Participants: Doug Batchelor
Series Code: 11ASIC
Program Code: 11ASIC000001
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00:22 music
00:50 There is a higher throne 00:54 Than all this world has known, 00:57 Where faithful ones from ev'ry tongue 01:00 Will one day come. 01:06 Before the Son we'll stand, 01:13 Made faultless through the Lamb 01:18 Believing hearts find promised grace-- 01:25 Salvation comes. 01:31 Hear heaven's voices sing 01:37 Their thund'rous anthem rings 01:42 Through em'rald courts and sapphire skies. 01:48 Their praises rise. 01:51 Hear heaven's voices sing 01:58 Their thund'rous anthem rings 02:02 Through em'rald courts and sapphire skies. 02:06 Their praises rise. 02:08 All glory, wisdom, pow'r, 02:11 Strength, thanks, and honor are 02:14 To God our King, who reigns on high Forevermore. 02:19 music 02:28 And there we'll find our home, 02:34 Our life before the throne 02:39 We'll honor Him in perfect song 02:46 Where we belong. 02:52 He'll wipe each tear-stained eye 02:58 As thirst and hunger die. 03:03 The Lamb becomes our Shepherd King 03:10 We'll reign with Him. 03:16 Hear heaven's voices sing 03:22 Their thund'rous anthem rings 03:27 Through em'rald courts and sapphire skies. 03:33 Their praises rise. 03:40 All glory, wisdom, pow'r, 03:46 Strength, thanks, and honor are 03:51 To God our King, who reigns on high forevermore 04:05 To God our King, who reigns on high forevermore 04:34 Praise the Lord. Amen. 04:39 Good evening. 04:40 This evening's our scripture reading 04:42 is in Joshua Chapter 1 verses 6 through 9. 04:48 "Be strong and of a good courage, 04:51 for to this people you shall divide 04:53 as an inheritance the land, which I swore to their 04:57 fathers to give them. 04:59 Only be strong and very courageous, 05:02 that you may observe to do according to all the law, 05:05 which Moses my servant commanded you, 05:08 do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, 05:11 that you may prosper wherever you go. 05:15 This book of the law shall not depart 05:17 from your mouth, but you shall meditate in a day 05:20 and night, that you may observe to do according 05:23 to all that is written in it, for then you shall make 05:27 your way prosperous, 05:28 and then you will have good success. 05:31 Have I not commanded you? 05:33 Be strong and of a good courage, do not be afraid, 05:37 nor be dismayed for the Lord your God is with you 05:40 wherever you go." Amen. 05:55 music 09:32 Good afternoon, evening everybody. 09:37 And thank you for inviting me to share with you 09:41 for this opening meeting of the ASI. 09:45 And I'd like to welcome you, 09:47 if you've not been welcome to Sacramento. 09:50 And in behalf of Sacramento Central Church, 09:53 and Amazing Facts, 09:54 we're so glad to have ASI here in Sacramento. 09:57 You've picked the good time to come. 09:59 This has been historically one of the best years 10:01 for weather that we've had in probably half a century, 10:06 while much of the country is sweltering, 10:07 it's just been beautiful here. 10:09 And if you have a break in your busy schedule at some 10:13 point tomorrow, we'd invite you to come by 10:15 and take a little tour of the Amazing Facts office. 10:17 We love to just to give you a little tour, 10:20 show you what we do at the Bible school 10:21 in the median and so forth. 10:22 So glad to have you in Sacramento, welcome. 10:26 And I'm thankful to be here to open 10:28 the word of God with you. 10:30 And talk with you, about this very important theme 10:33 this week a "Finishing Strong." 10:38 And if you would, could I invite you to join me 10:40 for a moment as we bow our heads and just invite 10:44 the Lord to speak to us, 10:45 through His word at this time. 10:51 Heavenly Father, Lord we desperately need you. 10:56 We pray right now not because we deserve any goog thing. 11:01 But we're coming to you and we're pleading 11:02 the merits of your son Jesus and His blood. Amen. 11:06 We ask that you would evict anything that might 11:09 distract us from hearing you speak through 11:12 Your word to our hearts or speak to Your people. 11:16 We believe we are on the borders of the Promised Land, 11:19 and yet there is a struggle before us. 11:22 Please give us your spirit, 11:25 courage and inspire through your word, 11:28 in Jesus name we ask, amen. 11:35 In our scripture reading tonight, 11:36 you notice that we chose a passage from the 11:40 1 Chapter of Joshua. 11:44 And one reason that I pick that is because, 11:48 there is some similarities. 11:50 We're right now 11:51 I believe in a similar situation to Joshua. 11:55 In that we as God's people had been wondering 11:59 and we're at the borders of the Promised Land. 12:03 And I think it's significant that three times 12:07 more than any other time in the Bible, 12:09 God challenges and admonishes Joshua to have courage. 12:17 Matter of fact, I'd like to read verses 12:19 1 Joshua Chapter 1, if you have your Bibles, 12:23 verses 1 through 9, and notice the emphasis here. 12:28 "After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, 12:32 it came to pass, the Lord spoke to Joshua 12:34 the son of Nun, Moses' assistant saying, 12:38 Moses my servant is dead, now therefore arise, 12:44 go over this Jordan, you and all this people, 12:48 to the land that I'm giving them, 12:50 the children of Israel. 