Participants: Pr John Lomacang
Series Code: TWH
Program Code: TWH000019A
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00:30 I would like to begin this morning by having you
00:33 turn in your Bibles with me to the book of Acts... 00:36 Acts 1 and we're going to read verse 11 together... 00:45 Now I'm going to lead into it by reading verse 10, 00:47 and then when I get to verse 11, you'll all join me 00:50 because as you could see, it is on the screen. 00:59 I'm going to read verse 10 first and then 01:02 we'll jump to verse 11. 01:15 And now the Scripture reading... 01:39 May the Lord add a blessing to the reading, 01:42 and impartation of His Holy Word. 01:46 I invite you to bow your heads with me as I ask 01:48 for the Lord to guide... 01:51 Loving Father in Heaven, This is not a human moment, 01:56 but a divine one and it is humbling to know 02:00 you've chosen me to be the conduit. 02:03 And so Lord, come now and speak to Your people. 02:06 Speak through me, to me, and may the question, "why," 02:13 give us reasons to wrestle, to come to conclusions that 02:20 impact our eternal destiny. 02:24 In Jesus name we pray... Amen 02:31 A few months ago, I was listening to the radio 02:36 and I like to be a person that is up-to-date on 02:39 what's happening - like to know what's going on around me. 02:45 I'm somewhat of an information vacuum... 02:47 I want to know what's happening in the news; 02:50 I want to know what's happening in the world; 02:53 I want to know what's happening in politics and religion. 02:56 I believe that ignorance is bliss to a certain degree, 03:01 but to be completely in the dark, means to 03:03 be completely unready and unprepared, 03:06 so I like to know what's going on. 03:09 And our world, right now, is in serious trouble. 03:14 We have come to the climate where it doesn't take 03:18 very many things to push us into a great crisis, 03:25 politically, economically, religiously. 03:29 With terrorism on one side and uncertainty on the other, 03:33 our world is grappling with a big question... 03:35 "Why are we where we are?" 03:37 And because people are not looking to the Word of God 03:41 for the answer, the "why" continues to remain unnoticed 03:47 in this pool of diverse options. 03:51 But I want you, for a moment, to consider why... 03:54 "Why" is a small word with a big impact 04:00 that all by itself "why" is a question. 04:04 Some of you as parents and grandparents may have been 04:07 caught into the vacuum of your grandchild or your little child 04:11 continuing to challenge you by saying, "Why mommy," 04:14 and you tell them why. 04:16 "Why grandpa," and you say, "Well this is why." 04:20 "But why?" And they continue in the rhetoric of "why, 04:23 and the repetitiveness of "why" until you come 04:25 to the answer, "Well that's just how it is," 04:27 and they say, "Why?" 04:29 "Why" is a small word, but it's a big question 04:33 that all by itself demands an answer. 04:37 "Why" has a brother and his name is "How" 04:41 that does not have the same effect on people as "why," 04:45 but it is a part of the family trinity. 04:49 And last but not least in this family trio is "what?" 04:54 "Why," "how," and "what," and depending on where you 04:57 begin from, you can start with "what," "how," and "why." 05:01 But each one of these words are SO relevant to what 05:06 we do today - HOW we do what we do and WHY 05:11 we do what we do, that this morning I want to take you 05:14 down the road of "why," eventually getting to the 05:18 "what," and then ending on the "how." 05:21 Why, what and how... say that with me. 05:24 "Why, what and how." 05:28 Consider the following... 05:30 Often when we meet people, they ask the questions... 05:34 "What do you do?" They don't begin with "why," 05:38 they often begin with "what." 05:39 "What do you do?" 05:40 And we now begin to unfold before them what we do. 05:44 But we don't ever tell them why we do it. 05:47 People often say, "What church do you attend," 05:51 and then we go down the denominational list 05:54 which inevitably is a list of conflict because I'm 05:58 suggesting to you today that if Christians began with question: 06:02 "Why are we a member of THIS particular denomination?" 06:06 ...There would be less division and more unity. 06:10 But we often say, "why?" We often say, "what 06:13 church do you attend?" 06:15 And then, "What do you want to be?" we ask the young people. 06:18 Not "why" do you want to be that, but "what" 06:21 do you want to be?" 06:23 "What school do you attend?" 06:25 "What kind of car do you drive?" 06:28 We always begin with the word "what." 06:31 "What do you eat?" "What do you wear?" 06:34 "What town do you live in?" 06:38 The question "why" has now come to the forefront in 06:45 the minds of "The Fortune 500 Companies," 06:49 the mega companies of America, mega corporations, schools, 06:55 businesses that after 20 or 30 years of being in business, 06:59 they have now decided - they've got to grapple with the 07:02 question, Why do they manufacture what they 07:06 manufacture - why do they exist? 07:10 And when you lose - hear me carefully this morning... 07:13 When you lose the "why" in your life, in your marriage, 07:19 in your walk as a Christian, in your role as a supervisor, 07:25 in your position as a parent or father or mother... 07:28 When you lose the "why," then the "what" and "how" 07:31 doesn't really matter. 07:33 Consider the following... 07:37 The question "why" used to always come in last 07:39 until people realized that "what" and "how" 07:42 is not as important as "why." 07:49 The year was 1984 and I want you to hear me carefully... 07:53 The Washington Redskins were playing the Los Angeles Raiders. 07:58 The day after the Raiders defeated the Redskins, 08:02 one would think that the talk of the town would be the 08:05 game; however, the question that eclipsed the Super Bowl 08:10 was - "Did you see that commercial?" 