Rejoice, ye pure in heart!
00:00:22.37\00:00:26.93
Rejoice, give thanks, and sing
00:00:26.96\00:00:31.33
Your festal banner wave on high
00:00:31.36\00:00:35.92
The cross of Christ your King
00:00:35.95\00:00:40.27
Rejoice! Rejoice!
00:00:40.30\00:00:44.76
Rejoice, give thanks and sing!
00:00:44.79\00:00:49.57
With voice as full and strong
00:00:49.60\00:00:54.16
As ocean's surging praise
00:00:54.19\00:00:58.50
Send forth the
sturdy hymns of old
00:00:58.53\00:01:03.04
The psalms of ancient days
00:01:03.07\00:01:07.34
Rejoice! Rejoice!
00:01:07.37\00:01:11.68
Rejoice, give thanks and sing!
00:01:11.71\00:01:16.46
With all the angel choirs
00:01:16.49\00:01:21.16
With all the saints on earth
00:01:21.19\00:01:25.49
Pour out the
strains of joy and bliss
00:01:25.52\00:01:29.89
True rapture, noblest mirth
00:01:29.92\00:01:34.38
Rejoice! Rejoice!
00:01:34.41\00:01:38.65
Rejoice, give thanks and sing!
00:01:38.68\00:01:43.21
Yes, on through life's long path
00:01:43.24\00:01:47.81
Still chanting as ye go
00:01:47.84\00:01:52.15
From youth to
age, by night and day
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In gladness and in woe
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Rejoice! Rejoice!
00:02:01.09\00:02:05.55
Rejoice, give thanks and sing!
00:02:05.58\00:02:10.17
Praise Him Who reigns on high
00:02:10.20\00:02:14.77
The Lord Whom we adore
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The Father, Son and Holy Ghost
00:02:19.36\00:02:23.94
One God forevermore
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Rejoice! Rejoice!
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Rejoice, give thanks and sing!
00:02:33.20\00:02:39.11
Yeah, will you join us
00:02:42.78\00:02:43.90
to sing our theme
song, "The stage."
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The stage has been
set All creation looks on
00:02:58.84\00:03:05.74
Two kingdoms are
warring between right and wrong
00:03:05.77\00:03:12.34
The choices you make
have a very high cost
00:03:12.37\00:03:18.73
Eternity's won,
or eternity's lost
00:03:18.76\00:03:25.39
Before men and angles
which side will you choose?
00:03:25.42\00:03:32.50
The Savior is waiting
there's no time to lose
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Before men and angles
each soul plays a part
00:03:39.45\00:03:46.43
For you are the world
00:03:46.46\00:03:49.48
And the stage is your heart
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Invisible
forces are vying to win
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Is God in your heart,
or is darkness and sin?
00:04:01.61\00:04:08.23
For greater than
angles above God's own voice
00:04:08.26\00:04:14.82
The power that's
strongest of all is your choice
00:04:14.85\00:04:21.78
Before men and angles
which side will you choose?
00:04:21.81\00:04:28.39
The Savior is waiting
there's no time to lose
00:04:28.42\00:04:35.13
Before men and angles
each soul plays a part
00:04:35.16\00:04:41.81
For you are the world
and the stage is your heart
00:04:41.84\00:04:49.81
It's God's
reputation in question today
00:04:49.84\00:04:56.59
It's His vindication
for which you should pray
00:04:56.62\00:05:03.14
His glory is shown
through the universe wide
00:05:03.17\00:05:09.67
When you let Him
into your heart to reside
00:05:09.70\00:05:16.47
Before men and angles
which side will you choose?
00:05:16.50\00:05:23.55
The Savior is waiting
there's no time to lose
00:05:23.58\00:05:30.34
Before men and angles
each soul plays a part
00:05:30.37\00:05:37.15
For you are the world
00:05:37.18\00:05:40.41
and the stage is your heart
00:05:40.44\00:05:47.30
Good morning, GYC.
00:05:54.37\00:05:56.29
Good morning.
00:05:56.32\00:05:58.04
Are you awake?
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Yes.
00:05:59.13\00:06:00.16
Are you ready to
be fed this morning?
00:06:00.19\00:06:01.94
Yes.
00:06:01.97\00:06:03.13
All right, that's good to hear
00:06:03.16\00:06:05.07
because we are going to
hear a wonderful message
00:06:05.10\00:06:07.52
from Sikhululekile this morning.
00:06:07.55\00:06:09.73
And the verse she asked me
00:06:09.76\00:06:11.23
to share with you
is from Hebrews 12:4,
00:06:11.26\00:06:17.68
it says, "Ye have not resisted
00:06:17.71\00:06:20.26
yet resisted unto
blood, striving against sin."
00:06:20.29\00:06:25.01
Please bow your
heads with me in prayer
00:06:25.04\00:06:27.07
as we pray for God's Sprit.
00:06:27.10\00:06:30.09
Father in heaven,
we come here before you
00:06:31.47\00:06:35.74
humbled to be in Your
presence this morning.
00:06:35.77\00:06:39.61
We want to be blessed Lord,
00:06:39.64\00:06:42.17
and I pray that You
will touch each heart here.
00:06:42.20\00:06:45.95
Please, help us to be receptive
to the message of the morning.
00:06:45.98\00:06:50.46
I pray that You will
touch Sikhululekile's lips.
00:06:50.49\00:06:53.32
Please give her the
words she has to speak.
00:06:53.35\00:06:56.25
Give her clarity of thought.
00:06:56.28\00:06:58.72
Help her to be
able to let Your Sprit
00:06:58.75\00:07:02.80
be pouring through
her this morning, Lord.
00:07:02.83\00:07:06.91
I pray that You will
empower each one of us,
00:07:06.94\00:07:11.79
to live lives that are honoring
and glorifying to Your name
00:07:11.82\00:07:17.42
and I pray all these things
in the name of Jesus, amen.
00:07:17.45\00:07:22.33
And now we are going
to enjoy a special music.
00:07:22.36\00:07:24.78
Good morning, GYC.
00:13:31.60\00:13:33.15
Good morning.
00:13:33.18\00:13:34.46
Did you have good night of rest?
00:13:36.47\00:13:37.80
Amen.
00:13:37.83\00:13:38.86
Sufficient?
00:13:38.89\00:13:39.92
Amen.
00:13:39.95\00:13:41.59
There was no amen to that.
00:13:41.62\00:13:43.77
It was like sufficient? Amen.
00:13:43.80\00:13:45.44
Amen. No, not really okay.
00:13:45.47\00:13:48.94
Well, I'm--
00:13:48.97\00:13:51.03
I'm excited for the message
that we'll share this morning.
00:13:51.06\00:13:55.00
I'm excited with apprehension.
00:13:55.03\00:13:59.47
And the reason I'm
excited with apprehension
00:13:59.50\00:14:01.65
is because this is the message
00:14:01.68\00:14:03.25
I struggled with
the most in preparing.
00:14:03.28\00:14:07.92
So the apprehension
is on the struggle part
00:14:07.95\00:14:10.54
and the excitement
is on the struggle part
00:14:10.57\00:14:12.47
so it's both.
00:14:12.50\00:14:15.12
Why I struggle with it--
00:14:15.15\00:14:17.84
the title of the
message this morning is,
00:14:17.87\00:14:21.21
"Can God trust you, me
death before dishonor."
00:14:21.24\00:14:28.76
I'll read to you a quote
from Message to Young People,
00:14:28.79\00:14:35.13
page 80 paragraph 2,
"Choose poverty, reproach,
00:14:35.16\00:14:42.53
separation from
friends, or any suffering,
00:14:42.56\00:14:47.19
rather than to
defile the soul with sin.
00:14:47.22\00:14:51.20
Death before dishonor
00:14:51.23\00:14:53.73
or the
transgression of God's law,
00:14:53.76\00:14:56.34
should be the motto
of every Christian."
00:14:56.37\00:14:58.64
And I wrestled with
this because I thought
00:15:01.68\00:15:05.27
there was no way
I can present this.
00:15:05.30\00:15:08.28
If this isn't my motto
00:15:08.31\00:15:11.75
and I didn't know
if that was a challenge
00:15:11.78\00:15:13.87
I was willing to accept.
00:15:13.90\00:15:16.63
So I'm excited with apprehension
00:15:16.66\00:15:18.39
and I invite you to join me
in my apprehensive excitement.
00:15:18.42\00:15:23.80
And we'll begin
with the word of prayer
00:15:23.83\00:15:25.30
and dive into the Word of God.
