Walter Veith - The Moment Of Crisis

[Music] i've titled this sermon the moment of crisis we have all been living under very strange circumstances of late and the world is in a crisis and it seems as if the christian world and the christian countries are particularly involved in this crisis and yet there are so many that believe that this is just a momentary glitch in the stream of history things will go back to normal everything will be fine this is not the culmination that the world has been waiting for there are so many things that must still be fulfilled and people will say there is no sign of the prophesied events taking place they do not see the mark of the beast being introduced in a very stealthful way they do not see that the image of the beast is being erected before our eyes and in the great events of our time they miss those elements which fit into the prophetic picture it has always been like that with mankind and if we go back in history to the time of the flood there were prophecies that said that a coming destruction would come noah preached for 120 years of this coming calamity and there was a prophecy that said when he dies referring to methuselah it shall come and he did die and people carried on as before they did not see the significance of the event even though it had specifically been prophesied and then the animals started moving in strange ways and the animals went into the ark seven pairs of clean one pair of unclean the scientists of the age said this is a very strange phenomenon and they had many explanations for why these things were happening but they carried on as usual this was not a sign of the times this was not a sign that this is the moment of crisis that had been prophesied for 120 years exactly the same thing happened in the times of jeremiah and we've spoken about that many times when jeremiah prophesied they all claimed this was not going to be the way it was going to happen after all they were god's people and god would intervene he would stop these things from happening now if we go back in history and we look at a few parallels in the times of jesus then some things come to mind the disciples had been prepared for what was going to come jesus had on many occasions told them what was going to happen that the son of man was going to be handed over to be crucified that he would be stripped of all his human rights as it were and that he would die an ignominious death on a cross and they refused to believe it they were prepared by the words of the testimony but they were singularly unprepared when the time came why because they had preconceived ideas about how these things would develop and when they did not develop exactly in the format of their preconceived ideas they lusted they lost the plot one of the occasions that jesus used to educate them we read about it in matthew chapter 16 verse 21 and further from that time forth began jesus to show unto his disciples how that he must go into jerusalem and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes and be killed and be raised again the third day then peter took him and began to rebuke him saying be it far from thee lord this shall not be unto thee but he turned and said unto peter get thee behind me satan thou art an offence unto me for thou savorists not the things that be of god but those that be of men so why did peter react like this well he had been indoctrinated by the philosophy of the jews his entire life his concept was totally different to that which he was hearing after all they thought they were the chosen of god but their circumstances evidenced another scenario for example they were under the bondage of rome they thought they were the head but here they were in bondage but they still believed as the chosen of god they were under a very special protection and that nothing would happen to them the other nations would be destroyed but they would be elevated to new heights and this was the mindset and here jesus came and he told them that he was going to suffer and die and their concept was that he would elevate them to this high stature and that he would be crowned king of kings and lord of lords they had a different theology they had in modern terms what we would call a purpose-driven life or a purpose-driven church philosophy where eventually they would be the rulers in a kingdom to come many in the world believe the same things today and they will be just as singularly unprepared for what is coming as were the disciples of jesus so jesus had admonished them regarding their traditions and their interpretations of the word and he had told them that those traditions were not in accordance to the word of god in matthew 15 verse 2 we read why do thy disciples transgress the traditions of the elders they asked jesus for they wash not their hands when they eat bread but he answered and said unto them why do you also transgress the commandment of god by your traditions so our traditions and our views are often contrary to god's word in mark 7 verse 8 we read for laying aside the commandment of god ye hold the tradition of men as the washing of pots and cups and many other such things you do and he said unto them in verse 9 for well ye reject the commandment of god that you may keep your own tradition verse 13 of chapter 7 says making the word of god of non-effect through your traditions which you have delivered and many such things ye do so this was the condition they had preconceived ideas they had interpreted the scriptures according to their own philosophies and not according to the clear word of god that's why jesus said to them in john 5 39 search the scriptures for in them ye think you have eternal life and they are they which testify of me we have but one source of inspiration and although it might sound contradictory that source is the law and the prophets that is the source at our disposal and this law and the prophets the bible the first five books of the bible the torah and what the prophets have said until the end of time is our source of inspiration and has to be in harmony with those first books of moses isaiah 8 20 to the law and to the testimony if they speak not according to this word it is because there is no light in them so neither philosophy nor psychology can supply the wants of the soul there might be a band-aid they might give relief for a moment but what the heart really needs is the unadulterated clear word of god if it was possible for the disciples that had spent three and a half