Participants:
Series Code: HCAU
Program Code: HCAU180014A
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00:01 Music...
00:20 Welcome to 3ABN Australia Homecoming. 00:24 Music... 00:27 Hello friends, welcome to 3ABN Australia Homecoming 2018, 00:33 Rosemary, has this been a blessing? 00:34 It has been a blessing, many people told me 00:37 how much they're enjoying it so that's really good. 00:40 Have you been blessed? Can you say, "Amen. " 00:42 Audience: Amen. 00:43 And this evening's program is not going to be any different 00:46 as we continue in the theme of knowing God 00:48 and we thank you for taking the time to join us. 00:51 We believe as this is the first Homecoming 00:54 that 3ABN Australia has done, am I correct? 00:56 And... and look at all the family that's come to join us. 00:58 That's right... 01:00 and we also thank you for joining us 01:01 wherever you are, maybe you're in your car or home 01:03 or wherever you may be, 01:05 we thank you for taking the time to tune in 01:06 and I'm so glad that the Homecoming has caught on here 01:09 in Australia... 01:11 if you're part of the 3ABN family, 01:12 you've seen our homecomings for many years at 3ABN America. 01:16 That's right. 01:18 But this is the first and should we do this again? 01:21 Audience: Yes! 01:22 Amen. 01:23 I had someone say to me... she may even be here... 01:26 I saw her in K-Mart the other day and she said, 01:29 "I've always wanted to go to a 3ABN Camp Meeting 01:32 but I can't go there, so you're bringing it to us. " 01:34 John: That's right. 01:35 Rosemary: So that was really good. 01:37 So this is... this is a representation 01:39 of America and an Auzzie, right eh... 01:42 Rosemary: Down Under and Up Over. 01:44 Audience: Laughter. 01:46 John: Well, I remember visiting someone here in Australia 01:48 and they had the picture on the wall of the map upside down 01:51 and they said, "You're down under, 01:53 we're up above. " 01:55 But beside all that, we've been blessed by 01:58 the "Knowing God" theme 01:59 that has gone from message to message... 02:01 from song to song... 02:02 and tell us about our Speaker for this... 02:05 for this segment of the program. 02:06 The Speaker for this program is Pastor Abel lorgulescu... 02:11 say that fast a few times and you'll twist your tongue. 02:16 He is the Senior Pastor for this church Avondale Memorial. 02:20 Amen. 02:21 And he's only been here this year but he's a good Pastor. 02:24 He's a sharp gentleman... 02:26 And he's a good preacher. 02:27 I am looking forward to hearing that message 02:28 but just before he comes, 02:30 Diane Hope is going to be blessing us with the song, 02:33 "My Grateful Spirit Sings. " 02:39 Thank you Rosemary. 02:41 And her spirit sings. 02:43 And so, after this next song, 02:45 the next voice that you'll hear 02:48 will be that of Pastor Abel, amen. 02:51 You're going to say his surname... lorgulescu. 02:54 Yes. 02:56 Audience: Laughter. 02:57 Thank you Diane. 02:58 Okay. 03:00 Pause. 03:02 Piano... 03:09 more piano... 03:17 In all they works 03:21 I see thy glory 03:25 In mighty wonders, 03:28 in small and simple things 03:33 My heart rejoices in the bounty set before me 03:41 And my grateful spirit sings 03:50 Each rising sun 03:55 tells of Thy goodness 03:59 The rain proclaims Thee 04:03 in the life it brings 04:07 All creation bears the sure and silent witness 04:14 And my grateful spirit sings 04:23 The stars that crown 04:27 the realms of space 04:30 Reflect the image 04:33 of thy grace 04:37 The rolling seas, 04:40 the earth and sky 04:43 Declare thy pow'r, 04:47 thy majesty and might 04:51 I see thy hand 04:54 in man's compassion 04:58 Thou art the font 05:00 of kindness whence it springs 05:05 Thy boundless charity hath wrought my soul's salvation 05:12 And my grateful 05:16 spirit sings. 05:20 For changeless love 05:23 and endless mercy 05:26 For countless blessings beyond the wealth of kings 05:34 For every perfect gift Thou sendest, Lord, I praise Thee 05:41 And my grateful 05:46 spirit sings. 05:55 Piano... 06:05 Audience: Amen... clapping. 06:10 Thank you very much, Diane, good evening everyone, 06:13 it is a privilege to be standing up here before you guys 06:17 and I'd like to thank John and Rosemary Malkiewycz 06:21 for this opportunity that I have 06:22 to share the Word of God with you tonight, 06:25 it's a privilege and I'd like to affirm them 06:27 for the work they're doing through 3ABN 06:30 not only in Australia, but also beyond. 06:32 Can we say, "Praise God for 3ABN... " 06:35 I'm really grateful for the theme they have chosen this year 06:39 for the first homecoming ever, 06:41 "Knowing God. " 06:43 Unbeknownst to them, this has been one of the verses 06:46 that has really impacted my life a number of years ago 06:48 because for me as a young person, 06:51 developing faith in God, 06:53 I thought of eternal life as an event... 06:56 something that was going to take place 06:58 when Jesus Christ will return at the second coming 07:02 that we will... you have eternal life... 07:04 we will no longer die, 07:06 we will no longer experience pain and suffering 07:08 and I always thought of eternal life as second coming 07:12 until I came across this verse in John chapter 17 verse 3 07:15 and it says, "And this is eternal life, 07:19 that they might know You, the only true God, 07:21 and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent. " 07:23 What Jesus is telling us here 07:24 is that eternal life is not an event, my friends, 07:27 eternal life is a relationship 07:29 and that relationship begins here and now 07:32 which means that you and I can have eternal life now, 07:35 we don't have to wait for the second coming, 07:37 that brings a new dimension to it 07:39 and hopefully, tonight we're going to continue our journey 07:43 in understanding more about God... 07:45 knowing God especially through the works of the Old Testament. 07:49 Some of you are aware that many books have been written 07:54 about God's actions in the Old Testament... 07:56 that some of these actions are very well received... 07:59 perceived... understood... or applied. 08:02 For example, and I quote, 08:04 "God is described as nothing but a bully, 08:08 a murderer and a cosmic child abuser. " 08:11 Now, what do you think of such a description? 08:14 Pretty terrible, right? 08:17 And the list of accusations continues, in that, 08:21 God is accused of being arrogant and jealous. 08:24 He punishes people too harshly, is guilty of ethnic cleansing, 08:30 oppresses women, endorses slavery 08:32 and causes violence. 