Participants: Taj Pacleb
Series Code: 15GYC
Program Code: 15GYC000007A
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00:32 I am so thankful that we have someone we can always lean on
00:36 when we go through tough times. 00:37 And we're going to sing next, Leaning On the Everlasting Arms. 00:42 Please join us. 03:07 Please stand with us as we sing our theme song, 03:09 Once To Every Man and Nation. 07:34 Happy Sabbath GYC! 07:36 You guys can be seated. 07:38 I have the privilege of introducing to you today 07:41 our speaker for this morning, Evangelist Taj Pacleb. 07:45 I had the privilege of meeting him a few months ago in October 07:48 at GYC Southeast on the campus of Southern 07:51 Adventist University. 07:52 Taj's passion is to help people see Jesus in every doctrine 07:58 and every principle found within the Bible. 08:00 He's traveled to twenty-eight countries around the world, 08:03 including Malaysia, India, and last but not least, Fiji. 08:08 His mission, and his final purpose in life, is to change 08:11 the population in heaven, one soul at a time, 08:15 by sharing the hope, health, and harmony of heaven 08:19 in this dark world. 08:21 I know I'm looking forward to Taj's message this morning, 08:24 as I am sure you are. 08:25 Let us pray. Dear Heavenly Father, we humbly wait for You. 08:31 We thank You for the love that You have for us, 08:35 and we thank You for the rest that You give us in You, 08:37 and we thank You for the hope that we can have in You. 08:39 And this morning I just ask that You would fill this place; 08:43 that You would make Yourself so fully known that the city of 08:46 Louisville, and every attendee here would see You clearly. 08:50 Hide Taj behind Your cross Lord, that You may be lifted high 08:55 to draw all to You. 08:56 And we thank You for Your promise, in Jesus' name, Amen. 11:19 Amen. Good morning family. 11:22 Good morning! 11:23 Aloha, and happy Sabbath to each one of you. 11:26 I want to thank God for this wonderful opportunity of being 11:29 together on this, the first Sabbath of the New Year, 11:32 to experience a fresh revelation of Jesus. 11:35 We have lots to share this morning, so we're just going to 11:38 pray, and jump into our presentation. 11:39 I hope you brought your Bible. 11:41 I hope you brought a notebook. 11:42 And I hope you brought a spiritual appetite as we feast 11:45 upon the living manna, the bread of life, this morning. 11:48 I invite you to bow our heads as we pray together. 11:49 Let us pray. Thank You so much dear God, 11:53 for breathing Your breath of life into us today. 11:57 Thank You for giving us another Sabbath, another year, 12:02 another day to live. 12:04 And Lord we realize that time is very short, 12:07 that indeed You are coming again. 12:10 And Lord we want to be ready. 12:12 We understand, we recognize that You have called us, 12:15 You have chosen us. 12:17 And I pray dear Lord that Your faithfulness will be ours, 12:21 that You would fill this room with Your Holy Spirit, 12:23 fill our hearts with Your Spirit. 12:25 And as we open Your Word, that our hearts and minds will be 12:29 open to receive the message of this hour, that we might be 12:33 inspired, motivated, challenged, and blessed. 12:37 Please, dear God, speak and give us ears to hear Your voice, 12:42 and a heart that can know Your heart is our prayer 12:46 in Jesus name, Amen, Amen. 12:50 Our message this morning is entitled, 12:55 I invite you to take your Bible, and open with me to the book of 12:58 Mark, Chapter 1, as we begin our study entitled, 13:02 Great in the Sight of the Lord. 13:04 Mark 1, beginning with Verse 1, the Bible says this: 13:11 Mark 1:1, the Bibles says, The beginning of the gospel of Jesus 13:18 Christ, the Son of God; As it is written in the prophets, 13:22 Behold, I send My messenger before your face, 13:27 who will prepare your way before you. 13:31 The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare the way 13:37 of the Lord, and make His paths straight. 13:42 Our message this morning takes us back to the first century of 13:45 the common era. 13:47 It was a time of great instability and 13:50 uncertainty in the world. 13:52 And this somber uncertainly was mingled with a solemn expectancy 13:57 for something that was going to happen amongst 13:59 the people of God. 14:01 Because the Jews of old thought to themselves that soon 14:04 their Messiah would come. 14:06 Soon the day of reckoning would arrive. 14:08 Soon their enemies would be vanquished under their 14:11 feet, so they thought. 14:12 But before the Messiah would come to the world, 14:16 the Bible says in this passage, that He would send His messenger 14:19 to prepare the way for His arrival. 14:22 And we know that this prophetic promise was fulfilled 14:25 in the life and in the ministry of John the Baptist. 14:28 He was sent to prepare the way for the first coming of Christ. 14:32 And so, too, God is looking for some final forerunners in the 14:37 last days to prepare the way for for the second coming of Christ. 14:41 John was the first forerunner. 14:43 God is calling us to be the final forerunners 14:46 in these last days. 14:48 And so this morning, as well as tomorrow, as we examine 14:51 the life, and ministry, and message of John the Baptist, 14:53 we will see an example, a visual aid of what God is calling 14:57 us to be in these solemn times. 15:00 His life, in other words, was a shadowy type, 15:03 and God is calling us to be the greater reality, 15:07 to prepare people for the second coming of Jesus. 