back to indexBerean Community Church Sunday Service 9/5/2021
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with this first song, "All Glory Be to Christ." 00:09:36.460 |
Let living water satisfy the thirsty without price. 00:11:56.460 |
Hi, good morning. Welcome to Berean Community Church. 00:12:02.460 |
we have a welcome table. As you were coming in from the street, 00:12:06.460 |
you probably ran into our welcome table. Maybe you've seen it, didn't see it. 00:12:10.460 |
But we encourage you to visit that table, and if you have any questions about the church, 00:12:15.460 |
our welcome team will be able to kind of direct you toward the right people and answer some of the questions for you. 00:12:19.460 |
And especially along with that, our college ministry, 00:12:24.460 |
those of you who are collegians who are visiting us for the first time, 00:12:28.460 |
for the next maybe about a month or two, we're going to be having a separate college welcome table set up. 00:12:33.460 |
And so right along where the welcome table is, Pastor Nate and some of the college staff 00:12:38.460 |
and members, core members of the church in the college department is going to be in that area. 00:12:43.460 |
So if you go visit there, they have separate activities. 00:12:47.460 |
They have events that are going on throughout the week, and so they'll be able to give you more information about that. 00:12:57.460 |
Seeds nursery. So starting from today, if you have a child between the age of one and four, 00:13:03.460 |
in our seeds ministry, we've only had the seeds ministry in the second service, 00:13:08.460 |
but starting from today, the first service is also open to seeds ministry. 00:13:13.460 |
If you have a child from one through four and you want them to, you want to come to the first service, 00:13:18.460 |
so that is open for you. And the only thing that they've asked me to request is if you are a regular member here, 00:13:23.460 |
if you're visiting here only once or twice, obviously it's not going to be relevant to you, 00:13:27.460 |
but if you're coming every week and you choose to go to that, that they're asking you to commit to it. 00:13:33.460 |
Not to say that if you for some reason have to go that week and you're not welcome to come to that, 00:13:37.460 |
but if you are going to come regularly, and the reason why they're asking that is so that they may have enough people. 00:13:44.460 |
They can staff with enough people to watch and run the program over there for first service. 00:13:50.460 |
So if you are planning to do that, it is starting today and obviously you've already missed it. 00:13:55.460 |
So if you are planning to do that starting from next week, it will be available for the first service. 00:14:00.460 |
All church praise and prayer, that's scheduled for September 17th, just to mark on your calendar. 00:14:06.460 |
And also, along with that, we have an ACBC mini conference that's coming up in October. 00:14:17.460 |
So October 15th, 16th, it's a little bit away from now, but we want you to put that on your calendar 00:14:22.460 |
in case you're making events around our Bible study schedule. So that's a Friday and Saturday. 00:14:27.460 |
So basically, this is going to be open to all collegians, to singles, to married, to the whole church. 00:14:34.460 |
And so as we came back from our summer retreat, encouraging and being blessed by the biblical counseling messages 00:14:41.460 |
that we received, we want to continue to encourage our church to be equipped. 00:14:45.460 |
And maybe some of you would be interested in getting biblical counseling certificates 00:14:50.460 |
and continue to pursue how to encourage other people, to disciple other people with God's word. 00:14:55.460 |
And so that session that we're doing is really to kind of equip the church and to encourage our church to go down that path. 00:15:02.460 |
And so registration for that is going to start soon. And so just keep an eye out. 00:15:08.460 |
But we just want you to just save the date for that week. So it's 15th and 16th of October. 00:15:13.460 |
OK, so that week we won't be having normal Bible study because of that. All right. 00:15:18.460 |
Membership class, our membership class, the next session is starting on September 26th. 00:15:24.460 |
We are going to start having it in the youth room. So the new youth room is open. 00:15:30.460 |
That next door, they were meeting in the corner in the cafe, but they're moved into starting from today. 00:15:35.460 |
They moved into the new youth area, which is at the very end of the building. 00:15:39.460 |
So if you have children who are youth or you need to tell your kids to find their way there, 00:15:45.460 |
so they're no longer meeting in the same place in the corner. It's actually at the exact opposite at the other corner. 00:15:50.460 |
So they have to walk. There's no entrance on this side right now. 00:15:54.460 |
So you'd have to go to the other side of the parking lot, go to the end of the building. 00:15:57.460 |
And you when you run into the trash can, you're there. OK, so basically you're going to hit the trash and then you turn left. 00:16:03.460 |
And that's the entrance to the youth room. OK, so they're going to have some kind of sign there. 00:16:07.460 |
But if you have children that age or if you know and somebody asks you where the youth room is, 00:16:13.460 |
just tell them to go to the other side to the building and the entrance will be there. 00:16:16.460 |
That's starting today. And that's where the new membership class is going to start. 00:16:19.460 |
Start taking place on 26th. When if you're signed up for the membership class, 00:16:25.460 |
that's where it's going to be starting at nine o'clock. OK, and then along with that, starting today, 00:16:31.460 |
the equipping classes are going to continue. So Elder James is teaching the theology class, 00:16:36.460 |
