you, if you go to a doctor's office 34:05 and you have a pain in your side 34:07 the doctor says, oh, come in to my office, 34:10 I'll cut you open and see what you've got. 34:15 Is that the way it works? Absolutely not. 34:18 What has to take place first? 34:20 The medical doctor, the surgeon has to do 34:23 sonograms, X-rays, Cat scans. 34:30 He has to do tests which can what? 34:33 Detect the disease. 34:36 See, first of all you have to be 34:38 able to discern the disease to see the disease. 34:41 Does Jesus see the disease of the church 34:43 as He walks in the midst of the church? 34:45 Oh, yes, He does. He has eyes of fire. 34:49 He keeps the light of the church burning 34:50 but He sees the maladies and the illness 34:53 and the cancer that exists in the church. 34:57 But it's not enough for Jesus to detect it. 34:59 He says, I know your works. 35:01 But then Jesus says, okay, I detected it, 35:05 we've put it under the microscope, 35:07 we've done the Cat scan, 35:09 and I hate to tell you that you've got cancer 35:11 but there's good news, we can cut it out. 35:16 And so what you say to the surgeon is, 35:18 will it hurt? 35:23 And the surgeon says, well, after you come 35:25 out of the surgery, yes, there will be pain. 35:27 Oh, no, if it's gonna be painful, 35:29 I don't want anything to do with it. 35:32 And so the surgeon says, listen, let me put it this way. 35:35 You can have a little pain now or a lot of pain later. 35:39 Which of the two do you want? 35:42 In other words, if I don't perform the surgery 35:45 this cancer is gonna kill you. 35:47 I've seen it, you have it 35:50 and it has to be cut out or else it's gonna kill you. 35:54 Are you willing to have the surgery? 35:56 What would you say? I would say, yes. 36:00 Because it's better to have a little pain now, 36:03 then to be killed by what you have. 36:07 Now, let me just share this with you 36:12 so that we understand what we're talking about. 36:17 A person comes to scripture, let's say this person's 36:20 a very greedy person, doesn't ties, 36:26 he's constantly thinking about money, 36:30 that's the obsession of the life. 36:33 And the person one day says, 36:34 you know I haven't read the Bible for a longtime 36:36 so I'm just gonna open my Bible and I'm going to, 36:40 I'm just gonna turn to a passage 36:42 and you know, read the Bible for a change. 36:47 So person opens the Bible 36:49 and lo and behold goes to that passage that says, 36:52 "lay up not treasures on earth." 37:00 What do you suppose is happening? 37:03 That person went to the Bible and read the Bible 37:08 but now what is the Bible doing? 37:11 The Bible is reading him. 37:15 Because the Bible is saying what? 37:18 Hey, that's you. 37:22 Or let's suppose an individual has problems with immorality, 37:27 with fornication, or with adultery 37:30 and opens the Bible, says I've got to read the Bible, 37:32 I've gotten away from studying the Word of God. 37:35 So he goes and he, to Matthew Chapter 5, 37:38 where Jesus said, you have heard in ancient times, 37:40 you shall not commit adultery 37:41 but whoever looks upon a woman to lust after her 37:44 has already committed adultery in his heart. 37:47 See, the person started reading scripture 37:50 and then what is scripture doing? 37:52 Scripture's reading him. 37:55 Scripture is saying, hey, that's your disease. 37:59 Scripture, in other words, is detecting the disease 38:03 and then through the Holy Spirit 38:05 God says, I'm willing to cut out 38:08 that disease if you'll allow it. 38:11 Now that we've detected it, 38:12 if you allow me I'll cut out the disease. 38:17 You know, we need to come to the Bible with sincerity. 38:22 We need to come to the Bible and say, speak Lord, 38:26 for your servant heareth. 38:27 Because the Bible says, that the heart is deceitful 38:30 above all things and desperately wicked. 