Participants: John Lomacang, Pastor
Series Code: POF
Program Code: POF000007A
|
00:25 Hello, and welcome to Pillars of Faith.
00:28 We are here 00:30 in the Thompsonville Seventh-day Adventist Church, 00:32 also known as the 3ABN Worship Center 00:34 in Thompsonville, Illinois. 00:36 A small town of about 600 people, 00:38 but God is using this area 00:41 to bring the gospel to all the world 00:43 through Three Angels Broadcasting Network 00:45 via nine satellites that are beaming the message 00:48 all around the world. 00:49 And we praise the Lord for what He has done 00:52 in this series so far. 00:53 We have our speaker for this series 00:55 is Pastor John Lomacang. 00:58 You are acquainted with him through the House Calls program 01:03 and as well as the Wednesday night Bible Study 01:05 that you can see here on 01:06 Three Angels Broadcasting Network. 01:09 We want to tell you that this is a five part series. 01:13 The series has the title, "The Anatomy of the Crisis." 01:17 Already we have heard the message, 01:20 "The Crisis in Heaven." 01:22 This is message number two of five. 01:24 And the title for this message is "The Crisis in the Garden." 01:28 On the next time, you see this program 01:31 or hear this program, 01:32 you will see the message and hear the message 01:34 "The Crisis in the Family." 01:36 "The Crisis in the Heart," will be the next one. 01:39 And finally, 01:41 "Solving the Crisis in the Church." 01:43 We hope that you are prepared to study God's word together, 01:48 and we appreciate Pastor Lomacang's 01:52 dedication to the study of the scriptures. 01:54 When he comes before you to present a message, 01:56 it is because he has studied and prayed 02:00 and asked for the Lord to bless him 02:01 with the Holy Spirit. 02:03 And we know that you'll be blessed. 02:05 And we encourage you to remain with us 02:07 until the very moment 02:09 this message comes to its conclusion. 02:12 Before we begin, we like to go to the Lord in prayer, 02:14 and ask Him to bless our speaker and also bless you. 02:18 It does not mean that 02:20 Pastor Lomacang will not also pray, 02:22 but we want to pray for him as he leads us in this study. 02:26 So for now, 02:28 we encourage you to stop what you're doing, 02:29 and join us in prayer. 02:31 And as we pray, 02:32 we're going to ask for the Lord's blessing. 02:34 Let us pray together. 02:36 Our loving heavenly Father, we are grateful Lord 02:40 for this opportunity to bring this message to Your children 02:44 all around the world. 02:46 And we thank You for the speaker 02:48 that You have brought to us. 02:50 We pray that as You have used him in the past, 02:53 use him once again Lord. 02:55 Therefore, we ask that You'll bless him with the Holy Spirit. 02:58 Give him the words to speak and direct us 03:01 as we study the Holy Scriptures. 03:04 We pray that as we dig into the scriptures, 03:06 your holy angels will draw near to every person 03:09 that stops to listen to this program. 03:11 And we pray that 03:12 Your Holy Spirit will direct our thoughts 03:14 to what we need to do as we hear this message. 03:17 We pray for revival and transformation to take place, 03:21 and we pray that all honor and glory be on to your name. 03:26 And we thank you Father 03:27 for hearing our prayer, for we ask it 03:29 in the mighty and wonderful name of Jesus. 03:32 Amen. Amen. 03:34 Well, at this time, we like to invite our speaker 03:37 Pastor John Lomacang, 03:38 and we leave the rest of the time with him. 03:40 May God bless each and every one of you. 03:42 Pastor. 03:43 Thank you, Pastor Dinzey, I appreciate it very much. 03:46 And hello, everyone, once again 03:48 welcome to the second part in a five part series 03:54 entitled "The Anatomy of the Crisis." 03:57 We are praying that the Lord will 03:59 once again open our eyes 04:00 and give us understanding and wisdom from His Word. 04:03 And as I did in my last presentation, 04:06 I want to always put my mind in my life, 04:10 and this message in the hand of the God 04:12 that I've been called and asked to represent. 04:14 So bow your heads with me 04:17 as I ask the Lord to give me wisdom. 04:19 Heavenly Father, this is Your message, 04:23 I'm Your servant, I pray that You'll give understanding 04:26 where right now their, 04:29 the understanding may be lacking. 04:32 Give wisdom and direction, and may this message 04:36 find the fertile soil that will come to understand 04:39 Your purpose and will for their life, 04:42 in Jesus name, I pray. 04:44 Amen. 04:47 Genesis 3:8-10 is where we find our scripture reading. 04:52 And I'm going to open my Bible, my Bible has... 04:56 I share that verse with you, The Crisis in the Garden. 04:59 If I could give this message a another title, it would be, 05:03 "I heard your voice." 05:05 I heard your voice. 05:08 Genesis Chapter 3, and look with me to verse 8-10. 05:15 And we read in Genesis Chapter 3, 05:18 "And they heard the sound of the Lord God 05:22 walking in the garden in the cool of the day. 05:26 And Adam and his wife hid themselves 05:30 from the presence of God among the trees of the garden. 05:34 Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, 05:39 "Where are you?" 05:41 So he said, 05:42 "I heard your voice in the garden, 05:46 and I was afraid because I was naked 05:49 and I hid myself." 05:51 Crisis in the garden. 05:53 I heard your voice. 05:55 Ours is an age of one crisis after the other. 06:01 We are in the midst of a political crisis. 06:04 Our world is wrecked by a financial crisis. 06:08 When we look at the world in the broad sense, 06:10 we are under a very unstable economic foundation. 06:14 There is an economic crisis. 06:16 Unemployment, double dip recession. 06:19 We are in the midst of a real estate crisis. 06:23 There are more homes than there are buyers. 06:27 We live amidst a military crisis 06:30 now engaged in a new kind of war, 06:33 a war that has brought the fight to America. 06:38 We are in an international crisis. 06:41 The constant threat to the United States, 06:44 and war from rouge nations and rouge underground movements. 06:48 And also there is an oil crisis. 06:51 Instability in the Middle East. 06:53 We live in an economy 06:55 that has seen gas prices go as high as almost five dollars 06:58 and almost as low as under a dollar. 07:00 The instability of the oil market 07:02 brings to humanity in the world, 07:05 a crisis of that kind of magnitude. 07:08 And add to that, the family crisis, 07:11 the health crisis, and the moral crisis. 07:15 But let me suggest to you that in the midst 07:17 of all of this broken glass, there is still a diamond. 07:22 God still brings hope 07:25 in the midst of a hopeless world. 07:27 In the midst of these turbulent times, 07:29 serenity because of Jesus Christ 07:32 can still be found. 07:34 In the midst of a society gone mad, 07:36 there is still a better world that's coming. 07:39 Praise the Lord for that. 07:41 I'm so glad that this is not the final world. 07:43 Can you say amen to that? 07:45 This is not the final world. 07:46 There is a better world coming. 