Happy Sabbath GYC,
and good afternoon.
00:00:13.81\00:00:19.65
Today, this
afternoon we have the pleasure
00:00:19.68\00:00:22.74
to have as our
speaker, David Kim.
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But before we do so
why don't we pray together.
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Let us pray.
00:00:32.47\00:00:35.56
Dear Heavenly Father,
what a privilege it is
00:00:35.59\00:00:38.19
to spend a Sabbath
day in your presence.
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Lord, as we're about to go
with this afternoon program,
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may your Holy Spirit be with us.
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May you guide us and
lead us into all truth.
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And Father, may
you come very soon.
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In the name of
Jesus we pray, amen.
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Our speaker for this afternoon
is none other but David Kim.
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And I will read a
short bio about David Kim.
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David Kim is an
Adventist business executive.
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After earning his MBA
from Stanford University
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he built a career
in business strategy
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as a management consultant
with Bain and Company.
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He is now is senior
executive at The Vanguard Group,
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prior to his business career
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David was a professional cellist
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with a Hong Kong
philanthro monic.
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He earned a bachelor's degree
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from the
esteemed school of music
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and a master's from
Northwest University
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in cello performance.
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David has a passion for
reaching the highly educated
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and accomplish in
the corporate world.
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David lives with his wife
Grace and two children, amen.
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We'll have a brief announcement
and after the announcement
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we'll have a special music
and after that special music
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it will be none
other but David Kim.
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Hello, GYC.
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Who has been
through the prayer room?
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Praise the Lord
but we need more hands
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and I'm hoping that
Confiance, who is from France,
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when you hear her experience
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you'll be convicted
to go to the prayer room.
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Confiance, you experience
a prayer room at GYC Europe
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couple of years ago also
ARME Bible Camp last year.
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Tell us what was your
experience in the prayer room?
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Oh, wow. United
prayer was amazing.
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I just entered in
and I felt peaceful like,
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Jesus, and get the
Holy Spirit presence.
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Amen. It just fair that.
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Amen. Yeah.
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Now when you went back to France
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how did this united
prayer impact your prayer life?
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Yeah. Now I'm
just more organized.
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When I pray I
just talk to God like,
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as my best friend,
I'm going into details.
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I used to pray no in generality
or kind of the same prayer
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and now it just
like into details.
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Yeah, I talk to
Him as my best friend.
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Now, that's how it
impacted your prayer life
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but listen how it
impacted her church life
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and the young people at church.
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What happened?
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Oh, then, when I went back home,
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I just wanted to share it.
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So what I have done is to
create a prayer room at my,
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at my home actually, at home.
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So now we're like
around 15-20 youth at home,
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every Friday night just praying.
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Amen.
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And are they
excited about prayer?
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Oh, my. It's just amazing.
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We just pray and sing and pray
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and they
remembered the first time
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that was just amazing
'cause we finished to pray
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and then said amen,
and then one guy said,
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oh, my God,
that's the first time
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I prayed for one hour.
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It's just amazing.
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She said it all
come by the prayer room,
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its room 330 on the third floor,
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we're open this
afternoon and tonight
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from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.
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Don't miss it, God bless.
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Just, I tried it, just
by curiosity, I liked it.
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It changed my
life, my church life.
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So I just tried it, try it.
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Good afternoon, GYC.
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It is a wonderful privilege
to be with you this afternoon.
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Would you please
join me in prayer,
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I'll kneel you may stay seated.
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Our Lord God
and Heavenly Father,
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you are our God
and we praise You.
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We thank You for Jesus Christ,
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the author and the
finisher of our faith.
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We pray Lord that
You would be with us
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in this plenary session.
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We pray that you would speak
through your humble servant
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and that You and only
You would be glorified.
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We pray that the Holy Spirit
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would give us
hearing and comprehension
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but even more
important than comprehension,
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we pray that the Holy
Spirit would give us conviction.
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Conviction of what it is
that you have to say to us,
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this Sabbath afternoon.
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We pray this in Jesus'
precious and lovely name, amen.
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I'm the son of
Korean immigrants.
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I'm an elder brother,
I'm a husband, I'm a father,
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I'm a former
professional cellist,
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and I'm a corporate executive.
00:10:02.17\00:10:05.95
Yet, as important
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and as defining
each of these things is,
00:10:07.68\00:10:10.59
each of these facts is
to who I am and my identity.
00:10:10.62\00:10:14.44
There is one fact
that is more important
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than any of these
facts, to who I am,
00:10:18.75\00:10:22.50
what I am today and that is,
00:10:22.53\00:10:26.26
that I am the
survivor of a chronic
00:10:26.29\00:10:29.40
and deadly disease.
00:10:29.43\00:10:33.38
It is a disease that affects
millions around the world.
00:10:33.41\00:10:38.81
It is a, it runs in families
00:10:38.84\00:10:41.51
and is passed on
through generations.
00:10:41.54\00:10:45.64
It is a silent killer.
00:10:45.67\00:10:49.02
There is no known
cure for this disease
00:10:49.05\00:10:52.10
absent a literal
miracle from the Lord Himself.
00:10:52.13\00:10:57.68
I am a survivor of
Congenital Christianity.
00:10:57.71\00:11:03.84
Congenital Christianity
is a spiritual condition.
00:11:07.68\00:11:11.30
It is in many ways similar
00:11:11.33\00:11:14.10
to Seventh-day
Adventist Christianity
00:11:14.13\00:11:17.30
but it lacks one thing it
is at its core superficial
00:11:17.33\00:11:23.60
and it lacks an authentic
00:11:23.63\00:11:25.24
saving relationship with Christ.
00:11:25.27\00:11:29.14
Some of you may be suffering
from this very condition
00:11:29.17\00:11:33.36
and in order to
help yourself diagnose
00:11:33.39\00:11:36.59
I'd like to share with
you a non-comprehensive
00:11:36.62\00:11:40.20
list of potential
symptoms you might observe.
00:11:40.23\00:11:43.81
Are you ready for the symptoms?
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Do you want to
know what they are?
00:11:45.74\00:11:48.22
Very well.
00:11:48.25\00:11:49.62
One, you avoid talking about
your faith at work or at school
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because you're not
quite sure what your believe,
00:11:56.16\00:11:58.68
what you believe and
your a little embarrassed.
00:11:58.71\00:12:03.13
Two, you know that
Saturday is the Sabbath,
00:12:03.16\00:12:07.27
but what's the big
deal it's just a day.
00:12:07.30\00:12:10.86
Three, you've heard
that we have distinctive
00:12:10.89\00:12:14.65
biblical beliefs about
death, hell and the sanctuary
00:12:14.68\00:12:19.95
but you have no
idea what they are
00:12:19.98\00:12:21.61
and why they matter?
00:12:21.64\00:12:24.61
Four, you hear people
refer to the Spirit of Prophecy
00:12:24.64\00:12:30.22
but you're ambivalent about it
00:12:30.25\00:12:32.65
even though you've never
actually read any of the books.
00:12:32.68\00:12:37.83
Five, those beasts
on the prophecy seminar
00:12:37.86\00:12:41.61
flyer look
strange and bizarre to you
00:12:41.64\00:12:44.47
and you've got no
clue what they mean.
00:12:44.50\00:12:48.53
Six, you think that
mega church down the street
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is a lot more fun and
a lot more interesting
00:12:52.77\00:12:58.50
but you feel sort of
bad that you think that.
00:12:58.53\00:13:03.08
Seven, you abstain
from all unclean meats,
00:13:03.11\00:13:08.57
except for
pepperoni, bacon and shrimp
00:13:08.60\00:13:10.78
because they taste so good.
00:13:10.81\00:13:13.47
Amen. Don't say amen to that.
00:13:13.50\00:13:19.15
You abstain from all alcohol
00:13:19.18\00:13:23.51
except for a little
beer and wine socially.
00:13:23.54\00:13:27.82
But, well, in the hard stuff,
only mixed with orange juice
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or cranberry juice
because then you can taste it
00:13:31.93\00:13:34.35
and if you can
taste it it's not there.
00:13:34.38\00:13:38.94
Eight, you dutifully
wait until sundown on Sabbath
00:13:38.97\00:13:45.53
before you head to the theater
to see Twilight in IMAX 3D.
00:13:45.56\00:13:52.28
Amen.
00:13:52.31\00:13:56.22
You go out to lunch
after Sabbath church service
00:13:56.25\00:13:59.48
because surely God
does not want you to starve
00:13:59.51\00:14:03.76
and those garlic
breadsticks are so much yummier
00:14:03.79\00:14:06.25
than what they got at potluck.