00:15:25.33\00:15:26.77
Bow your heads with me.
00:15:26.80\00:15:30.01
Loving Father, we know that
00:15:30.04\00:15:31.27
You're softly and
tenderly calling us to Your side
00:15:31.30\00:15:35.01
but You're a holy God
00:15:35.04\00:15:37.51
and sin can not
coexist with You,
00:15:37.54\00:15:40.54
so You want to cleanse us of sin
00:15:40.57\00:15:42.76
so that we can
be in Your presence.
00:15:42.79\00:15:46.71
This is our prayer that
we would make this commitment
00:15:46.74\00:15:49.76
as we spend time in
Your word this morning.
00:15:49.79\00:15:51.91
We ask for the presence
00:15:51.94\00:15:52.97
of the Holy Sprit
to bring convection,
00:15:53.00\00:15:55.61
to help us to
make that decision,
00:15:55.64\00:15:58.71
clear our minds
of the distractions
00:15:58.74\00:16:00.75
that may be we may be
experiencing, help us to think
00:16:00.78\00:16:06.45
because some of
us are tired already
00:16:06.48\00:16:10.09
at the end of this may
be see Jesus more clearly,
00:16:10.12\00:16:13.08
we pray these
things in Your name, amen.
00:16:13.11\00:16:16.24
You take your
Bibles and turn with me
00:16:16.27\00:16:18.41
to 1 Samuel, 1
Samuel Chapter 13.
00:16:18.44\00:16:23.28
First Samuel Chapter 13
00:16:28.05\00:16:30.21
and we'll read
from verse 1 it says,
00:16:33.08\00:16:35.00
1 Samuel 13:1 it
says, "Saul reigned one year
00:16:35.03\00:16:40.39
and when he had
reigned two years over Israel,
00:16:40.42\00:16:43.00
Saul chose him three
thousand men of Israel
00:16:43.03\00:16:45.46
whereof two thousand
were with Saul in Michmash"
00:16:45.49\00:16:48.35
I don't know its Michmash
or Mich-mash in that place,
00:16:48.38\00:16:52.79
"And in mount
Bethel, and a thousand
00:16:52.82\00:16:55.09
were with Jonathan
in Gibeah of Benjamin
00:16:55.12\00:16:57.86
and the rest of the people
he sent every man to his tent."
00:16:57.89\00:17:00.87
So Saul had been
two years as king
00:17:00.90\00:17:04.45
and what he decided to do
was to call 3,000 of the men
00:17:04.48\00:17:10.54
before this in the
chapter that comes prior to this
00:17:10.57\00:17:16.26
the Holy Sprit
had come upon Saul
00:17:16.29\00:17:18.40
because there were
people who were in trouble
00:17:18.43\00:17:20.86
and they needed help and Saul
was inspired by the Holy Sprit
00:17:20.89\00:17:24.33
to motivate the
people to go out and fight.
00:17:24.36\00:17:26.97
He rallied the armies
together they got 330,000 people
00:17:27.00\00:17:31.04
300,000 from Israel
and 30,000 from Judah
00:17:31.07\00:17:33.63
and they came together
00:17:33.66\00:17:34.83
and they fought
the battle of the Lord
00:17:34.86\00:17:36.90
and the Lord
triumphed through them.
00:17:36.93\00:17:38.68
They were so excited,
00:17:38.71\00:17:40.10
super excited they said
who didn't want Saul as a king?
00:17:40.13\00:17:44.10
Clearly God is
working through him.
00:17:44.13\00:17:47.48
After they assemble
at Gilgal and Samuel
00:17:47.51\00:17:51.44
they had a reinstated
ceremony and they dedicated Saul
00:17:51.47\00:17:55.25
and afterwards Saul
just burst the people
00:17:55.28\00:18:00.43
and he called just
3,000 to stay in his service.
00:18:00.46\00:18:03.06
But they hadn't
finished fighting
00:18:06.43\00:18:08.10
the battles of the Lord.
00:18:08.13\00:18:09.73
So it was little
preliminary for Saul to have
00:18:09.76\00:18:13.04
disperse the people, his army.
00:18:13.07\00:18:16.89
And so now they find themselves
00:18:16.92\00:18:18.50
Saul has 2,000
men under his watch
00:18:18.53\00:18:21.75
and his son Jonathan has
1,000 men under his watch.
00:18:21.78\00:18:25.94
Which by the way Jonathan
is my favorite Bible character
00:18:25.97\00:18:29.36
next to Jesus-- after Jesus
00:18:29.39\00:18:30.68
not next to after,
Jesus is my number one, okay.
00:18:30.71\00:18:35.29
I'm a super emotional
person not because I'm a girl
00:18:35.32\00:18:39.48
because there are men
who are emotional too.
00:18:39.51\00:18:42.29
It's just me as a
person I'm emotional.
00:18:42.32\00:18:45.82
And when I was reading
through the Desire of Ages
00:18:45.85\00:18:49.86
and I got to the last chapters,
00:18:49.89\00:18:51.59
my friends were attested that
it took me like almost a year
00:18:51.62\00:18:54.73
to finish the last few
chapters of Desire of Ages
00:18:54.76\00:18:56.99
because I was like I
don't want Jesus to die.
00:18:57.02\00:18:59.07
Like, it was so crazy, I'm
like I know the story He does
00:18:59.10\00:19:01.68
but like just going
through the experience,
00:19:01.71\00:19:03.51
I'm like but if I just keep--
00:19:03.54\00:19:05.42
If I read slow I'll
just read one paragraph a day
00:19:05.45\00:19:10.19
and I cried like a lot,
00:19:10.22\00:19:12.45
you know, during
that time in my devotions.
00:19:12.48\00:19:15.71
One other person who made me cry
00:19:15.74\00:19:17.37
as I was having
devotions was Jonathan.
00:19:17.40\00:19:19.80
I cried every single
time I read about when he dies
00:19:19.83\00:19:23.48
I weep like I lost a relative--
00:19:23.51\00:19:26.53
like seriously it's
like so deep for me.
00:19:26.56\00:19:28.66
You know,
because I love Jonathan.
00:19:28.69\00:19:30.91
Here is one of the
reasons why I love Jonathan.
00:19:30.94\00:19:33.84
In verse 3, it says,
00:19:33.87\00:19:37.19
"And Jonathan smote the garrison
00:19:37.22\00:19:40.15
of the
Philistines that was in Geba,
00:19:40.18\00:19:42.80
and the Philistines heard of it.
00:19:42.83\00:19:45.04
And Saul blew the trumpet
00:19:45.07\00:19:46.55
throughout all the land,
saying, 'Let the Hebrews hear.'"
00:19:46.58\00:19:52.17
So the army has been dispersed
Jonathan has just 1,000 men
00:19:52.20\00:19:58.87
and they go and
they start an attack.
00:19:58.90\00:20:03.66
And this is why I love Jonathan.
00:20:03.69\00:20:04.95
Jonathan is a man of action,
00:20:04.98\00:20:07.55
he is not the kind
of guy who sits back
00:20:07.58\00:20:09.17
and he is like man, I
wish people would just fight.
00:20:09.20\00:20:11.45
No, he gets up and he
is like, let's go fight.
00:20:11.48\00:20:16.15
And this is not just
picking nitty gritty battles
00:20:16.18\00:20:18.85
just fighting for the
sake of fighting right
00:20:18.88\00:20:20.49
like these are battles
that need to be fought.
00:20:20.52\00:20:23.17
Jonathan says
let's go and do it.
00:20:23.20\00:20:25.09
Actually when you
read the next chapter
00:20:25.12\00:20:27.40
it's not with 1,000
men that he goes to fight
00:20:27.43\00:20:30.76
he just takes his armor bearer
and the two of them together
00:20:30.79\00:20:33.74
they say, you know what?
00:20:33.77\00:20:35.72
We need to go and let's pray
00:20:35.75\00:20:38.51
and see if God would
prosper us in this mission.
00:20:38.54\00:20:42.22
So they pray and they say,
you know, God will give the sign
00:20:42.25\00:20:45.55
if He answers
this way we'll do this,
00:20:45.58\00:20:46.98
if He will answer
that way we'll do this.
00:20:47.01\00:20:48.51
And they go the two of them
00:20:48.54\00:20:53.45
and put themselves out
there and they say, Lord, use us
00:20:53.48\00:20:58.09
in whatever way You wish.