years with jesus to have such misconceptions about what was about to take place is it possible that the same thing could happen to humanity at the end of time is it possible that the same thing could happen to those within our very ranks the question is what is truth you must bring your creed to the bible the bible is the creed but many people say no no we need to put our creed into position and the bible must be in harmony with the creed i want to read you a quote from the spirit of prophecy and it states comes from the great controversy so it's a very good source and we read rome withheld the bible from the people and required all men to accept her teachings in its place it was the work of the reformation to restore to men the word of god but is it not too true that in the churches of our time men are taught to rest their faith upon their creed and their teachings of their church rather than on the scriptures said charles beecher speaking to the protestant churches they shrink from the rude word against creeds with the same sensitiveness with which those holy fathers would have shrunk from the rude word against the rising veneration of saints and martyrs which they were fostering the protestant evangelical denominations have so tied up one another's hands and their own that between them all a man cannot become a preacher at all anywhere without accepting some book besides the bible there is nothing imaginary in the statement that the creed power is now beginning to prohibit the bible as really as rome did though in a subtler way yes we we are in this danger that our preconceived ideas or even some of our creeds can come in the way of the truth and in the time that we are living in we need to know where we stand we need to know what is going to transpire lest it catches us unawares as those disciples if we go back into the history of this church in 1888 there was a crisis and the people had preconceived ideas and they were singularly unprepared to accept the message of righteousness by faith although it is the central pillar of salvation and it caused the major crisis and god had to postpone the very events which would have led to the great proclamation of the final message to humanity because god's people in their hearts and minds were unprepared now if we go back to the time of jesus and we look at the time of the triumphant entry what must have gone through the mind of the disciples remember now that jesus had told them what was going to transpire he had told them that he was going to be handed over to be crucified and here in the triumphant entry he is riding on a cult and the crowds are cheering and are willing to make him king surely everything that jesus had said to them before just slipped out of their mind they looked at the circumstances which were in harmony with their theology and they totally missed the point of where they were going and what was going to happen on that fateful day when jesus entered jerusalem where the scribes and the pharisees overjoyed the answer is no they rebuked him and they said to him rebuke your disciples he told them if they were not shouting then the very stones would cry out and then they tried to entrap him and they sent their most brilliant minds to entrap him and on that fateful day when all these events took place when they all thought that this was the culmination of the messianic era when their king would be crowned king of jerusalem and the enemies would be driven from their sight there were those that were questioning him they were those that were trying to entrap him and then he cleans the temple what a situation for the second time he cleansed the temple and they scattered out of their temple with their money and with their animals and they were gone and then he sat down and he taught the people and all the young children came and sat on their lap on his lap and the little children were laughing and everything was calm and peaceful and eventually those pharisees and those scribes came back and they were annoyed at the little laughter and peter and patter of little feet and little children again this hatred came up into their minds and then he rebuked them and the message of matthew 23 woe to you scribes and pharisees and that list of rebuke must have cut them to the heart and then he got up and he left the temple for the last time what an experience the one who was the very essence of what the temple stood for left the temple and their house became to them desolate the mournful words in luke 13 34 of jerusalem jerusalem which killeth the prophets and stoners them which are sent unto you how often would i have gathered thy children together as a hen thus gather her brood under her wings and ye would not behold your house is left unto you desolate and verily i say unto you you shall not see me until the time come when you shall say blessed is he that comes in the name of the lord and then come the events of the last supper the disciples still had this hope that things would turn round they were still arguing with each other as to who was the greatest even on the way to that last supper and at that last supper jesus foretells again that he will be denied by those very disciples who had been with him for three and a half years in matthew 26 30 he said and when they had sung hymn they went out into the mount of olives then says jesus unto them all ye shall be offended because of me this night for it is written i will smite the shepherd and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad but after i am risen again i will go before you into galilee and peter answered and said unto him though all men shall be offended because of ye yet well i never be offended and jesus said unto him verily i say unto thee that this night before the crow thou shalt deny me thrice and peter said unto him though i should die with thee yet will i not deny thee likewise said all the disciples the moment of crisis had arrived were they prepared no they were singularly unprepared they were full of bravado they were full of self-confidence and so it will be at the end of time again in the garden of gethsemane what can we glean from what happened to the disciples because i have a terrible feeling that we are on the very verge of the final events and seem doomed to repeat the same mistakes that the disciples made matthew chapter 26 from verse 36 then cometh jesus with them unto a place called gethsemane and said unto the disciples sit ye here while i go and pray yonder and he took with