15:11 In this passage John is introduced simply as the voice 15:16 of one crying in the wilderness. 15:18 But what kind of voice was that of John's? 15:20 John's voice was a voice calling for revival and reformation. 15:24 It was a catalyst for revival. 15:27 His voice was a clear voice announcing 15:29 the coming of King Jesus. 15:31 It was also a penetrating voice; a voice that would sigh and cry 15:36 for the abominations that were done in the church of that time. 15:40 It was a voice that would break up the hardened soil 15:43 of spiritual indifference. 15:44 It was also a piercing voice that would cut men's hearts 15:47 with Holy Spirit conviction. 15:49 It was a startling voice calling for revival, 15:52 repentance, and reformation. 15:54 It was also a shaking voice causing some to be shaken up, 15:58 and others to be sifted out. 15:59 His was a bold voice, not afraid to call sin by its right name. 16:04 But it was also a balanced voice; a voice that not only 16:06 comforted the afflicted, but also afflicted the comfortable. 16:11 His voice, friends, was clear and crying, 16:13 penetrating and piercing. 16:15 It was bold and balanced. 16:17 Also it was a relevant voice; a voice that reached all types 16:20 of different demographics: the young and the old, 16:23 the rich and the poor, the educated the uneducated, 16:26 the Jew and the Gentile, men and women, 16:28 the religious as well as the irreligious. 16:31 It was also a hopeful voice; a voice that would give light 16:35 to those who sit in darkness. 16:36 And it was also a faithful voice; 16:39 a voice that would not keep silent 16:41 until the mission was accomplished; 16:44 the mission simply to prepare the path, 16:48 and the way for the Lord. 16:49 That was the voice of God's first 16:52 forerunner, John the Baptist. 16:54 And so will it be the voice of God's faithful messengers, 16:58 and final forerunners in these last days. 17:01 And my charge and challenge to each and every one of us this 17:04 morning is for us to simply stand up and to let God make us 17:09 His voice, His final generation of faithful forerunners. 17:13 Friends, I don't know about you, but I want to stand up 17:15 and be amongst that group, Amen? 17:16 It's time for us, friends, to run to the world to announce 17:20 the coming of King Jesus. 17:22 It's time for us to be that voice to give that loud cry 17:25 message; to lift up our voice and loud let it ring 17:28 that Jesus is coming again. 17:31 But friends, in our world today, with so may different voices, 17:34 speaking so many different things in confusion, 17:36 the question I ask this morning is, How can we be that clarion 17:40 voice announcing the return of our King? 17:44 Well, to answer that question, all we need to do is examine 17:48 the life of John the Baptist. 17:50 And we're going to ask the question, 17:52 What made John who he was? 17:54 And that will answer the question as to what God is 17:58 wanting us to be as well. 18:01 You see, when the angel Gabriel came to the parents of John 18:05 announcing his coming, the angel Gabriel prophesied concerning 18:11 John in Luke 1:15, and he said that John would be great 18:17 in the sight of the Lord, great in the sight of the lord. 18:22 John was destined for greatness, and so it is with us today. 18:27 God has called us, friends, not to live an ordinary, mundane, 18:32 boring life, but to live a life that is great 18:35 in the sight of the Lord. 18:37 And that's the life I want to live. 18:38 How about you? Amen? 18:40 But what made John so great? 18:43 There are three things that I want to share with you. 18:46 There are several things that make him great, 18:47 but three things I want to share with you, 18:48 that I want to highlight with you today and tomorrow. 18:53 The three things that made this voice so great: 18:56 1. Was what John said about himself. 19:00 2. What John said about Jesus. 19:05 And then, 3. What Jesus said about John. 19:09 This morning we're going to cover that first one: 19:12 What John said about himself. 19:14 And then tomorrow morning we're going to cover the second 19:17 and third: What John said about Jesus, 19:19 and what Jesus said about John. 19:21 Now friends, based upon what John said about himself, 19:25 which we're about to read, we can conclude three things about 19:28 John the Baptist that made him great in the sight of the Lord. 19:32 And I'm going to give it to you right now, which is the three 19:35 points of our presentation today. 19:37 1. That which made John great is that he was 19:42 confident in his identity. 19:45 2. He was secure in his simplicity. 19:49 And 3. He was genuine in his humility. 19:54 And those are the three things that make us great 19:57 in the sight of the Lord as well. 19:59 And so I invite you to take your Bible and turn with me to 20:01 the book of John 1, as we see what John said about himself. 20:06 John 1. As the voice in the wilderness was heard 20:10 the whole nation of Israel was stirred with 20:13 excitement and anticipation. 20:15 Many believed that the voice that they heard in the 20:17 wilderness was one of the prophets risen from the dead. 20:20 Others thought that perhaps this was the promised Messiah. 20:24 He has come! And then in verse 19 of John 1 the Bible tells us 20:29 that the priests and Levites approach John, asking John 20:33 about his identity. 20:34 They asked the question, Who are you? 20:37 What do you say concerning yourself? 20:40 And notice how John responds to the question in John 1:20. 