3ABN On the Road

Diamonds In The Rough

Three Angels Broadcasting Network

Program transcript

Participants: Stephen Bohr

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Series Code: OTR

Program Code: OTR001008


01:02 Hello, friends, and welcome to Spring Camp Meeting
01:05 here in Southern Illinois at the 3ABN Worship Center,
01:08 where the people of God are continuing to be blessed
01:11 by messages focused on the Pillars of Prophecy.
01:15 Just a moment ago we had a wonderful presentation
01:19 and we're gonna have another one now.
01:21 Pastor Stephen Bohr is going to come and share with you
01:24 a message entitle "Diamond in the Rough. "
01:27 So if you are moving around right now
01:29 and don't know what to do, let me encourage you
01:31 to take seat for the next 55 minutes or an hour,
01:34 so invite your friends and family members,
01:37 because this is in fact the day of prophecy.
01:40 The important messages of the last days
01:42 are being fulfilled right before our eyes.
01:44 And the Lord has chosen his servant today
01:47 to communicate a message from the Word of God
01:50 and we would like to thank you for all you do
01:52 for the cause of God and we like to always invite you
01:56 to bow your heads with us as we invite the presence
01:59 of the Lord to continue with us in this service.
02:03 Gracious Father in heaven, we thank You for Your goodness,
02:06 for Your mercy and for Your grace.
02:10 We thank You for the fact that prophecy is true,
02:13 it is the timetable to which the people of God march.
02:17 And we pray a special blessing on Pastor Stephen Bohr
02:22 as he brings to us this very important nugget of truth,
02:26 may our hearts absorb what the Spirit plants there.
02:31 May our minds be filled with
02:32 not only the knowledge of Christ
02:34 but a passion to serve Him
02:36 and be prepared for his soon return,
02:38 in Jesus' name we pray, amen.
02:42 Now just a little bit more on Pastor Stephen Bohr.
02:45 He is the president and speaker of Secrets Unsealed
02:47 and it fits perfectly in prophecy
02:49 because in Amos 3:7, the Bible says,
02:52 "Surely the Lord God does nothing except
02:55 he reveals his secrete to his servants, the prophets. "
02:58 If you know Pastor Stephen Bohr,
02:59 he is a servant of God.
03:01 Can you say amen? Amen.
03:02 And so the timing is right
03:03 and the man that God has chosen is correct also.
03:06 But just before he comes to speak,
03:08 the Lord has also given me the opportunity
03:10 to lay the foundation to focus the message on the one
03:14 who is the central theme and that is Jesus.
03:17 And so I pray the song encourages your heart
03:19 because the fountain that continues to flow,
03:22 filled with the redeeming blood of Christ is our only hope.
03:43 There is a fountain
03:47 Filled with blood
03:51 Drawn from Immanuel's veins
03:58 And sinners, plunged beneath that flood
04:06 Lose all their guilty stains
04:14 Lose all their guilty stains
04:22 Lose all their guilty stains
04:30 And sinners, plunged beneath that flood
04:37 Lose all their guilty stains
04:46 The dying thief rejoiced to see
04:53 That fountain in his day
05:01 And there may I, though vile as he
05:09 Wash all my sins away
05:16 Wash all my sins away
05:25 Wash all my sins away
05:32 And there may I, though vile as he
05:40 Wash all my sins away
05:51 E'er since by faith
05:55 I saw the stream
06:00 Thy flowing wounds supply
06:07 Redeeming love has been my theme
06:15 And shall be till I die
06:22 Yes, it shall be till I die
06:31 And it shall be till I die
06:39 Your redeeming love has been my theme
06:47 And shall be till I die
06:57 And it shall be
07:03 till I die
07:40 Good morning. Good morning.
07:42 Or should we say afternoon? Afternoon.
07:45 This one of those difficult hours 'cause it's about noon.
07:50 It's good to see you all again.
07:52 Are you ready to study the word?
07:54 Yes.
07:55 Praise the Lord.
07:57 Before we do, we want to ask for the Lord's presences.
08:01 So let's bow our heads.
08:04 Father in heaven,
08:06 Your people has gathered together
08:09 to open the holy book that You inspired
08:13 so many centuries ago.
08:16 We realize that without divine help,
08:19 there is no way that we can understand this book.
08:23 And so we ask for the presence of Your Holy Spirit
08:26 and we ask that You'll open our minds and our hearts
08:30 that we might understand and receive the seed of truth.
08:34 Help us not only to comprehend
08:36 but to live what we will learn today.
08:39 We thank You for hearing our prayer,
08:44 for we ask it in Jesus' name, amen.
08:50 Human beings are impressed by science,
08:56 social status, wealth, fame,
09:02 looks, degrees, and so on.
09:09 But how does God look upon these things?
09:16 I'd like to begin by sharing with you a story
09:22 that we find recorded in 1 Samuel Chapter 9
09:27 and we'll begin by reading verse 2.
