We have a time-sensitive work today. As in the days of Noah there came a time when the ark was completed, the animals were all in, and the last appeal was made, so in our day we have a message of appeal to the world. What will we do in this hour of earth’s history?

ASI 2021: Into All the World

<p>We have a time-sensitive work today. As in the days of Noah there came a time when the ark was completed, the animals were all in, and the last appeal was made, so in our day we have a message of appeal to the world. What will we do in this hour of earth’s history?</p>

<p>Free sharing permitted under the Creative Commons <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/">BY-NC-ND 3.0 (US)</a> license.</p>

Vanessa Dowdley

Plenary Sessions

The Tunnel Syndrome

Members in Action

Cami Oetman

Personal Testimony: Cami Oetman

Stephen Lee

Felecia Lee

A Message for Every Nation, Tribe, Language and People

Gerald Klingbeil

Chantal Klingbeil

Finding Rest in Family Ties

Ted N.C. Wilson

Hold Fast What You Have

Steve Dickman

The Hour

What a blessing God has given us this weekend, right? Wonderful music, God's word being spoken to us and the opportunity to be together for the first time in almost two years. Amazing. I've entitled the thoughts for this Evening the Hour. Friends, I want you to think about this. What is the hour in which we live in the context of that? Jesus was on his way to the cross and he knew it. We find this story in Matthew chapter 16 in verse 21, and this is what it says. From that time, fourth began, Jesus to show unto his disciples how that he must go unto Jerusalem and suffer many things of the elders and chief priest and scribes. Jesus knew his hour goes on to say and be killed and be raised again. The third day. Jesus knew his hour. The question is, do we know our our? Do we know our, our corporately? Do we know our hour individually? Do we know our our as a world? And I would suggest to you this evening that many do not know really the hour in which we live. I don't need to tell you, you know yourself, if you watch the news or have any connection with anything, that the world isn't a mess. The world is falling apart as it were. And as we look at that, we understand that there is some reason that God has called us personally into this time and into this place and into our relationship with him. You know, Jesus knew his hour for a variety of reasons. I think he knew he was headed to the cross because he had a personal connection with his heavenly Father. He knew he was headed to the cross because he had studied the prophecies of the Old Testament and he had an intimate knowledge of these things. He knew where he was headed. He knew that his hour was at hand. I would like to take a look at this story and its subsequent verses and learn some lessons that evidently the disciples were hesitant to learn because we find that they did not know the hour. Even though Jesus himself was telling them, this is my hour, we are headed towards the cross. They weren't able to hear that. Let's pick up the story in Matthew chapter 16. Let's just look at a few verses here. So Jesus is saying in verse 21, from that time, fourth, at a certain point in time, Jesus knew that his disciples were going to face this terrible situation. And he said, now is the time for me to acquaint my disciples with what's about to happen. And as he began to acquaint them with what was about to happen, we see that in verse 22. Peter objects. It says, then Peter took him and began to rebuke him. I wanna ask you a question tonight. What do we do when difficult times begin to come into our lives? Do we begin to explain to God all the reasons why this is not necessary? Do we begin to talk to God like you've made some, some mistakes here? Certainly we want to get back on track here, don't we? Well, Peter attempted that, but it goes on to say He He, he says to Jesus, be it far from the Lord. This shall not be unto the, this shall not be unto the Peter telling Jesus what he thought was best. How often do you do that? How often do you explain to God why a certain thing is not best? Now, I found myself often, you know, Lord, are you sure that this timing is right? Yes. Something seems off here. I wasn't expecting this right now. I had other plans. Friends, tonight I want to tell you something. We're living in an hour of our history when we need to individually lay our plans aside and go to God and ask him what is his plan? Amen. Because I believe, and I don't think I'm too far from wrong, that Jesus is waiting for us to ask that question. Amen. Jesus is waiting for us to get on board with his plans and stop thinking that we always know better. Jesus turned, it says and said to Peter, get the behind me Satan. Thou art an offense unto me for thou saviors not the things that be of God, but those that be of what men. I wanna ask you tonight, are we too much in tune with what the world