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Somerset SDA Church

A Living Sacrifice

Norman McNulty

High Time to Wake Up

Well good morning everyone and happy Sabbath.

I am so glad to be here with you today here in Bermuda and it's great to have my wife and daughter with me as well and we're just so thankful and appreciative of the invitation to be here.

Thank you for the warm introduction and welcome.

And I truly believe that God has something very special in store for us this week.

As we meditate upon our theme, a living sacrifice, We are going to go through the Bible and see in various different ways how Bible characters have been living sacrifices and how we today need to be living sacrifices.

As soon as we got off the plane, it reminded us of living on the island of Trinidad that we lived there until March of this year.

And I will say that Bermuda is quite beautiful.

And I didn't know what it would be like compared to Trinidad, but I'll have to say I'm very impressed.

Before we get into the message for this morning, why don't we just bow our heads and have a word of prayer and we'll get into the message.

Father in heaven, I just earnestly pray that you would be with us this morning and throughout this week.

May the messenger be lost sight of, but may the message point to Jesus, and may He be lifted up.

Our theme this week is a living sacrifice.

And I like the banner up here on the front, which has our theme verse from Romans chapter 12, verses 1 and 2.

And I would invite you to turn with me in your Bibles to Romans chapter 12 verses 1 and 2, which should be a very familiar verse to us as Seventh-day Adventists.

And here we read, I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Here the Apostle Paul is pleading to the Christian church at Rome.

He's beseeching them to present their bodies as a living sacrifice to God.

And that message has resounded down through time to the Christian church and to God's church living at the end of time today.

God is imploring us, He is pleading with us to present our bodies a living sacrifice.

And not only that, but to be acceptable unto God.

And Paul says, listen, this is your reasonable service.

This isn't something hard that God is asking.

He risked all of heaven and he's simply asking us to offer ourselves as a living sacrifice.

And in verse 2 we see the challenge that comes to God's people when it comes to being a living sacrifice, because you realize that the devil is going to try to put roadblocks in the way to prevent us from being a living sacrifice.

Notice verse 2, and be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

The roadblock in the way to being a living sacrifice is conformity to the world.

We present ourselves as God's professed children.

We profess to be preparing for Jesus to come in the clouds of heaven, Yet Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, is pleading with God's church to not conform to the world.

Because it is such an easy tendency, an easy trap to fall into.

And that conformity to this world prevents us from being transformed by the renewing of our minds, and it prevents us from being living sacrifices that are holy and acceptable to God.

You cannot be renewed in your mind, transformed by the grace of God, if you were also living in conformity to this world.

And you know, I like the concept of being renewed in the mind, because I see a lot of people who have problems that start from the mind.

And you know, as a neurologist, I treat mainly diseases that are caused by physical medical issues like stroke.

Diabetes will cause a stroke or high blood pressure, or maybe people have headaches.

But I also see a lot of people who end up having psychiatric disorders, like anxiety disorder, depression, things like that, and they have physical symptoms that go along with their anxiety disorder, their depression.

And they'll come to my office and they'll have numbness in their face, arms, and feet.

And you have the person hyperventilate, and they breathe in and out really fast for up to 3 minutes.

And if you can reproduce their physical symptoms, you show by that test that their physical symptoms are actually coming from the mind.

And so as a physician, I like the concept that we can present hope to the world that you can be renewed in the mind.

That the grace of God offers something better than letting the cares of this life weigh us down so that we become weighed down with stress, anxiety, depression, and we have trouble getting up from 1 day to the next because we're worried about what's going to happen today.

And let me tell you something, if you watch the news and the world around us, if you are living for this world, if you are conforming yourself to this world, you're going to get stressed out 1 of these days.

And it's going to become very difficult for you to be transformed in your mind, to be renewed in the mind, because you've conformed your life to this world.

You may have a profession of godliness, but the things that you are most concerned about are not the soon coming of Jesus and the preparing of others to be ready to meet him.

It's about your job, your school, how your kids are going to do, how well they're going to marry, how well they're going to be educated.

And those things take precedence in your mind and before you know it you're conforming to the world.

Let me read a statement to you from Prophets and Kings, page 178.

There is a reason why we as God's people sometimes go down the wrong path conforming to the world.

The prevailing spirit of our time is 1 of infidelity and apostasy, a spirit of avowed illumination because of knowledge of truth, but in reality of the blindest presumption.

Human theories are exalted and placed where God and His law should be.

Satan tempts men and women to disobey with the promise that in disobedience they will find liberty and freedom that will make them as gods." And you realize that is what Satan did to Eve in the Garden of Eden.

There is seen a spirit of opposition to the plain word of God, of idolatrous exaltation of human wisdom above divine revelation.