09:31 1 Samuel 9:2, and we're gonna stay
09:35 in 1 Samuel for quite an extended period of time.
09:40 The time came to elect the first king of Israel.
09:44 And of course we all know
09:45 that the king who was elected was Saul.
09:50 The Bible tells us that Saul was an imposing figure.
09:56 1 Samuel 9:2 describes his physical characteristics.
10:02 It says there, "And he had a choice and handsome son..."
10:07 That is Saul's father whose name was Saul.
10:13 "There was not a more handsome person than he
10:18 among the children of Israel.
10:20 From the shoulders upward
10:23 he was taller than any of the people. "
10:27 Tall and good looking,
10:31 and undoubtedly also very, very smart.
10:37 Now, God saw a lot of potential in Saul.
10:41 We know this because he was God's choice
10:46 to be king of Israel.
10:48 In verse 17 of 1 Samuel 9,
10:52 we find God's assessment of Saul.
10:57 It says there, "So when Samuel saw Saul,
11:02 the Lord said to him,
11:03 'There he is, the man whom I spoke to you.
11:09 This one shall reign over My people. '"
11:14 God saw potential in Saul.
11:19 He was tall handsome, had charisma, was intelligent
11:25 and God saw that he could have
11:29 great potential in leading Israel.
11:33 Now the Bible tells us
11:34 that Samuel was also impressed with Saul.
11:39 In fact all of Israel were greatly impressed by Saul
11:46 perhaps because of what they could see before their eyes.
11:52 In 1 Samuel 10:23, 24,
11:56 we find Saul being introduced to Israel.
12:02 And I want you to notice the reaction of the people
12:04 as they saw Saul introduced before them.
12:09 It says there in 1 Samuel 10:23,
12:13 "So they ran and brought him from there,
12:16 and when he stood among the people,
12:19 he was taller than any of the people
12:22 from his shoulders upward. "
12:25 And notice what Samuel says with pride
12:28 undoubtedly in his voice.
12:30 And Samuel said to all of the people,
12:33 "Do you see him whom the Lord has chosen,
12:37 that there is none like him among all of the people?"
12:40 Was Samuel impressed?
12:42 Oh, greatly impressed,
12:45 because he saw that this man was tall
12:48 and he was handsome and he had great potential.
12:52 The people were also impressed
12:55 because we're told once again verse 24.
12:58 "And Samuel said to all of the people,
13:00 'Do you see him whom the Lord has chosen,
13:03 that there is none like him among all of the people's?'
13:08 So all the people shouted and said, 'Long live the king!'"
13:13 Everyone was impressed by Saul.
13:19 But of course you know the Bible tells us
13:21 that Saul did not pass the test.
13:25 He did not live up to his potential.
13:30 The Bible tells us that his life story was
13:33 one of disobedience, one disobedience after another,
13:38 which ultimately led him to commit suicide.
13:44 Great potential, but he did not live up to the potential.
13:51 So it became necessary to choose someone
13:54 to take the place of Saul,
13:55 to choose a new king for Israel.
13:58 So Samuel was instructed to go
14:01 to the home of Jesse who had eight sons.
14:06 And I'd like us to turn
14:12 where God instructs him to go to the house of Jesse.
14:17 It says there, "Now the Lord said to Samuel,
14:20 'How long will you mourn for Saul,
14:23 seeing that I have rejected him from reigning over Israel?
14:27 Fill your horn with oil, and go,
14:30 I am sending you to Jesse the Bethlehemite,
14:34 for I have provided Myself a king among his sons. '"
14:43 Now the interesting thing is God did not reveal to Samuel
14:48 the name of the son who would be king.
14:52 Did God know who the-
14:53 which son was going to serve as king.
14:56 Of course He did,
14:57 but He did not tell Samuel the name.
15:01 He said among his sons there is the future king.
15:05 And God had a special purpose
15:08 in not revealing the name of the son
15:12 who would be king even though God already knew.
15:16 And so in 1 Samuel 16
15:18 we have Jesse bringing his sons by order of age before Samuel.
15:24 I want you to notice that only three of those sons
15:26 are mentioned by name, the three eldest.
15:30 Notice 1 Samuel 16:6.
15:34 "So it was, when they came,
15:37 that he" that is Samuel "looked at Eliab and said,
15:42 'Surely the Lord's anointed is before Him!'"
15:47 After all, he was the oldest, the smartest.
15:52 So he must be the next candidate for king.
15:57 But it didn't happened,
15:58 God said, this is not the not one.
16:01 Verse 8, "So Jesse called Abinadab,
16:04 and made him pass before Samuel.
16:07 And he said," that is Samuel said
16:10 "'Neither has the Lord chosen this one. '"
16:14 Verse 9 "Then Jesse made Shammah pass by.
16:18 And he said, 'Neither has the Lord chosen this one. '"
16:22 And so Samuel is wondering what's happening here?
