Father, we ask that you
hear us today, and Lord,
00:00:16.10\00:00:19.50
as I open the word
this morning we ask that
00:00:19.96\00:00:22.76
your spirit would
fall upon me and Jesus only
00:00:22.76\00:00:27.06
would be seen. We pray
in his precious and holy
00:00:27.06\00:00:30.93
name, Amen.
Folks, can I invite you
00:00:30.93\00:00:35.73
to turn your Bibles
with me to; turning your
00:00:35.73\00:00:42.70
Bibles with me, this
morning to John chapter 1,
00:00:42.70\00:00:46.96
John chapter 1 and verse 19.
00:00:48.33\00:00:52.26
John 1 and verse 19,
it says, now, this is the
00:00:55.50\00:01:06.26
testimony of John
when the Jews sent priests
00:01:06.26\00:01:10.06
and Levites from
Jerusalem to ask him,
00:01:10.06\00:01:12.96
who are you? He
confessed and did not
00:01:14.36\00:01:18.53
deny, but confess,
"I am not the Christ and
00:01:18.53\00:01:22.73
I asked him,What then,
are you Elijah? He said,
00:01:22.73\00:01:26.50
I am not. Are you the
prophet? He answered, no.
00:01:26.50\00:01:30.73
Then I said to him,
who are you, that we
00:01:33.60\00:01:37.00
may give an answer
to those who sent us?
00:01:37.00\00:01:39.86
What do you say about yourself?
00:01:40.50\00:01:45.16
He said, I am the
voice of one crying in the
00:01:47.30\00:01:50.23
wilderness, make
straight the way of the
00:01:50.23\00:01:53.03
Lord, as the
prophet Isaiah said."
00:01:53.03\00:01:56.00
Everything about John
oozed of his prophetic
00:01:58.10\00:02:02.26
office, everyone
that met him would soon
00:02:02.26\00:02:05.26
realize that the
unction of the Holy Spirit was
00:02:05.26\00:02:07.90
on this man from
the clothes he wore,
00:02:07.90\00:02:10.40
the camel head garment
and the leather belt to
00:02:12.36\00:02:16.73
the way he preached
with that feel or favor to
00:02:16.73\00:02:19.43
the multitudes and
told them it was time to
00:02:19.43\00:02:22.73
repent and get ready
because God was gonna
00:02:22.73\00:02:25.20
do something big in
Israel. Everything about
00:02:25.20\00:02:28.80
this guy said, that
he was working for God
00:02:28.80\00:02:31.73
and something especial
was taking place in his
00:02:31.73\00:02:33.96
life and that we're
terrified of him and the
00:02:33.96\00:02:38.36
leaders in Jerusalem
send out to this, this
00:02:38.36\00:02:43.23
lone prophet in
the wilderness and they
00:02:43.23\00:02:45.00
asked him a question, it
is an excellent question,
00:02:45.00\00:02:48.43
who are you? What do
you say about yourself?
00:02:50.30\00:02:56.93
That it is an
excellent question.
00:02:59.86\00:03:01.73
They know what his
name is, if someone
00:03:04.36\00:03:07.06
says to me, who are
you? I reach for the
00:03:07.06\00:03:09.43
name tag, I'm
Justin Lawman, I come from
00:03:09.43\00:03:13.03
this town and these
are my parents and we give
00:03:13.03\00:03:15.83
all those places
where we seem to identify
00:03:15.83\00:03:19.63
ourselves but this
question he's being
00:03:19.63\00:03:21.70
asked is far
deeper than that, it is a
00:03:21.70\00:03:27.53
question of
identity. If this morning you
00:03:27.53\00:03:34.93
cannot answer that
question, who are you?
00:03:34.93\00:03:39.06
And I don't mean your
name. Why are you on earth?
00:03:40.90\00:03:47.26
If you cannot
answer that question today,
00:03:49.90\00:03:52.33
I guarantee that you
will have no purpose in life.
00:03:53.76\00:03:56.70
You see they came
out to ask John this
00:03:58.46\00:04:00.96
question, because
I wanted to know what
00:04:00.96\00:04:03.63
he was going to do.
If they could discover
00:04:03.63\00:04:07.70
his true identity
they would know straight
00:04:07.70\00:04:10.83
away his purpose.
That is a question folks
00:04:10.83\00:04:16.10
that modern
people cannot answer.
00:04:16.10\00:04:17.90
I listen on the radio
the other day, they were
00:04:19.70\00:04:21.16
having a discussion
about the, one of the
00:04:21.16\00:04:23.90
politicians made
a comment that girls
00:04:23.90\00:04:25.86
should hang on to
their virginity and their
00:04:25.86\00:04:31.70
chastity and people
were ringing him with
00:04:31.70\00:04:34.03
opinions and one
lady said let him do
00:04:34.03\00:04:35.83
whatever they like.
I'm an animal and so I've
00:04:35.83\00:04:40.10
to obey those
passions. I wanna tell you today
00:04:40.10\00:04:44.16
folks that you have
an identity and a purpose
00:04:44.16\00:04:46.36
far greater than
that of an animal. Amen.
00:04:46.36\00:04:49.33
You're a child of God. Amen.
00:04:49.33\00:04:51.50
And I wanna speak
this morning to the young
00:04:51.50\00:04:55.23
Seventh-Day
Adventists here today, who are
00:04:55.23\00:04:59.30
struggling with which
world they're gonna live in.
00:04:59.30\00:05:03.43
When they have a foot
in one camp or the other.
00:05:06.50\00:05:11.23
The preacher has been
there, I remember going
00:05:13.86\00:05:20.50
to Sabbath
school. I must admit I was
00:05:20.50\00:05:24.56
dragged there by my
mother. She wanted me to know
00:05:24.56\00:05:28.50
what was right; mom
took me to Sabbath school.
00:05:28.50\00:05:30.60
I remember leaving
Church and going off
00:05:30.60\00:05:33.33
down to the gulf
coast for the weekend and
00:05:33.33\00:05:35.93
being drunk in a
night club that night
00:05:35.93\00:05:37.96
and this paradigm
that I would have to walk
00:05:40.36\00:05:43.00
through every weekend
that I be in church in
00:05:43.00\00:05:45.63
the morning and in
the night club on a
00:05:45.63\00:05:47.56
Saturday night and
what that does to you.
