The Carter Report presents, 00:00:01.36\00:00:03.33 Mission and Message, 00:00:03.37\00:00:05.83 a new look at the church and its future. 00:00:05.87\00:00:08.90 Is the church an endangered species, 00:00:08.94\00:00:11.57 or is a time of explosive growth just ahead? 00:00:11.61\00:00:16.44 Now, here's John Carter. 00:00:16.48\00:00:21.42 We welcome you back to the Carter Report 00:00:21.45\00:00:24.25 and we're talking about The Mission of the Church. 00:00:24.29\00:00:28.76 Next week, The Message, 00:00:28.79\00:00:31.43 but today, we're talking about The Mission. 00:00:31.46\00:00:35.43 In the last program, 00:00:35.46\00:00:36.80 we talked about those bad things 00:00:36.83\00:00:38.37 like legalism and liberalism 00:00:38.40\00:00:41.60 that are a curse to the church. 00:00:41.64\00:00:44.17 But here's another thing 00:00:44.21\00:00:45.54 we're talking about hindrances to the mission of the church. 00:00:45.57\00:00:47.94 Here it is, that can wait for it. 00:00:47.98\00:00:51.45 "The confounding of spiritual gifts 00:00:51.48\00:00:54.15 is a hindrance to the sacred mission of the church." 00:00:54.18\00:00:58.52 God knows am I talking about. 00:00:58.55\00:01:00.69 Now we know how the traditional churches 00:01:00.72\00:01:04.09 messed up on the Sabbath. 00:01:04.13\00:01:06.80 They got the order wrong, number seven became number one. 00:01:06.83\00:01:12.33 They messed up God sacred order 00:01:12.37\00:01:15.00 and we have messed up God sacred order 00:01:15.04\00:01:19.07 as far as the mission of the church and spiritual gifts. 00:01:19.11\00:01:23.78 I want you to come over here to 1 Corinthians 12:27 and 28. 00:01:23.81\00:01:28.88 And I can almost guarantee 00:01:28.92\00:01:31.42 that most of you folks who go to church 00:01:31.45\00:01:34.42 have never thought about this and you have never studied it. 00:01:34.46\00:01:38.23 1 Corinthians 12:27 and 28. 00:01:38.26\00:01:43.20 I put it to you, 00:01:43.23\00:01:44.57 I think most people who go to my church 00:01:44.60\00:01:48.04 haven't got a clue about this. 00:01:48.07\00:01:50.21 So I want you to be intelligently informed. 00:01:50.24\00:01:53.38 1 Corinthians 12:27 and 28, 00:01:53.41\00:01:58.85 "Now you are the body of Christ..." 00:01:58.88\00:02:01.18 That's the church. 00:02:01.22\00:02:02.75 "And members individually. 00:02:02.78\00:02:05.42 And God has appointed these in the church:" 00:02:05.45\00:02:09.19 last of all apostles. 00:02:09.22\00:02:11.86 No, no, no, no. 00:02:11.89\00:02:13.23 Well, why do we act like that? 00:02:13.26\00:02:15.16 "First apostles, second prophets, 00:02:15.20\00:02:18.70 third teachers, after that miracles, 00:02:18.73\00:02:21.64 then gifts of healings, helps, 00:02:21.67\00:02:24.31 administrations, varieties of tongues." 00:02:24.34\00:02:29.41 Now this is I believe you'd agree with me, 00:02:29.44\00:02:33.58 this is the Word of God. 00:02:33.62\00:02:35.95 Here we've got God's order of spiritual gifts. 00:02:35.98\00:02:42.22 Here we've got God's order. 00:02:42.26\00:02:44.73 And I asked the question, 00:02:44.76\00:02:46.49 "Do we obey God or do we follow the ways of men?" 00:02:46.53\00:02:50.77 So I want you to think about God's order of spiritual gifts. 00:02:50.80\00:02:56.74 Number one, apostles. 00:02:56.77\00:03:00.64 Number two... 00:03:00.68\00:03:02.34 Apostle is a person that can be translated a missionary. 00:03:02.38\00:03:05.85 A person's got the mission, you see. 00:03:05.88\00:03:08.38 A person's got the mission. 00:03:08.42\00:03:10.19 A person is going with the mission 00:03:10.22\00:03:12.55 to preach the Word. 00:03:12.59\00:03:13.92 Number two, prophets, 00:03:13.96\00:03:15.72 in this context, he's not talking about 00:03:15.76\00:03:17.43 people who have visions. 00:03:17.46\00:03:19.19 He's talking... 00:03:19.23\00:03:20.56 I mean your dreams and all that stuff. 00:03:20.60\00:03:22.53 He's talking about people who preach the divine word, 00:03:22.56\00:03:26.87 every good commentary will agree with me. 00:03:26.90\00:03:29.40 Number three, teachers, 00:03:29.44\00:03:31.11 those who explain God's revelation. 00:03:31.14\00:03:34.11 Number four, people who do 00:03:34.14\00:03:36.51 extraordinary, extraordinary works. 