16:25 The three eldest have come by
16:27 and none of them are God's selection for king.
16:31 And eventually he goes through seven of the sons.
16:35 It's not this one, not this one, not this one.
16:38 And so Samuel says, isn't there any one else?
16:42 Aren't there any other sons?
16:45 Interestingly Jesse, he didn't-
16:46 wasn't even thinking about it,
16:48 having his youngest son appear before Samuel.
16:52 He says come to think of it I do have another son.
16:57 He is the youngest and he is out tending the sheep.
17:03 Let's read it 1 Samuel, 1 Samuel Chapter 16.
17:09 1 Samuel 16:7.
17:13 We are going to notice now
17:14 the reason why God did not tell Samuel the name.
17:18 It's because God wanted to teach Samuel
17:22 a very important lesson about people.
17:26 1 Samuel 16:7, "But the Lord said to Samuel,
17:33 'Do not look at his countenance at his appearance
17:38 or at his physical stature,
17:41 because I have refused him.
17:44 For the Lord does not see as a man sees,
17:48 for man looks at the outward appearance,
17:52 but the Lord looks at the heart. '"
17:58 Now we know why God didn't tell the name.
18:01 He wanted to teach Samuel that it is not he who is the eldest,
18:06 the best looking, the tallest and the most able
18:10 who necessarily is God's choice to fulfill His purpose.
18:15 And so David comes before Samuel.
18:18 I want you to notice the description
18:22 in 1 Samuel 16:11, 12.
18:25 1 Samuel 16:11, 12,
18:28 this choice made absolutely no sense
18:32 when you really think about it.
18:33 Notice the description.
18:35 "And Samuel said to Jesse, 'Are all the young men here?"
18:41 Then he said, 'There remains yet the youngest'
18:46 and there he is, keeping the sheep. '
18:50 And Samuel said to Jesse, 'Send and bring him,
18:54 for we will not sit down till he comes here. '
18:58 So he sent and brought him in. "
19:01 Now, notice the description.
19:04 "Now he was ruddy,
19:06 with bright eyes, and good-looking. "
19:13 Didn't look like someone who could be king.
19:17 "And the Lord said,
19:18 'Arise, anoint him, for this is the one!'"
19:26 And Samuel is wondering, he says now,
19:28 is the youngest,
19:29 all he knows how to do is tend sheep.
19:31 He doesn't have any administrative experience,
19:35 He is a kid.
19:36 Why would God chose, choose him?
19:39 You see the problem is,
19:40 Samuel saw the actual were as God saw the potential.
19:49 Now how did Saul look upon David?
19:53 It's interesting to see,
19:54 how each one of these individuals looked upon David?
19:56 They all disdained him,
19:58 because of his youth and his lack of experience.
20:01 You remember when Goliath challenged Israel
20:06 every day for a period of 40 days.
20:09 David eventually comes
20:10 and he hears this threatening voice of Goliath.
20:16 And so David says, "I'll go and fight the giant. "
20:22 What did Saul say? How did Saul see David?
20:25 He sees the actual. He does not see the potential.
20:30 Notice 1 Samuel 17:33,
20:33 here is Saul's assessment of David,
20:37 1 Samuel 17:33.
20:41 "And Saul said to David,
20:43 'You are not able to go against this Philistine
20:49 to fight with him,
20:50 for you are a youth, and he a man of war from his youth. '"
20:56 So Samuel says, I don't know why God chose this young kid.
21:02 Saul says hey, you're just a young kid.
21:05 You can't fight against Goliath.
21:08 Saul saw the actual. God saw the potential.
21:14 Now how did the three eldest sons of Jesse look upon David?
21:22 Let's go to 1 Samuel 17, 1 Samuel 17 by the way,
21:26 the three are sons are now mentioned by name again
21:31 and we're going to discover the reason why they were not chosen
21:34 because they were cowards.
21:40 See, God sees beyond what the eyes see.
21:46 1 Samuel 17:11,
21:50 "When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine,
21:56 they were dismayed and greatly afraid. "
22:00 Verse 13, "The three eldest sons of Jesse
22:04 had gone to follow Saul to the battle.
22:07 The names of his three sons who went to the battle. "
22:10 The names are given now, same three names.
22:12 "Were Eliab the firstborn, next to him Abinadab,
22:16 and the third Shammah. "
22:19 David was the what?
22:20 See, the God is underlining this.
22:23 "David was the youngest.
22:25 And the three oldest followed Saul.
22:28 Now Eliab his oldest brother heard when he spoke to the men,
22:32 and Eliab's anger was aroused against David, and he said,
22:36 'Why did you come down here?
22:38 And with whom have you left
22:40 those few sheep in the wilderness?
22:43 I know your pride and the insolence of your heart,
22:47 for you have come down to see the battle. '"
22:49 And David says, No, I have come to fight the battle.
22:52 Amen.
22:54 Why didn't the three oldest go and fight Goliath's?
