"What's In a Name?" | Pastor Henry Wright

the church say Amen see our children's bar continue to grow and did not happen without support of our parents in that area I'm going to do quite a bit of teaching today and sermon I hope you got this handout as you came in you didn't raise your hand uh sure see quite a few people who did not get them thank you brother King for jumping up immediately keep your hand held high there you get the handout for today number six and then for those of you who may just be joining us in this series I've got a few notebooks left if you'd like like a notebook raise your hand I've already got one you lost it don't raise your hand but if you did if you never got a notebook raise your hand I think if that's emotions back there with some notebooks at least I hope so you want a notebook stand up then they know that you're different than those who want their handout don't those people stand up that's it all right ouch is with the notebooks wait on these folks here we're standing up that's more clarifying you want a handout raise your hand what a notebook stand up want a notebook and a handout stand up raise your hands once you have your notebook and your handout you may be seated so I have some notebook people up here on this side over here up toward the front hope we have folk we need notebooks are we out of notebooks if I could just get this rushers attention right here on this side please notebooks over here please you have any left I guess we don't have any notebooks left I'm sorry my apologies I have one left the person will be able to notebook okay thank you let's pray we need your Lord to speak to us in Jesus name Amen I'm gonna ask the video team up there to give me your attention I want to take him to a text I did not give you Philippians 1:6 and you get the libyans 1:6 upon the screen for me please turn in your Bible to Philippians 1 and verse 6 our subject today what's in a name Philippians 1 and verse 6 I guess they can't pull it up Philippians 1 and verse 6 you see that let's read that together being confident of this very thing that he who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ no different Bibles worded differently now listen to me listen to me I'm teaching today listen to me every person in this congregation right now from the youngest to the eldest has been over your life in a process odell of development a good work was begun in you the day you were born the text says he who started that work huh will do what he'll complete it now this text is key to today's sermon or teaching what Christ started he'll finish now he may have to work you over to do it the determination of Jesus to save is almost indescribable and when you're finally standing on the streets of gold hallelujah and you finally see your saviors face I look forward to our lean to that conversation well he will take me aside and say Henry this is what it took to save you I will be shocked because things that I thought were my worst moments were my best moments come on somebody I need to hear an amen out there when I felt most worn-out worn down depleted mistreated mistreated misuse forgotten by God I will see that that worst moment God was working to complete me as Luther jack says I just read the text you read it well pastor what does this have to do with Sardis pick up your handout pick up your handout and I want to remind you now that these seven churches are taking us on a journey let me describe the spiritual journey then we'll get to the historical journey on this sheet some of us are in the Ephesus stage of our development in our first love we're in our new zeal we're in our fresh contact with Jesus we we have found him we love him we're excited about him that's where we are some of us are living in the end of our Ephesus experience we're starting to wane we're losing some of that first zeal we are our first love is is is is is dwindling away and and in some cases we don't even realize it some of us are living in Smyrna God is in the process of just wearing us out beating us up testing persecuting because we've been so stubborn we've gotten so so lacks the only way God can get our attention is just to let all Hades break loose in our life some of us are in Pergamus we spent this week in compromise just never quite getting it right half-stepping all the way that's where we are some of us are in Thyatira right now all but out of the church we show up we come we go through the church service we like the music need to enjoy the sermon but we can't wait for the Sun to set right back to our stuff with our eggs some of us are in Sardis that's the subject day I'll come back to that summer in Philadelphia being tested again summer and laid to see you just an absolute mastermind PhD in hypocrisy but wherever you are Hey wherever you are God has not given up that was a very weak amen wherever you are in the journey God is not giving up God is still busy trying to save me I like it I like him he is more positive brother King than I am because when all hope is gone and me God is saying we just getting started in fact for some of you thank you Jesus for some of you God is waiting until you're absolutely discouraged absolutely beaten down absolutely given up he's waiting for that because finally when you get there you'll get out of his way and he can save you huh huh yes now today's handout explains some of the things going on in the Christian Church over the years that have contributed to these various stages that you're in are you with me so take the sheet the Ephesus period was that apostolic era the period of zeal when they went from house to house breaking brand all that stuff no need to go back to that again Smyrna the church under severe persecution Pergamus the church becomes what look at the sheet becomes what popular compromise the standards and does what else and compromises the teachings of the Apostles and then what happens during the pergolas period yeah the president joins the church and watch it now the church becomes involved and being