Good morning GYC,
good morning friends.
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We want to welcome you
to morning devotions here
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at GYC and I open
my phone this morning
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it's 12/31 the last
day of the year and what
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better way to end
the year by spending
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it together here
seeking God at GYC
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and if any of you
are from the west coast
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like I am and you
haven't adjusted to
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the time zone yet,
thank you for being
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here even if it feels like 4 am.
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We are expecting
a blessing from God
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this morning. And
we are going to enjoy
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another message
from God's word brought
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to us by Thando. I
want to invite you to
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join me on your knees as we
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prepare our hearts this morning.
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Dear Heavenly
Father, we are coming to you
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this morning to your
throne, not to seek you
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in some casual,
routine, ordinary way,
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but really Lord we
are seeking your blessing
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this morning, so
please be with us.
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Lord, forgive us
for our sins and prepare
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our hearts, open us
up and do inside of us
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Lord only what you
can do, give us soft
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hearts and sharp minds
to receive your message
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this morning I pray
in Jesus name, amen.
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At this time we
will enjoy music brought
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to us by my friends
Sarah and Stephanie Draget
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with the message from
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Thando immediately following.
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Beloved, hear my words,
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the signs are
soon to come to pass,
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Do you see the growing hunger,
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Do you think
this world can last,
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I've heard her deep distressing
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groans in her
labor, mourn and cry,
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But do not fear my
child, my chosen one,
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Is to you I testify
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Behold I am coming soon
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to receive you to Myself,
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that where I am you may be also,
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with my people I may dwell,
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wherever you are now come,
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take the water of life and live,
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if you seek me, you'll find me,
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I will take you as you are.
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I'm the alpha and omega,
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And the brighter morning star,
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Hold fast to us
is yours by faith,
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Let no one take your crown,
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I will clothe you
with my righteousness,
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If you lay your whole sin down,
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Then take up your
Cross and follow me,
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In the storms of life be still,
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I'll never leave
you nor forsake you,
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As you go into my will,
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Behold, I am coming soon,
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to receive you to Myself,
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that where I am you may be also,
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with my people I may dwell,
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wherever you are now come,
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take the water of life and live,
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if you seek me,
you will find me,
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I'll take you as you are.
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I'm the alpha and omega,
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And the brighter morning star,
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I'm coming for
you, I'm coming for you.
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I'm coming for you,
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please be
ready, please be ready.
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Behold, I am coming soon,
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to receive you to Myself,
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that where I am you may be also,
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with my people I may dwell,
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wherever you are now come,
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take the water of life and live,
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if you seek me,
you will find me,
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I'll take you as you are.
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I'm the alpha and omega,
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And the brighter morning star,
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I'm coming, I'm
coming, I'm coming. Amen.
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Good morning GYC. Good morning.
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Are we alive and
well this morning, yes?
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Yes we are, praise the Lord.
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You know before I
came up here yesterday
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I don't know if you
guys realize how nervous
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I was and then when I
got up here I realized
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you know what I'm
on stage, can't go back
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now right, might as
well preach, and there
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is interesting no
turning back experience,
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I have been
tremendously blessed,
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have you been blessed? Amen.
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Have you been encouraged? Amen.
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And I'm so happy to
see us here this morning
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and I do want to ask
us for one small favor
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this morning, you
know yesterday going
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around the holes,
running around for
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some logistical
issues, I saw quite a few of
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our brothers and
sisters just wandering
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in the hallways. And I
know that as we are here,
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I would ask us to
be our brothers and
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our sisters
keeper, can we do that,
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so if you see a brother
or a sister just wilding
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time in the
hallway when meetings are
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going on kindly in
the meekness of Christ
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encourage them to
come into the meetings.
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Can we do that,
lets be our brothers
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and sisters
keeper. And, our message
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this morning, the
title is "Nothing Less."
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Nothing less, and
as I began I am going
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to warn you that
we are going to go
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through a lot of
scripture this morning.
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So please have
your Bibles, your pens,
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your pencils and
have your minds sharp
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and ready to
reason through the word of
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God this
morning. I shared with you
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yesterday my testimony about
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taking a year off to
do the campus missionary
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training program
after my sophomore year
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at Harvard. And
taking that year off at the
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risk of losing my
scholarship, losing
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my education, but
how it is our God was
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faithful to
restore everything to me at
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the end of that year off.
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And I told you that the
story did not end there,
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so I'll finish it
this morning. When I went
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back to Harvard to
finish my junior and
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my senior years
God made it abundantly
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clear to me that
He was calling me into
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fulltime youth
and campus ministry
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through His word,
through his providence,
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and to the burden
that He placed upon
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my heart, there
was no doubts in me
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that God was calling
me into fulltime youth
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and campus
ministry. And I made up my
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mind by the grace
of God to obey Him,
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no turning back
right. Until may 2010
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commencement
week, graduation week,
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and all of the
sudden the realization of
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what I was doing
hit me with full force
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and you know commencement week
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was this pomp and
circumstance at Harvard
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and you are mingling
with some of the elites
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of the elites,
right Harvard graduates
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who have done amazing
things in their lives,
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alumni who have gone
onto glittering careers
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in business and
medicine in different
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areas of what this
will consider success.
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And suddenly it dawned
on me that one could do
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so much with the Harvard degree,
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because that name
opens so many doors
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right that's what
the world says because
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it's considered
one of the world's best
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universities, and
that week of graduation
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was I give that the
one of the most depressing
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weeks of my life. And
friends are asking Thando,
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what are you
doing when you graduate,
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I am gonna be a missionary,
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and when I came
back from the graduation
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ceremony all
ducked in my gown, my cap,
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and having my degree in my hand,
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I went back home to
my room and I just sat
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down and I was
fighting back tears.
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And I cannot
describe to you the tension
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in my mind and the
thoughts, the questions
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that were raising
there and I asked the Lord
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to say Lord why would
you call me to do this
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and I thought back
to my life growing up,
00:10:58.36\00:11:01.70
and how God had
led me down a path of
00:11:01.70\00:11:03.96
clear academic
success, growing up in
00:11:03.96\00:11:07.36
Switzerland and
every time we took national
00:11:07.36\00:11:10.16
exams being the
best student ever with
00:11:10.16\00:11:12.10
perfect scores,
perfect scores in my
00:11:12.10\00:11:15.00
IB diploma exams,
early admissions to Harvard
00:11:15.00\00:11:17.96
and now here I was
with a chemistry degree
00:11:17.96\00:11:20.60
and God was saying
Thando, I'm calling you
00:11:20.60\00:11:23.20
to fulltime campus ministry.
00:11:23.20\00:11:25.60
And I thought to
myself surely Lord
00:11:25.60\00:11:28.60
you let me done
this path for a reason,
00:11:28.60\00:11:31.03
surely God wouldn't
leave me so far just
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to have me waste
this academic success
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in ministry, would
he? And those questions
00:11:36.76\00:11:42.10
troubled me. And I
think that experience is a
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common one in our
Christian journey,
00:11:49.40\00:11:52.33
when the will of God
takes us to places that
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seem to make no
logical human sense.
00:11:57.40\00:12:01.90
When the will of
God is so crystal clear
00:12:01.90\00:12:05.23
but we don't understand why
00:12:05.23\00:12:06.90
He would call in such
a way, and we sit back
00:12:06.90\00:12:09.90
and we are
attempted to say God why would
00:12:09.90\00:12:12.56
you ask me to do
this? And yet Jesus taught
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us how to pray, let
thy will be done on earth
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as it is in heaven.
