Participants:
Series Code: 17GYC
Program Code: 17GYC000002A
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00:32 I turned my eyes to my Lord with the prayer
00:37 Through the dimness of the dawn 00:40 Deeper truth then I was drawn 00:43 Oh such hope even brighter than before! 00:49 Oh arise, let us run 00:51 For the morning light has come 00:54 And the darkness of the night flies away! 01:00 He has risen, He has come 01:03 And our home 01:04 He has won 01:05 Let His glory be seen on you today 01:11 There a lonely soul I saw 01:14 Standing near but yet withdrawn 01:17 I bade him come to the land bright and fair 01:23 With hope's glimmer in his eye 01:25 To the darkness said goodbye 01:28 Then we sang a note higher than before! 01:34 Oh arise, let us run 01:37 For the morning light has come 01:39 And the darkness of the night flies away! 01:45 He has risen, He has come 01:48 And our home He has won 01:51 Let His glory be seen on you today 02:02 Good morning and buenos dias. Buenos dias! 02:05 I believe you may be seated. 02:09 In the Book of Isaiah 59, 02:12 if you want to turn there with me you may, 02:14 I'll be reading shortly so you have to make it quick. 02:16 Isaiah 59:20, 21 rather, the Bible says, 02:21 "As for Me says the Lord, this is My covenant with them, 02:26 My Spirit who is upon you 02:28 and My words which I have put in your mouth 02:30 shall not depart from your mouth, 02:31 nor from the mouth of your descendants, 02:33 nor from the mouth 02:35 of your descendants' descendants says the Lord, 02:37 from this time and forever more." 02:41 The woman that you'll be hearing from next, 02:43 I played tennis with her, and she knows me very well. 02:47 I played tennis with her, and we were having a good game, 02:49 and I happen to have the upper hand on this game, 02:52 and I turned around, and I decided inside of myself, 02:54 I'm gonna kind of slow down so it can be a little fair. 02:56 And as soon as that thought began 02:59 to cross my mind, 03:00 I heard the words from this young lady, 03:02 she said, "Don't even think about it." 03:05 And I said, "Think about what?" 03:06 She says, "Don't act like you don't know 03:08 what I'm talking about." 03:09 She knows me very well 03:10 and she knows her people very well. 03:12 She loves them to a point to where 03:14 she can basically read their mind 03:16 and it's a blessing to her and her ministry." 03:19 Also, this woman 03:20 when she just started looking for churches 03:23 after she had gone away from the Lord, 03:25 she invited me to go with her. 03:26 At the time I was addicted to drugs 03:29 and alcohol and she said, 03:30 "Joey, please, just come with me to church. 03:32 Come with me." 03:33 And I said, "The only way I'm going is if I'm high." 03:35 She said, "That's fine, just come with me." 03:38 Months later, as a result of her influence 03:41 she actually brought me into the church. 03:44 She would go by my bedside night after night and pray 03:47 that I wouldn't get a good night sleep 03:49 until I came to know the Lord. 03:50 And she'd asked me in the mornings all joyfully, 03:52 "Did you sleep well?" 03:54 And I said, "No, why are you asking?" 03:56 She said, "Oh, I just... 03:58 I don't know." 04:00 And inside she's rejoicing 04:01 because the Lord is answering her prayers. 04:03 If she only has one star on her crown 04:06 when she gets to heaven, it'll be me. 04:08 But I know she'll have more than that 04:10 because she loves the Lord, 04:11 she's dedicated to Him, and she serves Him, 04:13 and not only that, but she has just been blessed 04:16 with someone else to help her in ministry. 04:17 She's a newlywed, somebody say amen. 04:19 Not even a month into marriage and she serves the Lord, 04:22 she loves Him. 04:23 So when you hear from her, you're hearing from someone 04:25 who has a heart for the Lord, amen. 04:27 Why don't we pray with her? Pray for her. 04:32 Father in heaven, 04:34 Lord, I know that You have used 04:39 my dear sister Lisa in mighty ways, Lord. 04:42 I'm the result of her influence 04:44 and I know that there are so many 04:46 if not in this crowd watching it at their homes 04:49 that can say 04:50 that they've been brought closer to You 04:52 as a result of her efforts. 04:54 My prayer is that You would bless her, 04:56 Lord, that You would fill her, 04:58 that You would touch her lips, Lord. 05:00 I know that You will, we look forward to it, 05:03 and we ask all these things in Jesus' name, amen. 05:06 Amen. 05:20 Take my life 05:22 And let it be 05:26 Consecrated Lord, to Thee 05:31 Take my moments and my days 05:36 Let them flow in ceaseless praise 05:42 Take my hands, and let them move 05:47 At the impulse of Thy love 05:52 Take my feet and let them be 05:58 Swift and beautiful for Thee 06:03 Take my voice, and let it sing 06:09 Always, only, for my King 06:14 Take my lips, and let them be 06:20 Filled with messages from Thee 06:27 Take my silver and my gold 06:32 Not a mite would I withhold 06:37 Take my intellect, and use 06:43 Every power as Thou shalt choose 06:48 Take my will, and make it Thine 06:53 It shall be no longer mine 06:59 Take my heart, it is Thine own 07:05 It shall be 07:06 Thy royal throne 07:17 Take my love, my Lord, I pour 07:23 At Thy feet its treasure-store 07:28 Take myself, and I will be 07:34 Ever, only, all for 07:42 Thee 07:56 Good morning. 08:00 In fact couldn't have been a better song 08:03 for this morning's time together. 08:08 My brother is right. 