GYC Conference 2022: Break Forth

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Generation. Youth. Christ. (GYC)

Morning Devotional

Douglas Na'a

Religion or Revival

I'm so blessed that I get to speak to the early birds.

And I hope and I pray that the Lord will bless us.

I know many of you have traveled from far and near, and it's such a blessing to be here.

I know that the Lord will continue to bless you in your breakout sessions and in your seminars.

And I'm just so excited to be here this morning.

And I want to begin just by mentioning our theme for this year's GYC.

Our theme for this year's GYC is taken from the book of Isaiah chapter 58.

We all know this and we should know this by now.

The Bible says, Then your light shall break forth like the morning.

Your healing shall spring forth speedily, and your righteousness shall go before you the glory of the Lord shall be your rearguard want you to notice here dearly beloved the Bible says that the glory of God shall be your rear guard what is God's glory when we allow the Bible to interpret itself the Bible makes it very clear that the glory of God is God's character the glory of God is his character and this is how God's character is connected with our theme for this year's GYC you see the Bible tells us here in Isaiah chapter 58 that it is the character of God that transforms in you before the character of God can break forth through you 1 cannot break forth with God's righteousness unless There's some revival and reformation and transformation in their hearts.

For the next few mornings, the next few devotions, I'm going to be building on each presentation.

I want to give you a bit of a trajectory on what our morning devotions will look like and what direction we're heading.

Now tomorrow morning I've entitled the morning devotion for tomorrow morning, my fast versus your fast.

Throughout scripture the Bible tells us that ever since sin entered into this world there has always been a conflict conflict is replete throughout scripture You'll see often in the Bible there's conflict between man and man, and there's conflict between God and man.

As a matter of fact, the Bible tells us in the book of Revelation there's a conflict between Michael the archangel and Lucifer.

Conflict is replete throughout scripture wherever there is sin wherever there's rebellion wherever there's disobedience and unfaithfulness there will always be conflict And right here in Isaiah chapter 58, we see a conflict.

That's why I've entitled today's, tomorrow's sermon, My Fast Versus Your Fast.

There's a conflict between God's way of doing things and there's a conflict between man's way of doing things.

You see the Bible tells us dear friends that man wanted to approach God his way versus what God actually required.

And the question that begs to be asked is simply this, what was it that God required of the children of Israel during the time of Isaiah 58?

Micah summarizes the need of Isaiah, the need of Israel in Micah chapter 6 and verse 8.

When Micah says, I have shown thee, O man, what is good.

To act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly before thy God.

And if we're going to approach God, if we're going to be saved, ladies and gentlemen, I want to be saved God's way.

And so in Isaiah chapter 58, we see here a conflict, a controversy going on between God and man.

Then when we get to Sabbath morning, I've entitled Sabbath morning's devotion, the other breach.

When you read Isaiah chapter 58 and verse 12, the Bible makes it clear that God is challenging us.

God is calling us to be repairers of the breach, to be restorers of the breach.

That's the breach, the breach here that God is calling us to restore in these end times prophecy and history tells us that that this breach was occurred or was inflicted by this this little horn power that's prophesied in the book of Daniel, where he thinks to change times and laws.

And Bible prophecy makes it clear that this little horn power, identified as the Roman power, attempted to change the Sabbath from the seventh day to the first day of the week causing a breach in God's law and so God has called us in these end time to be restorers of that Sabbath breach would you say amen God has called us in the end times to restore the Sabbath truth as it is in Jesus.

And so in Isaiah chapter 58 it talks about a breach, the Sabbath breach.

But I'm going to suggest to you based on the context of Isaiah chapter 58 on Sabbath morning that there is another breach.

There's another breach that Isaiah talks about in Isaiah chapter 58 and it has nothing to do with that little horn power.

As a matter of fact, that little horn power didn't even exist in the time of Isaiah.

But yet Isaiah says to the children of Israel, you have caused a breach.

This breach was not inflicted by the Roman power, this breach was inflicted by God's people and so Sabbath morning we're gonna find out what is that other breach we know we know from scripture that that this breach was was nauseating to God This breach was burdensome to God because when you read Isaiah chapter 1, the Bible says in Isaiah chapter 1 that God says to the children of Israel, your Sabbaths, your festivals, your gatherings, your fasting, they weary me, they burden me.

As a matter of fact the Bible uses strong words when God says to Israel, I hate your Sabbaths.

That breach was so bad that it became nauseating to God.

And so Sabbath morning, we're going to find out from Scripture what that breach is.