acceptable could I could I make this statement right now anytime you're really living the Christian life you will never be acceptable because real Christianity here it speaks people so the church now took in the in drawer then in Thyatira look what happened the church did what lost what he teachings of scriptures like the seventh-day Sabbath the state of the Dead and others on diet and modest dress tithing the permanence of the ten commandments were laid aside the Church of Rome commonly called Catholic rose to dominate Christianity during this time period that leads to Sardis let's read Sardis together the Lord come on everybody start again the Lord seeks to save the Christian Church through the Protestant Reformation many of our well-known products in churches came into existence during this time period and the Catholic shirts split in two Eastern Orthodox and Western Catholicism by the way if you're watching you're watching the head of the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Catholic pope met together for the first time in almost two thousand years a sign at the end the sign of the end all right let's pause right there Sarris we're gonna talk about Sardis are you ready let's pray thank you Lord amen now when I think about what happens in Sardis I become extremely concerned for the members of my church the church got so far off track in Thyatira the Lord had to stir up something and what he stirred up was the Reformation what it is stir up their response to apostasy is Reformation the response to apostasy is what and the Lord began to move upon some very key people in the Catholic Church to reform that church men like Wycliffe swingley huh and Martin Luther these were people watch me they were not interested in leaving the church they just wanted the church to be better okay the Lord stirred up the Reformation stay with me I'm setting you up for something the Lord stirred up the Reformation now look at the word that you find describing the church in Sardis you're going to Revelation the 3rd chapter look at the words look at the words and to the angel of the church in Sardis right read it with me these things everybody these things more people reading these things says he who has the seven spirits of God and the Seven Stars that is the seven spirits of God if the work of the Spirit of God to bring us the truth and understanding I know you're what works that you have a name that you are alive but are dead hence my subject what's in a name what's in a name see the most broken commandment in the church is the third commandment thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain finish it for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that does what takes his name in vain when you became a Christian you took on the name of Christ so a Christian or to act like Christ wasn't that a profound statement that was deep wasn't it no it wasn't that's just simple truth a Christian ought to act like Christ the Bible says you have a name the name is Christ but the name sounds like you're living but the fact is what are you what are you dan dan in the Reformation the Lord stirred up the Protestants when where did I use to protest against the excesses and sins of the church and they started off with great zeal thousands of people begin to leave the ways of Romanism and began to go back to the Bible that just shall live by faith the Bible in the Bible only the the Lutheran's came up and the Presbyterians came up and the Congregationalists came up and this group and the Huguenots came all kind of people came up all moving away from the excesses the problem was they got so far and went no further the Protestants stopped protesting have you not read that statement by Ellen White where she says that if the Protestant Reformation had done its work there would have been no need for the seventh-day Adventist Church see when God starts something I need everybody to listen today when God starts something in your life he's not playing around when the Lord moves upon you for change he's not goofing off he expects you to submit yourself to him Antron a until he has accomplished everything in your life he wants and he will not stop until he does and you can't say to the Lord enough is enough it's not enough tell he says it's enough the Protestants stopped protesting they never went back to the seventh-day Sabbath they kept on teaching that the law was done away with and the Lord was upset he's saying to Sardis hey you had a name your own away you did go from 15 17 on toward 1798 but the time came when you particularly as the founders of Protestantism died then the followers of these leaders just stopped right there there is no body in the church that you ever put in front of Jesus Christ the Lord did not want Lutheran's worshipping Luther they wanted Lutheran's worshipping Jesus Christ and you who are new in the church those new members will be dealing with today that came in and last year 12 2015 remember there is nobody including Henry right that is ever your model or mode you keep going as far as Jesus wants to take you and if the man who baptizes you falls out of the church you stay there there's no room for Mama's religion in the Adventist Church mama can't save you come on somebody and so the Protestants stopped protesting and the Reformation that Jesus himself had brought into existence just fell off and so Jesus says reading here still in Revelation 3 let's go back there verse 2 you see verse 2 let's read come on be watchful and do what Protestants Protestants watch what there's a problem there's some things you've strengthened but you've not gone far enough and if you don't keep strengthening they're going to die now watch me watch me if God is leading you toward the glory and it's working on your life Rodney Cartwright to change you if you don't go as far as God wants you to go then you start going backwards you'll lose what progress you made because you're not going as far as God wants to take you is anybody listening to me see there may be somebody in