20:45 If you're there would you please let me know by saying Amen. 20:48 Amen. 20:49 John 1:20. John said, or the Bible says, And he confessed, 20:53 and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ. 20:57 And they asked him what then? 20:59 Art thou Elias? And he said, I am not. 21:02 Art thou that Prophet? 21:05 And he answered, No. 21:06 Then they said unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an 21:09 answer to them that sent us. 21:11 What do you say of yourself? 21:14 Now, friends, I want you to notice as the Levites and 21:17 priests asked John this question, John could have easily 21:21 responded and claimed to be the Messiah. 21:23 And the people would have revered him, 21:25 and accepted him as such. 21:27 He could have also claimed to be Elijah, or a great prophet 21:33 risen from the dead, and people would have followed. 21:35 You see, when John was confronted with these questions, 21:38 he is faced with an opportunity of power, and promotion, 21:43 and self exaltation in these questions. 21:46 All that appealed to the carnal flesh of John 21:49 was presented before him. 21:51 It was an opportunity for him to exalt himself 21:54 in the eyes of man. 21:55 But John the Baptist was like one who saw and heard not, 21:59 because he understood that he did not have to be 22:01 great in the eyes of men; he was already great 22:04 in the eyes of the Lord. 22:06 And so he responds to their question. 22:08 He doesn't even tell them his name. 22:10 He simply says in verse 23, I am the voice of one crying 22:16 in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord. 22:20 It says, Make straight the way of the Lord, 22:22 as said the prophet... What does it say?... the prophet Isaiah. 22:27 Notice friends, John's answer to the questions about what he 22:32 thinks about himself highlights why he was so great 22:36 in the sight of the Lord. 22:37 First of all John knew his prophetic identity. 22:41 He saw himself as the fulfillment of Isaiah's 22:44 prophecy, the voice preparing the way 22:47 for the coming of Messiah. 22:49 His identity was rooted in prophecy. 22:52 John understood that his existence was called forth 22:55 by the prophetic word, and that is what enabled him 22:59 to fulfill his purpose. 23:01 His purpose was rooted in his identity. 23:04 His identity was rooted in the prophetic word. 23:07 John, in other words, knew exactly who he was. 23:12 And as a result he knew why he was sent to the world. 23:16 My question to you this morning friends is this: 23:18 Do you know who you are? 23:20 Do you know why that you are here? 23:24 Allow me to remind us all this morning that we 23:27 are not just a church. 23:29 We are not just a conversation. 23:32 We are a prophetic movement of destiny, called and chosen by 23:37 God Himself to fulfill a specific, special mission, 23:40 to present a beautiful, glorious message for a very 23:44 distinctive and solemn time. 23:46 Our identity has been called forth by the 23:49 prophetic Word of God. 23:51 It's rooted in the book of Revelation, chapter 10, 23:53 Revelation chapter 14, Revelation chapter 18. 23:56 We find our identity, not only as a church, 23:59 not just as a conversation, but as a prophetic movement 24:04 called to usher in the return of King Jesus; 24:07 to be the final forerunners we have been called, 24:10 we have been chosen. 24:11 The question is, Are we faithful? 24:13 In order to be great in the sight of the Lord: 24:17 1. We must be confident in our identity. 24:22 Not obnoxious in our identity, but simply confident; 24:26 knowing who we are and why we're here. 24:30 This was the mindset of the first forerunner, 24:33 so, too, the final forerunners. 24:35 But now we go to the second thing that made 24:38 John the Baptist so great. 24:39 He wasn't just confident in his identity, 24:42 he was secure in his simplicity. 24:45 You see, when you study the life of John the Baptist 24:48 there is nothing flashy, or extravagant about his life. 24:51 He lived a life that was characterized by modest 24:54 simplicity in his dress, in his diet, in his training, 24:58 in his education, and his message. 25:00 The Bible describes the diet of John the Baptist. 25:04 And the point that we learned from that is that his diet 25:07 was simple in nature. 25:09 He lived by the principle of temperance, because you see 25:12 friends, in order to give a clear message, 25:14 we have to have a clear mind. 25:16 In order to have a clear mind we have to have a healthy body. 25:20 Amen? And in order to have a healthy body, we must live by 25:24 the principle of being temperate in all things. 25:27 And that was John the Baptist. 25:28 He gave a clear message because he had a clear mind, 25:31 because he had a healthy body, because he 25:33 lived a life of temperance. 25:35 Not only that, but the Bible describes his dress: 25:38 simple in nature, and very distinct. 25:40 He lived by the principle of modesty. 25:42 And friends, the spirit of prophecy tells us that the dress 25:46 of John the Baptist was such that it was an open rebuke 25:49 to the flashy fashions, and the dazzling displays of the time. 25:53 You see, the Scribes and Pharisees, and religious 25:55 leaders during that time, they loved to dress to impress 25:59 others of their religious importance. 26:02 But John understood that it wasn't about attracting 26:06 attention to himself, but calling people's attention 26:10 to the One that was coming after him. 26:12 John was temperate in his diet. 26:14 He was modest in his dress. 