Welcome to Anchors Of
Truth from Oakwood University
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in Huntsville, Alabama.
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How To Meet Your Giant,
with Dr. Leslie Pollard.
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Happy Sabbath to everyone.
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Has this been a
great week for some people?
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Has this been a challenging
week for some people?
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I am so glad that we can
now come into His presence
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as we sing, as we worship and
receive a word from the Lord.
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Let's stand to our
feet as we sing our song.
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Come before his presence...
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Come before His
presence with thanksgiving.
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We enter into His
courts with all of our praise,
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enter into His
courts with praise.
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And be thankful unto Him,
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and be thankful unto Him,
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for He is worthy,
worthy of all praise.
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Let's get some more
people smiling as we sing.
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Come before His
presence with thanksgiving.
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We have entered into
His courts with praise.
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Enter into His
courts with praise,
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and be thankful unto Him,
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and be thankful unto Him,
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for He is worthy,
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worthy of all praise.
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For the Lord is good and
His mercy is everlasting,
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and His truth endureth forever.
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And be thankful unto Him,
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and be thankful unto Him,
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and be thankful unto Him,
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for He is worthy,
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worthy of all praise.
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For the Lord is good
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and His mercy is everlasting,
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and His truth endureth forever.
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And be thankful unto Him,
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and be thankful unto Him,
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for He is worthy,
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worthy of all praise.
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All praise.
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For He is worthy,
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worthy of all praise.
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All praise.
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For He is worthy,
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worthy of all praise.
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Come, let us
worship and bow down.
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Let us kneel before
our Lord and our Maker.
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For He is our God
and we are His people.
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Oakwood, it's time to worship.
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We have a great hope
that burns within our heart.
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Let us pray.
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Our Father and our God,
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Lord, once again we have come
into Your courts with singing.
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We have come into
Your gates with praise.
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We have come to
magnify Your holy name.
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For You are worthy
of our highest praise.
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Lord, come and
tabernacle with us.
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Allow us, Lord, to worship
You in the beauty of holiness.
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Allow us to recognize
that You are a great God,
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and we are thankful that
the battle is the Lord's.
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We are thankful we can
battle in the armor that
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You have prepared for us.
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We are thankful
that You will be our God
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even when we are
in a fiery furnace,
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that You are a God who will
forgive us of all our iniquities
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and allow us to go on and walk
in the light of Your holy Word.
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Bless us now as we worship You.
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We pray that Your
blessing will attend us
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both now and forever more.
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For we ask in Jesus'
name and for His sake, amen.
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You may be seated.
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As you are seating, your
smiles are on, and we are here
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to welcome you to the
Oakwood University Church.
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Come on, somebody say amen.
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It is good to be here.
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And before we get started, are
there any first time visitors?
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We want to acknowledge all
of our first time visitors.
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We're going to ask that
you stand and our greeters will
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make sure that you
get a special gift.
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We want to share with
each and every one of you.
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And I'm going to ask
while those are standing,
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want to make sure
our visitors get greeted.
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Those of you who are members
or have been here a time or two,
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I'm going to ask that you reach
over and shake somebody's hand
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and let them know it is
good to be in the house of God.
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I'm going to ask that you
stay seated and reach over and
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shake somebody's
hand and let them know
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it is good to be
in the house of God.
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While you are acknowledging
people, I just want to
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let you know, some of you
may have looked, and outside
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there are some trucks outside.
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And those are our
friends from 3ABN.
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They have been
with us since Wednesday,
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the taping here of the
Anchors Of Faith series.
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Before Elder Murray comes up and
gives us his special greetings,
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I want to highlight that if you
have had a wonderful blessing...
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Has anybody been
blessed this week?
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Being here, praise God.
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Well, the blessings
are going to continue.
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On November 2nd and
3rd... November what?
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November 2nd and
3rd, we are going to have
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the very first
Breath Of Life reunion.
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On Friday evening, our
very own Elder C.D. Brooks
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will be giving our message
at the time Friday evening.
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C.D. Brooks will give
our message at the time.
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And on Sabbath, our very own
Dr. Carlton Byrd will be sharing
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the message in song with us.
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I'm going to invite Elder Murray
to come on up and share with us
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his greetings from 3ABN.
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I also would like to invite
you to look at the bulletin
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for the rest of the
announcements for today.
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Elder Murray, thank you so much.
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It is difficult to put
into words how happy and blessed
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we at 3ABN are to be with
you these past several days.
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We hope that we have been
just a little bit of a blessing
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to you that you have been to us
and to our worldwide audience.
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We truly love
Oakwood University.
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Some 22 plus months
ago, we made a financial gift
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to this school's
communications department.
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And we did so in testament
of our abiding love and respect
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for what you do here,
and the long and continuing
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partnership that has existed
between our two institutions.
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We appreciate Oakwood.
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And we love the time
that we spend with you.
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And so on behalf of
our founder, Danny Shelton,
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who was scheduled
to be here this day.
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But when I spoke
with him yesterday,
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he had very little voice.
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And whatever bug is
going around has caught him.
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And so he thought
it wise to stay home.
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There are other
pressing engagements that he had
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and could not be here.
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But he wanted me to say
to you that his heart is here
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and he will be here soon.
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And that he loves
this institution also.
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Our president, Jim Gilley, who
was here a couple of nights ago,
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our vice
president, Molly Steenson,
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and the entire staff
and our production crew,
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we have been so very,
very blessed by your warmth,
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your hospitality, and the good
will that you have shown us,
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and the good food that
we expect you will show us
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after this program
shall have concluded.
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God is so very, very good.
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And we just
celebrate these times together.
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I've got just a few minutes and
I've got to say a lot of things.
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Dr. Leslie Pollard, Pastor Byrd,
Pastor's Miller and Williams,
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Darlene Simmons, Miriam Battles,
and a young lady that I've
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talked to many, many times...
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I don't even know her last name.
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Her first name is Stephanie.
She works in your office.
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And I want to see her
before I go, because we've
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dealt with each other
so very, very much over the
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past several weeks in
putting this all together.
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And I see Mandy Martin
sitting here who brings that bus
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up to 3ABN every
year for Camp Meeting.
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And all of those of you
who come to our Camp Meeting,
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we are not that far away.
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Just about five hours.
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And if you've got a
burden, four hours you can get
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to 3ABN from here.
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We're just three hours on
the other side of Nashville.
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And I'm told that there
are people who have done it
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in about three and a half hours.
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I don't know how they do that.
00:11:08.65\00:11:10.06
And I would never do that.
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But it has been done.
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I want to just say to you
something very, very quick.
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I've wrestled with something.
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Since my days here
at Oakwood College,
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I've wrested with this idea.
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We have been told from
the pen of inspiration that
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in the last days, there are
men and women who are going to
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respond to the outpouring of the
Holy Spirit in the latter rain
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and come into the
church in droves prepared
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to serve the Lord.
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Sadly, some of them, we're
told, will replace some of us
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who have been here a
long time whose names have
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been on the books but have
not had Christ in our hearts.
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I've always wondered,
how is that going to happen.
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But I think the
Lord has given us a clue.
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There are, we are discovering
at 3ABN, large numbers of people
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that we call, closet
Seventh-day Adventists.
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These are people
who have never been in a
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Seventh-day Adventist
Church, but who are thoroughly
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conversant with Adventist
doctrines, who are in all
00:12:06.71\00:12:10.24
respects Seventh-day Adventists,
though they may even attend
00:12:10.27\00:12:14.51
other churches.
00:12:14.54\00:12:15.91
They are thoroughly
familiar with what we believe,
00:12:16.57\00:12:18.93
they adhere to all or
most of our doctrines.
00:12:18.96\00:12:21.65
They may or may not
support 3ABN financially,
00:12:21.68\00:12:25.08
but they see 3ABN as
their pastor and their mentor.
00:12:25.11\00:12:30.31
We have met them
all over the world.
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There is out there a reservoir
of individuals by the millions
00:12:33.66\00:12:39.28
who are Adventists in heart,
but who have never attended
00:12:39.58\00:12:42.73
a Seventh-day Adventist Church.
00:12:42.76\00:12:44.13
We find them all over.
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Last year I was
doing a meeting in London.
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We decided to take a
train trip over to France.
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Just, you take a
train through a tunnel.
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We got off the train,
20 seconds into France,
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we're in the line to
get a bus ticket to take
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a day tour around Paris, a
fellow jumps the turnstile,
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runs around the front, and says,
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"3ABN, 3ABN."
00:13:05.53\00:13:08.24
So we said, "Well,
what church do you go to?"
00:13:08.90\00:13:10.37
He said, "Oh, I'm Catholic.
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But we watch 3ABN every day."
00:13:11.82\00:13:14.51
I was leaving Oakwood
College two years ago, after an
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evangelic council, driving back.
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I stopped in a
restroom on the highway.
00:13:21.88\00:13:24.54
And there was a
fellow standing by the door.
00:13:24.57\00:13:26.28
I smiled at
him, he smiled at me.
00:13:26.31\00:13:27.70
I was going to the men's room.
00:13:27.73\00:13:29.13
He comes into the men's room.
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And I'm standing there doing
what one does in the men's room,
00:13:35.23\00:13:37.83
and I notice he's
standing by the door.
00:13:37.86\00:13:39.41
You know, you see him out
of the corner of your eye.
00:13:40.05\00:13:42.41
So I finish, go to wash my
hands, and I see him again.
00:13:43.10\00:13:46.44
He kind of gives
me a little smile.
00:13:46.47\00:13:47.93
Then I'm getting
a little worried.
00:13:47.96\00:13:49.58
And I turn to go and he
says, "3ABN, you're 3ABN guy."
00:13:52.08\00:13:59.66
I said, "Praise
the Lord, yes I am."
00:13:59.96\00:14:01.64
I said, "Are you a
Seventh-day Adventist?"
00:14:03.89\00:14:05.30
He said, "No,
I'm Southern Baptist.
00:14:05.33\00:14:07.49
But I watch 3ABN all the time."
00:14:07.52\00:14:09.87
Several Christmas'
ago, I went down the street
00:14:10.65\00:14:12.59
to visit a neighbor of mine.
00:14:12.62\00:14:13.99
She's 84 years of age.
00:14:14.02\00:14:15.39
And we don't see her much
cause she doesn't come out.
00:14:16.22\00:14:18.69
I knocked on her door,
she flings the door open,
00:14:18.72\00:14:20.80
she says, "C.A. Murray.
00:14:20.83\00:14:22.25
I know all about
you. I watch 3ABN."
00:14:22.28\00:14:25.62
And so, we know from
anecdotal evidence that
00:14:26.20\00:14:29.31
there are large
numbers of people out there
00:14:29.34\00:14:31.79
who we call, closet
Seventh-day Adventists.
00:14:31.82\00:14:34.62
God, for reasons of His
own, is holding them out.
00:14:34.65\00:14:37.97
Some of them are trickling in.
00:14:38.74\00:14:40.30
And I believe when the
Holy Spirit comes down in power,
00:14:40.50\00:14:44.16
these people
will come in droves.
00:14:44.19\00:14:45.95
They will be
prepared to serve the Lord.
00:14:45.98\00:14:48.03
They will be conversant
with Adventist doctrines.
00:14:48.06\00:14:50.17
And they will know what it
is to be a Seventh-day Adventist
00:14:50.37\00:14:53.06
in head and in heart.
00:14:53.09\00:14:55.00
So I want you to pray
for these closet Adventists.
00:14:55.21\00:14:57.71
They are all over the world.
00:14:57.74\00:14:59.11
We could give you story upon
story, upon story, upon story
00:14:59.14\00:15:01.76
of men and women who
are preparing to meet Jesus,
00:15:01.79\00:15:04.72
though they have
yet to ever set foot
00:15:05.12\00:15:06.94
in a Seventh-day
Adventist Church.
