Participants: David Shin
Series Code: 12GYC
Program Code: 12GYC000011
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00:37 My past won't stop haunting me
00:43 In this prison there's a fight between 00:46 Who I am and who I used to be 00:50 This thorn in my side is a grace 00:55 For because of it the flesh and blood of God 00:59 Was offered in my place, my place 01:07 You fought the fight in me 01:12 You chased me down and finished the race 01:18 I was blind but now I see 01:23 Jesus You kept the faith in me 01:40 Where did my best friends go? 01:45 In my defense they disappeared 01:48 Just like Your friends did to You, oh Lord 01:52 But You were there, You gave me strength 01:57 So this little one might come to know 02:01 The glory of Your name, Your name 02:08 You fought the fight in me 02:14 You chased me down and finished the race 02:19 I was blind but now I see 02:24 Jesus You kept the faith in me 02:31 I'm waiting 02:34 Set apart like incense to Your heart 02:41 A libation I'm pouring out 02:46 Empty and beautiful 02:50 Beautiful, beautiful 02:58 You fought the fight in me 03:04 You chased me down and finished the race 03:10 I was blind but now I see 03:15 Jesus You kept the faith in me 03:21 You fought the fight in me 03:26 You chased me down and finished the race 03:32 I was blind but now I see 03:37 Jesus You kept the faith in me 03:42 Jesus You kept the faith in me 03:48 Savior, You kept the faith in me 04:13 So let me ask you a question 04:14 just before David comes out here to speak. 04:16 Who has been blessed by the messages thus far? 04:20 I have the privilege to introduce to you 04:23 next year's theme. 04:25 Are you interested in that? 04:27 As I was nicely reminded by Natasha, 04:30 one of our vice president, 04:31 she said, this will be your last one 04:33 that you get to announce 04:35 and so I-- I don't know 04:36 if she was pushing me out or trying to get me excited. 04:40 Nonetheless, I'm very excited to announce 04:42 to you our theme in Orlando, Florida. 04:45 Next year we're gonna take a look 04:46 at the Great Controversy, 04:48 and the theme is 'Before Men and Angels'. 04:54 Can you tell us a little bit about it Alvin. 04:56 Yes, Justin, I'm extremely excited about this theme. 05:00 It's based on 1 Corinthians 4:9 which reads, 05:04 "For we are made a spectacle unto the world, 05:06 and to angels, and to men.'' 05:08 And basically the whole idea is, 05:09 we are not islands living in isolation. 05:12 Everything we do has eternal significance. 05:14 We are part of a much bigger universal narrative 05:18 as found in the Bible, and we're going to be examining 05:20 how the Great Controversy fits into our life. 05:23 How significant it is into our history 05:25 of the church and much more. 05:27 I'm just extremely, 05:29 extremely excited to be preparing for that. 05:32 Absolutely, so it's Orlando, Florida, 05:34 January 1 to January 5, we are hoping to have 05:38 a hundred buses to go on outreach. 05:41 We want you there. We want your friends there. 05:43 We want if you have enemies that need to hear the message, 05:46 we want them there. 05:47 So we have postcards available, 05:49 you can pick them up on your way out, 05:51 when you are going to the booth to buy your DVD's. 05:54 Yes, yes, so 'Before Men and Angels', 05:58 we are just delighted to have this conference, 06:00 we probably cannot wait, 06:02 but before that we have David Shin 06:04 who will be preaching another message to us tonight. 06:09 Let's bow our heads together as we pray tonight. 06:16 Father in heaven, 06:20 it's the last night of 2012. 06:26 We have another year. 06:30 The unwritten pages of history are before us. 06:37 What better place to be than right here? 06:46 Father, we pray that your Holy Spirit 06:47 would be in this place 06:53 that we would get a glimpse 06:58 of the sacrifice that Christ made for us on Calvary 07:01 and that would compel us to respond. 07:10 Father, we pray tonight that You would grant us 07:17 a divine passion to take the gospel 07:20 to the world in this generation. 07:27 Lord, we recognize that before men and angels, 07:31 that we are a spectacle on to the universe 07:34 and we pray tonight 07:37 that You would be in this place, 07:41 that Your Holy spirit would be poured out, 07:45 hiding behind the cross, 07:49 may Jesus be seen, may Christ be uplifted, 07:52 for we ask these things in Jesus' name. 07:55 Amen. 08:01 Tonight before we open our Bibles, 08:04 I want to be very clear from the beginning 08:09 that tonight's message is in the context 08:12 of last night's presentation. 