08:34 This is a picture that people in the 21st Century get about God, 08:38 especially through the Old Testament... 08:40 at least this is what has been dished out... fed to them... 08:43 And the question for us tonight is, 08:46 "How can we know God by His works in the Old Testament?" 08:51 In 2006 which was a while ago, a known Atheist... the author, 08:56 Richard Dawkins published a book entitled, "The God Delusion" 09:02 and I've got a slide for you. 09:03 In that book, he made the following reference, 09:05 and I'll step aside so you can see it, 09:07 hopefully, it's coming, if not, I'll read it to you. 09:10 "The God of the Old Testament" you got it, 09:14 "The God of the Old Testament 09:15 is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction... " 09:20 let just that sink in 09:22 and I'm sorry that I have to go through some of these words, 09:23 I don't feel comfortable 09:25 but I just want to paint a picture 09:26 of what people think of God 09:28 and His actions in the Old Testament. 09:30 "He is jealous and proud of it; 09:32 a petty, unjust, unforgiving control freak; 09:35 vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser... " 09:38 and I don't feel comfortable continuing. 09:41 I... I'll leave the passage there 09:43 for you to have an understanding of Richard's opinion 09:47 of God's actions in the Old Testament. 09:50 Pause... 09:52 Is this the type of God 09:53 you'd like to have a relationship with? 09:55 Is this the type of God 09:58 you'd like to introduce your children to? 10:00 Pause... 10:02 A year later... 2007... 10:05 another world-renowned Atheist author, Christopher Hitchens, 10:10 he made... he wrote a book entitled, 10:13 "God is not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything" 10:18 and in that, if we can have the next slide, 10:22 Christopher Hitchens made the following remark 10:25 about God in the Old Testament. 10:27 "He's violent, irrational, intolerant, 10:28 allied to racism and tribalism and bigotry, 10:31 invested in ignorance and hostile to free inquiry, 10:34 contemptuous of women and coercive towards children: 10:37 organized religion ought to have a great deal 10:40 on its conscience. " 10:42 And some of this diet is being fed in schools and universities 10:46 and no wonder, we are experiencing a massive exodus 10:49 of young people and young adults leaving the church 10:53 because we don't understand God. 10:56 I don't think we can fully understand everything about Him 10:59 because that's what makes Him God... 11:00 but I believe... God is willing to reveal Himself to us 11:06 and that's what we will be attempting to do here 11:09 tonight by God's grace 11:10 and before we go any further I'd like to pray 11:14 not only for myself but I'd like to pray for you 11:17 that you may stay awake after this dinner 11:19 and that we will be blessed together 11:22 and that, at the end, we will be able to say, 11:25 "God has been in our midst. " 11:26 So, let's bow our heads together. 11:28 "Father, we pray that this time will be only about You, 11:32 may You hide me behind Your cross, 11:35 anoint my thoughts and on my lips 11:37 and may the words I proclaim come straight from You. 11:40 Father, may You convict us, 11:43 may You bring forgiveness into our lives 11:46 and may You renew us through the power of the Holy Spirit, 11:48 we ask in Jesus' name, amen. " 11:50 If we are honest with ourselves and we think of our journey 11:58 sometimes when we read the Bible... 12:00 when we read the Scripture, 12:02 which is the Old Testament... 12:03 sorry, which is the New Testament 12:05 over the Old Testament. 12:06 because we read about Jesus, we read about the apostles, 12:09 we read about the miracles, like the story where... 12:12 where Jesus writes things on the sand 12:14 and, you know, the lady is forgiven... 12:16 and these are great... 12:17 but what about the Old Testament stories? 12:19 If we're honest with ourselves 12:22 sometimes, we're actually struggling 12:23 and we avoid them 12:25 and new Christians... 12:28 they struggle to make sense of all these things 12:30 and it's not easy 12:32 but with God, all things are possible. 12:35 so, the question is, "How can we know God 12:38 from His works in the Old Testament? 12:40 I like to address a question back to these two authors, 12:46 Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens 12:48 and the accusations they have made. 12:50 How is it possible to accuse God of being evil 12:54 when Atheism based on Evolution does not have a standard 13:01 for what is good or right? 13:03 Sorry... for what is good or bad. 13:04 Pause... 13:06 Because Morality... 13:07 to say that God is unjust and immoral, 13:09 you need to have a standard for morality 13:12 and the only standard that Society has created for morality 13:15 is based upon this Holy Scriptures. 13:17 A Christian author by the name of Paul Copan 13:21 that spends a lot of time in the Old Testament... 13:24 understanding God's actions in the Old Testament... 13:26 wrote this about Dawkins' accusations 13:29 addressed against God 13:30 and He said... if we can have the next slide, 13:31 "Despite Dawkins' moral outrage, his metaphysics disallows it, 13:37 admitting that a universe full of electrons 13:40 contains 'no evil and no good... '" 13:43 so Richard Dawkins himself says, 13:45 "Because of the universe in which we live in... " 13:47 and based on their belief that everything has evolved... 13:50 "there is no evil and no good, 13:52 nothing but blind pitiless indifference. ' 13:57 Indeed, science 'has no method for deciding what is ethical. '" 14:03 So, on one hand, they have the ability... 14:05 the authority to say that this world does not give us 14:09 the tools to say what is good and what is bad 14:12 and on the other hand, they accuse God as being unjust. 14:17 So, how can we make sense of these principles, 14:19 how can we make sense of these accusations. 14:22 First of all, I believe that you and I have to be very humble 14:26 as we approach those stories in the Old Testament 14:30 because God's wisdom transcends our understanding. 14:34 We are told in the Bible that His ways are not our ways 14:40 and His thoughts are not our thoughts. 14:44 So while we may not understand everything about what God did, 14:49 I believe there are some principles 14:51 that if we humbly incorporate them into our teaching 14:55 and living and preaching, 14:57 they can give us a bit of direction. 