Participants: C.A. Murray
Series Code: TWH
Program Code: TWH000023A
|
00:30 Shall we pray?
00:32 Father God, we ask again that You would be our teacher 00:38 that You would makeup for the deficiencies 00:40 of a human instrument with divine grace 00:43 so that we may be pleased to hear a word from the Lord. 00:50 We ask that You would fill our minds with Your Spirit 00:55 so that we may receive that word 00:58 and walk in the light of that word. 01:02 And we thank You Father in Jesus name, amen. 01:07 I'm in Luke 7 beginning at verse 24. 01:16 The Bible says, "When the messengers 01:18 of John had departed," 01:19 I'm reading from the New King James, 01:21 "He began to speak to the multitudes 01:25 concerning John, 01:28 what did you go out in the wilderness to see? 01:35 A reed shaken by the wind? 01:38 But what did you go out to see? 01:43 A man clothed in soft garments? 01:46 Indeed those who are gorgeously appareled 01:50 and live in luxury are in kings' courts. 01:55 But what did you go out to see? 01:59 A prophet? 02:00 Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. 02:04 This is he of whom it is written: 02:08 'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, 02:13 Who will prepare Your way before You.'" 02:19 John and Jesus as, you know, were cousins. 02:22 They were first cousins, children of two sisters. 02:26 Six months apart in age, John was the older of the two. 02:34 John had heard the story of Jesus' birth. 02:40 John also knew about Jesus in a temple at age 12. 02:45 John was aware of Jesus' sinless life, 02:50 but he had no hard evidence 02:54 that Jesus was the Son of God. 02:59 All of the evidence that 03:00 John had about the life of Jesus 03:03 was circumstantial and heresy, he had never met Jesus. 03:09 They've never seen each other, he'd never laid eyes on Jesus 03:13 so all of his belief in Jesus had to be the same 03:16 as your belief in Jesus, you follow me? 03:21 So when he began to preach about this person 03:25 who was coming after him, he was preaching in faith 03:29 because he had never seen Him. 03:31 He didn't know Him, he had never talked with Him, 03:33 he had never touched Him, he was following in faith, 03:38 just like you have to follow in faith, amen? 03:42 Jesus was an urban preacher. 03:46 John was a rural preacher. 03:50 In fact, Ellen White tells us 03:52 that Christ specifically went to Galilee 03:55 just to kind of stay out of John's heir 03:59 'cause there was some confusion there, 04:01 and we're going to talk about that in just a minute. 04:05 So John knew about Christ, but he had never met Him. 04:12 The first time he laid eyes on Jesus was at His baptism. 04:20 John knew instinctively that he was in the presence 04:22 of somebody special, amen. 04:27 Somebody different, he could see it, 04:29 he could intuit the fact that this is a different guy 04:33 and out of his mouth came those words, 04:35 "Behold, the Lamb of God 04:39 which taketh away the sins of the world." 04:44 But Ellen White tells us when he made those statements, 04:47 he didn't fully understand what he was saying. 04:51 He was simply speaking 04:52 under the unction of the Holy Spirit. 04:55 Out of his mouth came these words 04:57 that he did not totally understand himself. 05:00 He saw Jesus coming down, he said, 05:02 "Behold, the Lamb of God 05:05 who takes away the sins of the world." 05:07 He was moved by the Holy Spirit, 05:09 but he didn't know quite what those words meant. 05:15 Now John had been divinely informed 05:18 that two things were going to happen to him 05:19 during that baptism. 05:21 The angel had told him this. 05:23 Remember, this is the same Gabriel 05:25 giving John these words 05:27 who had talked with Daniel 500 years earlier. 05:31 This is a high person in the ranking of heaven. 05:39 John had been given two words of instruction, 05:42 "This is going to happen at your baptism. 05:44 Number one, Jesus is going to come 05:47 and you got to baptize it. 05:50 Two, something is going to happen at that baptism 05:55 to prove to you that this is the Son of God." 06:00 "So he's going to come to you to be baptized, 06:02 and I'm going to give you a little sign at that baptism 06:07 to let you know that this is the Son of God. 06:10 So when you announce Him, 06:12 you will have incontrovertible proof 06:15 that the person you are announcing to the world 06:17 is indeed the Son of God. 06:18 It will be a little sign between me and you." 06:23 Now here's the thing about faith. 06:27 If God connected all of the dots, 06:33 you wouldn't need any faith. 06:35 Amen. 06:38 I said amen. Amen. 06:40 Yeah, if God placed everything in order 06:44 and showed you the end from the beginning, 06:47 you would not have to exercise any faith. 06:56 But God didn't do that, 06:59 and He didn't do it even for John. 07:02 The truth is the just shall live by including John. 07:08 Now I am the kind of person, 07:12 I don't particularly like to exercise faith. 07:19 I would rather have it all kind of laid out for me. 07:27 Yes, nicer that way. Amen. 07:32 I said amen. Amen. 07:34 Yeah, it is. 07:36 It's nice when you have to exercise faith. 07:39 I got plenty of money in the bank. 07:48 Don't worry about paying bills, 07:51 I wish, you wish too. 07:57 Be nice to have all your college kids. 08:00 You got one, two, three, 08:01 you are like a whole army right there. 