And my name Yamil Rosario,
00:00:12.06\00:00:13.06
for those of you who don't know.
00:00:13.06\00:00:14.50
I am General Vice
President for GYC.
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I wanna quickly introduce our
00:00:17.20\00:00:18.46
panels here, to
my left is Pastor
00:00:18.46\00:00:20.76
Nathan Renner,
he's a pastor in the
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Central California Conference
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and is also involved with ARISE.
00:00:24.50\00:00:27.36
To his right is
our very own Sebastien
00:00:28.16\00:00:32.00
Braxton and he is
a GYC General Vice
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President as
well. To his right is,
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to his left is
Aiko Ryker and she is a
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missionary in Japan, Amen. Amen
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and to her right
is Jeff Tatarchuk and
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he is the
Director of, I'm sorry.
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Truth Link
Ministries, I apologize for that
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and to his right is Ty Gibson,
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Light Bearers
Ministry. This morning I want
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to show you a
video that I found online
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which will basically
set the stage for our
00:01:09.20\00:01:12.00
discussion this
morning, so at this moment
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I want to direct
your attention to the
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screens and pay very close
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attention please, thank you.
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My savior. Good guy.
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Love, compassion towards me.
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Easter, loving, bearded, kind.
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I got a good opinion of
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Jesus Christ that's for sure.
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Excellent man, wonderful. Sure.
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We've had a religion after him.
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My savior. Actually Jesus was
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the Punk Rocker. Yeah. Yeah,
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he is pretty cool
and I like him a lot.
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Savior. Savior,
what else? Black.
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It's good. Good. I think of good
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because it's Jesus what
else would you think of?
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I'm definitely
altruistic, philanthropy.
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Loving, peaceful, sincere.
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Heart touch,
hopeful. Yeah. On their part,
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they're hoping for something
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that I can do, get I believe.
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Psycho,
uneducated, backward, south.
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I think of
somebody that's possibly
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just a little bit, little bit
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overboard, a little bit extreme.
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My Uncle Bob,
conservative, white.
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Fanatical. Okay.
Bible members. Crazy
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People who wear
white and like kind of
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glow but are kind of freaky.
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Okay. Yeah and Texas.
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I think, think
there is everlasting
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stigmas attached to that word.
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I can't answer
that, crazy. Okay.
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Frightening. Yeah. Yeah and just
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overpowering.
Overpowering. Yeah.
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You don't want to
know, somewhat scary.
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Maybe a little
rigged and they're full
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and they're dogma
in their philosophy.
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Oh! Nothing too good.
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Ouch! Right? I mean were any
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of you as
disturbed as I was when
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I first watched that.
I mean did you hear that?
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Overpowering, scary, fanatical,
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out of touch and frightening,
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that's what some
of the world perceives
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us as. Now what do
you think about that?
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It's very inconsistent.
Very inconsistent okay,
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any other
thoughts, any other thoughts.
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How do you think about that?
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It's disturbing.
Very disturbing, okay.
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Our panelist, what
do we do with this?
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What are your thoughts on this?
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Well, I think
you have to at first
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acknowledge the
fact that the individuals
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in this video have a
particular perception
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of Christians and obviously that
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perception is
different from the perception
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of Jesus. And so it is clear
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from the video that at
least in a limited way,
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there is a large
gap. There's this kind of
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chasm between how they see Jesus
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and how they see the
people that follow him.
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And I think when we start off by
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acknowledging the
fact that yes it is a
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perception of
valid or not invalid,
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that's another
question. You know I,
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I am sorry
Nathan, you know I read a
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bumper sticker
that said I've got
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nothing against
God, it's his fan club
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I have a problem
with. Go ahead Nathan.
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You know I was
just thinking when I
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watched that
video that reminds me so
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much of my own experience.
00:05:05.43\00:05:07.36
When I think about
my own younger years
00:05:07.36\00:05:11.30
before I became
a Christian and a
00:05:11.30\00:05:12.90
Seventh-day
Adventist. I mean if somebody
00:05:12.90\00:05:14.96
would have asked
me what I thought
00:05:14.96\00:05:16.10
of Christians, I
know exactly what I
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would say because
I was glad to freely
00:05:17.73\00:05:19.66
share my opinion
that people like I am
00:05:19.66\00:05:22.46
now are wackos,
fanatical, stupid,
00:05:22.46\00:05:26.60
backward,
uneducated. That's exactly my
00:05:27.60\00:05:31.36
perception and
you know I think that
00:05:31.36\00:05:35.63
there are two,
maybe two possible
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reasons that we have
that kind of perception,
00:05:37.46\00:05:40.36
that people have
that kind of perception
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about Christians.
One reason is that
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we act psycho
sometimes. The other reason is.
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Got to speak for
yourself. I've seen you brother,
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I've seen you.
Sometimes we act crazy,
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I am not, as
Christians we act crazy,
00:06:00.70\00:06:03.16
I'll give you an example.
I'll give you an example;
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I used to work at a restaurant.
00:06:05.66\00:06:07.53
This is before I
was a Christian and I
00:06:07.93\00:06:10.03
grew up in a
very conservative part
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of the country. I grew up in the
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black hills of South Dakota;
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I think there
are two democrats in
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the entire state.
My mom and my dad,
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I mean it is such
a conservative state
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that you can
literally. I mean you just
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it's just a very
conservative state
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and basically
everybody thinks they're a
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Christian and so I
was being evangelized
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all the time by
their repulsive God.
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By their repulsive
ideas about who God is.
00:06:41.26\00:06:43.56
But one thing
that would happen quite
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regularly is just
that everybody would get
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done with church
and they would come
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to eat at the
restaurant I would work at.
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And then they would
tell me that I was a
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bad person
because I wasn't going to
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church and then I
would tell to them that
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they're hypocrites
and the reason I couldn't
00:07:02.23\00:07:03.96
go to church is
because I had to serve
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and bake eggs. So
that left a bad impression
00:07:05.46\00:07:10.43
on me because I felt a sense
00:07:10.43\00:07:14.03
of hypocrisy
there. So I think some of
00:07:14.03\00:07:16.40
these things we
as Christians have to
00:07:16.40\00:07:18.43
own because of our
own sense of hypocrisy.
00:07:18.43\00:07:22.66
There is a
validity to the second group
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of people who are
basically reacting
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negatively to
Christians while at the same
00:07:29.23\00:07:33.00
time they're positive toward
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Jesus as a
person. My own experience
00:07:34.33\00:07:37.10
was very
similar, I was not raised
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with any religious
background whatsoever
00:07:39.93\00:07:42.20
and if you would
have asked me the same
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questions that were asked.
00:07:45.43\00:07:46.40
I would have
given similar answers,
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I felt very strongly
that Jesus was probably
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a good guy but
Christians were just
00:07:51.16\00:07:53.00
whacked out and
I wanted nothing to
00:07:53.00\00:07:55.73
do with them, but the issue was
00:07:55.73\00:07:57.33
deeper than
that. Because there was
00:07:57.33\00:07:59.83
an assumption,
there was a picture of
00:08:00.56\00:08:02.70
God that I
believed must be true and
00:08:02.70\00:08:06.70
therefore I had to
react against it because
00:08:06.70\00:08:09.00
I didn't have any
resonance with it.
00:08:09.40\00:08:11.30
Well fast-forwarding
my experience after I
00:08:11.50\00:08:13.23
become a Christian
I had an experience
00:08:13.23\00:08:16.03
with somebody
that really illustrates
00:08:16.03\00:08:18.43
the difference
between who God truly
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is and how attractive he can be
00:08:21.40\00:08:23.46
if rightly
presented. And how ugly he has
00:08:23.46\00:08:26.36
been misrepresented,
I got into a plane,
00:08:26.36\00:08:28.93
going out of
Denver, I sit next to a guy,
00:08:29.20\00:08:30.83
I am reading a religious book.
00:08:30.83\00:08:32.46
He obviously
sees, glancing over my
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shoulder that
it's you know the word
00:08:35.40\00:08:37.16
God or something
and so he just hey what,
00:08:37.16\00:08:39.86
where are you
going, what do you do?
00:08:39.86\00:08:40.83
I say oh I teach.
Well what do you teach?
00:08:40.83\00:08:42.46
I teach spiritual subjects,
00:08:42.46\00:08:44.33
I said and the
Bible is my text book.
00:08:44.33\00:08:46.23
And he says
just rather abruptly,
00:08:47.00\00:08:48.36
he says why I am an atheist?
00:08:48.36\00:08:49.83
And so I
respond in a way that he
00:08:51.73\00:08:53.30
is not expecting,
I say well actually
00:08:53.30\00:08:55.06
I am an atheist
too. And he says but you
00:08:55.06\00:08:59.70
teach the Bible,
no, no you're playing
00:08:59.70\00:09:01.63
with my mind,
you're not an atheist.
00:09:01.63\00:09:03.00
I said no, I am an atheist
00:09:03.00\00:09:05.33
and he says how
so? And I say well,
00:09:05.86\00:09:07.20
we'll just take a moment,
00:09:07.56\00:09:08.53
you know we have
a two hour flight
00:09:08.80\00:09:10.00
and describe for
me the God you don't
00:09:10.00\00:09:12.26
believe in. So this guy starts
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thinking and he
comes up well you know
00:09:16.13\00:09:17.90
what I'm taking
about, this like Head Honcho,
00:09:17.90\00:09:20.26
all powerful being
in the sky who torments
00:09:20.26\00:09:25.50
people forever and
ever if they don't agree
00:09:25.50\00:09:27.43
with him and then
he's gonna burn them
00:09:27.43\00:09:29.36
and you know this once saved,
00:09:29.36\00:09:31.13
always saved
thing where God decides
00:09:31.13\00:09:32.90
from eternity past
who's going to heaven
00:09:32.90\00:09:34.43
and who's going to
hell and we have no
00:09:34.43\00:09:35.66
choice in the
matter and he just goes
00:09:35.66\00:09:37.46
on describing this
God. And I say that's
00:09:37.46\00:09:39.93
precisely the
point, I don't believe that
00:09:39.93\00:09:41.40
any such God as you
just described exists
00:09:41.40\00:09:43.43
anywhere in the universe.
So I share your atheism
00:09:43.43\00:09:49.10
against that
picture of God but let me
00:09:49.10\00:09:50.96
ask you another
question I said to him.
00:09:50.96\00:09:52.83
Just hypothetically
what if a God could exist,
00:09:54.06\00:09:58.00
I'm not saying he
does but what if a
00:09:58.46\00:10:00.50
God could exist
that is the diametric
00:10:00.50\00:10:03.20
opposite kind of
character to the one
00:10:03.20\00:10:05.76
that you don't believe in.
00:10:06.03\00:10:07.10
I said what if
a God could exist,
00:10:08.50\00:10:09.86
who is nothing
but infinite love and
00:10:09.86\00:10:12.16
mercy and
justice. A God who would
00:10:12.16\00:10:14.23
never do wrong to any person,
00:10:14.23\00:10:17.23
a God who literally
loves everybody more
00:10:17.23\00:10:19.53
than his own
existence. Would you want that
00:10:19.53\00:10:22.66
God to exist? I am
not saying he does,
00:10:22.66\00:10:25.00
but would you
wish for him to exist
00:10:26.13\00:10:28.46
and he said, well I
be a fool not to. Yeah.
00:10:29.03\00:10:31.33
You know that shows
that they are people out
00:10:31.70\00:10:33.66
there who are unbelievers;
00:10:33.66\00:10:35.40
they're rejecting God because of
00:10:35.40\00:10:37.96
a gross misrepresentation
of his character.
00:10:37.96\00:10:40.10
But Ty, here's
the thing though and
00:10:40.10\00:10:42.60
I guess when I
watched that video
00:10:42.60\00:10:44.33
it's true you
know, in Christians we
00:10:44.33\00:10:48.66
definitely can
portray an incorrect picture
00:10:48.66\00:10:51.30
of Christ. But the Bible says
00:10:51.70\00:10:54.83
Jesus said because
the world hated me,
00:10:55.30\00:10:57.46
it will hate you.