26:16 That was the first forerunner. 26:17 So, too, will be the final forerunners. 26:19 He was a health, and a dress reformer, but he was also 26:22 an educational reformer. 26:24 It's interesting that when you read the book, Desire of Ages, 26:27 it describes the training of the first 26:30 forerunner, John the Baptist. 26:31 God did not send him to the teachers of theology, 26:34 or the Rabbinical schools of the day. 26:36 In fact the Spirit of Prophecy tells us that that would have 26:40 actually unfitted him for his work. 26:43 Instead God called him to the desert so that he might learn 26:46 from nature, and nature's God. 26:49 John the Baptist lived between the mountain and the multitude. 26:52 He, and in this wilderness retreat, he studied God's 26:56 two great books: the book of nature, and that of Revelation. 27:00 He searched diligently the prophetic scrolls. 27:03 He watched the passing signs of the times. 27:05 He understood the day and hour in which he lived. 27:08 And he also observed the character of men so that he 27:11 can discover the best way to reach their hearts 27:14 with the message of heaven. 27:15 And with God as his instructor, John the Baptist received a 27:20 well-rounded holistic education. 27:23 A what kind of education? 27:25 well-rounded and holistic 27:27 Now, friends, we have to understand this morning that 27:29 John did not have an accredited degree that was recognized 27:34 by the clergy of the day. 27:36 But nonetheless, He was thoroughly educated and trained 27:40 to live out his purpose and fulfill his mission. 27:44 Now please listen carefully, and don't misunderstand. 27:47 There's nothing wrong with pursuing an accredited degree. 27:51 Can you say, Amen? 27:52 If it's within your reach, and it's within your budget, 27:55 go get it! It'll open many doors. 27:57 And if you've got one, you ought to thank God for another tool 28:01 to use in ministry. 28:02 But friends, listen, I believe that as God's children, 28:05 we ought to aim for excellence in all that we do. 28:09 Can you say Amen? 28:10 Moral excellence, spiritual excellence, physical excellence, 28:14 as well as academic excellence. 28:16 But here, my friends, listen carefully, is the forgotten 28:19 reality that we need to remember, and be reminded of 28:22 today, and that is this: God is not dependent on your degree, 28:27 nor is He limited if you lack one. 28:31 God is dependent upon our humility, and our availability 28:37 to be used by Him. 28:39 We've been told in the book, Great Controversy, page 606, 28:42 that when the time comes for the third angel's message to be 28:45 given, with its greatest power, it says the Lord will work 28:49 through humble instruments. 29:00 Nothing wrong with literary institutions; we need them 29:03 all over the world. 29:04 But God is not dependent on them to finish the work. 29:08 He's looking for humble instruments who are willing 29:11 to put self, and self sufficiency aside, to be filled 29:15 with the Holy Spirit. 29:17 And I love what it says in the devotional book, Maranatha. 29:19 And on page 23 it says that: 29:24 How long? 29:33 You see, the reason why this ought to be encouraging to us 29:36 is because you may not have the time, the means, or the need to 29:40 spend many years in a literary institution. 29:42 But the good news is that the Holy Spirit is available, 29:46 and accessible to us all. 29:48 He is the greatest teacher, and we need to be careful not to 29:51 limit the work of the Holy Spirit. Amen? 29:54 In the book, Gospel Workers, on page 488, 489, it says this 29:59 very challenging statement. It says this: 30:57 You see, those who live for Christ ought to aim for 31:00 excellence in all things. 31:01 But friends, let us never fall into the Devil's trap 31:06 of equating formal education with holistic education. 31:10 Because not all formal education is holistic, 31:14 and seldom is holistic education considered formal. 31:18 Let us never over emphasize formal education over holistic 31:22 education to the point that we adopt this mindset that if we 31:26 do not have a piece of paper, recognized by a secular 31:30 accrediting institution, that somehow we're not qualified 31:34 for ministry, and to work for God. 31:36 The Spirit of Prophecy calls that mindset unbelief, 31:40 limiting the Holy Spirit, hindering the work of God, 31:44 uncalled for, distrust for, because friends, if that mindset 31:48 was true, then John the Baptist was unqualified for ministry. 31:52 Not only John the Baptist, but even Jesus, God in the flesh, 31:57 because they did not have a degree accredited by some 32:02 institution, but nonetheless, they had God as their teacher. 32:05 They learned from the experience of the patriarchs, 32:08 and prophets of old, and they had an 32:10 experience with their Master. 32:11 Don't forget what I shared with you the other day. 32:13 Your greatest qualification is your experience with Jesus. 32:17 Amen? The strongest proof that God has called one to ministry 32:21 is written in the book of, Acts of the Apostles, page 328. 32:24 It says this: 32:37 Jesus said, Ye shall know them by their fruits, 32:40 not by their letters. 32:42 Jesus said in John 15:16, You have not chosen Me, 32:46 but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that you should go 32:51 and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain. 32:54 Even when we did not choose God, God choose us. 33:00 He ordained us to be fruit bearers. 33:04 It is not the letters, but the fruit that is the evidence 33:07 of Holy Spirit ordination. 