Distinguished Citizens
Pastor George Dronen
Midland SDA Church
January 28, 2012
Key thought: What will God's church be like when Jesus comes back for us?
TEXT Rev 12:17 "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, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ."
We are the generation that will see Jesus come.
Six thousand years are given to determine our destiny. The watching universe has witnessed Satan’s acts in the lives of humans on planet earth, six thousand years sinned has reigned on planet earth. How much better off are we than those who lived before us. We have electricity, we have cars, TV, radio, telephones, computers, we have it all. But are we much better than those who lived before us. We have learned to kill, destroy, poison. We kill more people with cigarettes than we ever killed in wars, millions of people have AIDS, we spend thousands of dollars on prisons to house criminals who are there because they got caught. A generation ago we developed the “fast food industry” and we are starting to reap the results, in heart attacks, strokes, hyper active people. We are it. And soon this reign of terror will be over and we will spend one thousand years with Jesus in heaven. One thousand years going over the records, one thousand years we will have to examine God’s dealings with mankind. Was He fair, just, honest, did He give ever one a chance?
What are the characteristics of God’s people? What will the people who spend a thousand years living and reigning with Jesus be like?
1 They know Jesus and trust Him fully. They recognize His voice and He knows theirs.
2. They are filled with and transformed by the Holy Spirit to help and transform our characters and to equip us to give the gospel.
How can you tell if you are filled by the Holy Spirit? You must have an outreach.
3. They are sharing the gospel. They are involved in outreach for others.
4. They are generous with their means in the work of the Lord. They are liberal in their tithes and offerings. Less than 50 % of our people are faithful in tithes and offerings.
Lev 27:30 Tithe is holy. We mustn’t make excuses for not giving.
Mal 3:10 “Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this," Says the LORD of hosts, "If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it.
We are instructed that the Conference Treasury is the storehouse for God’s tithes.
We are a rebellious people. We want to do it our way. If we don’t like what the conference is doing we say we will send our tithe to 3ABN or AMAZING FACTS, or some organization.
Our responsibility is to be faithful. God has the ability to correct unfaithful stewards.
Do you know there are many of our people who are not returning tithe? Why because the only way you can return tithe is to give it where God intends it should go. There was an elder lady in one of the churches we pastored who we knew was faithful. She told me that she had become disgusted with the conference and was sending her tithe to another organization. I don’t remember which one it was. I asked her why she stopped tithing. She said what do you mean? I said to her, “the only way you can tithe is if you return it to the storehouse.” She said what and where is the storehouse?” I said, “We are told that the conference treasury is the storehouse.” In other words the tithe has been specified to go to a special place, the conference treasurer. Oh she said, I must get my check book and make this right with the Lord.
Mal 3:6 If we want to come close to God than we must be faithful to the Lord. You are not tithing when you send your tithe to some other organization. Tithe belongs to the Lord for the support of the ministry. We are told if our people were faithful in returning their tithe there would be more than enough to support our ministry.
5 Their lives testify this world is not their home. Abraham lived in a tent to show that he believed that this world was not his home. He made known by his way of life.
Noah believed there was a flood coming by demonstrating with his hammer. CS 60 “as we near the close of earth’s history we need to cut loose from this world’s goods.”
Do you know dear people you are testifying all the time? Whatever you do or say you are telling the people what you believe and what you practice. If you say you are a vegetarian and your deep freeze is full of venison I don’t think I would believe it. I know a lady who was at a professors in one of our Universities home and she looked under her sink and there was a six pack of wine coolers. What did this young person think in her mind? It must be okay to use a little wine, surely God isn’t that particular. We must practice what we preach. My brother had gone away to college and was staying in the dorm. One day one of the guys asked him, “what are you drinking? you have alcohol on your breath.” My brother said; I don’t drink! But you will never believe what was giving him that alcohol smell on his breath. It was Listerne. It has 20% alcohol. A couple of swigs of it could give you a pretty good high. One of our baptismal vows is that we will not even touch alcohol, tobacco, beer, wine, or any of these substances, much less use them. The manual says we will not use, sell, or manufacture these items.
We must not even give the appearance of evil. We are an open book. Known and read by all men.
The same is true of gambling. We would never think of going into a casino but what about those lotto tickets. Would you feel comfortable if you won big in a lotto drawing? How would you justify this? It is must never be said that we are enriched in the devils schemes. Gambling is the sport of devil to get you to believe you can become rich at other peoples expense.
If we were to buy a lotto ticket, and there are hundreds of people that do, we are hoping that all the other people that have bought lotto tickets will lose and you will win. You want their money. Gambling of any sort is selfishness and it is sin. Same with Bingo, it leads to other forms of gambling. Often those who gamble are those who can least afford to lose this money. It is sad to see how many people who buy gas will spend their last dollar in change for a lotto ticket rather than taking the change for their gas purchase.
