Participants:
Series Code: PME
Program Code: PME240406S
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00:17 >> Good morning, Church. 00:18 Happy Sabbath. 00:21 I invite you all to stand 00:24 as we sing what I believe is one 00:27 of the most Adventist songs 00:29 there are. 00:31 I learned that this song 00:33 was commissioned by a general 00:34 conference in the 1960s, 00:37 I believe. 00:37 We're singing 00:38 "We Have This Hope." 00:41 "We Have This Hope." 02:59 Amen. Amen. 03:01 Praise God. Praise God. 03:02 We do have this hope. 03:04 And because we have this hope, 03:05 it does not matter how hard 03:08 our weeks might be, 03:11 how hard our days may be. 03:14 We have hope 03:16 that there is someone 03:17 who's always available for us. 03:20 So in this moment, 03:21 as we sing the next song, 03:23 I invite those of you 03:25 who would like to come forward 03:27 to the foot of the cross 03:29 and bring a special request 03:31 or a special thanks, 03:33 please do so. 03:35 Feel welcome to come forward 03:36 as we sing "Still." 06:24 >> Amen. 06:25 ♪ 09:29 >> Praise God. Praise God. 09:30 Amen. Hallelujah! 09:33 >> Now it is time 09:34 for our Scripture reading. 09:43 And our Scripture is coming from 09:46 2 Peter 1:16-19. 09:51 It says, "For we did not follow 09:53 cunningly devised fables when we 09:55 made known to you the power and 09:57 coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, 09:59 but were eyewitnesses of His 10:01 majesty. 10:02 For He received from 10:04 God the Father honor and glory 10:06 when such a voice came to Him 10:08 from the Excellent Glory: 'This 10:10 is My beloved Son, in whom I am 10:12 well-pleased.' 10:14 And we heard this voice which 10:16 came from heaven when we were 10:17 with Him on the holy mountain. 10:19 And so we have the prophetic 10:22 word confirmed, which you do 10:24 well to heed as a light that 10:26 shines in a dark place, until 10:28 the day dawns and the morning 10:30 star rises in your hearts." 10:32 Amen. Amen. 10:37 And as we sing this last song, 10:41 I want us to ponder on this. 10:44 Because when this song 10:45 was brought up in the set list, 10:46 it reminded me 10:47 of one of my favorite passages 10:49 from Isaiah 28:16. 10:52 And it says, "Thus says the 10:53 Lord God, 'Behold, 10:55 I lay in Zion a stone 10:58 for a foundation, a tried stone, 11:02 a precious cornerstone, 11:05 for a foundation.'" 11:08 And he says, "'Whoever believes 11:11 will not act hastily.'" 11:14 I love this. 11:15 We see a messianic 11:16 prophecy here. 11:17 This cornerstone is none other 11:18 than Jesus Christ himself, 11:20 brothers and sisters. 11:22 And God is telling His people 11:23 to trust in this stone, to trust 11:26 and believe in this foundation. 11:29 And He also says to exhibit 11:30 patient faith. 11:32 I don't know what it is that you 11:33 may be going through at this 11:34 very moment, 11:35 brothers and sisters, 11:37 but God is also telling us 11:39 to trust 11:40 and believe in this cornerstone. 11:42 Can I see a show of hands of 11:44 those that are willing to trust 11:45 and believe in our cornerstone? 11:47 Who came and won the victory 11:49 over sin 11:50 and who is also coming back 11:51 again for you and me. 11:54 So we're going to be singing 11:55 this song, "Cornerstone." 11:56 Don't be afraid to lift 11:57 your voice and sing 11:58 to our Savior and our Creator 12:00 if you know the words. 12:00 Amen. 12:02 May you be blessed. 12:17 Thank you, Jesus. 12:26 You guys sound beautiful. 12:47 Amen, amen. 12:48 Let's sing that one more time. 12:49 Let's sing that together. 12:50 Sing it. 16:35 Amen, Church. 16:36 >> Amen. Amen. Hallelujah. 16:37 You may be seated. 16:47 >> We are blessed with 16:48 good music, are we not? 16:50 Amen. 16:51 Thank you to our praise team 16:53 for leading us in worship. 16:54 I appreciate it. 16:58 Imagine that it is 16:58 a beautiful day 17:00 in Berrien Springs, Michigan. 17:03 Not a difficult thing to do. 17:07 It's not always like today, but 17:08 imagine that it was like today 17:10 and that you're walking down 17:12 the sidewalks in Berrien Springs 17:13 that don't exist. 17:14 You're walking down 17:16 next to the road and you get to, 17:18 let's say, about Rite Aid or so. 17:21 And from the gas station there, 17:22 there comes a man swiftly. 17:24 He's in a trench coat 17:25 and he's carrying a briefcase 17:26 and he says, 17:27 "Hold it right there." 17:27 And you stop. 17:29 And he opens the briefcase, 17:30 and there is $1 million in cash. 17:34 Alright? 17:36 Now, this isn't too hard 17:36 to imagine. 17:37 This happens 17:38 all the time in Berrien Springs. 17:40 He opens it up. 17:41 He says, "This can be yours." 17:44 And immediately, your mind 17:45 begins to turn. 17:45 "What could I do with 17:46 $1 million? 17:47 Oh, the things I could do, 17:48 places I could go, 17:49 the people I could help," 17:49 et cetera. 17:50 And all of these dreams 17:51 are going through your mind. 17:52 He says, 17:52 "But there is a condition. 17:55 You say, "What is it?" 17:57 He said, "I need you to answer 17:58 one question, and you have 17:59 to answer it correctly." 18:01 You say, "What's the question?" 18:03 And he says, "The question is, 18:07 what is the mission of the 18:08 Seventh-Day Adventist Church?" 18:12 Immediately, you're beginning 18:13 to wonder why millionaires 18:14 don't seem to have much 18:15 to do in Berrien Springs 18:16 except to confront people 18:17 on religious questions. 18:18 You're thinking to yourself, 18:18 "Oh, wait. 18:19 I know the answer to this 18:20 question. 18:20 Uh, uh, uh..." 18:23 "I'm sorry it's too late." 18:25 Closes the briefcase and goes 18:26 back to the gas station. 18:28 And let's imagine 18:30 that nine other Adventists 18:32 do the same thing, one by one. 18:35 Briefcase opens. 18:36 "Million dollars. 18:36 It's all yours." 