08:05 Be nicer you had enough money 08:07 to pay for everybody's schooling. 08:10 Here take Alexis. 08:17 Be nice to have that. 08:19 Life be a lot smoother, a lot less stressful. 08:25 But God doesn't work that way. 08:28 You see it is not God's intention 08:31 to answer every question now, amen. 08:35 You will go into heaven with some questions unanswered. 08:41 I'll answer every question for you now. 08:43 Something you'll be scratching your head 08:46 over until you are sent through the clouds 08:49 into the city, 08:50 at that point it will not matter. 08:51 Amen. Amen. 08:53 It is not God's intention to answer every question now. 09:00 Some questions you not gonna get answers to right now. 09:03 And I'm sure everybody can think of something you wish 09:05 that you could just turn to Jesus and say, 09:07 "What about that? 09:11 What about my children? What about my parents? 09:15 What about my siblings? 09:18 They're going to be same? What about me?" 09:25 Not His intension to answer every question now. 09:27 Two, it is not His intention to remove every obstacle now. 09:37 So you got to pray for school money. 09:42 He's not going to remove every obstacle 09:44 and surprise, surprise, 09:46 you don't need every obstacle removed. 09:50 You can't build of any muscle, walking over a smooth road. 09:58 You can't develop any faith 10:00 when the highway is always level. 10:03 Sometimes you got to climb. 10:07 So He's not going to answer every question, 10:09 He's not going to remove every obstacle. 10:11 As good as your life is God's going to leave 10:15 some stones in the road. 10:19 And you need those stones. 10:22 Amen. 10:23 Every now and again you got to take off your shoe 10:26 and shake out the rocks, 10:32 because He leaves stones in a road. 10:34 And though we don't like them, we need those stones. 10:37 Amen? 10:39 So it's not His intention to remove every obstacle. 10:42 It is not God's intention to make life too easy 10:46 down here right now. 10:50 So even those of you who can say 10:52 and we all should be able to say God is good, 10:55 you cannot say, life is perfect. 11:00 And if life was perfect, you would lose, 11:03 you would have a disincentive to go to heaven 11:08 because I got my heaven now. 11:11 One of the things that make heaven 11:14 so desirable is the fact that it's so much better 11:17 than anything we got down here. 11:22 So He's not going to answer every question, Rosemary. 11:26 He not going to remove every obstacle, 11:29 and He's not going to let you get too comfortable 11:32 because you know yourself 11:34 the moment things get too comfortable, 11:37 we get lazy. 11:40 So every now and again, 11:42 God throws a little wrinkle in there 11:47 because you need that wrinkle. 11:49 Amen. 11:51 And it makes you long for heaven. 12:00 Nobody gets a pass on exercising their faith. 12:06 Nobody. 12:08 Nobody gets a scholarship on faith. 12:13 You have to exercise that yourself. 12:15 Amen? Amen. 12:19 I'm looking at Desire of Ages, page 111 that's for my... 12:23 "No one on earth had understood Him, 12:27 and during His ministry He must still walk alone. 12:32 Throughout His life His mother, 12:35 His brothers did not comprehend His mission. 12:39 Even His disciples did not understand Him. 12:43 He had dwelt in eternal light, as one with God, 12:47 but His life on earth must be spent in solitude. 12:50 Every sin, every discord, every defiling lust 12:54 that transgression had brought, was torture to His spirit." 12:59 Now this was said about Jesus, not John. 13:03 So Jesus didn't get a pass on faith. 13:07 He had to reach out and take the same hand of omnipotence 13:10 that you have to take. 13:13 I'm tempted to go into something 13:14 and it's going to take too much time, 13:16 so I'll do it real short. 13:17 I'll be kind to you. 13:19 When we talk about Jesus, we talk about... 13:22 And the difference between Christ and us, 13:24 I said this in worship a couple weeks ago, 13:26 we talk about infirmities and propensities, 13:28 infirmities and propensities, infirmities and propensities. 13:31 Christ had the same infirmities as you, 13:34 He got hungry, He sweat, He got tired, and He did sleep. 13:37 He did not have the propensities. 13:39 In other word, He didn't have the bent towards sin 13:41 that we have, you follow me. 13:42 He had the infirmities. 13:44 He came in 6,000 years of human degeneration, 13:47 so He had the infirmities, 13:48 He did not have the propensities. 13:50 Now unless you think that He had some advantages, 13:52 let me ask you this question, 13:53 is it easier to get clean or stay clean? 14:00 Let me ask it in another way. 14:02 Is it harder to get clean or stay clean? 14:09 It's harder to stay clean. 14:13 Christ came clean, but He had to stay clean. 14:18 Yeah, He had to stay clean. How did He stay clean? 14:22 Several years ago I was doing the wedding 14:23 at the Amityville Seventh-day Adventist Church, Bethesda. 14:26 Wedding was three hours late, bride broke a heel, 14:31 she had to go get some shoes, Sunday afternoon. 