Participants: Youth for Jesus
Series Code: 14ASIC
Program Code: 14ASIC000008
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00:18 Well, Danny,
00:19 it's the Sabbath morning in ASI. 00:22 Absolutely. We see thousands of people here. 00:25 That's right. And lot of music, lot of-- 00:28 it's gonna be a lot of prayer, lot of music, lot of testimony 00:31 and great speaking by Pastor Mark Finley. 00:33 Yes, and we get the privilege of introducing this program. 00:37 Absolutely. 00:38 Now, we have a tough act to follow. 00:39 The Micheff Sisters did the 9 o'clock. 00:41 The Sabbath School. 00:43 By the way Cinda's mike went out there for a second. 00:46 And what she was saying is, 00:49 through all three sisters were born in Battle Creek 00:52 which is about 40 miles from here. 00:53 Oh, yeah, yeah. 00:54 So they were Michiganders. Yeah. 00:57 Now their dad's from Southern Illinois. 00:59 On that side West Frankfort, you know. 01:01 Right. 01:02 But the girls and family they were all from up here. 01:04 Well, we certainly make a claim to the family, 01:07 I guarantee that. Absolutely. Absolutely. 01:08 But Grand Rapids, Michigan is the place 01:10 to be this morning, Jim. 01:12 For those of you joining us around the world. 01:14 You got to be inspired this morning 01:16 to see what God is doing ASI or people 01:20 who shared Jesus and the marker place 01:23 around the world and we're glad 01:24 that you've joined us here today. 01:26 You know there's nothing more thrilling than ASI 01:28 because what you're looking at is people 01:30 that truly are involved 01:33 because they love God and love His work. 01:35 They're not-- 01:36 and many of them are not paid to do what they do. 01:40 And they go around the world-- Absolutely. 01:42 So right now we want to join them 01:45 on the platform so that you don't miss 01:47 one single moment of this Sabbath morning. 01:52 Being able to welcome a lot of people 01:53 but I know there is more here. 01:55 And we want to make sure that everyone knows 01:57 how grateful we are that you are here. 02:00 That you are coming to worship with us, 02:02 that you are coming to spend some time 02:04 at the ASI Convention. 02:06 We appreciate you for that. 02:08 We hope you'll come again and the same thing is true 02:11 for our viewing audience warm, warm welcome today 02:14 to the ASI Convention. 02:16 I'd like to encourage you 02:18 all to say a special word of prayer 02:21 in your own hearts that you may open 02:22 your hearts to whatever it is 02:24 that the Lord is going to do for us this day. 02:26 God bless you all. 02:33 I'd like to invite you to bow with me in prayer. 02:36 I'm going to kneel 02:38 and if you're comfortable doing that, 02:39 you can do that to. 02:48 Our kind heavenly Father, 02:49 thank You so much for the privilege 02:52 of coming to You in prayer. 02:55 I thank You that we have 02:56 the opportunity to join 02:59 with the heavenly universe today 03:01 and praising You for Your creative power 03:04 to restore the image of Christ in our hearts. 03:07 I pray for the ASI family, 03:10 for us as a whole and for each family individually 03:13 that's represented here in our world wide church family. 03:17 I pray for the leaders and for the lay people 03:21 and that You will send Your Holy Spirit 03:23 to draw our hearts close together. 03:25 We confess that we have been self righteous 03:29 and we haven't always been in tune to hear Your voice 03:33 but today I pray that in the service 03:36 and in all that's done that we would lift up Jesus. 03:40 I thank You in the precious name 03:42 of Your Son, amen. 04:01 I invite you all to stand together 04:02 as we sing our opening song this morning Jesus Saves. 04:22 We have heard a joyful sound 04:26 Jesus saves, Jesus saves 04:30 Spread the gladness all around 04:34 Jesus saves, Jesus saves 04:38 Bear the news to every land 04:42 Climb the steeps and cross the waves 04:46 Onward, 'tis our Lord's command 04:51 Jesus saves, Jesus saves 04:57 Waft it on the rolling tide 05:01 Jesus saves, Jesus saves 05:05 Tell to sinners, far and wide 05:08 Jesus saves, Jesus saves 05:13 Sing, ye islands of the sea 05:16 Echo back, ye ocean caves 05:21 Earth shall keep her jubilee 05:25 Jesus saves, Jesus saves 05:31 Sing above the battle's strife 05:35 Jesus saves, Jesus saves 05:39 By His death and endless life 05:43 Jesus saves, Jesus saves 05:47 Sing it softly through the gloom 05:51 When the heart for mercy craves 05:55 Sing in triumph o'er the tomb 06:01 Jesus saves, Jesus saves 06:07 Give the winds a mighty voice 06:11 Jesus saves, Jesus saves 06:15 Let the nations now rejoice 06:19 Jesus saves, Jesus saves 06:23 Shout salvation full and free 06:27 Highest hills and deepest caves 06:31 This our song of victory 06:37 Jesus saves, Jesus saves 06:46 You sounded beautiful. Please be seated. 06:53 Good morning and happy Sabbath ASI. 06:58 Isn't it a blessing to be here today? 07:01 Yes, it is. 07:03 And you know when you see me 07:04 what am I gonna be talking about? 07:07 The offering and projects that the offering will support. 07:11 And so today is no different, 07:13 we want to bring before you some projects 07:16 and highlight how God is going to bless us 07:19 through the offering. 07:21 With me is Dr. Larry Blackmer 07:23 and he's the vice president 07:24 with the North American Division 07:26 Education Department 07:28 and Ed Zinke who is a businessman with ASI. 07:32 And so he is on several General Conference committees 07:36 and as a consultant with By Design Science. 07:40 Dr. Blackmer, tell us about the project 07:44 By Design Science and how it began. 07:47 A number of years ago, 07:49 when the curriculum committee brought a recommendation 07:53 to the union directors of education 07:55 to put a secular science textbook 07:59 on the kitchen table of every Adventist home 08:02 in Adventist education. 08:04 We really struggled with that decision. 08:07 There were no other Christian textbooks available 08:10 so in faith the directors of education 08:15 and the office of education North American Division 08:17 voted to develop a distinctly Seventh-day Adventist science, 08:22 elementary science series grades one through eight. 08:27 That's just-- Isn't that's phenomenal? 08:31 I know that when I was growing up, 08:34 I was learning about science 08:35 but it was from a different perspective 08:37 and I was grateful to have Christian parents 08:39 and Christian teachers to tell me 08:41 what the Bible said about creation. 08:43 You have some pictures 08:45 that you would like to share with us 08:46 that gives us some idea what they're gonna look like. 08:49 Yes, you can see here on the pictures. 08:52 This is the grade one to four. 08:56 On the right you will see all of the scope in sequence. 09:00 We really set out rigorous science develop 09:03 within the worldview of the Adventist church. 09:06 So every grade level has a science, 09:09 a journal as a teacher's edition 09:12 and it has a student edition. 09:17 There's also included with this are e-text books, 09:21 so we began from the very beginning. 09:24 When we designed this curriculum, 09:26 we said that we wanted to have e-text books, 09:29 high technology, rigorous science 09:32 developed for not only our classrooms 09:36 but for multi grade classrooms. 09:39 We had a committee that worked on home schooling 09:41 to make sure that these textbooks were available 09:44 for home schools and it was interesting 09:47 because we had to raise about $6 million 09:51 to do this textbook series. 09:53 And the first half million dollars 09:56 came from a publishing company of Catholics, 10:00 that said we can no longer put a secular textbook 10:04 on our Catholic kitchen tables. 10:06 And we want to put your Adventist textbook, 10:09 we will give you the first half million dollars 10:12 if we can put your Adventist textbook 10:15 on our Catholic kitchen tables. 10:17 Amen. 10:22 Now we'll take a inside look at layout. 10:24 Yes. 10:25 The next picture, you can see 10:27 that the layouts are very colorful. 10:30 They have scripture, lessons, all the way through the text, 10:37 they are well done, they're-- 10:40 it's an inquiry base science program. 10:42 So it's not a lecture program. 10:44 We actually lead the students through to love science 10:48 and to learn about the Adventist worldview. 10:52 And this covers all of the grades. 10:54 Grades one through eight. 10:55 Grades one through eight, so that's in the next picture. 10:56 Yes, the next picture are the covers 10:59 for all of the textbooks. 11:00 You can see this is the eighth grade textbook 11:03 and all the other textbook covers are there. 11:05 Now interestingly you have a grid 11:06 with all the theories of evolution, so help me. 11:09 This is in the eighth grade textbook. 11:12 We believe that our students need to understand 11:16 the theory of evolution, the theory of evolution 11:20 and so we talk about evolution in our textbooks, 11:23 but we always bring them back to an Adventist worldview. 11:27 So it is very-- we cover it very clearly, 11:32 we talk about evolution and we don't hide the fact 11:35 that many people believe in that. 11:37 And I understand, 11:38 you're actually developing a high school text. 11:40 Right now, we're in the process of developing a 9 and 12-- 11:45 9th and 10th grade biology textbook 11:49 that would be a By Design, 11:51 Dr. Tim Standish is going to be our editor from GRI, 11:55 and here is the cover that you can see, 11:58 what we're working on for By Design. 12:00 Now for whom will this text be available? 12:02 I already hear that there are Catholic, 12:04 the Catholic denomination is interested, 12:06 obviously for Seventh-day Adventist 12:08 or are there other that might be interested? 12:10 Sure, we make this available, they're e-textbooks, 12:13 the printed textbooks are available for home schoolers, 12:17 for Griggs University and International Academy, 12:20 we're partners in this process to make sure 12:23 that they have access to the books, 12:28 so it's available to anyone. 12:29 Excellent, excellent. 12:31 And tell me, you know, I think that can I see 12:34 where this is something where the time has come 12:37 for this to happen but why now? 12:39 Well, that's a good question. 12:42 And actually I guess my question is 12:44 why not 60 years ago? 12:46 I would have loved to have this set of textbooks 12:49 when I went through. 12:51 And I would like to thank Larry 12:53 for the wonderful vision that has pulled this together. 12:56 It's not an easy task to write a textbook. 12:59 I didn't realize that till I had the privilege 13:01 of having a very small part in it, 13:05 but there has been many resources from a publisher 13:09 that's capable of handling textbooks to people 13:12 that know what's required for every stage, 13:15 so that the textbook will pass all the requirements 13:17 to scholars, to Adventist scholars, 13:21 to Adventist worldview, Adventist philosophy 13:24 and theology, as well as testing it on various levels 13:29 and getting input from teachers 13:30 and finally revising again based upon that, 13:33 so it's a huge task and, Larry, I appreciate it. 13:37 And to connect the dots for us. 13:39 Why is it important for us 13:40 to teach our children about creation? 13:43 Well, you know, the theory of evolution 13:46 is the contemporary God of our society. 13:49 And it really denies the role of the Bible 13:54 in understanding the world. 13:56 Most of evolution actually denies the existence of God, 14:00 and where it does accept the existence of God, 14:04 it dramatically reinterprets God 14:07 from the biblical perspective. 14:09 But evolution is a way of looking at the universe, 14:13 a way of looking at the world, 14:14 way of understanding ourselves, 14:16 it's made it into almost every discipline, sociology, 14:20 psychology, business, education, 14:24 all the sciences, and so on and so forth 14:27 and so basically when our children are taught 14:30 evolution or theistic evolution, 14:33 they're taught a worldview 14:34 that is completely foreign to the Bible. 14:40 And I think probably the most tragic thing 14:44 is they're not taught about the God of the love, 14:47 the God of love of the Bible and given the opportunity 14:51 to enter a personal relationship with Him. 14:53 Gentlemen, thank you so much, 14:55 we are thrilled about this project 14:57 and happened to be in partnership to support it. 14:59 Thank you very much. Thanks. 15:02 And now we will have a very inspiring report 15:06 about our New Beginnings DVD Project. 15:09 Thank you, Debbie. 