25 "And God Said, You First" // Pr. Randy Skeete

so when we see sickness war famine broken families drought plates all of those are expressions of a dying world thank God in heaven thank you for the generosity of your people it really really touched my heart to see them young and all bringing as your spirit touch them bless them did God I say it genuinely bless them for the coverage they had to step out and say we could have given more or we did not give the first time bless them that God in every area of their lives give me a direct message now I pray in Jesus name that all God's people say amen and amen let's go to Acts chapter 13 will read verse 46 acts 13 reading verse 46 and God said you first is our subject for today acts 13 reading verse 46 the Bible says that Paul and Barnabas waxed bold if you were ever to preach preach with boldness but not with arrogance let me say that again preached boldly but not arrogantly now the preaching done by Paul and those men 2,000 years ago was bald the preaching in these days must be bolder in testimonies volume 1 page 321 paragraph 2 elamite writes just before Christ is to come his faithful preachers had to bear a still more pointed testimony than was borne by John the Baptist's a responsible important work is before them and those who speak small things God will not acknowledge as a servant source ministers a fearful war is upon them and so the servant of the Lord says in these last days in this fearful time just before Christ is to come the second time God's faithful preachers notice the kind of preachers he says God's faithful preachers are to bear a still more pointed testimony than was borne by John the Baptist the bluntest preacher in the Bible particularly the New Testament was John the Baptist and he got his head cut off for that Ellen White says in these lat today's preaching must be more direct it must cut it must spring but it must be preached with compassion because the preacher himself is a sinner and so the Bible says then Paul and Barnabas wax board and said unto them it was necessary that the Word of God said first they spoke that to you but seeing he put it from you and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life behold we turn to the Gentiles I want you to observe this sequence of events and then keep in mind our title and God said you first when someone is lost whose decision is that keep in mind the Bible says in 2nd Peter chapter 3 verse 9 the Lord is not slack concerning his promise as some men count slackness but is long-suffering to us-ward not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance Ezekiel 33 verse 11 saying to them as I live saith the Lord I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked first Timothy chapter 2 verse 4 who will have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth this is the God we're dealing with now here comes the question when someone is lost whose fault is it listen to the sequence of events again in acts 13 46 then Paul and Barnabas wax bold and said to the Jews of course we were listening it was necessary that the Word of God sits first be spoken to you but seeing he judge yourselves unworthy seeing he put it from you and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life notice the singers of events they rejected the word they judge themselves unworthy of God's goodness then Paul says because you have done that we hold we turn to the Gentiles God waits he never moves first to destroy anyone God simply acknowledges our Trice let me say that again never initiates an action to destroy any life he simply respects with great regret the decision of the sinner not to accept the freely offered life and so Paul and Barnabus said seeing he put it from you we've been on this ground since August the 3rd every night twice on Sabbath preaching the Word of God I'm sure there's still someone resisting the impulse of the Spirit of God do not bring God to the place where he finally says since you have resisted so stubbornly I have accepted your opposition to truth and now I cut you off at your request listen to Jesus Christ in John 3 verse 19 this is the condemnation that light has come into the world but men loved darkness rather than light again because we love sin we reject the light let me see it again in God's defense god never initiates the destruction of a sinner the sinner must make the choice by consistent refusal to yield to the pleadings of God's Holy Spirit there is such a thing called prohibition it is not a popular subject among preachers in my experience in some churches it is not talked about at all it is not a doctrine developed by the seventh-day Adventist Church it was introduced by William Miller when he embarked upon a two-year study of God's Word there is in the Bible the concept of probation let us go to Genesis chapter 6 Genesis 6 our subject is and God said you first and I thank God for that cool breeze that just blew because Nina and Johto sana right now but I know you're happy all right you have Genesis 6 the Bible says from first one and it came to pass when men began to multiply on the face of the earth and daughters were born to them that the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair and they took them wives of all which they chose and the Lord said my spirit shall not always strive with man for that he also is flesh yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years this is called probation God gave the antediluvian antediluvian meaning living before the flood God gave the antediluvian 's 120 years to accept the preaching of