Good morning.
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You know, you are...
When you say good morning
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and I see a group of well-heeled
good looking Adventists
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you automatically want to say:
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"Good morning
and happy Sabbath. "
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It is not Sabbath yet but we're
on the way, praise the Lord.
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Sabbath is coming; it is Friday
morning when last I checked.
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And it's good to see you here.
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I trust everyone
had a good night's rest
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and that you slept well and
that you're ready for today.
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We're going to rap your knuckles
just a little bit this morning
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but it will be soft.
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I have a number of
things to talk about
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that are close to my heart.
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And before we go
into prayer and a song
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a couple things I
do want to mention.
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This particular message is
called The Word and The World
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and it comes from a burden that
I've had throughout my ministry
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for our church to
get out of the pews
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and into the streets
where the people are.
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If there is one challenge
that we have - I will not say
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problem but challenge - it
is that we are very comfortable
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dealing with,
talking to, socializing with,
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spending time
with fellow Adventists.
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And of course,
that is... it's safe.
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It feels good.
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And yet Christ has
given us a command to go.
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And as Danny often says:
"The blessing is on the go. "
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So we do need to go.
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It is frightening for
us but it is a call of God.
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And what we're going to
show today among other things
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that when God calls
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He gives you the equipment
to go and execute that call.
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Something I want you to pray for
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because I have done a
hybrid of this sermon before
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on roller skates... I
eschew the roller skates today.
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Getting a little older
and we don't get up on skates
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quite as often as we used to.
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So we're not doing
it in on roller skates.
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Also have done it at
the North American Division
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for their Communication
Seminar, but I found out just
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this week that about 2 years ago
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I preached a sermon and
there was a lady listening
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to that message.
And she was intrigued
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by - among all
things - my laugh.
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She said: "I heard... I was
flipping the dial on the radio
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and I heard this hearty
laugh and so it just stopped me
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when I heard this laugh. And
so I listened to the preacher
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and I just liked your laugh. "
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And she said: "I turned on
the sermon... the radio station
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again and I heard this
same preacher and he was on
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roller skates at that time. "
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Now I met her this
week. She is a double amputee.
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She does not have legs.
She was born with spina bifida
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so she has never walked.
But she got an infection,
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cancer in her legs, and
they had to remove them.
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But she is happy.
She is joyous in the Lord
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and she said to me: "Boy,
when I heard that you were on
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roller skates as a
person that has never walked
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boy that appealed to me.
A pastor on roller skates...
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that has to be my kind of guy! "
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And so that
started off her journey.
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And she was a Catholic...
Catholic background...
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Catholic faith, but she began
listening because of the laugh
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and the roller skates.
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And so my wife Irma and I
went and met her this week.
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She is in a nursing
home not too far from here.
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And she wants to
become Seventh-day Adventist.
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She wants me to do the baptism
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and she wants to be
in church on tomorrow.
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So it is a praise report
but also a prayer request
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because as a double
amputee she has her wheelchair,
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her power chair. She
also has a van that has a lift
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that will take her up, you
know, in and out of the van.
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But the van is broken, and
I've been calling for the last
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couple of days to try to get
transportation to get her here
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because tomorrow would be
her first Sabbath in church.
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And of course, whenever
you try to do something good
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the devil tries to oppose you.
Lemuel, you know that's true.
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So the transportation
company who told me
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"Oh yes, we can do it"
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informed me yesterday
"We forgot... we don't
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transport on the weekends. "
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So I called the nursing home
back and I'm supposed to call
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them this afternoon to
try to find out how we can
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get her here because I really
want her in church tomorrow
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and I don't want the
devil to get the victory here
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because she has
stepped out in faith
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and just a wonderful
person. Her name is Brenda.
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So would you please
keep Brenda in prayer
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that we can have this
wonderful child of God
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who has come to the Adventist
faith and wants to be baptized
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in an Adventist church for
the first time on tomorrow.
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We don't want
the devil to succeed.
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Let's pray. Gracious
Father, we just thank you
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for the privilege of service.
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We're thankful, Lord,
that You have called us
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and given each one
of us a task to do.
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And we know that we are more
than able through Christ Jesus.
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In our own
strength we can do nothing
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but we CAN do all
things through Christ
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if we will but abide in You.
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And so help us,
Lord, to see the mission
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and then execute that mission
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in the strength of
Jesus, secure in the knowledge
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that we serve a God who
can do anything but fail.
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We love You, Lord,
and we want to serve You.
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And we thank you for
the privilege of service
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in Jesus' name, Amen.
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The song I'm going to
sing sort of goes along
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with our theme which
is telling the world.
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Telling God. As we were doing
our sound check this morning
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this is a song I
haven't sung in about 20 years.
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And I told the sound
guys: "I don't know this song. "
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So we're going to try to sing
a song that I don't really know.
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But God's going to bless
and we'll - as Danny says -
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"We'll fake it
until we make it. "
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And God is going to bless.
It's called Do You Love God?
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Simply asks the
question Do You Love God?
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Do you love God more
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than anything?
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Do you love God?
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Do you love God
more than anything?
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Do you love God?
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Love is all that He asks
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in return
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for all that He has given.
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Love will be
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the endless theme
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through all the
courts of heaven.
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Do you love God more
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than your car or home?
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Do you love God?
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Do you love God more
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than all you own?
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Do you love God?
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Do you love God more
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than your family?
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Really, really love Him?
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If you do, just let
the whole world know...
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that's all He asks
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of you.
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Do you love God more
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than that car or home?
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Do you love God?
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And do you love God more
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than all you own?
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Do... do you love God?
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Tell me: do you love God more
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than your family?
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Really, really, really love Him?
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If you do,
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just let the whole world know
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that you love the Lord.
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Come on, let the
whole world know...
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let them know
that you love the Lord.
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Let the whole world know...
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let the whole world know...
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let the whole world know...
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that's all
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He asks
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of you.
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Amen.
00:10:11.35\00:10:12.76
There is a young man in the
audience that you're going to
00:10:15.69\00:10:18.22
meet tomorrow. His name is Eric.
00:10:18.32\00:10:21.12
Saw him the other
night. Haven't had a chance to
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talk to you, man.
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Eric is my first
baptism since I left New York.
00:10:23.96\00:10:28.58
When I came out here
as 3ABN Production Manager
00:10:29.72\00:10:32.38
it didn't
include baptizing people.
00:10:33.72\00:10:35.79
And baptizing folk is
an addictive kind of thing.
00:10:36.19\00:10:40.62
And when you've been
baptizing people for 30 years
00:10:40.92\00:10:43.24
and sort of get cut off
from baptizing people, John,
00:10:43.44\00:10:45.66
it's a little
rough. You know, it's like
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you get a habit and then
you can't do it any more.
00:10:48.34\00:10:50.14
And Eric just
drove down here one day
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and said: "I
want to be baptized. "
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And we baptized him.
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And we're going to
tell you that story tomorrow
00:11:01.85\00:11:03.92
during Sabbath School.
Stand up. Just let them see you
00:11:04.12\00:11:06.40
right there. Nice guy!
00:11:06.50\00:11:08.11
Nice guy. Stand
up, let them see you.
00:11:10.12\00:11:11.90
Good looking guy. He's
single, too, by the way.
00:11:12.20\00:11:14.10
What is success?
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There are many
definitions for success,
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and I ran across
something the other day.
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It's a little funny. I
want to start out with this
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before we get into
the meat of our subject.
00:11:38.22\00:11:40.18
What is success?
Let's go to the graphic.
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Success is a number
of things. At age 4...
00:11:44.47\00:11:47.62
And they got the
wrong one up. At age 4...
