Participants: Kim
Series Code: 15ASIC
Program Code: 15ASIC000008A
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00:19 Good evening ASI...
00:22 lots of active young people... 00:25 well, you know why I am here, 00:29 I just want to 00:32 have your undivided attention for a moment. 00:34 Since the beginning of the Convention 00:37 we've attempted to share with you 00:40 10 of the 42 projects that are in your booklet 00:44 to give you a sense of 00:46 the kind of effort... 00:48 and the commitment that people are making 00:50 to reach our world for Jesus Christ. 00:53 There are 42 projects... in your booklet it says 41, 00:57 you remember... I mentioned that we have an additional one 01:01 "The Creation Project" 01:02 for 40,000 dollars added to the list. 01:05 What I'd like you to do is... when you go back to your room 01:12 I want you to pray 01:14 over the projects that are in this booklet, 01:17 now, if you're like me, 01:19 you'll want to take out the envelope that is inside 01:22 and fill it out so that you can be prepared 01:26 so that it's all neatly taken care of, 01:28 you would make your commitment 01:30 and then you don't have to worry about it anymore 01:32 but I'm going to ask you to do me a favor, 01:34 if you are so inclined, 01:37 you can go ahead and fill out the demographic information 01:39 but I would like you to wait on the commitment 01:43 and pray and ask for the Lord to impress you 01:47 as to what you really should do, 01:49 "Lord, how do you want me to be used to finish your work?" 01:55 Not to hasten your work... to finish it... 01:59 because we want Jesus to come soon... right now... 02:04 and how can I make that happen? 02:06 In order to prepare your hearts for that prayer, 02:10 we asked our Speaker to share something that 02:14 we believe would be thought provoking, 02:16 inspiring for you 02:18 and would bring you to a point of conviction 02:21 about what you can do with your life, with your tools, 02:24 and with your resources to finish the work. 02:27 David Kim and his wife, Grace, 02:31 their son, Solomon, and daughter, Claire, 02:36 live in Philadelphia. 02:37 David is a Corporate Executive 02:42 in Financial Services 02:44 but prefers to think of himself as a Bible Worker... 02:47 a Bible Worker who is fortunate enough 02:50 to have God use the Company to pay him 02:54 so that everybody wins. 02:56 David has spoken around the Country 02:59 sharing a message focused on reaching the well-educated, 03:04 worldly... wealthy... 03:06 through a ministry that he co-founded 03:08 "The Nicodemus Society. " 03:11 Now he shared just a little bit with me 03:14 about what he was going to share with us 03:17 and I know that we will all be blessed 03:20 but challenged to think about what it is... 03:25 where we are... in our station in life 03:28 as far as our relationship with Jesus 03:31 and then as far as the 03:33 "Offering in Action" is concerned, 03:34 then where we are... 03:36 what are we doing with those resources that we have, 03:40 in order to show what our commitment to Jesus Christ is. 03:44 After the special music, 03:47 the next voice that you will hear is that of David Kim. 03:51 Debbie leaving the stage. 04:01 "Go Ye" Piano playing... 04:05 Piano playing... 04:09 The Lord has really called us to boldly take His cross 04:14 to spread the gospel everywhere no matter what the cost 04:20 Proclaim the love of Jesus so everyone may know 04:25 the grace of God the gift of His love 04:30 and we should be sure... 04:36 Go ye... go ye... in the name of Jesus Christ, 04:41 Take the gospel everywhere make the sacrifice 04:47 Jerusalem... Judea... all the ends of the earth must know... 04:52 Share the hope of every man Christ and Christ alone... 04:59 Shine the light in darkness... 05:06 piano playing... 05:12 God calls us to be faithful 05:15 To work and share in joy... 05:18 To sow the precious seed of faith and share the living Word 05:23 So tell about salvation and make redemption known 05:29 to all the world... with all of your heart 05:34 arise... and we go... 05:39 piano playing... 05:47 Go ye... go ye... in the name of Jesus Christ 05:52 Take the gospel everywhere make the sacrifice 05:58 Jerusalem... Judea... all the ends of the earth must know 06:03 Shine the hope of every man Christ and Christ alone... 06:08 Shine the light in darkness let the message go... 06:17 Piano music... 06:19 Go ye into the world... 06:25 Go... 06:27 the gospel says... go... 06:35 Audience: Amen... 06:38 Audience clapping... 06:44 Good evening and happy Sabbath ASI... 06:47 Audience: Good evening... 06:50 David: Good evening... Audience: Good evening... 06:52 David: Happy Sabbath Audience: Happy Sabbath 06:54 It is a wonderful, amazing and God-given privilege 06:59 to be with you this Sabbath evening to share my testimony. 07:02 You see, despite growing up in the church... 07:06 I was only heart-converted seven years ago 07:10 and my very first ASI Conference was shortly after that... 07:16 just five years ago in 2010 in Orlando 07:20 and if you had told me back then 07:24 that I would be standing on this stage, 07:28 this Sabbath evening... to share my testimony, 07:30 I would have thought that you were crazy 07:33 but this is evidence... 07:37 this is evidence of the mercy and grace 07:40 and transforming power of the Lord our God, 07:44 and it is... and it shows us 07:48 that there is hope for everyone 07:50 even those who grow up in the church 07:54 but before I get ahead of myself and steal my own thunder, 08:01 would you please pray with me? 08:03 Lord God, our Father in heaven, 08:09 hallowed be your name 08:11 you're so merciful to us and you love us so, 08:16 Lord, I pray, this Sabbath evening, 08:19 the Sabbath day... you have set apart 08:23 that the Holy Spirit would be with us, 08:27 would be upon me, your humble servant 08:30 and that You and only You would be glorified, 08:34 and Lord I pray that each individual here in this room 08:38 and whoever is watching on 3abn 08:41 would also receive the Holy Spirit 08:44 and that the Holy Spirit would give each individual 08:48 hearing and comprehension but not merely comprehension 08:52 but conviction... conviction of that message 08:57 which you want each individual to hear, 09:00 I pray this in the powerful and precious name 09:04 of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, amen. 09:08 I'm a son of Korean immigrants, 09:15 I'm an elder brother, 09:16 I'm a husband, I'm a father, 09:19 I'm a former professional Cellist 09:22 and I'm a Corporate Executive 09:24 yet, as important and defining 09:27 each of these facts are for my identity, 09:29 the most important and most defining factor in my life 09:34 is that I'm a survivor of the chronic and deadly disease, 09:38 millions around the world have this disease, 09:43 it runs in families and is passed on through heredity 09:48 it is a silent killer there's no known cure 09:55 for this condition 09:56 absent a literal miracle from the Lord Himself, 10:01 I am a survivor of Congenital Christianity. 