08:09 He is definitely an answer to prayer 08:13 and thankfully got to introduce me. 08:16 And he's right again, 08:17 I've been married for all of 18 days. 08:20 Amen? 08:22 That is a sweet blessing. 08:26 I am happy to be able to share with all of you morning people. 08:30 How many morning people are in here? 08:31 Raise your hand. 08:33 I cannot raise my hand with you. 08:35 I am not a morning person, 08:38 but the Lord woke me up early this morning 08:40 because I believe He has a message to share, 08:44 and I'm excited to be with you. 08:45 This morning I'm going to be preaching from the Bible, okay, 08:50 and I'm going to be reading a lot of it 08:52 so I want you to stay with me, 08:54 flip as fast as you can, help your friend next to you, 08:56 don't be embarrassed 08:58 if you need help finding a place in the Bible. 09:01 Know that I often rehearse the song 09:03 whenever I have to go to a place 09:05 in the Bible, right? 09:06 Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, so you're with me? 09:12 Mahatma Gandhi once said, 09:14 "You Christians look after a document containing 09:18 enough dynamite to blow all civilization to pieces, 09:23 to turn the world upside down, 09:26 bring peace to a battle torn planet, 09:30 but you treat it as though it's nothing 09:32 more than a piece of literature." 09:37 The title of this morning's devotional 09:40 is not choosing as a choice. 09:42 Let us pray. 09:47 This morning, Lord, we come to You 09:49 asking that Your Holy Spirit will be our only teacher. 09:53 I pray that that, that song that was sung right 09:57 before this message would be the prayer of my heart. 10:00 Take my mind, take my mouth, 10:02 let it be used for You right now. 10:05 Lord of myself I have nothing to offer these people, 10:08 but You offered them Yourself on the cross. 10:11 So I pray we get a picture of who You are 10:13 like we've all never seen before. 10:15 We love You, we miss You, 10:17 and we cannot wait to see You face to face, 10:20 in the name of Christ, amen. 10:22 It wasn't far from here 10:23 that I was driving on a freeway, 10:26 don't ask me what freeway it was, 10:29 I was driving on a freeway 10:31 from Phoenix to Flagstaff through Camp Verde, 10:35 and at the time, 10:37 this was 2010 10:39 I was in a relationship with a man 10:41 that I shouldn't have been in a relationship with. 10:46 And as I was driving on this freeway, 10:49 I had a moment in my life that would forever change 10:53 the direction of where I was headed. 10:58 I had heard and learned 10:59 about the Seventh-day Adventist Church 11:01 the year before in 2009, 11:03 but I just couldn't choose to give my heart fully to God. 11:09 I knew that God was talking to my heart 11:13 and I was living the life I shouldn't be. 11:18 It was on this drive 11:19 that I heard a still small voice, 11:21 it wasn't anything dramatic, it wasn't a firework show, 11:25 it wasn't a neon sign that flashed, 11:27 it was just a quiet thought that entered into my mind 11:30 as I was driving on this freeway. 11:34 Now I know it was the Holy Spirit 11:35 speaking to me, amen. 11:36 The Holy Spirit speaks. Yes, he does. 11:39 And the thought that came into my mind was, 11:42 "Lisa, you can go on to be a veterinarian. 11:47 Go to vet school. 11:49 You can marry the man you're living with." 11:51 No, it's not the man I'm currently married to, 11:53 hallelujah, He leads our lives. 11:59 "And you can live the life you think 12:01 that would be best for yourself, 12:04 or you can give your heart entirely to me." 12:09 Still quiet in my car, no one's with me. 12:13 And the next thought that came into my mind was, 12:15 "But no matter what you choose, Lisa, 12:18 I'm going to love you the same." 12:21 But what kind of choice is that? 12:24 It actually made me kind of angry 12:26 because here I am sitting in my car 12:30 and thinking I can choose to live the life the way 12:33 I have envisioned it, how many of you are planners, 12:36 are thinking 50 years in advance? 12:38 Newsflash, friends, you only have today, 12:41 but I'm with you, 12:42 and I could picture and dream up 12:44 these fantasies of how my life was supposed to look. 12:48 And then God's like, 12:49 "Or you can give your life entirely to Me." 12:55 Friends, I wouldn't be standing here today 12:57 if I didn't choose to give my life to God. 13:01 What kind of choice was that? 13:03 Yet I knew deep down I had to choose. 13:07 Shortly after that moment in the car, 13:10 I broke off an engagement to a man 13:14 I was supposed to marry, 13:16 one of the hardest things I ever had to do in my life. 13:20 Shortly after that moment in the car, 13:22 I contacted a lady 13:24 from the Seventh-day Adventist Church. 13:25 I very first went to in Clovis, California. 13:28 I contacted her on Facebook. Amen? 13:31 The Lord used Facebook. 13:33 And I messaged her one question, 13:35 and do you know what my one question was? 13:38 "How on earth does someone choose to live for God 13:43 and not just choose to live for Him, 13:44 but live for Him for 50 years?" 13:49 She kind of chuckled, 13:51 ha-ha on Facebook. 13:55 And her reply, do you know what it was? 13:58 I'll tell you at the end of the message 14:00 because it's the key insight the key to staying faithful. 14:06 Go with me in your Bibles to 1 Samuel 8 14:09 as we continue the message not choosing is a choice. 14:14 1 Samuel 8, 14:18 are you ready to read the Bible? 14:21 You can look at me and smile if you're there. 14:25 Are you happy to be with the Lord today? 14:29 You're in the right place. 