noah in those days men lived to be 900 years of thousand years possibly not 60 70 80 as we do today because of sin but one day if we're faithful we shall live a thousand two thousand three thousand can you say Amen and there will be no end to life do not miss that and so God gave them 120 years and Noah preached he began at the age of 480 his sermon ended at when he was 600 that was a long sermon preaching pleading begging calling almost no one came but his family and so when I stand at all and only one person comes or two or three I am still ahead of Noah are you with me a preacher must call when he calls he's calling people from death to life he's calling them to from selfishness to love of God and Noah preached no one listened let's go to verse 15 of Genesis 7 and the Bible says and they went in unto Noah into the ark two and two of all flesh wherein is the breath of life verse 16 and they that went in went in male and female of all flesh as God had commanded him and that verse ends Genesis 716 read it with me and the Lord did walk shut him in now it is essential that you understand the Lord shut him in no Minister can close your probation no preacher can keep you out of heaven or throw you to hell that's work as he acknowledges our choices listen to Genesis 716 and the Lord shut him in probation is a time period God gives to us to accept him he decides how long the period is when it ends and when the end comes it is God that closes the door of the Ark of opportunity now when God closes that door he does not reopen it in my life which has been fairly long have heard people say oh I won't accept Christ now I'm too young I have some living to do I have some fun to enjoy five minutes before the close of probation I'll accept Christ on my deathbed I'll accept Christ nor words spoken were more stupid no one knows when he'll die your deathbed may be under my tattoo in the middle of the street no time to think your deathbed may be a carjacker who shoots you you're deaf have a friend or had a friend the wife was still my friend the husband contracted some virus went to his brain just a few days he was a life support a few days later dead the wife is younger than 30 the man was probably thirty thirty one have a two-year-old boy I think I mentioned a few days ago just like that a fibrous went to his brain went on life support could hardly move dead a child of God you cannot wait because no one knows the hour nor the day when he or she will pass the intelligent thing to do is to respond when the opportunity presents itself which is now and so the Bible says and God the Lord shut him in but when God shut Noah in he said the others out for every action there's an equal and opposite reaction in physics and at the spiritual level when God shut the door of the ark he shut lower in and he shut the rebellious wants out God decided that and Noah could not open that door even though he heard knocking he could not open that door because God shut it and revelation tells us adore God shuts no man can open and adore God opens no man can shut this series of meetings represent an open door you should not allow your relatives to shut or your friends or fear of ridicule God has over lid and he has kept it open for three weeks every day without taking one day off and twice on the seventh day God has given us enough opportunity to accept the truth that we have heard having laid the foundation that there's something called probation let's look at it from a different standpoint let's go to Revelation chapter 14 we shall read from first fourteen revelation 14 reading from first fourteen revelation 14 contains the last warning message to the world is found in verse 6 to 12 last warning message and the message of nine to eleven is repeated or a message of the second angel and the third is repeated in Revelation 18 but is essentially the same message now when the messages are completed something happens immediately verse 14 and I beheld and lo a white cloud and upon the cloud once sat like unto the Son of man having on his head a golden crown and in his hand a sharp sickle in the Bible the word signal is used perhaps about eleven times each time in the context of harvest each time in the context of harvest you know the circle is you swing it like this at the voice of whatever you're cutting down and that's how you reap way back then some people still use it now he has on his head a golden crown a crown is worn by a king not a priest I said that to say this Jesus Christ will not always function as a priest which is what he's doing now the role of a priest was intercessor mediator between the sinner and God the sinner brought the sacrifice it was killed by the sinner the priesthood the blood and sprinkle it in the sanctuary the priest represented Christ the sacrifice representing Christ that's what Christ is doing applying the merits of his sacrifice in behalf of those who have accepted the truth he has to bring that part of his ministry to a close in order that he might come back and take us home with him those of us who've chosen to obey Him and live by his will God will not always let me be more specific Christ will not always function as a priest John sees is coming on the cloud in prophecy the cloud represents angels Hebrews 12 verse 1 wherefore seeing we also are compassed with so great a cloud of witnesses in prophecy and in symbology of the Bible cloud represents usually angels Christ will come with the Angels after he brings to an end the work of intercession when he ends that work he does not go back into the most holy place it's