Participants: Justin McNeilus
Series Code: 10GYC
Program Code: 10GYC000001
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02:51 We'll jump into tonight's message;
02:55 it's entitled "No turning Back as You 02:57 Can Imagine." And tonight we want 03:00 to look through God's word and answer 03:04 the question of, are we prepared to 03:06 follow Him? That is to say when 03:09 Jesus comes to us and says; 03:11 will you follow me, will you? Will you? 03:19 Bow your heads with me as we pray one more time. 03:26 Blessed Heavenly Father, Lord, we're here again 03:36 at GYC Convention, excitement fills 03:42 our minds, our hearts, our desires, 03:47 we've come into a new city, 03:50 into new hotels and a new convention center. 03:55 And as we meet here tonight, 03:57 it would be a mistake for us to invite you in. 04:01 Because you were here before us, 04:05 so rather than that Lord we open our hearts to 04:08 receive an a message from your throne. 04:15 We open our hearts knowing that you'll bless us; 04:23 we open our hearts with an expectation that 04:26 you'll change us. And we open our hearts 04:32 humbly knowing that you can form us and 04:37 mold us into the youth you wanted. 04:41 The youth you need to finish your work, 04:45 Lord as we embark on a journey to fully 04:50 understand and answer the question if we're 04:53 prepared to follow. I pray that you'll 04:56 bless me, bless my speaking, 05:02 take the human and push him to the side, 05:04 take the messenger and eliminate him. 05:07 And give us a message tonight from your throne; 05:11 change us in Jesus name amen, amen. 05:19 It was late at night, it was a Friday night 05:23 just pretty recently after last 05:27 year's convention. We, we typically have 05:31 a tacos on Friday night and then we have company 05:34 over and so on this particular night the, 05:36 the company had gone home the, 05:38 the ingredients for the tacos were put away. 05:41 Our little cats were band into the garage for the 05:44 nights and all was seemingly at piece at the 05:48 McNeilus residence. I was preaching soon 05:52 and so I was browsing the net, 05:54 I was looking specifically for a meaning to a, 05:57 a specific Greek word. And through the 06:01 process my fingers clicked across a blog, 06:05 now I often don't read blogs but for whatever 06:07 reason this particular blog excited me. 06:10 It, it got me enthused, it was deeply spiritual, 06:15 at times it was troublesome. 06:17 It was questioning me how am I a youth? 06:20 What am I doing with my life? 06:21 What are my expectations for the future? 06:23 How is God leading out? And I kept reading and 06:28 reading and reading. And it was late tonight 06:32 I ran across this intriguing blog, 06:39 I'll give it a pseudonym to resist the temptation 06:43 of you even searching for him in this or him or 06:46 her in this room. And so I call him or 06:49 her hope seeking, it was late I ran 06:53 across it, it's entitled 06:54 "Human Limitation" and allow me just to read a 06:57 few excerpts from it. Hope seeking said this: 07:01 Human life is fragile, meek, and a very precious 07:05 thing that we can not take for granted. 07:09 We must remember that our meekness is what God 07:12 uses to remind us on what he, 07:15 what we need and only He provides. 07:18 Remember that he writes our days, 07:20 we might die in a giant attack, 07:23 we might die of an incurable disease, 07:25 or we maybe healed, live life wonderfully 07:29 for many years, or be a short inspiration 07:32 that lives only about 6. The examples go 07:35 on and on. So, cherish your life, 07:39 live every day as if it was your last, 07:42 make sure you do what you can to make people 07:45 joyous and happy with what God gave you, 07:48 and then no matter how long you live, 07:50 no matter where you live, no matter what 07:52 you can do, live the life designed 07:56 to the fullest. Stand strong, 08:00 never lose sight of God's Kingdom! 08:03 Only the faithful will enter. 08:07 Will you? Will you? Will you? Will I? 08:21 The questions plagued my mind. 08:24 Seconds turned to minutes, which turned to hours 08:27 and I began to question my life even 08:30 as a Christian, even as a professed 08:32 follower of Christ. Am I living the life God 08:36 designed for me to the fullest? 08:39 Am I cherishing the opportunity of my youth? 08:43 What am I doing with my life? 08:45 Will I, will you? 08:48 Will I live life to the fullest? 08:51 Will I never lose sight of God's Kingdom? 08:55 What are my priorities, what is prohibiting 08:58 me from living a life of no turning back, 09:03 deducing from the evidence, 09:05 articulated by hope seeking? 09:08 He or she was prepared to lay at all on the line, 09:11 you get the impression and the assumption that 09:13 this is a, a old and a decrepit person. 09:16 Living, looking back on his vast, 09:18 his or hers vast experience and saying 09:21 today I'm gonna follow Christ, 09:23 this minute I'm gonna follow Christ, 09:25 this second I'm gonna follow Christ, 09:26 I will follow Christ no matter what it takes. 