Welcome to Anchors Of Truth
from the 3ABN Worship Center.
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His Character
Counts with Hiram Rester.
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Well good afternoon.
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We welcome you again to
the 3ABN Worship Center,
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slash Thompsonville Seventh-day
Adventist Church, for the last
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in our series by our
pastor, or friend, Hiram Rester.
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The title of this
series, His Character Counts.
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And we have listened
to four very, very fine
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very, very anointed messages.
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And I was particularly impressed
with this morning's message.
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It was one that
touched my heart.
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And we have prayed
with him and expect from him
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nothing best
than God's very best.
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And we know we're going
to have a good time together.
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You know, we begin these little
odysseys on Wednesday afternoon.
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We've got five series to
go through, five sermons.
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And then very, very soon, all
too soon, we come down to the
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nether end of the
meetings and it's time
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for the very last sermon,
and you feel a little wistful.
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He was teasing
backstage saying, "Well, I've
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given all my best stuff.
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I don't have anything more.
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You can't invite me back again."
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And I told him, "The same
place you got this stuff from,
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you can go back
and get some more.
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Because God does
not run out, pastor.
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You know that."
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The same well never runs dry.
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And so we are praying for a
good meeting this afternoon.
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We have sung
Happy Birthday to him.
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And this is a great
way to spend your birthday.
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And he is one year older
and hopefully one year wiser
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in the Lord.
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He's a good guy, a good
sense of humor, loves the Lord.
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And is very, very
much loved by his church.
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And that speaks well for him.
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Shall we pray, now,
and then we'll have a song.
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And then we'll listen to
the man of God as he preaches.
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Father God, we just
thank You and praise You.
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The list is almost without end.
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We're thankful for life
and health and strength.
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We're thankful for the Sabbath.
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We're thankful for an
opportunity turn off the noise
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of the world and tune
into the voice of Jesus.
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We're thankful for the call
that brought us from darkness
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to light, and error to truth.
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We're thankful for
fellowship and for friendship,
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and for Christian
partners to walk together the
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road that leads to glory.
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We are thankful for the
power of the preached word.
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For You have said that You
have designed that through the
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foolishness of preaching,
men and women will be prepared
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for the coming of the Lord.
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And so we ask a
number of things, Lord.
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We ask that You
will be with Your servant
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whom you have anointed to
speak at this point in this day
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in this hour.
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We ask for open and
receptive ears and hearts,
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not only for those
who sit in this house,
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but for the thousands,
yea tens of thousands,
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who around the world
will hear this broadcast.
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And we ask that our
hearts and minds may be
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open and receptive.
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Because we don't want to
be just hearers of the Word.
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We want to be doers of the Word.
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Because it is in the doing that
we are made like Christ Jesus.
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So Father, quicken our
ears, quicken our hearts,
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as we listen to Your
words spoken with power.
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And we thank You,
oh Lord we thank You.
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In Jesus' name, amen.
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I want to do just a little
song, an old Adventist standard.
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It's from the hymnal.
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I was teasing the
pastor this morning.
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He said the song
that he referred to
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was in the Baptist hymnal.
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I said it was in the
Adventist hymnal before
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it was in the Baptist hymnal.
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I don't know if
that was true or not.
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Having said so, this song
is in the Adventist hymnal.
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It's called, So Send I You.
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It's a call from Christ
that once you heard the Word,
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He send us out to
minister that Word.
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So send I you; by
grace made strong to triumph.
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O'er hosts of hell, o'er
darkness, death, and sin.
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My name to bear, and
in that name to conquer;
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so send I you,
My victory to win.
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So send I you to
take to souls in bondage;
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the word of truth that
sets the captives free.
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To break the bonds of
sin, to loose death's fetters;
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so send I you, to
bring the lost to Me.
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So send I you, My
strength to know in weakness;
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My joy in grief, My
perfect peace in pain.
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To prove My power, My
grace, My promised presence;
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so send I you,
eternal fruit to gain.
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So send I you to bear
My cross with patience;
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and then one day
with joy to lay it down.
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To hear My voice, "Well
done, thou faithful servant.
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Come share My throne,
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My kingdom, and My crown."
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As the Father hath sent Me,
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so send I you.
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Amen.
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Thank you, Brother C.A.
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And God says, "So send I you."
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As we come to the
end of our series here
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on His Character Counts,
and as we see Him as He is,
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He sends us
forth to tell others.
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Come see a Man,
come meet my Jesus.
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So Send I You.
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What an excellent
message in song to introduce our
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last topic in this
series, His Character Counts.
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I would like to invite
you to seek the Lord with me
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once again in prayer today.
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Oh dear Lord, we come
before You thanking You
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once again for all the
blessings and the mercies You've
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given to each of us.
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Help us, Lord, to be more
thankful, to be more aware
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of your loving
watch care over us.
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Bless us now as
we open Your Word.
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And touch our hearts
with Your passion and love
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for each of us, and let it
flow forth through us to others.
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We do pray in Jesus' name, amen.
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I've shared with you that my
wife, Libby, and I and the kids,
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we spent ten and a half
years living on the road
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doing fulltime evangelism.
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Some for the Gulf States
Conference, and Mississippi
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and Alabama area,
panhandle of Florida.
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And then in the
Texico Conference which is
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right beside Exxon.
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Well no, actually Texico;
west Texas and New Mexico.
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And we were there
and that was great.
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Got to do lots of meetings out
in New Mexico and west Texas.
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And then we spent six
years traveling the nation,
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traveling the United
States, doing meetings all over
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the country in
freelance evangelism while I was
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working on Master's level
classes at Andrews University.
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Well, during that time
period traveling the nation,
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one of our series
was out in Colorado.
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We had more than
one series in Colorado.
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But the one that comes to
mind, we were preaching a series
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there, and it was in the
town of Greeley, Colorado.
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We were staying just a
town over or so in a little town
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called Windsor, Colorado.
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And the wind
really blew there one day.
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The wind blew there very
strongly, in fact, on that
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particular day
that I have in mind.
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We had a van borrowed that was
our vehicle during the meetings,
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because we had flown in.
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And we had a vehicle
borrowed from a church member
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that we were using to
get around and do the things
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we needed to do.
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And all of a sudden,
this rain began to fall.
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And then it turned into hail.
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And as the hail got
bigger and bigger, we thought,
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"You know what? We
should move the van."
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Because where it was sitting,
it could get dents on it.
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It could get hail damage.
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And so as my wife and I decided
that we should move the van,
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she concluded I should
be the one to go move it.
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As the hail was falling out
of the sky, I went running out
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toward the van with
a towel over my head
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getting pelted pretty well.
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And then it stopped.
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And I thought, "Okay, fine."
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Just as I was getting
ready to get into the van
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and move it, the hail stopped.
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And what's the
point in moving it now.
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The hail stopped, right?
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So I start back
into the apartment.
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It was an upstairs apartment,
a furnished apartment,
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where we were
staying during the meeting.
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And just as I get
under the edge of the roof...
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Actually, I'm not quite
under the edge of the roof
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when the first ones
start to fall around me.
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But quickly I am
under the edge of the roof.
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Hail started to come down again.
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But this time, no joke,
it was baseball sized hail.
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Yea, it totaled out the van.
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Seriously, it totaled it
out. Dents all over the thing.
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Well, I'm standing
under the edge of the roof.
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I'm not going back
out there now in this.
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Baseball sized
hail could hurt you.
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It was hitting the
grass and bouncing.
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It was hitting the
pavement and splattering.
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Crazy, I'd never
seen baseball sized hail.
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Not in Mississippi, anyway.
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And I'm standing under the stoop
as it's falling all around.
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The ground is quickly
becoming white from the hail
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coming out of the sky.
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And I'm thinking Revelation and
hail about the size of a talent.
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Which is a lot bigger
than that, but it's the
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closest thing to
that I'd ever seen.
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Very surreal situation.
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And then I look up into the sky
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and I see two black
birds way up in the sky.
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And I'm thinking, "What
are they doing out in this?"
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And then I
realize it's not birds.
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Those are shingles.
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And then I'm thinking,
"How did they get up there?"
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I'm a little slow
sometimes, you see.
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I'm heading in the house
and I say, "Dear, would you
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turn on the TV and see
what the weather is saying.
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I think there may be some really
bad weather in the area here."
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At the time, the power went out.
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Well, I called
Pastor Roger Walter.
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He's now out in
Vancouver, Washington.
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But he was the
pastor there at the time.
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And I knew he lived, you
know, 30 minutes or so away.
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And he always had good internet
at his house, it seemed.
00:13:31.76\00:13:36.75
And I thought, I'll
call Roger and have him
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check the weather for me.
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So the phone begins to
ring and I have it up to my ear.
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And as I'm looking outside
and the phone is ringing,
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all of a sudden the
garbage bags in the dumpster
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begin to levitate.
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That they
literally start floating up.
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And I'm like, this is a tornado.
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I've never been in a
tornado before, but pretty sure
00:14:08.31\00:14:11.59
that's what's going on here.
