Spring Camp Meeting

Only One True God--Commandment #1

Three Angels Broadcasting Network

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Series Code: SCM

Program Code: SCM190006A


00:39 Previously on Law of Love & Liberty:
00:43 We are standing
00:47 in His presence
00:52 on holy ground.
00:56 He's going to write in our hearts His law of love.
00:59 That's what we see taking place here.
01:01 This is a promise that we see taking place here.
01:03 I lift it up, Lord.
01:08 Come and quench
01:10 this thirsting of my soul!
01:15 God can move in your life.
01:17 He's not only Sovereign over the wind and the waves.
01:20 He's Sovereign over what's going on your life, too.
01:22 Now let's put that in there. It doesn't make any sense.
01:25 "I did not come to destroy the law
01:27 but to do away with the law. "
01:30 The word BUT indicates a contrast.
01:33 Here He's actually saying: "Look, I did not come
01:36 to destroy the law. I came to MAGNIFY the law. "
01:39 We have people who mistakenly believe
01:43 that grace cancels our duty
01:47 to obey God.
01:49 You know what they're forgetting?
01:51 I John 2:3-4
01:54 that says: "Now by this we know we know Him... "
02:00 Hello and welcome to 3ABN Spring Camp Meeting
02:04 2019, the series Law of Love & Liberty.
02:09 How many of you have been blessed thus far?
02:12 Amen! Wonderful... wonderful!
02:15 You guys had a wonderful meal this morning.
02:19 All right... all right.
02:21 Wonderful! Well, we're about to get spiritually fed.
02:25 We're going to have Pr. Murray who will be singing
02:28 Do You Love God?
02:30 But first let me introduce our speaker as well.
02:33 We have Pastor James Rafferty who will be preaching
02:38 on The Only One True God, the first commandment.
02:43 He is the co-director of Lightbearers Ministry
02:46 and pastor of the Fall Creek SDA Church
02:49 in Fall Creek, Oregon.
02:51 He has spent the last 35 years preaching the gospel
02:54 around the world in revival seminars
02:57 and evangelistic meetings.
02:59 He is an author and has hosted many 3ABN programs
03:03 over the years. He and his wife Rise
03:06 have two children, two dogs, and one cat.
03:10 He is also a wonderful friend of mine,
03:13 and he has been instrumental in my spiritual growth.
03:17 If you've seen Salvation in Symbols & Signs
03:20 you understand why
03:22 as I'm just sitting there taking notes.
03:25 And Pr. Murray has been instru- mental in my spiritual growth
03:30 as well. He actually baptized my mom
03:32 when she was pregnant with me.
03:34 What? I mean, yeah.
03:37 It doesn't get more interesting than that!
03:40 After you hear the song by Pastor Murray
03:44 the next voice you will hear
03:46 will be that of Pastor James Rafferty.
03:49 Amen.
03:58 Do you love God more
04:02 than anything?
04:05 Do you love God?
04:11 Do you love God more
04:16 than anything? Do you love God?
04:25 Love is all that He asks
04:30 in return
04:33 for all that He has given.
04:39 Love will be the endless
04:44 theme
04:45 throughout the courts of heaven.
04:52 Do you love God more
04:55 than your car or home?
04:59 Do you love God?
05:05 Do you love God more
05:09 than all you own?
05:11 Do you love my God?
05:18 Do you love God more than your family?
05:24 Really, really love Him?
05:29 If you do, just let the whole world know.
05:35 That's all He asks
05:39 of you.
05:46 Do you love God more
05:49 than your car or home?
05:52 Do you love God?
05:58 And do you love God more
06:02 than all you own?
06:05 Do you love my God?
06:10 And tell me: do you love God more
06:16 than your family?
06:17 Really, really love Him?
06:22 If you do,
06:24 just let the whole world know
06:28 that you love the Lord...
06:31 Come on, let the whole world know...
06:34 let 'em know that you love the Lord...
06:38 let the whole world know...
06:45 let the whole world know...
06:51 let the whole world know
06:58 that's all
07:02 He asks
07:06 of you.
07:20 Amen!
07:22 Amen! Thank you, C.A.
07:26 C.A. is one of those mighty men.
07:28 You remember David's mighty men?
07:31 They could throw a sling with their left hand
07:33 and with their right hand.
07:35 And I think Danny has some mighty men around here.
07:37 You know, they can sing and they can preach.
07:40 I can just preach... I can't sing.
07:43 But some of these guys like C.A. you're going to hear
07:46 him preach here in a little while.
07:47 C.A. and John Lomacang and Ryan Day... these guys
07:51 can sing and they can preach.
07:54 They can throw a sling with both hands.
07:57 Praise God!
07:58 Well, it's good to be here with you again this morning.
08:01 We are moving into the first commandment.
08:03 I'm so thankful that I have this first commandment.
08:06 Exodus chapter 20 the first commandment is...
08:09 is really vital. If we don't get this commandment right,
08:15 it's downhill from there.
08:17 This is really the foundation of all the commandments.
08:20 Some years ago I was in an Adventist church
08:24 and there was a huge replica of the Ten Commandments behind me
08:28 as I was preaching.
08:29 And I shared this with the church. I said: "You know
08:32 we've done the same thing to the Ten Commandments
08:35 that our Catholic friends have done.
08:37 We've actually omitted one of the commandments.
08:41 You know, the second commandment's been taken out
08:42 of the Catholic catechism and the 10th one's been split
08:45 in two. And they looked at me, you know,
08:48 these Adventists... they looked at me and they were
08:50 just looking at me kind of shocked. And I said: "Yeah,
08:52 here's the evidence right here. " I pointed to this
08:53 big replica and I said: "What's the first commandment? "
08:56 And you know what they said. "Thou shalt have no other gods
09:00 before Me. " But they had no choice.
09:03 That's what was up there, right? That's what was up there:
09:06 "Thou shalt have no other gods before Me. "
09:08 And I said "But wait a minute. " I said: "That's not what it says
09:10 in the Bible. "
09:11 The Bible doesn't say that's the first commandment.
09:15 What's the first commandment in the Bible? How does it start?
09:17 "I am the Lord your God which brought you
09:23 out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
09:25 Thou shalt have no other gods before Me. "
09:28 We need to get the first commandment right.
09:32 If we get the first commandment right,
09:34 everything else will fall into place.
09:37 Let's pray together. Father in heaven,
09:38 again we just want to pause in Your presence
09:40 right now. I want to thank you for Your Word.
09:43 It's powerful; it's our strength
09:47 and through it we find our Savior Jesus Christ
09:50 who is the Word incarnate.
09:52 And as many as receive Him to them He gives power to become
09:56 sons, the children, of God.
09:57 We need that power this morning; we need that power right now.
10:02 So we lift up our hearts and our hands to You.
