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The Living Wave

Rise Up and Build 2008

Ivor Myers

The Pavement and the Proposal

You probably thought to yourself, oh, this guy's just telling us what we already know as Christians.

But here he is, an atheist, who to some degree has a better understanding of what we should be doing, Not only as Christians, but as Seventh-day Adventist Christians.

It's interesting, apparently this atheist believes that Christianity teaches that the wicked will suffer eternally.

And he does well to reject that picture of God, amen?

And I think it's a pretty sad commentary when atheists begin to ask us where we are.

And so tonight I would like to speak to you about this theme, rise up and build.

And as I think about these words, rise up and build, people will not rise up unless they believe, amen?

And so in order for us to rise up, we must first understand why we must rise up.

It relates to us that conversion must take place in order for a people to rise up.

So we're going to talk about that tonight, what it means, why we should rise up, how God intends to raise us up.

And The question really is, how should we build?

Because God is calling us to do just that.

Tomorrow night, we will talk about this subject of how to build.

As I sat here looking at the screen and then looking at the people speaking, I thought about those old kung fu movies I used to watch when I was out in the world.

Those poorly dubbed kung fu movies I used to watch when I was out in the world.

So I just want to let you know, don't look at the screen tonight, look at me, amen?

Again, I thank you for the invitation and I am thrilled to be here.

I believe the Lord is going to bless us tonight.

I believe he's going to bless us tomorrow night.

I believe he has a blessing in store for us at every single angle.

So I wanna ask you to bow your heads with me as I pray up here and ask for the Lord's guidance.

Heavenly Father, we pray for your spirit to speak to us in a special way.

May we not have traveled here in vain, may we leave here filled.

So Holy Spirit we ask that you come now and fill this place with your glory.

I'd like for you to turn in your Bibles to the book of John.

Jesus is about to reveal to us an extremely important principle in relation to our theme this week.

John chapter 18 and verse 37, the Bible says, Pilate therefore said unto him, art thou then a king?

And for this cause came I into the world that I should bear witness unto the truth.

Everyone that is of the truth heareth my voice.

Jesus tells us that the very reason he was born, the very cause of him entering into this world was that he should what?

His cause, his life purpose, his mission, he sums up in this 1 verse for this cause came I into this world now when he says came I into this world what he is saying is for this cause I was what born why was Jesus born everyone he was born to do what bear witness unto the truth Jesus was born to witness.

Jesus came into this world, his very cause, his very mission was to witness unto the truth.

Now he says in John chapter 1 verse 12 the Bible tells us John chapter 1 and verse 12 it says here and as many as received him to them gave he power to become what sons of God even to them that believe on his name, which were, what's the word?

Born, let me ask you this, how many of you came with Bibles tonight?

So, you know, I like when I speak, I like to hear that, you know, someone is alive out there.

But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become, what everyone?

Sons of God, even to them that believe on his name verse 13 which were born which were born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Do we have anyone in here that is born again?

I want you to notice with me John chapter 3, John chapter 3, something you may not have realized.

John 3 and verse 3, Jesus answered and said unto him, that is Nicodemus, verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be what?

Born again, he cannot enter the kingdom of God oh boy except a man be born again He cannot enter the kingdom of God.

Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit.

And now notice verse 6, that which is born of the flesh is what?

Flesh and that which is born of the flesh is what?

Flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is?

So they that are born of the Spirit are spirit but they that have not been born again are what?

Well the question is how can I tell if I've been born again?

Well, the obvious answer is, if I'm in the flesh, I have not been what?

That which is born of the flesh is flesh, that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit.

Paul puts it this way in the book of Romans chapter 8.

Romans chapter 8, I want you to notice with me verse 6.

Romans chapter 8 verse 6, the Bible says here, for to be carnally minded is what death but to be spiritually minded is life and peace that word carnally means to be fleshly minded So here we have the same distinction that which is born of the flesh is spiritual minded that which is born or rather the spirit is Spiritual mind and that which is born the flesh is carnally minded now listen Why Is it that the carnal mind is death?

Verse 7 tells us, because the carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to what?

So the carnal mind is against, is not subject to what everyone?