22:58 They were cowards.
23:01 But God saw something special in the shepherd boy
23:04 that could not be seen by the naked eye.
23:09 How did Goliath look upon David?
23:12 See, they all had it wrong.
23:15 Notice 1 Samuel 17, 1 Samuel 17:42-44.
23:20 We're told how Goliath considered David.
23:23 You know there is not a bigger mistake
23:26 that you can make in war than to underestimate the enemy.
23:33 It says there, "And when the Philistine looked about
23:35 and saw David, he disdained him,
23:39 for he was only a youth, ruddy and good-looking. "
23:44 He didn't look like a warrior.
23:46 "So the Philistine said to David,
23:48 'Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?'"
23:55 Of course he had his staff.
23:57 "And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.
23:59 And the Philistine said to David,
24:01 Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds
24:03 of the air and to the beasts of the field!'"
24:05 And David said, No, it will be just the opposite.
24:10 God saw in David the potential.
24:14 All of the others saw in David the actual.
24:18 God saw David as he could become, not as he was.
24:23 And of course we all know what the result was.
24:27 David defeated Goliath and he became the king,
24:32 the greatest king in the history of Israel.
24:36 You know as I read the story,
24:40 I had to sit down and reflect myself
24:43 about the way that I looked at people.
24:51 I taught theology for six years
24:54 in Seventh-day Adventist University
24:55 in the city of Medellin, Colombia.
24:59 I had hundreds of students come through my classes,
25:02 preparing to serve in the ministry.
25:06 I had a handful of students that had perfect grades
25:10 all the way through the four years.
25:13 Perfect 4.0.
25:16 I had other students that studied hard and they struggled
25:21 because they did obviously not have the same mental capacity
25:26 or perhaps the same discipline
25:28 that the students who got good grades had.
25:34 You know as I have looked back in the course of many years.
25:40 Because I kind of keep in touch, my wife is Colombian,
25:42 so we go back once or twice a year to Colombia,
25:45 so I see a lot of ex-students.
25:47 I know what's happened to most of them.
25:50 And, you know, some of those students
25:54 who I thought couldn't miss, that it was guaranteed
25:58 that they were gonna be successful in the work
26:03 are no longer ministers.
26:06 And some of those students that I felt would never make it,
26:11 because their grades were not good
26:14 or perhaps they were not as disciplined
26:17 as I thought that they should be became
26:20 some of the most successful workers in God's cause.
26:25 I think of one young man particularly in Venezuela.
26:29 He struggled to get good grades.
26:32 He struggled to get passing grades.
26:35 And I'll tell you, I'll be honest with you
26:37 as I was teaching I wouldn't have given 10 cents for him
26:41 being successful in ministry.
26:45 Well, I was wrong,
26:47 because this young man for year after year
26:50 became the champion soul winner
26:52 in all of the country of Venezuela.
26:54 Praise the Lord.
26:57 So as I've looked back, I've to learn
27:00 that we're not supposed to look at people
27:02 as they are but as they can became.
27:05 We're not supposed to look at the actual,
27:07 but we're supposed to look beyond the visible
27:10 to the potential that people have in God's cause.
27:17 In the southern region of Venezuela where I grew up,
27:23 there is basically jungle, it's known as La Gran Sabana,
27:31 that's where David Gates by the way
27:33 lost one of his planes a few years ago.
27:37 It's never been found, its thick jungle.
27:41 And down there in the southern tip of Venezuela
27:45 are the Davis Indians.
27:48 You know, if you want to read
27:49 the interesting story of the Davis Indians,
27:51 if you can get a copy of the book, it's out of print
27:54 by Booton Herndon called The 7th Day.
27:57 Some of you might remember that book.
27:58 It tells the story of the Davis Indians.
28:02 When my dad was conferences president
28:03 there in the city of Caracas, that was part of his territory.
28:07 And the only way that you could get there,
28:09 now they have a highway that takes you down there,
28:11 but the only way that you could get there
28:13 when my dad was president was by taking a one motor,
28:17 one engine plane and flying down there
28:19 and it flew only once a week.
28:23 So my dad as he describes it, you know,
28:25 the plane would come and like
28:27 it was going to land on top of the trees
28:30 and then suddenly you had the clear landing strip
28:32 where the plane landed right in the midst of the jungle.
28:38 Now the Davis Indians and they are called the Davis Indians
28:42 because they were actually taught the gospel message,
28:46 the Seventh-day Adventist message by Elder Davis.
28:49 And probably some of you have heard the story.
28:51 The chief of the village had a dream
28:55 and in the dream God showed him
28:56 that there was a man dressed in white
28:58 who was gonna come with the black book
29:00 and they should listen to him when he came.
29:03 Sometime later Elder Davis came with his white missionary suite
29:07 and his Bible under his arm.
29:09 And the chief said this is the man that I saw in my dream.