18:37 "Uh, well, I think, uh, uh..." 18:41 So, my experience 18:43 is not with a guy 18:45 with $1 million in a briefcase. 18:47 My experience is, 18:48 is that you just might 18:50 get 10 different answers 18:53 to that question. 18:56 In fact, 18:57 I even go one step further. 18:58 Many times, the question 19:00 has no interest to us. 19:05 Ignorance and apathy sometimes 19:06 go together on that thing. 19:07 What is the mission of the 19:08 Seventh-Day Adventist Church? 19:10 Even if confronted 19:11 with the prospect of $1 million, 19:13 we might be pressed to come up 19:16 with the right answer. 19:17 Now, when I have done 19:19 this -- again, not with 19:19 a briefcase with dollars in it, 19:20 but in maybe a classroom 19:22 setting or something, there's a 19:23 whiteboard or something where 19:24 we're writing down 19:25 the answers that people have, 19:27 eventually people's wheels 19:28 get turned and they say, "Okay, 19:29 um, the mission of the 19:30 Adventist Church is to love 19:32 God." 19:35 Not bad. 19:38 Our Methodist friends 19:39 are nodding their heads and say, 19:40 "Well, that sounds familiar. 19:42 That kind of sounds 19:42 like us, too." 19:43 And someone says, "Well, wait, 19:44 wait. 19:44 I know what the mission 19:45 of the Adventist Church is. 19:46 The mission 19:47 of the Adventist Church 19:48 is to serve other people 19:50 as Jesus would serve them." 19:53 And our Baptist friends 19:55 are like, 19:57 That kind of sounds like 19:58 what we do, too," right? 19:59 And, so, they say, "Oh, wait a 20:00 second, Pastor Shane. 20:01 I know the answer. 20:02 The mission of the 20:03 Adventist Church is to know God 20:05 and make Him known." 20:08 Ooh, sounds good. 20:11 And our Catholic friends 20:12 are saying, 20:15 That kind of sounds like 20:16 what we do, too," right? 20:17 And then someone will get 20:19 a little frustrated and say, 20:20 "Wait a second, Pastor Shane. 20:21 I know what the answer is. 20:23 The answer is, 20:24 the mission of the Seventh-Day 20:25 Adventist Church is to fulfill 20:27 the Great Commission 20:28 of Matthew 28:18-20." 20:33 Now, ladies and gentlemen, 20:34 that's got some horsepower. 20:34 In fact, 20:35 I'd like you to look at that. 20:36 Would you, please? 20:36 Would you open 20:37 your Bible to Matthew 28? 20:39 Beginning with Verse 18. 20:41 In the red pew Bible 20:42 that's somewhere nearby there, 20:42 it's on page 672. 20:44 672. Matthew 28, 20:47 beginning with Verse 18. 20:51 This is the final statement 20:52 that we have of Jesus 20:53 in the entirety 20:54 of the Gospel of Matthew. 20:55 It's obviously said near the end 20:56 of His earthly ministry, 20:58 and it is, indeed, 20:59 quite a statement. 21:00 I can see why someone would say, 21:02 "Hey, check this out. 21:03 Is this the mission?" 21:05 Verse 18, Matthew 28 says, 21:07 "Then Jesus came to them --" 21:08 his disciples -- "and said, 21:09 'All authority 21:11 in heaven and on earth.'" 21:13 How much authority? All of it. 21:15 He says, "'All authority in 21:16 heaven, on earth has been given 21:17 to me.'" 21:18 Pause for just a moment. 21:19 This is the most powerful 21:20 statement that Jesus makes in 21:22 all of his earthly ministry. 21:24 I mean, this is -- I mean, 21:25 what could possibly be better? 21:26 "All authority in heaven and on 21:28 earth has been given to me, 21:31 and now I'm going to do 21:32 something with it. 21:33 I'm going 21:34 to do something powerful 21:35 with all of this authority 21:36 that's been given to me." 21:37 What does Jesus ask us to do 21:39 in response to this? 21:40 Verse 19. 21:41 "'Therefore --" here it is -- 21:43 "Go and make disciples 21:46 of all nations, 21:47 baptizing them in the name 21:48 of the Father and of the Son 21:50 and of the Holy Spirit, 21:51 and teaching them to obey 21:52 everything I have commanded you. 21:54 And surely, I am with you always 21:55 to the very end of the age.'" 21:59 Let it be crystal-clear. 22:01 Any church, including this one, 22:04 that calls itself Christian 22:06 must be about the business 22:08 of fulfilling the 22:09 Great Commission of Matthew 28. 22:11 >> Amen. 22:13 >> Thank you. 22:14 I appreciate it, Sister, for 22:14 responding. 22:15 Yes, the rest of the 22:16 congregation will catch up 22:17 with you momentarily. 22:18 Okay? Alright? 22:19 So, what I said was, any church 22:21 that's going to call itself 22:22 Christian, including this one, 22:23 must be about the business 22:24 of making disciples 22:26 according to the 22:26 Great Commission of Matthew 28. 22:28 >> Amen. 22:29 >> Yes, yes, yes, yes. 22:30 And not just any disciples. 22:31 Baptism, like what we saw up 22:32 here today -- that's the 22:34 beginning, not the end. 22:35 It says, "Make these 22:37 fully devoted followers, 22:38 the ones that are taught 22:40 to obey everything 22:41 that Jesus commanded them." 22:42 That's a mature disciple, 22:43 someone who's growing up 22:44 into the fullness of Jesus. 22:46 Baptism is the beginning. 22:47 Now we grow them up by the best 22:49 means possible to help them 22:51 become more and more like Jesus. 22:52 That's what we are called to do 22:55 as a Christian organization. 22:56 Absolutely. 23:01 And... 23:05 if that's all there 23:07 is to our mission, 23:11 then the sooner we lock 23:12 the doors on this building 23:15 and on Ruth Murdoch 23:17 and on Andrews Academy 23:19 and on Andrews University 23:21 and put a "for sale" sign 23:23 on our respective lawns 23:25 and sell the whole place 23:26 and join up with every 23:28 other Christian denomination 23:29 out there, the better, because 23:32 that's their mission, too. 23:36 They say, "Oh, that's great. 23:36 We're all 23:37 about the Great Commission. 23:38 We're here to make disciples. 