is expecting? Are we, we too much in tune with what other people are expecting and not enough in tune with what God is asking? Just a question. Do you think it was easy for Jesus to go to the cross? Do you think that was a logical decision in light of human thinking? Do you think that somehow that this was something that was just a part of the plan and just kind of just floated down through that plan and time and said, everything's okay? I know I'm headed to the cross. Everything's okay. No, I, I wanna just read you from desire of ages to the heart of Christ. It was a bitter task to press his way against the fears, disappointment, and unbelief of his beloved disciples. Jesus was pressing his way toward the cross. His disciples, his most trusted, trained, connected disciples. In fact, you know the three right? Peter, James and John, right? Peter, James, and John, one of his trusted disciples is telling him, don't go. This is not a good idea. What are you saying? You're going to the cross. We've got plans. Jesus corrects Peter by addressing the instigator of the thoughts that Peter was having. Get the behind me. Satan. This wasn't so much about calling Peter Satan as it was addressing the fact that Peter was being used by Satan to tempt Christ. Can you believe that one of the disciples of Jesus being used by Satan to tempt Christ himself? It's unbelievable. Peter had been with Jesus three and a half years. How long have you been with Jesus? Is it possible that even under those conditions, Satan could use you and I to try and get someone else off of Christ's track? Maybe he's using us Satan. I'm saying using us. That's that's, that's such a thought that I hate it. I hate to think that actually we could be used in such a way, but Peter found himself an ardent disciple of Christ being used by Satan. The desire of ages goes on to say some very interesting things, and I'm gonna share just a few of those with you. We have very limited time this evening, and so we're gonna really have to compress the ideas we're sharing here. It says this, Satan was at hand to press his temptations upon the son of man. Why should he now go to Jerusalem to certain death? All around him were souls hungering for the bread of life On every hand were suffering. Ones waiting for his words of healing. The work to be wrought by the gospel of his grace was just begun and he was full of the vigor of manhood in his prime. Why not go forward to the vast fields of the world with the words of his grace, the touch of his healing power. Why not take to himself the joy of giving light and gladness to those darkened and soaring millions? Why leave the harvest gathering to his disciples so weak in faith, so dull in understanding, so slow to act. Why faith, death now and leave the work in its infancy? The foe who in the wilderness had confronted Christ as sealed him now with fierce and subtle temptations? And then this is a very interesting sentence, and I want you to take note of this because it applies to us today. Had Jesus yielded for a moment, had he changed his course in the least particular to save himself, Satan's agencies would have triumphed and the world would have been lost. Now, I'm not sure if you're hearing what I'm saying, but what I'm saying is this, God has very specific and particular plans for your life, just like he had for the life of Christ. God has very specific and particular plans for my life, just like he had for the life of Christ. Jesus told his disciples a few verses later when you read these stories in John, he says this in John chapter 15, verse 16, I have chosen you. You didn't choose me, but I chose you. Friends tonight, you have been chosen by God at this point in Earth's history. He has a very specific plan for your life and that specific plan for your life may not be a bed of roses. When you look around the world today, there's probably probably not too many beds of roses anyway. But the fact of the matter is many of us are too comfortable where we are. Many of us need to really get on our knees before our Heavenly Father and say, God, what are your plans? I've been too long distracted with the earthly ideas and the earthly plans that I've had. Lord, what would you have me to do? This needs to be our plea before a heavenly Father, because God is looking today for a generation of people who will stand up for him and take these three angels messages to the entire world and be an exhibition of his love and his grace to the world. Amen? I'm afraid we haven't quite reached it yet. We've got a ways to go and Jesus needs us in his army. Amen. Amen. Jesus goes on to say, immediately following this exchange with Peter and the devil, you might say, get the behind me Satan for thou and offense to me for thou saviors not the things that be of God. How do you know if you're savoring something that's of God or something that's of the devil, evidently one of Jesus' closest disciples