Participants:
Series Code: 16ASIC
Program Code: 16ASIC000012A
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00:20 At this time I want to make sure that everyone has your offering
00:23 envelope. If you have that, you can begin to complete that. 00:29 For those of you who might have your phone, 00:32 a mobile device, you can actually go to the website 00:36 asiministries.org 00:39 and click on the red button DONATE NOW. 00:42 So two very easy ways to register your donation 00:47 or your pledge, and to respond to the Holy Spirit 00:51 as He has led you. 00:54 I am hopeful that the questions that we've given to you 00:58 to ponder throughout this week: 01:02 what can we do to enlarge one's territory? 01:05 What can we do to enhance their capacity? 01:07 And what can we do to encourage their faithful continuance 01:11 and effort to reach others for Jesus? 01:14 That those questions will be answered in such a powerful 01:18 and affirmative way that it will be recognized 01:22 by the offering that will be taken up today. 01:26 So as you complete your envelope 01:29 or do your donation on your mobile device 01:32 I would like to pray before the offering is lifted. 01:38 Father in heaven, it is our privilege to work with You 01:43 for the saving of souls. 01:46 We have been inspired by the stories that we've heard. 01:52 We have been in awe of the passion and the sacrifice 01:56 made by so many that are in ministry for You. 02:00 Lord, You've given us blessings. 02:04 You've given us comfort. 02:06 You've given us the knowledge of Your love and Your soon coming. 02:10 We want to make sure that the millions that are out there 02:14 that don't know about You that they have the opportunity 02:18 to learn about Your love and that You're coming soon 02:21 to take us all home. 02:24 Lord, help us that we might be able to set aside 02:28 any sense of selfishness... 02:31 feeling like we might need to hold on to anything. 02:35 Help us to remember that You take care of us. 02:39 You provide for us. 02:42 And give us the courage to respond to the leading 02:46 of Your Holy Spirit and to provide the means necessary 02:50 for these projects to accomplish their call 02:54 because they've been chosen and they have committed themselves 02:59 to Your service. 03:01 We thank you in Jesus' name, Amen. 03:32 Fairest 03:35 Lord Jesus! 03:40 Ruler of all 03:44 nature! 03:49 O, Thou of God 03:53 and man 03:57 the Son! 04:16 OK, let's try this one. 04:17 glory, joy 04:20 and crown! 04:35 Fair are the meadows, 04:41 fairer still the woodlands, 04:47 Greetings to all of the 3ABN viewers 04:49 who are joining us here at the ASI Convention in Phoenix, AZ. 04:53 I know there are many of you from South Dakota 04:56 to Florida to Tennessee to Michigan to California 05:00 and even Colorado who are not able to be with us 05:02 this year that are regular attendees. 05:04 I want to give special greetings to you 05:06 and all the rest of you who may be watching and have just tuned 05:08 in today. It's been an in- credible spiritual blessing here 05:12 at our convention. And just now you've heard 05:15 the presentations about our ASI offering. 05:18 And we know that many of you out there may want to join us 05:21 here that are assembled in the Phoenix Convention Center 05:24 and participate in this offering that's coming in right now. 05:28 If you look behind me, you'll see the people taking 05:30 that offering up. If you would like to participate in this 05:33 offering, we want to tell you how to do that. There's an 05:36 address that's coming up on the screen just now 05:38 for our ASI office 05:40 in Silver Spring, MD. Also 05:42 our website: the website 05:44 asiministries.org/donate 05:47 If you go on our website 05:49 to that address right now there's a big red button there 05:51 that says DONATE. You can click on that 05:53 and you can be a part of this great offering 05:55 that's going to be reaching thousands of people around the 05:58 world with various resources and various services. 06:01 I want to thank you all for joining in the ASI spirit 06:04 that we are sensing here. 06:06 Continue to enjoy the beauty of the Glendale Church choir 06:09 that's singing right now as we continue our worship service. 06:12 God bless you and Happy Sabbath! 06:16 Jesus shines brighter, 06:22 Jesus shines purer 06:28 than all the angels 06:32 heav'n can 06:38 boast. 06:45 Ah, ah, ah, ah, 06:50 ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, 06:56 ah... 07:00 Beautiful Savior, 07:06 Lord of all nature, 07:12 O, Thou of God 07:17 and Son 07:20 of man, 07:24 Glory and honor, 07:30 praise, adoration 07:36 now and forevermore 07:41 be Thine. 08:10 Fairest 08:12 Lord Jesus! 08:18 beautiful 08:22 Savior. 08:27 Fairest Lord 08:31 Je- 08:38 sus! 08:55 Amen! 08:59 Happy Sabbath ASI. Happy Sabbath! 09:03 It is my privilege to be able to 09:06 on behalf of ASI, ASI Missions Inc., 09:09 and the ASI family to give a small token 09:12 of our appreciation for the work of Joan and Harold Lance. 09:16 Your know, I went back and asked Harold 09:18 and Joan when they first joined ASI. 09:22 Now I remember when I was in high school 09:24 singing in the choir and he was in the audience of ASI. 09:28 And it's been over - what'd you say - 41 years. 09:32 You know, there are few people 09:35 that have has as large an impact on ASI 09:39 and what you see today as Harold and Joan Lance. 09:42 I remember the first time I went to an ASI convention 09:45 which is a long time ago in 1983 09:47 Harold was the president of ASI. 09:49 I want you to know that Harold has served two different terms. 