00:20:58.12\00:21:00.44
You know it's so easy
to complain, super easy.
00:21:03.25\00:21:07.15
We are all complain in here
00:21:07.18\00:21:08.26
because we are Israelites,
yeah, spiritual Israel.
00:21:08.29\00:21:10.26
We have the same problem
00:21:10.29\00:21:11.32
as the real
Israelites had complainers,
00:21:11.35\00:21:13.64
murmuring, murmuring, murmuring,
00:21:13.67\00:21:14.86
oh, ha, I wish I
would I see would--
00:21:14.89\00:21:17.78
If only the church would--
00:21:17.81\00:21:21.78
We are good at it
00:21:21.81\00:21:23.66
because it's so easy
to find faults, isn't it.
00:21:23.69\00:21:28.79
But it's hard to be
the person who gets up
00:21:28.82\00:21:30.67
and says I'm not
just gonna fault find.
00:21:30.70\00:21:34.23
God, can You use me to
help solve this problem?
00:21:34.26\00:21:38.35
And you know what
Jonathan and his armor bearer
00:21:38.38\00:21:40.88
when they go in
the next chapter,
00:21:40.91\00:21:42.83
Jonathan says let's go protest
00:21:42.86\00:21:46.27
because God can
save by many or by few.
00:21:46.30\00:21:51.14
Amen.
00:21:51.17\00:21:52.42
And so some times we
sit here and we're waiting
00:21:53.64\00:21:55.63
for there to be 5,000
of us to go on outreach.
00:21:55.66\00:21:58.33
And you guys, how about
00:21:58.36\00:21:59.39
when there is two
of you at your church.
00:21:59.42\00:22:00.65
How about when
there are few of us?
00:22:04.70\00:22:09.18
We stop doing God's work
00:22:09.21\00:22:10.46
because they're just
like a handful of us.
00:22:10.49\00:22:13.69
Oh, well, God
can't do powerful things
00:22:13.72\00:22:15.51
because it's just me.
00:22:15.54\00:22:19.33
Jonathan was a man of action.
00:22:19.36\00:22:20.79
He was a minute man.
00:22:20.82\00:22:22.34
And that's why I
cried when he died.
00:22:24.28\00:22:25.57
I'm like Jonathan, he's so cool.
00:22:25.60\00:22:28.92
But Jonathan gets up
and because of his action
00:22:28.95\00:22:32.59
because he gets up
and does something,
00:22:32.62\00:22:34.92
Saul is forced to get up
and do something as well.
00:22:34.95\00:22:38.49
You know, I have never
met a pastor in my life,
00:22:38.52\00:22:41.35
I've never met or
seen or heard of a pastor
00:22:41.38\00:22:44.02
who gets mad at
the church member
00:22:44.05\00:22:46.18
who is doing evangelism.
00:22:46.21\00:22:49.02
I have never seen it
in my whole entire life
00:22:49.05\00:22:52.73
which is so long.
00:22:52.76\00:22:54.96
But I've have never
seen it, never heard of it.
00:22:56.36\00:22:59.00
I don't care,
you know, people say
00:22:59.03\00:23:00.86
oh, you know some
people are liberal,
00:23:00.89\00:23:02.52
some people are conservative.
00:23:02.55\00:23:04.01
Across the board
because you know what happens
00:23:04.04\00:23:06.83
when you get up and do
evangelism at your home church
00:23:06.86\00:23:09.94
whose baptisms
do those count as?
00:23:09.97\00:23:13.29
Those are your pastor's baptism,
00:23:13.32\00:23:14.80
you know, it's
not a numbers game.
00:23:14.83\00:23:18.30
I'm saying there is no way
your pastor will be made at you
00:23:18.33\00:23:21.38
because you're
baptizing 15 people every year.
00:23:21.41\00:23:24.85
This member is so
annoying, my church is growing.
00:23:24.88\00:23:29.05
No, it won't happen.
00:23:29.08\00:23:32.94
But we sit in the pews
at church and we complain
00:23:32.97\00:23:35.72
oh, man, I wish pastor
will preach better sermons.
00:23:35.75\00:23:38.31
How about we give
good Bible studies?
00:23:38.34\00:23:40.43
Amen. Amen.
00:23:40.46\00:23:42.14
You know, I remember
00:23:42.17\00:23:43.20
when I moved to
a new part of town
00:23:43.23\00:23:46.80
I was living in the Boston area
00:23:46.83\00:23:49.19
and I moved to a new
apartment with new a roommate
00:23:49.22\00:23:52.30
and I was walking
around the neighborhood
00:23:52.33\00:23:55.09
I notice a church that was
few blocks from my apartment.
00:23:55.12\00:23:58.26
So I thought, you know.
00:23:58.29\00:23:59.32
I should visit the
church Wednesday night
00:23:59.35\00:24:00.71
I'm not doing
anything go to prayer meeting
00:24:00.74\00:24:02.26
so I went to the
church for prayer meeting.
00:24:02.29\00:24:04.05
As I was
approaching the building
00:24:04.08\00:24:05.11
I noticed that the
sign wasn't in English.
00:24:05.14\00:24:07.55
It said--
00:24:07.58\00:24:10.28
something like
this so it was French.
00:24:12.77\00:24:14.37
And I though
okay well, you know,
00:24:14.40\00:24:15.60
I took French in
college I think I'll manage.
00:24:15.63\00:24:18.72
As I approached the door
00:24:18.75\00:24:20.12
there was a group of ladies
standing outside looked like,
00:24:20.15\00:24:22.73
you know, Dorcas society
and-- do the still have Dorcas?
00:24:22.76\00:24:25.99
Women's
ministry, women's ministry
00:24:26.02\00:24:27.84
and they were
talking outside the building
00:24:27.87\00:24:29.87
and I thought oh
man, like how I'm gonna--
00:24:29.90\00:24:32.16
I wonder if
they'll say high to me.
00:24:32.19\00:24:33.93
And I walked and I
approached and the closer I got
00:24:33.96\00:24:36.90
I could see they
look at me and then--
00:24:36.93\00:24:40.68
I got so mad.
00:24:40.71\00:24:43.78
I had to go around
them to go into the building
00:24:43.81\00:24:46.91
and I thought are
you serious right now,
00:24:46.94\00:24:48.82
don't I look like a visitor?
00:24:48.85\00:24:50.64
You didn't greet
me, busy gossiping.
00:24:50.67\00:24:53.05
I was assuming they
were probably gossiping.
00:24:53.08\00:24:56.14
And I walked into the church
00:24:56.17\00:24:58.64
and those few people
milling around in the lobby
00:24:58.67\00:25:01.61
and I thought
may be I didn't look
00:25:01.64\00:25:03.50
like a visitor before, okay.
00:25:03.53\00:25:05.35
So I'm gonna put
on my lost face like
00:25:05.38\00:25:09.32
I have no idea where I am going.
00:25:09.35\00:25:12.54
I put on my lost face
00:25:12.57\00:25:14.63
and I could see
there's the sanctuary
00:25:14.66\00:25:16.79
but I'm just
gonna walk around here,
00:25:16.82\00:25:18.15
you know, so I look
lost and someone talks to me
00:25:18.18\00:25:21.10
and nobody talked to me.
00:25:21.13\00:25:24.44
And I got even more furious.
00:25:24.47\00:25:26.81
This church is so unfriendly.
00:25:26.84\00:25:30.17
And so I finally
went into the sanctuary
00:25:30.20\00:25:32.07
and they started
the prayer meeting.
00:25:32.10\00:25:34.40
You know, sometimes, most times
00:25:34.43\00:25:36.77
prayer meeting are
not really prayer meetings
00:25:36.80\00:25:38.26
because we don't
really pray until the end,
00:25:38.29\00:25:40.22
when we're praying to leave.
00:25:40.25\00:25:41.71
But got in there and you know,
the speaker started speaking
00:25:41.74\00:25:45.53
and I thought surly he
will tell that I'm a guest
00:25:45.56\00:25:50.03
and it turned out that
it wasn't a French church
00:25:50.06\00:25:52.56
it was a Haitian church
so they were speaking Creole
00:25:52.59\00:25:55.47
and I sat there
and I thought okay,
00:25:55.50\00:25:57.18
I understand one or two words
00:25:57.21\00:25:58.71
and I'm straining
to try and comprehend
00:25:58.74\00:26:00.60
what this person is
saying and I thought surely
00:26:00.63\00:26:03.28
I looked confused in this moment
00:26:03.31\00:26:05.81
may be the
speaker will recognize me
00:26:05.84\00:26:07.62
as a guest and nothing.