38:34 Who can know it? 38:36 You know people can, they, 38:38 people can prove anything from the Bible, they say. 38:40 If you come to the Bible to justify 38:42 what you're doing, to justify sin, 38:44 you're gonna be able to find text in the Bible 38:47 that will justify what you're doing. 38:49 But if we are really sincere, about God showing us 38:53 our true condition and detecting exactly 38:56 who you're and what we're, 38:58 we must come to scripture with prayer, 39:01 with a sincere heart and say, Lord, 39:04 show me where I'm wrong, show me my sin 39:07 and I'm willing through Your power 39:10 not only to accept the fact that I have that disease 39:14 but I'm willing to allow you to perform the surgery. 39:21 The psalmist in Psalm 139:23, 24, 39:29 in the passage that probably 39:30 we're all very well acquainted with said this, 39:35 "Search me, O God, and know my heart." 39:42 Why do we have to ask God to know our heart? 39:45 Because our heart is wicked. We are rationalizers. 39:50 We always see ourselves better than we are 39:54 and so we need a faithful detector of sin 39:58 that can tell us the truth, though the heavens fall. 40:02 And so he says, "Search me, O God, and know my heart. 40:07 Try me and know my anxieties 40:11 and see" notice the eyes once again, 40:14 "see if there is any wicked way 40:19 and in me and lead me in the way everlasting. 40:24 In Revelation Chapter 1, 40:25 does Jesus see the sins of the church? 40:29 Does Jesus see the malady and the illness of the church? 40:32 He most certainly does 40:33 and a sword comes out of His mouth, 40:35 He says, I counsel you now in the light of what I've seen 40:39 and then the light of what I've shown you, 40:40 now I counsel you to accept the surgery. 40:45 "I counsel you to buy for me 40:48 gold tried in the fire, white raiment," 40:51 I saith to each segment of the church, 40:54 Jesus gives counsel based on the exact picture 40:59 and truthful picture that He presents of the church 41:02 at that particular period of time. 41:05 So what is Jesus doing? 41:07 Well, He's making sure 41:09 that the light of the church never goes out. 41:12 He's making sure that the Holy Spirit 41:14 is ever-present in the church. 41:16 But Jesus also, through His eyes of fire, 41:19 is detecting the sin 41:20 not only in the church as a corporate entity 41:23 but each individual in the church 41:25 because the church is composed of individuals and then Jesus, 41:30 as He detects the sin, He says, I've seen it, 41:34 now I counsel you to do this about it. 41:37 And so now you have the sword coming into play 41:39 and Jesus is willing to cut out the sin 41:42 with the sword with His word. 41:46 I want to read a couple of texts 41:48 which I'm sure you're acquainted with. 41:50 Hebrews 4:12,13 and I want you to notice here 41:56 how the two symbols are placed together, 41:58 the eyes and the sword. 42:01 In this, in these two verses we have both of those symbols 42:05 concerning Jesus together. 42:08 Notice, and this is a very well known passage. 42:12 "For the word of God is living, 42:17 and powerful, and sharper than," what? 42:21 "And sharper than any two edged sword." 42:24 And what does that sword do? 42:26 Piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, 42:32 and of joints and marrow." 42:35 Does the sword penetrate deeply? 42:40 Yes, and you know I believe that the two edges 42:43 represent the Old and the New Testament. 42:46 You have these two sums in the scripture, 42:47 two witnesses, two lampstands 42:50 in Revelation Chapter 11, 42:52 and you have the two-edged sword. 42:54 See, the Word of God is composed of 42:56 both the Old and the New Testament 42:58 and it sharp according to this but now notice 43:01 it turns from the sword to something else. 43:04 He continues saying, 43:07 once again begin in at the start of the verse, 43:09 "For the word of God is living, and powerful, 43:11 and sharper than any two edged sword, 43:13 piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, 43:16 of the joints and marrow, and is a," what? 43:22 What does I have to do with? 43:23 Your eyes "and is the Discerner 43:26 of the thoughts and intents of the heart." 