SWYC 2015: Christ Our Righteousness

Plenary Meetings

Dwayne Lemon

GYC Southwest

Nebuchadnezzar or Mary

I'm very thankful for the opportunity to come before God's people, where once again we will hear from the voice of heaven.

And what we need to do is make sure that our hearts are prepared to hear what I know heaven so desperately wants to give us.

And so as we prepare our hearts to do that, I believe the best way to do that is on our knees.

And so I'm gonna kneel, and if you are able to, I'd like to invite you to kneel with me, and let's go before the Lord together and let's pray together.

Our loving Father, thank you so much for touching our hearts this weekend.

Thank you for your incredible grace, your amazing mercy.

Thank you, dear God, for still investing within us the breath of life.

And Lord while we are still counted amongst the land of the living and our probation has been extended, Please help us not waste a single moment.

We're asking you to please abide with us and do something special for us, even during this moment where we shall meditate upon your words.

Grant us the presence of your Holy Spirit and may he truly open our eyes and help us behold wondrous things out of your word.

It is our prayer that we ask in Jesus name, amen.

In the midst of so many realities of end time events, knowing that time really is almost finished, understanding that even the heathen world, people who don't believe in Christ have rejected Jesus, You are literally seeing agitations all around us that are even saying something's gonna happen in the month of September.

There are those who are saying that the economy is gonna have a major shift.

There are others who are saying they're expecting things like perhaps even comets or some type of asteroid to do some level of damage.

Then of course you know that there's the papal visit that's taking place that is really gonna put a lot of the scenes of Bible prophecy in rapid succession.

And so we're seeing that both the religious world and even the secular world, they're understanding something's going on.

They're understanding that business can no longer be as usual.

And God wants us to understand that the children of the world should not be wiser than the children of light, yet we see that that in many cases remains to be a fact.

And what God wants is he wants to raise up a people that will come back to his blueprint, back to his message, enter into an experience that is so deep and so real and so incredibly powerful and transforming that by the grace of God we will go from lip service to literal service.

And God has a message that is designed to finish this work.

And that message is none other than that blessed herald of the first, the second, and the third angel's message.

And it's in these messages that God has given to us that they are designed to produce, if rightly understood and rightly received.

Brothers and sisters, I'm telling you the truth.

We have to get to a place where the gospel goes beyond what we talk about.

And listen to what I'm saying to you saints.

It is impossible, I believe, for an individual that when they were in the world, there was a way they used to eat, dress, listen to things, et cetera, and then supposedly they come to Jesus and they're still eating, dressing, and living, and professing, and acting certain ways like before they were converted.

My Bible, your Bible, tells us that if any man be in Christ, he's a new creature.

What that means is that the things that we used to love, we should now hate.

The things that we used to love we should now hate.

The things that we used to hate we should now love.

There should be a very real change that exists within our hearts even when we're by ourselves and we are not amongst the saints of God.

And God can do this, brothers and sisters.

You know, I often don't like giving titles to my messages because, you know, sometimes people call me, what's your title?

And then 9 times out of 10, when I come, the Lord will give me something different.

And then I go ahead and contradict the very title I gave you.

So that's the reason why I don't like giving titles.

But I'll tell you, God gave me a title this morning.

I said, Father, what do you want me to say to your people?

And God put this very thought in my mind.

And I thought to myself, what does that mean?

And so I believe that the appropriate title, when you see our study, you'll understand what I'm saying.

I believe that all of us need to make a decision, but it's not enough to make a decision for Christ simply.

We have to make a decision in such a way that is either going to reflect Nebuchadnezzar or Mary.

You will understand what I mean as we progress in our study.

I want you to turn your Bibles with me to the book of Revelation chapter 3.

You see, in Revelation, the third chapter, the Bible lets us know that there is an experience that God's people need to have that we can make it not only through the final crisis, but ultimately make it home.

And the Bible says in the book of Revelation, chapter 3, I remember 1 time I was talking with somebody about going home to heaven.

