Preparing For the Crisis in End Times (SDA Sermon)

there's an experience that took place in world war one that has vital significance to christians living on the verge of eternity and especially to seventh-day adventists understanding the lessons from this experience may mean eternal life or eternal loss let me tell you the story in world war one may 7 1915 germany was waging war on in the atlantic war on london and england and france and ireland throughout all great britain the british had blockaded germany and the german embassy sent word that they would be attacking passenger boats that were coming in the atlantic one of those boats was named the lusitania and there was an art director by the name of george duvon lloyd george joseph duvonne he was the head of a very precious art firm in new york city and in 1915 he planned to send one of his top pottery experts to the continent to examine some very old ancient pottery when he got word that it might be possible for the lusitania to be torpedoed you said to this young expert you know i can't send you i don't want to risk your life in sending you we're going to call it off and his young pottery experts said oh don't worry about that because i'll tell you what when i read the reports that the lusitania might be torpedoed i knew that i might have to spend time in the atlantic so what i did is every day i laid down in a cold tub of water at first i could only stand this ice water for a few minutes but then it was an hour then it was two hours absurd do you know what i am a strong swimmer i'm hardening myself so that if the boat gets torpedoed i'll be able to swim and you know what this aft this morning i spent two hours in the ice water just lying in this ice water though of course lord duvine laughed he thought was preposterous but the amazing thing was the young man sailed the boat was torpedoed and he spent five hours in the chilly freezing waters of the atlantic but yet he was saved he was rescued how was he able to do that because he prepared ahead of time you never go through a crisis by preparing for the crisis when the crisis breaks you go through a crisis by preparing for the crisis before the crisis breaks and just as this young man took the warning seriously and prepared himself for in advance for the tough times that were to come so jesus gives us a message of warning and in matthew chapter 24 mark chapter 13 and luke chapter 21 jesus gives to us more than 20 different signs of his return these fast filling signs reveal that the stage is being set for the coming of jesus and they reveal his coming as near now they do not reveal his coming is here they reveal his coming is what everybody near not his coming is is here luke chapter 21 verse 28. now when these things begin to happen now jesus has just outlined the signs of the times in in luke 21. just talked about wars rumors of wars famines earthquakes etc he says verse 28 now when these things begin to happen look up and lift up your heads because your redemption draws near he does not say your redemption is here he says your redemption what draws near we find the same thing in matthew 24 verse 33 jesus gives the signs of the times he talks about the last days of verse history and in matthew chapter 24 verse 33 jesus says so you also when you see all these things how many of these things church all these things know that it or he is near at the very doors now in other words the signs of the times that christ gives give a general outline of end events but they do not list a precise time when christ will come they do not reveal a specific timetable of his return now there are some people today that are preoccupied with trying to figure out based on some self-imagined timetable exactly when christ is going to come they i remember when the year 2000 was going to come and we had all these people saying the world has gone now 6 000 years we're going to enter into the seven thousand year when 2000 comes jesus is going to return well he didn't return and then they reinvented the date 2023 christ is going to come even some today are looking at another date where they think the 6000 years are going to be finished in 2027. but jesus says when you see all these things know that my coming is what near not here ellen white leaves no question about it let me share with you an amazing statement here in the writings of ellen white it says god gives no man no notice god gives how many people everybody no man no man means no man it means no woman a message that it will be 10 years or 20 years before this history shall close some in 2027 saying oh he's going to come into in somewhere saying in 2017 he's going to come in 2027. god gives no man a message it'll be 10 years or 20 years before this earth's history shall close if it were 40 or 100 years the lord would have authorized no man to proclaim it he would not give any living being an excuse for delaying the preparation for his appearing for this leads to reckless neglect of opportunities and privileges to prepare for that great day every soul who claims to be a servant of god is called to do his service as if every day might be his last now let's pause there for a moment any date somebody chooses on a time chart what does that do it leads to a reckless neglect of opportunities because today is the day of salvation if i think christ is going to come in 2027 what does that do to me it says wait a minute i got all those years to prepare yet i don't