00:11:47.82\00:11:50.39
At age 4... bring
it back. At age 4...
00:11:50.70\00:11:55.73
At age 4 they say success
is not wetting your pants.
00:11:57.19\00:12:01.96
At age 12... there we go...
00:12:04.46\00:12:07.16
So it's a full circle.
00:13:15.16\00:13:16.79
It comes all the way around.
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That's what to
some people is success.
00:13:19.49\00:13:22.55
Now let's take a look at
the dictionary definition
00:13:22.65\00:13:25.31
of success.
00:13:25.51\00:13:27.09
Success in the dictionary.
00:13:27.39\00:13:28.85
You know, you used to have
to open up all these books.
00:13:29.15\00:13:30.59
You can go to
dictionary. com now.
00:13:30.69\00:13:33.08
Just open up your iPad,
your iPhone: dictionary. com
00:13:33.28\00:13:35.90
And when you open
up dictionary. com
00:13:36.20\00:13:38.17
you will find the
following. It says:
00:13:38.37\00:13:40.76
Isn't that a
particularly worldly definition?
00:13:49.91\00:13:52.73
Wealth, position,
honors, or the like.
00:13:53.84\00:13:58.81
I guess I'm not successful then
00:14:01.16\00:14:03.18
'cause I am not wealthy.
00:14:03.58\00:14:05.05
Every month we have to
sort of play Russian roulette
00:14:06.39\00:14:08.70
with the bills. Anybody
know what I'm talking about?
00:14:08.80\00:14:11.38
This month you get.
This month you may not get.
00:14:11.68\00:14:14.14
That kind of thing.
00:14:14.34\00:14:15.43
The secondary definition
I like a little bit better.
00:14:17.29\00:14:19.66
It says:
00:14:19.76\00:14:20.79
It's trying to do something
00:14:26.18\00:14:28.37
and having what you're
trying to do work out correctly.
00:14:28.57\00:14:32.34
So these are definitions of
success as the world sees them.
00:14:33.54\00:14:38.72
Now let's look
at the Word of God
00:14:39.62\00:14:41.57
and get a little
better definition of success.
00:14:41.88\00:14:44.80
And the reason
we're dealing with success
00:14:45.10\00:14:47.17
today is because in a little
bit I'm going to challenge you
00:14:47.37\00:14:50.91
to do something for the Lord.
00:14:51.84\00:14:53.27
But I will challenge
you given the understanding
00:14:53.47\00:14:57.63
that when you step out for God
00:14:57.83\00:15:01.20
and you do it in God's way
00:15:01.50\00:15:04.38
success is guaranteed.
00:15:04.68\00:15:06.96
Amen. Amen.
00:15:07.26\00:15:08.73
So that if you're
doing God's will in God's way
00:15:08.83\00:15:12.39
you need not fear or
worry or concern yourself
00:15:12.59\00:15:16.03
too much with the outcome
00:15:16.13\00:15:17.78
because the
outcome is in God's hands.
00:15:17.98\00:15:20.25
If God says: "Do
this... do this this way, "
00:15:20.35\00:15:23.97
then God will take
care of the outcome.
00:15:24.17\00:15:26.44
I want you to hold
onto that thought because
00:15:26.54\00:15:27.82
we're going to come back
to that in just a little bit.
00:15:27.92\00:15:29.63
All right. I'm in
Joshua chapter 1 verse 9.
00:15:29.67\00:15:35.45
Turn to that in your
Bibles. We're going to pop it up
00:15:35.65\00:15:37.18
on the screen in just a
little bit. But Joshua chapter 1
00:15:37.28\00:15:39.36
and verse 9. I'm
reading from the New King James.
00:15:39.56\00:15:42.63
It is one of my
favorite... In fact,
00:15:42.94\00:15:46.84
I can... I'll turn
to this but Joshua 1:9
00:15:47.04\00:15:52.20
is one of the first texts
that I committed to memory
00:15:52.40\00:15:54.64
"Have not I commanded thee?
Be strong and of good courage. "
00:15:54.84\00:15:57.52
But I did all of my memorization
in the King James Bible.
00:15:57.72\00:16:00.81
And the New King James
book I actually read from
00:16:01.01\00:16:03.65
because I really
like the King James.
00:16:03.85\00:16:06.96
So... "Have not I commanded
you? " I'm in Joshua 1:9...
00:16:07.84\00:16:12.60
Isn't that a powerful promise?
00:16:27.96\00:16:29.80
Wherever you go God is with you.
00:16:30.30\00:16:33.90
It corresponds with
a favorite text of mine
00:16:34.20\00:16:38.07
in Hebrews
chapter 13 verses 5 and 6
00:16:38.27\00:16:41.80
where the Lord says:
00:16:42.10\00:16:44.04
"I will never
leave you nor forsake you
00:16:44.34\00:16:47.09
so then you can
boldly say 'God is my helper.
00:16:47.39\00:16:51.55
I will not fear.
What can man do to me? ' "
00:16:51.85\00:16:54.44
Powerful text:
00:16:54.74\00:16:56.14
the understanding that God
is your helper all of the time.
00:16:57.22\00:17:01.82
Now, I want you to back up
one text to Joshua 1 verse 8
00:17:02.12\00:17:07.84
because that brings into
focus what we want to talk about
00:17:08.15\00:17:12.13
just a little bit
more. Joshua 1- same book,
00:17:12.33\00:17:15.69
same chapter - verse 8.
00:17:15.90\00:17:17.89
The Bible says:
"Don't forget to read
00:17:18.19\00:17:23.53
and meditate on the book
of the law that Moses wrote.
00:17:25.88\00:17:30.78
Keep reading it
morning and night
00:17:31.08\00:17:33.84
so that you don't
forget what I want you to do.
00:17:34.04\00:17:37.77
If you keep your eyes on Me
00:17:37.97\00:17:41.09
and desire Me
with all your heart,
00:17:41.29\00:17:43.92
I will be right
beside you and will bless you
00:17:44.22\00:17:50.12
with... " And
what's that last word?
00:17:50.32\00:17:52.21
"success. "
00:17:52.41\00:17:53.66
So this is Joshua
00:17:53.96\00:17:58.07
taking over after Moses
00:17:58.27\00:18:01.30
having watched the
trials and tribulations
00:18:01.50\00:18:05.68
that God's
people put Moses through
00:18:05.88\00:18:08.77
for all of those years.
00:18:08.97\00:18:11.34
And so Joshua now is
given the reins, the mantle,
00:18:11.64\00:18:15.58
and God is telling
him: "I'll be with you
00:18:15.78\00:18:18.74
just like I was with Moses.
00:18:19.04\00:18:20.76
If you read the
word day and night,
00:18:20.96\00:18:23.75
meditate on it
so you don't forget,
00:18:23.95\00:18:26.44
I will be with you and I
guarantee your success. "
00:18:26.74\00:18:32.30
Amen? That's powerful. I
see John and Rosemary here,
00:18:32.60\00:18:36.01
heading up 3ABN in Australia.
00:18:36.31\00:18:38.67
Ten years ago, 12 years
ago? Doing other things.
00:18:39.55\00:18:42.14
Working for the Lord.
00:18:42.24\00:18:43.42
The Lord called
them into this ministry.
00:18:43.56\00:18:45.36
The Lord directed them to
build that wonderful 3ABN studio
00:18:45.56\00:18:49.97
down in Australia.
Did they have any fear?
00:18:50.17\00:18:52.51
I'm sure they had a little.
00:18:52.54\00:18:53.91
But today there stands a
beautiful production facility.
00:18:54.31\00:18:58.00
Why? Because when
you stand up for God
00:18:58.20\00:19:02.03
God stands up for you.