00:26:07.65\00:26:12.28
So by the time we
were having our prayer
00:26:12.31\00:26:14.41
they partnered
us up by this time
00:26:14.44\00:26:18.89
you know in my heart
I was just like Lord,
00:26:18.92\00:26:20.92
send firing and
brimstone here, understood.
00:26:20.95\00:26:25.65
The most unfriendly
experience I have ever had
00:26:25.68\00:26:27.83
in an Adventist
church and this doesn't
00:26:27.86\00:26:29.18
generally happen to me.
00:26:29.21\00:26:30.24
So this was an anomaly.
00:26:30.27\00:26:32.41
But this
happened as lesson to me
00:26:32.44\00:26:34.21
because as I
left and I walked home
00:26:34.24\00:26:36.69
I was talking to God about it.
00:26:36.72\00:26:38.14
Man, the state of our churches
00:26:38.17\00:26:39.41
now a days I can't
believe people don't even talk,
00:26:39.44\00:26:41.47
walk in the
building people ignoring,
00:26:41.50\00:26:42.98
gossiping outside
the door, walk in the--
00:26:43.01\00:26:45.61
nobody translates for
you anymore I was so mad.
00:26:45.64\00:26:51.00
And in that moment
the Lord spoke to me
00:26:51.03\00:26:52.39
He said Siku,
00:26:52.42\00:26:53.45
why didn't you talk to anyone?
00:26:56.50\00:26:58.19
I said, Lord, I'm a visitor.
00:26:59.50\00:27:01.73
Nobody talked to me, poor me.
00:27:01.76\00:27:04.73
And He said, how
are you a visitor?
00:27:07.97\00:27:10.94
This is not an audible
voice by the way, right, okay.
00:27:10.97\00:27:13.94
How is that you are a visitor
00:27:13.97\00:27:16.07
but you are a
Seventh-day Adventist
00:27:16.10\00:27:19.27
and the Adventist
church is your home.
00:27:19.30\00:27:21.90
So rather then complaining
00:27:25.11\00:27:26.26
that oh, the Adventist
church is so unfriendly,
00:27:26.29\00:27:28.57
why don't you be
part of the solution?
00:27:32.44\00:27:36.26
Make that church your home,
00:27:36.29\00:27:38.55
go there and be
friendly to people.
00:27:38.58\00:27:41.72
So from that day I
made a commitment to God,
00:27:41.75\00:27:43.71
I said you know what,
wherever I go for church
00:27:43.74\00:27:46.13
I'm not gonna wait
for someone to welcome me
00:27:46.16\00:27:48.65
as a guest into
the no, I'm at home.
00:27:48.68\00:27:52.28
As soon I go over there welcome
and they are like oh, thank you.
00:27:52.31\00:27:58.22
Because this my
church, this is our church,
00:27:58.25\00:28:02.70
just take
ownership of this church,
00:28:02.73\00:28:04.92
it's a trust that
God has give to us.
00:28:04.95\00:28:08.17
So rather than sitting around
00:28:08.20\00:28:09.42
complaining about
all things that are wrong
00:28:09.45\00:28:11.47
may be we can be
part of the solution.
00:28:11.50\00:28:14.30
Let's learn something
from the life of Jonathan.
00:28:14.33\00:28:19.22
And Jonathan I can't believe
00:28:19.25\00:28:22.47
he is actually
Saul's son because Saul--
00:28:22.50\00:28:26.55
Let's keep reading okay.
00:28:26.58\00:28:27.61
Verse 4, "And all Israel heard
00:28:30.59\00:28:32.49
say that Saul had smitten a
garrison of the Philistines,"
00:28:32.52\00:28:36.80
and Jonathan
didn't stand up like
00:28:36.83\00:28:38.26
wait, wait, wait it
wasn't Saul it was me, no.
00:28:38.29\00:28:41.06
"And that Israel also
was had in abomination
00:28:41.09\00:28:43.61
with the Philistines.
00:28:43.64\00:28:44.93
And the people were called
together after Saul to Gilgal."
00:28:44.96\00:28:50.01
You know,
sometimes I say Philistines
00:28:50.04\00:28:51.34
sometimes I say Phili-stines
that's my confusion,
00:28:51.37\00:28:54.55
you know, because I
have been here too long
00:28:54.58\00:28:56.87
I forget which I'm using.
00:28:56.90\00:28:59.87
"The Philistines
gathered themselves together
00:28:59.90\00:29:02.79
to fight with Israel,"
00:29:02.82\00:29:04.70
now listen to the numbers,
"thirty thousand chariots,
00:29:04.73\00:29:10.08
six thousand
horsemen, and people," how many?
00:29:10.11\00:29:17.00
"The sand which is on
the seashore in multitude."
00:29:17.03\00:29:22.87
Now and God promised Abraham
lots and lots of decadence.
00:29:22.90\00:29:27.00
What were they gonna
be like? Stars of heaven.
00:29:27.03\00:29:34.19
These people were like
sand which is by the seashore
00:29:34.22\00:29:38.91
i.e., you can't count them.
00:29:38.94\00:29:41.98
So when the
children of Israel looked out
00:29:42.01\00:29:44.44
at this force that
was coming against them,
00:29:44.47\00:29:46.70
they looked out at the
enemy they couldn't even number
00:29:46.73\00:29:51.02
how many people were coming.
00:29:51.05\00:29:53.16
So remember I said
when they fought earlier
00:29:53.19\00:29:56.14
they were 300,000 of them
of the children of Israel.
00:29:56.17\00:29:59.93
So if this is sand of the sea
00:29:59.96\00:30:02.19
sea that means 300,000 is
a drop in the bucket, right,
00:30:02.22\00:30:05.98
because you can count 300,000.
00:30:06.01\00:30:09.53
There were
gazillions of people massive.
00:30:09.56\00:30:16.47
And not surprisingly the
Israelites were intimidated.
00:30:16.50\00:30:22.32
Verse, where I'm I there, no.
00:30:22.35\00:30:26.04
Verse 5, oh, no 6,
"When the men of Israel saw
00:30:26.07\00:30:31.47
that they people
were in a strait,
00:30:31.50\00:30:32.97
for the people were distressed,"
00:30:33.00\00:30:35.12
the people did what?
00:30:35.15\00:30:37.93
"They hit themselves."
00:30:37.96\00:30:39.95
They were so
intimidated by the enemy
00:30:39.98\00:30:41.97
that they went into hiding.
00:30:42.00\00:30:43.79
You know, Ellen White says
that in Patriarchs And Prophets
00:30:46.02\00:30:51.90
in the chapter
about David as a fugitive
00:30:51.93\00:30:56.40
she says that every failure
on the part of God's people
00:30:56.43\00:31:01.08
is due to a lack of faith.
00:31:01.11\00:31:06.16
Every failure on the
part of throne of God
00:31:06.19\00:31:09.49
is due to a lack of faith.
00:31:09.52\00:31:11.05
Every failure.
00:31:11.08\00:31:13.83
Because the throne of Israel,
00:31:13.86\00:31:15.49
I don't know what
happened in this moment
00:31:15.52\00:31:17.48
hello, God had just won
a victory through you guys
00:31:17.51\00:31:20.44
and then this
happens all the time,
00:31:20.47\00:31:23.18
God does some
thing God's people forget
00:31:23.21\00:31:26.15
we're are so scared.
00:31:26.18\00:31:27.61
So here is the enemy
and they got intimidated
00:31:27.64\00:31:30.18
as they look at this massive
enemy that was coming at them
00:31:30.21\00:31:33.29
and they started hiding
and as the week progressed
00:31:33.32\00:31:37.12
because they were
supposed to wait for seven days
00:31:37.15\00:31:39.71
for Samuel to come
and give the sacrifice
00:31:39.74\00:31:42.66
and make the offering
and then Samuel had told Saul
00:31:42.69\00:31:45.43
at that time that he would
give him instruction on what do.
00:31:45.46\00:31:48.65
But as they
waited those seven days
00:31:48.68\00:31:50.40
they got more
and more discouraged
00:31:50.43\00:31:52.84
because that the
longer that they wait
00:31:52.87\00:31:55.35
the fewer they became
because more people kept leaving
00:31:55.38\00:31:57.75
and you know, more people leave
so you become smaller number
00:31:57.78\00:32:00.55
and then you are like
well we are now smaller
00:32:00.58\00:32:01.83
and then you leave and
that and it just got worst
00:32:01.86\00:32:04.62
and worst and worst
as the week progressed.