didn't know? Could it be that we are oftentimes confused? We are looking at things and we're saying, well, that looks like a really good situation. I like that plan when God has other plans. And Jesus said unto his disciples in verse 24, if any man will come after me and let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow me. Jesus begins to spell out now for his disciples. This is what's happening. You need to understand that the path to the cross is going to require some self denial. You need to understand that the path to the cross is gonna decide. You know, you're gonna have to lay aside some things. Verse 25, for whosoever will save his life, shall lose it, and whosoever will lose his life from my stake shall find it. Friends, tonight, do you want to find your life? Amen. The plea of the world, the plea of many individuals in the world, I'll say it that way, is they wanna find purpose in their life. I just want to share with you tonight, you'll never find purpose into your life until you find Jesus. Amen. So True. I've seen the world explore all the options. I've explored a few of them myself. There's nothing there. Amen. There's nothing there. Real purpose comes when we have fully submitted ourselves to the path that Jesus has designed for us. That path will and must involve self-sacrifice. That path will and must involve self denial or else it is not the path of Jesus. Because Jesus words here are clear. If any man, that's you, that is me. We're all in this category together. If any man would come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow me. Jesus knew where he was headed. Jesus was headed to the cross. Do you wanna save your life? Then you better get ready to lose your life. Verse 26, for what is a man profited if he should gain the whole world and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Friends tonight, Jesus is asking the same question that he asked of Peter. He's asking it for us tonight, what would you trade for your soul? Friends, I hope there's nothing on that list. I hope there is nothing that you would allow to interfere with a total and complete commitment to our savior. Our heavenly Father is calling us tonight. Our Jesus is calling us. Take up your cross and follow me. When you study the life of Jesus. He spoke to someone who wanted to follow him and he said, the foxes have holes, right? There's places for the animals to live, but the Son of man has nowhere to lay his head. Where are we tonight? In, in Mark when it tells this story and actually further down here in Matthew as well, and we've, we've got to move on because these time is getting away from us. Jesus went on and in verse 27, he says this, for the son of man shall come in the glory of his father and his angels with him and his rewards shall be to every man according to his works. Friends, Tonight I want to tell you that Jesus is waiting for us to respond to his path. He's waiting for us to commit ourselves to his path and to his plan. In, in Matthew 17, just a few verses later in verse 22, Jesus begin begins to speak to his disciples and tell them the pathway he's on. And while the abode in Galilee, Jesus said unto them, the son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men and they shall kill him. And the third day he shall be raised again. And they were exceeding. Sorry. They were exceeding, sorry. But guess what they were doing while they were exceeding? Sorry. Matthew chapter 18 verse one. And at the same time came the disciples into Jesus saying, who's the greatest? Who's the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? They had a mission, they had a human agenda. They were distracted by the things of the world. They were distracted by this idea that there's some greatness that the world had to give them. Jesus had to correct their thinking because they were distracted. Friends, I wanna ask you a question tonight. What is it in the world that's distracting you? What is it that the world is offering you tonight that is keeping you from a complete and total 100% commission? You know, commitment to this mission of getting the gospel to the world? What could stand in the way his disciples were arguing about who's gonna be the greatest? What are we arguing about? I shouldn't say it, but I'm going to. Sometimes we're arguing about who started the pandemic. Whose fault is it and why should I have to get a vaccine anyway? Mercy. Sometimes we're distracted by the oddest things. The devil has a bag full of tricks and he's got all of them on the table at this point, honestly. And if he can distract you with one or another, it really doesn't matter to him as long as you are distracted. But what Jesus is calling for is not distraction, but commitment. That's what he's calling for tonight. Amen. Do you know the hour personally? Do we know the hour corporately? Does the world know it's hour? Daniel chapter two, we're living not at the