00:05:47.56\00:05:51.10
I want to speak
especially this morning
00:05:52.43\00:05:54.96
to the young people
here that are struggling
00:05:54.96\00:05:58.26
with which world
they're gonna live in.
00:05:58.26\00:06:00.26
I wanna tell you,
if you can answer that
00:06:02.40\00:06:06.43
question, who, who
are you? It will make the
00:06:06.43\00:06:11.06
world of difference to
the happiness and peace
00:06:11.06\00:06:14.06
in your life, that
same night as I was down on
00:06:14.06\00:06:16.93
the gulf coast with
all my buddies from school,
00:06:16.93\00:06:19.63
never had the
privilege of any Christian
00:06:19.63\00:06:21.83
education or anything
like that. I just grew up
00:06:21.83\00:06:24.20
in, in secular
Australia, where you party hard
00:06:24.20\00:06:28.00
and have fun and
that was as deep as the
00:06:28.00\00:06:30.70
meaning of life was
and down on the gulf coast
00:06:30.70\00:06:34.53
that night, being
intoxicated with my
00:06:34.53\00:06:37.10
friends, walking through
the surface paradise mall
00:06:37.10\00:06:40.10
and standing just down
about from here to the back
00:06:42.20\00:06:44.43
of the room where two
girls that were dressed
00:06:44.43\00:06:47.43
plainly, long skirts.
And had two little books
00:06:47.43\00:06:52.83
their hands and I
turned to one of my buddies
00:06:52.83\00:06:54.96
from school in my
drunkenness and I said
00:06:54.96\00:06:56.93
let's go and stir up
these Jehovah witness.
00:06:56.93\00:06:59.63
Because they'd be
the only people that you
00:07:01.30\00:07:02.80
would find out on the
street at that time of the
00:07:02.80\00:07:04.43
night is what I thought
and I went over to these
00:07:04.43\00:07:08.36
two girls in my
intoxicated inebriated
00:07:08.36\00:07:12.50
brain and said what
religion are you girls?
00:07:12.50\00:07:16.33
They said we are
Seventh-Day Adventists,
00:07:17.43\00:07:19.53
that was the wrong answer. Yeah.
00:07:22.30\00:07:24.10
Apparently they had
an AYC in their, in their
00:07:25.80\00:07:29.20
living room or something
and they decided that they
00:07:29.20\00:07:31.30
go street
witnessing. God bless them that
00:07:31.30\00:07:34.20
they were there.
They passed to me a
00:07:34.20\00:07:37.10
little book and you
know in my drunkenness.
00:07:37.10\00:07:39.36
You just say what's in
your heart and they said
00:07:40.76\00:07:42.73
we're Seventh-Day
Adventists and I said
00:07:42.73\00:07:44.10
back off, the remnant
church. I said, how do
00:07:44.10\00:07:48.30
you know that? And
they handed me this
00:07:48.30\00:07:53.20
little book with a
picture of Harry Anderson's
00:07:53.20\00:07:56.86
Jesus knocking on a door. Amen.
00:07:56.86\00:07:59.83
Down the bottom, it
said steps to Christ.
00:08:01.20\00:08:03.63
And I remember
right down the very bottom
00:08:03.63\00:08:05.30
it said E.G White,
when you're a drunk
00:08:05.30\00:08:08.80
Adventist and you read
that. It's never gonna be
00:08:08.80\00:08:12.00
a good night, I
wanna tell you that was if
00:08:12.00\00:08:17.73
someone picked up
the back of a shovel and
00:08:17.73\00:08:20.70
they smacked me in
the face and I walked away
00:08:20.70\00:08:25.30
from that, there was
about 12 of us, with my
00:08:25.30\00:08:26.90
buddies from
school and we go down to
00:08:26.90\00:08:28.23
McDonald's and
I'm sitting there in
00:08:28.23\00:08:29.76
McDonald's with
Harry Anderson's Jesus
00:08:29.76\00:08:31.83
Knocking on the door
and I'm out just saying,
00:08:31.83\00:08:34.43
oh! Why always me,
I'm like Isaiah all of
00:08:34.43\00:08:37.06
sudden. I'm undone, I
got this conviction of
00:08:37.06\00:08:45.10
sin that was, it
was heavier than lead,
00:08:45.10\00:08:47.33
I couldn't move and I
just had, I got up and
00:08:47.33\00:08:50.00
I left my friends
and I went back down the
00:08:50.00\00:08:51.96
street and I gave
that book back to the girls
00:08:51.96\00:08:54.30
and I said girls,
give this to someone who
00:08:54.30\00:08:56.40
needs it. They said you need it.
00:08:56.40\00:09:00.33
Amen. I did need it,
I was so drunk to read,
00:09:01.93\00:09:06.30
it was a, a picture
was enough for me and as
00:09:06.30\00:09:09.70
the Lord lives from
that day to this day I've
00:09:09.70\00:09:12.23
never touched
alcohol again. Amen.
00:09:12.23\00:09:14.63
Praise the Lord
that they had enough
00:09:14.63\00:09:17.03
gumption of the Spirit
to go ahead on the street
00:09:17.03\00:09:19.40
and try and look for a
sinner and there was one.
00:09:19.40\00:09:23.63
That night the Lord
started something in my
00:09:27.70\00:09:29.76
heart, I don't
know how he did it.
00:09:29.76\00:09:31.03
This
dysfunctional double standard
00:09:32.76\00:09:36.86
hypocritical young
Adventist, the Lord
00:09:36.86\00:09:39.80
Jesus loved him
with an everlasting love.
00:09:39.80\00:09:41.90
Amen. And he picked
me up out of the gutter
00:09:41.90\00:09:45.53
that night and
dusted me off and he said,
00:09:45.53\00:09:47.03
I have a message for
you to tell the world.
00:09:47.03\00:09:48.90
This morning, I
want to just briefly
00:09:52.13\00:09:53.70
answer that
question. Who are you?
00:09:53.70\00:09:55.26
I wanna answer it
through my journey and
00:09:58.10\00:10:01.06
what the Lord
has revealed to me.
00:10:01.06\00:10:02.33
I invited you to
turn your Bibles to Acts
00:10:03.53\00:10:05.83
chapter 11, being
loving towards messages from
00:10:06.16\00:10:11.76
the book of Acts,
I asked her what was
00:10:11.76\00:10:14.80
his favorite book on
the Holy Spirit and he said
00:10:14.80\00:10:17.10
the book of Acts.
