Participants: Ted Wilson
Series Code: 15ASIC
Program Code: 15ASIC000011A
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00:22 Before we start this little singing here,
00:25 let me do what they tell me I forgot to do. 00:29 It's my privilege to introduce the speaker, 00:32 and I don't know how easy that is, 00:36 seeing I think there isn't anyone here 00:38 that does not know who Elder Wilson is. 00:41 And in case you don't, and that would be rare, 00:45 Elder Wilson is the President of the General Conference 00:48 of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. 00:51 Now I can't say a lot, 00:54 because we haven't spent a lot of time together, 00:57 but we did take a little trip to Brazil. 01:00 At least in Brazil, we spent some time together 01:03 and I can tell you something. 01:04 He is one of the most gracious individual 01:07 that I've ever met. 01:08 And I was studying him at the general conference 01:11 just a couple of weeks ago, 01:13 because I had the privilege of being one of the delegates 01:18 and on the nominating committee in watching him as he moved. 01:22 And his leadership is wonderful, 01:25 it's strong, it's steady. 01:28 He stands for his convictions, 01:30 he loves the Lord, he is spiritual, 01:33 and I love this man. 01:36 His name has been in my prayer list 01:39 since the first time he was elected as president, 01:42 and he will remain there until the Lord decides 01:44 someone else is to take his place. 01:47 But I'm extremely grateful 01:50 that he is president of the General Conference 01:52 and that we get to listen to him today. 01:54 I would like to invite you to open your ears 01:57 to hear what he has to say, open your hearts 01:59 because the Lord will be speaking this morning. 02:02 God bless you. 02:30 Lift Him up, 'tis He that bids you 02:38 Let the dying look and live 02:45 To all weary, thirsting sinners 02:51 Living waters will He give 02:56 And though once so meek and lowly 03:02 Yet the Prince of Heaven was He 03:07 And the blind, who grope in darkness, 03:12 Through the blood 03:15 Of Christ shall see 03:21 Lift Him up, this precious Savior 03:26 Let the multitude behold 03:32 They with willing hearts shall seek Him 03:37 He will draw them to His fold 03:43 They shall gather from the wayside 03:48 Hastening on with joyous feet 03:53 They shall bear the cross of Jesus 03:57 And shall find salvation sweet 04:02 Lift Him up, the risen Savior 04:07 High amid the waiting throng 04:12 Lift Him up, 'tis He that speaketh 04:17 Now He bids you flee from wrong 04:32 Lift Him up in all His glory 04:37 'Tis the Savior God above 04:42 Lift Him up, His love shall draw them 04:48 Even the careless shall draw nigh 04:53 Let them hear again the story 04:58 Of the cross, the death of shame 05:04 And from tongue to tongue repeat it 05:09 Mighty throngs shall bless His name 05:17 O then lift Him up in singing 05:22 Lift the Savior up in prayer 05:27 He, the glorious Redeemer 05:32 All the sins of men did bear 05:36 Yes, the young shall bow before Him 05:41 And the old their voices raise 05:46 All the deaf shall hear hosannah 05:50 And the dumb shall shout His praise 05:55 Lift Him up, the risen Savior 06:00 High amid the waiting throng 06:04 Lift Him up, 'tis He that speaketh 06:09 Now He bids you flee from wrong 06:13 Lift Him up, the risen Savior 06:20 High amid the waiting throng 06:26 Lift Him up, 'tis He that speaketh, 06:33 Now He bids you flee from wrong 06:48 Now He bids 06:53 You flee 06:57 From wrong. 07:25 Good morning, ASI. 07:27 And what a blessing these young people have been. 07:32 We praise God for our young people. 07:35 What a privilege it is 07:36 to be here in Spokane, Washington, 07:40 in a very beautiful, beautiful city, 07:43 it's always a lovely thing to come to an ASI Convention. 07:50 A thrilling experience to see how God is moving daily 07:54 in the lives of young people and older ones, 07:58 and how God is using ASI to build God's church. 08:05 And now this is a wonderful ASi convention 08:08 here in a beautiful city called Spokane. 08:14 We have an unusual connection, our family does, with Spokane, 08:19 and that is that our third daughter Catherine 08:23 married Bob Rink, who comes from Spokane. 08:27 And we're privileged to have Bob's mother with us today, 08:31 Janice, 08:33 who is a regular member here in Spokane. 08:37 You know, what a privilege it is 08:39 to be part of God's great world family, 08:42 a family that focuses on things 08:45 that helps to build up his precious church. 08:48 What a thrilling thing it was 08:50 to hear about Pathways to Health, 08:54 which preceded the ASi convention. 08:57 What an incredible report to hear that over 3,000 people 09:03 attended this very special outreach for Spokane. 09:08 Thank you to Pathways to Health, 09:10 thank you to ASi for what you have done 09:14 to build God's church here in Spokane. 09:19 I want to tell you, my dear friends, here at ASI, 09:23 I believe with all my heart that we are now living 09:27 in the very tips of the toes 09:30 of the statue of Daniel Chapter 2. 09:34 Events all around us 09:36 are pointing to the final proclamation 09:40 of the three angel's messages, 09:41 of sharing Christ's righteousness, 09:45 His warnings and His soon second-coming. 