00:32:04.65\00:32:09.26
And from what the Bible
tells us it mentions nothing
00:32:09.29\00:32:12.18
about what Saul did about it.
00:32:12.21\00:32:15.39
He was sitting there
waiting for Samuel to come.
00:32:15.42\00:32:19.82
Samuel, Samuel.
00:32:19.85\00:32:22.14
Samuel, where is he?
00:32:24.66\00:32:25.69
And he was just
waiting and waiting and waiting
00:32:25.72\00:32:27.36
and waiting and
waiting for Samuel to come
00:32:27.39\00:32:28.64
and Samuel just
didn't seem to be coming.
00:32:28.67\00:32:32.96
And so he gets to a
place where in verse 8--
00:32:32.99\00:32:37.84
7, let's start with 7
"And some of the Hebrews
00:32:37.87\00:32:39.87
went over Jordan to
the land of Gad and Gilead.
00:32:39.90\00:32:42.29
As for Saul, he
was yet in Gilgal,
00:32:42.32\00:32:44.97
and all the people
followed him trembling."
00:32:45.00\00:32:46.88
So whoever stayed
behind were scared anyway,
00:32:46.91\00:32:49.80
"And he tarried seven days,
00:32:49.83\00:32:51.11
according to the set
time that Samuel had appointed
00:32:51.14\00:32:53.32
but Samuel came not to Gilgal
00:32:53.35\00:32:55.43
and the people were
scattered from him."
00:32:55.46\00:32:59.29
They waited and now Saul
found himself in a dilemma
00:32:59.32\00:33:05.16
because here is the enemy
00:33:05.19\00:33:06.87
it's been seven days
and we are supposed to fight
00:33:06.90\00:33:09.72
but Samuel hasn't come.
00:33:09.75\00:33:11.79
We're supposed
to make a sacrifice
00:33:11.82\00:33:13.13
before we go and fight
00:33:13.16\00:33:14.47
but Samuel isn't
here to make the sacrifice
00:33:14.50\00:33:17.59
and the people are
leaving and they are discouraged
00:33:17.62\00:33:21.01
but maybe if Samuel
did made the sacrifice
00:33:21.04\00:33:23.26
then they would feel encouraged
and then we could fight.
00:33:23.29\00:33:27.71
And so he is kind of
standing at crossroads, right,
00:33:27.74\00:33:29.88
and all eyes are on him.
00:33:29.91\00:33:32.42
Because he is the
leader, all eyes are on Saul.
00:33:32.45\00:33:37.55
What is Saul gonna do?
00:33:37.58\00:33:41.35
What do you doing
when you come to crisis
00:33:41.38\00:33:44.42
you are like between
a rock and a hard place?
00:33:44.45\00:33:48.28
What is he gonna do?
00:33:48.31\00:33:49.34
Turn with me to 1
Timothy Chapter 2.
00:33:53.80\00:33:58.47
First Timothy Chapter 2,
00:34:02.61\00:34:06.48
I told you
yesterday my favorite passage
00:34:06.51\00:34:08.84
in the Bible is
Genesis Chapter 3,
00:34:08.87\00:34:11.11
this we're gonna read
from 1 Timothy Chapter 2,
00:34:13.65\00:34:17.31
when we looked at Genesis 3,
00:34:17.34\00:34:19.38
we learnt that Eve
started talking with the serpent
00:34:19.41\00:34:25.74
which she
shouldn't have been doing
00:34:25.77\00:34:26.88
because she was
walking around the tree
00:34:26.91\00:34:28.22
which she shouldn't have
been doing, without her husband
00:34:28.25\00:34:29.83
which she should have been doing
00:34:29.86\00:34:31.31
and they start
having a conversation
00:34:31.34\00:34:33.94
and she get's to the
point where she's holding,
00:34:33.97\00:34:36.25
she is got the fruit
looking at it thinking,
00:34:36.28\00:34:41.37
I actually think that
this fruit is good for me.
00:34:41.40\00:34:44.29
Remember that from
yesterday? Yeah, yes, okay.
00:34:44.32\00:34:47.61
She is thinking I actually think
that this fruit is good for me.
00:34:47.64\00:34:52.99
We read that in scripture.
00:34:53.02\00:34:55.86
Now in 1 Timothy 2:14,
00:34:55.89\00:35:02.22
tells us that "And
Adam was not deceived
00:35:04.21\00:35:08.92
but the woman being
deceived was the transgression."
00:35:08.95\00:35:12.62
This is what I like
to take from this text.
00:35:12.65\00:35:16.03
Bible says that
Eve was deceived.
00:35:16.06\00:35:20.68
You know, some people get mad at
00:35:20.71\00:35:21.82
even though Eve
brought sin into the world.
00:35:21.85\00:35:23.76
She was deceived give
her a break, you know.
00:35:23.79\00:35:25.98
I was just kidding, sin is sin.
00:35:26.01\00:35:29.43
But the Bible says that
00:35:29.46\00:35:30.83
Adam on the other
hand was not deceived.
00:35:30.86\00:35:35.85
Now what does it
mean to be deceived?
00:35:35.88\00:35:37.64
Eve actually got to the
point where she thought,
00:35:37.67\00:35:40.14
she actually
thought that this thing
00:35:40.17\00:35:42.03
that God has said
was not good for her
00:35:42.06\00:35:44.02
was actually
good for her, right.
00:35:44.05\00:35:46.31
She looked at the fruit,
she though it was good for food
00:35:46.34\00:35:48.46
plus desirable to make one wise.
00:35:48.49\00:35:50.52
But the Bible says that Adam
did not have that experience.
00:35:50.55\00:35:54.07
He was not deceived.
00:35:54.10\00:35:56.31
He didn't look at
the fruit and think,
00:35:56.34\00:35:58.01
oh, I think this
is actually good.
00:35:58.04\00:35:59.79
No, he knew full well
that Eve has just sinned.
00:35:59.82\00:36:05.08
He knew full
well that what she did
00:36:05.11\00:36:06.82
was gonna cause
death but he looked at Eve.
00:36:06.85\00:36:11.00
And yesterday I
learnt a statement
00:36:11.03\00:36:12.68
there is a good story
without a women in it,
00:36:12.71\00:36:14.68
something like that
again the testimony.
00:36:14.71\00:36:17.72
He looked at his wife,
00:36:17.75\00:36:21.12
looked at Eve and he thought
Eve, my precious gift from God
00:36:21.15\00:36:26.38
and she was
straight from the hand of God
00:36:26.41\00:36:29.19
probably most beautiful woman
that has ever graced the planet.
00:36:29.22\00:36:32.32
And he looked at
her and he thought
00:36:35.12\00:36:36.40
what would my life be with
her and he remembered that time
00:36:36.43\00:36:38.67
when he had a life without Eve
00:36:38.70\00:36:42.76
and he couldn't imagine
life without her perhaps.
00:36:42.79\00:36:45.05
But now he is
standing at a crossroads right,
00:36:49.91\00:36:51.83
he is in a dilemma.
00:36:51.86\00:36:52.98
What are you gonna do Adam
as the leader of your home?
00:36:53.01\00:36:55.83
He is between a
rock and a hard place,
00:37:00.07\00:37:02.41
his love for his
wife and his love for God.
00:37:02.44\00:37:06.72
And through the reasoning
process that he went through
00:37:10.47\00:37:15.22
we known what
happened in the end
00:37:15.25\00:37:16.81
the Bible tells us that
00:37:16.84\00:37:17.87
Eve gave to her husband
also with her and he did eat.
00:37:17.90\00:37:22.09
So even though he
wasn't deceived he still ate.
00:37:23.44\00:37:27.87
We have a problem,
00:37:32.67\00:37:34.11
we have a problem that comes
all the way down from Adam.
00:37:35.71\00:37:38.81
And sometimes we know
00:37:38.84\00:37:40.01
that its wrong
and we do it anyway.
00:37:40.04\00:37:43.93
Had a look at that
chocolate cake its all moist
00:37:47.04\00:37:50.36
I know it's 11:30 so I
should be sleeping anyway
00:37:53.39\00:37:57.03
but because is stayed
up so late I'm hungry again
00:37:57.06\00:38:01.83
and tying to seem to
eat moist chocolate cake.