But when I look at
00:10:58.06\00:11:00.13
that video people
in the world say they
00:11:00.13\00:11:02.56
like Jesus but they
don't like Christians.
00:11:02.56\00:11:05.36
So for me that
creates some tension
00:11:06.00\00:11:08.50
in that as not
just a misrepresentation
00:11:08.50\00:11:11.30
because maybe
their perception of
00:11:11.30\00:11:13.26
who Jesus is, is
actually incorrect
00:11:13.26\00:11:17.00
and therefore the
Christians that they're
00:11:17.70\00:11:19.30
meeting because
we can't assume that
00:11:19.30\00:11:21.10
the Christians that
those people met in the
00:11:21.10\00:11:22.60
video were bad Christians.
00:11:22.60\00:11:24.30
We can't assume that,
so the truth must also
00:11:25.46\00:11:28.86
come forward that
it could be that they
00:11:28.86\00:11:30.53
actually met the sweetest,
00:11:30.53\00:11:31.86
most faithful Christ
loving Christians known
00:11:32.13\00:11:35.16
to humanity and because of their
00:11:35.16\00:11:37.20
perceptions of
who Jesus is or their
00:11:37.20\00:11:39.70
love for sin.
They say look I hate
00:11:39.70\00:11:42.60
your Christians
because that's a physical
00:11:42.60\00:11:44.30
representation of
Jesus but in your minds
00:11:44.30\00:11:46.40
Jesus is just an
idea. He is a figure of
00:11:46.40\00:11:48.53
history that we exalt and say he
00:11:48.53\00:11:50.16
had preached the
greatest sermon ever
00:11:50.16\00:11:51.56
preached on the
mount. Exactly and it seems
00:11:51.56\00:11:54.60
like as somebody who
was born in Christianity,
00:11:54.60\00:11:57.50
somebody who was
born in the Seventh-day
00:11:57.50\00:11:59.13
Adventist Church
that the paradigm can
00:11:59.13\00:12:01.80
completely different.
You know when you are,
00:12:01.80\00:12:04.53
you seem to be
almost turned off by God
00:12:04.53\00:12:06.50
because you see
almost the different side.
00:12:06.50\00:12:08.33
You see the
backside, you see the dark
00:12:08.33\00:12:09.96
side of
Christianity, you see the dark
00:12:09.96\00:12:11.96
side of the moon
almost. The entire picture and
00:12:11.96\00:12:15.00
so a lot of times
when it's portrayed
00:12:15.00\00:12:17.73
to the public, a
lot of times you don't
00:12:17.73\00:12:19.80
understand what
you're fully seeing
00:12:19.80\00:12:21.76
from the front.
You're seeing the
00:12:21.76\00:12:23.03
lights of it but
you don't understand
00:12:23.03\00:12:24.40
the backside of it
and a lot of times people
00:12:24.40\00:12:28.26
have been hurt by Christianity.
00:12:28.26\00:12:30.23
People, there have
been Pastors that have
00:12:30.70\00:12:32.96
gone home and molested their
00:12:32.96\00:12:34.36
daughter or gone home and abused
00:12:34.36\00:12:36.00
their wives at
the end of the day.
00:12:36.00\00:12:37.93
So how do we
respond, how do we react to
00:12:38.16\00:12:40.36
that sort of
perspective for the people who
00:12:40.36\00:12:41.93
are hurt by that. How do we show
00:12:42.56\00:12:44.83
a different
paradigm, how do we show a
00:12:44.83\00:12:46.46
different
perspective to those that were
00:12:46.46\00:12:48.00
actually hurt by
that? So I guess what
00:12:48.00\00:12:50.26
we're saying is
there is a validity.
00:12:50.26\00:12:52.30
Right. And there is a
sense which it's invalid;
00:12:52.30\00:12:55.16
it depends on what
they've encountered.
00:12:55.16\00:12:57.06
Yes. Exactly. Any
counsel pass on that
00:12:57.06\00:12:59.00
from the floor, how
do we deal with this?
00:12:59.00\00:13:01.20
Any thoughts?
What were you gonna
00:13:03.20\00:13:04.23
say Aiko? I was just gonna say,
00:13:04.23\00:13:06.20
well I think one
thing we need to address
00:13:07.16\00:13:09.70
first is, is it our
responsibility first
00:13:09.70\00:13:13.40
of all to try to
polish our image.
00:13:13.40\00:13:16.90
That's an amazing
question. Is it, are we supposed
00:13:16.90\00:13:19.43
to just base our
actions on over the feedback
00:13:19.43\00:13:23.40
we get from other
people. Yeah. Oh! That's
00:13:23.40\00:13:25.30
an amazing question.
Yeah, yeah lets get to
00:13:25.30\00:13:27.40
the heart of the
matter. I think there is a
00:13:27.40\00:13:34.46
yes and a no to
that question because
00:13:34.46\00:13:38.43
on one hand you
have the idea that
00:13:39.20\00:13:41.76
there are Christians
who are of the persuasion
00:13:41.76\00:13:44.33
that it's about being light.
00:13:44.33\00:13:45.83
That's how I know
I am a good Christian
00:13:45.83\00:13:47.43
and we may
emphasize the grace aspect
00:13:47.86\00:13:50.36
of Christianity.
Oh! You know that
00:13:50.36\00:13:52.33
person is very
giving, that person is
00:13:52.33\00:13:54.03
very loving. That
person is very kind,
00:13:54.03\00:13:56.26
very welcoming
and that's true but
00:13:56.26\00:13:58.70
I think we also
have to recognize that
00:13:58.70\00:14:00.80
there's an aspect of
love that's also tough.
00:14:01.36\00:14:03.50
Tough. You know,
I read a story about
00:14:03.50\00:14:05.83
a mother who you
know her child was
00:14:05.83\00:14:09.03
stuck under a
vehicle and she I mean
00:14:09.03\00:14:11.50
through the
adrenaline rush lifted that
00:14:11.50\00:14:13.40
vehicle off of her
child to save her child.
00:14:13.40\00:14:16.30
So to me there's a
certain kind of rough
00:14:16.80\00:14:20.16
edge to love that says look.
00:14:20.16\00:14:21.63
Normally if I went
to that woman say hey
00:14:21.63\00:14:23.40
can you lift this car up for me?
00:14:23.40\00:14:24.66
She wouldn't do it
just for general show off
00:14:24.66\00:14:26.93
or as some guys might do.
00:14:26.93\00:14:28.26
Hey let's see who's stronger,
00:14:28.26\00:14:29.26
lift the vehicle, but because of
00:14:29.26\00:14:31.13
the love for her
child that leads her to
00:14:31.13\00:14:32.86
take some radical
steps even when I grew
00:14:32.86\00:14:35.73
up in inner city Chicago.
00:14:35.73\00:14:36.80
I've seen
mothers stand up to gang
00:14:36.80\00:14:38.76
leaders in
defense of their sons.
00:14:38.76\00:14:40.60
Now, these are gang
leaders bringing guns,
00:14:43.56\00:14:44.56
knives saying
look you know if you
00:14:44.56\00:14:45.53
don't step out of
the way she said look
00:14:45.53\00:14:46.70
if you're going
to get to my son,
00:14:46.70\00:14:47.96
you're gonna have
to come through me.
00:14:48.43\00:14:49.70
And I think
there's an aspect of love
00:14:50.56\00:14:52.10
that says yes
there's also the hard
00:14:52.10\00:14:53.93
aspect and I think
that aspect of the love of
00:14:53.93\00:14:57.30
God and of
Christianity is the aspects
00:14:57.30\00:14:59.76
that you can't polish
up. You can't polish up
00:14:59.76\00:15:03.13
Seventh-day is the
Sabbath. That's right.
00:15:03.13\00:15:05.06
You can't polish
up you shouldn't lie,
00:15:05.06\00:15:07.30
that's right, you
can't polish up you only get
00:15:07.30\00:15:09.66
divorced for this reason.
00:15:09.66\00:15:10.90
There's no polishing but we can,
00:15:11.20\00:15:12.83
we can polish up
God is not a God of
00:15:12.83\00:15:16.33
eternal torment.
Yes. That God is not a
00:15:16.33\00:15:19.56
deterministic deity
that orchestrates every
00:15:19.56\00:15:22.50
tragedy that ever
happens to anybody
00:15:22.50\00:15:24.53
in the world. I mean
Seventh-day Adventism
00:15:25.10\00:15:27.90
if you think about, is
a revolutionary movement.
00:15:27.90\00:15:30.66
We've been given a
package of doctrines
00:15:30.66\00:15:34.56
and truths that
will in fact present to
00:15:34.90\00:15:37.60
the world the most
beautiful picture of
00:15:37.60\00:15:39.13
God the world has ever seen,
00:15:39.13\00:15:40.56
Revelation 18:1
says the whole earth will
00:15:40.93\00:15:43.60
be illuminated
with God's glory that's
00:15:43.60\00:15:46.20
just prophetic
shorthand for there will be
00:15:46.20\00:15:48.03
a global God
revolution that will magnify
00:15:48.03\00:15:52.40
the truth of god's
character in a system
00:15:52.40\00:15:55.00
of theology and
in lives that rightly
00:15:55.00\00:15:58.10
represent the
character of God but
00:15:58.10\00:15:59.76
even when we come
down to that point,
00:15:59.76\00:16:01.36
Jesus was the best
Christian that ever
00:16:01.36\00:16:03.03
lived and he was
crucified. That's right.
00:16:03.03\00:16:05.16
And if I can read a
verse its John 15:19,
00:16:05.16\00:16:09.70
yeah that came to my mind too,
00:16:10.46\00:16:11.93
Jesus was
crucified. People hated Jesus
00:16:11.93\00:16:14.90
and John 15:19 says,
if you were of this world,
00:16:16.56\00:16:22.13
the world would
love it's own but because
00:16:22.60\00:16:25.90
you are not of the
world but I have chosen
00:16:25.90\00:16:29.00
you out of the
world therefore the world
00:16:29.00\00:16:31.36
hated you. Now let's
ask the question though,
00:16:31.36\00:16:34.16
do most people
who have a negative
00:16:34.53\00:16:37.66
reaction to
Christians. Do they have a
00:16:37.66\00:16:40.73
negative reaction
to Christians because
00:16:40.73\00:16:43.03
they are living
totally completely selfless
00:16:43.43\00:16:46.40
lives of Godliness or
do they have a negative
00:16:46.40\00:16:49.93
impression of
Christians because so often
00:16:49.93\00:16:52.46
Christians live
lives of selfishness and
00:16:52.46\00:16:57.93
uncharitableness?
You know I'll give you
00:16:58.30\00:17:00.76
an example, let's
say you're a Christian
00:17:00.76\00:17:05.13
and you're, you have this idea
00:17:05.70\00:17:09.96
that you are going to
do your Christian duty
00:17:10.30\00:17:15.86
and you are going to go hang the
00:17:16.23\00:17:20.03
sign and we've all seen them.
00:17:20.03\00:17:21.86
We've seen them,
it's the God hates
00:17:21.86\00:17:24.46
homosexual sign. So you're gonna
00:17:24.46\00:17:26.73
do your Christian
duty and preach the
00:17:26.73\00:17:28.46
truth and go stand
on the street corner
00:17:28.46\00:17:33.56
with the God
hates fill in the blank,
00:17:33.96\00:17:36.86
street sign. So that person
00:17:37.10\00:17:39.10
might smugly think.
Well, the Bible says
00:17:39.10\00:17:42.46
that if you follow
Jesus the world's gonna
00:17:42.46\00:17:44.80
hate you and I
am sure being hated,
00:17:44.80\00:17:47.76
so I must be
following Jesus right?
