We have a time-sensitive work today. As in the days of Noah there came a time when the ark was completed, the animals were all in, and the last appeal was made, so in our day we have a message of appeal to the world. What will we do in this hour of earth’s history?

ASI 2021: Into All the World

<p>We have a time-sensitive work today. As in the days of Noah there came a time when the ark was completed, the animals were all in, and the last appeal was made, so in our day we have a message of appeal to the world. What will we do in this hour of earth’s history?</p>

<p>Free sharing permitted under the Creative Commons <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/">BY-NC-ND 3.0 (US)</a> license.</p>

Vanessa Dowdley

Plenary Sessions

The Tunnel Syndrome

Members in Action

Cami Oetman

Personal Testimony: Cami Oetman

Stephen Lee

Felecia Lee

A Message for Every Nation, Tribe, Language and People

Gerald Klingbeil

Chantal Klingbeil

Finding Rest in Family Ties

Ted N.C. Wilson

Hold Fast What You Have

Steve Dickman

The Hour


What a blessing God has given us this weekend, right? Wonderful music, God's Word being spoken to us, and the opportunity to be together for the first time in almost 2 years. Amazing. I've entitled the thoughts for this evening, The Hour. Friends, I want you to think about this.

What is the hour in which we live? In the context of that, Jesus was on his way to the cross and he knew it. We find this story in Matthew chapter 16 and verse 21 and this is what it says, Matthew 16 and verse 21 From that time forth began Jesus to show unto his disciples how that he must go unto Jerusalem and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes. Jesus knew his hour. It goes on to say, and be killed and be raised again the third day.

Jesus knew his hour. The question is do we know our hour? Do we know our hour corporately? Do we know our hour individually? Do we know our hour as a world?

And I would suggest to you this evening that many do not know really the hour in which we live. I don't need to tell you, you know yourself if you watch the news or have any connection with anything that the world is in a mess. The world is falling apart as it were and as we look at that we understand that there is some reason that God has called us personally into this time and into this place and into our relationship with Him. You know, Jesus knew His hour for a variety of reasons, I think. He knew He was headed to the cross because He had a personal connection with His Heavenly Father.

He knew He was headed to the cross because He had studied the prophecies of the Old Testament. And He had an intimate knowledge of these things. He knew where He was headed. He knew that his hour was at hand. I would like to take a look at this story and its subsequent verses and learn some lessons that Evidently the disciples were hesitant to learn because we find that they did not know the hour, even though Jesus himself was telling them, this is my hour.

We are headed towards the cross. They weren't able to hear that. Let's pick up the story in Matthew chapter 16. Let's just look at a few verses here. So Jesus is saying in verse 21, from that time forth, at a certain point in time Jesus knew that his disciples were going to face this terrible situation, and he said, now is the time for me to acquaint my disciples with what's about to happen.

And as he began to acquaint them with what was about to happen, we see that in verse 22, Peter objects. It says, then Peter took him and began to rebuke him. I wanna ask you a question tonight. What do we do when difficult times begin to come into our lives? Do we begin to explain to God all the reasons why this is not necessary?

Do we begin to talk to God like, you've made some mistakes here, certainly we want to get back on track here, don't we? Well Peter attempted that, but it goes on to say, he says to Jesus, Be it far from thee, Lord, this shall not be unto thee. This shall not be unto thee. Peter telling Jesus what He thought was best. How often do you do that?

How often do you explain to God why a certain thing is not best? Now, I find myself often, you know, Lord are you sure that this timing is right? Something seems off here. I wasn't expecting this right now. I had other plans.

Friends, tonight I want to tell you something. We're living in an hour of our history when we need to individually lay our plans aside and go to God and ask Him what is His plan. Amen. Because I believe, and I don't think I'm too far from wrong, that Jesus is waiting for us to ask that question. Jesus is waiting for us to get on board with His plans and stop thinking that we always know better.