08:17 As a minister of the gospel 08:18 it's always been my passion and burden 08:23 to always give us a picture of what God has done for us 08:29 before presenting what we must do in response. 08:37 God never asks us to do anything, 08:40 no matter the sacrifice without first presenting to us 08:45 what Christ did for us on Calvary. 08:47 Amen. 08:49 And so I want us to remember tonight 08:51 as we open our Bibles that it's in the context of Christ 08:56 being our motivation. 09:01 That the subjective response 09:04 is to the objective passion of God for us. 09:11 And so tonight very quickly, 09:14 I would like to give us a panoramic picture 09:22 of the rapid expansion in the Book of Acts. 09:25 I pray tonight that you have brought your Bibles 09:28 because, especially tonight in order for this message 09:33 to be the most meaningful, 09:34 you are going to need your Bibles. 09:36 Last night we spent the majority of our time 09:38 in one passage Hebrews 12. 09:41 We're going to be going through multiple passages here tonight 09:45 and I like to begin in the Book of Acts. 09:47 Acts Chapter 2, a panoramic picture 09:49 of the rapid expansion in the Book of Acts, 09:51 Acts 2:41, 47. 09:57 Please turn with me there. 10:01 Acts 2:41, 47, 10:11 "Then those who gladly received his word were baptized, 10:17 and that day about three thousand souls were" what? 10:22 Are what? "Were added to them." 10:27 Verse 47, "Praising God, 10:31 and having favor with all the people and the Lord" what? 10:36 "Added to the church daily those who are being saved." 10:42 Acts 4:4, 10:48 "Many of those you heard the word believed, 10:51 and the number of the men came to about five thousand." 10:57 Rapid expansion, rapid growth, baptisms, 11:01 churches being raised up. 11:04 Acts 5:14, 11:08 "And the believers were increasingly" what? 11:13 Are you awake tonight GYC? 11:15 I know it's been a long conference, 11:17 but "And the believers were increasingly" what? 11:21 "Added to the Lord, 11:24 multitudes of both men and women." 11:27 Acts 6:7, "Then the word of God spread, 11:35 and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem 11:41 and great many of the priests were obedient to the faith." 11:51 Acts 9:31, 11:59 "Then the churches throughout Judaea, Galilee, 12:04 Samaria had peace and were edified, 12:08 and walking in the fear of the Lord, 12:11 in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, 12:13 and they were multiplied." 12:18 The word of God spread. 12:20 There were many people added to the church. 12:24 There was exponential growth, multiplied. 12:29 Acts 12:24, 12:39 "But the word of God grew and multiplied." 12:46 Acts 16:5, 12:52 "So the churches were strengthened in the faith, 12:55 and increased in numbers daily." 13:00 Acts 19:20, 13:06 "So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed." 13:11 Acts 28, last chapter of the Book of Acts 13:16 talking about Paul Acts 28:30, 31, 13:22 "Then Paul dwelt two whole years 13:24 in his own rented house, 13:25 and received all who came to him, 13:28 preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching the things 13:32 which concerned the Lord Jesus Christ, 13:35 with all confidence, no one forbidding him." 13:43 We're seeing rapid expansion in the Book of Acts, 13:45 added words like multiplied, 13:49 increased, daily, spread, grew. 13:55 Paul alone traveled over 10,000 miles 13:57 spearheading unprecedented growth 14:00 in the early Christian church. 14:03 Baptisms, church plans, miracles, 14:07 they took the gospel to the world 14:10 in their generation. 14:13 Paul could write with his own pen 14:15 that the gospel had gone to every creature under heaven. 14:20 The landscape of the entire Roman Empire 14:24 was dramatically changed in one generation. 14:33 Acts of the Apostles, 14:37 the disciples were overjoyed 14:41 and astonished at the greatness 14:46 of the harvest of souls. 14:51 Listen to this, they did not regard 14:55 this wonderful in gathering 14:58 as the results of their own efforts. 15:03 Let me read that again. 15:04 "They did not regard this wonderful in gathering 15:08 as a result of their own efforts." 