and that's going to be taking place up in this Sprouts room. 00:16:42.460 |
OK, upstairs. And so our former cafe. So that's where you want to go if you want to take that class at 2 p.m. 00:16:50.460 |
So grab your lunch, finish it and then come to that class at 2 p.m. 00:16:55.460 |
And then Pastor Mark about spiritual maturity. That class is taking place in this room at 2 p.m. 00:17:00.460 |
OK, so one's here and then one's upstairs. OK, and then finally, we have one last push for BBA. 00:17:07.460 |
So if you are a Borean Basketball Association, so if you if you're planning to play and you haven't signed up, 00:17:12.460 |
there is a sign up table outside at the entrance to the cafe to the right of it. 00:17:17.460 |
We're going to have some people manning that table. So go and please sign up for that. 00:17:21.460 |
I was told that the WBBA is they are planning to have it. And actually, Hamamoto, she's here somewhere in the room. 00:17:29.460 |
She's the point person. So you might want to tell her that you are also interested in playing. 00:17:34.460 |
And I think they're going to be playing while the guys are playing. 00:17:37.460 |
And then I've been hearing rumors that there's going to be a SBBA, senior BBA. 00:17:44.460 |
And if you are interested and if if you happen to be old, they're not old, right? 00:17:52.460 |
Older don't show up. We don't want 30 year old showing up and saying like, oh, my back hurts. 00:17:58.460 |
You want to be the Michael Jordan of the senior league? No. OK, so I hear it's going to be maybe half court. 00:18:06.460 |
There's going to be a lot of a lot of stretching, some playing. 00:18:12.460 |
So if you are interested in playing in that in that league, I'm not sure if it's confirmed. 00:18:18.460 |
So I think Elder Phillip is going to be the the head person for that. 00:18:22.460 |
If you're interested, let him know. OK. All right. So let me take a minute to pray for our offering. 00:18:27.460 |
And again, if you have a physical offering, there's a basket in the back that you can give it to. 00:18:31.460 |
Otherwise, we'll give you a few minutes to give it electronically. Let's pray. 00:18:38.460 |
Heavenly Father, we thank you so much for all the blessings that you've given us in our life. 00:18:43.460 |
Help us not to take for granted what you have given, that we would truly be able to worship you in spirit and in truth in every way. 00:18:52.460 |
Whatever distractions that we brought into this room, help us, Lord God, through the praise, 00:18:57.460 |
through the worship, that our hearts may be given to you fully. 00:19:02.460 |
Lord, give us soft hearts, open ears, Lord God, that we may be attentive to what you have to say to us. 00:19:08.460 |
May your name be praised this morning and even the giving that we give may be multiplied for your use. 00:20:23.440 |
Church family, let's all rise together as we sing this first song. 00:20:47.800 |
Of sin and darkness, whose love is mighty and so much stronger. 00:21:09.300 |
Who shakes the whole earth with holy thunder? 00:21:55.800 |
Oh, Jesus, I sing for all that you've done for me. 00:22:32.300 |
Who rules the nations with truth and justice? 00:22:36.800 |
Shines like the sun in all of its brilliance. 00:23:19.300 |
Oh, Jesus, I sing for all that you've done for me. 00:24:37.800 |
Oh, Jesus, I sing for all that you've done for me. 00:28:37.800 |
>> If you can turn your Bibles with me to Hebrews chapter 12, verse 25 through 29. 00:28:58.800 |
Reading out of the NASB, see to it that you do not refuse him who is speaking. 00:29:04.800 |
For those who did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape who turn away from him who warns from heaven. 00:29:12.800 |
And his voice shook the earth then, but now he has promised saying, yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heaven. 00:29:20.800 |
This expression, yet once more, denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken as of created things so that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. 00:29:29.800 |
Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe. 00:29:47.800 |
We pray that power of your word would convict and guide us. 00:29:51.800 |
Renew us, strengthen us, Lord God, that we may live worthy lives of the gospel that you've given. 00:29:57.800 |
So we pray for your direction, your Holy Spirit to lead. 00:30:04.800 |
Okay, we're going to continue on from what we started last week where we talked about what a proper response to the gospel of Jesus Christ is. 00:30:12.800 |
When we say because of God's grace, if we have a wrong understanding of the gospel and the grace, we can easily think because of grace, it doesn't matter what I do. 00:30:23.800 |
That we have Christian liberty in Christ, so however I live, even though I ought to live this way, but there isn't any consequence anymore because God has covered us with his blood. 00:30:33.800 |
If we have a superficial understanding and possibly an understanding of cheap grace, we may easily apply it that way. 00:30:42.800 |
But as grace is grace, the Bible tells us that there is consequence if we refuse this grace. 00:30:50.800 |
And that's what he says in verse 25, chapter 12, we just read. 00:30:53.800 |
It says, "See to it that you do not refuse him who is speaking. 00:30:58.800 |
For if those who did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape who turn away from him who warns from heaven." 00:31:08.800 |
If God said everything that he said to the old covenant people and they didn't respond in a way that they ought to have and there were serious consequences, 00:31:16.800 |
how much more, when it's not just a glimpse of him, it was not just a theophany, but God himself speaking from heaven, 00:31:23.800 |
that we just say, "Oh, okay, that's what he says, that's what he believes." 00:31:26.800 |