12:52 Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon, 12:55 I have given to you, as I said to Moses. 12:58 From the wilderness of this Lebanon as far as 13:00 the great river, the river Euphrates, 13:02 and all the land of the Hittites, 13:05 and to the great sea towards the going down 13:07 of the sun, shall be your territory." 13:12 Here Joshua was given a great challenge 13:14 and after Moses died 13:16 and they completed the time of morning. 13:18 God said to Joshua, arise and go, be courageous, 13:24 be courageous, be courageous. 13:27 Why would He say that? 13:31 You know I like history, and I was doing some 13:34 reading on the Civil War not too long ago. 13:40 And quite an amazing study and the north never really 13:46 believed that the south was actually gonna turn 13:48 to violence until the Battle of Buron 13:50 caught them off guard. 13:51 They thought it was all saber rattling and Lincoln 13:55 realized, he needed to help organize an army 13:57 in the north to not only defend the north, 14:01 but to advance into reclaim the union, to go forward. 14:06 So they searched and they found what they thought 14:09 was the sharpest brightest mind 14:10 in the military graduated 14:12 second in his class at West Point, George McClellan. 14:17 And this man was meticulous, 14:21 he studied battle, his uniform was always 14:25 spotless, he was a great organizer. 14:27 He carried himself with 14:28 an air of confidence and success. 14:31 And first thing he said is we need more men. 14:35 So they send some spies from the north off 14:39 to the south to look at their forces and spies kept 14:41 coming back and reporting numbers much bigger than 14:44 they really were, they were frightened evidently. 14:47 And they said, oh, they have got thousands 14:48 of soldiers, Rober E. Lee's got thousands of soldiers. 14:51 And so McClellan, he said, we need a bigger army 14:55 and so Lincoln, they did all the recruiting 14:57 they could and all the drafting they could, 14:58 and they were even paying soldiers to come 15:02 and eventually they amassed an army, 15:05 it was the biggest army in the world at the time. 15:07 The army of the north 100,000 15:09 soldiers on the border ready to go into the south 15:12 to preserve the Union of the United States. 15:17 But General George McClellan was so meticulous, 15:23 he kept organizing and drilling and practicing. 15:27 He wrote books on battles. 15:29 He had studied battles in Europe, 15:32 and everything was about preparation 15:35 and logistics and details. 15:38 Until Lincoln became so exasperated, 15:41 there is a few little scaramouches 15:42 that he retreated from. 15:44 He had a 100,000 soldiers and he was afraid to go forward. 15:50 He was afraid to advance. 15:53 Lincoln finally said, I begin to believe 15:56 that we will never get ready to go forward. 15:59 They were forever getting ready. 16:04 And never he retreated from a battle, 16:07 he said I did it so we can fight another day. 16:10 And he didn't want to put his soldiers and arms away. 16:13 So they loved him for it, 16:15 but you don't win a war that way. 16:18 To win a war, you got to have courage to go forward. 16:20 Why do you think God said three times to Joshua, 16:25 be courageous, be very courageous, be courageous. 16:33 Why three times to him more than anyone else? 16:37 Because Joshua had been there before and because 16:42 the other people lost courage they wandered long time. 16:47 Could that happen to God's people 16:49 again near the end of time? 16:50 Maybe it already has happened 16:52 and we're at the Jordan now. 16:55 Do we need courage? 16:57 Do we need to go forward? 17:00 What is courage? 17:03 Courage is the state or quality of mind 17:05 or a spirit that enables one to face danger, 17:09 fear of vicissitudes with self-possession, 17:12 confidence, resolution and bravery. 17:15 Andrew Jackson, use to say one man 17:18 and courage is a majority. 17:22 How do God's people need courage? 17:25 Why do we need courage? 17:28 At the borders of the Promised Land, 17:29 he told them to go forward once before and they didn't. 17:33 They were intimidated by the size of the enemy. 17:38 Could we be intimidated? 17:41 Have we ever been frightened by the odds 17:44 of reaching the world with a message? 17:47 Now I don't want to, last thing 17:48 I want to do is discourage you. 17:51 But some times the task before us is daunting. 17:56 Now I like being real, I hope you don't mind. 17:59 But I'm always excited, when I think about 18:04 how our church has grown. 18:07 I'm encouraged, I like telling people. 18:10 We have a million members in North America 18:12 and a 17 million plus around the world. 18:14 And that's exciting, that's significant, 18:17 considering we started from nothing. 18:21 But then you realize at every year, 18:23 80 million new people, after you even factor 18:29 in all those who have died, 80 million new people 18:33 are added to the world's population. 