23:40 Come and join up with us." 23:43 Ladies and gentlemen, 23:44 have you ever stopped to ponder 23:46 the arrogance required 23:49 to have the same mission 23:50 as everybody else and still 23:52 maintain your own buildings, 23:53 your own hospitals, 23:55 your own universities, 23:56 and colleges and elementary 23:57 schools and academies? 23:58 That's just arrogant 24:01 and terribly inefficient. 24:04 But I notice something. 24:06 You're sitting inside 24:08 the building. 24:09 It wasn't locked when you came. 24:12 The doors are still open. 24:13 There's not a "for sale" sign. 24:14 At least there wasn't 24:15 in first service. 24:16 Maybe somebody put something 24:17 up there out during second. 24:18 I don't know. 24:18 There's no "for sale" sign on 24:20 the front lawn, nor is there one 24:21 over at Ruth Murdoch or 24:22 Andrews Academy or 24:22 Andrews University, 24:23 because even though 24:26 we share a great deal 24:28 with other Christian entities, 24:30 even though we participate fully 24:32 and completely with passion 24:34 in the Great Commission 24:34 of Matthew 28:18-20, 24:37 even though all those things 24:38 are true, ultimately, 24:40 our mission is different. 24:43 It is not the same 24:45 as everybody else out there. 24:48 Because we take the 24:49 Great Commission and we take it 24:51 one final step further. 24:56 Would you like to know what 24:57 the mission of the 24:58 Seventh-Day Adventist Church is? 24:59 In fact, I'm going to ask you 25:00 to be bold. 25:01 Raise a hand if you'd like to 25:02 know what the mission of the 25:04 Seventh-Day Adventist Church is. 25:05 Okay? 25:07 Great. Come back next week, 25:08 and I'll tell you. 25:09 [ Laughter ] 25:09 Okay? 25:10 At least I'll begin to tell you. 25:12 This is actually the first -- 25:14 This is part one of a four-part 25:15 series entitled 25:16 "Why We Are Here." 25:18 And it's going to be exploring 25:19 the mission of the 25:20 Seventh-Day Adventist Church, 25:21 the unique message and mission 25:23 of the Seventh-Day 25:23 Adventist Church. 25:25 And if you'd like to know 25:25 about those things, 25:26 I encourage you to come back and 25:27 and to listen 25:28 or to watch this online. 25:30 This is really important stuff. 25:32 If we get this wrong, 25:34 it will impact 25:35 millions of people for eternity. 25:38 This is really, really, 25:39 really important. 25:40 Not because I say so, 25:42 but because Christ Himself 25:43 has said so. 25:46 Now, the reason why I'm not just 25:47 diving into explaining what the 25:49 mission of the church is today 25:51 is because there's something 25:51 that we have to 25:53 We need to lay or 25:55 or perhaps revisit a 25:57 foundation that will help us 26:00 to understand what our 26:02 unique message and mission is. 26:04 It's a foundation which 26:05 has experienced some neglect 26:07 over time, in my opinion. 26:09 And I think if we can recapture 26:13 this, good things can happen. 26:18 Take a look at Revelation 12, 26:19 please. 26:21 Revelation, the 12th chapter, 26:24 beginning with Verse 13. 26:25 It's page 829 in your red pew 26:28 Bible. 26:28 829. Revelation 12, 26:34 beginning with Verse 13. 26:35 Now, I'm going to confess 26:37 something to you here. 26:38 In this series, 26:39 including right now, 26:41 I am going to cut some corners. 26:43 Okay? I'm going to make some 26:45 jumps that I am banking on some 26:47 previous knowledge on your part. 26:48 Now, if you are a guest 26:49 with us today, 26:49 if you're not a Seventh-Day 26:50 Adventist, if you're here 26:51 visiting us today, we are so 26:52 glad that you are here. 26:53 Thank you for coming. 26:55 You're in for a real treat 26:56 today and for the next 26:57 three Sabbaths here. 26:58 Come back anytime. 26:59 We'll save you a seat. 27:00 And it may be that I'm going 27:01 to cut some corners here, 27:03 and you're going to say, 27:04 "Wait a second. 27:04 I saw where he started, 27:06 but I don't know how he got to 27:07 where he ended." 27:08 Come and see me afterwards. 27:08 I'll be up here somewhere 27:09 in the front. 27:10 Come and see me. 27:10 You can call the church, 27:11 make an appointment. 27:12 Love to chat with you 27:13 and study more. 27:14 But in the interest of time, 27:16 they only give me 90 minutes 27:18 for this sermon, okay? 27:21 [ Laughter ] 27:24 That was a joke. 27:25 That's not true. Yeah, okay? 27:26 But I do have to be -- 27:27 I have to pick and choose. 27:28 I have to be picky about what 27:29 I cover and what I don't cover. 27:30 So I am going to cut 27:31 some corners and I'm going 27:32 to start right now. 27:33 Those of you that are familiar 27:34 with Revelation 12, 27:35 in the beginning of the chapter, 27:36 there is this pure woman. 27:38 She has sun, moon, and stars 27:39 as her decoration here on her 27:40 head. 27:41 She represents what? 27:42 >> The church. 27:43 >> Okay, the church. 27:44 It represents 27:45 God's people, first of all, 27:46 in the Old Testament, 27:47 the Jewish nation, and then, by 27:49 extension, the Christian church 27:50 in the New Testament, 27:51 in the New Testament era. 27:52 There is a son 27:54 that is born from this woman. 27:55 The son represents... 27:56 >> Jesus. 27:57 >> Jesus. Okay. 27:58 And there is a dragon, 27:59 the villain 27:59 very much in this chapter. 28:01 The dragon represents... 28:02 Satan, okay? 28:03 And the text 28:04 is explicit about that. 28:05 We don't have to guess about it. 28:06 That is who 28:07 the dragon represents. 28:08 When Jesus is crucified, He lies 28:10 in the grave. 28:10 He is resurrected. 28:12 He goes back to heaven 28:13 and is inaugurated 28:14 in the heavenly sanctuary 28:15 as our High Priest. 28:17 When that happens, Satan is cast 28:19 to this planet, and 28:20 that's where we join the story. 28:21 Verse 13 of Revelation 12. 28:25 "When the dragon saw that he had 28:26 been hurled to the earth, 28:27 he pursued the woman who had 28:29 given birth to the male child. 