Discover Prophecy-4 Bible Prophecy's Answer for Human Suffering by David Asscherick

presentation tonight is entitled Discover Bible prophecies answer for human suffering and really what begins tonight is the first in a three-part series the first tonight is as we've already said the answer for human suffering then we take tomorrow night off but we'll be back Thursday and Friday for parts 1 & 2 of a series entitled discover the war behind the wars and really these three presentations sort of fit together as a single unit now that is going to set up the next two presentations which I am very excited about which you should be as well those presentations are entitled discover does Jesus Christ have a twin and then the next night is discover the actual definite certain unavoidable identity of the Antichrist now some people say wait a minute wait a minute you're actually going to tell us who the Antichrist is no no I'm not going to tell you what we're going to do is look at it from the Bible and you will tell me who the Antichrist is I'm not kidding we'll put all of the identifying characteristics up there from the Bible not from a man and you will be able to tell me at the end of the evening exactly who the Antichrist is now you say well why don't you just do that tonight that's really what we'd like to hear tonight the problem there is we have to set these things in their proper context in their proper what every one context and really tonight is the 4th night of our series and if you if you've been paying attention you'll see a very logical sequence in what's taking place the first night was basically an introduction it was a what everyone an introduction and and we asked basic questions like what is prophecy and how can we understand prophecy and where can I find true and reliable prophecy and we looked at those two keys for understanding Bible prophecy and particularly the book of Revelation number one in the book of Revelation the Old Testament is the foundation and number two Jesus Christ is the focus who's the focus everyone Jesus Christ and so the opening night was kind of an introduction then the second night we looked at this statue here our message was entitled discover ancient Babylon and how they foretold the end of the world and this gives us a sense of where we are in the sweep of time this gives us a sense of where we are have you ever been to one of those large malls or maybe a large shopping center or something and they'll have those billboards that show all of the different stores all of the different cafeterias and there'll be a little red dot there and it says what you are here you know I've discovered something I've been here all my life there's never been a time in my life where I wasn't right here and so I look at that side oh look the sign knows where I am I am in fact right here but in terms of a prophetic sense what this gives us is a grand sweep of time and lets us know you are not here you are not here you are not here you are not here you are say it with me here the head of gold of course Babylon the chest and arms of silver medo-persia the belly and thighs of bronze greece the long legs of iron represented who everyone do you remember Rome the feet of iron and clay represented divided Rome and the very next thing that happened was what everyone the stone struck the image on the feed and that stone became a great mountain and filled the whole earth you're all a students exactly and so what we did that second night as we said where are we in the grand sweep of things then last night we asked the question okay so we're living down in those toes down in those feet of iron and clay but just how near is the end and last night we presented what I consider to be very compelling evidence that we are living in the very closing hours of this this Earth's history that is to say that this thing is wrapping up rapidly if you agree with that I want you just to raise your hand and say Amen it's exactly right we did our best last night we gave 10 signs of the times and somebody's going to say a skeptically minded person's going to say all those signs of the times have been around forever there's always been earthquakes there's always been famines there's always been pestilence there's always been Wars and rumors of wars etc etc but what were the two illustrations the two analogies that Jesus gave us to understand the context of the signs of the times what was the first one that's a bird pains that's right and what was the second one a fig tree and do you remember that those two analogies have three things in common let's see if you can remember those they were all they were both visible and they were both progressive and they were both climactic that's right and so what Jesus is saying is that these signs are not new signs they're not some new thing it's things that have been happening sure throughout the sweep of history but just before the end they will increase listen carefully in both frequency and in intensity what do things that I say every one frequency and intensity and so you get this sense that these things are happening with greater frequency greater intensity until it eventually reaches a fever pitch just as in labor pains they are further apart and then closer and closer and closer and eventually you have a baby and so too with the fig tree it becomes tender and it puts forth its leaves and eventually you have a fig and then summer and so what this is done for us in the first three nights has really set a context night number one is the simple introduction the next two nights gave us a sense of urgency that it is not business as usual gave us a sense of what everyone urgency and that's really what we're trying to do here is is create a sense that something is happening in the world what we're going to begin now is to go into the great books of Daniel revelation and other books and begin to unpack some of these monumental and amazing prophecies with this context of urgency in fact tonight we're actually going to be taking a preliminary look at the Antichrist we will talk about the Antichrist but remember the focus of the book of Revelation is not the Antichrist it's who everyone Jesus Christ and tonight we will actually be taking a preliminary look at just who this Antichrist figure is and what he intends to do so let's begin by looking at our study guide hopefully every one of you has a study guide I just want to reiterate that if you bring a friend Nathan said this I want to reiterate it by all means you bring five friends you get five free CDs you bring ten friends you get and free seas