David Wright

The Summer Of Me

Hendersonville Seventh-day Adventist Church, NC

The Summer Of Me- Part 2

Well, we're continuing this series called The Summer of Me.

And we talked about this last week, this idea, if you will, kind of a Laodicean idea, that summer is all about me and what I want to do and my plans.

But I tell you, we just got a great example times like maybe 20 or so.

I'll tell you, the young people at Nesoka Pines that work there, they could be doing a host of other things, but they were so service-oriented.

I've never seen young people that were so wanting to help, so cheerful, so kind to each other, they weren't cliquish, whatever needed to be done, they were in and doing it.

And so guys, my hat's off to you and the whole staff.

Rather than being a summer of me, they were serving this summer and are still serving, They still have several weeks to go there at the camp.

But trying to look at this idea, is summer or any season for that matter about me?

Or is it about some bigger purpose than that?

We also talked this morning some about quizzes.

I don't know the situation, but maybe when the alarm clock went off, you thought, uh-uh.

Maybe you just unplugged the thing from the wall.

But at that moment, when you go back to sleep and your head hits the pillow, you feel really good about that decision.

Maybe it was the fact that there was this girl on campus And she had this free period and you had this class, but you thought, no, you know, I'd rather spend time with her anyway.

In certain colleges, they don't check up on you.

They don't even take attendance sometimes.

It's just, well, you better show up, and you better do well on the final exam, right?

I have 5 times 10 or 100 questions, and they're all easy questions if you know the answers.

Seems like I heard that somewhere this morning.

Have you ever taken a test where you read the question and you read it again?

And you look at the clock, and you skip the question, you go to the next 1, read it again, skip the question, go to the next 1, the next 1, the next 1, the next 1, and before you know it, the whole page, it's just kind of swimming.

And all of a sudden, the room gets really hot.

And you're thinking, why did I sleep in all this semester?

Don't worry, it's just 75% of your grade.

We've been looking, last week we looked at the first 2 angels' messages.

But the 3 angels' messages of Revelation 14 are the fulfillment of what Jesus said in Matthew 24.

And really, Matthew 28, I think, is probably what I should have had up on the screen, too.

Matthew 28, going to all the world, making disciples of all nations and so on and so on.

Revelation 14, we see the fulfillment of that, and the first angel is fear God for the hour of his judgment has come and worship him who made the heavens the earth to see the springs of water and when that first came down the pike with a 2300 day message it was a wake-up call Jesus was coming so they thought And so they got their lives in order Today, we know Jesus is ministering in the most holy place Interceding for us, but I think the wake-up call is still in effect.

We need to get our lives in order We're in overtime Jesus is going to come soon.

And so that first is a wake-up call We already talked about that the second angels to expose the danger of the truth and error mixture of Babylon that is grooming us to receive the mark of the beast a little truth little error Does anybody like to be groomed?

And so that's what the second angel is talking about, and we looked at that last time.

But the third angel now says, and the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand He himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God You see that's easy.

And so I know exactly what I'm gonna do in that situation.

And when that time comes, when I see everybody, you know, that the Sunday law is enforced, then I'll know That's my time to get my act together.

And so that's when I'll get rid of this, and I won't do that anymore, and I'll spend more time in my Bible, and I'll do all of these things so I don't miss it.

I know nobody here thinks that way, but maybe you know somebody that does.

Verse 12 says, here's the patience of the saints.

Here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.

This is kind of like that final exam, if you will.

And will you be prepared when that time comes to make the right choice or the right decision.

Now the warning against the mark of the beast is not the means of resisting the mark anymore than listening to the news broadcast of a coming storm is sufficient to protect you from the storm.

Now it just depends on what you do with that warning.

Are you sure you want to keep trimming the trees?

I mean, the warning is good, but if you ignore the warning and so the third angels message is simply that it's not so much the solution.

And so I want you to look with me in your Bibles at Revelation 13.

That's something that sometimes we overlook a little bit.

Revelation chapter 13, we're going to pick it up in verse 16, talking about the beast from the earth or the United States in Bible prophecy and so on, which is a fascinating study if you have not been through that.

And it says, he causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark, there it is again, on their right hand or on their foreheads, that no 1 may buy or sell except 1 who has the mark or the name of the beast or the number of his name.