09:32 I tossed and turned for most of the night, 09:36 soon my thought says as many times it does 09:39 turned to you. The youth of GYC, 09:47 are you at a point where you can say yes, 09:50 yes I will follow you Christ no matter the cost, 09:56 if not do you want to be? Are you sold out 10:01 totally to him, are you surrendered 10:03 to him when Christ asks you to follow 10:06 him will you? Will you? 10:11 As we prepare to mentally embrace that 10:13 question and, and find an answer 10:15 into our lives. I would submit to you, 10:17 we should go to our theme text. 10:21 Before we get there though I would just invite 10:23 you that we should first look at the context, 10:26 we should look at the understanding as why Jesus 10:29 made such a vivid and remarkable response. 10:33 Turn with me in your Bible to Luke, 10:36 Luke 9 and verse 57, you have Matthew, 10:43 Mark and then Luke, if you get the John you've 10:46 gone too far we are on the New Testament. 10:51 Luke 9 and verse 57 when you get there say amen? 10:54 Amen. Not enough people with us yet. 10:57 Luke 9 verse 57, I'll be preaching from 11:01 the English standard version, 11:04 whatever version you have in front to you. 11:07 Is fine with me just so you're into the 11:09 word of God, Luke 9:57, 11:13 are we there yes or no? Amen. 11:15 Now, we've got people there. 11:16 As they're going along the road, 11:17 someone said to Him, "I will follow You 11:21 wherever You go." Where will they 11:23 follow Him? Wherever He will go, 11:26 now I get the, the sense that as 11:29 I read through this and as I know Jesus is 11:31 response that this person was kind of making a, 11:34 a nonchalant comment. I almost get the sense 11:38 that this person did not understand what they 11:40 were saying. That is to say this 11:42 person came up to Jesus, a would be disciple 11:44 and said listen Jesus I'll tell you what. 11:47 I'll follow you wherever you go. 11:50 Jesus I'll make the sacrifice, 11:52 I'll go where you want me to go, 11:54 I'll give up what you want me to give up, 11:56 whatever it is Lord, I will follow you. 11:58 But don't think they meant it, 12:01 I almost get the sense of this person is making 12:03 a comment like you and I here in church 12:06 most Sabbaths. You've been there, 12:10 you walk into church, you get there, 12:12 there is the smiling greeter they say 12:14 good morning and, is anyone going to church? 12:22 They come in, you come in, 12:23 you walk in the greeter says good morning and 12:27 happy Sabbath. What is happy 12:30 Sabbath even mean? You ever thought about 12:33 that and further more when you say happy Sabbath, 12:36 do you mean it? See I think the person 12:41 making this or excuse me when we make the comment 12:44 of saying happy Sabbath we do it because 12:46 it's comfortable. And you and I will keep 12:52 going on saying happy Sabbath not 12:54 because it's bad, not because we do 12:57 or do not mean it. But because we've done 12:59 it in the past, friends I just wonder, 13:05 have we gotten too comfortable we're saying 13:08 that will follow Jesus. Well, we continue to say 13:14 yes Lord I will follow you, simply because we've 13:18 done it in the past. Yes, I will follow you, 13:25 GYC absolutely I'll go, I'll join a 13:28 local congregation. Absolutely, 13:31 go to a youth conference, absolutely, 13:34 go to an Adventist academy will do, 13:36 go to an Adventist college, you bet. 13:38 And then when we're asked are you a Christian, 13:41 are you a Seventh-day Adventist? 13:42 Are we too quick to respond indeed I am. 13:49 Could it be that as we embark on the journey 13:55 to answer the question of how you and I can 13:58 turn back or not turned back that we may need 14:01 to have our foundations, our biases and our 14:05 preconceived ideas of what it means to follow 14:07 a knock down. Could it be that through 14:10 the process of this life the word follow has been 14:13 watered down to mean something that Jesus 14:16 did not want it to mean. Could it be that through 14:19 the processes of this weekend you and I need 14:21 to understand not what it means as a 14:24 human being to, to use the word follow. 14:27 But what Christ himself means when 14:29 he says follow. Are you, 14:36 am I prepared to have the misconceptions, 14:40 the biases and the preconceive notion shaken? 14:45 We're gonna allow God to define it, 14:49 what it means to follow him? 14:53 Friends this is not just another GYC, 14:58 if it was we would have coined the theme 15:00 probably follow you. If we're feeling edgy 15:03 or even postmodern maybe just follow, 15:05 maybe just you, but it's not, 15:07 it cannot be it is. We are not in the point 15:11 in earth's history, where you and I be afford 15:13 can be affort be sitting in our living room doing 15:15 absolutely nothing. We're not there anymore, 15:19 this is not just another GYC, 15:21 and so we came up with a theme. 