00:17:47.76\00:17:50.50
So we as
Christians, we have to ask
00:17:50.93\00:17:53.50
ourselves if I
would go into my neighbor
00:17:53.50\00:17:56.60
in disinterested
love, treating them kindly,
00:17:57.03\00:18:00.93
ministering to
them in their sickness,
00:18:00.93\00:18:02.83
caring for them
in their brokenness
00:18:03.13\00:18:05.03
and sharing
with them the hope of
00:18:05.50\00:18:07.43
the Gospel in a
winsome positive way
00:18:07.43\00:18:09.90
and lets dress that
Sabbath up a little bit.
00:18:10.20\00:18:12.30
Not my days better than your day
00:18:12.60\00:18:14.40
or my dad can
beat your dad up but
00:18:14.40\00:18:16.40
you know what, we serve a God
00:18:16.80\00:18:18.10
who is so awesome
that he is not like
00:18:18.10\00:18:20.73
the tyrant
corporate Titans who keep
00:18:20.73\00:18:23.36
you slaving away.
Amen. The God of the
00:18:23.36\00:18:25.10
universe says you get rest,
00:18:25.10\00:18:27.70
complete rest
each and every week
00:18:27.70\00:18:29.80
and my sovereignty overrules the
00:18:30.03\00:18:32.50
sovereignty of your
boss. That dresses the
00:18:32.50\00:18:35.00
Sabbath up, can you say amen?
00:18:35.00\00:18:36.46
Amen, amen. So,
so anyway go ahead.
00:18:36.46\00:18:39.56
I can keep talking I
am getting preaching.
00:18:39.86\00:18:41.23
Am I preachin g?
Yeah you are preaching
00:18:41.23\00:18:42.83
and it's all right.
I have a comment here,
00:18:42.83\00:18:44.50
what's your name brother?
00:18:44.50\00:18:45.50
My name is
Handel Smith and I have
00:18:46.46\00:18:48.63
a verse here First
Peter 2 verse 9 says,
00:18:48.63\00:18:53.60
But ye are a chosen generation,
00:18:53.60\00:18:55.53
a royal
priesthood, an holy nation,
00:18:55.86\00:18:57.86
a peculiar people;
that you should bring
00:18:59.50\00:19:00.50
forth the praises
of him who hath called
00:19:00.50\00:19:02.50
you out of darkness
into his marvelous light.
00:19:02.50\00:19:04.40
As Christians we have
a responsibility to be
00:19:04.73\00:19:07.56
priests as Christ
was and is to us today.
00:19:07.56\00:19:10.83
He goes before the
Father and pleads on
00:19:11.10\00:19:12.93
our behalf, we
must go to the people
00:19:12.93\00:19:16.03
and pray for
them. People who aren't
00:19:16.70\00:19:20.70
even Christian,
people who don't even know,
00:19:20.70\00:19:22.40
we need to lift
them up before our Father
00:19:22.73\00:19:24.23
in heaven and connect with them,
00:19:24.23\00:19:26.90
connect with
God on their behalf.
00:19:27.16\00:19:29.03
And that's living a
Christ like life. Amen.
00:19:29.66\00:19:32.40
You know, I
appreciate the comment
00:19:32.73\00:19:35.40
that the young man just made,
00:19:35.40\00:19:36.43
because what it
tells us is the fact
00:19:36.43\00:19:40.03
that it is our
perception of what it means
00:19:40.03\00:19:42.16
to be peculiar and
so the perceptions,
00:19:42.16\00:19:46.43
false perceptions
or a true perceptions,
00:19:46.43\00:19:48.80
but let's just deal
with false perceptions.
00:19:48.80\00:19:50.86
Comes as a fact
that I as a Christian may
00:19:52.56\00:19:55.96
have false
perceptions of God and if I have
00:19:55.96\00:19:59.06
false perceptions of who God is,
00:19:59.06\00:20:01.23
I will always
portray a false picture of
00:20:01.60\00:20:04.36
who God is to
others and therefore that
00:20:04.36\00:20:06.20
false perception is
perpetuated in society.
00:20:06.20\00:20:09.13
The only difference
is that I as a Christian
00:20:09.13\00:20:11.93
have access to true information,
00:20:11.93\00:20:14.30
to correct
perception of God and so I think
00:20:14.70\00:20:17.43
we have to on some
level own that this
00:20:17.83\00:20:22.00
issue that yet
sometimes we do cut
00:20:22.00\00:20:23.93
people off in
traffic. Sometimes we are
00:20:23.93\00:20:26.30
rushing to get to
Sabbath school amen
00:20:26.30\00:20:28.76
and bump somebody out
the way on the escalator.
00:20:28.76\00:20:30.76
With a what would
Jesus do sticker on the car.
00:20:30.76\00:20:33.30
,No what I raced it on, wwjd.
00:20:33.30\00:20:37.70
Jesus would get
to the front of GYC;
00:20:38.00\00:20:39.66
you know and
reserve these seats.
00:20:40.00\00:20:42.00
So I think on some
level. Careful, careful.
00:20:42.00\00:20:48.46
On some level we have to own the
00:20:49.00\00:20:51.46
misrepresentations
that exist but on
00:20:51.46\00:20:53.33
the other level we
also have to disown
00:20:53.33\00:20:55.76
the fact that
sometimes we are following
00:20:55.76\00:20:58.33
our Lord faithfully
and people just have
00:20:58.33\00:21:00.73
a misconception that
is perpetuated because
00:21:00.73\00:21:03.30
of that love of
sin. And it's that what
00:21:03.30\00:21:04.56
being distinct to
one of the things that
00:21:04.56\00:21:05.73
really spoke to me
in the video is when
00:21:05.73\00:21:07.30
one of the girl
she says you know,
00:21:07.30\00:21:08.83
when I think of
Christianity I think of
00:21:09.43\00:21:10.80
my uncle Bob.
You know, and that's
00:21:10.80\00:21:14.30
asking me anything.
We can have somebody
00:21:14.30\00:21:16.10
like I remember being,
I remember being in our
00:21:16.10\00:21:18.06
in you know, in
my Christian home
00:21:18.06\00:21:20.50
and looking and
seeing certain people that
00:21:20.50\00:21:22.53
would do things
that to me would be
00:21:22.53\00:21:24.50
weird as an unconverted person.
00:21:24.50\00:21:26.40
You know, that
they would be getting up
00:21:27.60\00:21:28.66
early in the
morning that they would,
00:21:28.66\00:21:30.16
that they would be
living a healthy lifestyle,
00:21:30.16\00:21:32.26
that they would
not certain things.
00:21:32.26\00:21:33.70
That they were
living a distinct life style
00:21:33.70\00:21:35.70
and to me not
being converted that
00:21:36.33\00:21:39.33
was weird, that I would call
00:21:39.33\00:21:41.63
you know like crazy
uncle Bob or you know,
00:21:41.63\00:21:43.86
crazy aunt, you know so and so.
00:21:43.86\00:21:45.66
To me that was weird,
so like what Sebastien
00:21:46.03\00:21:47.83
was saying, we have
to understand is it a
00:21:47.83\00:21:49.76
true perception or
a false perception.
00:21:49.76\00:21:52.50
Before talk about
that, we have another
00:21:52.50\00:21:54.50
comment here from the floor.
00:21:54.50\00:21:55.50
What's your
name? Marissa. Marissa,
00:21:55.50\00:21:57.70
what's your comment. Thank you,
00:21:57.70\00:21:59.50
I am just thinking
of a quote from steps
00:22:00.33\00:22:02.36
of Christ that
reminds us that Jesus never
00:22:02.36\00:22:04.80
said a harsh word
to a sensitive soul.
00:22:04.80\00:22:07.90
Amen. And I just
I look at him as an
00:22:08.90\00:22:11.00
example this is something we
00:22:11.00\00:22:12.03
were talking
about a breakfast one
00:22:12.03\00:22:13.46
of the days here at
GYC. That if we have a close
00:22:13.46\00:22:16.83
enough relationship
with God that everything
00:22:16.83\00:22:19.16
that we do is
permeated with his spirit.
00:22:19.16\00:22:21.73
Every word that
we have for somebody,
00:22:21.73\00:22:23.60
every gesture that
we have for somebody
00:22:24.03\00:22:25.80
is permeated with
the spirit of God,
00:22:25.80\00:22:27.60
the spirit of
God is gonna lead us
00:22:28.13\00:22:29.70
to love them.
Even if we're reaching
00:22:29.70\00:22:32.06
out to them and
asking them to change
00:22:32.06\00:22:34.46
or forming a
friendship with someone who's
00:22:34.46\00:22:36.73
an atheist and if we
have that relationship,
00:22:36.73\00:22:39.43
we'll be able to have
perfect balance between
00:22:39.43\00:22:42.30
standing apart from
the world and having
00:22:42.30\00:22:44.63
sometimes people
dislike us or treat us
00:22:45.06\00:22:47.10
poorly and
being a witness. Amen.
00:22:47.10\00:22:50.93
Thank you so much Marissa,
00:22:51.80\00:22:52.93
that's an
excellent comment and I think
00:22:52.93\00:22:55.26
that kind of
brings out the tension.
00:22:56.16\00:23:00.90
Sometimes we need,
I mean all the time we
00:23:01.26\00:23:03.60
need to have that
spirit of Christ to have
00:23:03.60\00:23:06.16
that tender word
right there but in
00:23:06.16\00:23:08.46
the Bible like for
example the way Jesus
00:23:08.46\00:23:11.63
dealt with Judas
that was read out,
00:23:11.63\00:23:13.73
but then on the other hand,
00:23:14.03\00:23:15.16
sometimes you
have Jesus outright
00:23:15.16\00:23:17.46
rebuking Peter.
Yeah. So how with the
00:23:17.46\00:23:21.43
and the and
Marissa said, the only,
00:23:21.43\00:23:24.20
the only way that
we can know when to do
00:23:24.20\00:23:27.83
what is by
maintaining that relationship
00:23:27.83\00:23:30.13
with Jesus.
Yeah. It's through love
00:23:30.13\00:23:31.30
and one of the things
that I want to bring up,
00:23:31.30\00:23:32.96
that I really have
to get off my chest
00:23:33.30\00:23:34.63
is when you read
that text earlier in John
00:23:34.63\00:23:37.20
15:18 that if
the world hates you,
00:23:37.20\00:23:39.86
you know that it hated
me before it hated you.
00:23:39.86\00:23:42.10
And so when you
think of the perspective,
00:23:42.73\00:23:43.93
you think of the
perspective of Jesus
00:23:43.93\00:23:45.16
people have said
well Jesus is a good guy.
00:23:45.16\00:23:46.76
You know he was a
prophet and he was
00:23:46.76\00:23:48.40
a good rabbi but
yet they hate Christians
00:23:48.40\00:23:51.16
and so it seems
there might need some
00:23:51.16\00:23:52.30
kind of perception difference
00:23:52.30\00:23:54.20
and so what's
interesting is when it comes to
00:23:54.20\00:23:56.36
the love and how
we are perceived by
00:23:56.36\00:23:59.06
the world in verse
13. It says greater
00:23:59.06\00:24:00.93
love has no man
than this then a man lay
00:24:00.93\00:24:03.60
down his life for
his friends and he says
00:24:03.60\00:24:06.53
I am not gonna
call you servants but I
00:24:06.53\00:24:07.76
call you friends. You know,
00:24:07.76\00:24:09.73
and this is how
Jesus is portraying
00:24:09.73\00:24:11.76
himself to his
disciple as he's teaching this
00:24:11.76\00:24:14.80
to them. That no
greater love hath any
00:24:14.80\00:24:16.56
man than this, that he would lay
00:24:16.56\00:24:17.56
down his life for
his friends. Amen.
