Participants:
Series Code: 17GYC
Program Code: 17GYC000014A
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00:33 Good morning, GYC. Good morning.
00:36 We're going to start off our song service 00:38 by singing He Leadeth Me. 00:52 He leadeth me! 00:56 O blessed thought! 00:59 O words with heavenly 01:02 Comfort fraught! 01:06 Whate'er I do, where'er I be 01:13 Still 'tis God's hand 01:16 That leadeth me 01:21 He leadeth me, He leadeth me 01:26 By His own hand He leadeth me 01:33 His faithful follower I would be 01:39 For by His hand 01:42 He leadeth me 01:47 Sometimes 'mid scenes of deepest gloom 01:53 Sometimes where Eden's bowers bloom 02:00 By waters still, o'er troubled sea 02:08 Still 'tis His hand that leadeth me! 02:16 He leadeth me, He leadeth me 02:22 By His own hand He leadeth me 02:29 His Faithful follower I would be 02:34 For by His hand He leadeth me 02:42 Lord, I would clasp my hand in Thine 02:48 Nor ever murmur nor repine 02:55 Content whatever lot I see 03:03 Since 'tis my God 03:06 That leadeth me 03:11 He leadeth me, He leadeth me 03:17 By His own hand He leadeth me 03:24 His faithful follower I would be 03:30 For by His hand 03:33 He leadeth me 03:38 And when my task on earth is done 03:44 When, by Thy grace 03:47 The victory's won 03:51 E'en death's cold wave I will no flee 03:59 Since God through Jordan leadeth me 04:07 He leadeth me, He leadeth me 04:12 By His own hand He leadeth me 04:20 His faithful follower I would be 04:26 For by His hand 04:29 He leadeth me 04:38 Amen. 04:40 Our next song will be 04:41 Come All Christians, Be Committed. 04:56 Come, all Christians, be committed 05:00 To the service of the Lord 05:05 Make your lives for Him more fitted 05:10 Tune your hearts with one accord 05:14 Come into His courts with gladness 05:19 Each His sacred vows renew 05:24 Turn away from sin and sadness 05:28 Be transformed with life a new 05:34 Of your time and talents give ye 05:38 They are gifts from God above 05:43 To be used by Christians freely 05:47 To proclaim His wondrous love 05:52 Come again to serve the Savior 05:56 Tithes and off'rings with you bring 06:01 In your work with Him find favor 06:06 And with joy His praises sing 06:11 God's command to love each other 06:17 Is required of every one 06:21 Showing mercy to another 06:26 Mirrors His redemptive plan 06:31 In compassion He has given 06:35 Of His love that is divine 06:40 On the cross sins were forgiven 06:45 Joy and peace are fully thine 06:50 Come in praise and adoration 06:55 All who on Christ's name believe 07:00 Worship Him with consecration 07:05 Grace and love you will receive 07:10 For His grace give Him the glory 07:15 For the Spirit and the Word 07:19 And repeat the gospel story 07:24 Till mankind His name has heard 07:34 Good morning, everyone. 07:37 Please turn in your Bibles with me to Genesis 3:15. 07:42 Genesis 3:15, 07:47 "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, 07:50 and between your seed and her seed. 07:53 He shall bruise your head and you shall bruise his heel." 07:59 When I ask Chantal Kayumba, our speaker for this morning, 08:02 what she'd like you all to know about her, she replied, 08:06 "There's nothing to know about me." 08:09 After I adamantly rejected her response, 08:12 she reluctantly added, "I have a lot of siblings." 08:17 That's cool, but does anyone ever talk about 08:19 how many siblings they have? 08:20 I don't think so. 08:22 I haven't done anything cool. 08:24 Wait! What are you doing? 08:25 Are you writing all this down?" 08:26 Yes, yes, I did. 08:29 And while I appreciate her characteristic humility, 08:32 I must once again respectfully reject her statements 08:35 because there is, in fact, a lot to know about Chantal, 08:38 and she is, in fact, very, very cool. 08:42 She's currently a nursing student 08:44 at the University of Windsor, 08:45 and has developed a passion for mental health. 08:48 Additionally, for the past two years, 08:50 she's been serving as GYC's VP of service, 08:53 leading mission endeavors to places like Rwanda 08:56 and Manitoulin Island, 08:57 and has been involved behind the scenes with GYC conferences 09:00 for the past seven years. 09:03 Her speaking appointment this morning is not her first. 09:06 She gave her first sermon which was one minute 09:08 in length at age 12, 09:11 preached in evangelistic series at age 16, 09:14 and has continued to share her speaking talents 09:16 at GYC and beyond. 09:18 You see there is a lot to know, and at a surface level, 09:21 these biographical details are pretty cool. 09:24 But none define Chantal. 09:28 Getting to know her on the executive committee 09:30 and as a personal friend, I've come to realize 09:32 that Chantal is much more 09:34 than a collection of cool titles. 09:36 She's genuinely kind and thoughtful. 09:39 I've seen her stay up to sweep floors, wash dishes, 09:42 or throw away other people's trash 09:44 during GYC leadership retreats. 09:47 I've witnessed her reach out to people who are hurting 09:50 or if you're out of place. 09:51 There is no pretence in Chantal. 09:54 And one of the things I admire most 09:55 about her is her realness, 09:57 her desire to seek what is true, 10:00 to remain open and honest, 10:02 and to readily acknowledge her weaknesses 10:05 in an effort to transform them 10:07 through God's help into strengths. 