08:13 That was the question - not Did you enjoy the game? 08:16 But, did you see that commercial? 08:18 The commercial remembered long after Super Bowl 18 was over 08:24 was as follows... 08:28 Some marketing team came up with a scheme that 08:31 even 33 years later, for those who saw it, 08:35 they have not forgotten it. 08:38 It showed a long line of people dressed in gray... 08:43 remember that Pastor C.A.? 08:46 Long line of people dressed in gray, dingy outfits marching 08:53 lockstep in a trance into a large dimly lit gray, 09:01 smoky theater. 09:02 They were sitting on wood benches in front of a large 09:07 screen - no one made a sound. 09:10 This commercial lasted all of 1 minute and 4 seconds. 09:13 No one made a sound. 09:15 No one spoke a word. 09:19 The commercial was a portrayal of a totalitarian regime 09:24 holding sway over the population. 09:28 On the screen was a talking head - spewing rhetoric 09:31 that held the audience in a wide-eyed daze, 09:36 but suddenly - I said, SUDDENLY, 09:38 in the distance a running woman appeared. 09:41 In this sea of gray, she stood out with short blond hair, 09:47 a white top and a red runner's shorts. 09:51 She was in full sprint carrying a large sledge hammer in her 09:57 hands, if you've seen it you'd know what I'm talking about. 09:59 She was also being pursued as it were by police 10:03 in heavy riot gear - they were attempting, as best they could, 10:09 to prevent her from accomplishing her mission. 10:11 In this theater, people sitting in a trance, gray outfits, 10:16 gray room, gray atmosphere, she was running as if 10:21 everything in the future depended upon her 10:24 accomplishing her design. 10:26 Before they could catch her, she spun her body around twice 10:30 to give the sledge hammer momentum and then she 10:33 tossed it at the dismay of the police pursuing her, 10:36 at this giant screen with a force that was so powerful 10:41 it caused the screen to explode and the explosion 10:46 broke the crowd from their lethargy... can you see it? 10:51 As the commercial faded, the scrolling caption on the 10:55 screen was... "On January 24th, 11:00 Apple Computer will introduce Macintosh and you will see 11:05 why 1984 won't be like 1984." 11:12 When Macintosh was introduced, they didn't talk about 11:17 the features or the benefits of the product. 11:21 It was not about a differentiating value 11:24 proposition which is called the "DVP" in business meaning. 11:27 They didn't talk about why people would be willing to 11:31 pay more, but they discovered that people are willing to 11:37 pay more - hear me carefully... 11:39 ... if they see that the product is worth the value. 11:44 They said, "People WILL pay more." 11:45 In a world where computers are relatively cheap 11:48 and IBM dominated the market, where Dell held a massive 11:53 share of the market, Macintosh stepped up 11:56 to the plate and allowed their product to do ALL 11:59 the talking for them. 12:02 Advertisers said that it was less of a commercial 12:07 and more of a manifesto. 12:09 A manifesto simply is a declaration, a pronouncement, 12:13 or a statement. 12:15 And from January 1984 to the present, Apple has continued 12:21 to dominate sales by being able to remain relevant 12:25 and fresh to each generation. 12:29 The message of the commercial was simple. 12:31 The message of the Apple commercial was simple. 12:33 This gray room, this woman running in red and white, 12:36 the breaking of the screen, the breaking of individuals 12:39 out of their lethargy - their state of almost comatose... 12:42 The MESSAGE of the commercial was simple... 12:45 Apple said, "It is time to break from the status quo." 12:50 It is time to step out from being just like everybody else. 12:54 It is time to stand up and to be counted. 12:57 It is time to understand WHY we make computers. 13:01 It's time to give the people what they NEED 13:04 rather than just blending in and the sole intent 13:08 behind that commercial was to ignite a revolution around the 13:12 single word "why." 13:15 And if you pause for a moment, you'd say to yourself 13:18 that 33 years is a long time and although products 13:22 have changed and fashion has changed, the one thing that 13:25 never changed for Apple, and I read this just recently, 13:28 the one thing that never changed for Apple is... 13:32 "Why we do what we do." 13:38 Advertisers began to question 13:40 why Apple - even when they appeared to almost 13:43 lose their relevance, how they were able to adjust 13:47 and come back in such a mighty way - even though 13:49 their products was among some of the most 13:51 expensive on the market. 13:52 They still, today, remain relevant. 13:55 They looked at the need and they discovered that if we 13:58 fulfill the need, the DVP would take care of itself. 14:03 People are willing to invest - hear me carefully... 14:07 People are willing to invest in the very thing that they 14:11 see has lasting value. 14:14 Can I transition here... If they saw in us 14:19 that we exemplified and personified and communicated 14:24 that what we believe is important because of 14:29 WHY we believe it. 14:31 If they saw that what we do is important because of 14:34 WHY we do it, I believe they'll be more individuals 14:38 wanting OUR product because our "why" would never change. 14:43 You see "why" never changes. 14:45 Why you do - never changes. 14:47 HOW you do it and WHAT you are going to do next 14:49 may change, but why you do it never changes. 14:53 That's why baseball happens every year. 14:55 Why do they play baseball? 14:57 Because somebody has gotta be the champion. 14:59 Why is basketball never losing it's relevance? 15:01 Why is all the sports that happen from year-to-year, 15:03 moment-to-moment never lose their relevance 15:05 because they always answer the question "WHY?" 15:10 And so I'm suggesting to you today... 