Join Pastor Adrian Rogers as he explores Acts chapter 15 and reveals God’s plan for the Gentiles and the church. In this enlightening episode, we delve into how the church’s rightful place is by the side of the Bridegroom, and what it means to be the blood-bought bride of Christ. Adrian Rogers beautifully illustrates the engagement journey of the church with Christ and the promises embedded in this divine relationship.
Pastor, teacher, and author Adrian Rogers has introduced people all over the world to the love of Jesus Christ and has impacted untold numbers of lives by presenting profound truth simply stated. Thanks for joining us for this message. Here’s Adrian Rogers.
SPEAKER 01 :
Acts chapter 15. God had begun to save some Gentiles. AND THE CHURCH WAS CONCERNED BECAUSE THEY THOUGHT THAT CHRISTIANITY WAS A JEWISH THING. THEY FOUND OUT THAT A LOT OF GENTILES WERE COMING TO KNOW THE LORD JESUS. SO THEY CALLED A CONFERENCE IN JERUSALEM TO FIND OUT WHAT THE WILL OF THE LORD WAS AND WHAT GOD WAS UP TO. AND BEGIN IN VERSE 13, AND AFTER THEY HAD HELD THE PEACE, JAMES ANSWERED SAYING, MEN AND BRETHREN, Hearken unto me. Simeon hath declared how God at first did visit the Gentiles to take out of them a people for his name. Now that’s us, folks. That’s the church. God visited the Gentiles to take out of the Gentiles a people for his name. That’s why we’re here, to glorify his name. And to this agree the words of the prophets as it is written after this. That is, after he takes the church and builds the church, after this, I will return. We’re looking forward to that, aren’t we? After this, he’s coming back. And we’ll build again the tabernacle of David. WHICH HAS FALLEN DOWN.” NOW THE TABERNACLE OF DAVID MEANS THE THRONE OF DAVID, THE RULE OF DAVID, THE REIGN OF DAVID, AND IT’S GOING TO BE DONE BY DAVID’S GREATER SON, THE LORD JESUS. NOW HE’S TALKING ABOUT WHAT GOD’S PLAN FOR THE JEW IS. that when the church is taken out, then God’s going to begin to work again to restore national Israel. I will build again the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down, and will build again the ruins thereof, and I will restore. SET IT UP, THAT THE RESIDUE OF MEN MIGHT SEEK AFTER THE LORD. AND ALL THE GENTILES UPON WHOM MY NAME IS CALLED, SAITH THE LORD, WHO DOETH ALL THESE THINGS.” NOW VERSE 18, KNOWN UNTO GOD ARE ALL HIS WORKS FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE WORLD. THAT IS, GOD HAS A PLAN AND IT’S KNOWN TO GOD FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE WORLD RIGHT ON It’s known to God. God has a plan for this world. He has a plan for the church, has a plan for the Jew, has a plan for the Gentile, and it is known unto God. Now, there’s no panic in heaven, and we need to understand this. We hear so much in the newspapers and from the politicians about a new world order. Well, it is not a new world order. It is the old disorder that has been in the world and will be in the world until Jesus comes. And while the politicians talk about order, we see national maps that are being changed overnight. We see nations rise. We see nations fall. Not so very long ago, we saw the collapse of Soviet communism and the words that were on our lips were, who would have believed it? We’ve been astounded as we’ve seen the upheavals and yet there is more and more disorder. Some people say, do you think we’re finished with the Soviet threat? No, we are not. The Soviets are in turmoil. They still have nuclear weapons. We used to speak of the Russians as the Soviet bear, the Russian bear. Well, you know that a bear is dangerous. A wounded bear is even more dangerous. And a wounded bear that is ravenously hungry… is the most dangerous. And you know of the old Soviet Union, the republics now are turning on one another and there’s devastation and war and revolt and Islamic fundamentalist forces are moving in to those vacuums and there is so much chaos that’s in that eastern block of nations. The reason why we cannot make a cosmos