You know, that's pretty
00:10:17.10\00:10:18.83
obvious what, why
didn't I think of that.
00:10:18.83\00:10:20.53
In Acts chapter 11
and verse 26, Acts 11 and
00:10:21.66\00:10:27.16
verse 26, it's an
unusual verse to read for
00:10:27.16\00:10:29.80
identity, it
says: when he found him,
00:10:29.80\00:10:32.70
he brought him to
Antioch, so that it was
00:10:33.20\00:10:37.10
for a whole year
they assembled with the
00:10:37.43\00:10:39.46
church and taught
a great many people.
00:10:39.46\00:10:41.60
And the disciples were
first called Christians in
00:10:41.60\00:10:47.16
Antioch, in order to
answer the question this
00:10:47.16\00:10:50.90
morning, who are you?
My first point, the first
00:10:50.90\00:10:55.06
step to answer that
is that I'm a Christian.
00:10:55.06\00:10:58.30
That means many
things to many people.
00:10:59.83\00:11:02.26
But these followers of
Jesus were first called
00:11:04.36\00:11:08.30
Christians there in
Antioch and I have to
00:11:08.30\00:11:10.60
put out my hand. I
was once in a, in an
00:11:10.60\00:11:12.86
assembly at school
when I was about 13,
00:11:12.86\00:11:14.93
we had about 1500
students in our high school.
00:11:14.93\00:11:17.76
It was an Easter
program, we got religious
00:11:18.03\00:11:20.20
instructions every
Easter and I was horrified to go
00:11:20.20\00:11:23.30
up on the stage, said
put up your hand if you're a
00:11:23.30\00:11:25.96
Christian and
out of 1500 students,
00:11:25.96\00:11:28.53
three hands went
up. One was one of them,
00:11:28.76\00:11:32.76
the hypocritical guy and
his heart wanted to do the
00:11:34.80\00:11:37.16
right thing. I put
up my hand and my mates
00:11:37.16\00:11:41.56
looked down the row at
me they were horrified,
00:11:41.56\00:11:43.50
they removed their
chairs. They didn't wanna sit
00:11:43.50\00:11:45.36
next to this guy they
thought that's a guy that
00:11:45.36\00:11:48.20
fights and swears and
does all that stuff and he's
00:11:48.20\00:11:50.90
calling himself a Christian.
00:11:50.90\00:11:52.03
I'm a
Christian, because I have a
00:11:54.70\00:11:56.93
redeemer in Jesus Christ. Amen.
00:11:56.93\00:11:59.16
He paid the price for my
sins on the Cross of Calvary;
00:11:59.50\00:12:02.70
the most significant
event in my life, the thing that
00:12:02.70\00:12:05.53
defines my whole
identity is Jesus Christ is my
00:12:05.53\00:12:09.93
savior and friend.
He is an ever abiding
00:12:09.93\00:12:13.10
companion to me.
Everywhere I go he
00:12:13.10\00:12:15.96
comes with me. He
rebukes me and corrects me.
00:12:15.96\00:12:18.86
But, oh, how he loves
me and I'm proud to tell
00:12:18.86\00:12:22.16
anyone in the world that
I belong to Jesus, that I'm
00:12:22.16\00:12:25.30
a Christian. I was;
after I got back from the
00:12:25.30\00:12:29.96
gulf coast I thought I
better get back into this
00:12:29.96\00:12:31.86
Church thing and I
never had assurance of
00:12:31.86\00:12:35.00
salvation as a young Adventist.
00:12:35.00\00:12:36.60
I thought there was a
set of scales and my good
00:12:36.60\00:12:39.30
works had to weigh more
than my bad works and if
00:12:39.30\00:12:42.16
I could ever get that
balance right, I was okay.
00:12:42.16\00:12:44.36
And one night I was
at this prayer meeting.
00:12:46.63\00:12:48.96
By the way there, it
was a bunch of oldies at the
00:12:50.63\00:12:53.73
prayer meeting. I was
19, the next youngest person
00:12:53.73\00:12:57.76
was 80. It was very
uncool, if my friends.
00:12:57.76\00:13:02.50
You know, I would
cover my face as they'll go
00:13:02.50\00:13:04.13
that's because if my
friends saw me, it was
00:13:04.13\00:13:05.73
really uncool to hang
around these old people.
00:13:05.73\00:13:07.33
But, man I knew their
Bibles and I was like a
00:13:07.33\00:13:10.20
sponge I was
soaking up the scriptures
00:13:10.20\00:13:12.26
from these people.
You know, the oldies in
00:13:12.26\00:13:14.10
your Church can teach you
a thing of two guys. Amen.
00:13:14.10\00:13:17.60
Yeah, I'm going along
these prayer meeting with
00:13:17.60\00:13:21.73
a bunch of 80 year
olds and one of them who was
00:13:21.73\00:13:25.10
a free radical. He
came to me, he said Justin,
00:13:25.10\00:13:28.76
if Jesus was gonna
comeback tonight would
00:13:28.76\00:13:30.96
you be ready to meet
him and I said. Well, I hope
00:13:30.96\00:13:33.33
so, he said I thought
you would say that and
00:13:33.33\00:13:36.00
walked away in disgust.
You know, I think he was
00:13:36.00\00:13:40.00
having a go with
me. What's his problem,
00:13:40.00\00:13:42.80
I got him a car, at
the time I had a 1970 VG
00:13:43.10\00:13:46.63
Valiant with a
318 flyable engine.
00:13:46.63\00:13:49.10
Ever service station I
had to stop and fill it up.
00:13:50.50\00:13:52.33
I'm driving home in my
Valiant, I can still tell you
00:13:55.10\00:13:57.26
the place in the road
that it happened and as I'm
00:13:57.26\00:13:59.36
driving home in the
Valiant. This thick skull guy,
00:13:59.36\00:14:02.30
it actually joined on
me. If I have asked Jesus to
00:14:02.30\00:14:05.76
forgive me, if we
confess our sins, what does he
00:14:05.76\00:14:10.83
say, he is faithful and
just. If I had asked Jesus
00:14:10.83\00:14:14.83
to forgive me,
I really meant it.
00:14:14.83\00:14:17.76
You know, that he
has. And like John Wesley
00:14:17.76\00:14:23.00
that night driving
home in the Valiant.
00:14:23.00\00:14:25.50
My heart was
strangely warmed, I ram down the
00:14:25.50\00:14:28.30
window and starting to
sing hymns and praise God.
