Participants:
Series Code: SSP
Program Code: SSP230014S
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00:01 Here on 3ABN Sabbath School Panel,
00:03 we're making our way through Revelation chapter 14 00:05 and the three angels' messages 00:06 and this Quarter's Study is entitled: Three Cosmic Messages 00:10 and we're excited... this week, Lesson Number 2, 00:12 we're going to be taking on a special study entitled: 00:15 A Moment of Destiny 00:16 and you can get a copy of this Lesson... 00:19 we don't want to leave you out, 00:20 we want you to study with us 00:22 so go to your local Seventh-day Adventist Church 00:23 and just ask for a copy for free 00:26 because you can study with your brothers and sisters in Christ 00:28 and it's just a great atmosphere 00:29 to be able to learn and study together 00:31 or also, you can go to 3abnsabbathschoolpanel. com 00:35 again, that's: 3abnsabbathschoolpanel. com 00:38 and you can download a digital copy for free 00:41 so, get your friends together, 00:42 get your family together, 00:44 let's all gather together during this special study time 00:46 on the 3ABN Sabbath School Panel. 00:48 Music... 01:19 Ryan: Hello Friends, 01:20 you're watching 3ABN Sabbath School Panel. 01:22 My name is Ryan Day 01:23 and it is a blessing to have you guys joining us 01:26 each and every week 01:27 to study with us... to come together... 01:29 open up God's Word 01:30 and, of course, during this Quarter 01:31 we're studying the three angels' messages 01:33 found in Revelation chapter 14 01:35 and it's such a... just an important message for our time 01:39 and so, we want to thank you for joining us. 01:41 I'm going to go ahead and introduce 01:42 our Panel members at this time. 01:44 To my direct left is Ms. Shelley Quinn. 01:45 Shelley: Oh, I'm so excited to be here 01:47 and we're so excited that you're joining us. 01:50 I had Monday's Lesson: The Son of Man Returns. 01:53 Lomacang: Okay, and mine is Tuesday: 01:56 The Heavenly Judgment. 01:58 Instead of focusing on the entire process, 02:01 we're going to focus on this central focal point. 02:04 Ryan: And to your left is Pastor John Dinzey, 02:06 it's a blessing to have you Brother. 02:08 Dinzey: It's a blessing to be here. 02:09 I have Wednesday's Lesson 02:10 and it's entitled: The Victor's Crown. 02:13 Ryan: Amen, of course at the end of the table, 02:16 there is Ms. Jill Morikone. 02:17 Jill: Thank you, Ryan, I have Thursday... 02:19 Every Seed Produces a Harvest. 02:21 Ryan: All right, all right, praise the Lord 02:23 and, of course, we're studying Lesson Number 2 02:25 which is entitled: A Moment of Destiny 02:28 and as always, we dare not dive into this Study 02:32 without first asking the Holy Spirit 02:33 to lead and guide us, 02:34 so, Ms. Jill, would you have a prayer for us? 02:36 Jill: "Holy Father, we come before You in the name of Jesus, 02:39 grateful for the gift of Your Word 02:41 and grateful for the anointing of Your Holy Spirit 02:44 that's inherent in Your Word, 02:46 and we ask right now that You would get us out of the way 02:49 and that You could be seen uplifted and glorified, 02:52 would You come and teach us now? 02:54 In Jesus' name, amen. " 02:56 Panel: Amen... amen... praise the Lord. 02:57 Ryan: You got to know that these messages, 02:59 these three angel's messages are absolutely imperative, 03:03 they're absolutely important to the times that we're living in 03:06 because they precede the second coming of Jesus Christ 03:09 which actually we... 03:10 it helps us to understand this little more in-depth 03:12 because when you end the third angel's message, 03:14 you now have this interesting scene 03:16 in which Jesus is seen on a cloud 03:18 with a sickle in His hand 03:19 and, of course, Revelation chapter 14 verses 14 and 15 03:22 helps us to understand what's happening immediately after 03:26 the third angel's message is delivered. 03:27 This is our memory text again: 03:29 Revelation 14 verses 14 and 15, 03:31 and I'm reading from the New King James Version 03:34 and it says, "Then I looked, and behold a white cloud, 03:37 and on the cloud sat One like the Son of Man, 03:40 having on His head a golden crown, 03:43 and in His hand a sharp sickle. 03:45 And another angel came out of the temple, 03:48 crying with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, 03:51 and said, 'Thrust in Your sickle and reap, 03:53 for the time has come for You to reap, 03:56 for the harvest of the earth is ripe. '" 03:58 This is ultimately what we're preparing for. 04:01 We're preparing for the soon return of Jesus Christ 04:03 and those three angel's messages help dial in 04:07 the necessary salvational relationship 04:09 that we need to have with Jesus Christ 04:11 during these last days. 04:12 I'm going to go to Sabbath afternoon's lesson 04:14 and I just want to read... 04:15 Pastor Mark Finley just has a way with words. 04:17 He has a beautiful way of describing and illustrating 04:20 and just helping us fully understand this message 04:22 and I want to read what he has there 04:24 in Sabbath afternoon's lesson and it says here, 04:26 "God has always spoken to His people, 04:28 giving them whatever relevant truths 04:31 they need to hear at the time. 04:32 From the warning about the Flood in Genesis chapter 6 04:35 to the first coming of Jesus 04:37 and, of course, in Daniel chapter 9 04:39 in the 70-week prophecy 04:41 to the pre-Advent judgment 04:42 of Daniel chapter 7 verses 9 and onward 04:45 to the final events before Christ return 04:47 there found in Revelation 12 to 14, 04:49 God has spoken to us. 04:51 In these last days of human history, 04:54 He has sent a special message to the world and to His people, 04:57 designed to meet the need of the hour. 05:00 He pictures this message as being carried by three angels 05:04 flying in mid-heaven 05:06 with their urgent, end-time message 05:08 to all the world. 05:10 The three angels' messages is Jesus' final message of mercy. " 05:14 I love that... Panel: Yes. 05:15 Ryan: Because many people think that God is a harsh judge... 05:17 He's coming back... but I love here... 05:19 it's a final message of mercy. 05:21 "A call that leads us from trusting 05:25 in our own righteousness 05:26 to trusting the righteousness of Jesus to justify us, 05:30 to sanctify us, 05:31 and, at the end of time, to glorify us. " 05:33 Can't wait for that! 05:35 "As always, though, we must choose Christ, 05:37 to surrender to Him and to obey Him, 05:40 and the choices we make now 05:42 will, indeed, impact the choices we make 05:44 in the final crisis ahead of us. 05:47 Thus, now is the time to prepare. " 05:50 I love that and that sets us up for Sunday's Lesson 05:52 which is entitled: Eternal Choices 05:55 and we find ourselves in Matthew chapter 24 verses 14 06:00 and we're also going to be looking at 06:01 the beginning portion there... 06:03 also, the verse there found in Revelation 14 verse 6 06:06 and you will see a comparison here 06:08 and it says in Matthew chapter 24 verse 14... 06:11 we're familiar with this, 06:12 it says, "And this gospel of the kingdom 06:14 shall be preached in all the world 06:16 for a witness unto all nations, 06:18 and then shall the end come. " 06:21 And so, yes, this gospel of the kingdom 06:24 shall go unto all the world 06:26 prior to the second coming of Jesus 06:27 but now when you pair that to Revelation chapter 14 verse 6, 06:31 notice what it says, 06:32 it says, "And I saw another angel 06:34 flying in the midst of heaven, 06:36 having the everlasting gospel 06:38 to preach unto them... " 06:39 so, if you have any doubt in your mind 06:41 as to what these three angels' messages are all about, 06:43 it's... it's coming under the banner 06:45 of the everlasting gospel. 