And every time we pray
00:12:24.46\00:12:28.80
those words we're
saying that if we've
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given ourselves to
God, we're always asking
00:12:31.76\00:12:35.70
the question God
what will you have me do,
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and when God reveals
His will unquestioning
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obedience is
imperative, nothing less.
00:12:43.83\00:12:49.00
Let's pray together as we begin.
00:12:49.00\00:12:51.80
Dear Heavenly Father,
00:12:56.76\00:12:58.93
we've come this
morning yet again to hear a
00:13:01.60\00:13:06.36
word from you.
Father, you've spoken to our
00:13:06.36\00:13:10.00
hearts in so many
ways already this weekend.
00:13:10.00\00:13:14.60
We're blessed, we're encouraged,
00:13:14.60\00:13:18.00
we're inspired.
This morning we seek yet
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another word and
Father we pray that in spite
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of the fatigue and
the weakness of my human
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frame that Lord
you would condescend to
00:13:29.66\00:13:33.23
speak through me,
that every heart here
00:13:33.23\00:13:36.73
would hear a
word from your throne.
00:13:36.73\00:13:39.10
Father, we ask that
your spirit would be
00:13:42.00\00:13:45.10
amongst us this
morning for it's the
00:13:45.10\00:13:47.90
Holy Spirit that
presses the truth homes to
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every heart and brings
conviction upon our souls.
00:13:50.53\00:13:54.40
So Father sent Him to
be with us this morning,
00:13:54.40\00:13:58.90
speak to us, draw
us nearer to Christ and
00:13:58.90\00:14:05.70
teach us what it
means to be like Him,
00:14:05.70\00:14:08.90
to follow Him in
the path of self-denial.
00:14:08.90\00:14:13.13
So this we pray
and we ask believing
00:14:13.13\00:14:16.86
for we ask in Jesus name, amen.
00:14:16.86\00:14:20.93
Nothing Less.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer,
00:14:29.60\00:14:34.93
the German
Theologian wrote a book entitled
00:14:34.93\00:14:38.76
"The Cost of Discipleship"
00:14:38.76\00:14:40.90
that I want to
encourage you to read
00:14:40.90\00:14:42.90
if you haven't read
it. I'm gonna read with
00:14:42.90\00:14:45.50
you one quotation
that never fails to pause,
00:14:45.50\00:14:52.80
at least to make
me pause and think.
00:14:52.80\00:14:55.40
Bonhoeffer wrote this:
"When Christ calls a man,
00:14:55.40\00:15:01.90
He bids him come and
die, death in Jesus Christ,
00:15:01.90\00:15:08.86
the death of the old
man or nature at his call.
00:15:08.86\00:15:13.70
Jesus' summons to
the rich young man was
00:15:13.70\00:15:17.20
calling him to
die, because only the
00:15:17.20\00:15:20.70
man who is dead to his
own will can follow Christ.
00:15:20.70\00:15:25.40
In fact, every command
of Jesus is a call to die,
00:15:25.40\00:15:31.86
with all our
affections and lusts."
00:15:31.86\00:15:37.03
Notice how
Bonhoeffer says every command
00:15:37.03\00:15:41.86
of Jesus is a call
to die and that the only
00:15:41.86\00:15:46.13
person, the only
man or woman, who can
00:15:46.13\00:15:50.03
follow Christ is
the one who has died to
00:15:50.03\00:15:53.50
his own will. For
when Jesus calls a man
00:15:53.50\00:15:57.46
He bids him come and
die. And Christ Himself
00:15:57.46\00:16:02.06
said very clearly, if
any man will come after me,
00:16:02.06\00:16:07.00
if you will come
and He's how He wants us
00:16:07.00\00:16:09.93
to come, if any
man will come after me,
00:16:09.93\00:16:14.40
let him deny himself,
take up His cross daily
00:16:14.40\00:16:19.60
and follow me,
that's Luke 9:23; If any man
00:16:19.60\00:16:25.83
will come after me,
and that's how Jesus wants
00:16:25.83\00:16:30.43
to be followed, come and die.
00:16:30.43\00:16:34.36
And as I begin
our study I want us to
00:16:34.36\00:16:36.73
understand friends
that Jesus makes this
00:16:36.73\00:16:39.53
call under the
premise of His own example,
00:16:39.53\00:16:42.83
because He stands
as the example of what
00:16:42.83\00:16:46.90
He calls us to do,
an unreserved surrender
00:16:46.90\00:16:50.30
to the will of
God. Take your Bibles
00:16:50.30\00:16:52.80
to the Gospel of John chapter 1,
00:16:52.80\00:16:55.26
arguably my favorite
Gospel John chapter 1,
00:16:55.26\00:17:00.96
when you're there say amen.
00:17:00.96\00:17:02.83
John chapter 1 and
we are going to look at
00:17:06.73\00:17:09.36
how Jesus set
the example and now
00:17:09.36\00:17:12.36
He calls us to follow
in His foot steps in coming
00:17:12.36\00:17:16.26
and dying. John
chapter 1, are we there?
00:17:16.26\00:17:19.86
Amen. Beginning in
verse 1 the Bible says
00:17:19.86\00:17:23.63
in the beginning
was the word, and the
00:17:23.63\00:17:25.46
word was with God,
and the word was God.
00:17:25.46\00:17:28.36
The same was in
the beginning with God
00:17:28.36\00:17:31.20
and all things
were made by Him and
00:17:31.20\00:17:33.46
without Him was
not anything made that
00:17:33.46\00:17:36.40
was made, in Him was
life, and the life was
00:17:36.40\00:17:40.60
the light of men. And
I love how John begins
00:17:40.60\00:17:45.80
his gospel here
by reminding us about
00:17:45.80\00:17:48.40
this being he calls the word.
00:17:48.40\00:17:50.33
And in verse 1 three
things about the word,
00:17:50.33\00:17:53.03
He was in the beginning, He was
00:17:53.03\00:17:55.00
with God and He was
God. In the beginning
00:17:55.00\00:17:58.76
meaning His
eternal and pre-existent.
00:17:58.76\00:18:01.33
He was with God
being a distinct person of
00:18:01.33\00:18:04.16
the God had, and
He was God being,
00:18:04.16\00:18:06.36
He is divine, He was
God. And in this word
00:18:06.36\00:18:10.90
is also creator
according to verse 3
00:18:10.90\00:18:13.53
and in verse 4 in
Him was life right.
00:18:13.53\00:18:17.03
And now having
told us about this word
00:18:17.03\00:18:19.86
John then
identifies Him in verse 14 and
00:18:19.86\00:18:23.26
in verse 14 he identifies
the word in very clear,
00:18:23.26\00:18:26.66
in equivocal terms.
And he says the word
00:18:26.66\00:18:30.50
was made flesh,
and dwelt among us,
00:18:30.50\00:18:33.56
and we beheld his
glory, the glory added,
00:18:33.56\00:18:36.43
the only begotten of
the Father, full of grace
00:18:36.43\00:18:40.10
and truth. And so
this being who is the word,
00:18:40.10\00:18:43.96
this eternal pre-existing
being who is divine,
00:18:43.96\00:18:47.80
who is God is none
other than Jesus Christ
00:18:47.80\00:18:50.60
Himself, and so John's
gospel begins by telling
00:18:50.60\00:18:55.03
us very clearly
that Jesus is God.