10:05 We ask for Your presence, for Your Spirit,
10:07 for Your guidance,
10:09 for your transforming power and love in our lives.
10:13 As we touch on this law of love and liberty
10:18 may it transform us and set us free
10:21 to serve You for the rest of our days.
10:24 For we ask it in Jesus' name, and let everyone say:
10:27 Amen.
10:29 Amen! OK!
10:30 So Exodus chapter 20 beginning with verse 1:
10:34 "And the Lord God spoke all these words saying:
10:38 'I am the Lord thy God which have brought thee
10:41 out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
10:46 Thou shalt have no other gods before Me. ' "
10:52 No other gods. So this law of love,
10:56 this law of liberty that God speaks to us
11:01 is powerful.
11:03 Jesus Christ when He spoke the law
11:07 or of the law He called it a law of love.
11:09 In Matthew chapter 22 verses 38 through 40
11:12 He said: "The entire law hangs on two commandments:
11:16 loving God with all your heart, mind, and soul
11:18 and loving your neighbor as yourself. "
11:20 And of course we know that because the first four
11:22 focus on worshiping God, loving God, following God.
11:25 And the last six focus on the way that we relate to people,
11:28 to individuals, to neighbors, to humans.
11:31 Paul talks about this in Galatians chapter 5 verse 14.
11:34 He talks about the summary of the law being love
11:39 and in the context being liberty. Freedom
11:41 from the lusts of the flesh
11:43 to walk in the fruits of the Spirit.
11:46 In Romans chapter 13 he also sums up the law
11:49 as a law of love.
11:52 God delivers us out of bondage.
11:55 God is our Deliverer; He is our Rescuer
11:59 and He delivers us by His love.
12:02 It was the love of God that delivered His people.
12:04 Liberated them from the bondage of Egypt.
12:08 And we could say that Egypt is a Biblical representation
12:11 of anything secular in our world today.
12:13 All the "stuff" that holds us in bondage,
12:16 all of our addictive behaviors.
12:19 Amen! All those things that try to keep us
12:23 penned up, imprisoned:
12:27 the law of love sets us free.
12:29 It sets us free... Amen! to follow Jesus.
12:33 Now love is a liberating power,
12:37 and the law is connected with that love.
12:41 All right! God's law written with His own finger
12:44 reveals His love and His liberating power.
12:48 And He wants to write that law in our hearts.
12:52 Now we see the same truth in the incarnation
12:54 of God as a human being.
12:57 We see the same truth in Jesus.
12:59 I want us to look at this in connection with
13:02 Exodus chapter 20. We're going to be looking at
13:04 the book of John chapter 8 verses 1 through 11.
13:09 It's a story that you're familiar with I'm sure.
13:13 It's the story of this woman that was caught in adultery
13:16 in the very act.
13:17 And this story I believe
13:21 illustrates or parallels
13:24 the truth that we find revealed in Exodus 20 verses 1, 2, and 3.
13:29 So we're going to parallel Exodus 20:1-3
13:31 with John 8:1-11.
13:35 Now let's look at these verses here. John chapter 8
13:38 verses 1 through 11.
13:40 Jesus is in the temple at this time.
13:44 He's come from the Mount of Olives.
13:45 Early in the morning, verse 2, He comes again into the temple
13:48 and all the people come to Him and they sit down
13:51 and He taught them. "And the scribes and Pharisees... "
13:54 verse 3... "brought unto Him a woman
13:57 taken in adultery... " That is, in the very act...
14:01 "and when they had set her in the midst
14:04 they said unto Him: 'Master... ' verse 4... 'this woman
14:08 was taken in adultery... in the very act. ' "
14:12 You have to ask yourself a question at this point.
14:14 Right? Where's the guy?
14:19 Where's the guy? If she was caught in the very act,
14:22 what happened to the other guy? There we go.
14:25 It always takes two, you know. That's right.
14:29 Jesus, I think, at this point knows this is a set up.
14:33 "Now... " verse 5... "Moses and the law commanded... "
14:36 Oh, we're quoting the Ten Commandments now...
14:38 we're quoting the law. "Moses and the law commanded us
14:41 that such - thou shalt not commit adultery - that such
14:44 should be stoned but what do You say? "
14:47 "This they said... " verse 6... "tempting Him that they might
14:50 have to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down
14:56 with His finger and wrote on the ground
15:01 as though He heard them not. "
15:04 So there He is in the temple.
15:06 Maybe in the courtyard... who knows where He is
15:08 among those stones of the temple
15:11 again with His finger writing in the stone writing in the ground.
15:15 Writing in the dust, in the dirt that's gathered there
15:18 on the stones He's writing with His finger.
15:20 What do you think He's writing in the sand, in the dust?
15:22 What do you think He's writing on those stones?
15:24 Probably the Ten Commandments.
15:27 "So when they continued asking Him He lifted up Himself
15:30 and He said unto them... " verse 7... "He that is without
15:33 sin among you, let him cast a stone at her. "
15:38 And then He continues to write.
15:40 He stooped down again and wrote in the ground.
15:42 "And they which heard it being convicted by their own
15:45 conscience... " See, that's what happens
15:48 when the law of God is written out.
15:51 "Being convicted of their own conscience they went out
15:53 one by one beginning at the eldest even to the last. "
15:59 You know why the eldest went first, don't you?
16:02 'Cause they're smart!
16:05 Life teaches us something. We get some wisdom
16:07 as we get older. You know that, right?
16:09 Young people are harder to convince.
16:11 Like the young people like: "I'm not goin' anywhere. "
16:13 He said: "I'm not going anywhere. " One elder goes out;
16:16 the next elder goes out; the next elder.
16:17 "I'm not out. " Then after a while
16:19 "All these guys are leaving. Well maybe I should go
16:22 after all. " It takes longer for us young people
16:25 or for those young people, right?
16:28 Us older people... we get it a little quicker now
16:31 because we've been around this corner a few times.
16:34 "And Jesus was left alone
16:38 and the woman standing in the midst. "
16:42 "And when He had lifted up Himself and He saw none
16:45 but the woman He said unto her:
16:47 'Woman, where are thine accusers?
16:52 Has no man condemned thee? '
16:54 And she said: 'No man, Lord. '
16:58 And Jesus said unto her:
17:01 'Neither do I condemn thee.
17:04 Go and sin no more. ' " Hallelujah!
17:08 Praise God! Amen!
17:10 Praise God! What a powerful, powerful story!
17:14 What we need to understand about the story,
17:15 just a couple of things here.
17:17 First of all, we need to recognize
17:19 that Jesus delivers her from those who are holding her
17:24 in bondage. Amen!
17:27 Jesus delivers her from her accusers.
17:31 Yes! And He does this by the convicting power of God
17:34 which speaks to the conscience of each one of those accusers.
17:38 Did you notice that?
