Participants:
Series Code: PME
Program Code: PME241207S
|
00:02 ♪
00:21 >> Greetings, church family. 00:23 Happy Sabbath. 00:25 You know what I love? 00:27 Seasons. I love every season. 00:29 I love the spring season, 00:31 when there's new growth. 00:33 I love the long, 00:34 hot, growing season of summer. 00:37 I love the harvest of fall. 00:39 And I love 00:40 when the earth rests 00:42 in frozen tundra in the winter. 00:45 I love every season. 00:47 Do you know grace 00:48 comes in seasons? 00:50 There's a season of grace, 00:52 just like winter. 00:53 Winter, of all seasons, teaches 00:55 us that we have needs. 00:56 We have the needs of 00:57 warmth and shelter. 00:59 We need supplies of food. 01:01 Grace teaches us 01:03 that we have needs, too. 01:04 We need the fellowship 01:06 of Christian love. 01:07 We need the supplies 01:09 of the heavenly manna, 01:11 the word of life. 01:12 We need the shelter 01:14 of Jesus Christ as our Savior. 01:18 And so we at PMC love winter. 01:22 I know some of you 01:23 from the South are resonating 01:25 with what I'm saying. 01:26 Thank you for being here 01:27 this season of grace. 01:30 We need Jesus. 01:33 It's time to lift our hearts 01:35 to God and worship. 01:36 Can you stand with me 01:37 as we pray? 01:48 Dear father, we realize, 01:53 in this season, we have needs. 01:59 We know we have physical needs 02:01 when we go outside 02:02 and it's cold. 02:03 This world, 02:05 the love of this world, 02:06 is growing cold, Lord, 02:07 and we have needs, spiritually. 02:09 That's why You have drawn 02:11 us to this place. 02:12 You have drawn us to the throne 02:13 of grace, where we do have 02:15 needs. 02:16 So, Lord, usher in Your spirit 02:20 into our lives 02:22 so that we can sense 02:24 that you are the answer 02:26 to all of our hearts' needs. 02:28 We pray 02:29 that You would put Your hands 02:30 upon this building, 02:31 upon our lives, 02:33 and bless us with Your presence 02:35 as we celebrate Your cause 02:38 and Your desires and Your son 02:40 and the plan of salvation. 02:42 And we celebrate You today. 02:43 May You fill us in Jesus' name. 02:46 Amen. 02:57 ♪ 15:12 >> Happy Sabbath. 15:14 Our scripture 15:15 today is taken from 15:16 Proverbs 3:5-6. 15:18 "Trust in the Lord 15:20 with all your heart, 15:21 and lean not on 15:22 your own understanding. 15:24 In all your ways, 15:25 submit to Him, 15:26 and He will make 15:27 your path straight." 15:32 ♪ 16:35 >> We are blessed 16:36 this holiday season, are we not? 16:39 Beautiful music. 16:40 Well done, orchestra. 16:41 Thank you for leading us 16:42 in worship this morning. 16:43 Boy, Care for Cuba, 16:45 all this outreach is taking 16:46 place. 16:47 This is a very, 16:47 very good place to be. 16:51 The holiday season, of course, 16:52 is one that 16:53 is often associated with gifts. 16:57 And let's do an imaginary 16:59 exercise here this morning. 17:00 Imagine if, this Christmas, 17:03 you could choose two things. 17:07 Number one, who would give you a 17:11 gift, and, two, 17:14 what they would give you. 17:17 Who would give you a gift, 17:19 and what they would give you. 17:20 Now, some of you are thinking, 17:21 "Ah, I see." 17:23 Your gift list is expanding even 17:25 as I speak right now, right? 17:27 Yeah, I remember as a kid, 17:29 we grew up fairly poor, 17:30 and the scope of gifts 17:33 that I was eligible to receive, 17:34 at least from my family, 17:36 was fairly small. 17:37 But if you had asked me, 17:38 "Well, Shane, 17:38 you could pick anybody 17:39 and you get to choose the gift," 17:41 wow, what would I choose? 17:43 What would you choose? 17:45 You know, maybe Bill Gates 17:46 will put you on his, "Yes, 17:48 they have been nice 17:49 all year list," right? 17:51 Get you something 17:52 nice for Christmas. 17:53 Maybe Warren Buffett, you know, 17:54 one of the wealthiest men 17:55 in the world -- 17:55 maybe he would get you 17:57 a new watch, like, say, 17:59 Big Ben from London, right? 18:03 Maybe you could get all 18:04 of the Fortune 500 CEOs 18:05 to band together 18:06 and get you a little trinket, 18:07 like, say, 18:09 Ireland or the Florida Keys. 18:12 Someplace warm, perhaps, 18:13 at this time of year, right? 18:14 I mean, oh, 18:15 the gifts that we would 18:17 receive if we could choose 18:20 the givers, right? 18:25 But what if some 18:28 of the greatest gifts were gifts 18:32 that you can give to yourself? 18:37 Now, I need to caution you. 18:38 Whenever I hear people 18:39 talk about 18:41 being good to themselves 18:42 or giving a gift to themself, 18:43 I'm always a little skeptical, 18:44 because, often, what I hear 18:45 that comes next is fairly 18:47 self-centered and all of that. 18:49 But as it turns out, 18:50 there is at least one gift 18:53 that not only can we give 18:55 to ourselves 18:57 but, in the mind of God, 18:58 we should give to ourselves. 19:03 And that gift is the gift 19:06 of a strong, passionate faith. 19:10 A strong, passionate faith. 19:17 Now, notice I didn't say 19:18 just faith in general. 19:19 You know, as it turns out, 19:21 this start of faith 19:22 is not something 19:23 that we can give. 19:23 God has to give us this seed. 19:26 You know, Jesus talks about 19:27 this mustard seed of faith. 19:28 Everybody gets that. 19:29 Everybody on the planet 19:30 has the opportunity, 19:31 as they begin life, 19:32 to exercise that seed. 19:35 But what that seed of faith 19:37 ultimately becomes is up to us. 19:42 Will we be content with 19:43 a stocking-stuffer-sized faith 19:47 or will we work with God 19:49 to grow that small gift 19:51 into a formidable 19:52 and strong one, 19:53 one that will be more 19:54 than a match for the tasks 19:55 that Jesus wishes 19:56 and knows, by His grace 19:58 and our faith, 19:59 that we can tackle? 