15:23 Gutsy in nature, no turning back, 15:29 and we think about it how could we and In fact 15:36 how dare we? Think about how GYC has 15:42 grown over the years, GYC at its inception, 15:47 a bunch of young people risking it out. 15:49 You know, they actually put the first confidence 15:52 on their parent's credit card. 15:57 Then there was Alistair, his paralysis 16:01 in Minnesota, another student who died 16:04 tragically on the way back from GYC. 16:08 Think of the outreach experiences, 16:12 you know one year we actually sent out an entire 16:15 bus with no maps. But amazingly by the grace 16:21 of God when all the buses came back, 16:23 everyone had a map in their hand. 16:29 And we're suggesting that we've come so far 16:33 as a movement, as a massive young people 16:36 that at this point we must not turn back. 16:40 The theme is about commitment to Christ, 16:42 who incidentally never turned back. 16:45 It's about sacrifice to our creator who 16:47 incidentally never turned back; 16:51 it's to say to our creator I have found you. 16:55 I know you, the old life, 16:57 the past experiences are dead, 16:59 I've met you and there's no way, 17:02 no way on earth I'm going back to where 17:04 I came from. No turnings back, 17:08 when Christ asks you to follow him will you? 17:12 Will you? Back to the story 17:15 of Luke recall with me that this would be 17:19 disciple approached Jesus with a 17:22 bold declaration. He or she thought she 17:26 was prepared to follow Jesus anyway, 17:29 but we have just suggested that this casual 17:33 enlister has not thought through the implications 17:38 of the declaration. And notice how 17:40 this point is even more developed as we read on, 17:45 Luke 9 and I'm in verse 59: To another he said, 17:51 "Follow me." But he said, "Lord, let me first, 17:57 let me first go and bury my father." Lord, 18:01 let me first did you catch it? 18:04 Did you see the insight that this give us about 18:06 the level of commitment of this would 18:08 be disciple. Lord, let me first, 18:11 translation Lord, let me first do something 18:14 before I follow you. Lord, I follow you great, 18:17 but hold on just a second. 18:20 You see before I follow you, 18:21 I need to do this, I need to accomplish this, 18:27 I need to attempt this. And then I'll follow you, 18:30 for this would be follower his or her first 18:33 priority was something else. 18:35 Incidentally friends this is the type of 18:37 mindset that is at the heart of what it means 18:40 to be looking back. It is to delay the call, 18:47 it is to lay the answer of a call from Jesus. 18:52 It is to hear and appeal and say yeah I want 18:55 to but let me first obtain my degree, 19:01 build my bank account, get married, 19:05 have a child, go to school, 19:07 speak with my pastors, speak with my counselor. 19:10 The list is seemingly endless but there are 19:13 times when Jesus calls for a decisive answer now, 19:17 don't give me wrong, I'm not saying that some 19:19 of those things aren't okay. 19:21 It's not bad to have your degree, 19:22 not bad to have wealth, not bad to get married 19:25 and not bad to have children if you're 19:27 ready for it. Just thought of 19:34 something really important that I wanted to tell 19:35 you and I don't know if I should take the second 19:38 to do it. I should, 19:45 maybe I shouldn't, this year, 19:49 this year very quickly. This year we're doing 19:52 something new at GYC, can I tell you about 19:55 it just for a second, hold the place where 19:58 we're in Luke, hold your thoughts 19:59 about will you follow Jesus. 20:01 This year we're doing something called total 20:04 church on Friday, we want to inspire 20:08 and train young people on how to be involved 20:10 in the local level, amen? 20:14 Here at GYC you are gonna learn how to be 20:17 involved at the local level, 20:18 we're gonna bring you in, we're gonna teach you 20:20 about the Seventh-day Adventist Church right 20:22 here as a large group, as a large class. 20:24 We are then gonna go into seminars where you 20:27 pick how to be an elder, how to teach a Sabbath 20:30 school class, how to teach even 20:31 cradle role, how to teach 20:32 pathfinders et cetera, et cetera? 20:34 I'm ecstatic about it and you need to be there. 20:39 You are maybe thinking that when I said 20:40 having children, because we have 20:41 someone that's actually gonna be teaching a 20:43 class on how to teach cradle role. 20:46 For us to say that, that only elders, 20:48 only deacons are important of a church is 20:50 a huge mistake. We need Godly leaders 20:53 that can do even create a role, 20:56 so we brought in a young lady sitting on 20:58 the front row. Red cheeks who's 21:00 gonna teach us that, don't miss it. 21:05 Having children is not bad, 21:08 these things are important. 21:09 But my point is this if Christ calls for a 21:12 decisive answer, anything that stands 21:15 in the way of that call, anything that can pause 21:17 us to delay his response is to turn back. 21:22 Jesus is beckoning for a decision, 21:25 a decision from you to follow him do not delay. 21:29 No matter the glaring accomplishments you think 21:32 you need before following him, 21:33 it is not worth it. Oh! Yes, 21:39 but there's always tomorrow, 21:42 friends for most of us in our lives tomorrow 21:45 isn't a code for never. Obedience delayed 21:51 is disobedience; we sacrifice our 21:55 eternal destiny for a shot at today's game. 22:01 Obedience deferred is no obedience, 22:05 when Christ bids you to follow him now and 22:08 you delay the answer to the call, 22:09 it's as good as not obeying him at all. 22:15 Tomorrow or later will never come, 22:20 this is why the Bible repeated these things, 22:23 today if you hear my voice, 22:25 today if you hear my voice, 22:26 today if you hear my voice harden not your heart. 22:31 Perhaps one reason we are not willing 22:32 to follow him, is we are not willing 22:34 to sacrifice certain things we are holding on to. 22:41 Friends the thesis, the climax, 22:44 the pinnacle of no turning back is sacrifice. 