need to do much now but if i believe i'm living on the knife edge of eternity i take advantage of every opportunity next part of the quote notice what it says here here is the great burden to be carried by every individual so what is our burden everybody is it to find some date on a time chart is that our burden here is our burden here is the great burden to be carried away by every individual are my sins forgiven has christ the burden bearer taken away my guilt have i a clean heart the righteousness of christ by faith woe to be any soul who is not seeking a refuge in christ and conforming the character to be like the character of christ so the call of the hour is to know the general events that we are living on the knife edge of eternity it is not to put some date on a time chart but it's to know christ to have our characters formed by christ to live for christ here is the great burden to be carried away by my sins forgiven as christ the burden bearer taken away my guilt and let's look at the last part of that reference time has not been a test this is a separate reference from early writings that i combined with the first one in a manuscript time has not been a test since 1844 and it will what never again be a test so if you hear some video of somebody who thinks that they know when christ the year christ is going to come and they you know immediately that that's not true because time is never again going to be a test the lord has shown me that the message of the third angel must go but it must not be hung on time i saw that some were getting a false excitement arising from preaching time but the third angel's message is stronger than time can be so god's last day message leads us to sense that we are living on the knife edge of eternity it leads us to prepare for the coming of jesus preaching of a time leads to a reckless neglect of our opportunities it focuses the mind in the wrong place it is rather leads us to a false excitement now jesus at the end of matthew 24 gives to us two amazing parables that help us to know how to be prepared for his coming because that's the real issue so matthew chapter 24 we're going to look there at verse 42 and onward matthew chapter 24 when jesus comes to this amazing to the end of this amazing discussion of the signs of the times so all of matthew 24 is about time it's all about what's going to take place just before he comes but surprisingly enough jesus does not end the parable with an emphasis on those signs he ends the parable with an emphasis on personal preparation for the coming of christ so you look at matthew 24 we're going to start there and look at verse 42. watch therefore so jesus says here are the signs am i coming watch therefore for you do not know what hour your lord is coming so after he gives all these signs is his emphasis on the fact that we're going to know his emphasis is on the fact that we are what not going to know watch therefore for you do not know what hour your lord is coming if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into now here's here's jesus punch line here is jesus major appeal he just finishes talking about time and he makes his major appeal in verse 44. therefore you also be ready for the son of man is coming in an hour when you do not expect him so here jesus is very straightforward the coming of christ will be at a time that we least expected therefore it is imperative that we are in a constant state of readiness the final events are going to be so rapid so quick so unexpected that even the righteous are going to be surprised with the quickness of their coming christ's appeal is not that we know the time christ's appeal is that we're ready when he comes christ's appeal is not that we know the time is appealed that we know jesus the one that has all time in his hands christ's appeal is not that we figure out on a time chart the precise moment of his return it is that our hearts be totally consecrated to him in these last hours of his history now this leads us to a vital question and this question on this question our eternal destiny hangs how then shall we live in the light of christ's soon return is there any practical instruction in the bible in matthew chapter 24 on how then shall we live in the light of christ's return now fortunately jesus gives us the answer there are three expressions in matthew chapter 24 that give us the clue take heed watch and be faithful now let's unpack those three we first go to matthew 24. jesus gives us three action words in matthew 24. in the light of the signs of the times in the light of the fast fulfilling events in the world what does jesus say matthew 24 and we're going to look at verse 3 and 4. now as he sat upon the mount of olives the disciples came to him privately saying tell us when shall these things be and what shall be the sign of your coming in the end of the age and jesus answered and said to him take heed that no man deceive you now notice very carefully what this says what is jesus instruction to a people living just before the coming of christ he's concerned about deception he's concerned about false teachings and he says take heed that nobody deceives you although we do not know the precise time for christ's coming this we do know satan will use every deception possible just before the coming of christ to deceive as many people possible now these deceptions are not going to be some crude counterfeit not some obvious error matthew 24 verse 24 