out of this chaos is what c.s lewis said c.s lewis said you can’t make a good omelet out of bad eggs and the more we stir the more we try to arrange things it seems like the worse we get and all of us have the idea in these last days that we’re looking into the muzzle of a loaded cannon but behind it all IS ALMIGHTY GOD. JAMES SAYS, AS HE QUOTES THE PROPHETS, KNOWN UNTO GOD ARE ALL OF HIS WORKS FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE WORLD. AND SO WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THIS BECAUSE IF WE DON’T UNDERSTAND IT WE CAN GET VERY DISCOURAGED POLITICALLY, NATION RISES AGAINST NATION, AND THEY SEEM TO BE TAKING THEIR PRUNING HOOKS AND TURNING THEIR PRUNING HOOKS INTO SPEARS AND SWORDS RATHER THAN VICE VERSA. AND THEN RELIGIOUSLY, WE SEE FALSE CULTS AND CULTIC CRAZINESS THAT SEEMS TO BE EXPLODING, BIZARRE NEW AGE SUPERSTITION. MORALLY, We have reached a very cesspool of iniquity, sin abounds, alcohol, rape, murder, crime, dope, teenagers being engulfed in the use of narcotics. I am greatly, greatly alarmed as I read the statistical report about teenage sex and teenage drug use. All of this while our politicians talk about a new world order. Now, there are four things that are out of place. Until those four things get in place this world will never come to order Let me tell you why the world is in disorder and what will bring it into order number one THE WORLD IS OUT OF WATER BECAUSE THE CHURCH IS OUT OF HER RIGHTFUL PLACE. THE CHURCH IS THE BRIDE OF CHRIST, AND WHERE DOES THE BRIDE BELONG? WITH THE GROOM. NOW RIGHT NOW, WE, THE CHURCH, THE BLOOD-BOUGHT BRIDE OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST ARE NOT WITH THE BRIDEGROOM. NOW SPIRITUALLY, THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT, HE IS IN US. BUT FOLKS, WE ARE NOT BY HIS SIDE. DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE ALL-CONSUMING PURPOSE OF THE FATHER IS? THAT IS TO PRESENT THE CHURCH, THE BRIDE, TO HIS SON. AND THAT HAS NOT YET BEEN DONE. YOU SEE, WE ARE NOW ENGAGED TO THE SAVIOR. WE ARE NOT YET MARRIED TO THE SAVIOR. WE HAVE BEEN BETROTHED TO THE SAVIOR. PUT THIS SCRIPTURE DOWN, 2 CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 11 AND VERSE 2. PAUL TALKED TO THE CORINTHIAN CHURCH AND HE SAID THIS, FOR I AM JEALOUS OVER YOU WITH A GODLY JEALOUSY, FOR I HAVE ESPOUSED YOU TO ONE HUSBAND, THAT I MAY PRESENT YOU A CHASED, THAT MEANS A PURE, VIRGIN TO CHRIST. AND SO WE ARE TO BE LIKE A VIRGIN COMING TO THE WEDDING WHEN JESUS COMES AGAIN. NOW ALL OF THE OLD TESTAMENT TYPOLOGY ABOUT THE CHURCH BEING THE BRIDE OF CHRIST IS ROOTED IN THE IMAGERY OF AN ORIENTAL WEDDING. IN AN ORIENTAL WEDDING THE GROOM WOULD TAKE THE INITIATIVE. AND THAT’S THE WAY I BELIEVE IT OUGHT TO BE TODAY. THE GROOM TAKES THE INITIATIVE. I KNOW WHEN I SET MY EYES UPON THE GIRL NAMED JOYCE, I WAS THE ONE WHO TOOK THE INITIATIVE. I DON’T THINK SHE HAD REALLY NOTICED ME. BUT I HAD SET A FEW DESKS BEHIND HER AND SHE WAS OFF TO MY RIGHT IN THE NEXT ROW ABOUT FOUR DESKS UP. I COULDN’T KEEP MY MIND ON MY SCHOOL WORK. I was in the sixth grade. I kept looking at that girl and so I wrote a poem. It was a masterpiece. And I wrote that poem and I walked by her desk and I dropped that poem on her desk. SHE PICKED IT UP AND READ IT. FOR A WHILE I WONDERED IF IT MEANT ANYTHING TO HER OR IF SHE KEPT IT. BUT FOLKS, SHE STILL HAS IT. THAT WAS MANY, MANY YEARS AGO. AND I TELL HER MANY TIMES THAT SHE LOVES ME BECAUSE I FIRST LOVED HER. THAT’S THE WAY IT IS WITH THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. HE TOOK THE INITIATIVE FOR HIS BRIDE. NOW AFTER A BRIDEGROOM WOULD TAKE THE INITIATIVE, HE WOULD THEN PAY A PRICE FOR HIS BRIDE. there was a dowry and he would purchase his bride. And so you and I have been purchased by the heavenly bridegroom. Now, after he purchased us, then he gave us a token of his faithfulness, which was the Holy Spirit. In modern days, when we fall in love and want to get married, when our bride is betrothed