22:50 What will you sacrifice for him? 22:53 For some of us, it is to give up something 22:56 tangible today, something we can see, 22:59 something we can taste, something we can feel, 23:02 something we can listen to. 23:05 But for others it's giving up something that we 23:07 may attempt or may try to attempt in the future. 23:13 For many of us it's God calling us to sacrifice 23:16 a carnal future desire, clearly in this passage 23:21 from Luke those who were called as with 23:24 all disciples were being called to 23:27 sacrifice something. Whether it was 23:30 present or future, tangible or untangible, 23:33 they were called to sacrifice something to 23:35 follow Jesus. What are you willing 23:37 to give up to God forever, not one year from now, 23:41 not one month from now, not one day from now, 23:44 not one minute from now, not one second from now, 23:47 what are you willing to to give up to God today? 23:52 We give to God with no expectation of 23:56 receiving it back, when Christ asks 24:00 you to follow him will you? Will you? 24:07 Under our theme text Luke 9:62: 24:13 Jesus said to him, "No one who puts his 24:16 hand to the plow and looks back is fit 24:19 for the kingdom of God." Here Jesus gives an 24:24 example of a man plowing, he is just listed out 24:27 some troubling criteria for following him and 24:30 then he gives us an example of what it is 24:32 like to follow him. And notice with 24:35 me something this man is actually plowing, 24:40 not too insightful but that it is to say that 24:42 this man in order to not have, 24:45 not be turning back. He had to be working 24:48 for Christ, you know I can't 24:51 help but wonder if this is what fueled the 24:53 disciples that we read about in the book of Acts. 25:01 In order to not turn back we must be working, 25:05 Desire of Ages: A classic about 25:08 the life of Christ, the inspired pan page 523: 25:13 Only those who will become co-workers 25:15 with Christ, what are they? 25:18 What are they? Only those who will 25:21 become co-workers with Christ will be 25:24 acknowledged as sons and daughters of God. 25:28 You wanna be a son of God; you wanna be a 25:29 daughter of God. Only those who are 25:31 co-workers with Christ, all should consider what 25:35 it means to desire heaven, and yet to turn away 25:38 because of the conditions laid down, 25:41 think of it. Think of what it means 25:44 to say no to Christ, the savior offers to share 25:48 with us the work God has given us to do. 25:51 He offers us, he offers to use 25:53 the means God has given us to carry forward his 25:56 work in the world only, only in this way can 26:00 he save us. Jesus tells the 26:05 group gathered around him, in order to follow, 26:09 in order to not turn back. You must have your 26:12 hand to the plow; he can't help but wonder, 26:17 if that's what filled the disciples. 26:20 Soon after Jesus tells him these words, 26:23 soon after he's crucified on the cross, 26:25 we read in the book of Acts and it is 26:27 absolutely literate with accounts of the 26:29 disciples going out boldly. Boldly they spoke 26:34 to Sanhedrin, boldly they spoke to 26:36 the Pharisees, boldly they spoke to 26:38 the large groups, boldly they spoke 26:39 to small groups, and boldly they spoke 26:42 even when their life was on the line. 26:47 But something had to happen first, 26:53 before any sermon was preached, 26:59 before any Bible study was given. 27:03 The disciples had to have an upper 27:06 room experience, can anyone recall with 27:12 me why the disciples were in the upper 27:14 room initially? Can't hear you. 27:22 They were scared, I think I heard 27:23 someone saying that, scared, hunkered down, 27:27 someone ashamed of their beliefs. 27:31 The Bible and the spirit of prophecy tells us 27:33 that the disciples were scared for 27:35 their own life, but tolerate with me, 27:39 tolerate with me this thought. 27:42 Picture the upper room in its early stages, 27:45 there's about a 120 or so of them up there, 27:48 they're thinking about what they're gonna do. 27:50 They're praying about what they're gonna do 27:52 and I picture in my mind someone comes along 27:54 and thinks to themselves. I've just had a stoke 27:58 of human brilliance, the reason Jesus was, 28:03 was crucified is because he was a little brash. 28:09 Can kind of picture the wheels turning, could be. 28:16 Perhaps he didn't really mean what he said, 28:22 perhaps we should soften the message 28:28 a little bit. Yeah, that's it, 28:31 here's what we'll do? We'll soften the message; 28:35 it will make an appeasing to the Jews 28:37 and the Gentiles. No point in getting people 28:40 too worked up, we just wanna 28:42 comfortably blend in. Friends could it 28:48 be that many of us today are hunkered 28:51 down on our hypothetical upper room. 28:57 Could it be that we are tempted to want to 28:59 live in this, this Utopian where 29:02 it's acceptable to be an Adventist. 29:09 Isn't it so sweet to be an Adventist, 29:13 the world loves us, what's that you don't 29:17 believe in going to church on Sabbath Saturday, 29:22 that's okay. No point being 29:26 abrasive or confrontational, 29:29 but believe what you want. Give me a break, 29:37 the Christian message is abrasive to the world, 29:42 the true Christian message antagonizes the world. 