And here's the wisdom, let him who understands calculate the number of the beast, for his number is of a Man, his number is 666.

And then chapter 14, then I looked and behold, a lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144, 000, having his father's what?

So there's not just 1 mark, there's 2 marks, and you're going to have 1 or the other.

Over and over in scripture, You can find something out about the person being spoken of by researching their name.

And even today, we look before we name our children, what does that mean?

But this idea that everyone will receive a mark and that mark or that name, if you will, on their forehead is the character of 1 or the other.

You're either gonna have the character and characteristics of the beast power, or you're gonna have the character and characteristics of God.

Says this in volume 5 of the Testimonies, page 216.

What are you doing, brethren, in the great work of preparation?

Those who are uniting with the world are receiving the worldly mold and preparing for the mark of the beast.

Now, if nobody has the mark yet, I thought it was just the right answer on a test question.

But this makes it sound like I'm preparing or somebody is preparing me to receive the mark of the beast.

Now hopefully the inverse of that is true and I'm preparing to receive the name of Christ rather than the name of the beast on my forehead.

Now I'm going to pause us right here in this message.

The Summer Of Me- Part 1

Well, this morning I'm starting a 2 Sabbath series, this Sabbath and the next, called The Summer of Me.

You might wonder about that title, but you know, summer seemed to be a time when maybe we're a little more carefree.

Maybe the kids are out and you feel that extra stress, some of you.

For many it's a time to go on vacation, to get some R&R.

Vacation is not a bad thing, and I'll mention more about that.

But sometimes we can approach summer like it's the summer of me, myself, and I.

We wanna go to a place like this, don't we?

Where we can just sit and lounge and watch the waves roll in and relax a little bit.

Or maybe we want to go pamper ourselves and go to the spa.

I mean, who doesn't like to go to the spa and put cucumbers, I mean that's what what summer gardens are for, right?

There's all kinds of things on that boat to entertain you on your cruise on this summer of me.

Others you say, I just really like a good banana split.

I mean if I'm going to indulge this summer, just give me a banana split with the hot fudge and different kinds of ice cream and the whipped cream and there's even some chocolate curls.

Whoa, it's a great way to kick off the summer of me.

Others say, well, I want to go out on the golf course.

I mean, what better way to have a summer of me than to get some new duds, right?

What I had from last year is so last year.

Others say, I like to keep it more simple.

If anybody owns this cabin on the lake by the way, Make sure you write that on a blue card and put that in the offering plate.

I'd like to visit and find out when you're going to go on your vacation.

Just a little cruise around the lake in your little antique simple boat.

Others of you might say, you know, I like to keep it more simple.

So you have everything there in your VW Bug and you go camp and again, you can accomplish the summer of me.

In fact, my son looked at this picture, he said, where do you sleep?

And I tried to point out, it's back here in the back somewhere.

I guess you can sort of grill here, but it's not really the way you want to do it on the open flame, so if you forgot, you can just make up for it.

Because again, food is part of the summer of me.

Others of you say, no, for me, I just want a hammock, I want a good book, I just want to Relax and enjoy.

I'm not against pulling away and pulling apart and being able to reflect.

In fact, sometimes our best aha moments when it comes to family or marriage and relationships or ministry or whatever is when we can pull away and when we can kick back and relax and not be so crowded by all the pings and the phones going off and all the rest.

I get that and I'm in full agreement of that.

In fact, that's why I put this picture up.

You recognize the joker right here in the front?

That's us doing paragliding in Switzerland.

Somebody very kind said, you know, we want you to do something.

Here's somebody to do something you wouldn't do otherwise.

And so all the way over there, Elizabeth and I were thinking, what could we use this for to do what we wouldn't do otherwise?

And in case you think, you know, Elizabeth is so sweet and so innocent, she did it too.

Jesus himself said, come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.

Rest can be important, but rest is almost starting to be redefined because no longer is it about me having time to pull away from the world, but it can be a time for me to engage more deeply in the world, to pursue all those things that excite and entertain and on and on and rather than coming apart and resting in Christ, we're really resting in somebody else.

The Zariah of Ages, it says, they had been putting their whole souls into labor for the people, and this was exhausting their physical and mental strength.