00:19:02.23\00:19:05.33
Amen. That's His promise.
00:19:05.63\00:19:07.76
Success is guaranteed
when you do God's bidding
00:19:08.06\00:19:13.00
in God's way. And I'm
sort of laying on this point
00:19:13.30\00:19:17.01
because we're going to
come around full circle again
00:19:17.21\00:19:19.21
in just a little bit.
00:19:19.31\00:19:20.37
So, God said to Joshua
00:19:20.57\00:19:23.40
"I'll give you the same success
that you got with Moses. "
00:19:23.60\00:19:28.25
Now, don't feel too bad
that Moses didn't get into
00:19:28.45\00:19:31.67
the Promised Land
00:19:31.87\00:19:32.93
because Moses has spent
the last 4,500 years in heaven.
00:19:33.23\00:19:38.18
Good trade for me!
00:19:38.48\00:19:40.02
I'd take that any day.
00:19:40.32\00:19:41.61
Don't feel too bad that he
didn't make it into Canaan...
00:19:41.91\00:19:44.21
he's in glory.
00:19:44.41\00:19:45.73
Amen. And I know he wouldn't
trade places with any of us
00:19:46.03\00:19:47.98
but we'd gladly
trade places with him.
00:19:48.63\00:19:50.73
So success is doing
God's will in God's way.
00:19:51.82\00:19:56.29
It's very, very important.
00:19:56.41\00:19:57.96
Very, very important.
Ellen White wrote something in
00:19:58.16\00:20:00.49
the book Christ
Object Lessons page 333.
00:20:00.69\00:20:04.99
Page 333 Christ Object Lessons.
00:20:05.49\00:20:10.01
Here's what it says:
00:20:10.32\00:20:11.65
So when you go
forward to do the work of God
00:20:42.61\00:20:45.30
it - you will forgive
my pejorative English -
00:20:45.51\00:20:47.35
"ain't about you"
00:20:47.55\00:20:49.16
because it's not your
strength that you will succeed.
00:20:50.52\00:20:53.48
In fact, the truth is
this, ladies and gentlemen:
00:20:53.58\00:20:55.11
many times - oft times -
God will put you in a situation
00:20:55.31\00:20:58.15
and allow you to
stew in that situation
00:20:58.45\00:21:00.53
so that when you get on the
other side of that situation
00:21:00.73\00:21:03.15
you realize that the only
thing that got you through that
00:21:03.35\00:21:06.29
situation was God and not you.
00:21:06.39\00:21:08.84
Amen? Amen.
00:21:09.14\00:21:11.03
Grace Hiss is right there.
When I was pastoring the Ephesus
00:21:11.23\00:21:12.84
church a lady came to me and
said: "Here is my check stub.
00:21:12.94\00:21:18.33
Here are my bills.
00:21:19.63\00:21:22.30
If you do the math,
00:21:23.65\00:21:25.57
you can see that my bills
00:21:25.87\00:21:29.71
exceed by $100
00:21:29.91\00:21:33.06
the amount of money
that I'm making every month.
00:21:33.26\00:21:36.94
Therefore, I cannot pay tithe. "
00:21:38.26\00:21:42.87
And I said: "You're right...
00:21:45.51\00:21:47.13
you can't pay tithe,
00:21:50.46\00:21:52.50
not with that balance sheet.
00:21:52.70\00:21:54.16
Not with $100 more
going out than coming in.
00:21:54.46\00:21:58.59
You can't do it.
00:21:58.89\00:22:00.34
YOU can't do it...
00:22:01.59\00:22:05.71
but God can. "
00:22:07.69\00:22:09.51
And here's what I did: I
did it one time in my life.
00:22:10.01\00:22:13.23
I won't ever do it
again and don't ask me.
00:22:13.43\00:22:15.23
I said: "I'm going to give you
00:22:16.83\00:22:19.33
$100 for this month
00:22:19.43\00:22:23.74
and I want you to try God. "
00:22:24.14\00:22:27.43
Um-hmm.
00:22:30.00\00:22:31.64
Sixty days later she got fired.
00:22:34.49\00:22:37.71
Fifteen days after that
00:22:39.77\00:22:42.25
she got a new job
making 1-1/2 times
00:22:42.55\00:22:47.70
what she made before.
00:22:51.64\00:22:53.65
Now God chose to work
it out that way for her.
00:22:55.20\00:22:59.56
But what if He hadn't?
00:22:59.86\00:23:03.38
Would God still be God?
00:23:03.88\00:23:06.94
I say so.
00:23:07.44\00:23:08.63
So it's not about your
ability to see your way through.
00:23:09.88\00:23:13.91
If you could see it,
you wouldn't need faith!
00:23:14.41\00:23:17.76
Amen?
00:23:18.06\00:23:19.54
It's about God.
00:23:20.86\00:23:22.72
And if God asks you to do it
00:23:23.12\00:23:25.86
then you will accomplish
it in His strength, not yours.
00:23:26.26\00:23:31.36
Amen?
00:23:31.66\00:23:33.14
Ellen White ends that
quote in Christ Object Lessons
00:23:35.18\00:23:38.60
by saying: "All His biddings
00:23:38.91\00:23:44.10
are enablings. "
00:23:44.40\00:23:46.05
Amen? If He asks you to do it,
00:23:46.35\00:23:48.91
He will give you the
ability to get it done...
00:23:49.31\00:23:53.68
and success is
guaranteed in Jesus.
00:23:54.60\00:23:58.42
He doesn't promise
that it's going to be easy.
00:23:58.52\00:24:00.58
He doesn't promise
that you're going to have
00:24:00.88\00:24:02.46
a cheering section.
00:24:02.56\00:24:03.85
He doesn't promise that
you're going to have people
00:24:04.05\00:24:05.63
cheering you on
and encouraging you.
00:24:05.73\00:24:07.83
He simply promises to be
with you throughout every trial
00:24:08.04\00:24:12.44
in your life.
00:24:12.54\00:24:13.58
Now these words about
us cooperating with God
00:24:15.41\00:24:20.27
and our will becoming omnipotent
were given in reference to
00:24:20.48\00:24:23.79
perfecting of
heavenly character.
00:24:23.99\00:24:26.52
But Ellen White
herself said this:
00:24:26.82\00:24:29.22
"They also deal with activities
done in Christ's behalf.
00:24:29.52\00:24:34.96
So that when you connect
your will and your mindset
00:24:35.26\00:24:39.27
with His in an attempt
to do something for the Lord
00:24:39.37\00:24:43.18
His strength is your strength,
00:24:44.26\00:24:46.95
and you can rely on
Him. " Amen? And Amen.
00:24:47.45\00:24:53.36
Now, I want you to
take a look at this.
00:24:53.56\00:24:56.22
It's called Don't
Depend on Miracles.
00:24:56.42\00:24:57.95
I stumbled across
this the other day
00:24:58.05\00:24:59.69
because someone was
asking me about something
00:24:59.99\00:25:03.05
and I just put this in
to sort of talk for them.
00:25:03.25\00:25:05.63
It says: "Don't
depend on miracles. "
00:25:05.84\00:25:08.05
Here's something very important.
00:25:08.25\00:25:09.38
Ellen White says: "God
does not generally... "
00:25:10.39\00:25:15.99
So, you can't necessarily
ask God to do it for you.
00:25:56.09\00:26:01.51
You must ask God
to do it through you.
00:26:01.82\00:26:05.74
Amen? You can sit home
00:26:06.04\00:26:09.26
and say: "OK,
Lord, I'm out of work.
00:26:09.46\00:26:11.97
Get me a job. "
00:26:12.37\00:26:14.09
And it MAY happen.