00:24:17.56\00:24:21.03
Jeff I was
thinking as you were reading
00:24:21.56\00:24:23.33
this point up that
Bible prophecy is extremely
00:24:23.33\00:24:27.36
helpful in giving us
a historic understanding
00:24:27.36\00:24:31.40
of how we got
where we are right now
00:24:31.40\00:24:33.70
in history where
the United States of
00:24:33.70\00:24:35.20
America which
was once a Protestant
00:24:35.20\00:24:38.00
Christian nation is
becoming increasingly
00:24:38.00\00:24:39.60
more and more
secular, more and more
00:24:39.60\00:24:42.03
post modern,
more and more people
00:24:42.03\00:24:43.70
are professing
themselves to be agnostics or
00:24:43.70\00:24:46.53
atheist or
unbelievers of different kinds
00:24:46.53\00:24:49.86
and that we're
going the way of western
00:24:50.43\00:24:51.73
Europe which was
the cradle of western
00:24:51.73\00:24:54.36
civilization and of
Christianity for so long.
00:24:54.36\00:24:57.60
Before we know
it we're going to be
00:24:58.16\00:24:59.56
in a situation where
United States of America
00:24:59.56\00:25:02.23
is in fact just a secular
nation full and complete.
00:25:02.23\00:25:06.53
Bible prophecy
tells us what's happened,
00:25:06.53\00:25:08.80
in the book of Revelation
we're told in four basic
00:25:08.80\00:25:12.36
steps that number 1
that in history there will
00:25:12.36\00:25:15.96
arise a colossal
system of false Christianity,
00:25:15.96\00:25:21.40
a grand masquerade
if you will that will
00:25:22.16\00:25:25.26
purport to be the
Christian church but
00:25:25.26\00:25:28.46
will form a system
of doctrine that will
00:25:28.46\00:25:31.70
misrepresent the
character of God.
00:25:31.70\00:25:33.40
That's the dark
ages, the middle ages
00:25:33.40\00:25:35.40
and then we're
told in Bible prophecy
00:25:35.90\00:25:37.63
that as a reaction to
that false Christianity
00:25:37.63\00:25:41.73
the beast from the
bottomless pit will
00:25:41.96\00:25:43.76
emerge in chapter
10 and that beast from
00:25:43.76\00:25:45.76
the bottom of
chapter 11. The beast from
00:25:47.70\00:25:48.70
the bottomless
pit according to great
00:25:48.70\00:25:49.66
controversy and
Bible said is in fact the
00:25:49.66\00:25:52.73
French
revolution and the birth of
00:25:52.73\00:25:54.56
modern atheism,
right there in the cradle
00:25:54.56\00:25:57.93
of Christian civilization.
00:25:57.93\00:25:59.13
Atheism was born
as the excuse me,
00:25:59.13\00:26:02.76
the bastard child of the church.
00:26:02.76\00:26:04.96
In other words
Ellen White says in Great
00:26:05.80\00:26:07.33
Controversy that
atheism arouse as a
00:26:07.33\00:26:10.53
violent reaction
against Catholic doctrine.
00:26:10.53\00:26:14.66
That's right.
Then prophecy says,
00:26:14.66\00:26:18.00
a movement would
be born called the
00:26:18.00\00:26:19.56
advent movement. That's right.
00:26:19.56\00:26:21.40
That would
prophesy before the world
00:26:21.93\00:26:23.76
with a declaration of truth,
00:26:23.76\00:26:26.46
that would
exonerate and vindicate the
00:26:26.46\00:26:29.30
character of God
before the nations.
00:26:29.30\00:26:31.13
Ty, you know,
you just reminded me
00:26:31.13\00:26:33.56
of an experience
I had in college,
00:26:33.56\00:26:35.46
where I worked with
the service organization
00:26:36.16\00:26:38.93
at my school and
the LGBT, Lesbian,
00:26:38.93\00:26:42.53
bisexual, gay, transgender,
00:26:42.53\00:26:44.50
kind of
organizational campus they said,
00:26:45.13\00:26:46.70
they wanted to
show a video about
00:26:46.70\00:26:48.10
Christians and homosexuality in
00:26:48.10\00:26:49.93
lesbian, gay,
bisexual, all this and it said
00:26:50.23\00:26:52.40
you know
Sebastien, we know that you
00:26:52.40\00:26:53.60
are a
Christian. You know profess
00:26:53.60\00:26:55.46
and so we like you
to come to the video
00:26:55.46\00:26:56.76
and participate
in the discussion.
00:26:56.76\00:26:58.73
Now as I am
sitting in the video,
00:26:59.60\00:27:01.10
I am thinking may
be I am one of maybe
00:27:01.10\00:27:05.10
four people in this
entire kind of theater
00:27:05.10\00:27:07.56
setting that is
not lesbian, gay,
00:27:07.56\00:27:10.26
you know etc,
etc. And the video was
00:27:10.26\00:27:12.83
basically about
the Christian right in,
00:27:12.83\00:27:14.96
you know how
these people are in the
00:27:15.50\00:27:17.30
church and they're
coming out of the closet
00:27:17.30\00:27:20.00
and these people
are chalking their
00:27:20.00\00:27:21.60
drive ways and
lighting bottles with fires
00:27:21.60\00:27:24.33
and throwing them
into churches and etc, etc.
00:27:24.33\00:27:26.63
Parents disowning
their children because
00:27:26.63\00:27:28.90
they never thought
that their son would be
00:27:28.90\00:27:30.40
homosexual, they
were raised in a good
00:27:30.40\00:27:31.76
Christian family. How could this
00:27:31.76\00:27:33.13
happen to them and
at the end of the video
00:27:33.13\00:27:34.90
I was thinking
to myself you know.
00:27:34.90\00:27:36.33
My only question
to them was that,
00:27:37.26\00:27:39.00
would if there was an
alternative perspective
00:27:39.26\00:27:41.16
that Christians
have on this issue,
00:27:41.16\00:27:42.90
can I disagree
with homosexuality
00:27:43.23\00:27:45.23
and at the same time
still remain in a loving
00:27:45.23\00:27:47.20
relationship and the reason I am
00:27:47.20\00:27:49.86
bringing up
with what you said is
00:27:49.86\00:27:50.90
because if the
Adventist Church was raised
00:27:50.90\00:27:52.96
up to proclaim
truth as well as grace.
00:27:52.96\00:27:55.80
What I find is
that we kind of become
00:27:56.80\00:27:59.26
paralyzed with
these young people
00:27:59.26\00:28:00.83
because how do I
speak up in a situation
00:28:00.83\00:28:04.06
of homosexuality
that I don't support but
00:28:04.06\00:28:06.23
I want to speak up
to say that I am still
00:28:06.23\00:28:07.60
loving without saying that I am
00:28:07.60\00:28:09.06
endorsing what you're doing.
00:28:09.06\00:28:10.36
But the Christian
rights speaks up without
00:28:10.73\00:28:12.60
a problem and they
say look we're against
00:28:12.60\00:28:15.06
this and we
believe that you know all
00:28:15.06\00:28:17.53
those who walk up
this lifestyle are gonna
00:28:17.53\00:28:19.06
burn in hell etc,
etc and I am like look,
00:28:19.06\00:28:21.46
there's
deliverance but that voice is
00:28:21.83\00:28:24.60
very small in the
world. And I think that
00:28:24.60\00:28:28.40
tension right
there at least with me
00:28:28.40\00:28:30.60
that's difficult, you know,
00:28:30.60\00:28:31.60
how do I sit in
this room and be like
00:28:31.60\00:28:33.20
I still love you and
I wanna have friendship
00:28:33.46\00:28:36.76
but I don't endorse what you do.
00:28:36.76\00:28:41.20
And how do we, how do we relate
00:28:42.13\00:28:43.33
from there? And I
think on some level
00:28:43.33\00:28:45.83
that's a hard,
that's a hard thing
00:28:45.83\00:28:47.10
to walk straight. Hey before we,
00:28:47.10\00:28:48.20
before we get into
that I really wanna
00:28:48.20\00:28:49.76
touch on that we
have another comment
00:28:49.76\00:28:51.50
here from the
floor, what's your name?
00:28:51.50\00:28:52.50
Daniel, go ahead. In the Bible
00:28:52.50\00:28:55.13
I believe it's
in Genesis or Exodus
00:28:55.13\00:28:56.66
it says that in
the last days scoffers
00:28:56.66\00:28:58.46
will come walking
after their own lusts.
00:28:58.46\00:29:00.06
And I feel that
the issue actually goes
00:29:00.66\00:29:02.53
clear back to
evolution. Evolution,
00:29:02.53\00:29:05.30
the idea of
evolution was brought about
00:29:05.30\00:29:07.10
because people
didn't like the constrains
00:29:07.10\00:29:09.60
of the Bible. They didn't like
00:29:09.60\00:29:10.80
the constrains of
God's law and with the
00:29:10.80\00:29:13.36
idea of evolution there
isn't any of that right.
00:29:13.36\00:29:16.10
You know, you don't
there is no constraint
00:29:16.10\00:29:17.93
and that's what it
is today. Non-Christians
00:29:18.43\00:29:21.26
have a problem
with Christians because
00:29:21.26\00:29:23.06
we make them look
bad. Our lifestyle makes
00:29:23.06\00:29:26.06
their lifestyle look worse,
00:29:26.06\00:29:27.50
if they can
make us look radical,
00:29:27.86\00:29:29.43
if they can
convince themselves in
00:29:29.43\00:29:30.90
their mind, that we're radical
00:29:30.90\00:29:32.26
and we're
different then it makes
00:29:32.26\00:29:33.93
them feel better
about themselves.
00:29:33.93\00:29:35.10
Agreed 100% but I
wanna make a caveat,
00:29:35.63\00:29:39.43
I was a non
Christian who hated the idea
00:29:39.86\00:29:43.93
of creation, I thought that you
00:29:43.93\00:29:45.43
had to be an absolute idiot,
00:29:45.43\00:29:46.83
an imbecile to
believe in a six day creation.
00:29:49.36\00:29:50.33
I was a person who mocked the
00:29:50.33\00:29:52.16
Christian lifestyle.
I was totally complete,
00:29:52.16\00:29:55.33
I had no problem
with homosexuality or
00:29:55.33\00:29:57.20
any other lifestyle decision
00:29:57.20\00:29:58.56
and so I and when
Christians would talk
00:29:59.13\00:30:01.83
like you just did no offense.
00:30:01.83\00:30:03.63
I would write them
off as imbeciles okay.
00:30:06.60\00:30:07.60
But when a
Christian came to me and said
00:30:07.60\00:30:09.43
let me give you a
little evidence as to why
00:30:10.00\00:30:12.03
the Bible is true
and then I read that
00:30:12.03\00:30:15.86
evidence Daniel
2, Daniel chapter 7,
00:30:15.86\00:30:19.46
Daniel chapter 9,
Revelation 13 and then
00:30:19.93\00:30:23.90
that person and
then I said, well okay,
00:30:23.90\00:30:25.96
okay may be the
Bible is beginning to
00:30:25.96\00:30:28.16
appear true but
what about this God
00:30:28.16\00:30:30.50
who burns people
in the lake of fire.
00:30:30.50\00:30:32.63
And then they said
well let me kind of show
00:30:33.20\00:30:34.73
you what the Bible
teaches about who God
00:30:34.73\00:30:37.36
is as concerns this
matter and then they
00:30:37.36\00:30:40.13
gave me this
beautiful Bible study on
00:30:40.13\00:30:41.76
the Great
Controversy and then all of
00:30:41.76\00:30:44.30
the sudden rather
than automatically
00:30:44.30\00:30:47.40
reacting against, my
heart was totally open.
00:30:47.40\00:30:52.00
And you know how
easy it was for me
00:30:52.00\00:30:53.56
to believe in
creation and reject evolution
00:30:53.56\00:30:55.70
as soon as I got the
proper picture of God,
00:30:56.16\00:30:58.10
I mean it was instantaneous.
00:30:58.10\00:30:59.76
So we as
Christians and I am not saying
00:31:00.26\00:31:02.43
that you are
being smug not one bit.