17:39 Each of those accusers
17:42 as the Son of God is writing with His finger
17:44 in the stony ground of the temple -
17:46 a reminder of Sinai -
17:47 each one of those accusers is convicted in their conscience.
17:51 They know... There's only one woman there.
17:53 There's only one party there. They know that they've done
17:56 something wrong. And what do you think He's writing?
18:00 I think He's just writing the commandments.
18:02 I don't know exactly what He's writing.
18:03 Might be writing some details but I think He's writing out
18:05 the commandments, you know. And as He writes them out
18:07 the Holy Spirit is working... the Holy Spirit is working.
18:11 Law, or at least parts of it that they are violating,
18:15 is coming to their minds. That's right!
18:17 He may have written out the seventh commandment.
18:21 Oh that Jesus would convict some of us today
18:24 about that commandment.
18:27 It's a nasty business killing helpless babies
18:30 while claiming to be commandment keepers.
18:32 Hmm!
18:34 Are you listening to the Spirit of God today?
18:36 What the Spirit says to the churches?
18:39 So this week we're going to hear all about the law of God.
18:43 We're going to hear all about the details
18:48 of God's law.
18:51 It's pretty brave of you to be here.
18:53 Praise God! It's pretty brave of you to be listening
18:57 to these messages
18:58 because the law of God is going to lead you to a place
19:03 where you realize that you are sinners.
19:05 Amen! It's going to lead you to a place
19:09 where you're going to drop those stones
19:11 and walk away from other people that you're accusing.
19:16 But here's the point... here's the important point:
19:21 as God convicts you of your sins
19:25 do not walk away from Jesus.
19:28 See, that was the mistake the religious leaders made.
19:31 Uh-huh. They walked away from the Savior!
19:34 That's right. The woman didn't walk away from the Savior.
19:38 She stayed in His presence... she stayed right there.
19:43 As the Holy Spirit convicts you of sin
19:46 do not walk away from Jesus.
19:50 He's your only hope.
19:51 That's right. He's your only hope.
19:54 Don't make that mistake. Are you with me?
19:56 Do not make that mistake.
19:58 We need to wait on the Lord.
20:00 "Wait on the Lord and be of good courage... "
20:02 What does the Bible say?
20:04 "and He will strengthen thine heart.
20:05 Wait, I say, on the Lord. "
20:07 We need to wait on the Lord.
20:09 Don't leave Jesus just because you're a sinner.
20:12 Just because you're a sinner don't leave Jesus
20:13 because the Bible says Jesus came to save sinners.
20:16 Yes! That's what He came to do: He came to SAVE sinners.
20:19 So let the law convict you.
20:22 Every meeting, every session, let the law convict you.
20:25 Don't be afraid of being convicted by the law.
20:27 But don't make the mistake of thinking that the law can
20:30 save you. Don't make the mistake of thinking
20:34 that you, because you're such a sinner,
20:36 need to walk away from Jesus.
20:39 The work of the law is to convict us.
20:42 That's the job of the law... that's what it's all about.
20:44 Romans chapter 3 verse 19 says:
20:46 "The law comes to stop us from talking...
20:49 that every mouth may be stopped. " You know how it is.
20:52 Wife, husband, children, parents: you know how it is
20:55 when we're communicating about things that we've done wrong
20:59 and mistakes that we've made and all of a sudden we want to
21:01 start talking, we want to start excusing, we want to start
21:03 justifying. "Well God, it was the woman...
21:06 the woman You gave. It was the serpent!
21:08 It was the serpent. " We want to start justifying,
21:10 don't we? The law comes to stop the mouth.
21:13 Shh! You're guilty; you're a sinner.
21:17 "The law comes... " Romans 7 verse 7...
21:20 "to make known what sin is. "
21:21 Because sometimes we're kind of confused about what sin is.
21:23 We're like we're not really sure like...
21:25 like Paul says in Romans 7: "I thought I doing pretty good
21:28 until the law said: 'Thou shalt not covet. ' "
21:32 Coveting is something that takes place inside the heart.
21:36 Amen! Don't necessarily see it on the outside.
21:38 All the outside stuff I was doing pretty good
21:40 but that coveting thing? Man, that was happening all the time!
21:44 That car, that house, that job, that...
21:48 The law comes to show us... I Timothy 1:8...
21:51 unrighteousness.
21:53 The law is made for the unrighteous we are told...
21:55 that's what it's made for, that's what it's for.
21:56 Let the law do what the law is supposed to do.
22:00 Let the law convict you and let Jesus save you.
22:04 Amen! Let the law convict you
22:06 and let Jesus save you. All right! Hallelujah!
22:09 They work together. Yes! They're united.
22:12 The law's not against Jesus.
22:13 It just has a different part to play.
22:16 The law is our schoolmaster to lead us to Jesus
22:20 by instructing us regarding unrighteousness.
22:23 To lead us to Jesus so that we can be justified by faith.
22:29 "Thou shalt call His name Jesus... "
22:32 Matthew 1:21 says: "Thou shalt call His name Jesus
22:34 for He shall save His people from their sins. "
22:38 Hallelujah! Are there any sinners out there today?
22:41 Any sinners listening today?
22:43 This is the Bible! We can praise God for His promises.
22:47 Matthew 1:21... so don't let the law push you away from Jesus.
22:51 This woman was caught in the very act of adultery
22:56 but she didn't go anywhere.
22:58 She didn't go anywhere... she stayed right there.
23:01 Sometimes we think: "Oh, I can't be with Jesus.
23:03 I can't be in Christ's presence; I'm not worthy. "
23:06 Now this story tells us a different picture.
23:08 This story tells us that if you're a sinner that's exactly
23:13 where you need to be. The worst place you can be
23:15 is inside the house with the door closed to Jesus -
23:18 yes - and He's on the outside knocking.
23:20 That's the worst place you can be. That's right!
23:23 Amen! She stayed right there because it was her only hope.
23:27 Jesus was her only hope.
23:29 All the self-righteous religious leaders walked away.
23:32 They probably went to try harder.
23:38 But the woman stayed with Jesus and Jesus spoke to her.
23:42 He spoke to her the same words that He spoke to His people
23:45 anciently from Sinai: "I am the Lord
23:48 that have brought you out of bondage. "
23:51 Same words! Same words!
23:54 "I am the Lord that delivered you. "
23:56 And how did God deliver them from Egypt?
23:58 What was the last plague? It was the death of the firstborn.
24:01 And what were they to do to be delivered from that plague?
24:05 They were to put the blood of the lamb on the doorpost,
24:09 on the lintel. The blood of the lamb is how they were delivered.
24:11 "I am the Lord that delivered you. "
24:13 "That's what I'm here for" Jesus is telling this woman.
24:15 These are words of grace; these are words of mercy;
24:18 these are words of love: "I don't condemn you. "
24:22 This is the gospel.