00:14:28.30\00:14:31.66
Amen. Because I knew if
I was killed on the right
00:14:31.66\00:14:33.90
that night, I didn't have
to fret with a sigh to lost.
00:14:33.90\00:14:37.06
I had a savior that changed me.
00:14:37.06\00:14:40.90
My religion had been
external for so long.
00:14:40.90\00:14:43.83
All of a sudden, it
started on the inside and it
00:14:43.83\00:14:47.93
changed me and I wanna
say to any of the young
00:14:47.93\00:14:51.26
people here today
and I know you can hear
00:14:51.26\00:14:53.46
the best preachers in
the world tell you all this.
00:14:53.46\00:14:55.90
But, the carnal heart
is resistant to the gospel.
00:14:55.90\00:14:59.23
It's only the Spirit of
God that can take that into
00:15:01.23\00:15:04.10
your heart, that you
today have forgiveness of sins.
00:15:04.10\00:15:08.30
If you claim that promise
and practice what it says.
00:15:09.60\00:15:11.80
If you confess your
sins and that was the
00:15:11.80\00:15:14.53
beginning of my new life
in Christ and it changed me.
00:15:14.53\00:15:19.26
And I wanna say today
and I will say some things.
00:15:19.26\00:15:22.43
Always upset
someone when you preach, you
00:15:22.43\00:15:25.26
haven't preached
unless you upset someone.
00:15:25.26\00:15:26.66
That's the truth. Amen.
Well until you, when old
00:15:28.23\00:15:32.10
man speak well of you?
This audience here today
00:15:32.10\00:15:38.30
are not the only
Christians in Sydney.
00:15:38.30\00:15:39.93
There are Christians
that may not walk in the light
00:15:42.73\00:15:46.26
that you walk in, but
they live up to what they have.
00:15:46.26\00:15:49.40
And I have to tell
you, because I baptized some
00:15:50.76\00:15:52.90
of them into more
truth and into Christ.
00:15:52.90\00:15:55.26
That they have an
intensity and a love for
00:15:55.26\00:15:57.46
the Lord that
brings shame on any Church
00:15:57.46\00:16:00.13
that I passed it. Amen.
00:16:00.13\00:16:02.13
And so let's not get
up on our high and mighty
00:16:02.53\00:16:04.73
horse and think
we're the only ones.
00:16:04.73\00:16:06.33
I wanna tell you that
God has a people, he has a
00:16:07.43\00:16:10.06
people in all
Churches, yeah he's got a people
00:16:10.06\00:16:13.43
in all religions.
That live up to the light
00:16:13.43\00:16:17.40
in which they've been
given, you know desire of
00:16:17.40\00:16:19.76
ages says, it's not how much.
00:16:19.76\00:16:21.20
I think it's page 331,
it's not how much light you
00:16:21.20\00:16:24.66
have it's what you do
with it. Amen. And if you do
00:16:24.66\00:16:30.66
nothing with it. She's
says it's a curse to its
00:16:30.66\00:16:34.40
possessor. So, don't
get on your horse and think
00:16:34.40\00:16:38.00
I've got all the truth.
So, I'm the only one in town,
00:16:38.00\00:16:40.23
no you're not. God has
a people, in fact the vast
00:16:40.23\00:16:44.53
majority are not
of our faith today.
00:16:44.53\00:16:46.30
But, that leads me
to my second point.
00:16:50.06\00:16:51.80
I'm a Christian,
but I'm more than that.
00:16:53.36\00:16:55.90
Come with me in your
Bibles to Second Timothy
00:16:57.50\00:16:59.33
chapter 4, I love Second
Timothy, it's the Apostle
00:16:59.33\00:17:02.13
Paul's last letter, I'm
a Christian this morning,
00:17:02.13\00:17:05.66
but I'm a Christian
living through a crisis of
00:17:05.66\00:17:08.80
authority, it is
come by stealth upon the
00:17:08.80\00:17:12.53
Christian
Church. People had been
00:17:12.53\00:17:14.90
inoculated against it;
they do not even perceive
00:17:14.90\00:17:17.60
the nature of the crisis.
But, it is a crisis just the
00:17:17.60\00:17:21.60
same, the Apostle Paul
is about to die. He says in
00:17:21.60\00:17:25.70
verse 6, he's ready to
die and he's writing his last
00:17:25.70\00:17:29.43
chapter to the
Christian Church. The last thing
00:17:29.43\00:17:32.26
to young Timothy,
that he's ever gonna say.
00:17:32.26\00:17:34.36
It's a chapter for you;
it's a chapter for the last
00:17:36.33\00:17:40.10
generation. He says I
charge you in verse 1:
00:17:40.10\00:17:46.20
Therefore before God
and the Lord Jesus Christ,
00:17:47.43\00:17:49.76
who would judge the
living and the dead at his
00:17:49.76\00:17:51.86
appearing and his
kingdom; he said man
00:17:51.86\00:17:53.53
you better listen
to what I'm gonna say.
00:17:53.53\00:17:54.80
This is serious, preach
the word, first three words;
00:17:56.53\00:18:06.53
preach the word. I
know of no other way
00:18:06.53\00:18:12.50
as a minister of the
gospel when someone says to
00:18:14.00\00:18:15.96
me, that they wanna
find Christ, they were wanna
00:18:15.96\00:18:18.50
learn stuff. I know of
no other way than teaching
00:18:18.50\00:18:22.60
the scriptures. Amen.
It has a power; I cannot
00:18:22.60\00:18:26.93
get up here and
explain to you. How it does it,
00:18:26.93\00:18:29.43
all I know is it does
it. I was running an a
00:18:29.43\00:18:33.10
evangelistic program
in Los Angeles and a young
00:18:33.10\00:18:36.56
couple came along to
the meetings and they were
00:18:36.56\00:18:39.10
African American,
they lived down in Watson,
00:18:39.10\00:18:41.43
South Central, a gangland
in Los Angeles and I was
00:18:41.43\00:18:45.50
a little white boy
from Australia and you don't
00:18:45.50\00:18:48.46
know, the Americans
in the audience will know
00:18:48.46\00:18:51.23
that, that the depths of
the racial divide in some
00:18:51.23\00:18:53.26
parts of United States,
they never ever attended
00:18:53.26\00:18:56.56
a white church in their
life, and I got this little
00:18:56.56\00:19:00.66
ad, I had six
thousand dollars to spend on
00:19:00.66\00:19:03.73
advertising in Los Angeles.