Now, you know, when we read the Old Testament stories, and some of you may be reading through the Revived by His Word reading plan from the General Conference, which my family is doing, 1 chapter a day from the Bible.

And you read these stories in the Old Testament of the children of Israel, and they started worshiping Baal, and Moloch, and offering their kids to idols, burning them as sacrifices.

And you're saying, how could people be so foolish?

And yet the idolatry that exists in the world today is placing human wisdom above the Word of God.

Notice this, men have allowed their minds to become so darkened and confused by conformity to worldly customs and influences that they seem to have lost all power to discriminate between light and darkness, truth and error.

So if you wonder why you can show someone from the word of God, this is what the Bible says, their response will be, yeah, but I think.

We need to, as God's people, get away from this mentality of saying, well, I think we need to be known as the people who say, the Bible says.

And if the Bible says it, that's what it is.

And if we want to be transformed by the renewing of our minds, we are going to go by a plain thus saith the Lord.

We are not going to conform to the thinking patterns of this world that exalt human wisdom above the plain word of God.

And then this quote finishes by saying, a faith such as actuated Paul, Peter, and John they regard as old fashioned, mystical, and unworthy of the intelligence of modern thinkers.

And I say to that, let's have some more Pauls, Peters, and Johns to bring back a revival into the Christian world today.

And you know, When we look at this message that Paul is giving to the church at Rome, he's pleading with them to be living sacrifices, to present their bodies holy, acceptable to God as a reasonable service, to be transformed by the renewing of their minds.

Then in chapter 13, the very next chapter over, he continues the exhortation in verse 11.

And here we read, And here we read, and that knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep, For now is our salvation nearer than when we believe.

We'll see how Obama does in the United States over his next term and see if things start to kind of head towards a Sunday Law and maybe we'll start to get ready after we see what Obama does in his second term.

Paul not only says time, he says it is high time to wake up out of sleep.

He says, and notice he says knowing the time, and that knowing the time, Who is he speaking to?

He is speaking to God's people who know prophetically what time of earth's history we are living in.

And because you know what time it is, don't you think you should be awake and not sleeping?

Why have you let the cares of this life cause you to fall asleep and you're waiting for the coming of Jesus.

Now it is high time to wake out of sleep, for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.

And you know, none of us has a guarantee that we'll be here tomorrow.

So if we're living with the mentality, we'll all get ready when I feel like it, your eternity could come later today or tomorrow.

From Lukewarm to Translated

Well, it's good to be with you again this evening, and before we get into the message for tonight, let's bow our heads for a word of prayer.

Father in heaven, thank you so much for bringing us through a Sabbath day and to the beginning of a new week.

And I pray that as we get into the message for this evening, that you would give me the right words to speak and that it would lift our hearts and minds to an understanding of what you need us to understand for this time in Earth's history and to prepare us for the times that are ahead of us.

So again our theme for this week is a living sacrifice based on Romans chapter 12, verses 1 and 2.

And this morning we saw from Romans chapter 12 and 13 as well as Matthew chapter 25, that in God's last day, in time, prophetic church, there is a call for God's people to wake up knowing the time that we are living in.

That it is high time to wake out of our sleep and that we see a pure church with 5 wise and 5 foolish virgins who have grown weary in their waiting for the coming of the Messiah, the coming of the bridegroom.

But a day is coming in the parable where the midnight cry is going to wake everyone up, and those who have the oil of the Holy Spirit will go forth to proclaim the final message and to meet the bridegroom.

And we saw that the oil of the Holy Spirit represents a conversion experience in the daily life.

Now what we're going to look at this evening is the message to the Church of Laodicea.

And the title of the message is Laodicea, a lack of sacrifice.

Because the call in Romans chapter 12 is to have a church, followers of God who are living sacrifices, who day after day are surrendering their hearts and their lives to the Lord Jesus Christ, and who are a demonstration of his righteousness to the world.

And when you look at the message to Laodicea, we are going to see in the first part of this message that it's a pretty tough message to take.

It's a message that comes to us from the faithful and true witness.

And before we get into the particulars of this message, let me just say this.

As a physician, I see patients every day who have medical problems.

And when those patients come to see me in my office or when I see them in the hospital, they expect me to give them an accurate diagnosis of their problem.

Because without an accurate diagnosis, their problem is not going to be fixed.

If I give them the wrong diagnosis, if I don't tell them the truth, then I'm probably not going to give the right treatment to help them to get better.

And when you look at the message to Laodicea, this is a testimony by the faithful and true witness, Jesus Christ himself, that identifies our condition as a people living at the end of time.

Now do you think Jesus is going to tell the truth when he tells us our condition?