06:46 Christ is proclaiming His righteousness 06:49 and He's trying to wake up this world 06:51 to prepare for His soon return. 06:52 And so, having the everlasting gospel 06:54 to preach unto them that dwell on the earth 06:57 and when it says that this gospel shall come, 06:59 please... when it says to all the world... 07:00 make no mistake what that means 07:02 because it goes to clarify here in verse 6, 07:05 it says... "to the earth... 07:06 to every nation, every kindred, 07:08 and tongue and people. " 07:10 So, every single person on the globe, 07:12 will have a chance and an opportunity 07:14 to hear the goodness of Jesus... 07:16 to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ in some capacity 07:19 and, of course, the lesson brings out 07:22 that in the three times in Revelation 22, 07:24 Jesus says that He is coming quickly. 07:27 We see this in Revelation 22 verse 7, 07:30 verse 12 and also in verse 20. 07:32 But, of course, in the context of this soon return... 07:35 this quick return... 07:36 He also proclaims in verse 11, 07:38 "He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; 07:41 he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; 07:45 and he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; 07:48 he who is holy, let him be holy still. " 07:52 And so, every day by our choices 07:54 even in the so-called "Little things" 07:56 Pastor Mark Finley brings out 07:58 that we are choosing either for or against Jesus. 08:02 Man! if you really put it like that... 08:03 that's a powerful thing to consider 08:05 that every choice we make 08:06 is either for or against Jesus Christ. 08:09 "It's not likely that someone constantly making 08:12 the wrong choices in their life now, 08:14 will suddenly, at the final crisis, 08:16 come down on the side of Jesus, 08:18 especially when the force of the whole world... the evil world 08:21 is against them. 08:22 And, of course, "Now, today, and every day 08:24 we must choose to be faithful to Jesus Christ 08:26 and to His commandments. " 08:28 Of course, 1st John chapter 5 verse 3 reminds us that 08:31 "For it is the love of God, that we keep His commandments" 08:34 and, of course, very interesting that in Last Day Events page 295 08:39 we find there... it says, 08:40 "Jesus does not change the character at His coming... " 08:43 I love that... 08:44 some people think that they're going to live 08:46 just however they want 08:47 all the way up to the second coming of Jesus 08:49 and say, "Oh, when Jesus comes back, 08:50 then, God's going to do that marvelous change in me. " 08:52 Oh no, it says here in Last Day Events page 295, 08:56 "Jesus does not change the character at His coming. 08:59 The work of transformation must be done now. 09:02 Our daily lives are determining our destiny. " 09:05 So, Sunday's Lesson is entitled: Eternal Choices 09:08 and... and it's just a powerful lesson to consider 09:11 because we see examples all the way through Scripture... 09:14 we see Scriptures that remind us constantly... 09:17 we see messages and stories that remind us constantly 09:20 of how important it is for us to make our choice today. 09:23 For instance, Joshua chapter 24 and verse 15... 09:26 in the days of Joshua... in the days of the wilderness... 09:28 as they're coming into the land of milk and honey... 09:31 as they're coming into Canaan, 09:32 what does he say to the children of Israel? 09:34 "Choose for yourselves... whenever you get a chance... 09:37 whenever you get an opportunity... 09:39 you know, when the time is right, 09:40 when the weather is appropriate... " 09:42 no, no, no, no... 09:44 "choose for yourselves this day 09:46 whom you will serve, 09:47 but as for me and my house... " Joshua made up his mind, 09:49 "we will serve the LORD." 09:51 I love those words... 09:52 "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. " 09:54 Even in the days of... of Elijah 09:57 at that great showdown at Mount Carmel 09:59 where you have the false prophets of Baal 10:01 and the one true prophet of God there... 10:04 of course, there's a decision that needs to be made, 10:07 everyone has free will and free choice 10:09 to choose where they will be and what side they will be, 10:12 and right there in 1st Kings chapter 18 and verse 21, 10:15 we see the message loud and clear, 10:16 it says, "And Elijah came to the people and said, 10:19 'How long will you falter between two opinions? 10:22 If the LORD is God, follow Him; 10:23 but if Baal... follow him. ' 10:25 But the people answered him not in word. " 10:28 We have many people that are serving the Baals of this world 10:31 even today when their heart is in Babylon 10:34 but yet, they may also profess the name of Jesus. 10:36 It's a dangerous thing 10:38 and we need to make sure that we have our fate 10:39 and our decision and our lives 10:41 saved up in Jesus Christ. 10:42 Panel: That's right. 10:44 Ryan: Even in Joel's day, Joel chapter 3 verses 13 and 14, 10:45 and here we find these words, 10:47 it says, "Put in the sickle... " 10:49 we just read about the sickle earlier, 10:50 it says, "Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. 10:52 Come, go down; for the winepress is full, 10:55 the vats overflow... 10:57 for their wickedness is great. " 10:58 And then he says these words, 11:00 "Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision!" 11:03 Panel: Hmmm... 11:04 Ryan: Are you dwelling in the valley of decision? 11:06 Or have you made your decision to serve Jesus today? 11:10 Why falter between two opinions, Elijah would say, 11:13 right here he says, "Multitudes, 11:14 multitudes in the valley of decision! 11:16 For the day of the LORD is near 11:18 in the valley of decision. " 11:20 The day of the Lord is upon us all... 11:22 and we need to have made our decision 11:24 to follow Him well before He arrives 11:26 and then, of course, 2nd Corinthians chapter 6 11:28 verse 2... how can you talk about making a decision 11:30 to follow Jesus and leave this Scripture out 11:33 or Paul writes and says, 11:34 "In an acceptable time I have heard you, 11:36 and in the day of salvation I have helped you. 11:38 Behold, now is the accepted time; 11:41 behold now, is the day of salvation. " 11:45 And this is where I think that pre-tribulation-rapture theory 11:47 as I was studying this lesson 11:49 that kept popping into my mind 11:50 because this is where I think that that theory fails 11:52 because so many people buy into this idea 11:54 that, "You know what? I'm just going to live my life 11:56 as long as I mentally accept Jesus 11:58 and I mentally believe that He's my Savior 12:00 and I mentally accept the fact that nearly 2,000 years ago, 12:03 He died on the cross for my sins, 12:05 that's all I need... I can just keep living however I want 12:08 because I am saved 12:09 and, you know what? If I miss the mark... 12:10 if I miss the point... ah, I might have to go through 12:13 the seven horrible years of tribulation 12:14 but I'll be given a second chance 12:16 during the seven years of tribulation after the rapture... 12:19 what a deadly, deadly, deadly teaching! 12:22 and this is where it falls because it teaches people 12:24 that they don't have to live for God now... 12:26 they don't have to make those necessary choices 12:29 and changes now, 12:30 if they miss the point down the road, 12:31 they might be given a second chance down the road. 12:34 Have mercy! 