00:31:02.43\00:31:04.40
And there are
certainly, there are certainly
00:31:04.63\00:31:07.13
people who have
heard and have just
00:31:07.46\00:31:10.33
rejected because
they're hard hearted
00:31:10.33\00:31:12.86
and they love sin.
But there are lots of
00:31:12.86\00:31:15.33
people out there
who have tender hearts,
00:31:15.33\00:31:18.23
tender hearts and
they will not read.
00:31:18.56\00:31:22.03
They will not
respond positively when we
00:31:22.03\00:31:24.20
come to them and just say,
00:31:24.20\00:31:25.50
you're hard hearted because you
00:31:25.50\00:31:27.63
don't believe in
creation the only reason you
00:31:27.63\00:31:30.00
believe in creation
is because you're a rebel
00:31:30.00\00:31:31.70
and you don't wanna follow God.
00:31:31.70\00:31:33.00
Well may be they
just, they just don't have
00:31:33.26\00:31:35.23
any world view
and so we need to help
00:31:35.23\00:31:38.30
them tenderly and gently.
00:31:38.30\00:31:40.40
And I wouldn't have
listen to just anybody
00:31:40.73\00:31:42.43
happened to be a
friend that talked to me.
00:31:42.43\00:31:44.80
I have a question, I
have a so what question.
00:31:45.80\00:31:48.33
Okay, so we need to do some self
00:31:49.63\00:31:52.20
examination right,
to see whether their
00:31:52.20\00:31:56.30
reaction is, if
it's a negative reaction
00:31:56.30\00:31:58.96
to see if that's
our fault or may be
00:31:59.20\00:32:04.06
that the
condition of their heart.
00:32:04.06\00:32:06.00
So how practically,
how do you self examine
00:32:06.66\00:32:11.20
yourself? I think
Aiko you should answer
00:32:11.20\00:32:15.96
that question or
begin the answer,
00:32:15.96\00:32:19.60
what do you
think? I was the one that
00:32:21.30\00:32:22.40
asked the
question, I wanna know.
00:32:22.40\00:32:24.26
It's a tight rope walk isn't it?
00:32:26.23\00:32:27.80
It really is because
if you think about it
00:32:28.60\00:32:30.80
the negative
attitude against Christianity
00:32:32.50\00:32:35.86
and Christians
could be valid or invalid
00:32:35.86\00:32:37.73
depending on how
we're representing
00:32:37.73\00:32:39.43
God and we need
to be self examining
00:32:39.43\00:32:42.63
and on the one hand
we need to correctly
00:32:43.50\00:32:45.96
represent God in our teaching.
00:32:45.96\00:32:47.96
God has given
Adventism a package of
00:32:47.96\00:32:50.83
doctrinal trues,
a perfect chain of
00:32:50.83\00:32:52.50
truth that literally
beautifies the character
00:32:52.50\00:32:55.40
of God and you know
the little horn power
00:32:55.40\00:32:57.56
is said to
blaspheme the name of God.
00:32:57.56\00:33:00.23
To defame the character of God,
00:33:00.23\00:33:02.16
God give the
advent movement a package
00:33:02.36\00:33:04.63
of truths that
exonerates the character of God.
00:33:04.63\00:33:06.46
So that's the
teaching aspect but when
00:33:06.46\00:33:08.63
there's the living
testimony of our actual
00:33:08.63\00:33:12.40
lives that gives
credibility to that
00:33:12.40\00:33:15.20
proclamation
and that's what puts
00:33:15.20\00:33:17.30
a seal on it. That's what causes
00:33:17.30\00:33:19.13
people to say
what you're saying to
00:33:19.13\00:33:21.63
me makes
emotional sense not just
00:33:21.63\00:33:23.96
intellectual
sense. We have a comment
00:33:23.96\00:33:26.10
on here, your name please?
00:33:26.10\00:33:27.30
Keisha and I
just want to comment
00:33:27.73\00:33:30.76
on both Pastor Nathan and
00:33:30.76\00:33:32.66
what you just
said. And I just watching
00:33:33.80\00:33:37.66
this video I
realize that the world
00:33:37.66\00:33:40.53
doesn't know Jesus
and he told us that,
00:33:40.53\00:33:42.70
he said the
world doesn't know me
00:33:42.70\00:33:44.43
but this God
said For God so loved
00:33:44.96\00:33:47.43
the world, that he
gave his only begotten Son,
00:33:47.43\00:33:50.00
that whosoever
believeth in him should
00:33:50.00\00:33:52.43
not perish, but
have everlasting life.
00:33:52.43\00:33:55.00
And then Jesus
continues to say He
00:33:55.46\00:33:57.13
that believeth on
Him is not condemned.
00:33:57.13\00:33:59.76
But he that
believeth not is condemned
00:34:00.13\00:34:02.43
already and so
He continues to say
00:34:02.43\00:34:05.60
that and this
is the condemnation
00:34:05.60\00:34:08.16
that the light is
come into the world
00:34:08.16\00:34:09.90
and men love
darkness rather than
00:34:09.90\00:34:11.83
light because
their deeds were evil.
00:34:11.83\00:34:14.00
So when we see
sinners or other people
00:34:14.46\00:34:17.36
in the world who
does not understand
00:34:17.36\00:34:19.83
Jesus, we have to
remember that this
00:34:19.83\00:34:22.56
is the
condition and we also have
00:34:22.56\00:34:25.00
to know that our lives can be a
00:34:25.00\00:34:27.46
living testimony.
Pastor Nathan said it,
00:34:27.46\00:34:30.23
he said it was his
friend who you know,
00:34:30.23\00:34:33.53
inspired him and
spoke to him and so we
00:34:33.53\00:34:36.40
cannot reach
everyone but everyone
00:34:36.40\00:34:39.20
that comes in contact with us we
00:34:39.20\00:34:41.86
influence them
either for the kingdom or
00:34:41.86\00:34:44.60
for eternal damnation.
Amen. And so I believe
00:34:44.60\00:34:47.86
that if we live a
life that is pleasing to
00:34:47.86\00:34:51.53
God in everything that we do,
00:34:51.53\00:34:53.80
we will have a
influence on other people.
00:34:54.23\00:34:57.63
Amen, amen. You know when,
00:34:57.63\00:34:59.36
when I was a young
man just learning how
00:34:59.36\00:35:06.30
to do ministry. There
were times when I would
00:35:06.30\00:35:09.20
go into a situation
and you know brand new
00:35:09.20\00:35:12.50
Christian and very
zealous by God's grace
00:35:12.50\00:35:15.76
I am still very zealous,
00:35:15.76\00:35:17.40
but that zeal
might have a little bit
00:35:17.40\00:35:19.30
more knowledge
now but I remember
00:35:19.30\00:35:21.40
many occasions where
I would go to my dear
00:35:21.40\00:35:23.30
friend Pastor Luis
Torres and I would say
00:35:23.30\00:35:25.70
to Pastor Torres. I would say,
00:35:25.70\00:35:28.10
hey I just you know
I was in this situation
00:35:28.10\00:35:30.50
and I did thus and
so and he would just
00:35:30.50\00:35:32.86
look at me with
that inimitable smile
00:35:32.86\00:35:34.80
and laugh and just
put his hand on my head
00:35:34.80\00:35:37.73
and rub my head
and I would just know
00:35:37.73\00:35:40.40
that I had done
something totally,
00:35:40.40\00:35:42.20
completely
stupid. And then you know
00:35:42.20\00:35:46.50
he would
graciously teach me about that
00:35:46.50\00:35:51.03
and you know, that
goes back to your question
00:35:51.03\00:35:53.90
about self examination.
00:35:53.90\00:35:55.36
It's very easy
for us to spend time
00:35:55.36\00:35:59.56
with people who
are a lot like us.
00:35:59.56\00:36:01.83
So I've got a you know,
00:36:01.83\00:36:03.50
I blasted somebody and I think
00:36:03.50\00:36:05.40
I did the right
thing by standing up
00:36:05.40\00:36:07.10
for the truth and
then I tell my buddy
00:36:07.10\00:36:09.16
Sebastien and
Sebastien is like that's right,
00:36:09.16\00:36:12.03
go get him. Go
get him partner right?
00:36:12.03\00:36:14.76
And it's good for us,
00:36:14.76\00:36:17.70
it's good for us to have,
00:36:17.70\00:36:19.43
to think about
these things before God
00:36:19.43\00:36:22.50
and pray and ask God.
00:36:22.50\00:36:24.53
God, you know,
00:36:24.53\00:36:25.53
could have I said
a little differently.
00:36:25.53\00:36:27.00
Could have I toned
it down a little bit,
00:36:27.00\00:36:28.56
could have I but
it's also good for us
00:36:28.56\00:36:31.03
to say to, to have people.
00:36:31.03\00:36:33.30
I mean my elders
come to me sometimes
00:36:33.30\00:36:35.10
and say you know pastor,
00:36:35.10\00:36:36.43
this thing I am not feeling that
00:36:36.43\00:36:38.86
or this thing that's good
00:36:38.86\00:36:40.96
and it's good to have
00:36:40.96\00:36:42.30
that kind of relationship
00:36:42.30\00:36:43.33
so that we can
learn how to really
00:36:43.33\00:36:45.36
treat people the way
Christ would have us.
00:36:45.36\00:36:47.03
And I think what
you're hitting on is the
00:36:47.03\00:36:49.23
importance of
modeling, you know.
00:36:49.23\00:36:51.66
Yes. That's a big
thing that's been missing
00:36:51.66\00:36:53.83
is the disciples
should peace is that you know,
00:36:53.83\00:36:56.13
we've all had
experiences when we
00:36:56.13\00:36:57.73
first came into the church.
00:36:57.73\00:36:58.86
We were the fire ball
of the church, you know.
00:36:58.86\00:37:01.20
I went to the
potluck lunch my sister
00:37:01.20\00:37:02.83
got couple extra pieces of pie.
00:37:02.83\00:37:04.60
You know, I said Acts 319.
00:37:04.60\00:37:06.80
She didn't know the
verse she looked it up,
00:37:06.80\00:37:08.83
repent therefore
and be converted.
00:37:08.83\00:37:10.46
You know it's like.
00:37:10.46\00:37:14.23
Did she take the whole pie?
00:37:14.23\00:37:16.13
I mean it was like
two or three slices. Okay.
00:37:16.13\00:37:18.56
And even worse than that,
00:37:18.56\00:37:20.63
she is the one who made the pie,
00:37:20.63\00:37:21.93
so you recognize that.
00:37:21.93\00:37:26.80
Is she okay now? I hope not.
00:37:26.80\00:37:28.80
So I think the
modeling piece is key
00:37:28.80\00:37:33.33
but we also
recognize that the spirit of
00:37:33.33\00:37:36.50
prophecy affirms
that we have one pattern.
00:37:36.50\00:37:38.86
Amen. And that
pattern is in Jesus.
00:37:38.86\00:37:42.43
And in the verses
that the sister just read
00:37:42.43\00:37:45.46
John 3:16 was not
spoken to a congregation,
00:37:45.46\00:37:49.73
it was spoken to
one man in the middle of
00:37:49.73\00:37:52.53
the night but
notice the first part
00:37:52.53\00:37:55.33
of the conversation was except
00:37:55.33\00:37:56.80
you'll be born again,
00:37:56.80\00:37:57.90
you will not enter
the kingdom of heaven.
00:37:57.90\00:37:59.53
So we see that
Jesus gives us a model of
00:37:59.53\00:38:03.53
the fact that he can
actually successfully
00:38:03.53\00:38:06.53
exist in that tension. Yeah.
00:38:06.53\00:38:09.03
That Jesus can
actually go to a man
00:38:09.03\00:38:10.76
and tell him,
you're not converted first
00:38:10.76\00:38:13.00
words out of my
mouth in the conversation
00:38:13.00\00:38:14.86
and by the end of
it I am telling you
00:38:14.86\00:38:16.60
that God so loved the world that
00:38:16.60\00:38:17.86
He gave us only begotten Son
00:38:17.86\00:38:19.03
or He goes to John chapter 8.