09:50 It is imperative that we lift Him up. 09:58 You've heard already the great emphasis 10:00 that our church is been placing upon revival and reformation. 10:07 This is not something we dreamed up 10:08 in some small corner of the General Conference, 10:11 this comes directly from the Word of God 10:14 and the sprit of prophecy, 10:16 that each of us need to be revived 10:18 and reformed through the power of the Holy Spirit 10:21 in preparation for Christ's soon coming. 10:24 In this quinquennium 10:25 we're hoping that revival and reformation 10:28 will take even a more personal approach to each of us. 10:33 Revival and reformation, you, your family, your church, 10:39 your community, building on the wonderful things 10:43 that God has provided in this scripture 10:46 and the spirit of prophecy in terms of outreach, 10:49 mission to the cities, comprehensive health ministry. 10:54 We are building upon additional three areas of focus. 11:00 I won't have time today 11:01 to work out all of the details of that with you, 11:06 but you will be hearing much more about those. 11:09 First and foremost, Christ and His righteousness. 11:16 There is no other righteousness, 11:18 it is Christ and Him alone. 11:20 Lifting Him up, not only before people, 11:23 but in our own lives. 11:25 Secondly, faithfulness, faithfulness to God, 11:29 to His holy word, to His understanding 11:33 of the instructions 11:34 that He has provided to us through the spirit of prophecy, 11:37 faithfulness to the Christian lifestyle, 11:41 faithfulness to proclaiming His word, 11:44 faithfulness to God. 11:46 But the third thing is something 11:48 you've already heard a little bit about, in fact, 11:50 during our interview and special connection 11:54 with Elder Falkenberg, 11:57 we emphasized total member involvement. 12:03 You know, in Testimonies volume 9, 12:05 page 117, it indicates, and I paraphrase it, 12:09 "that the work will not be finished 12:11 until church members unite with pastors 12:15 and church officers to accomplish the work of God." 12:19 Total member involvement, building God's church 12:25 towards His soon second-coming. 12:29 You see, God is calling on us 12:31 to lift Him up like never before, 12:34 and to build His church 12:36 in preparation for Christ's soon return. 12:39 He asks us to tell somebody else 12:42 about our relationship with Him. 12:44 This is what ASi is all about, 12:47 sharing Jesus in the marketplace. 12:49 It's the key stone of your existence. 12:53 It was established 12:54 from the very beginning of ASi in 1947, 12:59 when Seventh-day Adventist's self supporting institutions 13:03 combine to form the association 13:06 of self supporting institutions, ASI. 13:09 And it continues as the bedrock of today's ASI, 13:14 Adventist-laymen's Services and Industries, 13:18 established to build God's church. 13:22 Earlier this year, I had the great opportunity 13:26 to visit a place that has been in the news 13:29 for a number of years, a rather challenging place. 13:33 I wanted to visit it to give our church members 13:36 a very strong impression and understanding 13:39 that they are part of God's family. 13:42 I visited Juba, South Sudan to encourage our church members 13:47 in that war-torn part of the globe. 13:51 God is enormously blessing his church in South Sudan. 13:56 The East Central Africa division 13:59 of which South Sudan is a part, is doing a marvelous job 14:04 in helping integrate our members 14:07 into the evangelistic activities 14:09 of that dynamic division. 14:13 God's spirit is moving in a marvelous way 14:16 and our work is developing so quickly in South Sudan. 14:20 Pray for our brothers and sisters there. 14:23 While we were there, we had the opportunity 14:25 to dedicate a lovely new guest house facility, 14:29 one of the best in the city of Juba, 14:33 and also some new offices for local 14:35 and a future union headquarters. 14:39 We participated in the groundbreaking also, 14:42 of a new media centre, 14:44 and a large 4,000 seat church and auditorium. 14:49 In fact, it may be 14:50 that Maranatha Volunteers International 14:52 may help them with some of those projects. 14:56 However, the church is growing and developing 15:00 so fast that you actually now have an ASi chapter 15:05 in Juba, South Sudan whether you knew it or not. 15:09 Yeah. 15:11 We had the opportunity to meet with many of them 15:13 one evening in the hotel, 15:15 for a meal and to review some of the special projects 15:19 that they had in mind for building God's church. 15:24 ASi is everywhere, 15:27 and it is building God's church. 15:31 In my remarks to the Juba ASi group, 15:34 I mentioned some other meanings of the ASi acronym. 15:40 And I want to present them to you today 15:43 since your job is building God's church, 15:47 lifting Him up. 15:51 ASI, always stay involved, 15:57 stay involved with your local church, 15:59 your pastor, stay involved with a local conference 16:02 and its evangelistic plans. 16:04 Stay involved with the national 16:06 and international evangelistic outreach, always stay involved. 16:13 Don't be tempted to drift into your own world, 16:18 stay involved in the church and its mission. 16:23 ASI, a spiritual identity. 