Brian Hindman

Mills River SDA Church

I’m Sorry

Woke up and had a yard full of snow and quite a surprise.

We just had, in fact, on a small quick side note, on the campus where I live and work at, at Mount Pisgah Academy, we just had about a week ago some National Forest Rangers on our campus because we had a mother bear that was hibernating on our campus.

We have about 210 acres over the wintertime.

And I don't know if they knew for sure or not, but anyway, she had 2 cubs.

And it was up in the woods above where some of our students are playing and actively engaged in doing things on the ball field.

But the really sad thing is when they tried to tranquilize her to check up on her, when she was shot with a tranquilizer gun, she fell down on her face and they have to wait some time before they go and check on the bear before they're sure that it's sedated and the poor bear suffocated.

And this is not a good way to start a sermon this morning.

Maybe the title would be very fitting, I'm sorry.

She did have 2 cubs and they are absolutely precious.

In fact, if you see me at the door, I have some pictures.

I was able to hold them and they were taken to, I think, another mother that they are monitoring that's been tagged wild bears.

She's with a wild, another wild bear, with another mother and so anyway, that was pretty exciting to see right on our campus where I live that we had that happen.

And she survived all those cold winter polar plunge temperature drops that we've had and And then just when people are trying to help her Then she was unfortunately Didn't make it but God is coming very soon and He is going to make all things right.

All accounts will be squared away when God comes.

He will come and vindicate His righteousness and His character and His law and I am greatly looking forward to that and I know you are too.

Well, I have something important to share with you this morning.

I always like to share this wherever I go, and it is that I love God.

And this love is based on the fact, 1 John 4, 19 tells us that we love Him because He first loved us.

Our love for God is always a reaction, it's always a response to His love towards us.

And because I love God, I love His precious word that He has given to us.

Jesus, speaking to 1 of His disciples who had asked Him a question, in John chapter 14 and verse 23 says, the Bible says, Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words.

If a man love me, he will keep my words, and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him." I don't know about you this morning, but I would like for God and Jesus to make his abode with me.

We will come and make our abode with him.

Well, what is the result of when this happens if we keep the Word of God?

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says in Matthew 7, 24 and 25, Therefore, whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man which built his house upon something." What did he build his house upon?

And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house, and it fell not." Why?

So, what are the results of keeping the words of God?

If we build our lives, our character, our faith, being rooted and grounded and established on the rock, we will prevail when the winds of strife and the floods of this life, water oftentimes in Bible prophecy of course represents people, so this could be a picture of end time persecution.

The winds blew and the floods came and beat upon that house, but the house did not fall.

Well, the rock is very clearly in Scripture identified as Christ.

I love to take the opportunity to brag about Jesus, and I enjoy memorizing His Word.

1 of my newest memory verses, Deuteronomy 32 and verse 4, it says, He is the Rock.

His work is perfect, For all his ways are judgment, a God of truth and without iniquity.

Just and right is he." Can you say amen to a God who is the rock?

Scripture is full of metaphors that describe Jesus as the rock.

And our faith is built on Him, and we're clearly told that it will not fail, it will not be overcome by the assaults and attempts of Satan to overthrow it.

Well, this morning as we begin, our subject is, I'm sorry.

And if you will just pause for a moment to bow your heads with me, I want to seek the Lord in prayer as we begin.

Our Father and our God, Lord, we would see Jesus.

We would understand His Word to us today.

I pray, Lord, that You will hide me behind the cross.

But, Lord, Your people desire earnestly to see and hear a message from on high, And you have given this to us in your Holy Word.

So I pray, Lord, that you will give us eyes to see and ears to hear, that we might know and understand your will in our lives.

All right, the setting for our message this morning is found in the book of Revelation.

I hope you enjoy studying the Bible, and we'll be looking at a number of Bible verses.

If you would open up to Revelation chapter 3, and we will start looking at 1 of the churches, 1 of the 7 churches, in fact it's the last church beginning in verse 14.

Now, I'll just mention the 7 churches are a picture that has a two-part or two-fold message.

Number 1, the 7 churches represent the church in John's day.

Each 1 of the churches that John, who was the author of Revelation, was writing to.

But number 2, the 7 churches also represent God's true faithful church down throughout the history of time, down to the close of time.

And it is that seventh and final church that is the 1 that pictures us and our condition today.

Sanctify them through thy truth, thy word is truth." John 17, 17.

But what God's people are most particularly interested in is present truth.