15:14 They realized, they were entering 15:17 into other men's labors. 15:23 This was the harvest. 15:26 It would have been very exciting to live 15:28 during the time of Acts. 15:31 Rapid expansion, multiple baptisms, 15:37 but we need to recognize here tonight 15:40 that these are the fruits of revelation, 15:45 fruits of revolution I should say. 15:50 These are the results of revolution 15:55 and in order for us to understand 15:59 the fruits of revolution, 16:03 we need to understand the roots. 16:07 We need to understand the beginning and the origin. 16:14 And if you want to understand Seventh-day Adventism, 16:19 Biblical Christianity, we need to understand Genesis 1. 16:25 Amen. 16:28 If we came from evolution, 16:30 it dramatically changes our identity. 16:35 Origins is linked with identity, 16:38 that's why children that are separated 16:40 from their parents at a early age 16:41 when they get to a certain age 16:43 they want to find their parents, why? 16:45 Because in finding their parents, 16:47 there's an element of finding themselves. 16:51 When we are looking at the results of revolution, 16:53 rapid growth, rapid expansion, 16:56 we need to recognize that these are the fruits 16:58 and not the roots. 17:02 In order for us to understand the Book of Acts, 17:05 we need to go to the DNA, 17:09 the origins of this revolution what made it possible. 17:17 This was the harvest. 17:19 I'd like to invite you to turn with me in your Bibles 17:23 to Acts 1:12-22. 17:28 We are able to see a hint into the roots 17:32 of revolution in the Book of Acts. 17:34 The disciples recognized that 17:36 this was not the result of their own labors 17:38 that they were building upon the efforts of other men 17:41 that had gone before them. 17:45 Acts 1:12-22, 17:55 "Then they returned to Jerusalem 17:57 from the mount called Olivet, 17:59 which was near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day journey. 18:04 And when they had entered 18:05 they went up into the upper room, 18:06 where they were standing Peter, James, John, 18:08 Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, 18:10 Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, 18:12 Simon the Zelote, and Judas the son of James. 18:15 They all continued to one accord in prayer 18:18 and supplication, with the women, 18:20 and the-- and Mary the mother of Jesus, 18:23 and with his brothers. 18:25 And in those days Peter stood up 18:27 in the midst of the disciples, 18:28 all together numbered the names was about 18:30 a hundred and twenty and said 'Men and brother, 18:33 scripture had been fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke 18:38 before the mouth of David concerning Judas, 18:41 who became a guide to those who were arrested, 18:44 those who arrested Jesus.' 18:46 For He was numbered with us, 18:48 and had obtained part of this ministry. 18:52 Now this man purchased a field with the wages of iniquity, 18:57 falling headlong, he burst open in the midst, 19:01 all his entrails gushed out. 19:04 And he became known to those dwelling in Jerusalem, 19:07 so that the field is called in their own language, 19:10 Aceldama that is field of blood. 19:14 For it is written in the Book of Psalms, 19:15 Let his dwelling place be desolate, 19:17 and let no one live in it, let another take his office." 19:25 They were about to choose 19:26 another apostle to replace Judas. 19:30 And I want you to notice in the next verse, 19:35 the qualification for being 19:38 one of the original 12 apostles. 19:43 These were the building blocks of the early Christian church. 19:46 They were going to replace Judas, 19:50 a very important selection. 19:52 These individuals were going to be the pioneers of revolution 19:58 and this was the qualification. 20:02 Verse 21, "Therefore of all these men 20:08 who have companied us all the time 20:10 that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us." 20:15 Verse 22, "Beginning with the baptism of John, 20:20 to the day when he was taken up from us." 20:25 The qualification for an apostle 20:27 to be one of the original 12, was that you had to be there 20:31 beginning with John the Baptist 20:33 all the way up to the resurrection. 20:37 You could not come after John the Baptist, 20:40 you had to be there, that was the criteria. 20:48 The roots of the Book of Acts, 20:52 the legacy had to be linked with the ministry, 20:58 the life of John the Baptist. 