And I mentioned, I said, I'm going home to heaven.

And somebody, you know, very theologically deep brother came to me and he said, listen, Brother Lemon, did you say heaven's our home?

And he said, well, I'm sorry, but I have to correct you.

He says, the heaven's not gonna be our home.

He said, the earth, when it's made new, is gonna be our home.

I said, I appreciate that correction, thank you.

I said, listen, when the meeting's over, where you gonna go?

I said, wait a minute, how long you been there?

He said, well, I've been in this house only for about 10 years.

I said, well, you've been in the house for 10 years and you called it home.

I said, so if you can be in your house for 10 years and call it home, if I'm going to be in heaven for 1, 000 years, why can't I call that home?

So I believe it is appropriate to say heaven will be our home and then we can say the new earth will be our final home.

So When we go to the book of Revelation 3, I believe that there's an experience that God wants his people to have before we go home.

And I want you to see what the Bible says in Revelation, the third chapter.

And if you're there, just please say amen.

The Bible says in Revelation chapter 3, We're just going to look at verse 5.

This is the experience we need, brothers and sisters.

The Bible says in Revelation 3 in verse 5, it says, he that what?

The same shall be clothed in white raiment, and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life.

Duane, I will not blot out your name out of the book of life.

Not because I like you, but because you overcame.

You see, God's not gonna play favorites with anybody.

There is a qualification that needs to take place in which we can receive the heavenly reward.

Breakout Session #3

Jesus’ Work in Health Evangelism

We thank you so much for the privilege to come together as a family that we may study your word, that we can receive the truth as it is in Jesus Christ.

We thank you that we can look to Jesus as our example, even as we see the end of the world approaching, as we see a final crisis that is soon to come upon us, we are grateful that we don't have to look to man, but we can look to the man, Christ Jesus.

And I believe that by beholding him, we all can become changed into the same image.

And so grant us your Holy Spirit, we pray, and truly open our eyes and help us behold wondrous things out of your word is our prayer that we ask in Jesus' name.

The Bible presents a position that God's people were going to fall into.

We have been given the greatest investment of heaven.

Heaven has invested unto us what is known as the mighty cleaver of truth, which is the first, second, and third angels message.

There is no other message that can make the work come to a close.

It is only the 3 angels and the reason we know that is because when you study Revelation 14 it was after the 3 angels messages were given that you see in verse 14.

Turn there with me in Revelation 14 and look at verse 14 and you will see that the Bible shows that there is only 1 true gospel message that is designed to bring something very special about.

I want you to see how the Bible defines it.

As we look at Revelation 14, we're going to consider verse 14, and let's notice what the text says.

Revelation 14, and we are looking at verse 14, and if you're there, just please say amen.

You know, If you look at Revelation 14 carefully, especially from verse 6 onward, it's fairly chronological because you have a first angel, you have a second angel, you have a third angel.

And after the third angel's message is given, if you look at verse 13, it introduces martyrdom.

It talks about people who die, people who die, but the Bible counts a blessing upon them.

Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord, for though they sleep, their works do follow them.

So we have to understand that the reality is, is that there is going to be a repercussion as it relates to the world and the church when God's people stand for truth.

And there will be some who will even have to have their blood spilled that it will continue to be, as it were, a fertilizer to the generation that's going to behold these events and be thou faithful unto death.

You know that's the only reason why God allows Christians to constantly be killed is so that it becomes an encouragement to the next generation to stay faithful also unto death.

It is only after the close of probation, it is after we get to Revelation 15 8 when the sanctuary is now filled with smoke and no man can enter therein and the intercessory work of Christ is done.

And now Revelation 22 kicks in, which says, "'Let him who's filthy be filthy still.

"'Let him who's holy be holy still.'" If you're alive at that time, good news, you are not gonna die.

Those are gonna be the individuals that's gonna make it all the way through to see Jesus come.

Now, understanding that, verse 13 makes it clear that yes, martyrdom is gonna be part of the package.