00:14:11.62\00:14:13.32
I yell to my wife, "Get
the kids, get in the closet."
00:14:14.36\00:14:17.40
We're not even on the ground
floor, we don't have a basement.
00:14:17.43\00:14:19.65
We're in a second story
apartment in the meeting.
00:14:19.68\00:14:22.41
"Get in the closet."
00:14:22.44\00:14:23.81
There's a walk-in
closet in the bigger bedroom.
00:14:23.84\00:14:26.42
They call it the master
bedroom, but there wasn't
00:14:26.45\00:14:28.28
nothing master about it.
00:14:28.31\00:14:29.68
It wasn't grand or nothing.
00:14:29.71\00:14:31.08
It was just a walk-in
closet there attached to it.
00:14:31.11\00:14:33.42
And they head in,
Libby and the girls run in.
00:14:33.45\00:14:36.78
And I'm still
kind of there watching.
00:14:36.81\00:14:38.41
About that time, I didn't
realize I still have a phone
00:14:40.08\00:14:42.45
in my ear, Roger goes, "Hello."
00:14:42.48\00:14:44.88
And I'm like,
"Roger, we're in a tornado.
00:14:45.63\00:14:48.11
Pray for us."
00:14:48.14\00:14:49.51
Now Roger knew that I liked
to joke and pick around some.
00:14:50.37\00:14:53.53
And so, he's 45 minutes
away with some church members
00:14:54.65\00:14:57.99
having a pristine sunny
day water skiing on the lake.
00:14:58.46\00:15:02.89
And he goes,
"Ha, ha. Yea right."
00:15:03.29\00:15:05.03
At which point I just
look at the phone and threw it.
00:15:05.73\00:15:08.96
I don't need it right now.
00:15:09.71\00:15:11.13
I grab the mattress
with all of the bedding and
00:15:11.16\00:15:14.94
everything on it,
the queen mattress,
00:15:14.97\00:15:18.60
and I pick it up, my arms
stretched out, I've got it bent,
00:15:18.63\00:15:21.45
and I hit that
closet door full speed.
00:15:21.48\00:15:23.92
Poom.
00:15:23.95\00:15:25.32
And I go right through it.
00:15:25.35\00:15:26.72
I'm on top of Libby and
the girls holding the mattress.
00:15:26.75\00:15:28.69
I roll underneath it and
we're just praying out loud.
00:15:28.72\00:15:31.38
It's like a train is
hitting the building.
00:15:31.41\00:15:34.07
Whoom, whoom,
whoom, whoom, whoom, whoom.
00:15:34.10\00:15:35.50
Yea, everything is shaking now.
00:15:35.53\00:15:37.17
We are in the tornado
and we were scared spitless.
00:15:37.20\00:15:42.18
Oh my.
00:15:43.27\00:15:44.64
It was, it was, it was...
00:15:44.67\00:15:46.04
It was one of the most
scary moments of my life.
00:15:46.07\00:15:51.02
And a little bit of damage
to the building we were in.
00:15:51.80\00:15:55.29
And some windows
broken and that kind of thing.
00:15:55.32\00:15:58.06
But the tornado then
literally touched down
00:15:58.09\00:16:01.65
right across the road.
00:16:01.68\00:16:03.05
The 18-wheeler, there was
an 18-wheeler parked across
00:16:03.08\00:16:05.34
the street a 100 yards away,
was flipped over on its side.
00:16:05.37\00:16:08.61
The buildings
were ripped to shreds.
00:16:08.64\00:16:10.46
There was a train...
00:16:10.49\00:16:12.33
We've got some pictures
they may put up here in a minute
00:16:12.36\00:16:14.37
that my wife took of the
damage in Windsor, Colorado
00:16:14.40\00:16:18.31
from that tornado.
00:16:18.34\00:16:19.71
And I went running
through this community.
00:16:19.74\00:16:21.76
There's a train,
notice the train there.
00:16:21.79\00:16:23.38
It is blown off of its axles.
00:16:23.41\00:16:26.86
I didn't know that the train
and its axles would come apart.
00:16:27.28\00:16:29.62
Apparently they
just sit down on there.
00:16:29.65\00:16:31.02
The axles were
still on the tracks.
00:16:31.05\00:16:32.42
The train was blown off.
00:16:32.45\00:16:34.17
Talk about some serious wind.
00:16:34.72\00:16:36.86
And these houses just torn open.
00:16:36.89\00:16:38.94
And as you go
through this community there,
00:16:38.97\00:16:41.64
you could hear
the swishing sound.
00:16:41.67\00:16:46.30
The gas lines were broken.
00:16:46.33\00:16:49.29
And me and this group of guys
I've never met before or since,
00:16:51.66\00:16:55.54
kind of ended up assembling
going from house to house
00:16:55.57\00:16:59.23
getting moms and
babies out of the houses
00:16:59.26\00:17:02.24
and making sure
people were okay.
00:17:02.27\00:17:04.77
And after, you know,
we did what we could,
00:17:05.07\00:17:07.08
I was starting to wonder
why have the cops not shown up.
00:17:07.11\00:17:10.15
Where's the first responders?
00:17:10.18\00:17:11.83
I thought it had just hit
this one little community.
00:17:11.86\00:17:14.19
No, it had continued a long way
and ripped a lot of the town up.
00:17:14.22\00:17:18.11
And so there was too
much for them to respond to.
00:17:18.14\00:17:20.62
They were responding,
just not where we were.
00:17:20.65\00:17:22.60
And we continued to
run from house to house.
00:17:22.63\00:17:26.32
And we're looking for one more,
and then another and another.
00:17:26.35\00:17:30.26
Thankfully, very
few people were hurt.
00:17:30.80\00:17:32.64
There were some injuries.
00:17:32.67\00:17:34.04
There was one
fatality from that tornado.
00:17:34.07\00:17:37.66
But as you look at the
damage, it could have been
00:17:37.69\00:17:39.46
so much worse.
00:17:39.49\00:17:40.86
We had a horrible tornado
close to where we live now,
00:17:40.89\00:17:43.28
an hour away in
Joplin, Missouri.
00:17:43.31\00:17:47.00
And, whew, that one was serious.
00:17:47.03\00:17:50.20
But any tornado,
of course, is serious.
00:17:50.23\00:17:53.75
Especially if there's
injury and loss of life.
00:17:53.78\00:17:57.44
But we were
looking for one more,
00:17:57.47\00:17:59.77
and then another and another.
00:17:59.80\00:18:03.49
You see, ultimately,
as we look at Scripture,
00:18:03.69\00:18:07.34
and turn with me to
Luke chapter 15 would you,
00:18:07.37\00:18:09.93
there's something that
God has placed within us
00:18:10.23\00:18:13.63
that in those situations
we hope to see people rescued,
00:18:13.66\00:18:17.50
and look for one more,
and then another and another.
00:18:17.53\00:18:22.11
In fact, God Himself is one
who seeks to rescue and look
00:18:22.14\00:18:26.87
for those who are in
trouble and those who are lost.
00:18:26.90\00:18:30.68
Look with me in Luke 15 verse 1.
00:18:30.71\00:18:32.83
"Then drew near unto
Him all the publicans
00:18:32.86\00:18:34.92
and sinners for to hear Him.
00:18:34.95\00:18:36.70
And the Pharisees and
scribes murmured, saying,
00:18:37.18\00:18:39.59
'This man receiveth
sinners and eateth with them.'"
00:18:39.62\00:18:42.78
Oh my.
00:18:42.81\00:18:44.18
"This man receives
sinners and eats with them."
00:18:44.21\00:18:46.49
This is the
religious people of the day.
00:18:46.52\00:18:48.87
They didn't understand Jesus.
00:18:49.33\00:18:51.60
They did not get how
awesome and loving and accepting
00:18:51.63\00:18:56.16
and forgiving and
merciful His character was.
00:18:56.19\00:19:00.25
They wouldn't have
eaten with the sinners.
00:19:00.28\00:19:02.61
They wouldn't have
visited with the sinners.
00:19:02.64\00:19:05.11
They wouldn't talk with them.
00:19:05.14\00:19:06.51
They wouldn't have
anything to do with them.
00:19:06.54\00:19:07.91
But my Jesus did.
00:19:07.94\00:19:10.44
And, my friends, they
didn't understand Him.
00:19:11.75\00:19:14.02
But He was showing love to all.
00:19:14.05\00:19:16.64
My friends, His
character counts.
00:19:16.67\00:19:20.18
We read on.
00:19:20.21\00:19:21.58
Verse 3, "And He spake
this parable unto them, saying,
00:19:21.61\00:19:26.31
'What man of you, having
an hundred sheep, if he lose
00:19:26.34\00:19:29.45
one of them, doth not
leave the ninety and nine in the
00:19:29.48\00:19:32.71
wilderness and go after that
which is lost until he find it?
00:19:32.74\00:19:37.86
And when he hath
found it, he layeth it on
00:19:38.34\00:19:40.49
his shoulders, rejoicing.
