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Series Code: TCM
Program Code: TCM200007S
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00:40 I'm delighted that you've joined us.
00:41 Welcome back 00:43 if you've been following this series previously, 00:47 Three Cosmic Messages: Earth's Final Conflict. 00:52 The title of our series 00:53 reflects the Book of Revelation, 00:57 and three messages that God sent to John 00:59 on the island of Patmos. 01:00 They're called the three angels' messages. 01:03 They're found in Revelation 14:6-12. 01:07 Let's summarize what we have studied 01:09 so far in this series. 01:11 This is a series of 13 separate presentations. 01:15 So far, we've discovered the fact 01:17 that all of the Book of Revelation 01:19 leads us to make eternal choices. 01:22 The Book of Revelation is about the Christ 01:25 who invites us to make these choices 01:28 in the light of eternity. 01:29 We've also studied that the gospel of God's grace 01:33 would go to the ends of the earth 01:35 before the return of Christ, 01:37 that there would be a message 01:40 that would leap across geographical boundaries, 01:43 a message that would penetrate every language group. 01:47 Here is something bigger and larger 01:50 than any of the small plans that human beings make. 01:53 And God invites us to be something, 01:55 a part of something large for Him. 01:58 Also, we've studied the fact 02:00 that this message that would go to the ends of the earth 02:03 was pictured as being carried by angels symbolically. 02:07 One of those angels says with a loud voice, "Fear God." 02:11 That word fear means respect God. 02:14 It's an attitude of obedience toward God. 02:17 Then the angel says, "Give glory to Him." 02:20 Giving glory to God is a way 02:22 in which we express our faith in Him 02:25 through our lifestyle. 02:27 We give glory to Him by what we eat, what we drink, 02:30 how we live, our attitudes. 02:31 We give glory to God 02:33 by the things we place in our minds. 02:35 Here is an urgent call 02:38 in the light of eternity's judgment 02:40 for full, complete consecration to God. 02:46 Our message says, 02:48 "I saw another angel flying in the middle of heaven, 02:51 having the everlasting gospel to preach to those 02:53 that dwell on the earth, 02:55 to every nation, kindred, tribe, and people, 02:59 saying with a loud voice," for emphasis, 03:02 "Fear God, give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment, " 03:05 not will come, "but has come 03:07 and worship Him that made heaven, earth, 03:10 the sea, and the fountains of waters." 03:12 Here is a message that calls us 03:15 in an age of evolution to worship the Creator. 03:19 As we enter into our presentation, 03:22 let's pray. 03:23 Father, we hear the call of Revelation, 03:26 we hear the voice of God 03:28 through the Holy Spirit speaking to us. 03:32 And, Father, as we come to this important topic, 03:36 we pray that You would guide us by your Holy Spirit, 03:39 to see new things from Your Word. 03:41 Speak to us through Your Word, 03:44 speak to us by Your Holy Spirit. 03:47 Help us see the importance and significance of creation 03:52 in an age of evolution, we pray in Christ's name, amen. 03:57 The title of this presentation is "Creation Speaks." 04:02 Creation speaks to us of God's love. 04:05 Creation speaks to us of God's power. 04:09 Creation speaks to us of a God who restored this world 04:14 in its Edenic splendor. 04:15 Creation speaks to us of a creation in the past, 04:19 a new creation in the future, 04:21 and how God wants to newly create our lives. 04:25 Come back with me over the decades 04:27 to the 1840s, 04:30 economic, philosophic, and scientific movements 04:35 were changing the world. 04:37 It was here in the 1840s, in fact in 1844, 04:42 that Charles Darwin published his first draft 04:46 of the Origin of Species. 04:48 That book, the Origin of Species, 04:51 focusing on evolution 04:54 would change the thinking of the world. 04:57 It was in 1844 that Karl Marx was working on his manuscripts 05:03 of the Communist Manifesto, 05:05 another movement of humanism, 05:07 and of dialectic materialism that would change the world. 05:12 In the 1840s, 05:13 Samuel Morris made 05:15 the first digital transmission there Morse code. 05:20 That instant communication method 05:24 would again be part of a scientific movement 05:27 that would change the world. 05:30 By 1859, Darwin's thoughts had fully developed. 05:36 And as they did 05:37 when he published the Origin of Species, 05:40 many believers in that theory of evolution 05:45 sensed that we had come to a pivotal moment 05:49 in the history of this world. 05:51 In fact, one wrote this. 05:53 "Darwin's Origin of the Species, 05:56 published in 1859, 05:58 remains one of history's most influential 06:01 and talked about scientific papers. 06:03 It introduced the theory that populations evolve 06:07 over the course of generations 06:09 through a process of natural selection, 06:11 a theory that became 06:13 the backbone of modern biology." 06:16 On the Origin of Species 06:18 changed the way people think about the world 06:22 and the origin of the world. 06:24 The impact of evolutionary thought 06:25 on science, on philosophy, 06:28 on psychology and religion is incalculable. 06:33 The essence of evolution is this, 06:37 it is the survival of the fittest. 06:40 And if you take evolution to its logical conclusion, 06:43 there is no basis for a moral ethic. 06:46 We are simply enlarged protein molecules. 06:50 We're simply a random combination 06:54 of genes and chromosomes. 06:57 Where is there a moral ethic 06:58 if we are simply enlarged protein molecules 07:03 and a more intelligent form of the animal species? 07:08 There is no basis for moral ethic. 07:11 There is no morality on that basis. 07:13 So evolution really changed not only science, 07:18 not only philosophy and psychology, 07:20 but it totally changed 07:22 the way people think about life. 07:25 But at the same time, 07:27 Karl Marx and Frederick Engels 07:30 were writing the first draft of the Communist Manifesto. 