00:38:01.86\00:38:05.13
You know, it's bad for my teeth,
00:38:08.30\00:38:10.98
I know it will
depress my immune system,
00:38:11.01\00:38:15.62
I know its unnecessary calories
00:38:15.65\00:38:17.29
but I'm between a
rock and a hard place.
00:38:21.63\00:38:25.12
Okay, we know that it's wrong
00:38:25.15\00:38:30.58
but we do it any way.
00:38:30.61\00:38:34.10
We have a problem, big problem,
00:38:34.13\00:38:40.84
I know that I shouldn't date him
00:38:40.87\00:38:47.15
but no Adventist in my,
no single men in my church,
00:38:47.18\00:38:55.15
well, what I had to do,
besides he's a nice guy.
00:38:55.18\00:38:59.86
We know it's wrong
but we do it anyway.
00:39:03.48\00:39:07.34
And you know how we reason
it, while God will understand,
00:39:07.37\00:39:11.09
I mean love is of God
00:39:11.12\00:39:13.03
and we rationalize and go
through this whole process
00:39:17.56\00:39:21.18
and Adam had that
experience he is standing there,
00:39:21.21\00:39:23.84
there's Eve he knows
what she did is wrong,
00:39:23.87\00:39:25.67
he knows that to
eat that fruit is wrong
00:39:25.70\00:39:28.53
and yet she was Eve
and she ate the fruit.
00:39:28.56\00:39:33.22
Turn with me to Matthew--
00:39:33.25\00:39:34.34
Chapter 4.
00:39:40.56\00:39:41.59
We'll look at
00:39:49.75\00:39:50.78
my number one favorite character
in the Bible and in my life.
00:39:50.81\00:39:56.33
Matthew Chapter 4.
00:39:56.36\00:39:59.66
We looked at the
First Temptation yesterday
00:39:59.69\00:40:02.04
and you know thinking
about the Great Controversy
00:40:02.07\00:40:05.67
in the wilderness
after Jesus was baptized
00:40:05.70\00:40:08.89
and this confrontation
between Jesus and Satan,
00:40:08.92\00:40:14.34
you know, epic
especially thinking
00:40:14.37\00:40:16.55
Great Controversy, controversy--
00:40:16.58\00:40:18.87
like crazy, right.
00:40:18.90\00:40:20.19
So we looked at
yesterday the First Temptation,
00:40:20.22\00:40:24.39
today we'll look
at the second one
00:40:24.42\00:40:25.89
as it's recorded
in Matthew Chapter 4.
00:40:25.92\00:40:28.49
In the first one,
Satan comes to him
00:40:28.52\00:40:31.32
and says look at your situation,
00:40:31.35\00:40:33.11
how can you trust God's
word given your circumstances?
00:40:33.14\00:40:36.52
And He said I trust God's
word more than my necessary food
00:40:36.55\00:40:41.42
and then thereafter
Satan's like oh, I get you here.
00:40:41.45\00:40:46.28
Change of tactics.
00:40:46.31\00:40:50.34
Verse 5, "The devil taketh
Him up into the holy city,
00:40:50.37\00:40:54.46
setteth Him on a
pinnacle of the temple.
00:40:54.49\00:40:57.82
And saith unto Him,
if Thy be the Son of God,
00:40:57.85\00:41:03.09
cast Thyself
down, for it is written,
00:41:03.12\00:41:09.62
He shall give His
angels charge over the--
00:41:09.65\00:41:12.37
concerning Thee,
and in their hands
00:41:12.40\00:41:14.99
they shall bear thee up,
00:41:15.02\00:41:16.37
lest at any time thou
dash thy foot against a stone."
00:41:16.40\00:41:20.33
And the devil is
thinking I got you.
00:41:20.36\00:41:24.32
You want to use scripture,
I can use scripture too.
00:41:24.35\00:41:27.11
Which incidentally, you know,
00:41:30.78\00:41:34.34
we should be careful
just believing things
00:41:34.37\00:41:37.70
because people
say it's in the Bible.
00:41:37.73\00:41:41.69
So just because I
said, Ellen White said
00:41:41.72\00:41:44.42
that every failure on
the part of God's people
00:41:44.45\00:41:46.58
is due to their lack of faith.
00:41:46.61\00:41:47.64
Are you guys
gonna check me on that?
00:41:47.67\00:41:49.24
What if I am lying to you?
00:41:49.27\00:41:50.88
I'm not but what if I am?
00:41:50.91\00:41:53.19
You know, when Paul,
00:41:55.84\00:41:57.17
Paul who is like
super evangelist,
00:41:57.20\00:41:59.63
super theologian,
00:41:59.66\00:42:01.22
when Paul went to
preach to the Bereans,
00:42:01.25\00:42:03.66
they searched the
scriptures to check Paul.
00:42:03.69\00:42:06.07
Amen.
00:42:06.10\00:42:08.11
If they searched the
scriptures to check Paul,
00:42:08.14\00:42:10.24
what about you checking me?
00:42:10.27\00:42:11.63
Amen.
00:42:11.66\00:42:13.79
Doesn't matter who
says it, is it scriptural?
00:42:13.82\00:42:18.10
Is it in the Bible?
00:42:18.13\00:42:20.11
I want to know for
myself and you know what?
00:42:20.14\00:42:22.13
I love this about God,
He's no respecter of persons.
00:42:22.16\00:42:25.61
If we have a heart that
wants to understand His word,
00:42:25.64\00:42:28.59
He will send the Holy
Spirit to give us understanding.
00:42:28.62\00:42:32.23
He's not gonna look at
you and tell, oh, what,
00:42:32.26\00:42:34.01
oh, you're a
biochemist, I'm sorry,
00:42:34.04\00:42:35.58
I don't speak to biochemists.
00:42:35.61\00:42:37.79
I only speak to religion majors.
00:42:37.82\00:42:40.25
He's not like that.
00:42:40.28\00:42:42.58
If you have a heart that wants
to understand in order to obey,
00:42:42.61\00:42:46.02
He will show you what is truth.
00:42:46.05\00:42:49.33
And I love that about God.
00:42:49.36\00:42:52.22
Let's search the
Bible for ourselves,
00:42:52.25\00:42:55.78
understand for ourselves
what the Word of God says.
00:42:55.81\00:42:59.57
You know and it's
really discouraging
00:42:59.60\00:43:01.62
because in this age we
have all these resources.
00:43:01.65\00:43:07.62
Bible in various languages,
I brought my phone up here,
00:43:07.65\00:43:10.93
I have the Bible in
English, I'm learning Greek
00:43:10.96\00:43:15.35
so I have two
Greek Bibles on my phone.
00:43:15.38\00:43:20.12
I still don't understand
what they say but I have them.
00:43:20.15\00:43:23.20
The Spirit of Prophecy
and I'm so glad for that
00:43:26.84\00:43:29.15
E. G. White writings app,
00:43:29.18\00:43:31.45
we have all of it
at our fingertips.
00:43:31.48\00:43:34.11
We have all of these resources
yet we don't touch them.
00:43:34.14\00:43:37.62
We're like there's a
theological issue in the church,
00:43:38.98\00:43:41.97
oh, what did the theologian say?
00:43:42.00\00:43:44.25
No!
00:43:44.28\00:43:45.76
We have the same
Bible that they're studying.
00:43:45.79\00:43:48.69
We have the same
Spirit of Prophecy.
00:43:49.38\00:43:53.77
We just study God's word
00:43:53.80\00:43:56.68
to make sure that what
we're hearing from the pulpit
00:43:56.71\00:43:59.44
is what God is
saying in the Bible.
00:43:59.47\00:44:04.58
The devil came to
Jesus with scripture
00:44:04.61\00:44:07.29
and he was
trying to use scripture
00:44:07.32\00:44:08.95
to make Christ stumble.
00:44:08.98\00:44:11.91
And I fear for a church
00:44:11.94\00:44:13.00
that does not
study the Word of God.
00:44:13.03\00:44:14.80
I fear for us if we
don't study God's word.
00:44:14.83\00:44:21.17
And the devil
said, oh, didn't God say?
00:44:21.20\00:44:24.51
And what was
enticing about it was
00:44:24.54\00:44:27.79
what he said it
looked like faith.
00:44:27.82\00:44:33.13
Throw yourself
from the building.
00:44:33.16\00:44:35.66
Didn't God say
He's gonna protect you?
00:44:35.69\00:44:38.30
It looked like faith, it
looked like trusting God,
00:44:41.47\00:44:44.79
trusting God that while
I'm on my way down somehow,
00:44:44.82\00:44:49.87
and I will not fall.