But for this morning I'm just gonna lay the premises and the foundation for tomorrow morning's worship and also climaxing on Sabbath morning's worship too and I've entitled this morning's worship I come to you with this morning's worship with the title, Religion or Revival?

The Bible makes it very clear that religiosity pleases man.

And in the final analysis of all things, we want to please God.

I want to begin, dear friends, with a word of prayer as we get into our scriptures this morning father it is at this time that you must increase and we must decrease in Jesus name we pray amen I want to begin this morning by talking to you about the man behind the message Isaiah the Bible makes it very clear ladies and gentlemen that Isaiah was a man of courage.

Isaiah was a man of candor, a man of conviction.

As a matter of fact, Paul comments on Isaiah in the book of Romans chapter 10 and verse 20 when he describes Isaiah as being very bold.

Romans chapter 10 verse, Isaiah is very bold.

And I want you to notice here what The Bible says in Romans 10 verse 20, referring to Isaiah's character, Paul says, Isaiah is very bold and saith, I was found of them that sought me not, I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me.

In other words, Paul is simply saying here that Isaiah had so much boldness that he rebuked the children of Israel, reminding them that the heathens and the Gentiles had more faith than they did.

And so Paul here tells the Romans that Isaiah had that much courage, that much boldness, that much candle to rebuke the church and to remind the church that those outside of our faith often exemplify more faith than we do.

Isaiah's message was a very unpopular message.

And it's sad but it's true, ladies and gentlemen, that oftentimes those that are outside of the faith often exemplify more faith than God's people.

If Isaiah were here today, he would tell you that there are people outside of the remnant faith that actually have more faith than those inside the remnant church.

Those are weak in amen, so let me come at you another way.

There are more atheists who have faith in atheism than Adventists in Adventism.

There are more Buddhists who have more faith in Buddha than God's people in the inspired writings in the Bible, would you say, amen?

This is what Isaiah was saying, this is what Isaiah would be saying if he was preaching in the year 2022.

There are those outside of the faith that have more faith than those inside the church and may I dare even say dearly beloved, there are Mormons who have more faith in Joseph Smith that I minister in the writings of Alan White and so Paul was reminding us here that it takes boldness it takes courage it takes candle it takes conviction to rebuke the children of Israel reminding them that representation doesn't guarantee salvation want you to notice here dearly beloved once you go to see what Ellen White says in the book Prophets and Kings page 36.

We're talking here about the man behind the message.

We haven't got into the message yet, we're talking here about the man behind the message.

“My Fast vs Your Fast”

Thank you very much for that beautiful song.

It fits right in with the message I preached yesterday morning.

Ladies and gentlemen, if there's ever a time we ought not to be ashamed of the gospel, it is now.

Taken from 1 of my favorite verses in scripture, for there is power in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

1 of the things that I've noticed about Satan is that if Satan cannot change the message, he'll get you to be ashamed of it.

If Satan cannot change the truth, he'll get you to be ashamed of it if Satan cannot change the truth he'll get you to be ashamed of it and as we found out yesterday morning we are living in critical times and if there's ever a time we ought not to be ashamed of the gospel it is now would you say amen thank you so much for that beautiful song while good morning GYC it is always a privilege and an honor to speak in front of God's people and open up His Word, and it's a special blessing for me that I get to speak to the morning crowd, the early birds.

You know there's that saying that says the early birds get the best words?

Don't tell the night owls later on this evening, this is just our little secret, okay?

And so I'm excited, privileged, and honored to be here this morning.

I have been so blessed being here at GYC.

I can tell you from what's been happening behind the scenes, there is so much prayer going on behind the scenes.

People coming up praying for me and I see groups of people praying and I can see that the prayer that goes, that same spirit that occurs behind the scenes, I see it actually spilling out into the public.

I walked out the other day out of the convention center and I saw pockets of people just praying.

And so that's a manifestation, that is a fruit of what the GYC movement is doing.

They believe in the power of prayer and we too believe in the power of prayer.

Before we begin, let's bow heads for a word of prayer father in heaven speak to us this morning give us your word in Jesus name we pray amen a number of years ago I was in England for a speaking appointment, and I will never forget the day that my friend drove me to the Heathrow Airport to catch my return flight back to the United States of America.

And I'll never forget that day because as we were driving to the Heathrow Airport, we stopped by a gas station, a filling station.

Well, in the United Kingdom, they don't call them gas stations, they call them petrol stations.

And so we stopped by a petrol station to fill up the tank.

