Inside - Outside

Scripture Reading: Revelation 14:6-12

OH – 371 "Lift Him Up"

CH – 365 "O Zion Haste"

While reading an old REVIEW, I ran across an intriguing message. It went like this:

"There are insiders and there are outsiders.

There are insiders inside, and there are insiders

outside.

There are some outsiders inside,

and of course, there are outsiders outside.

But man cannot tell the difference

between insiders and outsiders

because he looks only on the outside.

While most people would consider themselves insiders,

one of the best indicators of true insiders

will be their relationship with outsiders.

Outsiders are outside

because they think it's "in" to be "out"--

But real insiders want outsiders in.

If insiders don't want outsiders in,

they are outsiders.

And insiders will go out to get outsiders in."

Want to hear that again? there's a lot to sort out!

We talk or think a lot about outsiders and insiders in this church. Because it is important to be inside when Christ comes.

But are we, who consider ourselves inside, really inside?

As the wit said:

"man cannot tell the difference

between insiders and outsiders

because he only looks on the outside."

Only am individual can know, if they choose, whether they are inside or outside the grace of Christ.

And they and we can only know these things by their fruits.

Part of which will be their relationship to outsiders.

"Real insiders want outsiders in ....

and insiders will go out to get outsiders in."

Why?

Because they know within themselves the boundless love of Jesus, and they want to share that love with everybody they know so that each and every person can be prepared to meet Jesus when he comes.

I once heard that concept expressed in a wonderful way by "Mo" Pelley, our conference treasurer. "Mo" was sharing about his own experience when he said--

"I look at all those fine people out there and think 'what fine Adventist's they would be. They really need to be here with us.'"

Just think of all the wonderful people you and I contact every day. If we do not pray for them and share all we can with them about our experience with the Lord, WHY ARE WE HOLDING OUT ON THEM?

DO WE REALLY, BY OUR SILENCE, WANT TO DENY ANY OF THESE BELOVED NEIGHBORS AND FRIENDS A PLACE WITH US IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD?

Of Course Not.

FRIENDS, WE MUST REMEMBER THAT GOD HAS PLACED THE MESSAGE FOR THEIR SALVATION IN OUR HANDS.

BRIEFLY TURN WITH ME TO GOD'S PICTURE OF THE HIS PEOPLE IN OUR TIME. (REVELATION 14: 6-7ff)

"Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth--to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people--

"Saying with a loud voice,

'Fear God and give glory to Him,

for the hour of His judgment has come;

and worship Him who made heaven and earth,

the sea and springs of water.'"

I. This passage describes the mission and message of Gods People in the last days, and the place where their message is to go.

1. God's people have a crucial, important message.

The Angel is flying indicating the urgency and speed of the message.

The message is given with a Loud Voice. This suggests that the message is vastly important to the lives of those who hear.

For we all know that the voice rises in proportion to the value we place upon what we are saying...doesn't it brethren?

2. And what could be more important that personal salvation: or Guilt relieved? or the ultimate defeat of Sin, death, and the devil?

What could be more wonderful than full restoration to son-ship or daughter-ship with our heavenly Father?

Or, more needful for people to understand than the need to worship God as Creator?

3. Brethren, this angel is pictured as flying in a crucial time. It is the Hour (not day or week but HOUR!) of God's Judgment!!

And this passage pictures God's People as warning the whole world of that Judgment, as part of that same judgment.

I said that this is in a time of Crises.

4. The English word "crises" comes from the same Greek word, Krisis, here translated as "Judgment".

Our faithful understanding of this message is that this message is part of God's answer to the needs of a World in Crisis, as Christ enters the Most Holy Place in the Heavenly Sanctuary to begin His final judgment in preparation for the second coming.

And as Dr. Raymond Holms put it in his book, "THE LAST WORD":

"One of the preliminary outcomes of that work of judgment was the emergence of a sometimes unpopular church consisting of believers who keep the commandments of God and have the faith of Jesus (Rev. 14: 12)"

"The very existence of that church is the institutional evidence that this age is the judgment time." Pg. 3,4

Brethren and sisters, we are the chosen instrument of God
to herald the Gospel to the world in this time of Judgment.

And we need to be about our Father’s business.

Think of it this way.

If any of you saw your neighbor's house catch fire at night, and knew that they were inside, asleep, when it happened, what would you do?

Would you roll over and go to sleep saying--"I'd better tell them about that in the morning"??

No. You wouldn’t do that.

YOU'D RUSH OVER AND AWAKEN THEM RIGHT AWAY, THEN HELP THEM FIGHT THE FIRE!