21:06 Weeks before GYC, 21:09 I had the opportunity to pray over the phone 21:13 with Pastor Wes Peppers. 21:18 I really enjoyed his morning devotions, haven't you? 21:25 And we just lifted our hearts to God 21:30 asking that the Lord would fill us with His Spirit. 21:34 Sensing our unworthiness, 21:39 our thoughts were still jelling and-- 21:42 you remember on opening night, 21:44 he said that the roots of revolution 21:46 in the Book of Acts started with John the Baptist, 21:48 and I like to bring us full circle here tonight, 21:53 recognizing that in the DNA of the Book of Acts, 21:59 his ministry was so critical, so crucial, so vital, 22:05 that in order to be one of the original 12, 22:08 you had to understand the legacy 22:12 of the life of John the Baptist. 22:17 Very quickly I like to look at different aspects of his life. 22:22 Turn with me in your Bibles to Malachi 4:5, 6, 22:26 last book of the Old Testament. 22:29 The ministry of John the Baptist 22:31 was foretold in the Old Testament, 22:33 one of the places is in the Book of Malachi, 22:36 Malachi 4:5, 6... 22:43 and the prophet says, 22:44 "Behold, I send you Elijah the prophet 22:46 before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. 22:48 And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, 22:51 and the hearts of the children to their fathers, 22:54 lest I come and strike the earth with a curse." 22:58 The Old Testament foretold of a time the coming of Elijah 23:02 and he would prepare the way of the Lord. 23:04 Turn with me in your Bibles to Luke 1:13-17. 23:11 Zacharias is in the temple, an angel comes to him, Gabriel. 23:16 Luke 1:13, "But the angel said to him, 23:21 do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard, 23:24 and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, 23:26 and you will call his name John. 23:29 And you will have joy and gladness, 23:30 and many will rejoice at his birth, 23:32 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord." 23:36 Great in the sight of whom? Great in the sight of the Lord. 23:43 "And shall drink neither wine nor strong drink, 23:46 and he shall be filled with the Holy Spirit, 23:48 even from his mother's womb. 23:51 And he will turn many of the children 23:53 to the Lord their God." 23:54 This is almost a direct quote of Malachi 4:5, 6. 23:58 Look in verse 17, "And he will go out 24:00 before him in the spirit and power of--" whom? 24:03 "Of Elijah, to turn here it is, 24:06 the hearts of the fathers to the children, 24:08 and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, 24:10 to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." 24:17 Mark 1:1-3 very quickly. 24:22 He was to prepare a people for the coming of the Lord. 24:27 Mark 1:1-3, "The beginning of the gospel 24:29 of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 24:31 And as it was written in the prophets, 24:33 Behold, I send my messenger before your face, 24:37 who will prepare your way before you. 24:40 The voice of one crying in the wilderness, 24:42 Prepare the way of the Lord, makes his way straight." 24:48 Before there is a harvest seeds have to be planted, 24:53 but before seeds are planted 24:55 the ground has to be prepared and broken up. 24:59 And this was the role of John the Baptist, 25:02 he was to break the ground 25:04 so that Christ could sow the seeds. 25:08 Acts was the harvest. 25:14 "Prepare the way of the Lord." 25:25 I just like to make three simple observations 25:30 about the unique relationship that Jesus 25:33 had with John the Baptist. 25:38 This relationship was so unique and so unprecedented 25:44 that I believe it will never be duplicated again. 25:49 So unique, so unprecedented 25:51 that it will be never duplicated again. 25:58 Observation number one, 26:01 Jesus and John were linked 26:08 in the prenatal stages. 26:13 Turn with me in your Bibles to Luke 1:39-40. 26:23 Luke 1:39-40 a unique relationship 26:27 between Jesus and John the Baptist. 26:32 Luke 1:39, let's actually read till verse 45. 26:37 "Now Mary arose in those days, 26:39 and went into the hill country with haste, 26:41 to the city of Judas. 26:42 And entered into the house 26:43 of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth." 26:47 Now they're both pregnant. 26:49 Elizabeth is pregnant, Mary is pregnant. 