Latest / Adventist Podcast Network / Mesa Palms Seventh-day Adventist Church - Jesus Is Coming Again

Transcript

Mesa Palms Seventh-day Adventist Church - Jesus Is Coming Again · Adventist Podcast Network

• 0:00
  Dennis Canther: Coming again.
• 0:02
  Dennis Canther: Jesus is coming again.
• 0:05
  Dennis Canther: Do you believe it?
• 0:08
  Dennis Canther: Can you b uh do you believe it?
• 0:11
  Dennis Canther: Jesus is coming again.
• 0:14
  Dennis Canther: Marvelous message we bring.
• 0:17
  Dennis Canther: Wonderful word of the King.
• 0:19
  Dennis Canther: Jesus is coming again.
• 0:21
  Dennis Canther: Are you ready?
• 0:23
  Dennis Canther: Title of the Sermon, Are You Ready?
• 0:26
  Dennis Canther: Let's turn in our Bibles to 1 Thessalonians 5.
• 0:31
  Dennis Canther: First Thessalonians 5
• 0:34
  Dennis Canther: We're gonna be using our Bibles.
• 0:36
  Dennis Canther: If you don't have one, it's not gonna be on the screen.
• 0:40
  Dennis Canther: There's power in God's word.
• 0:42
  Dennis Canther: Did you know that?
• 0:43
  Dennis Canther: There's power in opening God's word right here.
• 0:48
  Dennis Canther: And I don't care what translation you have, whatever touches your heart
• 0:54
  Dennis Canther: That's what's important.
• 0:56
  Dennis Canther: So you open it up.
• 0:58
  Dennis Canther: If you don't have a Bible, you need to look find one.
• 1:01
  Dennis Canther: There's one in front of you on the pew.
• 1:04
  Dennis Canther: Open it up because I think you'll find that it's good to get into God's word.
• 1:10
  Dennis Canther: Let's study it this morning.
• 1:13
  Dennis Canther: Okay, 1 Thessalonians 5.
• 1:15
  Dennis Canther: Have you found that?
• 1:17
  Dennis Canther: It's in the New Testament, 1 Thessalonians 5, and verses 2.
• 1:23
  Dennis Canther: Starting with verse 2, it says, You know very well
• 1:30
  Dennis Canther: That the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.
• 1:37
  Dennis Canther: Does Jesus come like a thief
• 1:40
  Dennis Canther: Does he come quietly and secretly?
• 1:44
  Dennis Canther: How do we know that?
• 1:46
  Dennis Canther: You look up just a few verses.
• 1:49
  Dennis Canther: Verse 16.
• 1:51
  Dennis Canther: Verse 16, 516.
• 1:53
  Dennis Canther: For the Lord himself with come down from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of an archangel and the trump of God.
• 2:02
  Dennis Canther: Uh yeah, the trumpet call of God and the dead in Christ will rise first.
• 2:06
  Dennis Canther: Does that sound like it'll be secretly?
• 2:09
  Dennis Canther: No.
• 2:09
  Dennis Canther: It's gonna be a lot of noise.
• 2:11
  Dennis Canther: Gonna be a lot of trumpets, a lot of angels singing.
• 2:14
  Dennis Canther: Jesus is gonna come with a loud trumpet blast, and everyone is gonna hear him, aren't they?
• 2:20
  Dennis Canther: They sure are.
• 2:22
  Dennis Canther: And then let's continue down.
• 2:24
  Dennis Canther: Uh first Thessalonians five.
• 2:26
  Dennis Canther: It says, While people are saying peace and safety, destruction will come on them.
• 2:35
  Dennis Canther: Suddenly, it will be a surprise.
• 2:39
  Dennis Canther: It's the timing we're talking about.
• 2:41
  Dennis Canther: Not how he's gonna come, but the timing
• 2:45
  Dennis Canther: Uh as suddenly as the labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.
• 2:52
  Dennis Canther: So when Jesus comes, it'll be what?
• 2:57
  Dennis Canther: Yeah, it'll be suddenly.
• 2:59
  Dennis Canther: It'll be surprisingly.
• 3:01
  Dennis Canther: But the problem is it will only be a surprise for certain people.
• 3:06
  Dennis Canther: It'll be a surprise for those who don't believe Jesus is coming.
• 3:10
  Dennis Canther: You believe that?
• 3:12
  Dennis Canther: It will also be a surprise for believers.
• 3:16
  Dennis Canther: Now hear me close.
• 3:18
  Dennis Canther: It will be for believers who have so many priorities or are not prepared for Jesus to come.
• 3:31
  Dennis Canther: It's important that you ask yourself, are we ready?
• 3:37
  Dennis Canther: But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness
• 3:41
  Dennis Canther: See?
• 3:42
  Dennis Canther: You don't have we and we know what's going on.
• 3:44
  Dennis Canther: So that this day should not surprise you like a thief
• 3:50
  Dennis Canther: You are the children of light and the children of the day.
• 3:54
  Dennis Canther: We do not belong to the night and to the darkness.
• 3:57
  Dennis Canther: So then let us not be like others who are what?
• 4:03
  Dennis Canther: Sleeping!
• 4:05
  Dennis Canther: Is there anybody sleeping this morning?
• 4:09
  Dennis Canther: Not yet.
• 4:10
  Dennis Canther: That's good.