07:34 Evolution and the Communist Manifesto 07:37 have something in common, 07:39 and that is that life revolves around the individual, 07:44 and that there is no hope for eternity, 07:47 there is nothing beyond, 07:49 the grave becomes a dark hole in the ground. 07:53 The end of life becomes a nightmare without a morning. 07:57 So when you look at evolution, you look at communism, 08:01 socialism in its extreme forms, dialectic, materialism, 08:06 they offer only one thing, 08:08 and that is self-gratification today, 08:11 because there is nothing beyond tomorrow. 08:14 In fact, Karl Marx said this, 08:17 "Religion is the opiate of the people." 08:20 In other words, religion is a myth. 08:22 It's a fanciful myth 08:24 according to Marx's understanding. 08:27 It is something for people 08:29 that are intellectual ignoramuses, 08:32 some people that don't have that thinking capacity. 08:35 As we look at the 1840s, 08:38 and we see the development of evolution, 08:40 we see the development of Marxism, 08:43 and with Engels and Marx 08:45 and we see the origin of the Communist Manifesto, 08:49 we have to ask a question. 08:50 And the question we ask is this, 08:52 would God leave the world without a witness? 08:57 "These two movements developing simultaneously, 09:00 evolution and communism, 09:02 produced an extremely low value on all human life 09:06 by dismissing the concept of a personal God 09:09 who is the Creator of the universe." 09:11 So if you accept communism, 09:15 if you accept its atheistic view, 09:17 if you accept evolution 09:18 and the origin of the species 09:21 and the survival of the fittest, 09:23 you dismiss the idea of the supernatural, 09:26 you do away with the first 11 chapters 09:29 of the Bible, immediately, 09:31 you dismiss the Genesis account, 09:33 and essentially, life becomes 09:36 a vain pursuit for pleasure. 09:40 God would not allow the world to be without a witness. 09:45 And so He sent a message for this hour. 09:48 And amazingly enough, 09:50 this message of the three angels 09:52 was developing at the same time of evolution and communism. 09:59 It was developing there in the 1840s, 10:02 God would send a message to this planet, 10:05 He would raise up a divine movement of destiny. 10:08 A group of Bible students began to study the Word of God. 10:12 They studied the prophecies of Daniel, 10:14 they studied the prophecies of Revelation. 10:16 And as they did, they sensed 10:18 in this message of Revelation 14:6-12, 10:23 that God had a special message, 10:25 God had a unique message. 10:27 God had a message for this generation 10:30 that is shaped that is tailor made 10:33 to meet the challenge of evolution, 10:35 to meet the challenge of atheism. 10:37 A message for us today. 10:40 That message was given to John on the island of Patmos. 10:43 John was the last of the living disciples. 10:46 He was there in his 90s. 10:48 Patmos is an amazing place. 10:50 I visited it on numerous occasions, 10:53 about nine miles long. 10:55 It's an idyllic island today. 10:58 It has about 3,000 people living there. 11:01 You come into its port called Skala. 11:04 And it was there 11:06 that John exiled on the island of Patmos, 11:09 a prisoner for the Lord, 11:11 sent there by the pagan Roman Emperor Domitian, 11:15 because John would not sacrifice 11:18 to the idols of Rome. 11:20 And there on that island, Jesus visited him. 11:23 There on that island, 11:25 John had a vision of the future. 11:28 The island was illuminated with the glory of God. 11:32 And John there saw these scenes 11:36 that we are studying in the Book of Revelation. 11:39 It's the revelation of Jesus Christ 11:43 in His last day message to the world. 11:45 Here Revelation 1:9 says, 11:47 "I, John, both your brother and companion in tribulation," 11:51 John says, You're going through trouble, 11:52 I understand it. 11:53 I'm a prisoner. 11:55 I'm in exile on the island of Patmos. 11:56 His bones ached with pain, 11:58 his body was wracked at times 12:01 with that suffering and the pain. 12:03 He says, "I, John, your brother and companion in tribulation, 12:07 and in the kingdom and patience of Christ 12:09 was on the island of Pat which is called Patmos 12:12 for the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus." 12:16 And there on that island, God broke through. 12:18 There on that island, 12:19 God moved powerfully 12:21 and gave to John the Book of Revelation. 12:23 It was Jesus who visited John. 12:26 And as He did, He unfolded the future, 12:30 and He unfolded movements 12:32 that would come down the stream of time, 12:35 and He unfolded His message 12:37 that would meet the challenge of the time. 12:40 In Revelation, we read 12:42 how the revelation of Jesus Christ, 12:44 how Jesus would unmask the plans of the devil, 12:48 how Jesus would reveal the plans of God. 12:51 Revelation is not some common book, 12:54 not some book dreamed up by a human author. 12:57 It is God's message for this generation. 13:01 Revelation 14 is that message 13:05 described as being carried by three angels in mid heaven, 13:10 three cosmic messages, we've been studying it. 13:13 "Fear God, give glory to Him, 13:15 for the hour of His judgment has come, 13:18 worship Him who made heaven, and the earth, and the sea, 13:22 and the springs of waters." 13:23 Incidentally, when you go into the place 13:26 where John purportedly and we don't know for sure, 13:30 received the vision of Revelation. 13:33 And it's a cave like structure, you go down. 13:37 The monks who are the custodians 13:40 of that particular place today, 13:42 have placed this placard and I've taken a picture of it, 13:47 which they believe to be the heart of Revelation. 13:50 And it says, "Fear God," very same verse we have here, 13:53 "and give glory to Him, 13:54 for the hour of His judgment has come, 13:56 and worship Him who made heaven, earth, 13:57 the sea and springs of water." 13:59 It's quite amazing to me 14:01 that the thousands of people who visit that cave 14:04 see this very verse, 14:06 and that even the great religious leaders 14:10 down through the centuries 14:11 have sense there's something special here, 14:15 a call to worship the creator in an age of evolution. 