listen we are not about making money I could care less about that we want this message to get out can you say Amen so notice this with me we're right there on the study guide you have that there in front of you and we'll begin by looking at the opening two paragraphs it says if God is so good how many of you tonight that believe that God is good I believe the very same thing that's exactly right God is good it's as if God is so good then why does the world seem so bad most of the time why do bad things happen to good people and why does there have to be so much pain suffering and sorrow in the world today what is going on next paragraph these are all legitimate questions and good questions some people think that there are no answers to questions like these this is the very kind of question that I used to ask as a skeptic when a Christian would try to witness to me there at high school or at the university I was studying at try to tell me about Jesus and how Jesus Saves and I would just say come on now if your God is so good then explain all the pain suffering death disease in the world and I would just blow them off most of them unfortunately could not give good compelling biblical answers to that very simple question notice the rest says some people think that there are not answers to questions like these I used to be one of those people they are wrong the Bible gives the answers to these questions they are not Pat or easy answers but they are good powerful and even what's that next word logical answers suffering pain and death are terrible indeed but the Bible in the Bible only can give us a compelling context with which to understand these things behind it all the heart of God cries out for the devotion salvation and what's that next word and worship of his people I'm looking forward to tonight's message but before we get right into the Bible we're going to first pray you're going to discover that your capacity and your ability to understand spiritual things you've not already discovered this is not primarily based upon your intelligence or your education it's based upon your willingness to submit yourself to the one who wrote the Bible are we all together on that the simplest way I know how to communicate that as this I will is more important than IQ the Bible says spiritual things are spiritually discerned and so it's not my intelligence or my degree or whatever it might be that helps me to understand this book the Bible says that spiritual things are spiritually understood and so we have to pray and ask the author of the book to become the instructor in the book are we all clear on that everyone that's why we pray we don't just pray as a formality I well you know it's a religious meeting we might as well pray not at all when we pray we are very seriously asking the God who inspired the book to now come down into this room and be the one who instructs in this book are we all together on that so let's begin with a word of Prayer father in heaven we pause for a moment here because we do not take these things lightly we do not take these things serendipitously father this is serious and we want to understand your word for us in these strange and unusual times in which we're living father this is the discovere prophecy seminar and we want to know better and biblically just what is coming up on the world so father tonight as we open your word we ask that you would open our hearts you have told us that spiritual things are spiritually understood and so father tonight clear away the debris from our minds the distractions from our minds and give us over the course of the next 50 minutes or so a sense of focus on you and your word and your will and your plan for our lives help us father tonight to have more than just an intellectual exercise and experience help us tonight to submit and surrender ourselves to your word and to your will for we ask it in Jesus name let all of God's people say Amen all right let's get into our topic tonight then in the beginning open your Bibles to the first book of the Bible the book of Genesis that's right Genesis chapter 1 Genesis chapter 1 you'll notice your study guide subheading says in the beginning God good in the beginning god and good in order to understand the present condition of our world we must first understand its original condition as it came fresh from God's hand what was that original condition described in Genesis the book of beginnings note the following verses I've given you a list of them there we'll just look at them quickly I'm beginning in verse 1 Genesis chapter 1 and verse 1 in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth the earth was without form and void and darkness was upon the face of the deep and the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters verse 3 then God said let there be what everyone light and there was light notice verse 4 and God saw the light that it was good and God divided the light from the darkness jump down to verse 10 and God called the dry land earth and the gathering together of the waters he called seas and God saw that it was good notice verse 12 and the earth brought forth grass and the herb that yields seed according to its kind and the tree that yields fruit whose seed is in itself according to its kind and God saw that it was good verse 18 and to rule over the day and over the night and to divide the light from the darkness and God saw that it was good verse 21 so God created great sea creatures and every living thing that moves with which the waters abounded according to their kind every wing it bird according to its kind and God saw that it was what every one good you've got at verse 25 and God made the beasts of the earth according to its kind cattle according to its kind and everything that creeps on the earth according to its kind and God saw that it was good verse 31 the last verse of the chapter then God saw everything that he had made and indeed it was very good so the evening in the morning were the sixth day seven times in Genesis one seven times in the creation account Moses records under the inspiration of God it was good it was good it was good it was good and then when he comes to the end he says it was not very good so we can safely surmise that in the beginning everything was good now there are many words that you could use to describe the world that we live in today and there are certainly good things there are certainly wonderful things in the world today but good would probably not be at the top of the list just last night we looked at 10 signs of the times and unfortunately all but one of