I want to tell you that's
00:19:03.73\00:19:06.46
not enough to get out of bed.
00:19:06.46\00:19:07.96
But, I didn't care
how much it got; you don't
00:19:10.06\00:19:11.96
need the biggest budget in
town to do the Lord's work.
00:19:11.96\00:19:14.83
Just got out there and do it
and I put this little, little
00:19:15.63\00:19:17.93
radio ad on KKLI and
this, were driving along
00:19:17.93\00:19:21.56
in their car and they
heard about this prophecy
00:19:21.56\00:19:23.10
seminar, we're gone along
and he is a school teacher
00:19:23.10\00:19:26.00
in Compton High
School. He's one of my best
00:19:26.00\00:19:28.63
friends in the world.
They came along and they
00:19:28.63\00:19:33.66
told their Pentecostal
friends that they were
00:19:33.66\00:19:37.20
going to listen to a
Seventh-day Adventist,
00:19:37.20\00:19:38.80
but they didn't dare say
he was a white boy and they
00:19:38.80\00:19:44.20
came along and
they learned more truth,
00:19:44.20\00:19:45.96
more truth,
change was happening.
00:19:47.40\00:19:50.56
They were living
together and not married.
00:19:52.16\00:19:53.63
I just keep teaching the Bible.
00:19:55.06\00:19:56.50
And one day they
said you got to come
00:19:58.30\00:19:59.63
around for lunch
pastor and my wife couldn't
00:19:59.63\00:20:02.26
come and my daughter's
sick, my son Caleb comes
00:20:02.26\00:20:04.76
along and we get there
and, and this young lady
00:20:04.76\00:20:09.30
is decided that day
either I was gonna marry them
00:20:09.30\00:20:12.13
or he was gonna
come home with me.
00:20:12.13\00:20:13.63
I decided we better
have a wedding and my son,
00:20:16.63\00:20:20.23
I'll never forget of my
son, he's about, I don't
00:20:20.23\00:20:23.46
know 12 at the time.
He walked her down the
00:20:23.46\00:20:25.66
hallway, he walked down
the bride and there in the
00:20:25.66\00:20:28.33
kitchen we had a
ceremony, they've gone
00:20:28.33\00:20:30.73
to the court and got all
the court stuff and we had
00:20:30.73\00:20:32.63
ourselves a wedding. Amen.
00:20:32.63\00:20:34.93
Because they
didn't wanna live in sin,
00:20:35.83\00:20:37.33
you know why they
didn't wanna live in sin.
00:20:38.23\00:20:39.73
The Holy Spirit had
been speaking to them through
00:20:39.73\00:20:41.43
the pages of this old
book. Amen. The Apostle
00:20:41.43\00:20:45.06
Paul said preach the
word, we got nothing else
00:20:45.06\00:20:48.90
to do in the world
folks. Sure we gotta love people
00:20:48.90\00:20:51.86
with peaces and show
kindness and compassion
00:20:51.86\00:20:54.16
as Jesus did, have
a ministry healing.
00:20:54.16\00:20:56.03
But, in the end we
have to preach the word.
00:20:56.03\00:20:58.20
That's why we're on
earth and there is a crisis the
00:20:59.33\00:21:03.20
Apostle Paul said,
look what he goes on to say,
00:21:03.20\00:21:05.63
he says preach the
word. Be ready in season and
00:21:05.63\00:21:08.06
out of season. Convince,
rebuke, exhort, with all
00:21:08.06\00:21:11.63
long suffering and
teaching for the time will
00:21:11.63\00:21:14.43
come when men will
not endure sound doctrine.
00:21:14.43\00:21:19.16
The largest congregation
in the continent of United
00:21:21.23\00:21:24.10
States, oh! I forget
how many thousand they're up
00:21:24.10\00:21:27.60
to now. They got the
best preacher, I mean when
00:21:27.60\00:21:31.63
I grow up. I wanna be
like this guy, the whole
00:21:31.63\00:21:33.76
sermon, he smiles
from beginning to end.
00:21:33.76\00:21:35.96
I'm going to get there
one day. I only smile when
00:21:37.10\00:21:40.13
I remember, but he
just smiles the whole time.
00:21:40.13\00:21:42.10
I interviewed him on
60 minutes, I said man how
00:21:42.10\00:21:44.36
do you get such a
large Church. How do you just
00:21:44.36\00:21:47.96
keep on growing and
growing and he shared
00:21:47.96\00:21:50.86
some profound insight
said, we would do well to
00:21:50.86\00:21:53.36
listen to. But, one of
them just shocked me; he said
00:21:53.36\00:21:56.93
we don't preach on doctrine.
00:21:56.93\00:21:58.06
You see doctrine
offends, doctrine divides.
00:22:00.40\00:22:05.63
It upsets people, it
cuts across their path and the
00:22:05.63\00:22:09.53
Apostle Paul said the
day would come when men
00:22:09.53\00:22:12.53
would not endure sound doctrine.
00:22:12.53\00:22:14.33
We live in that day today. Amen.
00:22:14.33\00:22:16.56
And I'm glad, I
praise God everyday that
00:22:16.56\00:22:20.30
I belong to a Church
that in it's very name, when
00:22:20.30\00:22:24.00
they said Seventh-Day, I
said that's our authority.
00:22:24.00\00:22:30.96
There is a crisis, I'm
pastoring in this country
00:22:33.16\00:22:36.83
town up in, the New
South Wales years ago
00:22:36.83\00:22:38.90
and running an the
evangelistic program in
00:22:38.90\00:22:41.60
the Church and I was on
the ministers fraternal and
00:22:41.60\00:22:43.83
we were old friends
with the other pastors and
00:22:43.83\00:22:45.56
I believe in that very
much. That God has a people in
00:22:45.56\00:22:48.40
these different Churches
and I love to fellowship
00:22:48.40\00:22:50.90
with him and some
of the members of this
00:22:50.90\00:22:54.16
particular pastors'
congregation started to
00:22:54.16\00:22:57.36
attend my Church. He
got mad with me, he said man
00:22:57.36\00:23:01.13
you're a sheep
stealer. I said absolutely I'm.
00:23:01.13\00:23:04.43
I have no problems with
that. I said, I just you
00:23:05.86\00:23:08.16
know I don't exclude
people from the Church.