10:07 Congenital Christianity is a spiritual condition 10:15 which in some ways resembles true 10:17 Seventh-day Adventist Christianity 10:20 but which is... at its core... superficial 10:23 and lacks in authentic saving relationship with God. 10:26 To make sure that we share a common understanding 10:30 of this condition, I'd like to share with you 10:34 a... non-exhaustive list of symptoms, 10:36 are you ready for the symptoms? 10:39 You're ready? 10:41 Would you like to know what they are? 10:43 Audience: Yes... 10:45 Very well, One... 10:47 you avoid talking about your faith 10:50 because you don't want to have to explain what you believe 10:53 because you're a little bit embarrassed by it. 10:56 Two... 10:59 you know that Saturday is the Sabbath 11:03 but come on... it's just a day... right? 11:08 Three... 11:11 you've heard that we have distinctive Biblical beliefs 11:16 about death, hell and the Sanctuary 11:20 but you're not quite sure what they are 11:23 or why they even matter. 11:25 Four... 11:27 you hear people talking about the "Spirit of Prophecy" 11:32 but you're ambivalent about it 11:35 even though you've never actually read any of the books. 11:39 Five... 11:43 those beasts on the Prophecy Seminar flyer look strange 11:48 and bizarre to you 11:49 and you've got no clue 11:51 what it all means. 11:52 Six... 11:56 you think that mega-church down the street 11:59 is way more fun, way more interesting, 12:02 they've got great programs, they've got a great band, 12:06 they've got coffee, they've got doughnuts, 12:09 you think that mega-church down the street 12:11 is way more interesting 12:12 but you feel a little guilty that you think that. 12:16 Seven... 12:20 you abstain from all unclean meats 12:24 except for pepperoni, bacon and shrimp 12:28 because they taste so good 12:30 and you abstain from all alcohol 12:34 well, except for a little bit of beer and wine 12:39 but just socially... just socially... 12:41 well... and the hard stuff... 12:44 only when mixed with orange juice or cranberry juice 12:48 because then you can't taste it and it's got vitamins. 12:52 Eight... 12:56 you dutifully wait until after sundown 13:00 on Saturday evening before you head to the multiplex 13:06 to see "Twilight" in IMAX 3D... 13:09 Nine... 13:13 you go out to lunch after Sabbath church service 13:17 because surely God would not want you to starve 13:20 and what they got at potluck 13:23 isn't nearly as tasty as those garlic breadsticks 13:26 and Ten... 13:30 this is the last one... 13:32 you go to church most weeks 13:34 because you want your kids to have exposure 13:37 even though you don't personally have 13:40 any investment in the faith. 13:41 These are just examples... 13:44 but they should give you an idea 13:46 of what we're talking about, 13:47 does any of this sound familiar? 13:49 Does any of this sound familiar? 13:51 Of course, not you, this is ASI... 13:54 this is the remnant of the remnant... 13:57 of course, not you, but perhaps a friend 14:01 or a family member or a fellow church member, 14:04 well, I have good news and I have bad news 14:08 which would you like first? 14:09 Sounds like the bad news which is wonderful 14:13 because that's the way I wrote this. 14:15 Thank you... 14:17 The bad news is... 14:20 untreated Congenital Christianity 14:22 leads to eternal death on hundred percent of the time. 14:27 The bad news is that while the disease is passed down 14:32 the cure is not, 14:33 you cannot be saved by your parents' faith 14:35 and the bad news is that you must affirmatively 14:41 choose to be cured, 14:42 this won't just get better on its own, 14:45 that's the bad news 14:47 but who wants the good news? 14:50 Amen... the good news is that there is a cure 14:53 and I stand before you today as living proof 14:57 I testify to you that I have been cured 15:01 by the love of Jesus and the power of the everlasting gospel. 15:05 Audience: Amen. 15:06 The good news is that if God can save a wretch like me, 15:08 He can surely save you 15:10 and the good news is that it's not too late, 15:13 it's not too late for you even if you've been suffering 15:17 under the lukewarm malaise of Congenital Christianity 15:21 for years or even decades, it is not too late for you, 15:23 God can still reach down from His throne and touch your heart 15:27 and turn it from a heart of stone into a heart of flesh, 15:29 I know that He can do this for you because He did it for me. 15:32 My story begins three generations ago 15:38 in the early 1900s when my great-grandfather 15:41 was the second ever ordained 15:44 Seventh-day Adventist Pastor in Korea... 15:46 second ever... 15:49 his son... my grandfather, 15:52 also entered the pastoral ministry 15:54 and he went on to become the first native Korean 15:58 to serve as President of the Korean Union Conference, 16:02 his son... my father, 16:06 did not enter the pastoral ministry 16:09 but he went to Adventist schools all his life 16:12 until Medical School at which point 16:15 he scored number one in the entire Country 16:19 on the Medical Board Exams that year 16:20 all the while... skipping class on Saturdays 16:24 to observe the Sabbath in a Country 16:25 which required going to classes on Saturdays 16:28 and that's where I come in 16:32 because I was just four-months old 16:35 when my father and mother came to this Country 16:38 with two suitcases and a baby 16:40 to pursue his Residency in Boston. 16:43 So, while I'm a 1.5-generation Korean-American immigrant, 16:49 I'm a fourth-generation Seventh-day Adventist, 16:52 the faith has been passed down to me 16:55 from its earliest days in Korea and while many blessings come 16:59 with this heritage in the Faith, 17:02 this history also brings with it 17:05 a pre-disposition to Congenital Christianity. 17:09 My earliest spiritual memory goes back 17:12 to when I was just four-years old, 17:15 I would come downstairs early on Sunday mornings 17:18 to watch television while my parents slept. 