00:14:06.28\00:14:11.63
Ten, this is the last one,
00:14:11.66\00:14:15.32
you go to church or
Sabbath school most weeks
00:14:15.35\00:14:18.38
but you go because you
want your kids to have exposure
00:14:18.41\00:14:21.56
even though you don't
have any personal conviction
00:14:21.59\00:14:24.69
or investment in the faith.
00:14:24.72\00:14:28.86
These are just examples
00:14:28.89\00:14:30.20
but they should give you an idea
00:14:30.23\00:14:32.04
of what we're talking about.
00:14:32.07\00:14:33.44
Does any of this sound familiar?
00:14:33.47\00:14:35.91
Of course, not
you. This is GYC, right.
00:14:35.94\00:14:39.24
Of course, not you,
but maybe your friend
00:14:39.27\00:14:42.42
or a family member
or another church member
00:14:42.45\00:14:45.29
you observed
maybe the head elder.
00:14:45.32\00:14:50.60
Well, I have good
news and I have bad news.
00:14:50.63\00:14:53.64
Which do you want
first? I think the bad has it?
00:14:53.67\00:14:58.43
So we'll go with
the bad news first
00:14:58.46\00:15:00.42
which is what I was
planning to do anyway.
00:15:00.45\00:15:03.06
Amen.
00:15:03.09\00:15:05.22
The bad news is that untreated
Congenital Christianity
00:15:05.25\00:15:08.86
leads to eternal
death 100% of the time.
00:15:08.89\00:15:14.21
The bad news is
that while the disease
00:15:14.24\00:15:17.12
is passed down the cure is not,
00:15:17.15\00:15:19.89
you cannot be saved
by your parent's faith
00:15:19.92\00:15:22.59
or the faith and anyone else.
00:15:22.62\00:15:25.46
The bad news is that you must
00:15:25.49\00:15:27.44
affirmatively
choose to be cured.
00:15:27.47\00:15:29.79
It won't just get
better, you can't walk this off.
00:15:29.82\00:15:35.87
That's the bad news.
00:15:35.90\00:15:38.22
Who wants the good news? Amen.
00:15:38.25\00:15:41.70
The good news is
that there is a cure
00:15:41.73\00:15:43.58
and I stand before
you as living proof,
00:15:43.61\00:15:46.31
a Congenital
Christianity survivor.
00:15:46.34\00:15:49.38
I testify to you
that I have been cured
00:15:49.41\00:15:52.54
of this disease
by the love of Jesus
00:15:52.57\00:15:55.00
and the power of
the everlasting gospel.
00:15:55.03\00:15:58.98
The good news is that if
God can save a wretch like me
00:15:59.01\00:16:02.34
He can surely save you.
00:16:02.37\00:16:05.09
And the good news is
that is not too late.
00:16:05.12\00:16:08.07
It's not too late for you
even if you have been suffering
00:16:08.10\00:16:12.03
under the putrefying, malaise,
00:16:12.06\00:16:15.14
lukewarmness of
Congenital Christianity
00:16:15.17\00:16:18.75
for years or even decades.
00:16:18.78\00:16:20.90
It is not too late for you.
00:16:20.93\00:16:23.26
God can still reach
down from His throne,
00:16:23.29\00:16:25.58
touch your heart
and turn your heart
00:16:25.61\00:16:27.47
from a heart of stone
into a heart of flesh.
00:16:27.50\00:16:30.93
I know that He can do
this because He did it for me.
00:16:30.96\00:16:36.88
My story begins
three generations ago.
00:16:36.91\00:16:39.89
In the early 1900s
when my great-grandfather
00:16:39.92\00:16:43.14
was the second ever ordained
00:16:43.17\00:16:45.89
Seventh-day
Adventist pastor in Korea.
00:16:45.92\00:16:49.52
Amen.
00:16:49.55\00:16:51.51
His son, my grandfather,
also entered the ministry
00:16:51.54\00:16:55.93
and he became the
first native Korean
00:16:55.96\00:16:59.66
to be the president of
the Korean Union Conference.
00:16:59.69\00:17:04.63
Amen.
00:17:04.66\00:17:06.22
His son, my father did
not go into the ministry
00:17:06.25\00:17:10.07
but he attended
Adventist schools all his life
00:17:10.10\00:17:13.10
until he went to one on the
top medical schools in Korea
00:17:13.13\00:17:16.56
where he scored number
one on the medical board exams
00:17:16.59\00:17:19.74
that year all the while
observing Sabbath in a country
00:17:19.77\00:17:23.62
which required attending
class on Saturdays, amen.
00:17:23.65\00:17:30.48
And that's where I come in
because I was four months old
00:17:30.51\00:17:34.83
when my mother, my
father, two suitcases and a baby
00:17:34.86\00:17:38.25
showed up in
Boston for his residency.
00:17:38.28\00:17:40.96
So while I am a 1.5
generation Korean American,
00:17:40.99\00:17:45.64
I'm a fourth generation
Seventh-day Adventist.
00:17:45.67\00:17:49.83
My roots in the
faith go all the way
00:17:49.86\00:17:52.12
back to its
earliest days in Korea.
00:17:52.15\00:17:55.63
And while many blessings come
00:17:55.66\00:17:57.64
from having this
heritage in the church,
00:17:57.67\00:18:01.56
it comes with a predisposition
to Congenital Christianity.
00:18:01.59\00:18:08.41
My earliest spiritual memory
00:18:08.44\00:18:10.73
comes from when I
was four years old.
00:18:10.76\00:18:13.37
I would come downstairs
early on Sunday mornings
00:18:13.40\00:18:17.52
to watch television
while my parent's slept.
00:18:17.55\00:18:21.22
And it didn't
take me long to notice
00:18:21.25\00:18:23.68
that every channel I turn to,
00:18:23.71\00:18:25.35
actually wouldn't
have remote controls
00:18:25.38\00:18:26.74
back then, I'm that old,
00:18:26.77\00:18:29.40
every channel I turn to
and we didn't have cable
00:18:29.43\00:18:31.65
we only had rabbit
ears, I'm that old.
00:18:31.68\00:18:36.40
Every channel I turn
to, it didn't have cartoons.
00:18:36.43\00:18:39.32
Has anyone ever heard
of Sunday morning cartoons?
00:18:39.35\00:18:42.02
Nope?
00:18:42.05\00:18:44.51
What do you have
on Sunday mornings?
00:18:44.54\00:18:47.16
You have church services, right.
00:18:47.19\00:18:49.31
So every channel I
turn to had church services
00:18:49.34\00:18:52.02
and even at the age of
four I saw, are they confused?
00:18:52.05\00:18:57.74
What, what day is this?
00:18:57.77\00:18:59.12
This is why, why are they
going to church on Sunday?
00:18:59.15\00:19:03.71
And after a little while of this
00:19:03.74\00:19:05.99
I decided I would ask my mother
00:19:06.02\00:19:08.01
and so my four-year-old
feet walked to the kitchen
00:19:08.04\00:19:11.91
where my mother
was doing the dishes.
00:19:11.94\00:19:14.55
And she was a
very busy young mother
00:19:14.58\00:19:16.99
of a
four-year-old and two-year-old
00:19:17.02\00:19:20.14
I said to her, umma,
which means mommy in Korean.
00:19:20.17\00:19:24.05
I said, umma, why
are all these people
00:19:24.08\00:19:26.53
going to church on Sunday?
00:19:26.56\00:19:28.18
Don't they know that
Saturday is the Sabbath?
00:19:28.21\00:19:32.89
Now, before I
tell you what she said,
00:19:32.92\00:19:34.42
I need to clarify something.
00:19:34.45\00:19:36.46
I thank the Lord for
my mother's faith, amen.
00:19:36.49\00:19:39.60
She is a Bible worker,
she's a church planter,
00:19:39.63\00:19:42.55
she is an evangelist amongst
the Korean immigrant community.
00:19:42.58\00:19:46.69
But at the time of this
00:19:46.72\00:19:48.84
she was at a different
place in her spiritual walk.
00:19:48.87\00:19:50.97
And so I said to her
umma, why are these people
00:19:51.00\00:19:54.10
going to church on
Sunday not on Sabbath?
00:19:54.13\00:19:57.24
And she said to me,
00:19:57.27\00:19:59.36
I don't know
and left it at that.
00:19:59.39\00:20:04.44
Now I don't know
why she said that.
00:20:04.47\00:20:06.45
Maybe she was just too
busy right, mother of two
00:20:06.48\00:20:10.31
four-year-old and
two-year-old known to be busy.
00:20:10.34\00:20:14.31
Maybe she was too busy
00:20:14.34\00:20:15.75
she don't want to take
the time to explain it to me.