there's a very fascinating expression matthew 24 and verse 24 remember jesus says take heed that no man may deceive you matthew 24 verse 24 for false christs and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders so as to deceive if possible the very elect so jesus says take heed that you are not deceived now who are the very elect how would you define the very elect who are the very elect they're the people of god right they're the church of god they're the people that are waiting for the coming of christ so i'm particularly interested in this expression the very elect they are god's people his church in the last days and so jesus gives this song a warning satan's deceptions are going to be so cunning so sophisticated so close to the truth that if it were possible the very people of god could be deceived so the great need for this hour versus history the great need for this the critical need for this hour versus history this crisis hour is for men and women totally committed to christ filled with his holy spirit anchored in the truth of his word focused on the advancement of his kingdom and sharing his last name message with their friends and neighbors if there ever was a time to know the word of god so that you can keep from being deceived it's today are you anchored in the truth of god's word is the word of god your daily study do you have a regular time to pour over scriptures each day now we're told in the book great controversy page 593-594 none but those who have fortified the mind with the truths of the bible will stand through the last great conflict only those who have been diligent students of the scriptures and who have received the love of the truth will be shielded from the powerful delusion that takes the world captive now this is a really an amazing statement none but those that have done what fortified what does it mean to fortify it means to strengthen is your mind being strengthened by the word of god is your mind being shaped and molded by the word of god we are victorious over satan's temptations only as we read god's word we draw closer to christ only as we behold him in the word the apostle peter puts it this way he says that god has given us exceeding great and precious promises that we might overcome the world and be partakers of the divine nature having escaped the corruption that's in the world there's only one way you can escape the corruption that's in the world and that is if you have the word of god saturating your mind there's only one way you can overcome the the corruption in the world because the word of god sustains us it strengthens us it supports us it satisfies us and it secures us it is the word of god that transforms our character one of my dearest friends is pastor robert wong i've told you a little bit about him before pastor wong is now uh 84 years old and we were walking out of the auditorium and out of the stadium and pastor wong saw him he said pastor mark pastor mark and his short white hair ran over just kept hugging me and hugging me wouldn't let go and there in the street corner we embraced he's an amazing man pastor wong is from china and he spent 12 years in prison or labor camps the first four years he was in a prison a cell with that was six feet wide and to 12 feet long with three other men they just had some little bucket in the back to use for the bathroom no sanitary conditions a little light bulb coming from the top it was horrible the next four years he spent solitary confinement he was in a you know like a hole in the bottom a dark damp dungeon the next four years in hard labor camps i asked him what and i knew the answer to the question but i wanted him to tell the story again because every time he's told me i i just rejoice in the story i said how did you survive pastor i said tell us the story again so a group gathered around in the streets there of saint louis and this what happened he really wanted a bible he knew he needed the word of god to to strengthen his faith he knew what the challenges he was going through that he would never be able to have his faith strengthened without the word of god and so he but he knew it was illegal to have the bible in prison and he was only allowed to write 30 chinese characters every month once a month he could write 30 chinese characters and those are not words but characters to his uh to his family and so but he won he said only if i had a bible now when you're in prison there you don't have a name they take away all your names and they give you numbers and so every prisoner has a number 568 922 and so one day he was out in the prison yard and um he heard one of the guards call a prisoner and the guard said prisoner 121 get over here and immediately in his brain thought 121 121 that is the number of the hymn in the chinese hymn though give me the bible give me the bible precious light shining and he thought i got an idea he was allowed to have a notepad and so he wrote to his mother dear mother i would love to have a notepad with 121 pages his mother got it at first she looked at strange a notepad with 121 pages you know this is really strange why is he going to want a notepad with 121 pages then she got it 121 he wants a bible how am i going to get him a bible in the prison in those days chinese women often made soap bars of soap for the prisoners because they weren't sanitized you know there was not sanitary conditions so his mom got the idea i know what i'll do i'll make a long