18:38 And that means every 80 days approximately, 18:41 there as many people added to the world's population 18:43 as we have in the world church. 18:46 Could that make your knee shake on the borders 18:48 of the Promised Land? 18:51 That's a daunting task, Jesus has told us to go 18:54 into all the world. 18:56 But what did God tell Joshua? 19:00 He said as I was with Moses, 19:04 so I'll be with you. 19:07 What do you think Moses odds look like when he 19:09 first went to pharaoh, who had completely subjugated 19:13 these people, and said let them go? 19:16 And then all pharaoh did was tighten his grip 19:19 and make them produced bricks without straw. 19:22 It didn't look very hopeful. 19:25 But they probably hadn't factored 19:27 in the miracle power of God. 19:30 And within a matter of weeks, 19:31 we don't know the exact time 19:32 but it was a matter of weeks. 19:33 God had completely turn things around, 19:36 the Egyptians not only said you can go free, 19:38 they said here take our silver and gold as you leave. 19:43 And God potted an ocean 19:46 and fed them with bread from heaven, 19:47 and give them water from the rock 19:48 and delivered them from their enemies. Amen. 19:51 And there was no man like Moses. 19:53 So when God says to Joshua be courageous, why? 19:56 As I was with Moses, I will be with you. Amen. 20:00 Well, He was certainly with Moses. 20:02 And who had a better view of God 20:06 being with Moses than Joshua. 20:10 Joshua had a front row seat as the assistant of Moses. 20:13 Not when they were down making the golden calf, 20:15 Joshua didn't even notice, he was right up there 20:18 with Moses on the mountain. 20:20 He saw Moses face shining as he came 20:22 from the presence of God. 20:23 He went with Moses into the tabernacle, 20:26 when God spoke to him. 20:29 And he said as God was with Moses, 20:31 so I will be with you. 20:33 Well, that would encourage me. 20:35 Matter a fact, you and I in some ways should be 20:37 more encouraged than Joshua, 20:39 because Joshua could look back at the leading of God 20:42 through Moses as an example. 20:45 How many heroes can we look out? 20:47 I mean can't the Lord say to us as I was with David, 20:51 as I was Gideon, as I was Elijah, 20:55 as I was with Moses, so I'll be with you. Amen. 20:59 Is he saying that to us? 21:01 Do we have the history an example in the word of God? 21:05 That He is gonna be with us. 21:09 That should be encouraging. 21:11 Why do we need courage? 21:13 But one thing we got to keep in mind, 21:16 fear is contagious. 21:19 Once a person starts to shake and sweat, 21:23 everybody around them starts to get little bit nervous. 21:27 God had told Moses, that when you gather 21:30 for battle with your enemies. 21:32 He never said they are going to be battles. 21:33 Matter of fact, the law is given assuming 21:36 there are going to be battles. 21:38 God doesn't say come to me 21:40 and I'll save you from the battles. 21:42 He says I'll give you courage for the battles. 21:45 They are gonna be battles everybody. 21:48 It says when you gather them for battle, 21:50 Deuteronomy 20 verse 8, "The officer will speak 21:53 further to the people, and say, 21:54 What man is there who is fearful and fainthearted? 21:57 Let him go and return to his house, 22:01 lest the heart of his brethren 22:02 faint like his heart." 22:04 It's contagious, we don't need you to be spreading 22:07 fear among God's people just go home, 22:11 we are better off without you. 22:14 God is looking for a people 22:15 who are courageous that believe in Him. 22:19 Same thing happened with Gideon. 22:20 God says Gideon, I want you to go fight 22:22 the Midianites, you know, tells us they were like 22:24 the sand of the sea these armies 22:26 that I want you to go fight him. 22:27 So Gideon blows the trumpet, 22:30 and he blows it among his tribe 22:31 and they get about 32,000 men, 22:34 who kind of comes slinking out of their ranches 22:38 and their homes to go fight 22:39 this army that's spread out like an ocean 22:44 in the Valley of Jezreel there, Megiddo. 22:51 And God said you got too many people 22:54 and Gideon goes what, too many. 22:57 Make an announcement, Judges 7 verse 3. 23:02 "Proclaim in the hearing of the people saying, 23:03 Whoever is afraid, let him turn 23:06 and departed once from mount Gilead. 23:09 And out of 32,000, 22,000 of the people returned." 23:15 Well if I was courageous before that announcement, 23:17 I don't know how courageous 23:18 I would havebeen after two-thirds of the army left. 23:23 And you know what God said, 23:26 you still have too many, because while the first 23:29 group may have been fearful, 23:32 you've got a bunch in your group now 23:34 that aren't fearful, but they are full hearty. 23:37 They are reckless, so we've got to weed them out. 23:43 So they went down to a broken he said look 23:45 whoever drinks water by bringing it to his face 23:47 and lapping it like a dog, set him aside, 23:49 hang on to him. 23:50 Those who are so thirsty, they put their faces right 23:52 down in the water, let them go home. 23:56 Out of that 10,000 that remain only 300 24:00 were courageous but also prudent. 