14:20 You know, Winston Churchill once said, 14:21 "It's not enough to have lived. 14:23 We must be determined to have lived for something." 14:27 And Fyodor Dostoyevsky said, 14:30 "The mystery of human existence 14:32 lies not in just staying alive, 14:34 but in finding something to live for." 14:37 When you understand the bigness, 14:40 when you understand the greatness 14:42 of this message of the three angels, 14:44 it's something to live for. 14:46 It's a purpose that burns in your soul. 14:50 Because you sense 14:52 that when error flooded into this world 14:55 through creation, 14:56 when error flooded into this world 14:58 through dialectic materialism, communism and atheism, 15:01 that God had a message to go to the ends of the earth 15:04 to prepare people for His soon return. 15:06 And part of that message is a call. 15:08 It is a clarion call to men and women everywhere, 15:11 that we're not a genetic accident. 15:14 We're not simply skin covering bones. 15:16 We're not simply a chromosomal aberration. 15:19 We didn't simply evolve from the primeval slime, 15:23 but we were created 15:24 by a loving God that cares for us. 15:27 "Fear God, give glory to Him, 15:29 for the hour of His judgment has come, 15:31 worship Him who made heaven, earth, 15:35 sea and the fountains of waters." 15:37 Now who is the one who made the heaven, earth, 15:39 sea and the fountains of waters? 15:41 Who is He? 15:42 What's another name that we call this One? 15:44 He is the Creator. 15:46 So here is a call in an age of evolution 15:48 to worship the Creator of the heavens, 15:52 worship the Creator of the earth, 15:54 worship the One by whose very word 15:57 He spoke and stars came into existence. 16:00 He spoke and earth appeared. 16:03 He spoke 16:04 and this dry land was carpeted with living green. 16:07 He spoke and birds flew and fluttered 16:10 and fruit trees sprung up. 16:13 He spoke and human life came into existence, 16:17 as He formed man out of the dust of the ground, 16:20 breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, 16:22 the Creator, the all powerful One. 16:25 God spoke and this world was, came into existence. 16:28 You know, my word is a declarative word. 16:31 I can say this is a Bible. 16:34 I can say that's the screen. 16:36 I can say that's a picture. 16:38 But my word doesn't create that which it says, 16:43 God's word is so incredibly powerful, 16:47 that God, when God speaks, it is so, 16:50 even if it were never so before, 16:52 because when God speaks, He makes it so. 16:56 The audible word out of God's mouth 16:58 becomes tangible matter. 17:00 So when the all powerful Creator, 17:03 the Almighty Creator says, 17:05 "Let the sun, moon and stars appear." 17:09 The word out of His mouth carries with it creative power 17:14 that creates what He declares. 17:16 What God says is so, 17:18 even if it were never so before, 17:21 because when God says it, 17:24 it happens that the power of His word, 17:28 He is the all-powerful Creator. 17:30 Now, why does creation matter? 17:32 Why does it matter? 17:34 Whether we understand this message, 17:37 this call to worship the Creator? 17:39 What is the significance of that 17:41 in our practical lives? 17:43 When you go back to Genesis 1:1, 17:45 the Bible says, 17:47 "In the beginning God created..." 17:50 Now the word Hebrew word for created there is bara, 17:52 and bara is something that only God does. 17:55 He is the Creator, 17:56 we can make something out of something, 17:59 God can make something out of nothing. 18:01 "In the beginning, 18:03 God created the heavens and the earth." 18:05 To know that it was God that created 18:08 means that this God is all-powerful. 18:12 The sun, for example, 18:13 has a diameter of approximately 860,000 miles. 18:19 And it could hold 1 million planets, 18:21 the size of the earth. 18:23 I mean, you talk about an all-powerful God. 18:25 For Him to speak 18:27 and this sun comes into existence, 18:29 this magnificent orb of light in the sky. 18:32 It's absolutely incredible. 18:34 The sun is just one of 100 billion stars 18:38 in our galaxy. 18:39 And the Bible says, 18:40 God knows all those stars by name 18:42 and all-powerful God and all wise God. 18:45 Now take the Pistol Star, it has 10 million times, 18:49 did you get that? 18:50 I don't want to go with that too quickly. 18:52 It has 10 million times the power generated by the sun. 18:56 So when you look at these orbs in space, 19:00 you come to this conclusion, God is incredibly powerful. 19:05 The God we serve is not weak and powerless, 19:09 He is rather all-powerful. 19:11 And you look at the stars. 19:12 Somebody said, "If you could count the stars, 19:15 you'd have as many stars 19:16 as there were grains of sand in the sea." 19:19 And God knows everyone by name. 19:21 God created them. 19:23 God fashioned them by His word, 19:24 and every one of them, He knows. 19:27 He is an all-powerful God. He's an all wise God. 19:31 He's a God with supreme intelligence. 19:34 Isaiah says in Isaiah 40:26, 19:37 "Lift up your eyes on high, 19:40 and see who has created these things. 19:43 who brings out their hosts by number, 19:46 He calls them by name, 19:49 by the greatness of His might 19:51 and the strength of His power not one of them is missing." 19:56 The story is told of Napoleon 19:59 who one day was sailing on a ship with his sailors. 20:04 It was a dark night, 20:06 the stars were twinkling in the sky 20:09 and they were all standing on the deck talking. 20:12 And these sailors got into a conversation 20:14 about the existence of God. 20:17 And it's reported that Napoleon looked at them 20:19 and said, "Look up at the stars, 20:23 and tell me what you think." 20:25 And he then left them and went on to bed. 20:28 The sailors standing there looking at the stars 20:31 had that sense 20:32 in the cosmos of the universe 20:35 that God indeed was the Creator. 20:38 When we look at creation, why does it matter? 