17:22 It didn't take me long to notice that it seemed 17:25 every channel I turned to every Sunday morning 17:29 was broadcasting a church service 17:32 and I was completely perplexed by it 17:35 even at that age, 17:37 I knew that Saturday is the Sabbath, 17:39 this continued for some time until finally I decided 17:44 that I would get to the bottom of this... 17:46 that I would go ask my mother 17:48 and so I remember walking into the kitchen... 17:52 walking into the kitchen 17:54 where my mother was doing the dishes 17:56 and I asked her, "Amma... " which means "mommy" in Korean, 18:02 I asked her, 18:04 "Amma, why are all these people going to church on Sunday... 18:07 don't they know that Saturday is the Sabbath?" 18:10 Before I tell you what she said, I need to set some context. 18:16 My mother is a Godly Woman, she's a Prayer Warrior, 18:21 a Bible Worker and Church Planter 18:22 in Korean Immigrant Community, 18:24 I thank the Lord for my mother's faith 18:26 but at this time... at the time of this story... 18:30 she was in a different place spiritually. 18:34 So, getting back to the story, I asked her, 18:37 "Amma, why are all these people going to the church on Sunday, 18:40 don't they know that Saturday is the Sabbath?" 18:42 And without missing a beat, 18:44 while she was washing the dishes, 18:46 she said, "I don't know... " and left it at that. 18:50 I don't know why she said, "I don't know... " 18:55 perhaps she was too busy, she was a young mother 18:59 of a four-year-old and a two-year-old boy. 19:02 That's a pretty busy gig... 19:04 while your husband is working 19:06 over a 100 hours a week at the hospital. 19:09 That's a busy time so perhaps she was too busy, 19:12 maybe she didn't know what to say, 19:15 maybe she didn't know how to explain it 19:17 or maybe she thought that even if she explained it, 19:19 that I wouldn't understand. 19:21 I don't know why she said that but what I do remember... 19:25 that I walked away from that conversation 19:27 completely confused and scratching my head. 19:30 This is why the Lord in His divine wisdom 19:33 commanded us in Deuteronomy chapter 6 verses 6 and 7, 19:38 "And these words which I command you today 19:41 shall be in your heart. 19:42 You shall teach them diligently to your children, 19:45 and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, 19:48 when you walk by the way, 19:50 when you lie down and when you rise up" 19:52 which is "Bible language" for all the time. 19:55 If you leave your children confused, 19:59 even when they're in Beginners or Kindergarten or Primary, 20:02 you increase their risk of Congenital Christianity, 20:05 you might think that they're too young 20:07 to understand or to care but they are paying attention 20:10 much more than you know and you have the opportunity 20:13 to provide them the vaccine of a strongly, Biblical, 20:16 age-appropriate foundation 20:18 or leave them dangerously exposed 20:20 on the shifting sands of confusion. 20:25 The ensuing years of my childhood and adolescence 20:28 read like a textbook case of Congenital Christianity, 20:31 in the Sixth Grade, 20:32 I was pulled out of our local Seventh-day Adventist School 20:36 for two reasons, 20:37 the first reason... was the excessive PDAs 20:41 on the part of the High School kids at the Co-Ed Academy 20:45 we're not talking about Personal Digital Assistance, 20:49 iPhones were not the problem, 20:50 the problem was Public Displays of Affection 20:54 and it had gotten to a point 20:57 where my parents no longer felt comfortable 20:59 having their Sixth-Grade 21:01 and Fourth-Grade sons attending that school... 21:04 that Adventist School. 21:05 The second reason was the academics... 21:09 I was getting bored in the classroom 21:12 and I needed more challenge 21:14 and so, in the Sixth Grade through High School, 21:20 I was in the Public Schools 21:21 which was actually quite good for me academically 21:23 but my faith was under assault from all sides continually. 21:28 Specifically, my faith was under assault from the curriculum, 21:31 the extracurriculars and the peer pressure. 21:34 We'll talk about all three, first the curriculum... 21:37 the curriculum was 100 percent secular and humanistic. 21:41 From Biology to English Literature, 21:43 I was exposed to the breadth of world views 21:46 where humanism was exalted and God was torn down. 21:50 Now don't get me wrong, 21:53 I have a passion for witnessing 21:56 to the wealthy, worldly and well educated 21:57 or the W threes of our Society, 22:00 as missionaries to these groups, 22:02 we need to be able to speak their language 22:04 and understand their culture 22:05 but exposure to these world views... can be dangerous 22:09 if you're not strongly, firmly grounded 22:12 in the reality of God and the truth of His Word, 22:15 "By beholding you become changed" 22:18 and if all you are beholding... 22:20 is Darwin, Kant, Rousseau and Richard Dawkins 22:23 and you're not beholding 22:24 Moses, Daniel, John, Paul and the others... 22:28 then you will be changed. 22:30 At a minimum, you set yourself up for confusion 22:33 and more likely you set yourself up for Apostasy 22:37 or even Atheism, 22:38 so that was the curriculum 22:43 but beyond the curriculum were the extracurricular activities 22:47 and whether sports or clubs or arts or academics, 22:50 it seemed like everything conflicted with the Sabbath 22:53 and my unconverted heart struggled greatly 22:57 with these conflicts 22:59 because I wanted to achieve great things in the world, 23:02 and I thought that my success depended 23:05 on the validation of the world 23:07 rather than relying on the mighty right arm of the Lord, 23:10 in my case... I was gaining success as a Cellist, 23:14 I was one of the best in the State of California 23:17 and I was considering a career 23:20 in music performance... in Cello performance, 23:22 a key part of establishing a track record in music 23:26 is the competition circuit 23:29 but time after time after time, 23:31 I had to decline participation due to the Sabbath 23:35 and this struggle was excruciating in my teenage mind 23:40 and the struggle was compounded by the fact 23:42 that individuals in our very own Seventh-day Adventist Church 23:45 would encourage me to compete. 