10:09 She's not here to maintain or project a façade 10:12 but is instead, unapologetically herself, 10:15 an individual seeking the face of God 10:18 in this dark and confusing world. 10:20 And today after prayer and special music, 10:23 sharing some of these insights with you. 10:25 Let's pray. 10:29 Heavenly Father, I uplift Chantal to you, 10:31 her words, her mind, her being. 10:34 May she rely not on her own strength but on Yours. 10:38 May she be a reflection of You. 10:40 Fill her with Your Holy Spirit and Your perfect peace. 10:43 I pray this in Jesus' name, amen. 11:04 The fire of His spirit 11:07 in faithful hearts is burning 11:11 Arise! You are called 11:14 To hold aloft its flame 11:19 Arise and shine forth 11:22 A light unto the nations 11:26 A beacon of salvation 11:29 A standard o'er the earth 11:32 Arise and shine forth to fill a world in darkness 11:39 With the brightness and the glory of the Lord 11:46 Arise! Arise and shine forth 11:54 A glorious dawn o'er all the world is breaking 12:00 For prophets again have heard the voice of God 12:08 He speaks from the heavens 12:11 To every tongue and people 12:15 Arise! You are called to spread His word abroad 12:23 Arise and shine forth 12:26 A light unto the nations 12:29 A beacon of salvation 12:33 A standard o'er the earth 12:36 Arise and shine forth 12:39 To fill the world in darkness 12:42 With the brightness and the glory of the Lord 12:49 Arise! Arise and shine forth 13:07 A glorious dawn o'er all the world is breaking 13:14 The hour is at hand when Christ will come to reign 13:21 When goodness and mercy will govern all creation 13:28 Arise! You are called to usher in the day 13:35 Arise and shine forth 13:38 A light unto the nations 13:41 A beacon of salvation 13:45 A standard o'er the earth 13:48 Arise and shine forth to fill a world in darkness 13:54 With the brightness and the glory of the Lord 14:02 Arise! 14:05 Arise and shine forth 14:11 Shine forth 14:22 Amen! Amen! 14:25 Good morning, GYC. 14:28 I didn't hear that. 14:29 Good morning, GYC. 14:31 Good morning! 14:34 I am great, friends. 14:38 I am so excited to be here with you this morning. 14:41 I am so nervous to be here this morning. 14:44 But I know that God will speak to us. 14:48 My first GYC was in 2009, it was in Louisville, Kentucky, 14:53 and the theme was Unashamed. 14:55 I was 13 years old and I was just excited 14:58 to be taking a trip without my parents. 15:01 And so, naturally, 15:03 I don't remember much about the conference. 15:05 I know that I was fascinated by 15:07 how many young people were passionate about God. 15:11 I was fascinated by how many young people 15:14 had opinions about their local church, 15:17 and a passion for the gospel, 15:18 and a personal commitment to the gospel. 15:22 One day, I remember taking a nap, 15:23 I took many naps at GYC, 15:26 and so I took a nap 15:27 and I woke up too late for the seminars. 15:30 So I was walking through the halls 15:32 trying to find something to do, and I see a group of people 15:34 just sitting on the ground and they're talking 15:37 and they're praying and I'm like, 15:39 "They're just so weird." 15:41 And so I stood around watching them 15:44 and it got awkward so they invited me into the circle 15:47 and I joined them and I'm like, 15:48 "Wait, they're so cool." 15:52 And so I continued through the weekend, 15:55 nothing life changing until Saturday night. 15:59 Saturday night, I remember sitting in the conference 16:03 and David Asscherick was preaching. 16:04 I don't know if any of you remember that. 16:06 But he was preaching 16:08 a sermon called Unashamed of the Crucified Christ. 16:12 And as I sat there, I realized for the first time 16:15 that God had this incredible love for me. 16:19 And I was like, "You know what, 16:20 I don't know that much about Him. 16:22 I don't know that much about the Bible, 16:25 but I do know that a God who loves me 16:28 this much is a God to be followed." 16:32 And so that night, I gave my life to Christ 16:34 and I was so inspired, a fire burned within me. 16:39 I didn't listen to the whole sermon. 16:42 At the time, I was incapable of listening to entire sermons 16:45 but I heard enough to start a revolution in my life. 16:49 And so going home... 16:51 The next day, I had come to GYC with my sister 16:54 and her husband and I told them, 16:56 "Guys, we have to switch seats 16:58 because I need to sit with a stranger, 17:00 I have things to tell to that stranger." 17:03 And so we switched seats and I plagiarized 17:05 David Asscherick's entire sermon. 17:07 I was like, "I'm ashamed of the crucified Christ. 17:10 I want to call you today to give your life to Christ. 17:13 Go home, find an Adventist church, 17:15 sign up and get baptized." 17:17 The woman was so gracious, she accepted. 17:20 I was so on fire for God. 17:24 But unfortunately, like many fires, 17:27 mine began to extinguish. 17:30 Our theme text today is Isaiah 60:1-3, 17:36 and I think that it's such a beautiful text 17:40 and we've focused on it in varied many different lenses. 