15:10 You know today, Grand Rapids is a very historical spot 15:14 because brothers and sisters, 15:16 14 years ago we're in Grand Rapids 15:18 and we introduced this product, 15:20 this program called the New Beginnings DVD Project 15:23 and it was right here. 15:24 And because of your generosity and support, 15:26 we could tell stories, 15:28 Norman and I could spend the whole convention 15:29 telling stories about what has happened 15:32 with this program through the last 14 years. 15:35 But today we're only gonna talk about two of them. 15:37 And, Norm, what has happened 15:38 with DVD Project since we started? 15:40 Well, I believe that thousands of training sessions 15:46 have been held, hundreds of thousands have been trained 15:49 and millions have been impacted for the gospel. 15:52 We're gonna talk about Angola first, last year-- 15:54 Did you all hear that? 15:56 There is been millions of people 15:57 that have heard this gospel through this program. 16:00 Millions, I tell you we're so blessed. 16:03 Last year, Angola was the featured target country 16:07 in the South African Indian Ocean Division 16:09 for evangelism. 16:11 Every pastor, every lay evangelist, 16:13 every church worker was tasked to go to Angola 16:16 and hold the meeting. 16:17 We have brethren here from Angola. 16:19 Can you wave to us today? 16:21 There are approximately 60 Angolans over here, 16:23 I see the hands. 16:30 They also invited international ministries, 16:33 they invited Maranatha to build churches. 16:35 They invited Remnant Publications 16:37 that provided 100,000 Bibles. 16:39 They invited Lightbearers Ministries 16:41 that sent them container loads of literature 16:43 and they invited ASI to do DVD training. 16:48 And we responded 16:49 because you have given generously in the past. 16:51 We had money in our fund, 16:53 we were able to provide 4,000 Portuguese language DVDs. 16:58 We were able to provide 17:00 4,000 Abundant Living Portuguese language DVDs 17:05 and we printed 8,000 manuals in the Ukraine 17:09 and aero freighted them from Kiev, Ukraine to Luanda. 17:13 This was only possible because we were organized, 17:17 we've done this funding and this program was ongoing 17:20 and we could respond to the invitation. 17:23 Amen. 17:24 If you think about it, we train 4,000 lay people. 17:27 Now, this is unique 17:28 because the one of the requirements of this 17:30 is that they had to been baptized last year. 17:34 So these were all brand new Adventists 17:36 that we trained in the-- it was a sandy area, 17:39 it was very difficult situation, 17:41 very hot but the lay people, 17:43 the people that were excited about telling others 17:45 about Jesus came to the meeting 17:47 and we trained 4,000 lay people, 17:49 brand new lay people to share the gospel. 17:53 Number one, the reason why they did that is 17:55 because number one 17:56 is they don't know they can't do it, 17:58 because they are new Adventists. 18:00 Number two is you can't teach what you don't know. 18:05 And number three is that they are-- 18:07 they have non-Adventist friends 18:09 that they can bring to the meetings 18:11 and tell them about Jesus. 18:12 And they are using these players 18:14 and these materials over and over again. 18:16 And I wrote down the number but so far today, 18:19 now this is been since September of last year, 18:22 so hasn't been a full year yet. 18:24 And these new Adventists have brought in 18:29 5,437 souls into the kingdom. 18:33 Amen. Amen. 18:39 Now when you think about that 18:41 and you think about the opportunity of sharing 18:43 Jesus around the world and you've been so blessed 18:47 and generous to give of your means 18:49 to be able to help fund this project 18:52 and we got more and more exciting things 18:54 that are happening around the world, and Angola, 18:56 we please pray for our brothers and sisters in Angola, 18:59 because we know that they have a opportunity 19:02 to tell others about our soon coming Savior. 19:05 Thank you. Sure. 19:07 But now second place that I want to talk about, 19:09 that we want to talk about today is Manila. 19:12 And we had the privilege of going to Manila. 19:15 Now what's special about two of these-- 19:17 these two gentlemen that are before us, 19:19 Benny Moore and Duane Mckey 19:20 as they were from the very beginning, 19:23 started the idea. 19:24 They were one of the main people that came around, 19:26 came to us, to came up with the idea 19:28 for the New Beginnings of getting lay people 19:31 involve with sharing Christ in this dramatic way. 19:34 And, Benny, what did we do? 19:35 We went to the Manila, didn't we in this year? 19:37 What did we do? 19:38 Well as I recall, I had a suitcase full of DVDs. 19:43 Yes. 19:44 I think we took 2,000 DVDs to be used in training. 19:47 There is something I've learned in working in evangelism 19:50 through the years and that is that empty seats 19:52 don't respond too well to the gospel. 19:55 And the only way the seats can be full 19:57 is when our members are involved 19:59 and bring their friends and family. 20:01 And so with the DVD training, 20:04 we were able to help give them tools 20:07 that they could use 20:08 and actually beginning the study process 20:11 with their friends and family. 20:12 Amen. 20:13 And then bring them to the meetings. 20:14 And it really made the success for the meetings. 20:17 And, Duane, what happened after that? 20:19 Absolutely exciting. 20:20 It was back, just in May we were there. 20:24 That's right. This May, that's right. 20:25 We had almost-- well, you'll tell us later, 20:28 Elder Wilson said how many baptisms? 20:30 But can you imagine a swimming pool, 20:32 thousands of people being baptized. 20:34 We had ASI people there, we had-- 20:36 we had Adventist World Radio. 20:38 We had 3ABN. That's right. 20:41 And the North American Division president, 20:43 a secretary Elder Wilson, he had the major meeting. 20:46 It was thrilling, 75 meetings in all. 20:48 Amen. Amen. The youngest speaker? 20:50 The younger speaker was 16 20:52 and the oldest I think was 85, is that right? 20:54 85. 75. 20:56 75 that is great. 20:58 And tell us the results of what happened after that? 21:02 Well, by the end of the meetings May 17, 21:06 there were 9,558 baptisms. 21:11 Amen. 21:12 But soon after that because of the follow ups, 21:15 it went past 10,000. 21:18 So we're very thankful for the Lord's guidance 21:21 and certainly we are thankful to you, 21:23 ASI for the help that you have given us 21:26 and on behalf of North Pacific Union conference, 21:28 please allow me to express this to you. 21:31 So I also thank you to Share Him to all of you 21:33 and also yes to Elder Wilson for coming over 21:37 and being our main speaker there. 21:39 Thank you. Thank you very much. 21:41 You know, it's amazing 21:43 how that when we take our ministries, 21:44 when we work together what happens? 21:47 Lord never adds, 21:48 He multiplies when we work together for Him. 21:51 And that's what so exciting about being in these churches 21:53 by working together, all bringing, 21:56 all these ministries together. 21:57 We're able to do way more 21:59 than we could ever do by ourselves. 22:01 Thank you, gentlemen for your contribution 22:03 and it's exciting to see what the Lord is doing. 22:08 You mentioned about Harare, Zimbabwe. 22:10 Oh, please, real quick. Yes, oh, yeah, please. 22:12 We have DVD trainings going on in Harare, Zimbabwe 22:15 another 2,000 people will be trained in December. 22:19 And the next May, the middle two weeks of May, 22:21 we need a 100 speakers. 22:22 I already had 30 from the Arkansas-Louisiana Conference. 22:26 I need 30 young people. 22:27 I need another 70 preachers from here. 22:30 This group of people could come for 70. 22:32 You know, Denzel, if you only deal 22:35 with the gifts of God has given you. 22:37 You don't really need God's blessings 22:40 but if you get out of the boat, 22:41 like Peter and you start to sink, 22:43 when you're preaching the evangelistic series, 22:45 you need God's blessings. 22:46 If you want to experience a special experience, 22:48 come and preach in Harare, Zimbabwe. 22:50 So those of you that would love to go to Harare, 22:52 please see Duane and we would love to have you come 22:54 and participate in the joy of telling others about Jesus. 22:58 But you can also do it in your own home as well. 23:00 You don't have to go to Harare 23:01 but we'd love for you to come as well. 23:03 Thank you very much. 23:04 Now one of the-- 23:06 one of the advantages of being in ASI 23:08 and being involved in leadership 23:11 is a fact of admiring people 23:12 that really that inspire us to lead. 23:16 And I'm just so blessed to have Elder Wilson here, 23:18 who has not only-- he's so busy 23:20 but he's actually taking his own time 23:23 and holding evangelistic meetings himself. 23:25 And, Elder Wilson, thank you for your leadership 23:28 and the inspiration that you are giving us 23:30 to do our part to hasten the Lord's return. 23:33 Thank you. 23:35 I just want to praise God 23:37 for the incredible evangelistic emphasis 23:41 that ASI has in everything that they do. 23:46 Thank you for your personal involvement 23:48 and thank you for your corporate attention. 23:52 Everything from Youth for Jesus, 23:57 last night we saw incredible display of that 24:00 of what's happened here in Grand Rapids 24:03 to the one day church, to evangelistic activities 24:07 all over this world and what you've just heard about. 24:10 This exhibit hall is filled with people 24:13 who have evangelism as a passion. 24:19 One of those aspects 24:20 that ASI has been very heavily involved with an-- 24:24 in which they have helped the 2014 24:30 Hope Manila iCare evangelistic effort, 24:36 which covered scores and scores of locations 24:41 is the New Beginnings Bible studies 24:45 and evangelistic outreach. 24:47 It was a tremendous blessing to this enormous outreach 24:53 to the Greater Manila Area. 24:55 And I want to thank ASI, thank Denzel, 24:59 thank so many others who personally invested 25:02 time and effort into laying an incredible foundation 25:07 for the reaping that took place in Manila. 25:12 Without the involvement of our lay people, 25:17 our church members involved in carefully sowing the seed, 25:22 public evangelism would reap hardly anything. 25:27 But it is the combined effort of everyone working together 25:31 including the tremendous outreach of New Beginnings. 25:35 And we're looking forward to the same thing 25:37 happening in Harare, Zimbabwe as has been mentioned 25:41 and it can happen everywhere. 25:44 Don't just rely on those who are publicly involved, 25:49 be involved with evangelism on a personal basis. 25:54 God will bless you for it. 25:56 It's part of God's great plan for the loud cry, 26:00 the latter rain is coming, be a part of God's great work 26:05 as we look forward to Jesus soon coming. 26:13 And now we have a very interesting interview 26:18 about a project the Holbrook 26:20 Seventh-day Adventist Indian School. 26:24 And with me here at the podium 26:26 is Jovannah Poor Bear-Adams. 26:28 She is the vice principal and the principal Pedro Ojeda. 26:34 And I want to start first, Jovannah, 26:37 to have you share a little bit of 26:39 what you were sharing with me 26:40 about your childhood and teen experience? 26:43 All right. 26:44 Well, I'm in Oglala Lakota Sioux, 26:46 from the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation 26:48 in South Dakota. 26:50 And with that comes a lot of beauty, 26:53 a lot of culture and a lot of pain. 26:59 Before I went into my teen years 27:04 'cause you said childhood and teen, 27:06 I was sexually abused by my step dad for two years 27:11 before I had the courage to tell my mom. 27:13 And the reason I was afraid to tell her was 27:15 because I was afraid she was gonna be mad at me. 27:17 I know she was on her-- 27:18 she had been married three times right now 27:20 and my step dad. 27:21 When we-- 27:23 when I finally had the courage to tell, 27:26 we went to court and they-- 27:28 we got a restraining order out of it 27:30 and that's the most that happened with it. 27:34 During that time I was raped by one of my cousins, 27:38 you know, when he was supposed to be watching us at our house. 27:41 The first time I had alcohol, 27:44 I was about six or seven years old. 27:46 The first time I had a cigarette 27:47 was around the same time. 27:51 When after my mom had divorced my step dad, 27:54 she left us at my grandma's house 27:56 and she abandoned us there and moved to the city. 27:59 And it was at my grandma's house 28:01 where I experienced 28:03 what it felt like to really be hungry. 