• 4:11
  Dennis Canther: You're still awake yet.
• 4:13
  Dennis Canther: That's good because it says we need to be awake and sober.
• 4:21
  Dennis Canther: You know what the word for sober is?
• 4:23
  Dennis Canther: It's a Greek word for sober called naphom, and that word literally means to be self-controlled.
• 4:34
  Dennis Canther: We need to be control ourselves and choose Jesus.
• 4:39
  Dennis Canther: Have you chosen Jesus today?
• 4:42
  Dennis Canther: Praise God, because it's a relationship with Jesus that will help you to be ready.
• 4:50
  Dennis Canther: And you will be ready if you choose Jesus.
• 4:54
  Dennis Canther: I'd like to have you turn to Luke Twenty One.
• 5:00
  Dennis Canther: Luke Twenty One.
• 5:03
  Dennis Canther: Luke 21.
• 5:05
  Dennis Canther: I really love seeing you all open your Bibles.
• 5:09
  Dennis Canther: Praise God for that.
• 5:11
  Dennis Canther: That is wonderful.
• 5:12
  Dennis Canther: That's power right there.
• 5:13
  Dennis Canther: The Holy Spirit.
• 5:15
  Dennis Canther: will send us power as we step out to either tell Jesus about love, the love in our heart for Jesus, as we tell someone else or share someone else, the Holy Spirit supplies power
• 5:28
  Dennis Canther: As we open God's word and we study, what does God supply?
• 5:33
  Dennis Canther: The Holy Spirit to give us power as we study his word.
• 5:37
  Dennis Canther: So, Luke 21, 25, 21, 25, and it says here, there will be signs in the sun and the moon and the stars, and on the earth nations will be in anguish.
• 5:50
  Dennis Canther: perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea.
• 5:54
  Dennis Canther: People will be terrified, worrying about what is coming on the world, for the powers of heaven will be shaken.
• 6:03
  Dennis Canther: And then
• 6:05
  Dennis Canther: You will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory
• 6:13
  Dennis Canther: And when these things begin to take place, what things are we talking about?
• 6:21
  Dennis Canther: What are the things that are going to take place?
• 6:24
  Dennis Canther: We just read about 'em, all these tossing the sea, people scared.
• 6:28
  Dennis Canther: I mean, we've had the peace and safety.
• 6:31
  Dennis Canther: We're now living in the time of sudden destruction.
• 6:36
  Dennis Canther: And so when these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws nigh.
• 6:46
  Dennis Canther: There are fifteen hundred prophecies in the Bible about the second coming of Jesus.
• 6:53
  Dennis Canther: For every prophecy that foretells Jesus' coming,
• 6:57
  Dennis Canther: There are eight prophecies that foretell his second coming.
• 7:03
  Dennis Canther: Is God trying to tell us something?
• 7:06
  Dennis Canther: Did you hear about all those verses all through the Bible that tell not only about Jesus' first coming, but about a surprising amount of them for God's
• 7:19
  Dennis Canther: Jesus' second coming.
• 7:22
  Dennis Canther: Ellen G.
• 7:23
  Dennis Canther: White says, sin and separation from God has almost reached its limit.
• 7:28
  Dennis Canther: Confusion fills the world, and a great terror is soon to come upon human beings.
• 7:34
  Dennis Canther: The end is very near.
• 7:37
  Dennis Canther: God's people should be preparing for what is to break upon the world as an overwhelming surprise
• 7:46
  Dennis Canther: We are in a temporal world that is passing away.
• 7:53
  Dennis Canther: There was a woman
• 7:56
  Dennis Canther: who had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and had been given three months to live.
• 8:02
  Dennis Canther: Well, as she was getting things in order, she contacted the pastor
• 8:06
  Dennis Canther: and had him come to her house to discuss to him certain aspects of her final wishes.
• 8:14
  Dennis Canther: She told him which songs she wanted sung at the service, what scriptures she liked read
• 8:19
  Dennis Canther: what outfit she wanted to be buried in.
• 8:22
  Dennis Canther: She also requested to be buried with her favorite Bible.
• 8:26
  Dennis Canther: Everything was in order
• 8:28
  Dennis Canther: and as the pastor was preparing to leave, when the woman suddenly remembered something very important to her.
• 8:35
  Dennis Canther: Wait there's one more thing, she said excitedly
• 8:40
  Dennis Canther: What's that?
• 8:41
  Dennis Canther: This is very important, the woman continued.
• 8:46
  Dennis Canther: I want to be buried with a fork in my right hand.
• 8:55
  Dennis Canther: Did you know you got those little packages for something, didn't you?
• 8:59
  Dennis Canther: That wasn't toys.
• 9:01
  Dennis Canther: That sermon illustration
• 9:05
  Dennis Canther: Okay.
• 9:06
  Dennis Canther: I see some of you are taking them out, and that's a good thing.
• 9:10
  Dennis Canther: Because the pastor stood looking at the woman, not knowing quite what to say.
• 9:16
  Dennis Canther: Now that surprises you, doesn't it?
• 9:18
  Dennis Canther: the woman asked.
• 9:20
  Dennis Canther: Well, to be honest, I'm puzzled by the request.
• 9:23
  Dennis Canther: After the woman explained, the pastor's eyes welled up with joy, tears of joy as he hugged the woman goodbye.