00:20:15.78\00:20:19.23
Or maybe she
thought I was too young
00:20:19.26\00:20:21.15
to understand a
fuller explanation.
00:20:21.18\00:20:23.32
I don't know what the reason was
00:20:23.35\00:20:25.50
but what I do know is that
00:20:25.53\00:20:26.66
I left that
conversation scratching my head.
00:20:26.69\00:20:29.78
I was utterly confused
00:20:29.81\00:20:31.63
and I thought if my
mother doesn't know who knows?
00:20:31.66\00:20:35.30
One of the primary risk factors
00:20:35.33\00:20:37.19
for Congenital
Christianity is confusion.
00:20:37.22\00:20:41.08
From my earliest
childhood experience
00:20:41.11\00:20:43.69
I was confused
about what we believed
00:20:43.72\00:20:45.70
and I did not receive
the instruction in the home.
00:20:45.73\00:20:49.62
Parents and future
parents, this is why the Lord
00:20:49.65\00:20:52.96
in His divine wisdom
told us in Deuteronomy 6:6,7,
00:20:52.99\00:20:57.65
"And these words
which I command you today
00:20:57.68\00:20:59.57
shall be in your heart.
00:20:59.60\00:21:01.16
You shall teach them
diligently to your children,
00:21:01.19\00:21:04.56
and you shall talk of them
when you sit in your house,
00:21:04.59\00:21:07.23
when you walk by the way,
00:21:07.26\00:21:08.43
when you lie down,
and when you rise up,"
00:21:08.46\00:21:10.48
which is Bible
language for all the time.
00:21:10.51\00:21:14.10
Amen.
00:21:14.13\00:21:15.72
If you leave your
children confused,
00:21:15.75\00:21:18.25
even when they're in
beginners or kindergarten,
00:21:18.28\00:21:20.88
you increase their risk
of Congenital Christianity.
00:21:20.91\00:21:23.95
You might think that
they're too young to understand.
00:21:23.98\00:21:27.92
You might think that
they're not paying attention
00:21:27.95\00:21:29.81
but they are paying attention
and they are watching you
00:21:29.84\00:21:32.66
and they're listening
to you more than you know.
00:21:32.69\00:21:36.43
And even from these
early formative years
00:21:36.46\00:21:39.02
you have the
opportunity to give them
00:21:39.05\00:21:40.96
the vaccine of a
soundly biblical age
00:21:40.99\00:21:46.07
appropriate foundation
for their faith, amen.
00:21:46.10\00:21:51.92
The ensuing years of my
childhood and adolescence
00:21:51.95\00:21:54.02
read like a
classic textbook case
00:21:54.05\00:21:56.01
of Congenital Christianity.
00:21:56.04\00:21:57.78
In the sixth
grade I was pulled out
00:21:57.81\00:21:59.48
of the Adventist
schools for two reasons.
00:21:59.51\00:22:02.27
Reason number one, the
excessive PDA's on the part
00:22:02.30\00:22:07.50
of the high school kids
at the co-located academy,
00:22:07.53\00:22:09.91
I don't mean iPhones, I mean
public displays of affection
00:22:09.94\00:22:15.62
and it got into the
point where my parents felt
00:22:15.65\00:22:17.91
that it was not an appropriate
place for their sixth grader
00:22:17.94\00:22:21.02
and their fourth
grader to be at school.
00:22:21.05\00:22:24.27
Reason number two,
00:22:24.30\00:22:25.70
the academics were not
as challenging as I needed.
00:22:25.73\00:22:30.27
I must admit that I was
getting bored even at that age.
00:22:30.30\00:22:34.60
And so my parents
took me out and they put me
00:22:34.63\00:22:36.43
in a public school
starting in sixth grade
00:22:36.46\00:22:38.90
which was actually quite
good for me, academically,
00:22:38.93\00:22:42.13
but my faith was assaulted
from all sides continually.
00:22:42.16\00:22:47.83
Specifically my
faith with under assault
00:22:47.86\00:22:50.45
from the
curriculum, the extracurricular
00:22:50.48\00:22:54.43
and the peer pressure.
00:22:54.46\00:22:56.46
We'll talk about each one,
00:22:56.49\00:22:57.63
let's talk about the curriculum.
00:22:57.66\00:22:59.56
The curriculum was
100% secular and humanistic
00:22:59.59\00:23:03.33
from biology to
English literature
00:23:03.36\00:23:06.04
I was exposed to
the breath of worldviews
00:23:06.07\00:23:08.66
in which humanism was
glorified and God was torn down.
00:23:08.69\00:23:14.27
Now don't get me wrong, I
presented a seminar this week
00:23:14.30\00:23:17.96
on witnessing to the
wealthy, worldly a well-educated
00:23:17.99\00:23:21.21
and as a
missionary to these people
00:23:21.24\00:23:23.68
we need to
understand their mindset
00:23:23.71\00:23:25.53
and understand their culture.
00:23:25.56\00:23:26.81
We need to be able
to speak that language.
00:23:26.84\00:23:30.48
But exposure to these
worldviews can be dangerous
00:23:30.51\00:23:33.73
if we are not firmly
grounded in the reality of God
00:23:33.76\00:23:37.36
and the truth of His word, amen.
00:23:37.39\00:23:40.39
By beholding you become change
and if all you are beholding
00:23:40.42\00:23:44.78
as Darwin, Kant,
Russo and Richard Dawkins
00:23:44.81\00:23:48.96
and you're not
beholding Moses, Daniel,
00:23:48.99\00:23:53.01
John and Paul and the
others then you will be changed.
00:23:53.04\00:23:59.76
Best case you set yourself
up for confusion and doubt,
00:23:59.79\00:24:02.95
worst case
you'll set yourself up
00:24:02.98\00:24:04.85
for apostasy or even atheism.
00:24:04.88\00:24:10.63
So that was the curriculum
but beyond the curriculum
00:24:10.66\00:24:13.18
or the
extracurricular activities
00:24:13.21\00:24:15.60
whether sports,
clubs, arts or academic
00:24:15.63\00:24:18.26
it seem everything conflicted
with the Sabbath, amen.
00:24:18.29\00:24:24.56
If it's not can-- if
you're in a public school
00:24:24.59\00:24:27.42
and the stuff is
not conflicting for you,
00:24:27.45\00:24:30.18
you need to listen to
the rest for this message.
00:24:30.21\00:24:34.76
It seems that everything
conflicted with the Sabbath
00:24:34.79\00:24:36.67
and I struggled
greatly with these conflicts
00:24:36.70\00:24:40.00
because my unconverted heart
00:24:40.03\00:24:41.66
wanted to achieve
much in the world.
00:24:41.69\00:24:44.06
And I thought the way to
achieve much in the world
00:24:44.09\00:24:46.25
was to receive the
validation of the world
00:24:46.28\00:24:49.35
rather than
relying on the mighty
00:24:49.38\00:24:50.90
right arm of the Lord.
00:24:50.93\00:24:55.47
In my case, I was gaining
some success as a cellist.
00:24:55.50\00:24:59.92
I was one of the best
in the State of California.
00:24:59.95\00:25:02.81
Now it's considering cello
performance as a profession
00:25:02.84\00:25:05.83
and one of the ways that
you develop a track record
00:25:05.86\00:25:09.34
and music performances,
the competition circuit.
00:25:09.37\00:25:13.56
But time after time after time
I had to decline participation
00:25:13.59\00:25:17.57
because all of
these competitions
00:25:17.60\00:25:19.36
were on the Sabbath.
00:25:19.39\00:25:20.71
It was a difficult excruciating
struggle in my teenage mind
00:25:20.74\00:25:25.04
and the struggle was
compounded by the fact
00:25:25.07\00:25:27.26
that individuals in our own
Seventh- day Adventist Church
00:25:27.29\00:25:29.96
were encouraging
me to compromise.
00:25:29.99\00:25:34.76
By the way, we
should not find it strange
00:25:34.79\00:25:37.96
that Satan would use the world
00:25:37.99\00:25:39.96
to make it difficult
for us to keep the Sabbath.
00:25:39.99\00:25:45.75
There was a sweet older woman,
00:25:45.78\00:25:47.30
she was one of the
pillars of our local church
00:25:47.33\00:25:49.49
and she was a strong supporter
of the local music scene.
00:25:49.52\00:25:52.40
She knew of my talent
as well as my struggle.