00:38:19.03\00:38:20.60
Hey you know this women caught
00:38:20.60\00:38:22.50
in adultery
neither do I condemn thee
00:38:22.50\00:38:26.00
yet verses later you are of you
00:38:26.00\00:38:27.83
Father the devil.
What about John chapter 4?
00:38:27.83\00:38:30.50
Go call your husband. Yes.
00:38:30.50\00:38:33.10
I don't have a
husband, you're right
00:38:33.10\00:38:34.76
you don't have a you got a whole
00:38:34.76\00:38:35.93
pile of husbands.
00:38:35.93\00:38:37.10
I mean when you
read verses like that.
00:38:37.10\00:38:40.33
But then she is
thrilled with this encounter
00:38:40.33\00:38:42.70
with Jesus, He had this way.
00:38:42.70\00:38:44.60
And that's what I
think when the Bible says
00:38:44.60\00:38:46.73
the word be king
flesh and was full of grace
00:38:46.73\00:38:50.36
and truth. And I think. Amen.
00:38:50.36\00:38:53.56
Jesus is walking
that tension throughout
00:38:53.56\00:38:56.93
the entire Gospels
which creates an entire
00:38:56.93\00:38:59.03
new respect from me because
00:38:59.03\00:39:00.26
I think for many
us here and I think
00:39:00.26\00:39:02.50
it's important
for as young people to
00:39:02.50\00:39:03.70
recognize there is
no formula that there is
00:39:03.70\00:39:06.70
an element of discernment
00:39:06.70\00:39:07.90
that is needed to
know this is the time
00:39:07.90\00:39:10.53
when I am wrong
and I need to have
00:39:10.53\00:39:12.20
the humility to admit it.
00:39:12.20\00:39:13.63
And I also need
to have the courage
00:39:13.63\00:39:16.13
to say this is the
truth. Here I stand,
00:39:16.13\00:39:20.03
I can do know other
and I think learning
00:39:20.03\00:39:23.56
to walk that
line as I like to say
00:39:23.56\00:39:26.20
that Jesus didn't walk a line.
00:39:26.20\00:39:27.66
Jesus walked a tight rope,
00:39:27.66\00:39:29.10
that they were parleys,
00:39:29.10\00:39:31.56
obsesses on either side.
00:39:31.56\00:39:33.30
If he was too harsh
and if he was too nice
00:39:33.30\00:39:37.03
and too, you know
reluctant to speak
00:39:37.03\00:39:39.66
of truth and I
think of specifically
00:39:39.66\00:39:42.43
when Peter denied
Christ and Ellen White says
00:39:42.43\00:39:44.60
when Jesus turned
his head had his face
00:39:44.60\00:39:47.76
had a look of condemnation.
00:39:47.76\00:39:49.50
She said that
Peter would not have
00:39:49.50\00:39:50.76
come because of
just the face of Jesus;
00:39:50.76\00:39:54.06
do we understand
the impact of our
00:39:54.06\00:39:55.40
countenance? And the
turn around points. Yes.
00:39:55.40\00:39:59.26
We have a comment
here from Taj. Yes,
00:39:59.26\00:40:02.66
I just want to
follow up on what you folks
00:40:02.66\00:40:04.86
are really been talking about
00:40:04.86\00:40:05.90
are perfect example of Christ
00:40:05.90\00:40:07.83
when we look at
him we see the picture
00:40:07.83\00:40:09.80
that God wants to
review to the world
00:40:09.80\00:40:11.73
in us and through us.
00:40:11.73\00:40:13.06
And we sort of
when we look at Christ
00:40:13.06\00:40:14.90
we see a God that hates sin
00:40:14.90\00:40:16.73
with a perfect
hatred but at the very same
00:40:16.73\00:40:19.26
time He love
sinners with a perfect love.
00:40:19.26\00:40:21.23
But the corner of
sinful heart we love sin
00:40:21.23\00:40:24.50
and we hate sinners,
00:40:24.50\00:40:25.70
and so the only way possible
00:40:25.70\00:40:27.70
that we can wipe,
walk this tightrope
00:40:27.70\00:40:31.30
and learn how
to embrace humanity
00:40:31.30\00:40:33.83
but not embrace
the things that they do
00:40:33.83\00:40:36.43
is to look upon
Jesus and let Him
00:40:36.43\00:40:37.86
give us His character.
00:40:37.86\00:40:39.60
And he says Jesus
made it clear that
00:40:39.60\00:40:41.50
you know before the end
comes the gospel must go
00:40:41.50\00:40:44.10
through out the
world as a witness,
00:40:44.10\00:40:45.40
He didn't use the word Testimony
00:40:45.40\00:40:47.40
but a witness
and the difference is
00:40:47.40\00:40:48.76
the Testimony is
something you can hear
00:40:48.76\00:40:50.60
audibly but a
witness is something
00:40:50.60\00:40:52.70
that you can see visibly.
00:40:52.70\00:40:53.73
We've done a good job
of appreciating the gospel
00:40:53.73\00:40:56.06
as a Testimony but
the end has not come
00:40:56.06\00:40:58.93
because the witness,
00:40:58.93\00:40:59.90
the visible demonstration
00:40:59.90\00:41:01.10
of the love of
God in us has not been
00:41:01.10\00:41:03.56
fully experience,
so we need to pray
00:41:03.56\00:41:05.40
that demonstration
comes with our proclamation
00:41:05.40\00:41:09.36
so that we can be glorified
00:41:09.36\00:41:11.00
when Christ comes. Amen, amen.
00:41:11.00\00:41:12.60
Now that thank you Taj.
00:41:12.60\00:41:14.16
What you guys think?
00:41:14.16\00:41:15.30
I really love
the prophecy of David
00:41:15.30\00:41:18.03
along the lines what
we've been discussing
00:41:18.03\00:41:19.80
and when the point
that Taj has just made,
00:41:19.80\00:41:21.50
where David says
that in Jesus Christ mercy
00:41:21.50\00:41:24.53
and truth kissed
each other. Amen.
00:41:24.53\00:41:26.63
They had a perfect
embodiment and union
00:41:26.63\00:41:30.20
that tightrope of
justice and mercy.
00:41:30.20\00:41:32.63
What, what we see
happening in Jesus
00:41:32.63\00:41:34.96
is that when
people encountered Him
00:41:34.96\00:41:36.63
like the people
women at the well.
00:41:36.63\00:41:37.90
She was under the
distinct impulsion
00:41:37.90\00:41:39.96
this man knows
everything about me
00:41:39.96\00:41:44.00
and at the same time
she runs back to her village
00:41:44.00\00:41:47.20
and she says,
come and meet a man
00:41:47.20\00:41:48.90
who had told me
everything I ever did.
00:41:48.90\00:41:50.56
I mean if you think
about that rationally,
00:41:50.56\00:41:52.33
how many of us
would want to meet a man
00:41:52.33\00:41:54.23
who could tell us
everything we ever did?
00:41:54.23\00:41:55.93
I mean, that's not rational,
00:41:55.93\00:41:58.60
somebody else be there,
00:41:58.60\00:41:59.56
somebody knows who
knows every dark nuke
00:41:59.56\00:42:00.86
and cranny of your history.
00:42:00.86\00:42:02.06
But somehow he was
attractive to her, yeah.
00:42:02.06\00:42:06.73
And I take that
to mean that she knew
00:42:06.73\00:42:09.26
that he knew
everything about her,
00:42:09.26\00:42:12.70
and still loved her. Amen.
00:42:12.70\00:42:14.30
Somehow he communicated that.
00:42:14.30\00:42:16.06
You know what's interesting Ty
00:42:16.06\00:42:17.90
is that who was that,
00:42:17.90\00:42:19.53
that really was
opposed to Jesus,
00:42:19.53\00:42:21.63
I mean Jesus was a
winsome personality,
00:42:21.63\00:42:23.93
He had a winning character.
00:42:23.93\00:42:25.60
When you lead
through the gospels
00:42:25.60\00:42:27.50
I get the distinct impression
00:42:27.50\00:42:28.73
that Jesus was
going to communities
00:42:28.73\00:42:32.23
and the whole town was going.
00:42:32.23\00:42:33.76
The guy was so mobbed by people,
00:42:33.76\00:42:35.80
he didn't even have time to eat,
00:42:35.80\00:42:37.33
that's right, right?
00:42:37.33\00:42:38.46
So when we get
the idea that Jesus
00:42:38.46\00:42:40.66
was hated by everyone.
00:42:40.66\00:42:42.23
Wait a minute when
you're so surrounded
00:42:42.23\00:42:45.46
by people that you
don't have time to eat,
00:42:45.46\00:42:47.13
it's not because
they hate you, right?
00:42:47.13\00:42:49.83
He was surrounded
by the people because
00:42:49.83\00:42:52.63
they were interested in Him,
00:42:52.63\00:42:53.86
they wanted to see Him.
00:42:53.86\00:42:55.40
But the religious establishment
00:42:55.40\00:42:58.83
reacted because He
pulling people away
00:42:58.83\00:43:03.23
from their thinking.
Its interesting Nathan
00:43:03.23\00:43:06.63
that the religious establishment
00:43:06.63\00:43:08.10
that rejected Him
was the conservative end
00:43:08.10\00:43:10.56
of the religious establishment,
00:43:10.56\00:43:11.93
that's right, the Pharisees
00:43:11.93\00:43:12.90
and the liberal end
of the establishment
00:43:12.90\00:43:15.06
the Sadducees,
that's exactly right.
00:43:15.06\00:43:16.76
The liberals and the
conservatives ganged up
00:43:16.76\00:43:18.23
against Jesus and crucified him,
00:43:18.23\00:43:19.73
so even we as the
Seventh-day Adventist
00:43:19.73\00:43:21.66
fulfill our God
given purpose of reflecting
00:43:21.66\00:43:25.33
the love Christ.
I believe our church
00:43:25.33\00:43:28.60
will have a power
that we have never seen.
00:43:28.60\00:43:30.93
Amen. It will,
it will reach across
00:43:30.93\00:43:33.73
these boundaries
that are so drawn almost
00:43:33.73\00:43:36.86
as if they were concrete walls.
00:43:36.86\00:43:40.03
God will give us
the power to do that
00:43:40.03\00:43:41.90
when we embody Christ's love
00:43:41.90\00:43:43.73
and proclaim His truth.
00:43:43.73\00:43:45.93
I, I, I can't wait
for that day to begin,
00:43:45.93\00:43:47.80
that day is happening,
00:43:47.80\00:43:48.96
it's beginning
to happen right now.
00:43:48.96\00:43:50.43
That's right you know
00:43:50.43\00:43:51.43
and that just bring to
mind I read a statement
00:43:51.43\00:43:53.40
while ago that said
when Jesus walked into a room
00:43:53.40\00:43:57.03
all attention was on Jesus,
00:43:57.03\00:44:00.46
there was no,
there was no other object
00:44:00.46\00:44:02.66
near them that would
deserve that attention,
00:44:02.66\00:44:06.36
and you know, do we have that?
00:44:06.36\00:44:08.13
Do we have that?
When we walk into a room
00:44:08.13\00:44:10.26
the people look at us and say,
00:44:10.26\00:44:11.60
there's something
about that brother,
00:44:11.60\00:44:13.36
I don't what it is?
00:44:13.36\00:44:14.33
But something
about that young lady
00:44:14.33\00:44:17.03
is just attracting
me to her besides what.
00:44:17.03\00:44:20.06
She's wearing white
and her face is glowing.
00:44:20.06\00:44:22.16
Now we have
another comment here.
00:44:22.16\00:44:23.60
And he has an uncle named Bob.
00:44:23.60\00:44:25.60
That's right,
it's kind of freaky.