16:29 ASi is first and foremost a spiritual organization 16:33 that allows the Holy Spirit 16:35 to guide and direct activities and decisions. 16:40 ASi is a soul-winning organization. 16:43 We saw that throughout this ASi convention, 16:47 young people and older ones, 16:49 presenting their talents to the Lord. 16:52 It is sharing the central focus of Jesus 16:56 and its spiritual mission to others, 16:58 a spiritual identity. 17:01 ASI, aggressive scriptural interest. 17:07 One of the greatest attacks 17:09 against God's prophetic truth today 17:13 and His advent movement, 17:16 and I want to tell you I believe this very strongly. 17:21 One of the greatest attacks is the devil's attack 17:23 against the precious Word of God. 17:28 He is attempting to neutralize the plainest words 17:32 of the scripture. 17:34 The simplest wording of scripture 17:36 is twisted and turned by many 17:39 to say the opposite of what it actually says. 17:44 At ASI, always have 17:46 an aggressive scriptural interest, 17:50 as you lift up Christ and His holy word. 17:56 You see this is all part of ASI, 17:59 building God's church and lifting up Jesus Christ. 18:04 Your very ethos of Jesus in the market place 18:08 challenges all of us to explain to our loved ones, 18:12 to our neighbors, to our friends, 18:14 what Jesus has done in our own lives 18:17 and what he can do in their lives 18:20 to become changed people 18:22 through His blood and His power, 18:26 through the Holy Spirit. 18:28 Build God's church, lift Him up. 18:35 Tell the marketplace of Christ's righteousness, 18:40 His justifying power to cover our sins 18:43 with His robe of righteousness and His sanctifying power 18:48 to help us to grow on a daily basis 18:51 to become more and more like Him 18:55 through the Holy Spirit's power. 18:57 By our personal commitment to Christ, 19:00 we have accepted 19:02 the fulfillment of God's promise 19:04 in John Chapter 1:12, 19:08 which says "But as many as received Him, 19:11 to them He gave the right to become children of God, 19:17 to those who believe in His name." 19:21 What a wonderful promise, build God's church. 19:27 He's called ASi and all church members 19:30 to help our growing global family 19:33 of almost 19 million brothers and sisters 19:37 to lift Him up and to build God's church 19:41 in anticipation of His glorious return. 19:46 At this critical stage in earth's history, 19:49 in the overall biblical and prophetic timetable, 19:53 listen to God's instruction about building His work 19:58 in Ephesians Chapter 2:19-22 20:04 "Now, therefore, 20:06 you are no longer strangers and foreigners, 20:08 but fellow citizens with the saints 20:10 and members of the household of God, 20:14 having been built on the foundation 20:18 of the apostles and prophets, 20:20 Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, 20:25 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, 20:29 grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 20:33 in whom you also are being built together 20:37 for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit." 20:42 How exciting it is that none of us 20:45 need to be strangers any longer, 20:47 but they were part of God's household, 20:50 His beautiful church 20:52 that He is constructing and building. 20:56 We're part of a worldwide heaven born movement 21:00 that is building up God's church. 21:03 Never forget that you are building on the foundations 21:07 of those laid before in the past, 21:12 and that the cornerstone of God's great church 21:14 is Jesus Christ Himself. 21:18 In response to Christ's question 21:20 to the disciples, "Who do you think I am?" 21:25 Well, Peter's response was 21:27 that He was the son of the living God, 21:29 and Jesus replied in Mathew Chapter 16:18, 21:35 "And I also say to you that you are Peter, 21:39 and on this rock I will build My church, 21:43 and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it." 21:48 Now, unfortunately, some have mistaken this text 21:52 to mean that Peter was the rock 21:55 on which the church would be built, 21:59 that is not a correct scriptural understanding. 22:03 Jesus was simply addressing Peter as a small stone 22:09 and telling him that the rock that would be the foundation 22:13 or the cornerstone of the church 22:16 was none other then Jesus Christ Himself. 22:20 Christ is the rock 22:24 and you are asked to build God's church on the rock, 22:28 Jesus Christ, lift Him up. 22:34 He is the cornerstone, He is the true foundation, 22:38 lift Him up. 22:41 In 1 Peter Chapter 2:4, Peter himself, 22:47 to whom Jesus addressed the previous citation 22:52 in the scripture explains that Christ is the, "Living stone, 22:57 rejected indeed by men, 22:58 but chosen by God and precious." 23:02 In verse 5 of that chapter, Peter includes you and me 23:08 in this wonderful building up of God's church by saying, 23:13 and I quote 23:14 "You also, as living stones, 23:18 are being built up a spiritual house, 23:22 a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices 23:27 acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." 23:33 My dear ASi friends, you and I, 23:37 we are the living stones in Jesus Christ. 23:42 Let's build God's church 23:45 and His wonderful advent movement. 