Lily of the Valley
00:00:41.80\00:00:45.74
Let your sweet aroma
00:00:45.77\00:00:48.38
Fill my life
00:00:48.41\00:00:52.95
Rose of Sharon show me
00:00:56.45\00:01:00.42
How to grow in beauty
00:01:00.46\00:01:03.59
In Your sight
00:01:03.63\00:01:08.93
Fairest of ten thousand
00:01:11.93\00:01:15.77
Make me a reflection
00:01:15.80\00:01:19.21
Of your light
00:01:19.24\00:01:24.35
Daystar shine down on me
00:01:27.35\00:01:31.22
Let your love shine through me
00:01:31.25\00:01:34.66
In the night
00:01:34.69\00:01:42.06
Lead me Lord, I'll follow
00:01:42.10\00:01:45.97
Anywhere
00:01:46.00\00:01:47.34
You open up the door
00:01:47.37\00:01:53.14
Let Your word speak to me
00:01:56.18\00:01:59.61
Show me what
00:01:59.65\00:02:00.98
I've never seen before
00:02:01.02\00:02:06.29
Lord, I want to be Your witness
00:02:09.32\00:02:14.66
You can take what's wrong
00:02:14.70\00:02:17.83
And make it right
00:02:17.87\00:02:23.84
Daystar shine down on me
00:02:26.21\00:02:30.05
Let Your love shine through me
00:02:30.08\00:02:33.42
In the night
00:02:33.45\00:02:41.19
Lord, I've seen a
world that's dying
00:02:41.22\00:02:46.09
Wounded by the master of deceit
00:02:46.13\00:02:52.57
Groping in the darkness
00:02:56.67\00:03:00.28
Haunted by the years
00:03:00.31\00:03:03.71
Of past defeat
00:03:03.75\00:03:09.15
But then I see You
standing near me, Lord
00:03:09.18\00:03:15.36
Shining with compassion
00:03:15.39\00:03:18.49
In Your eyes
00:03:18.53\00:03:23.47
Daystar shine down on me
00:03:26.63\00:03:30.21
Let your love shine through me
00:03:30.24\00:03:33.78
In the night
00:03:33.81\00:03:38.28
Lead me Lord, I'll follow
00:03:41.28\00:03:45.15
Anywhere You open up
00:03:45.19\00:03:48.29
The door
00:03:48.32\00:03:55.76
Let Your word speak to me
00:03:55.80\00:03:59.03
Show me what
00:03:59.07\00:04:00.70
I've never seen before
00:04:00.74\00:04:06.21
Lord, I want to be Your witness
00:04:09.24\00:04:14.95
You can take what's wrong
00:04:14.98\00:04:17.85
And make it right
00:04:17.89\00:04:23.83
Daystar shine down on me
00:04:26.90\00:04:30.83
Let Your love shine through me
00:04:30.87\00:04:34.37
In the night
00:04:34.40\00:04:42.28
Daystar shine down on me
00:04:42.31\00:04:46.18
Let Your love shine through me
00:04:46.21\00:04:49.42
In the night
00:04:49.45\00:04:55.06
Jesus shine down on me
00:04:58.09\00:05:03.06
And let Your
love shine through me
00:05:03.10\00:05:08.84
In the night
00:05:08.87\00:05:15.58
Praise God. Amen.
00:05:32.73\00:05:34.20
Good evening to all of you.
00:05:34.23\00:05:38.77
My dear friends, do you want
00:05:38.80\00:05:40.47
the daystar to
shine down upon you.
00:05:40.50\00:05:45.34
That He might shine through you
in the darkness of this night
00:05:45.37\00:05:49.84
that we are living in.
00:05:49.88\00:05:51.21
Tonight as we
begin, let us pray.
00:05:54.32\00:05:56.82
Lord, that is the
prayer of this GYC Conference
00:06:03.02\00:06:09.16
that the light of the daystar
Jesus would shine upon us,
00:06:09.20\00:06:14.37
shine in us, and
shine through us.
00:06:14.40\00:06:20.91
That the darkness of this earth
00:06:20.94\00:06:22.61
would be dissipated by
the light of Your glory
00:06:22.64\00:06:26.01
shining forth from Your people.
00:06:26.05\00:06:29.12
And so tonight as we
enter this time of study,
00:06:29.15\00:06:32.99
lay everything
aside in our life, Lord,
00:06:33.02\00:06:36.79
and help us that
we might focus...
00:06:36.83\00:06:40.56
on what You are
calling each of us to do.
00:06:44.40\00:06:49.80
We pray this in
Jesus' name, amen.
00:06:49.84\00:06:53.21
Amen.
00:06:53.24\00:06:57.05
I'll never forget the date,
00:06:57.08\00:07:00.68
January 8th, 1989.
00:07:00.72\00:07:07.49
Let me pause for just a moment
00:07:07.52\00:07:08.86
because last night I
told a story from 1986.
00:07:08.89\00:07:14.06
And as I prepared the message,
00:07:14.10\00:07:15.43
I realized that the
great majority of my audience
00:07:15.46\00:07:20.00
was not alive in 1986 or 1989.
00:07:20.04\00:07:26.51
Lest you think
I'm old, I'm not old.
00:07:26.54\00:07:28.64
I assure you,
00:07:32.45\00:07:34.68
this does not yet fall into
the category of ancient history.
00:07:34.72\00:07:41.22
January 8th, 1989,
I was 14 years old,
00:07:41.26\00:07:45.26
I'll help you so you
don't have to do the math
00:07:45.29\00:07:47.00
so you can pay
attention, I'm 43.
00:07:47.03\00:07:49.10
But on that day my dad took me
00:07:56.44\00:07:58.91
to the National
Football Conference,
00:07:58.94\00:08:01.84
the NFC championship game.
00:08:01.88\00:08:05.58
The Chicago Bears
versus the San Francisco 49ers.
00:08:05.61\00:08:10.69
I lived in
Chicago, it was our team.
00:08:10.72\00:08:14.46
But it was a cold
winter day, wind chills,
00:08:14.49\00:08:18.03
negative 20 Fahrenheit.
00:08:18.06\00:08:19.66
But I was excited
00:08:23.20\00:08:25.03
because the winner of this
game was going to Super Bowl.
00:08:25.07\00:08:29.74
Having lived most of my life
up until that point in Chicago,
00:08:29.77\00:08:35.44
this was a big moment.
00:08:35.48\00:08:39.91
After enduring a few
hours of negative temperatures,
00:08:39.95\00:08:44.65
my excitement
dwindled to disappointment
00:08:44.69\00:08:49.22
as the Bears lost the game.
00:08:49.26\00:08:52.26
They were blown out
as a matter of fact.
00:08:52.29\00:08:54.76
But I didn't
realize it at that moment
00:08:58.73\00:09:00.50
that the beginnings
of my disappointment
00:09:00.54\00:09:05.74
had only just begun.
00:09:05.77\00:09:07.48
We took the metro
train back to the suburbs.
00:09:10.61\00:09:15.42
We got in our car and my dad
took me out for Chinese food.
00:09:15.45\00:09:20.86
I remember it like yesterday,
it was bad Chinese food.
00:09:20.89\00:09:24.93
And there as we sat,
00:09:31.77\00:09:36.77
my dad shared with me something
00:09:36.81\00:09:40.18
that would drastically change
our family and my life forever.
00:09:40.21\00:09:46.21
After 15 years of being married,
00:09:46.25\00:09:50.72
my dad told me
that he and my mom
00:09:50.75\00:09:52.89
were going to get divorced.
00:09:52.92\00:09:57.79
And I'll tell you,
I didn't understand.
00:09:57.83\00:10:00.23
I mean, I knew things
were tough in our family,
00:10:00.26\00:10:02.16
but I didn't think
they were that bad.
00:10:02.20\00:10:06.10
I grew up in a Catholic home.