20:03 And, of course, 20:03 the question naturally comes, 20:05 how do we get that gift? 20:07 How can we come to possess 20:10 a strong, passionate faith 20:12 that fully trusts God to do, 20:13 in and through us, 20:14 what He says He will do? 20:19 Well, blessedly, 20:21 there are numerous stories 20:22 in the Bible 20:23 that give us answers 20:24 to those questions, 20:24 and I want us 20:25 to look at one of them now. 20:26 Take your Bible, please, 20:27 and look at Deuteronomy 7. 20:30 Deuteronomy 7. 20:31 It's page 128 20:34 in the red pew Bible, 20:35 which is somewhere around 20:35 where you're sitting. 20:36 Page 128, 20:38 Deuteronomy Chapter 7, 20:39 beginning with Verse 17. 20:42 In the story we're going to find 20:43 here in Deuteronomy 7:17, 20:45 we're going to find four keys 20:47 to developing a strong, 20:48 passionate faith in God. 20:51 Let me give you some context 20:52 here. 20:53 In the book of Deuteronomy, 20:54 at this point, 20:55 the children of Israel 20:57 have been wandering in 20:57 the desert for decades. 20:59 They have come now 21:00 to the borders 21:01 of the Promised Land. 21:02 And this is -- I mean, 21:04 this is an amazing thing. 21:05 You look back at their history, 21:07 and God has done great miracles 21:08 and led them to this point, 21:09 but now they're 21:11 a little bit uneasy, because all 21:15 that has been promised 21:16 for all these decades 21:17 is now coming to pass. 21:18 They are now faced 21:20 with the conquest of Canaan. 21:26 And they're a little nervous. 21:27 Deuteronomy 7:17. 21:29 Moses is the one 21:30 who is speaking here. 21:32 He says, "'You may say to 21:34 yourselves, "These nations are 21:37 stronger than we are. 21:40 How can we drive them out?"'" 21:43 Pause there, please. 21:45 This is 21:46 not a rhetorical question. 21:47 Undoubtedly, this was a living, 21:50 breathing, terrifying reality 21:51 for many of the Israelites. 21:53 They had had some military 21:54 success up to this point. 21:55 Make no mistake. 21:56 God had performed a number 21:58 of miraculous things 21:59 on their behalf when it came 22:00 to dealing with pagan nations. 22:02 But now they have come here 22:03 specifically to 22:05 the Promised Land, 22:06 and it is inhabited, 22:07 as we would have read earlier 22:09 in Chapter 7, by seven nations 22:11 that God Himself 22:13 says are stronger than you are. 22:16 Some of those nations 22:17 had fortified cities. 22:19 All of those nations 22:20 were well-established. 22:21 All of those nations 22:22 knew the lay of the land, 22:24 the territory, 22:24 the defensible positions. 22:26 The tactical advantage 22:28 was clearly belonging to them. 22:29 You know, it's one thing 22:30 to be wandering in the desert 22:32 and be thinking about 22:33 what might come someday, 22:34 and then that day comes 22:36 and your sword is by your side. 22:38 And these nations here, 22:39 these nations 22:40 that, for centuries, 22:40 God has been working with, 22:41 but the time 22:42 of mercy has passed. 22:43 They have rejected His mercy, 22:45 and now the time 22:46 of conquest has come. 22:47 And, frankly, 22:48 from a human perspective, 22:50 this is a dead end. 22:55 Only a path of darkness 22:56 lies ahead -- from 22:57 a human perspective. 23:02 Time-out for just a moment. 23:03 Is that you this holiday season? 23:09 Now, I know that most of you 23:11 are probably doing pretty well. 23:12 I mean, this is a time 23:13 of celebration and festivity 23:14 and family and friends 23:15 and good food and gifts 23:16 and all of those things. 23:17 Praise the Lord. 23:18 Keep on keeping on. 23:19 But I also know 23:21 that for some of you, 23:22 this season is not that way. 23:24 This season to you 23:25 seems dark, for whatever reason. 23:26 Maybe things have happened 23:27 recently or over this last year. 23:29 Maybe the Christmas table 23:30 is going to look different 23:31 than it did last year 23:32 because of losses 23:33 that have taken place. 23:34 And it looks to you like 23:35 this is a no-win proposition. 23:37 You see darkness ahead 23:40 and you're scared. 23:43 If that's 23:43 where you find yourself 23:45 this holiday season, 23:48 please listen carefully to 23:50 what comes next. 23:53 In your Bibles, 23:54 take a look at Verse 18. 23:55 And let me read 17 again just 23:57 to set the stage here. 23:59 "'You may say to yourselves, 24:00 "These nations are 24:01 stronger than we are. 24:02 How can we drive them out?" 24:05 But do not be afraid of them. 24:08 Remember --'" What does he say? 24:10 What's that word? 24:11 "'Remember well what the Lord 24:14 your God did to Pharaoh 24:15 and to all of Egypt. 24:17 You saw with your own eyes 24:19 the great trials, 24:20 the miraculous signs and 24:21 wonders, the mighty hand 24:22 and outstretched arm 24:23 with which the Lord 24:24 your God brought you out. 24:25 The Lord your God 24:27 will do the same to all the 24:29 peoples you now fear." 24:34 Key number 1... 24:42 Remember. 24:45 Now, I'm not going to spend 24:46 a huge amount of time 24:47 on this particular point here. 24:48 We've talked about this 24:49 recently, but I will say this. 24:51 One of the greatest killers 24:53 of faith is amnesia. 24:57 We just don't remember. 25:00 God has done all kinds of 25:01 things, "A" to "Z" and plus, 25:03 more, abundant in the 25:04 overflowing, but we forget. 25:07 We get caught up 25:08 in what we're doing -- tests, 25:09 finals, projects, work, family, 25:11 whatever it might be -- 25:11 and we get absorbed 25:13 in the moment and we forget 25:15 the great things God has done. 25:16 So this holiday season, 25:18 my guess is, you're 25:19 going to get at least 25:19 a little bit of time off. 25:21 Now, it might be only 25:22 a few seconds for some of you. 25:24 For most of you, 25:24 it's going to be longer. 