Christian Martin

Living Hope SDA Church

One Lamb-Two Brides?

And it is nearer than when we first believed.

As we open the Word of God, I invite you to bow your heads with me as we acknowledge Him, our Father in heaven.

This has already been a high Sabbath in which we have praised your holy name, we have witnessed a life transformed, we have given of our best, and Lord now we open your word to allow you and welcome you to speak a word to us today.

I pray Lord that the Holy Spirit would have his own way in us as we take heed and I pray Lord that you would give us a mind that is alert and attentive and we thank you in Jesus' name, amen.

My message today is entitled 1 Lamb, 2 Brides.

At first glance, you would think that this seductive and hideous imagery came straight out of a Hollywood production.

A drunk prostitute sipping wine from a golden goplet, fearlessly sitting on a blood-red, seven-headed beast." Did American author of fiction and horror, Stephen King, come up with this?

In fact, it is a divinely inspired depiction of 1 of the many graphics, graphic images, used in the book of Revelation to present truths and themes greater than the symbols and images themselves.

The book of Revelation, it's a book regarded by many as 1 to fear rather than to understand.

1 news journalist put it this way, the book virtually drips with blood and reeks of sulfur.

In fact, did you know that early Protestant reformers, Luther and Calvin, did not think that Revelation should be in the Bible.

However, over the years I've seen men and women open their Bibles to the book of Revelation.

And many begin reading Revelation expecting only to find accounts of hail and fire mixed with blood, seven-headed beasts, and descriptions of ugly and painful sores.

But they make an unexpected, yet very pleasantly, a pleasant surprise as they come to the very introduction of the book.

An unexpected passage in the very introduction of the book.

Blessed is he who reads, and those who hear the words of this prophecy and keep those things which are written in it for the time is near.

There's not just 1, but there's 3 blessings given to the 1 who opens the pages of the book of Revelation.

We can call this a triune blessing from a triune God.

Young's literal translation puts it this way.

Contrary to popular opinion, blessings can be expected when reading the book of Revelation.

The 3 blessings though that comes to those who read, to those who hear, and to those who keep the things written therein, are followed by a statement that could be taken both as a promise and a warning.

The Apostle John writes in the very last phrase of verse 3, he writes for the time is what everyone?

Yet when today's generation, today, ought to be thoroughly informed of what is to come, as were previous generations before us.

Prophecies were fulfilled in their lifetime as that time drew near.

But today, today's generation, Well, we're either disinterested, indifferent, or grossly misinformed.

Take for instance Kanye West, famous rapper.

He gave his life to Christ not too long ago.

And many Christians got excited when they heard this news.

They got excited because he has a large following and it would give him an opportunity to reach millions of people.

But now, he is saying that the COVID vaccine, well, it's gonna be the mark of the beast, as mentioned in Revelation 13.

You know, today, 1 can find many more amusing interpretations than there are actual images in the book of Revelation.

You can find anything and everything under the sun when it comes to understanding the prophecies of Revelation.

But 1 overriding image among the many that the world needs to behold, It's a rather striking image against the backdrop of hideous beasts.

There's a lamb mentioned and appears 28 times in the 22 chapters of Revelation.

There is a lamb who is worthy of all praise and honor.

Remember it was John the Baptist who first pointed to and identified Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

And now, millenniums later, every nation, tribe, tongue, and people must be pointed to Jesus, to the Lamb of God, who is Revelations beginning and end.

They must be pointed to Jesus, who is Revelation's righteous judge.

They must be pointed to Jesus, who is Revelation's coming King.

They must be pointed to Jesus, who is Revelation's triumph and conqueror.

And when Jesus, the Lamb, is revealed, Revelation's apocalyptic content gives hope to the reader who searches, who searches, who reads, who hears and understands.

Isn't it what the world most desperately needs today?

Hope in the midst of political instability.

Do you agree that there is a need for hope for a new kingdom?