finished let me say it again when Christ ends that work of intercession pleading on our behalf by offering his blood to the Father on our behalf and anyone Christ offers to the father on our behalf the father accepts can you say Amen that's why we need Jesus but he will conclude that work when he does he takes off his priestly robes what's on his kingly robes takes off the might of the priest puts on the crown of the king and he comes back and so John sees him in John 14 Revelation 14 14 having on his head a golden crown and in his hand a sharp sickle and another angel came out of the temple crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud thrust in thy sickle and reap for the time has come for thee to reap for the harvest of the earth is right Revelation 14 15 so an angel cries it's time to reap and he gives the reason why it is time to reap and the reason is the harvest is what it is right rightness means probation has ended you've had enough time to either develop the character of Christ or the character of Satan at your choice now it is time to reap and so the angel says thrust in thy sickle and reap for the time has come for thee to reap and the reason is the harvest of the earth is ripe for 16 and he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle in the earth and the earth was reaped that's one harvest the key word it was right in other words had reached the point of no return verse 17 and another angel came out of the temple in heaven he also having a sharp sickle 18 and in the angel came out from the altar which had power over fire and cried with a loud cry to the angel which had a sharp sickle thrust in a sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth for her grids are one fully right we have two harvests and both are right I have told you more than once God is the god of opposites he's a God of only two alternatives Heaven Hell Satan Christ lost same sheep goat tear a week that's the way God functions so there's no confusion and I read I don't remember where Ellen White says God always takes a straightforward course if God wants to go from this pillar to that camera he takes a straight forward course that's why he says let your ABA and your Nene the devil takes a circuitous lap if he wants to go to that camera he goes around this pillar then he goes up here and goes around this chair then he comes down here and goes around here then he comes here then he goes around that microphone stand and finally gets to this pillar that's the way the devil functions that's why he is what what animal is he a serpent he takes a serpentine approach God is direct the soul that sinneth it shall die to harvest both ripe the only thing similar about the two harvests is that both are right and the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God verse 19 by identifying the second harvest as being thrown into the winepress of the wrath of God we know that judgment destruction of the sinners then we can conclude on the basis of the law of opposites that the harvest in verses 15 and 16 is the harvest of the saved my brothers and sisters there are two harvests that must be reached and God reaps both the harvest of the saved and the harvest of the lost but you will observe in conformity with our subject and God said you first God waits until the harvest is what right in either direction right for him or right against him these rest in white they have chosen for God there's some of us still resisting the call to give the life to God they have chosen for God and Christ can speak on their behalf and so if one of them passes tonight we have to believe that that person will be safe in Christ and that individual harvest would have been reaped for salvation there are two harvests my brothers and sisters to write for God ripe against God and no ripeness happens overnight someone right against God has resisted resisted resisted resisted men excuses men excuses men excuses someone right for God has surrendered dearly surrender daily commitment trying to obey God by the power of the Spirit of Christ and the person grows and grows in grace grows in grace to that fullness that representation of the character of Jesus and when God sees that God decides it is time to come and read but before he comes and reaps there's something he does he pronounces let's go to Revelation 22 we read verse 11 revelation 22 reading verse 11 God must make a pronouncement from heaven before he comes to reap the harvest revelation 22 verse 11 the Bible says he that is one unjust let him be unjust still no more chances to change he which is filthy let him be filthy still he that is who righteous let him be righteous still he that is holy let him be holy still right after that announcement is made what does the next verse say and behold I come quickly and my reward is with me to give every man according as his work shall be right after that announcement is made in heaven God sees the two harvests you chose against me stay that way you chose for me stay that way the Bible also calls that sealing he calls it the Bible calls it sealing what a revelation six quickly revelation 6 we read from verse 15 this is the sixth seal under which the coming of Christ is represented the end of the world revelation 6:15 and the kings of the earth and the great men and the rich men and the chief captains and every might him and every bondman and freedmen hid themselves in the dens and rocks of the mountains and said to the mountains and rocks fall on us and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne and from the wrath of the lamb