00:15:06.97\00:15:09.05
So you've got Hope Channel,
Loma Linda, Amazing Discoveries,
00:15:09.08\00:15:11.61
Amazing Facts.
00:15:11.64\00:15:13.01
We have 3ABN English, 3ABN
Latino, 3ABN International,
00:15:13.04\00:15:16.38
3ABN SonBeam, 3ABN
Russia, 3ABN Proclaim.
00:15:16.41\00:15:20.05
And our newest baby,
if I can use that term, is
00:15:20.08\00:15:22.79
3ABN Dare To Dream.
00:15:22.82\00:15:24.66
That is our urban
network, which is designed
00:15:24.69\00:15:27.94
to meet the needs
of the inner city.
00:15:27.97\00:15:31.06
It's designed to address
some of those problems that
00:15:31.09\00:15:34.23
happen in the inner city;
finance, parenthood, money,
00:15:34.26\00:15:39.15
how to be a true father.
00:15:39.18\00:15:40.57
There is much more of
a social aspect because
00:15:40.60\00:15:43.53
those are the kinds of things
that are needed in the city.
00:15:43.56\00:15:46.09
You will see out in the lobby or
you may have gotten it already,
00:15:46.12\00:15:48.79
a flier which I have here, which
is our Dare To Dream flier.
00:15:48.82\00:15:52.70
I want you to
support 3ABN Dare To Dream
00:15:52.75\00:15:54.39
because it is making
a great impact in the
00:15:54.42\00:15:57.23
urban centers of America.
00:15:57.26\00:15:58.78
We have now a video that
talks about Dare To Dream.
00:15:58.88\00:16:02.51
I want to go right to
that and then I'll sit down and
00:16:02.54\00:16:04.70
sort of be quiet and come back
in just a little bit for prayer.
00:16:04.73\00:16:07.44
But thank you so very,
very much for your love,
00:16:07.47\00:16:10.03
for your hospitality, for
your warmth, and for your love.
00:16:10.06\00:16:12.48
This is a subject that
I could talk about all day
00:16:12.51\00:16:15.27
because I believe God is using
3ABN in a very, very marked
00:16:15.30\00:16:18.54
and special way to help
finish the work and usher in the
00:16:18.57\00:16:22.45
second coming of our
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
00:16:22.48\00:16:24.72
And just now, that
Dare To Dream video.
00:16:24.75\00:16:26.64
Right after graduate
school, I started working as a
00:16:28.27\00:16:31.54
social worker and I was
working in Brooklyn in New York.
00:16:31.57\00:16:37.15
And I saw the plight of
those in the inner cities.
00:16:37.18\00:16:40.79
And now since then,
it's even gotten worse.
00:16:41.13\00:16:44.22
That was way back in the '70s.
00:16:44.25\00:16:46.59
Sixty percent of
African American males that are
00:17:34.44\00:17:36.98
high school dropouts
will be in prison by age 30.
00:17:37.01\00:17:40.34
One out of three
African American males is either
00:17:40.37\00:17:43.51
in prison or supervised
by the judicial system.
00:17:43.54\00:17:46.70
And when it comes to our
health and chronic disease;
00:17:46.73\00:17:49.33
diabetes, hypertension,
cancer, we are the forerunners
00:17:49.63\00:17:53.74
in many of these areas.
00:17:53.77\00:17:55.49
Over 70% of the births in
the African American community
00:17:59.21\00:18:03.80
are out of wedlock.
00:18:03.83\00:18:05.26
The child that was born
in slavery time had more of a
00:18:05.29\00:18:10.03
chance to be raised
by two parent households
00:18:10.06\00:18:13.05
than a child born today in
the African American community.
00:18:13.08\00:18:16.82
That is so frightening,
that is so disturbing.
00:18:16.85\00:18:20.22
How did we get here?
00:18:20.25\00:18:21.79
And how do we get out of here?
00:18:22.09\00:18:24.59
What do we do to help
those in the inner city
00:18:24.62\00:18:27.39
to throw off their
current circumstances
00:18:27.69\00:18:31.19
and to dare to
dream of something better?
00:18:31.22\00:18:33.98
Like so many young
people in the inner city,
00:18:34.01\00:18:36.64
maybe one of them, they
don't have both parents.
00:18:37.43\00:18:39.91
They're not raised
with both of their parents.
00:18:39.94\00:18:41.42
And in many cases, it's
just the mother often raising
00:18:41.45\00:18:44.13
her child or children.
00:18:44.16\00:18:45.77
In my case, in my
sister's case, at 3 months old,
00:18:45.80\00:18:48.18
I was left at a baby sitter.
00:18:48.21\00:18:49.77
My sister was 3 years old.
00:18:49.80\00:18:51.22
And my mom and dad
walked away and never came back.
00:18:51.42\00:18:53.52
There are a lot of people in
the inner city that are aimless;
00:18:53.55\00:18:56.23
a lot of young people.
00:18:56.40\00:18:57.77
And so what we do is we
turn to the thing that we feel
00:18:57.80\00:19:00.47
is going to bring satisfaction.
00:19:00.50\00:19:02.04
And in so many cases,
that's where the use of drugs
00:19:02.07\00:19:04.69
becomes an
onset, or promiscuity,
00:19:04.72\00:19:08.09
or children being
born out of wedlock.
00:19:08.12\00:19:09.69
The more immediate role models
are the guys on the corner
00:19:09.72\00:19:13.17
with the big cars and
the flashy rings who are
00:19:13.44\00:19:16.56
saying by their lifestyle,
"I've got what you want."
00:19:16.59\00:19:19.23
That's the problem.
00:19:19.53\00:19:20.90
The kind of role models that are
there that are most immediate,
00:19:20.93\00:19:23.97
that are most accessible,
are not the kind of role models
00:19:24.00\00:19:26.34
that parents want
their children having.
00:19:26.37\00:19:28.40
Yet they're there.
00:19:28.43\00:19:29.80
Beneath the glitz, there's pain,
there is horror, there is drugs,
00:19:29.83\00:19:34.50
there is prison, there is death.
00:19:34.53\00:19:36.14
There's all
these kind of things.
00:19:36.17\00:19:37.54
Sadly, it looks good.
00:19:37.57\00:19:38.97
But as the Bible says, "The end
thereof are the ways of death."
00:19:39.00\00:19:41.63
We want to maintain the
vision of 3ABN, which is
00:19:53.05\00:19:56.57
to give the undiluted three
angels message to the world.
00:19:56.60\00:20:01.00
And we know that the
people in the inner cities
00:20:01.03\00:20:04.03
are languishing and suffering.
00:20:04.06\00:20:06.15
And we have a message for them.
00:20:06.18\00:20:09.69
We have hope for them.
00:20:09.72\00:20:11.46
And it's Jesus.
It's basically Jesus.
00:20:11.49\00:20:14.41
God is love, and
that's what we want to teach.
00:20:14.44\00:20:17.10
That God is love.
00:20:17.13\00:20:18.50
And how does that
play out in everyday life.
00:20:18.53\00:20:21.85
We want to be able to, again,
give practical applications
00:20:21.88\00:20:26.08
to the gospel.
00:20:26.11\00:20:27.48
And that's what Dare
To Dream is going to do.
00:20:27.51\00:20:29.70
Hi, my name is Casio Jones, and
you're watching Action 4 Life.
00:20:29.73\00:20:33.11
We want to reclaim
the media for Christ.
00:20:33.21\00:20:35.79
One of the things that we
realize is that television
00:20:35.82\00:20:38.88
plays a very important
part in shaping values.
00:20:38.91\00:20:42.85
And so Satan is using television
to shape the values of
00:20:43.26\00:20:48.10
those in our inner cities
and suburbia, just everywhere.
00:20:48.13\00:20:51.53
If we can go into the homes
and share Christ and share tools
00:20:51.56\00:20:56.82
for living, we can
really make a difference
00:20:56.85\00:20:59.46
and give hope to the
people in the inner cities.
00:20:59.49\00:21:01.93
Veggies best kept secret?
00:21:02.03\00:21:03.95
You telling me that
the veggie kingdom or the
00:21:04.19\00:21:06.44
plant kingdom has a secret?
00:21:06.47\00:21:07.92
Sonia Carson had a problem.
00:21:17.17\00:21:19.07
Her sons, Benjamin and Curtis,
weren't doing well in school.
00:21:19.38\00:21:22.33
So she decided to take
matters into her own hands.
00:21:22.36\00:21:25.42
Limit their television
watching and make them read
00:21:25.45\00:21:28.04
two books a week.
00:21:28.07\00:21:29.44
Ben went from being
called a dummy to being the
00:21:29.47\00:21:31.70
smartest in his class.
00:21:31.73\00:21:33.12
Ben Carson was born in Detroit,
Michigan on September 18, 1951.
00:21:33.32\00:21:38.24
When he was 8 years
old, his parents divorced.
00:21:38.41\00:21:41.02
The media is a powerful tool.
00:21:41.53\00:21:43.39
It can be used for
good, it can be used for bad.
00:21:43.74\00:21:46.64
Even in so called
religious programs, it can be
00:21:47.00\00:21:50.28
used for good and used for bad.
00:21:50.31\00:21:52.36
And that's the reason I
got to thinking years ago
00:21:52.39\00:21:54.76
to build a television
station to give an undiluted
00:21:55.07\00:21:58.31
three angels messages.
00:21:58.34\00:21:59.71
One that would
counteract the counterfeit.
00:21:59.74\00:22:01.72
All week long, we've been
talking about using metaphors
00:22:21.00\00:22:24.09
and similes of battlefields
and soldiers and being armed.
00:22:24.12\00:22:28.07
So this morning, could we
stand as we take our hymnals and
00:22:28.10\00:22:30.76
sing number 614,
Sound The Battle Cry.
00:22:30.79\00:22:35.28
Sound the Battle Cry.
00:22:35.60\00:22:37.20
And let's sing with
everything you have.
00:22:51.62\00:22:53.82
Amen.
00:26:11.74\00:26:13.11
I look in the Word at
Hebrews chapter 4 and verse 14,
00:26:13.14\00:26:19.17
it says, "Seeing then that
we have a great High Priest
00:26:19.20\00:26:24.36
who has passed through the
heavens, Jesus the Son of God,
00:26:24.85\00:26:27.78
let us hold fast our confession.
00:26:27.81\00:26:30.81
For we do not have a High
Priest who cannot sympathize
00:26:31.23\00:26:34.32
with our weaknesses, but was
in all points tempted as we are,
00:26:34.35\00:26:39.60
yet without sin."
00:26:39.63\00:26:42.16
Verse 16 says, "Let us therefore
come boldly to the throne
00:26:42.50\00:26:47.49
of grace, that we may
obtain mercy and find grace
00:26:47.52\00:26:51.40
to help in time of need."
00:26:52.02\00:26:54.54
I don't know about
you, but I need God today.
00:26:54.98\00:26:57.03
And I praise God that
we don't have to come here
00:26:57.60\00:26:59.91
and leave the same, but we
can come knowing that God hears.
00:26:59.94\00:27:03.34
But not only
hears, but answers prayer.
00:27:03.37\00:27:06.31
Today on the
altar, we have the family,
00:27:07.55\00:27:09.26
the Danilla Stewart family,
that's coming and they're
00:27:09.29\00:27:11.43
saying, "Lord, we need you."
00:27:11.46\00:27:12.83
She's bringing her family.
00:27:12.86\00:27:14.23
She had a birthday, I
think turned 95 this week.
00:27:14.26\00:27:16.06
Come on, somebody say amen.