bar of soap i will hollow out the inside put a small new testament on the inside and so she did she made this bar of soap put the new testament on the inside of the bar of soap and there as she did she put a little plastic bag made the soap and she said to him wrote a little note and said and then she sent him the notepad so the authorities wouldn't of course know what was going on and she said here's your notepad and here's your special bar of soap that you're really going to need to get clean he knew exactly what she was talking about you know and you know my heart is cleansed from your word david says he got the so bar soap in the quiet in his darkness of his little cell he was a solitary confinement at this time he cut the soap off took the bible and this is what he said he said daily the word of god strengthened me i feasted on the word it became my treasured companion in prison i was able to cope with the most challenging circumstances because my mind was saturated with god's word it supported him it kept him faithful insecure in his prison one day soon you and i are going to face the greatest challenges of life and jesus says take heed jesus says be alert jesus says fill your mind with the promises of my word daily let god mold your mind shape your character transform your life through the spirit inspired word of god the bible is our safeguard against deception it's our stronghold against temptation it's our security and trials in the quietness god wants to speak to you in the challenges of life god longs to speak in the difficulties of life god longs to speak in our problems in our perplexities in our confusion in our weakness in our resounding successes and our flat out failures god longs to speak will you allow god to speak to you through his word every day will you fall on your knees and say jesus speak to me through your book strengthen me for the challenges today through your book but strengthen me for the trials of tomorrow speak lord give me wisdom to know your will give me the strength to do your will give me the courage to accomplish your will if we are not faithful in our devotional life if our lives are not transformed by god's word our religious experience will be shallow it will be superficial and it'll be hollow rather than being enamored by some preacher's personal speculation about end events it's time to take heed it's time to saturate our minds with the word of god in the light of his soon return now jesus gives three admonitions his first is take heed that you're not deceived fill your mind with the very living word of god because satan's cunning sophisticated temptations will even sweep away some in the church who are not filled with the word of god and not changed by it but he gives us the second admonition in luke chapter 21. let's go to luke 21 he gives three admonitions for a people standing on the verge of eternity he gives three admonitions for those who want a deep lasting spiritual experience before jesus comes who will stand in the crisis as they face today and in the challenges they face tomorrow luke chapter 21 we're looking at verse 34-36 here you have that take heed again but there's something added to it luke 21 34-36 but take heed to yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing drunkenness in the cares of this life that that day come you on unexpectedly so the people that are weighed down with carousing drunkenness the cares of this life we're going to come back and define those the day will come on unexpectedly for it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth watch therefore and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass understand before the son of man so in the biblical definition what is this carousing all about it's a state of mind where pleasure becomes the greatest desire of my life so in the biblical sense carousing is a state of mind where pleasure becomes my priority in life what is this drunkenness drunkenness may apply to alcohol but it's much more than that it's intoxication with the things of this world rather than the things of eternity it's a fascination with this world what about the cares of this life the cares of this life can be anything that burdens you down anything that stresses you out anything that gives you so much anxiety that that becomes the absorption of your attention rather than preparing for the coming of jesus now i liked this passage and took a look at it it says verse 35 so it says don't be don't become uh don't have your state of mind of one of your greatest pride in life is pleasure don't become intoxicated with this world's hollywood productions don't become intoxicated with the fashion the dress of this world the diet of this world uh don't become weighed down with the cares of this life that so bring you anxiety so that you are so absorbed in those things that the day of christ comes upon you unexpectedly it will come as a snare on those who dwell on the face of all the earth now look what's another word for a snare a trap the picture here is that the devil is setting a trap for god's people to fall into unawares now sometimes when a trapper is setting a trap let's suppose you want to catch a mouse let's suppose that would would you put just one little trap someplace you would set what multiple traps so if that guy's over here get trying to get the cheese and he sees the trap he comes over here and what happens a trap snaps on him right you set multiple traps because