14:58 Tonight we're going to look at two major stories... 15:00 both of them found in... in Samuel 15:03 but before we jump into these stories, 15:06 I would like to share with you four principles... 15:08 they are very short... I'll run quickly through them... 15:11 this is not... 15:13 they don't contain the whole truth 15:16 but it creates a starting point for you and for me 15:19 as we seek to understand God's works in the Old Testament 15:23 in getting to know Him. 15:24 Principle number one, 15:26 if we can have that on the screen, 15:27 1. Jesus is the perfect revelation of God. 15:32 Jesus is the perfect revelation of God. 15:37 So, what I'm saying is this, 15:39 when you're struggling with a story... 15:41 when you're struggling with a passage in the Old Testament, 15:43 leave that passage for a second and think of 15:47 Jesus. Why do I say that? 15:49 Because there's a passage that we have and I'll put on the 15:52 screen for you... in Hebrews, Chapter 1, verses 1 to 3 15:55 and it says, "God, who at various times 15:57 and in various ways spoke in time past 16:00 to the fathers by the prophets, 16:02 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, 16:08 Who being the brightness of His glory 16:11 and the express image of His... " 16:13 so, Jesus Christ is the express image of the Father, 16:18 no wonder Jesus said to His disciples, 16:20 "If you have seen me, you have seen the Father. " 16:23 The reason why I'm bringing this verse here is... 16:26 is for this reason, 16:28 Jesus never distanced Himself 16:32 from the God of the Old Testament 16:34 or the teachings of the Old Testament 16:37 and this is a very important principle for us to understand. 16:40 Therefore, every single time we look at the Old Testament 16:43 stories that are a bit challenging, 16:44 we're going to see some of them tonight, 16:46 we need to put on some lenses... some glasses... 16:49 we need to look at them 16:51 from the life and sacrifice of Jesus Christ 16:54 that we may understand it 16:55 and I call these lenses, "The Redemptive Lenses" 16:59 that whenever we find a story that is challenging, 17:02 we put on the redemptive lenses... 17:04 that we look at them through the life and sacrifice 17:07 of Jesus Christ. 17:09 Principle number two, 17:10 this is a bit broad but I want to mention it 17:13 is... people say the Old Testament... 17:15 it's shocking... 17:17 I'd like to suggest to you that the New Testament 17:20 also contains challenging passages as well, 17:23 it's not just the Old Testament. 17:25 Just to mention a couple... Ananias and Sapphira... 17:29 the only thing they did is they lied. 17:31 When was the last time when you lied? 17:34 Praise God you're still alive. 17:36 praise God I'm still alive... 17:38 pause... 17:41 they lied and... bang... 17:43 they were taken out. 17:46 Read the book of Revelation, 17:47 the wrath of God is not mixed with mercy. 17:50 You've got the Lake of Fire where Satan... the demons... 17:54 and the wicked are destroyed 17:55 and their smoke ascends into heaven forever and ever. 18:00 What I'm saying is, there's a common thread 18:04 between the Testaments. 18:05 You cannot separate them. 18:07 Is it easy to understand them? 18:09 Not really. 18:10 But that shouldn't stop us from knowing 18:12 or from attempting to know God 18:14 because this is eternal life. 18:17 Principle number three, 18:19 God acts like a surgeon. 18:21 Any surgeons? Any surgeons here? 18:23 No... 18:25 I believe that God acts like a surgeon in the context that 18:32 He removes the infected part in order to save the body. 18:39 Sadly, people have experienced amputations. 18:43 For what purpose? 18:45 Pause. 18:47 To stay alive 18:48 and there have been times in the Old Testament 18:50 when God has intervened as a surgeon 18:53 to remove an infected part 18:55 in order to save what was left. 18:58 Both Testaments... they proclaim this message 19:03 that God loves the sinner and hates the sin 19:07 and most of the times we emphasize it... 19:10 yeah, that God loves the sinner 19:11 and that is great... because He does... 19:13 that's the truth... that's the gospel 19:14 but we shouldn't ignore the fact 19:17 that God actually hates sin... 19:20 and I believe He hates it with passion. 19:24 Pause... 19:26 Because it is sin the one that brought separation 19:28 between us and him 19:29 it's because of sin that we experience death 19:31 and pain and suffering and cancer 19:33 and... and abuse... 19:34 and God hates it 19:36 and He wants to deal with it, 19:38 therefore, He acts as a surgeon 19:40 in human history. 19:42 God is the One that knows everything about everyone. 19:46 He knows the beginning... sorry... no... 19:48 He knows the end from the beginning, 19:50 therefore, He has the moral right 19:52 to intervene in human history 19:54 and act according to His wisdom 19:57 and last principle, number four, 19:59 Place every story in the context of the Great Controversy. 20:06 Pause. 20:08 Place everything in the context of the great controversy. 20:11 Sometimes we think of the battles between the Israelites 20:15 and other nations... with all the Canaanites and Hittites 20:19 and Philistines and all these... 20:20 and we think they're just battles between two countries 20:23 or two nations... 20:24 my friends in reality they were battles between two powers... 20:29 it was a battle between God 20:31 and it was a battle between God and Satan. 20:34 And I want to create a foundation for my point 20:38 to sustain what I'm saying here, 20:39 I want to take you through a small journey 20:41 of three Bible passages in which I'm trying to build up a case. 20:44 We can have the first passage that comes from 20:46 Genesis chapter 22 on the screen. 20:49 "God said to Abraham, 20:50 'In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, 20:54 because you have obeyed my voice. '" 20:56 Here we have... out of all the nations, 20:58 God selected Abraham 21:00 and He said, "In your seed... " singular... 21:03 "all the nations of the earth shall be blessed... " 21:05 in other words, He's saying, "Out of Abraham, 21:08 the Savior for humanity is going to come... " 21:10 the One that is going to solve the problem of sin 21:12 for those in North America... welcome guys here... 21:15 South America... 21:16 Asia, Africa, Europe, all over the world... 21:20 that Savior is going to come from Abraham... 21:22 either you like it or not it doesn't matter. 21:25 It's from Abraham... it's His seed. 21:27 Paul in the book of Galatians... next slide... 