23:48 There was a sweet older woman, 23:51 she was a pillar of our local church 23:54 and a strong supporter of the local music scene, 23:57 she knew of my talent as well as my struggles, 24:00 I'll never forget one Sabbath afternoon 24:02 after the church service, when she took me aside 24:04 and she told me that it would be okay 24:07 if I competed on the Sabbath... it would be fine 24:09 if I competed on the Sabbath for two reasons, 24:12 One: Because I would be playing good classical music, 24:17 and that's a whole 'nother sermon 24:21 but friends, I will tell you this, 24:24 just because it sounds classical does not make it good. 24:28 So that was the first reason. 24:32 The second reason was that she said that 24:35 I would be glorifying God with my talent, 24:37 I'm convinced that she meant well, 24:40 I believe that she meant well 24:42 but this well-intentioned church member 24:44 was causing even more confusion for me 24:47 and setting me up for compromise 24:49 and ultimately full-blown Congenital Christianity, 24:52 we would do well to recall Jesus' words 24:55 in Matthew chapter 18 verse 6, 24:57 "Whoever causes one of these little ones 25:00 who believes in me to sin, 25:01 it would be better for him or her 25:04 if a millstone were hung around her neck, 25:07 and she were drowned in the depths of the sea. " 25:10 Friends, you don't have to be blood-related to someone 25:16 to inflame their Congenital Christianity, 25:19 you can even be a well-intentioned church member 25:21 but be careful 25:23 because you might make yourself a contributing factor 25:27 in someone else's Congenital Christianity, 25:29 and Lord have mercy on you if you do this 25:32 so we've talked about the curriculum 25:35 and how it created conflict in my heart, 25:38 we've talked about the extracurricular... 25:41 the extracurriculars... and how those created conflict 25:45 but the third and the most powerful force 25:48 assaulting my faith during my formative years 25:51 was the peer pressure. 25:52 Beginning in the Sixth Grade... through my peers, 25:55 I was exposed to the range of filth and wickedness 25:59 that we, unfortunately, consider 26:00 a normal part of growing up. 26:02 Between the school bus, the sleepover, the field trip, 26:07 the cafeteria, the popular media 26:09 and various and sundry settings, wherever I turned, 26:13 Satan was there to teach me what things are desirable, 26:16 what things are pleasurable, 26:19 what things are required for social standing, 26:22 what things are required for emotional fulfillment, 26:25 what things are required for physical gratification 26:28 and what things are required ultimately for happiness, 26:32 I'm being a little bit delicate here 26:35 because this is a "G" rated sermon 26:38 but I hope you understand what I mean. 26:42 In fact, from all I can gather from the news and media, 26:46 it is even worse today. 26:47 Seems like every day there's another sensational 26:52 salacious news story about what some young people did, 26:56 who they did it to, when, where and how often 27:01 in the Locker Room, in the Dorm Room, 27:05 in the Frat House, on Facebook 27:08 or Snapchat, with a Webcam or a Cell phone, 27:12 of course there are exceptions 27:16 but for every person 27:18 who has managed to navigate the peer pressure, 27:20 and emerge unscathed... 27:22 an untold multiple of that number... 27:24 see, hear, touch, taste and inhale substances, 27:28 images, media, and have myriad experiences 27:32 which leave deep, mental, emotional and physical scars 27:35 which will haunt them for the rest of their lives. 27:39 There may be some of you right here in this hall, 27:42 there may be some of you watching on 3abn 27:45 who know exactly what I am talking about, 27:47 you've been there, you've done that 27:51 and you walk through life bearing the guilt and shame 27:55 and fear of what you've been through. 27:58 Satan uses these experiences and these emotions 28:03 to make you wonder if God is even there 28:04 and if He is there if He cares 28:08 or if He cares... if He is even capable 28:12 of delivering you from this body of death, 28:15 Satan infiltrates your thinking 28:19 and makes you... drives you to the point 28:22 where you would even wish that God did not exist 28:25 where you would kill God in your own mind 28:28 because if God does exist as the Bible describes 28:32 and if He is as pure and righteous and holy and just 28:35 as the Bible says He is, 28:37 then you would be destined for nothing other than eternal loss 28:40 and so you choose to kill God in your own mind 28:42 and adopt that point of view. 28:44 It was with this mindset 28:49 that I limped my way through High School. 28:52 All the guilt... shame and confusion 28:56 hidden behind a facade of perfect grades 29:00 and musical accolades 29:02 and admission to world-class schools 29:05 like Stanford University and the Eastman School of Music, 29:08 I was chasing the world 29:12 and doing extremely well by its standards 29:15 but all the while I was ambivalent toward God, 29:19 I was resentful towards His Church 29:22 and I had no idea what to believe, 29:24 I was completely, spiritually... ungrounded, 29:27 cast adrift in a sea of worldliness and secularism. 29:31 Against this backdrop, 29:33 I went off to Eastman... 29:35 to Eastman School of Music and like any Freshman, 29:37 I was looking for a sense of belonging and affiliation 29:41 and one of the places that I looked for this 29:43 was the Local Chapter 29:45 of the Intervarsity Christian Fellowship. 29:47 Of course there wasn't an Adventist Group on campus 29:51 but... 29:52 I didn't really mind because as far as I knew... 29:55 as far as I understood, 29:56 other than Sabbath-keeping, there really wasn't a difference 30:00 I will never forget the first Bible Study that I attended, 30:03 there were about ten of us there 30:06 it was led by a Senior, a French Horn player 30:08 his name was Drew 30:10 and to get started 30:12 we all went around and introduced ourselves, 30:15 name, where you're from, what you're studying 30:17 and a little bit about your spiritual background. 30:20 So when it came to my turn, a dialog ensued, 30:23 that went a little something like this, 30:26 "Hi, my name is David Kim, 30:28 I'm from San Luis Obispo, California 30:31 and I'm here studying Cello performance 30:33 and my spiritual background is... 30:36 is Seventh-day Adventist. " 30:37 So Drew says to me, 30:40 "Ha, Seventh-day Adventist... that's interesting... 30:43 how did you become Seventh-day Adventist?" 30:45 And I said to Drew, 30:49 "Well, my family is Seventh-day Adventist, 30:51 I grew up in the Church 30:53 and I also think it's pretty clear from the Bible 30:56 that Saturday, the seventh day, is the day of worship," 31:00 and Drew says to me, 31:03 "Ha, is that right? 