25:25 You'll have a few days. 25:26 And if you're an Andrews 25:27 student, my goodness, I think 25:27 they give you, what, a month? 25:29 Something like that? 25:29 I mean, 25:30 it's an extraordinary amount. 25:31 May the Lord bless and keep you. 25:33 Use the time wisely. 25:36 And at some point 25:37 during that time off, 25:38 I want you to make a list. 25:40 You get out your phone 25:41 and write down a list there. 25:42 If you remember what a pen 25:44 and paper is, write this down, 25:46 because we need to recall 25:47 what God has done. 25:49 Put it on that piece of paper 25:50 how God has blessed 25:51 you in your life. 25:52 Put down food and clothing 25:54 and a place to live. 25:56 And if you're a student here at 25:57 Andrews, praise the Lord 25:58 that somebody's got the money 25:59 to put you through school there. 26:00 Praise the Lord for the gift 26:01 of salvation, 26:03 for His gift of sustenance 26:04 and power in your life. 26:06 And when you run out of things 26:07 on yourself to be grateful for, 26:09 look back through history 26:11 at other people's lives 26:12 and see how God has worked. 26:13 God has never 26:14 let His people down. 26:16 Look back and see and remember, 26:21 because when we remember, 26:23 even in times of darkness, 26:25 we can then be assured 26:26 that God's light will come. 26:30 And it's in this remembering 26:31 that the fires of faith 26:33 can be lit afresh 26:34 and they can help 26:35 our faith to grow deep 26:36 and strong and passionate. 26:39 If you want to have a strong, 26:40 passionate faith, remember. 26:46 A second key to developing 26:48 a strong, passionate faith 26:50 in God is found in Verse 20. 26:56 It says, "Moreover, the Lord 26:58 your God will send thee --" 27:01 What's that next word? 27:03 "Hornet." 27:05 "The Lord your God 27:06 will send the hornet among them, 27:09 until even the survivors 27:10 who hide from you have 27:11 perished." 27:14 Key number two... 27:22 Be prepared for the bizarre. 27:25 Now, most of the time, 27:27 I think, when we step out 27:28 in faith, 27:29 when we trust in the God 27:31 of the universe, 27:32 we have this expectation that 27:34 things are going to make sense. 27:37 And oftentimes, it does. 27:39 I mean, God is a God of order. 27:40 Scripture is 27:41 very clear about that. 27:42 We can see the signs of design 27:43 all throughout the world, in 27:44 the universe, the stars, 27:45 et cetera. 27:46 God is, indeed, a God of order. 27:48 Most of the time, He makes 27:49 sense. 27:50 But if the only thing 27:54 we have room for 27:55 in our understanding of 27:57 how God works is what we think 27:58 makes "good sense," 28:01 then my guess is, we are 28:03 limiting God, sometimes severely 28:06 so, for the facts are 28:08 that God has always made ways 28:10 and means to accomplish 28:12 His purposes in our lives 28:13 that we haven't even thought of. 28:16 I mean, case in point, today, 28:18 in the 21st century, 28:20 if, God forbid, 28:21 a country decides 28:23 to overrun another country, 28:24 the country that's going to do 28:26 the overrunning makes plans. 28:28 I mean, it's all kinds 28:29 of measures that are taken, 28:30 you know, tanks are rolled out 28:31 and artillery 28:32 and soldiers are trained 28:34 and there's all this tactical 28:35 planning that takes place 28:36 sometimes months 28:36 or even years ahead of time. 28:38 The Air Force, 28:38 all of this technology 28:40 is brought to bear. 28:40 It's a huge undertaking 28:42 to overrun another country. 28:46 But when God wants to overrun 28:48 a country, 28:49 his plan is Herbie the Hornet. 28:54 A bee. 28:58 Now, there are times 28:59 when I wish we had 29:00 pictures in the Bible. 29:01 There's lots of times 29:02 when I'm glad we don't, right? 29:03 But this would have been 29:05 one time I would have loved 29:05 to have a camera pan 29:07 the Israelites as they're 29:08 listening to Moses talk. 29:09 You know, "God is going 29:10 to provide for you. 29:10 Remember what happened in Egypt. 29:11 I was very powerful on your 29:12 behalf. 29:12 And by the way, 29:13 I'm going to send 29:14 bees in ahead of you." 29:17 I mean, what did 29:18 the Jews do at that time? 29:19 Did they like, 29:19 Oh, yeah, the bees! 29:21 Wait, no, this is not normal. 29:23 This is not normal combat," 29:24 right? 29:25 This is not 29:26 how we normally think about 29:27 taking a territory from 29:29 hostile armies. 29:30 And, yet, this is 29:31 precisely what God does. 29:33 Now, this is so bizarre 29:36 that many commentators 29:38 have said, 29:39 "Well, clearly, this is 29:40 symbolic language. 29:43 The hornets must be a reference, 29:44 for instance, to the Egyptians, 29:45 which weakened 29:47 many of the tribes 29:48 that were there in Canaan 29:49 prior to the Israelites 29:51 taking full control. 29:52 I mean, after all, God 29:54 can't use bees, can He? 29:55 I mean, 29:57 God doesn't have control 29:57 over nature or anything 30:00 like that, right?" 30:01 You know. 30:04 I find the "Andrews 30:05 Bible Commentary" to be 30:07 refreshing in its honesty, 30:08 when it says the following. 30:17 Without further clarification 30:18 about hornets, 30:19 because that's what God did. 30:21 God sent bees in to drive 30:24 out Israel's enemies. 30:28 Ladies and gentlemen, 30:29 that's astonishing. 30:31 That's an astonishing thing. 30:33 And it is bizarre. 30:35 And it worked. 30:36 It worked very, very well. 30:37 You can read in, Joshua, 30:38 looking backwards, 30:39 then at that point. 30:39 Said, "Yep, that's what 30:40 happened. 30:40 The hornets came, and 30:41 enemies were gone after that." 30:43 And, interestingly enough, 30:45 as usually happens, 30:46 good ideas get adopted 30:47 by other entities. 