Nothing Without Jesus

NOTHING WITHOUT JESUS SANDS, 10/03/2007

SONG 1: TO GOD BE THE GLORY SONG 2: ALL TO JESUS I SURRENDER

Good morning and happy Sabbath to everyone. If you have your Bibles with you, please open with me 2 letter of Ap. Paul to Tym. And we are going to read chapter 4, verses 6,7 and 8.

2Tym 4:6-8

6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.

Let us pray. Dear Father, Thank you very much for Your Word and that in it we can find everything what we need to receive forgiveness and salvation and to be able to follow Jesus in our daily life. Also today we want to study this wonderful Book but we don’t want to do it without Holy Spirit because only He is able put creative power into those words we are going to read. So we are standing before you like little children with open and humble hearts asking for the Holy Spirit to be our only Teacher.

In the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ we pray. Amen

INTRODUCTION

Honestly speaking when I was asked to preach here today I felt a little bit afraid because as a matter of fact I still have serious problems with expressing myself in English. But in spite of this I accepted the invitation because I thought: “if pastor asked me to do so, then may be it is according to God’s will?” And it is good to obey the Lord. Anyway, it is a privilege for me to have the opportunity to speak to you today and I hope Holy Spirit is going to bless us all when we will be studying the Word of God together.

title of this sermon is WITHOUT JESUS”. And I am The

“NOTHING

sure that Satan himself knows that without Jesus we are nothing and we can do nothing so he is doing everything to keep us away from Jesus. One day I received very interesting letter which I want to read for you now. It will show us how Satan tries to separate us from Christ. The title of this letter is “THE STRATEGY OF SATAN”:

STRATEGY OF SATAN One day Satan gathered all his army and said to his angels: We all know that the best weapon Christians have against us is their daily communion with Jesus. Therefore we have to do our best to destroy their relationship with Him because only if we reach this goal we will be able to take control over them.

So I command all of you to do your best to make them very busy so that they won’t have enough time to pray and read their bibles. I assure you that this is the best and most reliable way to destroy their faith and deprive them of eternity! But how are we supposed to do it? – asked demons. Engage them in many insignificant matters and use all ways of absorbing their minds. Encourage their wives to overwork, to worry about worldly things and to complain often so that other women could be more attractive for their husbands. Let their husbands be always busy and work very hard because later they won’t have enough time for their families. And… by the way, don’t forget to use mothers in law and I am glad I don’t have to tell you how to do it… If you stick to this plan and do your job you will eventually cause them to hate one another, make them upset or discouraged and weaken their faith in Christ. Encourage them to listen to any kind of worldly music. Inspire producers to make smaller and more comfortable players so that Christians would be able to listen to this music

everywhere. Let them listen to it at homes, schools, work and in their cars because after certain time you will be able to control their minds through our music. Make sure that in their houses there is at least one TV set and DVD player. Inspire some people to create even more attractive programs and channels especially with movies and sport. Help them also to produce most exciting films with a lot of violence and bad words because in this way our enemies will get used to evil and depravation and be more prone to sin. You are doing very well using pornography and already caught so many Christians in this most powerful trap but let entire families including children watch the telly all the time. Let the most interesting programs be shown at night and then tempt them to worship the TV for even whole night because in this way the next day they will be tired, irritated and unable to pray and read their books. Make sure that there are computers with internet access in all of their houses and tempt them to watch pornography and to play all the games inspired by us. Put a lot of bad staff on the internet and try to control their minds

through this most powerful agent. Let the computer become their god. Through all this you will deprive them of the time they are supposed to spend for the communion with Christ. This will make them powerless and they will be yours. Some of them prefer reading so make sure their houses are full of worldly books, magazines, catalogues and newspapers. Let they read everything accept their bibles or those disgusting books by E. White which encouraged so many to study the bible and destroy all our effort. Never let them go for a walk because when they see some nature it will inspire them to think about God or to pray. Remember that also through our diet you can weaken their mental powers. So encourage them to consume a lot of fat, sugar, chocolate, cola drinks, coffee and other good staff but keep them away from those disgusting fruits or vegetables. In this way our diet will fill their blood vessels with cholesterol and toxins and deprive their nervous system of vitamins or minerals and make them constantly tired weak, irritated or sick and unable to spend time with Christ.