head, not at the breast, not at the thighs, not in the legs, not even in the feet. We're living on the toenails, toenails. When you study the prophecies of Daniel chapter two, we're living in the toenails. When you read Matthew chapter 24 in Mark chapter 13 in Luke chapter 21, and you compare all of these chapters and look at the prophecies and the words of Jesus himself, we are living in the hour in which Jesus will come. Amos said The Lord God will do nothing. Betty reveals it unto his servants, the prophets. Jesus said it himself. The words of Jesus are there. Yes. Friends, your hour has come. Yes. Tonight I want to tell you something. My hour has come. Our hour has come, and here we are tonight at the close of our ASI convention, wondering what next. I want you to join me in listening to our special music and a appeal song this evening, and when they finish, I have just a few more questions for you before we close. It's free friends. What Jesus offers is free, but it has the greatest reward. It's the greatest thing on earth when we find ourselves in the center of God's will. This is the hour, my friends. It's the hour for us to discern the times. It's the hour for us to recognize our calling. It's the hour for us to commit our time, our energy, and our resources. It's the hour for us to get a divorce from the world. Amen? Amen. It's the hour for us to engage 100% in the work of God and getting the three angels messages to the entire world. Amen. It's time to just not say I will go, but to get up and go. It's time for us to take action. Now, is the hour tomorrow late? Maybe too late. Just wondering this evening, would you join me? Would you join me in saying yes, Lord, it's time. This is the hour, not this is somebody else's hour, but this is my hour. This is my opportunity. Lord, you, you gave me breath today. Lord, you woke me up this morning and by God's grace, he will wake us up another day to do his will. I'm asking the officers to join me here this evening as we are committing ourselves as the leadership of ASI to knowing our hour. Now is the time. This is the hour God has called us to serve, but God hasn't just called us to serve. He has called you to serve. Wow. Amazing team we have here. Praise God. Amen. Now, this, this, this is the beginning. Okay? I wanna ask you tonight, if you're willing to join this team in a commitment to allow God to make this our hour. Do you believe that we're living in that hour? Verse history? Just raise your hand tonight. God knows your hands. He knows your hearts. But raise your hands. Are you willing to join in this effort to get the three angels messages to the entire world? Not in some future period, but now you've seen their response, right? Amen. That means we have a pretty good army here to get started. Amazing. God is good and he is faithful. And tonight we want to allow God to show us the hour, but not just the hour, but to show us our hour. And I hope and pray that as you leave this place, you will allow God to speak to your heart and you will listen and that all of us will go on His mission This evening. I'm just gonna pray for our commitment, and then we're gonna take a little time to introduce our new officers and to allow God to take them on a journey to the future, allowing him to guide their footsteps as they lead this organization. Father in heaven, we're so grateful this evening for you. Many blessings. You've called us here for this hour. Lord, you put us in this world for now, not for some future time. You've allowed us the privilege of having a part in your work. Lord, we know you're speaking to our hearts tonight as well, and you're calling us even to greater things. What would you have us do, Lord? We submit ourselves fully under your hand right now. Say, impress our hearts. Teach us, guide us, direct us. We pray for this team that's coming on board. Lord, we just lift them up tonight. We know you're going to use them to do some amazing things, and we want to be there to support them and encourage them. Those who have raised their hands tonight, Lord, you've seen their hands. You know their hearts. You know my heart. Our heart Lord uses tonight. May we be faithful. Day by day is our prayer. In Jesus name, amen. This media was produced by Audio verse for ASI Adventist, layman's services and industries. If you would like to learn more about asi, please visit www.asiministries.org. Or if you would like to listen to more free online sermons, please visit www.audio verse.org.

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Series

Plenary Sessions

The Hour

Description

Parent Series

Parent Conference

Sponsor

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Other Teachings in Series

The Tunnel Syndrome

Members in Action

Personal Testimony: Cami Oetman

A Message for Every Nation, Tribe, Language and People

Finding Rest in Family Ties

Hold Fast What You Have

The Hour

Sound Doctrine