07:49 And I thank the Lord that as we read His word, 07:51 He has told us how the story ends. 07:54 But there are questions that are begging 07:56 to be answered. 07:58 And I hope to answer those questions 08:00 through this message. 08:01 How did we get into this mess 08:04 that we are living amongst today? 08:07 Did we just wake up one morning and chaos existed? 08:10 Did we miss the broadcast, from now on the world 08:12 will be messed up? 08:14 Did we get assigned to the wrong planet? 08:16 Did we win a one-way ticket to misery? 08:20 Well, as bizarre as it may seem, 08:22 it all started in a quiet place. 08:26 It started in one of the most perfect settings. 08:30 Now in the last message, 08:31 we talked about this crisis that began in heaven. 08:34 But I also pointed out that, 08:35 that crisis was transferred to the earth. 08:39 It began in a quiet setting where God gave Adam and Eve, 08:44 His first creation, the mother and the father of all humanity. 08:49 He gave them everything that they would ever need. 08:51 Listen for a moment. 08:53 They had the best library, instant intelligence. 08:57 They had the best communication, 08:58 open face-to-face communication with God. 09:02 And the Bible gives us a glimpse 09:04 into the imagination of our Creator. 09:07 Genesis 1:31 says it this way, 09:11 "And God saw everything that he had made 09:14 and indeed it was very good." 09:18 Not somewhat good, not pretty good, 09:20 indeed it was very good. 09:22 "And so the evening and the morning 09:24 were the sixth day." 09:27 Let's think about Adam for a moment. 09:29 Adam was fit beyond any modern standards. 09:34 There were no preexisting medical conditions 09:36 in Adam's life to limit his creative ability. 09:39 He was the consummate athlete, flawless in every particular, 09:43 because God made him. 09:45 His eyesight was at peak performance. 09:48 As a matter of fact, I can say it this way, 09:50 he had his father's eyes. 09:52 Adam was a prototype built by the master designer 09:57 God Himself. 09:58 But think about Eve, because Eve was the crowning act 10:02 of God's creation. 10:04 If you've seen beautiful people before, 10:06 Eve was beauty personified. 10:09 She was in fact the original Miss Universe 10:13 because there was no woman on planet earth 10:15 to rival the beauty that God had imparted to her. 10:19 They also had the best economy. 10:21 Adam and Eve did not have to go to the store 10:24 like here in southern Illinois. 10:26 We get excited 10:27 when we go to Wal-Mart or to the mall. 10:29 They live in the best economy. 10:31 People get excited about fashion designers. 10:33 God was the best designer. 10:37 Their garments radiated 10:39 with the glory of the righteousness of God. 10:41 There are no designers 10:43 that can give you a garment radiating with glory 10:46 that also guarantees the pure 10:49 and unsullied righteousness of God. 10:53 And there are no gardens in our world today 10:55 that could ever rival the Garden of Eden. 10:59 Think about it. 11:00 There was no disease or decay, nor death. 11:02 Vitality was bursting forth 11:05 from everything that their eyes rested upon. 11:08 The atmosphere was filled with the life. 11:11 Life was in every leaf, every flower, and every tree. 11:17 Adam and Eve roam freely 11:19 with the most powerful beast of the earth. 11:22 And before sin, there was no fear at all. 11:25 They were able to communicate with lions, and tigers, 11:30 and bears. 11:31 They were able to speak to the birds, 11:33 and everything that God had placed in creation 11:36 for their enjoyment. 11:38 However, there was a controversy brewing 11:42 that would eventually threaten homeland security. 11:47 And God told Adam and Eve to watch. 11:49 He informed them that an assault was coming. 11:52 And he said that failure would be devastating. 11:57 The Lord warned Adam and Eve of the far-reaching consequences. 12:01 Look at Genesis Chapter 2, 12:03 notice what God said to this perfect pair. 12:07 "And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, 12:11 "Of every tree of the garden, you may freely eat..." 12:16 In other words, God placed no restrictions 12:18 on what He had created for Adam, except one. 12:23 "Of every tree of the garden, you may freely eat, 12:27 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, 12:31 you shall not eat of it. 12:33 For in the day that you eat of it, 12:36 you shall surely die." 12:39 Not might die, not could die, but you shall surely die. 12:44 In other words, the stop signs were posted, 12:48 the guardrails were lowered, the path of destruction 12:51 was outlined with flashing warning lights. 12:54 The road to the tree of the knowledge of good and evil 12:57 was replete with severe penalty signs 13:01 posted everywhere. 13:03 This was the road of stiff fines, 13:05 and a jail sentence. 13:06 Hear me carefully. 13:08 With a consequence of more than 6,000 years of human suffering, 13:13 this journey was wrapped in irreversible consequences. 13:17 And so God warned Adam, whatever you do Adam, 13:20 I've given you everything that your eyes can sit upon, 13:24 but just stay away from this one tree. 13:29 And John the Revelator made it clear 13:31 as to why God's warning was so urgent. 13:33 Revelation 12:9, we read these words 13:36 from our Creator. 13:40 So the great dragon, 13:42 that one who lost the war against Michael, the archangel, 13:45 who is Christ by the way. 13:47 So the great dragon was cast out, 13:51 that serpent of old called the devil 13:54 and Satan who deceives the whole world. 13:59 He was cast to the earth, 14:01 and his angels were cast out with him. 14:06 When Satan lost that battle of deception 14:09 that he spread clearly among the other angels. 14:12 We read also in Revelation that when Satan lost this battle. 14:16 Also one third of the angels fell with him. 14:18 The Bible says, "He drew a third of the stars of heaven 14:22 and they were cast to the ground." 14:24 Now even though one-third fell, 14:26 the good news is two-thirds remained. 14:29 There are more on the side of good 14:32 than there are on the side of evil. 14:34 Can you say amen? 14:35 You see, God still has the greater good on his side. 14:39 So when you feel as though 14:41 the world has turned against you, 14:42 when you feel as though you have been abandoned, 14:44 all you've got to do is turn to God 14:46 and discover that there are more with us 14:50 than there are more with the enemy of deception. 14:53 The Bible made it clear that Satan lost the initial battle. 14:57 And so this innocent pier 14:59 that just rolled off of God's assembly line 15:02 was in the midst of the second stage of the battle. 15:05 A crisis brewing in this perfect garden. 15:09 It was clear that Satan had become in his own mind 15:12 the representative now of the earth. 15:15 In Job 1:7, we read 15:18 about a meeting that had taken place. 15:20 And the Bible says in verse 7 of Job Chapter 1, 15:23 and the Lord said to Satan in this meeting. 15:26 "From where do you come?" 15:27 God knew, but testimony always reveals our own position, 15:31 and so Satan answer the Lord and said, 15:34 "From going to and fro on the earth 15:37 and from walking back and forth on it." 15:40 You know, the amazing thing about that is this, 15:42 when you think about temptation. 