20:42 It matters because it tells us 20:44 of an all-powerful, almighty God in it. 20:47 As you look down through history, 20:49 you see how this powerful God has worked. 20:52 As Israel left Egypt, 20:54 with over a million people coming out of Egypt, 20:57 well over a million, they came to the Red Sea, 21:00 the Egyptian armies were behind them. 21:03 Mountains kept them 21:05 from fleeing further to their west. 21:08 There as they came to the Red Sea, 21:11 miraculously, God opened that sea divinely. 21:15 He is the God that created the world with power. 21:17 He is the God that opened the Red Sea, 21:19 where they came through some 20-25 miles. 21:22 And then this same sea at the word of God crashed down 21:26 and the Egyptian army is killing them. 21:28 He is eternal power, 21:30 still parts the troubled waters of our lives. 21:32 He still opens the way where there is no way. 21:35 Maybe you're struggling in your own life 21:37 with something that is really bothering you, 21:40 really troubling you. 21:42 Maybe you sense that you're too weak to go on. 21:44 But this God of all power, 21:47 this God that created the heavens and the earth, 21:50 this God that brought forth the sun, moon and stars, 21:53 this God that opened up the Red Sea, 21:55 He is your God, He is the all-powerful Creator. 22:00 Or think of it here, 22:02 God rains manna for 40 years 22:06 down in the wilderness to feed Israel. 22:08 He provides their need. 22:10 Philippians 4:19, says, 22:13 "My God shall supply all your need." 22:15 This all-powerful God 22:17 is still the one that opens the troubled seas of our lives. 22:21 This all-powerful God, 22:22 the Creator God 22:24 is still the one that meets our every need. 22:27 You can trust Him, we did not evolve. 22:31 We are not merely skin covering bone. 22:34 We're not simply a genetic accident. 22:37 Come with me to the ancient sanctuary. 22:40 Israel was guided by a pillar of fire by night, 22:44 and they were protected by a cloud during the day, 22:47 the all-powerful Creator took care of His people 22:51 in the wilderness and guided them. 22:53 This all-powerful Creator 22:55 will guide you in the decisions that you must make in life. 22:59 The Creator has not forgotten His creation. 23:03 God calls all the stars by name, 23:06 and He hasn't forgotten your name. 23:09 You know, there was a young boy traveling on a plane. 23:13 And he was reading his Sunday school lesson 23:16 and a professor of religion sat next to him and he thought, 23:20 "I'm going to have a little fun with that boy." 23:22 And he said, "Boy, 23:25 I noticed you're reading the Sunday school, 23:26 so you must be a Christian." 23:27 The boy said, "Yes." 23:29 He said, "Can you tell me, son, something that God can do? 23:34 Tell me one thing God can do 23:35 and I'll give you a shiny apple." 23:38 The boy said, "Mister," 23:40 after the kid thought a little while, 23:42 "Mister, if you tell me something God can't do, 23:46 I'll give you a whole barrel of shiny apples." 23:50 You know, friend, that's the God we serve. 23:53 Not weak, but powerful. 23:56 He is the God of creation. 23:59 This Christ entered into human flesh, 24:04 faced Satan head on and overcame him. 24:07 And the all-powerful God of creation 24:11 faced Satan in human flesh, 24:15 trusting the Father overcame temptation, 24:18 and His power is available for you and for me. 24:23 God's infinite power can defeat the forces of hell 24:27 that tried to destroy us. 24:29 Maybe darkness has overcome you. 24:32 Maybe you felt discouraged and depressed. 24:35 Maybe you have fallen over temptation. 24:38 I point you to the all-powerful Creator. 24:41 I point you to the One 24:42 who in His life defeated the forces of hell 24:46 and the One indeed 24:48 who can chase back the evil shades of darkness 24:51 in your own life. 24:53 I point you to this living Christ. 24:55 He is the all-powerful Creator. 24:58 He is the Savior, the Divine Son of God. 25:01 The Bible says, 2 Corinthians 5:17, 25:04 "If any man is in Christ, he is a new creation." 25:06 We can become new, 25:07 the all-powerful Creator can recreate in us love 25:11 where there was hate, kindness where there was greed, 25:15 unselfishness where there was selfishness, 25:18 purity, where there was impurity. 25:20 See, God is still in the creation business. 25:24 And as I open the Word of God, that same word, 25:29 the written word in the Bible 25:31 carries the power of the spoken word. 25:34 And as we listen to the Word of God together, 25:37 as you allow the Word of God to bore its way 25:39 into your heart and mind, 25:41 He will recreate you in His image. 25:44 "If any man is in Christ, he is a new," what? 25:46 "Creation, old things are passed away, 25:50 behold, all things are new." 25:52 Christ wants to make a new you. 25:56 Would you like to pray this prayer right now 25:59 as we proceed in our presentation? 26:02 Let's pause for a moment. 26:04 "Dear Lord, You are the Creator of this world 26:07 and everything in it. 26:09 You're the God of awesome power. 26:11 By faith, I believe that You can make of my life 26:14 a new creation. 26:16 I surrender to You anything not in harmony 26:18 with Your will, 26:20 and ask You to recreate Your image in me." 26:23 Joy to say Jesus. 26:25 I believe You can make of my life, 26:28 a new creation. 26:29 Wherever you are, 26:31 would you like to repeat that with me right now? 26:33 Dear Lord, I believe that You can make of my life, 26:39 a new creation. 26:41 The all-powerful Creator 26:44 is still in the business of recreation. 26:48 He's still in the business of inviting people 26:51 to come to Him and change their lives. 26:55 Creation speaks also of a God of intricate design 26:59 and careful planning. 27:02 When you look at creation, 27:03 everything about creation indicates design. 27:07 It does not indicate randomness, 27:10 it does not indicate chance, 27:12 it does not indicate haphazardness 27:15 when you think of it, 27:16 the planets orbit 27:18 in an orderly fashion around the sun. 27:22 These planets are not haphazard, 27:25 stuck up there someplace in the heavens, 27:28 so that they are out of orbit colliding with one another. 