12:35 Panel: Hmmm... 12:36 Ryan: It's not enough to mentally believe 12:38 but to practice for change of character. 12:40 Listen what it says here, 12:42 it says, "He who will build up a strong, symmetrical character, 12:45 he who would be a well-balanced Christian, 12:47 must give all and do all for Christ 12:50 for the Redeemer will not accept divided service. 12:54 Daily he must learn the meaning of self-surrender. 12:57 He must study the Word of God, learning its meaning 13:00 and obeying its precepts. 13:01 Thus, he may reach the standard of Christian excellence... " 13:04 and I love these words... 13:06 "Day by day God works with him, 13:07 perfecting the character 13:09 that is to stand in the time of final test, and... " 13:13 there it is again... 13:15 "day by day the believer is working out 13:17 before men and angels 13:18 a sublime experiment, showing what the gospel can do 13:22 for fallen human beings. " 13:24 And, of course, Education page 105, 13:26 these... these powerful quotes that help illustrate 13:28 the very purpose of this lesson 13:30 and it says here... "The germination of the seed" 13:33 Jesus often used gardening or... or 13:36 you know, the plants and the... 13:39 you know, He'd use these different illustrations 13:41 to explain the Kingdom of God. 13:42 But I love this right here, Education page 105 and 106, 13:46 it says, "The germination of the seed 13:47 represents the beginning of spiritual life, 13:49 and the development of the plant is a figure 13:51 of the development of character. 13:53 There can be no life without growth. 13:55 The plant must either grow or die. 13:57 As its growth is silent and imperceptible, 14:00 but continuous, 14:01 so is the growth of character. 14:03 At every stage of development our life may be perfect; 14:06 yet if God's purpose for us is fulfilled, 14:08 there will be constant advancement. " 14:11 Panel: Amen. 14:12 Ryan: Eternal choices... we have that now. 14:14 Panel: Amen and amen. 14:15 Shelley: Thank you, Ryan, that was beautiful. 14:17 I'm Shelley Quinn. 14:18 My lesson is based on 14:22 and it's titled: The Son of Man Returns. 14:27 Let's look at Revelation 14:14. 14:29 John writes, "Then I looked, and behold a white cloud, 14:35 and on the cloud sat One like the Son of Man, 14:41 having on His head a golden crown, 14:44 and in His hand a sharp sickle. " 14:48 Wha... who is... who is John seeing? 14:52 He is seeing Jesus Christ. 14:54 Why is he calling Him the Son of Man? 14:58 The everlasting gospel 15:00 which is the foundation 15:03 of the three angels' messages of Revelation 14... 15:07 the everlasting gospel was announced in the Garden 15:12 in Genesis 3:15, when God said to the woman... 15:16 or to the serpent... 15:18 that the woman was going to give birth to a Seed 15:23 and He would crush the serpent's head. 15:25 That is in thirty words 15:28 talking about God's plan to become a man 15:32 and to save us. 15:34 So, when the Holy Spirit overshadowed Mary, 15:39 she conceived an existing Person... 15:42 the Second Person of the Godhead 15:46 and their two natures... 15:50 His divine nature... her human nature 15:53 were knitted together. 15:55 He had no biological father 15:58 but He became the Son of humanity. 16:03 Hebrews 2:14 says, 16:05 "Inasmuch then as the children 16:07 have partaken of flesh and blood, 16:09 He Himself... Jesus... likewise shared in the same, 16:14 that through death He might destroy him 16:16 who had the power of death, 16:19 that is, the devil. " 16:21 So, why did God become a man? 16:25 He was born to die... 16:29 to start a new bloodline. 16:32 In Romans 5, it talks about death entering through... 16:36 the world through one man... 16:38 let's look at that. 16:39 The first representative of humanity 16:43 from whom all were made from one blood... 16:48 that's what Acts 17:26 says that every nation of humanity 16:53 came from the one man, Adam. 16:56 Romans 5:15 says, 16:58 "by the one man's offense... " Adam's offense... 17:02 "many died, 17:03 much more the grace of God 17:07 and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, 17:12 abounded to many. " 17:16 So, Christ became the new representative of humanity, 17:20 the last Adam. 17:22 That's what Paul calls Him in 1st Corinthians 15:45, 17:25 he says, "The first man Adam became a living being. 17:29 The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. " 17:33 So, He started a new bloodline 17:36 and when we are born again, 17:39 the whole nation of Christ... God's people... 17:44 will come from that one blood. 17:46 Only a perfect man could take humanity's place 17:52 and be our substitute 17:53 to die to pay the penalty for our sins 17:57 and only the precious blood 17:59 of Jesus Christ, our Creator God Himself, 18:02 was worth... 18:04 had the value to pay the penalty for all of mankind. 18:09 Now, you know, it is amazing to think of His humanity. 18:14 While He was on earth, 18:17 Jesus laid down His independent authority. 18:20 He did not... He said, 18:22 "I only do what the Father said to do, 18:25 I only say what He tells Me to say... " 18:29 He didn't call not His own divine power 18:32 but He relied on the power of the Holy Spirit 18:35 just as you and I must. 18:38 But He took on humanity permanently. 18:43 Think about that for a minute. 18:45 Our Creator... "In the beginning was the Word, 18:49 the Word was with God, 18:50 the Word was God. " 18:51 The Word became flesh... 18:53 He humiliated Himself to take on our flesh, 18:56 but forever. 18:58 Oh, if you understand the plan of salvation, 19:02 you will stand in holy wonder of the love of God. 19:08 And then, He shared this humanity 19:12 so that... when He said, "It is finished... " on the cross, 19:16 He was talking about... He paid the penalty... 19:19 the first aspect to justify this by His righteousness. 19:24 That was done 19:26 but He took on our humanity and took it back to heaven 19:30 that He may become a sympathetic High Priest. 19:33 His ministry continues. 19:36 Hebrews 4:15 says, "We do not have a High Priest 19:39 who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, 19:43 but was in all points tempted as we are, 19:47 yet without sin. " 19:49 He faced the full fury 19:52 of Satan's temptations. 19:55 Do you think He doesn't understand your trials? 19:59 He does. 20:00 He understands and relates to our struggles with temptations 20:05 because He was tempted in all points as we were, 20:08 yet, He never sinned. 20:09 So, He overcame all of that 20:13 in the flesh of humanity 20:17 by the power of the Holy Spirit. 20:19 Did you know, 20:21 our Creator became the person of Jesus Christ. 20:25 He's called: Son of Man... Son of God... 20:28 there are so many titles for Jesus. 20:30 You know what His favorite title for Himself was? 20:33 Son of Man. 20:35 He used it 82 times. 20:37 I want to read a few to you. 20:39 In Matthew 8 verse 20, 20:42 Jesus said, "Foxes have holes 20:45 and birds of the air have nests, 20:48 but the Son of Man... " God in the flesh... 20:52 "has nowhere to lay His head. " 20:54 In Matthew 12:8, He says, 20:58 "For the Son of Man 21:00 is Lord even of the Sabbath. " 21:04 Matthew 18:11, He says, 21:07 "The Son of Man has come 21:10 to save that which was lost. " 21:15 Matthew 20:24 says, 21:18 He said, "The Son of Man did not come to be served, 21:22 but to serve, 21:24 and to give His life a ransom for many. " 21:29 This same Jesus 21:31 who walked the face of the earth among men 21:36 is the One who's going to be returning again from heaven. 