Jesus turned, it says, and said to Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan, thou art an offense unto me, for thou savest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men. I want to ask you tonight, are we too much in tune with what the world is expecting? Are we too much in tune with what other people are expecting and not enough in tune with what God is asking. Just a question, do you think it was easy for Jesus to go to the cross? Do you think that was a logical decision in light of human thinking?

Do you think that somehow that this was something that was just a part of the plan and Jesus kind of just floated down through that plan and time and said, everything's okay. I know I'm headed to the cross, everything's okay. No, I want to just read you from Desire of Ages. To the heart of Christ, it was a bitter task to press His way against the fears, disappointments, and unbelief of His beloved disciples. Jesus was pressing his way toward the cross.

His disciples, his most trusted, trained, connected disciples. In fact, you know the 3, right? Peter, James, and John, right? Peter, James, and John. 1 of his trusted disciples is telling him, don't go.

This is not a good idea. What are you saying you're going to the cross? We've got plans. Jesus corrects Peter by addressing the instigator of the thoughts that Peter was having. Get thee behind me, Satan.

This wasn't so much about calling Peter Satan as it was addressing the fact that Peter was being used by Satan to tempt Christ. Can you believe that? 1 of the disciples of Jesus being used by Satan to tempt Christ himself? It's unbelievable. Peter had been with Jesus 3 and a half years.

How long have you been with Jesus? Is it possible that even under those conditions, Satan could use you and I to try and get someone else off of Christ's track? Maybe he's using us, Satan I'm saying, using us. That's such a thought that I hate it. I hate to think that actually we could be used in such a way.

But Peter found himself an ardent disciple of Christ being used by Satan. The desire of ages goes on to say some very interesting things, and I'm going to share just a few of those with you. We have very limited time this evening, and so we're going to really have to compress the ideas we're sharing here. It says this, Satan was at hand to press his temptations upon the Son of Man. Why should he now go to Jerusalem to certain death?

All around him were souls hungering for the bread of life. On every hand were suffering ones waiting for his words of healing. The work to be wrought by the gospel of His grace was just begun, and He was full of the vigor of manhood in His prime. Why not go forward to the vast fields of the world with the words of His grace, the touch of His healing power? Why not take to Himself the joy of giving light and gladness to those dark and sorrowing millions.

Why leave the harvest gathering to his disciples, so weak in faith, so dull in understanding, so slow to act? Why face death now and leave the work in its infancy? The foe who in the wilderness had confronted Christ has sealed him now with fierce and subtle temptations." And then this is a very interesting sentence and I want you to take note of this because it applies to us today. Had Jesus yielded for a moment, had he changed his course in the least particular to save himself, Satan's agencies would have triumphed and the world would have been lost." Now I'm not sure if you're hearing what I'm saying, but what I'm saying is this, God has very specific and particular plans for your life just like He had for the life of Christ. God has very specific and particular plans for your life, just like He had for the life of Christ.

God has very specific and particular plans for my life, just like He had for the life of Christ. Jesus told his disciples a few verses later, when you read these stories in John, he says this in John chapter 15, verse 16, I have chosen you. You didn't choose me, but I chose you. Friends, tonight, you have been chosen by God at this point in earth's history. He has a very specific plan for your life, and that specific plan for your life may not be a bed of roses.

When you look around the world today, there's probably not too many beds of roses anyway, but the fact of the matter is many of us are too comfortable where we are. Many of us need to really get on our knees before our heavenly Father and say, God, what are your plans? I've been too long distracted with the earthly ideas and the earthly plans that I've had. Lord, what would you have me to do? This needs to be our plea before our heavenly father because God is looking today for a generation of people who will stand up for him and take these 3 angels' messages to the entire world and be an exhibition of His love and His grace to the world.

I'm afraid we haven't quite reached it yet. We've got a ways to go and Jesus needs us in His army. Jesus goes on to say, immediately following this exchange with Peter, and the devil you might say, get thee behind me, Satan, for thou art an offense to me. For thou savorest not the things that be of God. How do you know if you're savoring something that's of God or something that's of the devil?