21:30 tells us... Galatians 3:16, 21:32 "Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made 21:35 and He does not say, 'And to seeds,' 21:37 as of many, but as of one, 21:40 'And to your seed,' who is Christ. " 21:44 So what was the prophecy about give to Abraham? 21:46 Pause. 21:47 Christ will come out of Abraham, in other words, 21:50 "Christ was going to be a descendant of Abraham... 21:52 salvation was going to come from the Jews. " 21:56 While God was interested in the Chinese and those in Mongolia 21:59 and the Aztecs and people... Indians in America 22:02 and Aborigines here and all of the place... 22:05 He had His focus on one particular group 22:08 and that group were the Israelites 22:11 because of the promise made to Abraham 22:14 and Jesus was very unapologetically about it. 22:18 In John chapter 4 verse 22, 22:20 when He was talking to the woman at the well, 22:23 the Samaritan woman... Jesus said to her, 22:25 "You worship what you do not know... " 22:27 that's not an easy statement. 22:29 He wasn't encouraging her, 22:32 He wasn't necessarily being friendly, 22:33 He was like, telling the truth. 22:35 "You worship what you do not know... " 22:38 "we... " referring to the Jews... 22:41 "we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. " 22:47 Have you ever wondered why we have so many prophecies 22:53 with countries like Babylon and Persia and Greece and Rome, 22:57 but there's no specific prophecy about the kingdom of the Mongols 23:01 or the Chinese... why? 23:05 Because every single nation that appears in Bible prophecy 23:09 had something to do with the Israelites. 23:12 It was about God's people 23:14 and what He's saying here is salvation was going to come 23:17 through the Jews' Messiah... 23:18 it was going to come through the Jews. 23:20 Pause. 23:21 Now, Thursday night, Pastor John used an expression 23:25 and He said, "If I were the devil... " 23:28 and he said, "I'm not... " 23:29 tonight I'll flip it and I'll say, 23:32 "If you were the devil... " and you're not... 23:35 Audience: Laughter. 23:37 "what would you try to do if you knew 23:41 that the solution to sin 23:43 and the solution for every single country in the world 23:47 was going to come from the Jews. " 23:48 If you were the devil... what would you do? 23:52 Pause... 23:54 You would do your best to distract... 23:59 deceive and destroy the Israelites 24:03 hoping that by doing that, 24:05 you'll bring that promise to an end 24:08 and therefore, Planet Earth will be lost forever. 24:13 Pause. 24:15 That's why, every single battle we have in the Old Testament... 24:19 every single conflict that we have there... 24:21 it's not just a conflict between Israelites and other nations, 24:24 there's a battle between Satan 24:26 who's trying to bring this promise to an end 24:30 by distracting, deceiving and destroying 24:34 and at the same time, you've got God 24:37 fighting to make sure that the Jews will last long enough 24:42 for the promise to become a reality. 24:45 therefore, every single action... 24:48 every single thing that God did in the Old Testament 24:52 had only one purpose in mind 24:54 and that was to bring this prophecy to fulfillment 24:57 that you and I may have the opportunity to be saved, amen. 25:02 All right, we got this done, 25:05 this... this whole idea is mentioned in the New Testament, 25:08 Revelation 12 verse 4, it says, 25:11 "... And the dragon stood before the woman 25:13 who was ready to give birth, 25:14 to devour her Child as soon as it was born. " 25:17 So we've got this whole process of Satan 25:19 trying to stop the prophecy from being fulfilled 25:23 and God making sure 25:25 that the prophecy was going to actually take place. 25:27 And I'll take you with me on a journey, 25:30 if you have your Bibles, 1st Samuel chapter 15 25:34 and this is where we sort of begin our in-depth study, 25:37 1st Samuel chapter 15 verses 1 to 3, 25:40 there are many passages that you find in the Old Testament 25:44 that can be challenging at times 25:45 this is one of my favorite, 25:48 1st Samuel 15 verses 1 to 3, 25:50 it really throws a spin on how God works 25:55 and we may not understand everything about Him 25:58 but it's just amazing what happens here, 26:01 1st Samuel 15 verses 1 to 3, 26:03 it says, "Samuel said to Saul... " 26:06 we're talking here about King Saul... 26:08 first king in Israel, 26:10 The LORD sent me to anoint you king over His people... " 26:14 so the prophet is reminding Saul, 26:16 "Hey, you are here because God appointed you... " 26:19 in other words saying, "You better be prepared 26:23 to do what God is asking you to do. " 26:25 "Therefore, heed the voice of the words of the LORD." 26:31 Verse 2, "Thus says the LORD of hosts, 26:33 I will punish Amalek for what it did to Israel, 26:37 how he ambushed him on the way when he came up from Egypt. " 26:41 And verse 3... that is like the pinnacle of this conversation, 26:45 and it's sort of the time when people turned away 26:49 and closed their eyes 26:50 and like, "Did it really happen?" 26:52 "Now go and attack Amalek, 26:54 and utterly destroy all that they have; 27:00 and do not spare them... " 27:03 and it says, "Kill both men and women, 27:09 infant and nursing child, 27:14 ox and sheep, camel and donkey. " 27:17 My question for you tonight is, 27:20 "How can we know God from this passage?" 27:23 "And this is eternal life, that we may know God. " 27:28 How can we know Him from this particular verse? 27:34 A God that orders the destruction of the entire nation 27:38 including infants... children that haven't really developed, 27:44 and kill all the animals 27:47 and destroy everything else around... 27:51 don't you find that a bit like, "Eh... " 27:54 pause... 27:57 we're trying to understand God through His works 28:00 in the Old Testament. 28:01 First of all, the destruction of the Amalek did not come 28:06 as an idea created by Saul and that's very important 28:10 it wasn't his initiative, it was God's. 28:14 Secondly, and that is in verse 2, 28:18 "I will punish Amalek 28:20 for what he did to Israel. " 28:22 This is God speaking, 28:23 "I will punish Amalek for what he did to My children. " 28:25 What happened? 28:26 This verse is actually referring to a prophecy that was authored 28:32 five hundred years before this event took place 28:36 and we got a passage on the screen... 