00:44:49.90\00:44:51.20
It looks so like faith.
00:44:51.23\00:44:53.02
It may have looked
like faith to Adam.
00:44:57.06\00:45:00.77
God is so good. He is so living.
00:45:00.80\00:45:03.58
There is no way He could really
mean that people will die,
00:45:03.61\00:45:08.31
that Eve the one He gave to me,
00:45:08.34\00:45:10.62
that I loved, how
could he mean that--
00:45:10.65\00:45:13.26
it may have looked like faith,
00:45:13.29\00:45:15.44
like as if you're actually
trusting God's character.
00:45:15.47\00:45:18.82
But then Jesus responded.
00:45:21.62\00:45:24.15
Verse 7, "Jesus said unto him,
00:45:24.18\00:45:29.56
It is written again,
00:45:29.59\00:45:32.27
Thou shalt not
tempt the Lord thy God."
00:45:32.30\00:45:37.34
And I love that Jesus
went back to scripture
00:45:37.37\00:45:40.60
because sometimes you
know people come with,
00:45:40.63\00:45:42.96
say like, oh,
I'll give you scripture
00:45:42.99\00:45:44.49
so you feel like oh,
I should change tactics.
00:45:44.52\00:45:47.37
No, the Bible is sufficient.
00:45:47.40\00:45:51.70
It's its own expositor.
00:45:51.73\00:45:53.08
So Jesus came back
with scripture again
00:45:56.11\00:45:58.14
and He said no, it is written.
00:45:58.17\00:46:00.88
So I know what you're
telling me is not true
00:46:00.91\00:46:02.68
because the Bible
says don't tempt God.
00:46:02.71\00:46:06.12
Don't put
yourself in a situation
00:46:06.15\00:46:07.56
where God hasn't
called you to go.
00:46:07.59\00:46:09.96
I'm sorry to keep
using the dating example
00:46:13.19\00:46:15.33
but you know it's my age
00:46:15.36\00:46:17.03
so you know I'll
date him and convert him,
00:46:17.06\00:46:22.30
I flirt to
convert, date to evangelism.
00:46:22.33\00:46:24.91
You know...
00:46:24.94\00:46:26.03
putting us, giving
ourselves evangelism
00:46:30.46\00:46:33.11
God has never prescribed.
00:46:33.14\00:46:35.41
Jesus said--
00:46:39.87\00:46:41.23
it may look like faith,
00:46:44.03\00:46:46.01
it may look like trust in God,
00:46:46.04\00:46:49.71
but truly trust in
God leads to obedience.
00:46:49.74\00:46:55.15
Trust in God
leads to obeying God.
00:46:55.18\00:46:58.59
That is what
real trust looks like
00:46:58.62\00:47:01.44
and everything
else is a counterfeit.
00:47:01.47\00:47:02.91
Let's turn back to
1 Samuel Chapter 13.
00:47:06.05\00:47:13.58
We left Saul
standing at the precipice
00:47:21.69\00:47:24.38
of this colossal
decision all eyes are on him,
00:47:24.41\00:47:28.50
all of Israel is looking at him,
00:47:28.53\00:47:29.98
probably the
enemy is looking at him
00:47:30.01\00:47:31.40
as the leader of the Israelites.
00:47:31.43\00:47:32.65
What is he gonna do?
00:47:32.68\00:47:35.97
And the Word of
God says in verse 9,
00:47:36.00\00:47:37.56
"And Saul said, Bring
hither a burnt offering to me,
00:47:37.59\00:47:41.47
and peace offerings.
00:47:41.50\00:47:43.14
And he offered
the burnt offering.
00:47:43.17\00:47:46.31
And it came to pass,
00:47:46.34\00:47:48.13
that as soon as he had
made an end of offering
00:47:48.16\00:47:51.24
the burnt offering,
behold, Samuel came,
00:47:51.27\00:47:56.12
and Saul went out to meet
him, that he might salute him."
00:47:56.15\00:47:59.09
And you think he was penitent.
00:47:59.12\00:48:00.82
I'm so sorry, I thought
I just it was an emergency
00:48:00.85\00:48:04.92
I just really had
to, you would think,
00:48:04.95\00:48:06.61
no, "Samuel said,
what hast thou done?"
00:48:06.64\00:48:10.55
What did you do?
00:48:10.58\00:48:11.61
"And Saul said, because I saw
00:48:11.64\00:48:15.00
that the people
were scattered from me,
00:48:15.03\00:48:17.56
and that thou camest not
within the days appointed,"
00:48:17.59\00:48:20.43
It's your fault,
00:48:20.46\00:48:22.17
"and that the Philistines
gathered themselves together
00:48:22.20\00:48:25.11
at Michmash,"
00:48:25.14\00:48:26.17
the situation just
demanded some kind of action.
00:48:26.20\00:48:29.60
"Therefore I said, The
Philistines will come down
00:48:29.63\00:48:32.26
now upon me to Gilgal,
00:48:32.29\00:48:33.68
and I have not made
supplication unto the Lord,"
00:48:33.71\00:48:36.38
I needed to, there needed
to be some kind of an offering.
00:48:36.41\00:48:41.29
He said "I forced
myself therefore."
00:48:41.32\00:48:48.52
I had to force
myself to do this.
00:48:48.55\00:48:52.68
"And I offered
a burnt offering."
00:48:52.71\00:48:54.64
I had no choice.
00:48:54.67\00:48:56.35
He doesn't apologize.
00:48:59.75\00:49:01.82
He defends himself.
00:49:03.61\00:49:05.09
I forced myself
therefore to do this.
00:49:06.73\00:49:12.03
"And Samuel said to Saul,
00:49:12.06\00:49:13.94
Thou hast done foolishly
00:49:13.97\00:49:17.15
thou hast not
kept the commandment
00:49:17.18\00:49:18.79
of the Lord thy God,
which he commanded thee
00:49:18.82\00:49:21.65
for now would the
Lord have established
00:49:21.68\00:49:23.75
thy kingdom
upon Israel forever."
00:49:23.78\00:49:27.25
That moment as
Saul was standing there
00:49:30.75\00:49:33.31
with this choice to make
00:49:33.34\00:49:35.52
he didn't realize
what was on the line.
00:49:35.55\00:49:38.62
He didn't realize
that in this one decision
00:49:41.66\00:49:43.96
he was going to
determine the fate of his reign
00:49:43.99\00:49:50.54
and whether his descendants
00:49:50.57\00:49:51.72
were going to sit
on the throne or not.
00:49:51.75\00:49:54.37
He didn't realize what
was stacking that moment.
00:49:54.40\00:49:58.24
And I don't
know if Adam realized
00:49:58.27\00:49:59.82
what was that staketh
in that moment for him.
00:49:59.85\00:50:03.06
I don't know if you realize
that that how many years down
00:50:03.09\00:50:06.09
we would be sitting here
00:50:06.12\00:50:07.27
you know suffering
that all of this sin
00:50:07.30\00:50:10.32
and pain would result
from that one decision.
00:50:10.35\00:50:13.47
I don't know if you realize
00:50:13.50\00:50:14.53
what the weight
of that decision was.
00:50:14.56\00:50:18.24
I'm glad Christ did.
00:50:19.77\00:50:21.51
I'm going to read a quote to you
from Patriarchs and Prophets.
00:50:25.27\00:50:30.52
This is page 621 paragraph 5.
00:50:34.76\00:50:38.41
She says "We do not know
00:50:38.44\00:50:40.14
what great interests may be
at stake in the proving of God.
00:50:40.17\00:50:45.90
There is no safety
except in strict obedience
00:50:45.93\00:50:51.03
to the word of God.
00:50:51.06\00:50:53.63
All His promises are made upon
00:50:53.66\00:50:55.39
condition of
faith and obedience,
00:50:55.42\00:50:57.22
and a failure to
comply with His commands
00:50:57.25\00:50:59.79
cuts off the fulfillment to us
00:50:59.82\00:51:01.89
of the rich
provisions of the Scriptures."
00:51:01.92\00:51:04.10
She is saying
that there are things
00:51:04.13\00:51:05.19
that God wants to do for us
00:51:05.22\00:51:06.52
that He cannot do for us
because we are disobedient.