15:44 He said, "I was going to and fro 15:46 walking back and forth," 15:47 but God limited Satan. 15:50 God did not allow Satan to pursue Adam and Eve. 15:55 God placed the hedge of protection around them. 15:58 They were in a garden home that was secured day and night. 16:02 The angels of God watched over them. 16:04 So Satan could not bring the temptation to Adam nor Eve. 16:08 You'll discover, friends, often times, 16:10 one of the ways that we fall into temptation 16:12 is when we go to the temptation. 16:14 You see the bar doesn't come to us, we go to the bar. 16:17 The places of ill repute do not come to us, 16:20 we go to the places of ill repute. 16:22 The immorality of the nation doesn't come to us, 16:24 we go to it. 16:26 Often times, we find ourselves 16:28 where God never gave us permission to go. 16:32 So God protected this pair from everything 16:34 that Satan could bring their way. 16:36 But he said, "I'm walking back and forth 16:39 and going to and fro in the earth." 16:42 And then the scene changes to Genesis 3:1, 16:46 for this self made, I would say real estate owner, 16:52 as he thought he was, 16:54 was about to establish the greatest temptation 16:58 that humanity would ever endure. 17:01 This predator angel began to change his approach. 17:06 And so we read in Genesis 3:1, 17:09 the first temptation to humanity. 17:12 The Bible says, 17:13 "Now the serpent was more cunning," 17:15 the King James Version says, more subtle. 17:18 In other words, he came in a manner 17:21 that was almost imperceptible to the one 17:24 that he had focused on. 17:26 You've seen those pictures before, 17:28 tigers and lions, and cheetahs 17:32 and leopards in the jungle. 17:33 You see them as they focus on their prey, 17:36 they walk so stealthily, they move almost imperceptibly, 17:41 they allow the grass not to ruffle 17:43 any of their surroundings, 17:44 they keep their eyes fixed on their victims. 17:47 And I believe that as death 17:51 is the outcome of any hunt, 17:53 Satan saw the very same thing. 17:55 The Bible says, "The serpent was more cunning, 17:58 more subtle than any beast of the field 18:01 which the Lord God had made. 18:05 But he could not tempt Eve, 18:07 except she's strayed away from the protective custody 18:11 that God has established for her, her husband. 18:13 And that's why the Bible said, 18:14 "It's not good that man should be alone." 18:16 Let me amplify that, it wasn't just the phrase, 18:19 speaking of the agenda, 18:21 but when God establishes a relationship of safety, 18:25 it's always dangerous 18:26 when we stray outside of that relationship of safety. 18:29 It was not good for Eve to be alone. 18:32 It was not good for Adam to be alone. 18:34 They were placed in a relationship 18:37 to establish checks and balances on each of them 18:40 that they both together can be obedient to God's word. 18:44 And so he said to the woman, Genesis 3:1, 18:49 "Has God indeed said that 18:52 you shall not eat of every tree of the garden." 18:55 Is that what God had said? 18:57 Are you sure that God said that? 19:00 You see, friends, the first phrase of this crisis 19:05 was to put a question mark where God had placed a period. 19:09 God did not say it's possible for you to die. 19:12 God didn't say, "Adam, I think that you might die," 19:14 God said, "You will surely die." 19:17 And the devil said, 19:19 "Are you sure you're clear on what God has said." 19:22 You see, friends, today, one of the reasons 19:25 why Christians of varying degrees 19:28 that don't pay attention to what God has said 19:30 find themselves in an eventual crisis 19:33 is they to put a question mark where God has placed a period. 19:36 The Lord said, 19:38 "Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy." 19:39 And they say, "Do I have to keep the Sabbath holy?" 19:43 The Bible says, "The dead know not anything." 19:46 And they say, "Do the dead know anything?" 19:49 The Bible says, "Honor thy father and thy mother," 19:50 and children say, 19:52 "Do we have to honor our father and our mother?" 19:54 When you put a question mark where God puts a period, 19:57 a crisis is in development. 20:01 For Satan asked an ambiguous question. 20:03 He made it vague by intent, 20:06 because his object was to plan uncertainty 20:09 to put uncertainty in the mind of Eve. 20:14 And so whenever you doubt what God has said, 20:18 revisit the Word of God and always choose 20:22 on the side of caution. 20:25 If you're not sure what the God said, 20:26 go or not go, don't go. 20:30 Always make your decision on the side of caution. 20:34 Did God really mean Eve 20:36 that you could not eat of every tree of the garden? 20:41 How can you trust a God with such restrictive abilities? 20:45 How can you feel comfortable 20:48 if God does not give you complete freedom 20:50 to do what ever you want? 20:52 Every tree, if you think about it, 20:54 implies all trees. 20:58 Any tree implies some trees. 21:02 The Lord said, "I'm giving you every tree except one." 21:06 Satan said, 21:08 "God's holding from you every tree," that was not true. 21:12 You see, friends, 21:13 when we feel that God is restrictive, 21:16 there's a reason why God establishes 21:19 parameters in our lives. 21:21 He does it because there's no greater safety 21:24 than staying within the parameters 21:26 that God has established. 21:28 For example, think about as a driver. 21:30 There are many people that don't like red lights, 21:32 but I tell you, red lights are not stop lights, 21:33 they're go lights. 21:35 If you don't think that when the red light breaks down, 21:36 traffic comes to a screeching halt. 21:38 Red lights are go lights. 21:40 And some people in cities think that 21:42 they speed right through the red lights, 21:44 that's not what I mean. 21:45 But when they're functioning, 21:46 when these restrictions that are placed 21:48 there for our safety are in operation, 21:51 we find that we can enjoy continuous safety. 21:54 But when the lights of safety go out, chaos ensues. 21:59 And so God placed green lights on the good things, 22:01 yellow lights of temperance on the things 22:04 that should be taken by temperance, 22:06 and a red light on that which we should always avoid. 22:10 And you discover that Satan's level of success 22:13 was evident. 22:15 Somehow, he made a way into the mind of Eve, 22:18 because Eve changed God's statement of certainty. 22:23 It was statement of possibility. 22:24 Notice Genesis 3:2 and 3, God was certain 22:28 but Eve changed it to a statement of possibility. 22:32 Verse 2 and 3 of Genesis Chapter 3, 22:34 and the woman said to the serpent. 22:37 "We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden, 22:41 but of the fruit of the trees 22:45 which is in the midst of the garden 22:47 or the fruit of the tree 22:49 which is in the midst of the garden. 22:51 God has said you shall not eat it." 22:56 But here's what she added that God didn't say, 22:58 "Nor shall you touch it, lest you die." 23:02 God didn't say that death would be in the touching. 