28:39 Deuteronomy 25 verses 17 to 19, 28:43 and this is what it says, "Remember... " 28:44 this is God speaking to the leaders of Israel, 28:47 "Remember what Amalek did to you on the way 28:49 as you were coming out of Egypt, 28:51 how he met you on the way and attacked your rear ranks, 28:55 all the stragglers at your rear, 28:57 when you were tired and weary; and he did not fear God. 29:01 Therefore it shall be, 29:03 when the Lord your God has given you rest... 29:05 that you will blot out the remembrance of Amalek 29:08 from under Heaven. 29:09 You shall not forget. " 29:12 500 years before Saul was asked to do this, 29:14 the prophecy was given by God. 29:16 So, what was happening? 29:18 First of all, we need to understand that Amalek... 29:19 they were relatives of the Israelites, 29:21 they were descendants of Esau 29:23 and all of a sudden, 29:25 you have relatives attacking the Israelites, 29:27 they were first ones to attack Israel 29:29 after they crossed the Red Sea. 29:30 So, what do we see here? 29:32 None other than Satan himself using a nation 29:35 to stop Israel from becoming the nation that God wants them to be 29:40 and from... from hindering the prophecy 29:42 about Jesus Christ being fulfilled 29:45 and God said, "I will eventually destroy them 29:49 but I will give them some grace. " 29:52 And God waited... not ten... not 50 years... 29:56 not a 100... not 250... 29:59 but waited 500 years. 30:02 So, the picture that I get from here is, "Do we know God?" 30:05 "Yes... we know God. " 30:07 And the message is, "God is a God of grace. " 30:10 Pause. 30:12 And this time of grace is given for us to make up our mind 30:17 where we want to spend eternity. 30:20 Pause... 30:21 more pause... 30:23 And God allowed them... generation after generation... 30:27 but the time came for them to be utterly destroyed 30:30 because even in the time of Saul... King Saul... 30:33 the Amalekites were used by Satan to be distracted... 30:38 deceived... and destroyed... 30:40 and God decided to act like a surgeon... 30:44 remove the infected part 30:46 in order to save the nation of Israel 30:49 and also, to make sure that He will bring about salvation 30:53 for you and for me today. 30:55 Place every single story 30:58 in the context of the Great Controversy. 31:01 The question is, "What happens?" 31:04 Sorry... I need to also mention 31:07 when God asked them to go and destroy everything, 31:11 that type of war is called, "Herem" 31:14 which is a holy war... 31:16 which means that everything is dedicated to God 31:20 and it came as a divine judgment, 31:23 the soldiers weren't allowed to benefit from that. 31:26 They weren't allowed to take any servants or any goods. 31:29 They were going to move forward... burn everything... 31:32 because it was God's judgment upon the nation 31:34 it was a battle between two Gods. 31:37 Verse 9, "Saul and the people spared.. " 31:40 so, they are told to destroy everything 31:43 and then verse 9 says, "Saul spared Agag, 31:46 and the best of the sheep, oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, 31:50 and all that was good, 31:52 and were unwilling to utterly destroy them: 31:59 but everything despised 32:02 and worthless, that they utterly destroyed. " 32:05 Pause. 32:07 They kept what was good for themselves 32:10 and they gave to God the leftovers. 32:13 And as a result of this disobedience 32:16 and I can't dwell too much on this point... 32:17 as a result of this disobedience, 32:19 the throne was taken away from Saul 32:20 and from his family. 32:22 Pause. 32:24 Fast forward through... through Israel's history, 32:27 I want you to think of the time of Queen Esther, 32:29 what was the name of the man 32:34 that tried to get rid of the Jews? 32:37 Haman... 32:39 Like I said... was a verse on the screen 32:42 Esther chapter 3 verse 1, look at this, 32:46 "After these things King Ahasuerus promoted Haman, 32:50 the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, 32:55 and advanced him and set his seat above all the princes 32:57 who were with him. " 32:58 Do you know who was Haman? 33:00 He was an Amalekite. 33:01 One of those that survived from the conquest 33:06 where Saul was meant to destroy everything and everyone 33:08 and because God... 33:10 sorry... because Saul was not obedient, 33:12 the nation had to suffer again in the coming-up years 33:20 and this is the son of the Agagite... 33:23 it's placed intentionally because there's ongoing tension 33:26 between the Amalekites and the Israelites 33:28 and what I see here this ongoing... 33:30 Satan is very perseverant... 33:32 Israel comes out of Egypt, he seeks to destroy them... 33:35 he uses Amalek all throughout these journeys... 33:38 Saul is disobedient in his command... 33:40 and then he uses Haman... 33:41 but throughout all of this, God protects His children 33:46 because He wants to make sure 33:49 that salvation will be made available 33:52 to every nation under the sun. 33:54 Therefore, God acts like a surgeon 33:57 removing the infected part, 33:59 therefore, every single story 34:01 that we read in the Old Testament, 34:03 needs to be placed in the context 34:05 of the great controversy. 34:07 Pause... 34:09 So, as we wrap up this story, I'd like to say to you, 34:16 God... can we know God from this? 34:19 I believe that we can 34:21 and the message that I get is this, 34:23 God is a warrior... 34:24 do you like that? 34:26 God is a warrior... 34:28 God is a warrior 34:30 but He's not a warrior against you and me, 34:33 He's a warrior against sin 34:35 and He fights with passion to stop it and to destroy it 34:40 in order to bring salvation for you and for me. 34:45 Therefore, every action of God... 34:49 every command that He authors 34:51 including the command to destroy everything 34:54 with the Amalekites is made 34:57 in order to restore the fallen humanity 35:00 and to bring salvation a step closer 35:03 to its final fulfillment. 35:05 This is how we can know God in the Old Testament. 35:10 Pause. 35:12 But I want to take you to another story. 35:15 In 2nd Samuel chapter 6 35:19 and this is a story that I sort of struggled as a young man 35:23 because I just didn't get it. 35:24 I'm not saying that I do get it now 35:26 but... 2nd Samuel chapter 6 35:30 and we're going to read verse 3 first of all. 35:32 2nd Samuel chapter 6 verse 3. 35:37 I'll actually go through this quite quickly. 35:40 Pause. 