now do you often when a trapper is out in the wilds setting traps suppose a trapper is out in the wild setting traps for an animal does he put the traps in plain sight no he tries to hide the traps right so what is the devil doing he's setting multiple snares or traps to capture the people of god by getting them so absorbed in the things of this life that they miss the things of eternity he's setting his traps so that they become intoxicated with the pleasures of this life look to be effective a trap must not be in plain sight the devil is setting his snares his traps are the people of god now some people can be trapped by debt they're striving to get ahead they're pushing themselves they're exhausted with overwork and they're too tired to spend time with jesus in his word that's a trap other people are going to be trapped by the world's entertainment they're going to be so enamored with hollywood's pleasures and they can't wait to see what the next tv program that's a trap the devil's trapping them satan has subtly set his traps and people are caught some people are trapped by the world's music some people are trapped by the world's diet some people are trapped by the world's standards but thank god we can live in this world without stumbling into the devil's traps what do you say we can walk around all these traps and not get caught john 17 verse 17 we are in the world but we are not what everybody of the world do we need to be snared by the devil no what's going to keep us from that by watching by being alert by noticing if we ourselves are beginning to drift from our time with prayer drift from our time with bible drift from our time with sacred literature if we sense we are beginning to drift and that the world's attractions are capturing our attention john 17 verse 17. we're going to look at two passages here verse 15 to 17. john 17 15 to 17 jesus says i do not pray that you take them out of the world but you would keep them from the evil one so jesus doesn't say i'm praying that you're going to move way out in the mountains someplace right now there may be a time for that there will be a time for that but jesus says look i'm not praying that you're going to try to protect yourself you're going to be out in the monastery someplace not at all he says i don't pray that you're going to take them out of the world why not because we're to be the salt of the earth an ambassador for christ but that you should keep them from the evil one how how's that going to happen jesus verse 16 they are not of the world what does it mean we're not of the world we're not intoxicated by its pleasures we're not enamored by its fashions we are not captured by its diet we are not of the world just as i'm not of the world but how can we be sanctified lord sanctify them that is make them holy that has transformed their lives by what by your truth your word is truth here in 1st john 2 turn back to now where in big john the gospel of john now you're going to turn back to little john not little because it's not important but little because it's not as large as big john you're going to over here taking your bible turning to first john right before the book of revelation before the book of jude first john chapter 2 verse 15 to 17. first john 2 15 to 17. jesus gives us this admonition he's talking about the signs of the times in matthew 24 he says watch he says be alert he says don't let your mind be captured with the carousing this with the pleasures of this world in first john chapter 2 we're looking there at verse 15 to 17 he says do not love the world now we're in the world but we don't love it it's not the place we love do not love the world first john 2 15 or the things in the world if anyone loves the world the love of the father is not in him for all that's in this world the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes the pride of life is not of the father but of the world the world is passing away but in the lust of it but he who does the will of the father is going to abide forever this world is going to pass away now god's people have always faced the danger of losing their perspective they've always faced the danger of compromising their loyalty to christ through a growing tendency to allow the world to shape their thinking the closer we get to the end of time the more the devil will redouble his efforts in this area if you ask me pastor mark are you concerned about certain trends that are taking place in varying places within the adventist church today my response would be this i'm concerned about the almost overwhelming tide of worldliness that's coming into some of our churches standards that we once cherished as seventh-day adventists in the area of diet in the area of dress in the air of recreation and amusement and sabbath-keeping are fast in some circles becoming a thing of the past prophecies that were once proclaimed and trumpeted from adventist pulpit are sometimes being marginalized but yet when members are adorned but like the world who love the worlds of entertainment are intoxicated with the world's pleasures listen to the world's music are captivated by hollywood productions genuine spirituality erodes and i will be very plain with you this morning you cannot feast your mind on tv and hollywood and have a spiritual character it's just not possible because by beholding we become what changed so if we are spending more time with hollywood's productions than we are with the word of