00:26:18.69\00:26:21.38
I heard just this morning
about someone who wanted to
00:26:21.68\00:26:25.49
sell their house. And they
never put an ad in the paper.
00:26:25.59\00:26:28.93
They never did anything.
They sat in their house
00:26:29.13\00:26:32.07
and someone came by and
knocked on the door and said:
00:26:32.27\00:26:33.72
"You want to sell this house? "
00:26:33.82\00:26:34.85
Now, how often have
you heard that happen?
00:26:36.39\00:26:39.24
It does happen.
00:26:39.44\00:26:41.53
Odds are it won't happen to you!
00:26:41.83\00:26:43.84
Amen.
00:26:45.67\00:26:47.06
So God oft
times can work for you
00:26:47.36\00:26:52.07
but it's better if you
allow Him to work through you.
00:26:52.47\00:26:56.61
Amen? So if you want results,
00:26:56.91\00:27:00.26
you've got to put something in.
00:27:00.66\00:27:02.79
And God says if
you mature your plans,
00:27:02.99\00:27:05.94
if you pray over your plans,
00:27:06.14\00:27:07.60
if you work your plan,
00:27:07.70\00:27:09.02
if you include
Him in your plans,
00:27:09.22\00:27:11.39
if you make Him the center
and circumference of your plans,
00:27:11.49\00:27:14.55
things are
going to turn out well
00:27:14.75\00:27:16.97
because the onus is
on God and not on you.
00:27:18.13\00:27:21.84
I took all that time to estab-
lish that to move into this.
00:27:21.94\00:27:25.08
Matthew 28 verses 18-20.
00:27:25.22\00:27:28.30
You know that very well.
00:27:28.60\00:27:29.68
Matthew 28
beginning with verse 18.
00:27:29.98\00:27:34.53
Matthew 28... let's
put it up on the screen.
00:27:44.27\00:27:46.93
Matthew 28:18.
00:27:47.53\00:27:51.19
Amen? "of all nations... "
00:28:07.60\00:28:10.75
Powerful!
00:28:21.24\00:28:22.61
Now that is The
Great Commission.
00:28:27.36\00:28:30.19
That is Christ's dictum to us -
00:28:30.59\00:28:33.50
ALL of us - to go
and make disciples.
00:28:33.70\00:28:35.87
Not just pastors; not just
preachers; not just elders;
00:28:35.97\00:28:38.70
not just people who
are employed by the church
00:28:39.00\00:28:40.74
but EVERY child of God, EVERY
baptized member of the church
00:28:40.84\00:28:44.66
has a call, a
commission upon their life
00:28:44.87\00:28:47.71
to go and make disciples
for Jesus Christ. Amen? Amen.
00:28:47.74\00:28:51.40
All of us have that call.
00:28:51.60\00:28:52.88
Now it is
interesting that before the call
00:28:52.98\00:28:56.24
Christ ratified,
verified, certified
00:28:56.54\00:29:00.59
that "all power
is given to Me. "
00:29:00.79\00:29:04.26
So He's telling
you: "I've got all power
00:29:05.33\00:29:08.98
and I'm sending you
out in that power. "
00:29:09.28\00:29:12.06
So again, He's saying:
"Success is guaranteed. "
00:29:12.36\00:29:16.32
You need not fear. It
doesn't matter whether
00:29:16.62\00:29:18.96
you're a preacher, a
teacher, just a talker,
00:29:19.06\00:29:23.42
a testifier...
a testimony giver.
00:29:23.63\00:29:25.26
Whatever you do
in the name of Jesus,
00:29:25.46\00:29:27.90
if you do it honestly and
sincerely in the power of Jesus
00:29:28.10\00:29:31.76
Christ, you're
gonna have success. Amen.
00:29:31.86\00:29:36.48
Here's a guy sitting down front.
00:29:36.78\00:29:38.42
What am I? Lemuel Vega:
00:29:38.52\00:29:39.85
hustler... ex-hustler...
let me clean that up.
00:29:41.82\00:29:44.96
Spent time in prison.
00:29:45.74\00:29:47.06
Has got one of the most powerful
ministries that I've ever been
00:29:47.46\00:29:51.41
connected with:
Christmas Behind Bars.
00:29:51.51\00:29:53.31
Prison guy... not
a college graduate.
00:29:54.43\00:29:57.05
Not a Ph. D. Not
a Bible theologian.
00:29:57.35\00:30:00.35
Not a Ph. D. - not a D.Min.
- not a Masters of Divinity.
00:30:00.55\00:30:04.81
Not even a Masters
in pastoral ministry.
00:30:05.11\00:30:06.76
Not even a B.A. in theology.
00:30:06.96\00:30:08.60
Not an Associate's
degree in theology.
00:30:09.00\00:30:10.83
He just loves the Lord
00:30:12.11\00:30:13.71
and he let the Lord use him.
00:30:14.01\00:30:16.37
So he came out of
prison, gave his heart to Jesus,
00:30:16.67\00:30:20.20
and now thousands of
people have come to the Lord.
00:30:20.40\00:30:23.12
Amen!
00:30:23.42\00:30:24.58
Simple guy.
00:30:25.09\00:30:26.25
I'm embarrassing him...
he took his glasses off.
00:30:27.48\00:30:29.59
But he's a nice guy
00:30:29.89\00:30:32.55
who had no better sense
than to give his heart to Jesus
00:30:32.85\00:30:36.04
and so success is guaranteed
when you do it for the Lord.
00:30:36.74\00:30:41.01
I'm begging this point...
I'm banging on this point
00:30:41.15\00:30:43.80
because I want to come
to something. I'm going to
00:30:44.00\00:30:45.13
challenge you in
just a little bit.
00:30:45.23\00:30:46.55
In New York City this year
there's going to be some 400+
00:30:49.49\00:30:54.67
evangelistic meetings.
00:30:54.77\00:30:56.36
3ABN will be there in a few
weeks, and we're going to...
00:30:56.56\00:30:58.46
we're going to broadcast
the feed coming from the
00:30:58.66\00:31:03.71
denomination. Nassau
Coliseum. I think it is June 28.
00:31:03.81\00:31:07.37
They're expecting
thousands of baptisms
00:31:07.67\00:31:11.02
because hundreds of
preachers are holding meetings.
00:31:11.32\00:31:14.77
But how much would that
number have been multiplied
00:31:15.27\00:31:20.15
if the 60,000 Seventh-day
Adventists in New York City
00:31:20.55\00:31:25.25
had all gone out
and done evangelism?
00:31:26.88\00:31:29.90
It's not... We're going
to get thousands of baptisms
00:31:30.20\00:31:33.62
but I think we could
have gotten tens of thousands
00:31:33.92\00:31:37.60
had everybody woken up
and joined hands together.
00:31:38.01\00:31:41.64
See ladies and
gentlemen: the truth is
00:31:42.14\00:31:44.38
the work will not be finished
by preachers in pulpits.
00:31:45.53\00:31:49.64
Amen. Amen?
00:31:49.94\00:31:51.81
It's not. Now God is directing
the 3ABN's of the world
00:31:52.11\00:31:55.33
to extend the gospel to
places that it cannot go
00:31:55.53\00:31:57.75
but even 3ABN by
itself won't finish the work.
00:31:57.95\00:32:01.40
Wasn't designed to.
00:32:02.61\00:32:04.39
Can't go where you can go.
00:32:04.89\00:32:06.58
Can't say what you can say.
00:32:06.68\00:32:08.25
Cannot do what you can do. Amen?
00:32:08.46\00:32:11.77
Now if you can't
say "amen" say "ouch. "
00:32:12.01\00:32:13.70
I know I'm stepping on toes.