23:04 God said death would be in the ingesting. 23:08 God said death would be in the taking. 23:11 You know, sometimes we pick up a cigarette 23:14 and we look at it. 23:15 A cigarette that you look at 23:16 cannot bring danger to your life, 23:18 but a cigarette that you light and put to your mouth 23:20 can begin to shorten your life by minutes. 23:23 Every puff begins to shorten your life. 23:25 You may pick up a bottle of alcohol, 23:27 something that could 23:29 kill your brain cells every time you ingest it. 23:32 It doesn't bring danger when you pick it up, 23:34 but it brings danger when you begin to ingest it. 23:36 You may hold a marijuana in your hand, 23:38 and you may hold illicit drugs 23:40 and illegal prescriptions in your possession. 23:42 That's not where the death comes, 23:44 but it comes when we begin to ingest in our bodies, 23:47 God's temple, those things that God 23:49 has strictly and unequivocally prohibited. 23:54 And she said, "God said, don't touch it." 23:56 God said, "No, don't eat it. 23:58 In the day you eat of it, you'll die." 24:00 And lest you die also implies that 24:02 there is a possibility that you might die, 24:05 but God didn't leave any room for doubt, 24:07 He said, "You will die." 24:09 God did not say there was a possibility. 24:11 He said, "You will surely die." 24:14 And then the light came. 24:15 Genesis 3:4, 24:17 that's why Satan's next statement was 24:19 so easily accepted. 24:21 Let me lay the foundation. 24:23 Once you think that 24:24 there's a possibility that you won't die, 24:26 then you open yourself up to possible options. 24:29 Eve said well, "There's a chance that I won't die. 24:32 So then the risk is lessened." 24:34 God never lessened the risk. 24:36 God said, "There is a certainty of death coming 24:39 if you make a decision against my will, 24:42 but Satan had led her to believe that, 24:44 "Well there's a chance, you might, 24:45 but there's a chance you won't die. 24:47 But he even made it even more impacting, 24:49 and her choice followed his statement. 24:52 Genesis 3:4, the serpent said to the woman, 24:55 "You will not surely die." 25:00 If you read there in the Hebrew, 25:01 it really reads this way. 25:03 I am sure Eve that you will not die. 25:06 I think about the young people that I was raised with, 25:07 many of the young people 25:09 that I went to school with are dead today 25:10 because they thought that 25:12 marijuana could not possibly kill, 25:14 it's just a harmless cannabis plant, 25:17 some died of brain cancer, and lung cancer. 25:20 I mean they thought surely I won't die. 25:23 Some people got involved in gang violence 25:25 and promiscuity and died of sexually transmitted diseases. 25:29 Surely, I won't be the victim of my own choices. 25:32 Friends, don't fool yourself. 25:33 Any time we ignore God's direct command, 25:37 consequences always are the result. 25:40 We could never ignore God's command 25:42 and think that death does not begin. 25:44 Now you may not die immediately, 25:46 but I heard just recently in a report 25:49 that sometimes a disease could 25:51 hide itself in your body for 20 to 30 years 25:54 and then later on begin to manifest itself. 25:57 When your kidney begins to die 25:58 or your liver begins to function less, 26:01 or all of a sudden you begin to see 26:03 legions break out on your body, 26:05 and they trace it back to an activity that 26:07 you participated in when you were a young person. 26:10 So young folk, take it seriously. 26:12 If God says don't do it, don't do it. 26:14 Because somewhere along the way, 26:16 your body will begin to operate, 26:18 not at the peak perfection and performance 26:21 that God knows it could be. 26:23 You will somehow surely die. 26:27 Eve followed 26:30 the suggestion of this rogue angel. 26:34 But I suggest to you today that Eve would not have taken 26:39 his suggestion unless he made it seem as though 26:43 there were no consequences. 26:46 You see, the crisis in the garden 26:49 today has now become the crisis in the world. 26:53 And think about that, 26:54 what was the suggestion of Satan? 26:56 What did he say? 26:57 You will not surely die. 26:58 Today, you hear in funerals, people say they're not dead, 27:01 they're in heaven. 27:02 They're not dead, they are now your angel. 27:04 They're not dead, 27:05 they have just moved somewhere else. 27:07 We talk about this embodied spirits, 27:09 they're really not there, they're now watching over you, 27:11 but that's not the truth. 27:13 The Bible says, "The dead know not anything. 27:15 You do die when you die." 27:17 Your battery in your car when it dies, 27:19 it doesn't work in another car. 27:20 When your pets die, they don't become somebody else's pet. 27:23 I don't want to sound cynical, but when we die, 27:25 death is obvious, there is no existence of life. 27:30 And so today, to the disobedient and rebellious, 27:33 they follow the same lie, the lies told, 27:36 you will not surely die. 27:37 To the drug abuser, to the alcohol drinker, 27:40 the lie is told, you will not surely die, 27:42 to the sexually immoral and sexually promiscuous, 27:45 the lie is told and believed that you will not surely die. 27:49 To those who ignore God's word and turn their backs 27:53 on a thus smith the Lord, the lie is not only told, 27:57 but accepted that you will not surely die. 28:00 The liar of all time told a lie of all time, 28:04 you will not surely die. 28:08 You see, friends, Eve could absorb, 28:10 before Eve could absorb what had happened, 28:13 Satan furthered his attack. 28:15 And get this, by blaming God 28:18 for Eve's apparent misunderstanding. 28:21 In other words, 28:22 how could I find myself in a situation like this, 28:26 he is saying to Eve, 28:29 unless there was some misunderstanding 28:30 between God and me. 28:31 Maybe God wasn't as clear as He could have been. 28:34 And that's exactly what Satan suggested. 28:36 You see, if God was really clear Eve, 28:39 he really wouldn't be in this mess. 28:41 And so people today teach the very same thing, 28:44 is God really clear about which day is holy? 28:48 If he meant the Sabbath and why do so many honor Sunday? 28:51 God really wasn't that clear, it really doesn't matter. 28:54 Friends, you better revisit God's word. 28:56 He says, remember 28:57 the Sabbath day to keep it holy. 28:59 He only blessed one day, the seventh. 29:02 God was clear about His Word, but so many people today 29:07 are falling for the same tactics 29:09 that Satan used on Eve. 29:11 See God knows something he said to Eve. 29:13 God knows something that he doesn't want you to know. 29:17 Listen to Genesis 3:5, listen to the way that Satan maligned 29:21 and misrepresented what God had said. 29:23 He said to Eve, for God knows, that is the word in the Hebrew, 29:29 Elohim, for God knows 29:32 that in the day you eat of it. 29:37 Here's what's going to happen, Eve, 29:39 you're going to have better eyesight, 29:41 your eyes will be opened. 