17:43 But today, I want to focus on this text 17:45 through the individual and the cross, the what? 17:50 I didn't hear that. 17:52 I want to focus on the verge through 17:54 the individual and the cross, you and God. 17:59 The word arise means to get up or stand up, 18:01 to come up higher 18:03 than your current position or condition, 18:06 and shine literally means to give out a bright light. 18:09 So you put that together and you have a call to stand up 18:13 and give out a bright light. 18:16 You see the call to arise and shine implies 18:18 a current state of laying down and not shining, 18:22 or in other terms, a state of complacency, 18:24 inactivity, and darkness. 18:28 Arise and shine. 18:31 Let us pray. 18:34 Father, you know that I have nothing to say. 18:41 As I stand here and I read Your Word 18:43 and I read the call to arise, 18:44 Father, I myself find myself inadequate. 18:49 And so, Lord, I pray that 18:51 You will do a miracle this morning. 18:53 I pray that You will do for me what I cannot do for myself. 18:58 I pray that You will speak to each and every heart 19:01 that is here this morning. 19:04 And, Father, that we may see a clear picture of who You are. 19:07 In Jesus' name, I pray, amen. 19:11 Arise and shine. 19:13 As I was preparing for this, I wonder, 19:15 "Okay, so arise implies that 19:18 at some point in time, we fell." 19:21 And so I began to search the scripture 19:23 until I found the fall of man. 19:27 And it's in Genesis 3, the fall of man. 19:32 Genesis 3. 19:35 We know the story but we will still look over it. 19:39 Genesis 3. 19:42 And it starts in the Garden of Eden, 19:44 Adam and Eve are in the garden, 19:46 and we know that God gave them every fruit 19:48 of the garden to eat, right? 19:51 But He gave them a specific instruction, 19:52 and so in Genesis 3 says, 19:55 "Now the serpent was more crafty 19:56 than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. 20:00 He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 20:02 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden?'" 20:06 So interesting how the devil works. 20:09 He misquotes God, he misrepresents God, 20:11 and often, many of us do not know 20:14 the Word of God and so we are fooled. 20:17 So he says, "Is it true?" 20:18 The woman says, verse 2, 20:20 "The woman said to the serpent, 20:22 'We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden 20:24 but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit 20:27 from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, 20:29 you must not touch it or you will die.'" 20:32 And so here we find that the serpent approaches Eve 20:37 with a question, a trick question. 20:39 He says, "Is it true that you must not eat of any fruit?" 20:42 And Eve knows the truth and she corrects the serpent 20:46 but we know how the story goes. 20:49 Even the truth, if it's not applied 20:52 in our lives cannot save us. 20:55 And so she eats of the fruit and she shares it with Adam, 20:58 so generous. 21:00 And Adam and Eve fall. 21:03 And the Bible tells us that they fall, 21:06 and when you skip to verse 7, it says, 21:09 "Then the eyes of them both were opened 21:11 and they realize that they were naked. 21:14 So they sewed fig leaves for themselves and made... 21:18 They sewed fig leaves together 21:20 and made coverings for themselves." 21:23 So the eyes of them were open, 21:25 and they realized they were naked. 21:26 I don't know if you've ever fallen 21:28 but there's a realization that hits you. 21:31 And you realize for the first time your condition, 21:34 you realize how naked, how wretched you are, 21:37 and your eyes are opened. 21:39 It's not a good feeling. 21:42 I've been there. 21:44 So what do our first parents do? 21:46 The Bible says, "They sewed together fig leaves 21:49 and made coverings." 21:54 Ellen G. White commenting on their garment says, 21:57 and I want you to pay very close attention. 22:00 Adam and Eve both ate of the fruit 22:02 and obtained a knowledge which had they obeyed God, 22:05 they would have never had. 22:08 An experience in disobedience and disloyalty to God, 22:11 the knowledge that they were naked. 22:15 The garment of innocence, a covering from God 22:18 which surrounded them departed and they supplied 22:20 the place of this heavenly garment 22:22 by sowing together fig leaves for aprons. 22:27 This is the covering that the transgressors of the law 22:30 have used since the days 22:31 of Adam and Eve's disobedience. 22:34 They have sowed together fig leaves 22:36 to cover their nakedness caused by transgression. 22:39 The fig leaves represent arguments 22:41 used to cover disobedience. 22:44 When the Lord calls the attention of men and women 22:47 to the truth, the making of fig leaves 22:49 into aprons will be begun, 22:51 to hide the nakedness of the soul. 22:54 But the nakedness of the sinner is not covered. 22:58 All the arguments pieced together 23:00 by all who have interested themselves 23:02 in this flimsy work will come to naught. 23:07 You see, friends, fig leaves will not cover your sin. 23:11 All the arguments pieced together will come to nothing. 23:16 All the attempts to disobey God will not result in peace. 