00:19:40.52\00:19:42.53
And when he cometh home, he
calleth together his friends
00:19:42.83\00:19:45.95
and neighbors, saying
unto them, "Rejoice with me.
00:19:45.98\00:19:49.08
for I have found my
sheep which was lost."
00:19:49.11\00:19:52.71
I say unto
you...'" verse 7 of Luke 15.
00:19:52.74\00:19:55.20
"I say unto you, that
likewise joy shall be in heaven
00:19:55.60\00:19:59.70
over one sinner that repenteth,
more than over ninety and nine
00:19:59.73\00:20:05.50
just persons, which
need no repentance."
00:20:05.53\00:20:09.68
My friends, that
shows one of the character
00:20:10.16\00:20:12.81
attributes of our God.
00:20:12.84\00:20:14.68
His passion and
desperate love to save the lost.
00:20:14.71\00:20:21.00
My friends, Jesus in
His ministry, He ministered
00:20:22.40\00:20:26.29
to the masses, but individually
could not pass by the
00:20:26.32\00:20:31.82
opportunity, time and time
again, to reach one more soul.
00:20:31.85\00:20:40.78
I was driving over
here earlier in the week
00:20:41.84\00:20:45.13
for this weekend here at 3ABN.
00:20:45.43\00:20:48.55
Driving over from
Springfield, Missouri.
00:20:48.58\00:20:51.00
It's about five and a half
hours to our home from here.
00:20:51.03\00:20:55.57
And I was about four to four
and a half hours into my trip,
00:20:56.60\00:21:01.48
and my phone rang.
00:21:02.13\00:21:03.50
It said, "Libby."
00:21:03.53\00:21:04.90
I'm like, "Oh, there's my wife."
00:21:04.93\00:21:06.30
I answer the phone,
"Hey Babe, what's up?"
00:21:06.33\00:21:07.81
"You've got one of the keys to
the house with you, don't you?"
00:21:09.88\00:21:12.44
I said, "Yea,
here on the key ring."
00:21:12.47\00:21:14.40
She goes, "You may
have to come back."
00:21:15.90\00:21:18.05
I'm immediately
resistant to the idea.
00:21:20.05\00:21:22.63
Because it would be eight
hours to drive back and get
00:21:23.84\00:21:26.73
back to where I was.
00:21:26.76\00:21:28.13
Actually, closer to nine.
00:21:28.16\00:21:30.55
She goes, "I've
lost my house key.
00:21:31.19\00:21:33.69
We're here at the
house, me and the kids."
00:21:34.40\00:21:36.14
And I'm picturing
my wife in the driveway
00:21:36.17\00:21:38.64
with Lauren, and
you know, she's eleven,
00:21:39.13\00:21:42.75
and Savannah, she's
six, and Jackson, he's two.
00:21:43.09\00:21:46.77
She said, "We can't get in
the house, I've lost the key.
00:21:46.80\00:21:49.22
All the windows are locked.
00:21:49.25\00:21:50.62
There's a window
upstairs that may be open."
00:21:50.65\00:21:53.56
And she's going through
this and I'm thinking, "Oh my."
00:21:54.00\00:21:57.26
She goes, "I'm going to need
you to bring that key back."
00:21:57.60\00:21:59.87
And I'm like, "Baby,
I'll probably have you break a
00:21:59.90\00:22:01.81
window out before
I would drive back."
00:22:01.84\00:22:04.25
She thought that
was absolutely crazy.
00:22:04.54\00:22:06.76
I can understand that.
00:22:07.61\00:22:08.98
I'm like, "Well, you know, I
can call a locksmith for you."
00:22:09.01\00:22:11.98
I mean, I know locksmiths
will open car doors if you,
00:22:12.01\00:22:16.48
you know, lock your keys in.
00:22:16.51\00:22:18.40
Maybe they'll unlock the house.
00:22:18.43\00:22:20.03
She said, "Well, I'm going
to look for the key really good
00:22:20.45\00:22:23.22
here in the truck."
00:22:23.25\00:22:24.62
And so I get off the phone
with her and I'm trying to,
00:22:24.65\00:22:26.97
you know, find a way to contact
a locksmith to see if they could
00:22:28.16\00:22:32.15
open the house.
00:22:32.18\00:22:33.55
Because I've got a phone
that can, you know, get on the
00:22:34.16\00:22:36.13
internet and stuff
when I'm traveling.
00:22:36.16\00:22:38.15
It's an iPhone.
00:22:38.78\00:22:40.15
I like Apple stuff, for
those that are into computers.
00:22:40.18\00:22:42.76
I know that PC, that
stands for "problem computers."
00:22:43.18\00:22:45.85
Something like that, for those
of you that are using computers.
00:22:45.88\00:22:49.77
But none the less, I was
looking on my iPhone there,
00:22:49.80\00:22:52.99
and my wife calls back.
00:22:53.02\00:22:54.65
She had gotten down in
the Jeep, or the truck,
00:22:54.68\00:22:59.93
on her hands and
knees and was looking.
00:22:59.96\00:23:01.99
And she found that it
had come off the key ring
00:23:02.02\00:23:05.36
and was underneath the seat.
00:23:05.39\00:23:07.93
She found the key.
00:23:07.96\00:23:09.85
I breathed a big sigh of relief
and continued on my journey
00:23:09.88\00:23:14.31
here to 3ABN for this weekend.
00:23:14.34\00:23:17.39
But she looked
fervently for that key.
00:23:18.07\00:23:21.31
Perhaps with the fervor that
the woman in the next story,
00:23:22.00\00:23:26.21
or parable that Jesus
comes up with, would have.
00:23:26.24\00:23:30.44
In fact, it says here in
verse 8, "Either what woman
00:23:30.47\00:23:35.10
having ten pieces of
silver, if she lose one piece,
00:23:35.13\00:23:39.51
doth not light a
candle, and sweep the house,
00:23:39.54\00:23:42.91
and seek..." How?
00:23:42.94\00:23:44.92
"...diligently till she find it?
00:23:45.82\00:23:49.42
And when she hath found
it, she calleth her friends
00:23:49.45\00:23:52.31
and her neighbors together,
saying, 'Rejoice with me.
00:23:52.34\00:23:57.23
For I have found the
piece which I had lost.'
00:23:57.26\00:24:01.36
Likewise, I say unto you,
there is joy in the presence
00:24:01.39\00:24:07.18
of the angels of
God over..." How many?
00:24:07.21\00:24:11.21
"...one sinner that repenteth."
00:24:11.66\00:24:16.56
My friends, Jesus was
always looking for one more,
00:24:17.55\00:24:20.89
and then another and another.
00:24:20.92\00:24:22.38
Now in this particular
parable, that was likely a dowry
00:24:22.41\00:24:26.14
for the woman, you see.
00:24:26.17\00:24:28.00
The dowry would often be
paid to the father of the bride.
00:24:28.03\00:24:31.73
At which point, that
would generally, in many of the
00:24:31.76\00:24:35.30
cultures, be passed on to
the bride to keep as her own.
00:24:35.33\00:24:39.40
That if she was
mistreated by that husband,
00:24:39.43\00:24:41.68
she could have the
funds to come home to daddy.
00:24:41.71\00:24:45.10
And so this was her savings,
this was her life savings,
00:24:45.42\00:24:52.14
and she'd lost part of it.
00:24:52.17\00:24:53.54
She's looking for it diligently.
00:24:53.57\00:24:55.36
And she finds it
and she rejoices.
00:24:55.39\00:24:59.13
My friends, there is such joy
over one sinner that repenteth.
00:24:59.16\00:25:06.39
I think of a horrible
accident, not accident, but
00:25:07.25\00:25:10.76
terrorist attack that
we're all familiar with
00:25:10.79\00:25:13.77
in New York
City; the twin towers.
00:25:13.82\00:25:16.34
In fact, there's two
ladies, Genelle and Rosa,
00:25:16.37\00:25:21.28
they settled into work in
the Port Authority offices
00:25:21.38\00:25:25.28
on floor 64, I believe
it was, of tower one of the
00:25:26.34\00:25:30.78
World Trade Center.
00:25:30.81\00:25:32.18
And as they were talking
excitedly about the events
00:25:32.45\00:25:35.01
of the weekend, all of a
sudden there was a huge noise.
00:25:35.04\00:25:40.03
It sounded like an
explosion, and the building
00:25:40.06\00:25:42.43
somewhat rocked side to side.
00:25:42.92\00:25:45.28
Genelle and Rosa ran over
to the glass looking out of the
00:25:45.79\00:25:50.79
building where people were
gathering, noticing paper and
00:25:50.82\00:25:55.45
bits of debris coming
down, falling down, outside from
00:25:55.48\00:26:00.98
somewhere up above.
00:26:01.01\00:26:02.71
The PA system came
on, public address system,
00:26:03.19\00:26:06.85
with an announcement,
"Everybody remain calm,
00:26:06.88\00:26:10.24
and remain where you're at."
00:26:11.27\00:26:13.22
Most of the people
in the office ignored it
00:26:15.80\00:26:18.25
and were rushing
out of the building.