29:44 And you know what, Eve, finally, you'll be like God. 29:49 I mean, I'm sure he made you very well 29:52 but if you just disobey Him, 29:55 you would be elevated to a status that God 29:58 never wanted you to accomplish. 30:00 You will be like God and not only that, 30:04 your intellect will expand. 30:05 You will know good and you will know evil. 30:08 Well, you know, I want to say this again, 30:10 I think, I said this in my last presentation. 30:13 It is not necessary to know evil to appreciate good. 30:16 Come on, can you say amen to that? 30:18 You don't have to know death to appreciate life. 30:21 You don't have to know pain to enjoy a life free from pain. 30:25 You don't have to experience 30:26 freedom from a broken down life to appreciate a pure life. 30:31 If they had only made the right decision, 30:33 I want to say this clearly, 30:35 we would not be in the mess that we are in today. 30:39 But Satan made it ambiguous. 30:41 God is trying to hold out on you. 30:43 There's a knowledge that God doesn't want you to have. 30:46 You see, 30:48 you could have more freedom than God has offered 30:50 you to this point if you just disobey him. 30:52 And there are people that live like that today. 30:55 There are people that 30:56 as the Bible says in 1 Thessalonians, 30:58 "They are the children of the night, not of the day. 31:01 They're of the world, not of the kingdom. 31:03 They believe that they are free, they can do anything, 31:06 they can go anywhere, they can dress anyhow, 31:09 they can eat anything, they can wear anything, 31:12 they can say anything, 31:13 they are completely free 31:15 when in fact they are bound by sin. 31:19 But Satan makes it feel like freedom. 31:21 He says, "You don't have to answer to God, 31:23 you are your own voice, 31:24 you are your own person of accountability." 31:27 And that's why today, I spoke to somebody recently, 31:30 they said, "Now I don't know if God exists 31:32 but whomever you may speak to 31:35 or whomever you may acknowledge, 31:36 I mean, it could be the stars that are lined up, 31:39 it could be everything's working out right, 31:41 it could be karma." 31:42 And I said to the person, "Look, just don't tell me that, 31:45 just say God answered your prayer." 31:48 Amen. 31:49 Don't give the credit of God's blessing to the stars lining up 31:53 or to karma or things just falling into place. 31:56 We don't serve a coincidental God, 31:57 we serve a God that answers every prayer 32:00 in harmony with His will. 32:03 But Satan offered a life quite different 32:06 than the life that God intended for Adam and Eve to have. 32:09 He said, "God is not being upfront with you Eve, 32:13 He's hiding something. 32:14 God is concerned that you could become his equal." 32:19 And then Satan led Eve to attempt. 32:20 Hear me carefully. 32:22 He led Eve to attempt, what he knew could not be accomplished. 32:29 Example, there is no life in death. 32:33 There is no blessing in disobedience. 32:36 There is no safety in rebellion. 32:39 You never accomplish a safe life 32:43 driving with a rebellious attitude. 32:47 You never find the blessings of God 32:49 on the edge of disobedience. 32:52 You will never experience life when you make death choices. 32:56 In the Book of Deuteronomy, the Bible says, 32:58 "Behold, I place before you two rows, 33:00 life and blessings on the right, 33:02 death and cursings and I add, on the left, 33:05 the Bible doesn't say right and left. 33:08 Life and blessings, death and cursings 33:11 and God loves us so much. 33:12 He doesn't say, "Pick one," He says "Choose life." 33:16 God's plan for every one of us is that we might have life. 33:19 John 10:10, and have it more abundantly. 33:23 As a matter of fact, he said the thief Satan himself, 33:25 the father of lies, the thief, he said, 33:27 "The thief comes to kill, to steal, and to destroy." 33:32 But he said, "Don't mess up why I've come. 33:35 I haven't come to make your life miserable. 33:36 I have come that you might have life, 33:38 and have it more abundantly." 33:41 Now somebody might say, 33:43 "Well, you're not going to live forever. 33:44 So you're going to die of something." 33:45 I heard a person once say that, he said, 33:48 "Pastor John, no matter how old good you live, 33:50 no matter how good you eat, 33:51 you're not going to live forever." 33:53 And so since I'm not going to live forever, 33:55 you might as well choose your vice, 33:57 you might as well just enjoy yourself and just die. 33:59 He said, "You're going to die, and I'm going to die." 34:01 I said, "No, no, no, you are going to die eternally, 34:05 I might die and come forth to eternal life." 34:08 Amen. 34:09 So it's not about the time the world gives to you 34:11 when God establishes a blessing, 34:13 He does it so that we can enjoy life more abundantly. 34:18 I think of that deceased now George Burns, many years ago, 34:21 he was in a movie entitled, "Oh, God, You devil." 34:24 I never forgot that. 34:26 I was on a plane coming back from Taipei, 34:27 Taiwan on my way to Hawaii. 34:29 When I was in the singing group, 34:31 the Heritage Singers, I never forgot that. 34:33 They were showing the movie on the plane entitled, 34:35 "Oh, God, You devil." 34:37 And the flight attendant came by, and she asked me, 34:40 if I want a pair of headsets to listen to that movie. 34:42 Well, I have to tell you the rest of the story. 34:46 I said, "There is no way I'm going to watch a movie 34:48 with a man with a cigar in his mouth claiming to be God. 34:53 I'm not going to watch anything blasphemous like that 34:56 when I'm in an airplane over God's ocean 35:00 and I need the safety and security of God 35:02 to hold this thing up until we get to safety. 35:04 There is no way I'm going to watch that movie." 35:06 So I refused, I opened my Bible, 35:08 I began to read the Word of God, 35:10 I began to read the Book of Hebrews. 35:12 And I remember very carefully even to this very day 35:14 when I open my Bible. 35:16 I see the Book of Hebrews outlined carefully. 35:18 I'm now up to my fourth Bible, 35:20 but when I open the Book of Hebrews to this very day 35:22 I never forget that experience. 35:26 That plane flying over the Pacific Ocean. 35:28 And God found a way to get everyone's attention, 35:31 because during the portion of the flight 35:32 where they began to give out the meals. 35:35 It always seems to happen when they give out the food, 35:37 the plane began to shake and rock 35:39 and turbulence began to hit, 35:41 and the flight attendants locked down their carts 35:43 and found the nearest seat, 35:45 and the pilot made the announcement. 35:46 "Please, we're suspending all service until further notice." 35:50 And the plane began to shake, this 747, 35:53 this monstrosity of a plane 35:54 with nowhere to land shaking over the Pacific Ocean. 35:58 And I thought to myself if we go down, 36:01 I rather go down with the knowledge of God in my head 36:03 than with a blasphemous movie like "Oh, God, You devil." 36:06 With the very last thought 36:08 before I close my eyes in death. 