43:30 Does that detects in? 43:32 Oh, yes, it does even the motives 43:34 and the intentions? 43:35 Can you do good things with a bad motivation? 43:38 Can you do things that apparently 43:40 turn out bad with a good motivation? 43:43 Yes, you can. 43:44 Absolutely, I've done things 43:46 with a good motivation and things 43:47 just come out the wrong way. 43:50 But God writes down in His record the motivation. 43:54 Now notice what it continues saying in verse 13. 43:57 "And there is no creature hidden form His," what? 44:01 Now we see that the Word of God 44:04 is actually a person. 44:07 Because you have the personal pronoun, it says, 44:09 and there is no creature hidden from what? 44:12 Not from its sight but from His sight. 44:16 "But all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him 44:21 to whom we must give an account." 44:24 Do you see the two symbols in those verses? 44:26 The eyes to detect and the sword of a spirit 44:30 to penetrate into the depths of our minds 44:34 and our hearts to cut out sin. 44:38 But do you one of the problems that we have? 44:41 Instead of being in the word, we're into the television. 44:47 Do you know what television does? 44:49 I'm not talking about 3ABN. 44:54 Talking about most of the programming, 44:56 that secular programming that's out there. 44:58 Do you know what it does? 45:00 It strengthens and confirms sin. 45:06 Because as you watch this you're saying, 45:07 oh, that's all right, that's okay, that's okay 45:10 and the heart is deceived into thinking that it's okay. 45:14 But when we are in the word we see our true condition. 45:18 Because Jesus-- the Word of God has eyes, 45:21 if you please, it detects the sin, 45:23 it shows us exactly where we are 45:25 and therefore the more we study the word, 45:27 the more we'll see ourselves as we are 45:30 and the more we will want Jesus 45:33 to cut out the sin from our lives. 45:39 Now I would like to go to the end of the Book of Revelation. 45:44 And there's a very specific purpose why 45:46 I want to go to the end of the book. 45:49 Do you know that at the end of Revelation 45:50 we make those two symbols again, 45:54 the eyes and the sword? 45:57 But listen up, in Revelation Chapter 1, 46:00 the eyes and the sword are remedial 46:04 at the end of Revelation 46:05 the eyes and the sword are retributive. 46:09 Do you understand those words, remedial, remedy? 46:13 No, there's a purpose of the eyes and sword 46:15 in Revelation Chapter 1 46:16 is to detect the cancer and to cut it out. 46:20 But at the end of the Book of Revelation, 46:22 once probation is closed 46:24 the eyes and the sword have a different function. 46:28 Go with me to Revelation Chapter 19. 46:31 Revelation 19:11. 46:34 And then we'll read verse 14 and also verse 16. 46:38 Revelation 19:11 says, 46:42 "Now I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse, 46:46 and He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, 46:49 and in righteousness he judges and makes war." 46:51 What event is being described here? 46:54 The second coming of Christ. 46:56 Verse 14, He doesn't come alone. 46:58 It says something, "Armies in heaven 47:00 clothed in fine linen, white and clean, 47:02 followed Him on white horses." 47:04 And then in verse 16 we have His name it says, 47:06 "And he has on his robe 47:08 and on his thigh a name written, 47:10 King Of Kings, and Lord of Lords." 47:17 Can anybody be saved at this point 47:20 that is not being saved previously? 47:22 Absolutely not. Now notice Revelation 19:12. 47:30 "His eyes were like a flame of fire." 47:33 Did we see that symbol before in chapter 1? 47:37 Yes, "His eyes were like a flame of fire, 47:40 and on his head were many crowns, 47:42 he had a name written, 47:43 that no one knew, except himself." 