00:26:18.28\00:26:20.43
Genelle and Rosa decided to
heed the announcement and stay.
00:26:20.46\00:26:23.39
And a few minutes later,
they've got the TV on there
00:26:23.42\00:26:26.68
in the conference room and
they are watching the footage of
00:26:26.71\00:26:29.44
thick black smoke coming
from the building they're in.
00:26:29.47\00:26:32.63
Genelle gets hold of her
fiancé, Roger, on the phone and
00:26:33.84\00:26:37.35
he immediately yells,
"What are you still there for?
00:26:37.38\00:26:39.53
Get out of there."
00:26:39.56\00:26:40.93
It was at that moment that
there was another explosion.
00:26:40.96\00:26:43.67
Tower two was hit.
00:26:43.70\00:26:45.62
Genelle and Rosa began going
down the flights of stairs.
00:26:46.08\00:26:49.24
64 floors to the bottom, right?
00:26:49.27\00:26:51.81
They're on floor 64.
00:26:52.11\00:26:54.14
They're going down
the flights of stairs.
00:26:54.17\00:26:55.96
At the 13th floor, they
stop to pause for just a moment
00:26:56.00\00:27:00.55
as Genelle decides
to take off her shoes.
00:27:00.58\00:27:03.86
And it was at that
moment that the floor buckled.
00:27:03.89\00:27:05.97
And something hit
Genelle in her back.
00:27:06.62\00:27:09.10
There was a horrible rumbling.
00:27:09.66\00:27:12.11
And when the
rumbling came to an end,
00:27:12.14\00:27:15.11
she found that her head
was sandwiched between two
00:27:15.14\00:27:20.14
massive concrete pillars,
and her leg was buried in rubble
00:27:20.17\00:27:23.84
up to her thigh, and
she was unable to move.
00:27:23.87\00:27:26.95
Claustrophobia and panic set in.
00:27:28.38\00:27:30.97
As the rescue efforts
began shortly thereafter,
00:27:33.41\00:27:36.98
she found herself under
the rubble for 26 hours.
00:27:37.83\00:27:43.12
She would cry out
until she would pass out.
00:27:43.86\00:27:46.25
And upon waking up,
would once again call for help.
00:27:46.28\00:27:50.78
Finally, help arrived.
00:27:51.18\00:27:52.83
And Genelle Guzman became the
fifth and final survivor to be
00:27:53.45\00:27:56.44
pulled directly from
the carnage of Ground Zero.
00:27:56.47\00:27:59.47
But I remember, do you,
of watching on TV as rescue
00:27:59.86\00:28:04.99
efforts continued, as
the firemen and the other
00:28:05.03\00:28:09.33
rescue personnel
searched for one more,
00:28:09.36\00:28:13.55
hoping to find one
more, just one more person.
00:28:14.44\00:28:19.75
And always as
someone would be found,
00:28:19.78\00:28:23.35
looking for another
and another; one more soul.
00:28:23.38\00:28:30.43
One more person.
00:28:31.15\00:28:32.53
Well, my friends, there has
been another terrorist attack.
00:28:32.83\00:28:35.51
That as awful as
that was, it pales into...
00:28:36.88\00:28:40.05
Well, it's not as significant
compared to this other one.
00:28:41.16\00:28:43.93
There has been a hijacking.
That's part of the problem.
00:28:45.05\00:28:48.55
An entire planet flying
through space has been hijacked.
00:28:49.16\00:28:53.91
What I can tell you is,
presently, rescue efforts
00:28:56.05\00:28:59.97
are underway.
00:29:00.78\00:29:02.41
We read about it
here in Luke chapter 19.
00:29:02.61\00:29:06.90
Luke chapter 19 and verse 10.
00:29:07.26\00:29:09.76
It says this, rescue efforts
currently underway, Luke 19:10.
00:29:10.31\00:29:14.98
It says, "For the Son
of man," that's my Jesus,
00:29:15.51\00:29:18.74
"is come to seek and to
save that which was..." What?
00:29:18.77\00:29:23.94
Does that sound
like a rescue effort?
00:29:24.25\00:29:26.29
"He's come to..." What?
00:29:26.32\00:29:27.69
"...seek..." To look for.
00:29:27.72\00:29:29.29
"...and to
save..." Take to safety.
00:29:29.32\00:29:31.93
"...that which was lost."
00:29:31.96\00:29:34.17
And as the universe looks
on, and the unfallen host,
00:29:34.20\00:29:39.39
they're watching what's
taking place, and they see
00:29:39.69\00:29:42.90
souls redeemed by
the blood of Jesus.
00:29:42.93\00:29:45.75
And they're hoping.
00:29:45.78\00:29:47.15
Every time there is salvation
for one, there is rejoicing.
00:29:47.34\00:29:51.29
But they're hoping for one more.
00:29:51.32\00:29:54.62
And then another and another.
00:29:55.19\00:29:57.83
One more soul.
00:29:57.86\00:30:00.64
We see the passion, the
love, as Jesus in His life would
00:30:00.99\00:30:05.58
minister to the masses, but
always be looking for one more,
00:30:05.61\00:30:10.15
and then another and another.
00:30:10.18\00:30:11.55
We're here in Luke chapter
19, and so let's look at it.
00:30:11.58\00:30:16.07
We'll start here in
verse 1 in just a moment.
00:30:16.10\00:30:18.35
We're going to
talk about a short man.
00:30:18.38\00:30:21.74
Zacchaeus.
00:30:23.14\00:30:24.56
Do you remember the story?
00:30:25.26\00:30:26.69
I sang it growing up in the
Baptist church in Sunday school.
00:30:26.72\00:30:31.15
Zacchaeus was a wee little man.
00:30:31.74\00:30:35.45
And a wee little man was he.
00:30:35.89\00:30:38.27
He climbed up
in a Sycamore tree,
00:30:38.97\00:30:42.56
for the Lord he wanted to see.
00:30:42.98\00:30:45.86
And as the
Savior passed that way,
00:30:46.61\00:30:49.74
He looked up in the tree and
said, "Zacchaeus, you come down.
00:30:49.77\00:30:55.01
For I'm going to
your house today."
00:30:55.55\00:30:58.79
Is that the first time
you've ever heard someone
00:30:59.22\00:31:01.00
preach the song, "Zacchaeus
was a wee little man."
00:31:01.03\00:31:04.25
Powerful, powerful
story in the Scriptures.
00:31:08.06\00:31:12.63
You see, Jesus was
pressed about on all sides.
00:31:12.66\00:31:16.62
So much so that the only
way the man could see Jesus
00:31:18.24\00:31:21.44
was to climb up in a tree.
00:31:21.47\00:31:23.02
And you would think Jesus is
ministering to too many people
00:31:23.05\00:31:25.92
to worry about this short guy.
00:31:25.95\00:31:27.73
Vertically challenged man.
00:31:28.99\00:31:31.51
But no.
00:31:32.07\00:31:33.44
We find it
here, Luke 19 verse 1.
00:31:33.57\00:31:35.66
"And Jesus entered and
passed through Jericho.
00:31:35.69\00:31:38.27
And behold, there was
a man named Zacchaeus,
00:31:38.30\00:31:41.48
which was the chief among
the publicans, and he was rich.
00:31:41.94\00:31:45.59
And he sought to see
Jesus, who He was; and could not
00:31:45.62\00:31:48.79
for the press," so
many people around him,
00:31:48.82\00:31:51.04
"because he was
little of stature.
00:31:51.07\00:31:53.15
And he ran before and climbed
up into a sycamore tree to
00:31:53.94\00:31:57.19
see Him: for He
was to pass that way."
00:31:57.22\00:32:01.75
Now, why did he
climb up in a tree?
00:32:02.77\00:32:04.93
The common answer
is, because he was short.
00:32:06.18\00:32:08.35
You say, "Well, it
just said he was short."
00:32:08.55\00:32:09.92
Yea.
00:32:09.95\00:32:11.32
He climbed up in a tree...
00:32:11.44\00:32:13.04
Well, what sent him up the tree?
00:32:14.34\00:32:15.99
You say, "He was short." No.
00:32:16.02\00:32:17.39
You know what?
00:32:17.42\00:32:18.79
There's short people out
there all over the place.
00:32:18.82\00:32:20.38
And you don't see
most of them in trees.
00:32:20.41\00:32:22.75
What sent him up that tree?
00:32:24.12\00:32:26.35
He had been hearing about Jesus.
00:32:26.38\00:32:29.99
He had heard enough
about Jesus that he wanted to
00:32:30.72\00:32:35.12
see Jesus.
00:32:35.68\00:32:37.44
That's what
sent him up the tree.
00:32:38.51\00:32:40.38
And, yea, he was
short. I'll admit it.
00:32:40.91\00:32:43.13
But we read on.
00:32:43.43\00:32:45.17
And it says here,
verse 5, "And when Jesus came
00:32:45.42\00:32:49.91
to the place, He looked up
and saw him, and said unto him,
00:32:49.94\00:32:52.28
'Zacchaeus, make
haste and come down;
00:32:52.31\00:32:53.89
for today I must
abide at thy house.'