31:05 Well, what about Colossians 2:16?" 31:08 And I looked at him with a blank look on my face 31:15 and I said, "You mean John 3:16?" 31:17 "No, Colossians 2:16." 31:20 "You're going to have to help me out with that Drew 31:22 because I have no idea what that verse says. " 31:24 And he said, "Come on... 31:25 let's read it together, let's all read it together. " 31:28 If fact, get out your Bibles, let's read it together. 31:30 That was an invitation by-the-way. 31:35 So, I had grown up in the church, 31:38 I played swords... growing up, 31:41 I knew that Colossians was in the New Testament, 31:45 in fact, I had an acronym for it, 31:46 Go Eat Popcorn... Galatians, Ephesians, 31:51 Philippians, Colossians, 31:54 so I knew exactly where to find Colossians. 31:56 Colossians 2:16, you should follow along... 31:59 join me, Colossians 2:16... 32:02 and I got there and Drew said, "All right go ahead... 32:08 go ahead... read this for us... " 32:10 and I walked right into his trap... Colossians 2:16... 32:15 "So let no one judge you in food or in drink, 32:19 or regarding a festival, or a new moon, 32:26 or... " 32:28 what does your Bible say? 32:33 "Sabbaths... " my Bible says Sabbaths too... 32:36 Drew says to me, "Right... you guys... 32:44 by being so focused on keeping the Sabbath, 32:46 you're just being legalists, Jesus freed us from the Law. " 32:50 I will never forget that moment, 32:55 I felt mortified as I read those words, 32:58 I had never seen that verse in my life, 33:01 and I had no clue what to think, 33:02 you'd think that someone who grew up in our church 33:05 who had this past... this history that I did... 33:08 in the Seventh-day Adventist Church, 33:10 you would think that someone like me 33:12 would understand the difference between Ceremonial Sabbaths 33:14 and the Sabbath of the fourth commandment 33:16 and if you don't understand what I just said, 33:18 you need to talk to your pastor 33:19 or one of the ministries back there in the Exhibit Hall, 33:23 I'm sure someone would be willing to explain this to you 33:26 but as you just heard, 33:30 I did not receive instruction in the home 33:32 and so, I felt confused, betrayed and humiliated, 33:38 I never went back to that Bible Study 33:41 and I stopped going to church, 33:43 my Congenital Christianity had metastasized 33:47 and while I never gave up on the idea of God, 33:50 I had no idea who he was, I had no idea what to think 33:54 which church was the right one, I was spiritually bewildered 33:57 and I checked out of church completely. 33:59 The next 14 years were a blur, 34:01 I was in hot pursuit 34:03 of worldly success and I was succeeding. 34:05 Over that period of time I earned 34:08 Bachelor's and Master's degrees 34:10 in Cello performance from top music schools 34:12 with honors and scholarships, 34:13 I had performed all over the world 34:15 in prestigious venues under world-class Conductors 34:20 and Orchestras, 34:21 I switched careers and I went to get my MBA 34:24 at one of the leading programs in the world, 34:26 I worked at some of the most prestigious companies 34:31 in all of Capitalism 34:32 and on the personal front, I married my beautiful wife 34:38 and had two lovely children. 34:40 I thought I had achieved the American dream, 34:42 while my house did not have a white picket fence, 34:46 I did have a solar-heated swimming pool. 34:49 And given the choice... I will take the pool. 34:52 Over the years, the Lord had drawn me back into the church, 34:58 I met and married my wife in the church 35:00 when I lived in Chicago, 35:02 I even was serving as an Elder in California 35:05 when we moved out there, but my heart was not converted, 35:09 I was still just as confused about our message... as ever... 35:12 my theology and lifestyle were a mess, 35:15 I was prideful, covetous and ambitious for worldly things 35:19 God and church were something I did for my children 35:22 just in case it was true 35:24 but I was consumed with the world. 35:29 To top it all off, 35:31 I had been diagnosed 35:33 with a rare degenerative bone condition in both of my hips, 35:36 over the course of ten years, 35:38 I suffered through four unsuccessful surgeries 35:41 and I walked with some combination of crutches, 35:44 canes and pain... 35:46 as you can see this evening, I no longer have these, 35:51 praise the Lord... but at that time as far as I could tell, 35:55 God had left me alone to deal with this on my own 35:59 and I was angry at Him. 36:00 Yet through all of this, God was trying to reach me. 36:03 There'd be times at church 36:05 when I would hear something in a song or a testimony 36:08 or in a sermon and my heart would be touched 36:10 and my eyes would fill with tears 36:13 but I would quickly wipe them away 36:15 as inconspicuously as possible 36:17 so that no one would see what had happened. 36:20 In these moments I knew that the Holy Spirit 36:23 was trying to reach me 36:24 but I refused to yield to His promptings, 36:27 I was still too proud, too angry, 36:29 too consumed with the world, 36:31 and I didn't know God... much less trust Him, 36:33 I didn't understand the Bible and its message, 36:36 it didn't make any sense to me, I was Congenitally Christian 36:40 but my heart was unconverted 36:42 within the spiritual context I was sitting in a Board Meeting, 36:45 yes, I was an Elder sitting on the Church Board. 36:48 It was spring of 2008 36:52 and we're talking about putting on our first Evangelistic Series 36:56 in over a decade, and the pastor was exhorting... 36:59 explaining to all the Board Members 37:02 the importance of every member 37:03 attending all the meetings in order to support... 37:06 and as he was talking 37:08 there was something... 37:10 an internal monologue going through my mind 37:12 and it went a little something like this. 37:15 "So, what I hear you saying is that 37:19 you want me to come to church 37:22 five nights a week for five weeks?" 37:24 Audience: laughing... 37:28 "Who has time for that? I'm much too busy at work 37:32 who has time for that? 37:34 All right, I'll come on the weekends, 37:37 You know... Friday nights... or something... 37:39 I'll come on the weekends, well... 37:40 I'll come on the Sabbath parts of the weekend... 37:42 You know, Friday evening through Sabbath, 37:45 well... I'll definitely come on Saturday 37:50 morning... 