• 9:30
  Dennis Canther: He knew this would be one of the last times he would see her before her death.
• 9:35
  Dennis Canther: Well, at the funeral, people were walking by the casket and and as they passed they saw the Bible.
• 9:45
  Dennis Canther: She wanted to have there, and I noticed that in the Bible, she had a text that was actually highlighted here in Revelation 1.
• 9:54
  Dennis Canther: 7.
• 9:55
  Dennis Canther: And it says, Behold, he comes with clouds, and every eye shall what?
• 10:03
  Dennis Canther: They will.
• 10:05
  Dennis Canther: That's correct.
• 10:06
  Dennis Canther: And then she had one more thing highlighted in her Bible.
• 10:10
  Dennis Canther: And this was Revelation 21.
• 10:14
  Dennis Canther: Verse four And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes
• 10:22
  Dennis Canther: And there shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain, for the former things are passed away.
• 10:33
  Dennis Canther: Won't that be a blessed day?
• 10:36
  Dennis Canther: Amen.
• 10:37
  Dennis Canther: It will be and they all noticed and they whispered to each other, So what's with the fork?
• 10:47
  Dennis Canther: That's strange.
• 10:49
  Dennis Canther: And that's and whenever the pastor heard them keep saying, people just kept going by what's with the fork in her hand.
• 10:56
  Dennis Canther: And he did they just kept going by and he just smiled.
• 11:00
  Dennis Canther: And so when it came time for the message, the pastor said
• 11:10
  Dennis Canther: Um during his message the pastor related the conversation he had with the woman shortly before she died.
• 11:17
  Dennis Canther: The woman had said in all my years of attending church fellowship dinners, I always remember
• 11:23
  Dennis Canther: when the paper plates were thrown away.
• 11:27
  Dennis Canther: But somebody always says, keep your fork
• 11:34
  Dennis Canther: Have you seen the desert table?
• 11:36
  Dennis Canther: The desert have you that's where we live.
• 11:39
  Dennis Canther: That's good.
• 11:41
  Dennis Canther: Have you seen?
• 11:42
  Dennis Canther: What am I supposed to say
• 11:44
  Dennis Canther: Have you seen the dessert table?
• 11:46
  Dennis Canther: Thank you.
• 11:47
  Dennis Canther: Velvety chocolate cake or deep dish apple pie with ice cream.
• 11:52
  Dennis Canther: It all looks so wonderful.
• 11:55
  Dennis Canther: So I just want people to see me there in the casket with a fork in my hand, and I want them to wonder, what's with the fork?
• 12:04
  Dennis Canther: And then I want you to tell them, keeper fork, because the best is yet to come.
• 12:14
  Dennis Canther: How many of us here have loved ones who have gone to sleep and are waiting for Jesus to come again?
• 12:21
  Dennis Canther: I'll be all of us.
• 12:23
  Dennis Canther: The good news, Jesus is coming back.
• 12:26
  Dennis Canther: The second coming is mentioned one time for every five verses in the New Testament.
• 12:34
  Dennis Canther: We need to be spending time studying, praying, and telling others about the second coming of Jesus.
• 12:42
  Dennis Canther: Jesus is coming back, and I believe it.
• 12:46
  Dennis Canther: Can you say that with me?
• 12:48
  Dennis Canther: Jesus is coming back, and I believe it.
• 12:53
  Dennis Canther: And I believe
• 12:56
  Dennis Canther: Jesus is coming back.
• 12:58
  Dennis Canther: Jesus is coming back and wonderful.
• 13:03
  Dennis Canther: And I believe
• 13:06
  Dennis Canther: is coming back and hold up your fork the best is yet to come thank you for participating by the way I know it seems weird
• 13:18
  Dennis Canther: But you know what?
• 13:20
  Dennis Canther: Sometimes we have to step out of our little comfort zone and look a little childish, don't we?
• 13:25
  Dennis Canther: Is that okay?
• 13:27
  Dennis Canther: The best is yet to come.
• 13:28
  Dennis Canther: Can you say that?
• 13:30
  Dennis Canther: The best is yet to come.
• 13:32
  Dennis Canther: Praise God.
• 13:40
  Dennis Canther: Have have some of you fallen asleep even before the the sermon is started?
• 13:46
  Dennis Canther: Jonah 1 6 says Jonah had fallen into a deep sleep.
• 13:53
  Dennis Canther: Captain came to him and said
• 13:57
  Dennis Canther: Wake up!
• 13:59
  Dennis Canther: How can you sleep at a time like this?
• 14:02
  Dennis Canther: There's a storm raging outside and you are fast asleep.
• 14:08
  Dennis Canther: Wake up
• 14:11
  Dennis Canther: And so God speaks to us.
• 14:13
  Dennis Canther: Are you saying and thinking we've heard and read all this before?
• 14:17
  Dennis Canther: Are you feeling so full of the priorities of this life that you are no longer hungry for God's word?
• 14:26
  Dennis Canther: Are you making it a priority to take advantage of every opportunity to attend Sabbath school, church?
• 14:33
  Dennis Canther: Midweek study, prayer meetings, seminars, evangelistic meetings.
• 14:38
  Dennis Canther: Do you take time to study God's Word every day?
• 14:46
  Dennis Canther: Are you ready for Jesus to come?
• 14:49
  Dennis Canther: Do you study your Bible every day?