09:53 Not consecutive but two different terms 09:55 as president of the full organization. 09:57 The last 18 years he has served 09:59 as the president and chairman of ASI Missions Inc. 10:03 which is a very critically- important part of ASI 10:06 that is a separate organization under the board of ASI. 10:10 But you know, way beyond those titles, 10:12 Harold and Joan, 10:14 I think if you were to look back at a picture... 10:18 if we were able to put pictures up on the screen of all the 10:21 things that have been going on 10:23 you would see Harold trekking through one of the central 10:26 African countries with a big pack on his back going to one 10:29 of the outpost centers to help make things happen. 10:32 You would have seen him on an airplane that large frame of his 10:35 crunched in with Denzil in a little time 10:37 and almost crashing one time on a remote airstrip someplace. 10:41 Yes. You would have seen him sitting in board meetings 10:44 in India and Europe and Central Europe and in South America 10:47 and Asia. Very involved in the supporting ministries 10:50 here of North America but someone who has passionately 10:54 given what he has been given from God 10:57 to the service of his fellow man through the ASI organization. 11:01 And Harold, you and Joan are a special treasure to us. 11:05 Now I just want to let you all know that even though he is 11:08 retiring as the president and chairman of ASI Missions Inc. 11:12 we are not letting him off the hook. No we are not! 11:15 Harold is still going to be a member of the board 11:18 and executive committee of ASI Missions Inc. 11:20 so we will continue to have his expertise, 11:23 his insight, and his heaven-born wisdom. 11:26 Now one of the things that's going to happen, one of the 11:28 things that is going through my mind as I was thinking about 11:31 this moment: Harold is an attorney 11:34 as you may know if you've seen him up here before. 11:38 Harold spent - what was it? 32 years, Harold, in practice? 11:40 Right. Thirty-two years... thirty-two years in practice 11:43 but how many years have you been full time as a volunteer 11:46 in ASI? Twenty-seven. Twenty-seven... so it's almost 11:49 like a second career complete. 11:51 But which one of those two would be more rewarding to you? 11:53 Hey, it's been a blessing of God to be... to have the privilege 11:57 to be involved in ASI and the supporting ministry 12:00 work that we've had. 12:02 Well, one of the things that I know for sure 12:05 is that if you were able to look at all of the successful, 12:09 incredibly successful projects 12:12 that have Harold's fingerprints on them, those are things 12:16 that will go on all the way until the Lord comes. 12:19 I know that for a fact. 12:21 He has had his hands and has guided and carefully crafted 12:24 things for us and kept all of us kind of on track 12:28 many many times. 12:29 And Harold and Joan, we just don't know how 12:32 to thank you. But we know the angels of heaven are watching 12:35 and God is smiling right now as we are attempting 12:38 in our best way to give you the honor that we believe 12:41 you deserve. I think that our desire 12:46 is like Paul when his retirement party was taking place 12:51 in the jail he said: 12:54 "I have fought the fight; 12:58 I have finished the race; 13:00 I have kept the faith. " 13:02 And then he used a lawyer word: 13:04 "Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness 13:08 but not for me only 13:10 but for all who believe in His coming. " 13:12 And that's what we think. 13:19 And that all who believe in His coming are all of us who are 13:22 here today and all of those who are watching by 3ABN right now 13:25 around the world. We thank you Harold for what you 13:28 do and continue to do and I know will continue to do. 13:31 But thank you so much. 13:33 Harold, just as a small token of our appreciation 13:36 we wanted to give you a globe. 13:39 And this globe is to represent 13:42 just a small portion of what you have had an impact 13:45 around the world with the ministries and the ministry 13:48 that you all have done. And we just want you to know 13:51 from the deep of our hearts how much we appreciate you. 13:54 And only until eternity 13:56 will we know the full impact of what you have done 14:00 for the Lord's work. Thank you. 14:02 Now Denzil, there's something I've just gotta point out. 14:05 There's a little thing here. I want you to know 14:06 for those of you who are watch- ing, this globe is upside down. 14:09 And you know, wasn't it talking about the world being 14:12 turned upside down? Yes. So I think that was symbolic. 14:15 I think the world was in process of being turned upside down, 14:18 Harold. So we know you've been a big part of that. 14:20 Amen. Thank you. Oh, that's lovely. 14:29 Happy Sabbath ASI 14:32 and to everyone who is watching or listening. 14:35 This is a beautiful Sabbath Day 14:37 and we serve a covenant- keeping God, do we not? 14:42 And you know what? Every time God made a covenant 14:45 He had a sign. For example, 14:47 with Noah He had the sign of the rainbow. 14:50 You know what the sign of the covenant of grace is? 14:53 The Sabbath. Exodus 31:13 God said: "This is a sign 14:58 that He's the One who's going to sanctify us. " 15:01 Well it is my privilege today to introduce our speaker 15:05 for divine worship: John Bradshaw. 15:08 And John began his professional career 15:11 in broadcasting as a disc jockey 15:13 in his home country of New Zealand. 15:16 There he worked for some of the top radio stations. 