00:10:06.13\00:10:09.20
My parents were
active in the church.
00:10:09.24\00:10:12.17
I would not call
our family devout,
00:10:12.21\00:10:13.81
but we went to mass every week.
00:10:13.84\00:10:16.18
I was baptized,
had my first communion
00:10:16.21\00:10:18.68
and was confirmed
in the Catholic Church.
00:10:18.71\00:10:22.48
My parents taught the
youth and young adult class.
00:10:25.49\00:10:29.42
Ironically enough taught
marriage in Richmond classes.
00:10:29.46\00:10:34.56
We went camping
together as a family.
00:10:34.60\00:10:37.07
Our favorite destination
00:10:37.10\00:10:38.47
being the Upper
Peninsula of Michigan,
00:10:38.50\00:10:42.34
Copper Harbor to be exact.
00:10:42.37\00:10:44.91
We had family dinner
together every single night.
00:10:48.81\00:10:54.18
My mom, my dad, my
three younger brothers,
00:10:54.22\00:10:57.22
and myself all
there at the table,
00:10:57.25\00:10:58.99
every single night.
00:10:59.02\00:11:02.09
But now my dad told me
that that all was going to end.
00:11:02.12\00:11:05.29
And with that it brought
00:11:09.60\00:11:10.93
an uncontrolled downward spiral.
00:11:10.97\00:11:15.10
First, in my spiritual
life I observed a church
00:11:15.14\00:11:19.11
in which my parents were active,
00:11:19.14\00:11:20.71
we knew people from the church,
00:11:20.74\00:11:22.28
the priest would come
to our home on occasion.
00:11:22.31\00:11:27.12
And when my parents went
through this, no one came.
00:11:27.15\00:11:31.32
No one came.
00:11:31.35\00:11:32.95
The members, the
priest, no one came to visit.
00:11:37.19\00:11:40.96
And while immature in
my young teenage mind,
00:11:41.00\00:11:43.16
I decided if this
is what the church
00:11:43.20\00:11:44.97
and God is all about,
00:11:45.00\00:11:48.10
I've got no use for it.
00:11:48.14\00:11:51.24
And I'll tell you I
never became an atheist.
00:11:51.27\00:11:53.68
I knew there was something,
00:11:53.71\00:11:55.04
I just didn't
know what or who it was
00:11:55.08\00:11:59.25
and where to find it.
00:11:59.28\00:12:02.42
And I'll tell you I
became angry, unhealthy angry.
00:12:02.45\00:12:07.42
I played football
when I was in high school.
00:12:07.46\00:12:11.79
And the field became the place
where I dealt with my anger.
00:12:11.83\00:12:15.90
My friends said that
they didn't know who I was
00:12:15.93\00:12:18.10
when I played ball.
00:12:18.13\00:12:20.54
I literally left
it all on the field.
00:12:20.57\00:12:24.37
It was unhealthy, but
it's how I dealt with it.
00:12:24.41\00:12:29.54
I don't want to give
any illusions of grandeur,
00:12:29.58\00:12:32.01
I was not headed for
the NFL by any means.
00:12:32.05\00:12:37.75
But there were expectations
00:12:37.79\00:12:39.12
that I could play in a
smaller college program.
00:12:39.15\00:12:41.99
However, in the midst of
my high school experience
00:12:42.02\00:12:46.09
on a soggy October
day, I took an awkward hit.
00:12:46.13\00:12:52.57
And my knee bent in ways
that it's not designed to bend.
00:12:52.60\00:12:57.14
And I laid there on
the ground feeling like
00:12:57.17\00:12:58.91
someone had shot me in the knee.
00:12:58.94\00:13:03.28
One surgery turned
into two surgeries,
00:13:03.31\00:13:05.81
the doctor told
me no more football.
00:13:05.85\00:13:07.98
But that was okay
because I wrestled,
00:13:08.02\00:13:10.12
so I could still
settle it all on the mat.
00:13:10.15\00:13:13.36
Three months of intensive rehab.
00:13:13.39\00:13:16.06
I actually got my left leg
stronger than my right leg.
00:13:16.09\00:13:21.43
The first day that I was
00:13:21.46\00:13:24.73
able to go live in practice,
00:13:24.77\00:13:28.54
I blew my knee out again.
00:13:28.57\00:13:31.67
Sixteen years
old, macho wrestler,
00:13:31.71\00:13:34.51
and I laid face down
on the mat, weeping aloud,
00:13:34.54\00:13:38.41
asking the question "Why?"
00:13:38.45\00:13:43.49
Why is this happening to me?
00:13:43.52\00:13:45.25
I spent the majority
00:13:45.29\00:13:46.65
of my 10th and 11th
grade year on crutches.
00:13:46.69\00:13:51.66
And so with no outlet in sports,
00:13:51.69\00:13:53.76
I turned to other things,
all kinds of other things
00:13:53.80\00:13:59.00
and each of them left me
00:13:59.03\00:14:00.74
more empty than I
felt before I did them,
00:14:00.77\00:14:04.24
each of them
actually making me more angry
00:14:04.27\00:14:07.78
after their
momentary doling of the pain.
00:14:07.81\00:14:10.85
I was so angry
at so many things.
00:14:13.95\00:14:18.55
And as my parents went
through the divorce process,
00:14:18.59\00:14:22.19
my dad moved out,
00:14:22.22\00:14:25.09
and then he moved back in,
00:14:25.13\00:14:27.80
and then he moved out again,
00:14:27.83\00:14:30.40
and then he moved back in,
00:14:30.43\00:14:32.97
and then he moved out,
00:14:33.00\00:14:35.37
and he moved back in,
00:14:35.40\00:14:37.41
and then he moved
to in his own room.
00:14:37.44\00:14:41.31
And then he moved out forever.
00:14:41.34\00:14:42.78
I was angry.
00:14:46.21\00:14:47.55
As I got older,
00:14:50.82\00:14:54.26
I began to get
especially angry with my mom.
00:14:54.29\00:14:59.13
And at the age of 18 believing
00:14:59.16\00:15:00.70
I had learned all that
I needed to learn in life.
00:15:00.73\00:15:05.73
I blamed my mom entirely
for the divorce of my parents.
00:15:05.77\00:15:11.11
I blamed her for
holding me back from the things
00:15:14.84\00:15:17.15
that I wanted to do in life.
00:15:17.18\00:15:21.48
And so three months after
I graduated from high school
00:15:21.52\00:15:23.92
one day my mom
faithfully went to work
00:15:23.95\00:15:28.32
as she had done
since my father left
00:15:28.36\00:15:30.83
to support me and my
three younger brothers.
00:15:30.86\00:15:36.06
I packed up all my stuff
00:15:36.10\00:15:39.73
and I left not
telling her where I was going,
00:15:39.77\00:15:45.57
not speaking to her.
00:15:45.61\00:15:46.98
I made no contact with my mom.
00:15:52.45\00:15:54.15
You know they say
00:15:58.05\00:15:59.39
in life everything
happens for a reason.
00:15:59.42\00:16:01.82
During the millennium,
00:16:01.86\00:16:03.19
I'm going to be asking
the Lord about that one.
00:16:03.22\00:16:04.59
But I'll tell you, my
mom faithfully contacted me,
00:16:09.66\00:16:16.14
wrote me cards, phone calls,
00:16:16.17\00:16:19.54
never missed a
holiday or a birthday.
00:16:19.57\00:16:25.08
Reaching out,
telling me that she loved me,
00:16:25.11\00:16:28.72
she wanted to talk to me.
00:16:28.75\00:16:32.09
And in my insensitivity
00:16:32.12\00:16:33.76
I did not return
any of her phone calls.
00:16:33.79\00:16:36.83
My mom looked for excuses
to send me cards on holidays
00:16:36.86\00:16:41.56
that you
normally don't send cards.
00:16:41.60\00:16:44.87
She sent me
cards on my birthday,
00:16:44.90\00:16:46.47
and on Christmas, and
Easter, the standard ones.
