Participants: C.A. Murray (Host), Pr. Wintley Phipps
Series Code: AOT
Program Code: AOT000167A
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00:11 Welcome to Anchors Of Truth,
00:13 live from the 3ABN Worship Center. 00:21 And we welcome you to night number two of our 00:24 Anchors Of Truth series. 00:26 The overall title for the series is, Perfecting the Saints: 00:29 Preparing a People for the Second Coming of Jesus. 00:32 I have two. 00:38 Our speaker is our long time friend... 00:40 That's the wrong one. 00:42 Hello. There we go. 00:47 ...Pastor Wintley Phipps, who is the pastor of the 00:49 Palm Bay Seventh-day Adventist Church 00:52 in Florida, and also the founder and director of the 00:55 U.S. Dream Academy. 00:57 We had a very powerful message on last evening 01:00 as he talked to us about the character of Christ. 01:03 And tonight we expect no less of a powerful message 01:06 as we deal with the salvation of man 01:09 under the context or the rubric of perfecting the saints 01:13 and preparing a people for the second coming of our 01:15 Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. 01:17 As we have said, Pastor Phipps, in the, oh, almost 40 years 01:22 that he has served the Lord, has really preached and sung 01:25 around the world 01:26 His name is as popular outside the Adventist church 01:30 as it is inside. 01:31 He has ministered in so many, many places 01:34 and really lifted up the name of Jesus in a marvelous 01:37 and mighty way across the earth. 01:41 And God has blessed his ministry. 01:42 I asked him last night, we were talking, 01:44 how any albums... 01:46 Some of us older still use that term, albums. 01:49 ...CD's has he produced, does he have? 01:54 And I think he said twenty-four or so. 01:56 So God has blessed him. 01:58 He writes much of his music. And he writes very, very well. 02:00 And of course, he sings beautifully, 02:02 and has one of the gifted voices of our time. 02:05 And yet, I have always found him to be a humble Christian person, 02:09 a very approachable person. 02:10 Someone who loves the Lord. 02:11 And that love for God shines out in his life 02:15 and in his ministry. 02:17 He is accompanied by his wife, Linda, who is sitting here. 02:19 A very wonderful person. 02:21 And as we got to learn last night, a caring and passionate 02:24 mother and wife. 02:25 We were regaling ourselves of some old stories 02:28 of years gone by. 02:30 But she stands by his side and is a great help to his ministry. 02:33 I'm going to ask Wintley to come out. 02:35 Because last night we talked about your music, 02:38 but you come packing some other stuff, man, 02:43 that we want to talk about. 02:44 Because you've got two book. 02:46 One is out and one is on the way out. 02:48 And I want to kind of loose you 02:49 and let you go to talk about those. 02:51 So we'll do a couple of things: One, we'll talk about the book. 02:53 Because I want to encourage you, after this program 02:56 shall have ended, our next program is, 02:57 Behind the Scenes. 02:59 And we'll discuss that material in further depth and detail. 03:04 So you'll want to stay tuned for our, Behind the Scenes, 03:07 which immediately follows this particular program, 03:09 because you'll hear more about these books. 03:10 But Wintley, we are so excited about what God has given you 03:13 to give, not only to us, but to the world. 03:15 So just give us a little taste, a little tease, 03:18 then we'll have you pray, go into your music, 03:21 and then we'll hear the word of the Lord from you, alright? 03:23 I'll loose you and let you go. 03:24 Praise the Lord. Well, God is so good. 03:27 He has allowed me to understand that if you believe that Jesus 03:32 is coming again... 03:34 And we do. Amen? 03:36 Amen, Jesus is coming again. 03:40 We also believe that we must be ready. 03:46 And you can focus on proclaiming that Christ is coming again. 03:51 And we should do that. 03:52 And the Lord says do these things. 03:54 And some of these things, don't leave them undone. 03:57 And believe me, it is very important that we do not 04:00 allow ourselves to leave undone the preparation to embrace 04:08 and to receive, and to see with our own eyes, 04:12 with His praise and glory, the second coming of Christ. 04:17 But to do that, we have to prepare our character. 04:23 We have to prepare our character. 04:25 And so God gave me two books that we have written. 04:30 The first is called, Perfecting Me. 04:33 It's a study guide for churches and small groups. 