29:48 It's abrasive in nature, at every human being's 29:51 core there is a desire to sin, 29:54 to separate themselves from God. 29:55 And we are coming into the world to say 29:57 that is incorrect, you need a savior, 30:00 you need to worship him, you need to not sin. 30:03 It is abrasive, it is not comfortable, 30:07 but it is what we have been called to do. 30:10 We need to stop hiding behind our own truth 30:13 and our unsanctified opinions; 30:15 we need to stop attempting to hijack God's truth. 30:19 If it is abrasive find that's what God has 30:21 called us to do, if it is uncomfortable, 30:23 find that's what our creator told us to preach. 30:28 You don't have to be obnoxious about it, 30:30 you don't have to be arrogant about it, 30:32 a loving delivery is necessary. 30:34 But make no mistake, the truth will cause 30:37 discomfort to sinners and sin, 30:40 it is not, if it is not 30:42 watered down it will call for radical change 30:45 in people's lives. If you can't tell 30:48 I have a strong problem with the notion that we 30:51 can water down the Bibles message to make 30:54 it accepting. As if somehow we can 30:59 massage it enough to where everyone will love us, 31:03 I've news for you. We're never gonna 31:05 beloved on this earth, Prophesy tell us it. 31:10 The Bible points to it, we need to stop caring 31:13 about what people think of us and start caring 31:16 about what God thinks of us, amen. 31:19 Is it gonna be uncomfortable it times 31:21 to follow Christ and commit to no turning back. 31:23 Absolutely, will it be on unpopular to 31:26 think to do, you better believe it. 31:30 Peter in his first book employees these words 31:33 1st Peter 4:12, 1st Peter 4:12: Beloved, 31:40 do not be surprised at the fiery trials when it 31:43 comes upon you to test you, 31:45 as though something strange were 31:47 happening to you. Peter's telling us, 31:51 warning us to be expected that trials 31:55 will be coming, expected, 31:57 expect to be dispersed from the world, 31:59 expected for the world not to accept you 32:02 as a Christian. But then he lays 32:03 down a striking appeal directly after in 32:06 verse 14: "But rejoice to the 32:12 extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, 32:16 that when His glory is revealed, 32:17 you may also be glad with exceeding joy." 32:24 Did you catch it, it's an extremely strong 32:27 word for Peter to chose to render that statement. 32:30 Rejoice not only should we know hatred 32:34 will coming, not only should 32:35 we embrace the fact that the Christian message 32:37 is antagonistic in nature, not only should we 32:40 boldly proclaim God's truth, 32:42 but oh! By the way when people don't like 32:45 you when they laugh at you, 32:46 when they make fun of you. As a believer when 32:48 they call you biblical Christian, sinner, 32:51 conservative, weird, unique, rejoice in it. 32:56 No turning back, capitalizing on this 33:01 line of reasoning, Ellen White states 33:04 these words. Great Controversy 33:08 page 48: Why is it, then, that persecution seems 33:13 in a great degree to slumber? 33:16 The only reason is that the church has conformed 33:21 to the world's standards, and therefore awakens 33:24 no opposition. And that was that 33:30 what would she say now? The religion which isn't 33:35 current in our day is not of the pure and holy 33:38 character that marked the Christian faith in 33:41 the days of Christ and His apostles. 33:44 It is only because of the spirit of 33:47 compromise with sin, because the great truths 33:51 of the world of God are so indifferently regarded, 33:54 because there is so little vital godliness 33:57 in the church, that Christianity is 34:00 apparently so popular in the world. 34:05 Did you catch that her words not mine. 34:08 It is only because of the spirit of compromise 34:11 with sin that Christianity is apparently 34:14 so popular with the world, then she tell us. 34:19 Let there be a revival of the faith and power 34:22 of the early church, and the spirit of 34:24 persecution will be revived. 34:28 Now I've thought about it, I've prayed about it, 34:36 the practical application of this point the, 34:38 the verses, the spirit of prophecy 34:41 we just unpackaged when you think about the 34:45 practicality of these points. 34:47 I realize, I realize that what 34:50 I'm about to say could be misunderstood. 34:55 But I also much forward fully realizing that it 34:58 could be cast aside, trivialized, 35:04 a passionate youth missing for. 35:08 But I also realize it much be said, 35:15 there is a movement from within the Seventh-day 35:19 Adventist church to soften and at times abandon 35:26 parts of our message. Make it more comfortable, 35:34 comes under the guys are being postmodern and 35:36 trying to appeal to the postmodern mind. 35:40 Comes under the guys of being youth friendly or 35:43 appealing to youth, many of you, 35:49 for all of us actually. The reality is we are 35:53 either part of the current or we are not and 35:56 the other reality is this, especially with church 36:01 leadership at whatever level. 36:04 Some of you have the capacity to either 36:06 support the movement or stop it and what I need 36:11 to say I say with the conviction, 36:14 with the boldness, but also with the heart 36:17 filled with the love and passion to see Christ 36:20 come soon. Don't allow our beliefs 36:24 to be highjack, don't allow others 36:28 to do it, please stand up 36:30 and be counted. Understand this is 36:32 from the prospective of a twenty six years 36:34 old youth; I've had the privilege 36:36 of preaching our distinct doctrines around 36:38 the world for the last ten years. 