24:05 And they looked around for the enemy 24:07 and they brought the water to their mouth. 24:10 And God said to Gideon, here is what I'm looking for. 24:14 People who are courageous and wise, 24:17 not brave and reckless. 24:21 You probably heard the expression before there 24:22 are old pilots and there are bold pilots, 24:26 but there are no old bold pilots and God wants us 24:31 to have that balance. 24:35 So we got to be courageous, 24:36 because fear is contagious and it spreads not only 24:41 is fear contagious, courage is contagious too. 24:47 You know, we can be courageous 24:49 when we remember that God is with us. Amen. 24:52 That we're not alone. 24:54 I think that makes all the difference in the world. 24:58 He gives us the, a promise of His presence. 25:04 You notice in verse 5, "As I was with Moses, 25:07 so I will be with you." Amen. 25:11 That's a wonderful promise, 25:12 the Bible ends with the promise 25:13 God himself will be with them. 25:17 And he was with Moses, no question about it, 25:19 Exodus 33:14, "My presence will go with thee, 25:24 and I'll give the rest." 25:25 Was God with the children of Israel 25:26 through the wilderness? 25:29 Did they have visible evidence that 25:31 He was with them. 25:33 Do we have evidence that God is with us? 25:37 Well, I think we do friends. 25:38 We've seen such wonderful examples of God's blessing 25:42 and evidence of His presence, Joshua 1 verse 9. 25:47 "Have I not commanded thee? 25:50 Be strong and be of good courage, be not afraid, 25:55 neither be dismayed, for the Lord your God 25:58 is with thee wherever you go." 26:00 You know that sounds strangely familiar. 26:02 Notice what he says, "Have I not commanded thee, 26:06 God is with thee." I'm reading Joshua 1:9. 26:09 Now I want you to read another Joshua speaking, 26:12 except the Greek pronunciation is Jesus. 26:15 Jesus says in Matthew 28, "Teaching them to observe 26:19 all things that I've commanded you, and lo, 26:22 I'm with you." 26:23 Christ is basically quoting the words that He 26:26 spoke to Joshua 2000 years earlier. 26:31 So as God was with Moses, and as God was with Joshua. 26:36 And as the Father was with Jesus. 26:38 Jesus said I'm with you. 26:42 Has his promise changed, or do we still have 26:45 grounds to be courageous these days. 26:47 When we consider that He is with us. 26:50 And having God with us, should we expect less than 26:56 Joshua experienced. Should we? 27:01 You know, it's amazing to me, 27:03 when the angel first appeared to Gideon. 27:06 Now you got to keep in mind, 27:07 Gideon lived after Joshua. 27:10 And Gideon said to the angel, if God is with us, 27:12 the angel said to Gideon, man of valor, 27:15 the Lord is with you. 27:16 He said, God's with us really. 27:17 It doesn't look like He is with us. 27:19 We're being beaten on every side. 27:21 We are overwhelmed, how can God be with us? 27:26 And you know what, Gideon said. 27:28 What about all the miracles we used to hear about? 27:31 We don't see God's power anymore, 27:33 the days of miracles are over. 27:36 Isn't that strange that Gideon would say that. 27:39 That's Gideon who lived before Elijah fire 27:41 coming down from heaven. 27:43 That's Gideon who lived before Daniel 27:46 and Shadrach, and Meshach, all those miracles. 27:48 Gideon said looks like the days of miracles are over. 27:51 It doesn't look like God's with us. 27:54 Well did God then start new ways of miracles with Gideon? 27:58 That He do wonders of deliverance. 28:01 And that's same way He'll be with us. 28:04 Is God's work going to finish with less power 28:07 than it started with? 28:08 We're on the banks of the Jordan. 28:10 Or should be by faith anticipate that God 28:13 is gonna move again. 28:14 How we can ever reach Him to world where 80 million 28:18 new people are added to the account every year 28:23 without the power of God and without courage. 28:28 He wants us to finish strong. 28:31 I don't think the days of miracles are over. 28:33 Let me read something to you from the book 28:34 "Great Controversy" speaking of last days, page 6, 28:37 12 if you're taking notes. 28:40 "Servants of God, with their faces illuminated 28:43 in shining with holy consecration, 28:45 will hasten from place to place to proclaim 28:49 the message from heaven by thousands of voices, 28:53 all over the earth." 28:56 Many of them ASI members, I threw that in, 29:00 did you noticed. 29:03 The warning will be the given, I'm still reading. 29:06 "Miracles will be wrought, the sick will be healed, 29:10 signs and wonders will follow the believers." 29:15 As God was with Moses, have you ever read 29:17 the last thing that Moses, well actually Moses 29:20 didn't write because he was dead. 29:21 But the last thing in Deuteronomy, 29:23 which is the last book of Moses. 29:24 Turn to the last Chapter of Deuteronomy. 29:28 And I want you to notice something, 29:29 talking about the power of God. 29:31 Deuteronomy Chapter 34 verse 10. 29:36 Matter of fact, scholars pretty much agree 29:40 that the last Chapter of Deuteronomy is really 29:42 the 1 Chapter of Joshua. 