36:09 So I stayed in the word, I stayed in the word, 36:12 and somebody saw me, 36:14 I remember somebody on the plane 36:15 that I know very well, I won't give his name, 36:16 but he saw me and he said, 36:18 "John, I was holding on to the seat 36:20 with dear life or for dear life." 36:22 And he said to me, "John, don't you know 36:25 that if the plane goes down, the seat goes down with it." 36:29 And I thought to myself, that's true, 36:32 but even more than the seat 36:34 was my concern of the condition of my mind. 36:37 If I were to close my eyes in death at that moment, 36:42 how wonderful that would have been to know 36:44 that my last thoughts were the last six books of Hebrews 36:48 that my mind was now 36:50 enjoying that I was imbibing that I was thinking on. 36:55 Friends, you see so many people live their lives 36:57 not considering the last moments of their lives. 37:01 The blessing will never come on the heels of rebellion. 37:05 Life will never be found in activity of death, 37:08 and there is no safety in any rebellion. 37:12 When you think of the situation that Adam and Eve was in, 37:16 the Bible said, "It was clear that Satan directly related 37:21 the condition that he insinuated upon Eve 37:26 to the attempts he had in his mind, 37:29 when he began his rebellion in God's government. 37:31 He said, "I will be like the most high, but God said, 37:33 "No, you won't, you will be cast down to the ground. 37:38 You will be seen for who you really are. 37:41 And this fallen being found a way to bring to humanity, 37:47 the choices of a fallen, broken rebellious angel. 37:52 One writer once said 37:54 that "If God is small enough for us to understand, 37:58 he is not big enough for us to worship. 38:01 Satan tried to bring God down to Eve's level 38:04 for her to understand. 38:06 But I want to tell you today. 38:07 I like what the Book of Job says, 38:09 "Can you search out the deep things of God? 38:11 Can you find out the limits of the Almighty?" 38:13 Job 11: 7. 38:15 You see, friends, here's the point. 38:16 It is not necessary to understand everything 38:20 God calls us to accept. 38:22 It is not important for God to give us every reason 38:27 why we need to be obedient, anymore than a parent 38:30 qualifies every statement that 38:32 he or she makes to their children. 38:34 But if they say don't do this, 38:36 be certain that they have your best interest in mind. 38:39 At least, I know that's true about our heavenly Father. 38:41 When God says don't, He means don't for our safety. 38:45 When He says don't, He means that for our blessings. 38:47 When He says don't go, He means there's danger lurking there, 38:50 don't go on that path. 38:55 But the fact is, the deed was done, 38:58 and the seeds of doubt began to sprout. 39:03 What were they? 39:05 Think of this carefully. 39:06 What were they? 39:07 There were only three areas of temptation 39:09 continually outlined in scripture, 39:12 "The lust of the flesh, 39:14 the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life." 39:16 Adam and Eve failed in the lust of the flesh 39:20 because she saw that the tree was good for food. 39:23 In the lust of the eyes, 39:24 the tree was pleasant to her eyes, 39:27 and in the pride of life, 39:29 desiring to make herself more wise than even God Himself. 39:34 There are only three temptations, 39:35 that's why Jesus was tempted three times. 39:37 In 1 John 2:15, talks about these three temptations. 39:42 But here's the good news. 39:44 Where Adam and Eve failed, Jesus succeeded. 39:48 Can you say amen to that? 39:50 When Adam and Eve failed, Jesus was successful. 39:53 There're only three temptations, 39:55 three categories that outline every temptation 39:59 that humanity will ever face. 40:02 The lust of the flesh, the thing they want so much, 40:06 it looks good for food. 40:09 The lust of the eyes, when we see it, 40:11 we want it, it's pleasant, I like the way it looks. 40:15 And the pride of life. 40:16 If I fall into it, it'll make me better. 40:19 If I decide to accept it, I will become more intelligent 40:22 than I am outside of God's restrictions. 40:25 You see, the crisis in the earth began, 40:28 the rejection of truth 40:30 proved to be the truth after all. 40:33 Adam disqualified himself 40:35 by joining Eve in the rebellion, 40:38 that's why 1 Corinthians 15:22 says these words, 40:41 "For as in Adam all die." 40:44 You see, friends, the reason why we die today 40:47 is not because we eventually break down, 40:49 but we have a nature that was given to us 40:51 by our father Adam. 40:53 In the Garden of Eden, when he rebelled, 40:55 when he chose to follow even her rebellion, 40:58 he became a victim of the very same experience that she had. 41:03 The Bible says, "Eve was deceived," 41:06 but Romans 5:12 makes it clear that Adam was not deceived. 41:11 Let me read that verse to you, 41:13 listen to Romans 5:12, it says, 41:15 "Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, 41:20 and death through sin, 41:21 and thus death spread to all men, 41:26 because all sinned." 41:28 Now you think about that, you might say, 41:30 "Well, Pastor John, are you saying baby sin?" 41:32 "No, what I'm saying is 41:33 babies are not guilty of the actions of sin, 41:36 but babies are born with the nature that 41:38 as it leans as it continues to grow, 41:41 it always leads in the direction of rebellion, 41:44 and disobedience, and dishonesty, and lies." 41:46 Have you ever seen a baby lie? 41:48 Have you ever seen children with dishonest practices? 41:50 These small little innocent children that look so cute, 41:54 they gonna lie so beautifully, but it's still a lie. 41:57 That's why Lord allows them to be born so young. 42:00 You see, Adam gave to us the best he could. 42:05 Even though he was the only male created before a sin, 42:08 he handed down the best he could, 42:11 ''as in Adam, all die." 42:16 The second phrase of any crisis is this, 42:20 thinking that we're gonna accomplish 42:22 a greater level of success by ignoring God's word. 42:26 Look at Genesis 3:7, Genesis 3:7, 42:30 amazing how this unfolds in God's word. 42:34 After they follow the suggestions of the evil one, 42:37 after Eve fell by deception and Adam fell by choice, 42:43 the Bible says in verse 7 of Genesis 3, 42:46 "Then the eyes of both of them were opened, 42:50 and they knew that they were naked, 42:54 they saw themselves in a condition 42:56 that they never saw themselves before. 43:00 And they sewed fig leaves together, 43:02 and made themselves coverings." 43:05 Friends, God gave them 43:06 a glorious robe of righteousness, 43:08 a robe of incomprehensible glorious light. 43:15 And they traded that garment for fig leaves. 43:18 You see, anytime we choose anything other than 43:20 what God has given to us, it's nothing but fig leaves. 43:24 Fig leaves of excuses, fig leaves of decisions, 43:27 fig leaves of indulgences. 43:28 It's nothing but fig leaves, 43:30 and it's not sufficient to cover our lies. 43:34 Now if you read further on, 43:36 God didn't settle for the fig leaves, 43:38 he killed animals and covered their nakedness, 43:41 so that their shame would not appear. 43:43 But think about it for a moment. 43:45 They tasted what they realized they should not have tasted. 