00:23:08.16\00:23:11.10
If they wanna come,
I said, you can come
00:23:11.10\00:23:12.96
along brother if you
want to. I'm just gonna keep
00:23:12.96\00:23:14.80
teaching the Bible.
What he said to me next
00:23:14.80\00:23:18.56
stunned me; some years
ago, a pastor, he says man
00:23:18.56\00:23:23.26
I know that the
Sabbath is on Saturday.
00:23:23.26\00:23:25.33
I said what did you
say; he said I know that the
00:23:28.16\00:23:31.20
Sabbath, the
Seventh-Day is Saturday.
00:23:31.20\00:23:33.46
Oh! I'm a bit slow,
because in my little brain,
00:23:35.40\00:23:39.03
my next question
was obvious to me.
00:23:39.03\00:23:42.26
I said well brother
why don't you keep it.
00:23:42.26\00:23:43.93
He said, I don't think
it matters. One of God's
00:23:46.16\00:23:50.50
Ten Commandments, the
reason Jesus went to the
00:23:50.50\00:23:53.70
cross was a broken
law. Don't you know that who
00:23:53.70\00:23:58.03
you give yourself over to
obey, they're the ones you
00:23:58.03\00:24:00.33
belong to Romans 6:15,
16. You're slave either to
00:24:00.33\00:24:04.73
death or devious to
righteousness, that's what
00:24:04.73\00:24:06.73
the gospel taught
me. There is a crisis of
00:24:06.73\00:24:10.90
authority, never be
ashamed to be called a
00:24:10.90\00:24:14.43
Seventh-Day Adventist
Christian, because you
00:24:14.43\00:24:18.03
are saying that your
authority is found in so
00:24:18.03\00:24:20.63
much scripture, the
Bible and the Bible alone.
00:24:20.63\00:24:23.60
And that is what the
world and that's what the
00:24:24.53\00:24:26.53
Church, every Church in
Sydney needs to know that.
00:24:26.53\00:24:29.60
Our authority is from
the scriptures and there is a
00:24:31.30\00:24:36.43
serious crisis going
on. Ignore it; ignore it, to
00:24:36.43\00:24:42.66
your peril. I have one
last point, I want you to come
00:24:42.66\00:24:51.76
Romans 13, I got so
many different places I could
00:24:52.96\00:24:55.33
take you. I was going
to take you to the Second
00:24:55.33\00:24:59.13
Peter chapter 3, but
why don't we go to Romans,
00:24:59.13\00:25:01.60
there's lots of places
we could go. Romans chapter
00:25:01.60\00:25:03.86
13 and verse 11: the
Apostle Paul is writing
00:25:03.86\00:25:06.53
this mighty apical to
the Romans, this one book
00:25:06.53\00:25:09.83
has changed the course
of history. It's so many
00:25:09.83\00:25:13.03
leaders lives, as he
outlines, the great plan of
00:25:13.03\00:25:16.80
salvation and he says
here coming to the end:
00:25:16.80\00:25:20.53
it's really a pastoral
letter, he's dealing with
00:25:20.53\00:25:22.90
problems in a church
and the way he fixes them.
00:25:22.90\00:25:25.10
He preaches the
gospel, he says in verse 11 of
00:25:25.10\00:25:30.46
Romans chapter 13 and
do this knowing, knowing
00:25:30.46\00:25:35.80
the time. Do you
know what time it is?
00:25:35.80\00:25:41.30
Don't look at your watch.
Preachers are first to look
00:25:42.90\00:25:46.66
at the watch: "And do
this knowing the time, that
00:25:46.66\00:25:53.23
now it is high time
to awake out of sleep:
00:25:53.23\00:25:56.46
for now our salvation
near than we first believed."
00:26:00.36\00:26:03.23
Is that true today?
Yes. My third point, I'm a
00:26:03.23\00:26:06.90
Christian. I'm a Christian
living through a crisis of
00:26:06.90\00:26:10.60
authority. But, I'm also
a Christian who's living in
00:26:10.60\00:26:17.20
a time of urgency.
A Christian who has an
00:26:17.20\00:26:22.50
urgency in mission, an
urgency like never before.
00:26:22.50\00:26:25.60
He says in verse 12: The
night is far spent, the day
00:26:25.60\00:26:32.50
is at hand: therefore
let us cast off the works of
00:26:32.50\00:26:36.50
darkness, and let us
put on the armor of light.
00:26:36.50\00:26:39.20
We don't have the
luxury to plan for another
00:26:39.20\00:26:42.30
thousand years on
earth. We don't have the luxury
00:26:42.30\00:26:45.93
to sit around and play
Church and built empires.
00:26:45.93\00:26:49.43
We don't have that
luxury; we have been
00:26:49.43\00:26:51.86
called to warn the world
that Jesus is coming soon.
00:26:51.86\00:26:55.76
Amen. And I don't care where
00:26:55.76\00:26:58.00
you look; I don't care
which source of prophetic
00:26:58.00\00:27:02.33
truth do you trace
down. I don't care which signs
00:27:02.33\00:27:05.33
in the world you go and
look for. It doesn't even
00:27:05.33\00:27:07.96
matter today which group
of Christians you talk to,
00:27:07.96\00:27:10.63
it's almost universal.
They agree something big
00:27:10.63\00:27:13.73
is happening in the world,
that's a call, that's a call
00:27:13.73\00:27:22.90
for the young
people. The old people of the
00:27:22.90\00:27:26.13
Seventh-Day
Adventist Church to rise up and
00:27:26.13\00:27:31.50
full fill the mission.
You, you might find a lot of
00:27:31.50\00:27:36.96
satisfaction in acquiring
real estate and fancy new
00:27:36.96\00:27:43.66
cars for about
three months. I don't know
00:27:43.66\00:27:47.73
about you, but I find
in my life. I get really
00:27:47.73\00:27:49.50
satisfied in a new
house for about three months,
00:27:49.50\00:27:51.73
then the novelty
goes and you think
00:27:52.60\00:27:56.23
about the next one.
How you can improve it,
00:27:56.23\00:27:57.83
the deepest, most
satisfying thing you can
00:28:00.53\00:28:02.40
ever experience in
life is leading another
00:28:02.40\00:28:05.13
person to Jesus
Christ. There is nothing else,
00:28:05.13\00:28:08.03
nothing will even
compare. I was preaching in the
00:28:08.03\00:28:15.50
highlands of Papua
New Guinea, back in 2004.