00:16:46.50\00:16:48.84
But then she sent
cards on Valentine's Day.
00:16:48.87\00:16:52.11
And she sent cards on Halloween.
00:16:52.14\00:16:55.34
And let me tell you
something that's interesting,
00:16:55.38\00:16:56.78
I'm 43 years old
00:16:56.81\00:16:58.78
and my mom still
sends me candy on Halloween.
00:16:58.81\00:17:01.52
And if you want to write about
00:17:05.52\00:17:06.86
the apostate
nature of such things,
00:17:06.89\00:17:08.79
you're missing the whole point
00:17:08.82\00:17:10.16
of what my mom was trying to do.
00:17:10.19\00:17:11.59
Folks, that went on.
00:17:15.96\00:17:18.30
Not contacting my mom
for two years, two years.
00:17:18.33\00:17:25.57
In the midst of all of that...
00:17:25.61\00:17:27.54
And being so angry,
and lost, and confused,
00:17:31.88\00:17:36.05
I was searching for
who or what God was.
00:17:36.08\00:17:40.49
I began attending a mega
church in the Chicago area.
00:17:40.52\00:17:45.33
But I didn't find
what I was looking for.
00:17:45.36\00:17:49.36
I went to the
Pentecostal Church,
00:17:49.40\00:17:53.54
and I did not find
what I was looking for.
00:17:53.57\00:17:58.01
I had contact with the Mormons.
00:17:58.04\00:18:02.14
I didn't find
what I was looking for.
00:18:02.18\00:18:06.08
I had a friend who
was a Jehovah's Witness,
00:18:06.11\00:18:09.28
who would talk to me
about their religion.
00:18:09.32\00:18:12.32
And I knew that that's
what I was not looking for.
00:18:12.35\00:18:15.02
Spiritual things to me were
like taking a 500 piece puzzle,
00:18:21.90\00:18:26.77
a 1000 piece puzzle,
00:18:26.80\00:18:28.14
and a 5,000 piece
puzzle putting it in a bag
00:18:28.17\00:18:31.67
and mixing it all together.
00:18:31.71\00:18:34.21
It just didn't make sense.
00:18:34.24\00:18:37.81
I even went looking
00:18:37.85\00:18:39.18
and attended a New Age
Conference over a weekend.
00:18:39.21\00:18:45.82
And I knew that that's
not what I was looking for.
00:18:45.85\00:18:51.13
But God used that weekend
00:18:51.16\00:18:54.43
during a time of
personal reflection.
00:18:54.46\00:18:59.30
I was 20 years old.
00:18:59.33\00:19:02.40
I came to
realize how selfish I was
00:19:02.44\00:19:04.41
and how selfish I was being.
00:19:04.44\00:19:06.01
And I called my mom.
00:19:09.64\00:19:13.88
Think about it, what do you say,
00:19:13.92\00:19:17.92
"Hey, I forgot to call."
00:19:17.95\00:19:20.76
Been two years.
00:19:20.79\00:19:24.03
I didn't know what to say,
00:19:24.06\00:19:25.39
I didn't know
what she would say,
00:19:25.43\00:19:27.16
I didn't know how to say it,
00:19:27.20\00:19:29.50
and as soon as my
mom answered the phone
00:19:29.53\00:19:31.40
and she heard my
voice, she started crying.
00:19:31.43\00:19:36.57
And all I could
think of saying was,
00:19:36.60\00:19:39.67
"Mom, I'm sorry."
00:19:39.71\00:19:44.95
And I'll tell you what
my Mom accepted me back
00:19:44.98\00:19:47.18
with not one
condition laid upon me.
00:19:47.22\00:19:51.32
No questions, no pressure,
she just accepted me back.
00:19:51.35\00:19:57.46
And I will tell
you in that moment,
00:19:57.49\00:20:01.40
my mother taught me
more about the love of Jesus
00:20:01.43\00:20:04.87
than I had ever
been taught in any church
00:20:04.90\00:20:06.74
at that point in my life.
00:20:06.77\00:20:08.20
I was lost and confused.
00:20:12.64\00:20:17.01
I was still searching
for the real meaning of life
00:20:17.05\00:20:19.41
and life circumstances
took me from Chicago,
00:20:19.45\00:20:22.82
Illinois to South Bend, Indiana,
00:20:22.85\00:20:25.82
Mishawaka to be more exact.
00:20:25.85\00:20:30.06
When I arrived there, I
needed a way to pay the bills
00:20:30.09\00:20:34.46
and so I took a job
working the third shift
00:20:34.50\00:20:38.43
at a Speedway gas station.
00:20:38.47\00:20:40.24
And then one night,
00:20:45.24\00:20:48.64
someone came
into the gas station
00:20:48.68\00:20:51.51
that would
change my life forever.
00:20:51.55\00:20:55.12
She worked a second
shift as a nursing assistant
00:20:55.15\00:20:57.49
at a nursing home
right up the road.
00:20:57.52\00:21:02.06
And she came in to get gas.
00:21:02.09\00:21:05.53
Every night she came in
to get gas, five dollars.
00:21:05.56\00:21:09.10
She'd come and talk
00:21:09.13\00:21:10.47
until the wee
hours of the morning.
00:21:10.50\00:21:13.44
She had grown up
Seventh-day Adventist,
00:21:13.47\00:21:15.34
but was having her
own spiritual struggles.
00:21:15.37\00:21:18.74
But my interest in
spiritual things awakened
00:21:18.77\00:21:21.34
a renewed
commitment in her life.
00:21:21.38\00:21:25.31
And as our
relationship became more serious
00:21:25.35\00:21:27.68
and as I asked more questions,
00:21:27.72\00:21:29.68
she invited me to
attend her home church
00:21:29.72\00:21:33.22
in Berrien Springs, Michigan.
00:21:33.25\00:21:36.16
And on that one
night we attended
00:21:36.19\00:21:37.86
the Pioneer Memorial
Church with a big satellite
00:21:37.89\00:21:42.30
on the side of the church.
00:21:42.33\00:21:44.63
And there that evening
00:21:44.67\00:21:46.00
as we attended projected on
the big screen was Mark Finley
00:21:46.03\00:21:51.91
during the NET '95 series.
00:21:51.94\00:21:55.71
My first message in
the Adventist church
00:21:55.74\00:21:59.95
in NET '95,
00:21:59.98\00:22:01.98
little did I know
at that time the impact
00:22:02.02\00:22:04.09
that this man would have
on my life in later years.
00:22:04.12\00:22:08.26
We attended more meetings
00:22:08.29\00:22:09.66
that were held locally in
the South Bend First Church
00:22:09.69\00:22:14.00
and I began
learning so many things.
00:22:14.03\00:22:17.53
Yet, as I
learned so many things,
00:22:17.57\00:22:19.60
so many things that
seemed to make logical sense,
00:22:19.63\00:22:22.24
I was still very angry.
00:22:22.27\00:22:24.71
See now what I was dealing with
as I learned these new things
00:22:24.74\00:22:27.78
as how could I have
lived 21 years of life
00:22:27.81\00:22:30.78
and no one ever
shared this with me before.
00:22:30.81\00:22:35.52
And I want to
tell you, dear friends,
00:22:35.55\00:22:37.69
there are countless millions
if not billions of people
00:22:37.72\00:22:41.06
around this earth who are
in a situation just like I was.
00:22:41.09\00:22:45.43
I was so angry.
00:22:50.27\00:22:52.70
And I was trying to
work through my guilt.
00:22:52.73\00:22:58.14
It was in those moments
00:22:58.17\00:23:01.84
that I sensed God
arising in my life.
00:23:01.88\00:23:06.68
At the same time I was
attending a Baptist Church
00:23:15.66\00:23:18.16
that my dad was going to
which confused things even more.