15:20 But God called him out of that 15:23 and into full-time evangelism. 15:25 And this gentleman in two decades of ministry 15:29 has conducted 100 evangelistic series. 15:33 Then he became a pastor at Lexington, Kentucky, 15:37 and also at College Park, Washington. 15:40 But in 2011 15:43 God chose him to be the fourth speaker/director 15:47 for It Is Written. And one thing that I really appreciate 15:51 that John has instituted since he's been there 15:54 is his little one-minute devotional for busy people. 15:58 And if you go to the website every day there's a new 16:01 devotional called Every Word. 16:03 John is an author. 16:07 He's a husband; he's a father. 16:10 But most of all he's a committed child of God 16:15 and a manservant of God. 16:17 And today his message is going to be 16:21 Committed is the title. 16:23 And the scripture reading is I Thessalonians 5:24 16:28 that says: "He who calls you 16:31 is faithful who also will do it. " 16:35 The next voice you hear after our special song 16:38 will be John Bradshaw, speaker and director 16:41 of It Is Written. 16:45 When I turn to you you are welcome to join us 16:48 in singing this beautiful hymn arrangement 16:50 of Crown Him With Many Crowns. 18:30 King of kings 18:35 and Lord of lords. 18:48 Crown Him with many crowns 18:52 the Lamb upon His throne. 18:58 Hark! How the heav'nly anthem drowns 19:04 all music but its own. 20:10 Who died and rose on high, 20:15 Who died, eternal life to bring 20:20 and lives that death may die. 20:30 King of kings 20:34 and Lord of lords... 20:53 Crown Him the Lord of life 20:57 Who triumphed o'er the grave, 21:03 Who rose victorious to the strife 21:08 for those He came to save. 21:14 To Thee be endless praise 21:19 For Thou for us hast died; 21:24 Be Thou, O Lord, thru endless days 21:30 adored and magnified. 21:37 King of kings 21:41 and Lord of lords... 21:48 Amen! 22:01 Amen! 22:08 Well that was beautiful! 22:12 Thank you! Praise the Lord! Good morning everyone! 22:14 Good morning. I know it's not morning 22:16 but I've learned long ago never begin by saying 22:21 good afternoon 'cause you lost them already. 22:24 So... good morning everyone! 22:27 Good morning! It's a blessing to be here at ASI, isn't it? 22:30 Amen! 22:32 That was tepid... that was kind of tepid. 22:35 It's a blessing to be here at ASI, isn't it? 22:38 Amen! Amen... it is! 22:40 And I trust you have been inspired 22:42 and motivated and encouraged and moved 22:46 and blessed even beyond that which you were expecting. 22:50 God is good. What do you say? 22:53 Amen! God is good... we are privileged to be here. 22:56 I just want to point out something. 22:58 Somebody contacted me and was concerned that 23:03 I was embracing polygamy 23:07 because the biography in the bio in the little program said 23:10 that John is married to Melissa and the father of two children. 23:20 You know I hardly know what to say. 23:24 I'm just grateful that God's people are open minded. 23:30 I'm also a little bothered that evidently many other people 23:36 read that and simply thought "OK! " 23:41 I'm a little worried about you today. 23:44 Anyway, we are here to pray and open up God's Word. 23:46 Let's do that in that order. Would you bow your head with me 23:48 as we pray? Our Father and our God, 23:52 we come to You in the name of Jesus. 23:55 We are grateful. 23:58 We are blessed far beyond our "deservingness. " 24:05 We are thankful today that You have carved out 24:09 a little time for us to gather here together 24:13 and look towards Your face 24:16 and look into Your Word. 24:19 And we pray that we would encounter Your Spirit 24:23 and be moved. 24:26 Lord, we gather together "warts and all" 24:30 as Your people. 24:34 Thank you for visiting us 24:36 and tabernacling with us this day. 24:40 I ask that the limitations of fallen humanity 24:44 would not prevent Your Spirit from doing a great work 24:48 over these next few minutes. 24:51 Speak and be heard. 24:55 We pray in Jesus' name - please say with me - 25:00 Amen. 25:07 They had come many years before 25:13 from eastern Polynesia. 25:19 Peace had become the cornerstone of their culture. 25:24 In the 16th century a tribal leader named 25:30 Nunuku heard the sound of young men fighting. 25:38 He went to that place and urged them to stop. 25:43 He appealed to the young men and the old men, 25:46 the young women and the not-so-young women 25:50 to fight no more. He said: 25:53 "We must not be a warring people. " 25:56 From then on, if there was conflict between the men, 26:01 that conflict could only be settled at harshest 26:05 by using what was known as a "tupuari, " 26:09 a long stick no thicker than a man's thumb. 26:11 They could use that as a weapon. 26:13 At the first sight of blood the conflict ended. 26:16 He who drew the blood was declared the victor 26:19 and they went right on. 26:21 That was as bad as it got. 26:23 In an era of war and inter- tribal conflict, these people 26:27 would not fight. 26:30 They were committed to Nunuku's law. 26:35 But in 1835 everything changed for the peaceful 26:39 Moriori of Rekohu, Chatham Island. 26:44 900 Maori from the Ngati Tama and Ngati Mutunga tribes 26:49 arrived aboard a British sailing ship. 26:53 They came from the mainland 500 miles away. 26:56 They arrived seasick, tired. They arrived hungry, worn out. 26:59 And so the kind-hearted locals fed them 27:04 and nursed them and invited them to stay 27:07 and share their provisions if they would like. 27:12 But their courtesy was not to be kindly repaid. 27:15 These were not visitors... 