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Bristol SDA Church

The Final Hours

Garhett Morgan

1. They Wouldn’t Listen

Father, Lord, we just want to thank you that you are so patient with us.

Father, we know that we are not worthy to be called your children.

And sometimes, Father, we even take for granted the privilege that we are even able to pray to you.

Father, as we spend this time in contemplating on what you have truly given us, we ask that your spirit would be here, that you would hide me behind your cross, that I would gain no glory for this Father, but that you would be glorified.

There's a quote that has been becoming very important to me as I've been studying this, and it's probably something that is very familiar to many of you, but I just want to read this very quickly before we begin.

You probably know this quotation, it says, "...it would be well for us to spend a thoughtful hour each day in contemplation of the life of Christ." That quote continues to say this, we should take it point by point and let the imagination … Now I want to stop there.

Can your imagination get you into trouble sometimes?

Sometimes if you let your mind wander on certain things, your imagination can get you in a lot of trouble.

But it says here, God gave you your imagination for a reason.

And it says, and let the imagination grasp each scene, especially the closing ones.

And that's what we're going to start doing this afternoon, is we're going to be taking a look at what took place in the last days of Christ's life.

Let's take a look here at our first verse.

Yes, we're going to start in the book of Revelation.

Revelation chapter 14, starting in verse 4.

This is talking about the 144, 000, or the elect.

But it gives us something very interesting that I believe that we should all be abiding by today.

Here it talks about people that are virgins.

Now this isn't talking about physical virgins, how we think of it, but this is talking about spiritual virgins, people that weren't defiled with false doctrines or things of this world.

These are they which were not defiled with women, for they are virgins, spiritually speaking, mind you.

These are they, now this is it, these are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever He goes.

These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.

Now I know that I'm in Seventh-day Adventist Church and I'm gonna get some some feedback for this, but let me ask you, are you willing to take Jesus by the hand and follow Him into our heavenly mansion?

We all want to follow Jesus to heaven, don't we?

We're looking forward to that day when He comes and that trumpet of God sounds, the dead in Christ rise, and we get to follow Jesus to heaven.

But it doesn't just say to follow the Lamb to heaven.

It says to follow the Lamb, of course, being Jesus wherever He goes.

As we take a look at the life of Christ, we have to be able to answer some of these questions honestly.

When you take a look at Jesus as he was just born, he was born in humility, wasn't he?

He was born in a very lowly place, in a trough that animals ate out of, of all things.

Not many people knew that He was even being born except for a few common laborers, shepherds, right?

Now relating that to Revelation chapter 14 verse 4, let me ask you the question, Jesus was willing to become humble.

Are you willing to follow the Lamb and be humbled?

As we continue on in Jesus' life, we found that He grows up in Nazareth, and He lives His first about 30 years of hard labor with His Father, working in His carpenter shop.

Jesus worked hard, and he didn't get any glory, he didn't get any fame, he didn't get many pats on the back, but he learned the lesson of working hard and not gaining credit for it.

Are you willing to work behind the scenes and not want all the glory and honor for it, but giving it to Jesus?

As Jesus was baptized and went down to the river Jordan.

As Jesus continued his earthly ministry, he left his home and he selflessly ministered to people.

Are you willing in your life today to follow the Lamb wherever He goes and selfly minister to people all for the glory of God?

And finally, this is where it starts to get a little bit more intense.

But before we go there, I want to ask you this.

As Jesus was finishing His earthly ministry here on earth, and He gave the Great Commission, In the book of Acts we see Him ascend into heaven, go back to the throne of God, be reunited there with His Father, be reunited with the tens of thousands of angels.

As He was finally back home, how do you think the throne room of heaven reacted?

Go backwards there to Revelation chapter 4 if you would.

Revelation chapter 4 and 5 we see that Jesus is finally coming back into heaven, back into the throne room of God, and we see that they sing Him a song.

We'll start here in verse 8, Revelation chapter 4 and verse 8.

It says, "...and the 4 beasts had each of them 6 wings..." We've talked about that earlier.

"...about Him, and they were full of eyes within and they rest not day and night saying now this is interesting a little bit off topic but they say holy holy holy.

Why do you think that they say holy 3 times?