this congregation who has set limits on your Christian growth I've given up this that and the other so forth and so on but you know the Lord don't require all that and so the Lord tells you he doesn't require all that you better act like he requires all that see the Lord doesn't want you my dear Christian brother and sister to just ease up on drinking alcohol he wants you to give up drinking alcohol these weak poultry amens on getting today on these key points of truth he does not just want you to cut back on your use of tobacco the god I serve is powerful enough to take the desire of tobacco totally out of your life he does not want you to just stop going to see that person you have no business singing he doesn't want you to just ease up and only see them once a month that is all up in your business now he wants you to lose that phone number act like that person is dead I want a loud Amen right now he said I started something I'm trying to straighten you out you don't tell me how far you gonna go you go as far as I want you to go you don't stop changing till I stop changing you the Lord does not believe in limited religion scratch scratch scratch that say it again the Lord does not believe in limited spirituality start believing that you can be a prayer filled Bible filled Holy Ghost filled walk around with this was that little car used to make horrible thing Hugo remember the Hugo the Lord is not interested in your having you go religion he wants you to have come on now Rose rolls-royce religion the Lord has bigger plans for you than you have for yourself the Lord actually believes you can be a victorious everyday kind God loving people loving Christian he believes that how come you don't believe it how come you keep on making excuses for yourself why don't you believe that you can be an overcomer I read my Bible every time these churches and he that overcomes he he wouldn't say that if you didn't think you couldn't do that you can stop line you can stop fornicating you can stop smoking you can stop drinking you can stop stealing God's side you can stop being mean sometime you can stop and we sometimes glory in these weak statements I know I'm gonna ought to be but I'm what I used to be all come on get off that don't want to be what you ought to be we're afraid to claim victorious living I read my Bible where's that text let's quote it I can do all things come on olympians 4:13 finish it I can do all things how through right who genin you can be you can move out of Sardis the Sardis can provide you with false comfort I'm growing I know pastor dang and everything I should've even I'm growing oh when you go finish growing the text says be watchful and we strengthen the things which remain the heretic a die rod not found your works perfect before God now the word perfection scares us to death and we even brag on it ain't nobody perfect yeah we we we say it almost with a relief well menu and you still doing songs away ain't nobody perfect you know Jesus has some amazing ideas about how we can live you ever read that text in Matthew 5 if the brother asks you to go one mile go to come on now if the sister asks for your jacket give her your fur coat - it's in there not quite that way but it's in there the thought is there and then here's one here's one here's one point it's the brother upside the face you know you read that text turn the other cheek now don't some of you said all right I got to cheat see but that hit me the third time we all pay we always draw back from the ultimate victory and I think it's time for us to start believing in what God can do sardis stop believing it they that the Reformation really affected the Roman Church and and the Bible was cut loose from the pulpit and and indulgences went down in popularity and various false beliefs they were making progress there too but they stopped just when victory was in sight look I don't want to almost go to heaven come on Gary I want to go to heaven is that all right my brother almost don't get it almost don't get it so so the words are very very serious Lipton's 3 12 and 14 Libyans 3 12 to 14 look at this look at this with these three turning in verse 12 not that I have already attained for him already perfect perfected but what what reason next race what does it say I'm pressing on the upward way new heights what come on finish it I'm getting how much every day that's the way God wants you to live never be comfortable with any stage of development in Christ verse 13 brethren I do not count myself to earth after a hen did but one thing I do read it folk for getting those things which was and reaching forward to those things which are ahead what do I do there it is again there it is again what am i doing pressing forward pressing we're pressing forward for the for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ yet being like Christ is the goal are you afraid to be like Christ shocked somebody I like what old Fabian said in a sermon this morning have such progress made in your life that are you preached a good word this morning stirred me up stir and you talked about the importance of seeing something happen so that you shock your children your spouse says you know she says that thing that normally tease you off and you don't say no she says what what is what manner of man is this he's somebody who's pressing toward the mark somebody say Amen he done decided no I didn't want to steal from me my heaven the folk who live with me the book I work with I'm growing in Christ to the point where they say who is it Thank You tad for giving me that this morning we need to see we need to reach the point where folk and and and I can see that it's this the disappointment in heaven as the Reformation begin to fizzle out oh my god had him going God had him going people were reading the Bible the Bible was translated into English and and and into German and into French and and and into English and and and and progress was being made and people's our eyes were being opened but they stopped they stopped something very