14:30 1 Samuel 8:1 says, 14:32 "Now it came to pass when Samuel was old 14:34 that he made his sons judges over Israel. 14:37 The name of his firstborn was Joel, 14:38 and the name of his second, Abijah. 14:40 They were judges in Beersheba. 14:42 But his sons did not walk in his ways. 14:44 They turned aside after dishonest gain, 14:46 took bribes, and perverted justice." 14:47 Were these good sons of Samuel? 14:50 They were not following the Lord. 14:53 "Then all the elders," in verse 4, 14:54 "of Israel gathered together 14:56 and came to Samuel at Ramah, and said to him, 14:58 'Look, you are old, 15:00 and your sons do not walk in your ways. 15:02 Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.'" 15:07 Verse 6, "But the thing displeased Samuel 15:10 when they said, 'Give us a king to judge us.' 15:13 So Samuel prayed to the Lord." 15:16 What comes after this verse 6 is verse 7 15:19 and perhaps in my opinion 15:21 one of the saddest verses in the Bible. 15:24 "The Lord said to Samuel, 15:26 'Heed the voice of the people in all 15:28 that they say to you for they have not rejected you, 15:31 but they have rejected Me, 15:34 that I should not reign over them. 15:35 According to all the works 15:37 which they have done since the day 15:38 that I brought them up out of Egypt, 15:40 even to this day 15:41 which they have forsaken Me and served other gods, 15:44 so they are doing to you also. 15:47 Now therefore, heed their voice. 15:49 However, you shall solemnly forewarn them, 15:52 and show them the behavior of the king 15:53 who will reign over them.'" 15:55 I want you, guys, to see in verse 9 15:57 the beauty of the character of God. 15:59 Amen. 16:01 In the very act of being rejected, 16:03 He's beginning to show them what? 16:06 A warning of mercy, He's forewarning them exactly 16:10 what kind of king is going to serve over them. 16:13 You see, God's knowing the future was not God's doing. 16:17 Amen. 16:19 Many people are blaming God today, 16:20 but God knowing about the future is not, what? 16:25 It's not God's doing. 16:28 Verse 10, "So Samuel told all the words of the Lord 16:30 to the people 16:31 who asked him for a king and he said to them, 16:34 'This will be the behavior of the king 16:37 who will reign over you...'" 16:39 Are you ready for this? 16:40 "'He will take your sons and appoint them 16:42 for his own chariots to be his horsemen, 16:45 and some will run before his chariots.'" 16:46 Verse 12, "'He will appoint captains 16:48 over his thousands, captains over his fifties, 16:51 he will set some to plow his ground 16:52 and reap his harvest, 16:54 and some to make his weapons of war 16:55 and equipment for his chariots. 16:57 He will take your daughters 16:59 to be perfumers, cooks, and bakers. 17:01 He will take the best of your fields, 17:02 your vineyards, your olive groves, 17:04 and give them to his servants. 17:05 He will take a tenth of your grain and your vintage 17:07 and give it to his officers and servants. 17:10 He will take your male servants, 17:12 your female servants, your finest young men, 17:15 your donkeys, and put them to his work. 17:17 He will take a tenth of your sheep. 17:19 And you will be his servants. 17:21 You will cry out in that day 17:23 because of your king whom you have" what? 17:25 "Chosen for yourselves, 17:28 and the Lord will not hear you in that day.'' 17:32 Friends, if you are the children of Israel 17:35 in the hearing of the Lord, 17:36 what would your natural instinct be to say? 17:41 Just kidding, we don't want at king anymore 17:45 because he's about ready to take everything you own. 17:48 Friends, don't get it mistaken, 17:50 the devil wants everything you have 17:53 and he will stop at nothing. 17:58 Verse 19, "Nevertheless 18:02 the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel 18:06 and they said, 18:07 'No, but we will have a king over us, 18:12 that we may be like.'" who? 18:15 ''All the nations and that our king may judge us 18:20 and go before us and fight our battles.' 18:24 Samuel heard all the words of the people. 18:26 He repeated them in the hearing of the Lord. 18:28 So the Lord said to Samuel, 18:30 'Heed their voice, make them a king.' 18:33 And Samuel said to the men of Israel, 18:35 'Every man go to his city.'" 18:39 Friends, we just read all of 1 Samuel 8. 18:44 Who was their king before King Saul, 18:46 the very first king? 18:48 God was their king. 18:50 He brought them up out of the land of Egypt, 18:52 He provided for the manna, He provided for them shelter, 18:57 He would split the Red Sea, folks. 19:02 But no, no, no, we want a king over us. 19:07 The next history of the children of Israel 19:09 is so incredulous. 19:11 It gets worse, and worse, and worse, and 16 kings later, 19:16 guess who is king over Judah? 19:19 Who knows the 16th king? I didn't know, I had to count. 19:23 It was Hezekiah. 19:26 Hezekiah, was he good or a bad king? 19:30 He was a fairly good king. 19:31 He made some poor decisions, 19:33 but he wanted to uphold the law of God. 19:35 Friends, this morning and we've read this chapter 19:37 to have a context for the theme verses 19:40 of this year's GYC. 19:42 I want to take you to where we'll land 19:43 for the majority of the rest of our time in Isaiah 59. 19:46 Take your Bible please, go to Isaiah 59. 19:50 The Book of Isaiah is largely a Messianic book. 19:54 Amen. 19:55 And the first part is more a book of judgment. 