Dear people, give your testimony to the world. I belong to Jesus and He will take care of me. I don’t need the devil to interfere and take the credit.
The remaining time I want to draw from the experience of King Hezekiah.
King Hezekiah had come down with a malady that was going to kill him. The prophet Isaiah came to him and told him that he would die.
I want to say something here. Maybe it would have been better for the King to have died considering what happens when we fail to give the Lord the honor and praise that He deserves.
The Babylonians were getting stronger and they besieged Jerusalem.
2Ch 32:1 ¶ After these deeds of faithfulness, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and entered Judah; he encamped against the fortified cities, thinking to win them over to himself.
2 And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come, and that his purpose was to make war against Jerusalem,
3 he consulted with his leaders and commanders to stop the water from the springs which were outside the city; and they helped him.
4 Thus many people gathered together who stopped all the springs and the brook that ran through the land, saying, "Why should the kings of Assyria come and find much water?"
5 And he strengthened himself, built up all the wall that was broken, raised it up to the towers, and built another wall outside; also he repaired the Millo in the City of David, and made weapons and shields in abundance.
6 Then he set military captains over the people, gathered them together to him in the open square of the city gate, and gave them encouragement, saying,
7 "Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid nor dismayed before the king of Assyria, nor before all the multitude that is with him; for there are more with us than with him.
8 "With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the LORD our God, to help us and to fight our battles." And the people were strengthened by the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.
What happened next?
2Ch 32:9 ¶ After this Sennacherib king of Assyria sent his servants to Jerusalem (but he and all the forces with him laid siege against Lachish), to Hezekiah king of Judah, and to all Judah who were in Jerusalem, saying,
10 "Thus says Sennacherib king of Assyria: 'In what do you trust, that you remain under siege in Jerusalem?
11 'Does not Hezekiah persuade you to give yourselves over to die by famine and by thirst, saying, "The LORD our God will deliver us from the hand of the king of Assyria"?
12 'Has not the same Hezekiah taken away His high places and His altars, and commanded Judah and Jerusalem, saying, "You shall worship before one altar and burn incense on it"?
13 'Do you not know what I and my fathers have done to all the peoples of other lands? Were the gods of the nations of those lands in any way able to deliver their lands out of my hand?
14 'Who was there among all the gods of those nations that my fathers utterly destroyed that could deliver his people from my hand, that your God should be able to deliver you from my hand?
15 'Now therefore, do not let Hezekiah deceive you or persuade you like this, and do not believe him; for no god of any nation or kingdom was able to deliver his people from my hand or the hand of my fathers. How much less will your God deliver you from my hand?'"
16 Furthermore, his servants spoke against the LORD God and against His servant Hezekiah.
17 He also wrote letters to revile the LORD God of Israel, and to speak against Him, saying, "As the gods of the nations of other lands have not delivered their people from my hand, so the God of Hezekiah will not deliver His people from my hand."
18 Then they called out with a loud voice in Hebrew to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, to frighten them and trouble them, that they might take the city.
19 And they spoke against the God of Jerusalem, as against the gods of the people of the earth-the work of men's hands.
20 Now because of this King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah, the son of Amoz, prayed and cried out to heaven.
Note Hezekiah and Isaiah joined in prayer. What did Jesus tell us? If two should agree on earth it shall be bound in heaven. If two of you in this church agree that this or that should be done it will be done.
21 Then the LORD sent an angel who cut down every mighty man of valor, leader, and captain in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned shamefaced to his own land. And when he had gone into the temple of his god, some of his own offspring struck him down with the sword there.
What is God able to do? One angel, one night, slew 185,000 of Assyria’s best soldiers and officers. Don’t ever under estimate what God can do. Nothing is too hard for the Lord. Our problem is we just don’t believe He will or can do it.
2Ki 19:35 ¶ And it came to pass on a certain night that the angel of the LORD went out, and killed in the camp of the Assyrians one hundred and eighty-five thousand; and when people arose early in the morning, there were the corpses-all dead.
2Chronicles32:22 Thus the LORD saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib the king of Assyria, and from the hand of all others, and guided them on every side.
Some times you have to lay it out before the Lord.
Do you really believe that God will deliver you from the temptations of life?
People in the world need to know that our God will deliver us.
Are there things in your life that you need to bring before the Lord.
People we are living in dangerous times.
Sometimes we need to come to before Lord and confess.
Our Father in heaven can deliver us.
Notice the verse the Lord saved them from hand of all others.
The Lord wants us to deliver us from all of our sins.
The devil may let you ride and then boom he comes back and you.
The Lord needs to guide us on every side.
Yes, God can guide us on every side.
God wants to lead us in a way that we never fall into temptation.
He wants to guide us on every side.