29:13 And so Elder Davis taught them
29:14 and they became Seventh-day Adventists
29:16 and many other villages became Seventh-day Adventists as well.
29:20 Now when my dad was president, the Indians, they would--
29:23 actually one of the main industries
29:25 that they were involved in was mining for diamonds.
29:29 There are many, many diamonds in that region.
29:31 So one day the Indians said to my dad,
29:34 "Would you like to go with us,
29:35 and we'll show you how we mine diamonds? "
29:38 And my dad said, "That would be interesting. "
29:40 So they went and the Indians started working in a cave
29:46 where they were looking for diamonds
29:48 and there were all sorts of stones there, piled up.
29:53 And my dad, as he describes it.
29:55 You know, the Indians would work through the stones
29:58 and then they would pick up a little stone
29:59 that look pretty much like the other ones
30:01 and the Indian would say, this is a diamond.
30:08 My dad says, he looked at it, he says that's a diamond?
30:12 Yes, that's a diamond.
30:15 He says, but, it's not beautiful.
30:19 You know he--my dad actually describes it,
30:21 have you ever seen a piece of glass
30:22 that has been in the ocean
30:23 for an extended period of time,
30:25 in the course of time that gets smooth and opaque.
30:29 That's what diamonds in the rough look like.
30:32 It's only cut diamonds that are beautiful.
30:35 But diamonds in themselves are actually pretty ordinary.
30:40 And so my dad says, these can't be diamonds,
30:42 I've seen diamonds before,
30:44 they're bright and shiny and beautiful.
30:46 look like just a little pieces a glass.
30:49 And the Indian said, oh, but when they're cut,
30:53 they're beautiful.
30:55 And my dad, that day the Indians gave him
30:57 22 small diamonds and actually he brought them back
31:04 to the city of Caracas, I don't know if he still has
31:06 those in a little bag but, but I remember
31:08 seeing them in our home.
31:14 That's the way people are.
31:16 They might look ordinary to the naked eye
31:22 but when they're cut and when they're polished by the Lord,
31:27 they can do great things for the Lord.
31:30 They can be beautiful in the Lord's hands.
31:34 You know, it kind of makes me think of the sons of Jacob.
31:39 We think of them as being pretty nice guys.
31:43 But when you look at their stories,
31:45 you wonder how God would choose them
31:47 to found the nation of Israel.
31:50 Let me just mention a few of them.
31:53 First of all you have Simeon and Levi.
31:57 Nasty characters.
32:01 Let me just tell you a story
32:03 so you know what they were like.
32:05 You know, there was a young man called Shechem,
32:08 the name of the city where he lived was also Shechem.
32:13 And Shechem fell in love with Dinah,
32:14 the lone sister that all these 12 brothers had,
32:19 and she became pregnant,
32:23 but Shechem loved Dinah and so he said--
32:28 he went and he talked to Jacob and he said
32:30 "Jacob, would you please allow my son to marry Dinah. "
32:38 And Simeon and Levi heard about it
32:41 so they said to him to Jacob,
32:48 okay or to Hamor rather,
32:52 if you have all of men in Shechem circumcised,
32:59 then we will allow our sister to marry him
33:07 because we cannot allow her to marry an uncircumcised pagan.
33:12 So all of the men of Shechem agreed
33:15 because it wasn't only Shechem who had to be circumcised,
33:19 all of the men who lived in Shechem had to be circumcised
33:23 and so they were all circumcised.
33:26 And after a period of three days,
33:28 when they were in the utmost pain
33:31 because of the circumcision,
33:33 Simeon and Levi came against Shechem and Hamor
33:39 and all of the men of Shechem and slew them.
33:44 That's the kind of men that Simeon and Levi were
33:48 but as we all know Levi, the descendants of Levi
33:53 at Mount Sinai stood for the Lord
33:56 and they became the priest in Israel.
34:00 And then of course you have Reuben
34:04 who had the backbone of a jellyfish.
34:09 When it came to delivering Joseph and saying
34:12 what you're thinking about doing to Joseph is wrong.
34:18 He didn't take a stand.
34:20 He said I'll comeback later
34:22 and take him out of the cistern,
34:24 then it was too late.
34:26 The Bible also tells us that Reuben committed incest
34:30 with his father's concubine.
34:34 What about Judah?
34:36 Judah slept with Tamar, his son's wife.
34:44 Who would have ever given 10 cents for these guys?
34:47 But God saw in them potential. And you know what?
34:54 Their names are immortalized on the gates
35:01 of the New Jerusalem forever and ever.
35:06 Notice Revelation 21:17,
35:10 actually it's verse 12, Revelation 21:12.
35:13 Notice what it says about the twelve sons of Jacob.
35:17 It says "Also the city had a great and high wall with
35:21 twelve gates and twelve angels at the gates
35:26 and names written on them, which are the names
35:30 of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel."
35:34 Three gates on the east, three gates on the north,
35:37 three gates on the south, and three gates on the west.