• 14:53
  Dennis Canther: Every day.
• 14:55
  Dennis Canther: Fill your mind.
• 14:57
  Dennis Canther: with God's love, with scripture, with reading the reading the Bible, and with prayer.
• 15:08
  Dennis Canther: John seventeen three.
• 15:10
  Dennis Canther: Can we turn to that together please?
• 15:12
  Dennis Canther: John seventeen three
• 15:20
  Dennis Canther: John seventeen three.
• 15:24
  Dennis Canther: Maybe you'll get there before I will.
• 15:27
  Dennis Canther: John seventeen three.
• 15:34
  Dennis Canther: Did you all get there?
• 15:36
  Dennis Canther: John 17 3.
• 15:38
  Dennis Canther: You gotta read it together.
• 15:39
  Dennis Canther: Let's look at it together.
• 15:41
  Dennis Canther: It says, This is eternal life
• 15:45
  Dennis Canther: Okay, wouldn't we like to know what we need to do for eternal life?
• 15:50
  Dennis Canther: This is eternal life.
• 15:54
  Dennis Canther: And then it says that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.
• 16:04
  Dennis Canther: We've heard this before, but look at it closely.
• 16:08
  Dennis Canther: It says this is eternal life, that they know you.
• 16:11
  Dennis Canther: The Greek word here is gnosko, and what that literally means is an intimate knowledge.
• 16:19
  Dennis Canther: An intimate relationship with Jesus Christ.
• 16:23
  Dennis Canther: Do you have an intimate relationship?
• 16:26
  Dennis Canther: You can only do that if you talk to somebody every day and if you communicate.
• 16:32
  Dennis Canther: Communication is the key.
• 16:35
  Dennis Canther: And so that they know you, knowing Jesus so well, that when you talk to others
• 16:43
  Dennis Canther: It produces offspring.
• 16:47
  Dennis Canther: Jesus wants you to produce
• 16:51
  Dennis Canther: Those that you have shared his love with, that you've shared the Bible with, that you've shared the love of Jesus with, and it produces others that come to Jesus.
• 17:02
  Dennis Canther: And it says, know you the only true God.
• 17:06
  Dennis Canther: And what did Jesus come to show us?
• 17:10
  Dennis Canther: The love of the Father
• 17:12
  Dennis Canther: The true love of the Father, which included dying for us on the cross.
• 17:19
  Dennis Canther: That's what God's love is all about.
• 17:22
  Dennis Canther: The selfless
• 17:24
  Dennis Canther: Self-sacrificing love, unconditional love, something new that
• 17:32
  Dennis Canther: They did not know before Jesus was sent here.
• 17:35
  Dennis Canther: This is a new kind of love.
• 17:37
  Dennis Canther: This agape love that's so close.
• 17:40
  Dennis Canther: that it produces offspring and to know Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.
• 17:49
  Dennis Canther: Do you have a growing personal relationship with Jesus?
• 17:55
  Dennis Canther: Jesus is coming back and very good.
• 18:01
  Dennis Canther: Jesus is coming back and
• 18:04
  Dennis Canther: Very good.
• 18:05
  Dennis Canther: And I believe Jesus is coming back.
• 18:10
  Dennis Canther: Very good.
• 18:11
  Dennis Canther: And
• 18:14
  Dennis Canther: The best is yet to come.
• 18:16
  Dennis Canther: Can you do that with me?
• 18:18
  Dennis Canther: The best is yet to come.
• 18:21
  Dennis Canther: Very good.
• 18:26
  Dennis Canther: Wake up You're not gonna be able to sleep during this sermon.
• 18:33
  Dennis Canther: Did you notice that?
• 18:36
  Dennis Canther: Thank you.
• 18:37
  Dennis Canther: Thank you, Brother Daniel, for helping us.
• 18:40
  Dennis Canther: And yes, this message is for you.
• 18:44
  Dennis Canther: It's for all of you.
• 18:46
  Dennis Canther: I would like all of you to turn to someone right now
• 18:50
  Dennis Canther: and say this message is for you.
• 18:58
  Dennis Canther: You're doing it, praise God
• 19:01
  Dennis Canther: This message is for you.
• 19:03
  Dennis Canther: Some of you are so tired and I I I almost can't read this right now because most of you did it.
• 19:11
  Dennis Canther: So that's really good.
• 19:12
  Dennis Canther: See
• 19:13
  Dennis Canther: I don't have to say this.
• 19:14
  Dennis Canther: Some of you are so tired that you can't even turn to someone and say this message is for me.
• 19:20
  Dennis Canther: You did that.
• 19:22
  Dennis Canther: Praise God for that.
• 19:23
  Dennis Canther: I know it's hard to share with others what Jesus has done in your life, to admit that you have made mistakes, and then share how Jesus makes a difference in your life.
• 19:35
  Dennis Canther: This is your personal testimony that you need to share with others.
• 19:41
  Dennis Canther: It's hard to tell someone else about Jesus, isn't it?
• 19:44
  Dennis Canther: Why is that why would that be hard?
• 19:47
  Dennis Canther: Why is it hard to tell someone else about Jesus?
• 19:50
  Dennis Canther: You know, I think I know why.
• 19:53
  Dennis Canther: Because you're worried they're gonna ask you some question that you can't answer.