28:31 The woman was given 28:32 the two wings of a great eagle 28:34 so that she might fly to 28:35 the place prepared for her 28:36 in the desert, 28:37 where she would be taken care of 28:39 for a time, times, 28:41 and half a time out 28:42 of the serpent's reach." 28:45 This is a representation of 28:46 a time of terrible persecution. 28:47 It's not the only persecution 28:49 that God's people will 28:50 experience, but it was an 28:51 intense time and it lasted for a 28:53 time, times, and half a time. 28:54 How long is that in years? 28:57 Okay, 1,260 days, 28:58 which equals 1,260 years. 29:00 1,260 years. 29:01 From 538 AD to 1798 AD, 29:04 that was this time of intense 29:06 persecution. 29:07 Now, the story continues here. 29:08 The devil's not done. Verse 15. 29:10 "Then from his mouth, the 29:12 serpent spewed water like a 29:13 river to overtake the woman and 29:14 sweep her away with the torrent. 29:16 But the earth helped the woman 29:17 by opening its mouth 29:18 and swallowing the river 29:20 that the dragon had spewed 29:21 out of his mouth." 29:22 Verse 17. 29:23 "Then the dragon was enraged 29:26 at the woman and went off --" 29:28 notice what happens here -- 29:30 "to make war against the rest 29:33 of her offspring." 29:34 Hmm. 29:35 "The rest of her offspring." 29:36 And then it gives 29:36 this descriptor. 29:38 "Those who obey 29:39 God's commandments and hold 29:42 to the testimony of Jesus." 29:47 In the Greek here, the word 29:49 that's translated as "rest" -- 29:50 "The rest of her offspring" -- 29:51 is loipos. 29:52 That's the Greek word there. 29:54 It's where we get our English 29:55 word remnant from, okay? 29:57 "That which remains." 29:58 That's what the Greek word 29:59 loipos -- that's what it means. 30:00 That which remains of the 30:02 woman's seed. 30:03 In other words, this is the last 30:05 group of God's people on earth 30:07 just prior to the 30:08 Second Coming of Jesus. 30:10 And if we would say, 30:12 I want to know more about it. 30:13 How could you identify them?" 30:14 You can identify them by 30:15 at least these two 30:16 characteristics that are given. 30:17 Number one, they keep the 30:18 commandments of God. 30:20 And secondly, they have 30:21 this thing. 30:22 What's it called? 30:23 What's the second one? 30:26 The testimony of Jesus. 30:28 Well, I wonder what that is. 30:29 Well, we don't actually 30:29 have to wonder too much. 30:31 If you look at Revelation 19:10, 30:33 the testimony of Jesus is 30:35 the spirit of prophecy, right? 30:38 It's very easy to find these 30:39 answers there. 30:40 The spirit of prophecy. 30:41 In other words, 30:42 if we want to identify 30:44 this last group of God's people, 30:45 we need to look for a group, 30:46 at the bare minimum, 30:47 that, number one, takes all 30:48 of God's commandments seriously 30:50 and, number two, that takes 30:51 prophecy seriously. 30:53 Has the spirit of prophecy, 30:55 that has the gift of 30:56 prophecy expressed within them, 30:58 that takes Bible prophecy 31:00 in the Old Testament seriously, 31:01 that takes Bible prophecy 31:02 in the New Testament seriously, 31:04 that teaches 31:05 and preaches Bible prophecy 31:06 and that appreciates it. 31:10 That is God's remnant people. 31:14 Well, wouldn't you know? 31:16 In the middle of the 1800s, 31:19 there came a group of people, 31:22 headed by a retired sea captain 31:23 named Joseph Bates 31:25 and matched with a young married 31:27 couple, James and Ellen White. 31:30 And along with other leaders, 31:31 this tiny group 31:33 began to slowly grow, 31:34 and humbly and fearfully, 31:36 they came to see themselves 31:37 as a direct fulfillment 31:39 of Bible prophecy, 31:40 including, ultimately, the 31:42 prophecy of Revelation 12:17 31:45 that we just read. 31:46 They came to see themselves 31:47 as a group of people called 31:49 into existence by God Himself, 31:51 confirmed with miraculous 31:52 visions and other divine 31:54 phenomenon, commanded to prepare 31:55 the world not for the 31:57 First Coming of Jesus, but for 31:58 the Second Coming of Christ. 32:02 I'll tell you what -- that task 32:03 must have seemed impossible. 32:05 I mean, just a handful of people 32:06 to reach the world 32:08 for Jesus Christ, 32:09 to prepare the world 32:10 for the Second Coming of Jesus. 32:11 What a job. 32:14 And as impossible as it may 32:15 have seemed, as it turns out, 32:16 from that handful of people, 32:18 the Seventh-Day Adventist Church 32:20 today now numbers 32:22 more than 21 million 32:24 people around the world. 32:25 Someone say "Amen." 32:26 >> Amen. 32:27 >> That's incredible. 32:28 From so small a beginning to 32:30 21-plus million people. 32:32 You know, Ellen White has become 32:33 the most published female 32:35 author on religious topics 32:36 in the history of the world. 32:38 She was so influential, 32:40 even to this day, that in 2014, 32:41 Smithsonian Magazine 32:42 named her one of the top-100 32:44 most influential Americans 32:45 of all time. 32:48 And thanks to her commitment 32:50 and that of countless others, 32:51 the Adventist Church today 32:52 has the largest Protestant 32:54 school system in the world. 32:55 We also have the largest 32:56 Protestant 32:57 health system in the world, 32:58 with more than 500 institutions 32:59 in 65 different countries. 33:01 Our church membership -- 33:03 on the ground, local churches -- 33:04 it is growing by leaps 33:05 and bounds globally, 33:06 going strong, and meeting 33:08 with fantastic success. 33:15 Except in the Global West. 33:19 Yeah. That's us. 33:23 It's the United States, Europe, 33:24 England, UK, Australia. 33:28 In the West, 33:29 we're not quite keeping up 33:31 with the rest of the world. 33:33 In fact, 33:34 It's not that we're not growing. 