23 And many brought gifts to the LORD at Jerusalem, and presents to Hezekiah king of Judah, so that he was exalted in the sight of all nations thereafter.
Back in those days if you saw a nation that was gaining victories.
You wanted to gain favor of the nation that was favored. Gifts a token of friendship.
You see Hezekiah was exalted in the sight of all nations thereafter.
The Bible was not exaggerating Hezekiah was exalted in the sight of all nations.
Hezekiah was exalted from thence forth.
2Ki 20:1 ¶ In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death. And Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, went to him and said to him, "Thus says the LORD: 'Set your house in order, for you shall die, and not live.'"
2 Then he turned his face toward the wall, and prayed to the LORD, saying,
3 "Remember now, O LORD, I pray, how I have walked before You in truth and with a loyal heart, and have done what was good in Your sight." And Hezekiah wept bitterly.
4 And it happened, before Isaiah had gone out into the middle court, that the word of the LORD came to him, saying,
5 "Return and tell Hezekiah the leader of My people, 'Thus says the LORD, the God of David your father: "I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the LORD.
6 "And I will add to your days fifteen years. I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for My own sake, and for the sake of My servant David."'"
If God where to add 15 years to life and you were told you were going to die, would you tell anyone?
7 Then Isaiah said, "Take a lump of figs." So they took and laid it on the boil, and he recovered.
8 And Hezekiah said to Isaiah, "What is the sign that the LORD will heal me, and that I shall go up to the house of the LORD the third day?"
9 Then Isaiah said, "This is the sign to you from the LORD, that the LORD will do the thing which He has spoken: shall the shadow go forward ten degrees or go backward ten degrees?"
Sun dial gnome cut according to latitude based upon the sun each degree around 10 minutes.
If God told you were going to live and here is the sign go forward ten degrees or back ward 10 degrees.
Hezekiah said bring the sun back ten degrees.
10 And Hezekiah answered, "It is an easy thing for the shadow to go down ten degrees; no, but let the shadow go backward ten degrees."
11 So Isaiah the prophet cried out to the LORD, and He brought the shadow ten degrees backward, by which it had gone down on the sundial of Ahaz.
Maybe 30 minutes so you get an extra hour of sunlight. If God moved the sun for you would you be ashamed to tell some one the sun wasn’t a miracle just a sign.
12 ¶ At that time Berodach-Baladan the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present to Hezekiah, for he heard that Hezekiah had been sick.
13 And Hezekiah was attentive to them, and showed them all the house of his treasures-the silver and gold, the spices and precious ointment, and all his armory-all that was found among his treasures. There was nothing in his house or in all his dominion that Hezekiah did not show them.
14 Then Isaiah the prophet went to King Hezekiah, and said to him, "What did these men say, and from where did they come to you?" So Hezekiah said, "They came from a far country, from Babylon."
15 And he said, "What have they seen in your house?" So Hezekiah answered, "They have seen all that is in my house; there is nothing among my treasures that I have not shown them."
16 Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, "Hear the word of the LORD:
17 'Behold, the days are coming when all that is in your house, and what your fathers have accumulated until this day, shall be carried to Babylon; nothing shall be left,' says the LORD.
18 'And they shall take away some of your sons who will descend from you, whom you will beget; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.'"
19 So Hezekiah said to Isaiah, "The word of the LORD which you have spoken is good!" For he said, "Will there not be peace and truth at least in my days?"
Now comes the part of Hezekiah life that should not have happened. It would have been better for Hezekiah to have died than for these last chapters to have to be written.
The ambassadors from Assyria came to Jerusalem. Why? The Babylonians were sun god worshippers.
I am getting ahead of myself in the story. You see after the victory over the Assyrians Hezekiah got sick. Isaiah came to him and told him he was going to die. Hezekiah cried out to the Lord and the God of heaven heard him and answered his prayer. He told him that He, God, would give him an extra 15 years.
Hezekiah wasn’t sure so he asked for a sign and the Lord gave him a sign. Which will it be. Move the sun dial ahead 15 degrees or back 10 degrees.
Hezekiah reasoned it is easy for it to go forward 15 degrees but backwards 10 degrees. Who can do that, except the Creator of the heavens and the earth.
Now the Babylonians were sun worshippers. And when the astrologers saw their sundials and saw the phenomena of the sun moving backwards they exclaimed who can do that except the God of Hezekiah. And so the king sent men to Jerusalem to inquire of the king about their God.
What an opportunity, what a divine intervention.
They made their way down to Hezekiah’s palace. They make known their mission and Hezekiah gives them the grand tour.
He shows them everything. All his gold, silver, everything in his house.
And when the people leave who should be standing at his door but the prophet.
What did they see? What did you show them?
The king was caught and like a child trying to cover his mistake he finally said; “they saw it all.”
2Ki 20:12 ¶ At that time Berodach-Baladan the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present to Hezekiah, for he heard that Hezekiah had been sick.