00:18:55.03\00:18:58.63
His divinity is
very clearly affirmed.
00:18:58.63\00:19:01.90
He was in the
beginning, He was with God and
00:19:01.90\00:19:04.33
he was God, and the
rest of the Bible agrees
00:19:04.33\00:19:07.66
with this concept.
Go to Hebrews chapter 1
00:19:07.66\00:19:09.96
and just see one
instance of this.
00:19:09.96\00:19:11.46
In Hebrews chapter 1
and agreeing with John
00:19:11.46\00:19:14.10
in affirming Christ divinity.
00:19:14.10\00:19:17.10
Hebrews chapter 1,
the writer of the book of
00:19:17.10\00:19:23.70
Hebrews begins in
verse 1 by saying,
00:19:23.70\00:19:29.93
are we there, amen,
okay. God, who at sundry
00:19:29.93\00:19:37.93
times and in divers
manners spake in time
00:19:37.93\00:19:41.10
past unto the
fathers by the prophets,
00:19:41.10\00:19:43.86
hath in these last
days spoken unto us
00:19:43.86\00:19:47.20
by his Son, whom
he hath appointed heir
00:19:47.20\00:19:50.53
of all things, by whom
also he made the worlds;
00:19:50.53\00:19:55.00
who being the
brightness of his glory,
00:19:55.00\00:19:58.16
and the express
image of his person.
00:19:58.16\00:20:01.20
And so Christ is
described in verse 3
00:20:01.20\00:20:05.30
as the brightness
of God's glory and the
00:20:05.30\00:20:08.00
express image of
God's person, and again
00:20:08.00\00:20:11.30
affirming Christ
divinity. And then in verse 8 of
00:20:11.30\00:20:15.46
Hebrews chapter 1 the
Father Himself affirms
00:20:15.46\00:20:19.13
Christ's
divinity, and verse 8 reads:
00:20:19.13\00:20:22.30
But unto the Son
He God saith, unto the
00:20:22.30\00:20:26.10
Son God says Thy
throne O God is forever
00:20:26.10\00:20:32.96
and ever: a scepter
of righteousness is the
00:20:32.96\00:20:37.73
scepter of thy
kingdom, and so God the Father
00:20:37.73\00:20:41.90
acknowledge us the
divinity of His Son.
00:20:41.90\00:20:45.60
And as Colossians
2:9 tells us in Christ
00:20:45.60\00:20:50.23
dwelleth all the
fullness of the Godhead bodily,
00:20:50.23\00:20:54.80
amen. So let that
be in our thoughts,
00:20:54.80\00:20:57.66
in our minds that Jesus was God.
00:20:57.66\00:21:00.86
His divinity is
crystal clear, and Isaiah 9:6
00:21:00.86\00:21:06.43
that famous promise
calls Him the wonderful
00:21:06.43\00:21:10.46
counselor, the
mighty God, the everlasting
00:21:10.46\00:21:13.83
Father, The prince
of peace, Jesus is God.
00:21:13.83\00:21:18.13
And yet now we
transition to the,
00:21:18.13\00:21:21.73
the mystery of
godliness that Paul addresses
00:21:21.73\00:21:25.63
in 1st Timothy 3
verse 16 and keeping in your
00:21:25.63\00:21:29.26
minds that Jesus is
divine. In 1st Timothy
00:21:29.26\00:21:35.06
3 verse 16, I'll give
you a minute to get there,
00:21:35.06\00:21:45.40
Bible students
are we there? Yes.
00:21:49.50\00:21:55.60
Keeping in our minds
that Jesus is fully God
00:21:55.60\00:22:01.13
and Paul writes,
without controversy great
00:22:01.13\00:22:04.83
in verse 16, And
without controversy great
00:22:04.83\00:22:09.00
is the mystery of
godliness: That God
00:22:09.00\00:22:11.50
was manifest in
the flesh, justified
00:22:11.50\00:22:14.23
in the Spirit, seen
of angels, preached unto
00:22:14.23\00:22:17.70
the gentiles, believed
in the word, received up
00:22:17.70\00:22:21.26
into glory, it's a mystery okay.
00:22:21.26\00:22:26.10
The mystery over the
fact that Jesus came down,
00:22:26.10\00:22:29.23
being fully God to be
our Emmanuel God with us,
00:22:29.23\00:22:33.13
and that He walks
the earth being fully God
00:22:33.13\00:22:35.76
and being fully man
that the gospels tell the
00:22:35.76\00:22:39.23
story of Jesus
Christ, the man Jesus Christ,
00:22:39.23\00:22:44.00
who was also
mysteriously God the son.
00:22:44.00\00:22:48.20
And Paul says
without controversy
00:22:48.20\00:22:50.86
it's a great mystery
that God was manifest
00:22:50.86\00:22:54.36
in the flesh, that
the word was made flesh
00:22:54.36\00:22:57.90
and dwells among
us. And so you're seeing
00:22:57.90\00:23:01.13
this crystal clear
picture of who Jesus is,
00:23:01.13\00:23:05.00
being fully
God, being fully man,
00:23:05.00\00:23:07.63
but our study
this morning takes us
00:23:07.63\00:23:10.10
to the heart of Christ
life while He on earth,
00:23:10.10\00:23:14.10
being fully God
being fully vested with the
00:23:14.10\00:23:18.00
powers of divinity
in Himself, having the
00:23:18.00\00:23:21.10
fullness of the
Godhead bodily in him,
00:23:21.10\00:23:24.03
He came down here
and lived a life of
00:23:24.03\00:23:28.40
nothing less than
unreserved surrender
00:23:28.40\00:23:34.00
to the will of His
Father. If you turn back now to
00:23:34.00\00:23:40.00
the gospel of
John, I wanna show you
00:23:40.00\00:23:42.30
how the theme of
the Father's will ruled
00:23:42.30\00:23:45.86
the life of Christ.
And I warned you of the
00:23:45.86\00:23:51.06
turning scriptures
pages this morning;
00:23:51.06\00:23:53.80
I hope it's keeping you awake.
00:23:53.80\00:23:56.40
In John chapter
4, let's begin there
00:23:56.40\00:24:01.13
and just see how
Christ life was ruled
00:24:01.13\00:24:05.43
by the will of the Father.
00:24:05.43\00:24:07.76
In John chapter 4
are we there, amen are
00:24:11.20\00:24:15.66
we all there, amen.
Okay, In John chapter 4
00:24:15.66\00:24:21.93
and verse 34
Jesus speaking says,
00:24:21.93\00:24:25.93
my meat is to do the
will of him that sends me,
00:24:25.93\00:24:30.10
and to finish his
work. So Jesus meets
00:24:30.10\00:24:33.70
His greatest satisfaction
His deepest joy was to
00:24:33.70\00:24:36.83
do the will of His
Father. In John chapter 5 just
00:24:36.83\00:24:41.00
one chapter over
in verse 30 the same
00:24:41.00\00:24:43.66
truth is
repeated. In John chapter 5
00:24:43.66\00:24:47.10
and verse 30 and
again speaking Jesus says,
00:24:47.10\00:24:51.43
I can of mine
own self do nothing:
00:24:51.43\00:24:54.80
and as I hear, I judge:
and my judgment is just;
00:24:54.80\00:24:58.40
because I seek
not mine own will,
00:24:58.40\00:25:01.33
but the will of the
Father which hath sent me.