You better believe that what Jesus says is the truth about us as a people.

This is a prophetic message that describes God's last day people.

Now, first of all, when you look at the message to Laodicea, do you know what the word Laodicea means?

There are 7 churches in the book of Revelation and you have Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.

And each 1 of these churches, while it had the specific application to the first century of that church in that era.

There's also the application to the various eras of the Christian church from the first century down to the end of time.

For example, the woman Jezebel is described in the church Thyatira.

So you know we're talking symbolically because Jezebel had been dead for centuries and was an Old Testament character.

So the Laodicean Church, it's a church of the judgment hour.

And the faithful and true witness is giving a testimony.

And just so you know who the faithful and true witness is, in Revelation 1, verse 5, it says that Jesus Christ is the faithful witness.

And so when Jesus Christ gives an account of the judgment hour church at the end of time, you know that he is giving a faithful account.

Just as a good physician should give a faithful account, a true testimony to a patient who comes to their office to receive help.

And so when we look at what Jesus says to us as a church, we should be thankful that we have a loving Savior.

Who tells us what our condition is so that we can apply the remedy that he offers to us.

Aren't you thankful that Jesus, rather than just saying, hey, you're doing fine, don't worry about anything, just be the way you are and I'll come and get you.

Aren't you thankful that he realizes our true condition and tells us this is how you really are, so you better listen to me so that when I come, I will be able to receive you because I love you so much I want you to come with me into the kingdom.

So that's the setting of the stage for this message to the Laodicean church.

And let's turn to Revelation chapter 3 starting in verse 14.

And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, these things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God.

So here is the title of Jesus to the Laodicean Church.

He's the Amen, that's the benediction, this is the last message to the last church.

He is a faith or the faithful and true witness.

He's going to give an honest account, an honest testimony.

And it says he's the beginning of the creation of God.

And the reason why Jesus is identifying himself, not only as the amen, or the ending, the final message, not only as the faithful and true witness, but also as the creator, because He wants Laodicea to realize that you are the church that is connected to the judgment hour.

And it just so happens in the first angel's message of Revelation 14, that creation is connected to the judgment hour message.

Fear God, give glory to him, for the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven, earth, the sea, and the fountains of waters.

So the message of Laodicea is being connected to the fact that the Laodicean Church is to be proclaiming the 3 angels' messages, which includes the first angel's message of the judgment hour and pointing out the fact that God is the creator.

Now do you realize in Revelation 14 when the judgment hour and creation is connected to each other, do you know where the creation account is being quoted from in the Old Testament?

When it says, worship him that made heaven, the earth, the sea, and the fountains of waters?

That's coming from the fourth commandment of Exodus chapter 20.

In the first angel's message, the Sabbath message is being connected to creation and to the judgment hour.

And when Jesus says that he is the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God, he is saying, Laodicea, you are a judged people, the church of the judgment hour.

And it has been given to you to proclaim a judgment hour message that points people to God as the creator, and that the seventh-day Sabbath is a weekly reminder of God's creative power.

And it just so happens that in the Sabbath message is a connection to the message of salvation and of righteousness by faith that Laodicea needs.

Because the Sabbath In Genesis chapter 2, God says that you may know that I am the Lord that sanctify you.

And we also see that in Ezekiel chapter 20, Exodus chapter 20, a connection to the Sabbath and sanctification.

So Laodicea, What they need, they need a message from a faithful and true witness who will tell them this is what you are really like and they will be reminded that the messenger is the creator who is reminding them that they are living in the judgment hour and that they are to proclaim the Sabbath message in connection with creation and the judgment hour.

Because all of those things together prepares to stand in the judgment.

So just from the title of Jesus to the Laodicean church, you get some kind of an idea of what this message is going to be like.

So here's the introduction, this is the title.

Now this is interesting to me because we understand from salvation that we are saved by grace through faith, not of works lest any man should boast.

Clearly scripture teaches that you can't work your way to heaven and we're all in agreement in that.

Yet, Jesus seems to be interested in our works.

Because in elsewhere in scripture that it says we will be judged by our works.

But here's the thing if you're going around killing people, sleeping around, stealing and whatever, are you going to be found faithful in the kingdom?

So works are an identifying characteristic of if we've given our life to the Lord.

Not that we're doing it to save ourselves, but Jesus happens to be interested in our works.

I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot.

Now so far it's like, okay, well, it could be better, but it's, you know, we're not too hot, we're not too cold.

We just need to kind of get a little bit more on fire for the Lord.

Verse 16, So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of my mouth.

History tells us that Laodicea received its source of water from some springs up in the hills above the town.

But by the time it came down the mountain into the town, the water had become lukewarm.