00:03:36.54\00:03:39.88 Number five, healings, you can heal the sick. 00:03:39.91\00:03:43.85 Number six, helpers, people who help God's work. 00:03:43.89\00:03:47.16 Number seven, administrators, don't put them down folks 00:03:47.19\00:03:51.63 because even though they are only number seven. 00:03:51.66\00:03:57.70 They are needed tremendously for the organization 00:03:57.73\00:04:02.40 of the spiritual gifts that God has put in the church, 00:04:02.44\00:04:06.14 and then you come to number eight, 00:04:06.17\00:04:08.28 which is talking in tongues. 00:04:08.31\00:04:11.95 Communicating the good news supernaturally. 00:04:11.98\00:04:15.58 George Knight has said rightly so, 00:04:15.62\00:04:18.92 "We need to take more seriously 00:04:18.95\00:04:21.36 what the Bible has to say on the gifts of the Spirit..." 00:04:21.39\00:04:26.29 Now today, say it to everybody. 00:04:26.33\00:04:29.70 I speak as a member of the church. 00:04:29.73\00:04:32.23 I speak as one who loves the church, 00:04:32.27\00:04:35.00 as a loyal member who has spent his life 00:04:35.04\00:04:38.54 promoting the church and its mission. 00:04:38.57\00:04:44.28 But we need to return 00:04:44.31\00:04:47.12 to God sacred order of spiritual gifts. 00:04:47.15\00:04:52.12 Number one, the most important gift 00:04:52.15\00:04:55.22 is the gift of preaching the Word of God. 00:04:55.26\00:04:58.59 I'm amazed when I meet young pastors 00:04:58.63\00:05:00.80 and I've met heaps of them, 00:05:00.83\00:05:02.16 I say, "What do you want to do with your life?" 00:05:02.20\00:05:05.30 "Oh, I want to get behind a desk." 00:05:05.33\00:05:08.30 "What, do you want to go down to number seven, do you?" 00:05:08.34\00:05:10.71 Yeah. "I want to be a president. 00:05:10.74\00:05:14.24 I want to be an administrator." 00:05:14.28\00:05:16.64 I say to them, "What's wrong with you? 00:05:16.68\00:05:20.18 What's wrong with you?" 00:05:20.22\00:05:22.18 Have you got the Spirit of God or not, 00:05:22.22\00:05:24.59 or are you following simply church tradition. 00:05:24.62\00:05:28.16 The Bible says the most important gift 00:05:28.19\00:05:31.26 is the preaching of the Word of God. 00:05:31.29\00:05:34.96 That's what the... 00:05:35.00\00:05:36.33 Now, some of you're looking at me 00:05:36.36\00:05:37.70 as though you're surprised, 00:05:37.73\00:05:39.07 the problem is you've never read this text before 00:05:39.10\00:05:41.80 and you never thought about it, that's the problem. 00:05:41.84\00:05:46.27 This is new to you today, you're saying, 00:05:46.31\00:05:47.78 "I just don't believe any of this stuff." 00:05:47.81\00:05:52.35 Well, perhaps, you ought to start to believe 00:05:52.38\00:05:56.22 the Word of God. 00:05:56.25\00:05:57.92 We need to return 00:05:57.95\00:05:59.29 to God's sacred order of spiritual gifts. 00:05:59.32\00:06:01.29 I believe it, we have devoted, 00:06:01.32\00:06:04.39 we have developed our bloated bureaucracy, 00:06:04.43\00:06:11.27 and we have stifled 00:06:11.30\00:06:12.63 the apostles, prophets, and teachers. 00:06:12.67\00:06:15.44 And so you go to a place like Australia, or Europe, 00:06:15.47\00:06:19.81 or America, 00:06:19.84\00:06:22.14 and where are the missions. 00:06:22.18\00:06:26.35 Where is this strong force right 00:06:26.38\00:06:29.15 preaching of the Word of God? 00:06:29.18\00:06:30.85 And young ministers say to me, 00:06:30.89\00:06:32.25 "Oh no, we just want to get behind the desk." 00:06:32.29\00:06:35.56 I say to them, "What's wrong with you?" 00:06:35.59\00:06:39.66 It's time for you to return to the Word of God. 00:06:39.69\00:06:43.23 Another force that is stifling the mission of the church 00:06:43.26\00:06:46.87 is institutionalism. 00:06:46.90\00:06:49.60 Hold on to your seats. 00:06:49.64\00:06:53.38 Institutionalism is a negative force 00:06:53.41\00:06:57.88 in the mission of the church. 00:06:57.91\00:06:59.61 I believe it is God's will for us to have hospitals. 00:06:59.65\00:07:04.19 But Jesus never said go into all the world 00:07:04.22\00:07:06.32 and build hospitals, they're important. 00:07:06.35\00:07:08.82 Jesus didn't say go and do it, He said, go and preach. 00:07:08.86\00:07:13.13 You say, "Oh no, no, you got it wrong." 00:07:13.16\00:07:15.30 No, my problem is I got it right. 