04:36 And that book is available now on goodsamaritanmall.com. 04:42 And so you can remember, goodsamaritanmall.com. 04:46 And then the other book is, Your Best Destiny; 04:50 Becoming the Person You Were Created to Be. 04:54 And that book will be out in just a few weeks. 04:57 And so, we want to encourage you, those of you who are 05:01 watching, listening, to allow yourself to be blessed 05:05 with those books. 05:07 And I pray that they will be a blessing to you. 05:10 As we begin tonight, I want to start off by sharing a song. 05:17 And then we're going to dig into the word of God. 05:20 Amen? 05:21 Alright, listen to the message in the song. 05:50 I believe for every drop of rain that falls 05:57 a flower grows. 06:03 I believe that somewhere in the darkest night 06:09 a candle glows. 06:15 I believe for everyone who goes astray 06:21 someone will come to show the way. 06:31 I believe. 06:36 I believe. 06:43 I believe above the storm the smallest prayer 06:49 will still be heard. 06:54 I believe that someone in that great somewhere 07:00 hears every word. 07:06 Every time I hear a newborn baby cry, 07:13 or touch a leaf, or see the sky, 07:21 then I know why I believe. 07:38 I believe above the storm the smallest prayer 07:45 will still be heard. 07:50 I believe that someone in that great somewhere 07:56 hears every word. 08:02 Every time I hear a newborn baby cry, 08:09 or touch a leaf, or see the sky, 08:17 then I know why I believe. 08:30 Every time I hear a newborn baby cry, 08:37 or touch a leaf, or see the sky, 08:45 then I know why I believe. 08:57 Then I know why 09:01 I believe. 09:30 Let us pray. 09:33 Father, as we open Your holy Word, I ask that You would 09:39 cleanse me of all unrighteousness. 09:43 Fill my life with Your Holy Spirit's presence and power. 09:48 Speak to me, through me, and for me. 09:53 And I promise You, Lord, I'll always give You 09:55 the honor, the glory, and the praise. 10:01 In the name of Jesus I pray, amen. 10:06 Amen. 10:10 The series of messages entitled, The Perfecting of the Saints; 10:18 Preparing for the Second Coming of Jesus. 10:23 Amen. 10:26 The perfecting of the saints, as the Scripture tells us, 10:31 preparing for the second coming of Jesus. 10:39 Come with me to the Sea of Galilee. 10:45 Jesus, along with His disciples, 10:50 had spent a long day exhorting and teaching. 10:59 And so He could be heard by the overflow crowd on the beach, 11:05 Jesus got into a little boat and pushed out a little distance 11:11 from the shore. 11:14 I can see in my mind's eyes 11:17 Jesus standing on that floating pulpit 11:23 with the crowd on the shore listening intently 11:27 to every word He spoke. 11:31 As the sun began to set, Jesus said to the disciples, 11:36 "Let us go over to the other side of the lake." 11:41 On the other side of the lake in Gennesareth 11:44 was a community of unbelievers whose minds had not been tainted 11:52 by the gossip the Pharisees where spreading about Jesus. 11:59 And can you imagine, for Jesus to find a little solace 12:04 and seclusion, Jesus had to go to be with people 12:12 who had no idea who He was. 12:17 There are many places in the world I go 12:20 where I am recognized. 12:22 But my favorite places to go are places where few people go, 12:30 and no one knows my name. 12:33 Those are places where you can relax and let your hair down, 12:38 if you have any. 12:41 And where you can be yourself. 12:44 I'll never forget, walking through an airport, 12:47 I never thought anyone would even recognize me. 12:50 And a lady came up to me and said, "Excuse me." 12:53 I said, "Yes." She said, "Are you somebody?" 12:58 I also remember going to one of my favorite 13:01 little quiet islands. 13:04 And I had actually gotten some coconuts from a coconut tree. 13:11 I couldn't climb the tree, so I knocked them down. 13:14 And then I was looking for, as I was driving to the hotel, 13:18 I was trying to find how I could open those coconuts 13:22 so I can drink the water. 13:24 And I saw a lady at the side of the road with a vegetable stand, 13:28 and I said, oh, maybe she could help me. 13:30 So I pulled up and I said, "Do you have any fruit?" 13:33 Because I wanted to buy something so I wouldn't just 13:36 ask her to open the coconuts without buying something. 13:39 And she said, "No, I don't have any fruits." 13:42 I said, "Oh, I wish that I could take some vegetables 13:46 to the hotel, but I can't." 13:48 I said, "I have these coconuts. 13:49 My name is Pastor Wintley Phipps." 13:52 And she sat up with a machete, and she said, "The singer?" 13:57 She said, "I have chills." 