33:35 In fact, 33:36 if you look at the stats, 33:37 we're actually ahead 33:38 of almost everybody else, 33:40 but the bar is pretty low. 33:42 Okay? And that same fire 33:45 and that same vigor 33:47 that is still running strong 33:49 in so many parts of the world, 33:50 and the Advent movement 33:51 isn't running so strong here. 33:57 And I wonder... 33:59 I wonder if we might benefit, in 34:03 the West, from a reminder, 34:08 from a refresher course 34:10 on what it means to be 34:11 a prophetic movement. 34:16 For if we can recapture 34:18 the Christ-centered passion 34:20 for our prophetic mission 34:22 that our foremothers 34:22 and forefathers had 34:24 and if we allow God's Spirit 34:26 to have His way in our lives, 34:27 revival will come, 34:30 we will be changed, 34:31 and, ultimately, the work 34:33 will be finished 34:34 and we can, at last, go home. 34:36 Would you like to see that 34:37 happen? 34:38 >> Amen. 34:38 >> I would love to see that 34:40 happen. 34:40 I -- Why live in this 34:42 neighborhood any longer 34:44 than you have to, right? 34:46 This corner of the galaxy 34:47 isn't so friendly. 34:48 It's time to go home. 34:51 So, if that's going to happen 34:54 and if that revival and 34:55 reformation that is prophesied 34:56 is going to come to pass, 34:58 I would suggest that we can move 35:00 in that direction by asking 35:01 and answering at least 35:02 one simple question -- 35:04 what does it mean 35:06 to be a prophet for God? 35:11 Let that sink in. 35:12 What does it mean to be 35:14 a prophet for God? 35:18 You see, we are a prophetic 35:19 movement of God, 35:21 and if we can study 35:22 how God led the individual 35:24 prophets in the Bible, 35:25 we will gain a better 35:26 understanding of how we, as 35:27 a prophetic movement, 35:29 can function best. 35:31 All of which, 35:32 to my way of thinking, 35:33 is absolutely essential 35:34 when we begin, next week, 35:36 to look at the unique message 35:37 and mission of the 35:38 Seventh-Day Adventist Church. 35:40 So, let's get to it. 35:42 Three lessons on prophets 35:45 and prophetic movements. 35:46 Lesson number one -- 35:47 Jeremiah 23, please, Verse 16. 35:50 Jeremiah 23, 35:52 beginning with Verse 16. 35:54 It's on page 525 in your red pew 35:55 Bible. 35:57 525. Jeremiah Chapter 23, 35:59 beginning with Verse 16. 36:01 Let me just set the stage here. 36:03 In this particular story, 36:04 Israel is in apostasy. 36:05 God has sent them prophets 36:07 to help bring them back to Him. 36:09 In this case, the prophet 36:10 in question is Jeremiah. 36:13 At the same time that God 36:15 is sending a true prophet, 36:16 Jeremiah, to Israel, Satan 36:18 is generating false prophets, 36:20 and they outnumber 36:20 Jeremiah easily. 36:21 I mean, if you read 36:22 the details of the story, 36:24 there are false prophets galore, 36:25 and they're saying things, 36:26 et cetera, et cetera. 36:27 God intervenes in this 36:30 situation. 36:31 Here's what he says. Verse 16. 36:33 "This is what 36:33 the Lord Almighty says. 36:35 'Do not listen 36:37 to what the prophets --'" 36:39 these are the false prophets -- 36:41 "'are prophesying to you. 36:43 They fill you with false hopes. 36:46 They speak visions from 36:47 their own minds, 36:49 not from the mouth of the Lord. 36:50 They keep saying to those 36:52 who despise me, "The Lord says, 36:54 you will have peace." 36:55 And to all who follow 36:56 the stubbornness 36:57 of their hearts, they say, 36:58 "No harm will come to you." 37:01 But which of them has stood 37:02 in the council of the Lord 37:04 to see or hear His word? 37:05 Who has listened 37:06 and heard His word? 37:09 See, the storm of the Lord 37:10 will burst out in wrath, 37:12 a whirlwind swirling down 37:14 on the heads of the wicked. 37:14 The anger of the Lord will not 37:15 turn back 37:16 until he fully accomplishes 37:17 the purposes of His heart. 37:19 In days to come, 37:20 you will understand it clearly. 37:22 I did not send these prophets, 37:26 yet they have run 37:27 with their message. 37:29 I did not speak to them, 37:31 yet they have prophesied.'" 37:32 Verse 22. 37:34 "'But if they had stood 37:37 in my counsel, 37:39 they would have proclaimed 37:41 my words to my people 37:45 and would have turned them 37:46 from their evil ways 37:47 and from their evil deeds.'" 37:52 Lesson number one 37:55 about being a prophet of God 37:57 and a prophetic movement of God 37:58 is this. 37:59 Prophets are to do and say what 38:03 God commands them to do and say. 38:10 Now, you may have been 38:12 expecting something 38:13 a little bit more ethereal. 38:15 Sorry for the practicality. 38:17 This is what it says. 38:18 This is what God, 38:19 through Jeremiah, 38:21 This is the crux of the problem. 38:23 There are prophets -- 38:24 "prophets" -- 38:25 but they are not speaking 38:27 what God has asked to be spoken. 38:29 The message here 38:30 is crystal-clear. 38:31 The agenda of a true prophet 38:33 of God is not up to the prophet. 38:36 It's not up to a committee. 38:38 It's not up to 38:39 a group of people to sit down 38:40 and decide, "Well, here's 38:41 what we think God's prophets 38:42 or God's prophetic movements 38:43 ought to say." 38:44 No. The agenda of a true prophet 38:46 of God is not up to the prophet. 38:48 It's up to God. 38:49 And what was true for the 38:51 Old and New Testament prophet 38:53 is just as true today 38:54 for prophetic movements. 38:55 We must be faithful 38:58 to the specific charge 39:00 that God has given to us. 39:03 We must say and do the things 39:05 that God would have us to say 39:06 and do, regardless of the cost, 39:10 regardless of the difficulty, 39:13 and regardless of -- listen 39:14 carefully -- of the awkwardness 39:16 that can sometimes bring. 39:21 Which brings us 39:22 to lesson number two. 39:23 Lesson number two is built 39:24 squarely on lesson number one. 39:25 I want to put a series of texts 39:27 up here on the screen for you. 39:28 And who knows? 