19:58 Chapters 1-39, chapters 40-66, 20:02 more book of comfort where God lets them know 20:06 that you're going to go into captivity, 20:08 but I'm going to show you the redemption 20:10 you'll get out of that. 20:12 Literally, friends, 20:13 He lets them know through the prophet Isaiah 20:16 over 200 years 20:17 before they went in to Babylonian captivity 20:19 that not only are you going to become captive, 20:22 but I'm gonna show you the redemption 20:25 that I'm going to give you. 20:28 Isaiah 59 though shows us the condition 20:33 that the decision to make themselves 20:36 their own king had led them to. 20:38 Isaiah 59, "Behold..." 20:41 Verse 1, "The Lord's hand is not shortened 20:42 that it cannot save, 20:44 nor his ear heavy that it cannot hear." 20:46 Jump to verse 4, "But no one calls for justice, 20:50 nor does any plead for truth. 20:52 They trust in empty words and speak lies. 20:55 They conceive evil and bring forth iniquity. 20:58 They hatch vipers' eggs and weave the spider's web, 21:02 he who eats of their eggs dies. 21:05 And from that which is crushed a viper breaks out. 21:08 Their webs will not become garments 21:10 nor will they cover themselves with their works. 21:12 Their works are works of" what? 21:14 "Iniquity and the act of violence 21:16 is in their hand. 21:17 Their feet run to evil 21:19 and they make haste to shed innocent blood. 21:21 Their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity wasting 21:25 and destruction are in their paths. 21:28 The way of the peace they have not known 21:30 and there is no justice, fairness in their ways, 21:34 they have made for themselves crooked paths. 21:36 Whoever takes this shall not know peace." 21:39 What is the condition of the world? 21:42 Sounds a lot like the days of Noah, right? 21:46 Verse 9, "Therefore justice is far from us, 21:49 nor does righteousness overtake us. 21:50 We look for light, 21:51 but there is darkness for brightness, 21:53 but we walk in blackness! 21:54 We grope for the wall like the blind, 21:56 we grope as if we had no eyes. 21:57 We stumble at noonday as at twilight. 22:00 We are as dead men in desolate places. 22:03 We all growl like bears and moan sadly like doves. 22:06 We look for justice, 22:08 but there is none for salvation..." 22:10 But what? 22:11 Do you remember the point in 1 Samuel 8 22:14 where he said, 22:16 "You'll cry out to me, but guess what? 22:19 You made a choice." 22:24 God's knowing is not God's doing. 22:28 Verse 14, jump to 14. "Justice is turned back. 22:32 Righteousness stands afar off, 22:34 for truth is fallen in the streets. 22:36 And equity or fairness cannot enter. 22:40 So truth fails 22:42 and he who departs from evil makes himself" what? 22:45 So basically at this point you don't have an option 22:48 unless you choose evil or else you become a prey. 22:54 "The Lord saw it, 22:55 and it displeased Him that there was no justice." 22:59 Friends, even after knowingly rejecting 23:04 God as their King, the Lord still saw them. 23:09 And it displeased Him that there is no intercessory. 23:12 It displeased Him that there is no justice. 23:15 And verse 16 says, He saw that there was no man. 23:19 He wondered that there was no intercessor. 23:21 "Therefore His own arm brought salvation to Him 23:25 and His own righteousness, it sustained Him. 23:28 For He put on righteousness as a breastplate 23:31 and a helmet of salvation on His head, 23:33 He put on the garment of vengeance for clothing, 23:36 and was clad with the zeal as a cloak. 23:39 According to their deeds, 23:40 accordingly He will repay fury to His adversaries, 23:43 recompense to His enemies. 23:45 The coastlands He will fully repay. 23:47 So they shall fear 23:49 the name of the Lord from the west, 23:50 and His glory from the rising of the sun 23:52 when the enemy comes in like a flood, 23:55 the Spirit of the Lord 23:56 will raise a standard against him." 24:00 Friends, I don't know about you, 24:02 but when I read chapter 59, 24:05 I see this horrible people. 24:09 And I'm so thankful 'I'm not God, 24:12 because these people don't 24:13 even know right from wrong anymore. 24:17 They think that the crooked path 24:18 is a normal path. 24:21 And the only hope this people had is what? 24:25 "That His own arm brought salvation in." 24:28 Friends, nothing in us... 24:30 Chapter 59 is one of the clearest pictures 24:33 of the actual disposition of you and I. 24:37 That nothing in us can conjure up righteousness, 24:40 nothing in us can find a straight path, 24:46 not wearing the right clothes, 24:48 eating the right things make you righteous, 24:53 they're fruits of it. 24:57 But God said, "I can't leave these people alone." 25:03 Look at verse 20. 25:05 "The Redeemer will come to Zion..." 25:08 Amen. 25:10 "And to those who turn from" what? 25:13 "Transgression in Jacob' says the Lord.'" 25:17 You see, God made a choice here, 25:21 but before the beginning of the creation of the world, 25:24 God had made His choice. 25:28 You see the history of Israel's choosing 25:31 and right here you see the picture of the choice 25:35 that God had made from the beginning 25:36 of the foundations of the earth. 25:38 Go with me to Ephesians, hold here in 59 and 60, 25:41 we are going to come back. 25:43 Go with me to the Book 25:44 of Ephesians 1:3. 25:49 Chapter 1 verse 3. 25:57 It reads, 26:00 "Blessed be the God and Father 26:02 of our Lord Jesus Christ, 26:04 who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing 26:07 in the heavenly places in Christ 26:10 just as he" what? 26:13 "Chose us in Him 26:16 before the foundation of the world, 26:18 that we should be holy 26:19 and without blame before Him in love, 26:22 having predestined us to adoption 26:24 as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, 26:26 according to the pleasure of His will, 26:29 to the praise of the glory of His grace, 26:32 by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. 