00:23:18.19\00:23:23.57
And at 21 years old,
00:23:27.67\00:23:29.00
I made a decision
to become a Baptist.
00:23:29.04\00:23:30.77
This young lady
didn't dump me to the side.
00:23:37.25\00:23:39.98
She stayed close to me
and I brought home one day
00:23:44.09\00:23:46.96
a Bible study on
the secret rapture.
00:23:46.99\00:23:53.29
And this young lady gave me
a study on the Second Coming.
00:23:53.33\00:23:59.93
That she probably
could not replicate today.
00:23:59.97\00:24:03.27
Or at least not the
intensity that existed.
00:24:03.30\00:24:05.61
It was at that moment I knew
00:24:12.68\00:24:14.02
that I needed to
let go of my old ways.
00:24:14.05\00:24:21.46
So I went and met
the Adventist pastor.
00:24:21.49\00:24:24.96
And I will tell
you in a decision
00:24:24.99\00:24:26.63
that I still don't
understand to this day.
00:24:26.66\00:24:32.00
I came to the pastor's
office to study with him,
00:24:32.03\00:24:36.04
to understand the last
few questions that I had
00:24:36.07\00:24:39.77
about the
Seventh-day Adventist Church.
00:24:39.81\00:24:41.51
And this Adventist
pastor is waiting outside
00:24:41.54\00:24:43.78
and he says to me,
"Hey, listen I need to pick up
00:24:43.81\00:24:46.25
my son from Sam's Club,
00:24:46.28\00:24:49.12
so why don't
you jump in my car."
00:24:49.15\00:24:51.65
Now I remind you this
is a man I don't know.
00:24:51.69\00:24:54.62
And for some
reason I got in his car.
00:24:54.66\00:25:00.73
And there I sat in the
front seat and he said,
00:25:00.76\00:25:04.67
"So what are your questions?"
00:25:04.70\00:25:06.03
And I had the Bible in my hand.
00:25:06.07\00:25:09.40
And I began asking
him those questions
00:25:09.44\00:25:15.14
that were most
pertinent in my life,
00:25:15.18\00:25:17.18
and there sitting in the
front seat of a Mercedes Benz,
00:25:20.52\00:25:26.59
God convicted my heart.
00:25:26.62\00:25:30.83
I died to self.
00:25:30.86\00:25:32.79
And that day made a decision
00:25:32.83\00:25:34.16
to become a part of God's
last day movement of destiny.
00:25:34.20\00:25:39.37
Amen!
00:25:39.40\00:25:40.80
You see the call of God
was for me to arise and shine.
00:25:46.68\00:25:51.41
But before I
could arise and shine,
00:25:51.45\00:25:53.28
He needed to arise in my life
00:25:53.31\00:25:55.35
just as we
talked about last night.
00:25:55.38\00:25:58.39
And from my
broken, bruised, ruined,
00:25:58.42\00:26:00.86
and wasted life Jesus arose.
00:26:00.89\00:26:03.43
I drank from the fountain.
00:26:03.46\00:26:06.29
God arose in my life,
00:26:06.33\00:26:08.80
and as the light of the glory
00:26:11.80\00:26:14.57
of His character
came into my life.
00:26:14.60\00:26:19.14
The call from God was to arise.
00:26:19.17\00:26:25.45
Isaiah 61,
00:26:25.48\00:26:27.38
"Arise and shine."
00:26:27.42\00:26:33.22
Yet tonight, as we
look at this word arise,
00:26:33.25\00:26:36.52
I need to tell you,
00:26:36.56\00:26:37.89
there is great
irony in the word arise.
00:26:37.93\00:26:42.30
Because in the ways of God
00:26:42.33\00:26:45.33
the only way that you can arise
00:26:45.37\00:26:47.54
is that you would first die.
00:26:47.57\00:26:52.97
Isaiah 60:2,
00:26:53.01\00:26:54.58
"For behold, the
darkness shall cover the earth,
00:26:54.61\00:26:56.58
and deep darkness the people,
00:26:56.61\00:26:58.28
but the Lord
will arise over you."
00:26:58.31\00:27:01.62
Ephesians 5, if
you have your Bibles,
00:27:01.65\00:27:04.05
you open them to Ephesians 5:8.
00:27:04.09\00:27:08.59
We're going to be moving through
00:27:08.62\00:27:09.96
a number of
texts rather quickly.
00:27:09.99\00:27:13.66
Ephesians 5:8
expands upon this idea
00:27:13.70\00:27:17.67
of the light breaking
forth through the darkness.
00:27:17.70\00:27:23.37
Ephesians 5:8, "For
you were once in darkness,
00:27:23.41\00:27:28.94
but now you are
light in the Lord."
00:27:28.98\00:27:32.55
How did that happen?
00:27:32.58\00:27:33.92
Well, Isaiah 60
already answered that,
00:27:33.95\00:27:35.95
"The Lord arose on us."
00:27:35.98\00:27:37.55
That's how we come
out of the darkness.
00:27:37.59\00:27:40.09
But the text then continues,
"Walk as the children of light,
00:27:40.12\00:27:44.96
for the fruit of the
Spirit is in all goodness,
00:27:44.99\00:27:47.13
righteousness, and truth,
00:27:47.16\00:27:48.66
finding out what is
acceptable to the Lord,
00:27:48.70\00:27:51.10
and have no fellowship
00:27:51.13\00:27:52.67
with the
unfruitful works of darkness,
00:27:52.70\00:27:54.70
but rather expose them for it
00:27:54.74\00:27:57.11
is shameful even to
speak of those things
00:27:57.14\00:27:59.14
which are done
by them in secret.
00:27:59.17\00:28:02.04
But all things that are exposed
are made manifest by the light
00:28:02.08\00:28:06.35
for whatever makes
manifest is light."
00:28:06.38\00:28:09.52
Therefore, he
says now and take note,
00:28:09.55\00:28:13.05
"Awake you who
sleep, arise from the dead,
00:28:13.09\00:28:17.03
and Christ
might give you light."
00:28:17.06\00:28:20.90
No, no, he says, "He
will give you lights.
00:28:20.93\00:28:25.20
Awake you who sleep,
arise from the dead."
00:28:25.23\00:28:29.34
Don't miss it this word awake
00:28:29.37\00:28:31.24
and the word arise
are synonymous words.
00:28:31.27\00:28:36.01
You see as you experience
00:28:36.04\00:28:37.58
the Lord arising
over you and His word,
00:28:37.61\00:28:40.92
His character take precedence
00:28:40.95\00:28:43.15
and priority in your life.
00:28:43.18\00:28:48.72
The call of God then
is to awake or arise,
00:28:48.76\00:28:53.66
but in order to
arise, we must first die.
00:28:53.70\00:28:58.93
The rising of God's
character in our life
00:28:58.97\00:29:00.94
helps us to realize
that we must die to self
00:29:00.97\00:29:04.54
and then arise in Him.
00:29:04.57\00:29:07.08
This death is to
all of our old ways.
00:29:07.11\00:29:10.31
But the most important thing is
00:29:10.35\00:29:12.31
it is the death
of self reliance.
00:29:12.35\00:29:17.15
Ephesians 2:1,
00:29:17.19\00:29:21.46
expounds further on
this very principle.
00:29:21.49\00:29:24.89
Ephesians 2:1,
00:29:24.93\00:29:28.93
"And you, He made
alive who were dead
00:29:28.96\00:29:33.84
in trespasses and sins,
00:29:33.87\00:29:37.07
in which you once walked
00:29:37.11\00:29:38.44
according to the
course of this world,
00:29:38.47\00:29:40.28
according to the prince
of the power of the air,
00:29:40.31\00:29:43.24
the spirit who now works
in the sons of disobedience,
00:29:43.28\00:29:46.82
among whom also we all
once conducted ourselves
00:29:46.85\00:29:50.65
in the lusts of our flesh,
00:29:50.69\00:29:53.12
fulfilling the
desires of the flesh,
00:29:53.15\00:29:55.02
and of the mind,
and were by nature,
00:29:55.06\00:29:58.59
children of
wrath just as others."