37:53 because I'd be there anyway, 37:55 but five nights a week for five... 37:57 who has time... okay... I got it... 38:00 I'll tell you what... I'll write a check 38:03 I'm happy to write a check to support the meetings 38:07 but I'm not going to come... 38:09 at least not five nights a week... " 38:11 little did I know that God had other plans for me. 38:15 Come November, 38:18 instead of being busy at work, 38:20 I'd been told that I need to find a new job 38:22 which came as a total shock to me 38:24 because everything was going well, 38:26 but I... like many others... had been caught in the undertow 38:30 of the global financial crisis 38:32 so the bad news was that I had to look for a new job 38:37 during one of the worst financial crises 38:39 in the history of Capitalism 38:41 but the good news was that 38:43 I had plenty of time to attend the meetings 38:47 and I thank the Lord for that opportunity 38:50 to hear our gospel message in a systematic way 38:54 as the Evangelist, Brother Taj Pacleb, 38:58 amen... as Brother Taj... 39:05 unfolded the gospel message in a systematic way 39:09 night after night, step by step, 39:11 I could see for the very first time 39:14 the logic, coherence and reliability 39:17 of the Bible and the gospel message. 39:19 For the first time I could cut through 39:22 all the clichés and assumptions 39:23 that are tied up in our Christian faith 39:25 and I could see that the Bible can be trusted, 39:28 I could see, yeah... I should get an amen... 39:30 Audience: Amen... 39:32 I could see, for the first time, 39:34 why an all-powerful and all-loving God 39:37 would allow evil and suffering to exist for a season... 39:41 any amens for that? Audience: Amen... 39:45 I could see... 39:46 I could understand the physics of salvation, 39:49 who Jesus was, why He had to die 39:50 and what He had to do with me, 39:53 I could see that God has shown us 39:56 everything that we need 39:57 to get from here to the second coming 40:00 through all eternity in His prophetic Word 40:02 if we would only read it, 40:04 and I could see that all the do's and don'ts 40:08 associated with God... His Law 40:11 and even things like the Health Message, 40:12 are not because God is picky and arbitrary and mean 40:15 but because He is preparing us for a literal eternity 40:18 where we will live in His direct presence. 40:21 Audience: Amen... 40:23 I could see for the first time that God was real 40:25 and He was real to me because for the first time 40:28 He made perfect sense. 40:30 I'll never forget how I felt, sitting there in that hall, 40:35 looking up at the PowerPoint 40:37 and realizing... for the very first time... 40:40 that the 70-week Prophecy of Daniel chapter 9 40:43 perfectly foretold the beginning of Christ's ministry 40:46 in the 15th year of Tiberius Caesar 40:48 and again, if you don't understand 40:51 what I just said, please, go talk to your pastor. 40:54 I had two immediate thoughts, 40:57 my first thought was, "Wow! this is really true... " 41:01 and my second thought was, 41:03 "Well, if this is true, I'd better do something about it" 41:06 and my life has never been the same. 41:09 Audience: Amen... 41:10 The Lord put me on the road to recovery 41:12 and I haven't looked back. 41:13 The next month was GYC in San Jose 41:16 and I took that opportunity 41:18 to be a local Bus Guide for the Outreach. 41:20 It was a small step... but it was a big step for me 41:23 because I had never done anything 41:25 evangelistic in my entire life 41:26 but I thought I can handle being a local Bus Guide 41:28 because as some of you may know, 41:30 in the Outreach at GYC, 41:31 the local Bus Guide stays on the bus 41:34 so I thought I can handle that and indeed I did, 41:40 after that, I survived 41:43 and so I started to look for other witnessing 41:44 and training opportunities, 41:46 I attended AFCOE To-Go, Amazing Facts four-day Program 41:49 where I learned how to give personal Bible Studies, 41:52 and I also accompanied my Church's Bible Worker, 41:56 I praise the Lord for Bible Workers, 41:58 I accompanied my Church's Bible Worker 42:01 to follow-up leads from GYC. 42:03 On the job-search front, God was faithful, 42:05 in the middle of the worst economic crisis 42:08 and the worst job market in over a generation, 42:10 the Lord provided me... not just one... 42:12 not just two... not just three... 42:16 not just four... not just five... 42:20 but six excellent job opportunities... 42:23 one of which 42:24 brought me to the Philadelphia area where I live today 42:27 and as I embarked on a new job and a new place 42:30 where I didn't know anybody, it's almost if... 42:33 as if the Lord gave me a clean-sheet opportunity 42:36 to start my life again 42:38 and I purposed in my heart that I would be faithful to Him 42:42 in all dimensions of my life, professional and personal 42:45 to bring my authentic faith to everything I do each day 42:48 and it has made all the difference. 42:50 I have a regular devotional life 42:52 on a level of depth and consistency 42:53 that I've never had before, 42:55 in particular, I am praying more than I ever have before, 42:58 when I was suffering from Congenital Christianity, 43:01 I would struggle to pray more than two or three minutes a day 43:04 and that includes time... praying for my food 43:06 but now that I'm walking with the Lord 43:11 and my walk has deepened, 43:13 it has built up my prayer life 43:14 to be 20 to 30 minutes or more everyday 43:16 I'm praying without ceasing as I go through my meetings 43:19 and interactions with the people in my life. 43:21 The Lord is teaching me how to praise Him 43:24 like David did in the Psalms. 43:26 The Lord is teaching me how to confess specific sins 43:29 so that every day... daily... 43:31 I confront the darkness of my own heart 43:33 and realize anew how much I need Jesus, 43:35 the Lord is teaching me how he's giving me victory over sin 43:38 there are sins I used to have to confess all the time 43:40 which, by His grace, 43:42 I rarely... or don't even have to confess anymore 43:45 because God is changing my heart. 43:46 There are other sins that I had to confess all the time 43:50 which I still have to confess all the time 43:52 but the Lord teaches me what things are most deeply seated 43:56 in my heart and how much I need Him. 43:57 The Lord is teaching me how to pray for others, 44:00 intercessory prayer, 44:01 takes us out of our own selfishness 44:03 and puts us in the Garden of Gethsemane 44:04 where Jesus prayed for you and me, 44:06 the Lord is teaching me how to have spiritual conversations 44:10 with those around me, 44:11 He's teaching me how to approach these conversations 44:14 in a very natural and easy way. 44:15 I've been having a dozen or more of these spiritual conversations 44:18 with the people on my sphere of influence on a weekly basis. 