Participants: Chantal Kayumba
Series Code: 16GYC
Program Code: 16GYC000010A
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00:33 I'm so thrilled that each and every one of you are here.
00:36 Turn to someone next to you and say, "Happy Sabbath. 00:38 I'm glad you're here." 00:41 Amen. 00:43 Well if you'll turn in your Bibles with me 00:44 to Matthew 28:18-20, we'll read that. 00:50 Matthew 28:18-20 says, "And Jesus came and spake 00:58 unto them, saying, 'All power is given unto me 01:02 in heaven and in earth. 01:04 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, 01:08 baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, 01:11 and of the Holy Ghost: 01:13 Teaching them to observe all things 01:15 whatsoever I have commanded you: 01:18 and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the 01:23 end of the world. Amen.'" 01:26 Let's pray. 01:28 Dear heavenly Father, thank You that You are with us 01:31 even to the end of the world. 01:34 Thank You that we are never alone. 01:36 And as we move into this time of worship and study, 01:39 and as we grow and learn together, 01:41 I just pray You will be with us, fix our hearts and minds on You 01:44 that we can see You clearly and reflect You to others. 01:48 Thank You. In Jesus' name, amen. 02:16 Here is love, wide as an ocean, 02:21 loving kindness as the flood, 02:26 when the Prince of Life, our Ransom, 02:31 shed for us His precious blood. 02:36 Who His love will not remember? 02:41 Who can cease to sing His praise? 02:46 He can never be forgotten 02:51 throughout Heaven's eternal days. 03:06 On the mount of crucifixion 03:11 fountains opened deep and wide, 03:15 through the floodgates of God's mercy 03:20 flowed a vast and gracious tide. 03:25 Grace and love, like mighty rivers, 03:30 poured incessant from above, 03:35 and Heaven's peace and perfect justice 03:40 kissed a guilty world in love. 03:45 Oh how marvelous, oh how glorious, 03:54 is my Savior's love for me. 04:03 Oh how marvelous, oh how glorious, 04:13 is my Savior's love for me. 04:26 Of your fullness You are pouring 04:31 Your great love on me anew, 04:36 without measure, full and boundless, 04:41 drawing out my heart to You. 04:45 You alone will be my glory, 04:50 nothing in the world I see; 04:55 You have cleansed and sanctified me, 05:00 You Yourself have set me free. 05:07 Oh how marvelous, oh how glorious, 05:16 is my Savior's love for me. 05:25 Oh how marvelous, oh how glorious, 05:34 is my Savior's love for me, 05:46 for me, 05:53 Your love for me. 06:13 This morning I'm so excited to share with you 06:15 what God is doing all around the world. 06:18 Our Sabbath school today will focus on service and its impact. 06:22 And so we have five young people who will share 06:24 what God has been doing through various missions. 06:26 And my prayer this morning is that you will be inspired 06:29 to go and commit yourselves to evangelism and service 06:33 every single day. 06:34 Amen? 06:36 We will start off with Elder Duane McKey 06:38 who is the assistant to Ted Wilson on the 06:40 Total Membership Involvement initiative. 06:42 And he will share with us the success of this model 06:45 all around the world. 06:46 Thank you, Chantal. 06:47 Chantal, by the way, is an international evangelist. 06:49 She was with us in Rwanda where 100,000 people were 06:53 baptized just a few months ago with Total Member Involvement. 06:56 Somebody said to me, "I know what TMI means." 06:59 I said, "What's that?" 07:00 They said, "Too many people in Indianapolis." 07:05 No, it's Total Member Involvement. 07:07 Have you ever heard of the sticky principle? 07:08 There's a book written about it. 07:10 Use a title like TMI that people understand 07:12 and know and remember, and connect something else to it 07:15 that you want to communicate, and it works well. 07:17 People don't forget. 07:18 TMI, Total Member Involvement. 07:21 Turn with me in your Bibles 07:25 to Matthew 28. 07:34 Matthew 28:18, "And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying..." 07:39 Notice the next words. 07:40 We sometimes don't look at these next words. 07:44 "...saying, 'All authority has been given to Me 07:49 in heaven and on earth.'" 07:52 "All authority has been given..." 07:56 This is pretty important, isn't it? 07:57 All heaven. 07:59 All authority. 08:01 God has given Jesus this authority. 08:04 Our Creator. 08:05 And then He says, "Go therefore and make disciples 08:10 of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the 08:13 Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, 08:16 teaching them to observe all things that I have 08:18 commanded you; and lo, I am with you always..." 08:23 Jesus is with us when we go and preach, 08:27 and teach, and baptize, and share, and witness. 08:32 TMI, Total Member Involvement, is about everybody doing 08:36 something for Jesus. 08:37 Whether it's prayer, medical missionary work, 08:42 medical seminars, cooking schools, 08:44 media, Bible studies, GLOW tract distribution, ADRA, 08:49 community service projects, small groups, evangelism. 08:52 All planned. 08:55 Let me say that again. All planned. 08:58 Next week is the beginning of the ten days of prayer, right? 09:02 All around the world. 09:03 Why don't we meet together in our churches 09:05 with the church leaders, the church ministry directors, 09:08 and plan the year? 09:10 It's calendar driven. 09:11 Put it on the calendar, put the events together, 09:13 connect the dots. 09:16 If you have an event by itself, a cooking school all by itself, 09:21 or an evangelistic meeting all by itself, 09:23 it won't be terribly successful. 09:26 But when it's all planned together throughout the year... 09:30 So calendar driven, connect the dots, and thirdly, synergy. 09:37 Do it together. 09:38 When a conference or a union or country does it all together... 09:40 Columbia said last night, "We're going to do 09:42 TMI in October, 9000 evangelistic meetings." 09:46 You hear me? 09:48 At one time. 09:51 East Africa, 20,000 meetings in March and June next year. 09:55 Eastern Europe, 4553 evangelistic meetings 10:03 in eastern Europe and Russia. 10:05 Whoever thought it? 10:07 Wow! 10:08 God is doing something. 10:10 113,000 TMI events next year. 10:17 That's tomorrow, isn't it? 10:20 2017. 10:23 A week ago yesterday Kathy and I were in Okinawa. 10:29 We came to Hacksaw Ridge and we remembered back. 10:35 1945, it was Sabbath, May 5, Sabbath. 10:39 The American offensive was getting ready to push forward, 10:41 but they were halted. 