There is all truth in the Bible, but present truth has a greater urgency and a stronger need that we would pay attention to it.

And so this final church here in Revelation 3, beginning in verse 14 is the church of Laodicea.

And so I want us to just get a picture today as we continue with our subject, I'm Sorry, beginning in verse 14.

And we read there, and under 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.

The Amen, the faithful and true witness, and the beginning of the creation of God?

By the way, don't let the beginning of the creation of God trip you up in any way.

It means, let's compare that with another Scripture, all things were made by Him, and without Him was not how many things made?

The beginning of the creation of God is a title describing that Jesus is the 1 that God the Father wrought through in all creation.

He Himself is not created because you cannot create God.

Alright, continuing on, "'I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot.

So then, because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, ' now pay attention, "'I will' what?

"'spew thee out of my mouth.'" Have you ever wondered what does that mean?

This is Jesus speaking, I will spew thee out of my mouth.

Now, Revelation, we're told in Revelation 1-1 is put in symbolic language.

The message in Revelation is highly symbolic.

Well, as I was reading sometime not too long ago, and just thinking and pondering these verses, it occurred to me what that actually really means.

Revelation chapter 3 and verse 5, if you would just look up to the church at Sardis, has a clear, I think, representation.

If Jesus Himself says, I will spew thee out of my mouth.

Notice Revelation 3 verse 5, He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment, and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels." So the righteous will have their name confessed before the Heavenly Father and before the holy angels.

First Things First

Well, because I love God, I love His precious message to us, which is found in the Scriptures, the Word of God.

John 14, verse 23, Jesus says, If a man love Me, He will keep my words, and my Father will love Him, and we will come unto Him, and make our abode with Him." So, if a person loves God, they will keep His words.

Well, I don't think I need to tell you that we're living in a time when there is a lot of things that are being said that go against the Word of God.

Now, more than ever, it behooves us, it is incumbent upon us to dig deeply and to spend much time in prayer and study in the Word of God, that we might know what is truth for ourselves.

Ellen White says that God will reveal His truth to each 1 of us as much as He will reveal it to anyone else.

Whether it's a pastor, or conference president, or any other official, those are people that God, I believe, has appointed and given ministry talents for those positions, but He will give His truth and speak His mysteries to each 1 of us as much as any other person.

I hope you believe that this morning, because God is awesome and wonderful.

Well, this morning in my own personal reading, I wanted to just share with you a couple quick statements before we get into our subject this morning of first things first, and I know the hour is already beginning to become late, but let me please just share with you, this is bonus material, Bonus material from the Spirit of prophecy.

You know the signature of the Seventh Day Adventist Church I believe is Revelation 12.17.

I believe that is our signature identification verse more than maybe any other verse in the Scriptures.

And it simply says, I hope we all know it by heart, and the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, number 1.

And number 2, they have something, they have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

And I hope that you put the Spirit of Prophecy, the testimony of Jesus Christ on a high position in your own study and daily devotions with God.

Well, this is a statement from Signs of the Time, March 30, 1904, paragraph 5, and I'll just read 1 sentence, Our sanctification is God's object in all His dealing with us.

Our sanctification is God's object in all His dealing with us.

And if you want the reference I can give it to you afterwards everything God does in relating to us and dealing with us is with the object of our sanctification and To break down a big word sanctification I believe is character development our development of character that we might have the character of Christ, that we might become like Him is the object that God has in all of His dealings with us.

And now this is a connected statement, I was just happening to be reading several different things and I made a connection.

This next sentence is from Fundamentals of Education, page 432, paragraph 3.

Don't panic, I'll give this to you if you want afterwards, you can see me at the door.

Ellen White says, there is no sanctification aside from the truth, the Word.

There is no sanctification, that is character development, aside from the truth, the Word of God.

So, I hope that you have a love and a desire to study the Word of God this morning as we realize that God's object is to lead us and draw our minds to a study of His Word, because we're told in 2 Timothy 3.16 that we have all things that we need.

The man or woman of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works by a knowledge and a study and then a practical application of the Scriptures in our lives.

Well, this morning as we begin our subject, first things first, I would like to just consecrate myself to God.

So, if you'll bow your heads with me for just a moment.

Our Father and our God, I just pray, Lord, that You will speak Your words this morning as we look across scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, and look to see the message You have for us, the order that You've given to us in Your Scripture, and then also the present truth message that we need to understand for this time.