15:14 The "why" of Apple needs to become the why of 15:18 everything we do and the "why" in Apple was simply this... 15:22 Here is the "why." They said and it is still 15:25 their slogan today - "We exist, they said, to empower 15:30 individuals." 15:31 "We exist not to empower groups, but to empower individuals." 15:38 They now are their focus to the individual... 15:41 what we do and how we do it is not as important as 15:45 WHY we do it. 15:46 You see, when we are driven by the "why," then drive and 15:50 commitment will never change. 15:51 "Why" will shape "how" and make "what" valuable. 15:55 Now that I've got you confused, let me unconfuse you 15:59 because what, how and why can get you confused 16:03 if you don't understand the importance behind "why." 16:07 You see, on the heels of His farewell speech, 16:11 as Jesus began to ascend to His home and our home, 16:14 Rosemary, He made the sure promise to us that 16:19 He was not leaving to return where He was going. 16:25 When Jesus left, He told His disciples, "I've got a round 16:29 trip ticket." Amen? 16:32 Acts 1:9-10, you're turning in your Bibles with me... 16:36 When Jesus left, He said to His disciples, "I've got a 16:39 round trip ticket, I've been here for 3-1/2 years, 16:42 but when I come back, the best is yet to come." 16:45 And He left them with what I want to leave you with today. 16:48 He drove them with a single word "why." 16:55 In the church today, the Adventist Church, we boast 16:58 now being out since 1863, we boast our history 17:02 we boast our growing institutions, 17:04 we try to do everything we can, we try to do what we do 17:08 to gain membership, but I'd like to suggest to you 17:10 today if why we do what we do was the driving factor, 17:16 the what and the how would take care of itself. 17:20 Why do you do that, rather than WHAT you do? 17:25 Give me some time to unfold it... Acts 1:9-10 17:28 When Jesus left, He assured the disciples that He had a 17:34 round trip ticket. The Bible says... 17:50 While they do what? Watched 18:10 Two men stood by in white apparel. 18:13 I would suggest to you that these were not 18:14 ordinary men - these were angels. 18:16 You see, God always has angels. 18:19 The King always has security detail. 18:22 He always has His secret service with Him. 18:26 He is always escorted. 18:27 His importance demands the attention of holy angels. 18:31 They were there when He rose. 18:32 They followed Him in His life. 18:34 They announced His entrance into the world. 18:38 And they were there to witness His ascension and in this 18:41 context, at the ascension of Jesus, the disciples witnessed 18:46 for the first time - what human eyes had never seen before. 18:49 They saw Jesus leave. 18:52 They didn't see Him come, they saw Him leave, 18:55 and this sight was so captivating that heaven 19:01 had to interrupt the nostalgia in verse 11... 19:05 Go there with me... They were so captivated. 19:08 I mean, wouldn't you be - if you saw somebody ascending 19:11 to heaven? Come on now! 19:12 Wouldn't you be? Come on now... Amen? 19:14 If all of a sudden your friend said, "I'm leaving," 19:16 and he decided to ascend in front of you, 19:19 and you stood there... "Uh Don, Don?" 19:29 "Don?" And all of a sudden, 19:32 he's just going up and up and up and up, 19:36 and all of a sudden, you can't see him anymore. 19:39 You're kind of waiting because in human reality, 19:42 we say, "What goes up, must come down." 19:46 I want to tell you today, Jesus went up and He will come down. 19:49 Come on, say Amen somebody... 19:51 But in the nostalgia of standing around, 19:54 Heaven had to interrupt this nostalgic memorable moment 19:59 with the question in verse 11. 20:09 Say the next word with me. 20:19 The Jesus that was with you every day... 20:22 this same Jesus, the Jesus that calmed the waters 20:27 in the most frightful moment of your life, 20:29 this same Jesus, the Jesus that took loaves 20:33 and fishes and fed the 5,000, this same Jesus, 20:37 the Jesus that you saw healed the lame, 20:40 raised the dead, give sight to the blind, 20:44 come on somebody, say Amen! 20:45 This same Jesus - Jesus left a resume so long that when 20:51 the book of John ended, He said - "If I would write 20:56 about everything that Jesus ever did... 20:59 Now I'm talking about 3-1/2 years of life... 21:01 because John was not in heaven with Jesus. 21:03 As-a-matter-of-fact, he wasn't called Jesus 21:04 until He came down here, but John still says... 21:07 let me go there with you... come on turn there with me. 21:09 John 21- let's go there, look at it, look at it... 21:13 "This same Jesus... Oh how beautiful it is 21:17 to have a connection with Jesus, can the church say Amen? 21:25 This same Jesus - John 21:25, when John put this there, 21:32 in other words, He says, I'm going to end my book 21:34 at chapter 21, but if I kept going, I wouldn't have enough 21:39 space! He said... 21:58 I mean, I'm in my 50s, 22:01 that's all I'm going to tell you. 22:02 But for someone to live for 3-1/2 years on earth, 22:09 just 3-1/2- how many children that are 3-1/2 years old 22:14 a parent would say, "If I wrote on everything 22:16 they did, I wouldn't have space to write it, 22:18 the world couldn't contain what they did." 22:19 I doubt that, but Jesus... but Jesus was so driven 22:23 by the "why," He came. 22:25 Jesus was so empowered by the "why," He came - that John said, 22:30 "If I took the time to tell you everything that He did, 22:34 and how He did it, and what He did, and how it impacted 22:39 the world, I suppose the world itself could not contain it." 22:42 One writer said, "If every stalk on earth was a quill, 22:47 and every man a scribe by trade, if the ocean was ink, 22:52 and the skies were parchment, there still would not be 22:58 enough room to talk about Jesus. 