10:42 They wouldn't move, the troops wouldn't move. 10:45 The generals became irritated and agitated. 10:48 And the commands, the questions went down 10:50 the chain of command, "Why aren't we moving?" 10:54 "Well, sir, there is this private, 10:59 he's studying his Sabbath school lesson, 11:05 and he's praying." 11:08 Private Desmond Doss. 11:11 The end of that day he was the only one up there. 11:15 The only one left. 11:17 Dragging out wounded friends. 11:19 Seventy-five of them. 11:20 Private Desmond Doss. 11:22 Young people, like 26 year old Private Doss, 11:26 love on the edge, exciting, thrilling experiences. 11:30 Heart pounding experiences. 11:35 Erin Langworthy, it was New Year's Eve five years ago, 11:39 Victoria Falls, one of the most exciting, adrenaline, 11:44 rushing experience in the world. 11:48 She jumps off the bridge. 11:51 50,000 people had jumped off that bridge before, 11:56 Victoria Falls bridge, 11:59 and nothing had happened. 12:00 But that time the bungee broke. 12:05 She hit the water, thinking she had died. 12:09 Crocs nearby heard the water splash, they swam toward her. 12:14 Her cord got caught in the rocks below. 12:16 She dives down in the Zambezi River, unhooks herself. 12:21 Finally, gasping, she makes her way through the rapids 12:24 to the shore. 12:25 A fisherman helps her out. 12:28 Why do young people do crazy stuff like that? 12:33 I know some GYC people who have ever done that. 12:36 Don't do it. 12:38 Because they like heart pounding, adrenaline rushing, 12:44 exciting, thrilling, on the edge experiences. 12:47 If you want to do something out of the box, 12:52 knock on a door, 12:57 preach a series of evangelistic meetings. 13:01 Wow! 13:02 Go to Japan next year before Christmas. 13:07 Kathy and I were just there two weeks ago 13:11 And in Tokyo we see, this is a non-Christian nation, 13:14 it wasn't, "Happy Holidays," it was, "Merry Christmas." 13:20 And the hotels and the shopping centers 13:22 in Okinawa, the same thing. 13:24 I'm thinking, "Wow, what would happen if GYC kids, 13:26 next year before Christmas..." 13:28 Because, you see, we have a special focus in 2018 on Japan. 13:33 If GYC kids would go with GLOW tracts, 13:35 "Do you know the true meaning of Christmas," 13:37 in Japanese, and pass out a million GLOW tracts, 13:42 wouldn't that be exciting in preparation? 13:44 Driving people to a special website where they can 13:46 sign up for Bible studies, learn about the true meaning 13:50 of Christmas. 13:51 Wow! 13:54 Take your Bibles and turn... 14:01 ...to Mark chapter 1. 14:09 I'm sorry, let's go over now to Romans 10. 14:14 Romans 10:14 14:20 Gospel Workers, page 351, says, "The work of God in this earth 14:26 can never be finished until the men..." 14:30 Any men here? 14:33 "...and women..." Any women here? 14:37 "...men and women comprising our church membership 14:40 rally to the work and unite their efforts 14:43 with those of ministers and church officers." 14:47 Wow! 14:49 It will never be finished. 14:51 H.M.S. Richard Sr. use to say, "The work will never get done 14:53 until all the preachers are put in jail." 14:56 My wife doesn't like that. 14:57 I like this solution better. 15:00 Men and women working together to finish the work. 15:02 Romans 10:14 15:04 "How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? 15:09 And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? 15:13 And how shall they hear without a preacher? 15:16 And how shall they preach unless they are sent?" 15:20 Are you willing to be sent by Jesus? 15:24 Are you willing? 15:26 You're willing to be sent by Jesus. 15:29 Do you want, young people, a heart pounding, 15:34 adrenaline rushing, on the edge, over the top experience? 15:42 Get out of your comfort zone, do something in TMI, 15:46 Total Member Involvement, for Jesus. 15:48 Amen. 15:54 Amen. 15:55 This morning I have the privilege of sharing 15:57 with you all how the Lord has worked in the country of Rwanda 16:02 and how He worked in my life through this mission. 16:07 When I look at the life of Jesus, I often ask myself, 16:10 "What is it that made His ministry so successful?" 16:15 Was it because He was Jesus Himself and He had all the 16:17 power of heaven at His aid? 16:19 Or was it because He simply followed the very command 16:23 He gave to us? 16:25 God commands us to go, to teach, to preach, and to baptize. 16:31 When I first hear about the mission of Rwanda 16:33 and saw the numbers of baptisms our church was praying for, 16:36 I thought, "Wow, that's quite a number. 16:39 60,000 baptisms?" 16:41 And shortly after, they increased that number by 40,000. 16:46 Little did I know that the Lord would lead me 16:49 to the very mission that would change, not only my life, 16:52 but also the very country of Rwanda. 16:55 As many of you many know, we had over 2000 sites 16:59 in the country of Rwanda. 17:00 And I had the incredible privilege of preaching 17:03 at an Adventist university which had over 2000 students. 17:08 I was told that 85% to 90% of the students were non-Adventist 17:13 and that they hadn't had much success at reaching them. 17:17 At the end of the evangelistic series, 17:19 173 young people were baptized. 17:24 I remember the pastor came up to me that afternoon 17:26 of the baptisms, and he said this: 17:30 "When I was told I was going to have an American preacher 17:33 come to my site, I was very excited. 17:37 I was expecting a big, strong, tall, white man. 17:42 And when we had our meeting and they presented 17:44 you as our speaker, I was very disappointed. 17:48 A small woman. 17:50 So I didn't expect much. 17:53 But my dear sister preacher, 17:55 I'm so sorry for my little faith. 17:58 You have done a work that none of us have been able 18:01 to do at this school." 18:03 I share this, not to boast of myself or lift myself up. 18:07 Because truthfully, I don't have much to offer. 18:10 But when you have a willing heart, God will do 18:14 extraordinary things. 18:16 Often times, and most of the time, we limit God to the 18:20 blessings He has, not only for us, 18:22 but for the rest of His children. 18:24 If we just take our eyes off of ourselves 18:27 and our incapabilities, and place our eyes on Jesus 18:32 and His capabilities, then things like this, 18:35 experiences like mine, would be part of our everyday life. 18:41 The outcome of this mission, as a whole, 18:43 was over 100,000 baptisms. 18:47 But what was it that made this mission so successful? 18:51 Was it because we had preachers coming from America 18:54 and other parts of the world? 