47:45 Let me ask you, what are the wicked going to do 47:47 when they see those eyes? 47:50 When they see that face and they see those eyes? 47:54 What are they gonna do? 47:55 Go back with me to Revelation 6:14-17, 47:59 see we can either choose to have the eyes 48:02 detect the sin now and the word cut it out 48:07 or we can wait until it's too late. 48:10 And by the way we don't have to wait until Jesus comes. 48:13 If we should die, that's it. 48:16 There's a lot of people 48:17 who talk about the close to probation. 48:18 Yes, the close to probation for the world 48:21 but folks, if we should die that's our close to probation. 48:27 It's a sobering thought, isn't it? 48:29 That probation can close 48:31 before the close to probation for the world. 48:34 Notice Revelation 6:14, "And the kings of the earth, 48:38 the great men, the rich men, the commanders, 48:40 the mighty men, every slave and every free man, 48:42 hid themselves in the caves and the rocks of the mountains 48:45 and said to the mountains and rocks, 48:48 fall on us" and what? 48:50 Whoa, they can't stand those eyes of fire. 48:52 "Those eyes burn highness from the face of Him, 48:56 who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the lamb 48:59 for the great day of his wrath has come 49:01 and who is able to stand?" 49:03 Let me ask you, are these eyes 49:05 remedial at this point? 49:07 No, they are retributive. 49:12 They no longer can detect sin 49:14 with the intention of cutting it out. 49:17 I want you to notice that the sword 49:19 also comes into view at the end of the book. 49:22 Go with me to Revelation 19:15. 49:25 Revelation 19:15. 49:28 Speaking still in the context of the coming of Christ. 49:31 It says there, 49:33 "Now out of his mouth goes a," what? 49:38 "A sharp sword." 49:42 Is it a saving sword at this point? 49:45 Is it a sword that saves from sin 49:47 and makes it like Jesus 49:48 and cuts out sin from the heart? 49:51 Absolutely not. 49:52 Because it continues saying, now out of His mouth 49:55 goes a sharp sword that with it he should scrape the nations: 49:59 and he himself will rule them with a rod of iron, 50:02 he himself treads the wine press of the fierceness 50:05 and wrath of Almighty God." 50:09 Do you see the relationship between the eyes and the sword 50:11 of the beginning of the book and the end of the book? 50:15 Jesus says today to His church, 50:17 I want you to radiate My light. 50:20 I'm there to give you the Holy Spirit 50:23 so that you shine for Me. 50:25 I'm walking in the midst of the Laodicean church. 50:30 Through the word, the eyes, 50:32 I'll show you what needs changing, 50:34 I'll show you the remedy, for your illness 50:38 and even though it might hurt 50:40 I'm willing to take your sin and I'm willing to cut it out. 50:45 If we don't allow that to happen now 50:48 later we will have to face those eyes 50:51 and we will have to face the sword. 50:55 Go with me to Matthew 21:44, 50:59 Jesus taught a very important point here. 51:02 Matthew 21:44, 51:05 this is after Jesus has told the parable 51:08 of the workers in the vineyard, you know, 51:12 He sent out His servants to get the fruit in that season 51:16 and they treated spitefully, the servant, 51:20 so He's sent more servants, 51:22 at the end He sends His son and they reject the son. 51:26 They say this is the air 51:27 and they cast him out of the vineyard. 51:30 And then Jesus gives the lesson that He wants to teach. 51:33 Notice, "And whoever falls on this stone," 51:38 who is the stone? 51:40 Jesus. 51:41 He says, whoever falls on the stone will be what? 51:46 "Broken." Is that salvific? 51:50 In other words is that remedial falling up on the stone? 51:54 It most certainly is. 51:55 But what happens if we don't fall on the stone? 51:58 Listen, "Whoever falls on this stone will be broken 52:02 but on whomever it" what? 52:05 "It falls, it will grind him to powder." 52:08 Do you remember Daniel Chapter 2? 52:10 Yes. 52:11 The stone that was cut all the mountain 52:14 and hit the image on the feet and we usually think of that 52:16 in terms of empires but you know what 52:19 within those empires are individuals. 