00:25:01.33\00:25:04.83
He came down from
heaven to seek not
00:25:04.83\00:25:08.73
his own will but
the Father's will.
00:25:08.73\00:25:11.43
And in John 6:38
that we've read from
00:25:11.43\00:25:16.56
yesterday Jesus
says, for I came down from
00:25:16.56\00:25:21.60
heaven, not to do mine own will,
00:25:21.60\00:25:25.56
but the will of
him that sent me.
00:25:25.56\00:25:29.30
Do you see how the
words will and sent
00:25:29.30\00:25:33.60
are being repeated
here? Do you see that,
00:25:33.60\00:25:37.16
do you see that
friends? Do you see
00:25:37.16\00:25:41.50
that repetition of
the will of the Father
00:25:41.50\00:25:44.80
and Him that sent
me, and then Christ came
00:25:44.80\00:25:48.36
down from heaven
not to do His own will
00:25:48.36\00:25:52.33
but the will of
Him that sent Him.
00:25:52.33\00:25:54.93
And that as He walked
the earth being fully,
00:25:56.90\00:26:01.70
fully God he surrendered
00:26:01.70\00:26:04.50
Himself to the
will of His Father.
00:26:04.50\00:26:07.93
And a beautiful
expedition of Christ's
00:26:10.90\00:26:16.00
surrender, Paul
writes Philippians chapter 2,
00:26:16.00\00:26:20.33
arguably one of
the most beautiful and
00:26:20.33\00:26:23.53
deepest passages on
Christ's life ever written.
00:26:23.53\00:26:27.43
And when I study
that this morning and
00:26:27.43\00:26:32.63
understanding Christ's
call to come and to die.
00:26:32.63\00:26:37.96
Philippians chapter
2, when you get there
00:26:41.60\00:26:47.10
please say amen,
amen. I'm reading
00:26:47.10\00:26:54.30
from verse 5, the
Bible says, let this mind
00:26:54.30\00:27:02.90
be in you. Philippians
chapter 2 and verse 5,
00:27:02.90\00:27:07.56
which was also
in Christ Jesus who
00:27:07.56\00:27:11.63
being in the form
of God, thought it not
00:27:11.63\00:27:14.30
robbery to be equal with God:
00:27:14.30\00:27:16.40
But made himself
of no reputation,
00:27:16.40\00:27:19.90
and took upon him
the form of a servant,
00:27:19.90\00:27:23.10
and was made in
the likeness of men.
00:27:23.10\00:27:25.53
And being found
in fashion as a man,
00:27:25.53\00:27:28.73
he humbled
himself, and became obedient
00:27:28.73\00:27:30.90
unto death, even
the death of the cross.
00:27:30.90\00:27:35.50
So as you and I reflect
on Philippians chapter 2
00:27:35.50\00:27:39.73
verse 8 this
morning, that Christ humbled
00:27:39.73\00:27:43.00
Himself and
became obedience to His
00:27:43.00\00:27:45.50
Father's will even
to the point of death
00:27:45.50\00:27:48.86
on the Cross. His
life was a life of not my
00:27:48.86\00:27:54.40
will but thine,
nothing less than unreserved
00:27:54.40\00:27:58.50
surrender, nothing
less than radical abandon
00:27:58.50\00:28:02.70
to the will of God
even to the point of death
00:28:02.70\00:28:07.13
on the cross. And
so think about him in
00:28:07.13\00:28:12.03
Gethsemane. Think
about Him kneeling upon
00:28:12.03\00:28:15.43
the ground, praying
that crushing prayer,
00:28:15.43\00:28:18.33
Father if it be
possible let this cup pass from
00:28:18.33\00:28:22.30
me yet nevertheless
not my will but thine.
00:28:22.30\00:28:26.53
And let us not
think for one minute that
00:28:26.53\00:28:29.70
Gethsemane was easy it was not,
00:28:29.70\00:28:32.30
because Gethsemane wasn't easy,
00:28:32.30\00:28:35.60
no man sweats great
drops of blood if it's easy.
00:28:35.60\00:28:40.20
Calvary wasn't easy
either the submission
00:28:40.20\00:28:43.93
was painful. His
humanity felt the
00:28:43.93\00:28:47.20
crushing weight of
sin and of being man
00:28:47.20\00:28:50.16
sin bearer, but
feeling that crushing weights
00:28:50.16\00:28:53.90
and being tempted to
go back being tempted
00:28:53.90\00:28:56.86
to say it's enough I
am going back to heaven
00:28:56.86\00:28:59.40
Christ surrender
whether the pain and
00:28:59.40\00:29:03.46
He said Father
not my will but thine.
00:29:03.46\00:29:06.56
If it be possible let
this cup pass from me,
00:29:06.56\00:29:11.10
but if this cup
cannot pass from me except
00:29:11.10\00:29:14.86
I drink it, let
thy will be done.
00:29:14.86\00:29:20.06
As he walks to
Calvary, they're beating Him,
00:29:20.06\00:29:26.40
they're spitting in his face.
00:29:26.40\00:29:30.73
You every had
somebody spit in your face?
00:29:30.73\00:29:32.86
I hope not, and I
don't think any of us
00:29:32.86\00:29:39.53
would have the audacity to spit
00:29:39.53\00:29:41.80
in our President's
face for example right.
00:29:41.80\00:29:46.60
And here where these
human beings spitting
00:29:46.60\00:29:50.20
in the face of
their creator, spitting
00:29:50.20\00:29:54.23
in the face of the one
who sustained their lives.
00:29:54.23\00:29:58.23
And Jesus stands
there being fully God
00:29:58.23\00:30:03.00
having the
poweth in Himself to end
00:30:03.00\00:30:05.50
his own suffering
because He was still
00:30:05.50\00:30:07.66
fully God, but
not my will but thine.
00:30:07.66\00:30:12.83
See Him being hung on the cross,
00:30:16.43\00:30:20.03
the nails piercing
His hands, and His feet,
00:30:20.03\00:30:25.20
dying the death of
a condemned criminal
00:30:25.20\00:30:29.73
and all the while
He is fully God and
00:30:29.73\00:30:32.80
He had the power in
himself to come down
00:30:32.80\00:30:35.90
from the cross, but
not my will but thine.
00:30:35.90\00:30:41.03
He chose to give
himself over to the
00:30:41.03\00:30:45.76
will of the Father,
He gave Himself over.
00:30:45.76\00:30:49.56
And then Paul
explains why in Philippians 2
00:30:49.56\00:30:54.70
verse 7, as you
think about Christ
00:30:54.70\00:30:58.63
surrender here is
why He could make that
00:30:58.63\00:31:02.00
surrender. In verse 7 Paul says:
00:31:02.00\00:31:05.83
But He made
himself of no reputation,
00:31:05.83\00:31:11.16
and took upon him
the form of a servant,
00:31:11.16\00:31:14.36
and was made in
the likeness of men:
00:31:14.36\00:31:17.06
Do you see the
word servant in verse 7
00:31:17.06\00:31:20.36
of Philippians
chapter 2. The word servant
00:31:20.36\00:31:24.20
translated servant
in our English Bible is
00:31:24.20\00:31:27.36
that Greek word
Doulos, what the word everyone,
00:31:27.36\00:31:31.36
Doulos the Greek word Doulos.