But then verse 14 says, it says in verse 14, "'And I looked and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud 1 sat like unto the son of man, having on his head a golden crown and in his hand a sharp sickle.

And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, thrust in thy sickle and reap, for the time has come for thee to reap for the what?

So the harvest, when you go to Matthew 13 and verse 39, the harvest represents the end of the world.

So literally the 3 angels' messages is the last gospel message to be given to the world, to prepare the world for the end so that we can be ready to go home with Jesus.

This is the investment that God has given unto us.

And when God gave this message to us, we have to understand that in this message is contained every truth that we need to know how God's work can be finished.

So it becomes imperative for you and I to study this work.

But the problem is, is that while God gave us this incredible investment, he also reveals to us a reality of our response to this investment.

In Revelation, the third chapter, we see how God's people are going to respond.

We know that the first angel's message deals with judgment.

The third angel's message also deals with judgment.

It shows us how to stand true to God at knowing that the investigative judgment is going on.

So when you think of the 3 angels' messages, it's very much centered around the judgment of what's going on in heaven in the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary.

Now, why this is interesting is because God has a message to the people of the judgment.

And when you look at God's message to the Laodiceans, the Bible says in verse 14, it says in Revelation 3 14, and unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, these things say at the amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God.

I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot.

He says, I'm gonna spew you out of my mouth.

And then he helps us understand why he has to give such straight counsel.

Verse 17 says, because thou sayest, I am rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing, and knowest not that thou art what?

Wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.

That's why I told you yesterday, I believe that the Laodiceans, they don't know their true condition.

A lot of us, we don't know our true condition.

And it's very easy to think we're doing okay, when in fact, we're doing absolutely horrible.

And so it is that we have to look at things with eyes out, that discernment that only God can give that we may have an understanding of our true condition.

And when that comes in, we will stop listening to ourselves and we'll start listening more to God.

Now, knowing this, The Bible gave a picture of the last days and the condition of the church.

In the midst of understanding the judgment, living in the time of judgment, knowing what God requires of us in the judgment, at the same time, God says, well, I'm gonna spell out what brought us into this Laodicean lukewarm condition.

It's spelled out in the book of 2nd Timothy chapter 3.

The Bible says in 2nd Timothy the third chapter, and this is on the screen, it says, this know also that in the last days, what kind of times?

And I believe it's perilous because the church was called to be the light of the world, but based on this, I see more darkness than light.

This know also that in the last days, perilous times shall come, for men shall be lovers of their own selves.

This says covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemous, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despises of those that are good, traitors, heady, and high-minded, and what is the reality?

You know, parents, we all have a work to do.

Sometimes we can look at our children and we can see they love pleasure more than they love God.

And we know that if our children are in that condition, we know there is no hope of salvation for them.

We have to train and direct and instruct our children in such as the fear and admonition of the Lord that a time comes that they will prefer to pray than to play.

And I'm not talking about all their lives because recreation, recreation is actually necessary for the people of God.

I am not saying that having true recreation is a bad thing.

There's a time to do things, but there's something wrong when a child can sleep through church and stay awake watching television program after television program after television program after television program.

There are very clear signs that our children can give us that they love pleasure more than they love God.

An individual is in a lost condition when we see ourselves in that place.

Christ doesn't want this, but it becomes our reality.

And the sooner we accept our reality, the sooner we can say, you know what, I do love pleasure more than I love God.

I do love to feed myself, do what I want to do than what God wants to do.

As a matter of fact, Lord, I'm starting to be honest with myself to the point to say I really don't love you.

I really don't have a desire to know you.

He says I would that thou were Cold or hot it is better to be cold and recognize Lord.

I don't love you I don't want to serve you actually don't want to do your will but I know that you are loved So I'm gonna ask you to do for me what I can't do for myself, put your love within my heart.

Doug Batchelor

A Study of Zacchaeus

Why don't you turn in your Bibles to the book of Luke?

If you don't, I'll be reading the passages.

We're going to look at a famous story, but it's a story that only appears 1 time in the Bible.