00:32:53.92\00:32:56.09
And he made
haste, and came down,
00:32:56.12\00:32:57.49
and received Him joyfully.
00:32:57.52\00:32:58.89
And when they saw it,
they all murmured, saying
00:32:58.92\00:33:01.78
that He was gone to be guest
with a man that is a sinner."
00:33:01.81\00:33:04.69
Here again, Jesus is
ministering to lost souls,
00:33:04.72\00:33:08.65
and the religious people of the
day are complaining about it.
00:33:08.68\00:33:13.23
Let us never be among the
complainers to Jesus' ministry.
00:33:13.70\00:33:18.33
Especially in the church today.
00:33:19.50\00:33:21.82
And so we notice
here what happens.
00:33:22.92\00:33:26.31
Verse 10, in this
context Jesus says what?
00:33:26.51\00:33:30.33
"For the Son of man is
come to seek and to save
00:33:31.03\00:33:34.43
that which was lost."
00:33:34.46\00:33:36.09
The religious people of
Jesus' day, and many from today,
00:33:38.01\00:33:41.32
don't know what God is like.
00:33:41.90\00:33:43.27
They don't get His
character, His loving character.
00:33:43.30\00:33:45.76
And it's so good for
them, for us when we're possibly
00:33:45.79\00:33:50.94
critical of others, that
God has such a loving character.
00:33:50.97\00:33:54.68
Because He'll
forgive us for that too.
00:33:55.65\00:33:58.08
And He'll change us.
00:33:58.94\00:34:00.50
Thankfully, He loves
the religious Pharisees,
00:34:01.70\00:34:05.54
that don't see His
character as they should,
00:34:05.85\00:34:08.57
as much as the harlot and the
drunkard and the tax collector.
00:34:09.47\00:34:14.03
He loves us all.
00:34:14.47\00:34:15.92
Jesus ministers to the masses,
but He could not pass by the
00:34:16.72\00:34:20.49
opportunity to win one more,
and then another and another.
00:34:20.52\00:34:24.54
Would you go with me to John
chapter 8 and let's see it here.
00:34:24.57\00:34:27.46
Here we have a woman
that's caught in adultery.
00:34:27.49\00:34:30.23
John 8 verse 1, "Jesus
went unto the mount of Olives.
00:34:30.26\00:34:35.61
And early in the morning
He came again into the temple,
00:34:35.64\00:34:39.22
and all the
people came unto Him.
00:34:39.52\00:34:41.63
And He sat down
and taught them."
00:34:41.66\00:34:43.03
So there's all kinds of people,
all the people came unto Him.
00:34:43.06\00:34:45.65
People are pressing about Him.
00:34:45.68\00:34:47.65
Again, Jesus is
ministering to the masses.
00:34:47.68\00:34:51.03
And His sermon gets interrupted.
00:34:51.77\00:34:53.99
Now I've thought about this.
00:34:56.00\00:34:57.60
If some people came in right now
while I'm trying to preach to
00:34:58.31\00:35:01.27
you folks and interrupted
my sermon, I'm afraid that
00:35:01.30\00:35:04.77
I might would get
aggravated or something.
00:35:04.80\00:35:07.41
Jesus saw it as a
ministry opportunity.
00:35:09.11\00:35:12.61
Right?
00:35:12.81\00:35:14.18
That's the truth.
00:35:14.34\00:35:16.30
Verse 3, "And the scribes
and Pharisees brought unto Him
00:35:16.71\00:35:19.17
a woman taken in adultery.
00:35:19.20\00:35:20.87
And when they had set her in
the midst, they say unto Him,
00:35:20.90\00:35:23.11
'Master, this woman was taken
in adultery, in the very act.'"
00:35:23.14\00:35:26.48
They talk about the law of Moses
and how she should be stoned,
00:35:26.51\00:35:29.22
and ask Jesus what to do.
00:35:29.25\00:35:30.62
And He stoops down and
He writes in the ground.
00:35:30.65\00:35:32.56
And they think, you
know, He's ignoring them.
00:35:32.59\00:35:35.15
And so they talk to
Him some more about it.
00:35:35.18\00:35:37.01
He writes in the
ground, and then He says,
00:35:38.50\00:35:40.49
"He who is without sin,
let him cast the first stone."
00:35:41.65\00:35:47.22
See, Jesus was
ministering to the masses.
00:35:47.61\00:35:52.40
But in this humiliated
puddled mass of human flesh
00:35:53.69\00:35:59.75
sitting weeping upon the
ground, my Savior could not
00:35:59.78\00:36:07.52
pass by the opportunity
to win one more soul.
00:36:08.03\00:36:17.93
And so what does Jesus do?
00:36:18.65\00:36:20.34
He says, "He that's without sin,
let him cast the first stone,"
00:36:20.37\00:36:23.29
as the convicting
power of the Holy Spirit
00:36:23.32\00:36:27.19
burned into their hearts.
00:36:28.61\00:36:30.72
From the oldest to the
youngest, they slowly went away.
00:36:31.62\00:36:34.56
Jesus was the only one left.
00:36:35.84\00:36:38.00
Verse 10 of John 8, "When
Jesus had lifted up Himself
00:36:38.92\00:36:43.73
and saw none but the
woman, He said unto her,
00:36:43.76\00:36:47.17
'Woman, where
are thine accusers?
00:36:47.20\00:36:49.87
Hath no man condemned thee?'
00:36:49.90\00:36:52.18
She said, 'No man, Lord.'
00:36:53.09\00:36:54.81
And Jesus said unto her,
'Neither do I condemn thee.
00:36:55.35\00:37:00.01
Go, and sin no more.'"
00:37:00.50\00:37:02.79
My younger brother, for
quite a while, a few years,
00:37:04.30\00:37:09.16
taught at religious
high school, the academies.
00:37:09.19\00:37:13.45
He's now back in Mississippi
teaching at the public
00:37:14.11\00:37:17.37
middle school
where my mom taught.
00:37:17.40\00:37:19.39
He just wants to be
back in Mississippi.
00:37:19.42\00:37:21.35
For me and my wife to have
traveled all over the country
00:37:22.18\00:37:24.72
is really not in
harmony with our heritage.
00:37:24.75\00:37:28.85
My mom still lives in the
same county she was born in.
00:37:28.88\00:37:31.49
Worked at the same institution
her entire work career,
00:37:31.52\00:37:34.73
and retired.
00:37:34.76\00:37:36.13
My dad is the one
that moved away from home.
00:37:36.16\00:37:38.00
He lives there, him and my mom,
in the county she was raised in.
00:37:38.03\00:37:42.10
Twenty-five minutes
from where he grew up.
00:37:42.13\00:37:43.96
I mean that's... You know, wow.
00:37:43.99\00:37:47.32
So Libby and I having
went all over the country.
00:37:47.64\00:37:50.58
My brother, he has traveled
around too, but he went back
00:37:50.61\00:37:54.32
to Mississippi this year.
00:37:54.35\00:37:55.72
But he was telling me he
did an experiment in one of the
00:37:56.28\00:37:59.23
academies where he
was teaching Bible.
00:37:59.26\00:38:01.92
My little brother, he's a
brain. He's a walking brain.
00:38:01.95\00:38:05.80
Really, a brain.
00:38:06.07\00:38:07.44
He's way smarter than me.
00:38:07.47\00:38:09.97
He plays 37
different musical instruments.
00:38:10.68\00:38:13.17
I've watched him get
up and play recorder.
00:38:13.65\00:38:16.53
He's got a big one
that he stuffs in his shirt,
00:38:17.12\00:38:19.16
and one in each hand,
and played a song in harmony.
00:38:20.32\00:38:28.73
And he just had one
note on the big one,
00:38:30.08\00:38:32.14
but when he didn't need
that note, he would cover that
00:38:32.17\00:38:34.70
recorder's
opening with his tongue.
00:38:34.73\00:38:37.89
So on and off with that
one, and then the others.
00:38:38.50\00:38:40.58
He plays like 37
different musical instruments,
00:38:40.61\00:38:43.40
and all of this.
00:38:43.43\00:38:44.80
My little brother was
teaching Bible at this academy
00:38:44.83\00:38:49.30
and he had about 200 students
that he was working with.
00:38:49.33\00:38:53.17
And he had them write something
down, I believe it was.
00:38:53.20\00:38:56.24
And it was about the
woman caught in adultery,
00:38:56.27\00:38:58.09
and what did Jesus say to her?
00:38:58.12\00:38:59.77
And do you know what 98%
of our young people wrote down
00:39:01.03\00:39:04.37
out of the 200 sample
that he was working with?
00:39:05.30\00:39:08.10
What do you think they wrote
down that Jesus said to the
00:39:08.76\00:39:11.15
woman caught in adultery?
00:39:11.18\00:39:12.58
"Go and sin no more."
00:39:14.98\00:39:18.96
There was only 3 or 4
out of 200 that wrote,
00:39:19.53\00:39:21.98
"Neither do I condemn
thee. Go and sin no more."