him peter and the two sons of zebedee and began to be sorrowful and very heavy then he said unto them my soul is exceeding sorrowful even unto death tarry ye and watch with me not those words watch with me and he went a little further and fell on his face and prayed saying oh my father if it is possible let this cup pass from me nevertheless not as i will but as thou wilt and he cometh unto the disciples and finders them asleep and says unto peter what could ye not watch with me one hour so what do we see here what kind of parallel do we see here what is the state of the church at the end of time isn't it the laodicean church isn't that a sleeping church isn't it a church that thinks that it is rich and increased in goods and yet they are asleep here in the moment of crisis the disciples are asleep and jesus goes to them and he says to peter what could you not watch with me one hour watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation the spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak he went away again the second time and prayed saying o my father if this cup may not pass away from me except i drink it thy will be done and he came and found them asleep again for their eyes were heavy and he left them and went away again and prayed the third time saying the same words then cometh you to his disciples and says unto them sleep on now and take your rest behold the hour is at hand and the son of man is betrayed into the hands of the sinners the moment of crisis had come and the disciples were asleep is it possible that the moment of crisis could be here in our time and the disciples could be asleep having a total different concept of the events even though they had been prepared by the very word of christ through the prophets they did not see it they did not see the fulfillment there was no evidence this was just a momentary glitch on the horizon things will go back to normal this is not the end we must still be exalted and preach a mighty message [Music] is it possible that it could happen again and then come the words in verse 46 rise let us be going behold he is at hand that does betray me it's interesting the gospel of mark tells us again that he singled out peter in particular why because peter had been so bold peter had been the one who said not i lord i won't forsake you perhaps in our modern times there are modern peters who say i won't be caught unawares not me it's not going to happen to me lord i won't deny you when the moment of crisis comes so in the final crisis the bible warns us that god's people will be asleep they will be caught by an overwhelming surprise and even john the beloved disciple was fast asleep there in the garden the son of god suffered alone in mark 14 43 3 we read and immediately while he yet spoke came judas one of the twelve and with him a great multitude with swords and staves from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders and he that betrayed him had given them a token saying whomsoever i shall kiss that same is he take him and lead him away safely and as soon as he was come he goes straightway to him and says master master and kissed him it's interesting that matthew 26 verse 50 tells us that jesus called him friend friend wherefore art thou come isn't that amazing and luke adds the words in chapter 22 verse 48 but jesus said unto him judas betray us thou the son of man with a kiss so first he says to him friend wherefore have you come judas betrays thou the son of man with a kiss and they laid hands on him and took him and one of them that stood by drew a sword and smote a servant of the high priest and cut off his ear now we know from the gospel of john that that was peter peter was prepared to go to war peter was prepared to fight an enemy coming from the front but what if the enemy didn't come from the front but came sneaking through a back door what if the events didn't take place exactly as he expected but turned out different would he then still be the same peter because why why was he prepared to pull out his sword and to go to fight because he was convinced that jesus wouldn't allow himself to be taken he was convinced that jesus was going to display his power and make them fall and when they fell over backwards he thought this is the moment when jesus will take the crown and display his power but when those people got up again and they came forward that changed the entire situation the narrative in his mind was disconcordant something was amiss we say today surely bad things will not happen to good people and when they do we lose confidence in god there are those amongst us who will say god will take care of it a thousand will fall by your side and ten thousand by your right hand and it will not come near you that promise is for the time of the plagues after the close of probation that promise is not for the time prior to the close of probation yes god will protect his people yes god can protect his people but god will also allow certain things to happen to make his truth prominent and in god with his foreknowledge and his foresight even if we should lose our lives it'll be for a moment for a twinkling of an eye surely he would not allow himself to be taken surely the events of the end won't come via the back door but only according to our expectations they were disappointed and they were indignant as they saw the cord brought forward to bind the hands of him whom they loved and the next thing when he submitted himself to that horde of people was that the disciples scattered and they ran and they all forsook him those are terrible words and if we apply them to our time is it possible that the same things can happen or forsook him and fled and then when they recovered themselves peter and john followed at the distance now this is a very interesting story because i think it has applications for the time in which we are living peter and john follow at a distance and when they get to the place of trial john knocks and the door is opened to him and they recognize him the priests recognize him as a follower of jesus they knew who he was and they knew that he was a follower of jesus but in their mind they thought if we allow this young man in remember he was just a young man if we allow this young man in perhaps he will change his mind about his so-called messiah when he sees how the so-called king is being put to trial and then he will realize that he was but an impostor so the priest says you can come in and he says can my friend peter