36:42 I've seen it first hand our messages 36:45 change lives, I've seen it fully 36:49 and I believe it that this message. 36:51 The message ordain by God is effective, 36:55 especially at this time in earth history we must 36:57 not turned back from our message or our mission 37:00 in the world. The reason GYC continues 37:05 to grow and groups like GYC are popping up 37:08 all around the globe is because young people want 37:10 to follow God all the way. They do not want to 37:14 turn back; they are not satisfied 37:16 with cheap watered down messages in standards. 37:19 They refuse to turn back, they want to give 37:23 their all, and they do 37:24 not want to turn back. I believe with all my 37:26 heart God is raising an army of youth, 37:28 these large bodies of young people are a 37:31 testimony of the appreciation we have 37:33 for the truth. Represent a core 37:38 of committed youth that are saying to others, 37:44 saying to our leadership and saying to the world, 37:48 no turning back. "The upper room must have 38:00 been one of the most unique experiences 38:02 described in the Bible. I can't wait to get 38:06 the heaven and fully understand what went down, 38:11 I'm not preview to all the details, 38:14 but some of the things we do know as if they 38:16 went in hunkerer down and they came out 38:19 filled with the holy spirit. 38:24 We would be wise to have a conference on 38:28 the Holy Spirit, would you come, 38:34 a few of you. We don't know the 38:37 details but the disciples went in ashamed, 38:41 scared for their own existence and came out 38:44 preaching boldly. They came out 38:47 of the upper room, hand to the plow, 38:49 clearly there was no talk of turning back, 38:53 and we need it. You and I need 38:57 an upper room experiences, perhaps we're afraid 39:01 of the world, we're hunkered down, 39:04 we clumsily proclaim I will follow you. 39:08 We don't understand the implications of 39:11 our declaration, the only way to fully 39:16 embrace the truths in this Bible, 39:18 the only way to eternalize them is to love them, 39:22 appreciate them and let them change your live. 39:27 Jesus says you wanna follow me, 39:30 your hand needs to be to the plow. 39:34 Now, I understand I'm not talking about the, 39:37 becoming a Mark Finley or a David Asscherick 39:41 and preaching all around the globe. 39:44 My wife and I as a result of this message on 39:47 things that we've been talking about we're gonna 39:49 hold the evangelistic series in our small 39:51 church this fall. We'll pray for one 39:55 or two to be baptized and can I be even 40:01 more real with you. We're praying that 40:05 their last name will be McNeilus, 40:09 see we're not at a point in earth history where 40:11 we can effort to be sitting in our living room. 40:14 They are there, the signs are there 40:16 in Matthew 24 you probably been through there 40:18 many times Jesus is coming again soon. 40:22 Daniel II was right there at the very toes, 40:25 at the cusp of eternity, Jesus is coming 40:28 again soon, amen. He says if you wanna 40:31 follow me put your hand to the plow. 40:35 He needs our feeble efforts even if it's just 40:37 a small effort to find one or two baptized, 40:43 when Christ asks you to follow him, will you? 40:48 Will you? You say it to yourself, 40:53 self I'm committed already, 40:58 I've been come into GYC for the 41:00 last 3, 5, 8 years, I'm committed. 41:05 I'm immersed in my local church, 41:07 by the way here's my handy dandy 41:09 list of responsibilities. Maybe you're a pastor, 41:14 you're preaching every Sabbath, 41:16 you say to yourself I'm turned back. 41:21 Maybe you're even presenting here at GYC 41:24 or you on the executive committee, 41:28 you say with yourself I'm there I'm, 41:29 I'm committed this theme is not really 41:31 applicable to me. You've kind of build 41:35 yourself a little hedge, out on limb and so the 41:39 message tonight the, the theme is all 41:42 irrelevant to you. And if that's you tolerate 41:47 this for a moment; everyone at this 41:51 conference has left things behind in their life. 41:55 A, a relationship, a bad experience, 41:58 moments of glory and there is no turning back 42:01 from them, they are left behind. 42:03 But could it be, could it be that some 42:06 of us through the process of this life have left 42:09 Jesus behind. Like Mary and Joseph, 42:17 we need to turn back to Jerusalem to rediscover 42:20 something we thought was with us but is not. 42:26 Let me give you a very practical real 42:29 life example, the creation evolution 42:33 debate rages war on some of our campuses 42:38 what a shame. The staunch defenders 42:41 of the church and truth march out with their 42:45 texts and spirit of prophecy quotes in hand; 42:48 earnestly ready to pounce on any suspecting or 42:51 unsuspecting victory. Honestly with the 42:55 advent of the internet you could do it from 42:57 your own home and remember we've just built from 43:02 the foundation of truth. We can't sacrifice, 43:07 we can't water it down its abrasive, 43:09 we have to understand, we have to know it, 43:11 we have to love it. But did you ever in the 43:19 process of your carefully articulated attacks, 43:23 stop to pray for the person you're attacking? 