00:31:31.36\00:31:33.90
Do you know the
word Doulos means,
00:31:33.90\00:31:36.00
slave bond man. The
word Doulos implies to
00:31:36.00\00:31:41.60
somebody who voluntarily gives
00:31:41.60\00:31:44.63
himself over to another's will.
00:31:44.63\00:31:47.90
Someone who
chooses to be a slave to
00:31:47.90\00:31:51.76
somebody else, that's Doulos.
00:31:51.76\00:31:53.73
It's never forced,
it's a choice to become
00:31:53.73\00:31:58.50
a slave to
another. And so Jesus made
00:31:58.50\00:32:02.20
Himself of no reputation made
00:32:02.20\00:32:04.60
Himself a slave of
God, He chose to surrender
00:32:04.60\00:32:10.16
completely to His
father's will a slave
00:32:10.16\00:32:12.93
of God and so in
Jesus calls a man,
00:32:12.93\00:32:17.16
when Christ calls
me and you He calls us
00:32:17.16\00:32:19.73
to the same kind
of surrender on the
00:32:19.73\00:32:22.83
premise of His
example, He was a slave of God.
00:32:22.83\00:32:27.36
And if we call
ourselves disciples,
00:32:27.36\00:32:30.96
if we call ourselves
followers of Jesus Christ
00:32:30.96\00:32:35.56
foot steps, go
down the path of radical
00:32:35.56\00:32:39.56
abandon to the will
of God, slavery to God
00:32:39.56\00:32:44.60
a conscious choice,
are there any disciples of
00:32:44.60\00:32:50.40
Jesus this morning.
Is there anybody who
00:32:50.40\00:32:53.86
will follow Christ in
the foot steps of Doulos,
00:32:53.86\00:32:57.60
are there disciples
of Christ this morning?
00:32:57.60\00:33:01.66
If any man will come
after me deny himself,
00:33:01.66\00:33:07.66
take up the cross
daily and follow me,
00:33:07.66\00:33:11.93
in the path of servant hood,
00:33:11.93\00:33:14.33
the path of Doulos, the
path of radical reckless
00:33:14.33\00:33:18.06
abundant to God's
will. But here is the cutting
00:33:18.06\00:33:22.26
point friends where
as Jesus did not have
00:33:22.26\00:33:26.50
to surrender we
actually have to and
00:33:26.50\00:33:30.63
do you know why
because we've got
00:33:30.63\00:33:32.66
two choices
Doulos for us has two and
00:33:32.66\00:33:37.03
only two choices
and those choices are
00:33:37.03\00:33:40.03
very crystal,
clearly stated in Romans
00:33:40.03\00:33:43.53
chapter 6, Romans
chapter 6 where Paul
00:33:43.53\00:33:48.83
again uses the word Doulos.
00:33:48.83\00:33:51.80
And as you turn
to Romans chapter 6
00:33:51.80\00:33:54.13
let me remind you
to that the Bible is
00:33:54.13\00:33:56.53
full of
examples of men and women
00:33:56.53\00:33:59.90
who understood
Christ's Doulos and made it
00:33:59.90\00:34:04.56
their own. Did you
know for example that
00:34:04.56\00:34:07.83
Paul calls
himself a slave of Christ,
00:34:07.83\00:34:11.23
there in Romans
1:1 when Paul says I'm
00:34:11.23\00:34:14.36
a servant of
Christ, that word is Doulos,
00:34:14.36\00:34:17.73
a slave of Jesus
and many others do the
00:34:17.73\00:34:21.36
same thing too.
And in Romans chapter 6
00:34:21.36\00:34:25.50
writing for you and for
me Paul has this to say.
00:34:25.50\00:34:30.80
I'm gonna begin in
verse 16 are we there, amen.
00:34:30.80\00:34:36.43
Romans chapter 6 and
verse 16, Know ye not,
00:34:36.43\00:34:40.73
that to whom ye
yield yourselves servants
00:34:40.73\00:34:44.03
to obey, his servants
ye are to whom ye obey;
00:34:44.03\00:34:48.43
whether of sin unto
death, or of obedience
00:34:48.43\00:34:51.70
unto righteousness?
But God be thanked,
00:34:51.70\00:34:57.26
that ye were
the servants of sin,
00:34:57.26\00:34:59.43
but ye have obeyed
from the heart that
00:34:59.43\00:35:01.63
form of doctrine
which was delivered you.
00:35:01.63\00:35:04.66
Being then made free
from sin, ye became the
00:35:04.66\00:35:08.50
servants of righteousness.
And verse 20, for when
00:35:08.50\00:35:14.43
you were the
servants of sin, you were free
00:35:14.43\00:35:17.16
from what? Righteousness.
00:35:17.16\00:35:19.93
Do you see the word
servant in verse 16,
00:35:19.93\00:35:23.50
17, 19 and 20 do you
see it? You see the word
00:35:23.50\00:35:28.73
servants there, do
you know that the word
00:35:28.73\00:35:31.66
servants there is in
the Greek, anybody care
00:35:31.66\00:35:36.43
to guess, is the word Doulos.
00:35:36.43\00:35:40.20
The word servants
in verse 16, 17, 19
00:35:42.16\00:35:46.40
and 20 is that
Greek word Doulos,
00:35:46.40\00:35:49.63
slave a bondman.
So Paul is saying here
00:35:49.63\00:35:54.33
friends that
we've got two choices,
00:35:54.33\00:35:57.40
either we are slaves
to sin, or we are slaves
00:35:57.40\00:36:00.26
to whom, to God and to Christ.
00:36:00.26\00:36:04.30
Now look to at the
fact that it's a voluntary
00:36:04.30\00:36:08.40
choice, verse 16,
you yield yourself
00:36:08.40\00:36:11.90
as a servant to
sin or servant to God.
00:36:11.90\00:36:14.76
Nobody forces you,
you chose to enslave
00:36:14.76\00:36:19.00
yourself to sin or to
enslave yourself to God.
00:36:19.00\00:36:22.70
You choose to
surrender to give yourself
00:36:22.70\00:36:25.80
voluntarily to
the will of sin or the
00:36:25.80\00:36:29.46
will of God, is there
a third choice, is there?
00:36:29.46\00:36:35.36
You're not convincing me GYC,
00:36:35.36\00:36:38.10
is there a third
choice? No. Is there any middle
00:36:38.10\00:36:41.96
ground? No. Is
there any gray zone? No.
00:36:41.96\00:36:45.43
Okay, so why is
this so hard to surrender
00:36:45.43\00:36:48.46
all to God then? Do
what I means to be a slave
00:36:48.46\00:36:52.40
to sin, I'm sure we
all know, controlled
00:36:52.40\00:36:57.96
by habits,
controlled by passions we cannot
00:36:57.96\00:37:01.93
break and guess
what amazingly God
00:37:01.93\00:37:06.56
wants to free us, amen, amen.