00:39:22.28\00:39:28.12
My friends, let us not make a
mistake that we get to thinking
00:39:29.47\00:39:34.21
that God is looking
at us when we have sinned
00:39:34.24\00:39:37.86
and fallen into
sin, and His response is,
00:39:37.89\00:39:41.35
"Don't do that anymore."
00:39:41.38\00:39:43.19
His response is,
"Neither do I condemn thee.
00:39:44.60\00:39:50.26
Go and sin no more."
00:39:50.29\00:39:52.11
When we're feeling condemnation,
and we think that's coming from
00:39:52.47\00:39:56.78
God, we don't have the
freedom to obey from the heart.
00:39:56.81\00:40:01.88
And we're going to be trapped in
a salvation by works experience
00:40:02.80\00:40:07.39
if we don't realize the
loving character God has for us.
00:40:07.93\00:40:12.13
You say, "Are
you advocating sin?"
00:40:12.16\00:40:13.88
No.
00:40:13.91\00:40:15.28
He said, "Go and sin no more."
00:40:15.31\00:40:17.72
But, my friends, if we emphasize
that without bringing out
00:40:17.75\00:40:22.38
that Jesus says,
"Neither do I condemn thee,"
00:40:22.41\00:40:25.18
we've left out the part
that gives victory over sin
00:40:25.21\00:40:29.78
from the heart, and
we create legalists.
00:40:29.81\00:40:33.71
As we look here,
Jesus was ministering.
00:40:35.67\00:40:37.75
This is about the
character and love of God.
00:40:37.78\00:40:40.65
Go with me to John chapter 3.
00:40:40.68\00:40:42.35
Let's see it again, John 3.
00:40:42.38\00:40:45.24
You know, I use to think that
ministers don't really work.
00:40:45.27\00:40:49.37
I don't know if any of
you have ever experience that.
00:40:50.13\00:40:51.76
I've got some church
members that probably just think
00:40:51.79\00:40:53.44
I work on Sabbath.
00:40:53.47\00:40:55.08
They think, "You get paid pretty
good working one day a week."
00:40:55.27\00:40:57.70
I grew up hauling hay
and hauling watermelons
00:41:00.52\00:41:04.39
in the, you know, Mississippi
sun and the humidity, the heat.
00:41:04.42\00:41:08.49
And, whew, those were
some hard days of work.
00:41:08.73\00:41:13.39
Building fence, oh man.
00:41:13.42\00:41:16.59
And at the end of the day, when
you lay down to go to sleep,
00:41:16.62\00:41:19.99
you're just exhausted.
00:41:20.02\00:41:22.08
It just feels so good to
stretch out and lay down.
00:41:22.11\00:41:25.59
And sleep comes quickly.
00:41:25.62\00:41:27.30
In ministry, you
get just as exhausted,
00:41:28.03\00:41:30.03
but in a different way.
00:41:30.06\00:41:31.46
Your body may not be
tired, but your mind is drained.
00:41:31.92\00:41:37.02
The emotional energy it takes
to be ministering to people and
00:41:37.05\00:41:41.63
to meet their needs.
00:41:41.66\00:41:43.42
Jesus had been
ministering to the masses
00:41:43.96\00:41:46.48
here in John chapter 3.
00:41:46.51\00:41:48.30
And finally, he had some time
in the evening, some solitude.
00:41:48.33\00:41:52.85
And there's a man
that comes to Him.
00:41:54.37\00:41:55.96
This man had been
too embarrassed to go and
00:41:55.99\00:41:57.97
see Jesus in the bright of day.
00:41:58.00\00:42:00.60
In the light of day, he
wouldn't come and see Jesus.
00:42:00.63\00:42:03.96
He comes sneaking up at night.
00:42:03.99\00:42:06.74
A leader of Israel, Nicodemus.
00:42:07.56\00:42:10.23
And what
happens here? We see it.
00:42:11.24\00:42:13.23
Verse 1 of John 3, "There
was a man of the Pharisees
00:42:14.69\00:42:17.08
named Nicodemus,
a ruler of the Jews.
00:42:17.11\00:42:19.04
The same came to Jesus
by night, and said unto Him,
00:42:19.07\00:42:21.32
'Rabbi, we know that Thou
art a teacher come from God.
00:42:21.35\00:42:23.57
For no man can do these
miracles that Thou doest,
00:42:23.60\00:42:25.78
except God be with Him.'
00:42:25.81\00:42:27.18
Jesus answered and said
unto him, 'Verily,'" or truly,
00:42:27.21\00:42:30.24
"I say unto thee, except a
man be born again, he cannot
00:42:30.27\00:42:33.56
see the kingdom of God."
00:42:33.59\00:42:35.44
Jesus didn't
mince words with him.
00:42:35.47\00:42:37.87
Jesus cut right to the chase.
00:42:37.90\00:42:39.62
You know, I would have
been tempted, I must admit,
00:42:40.41\00:42:42.69
"You know, what are you
doing calling me on my time off?
00:42:43.81\00:42:46.88
This is my time, I've been
ministering and I'm empty."
00:42:47.86\00:42:51.26
I'll tell you, as a
minister there are times I turn
00:42:51.29\00:42:54.65
my cell phone off.
00:42:54.68\00:42:56.25
Because I've just
given everything I feel like
00:42:56.94\00:42:58.86
I have to give and I
need some recharge time.
00:42:58.89\00:43:02.17
I say, you know what?
00:43:02.81\00:43:04.18
I'll check the
messages and catch up tomorrow.
00:43:04.21\00:43:06.45
But you know, Jesus,
after having the crowd pulling
00:43:06.48\00:43:09.84
at Him all day, He didn't
say, "Hey dude, you need to
00:43:09.87\00:43:15.24
come back
during business hours."
00:43:15.27\00:43:16.87
No.
00:43:17.71\00:43:19.08
Now He did cut to the
chase. There's no doubt.
00:43:19.11\00:43:22.25
But He saw in this
gentleman an opportunity
00:43:22.55\00:43:27.39
to reach one more person.
00:43:27.69\00:43:30.44
And that was
something my Savior,
00:43:30.47\00:43:32.64
it's part of His
character, could never pass up;
00:43:32.67\00:43:36.87
the opportunity to
reach one more soul.
00:43:37.52\00:43:41.66
Oh how beautiful it is.
00:43:41.69\00:43:43.25
And I'm glad that
Jesus talked to him,
00:43:43.28\00:43:44.92
not just for Nicodemus' sake,
but right here in this chapter
00:43:44.95\00:43:49.44
we find such verses as verse
16, "For God so loved the world,
00:43:50.25\00:43:54.26
that He gave His only begotten
Son, that whosoever believeth
00:43:54.29\00:43:56.66
in Him should not perish,
but have everlasting life."
00:43:56.69\00:43:59.48
That most famous verse in
the Bible was from right here,
00:43:59.51\00:44:02.92
because Jesus couldn't
pass by the opportunity
00:44:02.95\00:44:05.64
to win one more soul.
00:44:05.67\00:44:07.11
And He had that
conversation with Nicodemus.
00:44:07.14\00:44:09.53
And in the next
chapter, we find this attribute,
00:44:10.07\00:44:12.98
this passion that our Savior has
for the lost and dying world.
00:44:13.01\00:44:17.40
We find it again,
the woman at the well.
00:44:17.43\00:44:20.49
You can read about it here
in verse 5, John 4 and verse 5.
00:44:20.58\00:44:24.55
"Then cometh he to a city of
Samaria, which is called Sychar,
00:44:24.58\00:44:29.10
near to the parcel
of ground that Jacob
00:44:29.13\00:44:31.87
gave to his son Joseph.
00:44:31.90\00:44:33.27
Now Jacob's well was there."
00:44:33.30\00:44:34.67
Notice verse 7, "There cometh a
woman of Samaria to draw water.
00:44:34.70\00:44:38.38
Jesus saith unto
her, 'Give Me to drink.'"
00:44:38.41\00:44:40.95
And the woman is shocked.
00:44:41.15\00:44:42.52
Why would a man, a Jewish
man, speak to a Samaritan woman?
00:44:42.55\00:44:48.40
I mean, no way.
00:44:48.43\00:44:50.03
And furthermore, to ask
her to do something for Him.
00:44:51.26\00:44:54.59
But here, our Savior again could
not pass by the opportunity
00:44:54.62\00:45:00.79
to win one more soul.
00:45:00.82\00:45:02.47
And what did that lead
to? Verse 39 of John 4.
00:45:02.50\00:45:05.45
"And many of the Samaritans
of that city believed on Him
00:45:05.48\00:45:08.16
for the saying of the
woman, which testified,
00:45:08.19\00:45:10.66
'He told me all
things whatsoever I did.'
00:45:10.69\00:45:13.73
So when the Samaritans were
come unto Him, they besought Him
00:45:13.98\00:45:16.79
that He would tarry with them.
00:45:16.82\00:45:18.19
And He abode there two days.