There's hope, There's a need for hope for a new society.

There's hope for a world where righteousness, not violence, dwells.

There is hope, not in precedence, but in the Lamb of God.

And contrary to popular belief, the book of Revelation is also filled with songs and rejoicing.

Did you know that 1 can find 27 songs in the 22 chapters of Revelation?

It is a book filled with expressions of praise.

1 of them is found in Revelation chapter 19.

I like to draw special attention to this song, So come with me to Revelation 19.

And John writes, And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude as the song of many waters and as the sound of mighty thundering, saying, hallelujah, for the Lord God omnipotent reigns.

Let us be glad and rejoice and give him glory, for the marriage of the lamb has come, and his wife has made herself ready.

Who is this woman that has made herself ready?

Now to be sure, prophets of old knew that a woman in Bible prophecy symbolized a people claiming to be followers of God.

In fact, the prophet Isaiah, 1 of the major prophets of the Old Testament, he wrote, and say unto Zion, thou art my people.

The people of Zion are referred to as the people of God.

And Jeremiah, another major prophet, adds, I have likened the daughter of Zion to a beautiful and delicate woman.

Three Characteristics of a Teachable Spirit

Yes, we do not know what the next few months, several months will look like.

But 1 thing we do know is that Jesus will still be there.

Thank you for that beautiful message and song.

You know it's been said that being teachable is 1 of the most important life skills.

And this morning as we begin with our, continue with our service, I'd like for you to turn to your neighbor to your left.

Turn to your neighbor to your left and say, Hi neighbor, do you have a teachable spirit?

Now turn to your neighbor to your right and say, I pray I do.

So now let's prepare to open the scriptures and discover what a teachable spirit looks like.

I'm asking God to speak to us through his word.

Father in heaven, wherever we are in our journey with you, We're so thankful that you receive us with arms wide open here today.

We're welcomed by your grace and by your love.

And we pray, Lord, that as we seek to ask the question, do I have a teachable spirit?

I pray, Lord, that the Holy Spirit would make Himself known to us, be welcomed into our hearts, that we might receive a word from You today that will transform us.

And we thank you for answering our prayer in Jesus name.

During his 3 and a half years of public ministry, Jesus was acknowledged as a mighty healer.

The 4 Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, record only 37 miracles performed by Jesus.

Yet these accounts, no doubt, represent only a small number of the countless miracles that Jesus would have performed during his lifetime.

In fact, the very last verse of the Gospel of John explains, John chapter 21, verse 25, and there are also many other things that Jesus did.

He has including miracles, which if they were Written 1 by 1, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.

But as we recognize Jesus as a healer, Let's not overlook his role and his identity as a teacher.

Jesus, 1 could even argue, was more of a teacher than even a healer.

For Jesus often found himself speaking to multitudes, speaking to individuals 1 on 1.

Whether he was in the cities or in the villages, by the seaside, in the synagogue or the temple, there he was teaching to multitudes of various sizes to teaching individuals.

In fact, the Greek text calls Jesus teacher 45 times.

45 times in the gospels, in the gospel account, 45 times.

But this is the question I want to ask us though, a question I believe is legit.

We need to really ask ourselves a very critical question, and that is this.

How much do I recognize Jesus as a teacher today?

Oh yes, we know Jesus and we need Jesus as a healer.

And How often have we asked Jesus to heal us?

And by the grace of God and for His glory, Jesus still performs miracles today.

Jesus is still the miracle working God today.

But as surely as he was and is a healer, church, he was and is a teacher, a teacher.

And to a greater degree now, through the convicting work of the Holy Spirit.

And because he is still a teacher, I might even add a yet even more pressing question.

If he is still a teacher, the question must be asked, am I spiritually teachable?

And I've come to this conclusion that it is a fatal mistake for Christians to cease being spiritually teachable.

For in that very moment they deny the teacher whom they claim to follow.