24:24 This is the good news of God's grace
24:26 and the gospel is center in the law.
24:30 You cannot go to the law until you start with the gospel.
24:34 And so God doesn't say: "Well I've got the gospel
24:36 and I've got the law. " They're not divided; they're united!
24:39 The gospel is IN the law.
24:40 That's why the first commandment is so important!
24:43 It's right there in the law!
24:45 You cannot get to a "Thou shalt not"
24:47 until you go through the gospel.
24:50 The gospel is like a bodyguard.
24:52 Like: "You're not getting in here past me unless
24:55 you've got... you've got the ticket. "
24:57 "You're not getting through here...
24:59 you're not gettin' through.
25:00 You've got to have the gospel to get to the law.
25:03 I'm not lettin' you through to the law without the gospel. "
25:06 This is what Jesus is saying. Amen!
25:09 "I don't condemn you... " God's grace, God's unmerited favor.
25:15 It's powerful!
25:17 We often ruin grace, you know. We ruin grace by making it
25:19 something other than unmerited favor.
25:21 And by doing that we undermine the power of grace in our life.
25:25 We want to make grace power and so we interpret it as
25:29 power. By doing that we undermine its power.
25:32 Grace needs to be unmerited favor.
25:35 And as it stays and remains unmerited favor with nothing
25:38 added to it it's power.
25:40 Anything other than unmerited favor undermines
25:43 the power of grace. And we need all the power
25:46 of grace in our lives that we can get.
25:49 You know, some theologians have gone so far in undermining
25:54 God's grace that they've placed a question mark
25:58 on the story of the woman caught in adultery
26:00 suggesting that it's not found in the older manuscripts
26:03 of the Bible. I don't know if you've ever read that
26:05 in your marginal references in your Bible.
26:07 My wife has the NIV, and right in the marginal reference
26:09 there this whole story is put in doubt.
26:13 That's the devil at work, you know.
26:15 Amen! Undermining certain portions of the Word of God
26:18 and suggesting that it's not in the older manuscripts
26:21 and therefore undermining our confidence and faith
26:24 in that truth, but it's so powerful.
26:27 This New Testament story is a replica of Exodus chapter 20
26:31 and the first commandment.
26:33 You see that? You see that?
26:37 See, as Jesus tells the woman that He doesn't condemn her
26:40 He then goes on to tell her to "Go and sin no more. "
26:45 And sin is transgression of the law.
26:48 I John 3:4.
26:49 So you see this here? Jesus said: "I'm not condemning you. "
26:52 "I love you; I brought you out of bondage. "
26:54 "I brought you out of Egypt; I brought you out of
26:56 all of that secularism, all of that addiction.
26:58 All that. I brought you out of that by My blood. "
27:00 "I've died for you; I've paid the penalty for you. "
27:02 "I'm your Savior!
27:03 My perfect life and My penalty-substituting death
27:06 is yours as a gift.
27:08 Now knowing that, under- standing that, receiving that
27:11 go and leave your life of sin. "
27:13 Amen! "Thou shalt not have any other gods before Me,
27:17 worship idols, take My name in vain.
27:20 Not in the context of this beautiful picture of My love. "
27:26 See, when we behold the love of God we can't sin.
27:29 It's not that it's physically impossible.
27:32 That's not the point. The point is is that we don't want to!
27:36 "I can't do that. "
27:39 I don't want to do that.
27:41 So the key here is the same as it is in Exodus
27:43 chapter 20 and verse 2.
27:45 It's the same verse more or less
27:49 of the first commandment.
27:52 First Jesus says to the woman - notice this -
27:55 before she repents,
27:57 before she asks for forgiveness,
27:58 before she confesses her sin,
28:01 before ANY of that Jesus says:
28:04 "Neither do I condemn you. "
28:06 See, God initiates the salvation process.
28:11 He comes to us first.
28:13 We don't repent and love God.
28:16 We don't trust Jesus and love God.
28:17 God initiates... He comes to us first
28:21 with all the love, with all the forgiveness,
28:23 with all freedom, with all the liberty, with all the power.
28:27 The goodness of God is what leads us to repentance.
28:31 And the more goodness we have the more potential
28:36 we have for repentance.
28:39 So this is grace; this is the gospel; this is...
28:43 this is right in the law of God, right in the first commandment.
28:47 And that's where the power lies.
28:49 That is all God: non-condemning unmerited favor.
28:54 That's where we need to be first.
28:55 And this is the basic message of the Bible from Genesis
28:58 all the way through to Revelation.
29:00 This is the basic message of the Bible.
29:03 Genesis: Adam and Eve.
29:06 They sin and what are they doing? Hiding from God.
29:09 They're covering up with fig leaves.
29:10 They're blaming each other
29:11 and really they're blaming God, right?
29:13 They're blaming God. "You gave me the woman. "
29:15 "You let the serpent come in here. "
29:17 God comes looking for them. That's grace. Amen!
29:21 God comes in with animal skins. That's grace.
29:23 Amen. God promises them redemption. That's grace.
29:28 Hallelujah!
29:29 See, God initiates salvation right from the beginning.
29:33 The entire Old Testament is about moving us from works
29:36 to grace. Works is our natural "MO. "
29:41 That's where we go naturally.
29:47 Think of it... think fig leaves. Right?
29:50 Think Cain and his self-righteous fruit offering.
29:52 Right? We want to offer God the fruit of our lives
29:56 of good works in the place of the Lamb.
29:58 See, we're just like Cain.
30:00 We're just like Cain.
30:02 Instead of Christ's perfect righteousness,
30:05 His perfect life and penalty-satisfying death
30:08 we want to put our works in there somewhere.
30:11 Our fruit of works is all Cain worship.
30:14 It's all Cain worship.
30:17 Think Tower of Babel... working our way to heaven.
30:19 Building those bricks one by one.
30:22 All those good deeds that we're doing so that we can
30:24 get ourselves up there closer to God.
30:27 "I'm closer to God now. Look at all the tithe I've been
30:29 paying; look at all the good things I've been doing.
30:31 I'm much closer than that guy over there!
30:33 That guy... I'm so thankful!
30:35 I fast twice a week. I pay tithes of all that I possess!
30:39 Man... I'm not like that other guy over there.
30:42 I don't even know what he's doing in church! "
30:48 I'll tell you what he's doing in church:
30:50 he's praying, and this is his prayer:
30:52 "God be merciful to me, a sinner. "
30:55 And that's the man that goes down to his house justified.
30:57 You know, you can tell whether or not
31:00 you are established on a foun- dation of righteousness by faith
31:03 in Jesus or righteousness by works. You can tell.
31:05 Jesus tells us right there in Luke chapter 17.
31:10 And it's really interesting how He puts this because
31:12 Luke chapter 17 connects with Revelation chapter 12.