Now I know you're yawning right about now because you're saying I'm an Adventist.

I want you to notice with me Romans chapter 13.

Romans the 13th chapter and verse 8 the Bible says, Oh no man anything but to love 1 another for he that loveth another has done what fulfilled the law so the actual keeping of the law is in its you know in my evangelistic series when I talk about the 10 Commandments I usually tell people that the 10 Commandments is righteousness for dummies.

Listen, when God, When Adam was created, the law was summed up in 1 word.

But after the degradation of man, after his fall from grace or from righteousness, and after hundreds and thousands of years when God came to Mount Sinai he had to write the listen guys this is what love looks like and he had to write it out for them righteousness for I know you don't want to call yourself dummies, but you have no choice Because that's what we all are outside of Christ.

Amen righteousness for dummies But Paul comes back here and says don't forget that in reality the keeping of the law is summed up in 1 word and that is love.

Amazing Grace and the Loud Cry

It is a blessing to be able to be here with you this morning.

And we have a very special message this morning.

It is entitled amazing grace and the loud cry Amazing grace in the loud crying so I hope that you have your bibles with you.

We're going to be taking a wonderful Magnificent trip through the word of God this morning and by God's grace the message will challenge you to the very core of your understanding of your Christian walk with Christ and so I want to ask that you would just bow your heads with me as we seek the Lord in prayer.

Heavenly Father, we need your grace this morning.

Make this message simple and enable me, Lord, to bring this message across with clarity.

And also, Lord, I ask that you would hide me behind your cross.

And we thank you for hearing this prayer in Jesus name we ask it amen Amazing grace and the loud cry.

How many of you know what the second death is?

Having an understanding of the second death, how many of you can think of any reason why you would want to suffer the second death?

Can you think of anything that is worth missing out on heaven for?

Let me share with you, I want to give you a little bit of background before I begin this particular message.

My brother and I were martial artists, I don't know, from the age of 8 or 9, growing up.

And When we became Christians, we laid that all aside because God was calling us into a new battle, a new conflict, and that conflict was the conflict against our own carnal natures.

You realize that that is the greatest battle that we face.

However, I wanna share with you 1 particular aspect of the martial arts, and this is really legend, but there's a particular art called Dim Mak.

And what Dim Mak represents or means is the death touch.

And the way that this supposedly worked was that a person, a martial artist, could hit his opponent in a certain place in his body, at a certain time of the day, and if the hit was delivered just right, that person may be injured, initially injured, but walk away feeling okay, But in a matter of days or sometimes weeks, the person would expire.

And so when the hit was delivered, the person was as good as dead, though he was still living.

And as you look at this, really that's nothing but spiritualism for a human being to supposedly have that kind of power, which a lot of the martial arts is based on spiritualism, but I learned the lesson in Christianity very early, and that is for every counterfeit, there is a genuine.

And it is then that I began to realize that there was a death touch in the Bible.

Well, I wanna share it with you this morning.

In Genesis chapter 3 and verse 15, Genesis chapter 3 and verse 15, Listen to what the Bible says here.

It says, And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed.

It shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

This prophecy is speaking about Jesus Christ, the seed who was to come, who would ultimately bruise the head of the serpent while the serpent was to bruise his heel.

They were to be in conflict and both of them were to deliver a blow to each other Jesus's blow would be delivered where to the head of the serpent and the serpents blow would be delivered to the heel of the seed So where was this accomplished?

I'd like for you to notice with me Luke 23 and verse 33.

The Bible says, And when they were come to the place which is called Calvary, There they crucified him and the manufacturers, 1 on the right hand, the other on the left.

Jesus was crucified, or received his touch, his blow, Where?

Now, it's interesting as you look at this word Calvary, the place where Lucifer, where the serpent had delivered this blow to Jesus, and we're told the blow would not be a fatal 1.

But this very place where Jesus received this wound, where the devil thought he had obtained the victory, In that very blow, in the very place where Jesus died, a place called Calvary, the word Calvary actually means cranium in the Greek.

So then, Jesus, as that cross was being hammered down as it were, into that skull shaped hill, because that's why it was called Calvary.

