Good evening and
welcome to A Sharper Focus.
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My name is Jill Morikone.
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We're so glad that
you have taken time
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this Wednesday
evening to spend with us.
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Here at the Thompsonville
Seventh-day Adventist Church,
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A Sharper Focus in the
study of the Word of God.
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It's a privilege, isn't
it, to be able to come together
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as brothers and sisters in Jesus
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and study the Word of God.
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And we're so glad
that you have taken time
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from your schedule to join us.
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We want to encourage
you to go to our website,
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www.ASF.3ABN.org.
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That's ASF.3ABN.org
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There you can find past
videos from the Sharper Focus.
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Normally, Pastor John
Lomacang does the Sharper Focus,
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they would be on
there, as well as study guides
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where you can follow along.
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So we are so glad
that you have joined us.
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And let's go to
a scripture first
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before we open up in
prayer here this evening.
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So our opening
scripture is 2 Corinthians.
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If you have your
Bibles, turn with me.
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If you have your Bibles at home,
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we want to
encourage you to turn with us.
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2 Corinthians 5,
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we're going to look
at verse 17, 18, and 20.
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"Therefore, if
anyone is in Christ,
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he is a new creation,"
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or a new creature.
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"Old things have passed away,
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behold, all
things have become new.
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Now all things are of God,
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who has reconciled us to Himself
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through Jesus Christ,
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and has given us the
ministry of reconciliation."
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Verse 20, "Now then,
we," that's you and I,
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each one of us," are
ambassadors for Christ,
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as though God were
pleading through us.
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We implore you
on Christ's behalf,
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be reconciled to God."
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Let's pray.
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Father, we come
before You this evening.
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We thank You for Your Word.
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I just ask right now
that You could get me
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out of the way,
that You could hide me,
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that Your Word would come alive.
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Thank You for the promise.
Your Word never returns void.
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And we ask
tonight that You will,
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by the power of
Your Holy Spirit,
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accomplish in each one of
our hearts what You desire.
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We thank You in the precious
and the holy name in Jesus,
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amen.
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Greg and I were traveling on 57.
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Now we all know 57 is
fairly close here to 3ABN.
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It's a north south road
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that kind of
cuts Illinois in half,
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right, from east to west.
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It goes from
Chicago all the way down
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to the tip of the state.
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We were traveling south on 57
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and we were getting
ready to get off Exit 71.
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That is the...
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That's right,
Abby, the Benton exit.
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So we were in the
right lane getting ready
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to take a right to get off.
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And all of a sudden out
of the corner of my eye,
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I saw a pickup truck passing us
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on the left hand
side of the road.
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The pickup truck was
a big, big pickup truck.
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Now I call most pickup
trucks big boy pickup trucks.
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Greg my husband has
a big boy pickup truck
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just because, to me,
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they just seem like a
man's truck or something.
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No offense to any
of you, lady drivers,
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who drive a pickup truck.
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So this was the granddaddy
of big boy pickup trucks.
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It was not just a pickup
truck, it had the double wheels,
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whatever you call that,
the two tires, you know.
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It was jacked up really
high, it had a duel exhaust,
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and it was roaring.
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And there was a man driving.
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And as it passed,
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we're taking the
Exit 71 to Benton,
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and I just looked in
the back window of the cap.
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And it had two words there,
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it said, Hell, Bent.
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Hell, Bent.
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And I wish I could tell you
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that the first
thought in my mind was,
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"Lord Jesus, I pray
for that man whoever he is,
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whatever he's dealing with,
whatever he's going through,
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I ask for his salvation,"
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but that was not
my first thought.
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Confession is hard on
the reputation, right?
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For good for the character
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and that was not
my first thought.
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My very first thought was,
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"God, I thank You,
I am heaven bound."
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Where did that
thought come from?
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Am I complacent
where I'm at spiritually?
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Am I proud?
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Do I have no compassion,
no burden for hurting,
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lost people?
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Where did that
thought come from?
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I don't know if you
feel that way tonight.
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God, I just thank
You, I'm heaven bound.
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I'm not really
concerned about anyone else.
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Or maybe, you feel
unworthy to witness.
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Turn back just one chapter.
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We're still inside Corinthians,
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we're going back
to 2 Corinthians 4,
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2 Corinthians 4.
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We're getting into
our message tonight.
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This is just laying groundwork.
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2 Corinthians 4:6-7.
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These are two of my favorite
scriptures in the Bible.
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"For God who commanded the light
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to shine out of darkness,"
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this world, we could
say, is a dark place.
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Isn't it, Yanick?
It's dark. Yeah. Yeah.
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Sin, sickness,
disease, suffering, death,
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it's a dark place.
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Into the midst
of this dark world,
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the light has shone.
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It says, God shone
the light in our hearts,
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sets you and me,
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"In our hearts to give
the light of the knowledge
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of the glory of God in
the face of Jesus Christ."
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God brought Himself.
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Jesus, the light of the world,
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into this dark place,
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into this dark
world, Jesus came.
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And where does that
light shine the brightest?
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In our hearts. The next verse.
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"We have this
treasure," that's the gospel,
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that's Jesus the
light of the world,"
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in earthen vessels,
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that the excellence of the power
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may be of God and not of us."
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I have on the table here
in front of Lorraine, a jar.
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This is from Robby Dee.
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Robby Dee, you
know, works here at 3ABN
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and does a wonderful job
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with set design
and all kinds of.
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She's very creative.
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So this is a clay pot.
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Now that verse, verse 7
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in the New
Living Translation says,
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we have this treasure,
that's the gospel of Jesus,
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that's the light of Jesus
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in Jars of Clay.
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The gospel is
poured into you and I.
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Simple jars of clay.
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If I turn this
pot toward the camera,
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can you see that?
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You see the crack right there.
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You and I are flawed.
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Could we say that,
cracked, imperfect vessels,
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but God says, I
want to pour the gospel,
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whether we feel worthy or not,
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whether we feel capable or not,
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He says, I can use you.
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I can use you as my ambassador.
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So tonight, our topic,
the title is "iChoose."
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If I had my phone here,
now I don't have an iPhone,
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I have an android phone.
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But, you know, the
iPhone has the little i
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and the capital P.
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You know, how
they spell it? iPhone.
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Tonight is little i, capital C,
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iChoose to be God's ambassador.
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We're going to look
at three different ways
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that as we make this
choice, three different choices
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we can make as
God's ambassadors.
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So those choices, I'll tell you
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and then we'll
unpackage each one.
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I choose to walk in
compassion, that's number one.
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I choose to walk in compassion.
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Number two, I choose
to walk in surrender.
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And number three, I choose
to walk in fervent prayer.
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The first one, I
choose to walk in compassion.
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Remember, the story
of the Good Samaritan,
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we find that in Luke 10,
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Jesus was talking, teaching.
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And a lawyer came
up to Him and said,
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"What can I do to
inherit eternal life?"
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And remember, Jesus
said, "Love the Lord your God
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with all your
mind, soul, and strength,
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and your neighbor as yourself."
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But the Bible says,
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the lawyer trying
to justify himself,
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said, "Who is my neighbor?
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Who is my neighbor?" Right?
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And so Jesus told the parable,
we call it the Good Samaritan.
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The Bible says a
certain man went down
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from Jerusalem to Jericho.
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Now a couple
years ago, Greg and I
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had the privilege
of going to Israel.
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And when you go to
Israel, it truly is down
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from Jerusalem to Jericho.
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You're traveling east.
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If you think about a map here,
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Jerusalem's here and Jericho
would really be straight east.
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But elevation wise,
you're traveling down,
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it's 3,000 feet elevation
drop and probably 18 miles,
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it takes to get from
Jerusalem over to Jericho.
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It's probably 3,000 feet.
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You're heading down
toward the Dead Sea.
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Jericho is a little
bit north of the Dead Sea,
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but you're heading
down toward the Dead Sea.
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So this man went
down toward Jericho.
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And on the way he got
attacked, we know this story,
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and he was left for
dead by the side of the road.
00:10:16.88\00:10:18.95
Now remember, a
certain religious man
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passed by.
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Who was the
first man who passed?
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Does anybody remember?
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The Levite, okay.
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So the Levite passed
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and the priest.
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Both of them, remember?
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Not at the same
time, but the Bible says
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the Levite
passed and the priest.
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Remember, the priest
walked on the other side.
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Okay, he's over
here and he said,
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"Oh, I'm going
over here," right,
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because there was some sort
of ritualistic contaminate...
00:10:47.71\00:10:51.71
You could be contaminated
if you were brought in contact
00:10:51.75\00:10:54.02
with a dead person so
they had all this ritual.
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"I'm not going
to be contaminated.
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I'm walking by
on the other side."
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Remember, the
Levite, he paused to look.
00:11:00.59\00:11:03.06
"Oh,
00:11:03.09\00:11:05.19
he looks dead.
00:11:05.23\00:11:07.36
Oh, I don't
want to get involved.
00:11:07.40\00:11:10.27
I'm going over here.
00:11:10.30\00:11:11.63
I'm going on this side.
00:11:11.67\00:11:13.34
I don't want to be involved."
00:11:13.37\00:11:15.84
I think there's
hindrances, God calls us
00:11:15.87\00:11:17.84
to walk in compassion, I
choose to walk in compassion,
00:11:17.87\00:11:21.64
there's hindrances to
us walking in compassion.
00:11:21.68\00:11:26.98
In my own life,
they're called indifference,
00:11:27.02\00:11:31.15
selfishness,
00:11:31.19\00:11:35.26
busyness.
00:11:35.29\00:11:37.66
I don't know if you
can relate to any of that.
00:11:37.69\00:11:40.73
I have a busy day,
God, I have a lot of things
00:11:40.76\00:11:43.00
going on right now.
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I see something over here.
00:11:44.47\00:11:47.54
I don't have
time to get involved.