BRINGING THE GOSPEL TO OUR NEIGHBORS AND FRIENDS AT THIS TIME HAS THE SAME, CRUCIAL, IMPORTANCE IN THIS HOUR AS AWAKENING OUR FRIENDS TO THEIR DANGER OF FIRE.

WE NEED TO AWAKEN THEM TO THE DANGER OF OUR TIMES. AND PROCLAIM TO THEM THE MEANS OF ESCAPE SO THAT THEY MIGHT LIVE.

II. THE FLYING OF THE ANGELS IN REVELATION 14 INDICATES A QUICK RESPONSE TO AN UNUSUAL AND THREATENING SITUATION, AN INSTANT CONFRONTATION BETWEEN THE ETERNAL GOSPEL AND A FALSE GOSPEL.

"Someone has been preaching a false message.

The beast of Revelation 13, which appears to be a powerful counterfeit religious system or church combined with a state, preaches a false gospel and so wins a people who gather together to worship a false god.

This beast has a mouth like a lion (verse 2)--its speech is impressive and authoritative. People are fascinated, listen attentively, and are captivated.

The beast attacks those who serve God, in order to rid the world of their witness and example:

'It was allowed to make war on the saints and conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and tongue and nation, and all who dwell on earth will worship it, every one whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb that was slain" (verses 7,8).

The authority given to this [enemy] is from Satan. The picture is of a false god giving authority to a false church to preach a false gospel leading to false worship of the false god.

And the mission field for this evil work is the same as ours, the whole earth!

There is a second beast that is like the first, and which bears witness to the first....

'It exercises all the authority of the first beast in its presence, and makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast:' (verse 12)...."

If the first beast acts as a state/church union, then the second beast will also eventually unite church and state and it calls the world's attention to the first beast.

It leads people to make an image of the first beast; that is to say, to follow the political-religious pattern of the for the first beast in another institution (verse 14).

Those who refuse to worship or acknowledge the authority and power of the first beast are marked for destruction by the second, which operates on the basis of both ecclesiastical and political power

So we have the picture of a powerful apostate religious force going about the world utilizing earthly political power and preaching a gospel that is opposed to God and that wins converts to worship a false god;
a false god winning people to worship him by means of a false message preached by a false state-supported church to the whole world.

Is it any wonder that angels hurriedly fly in the heavens with an eternal gospel to preach to all the world?

The world is in grave danger!

The moment in history has come when the response to danger on the part of the true God is instantaneous. A clear gospel message comes forth direct from the heavenly sanctuary, from the throne of God, and a church is raised up to preach it to all the world." pp. 4,5

AND SO, HERE WE ARE. COMMISSIONED BY GOD
TO WARN A FALLING WORLD OF THE FALSE GOSPEL, AND TEACH THE TRUE, EVERLASTING GOOD NEWS OF GOD.

HAVE WE BEEN DOING IT?

I Believe we all want too.

WE ARE GOD'S INSIDERS REACHING OUTSIDE TO BRING IN OUR FRIENDS, ACQUAINTANCES, NEIGHBORS, TO STAND WITH US UNDER THE SHELTERING ROCK OF AGES

That is our mission and our purpose for being.

(The text leaves us no room to misunderstand God's intent.)

Let me share with you some words that have come to mean a lot to me.

So those who are partakers of the grace of Christ will be ready to make any sacrifice, that others for whom He died may share the heavenly gift. They will do all they can to make the world better for their stay in it.

This spirit is the sure outgrowth of a soul truly converted. No sooner does one come to Christ, than there is born in his heart a desire to make known to others what a precious friend he has found in Jesus; the saving and sanctifying truth cannot be shut up in his heart.

If we are clothed with the righteousness of Christ, and are filled with the joy of His indwelling Spirit, we shall not be able to hold our peace.

If we have tasted and seen that the Lord is good, we shall have something to tell. Like Philip when he found the Savior, we shall invite others into His presence. We shall seek to present to them the attractions of Christ, and the unseen realities of the world to come.

There will be an intensity of desire to follow in the path that Jesus trod. There will be an earnest longing that those around us may behold "the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." SC 78,79

Do you feel that longing today?

We, in this room consider ourselves to be Christians, ambassadors of the Lord, Jesus Christ, and His Kingdom.

What a joy spreads among us when we sit together and tell one another stories of the goodness of the Lord. Amen?

And are not the best stories the ones where a brother or sister has had an experience sharing the gospel with another person?

Oh, those stories have me all ears.

Because the best experiences I have are the ones where I get to be used of the Lord to tell His goodness and His message to another.