27:19 they were invaders. 27:23 The peaceful Moriori had a decision to make. 27:27 What would they do? 27:29 To not fight back would be to sign their own death warrant. 27:32 They would be killed or they would be enslaved. 27:35 And the practice of the invaders was to cannibalize 27:38 their victims. 27:41 This was a crisis and there was no way 27:46 it could end well. 27:49 The young men urged that they fight. 27:51 Two thousand locals against 900 invaders: 27:54 this could be done. 27:57 But the older men looked at it from a different perspective. 28:01 They advised the people should stay true to who they were. 28:05 These were a people who at their core - 28:08 you might say "in their DNA" - 28:11 were committed to non-violence. 28:15 They decided they would not fight back because 28:19 of who they were. 28:22 It's one thing to jeopardize your existence 28:25 to save the life of another person, 28:28 to advance your people, to achieve independence, 28:30 to throw off tyranny. But were the Moriori 28:34 really prepared to die for an ideal? 28:41 But wait... this was more than an ideal. 28:44 Non-violence was bound up with their identity... 28:47 inextricably bound up. 28:50 They had to be true to their core values, true to their 28:53 principles, true to who they were. 28:56 Why? Because they were committed! 29:01 So much so that within about two decades 29:06 that entire people group had been wiped out. 29:13 They were massacred. 29:16 The question that guided them was 29:19 quite simply: "Who are we? 29:22 What do we stand for as a people? " 29:28 To answer that question 29:31 would lead them to both greatness and oblivion. 29:36 And hindsight suggests 29:40 that the two cannot be separated. 29:43 That question... "Who are we? " 29:46 "What are we made of? " "What do we stand for 29:50 as a people? "Answer that question and it will define you. 29:54 Answer that question and you have found your cynosure, 29:57 you have found your polaris. 29:59 The theme of this year's gathering at ASI 30:02 speaks to that question. 30:04 "Who are we? " "What are we made of? " 30:06 "What do we stand for as a people? " 30:09 Called, chosen, committed. 30:13 We have been called. The Bible tells us that. 30:17 I Corinthians 1:9 30:19 "God is faithful, by whom you are called 30:23 into the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ. " 30:26 Every person alive has been called by God. 30:29 Jesus died for "whosoever. " 30:32 Paul told Timothy: "God has saved us and called us 30:35 with a holy calling. " 30:37 There is no denying that you have been called... 30:40 called by God. 30:41 When you are not so sure of your place in this world, 30:44 not sure of your worth in the big picture, 30:47 not sure the direction of your life... where it should go, 30:51 where it might lead you, remember you have been called 30:57 by God. God has a plan for you. 31:00 God has a work for you. 31:03 God has a purpose for you... YOU have been called. 31:08 Would you say amen today? Amen! 31:11 We have been chosen. 31:12 According to Peter we are a "chosen generation. " 31:17 Jesus said in John 15: "I have chosen you. " 31:23 So that is settled. 31:26 Not chosen to represent your country at the Olympics. 31:29 Not chosen for elected office. 31:33 Chosen: hand-picked by God to be His 31:35 and everything that entails. 31:38 It is no accident that you are here today. 31:41 God wants you to be confident that He has chosen you. 31:46 There's nothing more certain. 31:48 Called you... selected you. 31:52 Called... for sure. 31:55 Chosen... undoubtedly. 32:01 Committed? Now there's a question. 32:07 Are we committed? We could answer that by saying: 32:09 "Of course we are! " 32:10 We are all committed to something... 32:12 there's no doubt. But to what are we committed? 32:15 God calls us to commitment. 32:18 Jesus told one man that the greatest commandment was to 32:20 love God with your whole heart, soul, mind, and strength. 32:25 Cultural Christianity is not Christianity at all. 32:30 It is too late in the history of this world 32:35 for God's people to be playing games. 32:39 There are myriad places in the Bible where we could see 32:42 commitment demonstrated, but I would like to lead you 32:44 down a road less traveled today. Please turn with me 32:46 in your Bible to Jeremiah chapter 35. 32:49 We will gallop through 32:55 a short passage in Jeremiah chapter 35. 32:58 We'll start in verse 1. Turn there. 33:00 Jeremiah 35:1, the Bible says: 33:03 "The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord 33:05 in the days of Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, 33:07 king of Judah, saying... " Listen... 33:09 "Go to the house of the Recabites. 33:12 Speak to them and bring them into the house of the Lord 33:15 into one of the chambers and give them wine to drink. " 33:20 Now this was God speaking through His prophet. 33:23 "Bring them into a room in the temple 33:25 and have them drink wine. " 33:29 So Jeremiah says later in the passage: 33:32 "I brought them into the house of the Lord 33:34 into the chamber of the sons of Hanan, the sons of Igdaliah, 33:38 Then I sat before the sons of the house of Recabites 33:42 bowls full of wine and cups 33:44 and I said to them: 'Drink wine. ' " 33:47 Now it's true he did not say: "God commands you 33:50 to drink wine. " But still, this was the prophet 33:52 and they knew that that was so. 33:55 Now let me just take a time out here and speak to something. 