And we just continue to go on living our life any way that we want. 00:31:30.800 |
That's exactly what he was trying to address in the book of Hebrews. 00:31:33.800 |
And that's why I think the book of Hebrews is so relevant to us today. 00:31:38.800 |
Because he's not wrestling with any particular doctrine. 00:31:41.800 |
There wasn't anything that he was saying that this is the problem, that you guys are guilty of idolatry. 00:31:49.800 |
He said the main problem with the audience of the Hebrews was they were just drifting. 00:31:55.800 |
They weren't passionately pursuing Christ anymore. 00:32:01.800 |
And he said, "How can we escape if we simply neglect such a great salvation?" 00:32:07.800 |
That's why I think this is so relevant to us in our generation where you and I practice our Christianity, 00:32:16.800 |
Hearing the gospel, and we become so inoculated by the truth, 00:32:21.800 |
where it's just kind of, you know, I just signed off on it, and then the rest of my life I just kind of live like everybody else. 00:32:27.800 |
He said, "See to it that you do not refuse him." 00:32:32.800 |
You don't have to shake your hand and say, "You know what? I don't believe in God. 00:32:35.800 |
I'm an atheist, and I'm going to worship idols." 00:32:41.800 |
In fact, that's not what he's addressing in the book of Hebrews. 00:32:45.800 |
To refuse him, first and foremost, is simply to remain willfully ignorant of the truth. 00:32:54.800 |
Not ignorant because you haven't been taught. 00:32:58.800 |
But simply ignorant because you just weren't interested. 00:33:02.800 |
Most people in our generation has no idea what the Bible says. 00:33:06.800 |
They can tell what the latest album is dropping, and what the latest trend is, 00:33:10.800 |
and what athlete has what percentage, and what batting average, 00:33:14.800 |
and they know all of this stuff, but they say, "Turn to the book of Hebrews. 00:33:23.800 |
And after 10, 15, 20, 30 years of being a Christian, they still don't know. 00:33:28.800 |
And it's not because they haven't been taught. 00:33:30.800 |
It just wasn't important enough for them to pursue. 00:33:32.800 |
So we can refuse him by willfully being ignorant of God's Word. 00:33:37.800 |
We can be willfully ignorant by studying the Word of God and not applying it. 00:33:42.800 |
Like it says in the book of James, you're constantly hearing but not doing. 00:33:52.800 |
It means nothing if you just profess, and all that is is a profession, 00:33:57.800 |
So we can refuse him by studying and not applying what the Bible has to say. 00:34:03.800 |
Thirdly, you can refuse him by studying what the Bible says 00:34:07.800 |
and picking and choosing what you want to apply 00:34:10.800 |
and then certain things that you don't want to apply. 00:34:13.800 |
So partial obedience, obedience only to the things that I want to obey 00:34:18.800 |
and the things that I don't want to obey, I just kind of keep at bay and say, 00:34:21.800 |
"You know what? God understands. We're saved by grace anyway." 00:34:25.800 |
We can refuse him in that way, and in every way, every one of the things that I've mentioned, 00:34:29.800 |
the Bible mentions that that is a form of refusing God. 00:34:34.800 |
In 2 Timothy 3, 5, and 7, it says that in the end times, 00:34:38.800 |
and Paul is warning Timothy as a young pastor preparing him to go to the area of Ephesus 00:34:45.800 |
to fight wrong doctrines because all these fellow co-workers are starting to drop out and backslide. 00:34:51.800 |
And he's telling them, he's telling Timothy, "I want you to prepare for this. 00:34:56.800 |
This is what you're going to run into as a pastor." 00:34:59.800 |
He says, "At the end times, you're going to run into people who are holding to a form of godliness 00:35:10.800 |
Avoid such men as these, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth." 00:35:17.800 |
A form of godliness, in other words, they do what you're supposed to do externally. 00:35:22.800 |
They have a reputation of being godly because they know how to play this game. 00:35:25.800 |
They've been in the church for a very long time. 00:35:28.800 |
You know what to say. If they ask you how you're doing spiritually, 00:35:32.800 |
"I'm doing okay," or "I'm struggling," and you know what you can say. 00:35:37.800 |
You know how to get along. So you have a form of godliness, 00:35:44.800 |
That's the distinction between somebody who's excited about his faith 00:35:47.800 |
and passionately pursuing Christ because you've recognized his power, 00:35:51.800 |
you've experienced his power, versus somebody who's always hearing the sermon 00:35:56.800 |
but never able to come to the true knowledge of his son, Jesus Christ. 00:36:01.800 |
You notice here in verse 7, he says, "Always learning, but never able to come to the knowledge of truth." 00:36:08.800 |
You notice here, he says, "He's always learning, but never knowing." 00:36:19.800 |
That you can study, especially if you're at a Bible-teaching church, 00:36:23.800 |
we're doing Bible study, and you're going through the verses, 00:36:26.800 |
and you're always learning. You're adding knowledge upon knowledge upon knowledge, 00:36:30.800 |
but you're never coming and encountering Christ 00:36:34.800 |
because we're refusing him in some way in our life. 00:36:38.800 |
We've created this pseudo-Christian life that is completely contrary to what the Bible teaches, 00:36:45.800 |
and so you've accumulated so much knowledge about the Bible, 00:36:53.800 |
You know the distinction between somebody who's learning a lot 00:36:56.800 |
versus somebody who encounters and knows God? 00:37:00.800 |
Somebody who has a lot of knowledge, the benefit of having a lot of knowledge, 00:37:07.800 |
So the more that I read, the more that I encounter, 00:37:10.800 |
the more that I want you to know how much I know, 00:37:16.800 |