28:07 They were times, my grandma was bipolar, 28:11 she has diabetes and she was almost blind. 28:15 So she-- we tried to take care of her in her wheelchair, 28:19 cleaning her feet and we lived off a food stamps. 28:23 And something about the food stamps 28:24 'cause you're thinking you know, 28:25 you got taking care of-- you got food stamps. 28:28 But the way that we shopped, we bought Doritos, 28:33 soda we drank soda like it was water. 28:36 We ate frozen pizzas. 28:39 You know, pork chops, bacon, just junk food. 28:43 And we would eat, you know, 28:45 like we were kings for about a week and a half. 28:48 Now through this whole childhood experience, 28:50 I get the pictures just very difficult 28:53 and you didn't have a lot of positive family support 28:56 or role models. 28:57 Then you came to a point in your teen years 29:00 where you decided, you wanted to do something different. 29:02 You thought that you could beat this 29:04 and be someone different. 29:07 You know, I thought that I was going to be different 29:11 from everybody on the reservation 29:13 that, you know, they think that, you know, 29:16 we're just drunks. 29:17 You know, the people we lived just off the reservation 29:19 and I thought I'm gonna be different from them. 29:22 But nobody noticed, no one noticed 29:24 that I was trying to be different 29:26 and I was rejected by my friends 29:28 by people in the town 29:29 that I lived in just assuming that I was like every other, 29:32 you know, person who came off the reservation. 29:35 And I decided I didn't care anymore. 29:38 You know, I-- you think I'm gonna-- 29:40 you think I'm a drunk, I'm gonna be a drunk. 29:42 And I was 14 years old, you know, 13, 14 29:45 and I started drinking more like a lot. 29:49 I started getting high marijuana 29:52 started smoking, going to parties. 29:53 I dated a different guy every week. 29:56 And my sister told me my younger sister, 29:59 she told me that she hated me. 30:01 And she just wished you know-- 30:03 that I wasn't-- I wouldn't be around her anymore. 30:06 So then what happened? 30:07 Your sister said, I wish you would leave. 30:09 So you left? Yeah, I did leave. 30:12 I looked at myself 30:14 and I became disgusted with who I was. 30:16 You know, I was exactly 30:17 what I told myself I wasn't gonna be. 30:20 And so you got on the truck, 30:21 kind of through an invitation 30:22 you're going with your friend and you ended up at Holbrook. 30:26 So tell us now what happened at Holbrook 30:28 that started to turn this around? 30:32 I had a family there, 30:33 I had people at Holbrook Indian school 30:37 who, they didn't even know me 30:39 and they got me birthday presents, 30:41 they took me on their family vacations 30:44 over home leave 30:45 because I couldn't have go back home. 30:47 I knew Christ and I you know, I didn't want to know Christ 30:52 but I started to know Christ 30:54 like I didn't understand any kind of love to be. 30:59 That's phenomenal. 31:00 That's wonderful, now 31:01 you did that and obviously now 31:04 you're vice principle at Holbrook, 31:07 so tell me how that happened? 31:11 Well, I went to Union College 31:14 and you know, I wanted to make more, 31:16 I knew that I was going to help native American people, 31:20 I knew that you know, the people who-- 31:22 the stuff that I went through God wouldn't have allowed it, 31:25 unless he was gonna make me strong enough 31:28 to be able to help other people like me. 31:30 And so I went to Union College, 31:32 got my degree in English education 31:34 and that wasn't easy, 31:36 you know, that wasn't an easy thing to do, 31:37 I struggled through college, I struggled, 31:40 my grandma died, my sister became homeless 31:42 and I wanted to go back and be with her. 31:45 But I fought through college and I stayed and you know, 31:49 I had a job offer in Lincoln, Nebraska 31:52 to be able to start working there 31:54 immediately afterward but I told them, 31:56 I said, if Holbrook will have me 31:58 that's where I'm going first. 32:00 Amen so Holbrook saved you of sorts 32:04 and you wanted to go back and give back 32:06 so that you could help save others. 32:07 Absolutely. Amen. 32:09 Pedro, I want to ask you is Jovannah's experience 32:14 different from the kids that come to Holbrook? 32:18 Well, thanks for asking that question, Debbie, 32:20 and the unfortunate answer is no. 32:24 Many of our students go through similar circumstances. 32:29 And what is Holbrook doing 32:31 to address that issue with the kids? 32:34 We're doing everything that we can 32:36 but that sounds really general, 32:39 program that we started a year ago 32:41 is called the New Year Health Initiative. 32:44 New stands for nutrition, exercise and wellness. 32:48 And it covers the whole child wellness includes counseling. 32:53 We're setting out the quality counseling program 32:56 at our school. 32:57 And one of the particular aspects of this program 33:04 is what we called our garden-to-plate program. 33:08 And for that we need to restart our agricultural program, 33:13 our green houses and our garden. 33:15 They're in a little bit of disrepair 33:17 because they haven't been used in a few years. 33:19 And so we need help with that. 33:22 And that's where ASI through the offering 33:24 will provide some assistance for this program. 33:26 Very much so. Okay. 33:28 And tell me why is this program so essential to the students? 33:33 It is essential because it deals 33:35 with the basic needs that students have. 33:40 Without those basic needs been met, Debbie, 33:44 our students cannot function, especially academically 33:48 and the public is figuring this out. 33:52 If you read the articles by ASCD and CDC 33:55 they're figuring this out now. 33:58 I want to ask, Jovannah, if there is one thing 34:01 that you want to tell the ASI audience 34:03 that you want them to know about students at Holbrook. 34:07 And how they can help 34:08 or what would you want to say to them? 34:10 All right, hello, ASI. 34:14 One thing that I would want you to know 34:15 is I've heard a lot of controversy 34:18 about giving to a place like Holbrook Indian School, 34:22 people who come from this kind of poverty, 34:24 this kind of abuse that even though 34:27 we're giving to this, 34:28 they come to our school, it's not making a difference. 34:31 There are kids who leave our school 34:33 and they go back to their lifestyle 34:35 or they go to college and they get called home 34:37 and they actually go home 34:38 and they don't go back to school. 34:40 But every now and then and there is somebody 34:44 who comes out of it, there is somebody like me 34:47 who comes out of it and they go back 34:50 and they help people and there is more 34:52 and that I see kids in our school right now 34:56 who are going to do that, I just know it. 34:59 And how much is one life worth? 35:03 Thank you very much, Jovannah. 35:06 Now we have a project that we're familiar 35:10 with the one day church project. 35:13 Thank you. 35:17 And we want you to take in the information 35:20 to understand how one day church 35:22 is actually helping children just like Jovannah. 35:29 Good morning, ASI. 35:33 You know, when I think of ASI, 35:35 I think you make the difference-- 35:39 that ASI makes such a difference here. 35:42 I think back just on a few projects 35:44 and we had big projects, small projects. 35:48 I remember the picture rolls, 35:50 120,000 picture rolls around the world. 35:55 And you know as I go out into some of the villages, 35:58 I see them, they have around their neck 36:01 and they're preaching with them 36:02 and they're just as good today 36:04 as they were when we send them out. 36:06 It's incredible, I think of Myanmar, Burma, 36:10 365 churches and schools in one year. 36:14 And I think of roofs over Africa. 36:16 You remember we had the building over here to our left, 36:21 and sat there all week with no roof. 36:24 Then we had the roof program 36:26 and the roof came down and sat on there. 36:30 As a result 11,000 roofs were put on large 36:35 and small churches through out Africa. 36:37 ASI that's making a difference, 36:39 but then I think of this special place, 36:43 Grand Rapids, 14 years ago. 36:47 Evangelism in India had just started. 36:51 Now since then as a result of ASI and Maranatha 36:55 it's been over 1 million members 36:58 in India, the growth. 37:00 Yes, ASI, you make a difference, 37:02 but I think the one special little girl, 37:05 some of you old timers remember Laxmi, 37:09 the little girl that we carried out on the stage, 37:11 the girl put that effort would lay on her stomach 37:14 and pedal her bike there, Laxmi now has grown. 37:19 She is been rehabilitated somewhat, 37:21 and she walks with sticks. 37:23 She is been through Spicer College 37:25 and she is now a teacher. 37:28 Wow, what a wonderful thing. 37:36 Think how heaven will be to Laxmi, 37:39 when she can walk with Jesus. 37:42 Now I've had the opportunity to be involved 37:44 with many churches all over the world. 37:50 Work in many, many countries and many of these countries, 37:53 I have worked with Maranatha and self supporting ministry. 37:58 Then we sold our business 38:01 and I thought well, maybe retirement. 38:06 Well, that lasted about a day and half, 38:10 it's not for me I can tell you that. 38:13 And I just felt there is more God wanted me to do, 38:18 He had something big in mind and I wasn't-- 38:25 I just wasn't comfortable. 38:28 Now at the same time, we had explosive growth in the church. 38:32 The church was growing several a day. 38:36 And one weekend Maranatha was 38:38 at our church having a weekend rally. 38:43 It was about 11 o'clock at night, 38:45 it's dark and then Don Noble, and I remember 38:47 he has sat on our couch, he put his head in his hands 38:51 and he says, Garwin, 38:52 I don't know what we're gonna do. 38:54 We had these thousands of thousands of requests 38:58 and we just can't take care of them, 38:59 we can't build them fasten enough, 39:01 it's growing faster. 39:04 And I had a thought 39:06 and I believe the one day church was God ordained. 39:09 I said, Don, have you ever thought 39:12 about building it from the roof down? 39:16 Now with the roofs over Africa, 39:17 they put the sides up and then we roofed it. 39:20 But the weather and so forth, 39:21 it was, it holds some challenges. 39:25 And that's how the one day church started. 39:28 Monday morning we went to work 39:30 with our first one day church and it's improved. 39:33 Since then we have built dormitories, 39:34 greenhouses, housing units, 39:36 complete hospital complex at Chad, 39:44 and the list goes on. 39:46 We built and sent containers to Zimbabwe, 39:48 Mozambique, Malawi, Ghana, 39:51 well, that it's a big long list most of the world. 39:55 Now here is the important thing ASI, 39:58 to date we have manufactured 40:00 5,700 one day churches and over one million 40:05 of your brothers and sisters are meeting today 40:08 in a one day structure. 40:10 ASI, that's making a difference. 40:13 That's making a difference. 40:18 Now we can manufacture them, but we need the supporting 40:21 ministries to erect them. 40:24 And that is where the ultimate example of ASI 40:30 and self supporting ministries working together 40:34 in a partnership is the one day program. 40:38 We have many partners but two of our partners 40:41 are here today. 40:43 One, Alan Knowles of Riverside Farms. 40:46 Lot of people know Riverside Farms. 40:49 And Don Noble of Maranatha Volunteers. 40:53 Now I'm gonna ask Alan. 40:54 I've known Alan, we've worked together building churches 40:59 since 1985 I believe, Alan. 41:01 Alan, tell us what is it like when you put 41:04 a one day church in a bush? 41:06 You know, Garwin, I got a phone call the other day 41:09 on Sunday morning. 41:10 Well, Luca Mionde called me, said, Mr. Alan, Mr. Alan, 41:13 we have a problem. 41:16 Well, we were going to camp meeting on Sabbath, 41:18 somebody burnt our grass roof down on our church 41:21 and it knocked the walls down, we were waiting for a roof 41:24 and I said, Luca, we're gonna have a solution for you. 41:28 And we got-- changed our schedule a little bit 41:30 and we drove in there about a 1,000 kilometers 41:34 from Riverside out in a very rural areas 41:39 and it's just amazing to see 41:44 in the poverty areas the energy 41:48 that was put out to help us build that church. 41:50 On the first picture we have, 41:54 it's the picture of the joy that happens, Garwin, 41:58 when we start that building 42:00 and as we start putting the roof on, 42:02 the ladies put down their cooking sticks, 42:05 put down their pots and they start marching 42:11 and clapping their hands and singing praises, 42:15 praises to their God in heaven 42:17 who Has given them a miracle today. 