the living god how can we expect ever to be ready for the coming of jesus and when the adventist health message which so many honest hearted people in the world are embracing and they're attracted to it you read the articles when it's called legalism and fanaticism rather than a glorious gift from our loving creator something is tragically wrong we are ambassadors for christ we're the light of the world we're the salt of the earth jesus says let your light so shine that they may see your good works and glorify your heavenly father millions all over the world are looking for something that we have deep within their hearts they're tired of the achy longing to satisfy their desires through the things of the world the things of this world do not satisfy they just leave you empty and hollow and shallow and looking forward to the next pleasure there are millions that are looking for genuine authentic christianity and we will never reach them by compromising our standards we'll never reach them by trying to come down to their level this is a time to lift up the standard of jesus christ this is a time he's so filled with jesus so filled with his spirit so changed by his love so charmed by his grace this is the time to have our mind so saturated with the word of god this is no time to flirt with the devil's allurements and conform to the world standards jesus has a way of life that's much much better than the world can offer what do you say church this is the time to hold the standard high for the world to see christ living in our lives dwelling in our hearts makes a dramatic difference in how we live the call of the hour it's the call to watch and pray it's the call to sense that we're living just before the coming of christ so jesus says take heed saturate your mind with the word of god jesus says watch don't allow the world to squeeze you into its mold jesus says beware the devil's traps he'll attempt to catch you before you realize what's happening but there's one last thing jesus says it's very fascinating it's found in matthew chapter 24. matthew 24 we take our bibles and we go back to matthew 24. jesus says three things in matthew 24 he says take heed he says watch and then he says do matthew chapter 24 and we're looking there at verse 46. we'll pick it up in verse 45. matthew chapter 24 verse 45 take heed watch now the last is due verse 45 matthew 24 who then is a faithful and wise servant whom his master who is master made ruler over his household to give him food in due season so here jesus giving a parable here's the wise servant here here's the one that is watching and praying and is ready here's the one whose mind is saturated word of god but notice this he gives a special blessing blessed is that servant whom his master when he comes shall find so doing now notice the master when he comes will find doing now there are some in verse 48 that says my master's delaying is coming he begins to beat his fellow servants in other words live like the world verse 50 the master of that servant will come on a day when he's not looking for in an hour that he's not aware of so what is jesus point here jesus point is this a faithful and true servant will be doing the work of the master and the master will find him doing that when he comes biblical faithfulness always leads us to action the new testament church was passionate about witness they were faithful to christ's mission they shared christ and that was the natural result of their outgrowth the new testament church was a church of doing god has called his end time people to take heed to fill their minds with his word god has called his end time people to lift up his standard high and to be done with the things of this world and not to let the world squeeze you into its mole but god has not called his end time people to sit on their hands and do nothing god has not called his endtime people simply to come to church every sabbath and then go through the week and come to church next sabbath faithful is that man faithful is that woman who shall be found doing god has a mission for you god has a message for you to share we are the light of the world you are an ambassador for christ maybe you're working in a retirement center but you're an ambassador for christ to share his love and grace maybe you're a computer expert but you are an ambassador for christ to share his love and grace maybe you are a physician you're an ambassador for christ maybe you're a mechanic or a carpenter a farmer the call of the hour is the call to pour our lives out in service for christ blessed is that servant who shall be found doing our goal is not to be looking at some time chart and says christ coming in 20 23 20 27 20 35 our goal is to be on our knees seeking god in prayer our goal is to be saturating our mind with the word of god our goal is to be a witnessing community and that's what god's goal is to be a witnessing community to be sent out from this church to share his love to share his grace i am fascinated with stories of great missionaries as i travel the world and go to different places if i'm in a place where a missionary has given his life and died i always want to go to their grave and i want to be alone in china hong kong one of the places i wanted to go was abraham larue's grave abraham guru was a missionary to china he worked seven years did not see one convert but today we have over almost five hundred thousand christian adventist believers i wanted to