It was their duty to rest, And so sometimes it's your duty and my duty to rest.

That's why this same God who instituted this Sabbath says, I want you to rest once a week because rest is important.

But how you rest maybe is something to think about.

1 of my favorite ways to rest and to be recharged is doing something like this, where it's quiet, there's no rush, there's no hurry.

And God can speak in powerful ways in those times that can rejuvenate the soul sometimes in a lasting way that can last for for days if not weeks or months in some of those times.

I was having a conversation with Marilyn Bower this week and she pointed this out in 1 of our Avenus publications in 1930 after tithe Avenus gave about 6.4 or 5 percent of their income to the mission offering Okay, so that's a sizable chunk beyond tie that they give gave in 1930 now the depression started to set in in 1929 But they're still giving 6.4 or 5 percent of their income Fast forward to 2008.

That's the year we elected Barack Obama just to give you some frame of reference.

Again, after Tithe, Avnis only gave .36%, like a third of a percent income to the mission offering on average.

And I found myself scratching my head saying, man, what would be causing that?

Oh, maybe it has something to do with, it's the summer of me, or the fall of me, or winter of me.

And fulfilling what I want to do to go where I want to go and all these kinds of things is because I have to Pay for this kitchen.

I have to keep up with the Joneses I have to drive this car and do all this stuff and so mission I am it's just not in the budget.

It's below the line And that's where I see a problem.

Turn with me if you have your Bibles to 2 Peter 3 as we read a few verses.

2 Peter, small book near the back of your Bible, right before 1, 2, and 3 John, and right after James.

I'm reading from the New King James Version.

It says, The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night In which the heavens will pass away with a great noise and the elements will melt with fervent heat both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.

Verse 11, therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be?

In holy conduct and godliness, verse 12, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God.

Now that's a passion of my heart, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God.

Cause something to happen sooner than it otherwise would.

Many of you practiced this this morning when you were trying to get to church on time.

Many of you prepared during the week so that you would be able to get here on time by preparing in advance, but we can hasten the coming of the day of God.

We can have it come sooner than it would have otherwise Desire of ages 633 by giving the gospel to the world.

It is in our power to hasten our Lord's return That's exciting It's in your power and my power to hasten to speed up to bring it sooner Well, but I just don't really have time How do you not have time?

Oh Brother, Another Call for Offering

I came across another parable of sorts where these 2 men were trapped on a deserted island somewhere.

They had been shipwrecked or their plane went down.

And 1 of them is desperate to try and find shelter and food and all of these things and the other is just kind of out sunbathing and enjoying this beautiful spot that they find themselves in.

And the 1 first guy says to the second, how can you do this?

I mean aren't you afraid we're going to die out here?

And he says, no, I make about $100, 000 a week and I return a faithful tithe I know my pastor will find me.

How do we determine what to give, when to give, how much to give, what's appropriate.

In fact somebody told me at the back door, you know, God is faithful and if you give too much He'll return it.

We're gonna look at that a little bit today.

Last time we talked about returning a faithful tithe and at the core of this is really in God we trust.

Do we trust God with our gifts, with our giving?

We talked last time about several things, how God owns everything because he created it, we looked at that.

We also looked how the tithe, the Sabbath, how our bodies are all holy to the Lord.

To give our means, our time, and our life helps us remember that it's all His, right?

We talked last time about how we bring the tithes to the storehouse to support the spread of the gospel.

And when this gospel is preached throughout the world, then the end will come.

And that's exactly what the tithe dollar goes to.

We talked about how tithing goes all the way back to Abraham and Jacob, and was supported by Jesus and Paul and so many others throughout Scripture.

How we're to give our first fruits to God at the first part as soon as we get the paycheck.

And sometimes people ask, well do we pay the net or the gross?

Meaning is this before or after taxes and all these things are taken out.

I would propose and submit to you that the taxes that you pay you're benefiting from.

Have you drove on nice paved roads and on the interstate?

If your fire goes up in smoke is the fire department going to come?

We benefit, don't we, by living in this country.

We talked about how God's darling promised to return a faithful tithe, an honest tithe, and the Lord says He will pour out blessings upon us.

And we had this incredible testimony by Ruth Stewart this last Sabbath, how she was just anxiously hanging on to that last $100.