31:16 Revelation chapter 14 and verse 12 where it says:
31:19 "Here are those that keep the commandments of God
31:22 and have the testimony of Jesus. "
31:24 Excuse me, "Keep the commandments of God
31:26 and have the faith of Jesus. "
31:27 Because in Luke chapter 17, excuse me, Luke chapter 18
31:31 and verse 8 He says... or verse 7 He says...
31:36 Is it verse 7 or verse 8?
31:38 By the way, the verse that I was supposed to deliver
31:40 to you yesterday... you remember that one?
31:42 Psalm 50 verse 23.
31:44 Psalm 50:23... that's the verse.
31:47 And the NIV is pretty good on that.
31:51 Luke 18 verse 8 last part:
31:56 "Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes
31:58 will He find faith on the earth? "
31:59 "Will He find faith? " You know, we talk about
32:02 keeping the commandments of God but what about the
32:03 faith of Jesus? Right.
32:06 See, the faith of Jesus is the gospel;
32:09 the commandments of God is the law, and they go hand in hand.
32:12 And the gospel is what Jesus... He's saying like: "When I come
32:15 will I find people who hold onto the gospel?
32:18 Who not only keep the commandments of God but also
32:19 hold onto the gospel? Who have this FAITH
32:23 in Jesus Christ or the faith OF Jesus Christ
32:26 which is really His faith toward us? "
32:29 And then in verse 9 He speaks this parable
32:31 of certain which trusted them- selves that they were righteous.
32:33 Now here's the point... here's the point:
32:36 how could you know if you're trusting in Jesus and His
32:40 righteousness or if you're trusting in yourselves that
32:43 you're righteous? How can you know?
32:45 It's so complicated sometimes because we have all these
32:47 theologians telling us: "Well, we're not saved by our works
32:50 but if you're saved you're going to have works.
32:52 And we're not saved by the law but we really should be
32:54 keeping the law. " And you're thinking:
32:56 "Well how does this all sort out? "
32:59 Well Jesus tells us really clearly right here
33:01 in this verse. We didn't finish the verse.
33:03 We're going to do that right now.
33:05 "And He spake this parable unto certain which trusted
33:07 in themselves that they were righteous
33:08 and they despised others. "
33:11 That's how you can know.
33:12 THAT'S how you can know.
33:15 How you feel about other people in an indication
33:19 of whether or not you're trusting in Jesus
33:21 or yourself. Amen!
33:23 That's it right there!
33:24 That's all we need.
33:26 All you need right now is just... "How do I think about
33:30 so and so and so and so and so and so? "
33:32 Hmm! That's an indicator that I'm trusting...
33:35 Will Jesus find faith on the earth when He comes?
33:38 Will He find the people who would say: "Lord, be merciful
33:41 unto me, a sinner, while they keep the commandments of God? "
33:43 Come on!
33:44 Or is He going to find that people are like keeping
33:46 the commandments of God? "I'm so thankful I'm not a Baptist. "
33:48 "I'm so thankful I'm not a Catholic. I'm so thankful
33:49 I'm not a Lutheran. " "I'm so thankful I'm at 3ABN
33:51 Camp Meeting and I've got all my ducks in a row. "
33:54 "I'm so thankful I've got the truth. "
33:55 Have mercy!
34:01 God is speaking to us this morning.
34:03 And basically He's saying: "You've got to remember
34:07 ALL of the Old Testament
34:11 AND the New Testament to get this right. "
34:14 The book of Revelation brings it all together.
34:17 You've gotta remember about Cain.
34:20 You've gotta remember about the Tower of Babel.
34:22 You've gotta remember about Abraham and Hagar.
34:24 Remember Abraham and Hagar?
34:26 Abraham, the father of the faithful... what did he do?
34:28 Old covenant... trying to help God by his works.
34:31 Trying to help God do what He alone can do.
34:34 Right? And Paul takes that whole story and puts it in
34:37 Galatians chapter 4 and say: "Hey, you want to know
34:39 the difference between the old and the new covenant? "
34:40 Boom! Here it is right here.
34:43 And we still are inclined to do that.
34:45 But in Revelation 14 we have this final picture,
34:48 this powerful picture, of those who keep the commandments
34:51 of God. And why do they keep the commandments of God?
34:54 Jesus tells us why.
34:56 In John 14 verse 15 He says:
34:58 "If you love Me, keep My commandments. "
35:01 Well why do we love Him?
35:03 Well John tells us why in John chapter 4 verse 19.
35:06 "We love Him BECAUSE He first loved us. "
35:09 Wow! There's the source right there!
35:11 You see how simple that is?
35:13 Amen! Simple Biblical truth.
35:15 He loved us first, and that love wells up in our hearts
35:19 and causes us to love Jesus.
35:21 And when we love Jesus we do what?
35:23 I mean, when I became a Christian
35:24 I wasn't an Adventist. I mean, I was trying to get my
35:26 sister out of the church.
35:27 A lot of you know my story.
35:29 And I started studying with Adventists 'cause I thought
35:32 "Man, these guys are just like... They must be a cult
35:34 or something. Going to church on Saturday? "
35:37 And as I started studying with Adventists to get my sister
35:40 out of the church I started learning what the Bible actually
35:42 teaches. I couldn't find Sunday in there anywhere.
35:45 Well not really. I mean, some of the newer translations
35:47 of the Bible - I don't know if you realize this -
35:48 have put Sunday in.
35:51 There are 6 or 7 or 8 or 9 translations
35:54 from 2000 and on that have put Sunday...
35:56 In Revelation 1:10, the Lord's day, they put Sunday
35:59 in there in the text or in the marginal references.
36:01 And the Message Bible is one of those translations.
36:03 Transliterations?
36:06 Something like that.
36:07 It's not based on the Greek or the Hebrew.
36:09 So there are Sunday texts now. Be careful as you study.
36:14 I was like: "Where's Sunday? " And it wasn't there.
36:17 Not in the Greek and the Hebrew. It's not there.
36:19 So I started to realize: "Wow! I don't really know the Bible.
36:23 I know the Our Father and the Hail Mary -
36:24 I was raised Catholic - but I don't know the Bible. "
36:27 And as I started to study this I remember
36:30 thinking in my brain... When Jesus said, when I read that
36:35 verse John 14:15: "If you love Me, keep my commandments"
36:37 "I love Jesus! I love Jesus; He saved me.
36:40 He has transformed my life. I don't drink any more.
36:43 Alcohol has no power in my life any more.
36:46 I go to church; I read the Bible.
36:48 My whole life has changed around. I love Jesus!
36:50 I should be keeping His commandments. "
36:54 It wasn't just the seventh day is the Sabbath Day
36:56 and you should go... It was "I love Jesus! " Amen!
36:59 I love Him... and that's the point.
37:03 That's always the point of commandment keeping.