30:49 You know, as far as we know, 30:50 God is the first one 30:51 to use hornets in this way, 30:52 but as it turns out, 30:53 there are actually scores 30:54 of occurrences throughout 30:55 history since Canaan 30:56 that are reasonably 30:57 well-documented, some of them 30:58 very well-documented, 30:59 of armies using bugs 31:01 to fight their enemies. 31:03 You ever looked into this 31:04 before? 31:05 From the Roman Empire 31:06 to the Vietnam War, 31:08 scorpions, spiders, and, yes, 31:09 hornets and bees 31:10 have been used to overpower 31:12 and actually rout entire armies. 31:14 Probably the pinnacle, as far 31:15 as the hornet-and-bee 31:16 thing was concerned, 31:17 was in the 13th century. 31:19 We have it recorded of -- 31:20 Basically, it was kind of 31:21 a hornet Gatling gun. 31:24 You put the hornets nest, 31:25 the bees nest there 31:26 in this little basket, 31:27 and just one by one, 31:30 lobbing these nests into boats 31:32 or wherever it was that 31:32 the enemy was. 31:33 It was extremely effective. 31:35 And it all 31:36 started with God being bizarre. 31:42 Now, again, some of you 31:43 listening right now may be 31:45 at a lower point in your faith. 31:48 You have asked God for answers 31:50 and for help, 31:50 but neither answers nor help 31:52 seem to be coming to you. 31:54 I would gently offer this. 31:56 First, it may be that God has 31:59 said no to your requests 32:01 because He has something better, 32:02 not necessarily something 32:04 easier, but something better 32:05 in store for you. 32:06 So wait for it. 32:07 It will come 32:08 at exactly the right time. 32:10 God is never late. 32:12 Secondly, it may be 32:15 that God is working behind 32:16 the scenes in ways 32:17 that you cannot yet see. 32:19 You know, one of the reasons 32:19 that we are going to be 32:20 in heaven 1,000 years 32:21 before we come back 32:22 to the earth made new is because 32:24 we have to watch the tape. 32:26 We have to watch the video 32:28 of what was actually happening 32:30 during those times of darkness. 32:31 And my guess is, you will see 32:32 behind the scenes, 32:33 spiritually speaking. 32:34 There was all kinds of warfare 32:36 on your behalf taking place. 32:38 You are fought for. 32:38 You are cared for. 32:41 And, lastly, it may be 32:44 that God has already answered 32:46 your prayer, 32:48 but you do not recognize it. 32:53 It's sitting right there, 32:54 right in front of you, 32:55 but you have discounted it 32:57 because you can't imagine 32:58 God answering in that way. 33:01 It's too bizarre. 33:02 It's too strange. Can't be that. 33:07 Now, I'm not suggesting 33:08 that God uses immoral things 33:10 to answer prayer 33:11 or unbiblical things. 33:12 I'm not saying that. 33:13 But I am saying 33:14 that God is immensely creative, 33:16 and His ability to answer 33:17 our prayers far exceeds what 33:19 we can think or imagine. 33:21 So if you're feeling dark, 33:22 like God has not been answering 33:24 your prayer, I would challenge 33:25 you to see with new eyes. 33:27 See with the eyes of faith. 33:29 God, much of the time, makes 33:30 sense, but sometimes, 33:31 only the bizarre will do. 33:34 If you want a strong, 33:35 passionate faith, 33:36 remember first what God has done 33:38 in the past and then be prepared 33:40 in the present 33:42 for the occasionally bizarre. 33:49 A third key to developing 33:52 a strong, passionate faith. 33:53 Take a look at Verse 22. 33:56 And I'm going to warn you, 33:57 this is where we 33:58 get the big leagues. 34:00 This is the big-time, right? 34:03 Verse 22. 34:06 "The Lord your God 34:09 will drive out those nations 34:11 before you." 34:12 Stop right there. 34:14 If the sentence ended there, 34:17 everybody would cheers, 34:18 "Oh, yeah, amen, exactly! 34:20 Yeah, that's what we want God to 34:20 do." 34:22 But it doesn't. 34:24 Instead, the text says this. 34:25 "The Lord your God will drive 34:27 out those nations before you 34:28 little by little." 34:32 Oh, you've got to be kidding me. 34:36 "Little by little. 34:37 You will not be allowed 34:39 to eliminate them all at once 34:41 or the wild animals 34:42 will multiply around you." 34:48 Wow. That'll preach. 34:52 The third key sounds like this. 35:11 In essence, what God is saying 35:13 to the Israelites here 35:13 is, "This is 35:15 not going to be over in a day. 35:16 It's not going to take 35:17 a few weeks even, 35:18 maybe not even a few months. 35:19 Maybe someplace, it's gonna take 35:20 a couple of years here. 35:22 And you're going to be tempted 35:23 to say, 'Oh, it's got to happen 35:24 now.'" 35:25 But, no, God says, "It's 35:27 not going to happen right away. 35:28 Little by little, 35:29 this is going to happen. 35:30 Stay in the fight. Don't leave." 35:35 Personal opinion -- I think one 35:36 of the hardest lessons 35:38 we have to learn when it comes 35:39 to faith is that victory 35:40 over whatever the foe is in 35:41 our lives must come in God's 35:43 time and not ours... 35:47 and that until that time comes, 35:48 one of the worst things 35:49 that can happen to us is 35:51 for us to bail out because 35:52 we think God just isn't fixing 35:54 things fast enough. 35:56 Now, I know from experience, 35:58 and many of you do, too. 35:59 this is tough as nails. 36:01 I mean, this is reality, 36:02 is it not? 36:03 If you walk with Jesus 36:05 long enough, you will encounter 36:07 this at some point, 36:08 this frustration. 36:09 Don't you care, God? 36:10 Don't you know 36:11 that I'm suffering?" 36:12 We cry. 36:12 And again and again, 36:13 the temptation to get out of 36:16 the fight and give into the 36:17 world can be sky-high 36:18 during those times. 