43:28 Did you study the creation doctrine to discover 43:31 the beautiful creator behind it or see you could 43:34 have some ammo for your next attack? 43:39 I would submit you to this some on the creation 43:42 side of the dialogue; the absolute right side 43:45 to be on have lost their salvation through 43:48 the process. Follow it to it's 43:54 logical conclusion, could it be that a 43:59 person and their stand for truth desperately 44:02 calling others to lose their salvation do so 44:05 while manifesting a spirit that will cause them 44:08 to lose their salvation. Maybe none of this 44:12 is resonating with you, perhaps it's just for me 44:20 because I've been there wasn't the creation 44:25 evolution debate that's just an example. 44:29 But through the process of my life of living 44:32 things behind and marching out to do 44:34 the right thing, I've left Jesus behind 44:37 in the process. For some of us we 44:42 need to rediscover something we thought 44:44 was with us but is not, we've just assume that 44:48 Jesus is in the caravan of our lives but tonight 44:52 through this conference we may 44:54 discover otherwise. Thus we need to 44:58 rediscover some lost values, 45:00 we need to rediscover Christ. 45:06 When Christ ask you to follow him, 45:09 will you? Will you? Whenever you're addressing 45:17 a change or a, a potential change 45:20 in your life it is vital, vital to understand 45:23 and to look at our saviors example. 45:27 Jesus left his home in heaven, 45:30 he lived the perfect life here on earth as 45:33 our example and then he died on the cross it's 45:36 the lamb slain from the foundation of the world. 45:41 Jesus is to be our example and every facet of 45:44 our lives so I would submit to you. 45:46 I would ask you tonight did Jesus turn back, 45:51 did he act in a manner of no turning back like we 45:55 are submitting we should do tonight. 45:59 And it's in the context of the last day that 46:02 I like to approach that question, 46:04 for most of us there's quite of bit of emotion 46:06 attached to the last day. You think of your last 46:10 day of Christmas break or, or summer before 46:14 returning to school. Oh! You long to be 46:16 back in those days of the good times, 46:20 for the professionals in the room we, 46:22 we think of our last vacation. 46:25 The day before, the last day before 46:27 going to back to work we long to be back 46:29 on the beach or on the mountain or on 46:32 the island wherever it was on our vacation. 46:34 But soon the last day comes, 46:37 and then there are those last days that require a 46:39 celebration. So, last day 46:42 of academy or college, the last day before you 46:45 move into your new home or a different car. 46:48 As humans we are all too predictable, 46:51 we excitedly close the chapter of our lives and 46:54 open a new one but it's always meet with 46:56 just a little bit of fear. 46:58 Fear of what's to come, fear of what the next 47:01 step is, fear of acclimating 47:03 to the new environment, fear that we 47:05 won't make it. But Jesus who shines 47:09 is our example embrace each last day with 47:13 apparent confidence and thus a lack of fear. 47:18 Think of his last day in the carpenter shop 47:20 before going to the river to be baptized. 47:23 Think of his last embrace with his mother before 47:26 dying on the cross, think of his last day 47:31 with his disciples before returning to heaven. 47:37 But before any of those last days, 47:41 there was a last day that happened to our 47:43 creator in heaven. Imagine with me 47:48 Jesus' last day in heaven, the unfallen 47:52 representatives all surrounded gathered in, 47:55 in a bit curiosity. They embraced him 47:58 one last time, will he actually go, 48:04 the angels bowed one last time to their master 48:07 before he left. And at some point he 48:11 embraced his Father one more time before 48:15 embracing humanity and there with heaven 48:19 portrayed in the back on of his walk, 48:21 focusing on earth the human race he 48:24 departed heaven. Think of the sacrifice 48:29 he gave up, he knew he'd 48:33 be ridiculed, he knew he would 48:35 be laughed at, he knew through the 48:37 bold preaching of the gospel he 48:39 would beheaded, he knew he would 48:42 come and his own would receive him not. 48:46 He knew that spin on it, beat him and eventually 48:50 crucify him, he could have 48:54 chose to stay in heaven where the angels 48:56 would worship him, but he didn't. 48:58 He could have chose to stay in heaven where 49:00 all the unfallen beings lovingly obeyed him, 49:03 but he didn't when he walked out of heaven 49:07 to come to this earth. He was thinking of 49:12 nothing but you, he wasn't looking 49:15 back the Gabriel, the holy city, 49:21 the angels the unfallen representatives. 49:26 He turned and nurtures the human race 49:29 towards you, Ellen White in 49:31 the Desire of Ages pronounces that Jesus did 49:34 not consider heaven a place to desire while 49:38 he was here. When Jesus left heaven, 49:42 he, excuse me when Jesus left heaven he embraced 49:46 no turning back and all the sacrifices and new 49:49 answers that went with it. Friends when it comes 49:54 to his love for us, he never looked back; 49:59 he had just one desire your eternal destiny. 