• 19:58
  Dennis Canther: But did you know that that's not what they want?
• 20:00
  Dennis Canther: They don't want to know that.
• 20:02
  Dennis Canther: They just want to know why when I see you smile, does it look like you have the love of Jesus in you?
• 20:08
  Dennis Canther: That's all they want to know
• 20:10
  Dennis Canther: They want to know what is the difference in your life.
• 20:15
  Dennis Canther: They don't want to know the 2300-day prophecy.
• 20:18
  Dennis Canther: They don't want to know all these things that we learn about all these.
• 20:24
  Dennis Canther: They just want to know what does Jesus mean in your life?
• 20:27
  Dennis Canther: Now.
• 20:28
  Dennis Canther: When you bring them to Jesus and you say, Would you like to study the Bible with me?
• 20:34
  Dennis Canther: And they say yes, then we can go into other things that are in the Bible and truth, truths.
• 20:40
  Dennis Canther: But
• 20:41
  Dennis Canther: Share with them the love of Jesus.
• 20:43
  Dennis Canther: What makes your life different?
• 20:46
  Dennis Canther: Romans 10 9 says, if you tell others that Jesus is Lord, if you tell others, if you share Jesus with others,
• 20:56
  Dennis Canther: And if you believe it in your heart that God raised him from the dead, what's the promise?
• 21:05
  Dennis Canther: You will be saved.
• 21:09
  Dennis Canther: That's Romans 10.
• 21:11
  Dennis Canther: 9.
• 21:11
  Dennis Canther: Romans 10.
• 21:12
  Dennis Canther: 9, it's a promise.
• 21:15
  Dennis Canther: If you tell others that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
• 21:24
  Dennis Canther: Jesus said, tell others what Christ has done in your life.
• 21:28
  Dennis Canther: Um I think we have time.
• 21:31
  Dennis Canther: We're gonna do one.
• 21:32
  Dennis Canther: This is fun.
• 21:33
  Dennis Canther: Luke.
• 21:34
  Dennis Canther: Let's turn to Luke.
• 21:36
  Dennis Canther: Luke 18.
• 21:40
  Dennis Canther: Luke eighteen.
• 21:46
  Dennis Canther: Can you find Luke?
• 21:48
  Dennis Canther: Luke eighteen verse ten.
• 21:53
  Dennis Canther: Neat little parable Jesus told.
• 21:57
  Dennis Canther: Luke eighteen verse ten
• 22:03
  Dennis Canther: Okay, you know the parable.
• 22:05
  Dennis Canther: Here's the first part, but I'm gonna change a little bit.
• 22:08
  Dennis Canther: You figured that, didn't you?
• 22:09
  Dennis Canther: So here it comes.
• 22:10
  Dennis Canther: There's two men went into the temple, right?
• 22:14
  Dennis Canther: And um, and they're gonna pray, and one of them was a what?
• 22:20
  Dennis Canther: Was a Pharisee
• 22:23
  Dennis Canther: Ferret only full up there.
• 22:26
  Dennis Canther: Was a Pharisee.
• 22:28
  Dennis Canther: Okay?
• 22:29
  Dennis Canther: And the other was what?
• 22:31
  Dennis Canther: Tax collector.
• 22:32
  Dennis Canther: Very good.
• 22:33
  Dennis Canther: And so you know that part.
• 22:35
  Dennis Canther: However, I'd like to just define the word Pharisee to you.
• 22:39
  Dennis Canther: You know, a Pharisee was a leader in the church.
• 22:41
  Dennis Canther: You know that, right?
• 22:43
  Dennis Canther: And they had studied the Bible since they were very young.
• 22:47
  Dennis Canther: They had even memorized the whole Torah, all f first five books.
• 22:53
  Dennis Canther: And they l read all the prophets, everything that they could.
• 22:58
  Dennis Canther: They knew it all.
• 22:59
  Dennis Canther: They were faithful churchgoers.
• 23:03
  Dennis Canther: They prayed.
• 23:05
  Dennis Canther: They did, they even gave tithe of everything that they got.
• 23:09
  Dennis Canther: Does that sound like they're a faithful church believer?
• 23:15
  Dennis Canther: Okay, very good.
• 23:16
  Dennis Canther: That's what I'd like to call this person.
• 23:18
  Dennis Canther: This is the faithful church believer, okay?
• 23:22
  Dennis Canther: Faithful church believer.
• 23:24
  Dennis Canther: Now we have a tax collector.
• 23:26
  Dennis Canther: Well, I don't collect taxes.
• 23:28
  Dennis Canther: No, no, no, no.
• 23:29
  Dennis Canther: It that's not what it's about.
• 23:31
  Dennis Canther: The tax collector was usually chosen by the Romans
• 23:38
  Dennis Canther: And it was usually a Jew.
• 23:42
  Dennis Canther: Because who best to get money from the Jews than what?
• 23:48
  Dennis Canther: A fellow Jew.
• 23:49
  Dennis Canther: That's correct.
• 23:51
  Dennis Canther: And so that's who they would choose to get the money.
• 23:54
  Dennis Canther: Now, it is true
• 23:56
  Dennis Canther: that the only way the tax collector make money, because the Romans told them to do this, by the way, so it's not all their fault.
• 24:04
  Dennis Canther: But they said you want to make money, you just ask for a little bit more than what we require, and that's your money.