terrible the end to happen to the church 2nd Peter 3:18 second Peter 3 verse 18 I love this ah you see it you see that text let's read it y'all come on but do what do what do what say it again for me to do Tomatoes do what whoa how in Greece see pastor talk this morning about decaying grace about about grace provided by God but not use not taking advantage of the Bible says grow in grace and in knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ that's the pathway you're on and once you got on that pathway you cannot stop and you pictured yourself as a person that can get along with everybody see this is why the church people you do all those odd people in this church oh yeah let's keep the eyes straightforward I mean looking around saying hey don't be doing that ya know the Lord brought the odd words into the church brother O'Neal so that as we fellowship with them and we accept their oddness another people-to-people jadid it's the strangest frame but they're people at church that say stuff and you say but they're your fellow church members and God has brought them here that you might grow in grace somebody say Amen out there and so that person stands next to you every Sabbath cake carry your note in a tongue and they sing loud and Adam are trying to stay on key and there they are they're monotone God said love them with all your heart and all your mind and then people don't know what to say it you have no idea what to say you come into its say oh oh and you know what's coming out though yours gonna be dumb and stupid but they're loved by God in that wonderful Oh some y'all having a hard time saying it man but you know I'm telling the truth love thy God and the Lord's gonna keep them in the church they gonna be safe praise God he's gonna wipe away the oddness before he takes them to glory but right here in this place they're gonna stay on till Jesus comes why you need them that you might be saved I tell the young pastors that's why they're in your church people that call you know some people think the patches don't sleep at all oh three in the morning how old I can't sleep now there's two of us but these are the saints of the church why y'all laughing these are the saints of the church because some of you are these people but this shows the breath I'm finishing up now this shows the breadth and depth of God's love he has brought us all here that he might transform us somebody say a man out there so you got the sand ones that just have a good time in church you got the melancholic that criticized everybody you got the cool air to try to boss everybody you got the phlegmatic so don't care about nothing all of us going to glory together by the grace of God why he said it when I started I'm don't finish and you begin to be amazed at yourself things that you thought you couldn't handle you start handling you find the peace of God coming into your life Matthew 24:13 yes Matthew 24:13 this text is so precious to me get on over there Matthew 24:13 you see it don't read before I get there now Matthew 24 verse 13 this is a great promise as we deal with what God is going Stardust's fail they just didn't go as far as God one of them to go one of them to go they gave up they gave up Matthew 24 and verse 13 look at that tech you see that text read that thing loud come on y'all let's read it but he who does what come over there mark the brother that hangs in there as long as daughter that's gonna be safe that's why I'm not gonna let the article drive me out of this church I got to hang till Jesus shows up some of you he may have to give you some cancer to save you but he that endures come on now some of you he's gonna break your bank huh some of you he's gonna deliver you from that marriage you've been afraid to pray for deliverance you'll just deliver you but you might be saying what you need to know is this even while you're sitting here in church worried about that in the other God is working to finish what he started he's got to get you out of Sardis but his stop they didn't go any further he begged him at least hold on to something that remains please do that don't lose everything Protestant show me something but it got so bad the Lord said I got a rise up another people the remnant church feature about that next Sabbath that's the Philadelphia Church they group of people who thought Jesus was coming I'm going to preach next week about what it means if you really believe Jesus is coming really it's your life but this week we just want to say this one thing the Lord saw they hadn't gone far enough and so the Lord formed another church made up of all the other churches she'll talk about the Sydney Adventist Church some of y'all used to be Baptist something I used to be Memphis so me always to be Catholics some used to be Pentecostals come on somebody we are full of a whole lot of some of y'all some of y'all used to be this something else to be that came in this church we brought some Baptist with us we got some Holy Ghost with us the Pentecost come on somebody we got the Catholics of the Methodist we got everything here that's why this church is so powerful God is finished in this church I'm glad I'm here we some of everything in this church because the Lord said what I finish what I start I'm gonna finish and so james511 says we count those happy that endure and first Peter 2:19 for this is thank worthy if a man for conscience sake toward God into a grease suffering wrongfully the Lord was determined to change his church man and his wife and son were travelling to the Far West in the days of the old covered wagon lor was blessing them having it as a trip they reached a point where they came to a river they would have to ford rains had preceded them before they got to this point in the journey the river was swollen with water flowing swiftly well the father said this is a sign from God maybe we ought to just get some rest mother said I'm gonna go up River and wore some of our clothes for the dust that that fast-moving water clean these clothes well dad said if you're