26:35 Friends, when did God choose you? 26:39 He covenanted with you 26:40 before the foundations of the world. 26:43 He made a choice that no matter 26:45 what you choose, I'm going to still love you. 26:50 No matter how much you reject Me, 26:53 My heart will still yearn for you and seek after you. 26:57 He said, "Why will you die, O, house of Israel. 27:02 I can't let you go. 27:04 How can I forget you, O, Israel." 27:07 Friends, 27:09 this God of the universe has chosen you. 27:15 We saw the choice of Israel. 27:19 We saw the decision they made to not have a king 27:24 and now we see the choice of Christ. 27:27 We see that He chose to hang on a rough wood splintered cross, 27:31 don't picture it as some shiny wooded 27:34 cross that He was on. 27:37 He chose to have seven inch nails driven 27:40 through the worst part possible 27:42 of His wrist. 27:44 He chose to not just have a crown of thorns 27:46 that we see often depicted, 27:48 but a helmet of thorns encasing His entire head. 27:51 He chose within a few minutes 27:53 of being on the cross to have thick ropes 27:56 on either wrist stretched so far 27:59 that His arms were actually dislocated 28:01 to be nine, not just nine centimeters, 28:07 but nine inches longer than normal on each side. 28:10 He chose that. 28:12 He chose the position He was in would cause Him 28:16 to slouch on the cross and His lungs 28:18 would actually eventually most crucified victims 28:21 didn't die right away, 28:23 it was generally close to three days, 28:26 and their lungs would finally collapse 28:27 from the position they were in 28:29 because they couldn't breathe anymore, 28:31 they could no longer hoist themselves up 28:33 to take a breath. 28:36 He chose 28:40 one of the most painful tortures 28:42 ever invented in crucifixion. 28:45 You know, we get the word excruciating 28:48 from that. 28:51 Hebrews 6:6 says, "Every time we sin, 28:54 we crucify the Son of God afresh 28:57 and put Him to an open chain." 29:00 He chose to take our cross 29:04 and our crown of thorns with full understanding 29:09 that many of you in this room 29:11 will never choose Him. 29:16 That's a covenant. That's a commitment. 29:19 And, friends, each one of you in here 29:21 this morning has a God who is so committed to you. 29:26 You don't get it. I don't get it. 29:29 When He says He will never leave you 29:31 or forsake you, 29:32 don't let that verse be so simple. 29:40 Isaiah 59:21 our scripture reading, 29:45 "As for Me,' says the Lord, 29:48 'This is My covenant with them, 29:51 My Spirit who is upon you, and My words 29:54 which I have put in your mouth 29:55 shall not depart from your mouth, 29:56 nor from the mouth of your descendants, 30:00 nor from the mouth of your descendants' 30:02 descendants,' says the Lord, 30:04 'from this time and forevermore.'" 30:09 But what was the condition 30:11 as far as seeing all of this take place? 30:15 You see in chapter 60, 30:17 the whole chapter, we actually get a picture 30:20 of what the redemption of Israel will look like. 30:23 When you look at the context of Isaiah 59 and Isaiah 60, 30:27 you're actually seeing a prophecy of captivity 30:31 to redemption. 30:32 They're being told exactly what's going to happen. 30:35 Can you imagine if someone came to you 30:37 and told you, 30:38 "This is exactly what's going to happen to you." 30:41 You'd be like, "I don't know. 30:44 I don't know if I believe them." 30:47 But here God is literally telling 30:49 the children of Israel, 30:50 "This is exactly what's going to take place. 30:54 A Messiah then is going to come and redeem you and rescue you." 30:58 But Isaiah 59:20, 31:01 "The Redeemer will come to Zion 31:03 and to those who" what? 31:07 "Who turn from transgression in Jacob." 31:10 So He's coming to Zion, Jesus is coming. 31:13 Amen. 31:16 But especially for those who choose to turn 31:19 from transgression in Jacob. 31:27 We often talk about as a church the freedom 31:31 to decide right free will... 31:36 But, friends, 31:37 the clearest definition of choice is the way 31:39 we see it in Christ. 31:42 It's not so much the commitment I need to make, 31:46 but rather look 31:47 at the commitment Christ has made to me. 31:51 Instead of saying, 31:53 "Oh, I've got to give my heart to Christ." 31:55 Look at the heart that God and Christ gave to me. 32:01 Instead of saying, "I got to have devotions." 32:04 I can say, "Look at the God who is so devoted to me." 32:14 You know the results of those who pick Christ, 32:18 Isaiah 60:1," 32:20 Arise and shine, for your light has come! 32:24 And the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. 32:28 For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, 32:30 and deep darkness the people, but the Lord will" what? 32:35 "Arise over you and His glory will be seen upon you. 32:39 The Gentiles shall come to your light 32:42 and kings to the brightness of your rising." 32:44 Do you know the rest of verses, 32:48 4 all the way through 22 in that chapter, 32:50 God literally tells them 32:52 what their life can be like if they give it to Him. 32:56 He tells them, they will have peace, 32:57 prosperity, and hope. 32:59 He tells them, I'm actually going to die 33:01 so you will have peace, prosperity, and hope. 33:06 So I look at the children of Israel and I'm like, 33:09 "Surely they're going to pick Him." 33:12 Surely they're going to pick God, right? 