33:08 That's what John had. 33:10 His training was simple, but it was profound in its simplicity. 33:14 And because his training was of a higher order, so too was his 33:18 message and his methods. 33:21 You see, John did not use fancy gimmicks, or emotional theatrics 33:26 to captivate the crowds. 33:27 His message and approach was very different 33:30 from that of the Pharisees. 33:32 It was very simple. 33:33 He simply spoke the truth, and he spoke it in love. 33:37 John did not compromise the message in order to satisfy 33:40 the itching ears of his audience. 33:43 He did not sugar coat the message in order for it to 33:45 become more palatable for the people. 33:48 He simply spoke the truth, and he spoke it in love. 33:50 And tomorrow morning we're going to see specifically 33:53 exactly what John spoke. 33:55 But in this we see that John was secure in his simplicity, 34:00 confident in his identity. 34:02 2. Secure in his simplicity. 34:06 And that's what's going to give us success friends. 34:08 I want you to notice Testimonies for the Church, Volume 2, 34:11 page 608. It says: 34:27 Success is found in simplicity. 34:30 When we try to change things, and adopt things to meet the 34:37 changing cultures, and to satisfy the postmodern mindset 34:42 friends, many ministries have no power. 34:45 Because they're trying to replace the simplicity of God's 34:50 Word with something else that appeals to the carnal flesh. 34:53 John was confident in his identity. 34:56 He was secure in his simplicity. 34:59 But most importantly, 3. He was genuine in his humility. 35:04 When people asked John who he was, he didn't even 35:08 tell them his name. 35:09 His simple response was, I am the voice of one 35:12 crying in the wilderness. 35:14 He took no credit to himself. 35:16 He didn't show them his resume. 35:19 He didn't even tell them his name. 35:21 He simply said, I'm the voice... 35:23 It's not my name that's important. 35:25 It's not my title, or position, it's simply my voice, 35:29 my message that's important. 35:31 When the people approached John and said, John people are 35:34 leaving you and going to Jesus. 35:35 It was then that John said, in John 3:30, he said, He must... 35:40 what? increase. I must decrease. 35:44 You see, John was great in the sight of the Lord, 35:47 because he was small in the sight of himself. 35:51 And this is what made him safe for God to bless. 35:56 When you study the Bible, friends, the Bible tells us 36:00 the stories of great men and women of faith, that God used in 36:04 powerful, potent, and profound ways, and that which 36:08 they all had in common; it was humility and self distrust. 36:13 We look at Moses. When the Lord called him Moses said, 36:15 Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh? 36:17 I am not eloquent. 36:18 I am slow of speech. 36:20 And yet God was able to use him as a powerful deliverer 36:22 to set the people free of the bondage of Egypt. 36:26 Look at Solomon, king of Israel. 36:29 When God called him, in his prayer he did not as for riches. 36:33 He did not ask for power. 36:35 He asked for wisdom. 36:36 He said, Lord I'm a little child. 36:38 I know not how to come in or to go out. 36:40 I need wisdom. And it tells us that Solomon was not wiser, 36:47 wealthier, or more exalted than when he spoke those words. 36:52 I'm just a little child. 36:53 I don't know what to do. 36:55 And he leaned wholly upon the Lord's wisdom. 36:58 You look at Jeremiah, the weeping prophet. 37:00 When God called him, he said, Ah Lord God, I am but a child. 37:03 I can't speak. But the Lord says, Don't worry. 37:05 I'm going to put My words in your mouth; 37:08 humility, self distrust. 37:11 Daniel, when he saw the Lord he said, My comeliness 37:14 is turned into corruption. 37:15 I retain no strength. 37:17 Isaiah said, Woe is me, I am undone; 37:20 a man of unclean lips. 37:21 Peter, when he saw the glimpse of the divinity of Christ, 37:26 he fell at His feet and he said, Depart from me. 37:28 I'm a sinful man, O Lord. 37:31 And Paul, the mighty apostle said, I am the chief of sinners, 37:36 and least of all the apostles. 37:38 Even Ellen White said, I am a little girl. 37:40 They're not going to listen to me. 37:41 And even our Lord Jesus said, Of My Own self, I can do nothing. 37:47 And yet these were the ones that moved the world. 37:51 And so my friends if you feel yourself unworthy, insufficient, 37:55 and inadequate to live up to the holy calling God has placed upon 37:58 you, if you feel yourself insufficient, 38:01 you're in good company, because that was the mindset of all 38:04 of those who were great in the sight of the Lord; 38:07 humility and self distrust. 38:11 Prophets and Kings, page 175. 38:13 I love this promise. It says: 38:17 What everyone? 38:21 What is that word? 38:29 Nothing more helpless, but at the same time invincible, 38:34 in the one who is genuine in humility. 38:36 And so, such was John the Baptist. 38:38 Three things. What were they? 38:41 1. He was... Help me. 38:42 ...confident in his identity. 38:45 2. He was secure in his simplicity. 38:51 And 3. He was genuine in his humility. 38:55 And that's what made him safe for God to bless. 38:58 Friends, do you realize that God is eager, and anxious to pour 39:04 out all the blessings of heaven upon us. 39:06 You know, sometimes when we pray we're praying, Lord bless me. 39:11 But friends, I believe that we ought to modify that prayer 39:16 a bit, because God wants to bless us, but many times He 39:20 doesn't because He can't trust us with those blessings. 