them was bad news the only one that is good news was the 10th one and that's that the gospel is going to all the world and that's the greatest of the great news can someone say Amen but the reality is is that we live in a world that is wracked with pain and suffering and sickness and death and disease what happened in the beginning everything was good it was even very good notice the next paragraph this point is highly instructive in Genesis 1 and 2 before the entrance of sin the world was perfect beautiful and untainted by death disease or pain a perfect couple Adam and Eve of course in perfect love in a perfect environment with a perfect God you can't get much more perfect than that so then what happened to create the state of affairs we see today pain and suffering and death and disease are the rule not the exception in order to understand this go with me from the first book of the Old Testament to the first book of the New Testament what book is that Matthew chapter 13 go there with me if you would Matthew chapter 13 again if you have somebody sitting next to you there who is not getting to the verses or the chapters quite as quickly as you be sure to help them Matthew chapter 13 here we find Jesus telling a parable a parable is a simple story that illustrates a larger spiritual truth Matthew chapter 13 we're going to take a look at a parable in which Jesus describes a man who planted a field notice in your study guide in Matthew chapter 13 verses 24 to 30 Jesus tells a parable that is a story that illustrates a spiritual truth about a field that was planted by a farmer in verses 37 to 43 he explains the parable let's look at this parable together Matthew chapter 13 beginning in verse 2 t4r we all there together everyone Matthew 13:24 another parable he put forth to them saying the kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed what kind of seed in his field good see there's our word again that's the same word we saw in Genesis 1 isn't it verse 25 but while men slept his enemy came and sowed tares that his weeds among the wheat and went his way but when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop then the tares also appeared so the servants of the owner came and said to him sir did you not so what everyone good seed in your field how then does it have terrace in other words where did the weeds come from verse 28 he said to them an enemy has done this the servant said to him all would you like us then to go and gather them up but he said no lest why you gather up the tares you also approve the wheat with them verse 30 let both grow together until the harvest and in the time of the harvest I will say to the Reapers first gather the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them but gather the wheat into my barn now we don't have to wonder we don't have to guess we don't have to conjecture as to what this parable means because Jesus gives us the interpretation beginning in verse 37 go to verse 37 he answered and said to them he who sews the what kind of seed every one good seed is the son of man who's the son of man Jesus Christ that's right verse 38 the field is the what everyone the world the good seeds there it is four times he uses that phrase if you were paying attention he says it's good seed good seed good seed good seed four times the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom but the tares are the sons of the wicked one verse 39 the enemy who sowed them is the devil the harvest is the end of the age and the Reapers are the Angels fascinating Jesus tells a very simple story not difficult to understand he said it's a story of a man he went out and he sowed some seed in his field the the workers and all of those who were working in the field had seen him so the good seed they knew that it was good seed but later when they came back to investigate there was weed among the wheat and they went to the man and said hey didn't you sow good seed in your field where did the weeds come from and here's what I want you to notice in the parable Jesus does not have the man saying well when you weren't looking I snuck some bad stuff in with the good what Jesus says is five words five of the most important words in all of the Bible an enemy has done this let's say that together an enemy has done this look at the top of the study guide there what kind of seed was originally sown in the field everyone good seed this agrees perfectly with Genesis it began good it began good good good even very good according to verse 28 who planted the weeds and enemy in verse 39 Jesus identifies this enemy and he says that enemy was ooo the devil now here's something I want you to get ahold of here this is a fascinating concept Jesus accepted no personal responsibility for the presence of weeds I want to say that again in the parable Jesus does not have the man who sowed the seed being Jesus the Son of Man accepting any responsibility for the presence of tears he says five words an enemy has done this an enemy has done this well who is this enemy go with me from Matthew 13 to Luke 13 right you're in Matthew the next book is mark and the next book is Luke Matthew Mark we're going to Luke 13 from Matthew 13 to Luke 13 incidentally we are working our way toward revelation 13 we're going to spend a fairly significant amount of time tonight talking about the Antichrist but we need to work our way there so we can understand it in a biblically holistic manner Luke chapter 13 Jesus here tells a story let's let's pick it up it's actually not a story that he tells us a parable it's the recounting of an experience that Jesus had Luke chapter 13 beginning in verse 10 what verse everyone now he was teaching in one of the synagogue's on the Sabbath and behold there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity how many years every 118 years and she was bent over and could in no ways raise herself up but when Jesus saw her he called her to him and he said to her woman you are loosed from your infirmity from your sickness and he laid his hands on her and immediately she was made straight and glorified God verse 14 but the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath and he said to the crowd there are six days in which men ought to work therefore come and be healed on them and not on the Sabbath day verse 15 then the Lord answered and said hypocrite Jesus was not being a name-caller here the word hypocrite comes from the Greek word hypocracy x' which means actor jesus says you're an actor you're wearing religious clothes you're talking religious language you're hanging out in religious places but