23:50 We praise God 23:51 for His precious biblical message of truth 23:54 for this end time setting. 23:57 From a prophetic prospective, 24:01 the world will get worse before it gets better. 24:07 But when it does get better, it will be the best 24:11 since we recognize that the soon advent of Christ 24:16 is approaching, Jesus is coming soon, 24:20 lift Him up. 24:22 Observing world events, we immediately recognize 24:26 that Mathew Chapter 24, Revelation 13 24:30 are being fulfilled before our eyes. 24:34 So many things that are happening 24:36 point to a rapid fulfillment of prophetic messages, 24:41 indicating the final days of this earth's history. 24:47 Debbie made an appeal about the offering. 24:53 We are sitting here in a comfortable auditorium, 24:55 life, more or less, 24:57 is rather comfortable in the United States 25:00 and in many parts of the world. 25:01 Don't be fooled and lulled into a false expectation. 25:07 We are living at the very end of time. 25:12 Signs of uncertainty all around us are being seen. 25:16 The end of time is upon us, the world is in disarray, 25:20 no one can solve 25:21 the insurmountable political problems 25:24 facing the world today. 25:27 Every day, we see the horrible, 25:29 terrible results of unrest, of killing, of butchery, 25:36 and treachery. 25:37 We better understand that very interesting text 25:41 in Luke Chapter 21:26, 25:45 when it recounts, "Men's hearts failing them from fear 25:50 and the expectation of those things 25:53 which are coming on the earth." 25:56 You see signs of uncertainty are all around us, 25:58 social trends in this country and elsewhere, 26:03 continue to defy biblical truth. 26:08 Economic instability is everywhere. 26:11 Ecumenical trends are pointing to the fulfillment 26:15 of Revelation 13:3, 26:19 which says "All the world wondered after the beast." 26:25 ASI, God calls you to build his church. 26:31 Be in connection 26:32 and in communion with Him every day, 26:35 being revived and reformed in Him, 26:37 lifting Him up, not only before people 26:40 but in your own life, 26:41 build up God's church as we point people to Christ, 26:45 to His holy word, to His church, 26:48 His prophetic movement, 26:50 His biblical plan for the family, 26:54 to His sanctuary message, 26:56 to public and personal witnessing 26:58 and evangelism, to believe in 27:01 and use of the spirit of prophecy, 27:05 to the proclamation of His three angels' messages, 27:09 to Christian stewardship, to living the Christian life, 27:12 to Christian humanitarian service, 27:15 and to sharing the promise of Christ's soon-coming, 27:19 build God's church. 27:22 One of the most important biblical examples 27:25 of faithful building, 27:29 we just heard of a wonderful school 27:32 that is being built with a one day church template. 27:38 Lot of building going on, 27:40 lot of people here in this room have participated 27:43 in many different kinds of building projects. 27:47 We have professional people 27:48 who are involved in contracting and building. 27:52 One of the most incredible biblical examples 27:55 of construction is the story of Nehemiah, 28:00 who served in the Persian palace. 28:03 In your Bibles, turn to Nehemiah Chapter 1:4, 28:07 it records that when Nehemiah heard 28:10 about the broken down wall of Jerusalem, 28:13 he sat down and wept, 28:17 he then turned his pleading heart 28:19 to the Lord in prayer. 28:20 You see, when you see something wrong, 28:22 when you see something needing to be fixed, 28:25 don't just complain, don't just sit and weep, 28:31 do something, build God's church. 28:36 As he prayed to the Lord 28:37 and as you faced challenges each day, 28:40 be constant in prayer just as Nehemiah was, 28:44 asking the Lord to give guidance 28:47 and to give success in our own personal lives. 28:53 Let us pray earnestly 28:55 for the falling of the latter reign 28:57 of the Holy Spirit. 28:58 It will come and I believe very, very soon. 29:03 In Nehemiah Chapter 1:11, Nehemiah prays "O Lord, I pray, 29:08 please let Your ear be attentive 29:11 to the prayer of Your servant--" 29:12 As you build God's church, 29:14 brothers and sisters here at ASi 29:16 and wherever you might be watching this telecast, 29:21 understand that we must pray 29:23 like we have never prayed before. 29:27 Pray to receive power from on high 29:29 for the mission entrusted to us. 29:32 Pray for the latter reign of the Holy Spirit. 29:36 Nehemiah received permission from the king of Persia 29:40 to return to Jerusalem and to rebuild the wall. 29:44 Three days after arriving in Jerusalem, 29:47 after assessing the needs of that wall 29:50 and the city itself, 29:51 Nehemiah challenged the Jewish nations 29:54 saying in chapter 2:17 29:57 "Come and let us build the wall of Jerusalem, 30:01 that we may no longer be a reproach." 30:06 My dear friends, 30:08 members of the Seventh-day Adventist church, 30:11 don't ever let your work 30:13 or your attitude be a reproach to God. 30:19 Don't let your church be a reproach to God. 30:22 Don't ever be ashamed of your church 30:24 or of who you are. 30:26 You know, I've mentioned this before, 30:28 some of you may have heard it, 30:30 but supposing someone comes up to you, 30:32 right here in Spokane and says "Well, you know, 30:35 I notice you've got quite a group of people here, 30:38 who are you people?" 