39:29 Maybe by the end 39:30 of it, you will already know 39:31 what lesson number two is. 39:35 Isaiah chapter 20:1-4. 39:46 Isaiah's a prophet. 40:17 Ezekiel 5:1-3. 40:21 This is God speaking to Ezekiel. 40:53 A few strands of hair 40:54 as a remnant. 40:56 Hmm. Jesus, the greatest 40:59 of all the prophets. 41:00 Mark 8:22-23. 41:11 "Then He --" What did He do? 41:14 I didn't hear you. What'd He do? 41:15 >> Spit. 41:15 >> He spit. 41:16 Ooh! Aah! Mm! 41:24 If your optometrist 41:25 is doing this to you, 41:26 find another doctor, okay? 41:28 Acts 21. Last one here. 41:30 Verses 10 and 11. 41:50 Can you see lesson number two? 41:53 It's practically shouting 41:53 out to you, okay? 41:56 Lesson number one was 41:57 that prophets are to say 41:58 and do what God commands them 41:59 to say and do. 42:00 Lesson number two -- God 42:02 often commands prophets to say 42:04 and do strange things. 42:10 That's almost not debatable, 42:11 isn't it? 42:12 I mean, we just read the 42:13 evidence. 42:14 There's more, by the way, where 42:15 that came from. 42:16 We left the line on one side, 42:17 you know, for -- 42:18 We left all that out. 42:19 There's much more out there, 42:20 right? 42:21 God often commands prophets to 42:23 say and to do strange things. 42:26 The life of a prophet, of a true 42:29 prophet of God, is not normal. 42:31 This has driven many 42:33 a theological scholar to 42:34 their wits' ends trying to 42:35 figure out how the rules apply 42:37 with prophets, because it seems 42:38 that there are some different 42:39 rules for prophets. 42:40 I mean, you see the average 42:41 person who's following God 42:42 throughout salvation history, 42:44 and then you come to a prophet. 42:45 And the average day 42:46 at the office is shaving 42:47 your head with a sword 42:48 and weighing it on a scale? 42:49 I mean, how does that work, 42:51 right? 42:52 Being a prophet of God 42:54 is not a normal thing. 42:57 Sometimes, they get asked to do 42:59 and say strange things. 43:03 Now, I want to be clear 43:04 about something. 43:06 Just because God sometimes 43:08 calls a prophetic movement 43:10 to say strange things 43:11 doesn't mean that we embrace 43:13 everything that is strange. 43:16 You follow me? Right? 43:18 And, furthermore, nor does 43:20 it mean that everything we say 43:21 or do must be strange 43:23 in order to be from God. 43:26 Alright? So we're not looking 43:27 to be fools out there unless 43:28 it's absolutely necessary. 43:31 Right? 43:33 But sometimes, make no mistake, 43:36 God asks prophets 43:38 and prophetic movements to say 43:40 some apparently strange things. 43:44 You know, honestly here, 43:45 the Adventist Church, 43:46 we've had it pretty easy 43:47 compared to others. 43:49 I mean, I've never been asked 43:49 to shave my head by God. 43:51 I'm guessing you haven't either. 43:52 We're not spitting in 43:53 people's faces, praise the Lord. 43:54 I'm a fan of not doing that. 43:56 I think that's a nice thing, 43:56 alright? 43:57 And, yet, there 43:59 are some voices in the church 44:01 that have nonetheless been 44:03 made sufficiently uncomfortable 44:04 by what God has asked the church 44:06 to say and do 44:08 that they have become quite 44:10 creative in finding excuses 44:12 to avoid saying and doing it. 44:15 For instance, 44:16 some have said that 44:18 while the founders of the Advent 44:20 movement were correct in their 44:22 understanding of Bible prophecy, 44:23 they ultimately only had 44:25 a message for their time. 44:29 "We have grown up now," 44:30 such critics, in essence, say. 44:32 "We no longer have need 44:33 of dealing with the 44:34 sometimes-challenging nature 44:35 of Bible prophecy. 44:37 We've matured beyond that." 44:41 Others offer a slightly 44:42 different excuse, in essence 44:43 saying something like this. 44:44 "It's been 160, 170, 44:46 180 years since Adventism 44:48 started talking about 44:49 Bible prophecy being fulfilled. 44:51 Obviously, anything that takes 44:52 that long to fulfill 44:53 is past its use-by date. 44:56 It's time to start talking about 44:58 and focusing on something else 44:59 more relevant to our time." 45:07 To these critiques, I would 45:10 gently offer the following. 45:14 The last prophecy in the Bible, 45:16 the Book of Revelation, 45:17 dates from the end 45:18 of the 1st century AD -- 45:20 It's about AD 90, AD 92, 45:21 somewhere in that range, 45:22 is when John the Revelator 45:24 finished the Book of Revelation. 45:26 The prophecies of Daniel were 45:28 written in the 6th century BC. 45:31 Now, the reason I mention that 45:32 is because the Advent movement, 45:33 in the beginning, 45:34 was built upon those two books. 45:36 I mean, yes, we pay attention 45:37 to the entire corpus 45:38 of Scripture, absolutely. 45:39 And Daniel and Revelation 45:41 figured most prominently 45:42 in our understanding 45:43 of our identity and our calling. 45:45 No question about it. 45:47 Most people, furthermore, 45:49 in the church today 45:50 agree that those prophecies 45:52 were relevant when the Adventist 45:54 Church was getting started. 45:55 In other words -- do the math -- 45:58 for more than two millennia, 45:59 the prophecies didn't go stale. 46:03 2,000 years. 46:04 That's a pretty good shelf life. 46:08 But then, magically, in the last 46:10 mere 170-or-so years, 46:14 they've gone stale? 46:17 Really? How does that work? 46:21 When did that happen exactly? 46:24 Did we go to bed one day 46:25 and they were relevant, 46:26 and the next day, they weren't? 46:29 At what point does a 46:30 not-yet-fulfilled prophecy 46:31 become not a prophecy at all? 46:34 And this notion that we have 46:36 become so advanced now, 46:37 so sophisticated that we no 46:39 longer need Bible prophecy -- 46:42 Boy, I tell you what. 46:43 Every time I open a news site 46:45 on the web, I learn exactly how 46:48 mature and sophisticated 46:49 we really are as a society. 