00:11:47.57\00:11:49.80
I'm going to step and
walk on the other side.
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In contrast to that, we
see the example of Jesus.
00:11:54.94\00:11:58.15
Turn with me to
Matthew. Matthew 8.
00:11:58.18\00:12:02.02
There is at least
31 recorded healings
00:12:02.05\00:12:06.86
of Jesus in the New
Testament, in the gospels.
00:12:06.89\00:12:11.89
Many miracles,
remember, the Gospel of John
00:12:11.93\00:12:14.06
at the end says, many
more miracles Jesus did,
00:12:14.10\00:12:16.46
but there's not even
a room to put them in.
00:12:16.50\00:12:19.83
So there's many
more but there's at least
00:12:19.87\00:12:22.04
31 recorded
healings in the Bible.
00:12:22.07\00:12:24.64
We are in Matthew 8.
00:12:24.67\00:12:28.11
We're going to look
at verses 1 through 3.
00:12:28.14\00:12:30.35
I think this is one
of my favorite passages
00:12:30.38\00:12:35.92
of Jesus' healing.
00:12:35.95\00:12:38.02
This is right after,
remember, Matthew 5, 6, 7
00:12:38.05\00:12:40.76
is the Sermon on the Mount,
Jesus laid out the principles
00:12:40.79\00:12:44.23
of His kingdom.
00:12:44.26\00:12:45.99
And now verse 1, Matthew 8:1.
00:12:46.03\00:12:48.73
"When He had come
down from the mountain..."
00:12:48.76\00:12:51.60
Jesus just comes down
from that mount of blessing,
00:12:51.63\00:12:54.30
the mount of beatitudes.
00:12:54.34\00:12:55.84
"When He had come
down from the mountain,
00:12:55.87\00:12:58.37
great multitudes followed Him.
00:12:58.41\00:13:01.31
And behold, a leper came
and worshiped Him, saying,
00:13:01.34\00:13:04.78
'Lord, if You are willing,
00:13:04.81\00:13:07.58
You can make me clean.'
00:13:07.62\00:13:10.79
Then Jesus," my favorite part,"
00:13:10.82\00:13:13.79
put out His
hand and touched him,
00:13:13.82\00:13:17.36
saying, 'I am
willing, be cleansed.'"
00:13:17.39\00:13:20.73
And the Bible says,
00:13:20.76\00:13:22.13
"After a great while
00:13:22.16\00:13:24.83
his leprosy was cleansed."
00:13:24.87\00:13:26.57
No what does it say?
00:13:26.60\00:13:28.54
Immediately.
00:13:28.57\00:13:30.01
Immediately, his
leprosy was cleansed.
00:13:30.04\00:13:34.11
As I look at the
example of Jesus.
00:13:34.14\00:13:35.78
In contrast to the
priest and the Levite
00:13:35.81\00:13:38.71
who went on the other
side, as I look at His example,
00:13:38.75\00:13:41.58
four things stand out to me.
00:13:41.62\00:13:44.25
First, He saw a need.
00:13:44.29\00:13:48.12
Now in our lives,
in our experience,
00:13:48.16\00:13:50.63
there's many obvious needs.
00:13:50.66\00:13:52.56
Now in this case,
it was an obvious need.
00:13:52.59\00:13:54.80
Would you say that?
00:13:54.83\00:13:56.16
A leper in Jesus' time
00:13:56.20\00:13:58.57
was considered unclean.
00:13:58.60\00:14:01.90
And so when he came
out, he had to cry what,
00:14:01.94\00:14:07.58
unclean, unclean.
00:14:07.61\00:14:09.91
So he could not
come privately to Jesus
00:14:09.94\00:14:12.71
and like the woman try to
touch the hem of the garment,
00:14:12.75\00:14:15.78
everybody knew that
the leper is on his way.
00:14:15.82\00:14:18.85
Unclean, he has to cry.
00:14:18.89\00:14:20.69
So in that case, it
was an obvious need.
00:14:20.72\00:14:23.49
Jesus didn't have to
try to look for the need,
00:14:23.53\00:14:26.80
He saw it, he
heard it, it was obvious.
00:14:26.83\00:14:29.90
There's obvious needs we see.
00:14:29.93\00:14:32.13
Maybe someone is intoxicated,
and you can tell that,
00:14:32.17\00:14:36.57
that's an obvious need.
00:14:36.60\00:14:38.27
Someone in the church is
in the hospital and sick,
00:14:38.31\00:14:41.18
that's an obvious need.
00:14:41.21\00:14:43.08
But I think the
needs that are hard to see
00:14:43.11\00:14:46.35
are the ones that are hidden.
00:14:46.38\00:14:48.68
You think about someone
in a marriage struggling,
00:14:48.72\00:14:53.19
think about someone
as a child being abused,
00:14:53.22\00:14:57.89
not telling anybody
about it, that's a hidden need.
00:14:57.93\00:15:01.46
You think about
someone dealing with anger,
00:15:01.50\00:15:04.83
lust, unforgiveness,
00:15:04.87\00:15:07.70
now they're
going to come to church
00:15:07.74\00:15:09.80
if they go to church, and say,
00:15:09.84\00:15:12.47
"I'm doing well."
00:15:12.51\00:15:14.68
How are you
supposed to see the need
00:15:14.71\00:15:16.31
in someone else's life?
00:15:16.34\00:15:18.58
I know Monday
nights, for several years,
00:15:18.61\00:15:21.12
I had the privilege of
going to jail with Ressa,
00:15:21.15\00:15:24.79
and some of my other
sisters here in church.
00:15:24.82\00:15:28.09
And this
particular Monday night,
00:15:28.12\00:15:30.69
we asked the girls,
00:15:30.73\00:15:33.90
"If you could use one word,
00:15:33.93\00:15:36.53
what one word
would someone else use
00:15:36.56\00:15:39.77
to describe yourself?
00:15:39.80\00:15:42.70
So Lorraine here would say,
00:15:42.74\00:15:46.07
"Jill would
describe me as whatever."
00:15:46.11\00:15:49.41
What one word
would someone else use
00:15:49.44\00:15:52.18
to describe you?
00:15:52.21\00:15:54.02
And the girls
kind of looked around.
00:15:54.05\00:15:55.38
We're in a small
little cement room there.
00:15:55.42\00:15:57.55
And the girls
kind of looked around.
00:15:57.59\00:16:00.19
And the one girl who
was usually prone to talk,
00:16:00.22\00:16:03.56
she always talked,
and she's got excited,
00:16:03.59\00:16:05.86
and she liked to talk.
00:16:05.89\00:16:07.36
She said, oh, she
laughed, she said,
00:16:07.40\00:16:09.36
"My friends
would call me mouthy."
00:16:09.40\00:16:13.40
And it was true.
00:16:13.44\00:16:14.77
She always had something
to say and she liked to talk.
00:16:14.80\00:16:18.27
And so the girls
seemed to, kind of, enjoy this
00:16:18.31\00:16:20.48
and we started
around the circle.
00:16:20.51\00:16:23.01
Oh, I'm fun loving.
00:16:23.04\00:16:24.38
My friends would
describe me as fun loving,
00:16:24.41\00:16:27.55
loud, quiet.
00:16:27.58\00:16:30.09
We're all different.
00:16:30.12\00:16:31.55
Pretty, and she was
beautiful long dark hair,
00:16:31.59\00:16:35.12
just a beautiful girl,
00:16:35.16\00:16:37.36
boisterous,
00:16:37.39\00:16:38.73
sweet,
00:16:38.76\00:16:40.33
nice.
00:16:40.36\00:16:42.23
Then I said, the mood was happy,
00:16:42.26\00:16:44.63
they're bantering,
they're having a good time.
00:16:44.67\00:16:47.30
Then I said, now
let's change it up,
00:16:47.34\00:16:49.54
not how would
Jill describe Lorraine,
00:16:49.57\00:16:52.47
but how would
Lorraine describe herself.
00:16:52.51\00:16:56.04
What one word would you use
00:16:56.08\00:16:59.78
to the describe yourself?
00:16:59.81\00:17:03.55
Instantly, the
atmosphere in the room changed.
00:17:03.59\00:17:06.52
They had been laughing
00:17:06.55\00:17:07.89
and kind of
joking with each other,
00:17:07.92\00:17:09.39
having a good time
and all of a sudden,
00:17:09.42\00:17:12.63
it got quiet.
00:17:12.66\00:17:14.06
And instead of
looking at me, they kind of
00:17:14.10\00:17:16.87
looked at their
feet and fidgeted.
00:17:16.90\00:17:19.87
And I said,
"It's okay, be honest."
00:17:19.90\00:17:23.20
So I looked at
the girl who had said,
00:17:23.24\00:17:25.11
"My friends
would call me mouthy,"
00:17:25.14\00:17:26.81
the first one who talked.
00:17:26.84\00:17:28.61
And I looked at her and I
said, "What word would you use
00:17:28.64\00:17:31.81
to describe yourself?"
00:17:31.85\00:17:34.05
And she looked up,
and I was surprised
00:17:34.08\00:17:36.95
before she'd been laughing,
00:17:36.99\00:17:39.02
and now there
was pain in her eyes.
00:17:39.05\00:17:41.29
And she said, depressed.
00:17:41.32\00:17:44.96
And then she just
lowered her head to the floor
00:17:44.99\00:17:47.96
and I said, thank
you for being honest.
00:17:48.00\00:17:49.73
Does anybody else want to share?
00:17:49.76\00:17:52.27
We're talking about...
00:17:52.30\00:17:53.64
The mask is gone, right?
00:17:53.67\00:17:55.20
How other people see,
and these are the true needs
00:17:55.24\00:17:57.41
that are going on
inside of their heart and life.