be with abraham gurus at his grave he went out there as an old man he was in his 60s actually and he started by selling a few steps to christ a little book he had a court clerk in china translated i wanted to be by his grave alone when i flew by helicopter from victoria falls and by the zambisi river over the jungle it's amazing flight you fly by helicopter through these jungles and they're they're large savannahs in africa you see the giraffes from above and their heads are above the trees eating leaves off the trees it's amazing i saw a pride of lions five lions flew over there by helicopter at night uh just as the sun was gonna set when we came back and saw this herd of elephants probably 30 40 elephants going to their watering holes just an amazing experience came to seleuci college and after i preached to the students they said where do you want to go i want to go to the graveyard pastor mark you want to go to the graveyard yeah why i want to look at the grave of w.h anderson i want to look at the graves of some of these great missionaries who came out here gave their lives died with malaria so i love reading mission stories uh saturate your children's minds with mission stories the kids will be excited by them these great missionaries that went out for jesus i'm interested in david livingston's story it's a really a remarkable story david livingston missionary to to africa in the uh 19th century livingston was brought up in a very very poor home he was brought up on the top of a mill they had a little apartment a couple room apartment on the top of a mill there in scotland parents were extremely poor and he had to work in the mill as a child but he loved reading began to teach himself latin taught himself languages and ultimately went to medical school and he decided he felt the call of god to go into mission service and he he he heard robert moffat preach the great missionary to africa ma moffett was working on the coast of africa so livingston decided to go when he went eventually he married moffat's daughter but he decided to travel into the inner parts of africa he went on one occasion on one occasion the british press and nobody in britain heard from him for four years he was out in the jungles for four years and they thought he was dead there were so many rumors of livingston is dead livingston is dead but he's out there in the jungles for four years and that is when charles stanley a reporter for the new york times went looking for him and you remember that famous line dr livingston i presume he finds him after four years in the jungle and he says i've come to bring you back to civilization and livingston looks at him he says mr stanley if i wanted to go back to england i would have been back long ago i'm with the africans that's where i belong and i will stay here until god moves me when he finally went back to england to tour and share about his experiences a number of people said what a sacrifice you've made your wife mary moffatt died young your kids some of them have died you've been in the jungles for for decades alone what a sacrifice and i want to read to you what livingston said he said people talk of the sacrifice that i have made in spending so much of my life in africa can that be called a sacrifice which is simply acknowledging a great debt we owe to god which we can never repay is that a sacrifice which brings its own reward and healthful activity the consciousness of doing good peace of mind in a bright hope of a glorious destiny it is emphatically no sacrifice rather it's a privilege anxiety sickness suffering danger foregoing the common conveniences of this life these may make us pause and cause the spirit to waver in the soul to sink but let this only be for a moment all these are nothing compared with the glory which shall later be revealed in and through us i have never made a sacrifice of this we ought not to talk when we remember the great sacrifice which he made who left his father's throne on high to give himself for us livingston had it right when you give your life to bless others when you see your job as a nurse when you see your job in computers when you see your work as a teacher in a school as an educator when you see your work as a carpenter as an electrical that's simply the way you make a living but you're the purpose of your life the meaning of your life is to give your life to bless somebody to touch somebody to share god's grace with them jesus says to you and me this morning my coming is soon take heed saturate your mind with the word of god my coming is soon don't fall into one of the devil's traps don't let this world squeeze you into its mold my coming is soon give your life what really matters look for those opportunities every day to share jesus with somebody else for you're the light of the world you're the salt of the earth you're an ambassador for christ let's pray father thank you with all of our hearts for the message of christ to take heed to watch to do father help us to be faithful to you now and through eternity in christ's name amen you

Channel: HopeLives365

Views: 259,197

Keywords: Seventh-day Adventist, Seventh day Adventist, SDA, Adventist, Adventists, Mark Finley, HopeLives365, Hope Lives 365, second coming of jesus christ, 2027, 6000 years, Ellen White, Adventists are in trouble, seventh-day adventist church, seventh-day adventist sermons

Id: w-kI3xXz6Y4

Length: 47min 19sec (2839 seconds)

Published: Sat Jul 09 2022