33:58 We know full well that there are voices, loud voices 34:01 some of them, and not all on the periphery, 34:04 who love to denigrate the prophetic message given by God 34:07 to His people. Friend of God, we are closing in 34:11 on the return of Christ. We cannot afford 34:16 to be soft on the gift of prophecy. What do you say? 34:19 Amen! We cannot! This is no time 34:22 to be undermining even passively 34:25 something that was only God's idea anyway. 34:30 Caviling and cynicism about what we believe 34:34 should be entertained like you would entertain cancer. 34:39 The truth is too precious 34:42 for us to surrender it now. 34:44 Amen! And so the Recabites answered. 34:47 They said: "We will drink no wine! 34:49 No wine! For Jonadab the son of Recab our father commanded us 34:54 saying: 'You shall drink no wine nor your sons forever. ' " 34:59 They went on to say: 35:00 "Thus we have obeyed the voice of Jonadab the son of Recab 35:04 our father in all that he charged us 35:07 to drink no wine in all of our days. " 35:09 "Jeremiah: we hear you; we understand ya. 35:12 We get ya... but we are NOT going to do what you say! " 35:16 "We might seem contrary; we might come off as uncooperative 35:20 but what we want you to know, Jeremiah, 35:22 is that we are committed. " And committed they were! 35:28 Jeremiah spoke up again and he said: "Thus says the Lord 35:31 of Hosts, the God of Israel: 35:32 go and tell the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem 35:36 'Will you not receive instruction to obey My word? ' " 35:39 If you read on, you find out that God had a problem. 35:41 Here was His people. He had labored with them. 35:44 He had pleaded with them. 35:45 He had chastised them; He had turned them. 35:48 He had demonstrated His longsuffering to them 35:50 again and again and again. 35:52 And still they couldn't find it within themselves 35:56 to be faithful to the Creator God. 35:58 And here come the Recabites! 36:01 Jeremiah says: "I am the prophet of God 36:04 and I am telling you to drink wine! " 36:06 And they look him in the face and they say: "We are just 36:09 not going to do it. " God wanted Israel to understand 36:13 what commitment looked like. 36:15 I wonder if He wants us to know the same thing? 36:18 They were dedicated... they were committed. Interestingly 36:22 they didn't show up in the Bible until that time 36:25 and they don't show up again explicitly after that time. 36:28 That's the only place in the Bible 36:30 you read about these folks. 36:32 And they showed up on time to give us a demonstration 36:37 of commitment. 36:41 What is it we really stand for today as God's people? 36:46 Well we stand for the gospel... 36:48 especially as it is expressed in the three angels 36:52 in Revelation chapter 14. 36:55 We stand for Christ and what He stands for. 36:59 We are on this earth so that God's work can be done. 37:02 We stand for reflecting Christ, 37:05 for letting God have His way. 37:09 They tried to trap Jesus in His words. 37:12 He pointed them to God always. 37:14 His life spoke of commitment and He said: "If you've seen Me 37:19 you've seen the Father. " 37:21 Now God has given us a mandate, friend. 37:23 A mandate: "Go therefore 37:27 and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the 37:31 name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. " 37:34 We have a transformational message: 37:38 one that offers to the world hope and wholeness. 37:42 There is a world to win. All around us are people 37:45 going down to Christless graves. 37:48 And as they do so - listen carefully - 37:51 the clock still ticks. We cannot go on 37:56 inventing ways of distracting ourselves 38:01 from the mission of God's church. 38:04 If ever there was a time for a full-court press 38:09 that time is now! 38:11 We are not unaware of the challenges. 38:15 And we understand that when the Bible spoke of the ten virgins 38:19 it said they were all asleep. 38:21 We read the message to the church of Laodicea 38:24 and you cannot say: "That applies to the faction of the 38:27 church that I'm not a part of. " 38:29 It applies to you, me, the liberals on the left, 38:32 the cranky conservatives way out on the right. 38:35 We are ALL involved in this thing. 38:39 But it's not possible to be committed to Christ 38:43 and not be committed to the church He loves. 38:46 It is not possible to be committed to Christ 38:50 and not be committed to the souls for which He died. 38:55 And hasn't God encouraged us again and again 38:59 that it pays off to be about His business? 39:01 How many were baptized in Rwanda recently? Tell me. 39:04 The better part of 100,000. 39:06 There's only one question to ask: 39:08 when are we doing it again? 39:11 How many were baptized the last time your church 39:14 got involved in soul winning? 39:15 What are you waiting for? 39:18 How many lives were touched during the last outreach effort 39:21 either by a gospel tract or a hand on the shoulder, 39:24 either by a smile or a kind deed? 39:27 Lives were touched and they are waiting to be touched again! 39:31 Who knew evangelism was so truly effective? 39:34 The work of God - evangelism - in all of its forms. 39:36 Can we not agree once and for all 39:42 that we as God's people are committed to evangelism? 39:46 We believe in evangelism! 