And Jesus is making an application to his last day judgment hour church.

He's saying, you're not too hot, you're not too cold, you're actually lukewarm.

And when I drink your lukewarm tasting water, it makes me wanna vomit.

Because the word in the King James is a more kosher spew the out of your mouth.

That's what it really means is I will vomit you out of my mouth.

Because the taste in the mouth to Jesus, our Lord and Savior, makes him want to throw up.

Have you ever thought about the fact that we as God's last day people are in such a spiritual condition that it makes Jesus want to throw up?

Now fortunately, the message doesn't end here, so stay to the end.

The Altar of Abraham’s Sacrifice

Alright, well good evening to each 1 of you.

It's good to see you here tonight on Sunday night and I'm looking forward to the message about Abraham this evening and let's Go ahead and bow our heads for a word of prayer and then we'll get right into the message for tonight.

Father in heaven, we thank you for the privilege you have given us of coming out tonight to hear your word.

I pray that you would speak through me and that each 1 of us would hear what you would have us to hear in this message.

And as we study the life of Abraham, may it inspire us to be people of faith the way he was.

The title of tonight's message is The Altar of Abraham's Sacrifice.

Abraham is of course known as the father of the faithful.

And we are going to see exactly why that is.

He is the father of those who have faith because he gives us a clear demonstration of the type of faith that we need to exercise in order to be children of God the way Abraham was a child of God.

And as we look at the type of faith that Abraham had, I'm going to start with a very familiar passage in Romans chapter 1 verses 16 and 17, because what we are going to see is that Abraham experienced the essence of the gospel throughout his life.

And let's look at Romans chapter 1 verses 16 and 17 and you will see very quickly how this verse connects to the life of Abraham.

Romans chapter 1 verses 16 and 17 says, For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth, to the Jew first and also to the Greek, for therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith as it is written, the just shall live by faith.

You know this is 1 of my favorite passages in all of Scripture as I suspect it is for some of you as well.

And Paul is saying, I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, the good news of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation.

And the word for power comes from the Greek word dunamis, which comes from the meaning of dynamite, Meaning that the power of the gospel is like dynamite.

It's not some weak modifier that gives you a mild upgrade.

It's an explosive transformative change in your entire life.

And The question is, what does it mean to believe?

And that's what we're going to look at as we get into the life of Abraham.

And we're going to see a little bit more here in verse 17, just exactly what the gospel is all about, why it is so powerful.

Verse 17, Paul says, I'm not ashamed of the gospel, it's the power of God unto salvation in verse 17.

He says for therein or for in the gospel is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith in other words the reason why the gospel is so powerful, because it's in the lives of those who believe the righteousness of God is revealed in their lives.

And notice, it's not, it can't simply then be just a legal external covering.

It's a covering that also is a demonstration.

It's a revelation of the righteousness of God specifically in those who have faith.

Those who have the experience that is described as the just, who live by faith, those are the same ones who believe.

And those who believe, those who experience the message of justification by faith, the power of the gospel, the dynamite power of the gospel is revealed in their lives as the righteousness of God.

And the question is, if this righteousness is revealed in all those who believe, what does it mean to believe?

How do I believe in such a way that I can have this kind of power, this kind of righteousness in my life?

And by the way, and this really isn't a by the way I plan to say this.

When Paul says the just shall live by faith, he is describing the experience of justification by faith.

And the word in the Greek for just comes from the Greek word dikaios, which means righteous, and there is a specific New Testament character who is described as being just several times in the New Testament.

Do you want to take a guess as to who that is?

Pilate's wife says, have nothing to do with this just man.

Peter says, you denied the Holy 1 and the just.

Series

A Living Sacrifice

High Time to Wake Up

Transcript

Parent Series

Sponsor

Recorded

Elijah, 1888, and the Latter Rain

55m

The Midnight Cry and the Loud Cry

42m

OYC 2010 Morning Devotion

Abiding Hope

30m

Sanctuary, Salvation, & Our Savior

Sanctuary, Salvation, & Our Savior - Part 5: Sanctuary Under Siege

1h 12m

In Defense of our Sanctuary Message

42m

Experiencing Righteousness Through Faith in Christ

3. How the First Angel’s Message Prepares for the Second Advent

54m

The Purpose

40m

Seminars

Your Problem Solved

1h 2m

Plenary

The Second Coming

1h 3m

Sanctuary, Salvation & Our Savior

Sanctuary, Salvation and Our Savior: Glorified in the Most Holy Place

33m

Revival and the 1888 Message

1888 and the Laodicean Message

50m

Back to the Mission

The Battle Cry of the Remnant

1h 1m

Sound Doctrine