00:25:52.43\00:25:55.91
I will never forget
one Sabbath afternoon,
00:25:55.94\00:25:58.87
when she pulled me aside
00:25:58.90\00:26:00.78
and she told me
it would be okay,
00:26:00.81\00:26:02.72
it would be okay if I
competed because two reasons,
00:26:02.75\00:26:07.11
one, I'd be playing
good classical music
00:26:07.14\00:26:13.40
and that's another sermon.
00:26:13.43\00:26:14.76
Two, two, because I'd be
glorifying God with my talent.
00:26:14.79\00:26:21.68
And so she said
it would be okay.
00:26:21.71\00:26:23.97
I'm convinced
that she meant well.
00:26:24.00\00:26:26.40
But this
well-intentioned church member
00:26:26.43\00:26:28.59
was causing even
more confusion for me
00:26:28.62\00:26:31.13
and setting me up for compromise
00:26:31.16\00:26:33.39
and ultimately full-blown
Congenital Christianity.
00:26:33.42\00:26:36.88
We would do well to recall
Jesus' words, in Matthew 18:6,
00:26:36.91\00:26:42.43
"Whoever causes one
of these little ones
00:26:42.46\00:26:45.15
who believes in me to sin,
00:26:45.18\00:26:47.92
it would be
better for him or her
00:26:47.95\00:26:50.99
if a millstone were
hung around his neck
00:26:51.02\00:26:54.49
and he were drowned
in that depth of to sea."
00:26:54.52\00:27:01.24
Church family, you
don't have to be blood
00:27:01.27\00:27:04.33
related to someone to inflame
their Congenital Christianity.
00:27:04.36\00:27:09.27
You can even be a well-meaning
church member but be careful
00:27:09.30\00:27:13.62
because you may make
yourself a contributing factor
00:27:13.65\00:27:16.53
to someone else's
Congenital Christianity
00:27:16.56\00:27:18.70
and Lord have mercy
on you if you do that.
00:27:18.73\00:27:24.06
So we've talked
about the curriculum
00:27:24.09\00:27:26.36
and how it undermined my faith.
00:27:26.39\00:27:29.24
We've talked about
the extracurriculars
00:27:29.27\00:27:31.63
and how they create
a conflict in my heart
00:27:31.66\00:27:35.07
but the third
factor, the most powerful
00:27:35.10\00:27:37.24
and potent factor
with the peer pressure.
00:27:37.27\00:27:40.65
Beginning in the sixth
grade, through my peers,
00:27:40.68\00:27:42.97
I was exposed to the
range of filth and wickedness
00:27:43.00\00:27:47.11
that we unfortunately consider
a normal part of growing up.
00:27:47.14\00:27:54.82
Between the school
bus, the sleepover,
00:27:54.85\00:27:57.92
the field trip, the cafeteria,
00:27:57.95\00:28:01.05
the popular media
and various and sundry
00:28:01.08\00:28:04.26
other settings wherever I turned
00:28:04.29\00:28:05.89
Satan was there to teach me
00:28:05.92\00:28:08.97
what was
pleasurable and desirable
00:28:09.00\00:28:11.38
and required for social standing
00:28:11.41\00:28:13.49
and required for
emotional fulfillment
00:28:13.52\00:28:15.51
and for physical gratification
and ultimately happiness.
00:28:15.54\00:28:21.87
I'm being a little bit delicate
00:28:21.90\00:28:23.76
because this is
a G-rated sermon.
00:28:23.79\00:28:27.52
But I hope you
understand what I mean.
00:28:27.55\00:28:29.55
In fact, from all I
can gather from the news
00:28:29.58\00:28:31.20
and the media
today it is even worse.
00:28:31.23\00:28:35.19
Not a day goes by,
00:28:35.22\00:28:37.06
that I don't see
another sensational,
00:28:37.09\00:28:39.21
salacious news story
about what some young people did
00:28:39.24\00:28:43.02
and who they did it to
and when they did it to them
00:28:43.05\00:28:46.16
and where and how
often in the locker room,
00:28:46.19\00:28:49.37
behind the
cafeteria, in the dorm,
00:28:49.40\00:28:52.10
on Facebook, with a cell
phone or with the webcam.
00:28:52.13\00:28:58.87
Of course, there are exceptions.
00:28:58.90\00:29:01.61
There are exceptions.
00:29:01.64\00:29:03.15
But for every person
who has managed to handle
00:29:03.18\00:29:05.95
the onslaught of peer pressure
and emerge unscathed an untold
00:29:05.98\00:29:10.76
multiple of that number,
see, hear, touch, taste, smell,
00:29:10.79\00:29:16.41
images, media, substances
it have buried experiences
00:29:16.44\00:29:22.01
which leave deep
mental, emotional
00:29:22.04\00:29:25.51
and even physical
scars which will haunt them
00:29:25.54\00:29:28.94
for the rest of their lives.
00:29:28.97\00:29:31.59
There are many of you
right here in this hall,
00:29:31.62\00:29:34.63
who know exactly
what I'm talking about.
00:29:34.66\00:29:36.88
You've been
there, you've done that
00:29:36.91\00:29:40.42
and you walk through life
bearing the resulting guilt
00:29:40.45\00:29:44.56
and shame of what
you've been through.
00:29:44.59\00:29:49.77
Satan uses these
emotions and these experiences
00:29:49.80\00:29:53.91
to make you wonder
if God is even there.
00:29:53.94\00:29:57.38
He uses these
experiences to make you wonder
00:29:57.41\00:30:00.01
if God is even there and
if He's there, if He cares.
00:30:00.04\00:30:04.84
Or if He cares
whether He is even capable
00:30:04.87\00:30:08.30
of delivering you
from this body of death?
00:30:08.33\00:30:14.00
Satan infiltrate your
mind and your thinking
00:30:14.03\00:30:16.41
and he may even
push you to the point
00:30:16.44\00:30:18.57
where you would wish
that God did not even exist
00:30:18.60\00:30:22.05
because if God did
exist as the Bible says,
00:30:22.08\00:30:25.16
and if you were
as pure and as holy
00:30:25.19\00:30:27.84
and as righteous
as the Bible says
00:30:27.87\00:30:30.42
then you would be certainly
destined for eternal death.
00:30:30.45\00:30:33.53
And so you say to yourself
00:30:33.56\00:30:35.29
and Satan puts this
thought in your mind
00:30:35.32\00:30:37.06
that if God
doesn't exist then I'm okay
00:30:37.09\00:30:39.71
and you choose
that point of view.
00:30:39.74\00:30:44.71
It is with this mindset
00:30:44.74\00:30:45.84
that I limped my
way through high school.
00:30:45.87\00:30:50.01
All of this hurt shame,
00:30:50.04\00:30:52.23
conflicted emotion
hid in beside of facade,
00:30:52.26\00:30:56.10
behind a facade
of perfect grades,
00:30:56.13\00:30:59.09
musical accolades and admission
00:30:59.12\00:31:01.95
to world-classschools
like Stanford University
00:31:01.98\00:31:05.30
and the Eastman School of Music.
00:31:05.33\00:31:09.51
I was chasing the world
00:31:09.54\00:31:11.85
and I was doing very
well by its standards
00:31:11.88\00:31:14.32
but all the while I
was ambivalent toward God,
00:31:14.35\00:31:17.63
I was resentful
toward His church.
00:31:17.66\00:31:20.48
Now it's completely,
spiritually ungrounded
00:31:20.51\00:31:23.03
cast adrift in a
sea of worldliness
00:31:23.06\00:31:27.56
and secularism.
00:31:27.59\00:31:31.06
Against this
backdrop I went off to Eastman
00:31:31.09\00:31:33.28
and as any newcollege freshman
I was looking for affiliation,
00:31:33.31\00:31:36.12
I was looking for
belonging and one of the places
00:31:36.15\00:31:38.19
I look for this
without the local chapter
00:31:38.22\00:31:40.22
of InterVarsity
Christian Fellowship.
00:31:40.25\00:31:43.33
Of course there wasn't an
Adventist group on campus.
00:31:43.36\00:31:48.53
Of course, there wasn't one
and I was still glad to hear
00:31:48.56\00:31:51.52
what Elder Wilson said
this morning about that
00:31:51.55\00:31:53.67
and I thank the
Lord for the ground
00:31:53.70\00:31:56.23
that has been,
the path that has been
00:31:56.26\00:31:58.15
laid by Campus
Ministries in Michigan, amen.
00:31:58.18\00:32:03.58
So there wasn't
an Adventist group
00:32:03.61\00:32:04.66
and it didn't matter to me
00:32:04.69\00:32:05.72
because I
didn't know any better,
00:32:05.75\00:32:07.65
I don't know the difference.
00:32:07.68\00:32:08.71
I just thought
we're like evangelicals
00:32:08.74\00:32:10.32
though we kept the Sabbath.