00:28:15.50\00:28:19.00
My friend Chappo is
here today, he was with me,
00:28:21.23\00:28:23.53
we had a team of
us up there running an
00:28:23.53\00:28:25.73
evangelistic crusade
on an oval in Mount Hagen
00:28:25.73\00:28:30.50
up in the Highlands,
and up in the Highlands man
00:28:30.50\00:28:32.90
they're wild fellows up there.
00:28:32.90\00:28:34.36
They could do very
well down in Watson, South
00:28:35.70\00:28:37.96
Central, in Compton,
in LA, no problems at
00:28:37.96\00:28:40.53
all to these guys. They
have traded in their bows
00:28:40.53\00:28:43.16
and arrows for
AK47s, we were, we kind of
00:28:43.16\00:28:48.36
worked out how
serious it was, one Sabbath
00:28:48.36\00:28:50.66
afternoon. They
wanted to take us for a trip
00:28:50.66\00:28:52.90
over to another
province after Church and they
00:28:52.90\00:28:56.16
said O pastor, we just go
to the police station first
00:28:56.16\00:28:59.03
and we sat at the
police station for about 40
00:28:59.03\00:29:01.03
minutes and I said
man, what are we doing guys.
00:29:01.03\00:29:05.00
We gotta get going, he
said oh pastor we're just
00:29:05.00\00:29:07.26
getting some M16s for
the trip. So, we can shoot
00:29:07.26\00:29:10.20
them from a long
away. And I was like man
00:29:10.20\00:29:12.23
where are we going
again. M16s, they couldn't get
00:29:12.23\00:29:19.30
any M16s this Sabbath afternoon.
00:29:19.30\00:29:21.23
Someone didn't have the
key to the padlock and so
00:29:21.23\00:29:23.23
we had to take pistols
and on the end, do we really
00:29:23.23\00:29:25.93
need to go on this
trip, about half way over sure
00:29:25.93\00:29:30.50
enough. We were held up
all this, it was the air was
00:29:30.50\00:29:34.33
blue from gun smoke
as these Adventist police
00:29:34.33\00:29:36.86
men were, they was
like the AK Carrell, it was
00:29:36.86\00:29:39.40
great fun. You know,
you shouldn't do that any
00:29:39.40\00:29:41.13
Sabbath afternoon,
you want relaxing stuff.
00:29:41.13\00:29:44.03
But, this point we just
looking at the date on the
00:29:45.63\00:29:47.66
calendar. When are
we flying out of here,
00:29:47.66\00:29:49.46
they had murdered
an Australian one month
00:29:50.43\00:29:52.23
before we got there over
20 dollars, they shot them
00:29:52.23\00:29:55.90
in the chest with a
shot gun and I'm preaching
00:29:55.90\00:30:00.23
away and the oval
was around ten thousand
00:30:00.23\00:30:01.96
people will come there
in the darkness of night.
00:30:01.96\00:30:03.93
There's at least 2 or
3 thousand Roman Catholic
00:30:03.93\00:30:06.90
believers there
and the big issue.
00:30:06.90\00:30:09.16
They want me to
preach on is the mark of the
00:30:09.16\00:30:10.80
beast, they want the
mark of the beast and they're
00:30:10.80\00:30:13.06
not gonna let me leave
town until they get the
00:30:13.06\00:30:14.76
mark of the beast.
Great, I suddenly loved their
00:30:14.76\00:30:22.53
voice and put down
their guns, well they say give
00:30:22.53\00:30:24.46
us the mark of the
beast, pastor. Okay, that's what
00:30:24.46\00:30:30.36
we're being called to do
and I'm sorry, I'm not one
00:30:30.36\00:30:33.06
of the guys that is
able to tell someone without
00:30:33.06\00:30:35.23
telling them. You
know, some guys, I can preach
00:30:35.23\00:30:38.20
that stuff and tell
someone and no one even
00:30:38.20\00:30:39.93
knows what they just
said. I'm just kind of a
00:30:39.93\00:30:42.73
little blunt and so we
did all those great things and
00:30:42.73\00:30:46.43
we came down to it and
I did it with tears in my
00:30:46.43\00:30:48.60
eyes and saying this is
not about denominations or
00:30:48.60\00:30:50.90
Churches, but this is
an issue over obedience and
00:30:50.90\00:30:53.90
who you belong to
and I preached it and man
00:30:53.90\00:30:56.50
about half way through
they came up on stage to
00:30:56.50\00:31:00.63
make an announcement
and by this point after
00:31:00.63\00:31:04.16
three weeks. I could
workout enough pigeon
00:31:04.16\00:31:06.53
to know what they were
saying and they asked for
00:31:06.53\00:31:10.53
all the police officers
and security guys to come and
00:31:10.53\00:31:13.93
stand down behind the
pastor. I don't think they
00:31:13.93\00:31:18.00
know, great, oh!
They're gonna shoot me now,
00:31:18.00\00:31:20.93
I turned to my, my
friend, my merry buddy who was
00:31:23.66\00:31:26.50
there with me, a
pastor and I said man, go and
00:31:26.50\00:31:28.76
see what they're doing
and he said, I ain't going
00:31:28.76\00:31:30.23
nowhere, you know
you just. He wasn't gonna
00:31:30.23\00:31:33.30
leave the stage, he
was hiding behind me and
00:31:33.30\00:31:35.36
I realized I'm up there in
the spot light. Every thing
00:31:35.36\00:31:38.30
else is in darkness,
so if you're gonna shoot
00:31:38.30\00:31:40.10
something in the
darkness the spot light is very
00:31:40.10\00:31:42.00
helpful. Man, I just
wanna go back to see my
00:31:42.00\00:31:47.90
family and for about 5
minutes there I thought
00:31:47.90\00:31:52.53
I was gonna die. I want
to tell you, it was the most
00:31:52.53\00:31:57.00
glorious 5 minutes of my life.
00:31:57.00\00:31:58.53
The Spirit spoke to
me; I mean yeah we get
00:32:02.16\00:32:07.00
impressions and things
in lot. But, he really did
00:32:07.00\00:32:09.50
actually speak to my
heart. I had a decision to
00:32:09.50\00:32:14.86
make, what do I do, I
turned to the translator
00:32:14.86\00:32:16.63
and said man what's
going on, what are we
00:32:16.63\00:32:17.60
doing. He said keep
preaching pastor, okay,
00:32:17.60\00:32:20.70
I'll keep preaching then
and the Spirit said to me.
