Restoration 2016:  Unto Me

Kickstarter Series '15-'16

Kameron DeVasher

Restoration Ministry

Cutting Timothy

But my name is Cameron DeVasier, and I am a pastor from the Michigan Conference of Seventh Diavenis, and I'm out here in Loma Linda.

And I want to thank you so much for your hospitality.

It is what we like to call not Michigan here.

So thank you for having that in abundance.

And I honestly don't particularly know the demographic of our congregation this morning, this afternoon, whatever line we're on there.

But I assume that we're all at least Bible-believing Christians, or at least interested in being Bible-believing Christians, or don't mind eating free food next to Bible-believing Christians.

By the look of the congregation, to be honest, I assume many of you are Seventh-day Adventists, as most of you sat in the back at a religious service.

But I do want to commend those brave souls who ventured within the first 4 rows and blessings on you and your house.

And for the rest of you, if you can hear my voice and see the screen, we're going to be okay today.

But I wanted to share with you just a couple of messages today.

I believe it was advertised as by all means, sketches from the life of Paul and that statement comes from the book of 1st Corinthians where the Apostle Paul talks about his gospel outreach methodology.

Okay, This is not necessarily the doctrine of Paul, like you might get into in a study of Romans or something like that, but this is literally how Paul preached what he preached.

And Paul says some pretty interesting stuff.

In 1 place he says things like, to a group of believers, he's like, I caught you with guile, or craft and cunning.

He's like, I tricked you, and I got you here with free food or whatever.

But the statement comes, by all means, comes from 1 Corinthians chapter 9, where he kind of, again, explains his thinking.

And he basically says in verse 22, I have become, and you probably know this, you might know this, I have become all things to all men that by all means I might save some.

I've become all things to all men, so by all means I might save." And his goal wasn't to save all.

Obviously he'd like to save all, but his expectation is, man, if I can put it all out on the line and save some, that's a good day's work.

And so what I want to do in these 2 messages is very, very straightforward, very simple.

I want us to study some instances, some encounters, experiences, or sketches as we call them, from the life of Paul from the Bible and inspired sources that comment on it, and understand how he went about being a Christian, a Bible-believing, Gospel-presenting, Spirit-led Christian in the day and age in which he lived.

You understand he was God's ambassador to the Gentile world and he was in a pagan environment.

How did he represent the present truth that he had been given by God in a world that maybe wasn't ready to hear it?

So before we dive into our study today entitled Cutting Timothy, I want us to just quickly bow our heads for a word of prayer and then we're gonna launch into a study of God's Word, so if you would.

Dear Heavenly Father, I want to thank you for this absolutely gorgeous day and I want to thank you for the opportunity, these few precious minutes you've given us to be together.

Please, Lord, I would ask that you send the Holy Spirit, as you have promised, to enlighten our minds, to see your truth, and not just in a theoretical information way, but Lord, Transform us into your image and put into practice the things that we learn.

If you have your Bibles with you, and if I was in a church, I would say since you have your Bibles with you, but I assume that you don't.

So I've got it on the screen, and the pertinent passages will be available so you can just, you know, think.

That's all I want you to do is focus and think.

But in Acts chapter 16 is the first mention in the Bible of a young man named Timothy.

Acts chapter 16, a young man named Timothy.

Now we're not quite to that part yet, but we basically get 5 verses introducing us to Timothy.

And by verse 3, Paul has him circumcised.

Basically, he says, behold, there is a man named Timothy.

Paul walks in and he says, Hey, let's cut you.

And it's a pretty abrupt opening, honestly, to this introduction to Timothy.

And we're gonna find out why, at least the burden of our study, to see why did Paul have Timothy circumcised?

Why did he cut him, especially at the time when he did?

So in order to introduce Timothy, though the Bible mentions him specifically in Acts 16, we really have to go back to Acts chapter 14 and that's what we're gonna do.

Here's the Apostle Paul, faced a lot of persecution, in fact, all the time.

Opposition, persecution, fault finding, just a mess.

Then the Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there, and having persuaded the multitudes, They stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead.

So it was a very full beating, if you will.

They really thought they had done their job, and they were dragging him off to dispose of the body outside the city wall.

However, when the disciples gathered around him, Now I want you to think about that for a moment.

He was dragged up by these people, left for dead after being stoned to apparently a pulp enough they thought the job was done.

They dropped him off there, but believers came around him.

He had been in that city, he had been raising up new believers, preaching the word, and these new believers come around and huddle around Paul just to give respects to his body and honor his work.

However, when the disciples gather around him, he rose up, which had to be startling.

He got back up and kind of dusted, and went back into the city.

And the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derby.

So he just got back up, went and spent the night in the same place that threw him out, and then continued his journey.