37:05 In the very context of Exodus chapter 20 verses 1-3
37:09 that's it. Again and again the law of God is presented
37:13 in the context of grace, of unmerited favor.
37:16 That's the only way it can come to us
37:18 with any kind of power, with any kind of impact.
37:21 God first loves us; God first delivers us from bondage.
37:26 How does He deliver us?
37:28 He delivers us by the blood of the Lamb.
37:30 It's always been the blood of the Lamb.
37:32 It's never anything else but the blood of the Lamb.
37:34 And when He does that our hearts are transformed. Amen!
37:41 Our hearts are transformed by the love of God.
37:47 Someone might say: "Well, God can't save me.
37:50 I'm too wicked... I'm too bad.
37:53 I'm bad to the bone; I was easy taught. "
37:58 Some of you old guys will get that, right?
38:00 Some of you old, non-2nd, 3rd generation Adventists.
38:05 "I'm bad to the bone; I'm so wicked! "
38:08 Well, wait a minute. Why did God choose the Hebrews?
38:11 Like what made God choose them?
38:14 Were they more loving than other nations?
38:19 Did they have more potential than other nations?
38:21 Were they less stubborn; were they more moral
38:24 than other nations?
38:25 Take a quick gander with me in Deuteronomy
38:28 chapter 9. It's an interesting chapter.
38:30 And you can read it on your own time.
38:34 I mean, the rest of it on your own time.
38:36 But Deuteronomy chapter 9 is basically an outline
38:40 of the Jewish people.
38:46 And over and over again God talks here
38:49 about their stubbornness.
38:54 Is it Deuteronomy chapter 9? I'm in Numbers chapter 9.
38:57 Excuse me... Deuteronomy chapter 9.
39:01 I don't have one of those computer Bibles right now.
39:03 I'm using the "hard copy" so...
39:06 it's gotta be here, right?
39:10 Deuteronomy chapter 9. Let's just start here
39:15 with verse 4. "Speak not in thine heart
39:20 after the Lord thy God has cast them out before thee
39:23 saying: 'For my righteousness the Lord has brought me up
39:26 to possess this land. ' "
39:28 Don't say that... don't say that 'cause it ain't true.
39:34 "But for the wickedness of these nations the Lord did
39:37 drive them out from before thee. Not for thy righteousness
39:40 or for the righteousness of thine heart dost thou go in
39:45 to possess the land but for the wickedness of these nations
39:47 the Lord thy God did drive them out from before thee
39:49 that He may perform the word which the Lord swear unto thy
39:52 fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
39:54 Understand therefore that the Lord thy God gives
39:57 thee not this good land to pos- sess it for thy righteousness
40:01 for you are stiff-necked! "
40:05 Wow! Amen! There's a message we need to understand!
40:10 We're a bunch of stiff-necked people! Come on!
40:14 And the reason why God is dealing with all these other
40:16 issues in the world is because these guys are just...
40:19 they've gone way over. But wait a minute,
40:21 it's not 'cause you're better than them.
40:26 "Remember and forget not how you provoked the Lord your God
40:30 to wrath in the wilderness from the day that you did depart
40:33 out of the land of Egypt until you came into this place
40:36 you have been rebellious against the Lord. "
40:39 Whoo! Yeah, if God can say it to the Hebrews
40:43 I think God can say it to anybody.
40:44 Amen. Any one of us... we're all saveable.
40:47 There's no excuse. I think sometimes we get the idea
40:49 that people can be saved
40:50 because they're pretty good to start with.
40:52 Yeah, like, they're almost in heaven anyway.
40:56 Like just one more step... just almost there.
40:59 But not me. God can save them but He can't save me.
41:02 I mean there's third, fourth generation...
41:04 When I first came to the Adventist church
41:07 I mean I drove into the parking lot with my 1973 Camaro.
41:11 Chevy Camaro... all souped up.
41:13 I mean, it had the louvers on the back. It had the Cragars.
41:16 Some of you know what those are, right?
41:18 Vinyl top. Man, I miss vinyl tops, right?
41:21 Vinyl top. I mean, it was just totally...
41:25 And I came in and with my girlfriend
41:27 and my leather jacket, and I walked in the Adventist church.
41:29 I mean, I was a brand-new Christian, you know?
41:30 Brand new Christian. Wasn't drinking any more.
41:32 Wasn't doing drugs any more; I was going to church.
41:35 So I was going to church on Sunday; I was going to church
41:37 on Wednesday, I was going to church on Sabbath.
41:39 I was going to a Pentecostal church. I was going to
41:41 Calvary Chapel, and I was going to the Adventist church.
41:44 And when I came into the Adventist church
41:46 I felt something different that I didn't feel in the other
41:48 churches. I felt uncomfortable
41:53 with my girlfriend and my leather coat and my you know.
41:56 I looked at all these 3rd and 4th and 5th and
41:58 6th and 7th and 8th and 9th and 10th generation Adventists.
42:01 I was like: "I'm among the saints here. "
42:05 Yeah, it was... it was uncomfortable.
42:06 I felt uncomfortable.
42:08 And I almost got to this place where I was thinking
42:11 "You know, I don't know if I'm good enough to be saved.
42:15 All these people, like they've got their stuff together
42:18 and me... like I'm fresh out of the world. "
42:21 We need to forget that.
42:23 That's a lie from the devil. Amen!
42:25 No one is more savable than anyone else. Amen!
42:29 We are saved by grace: God's unmerited favor.
42:32 And don't you dare allow the devil to add some kind of
42:36 natural human goodness to that. Amen! It isn't happening.
42:41 Grace stands alone as our only merit through faith.
42:43 That's it, so don't let the enemy touch that Biblical
42:47 equation and mess it up. That's not happening.
42:50 That's right. "We are saved by grace
42:52 through faith, and not of yourselves. It is a gift of God
42:55 not of works lest any man should boast. "
42:57 For we are His workmanship. That's right!
43:01 Created in Christ Jesus unto good works which
43:03 God has before ordained that we should walk in them.
43:05 So those good works are HIS, they're not ours.
43:09 That's right! He'll even reward us for them. OK!
43:11 That's kind of nice, isn't it?
43:12 He gives us the works then He rewards us for them
43:14 as if they're our own... but they're not.
43:16 They're His... they're all His.
43:18 And those works never supplant, they never replace
43:23 the righteousness of Jesus.
43:24 Amen! We can never get to heaven and say: "You know,
43:27 I did all these kinds of things. Let me in. "
43:29 There's a group of people that do that, they're pictured
43:32 in Matthew chapter 7:21-23.
43:37 They said: "Lord, Lord, open unto us. "
43:39 He's like: "Who are you? "
43:41 "We're the people, we did many wonderful works in Your name.