In fact in Matthew 27 in verse 33 I believe it is, the Bible says Jesus was crucified in a place called Golgotha, meaning the place of the what?

So the question is whose skull-shaped hill did that symbolize as Jesus' cross was being hammered down?

Whose skull, as it were, was being pierced by the very death of Christ, Satan.

In other words, beloved, it is as though Jesus delivered a death touch.

In that very moment, through the death of Christ, he delivered a blow to Lucifer that though Lucifer is still alive, he is as good as dead.

It's amazing, the Bible says that when Jesus died there was a great what?

Earthquake remember that so what happened to that skull-shaped hill?

When Jesus died It broke I like to put it this way, that Lucifer's mind was blown.

That Jesus would die for sinners like you and I.

That he would die for the very ones that put him to death.

And so, beloved, at Calvary, we see demonstrated by the Grand Master Jesus Christ himself, the death touch.

I want you to realize that not only does the cross symbolize this blow to the mind of Lucifer, but beloved, it is designated to also deliver to us a death touch.

You ever heard somebody say you're hard headed?

Carnal, hard, rocky, And the only way that we can be broken, the only way that we can truly come to repentance and come to understand the amazing grace of Jesus Christ is to have our minds blown at the cross of Calvary.

And so Jesus wants to deliver to us a what?

I want you to turn in your Bibles with me to Revelation chapter 18 because I want you to understand that when the death touch is delivered though the person is alive he's as good as what?

And here's what I want to share with you this morning This is going to be our theme that the latter reign cannot fall unless God has a people who are as good as dead.

Notice with me Revelation 18 verse 1 and 2.

The Bible says, And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power, and the earth was lightened with his glory.

And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen.

We take these verses and we understand that they are a reference to what we call the outpouring of the ladder ring.

When this angel descends it is to add its voice or its power to the 3 angels messages.

And this angel when it descends with 2 things, glory and what?

Power, it will add those very 2 things to the 3 angels' messages, glory and power.

The Cross and the Three Angels’ Messages

Good evening everyone Let's just stop pause for another moment of prayer Heavenly Father we thank you so much for what you are about to do tonight Lord it is it is hot in here and I'm reminded of the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego who were also once in a hot place.

But Lord, your presence made that heat bearable, made it even unnoticeable.

In the same way tonight, Lord, we pray that your presence might be with us in this hot place So that as we hear your word We might forget about this heat as our hearts are drawn by the heat of your love for us and your love for this world.

Last night, we talk about what it means to build.

And I'm reminded of that story, that historical narrative where we are told the children of Israel had been taken to Babylon.

And there in Babylon they had served 70 years, and then by a divine decree of God, they were allowed to return to their homeland and to begin to what?

I know that when that decree went forth, some of the people, not all of Israel, went back to build.

In 1844 something very special happened and God called began to call a people out of Babylon and just as he in ancient times had called the people out of Babylon to go back and to build a temple So in 1844 God began to call a people to come out of Babylon, to come out of confusion and to begin to build His last day temple on planet earth.

The Bible says no you not that You are the temple of the Holy Ghost But just as then I am fearful so now That many of God's people have become comfortable in Babylon.

We have become comfortable with our lifestyle, comfortable with our accomplishments.

God is calling a people therefore in these last days to rise up and Build And if we want to build we need to know how to build it's interesting I think of another historical account again with the children of Israel and again with the temple this Solomon's temple And the story goes that as Solomon's Temple was being built, and all these stones were being brought to help build the temple, there was 1 stone in particular that seemed out of shape and out of place and They moved that stone to the side and The stone was it got in people's way people would stop their toe On the stone they do all the stone just kind of irritated the people because it was just in the way and it seemed out of place and They eventually built the entire temple, but then there was that 1 piece that corner piece in which they needed a special stone.

And they began to search high and low where where can we find this special stone to fit to finish the work of the temple.

And by the way, what was the purpose of building the temple?

It was so that God's glory could fill that temple.

But the glory could not fill the temple until the temple was complete and here they're searching for the stone And then someone recognizes or realizes this corner stone this this stone that seemed out of place that that everyone passed by This was the very stone that was perfectly fitted to finish off the temple.