00:32:13.80\00:32:15.57
Go with me quickly
to II Kings chapter 7.
00:32:20.54\00:32:22.89
I'm trying to get through
this fast and I see my time is
00:32:24.16\00:32:25.77
getting away from
me. II Kings chapter 7.
00:32:25.87\00:32:27.74
Gonna try to get through
this really, really fast.
00:32:30.29\00:32:33.17
II Kings chap... I
preached for two years
00:32:33.37\00:32:35.41
just from the
books of I and II Kings.
00:32:35.62\00:32:37.89
Two solid years.
Great material here.
00:32:38.09\00:32:40.39
I'm in II Kings chapter 7.
Gonna read verses 3 through 9.
00:32:40.59\00:32:43.38
I think they're going
to put it up on the screen.
00:32:43.68\00:32:44.99
II Kings chapter 7
00:32:45.19\00:32:47.11
and we're going
to begin at verse 3.
00:32:47.31\00:32:52.28
This was on the back
end of a series of events
00:32:54.82\00:32:57.46
so we're going to try to read
through this very, very quickly.
00:32:57.66\00:33:00.22
Now these Assyrians
had surrounded the city
00:33:44.69\00:33:46.88
and besieged the
city for a long time
00:33:47.08\00:33:49.86
but when they went
out there they were gone.
00:33:49.89\00:33:51.34
Why were they gone?
00:33:51.54\00:33:52.76
Which is very interesting
because to me if you wanted
00:34:16.67\00:34:18.51
to get away fast seems like
you would jump on your horse.
00:34:18.61\00:34:20.90
But they left their
horses and ran on foot...
00:34:22.38\00:34:26.13
such was the fear
that was placed upon them.
00:34:26.43\00:34:29.41
Now does this sound
eerily familiar to you?
00:34:53.32\00:34:57.29
See, when I saw that
00:34:57.79\00:34:59.27
that sounds like certain sectors
00:34:59.47\00:35:01.86
of the Seventh-day
Adventist Church there.
00:35:02.06\00:35:03.58
Amen... or "ouch! "
00:35:03.98\00:35:08.46
Don't we have good news?
00:35:23.77\00:35:25.16
Do we not have good news?
00:35:26.31\00:35:27.73
We've got the
best news in the world.
00:35:28.52\00:35:30.46
We have the news that will
tell people how to get from
00:35:30.66\00:35:32.75
this world to the next alive!
00:35:32.95\00:35:35.76
So: "This is a day of good
news and we remain silent... "
00:35:39.05\00:35:44.35
Amen!
00:35:54.61\00:35:56.31
When I read that, it
was a standing rebuke to me
00:35:56.61\00:36:00.15
because there is a
world out there that is dying.
00:36:00.45\00:36:04.07
Amen.
00:36:04.27\00:36:05.46
They don't think
they are... but they are.
00:36:05.76\00:36:08.56
And we have the words of life.
00:36:09.45\00:36:13.49
We have to go and tell!
00:36:15.65\00:36:20.42
Amen? And if we wait,
mischief is going to come.
00:36:20.72\00:36:25.37
And we've got
mischief in the church.
00:36:25.57\00:36:28.43
And the reason we have mischief
00:36:29.53\00:36:32.69
is because the Adventist church
00:36:38.82\00:36:42.44
is suffering from among
other things a toxic case
00:36:42.64\00:36:48.12
of cabin fever.
00:36:48.32\00:36:50.78
You know what cabin fever is?
00:36:53.30\00:36:54.94
When you've been cooped up in
the house with the same people
00:36:55.34\00:36:59.15
for too long and you
get sick of looking at them
00:36:59.46\00:37:02.83
so little things
that didn't bother you
00:37:07.49\00:37:10.08
begin to get on your nerves.
00:37:10.38\00:37:12.19
That's because you're
spending too much time
00:37:13.25\00:37:15.99
among the same
people. You need to get out!
00:37:16.23\00:37:19.11
Tell you a quick
story. I had a roommate -
00:37:19.93\00:37:22.71
bless his heart - Francis Jorkey
from Liberia, West Africa.
00:37:23.01\00:37:26.30
I was in college.
00:37:26.41\00:37:27.52
Francis had this habit, I
don't know where he got it from:
00:37:27.72\00:37:30.05
he used to chew
with his mouth open.
00:37:30.35\00:37:31.99
And Francis
Jorkey enjoyed his food.
00:37:34.82\00:37:37.23
And you know, when
you're in a dorm room in college
00:37:39.23\00:37:41.36
there's not a lot of room
in dorms. You know, you just...
00:37:41.56\00:37:43.54
You're here and he's there.
00:37:43.64\00:37:45.02
And so when he
ate basically I ate...
00:37:45.22\00:37:48.98
whether I was eating or not.
00:37:49.58\00:37:51.04
And Francis would
take... He used to like granola.
00:37:51.34\00:37:53.81
Anybody granola? Or
back then it was grapenuts:
00:37:54.01\00:37:56.52
the cereal you've got to
chew and chew and chew and chew
00:37:56.82\00:38:01.59
and chew. And Francis
would just his cereal.
00:38:01.79\00:38:04.12
And I determined in my mind:
00:38:11.38\00:38:13.56
"He's doing that on purpose. "
00:38:14.50\00:38:15.90
Nobody eats like that.
00:38:17.68\00:38:19.22
And I actually developed some-
thing in my heart against him.
00:38:20.49\00:38:24.42
You know, just... how
in the world can anybody
00:38:24.72\00:38:27.57
make all that noise?
00:38:27.68\00:38:28.88
And really, he didn't know.
He had developed that habit.
00:38:29.90\00:38:33.53
That's the way his family...
And having met his family
00:38:33.73\00:38:35.59
they all ate like
that. You go to dinner and
00:38:35.69\00:38:38.59
just... it's like you
have to turn a radio on.
00:38:38.79\00:38:41.05
Everybody's doing
that kind of thing.
00:38:42.12\00:38:43.36
So he didn't know! But
I'm thinking: "This guy's
00:38:43.56\00:38:46.29
doing this on purpose.
He's getting on my nerves. "
00:38:46.43\00:38:48.36
You know, and one day -
bless his heart - he had
00:38:48.56\00:38:49.91
a little yellow Volkswagen
and he was taking his then
00:38:50.01\00:38:52.60
girlfriend over the mountain.
They flew off the side of
00:38:52.70\00:38:54.37
the road and had
a real bad accident.
00:38:54.47\00:38:56.01
And I came back that evening
and he had come back from the
00:38:56.21\00:38:59.77
hospital and he was all
bandaged up and you know
00:38:59.87\00:39:02.01
just... And I said:
"Francis, man, what happened? "
00:39:02.21\00:39:04.32
He told me. I said:
"Can I do anything for you?
00:39:04.42\00:39:06.00
Can I help you? Do
you want some cereal? "
00:39:06.20\00:39:07.90
You know, "Can I do
anything to help you? "
00:39:08.10\00:39:09.63
But he didn't
know... he didn't understand.
00:39:11.79\00:39:15.03
And I developed
hatred in my heart.
00:39:15.23\00:39:17.11
And we as a church
have developed cabin fever
00:39:17.31\00:39:20.46
so little things
that ought to mean nothing
00:39:20.66\00:39:23.54
are becoming big
issues in the church
00:39:23.74\00:39:25.77
because we focus our guns on
each other and not on the enemy
00:39:25.87\00:39:29.87
and not on
doing the will of God.
00:39:30.17\00:39:32.46
So we're in our churches and
we're getting on each other's
00:39:32.66\00:39:34.66
nerves and we're
bumping up against each other.