But the difference between somebody who's constantly studying 00:37:21.800 |
is an individual whose knowledge is always learning to know Christ. 00:37:28.800 |
And that's the distinction between somebody who's always learning, 00:37:31.800 |
but not knowing Christ, versus somebody who's learning and encountering Christ. 00:37:36.800 |
Because a person who is learning to encounter Christ, 00:37:39.800 |
you'll see in their language they're going to be talking about who Jesus is. 00:37:43.800 |
But an individual who accumulates a lot of knowledge 00:37:46.800 |
are going to make sure that you know how much knowledge they have, 00:37:49.800 |
what books that they've read, people that they know. 00:37:54.800 |
That in the church, in our generation, our biggest challenge now is that, 00:38:06.800 |
See, God's grace reminds us and challenges us and warns us 00:38:15.800 |
And that's what he was saying in verse 26 and 27. 00:38:18.800 |
His voice shook the earth then, but now he is promising, 00:38:22.800 |
yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heaven. 00:38:28.800 |
He's reminding them about when he showed himself at Mount Sinai, 00:38:32.800 |
where people were terrified, and his very presence scared them. 00:38:37.800 |
And as he came and he shook the earth, he says, 00:38:43.800 |
It's not just a portion of his glory. It wasn't a theophany. 00:38:46.800 |
God himself from heaven is speaking to us directly. 00:38:50.800 |
And he says, yet once more denotes the removing of those things 00:38:53.800 |
which cannot be shaken as of creative things, 00:38:55.800 |
so that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. 00:39:00.800 |
You know, this building, some of you guys may remember 00:39:03.800 |
when we were trying to get into this building about four plus years ago. 00:39:06.800 |
You know, we had all these things that we had to do, 00:39:09.800 |
but most of the things that we did to this building to move in here 00:39:17.800 |
because we didn't want to do a lot of construction. 00:39:21.800 |
So we spent almost, I think about $700,000 to $800,000 fixing this place up. 00:39:27.800 |
The majority of that went to things that you can't see. 00:39:32.800 |
It was because this used to be a plumbing warehouse, 00:39:35.800 |
and so there weren't a lot of people in this room. 00:39:37.800 |
So in order for us to convert this to a church, 00:39:40.800 |
because of the number of people coming in and out, 00:39:42.800 |
the city had a different requirement for the seismic standard, 00:39:49.800 |
the building has to be much stronger than a plumbing building 00:39:52.800 |
because if an earthquake hits, it needs to make sure that it doesn't fall. 00:39:56.800 |
So the majority of the money went to making holes. 00:39:59.800 |
You know these beams? Each one of these beams had to be fortified. 00:40:03.800 |
So we had guys go up there with a drill, maybe about a foot long, 00:40:15.800 |
I forgot. I wasn't looking for anchor. I was looking for the screws. 00:40:20.800 |
We had to have like almost a foot long bolts to anchor each one of... 00:40:25.800 |
Every one of these beams have about eight anchors in each one of them. 00:40:30.800 |
And it's not just here. This is all throughout the building, upstairs, 00:40:35.800 |
So all of that had to be torn down, all the air conditioning, 00:40:38.800 |
the insulation, all of that had to be torn down, 00:40:44.800 |
That was majority of the construction in this area. 00:40:49.800 |
they actually had our construction guys go up there 00:40:52.800 |
and take out some of the stuff to make sure that we did it correctly. 00:40:55.800 |
Because all the aesthetic stuff about the stage, about the painting, 00:41:01.800 |
The main thing that they cared about was if an earthquake hit, 00:41:04.800 |
that because now this is going to be used as a church, 00:41:07.800 |
we need to make sure that this building is going to be sound. 00:41:10.800 |
So if there's an earthquake, this is the best place to be. 00:41:23.800 |
especially in California, that if the big one hits, 00:41:27.800 |
and it happens to be in the middle of our service, 00:41:30.800 |
that this building isn't going to easily collapse. 00:41:34.800 |
See, when the Bible says, when the passage in Hebrews says, 00:41:37.800 |
that when he comes, he's going to be shaking things, 00:41:41.800 |
and he repeats this over and over again in these two verses, 00:41:44.800 |
is to remind us that everything that we hold, 00:41:47.800 |
that's not going to stand the test of the shaking, 00:41:54.800 |
So this morning what I want to go over is this shaking. 00:41:57.800 |
What did it mean, and what was it teaching, and what is he referring to? 00:42:01.800 |
So first of all, when there's a violent shake, 00:42:04.800 |
when God shows up and there's a violent shake, 00:42:07.800 |
it was to remind them of the awesomeness of who God is. 00:42:15.800 |
Exodus 19, verse 18, "Now Mount Sinai was all in smoke, 00:42:21.800 |
and its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, 00:42:28.800 |
And then again in Judges 5, 4-5, referring to the giving of the law, 00:42:31.800 |
it says, "The Lord, when you went out from Seir, 00:42:34.800 |
when you marched from the field of Edom, the earthquake, 00:42:37.800 |
the heavens also dropped, dripped, even the clouds dripped water, 00:42:40.800 |
the mountains quaked at the presence of the Lord, 00:42:43.800 |
this Sinai at the presence of the Lord, the God of Israel." 00:42:47.800 |
You know, I think most Californians have become desensitized to earthquakes, 00:42:52.800 |
but if you've ever had a family member or friend 00:42:55.800 |
who doesn't live in California, and they come to visit or live here for a short period, 00:42:59.800 |
and then a minor earthquake hits, maybe like a 3.0, 00:43:03.800 |
you know, a 3.0 earthquake for most Californians is nothing, right? 00:43:08.800 |