30:40 "Well, you know, we're just a little church 30:42 you have never heard about it, it's just a little group. 30:45 You may have heard of Pathways to Health, 30:48 but you really don't know anything about the church." 30:49 "But who are you, what do you represent? 30:52 I've noticed you're doing something different, 30:55 you look a little different." 30:56 "Well, you know I belong 30:58 to the Seventh-day Adventist church." 31:00 "What was that?" 31:02 You know, my friends, as ASi members, 31:04 as members of the church, 31:06 when someone asks you what you believe 31:09 and who you are, look them straight in the face, 31:11 straighten up, put a smile on your face and say 31:14 "I am a Seventh-day Adventist, and let me tell you about it." 31:19 Lift up Jesus first, 31:24 and then share the beautiful relationship 31:26 you have with Him. 31:28 Don't be a reproach to God or your church. 31:33 Well, the positive response of those in Jerusalem 31:37 is found in verse 18, and they said, 31:40 "Let us rise up and build, 31:44 but beware of those who want to tear down the wall, 31:50 those who might have a negative affect 31:53 on you and your project," 31:57 and those are represented in this story by Sanballat, 32:01 Tobiah, and Geshem. 32:04 They laughed and they despised Nehemiah. 32:08 I want to tell you, take courage from God, 32:12 the God of Nehemiah, 32:14 in the challenges that each of you face 32:17 and join with Nehemiah in saying in verse 20, 32:22 "The God of heaven Himself will prosper us, 32:27 therefore we His servants will arise and build." 32:32 Lean on Jesus, 32:36 lift Him up. 32:40 I might just share that, you know, personally, 32:44 I face number of challenges from time to time, 32:49 people trying to tear down God's church 32:52 or things that we try to do. 32:55 I want to tell you I would have no success 32:58 whatsoever in what I do 33:01 if I didn't fully turn everything over to Jesus 33:05 and lean on Him. 33:07 Amen. 33:08 I ask you to do the same in your own lives. 33:12 Well, the construction began and came up 33:14 to half of the height of the intended wall, 33:18 because as verse 6 in chapter 4 says, 33:23 "The people had a mind to work." 33:27 You know, when you build God's church, 33:29 have a vision, have a direction, 33:31 have enthusiasm, an objective, they had a mind to work. 33:37 However, when Sanballat and Tobiah 33:40 and the enemies of God heard of the progress, 33:43 they made a plan to attack. 33:47 Nehemiah pled with the Lord through prayer 33:50 and then positioned the people saying, 33:52 in that same chapter, Chapter 4 verse 14, 33:56 "Remember the Lord, great and awesome, 33:59 and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, 34:02 your wives, and your houses." 34:05 He divided the task of defense and construction, 34:09 so that all participated in building and defending. 34:15 In fact, in verse 17, it says "Those who built on the wall, 34:20 and those who carried burdens, loaded themselves 34:24 so that with one hand they worked at construction, 34:29 and with the other held a weapon." 34:34 As you build God's church, 34:37 with one hand do the work of God 34:40 and in the other, hold the Word of God. 34:44 This is your heavenly weapon against all that will attack. 34:50 Lean completely on the Lord, in your faithful service, 34:54 saying along with those who worked 34:56 on the wall of Jerusalem recorded in verse 20, 35:00 our God will fight for us. 35:05 What an assurance we have, as Seventh-day Adventists 35:08 marched into the very near future 35:11 and what we know will happen prophetically, 35:14 our God will fight for us. 35:19 Nehemiah and his colleagues were so persistent 35:22 and faithful in building God's wall 35:26 that they did not even take off their clothes 35:30 except to wash them. 35:32 Work with that same type of dedication 35:36 to build God's church and proclaim 35:39 the three angels' messages with Holy Spirit power. 35:43 In the book Testimonies volume 9, page 19, 35:48 we are told the focus that we are to have. 35:51 It's one of my favorite quotations. 35:54 It says "In a special sense Seventh-say Adventists 35:57 have been set in the world as watchmen and light bearers." 36:01 Imagine yourself walking along the top of the wall 36:05 of the wall of Jerusalem symbolically. 36:08 You are set as a watchman, 36:10 someone who is to look out for God's great church. 36:13 "They have been given a work of the most solemn import- 36:16 the proclamation of the first, second, 36:18 and third angels' messages. 36:20 There is no other work of so great importance. 36:24 They are to allow nothing else to absorb their attention." 36:31 What absorbs your attention? 36:34 I have to confess that day in, day out, 36:38 email absorbs a lot of my attention. 36:42 Challenges and problems and talking with people, 36:45 well, it's all part of the process, 36:47 but let me tell you, if I spend too much time 36:49 doing God's business 36:51 but don't attend to my own relationship, 36:54 I want to tell you I will not find salvation. 