42:22 And at the end of that song, they say thank you 42:26 and they say thank you so loud, if you listen carefully, 42:30 I believe it's about three or four times a day, 42:32 Garwin, now that you'll hear a thank you 42:35 from all over the world for a one day church 42:37 that goes up. 42:38 If you listen carefully, you'll hear them singing 42:41 thank you, God. 42:42 Thank you for the brothers and sisters in North America 42:45 who have sacrificed that we can have this miracle today. 42:50 And they worship under that permanent roof, 42:52 now probably only one in miles around in their villages. 42:57 And they just want to say thank you to ASI. 43:00 Thank you for that. 43:01 Thank you, Alan. 43:03 But, folks, there's more. 43:08 Don Noble of Maranatha Volunteers. 43:11 Maranatha Volunteers is known throughout the world 43:15 and Don has been the president for a number of years. 43:18 Don, tell us what's happening. 43:22 You've heard about the Angola DVD. 43:25 Tell us about Angola and the one day church? 43:28 Thank you, Garwin. Good morning, ASI. 43:32 It's great to be here. 43:34 And, you know, the one day church 43:36 and school is working well in many places around the world 43:39 but one place that it's a really, really great fit 43:43 is the country of Angola. 43:44 If you're not familiar with Angola, 43:47 it's a country in Western Africa, 43:49 about 20 million people, Portuguese speaking. 43:52 They are rich in resources, oil, diamonds but unfortunately 43:58 most of the people are extremely poor. 44:01 In fact I want to show you a picture of where-- 44:04 this is a typical street where your fellow 44:08 Seventh-day Adventist church members walk 44:12 when they go to church. 44:14 Another one that you can see is, 44:16 this is about what you would see 44:18 if you flew in on an airplane into Luanda, the capital. 44:22 It looks like that for miles but it's interesting to me 44:28 Seventh-day Adventists baptized 44:34 right now in the county of Luanda 44:36 out of 20 million members. 44:40 Good news. 44:41 I got better news. 44:44 How many do you think meet on Sabbath morning 44:46 with 400,000 members? 44:50 Any idea? Less than 400,000? 44:54 1.5 million. 44:57 1.5 million people meet on Sabbath morning. 45:05 And I want to show you some of the places 45:07 that they meet, just a couple of quick pictures. 45:11 This is one of many pictures that we took, 45:14 here's another one that-- yes, that is the church 45:19 and when you look at that picture, 45:22 you can think about when you're looking 45:25 for a Seventh-day Adventist on Sabbath morning, 45:27 how would you spot one in the city of Luanda? 45:30 What would you think you would look for? 45:33 Carrying a Bible? 45:35 Dressed as good as you could possibly hope for? 45:38 No. 45:39 The thing you look for is an umbrella... 45:44 on a sunny day because that's the roof 45:46 to their church, is an umbrella. 45:49 So when we provide them a church, 45:52 it's very exciting for them. 45:54 In fact I've a picture of a crew building 45:57 a one day church in Luanda. 45:59 Last week, Garwin, we just finished 100 churches, 46:04 one day churches. 46:06 Yeah, and some of them are extra long 46:08 and just in the Luanda area. 46:10 So you saw the crowds in the earlier pictures, 46:14 you know that they need churches 46:16 in that country, 46:17 so it's exciting to be able to part of that. 46:21 Another picture that you actually already saw, 46:24 the reason I wanted to show it again 46:26 is because this particular church 46:29 was finished by the women. 46:32 I don't know where the men were but the women stepped up 46:35 and they actually bought the property, 46:37 went on and bought the blocks and they did the physical work 46:42 and that church is the result of the women 46:46 in that area deciding that they wanted a good place 46:49 to worship God, so praise the Lord for that. 46:57 One of the things that actually came 46:58 a little after the one day church 47:00 is the one day school and that has really gone well. 47:05 And here's the place, Angola is the perfect place for it. 47:09 Here's a country that years ago used to have the largest 47:14 and perhaps the best education system 47:17 in the country. 47:18 Many of the government officials 47:20 currently were at the primary school 47:23 in the Adventist system before the war, 47:25 they had 40 years of war in that country 47:27 and it's almost devastated the country 47:30 but those leaders have-- 47:33 now they're looking to Seventh-day Adventists 47:35 to come back and build those campuses again, 47:37 200 campuses were destroyed during the war. 47:40 And now, Garwin, I got the final number 47:43 yesterday of the requests for actual classrooms, 47:47 one day classrooms in the country of Angola, 47:50 it's 5,402. 47:54 Yeah, it's real. 47:56 It's a real big request. 47:59 Today we're only asking for your help with 200, 48:03 the first 200 and that's quite a few 48:07 but the first 200 and-- 48:09 10,000 kids. 48:10 Yeah, we figure about 50 in a classroom, 48:14 they normally put 70 to 90 but we're gonna 48:17 make a little more spacious, 48:18 put 50 in so that's 10,000 young people 48:24 as a result of the offerings this morning, Garwin. 48:27 And if we want to see God's work expand in Angola 48:29 which we do, great place, we got to start 48:32 with Christian education. 48:33 Thank you. 48:35 ASI, you're making a difference. 48:38 Angola, 1,000 churches. 48:41 And, you know, all those churches in Angola, 48:44 they're 27 foot wide 48:45 and they're an extra three base. 48:48 So these are big churches, these are church schools, 48:52 Christian education, the genius 48:55 of the Seventh-day Adventist church. 48:58 We have 40,000 children 49:05 in one day church schools today. 49:07 40,000, that's making a difference 49:10 and with Angola, that will be 50,000. 49:14 50,000 people or children getting Christian education. 49:19 ASI, you make a difference. 49:24 And I would not be here today 49:25 if it wasn't for Christian education. 49:27 I believe in it with all my heart. 49:31 The one day program truly equals souls for eternity. 49:37 One day soon the heavens will open. 49:40 One day soon Jesus will return. 49:43 One day soon thousands and thousands of men, women, 49:47 boys and girls will meet their savior. 49:51 They will meet their savior because of the one day 49:54 church and school. 49:56 Thank you. 50:04 And, ASI, aren't we looking forward to that day 50:08 when Jesus will come? 50:11 Throughout this convention, 50:12 we have attempted to bring to you 50:15 and highlight projects from individuals 50:18 and from ministries to let you know 50:21 how we are trying to reach the world for Jesus. 50:24 We so desperately want to go home. 50:26 I was remarking to someone in the back just today 50:29 that when I think back when I was last here 50:31 in Grand Rapids at an ASI Convention, 50:33 that was 14 years ago, 14 years. 50:38 I don't want to be here another 14 years. 50:42 We heard this morning, Elder Wilson who said 50:45 one of the best investments 50:47 we can make is in our young people, 50:50 in our youth. 50:51 This is the time, this is now. 50:55 We heard this morning about the science books, 50:58 so that we can educate our young people 51:00 about the Christian-- the creation story 51:04 and so they can understand that God 51:06 is the one who created this world. 51:08 We heard from Jovannah that the Holbrook 51:11 Seventh-day Adventist school made a difference in her life. 51:15 We want these schools to make a difference 51:18 in other children's life just like our children. 51:21 The New Beginnings DVD training, 51:23 setting the stage for the difference 51:25 that can be made by training thousands of people 51:28 to take the word to the world. 51:32 Then finally the one day schools 51:35 and the opportunity for us to partner with one day 51:39 so that 10,000 to start, 51:43 10,000 children can learn about Jesus. 51:46 And while look at these children behind me, 51:48 I think about I just look at one of them, 51:52 there is probably about 100 kids coming up here 51:55 behind me, each one of them 51:57 representing 100 children in Angola. 52:03 So 10,000 children are represented visually here 52:08 before you and I ask you which of these children 52:12 would you not want to see in heaven. 52:15 Which of the children in Angola do we not want to go there? 52:20 Which of the children in around the world 52:23 do we not want to learn about Jesus, 52:25 the creator of the universe? 52:28 I don't think there's a correct answer 52:30 to that other than none. 52:32 We want all of our children and all of us and as many 52:37 as we can reach to go to heaven. 52:39 And I tell you, I talk to the children and I said, 52:43 I want you to come and join me so that we can ask 52:46 all of your parents and all of your friends 52:48 to please put as much forward in the offering 52:52 so that we can tell other children 52:54 like you about Jesus. 52:58 And they were so excited. 52:59 They had so many questions, they want to know 53:02 what they could do and I said, you know what, children, 53:05 all you need to do is to thank ASI. 53:09 And so I asked them and I ask them now. 53:12 Children, what do you want to say to ASI? 53:16 Thank you, ASI! 53:19 So they are thrilled and they are looking forward 53:23 to your offerings to support the projects listed 53:27 in your program so that we can reach out 53:29 and tell the world about Jesus. 53:31 Children, thank you for coming and helping me 53:35 collect the offering for ASI 53:37 and to support all of these projects 53:39 that we want to tell Jesus 53:42 that other children around the world 53:45 have a wonderful time 53:46 and you can go back to your classrooms. 53:48 They're having fun with these balloons 53:51 and I tell you I can't wait to see 53:54 10,000s of 10,000s of children around the tree of life 54:00 when we get to heaven. 54:01 And it'll all be because of partly 54:05 because of the offerings that you give today 54:07 in the ASI offering. 54:10 As the deacons come forward to collect the offering, 54:12 I just want to review with you and have you take out 54:15 your offering envelopes and I want you to be prayerful 54:21 as you place in the envelope, 54:25 as you consider what would God have you give, 54:29 what would God have you pledge, 54:31 just complete the information on the left, 54:33 you can just check off a box or add in the information 54:36 for the donation you would like to give 54:39 and or the pledge amount 54:41 as well as your contact information 54:44 there on the left. 54:45 So we would ask you to do that just now. 54:47 You may have already completed it 54:49 and feel moved that you need to do more, 54:51 just scratch it out and do what God tells you to do. 54:56 So I'm gonna ask the deacons if they would go ahead 54:59 and lift the offering at this time. 55:01 And while they do, would you pray with me? 55:05 Jesus, we thank You so much for giving us the opportunity 55:08 and the privilege to work with You, 55:12 to ready people for Your second coming. 55:15 We ask the Lord that you would help us 55:16 that we might be obedient to the leading 55:18 of Your Holy Spirit, that you would help us to see, 55:22 what it is that we can do to make this a reality. 55:25 We thank You, Lord, for the means 55:27 that You have provided 55:28 and that You have entrusted us 55:30 with the ability to store the resources 55:33 you've given to us and that you have 55:35 trusted us to be channels of blessing to others. 55:40 So be with us now and might we bless others 55:43 so that you can come quickly. 55:45 We thank You in Jesus' name. Amen. 55:59 It's my privilege to address our ASI audience on 3ABN. 56:03 And I want to thank you for joining and watching 56:06 the program this morning and also participating 56:08 in our offering. 56:10 I want to say a special thank you 56:11 to all of those individuals who maybe ASI members 56:14 that are not here this year, we miss you. 56:16 We want you to know that we're pleased 56:17 you're receiving the ASI blessing with us 56:19 via the 3ABN television network. 56:21 And those of you who maybe 3ABN viewers 56:24 that just happen to stumble on to ASI, 56:26 we want to welcome you here as well. 56:28 Hope you received a fantastic blessing. 