29:44 Because Joshua probably wrote it because Moses was dead. 29:49 Verse 10, "But since then there has not a arisen 29:53 in Israel a prophet like Moses, 29:55 whom the Lord knew face to face. 29:57 In all the signs and the wonders, 30:01 which the Lord sent him to do in the land of Egypt 30:04 before Pharaoh, and all his servants, 30:05 and an all his land, all of the signs wonders 30:08 and miracles before Pharaoh." 30:09 Verse 12 "And by all that mighty power, 30:12 and all the great terror which Moses performed 30:15 in the sight of all Israel." 30:17 In the sight of the government 30:19 and the appraisers, in the sight of his own people, 30:22 signs and wonders on power and terror and miracles 30:25 through Moses as they left Egypt. 30:28 Will we expect less going into the Promised Land? 30:32 Or is God gonna do something and pour out 30:35 His spirit and raise up an army, 30:37 that will go everywhere, preaching the word 30:41 fearlessly on the tomb 30:45 of Lord Lawrence in Westminster Abbey. 30:49 It simply says that he feared no man because 30:55 he feared God so much. 30:58 And I think God is looking for people that loved Him 31:01 and feared Him so much that they are not 31:03 afraid of anything else. 31:05 You know, when you come to Christ and you take up 31:07 your cross and you are crucified with Christ, 31:09 you don't have to be afraid of death, 31:10 because you've already died. 31:12 Did that make sense? 31:14 You know unless you didn't keep killing the horse 31:17 over and over again. 31:19 When you've been crucified with Christ, 31:22 and you've died, then you are dead. 31:28 And you don't need to fear him, 31:29 who can hurt your body 31:30 because they can't touch your soul. Amen. 31:33 And that gives you courage. 31:36 He says I'll be with you as I was with Moses. 31:39 You know, I love that story in the Bible 31:42 of Jonathan, 1 Samuel Chapter 14. 31:46 We've got a brave example. 31:47 Why should we be courageous, 31:49 because we're not alone? 31:53 You remember the story. 31:54 Jonathan said to these young man that bare his 31:57 armor, "Come, and let us go over unto the garrison 32:00 of these uncircumcised, and it might be that the 32:03 Lord will work for us, for there is no restraint to 32:07 the Lord to save by many or by few." 32:09 And his armor bearer said to him, 32:12 " Do all that is in your heart, behold, 32:15 I am with thee according to thy heart." 32:17 The armor bearer of Jonathan 32:19 went around with that young prince. 32:21 Jonathan was he was quality stuff. 32:24 He was a good man. 32:25 David just love Jonathan, because he had such 32:28 courage and love for God. 32:30 So humble, Jonathan said to David when he first met 32:34 him and saw him go out against the giant, 32:36 says he loved him. 32:37 Jonathan took off his armor and he gave him 32:40 his belt and he gave him his sword and he gave him his 32:42 bow, and later he told him I know 32:43 you're gonna be king in my place. 32:45 You've been chosen by God, 32:46 and that's good enough from me. 32:48 What kind of man would do that? 32:50 Just say, you've been called to the Lord to do 32:53 what you are doing and I accept that. 32:57 He was quality material. 33:00 He said there is no restraint with the Lord 33:03 to deliver by few or many. 33:05 I've a feeling that Jonathan was inspired 33:09 by the story of Gideon, and through the example of God 33:13 delivering with few through Gideon. 33:16 He said, you know, we don't have to wait 33:19 because Saul and the people of Israel were all gathered 33:23 together trembling, you remember that. 33:27 Jonathan said, look if we wait for them to advance, 33:32 the war is never gonna start, 33:34 maybe we can start something. 33:37 There was no restraint with the Lord 33:39 to deliver by few or many. 33:40 You know, Saul kept having committee meetings. 33:44 So we're gonna have a committee study. 33:47 And they weren't going forward 33:48 against the Philistines. 33:50 It's really easy sometimes for us to get involved in 33:53 and I believe in preparation, 33:56 I believe in training, you know, the AFCOE program, 33:59 we believe in training. 34:01 We believe in seminars and study in evangelism. 34:05 We're gonna be doing an AFCOE to go program next week, 34:08 we believe and all that. 34:10 But you can't forever be studying how to go forward, 34:13 and never going forward. 34:15 And finally Jonathan said look enough is enough, 34:18 let's get out of this committee meeting, 34:19 let's go fight some in Philistines. 34:22 And he said, there is no problem with the Lord, 34:24 maybe we haven't got everybody organize 34:26 and ready yet, but let see what we can do. 34:30 Sometimes I think we're so afraid that we're gonna do 34:32 something wrong in our witnessing, 34:34 instead we do nothing very well. 34:39 And he said let's go and his armor bearer was 34:43 so inspired by his courage, it was contagious. 34:49 He said wow! 34:51 I can follow a God like that in the battle. 34:54 My heart is with you as your heart. 34:58 Your faith and your God is inspiring me, 35:01 and I'm willing to follow you just the two of us, 35:04 against the garrison of the Philistines. 