00:29:58.63\00:30:01.40
How many people
is that by the way?
00:30:01.43\00:30:04.17
How many is it does it say?
00:30:04.20\00:30:06.30
All people, all of us
00:30:06.33\00:30:08.90
once conducted
ourselves in such a way.
00:30:08.94\00:30:11.47
But God who is rich in mercy
00:30:11.51\00:30:14.54
because of His great
love with which He loved us
00:30:14.58\00:30:17.68
even when we were
dead in our trespasses,
00:30:17.71\00:30:20.22
here it is made us,
what is the word there,
00:30:20.25\00:30:23.12
alive together with Christ,
by grace you have been saved,
00:30:23.15\00:30:26.65
and raised us up together,
00:30:26.69\00:30:28.86
and made us sit together
00:30:28.89\00:30:30.69
in the heavenly places in
Christ Jesus and in the...
00:30:30.73\00:30:34.96
Excuse me, that
in the ages to come
00:30:35.00\00:30:37.47
He might show
the exceeding riches
00:30:37.50\00:30:39.70
of His grace and His kindness
toward us in Christ Jesus,
00:30:39.73\00:30:44.84
for by grace you have
been saved through faith
00:30:44.87\00:30:48.91
and that not of
yourselves, it is a gift of God.
00:30:48.94\00:30:52.68
Not of works
lest any should boast,
00:30:52.71\00:30:55.48
for we are His workmanship
created in Christ Jesus
00:30:55.52\00:31:00.89
for good works which
God prepared beforehand
00:31:00.92\00:31:04.39
that we should walk in them.
00:31:04.43\00:31:10.13
The call of Isaiah 60 is for
us to arise, for you to arise.
00:31:10.17\00:31:15.44
And that word there
arise is a different word,
00:31:15.47\00:31:17.91
a different Hebrew
word used than the word
00:31:17.94\00:31:20.98
that is used to
describe God arising over us.
00:31:21.01\00:31:25.51
It is the Hebrew word come,
00:31:25.55\00:31:28.82
and it refers to
the physical action
00:31:28.85\00:31:31.42
of standing up from
a prostrated position.
00:31:31.45\00:31:35.42
But that word is also
interestingly enough used
00:31:39.89\00:31:43.63
and translated as established.
00:31:43.67\00:31:47.84
When God
established His covenant,
00:31:47.87\00:31:50.21
it's the same exact word that
Isaiah commands us to arise.
00:31:50.24\00:31:56.11
You see the call to arise
00:31:56.14\00:31:58.48
is the call to die
to our previous ways
00:31:58.51\00:32:01.78
and then for God to raise us
00:32:01.82\00:32:05.19
into a covenant relationship
to stand with Him, in Him,
00:32:05.22\00:32:10.33
in uprightness,
00:32:10.36\00:32:11.89
resisting the
temptations of the evil one
00:32:11.93\00:32:14.73
and living a
victorious life in Him.
00:32:14.76\00:32:20.07
And this is why
Paul in Romans 13
00:32:20.10\00:32:24.81
gave us this very promise.
00:32:24.84\00:32:28.18
Romans...
00:32:28.21\00:32:30.55
13:11.
00:32:30.58\00:32:36.05
"And do this.
00:32:38.95\00:32:41.56
Knowing the time that
now it is high time to,"
00:32:41.59\00:32:45.86
what does it say there?
00:32:45.89\00:32:47.60
"Awake out of sleep,
00:32:47.63\00:32:49.60
for now our salvation is
nearer than we first believed.
00:32:49.63\00:32:54.34
The night is far
spent, the day is at hand."
00:32:54.37\00:32:58.04
All of this that
Paul is articulating
00:32:58.07\00:33:00.21
by the way is simply a
reminder of Isaiah 60:1.
00:33:00.24\00:33:06.21
Yet with urgency, Paul
calls us to take action.
00:33:06.25\00:33:10.89
And the action he calls
us to is to arise from death.
00:33:10.92\00:33:15.86
How do we do that?
00:33:18.96\00:33:21.56
Paul continues,
"Therefore, let us cast off
00:33:21.60\00:33:26.97
the works of darkness
00:33:27.00\00:33:28.87
and let us put on
the armor of light,
00:33:28.90\00:33:33.04
arise and shine,"
is what Paul is saying
00:33:33.07\00:33:36.31
and then the passage continues,
00:33:36.34\00:33:38.15
"let us walk properly
00:33:38.18\00:33:39.51
as in the day not in
revelry and drunkenness,
00:33:39.55\00:33:44.09
not in lewdness and
lust, not in strife and envy,
00:33:44.12\00:33:48.59
but put on the Lord Jesus Christ
00:33:48.62\00:33:51.46
and make no
provision for the flesh
00:33:51.49\00:33:55.40
or to fulfill its lusts."
00:33:55.43\00:33:58.13
You see the call of God
to this last day generation,
00:33:58.17\00:34:02.50
this generation that
God is looking upon asking,
00:34:02.54\00:34:06.54
"How will I finish
the work through you?
00:34:06.57\00:34:09.31
How will I
finish the work in you?
00:34:09.34\00:34:11.95
Is the call to arise
00:34:11.98\00:34:14.05
and we arise by
casting off all of those things
00:34:14.08\00:34:18.99
that hinder us
from moving forward.
00:34:19.02\00:34:22.86
This very word cast off is used
six times in the New Testament.
00:34:22.89\00:34:27.13
Listen to these, I'm
going to go through them
00:34:27.16\00:34:28.56
in rapid fire progression.
00:34:28.60\00:34:30.50
Ephesians 4:22,
00:34:30.53\00:34:33.07
"That you put off
concerning your former conduct,
00:34:33.10\00:34:36.10
the old man which grows corrupt
00:34:36.14\00:34:38.01
according to
the deceitful lusts,
00:34:38.04\00:34:40.91
and be renewed in
the spirit of your mind,
00:34:40.94\00:34:43.04
that you put on the new man
00:34:43.08\00:34:44.71
which was created
according to God."
00:34:44.75\00:34:46.98
Ephesians 4:25,
"Therefore, put away,"
00:34:47.02\00:34:50.32
it's the same word
cast off, "put away lying,
00:34:50.35\00:34:53.36
let each one of you
speak truth with his neighbor."
00:34:53.39\00:34:56.69
Colossians 3:8, "But now
you yourselves are to put off,"
00:34:56.73\00:35:01.16
it's the same word
cast off, cast aside,
00:35:01.20\00:35:03.93
"put off all these
anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy,
00:35:03.97\00:35:08.14
filthy language
out of your mouth.
00:35:08.17\00:35:10.71
Do not lie to one
another since you have put off
00:35:10.74\00:35:13.27
the old man with his deeds
00:35:13.31\00:35:14.74
and have put on the
new man who has renewed
00:35:14.78\00:35:17.15
in knowledge
according to the image of Him
00:35:17.18\00:35:19.68
who created Him."
00:35:19.71\00:35:21.58
Hebrews 12, "Therefore, we also,
00:35:21.62\00:35:24.29
since we are surrounded by
so great a cloud of witnesses,
00:35:24.32\00:35:27.62
here it is, let us lay aside,"
it's the same word cast off,
00:35:27.66\00:35:31.49
"every weight, and the sin
which so easily ensnares us,
00:35:31.53\00:35:35.76
and let us run with endurance
the race that is set before us,
00:35:35.80\00:35:39.30
looking unto Jesus, the author
and finisher of our faith."
00:35:39.33\00:35:45.37
James 1:21, "Therefore,
let us lay aside," cast aside,
00:35:45.41\00:35:49.91
it's the same word,
00:35:49.94\00:35:51.28
"all filthiness and
overflow of wickedness.