00:27:16.56\00:27:17.97
But you may have
something going on.
00:27:21.77\00:27:23.76
And you may not necessarily
be able to come up today,
00:27:23.79\00:27:25.93
but we believe that there
is healing, that there is power
00:27:25.96\00:27:30.38
when we pray.
00:27:31.59\00:27:32.96
As Elder Murray comes up
and leads us in our prayer,
00:27:33.46\00:27:35.96
we're going to sing;
Don't Be Discouraged,
00:27:35.99\00:27:38.57
Joy Comes in the Morning.
00:27:39.94\00:27:42.63
Know that God is nigh.
00:27:45.27\00:27:48.21
Come on, stand
still and look up,
00:27:48.24\00:27:51.63
God is going to show up.
00:27:54.10\00:27:55.67
Don't be...
00:27:56.59\00:27:57.96
Don't be discouraged,
00:27:58.38\00:28:04.51
joy comes in the morning,
00:28:04.54\00:28:05.99
joy comes in the morning.
00:28:07.68\00:28:13.49
Know that God is nigh,
00:28:13.52\00:28:15.53
know that God is nigh.
00:28:16.97\00:28:22.28
Stand still and look up,
00:28:22.39\00:28:24.40
stand still and look up,
00:28:25.90\00:28:31.90
God is going to show up,
00:28:31.93\00:28:33.61
God is going to show up.
00:28:35.21\00:28:41.28
He is standing by,
00:28:41.31\00:28:43.66
He is standing by.
00:28:44.43\00:28:50.22
There's healing for your sorrow,
00:28:50.25\00:28:51.89
there's healing for your sorrow,
00:28:53.12\00:28:59.29
healing for your pain,
00:28:59.32\00:29:00.69
healing for your pain,
00:29:02.75\00:29:10.55
healing for your spirit,
00:29:10.75\00:29:12.12
healing for your spirit,
00:29:12.26\00:29:17.90
there's shelter,
00:29:17.93\00:29:19.30
there's shelter from the rain.
00:29:20.84\00:29:26.74
Lord send the healing,
00:29:26.77\00:29:28.33
Lord send the healing,
00:29:30.79\00:29:37.08
for this we do know,
00:29:37.11\00:29:38.88
for this we know,
00:29:39.89\00:29:44.92
there is a balm in Gilead,
00:29:44.95\00:29:54.16
to heal the
soul, to heal the soul.
00:29:54.19\00:29:59.12
Healing for your soul.
00:29:59.15\00:30:00.73
Healing for your soul.
00:30:03.36\00:30:10.09
Healing for your soul.
00:30:10.39\00:30:11.76
Healing for your soul.
00:30:12.60\00:30:18.15
Last time. There's
healing for your soul.
00:30:18.18\00:30:20.35
Healing for your soul.
00:30:22.42\00:30:31.08
Along with the
Stewart family, we remember
00:30:31.42\00:30:33.48
Brother Albert Johnson
who is back in the hospital.
00:30:33.51\00:30:36.50
We lift him up in prayer
also, along with the speaker for
00:30:37.15\00:30:41.58
this hour, the
president of our university,
00:30:41.61\00:30:44.50
Dr. Leslie Pollard.
00:30:44.90\00:30:46.52
Father God, we stand on our feet
00:30:47.23\00:30:52.10
and bow our head and
lift up our hearts to You,
00:30:53.22\00:30:58.26
the Creator of the universe.
00:30:58.29\00:31:00.89
We thank Thee for the occasion
that called us out of darkness
00:31:01.65\00:31:05.50
into this marvelous light.
00:31:05.53\00:31:07.33
We thank You, Lord, for
the occasion that calls us
00:31:08.10\00:31:11.00
to the house of prayer
and praise this morning.
00:31:11.03\00:31:14.09
And we thank You for the
occasion that is soon to come
00:31:14.79\00:31:18.80
when we will see You
face to blessed face.
00:31:19.19\00:31:22.80
Father, we love You.
00:31:23.52\00:31:24.89
We praise You and we
thank You for a list of gifts
00:31:25.37\00:31:29.82
too numerous to list or mention.
00:31:29.85\00:31:32.26
But at the top of that
list, we thank You for Jesus;
00:31:32.80\00:31:37.31
the Author and
Finisher of our faith.
00:31:37.74\00:31:41.24
We thank You for young and
old and for lives dedicated
00:31:41.76\00:31:45.51
to the cause of Christ.
00:31:45.54\00:31:46.91
And we thank You
that soon and very soon,
00:31:46.94\00:31:50.68
Jesus will come and
put an end to the darkness
00:31:50.71\00:31:55.26
and sin of this old world.
00:31:55.46\00:31:58.27
Help us, Lord God, to do
all we can to hasten the coming
00:31:58.30\00:32:03.10
of Christ into this dark world.
00:32:03.13\00:32:05.42
Help us to leave no
stone unturned in the salvation
00:32:05.63\00:32:09.35
of the souls of men and women.
00:32:09.38\00:32:10.94
For Christianity has
never been, is not now,
00:32:10.97\00:32:14.44
and will never be
a spectator sport.
00:32:14.47\00:32:17.30
We need to get
involved and live for Jesus,
00:32:18.00\00:32:21.59
and love for Jesus,
and speak for Jesus,
00:32:21.62\00:32:24.72
and serve Jesus.
00:32:24.75\00:32:27.03
Bless us this day, Father,
as we sit in heavenly places.
00:32:27.51\00:32:31.39
Open up our
hearts, open up our minds,
00:32:31.42\00:32:34.16
open up our spirits
to receive the Word.
00:32:34.19\00:32:37.67
And then help us, Lord, not
to be just hearers of that Word,
00:32:37.70\00:32:41.98
but doers thereof.
00:32:42.34\00:32:44.20
For it is in the doing that
we are made like Christ Jesus.
00:32:44.58\00:32:47.48
Oh God, bless us this day
so that we may have a blessing.
00:32:47.51\00:32:53.20
And in turn, be a
blessing to everyone we meet,
00:32:53.23\00:32:57.95
everyone we touch,
everyone we talk to.
00:32:57.98\00:33:01.91
Fill us with Your Spirit.
00:33:02.25\00:33:03.69
And may we leave
this place healthy, happy,
00:33:03.72\00:33:08.52
holy, and
rejoicing in our salvation.
00:33:08.92\00:33:12.78
We love You, Lord.
00:33:13.44\00:33:14.81
We praise You, Lord.
00:33:14.92\00:33:16.41
And we thank You.
In Jesus' name, amen.
00:33:16.55\00:33:21.98
And amen.
00:33:22.01\00:33:23.38
I will be with you... Sing.
00:33:27.98\00:33:29.45
I will be with you,
00:33:30.68\00:33:36.56
I will be with you,
00:33:36.87\00:33:38.25
I will be with you,
00:33:40.51\00:33:46.79
I will be with you,
00:33:46.99\00:33:48.83
I will be with you,
00:33:50.68\00:33:56.99
if you will only trust Me.
00:33:58.83\00:34:08.77
Trust Me, trust Me.
00:34:09.17\00:34:15.84
Next verse says,
I'll fight your battles.
00:34:15.87\00:34:19.51
I'll fight your battles.
00:34:20.48\00:34:25.76
Anybody got anything we
need God to fight today?
00:34:25.79\00:34:28.06
I'll fight your battles,
00:34:28.09\00:34:29.46
I'll fight your battles,
00:34:30.47\00:34:38.45
I'll fight your battles,
00:34:40.27\00:34:48.38
if you will only trust Me.
00:34:48.86\00:34:58.84
Trust Me, trust Me.
00:34:59.47\00:35:08.96
Amen, let's prepare ourselves
for our tithe and our offering.
00:35:08.99\00:35:11.83
World War II had
ravaged the cities of Europe.
00:35:19.94\00:35:23.27
Perhaps the saddest
sight were the orphans who
00:35:24.02\00:35:26.86
roamed the streets.
00:35:26.89\00:35:28.26
One chilly morning, an
American soldier noticed
00:35:28.94\00:35:31.75
a little boy with
his nosed pressed against
00:35:31.78\00:35:34.17
the glass window of a bakery.
00:35:34.20\00:35:36.32
Inside, the baker
was preparing fresh dough
00:35:36.94\00:35:40.05
for the next batch of doughnuts.
00:35:40.08\00:35:41.93
The little boy salivated,
watching the whole process
00:35:42.57\00:35:45.84
with keen interest.
00:35:45.87\00:35:47.53
As the sweet smells
came from the bakery,
00:35:47.84\00:35:50.27
the boy let out a hungry groan.
00:35:50.30\00:35:52.60
The soldier's heart
was struck with compassion.
00:35:53.48\00:35:55.92
"Would you like some of
those?" he asked the boy.
00:35:56.24\00:35:58.99
"Yes sir, I would,"
replied the startled boy.
00:35:59.68\00:36:03.18
Then the soldier went into
the bakery and returned with
00:36:03.61\00:36:07.14
a warm bag of doughnuts.
00:36:07.17\00:36:09.41
Taking the bag in his hand,
the boy looked up at the soldier
00:36:09.93\00:36:13.12
in awe and
amazement and softly asked,
00:36:13.15\00:36:16.19
"Mister, are you God?"
00:36:16.62\00:36:18.84
We are never more
like God than when we give.
00:36:19.58\00:36:22.40
God so loved the
world that He gave.
00:36:22.91\00:36:26.20
When we give, we
reflect His image.
00:36:26.82\00:36:29.55
As the Deacons come for
the tithes and offerings today,
00:36:30.07\00:36:33.08
ask yourself this question,
00:36:33.11\00:36:35.04
"How is my giving
reflecting the image of God?"
00:36:35.41\00:36:38.97
Would the Deacons please stand?
00:36:40.51\00:36:42.27
Can we bow our
heads for prayer please.
00:36:43.25\00:36:44.95
Dear heavenly Father,
thank You for this day.
00:36:46.43\00:36:48.73
Take this tithe and offering
and do something amazing with it
00:36:48.76\00:36:52.31
like You always do.
00:36:52.34\00:36:53.71
In Jesus' name I pray, amen.
00:36:53.74\00:36:55.29
John saw the number,
00:37:16.13\00:37:24.85
the number coming up on high.
00:37:24.88\00:37:31.82
Hallelujah.
00:37:32.02\00:37:33.39
John saw the number,
00:37:33.42\00:37:35.63
he saw the holy number.
00:37:35.66\00:37:37.77
John saw the number,
00:37:37.80\00:37:40.17
he saw the number.
00:37:40.20\00:37:41.90
John saw the number
that no man could number,
00:37:41.93\00:37:46.40
hallelujah,
hallelujah, coming up on high.
00:37:46.43\00:37:50.68
John saw the number,
00:37:50.71\00:37:53.11
he saw the holy number.
00:37:53.14\00:37:55.19
John saw the number,
00:37:55.22\00:37:57.52
he saw the holy number.
00:37:57.55\00:37:59.28
John saw the hundred
and forty-four thousand,
00:37:59.31\00:38:03.76
hallelujah,
hallelujah, coming up on high.
00:38:03.79\00:38:07.87
John saw the number
that no man could number.
00:38:07.90\00:38:12.44
John saw the number.
00:38:12.47\00:38:16.71
John saw the number
that no man could number,
00:38:16.74\00:38:20.80
hallelujah, coming up on high.
00:38:20.83\00:38:24.42
Just tell John don't call
the roll until I get there.
00:38:24.45\00:38:29.24
Tell John not to call
the roll until I get there.
00:38:29.54\00:38:33.60
Tell John don't call
the roll until I get there.
00:38:33.82\00:38:38.97
Hallelujah,
hallelujah. Coming up on high.