18:55 Was it because of the equipment and PowerPoint that we used 18:58 to attract the locals attention? 19:01 Of course we know that God alone can work in such a mighty way. 19:05 But what was different about this mission 19:08 that brought out such a tremendous outcome? 19:12 Dear friends, the answer is simple. 19:14 Total member involvement. 19:17 Literally, having every church member do their part 19:20 can bring out such an outcome. 19:23 While I was in Rwanda, day after day I saw the local 19:27 church members actively involved in one mission alone: 19:31 reach one to bring one. 19:33 The local church members made it their personal duty 19:36 to reach out to their surrounding communities. 19:39 They put aside the idea that evangelism is the 19:42 pastor's duty alone and they embraced the opportunity 19:46 of co-laborers with God. 19:49 The church members had no special training, 19:51 they simply used their God-given talents. 19:56 And they used them and brought them together 19:58 to reach those Christ came to save. 20:01 They realized that time is short 20:03 and that Jesus is, in fact, coming soon, 20:06 and that as Seventh-day Adventists, we have 20:08 a higher calling. 20:09 And they answered to their duty by saying, 20:12 "Here am I, Lord, send me." 20:14 I met so many people, young and old alike, 20:17 who said, "Vanessa, I have been in the church for so many years, 20:21 and never have I seen the church do something like this. 20:24 But now, now I realize I don't have to wait on the church. 20:28 It simply starts with one person. 20:31 It starts with me." 20:33 Young people came to me and said, "I'm not a preacher, 20:36 I'm not a singer. 20:38 But I have a lot of friends, and I hold a lot of influence. 20:41 My life will be the sermon. 20:43 And because of everything I've learned during this 20:46 evangelistic series, I'm going to start giving Bible studies." 20:51 The sincerity and the zeal of these simple people 20:54 changed the country of Rwanda, 20:57 very much the same way Jesus and His twelve disciples 21:01 changed the world in three years. 21:03 How much more could we do as a church 21:06 if we take hold of this mission of total member involvement, 21:11 how much faster would we see Jesus? 21:14 I'm going to be honest and vulnerable with you. 21:17 It was 2015, just last year, I had one of the most 21:21 difficult years yet. 21:23 Fake friendships, family issues, a broken relationship, 21:26 it all brought me down to the deepest depression 21:29 I have ever experienced in my life. 21:31 I thought nothing could bring me out of this. 21:34 And because of all the pain, brokenness, and darkness 21:36 I felt, I began to question my purpose. 21:40 If God truly had a plan for my life, 21:43 then why did I feel this way? 21:45 And so that's when I decided to challenge God. 21:49 You see, I grew up in an Adventist home, 21:51 had an Adventist education. 21:53 I went to boarding academy, Bible college, 21:55 medical missionary training, 21:57 and had gone on quite a few mission trips. 21:59 And I still found myself questioning my purpose. 22:03 You'd think that after having all of these experiences 22:06 I'd have it all together. 22:08 But I was still making the same mistakes. 22:10 I felt spiritually dead and incapable 22:13 of making a difference. 22:15 And so at last year's GYC conference 22:18 at the New Year's prayer session, I prayed, 22:21 and I said, "Lord, if You truly have a plan for my life, 22:26 I give you 2016 to prove it to me. 22:31 I'll give You a whole year to show me Your hand in my life, 22:34 and if by the end of next year I don't experience 22:38 Your life-changing power, then I'm done with this 22:40 whole idea of Christianity. 22:43 Lord, if You can still use me, even with my broken 22:47 and marred past, please show me." 22:51 And that night I realized that if I was going to challenge God, 22:54 then I needed to do my part in surrendering everything to Him. 23:00 Dear friends, looking back at 2016, I can truly say 23:05 that this year has been the most incredible year 23:08 of my 23 years. 23:10 My experience in Rwanda was only the beginning 23:15 to what has been part of my everyday life as a Bible worker. 23:20 For me, the purpose behind total member involvement 23:23 is to revive yourself. 23:25 And by doing so, you revive the church. 23:28 And by reviving the church, the church will be a light 23:31 to its community. 23:33 Maybe today you are a young person sitting down 23:36 at this conference or watching us online 23:39 and you can identify with my story. 23:42 Perhaps for most of your life 23:44 you have been going through the motions, 23:46 and honestly, you're afraid. 23:48 Afraid of taking that step because you feel your past 23:51 is stained and broken. 23:53 You feel that you've gone too far or too low that now 23:56 you have nothing to offer. 24:00 Or maybe you've just been a bench-warmer. 24:03 You go to church, give your tithes, fulfill your duties, 24:05 but you're completely unattached to the church; 24:08 but most importantly, unattached to God. 24:12 But this morning, and throughout this conference, 24:14 God has been calling to your heart. 24:16 You hear these testimonies and you think, 24:18 "If only that could be me." 24:21 The reality is, it can be you. 24:24 With total member involvement, you don't have to go to 24:26 other countries to experience something life-changing. 24:30 Our home is a mission field. 24:32 Our communities are a mission field. 24:35 And our churches are in great need of our presence 24:38 and our involvement. 24:40 You don't have to go far to make an impact. 24:43 Start with you. 24:44 Start with your church. 24:46 This will make a direct impact on this world, 24:48 and your decision to follow God will be the drop 24:52 that causes the ripple effect. 24:54 And you will begin the revolution that will 24:56 change this world in our generation. 24:59 God has a plan for each of His children. 25:02 It's up to us to allow Him to write it. 25:05 A well-known missionary, David Livingston, once said this: 25:08 "God, send me anywhere. 25:10 Only go with me. 25:12 Lay any burden on me, only sustain me. 25:16 And sever any tie in my heart 25:18 except the tie that binds my heart to Yours." 25:22 May this be our daily prayer. 25:27 Good morning, everyone. 25:29 Wasn't that a beautiful testimony? 25:32 My name is Felecia, and I would like to share with you 25:36 an excerpt from a book that I love. 25:39 It's called, Alone With God, by Matilda Andross. 25:42 "Over the hills and far away is a never failing spring. 