44:21 The Lord is teaching me how to turn these conversations 44:24 into personal Bible Studies. 44:26 Over the last few years the Lord has given me the privilege 44:29 of studying with a wide range of backgrounds 44:31 and educational and spiritual backgrounds 44:33 I'm studying with Atheists and Agnostics, 44:35 Buddhists... Evangelicals... 44:37 Doctors, Lawyers, MBAs, PhDs and many others 44:42 as a result of these experiences 44:46 I have co-founded: The Nicodemus Society, 44:48 a ministry focused on witnessing 44:51 to the wealthy, worldly and well-educated... 44:53 or the W3s of our culture. 44:55 The Lord has given me opportunities 44:57 to go all over the Country giving Seminars, 45:00 teaching people, how to reach 45:02 what the Spirit of Prophecy calls this "neglected class" 45:06 if you'd like to learn more about this, 45:09 please come visit us, Exhibit Booth number 231 45:14 or you can visit us at our website 45:17 Nicodemussociety. org 45:20 we'd love to talk with you, 45:23 that's the end of the commercial. 45:24 The Lord is teaching me about my family life, 45:28 I used to rush out the door in the morning 45:32 before the kids were up and stumble back in through the door 45:35 after they were asleep, 45:36 today we gather for morning prayer 45:38 and for evening family worship. 45:40 The Lord is teaching me how to love my wife 45:43 as Christ loves the Church 45:45 being willing to give myself for her 45:47 and treating her as a member of my own body. 45:49 God is so merciful and good, I'm so thankful to Him 45:52 that He got a hold of my heart 45:54 while my children were still young. 45:55 By His grace, my Congenital Christianity 45:58 will end with me, amen. 46:02 I'm by no means perfect but I'm better than I used to be 46:06 and by the grace of God... 46:08 I'll be more like Jesus everyday. 46:09 Day by day from faith to faith and from glory to glory. 46:15 So what about you? 46:19 What about you? 46:23 Are you suffering from Congenital Christianity? 46:28 Is your religious life... your spiritual life, 46:33 dry, barren, formulaic? 46:37 Do you feel as if your path in Christianity 46:42 was passed down from you, pre-determined from you 46:45 by a genealogical heritage 46:48 from your parents or your grandparents. 46:51 Or perhaps you came later to the Faith 46:53 but you've lost your first love? 46:55 I have good news for you, 46:59 because you too have the opportunity 47:01 indeed you have the obligation 47:03 to make your own decision for Christ, 47:05 to make your own decision for revival, 47:08 you cannot be saved by your parents' faith, 47:10 you cannot be saved by your husband's or your wife's faith, 47:15 you cannot be saved by your graduating class, 47:18 that Adventist School can give you a degree, 47:20 but it cannot grant you salvation, 47:22 the choice is up to you, 47:24 the cure is readily available to you 47:27 Jesus is waiting for you, He is at the door, 47:31 He wants to come in... 47:33 He wants to destroy that Congenital Christianity 47:36 coursing through your veins 47:37 and replace it with His saving blood. 47:40 Jesus knows your heart, He knows your confusion, 47:45 your hurt, your guilt, your shame, 47:48 He knows your resentment, He knows all these things, 47:52 He knows everything about you and He still wants you. 47:55 You felt Him tugging at your heart, 48:00 you felt the desire 48:03 to respond to His precious gift, 48:05 if only you could believe, if only you could see past 48:10 whatever barrier, 48:11 whatever burden is blocking you from your Savior, 48:15 if only you could believe that Jesus could reach down 48:18 and touch your heart and make it new... 48:21 make all things new. 48:25 Brothers and Sisters, 48:28 I have three very specific appeals 48:32 to make to you this evening, 48:34 these are not general, Corporate appeals, 48:37 these are not a layup, 48:39 these are specific, personal appeals 48:45 from God to you. 48:47 My first appeal is this, if you can relate... 48:51 identify with this Congenital Christianity experience 48:56 that I've just shared with you, 48:57 please raise your hand where you are right now, 48:59 raise your hand, 49:01 raise it high and keep it up... keep it up... 49:03 raise your hand if you can relate 49:05 to the Congenital Christianity that I've described here, 49:08 praise the Lord, 49:09 praise the Lord for each and every one of you, 49:11 acknowledging that you identify and understand 49:13 Congenital Christianity. 49:15 My second appeal is this, 49:16 for those of you who just raised your hand, 49:19 if you are suffering from Congenital Christianity today, 49:24 if you are suffering from Congenital Christianity today 49:29 and you want to confess before God 49:32 that you're suffering from it today, 49:34 then I would ask you, I would invite you, 49:36 I would implore you to stand where you are... at your seat... 49:39 right now... stand to confess to the Lord 49:43 that you suffer from Congenital Christianity today, 49:46 I saw a lot of hands go up, 49:48 some of you... and praise the Lord... 49:51 praise the Lord, you are confessing before God 49:54 that you suffer from Congenital Christianity today, 49:58 praise the Lord and remain standing. 50:02 My third appeal is this, 50:06 for those of you who have acknowledged 50:10 before heaven and earth 50:11 that you suffer from Congenital Christianity today, 50:15 if you want to be free, 50:19 if you want to say to the Lord, 50:21 "I want to be free of this deadly disease," 50:24 then I invite you, 50:26 I implore you to come to the front 50:28 for a special prayer of consecration and confession 50:33 if you... if you have Congenital Christianity today, 50:38 but you want to be healed, come to the front, 50:41 the Lord sees you standing, 50:43 you've already confessed to Him 50:45 that you suffer from Congenital Christianity today, 50:47 why would you want to stay in that state? 50:50 Why would you want to stay? Come to the front, 50:54 praise the Lord, press in, press in, 50:56 we need more room, 50:57 if you're suffering from Congenital Christianity today, 51:01 I still see some of you, you are standing, 51:03 you've already confessed 51:04 that you suffer from Congenital Christianity 51:06 yet, can you not say today that you want to be cured? 