00:35:51.31\00:35:54.35
And receive with
meekness the implanted word
00:35:54.38\00:35:57.25
which is able to
save your souls."
00:35:57.29\00:36:01.66
1 Peter 2, "Therefore, laying
aside all malice, all deceit,
00:36:01.69\00:36:06.66
hypocrisy, envy,
and all evil speaking,
00:36:06.70\00:36:09.53
as newborn babes,
00:36:09.56\00:36:11.80
desire the pure milk of the word
00:36:11.83\00:36:15.30
that you may grow thereby,
00:36:15.34\00:36:17.41
if indeed you have tasted
that the Lord is gracious."
00:36:17.44\00:36:20.34
My dear brothers and sisters,
the call of God is to arise,
00:36:20.38\00:36:24.41
but the only way
to arise is to die
00:36:24.45\00:36:27.52
through full surrender to Him,
00:36:27.55\00:36:29.62
to die to our old
ways, to let Him raise you
00:36:29.65\00:36:32.79
to the highest
standards and by His grace,
00:36:32.82\00:36:35.32
and His mercy to cast
aside every hindrance,
00:36:35.36\00:36:39.16
anything that impedes you,
00:36:39.19\00:36:41.10
anything of the past and
live a life anew in Him."
00:36:41.13\00:36:45.83
I will tell you.
00:36:48.67\00:36:51.91
This sermon was not supposed
to start the way it did.
00:36:51.94\00:36:55.74
I hesitate to tell my story.
00:36:55.78\00:36:58.58
And the reason I
hesitate to tell my story
00:36:58.61\00:37:00.98
is because there
are a number of you
00:37:01.02\00:37:02.62
sitting here saying
that's not my story,
00:37:02.65\00:37:05.55
that's a dramatic conversion,
00:37:05.59\00:37:07.09
that's not my experience.
00:37:07.12\00:37:09.59
I've actually had young people
and even parents say to me,
00:37:09.62\00:37:13.36
well, maybe I need to go
and have a worldly experience
00:37:13.40\00:37:16.30
and then I can
have a dramatic story.
00:37:16.33\00:37:20.04
My dear brothers and
sisters, let me tell you this,
00:37:20.07\00:37:22.64
that's like placing
five bullets in a six shooter
00:37:22.67\00:37:25.21
and playing Russian roulette.
00:37:25.24\00:37:27.58
And if you're not
getting the analogy here
00:37:27.61\00:37:29.24
is what I'm telling
you, that's foolishness.
00:37:29.28\00:37:32.65
Because here is the reality
00:37:36.25\00:37:37.59
and don't miss
this, young people.
00:37:37.62\00:37:40.66
Here is the reality.
00:37:40.69\00:37:43.16
Romans 3:23 is clear for,
00:37:43.19\00:37:50.57
what's the word.
00:37:50.60\00:37:52.77
That's not convincing,
what's the word "all."
00:37:52.80\00:37:55.97
How many? All.
00:37:56.00\00:37:58.01
For all have sinned
00:37:58.04\00:38:00.44
and fall short
of the glory of God.
00:38:00.48\00:38:03.11
No exceptions.
00:38:03.14\00:38:06.35
It doesn't say except for those
00:38:06.38\00:38:08.22
who are home
schooled on the country farm.
00:38:08.25\00:38:13.39
It doesn't say except for those
00:38:13.42\00:38:15.26
who have gone to Adventist
schools all their life.
00:38:15.29\00:38:17.46
It doesn't say except for those
who went to the campus program
00:38:17.49\00:38:20.53
or those who do
summer canvassing,
00:38:20.56\00:38:22.56
or except those who have
served as student missionaries.
00:38:22.60\00:38:25.83
No, the Bible is
clear, all have sinned
00:38:25.87\00:38:28.37
and fallen short
of the glory of God.
00:38:28.40\00:38:31.44
And let me tell you this,
00:38:31.47\00:38:35.61
Isaiah 64:6 makes it
all real clear, real fast.
00:38:35.64\00:38:41.05
But we are all
like an unclean thing
00:38:41.08\00:38:45.79
and all our righteousness
are like filthy rags.
00:38:45.82\00:38:50.69
My dear brothers and sisters,
00:38:50.73\00:38:52.06
no matter how protected in
environment you grew up in,
00:38:52.09\00:38:54.70
no matter how
godly your parents were
00:38:54.73\00:38:56.87
and by the way those
are all wonderful things
00:38:56.90\00:39:00.07
because I will
tell you there are days
00:39:00.10\00:39:02.80
where I wish I had not
seen the things I've seen.
00:39:02.84\00:39:07.21
But let me tell you the
miracle that happened in my life
00:39:07.24\00:39:10.68
is no more a miracle
00:39:10.71\00:39:12.51
than the miracle
happening in your life
00:39:12.55\00:39:14.58
because you have been
plucked as a brand from the fire
00:39:14.62\00:39:18.62
just as I was plucked.
00:39:18.65\00:39:22.16
You don't need a dramatic story
00:39:22.19\00:39:23.73
because your story
is already dramatic.
00:39:23.76\00:39:27.46
Here's the reality,
00:39:27.50\00:39:28.93
you are sinner
in need of a savior
00:39:28.96\00:39:31.70
and His name is Jesus Christ.
00:39:31.73\00:39:35.37
You cannot make
a decision for Him
00:39:35.40\00:39:37.77
by mere culture or heredity,
00:39:37.81\00:39:40.41
you must make a
decision for yourself,
00:39:40.44\00:39:43.11
you must die.
00:39:43.14\00:39:47.65
And then by the power
of the indwelling Christ
00:39:47.68\00:39:50.22
who is risen upon
you, you must arise.
00:39:50.25\00:39:57.69
Casting aside
your former conduct,
00:39:57.73\00:39:59.86
the old man, the old woman,
00:39:59.89\00:40:01.66
putting away lying,
anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy,
00:40:01.70\00:40:05.37
filthy language, all filthiness,
00:40:05.40\00:40:07.57
wickedness, all deceit,
00:40:07.60\00:40:09.17
hypocrisy, envy
and all evil speaking,
00:40:09.20\00:40:13.38
and if you wrestle
00:40:13.41\00:40:14.74
with none of those
categories fitting you,
00:40:14.78\00:40:18.01
then Paul made it
real clear in Hebrews 12,
00:40:18.05\00:40:21.28
"Lay aside every weight,
00:40:21.32\00:40:24.85
anything that ensnares you."
00:40:24.89\00:40:28.22
When I pastored in
the Chesapeake Conference
00:40:33.19\00:40:36.97
during camp meeting...
00:40:37.00\00:40:38.33
I was in charge
of the primaries.
00:40:42.77\00:40:46.11
I believe it that is actually
00:40:46.14\00:40:47.48
part of the path
towards ordination
00:40:47.51\00:40:49.18
in the
Seventh-day Adventist Church.
00:40:49.21\00:40:51.35
If you can
survive the primaries,
00:40:51.38\00:40:52.71
you can survive anything.
00:40:52.75\00:40:56.08
One of our activities
during our primary time,
00:40:56.12\00:40:59.25
during camp meeting
as we went to the pool.
00:40:59.29\00:41:02.22
I had a number of
young people helping me,
00:41:02.26\00:41:05.59
but life gets really exciting
00:41:05.63\00:41:08.83
when you have 67
00:41:08.86\00:41:10.93
and 9-year olds jumping in pool.
00:41:10.97\00:41:15.57
In my teenagers,
my teenager's day,
00:41:15.60\00:41:18.31
you know, these bricks
that they coat with rubber
00:41:18.34\00:41:20.34
that you can drop to
the bottom of the pool,
00:41:20.38\00:41:21.91
and dive down, and pick
it up, and come to the top.
00:41:21.94\00:41:24.55
You know what I'm talking about.
00:41:24.58\00:41:27.08
Maybe? Okay, good.