56:30 If any of you, ASI members as well as other 3ABN members 56:34 would like to participate in this offering, 56:37 we just wanted to give you that privilege 56:39 and tell you how you could do that. 56:40 There are three ways that you can give. 56:43 One way is you can see 56:44 an address on the screen momentarily, 56:46 that is the address of our ASI organization 56:48 in Silver Spring, Maryland, 56:49 just write out checks, send that in, mark it, 56:51 ASI offering and for those of you 56:54 who may be having a cell phone, there's a text address 56:57 as well, if you want to text a pledge in, 56:59 you can feel free to do that, 57:01 as well if you want to go online 57:03 to ASIministries.org. 57:06 There's a big red button right there that says donate 57:09 and you are welcome to just hit that button 57:11 and follow the directions and you can participate 57:13 in this offering as well. 57:14 I want to thank you all for your generous support 57:18 and for being a part of our ASI Convention here 57:21 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. 57:22 Now there's also a telephone number 57:24 up on the screen for our office in Silver Spring. 57:26 If for any reason any of you would like to 57:28 call and talk with someone there, 57:29 one of our team members 57:31 about the ASI organization or if you would like 57:34 to talk to someone about a gift that you want to make to this 57:36 offering, feel free to call that number. 57:39 God bless you and have a wonderful Sabbath. 01:00:02 I'd like to invite you, I'd like to invite you 01:00:05 to turn with me in your Bibles to Romans Chapter 1, 01:00:11 Romans Chapter 1. 01:00:14 One of my favorite passages in the scriptures, 01:00:16 one of the most powerful I believe. 01:00:19 We're in Romans Chapter 1 and we're gonna begin 01:00:22 reading with verse 14. 01:00:26 "I am debtor both to the Greeks, 01:00:30 and to the barbarians, both to the wise, 01:00:33 and to the unwise. 01:00:35 So as much as in me is, I'm ready to preach the gospel 01:00:40 to you that are in Rome also. 01:00:42 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, 01:00:47 for it is the power of God onto salvation, 01:00:50 to everyone that believes, to the Jew first 01:00:53 and also to the Greek. 01:00:56 For therein is the righteousness of God 01:00:59 revealed from faith to faith, as it is written, 01:01:04 the just shall live by faith." 01:01:08 May the Lord add His blessing to this reading. 01:01:12 Pastor Mark Finley is not a stranger to any of us, 01:01:15 I assume. 01:01:17 Pastor Mark Finley is a friend to Seventh-day Adventist. 01:01:21 He's a friend to supporting ministries. 01:01:23 He's a friend to ASI. 01:01:26 He was telling me a few minutes ago 01:01:28 that he's been coming to ASI since 1988 01:01:33 and he says since that time, 01:01:36 he's only missed a couple of conventions 01:01:39 and so now we've come to the place 01:01:42 where we wouldn't think of having 01:01:44 a convention without him. 01:01:46 Well, that's a bit of an exaggeration 01:01:47 but I believe it's true. 01:01:49 We're truly, truly happy that he is with us. 01:01:52 He was sharing with me just a few comments 01:01:55 on what his sermon would be this morning 01:01:58 and I'm excited. 01:01:59 I'm not gonna miss a word of it. 01:02:00 He wants to develop for us the grace of God to our souls 01:02:06 and the cross of Calvary and I can't wait. 01:02:09 May God bless his reading. 01:02:47 One faith, one hope, one Lord 01:02:51 One church for which He died 01:02:54 One voice 01:02:56 One song we lift in praise 01:03:03 To Him Who was and is 01:03:06 And shall be evermore 01:03:21 There is one body, one spirit 01:03:29 As you were called to one hope 01:03:38 One Lord, one baptism and faith 01:03:46 One God and Father of all 01:03:50 One God and Father of all 01:03:54 One God and Father of all 01:04:00 Who is in you all 01:04:15 One faith, one hope, one Lord 01:04:19 One church for which He died 01:04:23 One voice 01:04:25 One song we lift in praise 01:04:32 To him who was and is 01:04:35 And shall be evermore 01:04:42 Though we be many people 01:04:48 Diverse with various gifts 01:04:55 We are given to each other 01:05:02 For the unity of faith 01:05:06 To grow in the knowledge 01:05:10 Of the Son of God 01:05:15 In the fullness 01:05:20 Of Christ 01:05:30 One faith, one hope, one Lords 01:05:34 One church for which He died 01:05:38 One voice, one song 01:05:42 We lift in praise to him 01:05:47 Who was and is 01:05:49 And shall be evermore 01:05:55 One faith, one hope 01:06:00 One Lord, one God 01:06:12 Amen. 01:06:20 Thank you for the song, it's inspired our hearts, 01:06:24 encouraged us and prepared us for worship. 01:06:27 For the last 25 years, Teenie 01:06:29 and I've attended ASI Conventions. 01:06:32 We have missed very, very few during that period of time. 01:06:36 And ASI has enriched our lives. 01:06:40 We've been blessed in our fellowship 01:06:43 with consecrated Seventh-day Adventist 01:06:46 lay people who are committed to the mission of the church 01:06:51 and committed to working 01:06:52 with church organization to see God's work powerfully 01:06:58 impact this world for Christ. 01:07:01 So thank you ASI for enriching our lives 01:07:06 and for leading us to a broader vision 01:07:10 of what lay people can do. 01:07:13 This morning as we talk about the one motivation 01:07:17 stronger than any other that will finish God's work 01:07:21 on earth, let's pray together. 01:07:23 Father in heaven, open our eyes to see 01:07:29 the cross in a deeper, fuller, 01:07:33 broader, richer way. 01:07:37 May we see Jesus giving up all for us 01:07:42 and may we give all to Him. 01:07:46 May we sense His grace pardoning us, forgiving us, 01:07:52 redeeming us, empowering us, transforming us 01:07:57 and may that make a difference in our lives. 01:08:00 The hour is too late to come 01:08:05 and to go as we are. 01:08:08 Your people are assembled on Sabbath in Grand Rapids. 01:08:14 Come and do something special, in Christ's name, amen. 01:08:19 Amen. 01:08:21 Robert Robertson was eight years old. 01:08:26 He was living a carefree life, 01:08:29 playing enjoying life in a little English village 01:08:33 and there in 1743, his father died, 01:08:39 changed his life dramatically as any child knows 01:08:43 who at a young age has lost the father. 01:08:47 Robert was bright, intelligent but headstrong, 01:08:53 difficult for his mother to handle. 01:08:55 She did everything she could but he went from bad to worse. 01:09:02 When he was 14 years old, his mother sent him 01:09:05 to London to apprentice with a barber. 01:09:09 She thought if he got a job and useful employment 01:09:12 that would make a significant difference in his life. 01:09:15 It did not. 01:09:17 Things went from bad to worse. 01:09:20 He began drinking heavily, gambling, 01:09:24 got in with the wrong crowd. 01:09:26 And when he was 17, he and some of his buddies 01:09:30 decided to go to an evangelistic meeting 01:09:33 held by George Whitfield and he wanted 01:09:36 to mock the evangelist 01:09:39 and wanted to create quite a scene 01:09:42 at the meetings. 01:09:44 But as Whitfield opened his Bible 01:09:46 and began to talk about Jesus. 01:09:49 There was a strange stirring in this 01:09:52 17 year old boy's heart. 01:09:55 There's a strange awakening in his soul. 01:10:01 He felt the warmth of Christ love. 01:10:04 He sensed the magnificence of Christ grace, 01:10:08 and although he did not go forward 01:10:10 in the altar call that night, for three years, 01:10:13 Robert was haunted by a vision of the cross 01:10:19 that he got at 17 years old. 01:10:21 When he was 20, December 10th, 1755, 01:10:25 he surrendered his life to Christ. 01:10:28 It changed his life totally. 01:10:30 Shortly thereafter he took theology, became a preacher. 01:10:36 Methodist preacher. 01:10:38 He was preparing a sermon one Sunday morning 01:10:42 for a little church in Norfolk, England, 01:10:45 and to accompany that sermon he wrote a song, 01:10:49 the hymns words speak of a grace 01:10:52 we do not deserve and a debt we cannot pay. 01:10:56 They speak of mercy beyond relief. 01:10:59 They speak of forgiveness beyond our comprehension. 01:11:03 They speak of grace beyond our human understanding. 01:11:06 You know the song well. 01:11:07 Come, thou fount of every blessing 01:11:11 Tune my heart to sing Thy grace 01:11:15 Streams of mercy, never ceasing... 01:11:18 You know the song. 01:11:20 Jesus sought me when a stranger 01:11:21 Wandering from the fold of God 01:11:23 He, to rescue me from danger 01:11:26 Interposed His precious blood 01:11:28 O to grace how great a debtor 01:11:32 Daily I'm constrained to be 01:11:35 Let Thy goodness, like a fetter 01:11:38 Bind my wandering heart to Thee 01:11:42 This morning we look at the Book of Romans 01:11:45 and we cry out with a hymn writer, 01:11:47 O to grace how great a debtor 01:11:52 Daily I'm constrained to be 01:11:55 Take your Bibles, please and turn to the Book of Romans. 01:11:59 Romans the first chapter, 01:12:02 you may have it in a printed copy, 01:12:05 you may have it on your iPhone, your iPad, 01:12:10 but look at the text and do not text. 01:12:16 Romans 1:14 and onward. 01:12:21 What is the single motivation 01:12:26 that impelled the early church 01:12:29 to take the gospel to the world? 01:12:32 I suggest to you that the cross came before Pentecost. 01:12:39 I suggest to you that being filled with grace 01:12:44 comes before being filled with the spirit, 01:12:48 unless the church comes to the cross 01:12:52 and it's broken at the cross and transformed by grace, 01:12:58 the power of Pentecost will not fall. 01:13:03 The cross always comes before Pentecost. 01:13:07 Take your Bible and turn to Romans the first chapter 01:13:12 and we're looking there at verses 14-16. 01:13:17 Romans 1 beginning with the 14th verse. 01:13:22 The Apostle Paul says... 01:13:26 "I am a debtor both to Greeks, 01:13:29 and to the barbarians, both to the wise, 01:13:32 and to the unwise. 01:13:34 So much as in me is, I'm ready to preach the gospel to you 01:13:39 who are in Rome also. 01:13:41 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, 01:13:44 for it is the power of God to salvation, 01:13:47 for everyone who believes, to the Jew first 01:13:50 then to the Greek. 01:13:52 For in it the righteousness of God 01:13:54 is revealed from faith to faith, it is written, 01:13:57 the just shall live by faith." 01:13:58 Notice Paul makes three I am statements. 01:14:01 He says I am a debtor, he says I am ready 01:14:06 and he says I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. 01:14:08 We will look at that first phrase this morning. 01:14:13 I am a debtor. 01:14:14 It is the essence of indebtedness 01:14:18 that in prompts and motivates Paul's witness. 01:14:22 Paul was a debtor. 01:14:23 In Christ he found mercy. 01:14:25 In Christ he found forgiveness. 01:14:28 In Christ he found pardon. 01:14:30 In Christ he found grace. 01:14:32 In Christ his life was transformed. 01:14:34 In Christ he was made new. 01:14:36 In Christ he had a new reason for living. 01:14:39 And the passion that motivated him 01:14:41 was this debt to the Christ that died for him. 01:14:45 The crucified Christ redeemed him 01:14:47 from the guilt of the past. 01:14:49 The resurrected Christ gave him power 01:14:51 for the present and the returning Christ 01:14:54 gave him hope for the future. 01:14:56 Paul cries out from the depths of his being, 01:14:58 I am a debtor. 01:15:01 It is the essence of death. 01:15:04 Paul continues describing this amazing grace 01:15:08 through the Book of Romans. 01:15:09 He could never get tired of telling of God's grace. 01:15:13 He was never bored of sharing the story of the cross. 01:15:18 There was a passion within him. 01:15:21 If you are motivated, merely to make a name 01:15:24 for your ministry that is insufficient motivation. 01:15:27 If you're motivated by pride, 01:15:29 that is insufficient motivation. 01:15:31 The cross of Christ, laying the glory of man 01:15:34 in the dust. 01:15:35 If you talk more about your ministries 01:15:37 than you do about Jesus, more about your accomplishments 01:15:40 than you do about Jesus. 01:15:41 Something is wrong, if there's a tinge of pride 01:15:44 in your soul about who you are. 01:15:47 The third angel's messages, 01:15:49 "Fear God and give glory to Him." 01:15:52 Amen. 01:15:53 The Book of Roman shares that glory is Jesus. 01:15:57 It's the laying of all glory of man in the dust. 01:16:00 When we don't care about who we are but who Jesus is. 01:16:04 When we're more concern about giving glory to him 01:16:06 than we are to ourselves. 