39:48 We'll stop whispering beside the water cooler 39:51 about how evangelism doesn't work. 39:53 We believe in this because God believes in this! 39:57 And we'll not only believe in it... we'll be involved 40:00 in sharing Christ with as many as we can. 40:04 The critics may carp and bicker 40:07 but still we hear Nehemiah saying: 40:10 "I am doing a great work so that I cannot come down. 40:15 Why should the work cease 40:17 while I leave it and come down to you? " 40:19 There has never been a better time to be committed to the work 40:21 of the church than now. 40:23 Jesus said 2,000 years ago: "The fields are white 40:27 and they are ready to harvest. " 40:29 We stand on the verge of the greatest ingathering of souls 40:33 this universe has ever witnessed. 40:36 If you look at the glass half empty, 40:39 you might say: "What about those big cities 40:42 where we barely have a presence? " 40:44 But if you have a look at the glass half full 40:47 you will say: "Wait! There is a great work 40:50 just waiting to be done. " And we have it on the authority 40:53 of the Bible God will get it done before Jesus comes back. 40:58 The question is: will you be part of getting it done? 41:03 God votes for "ya" not against "ya. " 41:07 Now you will remember 41:09 from high school the periodic table of elements. 41:13 And being the good science student that you were 41:16 you remember that the first element of the table was what? 41:18 Hydrogen. All right! I found me a science student. 41:23 Then? Then? 41:31 Hydrogen, helium... then what? 41:33 Lithium. Then? Then? 41:38 Berylium. No Google now! 41:45 Hydrogen, helium, lithium, 41:48 berylium, boron, carbon, 41:49 nitrogen, oxygen, fluorine, 41:52 neon... Uzbekistan, 41:56 Afghanistan, Kurdistan... 42:04 If you look down to about number 50 something, 42:10 you'll find something on that table called cesium. 42:14 And cesium is a fascinating little beast 42:17 for a number of reasons. One of the reasons is 42:19 because it has one atom on its valence shell, it's outer shell. 42:23 And that atom spends its time... it is vigilant. 42:28 It spends its time looking for 42:32 what would you call it? Molecules? Molecules? 42:34 Oh, I don't know. 42:36 You know, I don't trust atoms anyway. 42:40 They make up everything! 42:49 Someone will explain it to you. 42:56 But it gets around - this cesium molecule with an extra atom 43:02 on its valence shell - it looks for molecules 43:05 and I hope I'm using the right terminology 43:08 that lack their complete complement of electrons. 43:13 And so if you put cesium near oxygen 43:16 and oxygen is looking for another electron 43:19 that extra cesium atom... or that one on the valence shell... 43:23 will leap and "BOOM! " 43:26 If you put it near iodine or bromide or fluorine, 43:29 you're going to get the same reaction. 43:31 Now it's not that cesium is a troublemaker, 43:34 but wherever it goes excitement is going to follow 43:37 because "BOOM! " you're going to have this reaction. 43:39 Why? Again, it's not looking for trouble. 43:42 Cesium just does what cesium does! 43:46 It does what it does because it is what it is. 43:50 That's all! 43:52 When God calls you to be His 43:56 you'll be a lot like that cesium molecule. 43:59 You will do what you do because you are what you are. 44:02 God calls us to ministry... 44:04 it must be our focus in whatever form God brings to you. 44:09 We cannot let the devil draw us away from what God wants us 44:13 to do. We've been commissioned; we've got a mandate. 44:16 "Go therefore... GO! Make disciples. " 44:18 Where? "Of all nations. " Do what? 44:20 "Baptize them! Teach them all things I have commanded you. " 44:24 When we become Christ's we are looking for that opportunity. 44:27 You don't see a lost person and turn and walk away. 44:30 Something stirs in your heart; you cry out to God 44:34 "Lord, can You use me here? " 44:36 And when God says: "Yes I can! " 44:38 then you are used by God. 44:40 You are familiar with the quote. It's the opening stanza 44:44 of the book Acts of the Apostles. Listen! I believe 44:45 these words and I know you do too. 44:47 "The church is God's appointed agency for the salvation of men. 44:51 It was organized for service and its mission 44:55 is to carry the gospel to the world. 44:59 From the beginning it has been God's plan that through 45:01 His church shall be reflected to the world His fullness 45:05 and His sufficiency. 45:07 The members of the church - those whom He has called out of 45:10 darkness into His marvelous light... " 45:11 Those He has called. 45:14 "are to show forth His glory. 45:16 The church is the repository of the riches of the grace 45:18 of Christ, and through the church will eventually be made 45:22 manifest even to the principalities and powers 45:25 in heavenly places the final and full display 45:29 of the love of God. " 45:31 We have been CALLED! God calls us to commitment. 45:36 What does it look like? 45:38 It looks like the Moriori on Rekohu... 45:41 Chatham Island 500 miles from the south island of New Zealand. 45:45 It looks like a woman breaking an alabaster box of ointment. 45:48 She gave Jesus the best she had. 45:50 It looks like a widow putting two mites in the offering plate. 45:54 She gave everything she had. 45:56 It looks like that little widow lady giving the last measure 46:00 of oil she had to the prophet. 46:02 It looks like Isaiah saying: "Here am I... send me. " 46:05 It sounds like Jacob saying: "I will not let You go 46:10 except You bless me. " 46:11 It looks like Samson saying: "Lord... give me strength 46:15 just one more time. " 46:16 It looks like David running toward Goliath. 46:20 It looks like people letting God work in them 46:25 that God's work is done and His mission is accomplished! 46:30 Noah built an ark; Elijah built an altar; 46:32 Moses built a sanctuary; Nehemiah built a wall. 46:35 They were committed to God and so they stood up, 46:39 they stepped up, and they lit up their corner of the universe 46:42 with a manifestation of God's character... 