27:32 But an almighty God holds them in His hand 27:34 and directs them in their orbit around the sun. 27:37 Or you think about it, 27:38 every seed produces after its kind. 27:42 When you plant a seed in the ground, 27:44 the harvest is predictable. 27:46 Apple trees produce apples, orange trees produce oranges, 27:51 corn kernels produce corn stalks 27:54 and ears of corn, 27:56 strawberry plants produce strawberries, 27:59 there's a very orderly process in the universe. 28:02 We don't see randomness. We don't see chance. 28:05 We don't see haphazardness. 28:07 Think of the intricate design of God. 28:09 You know, God must have this fantastic imagination. 28:12 Think of all the different colors 28:14 of the fish. 28:15 Think of how God places in some fish, 28:18 almost like a sonar radar. 28:20 And these fish can go to the place 28:23 where they were born. 28:25 After they have migrated 28:28 hundreds, thousands of miles from there, 28:30 after they've swam through the ocean, 28:32 they go back. 28:33 It's quite amazing when you think of the design 28:36 of all creation, 28:37 when you look at sea life 28:39 with its multi colors of orange and yellow 28:42 and blues and greens, 28:44 and you look at the way God created the birds 28:46 and all the infinite variety of the birds. 28:49 But you look at precision, you look at design, 28:52 you look at beauty, you look at order, 28:55 and where there is design, there must be a designer, 28:58 and where there is order, 29:00 there must be a creator 29:01 because order doesn't come out of chaos. 29:04 You look at God, and you see intelligent design, 29:08 and where there's intelligent design, 29:10 there must be an intelligent designer. 29:12 Creation speaks of a God of intricate design, 29:15 a God of careful planning, 29:17 a God who is the originator of life. 29:20 And because of that creation matters, 29:23 not only does He have a plan for creation, 29:25 not only does He have an intricate design 29:28 in all creation, 29:29 God's got a plan for your life. 29:31 Your life is not to be some haphazard, lackluster life 29:35 with no purpose or meaning. 29:37 God has a design for your life. 29:41 God has created you in His image. 29:44 Psalm 48:14 says, 29:46 "For this is our God, our God forever, 29:49 and He will be our guide even to death." 29:52 If God created the birds 29:53 and guides them through the air, 29:54 if God created the fish, God created you, 29:57 He fashioned you, He shaped you, 29:59 and the Scripture says He will be your guide. 30:03 David cries out in ecstasy, Psalm 139:14 and 15, 30:09 "I will praise You, 30:11 for I am fearfully and wonderfully made, 30:13 Marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows well." 30:17 Think about it. 30:19 David says you're fearfully and wonderfully made. 30:21 Think of the cell and think of the mitochondria, 30:24 the little life center of the cell. 30:27 You think of the nucleus of the cell, 30:29 with its amazing, amazing center of all life 30:34 and you begin to think about how complex we are. 30:38 You think about the eye and its ability to see, 30:41 the ear and its ability to hear, 30:43 the heart as it pumps its blood, 30:45 the stomach as it digest food, 30:47 the lungs and the respiratory system. 30:51 You think of how God was so caring. 30:53 What if you didn't have fingernails? 30:57 What if there were no fingernails? 30:59 I mean, you're wiping something, 31:00 your fingers are always bloody and bruised. 31:03 What if there are no eyelashes here, 31:05 and you're constantly getting dust in your eyes? 31:06 So think about that little trachea 31:08 in your throat 31:09 that brushes out the impurities. 31:11 What if that didn't exist? 31:13 God has taken care 31:14 of every little tiny detail in creation. 31:19 He is the God 31:20 who hasn't missed one little item. 31:23 That's why David says, "I will praise You, 31:25 for I'm fearfully and wonderfully made." 31:28 "My frame was not hidden from You, 31:30 when I was made in secret, 31:32 and skillfully wrought 31:33 in the lowest parts of the earth." 31:35 David says, "My frame was not hidden from you." 31:38 In other words, God knows your name. 31:41 God knows the circumstances of your life, 31:45 and God has an immense purpose for your life. 31:49 Now creation also is the basis of all worship. 31:53 If the devil can pummel off the falsehood or a lie 31:58 or deception of evolution, there is no basis for worship. 32:04 Why do we worship God anyway? 32:06 Revelation 4:11 says, "You are worthy, O Lord, 32:10 to receive glory and honor and power, 32:12 for You created all things 32:14 and by Your will they exist and were created." 32:17 So the worthiness of Christ 32:20 to receive glory, honor, and power, 32:23 the worthiness of Christ to be worshiped 32:26 is based on the fact that He created us. 32:29 Now notice the last part of the text. 32:31 It says, "You created all things 32:32 by Your will they exist and were created." 32:35 So we've come into existence not by chance, 32:39 not by randomness, not by haphazard luck, 32:44 but by the will of God. 32:46 Has that solemn thought hit you yet? 32:49 You exist by the will of God. 32:53 You exist, because God willed you come into existence. 32:57 Why were you born 32:58 at this moment of earth's history? 33:00 Why weren't you born 1,000 years ago? 33:03 Why weren't you born five years from now? 33:06 Further than that, why are you a human being? 33:09 Why aren't you a cow? 33:11 Why aren't you a mosquito 33:13 that somebody could just simply swat? 33:15 Why are you, you? 33:17 You are you because God willed it. 33:21 When the genes and chromosomes came together 33:24 to form the unique biological structure 33:26 of your personality, 33:28 God threw away the pattern. 33:31 God shaped you, God formed you. 33:33 There's nobody like you. 33:35 And creation says 33:37 that you're more than 1 billion, 33:38 more than one of 7 billion people 33:41 calling at one another 33:42 for living space on planet earth. 