25:47 From it, a small stream runs laughing down the valley; 25:51 a stream so small that you can step across it. 25:55 As it goes on and on down the valley, slipping past 25:59 a hundred hills, darting through fertile fields, 26:02 skirting thriving cities, it grows until it becomes 26:06 the irresistible river flowing at your feet. 26:10 All along the way, the river takes into its bosom 26:13 water from smaller streams. 26:15 But it takes to give. 26:17 All along the way it is giving itself. 26:21 It waters the grass and the flowers on its banks; 26:24 the trees slip down their roots and drink its moisture; 26:28 the birds bathe in its pools; the cattle quench their thirst 26:31 in its cooling current; the fish depend on it for food. 26:35 ...and commerce upon its bosom. 26:37 And finally, without seeking reward, 26:42 its waters slip quietly on, and lose themselves 26:46 in the eternal deep. 26:48 This is the story the river tells. 26:51 It is the story of the unselfish and efficient life: 26:55 the life that counts." 26:57 The life of evangelism. 26:59 The life that every single Adventist member 27:02 should be living. 27:04 There are many persons who feel that the mission field 27:07 is some far away land in some remote village in a 27:10 forest somewhere, or standing frail on a mountain side. 27:13 But we know that there is a great mission field right here 27:17 in the cities of the United States or in your home town. 27:21 I would love to share with you an amazing opportunity 27:23 we had this summer where we implemented 27:27 a model for evangelism that we hope you will adopt 27:30 and implement in your home churches. 27:33 On June 17- 29, a small group of young people 27:37 led by Chantal Kayumba, the Director of Missions for GYC, 27:41 came together in Houston for mission work. 27:44 First, we chose a home base. 27:47 For work like this, you have to have a home base. 27:50 Having a home base allows you to receive encouragement 27:54 and support. 27:55 Each member of the church is called to be a missionary. 27:59 In the mornings we gathered for worship and for workshops 28:02 that highlighted topics such as the role that personality plays 28:06 in evangelism and the influence that personal devotion 28:10 has on a lifestyle of evangelism. 28:13 After our morning presentations, we engaged in community work 28:17 in an effort to build relationships with people, 28:20 businesses, and ministries in the area around the church. 28:24 Some of the activities included packing medical supplies 28:27 for shipment to needy areas around the world, 28:30 GLOWing busy areas, and visiting a seniors home, 28:33 and also leading a health expo. 28:36 A group of canvassers had been working the area 28:38 while we were there, and they received a lot of 28:40 requests for Bible studies. 28:42 On Sabbath afternoon church members came together 28:44 and we went out into the community to drop off 28:47 Bible study packages. 28:49 There were three main things that we sought 28:52 to stress through this method. 28:54 First, we wanted to emphasize that evangelism 28:58 is not just something you do. 29:00 It is a lifestyle. 29:02 On your job, on campus, in our neighborhoods, 29:05 we should be constantly creating ways to bring persons 29:09 to know Jesus Christ. 29:11 Being a missionary is not simply going abroad. 29:14 It is completing the mission that Christ has given you 29:16 right in the area where He has placed you. 29:19 Secondly, we sought to engage every single 29:23 member of the church; from the member who says 29:26 that she's too busy to get involved 29:27 to the member who says that he feels he has nothing to offer. 29:31 We fail to realize that a church is as strong 29:35 as their least active member. 29:38 Finally, we wanted to establish and maintain connections 29:42 with businesses and people in the area around the churches. 29:46 Seventh-day Adventist churches should not be ornaments 29:49 in a community, but an active force creating vibrations 29:53 in the surrounding areas. 29:56 One of the most impactful experiences that I had 29:58 while I was there was visiting a home for seniors. 30:01 It reminded me of how fragile life is. 30:05 We have youthfulness one moment, and then life passes away. 30:09 One of the missionaries said that she loved seeing how 30:11 the persons there responded to our presence, 30:14 how they enjoyed us just singing with them. 30:16 Another young missionary said she enjoyed working for 30:19 Project Cure where we helped pack medical supplies. 30:23 It was amazing that the little that you do locally 30:26 can have such a far reaching impact. 30:29 We went GLOWing in several areas, and I was amazed 30:33 at the shear amount of people who were willing to have 30:36 someone pray with them, who were willing to receive a tract. 30:40 Usually we allow unsubstantiated fear to stop us from fulfilling 30:43 a mission that God has commanded us to do. 30:46 We look at people and assume that they are okay. 30:50 One gentleman had lost his brother two days before. 30:53 One lady was excited and nervous about a new pregnancy. 30:57 And another lady felt as if her life was falling apart. 31:00 All of them expressed how blessed they were to have 31:03 a stranger pray for them. 31:06 I remember in particular two gentlemen in a park, 31:09 we offered him a GLOW tract and he didn't want it at first. 31:11 We walked away, but when we were passing by, he called us. 31:14 And he said, "I noticed a few of you in the park. 31:17 And I noticed that you look so peaceful. 31:20 And whatever it is that you have, I want it. 31:23 We have so much reason to be stressed, 31:24 but you all look so at peace. 31:26 What is it that you have? Please, can I have it?" 31:28 And we handed him a GLOW tract again, and we said, 31:31 "This is something that can possibly give you hope." 31:35 He was in church the following Sabbath. 31:38 We love to say as young people, many of us, 31:41 that the church is not serving young people 31:44 and that the church is not catering to our needs. 31:46 I have personally found the opposite is true. 31:50 Many of us as young people are not serving, 31:53 and we are not catering to the needs of others. 31:56 We say that we are not being given the opportunity 31:59 to serve, but we fail to realize that the church doesn't 32:02 have to give us the opportunity to be a missionary. 32:05 It is a lifestyle. 32:08 God has gifted every single one of us here with gifts, 32:12 talents, abilities, energy, strength, and resources 32:17 to fulfill the gospel commission. 