It would be better if they don’t participate in their worship services and prayer meetings but if they resist your temptation end go there anyway, inspire them to think there about worldly things, problems and corrupted desires. Try to inspire those who speak in the church to deal with every topic but not with Jesus. If they come to their church let they think about everything accept Christ. Encourage them to complain, criticise and gossip in the church. It won’t be difficult because during the whole week they didn’t spend enough time for the communion with Christ.

This is the strategy of Satan. His plan is very simple. He is doing everything to keep us away from Christ because He knows that if we constantly look at Jesus we are safe. In the book “Steps

to Christ” we read about it:

“When Christ took human nature upon Him, He bound humanity to Himself by a tie of love that can never be broken by any power save the choice of man himself. Satan will constantly present allurements to induce us to break this tie--to choose to separate ourselves from Christ.

Here is where we need to watch, to strive, to pray, that nothing may entice us to choose another master; for we are always free to do this. But let us keep our eyes fixed upon Christ, and He will preserve us. Looking unto Jesus, we are safe. Nothing can pluck us out of His hand. In constantly beholding Him, we "are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." 2 Corinthians 3:18. (Page 72, Ellen G. White)

So, how can we maintain our spiritual balance? We can’t do it by looking down on ourselves because it causes only discouragement, but we can maintain the balance only by looking up to Jesus. Have you ever tried to balance a stick on one finger looking to the lower end of it? Is it possible? No. If you don’t believe let’s try it…. ………………………… Now, try to balance the stick looking to it’s upper end. ………………………… Now you win. Now you can work in a circus. So as it is impossible to keep the stick in a vertical position looking to its lower end it is also impossible to preserve spiritual balance looking down to ourselves.

We can balance a stick only when we look to its upper end. And in the same way if we want to be safe we have to look up to Jesus. Open with me the book of Colossians and see what the Bible says about it. Colossians 3 (New King James Version) Let’s read it from verses 1-3: 1 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. The devil is like a fanatical terrorist, like

ben Laden.

Osama

No one knows where he is and we don’t know when he is going to attack again. So through all our lives he will always try to damage our airplane, He will try to frighten us. He will cause turbulences (te:bjulensys) of our airplane. He will cause a terrible weather and all kind of problems to make our flight terrible. And I am sorry but Lord Jesus never promised us a peaceful and comfortable flight but He promised us that if we keep on flying and believing in Him in spite of Satan’s terrorism until the end then we can be sure that our lending will be safe.

Let us read now 2Tym 4:6-8 This passage of the Bible will tell us what was the life of Apostle Paul like:

6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

8 Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing. The life of Apostle Paul was not a

Jamaica

holyday

in

it was a fight a war with his and ours

deadly enemy who hated Paul so much that

his head.

cut off

Why head? If we are acquainted with the book of Romans or Galatians than we should know why. Satan hated Paul’s head because Paul’s mind was filled with the most beautiful gospel about our righteousness and our death in Christ. And Satan doesn’t want anyone to hear about it.

Famous German theologian and martyr who was also killed by Satan through Hitler at the end of World War Two – Detriech Bonhoeffer said:

When God calls you He calls you to die. First – God calls you to accept your death in Christ which took place 2000 years ago. Second – He calls you to die daily to self through the power of Holy Spirit living in you. And third – He also calls you to die physically as a martyr when the time comes.

Cassius Clay Famous American boxer and heavy weigh champion - Cassius Clay (Mohamed Ali) one day got into the aeroplane and just before the aeroplane started a flight attendant came to him and asked him to put on the safety belt. But the famous boxer said that he was considered to be a superman and superman does not need any safety belt. But the flight attendant was quite smart and she answered: “Well sir, if you really are a supermen then you really don’t need a safety belt, but in this case you don’t need any airplane as well. So please get off the plain and fly by yourself. But if you decide to change your mind and consider yourself to not be a superman please do not try to fly by yourself but stay with us and in this case you have to put on the safety belt please. When she finished the boxer felt quite embarrassed and he decided to obey her request because he realised he was not a superman.