26:53 Verse 41, 26:54 "And it happened when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary." 26:57 Listen to this "That the baby, John the Baptist, 27:02 leaped in her womb." 27:06 Now this gives an indication and elution 27:08 as to how the Bible has a view 27:13 of the prenatal experience in where life begins. 27:17 "And it happened when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary." 27:20 Now these women are pregnant. 27:23 Jesus is in the womb, John the Baptist is in the womb 27:27 and when Mary and Elizabeth meet, 27:32 John the Baptist leaps in the womb of Elizabeth. 27:36 "And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 27:38 And she spoke out with a loud voice, 27:39 and said, Blessed are you among women, 27:42 blessed it is a fruit of your womb. 27:43 For why it is it granted to me, 27:45 that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 27:49 For indeed as soon as the voice 27:51 of your greetings sounded in mine ears, 27:53 the babe leaped in my womb for joy. 27:56 Blessed is she who believed, 28:00 for there will be fulfillment of those things 28:03 which were told her from the Lord." 28:05 So even before birth Jesus and John the Baptist, 28:10 I can't explain it, but John the Baptist 28:13 even prior to being born into this world 28:16 in the womb of Elizabeth, recognized 28:19 that he was in the presence of divinity. 28:24 A unique, unprecedented relationship. 28:33 Observation number two... 28:38 Jesus and John were ministry partners. 28:49 It was a relationship 28:52 of mutual respect and deference. 28:58 Ministry partners, mutual respects and deference. 29:03 Jesus said in John chapter-- 29:05 I should say John said in John 3:27-31, 29:08 we won't read it. 29:09 He said 'He must increase and I must decrease.' 29:14 Jesus called John the greatest prophet that ever lived. 29:20 John had the unique privilege of baptizing the son of God. 29:28 A unique relationship, 29:31 linked in the prenatal experience 29:33 and in life, in ministry, 29:35 one of mutual respect and deference. 29:40 The last one is found in Luke 1:36. 29:48 "Now Elizabeth your relative" some translation say 29:53 "Your cousin has also conceived a son." 29:55 Elizabeth and Mary were cousins which means Jesus and John 30:00 were second cousins, they were family. 30:06 So you put all these together the prenatal experience, 30:09 ministry partners and to top it all of, 30:12 John was family. 30:17 A unique, unprecedented relationship 30:19 between Jesus and John the Baptist. 30:26 Later on John is thrown in prison, 30:30 the prison life was very difficult for him. 30:32 In Desire of Ages it says, 30:34 the life of John had been one of active labor and the gloom 30:36 and inaction of his prison life weighed heavily upon him. 30:42 Heavily upon him as week after week pass brought no change, 30:48 despondency and doubt crept upon him, 30:50 his disciples did not forsake him, 30:52 they were allowed access to the prison 30:55 and they brought him tidings of the works of Jesus 30:57 and they told him 30:59 how the people were flocking to him. 31:03 They should have stopped there. 31:05 The disciples started to question, 31:07 why if this new teacher was the Messiah, 31:11 he did nothing to affect John's release. 31:14 Their conversation went something like this. 31:18 This man's your cousin, your flesh and blood, 31:23 your ministry partner, 31:26 you gave up everything for this man 31:30 and here you rot in prison. 31:32 Why doesn't He do anything? 31:36 We need to be careful what we say 31:38 to even godly men, amen. 31:42 We need to be careful, 31:44 when we share doubts and criticism. 31:49 How could he permit his faithful Herod 31:53 to be deprived of liberty and perhaps life 31:57 and she goes on, 32:00 these questions were not without effect. 32:06 Doubts which otherwise never have arisen 32:12 were suggested to John. 32:18 He was a man that stood unflinchingly for truth, 32:20 lived his whole life for one purpose 32:22 to point others to Jesus Christ, 32:24 stood unflinchingly for truth. 32:27 He is in prison, his friends spreads seeds of doubt 32:30 and it got to the place. 32:31 Turn with me in your Bibles to Mathew 11:1-3. 32:38 It got to the place where John sends his disciples 32:44 and I want you to notice the way this question is framed. 