23:22 So Adam and Eve lose their robes of light, 23:25 they realize their nakedness, and for the first time, 23:27 they encounter the darkness 23:29 that is a natural consequence of sin. 23:34 Verse 8 says, "Then the man and his wife heard 23:40 the sound of the Lord God as He was walking in the garden 23:43 in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God 23:46 among the trees of the garden." 23:49 Now as I was reading this, I thought growing up 23:52 in an African home, 23:54 there's something scary about a father. 23:56 My dad is a great man but every time he came home, 23:59 we naturally just went to hide because we're like, 24:02 you know what, we might have done something wrong today 24:04 and so we would hide. 24:09 And so Adam and Eve, 24:10 they knew they had done something wrong 24:12 and they hear the voice of God, 24:13 they hear sound and they go and they hide. 24:19 Verse 9, "But the Lord God called to the man, 24:25 'Where are you?'" 24:28 I love God's approach in verse 9, God looks at them. 24:34 And you know when God came to the garden, 24:35 He knew full well what Adam and Eve had done. 24:38 He knew exactly where they were hiding. 24:40 But He looks at them and He says, "Where are you?" 24:45 You see, friends, I believe that today 24:46 God looks at your darkness, He looks at your nakedness, 24:49 He sees you hiding and He asks you, 24:52 "Where are you?" 24:57 And they replied, "We heard Your voice and we hid." 25:04 How many of us this weekend have been hearing 25:06 the voice of God, appeal after appeal? 25:10 And you know that God is tugging at your heart. 25:15 But instead, you hide. 25:20 "We heard Your voice 25:24 and we hid." 25:28 Verse 15, and this is where I want us to focus today. 25:31 I thank Shauna for her introduction 25:33 and for reading the scripture. 25:35 Verse 15 says, "And I will put enmity 25:38 between you and the woman, 25:40 between your offspring and hers." 25:44 So here we find that God asked, "Where are you?" 25:46 And they explained to Him their pitiful condition, 25:48 and He now outlines His plan. 25:52 And verse 15 says, "I will put enmity 25:54 between you and the woman, 25:56 between you and her offspring." 25:59 Here we find the plan of salvation outlined. 26:02 God looks at our pitiful condition, 26:04 He looks at our fig leaves apron coverings, 26:08 and He says, "I." 26:10 That's so interesting, friends, 26:11 and I don't want us to miss this. 26:13 God looks at our condition and He says that 26:16 the only solution to our condition is found through Him. 26:21 He says, I will put an enmity 26:23 between you and the serpent 26:25 because God recognizes that in and of ourselves, 26:28 we can never hate the devil. 26:30 In and of ourselves, we can never overcome sin, 26:33 in and of ourselves, we are doomed, and He says, 26:36 "I will put enmity between you and the serpent." 26:40 God says, "I." 26:41 And I believe that as He looks at your darkness, 26:44 as He looks at your nakedness, 26:45 as He looks at your pitiful condition this morning, 26:48 God says, "I will put enmity between you and the serpent." 26:55 The focus, the solution has always been in God, 26:59 never in human attempt. 27:04 God says, "I will do for you 27:07 what you cannot do for yourself. 27:09 I will restore you to the glory 27:12 that you just lost because I am your God." 27:17 Ellen G. White says, "As soon..." 27:20 I don't want us to miss this. 27:22 "As soon as there was sin, there was a Savior." 27:27 Did you hear that, friends? 27:28 As soon as there was sin, there was a Savior. 27:31 Our sin did not cause heaven to fumble, 27:33 our sin did not bring the angels 27:35 and God together like, 27:36 "Oh, my goodness, what do we do now?" 27:38 As soon as there was sin, there was a Savior. 27:44 Christ knew that He would have to suffer 27:46 yet He became man's substitute. 27:49 As soon as Adam sinned, 27:50 the Son of God presented Himself 27:53 as a surety for the human race. 27:55 With just as much power to avert 27:57 the doom pronounce upon the guilty 28:00 as when He died upon Calvary. 28:03 Doom pronounced upon the guilty, who are the guilty? 28:08 The guilty are you and I. 28:12 Friends, in any battle against sin 28:15 unless Jesus is our only focus, unless Jesus is our solution, 28:19 we will not overcome. 28:22 He is our substitute. 28:24 So in every youth ministry, unless Jesus is the focus, 28:28 it will fail. 28:30 In every Bible study, unless Jesus is the focus, 28:33 it will fail. 28:35 In every GYC convention, in every mission trip, 28:38 unless Jesus is the focus, it will fail. 28:44 Christ is our only foundation. 28:48 His love is our only hope. 28:51 It is a hard day when you realize that 28:54 no love here on earth is guaranteed. 28:57 It is a dark reality when you realize 29:00 that those who should be entrusted 29:02 to love and protect you will fail you. 29:06 Yet we have one sure foundation, 29:09 a God that loved you in your sin 29:13 and loves you too much 29:14 to keep you in your darkness. 29:17 I remember my own darkness. 29:19 When I too like our first parents drifted from God, 29:23 I became so discouraged by the world. 