33:44 But creation says 33:45 that you're special in God's sight. 33:48 "You are worthy, O Lord, 33:50 to receive glory and honor and power 33:51 because You created all things, by Your will they are created." 33:55 We came into existence by the very will of God. 33:58 That means life has purpose. 34:00 That means life has meaning. 34:02 Psalm 33:15, 34:04 "He fashions their hearts individually." 34:07 Every baby born 34:11 has been created by God. 34:15 Although we live in a world of sickness and suffering, 34:19 where there are deformities that take place 34:21 because we live in a broken world. 34:24 That child is still God's child. 34:28 That child is still one that God has purpose 34:32 and meaning for in their life. 34:35 And no matter how much that little one 34:36 may suffer in this life, 34:39 because of the brokenness of sin 34:41 and the heartache of our world, 34:43 God still has an ultimate plan 34:46 and one day they will be whole again. 34:49 Jeremiah 1:5 says, 34:51 "Before I formed you in the womb, 34:53 I knew you, 34:54 before you were born, I sanctified you, 34:56 and I ordained you a prophet to the nations." 34:59 So it is not simply 35:00 that life takes place after one is born, 35:05 but rather when one is conceived 35:07 there is life there, 35:09 before I formed you in the womb, I knew you. 35:13 God knew Jeremiah even in the womb. 35:15 So what does this message of Revelation 14:6 and 7 say? 35:20 It says that we're created by God, 35:22 that human life is sacred. 35:25 That is why 35:26 the taking of the life of the unborn, 35:29 that is why the taking of the life 35:31 of those who do not, 35:34 who are not able to speak up for themselves 35:36 is a violation of the commandments of God. 35:40 That is why the taking of the elderly life 35:43 when they can no longer make a contribution to society. 35:48 That is why, that is not in harmony 35:51 in any way with God's will. 35:53 Why? 35:55 Because creation says every life matters. 35:57 The life of the unborn, 35:59 the life of the those who have physical deformities, 36:02 their life matters. 36:04 The life of those who are mentally retarded, 36:07 that life matters. 36:09 The life of those who are elderly and dying, 36:12 but can't contribute to society, that life matters. 36:16 Every life in this broken, shattered world matters to God. 36:21 And God speaks words of hope and encouragement 36:25 to every human being. 36:26 He has a purpose for our life. 36:28 The call to worship the Creator 36:30 is a call to understand and appreciate 36:33 the value of every single human being. 36:37 Every child has value in His sight. 36:39 Every teenager has value in His sight. 36:42 Every adult has value in His sight. 36:45 Every senior citizen has value in His sight. 36:47 Rich and poor, ignorant and wise, 36:51 all have value in the sight of God. 36:54 Evolution is dehumanizing, 36:56 because it says 36:57 we're simply an enlarged protein molecule 36:59 of the animal creation. 37:01 Creation matters. 37:03 Creation speaks of a God longing for personal fellowship 37:06 and intimate relationship. 37:08 Where there is design, there must be a designer. 37:12 Where there is intelligent design, 37:13 there must be an intelligent designer. 37:16 And where there is love in the universe, 37:19 there must be one who is the origin, 37:23 the heart of all love. 37:25 And the fact that we have the capacity to love, 37:28 the fact that we have the ability to love 37:31 indicates the reality of an intelligent designer 37:35 who we call the Creator God, 37:37 who the Bible calls the Creator, 37:39 who has placed that love within our hearts. 37:42 So the call of creation 37:44 is a call to respond to His love, 37:48 and enter into intimate relationship 37:50 with Him. 37:52 The Christ that created us, the Christ that died for us, 37:56 longs to have a relationship with us. 37:59 The Sabbath, set aside at the beginning of time, 38:04 is that appeal by God 38:07 for His desire for relationship. 38:10 In Genesis 2:1-3, the Bible says, 38:13 "Thus the heavens and the earth 38:15 and all the host of them were finished. 38:17 And on the seventh day God ended His work 38:21 which He had done, 38:22 and He rested on the seventh day 38:24 from all His work which He had done. 38:26 Then God blessed the seventh day 38:28 and He sanctified it, 38:30 because in it He rested from all His work 38:33 which God created and made." 38:35 Now notice, God did three things 38:36 on the seventh day. 38:38 He rested, why? 38:39 Did He rest because He was tired? 38:41 No, He rested, knowing that we would be tired. 38:44 And He rested in fulfillment, in completion of His creation. 38:50 He sanctified that day, 38:52 He set it apart as a special day 38:54 for us to have fellowship with Him. 38:57 He blessed that day, 38:59 He put a special blessing in the seventh day Sabbath, 39:03 a blessing that's not in any other day, 39:05 a blessing of intimate fellowship with Him 39:10 as the Creator, 39:11 and He established the Sabbath as a memorial of creation. 39:16 Now, don't misunderstand me. 39:17 We can get a blessing from God, any day we worship on. 39:22 But if we want the Sabbath blessing, 39:24 the special blessing 39:26 that the Creator has placed in a day, 39:28 the Bible doesn't say 39:30 He put the blessing in the first, second, third, 39:31 fourth, fifth day, 39:32 He placed that blessing in the seventh day. 39:34 Why is creation important? 39:36 Because it calls us to fellowship. 39:38 God's set aside the seventh day Sabbath 39:42 as a palace in time, 39:45 as a day for us 39:47 to step out of the normal routine of life, 39:52 the hectic pace of life, the pressures of life, 39:57 and to have fellowship with Him. 39:59 No, it is true. 40:01 As I've mentioned 40:03 that every day we're to have fellowship with God. 40:05 But life presses in on us. 40:08 There are normal and natural responsibilities. 40:11 But on Sabbath, 40:13 every week we are called from the mundane. 40:17 We're called from the common things of life. 40:20 We're called to have intimate fellowship 40:22 with our Creator. 