39:23 So instead of praying, Lord bless me, we ought to pray, 39:27 Lord change my heart and make me safe for You to bless. 39:34 And that which makes us safe for God to bless is when we have 39:38 the mind of Christ, the humility of Jesus. 39:43 It says in the book, Ministry of Healing, page 476, 478: 40:04 What are the angels looking for? 40:43 I want to be like that. How about you? 40:45 Amen! 40:47 And that was the characteristic of the first forerunner. 40:50 So, too, will it be the characteristic of the final 40:54 forerunners in the last days. 40:56 Friends, let me ask you, How many want, and could use more 41:00 humility in your life? 41:02 And friends, we need to be careful that we don't become 41:06 proud of our humility, Amen? 41:09 I think it was C. S. Lewis that said, If you think you have no 41:14 pride, then you most surely do. 41:17 We need to be genuine in humility, to recognize our 41:24 unworthiness, our inadequacies, and our insufficiencies. 41:29 Because it is then that God takes the weak things 41:33 of the world and He shows Himself strong 41:37 through their experience. Amen? 41:40 I'll never forget receiving the e- mail inviting me to speak 41:44 at the General Conference Session 41:46 this past July in San Antonio. 41:48 How many of you were there at the 41:50 General Conference Session? 41:51 It was a wonderful experience; my first time going there. 41:54 The General Conference, as many of you know, 41:57 is held only once every five years. 41:59 This past year it was held at the Alamo Dome Stadium, 42:03 which seats over 65,000 people; the former home of the 42:07 San Antonio Spurs basketball team. 42:09 And when I received this invitation, this e-mail inviting 42:13 me to do one of the devotionals for the General Conference, 42:16 my initial reaction to that was I was shocked. 42:19 I was, I thought to myself, of the thousands of speakers 42:24 available, why was I chosen? 42:27 It had to be a mistake. 42:29 I read it over and over again. 42:30 I thought, They must have sent it to the wrong 42:32 person, because why me? 42:34 I don't have some high position of leadership in the church. 42:38 I'm not an ordained pastor. 42:40 I don't have any formal education that many 42:44 esteem so important. 42:45 All I have is a high school diploma, a two year certificate 42:49 from a small Bible college called Soswes, 42:51 field experience, and a walk with Jesus. 42:54 But I guess that's enough, Amen? 42:55 Amen! 42:57 But I honestly, I honestly felt friends that there were 42:59 hundreds of others far more qualified, and far more Godly 43:03 than I was to take this solemn responsibility. 43:06 I felt unworthy, and inadequate, to speak at such a large stage 43:12 at such a sacred event. 43:14 But nonetheless I accepted the invitation with excitement, 43:17 but also a great level of trepidation. 43:20 But as I prayed, I put it in God's hands, and the Lord gave 43:23 me what I feel was a timely message for His church; 43:27 a message calling us back to our mission to preach 43:30 the Word in all the world. 43:32 When the General Conference began, 43:34 it was my first time attending. 43:36 I was there with my wife, and we saw the tens of thousands 43:39 of people crawling like ants all over the place. 43:42 I tried not to think about the fact that I was going to speak 43:46 to them on the second Thursday of the General Conference. 43:48 I was nervous, but at the same time I had a sense of peace, 43:53 knowing that if God could use Moses, 43:55 surely He could use someone like me. 43:56 And the morning that I stood up on that stage in front of tens 44:01 of thousands of people, all the fear and nervousness vanished. 44:05 The Holy Spirit took full control. 44:07 I could sense a lot of people were praying for me. 44:10 It was surreal, friends. 44:11 It was like I was in some type of zone. 44:13 It was just God and I up there. 44:15 Jesus was lifted up. 44:16 The Spirit moved, and the people were blessed, and it was a 44:19 wonderful experience I am eternally thankful for. 44:22 But let me tell you what happened when I descended 44:25 the stage where all the delegates were gathered. 44:28 As I began to exit the building, it seemed like the whole 44:32 world just opened up. 44:34 Delegates from Africa, and Asia, and South America, and Europe; 44:38 they all started coming and asking me for my business card, 44:40 inviting me to come and to speak in their country. 44:44 And I was excited, but I quickly became afraid. 44:48 I was afraid, and here's the reason why. 44:51 Because the Bible says, To whom much is given, much is required. 44:57 I feel like I've been given too much too quick. 45:00 It's not something I sought, but it's 45:03 something that God brought. 45:05 And friends to be honest, just to be very transparent with you, 45:08 I'm not comfortable being up front. 45:11 I don't want to be famous. 45:14 I just want to be faithful. 45:15 Amen! 45:16 And naturally I'm an introvert; very shy. 45:20 Growing up in Hawaii I had a disadvantage, I had an advantage 45:25 because I was close to the beach, but the disadvantage 45:28 is that in Hawaii we speak a different language there. 45:30 It's called simplified English. 45:32 We take a paragraph and we say it in one sentence. 45:37 We take a sentence and we say it in two words. 45:40 We take two words and we say it with our eyebrows. 45:43 Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha! 45:45 It's basically broken English. 