gonna do that I'm going to go downriver and my fishing pole there maybe it's turn to the water pick up some fish out of this that's going water it's not as short as parents I'm gonna go swimming but not out deep so they each have their assignment suddenly the Sun heard a cry it was the voice of his mother as she leaned over the rock dipping the clothes the fast currents had caught in the clothes and with a for she didn't measure and pulled her in to the fast food they knew instantly mom can't swim boy begin to swim upstream the father came running the car was too strong for the young boy he could not get to his mother at the bottom of the strong swimmer got to his mother and his wife and begin to try to bring her but she was so afraid she was fighting fighting against him she sunk again he went down again pulled Rutledge again she's panicked all over she's she's working against him he's he's trying to save her he's working against them and he he's trying and and she loses her again he's an absolute panic she's she's she's the very thing that will save her she's fighting he goes down again and finally she relents and he swims to the shore the Sun is there alums are full of water and they work they're pumped they're working and this is for the days people do anything about you know that kind of CPR they just doing what they can just pumping hoping hoping hoping finally after almost an hour they realize the mom was born and that father leading beside his drowned wife raid his voice toward heaven and pride and agony Oh Lord I tried to save her and she would I pray to God that our blessed Savior will not have to say on the day of judgment for Henry right I try to get him out of Sardis I tried to move him from almost two altogether I tried to relieve him from half-stepping Christianity I wanted to make him perfect and hold a triad father but he wouldn't let me I don't want to be the reason why Jesus heart aches for the rest of eternity are you listening to me so the song says Jesus Savior Pilate me over life's in pest would see the Lord bless you Jesus save your pilot me over lies temptation see unknown waves before me roll hiding Roarke and treacherous ol chart and compass calm for me Jesus save your pilot me let's get right to it let's get right you've been content with an almost life you've lost the courage to believe that God can give you absolute victory in your life you've bought the kool-aid the cheap sugar filled kool-aid of God understands he knows my weakness rather than offering God your weakness and believing he can make you strong you no longer live courageous Christianity you become an excuse spill excuse written half believer and you cheapen the grace of God by wanting him to cover what he cannot cover because God believes you can be more and so you want the courage to believe that you and Christ can be victorious listen to this appeal you want the courage to believe you want the Lord to arrest you my you've gotten comfortable in Sardis but the Reformation ain't over the Reformation is not finished there's some things you still must put down and so the first appeal that Christian in this room that person in this room who wants to be sure that you're not standing in the way of Jesus to take you as far as he wants to take you want me to pray he'll have the courage that let him do what he needs to do if you want that stand on your feet next verse as a mother steals her child though can touch the ocean world boisterous waves obey thy will when thou says to them be still wondrous sovereign of the sea Jesus save your pilot fees second appeal God's Word has spoken to you today you know dear ones let me give you some good news every Sabbath this year somebody has joined this church even last Sabbath young man came to the door he was in Bible class this morning I want to prepare for baptism and the thing that has thrilled me is that everyone who has come to this church I got nothing gets folk over 50 please know that I'm over 50 I love over 50 what every person who has come into this church this year on each Sabbath has been a young adult or a child somebody able to say Amen I don't know what will happen today this is not my doing I'm not in I'm not in the saving business that's the only spirits worth I'm in the preaching business but today you'd like to come I know you can tell me at the door but you'd like to come down front here I am I to want to take Bible studies I too want to prepare for baptism I too want the Lord to finish in me but I got to get started and I want to get started today by giving myself to Jesus be it a child a teenager a young adult a person of years as Anwar sings the next verse and the church is praying just move from where you are and come down first may I hear thee say to me fear not I will pilot the just and quietly solid minute that's just wait and see hope singing softly playing just see you praying if that person will come just thirty seconds you can stand quietly for 30 more seconds oh if that person would just come if you would just come father God father God we just thank you that you're still working on us the Reformation for Henry right it not over changes still have to be made improvements have to happen sin must be laid aside victory has become the mantra of our lives help us lord help us to cling to the concept of victory to believe in victory after each of the seven churches the words of Jesus are he that overcometh that means it is possible Pilate us Lord take us through that tempestuous Reformation to land on the shore victory to this end we have prayed and give thanks all the people said amen please be seated but you're glad you came to church today let's stand together and sing the song

Channel: Takoma Park SDA Church

Views: 11,224

Rating: 4.9583335 out of 5

Keywords: Pastor Henry Wright, TPC, Revelation Series, Takoma Park, Takoma Park SDA, SDA, Takoma Park Church, Revelation, Seventh Day Adventist, Adventist, Takoma Park SDA Church

Id: NTVi2k9t5Ok

Length: 52min 55sec (3175 seconds)

Published: Sun Feb 21 2016