46:45 a demonstration of what commitment to God looks like. 46:48 We are called; we have been chosen. The question is 46:53 are we committed? We MUST be committed! 46:56 A young missionary from New Zealand - his name was Len 46:58 Barnard - went to Papua, New Guinea. 47:00 They said: "Len, don't go down into those valleys. 47:03 The cannibals will eat you. " 47:04 He went anyway. 47:06 He carried his Bible in one hand and a bag of medicine 47:08 in the other. The Spirit of God filled his heart. 47:11 50, 60 years later you can go back to those same villages: 47:15 beautiful villages filled with God's people. 47:18 Go to church on Sunday. It'd be empty, but up front will be 47:22 the offering plate still with the offering from yesterday. 47:25 The church has no windows and no doors. 47:27 No one's going to steal that 47:29 because God has got into those hearts, 47:32 changed those lives. 47:34 These are people who are committed because one man's 47:37 commitment drove him to jeopardize his own safety 47:40 and his own life. 47:41 A Scots Protestant minister named John Patton 47:44 determined to share Christ in what was then the New Hebrides 47:47 in the South Pacific. 47:49 A Mr. Dixon said: "The cannibals! You will be 47:52 eaten by the cannibals! " Patton said: "Mr. Dixon, 47:56 you are now advanced in years. 47:58 You will soon be laid in the grave and eaten by worms! " 48:04 "If I can live and die serving and honoring Jesus, 48:07 it will make no difference to me whether I'm eaten by cannibals 48:10 or by worms! " 48:12 "In the resurrection my body will rise as fair as yours 48:18 in the likeness of our Redeemer! " 48:20 We were filming for It Is Written recently in Scotland 48:24 and I stood at the place where the martyr George Wishart 48:27 was hanged and burned by the scoundrel archbishop 48:31 Cardinal Beaton. Here's what's interesting. 48:34 Eighteen years before Patrick Hamilton had been burned 48:37 250 yards away. 48:39 Wishart knew that. 48:41 He knew that going back to Scot- land and preaching Protestantism 48:44 would have him reduced to a pile of ashes. 48:46 What did he do? He went ANYWAY! 48:50 He could do no other... Christ had him! 48:54 What drives a person to do that? 48:56 Dr. Martin Luther King was standing on the platform 48:58 at Mason Temple. He knew about the threats on his life. 49:02 He knew that his plane - the one in which he flew to Memphis - 49:04 had been guarded that night before. 49:07 Otherwise somebody might have taken occasion to kill him. 49:10 And yet... yet he stood. And yet he spoke. 49:13 He said: "I just want to do God's will. 49:16 He's allowed me to go up to the mountain 49:18 and I've looked over, and I've seen the Promised Land. 49:21 I'm not fearing any man. 49:23 Mine eyes have been the glory of the coming of the Lord! " 49:28 The next day the unthinkable happened. 49:31 Room 306 of the Lorraine Motel 49:35 became part of the legend of this nation's history. 49:39 What drives a person to make such a sacrifice? 49:42 No wait... wrong question. 49:44 It's not a sacrifice. 49:47 It's what you do when you believe with all of your heart. 49:51 God says: "Go! " You go! 49:53 God says: "Share! " You share! 49:55 God says: "Be there. " You say: "Lord, I am there 49:58 because I am committed to Christ. " But wait! 50:04 "We are faulty people here. 50:06 Flawed... we are flawed. " Yes you are. 50:08 I'll tell ya: inadequate... broken. 50:13 How is it then that God can get His work done? 50:16 And the minute actually if you're listening carefully 50:18 you might be saying: "All of this call to commitment 50:21 sounds like a call to righteousness by works. " 50:23 It is the opposite! A call to commitment can only be 50:26 a call to righteousness by faith 50:29 because understood correctly commitment is not something 50:32 we can give to God. Commitment is something 50:35 Christ performs in us when Jesus has our heart. 50:39 You know as well as I do from bitter experience 50:42 that our promises are like ropes of sand. 50:47 How can we be committed to this God? 50:49 You are weak. God says: "My strength is made perfect 50:53 in weakness. " You are battling temptation 50:56 and God says: "I will make a way of escape. " 50:59 You are corrupt and God says: "A new heart will I put 51:05 within you. " God will do what needs to be done! 51:08 We read in the Bible: "Faithful is He that calls you 51:12 who also will do it. " 51:17 God had a plan... Jonah ran. God went after him. 51:21 The Prodigal Son left home and the Spirit of God followed him 51:24 to a pigsty. Three men were out there on the plain of Dura 51:27 and because they prayed the Holy Spirit locked their 51:31 knee joints, and they were un- able and unwilling to bow down. 51:36 Daniel - knowing that his life was on the line - 51:39 prayed to God anyway! 51:42 They threw him in the lion's den and God was there with him. 51:47 Daniel understood "He who has begun a good work in you 51:50 is faithful to perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. " 51:53 There is no need for discouragement here. 51:55 God takes responsibility for the work in you 51:59 and in the church! How do we reach the 10/40 window? 52:03 How do you reach your patients or your clients? 52:05 How can a small church minister effectively in its community? 52:08 How do we share Jesus with a massive population 52:11 who barely have ever heard His name? 52:14 Let me tell you something. The Bible says "This gospel 52:18 of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world. " 52:21 God is committed to His church. 