Evidently, 1 of Jesus' closest disciples didn't know. Could it be that we are oftentimes confused? We're looking at things and we're saying, well, that looks like a really good situation. I like that plan. When God has other plans.

And Jesus said unto his disciples in verse 24, if any man will come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow me. Jesus begins to spell out now for his disciples, this is what's happening. You need to understand that the path to the cross is going to require some self-denial. You need to understand that the path to the cross is gonna decide, you're gonna have to lay aside some things. Verse 25, for whosoever will save his life shall lose it.

And whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. Friends tonight, do you want to find your life? The plea of the world, the plea of many individuals in the world, I'll say it that way, is they want to find purpose in their life. I just want to share with you tonight, you'll never find purpose into your life until you find Jesus. I've seen the world explore all the options.

I've explored a few of them myself. There's nothing there. There's nothing there. Real purpose comes when we have fully submitted ourselves to the path that Jesus has designed for us. That path will and must involve self-sacrifice.

That path will and must involve self-sacrifice. That path will and must involve self-denial, or else it is not the path of Jesus. Because Jesus' words here are clear. If any man, that's you, that is me, We're all in this category together. If any man would come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.

Jesus knew where He was headed. Jesus was headed to the cross. Do you want to save your life? Then you better get ready to lose your life. Verse 26, for what is a man profited if he should gain the whole world and lose his own soul?

Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Friends, tonight Jesus is asking the same question that he asked of Peter. He's asking it for us tonight. What would you trade for your soul? Friends, I hope there's nothing on that list.

I hope there is nothing that you would allow to interfere with a total and complete commitment to our Savior. Our Heavenly Father is calling us tonight, Jesus is calling us. Take up your cross and follow me. When you study the life of Jesus, He spoke to someone who wanted to follow him and he said, the foxes have holes, right? There's places for the animals to live, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.

Where are we tonight? In Mark when it tells this story, and actually further down here in Matthew as well, and we've got to move on because this time is getting away from us. Jesus went on And in verse 27, he says this, For the Son of Man shall come in the glory of his Father and his angels with him and his reward shall be to every man according to his works. Friends, tonight I want to tell you that Jesus is waiting for us to respond to His path. He's waiting for us to commit ourselves to His path and to His plan.

In Matthew 17, just a few verses later, in verse 22, Jesus again begins to speak to his disciples and tell them the pathway he's on. And while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said unto them, the Son of Man shall be betrayed into the hands of men, and they shall kill him, and the third day he shall be raised again. And they were exceeding sorry." They were exceeding sorry, but guess what they were doing while they were exceeding sorry? Matthew chapter 18 verse 1, And at the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest? Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?

They had a mission. They had a human agenda. They were distracted by the things of the world. They were distracted by this idea that there's some greatness that the world had to give them. Jesus had to correct their thinking because they were distracted.

Friends, I want to ask you a question tonight. What is it in the world that is distracting you? What is it that the world is offering you tonight that is keeping you from a complete and total 100% commitment to this mission of getting the gospel to the world? What could stand in the way? His disciples were arguing about who is going to be the greatest.

What are we arguing about? I shouldn't say it but I'm going to. Sometimes we're arguing about who started the pandemic, whose fault is it, and why should I have to get a vaccine anyway? Mercy. Sometimes we're distracted by the oddest things.

The devil has a bag full of tricks. And he's got all of them on the table at this point, honestly. And if he can distract you with 1 or another, it really doesn't matter to him, as long as you're distracted. But what Jesus is calling for is not distraction but commitment. That's what He's calling for tonight.

Do you know the hour personally? Do we know the hour corporately? Does the world know it's hour? Daniel chapter 2, we're living not at the head, not at the breast, not at the thighs, not in the legs, not even in the feet. We're living on the toenails.