really you're an actor actor he says does not each one of you on the Sabbath lose his ox or a donkey from the stall and lead it away to water and I look at verse 16 fascinating fascinating there are four words here that are central to this text so ought not this woman being a daughter of Abraham whom Satan has bound think of it for 18 years be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day what are the four words there in verse 16 whom Satan has bound notice again does Jesus take any responsibility for the woman's condition in her infirmed state yes or no none at all in fact it's just like the devil to bend you over and it's just like Jesus to straighten you up someone say Amen now notice what he says here he says I've not this woman being a daughter of Abraham whom Satan has bound fascinating just like those five words in Matthew chapter 13 an enemy has done this here he says whom Satan has bound takes no personal responsibility for her sickness but gets all of the glory for her wellness an enemy has done this look at your study guide let's fill in the blanks there look at the study guide an essential point Jesus confirms what Genesis described namely that God made things very good according to Jesus the devil is the one who has ruined it he is the responsible party read Luke 13 10 to 16 which we've just done in this story who does Jesus credit for binding the woman who everyone Satan now the word Satan is a transliteration of the hebrew Satan soutane it's a Hebrew word seitan and the word simply means an enemy a what everyone an enemy or an opponent or an adversary that is one who stands against just as Jesus had said an enemy has done this so to here he says sit on the enemy the opponent the adversary put this woman into her infirmed condition you're in Luke 13 go to Luke 10 just three chapters before that Luke chapter 10 Luke chapter 10 notice with me verse 18 Jesus speaking and he said to them I saw Satan fall like lightning from where everyone I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven I want to just say something here right at the outset some people say there is no such thing as the devil how many of you have heard that before you talk to somebody about these kinds of things that's all there's no such thing as a devil raise your hand if you've heard that before sure you have let me say something here you can be sure that he would be the last to let you know notice what Jesus says here fascinating Luke 10 verse 18 I saw Satan fall like lightning from where everyone from heaven Satan's hometown is where I want you to notice something very interesting Jesus uses the word fall the word what everyone fallen you can fill in the blanks there Satan's hometown is where I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven the word soutane means enemy or adversary so you're right up to speed here now I want you to think about something if I'm walking down the street say with Nathan and anything can be a little bit of a mischievous person every now and then you probably picked that up already and let's just say that Nathan is feeling like a little bit of a rascal and he pushes me down when she's never done up to this point but he might Sunday you know I don't never let him get right behind me but anyway if he pushes me down whose fault would my falling down be Nathan says yours no it would be his okay but but now I want you to imagine if I was walking all by myself and I tripped and no one else was around me to push me down to coerce me whose fault would it be now we my fault unless of course you live the United States of America and there was a little crack there we say oh you know it's really the municipalities Department because the crack is too big you know no personal responsibility the point here is I want you to notice what Jesus says he doesn't say I saw Satan I didn't he doesn't say I pushed Satan he doesn't say I kicked him out what he says is I saw Satan fall fall like lightning from heaven what we are going to discover this evening is that the responsibility and the culpability for his actions are his that the responsibility rests upon his shoulders notice our study guide what happened in heaven I mean is Jesus really here saying that Satan this character the devil came from heaven that's exactly what he's saying Ezekiel the Prophet go with me in your Bibles to the Book of Ezekiel now that might take you a little bit to find I actually just opened right to it Lord praise His name so you open it up you'll be right in probably Psalms and then you can go to Isaiah and then Jeremiah and then lamentations and then Ezekiel okay you can find as he kills one of the larger books in the Old Testament Ezekiel chapter 28 here we find Ezekiel comparing Satan to an ancient and evil king the king of Tyre ezekiel chapter 28 and we're going to begin in verse 11 is eql 28 and verse 11 now I want you to notice that as we read this passage the word perfect occurs three times how many times every one three times Ezekiel 28 verse 11 moreover the word of the Lord came to me saying son of man that's God speaking to Ezekiel take up a lamentation or cry for the king of Tyre and say to him thus saith the Lord God and some people say this doesn't have anything to do with the devil this doesn't have anything to do a Satan this is only the king of Tyre hardly what Ezekiel here is doing under the inspiration of God God is saying listen I'm going to talk to you about this power this evil man the king of Tyre but what I'm really interested in is the power behind the king of Tyre it would be a little bit like saying I want to talk to you about Hitler but Hitler is not an end in himself there's some power behind Hitler that caused a Hitler to be a Hitler or a Mussolini to be a Mussolini or a Mao Zedong to be a Mao Zedong he says take up a lamentation for the king of Tyre and then he begins to tell us about this power this angelic rebellious power behind the king of Tyre notice the rest of verse 12 you were the seal of perfection I would underline that in your Bible if you are in the custom of underlining in your Bible full of wisdom and perfect in beauty notice two times right out of the gate he says you were perfect you were perfect notice verse 13 you were in where everyone edan quick question for you was the king of tyre in Eden no no but was Satan in Eden absolutely he was you were in Eden the garden of God every precious stone was your covering the sardius topaz in diamond the Beryl onyx and jasper sapphire turquoise and emerald with gold the workmanship of your timbrels and pipes was prepared for you on the