23:02 This same Jesus and in that very pivotal moment, 23:06 they began to remember... "Is He going to come back?" 23:09 This was the Jesus that went to the cross; 23:12 this was the Jesus that chose normal men. 23:16 Let me repeat that, ABNORMAL men, sinful men, 23:22 forgave them, empowered them, enlisted them, 23:27 commissioned them and this motley crew of individuals that 23:33 just don't know what's ahead of them are locked into the 23:35 moment looking at this same Jesus. 23:41 The focus of the question was not why are they gazing, 23:43 the focus of the question was "Why do you stand gazing?" 23:51 The angels were not troubled by the fact that they 23:54 were looking, the angels were troubled by the fact that 23:57 there was no activity. 23:59 Now they were standing, waiting for Jesus to come, 24:05 and when I read this text, in the context of the book 24:09 written by Simon Sinek, "Start With the Word Why," 24:13 he pushed me into a corner that I had not been in before, 24:17 and he said to me, "John, how long you been preaching?" 24:20 "Thirty years" 24:21 "How long you been a pastor?" "Thirty years" 24:23 "How long you been married?" "Thirty-four years" 24:26 "Why?" 24:30 "Well because uh, uhm, because I like to preach." 24:39 "Why?" And he kept pushing me 24:47 to another "why." 24:53 And until the reason became, "I do what I do and the reason 25:01 why I do it - is my connection to Jesus... 25:07 Every other reason made no difference." 25:14 "Why are you a vegetarian?" 25:15 "Because it's a clean way to live." 25:17 Well, I wanna tell you, there are some atheists that 25:19 are better vegetarians than you are." 25:22 In the occult world, there are some people that don't eat 25:28 half of what we eat, so you cannot be a vegetarian 25:31 Just because it's a clean way to live. 25:33 Vegetarianism is not salvation, 25:35 it's a way to live! Amen somebody. 25:39 But "why you are" ought to be connected to Jesus. 25:47 When Jesus went up, he did not want his disciples 25:54 to remain inactive because I would suggest to you today 25:58 the passage in Matthew 24:14, "And this gospel of the kingdom 26:02 shall be preached in all the world for a witness 26:05 unto all nations and then shall the end come." 26:08 Until the gospel gets to the entire world, 26:11 Jesus will not return. 26:14 So we've got to ask ourselves a serious question... 26:19 "Why are we Seventh-day Adventist Christians?" 26:23 For you see, the disciples, long before 1863, 26:28 the disciples were Seventh-day Adventists. 26:32 Isn't that right? They kept the Sabbath, 26:35 and they looked forward to the Second Advent of Jesus. 26:37 So being a Seventh-day Adventist is not something that 26:41 happened in 1863- it happened when Jesus met the disciples, 26:46 and He empowered them with the words that He gave to them 26:49 in Matthew 28:18-20, go there with me... 26:52 Matthew 28:18-20- For you see Jesus was not just going up, 26:57 but He was about to turn up the power; 27:00 He was not just going up, but He was about to 27:02 turn up the power so that these disciples that were standing 27:05 gazing - and I want to say... "Waiting for Jesus to come 27:11 is not a good use of time." Amen! 27:19 Have you ever waited? It's the worst thing to do. 27:25 That's why, when I'm driving and I get to a light 27:28 that I know is long, you know what I do, 27:30 I don't wait, I do something, and have you noticed 27:39 that the moment you decide to do something 27:42 while you're waiting, what happens? 27:44 The light changes. 27:48 But if you just sit there waiting for the light to change, 27:53 it seems as though today, the light is longer 27:57 than it's ever been before. 27:58 I'm going somewhere with this. 28:01 If we just sit around waiting for Jesus to come, 28:04 it's going to seems like He just ain't coming back. 28:09 But if we get out of our seats and go into the streets, 28:14 and reach out to the highways and the hedges, 28:17 and to those who know and those who are still in darkness, 28:20 and those who have never heard the name of Jesus or those 28:23 brothers and sisters in Christ who just have not received 28:27 the truth as it is completely revealed in God's word, 28:30 if we get busy as we wait for the coming of Jesus, 28:34 it will seem as though Jesus is coming tomorrow. 28:43 The angels were not upset that they were looking, 28:45 the angels were upset that they were just standing looking. 28:49 Look at the word there - that word is a sense of inactivity. 28:54 "Why do you stand gazing?" 28:56 The fact of the matter is Jesus is coming again and they were 28:59 concerned, "Will you at this time restore Jerusalem?" 29:02 The Lord said, "It's not up to you to know 29:03 the times and the seasons which the Father put in My own hand." 29:06 It is not up to us and so often we are so determined 29:09 that we want to know when Jesus comes, 29:11 we look at EVERY prophetic sign... 29:13 Okay, all the four beasts of Daniel are fulfilled. 29:17 We're down to the last beast of Daniel. 29:20 Yes, the undescript iron-toothed beast that represents Rome. 29:24 Okay, good - there ain't no more after that. 29:27 We're at the seventh church of the seven churches, 29:29 we're in Laodicea - ain't no more churches after that. 29:32 Praise God for prophecy. 29:39 But I'm going to suggest to you... because we know that, 29:43 because we know that, it ought to motivate us 29:48 to do all we can, all in our power to hasten the coming of 29:53 our Lord. Amen? Amen! 29:58 It's easy to say, "Well... and I think part of the 30:00 challenge we have down here is we have a whole lot of 30:03 satellites over there doing the work for us. 30:08 But thank God for people like John, Don and Janelle and 30:13 before that Joe O'Brien and all our ministry departments 30:16 that are active - thank God for those that ARE active, 30:19 but I have been told by inspiration, Ellen White says, 30:22 "The Holy Spirit will not be poured out corporately until 30:27 the majority of the church is working for the 30:30 coming of Jesus. 