14:33 Folks sitting around, running to McDonalds 14:36 and whatnot just wasting time. 14:39 Three hours late. 14:41 In the pastor's study, they were repairing 14:43 the pastor's study and walls were torn down 14:46 and things are going on and into the pastor's study ran 14:49 a fairly impressive sized mouse. 14:55 And you should have seen those bridesmaids 14:57 in their lovely dresses hacking up 14:59 and heading up to the top of my desk. 15:03 And the little boy, there was a flower boy 15:05 had on a white suit, 15:08 white suit, white shirt, white tie, white shoes, 15:10 which by the time that mouse left was pitch black. 15:19 Harder to get clean or stay clean? 15:21 Harder to stay clean. 15:24 Jesus had to rely on God 15:26 just like you have to rely on God. 15:28 Jesus had a fully functioning relationship with God 15:31 that He had to keep fully functioning. 15:35 Amen. So it's harder to stay. 15:44 Jesus needed faith and trust in His Father 15:47 just like we need faith and trust in God. 15:51 And so at that baptism in the Jordan, 15:56 God sent John a secret, 16:01 personal, audio, visual message. 16:09 The heavens open, light shone down on Jesus, 16:14 the Holy Spirit assumed the form of a dove 16:20 and sat on His head. 16:22 A voice was heard from heaven 16:24 that to many sounded like thunder, 16:28 but it was actually God confirming 16:31 His acceptance of this service. 16:35 "This is My beloved Son," you know, it, "In whom I am..." 16:40 To a lot of people, it sounded like thunder, 16:45 but John heard it clearly. 16:49 John knew what was being said. 16:53 John, we are told, was moved by what He saw. 16:59 He saw Jesus pleading with tears 17:04 and the approval of His Father. 17:07 Most of the people didn't know what they were seeing, 17:12 but John saw it and recognized it. 17:17 And Ellen White says, "Christ prayed a prayer 17:20 on the banks of the Jordan that day 17:23 that even angels have never heard 17:26 such a prayer," 17:29 pleading for the acceptance of God 17:33 because He knew the task that was before Him. 17:39 He knew how hard men's hearts were. 17:42 And so He's pleading for the presence of God. 17:46 John is in the presence of all of this, 17:50 but here's the warning for you and for me, 17:53 it is the spiritual descent 17:56 from, "Behold, the Lamb of God 18:01 to do we look for another." 18:04 How do you go? 18:06 How do you go from behold the Lamb of God, 18:11 a statement of ultimate affirmation. 18:14 Two, are you the real deal or do I need to find another? 18:21 How you go from one high to such a low, low, 18:27 that's what we need to wrestle with today. 18:32 I'll say, can you see the difference? 18:39 Has anyone here ever had a season of doubt? 18:42 Anyone? 18:44 I mean, it just crept upon you, you doubted yourself, 18:50 you doubted your surrender, 18:52 you doubted if God was listening. 18:54 Anybody remember? 18:56 "Lord You, is somebody up there?" 19:00 You had that? 19:08 "Are you a real God? 19:11 Should I begin looking for somebody else?" 19:19 The truth is, brothers and sisters, 19:20 it could happen to anyone of us. 19:25 Sometimes you, things get you in your life 19:28 that really have you questioning 19:29 your walk with the Lord. 19:31 Anybody know what I'm taking about? 19:34 You go through stuff and you wonder, 19:36 "What in the world. Is this thing real?" 19:45 "John had by nature, Ellen White says, 19:52 "The faults and weaknesses common to humanity." 19:57 So John the Baptist was no superman, 20:04 he was the forerunner of Christ, 20:07 he was preordained and predestined for his role. 20:13 No one ever was constructed more to suit their role in life 20:19 than was John the Baptist. 20:22 He was cookie cutter cutout to be the held of Christ. 20:29 He was blessed in the womb. 20:34 You remember when Elizabeth and Mary caught together 20:36 and Elizabeth heard Mary's voice 20:38 and the Bible said the baby leapt. 20:43 So in the womb, he was set up to be, 20:48 but it didn't give him a pass on the issues of life. 20:53 Everybody doubts. 20:57 Are you God? No, no, no. 21:00 Not me, I'm always confident. 21:05 Everybody has doubt. 21:07 And God understands those doubts. 21:09 You see, God has no problem with your doubts. 21:14 God just doesn't want you to quit. 21:19 No problem with doubts, you can doubt. 21:22 Hey, you can shake your finger in God's face. 21:27 You can say to the Lord, "I just don't see it." 21:34 You heard that before. 21:36 You think you invented that term? 21:40 And He has dealt with it before. 21:42 And as long as you're willing to see it, 21:45 He will open your eye. 21:47 Amen. 21:49 We all get times when your knees 21:51 get little weak, it happens. 21:56 But that didn't turned God off, was not afraid of that. 21:59 You're not backing down 22:01 because you're shaking your finger. 22:03 I watch that finger shaking up. 22:09 He dealt with that before. 22:12 So John had by nature the faults and weaknesses 22:15 common to humanity, 22:18 but the touch of divine love had transformed him. 22:23 So he started out just like anybody else. 22:28 But he knew who God was and God knew who he was, 22:32 and God had changed his life. 22:35 So he was prepared for doubt. 