00:37:06.56\00:37:09.46
But freedom
comes at a cost, being
00:37:09.46\00:37:13.53
then make free from
sin. Look at verse 22
00:37:13.53\00:37:17.63
of Romans chapter
6: But now, verse 22,
00:37:17.63\00:37:24.46
being made free
from sin you become what,
00:37:24.46\00:37:27.26
servants to whom to
God. So yes, Jesus set
00:37:27.26\00:37:36.90
the example of
Doulos, voluntary slavery
00:37:36.90\00:37:41.93
to the will of God,
but he didn't have to,
00:37:41.93\00:37:45.70
for me and for
you controlled by the
00:37:45.70\00:37:49.33
habits of sin the
choice is imperative,
00:37:49.33\00:37:52.93
because
understand with me that the
00:37:52.93\00:37:54.86
logic of Romans 6 is
very clearly friends,
00:37:54.86\00:37:57.90
if you are not a
slave to God you are by
00:37:57.90\00:38:01.13
implication a
slave to what, to sin.
00:38:01.13\00:38:04.26
Now look at verse
23, look at verse 23,
00:38:04.26\00:38:07.90
where Paul then
concludes the whole
00:38:07.90\00:38:10.06
matter by saying,
the wages of sin is what?
00:38:10.06\00:38:13.43
Death; but the gift
of God is eternal life.
00:38:13.43\00:38:17.60
So now any logically
reasoning human being
00:38:17.60\00:38:22.66
okay, there are
two choices either
00:38:22.66\00:38:25.60
I'm a slave to God,
or I'm a slave to sin.
00:38:25.60\00:38:28.46
And I think friend
that anybody who has a
00:38:28.46\00:38:31.20
mind to reason and
think if sin leads me to death
00:38:31.20\00:38:35.50
and God gives me
the gift of eternal life
00:38:35.50\00:38:37.66
the choice then
what sensible thing to do
00:38:37.66\00:38:40.06
is to do what, to choose God.
00:38:40.06\00:38:42.73
To say I'm gonna
break free by the
00:38:42.73\00:38:46.36
grace of God from sin
and make myself choose,
00:38:46.36\00:38:50.23
to make myself a
slave of God, because the
00:38:50.23\00:38:53.00
other choice leads you to death.
00:38:53.00\00:38:55.46
There is no middle
ground, there is no
00:38:55.46\00:38:58.10
picket fence to
stand on, either you are
00:38:58.10\00:39:00.70
in this camp or that
camp, one or the other.
00:39:00.70\00:39:03.70
Either God has all of
you, your entire hearts
00:39:03.70\00:39:07.80
and minds then you
His slave or you are
00:39:07.80\00:39:09.93
slave to sin.
Nothing less than a complete
00:39:09.93\00:39:15.90
Doulos experience,
is what God expects.
00:39:15.90\00:39:20.03
And you know God
cannot accept anything
00:39:20.03\00:39:23.50
less than that,
do you know that?
00:39:23.50\00:39:26.03
Because if He does
accept less than that
00:39:26.03\00:39:29.06
He will be leaving
us in slavery to sin,
00:39:29.06\00:39:31.70
because there is no
middle ground friends,
00:39:31.70\00:39:34.10
there is no
middle ground. So when
00:39:34.10\00:39:38.06
Jesus calls a man, he
bids him come and die,
00:39:38.06\00:39:42.43
he bids him come and die.
00:39:42.43\00:39:47.36
In the premise
of his own example
00:39:51.33\00:39:54.83
and the call is as
clear, as clear can be.
00:39:54.83\00:40:00.26
In Steps to Christ
page 43, the servants
00:40:00.26\00:40:06.00
of the Lord writes:
The warfare against self
00:40:06.00\00:40:12.50
is the greatest
battle that was ever fought.
00:40:12.50\00:40:16.06
The yielding of
self, surrendering all
00:40:16.06\00:40:20.20
to the will of God,
requires a struggle;
00:40:20.20\00:40:22.96
but the soul must
submit to God before
00:40:22.96\00:40:28.63
it can be renewed in holiness.
00:40:28.63\00:40:30.80
We must submit
to God surrendering
00:40:30.80\00:40:36.70
all to the will of
God. And as I was thinking
00:40:36.70\00:40:43.66
about my experience
that I shared with you,
00:40:43.66\00:40:48.90
of graduation week
standing there thinking
00:40:48.90\00:40:52.23
how could God ask me
to take my Harvard degree
00:40:52.23\00:40:55.76
and shelve it and
become a fulltime work
00:40:55.76\00:40:59.10
in campus
ministry, it made no sense.
00:40:59.10\00:41:01.66
But the point is
these friends if we made up
00:41:01.66\00:41:04.83
our minds to voluntarily
give ourselves to the
00:41:04.83\00:41:08.83
will of God,
when God commands the
00:41:08.83\00:41:11.30
answer must
always be yes Lord. Amen.
00:41:11.30\00:41:14.63
Even if you don't understand why
00:41:14.63\00:41:17.30
He commands He is
God, and if he has chosen
00:41:17.30\00:41:20.90
to be his slave you
must always answer yes.
00:41:20.90\00:41:24.46
And then I think
that some of us friends
00:41:24.46\00:41:28.56
think that God
owes us an explanation.
00:41:28.56\00:41:32.66
We think that God
must explain to us
00:41:32.66\00:41:36.40
why He does what He does.
00:41:36.40\00:41:38.43
Is God, God? Does
God see the end from
00:41:38.43\00:41:42.43
the beginning? Does
God know what He is doing,
00:41:42.43\00:41:46.13
then why do we
struggle to surrender all?
00:41:46.13\00:41:49.86
Is he God, some of
us think we can tell God
00:41:49.86\00:41:58.36
has to do his job,
worse yet some of us
00:41:58.36\00:42:03.73
have the foolish thought that we
00:42:03.73\00:42:06.20
could do better than
God at managing our lives.
00:42:06.20\00:42:09.40
We think we know
better than he knows.
00:42:09.40\00:42:12.93
Friends, God's
will doesn't always need
00:42:12.93\00:42:17.20
to make sense,
because if He is God He knows
00:42:17.20\00:42:20.06
what He is doing. Just obey Him,
00:42:20.06\00:42:23.16
don't ask why, just
obey. Choose to have a Doulos
00:42:23.16\00:42:27.83
mind set, because
the only other options
00:42:27.83\00:42:30.30
to that is slavery to
sin leading it to death.
00:42:30.30\00:42:33.80
Listen to this
Steps to Christ page 46.
00:42:33.80\00:42:38.43
God does not require
us to give up anything
00:42:41.73\00:42:47.56
that it is for our
best interest to retain.
00:42:47.56\00:42:51.80
In all that God
does, He has the well being
00:42:51.80\00:42:55.83
of His children in
view. Man is doing the
00:42:55.83\00:43:01.40
greatest injury and
injustice to his own
00:43:01.40\00:43:09.03
soul when he
thinks and acts contrary
00:43:09.03\00:43:14.00
to the will of God.
Did you get it friends?
00:43:14.00\00:43:18.73
Did you get that,
to think and to act
00:43:18.73\00:43:24.50
contrary to the
will of God is to do the
00:43:24.50\00:43:27.83
greatest injury
and injustice to your
00:43:27.83\00:43:32.93
own soul, it's
the greatest injury
00:43:32.93\00:43:37.36
and injustice. No
real joy can be found
00:43:37.36\00:43:45.73
in the path
forbidden by Him who knows
00:43:45.73\00:43:49.43
what is best, and who plans
00:43:49.43\00:43:52.10
for the good of His creatures.
00:43:52.10\00:43:55.13
There is no real joy to
be found in disobedience
00:43:59.80\00:44:05.00
to the will of God.