13:58 She was seeing me on 3ABN. Amen? 14:01 Sometimes Jesus found more peace and seclusion 14:07 among unbelievers. 14:11 Often more than among people who claimed to be people of faith. 14:16 Because among unbelievers, Jesus was often free 14:20 from the malicious, spiteful, jealous... 14:25 Oh yes, He had to deal with all of that. 14:28 The nasty comments. 14:30 As the little boat with Jesus and His disciples 14:32 began to set sail for the other shore, other boats 14:37 on the lake began to follow too. 14:41 Wherever Jesus was going, they wanted to be there. 14:45 And after a long day, and overcome with weariness 14:49 and hunger, Jesus went to the stern, or the back of the boat, 14:55 laid down, and He fell asleep. 14:58 And for the most part, the seas were calm and pleasant. 15:03 But all of a sudden, the wind began to howl. 15:08 As one writer said, "Like a pack of wolves 15:11 on the night of a full moon." 15:14 The wind whipped the sea into high waves 15:17 as tall as skyscrapers. 15:19 And then those waves would come crashing back down 15:23 into the ocean below. 15:25 Suddenly, the disciples were in the midst of a 15:28 wicked furious storm. 15:31 Dark clouds wrapped a curtain of shadow around them. 15:37 The moon and stars went away, and darkness enveloped the sky. 15:44 As the apostle Mark tells it, the waves were punching 15:48 through with such fury that they threatened to swamp 15:52 and sink their little boat. 15:55 The fact that the disciples were frightened 15:58 tells us a lot about the fury of that storm. 16:03 Because four of those disciples were very experienced sailors; 16:08 and they were afraid. 16:10 And whenever a captain of a ship is afraid in a storm, 16:15 believe me, that's some kind of storm. 16:19 This storm was like no other storm they had seen before. 16:24 And every skill and maneuver they learned as seasoned 16:27 fisherman was being tested. 16:31 The other day I was on a flight with a friend of mine. 16:35 And while in the middle of the uneventful flight 16:38 20,000 feet in the air... 16:40 I listen all the time for unusual sounds. 16:43 I heard a sound I had never heard before in all the 16:46 flights I've taken over 30 years. 16:50 It was the sound of the landing gear dropping 16:56 while we were 20,000 feet in the air. 17:00 Now the landing gear is only suppose to drop... 17:04 That's right. ...when you're landing. 17:07 And we were 20,000 feet in the air. 17:11 I have actually, myself, been in a plane crash 17:15 in the Seattle area, in Spokane, when the pilot had forgotten 17:20 to put the landing gear down. 17:23 And we just crashed into the tarmac. 17:26 But this time, the landing gear was being dropped 17:30 in the middle of the flight. 17:33 Believe me, you only do that when something is wrong. 17:37 I was listening very carefully, and after what seemed like 17:40 a couple of minutes, eventually the landing gear went back up. 17:46 And in about half an hour we landed safely. 17:50 Now the pilot didn't say anything to us, 17:53 so I went home and I Googled. 17:57 And sometimes, I found out, pilots have to put the 18:01 landing gear down in mid-flight to cool off the brakes 18:07 of the plane if they remain dangerously hot after take-off. 18:12 Well, the pilot didn't tell us that. 18:15 We landed; he never said a word. 18:18 He probably was dealing with this emergency 18:21 and didn't have time to talk with us. 18:26 Well, the disciples were so engrossed and tied up 18:30 with their efforts to save their ship, they were so busy 18:34 bailing water, they forgot that Jesus was onboard. 18:40 Sometimes you're so busy trying to save a situation 18:44 you forget that the Savior of the world is right beside you. 18:48 You forget that the Savior of the world is only a prayer away. 18:54 It was when things were at their worst 18:57 that they remembered Jesus was onboard. 19:01 Too many of us, we only remember to look for Jesus 19:04 when we're about to go under. 19:06 "Wait a minute," somebody shouted. 19:09 "We set sail on His command. 19:12 Wake Him up. 19:15 He is the one responsible for getting us in this storm. 19:18 Wake Him up." 19:20 They made their way to the back of the ship, 19:22 and in the raging storm they found Jesus sound asleep. 19:27 Thirteen men on a boat; twelve are terrified, 19:30 and one is asleep. 19:34 And I don't mean resting or napping. 19:37 I don't mean dosing or snoozing. 19:39 Jesus was flat out sound asleep. 19:44 I know some people who can sleep like that, you know. 19:48 Sleep through anything. 