21:41 In Mark 14:62 Jesus said, 21:44 "You will see the Son of Man 21:47 sitting at the right hand of the Power, 21:51 and coming with the clouds of heaven. " 21:54 He's going to return and every eye will see Him. 21:58 He's going to return with all of His angels 22:02 and that's where John is saying in Revelation 14:14, 22:08 "I looked, and behold, a white cloud, 22:10 and on the cloud sat, One like the Son of Man, 22:13 having on His head a golden crown, 22:16 and in His hand a sharp sickle. " 22:19 He is coming to harvest the earth... 22:22 to rescue His redeemed. 22:25 You know, this echoes the same emphasis 22:30 of Christ's humanity. 22:33 From the prophetic vision of Daniel 7:13 and 14, 22:39 Daniel sees One who is like the Son of Man, 22:42 who came to the Ancient of Days, 22:45 and was given universal authority. 22:48 Matthew 16:27, 22:51 Jesus said, "The Son of Man will come 22:53 in the glory of His Father with His angels, 22:56 and then He will reward each according to his works. " 23:03 So, right now, when He returns, 23:07 He says, "My reward is with Me. " 23:10 Matthew 24:27 says, 23:15 Jesus says, "As the lightning comes from the east 23:19 and flashes to the west, 23:20 so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. " 23:24 He will circle this globe with lightning speed, 23:28 verse 30 says, 23:30 "The sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, 23:33 and all the tribes of the earth will mourn, 23:35 and they will see this... " 23:37 all the tribes of the earth 23:40 will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven 23:45 with great power and great glory. " 23:48 Does that sound like a secret coming? 23:50 Does that sound like a secret rapture? 23:53 Matthew 25 verses 31 and 32, 23:57 Jesus says, "When the Son of man comes in His glory, 24:01 and all the holy angels with Him, 24:04 then He will sit on the throne of His glory 24:07 and all the nations will be gathered before Him... " 24:10 and there's a judgment... 24:11 He says, "He will separate them one from another, 24:16 as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. " 24:20 So, the Bible tells us that Jesus is the Son of Man. 24:25 He is going to return in all of His glory. 24:28 He will divide in judgment the sheep from the goats 24:33 and the destiny of all nations in all humanity 24:38 will be decided for eternity. 24:41 Let me ask... are you ready to meet the Son of Man? 24:45 Panel: Hmmm... amen, amen. 24:47 Ryan: Thank you so much, Shelley, for that beautiful lesson. 24:49 My Friend, you're not going to want to go anywhere, 24:51 we're just going to take a short break and we'll be right back. 24:53 Music... 25:00 Ever wish you could watch 25:01 a Three ABN Sabbath School Panel again 25:03 or share it on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter? 25:06 Well... you can by visiting 3abnsabbathschoolpanel. com 25:11 A clean design makes it easy 25:14 to find the Program you are looking for. 25:16 There are also links to the Adult Bible Study Guide 25:19 so, you can follow along. 25:21 Sharing is easy. 25:22 Just click "Share" and choose your favorite Social Media. 25:26 Share a Link... 25:27 Save a Life for Eternity. 25:29 Ryan: Hello Friends, 25:30 welcome back to 3ABN Sabbath School Panel. 25:33 We're going to pass it over to Pastor John Lomacang 25:35 for Tuesday's Lesson. 25:36 Lomacang: Mine is the Heavenly Judgment 25:38 and surprisingly enough, we are also on Revelation 14:14 25:43 so, if you have your Bibles, go there with me. 25:45 We read, "Then I looked, and behold a white cloud, 25:51 and on the cloud sat One like the Son of Man, 25:55 having on His head a golden crown, 25:58 and in His hand a sharp sickle. " 26:00 I think that you, me and John 26:05 are going to have fun with this one verse. 26:08 Shelley: And Jill. 26:10 Lomacang: You will be amazed... you also Jill? 26:11 Jill: Mine's coming later. 26:13 Lomacang: Okay, it is amazing how much is contained 26:15 in one verse, 26:16 we're going to squeeze this orange. 26:18 Someone took a different example... 26:20 a different approach here 26:21 but one of the things I'd like to reiterate here very quickly 26:23 is God uses clouds in amazing ways. 26:28 But I want to just first hit on the cadence of 26:31 what you started building on of the fact of "this same Jesus. " 26:35 Shelley: Yes. 26:37 Lomacang: This same Jesus... Acts 1 verses 9 to 11 26:39 is where we see the clouds also introduced. 26:41 "Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, 26:44 He was taken up in a cloud... received Him out of their sight. 26:47 While they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, 26:50 behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, 26:53 who also said, 'Men of Galilee, 26:54 why do you stand gazing into heaven? 26:56 This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, 26:59 will so come in like manner 27:01 as you saw Him go. '" 27:02 I want to focus on the "this same Jesus" aspect 27:04 and the clouds... putting that together. 27:06 What's so wonderful about that is that "this same Jesus. " 27:10 Now, in the minds of the disciples, 27:13 that meant a whole lot 27:15 and let me just go down a few things 27:16 because they walked with Jesus, 27:18 and... and I'm sure that in each of their minds, 27:20 something different about "this same Jesus" came up, 27:23 for example, there is a divine truth embedded in the passage 27:27 in the phrase: this same Jesus. 27:29 Let's consider some of those. 27:31 What same Jesus? 27:32 The same Jesus that walked the dusty streets of Nazareth. 27:35 That's what they thought about... put Jesus... 27:37 the same Jesus that ministered to crowds 27:40 on the streets of Jerusalem. 27:42 What Jesus? 27:43 The same Jesus that healed the sick in the villages of Israel... 27:46 that same Jesus. 27:48 What Jesus? 27:49 The same Jesus who preached on the grassy hills of Galilee... 27:51 that same Jesus... 27:53 so each of the... each of these: that same Jesus... 27:55 each of the disciples... a different spark is going off 27:58 and they say, "You mean the one that healed?" 28:00 "No, the One that read... 28:01 the One that was on... 28:02 the One that condes... 28:04 the One that delivered the demoniac... 28:05 that same Jesus. 28:07 The same Jesus who was crucified 28:08 and rose again is the One that's coming back. 28:11 This same Jesus... He is coming back in clouds, 28:14 and when He comes back, 28:15 He's coming back for a number of reasons 28:17 in the context of the judgment. 28:18 The reason why we have confidence is: 28:20 He is the presiding Judge in the judgment. 28:23 Let's look at John 5 verses 22 and 23, 28:26 this same Jesus... that lowly Jesus 28:29 is now going to be sitting in a different capacity. 28:32 John 5:22 and 23, "For the Father judges no one, 28:35 but has committed all judgment to the Son, 28:37 that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. 28:41 He who does not honor the Son 28:43 does not honor the Father who sent Him. " 28:46 That's why Jesus says, 28:47 "You believe in God, believe also in Me. " 28:49 And there are a lot of people that believe in God 28:51 but don't believe in Jesus. 28:52 You cannot get to the Father except through Jesus. 28:55 So, He said, "The One you reject 28:56 is going to be the One you face in the judgment. " 28:58 How fitting is it for us to get to know the One 29:01 that we're going to face in the judgment. 29:03 The other one is: Jesus is our Advocate in the judgment. 29:06 Now, this blows me away... He's the Judge and the Lawyer? 