43:44 We cast out devils in You name and we prophesied in Your name
43:46 and we did all kinds of stuff. Man, we did Daniel Seminars
43:48 and Revelation Seminars and we did Bible studies
43:50 and we paid our tithe. " And He says:
43:51 "I don't know you. Did you ever open that door
43:57 So I could sup with you? Or were you just like
44:00 rich and increased with goods and in need of nothing
44:02 for the whole time? "
44:06 See, somehow we've got to transition ourselves
44:09 back to that foundation and stay there.
44:13 Stay on the foundation of Jesus.
44:16 Paul says in I Corinthians there is no other foundation
44:20 which can be laid than Jesus Christ. Amen!
44:23 And he says: "Some build upon this foundation... "
44:25 I Corinthians 3:7.
44:27 "Some build upon this foundation -
44:29 gold and silver and precious stones -
44:31 and others build wood and hay and stubble. "
44:35 And by the way, the context of I Corinthians chapter 3
44:40 is Sinai and the law of God.
44:42 And he's talking there in the context of this
44:44 about how there are people who look to that law
44:49 as their foundation instead of looking to Jesus.
44:53 The foundation is Jesus.
44:55 Now you're going to build on that foundation.
44:56 Some of the things you're going to build are going to be
44:58 really good. They're going to be like the gold and silver
45:00 and the precious stones. I think that represents
45:02 like good theology and good understanding of truth
45:05 and the Bible, etc. And then others build with
45:07 wood and hay and stubble. I think that represents
45:08 you know like bad theology and bad experiences
45:11 and bad practices, and bad habits, whatever.
45:13 And then Paul says: "The day is going to try
45:17 every man's work and what sort it is. "
45:18 It's going to be tried by fire.
45:21 And the fire is going to consume the bad stuff.
45:26 That's why we have trials. That's why trials come
45:27 to our life... to take all that bad stuff out.
45:30 But the foundation... the foundation is sure.
45:35 And there are people who are building wood and hay
45:38 and stubble and Paul says in I Corinthians chapter 3
45:43 beginning there with verse 11 going down to verse 13 he said:
45:46 "They're going to be saved so as by fire. "
45:49 Why do you think people that build bad theology
45:51 are going to be saved?
45:52 'Cause they've got the foundation of Jesus.
45:55 You know, most of God's people aren't Adventists.
45:57 You know that, right?
45:58 Most of God's people are out there literally
46:00 in other churches and other religions.
46:02 Most of God's people, but they have this foundation
46:04 that they're establishing, and it won't take long for them.
46:07 They can learn in weeks and months what it takes others
46:09 a lifetime to learn. Very quickly they learn
46:11 those 28 fundamentals. You know what I mean?
46:13 And like me they're just going to say: "Wow! Well I love Jesus.
46:16 I probably should keep His commandments. "
46:17 "Well I love Jesus. I probably should believe that He's
46:19 the Messiah. " "Well I love Jesus.
46:20 The 70-week prophecy is probably all about Him.
46:22 I'll just go ahead and accept that. "
46:23 I mean we could probably teach them in a few hours
46:25 the 28... but character development?
46:28 That's not going to happen overnight. That's right.
46:31 That can't happen overnight.
46:32 So here we are with our 28
46:36 thinking we're as close to heaven as we can get.
46:41 Meanwhile the way we treat people
46:42 is completely out of sorts. Amen.
46:45 Wow! Amen. History being repeated.
46:50 Example: Paul there is talking about the wood and the hay
46:54 and stubble. I'd like to suggest that maybe
46:56 some of that wood and hay and stubble
46:57 is secret rapture theology.
47:02 Can I.. can you give me that liberty?
47:03 Secret rapture theology. You know, that's what most
47:06 evangelical friends believe about the 70-week prophecy.
47:08 They take that last week and they put it out at the end
47:10 of time, right? And you've got a mid, a post,
47:13 a pre-rapture tribulation.
47:16 However you want to interpret it.
47:18 And we're like: "Man, that's just not Biblical.
47:19 You can't do that. Here are the principles; here is the truth. "
47:24 And yet a lot of these people love Jesus -
47:29 Amen - and their feet are solid on the foundation of Jesus.
47:32 Their theology may be off a little bit but
47:33 their feet are solid on the foundation.
47:35 And when that secret rapture doesn't happen...
47:39 See, this is what I love about the truth that God has given us.
47:43 Sometimes we're afraid to talk about the law of God
47:47 and specifically the Sabbath.
47:50 But I want to tell you that the Sabbath truth in contrast
47:53 with mark of the beast is like our ace in the hole.
47:57 We've got to sow that seed. Amen!
48:00 Because when people remember what we told them now
48:05 about that truth then
48:07 it's going to have a power it couldn't have had!
48:09 It's going to be too late then: "Oh, I knew this was going to
48:11 happen. I knew there was going to be a Sunday law.
48:13 I could have told you all about it. " "Oh, why didn't you? "
48:16 But if we tell them now in the sweet spirit of Jesus,
48:20 if we tell them now about God's law in the context of the
48:23 gospel and the context of unmerited favor
48:26 in the context which the woman was told about God's law
48:28 in that context, if we tell them NOW about that...
48:31 If we don't divorce the law from the gospel,
48:33 if we allow the law and the gospel to be partners,
48:36 if Adventists were known for being gospel-saturated,
48:39 law preaching believers, this world would be
48:42 turned upside down. Amen!
48:47 Those seeds would be sown.
48:49 And when that secret rapture doesn't happen
48:53 we'd be there for them.
48:54 Like: "Hey! " Not like: "Huh! Told ya.
48:58 Should've listened to me. Too late for you now. "
49:02 No, no, no. It's like: "Hey!
49:05 Sorry about the disappointment.
49:08 Would you like to study this out?
49:11 'Cause I can see you love Jesus. "
49:14 Amen! "Your theology may be off a little bit
49:16 but I can see you love Jesus. "
49:18 "I mean, you've been my friend for many months, many years now.
49:21 You've been my neighbor; you've been my co-worker.
49:23 You've been rubbing shoulders with me and I can see that
49:25 you love Jesus. Would you like to study this out
49:29 because it's not too late. "
49:32 "God is still there for you
49:35 in the context of the everlasting gospel. "
49:39 It's never too late.
49:43 So the unmerited favor is the only thing that we're ever
49:45 going to actually be able to share
49:49 with people to get them to believe and accept
49:53 the law of God - Amen - the law of love and liberty.
49:57 The unmerited favor is the only thing that can really take
50:00 us the rest of the way.
50:04 The unmerited favor of God is the only thing that can make us
50:07 have no other gods before us.
50:11 For as the new covenant so beautifully puts it
50:13 in Hebrews chapter 10... here it is,
50:16 verses 16 and 17:
50:18 "This is the covenant that I will make with them
50:20 after those days says the Lord:
50:22 'I will put My law into their hearts; I will write...