35:42 How could God put the names of 12 individuals,
35:48 who had serious defects with character,
35:51 some of them had savage characters as we've noticed.
35:54 How could God place their names
35:58 on the gates of the New Jerusalem?
36:01 Names immortalized forever
36:04 because God did not see them as they were,
36:08 God saw them as they could become
36:10 through His grace and through His power.
36:15 And what could we say about the 12 apostles.
36:21 What a bunch of guys?
36:24 There was bigmouth fisherman, Peter.
36:29 By the way, his name means pebble,
36:34 pebble is moved back and forth,
36:36 that's the way Peter was fickle.
36:40 And then you have Simon the Zealot,
36:44 The Zealot's was a political party
36:46 in the days of Christ.
36:47 They were intending
36:49 on overthrowing the Roman Government,
36:50 he was a gorilla fighter, if you please.
36:55 And then you have James and John
36:58 whom Jesus called the sons of thunder
37:05 and then you have doubting Thomas
37:09 who had the philosophy to see is to believe
37:16 and then you have Matthew the IRS agent
37:24 and Judas the conniving politician
37:27 who was the tallest and the keenest
37:30 and she says that the apostles.
37:31 The other disciples said he can't miss.
37:36 He's going to be the greatest.
37:39 Who would have given 10 cents
37:42 for this group of guys that were chosen by Christ?
37:47 Jesus did not look at them as they were,
37:51 but as they could become.
37:54 God did not look at the actual, He looked at the potential.
38:00 He saw what was beyond human eyes
38:04 what they could become
38:05 through His grace and through His power.
38:10 And lo and behold, the foundations
38:13 of the wall of the city will immortalize the names
38:19 of the 12 apostles minus Judas forever.
38:23 says as much,
38:28 Revelation 21:14, speaking about the wall of the city.
38:32 It says "Now the wall of the city had
38:34 twelve foundations, and on them were the names
38:39 of the twelve apostles of the Lamb."
38:45 God saw them as they could become, not as they were.
38:52 Let's refer specifically to Simon Peter.
38:55 You remember Peter in Pilate's court,
38:58 he was pretty sure of himself.
38:59 He said to Jesus "I will never deny you.
39:03 Everyone might deny but I won't.
39:07 You can take it to the bank, Lord. "
39:11 And then when he is in Pilate's court,
39:15 the man who was sure of himself
39:20 denied Jesus Christ three times,
39:22 and the third time he used fisherman's language.
39:27 He actually cursed according to scripture,
39:29 he used profanity to deny that he even knew Jesus.
39:35 And by the way it wasn't that Peter was afraid
39:40 because just shortly before this,
39:42 he had taken out the sword,
39:43 he was willing to die for his master.
39:47 Do you know why he betrayed Christ?
39:50 Because Christ wasn't panning out
39:53 the way that he thought the Messiah was gonna be.
39:56 Ellen White says that he was embarrassed
39:59 to be associated with Christ.
40:06 And yet Jesus chose him as one of the 12 apostles.
40:11 Because Jesus did not see he who would deny Him three times,
40:17 Jesus saw the potential that Peter had after his conversion.
40:24 Of course, we all know the difference between Peter
40:28 when he denied Christ and Peter on the day of Pentecost.
40:31 A transformation had taken place.
40:34 Now you have the potential coming through.
40:39 In fact, if you turn with me to Acts 4:13, Acts 4:13,
40:47 we find a description of the change
40:49 that Peter had gone through.
40:53 It says, "Now when the saw the boldness
40:57 of Peter and John,
41:00 and perceived that they were uneducated. "
41:04 The Greek word for uneducated is "agrammatos"
41:10 in Greek you know "grammatos" would mean
41:13 where we get the word grammar from.
41:16 In Greek when you put an A
41:18 before the word it means the opposite.
41:22 In other words, they had no grammar.
41:28 They were unlettered in other words.
41:31 They were not studied if you please,
41:34 but the next word is even more interesting.
41:37 So it says, "Now when the saw the boldest
41:40 of Peter and John, and perceived that
41:41 they were uneducated" un-agrammatos "and untrained. "
41:46 The word untrained in Greek is idiotes
41:52 where we get our word idiot from.
41:59 So they were unlettered and idiots,
42:05 "they marveled."
42:07 See they were agrammatos and idiotes in the actual
42:13 but not in the potential, they marveled
42:18 and they realized that they had been with Jesus.
42:24 There's the factor that changed things.
42:26 They have been with Jesus.
42:28 Jesus fulfilled their potential.
42:32 In fact you remember, when the disciples
42:34 were fishing Jesus says, "Follow me. "
42:37 Notice Jesus doesn't say,
42:39 "Follow me and I will show you how to fish. "
42:42 He says, "Follow me and I will make fishers of men. "
42:48 Jesus saw in these men a potential
42:52 to fish for the master not fish fish, but souls.
43:02 Was Peter embarrassed of Christ when He died?