35:06 Not only that, they strategically bad 35:09 position, they were gonna fight their way up hill. 35:14 And he said I'm with you. 35:16 And they went, and they won. 35:21 Matter a fact, I think the Philistines were so 35:23 surprised they said, Oh look the Israelites 35:25 are coming out of the holes where they have been hiding, 35:27 come on up, we want to show you something. 35:30 And they probably didn't even 35:32 have their bows strung up yet. 35:34 They just weren't prepared for a fight. 35:36 And they were so taken by the surprise 35:39 by the courage, standing like the religious leaders 35:43 back in the days of the apostles when they beheld, 35:47 the boldness of Peter and John the audacity. 35:52 God wants His people to have a wholly audacity 35:55 to share the truth. Amen. 35:58 Not be afraid and be in courageous for God doesn't 36:03 mean you are never afraid of anything. 36:05 Matter a fact, 36:06 I think in order to be courageous for God, 36:07 you need to have a certain amount of normal fear. 36:12 I don't reach out for rattlesnakes. 36:16 I'm not afraid of rattlesnakes, 36:18 but you know, I don't reach out for them 36:19 because I'm afraid of that. 36:22 You know what I mean? 36:24 And I think we've got to have that same kind of balance. 36:30 Today our glass door broke, and we're spoiled, 36:34 we've one of this automatic garage door opners 36:35 and I often having to get out and lift up by hand. 36:39 So we call the repairman, and he came over 36:42 and they had installed this, he repaired the garage door 36:45 and Karen takes you about, five minutes to know 36:50 everything about a person. 36:52 And so she began to mix up with the guy 36:54 and talk to him and chat make friends 36:55 and try to get them the lower the price, and-- 36:59 Amen, amen. 37:00 There are advantages to witnessing. 37:05 And as were bidding him farewell, 37:08 it only took him about ten minutes to fix it garage. 37:11 He took him about half an hour 37:13 to get out of our living room. 37:17 I said Karen, give him a book. 37:20 And I was thinking about, you know, 37:21 you don't want to say, are you ever been afraid, 37:23 say something like that to someone or to say, 37:25 would you like this track or can I give you a tape, 37:27 or do you like to read and you are always kind, 37:29 you know, sometimes a devil will try to intimidate us. 37:33 And he frightens us about sharing our faith. 37:37 And so she said hey, do you read. 37:41 And once a guy said, no I'm illiterate. 37:46 She said here is the book and look here 37:49 is my husband's picture, oh he wrote the book she says. 37:53 No you know, you don't know what will happen, 37:55 but you do that enough of the time 37:57 and you might see somebody in the kingdom. Amen. 38:01 You know another reason we need courage 38:03 or what gives us courage 38:05 I should say is having a mission, 38:09 having a reason to fight. 38:11 If someone says I want you to go out in the battle, 38:13 be brave fight and you say what am I fighting for it, 38:16 nothing important but you are willing to die. 38:19 And you go out, I'm not so courageous about that, right. 38:22 If you gonna be courageous, 38:24 you need a cause, you need some reason. 38:30 When David went to deliver his brothers their cheese 38:34 and food from the vittles from home. 38:37 And while he was out there on the frontline, 38:39 like any young man, you know, 38:40 he is out there with the grown soldiers, 38:42 and he is looking at them 38:43 and pretty soon he sees the enemy, 38:44 oh there's enemy frontlines, wow. 38:45 And outcomes Goliath, and then when Goliath began 38:50 the mock the God of Israel, 38:51 and mock the armies of Israel and to blaspheme 38:54 God's name, the blood rose up in David's heart. 38:59 And he said is nobody gonna answer that challenge. 39:04 I've killed a lion and a bear together, 39:06 they are about as big as him. 39:08 I'll do it if no one else is gonna do it, 39:10 and he started talking like that and pretty soon 39:11 his brother got wind of it. 39:15 And you know what happened? 39:17 Eliab 1 Samuel 17:28, "Eliab his eldest brother 39:23 heard when he spoken to the men, 39:24 and Eliab's anger was kindled against David, 39:27 he said his brother, He said why have you come 39:30 down here to the frontlines? 39:31 And who did you leave those few sheep 39:34 within in the wilderness? 39:36 I know the pride, and the naughtiness of your heart, 39:38 you're just curious, you came down here, 39:40 so that you can see the battle." 39:42 And then write a song about it. 39:45 I added that part. 39:51 Isn't that interesting that the discouragement 39:55 from David going against Goliath, 39:58 did not come from the Philistines. 40:01 It came from his own family. 40:06 Sometimes Jesus is going to die for our sins 40:09 and Peter says that's a bad plan. 40:11 You don't want to do that Jesus. 40:14 Jesus said get behind me Satan. 40:17 From your own family Mary Magdalene pores out 40:22 that gift and the Lord says, shall be remembered 40:24 everywhere where the gospel is preached for 40:26 what she has done and Judas says what a waste, 40:28 how reckless from among the apostles. 