And so we filled up the tank and we continued on our journey to the Heathrow Airport.

What was very interesting is that a few minutes later, or not even a minute later, all of a sudden, the car started to sputter.

And over a moment of time, we lost power, which ultimately meant that we lost momentum and so we found ourselves drifting to the side of the road.

We pulled over to the side of the road and we were baffled because nothing on the dashboard indicated that anything was wrong.

Nothing on the dashboard indicated that there was something wrong with the vehicle.

And so the only thing that was on our minds was what is the problem with this car?

After several failed attempts to start the car, we went through a list of potential issues so that we could narrow down and ascertain what the problem could be.

And you can imagine my heart started racing because I'm thinking of my flight back to the United States and whether I will make time or catch that particular plane on the way back here to the United States.

And I'll never forget that day because after going through that checklist, I vividly remember we found out and we talked to the owner of the car and I'll never forget what the question the owner of the car asked us.

He said, what type of gas did you use to fill up the tank?

To which we replied, well the regular kind, the 1 that everybody uses.

To which he replied, that vehicle that you're driving is a diesel vehicle.

And I'll never forget that day, dear friends, because, because I learned, I learned a lesson that day that, that applies to Isaiah 58, and I'm, I'm gonna build my, my, my whole message, my whole point, my whole message on this 1 point please listen very carefully listen very carefully What we filled that car with is not what the car required.

That was the problem that we were facing.

We put into that tank a type of gas that that car was not designed to use.

We put into that vehicle a type of gas that it did not require.

Now I want to make it very clear, dear friends, so that I'm not misunderstood.

There is nothing wrong with using regular gas but but using regular gas for a different vehicle at a different time would have worked are you with me But using regular gas in this context, in this particular situation, was not what the vehicle required.

But in the context of Isaiah chapter 58, something else was required.

You remember yesterday I shared with you that quote from Ellen White where she says it's not so much the gatherings of God's people but it's doing the right things at the right time and In the context of Isaiah chapter 58, there was a particular requirement that was needed for that particular context.

That same gas that they were using in the time of Isaiah would have been good in a different context, it would have worked in a different situation, but because of the spiritual condition that they were in at that time, that was not the gas that God required.

I've entitled today's sermon, My Fast Versus Your Fast.

You see, God's people here, when we read the whole context of Isaiah chapter 58 and I'm gonna read and this is important that that I mentioned to you the context the whole context of Isaiah chapter 58 because I'm going to repeat and enlarge this point tomorrow morning.

Where Ellen White says that we should study the whole chapter of Isaiah 58.

Not just cherry-pick from Isaiah 58, she specifically says we should study the whole chapter in its context.

The whole chapter of Isaiah 58, for there is a message in the whole chapter of Isaiah 58 for our time.

And in the context of Isaiah chapter 58, they were in a very dire situation.

And something was needed for that context.

And I believe with all my heart, dear friends, that the same context that Isaiah faced back in his time is the same context in the year 2022.

When we come to the book of Isaiah chapter 58, God's people here are concerned.

They're wondering and they're concerned that their relationship with God was not working.

They were concerned like my friend and I, like that car situation, that their relationship with God wasn't being noticed.

And they were probably asking themselves that same question that my friend and I were asking when we were in that car, what's the problem?

All of the indicators seem to indicate that we're doing the right things, but yet God is not noticing us.

All of the indicators seem to indicate that I'm living the right way, that I'm eating the right way, but why am I not being noticed?

Why is there no momentum to my relationship with God?

Why have I pulled over to the side of the road?

The children of Israel were concerned about their relationship with God in Isaiah chapter 58.

That's the context, that's what was happening here.

And if you come with me to verse 3, I want to show you something in verse 3 if you have your Bibles with you, in Isaiah chapter 58.

Notice what the Bible says concerning the condition of Israel, Judah specifically, during the time of Isaiah.

Why have we afflicted our souls and you take no notice in fact in the day of your fast you find pleasure and exploit all your laborers again you see here their friends they wanted to know why God why isn't God blessing all my efforts why isn't God blessing my fasting Have you found yourself in that situation?

Have you found yourself like the children of Israel asking, Lord, why aren't you blessing me?

The Other Breach

Father in heaven, once again, we come to you because we are weak.

And we turn to you for your mercy and your grace.

Just by the raising of your hands, how many of you here drove to GYC?

For those of you who drove here to GYC, I'm wondering this morning if you, when you were driving, if you ever saw this sign on the road.

Driving on the interstate, driving on the highway.