19:50 Nothing can wake them. 19:51 My grandfather would sleep like that. 19:53 And when we would wake him, we'd tease him, saying, 19:56 "Grandpa, you were sleeping." 19:58 He'd say, "I wasn't sleeping." 20:00 "Grandpa, we all saw you sleeping." 20:03 "I wasn't sleeping," he'd say. 20:05 "I heard every word you said." 20:07 "Oh Grandpa, what was my last word?" 20:11 And he'd say, "You're last word was, 'word.'" 20:16 The disciples, frightened out of their wits, 20:21 stood over Jesus saying, "Master, wake up. 20:26 We're about to go under." 20:28 That little boat was taking on water and sinking fast. 20:31 And they knew that within moments they would be 20:35 swallowed by the angry waves. 20:38 A bolt of lightning pierced the darkness. 20:40 And they saw Jesus sleeping peacefully, 20:44 undisturbed by the storm. 20:46 "Master," they cried, "Wake up. 20:49 Carest Thou not that we perish? 20:53 Master, take charge. Do something. 20:56 How can you rest so peaceably and peacefully 21:00 in the midst of all this death and danger?" 21:04 Maybe you can relate to those men in the boat 21:06 as they shook the Lord awake, pleading with Him, 21:10 "Do something about this storm." 21:12 Maybe you've been through a storm or two in your life, 21:15 and you can relate to what I'm talking about. 21:18 You can relate to the anxiety. 21:20 I know I can. 21:22 I've been through a few storms in my life. 21:24 And maybe like me, there have been times in your life 21:27 when you've cried out, "Master, wake up. 21:31 Save me. 21:33 I'm about to drown here. 21:36 Save me." 21:37 One of my favorite psalms, I've often turned to it 21:41 in times of difficulty, is Psalm 69, 21:44 where David cries out, "Save me, O God; 21:48 for the waters are come in unto my soul. 21:51 I'm sinking in deep mire where there's no place to stand. 21:55 The floods overflow me. 21:57 I am weary of my crying; my throat is parched. 22:01 Those that hate me without a cause are more than 22:04 the hairs of my head. 22:06 You know my foolishness; 22:08 my sins are not hidden from Thee. 22:10 Lord, let not those who seek after You 22:13 be ashamed because of me. 22:15 Master, save me." 22:19 Jesus opens His eyes from His rest 22:22 as if to say, "Who has awakened Me? 22:27 And for what purpose?" 22:29 When Jesus opened His eyes He looked past the disciples, 22:34 and praise the Lord, praise the Lord, 22:36 He didn't see anything He couldn't handle. 22:41 Praise the Lord. 22:42 I love all the titles for Jesus in the Scripture. 22:47 The word of God has so many titles for Jesus. 22:49 Titles that I love. 22:51 The Alpha and Omega, the Word of God, 22:53 the last Adam, the Living One, the Bright and Morning Star, 22:58 the True Light, the Amen, the Righteous One, 23:01 the Lion of Judah, the Faithful Witness, 23:04 Immanuel, the Rock, the Bridegroom, 23:08 the Chief Shepherd, the Head of the Church, 23:12 the Man of Sorrows, our Deliverer, 23:14 our Redeemer. 23:16 But one of my most favorite titles in Scripture for Jesus 23:21 can be found in Hebrews 2:10 where it says... 23:49 Out in that storm, I think Jesus wasn't concerned one bit. 23:54 The disciples should have known that boat was going to be fine. 23:59 For onboard was the Captain of our salvation. 24:06 Jesus stood up in the storm. 24:08 He lifted His hands and said to the angry sea, 24:11 "Peace, be still." 24:13 And with those three words, right then and there 24:16 the Captain of our salvation made still an angry sea. 24:23 The wind died down immediately. 24:26 The sea became as calm as glass. 24:31 The storm died. 24:33 It didn't slowly dissipate or subside in stages. No. 24:38 Just, my God, like that. 24:41 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, the storm stopped. 24:46 The billows grew still, all the fury ceased. 24:50 The clouds rolled away and the stars began to sparkle 24:54 in the heavens above. 24:56 A hush fell upon the disciples. 24:59 Even Peter, who was never at a loss for words, 25:02 was speechless. 25:04 Jesus looked at the disciples and said, 25:06 "Why are you so afraid? 25:10 Where is your faith?" 25:13 Did you know that the people on all the other boats 25:15 who were also following Jesus were caught in that same storm? 25:20 And when it subsided, they began to whisper among themselves, 25:25 "What manner of Man is this that even the winds 25:32 and the waves obey Him?" 25:35 Out there on the sea, Jesus, the Captain of our salvation, 25:40 showed that He is mighty to save. 25:45 Well, my brothers and sisters, this world and this planet 25:50 as we know it, for six millenniums now, 25:56 it has been suffering through a storm. 