00:32:10.35\00:32:14.02
I will never forget the
first Bible study I attended.
00:32:14.05\00:32:16.70
There were about 10 of us
there, it was led by a senior,
00:32:16.73\00:32:20.30
a French horn
player, his name was Drew.
00:32:20.33\00:32:23.14
And we went around the
circle and we all said,
00:32:23.17\00:32:25.36
name, where you
from, what you're studying
00:32:25.39\00:32:27.32
and something about
your spiritual background.
00:32:27.35\00:32:30.79
So when it came to my
turn a dialogue ensued
00:32:30.82\00:32:33.18
and sounded something like this.
00:32:33.21\00:32:35.41
Hi, my name is David Kim.
00:32:35.44\00:32:37.54
I'm from San Luis
Obispo, California.
00:32:37.57\00:32:39.63
And I'm here
studying cello performance
00:32:39.66\00:32:41.96
and my spiritual background
is a Seventh-day Adventist,
00:32:41.99\00:32:44.74
my family is
Seventh-day Adventist.
00:32:44.77\00:32:46.53
And so Drew then said to me,
00:32:46.56\00:32:47.69
oh, you're
Seventh-day Adventist.
00:32:47.72\00:32:49.06
Huh, well, why is that?
00:32:49.09\00:32:51.20
And I said well my
family is Seventh-day Adventist
00:32:51.23\00:32:52.93
then he, you know, I
also think it's pretty clear
00:32:52.96\00:32:55.24
from the Bible that
Saturday is the day of worship,
00:32:55.27\00:32:58.08
it's the Sabbath.
00:32:58.11\00:33:00.51
And Drew said, well, okay,
00:33:00.54\00:33:02.72
well, how about Colossians 2:16?
00:33:02.75\00:33:06.89
And I looked at him
blankly, I said, oh,
00:33:06.92\00:33:08.51
you're gonna have to
refresh my memory about that.
00:33:08.54\00:33:10.45
What you mean Colossians 2:16?
00:33:10.48\00:33:13.64
So Drew said,
well, let's look it up,
00:33:13.67\00:33:15.10
let's look it up and
let's read it together.
00:33:15.13\00:33:16.51
So I, I took my
Bible out and I was,
00:33:16.54\00:33:19.10
I knew enough to
know that Colossians was
00:33:19.13\00:33:21.77
in the New
Testament, go eat popcorn.
00:33:21.80\00:33:28.98
Go eat popcorn, Colossians 2:16,
00:33:29.01\00:33:31.09
so we turn to it and
so I started reading,
00:33:31.12\00:33:33.53
okay, I'll read this.
00:33:33.56\00:33:35.39
"So let no one judge
you in food, or in drink,
00:33:35.42\00:33:38.08
or regarding a
festival, or a new moon, or--
00:33:38.11\00:33:41.67
Sabbath."
00:33:47.93\00:33:50.39
Does your Bible say Sabbath?
00:33:50.42\00:33:54.73
I will never forget that moment.
00:33:54.76\00:33:58.06
Drew says to me, right,
00:33:58.09\00:34:00.99
so by being so
focused on keeping the law
00:34:01.02\00:34:04.17
you guys are
just being legalist.
00:34:04.20\00:34:06.62
Jesus freed us from the law.
00:34:06.65\00:34:11.37
I'll never forget that
moment. I was mortified.
00:34:11.40\00:34:15.22
I'd never seen
that verse in my life.
00:34:15.25\00:34:17.51
I was completely out
of laws to what to think.
00:34:17.54\00:34:20.62
You would think that someone
who grew up in our church
00:34:20.65\00:34:22.43
would understand the difference
between ceremonial Sabbath
00:34:22.46\00:34:25.82
and the Sabbath of
the fourth commandment.
00:34:25.85\00:34:29.12
And if you don't
understand what I just said
00:34:29.15\00:34:30.56
go talk to your pastor.
00:34:30.59\00:34:33.12
Amen.
00:34:33.15\00:34:35.57
But as you just heard
00:34:35.60\00:34:37.20
I did not learn about
these things growing up
00:34:37.23\00:34:39.42
and so I felt confused,
betrayed and humiliated.
00:34:39.45\00:34:43.77
I went-- never went
back to that Bible study
00:34:43.80\00:34:45.67
and I stopped going to church.
00:34:45.70\00:34:47.59
My Congenital
Christianity had him cast aside
00:34:47.62\00:34:51.19
and have checking out.
00:34:51.22\00:34:52.69
I never gave up
on the idea of God
00:34:52.72\00:34:54.48
but I had no idea who He was,
I had no idea what to believe,
00:34:54.51\00:34:57.66
I had no idea what
church was the right one.
00:34:57.69\00:34:59.98
I was spiritually
bewildered and so I left.
00:35:00.01\00:35:05.17
The next 14 years were blur.
00:35:05.20\00:35:07.49
I was in hot
pursuit of worldly success
00:35:07.52\00:35:09.97
and I was succeeding.
00:35:10.00\00:35:11.43
Over that period of
time I earned a bachelor's
00:35:11.46\00:35:13.18
and a master's
degree in cello performance
00:35:13.21\00:35:15.22
from top schools
with full scholarships.
00:35:15.25\00:35:18.10
I performed all over the world,
00:35:18.13\00:35:19.28
at some of the
most prestigious venues,
00:35:19.31\00:35:20.75
under some other great
conductors and orchestra.
00:35:20.78\00:35:23.39
I earned an MBA
00:35:23.42\00:35:24.52
from one of the top
programs in the world.
00:35:24.55\00:35:27.02
I work at some of the
most prestigious companies
00:35:27.05\00:35:28.79
in all of capitalism
00:35:28.82\00:35:30.52
and I married my beautiful
wife and had two children.
00:35:30.55\00:35:34.42
I felt like I'd
achieve the American dream.
00:35:34.45\00:35:38.41
I didn't have a
white picket fence
00:35:38.44\00:35:40.58
but I had a solar
heated swimming pool.
00:35:40.61\00:35:45.50
I'll take the pool.
00:35:45.53\00:35:48.37
Over the years the Lord had
drawn me back in the church,
00:35:48.40\00:35:50.83
I married my wife in the
church while we lived in Chicago
00:35:50.86\00:35:53.84
and I was even
serving as an elder
00:35:53.87\00:35:54.98
when we went out to California
00:35:55.01\00:35:56.83
but I was not
yet heart converted.
00:35:56.86\00:35:59.08
I was still just as confused
about her message as ever.
00:35:59.11\00:36:01.99
My theology and my
lifestyle were a mess.
00:36:02.02\00:36:05.12
The outside of the
cup and dish were clean
00:36:05.15\00:36:08.48
but inside I was
full of extortion
00:36:08.51\00:36:11.38
and self indulgence.
00:36:11.41\00:36:13.73
I was like a whitewashed tomb
00:36:13.76\00:36:16.07
which appeared
beautiful outwardly
00:36:16.10\00:36:18.96
but inside I was
full of dead bones
00:36:18.99\00:36:21.47
and all uncleanness.
00:36:21.50\00:36:23.75
On the outside I
appeared righteous to men
00:36:23.78\00:36:26.62
but inside I was full of
hypocrisy and lawlessness.
00:36:26.65\00:36:32.76
This period of
my life was marked
00:36:32.79\00:36:34.06
by an intense ambivalence
00:36:34.09\00:36:35.77
toward God,
Adventism and Christianity.
00:36:35.80\00:36:38.48
As far as I could
tell Seventh-day Adventists
00:36:38.51\00:36:40.47
or evangelicals who
went to church on Saturday,
00:36:40.50\00:36:42.94
I was sticking to the Sabbath
00:36:42.97\00:36:44.39
out of a desire to
adhere to the fourth commandment
00:36:44.42\00:36:46.52
but I was being a completely
legalistic mindset to it.
00:36:46.55\00:36:49.38
On top in this
I'd been diagnosed
00:36:49.41\00:36:51.52
with a degenerative bone
condition in both my hips.
00:36:51.55\00:36:55.25
I was suffering
through multiple,
00:36:55.28\00:36:56.45
unsuccessful surgeries
and I was in a lot of pain
00:36:56.48\00:36:58.85
for the greater
part of ten years
00:36:58.88\00:37:00.04
I walked with some combination
of a limp, a cane and crutches.
00:37:00.07\00:37:06.41
I don't have them
today, praise the Lord.
00:37:06.44\00:37:09.28
Amen.
00:37:09.31\00:37:11.66
As far as I could tell
God was leaving me alone
00:37:11.69\00:37:14.41
to deal with this
and I was angry at Him.