33:15 I mean He set it up, it's full proof. 33:18 But what did 'the children of Israel do? 33:26 They definitely didn't pick God 33:31 even after He showed them, 33:32 they still didn't pick God. 33:36 I was reading through this and as I had been studying, 33:39 I was shaking my head in disgust thinking, 33:42 "How could you not choose Him?" 33:44 Is anyone with me? 33:46 "How could you not pick this God, 33:47 He gave you everything?" 33:53 But then again, 33:56 what in the world are you choosing today? 33:59 You've seen Christ on a cross, 34:03 you hold a piece of literature 34:07 that can turn the world upside down Gandhi said, 34:10 bring peace to a battle torn planet, 34:12 and you look at it as though it was nothing 34:14 more than a piece of literature. 34:17 Friends, you have a stick of dynamite 34:19 in your hands. 34:22 Do you believe it? 34:30 The only way our theme verses for GYC this year, 34:33 Isaiah 60:1-3, 34:35 can never be a reality in our life 34:38 is because of Isaiah 59:20-21, 34:42 "The Redeemer came." 34:45 And not only has He come, friends, He's here. 34:49 He's available to you today. 34:53 There's a story of a little girl 34:55 who they found 34:57 in an abandoned wilderness in India. 35:03 Apparently her parents had left her 35:06 and threw her to the animals. 35:10 And when they found this little girl, 35:13 they took her to the hospital, 35:14 begin to give her administer first aid, 35:17 making sure she was okay, 35:18 but this little girl acted just like an animal. 35:24 She refused to lay on a bed, 35:27 she refused to eat from a table or out of a bowl, 35:32 she wanted to eat off the floor like a dog, 35:36 and she would do nothing 35:37 but scream, and scratch, and kick, and hit. 35:42 We look at that and we're like, "That's not normal." 35:48 But to this little girl, guess what? 35:51 That's all she knew is normal. 35:55 Friends, the life you're living now 35:58 is not normal. 36:00 It is not the way that God had wanted life to be, 36:06 but before the foundation of the world He chose you. 36:10 He chose to give you a way out. 36:14 So I'm guilty 36:16 because I shake my head in disgust 36:18 at the children of Israel, 36:20 but do you know what happens in Revelation 36:22 21 and 22? 36:26 He actually tells us, not only does He come again, 36:30 but what it's gonna be like when He comes. 36:33 So the very prophecy that we see in Isaiah 60 36:36 and through the rest of the Book of Isaiah, friends, 36:39 you have your revelation 36:42 of what it's going to be like 36:47 or is this world just too good. 36:57 One of the most precious, yet heartbreaking quotes 37:00 you'll ever read is found in Christ's Object Lessons. 37:06 It reads in page 318, 37:09 "In heaven it is said by the ministering angels: 37:12 The ministry which we have been commissioned 37:14 to perform we have done. 37:17 We pressed back the army of evil angels. 37:20 We sent brightness and light into the souls of men, 37:23 quickening their memory of the love of God 37:25 expressed in Jesus. 37:27 We attracted their eyes to the cross of Christ. 37:29 Their hearts were deeply moved by a sense of the sin 37:32 that crucified the Son of God. 37:35 They were convicted. 37:37 They saw the steps to be taken in conversion. 37:40 They felt the power of the gospel. 37:43 Their hearts were made tender as they saw 37:45 the sweetness of the love of God. 37:47 They beheld the beauty of the character of Christ. 37:51 But with many it was all in vain. 37:54 They would not surrender their own habits and character. 37:57 They would not put off the garments of the earth 38:00 in order to be clothed with the robe of heaven. 38:03 Their hearts were given to covetousness. 38:06 They loved the associations of the world 38:09 more than they loved their God." 38:12 Who do you choose this morning? 38:15 Who have you chosen this past week? 38:18 I don't know, I can't read your heart, 38:21 but there's a God who has chosen you, 38:26 and He chooses you time and time again. 38:30 He's made a covenant with you. 38:32 He's made His choice. Will you make yours today? 38:36 Because many, in the book Education, 38:38 it says, "Think of the result of hastening 38:41 or hindering the gospel and when they think of it, 38:44 they think of it in relation to themselves 38:47 into the world." 38:49 Few think of its relation to God. 38:51 So what we are hearing here 38:54 is that when most people think of the gospel, 38:55 they think Jesus died for me. 38:58 I'm the part of that group, right? 39:00 And He did. 39:02 And the gospel must go forward and God must use me. 39:07 But few stop 39:09 and think of its relation to God. 39:12 Few give thought to the suffering 39:14 that sin has caused our Creator, 39:17 all have been suffered in Christ's agony, 39:19 but that suffering did not begin 39:21 or end with His manifestation in humanity. 39:25 The cross is a revelation to our dole senses 39:28 that the pain from its very inception sin 39:32 brought to the heart of God. 39:34 Do you guys, I'm going to read that again, 39:36 don't miss this point. 39:38 All have been suffered in Christ's agony, 39:40 but that suffering did not begin 39:41 or end with His manifestation in humanity. 