to us, we give to her an engagement ring. Well, God has given to us AND ENGAGEMENT RING, AND WE READ ABOUT IT IN EPHESIANS 1, VERSES 13 AND 14. THE BIBLE SAYS, SPEAKING OF JESUS, IN WHOM YE ALSO TRUSTED, AFTER THAT YE HEARD THE WORD OF TRUTH, THE GOSPEL OF YOUR SALVATION, IN WHOM ALSO AFTER THAT YE BELIEVED, YE WERE SEALED, WITH THAT HOLY SPIRIT OF PROMISE WHICH IS THE EARNEST OF OUR INHERITANCE. DID YOU KNOW IN THE GREEK CULTURE TODAY THIS WORD THAT IS WRITTEN IN OUR BIBLE CALLED EARNEST IS THE SAME WORD IN THE GREEK CULTURE FOR ENGAGEMENT RING TODAY? OUR LORD HAS GIVEN US THE ENGAGEMENT RING, THE EARNEST OF OUR INHERITANCE, UNTIL THE REDEMPTION OF THE PURCHASED POSSESSION, UNTO THE PRAISE OF HIS GLORY.” AFTER JOYCE AND I HAD DETERMINED THAT WE WOULD GET MARRIED, I BOUGHT AN ENGAGEMENT RING. I WAS WORKING MY WAY THROUGH COLLEGE. I DID NOT HAVE ANYONE TO SEND ME THROUGH SCHOOL. I WANTED TO GET MARRIED. I WENT TO COLLEGE ON A FOOTBALL SCHOLARSHIP. BUT LATER DECIDED I’D RATHER PASTOR A LITTLE CHURCH AND THE FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF FELLSMERE FLORIDA CALLED US AND I BELIEVE THEY WERE PAYING US $30 A WEEK AND I WAS A SINGLE MAN AT THAT TIME PAYING ME $30 A WEEK TO Pastor that church I had to drive 300 miles there and back I had no car expense or any other expenses that was it a flat $30 a week so I had to do some other work to pay for my school expenses and so I cleaned tables worked in various jobs around the community in order to pay my way through school But I also wanted to buy an engagement ring. I can remember going into the jewelry store. I’d never bought anything in a jewelry store before. I went into that jewelry store and found that ring. Now, folks, it’s a very small ring. It’s a very flawed diamond. So many times I have asked Joyce, would you let me buy you another diamond? I cannot even begin to get her to consider it. That ring is very precious to her. And I’ll tell you why. Because at that time, it cost so very much to me. Though it may have been minimum to somebody else, it was maximum to me. And I would go in each week and pay a little on that ring. And with great joy, I gave to her, to Joyce, to my bride, that ring. I was just a boy. And I’d yet reached my 20s, still working my way through school. But I gave her that ring. And it cost so much to me, and it meant so much to me. It wouldn’t have cost a lot to other people, but it was more than I had right then. And we need to understand what the Lord Jesus paid for us. And the price that he paid, he sought us. HE BOUGHT US. THEN HE GAVE US THE HOLY SPIRIT THAT DWELLS IN US. BUT YOU SEE, WE ARE THE BRIDE OF THE LORD JESUS. AND REVELATION CHAPTER 19 VERSES 7 AND 8 TALKS ABOUT THAT TIME WHEN THE MARRIAGE IS GOING TO TAKE PLACE. WHEN THE BRIDE IS GOING TO BE BY HER BRIDEGROOM’S SIDE. LET ME READ IT TO YOU. THIS IS REVELATION CHAPTER 19 BEGINNING IN VERSE 7. HERE’S WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS, LET US BE GLAD AND REJOICE AND GIVE HONOR UNTO HIM FOR THE MARRIAGE OF THE LAMB is come and his wife hath made herself ready and to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen clean and white for the fine linen is the righteousness or the righteous acts of the saints now in order for the bride to be ready that’s us folks we’re going to have to have some beauty treatments you know i’ve often said that every bride is beautiful I’ve done a lot of marriages and I can honestly say every bride is beautiful. And God wants a beautiful bride. And the church, the church is going to make herself beautiful. Now, actually in three treatments. First of all, redemption. THAT DEALS WITH THE INNER BEAUTY. WE GET THE NATURE OF THE LORD WHEN WE’RE SAVED, BUT HE’S NOT FINISHED WITH US YET. THEN AT THE RAPTURE, WE’RE GOING TO RECEIVE TRANSFORMED BODIES AND WE’RE GOING TO BE MADE LIKE THE LORD JESUS. AND THEN WHEN HE REWARDS US FOR OUR SERVICE, THE BIBLE SAYS OUR WEDDING GOWN IS GOING TO BE THE RIGHTEOUS ACTS OF THE SAINTS. THAT’S THE