Are they saying holy just to God the Father?

They're saying holy to God the Father, holy to the Son, and holy to who?

The reason that they say holy 3 times is because there is an eternal Godhead.

They say, Holy, holy, holy Lord God Almighty, which was and is and is to come.

And when those beasts gave glory and honor and thanks to him that sat on the throne who lives forever and ever.

They cast their crowns before the throne and said, Thou art what?

Worthy O Lord to receive glory and honor and power.

For you have created all things, and for your pleasure they are and were created.

We are all willing to follow the lamb to heaven, and you've just told me that you're willing to follow the lamb through humility.

You're willing to follow the lamb in selfless service.

You're willing to follow the lamb wherever he goes.

But get this right before Jesus was able to gain this glory that someday we will be joining him with when we get to heaven someday in that second coming.

Do you believe you're going to join Him on something like that?

But before Jesus got that glory in heaven that only He deserved, the Lamb of God, the Lion of Judah, we often refer to Him as the Lamb, we don't often think of Him as the Lion as well, right?

2. Gethsemane

Father, Lord, as we are here in your house and we just talked about the sacredness of this place, Lord, we know it's not the church building that makes it sacred.

It's not the sheet rock and wood and brick.

But Lord, this is a place that is holy because you're here.

Lord, we ask that it would not just be this place that is holy, but Lord, as we leave this church building, that you would come with us, and that we would invite you to come with us, that you would dwell in us, that Lord, our bodies and our minds would become a place where you dwell as well.

Father, we plead and we pray that your spirit would be here in extra measure today.

We pray in your Holy Spirit's name, amen.

Well, a couple of weeks ago, right now we're going through the life of Jesus, especially the final hours.

And a couple of weeks ago, we talked about something very interesting.

We talked about Jesus warning His disciples about what was to take place.

Jesus was constantly warning His disciples that He was going to be crucified, that He was going to be betrayed, that all these things were going to happen to Him.

But more often than not, in fact, if not 100% of the time, Did the disciples listen?

Over and over again, they missed the entire point.

If you would, go with me to Matthew 20 here very quickly.

Matthew 20, I want to just review here for just a brief moment.

This is what we talked about a couple weeks ago just to bring us up to speed here.

Matthew chapter 20 verse 17 it says, And Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the 12 disciples apart in the way and said to them, so he took the disciples and he pulled them aside, privately, right?

So the disciples are there because what Jesus is about to say, the Pharisees would like to catch Him saying because it would be blasphemy according to them.

But notice what it says here in verse 18.

Behold, this is Jesus talking, we go up to Jerusalem and the Son of Man will be betrayed unto the chief priests, unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death and shall deliver him up to the Gentiles to mock, to scourge, to crucify, and the third day he will rise again." He just dropped a bombshell, didn't he?

He had mentioned in times past what was going to happen.

He had mentioned the prophecies of Isaiah.

He had mentioned the prophecies of Daniel.

He had mentioned that he was the Son of God that was to come to die to take away the sins of the world.

But at this point in time, he takes the disciples aside and without any symbolism, without any flowery language, he sets them down and says, look, let me talk plainly.

In a few days, 1 of you is going to betray me, I'm going to get beaten, and I'm going to die.

Now that should have set the disciples to talking about what was going to take place, right?

They should have been shocked, they should have been questioning, but the Bible doesn't mention the disciples saying anything.

In fact, if you look at Ellen White's writings right after this takes place, it says that Jesus could scarcely stop to take a breath before we see what happens here in the next verse.

In verse 20, we see these disciples and their mother.

Then came to him the mother of Zebedee's children with her sons, worshipping him and wanting a certain thing.

And this is what the disciples answered Jesus' news with.

She said unto him, Grant that these my 2 sons may sit with you on your right hand, and the other on your left in your kingdom.

Jesus just announced to His faithful followers, His 12, that He was going to be crucified for their sins and all of humanity.

And the very next thing that the disciples asked Jesus, He had barestly taken a breath, was who's going to be greatest in your kingdom.

In fact, in the book of Luke, when it's going over this time period, it says that there was strife amongst the disciples.

My friends, I don't want there to be any strife amongst us today.

You know, so often we are so worried about position.