26:01 A storm of sin and sinful rebellion. 26:06 For 6000 years we've been in a storm. 26:11 And we call this storm, the great controversy. 26:17 And right now, all of us are caught up in this storm. 26:24 And just like huge storms begin with little changes 26:28 in weather events, this storm called, the great controversy, 26:33 started in heaven with one small-minded, jealous, selfish 26:40 angel named Lucifer who went around heaven 26:44 distorting and misrepresenting the character of God. 26:50 And from the opening of the great controversy, 26:53 the waves and winds created by Satan have all been 26:57 through his efforts to distort and misrepresent 27:00 the character of God. 27:02 Those efforts have created a storm of rebellion 27:06 and confusion in this world. 27:10 And his efforts appear to have been very successful. 27:13 And today, every one of us is caught up in this storm. 27:19 Each and every one of us is caught up in this contentious 27:23 struggle between good and evil. 27:26 And it is a struggle that rages in each and 27:29 every one of our hearts. 27:32 Each and every one of us has to choose on which side 27:35 of this struggle we will stand. 27:38 The servant of the Lord says it is our life and character, 27:43 it is our life and character, which will make manifest 27:48 who is our master. 27:51 It is our life and our character that will manifest to the world 27:57 truly who is our master. 28:00 This storm of sin and rebellion began with the rejection 28:04 of the character of God. 28:06 And for centuries, this little ship called the church 28:09 has been battered and tossed about 28:12 by many a great wind and tempest. 28:14 And sometimes, to be honest, it feels like this ship 28:18 that we're on is taking on a lot of water. 28:22 Sometimes it feels like it is being swamped by the waves 28:26 of sinfulness and worldliness. 28:29 When this storm began, did you know that Satan 28:33 rejoiced and even said to the other fallen angels 28:38 that we, as a race, were now done for. 28:42 Because he said God is too great to care for insignificant 28:48 creatures such as man. 28:51 Satan underestimated the character of the 28:56 Captain of our salvation. 28:58 He didn't realize that the Captain of our salvation 29:02 would never let him, His character would never 29:05 let Him abandon His creation. 29:08 He didn't realize that the character of our Captain 29:11 would never let this world be lost 29:14 without giving man the blessing of grace, 29:18 the blessing of mercy, and the blessing of a second chance. 29:23 And yes, because of this storm of sin and transgression, 29:26 Adam and our whole race was threatened with being lost 29:31 and washed overboard. 29:34 But thank God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, 29:38 moved by love and pity, as I said last night, 29:42 called a meeting where no angel was allowed. 29:46 And in that meeting, a plan was devised. 29:50 A plan called, the plan of salvation. 29:56 Amen. 29:58 The plan of salvation. 30:00 The servant of the Lord says, "Heaven pitied man; 30:03 and the plan of salvation was devised." 30:08 That plan was designed to rescue and redeem man. 30:14 And make no mistake about it, closely connected 30:18 to the plan of salvation is God's plan for us 30:25 of transformation. 30:29 Transformation is an integral part of salvation. 30:36 Oh, did you hear what I said today? 30:38 You see, the primary purpose and goal of salvation 30:46 is transformation. 30:50 The plan of salvation is not just to get us to heaven, 30:55 it is also to fit us for heaven. 30:58 It is not only to save us from ruin, 31:02 it is also to equip our characters to live 31:06 in an atmosphere of eternal holiness. 31:13 Brothers and sisters, the goal of salvation 31:16 is not only to save us from death, hell, and destruction, 31:20 but to also save us for the purpose of transformation 31:27 through the power of the Holy Spirit. 31:30 The purpose of the plan of salvation is 31:34 the restoration of our character into the divine image 31:40 in which we were originally created. 31:44 That is the goal of the plan of salvation. 31:48 But the plan needed a captain. 31:52 Hallelujah. 31:54 Someone who could assume the responsibility 31:58 and all the risks inherent in that plan. 32:02 Did you know that all plans have risks? 32:06 And this plan needed a champion. 