29:09 That's a hung court. 29:11 You know, when judgment was made in favor of the saints, 29:13 I see now why... 29:14 sitting on the bench... Jesus. 29:16 Standing with me on my side: Jesus. 29:18 Try to figure out that divine dichotomy... 29:21 it's impossible 29:22 but notice what the Bible says, 1st John 2 verse 1, 29:24 "My little children, these things I write to you, 29:27 so that you may not sin. 29:29 If anyone sins, 29:30 we have an Advocate with the Father, 29:32 Jesus Christ the righteous. " 29:34 So, how could the courts be set in any of the beautiful setting 29:37 that they know that Jesus is my Advocate 29:39 and Jesus is my judge. 29:41 You know, there's a picture in Revelation 29:43 when it comes to the seven churches where... 29:45 where Jesus is talked about as giving a white stone. 29:49 Well, think about the stone... 29:50 who is the stone? 29:52 Christ who is the white stone, the pure stone... Jesus. 29:54 And in the Roman Court, similar to today 29:56 if the jury could not come up with a verdict, 29:59 pause... 30:01 the beautiful words... "I will give you a white stone 30:04 with a new name on it. " 30:05 Now, get the... get the picture... 30:06 I studied this... in the court, there was a leather bag 30:09 kind of like: Let's Make a Deal. 30:11 You have to put your hand in there and pick up chips 30:14 well, in that bag were two stones: 30:17 the white one and the black one 30:18 and your life hung on which one you chose. 30:20 If you chose the black stone, you'd be hung... 30:23 you'd be crucified in the Roman Court. 30:26 If you chose the white stone, 30:27 not only you'd be exonerated and declared innocent, 30:29 but you'll have a name change 30:31 so that nobody understands... 30:33 nobody identifies you as the one that you were accused to be. 30:37 Look at the setting. 30:38 So, here's the accused 30:40 and he has his advocate, Jesus, by his side... 30:43 let me use Shelley as an example 30:45 and He says, "Wait, before you go into the bag, 30:48 I'm going to give you a white stone 30:50 with a new name on it, you hold on to that. " 30:52 Shelley: Happy laughter. 30:54 Lomacang: You put your hand in that bag 30:55 with the blessed assurance 30:57 that you're going to only take out what went in. 30:58 Amen. Panel: Amen. 30:59 Lomacang: That's the beautiful... the court is hung... 31:01 judgment was made in favor of the saints 31:05 and the time came for them to possess the kingdom. 31:09 So, He is our Advocate. 31:10 The third thing is: 31:11 He is our hope in the judgment. 31:13 Panel: Hmmm... hmmm... Amen. 31:14 Lomacang: 1st John 5 verse 12, 31:17 "He who has the Son has life; 31:19 he who does not have the Son of God 31:22 does not have life. " 31:23 What a beautiful picture! 31:24 So, whom do we need to have in the judgment? 31:28 The Son... 31:29 and finally, Jesus is our confidence in the judgment. 31:33 1st John 2 verse 28, 31:35 "And now, little children, abide in Me, 31:37 that when He appears, 31:39 we may have confidence and not be ashamed 31:42 before Him at His coming. " 31:44 But now let me take a short twist about the clouds here... 31:47 I'm going to show four things about the clouds. 31:49 I did a sermon not too long ago called: Coming with Clouds 31:52 in which I learned something about God 31:54 that cars are amazing. 31:55 My wife and I were driving to Florida 31:57 and we went through a terrible rainstorm 31:58 just after we got married 32:00 and it was just black clouds. 32:01 When we came out on the other side of that torrential rainstorm 32:05 wrapped in black clouds, 32:06 our car was cleaner than it had ever been before. 32:08 Panel: Laughter. 32:09 Lomacang: What am I saying... what am I saying? 32:11 Clouds are a precursor to the cleansing of your life. 32:14 Panel: Hmmm... 32:16 Lomacang: God sometimes brings clouds... 32:17 it's a precursor to the promises of God. 32:19 That's what we find in Genesis chapter 9 verses 12 to 15, 32:22 the cloud put in the proper context... 32:25 the Bible says in verse 13 of Genesis chapter 9, 32:28 "I set My rainbow in the cloud, 32:31 and it shall be for the sign of the covenant 32:34 between Me and the earth. 32:35 It shall be when I bring a cloud over the earth... " 32:40 we think of cloud as bad news... 32:42 "When I bring a cloud... 32:44 that the rainbow shall be seen in the cloud... " 32:46 Oh, this is powerful! 32:48 No clouds... no rainbows. 32:50 Here's the cadence... 32:51 no clouds... no rain... 32:52 no rain... no rainbow... 32:54 no rainbow... no covenant. 32:55 Panel: Hmmm... 32:56 Lomacang: So, when clouds are coming... 32:58 these are the precursors... 32:59 when there are clouds in your life... 33:00 clouds in your marriage... 33:02 clouds in your family... 33:04 it's a precursor that the blessing is coming 33:07 that God is about to bless your life. 33:09 Also, clouds are a confirmation of the presence of God. 33:12 We find there in Exodus 33 verse 9 and 10, 33:15 He says, "And it came to pass, 33:18 when Moses entered the tabernacle, 33:20 that the pillar of cloud descended... " 33:22 who is in the cloud? 33:23 The presence of God. 33:24 You see, Friends, when the clouds are in your life, 33:27 don't look at clouds as always a negative thing 33:29 because God uses clouds in ways that we don't understand. 33:33 When the cloud was there, the presence of God was there. 33:36 God uses clouds to bring us to the place 33:39 where we worship Him 33:41 and that's what happened when they saw the cloud, 33:42 they fell down in the temple and they worshipped God. 33:44 But thirdly, 33:46 clouds are a preparation for the revelation of the glory of God. 33:49 By the way, in Naaman in Nahum 1 verse 3, 33:53 the beautiful thing about this... 33:54 another profound truth about clouds that we often miss is, 33:56 Nahum 1 verse 3 says, 33:58 "the clouds are the dust of His feet. " 34:01 You want to hear a revelation? 34:02 If there is dust in your family, God's presence is there. 34:05 If there's dust in your marriage... 34:06 dust in your job... 34:08 dust in your church... 34:09 dust in your neighborhood... 34:11 dust... 34:12 clouds are the dust of God's feet. 34:13 He's not absent, He's present in the clouds. 34:16 How do I know that? 34:17 When Jesus was on the cross, 34:19 the clouds that hovered over that area 34:22 when Jesus was being crucified, 34:23 the Father was hidden in the cloud. 34:25 He was not absent... He was present in the cloud, 34:28 so Friends, are there clouds in your life? 34:30 If there are clouds in your life, 34:31 don't think it's the absence of God... 34:33 it's the silent presence of God 34:35 hovering closer to you than He's ever been before. 34:38 Don't think of clouds as an adversarial sign, 34:41 think of clouds as a preparation 34:43 for the revelation of God's glory. 34:45 That's what the Bible says, Romans 8 and verse 18, 34:48 "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time 34:50 are not worthy to be compared 34:52 with the glory that shall be revealed. " 34:55 What kind of glory? 34:56 "Behold He cometh with clouds. " 34:58 When he comes with clouds in your life, 35:00 the glory of God is going to be accompanying Him 35:03 so, I ask you today, "Are there clouds in your life?" 35:05 One of my favorite authors said, 35:06 in My Utmost for His Highest, July 29th, he says, 35:10 "What a revelation is it to know that 35:12 sorrow, bereavement and suffering 35:14 are actually the clouds that come along with God. " 35:19 Panel: Hmmm... hmmm... 35:20 Lomacang: That's deep... 35:21 so, whatever you're facing, it may be cloudy to you 35:23 but I say it in the words of... 35:25 all of us who've seen clouds before, 35:26 behind every cloud, there's a silver lining 35:32 and that lining is Jesus. 