22:39 Amen. 22:40 So prepare yourself that sometime in your life, 22:44 doubt is going to creep in on you. 22:46 So it doesn't surprise you because when it comes to you, 22:50 the only person who will be surprised is you. 22:54 Amen. 22:56 God knows it's coming, Satan knows it's coming, 22:59 so be prepared for it. 23:00 Because guess what? It's coming. 23:03 Amen. 23:04 And let me say this to you also. 23:07 God never sends discouragement, ever, not in His arsenal. 23:13 Amen. Amen. 23:16 Amen. 23:17 I didn't hear you. Amen. 23:19 Yeah, discouragement does not come from Lord. 23:23 So anytime you're in, 23:24 "Nobody knows the trouble I've seen, 23:26 let me find a nice tall building, 23:27 so I can jump," didn't come from God. 23:30 He doesn't send discouragement. 23:32 God knows there's enough in the world 23:35 to be discouraged about 23:36 without Him sending discouragement. 23:37 He doesn't do it. 23:40 So when you get into that, I'm done. 23:43 That's not God. 23:46 Let's see, it's not God. 23:56 So when you get discouraged to the point you want to quit, 24:00 that's not God, that's the enemy of your soul, 24:05 because discouragement is not in His arsenal. 24:10 So John had the same faults and weaknesses... 24:13 You know, I told you about this two weeks ago. 24:15 It doesn't work, just happened. 24:21 And I can read that one back there. 24:33 "John dwelt in an atmosphere..." 24:35 I'm in Desire of Ages, page, I think this is 179. 24:39 "He dwelt in an atmosphere uncontaminated 24:42 with selfishness and ambition, and far above jealousy." 24:46 Now that's important, 24:47 John the Baptist didn't have an ego. 24:51 Amen. 24:53 He wasn't ambitious, 24:54 so he wasn't trying to get your job. 24:57 Amen. 24:58 And he wasn't jealous of anybody. 25:01 He knew His calling, that's a wonderful place to be, 25:05 because you can rejoice when other people get blessed. 25:08 Amen. 25:10 Yeah, I don't have a brand new car, 25:15 but I know people who do, and I can ride in that. 25:22 So jealous for what? 25:25 No car is going to heaven. 25:28 Amen. 25:29 So John dwelt in an atmosphere, he wasn't jealous of anybody, 25:34 he wasn't trying to get anybody's job. 25:36 He was just trying to serve the Lord, 25:39 and he was not selfish or ambitious. 25:44 Jay, he just want to do God's will. 25:47 Perfect place to be. 25:50 But the truth is, ladies and gentlemen, 25:53 life has a way if you let it of beating you down. 25:59 Anybody know what I'm talking about? 26:02 You're trying to serve the Lord, 26:03 you're trying to do right, 26:04 you're trying to walk with Jesus, 26:06 but life has this way of grinding you. 26:13 You got a little ache, you go to a doctor, 26:17 and he gives you news 26:18 you never expected in your life. 26:22 And if you don't have the mind of Christ, 26:26 life can get awful rough. 26:29 Anybody know what I'm talking about? 26:33 First, there was a time when John the Baptist 26:39 was the most popular person in all of Israel. 26:47 Everybody knew him. Everybody flocked to him. 26:51 He was the number one person in all of Israel. 26:55 He was the most influential person 26:58 in the nation. 27:00 Now let me say this to you. 27:07 Adulation... 27:10 And I feel sorry for your husband 27:12 because he's trying to translate adulation now. 27:16 Adulation is deceptive and destructive. 27:23 Amen. 27:25 It is deceptive and destructive. 27:29 Don't praise anybody too much. 27:36 Adulation is deceptive and destructive. 27:41 As blessed as Danny Shelton has been with his ministry, 27:47 do not praise him too much. 27:49 No! You jeopardize his soul. 27:55 You tell him he's a greatest thing 27:56 since banana bread. 28:04 You know, Ellen White says this, 28:05 and this is why I suddenly gets along 28:06 'cause once you study stuff pops in your brain. 28:08 It just popped in there. 28:09 Ellen White says there are no great men in Adventism, 28:11 but there are those who are greatly used. 28:14 So you can't tell him he's great, 28:17 he just got used greatly. 28:20 Amen. 28:22 But adulation, deceptive and destructive. 28:26 When anybody does anything good for the Lord, 28:28 good sermon, good song, good piano playing, 28:31 good guitar playing, 28:33 whenever anytime anyone does something in ministry, 28:37 and you congratulate them, and they say thank you, 28:43 they've given you the wrong answer. 28:47 So they're telling you, "You cannot praise me 28:51 because I can't handle it." 28:55 Hello. 28:57 The correct response for ministry is 29:01 praise the Lord. 29:05 Amen. 29:07 The glory has got to go to... 29:10 Thank you is inappropriate for ministry, 29:15 like it came from you. 29:19 You're just a vessel, you're the vehicle, 29:21 it didn't originate with you. 29:23 God gives you song, you write a song 29:25 and folk are blessed by God, what are you grinding about? 29:30 Came from the Lord. 29:32 So the glory ought to go back to the Lord. 29:39 We got to hold on to that because adulation... 29:44 You know, years ago Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones 29:49 and those who have a certain genre 29:50 and age know that name 29:52 but others tell you, "Who's he?" 29:55 He's mine and Danny's age. 30:03 Thirty years ago, Mick Jagger said, 30:05 "I don't plan to be 55 and singing, 30:08 I can't get no satisfaction." 30:12 Now what is he? 30:13 He's 65, close to 70, singing, I can't get no satisfaction. 