00:17:57.44\00:17:59.61
So we went around
the room, confused,
00:17:59.64\00:18:03.35
lonely,
00:18:03.38\00:18:05.05
afraid,
00:18:05.08\00:18:07.45
angry,
00:18:07.48\00:18:09.62
and the last one,
00:18:09.65\00:18:11.45
she said, broken.
00:18:11.49\00:18:13.46
And then she began to cry.
00:18:13.49\00:18:16.02
Those are what I
would call the hidden needs.
00:18:16.06\00:18:20.30
Now when we walk into
jail, they didn't tell us that,
00:18:20.33\00:18:23.90
they were
laughing, and boisterous,
00:18:23.93\00:18:25.80
and having a good time,
and bantering back and forth,
00:18:25.83\00:18:30.07
and you could say, I
don't see any hidden,
00:18:30.11\00:18:32.24
I don't see any need.
00:18:32.27\00:18:33.91
Obviously, they're in
jail, okay, there is a need,
00:18:33.94\00:18:35.74
I'm not saying that.
00:18:35.78\00:18:37.11
But I don't see
a need, you know,
00:18:37.15\00:18:38.48
we just come to
church and we see people.
00:18:38.51\00:18:40.18
We walk down the street,
we communicate with family,
00:18:40.22\00:18:43.35
and spouses, and
kids, and neighbors,
00:18:43.39\00:18:46.19
and we might not see a need.
00:18:46.22\00:18:48.89
And so I think God calls us as
00:18:48.92\00:18:53.36
choosing to be His ambassador.
00:18:53.40\00:18:55.43
I choose to be His ambassador.
00:18:55.46\00:18:57.20
As we choose to
walk in compassion,
00:18:57.23\00:19:00.14
God calls us to ask Him
00:19:00.17\00:19:03.81
to show us the needs around us.
00:19:03.84\00:19:06.74
Ask God, what are the
needs of those in my family?
00:19:06.78\00:19:10.08
What are the needs
of those in my church?
00:19:10.11\00:19:11.91
Or as I go today,
00:19:11.95\00:19:14.42
this morning,
God, I pray that today
00:19:14.45\00:19:16.52
as I go throughout my
day, You would reveal to me
00:19:16.55\00:19:20.79
the need in someone's life,
00:19:20.82\00:19:22.86
the hidden need
that I'm not seeing.
00:19:22.89\00:19:25.43
The Holy Spirit
knows what those needs are.
00:19:25.46\00:19:27.90
And then, this is for me,
00:19:27.93\00:19:30.43
I need to take
time to see the needs,
00:19:30.47\00:19:33.13
take time to notice that.
00:19:33.17\00:19:35.00
So first, I see in this story
of Jesus healing the leper,
00:19:35.04\00:19:37.87
He saw the need.
00:19:37.91\00:19:39.71
Second, He stopped and listened.
00:19:39.74\00:19:42.64
Remember, the
lepers coming toward Him
00:19:42.68\00:19:44.75
and the leper could have come
00:19:44.78\00:19:46.28
and he's crying
unclean, unclean,
00:19:46.31\00:19:48.42
and Jesus could
have said, "I'm busy.
00:19:48.45\00:19:51.05
I got stuff going on,
I've got to teach My disciples.
00:19:51.09\00:19:55.36
I need to go to the
temple and worship."
00:19:55.39\00:19:57.76
He stopped and He listened
to what the leper had to say.
00:19:57.79\00:20:03.13
I think God calls each
one of us as His children
00:20:03.16\00:20:06.63
to take time, to
stop, and to listen.
00:20:06.67\00:20:11.91
Third thing I see
is that He took action.
00:20:11.94\00:20:16.11
He didn't just
listen to the leper,
00:20:16.14\00:20:17.88
He listened to the problems
00:20:17.91\00:20:19.25
and the things
he's going through.
00:20:19.28\00:20:20.62
And then said,
00:20:20.65\00:20:22.55
"Okay, I'm sorry
you're having a bad day today,
00:20:22.58\00:20:27.92
go in peace," right?
00:20:27.96\00:20:29.86
He took action.
00:20:29.89\00:20:31.86
Now at 3ABN,
00:20:31.89\00:20:33.23
we receive many phone
calls from many people,
00:20:33.26\00:20:36.10
but one that we
receive on a continual basis,
00:20:36.13\00:20:39.27
I would say many
different people,
00:20:39.30\00:20:41.44
they call in and they say,
00:20:41.47\00:20:43.10
"God has put this
ministry on my heart.
00:20:43.14\00:20:47.24
God is...
00:20:47.28\00:20:48.61
I see there's a need
in this certain place
00:20:48.64\00:20:51.31
whatever it is.
00:20:51.35\00:20:52.68
There's a need
for a soup kitchen,
00:20:52.71\00:20:54.05
there's a need for a
ministry for young people,
00:20:54.08\00:20:56.75
there's a need for a
ministry for homeless, okay?
00:20:56.79\00:21:00.12
And then they say, and I
always say, first of all,
00:21:00.16\00:21:03.53
I always say,
wonderful, praise the Lord.
00:21:03.56\00:21:06.49
He's given you this
ministry, this burden.
00:21:06.53\00:21:09.36
Let's pray together over that.
00:21:09.40\00:21:11.53
But you know what
many times happens?
00:21:11.57\00:21:13.67
They say,
00:21:13.70\00:21:15.04
"Oh, I thought maybe
3ABN could take that on.
00:21:15.07\00:21:20.24
3ABN could start
a homeless ministry.
00:21:20.28\00:21:24.15
And you know
our answer is always
00:21:24.18\00:21:25.58
God gave us our mission.
00:21:25.61\00:21:27.55
Our mission is to proclaim
00:21:27.58\00:21:29.32
the undiluted
three angels' messages
00:21:29.35\00:21:32.79
to a lost and dying world.
00:21:32.82\00:21:34.16
But if God put that
burden on your heart,
00:21:34.19\00:21:37.16
then you're
supposed to act on it, right?
00:21:37.19\00:21:39.63
God doesn't give me a burden
00:21:39.66\00:21:41.86
that Iris is
supposed to take care of.
00:21:41.90\00:21:44.70
No.
00:21:44.73\00:21:46.07
If God wants
Iris to do something,
00:21:46.10\00:21:47.74
He's going to put
it on Iris's heart.
00:21:47.77\00:21:50.47
So I think as we
choose to walk in compassion,
00:21:50.51\00:21:56.21
we see the need or ask
God to show us the need.
00:21:56.24\00:21:59.45
We stop and listen,
00:21:59.48\00:22:00.98
and then we
choose to take action.
00:22:01.02\00:22:03.65
Not say, so and so
needs to take action
00:22:03.69\00:22:05.85
on this issue or
this need I see here,
00:22:05.89\00:22:08.02
we choose ourselves to
step out and to take action.
00:22:08.06\00:22:12.39
And number four is my favorite,
00:22:12.43\00:22:14.00
this is I choose
to walk in compassion.
00:22:14.03\00:22:17.80
Jesus put out
His hand and touched.
00:22:17.83\00:22:22.74
Now in their day,
00:22:22.77\00:22:25.57
no person would
jeopardize his health
00:22:25.61\00:22:30.28
or his ritualistic
purity by coming in contact
00:22:30.31\00:22:35.58
with a person with leprosy.
00:22:35.62\00:22:37.82
And yet,
00:22:37.85\00:22:40.09
He reached out and touched.
00:22:40.12\00:22:43.29
There's many
untouchables in our life,
00:22:43.32\00:22:46.49
in our ministry as we travel,
as we are God's ambassadors,
00:22:46.53\00:22:51.27
and God calls
us not to turn away
00:22:51.30\00:22:55.87
in difference,
00:22:55.90\00:22:58.77
in busyness,
00:22:58.81\00:23:02.61
even in revulsion,
00:23:02.64\00:23:04.01
He calls us to reach out
00:23:04.05\00:23:07.25
and to touch,
00:23:07.28\00:23:08.88
reach out and minister.
00:23:08.92\00:23:10.52
So first, I choose
to walk in compassion.
00:23:10.55\00:23:14.72
Second, I choose
to walk in surrender.
00:23:14.76\00:23:17.63
Turn with me to Galatians 2.
00:23:17.66\00:23:19.29
Galatians 2.
00:23:22.90\00:23:25.77
I like the writings of Paul.
00:23:25.80\00:23:30.21
Almost all the books,
00:23:30.24\00:23:31.81
you know, that he
wrote, I love those.
00:23:31.84\00:23:33.31
We're in Galatians 2:20.
00:23:33.34\00:23:38.45
"I have been
crucified with Christ,
00:23:38.48\00:23:41.08
but it is no longer I who live,"
00:23:41.12\00:23:43.85
we're talking about surrender,"
00:23:43.89\00:23:45.52
but Christ who lives in me,
00:23:45.55\00:23:48.29
and the life I now live in
the flesh I live by faith,"
00:23:48.32\00:23:52.89
that's right,"
00:23:52.93\00:23:54.26
in the Son of God, who loved me
00:23:54.30\00:23:56.53
and gave Himself for me."
00:23:56.56\00:24:00.64
I am crucified with Christ.
00:24:00.67\00:24:03.07
Surrender is kind of a
difficult term sometimes.
00:24:03.10\00:24:06.51
It seems confusing.
00:24:06.54\00:24:07.88
What in the world
does surrender mean?
00:24:07.91\00:24:09.24
But I think surrender is
simply saying, yes to Jesus,
00:24:09.28\00:24:13.75
every time He
calls from my heart.
00:24:13.78\00:24:16.82
Every time I'm facing a decision
00:24:16.85\00:24:18.55
is just saying yes to Jesus.
00:24:18.59\00:24:20.76
I think as we choose
to be His ambassador,
00:24:20.79\00:24:25.09
as we choose to
step out in ministry,
00:24:25.13\00:24:27.40
many times God calls
us to minister to someone
00:24:27.43\00:24:30.77
or maybe, I
shouldn't even say that,
00:24:30.80\00:24:33.00
God can call me to
minister to someone
00:24:33.03\00:24:37.01
that I don't
want to minister to.