Now, why is that significant in our story about Timothy?

Well, in an inspired commentary on this, we read, among those who had been converted at Lystra and who were eyewitnesses of the sufferings of Paul was 1 who was afterward to become a prominent worker for Christ and who was to share with the Apostle the trials and the joys of pioneer service in difficult fields.

This was a young man named Timothy." So think about this, a young man.

The Spirit of Prophecy never mentions how young, but every time his name is mentioned they always use the adjective young or youthful or something like that.

And he watches, he hears the message of Paul and is converted to Christianity and then he watches Paul suffer for that cause to the point of death, then he gathers around him and Paul raises up miraculously, and for a young man, there's nothing he wants to be but like that hero.

When Paul was dragged out of the city, this youthful disciple was among the number who took their stand beside his apparently lifeless body, and who saw him arise, bruised and covered with blood, but with praises upon his lips, because he'd been permitted to suffer for the sake of Christ.

Paul gets up and doesn't say, oh, he's like, that was great.

And to young Timothy, I mean, the message of Christ, but to see it reflected in the person of Paul had to be shocking, had to be astounding, and life-altering.

Then it says, he came to Derbe and Lystra, back to the Scripture now in Acts chapter 16.

This is where we get the second meeting now.

So in Acts chapter 14, Timothy was 1 of those young disciples looking at Paul as he raises up.

Now in Acts chapter 16, just 2 chapters later, he meets Paul for the second time.

Then he came to Derbe and Lystra and behold, a certain disciple was there named Timothy, the son of a certain Jewish woman who believed, but his father was Greek.

His mother, and we're going to find out grandmother, had taught him the Jewish faith.

They were Jewish, but his father in his household, therefore, was Greek.

So he grew up in a mixed home, if you will, spiritually speaking.

And when Paul came along, he wasn't just Jewish, and he wasn't Greek, but he was Roman, and he was Hebrew, and he had been a Sadducee, and on the Sanhedrin, but now he's accepted Christ and it's...

And it says in the Bible that he was well spoken of by the brethren who were at Lystra and Iconium.

And again, Acts of the Apostles, page 202.

Here Paul again met Timothy, who had witnessed the sufferings at the close of his first visit to Lystra, and upon whose mind the impression then made had deepened with the passing of time until he was convinced that it was duty to give himself fully to the work of the ministry.

Taurus Montgomery

Advent HOPE Sabbath School

Victory Over Sin: How to Overcome Addicitons

But I'm excited this morning and we're going to go into the word of God this morning.

And so before we do that, I want to invite you to close your eyes, bow your heads as we seek the Lord in prayer this morning.

Father, in the name of Jesus, I just want to say thank you for this opportunity.

The Bible tells us that your word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path.

And I pray this morning that as we look at different passages of scripture that you will indeed lead us and guide us in the path that you will have us to take concerning this topic, O Lord, how to have victory over sin and overcome the addictions that are in our lives.

So I pray that the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart will be acceptable in your sight and encouraging to your people.

This is my prayer in Jesus' name and all of God's people said amen.

So we're going to, we're going to, thank you sir, we're going to begin by just a quick review of the message that I shared on last night, the message that I shared on last night, with this definition, with this definition of addiction, this definition of addiction, and the definition is this.

Addiction is bondage to the rule of a substance, activity, or state of mind which then becomes the center of life, defending itself from the truth so that even bad consequences don't bring repentance and leading to further estrangement from God.

That's a loaded definition because oftentimes we limit definition to a substance, whether it is alcohol or whether it is some drug or whether it is any of those things, but it can actually be an activity or a state of mind which becomes the center of one's life.

1 of my professors used to say all the time that idolatry is when a good thing becomes the ultimate thing.

And the only ultimate thing, or the only ultimate person, is Jesus.

So this is how we are defining addiction and with this definition we want to discover, we want to unpack how to overcome such addiction, how to overcome the power of addiction.

And on last night, on last night, I shared that overcoming the power of addictions is as simple as A-B-C.

And I used that as a way to help us understand the 3 steps that I want to share with you today.

Now mind you, this presentation or this message is really a part of a three-part series and I'm trying to condense this as much as I can.

But step number 1 is first of all, you have to acknowledge that you are addicted.

In other words, you have to be willing to look yourself in the mirror and acknowledge the fact and admit the fact that I have a problem with pornography.

I have an issue with this thing, and that's not a very easy thing to do.

Nobody likes to look themselves in the mirror, it's not like an exciting thing, I'm looking at myself in the mirror and I'm telling myself that you have a problem.

For the Christian, it's by the power of the Holy Spirit dwelling inside of us where God begins to reveal to us the problems that we have, the issues that we have, and it takes His power, it takes His strength for us to own up to it.