00:41:27.12\00:41:30.92
That's not even
a Canadian thing,
00:41:30.95\00:41:32.49
you know, that's
a Maryland thing so.
00:41:32.52\00:41:35.72
Anyways.
00:41:35.76\00:41:37.86
Here's what
happened the 79-year old
00:41:37.89\00:41:39.63
saw the teenagers diving to
get the brick and guess what?
00:41:39.66\00:41:43.73
They wanted to do it.
00:41:43.77\00:41:46.47
So we started in the six
foot under the pool and said,
00:41:46.50\00:41:48.47
"Okay, you can do it."
00:41:48.50\00:41:49.84
And that wasn't good enough,
they wanted to go in the,
00:41:49.87\00:41:51.24
you know, 15 foot end.
00:41:51.27\00:41:53.14
And that was a
little nerve-racking,
00:41:53.17\00:41:54.51
and so I had all of
my teenager surrounding.
00:41:54.54\00:41:59.28
And the 79-year
olds would dive down
00:41:59.31\00:42:00.78
and they'd get the brick
00:42:00.82\00:42:02.15
and sure some of them
would come up to the top.
00:42:02.18\00:42:03.52
But let me tell you
00:42:03.55\00:42:04.89
what the great
majority would happen.
00:42:04.92\00:42:07.16
They'd get that brick.
00:42:07.19\00:42:09.42
And with all their might
they would kick, kick, kick,
00:42:09.46\00:42:12.16
and they'd get about a foot
00:42:12.19\00:42:13.53
and a half from
the top of the water.
00:42:13.56\00:42:15.83
And then they
just levitated there.
00:42:15.86\00:42:18.57
They couldn't get enough power
to come up out of the water.
00:42:18.60\00:42:23.17
I'd let that go
on for a few moments.
00:42:23.20\00:42:24.91
The goal is you
don't want to lose anybody.
00:42:28.58\00:42:30.45
And every last one of
them. Every last one of them.
00:42:34.65\00:42:40.02
I would grab them and
pull them up out of the water.
00:42:43.06\00:42:46.49
I had asked them
one simple question,
00:42:46.53\00:42:50.37
"Why didn't you
let go off the brick?"
00:42:50.40\00:42:57.44
And they'd always say to me,
00:42:57.47\00:42:58.81
"Pastor, 'cause I just
want to get to the top."
00:42:58.84\00:43:04.38
And I'm afraid,
my dear young people,
00:43:04.41\00:43:09.32
many of us are striving
for a mountain top experience,
00:43:09.35\00:43:13.69
while we're
hanging on to the brick.
00:43:13.72\00:43:18.69
And we can't get to the
top and no matter what we do,
00:43:18.73\00:43:22.23
no matter how hard we kick,
00:43:22.26\00:43:26.94
we keep having the same issue
00:43:26.97\00:43:31.87
over and over again.
00:43:31.91\00:43:35.44
And all Jesus
is saying to you...
00:43:39.71\00:43:41.98
Is you "I want you to arise."
00:43:45.35\00:43:49.66
But in order to
arise you must die.
00:43:49.69\00:43:53.06
And in order to die, you
must let go off the brick.
00:43:53.09\00:43:57.63
You may not think your
story is as dramatic as mine.
00:44:11.91\00:44:17.75
But there is only one path.
00:44:17.79\00:44:21.02
As Pilgrim's Progress calls in,
00:44:21.06\00:44:24.26
there's only one path
to the Celestial City.
00:44:24.29\00:44:29.83
And that goes right
through Jesus who is the way,
00:44:29.86\00:44:35.34
the truth, and the life.
00:44:35.37\00:44:39.17
Abraham...
00:44:51.82\00:44:53.15
Was called to be
the father of nations.
00:44:56.83\00:45:01.03
But he had a problem.
00:45:01.06\00:45:04.57
There was no heir.
00:45:04.60\00:45:07.90
You know the
story of Abraham well,
00:45:07.94\00:45:11.07
by faith he came out
of Ur of the Chaldees,
00:45:11.11\00:45:14.88
by faith he took the
land that looked less fertile.
00:45:14.91\00:45:18.38
But he had some
bumps and bruises,
00:45:23.99\00:45:25.82
and for him the brick
was, I don't have a son.
00:45:25.85\00:45:30.39
He took matters
into his own hands
00:45:30.43\00:45:32.49
and the consequence of that sin
00:45:32.53\00:45:36.93
is still seen ever
present on the news today.
00:45:36.97\00:45:40.94
But then the Bible
says at the appointed time,
00:45:45.31\00:45:51.65
Isaac was born,
the son of the promise.
00:45:51.68\00:45:56.48
But then after the son
00:46:08.93\00:46:10.80
of the promise had been born,
00:46:10.83\00:46:16.54
God asked Abraham
00:46:16.57\00:46:21.01
to sacrifice his only son.
00:46:21.04\00:46:23.51
Abraham had been confident
00:46:28.78\00:46:32.39
in heredity
00:46:32.42\00:46:34.82
and not the power of God.
00:46:34.86\00:46:38.73
And God needed to
test Abraham and say,
00:46:38.76\00:46:40.90
"Are you willing to lay
everything on the altar,
00:46:40.93\00:46:44.87
including your son."
00:46:44.90\00:46:50.77
Before we are
too critical of God
00:46:50.81\00:46:52.71
asking for such thing.
00:46:52.74\00:46:56.31
He did not ask
Abraham to give any more
00:46:56.34\00:47:00.22
than God Himself
was willing to give.
00:47:00.25\00:47:02.55
And in that passage read
00:47:06.45\00:47:10.99
in Genesis 22,
00:47:11.03\00:47:14.80
we see the faith
of Abraham exemplified
00:47:14.83\00:47:19.43
as he leaves
behind those servants.
00:47:19.47\00:47:23.54
And Genesis 22:4,
00:47:34.95\00:47:39.75
"Then on the third day,
00:47:39.79\00:47:41.66
Abraham lifted his eyes
and saw the place afar off
00:47:41.69\00:47:44.56
and Abraham said
to his young men,
00:47:44.59\00:47:46.56
'Stay here with the donkey...'"
00:47:46.59\00:47:47.96
Excuse me.
00:47:48.00\00:47:49.33
"Stay here with the donkey,
00:47:49.36\00:47:51.07
the lad and I will
go yonder and worship."
00:47:51.10\00:47:56.04
It's a two letter word,
but it is ever important.
00:47:56.07\00:48:01.34
And we
00:48:01.38\00:48:05.85
will come back to you.
00:48:05.88\00:48:07.22
Hebrews 11 makes it clear.
00:48:11.55\00:48:13.76
Abraham went there, somehow,
00:48:13.79\00:48:16.06
some way God arose upon Abraham,
00:48:16.09\00:48:19.79
Abraham died to self.
00:48:19.83\00:48:21.60
He had a
re-conversion experience,
00:48:21.63\00:48:23.70
where he understood
that the promise of God
00:48:23.73\00:48:27.27
was not about heredity,
00:48:27.30\00:48:29.80
but the promise of God
was about the power of God
00:48:29.84\00:48:33.24
working in him and
working through him.
00:48:33.27\00:48:35.88
And Abraham was willing
to take his boy to the altar,
00:48:35.91\00:48:40.08
but in faith knew
00:48:40.12\00:48:42.62
that God would provide a ram
00:48:42.65\00:48:45.19
or that God would
raise him from the dead.
00:48:45.22\00:48:49.82
And tonight I want to
ask you this simple question,
00:48:49.86\00:48:55.13
"What's your Isaac?
00:48:55.16\00:48:58.70
What's your brick?
00:48:58.73\00:49:01.67
What is it that God's calling
you to lay on the altar?"
00:49:01.70\00:49:04.37
Just as I did last night,
00:49:09.71\00:49:12.01
I'm going to make three appeals.