00:37:14.44\00:37:17.48
So I focused on
worldly success but I called it
00:37:17.51\00:37:19.88
providing for my family
because it sounded better.
00:37:19.91\00:37:25.45
I didn't have personal devotion,
00:37:25.48\00:37:27.05
I didn't study the Bible,
00:37:27.08\00:37:28.29
I never talked about my
faith because I didn't have any.
00:37:28.32\00:37:30.91
We had family
worship only inconsistently,
00:37:30.94\00:37:32.97
only if I happen to
come home early enough,
00:37:33.00\00:37:36.10
for the kids to still be up
which was rare, I was prideful,
00:37:36.13\00:37:39.11
covetous and
ambitious for worldly things.
00:37:39.14\00:37:41.63
God and church was
something I did for my children,
00:37:41.66\00:37:45.42
just in case, it were true.
00:37:45.45\00:37:49.19
But I was angry at God
and consumed with the world.
00:37:49.22\00:37:51.63
Yet, through all of this
God was trying to reach me,
00:37:51.66\00:37:54.26
there would be time to
church when I would hear a song,
00:37:54.29\00:37:57.32
or a testimony or
something in a sermon
00:37:57.35\00:37:59.42
that would touch my heart
and tears would come to my eyes
00:37:59.45\00:38:04.13
but then I would
quickly wipe them away
00:38:04.16\00:38:05.93
as inconspicuously as possible
00:38:05.96\00:38:07.67
and hope that
no one had noticed.
00:38:07.70\00:38:11.68
In these moments I knew
00:38:11.71\00:38:12.76
that Holy Spirit
was working on my heart
00:38:12.79\00:38:15.13
but I refused to
yield to his promptings,
00:38:15.16\00:38:17.73
I was still too
proud, too angry,
00:38:17.76\00:38:20.31
too consumed by the world
00:38:20.34\00:38:21.91
and I didn't know God
much less I trust Him.
00:38:21.94\00:38:25.47
I didn't understand
the Bible and its message,
00:38:25.50\00:38:27.86
it didn't make any sense to me,
00:38:27.89\00:38:29.33
I was Congenitally Christian
but my heart was unconverted.
00:38:29.36\00:38:34.68
In the spiritual context
00:38:34.71\00:38:35.84
I was sitting at a
church board meeting,
00:38:35.87\00:38:37.58
yes, I was sitting on
the church board as an elder.
00:38:37.61\00:38:42.99
It was spring of
2008 and we're talking of
00:38:43.02\00:38:44.70
putting up the
first evangelistic series
00:38:44.73\00:38:46.91
in over 10 years at that church.
00:38:46.94\00:38:49.35
And the pastor was
talking about the importance
00:38:49.38\00:38:51.53
of every member
attending all the meetings
00:38:51.56\00:38:54.25
to support the meetings.
00:38:54.28\00:38:57.09
And I remember
thinking to myself,
00:38:57.12\00:38:59.70
wait, five nights
per week for five weeks.
00:38:59.73\00:39:06.03
Really? I'll
come on the weekend.
00:39:06.06\00:39:10.34
And I'll write a check.
00:39:10.37\00:39:11.58
Hey, I'm all
about writing the check.
00:39:11.61\00:39:16.56
But I'm not gonna
come during the week
00:39:16.59\00:39:19.26
when I'm so busy with work,
00:39:19.29\00:39:20.34
you just heard how
busy I am with work.
00:39:20.37\00:39:23.82
So there was no way
that was going to attend.
00:39:23.85\00:39:27.68
Little did I know that God
had different plans for me.
00:39:27.71\00:39:31.64
Come November, instead
of being busy with work
00:39:31.67\00:39:33.67
I'd been told that I
need to find a new job
00:39:33.70\00:39:38.53
which was a shock
00:39:38.56\00:39:39.76
because only six months
before I was doing great.
00:39:39.79\00:39:43.61
But I'd been
caught in the undertow
00:39:43.64\00:39:44.96
of the great financial crisis
of 2008, like so many others.
00:39:44.99\00:39:50.43
So the bad news was
that I had to look for a job
00:39:50.46\00:39:52.47
during one of the
worst financial crisis
00:39:52.50\00:39:54.70
in the history of economics.
00:39:54.73\00:39:57.89
But the good news was that
00:39:57.92\00:39:58.96
I had plenty of time to
go to the meetings, amen.
00:39:58.99\00:40:03.10
And I give thanks to
God for the opportunity
00:40:03.13\00:40:05.75
to hear the
entire gospel message
00:40:05.78\00:40:07.88
in a systematic way.
00:40:07.91\00:40:09.87
And there were
actually two meetings
00:40:09.90\00:40:12.34
as Taj Pacleb and
as Jeffrey Rosario
00:40:12.37\00:40:17.81
unfolded the
message step-by-step,
00:40:17.84\00:40:21.35
night after night
00:40:21.38\00:40:22.54
I saw for the first
time the logic the coherence
00:40:22.57\00:40:25.50
and the reliability of the Bible
00:40:25.53\00:40:27.69
and our gospel message,
00:40:27.72\00:40:29.74
for the first time
I could cut through
00:40:29.77\00:40:31.42
all the clichés involved
with our Christian faith
00:40:31.45\00:40:34.46
and see that the
Bible can be trusted.
00:40:34.49\00:40:37.46
I could see why an all-powerful
00:40:37.49\00:40:39.21
in all loving God would allow
evil to exist for a season.
00:40:39.24\00:40:43.15
I could understand
the physics of Salvation.
00:40:43.18\00:40:46.35
Who Jesus was, why he had to die
00:40:46.38\00:40:48.34
and what it has to do with me?
00:40:48.37\00:40:50.66
I could see that God
has given us prophecy
00:40:50.69\00:40:53.51
to get us safely
from here through eternity
00:40:53.54\00:40:57.02
if only we will read it.
00:40:57.05\00:41:00.63
I could see that all the do's
00:41:00.66\00:41:01.93
and don'ts that
are associated with God
00:41:01.96\00:41:03.74
and the Bible and
even our health message
00:41:03.77\00:41:05.62
are not because God
is picky or arbitrary
00:41:05.65\00:41:08.44
but because He is
trying to prepare us
00:41:08.47\00:41:10.84
for the reality of life
00:41:10.87\00:41:13.64
in His direct
presence for all eternity.
00:41:13.67\00:41:18.44
Amen.
00:41:18.47\00:41:19.50
I could see that
every word in His word
00:41:19.53\00:41:22.42
is love intended to fit us
for heaven and earth made new.
00:41:22.45\00:41:29.86
For the first
time God was real to me
00:41:29.89\00:41:31.68
because for the first
time He made perfect sense.
00:41:31.71\00:41:36.15
Amen, I'll never
forget how I felt
00:41:36.18\00:41:38.45
sitting in that hall
looking up at the PowerPoint
00:41:38.48\00:41:42.07
and realizing for the first time
00:41:42.10\00:41:44.61
that the 70 week
prophesy of Daniel Chapter 9
00:41:44.64\00:41:48.40
perfectly pinpointed
00:41:48.43\00:41:50.49
the beginning of
Christ's ministry
00:41:50.52\00:41:52.61
in the 15th year
a Tiberius Caesar.
00:41:52.64\00:41:56.17
Amen.
00:41:56.20\00:41:57.67
If you don't know
what I just talked about
00:41:57.70\00:41:59.31
go talk to your pastor.
00:41:59.34\00:42:02.67
I had two media thoughts,
00:42:02.70\00:42:04.44
my first thought
was, wow, this is true.
00:42:04.47\00:42:11.24
And my second thought
was, well, this is true
00:42:11.27\00:42:14.69
I better do something about it.
00:42:14.72\00:42:17.55
And my life has
never been the same.
00:42:17.58\00:42:20.63
The Lord put me on
the road to recovery
00:42:20.66\00:42:23.08
and I've never looked back.
00:42:23.11\00:42:25.37
That next month
was GYC, San Jose.
00:42:25.40\00:42:30.37
Amen for GYC.
00:42:30.40\00:42:31.97
And I decided that I would take
a step out into evangelizing.
00:42:32.00\00:42:36.17
I decided to be
a local bus guide
00:42:36.20\00:42:40.12
and I thought I
could handle that
00:42:40.15\00:42:42.17
because I wouldn't actually
have to get off the bus.
00:42:42.20\00:42:46.32
And actually knock on a door.
00:42:46.35\00:42:50.96
So I survived, I
survive that experience intact
00:42:50.99\00:42:54.28
and I started to
look for other witnessing
00:42:54.31\00:42:56.02
and training opportunities.