36:22 Now, when we are feeling 36:23 like that, there are 36:26 at least two 36:28 appropriate responses, 36:30 depending on our situation. 36:32 First of all, 36:34 if you're feeling discouraged, 36:35 you know, like God's not 36:36 answering, et cetera, 36:37 sometimes, what we need is 36:39 a shoulder to cry on. 36:41 Sometimes, we need somebody 36:42 that will come and put their arm 36:44 around us and listen to us and 36:46 pray for and with us 36:48 and offer help in that way. 36:50 Praise the Lord, 36:51 there are people that excel 36:52 in that type of ministry. 36:53 We need it. 36:57 And, secondly, 36:59 there is another response 37:02 to someone who's going through 37:04 that impatience with God, okay? 37:07 And I'm going to tell you 37:07 right now, 37:08 it is rather different 37:09 than the first response. 37:11 So if you are a candidate 37:13 for the first response, 37:14 where you simply need someone 37:15 to put their arm around you 37:15 and care for you, 37:16 be comforted in that way, 37:17 you can tune out 37:19 for the next five minutes 37:20 of my sermon, 37:20 because it's not for you. 37:25 I'm not going to say that 37:25 very often, so if that's you, 37:26 you probably should take 37:27 advantage of it, right? 37:28 Giving you permission. 37:29 No preacher gives 37:30 permission to tune out. 37:31 But I'm giving a special 37:32 dispensation here, alright? 37:33 For those of you 37:34 that are still listening 37:35 right now, this second 37:37 response is equally good, 37:41 and it is for those of us 37:43 who have fallen into... 37:46 self-pity. 37:51 It is for those of us 37:52 who have lost perspective, 37:53 and we need a loving-but-solid 37:55 dose of reality as God sees it. 37:58 For instance, 38:01 one of my more favorite passages 38:03 in the spirit of prophecy 38:04 is found 38:04 in the book "Gospel Workers." 38:06 Page 290. 38:08 I'm going to give you a section 38:08 from 290 and then 38:09 a little bit from page 292. 38:12 And I'll tell you in advance 38:13 that there is some 38:13 of the verbiage in here 38:15 that I have updated, 38:16 that it is 38:17 applicable to all of us. 38:18 The context clearly 38:19 supports that here. 38:20 Here's what she says. 38:23 "Christian life is more 38:25 than many take it to be." 38:27 Hmm. Well, what's that about? 38:29 "It does not consist wholly 38:31 in gentleness, patience, 38:33 meekness, and kindliness." 38:35 Stop right there, please. 38:37 I think there are millions 38:38 of Christians 38:39 who think she's wrong. 38:42 They think that when it comes 38:43 to being a Christian, 38:44 that's all there is -- you know, 38:46 gentleness, patience, meekness. 38:47 That's it. 38:48 That's all we're supposed to be. 38:49 Just ignore everything else. 38:50 And this season in particular, 38:51 you know, Jesus, meek and mild. 38:53 ♪ The little Lord Jesus, 38:55 no crying He makes ♪ 38:57 Kind of calls 38:58 Jesus' humanity into question, 38:59 doesn't that song? 39:00 You know, right there, 39:00 no crying. 39:01 Anyway, that's another sermon. 39:02 Many people think 39:04 this is, indeed, what all -- 39:05 what Christianity is all about. 39:06 But she says, 39:07 "No, that's not true." 39:08 She says, "These graces are 39:10 essential, 39:11 but there is need also 39:13 of courage, force, 39:15 energy, and perseverance. 39:18 The path that Christ marks out 39:21 is a narrow, self-denying path. 39:22 To enter that path 39:23 and press on 39:24 through difficulties and 39:25 discouragements requires 39:27 Christians who are more than --" 39:28 What's that next word? 39:30 Ooh, ouch! My toes! Aah! 39:32 Pick that out of the aisle. 39:33 Yeah. More than weaklings. 39:35 Christians of stamina 39:36 are wanted, Christians 39:37 who will not wait to have 39:38 their way smoothed 39:39 and every obstacle removed, 39:41 Christians who will inspire 39:42 with fresh zeal 39:43 the flagging efforts 39:44 of dispirited workers, 39:45 Christians whose hearts are warm 39:47 with Christian love, yes, and 39:49 whose hands are strong 39:50 to do their Master's work. 39:53 Some who engage in missionary 39:55 service are weak, nerveless, 39:57 spiritless, easily discouraged. 39:59 They lack push. 40:01 They have not 40:02 the positive traits of character 40:03 that give power to do something, 40:05 the spirit and energy 40:06 that kindle enthusiasm. 40:08 Those who would win success 40:10 must be courageous and hopeful. 40:12 They should cultivate not only 40:13 the passive, 40:14 but the active virtues. 40:15 While they are to give 40:16 the soft answer 40:17 that turns away wrath, 40:18 they must possess the courage 40:20 of a hero to resist evil. 40:22 With the charity 40:23 that endures all things, 40:24 they need the force of character 40:26 that will make their influence 40:27 a positive power." 40:29 And then, Page 292, 40:31 "Christians can shape 40:33 circumstances, 40:34 but circumstances should 40:36 not be allowed to shape them. 40:38 We should seize upon 40:40 circumstances as instruments 40:41 with which to work. 40:42 We are to master them, 40:44 but they should not -- 40:45 we should not permit 40:46 them to master us. 40:49 Christians of power 40:50 are often those 40:51 who have been opposed, baffled, 40:52 and thwarted. 40:53 By calling 40:54 their energies into action, 40:55 the obstacles they meet 40:56 prove to them 40:57 positive blessings." 40:58 Did you hear that? 40:59 Did you see that there? 41:01 Turning darkness into light. 41:02 These obstacles 41:03 into positive blessings. 41:04 "They gain self-reliance. 41:06 Conflict and perplexity 41:07 call for the exercise 41:09 of --" What's that word? 41:11 That's what we're talking 41:12 about this morning. 