45:46 And so growing up I was very shy, slow of speech. 45:50 I'm not the smartest person, and I would much rather be behind 45:53 the camera taking pictures, rather than in 45:55 front of the camera. 45:56 I don't want to be famous; I just want to be faithful. 45:59 I don't want to be great in the sight of men; 46:04 only great in the sight of the Lord. 46:05 That night that I preached, I preached in the morning, 46:10 but that night 3ABN was reviewing the day at the GC 46:13 and they made a comment on the devotional that I shared 46:16 that morning, and someone on 3ABN called me 46:18 a rising star in Adventism. 46:21 And my human nature was flattered, but I quickly became 46:24 afraid, because we've been told, friends, that many a star 46:27 that we have admired for its brilliancy 46:30 will go out in darkness. 46:34 Jeremiah said to his scribe Baruch, Seekest thou great 46:38 things for yourself? Seek them not. 46:40 And the reason is because if we're not watchful, 46:42 if we're not sober, the Devil will make us think 46:45 we're something special. 46:46 We've seen so many bright and shining stars loose their light, 46:50 and fall into darkness. 46:52 We're seen so many spiritual mentors fall 46:55 and turn back to the world. 46:58 And so, my friends, let us stay humble. 47:02 Lets allow Jesus to clothe us with humility day by day. 47:06 Lets stay on guard, and keep humble, and stay with Jesus. 47:10 The Devil is coming after you friends. 47:12 He has a trap prepared for you. 47:14 Because Satan knows that if he can get you, 47:18 he will get all those whom you have influence over. 47:23 And so stay with Jesus. 47:26 Stay with Jesus. Stay with Jesus. 47:30 Be sober, be vigilant. 47:34 The Devil is like a lion seeking whom he may devour. 47:37 Be sober, be vigilant, but don't be afraid because Satan, 47:41 even though he's a wily foe, even though he's a mighty enemy, 47:45 he is also a defeated enemy. 47:47 Can you say Amen? Amen. 47:48 The greatest one that you ought to fear is not the Devil. 47:51 He's a defeated enemy. 47:53 The one that you ought to fear the most is the one you look at 47:56 every single morning in the mirror. 47:57 Self is the enemy we need fear most. 48:03 I want to share with you a few more things, 48:05 as we bring this to a close soon. 48:09 The Bible tells us that perfect love casts out fear. Amen? 48:16 We don't have to be afraid of Satan, 48:18 but we ought to be afraid of self. 48:20 Now there's a lot of things that people are afraid of in life. 48:27 A lot of people are afraid of heights. 48:29 Any of you afraid of heights? afraid of flying? 48:33 Well, friends, God has taken that fear out of my heart. 48:36 You know, growing up in Hawaii, I grew up jumping 48:40 off cliffs into water. 48:41 We've done sky diving, and bungee jumping, 48:44 and jumping off buildings, and I don't have a fear of heights 48:47 like many people do. 48:49 Now there are others who are afraid of speed, 48:51 afraid of going fast. 48:53 I grew up riding dirt bikes, racing, 48:57 doing all of these types of activities, 48:59 or riding skate boards down hills and whatnot, 49:01 and so I'm not afraid of speed like many others are afraid of. 49:04 And this next one, some of you'll think I'm crazy, 49:07 but many people, including myself, growing up in Hawaii, 49:10 had a great fear of sharks. 49:12 But in recent years I've learned that sharks are amazing. 49:18 I love swimming with sharks. 49:20 Here's a picture of my wife and I swimming with sharks. 49:22 Sharks are amazing, amazing creatures. 49:26 I'm not afraid. I've swam with, many times, reef sharks, 49:29 and I've even swam with hammer heads, 49:31 and bull sharks, and a tiger shark. 49:33 And if you ever get the chance to go to Hawaii, 49:35 let me know, and we'll go swim with some sharks together. 49:38 Now how many of you want to do that? 49:39 It's all good? Alright! 49:40 We have some adventurous people here. 49:42 Some people are afraid of sharks. 49:43 I'm not afraid of that. 49:45 Others are afraid of death, but I've boarded planes in the past 49:48 where it wasn't certain that the plane would land. 49:53 And I'll never forget... It was just a few months ago in fact. 49:57 My wife and I boarded a plane heading to Fiji. 49:59 We were going to speak there. 50:01 And about fifteen minutes into the flight we realized that 50:05 we were flying a lot lower than we should. 50:09 And then we were sitting in the front row, and we saw the flight 50:14 attendant in his seat, and the captain called 50:16 him over the phone. 50:17 And then we saw the facial expression 50:20 of the flight attendant. 50:22 His face became serious and somber. 50:24 His eyes began to blink. 50:26 His breathing became heavy. 50:27 And we were just watching and wondering what was taking place. 50:30 And then we heard him say, So you want me to prepare for 50:34 an evacuation landing? 50:35 And at that moment we started to become nervous. 50:39 He ended the phone call and looked for some manual. 50:43 He was frantically trying to find something that would 50:45 instruct him how to prepare for evacuation landing. 50:48 Then he got on the intercom and he told all those on the plane, 50:51 We have a serious problem. 50:53 The captain has informed us that the landing gears are stuck down 50:57 and we need to go back to the airport. 51:00 We're not sure what's going to happen, so we need to prepare 51:03 for an evacuation landing. 