Whether it be position on this earth at our job, whether it's position in the church, maybe it's even position in heaven like the disciples were thinking about.

But did the disciples completely miss the point?

And because the disciples completely missed the point, they were not ready.

The reason that Jesus knew that His time was come was because, we discovered this a few weeks ago, he had been reading the Scriptures and he had been in communication with his Father.

My friends, today we're about to go through a trial.

We're about ready to come through a time of tribulation that we had better be ready for, wouldn't you say?

Take with me to our theme verse here for this series.

Revelation 14 in verse 4, this is the theme for this week and the next 2 weeks as well.

Revelation 14.4, this should be familiar to you.

But this is the call of God unto us." Psalm 144, 000, of course, talking about virgins in the spiritual sense, which meaning they were spiritually pure.

But notice what it says here, Revelation 14, 4, "...these are they which were not defiled with women, for they are virgins.

These are they which follow the Lamb wherever He goes.

These were redeemed from among men, being the first fruits unto God and to the Lamb.

Now I don't know about you, but how many of you want to follow the Lamb into heaven?

How many of you want to follow the Lamb… But how many do you want to follow the Lamb into heaven?

How many of you want to follow the Lamb into the new earth?

Now, here's another thing I want to ask you.

How many of you want to follow the lamb through betrayal?

How many of you want to follow the lamb through persecution?

How many of you want to follow the lamb through Gethsemane and to the cross?

We're so ready, we're so willing to say, yes Lord, I want to follow you to your second coming.

When you come down to get us, I'm ready, let's go.

But like the disciples, the disciples were ready for the victory, but they forgot there was a trial beforehand, Didn't they?

Jesus knew that there was a trial coming, and so he went through an experience.

He went through a time, perhaps 1 of the most climactic times in earth's history, to make sure that He would stand during the time of trial, and yes, even the cross.

When you take a look at the word Gethsemane, the word means to be crushed.

That area there was known to be a place where there was lots of olives and around that place of Gethsemane is where they would take the olives and they would crush it to make olive oil.

When Jesus was there in the Garden of Gethsemane.

He was literally and spiritually being crushed by a very heavy weight.

Let's look into that today because the scripture is very clear on what takes place here.

Jesus has just told Peter that he would deny Him 3 times.

Verse 36, Peter and the 2 sons of Zebedee, John being among them, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy.

Then said he to them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful even to death.

Tarry you here and watch with me." I want to stop right there for just a moment.

3. The Trial, The Cross

Father, Lord, I just want to thank you for the blessing of your Sabbath.

And Lord, today as we go over the greatest story of all time, we know that it's no fable, but it's truth.

And Father, we know that this story has only partially been played out.

We are waiting for you to come again soon and Father, you want to find the people that are ready.

So Lord, today as this word is preached, we ask that you would be with me Lord, that though I may stumble, though my dictation might not be the best, Father, that you would bless the words that come forth in a way that only the Son of God can speak, that Father, I would not be speaking, but your word would be.

This we pray in the precious name of Jesus.

So, our theme for this series on the final hours of the life of Jesus has been found in the book of Revelation where it is simple, we should follow the Lamb wherever He goes.

And we started the first week by saying in a Seventh-day Adventist church Especially that if you ever say in the pulpit of a Sunday Adventist church, are you ready for Jesus to come?

Everybody will raise their hand and you'll get a response from that.

We're looking forward to the coming of Jesus.

But then we also looked at, it isn't just follow the Lamb to heaven, but it says to follow the Lamb wherever He goes, including to heaven.

But there were some other parts that Jesus walked through in His life that He has also called us to walk through as well.

The Lamb went through the waters of baptism, did He not?

And just like the Lamb of God went through the waters of baptism, We should follow the Lamb wherever He goes through the waters of baptism as well.

Jesus had 3 and a half years of ministry here on earth.

And just as Christ did, we should be following the Lamb and ministering to other people, should we not?

The Lamb of God also went through, well, His disciples deserting Him, didn't He?

Are we willing to follow the Lamb when all forsake us?

Last time that we met, we talked about the Lamb going through the Gethsemane experience.

Are we willing to follow the Lamb through Gethsemane?

As our Savior was there and he knew that his time was come.