35:33 So, yes, He's coming with clouds, 35:35 the clouds precede the glory of God 35:38 and when the clouds dissipate, 35:39 the presence of God will be clear. 35:41 Trust the clouds... God is in them. 35:44 Panel: Hmmm... amen. 35:45 Dinzey: Amen, praise the Lord. 35:47 It's time to close the church and go home. 35:48 Panel: Laughter. 35:50 Dinzey: Praise the Lord. 35:51 Well, I have Wednesday's portion of the Lesson, 35:54 it's called: The Victor's Crown. 35:55 My name is John Dinzey 35:56 and we are moving again back to Revelation chapter 14 36:00 verse 14, "Then I looked, and behold a white cloud, 36:04 and on the cloud sat One like the Son of Man, 36:07 having on His head a golden crown, 36:08 and in His hand a sharp sickle... " 36:10 and I'll stop there. 36:12 You know, my focus is on the victor's crown... 36:15 the golden crown that Jesus wore 36:17 but before He wore that golden crown, 36:18 I have to take you back even before He came to this earth, 36:23 He was the subject of praise and adoration in heaven 36:27 and He came to this earth and became a babe 36:31 but on this earth His suffering intensified 36:35 as He was living among men. 36:37 And the Bible says that He went about doing good 36:41 and this Jesus was attacked by the devil severely. 36:45 Every single day of His life, 36:47 attacked, attacked, attacked by the devil. 36:49 But Jesus... victorious... victorious... victorious 36:51 and if there was some kind of scoreboard, 36:54 the devil was losing every single day. 36:56 Praise the Lord for that because Jesus was victorious. 36:59 And so, the Bible says... He went about doing good. 37:01 The devil didn't like that. 37:03 He went about doing good... 37:05 well, He was healing the sick, 37:08 He was giving sight to the blind, 37:10 the cripples were able to walk 37:12 and even the dead were raised 37:14 and I'd like to take your mind to imagine the moment 37:17 when somebody says, 37:18 "Hey, weren't you the guy that was blind begging for money? 37:23 What happened to you?" 37:24 "Jesus... Jesus came by and gave me sight. " 37:28 Panel: That's right. 37:29 Dinzey: And, "Hey, aren't you the guy 37:31 that was crippled 37:32 begging for money over there by the temple?" 37:34 "Yes, but Jesus came by and He healed me. " 37:37 And why I imagine that fifth day 37:39 after Lazarus was resurrected... four days he was in the grave, 37:43 fifth day, he goes to the market. 37:45 "Hey, wait a minute, 37:46 didn't you die about four... five days ago?" 37:49 "Well, yes, but Jesus called me forth from the grave... " 37:53 and so, victory after victory through Jesus. 37:56 And, it's amazing when you look at the lesson, 37:59 Pastor Mark Finley brings out this very important thing 38:02 concerning the golden crown, he says, 38:06 "John describes Jesus as the 'Son of Man, 38:10 having on His head a golden crown, 38:12 and in His hand a sharp sickle. ' 38:14 The word for "crown" is Stephanos. 38:16 It is a victor's crown. 38:19 When an athlete won an important contest, 38:22 he was given a Stephanos, 38:24 a crown of honor, of glory, of victory. " 38:27 But he says, "Jesus once wore a crown of thorns, 38:31 symbolizing shame and mockery. 38:34 He was once despised and rejected of men. 38:37 He was reviled, ridiculed, spat upon, 38:40 beaten and whipped. 38:41 But now He wears a crown of glory 38:43 and comes again 38:45 but now as King of kings and Lord of lords. " 38:49 This is Jesus. 38:51 And He brings out that 38:54 before He's able to wear that crown of... 38:58 golden crown... 38:59 He wore a crown of thorns. 39:01 Now, why did Jesus who went about doing good 39:03 have to wear a crown of thorns? 39:05 And, you know, it's interesting 39:07 because they say that thorns are like a symbol of sin. 39:11 It's like He was saying... He was King of the sinners. 39:15 And He faced such ridicule... 39:19 I mean, the scribes and the Pharisees... 39:23 the very demons were there. 39:24 You know, you mentioned, God was there... 39:26 but the... the demons were there 39:28 working on the hearts of people and minds 39:30 to keep saying things, "Come down from the cross... " 39:32 and speaking horrible things about Jesus. 39:35 But what do we hear Jesus saying? 39:37 "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do. " 39:43 It's amazing what Jesus suffered for you and me 39:47 so that we can have salvation and guess what? 39:50 if you follow Jesus with all your heart, 39:54 there is a crown of life waiting for you. 39:57 Panel: That's right. Dinzey: Isn't it marvelous? 39:58 I'm reading to you from a letter written by 40:01 Manuscript Release 44 from 1886, 40:04 "Christ was despised and rejected of man, 40:07 a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. Isaiah 53:3. 40:12 What was it that brought such sorrow? 40:16 It was not on His own account, but for the sins of the people. 40:19 He realized their condition, 40:20 and this was the reason that He felt such sorrow 40:24 as He wept over Jerusalem and uttered the lamentable words, 40:28 'O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 40:30 which killest the prophets, 40:32 and stonest them that are sent unto thee; 40:35 how often would I have gathered thy children together, 40:38 as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, 40:41 and ye would not. 40:42 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. '" 40:45 Jesus wept over Jerusalem. 40:48 Jesus weeps over those that do not accept His call 40:53 to eternal life. 40:54 Panel: That's right. 40:56 Dinzey: Jesus is inviting you to walk with Him 40:59 and live with Him because He accompanies us. 41:03 He promises to be with us always 41:05 even until the end of the world. 41:08 And, again, I go back to the Lesson. 41:11 It talks about Jesus. 41:13 It says here in the Lesson, 41:16 John describes Jesus as the Son of Man 41:18 having on His head a golden crown, 41:20 and in His hand a sharp sickle. 41:22 The word for crown is Stephanos which we already said 41:25 but then he goes into talking about 41:28 that Jesus likens them... many things in the Bible, 41:34 He looked at the things around and He uses, 41:36 "The sower went out to sow 41:37 and some seeds fell on good ground... 41:39 some... " and He goes on like this 41:41 but you see, there's a... 41:44 He points out, Mark chapter 4, 41:45 I'll read that to you, 41:47 beginning in verse 26: 41:48 And He said, "The kingdom of God is as if 41:50 a man should scatter seed on the ground, 41:52 and should sleep by night and rise by day, 41:55 and the seed should sprout and grow, 41:57 he himself does not know how. 42:00 For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, 42:03 then the head, 42:04 after that the full grain in the head. 42:06 But when the grain ripens, 42:08 immediately he puts in the sickle, 42:09 because the harvest has come. " 42:11 In this same manner, 42:12 there's going to be harvest 42:14 and you'll hear more about that in a moment. 42:16 But the part that we have to do is cooperate with Jesus 42:20 so that He continues working in us 42:23 and this is the thought that is brought out 42:26 by Pastor Mark Finley in the Lesson. 42:28 He says that sanctification is the work of a lifetime. 42:33 He's quoting from Christ's Object Lessons, page 65. 42:37 "Sanctification is a work of a lifetime. 