But the idea of the earth shifting, I mean, think about that. 00:43:12.800 |
If you've never experienced that before, the earth, 00:43:15.800 |
we're not talking about strong winds, we're not talking about fire, 00:43:18.800 |
we're talking about the earth on which your house is built on moves. 00:43:25.800 |
I mean, he's reminding them, remember when God showed up, 00:43:28.800 |
and there was a violent quaking, and that God's presence, 00:43:31.800 |
even the mountains were shaking in His presence. 00:43:39.800 |
Automatically, when there was a shaking, they realized something serious, 00:43:43.800 |
something powerful was coming, that God's presence alone 00:43:48.800 |
would shake the very foundations of the earth. 00:43:51.800 |
That's what he is referring to, and yet he says in verse 26, 00:43:55.800 |
"Yet," do you remember when God spoke from earth, 00:43:59.800 |
"Yet, once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heavens." 00:44:04.800 |
Everything created is going to be tested when it is in the presence of a holy God. 00:44:13.800 |
You know, those of you who've lived in California for a long period of time, 00:44:18.800 |
Some of you guys may not have been born by then, 00:44:22.800 |
In 1994, at 4.30 a.m. in Northridge, there was a 6.7 magnitude. 00:44:29.800 |
They said there was over $77 billion of damage that was done. 00:44:33.800 |
So some of you guys who are a little bit older may remember. 00:44:36.800 |
During that time, basically California was shut down for a long period, 00:44:46.800 |
literally two, three months before the earthquake hit, 00:44:48.800 |
and there wasn't a single house that wasn't affected by this earthquake. 00:44:53.800 |
Either cracked walls or fences were torn down. 00:45:01.800 |
Freeways completely collapsed, and you couldn't get around. 00:45:06.800 |
But as bad as that was, the biggest earthquake that I personally experienced 00:45:13.800 |
And the reason why that was more devastating to me 00:45:18.800 |
And La Mirada is the neighboring city to that. 00:45:20.800 |
And I was getting ready to go to my Old Testament survey class at 7.45, 00:45:27.800 |
and I just started seeing this shift like that, just like an earthquake. 00:45:34.800 |
And I literally saw the parking lot move like that. 00:45:37.800 |
You know how you have earthquakes that shake, 00:45:43.800 |
And it was rolling, and I thought, "Okay, Jesus is here." 00:45:48.800 |
It's like--I've experienced an earthquake, but nothing like that. 00:45:51.800 |
And then I saw--if you know Biola, most of the buildings in Biola, 00:45:54.800 |
at least the older buildings, are made out of brick. 00:45:57.800 |
And I saw brick buildings curving like that on the parking lot. 00:46:01.800 |
And I'm standing here, and I saw cars at the end of the parking lot 00:46:06.800 |
Earth is opening up, you know, and I'm ready to meet the Lord. 00:46:10.800 |
I had friends who were already in the class jumping out of the window. 00:46:14.800 |
It was on the first floor, so it wasn't that dangerous. 00:46:17.800 |
But everybody was going crazy, and I remember like, "Wow, 00:46:30.800 |
"You know, this may be a precursor to something bigger coming." 00:46:34.800 |
Because ever since I've been in California, the experts, seismologists, 00:46:38.800 |
have been saying the big one is coming, and that wasn't the big one. 00:46:43.800 |
Even the 6.7 in Whittier, I mean in Northridge, as big as that was, 00:46:47.800 |
is that all of these things are going to trigger. 00:46:49.800 |
So every time there's an earthquake in California, 00:46:51.800 |
there's a fear that it's going to trigger the big one. 00:46:55.800 |
And if you may have heard about the big one, and if you haven't heard of it, 00:46:59.800 |
I'm going to tell you now so that you don't need to be informed. 00:47:03.800 |
They said that this is going to be so big, there's a possibility 00:47:07.800 |
that California may crack away from the rest of the country. 00:47:15.800 |
That's how big the San Andreas Fault is going to be, 00:47:23.800 |
So what happened was, after the '87 earthquake happened, 00:47:26.800 |
after the '94 earthquake happened, there was a mass exodus from California. 00:47:31.800 |
I know there's a mass exodus right now because of political reasons, 00:47:37.800 |
Back then, people were packing up their bags and moving to Colorado, wherever, 00:47:43.800 |
Rightfully so, because they were saying that California was going to crack. 00:47:49.800 |
So how can you possibly invest in anything here if the earth is going to crack? 00:47:55.800 |
How can you possibly purchase a house if the house can be broken 00:48:00.800 |
What can you possibly--what are you going to build here 00:48:06.800 |
So out of fear, in order to live, people packed up everything and left. 00:48:12.800 |
Obviously, it's been many years since that has happened, 00:48:15.800 |
but every time there's an earthquake, that announcement gets recirculated. 00:48:21.800 |
It's not a matter of if. It's a matter of when. 00:48:24.800 |
So those of us who lived through that, we've become desensitized. 00:48:28.800 |
It's like, "Ah, it's going to happen. I heard this before." 00:48:31.800 |
It's been many years. 20, 30 years have already passed. 00:48:34.800 |
"It'll happen. I'm sure it'll happen, but maybe not during my lifetime." 00:48:41.800 |
you're almost like, "Oh my gosh, is this real?" 00:48:43.800 |
Well, look it up. I'm not making this up. This is real. 00:48:48.800 |
Because the author of Hebrews is reminding us that no matter how great 00:48:54.800 |
of an earthquake you may have experienced in the past, 00:49:00.800 |
whatever human history has experienced is going to pale in comparison. 00:49:05.800 |
For some reason, we have presented the gospel in such a way 00:49:09.800 |