30:32 So what does the devil want us to do? 30:33 He wants us to stand here gazing... 30:36 Do you think He's coming before the next presidency? 30:43 He should have come before this one. 30:47 No Amen is necessary. 30:51 That was not a political statement. 30:56 Do you think global warming is a sign 30:58 that Jesus is coming soon? 31:01 You know what the sign of the coming of Jesus is? 31:03 His church getting busy, that's what the sign is. 31:08 "Blessed is the man when the Lord comes, so find him doing." 31:12 The Lord is looking for an active church, 31:14 not a church that just has a belief because I would 31:16 suggest to you that if while we are looking for Jesus 31:19 does not affect how we use our time, 31:21 then what we believe doesn't matter. 31:24 If WHY we are looking for the return of Jesus does not 31:29 affect how we use the time He has given us, 31:31 then WHAT we believe doesn't matter. 31:37 Because Apple said, "People don't buy what you make, 31:40 they buy WHY you make it," and it's true to this very day. 31:48 Matthew 28:18-20, that's where you are and I'm reading 31:53 this in the King James Version for there's a particular 31:55 reason I want to make that's included in this translation... 32:02 And He said to them, "All power is given Me in... where? 32:06 Heaven and in... earth. 32:09 Go ye therefore and do... what? 32:11 "Teach all nations." 32:13 You know, when Donald said "Benton," 32:16 in my mind I said, "Why not Thompsonville? Come on... 32:20 Why not West Frankfort? Why not Galatia? 32:25 Why not Metropolis?" 32:27 We've got a responsibility to plant in every field 32:31 around us, but I can understand... 32:34 You know, sometimes we think "Well, I would do more, 32:37 if more people would respond, but I don't know how many 32:40 people I'm going to get, so I'm going to narrow it 32:41 down to Benton - if we could start there." 32:44 But I would like to suggest to you, the more feet on the 32:46 ground, the more preparation for the coming of Jesus. 32:49 The more people will know that Jesus is soon to come. 32:52 And He has called us to take our time and use it in preparation 32:58 for His soon return. 33:00 Jesus said to them, "All power is given unto Me." 33:04 How much power church? All power... 33:06 In heaven and in earth and here's the commission... 33:24 And I like this part... "And lo, I am with you how often? 33:27 ALWAYS, even unto the end of the world." 33:31 Why we are looking for Jesus to return does not affect 33:34 how we use our time than what we believe 33:37 does not matter. 33:38 We have often tried to convince people to follow Jesus 33:43 by what we believe... follow me carefully. 33:47 What do you believe? 33:48 I believe in the Sabbath. 33:50 I believe that when you die, you rest in the grave. 33:53 I believe that we're living in the hour of judgment. 33:56 I believe in the literal, visible, physical 33:59 second coming of Christ. 34:00 And they say, "Oh that's well, that's supported by Scripture," 34:03 and oftentimes people become Seventh-day Adventist 34:07 Christians based on the fact that when you walk 34:10 through our 28-Fundamentals, the reality is 34:13 you cannot argue with them because they are 34:14 Scripturally based. 34:17 But, if you become a Christian intellectually and not become 34:20 one in your heart, then you don't have any 34:23 motive to do anything to get anybody else where you 34:25 already are. 34:37 And I suggest if that was the only "why" that Jesus used, 34:41 then they wouldn't be as motivated as they were, 34:44 but there was another "why" that Jesus had introduced to them. 34:47 Let's go to Luke 24:1... There was another "why" 34:50 that preceded this second "why." 34:55 Luke 24:1-6... "Now on the first day of the week, Luke 24:1, 35:02 The first "why" - "Very early in the morning 35:08 THEY and certain other women with them came to the 35:12 tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. 35:16 But they found the stone - what? 35:19 Rolled away from the tomb. 35:30 That behold - there they are again. 35:34 Two men, I would suggest the same two men that was 35:37 at the ascension of Jesus, Angels... 35:41 Two men stood by them in shining garments. 35:49 They said to them - what did they say? 35:52 "Why?" Why do you seek the living among the dead? 35:56 He is not here, but is risen." 35:58 Can the church say Amen? 36:00 We don't serve a dead Lord, we serve a risen Lord. 36:03 There is no... let me make it clear - there is NO 36:05 religion or philosophy on the planet that can claim 36:10 that their Lord or their leader is still alive today. 36:21 They go to honor Him at this tomb and that tomb 36:24 in this shrine and that shrine, but we don't have a 36:27 hole in the ground where our Lord is - He is risen. 36:30 Come on church, say Amen. Amen! 36:32 But here's the question... You see the "why" of the 36:36 risen Savior REVIVED the disciples. 36:39 The "why" of the ascended Savior empowered the disciples. 36:42 You see because He has risen, and because He ascended, 36:47 the reviving of their hopes became the 36:50 empowerment of their mission. 36:51 They said, "Wait a minute, we thought that when 36:54 He went to the cross, that was it!" 36:56 That wasn't it - Jesus went to the cross to bring us with Him. 37:00 But when He comes back again, He's gonna take us with Him, 37:03 but between the going to the cross and going to heaven, 37:06 there's a work that God has called every one of us to do, 37:09 and the good news of the risen Savior was what they preached... 37:13 But the promise of the returning Savior was WHY they preached. 37:18 The risen Savior, what they preached, 37:21 the promise of His return was "why" they preached, 37:25 and I say to you today, Christianity is greatly 37:27 divided because of what we believe. 37:30 Baptists argue with Adventists. 37:32 Catholic argue with Pentecostals. 37:35 Presbyterians argue with Jehovah Witnesses. 