Beloved tonight, I want to share something with you that may at first seem offensive to us as Seventh-day Adventists.

But is it possible that as we have gone forth to build is it possible that we have set aside the chief cornerstone Is it possible that as we have gone forth with our message to call a people out of Babylon and into the truth Could it be possible beloved that we?

Have missed something crucial In the finishing of this last day work I Want you to open your Bibles with me to Revelation 18 Revelation chapter 18 And I want you to notice with me verse 1.

This angel is the angel known as that fourth angel, that angel that that comes with latter rain power, that angel that comes to add power and glory to the 3 angels messages.

The angel is said to add 2 things, just so that I know you're with me, can you repeat them?

How many living people do we have out there in the audience today?

The angel is to descend with 2 things, what are they?

This angel descends with the final peace as it were, to the last day work of God's people.

We might ask the question, what is that final peace?

I invite you to turn with me to Galatians chapter 6 and verse 14.

The Bible tells us here, but God forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world.

Where is the glory of God most clearly seen in all of scripture and in all of creation?

Hold that thought, turn with me to 1 Corinthians 1 verse 18.

1 Corinthians 1 verse 18, the Bible says here, For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness, but unto us which are saved it is the what?

So we've got 2 things we've just read here.

1 Corinthians 1.18 tells us that the preaching of the cross is the what?

Galatians 6.14 tells us that God forbid that we should glory save in the cross of Jesus Christ.

So then, what we begin to understand here is this piece, this final piece that this angel of Revelation 18 descends with to add power to the 3 angels message is nothing else but Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

Now you need to understand that at Seventh Day Adventist, you're probably saying to yourself right now, but hold on, Pastor, we already have Jesus Christ and him crucified.

We need to be out there preaching the 3 angels' messages.

I wanna share with you tonight that you're wrong.

I want to share with you tonight that we have not been doing as God has wanted us to do.

I want to share with you tonight that we have set aside the chief cornerstone in our preaching and especially in our evangelistic meetings.

We've preached our entire, we'll preach our entire sermon on the Sabbath and at the end when they start to play the appeal we'll then start to talk about the chief cornerstone.

The chief cornerstone becomes the book ends of the message.

The last rays of merciful light, The last message of mercy to be given to the world Is a revelation of his character of love The children of God are to manifest his glory In their own life and character they are to reveal what the grace of God has done for them.

We're told here the last rays of merciful light to go to the world is a revelation of his character of love, and that revelation is most clearly demonstrated in the cross.

Notice again with me, Evangelism page 191.

The message, this message, was to bring more prominently before the world the uplifted Savior.

How many of you are familiar with our history of 1888?

Okay, some of you are, some of you are not.

In 1888, God gave a very special message to this church.

And Ellen White here is referring to this message.

It says here, this message Was to bring more prominently before the world the uplifted Savior and now when I mentioned the uplifted Savior, what do you see?

The cross very good the uplifted Savior the sacrifice for the sins of the whole world Centuries Ages can never diminish the effect the efficacy of this atoning sacrifice The message of the gospel of his grace was to be given to the church in clear and distinct lines That the world should no longer say that seventh-day adventists taught the law the law but do not teach or believe Christ.

In other words, beloved, in 1888, and by the way Ellen White tells us that what happened in 1888 was an angel descended with the message of the loud cry ready to give to the world, but to a large degree, let me put it in my own words, the chief cornerstone was laid aside.

The message of the uplifted Savior was laid aside because wait a minute we already have that we already believe in Jesus We've got a special message a distinct message.

We've got to preach the law And So the stone was laid to the side Come on.

Let's keep building listen to me the latter rain will not be poured out until the temple is complete Rise up and Build good news tonight beloved There's not much more building to take place.

Think with me how close we can be to the temple being filled with the glory of God.

Let me finish reading the quote here Gospel Workers page 156 the proclamation of the third angels message calls for the presentation of the Sabbath truth.

This truth, with others included in the message, is to be proclaimed, but the great center of attraction, Christ Jesus, must not be left out.

It is at the cross of Christ that mercy and truth meet together, and righteousness and peace kiss each other.

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Rise Up and Build 2008

The Cross and the Three Angels’ Messages

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