day you were what everyone so he was created verse 14 you are the anointed cherub who covers I established you you were on the holy mountain of God you walked back and forth in the midst of the fiery stones notice it again in verse 15 you were what's the word perfect in your ways from the day you were created until iniquity was found in you now hear the prophet Ezekiel under the inspiration of God is basically tearing back the curtain tearing back the scene from the unseen in the same way that we might separate this wall this wall was up the first night and there were so many people here we had to open the wall and we get to see what's on the other side that's basically what God is doing here through the prophet Ezekiel he's tearing back the walls so we can see what's going on behind the scenes many of you have been to a movie before or a play and what's happening on the play and the stage is only just the the part that you get to see what's really happening is behind the scenes and here the prophet Ezekiel says that you were created perfect you were created perfect you were created perfect three times who would have created him everyone god that's right and he says it three times you were created perfectly perfectly perfectly he says you are the anointed cherub what is it cherub that's an angel look at that again there notice that again there verse 14 you are the anointed cherub who covers now that is unusual language that is sanctuary language you say what is sanctuary language very simple in the in the Israelite economy the most important building in all of the Israelite economy was the sanctuary later became Solomon's Temple okay the temple consisted of three parts how many parts everyone three parts you had the courtyard which was in the outside the outer court and then you had does anyone know if you walked into it you have the holy place and then you walked into the most holy place and there were several articles of furniture in the courtyard you had the altar in the holy place you have the altar of incense and and the table of showbread and the lamp stand but if you went into the most holy place there was only one article of divine furniture what was that every one that was the Ark of the Covenant sure you saw Harrison Ford in the movie Raiders of the Lost Ark there was the Ark of the covenants in there and it was basically a glorified box in that box that golden box what was in there does anyone know there were several articles but the most important article was the very Ten Commandment stones and on top of that box that was called the mercy seat and there were two carved angels that came up representing the very angels that dwelt in the presence of God between those two angels there was a supernatural light that radiated from the most holy place of the sanctuary that light was called does anyone know the Shekinah glory like it says in Psalm chapter 80 verse 1 give hero's Shepherd of Israel thou that dwellest between the cherubim shine forth that was the very presence of God in the most holy place and those carved angels represented the very angels that stood in God's immediate presence in heaven around his throne when Ezekiel says you were the anointed cherub that covers what he's saying is you were one of the angels that dwelt in God's immediate presence fascinating fascinating now look at your study guide there fill those in you were in the Garden of Eden verse 14 says you were the anointed cherub which is what every one an angel notice the next paragraph this angel was created perfect one aspect of that perfection was that God invested him with genuine free will that is the ability to make his own choices underline this next part here I've put it in italics but it is absolutely essential true love in order to be loved must have the right to say no that's exactly right what makes love so special is that it is voluntary if love wasn't voluntary if love was forced it wouldn't be love at all in fact in the Engel language we have a very ugly word for forced love we call that rape love in order to be loved has to have the right has to have the potential has to have the prerogative to say no thank you in order for love to be what God intended it to be we have to have the opportunity to say no April 4th 1999 I was married to the most beautiful woman I've ever seen in my entire life and she's sitting right there in the front row his lovely wedding most beautiful wedding I've ever been to everything looked great except the groom and he looked ok and I'll remember I remember my wife coming down the aisle of that church and her beautiful resplendent radiant glory and as she walked down my my knees began to move like this literally my knees began to shake I'll tell you a true story very quickly just about 3 months before my wife's brother my brother-in-law had been married I have been asked to stand in the wedding and it was one of those churches that has four or five six steps that sort of lead up to the altar and Felicia and Christian they were standing at the altar like this and the groomsmen went back like that and the bridesmaids went back like that and I was the third groomsman standing in the middle of the stairs there was a gentleman just ahead of me here and in the middle of the wedding I noticed that he began to sway he began to rock like this and just literally right in the middle of the wedding he fainted directly into my arms I just saw him falling and I just caught him right in the middle of the wedding and of course Felicia and Christian could hear that something was going on but it was their wedding they didn't do turn around to see and so I had this guy in my arms several hundred people there at the wedding and I just picked him up and carried him out well we got him into the back and we Chino slapped him around a little bit gave him a little bit of orange juice and he straightened up we actually got him back out he stood up there again and Felicia and Christian turned around walked out didn't even know what had happened in fact you can see it right on the video I mean it was just made to order I can just imagine the angels were at the wedding just enjoying it and they see this guy begin to face like it that guy and they pushed him toward me because he just felt perfectly into my arms if he'd fallen just a little that way it would have been a disaster well anyway I was married three months later and a doctor friend of mine was there and said the reason that he fainted is probably number one he didn't get a good breakfast number two we locked his knees so I had this phobia on my wedding day of locking