00:39:34.77\00:39:36.66
And a little thing like
what color should we paint
00:39:36.69\00:39:39.63
the sanctuary is
becoming a BIG issue.
00:39:39.73\00:39:42.54
And it shouldn't
be. It should be nothing
00:39:42.74\00:39:44.72
if we're out there
doing the will of God.
00:39:44.82\00:39:46.26
You see, when you're
working for the Lord,
00:39:46.36\00:39:48.49
when you're spending
your energy for the Lord,
00:39:48.70\00:39:50.51
you don't have time to
fight your brother and sister.
00:39:50.71\00:39:52.49
Amen.
00:39:52.69\00:39:53.72
So we need to focus on the Lord.
00:39:55.03\00:39:58.19
We need to go and tell.
00:39:58.39\00:40:00.64
So when they went, they found
that God had already worked.
00:40:02.31\00:40:05.90
And sometimes we
are so afraid to go
00:40:06.20\00:40:08.43
and if we would go we would find
that God is already working.
00:40:08.64\00:40:11.34
The Assyrians had gone because
God had worked in their behalf.
00:40:12.79\00:40:16.65
But these leprous men
would have never known that
00:40:16.85\00:40:19.89
unless they had summoned
the faith to "go and tell. "
00:40:20.09\00:40:23.15
To go and do the
work of the Lord.
00:40:23.45\00:40:26.19
Real quick.
00:40:27.76\00:40:28.95
"We need
workers... " Ellen White said:
00:40:31.64\00:40:33.87
We've got to sit
down and think of new ways
00:41:08.00\00:41:10.49
to do new "stuff. " Amen?
00:41:10.79\00:41:14.37
Before 1984 no one had
ever heard of an international
00:41:14.50\00:41:18.56
Seventh-day
Adventist satellite network.
00:41:18.76\00:41:21.48
And in 1984 when Danny
was running to and fro there
00:41:22.69\00:41:26.03
people were
saying: "We can't do it.
00:41:26.17\00:41:28.13
It's never been done before. "
00:41:28.43\00:41:30.88
But here... almost 30
years later... here it is!
00:41:31.18\00:41:35.04
Amen? Amen.
00:41:35.34\00:41:37.18
So don't block by criticism.
00:41:37.48\00:41:39.72
Give you two examples.
00:41:40.22\00:41:41.75
When I was at Ephesus Church
00:41:42.43\00:41:45.26
I wanted to start what I called
The Mother's Day Initiative.
00:41:45.66\00:41:50.92
And I talked to some people
and they said: "You know what?
00:41:51.80\00:41:53.78
On Mother's Day we like to
be in bed and have our husbands
00:41:53.98\00:41:57.35
serve us breakfast in bed
00:41:57.55\00:41:58.92
and that's how we like
to spend Mother's Day. "
00:41:59.12\00:42:00.95
And I said: "You know, that's
nice but I think we can use this
00:42:01.25\00:42:05.16
to a better use. "
00:42:05.36\00:42:07.84
So I called down to City Hall
and spoke with Mayor Giuliani -
00:42:08.14\00:42:13.39
he was the Mayor of New York
City at the time - to his aide.
00:42:13.49\00:42:15.31
I said: "Here's
what we want to do:
00:42:15.54\00:42:16.77
we want to
bless the neighborhood
00:42:17.17\00:42:21.90
that the church sits in
00:42:22.20\00:42:26.43
and here's my idea:
00:42:27.29\00:42:29.63
"We would like
to clean the block
00:42:30.68\00:42:33.85
that the Ephesus
Church sits on. "
00:42:34.05\00:42:35.79
Now the Ephesus
Church is a big building.
00:42:35.99\00:42:37.70
Sits on a big block.
00:42:38.01\00:42:39.07
So we got
Pathfinders and young people
00:42:39.38\00:42:41.96
and the City of New
York gave us rakes and mops
00:42:42.16\00:42:46.90
and little sticks with points
on them for picking up paper
00:42:47.10\00:42:49.53
in the gutter and a
big bin... for free...
00:42:49.74\00:42:53.00
because they were so excited
about what we were trying to do.
00:42:53.30\00:42:55.88
So the Pathfinders and
some of the young people
00:42:56.28\00:42:59.95
in the youth
church that Sunday morning
00:43:00.15\00:43:03.07
we cleaned the block
that the church sat on.
00:43:03.47\00:43:08.16
And then that Sunday afternoon
00:43:08.46\00:43:11.23
we made little
flyers and we said:
00:43:11.74\00:43:14.65
"This is the Ephesus
Church's Mother's Day gift
00:43:14.85\00:43:19.44
to the community. "
00:43:19.74\00:43:21.18
The next Sabbath we had...
00:43:24.78\00:43:29.90
I don't remember the exact
number because it's been a few
00:43:30.20\00:43:32.06
years, close to 20
new people in the church
00:43:32.16\00:43:36.85
who had never been there before
00:43:38.18\00:43:40.21
but wanted to know
"Who are these people? "
00:43:40.51\00:43:46.47
Amen? Amen.
00:43:46.77\00:43:48.87
New people... because we
tried something different.
00:43:49.17\00:43:53.11
We could have laid in bed and
had Mother's Day breakfast...
00:43:53.41\00:43:55.39
but we didn't.
00:43:56.91\00:43:58.16
We went out into the community
00:43:59.26\00:44:02.01
following the command of God
00:44:02.31\00:44:03.96
and God gave us
immediate fruit for our labor.
00:44:04.16\00:44:09.13
New method. Amen? Amen!
00:44:09.43\00:44:13.04
And let me say this to you:
00:44:13.28\00:44:14.61
deeds of kindness tear
down walls of separation
00:44:15.61\00:44:20.26
build bridges to salvation.
00:44:20.66\00:44:23.58
Amen? Amen.
00:44:23.98\00:44:25.98
Deeds of kindness tear
down walls of separation
00:44:26.48\00:44:30.52
build bridges to salvation.
00:44:30.92\00:44:32.14
Very, very important. It's...
00:44:32.34\00:44:34.30
We tend to want to
lead with the Bible,
00:44:35.05\00:44:37.44
Spirit of Prophecy,
00:44:37.84\00:44:40.38
144,000.
00:44:40.78\00:44:42.78
You know, every time you get
a group of Adventists together
00:44:43.08\00:44:45.00
sooner or later somebody's
going to ask about the 144,000.
00:44:45.20\00:44:47.12
It happened last night.
00:44:47.42\00:44:48.49
But as a rule, a
discussion of the 144,000
00:44:50.23\00:44:53.91
doesn't save people.
00:44:54.11\00:44:56.62
Nice to talk about.
00:44:57.42\00:44:59.13
Nice theological
discussion but it doesn't lead
00:44:59.43\00:45:02.14
a whole lot of people
to the foot of the cross.
00:45:02.24\00:45:03.96
A deed of kindness will.
00:45:04.16\00:45:06.37
Now I've got to jump... got
a lot to say in a little bit of
00:45:07.51\00:45:10.41
time. When I got to the
Ebenezer Seventh-day Adventist
00:45:10.51\00:45:13.15
Church in Freeport, New York,
00:45:13.25\00:45:14.53
my head deaconess
was Roberta Carter.
00:45:14.74\00:45:17.88
Which was interesting
because Roberta Carter
00:45:18.18\00:45:20.31
was a famous Adventist hater.
00:45:20.51\00:45:23.15
Hated Adventists!
00:45:24.79\00:45:26.16
So how is she the head
deaconess of the church?
00:45:26.46\00:45:28.13
Well, her husband was a deacon
00:45:28.95\00:45:31.21
and he got sick.