50:25 and in their minds I will write them.
50:27 And their sins and their iniquities
50:29 I will remember no more. "
50:32 It's OK to let God convict us of our sins
50:36 through His law... it's OK!
50:38 Just stay in the presence of Jesus. Amen!
50:42 Don't leave your Savior.
50:44 This is for us today; this is for us right now.
50:47 Amen! Right here in the presence of Jesus -
50:50 don't leave His presence -
50:52 listen to Him. This is what He says:
50:54 "I love you. " Amen! "I didn't come to condemn you. "
51:01 The condemnation comes in walking away from Jesus.
51:04 That's what the religious leaders did.
51:06 They walked away and said: "Well, we'd better do better.
51:08 We've gotta do better; we've gotta try harder;
51:10 we've gotta do more. "
51:12 John 3:16 says:
51:13 "For God so loved the world
51:15 that He gave His only begotten Son. "
51:17 Now stop right there.
51:19 Do you see any conditions there?
51:21 Do you see anything we've gotta do for God to do that?
51:24 There's nothing. That is unconditional love right there.
51:27 Why is God giving us uncon- ditional love in John 3:16?
51:31 "So that whoever believes in Him
51:33 might not perish but have everlasting life. "
51:36 Right? That's why God gives the unconditional love.
51:41 That's the most precious verse in the Bible
51:43 but here's what it goes on to say in verse 17:
51:45 "For God sent not His Son into the world
51:47 to condemn the world... " That's right...
51:49 "but that the world through Him might be saved. "
51:54 "He that believes on Him is not condemned. " Verse 18:
51:57 "He that believes not is condemned already
51:58 because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten
52:02 Son of God. " And this is the condemnation,
52:05 here it is right here, verse 19:
52:08 "that light is come into the world
52:12 and men loved darkness rather than light
52:17 because their deeds were evil. "
52:19 See, that's what was going on with the religious leaders.
52:21 Their deeds were evil.
52:24 You know what they did? They set this woman up.
52:28 They knew that she was a prostitute
52:32 and they set her up so that they could use her as a pawn
52:38 to trap Jesus. Amen! That's why the guy wasn't there.
52:41 Can you imagine that?
52:43 Can you imagine religious people
52:46 being so wicked as to set people up for sin?
52:51 And then use that against them?
52:54 That's right. And they did that to Jesus!
52:59 Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!
53:03 And Jesus saw right through it.
53:06 And He said: "Wait just a second.
53:09 I need to write some things right now. "
53:12 I imagine what He wrote there might have been part of the law
53:15 that said: "If someone is accused of adultery,
53:19 both parties should be brought before the judge. "
53:23 They're like: "Oh! "
53:25 And He says: "Whoever is without sin among you
53:28 let him cast the first stone. "
53:30 And they realized that He knew everything
53:33 that they had done previous to this.
53:34 They thought: "Oh, yeah, He's not going to know.
53:36 He's not going to understand. He's not going to realize
53:38 what we're doing right here. " Oh, no! He saw right through it.
53:41 Jesus saw right through it.
53:44 And He sees right through our own hearts,
53:46 our own experiences.
53:49 But praise God He's come to deliver us.
53:51 He's not come to condemn us; He's come to deliver us.
53:54 We have a Savior in Jesus Christ.
53:57 His perfect life and substitutionary death
54:02 has taken care of all the guilt and all the condemnation.
54:06 Now we know according to Revelation 12 verse 10
54:11 that we have an accuser that accuses us before God
54:13 day and night. And we know that Satan is using
54:17 people - human beings - to help him in that work.
54:19 Amen! That just happens to be his modus operandi.
54:22 That's what he likes to do: he likes to use people
54:24 to help him just like he did with the scribes and Pharisees.
54:27 So we need to recognize that as we feel these accusations
54:32 coming against us, and they are coming against us,
54:34 we need to recognize... as the law speaks to us
54:36 we need to recognize that our response is not to run away
54:40 from God. That's right! Don't run away from Jesus!
54:44 Don't do that 'cause you're just going to go into darkness!
54:48 STAY IN HIS PRESENCE.
54:54 Humbled, bowed, but seeking for His mercy,
54:59 for His grace, for His unmerited favor.
55:04 Let that goodness lead you
55:07 to the foot of the cross, lead you to repentance.
55:10 Let the goodness of God... Remember?
55:13 Let the love of God, let the goodness of God,
55:14 turn you around. Praise the Lord!
55:18 Praise the Lord! And then you're going to see
55:22 what Exodus chapter 20 is really all about.
55:25 The people are afraid. They're scared to death!
55:27 When Moses gets done with this whole...
55:31 when God gets done with this whole experience
55:34 they're scared to death.
55:35 Exodus 20 verse 20.
55:38 They said: "Hey! " Let's start with verse 18:
55:41 "All the people saw the thunderings and the lightning's
55:43 and the noise and the trumpet and the mountain smoking...
55:45 When they saw it they removed and they stood afar off. "
55:47 They did what the religious leaders did:
55:48 they removed and they stood afar off.
55:51 They pulled away from God.
55:54 "And they said to Moses: 'Speak... ' " Excuse me,
55:58 verse 19: "And they said unto Moses
56:00 'Speak thou with us. We will hear but let not God
56:04 speak with us lest we die. ' "
56:07 "I'm going to go to 3ABN Camp Meeting and I'll let
56:09 the speakers speak to me but I'm not letting God speak to me. "
56:15 "And Moses said: " verses 20...
56:17 Here it is... you ready?
56:21 "Moses said unto the people: 'Fear not
56:24 for God has come to prove you that His fear may be before
56:28 your faces that you sin not. ' "
56:31 Amen! See, there are 2 types of fear here. Do you see that?
56:33 There's the fear they have natu- rally that causes them to want
56:36 to run from God like Adam and Eve did,
56:38 like those religious leaders did, and then there's the fear
56:40 that God puts in our heart that causes us to sin not.
56:43 Amen! And that fear is what the everlasting gospel
56:46 calls us to have. The everlasting gospel calls us
56:47 to fear God, to revere God, to be in awe of God. Why?
56:51 Because of His unmerited favor.
56:53 And that kind of fear, that kind of awe,
56:56 that kind of reverence for God
56:58 leads us to leave our life of sin.
57:01 "That we sin not. " That's what Moses says
57:03 right here in Exodus chapter 20 and verse 20.
57:05 Exodus 20:20 is connected with Revelation 14
57:10 and the everlasting gospel, and that's what God wants for us.
57:15 How many of you this morning
57:17 want that experience as yours?
57:19 How many of you want to say "Yes? "
57:21 See, when you raise your hands up you know what that means?
57:23 I surrender!
57:25 Praise God! Father in heaven, thank you so much
57:27 this morning for each heart that is surrendering to You.


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Revised 2019-07-16