The prayer of Gethsemane was from about 09:00 in the evening to about midnight that night.

And Jesus knew that all the forces of evil were directing their energy upon him.

And he could feel the separation from his father as that sin began to pile upon his shoulders and he knew that if it had just been him that he would not have ever made it to Calvary, he would have died right there in Gethsemane.

And he pleaded with his father, no 1 had to come to Jesus and say, you better spend some time with prayer before you're tested.

Are we willing to follow Jesus through deep prayer with our Father?

And as soon as Jesus had finished, he looked at his disciples who had just been so zealous for dying for him, And he looks at the 3 in particular and he says, could you not watch and pray for an hour?

And as Jesus went to face that mob there and Judas was there and betrayed him with a kiss, as Jesus had been strengthened by the angel of God, He was able to meet that mob without any fear, but knowing that this was His purpose.

And the disciples who had failed to watch and pray, who should have been, when they saw all of this taking place, they were not ready and what did the disciples do?

My friends, we are about to come at a time in earth's history today and the time is drawing very close where our time of testing is upon us.

Right before Jesus comes again, my friends, this earth is not going to get better, but in fact it's going to get worse, isn't it?

It could be that some of us in this room today are going to be those who are put before kings, that are put before princes, that are put before mobs, that are put before justices and explain the faith as God wants us to explain it.

It may be you that does that, but it could it be today that some of us just now are not going to live during that tribulation?

Could it be that some of us are in that experience of testing right now?

My friends, we must be on our knees in prayer just like Jesus was.

But today we're not here to talk about the Gethsemane experience, we've covered that already.

Today we're here to cover the trials and the cross of Jesus.

But before we do that I want to tell you a story.

It's about a man, his name we don't know it.

We know where he was from, we know what about what age he was.

He was very young, some say only about the age of 17 years old.

This was back in the 1500s there in the old country across the pond.

And as he was walking by a church, a procession of a certain religion were there.

And there was a pontiff or a cardinal there, and they had a crucifix of Jesus on a pole.

And as they marched through the streets of this English city, they passed by this man.

Now whenever you saw a crucifix of Jesus, You were supposed to pay homage to it.

You were actually supposed to worship that crucifix.

And as they passed by this Englishman, this young Englishman, he happened to be a Protestant, and the man ignored the whole thing.

He saw That oracle of Jesus there, that crucifix of Christ on the cross passed by and He offered it no worship.

The priest that was there was outraged and fiercely told the man to worship the crucifix.

And this is what the man replied, I quote, you wretched idolaters who neglect the true God to adore a morsel of bread.

Those are very pointed words to the most powerful religion of the time.

And again he was told to worship the crucifix and he was not.

So outraged the matter was quickly taken, the man was thrown into prison, he began to be tortured in ways that I will not say today, but he was tortured.

If he would only worship this crucifix, then he could be let go, but he would not do it.

In fact, the only thing that came out of his mouth were these.

Look at the first and second commandment.

And as he was tortured there at a young age, he would not say anything he would not recant.

And finally, this issue went all the way up the ladder to the Pope himself.

And the orders that came back were very detailed.

His sentence was soon cast upon him, and this is what the sentence was, that he should be led by the executioner without any clothes through the streets of Rome, that he should wear an image of the devil upon his head, that his breeches should be painted with the representation of fire, that he should have his right hand cut off, and that after all this had been carried out that he would be burnt at the stake.

Series

The Final Hours

2. Gethsemane

Transcript

Parent Series

Sponsor

Recorded

Risk and Redemption

Risk and Redemption: How to Hold a Sword

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Encounters With Jesus

Jesus’ Encounter with Peter and His Denial

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Workshop: Biblical Examples of Conflict Resolution

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Have MERCY On Me

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The Parables of Jesus

The Parable of Jesus: Disappointed Expectations

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A God Worth Knowing

11 A New Birth

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The Trouble With Trouble

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The Parables

The Wheat and the Tares

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Plenary

09 Peter, Peter, Peter

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Living in Denial

59m

GYC 2011 Plenary Sessions

Wednesday Keynote Address

58m

Week of Prayer

Christ’s Prayer and the Shaking

52m

Sound Doctrine