And in admitting it and owning up to it begins the first step towards healing and overcoming that addiction.

I don't know what you're struggling with.

But what I do know is that you first have to acknowledge it.

You first have to recognize it and admit it before you can move forward towards overcoming it.

Whether it is alcohol or whether it is, watch out now, whether it is Facebook.

Some people, listen to me now, some people are like this when it comes to Facebook.

Now, if I ask, if I ask, if I ask, can I have a show of hands of those individuals who are like this when it comes to Facebook, nobody would raise a hand?

Well, I don't, you know, What do you mean I'm addicted?

What do you mean I only look at it when I'm driving?

That's the only time when I'm just driving.

That's the only time I, when I'm just driving, you know, that's the only time I look at it.

Whether it's social media or whether it's, whether it's food.

You know, I might not look like it, but I have a problem with food.

I've noticed, I've noticed, I've noticed, rather I should say it's Something that God has given me the victory over.

You know, that would be times where when I get discouraged, I just want to eat.

My favorite team lose and I was just rooting for them so hard and they lost and now I feel bad.

Vegan cheese, I'm still trying to get with the vegan cheese, but man.

Vegan cheese don't do the, it doesn't do cheese justice.

I'm just, you know, it doesn't do cheese justice.

My taste buds need to be re-baptized, I know that.

I've discovered that our addictions are usually centered around things that we have to do.

The thing, the natural inborn, the necessities of human life are the things that the enemy often use to push us into excess of.

And so it's easy to be deceived by this thing because it's something that you have to do.

And so, you know, just because you have to sit down and eat a meal doesn't mean that you have to sit down and eat a whole box of pizza.

You know, ice cream in and of itself is not bad, but the whole, I mean, the whole bucket of ice cream in 1 night, that's a problem.

Especially when, hear me now, especially when it is attached to a feeling of disappointment or pain or some negativity.

And so now you're running to ice cream rather than running to Jesus.

You're running to the refrigerator rather than running to your prayer closet.

For others, it might be, not I want to eat, but I won't eat.

Because I'm addicted to people's perception of my shape, how I look.

We're talking about addictions and the power of them, but the good news is that they can be overcome.

Then you have this 1 that is just damaging lives, destroying families.

And you know, there's a saying out there that says, hey, 99% of men struggle with pornography.

Now, that may not be 100% true, but there's some truth to it.

Because it's a real struggle even among Christians, even in the church, even among pastors.

And I would dare say, I would dare say, according to the research, inside of this room right now, at least 1 out of 3 men in this place have gone through some addictions with pornography.

And if we were honest with ourselves, if you were honest with yourself, there may be someone in this place right now.

You didn't know what the message was going to be about.

You didn't know the content of what was going to be shared today, I want you to know that the struggle that you have right now, the issue that you have in struggling with pornography right now, it is possible to be overcome by the blood and the power of Jesus Christ.

Chris Buttery

Sacramento Central SDA Church

Riveted & Immovable

I would ask you for a favor if you'd be so kind.

Some of you are aware, but recently I've been experiencing what they call vertigo.

Your whole world spins out of control and doesn't make you feel good.

And so my sermon title this morning is very dear to me, Riveted and Immovable.

I'm hoping that I will be riveted and immovable from behind this podium here today.

I won't be swaying or moving around, so you pray for me this morning as well, I'd really appreciate that, it'd be terrific.

Good to see you this morning and again, privileged to worship together in this place.

On May 31, 1889, after several days of unprecedented rain, the South Fork Dam in western Pennsylvania collapsed.

And when it collapsed, it unleashed, they say, 20 million tons of water from its reservoir.

A wall of water swept 14 miles down the little Konama River Valley, destroying several towns, carrying away steel mills, houses, livestock and sadly people.

At about 4.07pm, the floodwaters rushed into the industrial city of Johnstown, crushing homes and downtown businesses.

They say about 17 million dollars worth of damage occurred and 2, 209 people died on that fateful day.

It's being deemed 1 of America's greatest disasters.

In the midst of all the chaos and destruction though, the story of a relatively insignificant bridge emerged.

Some bridges today you just have to simply admire.

Of course the Golden Gate Bridge not too far from here which was the longest suspension bridge in the world when it was built, now being surpassed by about 8 other bridges.

Then there's, and you'll forgive me for mentioning this bridge, the Sydney Harbour Bridge, which is the world's largest, not longest, but the world's largest steel arch bridge, probably also the most photographed bridge in the world.

This 1, the name you may not recognize, but if you saw a picture of it, you'd say, yep, I've seen that before.

The Moulin Viaduct, which is known to be the tallest vehicular bridge in the entire world.

It spans the valley of the River Tarn in southern France.

The highest pylon summit is slightly taller than the Eiffel Tower.