first the last verse of that chapter says for the great day of his wrath is come and who shall be able to stand in other words the great day of his wrath is come and who shall be able to stand chapter six ends with a question when Christ comes it will be terrible who can stand chapter 7 answers that question chapter 7 verse 1 after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth holding the four winds of strife the four corners of the earth represents the whole world the winds represent strife commotion there are some people who say why does God allow a war why does he allow a famine why does he allow this of the next let me tell you something if it were not for the four angels holding the winds of strife the world would be ten times worse than it is it is because of the mercies of God and the restraining work of the angels and the Holy Spirit that the world is not worse friend of mine selling right to the left she left this meeting last week going home and the bus was carjacked somewhere in some in Gone Forest and we were all taken off the bus taking in the forest made to lie on the ground and the robbers took cell phone watches or whatever else now because there are restraining the angels no one was killed when the angels at God's command released their restraint we will see a condition on this earth that has never been seen let me tell you again it is because of the mercies of God that he has assigned angels and the Holy Spirit to restrain the forces of evil if God did not do that this world would be ten times worse it would be a global cesspool of crime and violence and iniquity they are angels holding back the evil tides in order that the gospel may go forward in other that God's people may do his work so when chapter 7 chapter 6 of Revelation ends with who shall be able to stand chapter 7 answers that question pursue and I saw another angel this ascending from the east having the seal of the Living God and he cried with a loud voice to the angels to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea saying hurt not the earth neither the sea nor the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads that sealing means they are right for me and I will seal them so there will be no turning back let me say again when God sees that we are determined to serve Him God seals that person once you receive that seal you cannot be lost you're still tempted you can sin but you will not let me said again you can still be tempted you can sin but you will not because God has seen in your heart you prefer to die than sin he seals you now God has a seal and the devil has a mark God's seal is a Sabbath exodus 31 verse 13 it is a sign the word signed means seal or token or mark God identified the Sabbath as his seal he puts on his people who have made a commitment to serve Him the devil has a mark and using the law of opposites it's the Sabbath is the seal of God then surely Sunday worship is the mark of the enemy as hard and as harsh as that statement may sound but I have to say bluntly indirectly he puts the seal on his people they will not turn back from serving God and that seal if it's several days Sabbath because the seal in the ancient days had to have three things the title the office and the territory of supervision or authority that is found all in the fourth commandment the title Lord his his position Craner and the area of his rule or reign the entire universe in God's law in the middle of God's law is his seal and God puts that seal on the forehead the forehead represents that part of us where we make decisions for right or wrong it is not a literal mark as some people say or some chip on their skin it is merely that we have made an irreversible decision I will serve God no matter what when God sees that he puts a mark of that person the devil also has his mark he puts it in the forehead and in the hand God only puts his on the head because once it's in the head it affects everything which mark will you and I receive I want God's seal not the mark of the enemy the seal I repeat is not a marked as visible it is a decision to live by the truth and that decision that determination made on the inside is expressed on the outside by faithful observance of the most unpopular commandment in the world let me say that again a decision to accept Christ has two levels there is the private where you give your heart to Christ only Christ knows then there is the public when you step out and everyone sees you've given your life to Christ and then the decision to be baptized and the whole world says there must be a private and a public the private is giving the heart to Christ that happens in here no one knows but God says I want an external evidence that the world may see God's external sign of an internal change is the observance of the Sabbath somebody say a man but he chooses the most unpopular commandment because it truly shows that when you go against the tide you are really a person of courage and so it chooses that commandment as his seal as his mark if I be used that word as well when God has done that it is then that Christ comes to reap because once probation closes there is no point for Christ to delay much longer God is not pleased with the suffering on this earth but he is held back because there's some people he sees who are still in a position to decide for him and so because he's long-suffering God has waited but he cannot wait forever my brothers and sisters this crusade this evangelistic campaign has been God's form of probation three weeks August third the August 24 every night calls are