32:49 "Now it came to pass, 32:50 when Jesus finished commanding his twelve disciples, 32:52 that He departed from there to teach 32:53 and preach in their cities. 32:55 And when John had heard in prison 32:57 about the works of Christ, 32:58 he sent two of his disciples, and he said to him." 33:01 Look in verse 3, "Are you the coming one? 33:06 Are you the Messiah? Are you the Christ? 33:11 Or do we look for another?" 33:17 It had gone from the place 33:18 where John saw the dove come down from heaven 33:21 and said behold the lamb of God 33:22 which takes away the sins of the world 33:24 and now he's got into the place, 33:27 where he is asking the question, 33:29 are you really him or shall we look for someone else? 33:35 This was a low point 33:37 in the ministry of John the Baptist. 33:43 Jesus answered him, 33:45 "Go and tell John the things which he hear and see." 33:48 Our Lord is so merciful. 33:52 Full of grace. 33:54 Verse 5, "The blind seed lame walk, 33:58 lepers are cleansed, deaf hear, and the dead are raised alive, 34:03 poor have the gospel preached to them." 34:05 And verse 6 is a slight rebuke from-- from Jesus. 34:08 "Blessed is he, is not offended because of me." 34:15 That was enough. 34:20 Few pages over Mathew 14:7-13, 34:25 it was Herod's birthday we know the story. 34:28 Verse 6, "But Herod's birthday was celebrated, 34:31 the daughter of Herodias danced before them, and pleased Herod. 34:34 Therefore he promised with an oath to give her 34:36 whatsoever she might ask. 34:38 So she had been prompted by her mother, 34:40 Give me the head of John the Baptist's on a platter. 34:43 And the king was sorry, 34:44 nevertheless because of the oath, 34:46 and because of those who sat with them 34:47 he commanded it to be given to her. 34:49 So he sent, and had John beheaded in prison. 34:55 And his head was brought on a platter, 34:58 and given to the girl 35:00 and she brought it to her mother. 35:05 Then his disciples came, took away the body, buried it." 35:12 I wonder what they were experiencing. 35:18 They were burying the headless body 35:21 of John the Baptist, the cousin of Jesus, 35:28 flesh and blood, ministry partner, 35:32 the greatest prophet that ever lived. 35:36 And the Bible says 35:37 "And they went and told Jesus." 35:48 Could Jesus have saved John? 35:54 You better believe it. 35:58 Jesus was not in heaven, 36:03 in the most Holy place of the heavenly sanctuary 36:05 like he is right now. 36:08 Jesus was in Palestine, 36:15 Jesus was not far away, He was right there 36:20 and here is the man with whom 36:22 He has a relationship that is unprecedented. 36:25 Unlike any other individual, you and I will never know 36:29 the type of intimate relationship 36:31 that Jesus had with John the Baptist, 36:33 just because of the nature of the work. 36:37 And yet Jesus let the greatest prophet 36:44 that ever lived, His own flesh and blood, 36:49 die a martyr's death. 36:59 Why didn't He save him? Why didn't He marshal? 37:06 The angels of heaven to save John the Baptist, 37:12 this has puzzled Christians for years. 37:16 The greatest prophet that ever lived. 37:22 Here's his legacy, Desire of Ages 224. 37:33 It's a challenging passage for me to read. 37:37 "Gladly would the Savior have come to John, 37:40 to brighten the dungeon gloom with His own presence. 37:45 Gladly would He have delivered His faithful servant." 37:52 Listen to this. 37:55 "But for the sake of thousands who in after years must pass 38:00 from prison to death, 38:03 John was to drink the cup of martyrdom. 38:11 As the followers of Christ 38:13 should languish in lonely cells, 38:16 perish by the sword, the rack, or the fagot, 38:18 apparently forsaken by God and man, 38:21 what a stay to their hearts would be the thought 38:24 that John the Baptist, to whose faithfulness 38:29 Christ Himself had borne witness, 38:35 had passed through a similar experience." 38:41 This was to be the legacy 38:46 of John the Baptist. 38:50 John the Baptist never got married. 38:53 He never had a family. 38:56 He never got to hear the sermon on the mount. 38:59 He didn't hear the parables of Christ. 39:02 He didn't see the raising of Lazarus from the dead. 39:05 He never saw the death bury 39:07 on resurrection of Jesus Christ. 39:08 He wasn't at Pentecost or Peter's sermon. 39:11 He didn't see the rapid explosion 39:12 of the Christian church. 