When you study the prophecies of Daniel chapter 2, we're living in the toenails. When you read Matthew chapter 24 and Mark chapter 13 and Luke chapter 21 and you compare all of these chapters and look at the prophecies and the words of Jesus himself, We are living in the hour in which Jesus will come. Amos said, The Lord God will do nothing, but he reveals it unto his servants, the prophets. Jesus said it himself. The words of Jesus are there.

Yes, friends, Your hour has come. Yes, tonight I want to tell you something. My hour has come. Our hour has come. And here we are tonight at the close of our ASI convention, wondering what next.

I want you to join me in listening to our special music and appeal song this evening. And when they finish, I have just a few more questions for you before we close. It's free, friends. What Jesus offers is free. But it has the greatest reward.

It's the greatest thing on earth when we find ourselves in the center of God's will. This is the hour, my friends. It's the hour for us to discern the times. It's the hour for us to recognize our calling. It's the hour for us to commit our time, our energy, and our resources.

It's the hour for us to get a divorce from the world. It's the hour for us to engage 100% in the work of God and getting the 3 angels' messages to the entire world. It's time to just not say, I will go, but to get up and go. It's time for us to take action. Now is the hour.

Tomorrow may be too late. Just wondering this evening, would you join me? Would you join me in saying, yes Lord, it's time, This is the hour. Not this is somebody else's hour, but this is my hour. This is my opportunity.

Lord, you gave me breath today. Lord, you woke me up this morning. And by God's grace, he will wake us up another day to do his will. I'm asking the officers to join me here this evening as we are committing ourselves as the leadership of ASI to knowing our hour. Now is the time, this is the hour.

God has called us to serve, but God hasn't just called us to serve, he has called you to serve. Wow. Amazing team we have here. Praise God. Now, this...

This is the beginning, okay? I want to ask you tonight if you're willing to join this team in a commitment to allow God to make this our hour. Do you believe that we're living in that hour of Earth's history? Just raise your hand tonight. God knows your hands.

He knows your hearts, but raise your hands. Are you willing to join in this effort to get the 3 angels' messages to the entire world, not in some future period, but now? You've seen their response, right? That means we have a pretty good army here to get started. Amazing.

God is good and He is faithful. And tonight we want to allow God to show us the hour, but not just the hour, but to show us our hour. And I hope and pray that as you leave this place, You will allow God to speak to your heart and you will listen. And that all of us will go on His mission. This evening, I'm just going to pray for our commitment and then we're going to take a little time to introduce our new officers and to allow God to Take them on a journey to the future allowing him to guide their footsteps as they lead this organization Father in heaven, we're so grateful this evening for you many blessings You've called us here for this hour Lord.

You put us in this world for now not for some future time. You've allowed us the privilege of having a part in your work. Lord we know you're speaking to our hearts tonight as well and you're calling us even to greater things. What would you have us do? Lord we submit ourselves fully under your hand right now say impress our hearts, teach us, guide us, direct us.

We pray for this team that's coming on board Lord we just lift them up tonight we know you're going to use them to do some amazing things and we want to be there to support them and encourage them those who have raised their hands tonight Lord you've seen their hands you know their hearts you know my heart our heart Lord use us tonight May we be faithful day by day is our prayer in Jesus name. Amen. Aventus Layman's Services and Industries. If you would like to learn more about ASI please visit www.asiaministries.org or if you would like to listen to more free and sermons, please visit www.audioverse.org.

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Series

Plenary Sessions

The Hour

Description

Parent Series

Parent Conference

Sponsor

Recorded

Other Teachings in Series

The Tunnel Syndrome

1h 28m

Members in Action

1h 58m

Personal Testimony: Cami Oetman

46m

A Message for Every Nation, Tribe, Language and People

2h 29m

Finding Rest in Family Ties

1h 28m

Hold Fast What You Have

2h 14m

The Hour

2h 8m

Sound Doctrine