32:10 Someone who would not only assume the responsibility 32:13 for failure, but someone who would also shoulder 32:18 the liability for any risks should this plan not work. 32:23 What a God. 32:25 And so that day in glory, Jesus stood up 32:29 and took on Himself the title, and I love this title, 32:35 the Captain of our salvation. 32:39 And so with the goal of rescuing man and bringing him 32:42 back to the perfection with which he was first created... 32:46 Oh, don't miss what I just said. 32:48 Don't miss what I just said. 32:49 With the goal of rescuing man and bringing him 32:54 back to the perfection with which he was first created, 32:58 with this goal in mind, the Captain of our salvation 33:03 came to earth in our storm. 33:08 For this plan to work, Jesus, the Captain of our salvation, 33:11 would have come to earth, He had to come to earth 33:15 to live and bleed and die. 33:20 When the plan was presented to Adam and Eve, 33:23 Satan began to rejoice. 33:26 Because he knew that according to this plan, 33:29 that the Captain of our salvation would have to 33:33 come to earth Himself and throw Himself 33:36 in the midst of our storm. 33:39 And so Satan rejoiced because he knew 33:42 that for 33 years he would have access to Jesus 33:48 to torment Him, to tempt Him, to harass Him, 33:53 and potentially destroy Him. 33:56 For as long as Jesus was on the earth, Satan would have the 34:00 opportunity to derail and destroy the plan 34:05 of salvation. 34:08 Brothers and sisters, I want you to know that whatever may have 34:11 been our life of sin and transgression, 34:14 and no matter how deep may be the stain of our sin, 34:17 I want you to know, we have a Captain who is able 34:22 to save to the uttermost. 34:25 And whosoever believeth on Him should not perish, 34:30 will not perish, but shall have eternal life. 34:33 The Captain of our Salvation, His definition of success 34:40 is defined this way: 34:42 His definition of success is the restoration of man 34:48 into the image of God. 34:52 The image in which he was first created. 34:56 But here is the game changer in this plan. 35:02 Even though Jesus paid it all, when it comes to our salvation, 35:10 Jesus is not going to do it all. 35:17 Even though, when it comes to our salvation, 35:21 Jesus paid it all, Jesus is not going to do it all. 35:29 We, too, have a roll. 35:33 We, too, have a responsibility. 35:36 We have a part to play. 35:39 Jesus is the Captain of our salvation, 35:42 but by His own words and by the authority of the Scriptures, 35:48 Jesus says we, too, have to work, 35:53 to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling. 36:03 If you have your Bibles, you can look at it. 36:30 Hallelujah. Listen to this. 36:33 He says, "...work out your own salvation 36:36 with fear and trembling." 36:37 But then it reminds us in verse 13, it is whom? 36:50 Now here is how the servant of the Lord says it. 36:53 And I want to go to a number of quotations 36:57 from the spirit of prophecy. 36:59 Because they are mighty, they are powerful. 37:01 Look at what she says. 37:47 My Lord. 37:49 We have a work to do. 37:52 To grow. 37:54 To resemble, reflect, and reveal the character of God. 37:58 And God will not do the work for us 38:03 that He has called us to do for ourselves. 38:09 Listen to this. 38:44 Now look at this one. 38:45 "Our prayers," even when we pray, "our prayers will be 38:50 ineffectual unless we continually strive to correct 38:58 that which is wrong and unlovely in our lives." 39:02 Did you hear what I just shared? 39:05 Not even our prayers will be heard 39:08 if we are not continually striving to correct 39:13 the things that are wrong and unlovely in our own lives. 39:18 "If we ask God to work for us," she says, 39:22 "and then make no effort to conquer self, 39:27 our prayers will rise no higher than our own heads." 39:33 Wow. 39:34 She says, "God helps those who cooperate with Him. 39:39 We can obtain forgiveness only through the blood of Christ. 39:45 His atoning sacrifice is all powerful, 39:48 but in the struggle for immortality," she says, 39:52 "we have a part to act. 39:56 Christ will help those who pray, and then watch 40:01 as they pray." 40:03 Watch unto prayer. 40:06 "He calls upon us to use every power He has 40:09 given us in the warfare against sin. 40:11 We can never be saved," she says, "in inactivity 40:17 and in idleness. 40:18 We might as well look for a harvest from seed 40:21 which we have not sown, and for knowledge 40:24 where we have not studied..." 40:26 You understand what she's saying? 40:27 You're not going to get a harvest 40:28 where you have not sown. 40:30 You're not going to get knowledge 40:31 where you have not studied. 