00:42:56.05\00:42:57.55
I attended AFCOE to
go the four-day program
00:42:57.58\00:43:01.01
where I learned how to
give personal Bible studies
00:43:01.04\00:43:03.89
and I accompanied my
church's Bible worker.
00:43:03.92\00:43:06.68
Thank you, Eaker...
00:43:06.71\00:43:10.10
to follow up leads from GYC.
00:43:10.13\00:43:13.82
On the job search
front God was faithful.
00:43:15.97\00:43:19.00
In the worst job
market, in a generation
00:43:19.03\00:43:22.77
the Lord gave me not just one,
not just two, not just three,
00:43:22.80\00:43:28.63
not just four, not just 5
00:43:28.66\00:43:30.87
but six excellent
job opportunities.
00:43:30.90\00:43:35.40
I had to pick up the litter
and that's what brought me
00:43:35.43\00:43:39.16
to Philadelphia
where I live today.
00:43:39.19\00:43:42.51
And as I embarked on
a new job opportunity
00:43:42.54\00:43:44.56
and a new place
just over four years ago
00:43:44.59\00:43:46.18
it is almost as if God gave me
00:43:46.21\00:43:47.83
a clean sheet
opportunity to start over.
00:43:47.86\00:43:51.60
And I purposed in my
heart to be faithful to God
00:43:51.63\00:43:55.21
in all aspects of my
life professional, personal
00:43:55.24\00:43:59.84
to bring my authentic
faith to everything I do
00:43:59.87\00:44:03.05
and it may has
made all the difference.
00:44:03.08\00:44:05.35
The Lord has been so faithful,
He's blessed so richly.
00:44:05.38\00:44:08.91
Let me describe to
you some other differences
00:44:08.94\00:44:10.61
I've seen in my life.
00:44:10.64\00:44:11.67
Not to bring glory to myself
00:44:11.70\00:44:12.88
but so you can see
practical tangible differences.
00:44:12.91\00:44:18.75
I just told you what I was like
00:44:18.78\00:44:20.81
and now I'm going to show you
what the Lord has done, amen.
00:44:20.84\00:44:25.02
Amen.
00:44:25.05\00:44:26.12
I have a regular
devotional life on a depth
00:44:26.15\00:44:27.82
and consistency I
have never had before.
00:44:27.85\00:44:29.62
In particular I am praying
more than I ever have before.
00:44:29.65\00:44:33.12
I used to pray
like a minute maybe.
00:44:33.15\00:44:38.86
But now as my walk
with the Lord has deepened
00:44:38.89\00:44:41.81
I'll pray 30 minutes or more.
00:44:41.84\00:44:45.55
Amen. Amen.
00:44:45.58\00:44:46.63
Every morning and I
will pray without ceasing
00:44:46.66\00:44:49.02
during the day as
I go to my meetings
00:44:49.05\00:44:50.47
and talk to people
and see and interact.
00:44:50.50\00:44:52.96
The Lord is
teaching me how to praise Him
00:44:52.99\00:44:55.01
like David in the Psalms.
00:44:55.04\00:44:57.01
The Lord is teaching me
how to confess specific sin,
00:44:57.04\00:45:02.05
so I have to
confront every morning a new,
00:45:02.08\00:45:04.46
the wickedness in my heart
00:45:04.49\00:45:05.70
and realize that I need a Savior
00:45:05.73\00:45:08.39
and He is showing me also that
I'm gaining victory over sin
00:45:08.42\00:45:11.23
because there are things I used
to have to confess all the time
00:45:11.26\00:45:13.34
which have sort of
fallen off the radar.
00:45:13.37\00:45:15.17
Praise the Lord.
00:45:15.20\00:45:16.58
But there are also things
00:45:16.61\00:45:17.64
which I used to have
to confess all the time,
00:45:17.67\00:45:19.40
which I still have
to confess all the time.
00:45:19.43\00:45:22.87
But that shows us, that shows me
00:45:22.90\00:45:25.19
what is most
deeply seeded in my heart
00:45:25.22\00:45:29.16
and it drags me to my knees.
00:45:29.19\00:45:32.89
The Lord is teaching
me how to pray for others,
00:45:32.92\00:45:34.83
intercessory prayer
gets us out of selfishness
00:45:34.86\00:45:37.55
and into the
garden of Gethsemane,
00:45:37.58\00:45:39.68
where Jesus prayed
for you and for me.
00:45:39.71\00:45:42.81
God has given me the boldness,
that spiritual conversation,
00:45:42.84\00:45:45.80
with everyone around me
00:45:45.83\00:45:46.86
I have a dozen or
more of these every week
00:45:46.89\00:45:49.87
with people at my work
in my swerve of influence.
00:45:49.90\00:45:53.09
These special conversations
have led to Bible studies,
00:45:53.12\00:45:56.31
personal Bible
studies with a range of people
00:45:56.34\00:45:58.32
from atheist to Buddhist,
lawyers to MBA's to PhD's.
00:45:58.35\00:46:03.00
The Lord has
changed my family life.
00:46:03.03\00:46:05.12
I used to rush out
the door in the morning,
00:46:05.15\00:46:06.66
you heard that
right I told you that.
00:46:06.69\00:46:08.57
And I'd stumble back in
when the kids were asleep
00:46:08.60\00:46:11.18
but did that today we gather
every morning for family prayer
00:46:11.21\00:46:15.08
and every evening we come
together for family worship.
00:46:15.11\00:46:18.55
The Lord has continued
to deepen my appreciation
00:46:18.58\00:46:21.72
for what it means to be
a godly husband and father.
00:46:21.75\00:46:24.90
He has called me
to pray every morning
00:46:24.93\00:46:26.29
that I would love my wife
as Christ loves the church.
00:46:26.32\00:46:29.74
Giving, being willing
to give my own body for her
00:46:29.77\00:46:33.30
and treating her as a
member of my own body.
00:46:33.33\00:46:37.00
God is so merciful and good.
00:46:37.03\00:46:39.11
I'm so thankful that
He got a hold in my heart
00:46:39.14\00:46:41.22
while my
children were still young.
00:46:41.25\00:46:44.06
By His grace,
00:46:44.09\00:46:45.50
my Congenital
Christianity will stop with me.
00:46:45.53\00:46:51.20
And by no means perfect
00:46:51.23\00:46:53.46
but I'm better than I used to be
00:46:53.49\00:46:56.04
and by the grace of God
I'll be better every day
00:46:56.07\00:46:59.12
day by day from faith the
faith and from glory to glory.
00:46:59.15\00:47:05.30
The Lord is even
using my musical talents
00:47:05.33\00:47:07.32
in a completely new way.
00:47:07.35\00:47:08.84
In my congenital Christianity,
00:47:08.87\00:47:10.70
my music was a way to glorify
myself into feed my own ego.
00:47:10.73\00:47:15.55
I consider doing special
music a burden and beneath me.
00:47:15.58\00:47:19.11
And when I would do it I
would play a classical piece
00:47:19.14\00:47:21.18
to better showcase my abilities.
00:47:21.21\00:47:25.43
Over the last few years however,
00:47:25.46\00:47:26.81
the Lord has been teaching me
00:47:26.84\00:47:28.16
how to perform for His
glory and not my own, amen.
00:47:28.19\00:47:32.77
The combination of this
process has been my involvement
00:47:32.80\00:47:36.23
with an amazing recording
project called the Lamb Wins.
00:47:36.26\00:47:40.20
It is an epic musical journey
through the Book of Revelation,
00:47:40.23\00:47:43.33
the songs take you
chapter by chapter,
00:47:43.36\00:47:45.51
verse by verse to the
entire Book of Revelation.
00:47:45.54\00:47:48.93
It is textually rich,
theologically powerful,
00:47:48.96\00:47:52.12
culturally relevant
and eminently listenable
00:47:52.15\00:47:54.57
which is technical language
for the tunes are really catchy.
00:47:54.60\00:48:01.15
God is revealed to me how much
00:48:01.18\00:48:02.45
He has changed me
through this project.
00:48:02.48\00:48:04.34
This is the most
gratifying musical endeavor
00:48:04.37\00:48:06.38
I've ever been a part of
00:48:06.41\00:48:07.96
because He has
redeemed my musical talents
00:48:07.99\00:48:10.81
from glorifying my
carnal self to glorifying God.
00:48:10.84\00:48:16.39
So what about you?
00:48:16.42\00:48:19.17
Are you suffering from
Congenital Christianity?
00:48:19.20\00:48:23.90
Is your religious
experience dry and barren?