51:10 Don't you want the cure today? Praise the Lord, 51:13 come to the front, press in, we need more room, 51:18 there's plenty of time, please I implore you 51:23 on behalf of Christ, 51:24 if you're suffering from Congenital Christianity today 51:29 come to the front, keep coming, 51:32 there's still more... keep coming... 51:33 make room... praise God... 51:37 God sees your decision and honors it 51:42 let us pray... 51:46 "Lord God, our Father, you are so merciful to us 51:52 you see us before you confessing our Congenital Christianity, 51:59 some of us may have been in this disease for a year 52:02 or two or ten or twenty... 52:04 but it doesn't matter because this evening... 52:07 this Sabbath evening... each and every one of us 52:10 has confessed before you 52:12 not only that we suffer from Congenital Christianity, 52:15 but we want to be cured today and Lord I pray 52:19 that this would not be merely a response 52:21 to an appeal, but Lord, that this would be the first day 52:24 of this... of every individual's eternal life, 52:27 that this would be the first day 52:31 of their revival and reformation, 52:32 Lord, that you would look down upon them 52:36 in mercy and touch their hearts 52:37 and turn from a heart of stone 52:39 to a heart of flesh and we know that you can do this... 52:42 we know that you can do this. 52:44 Lord there are some here who did not stand 52:49 and I pray that it's because 52:51 they do not suffer from Congenital Christianity 52:54 and if that is the case, I praise God for that, 52:56 I praise God for that because that is what you want for us 53:01 to be fully sold out for you, 53:03 but Lord there may be some, 53:05 there may be some who even now, perhaps, 53:09 they raised their hand, 53:11 perhaps they stood but they did not come forward, 53:13 Lord, even now, I would say, 53:17 I would ask, I would implore that the Holy Spirit 53:19 would not leave that person alone 53:22 until they make a decision for you, 53:24 whether it's tonight or some other time, 53:26 do not leave that person alone, 53:28 Lord, you didn't leave me alone, don't leave that person alone... 53:34 Lord, we love you, we praise you, 53:40 Lord, each and every person here has a different path 53:44 but Lord we count on you to be the Author and the Finisher 53:50 of our faith 53:51 and I pray that every person here 53:53 would take this declaration before heaven and earth 53:58 go back to their homes, go back to their churches, 54:02 and start walking with you on a daily basis, 54:05 praying, reading the Word, getting to know Jesus, 54:10 and developing that love relationship with Him... 54:15 Lord, let it not end tonight, but let it go on into eternity 54:23 we pray this in the powerful and precious 54:27 and holy transforming name 54:29 of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, amen. 54:33 You may return to your seats. 54:37 Audience returning to their seats. 54:43 Wasn't that a powerful message? 54:49 Audience: Amen... 54:50 Yes and I appreciate that I've seen so many people come up 54:53 and I assume the sincerity in your heart is real 54:57 and this is what we hope to achieve when we come to ASI, 55:01 we want the Lord to touch our hearts 55:03 and we want to go home with something different, 55:06 we want to be changed by what the Lord has to say 55:09 and I'm here to remind you that tomorrow morning, 55:11 Pastor Ted Wilson will be here and he'll be speaking to us 55:15 at the 11 o'clock service, 55:16 I want to encourage you to be here 55:18 to hear what he has to say and to encourage him on 55:22 as he encourages us as well. 55:24 I have a little announcement 55:26 that I would like to make at this time 55:28 and I was wondering if I'd ever have a chance to do it, 55:30 there are three young ladies that are here 55:33 who came to Pathway to Health... 55:35 Pathways to Health... was that right? 55:39 And they came to help all the way from Arkansas 55:43 and now they're stranded... 55:44 they need 545 dollars to get home, 55:47 now, the least we can do is pray for them 55:50 and we will do that and the most we can do is 55:53 help them to get there so if you'll contact me anytime 55:56 if you want to help these young ladies 55:58 here we are. 55:59 Debbie... 56:01 And so, it is true, what I said 56:04 that when they heard the message that David Kim 56:07 would share, 56:08 that it would be thought-provoking 56:10 and help them to think about... 56:12 if... they have given their all to Jesus... 56:14 Frank: Amen... 56:16 And again, as you leave this place, 56:19 we ask you to be thoughtful and prayerful 56:21 about how you demonstrate that commitment to Jesus 56:26 as we consider the offering for tomorrow. 56:30 Frank, you know it's... quite daunting... 56:34 we come every year 56:35 and we know that this is what this is... 56:37 is partially... what it's about... 56:39 it really is about a matter of the heart... 56:41 Frank: Amen... 56:43 But it is about our commitment to service 56:46 and what can we do again to finish the work. 56:49 So please be prayerful about what God wants you to do 56:53 for the offering tomorrow to support 56:54 all of these very worthy projects. 56:56 As you leave this place, we would invite you, of course, 57:00 to stop by the Booths and visit these ministries... 57:04 many of them have Booths here 57:05 and take them in and enjoy the Sabbath fellowship... 57:09 give them support, ask some questions, 57:13 take some things from what they have to offer 57:15 so they can feel supported by us 57:17 and we will be blessed, 57:19 we look forward till tomorrow, 57:21 for the message that Elder Wilson will have, 57:23 and for the additional testimonies 57:24 that we have yet in store for you. 57:26 Thank you Debbie 57:28 and if I can just add one little word here, 57:31 and I guess it's going to be something like a commercial 57:33 but I will be speaking also, tomorrow night 57:35 and I'm hoping... 57:37 because this is my last opportunity 57:38 to address you as the President of ASI, 57:40 I'm hoping that you can be here 57:42 and... and I'm going to do the best I can with God's help, 57:47 by His Holy Spirit, to address a need that I think, 57:50 I think... we so dearly need to address as a people... 57:56 oh Lord, help us... what do you say? 57:58 Debbie: Amen. Frank: God bless you all. 57:59 Debbie: God bless you, happy Sabbath. 58:01 ASI, Spokane, Washington. |
Revised 2016-07-14