00:45:18.22\00:45:19.59
And many more believed
because of His own word."
00:45:19.62\00:45:23.41
And then in John chapter 5,
the next chapter of this book,
00:45:23.80\00:45:28.17
there was a man at the Pool
of Bethesda who had been there,
00:45:28.20\00:45:31.82
who had been sick, he
had been sick for 38 years.
00:45:31.85\00:45:36.89
And Jesus had been ministering
to the masses, but He saw
00:45:37.63\00:45:40.11
in this man the
opportunity to reach one more,
00:45:40.14\00:45:45.44
and then another and another.
00:45:46.42\00:45:49.00
Jesus was again
speaking and preaching and
00:45:49.93\00:45:52.91
ministering to the masses.
00:45:52.94\00:45:54.31
He was in a house and
the house was full of people
00:45:54.34\00:45:57.06
as Jesus taught.
00:45:57.09\00:45:58.46
So many people they
were standing around the
00:45:58.49\00:46:00.54
door and outside.
00:46:00.57\00:46:02.64
And again, Jesus'
sermon gets interrupted.
00:46:03.03\00:46:05.75
There's a paralyzed man.
00:46:06.30\00:46:07.73
In Mark 2, it tells us about it.
00:46:07.76\00:46:09.97
And his friends literally climb
up on top of the building and
00:46:10.36\00:46:13.51
tear the roof back.
00:46:13.54\00:46:15.23
Security or something
would stop them if they tried
00:46:16.70\00:46:18.93
to do that in
our building today.
00:46:18.96\00:46:20.59
Right?
00:46:20.62\00:46:21.99
They tear the roof back and
lower the paralyzed man down.
00:46:24.35\00:46:29.55
Jesus couldn't
pass by the opportunity
00:46:32.01\00:46:36.28
to reach one more soul.
00:46:36.31\00:46:39.05
That's something I've been
trying to learn from Jesus,
00:46:39.08\00:46:41.02
is Jesus saw
interruptions as opportunities.
00:46:41.05\00:46:44.83
And I have a personality
where my first reaction to an
00:46:46.27\00:46:49.25
interruption is frustration.
00:46:49.28\00:46:51.64
And went, "Jesus change me.
00:46:52.01\00:46:53.57
Help me to be more like You.
00:46:53.85\00:46:55.71
Help me flow with
whatever comes my way and
00:46:56.31\00:46:59.37
respond in a way that You
would that shows Your love and
00:46:59.40\00:47:02.36
compassion to a
lost and dying world."
00:47:02.39\00:47:06.44
Mark chapter 5,
let's look there.
00:47:07.69\00:47:09.90
Mark chapter 5.
00:47:10.05\00:47:12.05
We see another example.
00:47:13.95\00:47:15.70
I mean, time and
again, as Jesus would minister
00:47:15.73\00:47:19.15
to the masses, but
then He couldn't pass by the
00:47:19.18\00:47:22.70
opportunity to
win one more soul,
00:47:22.73\00:47:25.33
and then another and another.
00:47:25.36\00:47:26.73
We look here in Mark 5 verse
24, "And Jesus went with him."
00:47:26.76\00:47:31.73
Now, there was the ruler
of the synagogue, Jairus,
00:47:33.06\00:47:36.03
and his daughter was sick.
00:47:36.06\00:47:37.43
And Jesus was going with
him to heal his daughter.
00:47:37.46\00:47:39.49
His daughter died in
the meantime, but Jesus
00:47:39.52\00:47:41.97
still went and then He
resurrected the young lady.
00:47:42.00\00:47:44.36
But right in the middle of
that story, we find another one.
00:47:44.92\00:47:48.54
Verse 24, "And
Jesus went with him.
00:47:48.57\00:47:50.98
And much people
followed Him, and thronged Him."
00:47:51.01\00:47:53.64
Notice, how many
people are around Him?
00:47:53.67\00:47:56.03
He can't hardly move.
00:47:56.28\00:47:57.92
People are gathered around Him.
00:47:58.27\00:48:00.03
"And a certain woman, which had
an issue of blood twelve years,
00:48:00.06\00:48:04.70
and had suffered many
things of many physicians,
00:48:05.61\00:48:08.68
and had spent all that she
had, and was nothing bettered,
00:48:08.71\00:48:12.19
but rather grew worse,
when she had heard of Jesus,
00:48:12.22\00:48:17.13
came in the press behind
and touched His garment."
00:48:18.10\00:48:22.93
The masses thronged about Jesus.
00:48:24.39\00:48:27.81
But Jesus perceived that virtue
went forth from Him, it says.
00:48:31.26\00:48:34.52
Let's read on, verse 28.
00:48:34.55\00:48:36.42
"For she said, 'If
I may touch but His
00:48:37.31\00:48:39.61
clothes, I shall be whole.'
00:48:39.64\00:48:41.01
And straightway the fountain
of her blood was dried up.
00:48:41.04\00:48:44.69
And she felt in her body that
she was healed of that plague.
00:48:44.72\00:48:47.76
And Jesus, immediately knowing
in Himself that virtue had
00:48:47.79\00:48:51.61
gone out of Him, turned
about in the press, and said,
00:48:51.64\00:48:54.50
'Who touched My clothes?'
00:48:54.53\00:48:56.21
And His disciples said unto
Him, 'Thou seest the multitude
00:48:58.13\00:49:02.10
thronging Thee, and
sayest Thou, who touched Me?'"
00:49:02.13\00:49:05.40
"Jesus, You see all
these people around.
00:49:06.92\00:49:08.52
What do You
mean, who touched You?
00:49:08.55\00:49:09.92
Everybody is touching You."
00:49:09.95\00:49:11.32
But this was a different touch.
00:49:11.35\00:49:12.72
It was a touch of faith.
00:49:12.75\00:49:14.12
"And He looked
round about to see her
00:49:14.98\00:49:17.52
that had done this thing.
00:49:17.55\00:49:18.92
But the woman
fearing and trembling..."
00:49:18.95\00:49:20.32
Now why do you think she
was fearing and trembling?
00:49:20.35\00:49:22.44
If she had an issue of blood...
00:49:23.08\00:49:25.28
We won't get into fully what
that is here today, but if she
00:49:26.24\00:49:28.71
had an ongoing
bleeding, then she's considered,
00:49:28.74\00:49:33.76
according to Mosaic
law, as... What word?
00:49:33.79\00:49:36.98
...unclean.
00:49:37.41\00:49:38.83
And if you came and touched
someone and you were unclean,
00:49:38.86\00:49:42.46
what was the penalty for that?
00:49:42.49\00:49:44.27
Could be stoned
for that. Yes or no?
00:49:46.12\00:49:48.12
Serious. And now
she's very fearful.
00:49:49.37\00:49:51.69
Verse 33, "But the woman fearing
and trembling, knowing what
00:49:53.33\00:49:56.60
was done in her, came
and fell down before Him,
00:49:56.63\00:49:58.61
and told Him all the truth.
00:49:58.64\00:50:00.72
And He said unto her, 'Daughter,
thy faith hath made thee whole.
00:50:00.75\00:50:05.72
Go in peace, and be
whole of thy plague.'"
00:50:06.59\00:50:10.87
Again, He couldn't
pass by the opportunity
00:50:11.42\00:50:14.80
to reach one more.
00:50:14.83\00:50:17.03
I mean, we could think about,
you know, where the name for
00:50:17.99\00:50:20.56
modern hearing
aids probably came from.
00:50:20.59\00:50:23.04
You know, Miracle Ear.
00:50:23.07\00:50:24.45
Peter chopped off the
servants ear when they came to
00:50:25.14\00:50:30.09
take Jesus into custody.
00:50:30.12\00:50:32.10
And what did Jesus do?
00:50:32.83\00:50:34.23
He's about to be taken in
and mistreated and tortured,
00:50:34.53\00:50:37.34
and everything else, but He
couldn't pass by the opportunity
00:50:37.37\00:50:40.65
to minister to one more.
00:50:40.68\00:50:42.30
Hence, we have a miracle ear.
00:50:42.33\00:50:44.77
My Savior, He would
minister to the masses,
00:50:46.23\00:50:49.67
but the love that
flowed forth to him.
00:50:49.70\00:50:52.45
I remember, as the
masses gathered about Him,
00:50:52.48\00:50:55.94
there was a blind man, here
in the book of Mark chapter 10,
00:50:55.97\00:51:00.19
I believe it is,
blind Bartimaeus.
00:51:00.22\00:51:03.97
And he says, "Jesus, Son
of David, have mercy on me."
00:51:04.00\00:51:07.30
And the people are
like, "Go away blind man.
00:51:07.33\00:51:09.67
Leave the Master
alone. Are you serious?"
00:51:09.70\00:51:13.03
But Jesus heard his cries.
00:51:13.78\00:51:16.21
If you're turning there, I
believe it starts in verse 46,
00:51:16.61\00:51:19.15
probably, of Mark 10.
00:51:19.18\00:51:20.79
It goes to the
end of the chapter.