37:38 But I'd like to suggest to you today - if we examine why 37:41 our beliefs are what they are and measured it by the 37:44 Bible, I would say today, the walls of separation 37:48 would come down. 37:53 Praise the Lord. 37:57 Thank you Bob. 38:00 If Christians today... we don't bring down the walls 38:05 to follow the pope, we bring down the walls 38:08 to follow Jesus. 38:09 We don't bring down the walls just to agree, 38:12 when you study God's word, it will bring the walls down. 38:18 I cannot forget Harmon and Helen... 38:22 Harmon is now resting in Jesus... 38:24 You see the "why" is powerful... 38:26 The "why" will rip you from your lackadaisical position 38:29 as a Christian and FORCE you to determine 38:33 where your future is going to be. 38:34 Harmon showed up - you may remember, 38:36 for this has been a number of years ago. 38:37 "Harmon," I never forgot, we were ending prayer meeting... 38:40 One Wednesday night in the sanctuary, right here... 38:44 and Harmon and his wife stood over there and after the 38:47 meeting was done, I walked over to them... 38:49 I said, "He looked like a stately gentleman, 38:51 he looked like an elder... I said, "Are you an 38:52 elder in the Adventist Church?" 38:55 He said, "Naow," you know Harmon. 38:57 I said, "Are you a deacon?" "Naow." 39:01 I said, "Are you a member?" "Naow." 39:04 I said, "Are you visiting through ABN?" "Naow." 39:07 I said, "Then what brings you here?" "You." 39:09 I said, "Explain." 39:12 He said, "About 6 months ago 39:16 when you were doing "House Calls," 39:18 you challenged me - you said, "Why do you go... 39:22 WHY do you go to church on Sunday?" 39:25 And I said, "Look up these five words and whatever 39:27 you follow, whatever your discover, take it to your 39:30 pastor and ask him to explain it." 39:33 Look up - Saturday, Sunday, 7th day, first day and Sabbath. 39:36 And he said, "I did that and that's why I'm here." 39:45 In his 70s, his wife in her 70s, he was an elder 39:49 in his church 39 years, his wife - treasurer 37 years. 39:52 They were where they were because of WHAT they believed, 39:57 and it defined HOW they worshipped, 40:00 but when they asked the question, "WHY we are 40:03 where we are and WHY we believe what we believe," 40:07 it ripped them from 39 and 37 years of being 40:11 in an "almost" place to where God wanted them to be. 40:18 I said, "Tell me the story." 40:19 He said, "Well I went to my pastor and I asked him 40:21 "why, why?" 40:22 He said, "Why?" What did he say, "Why, 40:24 pastor, WHY don't we keep the Sabbath, WHY?" 40:28 The pastor said, "Look, I'm the pastor, you're the member... 40:31 I preach, you listen." 40:33 That was his testimony 40:35 He said, "That ain't good enough." 40:36 So he got upset and went away for 2 weeks 40:38 down to Alabama in his fifth wheel. 40:39 Came back and said, "Pastor, "I'm going to ask you again," 40:41 "Why don't we talk about the Sabbath?" 40:43 He said, "Well, in this church you will no longer 40:45 be teaching Sunday School, you are no longer an elder, 40:47 you'll be sitting down from this point on." 40:50 He said, "That's not good enough." 40:52 He took him to the office and he stood there talking 40:54 to the pastor and he looked at the bible and he said, 40:56 "Pastor, I notice your Bible is highlighted so much, 40:59 so WHY don't we keep the Sabbath?" 41:01 He said, "Well the things that are highlighted in my Bible 41:04 ... I never forgot this... he said, "The things that are 41:07 highlighted are the things they told me 41:08 NEVER to talk about." 41:14 And then the next Sunday, he asked him one more time... 41:17 "Pastor, WHY don't you talk about the Sabbath." 41:20 He said, "Look, you got the problem, you solve it." 41:23 He said, "I am, I'm going to the Adventist Church." 41:26 Laughter... And he came here and they got baptized, 41:29 well in their 70s... his son, Mike and Mary, 41:33 they said, when I met them, "Our dad has lost his mind!" 41:38 Four months later, they got baptized, come on say Amen! 41:41 You see, when you ask the question "WHY?" 41:43 it may look like your mind is SHOT, 41:45 but the Bible will clear up any mind that seems to be wandering. 41:49 The Word of God is a Book of light, 41:51 and I would suggest to you, the turning point in every 41:54 Christian will come when we examine what we believe 41:57 and measure it by the word of God... 41:59 But what's happening in the world today is Christians 42:02 Fare not like the Bereans. 42:03 Look at Acts 17:11- They're not like the Bereans, 42:06 they are not like the New Testament Church. 42:08 When somebody says, "I'm a New Testament Christian, 42:11 I'd say, "Well if you are, then you must be examining 42:14 the Scriptures!" Look at the Bible... 42:16 The Bereans... The Bible says... 42:27 And they searched the Scriptures how often? 42:34 You know, you might be listening on the radio 42:37 right now to this sermon or maybe watching it on television, 42:39 I don't know where you are, but I want to ask you, 42:41 I want to challenge you... Why are you a Baptist? 42:43 Why are you a Presbyterian? 42:44 Why are you a Catholic? 42:46 Why are you a Lutheran? 42:47 And I want you to challenge everything you believe by 42:50 God's word! 42:55 But there's no third category... 42:57 God's not coming back for denominations, 42:59 He's coming back for those who serve Him and worship Him 43:01 in Spirit AND in truth. 43:05 And I would suggest to you today that Scriptural 43:07 integrity has been weakened by WHAT we believe 43:10 rather than why we believe it. 43:12 You cannot read the Bible and end up in the dark. 43:15 You cannot study the Scriptures and end up 43:17 in the wrong place and I would also like to add that when you 43:22 study the Bible, whatever didn't make sense 43:24 will make sense when you let the Bible supersede 43:27 what you precede - let the Bible be the guide. 