32:19 What is it that's stopping us? 32:22 In Psalm 90:12, it says, "So teach us to number our days, 32:27 that we may gain a heart of wisdom." 32:29 Realizing that you don't have a lot of time 32:32 has an impact on your attitude and your actions. 32:36 In 1844, when the church thought that the coming of Christ was 32:41 very near, their perspective and their lives changed 32:45 dramatically, and it showed in the way that they lived. 32:49 We have a short time left. 32:52 My appeal to you is to transform your church 32:55 into a home base for soldiers fulfilling a mission. 32:59 Create a vision to win your city, 33:02 and then go out and win that city for Christ. 33:06 Romans 10:13-14 33:09 "For 'everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.' 33:14 How then can they call on the One whom they have 33:16 not believed in? 33:18 And how can they believe in the One of whom they have not heard? 33:22 And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?" 33:26 Will you go out and preach to them today? 33:34 Good morning, everybody. 33:36 You want a heart pumping experience? 33:38 Get nine minutes, and every word counts. 33:40 Okeydokey. Here we go. 33:42 So my wife and I are missionaries in the 33:45 Middle East-North Africa Union. 33:46 Also commonly referred to as, MENA. 33:48 In MENA there are two initiatives. 33:50 One of them is the Tent Maker Program where professionals 33:54 can get into the MENA region and they can work, 33:57 and they can witness within their work sphere. Okay? 34:00 Another initiative that my wife and I are involved in 34:03 is called, the Waldensian Student Program. 34:06 And here it takes students, gets them plugged into 34:08 public universities in this area. 34:10 And through the classroom, they have an opportunity to witness. 34:13 The first time we heard about the Adventist church 34:16 doing any kind of significant work in the 34:18 Middle East-North Africa was actually last year at GYC. 34:23 In fact, I think that if we hadn't gone to GYC, 34:26 we wouldn't be where we are today. 34:29 It was there that we heard about the great need for workers 34:33 in the Middle East-North Africa. 34:34 And we responded to a call to move forward. 34:38 We heard staggering statistics, such as, in the country that 34:43 we're serving in now, there are only five Seventh-day Adventists 34:47 natively from this country in the whole world. 34:53 And this is a country that has a population 34:56 greater than that of Texas. 35:00 Imagine if we knew that there were only five 35:03 Seventh-day Adventists from Texas. 35:06 Like, that's just crazy. 35:09 So my husband and I really started praying about 35:12 if this was really where God was calling us to go. 35:15 And we started wrestling with God 35:17 about going to the Middle East. 35:20 Yes, this was a difficult decision. 35:21 It wasn't one that we could make easily or lightly. 35:24 We knew that the decision that God was calling us into 35:27 was going to bring heartache to our families, for one. 35:30 Even to ourselves, because were were going to have to 35:31 really literally wrestle with God about this decision. 35:34 A big opposition that we had at first was from our families. 35:38 You know, they were concerned for us. 35:39 As you can imagine, imagine one of your children 35:43 or your brother, somebody like that, says, "We're going to go 35:45 to the Middle East- North Africa," 35:46 and you only know what's on the media. Okay? 35:49 You're going to be concerned. 35:50 You're going to say, "Well maybe there's 35:52 definitely a felt risk there." 35:54 But in reality, what we learned is that there is a different 35:57 kind of lifestyle that is lived there. 35:59 It's very much like normal life. 36:01 It's actually really nice. 36:02 But the difficult decision that we were facing from our family, 36:06 it brought tears, it brought some separation 36:09 at times, you know? 36:10 And we really had to wrestle, 36:12 "Does God really want us to be here?" 36:14 Because our parents, we want to follow them, 36:16 we want to listen to them, we want to obey 36:17 what they're saying, you know? 36:19 But we also want to obey God first. 36:22 Because He is our heavenly Father. 36:24 And so another opposition that we faced, or at least a... 36:29 What's the word? Objection. 36:31 ...ah, an objection that we faced was that we were already 36:35 actively involved in ministry here in the United States. 36:37 We were both Bible workers, and with schools of evangelism, 36:40 and things like that. 36:42 Very full-time doing mission work or ministry 36:46 right here in the United States. 36:47 And we were presented with, 36:49 "Hey, you can be a missionary anywhere." 36:50 And I believe that. Don't get me wrong. 36:52 But the thing that kept coming back to my mind is, 36:55 "If we all stay here and no one goes over there, 36:58 then how are these people over there going to be reached?" 37:00 And the thing is, in our country there are eight workers. 37:05 Eight. 37:07 Out of the whole country of millions, 37:08 30 something million people, there's eight workers. 37:12 Okay? 37:13 This area needs people. 37:15 It's definitely needing people. 37:16 And so when we looked at this, we realized that 37:18 it was going to cost something for us. 37:21 We really were still struggling with the decision to go. 37:24 And it was the weekend before our ticket to go to 37:27 the Middle East, as we were still on the fence. 37:30 "Should we go or not? 37:31 Is this really what God is calling us to do?" 37:34 And so I prayed. 37:35 And I asked God that if He wanted us to go, 37:38 that He would have me meet somebody from the Middle East 37:42 at church the next day. 37:44 And without me knowing, my husband prayed 37:47 that he would meet a converted Seventh-day Adventist 37:51 that converted from Islam in church. 37:56 And we went to a tiny little church that day 37:59 out in the country that we had never been to before. 38:02 And we saw in front of us during the service 38:06 a man reading his Bible in Arabic. 38:09 We found out afterwards that he was Iranian. 38:12 He had escaped from Iran in fear for his life 38:16 because his father and his brother found out that 38:19 he had been reading the Bible. 38:21 And when he got to Denmark, there was 38:24 a Seventh-day Adventist tourist handing out tracts 38:28 as a Sabbath outreach. 38:30 He got one, he came to church, and eventually he got 38:34 Bible studies and he was baptized. 