• 24:12
  Dennis Canther: So see, was it that bad?
• 24:14
  Dennis Canther: Yes.
• 24:15
  Dennis Canther: Okay.
• 24:15
  Dennis Canther: But
• 24:16
  Dennis Canther: They were looked down on by all the Jews.
• 24:20
  Dennis Canther: They were the worst of the worst.
• 24:24
  Dennis Canther: Kind of like
• 24:26
  Dennis Canther: If I can make the comparison, a homeless person that comes into your church and says
• 24:35
  Dennis Canther: I need some money because I'm gonna go to New York City and that's where my family is.
• 24:43
  Dennis Canther: And I'm and I've heard this before.
• 24:46
  Dennis Canther: We we heard this in the last church we were in.
• 24:49
  Dennis Canther: And they've got all these little cards with these pictures all on it.
• 24:53
  Dennis Canther: It looks like they used it in every church they've gone to
• 24:57
  Dennis Canther: in their cycle around.
• 24:58
  Dennis Canther: But that's what they do.
• 24:59
  Dennis Canther: And they ask for money.
• 25:01
  Dennis Canther: Oh I need gas.
• 25:02
  Dennis Canther: My card I'm an empty and I just need a little more gas so that I can so
• 25:09
  Dennis Canther: We help them out.
• 25:11
  Dennis Canther: That's okay.
• 25:13
  Dennis Canther: We help them out.
• 25:14
  Dennis Canther: But they're still looked down on.
• 25:16
  Dennis Canther: So I'd like to read this a little different.
• 25:19
  Dennis Canther: So here's verse 11
• 25:21
  Dennis Canther: The Pharisee stood by himself and he prayed.
• 25:27
  Dennis Canther: So I'd like to call it the faithful church believer, all right?
• 25:32
  Dennis Canther: The faithful church believer stood by and they pray.
• 25:36
  Dennis Canther: God, boy, I thank you.
• 25:39
  Dennis Canther: I'm not like this homeless guy over here.
• 25:42
  Dennis Canther: Um
• 25:43
  Dennis Canther: Boy, I fast twice a week.
• 25:46
  Dennis Canther: Um, I give my tithe every Sabbath.
• 25:49
  Dennis Canther: Um, I go to the temple, um, you know, but I'm not like him.
• 25:54
  Dennis Canther: But meanwhile
• 25:56
  Dennis Canther: We look over at the homeless person, and the homeless person stands at a distance.
• 26:03
  Dennis Canther: He wouldn't even look up, but he beats on his chest and he says, What?
• 26:09
  Dennis Canther: God have mercy on me a sinner.
• 26:15
  Dennis Canther: See, not so different from today's world
• 26:20
  Dennis Canther: We look down on these people and we say, man, I'm glad I'm not like them.
• 26:25
  Dennis Canther: But you know, these are the people that are humbled enough
• 26:30
  Dennis Canther: to come to Jesus because they know they have a need.
• 26:35
  Dennis Canther: The problem is is the Pharisee or the f a lot of faithful believers feel like they don't really we've heard all this before.
• 26:44
  Dennis Canther: We've we've heard people speak that we've heard people preach on this before.
• 26:48
  Dennis Canther: We've heard all this.
• 26:50
  Dennis Canther: And they don't feel that need of the relationship.
• 26:55
  Dennis Canther: with Jesus.
• 26:56
  Dennis Canther: The only reason to come to church is to receive the word of God, to learn more of God's love.
• 27:04
  Dennis Canther: To reveal the character of God's love to others, to encourage fellowship with other believers, and to have your life changed because God spoke to you today.
• 27:15
  Dennis Canther: Did you hear all those things?
• 27:17
  Dennis Canther: There's a lot of reasons to come to church.
• 27:21
  Dennis Canther: To receive the Word of God, to learn more of God's love, to reveal the character of God to others
• 27:29
  Dennis Canther: to encourage fellowship with other believers and to have your life changed because God spoke to you today.
• 27:37
  Dennis Canther: There are only two reasons to be a Christian.
• 27:41
  Dennis Canther: Did you know what those two are?
• 27:44
  Dennis Canther: To love God with all your heart and help others do the same.
• 27:52
  Dennis Canther: Everything else you do is maintenance
• 27:57
  Dennis Canther: Maintaining a relationship.
• 27:59
  Dennis Canther: But to be a Christian, you love God with all your heart, and you tell others of Jesus, help others to do the same.
• 28:10
  Dennis Canther: Matthew 24, 13, if we keep holding on to Jesus or stand firm to the end, you will be saved.
• 28:18
  Dennis Canther: And this gospel will be preached to all the world.
• 28:22
  Dennis Canther: And then Jesus will return.
• 28:24
  Dennis Canther: Jesus is coming back.
• 28:26
  Dennis Canther: Are you ready for Jesus to come?
• 28:29
  Dennis Canther: Praise God.
• 28:30
  Dennis Canther: That was not bad.
• 28:31
  Dennis Canther: I heard a few.
• 28:33
  Dennis Canther: Jesus is coming back.
• 28:35
  Dennis Canther: And very good.
• 28:37
  Dennis Canther: Can you do that again?
• 28:38
  Dennis Canther: Jesus is coming back and
• 28:42
  Dennis Canther: Praise God, and I believe Praise God.