35:42 "They set the ark of God on a new cart, 35:46 and brought it out of the house of Abinadab 35:49 which was on the hill: 35:50 and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, 35:53 drove the new cart. 35:55 Look down to verses 6 through 8, 35:58 when they came to Nachon's threshingfloor, 36:02 Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God, 36:06 took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. " 36:09 Pause... 36:11 Wasn't he trying to help? 36:14 You know while he was trying to stop the ark 36:17 from falling to the ground and having it dishonored. 36:19 Pause... 36:21 "But then the anger of the LORD was aroused against Uzzah; 36:24 and God struck him there for his error; 36:28 and he died there by the ark of God. " 36:30 Now, look at King David's reaction, 36:33 "And David became angry... " not because of Uzzah... 36:38 "he became angry because of the LORD's outbreak against Uzzah: 36:42 and he called the name of the place Perezuzzah to this day. " 36:47 What do you think of this passage? 36:49 What is this passage telling you about God? 36:51 I mean, he was trying to help 36:53 and this is how He pays you back? 36:55 Pause... 36:57 Isn't that what it reads on the surface? 37:00 And I struggled... I mean, this guy was trying to help, 37:04 he was trying to do the right thing, 37:05 why would God react in such a way? 37:07 How can we know God from His works in the Old Testament? 37:10 What can we know about Him? 37:13 Doesn't it seem to be a bit unfair? 37:15 I want to tell you that a careful study 37:19 would reveal something amazing about this story. 37:22 The death of Uzzah is actually the last 37:25 of three Old Testament stories 37:28 about those who desecrated the Ark of the Covenant 37:32 and were slain by God. 37:34 So, the story of Uzzah is part of three Old Testament stories 37:40 about those who desecrated the ark 37:43 and suffered as a result of that 37:45 and every single story leads to the other... 37:48 it actually builds on top of another, 37:50 so, we need to go back 37:51 about 85 years prior to this event 37:54 that took place in Uzzah's life. 37:57 Pause. 37:58 First story... we're not going to read, 38:00 I'm going to tell you the summary, 38:01 you can check at home, 38:03 1st Samuel chapter 4, 38:04 it is a story when the Israelites 38:06 fight against the Philistines, 38:07 the Israelites were losing and they make a decision 38:10 to bring something into the camp. 38:11 What did they bring? 38:13 They bring the Ark of the Covenant... 38:15 they say, "If the Ark comes, we're going to be victorious. " 38:17 The Ark comes... they lose... 38:19 the Ark gets captured by the Philistines. 38:22 Isn't it amazing... it fascinates me... 38:25 that here we have these... these pagans 38:28 touching and handling the Ark... 38:33 are you hearing me? 38:35 They snatch it from the Jews 38:38 and they put it on their own cart 38:40 but God is not there to strike them dead 38:43 but He strikes the fellow that is trying to help. 38:49 Are you with me? 38:51 What is this revealing to us about God? 38:54 Pause... 38:56 Someone said, "Mercy. " 38:59 Indeed, for the Philistines, it was the "sin of ignorance. " 39:03 They did not know how to handle the Ark 39:06 and God in His wisdom and mercy, 39:09 He said, "I'm going to take them on a journey... 39:12 I'm going to gradually reveal myself to them 39:15 because they don't have a clue of who I am. " 39:18 And this brings me so much hope 39:21 and this tells me so much about God in the Old Testament 39:24 that when you think of nations around the world, 39:26 He takes every single one on a journey. 39:29 You and I don't have to be at the same level 39:31 in order for us to be in heaven. 39:33 Did you know that? 39:34 Pause... 39:37 some of the things that I consider to be wrong today, 39:39 I did not consider them to be wrong ten years ago 39:42 and I'm not necessarily proud of that, 39:44 I'm just stating as a fact 39:46 because we grow and we mature in our relationship with God 39:49 and God was very intentional here, 39:51 because He wanted to take the Philistines on a journey 39:54 so, do you have a family member that doesn't walk with God? 39:58 Don't expect them to believe... 40:00 to accept everything that you have 40:02 because God is taking them gradually. 40:05 They bring the Ark of the Covenant 40:07 into the temple of Dagon... 40:09 this fellow was half man... half fish... a statue... 40:12 they placed the Ark there, 40:14 in the morning... none in the city is affected 40:18 however, the idol is face to the ground, 40:21 first step, God is revealing saying, 40:23 "I've got power over your idol. " 40:26 The following morning, the idol is down again, 40:29 no one is affected in the city, 40:30 but the idol has the head chopped and the hands cut off. 40:34 What is God doing? 40:36 Gradually revealing Himself... 40:39 and then eventually He brings boils 40:41 and these guys are starting to hurt 40:42 and say, "We need to move the Ark... " 40:44 and they move it to another town 40:45 and everyone is in pain 40:46 and they push it from one to another 40:48 when in rebellion they end up dying, 40:50 they say, "We need to send it away. " 40:51 Pause... 40:54 What is this telling me about God? 40:55 He takes people on a journey and He has patience 40:58 with those who have no clue about Him 41:01 and I believe we can learn a lot about God 41:03 through His works in the Old Testament. 41:06 Pause... 41:08 so this is the first story 41:09 but what's sad is that the second story 41:11 take place in 1st Samuel chapter 6. 41:13 The Ark... I'm just cutting it short, guys, 41:16 the Ark is sent away from the Philistines... 41:18 God leads the cart 41:19 and it arrives in a town called Bethshemesh... 41:22 how many of you know what happened in Bethshemesh? 41:25 Pause. 41:27 A number of you... 41:29 Bethshemesh... let me just remind you... 41:30 this is an Israelite town, all right. 41:33 This is an Israelite town. 41:34 These people in Bethshemesh... they see the miracle 41:38 of the cart returning with the Ark of the Covenant, 41:41 all by itself, 41:43 and they gather around that cart... 41:46 they remove whatever it had there, 41:49 and do you know what these guys did? 41:51 They look inside... 41:53 pause... 41:56 and God does not take them on a gradual journey. 42:03 Pause... 42:05 because on that moment, God struck dead... 50,000 people 42:11 in Bethshemesh... 42:13 an Israelite town... 42:16 on that very moment. 42:19 I don't know, it seems to me on the surface 42:22 that God had more patience with the Philistines... 42:24 these heathens than with His own children. 42:29 Pause. 