00:24:37.04\00:24:39.47
Anybody been there?
00:24:39.51\00:24:41.64
God...
00:24:41.68\00:24:43.48
Couldn't you have
called Pastor Lomacang.
00:24:43.51\00:24:47.32
Oh, Cynthia, she
is a godly woman.
00:24:47.35\00:24:49.85
Couldn't you have
called Cynthia to minister?
00:24:49.88\00:24:53.66
Why did you call me?
00:24:53.69\00:24:55.82
You ever felt that?
00:24:55.86\00:24:57.19
I choose to walk in surrender.
00:24:57.23\00:25:00.13
What does God
ask us to surrender?
00:25:00.16\00:25:03.67
He asks me
personally to surrender
00:25:03.70\00:25:05.70
my unwillingness to witness.
00:25:05.73\00:25:09.54
Sometimes it's my pride,
00:25:09.57\00:25:12.31
and I think I'm
too good to witness.
00:25:12.34\00:25:15.71
Let so and so do the witnessing.
00:25:15.74\00:25:18.08
Sometimes it's my selfishness
00:25:18.11\00:25:20.28
'cause I think I
don't have time to witness.
00:25:20.32\00:25:24.72
And He says get
out of yourself, Jill.
00:25:24.75\00:25:27.49
Surrender that and
reach out for someone else.
00:25:27.52\00:25:31.39
Sometimes it is my
bitterness or unforgiveness
00:25:31.43\00:25:34.96
toward someone else.
00:25:35.00\00:25:36.33
"Oh, Lord, you couldn't be
asking me to witness to Lorrain
00:25:36.36\00:25:39.53
'cause I don't even like her."
00:25:39.57\00:25:41.94
Now that's not
true, she is my friend,
00:25:41.97\00:25:44.84
so I can say that.
00:25:44.87\00:25:47.28
But sometimes God
calls us to witness
00:25:47.31\00:25:52.68
to someone that maybe
we're holding a grudge against
00:25:52.71\00:25:56.82
or we need to ask
God's forgiveness for.
00:25:56.85\00:26:02.32
Hebrews 12, I
love that scripture.
00:26:02.36\00:26:05.43
Hebrews 12:14-15,
00:26:05.46\00:26:08.40
"Follow peace with
all men and holiness,
00:26:08.43\00:26:11.27
without which no
one shall see God."
00:26:11.30\00:26:14.04
And then it continues,
00:26:14.07\00:26:15.40
"Looking diligently
lest any root of bitterness
00:26:15.44\00:26:20.38
springing up trouble you,
00:26:20.41\00:26:22.44
and thereby many
people be defiled."
00:26:22.48\00:26:25.35
If I hang on to unforgiveness,
what's it going to do?
00:26:25.38\00:26:29.28
It's going to
affect other people.
00:26:29.32\00:26:31.69
It's going to affect
my ability to witness.
00:26:31.72\00:26:36.06
And sometimes God asks me
00:26:36.09\00:26:37.73
to surrender my irritation.
00:26:37.76\00:26:42.13
Father, do I have to witness?
00:26:42.16\00:26:44.67
Do I have to do that?
00:26:44.70\00:26:46.03
Ephesians 4, Ephesians 4:31,
"Let all bitterness, and wrath,
00:26:46.07\00:26:50.81
and anger,"
00:26:50.84\00:26:52.17
King James says, "in clamor,
00:26:52.21\00:26:54.21
and evil speaking
00:26:54.24\00:26:56.64
be put away from
you, with all malice."
00:26:56.68\00:26:59.31
And be kind one to
another, tender hearted,
00:26:59.35\00:27:04.59
forgiving each other,
even as God in Christ Jesus
00:27:04.62\00:27:08.42
forgave me, forgave you.
00:27:08.46\00:27:13.16
Sometime ago,
00:27:13.19\00:27:15.60
and I debated whether I should
tell you this story or not.
00:27:15.63\00:27:20.57
But I think it shows
00:27:20.60\00:27:21.94
what God wants to do the work
He wants to do in our lives.
00:27:21.97\00:27:26.04
Sometime ago, I
was in the office
00:27:26.07\00:27:27.68
and someone called
00:27:27.71\00:27:29.41
and I felt irritated.
00:27:29.44\00:27:34.82
Have you ever felt
irritated at somebody?
00:27:34.85\00:27:36.95
So I was on the phone
and this precious woman,
00:27:36.99\00:27:42.59
she's a daughter of God.
00:27:42.62\00:27:44.93
I fell irritated.
00:27:44.96\00:27:50.03
And...
00:27:50.07\00:27:52.90
we talked, and talked some more,
00:27:52.93\00:27:56.74
and talked some more,
and all I could think of is,
00:27:56.77\00:28:00.14
"God, I don't even
want to witness to her."
00:28:00.18\00:28:03.45
Forgive me, I'm being honest.
00:28:03.48\00:28:05.71
I don't even want
to deal with this.
00:28:05.75\00:28:08.48
And then I turned,
I work in an office
00:28:08.52\00:28:12.72
with several women.
00:28:12.75\00:28:14.09
I turned and I went like,
00:28:14.12\00:28:17.26
you ever made that face?
00:28:17.29\00:28:20.66
And as soon as I
did that, she said,
00:28:20.70\00:28:23.77
"Would you pray with me, Jill?"
00:28:23.80\00:28:27.44
And I thought how can I pray?
00:28:27.47\00:28:32.41
I have, she is God's daughter
00:28:32.44\00:28:36.21
and I have just made a face.
00:28:36.24\00:28:38.05
I have just let my
irritation come through.
00:28:38.08\00:28:42.88
But I know we're
supposed to pray,
00:28:42.92\00:28:44.72
God calls us to pray.
00:28:44.75\00:28:47.09
And so I began to
pray and I felt like
00:28:47.12\00:28:49.96
the world's worst hypocrite
00:28:49.99\00:28:54.33
praying for someone
when I had just made a face.
00:28:54.36\00:28:59.47
And as soon as I
hung up the phone,
00:28:59.50\00:29:02.37
I turned to the ladies
in the office and I said,
00:29:02.40\00:29:04.21
"I'm sorry,
would you forgive me?"
00:29:04.24\00:29:06.81
She is God's daughter.
00:29:06.84\00:29:08.51
God calls each one of
us to witness for Him.
00:29:08.54\00:29:14.25
And here I am in
my own selfishness,
00:29:14.28\00:29:19.39
my own stuff unwilling
00:29:19.42\00:29:23.06
to reach out and witness.
00:29:23.09\00:29:25.39
In contrast to that
just a few weeks ago,
00:29:25.43\00:29:28.76
I got a letter in
the office from a woman
00:29:28.80\00:29:31.97
who is a viewer of 3ABN
and she's a precious lady.
00:29:32.00\00:29:35.70
And I called her on
the phone and asked her
00:29:35.74\00:29:37.97
if I could share
this story and she said,
00:29:38.01\00:29:39.74
"I could as long as I
didn't mention her name."
00:29:39.77\00:29:43.21
She sent me this story.
00:29:43.24\00:29:44.91
She's a great writer, I
won't read you the story,
00:29:44.95\00:29:47.08
but she's a great writer.
00:29:47.12\00:29:48.88
And it's about,
she's an older woman,
00:29:48.92\00:29:50.65
and it's about years
ago, when she and her husband
00:29:50.69\00:29:54.62
went deep sea fishing
off the coast of Delaware.
00:29:54.66\00:29:59.69
And she said, they would go
three or four times each summer
00:29:59.73\00:30:02.63
and they would go fishing
00:30:02.66\00:30:04.00
and something
her husband enjoyed,
00:30:04.03\00:30:05.37
something they
could do together.
00:30:05.40\00:30:07.14
So she wrote the
story in first-person.
00:30:07.17\00:30:09.10
So I'll share with
you in first-person,
00:30:09.14\00:30:10.64
but it didn't happen to me,
00:30:10.67\00:30:12.01
it happened to
this viewer of 3ABN.
00:30:12.04\00:30:13.98
She's a precious lady.
00:30:14.01\00:30:15.91
So she said, my husband and
I would go deep sea fishing off
00:30:15.94\00:30:18.75
the coast of Delaware.
00:30:18.78\00:30:20.12
And there was a girl
there who her name was Carla.
00:30:20.15\00:30:24.32
They called her a boat
girl or a captain's mate.
00:30:24.35\00:30:28.02
So she had more energy
than anybody that I had met.
00:30:28.06\00:30:33.93
And any time someone would yell,
00:30:33.96\00:30:36.20
fish or trouble
with a line or something,
00:30:36.23\00:30:38.07
she was there
working to untangle the line,
00:30:38.10\00:30:40.70
working to help and
she was a great worker.
00:30:40.74\00:30:44.91
Not an
exceptionally beautiful woman
00:30:44.94\00:30:47.08
but she was attractive.
00:30:47.11\00:30:48.88
She was smiling,
she was friendly,
00:30:48.91\00:30:51.11
she was helpful.
00:30:51.15\00:30:53.08
Carla was probably 16 years old.
00:30:53.11\00:30:58.42
We usually went down
three or four times each summer.
00:30:58.45\00:31:03.02
Carla seemed more
tired, more and more tired.
00:31:03.06\00:31:07.96
But I thought
well, she's working hard.
00:31:08.00\00:31:10.93
It's 'cause
she's working so hard,
00:31:10.97\00:31:12.70
that's why Carla
is getting tired.
00:31:12.73\00:31:15.94
When she got off
work, got off the boat,
00:31:15.97\00:31:19.04
she would walk up to beach,
there would be kind of a trail
00:31:19.07\00:31:22.94
of boys of young
men following her.