43:49 They saw what they wish they had never seen. 43:53 They understood what God never intended for them to know 43:56 and that's the lot of humanity today. 43:59 We do what we should not have done. 44:01 We see what we wish we had never seen, 44:04 and we understand what God never intended 44:07 for us to experience, that's our world today. 44:10 When you go on the internet, 44:11 you have to be careful where you go. 44:12 When you turn on television, 44:14 you have to be careful what you watch. 44:15 When you listen to the radio, 44:17 you have to be careful what channels do you stop on, 44:19 things that we do, we taste, we touch, 44:22 we understand, we see, we participate in. 44:25 This world is just like it was after the fall of Adam and Eve, 44:29 all because of one rogue angel, 44:32 this angel once called Lucifer 44:34 fallen now into the pit of satanic activity, 44:38 the lights went out, 44:40 their righteous garments went out confiscated by sin, 44:43 the feelings of a new discovery 44:45 that seem like it was a right thing was now dissolved 44:48 by the reality of an old lie. 44:51 It was not a new discovery, it was an old lie, 44:53 they fell hook line and sinker 44:55 for something that Satan knew would bring 44:57 misery, death, and destruction. 45:00 But I want to end my message with not sad news, 45:03 I want to end my message with good news. 45:06 For you read in the Bible, in the midst of every crisis 45:10 there is an all of a sudden. 45:13 You see, some people say to themselves 45:15 why didn't God just get rid of Adam and Eve 45:18 and start all over again, 45:20 He could have, He is god. 45:22 Why didn't God wipe out Satan 45:24 when Satan fell into rebellion? 45:26 Why didn't God just get rid of all the angels 45:28 that had followed him in his deception 45:31 and his war that failed in heaven? 45:32 Why didn't God just wipe them all out? 45:35 And we wouldn't be in the problems 45:36 that we are in today. 45:37 You see, friends, let me make it very clear, 45:39 God's love is so far beyond our understanding 45:42 that He is not a wipe out God, 45:43 He is a rescue God. 45:46 He is the God who loves us with an everlasting love. 45:49 He is a God that ceases in our sin 45:52 but He doesn't leave us in our sin. 45:54 He came looking for Adam and Eve. 45:56 He came to find them 45:58 in their disappointing moments. 46:00 When coldness introduced itself in an atmosphere of comfort, 46:04 when the trees began to die 46:05 and the roses that would bloom for ever 46:07 began to start to fade, 46:09 when animals that had no fear for man 46:12 was now filled with great fear, 46:13 and the night was filled with a chill of disobedience. 46:17 God came looking for Adam and Eve. 46:20 You see, we looked at the phases of the fall, 46:22 but the first phase in reversing any crisis 46:25 or the first phrase or first step 46:28 that has to be taken 46:30 in reversing any crisis is Jesus. 46:32 He comes to rescue us from our own choices. 46:36 I say praise God for that. 46:39 If there was no one to rescue us, 46:43 we would be for ever bound in sin. 46:47 And so there are four questions 46:48 that every one of us must answer, 46:49 Genesis 3:9, four questions, 46:52 these are the questions of redemption, 46:55 not the questions of condemnation. 46:57 The Lord wants us to understand what we have done, 47:01 where we are, 47:02 the consequences of our choices, 47:04 but He doesn't bring that to make us 47:06 feel worse than we already feel. 47:08 He says, see what your choices have made of you, 47:13 and thus in the midst of your choices, 47:15 here are the choices I can give to you. 47:17 Genesis 3:9 the Bible says, 47:19 "Then the Lord God called to Adam 47:20 and said, 'Where are you?' 47:23 " I read that statement sometimes 47:24 and one day it came and dawned on me 47:26 that God was not asking for location, 47:28 God was asking for confession. 47:30 He knew where Adam was but the question was 47:35 Adam now where are you physically? 47:37 Adam now where are you geographically? 47:39 But Adam where are you in response to my word? 47:44 Where are you in relationship to the things 47:46 that I've told you to do? 47:48 Where are you in relationship 47:50 to the things you know are right? 47:51 Where are you in relationship 47:54 to the life that I've given to you? 47:55 You see, friends, unless we answer those questions, 47:57 we stay behind the trees of our own rebellion. 48:01 We continually hide in the home that 48:03 we have made for ourselves. 48:04 We live a life of uncertainty and abandoned member. 48:07 When we answer those questions where are you, 48:11 we discover that God is on a rescue mission. 48:14 Adam came out of hiding 48:16 with the same 'I' trouble that he had when he went in. 48:19 You see, Satan said, I will be, I will be, I will be, 48:22 and Satan came and Adam came out 48:25 from behind the tree with the same situation, 48:27 now fallen into sin, 48:29 now embracing the character that was delivered to him 48:32 by the rebellious one himself, Satan. 48:36 Look at Genesis 3:10, 48:39 Adam came out with the bunch of 'I's'. 48:41 He said, "I heard Your voice in the garden, 48:44 and I was afraid 48:46 because I was naked, and I hid myself." 48:51 Notice the same problems that Lucifer had, 48:54 I will be, I will do, I will exalt, 48:57 the same issues, ''I'' 49:00 it's all about 'I', in the midst of sin is 'I'. 49:07 Friends, be careful, be careful 49:10 because when it's all about you, 49:11 you're about to fall into sin. 49:14 If it's about Jesus, 49:15 you are walking on the foundation of safety, 49:18 it was all about I. 49:21 But I like what the Lord ask him, 49:23 who told you that you were naked? 49:24 Now think about that for a moment. 49:26 He said to Adam, 49:28 who have you been listening to? 49:31 Now follow this very carefully. 49:33 The Lord knew who he was listening to. 49:35 He listened to the voice of his wife. 49:37 She listened to the voice of the serpent 49:38 and when you fall, when you go down the line, 49:41 you'll see how that unfolded. 49:43 If you were not listening to what I said, Adam, 49:46 who told you? 49:47 Where did you get your information from? 49:49 Here's my point. 49:50 If the things that you believe don't come from God's word, 49:53 who told you? 49:55 Who told you that there was a new day of worship? 49:57 Who told you that the dead are alive in heaven? 50:00 You don't find that in my word I never said that, 50:02 who told you that? 50:04 Who told you that there is a secret rapture? 50:06 It's not in my word. 50:08 When I come back, it's gonna be visible, 50:09 it's gonna be audible, it's gonna be earthshaking. 50:11 Who have you been listening to? 50:13 Christian, you see the point as you may be a Christian, 50:16 but if your beliefs are not found in God's word, 50:18 I ask you the same question 50:19 that God asked Adam, who told you? 50:22 Where did you get that from? 50:24 And then he brought it home he said to Adam 50:27 okay, I can tell by your answer 50:29 that you've eaten something 50:31 I never gave you to eat, 50:33 that's why we say today in our world we swallow a lie. 50:38 When you eat what God has not given you, 50:41 friends, you are ingesting something 50:42 that God never created to be ingested, 50:45 you swallowed a lie. 50:47 Don't swallow lies and think 50:48 that it brings the nourishment of righteousness. 