40:24 Jesus wants to have fellowship with you. 40:29 You know, in Isaiah 43:21. 40:36 The Bible puts it this way. 40:38 Jesus says, "This people I have formed for Myself, 40:42 they shall declare My praise." 40:44 This people I have formed for Myself. 40:47 And you know, in Isaiah 43:4, 40:52 it talks about how precious we are to God. 40:54 It says, "Since you are precious 40:57 in My sight, 40:58 and you have been honored, and I have loved you." 41:02 See, in Christ, we are precious, precious. 41:06 Some time ago, I read the story of a diver 41:10 who is diving in the Pacific, 41:14 off one of the very remote islands. 41:17 And he came across something 41:19 that he thought was simply an old shell. 41:24 It was large, he struggled to get it up. 41:27 He worked again and again in the sand, in the mud, 41:30 the muck to get it up 41:31 and finally get this old shell up, 41:33 large about this large 41:35 and didn't know what to do with it. 41:37 And he brought it home, 41:38 he dried it out, it was stinking. 41:40 And finally he put it in some backroom in his house. 41:44 A little later, he began to have a sense, 41:48 maybe this shell is something special, 41:51 as they called in specialists in deep sea 41:56 diving in particularly pearls, 41:58 they discovered up until that time in that house, 42:02 the largest single pearl in the world, 42:06 worth multiplied millions. 42:08 He had no idea 42:10 how precious that discovery was. 42:13 Have you sensed how precious you are to God? 42:17 If God loses you, 42:18 there's no way He can replace you. 42:20 And that's what the Sabbath is all about. 42:22 It's about the God that created you. 42:24 It's about the God that formed you. 42:27 It's about the God that shaped you. 42:28 It's about relationship 42:30 entering into a relationship with this God. 42:33 The Sabbath 42:35 has an open armed Christ, the Creator, 42:38 this all-powerful Christ, this completely wise Christ, 42:43 this all-intelligent Christ, 42:45 this Christ who cares 42:46 for the intimate details of creation 42:49 and cares for our life. 42:51 You know, Matthew says 42:53 every one of the hairs of your head are numbered. 42:54 In other words, He knows every intimate detail. 42:57 Matthew says in Matthew's Gospel, 43:00 He doesn't overlook the sparrow that falls. 43:05 God is concerned. 43:08 The Sabbath is a perpetual reminder 43:12 of the God that cares for us. 43:16 The Sabbath reminds us 43:18 of the one who has provided 43:20 all the good things of life for us. 43:23 You know, in Psalm 84:11, it says, 43:26 "No good thing will He withhold 43:29 from those that walk up rightfully." 43:31 In a world of brokenness, 43:33 in a world of chaos and confusion, 43:36 in a world of fear, in a world of sickness, 43:39 suffering and death, 43:41 in a world of hurricanes, tornadoes, tidal waves 43:44 and natural disasters, 43:46 the Sabbath invites us 43:49 to intimate fellowship with our Creator, 43:52 to trust in His love, to rest in His care. 43:57 The Sabbath is that oasis in the desert of this world. 44:03 Sabbath is the eternal symbol of rest in Him. 44:06 The world may be in chaos, but we can rest in Christ. 44:10 The world may be facing natural disasters, 44:13 but we can rest in the arms of our loving Creator. 44:17 The world may be plagued with sickness 44:19 and pestilences and violence, 44:22 but we can rest in the arms of the One that cares for us. 44:27 In a book called Selected Messages, 44:31 on page 372, 44:34 the author describes 44:36 the preciousness of the promises of God. 44:40 "The exceeding great and precious promises 44:43 given us in the Holy Scriptures 44:45 have been lost sight of to a great extent," 44:48 evolution has undermined scripture, 44:52 atheistic communism has undermined scripture, 44:55 "just as the enemy of all righteousness 44:58 designed that they should be. 45:00 He has cast his own dark shadow between us and God." 45:04 See that's the Sabbath is calling us 45:06 back to relationship with God, 45:08 so this dark shadow can be removed, 45:11 that we may not see the true character of God. 45:14 So Sabbath is a representation that we're resting in Christ, 45:18 resting in His love, resting in His care, 45:20 resting in His goodness. 45:21 "The Lord has proclaimed Himself 45:23 to be "merciful and gracious, 45:24 long-suffering, and abundance in goodness and truth." 45:28 Then, the writer says, "Several have written to me, 45:32 inquiring if the message of justification by faith 45:36 is the Third Angel's Message, and I've answered, 45:39 'It is the third angel's message, 45:40 in verity.' " 45:42 What does that mean? 45:43 It means this, 45:45 that as we rest 45:46 in the loving arms of our Creator, 45:49 we are resting from our works, 45:52 trusting Him for salvation. 45:55 So Sabbath is a symbol, not of righteousness by works, 46:00 not of legalism, but it's a symbol of rest, 46:04 resting from our labors and trusting in His works, 46:08 resting from any goodness that we may have, 46:12 trusting in His goodness, 46:14 resting from all anxiety about salvation, 46:18 and trusting in His peace 46:20 that floods our hearts and floods our souls. 46:24 The Bible says in Genesis 2:3, 46:27 "In it, the Sabbath, 46:28 He rested from all His work which God created and made." 46:32 Just as God rested on the Sabbath from His work, 46:38 we rest from all vain attempts to achieve our salvation. 46:43 We rest in His love, rest in His care. 46:46 That's what Sabbath is all about. 46:48 And that's why the devil hates the Sabbath. 46:50 That's one of the reasons 46:51 he's introduced evolution to this world, 46:54 to undermine the Creator God, 46:56 so we would not sense our rest that comes only in Him. 47:02 Hebrews 4:9 and 10 says, 47:05 "There remains therefore a rest for the people of God." 47:08 What is this rest? 47:09 "For he who has entered his rest," 47:11 that's Christ rest, 47:13 "has himself also cease from his works 47:15 as God did from His." 47:17 On the seventh day of the week, 47:19 God ceased from His works and rested. 