40:33 And you're not going to get salvation 40:36 if you don't cooperate with God. 40:39 Doesn't that make sense? 40:42 Brothers and sisters, she also says, "The cooperation 40:45 of divine and human forces is necessary for the formation 40:51 of right principles into the character. 40:53 Man is to make the most strenuous efforts 40:57 to overcome the tempter, to subdue natural passions." 41:02 We must cooperate with Christ. 41:04 I came across this statement, and this was very powerful: 41:08 "It is a dangerous theory..." 41:11 What did I say? 41:12 "...a dangerous theory that leads men to declare 41:18 that all that is necessary to salvation is to simply believe 41:25 in Christ, while disregarding His plain commands." 41:31 Wow. 41:33 "It is a dangerous theory that leads men to declare 41:39 that all that is necessary to salvation is to simply believe 41:43 in Christ, while they disregard His plain commands." 41:48 "There are many in the Christian world," she says, 41:51 "who claim that all that is necessary to salvation 41:56 is to have faith; works are nothing, 41:59 faith is the only essential." 42:01 "But to neglect," she says, "to comply with the conditions 42:06 of salvation is to choose a character of defection and sin, 42:12 that is totally unlike the character of Christ." 42:17 Praise the Lord, "God will not do our part of the work, 42:22 neither does He require that we do His part of the work." 42:29 Somebody say, "Praise the Lord." 42:31 "He will not do our part of the work, 42:35 neither does He require that we do His. 42:39 It is God that worketh in us, but we must work out 42:43 our own salvation with fear and trembling." 42:47 So what does that mean? 42:49 What does that mean, "to work out our own salvation"? 42:54 Well, we work out our own salvation 42:58 through our obedience and the choice of the character 43:04 we mold and shape. 43:08 You see, friends, the work of salvation is a work of 43:12 co-partnership, a joint operation. 43:15 And no man can work out his own salvation 43:18 without the aid of the Holy Spirit. 43:22 "The co-operation of divine and human forces 43:25 is necessary for the formation of right principles 43:29 in the character." 43:30 We must cooperate with God for the plan of salvation to work. 43:37 The working out of the plan of salvation 43:41 reveals not only to men, but it reveals to angels 43:47 the powerful supremacy of the character of God. 43:53 You see, when we are being transformed into the 43:55 image of God, we are working out the plan of salvation, 43:58 and it is revealing to the angels and to men 44:03 the supremacy of the character of God. 44:06 Friends, in our own transformed character, 44:11 we are to magnify before the world the plan of salvation 44:17 as a plan that was laid in the mercies of God. 44:20 Yes, there are things... 44:22 Yes, I said. Yes. 44:26 Yes, I said, yes. 44:28 ...that there are things we must do to be saved 44:33 that God cannot and will not do for us. 44:40 He will give us the power to do them. 44:43 Praise the Lord. 44:45 But we must choose to do them. 44:48 We must choose to surrender, we must choose to submit, 44:55 we must choose to obey. 44:58 Now, here are some other things that we must do, in His power, 45:04 to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. 45:09 Would you like to see some of the things that we must do 45:12 that God will not do for us? 45:14 Gives us the power, but we must do them. 45:16 Look at James 4. The book of James 4:7. 45:20 Look at what it says. 45:28 That's something you must do. 45:32 God can't do that for you. 45:36 He will give you the power, but you must submit 45:41 therefore to God. 45:42 Amen? 45:44 Look at what else said. 45:45 Let's go back to that Scripture. 45:46 Look at what it also says. 45:48 Not only should we submit ourselves therefore to God, 45:51 but we must resist the devil. 45:55 That is something we must do for ourselves. 46:00 Do you understand that? 46:01 And look at what it says... 46:04 And look at verse 8. 46:06 Something else that we must do for ourselves. 46:12 And look at what it says, look at what He will do. 46:15 He will do what? 46:21 You see how it cooperates? 46:23 We must draw nigh to Him, or near to Him, 46:27 and He will draw near to us. 46:48 We must humble ourselves in the sight of the Lord. 46:53 These are things we must do to work out our own salvation. 