You know, there's a number of things you'll find in the Gospel of Luke you don't find in Matthew, Mark, or John.

It's only in Luke you find the story of the prodigal son, and it's only in Luke that you're gonna find the parable of the Good Samaritan.

And it's only in Luke you hear the story of Zacchaeus.

Often these stories are saved for the children, and they really have some wonderful theology for those of us who are adults.

He entered Jericho and was passing through.

Now it tells us that there's a great crowd that's following him because in another gospel, as he's going into Jericho, he heals a blind man by the name of Bartimaeus.

This is the last trip of Jesus to Jerusalem.

This is also the trip that was the last Passover.

And so during the time of Passover, there were a lot of pilgrims that were traveling to the city of Jerusalem.

Now Jesus knew he was on his way to die, but a number of things happened on that way.

And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, and he was a chief tax collector, and he was rich.

And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was of small stature.

So he ran ahead and climbed into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was going to pass that way.

And when Jesus came to the place where he was, he looked up and he said to him, Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.

So he hurried and he came down and received him joyfully.

And when they saw it, they the crowd, they all grumbled.

They said, he's gone to be the guest with a man who is a sinner.

And Zacchaeus stood and he said to the Lord, behold Lord, half of my goods I give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone, I restore it fourfold.

And Jesus said to him, today's salvation has come to this house in as much as he is also a son of Abraham.

For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which is lost." So let's take a look at this story a little more closely today.

First of all, Zacchaeus was, it says, a publican.

Now, I think most of us know what a publican was in Bible times.

Their tax collectors were not like our tax collectors today, where there was some legitimate process where they were picked by the government.

Tax collectors back then, I want you to think more mafia.

The tax collectors got into a contract with the Romans who were hated enemies and they said we will give you these bridges and gates of the city, and you will evaluate the sales items that are coming in and going out, and you will levy a tax on the items.

You get to keep a small percentage for yourself, and then you return that to Rome.

And so they would contract with Rome to extract taxes from their own people.

The Romans would pick Jews to tax the Jews.

They spoke the language, and they say you get to keep a little of it for yourself.

Well, the tax collectors often kept quite a bit for themselves.

And because they were sort of outcasts from Jewish society, they made no pretense of being religious.

Jesus often lumped the tax collectors together with the harlots.

He'd say the tax collectors and the harlots.

And you remember that Jesus invited even 1 of the 12 Apostles to be a tax collector.

There he was collecting the taxes at the gate of the city.

Jesus said follow me And he walked away from his cash register and followed Jesus.

Zacchaeus felt that he was an outcast from society.

Even though he was rich, and you know the Bible, when it says you're rich, it says he was a tax collector and he was rich.

Zacchaeus was the chief tax collector in Jericho.

Jericho was the best place to be a tax collector because it was on a highway that really connected a bridge of 3 continents.

The trade and caravan traffic that went from Africa to Europe, that went from Africa to Asia, and from Europe down to Asia, all went through the Jordan Valley.

You could not go east of there, it was a big desert, there was nothing there.

And so through that Jordan Valley, they'd go through that ancient city of Jericho.

You remember when the walls of Jericho fell, Joshua pronounced a curse on anyone who rebuilt the city.

Hundreds of years later, there was a man who didn't listen to the words of Joshua.

He rebuilt Jericho, and just as the curse had foretold, as he was laying the foundation for the city, there was an accident and his firstborn died.

Back to Menu

All Teachings

Nebuchadnezzar or Mary

1h 19m

Jesus’ Work in Health Evangelism

1h 27m

A Study of Zacchaeus

33m

Crucified with Christ

42m

Following Christ Through the Crisis

1h 20m

The Papal Visit to America

1h 18m

National Apostasy Leads to National Ruin

1h 30m

When The High Priest Leaves the Temple

1h

The Science of the Mind of Christ

1h 19m

Medical Missionary Work and Medicinal Herbs

56m

Never Good Enough

41m

A Safe Place

49m

Sound Doctrine