38:37 Then through a refugee program, he was moved to the tiny 38:40 little town where we went to church that day. 38:43 And so, brothers and sisters, when we saw how God 38:48 answered this prayer, we said, "Okay, we're going." 38:53 But really, thinking about this story of this man, 38:57 it's not an unusual story of sacrifice. 39:00 When a Muslim leaves their faith to follow Jesus, 39:05 they sacrifice everything. 39:07 They know that they'll be rejected by their family. 39:10 They might even be killed by those they love the most. 39:14 They face a life of complete trial and persecution. 39:18 And this is very real. 39:20 So wasn't I willing to make a much smaller sacrifice 39:25 that I might reach these people? 39:29 And not only that, I thought about the sacrifice that 39:31 Jesus made for me. 39:33 He left a place that was comfortable. 39:36 He left a place that was safe to go to a place that was 39:38 uncomfortable and dangerous. 39:41 And He did it so that He could save you and me. 39:45 And so, wasn't I willing to go to a place that I perceived as 39:50 dangerous and uncomfortable that I might win some to Him? 39:54 So we ended up going. 39:55 And now that we are in this region in the 39:57 Middle East-North Africa, our experience has been wonderful. 40:01 We've been able to make friends and have some good experiences, 40:05 and being able to share Jesus with people in conversation. 40:08 So through the Waldensian Student Program 40:10 you have the opportunity to take classes with regular 40:12 Muslims in a regular environment through their everyday life. 40:16 And through this we met a friend, okay? 40:18 And one of our friends we would spend a lot of time with, 40:20 she spoke English so it was very easy 40:22 to start a friendship there. 40:24 And we would often times go to eat, get something after class. 40:27 And during this time, before we would eat 40:30 my wife and I would say, "Hey, do mind if we 40:32 ask a blessing on the food? 40:34 You know, just pray real quick." 40:35 And at first she was kind of like, "Well, okay. 40:38 You can try that, sure. Go ahead." 40:39 And so we did it, and we said, "Amen," at the end of it. 40:42 She was kind of quiet. 40:43 But then we kept on doing this. 40:45 And eventually she started saying, "Amen," also. 40:47 And it got to the point where she was kind of expecting, 40:49 "Alright, we got the food now. 40:51 You guys are going to pray now, right?" 40:53 And it was like, it was starting to click with her, you know? 40:56 Because every time you pray with somebody, 40:59 like for a blessing, for example, 41:00 you get 30 seconds to have a sermon with them. 41:03 Okay? 30 seconds they have to listen to you. 41:06 And it's a great opportunity. 41:09 But it's a great opportunity to talk about 41:11 your relationship with God, how you view God. 41:13 And for her, it was something new. Okay? 41:16 And she started, actually she told Julie... Sarah... 41:19 Uh, oh boy. 41:23 Oops. 41:25 Forget that. Alright, please. 41:28 She told Sarah here, my wife... 41:33 Okeydokey. 41:35 We've got one minute left, alright. 41:36 She told her that... Or she told me... 41:38 I've got it, I've got it, I've got it, Sweetheart. 41:40 I've got it. That's okay. I've got it. 41:41 She told her, "You know, I've started to do this at home also. 41:45 I've started to pray before meals." 41:48 And so anyways, we're at our graduation dinner, okay? 41:51 This is for one of our language schools. 41:53 And we went out with all of our Muslim friends, 41:55 and the food was served. 41:57 And before we were about to eat, she was like, 42:00 "Wait, wait, wait, guys. We have to pray first. 42:02 Uh, Jonah..." That's me. 42:04 "Jonah, pray for us right here." 42:07 And for me it was kind of like, I was put on the spot, you know. 42:10 Because I didn't have this same relationship with everybody 42:13 that we were in class with, you know? 42:15 And so I said, "Are you guys cool with that?" 42:16 They were like, "Yeah, yeah, it's great." 42:18 So again, 30 second sermon right there. 42:20 But the thing is, guys, we all have an opportunity 42:23 to do something for God. Okay? 42:25 If God is laying on your heart Muslims in particular, 42:29 come by our booth. 42:30 We're there in the exhibit hall. 42:31 We have a lot of different avenues to get you guys 42:33 plugged in, resources that we can direct you to 42:36 about how to do this here at home and abroad. 42:38 Because the thing is, as the name "Jonah" implies, 42:43 whenever God calls us to do something, 42:45 it's always safer to do it the first time. 42:47 If God is laying on your heart a burden and a passion 42:49 for these people, literally to go back to Nineveh, okay, 42:53 just remember, if you don't want to get swallowed 42:55 by a big fish, just go. Alright? 42:58 But never the less, really guys, God has a huge amount of 43:02 people here that He wants to see come back home. 43:05 And I can't believe that no one has used this yet, 43:07 but Houston, we have a problem. 43:08 And we've got to get them back home, alright? 43:11 Thank you guys. 43:16 Have you been blessed by the testimonies this morning? 43:21 Before I start, I'd like to share a quick story with you. 43:25 So I'm a nursing student. 43:26 And in nursing, we have what we call, clinical placements. 43:29 And so you're placed in a hospital for about four months, 43:32 and you practice all the skills that you learned in class. 43:37 And the majority of nursing students are women. 43:40 So last semester I was in my nursing clinical placement, 43:43 and there happened to be a guy among us. 43:46 For nurses, you know, this is a very special thing. 43:49 Not only was there a guy, he happened to be 43:52 very, very good-looking. 43:55 And so I was very happy. 43:56 I spent a little bit more time getting ready in the morning 43:59 to go to clinical. 44:02 And as we were sitting, the girls, we were sitting 44:06 together one day, and one of the girls was like, 44:08 "Hey, Chantal, he looks at you a lot." 44:11 And I'm like, "Oh, let's all stay calm. 44:16 We don't want to get carried away here." 44:18 And so I continued to remain calm and collected and cool. 44:23 And one day he came up to us and he said, 44:26 "I have something to say." 44:28 And so we all listened intently, and he said, 44:30 "I just wanted to tell you, Chantal, 44:31 that you have really nice eyes." 44:33 Wow! 44:36 I was amazed. 44:37 Like out of all the seven girls, he came up to me 44:41 and told me that I have nice eyes? 44:43 Wow! 44:45 And so, I remained calm and collected 44:48 and continued not to get my hopes high. 44:51 Eventually our relationship blossomed. 