00:51:23.03\00:51:24.57
But, Jesus couldn't
pass by the opportunity
00:51:24.60\00:51:27.73
to reach out and win one more,
and then another and another;
00:51:28.04\00:51:32.60
to minister to this man.
00:51:32.63\00:51:34.30
Jesus was the one that had
the children brought into Him.
00:51:34.33\00:51:38.12
Children weren't considered
of much value in biblical times.
00:51:38.96\00:51:42.35
And the disciples were seeing
the kids brought to Jesus.
00:51:42.55\00:51:45.93
He said, "Suffer the
little children to come unto Me.
00:51:45.96\00:51:48.22
The character of God
flowing forth through Jesus.
00:51:48.25\00:51:51.90
He couldn't pass
by the opportunity
00:51:51.93\00:51:54.02
to win one more soul, one more,
and then another and another.
00:51:54.05\00:51:59.21
I want to share with you a quote
from one of my favorite books,
00:51:59.51\00:52:02.99
possibly my favorite book.
00:52:03.02\00:52:05.27
It's called,
Christ's Object Lessons.
00:52:05.30\00:52:07.56
And this particular
quote, actually took the time
00:52:07.59\00:52:10.35
to write in the back of my
Bible because I like the quote.
00:52:10.38\00:52:13.12
I gather up stuff
and write things in.
00:52:13.15\00:52:15.37
That's not uncommon.
00:52:15.40\00:52:16.77
I like to do that.
00:52:16.80\00:52:18.17
And so, for me
that's not uncommon.
00:52:18.20\00:52:21.01
And it's from page
196 of the book called,
00:52:21.04\00:52:23.81
Christ's Object Lessons.
00:52:23.84\00:52:25.36
And it says, "The value
of a soul, who can estimate?
00:52:25.76\00:52:29.14
Would you know its worth,
go to Gethsemane, and there
00:52:31.42\00:52:37.27
watch with Christ
through those hours of anguish,
00:52:37.30\00:52:41.65
when He sweat as it
were great drops of blood.
00:52:42.23\00:52:44.79
Look upon the Savior
uplifted on the cross.
00:52:45.95\00:52:50.43
Hear that despairing
cry, 'My God, My God.
00:52:50.46\00:52:54.05
Why hast Thou
forsaken Me?' Mark 15:34.
00:52:54.08\00:52:57.60
Look upon the wounded head, the
pierced side, the marred feet.
00:52:58.36\00:53:06.94
Remember that Christ risked all.
00:53:07.24\00:53:10.73
For our redemption,
heaven itself was imperiled."
00:53:11.45\00:53:14.97
I can hardly
contemplate what that means.
00:53:16.56\00:53:18.58
I mean, I know what it means,
but I can hardly contemplate it.
00:53:18.61\00:53:20.98
"At the foot of the
cross, remembering that for
00:53:21.01\00:53:24.72
one sinner Christ would
have laid down His life,
00:53:24.92\00:53:28.99
you may estimate
the value of a soul."
00:53:29.02\00:53:35.34
That's the one more, and
than another and another.
00:53:37.12\00:53:42.33
Go with me, would you, to
the book of Luke chapter 23.
00:53:42.53\00:53:45.67
I have to show you this.
00:53:45.70\00:53:47.30
Oh, I have to get this in.
00:53:47.33\00:53:48.97
This is exciting to me.
00:53:49.00\00:53:50.84
This just blows my mind.
00:53:51.49\00:53:54.15
It is so amazing, so awesome.
00:53:54.18\00:53:56.52
Go to Luke chapter 23.
00:53:56.55\00:53:58.03
I mean, if there was
ever a time that He would have
00:53:58.06\00:54:01.98
had more on His mind.
00:54:02.01\00:54:03.38
We're talking
about on the cross, okay?
00:54:03.41\00:54:05.62
If there was ever a time when
He'd say, "Ah, hold on here.
00:54:05.65\00:54:08.37
I've got to focus on
what I'm really here for."
00:54:08.40\00:54:10.65
What?
00:54:11.29\00:54:12.66
Folks, if you could even
contemplate that, you don't
00:54:12.69\00:54:14.82
understand His character.
00:54:14.85\00:54:16.22
What was He there for?
00:54:16.25\00:54:17.62
He was there to save one more,
and then another and another.
00:54:17.65\00:54:20.32
If there was ever a
time He would have had
00:54:20.69\00:54:22.49
more on His mind, it
would have been here.
00:54:22.52\00:54:24.96
But no, my Savior, while dying
for the sins of the whole world,
00:54:24.99\00:54:30.04
my sin and your sin, could
not pass by the opportunity
00:54:30.07\00:54:35.41
to win one more soul.
00:54:35.44\00:54:39.58
Here it is, check
it out. This is neat.
00:54:39.61\00:54:41.68
We see in Luke 23 verse
39, "And one of the malefactors
00:54:41.71\00:54:45.88
which were hanged
railed on him, saying,
00:54:45.91\00:54:47.60
If Thou be Christ,
save Thyself and us.'
00:54:47.63\00:54:50.33
But the other
answering rebuked him, saying,
00:54:50.36\00:54:52.69
'Dost not thou fear
God, seeing thou art in the
00:54:52.72\00:54:55.05
same condemnation?'"
00:54:55.08\00:54:56.78
Verse 41 of Luke 23,
"And we indeed justly;
00:54:56.81\00:54:59.94
for we receive the
due reward of our deeds.
00:54:59.97\00:55:02.18
But this man hath
done nothing amiss."
00:55:02.21\00:55:04.14
He's done nothing wrong.
00:55:04.17\00:55:05.54
Verse 42 "And he said
unto Jesus, 'Lord, remember me
00:55:05.57\00:55:09.70
when Thou comest
into Thy kingdom.'
00:55:09.73\00:55:11.79
And Jesus said unto
him, 'Verily I say unto thee
00:55:11.82\00:55:16.53
today, shalt thou be
with Me in paradise.'"
00:55:16.56\00:55:19.24
Jesus was giving him
the assurance that very day
00:55:19.27\00:55:21.75
that he would be
in paradise with Him.
00:55:21.78\00:55:25.23
This was actually a
gift, I believe, from the
00:55:26.84\00:55:28.96
heavenly Father to the
Savior to encourage Him
00:55:28.99\00:55:32.03
right there, "This is
what You're dying for."
00:55:32.67\00:55:35.78
But see, I see this, and
He's bleeding and He's injured,
00:55:35.81\00:55:41.25
and He's in the most
exquisite of physical pain,
00:55:41.45\00:55:44.28
as well as the
separation He's experiencing
00:55:44.31\00:55:47.41
from the Father on the cross.
00:55:47.44\00:55:49.28
And then there's this guy
over here saying, "Remember me."
00:55:49.31\00:55:52.33
If there was ever a time
He would have had more on
00:55:52.66\00:55:54.81
His mind and say, "Hey,
I'm busy here right now.
00:55:54.84\00:55:56.66
I'm dying for the whole world.
00:55:56.69\00:55:58.65
You're on your own."
00:55:58.68\00:56:00.05
That's inconceivable that
my Savior would be able to
00:56:02.18\00:56:07.47
be that way.
00:56:07.50\00:56:08.87
What passion, what compassion.
00:56:08.90\00:56:11.64
The others-centered,
absolute love of God.
00:56:11.94\00:56:18.16
Always
searching, always looking,
00:56:18.22\00:56:22.03
for one more, and
then another and another.
00:56:22.06\00:56:26.15
That's really the basis
of outreach and evangelism,
00:56:26.18\00:56:28.82
my friends, is that Jesus
wants to reach the masses.
00:56:28.85\00:56:32.62
And even then, as the
signals from 3ABN go out around
00:56:32.65\00:56:36.27
the world, He's still not
done because He wants to reach
00:56:36.30\00:56:38.59
one more, and then
another and another.
00:56:38.62\00:56:41.82
One more soul.
00:56:41.85\00:56:44.38
Are you that one
more soul listening today?
00:56:44.41\00:56:46.95
Is that you?
00:56:47.69\00:56:49.06
Oh, don't say no to Him.
00:56:49.26\00:56:51.60
Say yes to the Savior.
00:56:51.63\00:56:53.52
Is your neighbor, is your
work associate, one of your
00:56:54.48\00:56:58.75
family members,
that one more soul?
00:56:58.78\00:57:00.60
And you need to reflect
the love of Jesus to them and
00:57:00.63\00:57:03.61
share a piece of literature
or a sermon of truth with them?
00:57:03.64\00:57:09.34
My friends, Jesus is
searching for one more,
00:57:09.64\00:57:12.36
and then another and another.
00:57:12.39\00:57:13.82
And as I see the passion of
Jesus, I see my own selfishness.
00:57:13.85\00:57:18.05
And I'm drawn out
of myself to serve Him
00:57:18.94\00:57:22.94
and His heart of infinite love.
00:57:22.97\00:57:24.75
I am the one more soul.
00:57:24.78\00:57:26.60
And so are you.
00:57:27.14\00:57:29.21