01:16:08 When we we're more anxious to glorify his name 01:16:10 than we are our name. 01:16:12 When we talk more about Him than we do ourselves. 01:16:16 When we don't care who gets the glory 01:16:18 but we desire His work to go forward powerfully. 01:16:22 The spirit of God will be poured out in an amazing way 01:16:26 on a people that are united to give Him glory. 01:16:29 Amen. 01:16:30 Now what is the basis of this indebtedness? 01:16:33 What is the real story of the cross? 01:16:36 What is the real story of grace? 01:16:39 Romans the 3 chapter, Romans Chapter 3, 01:16:43 we look at the Book of Romans, the story of grace. 01:16:47 Grace is amazing, Romans the third chapter, 01:16:51 we look there at verse 23 and onward. 01:16:54 "For all have sinned and fall short 01:16:57 of the glory of God." 01:16:58 That is you, that is me. 01:16:59 We are sinners by birth. We are sinners by nature. 01:17:04 The heart is deceitful above all things 01:17:06 and desperately weakened. 01:17:08 In us there is no righteousness. 01:17:10 We are condemned to eternal loss. 01:17:13 Verse 23,"For all have sinned 01:17:16 and come short of the glory of God, 01:17:18 Being justified freely by His grace 01:17:22 through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 01:17:26 whom God set forth to be a propitiation by His blood, 01:17:31 through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, 01:17:35 because in His forbearance God passed 01:17:38 over the sins that were previously committed." 01:17:41 Now notice this word propitiation. 01:17:44 This is quite an amazing word. 01:17:49 You can translate propitiation satisfaction 01:17:54 in Christ death on the cross, he satisfies 01:17:59 the justice of God in meeting the demands of a broken law. 01:18:05 So you can translate propitiation 01:18:07 as satisfaction. 01:18:10 But there's an interesting association 01:18:14 in the Greek language. 01:18:16 The word propitiation is in a family of words 01:18:20 that are the Hilasterion family. 01:18:24 Now the word mercy seat in the sanctuary 01:18:27 is a Hilasterion and propitiation 01:18:30 is in a family of words 01:18:32 that leads you to the sanctuary. 01:18:35 In the sanctuary of the Israel in the court, 01:18:40 there is the altar, it is there 01:18:42 that the sacrifice is slain in the bloody shed. 01:18:47 The priest takes that blood and goes into the holy place 01:18:50 of the sanctuary. 01:18:52 And sprinkles the blood before the veil. 01:18:55 But once a year, on The Day of Atonement, 01:19:00 the high priest enters into the most holy place 01:19:03 of the heavenly of the earthly sanctuary. 01:19:07 And sprinkles the blood there on the mercy seat, 01:19:13 the Hilasterion. 01:19:14 Now below this mercy seat is the Ten Commandment law, 01:19:19 the Ark-- it's the Ark of the Covenant. 01:19:21 There on the mercy seat are the two cherubims. 01:19:26 And so there on The Day of Atonement, 01:19:31 reconciliation that has been wrote out in the court 01:19:37 is finally applied to the entire universe 01:19:41 in the universe ultimately becomes clean 01:19:45 at the end of the Day of Atonement. 01:19:47 The mercy seat is the place where God's love and grace 01:19:54 and justice meet together in the ransom of sinners. 01:20:01 The bloodshed in the court 01:20:03 is finally brought into the tabernacle 01:20:06 in an ultimate Day of Atonement 01:20:09 to cleanse the entire universe for sin 01:20:12 to apply what Jesus did on the cross. 01:20:16 So when Paul says here in Romans Chapter 3, 01:20:21 he talks about the fact in Romans 3:23, 01:20:27 "Whom God set forth to be propitiation by His blood." 01:20:31 What is he saying? 01:20:32 He's saying Christ satisfies the demands of the law. 01:20:36 The just assumes the role of those who are unjust. 01:20:42 The righteous assumes the role of those that are sinners. 01:20:45 The innocent assumes the role of those that are guilty. 01:20:49 The perfect one assumes the role of the ones 01:20:51 that are imperfect. 01:20:53 We see this again in Romans the 5 chapter. 01:20:56 Romans 5:6-8, what is the story of the cross? 01:21:02 The story of the cross is the divine son of God, 01:21:07 the one worshipped by all the angels, 01:21:11 the one who'd knew no sin becoming sin for us. 01:21:14 For cursed is everyone that hangs on the tree, 01:21:18 the story of the cross 01:21:19 is more than the story of nails through Jesus' hands 01:21:22 and a crown of thorns upon His head 01:21:24 and blood running down His face 01:21:26 and His feet being spiked to a wooden bar. 01:21:30 It is more than the story of Judas betraying Him 01:21:33 and Peter denying Him. 01:21:35 And the Romans forsaking Him and nailing Him there 01:21:40 and the Jews not quite understanding 01:21:42 what was going on there. 01:21:43 It is much more than that. 01:21:45 The story of the cross is the story of the divine 01:21:49 sinless perfect Son of God, 01:21:53 assuming the condemnation of sin 01:21:56 for the entire human race. 01:21:58 A judgment bar is set up on the cross 01:22:00 and Christ is considered before the whole universe 01:22:03 to be a sinner for you and me. 01:22:05 And He experiences on that cross, 01:22:08 the death that I should have died. 01:22:09 The death that you should have died, 01:22:11 not merely a physical death, 01:22:13 but He plunges the depths of the tomb 01:22:16 and He goes into hell itself for us 01:22:19 as He hangs on that cross. 01:22:20 Take your Bibles please 01:22:21 and look at Romans the 5 chapter. 01:22:23 Romans 5 we're looking there at verse 6 and onward. 01:22:28 "For when we were still without strength, 01:22:30 in due time Christ died for the ungodly." 01:22:34 Christ did not die because we were godly, 01:22:37 He died because we were ungodly. 01:22:40 Notice verse 8, 01:22:42 "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, 01:22:45 in that while we were still sinners, 01:22:47 Christ died for us." 01:22:50 Christ grace is unmerited. 01:22:53 It's undeserved. It's unearned. 01:22:56 Jesus died the agonizing painful death 01:22:59 that all sinners will die. 01:23:00 He experienced the fullness 01:23:02 of the Father's wrath against sin. 01:23:05 He was rejected so we could be accepted. 01:23:07 He died the death that was ours so we could live the life 01:23:09 that was His. 01:23:11 He wore the crown of thorns 01:23:12 so we would wear the crown of glory. 01:23:14 He was nailed upright in torturous pain, 01:23:18 so that we could reign on a throne 01:23:19 with the redeemed of all ages, 01:23:21 wearing robes of royalty forever. 01:23:23 Marvel of all marvels. Wonder of all wonders. 01:23:29 In our shame and guilt Jesus did not reject us. 01:23:33 On the cross, He descended to the depths of hell, 01:23:37 so we could ascend to the heights of heaven. 01:23:41 I love the way Ellen White puts it. 01:23:44 In language that no human pen could write. 01:23:50 In words so sublime, so magnificent 01:23:54 that one almost does not want to read them standing 01:23:58 but fall to their knees. 01:24:00 Listen Desire of Ages page 753, 01:24:03 "Upon Christ as our substitute and surety 01:24:08 was laid the iniquity of us all. 01:24:11 He was counted a transgressor, that He might redeem us 01:24:15 from the condemnation of the law. 01:24:18 The guilt of every descendant of Adam 01:24:21 was pressing upon His heart." 01:24:23 Now think of it. 01:24:24 He hangs on the cross 01:24:27 and the guilt of every descendent of Adam, 01:24:31 the guilt of every sin ever committed. 01:24:35 The condemnation of every sin ever committed. 01:24:38 The shame of every sin ever committed 01:24:41 is pressing upon Him. 01:24:43 We continue. 01:24:44 "The wrath of God against sin, the terrible manifestation 01:24:49 of His displeasure because of iniquity, 01:24:52 filled the soul of His Son with consternation." 01:24:56 Listen next paragraph. 01:24:58 "Satan with his fierce temptations 01:25:00 wrung the heart of Jesus." 01:25:03 What is Satan tempting Jesus about 01:25:06 as He hangs on the cross? 01:25:07 Next sentence. 01:25:08 "The Savior could not see 01:25:10 through the portals of the tomb. 01:25:12 Hope did not present to Him His coming forth 01:25:15 from the grave a conqueror, 01:25:17 or tell Him of the Father's acceptance of the sacrifice. 01:25:20 He feared that sin was so offensive to God 01:25:25 that their separation was to be eternal. 01:25:29 Christ felt the anguish that the sinner will feel 01:25:32 when mercy shall no longer plead for the human race. 01:25:36 It was the sense of sin, bringing the Father's wrath 01:25:39 upon Him as the sinners substitute, 01:25:42 that made the cup He drank so bitter, 01:25:44 and broke the heart of the Son of God." 01:25:45 So when Jesus is hanging on the cross, 01:25:48 Satan says to Him, 01:25:50 if you go through with this 01:25:52 bearing the guilt in shame of the human race, 01:25:54 You will never see your Father again. 01:25:56 The separation is to be eternal 01:25:59 and although Jesus said before the cross, 01:26:01 you destroy this body in three days, 01:26:03 I'll raise it up again. 01:26:04 On the cross, the guilt of sin is so great. 01:26:08 The shame of sin is so overwhelming. 01:26:10 The condemnation of sin that He bears for the human race 01:26:13 is so large, so huge. 01:26:15 All He senses on that cross, 01:26:18 is that if He goes into that grave, 01:26:21 He will be separated from the Father forever. 01:26:24 The separation will be eternal and Jesus says on that cross, 01:26:29 "I would rather experience hell itself 01:26:33 and be not in heaven with my father," 01:26:35 if Mark Finley can be there. 01:26:37 If John can be there, if Mary can be there. 01:26:40 This is a love so amazing. 01:26:42 This is a love so incredible. 01:26:45 This is a love so divine 01:26:47 that all I can do is fall at His feet 01:26:49 and say, I'm a debtor. 01:26:51 A debtor to grace. 01:26:54 This is the story of the Christ that loves us so much, 01:26:57 that He would rather experience hell itself 01:26:59 than have you lost. 01:27:01 This is the story of boundless, unfathomable, 01:27:04 incomprehensible, undying, unending, infinite love. 01:27:09 That longs for us to be with Him through all eternity. 01:27:15 Notice the text. This is what motivated Paul. 01:27:19 This was the passion beating in his heart. 01:27:22 This was the fire in his belly and this is the passion 01:27:26 that will inspire an end time church 01:27:29 to go to the end of the world, 01:27:31 that the passion of the cross, 01:27:33 the transformation of the grace of Christ. 01:27:36 We cry out with Paul in Romans 1, 01:27:38 notice what Paul says. 01:27:40 Romans 1 Paul says, 01:27:43 I'm a debtor to the Greeks and the barbarians. 01:27:46 The Greeks were the educated elite. 01:27:48 The Greeks were 01:27:49 the sophisticated intellectuals. 01:27:52 The Greeks were the higher classes. 01:27:54 In Greek understanding of culture, 01:27:56 the barbarians were everybody else 01:27:59 and so what is Paul saying, 01:28:00 I'm indebt to the educated and the uneducated, 01:28:04 to the rich and the poor, 01:28:06 to the royal class and the working class. 01:28:08 I'm indebt for all humanity. 01:28:10 Catch a glimpse of Paul's passion for lost people. 01:28:14 He couldn't stop telling the story. 01:28:17 In Acts 16, he tells the story to a business woman 01:28:21 in Thyatira called Lydia 01:28:23 and she's converted and becomes a member of ASI 01:28:27 and uses her resources to spread the gospel. 01:28:31 Later in the chapter Paul and Silas sing 01:28:33 God's grace in prison 01:28:35 and a Philippian jailer and his family are baptized. 01:28:38 In Acts 17 Paul shares God's grace with philosophers 01:28:42 in Athens and some of them are baptized. 01:28:44 Later in the Book of Acts he tells the story to Felix 01:28:48 and to Agrippa, Roman rulers and they stand there trembling 01:28:52 before the grace of God. 01:28:54 Paul goes to Rome 01:28:55 and there in prison he tells the story of God's grace. 01:28:59 And some in Caesar's household are baptized throughout Acts. 01:29:04 Paul never tires of telling the story. 01:29:06 He echoes it from Jerusalem to Rome. 01:29:09 He proclaims it to Roman rulers and Jewish slave girls. 01:29:12 He shares that in prisons, on ships, in market places, 01:29:15 in the country side, in private homes 01:29:18 and public squares. 01:29:19 Why? What prompts him? What motivates him? 01:29:23 He's motivated by one thing not the desire to baptize 01:29:27 more than anybody else. 01:29:28 Not the desire to make his ministry 01:29:30 the best, the highest, the greatest. 01:29:31 Paul doesn't talk about himself, you read Romans, 01:29:34 you read Philippians, you read Colossians, 01:29:36 you read Ephesians. 