It was tithe money, but she knew that was her only means for groceries and gas for the upcoming week.

It really wasn't so much with a cheerful heart, but because she knew it was the right thing to do, she put it in the plate, and she was a little bit frustrated, but she claimed the verse, "'If you have faith, as small as a mustard seed.'" And just a few days later, a card came in the mail, and it wasn't just that it had money but it had the verse that the Lord had brought to her earlier, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed nothing will be impossible for you.

And so it truly is in God we trust or maybe not so much And that's what we're continuing to look at today.

And before we move on from tithes to offerings, I wanted to look at a few other things we didn't have time to look at last time.

But you may be aware, some of our country's greatest business leaders have put God's plan of tithing to the test and they all have testimonies if you will William Colgate a builder of the Colgate Palm Olive Company eventually gave 90% of his profit to the Lord.

John D Rockefeller founder of Standard Oil Company first billionaire was a tither.

Henry John Hines the 57 varieties of pickles and ketchup, he was a tither.

James Cash Penny, founder of JC Penny, he returned a faithful tithe.

Henry Crowell, founder of Quaker Oats Company, returned a faithful tithe.

Craft, founder of the Craft Cheese Company, gave 25% of his earnings.

But all these men will tell you, if I wasn't faithful in returning the tithe on the first dollar I made, I wouldn't have been able to return it on the million or above that I made after that.

And so it's a principle that we need to apply to life.

Hershey, Some of you know him quite well, founder of the largest chocolate factory.

Anthony Rossi, I think if I'm saying it right, founder of Tropicana.

McKee, founder of Little Debbie Snack Cakes.

When I worked for 1 of the McKees, I had a...

This past week, it's that time of year, and there was a big pitchfork that had on the handle, it was kind of carved in there and with red letters, O.D.

McKee, and I used to spread mulch with that pitchfork, and I thought, man, I better be careful with this thing.

In fact, he keeps and kept, I should say, and the company keeps the Sabbath.

They don't send trucks out from Friday night to Saturday night.

So another question, Can I give my tithes to just any ministry?

And I want to spend a few moments looking at that.

Malachi 3.10 says, Bring all the tithes into the storehouse that there may be food in my house.

God referring to his house or his temple or his church.

I think that's different than just any ministry.

Continuing here in Numbers 18 21, I have given the children of Levi all the ties in Israel as an inheritance in return for the work which they perform, the work of the tabernacle of meaning.

Deuteronomy 12 5 and 6, but you shall seek the place where the Lord your God chooses out of your tribes to put his name for his dwelling place and there you shall go.

There you shall take your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the heave offerings of your hand, your vowed offerings, your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks.

Now the burnt offerings were sin offerings for forgiveness, and the heave offerings were firstfruits, and it speaks of the tithe, and the vow is, I've made a pledge, a promise to something.

But tithe, we have specifically throughout scripture is to come back to the storehouse, God's church.

Continuing in chapter 12, verse 8 of Deuteronomy.

You shall not do as we are doing here today, every man doing whatever is right in his own eyes.

Sometimes we see that, well I'm gonna give my tithe over here, I'm gonna give it over there, but God's saying you are not to do that.

You do not offer your burnt offerings in every place that you see, but in the place which the Lord chooses.

And 1 of your tribes, that was the tribe of Levi, the priests, there you shall offer burnt offerings, and there you shall do all that I command you.

I refer to the council above as the law of the central storehouse.

God did not plan that everyone would do what was right in his own eyes as we just read, but he had a specific and organized plan for funding the gospel ministry and he expected his people to follow it.

Scripture outlines God's means to support the work through his treasury and we see that there in scripture now There are a lot of independent or we can say supporting ministries of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, right?

And we could put a few of them up here on the screen.

Back to Menu

Presenter

David Wright

All Recordings

The Summer Of Me- Part 2

42m

The Summer Of Me- Part 1

41m

Oh Brother, Another Call for Offering

40m

Stealing in the Church

42m

Professedly Christian

45m

Sin Normalized

40m

Dealing with Delay

30m

Touched Not Trained

39m

Battling with the Storm

34m

The Ultimate Family Reunion

39m

An Attitude of Greatness

42m

Default-Worse Case Scenario

38m

Sound Doctrine