39:13 He lived for one purpose and one purpose alone, 39:16 to break the ground so that the seeds of revolution 39:20 might be sown by Jesus Christ. 39:25 He lived into his 30s 39:28 and died a martyr, sacrificed. 39:37 Revolutions are always born in sacrifice. 39:48 Revolutions are always born in radical sacrifice, 39:52 suffering and even martyrdom. 39:55 Let's not romanticize revolution here this evening. 40:00 It's one thing to get up here and talk about revolution, 40:02 but it's another thing to pay the price. 40:07 I want to be very clear here this evening, 40:09 there is no merit in suffering, sacrifices, and martyrdom, 40:13 it does not save us. 40:17 It's just the nature of being a follower of Christ. 40:22 Revelation 14:4 says 40:24 they follow the lamb wherever he goes. 40:26 And, friends, the lamb is going to be sacrificed. 40:31 That's who we are following. 40:34 The lamb and the lamb is going to the slaughter. 40:37 This is the nature of our work. 40:43 "Unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, 40:45 not only to believe on him, but to suffer for his sake." 40:52 The Book of Acts was the harvest, 40:57 but the disciples recognized that the ministry 41:00 and the legacy of John the Baptist 41:02 was so crucial, so pivotal 41:04 that in order to be one of the 12 apostles, 41:06 you had to witness what John sacrificed. 41:11 And he said you want to be a part of the revolution, 41:14 well, this is what it's about. 41:21 Revolutions are always 41:25 born in sacrifice. 41:30 In order for there to be harvest, 41:33 the seed has to die, 41:37 and the seeds are sown in blood. 41:44 Revolutions are always born in sacrifice. 41:55 I had a privilege this year of going to South Africa 41:58 and going to Robben Island, 42:01 looked at the 8x8 cell where Nelson Mandela 42:05 rotted for 27 years of his life. 42:09 He became instrumental 42:11 in the South African revolution. 42:16 April 03, 1968, Memphis, Tennessee, 42:22 Martin Luther King Jr. gives 42:26 what it would be his last speech. 42:29 Now I want you to notice the words of what he says, 42:31 he says, in that famous speech, I've been to the Mountaintop, 42:38 like any one I would like to live. 42:41 Like any one I would to live 42:43 but that doesn't matter anymore, 42:46 I may not get there with you, 42:49 but I have seen the Promised Land. 42:53 A few hours later Martin Luther King Jr. 42:55 was assassinated, the civil rights revolution. 43:03 Gandhi after five attempts was assassinated, 43:07 the revolution in India. 43:11 Even secular revolutions are born in sacrifice and blood, 43:15 it's the anatomy of revolution. 43:20 The Protestant Revolution, Wycliffe martyred, 43:27 Huss martyred, Jerome martyred, 43:28 Tyndale martyred, the Christian revolution, 43:31 Jesus died on the cross, John the Baptist martyred, 43:34 Paul martyred, eleven out of twelve 43:36 of the apostles were martyred. 43:38 Tertullian says "The blood of martyrs is seed." 43:42 Revolution always begins with sacrifice. 43:50 Henry Martin, he was a Cambridge scholar, 43:54 he was a genius. 43:57 Hear a sermon one day 44:00 about missions, about India, 44:06 and the need to go there, he gave up his career 44:11 and a future relationship to go there. 44:14 He was dragged across the desert in chains, 44:18 he died at the age of 31. 44:23 But you know what he left the world before he died. 44:26 The translation of the New Testament in Hindustani, 44:28 Persian and Arabic. 44:34 Jim Elliot says, ''He is no fool who gives up 44:37 what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.'' 44:46 In Jim Elliot's journal 44:50 he has these words. 44:54 He himself died a martyrs death in Ecuador at the age of 29. 44:59 And I want you to notice 45:00 the language of his words he says, 45:02 "He makes his ministers of flame of fire, 45:06 am I ignitable? 45:09 God deliver me from the asbestos of other things. 45:14 Saturate me with the oil of the spirit 45:17 that I may be a flame, 45:20 make me the fuel the flame of God. 45:27 We are not going to revolutionize the world 45:29 by conformity to it, 45:32 but by our combustion within it, 45:35 with the lives ignited by the spirit of God." 45:39 I want to read that again, 45:40 we are not going to revolutionize the world 45:42 by our conformity to it, 45:44 but by our combustion within it, 45:46 of lives ignited by the spirit of God. 45:52 Jesus said that John was the greatest prophet, 45:55 unprecedented of all the men that are born to women 45:59 there is no greater than John the Baptist, 46:01 that one greater than Moses who wrote the Penentu, 46:05 greater than Elijah the call down fire from heaven, 46:07 greater than Daniel, Enoch and Nova. 46:11 He is the greatest and of all the gifts 46:15 that heaven can bestow upon men. 46:18 Desire of Ages says, 46:19 "Fellowship with Christ in His suffering 46:24 is the most weighty trust and the highest honor." 