GOWN THAT WE’RE GOING TO WEAR. AND SO WHEN JESUS COMES, THE TRUMPET SOUNDS, The angel choir will begin to sing, here comes the bride. And we will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air. And we’re going to have a wedding in the sky. And so folks, listen. The church right now is out of place. You are out of place. This world is not your home. Now a fugitive is running away from home. A vagabond… has no home. A stranger is away from home, but a pilgrim is headed home. We’re pilgrims. We are headed home. So what’s wrong with the world? Number one, the church is out of place. We belong by the bridegroom’s side. And soon and very soon, we’re going to be swept up to meet the Lord in the air. Amen? Let me tell you something else why the new world order will not work. Not only is the church out of place, but Israel, the people, are out of place. You see, not only does the bride belong by her side, groom’s side, but Israel, the rightful owner of the land of Israel, belongs in the land. The owner belongs in the land. Now let me tell you this about the world also. There will never be world order until Israel is restored to her land and there is peace in Jerusalem. NOW WHAT IS HAPPENING IN JERUSALEM RIGHT NOW IS WHAT THE BIBLE HAS PROPHESIED WOULD HAPPEN. THE BIBLE PROPHESIED AND DOES PROPHESIED THAT IN THE LAST DAYS JERUSALEM WILL BE THE INTERNATIONAL HOT SPOT. NOW FOLKS, REMEMBER THIS. GOD IS NOT FINISHED WITH THE JEWISH NATION. THEY ARE STILL THE CHOSEN PEOPLE. AND GOD SAYS HE’S GOING TO TAKE THE CHURCH OUT. HE’S GOING TO TAKE THE CHURCH OUT. AND AFTER HE TAKES THE CHURCH OUT, HE’S GOING TO RETURN AND BUILD AGAIN THE TABERNACLE OF DAVID. GOD IS NOT FINISHED WITH THE JEW. AND JESUS IS STILL THE JEWISH MESSIAH. ISRAEL, WHAT WE CALL THE HOLY LAND, IS STILL THEIR RIGHTFUL LAND. THE JEWS HAVE BEEN SCATTERED FAR AND WIDE, AROUND AND ACROSS THE EARTH, BUT GOD HAS A PLAN FOR THE JEW. KNOWN UNTO GOD, ARE HIS WORKS FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE CREATION. NOW LET ME TELL YOU NOT ONLY GOD’S PLAN FOR THE CHURCH, BUT WHAT IS GOD’S PLAN FOR ISRAEL? WE DON’T HAVE TO GUESS ABOUT IT. GOD GAVE THE LAND OF ISRAEL TO ABRAHAM AND TO HIS DESCENDANTS. Put these verses down. Genesis chapter 17 and verse 8. God is speaking to Abraham, the father of the faithful. And God says, and I will give unto thee and to thy seed after thee. Now the word seed means your children, your descendants, your progeny, your heirs. And I will give unto thee and to thy seed after thee the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan. for an everlasting possession. Now, God didn’t say, I’m going to give it to you and then take it back. He said, I’m giving all the land of Canaan, Abraham, I’m giving it to you and to your descendancy for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God. Now, God made this promise to Abraham. Abraham had a son whose name was Isaac, and God confirmed the promise to Isaac. Here’s what God said to Isaac in Genesis chapter 26. Verses three and four, God is speaking to Isaac and God says, sojourn in this land and I will be with thee and I will bless thee, that is Isaac. For unto thee and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries and I will perform the oath WHICH I SWEAR UNTO ABRAHAM THY FATHER.” NOW GOD GAVE THIS LAND TO ISAAC AND HE SWORE WITH AN OATH TO ABRAHAM THAT IT WOULD BE GIVEN FROM ABRAHAM TO ISAAC AND TO THEIR DESCENDANCY. NOW GOD CONTINUED THE PROMISE THROUGH A SON OF ISAAC WHOSE NAME WAS JACOB AND NOT TO ESAU BUT TO JACOB. PUT THESE SCRIPTURES DOWN, GENESIS CHAPTER 28, VERSES 13 AND 14, AND THE LORD IS SPEAKING NOW TO JACOB. AND BEHOLD, THE LORD STOOD ABOVE IT, AND SAID, I AM THE LORD GOD OF ABRAHAM, THY FATHER, AND THE GOD OF ISAAC. THE LAND WHEREIN THOU LIEST, TO THEE WILL I GIVE IT, AND TO THY SEED. NOW HE’S TALKING TO JACOB WHO LATER BECOMES ISRAEL, THE FATHER OF THE 12 TRIBES OF ISRAEL. AND THY SEED SHALL BE AS THE DUST OF THE EARTH AND THOU SHALT SPREAD ABROAD TO THE WEST