01:29:37 He's is so in love with Jesus. 01:29:39 Jesus has changed his life and Paul says, 01:29:41 redeemed how I love to proclaim it. 01:29:44 Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. 01:29:45 Amen. That's Paul. 01:29:47 Passionate about this Christ. Transformed by this Christ. 01:29:51 Did he have any difficulties? 01:29:53 I'll tell you one thing, if there's a one proud 01:29:57 selfish tinge in your body. 01:30:02 When the going gets tough, you're gonna drop out. 01:30:04 You will get Paul. 01:30:06 2 Corinthians 11: 24-28. 01:30:14 Did Paul have problems preaching the gospel? 01:30:17 Why didn't he give up? 01:30:19 What kept him going on? 01:30:22 2 Corinthians 11:24-28, 01:30:26 here he is telling his story verse 24, 01:30:29 "From the Jews five times 01:30:30 I received forty stripes minus one." 01:30:32 Give up Paul, this thing about preaching the gospel 01:30:35 talking about grace this is tough. 01:30:37 Five times they beat you verse 25, 01:30:41 "Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; 01:30:45 three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day 01:30:48 I have been in the deep; in journeys often, 01:30:50 in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, 01:30:52 in perils of my own countrymen, 01:30:54 in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, 01:30:56 in perils in the country." 01:30:58 And that must been easy life, right. 01:31:00 "In perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren, 01:31:02 in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, 01:31:05 in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, 01:31:07 in cold beside other things." 01:31:09 I mean that's kind of you know, 01:31:10 that's a little humor showing, intense his story, I'm beaten. 01:31:14 I'm shipwrecked. I stay in the night and day. 01:31:17 They hit me with rods, they forsake me. 01:31:19 Then he says beside other things, 01:31:24 why did you keep doing it Paul? 01:31:27 What was the motivation? 01:31:30 Why didn't you just give up? 01:31:32 Why didn't you go home and make tents 01:31:35 and live a comfortable life. 01:31:37 2 Corinthians 5 he explains why. 01:31:41 He summarizes the heart of the reason. 01:31:44 In 2 Corinthians 5 01:31:46 is one of the most powerful passages 01:31:51 in all of scripture that motivates evangelism, 01:31:55 that motivates witness when you come to the cross, 01:32:00 and your heart is transformed by the grace of God. 01:32:05 When you understand grace and its transforming power, 01:32:10 when it wills up inside of you 01:32:13 and you see what Christ has done for you 01:32:16 that He's forgiven you 01:32:18 that in Christ your guilt is gone. 01:32:21 In Christ there is no condemnation. 01:32:23 In Christ there's a new power in your life 01:32:27 that makes you over again. 01:32:29 In Christ there is a new hope, 01:32:32 when that living Christ enters your life, 01:32:35 you cannot be silent. 01:32:37 Amen. 01:32:39 Whether you get accolades or you do not. 01:32:42 Whether the days are tough or they are not. 01:32:47 Whether the journey is long and the mountain is high 01:32:51 and the road is rough. 01:32:53 There's a passion in your life to tell the story. 01:32:56 2 Corinthians 5 we see at there verse 14, 01:33:00 "For the love of Christ constrains us." 01:33:06 What's that word constrains me? 01:33:07 It compels us, it causes us to do things 01:33:11 for the love of Christ constrains us 01:33:14 because we judged us that 01:33:16 if one died for all then all die 01:33:19 and He died for all that those who live 01:33:22 should no longer live for themselves. 01:33:26 Amen. 01:33:28 And we who are saved by grace. 01:33:31 Echo the same sentiments as Paul, grace liberates us, 01:33:36 grace empowers us, grace changes us, 01:33:39 grace transforms us and grace compels us to tell the story. 01:33:43 What do you say? 01:33:45 We can do no other. 01:33:47 Good news is for sharing 01:33:50 and we too are debtors for grace. 01:33:52 What has Christ done for you? 01:33:54 In the divine drama of destiny in the providence of God, 01:34:00 you too have been touched by grace. 01:34:02 His grace has pardoned you. 01:34:04 His grace has freed you from guilt. 01:34:07 His grace has redeemed you. His grace has empowered you. 01:34:11 His grace has led you to be a son or daughter of God. 01:34:16 His grace has guided you into the advent movement, 01:34:20 a divine movement God has raised up 01:34:22 in the last days of earth's history. 01:34:24 You are here today because of grace. 01:34:28 And grace motivates us. 01:34:30 Great grace compels us. 01:34:32 We're not primarily motivated by numbers. 01:34:34 We're not motivated by statistics. 01:34:36 We're not motivated by the desire to attract attention. 01:34:39 We're not motivated by the desire 01:34:40 for notoriety or publicity. 01:34:43 We're motivated by one thing. We are motivated by grace. 01:34:48 We're motivated by the love of the one who redeemed us. 01:34:52 We're motivated by the love of the Christ that hung 01:34:54 on Calvary's cross for us. 01:34:56 We're motivated by a love that is so powerful, so redeeming, 01:35:00 so life transformational, 01:35:03 we could nothing else but tell the story. 01:35:06 What has motivated? 01:35:07 Adventists, through the centuries 01:35:11 to lead their families, to lead their friends, 01:35:15 to cross oceans, to traverse desert sands, 01:35:20 to climb rough mountain passes, 01:35:23 to fought rivers, to brave mosquito infested jungles. 01:35:28 What has motivated these Adventist pioneers? 01:35:34 One thing, the love of Christ. 01:35:37 They were motivated by grace. 01:35:40 And they could do nothing else but tell the story 01:35:46 of a soon coming returning Lord. 01:35:49 One of the hallmarks of much of today's Christianity 01:35:52 is many of us have lost the fire in our belly. 01:35:55 We've lost the burning desire in our hearts. 01:35:58 We've lost the zeal. We've lost the vision. 01:36:00 We've lost the passion. 01:36:01 But the weakness of early Adventist pioneers 01:36:04 is when they come to Christ and the cross 01:36:07 and have a vision of that cross 01:36:08 and when they're indebted to grace. 01:36:11 And they sense there's a story to tell to prepare a world 01:36:14 for the coming of Christ. 01:36:16 They often left family, friends, 01:36:17 braved unusual circumstance I think of George Riffel. 01:36:23 George Riffel and his brother Frederick 01:36:26 were Germans living in Russia, Moravians, 01:36:29 later part of the 19th century. 01:36:32 George Riffel and his brother decided to leave Russia, 01:36:37 move to South America or North America. 01:36:42 Frederick came to North America, 01:36:43 settled in Kansas, 01:36:45 George came to first Brazil 01:36:49 and then he moved into Argentina. 01:36:51 They were farmers, planted crops, 01:36:54 Frederick in Kansas, George in Argentina. 01:36:58 But George fell in tough times. 01:37:00 He had six years of very difficult farming, 01:37:05 crop failure, living among the Germans 01:37:08 speaking portion of Argentina 01:37:10 decided to join his brother in Kansas and he did. 01:37:14 And there in 1885, these two brothers 01:37:18 George Riffel and his brother Frederick 01:37:21 became Seventh-day Adventists. 01:37:24 They developed some of the richest farms 01:37:29 in the central portion of Kansas. 01:37:33 They were prosperous business people. 01:37:36 But there was a stirring in George's soul. 01:37:41 There was a moving in George's heart. 01:37:44 He could not live a comfortable convenient life 01:37:51 in Kansas. 01:37:52 Farms were prospering, crops were growing. 01:37:56 But George Riffel had come to Christ. 01:37:59 He was indebt and he thought about that 01:38:04 German speaking community in Argentina. 01:38:08 In late 1800s and he said to his brother, 01:38:12 I'm gonna sell out everything in the farm and I'm gonna go. 01:38:16 I'm gonna go to Argentina. 01:38:18 I have to tell the story. 01:38:21 I've got a passion in my heart. I've got a fire in my belly. 01:38:24 George Riffel, this lay person went to South America. 01:38:28 At that time we did not have 01:38:29 one Seventh-day Adventist church in South America. 01:38:34 Riffel gets there begins sharing Christ, 01:38:37 begins translating literature there in Argentina 01:38:42 place called Crespo, Argentina. 01:38:46 A number of people accept Jesus. 01:38:49 They accept the Adventist message. 01:38:51 They accept the Sabbath. They become Sabbath keepers. 01:38:53 They're looking for the coming of Jesus, 01:38:54 but there's no Adventist pastors of course, 01:38:56 no Adventist churches. 01:38:57 So George Riffel this lay person 01:38:59 baptizes 50 of them. 01:39:02 Writes to the General Conference 01:39:03 in glowing terms brethren 01:39:06 I've been down here in Argentina 01:39:08 working as a lay person. 01:39:09 I just baptized 50 people, come. 01:39:13 The General Conference wrote him 01:39:14 an interesting letter back. 01:39:17 My dear brother, you do not have authorization 01:39:20 to baptize down there. 01:39:23 Riffel writes them back. 01:39:26 Oh, I thank God for consecrated dedicated laymen 01:39:29 who want to cooperate with the church. 01:39:31 Riffel writes them back. 01:39:32 My dear brethren, thank you for giving me that counsel 01:39:36 but please send somebody quick 01:39:38 because I have more people to baptize. 01:39:41 The brethren did it 01:39:43 and when Frederick Wheeler rather 01:39:47 when Frank Westfall came in 1894 to Argentina, 01:39:53 he found a whole group that Riffel and other 01:39:56 literature evangelists had gotten ready to baptize. 01:40:01 The Seventh-day Adventist church in South America, 01:40:07 largely started 01:40:09 because a Seventh-day Adventist business person 01:40:15 was willing prompted by the cross of Christ 01:40:22 sensing his debt to all humanity 01:40:27 to share the story of Christ 01:40:29 and the Adventist message to go to South America. 01:40:33 And today we've over 01:40:38 Seventh-day Adventists in South America. 01:40:41 Ten thousand six hundred churches in South America. 01:40:45 I just got an email from the president 01:40:48 of the South American Division Erton Kohler, 01:40:50 and he was talking to me about comprehensive health evangelism 01:40:53 and we've just written a new book 01:40:55 on health and spirituality. 01:40:57 And he said, "Pastor Mark, in our division alone, 01:41:00 we're gonna pass out 01:41:06 of this book on helping Jesus, what do you say? 01:41:08 Amen. 01:41:10 The church was started by lay people. 01:41:11 I think of China. 01:41:13 Abraham La Rue, a shepherd, a woodcutter 01:41:18 and living in California comes to Christ. 01:41:23 He has a burning ambition. 01:41:24 He's praying one day, The Lord impressed him go to China. 01:41:27 He's 65 years old. 01:41:29 Writes to the brethren, and the brethren say, 01:41:32 oh, thank you for your commitment 01:41:34 but you are too old to go to China. 01:41:37 You're 65 and by the way we don't having the budget. 01:41:41 You know what that lay person does? 01:41:43 Hitches a ride on a freighter, goes half way to China, 01:41:47 goes to Hawaii but then he works witnesses there. 01:41:51 He ends up in China ultimately, 01:41:54 shares the gospel in China and eventually coming to China 01:42:01 is J.N. Anderson, 01:42:03 who finds converts from Abraham La Rue, 01:42:05 a lay people. 01:42:07 If you look at the countries around the world, 01:42:11 the Seventh-day Adventist church 01:42:15 is rooted in a lay movement. 01:42:18 Scores of our countries were started 01:42:20 by consecrated lay people, 01:42:23 who sensed the moving of the spirit of God. 01:42:28 Lay people, motivated by love, made sacrifices for Christ 01:42:32 and witness in the first century. 01:42:34 Lay people motivated by love 01:42:37 have made sacrifices throughout the history of Christianity 01:42:40 and these same lay people are motivated by the love of Christ 01:42:44 are doing some amazing things 01:42:46 in the last century of earth's history. 01:42:49 The work of God will not flicker like a candle 01:42:53 and go out in obscurity. 01:42:56 Listen to the words of the prophets. 01:42:58 Listen to the words of Jesus, 01:43:00 Matthew 24 look there please at verse 14. 01:43:07 Jesus completes His sermon on the last day events. 01:43:13 Matthew 24:14, this gospel of the kingdom, 01:43:18 this what of the kingdom? 01:43:20 This gospel. What is the gospel? 01:43:22 It's the good news that independent of my merit, 01:43:26 Christ has redeemed me on Calvary's cross. 01:43:28 What is the gospel? 