30:21 Why? 30:23 Because he can't get no satisfaction? 30:24 No he get plenty of satisfaction 30:25 and one of richest guys in the world. 30:28 The thing is praise is addicted. 30:33 Worship is addictive. 30:35 And no man, no woman, no boy, no girl 30:39 was ever designed to accept praise. 30:43 Praise belong to God. 30:46 So when you begin praising people, 30:50 you move them out of themselves. 30:54 In fact, you guys talk with literature, 30:55 I've heard and say this. 30:57 You know, you get praised that's all you want is praise. 31:03 And so you're 70 years old with skin tight pants on, 31:07 skin hanging down, 31:08 talking about you can get no satisfaction. 31:19 Because praise is seductive, it's deceptive, 31:21 it's destructive. 31:25 And mankind was never intended to receive praise. 31:27 You remember in Revelation 19:10 31:31 where John is getting ready to fall down 31:34 and worship the angel. 31:36 What's the first thing angel said? 31:37 "Don't do that. 31:39 See that I'll do it not. 31:41 I'm your fellow servant, don't be praising me." 31:47 And if we begin to praise you, if you sing well 31:50 or preach well, whatever, don't take that praise. 31:52 Thank you very much. 31:55 Glory to God. Praise the Lord. 31:59 Because if anybody's heart is touched, 32:01 that came from God, not you. 32:08 So first... 32:13 John was in trouble. 32:17 His crowds were huge that didn't impress John, 32:23 but it did impress his disciples. 32:27 John wasn't into that, but his disciples were. 32:29 So day by day his disciples, the disciples of John 32:35 saw their crowds getting smaller 32:39 and Jesus' crowds getting bigger. 32:44 That didn't bother John, but it did bother them. 32:49 Jesus' crowds are getting larger, 32:51 John is losing influence, and they didn't like that. 32:56 You know, when the disciples of Jesus, they said, 32:59 "You know the demons are even subject to us. 33:05 Even demons get out of way when we come down street. 33:09 And Christ said, "Don't crow over the fact 33:14 that demons move for you. 33:17 Praise God that your name is written in the book." 33:21 Because if your name is not in the book, 33:24 those demons, 33:26 you forgive my pejorative of English, 33:27 ain't going nowhere. 33:30 So now the disciples are telling John, 33:33 "Your crowds are getting smaller, 33:35 Jesus' crowds are getting bigger, 33:37 you used to be the man, now He's the man." 33:45 John's disciples were jealous of Jesus' popularity. 33:50 Could such a thing be in the Church of God? 34:00 The Bible indicates that the disciples came back 34:03 and reported to John even when he was in prison. 34:06 Now you need to get this. 34:09 They stood ready to criticize Jesus 34:12 over the work of baptism. 34:14 John's disciples thought, "Since you are in prison, 34:17 baptism should stop." 34:23 "Hey, John, they're baptizing people, 34:25 you are the Baptist. 34:28 They're muscling in on your territory, 34:32 and so dispute arose over baptism. 34:36 Here are the words, 34:39 "Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan," 34:44 talking about Jesus, "to whom you bearest witness, 34:48 behold, the same baptizeth and all men come to Him." 34:58 John's in prison, and he's got to listen to that. 35:03 Ellen White says these words... 35:10 Through these words... 35:12 "Satan brought temptation to John." 35:16 See John wasn't into that but his friends were. 35:23 "John you are slipping in ratings 35:26 and Jesus is the big deal now." 35:29 And Ellen White says, "John had no sympathy with that 35:33 but day after day those words wore on him." 35:38 You know, you can be of one mindset, 35:41 but you spend enough time with people 35:42 who are of a negative mindset 35:43 after awhile you pick that stuff up. 35:49 So he's in prison, he is not free, 35:51 and his disciples are filling his head 35:54 with all of this negative stuff. 35:56 I remember these aren't his enemies, 35:58 these are his disciples. 36:06 May I say to you, you have to watch, 36:10 oh, dear Christian, 36:12 who you allow access to your brain. 36:16 Amen. 36:19 I said amen. Amen. 36:21 You cannot let everybody rent space in your head. 36:29 You've got to guard what comes in here, 36:33 and everybody who's pushing up on you 36:35 and whispering in your head, and then telling you 36:37 how great you are is not necessarily your friend. 36:53 Don't let people get into your brain 36:58 who shouldn't be there. 37:00 The Bible says, "Try the spirits," 37:04 amen, "Test them." 37:07 The word for try there is dokimazo 37:10 which has the meaning of a piece of lumber 37:14 that you put your weight down on 37:15 to make sure it can carry your weight. 37:17 You know, just walk out on a plank, 37:19 you make sure it can hold you. 37:21 So try the spirits to make sure that they are of the Lord. 37:28 Ephesians 4:14, "Don't be blown about 37:29 by every wind of doctrine. 37:31 Now let me kind of get move in here. 37:35 Sometimes your enemies will lie to deceive you and destroy you, 37:39 that's a bad action with a bad intent, 37:42 but sometimes your friends will lie to you thinking 37:47 they're helping you. 37:51 That's bad action, good intent, 37:57 but they're both lies. 38:00 So you cannot let your enemies lie on you, 38:02 and you cannot let your friends lie to you. 38:10 John's disciples were trying to help him, 38:13 but they were motivated by jealousy, 38:16 so they were in effect hurting him. 38:21 John was the one who said in John 1:27, Mark 1:7, 38:27 and in Matthew 3:11 same words, 38:31 "There is coming one after me 38:35 whose shoe straps, 38:39 I'm on unworthy to untie." 