my knees now I'm telling you a true story my wife comes walking down the aisle and she comes up and and and I'm standing there like this and have you ever tried to stand like this for a long time it's not easy and so I started to kind of shake like that and my wife says to me right there in the service just what are you doing I said sweetie I'm trying not to faint and huh anyway praise the Lord I made it through I didn't faint but here's the point there came a time in that ceremony where the minister turned to me and said do you take this woman to be your lawfully what did I do and then he turned to her and said do you take this augur of this man to be your lawfully wedded husband and she said I do praise the Lord and praise God there was no pause there either she said I do now here's here's what made it so special nobody was standing there with a gun when the minister said do you this guy sort of stuck it in her ribs and said you better what made her I do so special is that she had the right to say I don't are you with me beloved think about it from God's perspective God is a real God who desires a real relationship with real beings as one person has put it God would rather wrestle with the stubborn will of man than reign supreme over rocks and trees God has given us this thing called free will it is a dangerous thing but it is absolutely seneschal if there's going to be anything like true love sometimes in the past I've taken my computer out in fact maybe I I couldn't do it exactly right now but I could just sort of show you what I do I take up my computer and I program it to tell me that it loves me and I take my computer out and I I set it on a little stage I didn't do it this time because it I just wasn't ready for it and I set it there and and I say good evening computer in the computer says good evening David so how are you doing this evening computer in the computers I'm doing well and I say computer yes David I love you and then it says I love you too David then it says I love you I love you I love you I love you I love you I love you I love you I love you I love you what's all done I closed the computer and I asked this question do I feel any better now that my computer loves me do I feel any better you want to know why the computer doesn't have a choice not to love me I made the computer love me if we don't have a choice in this thing then our love is non love does that make sense everyone yes or no so God creates this beautiful angelic creature named Lucifer he dwells in the very presence of God he was perfect he was what everyone perfect but he had been entrusted with a very dangerous thing and that thing is the power to choose and he did choose go to Isaiah chapter 14 Isaiah chapter 14 in Isaiah chapter 14 we begin to see that's just back through Jeremiah you'll get into Isaiah chapter 14 we begin to see with a little more detail what was happening in the mind of that angel Isaiah chapter 14 we're at the top of page three the prophet Isaiah gives us a deeper look into what is taking place here in the mind and the heart of this angel verse 12 what's the first word of Isaiah chapter 14 verse 12 how that's exactly right how somebody's going to say listen how does a perfect being in a perfect environment made perfectly by a perfect God commit a sin yeah that is difficult to explain but you shouldn't be so worried that you don't understand it even the prophet Isaiah wondered how it happened notice what he says in verse 12 how are you fallen there's that word again Jesus had said I beheld Satan fall like lightning from heaven here it is how are you falling from where everyone heaven that agrees perfectly with what Jesus said Oh Lucifer that means Light Bearer son of the morning how are you cut down to the ground you who weakened the nation's notice verse 13 he begins to give us an insight for you have said in your heart I will ascend into heaven I will exalt my throne above the stars of God I will sit also on the Mount of the congregation on the far the sides of the north I will ascend above the heights of the clouds I will be like the Most High notice the emphasis there is on i-i-i-i-i Satan had an eye problem notice that at the center of sin is s I n the originator of sin was Satan Lucifer who began to think about i-i-i-i at the center of pride as PR i ee I will be greater I will be grand I will be something he desired that which was not rightfully his Lucifer the Light Bearer an exalted angel became Satan the fallen foe that is what the Bible teaches he had an eye problem he was created perfectly but he made a choice he made what everyone a choice and God being the gentleman that he is honored that choice even at significant cost and risk to himself and that is the God of the Bible friends the God of the Bible is a gentleman he's a what everyone he will not force his way into your heart he will not force his way into your life in fact he says in Revelation chapter 3 and verse 20 behold I stand at the door and knock but then he says you ought to let me in he has to say behold I stand at the door with the SWAT team and I'm going to bust the door down now to cut in there I'm going to make you love me whether you like it or not love is the foundation of God's government can you say amen to that but love must be allowed to say no God did not create Satan that's going to be a huge surprise to many of you God did not create Satan God created Lucifer and Lucifer by his own free will became Satan if you and I were walking down the street and we saw a man there who was in the gutter who was drunk we wouldn't say what what kind of a woman would give birth to that ha ha come on that's that's that's not what his mother gave birth to his mother gave birth to a beautiful bouncing innocent little boy and sure environment plays a role in these things we're not suggesting that it doesn't but ultimately at the end of the day and the final analysis if someone becomes that it's because of their own choices can we say Amen I mean we live in a day and age in which there is basically no personal responsibility if I do something wrong it's my dad's fault if I do something wrong it's my mom's fault away with this nonsense ultimately you are the arbiter of your own destiny take responsibility for your actions take responsibility for your choices and stop blaming the world Satan made a choice God did not create a Satan and enemy God created a Lucifer three times he says you were perfect you were perfect you were perfect but part of that perfection was the opportunity the ability the potential to say no and he exercised that right