47:24 We rest every seventh day, 47:27 not because we believe 47:29 keeping the commandments of God saves us, 47:32 but we rest in His love, 47:35 we rest in the assurance of salvation He gives us, 47:38 we rest in the security of the cross, 47:42 we rest in the confidence of the Christ, 47:46 who descended from heaven to earth, 47:48 to live in human flesh, 47:50 to meet Satan head on and to die in our behalf. 47:54 The Sabbath is a symbol of rest, not works. 47:59 It is a symbol 48:00 of our trust relationship with Jesus. 48:04 Now there is this sense of the Sabbath 48:07 as an eternal link. 48:09 Now, you may ask the question, 48:11 how is the Sabbath an eternal link, 48:14 and what is the Sabbath an eternal link of? 48:16 When you look at our world today, 48:19 it's a broken world. 48:20 It's a shattered world. 48:22 It's a world filled with sickness, 48:24 suffering and disease. 48:26 The Sabbath is a link in a golden chain, 48:30 it leads us back to creation. 48:33 And there at creation, we sense that God created us, 48:38 He fashioned us, 48:40 we sense that He's the God of integrate design. 48:44 That He is the God of vast intelligence 48:46 and the God of all power. 48:49 The Sabbath leads us back to a perfect world in Eden. 48:53 The Sabbath also leads us 48:55 to rest in Christ for our salvation. 48:58 But the Sabbath points us forward. 49:01 It points us forward to beyond what is to what will be. 49:05 It points us forward to eternity, 49:08 rather than our being locked in the time of this world. 49:12 When we come to Sabbath, 49:15 we look forward to that eternal Sabbath, 49:19 where one day, 49:21 we will rest with Christ in eternity. 49:24 And one day, every week, 49:27 we will come to worship Him 49:30 with the men and women 49:32 who are redeemed from all the ages. 49:36 Can you imagine this? 49:37 They come from the north and south. 49:40 They come from the east and the west, 49:42 as Isaiah says in Isaiah, the 65th Chapter, 49:47 "From one Sabbath to another 49:50 all flesh will come to worship before Me, says the Lord." 49:55 We come from the east and the west, 49:56 we come from the north and south. 49:58 We come to sing praises to the one that created us. 50:01 We come to sing praises to the One that redeemed us. 50:04 We come to worship Him forever and ever on Sabbath 50:09 through the ceaseless ages of eternity. 50:11 Why does creation matter? 50:13 Because it points us 50:14 to an all-powerful, all-intelligent God. 50:17 Why does creation matter? 50:18 Because it points us to a God that has purpose for our lives. 50:22 Why does creation matter? 50:24 Because it points us to a God that has this world 50:27 in His hands. 50:28 It points us to the God that created us, 50:32 the Christ that redeemed us 50:34 and the Jesus that is coming again for us. 50:37 This divine Creator can recreate your heart, 50:43 He can recreate your life. 50:46 Would you like to say, "Lord, You're the mighty Creator, 50:50 pass me not O gentle Savior. 50:54 While on others you are calling, 50:58 do not pass me by." 51:02 Would you like to say, "Jesus, I accept You as my Creator. 51:09 I accept You as the One that can recreate my heart 51:15 and make me new again." 51:17 Would you like to say, "Lord, don't pass me by." 51:21 And He has never passed by one that's come to Him. 51:25 Jesus said, "Come unto me." 51:28 Jesus said, "He that comes to me 51:29 I'll never cast out." 51:31 Listen as Charles sings 51:33 and make your eternal decision for Him right now. 51:45 Pass me not, O gentle Savior 51:50 Savior, hear my humble cry 51:57 While on others Thou art calling 52:03 Do not pass me by 52:08 Savior, Savior 52:14 Hear my humble cry 52:20 While on others Thou art calling 52:26 Do not pass me by 52:31 Let me at Thy throne of mercy 52:37 Find a sweet relief 52:43 Kneeling there In deep contrition 52:49 Help my unbelief 52:54 Savior, Savior 53:00 Hear my humble cry 53:06 While on others Thou art calling 53:12 Do not pass me by 53:17 Trusting only in Thy merit 53:24 Would I seek Thy face 53:29 Heal my wounded, broken spirit 53:35 Save me by Thy grace 53:41 Savior, Savior 53:47 Hear my humble cry 53:52 While on others Thou art calling 53:58 Do not pass me by 54:04 Thou the spring Of all my comfort 54:10 More than life to me 54:15 Whom have I on earth Beside Thee 54:21 Whom in heav'n but Thee 54:27 Savior, Savior 54:33 Hear my humble cry 54:39 While on others Thou art calling 54:44 Do not pass me by 54:50 Do not pass me by 54:56 Do not pass me by. 55:06 And the good news is, 55:09 He will not pass you by. 55:13 He created you, 55:16 not simply to live 55:19 50, 60, 70, 80 years, wherever that is, 55:24 He created you not simply to live in this life, 55:28 and to die, and to go into the grave, 55:32 and have worms eat your body and be gone forever. 55:37 God created you with a purpose, 55:41 to know Him, to follow Him, 55:44 to love Him, to serve Him, 55:48 to live with Him for all eternity. 55:52 You have a destiny with Christ. 55:57 Your destiny is eternity. 56:00 And that's what creation is all about. 56:03 He created you 56:05 because He wants you with Him forever. 56:08 He redeemed you on the cross of Calvary 56:11 because He wants you with Him forever. 56:14 He's coming back to take you home 56:17 because He wants you with Him forever. 56:20 There's nothing more important to Jesus 56:23 than your being with Him forever. 56:25 That's what 56:26 these three cosmic messages are all about. 56:29 It's about a God that loves you so much 56:32 that He wants you with Him in eternity. 56:36 Let's pray together. 56:37 Father in heaven, we thank You for a God 56:42 that longs to be with us. 56:45 A God that considers us precious in His sight, 56:49 a God that's created us unique, 56:51 that we have a special place in your heart 56:54 that only we can feel. 56:56 And so, Lord, we long on this earth 56:58 to have that friendship with you. 57:00 We hear the call of Christ 57:04 through these messages of the three angels 57:08 to worship the Creator. 57:10 And, Lord, we desire with all of our hearts 57:14 to worship you now and forever. 57:16 In Christ's name, amen. |
Revised 2020-10-04