00:48:23.93\00:48:27.86
Are you keeping up
appearances at church
00:48:27.89\00:48:31.49
while feeling empty inside?
00:48:31.52\00:48:35.68
Do you feel as if
your path in Christianity
00:48:35.71\00:48:38.14
and in Adventism
00:48:38.17\00:48:39.77
were predetermined for
you by a genealogical heritage
00:48:39.80\00:48:44.17
from your parents
or your grandparents
00:48:44.20\00:48:46.26
or perhaps you
came later to the faith
00:48:46.29\00:48:47.61
but you've lost your first love.
00:48:47.64\00:48:50.82
I have good news for you.
00:48:50.85\00:48:54.10
You too have the opportunity
indeed the obligation
00:48:54.13\00:48:57.37
to make your own
decision for Christ.
00:48:57.40\00:49:01.81
You cannot be saved
by your parent's faith.
00:49:01.84\00:49:04.64
You cannot be saved by your
husband or your wife's faith.
00:49:04.67\00:49:08.80
You cannot be saved
by your graduating class
00:49:08.83\00:49:11.42
that Adventist
school can give you a degree
00:49:11.45\00:49:14.36
but it cannot
give you salvation.
00:49:14.39\00:49:18.51
The choice is up to you.
The cure is available to you.
00:49:18.54\00:49:23.42
Jesus is waiting for you.
00:49:23.45\00:49:25.99
He is out the door,
He wants to come in,
00:49:26.02\00:49:28.91
He wants to destroy
the Congenital Christianity
00:49:28.94\00:49:31.95
coursing through your veins
00:49:31.98\00:49:33.14
and replace it
with the blood of Jesus.
00:49:33.17\00:49:37.33
Jesus knows your heart,
He knows your confusion,
00:49:37.36\00:49:40.47
you're hurt, your guilt,
your shame, your resentments.
00:49:40.50\00:49:43.71
He knows all these
things but He still wants you.
00:49:43.74\00:49:48.35
You felt Him tugging
at your heart this week.
00:49:48.38\00:49:51.99
You felt the desire to
respond to this precious gift
00:49:52.02\00:49:55.21
if only you could believe,
if only you could see past,
00:49:55.24\00:49:58.55
whatever barrier is standing
between you and your maker.
00:49:58.58\00:50:03.94
If only you could
believe that He can reach down
00:50:03.97\00:50:06.71
and touch your
heart and make it new,
00:50:06.74\00:50:09.44
make you into a new creation.
00:50:09.47\00:50:13.48
If this is you, if
you've been hearing the messages
00:50:13.51\00:50:17.33
and desiring to respond,
if you've been suffering
00:50:17.36\00:50:21.22
under the crushing burden
of Congenital Christianity
00:50:21.25\00:50:25.53
but are ready to be changed.
00:50:25.56\00:50:28.14
If you've been running
away like the Prodigal Son,
00:50:28.17\00:50:31.32
it is time to stop running.
00:50:31.35\00:50:35.02
It is time to stop running
00:50:35.05\00:50:36.53
and to stand up
and come to the front
00:50:36.56\00:50:39.22
to declare to the Lord
that you are tired of running
00:50:39.25\00:50:42.76
and that you want to be cured
of your Congenital Christianity
00:50:42.79\00:50:47.18
and you want to trade it
00:50:47.21\00:50:48.25
for an authentic
relationship with God.
00:50:48.28\00:50:51.39
If this is you
stand-up come forward
00:50:51.42\00:50:56.23
and say to the Lord
00:50:56.26\00:50:57.30
that you're tired
going through the motions.
00:50:57.33\00:51:00.44
You're tired of pretending.
00:51:00.47\00:51:02.87
Come forward right now
00:51:02.90\00:51:04.31
if you're suffering
from Congenital Christianity.
00:51:04.34\00:51:07.69
Come forward as
we share this song
00:51:07.72\00:51:10.92
and ask the Lord to
reach down to touch our heart
00:51:10.95\00:51:15.50
and to make it new
to make all things new.
00:51:15.53\00:51:20.47
New world and no more sea
00:51:44.86\00:51:51.51
And from the sky, the city
00:51:51.54\00:51:58.68
The bride, the wife of the Lamb
00:51:58.71\00:52:02.24
The tabernacle, God with man
00:52:02.27\00:52:05.88
No more tears or pain or death
00:52:05.91\00:52:09.15
For Jesus says
00:52:09.18\00:52:12.42
Because I made all things
00:52:12.45\00:52:16.28
I make all things new
00:52:16.31\00:52:18.78
And because I
died and rose again
00:52:18.81\00:52:22.69
I can give new life to you
00:52:22.72\00:52:26.15
I have written you into my plan
00:52:26.18\00:52:29.47
I will finish all that I began
00:52:29.50\00:52:32.83
I can make a
change when nothing can
00:52:32.86\00:52:36.21
And I make you new
00:52:36.24\00:52:41.67
Those who fall away from Him
00:52:53.92\00:53:00.05
Good bye to life
will be their end
00:53:00.08\00:53:06.85
And what a waste
when Jesus suffered so
00:53:06.88\00:53:10.36
He bore the
curse, and felt the woe
00:53:10.39\00:53:13.83
Come to Him, wanderer as you are
00:53:13.86\00:53:20.12
Because He made all things
00:53:20.15\00:53:23.84
He makes all things new
00:53:23.87\00:53:26.26
And because He
died and rose again
00:53:26.29\00:53:30.06
He can give new
life to me and you
00:53:30.09\00:53:33.56
He has written us into His plan
00:53:33.59\00:53:36.70
He will finish all that He began
00:53:36.73\00:53:39.98
He can make a
change when nothing can
00:53:40.01\00:53:43.28
And He makes me and you
00:53:43.31\00:53:46.84
New
00:53:46.87\00:53:54.84
Broken bodies, broken hearts
00:53:59.99\00:54:03.20
Broken bonds, all broken parts
00:54:03.23\00:54:06.56
Bring them to the One
00:54:06.59\00:54:08.70
Who dries our tears
and makes me and you
00:54:08.73\00:54:13.37
Broken bodies, broken hearts
00:54:13.40\00:54:16.58
Broken bonds, all broken parts
00:54:16.61\00:54:19.80
Bring them to the One
00:54:19.83\00:54:22.08
Who dries our tears
00:54:22.11\00:54:23.76
and makes me and you
00:54:23.79\00:54:30.36
New
00:54:30.39\00:54:38.36
Is there anyone else,
00:54:51.19\00:54:53.49
someone else suffering
from Congenital Christianity
00:54:53.52\00:54:57.32
who's chasing the world,
who needs to come forward?
00:54:57.35\00:55:00.55
Now is your time.
00:55:00.58\00:55:04.60
Amen, sister. Amen, brother.
00:55:04.63\00:55:11.79
Let us kneel as we
approach the Lord in prayer.
00:55:11.82\00:55:14.61
Oh, Lord God our Father,
our Creator, our Redeemer
00:55:22.66\00:55:28.65
and the one who recreates us.
00:55:28.68\00:55:32.07
We are but dust You are
God but we forget so easily.
00:55:32.10\00:55:39.33
We're so quick to chase after
00:55:39.36\00:55:42.12
whatever bright and shiny object
00:55:42.15\00:55:45.02
the world hangs before us.
00:55:45.05\00:55:49.00
But Lord, we come before
You because we want to change.
00:55:49.03\00:55:55.30
We come before You
because we don't want
00:55:55.33\00:55:58.32
this Congenital
Christianity disease.
00:55:58.35\00:56:03.31
Yet Lord, do You
need us to do something,
00:56:06.40\00:56:08.98
You need us to choose
and Lord, you see us here,
00:56:09.01\00:56:14.25
we've come forward as
a token of our choice.
00:56:14.28\00:56:20.94
And Lord I pray
that each one of us
00:56:20.97\00:56:24.41
would choose not
only here and now
00:56:24.44\00:56:28.20
but every day, day by day
until we see Jesus Himself
00:56:28.23\00:56:36.18
break through the
clouds with all His glory,
00:56:36.21\00:56:40.03
with all of His
angels to bring us home.
00:56:40.06\00:56:47.29
Lord, we have made this
choice, we give ourselves to You
00:56:47.32\00:56:55.19
and we pray for the
revival and the recreation
00:56:55.22\00:57:01.25
that You've promised us.
00:57:01.28\00:57:04.02
We pray that You
would make all things new.
00:57:04.05\00:57:09.38
We trust in You
and we trust in Jesus
00:57:09.41\00:57:14.06
and we pray in
His powerful and holy
00:57:14.09\00:57:20.02
and His loving name, amen.
00:57:20.05\00:57:23.56