He got very sick.
00:45:32.78\00:45:36.05
And the church poured
their love on their deacon.
00:45:37.09\00:45:42.30
And he died of cancer.
00:45:44.33\00:45:46.23
And one little lady from
Panama named Josephina Ashers
00:45:46.53\00:45:50.47
decided to practice...
And some people may not know
00:45:50.87\00:45:54.95
what this is,
some of you will...
00:45:55.06\00:45:56.60
"escabeche fish evangelism. "
00:45:56.80\00:45:59.58
Um-hmm. Escabeche
fish is when you take fish
00:46:01.75\00:46:05.04
and you cook it in
this kind of sauce.
00:46:05.24\00:46:08.14
Escabeche... yeah.
00:46:09.90\00:46:11.57
She practiced fish evangelism.
00:46:13.53\00:46:15.16
She took money out of her pocket
00:46:16.35\00:46:18.41
and every Friday she
would cook rice and peas
00:46:18.81\00:46:23.42
or peas and rice,
00:46:23.72\00:46:25.42
escabeche fish, salad,
00:46:29.75\00:46:34.11
cake, lemonade.
00:46:34.51\00:46:39.56
She would buy
paper plates, paper cups,
00:46:39.96\00:46:44.31
knives and forks
00:46:46.66\00:46:47.86
and take them to
Roberta Carter's house.
00:46:48.37\00:46:52.22
Now Roberta Carter had two sons.
00:46:52.72\00:46:54.98
One was Charlie. I
think the other one was David.
00:46:55.18\00:46:56.96
6'3" Ate like locusts.
00:46:57.26\00:47:00.02
You know, just big
guys. Just eat, eat, eat, eat.
00:47:00.22\00:47:02.05
No Bible.
00:47:04.93\00:47:06.52
No 2,300 days. Um-hmm.
00:47:08.20\00:47:12.22
No 144,000.
00:47:12.62\00:47:14.40
Fish.
00:47:16.01\00:47:17.33
Six weeks. She'd
come; set the table;
00:47:18.80\00:47:24.13
pray; and leave.
00:47:24.43\00:47:26.55
After six weeks, on
Friday when she came
00:47:27.91\00:47:32.28
Roberta Carter
said to Josephina Ashers
00:47:32.69\00:47:35.57
"Tomorrow when
you're going to church
00:47:35.87\00:47:39.55
why don't you come
by and pick me up? "
00:47:40.74\00:47:42.19
So by the time I get there she's
head deaconess of the church.
00:47:45.50\00:47:49.15
Deeds of kindness
00:47:50.67\00:47:53.49
tear down walls of separation
00:47:53.99\00:47:57.09
and build bridges to salvation.
00:47:57.71\00:48:00.53
It's hard to hate somebody
00:48:00.73\00:48:01.79
that's doing
something nice for you.
00:48:01.89\00:48:03.83
Amen? Amen!
00:48:04.95\00:48:06.64
Try it... you'll
like it, I guarantee.
00:48:07.04\00:48:09.73
Now... boy, the
clock is an enemy.
00:48:10.13\00:48:13.13
See, when I was pastoring
in New York I could get...
00:48:15.11\00:48:17.36
get up and preach
for two or three hours...
00:48:17.56\00:48:19.29
Not really.
00:48:21.75\00:48:23.02
Want to take a little test,
00:48:25.38\00:48:27.12
and this will probably be the
last thing we'll be able to do.
00:48:27.42\00:48:29.00
Take a little test.
00:48:29.30\00:48:30.39
How many live within 5 blocks
of the church they attend?
00:48:31.47\00:48:34.37
Raise your hand. You
live within five blocks.
00:48:34.47\00:48:36.36
Five blocks.
00:48:37.54\00:48:39.22
Hands up real
high... just need to see.
00:48:39.52\00:48:40.75
Not going to ask you anything
just want to see your hands.
00:48:41.05\00:48:42.43
OK. So that's about 5%.
00:48:42.93\00:48:46.35
Very, very small.
00:48:46.65\00:48:47.68
So most of us live fairly
far from the church we attend,
00:48:47.76\00:48:51.64
correct? You don't
live in the neighborhood.
00:48:51.94\00:48:55.30
Neighborhood is considered
a 5-block radius around
00:48:55.80\00:48:57.80
any particular building.
00:48:57.90\00:48:58.97
So most of us go to churches
00:48:59.17\00:49:00.72
that we don't live
in that neighborhood.
00:49:00.93\00:49:03.36
All right. Now, if that is true,
00:49:03.56\00:49:06.10
here's the next question:
00:49:06.30\00:49:07.37
Actually, none.
00:49:20.24\00:49:21.55
Really don't.
00:49:22.84\00:49:24.21
They allow you to, but
you don't have any right...
00:49:24.71\00:49:26.52
any moral right... to
come to that community.
00:49:26.72\00:49:28.47
Next question: Why
is your church there?
00:49:30.51\00:49:35.89
Now there are any
number of reasons for that.
00:49:38.27\00:49:39.98
In New York, since there's
no room to build any churches,
00:49:40.28\00:49:42.65
usually somebody moves out
and the Adventists move in.
00:49:42.95\00:49:45.21
That's how we get
to a lot of places.
00:49:46.24\00:49:47.74
Sometimes it's a nice
spot. It's out in the country.
00:49:48.05\00:49:50.22
The land is cheap. You
know, all kinds of reasons
00:49:50.42\00:49:53.12
why a church gets to a place.
00:49:53.32\00:49:55.47
My next question is:
Why does it remain there?
00:49:56.46\00:50:01.62
Why does it stay there?
00:50:02.22\00:50:03.72
Why are you STILL there?
00:50:04.02\00:50:05.55
AND...
00:50:05.75\00:50:07.22
Have you ever
asked yourself that?
00:50:15.34\00:50:17.42
We've got a church
sitting in a community
00:50:17.72\00:50:20.31
where we don't live so we
are alien to the community.
00:50:20.51\00:50:24.42
What benefit does
this community derive
00:50:24.82\00:50:29.33
because a bunch of
Adventists are there?
00:50:29.63\00:50:33.30
And... if you are not a
benefit to the community
00:50:34.99\00:50:40.98
in which your church resides,
00:50:41.28\00:50:44.03
do you have a moral
right to remain there?
00:50:44.23\00:50:48.67
And I think boards
ought to ask that question.
00:50:48.97\00:50:52.80
Is this community any
better because we are here?
00:50:53.20\00:50:57.00
And if not, why not?
00:50:58.64\00:51:01.40
And if the
community is not made better
00:51:02.40\00:51:05.80
because we're here,
what makes you any different
00:51:06.00\00:51:09.70
from the local inn,
tavern, or liquor store?
00:51:09.90\00:51:13.45
They use community
resources and give nothing back.
00:51:14.59\00:51:17.65
Do you use community resources?
And what do you give back?
00:51:22.44\00:51:26.77
It's a question we
have to ask ourselves.
00:51:29.27\00:51:31.65
Are we a blessing to
that community or not?
00:51:32.37\00:51:34.93
Does God want to bless that
community? Yes. Does He? Yes.
00:51:35.13\00:51:38.88
Well if not through
you then through who?
00:51:39.01\00:51:42.15
We come in every
Sabbath. Preach, pray,
00:51:44.36\00:51:48.31
sing, and go home.
00:51:48.51\00:51:51.13
That's not the will of
God for your church. Is it?