01:43:30 It's the good news that in Jesus I'm justified. 01:43:33 What is the gospel? 01:43:34 It's the good news that in Christ I'm sanctified. 01:43:37 The same grace that justifies me 01:43:39 by His grace, he'll sanctify me. 01:43:42 What is the gospel? 01:43:43 It is the message of scripture that Christ died, 01:43:46 Christ was resurrected, Christ is living 01:43:49 and Christ is coming again. 01:43:52 "And this gospel of the kingdom 01:43:54 will be preached in all the world 01:43:56 as a witness to all nations, then the end will come." 01:44:00 The third-- the first angel's message, 01:44:02 Revelation 14 Chapter. 01:44:05 Notice in these end time messages 01:44:08 that there is an end time hope 01:44:11 and that end time hope is that men and women 01:44:15 transformed by God's grace. 01:44:18 Men and women empowered by God's grace. 01:44:22 Methods will not finish the work, 01:44:25 television, radio, literature will be used of God 01:44:30 but they are not the prime agencies 01:44:32 to finish God's work. 01:44:33 God will use people, lay people, 01:44:36 pastors, administrators. 01:44:38 Men and women like you and me 01:44:41 who have an authentic experience with Christ, 01:44:44 who've been transformed by the grace of God. 01:44:46 What did the early disciple say 01:44:48 when they were told not to preach? 01:44:51 You remember what Peter said. 01:44:53 He said, "How can we not speak the things 01:44:58 we've seen and heard." 01:45:01 The world longs for an authentic representation 01:45:08 of human life, in human life of the gospel. 01:45:12 And the Three Angels' Message, the first angel's message says, 01:45:15 "And I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, 01:45:19 having the ever lasting gospel to go to every nation, 01:45:26 kindred, tongue and people." 01:45:28 The preaching of the everlasting gospel 01:45:31 will leap across geographical boundaries. 01:45:34 It will penetrate earth's remotest areas. 01:45:37 It will reach people of every language and every culture. 01:45:40 It'll impact the entire world. 01:45:42 The foundations of hell will tremble, for Jesus said, 01:45:46 I will built my church 01:45:48 and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. 01:45:52 Amen. 01:45:54 Grace is greater than sin. 01:45:57 Love is greater than hate. 01:46:00 Light will dispel the darkness. 01:46:03 And Revelation 18 says, in verse 1, John says, 01:46:09 "I saw the earth lightened with the glory of God." 01:46:14 The glory of His love. The glory of His character. 01:46:16 I love the way Ellen White puts it. 01:46:18 Listen to these words, Great Controversy, page 670, 01:46:22 "Servants of God, with their faces lighted up 01:46:25 and shining with holy consecration." 01:46:27 What are their faces lighted up with? 01:46:29 The grace of God. 01:46:31 What are their faces shinning with the holy consecration 01:46:33 about the passion. 01:46:35 The fact that they are indebt to share the cross. 01:46:38 "Servants of God, with their faces lighted up 01:46:41 and shining with holy consecration, 01:46:43 will hasten from place to place 01:46:44 to proclaim the message from heaven. 01:46:46 By thousands of voices, all over the earth, 01:46:49 the warning will be given. 01:46:51 Miracles will be wrought, the sick will be healed, 01:46:53 and signs and wonders will follow the believers." 01:46:55 What we are going to experience in end time 01:46:58 is absolutely magnificent. 01:46:59 Yes, persecution has come. 01:47:01 Yes, there'll be a time when church and state unite. 01:47:03 Yes, there will be economic boycott 01:47:05 but my brother, my sister, look beyond that 01:47:09 to the glory of men and women transformed by the cross. 01:47:14 Paul says, "God forbid that I should glory in anything, 01:47:17 save the cross of Christ." 01:47:18 Men and women transformed by grace, filled by the spirit, 01:47:22 passionate about witness 01:47:24 who go out to the ends of the earth. 01:47:25 Listen to this statement, 01:47:27 Review and Herald, July 23, 1895, 01:47:30 "Many will be seen hurrying hither and thither, 01:47:34 constrained by the Spirit of God 01:47:36 to bring the light to others. 01:47:38 The truth, the word of God, is as a fire in their bones, 01:47:42 filling them with a burning desire 01:47:45 to enlighten those in darkness." 01:47:48 Look at this one. 01:47:49 Testimonies, volume 9, page 28-29, 01:47:52 "I saw jets of light shining from cities and villages, 01:47:56 and from the high places 01:47:58 and the low places of the earth. 01:48:00 God's Word was obeyed, and as a result 01:48:03 there were memorials for Him in every city and village. 01:48:06 His truth was proclaimed throughout the earth." 01:48:09 Memorials in every city and village. 01:48:12 IskolokoyCafe God's word true, what do you say? 01:48:15 Amen. Is God's word true? 01:48:17 Is God gonna do what He said? 01:48:19 Is He gonna do it through you? 01:48:20 Amen. 01:48:24 Is your one goal to be broken at the cross? 01:48:31 Amen. 01:48:36 Is your one goal to bring His name glory? 01:48:43 Do you have some self centeredness 01:48:46 still in the heart? 01:48:49 Some pride still in the heart. 01:48:52 You have a theological pride 01:48:55 because you know the word and others don't. 01:48:59 You have an institutional pride. 01:49:05 Because your ministry is doing so good. 01:49:09 You have a professional pride because of academic degrees. 01:49:15 You have a pride because you're not proud. 01:49:23 When Jesus has a people 01:49:27 that are more interested in His glory than their glory, 01:49:35 when Jesus has a people who are broken at the cross 01:49:41 and all they want is what He wants. 01:49:46 All they care about is what He cares about. 01:49:51 All they want is to bring glory to His name 01:49:56 and not theirs. 01:49:58 When Jesus has a people who are so charmed by grace, 01:50:05 so filled with love, so transformed at the cross, 01:50:12 they will be safe for him 01:50:15 to pour out His Holy Spirit upon 01:50:19 to finish His work on earth. 01:50:23 This is the destiny to which you have been called. 01:50:29 This is heaven's appeal to your heart. 01:50:33 This is Christ appeal to your soul. 01:50:37 Will you accept heaven's appeal? 01:50:41 As a debtor to grace, 01:50:44 will you fall on your knees 01:50:49 and say Jesus I'm a debtor to grace. 01:50:54 You paid such an infinite price for me. 01:50:58 There's a passion in my heart. 01:51:00 I've seen a vision of Christ, 01:51:03 a Christ who would rather go into the grave 01:51:07 and never come out then for me to be lost. 01:51:10 A Christ that would rather be condemned for all eternity 01:51:15 if that was necessary for me to be in heaven. 01:51:18 A Christ with a boundless unfathomable, undying love, 01:51:22 I've seen that price. 01:51:25 I have to tell the story. 01:51:28 Are the words of your heart, the words that-- 01:51:32 I will sing of my Redeemer and His wondrous love to me. 01:51:37 On the cruel cross he suffered. 01:51:39 From the curse, He set me free. 01:51:42 Sing-- oh, sing of my Redeemer 01:51:45 with His blood He purchased me. 01:51:48 On the cross He sealed my pardon. 01:51:50 Paid the debt and set me free. Let's stand and sing it. 01:51:54 I will sing of my redeemer and his wondrous love to me. 01:51:59 Make this song your commitment. 01:52:01 Let Jesus touch your heart with the words of the song. 01:52:05 Their pride be crushed, may arrogance be demolished. 01:52:10 May self be set aside, 01:52:13 and may Jesus and Jesus only be exalted. 01:52:16 I will sing of my redeemer. Let's sing it together. 01:52:31 I will sing of my Redeemer 01:52:37 And His wondrous love to me 01:52:43 On the cruel cross He suffered 01:52:49 From the curse to set me free 01:52:55 Sing, oh, sing of my Redeemer 01:53:02 With His blood He purchased me 01:53:08 On the cross He sealed my pardon 01:53:15 Paid the debt, and made me free 01:53:23 I will tell the wondrous story 01:53:30 How my lost estate to save 01:53:37 In His boundless love and mercy 01:53:43 He the ransom freely gave 01:53:50 Sing, oh, sing of my Redeemer 01:53:57 With His blood He purchased me 01:54:04 On the cross He sealed my pardon, 01:54:11 Paid the debt And made me free. 01:54:18 Now we're gonna pray. 01:54:20 But before we pray, the spirit of God 01:54:23 is speaking to somebody here today. 01:54:26 What is righteousness by faith? 01:54:32 It is the glory of God 01:54:35 in laying man and woman in the dust 01:54:39 and doing for us 01:54:41 what we cannot do for ourselves. 01:54:45 Christ loved you so much 01:54:48 that heaven wouldn't be heaven without you. 01:54:51 He did not remain in that tomb. 01:54:54 He's resurrected from the dead. 01:54:56 He's alive, He's coming again 01:55:01 and He's longing for His church 01:55:04 to want to be in heaven as much as He wants us there. 01:55:09 He's longing for His church, transformed by grace, 01:55:15 empowered by love, indebted to grace 01:55:23 to share His gospel with the world. 01:55:24 Is there somebody here today? 01:55:26 This is not a general appeal, it's specific. 01:55:30 Somebody here today 01:55:33 that you sense this meeting is gonna change your life, 01:55:36 that you want to say Jesus, 01:55:38 there's something I've got to surrender, 01:55:39 something I've got to give up. 01:55:41 Lord, I want nothing between you and me. 01:55:44 Lord, if you love me that much, 01:55:47 Lord, I want to tell the story 01:55:49 somebody that senses the call of God to service. 01:55:57 Somebody that's sitting in the church 01:55:59 but you sense the call of God to witness. 01:56:01 And you just want to raise your hand and say, 01:56:03 I'm going out of these doors, 01:56:05 sensing Christ love in a new way. 01:56:07 Sensing Christ grace and I cannot be silent, 01:56:10 I want to make a change in my life to tell the story. 01:56:13 Can I see your hand? 01:56:14 God bless you, God bless you. 01:56:16 God bless you. 01:56:18 Somebody else the second appeal before I pray. 01:56:23 You can only know that there is no self-centeredness 01:56:28 and pride in your heart. 01:56:31 If you can honestly rejoice when somebody else's ministry 01:56:36 is more successful than yours. 01:56:40 Do you rejoice at the successes of others? 01:56:44 Do you sense that we're a team as an Adventist family? 01:56:52 Would you like to say Jesus? 01:56:54 See, Jesus wants to do more through you as an individual, 01:56:57 He wants to do more through you as a business person. 01:57:00 He wants to do more through your ministry. 01:57:03 We have not dreamed yet 01:57:05 what God is gonna do through ASI miniseries. 01:57:09 We haven't dreamed yet. 01:57:10 What's God gonna do through pastors? 01:57:12 What's God gonna do through lay people? 01:57:14 What's God gonna do through 01:57:16 initiatives of the General Conference? 01:57:17 We haven't dreamed of that yet. 01:57:19 The earth will be lighted with the glory of God. 01:57:22 Memorials for God in every village, in every town. 01:57:30 Would you like to say Jesus, 01:57:32 take away any tinge of pride in me. 01:57:37 May the glory of Your name 01:57:40 and Your name alone be revealed. 01:57:42 If you-- if that's Spirit of God has put his finger 01:57:44 on something in your life, you want to say God, 01:57:47 help me be broken at the cross, 01:57:49 so you can do something in my heart, 01:57:51 would you just raise your hand. 01:57:54 Oh, my Father, my Father, we've heard the voice of God. 01:58:01 We've heard the appeal of the cross. 01:58:04 We've heard the call of grace. 01:58:08 May we go out of here deep within our hearts 01:58:11 crying with Paul. 01:58:13 God forbid that I should glory 01:58:18 in anything except the cross of Christ. 01:58:20 For the cross comes before Pentecost 01:58:23 and Calvary comes before the outpouring of Holy Spirit. 01:58:27 Oh, God, work in us. 01:58:29 And work in these ministries and use us in ways 01:58:34 beyond for we could imagine 01:58:35 for the glory of the name of Jesus. 01:58:38 Amen. 01:58:40 Let's sing one more verse. 01:58:42 And then God bless you as you go. 01:58:43 Sing one more verse. 01:58:49 I will sing of my Redeemer 01:58:55 And His heav'nly love to me 01:59:01 He from death to life Hath brought me 01:59:08 Son of God with Him to be 01:59:15 Sing, oh, sing of my Redeemer 01:59:21 With His blood He purchased me 01:59:28 On the cross He sealed my pardon 01:59:35 Paid the debt, and made me free 01:59:43 Oh, Father, send us from this place, 01:59:45 filled with Your grace, 01:59:47 compel to tell the story of a dying, 01:59:52 living, interceding, 01:59:54 coming Lord in the name of Jesus. 01:59:57 Amen. |
Revised 2015-06-11