00:38:39.00\00:38:42.27
John saw the number,
00:38:42.30\00:38:44.79
he saw the holy number.
00:38:44.82\00:38:46.76
John saw the number,
00:38:46.79\00:38:48.77
he saw the number.
00:38:48.81\00:38:50.76
Tell John don't call
the roll until I get there.
00:38:50.79\00:38:59.92
Coming up, coming up, coming up,
00:38:59.95\00:39:02.89
coming up,
00:39:02.92\00:39:07.02
coming on
00:39:09.02\00:39:16.17
high.
00:39:17.87\00:39:24.85
"And I saw as it were a
sea of glass mingled with fire:
00:39:39.67\00:39:46.48
and them who had gotten
the victory over the beast,
00:39:46.75\00:39:50.43
and over his
image, and over his mark,
00:39:50.46\00:39:53.15
and over the number of his
name, stand on the sea of glass,
00:39:53.18\00:39:58.03
having the harps of God.
00:39:58.06\00:40:00.14
And they sing the song
of Moses the servant of God,
00:40:00.36\00:40:04.45
and the song of
the Lamb, saying..."
00:40:04.83\00:40:08.83
Great and
marvelous are Thy works,
00:40:17.42\00:40:26.43
great and
marvelous are Thy works,
00:40:29.13\00:40:37.03
Lord God Almighty,
00:40:38.68\00:40:41.39
Lord God Almighty,
00:40:42.81\00:40:47.37
Lord God Almighty.
00:40:47.77\00:40:57.42
Just and true are all Thy ways,
00:41:06.81\00:41:16.64
just and true are all Thy ways,
00:41:21.31\00:41:31.26
Thou King of saints.
00:41:34.62\00:41:44.49
Who shall not fear Thee, O Lord,
00:41:48.72\00:41:58.06
and glorify Thy name.
00:41:58.40\00:42:06.03
For Thou art holy,
00:42:06.29\00:42:12.13
we atone Thee.
00:42:12.16\00:42:19.42
Shall I fear Thee, O Lord,
00:42:19.45\00:42:28.61
and glorify Thy name.
00:42:28.64\00:42:35.97
For Thou, for Thou,
00:42:36.00\00:42:42.50
for Thou art holy.
00:42:42.53\00:42:50.80
For we atone Thee.
00:42:50.87\00:42:56.15
Holy, holy.
00:42:56.55\00:43:06.54
For all nations shall
come and worship before You.
00:43:09.79\00:43:14.83
For the
judgments are made for us.
00:43:14.86\00:43:18.30
Rejoice and be exceedingly glad,
for judgments are made for us.
00:43:18.33\00:43:21.49
For all nations shall
come and worship before You.
00:43:21.52\00:43:26.01
Rejoice and be exceedingly glad,
for judgments are made for us.
00:43:26.04\00:43:29.70
Rejoice and be exceedingly glad,
for judgments are made for us.
00:43:29.93\00:43:33.47
Rejoice and be exceedingly glad,
for judgments are made for us.
00:43:33.77\00:43:38.10
Rejoice and be exceedingly glad.
00:43:38.40\00:43:43.23
Oh be glad.
00:43:43.26\00:43:50.95
Blessing, honor, glory, power,
00:43:50.98\00:44:00.43
now and ever shall be.
00:44:00.63\00:44:09.84
Blessing, honor, glory, power,
00:44:10.14\00:44:19.67
now and ever shall be.
00:44:19.87\00:44:28.95
Amen.
00:44:42.28\00:44:50.33
Amen.
00:44:50.71\00:44:57.21
Amen.
00:44:57.61\00:45:02.39
O hallelujah.
00:45:02.42\00:45:08.22
I'm saved.
00:45:08.52\00:45:16.72
Amen.
00:45:18.98\00:45:26.20
Amen, amen,
amen, amen, amen, amen.
00:45:32.33\00:45:36.02
Amen.
00:45:36.42\00:45:46.07
Amen.
00:45:46.40\00:45:54.89
Can you say amen again?
00:46:17.36\00:46:19.35
Such a beautiful selection
and original composition
00:46:20.52\00:46:23.01
by Dr. Wayne Buckner.
00:46:23.31\00:46:24.88
Born out of the Seventh-day
Adventist perspective.
00:46:25.57\00:46:28.73
Born out of the Seventh-day
Adventist perspective over the
00:46:32.25\00:46:35.08
end time events depicted
in Revelation chapter 15,
00:46:35.11\00:46:38.62
where those who get the victory
over the mark of the beast
00:46:39.06\00:46:41.55
and the number of his name
will stand on the sea of glass.
00:46:41.58\00:46:44.22
Good morning everyone.
00:46:44.89\00:46:46.26
We wish to welcome
you to Oakwood University.
00:46:46.97\00:46:49.21
Not only those who
are worshiping here in the
00:46:49.24\00:46:51.05
commodious Oakwood
University Sanctuary,
00:46:51.08\00:46:53.57
but also those who
are worshiping with us
00:46:53.87\00:46:56.02
around the world.
00:46:56.05\00:46:57.42
Welcome to the
Oakwood experience.
00:46:57.45\00:47:01.01
You see, when you
attend Oakwood University,
00:47:01.71\00:47:03.72
it's more than simply
attending a university.
00:47:03.75\00:47:06.70
It is actually
participating in an experience.
00:47:07.20\00:47:11.54
An experience that
is transformational.
00:47:11.84\00:47:14.63
An experience
that is inspirational.
00:47:14.66\00:47:17.34
An experience that
is often conversational.
00:47:17.37\00:47:20.37
We want you to know
that Oakwood University
00:47:20.58\00:47:22.87
is a wonderful institution.
00:47:22.90\00:47:24.49
And those of our
friends who have never been here
00:47:24.52\00:47:27.10
in person, please know
that Oakwood welcomes you
00:47:27.13\00:47:30.03
with open arms into
our worship services today.
00:47:30.06\00:47:33.00
I was reading just
earlier during this week about
00:47:34.15\00:47:36.83
Ellen G. White and
some of her very insistent,
00:47:36.86\00:47:41.05
insistent commitments
that the church grow and expand
00:47:41.76\00:47:45.64
its ministry outreach and
its witness to all peoples.
00:47:45.67\00:47:49.16
March 21, 1891, she
preached a daring sermon
00:47:49.84\00:47:53.88
at the General Conference.
00:47:53.91\00:47:55.37
What a title; Our
Duty to the Colored People.
00:47:55.67\00:47:58.89
Mrs. Ellen White was
very much focused on expanding
00:48:00.41\00:48:03.62
this mission and taking
it to every nation, kindred,
00:48:03.65\00:48:06.14
tongue and people.
00:48:06.17\00:48:07.54
She wanted to push it
out to every frontier.
00:48:07.57\00:48:09.77
And that's what
she worked to do.
00:48:09.80\00:48:11.78
And in doing so, that
sermon, that simple sermon,
00:48:12.56\00:48:15.86
triggered an
avalanche of missionary activity
00:48:16.16\00:48:19.33
around the world.
00:48:19.36\00:48:20.73
A few years later, she
sent some workers down to
00:48:21.10\00:48:24.00
this part of the country.
00:48:24.03\00:48:25.40
And they came upon
an old slave plantation;
00:48:25.43\00:48:28.85
360 acres with 65 oak trees.
00:48:28.88\00:48:32.40
And when they wrote her,
they said, "Is this the place?"
00:48:33.14\00:48:36.60
And she said,
"That's the place."
00:48:36.63\00:48:38.37
"That's the place."
00:48:38.52\00:48:39.89
Who would have
thought, who would have thought
00:48:39.92\00:48:41.29
that back in that time when
you could still feel the yells,
00:48:41.32\00:48:45.18
the screams, the pleadings,
the agonies of an enslaved
00:48:45.21\00:48:49.23
people, many of whom
who lost their lives here,
00:48:49.26\00:48:51.88
many of whom who had to
look up to the heavens and
00:48:52.08\00:48:54.42
say, "How long?"
00:48:54.45\00:48:56.25
Who would have thought
that God had another plan?
00:48:56.80\00:48:59.32
That His plan was to plant on
the blood soaked sod of a former
00:48:59.62\00:49:03.41
slave plantation, to
plant on that slave plantation
00:49:03.44\00:49:07.88
a center for
transformational education.
00:49:07.91\00:49:11.14
And for 116 years,
that's what we have been doing
00:49:11.17\00:49:15.95
here at Oakwood University.
00:49:15.98\00:49:17.87
Transformational education
for more than a century,
00:49:17.90\00:49:21.20
delivered in the finest
Seventh-day Adventist tradition.
00:49:21.23\00:49:25.14
I say Seventh-day
Adventist because the purpose of
00:49:25.70\00:49:28.75
education in
Seventh-day Adventist theology
00:49:28.78\00:49:31.62
is restoration.
00:49:31.65\00:49:33.04
When my wife and I
were just married, we were
00:49:33.70\00:49:36.14
early young newlyweds.
00:49:36.17\00:49:37.54
My mother, who was a great
collector of many, many things,
00:49:37.57\00:49:40.34
was driving by one
day and she saw something
00:49:40.37\00:49:44.44
sitting by the side of the road.
00:49:44.47\00:49:46.14
Now I was a young pastor
21 years old; my wife, 21.
00:49:46.17\00:49:49.94
We didn't have any
big source of wealth.
00:49:49.97\00:49:53.23
And we needed a
sofa and a love seat.
00:49:53.26\00:49:55.64
Well you know what
my mother did, right?
00:49:56.34\00:49:58.04
She saw the sofa and
the love seat and she said,
00:49:58.24\00:50:00.24
"That's the sofa."
00:50:00.27\00:50:01.64
She brings the thing to us and
she says, "Well Les, Prudence,
00:50:01.67\00:50:05.28
I've got something for you."
00:50:05.31\00:50:06.81
She ships it to
us. I can't believe it.
00:50:06.84\00:50:09.06
And the thing is
rusty and it looks bad.
00:50:09.60\00:50:12.26
And I say, "Mama," I
say, "why you send us this
00:50:12.29\00:50:14.64
ugly old couch and sofa?"
00:50:14.67\00:50:16.53
She said, "Boy, you can't
look at it for what it is.
00:50:16.83\00:50:19.34
You've got to look at
it for what it can be."
00:50:19.37\00:50:21.68
We sent that thing
to a furniture restorer.
00:50:24.22\00:50:28.28
And that furniture restorer,
when they finished stripping
00:50:28.75\00:50:31.10
that old wood and restaining it,
and pulling out broken springs
00:50:31.13\00:50:36.07
and putting in new ones,
and putting new support boards
00:50:36.10\00:50:39.20
underneath those springs,
and then putting a new cover,
00:50:39.23\00:50:42.30
when we got that thing, it
was beautiful when it came back.
00:50:42.33\00:50:45.88
Let me tell you something.
00:50:45.91\00:50:47.28
Seventh-day Adventist education
works in the same tradition.
00:50:47.31\00:50:50.22
We are in the
restoration business.
00:50:50.25\00:50:53.94
That's what our Sabbath
School lesson said yesterday.
00:50:54.24\00:50:56.70
It said that the purpose
of education is to restore
00:50:56.73\00:51:00.22
in us the image of God.
00:51:00.25\00:51:01.63
And that's the
business that we are in.
00:51:01.66\00:51:04.60
The life restoration business.
00:51:04.63\00:51:06.99
And for 116
years, Oakwood University
00:51:07.02\00:51:10.14
has been doing just that.
00:51:10.17\00:51:12.32
So 3ABN family, welcome
to this place, this center,
00:51:12.85\00:51:16.50
for restoration
and for transformation.
00:51:16.53\00:51:18.91
We welcome you.