and God honored him as the gentleman that he is and he made Satan Lucifer himself did it if that makes sense I want you to say Amen what it lucifer wants I mean what what did he want when he began to take those precipitous steps he wanted a higher position out there it says for three things in your study god it's really four he wanted four things number one a higher position notice he said I want to go up I want to want to go up I want to go up we'll talk more about that in a future lesson he wanted an exalted throne that is he wanted the governments of God himself he wanted rulership and dominance and number four has been purposefully put in bold-faced font he wanted what is that word everyone worship and what we're going to discover this evening is that in the book of Revelation worship is the issue in the book of Revelation worship is the issue now without further ado open your Bibles with me to the New Testament book of 1st 2nd Thessalonians see if you can find that 2nd Thessalonians you'll find Galatians Ephesians Philippians Colossians then you'll find Thessalonians look with me at 2nd Thessalonians chapter 2 beginning in verse 3 2nd Thessalonians chapter 2 in verse 3 we move now into the portion of this presentation that deals with the Antichrist and you're going to learn a great deal right now about the Antichrist 2nd Thessalonians chapter 2 are we all there everyone verse 3 Paul writing to the church in Thessalonica says these words let no one deceive you by any means for that day and in the context it's the second coming for that day will not come unless a falling away comes first and the man of sin is revealed the son of perdition that is the Antichrist he's talking about the Antichrist being revealed he refers to him as the man of sin and the son of perdition verse 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is what worshipped notice this so that he sits as God in the temple of God showing himself that he is what everyone god now notice there on the third page of your worksheet according to the book of Revelation the dividing issue at the end of time will be the issue of worship note the way the Apostle Paul describes the Antichrist power in 2nd Thessalonians 2 which we've just read do you see any similarities between the Antichrist attitude and Satan's yes or no sure both wanted to exalt themselves against or over God both longed for that which is not rightfully theirs the Antichrist goes into the temple of God not to show that he is against God but what does the Bible say to show that He is God that's a subtle point that many people miss up people say oh this Antichrist thing is going to be a piece of cake he's going to show up on the scene ante means against he's against Christ you'll be able to pick them it'll be easy it's like shooting fish in a barrel hardly the Antichrist doesn't go into the temple of God to show that he's against God he goes into the temple of God to show that he is God well spend more time on that in just a moment but notice for the purpose of what he exalts himself above all that is called God that's the next line there or that is worshipped worship is not a scientific word worship is a religious word and worship at the end of time will be the issue now with that in mind go with me to Revelation chapter 13 this is the Antichrist chapter of Revelation revelation chapter 13 we're going to read the first three verses part of me the first four verses of Revelation chapter 13 and here you're going to see this strange unusual conglomerate beast don't get hung up on the details we'll come back to this we'll spend plenty of time here but just very quickly I want you to see something fascinating and fundamental and illuminating about the Antichrist Revelation chapter what everyone thirteen beginning in verse 1 John says and I stood on the sand of the sea and I saw a beast rising up out of the sea having seven heads and ten horns and on his horns ten crowns and on his head's a blasphemous name now we're going to go through all of those identifiers don't worry about that we're going to spend lots of time in this chapter hang in there verse 2 now the Beast which I saw was like a what a leopard his feet were like the feet of a bear his mouth like the mouth of a lion notice this now the dragon gave him his power and his throne and his great Authority now this is an artist's representation of what this beast may have looked like to John notice the feet of a bear the mouth of a lion the body of a leopard these ten horns and it says the dragon gave him his power his throne in his great authority we say Wu's the dragon look in Revelation chapter 12 Revelation chapter 12 and verse 9 again we could pass a hat around we could take a vote and decide who we think the dragon is no no no the Bible interprets itself can you say amen to that like in Revelation chapter 12 verse 9 there's no doubt about it so the Great Dragon was cast out that serpent of old called the devil and Satan who deceives the whole world he was cast to the earth and his angels were cast out with him so according to the Bible's own interpretation who is the dragon Satan and the devil you've got it now notice again in Revelation chapter 13 verse 2 that the dragon that is Satan gives this creature here this power here this person here his power his throne and his great Authority now you might be saying wow I've never seen a beast like that I mean surely will recognize the Antichrist when he shows up I mean he's gonna look like that we'll know him beloved the book of Revelation is written in symbols written in what everyone symbols you say well what does that mean well we'll spend lots of time and what that means in fact if you're really paying very careful attention I'll give you a little heads up here the beasts on this fire right here the beasts on this backdrop are from Daniel chapter 7 a winget lion a bear raised up on one side a four-headed leopard and a beast with ten horns that's Daniel 7 now take a look over there feet of a bear body of a leopard mouth of a lion ten horns do you see the parallels everyone yes or no we'll spend lots of time on that now look at verse 4 notice the switcheroo the switcheroo now that's a technical term some of you may have never heard that term before it's a technical it's a theological term I apologize for using such a fancy term verse 4 it says so they worshiped there's our word they worshipped the one now who's the dragon now notice what that verse is saying they worship to the devil is that what that verse is saying yes or no it's exactly what that verse is saying but what I mean