These bridges are magnificent and reveal remarkable engineering skill, but while they might make it on postcards and become tourist attractions this little bridge in Western Pennsylvania deserves a place in the Sun.

What the Stone Bridge and that's the name of that little bridge, what the stone bridge lacks in looks and prestige, it makes up for in strength.

You see, when the waters came from the South Fork Dam and they flowed through the 7 arches of this bridge, and this is a picture of the bridge in Johnstown in 1889, when it came down there, down the river, the stone bridge stopped tons, tons, literally tons of wooden debris and that accumulated in large piles and it also sadly collected dozens of survivors and they got trapped and then there was a fire and it wasn't pretty remarkably though this seemingly insignificant bridge withstood the deluge how?

That's really the question How did this small little bridge handle such massive amounts of water and debris and everything piling up against it?

Well, before the bridge was built in 1887, the contractor was determined in order to build this bridge he was going to dig deep on either side of the river until he struck bedrock.

Bedrock of course is the solid rock that lies beneath the soil and other loose materials of Earth's surface.

His friends ridiculed him and said it would be too expensive and too hard to do, not going to be possible.

But interestingly enough it wasn't too long and the bridge eventually was built and when it was built it was built tough because it had been built right the bridge that bridge built on solid rock stood like a lone and mighty stronghold in the midst of ruin and desolation It stood the test of flood and storm because it had been fastened to the rock.

I'd like to remind you here today that when you're fastened to the rock of God's Mighty Word, all hell could break loose.

And you'll find, always find something sturdy, something solid, and something absolutely dependable in God's Word.

And I've asked you to turn with me in your Bibles to Isaiah or Isaiah, Isaiah chapter 40 and verse 8.

It wasn't by accident that the gospel prophet wrote these familiar words, Isaiah chapter 40 and verse 8, and it'll be on the screen for you as well.

He said, the grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God shall stand for how long?

And listen, skeptics and critics and agnostics and atheists and antagonists may say all and write all and talk all they want about this book, but it won't change the fact that it is the book of all time, and it's been written for you and for me, to be a light to guide you when the way seems dark, to be the pulpit in your life, to chart you through stormy and rough seas, to be your GPS, to guide you to the 1 who can steer your life like no other can, to be your rock when everything else seems uncertain and tentative.

You have every reason to place your full confidence in God's holy word this morning.

Sadly there are many voices that are out there saying something entirely different.

It's no secret that there have been major attacks on the Bible and Bible believers in the past.

We have to remind ourselves as someone once quoted, men do not reject the Bible because it contradicts itself but because it contradicts them.

They tried to stamp out the Bible and those who exalted it.

Then around the age of the Enlightenment, critics arose who laughed at its history, derided its science, and mocked its predictions.

The stories were turned into or termed folklore and myth and fables.

And staunch believers in the Bible at that time began to get worried.

Is it really inaccurate and unreliable and untrustworthy as they say it is?

We know that attacks on the Bible, subtle and obvious, continue today.

For the Christian, blatant and false attacks on the Bible aren't really that worrying, but it's the sneaky attacks that undermine the influence of the word that are troublesome.

These leave believers asking the same questions that those who came before were asking, can the Bible really be fully trusted?

And maybe even some here today that are asking that question themselves.

But it's fascinating that along came biologists and geologists and nuclear scientists and astronomers, and they've been providing evidence confirming the Bible story for years.

When we talk about the work of archeologists, they've continued to bring about some amazing discoveries confirming the smallest details of the Bible account.

Someone once quipped regarding archeology, "'Archeology is the science that proves "'you cannot keep a good man down.'" And rightly so.

I wanna say to you today that there are some good and some solid reasons why we can trust God's Word.

There are amazing evidences that boldly declare the truthfulness of God's Word and number 1 is archaeology.

Archaeologists continue to unearth more and more that validates the record of the Bible.

You see there's been cynics and there's been skeptics who've said you can't trust the Bible because there's no evidence for this city or no evidence for that civilization or that people group.

But it seems that nearly every day, archeologists turn over another shovel of dirt and find more evidence showing us that what has been written long ago by Bible writers is absolutely trustworthy.

More and more biblical people and places and civilizations are being verified as archaeologists make amazing discoveries.

Some of you are familiar with this, I think there'll be a picture on the screen for you in just a moment.

Back to Menu

All Teachings

Cutting Timothy

42m

Victory Over Sin: How to Overcome Addicitons

54m

Riveted & Immovable

44m

Conformity in the Workplace?

14m

70

42m

The Evidence of a Master Plan

29m

Here I Am

41m

Into the Silent Planet

27m

The Gay Myth

51m

Testimony

1h 5m

One With Him

1h 11m

Bits & Pieces

38m

Sound Doctrine