AND TO THE EAST AND TO THE NORTH AND TO THE SOUTH AND IN THEE. NOW HE’S TALKING TO JACOB. AND IN THEE AND IN THY SEED SHALL ALL THE FAMILIES OF THE EARTH BE BLESSED. NOW THAT’S ALL SUMMED UP IN PSALM 105, VERSES 6 THROUGH 11. LISTEN TO WHAT HE SAYS. YE SEED OF ABRAHAM HIS SERVANT, YE CHILDREN OF JACOB HIS CHOSEN. HE IS THE LORD OUR GOD, HIS JUDGMENTS ARE IN ALL THE EARTH. HE HATH REMEMBERED HIS COVENANT FOREVER, THE WORD WHICH HE COMMANDED TO A THOUSAND GENERATIONS, WHICH COVENANT HE MADE WITH ABRAHAM, AND HIS OATH UNTO ISAAC, AND CONFIRMED THE SAME UNTO JACOB FOR A LAW, AND TO ISRAEL FOR AN EVERLASTING COVENANT, SAYING UNTO THEE WILL I GIVE THE LAND OF CANAN THE LOT OF YOUR INHERITANCE.” NOW, FOLKS, IT COULD NOT BE MORE PLAIN. GOD HAS GIVEN THAT LAND THAT WE CALL THE HOLY LAND TO THE JEW. GOD GAVE IT TO ABRAHAM AND TO ISAAC AND TO JACOB AND TO THEIR DESCENDANTS AND GOD SAID TO A THOUSAND GENERATIONS, IT IS AN EVERLASTING COVENANT. BUT GOD SAID THERE WOULD BE SOME PROBLEMS WITH HIS PEOPLE, THE JEW. AND YOU WANT TO KNOW WHY WE HAVE THIS PRESENT CHAOS? WHY THIS SO-CALLED WORLD ORDER NEVER COMES TO ORDER? BECAUSE THE JEW IS OUT OF PLACE AND THEY’VE BEEN DISPOSESSED FROM A GREAT DEAL OF THE LAND THAT GOD GAVE TO ABRAHAM. AND GOD PROPHESIED IT WOULD HAPPEN. GOD SAYS, FIRST OF ALL, THAT THEY’RE GOING TO DISOBEY ME. PUT THESE SCRIPTURES DOWN, EZEKIEL CHAPTER 36 AND VERSE 17, SON OF MAN, WHEN THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL DWELT IN THEIR OWN LAND, THEY DEFILED IT. BY THEIR OWN WAY. THEY WERE IN THEIR LAND, BUT THEY DEFILED IT, AND BY THEIR DOINGS THEIR WAY WAS BEFORE ME AS THE UNCLEANNESS OF A REMOVED WOMAN.” AND GOD IS SAYING, THE WAY THEY LIVED WAS REPUGNANT TO ME. AND GOD SAID, BECAUSE OF THEIR DISOBEDIENCE, THEY WILL BE DISPERSED. GOD SAID, THEY SHED INNOCENT BLOOD, AND I JUDGE THEM. AND THAT’S THE SAME REASON GOD’S GOING TO JUDGE AMERICA. unless we repent. So what’s happened? They disobeyed. God said, I dispersed them, I scattered them, I judged them. And then God said they would be disgraced. We continue to read in Ezekiel 36, verse 20. And when they entered into the heathen, unto the heathen whither they went, they profaned my holy name. WHEN THEY SAID TO THEM, THESE ARE THE PEOPLE OF THE LORD, AND ARE GONE FORTH OUT OF HIS LAND.” THEY WERE THE CHOSEN PEOPLE, BUT THEY WERE A DISGRACE TO GOD. AND THEY PROFANED THE NAME OF GOD AS THEY WENT OUT. BUT GOD SAYS THERE IS GOING TO COME A MIRACLE FOR THE JEW. GOD HAS RESOLVED THAT HE’S GOING TO BRING THEM BACK INTO THE LAND. CONTINUE IN EZEKIEL 36 VERSE 21, BUT I HAD PITY FOR MINE HOLY NAME. NOW GOD IS CONCERNED WITH HIS OWN HONOR AND GOD HAS MADE A COVENANT. SO GOD SAYS, BUT I HAD PITY FOR MINE HOLY NAME, WHICH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL HAD PROFANED AMONG THE HEATHEN WHETHER THEY WENT. THEREFORE SAY UNTO THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL, THUS SAITH THE LORD GOD, I DO NOT THIS FOR YOUR SAKE, O HOUSE OF ISRAEL, BUT FOR MY HOLY NAME’S SAKE, WHICH YE HAVE PROFANED AMONG THE HEATHEN, WHETHER YE WIN. AND I WILL SANCTIFY MY GREAT NAME, WHICH WAS PROFANED AMONG THE HEATHEN, which ye have profaned in the midst of them. And the heathen shall know that I am the Lord, saith the Lord God, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes. Did you know that one of the great revivals is going to come to the world when people see what God does with the Jew and with the land of Israel? AND I BELIEVE WE’RE ON THE THRESHOLD THAT GOD SAYS, FOR MY NAME’S SAKE, I AM GOING TO BE SANCTIFIED, I AM GOING TO BE GLORIFIED, AND THE HEATHEN ARE GOING TO SEE WHAT I DO. AND SO WHAT IS GOD GOING TO DO? WELL, NOT ONLY DOES GOD RESOLVE, BUT GOD SAYS THEY’RE GOING TO RETURN. BUT GOD NOT ONLY SAYS THEY’RE GOING TO RETURN, BUT GOD SAYS THERE’S COMING A DAY IN WHICH THEY WILL LOOK UPON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST AS THEIR MESSIAH, THEY WILL BE SPIRITUALLY BORN AGAIN. NOTICE AGAIN IN THIS SAME PASSAGE IN EZEKIEL CHAPTER 