00:51:18.94\00:51:20.31
Now today, we are
here to preach the Word.
00:51:20.34\00:51:22.64
This theme, The
Battle Is The Lord's,
00:51:22.67\00:51:24.89
has been a wonderful
experience for our community.
00:51:24.92\00:51:27.74
Every one of our
speakers, all of the music that
00:51:28.04\00:51:30.59
has been coordinated
by Dr. Jason Ferdinand
00:51:30.62\00:51:33.21
and the music department
of Oakwood University,
00:51:33.24\00:51:35.33
has simply been wonderful.
00:51:35.36\00:51:36.73
And we hope that you have seen
the richness of the tapestry
00:51:36.76\00:51:40.78
that we call Oakwood University.
00:51:40.81\00:51:42.92
We hope you've seen that.
00:51:42.95\00:51:44.32
You get to see us do everything.
00:51:44.57\00:51:46.17
We do anthems, we
do hymns, we gospel.
00:51:46.20\00:51:49.16
We do it all.
00:51:49.19\00:51:50.56
You've had a
chance to experience that.
00:51:51.37\00:51:53.44
And our insistence is not
that you simply do one genre,
00:51:53.47\00:51:56.72
but whatever
genre of music you do,
00:51:56.75\00:51:58.91
you do it at the highest level.
00:51:58.94\00:52:00.67
And that's what we try to
do here at Oakwood University.
00:52:00.70\00:52:04.01
You have witnessed us
now in preaching and worship.
00:52:04.04\00:52:06.44
And it has been a wonderfully
liberating experience.
00:52:06.47\00:52:09.19
Has it not?
00:52:09.22\00:52:10.59
It certainly
has, it certainly has.
00:52:10.62\00:52:12.50
And let me just for a moment
interpret a few of the cues.
00:52:12.70\00:52:15.91
Because I mentioned to
Pastor Murray that I would
00:52:16.11\00:52:18.14
do just a little bit of this.
00:52:18.17\00:52:19.77
First of all, worship
in our community is never
00:52:19.80\00:52:22.46
simply a monologue.
00:52:22.49\00:52:23.86
It's always a dialogue.
00:52:23.89\00:52:25.72
What that means is, that there
is a conversation that goes on
00:52:26.45\00:52:30.30
between the worship leaders
and the worshipers themselves.
00:52:30.33\00:52:33.36
But we even go beyond that.
00:52:33.67\00:52:35.04
Sometimes we say
it's a trialogue because
00:52:35.07\00:52:36.92
there's God in the
triangle, God at the top.
00:52:36.95\00:52:39.91
And then of course,
the worshiper on one
00:52:39.94\00:52:42.16
point of the triangle.
00:52:42.19\00:52:44.69
On that third point of
the triangle, that's the
00:52:44.72\00:52:47.14
worship facilitator.
00:52:47.17\00:52:49.13
And those three are in constant
communion with each other.
00:52:49.53\00:52:52.94
And that area in the
middle that is so electric?
00:52:52.97\00:52:56.12
That's what we
call, having church.
00:52:56.15\00:52:58.01
When you see us stand
during a worship service,
00:53:00.19\00:53:03.68
we are not being disrespectful.
00:53:04.17\00:53:05.90
Worship in our
tradition is participatory.
00:53:05.93\00:53:08.73
And the reason we, some of us,
00:53:08.76\00:53:10.24
some of us stand is because...
00:53:10.27\00:53:12.26
You know something?
00:53:12.29\00:53:13.66
When we hear the
preacher preaching about the
00:53:13.69\00:53:15.11
three Hebrew boys,
what we are saying is,
00:53:15.14\00:53:18.05
we totally
identify with that story.
00:53:18.08\00:53:20.79
And if we could, we
would step into that story.
00:53:20.82\00:53:23.55
These are the things, the
uniqueness of our community,
00:53:25.60\00:53:28.80
that God has given to
us, and they bless us.
00:53:28.83\00:53:31.49
And they bless the world
and we carry the everlasting
00:53:31.52\00:53:34.75
gospel around the world.
00:53:34.78\00:53:36.44
Now I've just got a few minutes
here to preach the Word today.
00:53:36.64\00:53:39.33
And I've been assigned a
topic; How To Meet Your Giant.
00:53:39.36\00:53:44.25
The battle is the Lord's.
00:53:44.28\00:53:46.03
Listen to the
words of Scripture now.
00:53:46.06\00:53:47.98
And I'm reading today
from the King James Version
00:53:48.01\00:53:50.94
of the Bible.
00:53:51.17\00:53:52.54
But would you pray with
me first, please, as we open
00:53:52.57\00:53:54.79
our Word today?
00:53:54.82\00:53:56.22
Dear God, bless us as
we listen to Your Word.
00:53:56.25\00:53:59.35
In Jesus' name, amen.
00:53:59.38\00:54:01.92
Many life lessons will
be imbedded in this chapter.
00:54:02.71\00:54:05.75
And we hope to excavate
them and make them useful and
00:54:05.78\00:54:08.55
meaningful for all of us.
00:54:08.58\00:54:09.95
Here we go.
00:54:09.98\00:54:11.35
1 Samuel chapter 17,
verses 41 through 48.
00:54:11.38\00:54:14.89
"And the Philistine came
on and drew near unto David;
00:54:16.63\00:54:21.51
and the man that bare
the shield went before him.
00:54:21.81\00:54:26.78
And when the Philistine
looked about and saw David,
00:54:29.30\00:54:31.58
he disdained him: for he
was but a youth, and ruddy,
00:54:31.61\00:54:34.96
and of a fair countenance.
00:54:34.99\00:54:36.51
And the Philistine said unto
David, 'Am I a dog, that thou
00:54:36.98\00:54:41.12
comest to me with staves?'"
00:54:41.15\00:54:43.26
That is, with sticks.
00:54:43.29\00:54:44.66
"And the Philistine
cursed David by his gods.
00:54:44.69\00:54:46.89
And the Philistine
said to David, 'Come to me,
00:54:46.92\00:54:49.49
and I will give thy flesh
unto the fowls of the air, and
00:54:49.52\00:54:52.51
to the beasts of the field.'
00:54:52.54\00:54:54.85
Then said David to the
Philistine, 'Thou comest
00:54:55.25\00:54:57.92
to me with a sword, and
with a spear, and with a shield:
00:54:57.95\00:55:01.77
but I come to thee in the
name of the Lord of hosts,
00:55:01.80\00:55:05.89
the God of the armies of
Israel, whom thou hast defied.
00:55:05.92\00:55:10.09
This day...'"
00:55:11.46\00:55:12.83
What day, everyone?
00:55:12.86\00:55:14.23
"This day will the Lord
deliver thee into mine hand;
00:55:14.66\00:55:17.58
and I will smite thee,
and take thine head from thee;
00:55:17.61\00:55:20.70
and I will give the carcasses
of the host of the Philistines
00:55:20.73\00:55:24.46
this day unto the fowls of
the air, and to the wild beasts
00:55:24.49\00:55:28.66
of the earth; that all
the earth may know that
00:55:28.69\00:55:31.69
there is a God in Israel.
00:55:31.72\00:55:35.08
And all this assembly shall know
that the Lord saveth not with
00:55:36.06\00:55:41.18
sword and spear: for the battle
is the Lord's, and He will
00:55:41.21\00:55:47.51
give you into our hands."
00:55:47.54\00:55:49.30
And verse 48, "And it came to
pass, when the Philistine arose,
00:55:49.33\00:55:53.91
and came, and drew nigh to
meet David, that David hastened,
00:55:53.94\00:55:58.36
and ran toward the army
to meet the Philistine."
00:55:58.39\00:56:04.41
Two words since September
11, 2001 have emblazoned
00:56:05.83\00:56:11.85
themselves on
American consciousness.
00:56:11.88\00:56:15.01
Two simple words that
before September 11, 2001,
00:56:15.51\00:56:21.96
before September 11, we
had heard them but they had
00:56:21.99\00:56:26.86
never quite landed within
our collective American spirit.
00:56:26.89\00:56:33.24
Although we knew
that they were there.
00:56:33.27\00:56:34.64
These two words have
forever now shaped the way
00:56:34.67\00:56:38.76
America thinks about
itself in relationship to the
00:56:38.79\00:56:42.51
rest of the world.
00:56:42.54\00:56:43.91
These two words have
created whole new industries.
00:56:45.02\00:56:47.80
They've created a whole
new line of federal employment.
00:56:47.83\00:56:50.98
These two words have
shaped the way political
00:56:51.28\00:56:54.22
campaigns are conducted.
00:56:54.25\00:56:56.03
We are preparing now for
a debate on foreign policy.
00:56:56.23\00:56:59.27
And these two words
will certainly be uttered
00:56:59.30\00:57:02.18
by every candidate.
00:57:02.21\00:57:03.82
Yes, they will be worn across
candidate's chests as easily
00:57:03.85\00:57:08.53
as they wear their
American flag as a lapel pin.
00:57:08.56\00:57:11.63
These two words make all
the difference in understanding
00:57:11.66\00:57:15.80
how America thinks about
itself as it goes forward
00:57:15.83\00:57:19.61
into the modern world.
00:57:19.64\00:57:21.36
Two words; national security.
00:57:21.77\00:57:26.65
It has become an issue
since September 11, 2001.
00:57:29.30\00:57:33.17
I shall never forget,
after those diabolical attacks.
00:57:34.41\00:57:38.41
I shall never forget looking at
TIME magazine, a December issue,
00:57:38.61\00:57:42.34
where a little Arab boy
about 6 years old was shown,
00:57:42.37\00:57:46.61
was shown with his
face covered holding an AK47
00:57:46.64\00:57:51.51
on the cover of TIME magazine.
00:57:51.97\00:57:54.11
And I'll never forget, in
white letters the caption that
00:57:54.14\00:57:57.47
asked the haunting question,
"Why do they hate us so?"
00:57:57.50\00:58:03.78
National security.
00:58:07.72\00:58:09.31
It is an issue today, but
it was also an issue then.
00:58:09.77\00:58:13.87
For 3000 years ago, we are now
entering into a story in which
00:58:14.53\00:58:19.61
national security issues
are being brought to bear
00:58:19.64\00:58:23.63
in this story.
00:58:23.66\00:58:25.03
Now I know that in the story
that I've read this morning,
00:58:25.06\00:58:27.65
many of us think about
this story as a heart warming
00:58:27.68\00:58:30.68
bedtime tale.
00:58:30.71\00:58:32.08
But that is not the appropriate
reading of the text today.
00:58:32.11\00:58:35.60
If you would really
plunge into this story,
00:58:35.86\00:58:38.61
you would have to recognize
that as you enter 1 Samuel 17,
00:58:38.64\00:58:43.21
that there are three life
altering, nation threatening
00:58:43.24\00:58:49.07
issues that are
brought to bear in this story.
00:58:49.10\00:58:52.19
The first is the
issue of national security.
00:58:53.63\00:58:58.33
What do we mean by that?
00:58:59.26\00:59:00.89
When you open 1
Samuel chapter 17, you cannot
00:59:00.92\00:59:04.08
help but notice that in the
very first verses of the text
00:59:04.11\00:59:09.17
the Philistines
gathered together at Shochoh,
00:59:09.20\00:59:12.38
which is in Judah.
00:59:12.41\00:59:14.24
Now we are not
geographically sensitive.
00:59:14.77\00:59:19.48
But the first readers of
this text would have asked
00:59:19.51\00:59:21.77
themselves a question,
"What are the Philistines,
00:59:21.80\00:59:25.39
who are a coastal people,
what are they doing in Judah?"
00:59:25.42\00:59:29.98
For as a coastal people,
they should have been out
00:59:30.97\00:59:33.75
along the coast.