And so this morning, as we consider this very intimate, very personal question, am I spiritually teachable?

We're going to take a look at 3 characteristics of a teachable spirit.

We're going to observe these 3 conditions in the context of 2 stories.

We're going to see these 3 conditions as they were observed or followed by, or rather refused, in the life of a young leader and demonstrated in the life of a few uneducated fishermen.

And so for our first case study, come with me and your Bibles to the Gospel of Luke.

So take your Bibles, come with me to Luke chapter 18.

For those viewing from home, welcome you to grab your Bibles.

Whether it's the Bible you handle or a device, Let's both go to Luke chapter 18.

And our story, our story will take us to verse 18.

So in the onset I'm going to introduce to you the first of 3 characteristics of being spiritually teachable, having a teachable spirit.

For 1 to be spiritually teachable, 1 must put out of their own hearts what your own hearts want to do.

Let's start with Luke chapter 18, verse 18.

Here we find the story of a rich young ruler who eagerly came running to Jesus.

No doubt he was looking for the master, he was looking for Jesus.

Finally locates him and he runs to him as quickly as his feet can carry him.

Because he has a pressing question that he must ask this good teacher.

Verse 18, now a certain ruler asked him saying, good teacher what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

What's interesting is that we already identify what's in his heart, what's in his mind, what he's thinking.

He had in his own heart the desire to possess immortality.

He wanted to possess immortality, to live forever.

Well, we do know that he was young and rich.

The gospels identify those characteristics.

And being young and rich, we can only come to a few conclusions.

They're not explicitly stated in the text, but we can conclude, fairly conclude, and that's this.

That it's likely possible that the rich young man received an inheritance from his father or a family member.

For 1 to be young and rich, That would be 1 of the likely ways of how he became rich.

Second, to receive an inheritance, he may have won the favor of the 1 who wrote the will.

No doubt if this was an inheritance, he was in good standing with the 1 who wrote the will.

He had received an inheritance that was rightly his.

In light of this, could it be, could it be that in the mind of the rich young ruler, the deeper question to how can I inherit internal life, the deeper question would be what must I perform to win the favor of God and thus be worthy of inheriting immortality?

Eventually, or rather evidently, he was an educated man.

By the Grace of God I Will

And on this World Pathfinder Day, Living Hope Messengers, together with over 40, 000 clubs spread over 150 countries, are reminded of the words of the Pathfinder song, Oh we are the Pathfinders strong, the servants of God are we.

Faithful as we march along in kindness, truth, and purity.

A message to tell to the world, a truth that will set us free.

King Jesus the Savior is coming back for you and me.

Its early beginnings goes back to 1922 when A.W.

Spalding and Harriet Hold gave birth to the basic idea of Pathfinder clubs.

And today, nearly a hundred years later, we have over 2 million members around the world.

And this Sunday Avendist sponsored club accepts any youth who commit to abiding by the Pathfinder Pledge and Law, whose first 7 words are, by the grace of God, I will.

Also the title of today's message, as we prepare to open the Word of God, I invite you to pause and pray with me as we ask the Holy Spirit to speak to our hearts.

Father in heaven, you are God who has given us a place to hear your voice collectively because we are the church, we are your body, and we receive marching orders from you.

Today, Lord, help us to understand not only what those marching orders are and what biblical standards you give to us, But above all, Lord, help us to understand the means by which we can stand.

So Lord, have your own way, the Lord, speak to our hearts and we thank you in Jesus name, amen.

I wanna share a photo with you, a picture that I found and it's a photo that was taken in 1884.

I did say it was an old picture, but not that old.

And there I am as a young adventurer, evidently.

Looking at that photo, can you guess who I am?

I'm wearing my yellow scarf and my white shirt and green pants.

Now here I am, 4 years later, this was actually 1984, the first picture was in 1980.

This picture in 1984, here I stand as an 80 year old in Houston, Texas.

And you'll notice that I am in my uniform.