43:31 2 Timothy 3:16- Here's why God has given us His word... 43:35 He says, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, 43:39 and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, 43:44 for instruction in righteousness." 43:46 When you read the word of God, and you follow the word of God, 43:50 the word of God is a light, it will always lead us 43:52 out of darkness into this marvelous light. 43:55 The Psalmist David said... 43:59 But I had to ask the question... Then why are so many 44:04 Christians in the dark and I bumped into the 44:07 "Protestant Reformation," and during the "Dark Ages," 44:13 just before the Protestant Reformation was born, 44:17 Roman Catholicism had come up with a method 44:23 that has become today one of the single most 44:26 prominent reasons why there is so much darkness 44:29 in other churches. 44:33 Listen to the record... According to Roman Catholic 44:37 theology, there are two sources of revelation which constitutes 44:42 a single, what they call, "deposit of faith," 44:45 meaning the entirety of divine revelation and the belief 44:50 for the deposit of faith, they say is transmitted 44:53 to successive generations in two methods... 44:56 in "sacred Scripture" and what they call "sacred tradition." 45:01 "Sacred Scripture" and they decide what 45:05 "sacred tradition" is. 45:08 And then they said, "These interpretations are 45:10 communicated through what they call, The Magisterium." 45:14 In other words, the magisterium of the Catholic Church is a 45:18 board of authority, a clergy made up of the pope and 45:21 the bishops and THEY decide, as they look at the Bible, 45:26 they decide - hear me carefully, they decide what in the Bible 45:31 matches their tradition. 45:34 If the Bible doesn't match their tradition, 45:38 they leave it out. 45:40 In 1565, Pope Reggio elevated tradition above the Bible... 45:46 How else can people keep Sunday with no Scriptural authority, 45:50 and find that Sunday satisfies because they have not 45:53 stood on God's word... 45:55 They haven't asked "Why do I observe Sunday?" 46:01 Let the Bible be the final authority. Amen somebody! 46:04 And the main reason why we should not take man's word 46:07 above God's word is that Paul the Apostle warned 46:11 his protégé Timothy. 46:12 In 1 Timothy 4:1, he says, "Now the Spirit expressly says, 46:17 that in latter times... Are we living in latter times? 46:31 That's the hour in which we're living today. 46:33 "Doctrines of demons." 46:35 The unfortunate thing and the beautiful thing... 46:37 the unfortunate thing is some people are in darkness; 46:40 the beautiful thing is Jesus is not content to leave those 46:45 that love Him in darkness. 46:49 He doesn't like Babylon, but He says, "My people 46:52 are there." 46:53 An as a church, if there's ever a time that we need to 46:56 preach with fervency and dedication, 46:58 the "Three Angels Messages," I want to pause and say this... 47:02 Thank the Lord, I'm not exulting an individual, 47:06 but I don't believe that Three ABN would have had a 47:09 32-year-history if Danny forgot that the reason WHY 47:14 it exists is to preach an undiluted Three Angels Messages, 47:21 one that will counteract the counterfeit. 47:24 The single most important reason WHY it still exists today 47:28 in spite of all the bombs that have been shot at it; 47:31 in spite of all the innuendos and the false reports, 47:35 and the stories and the books written to try to sink 47:37 this wafting ship - it still stands today because we have 47:42 not forgotten why we are here. 47:44 ANY institution would lose its relevance when they forget 47:49 why they're there. 47:51 You don't sell ice cream because people want ice cream. 47:54 And then they give you surveys, 4 out of 5 dentists surveyed 47:58 recommend "Trident," you remember that commercial? 48:00 Trident! Who told you that they speak for us? 48:04 Why you do what you do must be the motivation 48:08 when you grip the call of God when you proclaim 48:12 unashamedly but lovingly a message designed to bring 48:17 people out of darkness, it will accomplish 48:19 what God has ordained for it to accomplish... 48:22 And I say today, that God has called us to be an unashamed 48:27 people, but a people filled with the love of those that 48:31 do not yet know what God's word says. 48:36 But there is something that's equally debilitating... 48:40 What can be worse than being in darkness is knowing 48:43 the truth and not allowing it to impact the way we live. 48:48 It's one thing to be in darkness, 48:49 it's one thing to be deceived, but it's something all together 48:52 different to say, "I know, but what I know has no 48:55 impact on how I live. 48:57 That's why the "what" is your belief; 48:59 the "why" is your authority and your inspiration. 49:02 WHY do I believe the Bible's Sabbath is from 49:07 sunset Friday to sunset Sabbath? 49:10 You see I'm not just talking to you, there are people 49:12 that are listening; there are people that will be driving 49:16 in their cars; sitting at home on their televisions 49:19 that need to know the message, I don't just want to 49:22 talk to the choir. 49:23 God has given us the responsibility to plant seeds 49:26 in those lives of this community and the hearts 49:30 and minds of those around the world. 49:35 So what I believe will never be the driving force, 49:38 but WHY I believe it will always maintain 49:41 the driving force. 49:43 Fashions will change, time will change, 49:45 but WHY I do what I do will never change. 49:50 That's why ever year, somebody is 49:52 fighting for the championship. 49:54 The WHOLE purpose of 106 games season in baseball, 49:58 in 80 games in the NBA, and however many games 50:01 in football and however many games in hockey, 50:04 the only thing that motivates, the only reason WHY they 50:07 do it is because somebody needs to win. 50:11 Isn't that ridiculous? 