44:54 And he began to bring me smoothies, 44:56 knowing that I was Adventist. 44:58 Coffee didn't work. 45:00 So he brought me smoothies every morning, 45:02 and he'd have one for himself and one for me. 45:05 And so by now I knew, this was my man. 45:08 God had brought my man to my clinical, 45:10 and it was just an answer to prayer. 45:13 And so I told my parents about it. 45:15 I was like, "Mom, dad, I don't want to alarm you, but 45:18 I think God brought my husband to my clinical placement." 45:22 One day I decided, you know what? 45:24 Enough is enough. 45:26 He's been doing so much for me, it's time for me 45:29 to reciprocate. 45:30 And so I thought really hard. 45:32 What can I do to show this man that I love him? 45:37 And so I woke up one morning, got dressed in my scrubs, 45:42 and did a little bit extra, and bought two smoothies. 45:47 One for me and an extra-large for him. 45:50 And I arrived at clinical bright and early 45:52 and waited around the nurses desk, 45:54 waiting for him to arrive so that I could casually 45:57 give him a smoothie. 45:59 And so finally he came in through the doors, 46:02 and I had my two smoothies. 46:03 And just as I was walking up to him to finally, you know, 46:07 proclaim my love, I see another girl walk by. 46:13 And so I paused with my two smoothies in hand, 46:16 and I watched very closely. 46:19 And so this girl walked up to him... 46:23 ...and she hugged him. 46:25 She hugged my man. 46:28 And so I watched it happen. 46:31 And then she proceeded to kiss him. 46:35 So now I'm standing there like, "Who is this girl? 46:37 And why is she kissing my man?" 46:41 So I turned around with my two smoothies, 46:43 very disappointed and embarrassed, 46:44 and went to tell the girls, "You won't believe what happened. 46:48 He has another girl. He must have another girl. 46:50 I mean, there's no way that this girl, 46:52 this stranger, came and kissed him." 46:54 And so we all talked about it for a while, 46:56 and we came to one conclusion. 46:58 The conclusion was, "Men are trifling." 47:05 This morning I was not sent to speak about men, 47:10 or their trifling nature. 47:14 I was sent to speak about service and evangelism. 47:19 And so, how do the two connect? 47:21 Ellen G. White has a quote, a very profound quote. 47:23 And it says, "To trifle with hearts is a crime 47:26 of no small magnitude in the sight of a holy God. 47:30 And yet, some will show preference for young ladies 47:32 and call out their affections, and then go their way 47:35 and forget all about the words they have spoken, 47:38 and their affect. 47:39 A new face attracts them and they repeat the same words, 47:43 and devote to another the same devotions." 47:47 Could it be that you and I are trifling 47:51 with the hearts of humanity? 47:53 That even our ministry is of a trifling nature? 47:58 You see, I'd like to change the quote a little bit and say, 48:01 "To trifle with hearts is a crime of no small magnitude 48:05 in the sight of a holy God. 48:06 And yet, some will show preference for a community 48:10 or initiative and call out its affections and attention, 48:14 and then go their way and forget about the gospel 48:18 they have spoken, and its affect. 48:21 A new community and initiative attracts them 48:24 and they repeat the same gospel, and devote to another 48:29 the same attentions." 48:31 Could it be that you and I, in our very ministry, 48:35 are trifling with the hearts of humanity? 48:38 Before I continue, let me share with you what God did 48:41 in the island of Manitoulin. 48:43 This is an island that has no Adventist presence. 48:46 Not a single Adventist on the entire island. 48:50 And so GYC had the privilege of going there two years ago. 48:54 And on this island I was the leader of the mission. 48:57 There was about forty of us. 48:58 And it was my first time leading. 49:00 I want to pause right there. 49:01 Because some of us haven't gone on mission, 49:03 some of us haven't become involved because we think, 49:06 "I lack experience." 49:07 Friends, God does not need your experience. 49:11 He needs your willingness. 49:13 And so we go to this island. 49:15 And we didn't even have a game plan. 49:18 I didn't know that you create an itinerary 49:20 before you go on mission. 49:22 And so we went there free-spirited, free-minded. 49:26 And as we were canvasing one day, I handed 49:29 the Great Controversy to one of the people on the island, 49:32 on a reserve. 49:34 And he looked at the front, he looked at the back, 49:36 he read a little bit, and he got really excited. 49:39 And I was excited because he was excited. 49:42 But then he handed the book back to me and he said, 49:45 "When I read this book, when I get converted, 49:48 who will I share what I find with?" 49:51 And I wanted to tell him, "You know what, 49:52 on Saturday you can go to the Adventist church. 49:55 On Wednesday you can go to prayer meeting. 49:57 Maybe this elder will come and visit you." 50:00 But there is no Adventist on the island. 50:02 There would be no one to follow up with him. 50:07 We went to another reserve on the island, and this reserve 50:10 is one of the only unseated reserves. 50:12 They have no accountability to the Canadian law. 50:17 And so we went there, and before we arrived 50:19 we were warned about the violence and the crime. 50:21 And we were told that if anything happened to us 50:24 that the police couldn't save us. 50:26 I didn't know the GYC insurance policies, but you know, 50:29 we went forward. 50:31 And when we arrived, with fear, God did something amazing. 50:36 That day was the day that we sold the most books. 50:40 And at every door we went to, we saw a need. 50:44 I remember going to one door, and it was a homosexual couple. 50:46 Both of them had grown up abused. 50:49 And you could see that the home was just devoid of hope. 50:53 We went to another door and it was a woman with seven kids. 50:57 And some of them weren't even hers. 50:59 And she didn't know how to take care of them. 51:00 Every single door was full of need. 51:04 And I wanted to direct them to community services. 51:06 I wanted to direct them to someone. 51:10 But there's no Adventist presence on the island. 51:13 And that was two years ago. 51:17 We went to another reserve and we held a health expo. 51:21 And on the third day of the health expo 51:23 the Chief kicked us off the reserve. 51:26 And we were very discouraged. 