00:49:12.05\00:49:13.45
This is going to be
a more difficult appeal
00:49:18.02\00:49:19.79
because I'm not going to call
00:49:19.82\00:49:21.16
everybody to stand.
00:49:21.19\00:49:22.52
But tonight, the
first appeal is this.
00:49:25.96\00:49:30.53
You've not been baptized
00:49:30.57\00:49:31.90
and you've sensed
your need for the Lord
00:49:31.93\00:49:33.67
to arise in your life,
00:49:33.70\00:49:35.04
tonight you want to
answer the call to arise,
00:49:35.07\00:49:37.71
tonight you sense that
you need to die to self
00:49:37.74\00:49:40.88
and you want to arise in Him.
00:49:40.91\00:49:43.91
Maybe you know
you've strayed far from Him
00:49:43.95\00:49:45.91
and you need to rededicate
yourself through re-baptism.
00:49:45.95\00:49:50.05
I'm going to invite
you to come forward now.
00:49:50.09\00:49:53.05
Tonight you're going to commit
yourself to being baptized.
00:49:53.09\00:49:56.12
You come right in
front of that screen there,
00:49:56.16\00:49:58.59
there's people waiting for you.
00:49:58.63\00:50:01.70
Number two, you've sensed
00:50:01.73\00:50:04.40
that God is calling you
to cast aside all things
00:50:04.43\00:50:07.87
that are between you and Him,
00:50:07.90\00:50:09.24
you know that
there's that one thing
00:50:09.27\00:50:10.91
or maybe there
are multiple things
00:50:10.94\00:50:13.48
that are
holding you back tonight
00:50:13.51\00:50:14.91
and you want to let go
in a special commitment,
00:50:14.94\00:50:17.35
you want to let
go of that Isaac,
00:50:17.38\00:50:19.95
you want to let
go of that brick,
00:50:19.98\00:50:22.48
you come forward
right here tonight.
00:50:22.52\00:50:25.22
And then the third...
00:50:25.25\00:50:26.82
You need Jesus to arise in
your life through His Word.
00:50:31.39\00:50:35.60
And somehow, someway
00:50:35.63\00:50:36.97
your devotional
life is grown stale.
00:50:37.00\00:50:40.24
And you're in a
valley and tonight by faith
00:50:40.27\00:50:41.80
you're coming forward
00:50:41.84\00:50:44.01
asking that God would
renew that experience in you,
00:50:44.04\00:50:48.08
you come forward.
00:50:48.11\00:50:51.78
While Sonya plays
and Marleta sings,
00:50:51.81\00:50:56.75
"What's your Isaac tonight."
00:50:56.79\00:50:59.65
Come forward not
00:50:59.69\00:51:01.82
because everybody else
is coming, come forward,
00:51:01.86\00:51:04.93
those of you who want to
be baptized right over here,
00:51:04.96\00:51:07.20
come right in front of
the screen as Marleta sings.
00:51:07.23\00:51:10.37
I have a prayer
00:51:32.82\00:51:38.79
As pure as gold
00:51:38.83\00:51:43.93
That where You lead me
00:51:43.97\00:51:48.64
I will go
00:51:48.67\00:51:55.01
And I'll not miss
00:51:55.04\00:51:59.81
The impassioned plea
00:51:59.85\00:52:05.02
When your sweet Spirit
00:52:05.05\00:52:09.59
Calls to me
00:52:09.62\00:52:15.40
And in that hour
00:52:15.43\00:52:20.80
And in that time
00:52:20.84\00:52:25.64
When I must lose my will
00:52:25.67\00:52:32.15
In Thine
00:52:32.18\00:52:36.22
O my allegiance
00:52:36.25\00:52:41.62
Will be found
00:52:41.66\00:52:45.86
The day I lay
00:52:45.89\00:52:49.20
My Isaac down
00:52:49.23\00:52:55.37
Grant me a faith
00:53:04.88\00:53:10.29
Beyond all doubt
00:53:10.32\00:53:15.22
Whose flames of hope cannot
00:53:15.26\00:53:20.33
Burn out
00:53:20.36\00:53:24.53
Let mercy flow
00:53:24.57\00:53:29.54
And grace abound
00:53:29.57\00:53:34.41
The day I lay
00:53:34.44\00:53:37.58
My Isaac down
00:53:37.61\00:53:42.92
Sweet lamb of love
00:53:58.77\00:54:04.67
Most blessed friend
00:54:04.71\00:54:09.54
Nailed to the altar
00:54:09.58\00:54:13.45
For my sin
00:54:13.48\00:54:18.72
Where in my place
00:54:18.75\00:54:23.56
God's son was laid
00:54:23.59\00:54:28.30
The day he laid
00:54:28.33\00:54:31.33
his Jesus down
00:54:31.37\00:54:38.31
Each idol vain
00:54:38.34\00:54:43.65
It's now laid bare
00:54:43.68\00:54:48.18
His suffering cross my heart
00:54:48.22\00:54:53.42
Will share
00:54:53.46\00:54:57.69
Earth kingdoms fall
00:54:57.73\00:55:02.53
Without a sound
00:55:02.56\00:55:07.44
The day I lay
00:55:07.47\00:55:10.97
My Isaac
00:55:11.01\00:55:14.81
Down
00:55:14.84\00:55:18.78
My soul redeemed
00:55:18.81\00:55:24.25
On holy ground
00:55:24.29\00:55:29.49
The day I lay
00:55:29.52\00:55:33.16
my Isaac
00:55:33.19\00:55:39.63
down
00:55:39.67\00:55:42.34
Tonight you've come forward.
00:55:52.61\00:55:56.28
And as you come forward,
00:55:56.32\00:55:57.65
you have made a
decision to lay your Isaac down.
00:55:57.69\00:56:03.32
You've made a decision to
00:56:03.36\00:56:05.99
let go of the brick.
00:56:06.03\00:56:09.66
You've made a
decision to be baptized.
00:56:09.70\00:56:15.40
It's easy in
conferences like this
00:56:15.44\00:56:19.74
to go home and
pick Isaac back up.
00:56:19.77\00:56:24.51
It's easy to go home
and pick the brick up.
00:56:24.55\00:56:27.92
Young people,
00:56:27.95\00:56:29.95
I want to urge you, don't leave,
00:56:29.98\00:56:31.85
don't leave this room tonight,
00:56:31.89\00:56:35.96
whether you write
it in your journal,
00:56:35.99\00:56:39.36
whether you put it
in a note in your phone.
00:56:39.39\00:56:42.66
Write down your decision.
00:56:42.70\00:56:45.30
Date the decision.
00:56:45.33\00:56:49.37
And then come up with a plan.
00:56:49.40\00:56:51.77
What are you
going to do tonight?
00:56:51.81\00:56:55.34
What will you do
tomorrow morning?
00:56:55.38\00:56:59.08
But more importantly,
00:56:59.11\00:57:02.72
what are you going
to do on Monday morning
00:57:02.75\00:57:05.35
when you've left this place.
00:57:05.39\00:57:09.19
God's calling.
00:57:09.22\00:57:11.69
He must arise.
00:57:11.73\00:57:14.20
Tonight,
00:57:14.23\00:57:16.03
He's calling for you to arise.
00:57:16.06\00:57:20.34
Cast it all away, and
lay your burdens down.
00:57:20.37\00:57:25.37
Let's pray.
00:57:25.41\00:57:27.41
Oh heavenly Father,
00:57:27.44\00:57:28.78
each of us have our Isaacs,
00:57:31.95\00:57:35.35
each of us have those bricks.
00:57:35.38\00:57:40.29
You've called
upon us to die to self
00:57:40.32\00:57:42.62
and cast this all aside.
00:57:42.66\00:57:45.69
Maybe there's
someone here tonight
00:57:45.73\00:57:47.06
that's been
struggling year after year
00:57:47.10\00:57:52.43
holding on to that brick.
00:57:52.47\00:57:54.44