50:13 Billions of dollars every year, so at the very end 50:16 somebody could say... "I won." 50:21 But I want to tell you if people can be motivated 50:27 to go and watch a leather ball being thrown 50:29 through a metal hoop. 50:31 I love the game but I love Jesus more than I love the game. 50:36 And this thing that the Lord has given to us 50:39 should always motivate us to go beyond just what we do 50:44 and how we do it. 50:46 You see we argue about what we do and how we do it, 50:50 but if why we do it is the motivating force, 50:56 then it will impact the hearts and lives of everyone 51:02 who firmly believes that Jesus is coming again. 51:08 Today, I want to challenge you, today I want to ask you to 51:15 ask yourself the question why, 51:17 why am I a Seventh-day Adventist, 51:20 why do I come to church, WHY? 51:25 Why do I believe what I believe? 51:32 Why have I given my life or have I given my life, 51:37 or why have I not given my life to what I believe. 51:42 The ultimate authority behind WHY and WHAT and HOW 51:49 we do it should always be Jesus. 51:53 We don't have to know Jesus to desire 51:54 to keep the commandments, but if we know WHY 51:56 the commandments should be kept, then how we keep them 52:01 will be a blessing. 52:02 We don't have to be kind, but if we know Jesus 52:08 WHY we are kind will affect how we live. 52:12 We don't have to know Jesus to be vegan and vegetarians, 52:17 but if why we eat that way and live that way is 52:20 because we know WHY Jesus, it will affect how we live. 52:29 The answer to the question why will affect everything we do. 52:35 Why would David try to fight a giant? 52:39 Why would Daniel risk the lion's den? 52:42 Why would the Hebrews even want the chance going into the 52:50 furnace of fire? 52:51 Why? Because they had a connection with God. 52:59 They had a connection with not just their Jewish beliefs, 53:03 nor traditions that they learned before they were exiles 53:07 in Babylon - they had a connection with God. 53:11 Today, if you don't have a connection with God, 53:19 I want you to ask the question why? 53:23 And I would suggest to you that if you ask the question why, 53:29 and turn to God's word, you'll discover that the 53:34 answer to the question why will always be Jesus. 53:40 And when the answer comes clear, and we can stand firm on 53:43 our what, we can firm on our how, but we've got to begin 53:52 with our why. 53:53 And then finally, when the why, what and how are all together, 53:58 we could answer the question of the angels... 54:02 "Why do you stand gazing?" 54:03 I don't want to just look for Jesus to come, 54:06 I want to work for the coming of our Lord, what do you say? 54:09 I want to invite Pastor Joe Arner to come, come on Brother Joe, 54:12 Pastor Joe. 54:14 I love this man, we've had so many conversations, 54:18 we've had a lot of prayer together. 54:21 We're praying for the Arner family. 54:22 When God calls a man, He does not revoke that call. 54:26 Can the church say Amen? 54:29 We're praying for God to... I'm going to ask 54:30 just before our closing song, but first I'm going to 54:36 ask Pastor Joe to pray. 54:40 He used to drive so far every day just to bring his daughters 54:46 to our school years ago, Rachel and Joella, 54:51 and one of them is going to be getting married soon. 54:54 Very soon... Very soon. 54:56 You get close to the microphone, but I'm going to ask you 54:59 this morning, Pastor Joe, to pray that the people of God, 55:03 your family, all of us, will ask ourselves why are we 55:10 Christians, why are we Adventists, why do we do what 55:12 we do and I hope that the answer to that will cause us not 55:17 to just stand gazing but to get busy about the coming of Jesus. 55:22 Why don't you pray for us this morning? 55:26 Father in Heaven, We're here with our hearts 55:30 having been prodded by Your word. 55:34 We felt the warmth from being close to You 55:37 in the presence of Jesus, but we know also that the 55:40 closer we come to You, the more deeply You are a 55:45 part of our lives - the hotter the flame becomes and the 55:50 warmth becomes burning embers within us. 55:55 Lord, some of us have been warm for a long time. 55:59 Some have been just longing to be warm. 56:05 Lord, You know the heart of every individual, 56:07 we're all part of Your family, we're all Your children, 56:10 and we're all wanting You to come soon. 56:14 We live in a world that reminds us daily that it is not 56:19 what You intended it to be. 56:20 From our own personal lives to the experiences that we see 56:25 around us, the music that we hear sharing those same stories, 56:33 and Lord, we're thankful that we have not followed 56:37 cunningly devised fables, that You have made a promise 56:42 that You're going to follow through with 56:44 and we don't want to be among those individuals who have 56:47 said, "My Lord has delayed His coming," and begin 56:50 to smite one another. 56:52 Lord, we want to be among those individuals who have said 56:55 "My Lord has delayed His coming" so that we can 56:59 SHARE, we can tell MORE, we can increase the harvest, 57:05 and we would ask You, Lord, humbly on our knees, 57:09 You would, Father, forgive us for our sins 57:12 that You would fill us deeply, fully with the power 57:16 of the Holy Spirit and that, Lord, we might 57:19 rise to the feet to the calling that You have given 57:22 to each of us to go out into the field of labor 57:25 that You have set before us and that Your name would be 57:28 glorified and that when You do come, 57:32 we would all rise up together arm-in-arm with great 57:36 smiles on our faces with joy unexpressible 57:40 of what You have done for us. 57:43 Thank You Jesus for Pastor John, for Angela, for their ministry 57:48 here in this church and for every individual here, 57:51 You're touching hearts today. 57:53 May each one of us come closer to You as we look forward 57:57 to Your coming soon. 57:59 In Your Holy Name we ask... Amen |
Revised 2018-01-23