00:31:22.98\00:31:25.61
And one night,
00:31:25.65\00:31:28.88
I saw her entering
00:31:28.92\00:31:30.79
a back alley door
with a blue light overhead.
00:31:30.82\00:31:35.22
And I kind of
knew what that meant.
00:31:35.26\00:31:38.26
And I got her address
then I tried to go to her house
00:31:38.29\00:31:41.06
where she lived with her mother
00:31:41.10\00:31:42.43
and it was just a
ramshackle house on stilts.
00:31:42.46\00:31:46.74
Then the next summer,
my husband and I came down,
00:31:46.77\00:31:48.84
and she was no
longer working on the boat.
00:31:48.87\00:31:53.11
They had transitioned
her to selling tickets.
00:31:53.14\00:31:57.38
And the captain said,
she's no longer real steady
00:31:57.41\00:31:59.71
on her feet.
00:31:59.75\00:32:01.38
That's why we had to
put her on the shore.
00:32:01.42\00:32:04.65
And then a few times later,
00:32:04.69\00:32:07.22
I don't remember if it was years
00:32:07.26\00:32:08.66
or just a few times,
00:32:08.69\00:32:10.83
then Carla was
working with the food.
00:32:10.86\00:32:14.30
And then the next time
Carla was picking up the litter,
00:32:14.33\00:32:18.47
the trash, that
was on the beach.
00:32:18.50\00:32:21.94
Then the next year
00:32:21.97\00:32:23.81
when my husband and I
came to go deep sea fishing
00:32:23.84\00:32:26.51
off the coast to Delaware,
00:32:26.54\00:32:29.44
we didn't see Carla.
00:32:29.48\00:32:31.31
And we asked and nobody
seemed to even really care
00:32:31.35\00:32:34.72
where she was.
00:32:34.75\00:32:37.15
And so we went
fishing several times,
00:32:37.19\00:32:40.46
and on the very last
day, we came off the boat.
00:32:40.49\00:32:45.79
Now at the corner of my
eyes, I saw someone sitting
00:32:45.83\00:32:47.83
in a wheelchair on the beach.
00:32:47.86\00:32:51.87
I need to back up my story
before I get to the wheelchair,
00:32:51.90\00:32:54.90
I should have told you this
very vital piece in the story,
00:32:54.94\00:32:58.51
which I hadn't seen
Carla, I hadn't seen Carla.
00:32:58.54\00:33:01.94
I decided to send her a letter.
00:33:01.98\00:33:06.75
I didn't have her address,
00:33:06.78\00:33:08.48
I didn't even
really know her name,
00:33:08.52\00:33:10.92
but I poured all the
love in my heart for her
00:33:10.95\00:33:14.69
and all the love
that Jesus had for her.
00:33:14.72\00:33:19.53
I sent it, never
heard anything back.
00:33:19.56\00:33:23.23
Now we're to the point.
00:33:23.26\00:33:24.70
I get off the boat,
00:33:24.73\00:33:26.33
someone's in a wheelchair there.
00:33:26.37\00:33:28.27
Oh!
00:33:28.30\00:33:29.64
As I got closer,
00:33:29.67\00:33:31.84
she had eyes as
blue as summer sea
00:33:31.87\00:33:35.41
but they were kind of faded.
00:33:35.44\00:33:36.85
And I realized it was Carla.
00:33:36.88\00:33:41.35
And so I went to
her and hugged her
00:33:41.38\00:33:43.62
and I said, "Oh, Carla."
00:33:43.65\00:33:45.65
She said, "No,
no, don't you know,
00:33:45.69\00:33:47.56
I have AIDS.
00:33:47.59\00:33:49.66
I have...
00:33:49.69\00:33:51.66
just a short time to live."
00:33:51.69\00:33:55.23
And I said, "Oh, Carla,
I didn't know you had AIDS.
00:33:55.26\00:33:59.27
I sent you a letter."
00:33:59.30\00:34:01.30
She said, "I got it.
00:34:01.34\00:34:03.97
I got your letter.
00:34:04.01\00:34:06.78
And I'll see you up there."
00:34:06.81\00:34:09.94
That to me is an
example of a heart
00:34:13.05\00:34:17.45
that walks in compassion,
00:34:17.49\00:34:20.89
and a heart that
walks in surrender.
00:34:20.92\00:34:24.96
You know, when God impressed her
00:34:24.99\00:34:26.33
to write that
letter, she could have said,
00:34:26.36\00:34:30.17
"Why am I writing the letter?
00:34:30.20\00:34:31.60
I don't know Carla that well.
00:34:31.63\00:34:33.17
I just knew her
little bit from the boat
00:34:33.20\00:34:34.70
and I know her health,
she seemed little tired,
00:34:34.74\00:34:36.91
but I don't know
what's wrong with her.
00:34:36.94\00:34:38.54
I don't have an
address. God, I'm off the hook.
00:34:38.57\00:34:41.84
I don't need to write anything."
00:34:41.88\00:34:43.61
But instead she
walked in surrender.
00:34:43.65\00:34:47.12
God says, "Write the letter."
00:34:47.15\00:34:49.08
She wrote the letter.
00:34:49.12\00:34:52.05
What an impact it had
on that young woman's life
00:34:52.09\00:34:55.22
and Carla will be in heaven
because this precious woman,
00:34:55.26\00:35:01.16
who sent me this story,
00:35:01.20\00:35:04.70
made a choice to
walk in compassion
00:35:04.73\00:35:07.54
towards someone else,
00:35:07.57\00:35:08.97
made a choice to
walk in surrender
00:35:09.00\00:35:12.44
to what God asked her to do.
00:35:12.47\00:35:16.18
Many times when God asks us...
00:35:16.21\00:35:18.11
You think of the
stories in the Bible,
00:35:18.15\00:35:20.52
remember, Jeremiah, he said,
00:35:20.55\00:35:22.98
"I'm a child.
00:35:23.02\00:35:24.52
I can't do it."
00:35:24.55\00:35:26.32
And God said,
00:35:26.35\00:35:27.69
"Do not be
afraid of their faces,
00:35:27.72\00:35:29.29
for I will be with you."
00:35:29.32\00:35:31.19
Remember, Moses
said, "I can't talk."
00:35:31.23\00:35:34.80
And God said,
00:35:34.83\00:35:36.43
"Has not, did not
I make man's mouth."
00:35:36.46\00:35:40.77
Now therefore go and
I'll be with your mouth
00:35:40.80\00:35:43.00
and I'll teach you
what you need to say.
00:35:43.04\00:35:47.11
Paul could have
said, "I killed people."
00:35:47.14\00:35:49.44
Surely, God, you
don't want to use me,
00:35:49.48\00:35:53.75
use somebody else,
00:35:53.78\00:35:55.12
but instead he
surrendered and he said,
00:35:55.15\00:35:58.95
"I'm willing."
00:35:58.99\00:36:01.26
The third.
00:36:01.29\00:36:02.62
First, I choose to
walk in compassion.
00:36:02.66\00:36:05.23
Second, I choose
to walk in surrender.
00:36:05.26\00:36:08.70
Third, I choose to
walk in fervent prayer.
00:36:08.73\00:36:13.47
It was one of those nights
00:36:13.50\00:36:14.84
when I did not
want to do ministry.
00:36:14.87\00:36:18.24
You know one of those nights,
it was a busy day at work
00:36:18.27\00:36:20.51
and I was just ready to go home,
00:36:20.54\00:36:23.04
but instead it was our
time for ministry at the jail.
00:36:23.08\00:36:26.92
And I wasn't even
feeling very good.
00:36:26.95\00:36:28.95
I was feeling kind
of dizzy or light-headed
00:36:28.98\00:36:32.09
or something like that.
00:36:32.12\00:36:33.66
And so I drove in,
Ressa and I went in.
00:36:33.69\00:36:37.79
And then we got to the jail,
we always pray before we go in.
00:36:37.83\00:36:42.56
And I said, "Oh, Ressa,
do you mind praying for me,
00:36:42.60\00:36:45.63
I'm just not feeling well?"
00:36:45.67\00:36:47.57
And she said, I thought someone
seemed a little different,
00:36:47.60\00:36:49.74
and she prayed for me.
00:36:49.77\00:36:51.21
And I thought
"Okay, thank You, God,
00:36:51.24\00:36:52.97
You're going to
give me what I needed."
00:36:53.01\00:36:54.71
I walked out of the...
00:36:54.74\00:36:56.08
Stepped out of the car
and I had to like hold onto it
00:36:56.11\00:36:57.98
because I still felt
like I was going to fall down.
00:36:58.01\00:37:00.35
And we walked into the jail
and I still felt weak and dizzy
00:37:00.38\00:37:03.92
and I don't know,
God, I just, why am I here.
00:37:03.95\00:37:07.22
And we stepped in and
we did prayer requests.
00:37:07.26\00:37:11.89
And...
00:37:11.93\00:37:13.60
one of the girls
raised her hand and she said,
00:37:13.63\00:37:17.23
the normal prayer
requests would be my boyfriend,
00:37:17.27\00:37:22.14
my husband, who's in jail,
00:37:22.17\00:37:24.67
my ex, my kids,
00:37:24.71\00:37:28.51
my upcoming court
date, those are the normal
00:37:28.54\00:37:31.28
what four, three, four requests.
00:37:31.31\00:37:33.38
She said, "I want to be
a preacher when I get out."
00:37:33.42\00:37:38.25
Wow!
00:37:38.29\00:37:39.85
You want to be a preacher.
00:37:39.89\00:37:41.22
I don't think I'd ever
heard someone in jail say that.
00:37:41.26\00:37:43.59
I want to be a
preacher when I get out.
00:37:43.63\00:37:46.09
So I said, "Oh, praise the Lord.