00:32:20.70\00:32:25.40
He said you were born to
do this, that's why you're
00:32:25.40\00:32:29.63
on earth. It was like
this flood of a warm fuzzy,
00:32:29.63\00:32:35.66
a warm fuzzy is real
I had one in New Guinea.
00:32:36.33\00:32:38.66
Was like a warm fuzzy,
I thought I'm gonna keep
00:32:38.66\00:32:43.10
preaching. I was born to
do this and if they shoot
00:32:43.10\00:32:46.63
me and I'm
wounded. I'm gonna finish my
00:32:46.63\00:32:48.46
sermon before I go to the
hospital. If they kill me,
00:32:48.46\00:32:51.50
man you got to get
some brownie points if your
00:32:51.50\00:32:53.66
shot while preaching surely.
Amen. It was a glorious 5
00:32:53.66\00:33:00.53
minutes, for 5 minutes
I thought I was gonna die.
00:33:00.53\00:33:02.66
But, for 5 minutes I
knew we gotta shadow the
00:33:02.66\00:33:05.43
doubt that I was on earth
to tell the world that Jesus
00:33:05.43\00:33:08.30
is coming soon. Amen.
I don't get that in my
00:33:08.30\00:33:11.56
everyday when I'm
sitting in the office or driving
00:33:11.56\00:33:13.70
the car. I don't feel
that way all the time, but then
00:33:13.70\00:33:16.00
when I had the threat
of death before me, it was
00:33:16.00\00:33:19.50
absolutely transparent.
Who I was? I was born to
00:33:19.50\00:33:24.33
do this; I wanna make
an appeal to end my message
00:33:24.33\00:33:30.10
this morning. Very
simple, simple guy,
00:33:30.10\00:33:36.20
if you have been
one of these Seventh-Day
00:33:39.23\00:33:40.46
Adventists like me who
had struggled with having
00:33:40.46\00:33:44.16
one foot in the world
and one foot in the Church.
00:33:44.16\00:33:48.23
I wanna invite you
right now to make a choice to
00:33:50.53\00:33:52.93
have both feet with Jesus.
I mean firmly on the rock,
00:33:52.93\00:33:58.60
I'm gonna invite you
to do that right now by
00:33:58.60\00:34:01.40
standing where you are
and I don't want to know
00:34:01.40\00:34:03.56
what ever it is, where
ever you are. I'm gonna
00:34:03.56\00:34:06.20
invite you to stand and
in standing you're saying to
00:34:06.20\00:34:08.66
the Lord. Yeah, I
messed it up, I don't know who
00:34:08.66\00:34:11.93
I'm half the time but
this morning. I'm absolutely
00:34:11.93\00:34:15.06
clear that I was born
to live for Jesus Christ.
00:34:15.06\00:34:17.53
I don't want to live
in that camp and that camp
00:34:18.26\00:34:19.90
along. I also wanna
make another appeal to the
00:34:19.90\00:34:24.43
people here that are
not Seventh-Day Adventist
00:34:24.43\00:34:26.56
Christians and you
might have heard also to read
00:34:26.56\00:34:29.00
wonderful things about
Seventh-Day Adventists.
00:34:29.00\00:34:30.83
I want to tell, what I
told you this morning is the
00:34:30.83\00:34:32.80
absolute core fact of
the matter is that we're
00:34:32.80\00:34:37.50
Christians who live
during a crisis, a crisis of
00:34:37.50\00:34:40.63
authority. You may
have been baptized; you may
00:34:40.63\00:34:42.76
walk with the Lord Jesus
as your dearest friend but
00:34:42.76\00:34:45.20
I wanna make an appeal
to you today, that if you
00:34:45.20\00:34:49.20
too wanna stand on the
basis of truth and say I'm
00:34:49.20\00:34:53.20
gonna put my luck with
Jesus Christ and his truth
00:34:53.20\00:34:55.33
I would invite
you to stand as well.
00:34:55.33\00:34:56.76
And I'm not only
standing, I want you after
00:34:58.80\00:35:00.60
this meeting to come
out the back. Because we do
00:35:00.60\00:35:05.80
live in serious
times. We do live in a world
00:35:05.80\00:35:10.06
that's going to
destruction, but praise God
00:35:10.06\00:35:13.86
to Jesus Christ, who
gives us the victory. Amen.
00:35:13.86\00:35:17.06
When you have him, you
don't need anything else.
00:35:17.53\00:35:19.46
Please bow your heads
with me and pray: Father,
00:35:21.76\00:35:24.70
you've seen the decisions
that have been made here now.
00:35:24.70\00:35:27.40
That is not a casual
thing to do, they stood amidst
00:35:28.46\00:35:32.73
their peers to say my
life will be for Jesus alone.
00:35:32.73\00:35:36.70
My identity will be
found in his gospel, his
00:35:37.90\00:35:41.00
salvation and wherever
he sends me, whatever he
00:35:41.00\00:35:44.23
tells me to do,
I'm gonna obey him.
00:35:44.23\00:35:45.86
Father, thank you for
those decisions, may you
00:35:45.86\00:35:48.46
seal that decision with
your Holy Spirit unto the
00:35:48.46\00:35:51.73
day of redemption that I
would never be lost Lord,
00:35:51.73\00:35:55.30
but you would
convict them of sin and steer
00:35:55.30\00:35:57.43
them back on the right
path and Father, on that
00:35:57.43\00:35:59.90
great day. When Jesus
comes in all his glory and
00:35:59.90\00:36:03.90
we are gathered together
in the sea of glass, what
00:36:03.90\00:36:06.60
glory, glory, hallelujah.
Father, on that day we
00:36:06.60\00:36:12.40
would have no
regrets, we told everyone who
00:36:12.40\00:36:15.50
would listen
that Jesus loves him.
00:36:15.50\00:36:17.83
We tell everyone who
would listen, that he
00:36:18.83\00:36:22.26
wants to be a
part of their life.
00:36:22.26\00:36:23.60
Father, bless this group
today, keep us under that
00:36:24.56\00:36:28.26
great day of God
almighty. We pray in
00:36:28.26\00:36:30.80
Jesus precious
and holy name. Amen.
00:36:30.80\00:36:33.76