36 NOW IN VERSE 25, And 27, and I will sprinkle clean water upon you and ye shall be clean from all your filthiness and from all your idols I will cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and I will give you a heart of flesh and I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and ye shall keep my judgments and do them. Don’t let anybody tell you, precious friend, that God is finished with Israel. He is not. God says He’s going to take out the church as a people for His name. And the bride will be with the groom. God says, I will return and I will build again the tabernacle of David. God says, I’m going to take away the stony heart. I’m going to put in them a heart of flesh. Now, here’s what the Bible says in the New Testament concerning this. Romans chapter 11, verses 25 and 26 says, THE APOSTLE PAUL IS SPEAKING AND THIS IS WHAT HE SAYS, FOR I WOULD NOT, BRETHREN, THAT YE SHOULD BE IGNORANT OF THIS MYSTERY, LEST YE SHOULD BE WISE IN YOUR OWN CONCEITS. NOW HE’S TALKING TO GENTILES. HE SAID, GENTILES, DON’T BE DUMB AND DON’T BE BOASTFUL. DON’T BE IGNORANT. DON’T BE WISE IN YOUR OWN CONCEITS. THAT BLINDNESS IN PART HAS HAPPENED TO ISRAEL. NOW SOME WONDERFUL CHRISTIANS ARE JEWS AND SOME PRECIOUS JEWS ARE CHRISTIANS. BUT BLINDNESS IN PART HAS HAPPENED TO ISRAEL. AND WHEN YOU TALK TO A JEWISH FRIEND AND TRY TO SHARE JESUS THE MESSIAH WITH THEM, THEY DON’T SEE IT. AND THEY’RE NOT LYING WHEN THEY SAY THEY DON’T SEE IT. THEY DON’T SEE IT. BLINDNESS IN PART HAS HAPPENED TO ISRAEL UNTIL THE FULLNESS OF THE GENTILES BE COME IN. THERE’S COMING A TIME WHEN THE FULLNESS OF THE GENTILES WILL COME IN. THAT IS WHEN THE LAST SOUL IN THE CHURCH HAS BEEN SAVED AND GOD HAS FINISHED WITH HIS PLAN WITH THE GENTILES. NOW, THE WORLD ORDER THAT YOU SEE TODAY IS DESTINED TO FAILURE BECAUSE OF THE PROBLEM OF JERUSALEM. And Jerusalem is the capital city of Israel. God has made it so. It is the city of peace. However, the Arab nations and the Islamic faith says that Jerusalem belongs to us. The Jews say it is God’s gift to us. God gave it to Abraham. God confirmed the gift through Isaac. He confirmed the gift through Jacob. And it is an everlasting possession. So what are we to do? WE ARE COMMANDED TO PRAY FOR THE PEACE OF JERUSALEM THERE WON’T BE PEACE ON EARTH THERE WILL NEVER BE A WORLD ORDER UNTIL THERE’S PEACE IN JERUSALEM I LOVE THE JEWISH PEOPLE SOME OF THE FINEST FRIENDS THAT I HAVE ARE JEWS THEY DO NOT KNOW CHRIST AS MESSIAH AND LORD BUT THEY ARE PRECIOUS WONDERFUL MAGNIFICENT INDIVIDUALS. AND I ENJOY FELLOWSHIP WITH THEM ON THE PLANE THAT HUMAN BEINGS CAN ENJOY FELLOWSHIP TOGETHER. JEREMIAH CHAPTER 31 AND VERSE 3, THE LORD HATH APPEARED OF OLD UNTO ME, SAYING, YEA, I HAVE LOVED THEE WITH AN EVERLASTING LOVE. HE’S TALKING TO ISRAEL NOW. THEREFORE WITH LOVING KINDNESS HAVE I DRAWN THEE. AND FRIEND, YOU OUGHT TO LOVE WHAT GOD LOVES. WE’RE TO PRAY FOR THE SALVATION OF JEWISH PEOPLE. ROMANS 10 VERSE 1, THE APOSTLE PAUL SAID, BRETHREN, MY HEART’S DESIRE AND PRAYER TO GOD FOR ISRAEL IS THAT THEY MIGHT BE SAVED. NOW THE REASON THERE WILL NOT BE A PROPER WORLD ORDER, THERE WILL BE NO ORDER UNTIL THE BRIDE IS BY THE GROOM’S SIDE AND UNTIL THE OWNER IS BACK IN THE LAND POSSESSING THE LAND. WE ARE INDEBTED TO THE JEWS FOR THE BIBLE. WE’RE INDEBTED TO THE JEWS FOR THE SAVIOR. WE ARE REALLY INDEBTED TO THE JEWS FROM A HUMAN VIEWPOINT FOR OUR SALVATION. BECAUSE JOHN CHAPTER 4 VERSE 22 SAYS, FOR SALVATION IS OF THE JEWS. IT IS FROM AND THROUGH THE JEWS THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED THE WORD OF GOD AND WE HAVE RECEIVED THE MESSIAH. OF COURSE, ULTIMATELY, WE HAVE RECEIVED THAT FROM THE LORD. NOW LET ME TELL YOU A THIRD REASON THAT WE’RE NOT GOING TO HAVE A WORLD ORDER UNTIL THE THINGS THAT ARE OUT OF PLACE GET IN PLACE. UH, THE BRIDE IS OUT OF PLACE, THAT’S THE CHURCH, SHE BELONGS TO THE BRIDEGROOM. THE OWNER IS OUT OF PLACE, THE JEW, HE BELONGS IN HIS LAND. Satan is out of place. The criminal belongs in prison. You see, the