Lord, I pray that You'll forgive me of my sins, and I want to consecrate and rededicate my own life to You, and just ask You humbly to take my life and let it be, Lord, consecrated fully to Thee.

I accept Jesus as my own personal Savior as I speak before Your precious people, and I pray this in the name of Jesus, amen." All right, I hope you brought your Bibles, and I hope you love to study the Bible.

Let's go to Isaiah 41 in the Old Testament.

We'll start there, Isaiah 41 and verse 14.

And it simply says, Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel.

I will help thee, saith the Lord, and thy Redeemer, the Holy 1 of Israel." Notice the term used here to describe God's people, a worm.

Is God being mean to describe His people as a worm?

What is the comparison, what is the contrast between a worm, a simple earthworm, and the holy 1 of Israel who is speaking to his people?

I think I want to put a thought in our minds this morning that God is very holy.

And we as His people need to approach Him in a very humble and reverent, holy manner.

The difference between a worm, the contrast is an infinite one." So, how holy exactly is God?

Let's turn now in our Bibles, let's go back to the book 1 Samuel 6.

1 Samuel 6, and we're going to look at a story, the end of a story in which the Israelites had taken the Ark of the Covenant, the Ark which contained the 10 Commandments, and they had taken it out into battle thinking it would help them win in battle, a military battle against the Philistines.

And as they did this foolishly, because of their own sinfulness and their recklessness in carrying the Ark out into battle, God suffered the Ark to be captured by the Philistines.

And some of you probably know what happened.

The Philistines as they had this Ark at first they had sought to acquire the Ark because they thought it had magical powers.

And if they had that connected with their own God's powers they would become great in all the land.

Well as they took it and put it in the temple of their god, Dagon, who is the fish god.

It was broken down, the altar was broken down, the hands and feet and head were broken down facing the Ark of the Covenant.

And after they had this Ark with them for several days, a plague broke out.

And Terrible sickness and plagues broke out to the point where they moved the ark the Philistines from city to city Trying to see if the plagues would would stop or go away.

Well, eventually they decided this is not going to stop, we're going to have to send this ark back to Israel.

And so they came up with a plan, and the plan was let's take and put a new cart and a new oxen that have never been yoked together before, and we'll put the ark on the oxen and we'll see where it goes.

And we will know if it goes right to the nearest city of the Israelites, we'll know the plague is from God.

And so they did this and sure enough the 2 cows they began to turn, even though they had young calves, they turned away and started going right to the nearest town, which was Beth Shemesh.

And I want to pick up the story here, 1 Samuel 6 verse 19 and 20.

As the ark returns to Israel from the Philistines, let's notice what happened here as the Israelites then chose to do something very foolish.

1 Samuel 6 verse 19, And it says there, And he smote the men of Beth-shemesh, they actually opened up the cover of the ark, and looked in.

He, referring to God, smote the men of Beth-shemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the Lord.

Even he smote of the people 50, 000 and threescore and 10 men.

And the people lamented, because the Lord had smitten many of the people with a great slaughter." Now that's a lot of people.

Now if you have an NIV Bible it will say 70 men.

But if you have a King James or a New King James it will say 50, 000 and 70 men.

And in case you're wondering, I actually looked up several different Bible sources, and also in the Spirit of Prophecy and the Servant of the Lord, the Spirit of Prophecy says over 50, 000 people were killed among the Israelites, which is far more than were killed in battle against the Philistines because they dared to look into the sacred covering of the ark.

Over 50, 000, now verse 20, and the men of Beth Shemesh said, who is able to stand before this Holy Lord God?

And to whom shall He go up from us?" Now, listen to this statement from Patriarchs and Prophets describing this encounter of what just took place.

Ellen White says, this is Patriarchs and Prophets page 589, "'All Israel had been taught to regard the Ark with awe and reverence.

When required to remove it from place to place, the Levites were not so much as to look upon it.

Only once a year was the high priest permitted to behold the Ark of God.

Even the heathen Philistines had not dared remove its coverings to look inside.

Angels of heaven unseen ever attended it in all its journeyings.

The irreverent daring of the people at Beth Shemesh was speedily punished.

50, 070." Now, these are God's people, so they had an excuse, right?

God will excuse wrongdoing when it's His people.

Does God expect more of His people when they know that people are not ignorant that they should not be looking inside the ark?

They knew better, but they chose to do so anyway.

Now let's turn back to another story as we're beginning again to look at first things first, Leviticus chapter 10.