made every night appeals are made every night thread forward sermons are delivered some have still resisted God says I want to save you but I can't force you to be saved in order for me to destroy you you must move first by rejecting me and rejecting me and rejecting me but I see you're determined God says I accept your decision I sign your decision and your destiny is yours but remember God is long-suffering merciful not willing that any should perish and today God gives us one more chance to come to him one more chance to accept Christ one more chance to make a decision to observe his Commandments one more chance to observe his holy day that most of the world ignores and despises one more chance to stand on the side of Christ one more chance to choose a decent life and by decent I mean spiritually decent one more chance to live by the truth one more chance to turn the back on a life of sin and begin to take steps in the pathway of righteousness one more chance God has given today and I want you to take that chance because God does not guarantee tomorrow he only gives today and so what almost a quarter to one I personally recommend my life to God I really do and I tell God I have one desire or maybe two of them I believe it is one just to serve Him and to to be his instrument to preach the Word of God boldly plainly fearlessly even if it costs my life I just don't care and I speak in respect I just do not care if preaching the truth gets me killed I have told God I will preach the truth and if I get my hair cut off like talking about this all I ask God give me the courage to die like a man with the Bible in my hand now cut my head off but you've heard it and you cannot say you haven't heard it that's my commitment to God now I'm asking you you've heard the message for today and God said you first how many of you will say father I want a place in your kingdom I am determined I accepting Christ I'm recommitting my life to you because I want a place in your kingdom how many of you will make that commitment right now may I our God bless you god bless you stand up with me I make one more call we pray and we move into the baptismal phase of this service the call is direct you recommended your life to God and a life committed to God is a life that will obey God if there's someone listening to me you will finally decide I want to obey God I want to obey Him all his Commandments I do not want to come to the place where God finally cuts me off I have been resisting I have been struggling but today I am deciding I want to obey God and I want his seal in my forehead if you're making that decision and add to it and I want to be baptized at some point I want you to come I am finally deciding I want to surrender my life to Christ to obey Him and when I say obey him I mean his ten commandments including the fourth if you'll make that decision now come from wherever you are come I am deciding today I want to obey God I do not want to be cut off this is the last day of this crusade I am making that decision of the last day I want to obey God his ten commandments including the fourth and I'm coming today to make that decision public I want you to come and I want to be baptized at some point in the future come wherever you are come I'll wait for you do not allow anyone to keep you back the call is I am finally deciding I will obey God and all God wants from us is to obey His commandments that's all he gave on Mount Sinai his commands and I want to be baptized at some point in the future come come come come and learn you taking time to think don't think too long when you have to do what's right just come I am deciding to obey God give him my life keep his commandments including the fourth and I want to be baptized at some point in the future come come sister come god bless you don't be afraid to give your life to go god bless you stay right here with me someone else someone else come I know you're far away to the right far to the left but come give that life to Christ who paid for it with his blood obey Him he has ten commandments that's all he wants from you you heard me correctly all God wants is a life in harmony with his law by the power of Jesus Christ god bless you sister god bless you come someone else come the life God requires now is the life he'll require in the world to come no change at all in the standard I repeat no change in the standard come is a very life God required of Adam before he sinned it is still the life he requires now it will be the same life in the world to come no change in golf standards obey me that's all God requires but obey me as you realize how much I love you come someone else come Jesus I come since a song yes I come somebody else needs to come I know it I'm no prophet but you feel these things someone else needs to come you're coming to say I am giving the life to Christ I want to obey Him and I will make no bones about it you must obey God by the power of Jesus Christ look at that cross and obedience will not be a problem obedience includes the fourth commandment remember the Sabbath day that is the problem with the world at large the world's problem in general they have rejected the Ten Commandments especially the fourth that's why the world is in a problem it is in God withdraws his blessings when he sees disobedience I say again he withdraws his blessings not all at once but he draws his blessings because of disobedience come your coming to life I'm not calling you to steal and kill and take drugs I'm calling you to live an upright life in the presence of God by his power disobedience