that Jesus is still this meek, humble servant who's on his knees 00:49:17.800 |
And all of these things are true. It's in the Bible. 00:49:23.800 |
Because Revelation is just as important as the Gospel of John. 00:49:27.800 |
Have you read Revelation? When He comes in His glory, 00:49:32.800 |
He's coming as the King of kings and Lord of lords. 00:49:36.800 |
Go back and read chapter 1. Go back and read the rest of Revelation. 00:49:42.800 |
And when He comes, the Bible says, "The earth will shake." 00:49:47.800 |
And this shaking is going to be much greater than what happened in Mount Sinai. 00:49:52.800 |
In Revelation 6.12 it says, "I looked when He broke the sixth seal, 00:49:55.800 |
and there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black, 00:49:58.800 |
and sackcloth made of air, and the whole moon became like blood." 00:50:02.800 |
Revelation 11.13, "And in that hour there was a great earthquake, 00:50:06.800 |
and a tenth of the city fell, 7,000 people were killed in the earthquake." 00:50:10.800 |
7,000 people were killed, and rest were terrified, 00:50:30.800 |
In the presence of God's glory, all this was happening because of His presence, 00:50:36.800 |
In Revelation 16.17-20, "And the seventh angel poured out his bowl upon the air." 00:50:44.800 |
"And a loud voice came out of the temple from the throne, saying, 'It is done.'" 00:50:49.800 |
The judgment is done, "and there were flashes, and lightning, and sounds, and peals of thunder, 00:50:54.800 |
and there was a great earthquake, such as there had not been since man came to be upon the earth. 00:51:01.800 |
So great an earthquake was it, and so mighty." 00:51:05.800 |
So there is trembling throughout the judgment, 00:51:10.800 |
and then it ends with the greatest trembling that mankind has ever seen. 00:51:15.800 |
He says all of this to reveal that God in His full glory will come. 00:51:24.800 |
We know that the earth, when it shakes, it deserves all of us. 00:51:29.800 |
And some people are willing to pack up and go somewhere else. 00:51:39.800 |
that anything that you and I have experienced is going to pale in comparison? 00:51:46.800 |
it is to remind us of the awesomeness of God's presence that's coming. 00:51:50.800 |
But secondly, when a quaking happens, the Bible says that it is to test and to purify 00:51:57.800 |
and make sure that all the non-essentials are shaken off. 00:52:01.800 |
In Hebrews 12, verse 27, this expression yet once more denotes the removing of those things 00:52:10.800 |
so that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. 00:52:15.800 |
God allows some shaking in our lives at times 00:52:20.800 |
to cause us to take a second look and see how valuable these things are. 00:52:28.800 |
That's why we have all these things that are placed in, 00:52:31.800 |
so that when the earthquake comes, that we can make it through the earthquake. 00:52:39.800 |
Even though it's all there, all the preparation has been made. 00:52:42.800 |
The city would not allow us to come into this building unless the preparation has been made, 00:52:48.800 |
The Bible says that God allows smaller tremors in our lives to test the quality of our faith. 00:52:55.800 |
In 1 Peter 1, 6-7, "In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, 00:53:00.800 |
if necessary you have been distressed by various trials, 00:53:04.800 |
so that the proof of your faith being more precious than gold, 00:53:08.800 |
which is perishable, even though tested by fire, 00:53:11.800 |
may be found to result in praise and glory, honor and revelation of Jesus Christ." 00:53:20.800 |
the only thing that's going to matter, the only thing that's going to save us, 00:53:25.800 |
the only thing that's going to have value is the quality of our faith, 00:53:30.800 |
which is going to cover us from the wrath that is to come. 00:53:34.800 |
So He allows us to experience the tremors to test the quality of our faith. 00:53:42.800 |
Like I said, this building has been prepared for a greater seismic, you know, if it does come, 00:53:53.800 |
My house has been tested, and it's tested all the time. 00:53:56.800 |
The reason why it's tested is because we live next to a train track. 00:54:00.800 |
We've been living next to a train track for over 10 to 12 years. 00:54:03.800 |
And so when you first live next to a train track, like it's kind of disturbing, 00:54:08.800 |
and I don't think that's a place that a lot of people would like to live 00:54:14.800 |
I've gotten so used to it, like I don't even notice. 00:54:17.800 |
In fact, unless the earthquake is anything below 4.5, I don't even wake up because, 00:54:25.800 |
But that house that we live in is constantly shaking. 00:54:31.800 |
I know it's the Metro with people on it because it moves fast, and it's pretty light, 00:54:35.800 |
and it comes and it shakes for a little while like this, and then it's gone. 00:54:38.800 |
But I know when those freight trains come, you know, it's long, slow-moving, heavy, 00:54:47.800 |
And whatever conversation we have, we have to stop for a second, 00:54:55.800 |
You know, most houses, especially the newer ones, you buy it, 00:54:57.800 |
and then in the middle of the night you'll hear creaking. 00:55:03.800 |
It's your house, just kind of the weight of the house just kind of settling 00:55:09.800 |
So if you're a new house owner, that's what happens to a house. 00:55:13.800 |
It takes years, and the house just kind of settles, right? 00:55:19.800 |
I've lived in other houses, but I usually don't hear any creaks in our house 00:55:23.800 |
because whatever creaking settling is going to happen, it's happened, right? 00:55:31.800 |
Now, we haven't been tested by the magnitude of that size, 00:55:34.800 |
but the small tremors does nothing to our house, right? 00:55:39.800 |
And homes in California are better built for that reason 00:55:47.800 |
but there's a reason why Californians don't have basements. 00:55:54.800 |