Bible teaches right now that Satan is roaming this earth. Now, we have a school of prophecy called amillennialism that says that Satan is already chained. Well, friend, if he’s chained, he’s got a mighty long chain around his neck. I want you to know this. The Bible says in 1 John 5, verse 19, and we know that we are of God and the whole world lieth in wickedness. But the word wickedness may with a masculine ending, I may be translated the whole world lies in the wicked one. AND THE WORD LIETH MEANS IT IS CUDDLED IN THE BOSOM OF SATAN. SATAN HAS THIS WORLD IN HIS ARMS. AND THE SPIRIT OF SATAN IS AT WORK THROUGH THE PEOPLE OF THIS WORLD. YOU’RE NEVER GOING TO GET ORDER OUT OF THIS WORLD AS LONG AS SATAN’S SPIRIT IS WORKING. PUT THIS VERSE DOWN, EPHESIANS CHAPTER 2 VERSE 2. UH, PAUL IS TALKING TO THE CHURCH AT EPHESUS AND HE DESCRIBES THEM THIS WAY, WHEREIN IN TIME PAST YE WALKED ACCORDING TO THE COURSE OF THIS WORLD, ACCORDING TO THE PRINCE OF THE POWER OF THE AIR, THE SPIRIT THAT NOW WORKETH IN THE CHILDREN OF DISOBEDIENCE.” WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE PEOPLE OF THIS WORLD? THEY ARE POSSESSED WITH THE SPIRIT OF SATAN. THE WORLD STUMBLES IN DARKNESS, AND THIS DARKNESS HAS BEEN ORCHESTRATED BY THE PRINCE OF DARKNESS AND THE PRINCE OF CONFUSION, WHO IS SATAN HIMSELF. AND THE BIBLE SAYS IN 2 CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 4 AND VERSE 4, THE GOD OF THIS WORLD HATH BLINDED THE MINDS OF THEM THAT BELIEVE NOT. BUT SATAN IS NOT ALWAYS GOING TO HAVE THE RUN OF THIS WORLD. THERE’S COMING A TIME WHEN HE’S GOING TO BE CAST WHERE HE BELONGS IN PRISON. NOW I HEAR PEOPLE TALK ABOUT THE DEVIL IN HELL, BUT THE DEVIL IS NOT IN HELL. THE DEVIL IS THE PRINCE OF THE POWER OF THE AIR. HE WILL BE PUT IN HELL. BUT THERE IS NO WORLD ORDER UNTIL THE CRIMINAL IS PUT IN PRISON. HE NEEDS TO BE TAKEN OFF THE STREETS AND PUT IN THE PRISON. NOW, THE BIBLE TALKS ABOUT THAT TIME WHEN SATAN WILL BE CAST INTO THE PIT, INTO PRISON. AND ALL OF THOSE WHO FOLLOW HIM WILL BE CAST IN THERE WITH HIM. YOU SAY, WELL THAT SOUNDS CRUEL. WELL DON’T LISTEN TO ME, LISTEN TO JESUS. MATTHEW 25 VERSE 41, Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels. Now you don’t have to go to hell if you don’t want to. As a matter of fact, if you do go to hell, you’ll be an intruder. Hell was not even prepared for you. It was prepared for the devil and his angels. But there will be no world order until the bride is with the groom. THERE WILL BE NO WORLD ORDER UNTIL THE OWNER IS IN HIS LAND. THERE WILL BE NO WORLD ORDER UNTIL THE CRIMINAL IS IN PRISON. NOW THERE’S ONE FOURTH THING I WANT TO SAY AND THEN I’LL BE FINISHED AS WE’RE TALKING ABOUT A CHRISTIAN WORLDVIEW. THERE WILL BE NO WORLD ORDER UNTIL THE KING IS ON THE THRONE. NOW JESUS IS THE KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORD’S. IN THIS WORLD THERE’S NO ROOM FOR THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. HE IS AN OUTCAST. HE’S AN OUTCAST IN GOVERNMENT. JESUS IS AN OUTCAST IN EDUCATION. HE’S AN OUTCAST IN SOCIETY. AND MAN HAS ENTHRONED AND ENSHRINED HIMSELF IN A MATERIAL KINGDOM. WE’RE WORKING FOR MILLENNIUM, BUT IT’S PANDEMONIUM. BECAUSE THE KING IS NOT ON HIS THRONE. PEOPLE DON’T WANT JESUS TO RULE OVER THEM. LISTEN TO THESE VERSES. I PONDER PSALM 2 MANY, MANY TIMES. I, I’VE SCRIBBLED SO MUCH ON IT IN MY BIBLE THAT I CAN HARDLY READ THE ORIGINAL WORDS. BUT PSALM 2 SPEAKS OF A TIME WHEN THE KING IS GOING TO BE PUT ON HIS THRONE. THE BIBLE SAYS IN VERSE 4, CONCERNING OUR LORD, HE THAT SITTETH IN THE HEAVENS SHALL LAUGH. THE LORD SHALL HAVE THEM IN DERISION THEN SHALL HE SPEAK UNTO THEM IN HIS WRATH NOW WHEN HE SPEAKS IN HIS WRATH THAT’S TALKING ABOUT THE GREAT TRIBULATION AND THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON THEN SHALL HE SPEAK UNTO THEM IN HIS WRATH AND VEX THEM IN HIS SORE DISPLEASURE AND THEN VERSE 6 SAYS THIS AND I HAVE IT CIRCLED IN MY BIBLE YET Yet, now this is God speaking, yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. Now