43:06 Do you know what?
43:07 He was embarrassed to die as Christ died.
43:13 You read Acts of the Apostles,
43:15 you know the Romans before his death,
43:17 before he was crucified with his head upside down
43:22 and that wasn't because of the choice of the Romans,
43:24 it was because of Peter's choice.
43:28 The Romans said "one last request"
43:32 and Peter says, "You know,
43:34 I cannot die the way my Master died.
43:39 It would be too much of a shame
43:44 for me just to die the way Jesus died. "
43:46 He said, "Please crucify me with my head down
43:50 because I can't die like my Master did. "
43:56 Had Peter changed?
43:58 Oh, he had radically changed.
44:00 He was no longer embarrassed to die for his Master.
44:05 Turn with me now to Acts 15:36-40, Acts 15:36-40.
44:13 You know, the Apostle Paul was a great preacher,
44:19 but like all of us he had some flaws,
44:24 one of the flaws that he was so task oriented
44:28 that he had a tendency to look at the actual
44:31 and not to see the potential, the great Apostle Paul.
44:38 You see, now how's that.
44:40 Notice what we find in Acts 15:36,
44:44 "Then after some days Paul said to Barnabas,
44:48 'Let us now go back and visit our brethren
44:50 in every city where we have preached
44:52 the word of the Lord and see how they're doing.'
44:56 So let's go back and visit the churches that we established.
45:00 Verse 37, "Now Barnabas was determined to take with them
45:03 John called Mark, but Paul insisted that
45:08 they should not take with them the one who had departed
45:11 from them in Pamphylia
45:14 and had not gone with them to the work.
45:18 Then the contention became so sharp
45:22 that they parted one from another
45:23 and so Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus,
45:27 but Paul chose Silas and departed being commanded
45:31 by the brethren to the grace of God."
45:35 Strife between the Apostle Paul and Barnabas
45:40 over the issue of whether to take
45:42 John Mark with them or not? What was the problem?
45:48 I'd like to read from Acts of the Apostles,
45:50 page 169 and 170.
45:52 How Ellen White describes the reason
45:54 why Paul did not want to take John Mark with him.
45:59 The reason basically is because he saw John Mark
46:01 as he was and not as he could become.
46:06 She says, "It was here in Pamphylia
46:11 that Mark, overwhelmed with fear
46:14 and discouragement, wavered for a time in his purpose
46:18 to give himself wholeheartedly to the Lord's work.
46:22 Unused to hardships, he was disheartened
46:26 by the perils and privations of the way.
46:30 He had labored with success under favorable circumstances
46:33 but now, amidst the opposition perils
46:36 that so often be set the pioneer worker,
46:40 he failed to endure hardness
46:43 as a good soldier of the cross.
46:47 He had yet to learn to face danger and persecution
46:50 and adversity with the brave heart.
46:53 As the apostles advanced
46:55 and still greater difficulties were apprehended,
46:58 Mark was intimidated and, losing all courage,
47:02 refused to go further and return to Jerusalem."
47:06 And the Apostle Paul held it against him.
47:08 The Apostle Paul said, "Oh, this young man
47:11 all he likes is the comforts of life.
47:13 You know, he's not willing to put up with hardships.
47:17 Apostle Paul saw him as he was, he saw the actual
47:23 but Barnabas saw the potential in this young man.
47:28 Ellen White continues describing, she says,
47:30 "This desertion caused Paul to judge Mark unfavorably,
47:36 and even severely for a time.
47:40 Barnabas, on the other hand, was incline to excuse him
47:44 because of his inexperience.
47:46 He felt anxious that Mark
47:48 should not abandon the ministry,
47:50 for he saw in him qualifications
47:53 that would fit him to be a useful worker for Christ.
47:58 In after years, his solicitude in Mark's behalf
48:02 was richly rewarded, for the young man gave himself
48:05 unreservedly to the Lord and to the work of proclaiming
48:09 the gospel message in difficult fields.
48:12 Under the blessing of God
48:14 and the wise training of Barnabas,
48:19 he developed into a valuable worker."
48:24 Was Paul ever reconciled to John Mark that he realized
48:28 that he had committed a mistake in misjudging him?
48:32 Acts of the Apostles, page 170,
48:34 Ellen White says "Paul was afterward reconciled to Mark
48:38 and received him as a fellow laborer. "
48:45 You now what our problem is many times
48:47 is that our eyes are distorted
48:51 and we need the glasses of God to see people
48:55 according to the potential that God has given them.
49:01 In other words, we need the heart of Jesus.
49:05 We need to see people as Jesus saw them.
49:09 We need to see not the actual but the potential,
49:12 not people as they are but as they can become
49:16 through the power of Jesus Christ.
49:20 I'd like to bring this to a conclusion
49:22 by reading a statement from the Spirit of Prophecy,
49:26 which is found in the book In Heavenly Places, page 267.
49:33 You know, we are all diamonds in the rough
49:38 and God has a lot of work of cutting to do.