All of this to say the Bible is telling us that in the end, when Christ comes, 00:56:01.800 |
And the only thing that survives from this test is going to be in eternity with him. 00:56:09.800 |
To invest in things that's going to stand the test of time when Christ comes. 00:56:16.800 |
God allows certain things that happen in our life to test. 00:56:20.800 |
But you know what I found out through the years, 00:56:22.800 |
that the greatest test all throughout history hasn't been the hardships, 00:56:30.800 |
You know, when this pandemic hit, even non-Christians were praying. 00:56:35.800 |
I heard rap stars, you know, like most vulgar lyrics saying, "We need to pray. 00:56:43.800 |
Even non-Christians who have no faith in God, when hardship comes, 00:56:48.800 |
know that they need something outside of them. 00:56:53.800 |
The greatest testing of our faith, I found, that most people, a lot of people, 00:56:59.800 |
don't make is when we are not pressed, when our bills are paid, 00:57:08.800 |
And we see that same pattern in the Old Testament. 00:57:12.800 |
When the Israelites had the greatest problem was when bills were paid, 00:57:17.800 |
when they didn't have enemies, when life was secure. 00:57:25.800 |
And as soon as they forgot God, they started slipping into idolatry. 00:57:34.800 |
You know, one of the benefits of this pandemic is it's forced us to look at things 00:57:40.800 |
And who knew toilet paper was so essential, right? 00:57:44.800 |
But it's like toilet paper somehow is essential. 00:57:51.800 |
And then as a church, we have to take a step back and ask ourselves, 00:57:59.800 |
So we're wrestling through all of this when the non-Christian world says the church 00:58:07.800 |
We shouldn't get mad at them saying that because they don't believe God. 00:58:11.800 |
So to them, liquor stores are essential because liquor can calm you down. 00:58:17.800 |
So when they have hardship and they're freaking out, you know, 00:58:20.800 |
go to the liquor store and get some liquor and then put it in their body. 00:58:30.800 |
People who don't know Christ will label the church non-essential because 00:58:35.800 |
it's not doing anything other than giving you a security blanket to make you feel better. 00:58:39.800 |
At least liquor, there's something tangible that you're doing. 00:58:44.800 |
But the shocking thing was so many churches just embrace that. 00:58:50.800 |
What is essential in our life that we need to hold on to and fight for and to pursue 00:58:58.800 |
that when Christ comes that we will not think that we wasted our lives? 00:59:04.800 |
We are being tested constantly to see what is essential? 00:59:12.800 |
What is going to test the shaking when Christ comes? 00:59:17.800 |
I remember years ago, you know, he was pretty young then. 00:59:22.800 |
He was a 20-year-old, and it was during a period when there was the ear piercing. 00:59:26.800 |
I'm not just talking about any ear piercing, but you pierce and then you make it 00:59:30.800 |
the size of a pencil, and then the next stage is to make it a nickel size, 00:59:39.800 |
I think it's been maybe about 16, 17 years ago. 00:59:42.800 |
And so, you know, this guy, he was in a band, and he already had a hole in there 00:59:49.800 |
that was the size of a pencil, and he asked me, "What do you think about making it 00:59:56.800 |
And I said, "You know, I don't have any particular problem. 00:59:59.800 |
There's no Bible verse I'm going to quote you and say you can't do that, 01:00:02.800 |
but let me just give you some worldly wisdom as an older brother. 01:00:08.800 |
It's cool right now, and you're part of a band, so maybe that kind of fits your MO, 01:00:13.800 |
but you're not going to be in that for long, and one day it may not be cool, right, 01:00:22.800 |
Everything that was cool when we were younger is very dorky today." 01:00:33.800 |
But there's going to come a time when you're going to wake up one day, 01:00:37.800 |
and then you're going to see a big hole that you can't close up, 01:00:41.800 |
and you're not going to think it's cool, but it's going to be there permanently. 01:00:47.800 |
You may not agree with what I say now, but I told him, "You're 20 years old. 01:00:52.800 |
Ten years ago when you were 10, what do you think? 01:00:57.800 |
Are there things that you said and did and valued when you were 10 years old?" 01:01:00.800 |
As a 20-year-old, I was like, "That is so dumb. That is so dorky." 01:01:05.800 |
He said, "Yeah, there's a bunch of stuff I did when I was 10 years old." 01:01:12.800 |
Do you think that you have reached the peak of your maturity at the age of 20, 01:01:16.800 |
that another 10 years from now when you're 30, 01:01:19.800 |
that you're not going to look back at the things that you did when you were 20, 01:01:23.800 |
and then say, "Well, that was dorky. That was dumb. 01:01:35.800 |
You think you can wake up when you're 40 and look back at things that you did at your 30, 01:01:39.800 |
and then realize, "Oh, I wish I had this knowledge then." 01:01:44.800 |
All our life, we're not at our final destiny. 01:01:48.800 |
So things that were so important at that period of our life, 01:02:00.800 |
The things that seemed so important at that moment 01:02:04.800 |
is going to seem like nothing in the context of eternity. 01:02:09.800 |
And so as a 20-year-old is wise to listen to a 30-year-old, 01:02:13.800 |
and 30-year-old is wise to listen to a 40-year-old, 01:02:15.800 |
40-year-old is wise to listen to a 50-year-old, and on and on and on. 01:02:19.800 |
God is speaking from heaven. That's why He said, "Do not refuse Him," 01:02:23.800 |
because God knows what's going to stand the test of time. 01:02:27.800 |
And all that we have been entangled with and concerned about, 01:02:38.800 |
Pursue the things that you're not going to regret in 10 years, 20 years, 50 years, 100 years, 01:02:43.800 |