38:42 Remember that statement, so he knew his place. 38:46 John knew he was the forerunner. 38:50 But when people constantly drum a lie into your brain, 38:56 it can change you. 38:58 Amen. 38:59 Truth or consequences, pain or circumstances. 39:02 Pain can, and can I use this word, 39:04 pain can mess with your head. 39:07 When you are in pain for a long period of time, 39:11 and you're suffering for a long period of time, 39:14 and your circumstances are turned upside down 39:19 for a long period of time, 39:20 it begins to do something to you. 39:23 Now let me say this a little more eruditely. 39:27 Protracted pain and difficult circumstances 39:31 can and often do skew your sense of priorities, 39:36 weaken your faith, and lessen your resolve. 39:40 When you're in pain for a long time 39:43 and under stress for a long time, 39:45 psychologically you begin to change. 39:50 It is called PTSD, posttraumatic stress disorder. 39:54 And sometimes even when the pain is released 39:58 and the tough circumstances are released, 40:00 your psychological disorder continues. 40:04 I'm in Desire of Ages, page 215. 40:08 Ellen White says, "These questions 40:11 were not without effect. 40:15 Doubts which otherwise would have never arisen 40:18 were suggested to John." 40:19 See, it's what not John's makeup, 40:21 but his friends are telling him all these things day after day, 40:24 day after day and after a while that stuff begins to seep in. 40:32 These are not his enemies, these are his friends. 40:36 Now, this is Desire of Ages, Mike, page 215, 40:38 and I hope you get this one, this is really important. 40:41 Ellen White says this and I want you to hear me. 40:45 I'll finish in just a few minutes. 40:47 We all sit down, not landing just yet, 40:50 but we will sit down. 40:52 "How often those who think themselves 40:57 the friends of a good man, 40:59 and who are eager to show their fidelity to him, 41:03 prove to be his most dangerous enemies!" 41:07 You hear me? 41:09 "Instead of strengthening, 41:12 their words depress and dishearten!" 41:15 So they're trying to say, "Hey, John, we're your boys, 41:20 we're just trying to tell you the truth, 41:22 we're just trying to keep it real." 41:27 They were trying to build him up, 41:30 but they were in effect tearing him down. 41:35 See, after sometimes, you know, you got to let stuff go. 41:38 Anybody know what I'm talking about? 41:40 You have people holding grudges in churches 41:43 for years, months, weeks, you know, mad at people 41:46 don't even remember why they are mad. 41:47 "Just I don't talk to her, she don't talk to me. 41:48 I don't talk to him and he don't talk..." 41:50 For what? You got to let that stuff go. 41:55 So they're jealous of Jesus' disciples, 41:57 they don't like Jesus' disciples. 41:59 They wish Christ wasn't even there 42:00 because they're losing their influence. 42:02 These are church guys. 42:07 Bible say, "You got to let that stuff go." 42:11 Here's why. 42:13 John had the same general idea as did his disciples in Christ. 42:18 Now this is interesting to me, 42:20 and I know I'm getting little long 42:21 but forgive me. 42:23 John believed that Jesus was going to set up 42:27 an earthly kingdom just like the disciples did, 42:31 just like his disciples did, just like Christ disciples did, 42:34 just like most of Jerusalem did. 42:37 John of all people didn't really understand Jesus. 42:40 He thought the same thing that everybody else thought. 42:43 John the Baptist, forerunner of Christ 42:46 thought that Christ had come to get rid of the Romans. 42:52 So now he's in prison. 42:54 He's suffering for his faith. 42:56 He's suffering because he told the truth, 42:59 and Christ is not behaving as John wants Him to behave. 43:08 Christ is not doing what John wants Him to do 43:11 because John like everybody else 43:13 has a misunderstanding of what Jesus came here to do. 43:19 And if I had time, I would correlate 43:21 this whole idea of dying and going straight to heaven 43:25 because most of the people 43:26 on planet earth today believe that 43:28 there's something happens to you after death. 43:32 Direct correlation, but I just don't have time. 43:36 John expected Jesus to behave a certain way 43:41 and Jesus was not acting as John expected, 43:45 and it depressed him. 43:48 Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world." 43:54 John's disciples couldn't see it, 43:56 Jesus' disciples couldn't see it, 43:59 the zealots couldn't see it, 44:01 and John really couldn't see it himself. 44:05 John was the fearless rebuker of sins, 44:08 ready to offer his life if he had to, 44:11 but his world is upside down, he's in prison, 44:15 week after week nothing is happening, 44:18 nothing is changing, he's suffering in prison, 44:21 and his disciples are coming to him 44:23 giving him all this negative news. 44:25 They're saying, "If He's the Son of God, 44:28 and if He's so powerful, 44:30 and if He can do all of this miracles, 44:31 why are you still in prison?" 