49:43 Notice how Ellen White describes God's people.
49:49 She says, Christians are Christ's jewels.
49:55 "They are to shine brightly for Him,
50:00 shedding forth the light of His loveliness,
50:04 their luster, listen carefully,
50:06 their luster depends on the polishing they receive."
50:13 Is it painful? Is the polishing painful?
50:15 It takes cutting, remember
50:18 we studied yesterday cutting with a sword.
50:24 She continues saying "They may choose to be polished
50:29 or to remain unpolished.
50:31 But everyone who is pronounced
50:34 worthy of a place in the Lord's temple
50:37 must submit to the polishing process."
50:43 Without the polishing that the Lord gives,
50:47 they can reflect no more light than a common pebble.
50:54 Christ says to man "You are mine,
50:59 I have bought you, you are now only a rough stone
51:07 but if you'll place yourself in my hands,
51:10 I will polish you and the luster
51:14 with which you shall shine shall bring honor to My name.
51:20 No man shall pluck you out of My hand,
51:24 I'll make you My peculiar treasure
51:28 on My coronation day,
51:31 you will be jewel in My crown of rejoicing. "
51:36 Isn't that magnificent statement
51:38 of what Jesus wants to do with us
51:40 and how we should look at other people?
51:44 We should see in other people the potential
51:47 for what they can do for Jesus Christ,
51:51 to bring honor and glory to His name.
51:57 You know, it's been pretty cloudy here,
52:01 this weekend but there are some evenings in Illinois
52:07 where the sky is nice and clear.
52:11 One should imagine one of those clear nights,
52:14 you go outside and you see
52:19 that beautiful full moon lighted
52:24 and there's no city lights
52:26 but the light of the moon is so bright
52:28 that you can see at a distance
52:30 even without our artificial lights.
52:33 So now you look at the moon, you say,
52:36 oh, look the moon, it is so beautiful tonight.
52:43 It's only half true.
52:47 Where does the light of the moon come from?
52:50 It comes from the sun, so what you should really say
52:54 is how beautiful the sun is tonight.
53:00 The moon has no beauty, it's actually a pretty ugly
53:07 heavenly body full of craters
53:14 and yet when the light of the sun shines on the moon,
53:19 the moon is beautiful and brings light to the earth.
53:25 Jesus said, "I'm the light of the world. "
53:29 But you know that Jesus said,
53:31 "Ye are the light of the world. "
53:33 So the question is who is the light of the world,
53:35 is it Jesus or is it us?
53:39 It's explained by the relationship
53:41 between the sun and the moon.
53:43 Jesus is the sun and we're moons.
53:48 Sometimes we think that we're suns
53:52 but in us there is no light, in us there is no glory,
53:57 the glory and the honor of the moon is for the sun.
54:05 God sees in us moons.
54:10 Moons that will allow the light of Jesus
54:13 to shine upon them
54:17 that we might then project the light of Christ
54:21 to those around us that His name
54:25 might be honored and glorified as the light of the world.
54:32 They want me to pray that the Lord will give us that
54:37 special grace and virtue of seeing people
54:40 as they can become through the grace of Christ.
54:45 That's what it's all about.
54:47 We can know all things about Bible prophecy, that's good.
54:51 I love Bible prophecy as you know.
54:53 I preach a lot on Bible prophecy,
54:55 but folks, if we don't realize
54:58 that it's all about loving people
55:02 and reflecting the glory of Christ.
55:05 Ellen White says, that the greatest revelation
55:09 at the end of time of that angel that fills the earth
55:13 with the glory is a revelation of the love of Christ
55:17 for a falling and lost world.
55:20 We need to pray that the Lord will help us,
55:23 have the glasses that will adjust our vision
55:27 and help us see people not as they are
55:31 but as they can become
55:34 as a result of the cutting process
55:36 and the polishing process of God.
55:39 Let us pray.
55:40 Father in heaven, we thank You
55:43 that You have not looked upon us as we are,
55:47 we would all be lost.
55:50 We thank You that You see in all of us great potential
55:54 as we place ourselves in Your hands to cut us
55:58 and to polish us that we might shine
56:01 for Your honor and for Your glory.
56:04 Father, I ask this morning that You will transform
56:08 and change our hearts
56:10 that You will give us the mind of Christ
56:13 that we might be able to see in each soul
56:16 that we come across, a candidate for the kingdom,
56:20 a diamond in the rough that can shine
56:23 for the honor and glory of Jesus.
56:26 Father, I ask that You will give us
56:28 that way of seeing
56:31 that we might be able to see things
56:33 as they can become not as they are,
56:35 that we might be able to see
56:36 the potential and not the actual.
56:40 We realize that this is by Your power
56:42 and Your divine grace.
56:44 We thank You Lord, for answering this prayer,
56:48 for we ask it in the precious name of Jesus, amen.


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Revised 2015-04-09