39:44 The cross is a revelation to our dole senses of the pain 39:48 that from its very inception sin 39:51 has brought to the heart of God. 39:52 Every departure from the right, every deed of cruelty, 39:55 every failure of humanity to reach His ideal 39:58 brings grief to Him. 40:01 But He still chose you 40:04 from the beginning of the foundation of the world. 40:07 He still chose you 40:08 as He died upon a cross 40:12 believing that some of you, 40:15 hopefully all of you would choose Him back. 40:22 So do you want to know what the lady told me? 40:27 She said, "Oh, Lisa, 40:31 I didn't choose to serve God for 50 years." 40:35 She said, "I chose to serve Him today." 40:41 And she said, "I wake up every morning 40:44 and I say one simple thing, 40:46 today I choose you for my God." 40:50 He's already picked you. Guess what He's waiting on? 40:54 You need to pick Him. 40:56 Choose this day who you will serve." 41:00 Because not choosing, friends, is a choice. 41:05 He's made His covenant, He's made His commitment. 41:10 What are you doing? 41:11 Where do you stand in relation to God today 41:14 'cause you know 41:16 where He stands in relation to you? 41:23 There is a little boy 41:25 who too of mine and my husband's mentor, 41:29 foster parented, 41:32 and if anyone has been a foster parent, 41:34 you know, that can be a difficult thing 41:37 because you hear 41:38 some of the most heartbreaking stories. 41:42 The wife, the mother of these young foster children 41:46 told me a story one day. 41:47 She said, "You know, Lisa, the funniest thing..." 41:49 Kind of sad happen, but kind of funny. 41:52 She goes, "Every Sabbath before we go to church, 41:56 I take my two young foster children to the church 41:59 and right before we go in the sanctuary we pray, 42:02 because we don't want things to go crazy." 42:04 She's like, "So I'm going to hold their little hands 42:08 and as I go to grab their hands, 42:12 the little boy refuses to give her his hand." 42:16 He has it balled up in a fist. 42:18 And she's like closing her eyes, 42:19 but trying to grab his hand, 42:21 and she finally just grabs his fist, 42:23 and she prays, okay. 42:24 So they're praying, 42:25 "God help us not to be crazy during the sermon. 42:27 Help us not to fall asleep, help us to..." 42:29 You know, hear from the Lord, 42:31 and she's holding his little hand, 42:33 and when they get done, 42:35 she's like, "Why is your hand balled up in a little fist? 42:38 And he's like not letting her see. 42:43 And the elder sister's like, 42:44 "Let us see what's in your hand." 42:47 So finger by finger they open up 42:51 this little boy's hand 42:53 and do you know what was inside of his hand? 42:56 Dog food. 42:58 Dog food was inside of his hand. 43:00 They all had a moment, they started laughing 43:03 and then my friend looked at him and said, 43:07 "Why do you have dog food in your hand? 43:10 And he said, "In case I got hungry 43:13 during the sermon." 43:16 They all started laughing 43:18 and then she looks at him and goes, 43:21 "Dog food isn't a normal snack. 43:23 I can give you a snack." 43:26 And the elder sister happened 43:28 at that moment to cut in and said, 43:30 "But that's the snack 43:31 our grandparents used to give us." 43:35 Friend, are you eating dog food this morning? 43:41 Do you think this is normal 43:44 because he thought dog food was a normal snack? 43:48 I say this with as much love and sincerity, 43:51 but if you have not decidedly chosen Christ today, 43:54 you are eating dog food 43:57 because what He has is whole much better. 44:01 The life He gives is a life, John 10:10, "more abundant." 44:07 He came to give life and life more abundant. 44:10 Arise my, friends, 44:12 get out of the dirt and choose God. 44:16 If you haven't made a decided decision 44:19 to follow Christ, 44:21 I assure you, friend, you've chosen dog food. 44:26 But today this morning you have an opportunity 44:30 to pick between Him or the devil. 44:35 To pick between the Christ who died on the cross for you 44:39 or all that the world says it has to offer you. 44:44 There's no in between, friends, to not choose is a choice. 44:50 Friends, if there is a stirring of any kind in your heart, 44:54 it's like the quote we read, 44:56 "The angels are drawing near and saying to you, 44:59 'Will you pick Him today?'" 45:04 If there's any stirring in your heart, 45:06 it's because He's asking you to respond 45:08 to the covenant He's already made with you. 45:11 He wants you, do you want Him? 45:14 This call right now isn't for everyone. 45:18 It's for those who hear this morning say, 45:20 I actually have never publicly picked Christ 45:24 for whatever reason like you, 45:27 Lisa in 2009 you couldn't fully choose 45:29 to give God your heart, 45:32 but today 45:34 you have that option to pick 45:39 'cause, friends, the Bible tells us 45:41 there's a time where you can pick no more, 45:45 not choosing is a choice, 45:47 and your choice will be decided against Him. 45:50 But this morning the opportunity is fresh, 45:54 the blood that Christ shed on the cross is free for you 45:58 and for me. 46:01 If you've never picked Christ, it's a bold thing to do. 46:06 If you want to say, I want to give you a chance, 46:10 "I don't know what I'm getting myself into. 46:12 I'm here at this GYC Convention, 46:14 never been here before." 46:17 But I want to see what you have for me, friends, 46:20 challenge the Lord. 46:23 He's got you. 46:25 If you've never publicly made a decision for Jesus 46:29 and you want to make that decision this morning, 46:31 I'm gonna ask you to stand where you're at. 46:37 Stand and recognize that Jesus gave it all for you. 46:42 The Lord sees you sister and it's so precious. 