Turn with me to the book of Leviticus chapter 10 and we're going to read a short few verses about the sons of Aaron named Nadab and Abihu.

They had been privileged to witness the glory of God along with the 70 elders on the mount there at Mount Sinai.

And they were next to Moses and Aaron, the highest regarded among God's people.

So these are not just God's people, these are the ones who officiate, the leaders, the priests.

And let's notice this short story here, you probably know it, Leviticus 10 starting in verse 1, And Nadab and Abihu the sons of Aaron took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered what?

Strange fire before the Lord, which He commanded them not." Now I'll just tell you that strange fire refers to the fact that they took common regular fire that they kindled themselves, rather than the fire that was taken from the altar of incense which was kindled directly by God Himself.

The priests were to offer incense at the morning and the evening sacrifices.

H.M.S. Richards

Voice Of Prophecy

He Ascended Into Heaven

Lift up the trumpet and loud let it ring, Jesus is coming again.

Cheer up your pilgrims, be joyful and sing, Jesus is coming again.

We bring you the program of The Voice of Prophecy.

A voice crying in the wilderness of these latter days, prepare ye the way of the Lord.

Coming again, coming again, Jesus is coming again.

This broadcast is presented by the Voice of Prophecy, Inc.

I now invite you to listen to our radio quartet, the King's Herald, as they sing that thrilling gospel song, Hold the Fort.

O my comrades, see the signal waving in the sky.

Reinforcements now appearing, victory is nigh.

O the thought for I am coming, Jesus, signal still.

Raise the answers back to heaven, by thy grace we will.

See the glorious banner waving, hear the trumpet blow.

In our leader's name we'll triumph over every foe.

Lord, for thy act of mercy, Jesus, sickness, and fear, wave the answer back to heaven.

O Lord, our God before whose mighty dominion the nations of earth are but as the small dust of the balance.

We ask thee to so control the nations that the everlasting gospel shall be quickly preached in all the world according to thine unfailing word.

We thank thee that in thy Son God was manifest in the flesh, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory, to be our minister, our high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the majesty in the heavens, a minister of the sanctuary and the true tabernacle which the Lord pitched and not man.

Therefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto thee by him, seeing that he ever liveth to make intercessions for us.

We do not come to thee in our own power, but through his mercy and through his intercession.

Accept his intercession in our behalf, we beseech of thee through the worthiness of the same our Lord Jesus Christ.

Near to the heart of God, a place where sin cannot molest, near to the heart of God.

O Jesus, blessed Redeemer, sent from the heart of God, Hold us who wait before thee, near to the heart of God.

2 interesting letters in our mail are really lessons in contrast.

1 is from a mother whose children like to hear the King's Herald sing.

My little boy, she says, was 4 years old yesterday and I have a little girl not quite 3 years old.

They'd dearly love to hear the King's Herald sing the theme song and they can sing it themselves almost as heartily as the quartet in their own small way of course.

How disappointed they are when we tune in a few minutes late and miss the opening song.

I'm sure your program is blessing many of the small hearts as well as the older ones too.

Yes, we're happy to say the Voice of Prophecy broadcast is reaching the older ones.

Our second letter is from Kentucky and was written by an elderly man born in the year 1862.

That'd make him 84 years old, wouldn't it?

This old gentleman is 1 of our listeners and 1 of our Bible students.

He says, in a letter to the Voice of Prophecy, I have 65 grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

I'm glad there is still someone who loves to read and study the Bible.

Will you pray for me that I may be faithful till the end?

We will, and will you do that too, radio friends?

Remember the very youngest and the very oldest among our listeners in your prayers.

Now the King's Herald sing, What Did He Do?

Counted once among the lost, Yet 1 came down from Heaven's glory, Saving us at all 4 costs.

Will you surrender to this Savior, To his step the humbly bow?

And now, the voice of prophecy, his subject, he ascended into heaven.

The voice of prophecy stands for the historic gospel.

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All Teachings

I’m Sorry

48m

First Things First

52m

He Ascended Into Heaven

29m

The Pain of Parenthood

30m

Codebreaker

37m

What Does It Mean to Follow Jesus?

29m

08. Luke: The Mission of Jesus

38m

20. Our Eternal Home

1h

19. Lessons From the Days of Noah

1h 13m

18. The Thousand Year Reign

1h 14m

17. The Rapture and the Blessed Hope

1h 14m

16. The Battle of Armageddon

1h 24m

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