00:44:25.60\00:44:27.26
Good morning, my name is Eric,
00:44:27.26\00:44:29.96
you have done
that, should not have
00:44:29.96\00:44:33.80
admired to us how
the world perceive us
00:44:33.80\00:44:36.23
because many of
them will think that
00:44:36.23\00:44:39.03
we walk over grace but
who we are in our rooms
00:44:39.03\00:44:43.66
in our bedrooms
with our families,
00:44:43.66\00:44:46.00
husbands and wives childrens
00:44:46.00\00:44:48.60
is who we really are
in household relationship
00:44:48.60\00:44:52.10
with Christ that's what matters,
00:44:52.10\00:44:53.80
because at the end they
won't judge us God will.
00:44:53.80\00:44:58.20
So we have to make sure
we have our relationship
00:44:58.20\00:45:00.50
with Christ because
after this we'll practice
00:45:00.50\00:45:05.16
the love of God those all there
00:45:05.16\00:45:07.10
because we have
fulfilled the law
00:45:07.10\00:45:09.40
which is in
First Corinthians 13,
00:45:09.40\00:45:12.06
and not because we have to do
00:45:12.06\00:45:15.50
it but because we
love because we have
00:45:15.50\00:45:19.56
the love of God that
is flowing through us.
00:45:19.56\00:45:23.60
Amen. So it seems that,
00:45:23.60\00:45:28.66
that we've been
talking a lot about
00:45:28.66\00:45:31.50
our perception of
Jesus as we understand
00:45:31.50\00:45:33.63
it's a day is of
positive perception,
00:45:33.63\00:45:36.06
you know grace and mercy justice
00:45:36.06\00:45:38.16
and mercy kissing
but how does this tie
00:45:38.16\00:45:41.30
over to us? How
do we portray this
00:45:41.30\00:45:45.10
to the world?
How do we show that
00:45:45.10\00:45:46.46
we are the followers of Christ?
00:45:46.46\00:45:47.66
How do we show
that we are Christians?
00:45:47.66\00:45:49.36
How 'cause that there seems like
00:45:49.36\00:45:51.10
the perception, they like Jesus
00:45:51.10\00:45:52.90
but they don't
like Christians. Why?
00:45:52.90\00:45:57.43
How does that tie over, how do,
00:45:57.43\00:45:58.83
how do we make that practical
00:45:58.83\00:45:59.83
for our own lives?
00:45:59.83\00:46:01.60
How do I make that practical?
00:46:01.60\00:46:03.20
How do people
perceive me as a Christian?
00:46:03.20\00:46:05.43
The practical
embodiments of that
00:46:05.43\00:46:08.23
beautiful balance is in Jesus
00:46:08.23\00:46:09.80
and by beholding
Him we become change
00:46:09.80\00:46:14.86
from glory to glory.
That is from one stage
00:46:14.86\00:46:16.93
of character development
to the next are emotions,
00:46:16.93\00:46:20.30
our intellects,
00:46:20.30\00:46:21.76
our behavior of
patterns begin to shape
00:46:21.76\00:46:24.83
and to move in harmony
with what we see in Him.
00:46:24.83\00:46:28.03
So what you're saying that by us
00:46:28.03\00:46:29.80
being in Christ,
by us being submitted
00:46:29.80\00:46:32.90
to Christ. Experientially, yes.
00:46:32.90\00:46:35.30
Experientially,
having that genuine because
00:46:35.30\00:46:36.76
a lot of times we
talk about having an
00:46:36.76\00:46:38.10
intellectual
knowledge of Christ,
00:46:38.10\00:46:40.93
the information
without the actual
00:46:40.93\00:46:42.60
transformation of the life,
00:46:42.60\00:46:44.03
and lot of times
when we need to take our
00:46:44.03\00:46:46.70
information and transform it
00:46:46.70\00:46:47.93
into the heart? Yes.
00:46:47.93\00:46:49.46
One of the most beautiful things
00:46:49.46\00:46:50.43
I've read recently
is the Desire of Ages
00:46:50.43\00:46:52.53
description of Jesus
going into the temple
00:46:52.53\00:46:55.76
with the money
changers, you know,
00:46:55.76\00:46:57.50
you know that
story, this is Jesus,
00:46:57.50\00:46:59.26
Sebastien with tough love.
00:46:59.26\00:47:00.70
He's turning tables over,
00:47:00.70\00:47:02.40
He's cracking a whip literally
00:47:02.40\00:47:04.40
and Ellen White
paints this picture
00:47:04.40\00:47:06.10
where all the money changers
00:47:06.10\00:47:07.96
are just running from Him,
00:47:07.96\00:47:11.13
and then at the same
time little children,
00:47:11.13\00:47:15.26
women fled into the temple
00:47:15.26\00:47:17.10
and surround Him. So
there's the strength,
00:47:17.10\00:47:20.03
there's this
expression of justice
00:47:20.03\00:47:22.16
and indignation
at how God is being
00:47:22.16\00:47:24.50
misrepresented. And
then there's this attraction
00:47:24.50\00:47:28.10
where Jesus is
drawing another group,
00:47:28.10\00:47:30.76
that aren't intimidated
to be afraid at all. Yes.
00:47:30.76\00:47:33.60
We, we have, we
have a last comment here
00:47:33.60\00:47:35.33
from the floor, I am sorry.
00:47:35.33\00:47:36.36
Hi, I just wanted to
make a comment regarding
00:47:36.36\00:47:38.73
the video that was shown,
00:47:38.73\00:47:39.80
and I wanted to
say it is inevitable,
00:47:39.80\00:47:42.90
when we look at that video
00:47:42.90\00:47:44.80
it's a reminder for us as a
00:47:44.80\00:47:46.53
Seventh-day
Adventists to recognize the work
00:47:46.53\00:47:49.06
that work that
God has called us do.
00:47:49.06\00:47:50.60
As we look at that video
00:47:50.60\00:47:52.40
and when we saw
the contrast between
00:47:52.40\00:47:54.80
how people perceive Christ
00:47:54.80\00:47:56.30
and how to perceive Christians,
00:47:56.30\00:47:59.03
we need to be
reminded that in our homes
00:47:59.03\00:48:01.73
our first
example of Christ whether
00:48:01.73\00:48:04.70
we're believers or
not is our parents,
00:48:04.70\00:48:07.03
our guardians. And
many of these people
00:48:07.03\00:48:09.56
they have valid
perceptions of how
00:48:09.56\00:48:12.13
they viewed Christ
and how they viewed
00:48:12.13\00:48:14.50
Christians based on
their experiences, yeah.
00:48:14.50\00:48:17.80
that's what they based it on,
00:48:17.80\00:48:19.60
it was valid but not true
00:48:19.60\00:48:21.10
but God has
called us as Christians
00:48:21.10\00:48:23.66
and Seventh day Adventists
00:48:23.66\00:48:25.43
to make sure that
we have an intentional
00:48:25.43\00:48:28.20
and we have a
influential witness
00:48:28.20\00:48:31.56
to the world not
that we can defend
00:48:31.56\00:48:34.10
the truth because the Lord says
00:48:34.10\00:48:35.70
His world won't
return to Him boy
00:48:35.70\00:48:37.40
but that we shall make sure that
00:48:37.40\00:48:39.03
we live that life
that when people see us
00:48:39.03\00:48:41.70
even if it be our
words or even our present
00:48:41.70\00:48:44.80
speaks first they can know
00:48:44.80\00:48:46.60
that we are
Christians because the Lord said
00:48:46.60\00:48:48.33
let them see your good works
00:48:48.33\00:48:50.40
that they may glorify our Father
00:48:50.40\00:48:53.96
which is in heaven.
00:48:53.96\00:48:55.00
And I leave this
last thought with us
00:48:55.00\00:48:57.33
is that the greatest
argument for the truth
00:48:57.33\00:49:02.16
as it is Christ
Jesus is a loving
00:49:02.16\00:49:04.86
and a lovable Christian.
00:49:04.86\00:49:06.53
The Lord said oh no man nothing
00:49:06.53\00:49:09.00
but her love Him for this is the
00:49:09.00\00:49:10.60
fulfillment of the law. Amen.
00:49:10.60\00:49:12.70
You know it's interesting,
00:49:12.70\00:49:15.40
I am just thinking
of this amazing verse
00:49:15.40\00:49:17.00
in the Titus
words, it's describing us
00:49:17.00\00:49:19.46
before we were Christians
00:49:19.46\00:49:20.96
and the scripture says that we,
00:49:20.96\00:49:23.90
it says in Titus
chapter 3 verse 3,
00:49:23.90\00:49:27.10
for we were
ourselves were once foolish
00:49:27.10\00:49:29.40
disobedient, led astray,
00:49:29.40\00:49:32.40
slaved to various
passions and pleasures.
00:49:32.40\00:49:34.83
Passing our days
in malice and envy,
00:49:34.83\00:49:38.30
hated by others and
hating one and another,
00:49:38.30\00:49:42.00
so being hated is
actually one of the
00:49:42.00\00:49:46.36
characteristics
of being unconverted,
00:49:46.36\00:49:48.93
to me that is
just an amazing text
00:49:48.93\00:49:53.16
in scripture, if
you are hated it maybe
00:49:53.16\00:49:56.60
because you're unconverted
00:49:56.60\00:49:58.16
and you're presenting yourself
00:49:58.16\00:49:59.43
in a hateful kind of a way.
00:49:59.43\00:50:00.76
That's so, that's so a needed,
00:50:00.76\00:50:04.00
we just need to
internalize that.
00:50:04.00\00:50:06.10
I mean it's just amazing.
00:50:06.10\00:50:07.90
But I guess you know for me
00:50:07.90\00:50:11.23
I kind like to
get into the heart,
00:50:11.23\00:50:12.96
the practical
what do I actually do
00:50:12.96\00:50:15.56
when I leave this auditorium?
00:50:15.56\00:50:16.70
How do I treat GYC attendees
00:50:16.70\00:50:19.66
you know in the hallway?
00:50:19.66\00:50:21.13
How do I behave
on outreach today
00:50:21.13\00:50:23.20
when we go out into
the city of Baltimore.
00:50:23.20\00:50:25.16
And I map that
door in the person
00:50:25.16\00:50:27.30
may come to me with scowling
00:50:27.30\00:50:28.90
in a mean
spirit. And I think about
00:50:28.90\00:50:31.70
the fact that in John chapter 7,
00:50:31.70\00:50:34.16
when the religious leaders
00:50:34.16\00:50:36.60
had sent the
soldiers to go take Christ
00:50:36.60\00:50:40.80
and the Bible says
beginning in verse 44,
00:50:40.80\00:50:45.83
in John chapter 7 it says,
00:50:45.83\00:50:48.86
"And some of them
would have taken Him
00:50:48.86\00:50:50.70
but no man laid hands on Him.
00:50:50.70\00:50:53.50
Then came the
officers to the chief priest
00:50:53.50\00:50:56.26
and the Pharisees,
and they said to them
00:50:56.26\00:50:58.20
why have you not brought Him?
00:50:58.20\00:51:00.46
And the officers
answered never man
00:51:00.46\00:51:03.86
speak like this man." Amen.
00:51:03.86\00:51:06.40
And Ellen White
adds because never a man
00:51:06.40\00:51:09.03
lived as this man lived,
00:51:09.03\00:51:10.86
and in heavenly
places page 54 she,
00:51:10.86\00:51:14.36
she portrays to
me one of the most
00:51:14.36\00:51:17.10
powerful
illustrations of the depth
00:51:17.10\00:51:20.10
and the difficulty of following
00:51:20.10\00:51:21.83
this man Jesus. She says that
00:51:21.83\00:51:24.10
Jesus was able to
combine manly strength
00:51:24.10\00:51:27.63
with childlike simplicity,
00:51:27.63\00:51:29.53
all observing devotion to God
00:51:29.53\00:51:32.36
with tender love for men.
00:51:32.36\00:51:34.36
I mean when you think about
00:51:34.36\00:51:36.26
how do you give both of those
00:51:36.26\00:51:37.50
in the same man?