46:49 Amen, brother, the Lord wants you, 46:52 and it's not a simple 46:56 wanting. 46:59 It's a want that 47:00 even if you were to pick my, friends, 47:02 to no longer choose Him, He would still choose you. 47:06 But maybe you're like the Israelites 47:09 and you're back and forth, and back and forth, 47:13 and you're tired of it this morning, 47:16 and you want to choose Him today, 47:18 and say, "I am done! 47:22 I am so done going back and forth." 47:25 I want to ask you to stand now 47:27 and say I'm going to make a public decision that, 47:30 "I am tired of going back and forth." 47:32 This isn't for everyone. 47:33 It's for those who are saying, 47:34 "Today this morning at GYC, 47:36 I am sick of playing the fence. 47:41 I want to give Him my whole heart." 47:42 The Lord sees you, friends. 47:45 This is a decision between you and Christ. 47:50 And guess what? 47:51 Angels in heaven are rejoicing 47:54 at your decision. 47:58 Christ is looking down at His people right now 48:00 and saying, "But for these ones, 48:02 it wasn't in vain." 48:04 If you're still sitting and you're feeling 48:07 the Holy Spirit say, "Stand, stand." 48:09 Friends, don't let His sacrifice be in vain 48:13 for you this morning. 48:20 He died to give you a new start. 48:27 For those who have stood, 48:31 it's no light decision, 48:34 but you're running into the arms of a God 48:36 who picked you first. 48:38 So you're going to be okay. 48:40 You don't have to work up righteousness 48:42 on your own. 48:44 He's made you righteous through His blood. 48:47 At this time, I'm going to ask you 48:49 to come forward so we can have a prayer. 48:52 Don't be shy. 48:55 Everyone who is sitting has obviously chosen Christ. 48:58 Amen? 48:59 And they want to support you in your decision to choose Him. 49:02 Come to the front. Come close. 49:04 Hover in as a family of God. No more back and forth. 49:08 Amen. 49:10 No more hot and then cold, 49:13 okay, I'll just be lukewarm, right? 49:16 We are making a decision to follow Christ. 49:20 Friends, I'm gonna ask us to sing a song a capella. 49:25 I have decided, amen, 49:27 and then we're going to have a closing prayer 49:30 where I ask you in the quietness 49:31 of your heart to just repeat after me, saying, 49:33 I'm going to give Jesus my life today. 49:36 No turning back. 49:39 I have decided 49:43 To follow Jesus 49:47 I have decided 49:51 To follow Jesus 49:55 I have decided 49:59 To follow Jesus 50:04 No turning back 50:05 You can still come forward and pick the Lord. 50:08 No turning back 50:10 Though no one join me... 50:12 Though no one join me 50:16 Still I will follow 50:20 Though no one join me 50:24 Still I will follow 50:28 Though no one join me 50:33 Still I will follow 50:37 No turning back 50:41 Will you decide now... 50:45 Will you decide now 50:49 To follow Jesus? 50:50 Friends, start GYC off picking Christ. 50:55 Some are still coming forward and you can still come. 51:01 Will you decide now 51:05 To follow Jesus? 51:09 No turning back 51:13 No turning back 51:17 At this time, I'm going to ask you 51:19 to bow your heads and close your eyes. 51:22 In the quietness of your heart, 51:24 I'm going to lead you in a sinner's prayer 51:27 where you ask God back into your life. 51:30 And remember, friends, 51:31 you're just choosing to serve Him today. 51:33 Amen. 51:35 You're gonna wake up in the morning and say, 51:36 "Today, I choose you for my God." 51:40 Father in heaven, 51:43 Lord, I know I have most of my life 51:46 not chosen You, 51:49 but this morning I'm standing up here asking 51:54 that You would forgive me of my sins, 51:58 that You would cover me 51:59 and Your righteousness cleanse me in Your blood. 52:03 Please forgive me 52:05 for looking at Your sacrifice so lightly. 52:09 Forgive me for being like the children of Israel 52:11 in choosing another king over my life. 52:15 This morning that changes, God, between me and you. 52:21 This morning I give you my heart afresh. 52:24 Today I choose you for my God, no turning back. 52:31 Thank You for the blood 52:33 that You shed on the cross for my sins. 52:35 Thank You for giving me life and life much more abundantly. 52:41 Please abide in my heart forever, 52:45 in Jesus' name we pray, amen. 52:49 You all may be seated. 52:51 Remember, friends, every day, today 52:55 choose I you for my God. 53:05 What a powerful message. Amen? 53:09 Well, isn't it wonderful to know 53:10 that even before the foundation of the earth 53:12 was created, God made a choice to love us 53:15 and He has been faithful to that? 53:18 Amen. 53:19 We're gonna close off with hymn number 100, 53:22 Great Is Thy Faithfulness. 53:34 Great is Thy faithfulness 53:39 O God my Father 53:43 There is no shadow 53:47 Of turning with Thee 53:52 Thou changest not 53:55 Thy compassions, they fail not 54:01 As Thou hast been 54:04 Thou forever wilt be 54:10 Great is Thy faithfulness! 54:15 Great is Thy faithfulness! 54:20 Morning by morning new mercies 54:26 I see 54:29 All I have needed 54:33 Thy hand hath provided 54:38 Great is Thy faithfulness 54:43 Lord unto me! 54:48 Summer and winter 54:52 And springtime and harvest 54:57 Sun, moon and stars 55:01 In their courses above 55:07 Join with all nature 55:11 In manifold witness 55:16 To Thy great faithfulness 55:20 Mercy, and love 55:25 Great is Thy faithfulness! 55:30 Great is Thy faithfulness! 55:34 Morning by morning new mercies 55:40 I see 55:43 All I have needed... |
Revised 2018-07-16