29:27 But unfortunately, as I look to the church for comfort, 29:31 I found a darkness there too. 29:34 I allowed people to determine my view of God. 29:39 I allowed people to distort my perception. 29:46 And ultimately, kill my faith. 29:48 And soon I deemed Adventism, a healthy culture, a tradition 29:54 rather than a church ordained by God Himself. 29:59 I share this not because it is easy 30:01 but because I know that some here are relating. 30:06 I know that some here realized long time ago 30:09 that the world was a dark place but what they did not expect 30:13 was for the church to be just as dark. 30:18 I encourage you, however, to hang in there. 30:23 You see, I realize, 30:24 it makes sense that the devil would attack the church. 30:28 You see, oftentimes, 30:29 the devil more than we ourselves 30:31 realize the importance 30:32 and the value of the church. 30:36 So it makes sense that you would have 30:38 his representatives there. 30:42 It was Gandhi who said, "I like your Christ, 30:44 I do not like your Christians. 30:46 Your Christians are so unlike your Christ." 30:52 Unfortunately, oftentimes as Christians, 30:56 we are a source of darkness for so many. 31:03 So mankind falls, 31:05 and God sends Jesus to restore humanity to its glory. 31:11 And Jesus walks among us, 31:13 He lives a life of no sin. 31:17 I think, sometimes, we forget that 31:19 Jesus really took on human nature. 31:24 I don't think we understand that, 31:26 He took on human nature and lived a life 31:30 with no sin. 31:32 For you and for me, 31:36 He dedicated His life 31:38 to relieving the suffering of humanity 31:40 and revealing the character and glory of God to mankind. 31:47 And He did so faithfully 31:50 even to the point of death. 31:54 John 17 tells us of Jesus praying before He died. 31:59 Let's turn our Bibles to John 17. 32:12 And it says, "After Jesus said this, 32:17 He looked toward heaven and prayed, 32:19 'Father, the time has come. 32:22 Glorify Your Son that Your Son may glorify You. 32:26 For You granted Him authority 32:28 over all people that He might give eternal life 32:31 to those You have given Him.'" 32:35 Pay attention, "Now this is eternal life 32:37 that they may know You the one true God, 32:40 and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. 32:42 I have brought You glory on earth 32:44 by completing the work You gave me to do. 32:47 And now, Father, glorify Me in Your presence 32:50 with the glory I had before the world began." 32:56 So we find here that Jesus prays 32:58 and the word glory is mentioned so many times. 33:01 You see, friends, when I was reading 33:03 the Bible commentary said, 33:05 "Christ is not praying 33:07 for the manifestation of the glory of human nature. 33:12 He's not praying for the manifestation, 33:15 the glory of human nature, 33:18 He is praying to His Father 33:19 in regard to the glory possessed 33:21 in His oneness with God. 33:26 You see, friends, Jesus was always glorified in heaven. 33:30 He was glorified with the glory 33:32 which He had with His father before the world was. 33:36 But amid His glory, Christ did not lose sight 33:40 of His toiling struggling ones on earth. 33:44 So we find that Christ looks upon our darkness, 33:48 the struggle of this world and He humbles Himself, 33:51 and He comes to earth as a man to live and die 33:57 that He may remove the veil that hinders us 34:00 from being one with God. 34:02 So let's recap. 34:04 First, we have Adam and Eve and they fall. 34:09 They realized their nakedness, they realized the darkness 34:11 that will now mark their existence here on earth. 34:16 And then you have Jesus, as soon as there was sin 34:19 there was a savior. 34:21 And so He lives a perfect life 34:24 that He might restore to humanity 34:26 the glory that was lost with sin. 34:29 That He may restore the oneness 34:32 that humanity once had with God. 34:35 And now we revisit our theme text. 34:39 Turn with me to Isaiah 60:1-3. 34:47 Isaiah 60:1-3 and it says, "Arise, shine, 34:52 for your light has come, 34:53 and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. 34:56 See, darkness covers the earth 34:58 and thick darkness is over the peoples, 35:01 but the Lord rises upon you 35:04 and His glory appears over you." 35:07 I want to pause there. 35:10 "Arise, shine, for your light has come." 35:13 There's a few things I want us to focus on. 35:15 The first thing is the call to arise and shine 35:18 occurs because your light has come. 35:21 It occurs because the glory of the Lord 35:23 rises upon you and occurs in the present. 35:27 It doesn't say, "Arise, shine, for your light will come." 35:30 It says, "For it has come." 35:32 This is a present message. 35:38 Then the Bible recognizes the darkness, 35:43 it says, "There will be a darkness in the world 35:45 and thick darkness on the people." 35:48 And this is the darkness that necessitates the light. 35:54 And the last thing I love about this verse 35:57 is that it's so personal. 36:00 It's a personal call to arise and shine. 36:02 See, often, I think as GYC, 36:07 we read this verse as if the darkness is out there. 36:12 Oh, yes, it is dark out there. 36:16 But I've learnt that darkness is often 36:19 part of the human experience 36:21 regardless of who you are. 36:25 You see since sin entered our world, 36:28 darkness has been consistent. 