come on give me a break if the devil walked in here tonight as with a great big sign around his neck a placard that said I'm the devil and he shouldn't press at all you know fellas a ladies worship me would you worship Him yes or no I'm in no way do you think the devil knows that of course he does the Bible says he's subtle he's clever he's like a thief he's foxy he knows that I mean if the devil came in and announced himself as the devil and said worship Me no one's going to go for it the devil knows that but he still longs and desires for worship and praise and honor and and worship and so he has to get a a frontman a what everyone a frontman but watch what happens he gets his frontman stay here he gets his frontman and he gives his frontman willingly his power his throne his great Authority so that when you worship the frontman who are you really were shipping the one who set him up look at verse four again look at the switcheroo in verse four so they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the Beast and they worshipped the Beast saying who is like the Beast who is able to make war with him look at your study guide look at the study guide page three down there at the end Revelation chapter 13 is the Antichrist chapter you've got it according to verse 2 the who gives the Antichrist his power his throne in his great Authority who is it everyone the dragon who is the dragon according to Revelation 12:9 Satan know carefully the switcheroo in verse war when the Beast is worshipped who else is worshipped you've got it and here Satan gets the longing desire of his heart worship how does he get worship by setting up this Antichrist frontman who goes into the temple of God to show themself that he is God they'll ever think that through for a moment the longing desire of Satan's heart is to receive worship but he's smart enough to know that nobody would worship him if they knew who he was and so he gets a frontman a religious figure he sets him up with his power his seat his great Authority but when you worship the frontman you really worshiping the one that propped him up if that makes sense say Amen now you can just take a look at there on the back page of your study guide it says surveying worship in Revelation 13 and 14 what do the following verses have in common you look at Revelation 13 and 14 every one of those verses contain the word guess what you've got it worship worship worship worship worship that is the central issue some people think oh it's going to be a political issue surely there would be political elements involved but the primary issue on the great landscape of the Antichrist and his conflict with God's church is not politics its worship in fact you find very little about politics in the book of Revelation but you find a whole lot about worship now I'm going to prove this to you and this is absolutely incredible the pivotal issue at the end of time in the book of Revelation is the issue of worship now go with me to the last part there of your study guide unquestionably the most audacious thing Satan ever did is found in Matthew chapter 4 you know Matthew chapter 4 it's the story of the temptation in the wilderness Jesus had been fasting in the wilderness Satan came to tempt him he urged Jesus to make stones into bread Jesus refused with the plain it is written it is written man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God Satan and urged Jesus to cast himself from the pinnacle of the temple again Jesus refused it is written thou shalt not tempt the LORD thy God you know the story and then the final one the Bible says that he showed him all the kingdoms of the world in all their glory that's verse 8 and he said all these things I will give you if you just fall down and worship Me Jesus responded with utter indignation away with you Satan for it is written you shall worship the Lord your God and him only shalt thou serve this is where Satan's rabid and ridiculous idea reached it's pathetic height he had the audacity to ask Jesus the creator and the Redeemer to worship Him think of it at that very moment Jesus the Creator held Satan's existence in his very hand it would be like you walking into your house today and your little goldfish in your goldfish bowl says worship Me and you say worship you I'm going to eat you the height of insanity the height of intoxication and inebriation Saints and have the audacity to ask his own creator to ask the Redeemer of the world to worship Him this is case in point that the central issue pulsating in the perverted heart of Satan is to receive say it with me everyone worship and so what is Bible answers what is the Bible prophecies answer for human suffering it's very simple God did not create Satan God created a being named Lucifer Lucifer made his own choice and created Satan Jesus said five words an enemy has done this and then he said four words whom Satan has bound the devil is responsible but what does he want he wants worship how is he going to get it through the Antichrist now I want to ask you a question as we close tonight has this all made sense yes or no okay this is just the first message remember I told you this is these all three of these the next three messages all fit together like a whole we won't be here tomorrow night but we'll be back on Thursday and that sermon is entitled that presentation is entitled the war behind the wars and we're going to go right into Revelation chapter 12 and you're going to understand Revelation chapter 12 like perhaps you never have before now before we close I want to ask you a question who will you worship who will you serve raise your hand if you say I want to serve Jesus forget about this Antichrist stuff I want to serve the Lord let us pray together father in heaven tonight we have seen in your word not just from the words of a man the ideas of a man no no no from your word we have seen that you are not responsible for the pain suffering sickness death and disease in the world today we've also seen father that the core issue in the book of Revelation is the issue of worship and that the longing desire of Satan's perverted and intoxicated heart is to receive worship but father today we say with Joshua as for me in my house I will serve the Lord in Jesus name but all of the saints of God say eh amen you

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Keywords: suffering, pain, God, David Asscherick, Prophecy, Revelation, Christianity, Discover Prophecy, Hope Media Ministry, hopevideo hopemedia, end of the world

Id: e2NMgTe24w0

Length: 59min 23sec (3563 seconds)

Published: Wed Feb 02 2011