46:52 How's that working out for you? 46:55 Not so well. 46:58 You know, our iPhones 46:59 and our iPads and our 47:01 modern procedures 47:02 and advanced modes of travel, 47:03 et cetera -- they have not 47:05 brought us to heaven. 47:08 We have not evolved to a point 47:10 where we no longer need 47:11 the prophetic Word of God. 47:12 Far from it. 47:13 We need it now more than ever. 47:17 And I would even add this. 47:18 I would gently assert 47:20 that the question of 47:21 the relevance of prophecy, 47:22 et cetera is not one of time 47:25 that has elapsed since 1844, 47:27 1863, when we adopted 47:29 the name Seventh-Day Adventist. 47:30 It's not a matter of technology. 47:32 It is, instead, a question 47:33 of respect for and loyalty 47:35 to God's calling, God's power, 47:37 and His promises. 47:38 You see, when we're 47:40 dealing with a human promise, 47:42 you can take it or leave it. 47:43 Who knows if it will last? 47:44 But when God promises something, 47:46 it's going to stay. 47:48 It's going to happen. 47:49 And, again, 47:50 this is not because I say so. 47:52 This type of accusation 47:53 against Bible prophecy has been 47:54 around for a long time. 47:56 Even the disciples had to deal 47:57 with it. 47:57 Let me show you what I mean. 47:59 Peter, in 2 Peter 3, had this to 48:02 say about this very thing 48:03 we're talking about. 48:04 He says, "Beloved, 48:05 this is now my second 48:06 letter to you. 48:07 Both of them are reminders 48:09 to stir you to --" What kind of 48:11 thinking does it say? 48:12 "Wholesome thinking." 48:13 The word here means to maturity, 48:15 to goodness, this totality of 48:16 God and His goodness. 48:18 This is what Peter is trying to 48:19 spur people on to. 48:20 How do we get there? 48:22 "By recalling what was foretold 48:25 by the holy --" Who? 48:26 >> Prophets. 48:27 >> Ah! Interesting. 48:29 How old were the holy prophets 48:30 when Peter said that? 48:33 400 years? 500 years? 48:35 Still very relevant, 48:36 obviously relevant. 48:37 The Spirit of God 48:38 inspires Peter to say, "Hey, 48:39 point the people back to this." 49:03 What's old is new, huh? 49:23 Translation -- 49:24 when God says something is going 49:26 to happen, it's going to happen. 49:28 How do we know? 49:29 Because there's still ground 49:30 for us to stand on. 49:31 The earth is here. 49:33 God spoke, and the world 49:34 came into existence. 49:35 The stars, the universe -- 49:36 it was all created by His hand. 49:38 Ladies and gentlemen, that is 49:39 power on an unfathomable scale. 49:41 You cannot match that. 49:42 I cannot match that. 49:43 All the nuclear bombs in the 49:44 world, if exploded at once, 49:46 God would say, "Did something 49:47 happen?" 49:48 You know, because His power 49:50 dwarfs all, and that same power 49:52 is the one that said, 49:53 "Behold, I am coming soon." 49:56 God's promise will stand. 49:58 Every other one He's made 50:00 has been fulfilled on time, 50:02 exactly in the way that 50:03 He said it would be fulfilled. 50:05 And the promises 50:05 of the Second Coming 50:06 and the unfulfilled prophecies 50:07 of this time, 50:09 they will all come to pass, 50:12 just as certainly as God is God 50:13 and still sitting on His throne. 50:16 Peter finishes with this. 50:30 Unless the Lord 50:30 specifically says so, 50:32 there is no expiration date 50:34 on unfulfilled prophecy. 50:36 It will come to pass. 50:39 So I want to be clear here, 50:41 and I'm not trying to spook 50:42 anyone or drive anyone off. 50:44 I'm just telling you the truth. 50:46 If you are looking 50:47 for a denomination 50:48 that is guaranteed to never make 50:50 you or others uncomfortable, 50:53 don't join a prophetic movement. 50:55 Don't do it. 50:57 Save yourself the trouble. 50:59 If you're looking for a 51:00 denomination that is always 51:02 mainstream or eternally cool 51:03 by the world's standard, 51:05 don't join a prophetic movement. 51:08 Just save yourself the trouble. 51:10 But... 51:12 on the other hand, if you have 51:14 grown weary of a picture of God 51:16 who supposedly accepts 51:17 everything and stands for 51:19 nothing, if you're tired of 51:21 hearing that God and the Bible 51:22 are nebulous abstractions 51:24 rather than tangible realities, 51:26 if you're hungering 51:27 for a spiritual adventure 51:28 that will stretch you 51:28 to the nth degree 51:30 and lead you to a life 51:31 where love and justice and mercy 51:33 and faith are real experiences, 51:35 where you really do walk hand 51:36 in hand with Jesus Christ 51:37 in the final days 51:38 of Earth's history, 51:39 then maybe you're ready to join 51:41 a prophetic movement. 51:45 Which brings us to lesson 51:46 number three. 51:48 Mark 1, please, Verse 14. 51:50 Page 673 in your red Bible. 51:53 Page 673. Mark 1:14. 51:58 And we'll read, also, Verse 15. 52:00 The scene is this. 52:01 This is 52:02 very early in Jesus' ministry. 52:04 In the previous verses, 52:05 if we were to read, 52:06 Jesus has been baptized. 52:08 He's wandered in the wilderness 52:10 and now He's beginning 52:11 His public ministry. 52:14 Verse 14 -- it says, 52:15 "After John was put in prison, 52:17 Jesus went into Galilee 52:18 proclaiming 52:19 the good news of God." 52:21 And notice what he says here -- 52:22 Verse 15. 52:23 "'The time is fulfilled,' 52:26 He said. 52:28 'The time is fulfilled. 52:30 The kingdom of God is near. 52:32 Repent and believe 52:34 the good news.'" 52:37 Now, some of your translations 52:38 may say, "The time has come." 52:40 It's an acceptable translation. 52:42 But the thrust 52:43 of the language here is that 52:45 prophecy has been fulfilled. 52:46 Do you remember what happened 52:48 when Jesus was baptized? 52:49 Jesus baptized -- 52:50 He comes up out of the water. 52:51 What comes down out of heaven? 