also come in and they let peter in as well now what was the difference between what happened to peter and what happened to john john came in and they knew who he was and he did not pretend to be someone else and he chose a little secluded place over there where he could witness the events but he did not pretend to be anything other than a follower of jesus christ but peter took a different course he presumptuously took his place at the fire because it was a very cold night where all the mockers were standing around and he pretended to be one of them so he joined the crowd and eventually one of them noticed him and said aren't you one of them and he denied it he denied it woman i know him not so he concealed his real character he didn't want to be known and in assuming an air of indifference he placed himself on the enemy's ground in addition to this he was surprised and angry that jesus would humiliate himself and his followers by passively submitting to such treatment he was acting a lie and when again he was charged with being one of them he denied it with a curse i know him not so what was the difference he was acting a lie and when they said to him surely thou art one of them for thou art a galilean and thy speech agreeth there too that this peter flew into a rage and to fully deceive his questioners and to justify as his assumed character he denied his master with cursing and swearing and immediately the crew the third time and then he turned around and he saw that look that devastated him and he ran out and wept bitterly so what was peter's downfall he assumed a character that was not his he pretended to be one of them is there something that we can glean from this what was his first mistake if we think back his first mistake was he was sleeping he was sleeping and jesus knew that particularly peter if he had been awake if he had seen what jesus was going through if he had seen the drops of blood that were coming through the skin of jesus maybe he would have woken up and said this is the moment of crisis after all jesus asked them to pray with him but he slept and jesus went to him and said peter sleepest thou can't you wake with me for one moment so his very first problem was that he was asleep they all fell asleep but he had very specific ideas and he could not incorporate the reality in his mind and join it up with these preconceived ideas and then he pretended to be someone else now don't we do the same thing don't we pretend to be just like all the other churches aren't we just another evangelical denomination when we sit in ecumenical councils do we say we are different we are disciples of jesus christ we believe in the law and the testimony and we believe in the implementation of the mark of the beast and we would want to warn everyone against this or do we pretend for the sake of the moment to be just like everyone else to be one of them john said one side he didn't prepare himself or pretend to be someone else and maybe we should do the same we should not pretend to be what we are not we have a very specific calling and the moment of crisis has arisen isn't it a sad story that jesus found so little consolation in that moment of crisis and i wonder how many in our church will be there to console him we read in mark chapter 15 verse 21 that when jesus was going to be crucified where he carried that cross and he could no longer bear it that they compelled simon as iranian who passed by coming out of the country the father and then it mentions the name in in mark 15 21 alexander and rufus were the sons of this simon to bear the cross now this simon was not a disciple of jesus he was going the other way he wasn't following the cross but the two sons they were disciples of jesus in the book of romans chapter 16 verse 13 there's a reference to rufus now whether that is the same rufus we do not know but nevertheless there is a possibility because we know from the spirit of prophecy that the son of simon rufus was indeed a follower of jesus but their father was indifferent and here he had an opportunity and he carried that cross and as he carried that cross and he saw the deportment of jesus and he witnessed the events of that day and as he saw the attitude of jesus and the words which he spoke and when he saw the darkness that came over the earth and when he saw the earthquake he was convicted and he became a disciple on that very day his sons were believers we read it in the spirit of prophecy and the other one that was there to console him was the thief on the cross the one who said lord remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom and jesus said unto him verily i say unto thee today shalt thou be with me in paradise actually he said verily i say unto you today you shall be with me in paradise the second consolation a thief on the cross a man who was walking the other way and the third consolation was the centurion matthew 27 verse 54 now in the citurian and they that were with him watching jesus saw the earthquake and those things that were done they feared greatly saying truly this was the son of god when they witnessed the events of that day they were convicted and here were three individuals a thief a man going the other way and a hardened centurion and they were convicted by the events of that time i believe at the end of time it will be exactly the same i believe we will have military men who will say surely this was the truth there was preached about the three angels messages i believe that the thief on the cross and the criminal in the jail will say lord remember me and i believe that people walking the other way will turn and witness the events and become disciples of jesus there was nicodemus and there was joseph and when they saw the events of that day when they saw that earthquake and when they saw that sun being darkened and when i when they saw those stones coming out of the ground and graves being opened or shaken open their faith was established when they heard and saw the curtain being torn from top to bottom their faith was established but the sad fact is one disciple standing at the foot of the cross john the one who had not pretended to be someone else but who had steadfastly even though he was asleep even though he scattered on that great day he was the one who together with nicodemus and joseph got to bury jesus what a story isn't it amazing that inanimate nature acknowledged the son of god on that day whereas those that should have been closest to him were nowhere to