51:05 The landing gear is stuck down, and you know it's better to be 51:08 stuck down than stuck up. Amen? 51:10 So at least it was stuck down, and not stuck up. 51:14 And so we were heading back to the airport, and he's teaching 51:17 us how to do the brace position, and what would happen, 51:19 in case we crashed. 51:20 And since we're in the front row, he looked at us, 51:23 and he told us, I need your assistance in opening 51:26 the evacuation emergency doors. 51:28 And he got a verbal from every single one of us. 51:30 His face, he was, there was no joking; somber and serious. 51:34 And then he said this to us, he said, And if for any reason 51:39 I get knocked out, unconscious, would you please remove 51:43 my body from the airplane? 51:45 And that's when we knew it was serious. 51:47 As we head back to the airport we saw the fire engines, 51:51 the fire trucks. We didn't know what was going to happen. 51:56 But I thought to myself, Lord, I'm on Your errands. 52:01 My life is in Your hands. 52:04 And if You are finished with me, then by Your grace I'm ready. 52:08 And there was a serene calmness and peace in that moment 52:12 that I can't describe with words. 52:13 There was no fear of death in that moment. 52:16 Because when your life is in God's hands, you have nothing 52:19 to be afraid of. Amen? 52:21 And while I can say that I'm not afraid to die, I'm not afraid of 52:25 jumping off cliffs, and going fast, and swimming with sharks, 52:29 there is one thing that I know that I am deathly afraid of. 52:34 I'm afraid of falling. 52:37 I'm afraid of a moral fall. 52:39 I'm afraid of hurting my God, disappointing others, 52:46 misrepresenting my church, embarrassing my family, 52:50 making a fool out of myself. 52:51 Friends, we've seen so many bright shining 52:54 stars in Adventism fall. 52:56 Let it be a warning to us that we are not indispensible. 53:00 If we're not faithful, God can use somebody else 53:05 to finish the work. 53:06 And as we see others falling, lets not kick them 53:10 while they're on the ground. Amen? 53:14 Our response as we see others falling and failing, 53:18 is Lord, but for Your grace, there go I. 53:22 To recognize our own humanity. 53:25 And so recently, especially as these opportunities have come 53:29 our way, I've been praying a different prayer. 53:32 I've been praying, Lord if you see that I'm ever placed in a 53:35 compromising situation where I would end up falling, 53:38 disappointing others, tarnishing Your work, and are breaking Your 53:42 heart, Lord let me die first. 53:47 I would rather die. 53:48 I would rather die than tarnish the work of God, 53:53 because I see the excruciating pain that it causes others. 53:58 Pray for your leaders, friends. 54:01 Pray for yourself. 54:04 I've seen so many of my own spiritual mentors fall. 54:07 Pray for those who are engaged in ministry, because they are 54:12 on Satan's most wanted list. 54:14 The Devil knows that if he can smite the shepherd, 54:17 the sheep will scatter. 54:19 And so I told my wife recently that I've been praying that 54:21 prayer just in case I die, she would understand why. 54:26 And half jokingly she said, You've been praying that? 54:28 So you want me to be a widow? she said. 54:32 She said, I'm glad that you distrust yourself. 54:35 But you ought to also pray that God will give you victory, 54:40 and that you can run like Joseph ran as well. Amen? 54:43 My friends, it's serious. 54:45 But I'm thankful for this opportunity, because I know 54:47 that this is how God is saving me. 54:49 So friends, as we get ready to close, let's never seek fame. 54:53 Let's only seek to be faithful. 54:55 Not to be great in the eyes of men, 54:57 but great in the eyes of the Lord. 55:01 My last quotation I want to read to you. 55:03 Christ's Object Lessons, page 403 reads: 56:10 And so my friends, do the duty that lies nearest. 56:15 Be faithful in that which is least. 56:17 Be confident in your identity, knowing that you're called. 56:22 Be secure in your simplicity, knowing that you're chosen. 56:26 And be genuine in your humility, because that is what 56:29 makes us faithful, faithful, faithful. 56:36 John the Baptist was great in the sight of the Lord, 56:40 because he was small in the sight of himself. 56:44 How many of you want to be like John the Baptist? 56:47 More importantly, how many of you want to be like Jesus? 56:51 And so let us pray and make John's declaration 56:58 our proclamation as well. 57:00 He must increase; I must decrease. 57:05 Lets live a life that's pleasing, 57:08 and brings joy to our King. 57:10 And may our lives be great, not in the sight of men, 57:14 but in the sight of the Lord. 57:16 If that's the experience you desire, would you bow your heads 57:19 with me as we pray? 57:21 Lord, we thank You so much for calling us, 57:26 and for choosing us to be Your forerunners, Your victorious 57:34 voices in these solemn times. 57:38 Lord we recognize that we're not worthy. 57:42 We're inadequate. The angels could do a much better job. 57:48 But thank You, Lord, that You have chosen us, 57:51 not just for the sake of those who will hear us, 57:56 but You've chosen us because through the process 58:00 You're trying to save us. 58:02 Lord please save us from ourselves. 58:05 Clothe us with Your humility, Your simplicity, Your identity, 58:13 and make us Your children, make us Your movement, 58:18 make us Your people. 58:20 Bless us the rest of this, Your Sabbath. 58:22 We thank You for hearing. 58:24 In Jesus' name we pray. 58:26 Let all of God's forerunners say Amen. |
Revised 2016-07-20