50:50 Don't swallow lies and think 50:52 that it brings a heart at peace. 50:54 Don't swallow lies and think that 50:55 somehow it gives a new and exalted way of worship. 50:59 Only when it comes from God's word 51:02 is it on the safe plane. 51:03 Have you eaten? 51:05 In other words, have you done, Adam, 51:06 what I told you not to do? 51:10 Now at this point, Adam could have confessed 51:14 but Adam looked into the eyes of God 51:16 and he blamed his wife. 51:18 The first domestic dispute I believe in human history 51:22 Adam said to God in verse 12 of Genesis 3, 51:25 "Then the man said, 51:27 "The woman You gave to be with me, 51:29 she gave me of the tree, and I ate." 51:32 In other words God, 51:34 God, if you didn't give me this kind of women 51:35 I wouldn't be in trouble. 51:37 Friends, don't ever blame your wife for your predicament. 51:39 Don't ever blame your spouse 51:40 for the situation that you're in. 51:42 Don't blame the person that's with you 51:44 for the choices you make. 51:46 In other words, God if you didn't create 51:48 a woman like that, 51:50 I wouldn't be in a predicament like this. 51:52 He couldn't open his eyes in his mind to blame himself, 51:55 he couldn't take personal responsibility, 51:58 somehow God had to be the reason for his misery. 52:03 But it didn't stop there. 52:06 Eve stepped out to face the music. 52:08 And I'm sure, and I say this as a marriage counselor, 52:11 I'm sure that may be the first time in human history 52:13 that a woman wanted to go upside a man's head. 52:15 If she had frying pan, 52:16 she may have hit Adam in the head, 52:18 but she came out with the same infected position. 52:22 She said in verse 13 of Genesis 3, 52:25 "And the Lord God said to the woman, 52:28 'What is this that you have done?' 52:30 And the woman said, 52:33 'The serpent deceived me, and I ate." 52:37 The serpent deceived me, and I ate. 52:41 In other words, Lord, you see, 52:45 Father, as Adam and I talked about this, 52:47 I know he blamed me but let me just tell you, 52:49 if you really think about it, Lord, 52:51 if you didn't create a serpent 52:53 Adam nor I would be in this predicament. 52:55 They couldn't take personal responsibility, 52:58 they blamed God's creation. 52:59 Adam blamed his wife, you gave me a woman, 53:01 she blamed the serpent, 53:02 God it was your creation that brought us this problem, 53:08 but I want to tell you, 53:09 you got to ask yourself the question. 53:11 Whose fault is it that we are where we are? 53:16 The bottom-line is, friends, it is our fault. 53:19 The death sentence was passed, eternal life was forfeited, 53:24 the serpent's wings were clipped, 53:26 the ground was cursed, 53:28 thorns and thistles began to be connected to the roses. 53:31 The first eviction notice was served. 53:34 They would not have access to the tree of life 53:37 and they would have no strength to continue, 53:41 to propagate sin in the earth. 53:44 And God put Satan on notice. 53:46 You see this is a tragic story but has a good ending. 53:49 God put the devil on notice. 53:52 Nearly 6,000 years ago, God so loved the world 53:55 that he put the enemy on notice 53:57 He says, I've seen the heartache, 53:59 and devastation I've seen the pain, 54:02 the multiple millions and billions that have died 54:05 through the thousands and thousands 54:06 and thousands of years of human existence, 54:08 but Satan tonight I'm gonna put you on notice 54:11 because the trouble you've caused 54:13 humanity will one day come to an end. 54:16 Hallelujah somebody. 54:17 The trouble that you have brought to humanity 54:19 will one day be forever crushed, 54:21 for ever brought down 54:23 and God gave us a message of insurance tonight, friends, 54:27 here it is, Genesis 3:15, 54:31 he said, "I will put enmity between you and the woman, 54:37 And between your seed and her seed, 54:41 he will bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel." 54:46 The first prophecy of the coming Messiah. 54:48 When Jesus comes, you'll nip His heel 54:51 but He's gonna crush your head. 54:52 Hallelujah, when Jesus comes 54:54 all the people that have rested in their graves 54:56 because of sin that you caused to come upon humanity, 54:59 it will be reversed, 55:00 I will win over you eventually. 55:04 God put the devil on notice. 55:07 When My Son comes, He's gonna crush your head. 55:10 You wound Him temporarily 55:12 but in the end He will rise again. 55:14 All, friends, today don't cry yet 55:16 because this series is not only title, 55:18 the anatomy of the crisis but also from crisis to Christ. 55:22 You see, in every crisis there is a way out. 55:26 No temptation has overtaken you, 55:29 but such as it's common to man, 55:30 but God is faithful, 55:32 who will not suffer you to be tempted 55:34 above that what you're able 55:36 but with every temptation make a way of escape 55:39 that you may be able to bear it. 55:42 1 Corinthians 10:13, so friends, today 55:45 it's not where you are but is where God knows you are. 55:48 It's not what you have done 55:49 but is what God knows you have done. 55:51 Today there is still hope because Jesus lives. 55:54 Today there is still forgiveness 55:56 because Jesus reigns. 55:57 Today there're still freedom 55:58 because Jesus has the keys of death and of a grave. 56:02 Today they are still alive because Jesus is Lord of lords. 56:06 And so if there was only one garden, 56:10 we would be lost, 56:11 but there was another garden, 56:12 the Garden of Gethsemane 56:14 where Jesus bled and prayed for us, 56:17 the hill called Golgotha 56:18 where Jesus shed His blood to save us. 56:20 There is not just one garden where we fail, 56:22 but one garden where Jesus was victorious. 56:25 So today whatever crisis you may be in, 56:28 whatever situation you find yourself in, 56:31 you don't need another plan, 56:32 just give your life to Jesus, you don't need any leader, 56:35 don't need another leader 56:37 just turn your life over to the Lord 56:40 who is Lord of all, 56:41 not about presidents but about kings, 56:43 not about the White House but about the right house. 56:45 So today, friends, whatever your crisis may be, 56:48 let me encourage you with these words. 56:50 The anatomy of the fall is replaced 56:53 by the anatomy of the raise, 56:55 Jesus is victorious were Adam failed, 56:58 don't be discouraged, don't be downhearted, 57:01 don't walk away sad, don't be discourage 57:04 or distress for in the midst of your difficulty, 57:07 there is an eternal answer and his name is Jesus. 57:11 So today make that choice 57:13 for one day the serpent's head 57:15 will be forever eternally crushed 57:17 and when that day comes, 57:19 you want to be on the side 57:21 of the one who is King of kings and Lord of lords. 57:24 God bless you until we see you again. |
Revised 2016-08-15