46:56 Amen? 46:58 We must humble ourselves in the sight of the Lord. 47:00 And then He does what? 47:02 Look at what He does. 47:04 He lifts us up. 47:07 Here are some of the other things He tells us we must do. 47:09 Sometimes we're not ready for this one. 47:15 You want to be saved? 47:17 Don't speak evil of other people. 47:20 God can't do that for you. 47:23 We must do that for ourselves. 47:25 We must choose not to speak evil of our brothers, 47:27 judge our brother, speak evil of the law, judgeth the law. 47:31 And Matthew 7:7. 47:41 God invites us to ask. 47:44 This is how we work out our own salvation. Amen? 47:50 And then in Micah 6:8. 48:02 What does He expect of you? Of me? Of us? 48:06 What does He expect? 48:18 Now when we do these things, listen carefully, 48:22 we don't get credit for them. 48:26 Why? 48:32 For God gave us the power to do them. 48:36 We couldn't do them without His power. 48:40 So they are not our works. 48:47 How can you claim they are yours when you didn't have the 48:50 power to do them, and God gave you the power to do them? 48:54 We must choose to do them. 48:55 Never the less, remember, Jesus paid it all. 49:00 But He never said He would do it all. 49:05 We have a part to play and a work to do 49:09 as we work out our own salvation. 49:11 It's like the disciples in the boat. 49:13 When the storms of life rock your boat, 49:16 and you begin to say, "Lord, where are You? 49:19 God, save me. 49:21 Lord, don't You care that I'm perishing?" 49:23 Just when your world seems to be falling apart 49:26 all around you, listen and you'll hear Jesus, 49:29 the Captain of your salvation, speaking to your storm, 49:34 saying, "Peace, be still. 49:36 I am in charge. 49:39 I am in control." 49:41 When you are not in control, you know you cannot 49:44 save yourself. 49:46 When you know you can't fix the problem on your own, 49:49 you know you don't have all the answers, 49:51 remember, He's the Master of the tempest, 49:54 He's the Lord the storm. 49:56 Just remember, He's the only one who can strengthen you, 50:01 comfort you in the midst of your crisis. 50:03 He's the only one who can help you when the situation 50:07 seems hopeless. 50:08 He's the only one who can give you peace 50:12 in the midst of perplexity. 50:13 He's the only one who can give you solutions 50:17 in the midst of your problems. 50:18 I'm talking about the Captain of our salvation. 50:22 He's the only one who can give you blessings 50:24 in the midst of poverty. 50:26 Anybody can say amen to that. 50:28 He's the only one who can give you stability 50:31 for your stumbling. 50:32 He's the only one who can give you victory for your battles. 50:35 He's the only one who can give you deliverance 50:39 from the jaw of defeat. 50:40 He's the only one who can give you forgiveness for your faults. 50:44 He's the only one who can give you faith for your fears. 50:50 The Captain of our salvation. 50:53 And His purpose is to, through the plan of salvation, 50:59 restore us into the image of the character of God. 51:06 I'm glad I have the Captain of salvation. 51:08 How about you? 51:11 Listen to the message in this song. 51:14 No matter what you're going through, 51:18 no need to fear. 51:21 No need to fear. 51:47 No need to fear when times of trouble come; 51:56 oppression's storm beats at your door. 52:06 No need to fear. 52:15 No need to fear, though evil seems so strong. 52:24 Their pride and power is not for long. 52:33 Be still my soul and trust in God, 52:43 and place your life into His hands. 52:52 For He will never fail you. 53:02 And in the morning, you'll see His face. 53:11 No need to fear. 53:17 Don't fear. 53:31 No need to fear the envy and the scorn 53:39 of those who boast in what they own. 53:49 No need to fear. 53:56 For what remains when life's brief day is done, 54:05 their glories are a setting sun. 54:15 But as for me, of this I'm sure, 54:24 God will redeem my soul from death. 54:33 And He will never fail me. 54:44 And in the morning I'll see His face. 55:16 And He will never fail you. 55:26 No one can tear you from His love. 55:35 And He will never forsake you. 55:45 And in the morning you'll see His face. 55:57 No need to fear. 56:05 Don't fear. 56:25 Let us pray. 56:28 Father, we come to You in our loneliness; 56:36 we ask for Your love. 56:40 We come to you in our guilt, 56:45 and we ask for Your glory. 56:48 We come to You in our weakness, 56:53 and we ask for Your strength. 56:58 Allow us to see that the Captain of our salvation 57:05 is onboard. 57:07 And we have no need to fear. 57:15 We pray this prayer in the name of Jesus, 57:19 amen and amen. 57:24 Praise God. |
Revised 2016-03-08