37:00 Even the General Conference President 37:03 is not immune to being distracted 37:08 by even good things. 37:09 Yes. What absorbs your attention? 37:15 Well, Sanballat and Tobiah and Geshem didn't give up. 37:19 Beware of those who will dissuade you 37:22 of your great task as Seventh-day Adventists 37:25 on the wall just before Christ's soon-coming 37:30 as you build God's church. 37:33 The enemies of Nehemiah sent a message to him, 37:36 to meet them in order to distract him 37:40 from his work of building. 37:41 Now this is where the story really gets interesting. 37:46 There are gonna be people, there are gonna be projects, 37:49 there are gonna be things 37:51 which may be even good in themselves, 37:54 may be used to distract you from building God's church. 38:01 Well, Nehemiah sent back a very powerful message 38:04 in chapter 6 verse 3, 38:06 one of the most powerful messages in that book. 38:10 Let this be your message as well as mine, 38:13 through the grace of Jesus Christ, 38:16 "I am doing a great work, 38:20 so that I cannot come down." 38:25 When the Sanballats and the Tobiahs 38:27 and the Geshems of this world tempt you to distraction, 38:31 tell them "We are building God's church 38:34 and we will not come down." 38:37 Nehemiah prayed in Verse 9, "O God, strengthen my hands." 38:44 Ask God to strengthen your hands 38:48 as you build God's church. 38:52 God will reward your faithfulness 38:54 as He did Nehemiah's, 38:57 verses 15 and 16 of Chapter 6 record. 39:02 "So the wall was finished... 39:04 And it happened, 39:06 when all our enemies heard of it, 39:08 and all the nations around us saw these things, 39:12 that they were very disheartened 39:14 in their own eyes; 39:16 for they perceived that this work was done 39:22 by our God." 39:24 Amen. 39:26 When God shows His mighty hand in your work, 39:28 wherever you happened to be, in the local church, 39:31 in a large setting, in a small setting, 39:34 whatever it is, give Him all the glory. 39:40 And people will see that He is working through you 39:44 to lift Him up. 39:47 Prophets and Kings, page 645, 39:53 "Like Nehemiah, God's people are neither to fear 39:56 nor to despise their enemies." 39:59 Now that's an interesting directive, 40:04 do not fear or despise your enemies. 40:08 "Putting their trust in God, 40:09 they are to go steadily forward, 40:11 doing His work with unselfishness, 40:15 and committing to His providence 40:17 the cause for which they stand." 40:20 Lean on Jesus. 40:24 ASi members, I challenge you 40:25 as you face the last days of earth's history, 40:29 to build the God's church 40:30 through the power of the Holy Spirit 40:33 and your daily walk with Jesus in Bible study, 40:37 in study of the spirit of prophecy, 40:39 in prayer and in witnessing, 40:41 lift Him up in all that you do, accept God's plea. 40:47 In Revelation Chapter 2:10, "Be faithful until death, 40:53 and I will give you the crown of life." 40:57 Take Christ's words seriously, 40:58 found in Revelation 3:11, "Behold, I am coming quickly! 41:04 Hold fast what you have, 41:07 that no one may take your crown." 41:10 Realize that you are the inheritors 41:13 of God's great commission, 41:15 to proclaim the truth to the final generation 41:19 and build God's church. 41:23 Revelation 17:14 says, "The Lamb will overcome them, 41:28 for He is the Lord of lords and the King of kings; 41:31 and those who are with Him 41:33 are called, chosen, and faithful." 41:38 You are chosen to build up God's church, 41:43 and by God's grace, 41:45 to testify of His wonderful goodness 41:47 in your own personal experience. 41:50 Stand firm for God's truth, lift Him up, 41:54 proclaim His word, 41:55 and build God's church wherever you live. 42:00 Last January of this year, 42:04 it was a privilege for the leadership 42:06 of the Seventh-day Adventist church of the world church 42:10 to be in La Romana, Dominican Republic. 42:14 We were conducting administrative meetings 42:16 and planning for the future building of God's church. 42:21 We took time to study God's word 42:23 in the morning with Pastor Finley, 42:26 and then to focus on the Holy Spirit 42:28 in the latter reign, 42:30 engaging in the worldwide 10 days of prayer 42:33 that took place in January. 42:36 We had morning and evening prayer sessions 42:40 as senior leadership of the entire world field. 42:45 It was a great blessing to pray together, 42:47 we had division presidents 42:48 from almost every corner of this globe, 42:51 as well as senior leadership 42:53 from the General Conference itself. 42:55 However, on Wednesday of that particular week, 42:59 together, we took time out from our administrative duties 43:03 and discussions for almost the entire day 43:07 to literally build God's church. 43:11 It was a wonderful experience 43:13 as we worked with Maranatha Volunteers International. 43:17 Maranatha, as you well know, is lead by Don Noble, 43:20 Kenneth Weise and others, and is an ASi member, 43:26 a dynamic supporting ministry of the church 43:30 that works all over the world using volunteers, 43:33 and has built many churches 43:35 in that particular country of Dominican Republic. 43:38 Well, we were assigned 43:40 to help construct the new one day church 43:43 and a one day Sabbath school building 43:46 in the town of Villa Hermosa, 43:49 in its smaller section called Villa Caoba. 