42:39 As our opportunities multiply, our experience will enlarge, 42:43 and our knowledge increase. " 42:45 So, we work day by day with Jesus 42:48 so that He is preparing us and moving in our hearts 42:53 so that we grow in grace 42:54 in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 42:57 And in Jude chapter 1 verse 20 and verse 21, 43:00 it's only one chapter, 43:01 it says, "But you, beloved, 43:04 building yourselves up on our most holy faith, 43:07 praying in the Holy Spirit, 43:09 keep yourselves in the love of God, 43:12 looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ 43:15 unto eternal life. " 43:16 Every day, we should have our focus on Jesus... 43:20 have our focus in heaven 43:22 because we're just passing through this world. 43:25 Colossians chapter 1 beginning in verse 9, 43:28 "For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, 43:31 do not cease to pray for you, 43:33 and to ask that you may be filled 43:35 with the knowledge of His will 43:37 in all wisdom and in spiritual understanding; 43:40 that you may walk worthy of the Lord, 43:42 fully pleasing Him, 43:44 being fruitful in every good work 43:46 and increasing in the knowledge of God. " 43:48 God has it in His plan 43:50 that we can daily increase in the knowledge of God. 43:53 Do you remember that Jesus says, "Come unto Me...? " 43:57 Panel: Hmmm... hmmm... 43:58 Dinzey: And then, as you continue reading there 44:00 in Matthew 11 verse 28, 44:01 eventually, He says, "Learn of Me, 44:04 for I am meek and lowly of heart. " 44:06 This is an open invitation for us 44:08 because daily, we can learn of Jesus 44:10 I'll continue reading there in Colossians chapter 1, 44:15 and it says now in verse 11, 44:16 according to His glorious power, 44:21 for all patience and longsuffering with joy; 44:24 giving thanks to the Father who has... " listen... 44:28 qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints 44:33 in the light. " 44:34 In the King James Version it says, 44:37 "makes us meet... " He qualifies us. 44:40 Because of what Jesus Christ has done on the cross, 44:43 you are qualified to be a child of God 44:45 if you accept because it says in John chapter 1, 44:49 "As many as received Him, 44:51 to them He gives power 44:52 to become children of God... sons of God. " 44:55 You can be a child of God today, right now, if you accept Jesus. 45:00 He will qualify you. 45:02 And it says... continuing on, verse 13, 45:04 "He has delivered us from the power of darkness 45:08 and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, 45:12 in whom we have redemption through His blood, 45:17 the forgiveness of sins. " 45:18 We have redemption in Jesus through His blood. 45:23 So, you remember that it says in Ephesians chapter 2 verse 8, 45:27 "by grace are you saved through faith, 45:30 and that not of yourselves; it is a gift of God. " 45:33 He qualifies you... 45:34 He prepares you. 45:36 He keeps you moving and growing and prepares you to be like Him. 45:41 I have to finish... 45:43 it says in Ephesians chapter 4 verses 11 and 12, 45:46 "He gives some apostles, and some prophets, 45:48 and some evangelists, 45:49 and some pastors and teachers, 45:51 for the perfecting of the saints for the work of the ministry, 45:54 for the edifying of the body of Christ, 45:56 till we all come in the unity of the faith 45:58 and of the knowledge of the Son of God, 46:00 unto a perfect man, 46:01 unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. " 46:04 Praise the Lord. 46:06 God has His servants and we all grow together 46:09 unto the stature of Jesus Christ. 46:11 Jill: Amen, thank you so much each one of you... 46:14 just what a beautiful picture of Jesus! 46:16 Jesus... as the Son of Man... 46:18 Jesus as our Judge and Advocate... 46:20 Jesus as our Savior and soon-coming King. 46:25 I'm Jill Morikone... 46:26 on Thursday, we look at: Every Seed Produces a Harvest. 46:32 Before we jump into our passage of study, 46:35 I want to talk to you just a moment about seeds and harvest. 46:39 Do you know that whatever you plant... is going to come up. 46:42 If you plant corn, 46:44 do you get wheat? 46:45 No... you would receive corn. 46:48 If you plant wheat, 46:50 are you going to get something different? 46:52 Turnips? No... 46:53 you're going to get wheat. 46:55 Every seed eventually produces a harvest. 47:00 Now, Greg likes to garden... 47:02 I'm not a good gardener, but Greg loves to garden 47:05 and when he gardens, 47:07 he plants his tomatoes or sweet potatoes... 47:11 we love to do sweet potatoes, 47:12 or whatever he's growing in the garden 47:14 and you know, a couple of days after that, 47:16 what starts to come up? 47:18 Weeds... 47:19 and they grow with the plants that he planted. 47:22 Now, you know what he does? 47:24 He pulls up those weeds right away. 47:25 I'm picking up this weed and I'm picking up that weed 47:29 because I want all the nutrients to go into the good seed 47:33 that I have planted. 47:34 But, you know, God is the Master Gardener. 47:37 He allows the weeds to grow. 47:39 He allows the weeds to flourish along with the good seed 47:45 so that everything fully ripens and produces a harvest. 47:50 That's what we see in our lesson today. 47:52 When Jesus comes as the Son of Man 47:55 on the cloud with the glory of the angels, 48:00 comes to bring... what's He coming for? 48:04 He's coming for judgment. 48:05 Panel: Hmmm... hmmm... 48:07 Jill: What do we see? 48:08 Revelation 22 verse 11, what does it say? 48:10 "He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: 48:13 he that is filthy, let him be filthy still: 48:16 he that is righteous, let him be righteous still. " 48:19 So, what does that mean? 48:20 When He is coming the second time, 48:22 His reward is with Him 48:24 and at that point we see fully revealed 48:28 the character of God's people 48:30 that they fully represent Jesus 48:32 and at that point, the wicked... 48:35 or you could say, "fully... " ah... what's the word? 48:38 fully entrenched in rebellion against God. 48:43 We see this... we've already read Revelation 14, 48:47 verse 14, we're read multiple times, 48:50 and verse 15, we see the angel coming out of the temple 48:52 crying with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud... 48:55 that's Jesus... "Thrust in Your sickle and reap" 48:58 here comes the "reap" this is the harvest... 49:00 "for the time has come for You to reap, 49:03 for the harvest of the earth is ripe. " 49:05 Now, this is Pastor Mark Finley called it: The golden grain. 49:08 This is the righteous 49:10 but then we see in verses 17 through 20, 49:15 he calls them the "gory grapes". 49:16 This is the wicked and we pick up that... 49:21 we're looking at Revelation 14 verse 17, 49:25 let's see the wicked... 49:27 we see that their wickedness and evilness is fully mature 49:30 and here comes the judgment. 49:31 Revelation 14:17, "Another angel came out of the temple 49:35 which is in heaven, 49:37 he also having a sharp sickle. " 49:39 Verse 18, 49:40 "And another angel came out from the altar... " 49:44 now, let's pause a moment, 49:45 the angel that came out from the altar, 49:47 is probably... this is the same altar 49:49 that's mentioned in Revelation chapter 8 49:52 versus 3 to 5... 49:54 that's the introduction to the seven trumpets. 49:57 Of course, the trumpets showcase what? 49:59 The judgment on the wicked 50:02 in response to the prayers of the righteous. 50:05 So, this angel that comes out from the altar... 50:07 what does the angel have? 50:09 Power over fire. 50:12 This is the angel who commands 50:14 the fires of God's final judgment. 