41:13 "The exercise of trust in God 41:15 and for that firmness 41:17 which develops power." 41:23 Ladies and gentlemen, 41:25 a seed of faith 41:27 is God's gift to everyone. 41:30 But a strong, 41:32 passionate faith requires 41:34 exercise, the development 41:36 of stamina, 41:37 the facing of obstacles, 41:39 the growth of an attitude 41:41 that says, "Because God is still 41:43 on His throne, I will not quit. 41:44 I will not stop. 41:46 I will not give up." 41:49 And consistently done, 41:51 this leads to a trust in God 41:53 that towers 41:55 over Satan's threats. 41:57 Because faith grows best 42:01 when we are still in the fight. 42:04 >> Amen! 42:10 >> The final key to a strong 42:13 and passionate faith in God 42:15 is found in Verse 24, 42:17 and we're going to read through 42:18 Verse 26. 42:20 Closing arguments here 42:23 with this particular 42:23 section and this chapter. 42:25 Moses speaking. 42:27 "'He --'" God -- "'will give 42:28 their kings into your hands, 42:30 and you will wipe out 42:31 their names from under heaven. 42:32 No one will be 42:33 able to stand up against you. 42:34 You will destroy them. 42:35 The images of their gods 42:37 you are to burn in the fire.'" 42:39 Hmm. 42:40 "'Do not covet the silver and 42:42 gold in them and do not take it 42:44 for yourselves, 42:45 or you will be ensnared by it, 42:47 for it is detestable 42:48 to the Lord your God. 42:49 Do not bring a detestable thing 42:51 into your house, or you, 42:52 like it, will be set 42:53 apart for destruction. 42:55 Utterly abhor and detest it, 42:57 for it is set 42:58 apart for destruction.'" 43:02 Hmm. 43:24 You see, this is exactly 43:26 what God is asking Israel 43:27 to do at this moment. 43:29 He knows the temptations 43:30 that come with success. 43:33 He's already promised them 43:34 that if they will trust in Him, 43:35 He's going 43:36 to rout their enemies. 43:36 The enemies 43:37 are going to be driven out. 43:38 No one will be able to stand 43:39 against them, He said. 43:40 Talk about an opportunity 43:41 for pride. 43:44 And in order for their faith to 43:45 be fully mature and honored, 43:47 God says, 43:48 "I need you to obey what 43:49 I've already asked you to do." 43:52 You know, in Deuteronomy 5, 43:53 the Ten Commandments are listed 43:54 in that manner 43:56 for the second time, 43:57 because that was at the core 43:58 of the covenant 43:58 that God had made with Israel. 44:00 And he's reminding them, 44:02 "As you go in here and 44:02 as success comes, obey 44:04 what I've asked you to do. 44:05 Do these things 44:06 that I have called you to do. 44:08 This is part of our agreement. 44:09 Obey my commands, and faith 44:13 will come." 44:16 Now let that sink in 44:17 for a moment, 44:18 because that is almost 44:20 precisely backwards from how 44:23 most people think about faith. 44:26 Most people conceive of faith 44:27 as something that comes 44:28 before obedience. 44:30 In other words, 44:31 the attitude of faith precedes 44:32 taking the actions of faith. 44:35 But the Bible actually 44:36 gives more support 44:38 to the reverse of that. 44:40 It doesn't discount 44:41 the other direction, 44:42 but it gives 44:43 more support for the reverse. 44:44 It gives more support 44:45 to the idea of acting faithful 44:47 first and the attitude of faith 44:50 growing stronger and deeper 44:51 because of that action. 44:57 Now, I'm not suggesting 44:58 that we have blind faith. 45:00 God provides evidence. 45:03 But notice this. 45:04 And let me put this 45:05 on the screen here for you. 45:20 This is the secret 45:21 to spiritual growth 45:22 that many people never come to. 45:24 And, yet, we see analogies of 45:25 this all around us, 45:26 because this is the way that 45:27 God has put the world together. 45:29 Football. 45:31 You can study about football all 45:33 you want, but at some point, 45:34 you've got to get out 45:35 on the field and play. 45:38 Those of you 45:39 that are students -- nursing, 45:40 for instance -- 45:41 you can study to be a nurse till 45:43 the last textbook has been read, 45:45 but until you hit 45:46 those clinicals, 45:47 until you actually get into 45:49 some sort of a medical facility 45:50 or environment, 45:51 it's all just so much theory. 45:53 You have to get out there 45:54 and do it. 45:55 In the Christian life, 45:58 as with so many things, 45:59 the gold is in the doing. 46:03 And this is not just 46:04 a Deuteronomy 7, 46:06 Old Testament thing. 46:07 Jesus himself reiterates this. 46:09 I invite you to keep your Bibles 46:10 closed and listen 46:12 as I read from John 7:17. 46:14 This is Jesus talking. 46:14 He says this. 46:16 "'If anyone chooses to do God's 46:20 will -- To what with God's will? 46:23 To do, okay? To do God's will. 46:26 Notice the next part here. 46:27 "'He will find out whether my 46:29 teaching comes from God 46:30 or whether I speak on my own.'" 46:32 "Do the things 46:34 that I've asked you to do," 46:34 Jesus says, 46:35 "and then you will know 46:36 if I really do come from God. 46:38 Then you will know 46:39 if I am really who I say I am. 46:41 You will know I am God 46:43 by doing the things 46:44 I've asked you to do. 46:46 That's what Jesus says." 46:51 A simple story. 46:54 Years ago, when I was in 46:55 college, I went to my 46:57 grandparents' house on a 46:58 vacation. 47:00 I don't remember which break 47:01 it was, 47:02 but I did, as I often did 47:04 in those days and still do 47:05 to this day, if I can, 47:06 I had taken my 47:07 mountain bike with me. 47:09 I love to take my mountain bike 47:10 on vacation, and, sure, 47:12 if you can find trails, great, 47:13 but I also like to go exploring. 47:15 And the bigger the city, 47:16 the better. 