And God will accept nothing
00:44:05.00\00:44:13.96
less than absolute
surrender of the mind,
00:44:13.96\00:44:19.26
the heart, the will,
that strengthen the entire
00:44:19.26\00:44:22.00
being to his
control, servants of the Lord
00:44:22.00\00:44:26.43
writes. So you can
bring something less
00:44:26.43\00:44:31.76
God will not accept
it, it's a simple as that.
00:44:31.76\00:44:35.93
Try to come to God
with the mindsets less
00:44:39.23\00:44:42.86
than Doulos He will not
accept it for two reasons,
00:44:42.86\00:44:48.56
first because
Christ example was that
00:44:48.56\00:44:51.70
of Doulos. He walks
the steps of radical
00:44:51.70\00:44:55.26
abandon to God's
will. Second reason,
00:44:55.26\00:44:58.80
if we are not slaves
of God, we are slaves
00:44:58.80\00:45:01.93
of sin. And God
does not want either you
00:45:01.93\00:45:05.66
or me to live a
life of slavery to sin,
00:45:05.66\00:45:09.10
because that leads us to death.
00:45:09.10\00:45:11.46
The mind must
chose to voluntary give
00:45:12.80\00:45:17.50
itself up to the will of God.
00:45:17.50\00:45:20.63
And I think
sometimes we struggle,
00:45:20.63\00:45:26.13
because we don't
trust the heart of God.
00:45:26.13\00:45:29.40
We think that God
is out to hurt us,
00:45:29.40\00:45:33.16
what kind of God do you serve?
00:45:33.16\00:45:35.93
Can you imagine
if you were married
00:45:35.93\00:45:39.80
and you thought
your husband or wife was
00:45:39.80\00:45:42.13
always out to
hurt you, how long will
00:45:42.13\00:45:45.56
that marriage last,
would it even survive
00:45:45.56\00:45:48.53
a week, and yet
we think that God
00:45:48.53\00:45:52.60
who has done the
most amazing thing
00:45:52.60\00:45:55.53
in giving us Jesus
Christ, in sacrificing
00:45:55.53\00:45:58.36
everything He could to save us,
00:45:58.36\00:46:00.13
we think that this
God is out to hurt us
00:46:00.13\00:46:03.40
and I say how do
you think that makes
00:46:03.40\00:46:05.93
God feel, that his
children that he has
00:46:05.93\00:46:10.20
loved so much
don't trust His will.
00:46:10.20\00:46:13.63
How must that make God feel?
00:46:13.63\00:46:16.30
God expects
nothing less and better yet
00:46:16.30\00:46:20.66
he deserves
nothing less than absolute
00:46:20.66\00:46:23.83
surrender under
premise of Christ example
00:46:23.83\00:46:28.60
and for what
God has given to us.
00:46:28.60\00:46:31.13
God expects, God
deserves nothing less.
00:46:31.13\00:46:38.63
Let me give you a
rule to live by and
00:46:40.43\00:46:44.66
that rule is
given very succinctly in
00:46:44.66\00:46:49.23
John chapter 2
verse 5, when Mary the
00:46:49.23\00:46:52.56
mother of Jesus
instructs the servants
00:46:52.56\00:46:56.30
of the feast the wedding at Cana
00:46:56.30\00:46:59.06
and she says
something that's simple,
00:46:59.06\00:47:02.90
profound and is a rule
of life for a Christian
00:47:02.90\00:47:07.80
underline that verse
write it on your wall,
00:47:09.46\00:47:13.40
put it on your
Facebook status, make it the
00:47:13.40\00:47:17.93
rule of your life.
John 2 verse 5 Mary says
00:47:17.93\00:47:22.40
"Whatsoever he saith
unto you, do it!" Amen,
00:47:22.40\00:47:27.56
it's that simple.
It doesn't need to make
00:47:27.56\00:47:31.06
sense just do it God
has saith so just do it
00:47:31.06\00:47:33.63
he is God, and you
are his slave because
00:47:33.63\00:47:36.70
you've chosen to
give yourself to God,
00:47:36.70\00:47:39.40
it's a simple rule to live by.
00:47:41.33\00:47:43.96
And as you make that commitments
00:47:45.80\00:47:48.20
don't worry about
how you will sustain it,
00:47:48.20\00:47:51.30
Jesus does the sustaining.
00:47:51.30\00:47:53.86
He then begins a
good work in you is
00:47:53.86\00:47:58.00
faithful to do what
complete it unto the
00:47:58.00\00:48:01.23
day of Christ. So
Christ will sustain the
00:48:01.23\00:48:05.63
commitments, but
you by his grace make
00:48:05.63\00:48:09.53
the choice just
make up your mind that
00:48:09.53\00:48:13.00
whatsoever God
commands whether or
00:48:13.00\00:48:15.86
not you understand just do it.
00:48:15.86\00:48:18.30
So yes, we'll go away
from glittering career
00:48:18.30\00:48:22.03
with the Harvard
degree into ministry
00:48:22.03\00:48:23.80
yes God has said so, just do it.
00:48:23.80\00:48:27.36
Doesn't need to
make sense just do it,
00:48:27.36\00:48:29.73
obey the voice of
God. Let the word of God
00:48:29.73\00:48:36.53
be enough for
you, don't ask why,
00:48:36.53\00:48:40.10
don't ask why God
says thou shall not lie
00:48:40.10\00:48:44.23
if God says so, you just do it.
00:48:44.23\00:48:46.40
Don't ask why God
for busy from I am not
00:48:46.40\00:48:50.30
Adventist if God
says so just do it,
00:48:50.30\00:48:52.70
don't ask why. But
question you must ask
00:48:52.70\00:48:56.30
is has God commanded,
and if God has commanded
00:48:56.30\00:49:00.73
yes Lord. Our last
scripture is Luke 6
00:49:00.73\00:49:05.60
verse 46, where
Jesus now asks the question
00:49:05.60\00:49:10.10
that I'm gonna
ask us this morning.
00:49:10.10\00:49:12.93
In Luke chapter 6
and verse 46 Jesus asked
00:49:12.93\00:49:17.43
the question that
bears repeating to us
00:49:17.43\00:49:20.83
as His disciples this morning,
00:49:20.83\00:49:23.36
are you there,
amen. In Luke 6 verse 46,
00:49:25.90\00:49:30.06
are we there,
amen. Jesus says and
00:49:30.06\00:49:36.26
why call ye me,
Lord, Lord, and do
00:49:36.26\00:49:39.93
not the things
which I say? How do you
00:49:39.93\00:49:44.80
answer Jesus? How
do you answer Him?
00:49:44.80\00:49:51.40
Why do you call
Him Lord and don't do
00:49:54.33\00:49:58.63
a thing that He
says, if He is Lord He must
00:49:58.63\00:50:03.66
be Lord. As we
conclude I'm gonna
00:50:03.66\00:50:09.83
share with you a
quotation that breaks
00:50:09.83\00:50:12.20
my heart, and it
breaks my heart because
00:50:12.20\00:50:16.66
I think that many
of us are in this place
00:50:16.66\00:50:18.93
and condition
today. Steps to Christ,
00:50:18.93\00:50:22.93
I'm sorry
Christ's Object Lessons
00:50:22.93\00:50:27.06
page 118 Ellen
White writes, is very
00:50:27.06\00:50:32.93
chilling statement,
and if you've listened
00:50:32.93\00:50:36.70
to nothing else
I've say today please
00:50:36.70\00:50:39.13
listen to this.