36:33 It was a consequence of sin. 36:37 I've traveled all over the world speaking, 36:41 and one thing I love is talking to people afterwards. 36:44 And you hear their stories and I'm always so stunned 36:48 at how many tragedies one person can experience. 36:53 I've talked to so many people 36:54 and they tell me one thing that happened in childhood 36:56 and then something else happened 36:58 and then something happened, 36:59 it's like bam, bam, bam, all bad. 37:02 And I sit there and I'm like, 37:04 "How dark can it get?" 37:09 But, moreover, I think of God looking at us 37:12 and seeing the intention He had for us 37:16 when He made us and how far we've come from that. 37:20 How dark can it get? 37:23 And so God looks at you, He looks at me 37:26 and calls us to arise and shine despite this darkness. 37:30 Why? 37:32 Because His glory is risen upon you, 37:36 because His righteousness covers you, 37:39 because He does for you 37:42 what you cannot do for yourself, 37:45 because He already gave Himself as a light, 37:50 as a hope for our incredible darkness. 37:54 I remember getting to a point in my Adventist journey 37:56 where all I could focus on was my darkness. 38:00 I was so consumed by it. 38:04 And then week after week, I'd go to church 38:06 and there was darkness too, and I just simply lost hope. 38:11 I began to resent Adventism. 38:15 I looked at the Bible as an old book. 38:22 And I want to be honest with you, 38:25 this is a struggle that you can go through 38:27 while still going through all emotions. 38:31 It's a struggle that you can go through 38:32 while still looking very, very Adventist. 38:37 It's a struggle that I believe 38:39 many seated here are going through. 38:44 Oftentimes, we leave GYC so excited, 38:50 "We're going to go and change our local churches, 38:52 we're going to go and make a difference." 38:54 And then we meet with opposition. 38:57 And by March, 39:00 we ourselves are out of the church. 39:10 But I love this verse because it says, 39:12 "Darkness covers the earth, 39:14 great darkness covers the people." 39:17 But the next word is "But God." 39:23 I love a sermon that was preached at GYC last year 39:26 by Sebastian that said, "Don't doubt in darkness, 39:29 for God has revealed to you in the light." 39:32 Friends, recall why you joined Adventism in the first place. 39:36 It wasn't because of the people, 39:39 it was because we heard a message that was so unique, 39:43 we saw a love of God that was so propelling. 39:47 When we got baptized, 39:49 we weren't committing to Adventist church members, 39:52 we were committing to God. 39:55 And so yes, at times, it doesn't make sense 39:58 when you look all around you. 40:01 And church is dark, "But don't doubt in the darkness, 40:05 for God has revealed to you in the light." 40:07 I still believe that this is God's ordained church, 40:11 I still believe that God's hand is moving in this church. 40:16 In fact, I myself as an executive here in GYC 40:20 will be open with you and say, "My goal for 2018 is to go 40:24 and study once again why I fell in love with Adventism, 40:28 to go and study once again 40:30 how Adventism applies to my personal life, 40:34 to go and find the light that I fell in love with 40:38 so long ago." 40:42 Oftentimes, you see, it doesn't make sense 40:44 to keep going to church 40:45 when you know it's so discouraging, 40:47 you know what doesn't make sense? 40:50 What doesn't make sense is that 40:51 Jesus left heaven and earth for you and I. 40:55 What doesn't make sense is that He died to save us 40:59 and look how many of us refuse Him day after day. 41:04 When you look at the death of God 41:06 from a human perspective, from a business perspective, 41:10 it was a fail. 41:12 Not even one out of two will accept His death, 41:16 that's what doesn't make sense. 41:18 But, friends, if the church gets dark and we all leave, 41:21 who will light it up. 41:29 Verse says, "Darkness covers the earth, 41:31 great darkness the people but God." 41:35 You see from the beginning, 41:37 the focus should have been God. 41:42 See, friends, we arise, we shine 41:45 because God arose and shone. 41:48 We overcome only through God. 41:53 He left heaven for us. 41:57 He lived a life of complete oneness with God. 42:00 He was light and He revealed the glory of God to humanity, 42:06 to remind us that we too can be one with God. 42:12 Friends, this morning, too many of us 42:13 are going through the emotions, 42:15 too many of us stopped fighting long time ago, 42:19 we sat down, we gave up, we stop shining, 42:24 and we've been sitting in complete darkness. 42:27 And that's the thing about darkness, 42:29 it too can become comfortable. 42:33 Someone here today is consumed by their darkness, 42:37 overwhelmed by their darkness. 42:40 Someone here is hiding from God. 42:44 Someone here is chilling 42:46 in their fig leaf covering. 42:50 But today, God asks, "Where are you?" 42:53 You see, friends, the darker it gets 42:55 the more we should cling to Christ. 