the king is not yet there, but God says, I’m going to put my king upon my holy hill. And I love the word yet. And it means yet in spite of the ranting of the atheist, the scorn of the humanist, the ignorance of men and the scheming of Satan, all that they can do, yet God is going to put his king upon his holy hill. And you know, the kingdoms of this world are being moved around like checkers, but soon, GOD’S GOING TO MOVE HIS SON INTO KING’S ROW AND SAY, CROWN HIM. AND HE’LL BE KING IN ZION. AND I’M SO PLEASED WITH THAT, I CAN HARDLY WAIT. YOU OUGHT TO BE LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT TIME. YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE BEEN LOOKING FORWARD TO IT AND MAYBE NEVER EVEN REALLY THOUGHT ABOUT IT. HOW MANY TIMES HAVE WE PRAYED AS JESUS TAUGHT US TO PRAY IN MATTHEW CHAPTER 6 AND VERSE 10, THY KINGDOM COME, THY WILL BE DONE WHERE? ON EARTH, AS IT IS IN HEAVEN. QUESTION, HAS THAT PRAYER EVER BEEN ANSWERED? DO YOU THINK GOD’S WILL IS BEING DONE ON EARTH TODAY? LOOK AROUND AT THE DOPE, THE CRIME, THE RAPE, THE MURDER, THE CHILD ABUSE, THE BLASPHEMY. DO YOU THINK THAT’S GOD’S WILL? DO YOU THINK GOD’S WILL IS BEING DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN? OF COURSE NOT. I WANT TO ASK YOU ANOTHER QUESTION. DO YOU THINK IT WILL BE? OF COURSE. DO YOU THINK JESUS CHRIST WOULD HAVE HAD US TO PRAY, THY KINGDOM COME, THY WILL BE DONE ON EARTH, AS IT IS IN HEAVEN, IF HE NEVER MEANT TO ANSWER THAT PRAYER? DO YOU THINK HE WOULD HAVE TAUGHT US TO PRAY A PRAYER THAT WILL NOT BE ANSWERED? I TELL YOU, GOD SAYS, I AM GOING TO PUT MY KING UPON MY HOLY HILL IN ZION. HE’S GOING TO MOVE HIM INTO KING’S ROW AND SAY, CROWN HIM KING. FRIEND, THE BRIDE belongs with the groom. The owner belongs in the land. The criminal belongs in prison. And the king belongs on the throne. Don’t you agree? And soon, and very soon we’re going to see that happen. I can hardly wait for that. I have so many very favorite scriptures, but I’ll give you one right now. IT’S FIRST TIMOTHY CHAPTER SIX VERSE FIFTEEN IT SPEAKS OF OUR LORD AND IT SAYS WHICH IN HIS TIMES HE SHALL SHOW WHO IS THE BLESSED AND ONLY POTENTATE THE KING OF KINGS AND THE LORD OF LORDS THE KING BELONGS UPON THE THRONE AND THAT’S COMING REVELATION CHAPTER 11 AND VERSE 15, AND THE SEVENTH ANGEL SOUNDED, AND THERE WERE GREAT VOICES IN HEAVEN, SAYING, THE KINGDOMS OF THIS WORLD ARE BECOME THE KINGDOMS OF OUR LORD AND HIS CHRIST, AND HE SHALL REIGN Forever and ever. Then, folks, you’re going to have a new world order. When the king is on his throne. Now, you know, there are a lot of people who don’t agree with what I’ve said tonight. And there are people who would take exception from every one of these four points in this message tonight. I was reading a while back when Babe Ruth, the king of Swat, the most famous baseball player who ever lived, was in his very zenith. HE WAS IN A PARK THAT WAS FILLED WITH PEOPLE. HE CAME TO BAT. THE FIRST PITCH CAME OVER AND HE NEVER SWUNG. THE UMPIRE SAID, STRIKE. THE NEXT PITCH CAME OVER AND THE BAMBINO SWUNG AND HE MISSED IT. STRIKE TWO. THE THIRD PITCH CAME OVER. HE NEVER SWUNG. THE UMPIRE SAID, STRIKE THREE. YOU’RE OUT. AND THE BABE TURNED AROUND AND HE LOOKED AT HIM. And he said, there are 40,000 people in these stands who would say that was a ball. And the umpire said, yes, but he said, mine is the only opinion that counts. And friend, you know, no matter what the people of this world have to say, there’s one whose opinion counts. And it’s his word that we’ve been reading from. And I cannot wait for the time until our Lord comes and we are going to have a new world order. When the church and Israel and Satan and Jesus are in their rightful place. And Jesus shall reign where the sun doth his successive journeys run, his kingdom spread from shore to shore till moons shall wax and wane no more. Folks, it has a good ending and we’re on the winning side.
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