00:59:33.78\00:59:35.15
But what the Bible is
trying to tell us is that the
00:59:35.18\00:59:38.25
national security of Israel
has already been threatened,
00:59:38.28\00:59:42.13
because the Philistine
insurgency has already begun.
00:59:42.16\00:59:46.65
They have left their homeland
estates, and now the Philistines
00:59:46.68\00:59:51.66
are dominating
Israel's open home court.
00:59:51.69\00:59:56.13
Here is the second
issue in this text.
00:59:58.68\01:00:01.61
The second issue turns around
the issue of national identity.
01:00:03.06\01:00:07.12
Israel is a young monarchy.
01:00:08.02\01:00:10.98
You remember, Israel wanted
to be like the other nations.
01:00:12.03\01:00:14.84
Did it not?
01:00:14.87\01:00:16.24
Israel said to God one day,
God who designed, pastor, that
01:00:16.35\01:00:20.57
Israel would be a
theocracy, they said, "Oh no.
01:00:20.60\01:00:23.86
We want to me a
monarchy. Give us a king."
01:00:23.89\01:00:28.36
And these groups,
this group of people,
01:00:29.74\01:00:33.13
who decided that God's ways
were not superior to other ways,
01:00:33.16\01:00:38.19
they decided that they wanted to
be just like the other nations.
01:00:38.22\01:00:42.38
So God gave them a
king so that they could be
01:00:42.41\01:00:45.44
just like the other nations.
01:00:45.47\01:00:47.22
But when they ran into problems,
their default position would be
01:00:47.25\01:00:51.64
back to wanting God to
come and to deliver them.
01:00:51.67\01:00:55.02
And so in this story there is an
element of identity confusion.
01:00:56.58\01:01:02.73
Here's the third issue.
01:01:04.53\01:01:05.90
The first issue;
national security.
01:01:06.84\01:01:08.84
The second issue;
national identity.
01:01:08.87\01:01:10.81
The third issue;
national leadership.
01:01:10.84\01:01:13.64
Because the story has
an inherent conflict in it.
01:01:15.02\01:01:18.57
The question, "Who is the king?"
01:01:19.49\01:01:23.67
Now you say, "Why?"
01:01:25.22\01:01:26.59
Why?
01:01:27.34\01:01:28.71
Why would they even
have a question about that?
01:01:28.74\01:01:30.42
Well, you will
remember the Amalekite mission
01:01:30.45\01:01:33.37
that was entrusted
to Saul in chapter 15.
01:01:34.43\01:01:38.32
He was to go into the Amalekite
territory and to execute
01:01:39.29\01:01:43.84
a purgative judgment
against the Amalekites.
01:01:43.87\01:01:48.42
I say purgative.
01:01:48.95\01:01:50.32
Here's why. I'm teaching now.
01:01:50.38\01:01:52.05
There are four kinds
of judgments in the Bible.
01:01:52.25\01:01:54.76
The first is an
investigative judgment.
01:01:54.79\01:01:57.48
Investigative
meaning that God comes down
01:01:58.25\01:02:01.30
in the Garden of Eden.
01:02:01.33\01:02:02.70
He ropes off the Garden
of Eden with yellow tape,
01:02:02.73\01:02:05.62
and He does an investigation
before He pronounces sentence
01:02:05.65\01:02:09.95
upon Adam and Eve.
01:02:09.98\01:02:11.35
Investigation.
01:02:12.59\01:02:13.96
The second is a
vindicative judgment.
01:02:15.55\01:02:19.56
In Daniel chapter 7
when the little horn says,
01:02:20.20\01:02:23.34
"We are the people of
God," and persecutes the saints
01:02:23.54\01:02:26.59
for the people of God,
Daniel chapter 7 verse 21
01:02:26.62\01:02:29.56
says judgment was found
to be in favor of the saints.
01:02:29.59\01:02:34.42
God's people were vindicated.
01:02:34.45\01:02:37.63
The third kind of
judgment in the Bible;
01:02:37.93\01:02:40.26
retributive judgment.
01:02:40.29\01:02:42.06
Remember the book of Revelation,
God comes down and He says,
01:02:43.03\01:02:46.44
"I will repay Babylon for the
way she has treated Our people."
01:02:46.64\01:02:51.14
Retribution.
Retributive judgment.
01:02:51.17\01:02:53.65
The fourth kind of
judgment in the Bible
01:02:54.14\01:02:56.16
is annihilative judgment.
01:02:56.19\01:02:58.43
That one day, that is the final
judgment where God ends it all.
01:02:59.70\01:03:05.45
And so the question now,
a purgative judgment was to
01:03:06.43\01:03:10.99
take place among the Amalekites.
01:03:11.02\01:03:13.32
Saul failed to
execute the mission.
01:03:13.75\01:03:18.19
One day at that scene, Samuel,
the old weathered prophet.
01:03:20.27\01:03:27.97
You remember Samuel.
01:03:28.84\01:03:30.32
When he started off
and we first met him,
01:03:30.76\01:03:32.80
he was not yet even
in his mother's womb.
01:03:32.83\01:03:37.16
There was Sister Hannah praying,
babbling like many mothers have
01:03:37.19\01:03:41.13
done, interceding and
pleading and begging God,
01:03:41.16\01:03:45.15
asking God to remove
what she thought was her
01:03:45.18\01:03:47.98
curse of childlessness.
01:03:48.01\01:03:50.38
God gives her a little boy.
01:03:51.67\01:03:53.43
And this little
boy is a wonderful,
01:03:53.46\01:03:55.43
he's a little prodigy prophet.
01:03:55.46\01:03:57.48
You know, he's
dressed in little temple garb
01:03:57.51\01:03:59.67
and little temple uniforms.
01:03:59.70\01:04:01.28
And I imagine that as
he did his little ministry,
01:04:01.31\01:04:04.36
people would look
around and they would say,
01:04:04.39\01:04:06.36
"Oh my goodness,
there's little Samuel.
01:04:06.39\01:04:08.46
Isn't he adorable."
01:04:08.49\01:04:10.50
They would pull out their
iPhones and pop pictures of him.
01:04:11.02\01:04:13.89
Because people
just had to say...
01:04:13.92\01:04:15.29
They'd post it on YouTube
and Facebook and Instagram.
01:04:15.32\01:04:21.93
And they would do
all of this because
01:04:22.79\01:04:24.98
this was cute little Samuel.
01:04:25.01\01:04:26.65
Guess what?
01:04:26.68\01:04:28.05
Cute little prodigy
prophets grow up now to be
01:04:28.08\01:04:32.23
fearless men of God.
01:04:32.26\01:04:34.05
And so now, the little prodigy
has become a weathered old man.
01:04:34.79\01:04:38.48
And as he walks up to the
battle scene, the forlorned
01:04:38.51\01:04:41.97
dispirited king runs up
to him, grabs him, and says,
01:04:42.00\01:04:46.62
"I have performed the
commandment of the Lord."
01:04:46.65\01:04:50.76
And Samuel says, "If
you have, why do I hear the
01:04:52.13\01:04:58.55
bleating of sheep?"
01:04:58.58\01:04:59.95
Now Samuel turns to leave him.
01:05:02.91\01:05:06.31
And Saul lunges at him
with such desperate force
01:05:06.34\01:05:10.94
that he rips his mantle.
01:05:10.97\01:05:13.51
And in that tearing of his
garment, the old man of God
01:05:13.54\01:05:19.08
sees a prophetic symbol.
01:05:19.11\01:05:20.94
He says to Saul, "As
you have ripped my garment,
01:05:20.97\01:05:25.95
so God has ripped
the kingdom from you,
01:05:25.98\01:05:29.29
and given it to
someone who is worthy."
01:05:30.68\01:05:34.61
Step into chapter 16.
01:05:37.45\01:05:40.07
Now you see that same old man
standing in Jesse's living room.
01:05:41.35\01:05:44.97
And he says, "How
many son's do you have?
01:05:45.98\01:05:48.47
Bring them before me."
01:05:48.77\01:05:50.20
Here comes the sons;
Eliab, Shammah, Abinadab.
01:05:50.88\01:05:55.03
Here come the sons.
01:05:55.06\01:05:56.43
And now he looks at them.
01:05:56.46\01:05:58.02
And the first one he
sees is Eliab, and he says,
01:05:58.05\01:06:01.22
"This must be the one,
because he walks like a king,
01:06:01.25\01:06:04.22
he talks like a
king, he looks like a king.
01:06:04.25\01:06:06.64
He has kingly
bearing, he's ramrod straight.
01:06:06.67\01:06:11.42
And he has a stern mien."
01:06:11.45\01:06:14.49
"That must be the one."
01:06:19.58\01:06:20.95
And even the prophet
is not above correction.
01:06:21.76\01:06:24.62
God says, "Do not
look on his appearance.
01:06:25.43\01:06:27.71
For I do not see as man sees."
01:06:28.39\01:06:31.13
Man looks on the
outward appearance,
01:06:31.33\01:06:34.27
but God looks on the heart.
01:06:34.47\01:06:37.37
Let me tell you something.
01:06:37.83\01:06:39.20
We live in a society today that
is all caught up in container
01:06:39.23\01:06:43.44
and very little concern
is expressed about content.
01:06:43.47\01:06:47.05
And so, there he sees him.
01:06:50.94\01:06:53.31
And now he says, "You
must have one more son."
01:06:53.41\01:06:55.36
Everybody remains
standing, remains standing,
01:06:55.39\01:06:59.20
until we get him.
01:06:59.23\01:07:00.60
He goes and in
walks little David.
01:07:00.63\01:07:03.09
He smells like sheep.
01:07:03.99\01:07:05.66
God says, "That's him."
01:07:09.81\01:07:11.19
He takes out the horn of oil and
and pours it on David's head,
01:07:11.22\01:07:15.82
in chapter 16.
01:07:15.85\01:07:17.89
Now you are
left with a question.
01:07:17.92\01:07:20.39
Who is the real king?
01:07:21.23\01:07:23.69
Is it the sitting king
or is it the anointed king?
01:07:24.62\01:07:29.05
Now God decides he
going to answer the question.
01:07:30.95\01:07:33.69
Because the answer to the
question is born of crisis.
01:07:34.44\01:07:38.28
God often sends crisis
into His community in order to
01:07:38.81\01:07:42.34
expose the
community's underbelly.
01:07:42.37\01:07:45.52
And in that exposure,
God is asking for us now
01:07:46.29\01:07:50.06
to take care of those things
that need to be taken care of.
01:07:50.09\01:07:53.52
Israel's decisive moment appears
like a nightmare on Elm street.
01:07:53.55\01:07:59.62
He's 12 feet tall.
01:08:01.98\01:08:03.99
Anatomists estimate he
must have weighted somewhere
01:08:05.87\01:08:08.26
around, somewhere around,
between 900 to 1200 pounds.
01:08:08.29\01:08:14.48
He's dressed in a
brass coat of mail
01:08:15.63\01:08:19.76
that covers his entire body.
01:08:19.79\01:08:21.88
There's a huge
brass helmet on his head.
01:08:21.91\01:08:24.46
He has chin covers of brass and
he has thigh covers of brass.
01:08:24.49\01:08:28.54
Before him walks a
shield bearer who carries
01:08:28.57\01:08:32.10
a rectangular body shield.
01:08:32.13\01:08:34.78
The thing is too big even for
the shield bearer to be evident.
01:08:34.81\01:08:39.49
He's like a
nightmare on Elm street.
01:08:43.60\01:08:46.44
And when he
introduces himself, every pore
01:08:46.47\01:08:50.42
oozes carnal self-confidence.
01:08:50.92\01:08:53.78
"Am I not..."