From time to time I know you have encouraged each other in this way. And I believe many of you in this room could do that this morning, and perhaps will, at the testimony service.

But I also know that some of us here today are filled with dread at the thought of being expected to share Christ with another person.

I’ve felt that too.

Let me put those minds at ease today.

I’m not talking about grabbing a wooden box and standing any of us on a street corner and telling you to preach.

Some among us might have that talent, but probably not many.

Neither am I talking about forcing us out of our comfortable pews to go door to door, cold turkey. Though I know we have those among us who have done this kind of thing and enjoyed it also.

I am referring to working for Christ where you are comfortable, and being available to Him just as you are.

Peter wrote in 1 Peter 3:15-

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;

We can all do that.

Each of us have talent areas and areas of giftedness, but only about 10 percent of us in this room are likely gifted to do evangelism in the usual way.

But we can work in the ways God had prepared us to serve Him.

What I am suggesting, even urging, is that we make ourselves available to God to share the good news of His Son and His plans with any person God may lead us to befriend.

Simple friendship is the best route for most of us to use in sharing the gospel.

We should all know how to be friendly.

In fact, in any room, if I were to ask the question “How did you come to be here?” most of the responses would involve being invited by a friend, wouldn’t they?

You may be working side by side with a person for a period of months or even years and they show no interest in talking about religion or faith. But that doesn’t mean they won’t.

And If you have been faithfully praying for them and showing Jesus’ love for them, the Holy Spirit will be working to prepare their heart to receive the gospel through you.

Isn’t that exciting?

All you and I need to do is be prepared to answer their questions in a kind and understanding manner when they come.

And maybe ask them if they would like to study some materials that will help them. Perhaps, if we see they are ready, invite them to a church event (a picnic, or health lecture, or program they might be interested in).

You never know what a person is ready for until you ask. And if they are ready they will say “yes”.

No need for pressure. No big sails pitches. Just infective friendliness.

If you have an experience with Christ, you will be living to share it..

Your greatest pleasure will be to do His bidding.

If you have been to the cross, and felt your burden lifted. If you know that, if Christ were to return this moment you would go to be with Him in the clouds. You are probably already seeking every opportunity that falls within your gifts to witness of Jesus, for you have an experience to share.

But what if you do not have an experience with Jesus? Friend, if that is you, know that the Lord is ready to enter your life this very moment and give you one.

He is ready to fill your soul with joy, and cleanse your heart of sin and shame.

If you will but come to the cross and confess whatever faults are standing in the way of your experience with Him, He will renew your soul with gladness.

But until you have done this;

Until you have come before your savior and confessed your sins and received of Him forgiveness, you have nothing of which to witness.

Go home to your closet and pray until you have met the lord anew.

Then you will have something to share!

The story is told of a man in the south who always invited the new preacher home for dinner as soon as he arrived in that district. Then, he would get out his testimony, which he had written up into the form of a book entitled, "MY WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE WITH THE LORD", and read it to the new minister.

Well, it came to pass that one minister came to that district and stayed an uncommonly long time so that the man began to fret as to whether he would ever be able to tell his wonderful experience again.

But finally the opportunity came. A new minister was coming. The man began to watch for an opportunity, and sure enough, one came early on, and he invited the minister home for dinner.

Finally, he would get his chance to tell of his wonderful experience again.

As soon as he could reasonably do so, he broke into the conversation and asked his wife to go and get "MY WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE WITH THE LORD" out of the closet.

Pretty soon she returned, but she didn't have the book.

"Wife," said the man. "Where is My Wonderful Experience With the Lord?"

"You don't have it any more." She said. "The rats got into the closet and have eaten your wonderful experience all up."

Well, I don't know if there ever, really was such a man. But the story makes a good parable, doesn't it.

We need to keep seeking an experience with Jesus each day, and we need to share it in testimony, with every person we meet to encourage them in the Lord.

Many years ago, I met a man who had a wonderful way of doing this very thing and his testimony greatly influenced me when I was just becoming a Christian.

Every day, in his devotions, he would search the scriptures until he had found something encouraging to share.

Then he would make it a practice to share that with as many people as possible that day. Many times I remember him coming up to me saying "Bob. What have you been seeing in the Word lately."

And after I had shared a little, he would share with me.

It has been many years since I have seen this dear brother in Christ. But I am sure that, If we were to run across each other again today, our conversation would sooner or later come about to just such a discussion about the Lord.

"No sooner does one come to Christ, than there is born in his heart a desire to make known to others what a precious friend he has found in Jesus."

Let us pray.