50:17 "He cries with a loud cry to him who had the sharp sickle saying, 50:22 'Thrust in your sharp sickle 50:25 and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth. ' " 50:28 These are the gory grapes... 50:29 these are the wicked. 50:31 "for the grapes they're fully ripe... " 50:35 fully developed in sin. 50:39 You know, the cluster... it's interesting to me, 50:42 we have the figure of this harvest... 50:44 we have the ancient Palestinian agriculture year, 50:48 they had two main harvests... the grain harvest 50:51 and the vintage harvest or the grape harvest 50:55 and we see here... this represents the wicked 50:59 who will be destroyed by the brightness of His coming 51:03 of course, at Jesus' second coming. 51:05 And I think it can also have a dual application, you could say 51:09 at the end of the 1,000 years, 51:11 the wicked, we know, will be fully exterminated 51:14 or fully annihilated. 51:16 Verse 19, "So the angel thrust his sickle into the earth 51:20 and gathered the vine of the earth, 51:22 and threw it into the great winepress 51:24 of the wrath of God. " 51:26 Now, that reminds me of the third angel's message, right, 51:29 Revelation 14:10, 51:30 "he himself shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, 51:34 which is poured out full strength 51:36 into the cup of His indignation. " 51:39 It reminds me of Revelation 15 verse 1, 51:41 "I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous: 51:44 seven angels having the seven last plagues, 51:47 for in them the wrath of God is complete. " 51:51 Also, if you study Isaiah chapter 63, 51:54 you see another reference to the winepress of God. 51:59 The people in that passage made their irrevocable choice. 52:04 They were never going to repent. 52:06 They were never going to turn back to God 52:10 and that's what we see with the "gory grapes... " 52:12 that are fully developed in wickedness at the end of time. 52:18 There even if God gave them another million years, 52:22 they would never repent. 52:23 They would never turn back to God 52:27 because their wickedness is fully ripened and developed. 52:31 Verse 20, "The winepress was trampled outside the city, 52:36 and blood... " this is kind of gory... 52:39 "came out of the winepress, up to the horses' bridles, 52:43 for one thousand six hundred furlongs. " 52:46 Now, it's interesting... 52:48 it talks about "outside the city. " 52:50 In the Old Testament, 52:52 in Joel, I think, Ryan, you read this verse, 52:55 Joel 3 verses 12 and 13, 52:58 talks about the nations being wakened... 53:00 "Come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; 53:03 for there, I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations. 53:06 Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. 53:09 Come, go down; for the winepress is full, 53:12 the vats overflow... 53:13 their wickedness is great. " 53:16 And then, multitudes... 53:17 multitudes are in the valley of decision! 53:20 So, what is the point of all this? 53:22 You could read all that and says, "Why am I reading that?" 53:25 What is the point? 53:26 Here are three lessons from the harvest of the grain 53:30 and the grapes. 53:32 Lesson Number 1: 53:33 There is coming a judgment. 53:35 We can live like there's no coming judgment... 53:38 like there is no tomorrow, 53:40 but it doesn't change the fact 53:42 that the judgment of God is coming. 53:45 You know the parable that Jesus told about in Luke chapter 12, 53:48 the rich fool 53:50 and he lived like there was no coming judgment 53:54 and what did God say in Luke 12:20, 53:56 "Fool! This night your soul will be required of you... " 54:01 Lesson Number 2: 54:02 The choices you and I make today 54:06 will predict our destiny. 54:09 You see, it's daily choices. 54:11 It's little choices... 54:13 it's what we choose to sow that has an impact for eternity. 54:19 Galatians 6 verses 7 and 8, 54:23 "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; 54:26 whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 54:29 For he who sows to the flesh 54:31 will of the flesh reap corruption, 54:33 but he who sows to the Spirit 54:35 will of the Spirit reap life everlasting. " 54:38 You see, every day we can make choices for ourself or for Satan 54:42 because really whether we choose self or Satan, 54:44 it's the same choice. 54:46 Hosea 8 verse 7, 54:47 what happens if we choose that? 54:49 "They sow the wind, and reap the whirlwind. " 54:54 Hosea 10 verse 13, 54:57 "You plowed wickedness; you reaped iniquity. 55:02 You ate the fruit of lies, 55:05 because you trusted in your own way, 55:07 in the multitude of your mighty men. " 55:09 But by contrast, you and I can make daily choices for Jesus. 55:13 What happens then? 55:16 Hosea 10 verse 12, 55:18 "Sow for yourselves righteousness; 55:21 reap mercy; 55:23 break up your fallow ground, 55:25 it's time to seek the LORD, 55:27 till He comes and rains righteousness on you. " 55:30 Also, James 3 verse 18, 55:32 "Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace 55:35 by those who make peace. " 55:37 Finally, Lesson number 3: 55:41 Every see produces a harvest 55:44 and that harvest is going to be clear. 55:46 There would be two camps... only two 55:49 and there's always been only two camps... 55:52 the grain and the grapes... 55:53 the wheat and the tares... 55:54 the wise and foolish virgins... 55:56 the sheep and the goats... 55:58 in Noah's time, it was those in the boat who were saved 56:01 and those outside of the boat. 56:03 Mount Carmel... Elijah's time, 56:04 it was those who followed God and those who followed Baal. 56:08 So, the question comes down to: 56:10 I think Ryan was the first to read this verse, 56:12 Joshua 24:15, 56:14 "Choose you this day whom you will serve... 56:18 but as for me and my house, 56:20 we will serve the LORD." 56:22 There is coming a judgment... 56:24 be in the righteous grain. 56:26 Ryan: Amen... amen, thank you guys so much. 56:28 Powerful lesson indeed. 56:30 Let's get some final thoughts. 56:31 Shelley: The Son of Man came to seek and save 56:34 that which was lost. 56:36 I just have to say... 56:37 He didn't die on the cross for us 56:40 so that we could live like the devil. 56:42 We are to follow in His pathway of righteousness. 56:48 Lomacang: That's right, Revelation 1:7, 56:50 "Behold, He is coming with clouds... " 56:51 since we know that... it's time to get ready 56:53 for that wonderful return. 56:55 Panel: Amen. Dinzey: Amen... 56:57 and Jesus has been victorious, 56:59 and through Him, we can also be victorious. 57:02 Jill: Amen... 57:03 what an incredible blessing that we have probationary time 57:06 to make choices today and every day for Jesus. 57:09 Ryan: Amen... 57:10 we live in a time where it's time 57:12 for us to live and to practice what it is that we believe. 57:14 That's why Jesus said in Matthew chapter 7 verse 24, 57:17 "Therefore if whoever hears these things of Mine 57:20 and does them, 57:21 I will liken him to a wise man 57:23 who built his house on a rock. " 57:25 And, of course, we know that rock to be 57:26 Jesus Christ our Lord. 57:28 My Friends, we thank you so much for joining us today 57:30 but you are for sure not going to want to miss next week 57:33 because next week's lesson here on 3ABN Sabbath School Panel... 57:36 we're going to be taking on Lesson Number 3 entitled: 57:39 The Everlasting Gospel. 57:41 This is the very foundation of the three angels' messages... 57:45 the very foundation of what we believe and why we exist. 57:48 Until next time, God bless you all. 57:49 See you soon. |
Revised 2023-06-06