Sometimes we Christians also consider ourselves to be a supermen or superwomen and we think that we can fly without the aeroplane. Sometimes we behave as someone who believes he is able to live a holy life outside of Holy Spirit. But it is impossible and because of this Jesus said: “My Father is looking for those who will walk in Spirit”.

But even if we are in the aeroplane of Holy Spirit then because we fly in the territory of Satan our enemy will do his best to get us of the plane and because of this we need also the safety belt. And what is our safety belt? It is the Word of God and prayer, another words, our safety belt is our daily communion with Christ.

-

John 15:5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”

Certain 11 years old boy thought that he should be paid for doing his duties by his mother. So one day he took a piece of paper and wrote the list of duties for which he wanted to be paid and then he gave the list to his mother. So she took it and started to read following words written by her son: -

for cleaning my room – 2 pounds for shopping – 2 pounds for good grades in the school – 5 pounds for removing rubbish – 2 pounds for watching my younger sister – 3 pounds Altogether – 14 pounds

When his mother red it she smiled, took a pen and below her son’s list she wrote something and gave it to her son who took it and started to read the words his mother wrote:

-

for carrying you in my womb for nine months – 0 pounds for many sleepless nights because of your crying and sicknesses – 0 pounds for years of washing you and changing yours diapers – 0 pounds for all meals prepared for you during 11 years – 0 pounds for washing and ironing your clothes – 0 pounds for the time I sacrificed for your education – 0 pounds for everything else – 0 pounds Altogether – 0 pounds

When her son red it he got embarrassed so he took a pen and below the list he prepared earlier he wrote: All paid. Than he gave it to his mom, hugged her and said “I am sorry Mom”.

Unfortunately we also like this boy consciously or subconsciously have a tendency to make similar lists of our works for which we want God to pay us. We suspect that God will answer our prayers and bless us because we are good people, because we try to keep Sabbaths, pay tithes, go to the church or share the Good news with others. And when we do this, our good loving Father in the same way as this mother, could give us His list of everything He’s done for us because He loved us. And I believe God’s list would look like this:

-

for creating you in mothers womb – 0 pounds for the sunlight, water, air and food – 0 pounds for the constant flow of my invisible energy which sustain your life – 0 pounds for the humiliation, sufferings and death of my beloved Son – 0 pounds for justification from your sins – 0 pounds for salvation from eternal death – 0 pounds for the gift of eternal happiness – 0 pounds for the service of my angels and the gift of Holy Spirit – 0 pounds for everything else – 0 pounds altogether – 0 pounds

We should never make any lists of our works especially if we expect God to reward us for it. Let us always remember God’s list, kneel down before Him and say: “All paid” which means that we don’t expect any reward for our obedience but we want to obey Him out of love.

Ellen G. White

Salvation is through faith in Jesus Christ alone.” 2x But to be able to obey God out of love we need to know, understand and remember how much He loved us. Last year I was told a very interested and quite funny story about certain

Russian couple

who came to US from Russia. And

because it was just before Christmas they wanted to buy Christmas presents for one another. Yet the problem was that they were poor and didn’t have money. But anyway they were determined to buy gifts because they loved one another very much. So the husband thought that his wife had beautiful, long hair but she didn’t have a hair comb to bind her hair. So he decided to sell his pocket watch to be able to buy the comb for his wife and he did so. In the same time his wife thought that her husband had a pocket watch but he didn’t have a chain for this watch so she decided to cut her beautiful long hair to get some money to be able to buy the chain for her husband’s watch and she did so. And then when the time of Christmas Eve came they washed themselves, changed their clothes, packed their gifts and at the dinner they exchanged their gifts. But when they did it they were very surprised because the husband realised that he bought for his wife a comb for her hair but she didn’t have long hair anymore because she wanted to buy a present for him. And his wife noticed that she bought for the husband a chain for his pocket watch but he didn’t have his pocket watch anymore because he sold it to buy a present for her. And when they realised what happened they were not disappointed or discouraged but they started to laugh and they were very happy because in this way they proved how much they loved one another.