01:08:54.71\01:08:56.08
Now your Bible's
say, "a Philistine."
01:08:56.11\01:08:58.82
"Am I not a Philistine."
01:08:59.12\01:09:01.88
That's in verse 8.
01:09:01.91\01:09:03.28
But in the Hebrew,
"Am I not the Philistine."
01:09:03.31\01:09:07.15
He's the first leader
to appear in the story.
01:09:09.50\01:09:13.00
He's got a track
record of success.
01:09:13.38\01:09:15.62
He's high tech.
01:09:16.27\01:09:17.96
He's the ancient
equivalent of a Robo Cop.
01:09:17.99\01:09:21.48
He's an amazing figure.
01:09:21.51\01:09:23.76
Look at him.
01:09:23.79\01:09:25.16
He's got all of this armament,
all of this latest technology.
01:09:25.19\01:09:28.57
And then the Bible writer
leaves us a simple detail.
01:09:28.60\01:09:33.49
That detail that
exposes that this is no
01:09:33.52\01:09:37.10
backwoods country local yokel.
01:09:37.13\01:09:40.72
In fact, this man is a
state of the art, man mountain,
01:09:42.80\01:09:48.32
of fighting technology.
01:09:48.35\01:09:49.99
For your Bible says that
the thing that's strapped
01:09:50.45\01:09:53.02
between his shoulders
that looks like a flagpole
01:09:53.05\01:09:57.74
is a spear that has on
its head a 15 pound iron tip.
01:09:58.19\01:10:06.28
Why iron?
01:10:07.84\01:10:09.21
Because Israel was
still in the bronze age.
01:10:10.26\01:10:14.05
But the Philistines had already
entered into the iron age.
01:10:18.48\01:10:24.27
So look at the
issues in the story.
01:10:25.11\01:10:27.24
We've got high
tech versus low tech.
01:10:27.27\01:10:31.02
And it's all
heading toward a showdown.
01:10:33.28\01:10:37.23
Every day for 40 days, this man
mountain of fighting technology
01:10:37.93\01:10:43.69
strides out onto
the field of battle.
01:10:43.72\01:10:46.14
Every single day,
every day, for 40 days.
01:10:46.17\01:10:50.10
And every day for 40
days, the people of God,
01:10:51.76\01:10:53.88
they march out onto
battle, onto the field.
01:10:53.91\01:10:56.61
In precise military
formation, they take up their
01:10:56.64\01:11:00.03
lifeless formations.
01:11:00.06\01:11:01.43
And then as soon as
Goliath begins to march out,
01:11:01.46\01:11:05.27
they begin to hear
the bellowing of Goliath.
01:11:05.30\01:11:09.18
And this very bellow
sends shutters of naked fear
01:11:09.21\01:11:14.70
up and down their spines.
01:11:14.73\01:11:16.60
And they begin to flee.
01:11:16.63\01:11:19.36
Every day for 40 days.
01:11:20.24\01:11:23.25
Every day for 40 days.
01:11:23.97\01:11:26.92
Every day for 40 days.
01:11:27.57\01:11:31.04
Now I don't know if you realize
it, but there is something
01:11:31.81\01:11:34.89
about God's love
for certain numbers.
01:11:34.92\01:11:38.49
I mean, it's clear God
loves the number seven.
01:11:39.09\01:11:41.08
Does He not?
01:11:41.11\01:11:42.48
It's clear.
01:11:42.71\01:11:44.08
He loves the number seven.
01:11:44.11\01:11:45.54
The Sabbath, marching
around Jericho seven times,
01:11:45.57\01:11:48.68
the seven
trumpets of Revelation,
01:11:48.85\01:11:50.55
the seven
churches of Revelation,
01:11:50.65\01:11:52.24
the seven last
plagues of Revelation.
01:11:52.28\01:11:53.65
God loves the number seven.
01:11:53.68\01:11:55.05
Here's another number
that God loves; forty.
01:11:55.08\01:11:57.35
Forty days, Jesus
is in the wilderness.
01:11:59.13\01:12:01.20
Nineveh is
preached to forty days.
01:12:01.99\01:12:04.89
Moses leads the
children of Israel around the
01:12:05.37\01:12:07.70
wilderness for forty years.
01:12:07.73\01:12:09.48
There's something about forty.
01:12:09.51\01:12:11.16
Because on the other
side of forty, there is
01:12:11.26\01:12:13.71
always a breakthrough.
01:12:13.74\01:12:15.25
Here it comes now, here
it comes now, here it comes.
01:12:17.54\01:12:20.46
Day 41 has dawned.
01:12:20.82\01:12:23.32
God's people now march
out onto the field of battle.
01:12:23.85\01:12:28.94
They take up their
military formation.
01:12:28.97\01:12:32.73
Goliath swaggers
onto the field of battle,
01:12:32.76\01:12:35.87
full of self-confidence.
01:12:35.90\01:12:37.56
And he puts
forward his proposition,
01:12:37.59\01:12:39.73
"Israel, send me a man."
01:12:39.76\01:12:42.89
And for the past 40
days, the people of God
01:12:49.01\01:12:52.11
have scattered when they have
heard the roaring of Goliath.
01:12:52.65\01:12:57.11
Ah, but day 41 has dawned.
01:12:57.14\01:12:59.98
And now, here comes
the cry, "Send me a man."
01:13:00.01\01:13:05.16
And as Israel takes up
its position, out from behind
01:13:05.19\01:13:10.06
the Israelite lines,
out squirts little David.
01:13:10.09\01:13:14.13
Goliath looks at him, he
looks at the people of God,
01:13:17.73\01:13:22.01
he looks at the
Philistines, and he says,
01:13:22.04\01:13:25.61
"Am I," the text, "a
dog that you send a boy
01:13:25.81\01:13:32.64
to do a man's job?"
01:13:32.67\01:13:35.87
Now right here...
01:13:36.65\01:13:38.02
right here...
01:13:38.05\01:13:39.42
right here I want to stop and
say that if you keep on living,
01:13:39.45\01:13:46.47
one day you are going to face
a watershed moment in your life
01:13:47.75\01:13:53.88
when you've got to make a
decision, "Will I trust God
01:13:54.19\01:13:59.35
or will I leave God?"
01:13:59.90\01:14:03.18
Now, here is the issue.
01:14:04.80\01:14:07.82
Goliath represents
any set of circumstances
01:14:12.25\01:14:19.18
in which we are out manned,
out gunned, out resourced,
01:14:19.21\01:14:27.25
out leveraged.
01:14:28.23\01:14:29.87
Goliath represents that set of
circumstances, that life moment,
01:14:30.45\01:14:35.13
when we will have
to make a decision.
01:14:35.16\01:14:37.61
For some, that Goliath is in the
form of a physician's diagnoses.
01:14:37.64\01:14:42.44
"I'm not sure that we
can cure what you have."
01:14:43.53\01:14:46.71
For others, it might be the
exodus of a spouse who says,
01:14:47.48\01:14:51.62
"I don't want to be in
this marriage anymore."
01:14:51.65\01:14:53.93
For another, it might be finding
that the HIV text is positive.
01:14:54.79\01:14:59.52
But in every circumstance,
you are going to have a moment
01:15:01.27\01:15:05.64
when you have got
to make a decision,
01:15:05.67\01:15:08.01
"What now am I going to
do with my faith in God?"
01:15:08.04\01:15:12.25
David makes a decision.
01:15:14.22\01:15:15.59
He says, "I'll fight the giant."
01:15:17.52\01:15:19.45
And when you listen to
what happens in David's life,
01:15:20.74\01:15:23.62
from that point forward you
find that in his narrative...
01:15:23.65\01:15:28.35
Because this is one of
the few stories in the Bible
01:15:28.38\01:15:31.85
where the combatants talk
more than they actually fight.
01:15:31.88\01:15:36.39
Yes it is.
01:15:37.31\01:15:38.68
It's like a Muhammad Ali, Sonny
Liston fight back in the 60's.
01:15:40.54\01:15:43.63
Some of you remember
the history of boxing.
01:15:45.92\01:15:48.03
The second fight,
it was a lot of talk.
01:15:48.06\01:15:50.34
Because Ali had become champion
and everybody was waiting for
01:15:50.37\01:15:53.31
Liston to come back
and take his revenge.
01:15:53.34\01:15:55.41
Well guess what happens?
01:15:55.44\01:15:56.95
In 1965, a long time ago,
1965, they now get into the ring
01:15:56.98\01:16:02.52
and Ali begins
circling and dancing.
01:16:02.55\01:16:04.94
Now there had been a
lot of talk up to the fight.
01:16:04.97\01:16:07.28
Ah, but he had noticed
something about Liston.
01:16:07.31\01:16:09.81
Liston would jab and drop it.
01:16:09.84\01:16:12.41
Now, in boxing...
01:16:12.44\01:16:13.81
I'm not a boxing fan.
01:16:13.84\01:16:15.21
I don't know much about boxing.
01:16:15.24\01:16:16.61
I don't know, I don't know,
I don't know, I don't know.
01:16:16.64\01:16:18.24
But this is what they
say, this is what they say.
01:16:18.27\01:16:19.64
They say that in boxing when
you jab, you should pull it back
01:16:19.67\01:16:23.48
to cover your jaw.
01:16:23.51\01:16:24.88
He noticed something in
studying the fight films.
01:16:24.91\01:16:26.99
Every time Liston would jab,
if he missed he'd drop his jab
01:16:27.02\01:16:30.88
and pull it back.
01:16:30.91\01:16:32.28
Now they get to
about a minute left in the
01:16:32.31\01:16:34.43
first round of the fight.
01:16:34.46\01:16:36.22
Liston jabs, Muhammad Ali steps
left and comes over the jab.
01:16:36.25\01:16:40.60
And the fight is
over in the first round.
01:16:40.63\01:16:43.52
Lots of talk, but a quick fight.
01:16:44.82\01:16:47.39
In David and Goliath's
story, there's lots of talk,
01:16:48.79\01:16:51.80
but a quick fight.
01:16:51.83\01:16:53.20
But what makes the
fight quick are the keys
01:16:53.23\01:16:56.04
that the young man reveals.
01:16:56.07\01:16:57.78
He tells you how
to meet your giant.
01:16:58.19\01:17:02.26
Here's the first key.
01:17:04.88\01:17:06.25
The king decides, upon hearing
that this insolent young man
01:17:07.08\01:17:11.42
wants to now fight the
giant, the king decides that he
01:17:11.45\01:17:14.26
wants to help him.
01:17:14.29\01:17:15.66
So he summons him.
01:17:15.69\01:17:17.06
He comes into the kings chamber
and the king says to him,
01:17:17.09\01:17:20.38
"David, you are not
able to fight this giant.
01:17:20.41\01:17:24.74
Because he has been a
fighting man from his young."
01:17:24.77\01:17:28.47
Now, aren't you glad that David
didn't accept the king's help?
01:17:29.34\01:17:32.85
You know, some of us are too
eager to let everybody help us.
01:17:34.12\01:17:37.32
But can I just
share something with you?
01:17:37.90\01:17:39.66
All help is not created equally.
01:17:39.69\01:17:41.97
David rejects his help.
01:17:44.08\01:17:45.68
And now David
begins telling him a story.
01:17:45.71\01:17:47.94
He says, "Look king, you know,
one night I was out and I was
01:17:47.97\01:17:51.00
laying down and I was
keeping my father's sheep."
01:17:51.03\01:17:52.87
He said, "And what I heard was
a lion roaring in the darkness.
01:17:52.90\01:17:56.81
I looked through
the murky darkness,
01:17:56.84\01:17:58.66
I grabbed the lion by
its beard, and I killed it.
01:17:58.69\01:18:01.30
And on another night,
there was a bear who had grabbed
01:18:01.33\01:18:03.79
one of my father's sheep.