• 28:49
  Dennis Canther: Oh
• 28:53
  Dennis Canther: Vest is yet to come.
• 28:54
  Dennis Canther: Do you believe that?
• 28:56
  Dennis Canther: Hold your forecome.
• 28:59
  Dennis Canther: It's just a symbol.
• 29:01
  Dennis Canther: Just so you are making a commitment.
• 29:04
  Dennis Canther: The best is yet to come.
• 29:07
  Dennis Canther: I'd like to have you take your little cord out now.
• 29:10
  Dennis Canther: Little green cord that was in your bag.
• 29:13
  Dennis Canther: Two things for the sermon this morning.
• 29:16
  Dennis Canther: Like to have you hear a love story.
• 29:19
  Dennis Canther: This Allen G.
• 29:20
  Dennis Canther: White relates a dream and testimonies for the church.
• 29:23
  Dennis Canther: Whoa
• 29:29
  Dennis Canther: But it it saw me and rubbed my hands together.
• 29:35
  Dennis Canther: Ellen White Relates a Dream and Testimonies to the Church, Volume 1, page 28.
• 29:40
  Dennis Canther: I seem to be sitting in despair with my face in my hands, thinking, if Jesus were here on earth
• 29:48
  Dennis Canther: I would go to him, sit at his feet, and tell him all my problems.
• 29:53
  Dennis Canther: Wouldn't you love Jesus to be here today?
• 29:56
  Dennis Canther: Would you go to him and tell him all your problems?
• 29:59
  Dennis Canther: Yeah.
• 30:00
  Dennis Canther: That would be lovely.
• 30:02
  Dennis Canther: He would listen to me, and he would help me, and I would love and serve him no matter what.
• 30:09
  Dennis Canther: Just then a door opened, and a person of beautiful form and countenance entered
• 30:15
  Dennis Canther: He said to me, Do you desire to see Jesus?
• 30:19
  Dennis Canther: He is here, and you can see him if you desire it.
• 30:24
  Dennis Canther: He handed me a green cord coiled up tightly
• 30:29
  Dennis Canther: He directed me to take it out of the little bag I gave you.
• 30:36
  Dennis Canther: Did that?
• 30:37
  Dennis Canther: Yes.
• 30:38
  Dennis Canther: And take the cord.
• 30:40
  Dennis Canther: And he says, Take it
• 30:43
  Dennis Canther: He directed me to place it next to my heart.
• 30:48
  Dennis Canther: I am a pocket.
• 30:51
  Dennis Canther: Next to my heart.
• 30:54
  Dennis Canther: When I wish to have Jesus come into my heart to take it from my pocket
• 31:01
  Dennis Canther: You did that?
• 31:02
  Dennis Canther: That's a the angels telling LGY to do this.
• 31:06
  Dennis Canther: That's why I have you doing it.
• 31:07
  Dennis Canther: I I think it's good for us to do this, don't you?
• 31:11
  Dennis Canther: Look at this.
• 31:12
  Dennis Canther: And then he says, he directed me to place it next by heart.
• 31:16
  Dennis Canther: When I wish to have Jesus come into my heart, take it from my pocket and stretch it out.
• 31:23
  Dennis Canther: He cautioned me not to let it remain coiled for any length of time, or it would become knotted and difficult to straighten.
• 31:36
  Dennis Canther: I place the cord near my heart and praise the Lord, telling all who I met how they could have Jesus come into their life.
• 31:51
  Dennis Canther: This dream gave me hope.
• 31:53
  Dennis Canther: The green cord represented faith to my mind in the beauty and simplicity of trusting in God
• 32:02
  Dennis Canther: Gave me great courage and comfort.
• 32:07
  Dennis Canther: Let's take our cord out
• 32:10
  Dennis Canther: Here we have it.
• 32:12
  Dennis Canther: And what do we do next?
• 32:13
  Dennis Canther: We stretch it down.
• 32:15
  Dennis Canther: We gotta straighten it or it'll become knotted.
• 32:18
  Dennis Canther: We don't want that.
• 32:20
  Dennis Canther: Then we take the cord.
• 32:24
  Dennis Canther: Okay?
• 32:25
  Dennis Canther: And we put it this is not a magic trick.
• 32:29
  Dennis Canther: I don't and then we put it put it in our pocket
• 32:34
  Dennis Canther: Put it in our pocket.
• 32:35
  Dennis Canther: You did it.
• 32:36
  Dennis Canther: Okay.
• 32:36
  Dennis Canther: You tried to go through the you didn't have a pocket.
• 32:38
  Dennis Canther: That's okay.
• 32:39
  Dennis Canther: All right.
• 32:40
  Dennis Canther: All right.
• 32:41
  Dennis Canther: Put it in your pocket.
• 32:43
  Dennis Canther: And what this represents right here.
• 32:46
  Dennis Canther: We learned this already in John 17, 3.
• 32:49
  Dennis Canther: Remember this?
• 32:49
  Dennis Canther: This is eternal life to know Him, to know Jesus.
• 32:55
  Dennis Canther: This is to have uh to know Jesus through Bible study, prayer, fellowship, those things that keep us close to God.
• 33:04
  Dennis Canther: It's in your pocket
• 33:06
  Dennis Canther: Okay.
• 33:07
  Dennis Canther: Now, take it out of your pocket.
• 33:11
  Dennis Canther: Stretch the cord.