00:37:46.13\00:37:48.30
That's wonderful.
00:37:48.33\00:37:49.66
Keep studying God's
Word, keep walking in obedience
00:37:49.70\00:37:53.13
to what He's called you to do."
00:37:53.17\00:37:54.80
Then we stood for
prayer and we always say,
00:37:54.84\00:37:56.50
"Does someone want to pray?"
00:37:56.54\00:37:58.41
And usually,
00:37:58.44\00:38:00.64
they either say, no,
00:38:00.68\00:38:02.41
and we pray or one or two
would offer a short prayer.
00:38:02.44\00:38:08.12
But this night,
we'll call her Patty,
00:38:08.15\00:38:10.42
this night Patty began to pray.
00:38:10.45\00:38:14.76
I have never in my
life heard an inmate pray
00:38:14.79\00:38:20.36
like Patty prayed.
00:38:20.40\00:38:22.06
And just being honest,
00:38:22.10\00:38:23.53
I'm not sure I've heard
many preachers or Christians
00:38:23.57\00:38:29.50
pray like Patty
prayed that night.
00:38:29.54\00:38:32.07
She prayed by name for
each person in the circle.
00:38:32.11\00:38:37.25
The needs they had,
00:38:37.28\00:38:38.61
the addictions they
were struggling with,
00:38:38.65\00:38:40.08
the stuff, the
junk in their lives,
00:38:40.12\00:38:41.98
she lifted each one up by name
00:38:42.02\00:38:44.45
and then she began to
rebuke the drug culture
00:38:44.49\00:38:47.86
here in southern Illinois.
00:38:47.89\00:38:49.76
And I thought how long
had I been going to jail.
00:38:49.79\00:38:54.03
I don't think ever
once that I prayed,
00:38:54.06\00:38:56.10
that God would rebuke
the entire drug culture
00:38:56.13\00:39:00.27
in a certain area.
00:39:00.30\00:39:02.44
And it rebuked to my heart
because Patty knew how to pray.
00:39:02.47\00:39:08.24
God calls us to
walk in fervent prayer.
00:39:08.28\00:39:11.85
Watchman Nee
00:39:11.88\00:39:14.62
was born in China, 1903.
00:39:14.65\00:39:17.12
And he lived till 1972.
00:39:17.15\00:39:19.45
He was a Christian
church leader, and author,
00:39:19.49\00:39:23.19
a teacher.
00:39:23.22\00:39:24.56
He was in prison the
last 20 years of his life
00:39:24.59\00:39:28.26
for his faith.
00:39:28.30\00:39:30.00
But before he
became a Christian,
00:39:30.03\00:39:32.20
when he was in college,
00:39:32.23\00:39:33.67
is when he first
heard about Jesus
00:39:33.70\00:39:36.71
and he decided to
dedicate his life to Jesus.
00:39:36.74\00:39:40.08
He made a
covenant that he would pray
00:39:40.11\00:39:42.98
for his friends.
00:39:43.01\00:39:45.51
Now he came from a
secular background,
00:39:45.55\00:39:47.45
so his friends are all
secular, they're not Christians.
00:39:47.48\00:39:51.29
And he began to
pray for his friends.
00:39:51.32\00:39:55.16
Now he made a list.
00:39:55.19\00:39:56.56
Now if I were to come up
00:39:56.59\00:39:57.93
with a list of
friends, what would you have?
00:39:57.96\00:39:59.53
Ten? Twenty? Thirty? Forty?
00:39:59.56\00:40:02.83
He said, he had 40 friends.
00:40:02.86\00:40:04.20
That's a lot of friends, right?
00:40:04.23\00:40:05.57
Fifty friends,
that's a lot of friends?
00:40:05.60\00:40:07.37
Seventy.
00:40:07.40\00:40:09.17
He made a list of 70 people.
00:40:09.20\00:40:12.91
Seventy of his friends
00:40:12.94\00:40:14.51
that he wanted to intercede for.
00:40:14.54\00:40:20.15
He prayed not just
wrote them on a list,
00:40:20.18\00:40:25.32
and okay, Father, I just ask you
00:40:25.35\00:40:26.69
to bless John, and Sally,
00:40:26.72\00:40:28.12
and Mary, and Moses, and Henry,
00:40:28.16\00:40:31.76
he prayed
passionately, fervently,
00:40:31.79\00:40:36.13
expectantly for each one.
00:40:36.16\00:40:39.13
He took them one
by one, sometimes
00:40:39.17\00:40:41.27
You can read the story.
00:40:41.30\00:40:42.64
Sometimes he spent all night
00:40:42.67\00:40:46.17
in prayer
00:40:46.21\00:40:47.78
for one of his friends.
00:40:47.81\00:40:50.08
And one by one,
00:40:50.11\00:40:52.98
they came to accept Jesus.
00:40:53.01\00:40:56.02
Five, ten, fifteen, twenty,
00:40:56.05\00:41:00.12
thirty, forty, fifty, sixty,
00:41:00.16\00:41:05.23
sixty-eight.
00:41:05.26\00:41:07.40
Sixty eight of
his seventy friends
00:41:07.43\00:41:10.87
that he covenanted with
God, he was going to pray for,
00:41:10.90\00:41:16.24
they accepted Jesus.
00:41:16.27\00:41:18.54
Now you can't tell
me prayer doesn't work.
00:41:18.57\00:41:20.68
Prayer doesn't change
people's hearts and lives.
00:41:20.71\00:41:24.41
Psalm 2:8, turn with me there.
00:41:24.45\00:41:29.68
We can quote it but I
love this chapter and verse.
00:41:29.72\00:41:32.72
Psalm 2:8.
00:41:32.75\00:41:37.06
King James says,
00:41:37.09\00:41:38.59
"Ask of Me,
00:41:38.63\00:41:41.40
and I will give You the
heathen for Your inheritance,
00:41:41.43\00:41:46.10
and the uttermost
parts of the world
00:41:46.13\00:41:49.40
for your possession."
00:41:49.44\00:41:51.84
Ask
00:41:51.87\00:41:53.98
You mean it's that simple?
00:41:54.01\00:41:56.21
Ask.
00:41:56.24\00:41:57.95
Ask for the
conversion of your children,
00:41:57.98\00:42:01.35
ask for the
conversion of your spouse,
00:42:01.38\00:42:05.55
ask for the conversion
of those in your church,
00:42:05.59\00:42:10.53
those in your family,
those in your neighborhood,
00:42:10.56\00:42:13.83
those who are your enemies,
00:42:13.86\00:42:17.03
ask.
00:42:17.07\00:42:18.73
John 16:24, Jesus speaking,
00:42:18.77\00:42:21.80
"Hither to or before you asked
00:42:21.84\00:42:24.57
nothing in my name.
00:42:24.61\00:42:27.81
Ask, and you shall receive,
00:42:27.84\00:42:31.51
that your joy may be full."
00:42:31.55\00:42:34.88
God calls us to ask for souls,
00:42:34.92\00:42:38.62
God calls us to
ask for a boldness
00:42:38.65\00:42:42.16
to speak for Him.
00:42:42.19\00:42:45.43
It was a cold rainy day
00:42:45.46\00:42:48.93
and I had forgotten my umbrella.
00:42:48.96\00:42:51.10
So I was coming from the car
00:42:51.13\00:42:53.44
to Walmart there in Benton,
I was going grocery shopping.
00:42:53.47\00:42:56.74
And so I'm dashing through
00:42:56.77\00:42:58.31
because I'm trying
to get out of the rain
00:42:58.34\00:43:00.38
and I get into
Walmart, and I grab a cart
00:43:00.41\00:43:03.71
and I start to
go down the aisle.
00:43:03.75\00:43:07.32
I went to the
cosmetic section first
00:43:07.35\00:43:10.99
and so I needed
toothpaste and shampoo
00:43:11.02\00:43:15.32
and it was in the
middle of that shampoo aisle,
00:43:15.36\00:43:18.43
that I saw her,
gray hair, kind of like
00:43:18.46\00:43:22.20
pulled up away from her face,
00:43:22.23\00:43:24.40
kind looking
face, real pleasant.
00:43:24.43\00:43:28.04
And I didn't think anything
about it, I just smiled,
00:43:28.07\00:43:30.51
"Hi."
00:43:30.54\00:43:31.87
I went on with my cart,
I'm looking for shampoo.
00:43:31.91\00:43:34.31
And all of a sudden,
00:43:34.34\00:43:35.68
a Walmart employee
stopped to ask her,
00:43:35.71\00:43:39.25
"Excuse me, ma'am,
what's wrong with your hand?"
00:43:39.28\00:43:43.85
I didn't notice
there was anything
00:43:43.89\00:43:45.32
wrong with her hand.
00:43:45.35\00:43:46.69
So I turned around and I looked
00:43:46.72\00:43:50.26
and it was
wrapped with a bandage,
00:43:50.29\00:43:53.29
kind of, loose
wrapped around the hand.
00:43:53.33\00:43:57.90
And I thought, oh.
00:43:57.93\00:43:59.27
I wonder what's
wrong and instantly
00:43:59.30\00:44:01.97
I felt the
impression of the Holy Spirit,
00:44:02.00\00:44:04.41
not an audible voice
00:44:04.44\00:44:05.77
but, you know,
when God speaks to you
00:44:05.81\00:44:07.14
in your heart and in your mind,
00:44:07.18\00:44:08.81
okay, I'm
speaking to you right now.
00:44:08.84\00:44:11.01
So the impression was this,
00:44:11.05\00:44:13.92
"Jill, go talk to her."
00:44:13.95\00:44:17.85
Okay, "God, I can do that."
00:44:17.89\00:44:20.29
So I went over
to her and I said,
00:44:20.32\00:44:22.36
"Hey, my name's Jill.
00:44:22.39\00:44:25.59
How are you?"