00:51:52.51\00:51:55.91
Ellen White says: "If
you all you do is sing
00:51:56.15\00:51:58.83
Oh, How I Love
Jesus, praise the Lord,
00:51:59.13\00:52:01.45
pray, and go home you are
doing the Lord and yourself
00:52:01.65\00:52:04.39
a terrible disservice. "
00:52:04.69\00:52:06.36
We use community resources.
00:52:09.30\00:52:11.97
We're in the community.
00:52:12.27\00:52:13.78
They see us come in on Sabbath.
00:52:14.08\00:52:15.76
And a lot of times
they don't know who we are
00:52:16.16\00:52:19.11
or what... Who are? You
know, when I was growing
00:52:19.41\00:52:21.97
up, we had a group of people who
used to live next door to us:
00:52:22.07\00:52:25.06
they had the strangest behavior.
00:52:25.16\00:52:26.40
They'd all pile into a
car on Saturday morning
00:52:26.60\00:52:28.51
dressed nice and just disappear
00:52:28.81\00:52:30.62
and then come back
at night and re-appear.
00:52:33.44\00:52:36.03
And we knew that during the
week we could play with them
00:52:36.33\00:52:38.41
but on Saturday they
had this strange activity.
00:52:38.71\00:52:40.96
We didn't know what.
They'd get in the car and just
00:52:41.16\00:52:42.76
disappear.
00:52:42.86\00:52:44.61
And then as the Lord would
have it we moved to another
00:52:46.02\00:52:49.41
part of the city. And don't
you know, we moved right across
00:52:49.51\00:52:51.73
the street from another group
of people with that same strange
00:52:51.83\00:52:54.25
activity. Sabbath morning
they'd just pile in the car
00:52:54.35\00:52:57.85
and just disappear.
00:52:57.95\00:52:59.64
And so one day I asked them
00:53:02.43\00:53:04.59
"Where do you all go
when you disappear? "
00:53:06.02\00:53:09.30
And they said: "We
go to Sabbath School. "
00:53:11.18\00:53:13.41
And I went to
Sabbath School with them
00:53:15.15\00:53:18.53
and liked it immediately.
00:53:19.55\00:53:21.36
First of all, they had this
beautiful young Sabbath School
00:53:21.86\00:53:23.80
teacher that when you got
the answer right she would say:
00:53:23.90\00:53:25.77
"God bless you" and
just brush your cheek.
00:53:26.07\00:53:27.80
And I liked that!
00:53:28.00\00:53:29.38
"I'm going to
Sabbath School again! "
00:53:30.94\00:53:32.78
But they never witnessed to us.
00:53:36.52\00:53:39.33
We saw this
activity and it intrigued me
00:53:39.63\00:53:41.79
and I wanted to know.
00:53:41.89\00:53:42.96
And when I went I got
hooked, and so I got baptized
00:53:43.16\00:53:45.52
at age 10. Baptized my mother,
00:53:45.72\00:53:49.93
baptized my sister,
00:53:50.13\00:53:51.48
baptized my dad one month
before he had a stroke and died.
00:53:51.68\00:53:54.46
We've got to go and tell.
00:53:59.05\00:54:00.73
Deeds of kindness tear
down walls of separation.
00:54:00.93\00:54:03.90
Now, all right...
00:54:04.00\00:54:05.36
Suppose the town board
came to your church and said:
00:54:08.17\00:54:11.51
"Listen, we want to do
something for this community.
00:54:11.65\00:54:14.18
We think we want
to put up a Wal-Mart.
00:54:14.38\00:54:17.30
Now Wal-Mart is a...
it's a boom to any community.
00:54:17.60\00:54:21.73
You've got jobs;
you've got Wal-Mart stuff.
00:54:21.93\00:54:24.31
You know... it's Wal-Mart.
00:54:24.51\00:54:25.67
I think within 10 miles of
here there are three Wal-Marts.
00:54:25.97\00:54:28.83
The largest Wal-Mart in America
is right down there in Marion.
00:54:28.93\00:54:31.48
There's Wal-Mart in Benton.
00:54:31.88\00:54:33.38
There's Wal-Marts all around us.
00:54:33.78\00:54:35.19
So Wal-Marts are
economic booms to a community.
00:54:35.49\00:54:37.88
Now we can't tear down
houses to put up a Wal-Mart.
00:54:38.08\00:54:40.07
We need to find a
place to put this Wal-Mart
00:54:40.37\00:54:42.30
that meets the
following qualifications:
00:54:42.50\00:54:44.19
One: nobody from the community
has anything to do with that
00:54:44.40\00:54:47.95
place.
00:54:48.05\00:54:49.24
Two: it doesn't give back
anything to the community.
00:54:52.43\00:54:55.68
Three: it's closed
most of the time... "
00:54:57.99\00:55:01.72
You know the average SDA church
is closed about 80% of the time?
00:55:04.20\00:55:08.06
Oh, the average church
in America is closed 82%
00:55:09.58\00:55:11.91
of the time so
we're below average.
00:55:12.01\00:55:13.64
Now let's look at that. Doesn't
do anything for the community?
00:55:15.72\00:55:19.67
Closed most of the time.
00:55:19.97\00:55:21.44
Nobody from the
community goes there.
00:55:21.74\00:55:23.66
What institution? What
institution? Help me out.
00:55:23.96\00:55:28.57
What do you think?
Who fits that criteria?
00:55:28.87\00:55:31.60
Anybody?
00:55:33.02\00:55:34.25
Now somebody said
"Any church. " That's true.
00:55:35.15\00:55:37.30
But I don't
belong to any church...
00:55:37.60\00:55:38.94
I belong to this one.
00:55:43.06\00:55:44.40
So if you had to justify
your presence in the community,
00:55:46.36\00:55:49.20
my question is:
"Could you do that?
00:55:49.40\00:55:51.06
And if not, why not? "
00:55:51.56\00:55:53.76
Why isn't the community any
better because the Adventists
00:55:54.16\00:55:57.64
are there? What are we
doing for the people around us?
00:55:57.84\00:56:00.42
How can you be a
lighthouse if the light is out
00:56:00.62\00:56:03.78
80% of the time?
00:56:03.98\00:56:05.90
So I'm asking you to do.
00:56:10.93\00:56:13.19
But I'm asking you to do in
the knowledge that when you do
00:56:14.72\00:56:19.49
what God asks you to do
00:56:19.59\00:56:21.63
success is guaranteed
00:56:21.83\00:56:24.42
because we serve a
God who can do anything
00:56:25.25\00:56:29.83
but fail.
00:56:30.13\00:56:32.38
Last question: If
your church burnt down,
00:56:34.70\00:56:38.19
would anybody notice?
00:56:39.36\00:56:41.32
Would anybody care?
00:56:41.53\00:56:43.94
Oh, they would notice...
00:56:45.24\00:56:46.60
because people
always notice fires.
00:56:47.00\00:56:48.94
Any time there's a
fire people notice.
00:56:49.44\00:56:51.49
But when the fire goes out
they go back to their lives.
00:56:52.45\00:56:56.19
They would notice but I
don't know if they would care,
00:56:57.23\00:57:01.42
if they would miss you
00:57:02.38\00:57:04.02
because we haven't
made that a priority.
00:57:04.52\00:57:07.65
Amen? God calls each of us
00:57:08.67\00:57:12.84
to go and do. Now you
must determine what you do.
00:57:13.14\00:57:18.18
Some can preach; some can teach.
00:57:19.71\00:57:22.13
Some can offer a cup of water.
00:57:22.53\00:57:24.52
Some can give
their own testimony.
00:57:24.83\00:57:26.68
Some will be
called to great ministry.
00:57:26.98\00:57:29.70
But you will be called
00:57:30.10\00:57:31.87
and you must do when
you are called. Amen?
00:57:32.07\00:57:36.19