42:31 Can we understand something about God's character 42:34 in this particular story? 42:35 Pause. 42:37 I believe God is inviting us... 42:39 God is expecting us to live the truth 42:44 that has been given to us. 42:47 Pause. 42:48 The Israelites were given more, 42:50 therefore, they were expected to know more. 42:55 Pause. 42:57 They knew better... 42:58 they knew that only the High Priest 43:00 would be able to stand before the Ark 43:02 and that'll be once a year in the Most Holy 43:05 and yet they disregarded the very instructions of God 43:10 pause... 43:11 and sometimes God acts because He knows everything 43:15 about everyone... 43:16 He knows the end from the beginning 43:17 and as a cosmic surgeon, He intervenes and He acts. 43:22 This is story number two 43:24 and this leads us to story number three 43:28 and that is the story of Uzzah 43:30 and we read that story. 43:31 Pause... 43:33 So, what was wrong about Uzzah? 43:35 You know, David was excited, 43:37 he wanted to bring the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem, 43:40 pause... 43:41 more pause... 43:44 but they left something out of that. 43:46 The Bible tells us... they placed the Ark of the Covenant 43:51 pause 43:53 on a new cart... 43:55 was that the way in which the Ark of the Covenant 43:58 was meant to be transported? 44:00 Pause... 44:01 No... we know that... 44:04 they knew that 44:06 however, instead of having it carried 44:10 on shoulders by the priest, 44:12 and that is the sons of Kohath no one else... 44:16 the sons of Kohath were chosen for this purpose. 44:20 They decided to put it on a cart, why? 44:23 Why a cart? 44:25 Pause... 44:27 why a cart? 44:28 Because that's what the Philistines did 44:32 pause... 44:34 and instead of listening to God's instructions, 44:38 pause... 44:39 they copied the pattern of the world 44:42 pause 44:44 and... and my question 44:47 as a leader in the church and for all of us, 44:50 are we tempted at times to copy the pattern of the world 44:57 instead of following the instructions of God? 45:01 Pause. 45:03 Maybe David and the rest thought it's going to quicker 45:05 to put it on a cart and drag it along... 45:07 pause... 45:09 I'll tell you what... 45:11 we're going to fail every single time 45:12 when we try to copy the pattern of the world 45:15 instead of following the instructions of God. 45:18 Pause... 45:19 more pause. 45:21 The Bible tells us that God elected the sons of Kohath 45:24 as the only ones to be allowed to transport the Ark 45:27 on their shoulders 45:29 but if you read carefully, Uzzah, 45:30 he wasn't a son of Kohath, he was the son of Abinadab 45:34 and they were never instructed 45:37 to carry the Ark of the Covenant. 45:39 Pause. 45:41 Disregarding the Lord's instructions, 45:44 Uzzah placed himself where he should not have been 45:49 and he did what he should not have done 45:53 and the culmination of this disobedience... 45:57 he touched the Ark and he died. 46:00 Pause... 46:02 Why did Uzzah do such a thing? 46:03 Pause... 46:07 Maybe important for you to know that his father 46:10 had the Ark of the Covenant for 20 years in his house. 46:13 Pause... 46:14 Now, what happens when you have something 46:16 for 20 years in your house? 46:17 Pause... 46:20 You know, when you buy a new car, 46:22 you're going to vacuum that car every day. 46:23 You're going to wash it, 46:25 you're going to look for scratches and marks? 46:26 Twenty years later, there's a bomb. 46:29 Audience: Laughter. 46:31 Pause... 46:33 Having the Ark of the Covenant in your house for 20 years... 46:36 we might suspect that Uzzah started to lose 46:41 the sacredness of the Ark. 46:43 Pause. 46:46 "As that has been here, of course I can carry it... 46:48 it doesn't matter... 46:49 it's not going to make a difference, 46:51 pause... 46:53 and what I... I believe what God was trying to do here, 46:56 pause... 46:58 God was trying to help Israel regain a sense of His greatness 47:01 and holiness 47:03 and I'm going to get to this word later on... "Holiness" 47:06 before I finish tonight. 47:08 Pause... 47:11 Look at verse 11 47:13 if you want to check with me in 2nd Samuel chapter 6 verse 11. 47:19 Pause. 47:21 Uzzah died... David was angry 47:24 verse 11 tells us what happens next. 47:26 "The ark of the LORD remained in the house of Obededom 47:31 the Gittite three months: 47:34 and the LORD blessed Obededom, and all his household. " 47:40 Pause... how come he didn't die? 47:44 Pause... 47:46 When the presence of the Lord is taken seriously... 47:50 when He is invited in your life, in your house... in your church, 47:55 and you regard Him as a Holy God, 47:58 He ends up blessing you 48:01 because that's what He seeks to do anyway, 48:04 He ends up blessing you. 48:06 So here's my point, maybe from time to time, 48:11 we need to be reminded that God is holy. 48:16 Have you heard of that word before? 48:18 Holy... 48:19 Jesus Himself says, "Be holy... 48:21 as our Father in heaven is holy. " 48:23 Be holy... 48:26 if there is any principle that the world has lost 48:30 in its view of God, it's His holiness. 48:35 Churches around the world are happy to proclaim a God 48:42 that is happy and friendly and welcoming 48:45 and there's nothing wrong with that 48:48 because He is... God is happy... 48:49 God is friendly and God is welcoming. 48:51 But in addition to all of this or above all of this, 48:55 God is also a holy God my church, 48:58 God is a holy God. 49:00 No wonder in the book of Isaiah we have the angels 49:04 that cover their faces with a pair of their wings 49:08 and cover their feet with the other pair 49:11 and they sing, "Holy, holy, holy... " 49:14 and here we have this being that has never experienced sin, 49:19 the angels in heaven 49:21 covering their faces and singing holy, holy 49:24 and you and I have the temptation 49:26 of forgetting the fact that God is indeed holy 49:29 pause... 49:30 and through this story, God is reminding us 49:33 that He is holy... 49:35 and He wants to create that holiness 49:39 in your heart too 49:40 because He wants us to be just like Him. 49:44 The message of the Bible is, "Come as you are... " 49:48 pause... 49:51 but I would fail and the church would fail, 49:54 it would proclaim a message like, "Stay as you are... " 49:58 pause... 50:02 because God has called you out of darkness 50:04 into His marvelous light that you may be like Him 50:07 pause... 50:09 and that is the message of God's character in the Old Testament. 50:12 Pause. 50:14 So, here we have a God that seeks to remodel us 50:16 back into His image. 