You know, for as long as I can remember, I was always in adventures, I was always in Pathfinders.

It was a ministry that I simply loved to be a part of.

And I remember the first international Camperee, which was held in 1985.

And then from then on over the years, international Camperees have been some of the highlights of my life.

Pathfinders has been just a very, very integral part of my journey with Christ.

From Silankavite in the Philippines, where I first became a master guide, to mission trips in different parts of the world, There in Banana Hill, Kenya, pathfinders can be found just about anywhere.

Where there's an Adventist church, where there's young people, chances are likely that you're also going to find a team of Pathfinders.

And there's also servants of God here in Haymarket, Virginia.

And with 21 Pathfinders strong and growing, the journey is 1 of discipline, it's 1 of dedication, and it's also 1 of discovery.

In fact, Pathfinders can earn honors with over 400 of them to choose from.

Honors are various studies of subjects that range everywhere from, you know, from animal camouflage to wind surfing, from A to W, and I don't know if there's a Z, but there are all sorts of subjects.

1 can find plenty of exciting honors to earn.

But what amazes me is the amount of time that Pathfinders invest in fulfilling all the requirements in order to earn just that 1 honor.

And the time and the effort they put into earning that honor is something to greatly admire.

And so what is this so-called Pathfinder Law?

The Pathfinder Law is a law that is memorized by every Pathfinder.

And at the start of every meeting the Pathfinders begin their meeting by repeating the Pathfinder Law.

And the Pathfinder Law goes like this, keep the morning watch, do my honest part, care for my body, keep a level eye, Be courteous and obedient.

Keep a song in my heart and go on God's errands.

The Pathfinder Law teaches values that we recognize as very important.

Why do our young people, why are our young people taught these values from or of the Pathfinder Law?

Why do we recognize these as very important values for our young people to recognize?

Well, let's begin with a few stats and then you tell me why each 1 of these is of importance in our day today.

In other words, why have personal devotionals to start off the day?

A new study from IDC Research released this week found that 80% of smartphone users, 80% use their mobile devices within 15 minutes of waking up in the morning.

And about 79% of adult smartphones users have their phones with them on hand or close enough for 22 hours a day.

22 hours, they just can't live without their phone.

Why do my honest part, research suggests that some children are capable of lying in a deliberate attempt to deceive by the age of 4, perhaps even earlier.

The problem of childhood obesity in the United States is growing in an alarming rate, and considerably in the few recent years.

Today, 38 million children under the age of 5 were overweight or obese in 2019, stats from last year.

Unhealthy weight gain is due to poor diet and lack of exercise and is responsible for over 300, 000 deaths a year.

That's an average of more than 800 a day.

1 study found that 70% of the nation's 15 to 17 year olds have looked pornography online.

Why instill these values in our young people?

Researchers found that lying, stealing, disobedience has become increasingly more common for both boys and girls since the year 2000.

In this millennium, we have seen a steady concern within the family unit.

According to Pew Research Center, the number of US adults who attend church regularly has declined, especially in the past 20 years.

Down from 69% in 1998 to 2000 to 52% in 2016 to 2018.

There is a concerning decline in simple church attendance.

So if parents don't even walk, much less walk softly in the sanctuary, it's unlikely, highly unlikely, that their children do as well.

The National Institute of Mental Health reported that in 2019, about 3.2 million 12 to 17 year olds had at least 1 major depressive episode within the past 12 months.

4 Ways to Silence the Voice of God

Thank you so much, Melissa, for that message in song.

So as we open the word of God, we're gonna ask him to speak to us.

So would you bow your heads with me as we pray.

Father in heaven, how thankful we are, Lord, to be in a place where we can gather in your name and to seek you, not only as individuals, but as a body, to seek you with all our hearts.

And we pray Lord that you would now speak to us.

May we hear your voice, The voice of the Holy Spirit.

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Presenter

Christian Martin

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