52:25 Jesus is applying, I believe Daniel 2 to individuals. 52:30 He saying fall on the stone, fall on Me, be broken. 52:35 Have your heart, your selfish heart broken 52:38 because if you don't that very stone 52:41 will be a crushing stone. 52:45 Go with me to Matthew 3:11, 12. 52:48 Matthew 3:11, 12. 52:50 Here John the Baptist is preaching 52:52 and I want you to notice that John the Baptist 52:54 speaks of fire in two different contexts. 52:57 Fire in two different contexts. 52:59 Oh, I love that to hear the pages of the Bible turning, 53:02 that's His music, it's like a symphony to my ears. 53:06 You know people accuse me of not using audio visual aids 53:11 and I say I believe in audio visuals. 53:13 Audio, because they can hear me and visual 53:15 because they can read it in the Bible. 53:19 Matthew 3:11, 12, John the Baptist says, 53:23 "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance. 53:25 But he who is coming after me is mightier than I, 53:29 whose sandals I am not worthy to carry, 53:32 He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit," and what? 53:36 "And fire." 53:38 Is this fire remedial or is it retributive? 53:42 It's remedial. 53:44 What is the purpose of the Holy Spirit 53:47 as it's presented as fire, it is to consume what? 53:51 To consume sin in the heart through the Word of God 53:54 because the sword of the spirit is the Word of God. 53:59 But now listen, what happens if we do not allow 54:03 the fire of the Holy Spirit through His sword, the word 54:07 to consume sin in our life? 54:10 There's another fire coming and John the Baptist speaks 54:12 about that as well in verse 12. 54:14 He says, "His winnowing fan is in his hand, 54:18 and he will thoroughly clean out his threshing floor." 54:22 Notice the idea of cleaning the threshing floor. 54:25 "And gather his wheat into the barn, 54:30 but he will burn up the chaff with," what? 54:34 "With unquenchable fire." 54:38 So we can face the fire now in the remedial sense. 54:41 But as the Holy Spirit working through the word 54:44 or we will have to face the fire 54:46 that consumes when Jesus comes. 54:50 I'd like to read a closing statement 54:52 from the writings of Ellen White, 54:54 where she's speaking about the two functions of the fire. 54:57 Desire of Ages page 107. 55:00 Desire of Ages page 107, she says this, 55:04 these are profound words, "To sin, wherever found, 55:12 'our God is a consuming fire.' 55:16 " What is God to sin? A consuming fire. 55:20 In other words, God is to sin as antiseptic is to germs. 55:28 If you please, they cannot live together. 55:32 To sin wherever found, our God is a consuming fire. 55:35 Now listen carefully, "In all who submit to His power 55:40 the Spirit of God will consume sin." 55:46 Listen to the other side of the coin, 55:48 "But if men cling to sin, they become identified with it. 55:54 Then the glory of God, which destroys sin, 55:58 must destroy them." 56:04 So what do we need to do here at 3ABN camp meeting? 56:08 We need to pray to the Lord, 56:09 that the Lord will show us our sin. 56:13 Its painful, we don't like 56:14 people to tell us what's wrong with us. 56:18 But if we don't, it'll kill us. 56:22 We need to pray that the Lord will show us 56:25 what we are and who we are 56:27 without and barely seeing anything, 56:29 just tell us the truth as it is. 56:32 And the only way that can happen folks is 56:35 if we are into the Word of God 56:37 and then we have to be willing to say 56:39 Jesus You've shown me the way I am, 56:42 now through Your word, the two-edge-sword sharp 56:47 go in and cut it out, even if its painful, cut it out 56:53 because I don't want it to kill me. 56:57 I want to be saved in Your kingdom. 57:00 Would you like me to pray that will be the reality 57:03 in each one of our lives today? 57:06 I invite you to bow your heads with me as we pray. 57:09 Our father in heaven, 57:10 we thank You for Your holy word. 57:14 Your holy word that is in the surgeons hand. |
Revised 2014-12-17