01:18:03.82\01:18:05.44
And I beat the bear."
01:18:05.47\01:18:06.84
And in the Hebrew,
"I knocked it down.
01:18:06.87\01:18:09.37
And I delivered the lamb.
01:18:10.12\01:18:11.57
And, oh king, if God
could deliver me from the lion
01:18:11.60\01:18:16.03
and the bear, surely He
can deliver me from this
01:18:16.06\01:18:19.88
uncircumcised Philistine."
01:18:19.91\01:18:22.24
Watch this now. Watch this.
01:18:24.77\01:18:26.42
That's the first key.
01:18:26.45\01:18:27.82
That's the first key
on how to meet your giant.
01:18:28.30\01:18:32.31
You can't listen to
what the naysayers say.
01:18:32.92\01:18:36.05
But when you get to that
moment when you have to make
01:18:36.08\01:18:39.44
a cosmic choice, the
first move David shows us is
01:18:39.47\01:18:43.27
that you've got to
download your spiritual resumé.
01:18:43.30\01:18:47.54
You see, your spiritual resumé
gives you a portable past.
01:18:50.62\01:18:54.95
Whenever you meet those
circumstances like David,
01:18:56.48\01:18:59.18
you've got to look back
at what God has done for you.
01:18:59.21\01:19:02.59
Some of us don't know
how to meet our giants
01:19:02.62\01:19:05.59
because our
past is not portable.
01:19:05.62\01:19:09.03
We get in the moment and panic.
01:19:13.41\01:19:16.11
Ah, but Ellen G. White
says, "We have nothing to fear
01:19:16.69\01:19:19.83
for the future except we forget
how God has led us in the past."
01:19:19.86\01:19:26.22
David says, "A lion and a bear;
01:19:28.45\01:19:32.34
if He delivered me
from the paw of those,
01:19:32.37\01:19:35.55
He'll deliver me from
the paw of the Philistine."
01:19:35.58\01:19:39.31
Second key.
01:19:42.91\01:19:44.28
Well Saul says, "Let
me help you some more."
01:19:46.78\01:19:49.71
Saul summons his attendant.
01:19:49.74\01:19:51.52
And the attendant brings
out now the most beautiful armor
01:19:51.55\01:19:54.43
you've ever seen.
01:19:54.46\01:19:55.83
It is custom fitted for Saul.
01:19:56.24\01:19:58.56
It's huge.
01:20:00.35\01:20:01.72
I can see David dangling
around, dangling around,
01:20:02.87\01:20:06.18
in Saul's oversized armor.
01:20:06.21\01:20:08.53
And notice what your Bible says.
01:20:09.65\01:20:11.74
Your Bible says in verse
39 that David took them off
01:20:11.77\01:20:18.30
and tells Saul,
"I cannot use these,
01:20:18.33\01:20:21.43
for I have not tried them."
01:20:21.46\01:20:24.00
That's the second key
on how to meet your giant.
01:20:24.03\01:20:27.31
The second key, second key.
01:20:27.61\01:20:29.30
The first; download
your spiritual resumé.
01:20:29.33\01:20:32.25
The second key is to
upload your God given identity.
01:20:32.28\01:20:37.03
Because David is a shepherd.
01:20:40.68\01:20:44.03
He's not a military man.
01:20:46.49\01:20:48.20
Ellen White says that if
he had accepted Saul's armor,
01:20:49.12\01:20:52.10
people would have said, "The
only reason he won that battle
01:20:52.13\01:20:55.70
was because of the
technology he was using."
01:20:55.73\01:20:59.04
Oh, watch this
now. Watch this now.
01:21:00.69\01:21:02.51
I believe in technology.
01:21:02.89\01:21:04.94
Technology is a wonderful tool.
01:21:04.97\01:21:08.76
But it's a horrible master.
01:21:08.79\01:21:10.78
David now decides,
"I'm going to go low tech
01:21:16.54\01:21:19.08
so that God will
get all the glory."
01:21:19.11\01:21:22.45
He says, "King,
I don't need that."
01:21:22.85\01:21:24.41
He says, "But
you know something?
01:21:24.44\01:21:25.81
I've got five little friends
01:21:25.84\01:21:27.33
down at the Brook Cherith.
01:21:29.45\01:21:30.93
And I picked up my
five little friends."
01:21:30.96\01:21:32.89
He says, "And now, king,
I'm going to go low tech."
01:21:32.92\01:21:36.17
Day 41 has dawned.
01:21:36.20\01:21:38.18
The morning sun begins to
rise above the eastern sky.
01:21:39.84\01:21:44.10
We watch as shafts of
yellow sunlight begin to pierce
01:21:45.47\01:21:50.67
through the heavy morning mist.
01:21:50.87\01:21:53.80
Morning clouds pass over
and shadow bridgeless rivers
01:21:53.83\01:21:59.31
as now the mighty man walks
out onto the field of battle
01:21:59.34\01:22:03.63
once again.
01:22:03.66\01:22:05.13
Look at him.
01:22:05.16\01:22:06.53
He's a scintillating gladiator.
01:22:06.56\01:22:09.45
And he walks out
onto the field of battle.
01:22:10.14\01:22:12.42
He issues his single combat
proposition, "Send me a man."
01:22:12.45\01:22:18.15
David steps from
behind Israelite lines.
01:22:18.18\01:22:21.01
Now David, now
David, now David...
01:22:21.04\01:22:25.06
Now David has to
use all of the practice
01:22:25.09\01:22:29.49
that he has ever mustered.
01:22:29.52\01:22:31.48
Because as he begins
to speak to the giant,
01:22:31.51\01:22:34.96
the giant begins to curse him
by every god the giant knows.
01:22:34.99\01:22:41.09
"David, come to me,
you little blankety blank.
01:22:42.09\01:22:47.81
I'm all blanked
up, blank out of..."
01:22:49.04\01:22:51.30
Watch this now, watch this now.
01:22:55.55\01:22:57.65
David says, "You
come to me and I come."
01:22:57.85\01:23:01.92
Notice now, this
battle is not between two men.
01:23:02.28\01:23:05.37
When Goliath invokes
his gods, we are now into a
01:23:05.40\01:23:09.54
cosmic conflict.
01:23:09.57\01:23:11.31
It's not just a fight between
two isolated human beings.
01:23:11.34\01:23:15.72
But it's a God fight now.
01:23:15.75\01:23:17.67
The God of the Hebrews versus
the god of the Philistines.
01:23:17.70\01:23:21.32
And the God of the
Hebrews, He's no domesticated
01:23:21.35\01:23:24.78
territorial deity.
01:23:24.81\01:23:26.75
But He is King of the cosmos.
01:23:27.59\01:23:29.74
And He doesn't need high tech.
01:23:30.26\01:23:32.69
He just needs dedicated
servants who will go out
01:23:32.72\01:23:36.07
and do His will.
01:23:36.10\01:23:37.82
Now Goliath is infuriated.
01:23:38.56\01:23:41.32
He begins to bear down
and to run at little David.
01:23:41.35\01:23:44.70
But your Bible says in verse
48 that David begins to run
01:23:44.73\01:23:48.66
to meet the giant.
01:23:48.69\01:23:50.08
He says to him, "You
come against me with a
01:23:51.56\01:23:53.76
sword and a spear.
01:23:53.79\01:23:55.16
But I come against you in
the name of the Lord of hosts."
01:23:55.19\01:23:59.35
There's the third key.
01:23:59.38\01:24:00.75
The first key;
download your spiritual resumé.
01:24:01.39\01:24:04.57
Upload your God given identity.
01:24:04.60\01:24:06.63
And the third key David
shows us; you've got to plug in
01:24:06.66\01:24:10.19
to the power of the Name.
01:24:10.22\01:24:12.04
Because that Name is
above every other name.
01:24:13.40\01:24:15.55
Somebody said that at
the name of Jesus, every knee
01:24:15.73\01:24:18.56
is going to bow and every
tongue is going to confess.
01:24:18.59\01:24:21.35
Somebody said there's no
other Name given among men
01:24:21.38\01:24:24.47
whereby we must be saved.
01:24:24.50\01:24:27.15
Now, it's giant meeting time.
01:24:27.55\01:24:30.38
He begins bearing
down on little David.
01:24:30.70\01:24:32.92
And guess what David does?
01:24:32.95\01:24:34.77
David begins to whip
that sling in the air.
01:24:34.80\01:24:38.62
And you hear
the helicopter whirl
01:24:38.65\01:24:41.25
of that sling as he releases it.
01:24:41.69\01:24:43.84
And that stone
swishes through the air.
01:24:43.87\01:24:47.36
It bites into the
forehead of Goliath.
01:24:47.66\01:24:50.57
And like a huge Oak tree,
his whole body begins to quiver
01:24:50.60\01:24:55.11
and tremble as he now
falls face down on the ground.
01:24:55.14\01:25:00.13
Is this the man that
made the nations tremble?
01:25:03.02\01:25:05.46
Slain by a little shepherd boy.
01:25:08.17\01:25:13.17
Don't be afraid
to face your giant.
01:25:14.32\01:25:16.40
Download your spiritual resumé.
01:25:17.41\01:25:19.50
Upload your God given identity.
01:25:19.88\01:25:22.27
Plug into the power of the Name.
01:25:22.30\01:25:24.50
Notice what David begins to do.
01:25:24.53\01:25:27.24
David now, as Goliath
has fallen, that whole body
01:25:27.27\01:25:33.60
lies on the ground and
it's pulsating as if it has been
01:25:33.63\01:25:36.99
invaded by a hive
of alien impulses.
01:25:37.02\01:25:41.15
But watch this now.
01:25:44.79\01:25:46.16
Little shepherd's feet
mount that heaving torso.
01:25:46.35\01:25:50.24
Little shepherd's hands
unsheathe Goliath's sword.
01:25:51.53\01:25:55.89
And with a pop...
01:25:56.42\01:25:58.80
I'm trying to keep
this sermon rated PG.
01:25:59.02\01:26:01.75
With a pop, he
decapitates the giant.
01:26:05.27\01:26:10.16
Can I talk about
another boy from Bethlehem?
01:26:17.74\01:26:19.83
Who, like David, was
despised by His family.
01:26:22.60\01:26:25.87
Who, like David, was
persecuted by a wicked king.
01:26:26.81\01:26:30.41
Can I talk about another
little boy from Bethlehem?
01:26:30.83\01:26:33.17
Who, 2000 years later, would
stand out on the plain in the
01:26:33.49\01:26:38.16
wilderness and
face a mighty giant.
01:26:38.19\01:26:41.61
There's another little boy
from Bethlehem whom we love.
01:26:41.94\01:26:45.03
And today, millions of people
worship Him around the world.
01:26:45.06\01:26:49.74
Because He stood when
no one else could stand.
01:26:49.77\01:26:53.04
Everyone here and everyone
in our listening audience,
01:26:53.84\01:26:56.68
you will face mighty giants.
01:26:56.71\01:26:58.88
But please note
that if God be for you,
01:26:58.91\01:27:02.09
who can be against you?
01:27:02.12\01:27:03.92
May you be blessed as you
go forward into your future,
01:27:04.19\01:27:07.76
and as you face the challenges,
some seen and others unseen,
01:27:07.79\01:27:12.80
and you plot a course
and you keep your faith
01:27:12.83\01:27:15.75
riveted in the God who has
loved you, who has delivered you
01:27:15.78\01:27:20.00
in your past, who
sustains you in the present,
01:27:20.03\01:27:22.88
and who will
bless you in the future.
01:27:22.91\01:27:25.63
In Jesus' name, let
us all together say amen.
01:27:25.66\01:27:30.14