44:37 John had no answer. 44:40 He said, ''I've come to set the captive free. 44:47 Well, hello! You ain't free." 44:54 Desire of Ages, page 214, 44:57 "The life of John had been one of active labor, 45:01 and the gloom of inaction and prison life 45:05 weighed heavily upon him." 45:06 John was a country guy, he used to be out, 45:07 he like to be out here in Thompsonville, 45:10 it's like Danny hates going to Chicago. 45:13 Just uncomfortable because you're country guy. 45:14 Well, John had been out in the country, 45:16 he had been free to breathe air and go to... 45:18 Now he's stuck in prison and nothing is happening, 45:21 day after day, week after week, month after month, 45:24 he's in prison and nobody's saying anything, 45:26 nobody's doing anything, nobody is helping him, 45:29 people are being saved, he hears all these reports, 45:31 and yet he's stuck in prison. 45:34 So it weighs heavily upon him, 45:35 week after week passed bringing no change, 45:39 despondency and doubt crept over him. 45:43 Question, how many here ever wanted something 45:45 really, really bad 45:47 and didn't get it as you wanted it 45:48 when you wanted it? 45:50 Tell the truth. 45:52 Yeah, I got some, I want really bad right now. 45:55 But I can't make it happen. 45:57 If I got two things, one is kind of big, 45:59 the other is kind of small, but they're both there. 46:03 And I wish I could engineer some speed, 46:06 can't do anything about it. 46:08 If you ever want something real bad, 46:11 and God is saying "Wait, not going to get it now." 46:14 What is your natural response? Doubt and depression. 46:20 "Lord, can I get it now? Okay, can I get it tomorrow? 46:24 Okay, can I get it the next day?" 46:29 And John is in prison and nothing is happening. 46:32 And things are beginning 46:33 to insinuate themselves in his mind. 46:36 What's the natural response? Doubt, he's doubted. 46:39 "God, are You still there? What You're going to do? 46:42 But here's where John shines 46:44 and I'll do this and then I got to quit. 46:46 John shines, Desire of Ages, page 216. 46:52 "There were hours," Ellen White says, 46:54 "When the whispers of demons tortured his spirit." 46:58 He's not bad enough, you got your friends 47:02 saying negative stuff to you. 47:04 The devil is right in that cell with him whispering in his ear, 47:08 "You're going to die, your life is wasted, 47:12 nobody is going to save you." 47:18 So doubts creep over him. 47:20 But here's where he shines. Same page, 216. 47:23 "But the Baptist did not surrender his faith in Christ." 47:26 That's what it's all about. 47:28 No matter what the devil says, no matter what the devil does, 47:31 don't surrender your faith in Christ. 47:35 John did not discuss his doubts and anxieties. 47:38 There's so much here, you got to forgive me. 47:41 The reason John shines 47:43 is because even though he was down, 47:45 he didn't spread his doubt to other people. 47:49 See, let's see, you have a responsibility 47:51 to minister to other people just because you're down, 47:54 let me just spread that gloom all over the place. 48:00 And Ellen White says that's where John shines, 48:01 he was depressed, he was down, 48:03 but he didn't spread that gloom. 48:07 You know, how we do. 48:09 You're down and things are not going like you want, 48:11 so you want to gather a bunch of homies around you, 48:13 you know, to commiserate in your sadness. 48:20 If you're down, say I'm down, but don't let it in there 48:25 because with your problems, you also got Jesus. 48:30 Amen. 48:32 I say it over and over again adding for night of mad nausea. 48:34 I got stuff, you got stuff, all God's children got... 48:40 But with that stuff, we also got Jesus. 48:42 Amen. Amen. 48:44 So we can talk about our stuff, we can talk about Jesus. 48:48 I can show you my stuff, you show me your stuff, 48:52 but we just cry about our stuff, 48:56 or you can talk about Jesus. 48:58 So Ellen White says, "The thing that distinguishes John 49:00 even though he was down, he didn't share it." 49:03 He just took it to God. 49:06 See, and we have... And I've got nothing. 49:09 Yeah, second, we have a limited capacity 49:11 to carry each other's weight anyway. 49:14 Yeah, me dragging my stuff 49:18 is pretty much a fulltime job. 49:23 I really don't have a lot of time 49:26 to drag your stuff too. 49:33 Yes, we're dragging this stuff. 49:35 I got a lot of stuff 49:38 and looks so sad, Joe, you got stuff too. 49:42 It is a full time job dragging my stuff. 49:43 Now occasionally when I'm in real good spirits, 49:46 I have a little time for your stuff. 49:53 But I can't take your stuff everyday. 49:58 I can pray for your stuff. 50:02 But you got to carry your stuff. 50:04 Amen. 50:05 And Jesus can carry all of our stuff. 50:08 There is no need of sharing all that stuff 50:12 because I can't... 50:13 If I could solve your stuff, I would. 50:18 But I can't solve all of my stuff. 50:22 I can't solve your stuff, Jesus can. 50:25 So take your stuff to Jesus, and that's why 50:27 Ellen White says, "He's shine," because He had a lot of stuff. 50:31 He's getting ready to die, and He knew it, 50:33 but He didn't share that depression with anybody. 