Isa 39:1
13 And Hezekiah was attentive to them, and showed them all the house of his treasures-the silver and gold, the spices and precious ointment, and all his armory-all that was found among his treasures. There was nothing in his house or in all his dominion that Hezekiah did not show them.
14 Then Isaiah the prophet went to King Hezekiah, and said to him, "What did these men say, and from where did they come to you?" So Hezekiah said, "They came from a far country, from Babylon."
15 And he said, "What have they seen in your house?" So Hezekiah answered, "They have seen all that is in my house; there is nothing among my treasures that I have not shown them."
16 Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, "Hear the word of the LORD:
17 'Behold, the days are coming when all that is in your house, and what your fathers have accumulated until this day, shall be carried to Babylon; nothing shall be left,' says the LORD.
18 'And they shall take away some of your sons who will descend from you, whom you will beget; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.'"
Descendents of Hezekiah were Eunuchs
19 So Hezekiah said to Isaiah, "The word of the LORD which you have spoken is good!" For he said, "Will there not be peace and truth at least in my days?"
2 Chronicles 32:24 2Ch 32:24 ¶ In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death, and he prayed to the LORD; and He spoke to him and gave him a sign.
25 But Hezekiah did not repay according to the favor shown him, for his heart was lifted up; therefore wrath was looming over him and over Judah and Jerusalem.
26 Then Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the LORD did not come upon them in the days of Hezekiah.
27 Hezekiah had very great riches and honor. And he made himself treasuries for silver, for gold, for precious stones, for spices, for shields, and for all kinds of desirable items;
28 storehouses for the harvest of grain, wine, and oil; and stalls for all kinds of livestock, and folds for flocks.
29 Moreover he provided cities for himself, and possessions of flocks and herds in abundance; for God had given him very much property.
30 This same Hezekiah also stopped the water outlet of Upper Gihon, and brought the water by tunnel to the west side of the City of David. Hezekiah prospered in all his works.
31 However, regarding the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, whom they sent to him to inquire about the wonder that was done in the land, God withdrew from him, in order to test him, that He might know all that was in his heart.
Hezekiah, I moved the sun for you, I defeated the Assyrian army for you. I was testing you and now Daniel has to do what Hezekiah failed to do. You see, Hezekiah could have changed the destiny of Judah and Jerusalem.
Jesus came, God came, what do you talk when they come to your house what do you tell them.
What do you tell about Jesus when they come to you. Do you give them the most precious thing do you?
Is it so hard for us to give all to God when He has given so much for us.
Can you witness for me this just this one time.
You can tell about how once you were doing the devil’s business now you are doing God’s business.
Are you afraid to let people that you are a follower of Jesus Christ.
We are to proclaim the message of Revelation14:6-12 to the world.
Are you willing to witness for Me just this one time.
If we do our work then we can go home.
Is it possible that we are here in this city living as we are 2012 because we haven’t spoken for the Lord but have exalted ourselves instead.
Is it possible that if we would speak boldly for the Lord and not be afraid of our position our standing, whatever that we could be enjoying the blissful presence of the Lord Jesus and being able to see Our Father’s face and being united with our loved ones.
Are you afraid that if you speak boldly that you may suffer consequences?
Are you afraid that if you were to testify your job may be in jeopardy?
Do you dare stand for principles taught in the Bible regarding Sabbath keeping, SOP, what and who the antichrist is? What would we do if we couldn’t buy or sell because to do so would cause us to disaffect us from God’s remnant people? And to switch in a time of crisis would result in change in our eternal destiny.
How do you relate to the idea that your church has a prophet and she is a lady and her name is Ellen White?
How do you feel about your church being the smaller of the churches in your town? Would you feel better if it was one of the bigger ones?
When you are out with your friends or relatives, how does it strike you when the server comes with the coffee? Do you say no thank you, could I have a glass of water instead?
When you are ordering, are you particular about what they serve you?
If you are at someone’s house and food is served that you know you can’t partake in what do you do?
When someone special comes and they ask you why you about the SDA church, do you tell about all of medical institutions, the schools, the TV stations, our membership gains, or do you tell them about a God in heaven who has marvelous lead you and your church through difficult times and is preparing to use the SDA church to give the last warning message to the world prior to the Second coming of Jesus Christ.
How many times have you by passed an opportunity to speak for God.
Tell them how I moved the sun for you.
Tell them how I healed you.
Are you ashamed of some who died for you?
Are you willing to tell how Jesus came to live and die for you.
Are you willing to take any opportunity that is giving to you to speak for the Lord just one time.
Are you willing to make a radical commitment to Jesus?
Will you take some time to speak for Jesus to someone who may never have heard about Jesus?
All addictions start with just one time. Lord I am willing to do something I have never done before. Just this one time!!