How many of you as you were driving here to GYC, raise your hand, saw a sign that looked like this or had a similar message?

How many of you actually obeyed the sign?

There is a phenomenon out there known as multitasking and driving.

According to 1, according to 1 department of transportation, this is what, this is what they define as multitasking and driving.

Multitasking and driving is defined as the following.

It's when you're driving and eating, driving and drinking, driving and putting on your makeup, driving and smoking.

And the favorite of all, driving and texting.

Driving and scrolling through your social media.

Multitasking and driving is detrimental to your life.

Multitasking and driving is defined by 1 department of transportation as driving and checking your email.

As a matter of fact, surveys show that thousands and thousands and thousands of people right here in the United States of America, drivers and passengers and pedestrians alike die year after year because of multitasking and driving.

But I want to talk to you this morning about another kind of multitasking.

I want to talk to you this morning about another kind of multitasking that's just as dangerous.

I call this kind of multitasking spiritual multitasking.

And just like how multitasking and driving is detrimental to your soul, to your life, spiritual multitasking is just as dangerous to your eternal salvation.

Now you won't see the words spiritual multitasking in the Bible, but I can promise you based on the authority of God's Word, the concept is there.

You may not see the actual wording, but the idea, the truth of spiritual multitasking is replete throughout Scripture, especially in Isaiah chapter 58.

The children of Israel were spiritually multitasking.

They were worshiping God and at the same time oppressing the vulnerable.

They were keeping the Sabbath and at the same time mistreating their servants and their workers.

But at the same time they were abusing their neighbors.

They were praying to Yahweh but at the same time they were exploiting the poor.

This is the kind of multi-spiritual multitasking that is detrimental to one's soul.

Jesus warns against this kind of spiritual multitasking.

The Bible says in the book of Matthew chapter 6 verse 24, this is Jesus speaking, against spiritual multitasking, trying to do 2 opposite things at the same time.

Notice what Jesus says here in Matthew chapter 6 and verse 24 Jesus says no man can serve 2 masters for either he will hate the 1 and love the other or else he will hold to the 1 and despise the other.

There is no room for spiritual multitasking amongst God's people.

Elijah, when he was on Mount Carmel, the Bible says and the Bible describes that Elijah with holy boldness and he cried with a loud voice that clarion call for revival and reformation when he said to Israel how long hold ye between 2 opinions how long Israel are you going to spiritually multitask if God be God follow him but if Baal be Baal then follow him And the Bible says that the children of Israel were silent.

Because they were guilty of spiritual multitasking.

The Bible tells us in the book of Isaiah chapter 58, if you have your Bibles, the Bible says here in Isaiah chapter 58 and verse 12.

And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places thou shalt raise up the foundation of many generations and thou shalt be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of paths to dwell in.

Now I want to make it very clear ladies and gentlemen, according to Bible prophecy, and I love Bible prophecy, I preach it and I teach it and I share it.

According to Bible prophecy, this breach that Isaiah is alluding to and prophesying about is the breach that that little horn power in Daniel chapter 7 inflicted when he attempted to change the times and the laws.

When he breached the Sabbath of God, breached the law of God by changing the Sabbath from the seventh day of the week to the first day of the week.

Therefore, the Bible says, because this little horn power, this Roman power has breached the Sabbath, God is calling, God is challenging for end time restorers of that breach to restore the seventh-day Sabbath truth.

But I want to submit to you this morning that there is another breach.

Nothing to do with the little horn power of Daniel 7.

Nothing to do with the Antichrist power in Revelation chapter 13.

When you read the context of Isaiah chapter 58, Isaiah refers to another breach.

He wasn't referring to the Church of Rome because the church of Rome was not existent at his time.

And the Bible teaches us, dear friends, and I want to make it very plain and clear.

This breach that Isaiah is talking about, this breach is a man-made breach.

This breach that Isaiah is referring to is a man-made breach.

God didn't breach, Jesus didn't breach this, the Holy Spirit didn't breach this.

Some of you may be wondering what is this breach?

It is the breach between keeping the Sabbath, the breach between keeping the Sabbath from our treatment of the poor, the vulnerable, and those that are inflicted with wickedness and injustice.

The breach between the Sabbath, keeping the Sabbath, and our treatment of the oppressed, our treatment of the repressed, our treatment of the suppressed, our treatment of the lost, the low, and the lonely.

You see, dearly beloved, the Bible teaches us that the Sabbath has no meaning when it is divorced from our concern for the poor and the oppressed.

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Morning Devotional

Religion or Revival

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