42:58 The more we see our helplessness with sin, 43:02 the faster we should run to Him. 43:06 The glory of the Lord rises upon you. 43:11 Honestly, I love that 43:13 this verse addresses the individual, 43:16 constantly, you, you, you. 43:20 You see I'm tired of our lack of personal ownership 43:23 when it comes to our walk with God. 43:25 I'm tired of our lack of ownership 43:28 when it comes to Adventism. 43:29 When I ask, is the world better for Adventists having existed? 43:35 I don't ask us to quote ADRA's statistics, 43:38 I don't ask us to quote what Pathways to Health did, 43:41 I don't want to know about 43:43 the results of GYC outreach, 43:44 I want to know, was your world better 43:48 because you were an Adventist? 43:50 Was your home better because you were an Adventist? 43:52 Was your campus better because you were an Adventist? 43:56 Was your local church better because you are an Adventist? 44:02 The individual and the cross. 44:05 Don't tell me what ADRA did. 44:10 The call is a personal call. 44:14 You and the cross. 44:22 Arise, shine, why? 44:27 Because as soon as there was sin, 44:30 there was a savior. 44:36 I recently started a placement on a psychiatric facility. 44:41 And I'm a nursing student 44:43 so my scope of practice is very limited. 44:48 And so I had so many patients 44:50 and I fell in love with my patients, 44:51 I broke every ethical protocol, patient, 44:56 you know, client privilege, 44:58 no, no, no, nurse-patient therapeutic relationship. 45:02 I broke everything. 45:04 And so I fell in love with my patients, 45:06 we disclosed too much, and I remember, 45:10 just hearing their stories, darkness after darkness, 45:13 and it's actually something that we write in our charts, 45:16 you know, the patient is dark. 45:17 And we don't mean their complexion. 45:19 We mean, they're literally just dark. 45:23 Their world view, their perspective, 45:25 everything is just dark, it's doomed. 45:29 And so one specific patient I had, 45:32 I've been struggling with depression 45:33 for a very long time. 45:37 And every day I would talk to him 45:38 and he would tell me how just dark everything was 45:41 and how he longed to be happy again. 45:46 And so we talked and we talked and we talked 45:48 and, finally, my clinical instructor said, 45:50 "Tomorrow Chantal, you'll be giving meds." 45:53 I was so excited because in the psychiatric facility, 45:57 most meds are injections 45:59 and they're IM injections so intramuscular. 46:02 And this was a skill that I had never tried before. 46:05 And so the night before I was supposed to give the med, 46:08 I went and I researched everything 46:10 I could about the medication, what it does, 46:13 you know, all the complications, 46:16 the side effects, the adverse effects, 46:17 what you monitor, for everything. 46:20 I was a pro at this medication. 46:22 And so I began to look at the pharmacokinetics 46:24 and that's basically how the drug 46:27 interacts in the body and the implications. 46:30 And as I was reading, I was like, 46:31 "My goodness tomorrow when I give this injection, 46:34 my patient will be changed forever. 46:38 His depression will be cured." 46:40 I was so excited. 46:42 I was like, "Wow, heroes in scrubs, love it." 46:47 But as I continued to read to the bottom of the page, 46:52 it was one line that broke my heart. 46:56 The line said, "This medication is not curative." 47:01 And it dawned on me. 47:04 My patient would live 47:06 in their darkness forever. 47:11 Yes, the injection was thousands of dollars, 47:14 yes, it had so many things that it could do. 47:18 But my patient would live in darkness forever 47:23 because the medication's not curative. 47:28 Friends, that broke my heart as I realized 47:35 that darkness really is part 47:37 of our experience here on earth. 47:45 And I understood for the first time 47:48 how God feels when He looks at humanity 47:53 and He looks at the intention He had for us. 47:58 And He looks at the darkness 47:59 that marks our experience here on earth. 48:03 And He looks at all of our attempts, 48:06 the way we rely on ourselves. 48:09 But He knows at the bottom 48:11 of the page of all of hard times, 48:15 this medication is not curative. 48:20 Friends, there is only one thing 48:24 that can cure our darkness. 48:28 There's only one remedy and it's so simple, 48:32 it's been there since the beginning 48:34 but yet, I don't know, we're just so stubborn. 48:39 We insist on finding every other method. 48:46 The only permanent solution to our darkness, 48:49 the only hope for our nakedness 48:54 was outlined in Genesis 3. 48:58 "I will put enmity. 49:03 Arise and shine. 49:05 Darkness covers the earth, 49:06 great darkness the people, but God." 49:12 You see, friends, the darker it gets, 49:15 the faster we need to be turning to God. 49:24 When you think of arising and shining, 49:28 you know, it sounds great at GYC 49:30 but then you get home and you realize 49:33 what it actually implies in your daily life 49:36 and it gets discouraging sometimes. 49:39 But every time I think of a call outlined in the Bible, 49:44 I remind myself of the character of God, 49:48 the character of the God 49:49 that calls us to arise and shine. 