is a problem of the world rejecting God's Ten Commandments and stepping on the fourth commandment the heart of the Ten Commandments call me be different from everyone else someone else I am deciding on the last day I want to obey God live by his law it is the law of life as Paul says in Romans 7 10 and the commandment which was ordained to her life that's the purpose of the law preserve life it doesn't give life it preserves the life God gives obedience is life my friends disobedience is death someone else come I won't obey God what do I mean by obey keep his Ten Commandments especially the fourth and I want to be baptized at some point in the future 60 seconds that I have to pray we have to give the baptismal vows to the candidates come and say I will obey God he died for me in the person of his son suffered for me Blayne of that cross lived a hard life the difficulty of Christ's life was part of his atonement why because he loves you went to the grave did not know if he'd come back because he loves you really hold on to cigarette and this died Christ will you hold on to alcohol and love it more than Christ that relationship you're in that's adulterous will you keep that and deny Christ come and just say Lord I want to obey you say what the man said in mark chapter 9 the father the epileptic boy the Lord I believe but help my unbelief say that and come tell God my faith is small but it's all the faith I have bring it somebody else I have to prattle want to right now but I have to somebody else Jesus I I'm going to pray come while I'm praying please father in heaven thank you for your mercy thank you for being long-suffering there God we have no idea how patient you are how long suffering you are how much you suffer as you wait for us to make up our minds to leave death and come to life they God in heaven has the devil dazzled Eve by beautifying sin let this not happen to us however sin is beautifully packaged there God it is still death and so I ask you in the name of Jesus who pays the price for sin who paved the price for disobedience work on some resisting heart day God and bring that person to the point of surrender please father soften that heart now with someone else come as I pause and say I want to live a life that honors God and obedient life someone else come before I close the prayer someone else should come I don't know who you are you know you should come I don't know what's holding you back just come and move fast someone else I want to obey God not just in a general sense I want to live in accordance with his law I want to keep his fourth commandment and I want to be prepared for baptism at some point in the future come sister god bless you somebody else god bless you my young brother god bless you you know you ought to come just come I just come let me finish the prayer somebody else Christ paid for your life give it to him to refuse to give the life to God is to commit theft because it doesn't belong to you it belongs to God by creation and salvation don't steal it give it to whom it belongs that is God god bless you god bless you come come obey God the sooner you do the more blessed your my face and the more blessed those who live around you because as God blesses you those in your house are blessed anyone else I have to prayer and finish somebody else coming god bless you sister god bless you don't resist you'll know you ought to come come god bless your brother god bless you anybody else anyone else the decision is I want to obey God and I'm very specific live in harmony with his law especially the fourth which says remember the Sabbath day which we're doing now and make a decision I want to be baptized at some point in the future 30 seconds and I will pray because I have to stop 30 seconds begin now someone else come just say I'm finished resisting God let me come I just move and calm twenty five seconds twenty somewhere else fifteen ten five someone else I said I'll finish the prayer do that father as I end this prayer don't end your pleading as I am this prayer don't end your spirits mission to soften resisting hearts there is someone father some ones who still need to come but you know why the person who resists in mercy they God in mercy we cannot understand touch that heart and bring that person to surrender father in the name of Jesus who died for everyone who answer the calls put your spirit in every heartbeat God give them a determination that no power on earth can shake no power on earth can break gives them that determination as a three Hebrew boys said to Nebuchadnezzar if it be so our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace and he will deliver us out of thy hand O king but it's not be it known unto thee O king we will not serve like gods give them that determination I pray grant them your spirit the angels protection bless the baptismal service now I pray from my heart in Jesus name and for his sake let all God's people say amen and amen god bless

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Keywords: Seventh-day Adventist Church (Religion), East-central Africa Division of SDA, Pastor Joel Osteen, TD Jakes, DivineRevelations Spiritlessons, Pastor Steven Furtick, Elevation Church, Saddleback Church, Nick Vujicic, Tony Evans, Billy Graham, Our Only Hope, Emmanuel TV, TB Joshua SERMON, Priscilla Shirer, Grace For Purpose, ABOVE INSPIRATION, Ted Wilson, Dr. Ben Carson, Three Angels Broadcasting Network (3ABN), Doug Batchelor, Mark Finlay Sermons, Randy Skeet, Berry Black

Id: ApjBwYzf7gU

Length: 45min 9sec (2709 seconds)

Published: Wed May 14 2014