be seen except john and a handful of women at the birth of christ we read the angel star in the heavens had known christ and had conducted the seers to the manger where he lay the heavenly hosts had known him and sung his praise over the plains of bethlehem the sea had acknowledged his voice and was obedient to his command disease and death had recognized his authority and yielded their prey to his demand the sun had known him and hidden its face of light from the sight of his dying anguish the rocks had known him and shivered into fragments at his dying cry although inanimate nature recognized and bore the testimony of christ that he was the son of god yet the priests and the rulers knew not the savior rejected the evidence of his divinity and steeled their hearts against his truth they were not so susceptible as the granite crocs of the mountains three spirit of prophecy page 170. now how do we apply this story to our time we are living in very very similar circumstances a crisis is about to take place and we have preconceived ideas but we have a clear word and we have a clear testimony there is this story about the train station vision at the loma linda station where ellen white revealed a vision that she had to some of our pioneers and she referred to this end time scenario as to what was to happen and she said according to these witnesses that a terrible storm of persecution was coming like a windstorm that blew down every standing object there was not a seventh-day adventist to be seen they like the disciples forsook christ and fled all who had sought positions were never seen again what a terrible statement after the storm there was a calm then the adventists arose like a great flock of sheep but there were no shepherds they all waited in earnest prayer for help and wisdom and the lord answered by helping them to choose leaders from amongst them who had never sought position before they prayed earnestly for the holy spirit which was poured out upon them making them fully ready for service they then went forth fair as the moon clear as the sun and terrible as an army with banners to give this message to the world i was astonished and asked if that applied even to a university in the united states and the answer came back it applied to the entire denominational world brothers and sisters is it possible that the voices that go up and tell us that this is not the crisis it shall not be so unto thee it will come in a different fashion this is just a glitch on the horizon that those voices could be very surprised one day isn't that a possibility is it possible that some of us will pretend to be what we are not is it some is it possible that some of us will try to redirect us i want to warn our people today don't listen to voices that try to channel the three angels messages into other issues such as the social justice issues of our time don't listen to those voices we have very particular marching orders we have to tell of a great time of crisis that is before god's people and we will have to go through that time of crisis so don't listen to those voices don't listen to voices that try to tell you that jesus was an activist for social justice because his kingdom was not of this world we have to direct minds to another kingdom to one that will be set up don't listen to voices that try to intimidate you by attaching labels to you such as conspiracy theorists far right radical or other catchphrases or that preach to anyone that preaches the three angels messengers don't listen to them don't listen to voices that try to tell you that the pioneers of this church were uninformed and influenced by prejudice thinking of the time don't listen to them don't listen to voices that try to tell you that rome has changed or is not what the reformers said it was namely the antichrist don't listen to voices that try to marginalize the spirit of prophecy as outdated 19th century delusions don't listen to them they say that the events have not taken place there is no sunday law in implementation of course not it it'll be the very final event that takes place but if we do not see the shifting movements right now we will be as surprised as were those disciples don't listen to voices that try to make the mark of the beast something other than what it is something that attacks the authority of god and which is embedded in the fourth commandment don't listen to those voices don't listen to voices that try to tell you that the gift of prophecy is not an identifying feature of the remnant church and don't listen to voices that try to tell you to be inclusive and not separate don't try and pretend to be what you are not don't listen to anything that is not in harmony with the law and the testimony listen to what god said in his word and threw his prophet to the remnant there lies our only safety if the disciples had listened to the words of jesus and had internalized them they would not have been caught by surprise if they had stayed awake and watched and looked at the signs around them they would have known the hour but they were asleep hebrews chapter 3 verse 6 but christ as a son over his own house whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end this is our commission we know why we are here we know why we have a message to bear and we have a message to bear a very distinctive message it is not a message of peace and safety it is a message of a coming crisis that will come with an overwhelming surprise now is the time to hold fast our confidence and to believe what the bible and the spirit of prophecy has told us may god fortify his people so that we may stand in the moment of and like john say i am a follower i keep the commandments of god and i hold to the testimony of jesus and angels will be sent to protect those that believe and prepare them for the loud cry let's pray heavenly father help us to be wide awake in this time of crisis as we see the events unfolding before our eyes as we see anarchy spreading across the globe as we see rules and regulations being put into place let us realize that the moment of crisis has come and let us preach as never before the very commission which we have the three angels messages empower your people to stand in a moment of crisis in jesus name amen thank you for watching this video to subscribe click here when the bell appears click again to get notifications to watch the next video click here thank you

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Published: Sat May 29 2021