50:07 When Jesus asked you and I in Luke 9 to follow 50:10 his commandments, when he asks us to 50:13 put our hands to the plow and not look back. 50:17 It's not like a human saying do as I say, 50:21 he's asking us to emulate our savior. 50:25 He's beckoning for us to not turn back, 50:30 because he already did. When Christ asks you 50:35 to follow him will you? Will you? 50:43 It was a cold day in the middle of February, 50:48 it was in Minnesota and the wind was blowing, 50:52 the temperature was far below zero. 50:56 For you and I it was a day like any other, 51:01 you probably went by without any eruptions, 51:04 interruptions but for my Aunt Tracy it was a 51:08 day she had to caringly and lovingly 51:12 approach her son. See my little cousin 51:15 Weston had been in enough of a battle 51:17 with cancer. He'd been in and 51:20 out of the hospitals many times, 51:25 through the chemo treatments, 51:27 through multiple invasive surgeries. 51:30 That time see the process had seemed as it 51:33 Weston was winning the battle against cancer. 51:38 But on this particular day in February my Aunt 51:40 had to tell her son the battle was over. 51:46 The cancer was terminal and soon he would die, 51:52 shortly, shortly after hearing the news Weston 52:04 called for his laptop. He been blogging 52:13 throughout the fight, Weston logged in 52:20 for what end up, ended up being hope 52:23 seekers last post. It was, 52:28 it's one of those post I'd like to read with 52:30 you in closing. May have been is last, 52:33 it may not have been, see hope seeker wasn't 52:37 an old man peering down the vast 52:39 expense of his life, He was my cousin Weston, 52:46 a 21 year old because of the brain damage 52:51 school was tough, at time fitting and 52:54 seemed awkward and so I read another post 52:57 from hope seeker. A 21 year old boy all to 53:02 familiar with the pain and agony of this world. 53:08 The dangers and tribulations will 53:10 be coming, Only by living 53:13 with God and living by His standards we 53:15 will be alive and well. God's ways are too 53:21 great and too good for a man to comprehend! 53:26 The Way the Truth and Life will never be 53:28 tolerated in the world, but never lose hope and 53:32 stand strong in the Truth and your calling! 53:37 Carry your crosses to the end of the road 53:40 and God make it all well! I myself am going 53:44 through many crazy and freaky trials and 53:46 I know only by trusting God and following Jesus' 53:51 example I will be able to live well and safe! 53:57 I personally am ready to be a martyr and die 54:00 today for the calling of God and do the right 54:03 things! I only want to be in Heaven, 54:10 Be strong and well in the Lord and remember 54:15 His promises! He has a wild and 54:19 nutty calling for you! Are you willing 54:21 to go there? Amen, 54:24 or you just gonna sit around and do noting? 54:28 He won't tolerate that either, 54:31 just so you know! May God open your 54:35 hearts and make it all well and have you able 54:40 to enter the Kingdom in His glory! 54:44 God bless all your souls and I only do what 54:48 I can to make all well in the Lord! 54:54 Weston died a few days later, 54:58 etched on his gravestone are the words he so 55:01 poetically proclaimed. I have no regret 55:07 for the life God chose for me, 55:10 I have no regret for the life God chose for me. 55:16 Life is tough, but I have no regret 55:20 for the life God chose for me. 55:24 Weston fully understood sacrifice; 55:27 he fully understood what it meant to surrender 55:30 it all to God, no matter what's 55:33 going on in your life. 55:39 I still remember the last time I visit him 55:41 in the hospital, my wife and I 55:43 entered the room and, his family was gathered 55:48 around. Incidentally they're not Adventist, 55:55 they're not necessarily even Christian 55:58 at the times. But they were 56:01 gathered around Weston and he, 56:04 he was boldly proclaiming messages from God. 56:09 We walked in and there he's preaching from 56:11 his bedside, he's family nestled 56:15 around listening intently. There were three 56:19 friends from his school that came, 56:21 the nurse had even stopped from what she was 56:24 doing and came to hear him. 56:27 And there he was unfolding the truths 56:30 in the Bible, proclaiming God's 56:32 love for him, proclaiming his 56:34 absolute trust and faith in God, 56:37 despite what he was going through. 56:41 And I remember them getting to the end and one 56:44 of the boy said you know Weston; 56:46 I'm not going to have to go to church on Sunday. 56:48 Because I just got my sermon, 56:51 to which he replied with a little dissertation on 56:54 why Sabbath is it Saturday was a day you 56:58 should go to church. 57:04 Weston knew wholeheartedly what 57:06 it meant to follow him, even at times while it 57:10 was uncomfortable and uncommon. 57:13 He understood what it meant to sacrifice and 57:18 he was unashamed about the Bible truth and he 57:22 boldly proclaimed them everywhere he went. 57:27 He knew without a shadow of a doubt Jesus was 57:30 with him every step of the way. 57:34 I only want to be in Heaven, 57:38 when Christ came to Weston and asked him 57:40 to follow him. He unequivocally said yes, 57:46 when Christ asks you to follow him will you? 57:54 Will you? Will you? |
Revised 2014-12-17