47:17 I remember vividly once 47:18 riding my bike 47:19 at about 35 miles an hour 47:21 in Baltimore 47:22 traffic, downhill, in the rain. 47:23 That was exciting. 47:26 And, so, one of these places 47:28 where my grandparents lived 47:29 in their city -- It's 47:30 a fairly sizable city. 47:31 I had not been, and so, 47:33 you know, I looked on the map. 47:33 I said, "Okay, 47:34 I'm going to go there." 47:35 And I went riding my bike. 47:36 One of the great things 47:37 about mountain biking 47:38 is that you don't 47:38 have to stick to pavement, 47:39 and so sometimes, you can go 47:41 places that other people can't. 47:42 And I was going through 47:43 a piece of property. 47:44 I'm sure they would 47:45 have been blessed 47:46 had they known I was there. 47:47 And I came up to 47:48 this giant parking lot. 47:50 You know, trees finished, 47:51 came into this big clearing, 47:52 and it was what we would call 47:54 now an assisted-living facility. 47:58 It was kind of an upscale thing. 48:00 There were these condos, 48:01 kind of these rows of condos 48:02 there, and I was apparently 48:03 coming into their back parking 48:05 lot, and mostly empty, 48:07 very few cars there. 48:09 And I didn't see any other 48:10 human being except 48:12 for an elderly gentleman 48:13 in a rocking chair, sitting 48:15 on his patio, 48:16 the backside of his condo there, 48:18 rocking back and forth. 48:21 And as I came over the curb 48:23 into the parking lot, 48:25 I very clearly felt 48:29 the instruction of the spirit 48:32 of God say, 48:34 "Go and talk to that man." 48:41 Oh, no. Oh, man. 48:45 You know, cold-turkey work is 48:48 dynamite for those 48:49 that thrive on it. 48:50 I've done door-to-door 48:51 work before. 48:52 You know, you knock on -- 48:53 cold-turkey stuff, cold calls, 48:54 you know, this type of thing. 48:55 I've done it many times, 48:56 and it absolutely drains 48:57 the life out of me, alright? 48:59 I've been told 49:00 that I'm even good at it, 49:01 which is all the worse, 49:02 because then they ask me to do 49:03 it again the next week, right? 49:05 Okay? But my personality -- I'm 49:06 just not made for that, right? 49:08 I have to go into a dark room 49:09 and, you know, put a hat on 49:10 and sip lemonade slowly. 49:11 I mean, just try to recover 49:12 from the time. 49:13 And now God has saved -- 49:14 Very clever. 49:15 And it was just crystal-clear 49:16 like, "You need to go and talk 49:17 to this man who's 49:18 in this rocking chair here." 49:19 Like, "Oh, man, it's vacation. 49:22 I'm a theology major. 49:23 I need a break. 49:24 You know, 49:25 Ellen White says there are times 49:26 when ministers should not do 49:27 anything related to ministry." 49:28 You know, 49:29 I'm going through all this stuff 49:30 in my brain, right? 49:31 And probably 3 or 4 minutes 49:33 of just, 49:34 you know, trying to figure 49:35 out a way not to do this. 49:36 But the message was clear. 49:38 [ Sighs ] 49:40 So I get on my bike 49:41 and I pedal over 49:42 to this elderly gentleman. 49:45 Now, I'm not huge, 49:48 but if you're an elderly person 49:50 sitting in a rocking chair 49:51 and I'm 6'4" and I get on, 49:53 you know, my mountain bike 49:53 and pull up there in 49:54 front of you, and he's like... 49:57 I say, "Hello, sir. 49:58 How are you?" 49:59 "Huh?" 50:02 "How are you today?" 50:03 "Huh?!" 50:09 I'm going to cut to the chase. 50:10 As far as I know, 50:12 there was no spiritual benefit 50:14 to that man 50:15 for my visit with him. 50:18 I know how it's supposed to end, 50:19 right? 50:20 I mean, 50:20 "At the end of five minutes, 50:21 we had a brief Bible study, 50:22 and I baptized him there 50:23 in the sprinkler system 50:24 right on the front lawn," okay? 50:26 That didn't happen. 50:27 In fact, he seemed kind of glad 50:28 when I decided, 50:29 about five minutes later, 50:30 the conversation was done. 50:32 I said, "Nice to talk with you." 50:33 "Ah!" You know... 50:36 I got on my bike 50:37 and I rode away, right? 50:43 Did you know that that short 50:49 interaction still ranks for me 50:52 as one of the most important 50:54 spiritual times in my life? 50:58 You say, "Well, how come? 50:59 Why? Why?" You know. 51:01 You know, I pray that there was 51:02 some spiritual ben-- 51:03 I pray that there was something 51:04 for that gentleman. 51:05 I mean, who knows? 51:06 You know, again, when we get to 51:07 heaven, 1,000 years, 51:07 we can watch the tape and 51:08 see what was actually going on. 51:09 Okay? I pray that that's true. 51:11 But one thing I do know 51:12 is true is that I learned 51:14 something important that day. 51:17 You see, there's something 51:18 about the Spirit's voice. 51:20 It does take some acclimating 51:21 to. 51:24 So often, you know, 51:25 over the years, 51:26 I've had people say, "Oh, 51:27 the Lord told me thus and such." 51:28 "I'm pretty sure 51:29 that was indigestion," right? 51:30 Okay. Because it's not 51:32 in keeping with Scripture, 51:33 this kind of thing. 51:33 But when you do, when you 51:36 have a studied sense 51:37 of the Spirit, things change. 51:41 And the way you get that is 51:42 by obeying the first time. 51:45 When the Spirit calls, 51:47 you listen, you obey it, 51:48 and as you obey it, 51:50 you learn more about it. 51:51 And the same thing happens, 51:52 but at a deeper level 51:53 the next time. 51:54 And as you obey it, 51:55 it becomes more familiar to you. 51:57 When you obey it, 51:58 your faith becomes 52:00 deeper and stronger. 52:01 And notice this. 52:02 Your ministry for God 52:04 becomes deeper and stronger, 52:05 because what Jesus said 52:07 regarding physical healing can 52:09 equally apply well to ministry. 52:10 According to your faith 52:12 shall it be done to you. 52:15 This is why, by the way, 52:16 generally speaking, 52:17 disobedient people are 52:19 discouraged people. 