52:25 He stands at the head of the work. 52:29 Somebody spoke to Jesus one day and said: "If you are willing 52:32 you can make me clean. " Jesus said: "I am willing. " 52:35 Jesus says to the church today 52:37 "I am willing. " Jesus says to the church today 52:40 "I want to. " Jesus says to the church today 52:43 "I will get it done in your life if you'll let Me 52:47 and in the mission and in the ministry of the church. " 52:49 Friend, I believe in this church. 52:51 I believe that weak and enfeebled though it is 52:54 it is still the one object upon this earth 52:56 upon which Christ bestows in a special sense 52:59 His supreme regard. This is no time for division. 53:02 This is a time for unity. 53:04 We may still disagree about this, that, or the other 53:06 but we must agree on that on which we must agree. 53:11 Christ is the head of this church 53:13 and there is nothing more impor- tant than reaching the lost, 53:18 doing our Father's business, and occupying until He comes. 53:25 And let me tell you something: 53:28 if you think your little commit- ment might not make much 53:30 difference, I want you to think back to my Moriori friends. 53:34 They were massacred, wiped out, but somebody named 53:36 Te Whiti o Rongomai 53:39 learned of their commitment 53:41 and led the village of Parihaka 53:44 in non-violent resistance 53:47 against the white Colonialists. 53:50 Now, here's what you might find interesting. 53:53 A man named Mohandas Gandhi knew about 53:57 Te Whiti o Rongomai and his stand, his non-violent 54:00 resistance. Take that one step further. 54:03 Dr. Martin Luther King 54:06 was inspired by the example of Gandhi. 54:09 Now you will excuse me if you feel like I'm stretching 54:12 a little bit. But I can stretch all I want 'cause I have the 54:14 microphone. And listen: 54:17 the Moriori are a people you've never heard of 54:20 and yet it may well be that their example in standing 54:25 for who they were and doing what they knew to be right 54:28 profoundly influenced the Civil Rights movement in this 54:31 country. To that I say: "Praise the Lord! " 54:38 The producers of Hacksaw Ridge, the Desmond Doss movie, 54:40 they were asked: "Why did you not do it accurately? " 54:42 "What? " "You have Desmond Doss dragging people 54:46 to safety when he dragged the first 2 and carried the rest! " 54:50 They said: "Well, that's right, but if we did it like that 54:53 no one would believe we were telling the truth. " 54:57 Desmond Doss dragged the first 2; carried the next 73. 55:01 And every time he lowered one down that cliff 55:03 his prayer was: "Lord, give me one more. " 55:06 "Lord, give me one more. " 55:08 "Lord, give me one more" seventy-four times. 55:11 The government actually believes 99 times. 55:14 Doss said 50; the government said 100... 55:16 so they split the difference. 55:18 That's why you hear the number 75. 55:22 Seventy-four times he prayed that prayer. 55:24 "Lord, give me one more. " Friends, we are out here 55:27 in the heat of battle. There are the wounded 55:29 out on the battlefield. Our prayer has to be: 55:31 "Lord, give me one more. " 55:32 "Lord, give us one more. " 55:34 "Lord, raise us up to preach again! 55:36 To prophesy again; to proclaim again; to witness again; 55:39 to testify again. Lord, give me one more. " 55:42 Even though commitment to mission might be unfashionable 55:46 to back off is unthinkable. 55:47 Distraction is unacceptable. 55:49 Misplacing our priorities is unconscionable. 55:52 To see more people lost would be unbearable. 55:55 Arguments against mission are untenable; 55:58 ignoring the world's great need... unacceptable. 56:01 Now you might be uncomfortable, 56:02 led to places that are undesirable, 56:04 immersed in cultures that are unpalatable, 56:07 challenged by the unforeseeable, prodded by the unpredictable. 56:10 But your experience with Christ will be unforgettable. 56:13 God's leading will be unmistakable. 56:16 We must be undividable, our faith unshakable, 56:19 our resolve unbendable... 56:21 believing that not one of God's people is unusable. 56:24 Amen! 56:26 The church will be unrecognizable! 56:29 God's people will be unstoppable 56:32 because His Spirit is uncontainable. 56:35 His power do this this work is unarguable. 56:38 We will see God work in us, 56:42 through us, around us 56:43 and we will say: "Unbelievable! " 56:47 Amen! 56:49 Jesus is coming back soon. 56:51 There's time to win one more. 56:54 "This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached 56:57 in all the world for a witness to all nations. " 56:59 The end will come. Why? 57:02 Because God is committed. Let's pray. 57:07 Our Father and our God, 57:09 we cannot tell You how much we love You. 57:11 We want to love You more. 57:14 And You must use us. We cannot go from here 57:18 less effective than when we arrived at this convention. 57:21 We cannot go from here less committed than when we 57:24 drove into town. 57:26 We cannot be the same. 57:28 Lord, it's time to raise up Your people, 57:32 Your church... it's time. 57:36 We want to see Jesus come soon. 57:39 Here we are. Help us, Lord, to reach one more 57:42 is our prayer in Jesus' name. Please say 57:46 Amen and amen. 58:04 Oh, safe to the Rock 58:10 that is higher 58:14 than I. 58:18 My soul in its conflict 58:24 and sorrow 58:28 would fly. 58:32 So sinful, so weary... 58:38 Thine, Thine would I be. 58:44 Thou blessed 58:47 Rock of Ages 58:51 I'm hiding 58:56 in Thee. |
Revised 2017-07-13