50:18 At creation, He used His breath to bring life 50:22 and now He uses His Holy Spirit to recreate us 50:27 back into His image 50:28 to make us new and to be a new creation. 50:32 Pause. 50:34 God is not only into destroying, He's also into blessing. 50:36 Why do I say that? 50:38 He blessed Obededom's house 50:41 and you know what's funny? 50:44 David learned his lesson... King David learned his lesson. 50:48 Look what it says in verses 12 and 13, 50:52 "Now it was told King David saying, 50:55 The LORD has blessed the house of Obededom, 50:58 and all that belongs to him because of the ark of God. " 51:00 And he looks on... David becomes a bit envious, 51:03 "Oh, God is blessing that fellow, 51:05 I would like Him to bless me too... " 51:08 and God is willing to bless you too my friend, 51:11 He's just waiting to be invited in your life... 51:15 in your family... in your church... 51:17 God is in the business of blessing people 51:21 to bring a redemption 51:22 and look what David does, 51:24 "David went out and brought up the ark of God 51:26 from the house of Obededom to the city of David 51:29 with gladness. " 51:30 So, he was successful in his mission 51:32 of transporting the ark. 51:34 but Verse 13 tells us how he did it 51:37 because he finally got the message and he obeyed, 51:40 he no longer followed the pattern of the world 51:43 but rather, followed God's instructions 51:46 because that's when... when we do that, 51:49 we are filled with His blessings. 51:52 Verse 13, "And so it was when the house... " 51:55 sorry, "And so it was 51:57 when those bearing the ark of the Lord 51:59 had gone six paces... " 52:02 Do you know what this means? 52:04 This fellow... we're walking now, 52:07 the ark was no longer on a cart, 52:10 it was no longer pulled by oxen, 52:13 they were no longer following the pattern of the world 52:16 and copying whatever was happening around them, 52:19 they decided to do what God asked them to do 52:21 and these guys with these six steps 52:24 and they would stop on the seventh... why? 52:28 It represented the Sabbath rest 52:31 pause... 52:32 and they did that for 17 kilometers 52:35 pause... 52:38 because you get burned only once, eh, 52:40 didn't learn the lesson... 52:42 pause... 52:44 and God blessed David 52:47 and the ark made it to Jerusalem 52:49 because God knows that when we follow His instructions, 52:53 we are blessed... and those around us are being blessed. 52:56 From the Philistines... as we finish this evening, 53:00 from the Philistines in our first story, 53:02 we learn about the Lord's patience 53:06 with those who are ignorant of His Laws. 53:08 The Lord is patient. 53:11 I would like you to carry that in your heart. 53:13 If you're praying for someone that 53:15 is not walking with the Lord, 53:16 I'd like you to have hope 53:18 and understand that the Lord is patient 53:21 and we don't have to be at the same level 53:24 in order to make it into heaven, 53:25 we just need to live according to the light 53:27 that has been revealed to us in a personal way. 53:29 Pause... 53:31 From the people of Bethshemesh, sadly, 53:34 we learn the importance of reverencing what is sacred 53:39 because God is holy 53:42 and we have... 53:44 we're facing the risk of forgetting that 53:47 and finally, from the death of Uzzah, 53:49 we learn that good motivations do not rationalize disobedience. 53:55 Good motivations do not rationalize disobedience. 54:00 Pause... 54:02 So, what is the end of all of this? 54:04 I'd like to read to you from Romans... 54:06 if we can have this verse on the screen, 54:07 Romans 15 verse 4, 54:09 and it says this, 54:11 the Apostle Paul talking about the stories 54:14 in the Old Testament. 54:15 "For whatever things were written for our learning... " 54:19 all these stories... crazy stories 54:22 that we may not make sense of every single one of them, 54:25 pause... 54:27 "that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures 54:31 might have hope. " 54:35 That is the whole purpose of these stories. 54:38 Why do I say that? 54:40 Because God did not allow Satan 54:42 to destroy the nation of Israel, 54:44 He wanted to make sure that the promise of His Son 54:48 bringing salvation will become a reality. 54:51 We need to have hope that this same God 54:54 that began a wonderful work in you, 54:56 will finish it until the day Jesus will return. 54:58 Pause... 55:01 In the same way that the house of Obededom was blessed, 55:04 not because they deserved it, 55:06 but because they were willing to accept a God 55:09 that was holy. 55:10 God wants us to embrace Him and He's holy... 55:13 When everyone else ran from a holy God, 55:17 the house of Obededom 55:19 were willing to welcome Him in their house. 55:21 So, my friends, here's the challenge. 55:24 When the majority of people are running away 55:27 from a holy God... 55:29 when the majority of people are running away 55:32 from a holy God, 55:33 accept Him... 55:35 accept Him... because He's seeking to bless you. 55:41 He's not in the business of destroying... 55:44 He's in the business of re-fashioning you 55:47 in to His likeness. 55:48 Pause... 55:51 Jesus loves you just the way you are 55:54 but He refuses to leave you that way. 55:58 He wants you to be like Him. 56:02 So it is my prayer that as we continue to know God 56:06 through the works of the Old Testament, 56:08 we will allow Him to make us holy as He is holy. 56:14 Amen. 56:15 Let us bow our heads in prayer, 56:17 "Father, even though Your ways are not our ways 56:22 and Your thoughts are not our thoughts, 56:24 we are grateful that we can have a little understanding 56:28 of Your actions in the Old Testament. 56:30 We want to thank You that You're a God of patience, 56:34 You're a God of mercy. 56:35 You're a God that seeks to reveal Himself to us, 56:38 but Lord, You're a God that so loves us 56:42 that You want us to be made into Your image, 56:44 so, tonight, we consecrate ourselves into Your hands. 56:48 Forgive us for where we have failed 56:50 and please Lord, bestow Your Holy Spirit upon us, 56:54 and as You've taken out of darkness into marvelous light, 56:58 may we go from here shining for you 57:01 and help us to be unashamed of our faith, 57:04 help us to be bold and courageous 57:06 and help us Lord, to accept You as a Holy God 57:09 into our lives and into our families 57:11 and especially, into our churches. 57:14 This is our prayer in Jesus' name, amen. " |
Revised 2019-04-03