40:34 And sometimes a person gets inspired, 40:37 they want to do something for God and the family says, 40:40 are you out of your mind. 40:41 You really think that's gonna work. 40:45 We need to encourage each other 40:48 and our exploits forgot. 40:49 What gives us courage, having a mission, 40:52 having a cause? 40:54 Is there not a purpose, did Joshua have a cause. 40:59 Listen to what he said? 41:00 Joshua Chapter 1, God is speaking to Joshua verse 2. 41:03 "Moses my servant is dead now therefore arise, and go." 41:09 Did our Joshua tell us to go? 41:12 Jesus is Joshua, in Hebrew Yeshua. 41:17 Yeshua is Jesus, you all know that. 41:20 I remember first time I heard it, 41:21 it was new from me, some of you heard it many times. 41:24 Our Joshua, Jesus has told us to go. 41:28 He said "Arise and go over this Jordan, you, 41:31 and all this people, unto the land that I do give them, 41:35 even the children of Israel." 41:36 Is there a greater mission than leading people into 41:41 the Promised Land? 41:42 Who has a greater cause than God's people to bring 41:45 folks from death to life, from sickness to health, 41:48 from being blind to sight, from being dead to alive, 41:53 I mean please help me. 41:55 Name a greater cause than that cause. 41:58 Fighting and dying for a peace of dirty real estate 42:03 or for the Promised Land? 42:06 People will be patriotic and pour out their lives 42:10 and their blood for their homeland, 42:12 and the soil and these people dying in Libya. 42:17 And I admire their patriotism, 42:19 but then you look at the ground they are dying for. 42:24 And here the Lord is telling us to be brave 42:26 and to be courageous for the land flowing with milk 42:30 and honey that God has prepared. 42:31 Is that a cause with living for and fighting 42:35 for and dying for? Amen. 42:37 To help people, lead them into the Promised Land, 42:40 that's what He has called us to do, 42:41 to lead people into the Promised Land. 42:46 And you know, you might have to saw a lot of seed 42:48 and something will spring up. 42:50 But can you imagine when you get across to Jordan, 42:53 and you meet people. 42:54 You are so afraid 42:55 and you didn't know whether to ask him 42:56 if they want the DVD, or the book, or the Bible study. 43:02 And you gave it to them, and you get there 43:05 and they are there. Amen. 43:08 Will you ever have doubts then that 43:10 it was a cause worth fighting for? 43:15 You know another reason that we need to be courageous. 43:20 Why did God tell Joshua, be courageous, 43:22 be courageous, be courageous, 43:24 be very courageous, because they had failed before. 43:31 Did they have some failures in the wilderness? 43:36 Can you get discourage and stop fighting when you fail? 43:40 Sometimes a boxer will go out in a ring 43:42 and early in the fight he gets punched, 43:44 and sent to the mat. 43:47 And if he struggles back to his feet, 43:48 there is a chance that he from then on can just try 43:52 to protect himself and run from the opponent 43:57 and hangout in the corner. 44:00 His courage can be dampened. 44:04 And he gets in the corner between rounds 44:07 and the coach is gonna say, what's the matter with you. 44:09 You are a fighter, you are a winner. 44:10 So he hit you once, get in there, start swing in. 44:15 When you've been knocked out once or twice, 44:17 you can loose your courage. 44:21 Have you ever fallen? 44:24 Have you ever been overcome by the enemy? 44:28 Gotten discouraged, you fought and resisted 44:32 temptation and you failed. 44:33 So next time you just don't have much fight left in you. 44:39 As we're here in on the borders 44:40 of the Promised Land is there a chance, 44:42 that some of God's people could be saying. 44:46 You know, the enemy is kind of beat me up a little bit. 44:50 I don't have that much courage left. 44:53 Who was it Thomas Edison said, 44:54 "He that's afraid to fail, is afraid to succeed." 44:58 You can scarcely show me an example 45:01 of a hero in the Bible, 45:02 that didn't fall somewhere along the way. 45:05 Peter, went out and wept bitterly 45:07 after denying Christ. 45:09 But you can hardly tell when he stands up 45:13 on the day of Pentecost that he ever failed. 45:16 He stood there with boldness and courage, 45:20 and then later stood, he puts his life on the line, 45:22 they commanded him do not preach in Jesus name anymore. 45:25 There they will all sitting up elevated 45:27 glaring down at him, fisherman in his rags. 45:31 And he looked up but the austere leaders 45:35 of the church at that time. 45:36 And he said we ought to obey God rather than men. Amen. 45:40 Yeah, Peter had fallen before, 45:43 but God gave him courage. 45:46 We need the kind of courage John the Baptist had. 45:51 Out there in the wilderness, dress funny, 45:56 eating funny things, 46:00 preaching spiritual messages. 46:06 And you know why Jesus said there is no prophet 46:08 that's ever arisen greater than John the Baptist. 