00:51:37.50\00:51:38.53
How can Jesus
know how and when to do
00:51:38.53\00:51:42.46
each of these particular things?
00:51:42.46\00:51:43.90
And I think the, the struggle of
00:51:43.90\00:51:46.36
dealing with that is
the fact that we cannot
00:51:46.36\00:51:48.23
overestimate the
prayer life of Jesus.
00:51:48.23\00:51:51.00
The time that He stole away
00:51:51.00\00:51:52.80
from the
congregation in the mountains
00:51:52.80\00:51:54.36
because I think as young people
00:51:54.36\00:51:56.00
you know when we
ask questions we,
00:51:56.00\00:51:58.00
we kind want the
intellectual you know
00:51:58.00\00:52:00.53
fleshed out give me
15 verses kind of answer.
00:52:00.53\00:52:03.46
But I think if
we are really honest
00:52:03.46\00:52:05.70
and someone response
us and says you know,
00:52:05.70\00:52:08.60
you just have to
pray, you know what we
00:52:08.60\00:52:10.83
hate that is
because that, that, that,
00:52:10.83\00:52:14.10
that makes us feel
the sense of dependence
00:52:14.10\00:52:16.26
up on God. It makes us feel that
00:52:16.26\00:52:18.26
says that there is no formula,
00:52:18.26\00:52:19.66
you can't just go
to this training school
00:52:19.66\00:52:21.83
read these books, read x, y, z
00:52:21.83\00:52:24.53
spirit of the
prophecy and now you're ready
00:52:24.53\00:52:26.10
to be a super Christian,
00:52:26.10\00:52:27.20
you'll always represent event
00:52:27.20\00:52:29.40
the Lord felt the
constant need to pray.
00:52:29.40\00:52:32.90
Event the Lord felt
the constant need to pray,
00:52:32.90\00:52:33.86
even the Lord
felt the constant need
00:52:33.86\00:52:35.53
to take time to be
with His Father. Yeah.
00:52:35.53\00:52:38.00
And I think that is
more of a key to success
00:52:38.00\00:52:41.30
and navigating
that line then what
00:52:41.30\00:52:43.50
we wanna like to admit to?
00:52:43.50\00:52:44.93
Amen. I had an experience just
00:52:44.93\00:52:47.30
yesterday I went
to the business center
00:52:47.30\00:52:49.50
to send a fax in the Hilton.
00:52:49.50\00:52:53.26
And I walked in
and, and the guy who
00:52:53.26\00:52:55.86
was helping me was
in his mid twenties,
00:52:55.86\00:52:57.56
and he said to me, he said,
00:52:57.56\00:53:00.36
are you attending that,
00:53:00.36\00:53:01.86
that conference with
all these young people
00:53:01.86\00:53:03.86
here and I said yeah
I am attending that in
00:53:03.86\00:53:06.00
and he said
they're different than the
00:53:06.00\00:53:09.40
other young
people that we have come
00:53:09.40\00:53:10.86
through here. Amen.
00:53:10.86\00:53:12.33
And I said is that
are you making a positive
00:53:12.33\00:53:14.93
assessment or a
negative assessment,
00:53:14.93\00:53:16.06
I mean what's different?
00:53:16.06\00:53:18.23
And he said, he
said, it's just different,
00:53:18.23\00:53:21.00
he said they are not acting like
00:53:21.00\00:53:23.46
what you expect they
are demeanor everything
00:53:23.46\00:53:26.20
is different and New
year's eve is coming up.
00:53:26.20\00:53:28.73
And he says, he says
this hotel is expecting
00:53:28.73\00:53:32.03
you know with
this many young people
00:53:32.03\00:53:34.03
on the premises?
Some kind of serious
00:53:34.03\00:53:37.03
party is gonna go down.
00:53:37.03\00:53:38.33
And the only
party is where outside
00:53:38.33\00:53:41.73
the hotel.
Hallelujah. Yeah. Hallelujah.
00:53:41.73\00:53:44.76
So there's a Testimony,
00:53:44.76\00:53:45.93
I mean not to pat us on the back
00:53:45.93\00:53:47.30
or to inflate us, yes,
00:53:47.30\00:53:49.10
but I am just
saying that a Testimony
00:53:49.10\00:53:51.80
is given in the way
we interact in the way
00:53:51.80\00:53:55.36
we interact with
people. So true, so true,
00:53:55.36\00:54:00.06
you know Ty when
you just said that it a,
00:54:00.06\00:54:04.86
it reminded me off
why my respect for Jesus'
00:54:04.86\00:54:11.33
life hasn't increased?
And to think to my self
00:54:11.33\00:54:17.16
I need to begin to
accept not just the
00:54:17.16\00:54:19.90
humanity of Jesus
but also a sense of
00:54:19.90\00:54:22.13
the divinity of Jesus
that there's no searching
00:54:22.13\00:54:25.20
of God's understanding.
00:54:25.20\00:54:26.20
And the I think that
the ability for Jesus
00:54:26.20\00:54:29.73
to live that
life and for us to sit
00:54:29.73\00:54:34.46
here and say, the
life that we see Jesus
00:54:34.46\00:54:36.50
living in the
gospels is completely
00:54:36.50\00:54:38.16
acceptable to us. That's right.
00:54:38.16\00:54:40.23
But follow this,
where does that life end?
00:54:40.23\00:54:43.36
It ends in death,
it ends in crucifixion,
00:54:43.36\00:54:49.66
it ends in the people
who He might have healed,
00:54:49.66\00:54:52.73
the people He
might have counseled
00:54:52.73\00:54:54.63
and brought up
emotionally being silent
00:54:54.63\00:54:57.76
while this man Who is
such a blessing to them,
00:54:57.76\00:55:00.16
is going to mockery of a trial.
00:55:00.16\00:55:02.40
And for me that tells me that
00:55:02.40\00:55:06.36
if I am really
serious about walking
00:55:06.36\00:55:08.00
this line like Jesus did.
00:55:08.00\00:55:09.36
If I am really
serious about righteousness,
00:55:09.36\00:55:12.23
if I am really serious
about living a Godly life,
00:55:12.23\00:55:17.43
am I ready for
where that will read?
00:55:17.43\00:55:19.30
Am I ready to see
that just over the
00:55:19.30\00:55:22.93
horizon of the next
victory over the sin
00:55:22.93\00:55:25.26
in my life that
there's a cross waiting for me.
00:55:25.26\00:55:27.80
And I think that you
know because you know
00:55:27.80\00:55:31.73
I have not much
time but I think that,
00:55:31.73\00:55:34.66
that is a kind for
me that the heart of it
00:55:34.66\00:55:38.86
is that on some
level that we have to admit
00:55:38.86\00:55:41.00
that we'll free to be Godly
00:55:41.00\00:55:43.13
all the time at all places.
00:55:43.13\00:55:46.13
We're free to be Godly because
00:55:46.13\00:55:48.70
there's a cross waiting for us
00:55:48.70\00:55:50.26
and I think when
we look at the life
00:55:50.26\00:55:52.50
of Jesus, do you
want to be like this men?
00:55:52.50\00:55:54.66
You would say yes,
but yet you don't want
00:55:54.66\00:55:57.50
the cross, you
don't want the spitting
00:55:57.50\00:56:00.06
in your face, you
don't want the people
00:56:00.06\00:56:02.30
misunderstanding you,
00:56:02.30\00:56:03.46
characterizing you
as oh you're a fanatic,
00:56:03.46\00:56:06.33
you are, you are
off some pit somewhere.
00:56:06.33\00:56:08.46
And so I think
there's one thing that I think
00:56:08.46\00:56:11.46
for all of us
that's self-examination,
00:56:11.46\00:56:13.53
an examination
must have a standard
00:56:13.53\00:56:15.63
and that standard
looking at the life
00:56:15.63\00:56:18.73
of Jesus is not
just yeah I wanna have
00:56:18.73\00:56:20.80
little children flocked to me,
00:56:20.80\00:56:22.10
yeah I wanna walk in a
room and be able to flip
00:56:22.10\00:56:24.20
tables and people say
you did the right thing.
00:56:24.20\00:56:26.03
But you gotta take it all
00:56:26.03\00:56:28.46
and that includes the cross.
00:56:28.46\00:56:30.80
The aspiration
that you have there
00:56:30.80\00:56:31.83
Sebastien in
tables. Putting tables.
00:56:31.83\00:56:34.63
But I think I
wanna have that but,
00:56:34.63\00:56:42.30
amen I want all. Amen.
00:56:42.30\00:56:45.20
I wanna all and I think we,
00:56:45.20\00:56:48.30
and looking that
we no turning back
00:56:48.30\00:56:52.33
we'll walk up
and flip the tables
00:56:52.33\00:56:55.56
and say we did the right thing.
00:56:55.56\00:56:56.76
We'll walk up and welcome Jackie
00:56:56.76\00:56:58.76
that other
people will not welcome.
00:56:58.76\00:57:00.40
We'll walk up
and say neither do I
00:57:00.40\00:57:03.06
condemn the end we felt good
00:57:03.06\00:57:04.60
that we were
following the example of Jesus
00:57:04.60\00:57:06.50
but what happens when
we step into Gethsemane?
00:57:06.50\00:57:08.40
Is that where our feet stops
00:57:08.40\00:57:11.46
and I think that
this morning you know
00:57:11.46\00:57:15.20
it's exciting to
get onto evangelism
00:57:15.20\00:57:18.03
but I think when the Bible
00:57:18.03\00:57:19.80
and Taj brought this out,
00:57:19.80\00:57:21.20
when this gospel
is preached on the way
00:57:21.20\00:57:23.86
for witness it
doesn't say everyone will be
00:57:23.86\00:57:26.06
converted but it
says no one in that
00:57:26.06\00:57:30.56
second resurrection
would be able to see me
00:57:30.56\00:57:32.60
and say that you gave
in the incorrect picture.
00:57:32.60\00:57:35.43
Amen. You didn't
show how me where
00:57:35.43\00:57:37.60
Jesus actually look like.
00:57:37.60\00:57:39.13
And I think
that's, that for me is the,
00:57:39.13\00:57:44.80
is the scary
thing because to try to
00:57:44.80\00:57:49.93
achieve that is
gonna take something
00:57:49.93\00:57:52.00
that I don't
think that we are ready
00:57:52.00\00:57:53.16
to embrace and
if we can honestly
00:57:53.16\00:57:55.36
wake up every
morning of our lives
00:57:55.36\00:57:57.23
and say that, Lord I
know that as I continue
00:57:57.23\00:58:00.56
to surrender my life to you
00:58:00.56\00:58:01.93
I am one step closer to Calvary.
00:58:01.93\00:58:03.70
Amen. Embrace that cross.
00:58:03.70\00:58:05.30
And this is my
final thought on this;
00:58:05.30\00:58:07.30
I was reading an
early writings about
00:58:07.30\00:58:09.76
a time of Jacob's struggle.
00:58:09.76\00:58:11.36
And sister White said,
00:58:11.36\00:58:13.56
that when the
people of God at that time
00:58:13.56\00:58:16.23
were stressing and they were,
00:58:16.23\00:58:17.66
they were
burdened and she says the
00:58:17.66\00:58:20.36
angels of God
wanted to go and help them
00:58:20.36\00:58:22.56
and encouraged
them and she said,
00:58:22.56\00:58:24.00
a tall angel
stood up and said no
00:58:24.00\00:58:25.83
they have to drink of the cup.
00:58:25.83\00:58:27.36
They have to drink
of the cup and we say,
00:58:27.36\00:58:32.50
Jesus I want to
sit on your right head
00:58:32.50\00:58:33.70
and your left then
we want to be willing
00:58:33.70\00:58:35.80
to drink of the
cup. I hope that our
00:58:35.80\00:58:40.20
discussion this
morning was insightful
00:58:40.20\00:58:42.56
and that, it truly penetrated
00:58:42.56\00:58:45.20
our Christianity.
00:58:45.20\00:58:46.40