00:51:06.55\00:51:10.82
That we close the
doors to certain blessings,
00:51:10.85\00:51:12.65
that we close the
door to certain experiences
00:51:12.68\00:51:14.49
because we are choosing to
walk in the opposite direction
00:51:14.52\00:51:16.89
and God says I
can't bless you there
00:51:16.92\00:51:19.73
don't go there.
00:51:19.76\00:51:21.06
"We should not follow impulse,
nor rely on the judgment of men,
00:51:23.85\00:51:30.43
we should look to
the revealed will of God
00:51:30.46\00:51:32.82
and walk according to
His definite commandment,
00:51:32.85\00:51:35.65
no matter what
circumstances may surround us.
00:51:35.68\00:51:39.74
God will take
care of the results."
00:51:39.77\00:51:42.24
And that's were the trust
is and I struggled so much
00:51:42.27\00:51:45.38
with this message
until I read that statement.
00:51:45.41\00:51:49.58
Matter of fact I was in a
conversation with a friend
00:51:49.61\00:51:51.96
she was asking how preparations
were going for the messages
00:51:51.99\00:51:54.24
and I told said, you know,
00:51:54.27\00:51:55.56
I'm really having a
hard time with this message.
00:51:55.59\00:51:57.31
And she said may be the
focus is little be it off.
00:51:57.34\00:52:02.57
And so I started
praying about it more
00:52:02.60\00:52:05.16
and then the realization hit me
00:52:05.19\00:52:07.20
and after that I
started seeing it everywhere
00:52:07.23\00:52:09.37
like Jeffery was saying.
00:52:09.40\00:52:10.43
That what God needs from us
00:52:14.69\00:52:17.69
the part that we play
in this whole big drama
00:52:17.72\00:52:21.08
is to trust Him.
00:52:21.11\00:52:22.82
Did you get that?
00:52:25.54\00:52:26.57
Okay, so God is
huge and He is powerful,
00:52:26.60\00:52:31.54
so powerful that
He is omnipotent,
00:52:31.57\00:52:34.25
super powerful right and He--
00:52:34.28\00:52:37.55
we can trust Him
because not only is He powerful
00:52:37.58\00:52:40.73
but He has a character of love,
00:52:40.76\00:52:42.80
He wants to bless us.
00:52:42.83\00:52:45.23
But when I started
thinking about this idea
00:52:45.26\00:52:47.21
of can God trust me
00:52:47.24\00:52:49.10
I thought there is
no way God can trust me.
00:52:49.13\00:52:51.30
A, look at my
character, I'm a mess.
00:52:51.33\00:52:55.40
B, I'm so week.
How could God trust me?
00:52:55.43\00:53:01.47
How could He trust me to
obey Him I'm so incapable.
00:53:01.50\00:53:05.06
And then I realized that no
what God wants to trust us to do
00:53:05.09\00:53:12.69
He wants us to
trust us to trust Him.
00:53:12.72\00:53:17.58
To say I trust you
so much that I obey you
00:53:17.61\00:53:21.71
because I trust that you will
take care of the consequences.
00:53:21.74\00:53:24.91
"God will take
care of the results,
00:53:29.79\00:53:32.42
by faithfulness to His
word we may in time of trial
00:53:32.45\00:53:37.17
prove before men and angels
that the Lord can trust us
00:53:37.20\00:53:43.24
in difficult places
to carry out His will,
00:53:43.27\00:53:45.90
honor His name,
and bless His people."
00:53:45.93\00:53:49.30
Men and angles are looking on
00:53:52.32\00:53:54.05
and in that moment
that was in a chapter
00:53:54.08\00:53:56.90
that Ellen White
writes about this encounter
00:53:56.93\00:53:58.92
we are talking about with Saul.
00:53:58.95\00:54:02.79
She says that in that moment
as Saul was standing there
00:54:02.82\00:54:05.69
with this decision to make
00:54:05.72\00:54:07.36
he didn't realize that men
and angles were watching him.
00:54:07.39\00:54:11.20
He didn't realize
what was at stake.
00:54:14.28\00:54:18.39
And in every decision
that we are called to make
00:54:18.42\00:54:23.80
we have an opportunity to
prove before men and angles
00:54:23.83\00:54:29.07
that God can trust us.
00:54:29.10\00:54:32.38
But not trust us
because we are super powerful
00:54:32.41\00:54:36.04
and we like so amazing
00:54:36.07\00:54:37.96
but that God can
trust us to trust Him
00:54:40.13\00:54:43.57
because trust
results in obedience.
00:54:46.34\00:54:49.95
So one of my favorite
hymns is trust and obey.
00:54:52.07\00:54:55.45
There is no other
way to be happy in Jesus
00:54:55.48\00:54:58.46
but to trust and obey.
00:54:58.49\00:55:01.23
Because when you
just obey, it gets hard.
00:55:01.26\00:55:03.65
But when you trust, and
because you trust you obey,
00:55:05.62\00:55:10.84
you're happy in Jesus.
00:55:12.57\00:55:16.07
Yesterday we talked a lot
about the trusting God part
00:55:19.35\00:55:24.11
so I think we have an idea
00:55:24.14\00:55:26.84
at least a general
picture of what we're talking
00:55:26.87\00:55:28.84
about when we say trust God.
00:55:28.87\00:55:33.18
And today I am saying trust
God so much that you obey Him.
00:55:33.21\00:55:39.80
And through
that act of obedience
00:55:39.83\00:55:42.06
men and angels look on
00:55:42.09\00:55:47.31
and it brings honor
and glory to His name.
00:55:47.34\00:55:49.22
It brings
blessing to His people.
00:55:49.25\00:55:53.76
My question this morning,
00:55:53.79\00:55:55.26
will you trust and obey?
00:55:58.98\00:56:01.83
Will you obey because you trust?
00:56:01.86\00:56:05.18
He's already proved that
He's worthy of your trust.
00:56:05.21\00:56:09.26
Will you join me this
morning in a commitment
00:56:09.29\00:56:11.83
as we bow our heads
for prayer to obey Him?
00:56:11.86\00:56:15.22
Let's pray.
00:56:15.25\00:56:16.47
Our loving Father, we
know that time is short
00:56:19.68\00:56:22.71
and Your coming is soon.
00:56:22.74\00:56:25.93
And that this
great cosmic conflict
00:56:25.96\00:56:29.83
called the great controversy
00:56:29.86\00:56:32.93
is going to be wrapping up soon
00:56:32.96\00:56:35.34
and what's at
stake is Your character.
00:56:35.37\00:56:38.68
And can we be in argument
in favor of Your character?
00:56:40.37\00:56:44.43
And this morning you're asking
00:56:44.46\00:56:46.79
if you can
trust us to trust you?
00:56:46.82\00:56:51.19
Lord, when we
come to the crossroads
00:56:51.22\00:56:52.69
and we come to those decisions
00:56:52.72\00:56:54.16
whatever they
are in our academics
00:56:54.19\00:56:55.97
and in our relationships,
in our workplaces,
00:56:56.00\00:56:59.31
whatever
decisions that we come to,
00:56:59.34\00:57:00.88
we come to
crossroads and it feels like
00:57:00.91\00:57:02.37
we hit in a rock in a hard place
whether it's between our desires
00:57:02.40\00:57:04.97
and Your will or it's between
the society ones and Your will.
00:57:05.00\00:57:07.87
Whatever those decisions are,
00:57:07.90\00:57:09.42
Lord, we pray that You
would help us to remember
00:57:09.45\00:57:12.82
that You're worthy of our trust
00:57:12.85\00:57:15.57
and that we would
exercise the kind of trust
00:57:15.60\00:57:18.09
that leads to obedience.
00:57:18.12\00:57:20.67
Not the presumptuous kind
that looks good on the outside
00:57:20.70\00:57:24.37
but is devoid of the obedience
00:57:24.40\00:57:27.18
that comes from a
true trust in You.
00:57:27.21\00:57:30.50
Lord, we pray that
00:57:30.53\00:57:32.02
You'll make this a
reality in our lives
00:57:33.50\00:57:35.32
because we cannot
do it of ourselves
00:57:35.35\00:57:37.57
and that's why we
thank You for Jesus
00:57:37.60\00:57:39.57
will accomplish
this in our behalf.
00:57:39.60\00:57:43.98
We ask that You would
appropriate his life to ours
00:57:44.01\00:57:46.61
and You will make us
live holy just as He did.
00:57:46.64\00:57:49.90
This is our request
because this is our desire
00:57:49.93\00:57:52.55
and we pray in Your name, amen.
00:57:52.58\00:57:54.94