46:11 Because John the Baptist 46:12 wasn't afraid to call sin what it was. 46:15 He was able to go right up to the king and said, no, 46:17 you're not supposed to have your brother's wife. 46:19 That's not politically correct, 46:21 you're not gonna get anything from the government 46:23 when you tell the King that. 46:25 Except in prison and beheaded, 46:28 and John the Baptist had the spirit of Elijah, 46:31 Elijah who told Ahab, it's you and your father house. 46:36 That's a kind of courage God's 46:38 people need in the last days. 46:40 Not only to live victorious lives, 46:42 but to speak the truth with love and kindness 46:46 intact, but for heaven sake be bold. Amen. 46:50 People are looking for people in the world, 46:53 who know what they believe. 46:55 And yes, you're gonna be ridiculed. 46:59 People find out here in this century, 47:04 how can anybody educated believe 47:08 that the Bible is literal? 47:10 How can anybody educated, believe that God made 47:14 the world in six literal days, you'll be laughed at. 47:19 But I believe what the Bible says, 47:20 even more than that. 47:21 I think that a person is drowning in a sea 47:23 of absurdity to believe that everything, 47:25 everywhere all the organization 47:27 and design that you see came from nothing nowhere. Amen. 47:31 That's your alternative. 47:34 But you say that and people look at you narrowly. 47:40 Let him look. Amen. 47:43 Because we're living lives before the King. 47:47 And before David died, he called Solomon in, 47:50 says Solomon God has told me that you are supposed 47:53 to build a house for him. 47:57 And he said, be courageous and build it. 48:01 God has called us to build up a house for him, hasn't he? 48:03 What gives a person courage? 48:07 Cause, a good example. Love. 48:12 When Abraham's family was kidnapped by the enemy, 48:15 he got an army together and he went after him, didn't he? 48:19 Also an Abraham, who is a farmer. 48:21 He is a shepherd. 48:24 He goes out with 300 men and a few additional ones, 48:28 and he fights against five kings, that takes courage. 48:32 What made him so brave? 48:34 He said they have got my nephew, 48:36 they have got his family. 48:37 A love will make you courageous, 48:41 1973 some people in South Dakota, 48:44 in a motor home that was part taking pictures, 48:48 a mountain lion manage to jump though an open window 48:50 and grab an 18 month old that was in there. 48:55 Grandmother took a butcher knife 48:58 and killed the mountain lion. Amen. 49:01 Now do you normally see grandmothers chasing 49:03 mountain lions with a butcher knife? 49:07 What would give them that kind of courage, love? 49:13 Do we have reason to be courageous for Jesus? 49:17 Has He shown His love for us? 49:19 He has given us an example of courage. 49:23 He has given us promises that he'll be with us. 49:27 And we've a great mission friends to go to the world. 49:30 It's gonna take a miracle of God's power. 49:31 But I believe that we're on the borders of the Jordan, 49:34 and we should expect miracles again, 49:36 what do you say? Amen. 49:37 Would you like to pray with me 49:38 and ask Him again for that power? 49:41 Let's borrow our heads. 49:44 Father we're inspired by Your word. 49:48 By the truth that You have not changed. 49:51 The same way you were with Moses and David and Elijah 49:54 and others, you'll be with your people today. 49:58 Lord, we ask that you pour out Your spirit, 50:00 be with everybody. 50:02 Sometimes we failed, but we pray that You bless us 50:05 and dust us off and lift us up again. 50:07 Send us into the battle, knowing we're not alone. 50:10 But we're fighting along side of thee. 50:14 And I just pray You'll blessed all of this people 50:16 and give us victory that we may finish strong. 50:19 We ask in Jesus name, amen. 50:47 Write what you want from me and store 50:55 Are we fraction of your character alone 51:02 So I try to keep your laws without regret 51:10 But I'm easily distracted and forget 51:15 So write them on my heart 51:20 Fill them in my mind 51:25 The beauty of your love and grace combined 51:32 Remind me just how lucky your commandments are 51:40 And write them on the tablet of my heart. 51:59 There's only one desire inside of me 52:06 It's to be everything, you created me to be 52:13 And I know the only way that I can grow 52:21 It's for you to come inside and take control 52:26 So write them on my heart 52:30 Feel them in my mind. 52:36 The beauty of your love and grace combined 52:43 Remind me just how lucky your commandments are 52:51 And write them on the tablet of my heart. 52:58 Your love reflect your goodness 53:02 The class reveals your grace 53:06 Love's the motivation, behind your perfect ways 53:16 So write them on my heart 53:20 Fill them in my mind. 53:25 The beauty of your love and grace combined 53:33 Remind me just how lucky your commandments are 53:40 And write them on the tablet of my heart 53:46 And write them on my heart 53:50 And pray them in my mind 53:55 The beauty of your love and grace combined 54:03 Remind me just how lucky your commandments are 54:11 And write them on the tablet of my heart 54:19 Remind me just how lucky your commandments are 54:26 And write them on the tablet of my heart. |
Revised 2014-12-17