There are some who seem
00:50:39.13\00:50:45.36
to always be seeking
for the heavenly pearl,
00:50:45.36\00:50:49.43
but they do not
make an entire surrender
00:50:49.43\00:50:53.63
of their wrong habits,
they do not die to self
00:50:53.63\00:50:58.26
that Christ may
live in them, therefore
00:50:58.26\00:51:01.60
they do not find
the precious pearl.
00:51:01.60\00:51:04.43
They have knots overcome an holy
00:51:04.43\00:51:09.00
ambition. They do
not, they do not take up
00:51:09.00\00:51:15.26
the cross and follow
Christ in the path of
00:51:15.26\00:51:19.80
self-denial and
sacrifice. Almost Christians,
00:51:19.80\00:51:27.16
almost what Christians, but not
00:51:27.16\00:51:30.60
fully Christians,
they seem so near to
00:51:30.60\00:51:34.90
the kingdom of
heaven but they cannot
00:51:34.90\00:51:36.90
enter there,
almost but not completely
00:51:36.90\00:51:43.00
saved means not
almost but completely lost.
00:51:43.00\00:51:49.66
Did you
understand what I just read?
00:51:52.90\00:51:54.80
There are some
among us who don't take
00:51:56.50\00:52:00.16
up the cross daily
and follow Jesus in the
00:52:00.16\00:52:03.53
path of
self-denial and as a result
00:52:03.53\00:52:07.73
we are almost
Christians, but let me tell you
00:52:07.73\00:52:11.80
something friends
there is no such thing
00:52:11.80\00:52:14.10
as almost
Christian, either we are or
00:52:14.10\00:52:18.33
we're not. We're almost saved,
00:52:18.33\00:52:22.20
but almost saved
means entirely lost,
00:52:22.20\00:52:27.30
are you following me
friends? If we do not
00:52:27.30\00:52:33.33
by the grace of
God make the choice to
00:52:33.33\00:52:35.70
Doulos our minds to
God we are almost saved,
00:52:35.70\00:52:39.63
but almost saved
means completely lost.
00:52:39.63\00:52:43.43
How many of us
are lost this morning,
00:52:43.43\00:52:45.83
thinking why GYC good
looking Christians lost,
00:52:45.83\00:52:49.66
because there are
some times when God cometh
00:52:49.66\00:52:51.70
and we say no
because we haven't made up
00:52:51.70\00:52:55.13
our minds that we
are Doulos, the slaves
00:52:55.13\00:52:57.36
of God almost
saved, almost Christians
00:52:57.36\00:53:02.33
but lost, completely lost.
00:53:02.33\00:53:04.70
It will break my
heart GYC if there are some
00:53:04.70\00:53:08.23
among us this morning
that are almost saved,
00:53:08.23\00:53:12.26
because there is no
such thing as almost saved.
00:53:12.26\00:53:16.43
And I'm almost in
tears and I don't want to cry
00:53:16.43\00:53:20.26
but here's the
point friends, we've come
00:53:20.26\00:53:23.00
so far GYC so many
appeals God has made
00:53:23.00\00:53:26.86
and we've responded
to, have we obeyed Him,
00:53:26.86\00:53:29.93
have we obeyed Him? Amen.
00:53:29.93\00:53:32.73
God has spoken
have we said yes Lord,
00:53:34.26\00:53:37.40
or are we walking
through these hallways
00:53:37.40\00:53:41.10
almost saved in
reality completely lost.
00:53:41.10\00:53:48.16
I pray, I pray from
the bottom of my heart
00:53:54.56\00:54:00.40
that God would grant
us the hearts and the
00:54:00.40\00:54:06.66
mind of Christ, the
mind of reckless abandon
00:54:06.66\00:54:14.46
to the will of God.
If you're gonna abandon
00:54:14.46\00:54:19.06
yourself to
anything abandon yourself to
00:54:19.06\00:54:23.13
the will of God, it's
the safest place to be.
00:54:23.13\00:54:27.26
Friends, God
knows what He is doing.
00:54:27.26\00:54:30.43
God is too wise to
be mistaken as the some
00:54:30.43\00:54:34.80
writer writes. God is
too good to be unkind,
00:54:34.80\00:54:40.40
His will is for our
best. And the best choice
00:54:40.40\00:54:46.16
we could ever
make the most logical
00:54:46.16\00:54:50.60
and the very best
choice we could ever make
00:54:50.60\00:54:53.10
is to make a pre-commitment
00:54:53.10\00:54:56.20
that whatever
God says, whatsoever
00:54:56.20\00:55:00.06
He says unto us by His
grace we'll say yes Lord.
00:55:00.06\00:55:06.30
This is the best possible choice
00:55:06.30\00:55:10.36
and it's the only
choice that makes sense,
00:55:10.36\00:55:13.93
because the other
half of the coin does not
00:55:13.93\00:55:17.40
make sense. So no
turning back requires
00:55:17.40\00:55:22.63
our mind that says
I've voluntarily given
00:55:22.63\00:55:27.26
myself to the will
of God. I'm a Doulos a
00:55:27.26\00:55:30.46
slave of God, and I
know slavery has many
00:55:30.46\00:55:33.70
negative meanings
in our world today.
00:55:33.70\00:55:36.70
But if you're going to
be a slaver of anything,
00:55:36.70\00:55:40.66
be a slave to
God, because remember
00:55:40.66\00:55:44.00
there are only
two choices right,
00:55:44.00\00:55:46.66
there are only two
choices, you are a slave
00:55:46.66\00:55:50.43
either way you go, so
turn back you are still
00:55:50.43\00:55:54.23
a slave, so why turn
back to slavery to sin
00:55:54.23\00:55:57.36
why either where
you go you are a slave,
00:55:57.36\00:56:01.40
so choose the logical
thing be a slave to God.
00:56:01.40\00:56:04.60
Amen. It's
Christ's example and when
00:56:04.60\00:56:07.16
Jesus calls us, he
bids us come and die
00:56:07.16\00:56:10.73
the same way he died
the path of servant hood,
00:56:10.73\00:56:14.40
the path of Doulos to God.
00:56:14.40\00:56:16.73
If any man will come
after me he must deny
00:56:18.00\00:56:24.60
himself take up His
cross daily and follow me
00:56:24.60\00:56:31.10
in the path of self denial.
00:56:31.10\00:56:35.96
There is no music
playing, and I wanna make one
00:56:40.30\00:56:44.03
very simple
appeal, before I make the
00:56:44.03\00:56:47.13
appeal I'm going to
give you little bit of
00:56:47.13\00:56:51.53
time to bow your
heads, and think about the
00:56:51.53\00:56:56.60
implications of the word Doulos,
00:56:56.60\00:56:59.13
think about it,
reason in your mind what God
00:56:59.13\00:57:02.20
is calling you to
do, what Christ call is,
00:57:02.20\00:57:05.53
because the call
cannot be changed friends,
00:57:05.53\00:57:08.36
it is as it is,
take it or leave it.
00:57:08.36\00:57:11.23
If you're going
to come to Christ you
00:57:11.23\00:57:14.26
must Doulos yourself
to Christ that's the call.
00:57:14.26\00:57:18.03
So bow your heads
and think about it in
00:57:18.03\00:57:21.03
silence for a
minute just think about it.
00:57:21.03\00:57:23.96