52:23 You see, known disobedience -- 52:24 I'm not talking about the stuff 52:25 that you're not aware, 52:26 but if there's sin 52:27 in your life and you know it 52:28 and that's okay with you, 52:29 you're just kind of letting 52:30 it percolate there, right? 52:31 Known disobedience can slow down 52:34 or even stop God's work through 52:35 us. 52:37 Not seeing God work in your 52:39 life, when you have some 52:40 expectation that He ought to be 52:41 working in your life, can be 52:42 extraordinarily discouraging. 52:45 That kind of life 52:46 does not lead to a deeper faith. 52:50 But obedience, 52:53 taking God at His word, 52:55 doing what we know 52:56 that He has asked 52:57 us to do -- that enables us 52:59 to see God in action. 53:01 You know, 53:01 we're encouraged to do this, 53:03 to repeat back to God, 53:04 for instance, the promises 53:06 that He's made to us, right? 53:07 Almost like we're daring Him 53:08 to do it. 53:09 You know, "God, You've promised 53:10 to always be with me. 53:11 If I trust in You, 53:12 if I acknowledge You, 53:13 then You will guide 53:14 and direct my paths. 53:15 Here's what You have promised." 53:16 It's like God smiles 53:17 and says, "You're right. 53:18 Let me show you how." 53:20 It gives God the green light. 53:22 We step out in faith, 53:23 trusting Him 53:24 to fill in our lack, 53:25 and God honors that faith. 53:27 We see Him move and work. 53:29 You can't walk on water 53:31 until you get out of the boat. 53:33 And when you walk on water, oh, 53:34 does it strengthen your faith. 53:36 Seeing God in action confirms 53:38 that our trust in Him 53:39 is rightly praised. 53:40 This makes 53:41 us trust Him even more. 53:43 Faith lived out in obedience 53:45 thus inevitably leads 53:47 to hope for now and the future. 53:52 And thus, we see the truth. 53:54 A strong, passionate faith 53:56 in God -- that is a strong, 53:58 passionate relationship 53:59 with Him, because 54:00 that's what faith is, 54:03 does not come primarily 54:05 from reading books 54:06 or listening to sermons, 54:06 as important 54:07 as those things are. 54:09 Such faith, instead, comes from 54:11 obeying God, from doing what 54:12 He's asked us to do, 54:14 for only then are we able to see 54:16 God in action for ourselves, 54:18 to experience for ourselves 54:20 that God really is 54:21 who He says he is. 54:26 Pioneer family and all 54:30 who are listening... 54:32 we do not have to wait for 54:34 Bill Gates or Big Ben 54:37 or the gift of the Florida Keys 54:39 to satisfy the longing 54:40 of our hearts 54:41 this Christmas season, 54:43 for none of those gifts 54:44 are factors 54:46 in our personal fulfillment 54:47 or, most importantly, 54:49 in our effectiveness for God. 54:51 Instead, let us give ourselves 54:53 the gift of a strong, 54:55 passionate faith in God. 54:57 Remember what 54:58 God has done for you. 55:01 God, most of the time, makes 55:02 sense, but be prepared 55:03 occasionally for the bizarre. 55:04 Stay in the fight. 55:05 Don't give up, don't give in. 55:07 Keep on fighting. 55:09 And obey what He's asked you 55:11 to do, and you will see 55:12 your faith multiply 55:14 to unseen levels. 55:16 May that strong 55:17 and passionate kind of faith 55:19 be ours in abundance 55:21 this Christmas and beyond. 55:23 >> Amen! 55:30 >> I don't know what the weather 55:31 is like where you're 55:31 at this holiday season, 55:33 but here in Michigan, 55:34 as I speak right now, 55:35 there's a delightful layer 55:36 of snow on the ground, 55:38 and the forecast 55:39 is calling for more snow soon. 55:41 Our winters here 55:42 can be hearty ones, 55:43 and there are few things 55:44 more beautiful 55:46 than the sparkling winter 55:47 landscapes that surround 55:48 our corner of the world 55:49 this time of year. 55:52 Of course, all that snow is 55:54 a biblical reminder, isn't it? 55:55 A reminder 55:57 that because Jesus was born 55:58 as a babe in that manger, 56:00 because He lived among us 56:01 and ultimately gave His life 56:03 for us, our sins can be 56:04 forgiven. 56:06 Our sins, though they be red 56:07 as scarlet, 56:08 can be made white as snow, 56:11 all because of the gift of 56:12 Jesus. 56:14 As we celebrate this gift 56:15 this holiday season, 56:17 some additional causes 56:18 for celebration 56:19 come from your e-mails, 56:20 your letters, 56:21 and your faithful giving 56:22 of support for this ministry, 56:24 a ministry which literally 56:26 reaches around the world. 56:28 If you've been blessed 56:28 this year, 56:29 I'd like to ask you to join 56:31 the many people 56:31 who financially support 56:33 Pioneer's media ministry, 56:34 which brings you this program. 56:36 It's simple to do. 56:37 Just call our toll-free 56:38 number -- 877-HIS-WILL. 56:41 That's 877-HIS-WILL. 56:45 One of our friendly operators 56:46 will be happy to help you. 56:48 You can also go to the top 56:49 of our website, pmchurch.org, 56:52 click the "Donate" link, 56:54 and look for 56:54 the "Media Ministry" option. 56:57 Truly, no gift is too small 56:59 or too large 57:00 for God to use to spread 57:02 the good news of His love 57:03 and His soon return. 57:04 Every gift is entirely invested 57:07 in our mission 57:08 to communicate God's call 57:10 to salvation to a generation 57:11 who desperately needs 57:12 the hope found in Jesus. 57:14 Once again, 57:15 our website is pmchurch.org. 57:18 This season, know 57:20 that our Pioneer family 57:21 is praying for you 57:23 and that our greatest wish is 57:24 that Immanuel, 57:26 Jesus Christ in the flesh 57:28 and in your heart, will be 57:29 at the center of your life. 57:31 Thank you 57:32 for your prayers and support. 57:34 ♪ 57:59 ♪ |
Revised 2024-12-13