43:54 Now our world church leaders came with their gloves, 43:59 their hats, and their work clothes, 44:04 they painted, they shoveled, they poured cement, 44:08 they erected a structure, they roofed two structures, 44:13 they built a wall. 44:15 Garwin, I don't know where you're sitting 44:17 but you would have been proud of us, 44:19 as we worked on a one day church. 44:23 In fact, the Lord protected us, 44:26 because we don't normally do that kind of work. 44:28 And we might run into some problems, 44:30 but the Lord protected and we had no accidents. 44:34 A new water well was also put in on the church property, 44:39 dedicated to providing abundant fresh water 44:42 to that community 44:44 which did not have running water. 44:47 And the church that was constructed 44:49 will provide that town and community 44:52 with the living water, Jesus Christ. 44:55 What a privilege and joy it was for the World Church Leadership 45:00 to build God's church in Villa Caoba. 45:04 And we know that this church will be the foundation 45:06 of many more churches 45:08 that will be built since the missionary zeal 45:11 of God's people in Dominican Republic 45:14 is contagious. 45:16 My friends, God is calling us to build God's church 45:20 in every possible way 45:23 as we come to the very end of time. 45:25 We see the results of faithful builders 45:28 of God's church all around us. 45:30 Right here, at this ASi convention, 45:33 you have seen multiple times 45:35 how people are building God's church. 45:37 This is the result of God's faithful people 45:41 witnessing in such a positive manner 45:44 to facilitate the building-up of God's church 45:48 and sharing biblical truth. 45:52 God is calling you to join in the final proclamation 45:56 of the wonderful news 45:58 that Jesus is offering his salvation 46:00 to all who will receive him, that he is coming soon, 46:04 and that they wants us to tell someone else 46:07 about this good news and help to build God's church. 46:12 Let's wake up, let's realize, Jesus is coming soon, 46:19 look at the signs around you, 46:22 listen to the alarm bells that are ringing. 46:28 Last night, well, I should say early this morning, 46:32 those of you who are staying in the Davenport Grand Hotel 46:38 received an alarm, a wake up call. 46:43 It wasn't a wake-up call that simply asked us 46:47 to designate a particular time 46:49 so that we would be ready to come to a meeting here, 46:53 it was a fire alarm. 46:57 Well, after trying to wake up 47:02 and talking to my wife a little bit, 47:05 that alarm didn't seize, it kept on repeating itself. 47:12 Finally, I pulled some clothes on 47:16 and so did Nancy, 47:18 I then went and grabbed a few important things, 47:21 put them into my brief case, put my laptop in, 47:24 and I put my Bible, 47:26 and I put my sermon in for today. 47:31 We wandered down the stairway 47:33 from the 11th floor where we are 47:36 along with many other people that had vacated that building. 47:42 We actually happened to run into some people 47:45 that we knew, Steven, Gayle, Hansen were there. 47:49 And Steve, finally, 47:50 when we were down on the sidewalk, 47:51 he said, "What illustration are you gonna draw 47:54 from this for the sermon?" 47:57 Well, I didn't quite know how to approach that, 48:00 but this morning, we received a text message 48:04 from Melody Mason, whom you've seen here, 48:07 one of our strong prayer coordinators. 48:10 And she said, "You know what? 48:12 That alarm was distinctly and specifically telling us 48:17 that all around us, we need to listen to the alarms 48:21 that are going off now. 48:22 We need to be ready to proclaim God's precious truth." 48:28 Interestingly, when we got down there, 48:30 Melody was with some other friends also, 48:32 and she said "Well, I took my laptop and my Bible. 48:37 Interestingly, that's what I had done." 48:39 What are the most precious things that you will take 48:42 when you have to escape somewhere? 48:45 Let's never forget God's word. 48:48 Amen. 48:49 Let's remember the alarms are going off, 48:52 that Jesus is coming soon, let's believe God's prophets. 48:57 I hope that each of you are gonna be participating 49:00 with believe his prophets, reading God's word every day, 49:05 reading from the spirit of prophecy. 49:08 Right now, we are reading in Steps to Christ, 49:10 a marvelous book, incredible 13 chapters, 49:15 reading from the scripture. 49:17 Let's believe in the prophetic books 49:19 of Daniel and Revelation. 49:21 Christ is coming soon, what a day that will be, 49:24 saved through the justifying 49:26 and sanctifying power of Jesus Christ 49:29 and Him alone, saved through His righteousness, 49:32 what a privilege to share this prophetic message 49:36 and humbly ask God for revival and reformation 49:39 in our own lives as we lift up Jesus. 49:43 Amen. 49:45 Are we were willing to renew our commitment 49:50 to the distinctive prophetic messages of Daniel 49:54 and Revelation, 49:55 following in Christ's steps of sharing his love, 49:59 warning the world and building His church. 50:04 ASI, are you willing to do your part 50:09 in building God's church 50:11 in these last days of earth's history? 