46:27 That is the highest honor. 46:33 I think we've gotten certain things mixed up 46:35 about the hierarchy of heaven. 46:39 We say I want to be somebody, 46:43 I'm not saying it's wrong to be ambitious 46:45 for the Master's glory, 46:46 but we should not seek positions, amen. 46:49 And when the Lord does call us, we should answer. 46:53 I've heard statements of people saying 46:54 I want to be this president or that president. 46:58 I want to be this evangelist or this pastor or this speaker. 47:02 I want to be great in the eyes of Lord. 47:04 I want to lead thousands to Christ. 47:07 But from heaven's perspective, 47:09 the Lord looks at John the Baptist 47:11 and says, that man is the greatest, 47:15 it's the legacy of John the Baptist 47:17 and it's the root of revolution. 47:20 Every revolution is born in sacrifice. 47:26 Fellowship with Christ in His suffering 47:34 is the highest honor. 47:40 Mother of Jesus, 47:43 I should say the mother of James 47:44 and John came to Jesus, 47:51 He said-- she said to Jesus, 47:56 when you come in your kingdom can my two boys sit 47:59 one on your right hand and other on your left? 48:04 I want them to be great. 48:07 I want them to be the closest to you. 48:11 You remember what Jesus said, 48:15 ''Are you able to drink of the cup 48:17 that I'm going to drink of?'' 48:19 They said yes, Lord. 48:23 And he said, you will indeed drink of that cup. 48:30 James was the first to be martyred, 48:33 John lived the longest of all suffering privation, 48:37 loneliness and exile. 48:42 I'll be honest with you here tonight, 48:48 tonight's message has been very difficult for me 48:52 as a minister of the gospel to swallow. 48:58 I question in my own heart of hearts 49:02 whether I know what it is to really sacrifice? 49:09 And I also recognize that there are people in this room 49:17 that God will call to follow 49:21 in the path of John the Baptist. 49:28 Revolution always begins 49:34 with radical sacrifice. 49:37 This revolution is going to happen, amen. 49:43 But it will be in sacrifice. 49:48 The revolution that began in sacrifice 49:50 will end in sacrifice. 49:57 I want to invite you to stand with me 49:59 as we prepare to pray and close this evening. 50:11 Before we bow our heads and pray, 50:13 I want to make a very simple appeal here tonight. 50:23 It's not an appeal for martyrdom. 50:27 The Lord will take care of you when that time comes. 50:33 But large sacrifices begin with smaller sacrifices. 50:41 And tonight perhaps someone in this room 50:43 the Lord has been calling to sacrifice, 50:45 maybe it's something even good. 50:48 But the Lord is calling you to lay it on the altar for Him. 50:53 Perhaps someone here tonight, 50:57 you're being impressed to go to the mission field, 50:59 to devote one year, 51:00 to take one year out of college, 51:01 go to mission field, one year, two years, 51:03 five years, ten years whatever it maybe, 51:05 the Lord is calling you to sacrifice 51:08 and place your life in the hands 51:11 of God for one year and you want to say, 51:14 Lord take my heart, 51:16 I want to lay that on the altar tonight 51:18 because of what Jesus has done, I want to respond to the call, 51:21 recognizing that revolution 51:22 that began in sacrifice will end in sacrifice. 51:25 And I want to say, I want to lay myself 51:27 on the altar tonight. 51:29 I want to invite you to come forward tonight. 51:35 Some of us are facing different challenges. 51:40 We're wrestling with different issues, 51:44 and we want to come forward tonight, 51:49 saying, Lord, I don't know what You're calling me to do 51:54 or what You're calling me to be 51:56 but whatever it is, I am going to do. 52:03 I want to invite you to come forward tonight, 52:04 I don't know what You're calling me to sacrifice 52:07 but in the future by the grace of God I'm Yours. |
Revised 2015-02-12