• 33:13
  Dennis Canther: Just go through this with me.
• 33:15
  Dennis Canther: This won't hurt you too much.
• 33:17
  Dennis Canther: All right?
• 33:18
  Dennis Canther: Okay, may seem funny, but let's try it.
• 33:21
  Dennis Canther: You got your cord?
• 33:24
  Dennis Canther: Take the cord and stretch it from your heart out.
• 33:28
  Dennis Canther: What this represents in Jeremiah 31, 3, that God says, I love you with a never-ending love.
• 33:38
  Dennis Canther: I draw you with never-failing kindness.
• 33:41
  Dennis Canther: This represents God's connection with us, our faith and trust in God.
• 33:48
  Dennis Canther: This is God's connection with us.
• 33:52
  Dennis Canther: Then try this one.
• 33:54
  Dennis Canther: I I see some of you smiling.
• 33:55
  Dennis Canther: I know it seems silly, but you know what?
• 33:57
  Dennis Canther: We gotta do some things for God sometimes, don't we?
• 34:00
  Dennis Canther: That may seem a little out of the ordinary.
• 34:03
  Dennis Canther: So let's try it.
• 34:04
  Dennis Canther: So hold that from your mouth going out.
• 34:06
  Dennis Canther: This is Romans 10, 9.
• 34:08
  Dennis Canther: We already talked about this one too.
• 34:11
  Dennis Canther: Tell others with your mouth that Jesus is Lord.
• 34:14
  Dennis Canther: Believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, and you will be saved.
• 34:19
  Dennis Canther: Sharing our love with God to others.
• 34:22
  Dennis Canther: Remember?
• 34:22
  Dennis Canther: We are holding it from our mouth.
• 34:24
  Dennis Canther: Why are we holding it from our mouth?
• 34:28
  Dennis Canther: Uh-uh.
• 34:30
  Dennis Canther: Yeah, exactly.
• 34:32
  Dennis Canther: Your mouth.
• 34:34
  Dennis Canther: Your personal testimony.
• 34:36
  Dennis Canther: Does it feel a little odd to do that sometimes?
• 34:40
  Dennis Canther: Do you feel a little embarrassed to tell other people about Jesus?
• 34:44
  Dennis Canther: Just do it.
• 34:46
  Dennis Canther: Just tell Jesus.
• 34:48
  Dennis Canther: Just tell them what Jesus has done.
• 34:50
  Dennis Canther: How he's made a difference in your life.
• 34:54
  Dennis Canther: Then if we take and hold the cord over our head, you do that?
• 34:59
  Dennis Canther: Good.
• 35:00
  Dennis Canther: How come this side?
• 35:01
  Dennis Canther: Look at the look over there.
• 35:02
  Dennis Canther: I want all of you to look over there.
• 35:04
  Dennis Canther: Do you see these people?
• 35:05
  Dennis Canther: They're actually doing it.
• 35:06
  Dennis Canther: Yeah, so are you.
• 35:08
  Dennis Canther: All right.
• 35:09
  Dennis Canther: I think that's wonderful.
• 35:11
  Dennis Canther: Even if it seems a little corny, that's okay.
• 35:14
  Dennis Canther: We hold this
• 35:15
  Dennis Canther: Cord overhead.
• 35:16
  Dennis Canther: This represents Matthew 3.
• 35:18
  Dennis Canther: 17 when Jesus was baptized.
• 35:21
  Dennis Canther: And he said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
• 35:27
  Dennis Canther: This is Jesus' connection
• 35:29
  Dennis Canther: With his son.
• 35:30
  Dennis Canther: Jesus had a connection with his son the whole time he was here.
• 35:35
  Dennis Canther: He came to reveal the Father.
• 35:38
  Dennis Canther: This is that connection.
• 35:40
  Dennis Canther: And the very last one, I'd like to have you take and hook your cord to someone next to you.
• 35:47
  Dennis Canther: You don't have to tie it.
• 35:48
  Dennis Canther: Just just touch 'em.
• 35:50
  Dennis Canther: That's all.
• 35:51
  Dennis Canther: Just get it close, okay?
• 35:53
  Dennis Canther: Just take your cord and have it close to another one.
• 35:57
  Dennis Canther: Colossians 3.
• 35:58
  Dennis Canther: 12 says, the love which binds our family and loved ones to each other.
• 36:06
  Dennis Canther: In unity.
• 36:08
  Dennis Canther: This is the connection we have with each other.
• 36:12
  Dennis Canther: Praise God for going through that with me.
• 36:14
  Dennis Canther: And if you take them now
• 36:17
  Dennis Canther: And you just make a little loop and you put it somewhere.
• 36:22
  Dennis Canther: Or in your pocket.
• 36:23
  Dennis Canther: Or wherever.
• 36:24
  Dennis Canther: You know what?
• 36:25
  Dennis Canther: Jesus says coming back and
• 36:29
  Dennis Canther: Very good.
• 36:30
  Dennis Canther: And you know what?
• 36:31
  Dennis Canther: I believe that Praise God.
• 36:35
  Dennis Canther: Very good.
• 36:37
  Dennis Canther: Are you ready for Jesus to come?
• 36:44
  Dennis Canther: God's love flows like a river.
• 36:50
  Dennis Canther: And if you are broken and in need of a savior, then come and drink