49:53 There's a song that says, 49:54 "The love of God is greater far..." 49:58 I know many of you know it, 50:00 "Than tongue or pen can ever tell. 50:03 It goes beyond the highest star 50:08 and reaches to the lowest hell. 50:12 The guilty pair bowed down with care, 50:16 God gave His Son to win. 50:19 His erring child, 50:21 He reconciled and pardoned from His sin." 50:28 It goes on to say, 50:29 "Could we with ink, the oceans fill. 50:34 And were the skies of parchment made 50:37 were every stalk on earth a quill, 50:40 and every man a scribe by trade. 50:45 To write the love of God 50:47 above would drain the oceans dry. 50:51 Nor could the scroll contain the whole 50:55 though stretched from sky to sky." 50:59 Friends, that's the God 51:01 that calls us to arise and shine. 51:05 That's the love that calls us to arise and shine. 51:08 That's the God that looks at your darkness and He says, 51:13 "Arise and shine 51:14 because the glory of the Lord rises upon you." 51:20 God longs to restore us to our glory. 51:26 Friends, what type of love is this? 51:30 How can we remain inactive? 51:34 How can we remain in our darkness 51:36 with such a love? 51:41 You see, I think, so many times we try to strategize 51:44 and we beg people to go and evangelize. 51:48 But, friends, once we experience 51:49 the love of God, 51:51 have you ever seen someone in love? 51:53 You don't have to beg them to tell you 51:54 about their boyfriend, 51:56 they're telling you everything, you're eating a salad, 51:59 "Oh, that's my boyfriend's favorite salad." 52:02 How does it relate? You don't know, 52:03 but they're just so in love, 52:05 you don't have to beg them. 52:08 But yet we beg year after year begging GYC attendees, 52:14 please, go home and just reach one, please. 52:20 And I ask myself, "Are we in love with God?" 52:24 Because if we were experiencing God, 52:26 you know, when God shines in your life, 52:29 when you experience the way 52:30 He takes you out of your darkness, 52:32 it's the natural response to rise and shine. 52:38 We shouldn't have to beg Adventists to be Adventist. 52:47 Arise and shine. 52:53 There's another aspect to this. 52:57 The reason why God calls you specifically to arise and shine 53:02 it's because there's one thing God cannot do 53:06 and that is create another you. 53:10 You see, when you arise and shine, 53:13 you reveal a part of God 53:15 that no one else could ever reveal. 53:19 You reveal His glory in such a light 53:21 that no one else could ever reveal. 53:25 You see if God is a puzzle, 53:27 we all bring a piece of that puzzle. 53:31 And so when you and I neglect our part, 53:34 God's puzzle remains incomplete. 53:38 That's why He calls you, 53:40 not Adventism to arise and shine, 53:42 not GYC, you specifically in your seat 53:46 to arise and shine 53:48 because you reveal an angle of God 53:51 that I could never reveal. 53:54 You reveal a perspective, 53:56 your testimony, your praise is unique 53:59 and God longs to hear your praise. 54:04 That's why He would have come 54:07 even if it was just for one. 54:11 I'm running out of time. 54:14 And so I'll make my appeal. 54:17 It's a very specific appeal. 54:20 The call to arise and shine 54:24 starts with each of us. 54:27 See, I know that 54:29 there's someone seated here today 54:30 and you've been hiding from God, 54:33 you've made your fig leaf covering 54:35 and maybe you're comfortable in your darkness, 54:38 maybe you've come to terms with your darkness, 54:42 and maybe your intention was to go home 54:45 and remain the same, 54:48 but God. 54:52 But God calls you today. 54:55 And you're saying for the first time, 54:56 "You know what, I'll try this thing out. 54:59 I want to experience what God can do in my darkness. 55:03 I want to experience the plan of salvation when He says, 55:07 'I will put enmity between you and the serpent.'" 55:11 And you're saying, "God, look at my darkness." 55:15 God says, "Let there be light." 55:19 And you want to experience that for yourself, 55:21 you want to go home and say, 55:23 "In 2018, Lord, I want to experience Your light." 55:27 I'm not asking you to go and evangelize. 55:29 I'm not asking you to do anything. 55:31 Just to experience 55:33 how God can change your darkness 55:36 because, I know, the natural outworking of that 55:40 would be that you will shine for others. 55:44 If you're saying, "Lord, change my darkness. 55:48 I want to experience that." 55:51 If that is your desire this morning, 55:53 I invite you to come forward. 55:56 Saying, "Lord, I want to see 55:59 how You can shine in my darkness. 56:03 I want to see You do for me what I cannot do for myself. 56:10 I want to see Your glory revealed to me." 56:15 If that is your desire this morning, come forward. 56:20 The second appeal is even more specific. 56:24 And this is to someone that saying, 56:26 "Chantal, just like you, 56:28 I deemed Adventism a culture. 56:31 I deemed Adventism a thing of the past. 56:35 I forgot that this was a church ordained by God Himself. 56:39 I forgot why I came in the first place. 56:43 I lost my first love." 56:47 And you're saying, "Chantal, just like you, 56:49 I want to go home and discover 56:51 why I fell in love with Adventism in 2018." 56:57 If that is your desire this morning, 57:00 I invite you to come forward. |
Revised 2018-07-06