50:37 He took it to the Lord. 50:43 I'm looking at my time, and I'm apologizing, 50:45 let me skip over there. 50:52 John sends his disciples to Jesus, 50:56 and he says, 51:02 "Are you it or should we look for somebody else?" 51:08 And what is interesting, 51:11 Christ never really answers the question. 51:18 Now, actually, He did, Bob, but He did it in quote. 51:22 He did it in quote. 51:26 The Bible says, "At that hour, He began to heal." 51:30 He didn't say, "No, I'm it. I'm the real deal." 51:32 He just began to heal. 51:35 And Ellen White says, "He healed all day." 51:39 So those disciples were following 51:41 behind Him all day, just watching, 51:44 one hour, two hours, three hours, four hours, 51:46 five hours, six hours, seven hours, 51:48 John was looking for some personal thing 51:49 from Jesus to reaffirm, he didn't get it, 51:53 or he got it, but it was in quote. 51:56 Then Christ says, 51:58 "Go back and tell John what you saw." 52:06 Well, they have been telling him what they saw, 52:08 but they were twisting it against John. 52:12 He's healing, you're not. 52:14 He's baptizing, you're not. 52:17 So more than what you saw, here is the quote, 52:20 and I've got to end with this. 52:21 Let me just find it, and then I'll make a point, 52:25 and then we'll just stop. 52:27 Go to the John... 52:28 I'm sorry, Luke 7, 52:31 and let's look at verse 23. 52:37 This is really cool. 52:38 This is a little piece of cheesecake 52:41 that the Lord gave just for John. 52:45 It's in quote. 52:49 Here it is, Luke 7:23, "And blessed is he 52:54 who is not offended because of Me." 52:59 And John's disciples didn't get it, 53:03 and Jesus disciples didn't get it. 53:07 And John didn't see it, and your silence says 53:11 you didn't get it. 53:14 And that's okay because before I studied this, 53:17 I didn't get it. 53:19 But I got it now. 53:22 Here is what He's saying, 53:25 "Happy is he who does not turn away from Jesus 53:31 because Jesus does not conform to their preconceived ideas." 53:36 That's what He says. 53:39 He's saying to John, "Blessed is a man 53:44 who doesn't put Me in a box. 53:49 You have an idea 53:51 of what you want me to do for you. 53:54 I'm not doing that. I'm doing something else." 53:58 "So blessed is he who doesn't put Jesus in a box." 54:02 John was living 54:07 and knew he's going to die in prison. 54:11 Jesus also was living in prison and knew He was going to die. 54:17 You can't put Him in a box. 54:21 God has a thousand ways to bless you 54:24 that you know not of. 54:26 So don't put Him in a box. 54:28 Just because He doesn't come as you want Him to, 54:33 like you want Him to, when you want Him to, 54:36 does not mean He's not coming. 54:39 Don't put Him in a box. 54:43 Amen. 54:45 He's coming, He heard your prayer, 54:47 He's going to help, but don't put Him in a box. 54:52 He's got ways to bless you that you know not of. 54:55 You can get on the operating table 54:58 and the doctor has the scalpel in hand 55:00 and somebody brings in X-rays 55:02 and says before you cut that man open, 55:04 you better look at this X-ray 'cause there's nothing there. 55:11 Don't put Him in a box. 55:15 God has ways to bless. 55:18 John was going to die, yes, but so was Jesus. 55:25 All say, can you see? 55:30 Do you know Him? 55:32 The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 13:12, 55:34 "We see now through a glass darkly." 55:38 But one day soon, it's going to be plain. 55:40 I close with this text. 55:45 "Beloved, now we are the children of God, 55:51 and it has not yet been revealed, 55:54 we can't see what we shall be. 55:59 But we know that when He is revealed, 56:05 when we do see Him, we shall be like Him, 56:12 for we shall see Him as He is." 56:20 The truth is, brothers and sisters, 56:24 life has to be lived. 56:28 And in living life, 56:30 your religion will be challenged. 56:35 You will have to bear up 56:39 under the tests and trials of life, 56:46 but you do not have to live your life alone. 56:52 Amen. 56:55 Jesus will be with you 57:00 in prison or out, 57:02 free or bound, you're not alone. 57:07 There will come times when you may doubt 57:09 your own sanity and reality. 57:13 Ellen White says at those times, 57:15 "Don't try to feel saved, 57:19 don't try to feel like He is there. 57:23 Go on the fact that He is there." 57:29 Whether you feel it or not, go and feel it. 57:34 Go on the fact. 57:36 C.E. Bradford used to say, 57:38 "You put all that money in a bank, 57:39 write some checks," 57:42 whether you feel it or not, He's there. 57:45 Whether you feel it or not, He loves you. 57:48 Whether you feel it or not, He hears your prayer. 57:52 He doesn't mind your question. 57:55 He doesn't want you to give up on Him 57:58 because He will never give up on you. 58:04 Amen and amen. 58:06 Father God, we would see You now. 58:12 To see You is to know you, 58:15 is to understand You, is to love You. 58:20 Help us, Lord, to love You, 58:23 to surrender ourselves to You, to walk with You, 58:28 and even when we doubt to never turn away from You, 58:34 for You love us with an everlasting love. 58:38 And one day soon, 58:40 we will see You face to blessed face. 58:46 We thank You, Father, in Jesus' name. 58:49 Amen. |
Revised 2018-05-23