Faith and Works (1979), page 18

“All who are baptized are to give evidence that they have been converted. There is not a point that needs to be dwelt upon more earnestly, repeated more frequently, or established more firmly in the minds of all than the impossibility of fallen man meriting anything by his own best good works.

In the same way our heavenly Father showed us His love toward us. He proved that he loved us by giving us the gift – the greatest gift of all, the gift of His one and only Son:

John 3:16… How much did God give us in the gift of His Son?

We find the answer in the book (Ellen G. White, page 49):

Desire of Ages

“Satan in heaven had hated Christ for His position in the courts of God. He hated Him the more when he himself was dethroned. He hated Him who pledged Himself to redeem a race of sinners. Yet into the world where Satan claimed dominion God permitted His Son to come, a helpless babe, subject to the weakness of humanity. He permitted Him to meet life's peril in common with every human soul, to fight the battle as every child of humanity must fight it. (and now listen carefully please) God permitted His Son to fight this battle at the risk of failure and eternal loss.” (2x last sentence)

LIGHTS IN WINDOWS I don’t know if you heard a story about certain father who just after World War Two took his small son and went from Europe to New York for Christmas to visit his relatives. And at Christmas Eve when it was getting dark, he took his son for a walk. And when they were walking along the New York streets the boy noticed that in many houses there were small lights placed in windows. In one window there was only one light and in another window 2 or three lights and sometimes there were no lights. Because of this the boy asked his father what did it mean? Then the father answered that after World War Two every time the Christmas came, people in New York had a custom of placing lights in their windows if they lost someone during the war. So if you see only one light in the window – said the father – it means that in this family one son died during the war. If you see two lights you can be sure that in this family two sons were killed, but when there are three lights in the window it means that three sons died in this family during the war and so on. But when they kept walking they passed those houses and then the boy looked up to heaven and he saw one star shining in the sky so he said to his father: “Look

Dad, there is also one light in Gods window which of course means that in God’s Family one Son died as well.”

In the book of Hebrews 1:9 we read that the Son of God “tasted death for everyone”. Which death did He taste for all, first or second? Did Jesus save us from the first death? No, because Christians die with the first death!

Rev. 20:6 “Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.” If not first but second death have no power over believers so which death did Christ have to taste to be able to save us? In the book The Desire of answer (page 753):

Ages

we find the

“Satan with his fierce temptations wrung the heart of Jesus. The Saviour could not see through the portals of the tomb. Hope did not present to Him His coming forth from the grave a conqueror, or tell Him of the Father's acceptance of the sacrifice. He feared that sin was so offensive to God that their separation was to be eternal. Christ felt the anguish which the sinner will feel when mercy shall no longer plead for the guilty race.”

pastor who missionary one day Certain

worked

in

Africa

as

a

asked a group of believers living in a village in Africa: - What do you think, how many people have died till now from the beginning? - O pastor – they answered – you should know. Millions and millions. Who can count them. - No – said pastor – you are wrong. All those people only got asleep. There is only one Person who truly died till now. It is Jesus Christ.

The Son of God gave all--life and love and suffering--for our redemption. And can it be that we, the unworthy objects of so great love, will withhold our hearts from Him? He became sin for the race! But what do we give up, when we give all? A sin-polluted heart, for Jesus to purify, to cleanse by His own blood, and to save by His matchless love. And yet men think it hard to give up all! I am ashamed to hear it spoken of, ashamed to write it. Amen.

close this sermon and I want to do it with a very important question: It’s time to

If we know that Jesus coming into this world in the likeness of sinful flesh took a risk of loosing His eternal life for us. If we know that on the cross He decided to say goodbye to life for ever so that we could live for ever. If we know all this, is it too much if we decide to give Him all our hearts? Is it?

STEPS TO CHRIST (chapter 5) Do you feel that it is too great a sacrifice to yield all to Christ? Ask yourself the question, "What has Christ given for me?"

TEXT BEFORE PRAYER: PRAYER