00:44:25.63\00:44:26.96
And she said,
"Oh, my name's Jane."
00:44:27.00\00:44:29.33
That's not her name.
00:44:29.36\00:44:30.70
I don't remember
her name actually.
00:44:30.73\00:44:32.37
My name's Jane.
00:44:32.40\00:44:34.97
And so I said, "I couldn't
help but notice your hand,
00:44:35.00\00:44:37.77
it's all wrapped
up in this bandage.
00:44:37.81\00:44:41.54
You mind telling
me what's going on
00:44:41.58\00:44:42.91
with your hand?"
00:44:42.94\00:44:44.28
"Oh, no!" She was real open.
00:44:44.31\00:44:46.11
And she talked
about the difficulty
00:44:46.15\00:44:48.22
she'd had with her
hand and how she had been
00:44:48.25\00:44:50.45
to many doctors here
in southern Illinois,
00:44:50.49\00:44:54.12
had gone farther away
for more medical care,
00:44:54.16\00:44:58.16
still hadn't gotten
the help that she needed.
00:44:58.19\00:45:01.03
She had gone all
the way to Mayo Clinic
00:45:01.06\00:45:03.63
trying to get help for her hand.
00:45:03.67\00:45:06.47
She said, even the
doctors at Mayo don't know
00:45:06.50\00:45:10.31
what's wrong with my hand.
00:45:10.34\00:45:13.17
And for the second
time, I felt that impression,
00:45:13.21\00:45:16.18
the still small
voice of the Holy Spirit,
00:45:16.21\00:45:19.11
"Pray with her, Jill."
00:45:19.15\00:45:21.32
And I thought...
00:45:21.35\00:45:23.92
We're in Walmart.
00:45:23.95\00:45:26.45
"God, did you notice
that we're in Walmart?
00:45:26.49\00:45:30.19
There's a lot of people here."
00:45:30.23\00:45:33.76
I don't think I'll pray for her.
00:45:33.80\00:45:36.33
I think I'll do
the Christian thing
00:45:36.36\00:45:38.43
and I'll say, "I'll
pray for you later."
00:45:38.47\00:45:42.74
So I said, "My husband
and I keep a prayer journal
00:45:42.77\00:45:46.41
and we'd really
like to pray for you."
00:45:46.44\00:45:49.51
What a capo?
00:45:49.54\00:45:51.28
Oh, she said,
but she didn't know
00:45:51.31\00:45:52.81
what the Holy Spirit
was telling me, right?
00:45:52.85\00:45:54.68
She didn't know the wrestling
I was having with my own mind
00:45:54.72\00:45:57.52
about this.
00:45:57.55\00:45:58.89
So she said, "Oh,
honey, that's real nice."
00:45:58.92\00:46:02.22
So I got out my
little pad and paper
00:46:02.26\00:46:04.89
and I wrote her name down, Jane.
00:46:04.93\00:46:07.60
"Pray for her hand"
and the Holy Spirit said.
00:46:07.63\00:46:09.80
I said, "Pray for her now."
00:46:09.83\00:46:12.93
And I said, no.
00:46:12.97\00:46:16.40
You ever said no to the
voice of the Holy Spirit?
00:46:16.44\00:46:21.68
So I turned and walked away,
00:46:21.71\00:46:24.91
I didn't feel very good inside.
00:46:24.95\00:46:28.18
And I thought
well, it's too late,
00:46:28.22\00:46:30.99
I can't go back now.
00:46:31.02\00:46:32.49
I can't fix it.
We'll just go on.
00:46:32.52\00:46:37.13
All of a sudden, I
walked past the candles
00:46:37.16\00:46:43.00
and there she was
looking at candles.
00:46:43.03\00:46:46.74
And the Holy Spirit
spoke for the second time
00:46:46.77\00:46:49.64
or maybe it's the
third by now, the third time,
00:46:49.67\00:46:52.31
"Jill, pray with her."
00:46:52.34\00:46:55.81
And thought oh, God,
00:46:55.84\00:46:57.71
I know I should
have prayed before
00:46:57.75\00:46:59.58
and I know I was not obedient
00:46:59.61\00:47:01.62
to what You called me to do
but I certainly cannot pray now
00:47:01.65\00:47:06.09
because how
weird does that look.
00:47:06.12\00:47:07.49
I should have prayed
when she first told me
00:47:07.52\00:47:09.62
about her hand and
you first impressed me
00:47:09.66\00:47:11.56
to pray for her.
00:47:11.59\00:47:12.93
If I pray for her now,
00:47:12.96\00:47:16.97
I'm going to look weird.
00:47:17.00\00:47:19.30
Oh, I should have
prayed for you before
00:47:19.33\00:47:21.14
but now I want to pray for you.
00:47:21.17\00:47:22.77
No, God, I'm not going to do it.
00:47:22.80\00:47:24.87
So for the
third time, I said no.
00:47:24.91\00:47:29.54
We walk down, get to the back
of the store, the groceries,
00:47:29.58\00:47:33.55
I'm starting to
head to the grocery aisle
00:47:33.58\00:47:35.98
and I looked out of
the corner of my eye,
00:47:36.02\00:47:39.15
she's there at
the back of the store
00:47:39.19\00:47:41.06
where the butter and eggs are.
00:47:41.09\00:47:43.76
And the Holy Spirit
spoke for the fourth time,
00:47:43.79\00:47:48.36
"Jill, go pray with her."
00:47:48.40\00:47:52.23
And I said, no.
00:47:52.27\00:47:56.37
God, you asked
me here and I agree,
00:47:56.40\00:47:58.74
I should have
done it but I didn't.
00:47:58.77\00:48:00.58
And so since I
didn't do it then,
00:48:00.61\00:48:02.88
I'm not going to
do it with the candles
00:48:02.91\00:48:04.48
and now it's been like
20 minutes or half an hour,
00:48:04.51\00:48:06.78
what am I going to say?
00:48:06.82\00:48:08.15
Excuse me, can I pray with you?
00:48:08.18\00:48:10.22
No, God.
00:48:10.25\00:48:11.95
And so I started
going up and down the aisles
00:48:11.99\00:48:14.66
in the food feeling horrible.
00:48:14.69\00:48:18.53
You know what it's
like when the Holy Spirit
00:48:18.56\00:48:20.16
convicts you in your
heart, you need to do something.
00:48:20.20\00:48:24.07
And I knew I was
walking in direct disobedience
00:48:24.10\00:48:27.50
to what He had called me to do.
00:48:27.54\00:48:29.50
So I was in the
middle of the baking aisle,
00:48:29.54\00:48:32.81
you know, the flour,
and the oil, and the spices.
00:48:32.84\00:48:36.68
And the Holy
Spirit broke through
00:48:36.71\00:48:39.78
all my rationalizations,
00:48:39.81\00:48:43.55
all my defenses,
all my stubbornness,
00:48:43.59\00:48:47.02
and pride, and selfishness
00:48:47.06\00:48:49.99
and said, "How many times
00:48:50.03\00:48:53.19
do I have to call for your heart
00:48:53.23\00:48:56.70
until you're going
to walk in obedience."
00:48:56.73\00:48:59.30
And I said, "God,
forgive me, I'm sorry.
00:48:59.33\00:49:03.57
I know that You
wanted me to walk in prayer
00:49:03.61\00:49:07.84
and it's a simple thing,
just praying with somebody.
00:49:07.88\00:49:12.41
But, God, I don't know if
I'm going to see her again."
00:49:12.45\00:49:16.35
And, first of all, He
said, of course, I forgive you.
00:49:16.38\00:49:19.95
I love you.
00:49:19.99\00:49:21.82
I made you.
00:49:21.86\00:49:24.06
I forgive you.
00:49:24.09\00:49:25.96
And I said, "God,
thank You for forgiving me
00:49:25.99\00:49:28.63
but I want to make it right.
00:49:28.66\00:49:30.53
How am I going
to find Jane again.
00:49:30.57\00:49:32.40
The Walmart's big, I
don't know where she is."
00:49:32.43\00:49:35.67
And He said, trust me.
00:49:35.70\00:49:37.21
And so I walked to the
end of the aisle and I looked,
00:49:37.24\00:49:41.08
this is all the way
back to the butter and eggs
00:49:41.11\00:49:42.91
where I'd seen her
before but it's been a while
00:49:42.94\00:49:44.71
since I saw her.
00:49:44.75\00:49:46.38
There she is.
00:49:46.41\00:49:47.82
I stood back and I
said, "Oh, thank You, Jesus,
00:49:47.85\00:49:51.35
for allowing me
not to redeem myself
00:49:51.39\00:49:54.62
but to walk in
obedience, to walk in surrender,
00:49:54.66\00:49:58.26
to walk in prayer
like You had asked me
00:49:58.29\00:50:00.26
to do the first time.
00:50:00.30\00:50:02.50
And so I hurry with my
cart to the back of the store
00:50:02.53\00:50:04.80
and there was an
older couple talking to her.
00:50:04.83\00:50:07.87
And all of a
sudden they moved off
00:50:07.90\00:50:10.21
just as I came up and she said,
00:50:10.24\00:50:11.97
"Oh, hi, Jill."
00:50:12.01\00:50:13.58
This couple's from my church.
00:50:13.61\00:50:15.98
And I just told them
about the nice girl I met
00:50:16.01\00:50:18.71
in Walmart who
said she prayed for me.
00:50:18.75\00:50:21.82
Isn't God good?
00:50:21.85\00:50:23.25
He made it so easy for
me to come back and pray.
00:50:23.28\00:50:26.72
It could have
been like, who are you,
00:50:26.76\00:50:28.12
and I don't remember you,
00:50:28.16\00:50:29.49
and it could have
been a difficult thing,
00:50:29.52\00:50:31.16
but He made it
easy for me to obey.
00:50:31.19\00:50:34.86
And it was just the
opening that I needed.