52:53 Okay, the dove. 52:54 It's the Holy Spirit, in the 52:54 form of a dove, anointing him. 52:56 He is now 52:57 officially the Anointed One. 52:59 It is the fulfillment 53:00 of 490 years of prophecy. 53:02 You know, 457 BC to 27 AD. 53:04 Right on time. 53:06 Jesus, the Son of God, 53:07 the Messiah, is anointed 53:08 as such, and He begins 53:09 His public ministry. 53:11 This is what Jesus is saying, 53:12 the greatest of the prophets. 53:13 This is what He is saying. 53:14 It says, "'The time is 53:15 fulfilled,' He said. 53:17 'The kingdom of God is near. 53:18 Repent and believe the good 53:19 news.'" 53:21 Lesson number one for a prophet 53:23 is, the prophets are to say 53:24 and do what God commands them 53:25 to say and do. 53:26 Number two, 53:26 God often commands prophets 53:28 to say and do strange things. 53:29 And lesson number three -- 53:31 prophets say and do strange 53:33 things because God is trying to 53:34 rescue people from disaster. 53:38 This is what Jesus is saying. 53:40 You know, "The prophecy has been 53:41 fulfilled, so repent 53:42 and believe the good news. 53:43 I've come here to save you," 53:44 Jesus says. 53:45 You know, we didn't 53:47 sit down in a committee -- 53:48 God did not have 53:49 a special meeting. 53:50 "Gabriel, I'm bored here 53:51 at the end of time. 53:52 Couldn't we come up with 53:53 something that was interesting 53:54 so I could have a reason to get 53:55 out of bed in the morning? 53:56 I know, let's start a remnant 53:57 prophetic movement." 53:58 No, that's not what happened. 53:59 That's not what happened. 54:01 Instead, God is deadly 54:02 serious about this. 54:03 God looks at the world 54:05 in these last days, 54:06 and He said, "You know what? 54:08 I've got some good sons 54:09 and daughters down there, 54:09 and they're doing 54:10 some good things, 54:11 but there are millions upon 54:12 millions of people that aren't 54:13 ready for my son to return. 54:15 I've got to do something 54:16 different. 54:18 I've got to do something 54:19 that will get their attention. 54:20 I need to raise up a prophetic 54:22 movement that will do 54:23 what I ask them to do and say 54:25 what I ask them to say, 54:26 because only then will there 54:29 be many, many, many people 54:31 that will end up in my kingdom." 54:35 The peculiarness has a point. 54:40 Now, ladies and gentlemen, 54:42 this job is not easy. 54:45 This is not something 54:46 that we can do on our own steam. 54:48 And some people look at 54:49 prophecy, and if they take it 54:50 seriously, they look at what the 54:51 Bible has to say about what the 54:53 times just ahead of us are going 54:54 to be like. 54:54 You know what? 54:55 There's going to be some 54:56 incredible successes. 54:57 We're going to exceed 54:58 what happened at Pentecost. 54:59 There's going to be thousands 55:00 of people 55:02 I mean, we're going to be 55:03 on our 20th worship service by 55:04 10:00 p.m. on Sabbath evening. 55:05 I mean, great things 55:07 are going to happen. 55:08 And make no mistake -- in part 55:10 because of those great things, 55:12 there will be great opposition. 55:14 And if you are signing up 55:15 to be a part 55:16 of this prophetic movement, 55:17 there will be pushback. 55:19 It's going to be difficult. 55:22 So I want you to know something. 55:23 Let's be crystal-clear. 55:25 We do not despair 55:27 about that future, 55:29 because the finest hour of God's 55:32 church lies just before us. 55:35 The finest hour. 55:36 We are not going to cave to 55:37 pressure. 55:39 We're not going to give in to 55:40 theological fads or fashions. 55:42 We are going to stand firm 55:44 by the blood of Jesus Christ and 55:45 the power of His Holy Spirit. 55:46 We will stand firm. 55:48 We will do 55:49 what God has asked us to do. 55:50 We will say 55:51 what God has asked us to say. 55:52 And by the power of His 55:53 Holy Spirit working through us, 55:55 the work will be finished. 55:57 The finest hour of the church 55:59 lies just before us. 56:01 And I'll tell you what -- when 56:03 I look at that and I remember 56:06 what God has said, that, indeed, 56:08 we do have the sure word 56:09 of the prophets, 56:11 confirmed by Christ Himself, 56:13 and when I think that we will 56:15 pay attention to it as to a lamp 56:16 shining in a dark place, 56:18 I remember that the day 56:20 will dawn and that morning star, 56:22 Jesus Christ, will rise in our 56:24 hearts and ultimately in that 56:26 sky out there, 56:29 may that day be soon. 56:30 Amen. 56:33 [ Cheers and applause ] 56:43 >> Have you ever wondered 56:44 what Jesus was like 56:45 when He walked on this planet 56:46 2,000 years ago? 56:48 Have you ever wondered where 56:50 He traveled, who He talked to, 56:52 who His friends were, 56:53 what His family was like? 56:55 Or have you heard about 56:55 the astonishing miracles 56:57 that Jesus did, 56:58 like feeding 5,000 people 57:00 with just five loaves of bread 57:01 and a couple of fish 57:02 or giving sight back to a man 57:04 born blind? 57:06 What would it have been like 57:07 to be there with Jesus 57:09 in those unprecedented days? 57:12 I hold in my hands a free book 57:14 that I'd like to give to you. 57:14 It's called 57:15 "The Desire of Ages," 57:17 and it's one of the finest 57:18 biographies of Christ 57:19 ever produced. 57:21 It goes into incredible detail 57:22 of who Jesus was, 57:23 what His life was like, 57:25 who His enemies were, and what 57:26 His followers were like, 57:28 and, of course, ultimately how 57:30 He died on the cross and rose 57:31 from the grave to give freedom 57:33 to people just like you and me. 57:35 "The Desire of Ages" can be 57:37 yours for free by calling 57:39 877-HIS-WILL. 57:41 That's 877-HIS-WILL. 57:44 Jesus is the most influential 57:46 person in all of human history. 57:48 You owe it to yourself 57:50 and those you love to find out 57:52 who he really was. 57:59 ♪ |
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