50:14 Well, one of these days, very soon, 50:18 we will look up into the sky 50:21 and we will see a small cloud approaching from the east, 50:26 and out here in Spokane, 50:27 that will be easier to see that cloud than some places 50:30 where we have lots of trees and all of that. 50:33 But wherever it is, it doesn't matter, 50:35 the desert or the forest. 50:37 You will look up and you will see that cloud approaching. 50:40 It will be an unusual cloud. 50:42 One about half the size of a man's hand, dark in color, 50:47 but getting brighter and brighter 50:49 and filling the entire sky, and we will look up 50:52 and we will see the culmination of all of our hopes 50:55 as Seventh-day Adventist Christians, 50:58 the second-coming of Jesus Christ. 51:01 And we'll look up and say 51:02 "This is the God that we have waited for." 51:04 And the Lord will look down and say "Well done, 51:07 good and faithful servants in ASI, 51:10 enter into the joy of your Lord." 51:15 Oh, what a day that will be, 51:17 a day that God is preparing for you and for me 51:23 as we lift Him up. 51:27 I want to be there that day, 51:30 by the grace and righteousness of Christ. 51:35 If today, you want to humbly submit your life 51:42 to Christ and His robe of righteousness, 51:45 and you want to go home with the Lord to heaven, 51:50 asking Him while you are here just before His coming, 51:54 to use you in every way possible 51:57 to lift Him up and build His church. 52:02 If you want to make that commitment today, 52:06 would you quietly stand to your feet along with me? 52:11 Amen. 52:19 Now our Father in heaven, You have heard prayers 52:22 ascending all over this auditorium, 52:25 people who are pleading with You 52:27 to use them to help build God's church, 52:33 to lift Jesus up in their lives, 52:35 in their daily activities and in their service to others. 52:41 Lord, you have heard the prayers, 52:45 not only in this auditorium 52:47 but people who are watching through 3ABN broadcast 52:50 all over this globe. 52:52 Lord, guide in a very special way, 52:56 as people's hearts are turned towards You. 53:01 Lord, we long to see Jesus come. 53:06 Please use us 53:07 in these last days of earth's history, 53:10 to accomplish exactly what You have in mind 53:13 for the Seventh-day Adventist Church, 53:15 and all who believe in your soon-coming 53:19 and the proclamation of the three angels' messages 53:22 of Revelation 14. 53:25 Help us to be focused upon building up God's church. 53:31 Thank you for hearing us in this prayer, 53:35 we commit ourselves into your hands, 53:37 go with us and empower us, 53:40 and help us to know that our God will fight for us. 53:45 Amen. 53:46 In the precious and wonderful, powerful name, 53:50 a name full of righteousness for each of us, 53:54 we ask all of these things, 53:57 in the name of Jesus Christ our Savior. 54:00 Amen. Amen. 54:03 Please remain standing for our hymn of commitment. 54:12 I want to invite you to remain standing 54:14 as we sing our closing song, The Lord is coming. 54:34 The Lord is coming, let this be 54:38 The herald note of jubilee 54:43 And when we meet and when we part, 54:47 The salutation from the heart 54:52 The Lord is coming, let this be 54:56 The herald note of jubilee 55:00 The herald note of jubilee 55:06 The Lord is coming! Sound it forth 55:10 From east to west, from south to north 55:14 Speed on! Speed on the tidings glad 55:18 That none who love Him may be sad 55:24 The Lord is coming, let this be 55:28 The herald note of jubilee 55:32 The herald note of jubilee 55:38 The Lord is coming, swift and sure 55:42 And all His judgments shall endure 55:46 And none can hope to escape His wrath 55:50 Who walk not in the narrow path 55:55 The Lord is coming, let this be 55:59 The herald note of jubilee 56:03 The herald note of jubilee 56:10 This earth, with her ten thousand wrongs 56:14 Will soon be tuned in nobler songs 56:18 Our praise shall then, in realms of light 56:22 With all His universe unite 56:27 The Lord is coming, let this be 56:32 The herald note of jubilee 56:38 The herald note of jubilee. 57:00 Please stand as we have closing prayer. 57:06 Our Father in heaven, 57:09 we truly have been in your presence today. 57:13 Thank you, Father, for this privilege, 57:15 to gather together from all around the world 57:18 to worship and lift You up. 57:21 Lord, be especially close to our brothers and sisters 57:24 who only dream of the freedom to do the same. 57:28 May we never take our religious freedom for granted, 57:32 for we know it may not last much longer. 57:36 We praise you father 57:38 for speaking through our world leader, Elder Wilson, 57:41 who has just challenged us with many powerful ways 57:45 that we can stay involved in building up God's church 57:48 and preparation for His very soon-coming. 57:52 Now, as we return to our homes, businesses, 57:55 professions, and ministries in the next few hours, 57:59 we have been inspired 58:01 to commit our lives totally to You, 58:03 and we ask, Father, that you bless us 58:06 with an everlasting desire to keep You first in our lives, 58:10 regardless of the cost, in the precious name of Jesus. 58:15 Amen. |
Revised 2022-04-28