00:50:34.90\00:50:36.90
And I said,
actually, Jane, that's why
00:50:36.93\00:50:39.37
I came back now to see
if you would let me pray
00:50:39.40\00:50:44.61
for you right now.
00:50:44.64\00:50:46.81
And she said, "Oh,
honey, I'd love that."
00:50:46.84\00:50:48.98
And she held her good hand out
to me, the non-bandaged hand.
00:50:49.01\00:50:52.38
She held her good hand
out to me and we held hands
00:50:52.41\00:50:55.58
in the middle of Walmart.
00:50:55.62\00:50:57.95
And petition the throne
of grace asking for grace,
00:50:57.99\00:51:01.99
and mercy, and healing,
and help, and forgiveness,
00:51:02.02\00:51:06.09
and I know that God
heard and that He answered.
00:51:06.13\00:51:10.80
And that's not
the end of the story.
00:51:10.83\00:51:14.57
A few months,
00:51:14.60\00:51:15.94
maybe it was six
months, maybe it was a year,
00:51:15.97\00:51:17.97
I don't remember,
it's been several years
00:51:18.01\00:51:19.64
since that happened.
00:51:19.67\00:51:21.14
Maybe it was six
months, I don't remember,
00:51:21.18\00:51:22.91
I saw her again in Walmart.
00:51:22.94\00:51:25.81
And I said, "Oh,
Jane, how are you?"
00:51:25.85\00:51:29.88
And we talked.
00:51:29.92\00:51:31.25
She remembered me and I
remembered her instantly.
00:51:31.29\00:51:34.92
And we talked a bit.
00:51:34.96\00:51:36.32
And then she said,
"Honey, what church you go to?"
00:51:36.36\00:51:39.49
And I said, "Oh,
00:51:39.53\00:51:40.90
I go to the Thompsonville
Seventh-day Adventist Church."
00:51:40.93\00:51:44.07
And she said,
00:51:44.10\00:51:45.43
"I listen to your pastor
on the radio, John Lomacang."
00:51:45.47\00:51:49.10
And I said, "That's right.
00:51:49.14\00:51:51.07
That's right."
00:51:51.11\00:51:52.94
You know sharing Jesus
and witnessing to others,
00:51:52.97\00:51:56.41
we're talking
about I choose to walk
00:51:56.44\00:51:58.68
as God's ambassador tonight.
00:51:58.71\00:52:01.05
Sharing Jesus
witnessing to others
00:52:01.08\00:52:04.02
doesn't always
come from a Bible study.
00:52:04.05\00:52:06.42
Yes, sometimes it
does and God calls us
00:52:06.45\00:52:09.26
to give Bible studies,
00:52:09.29\00:52:11.29
but it doesn't always
come from a Bible study.
00:52:11.33\00:52:14.06
It doesn't
always come from someone
00:52:14.10\00:52:15.46
speaking in the pulpit
00:52:15.50\00:52:18.37
or from knocking
on a stranger's door.
00:52:18.40\00:52:23.34
Sharing Jesus,
00:52:23.37\00:52:24.71
I believe is
simply walking with Jesus.
00:52:24.74\00:52:28.68
Being obedient to
His voice when He chooses
00:52:28.71\00:52:31.95
to speak to our heart,
it's saying, here am, I Lord,
00:52:31.98\00:52:37.12
I choose to be an ambassador,
I choose to walk in compassion,
00:52:37.15\00:52:41.62
I choose to walk in surrender,
00:52:41.66\00:52:45.13
I choose to walk
in fervent prayer,
00:52:45.16\00:52:47.73
please send me.
00:52:47.76\00:52:50.07
The size of the job
doesn't matter neither does it,
00:52:50.10\00:52:52.53
it's importance
through the publicity
00:52:52.57\00:52:54.84
that it brings
00:52:54.87\00:52:56.24
or the pain that it
causes my own heart and life,
00:52:56.27\00:53:00.34
all that matters
is our willingness
00:53:00.38\00:53:03.31
to hear the voice of Jesus
00:53:03.35\00:53:05.78
and to say here am I, send me.
00:53:05.81\00:53:08.05
We have just a
couple moments left.
00:53:08.08\00:53:09.48
I want to turn
to that, Isaiah 6.
00:53:09.52\00:53:13.32
Isaiah was a young man.
00:53:13.36\00:53:15.42
We know when the
prophetic call came to him.
00:53:15.46\00:53:17.93
And he wasn't really sure
and God gave him this vision.
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Isaiah 6:1,
00:53:25.93\00:53:30.27
he says, "In the year
that King Uzziah died,
00:53:30.31\00:53:32.07
I saw the Lord
sitting on a throne,
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high and lifted up,"
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so God gave him a
vision of the temple.
00:53:34.94\00:53:38.51
"The train of His
robe filled the temple,
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and then there were the seraphim
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with the six wings,
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and they covered
their face, and their feet,
00:53:43.02\00:53:44.59
and they flew and they said,
00:53:44.62\00:53:46.25
'Holy, holy, holy
is the Lord of hosts,
00:53:46.29\00:53:49.46
the whole earth is
filled with His glory!'
00:53:49.49\00:53:53.40
And the posts of
the door were shaken
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by the voice of
him who cried out,
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and the house was
filled with smoke."
00:53:57.87\00:54:01.57
He's seen a
revelation of the glory of God.
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And when he saw
that, what happened?
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Verse 5, he realized who he was
00:54:07.04\00:54:10.88
in relationship to God.
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"Then I said, 'Woe
is me, I am undone.'"
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He sensed his own unworthiness,
00:54:16.92\00:54:18.99
I am undone.
00:54:19.02\00:54:20.39
"I am a man of
unclean lips, and dwell
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in the midst of a
people of unclean lips,
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mine eyes have seen the
king, the Lord of hosts.'
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Then one of the seraphim,
the angels flew to him,
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having in his hand a live coal
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which he had taken
with tongs from the altar."
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He sensed his
unworthiness, woe is me who am I
00:54:38.31\00:54:41.28
in the presence of God Almighty.
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Then he said, I am unclean,
00:54:44.18\00:54:46.78
he repented and
confessed of his sin.
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Then he was
cleansed, the hot coal
00:54:50.59\00:54:53.56
from off the
altar touching his lips.
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And the angel said,
00:54:56.93\00:54:58.26
"Behold, this has
touched your lips,
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your iniquity is taken
away, and your sin is purged.
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And then he heard the
voice of the Lord, calling,
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'Whom shall I send,
and who will go for us?'
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Then I said,
"Here am I, send me."
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I think God calls us
to be His ambassadors.
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We started out
with 2 Corinthians 5,
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now then we are
ambassadors for Christ
00:55:24.42\00:55:26.96
as though God were
pleading through us,
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we implore you
on Christ's behalf,
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be reconciled to God.
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And as He calls us
to be His ambassador,
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our job is to come before Him,
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recognize who He is,
00:55:40.34\00:55:42.50
allow Him to
touch us, to cleanse us,
00:55:42.54\00:55:46.54
to fill us with His Spirit,
and then go forth willing.
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Here am I, send
me willing, obedient,
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ready to be
empowered by the Holy Spirit.
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So tonight, I just want
to appeal to you at home,
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I don't know where you
are in your walk with God.
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Maybe you feel like
the cracked clay pot
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we held up at the
beginning and you say,
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I'm a mess, I
got a lot of cracks.
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God says, I can
mend you, I can fill you,
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I can pour the light
of My gospel of Jesus
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through you,
00:56:21.11\00:56:22.44
and even through those
cracks, I can reveal Myself,
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I can reveal Jesus through you.
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Allow Him access to your heart.
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Make a choice, I
choose to be His ambassador,
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make a choice to
walk in compassion.
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Ask God to show you
the needs of the people
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around you.
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Take time, stop,
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see those needs, listen to them,
00:56:48.77\00:56:50.67
and then whatever God
puts on your heart and life,
00:56:50.71\00:56:54.58
step out in obedience,
00:56:54.61\00:56:58.11
reach out and touch,
00:56:58.15\00:56:59.85
walk in
compassion, make a choice,
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I choose to walk and surrender.
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Whatever God calls you
to surrender right now,
00:57:05.35\00:57:08.06
make a choice to
surrender to Him.
00:57:08.09\00:57:09.76
And finally, I choose
to walk in fervent prayer,
00:57:09.79\00:57:14.30
spend time every day,
passionately, persistently,
00:57:14.33\00:57:18.50
fervently,
praying for those in need.
00:57:18.53\00:57:22.10
We want to thank you
for joining with us tonight
00:57:22.14\00:57:25.71
for A Sharper Focus.
00:57:25.74\00:57:27.08
Know that at 3ABN,
00:57:27.11\00:57:28.44
we love you and we pray for you.
00:57:28.48\00:57:30.55
Just pray that God would
stand you up and equip you
00:57:30.58\00:57:33.55
to be all He has
called you to be.
00:57:33.58\00:57:35.35
Let's as we could
go out this evening,
00:57:35.38\00:57:37.72
let's go to the Lord in prayer.
00:57:37.75\00:57:39.39
Father, we thank You that
You have called each one of us
00:57:39.42\00:57:43.56
to be Your ambassador.
00:57:43.59\00:57:45.99
Lord Jesus, we make a choice
tonight to walk in compassion
00:57:46.03\00:57:50.83
toward our brothers and sisters,
00:57:50.87\00:57:52.60
who You who want
to walk and surrender,
00:57:52.63\00:57:55.64
to whatever You
have called us to do,
00:57:55.67\00:57:58.91
and we choose to walk in prayer.
00:57:58.94\00:58:00.54
Thank You for
working in us and through us,
00:58:00.58\00:58:03.18
in the precious and
holy name of Jesus, amen.
00:58:03.21\00:58:07.32
God bless.
00:58:07.35\00:58:08.72