51:29 Four months later we went back for follow-up. 51:31 And we realized, or we found out that the Chief of that reserve 51:35 had soon been removed and replaced by the daughter, 51:40 the daughter of the mother whose home we had remodeled. 51:45 And when the mother told us the story, she said, 51:48 "You guys are more than welcomed back. 51:51 How can my daughter refuse the angels 51:54 who remodeled my home?" 51:56 Friends, the island of Manitoulin is full of potential. 52:00 And this was two years ago, 52:01 and there remains no Adventist presence on the island. 52:06 How long will we trifle with the hearts of humanity? 52:11 I long to see a small group on this island. 52:14 I long to see a church on this island. 52:20 And more than I long for it, God longs for it. 52:25 How long will we be proud of our simple results? 52:28 Friends, I'm not proud of our results. 52:31 Because I know that there is much more that can be done. 52:34 I'm not happy when I see a hundred people come up 52:37 for a mission appeal. 52:39 Because there are thousands here. 52:42 How long will we be proud with our simple results? 52:45 How long will we trifle with the hearts of humanity? 52:51 There are hearts that are ready to hear and respond 52:54 to the gospel, but the laborers are few. 52:57 Will you go? 53:00 This morning you've heard testimonies from 53:02 all around the world. 53:03 You've heard testimonies from Rwanda, 53:05 you've heard testimonies from Houston, from the Middle East. 53:09 God is moving in mighty and vivid ways. 53:12 I had the privilege of being in Rwanda. 53:14 And on the day of the baptisms at my site 53:16 I noticed an old man crying. 53:18 And I was like, why is this man crying? 53:20 He's not being baptized, he didn't preach. 53:23 I didn't see him put any effort into anything. 53:25 Why is he so entitled? Why is he crying? 53:28 And so I walked up to him and I said, "Sir, why are you crying?" 53:33 And he responded to me, he said, "You know what, 53:36 I have no talents. 53:38 But I have a truck. 53:39 And every single day, I went to the farthest area 53:43 and I picked up people in my truck." 53:45 And I'm tell you, like 70 people would come out of this truck. 53:48 And he said, "A few of them are being baptized today. 53:52 I was part of this baptism." 53:56 Friends, what is holding you back? 53:59 What is holding you back today? 54:01 How long will you trifle with the hearts of humanity? 54:06 Today God is asking us to go. 54:09 And I wonder, who will go? 54:12 How long will we come to conferences like GYC 54:15 and hear the gospel spoken, and remain in our seats 54:19 and go home the same? 54:21 How long will we trifle with the hearts of humanity? 54:25 The harvest is ready, I've seen it around the world, 54:28 but the laborers are few. 54:33 I'm tired of one hit wonders. 54:35 I'm tired of two week missions where we come back 54:38 with testimonies, and we write about them, and we share them, 54:41 but we forget about the communities 54:43 who we've trifled with. 54:47 Two years ago we went to Manitoulin. 54:50 And there remains no Adventist presence on the island. 54:55 The unreached areas remain unreached. 54:59 And yet, we sit here proud of ourselves. 55:04 You see, I believe that more than trifling with the 55:07 hearts of humanity, we've trifled with the 55:10 heart of God Himself. 55:15 We've trifled with the heart of God Himself. 55:17 We trifle with Him when we show interest in Him. 55:20 We hear the gospel spoken at GYC and we get excited. 55:24 I've heard so many people in the hallway saying, 55:26 "I'm so excited about what I'm hearing." 55:30 But then we fail to commit to a relationship with Him. 55:35 We fail to go public with our love for Him. 55:40 God longs for our personal commitment. 55:43 And if you're sitting here and you're wondering, 55:45 "Lord, why am I not seeing miracles? 55:47 There's times when I read the Bible and I thought it was false 55:50 because I had not seen miracles like that." 55:53 Friends, until you go out and you risk for God, 55:56 you will not see miracles. 55:58 Do you need miracles to wake up and do ordinary things? 56:02 But when we do extraordinary things for God, 56:05 when we go out for Him, you will see the very hand of God. 56:09 How long will we trifle with the heart of God? 56:14 This weekend we've heard so much. 56:17 Our hearts have been touched, 56:18 we've been inspired and strengthened. 56:20 But I submit to you that unless you get involved 56:23 in evangelism and service, this weekend will soon 56:26 become a memory. 56:27 And the gospel will become mere information. 56:30 How long will we trifle with the hearts of humanity 56:34 and with the heart of God? 56:37 This morning I would like to make a specific appeal. 56:39 And I'm looking for hundreds of young people. 56:42 I'm expecting much... 56:46 ...because we have a God who's done much for us. 56:50 I'd like to make a specific appeal for young people 56:53 that are ready to stop trifling with the hearts of humanity, 56:58 young people that are tired of flirting with God. 57:02 Young people that are saying, 57:04 "I want to go out and do something." 57:09 There's four opportunities for you today, 57:11 four specific opportunities. 57:13 The first is, you're saying, "I want to be part 57:15 of the solution in Manitoulin. 57:17 I want to go on a GYC mission." 57:20 If that is your desire today, I invite you to come forward. 57:23 And if you're not coming forward, you're praying 57:25 for the people next to you. 57:27 If you're saying, "I want to be part of the solution 57:30 in Manitoulin," I invite you to come forward 57:33 and join us on a GYC mission. 57:36 Thank you. 57:39 My second appeal is to someone who's heard the testimony 57:43 by Vanessa, and saying, "I want to go on a TMI mission. 57:48 Sign me up." 57:49 I invite you to come forward. 57:53 The third appeal is for someone who is willing to go and die. 57:59 Someone willing to go to the Middle East-North Africa Union. 58:03 If that is your desire, I invite you to come forward. 58:08 And my last and final appeal is for someone who is saying, 58:13 "I want to go to my campus, I want to go to my church, 58:16 as a missionary. 58:18 Not as an ordinary person, because I have the gospel. 58:21 I want to go." 58:23 I invite you to come forward. 58:25 How long will we trifle with the hearts of humanity? 58:30 If you're not coming, you're praying. 58:33 This is a salvational issue, my friends. 58:36 We can no longer call ourselves Christians and remain inactive. 58:40 God was never passive in His approach to us. |
Revised 2017-11-15