1,000 years later, that you're not going to look back at this, 01:02:46.800 |
that short period of time that you and I are living, 01:02:52.800 |
and to forfeit the blessing that God has for us in eternity. 01:03:00.800 |
a radical change of values are going to happen when we are in Christ. 01:03:06.800 |
All that after the violent shaking of His coming, 01:03:19.800 |
"Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, 01:03:24.800 |
which the Son of Man will give to you, for on Him, the Father, God has set His seal." 01:03:33.800 |
To pursue the things that God has ordained for eternity, not for the moment. 01:03:38.800 |
I mentioned tattoos in the first service, and I had a pushback. 01:04:09.800 |
I've seen people with tattoos that have meanings. 01:04:13.800 |
Military guys who have lost their fellow soldiers or people who have lost their children. 01:04:20.800 |
But there's a lot of things that you're going to put on your body that's not going to look too good, right? 01:04:29.800 |
I'm just telling you from an older brother in Christ. 01:04:37.800 |
What's cool today--and I'm only picking on tattoos, but that applies to everything in life, right? 01:04:42.800 |
What seems cool today for the moment is going to pass. 01:05:14.800 |
So therefore, he says to invest in things that are eternal. 01:05:18.800 |
And there's four things that the Bible says that will stand the test of time. 01:05:26.800 |
He's the same yesterday, today, and forevermore. 01:05:29.800 |
So if we're going to be concerned about building anything, if we're going to be pursuing anything, 01:05:36.800 |
And that's why it says, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added unto you." 01:05:46.800 |
1 Peter 1 24-25, "For all flesh, like grass, and all its glory, like the flowers of grass, 01:05:51.800 |
the grass withers and the flower falls off, but the word of the Lord endures forever. 01:05:55.800 |
And this is the word which was preached to you." 01:05:58.800 |
This is why we emphasize the word so much in our church, 01:06:01.800 |
because everything else that is trendy for the moment will pass. 01:06:07.800 |
But God's word that he has ordained a thousand years ago, two thousand years ago, six thousand years ago, 01:06:22.800 |
When Jesus says, "I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it." 01:06:26.800 |
That's why we commit to the building of the church. 01:06:33.800 |
He's going to make sure that it's going to stand the shaking of time. 01:06:37.800 |
So therefore, to commit to what he has committed to, 01:06:43.800 |
And third and finally, your salvation and my salvation is secure in Christ. 01:06:50.800 |
In Romans 8 37-39, "But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through him who loved us. 01:06:57.800 |
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, 01:07:01.800 |
nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created things 01:07:06.800 |
will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." 01:07:18.800 |
And that's why when the disciples came back, and they were rejoicing over the fact 01:07:25.800 |
They were excited. Just common fishermen went back, and they were able to cast out demons. 01:07:31.800 |
And Jesus says, great, and you're going to see greater things. 01:07:34.800 |
But if you're going to rejoice over everything, rejoice that your name is written in the book of life. 01:07:43.800 |
Sometimes you will see fruit, sometimes you will not. 01:07:46.800 |
Sometimes you will experience peace, sometimes you will not. 01:07:56.800 |
He said, when you hear the voice of God, do not refuse him who speaks from heaven. 01:08:06.800 |
So my prayer is that no matter what we are going through, no matter what we are distracted by, 01:08:12.800 |
that there is a need for us to constantly test, 01:08:16.800 |
are the things that I am pursuing temporary things? 01:08:21.800 |
Are the things that I am so concerned about temporary things? 01:08:25.800 |
Are the things that I spend all my money on, are they temporary? 01:08:29.800 |
Am I genuinely pursuing the things that will last the test of his coming? 01:08:34.800 |
I pray that that may be the case. Let's pray. 01:08:42.800 |
So again, as our worship team comes, if we can take a few minutes to come before the Lord 01:08:52.800 |
What am I pursuing? What do I value? What do I rejoice over? 01:08:56.800 |
What do I weep over? Are they things that are eternal? 01:09:02.800 |
Lord, search me and know me. See if there are any hurtful ways in me. 01:09:06.800 |
And ask the Lord to reveal these things so that we may continue to follow Christ, 01:09:13.800 |
Again, as our worship team leads us, let's take some time to pray. 01:11:24.080 |
as we sing this last song that our God is unchangeable, 01:15:21.760 |
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 01:15:27.680 |
has caused us to be born again to a living hope 01:15:30.320 |
through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 01:15:33.240 |
to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled 01:15:37.360 |
and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 01:15:40.760 |
who are protected by the power of God through faith 01:15:43.000 |
for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 01:15:48.680 |
even though now for a little while, if necessary, 01:15:56.400 |
being more precious than gold, which is perishable, 01:16:00.880 |
may be found to result in praise and glory and honor 01:16:06.240 |
Lord, help us to take to heart your encouragement, 01:16:14.000 |
that we may truly pursue the things that are eternal. 01:16:21.700 |
Help us, Lord God, so that our gaze and our heart 01:16:30.400 |
Help us, Lord, to live truly worthy of the gospel 01:16:33.440 |
that you've given us, so that wherever you send us, 01:16:40.320 |
May your name and your name alone be glorified.