00:07:15.33\00:07:17.97 I got it from the Bible. 00:07:18.00\00:07:19.37 I believe it is God's will for us to have 00:07:19.40\00:07:21.20 hospitals, schools, colleges, especially, colleges 00:07:21.24\00:07:25.21 and universities and publishing houses. 00:07:25.24\00:07:29.04 But institutionalism is when the church 00:07:29.08\00:07:31.78 is defined by its institutions 00:07:31.81\00:07:35.22 and not by the mission 00:07:35.25\00:07:38.95 which is the preaching of the gospel 00:07:38.99\00:07:40.42 and the winning of the lost to Christ. 00:07:40.46\00:07:43.46 Listen to this, 00:07:43.49\00:07:45.53 leaders of institutions whom I respect. 00:07:45.56\00:07:50.07 If we're only doing what other institutions are doing, 00:07:50.10\00:07:53.44 just performing operations, 00:07:53.47\00:07:56.27 taking out gallbladders, etcetera, etcetera, 00:07:56.30\00:08:01.01 we are not fulfilling the mission. 00:08:01.04\00:08:04.61 Go into all the world and preach the gospel. 00:08:04.65\00:08:06.51 Oh, that's out of date. 00:08:06.55\00:08:08.12 No, it's not out of date, you're out of touch. 00:08:08.15\00:08:13.52 One of the greatest hospitals 00:08:13.56\00:08:15.22 I think you'd find anywhere is the hospital 00:08:15.26\00:08:17.79 that I was associated with many years ago, 00:08:17.83\00:08:20.50 the Sydney Adventist Hospital. 00:08:20.53\00:08:22.83 One of the finest hospitals in Australia, 00:08:22.86\00:08:25.77 I would think one of the finest in the world. 00:08:25.80\00:08:29.94 I was a senior pastor 00:08:29.97\00:08:31.37 of the large church in the campus. 00:08:31.41\00:08:34.81 Dr. Tom Ludowici was the head chaplain 00:08:34.84\00:08:37.25 and one of our pastors, we worked together. 00:08:37.28\00:08:39.91 The church took a large group on a mission trip to Manila. 00:08:39.95\00:08:44.65 The hospital cooperated. 00:08:44.69\00:08:47.86 The head of the hospital 00:08:47.89\00:08:49.22 was my friend Dr. Bert Clifford, 00:08:49.26\00:08:52.43 and who was a loyal member of the church. 00:08:52.46\00:08:55.56 We work together to fulfill the mission of the church, 00:08:55.60\00:08:59.37 to save the lost for Christ, 00:08:59.40\00:09:01.94 but if I'm simply taking out an appendix or a gallbladder, 00:09:01.97\00:09:07.18 and if that's all I do, what's the point? 00:09:07.21\00:09:13.15 The mission... 00:09:13.18\00:09:15.65 is the preaching of the gospel of Christ. 00:09:15.68\00:09:20.49 Can you see why I get into trouble with my preaching? 00:09:20.52\00:09:23.16 I believe you see in biblical theology, 00:09:23.19\00:09:26.93 I believe infidelity to the Word of God, 00:09:26.96\00:09:30.67 and I can see what's happening to the church, 00:09:30.70\00:09:34.14 the visible church. 00:09:34.17\00:09:37.44 I think of my friend at Andrews University 00:09:37.47\00:09:40.08 which is an excellent institution. 00:09:40.11\00:09:41.94 Dr. Randall Younker, an outstanding archaeologist. 00:09:41.98\00:09:46.05 We've traveled together through Egypt. 00:09:46.08\00:09:48.92 He's one of the world's best. 00:09:48.95\00:09:51.45 He has an institute at Andrews University 00:09:51.49\00:09:56.02 to promote the cause of biblical archaeology. 00:09:56.06\00:10:00.30 It is probably the best institute 00:10:00.33\00:10:03.70 for biblical archaeology in the world. 00:10:03.73\00:10:09.87 It's promoting the word and the preaching. 00:10:09.90\00:10:14.71 That's the mission of the church. 00:10:14.74\00:10:16.24 And Randy is being faithful. 00:10:20.02\00:10:23.65 Here's the question. 00:10:23.69\00:10:25.02 "Are our institutions helping to proclaim the message of God 00:10:25.05\00:10:29.16 and save the lost for Christ? 00:10:29.19\00:10:32.66 That demands an honest answer. 00:10:32.69\00:10:36.20 Another factor that destroys the mission of the church... 00:10:39.30\00:10:45.57 Wait for it. 00:10:45.61\00:10:47.48 It is compromise, conformity, and mediocrity. 00:10:47.51\00:10:53.95 I believe from long experience 00:10:57.19\00:10:58.79 that our church system of organization 00:10:58.82\00:11:01.52 tends to produce people 00:11:01.56\00:11:04.06 who are often afraid to think for themselves 00:11:04.09\00:11:08.46 and speak out for Christ and truth. 00:11:08.50\00:11:11.27 Yes, yes, yes, marching in lockstep. 00:11:11.30\00:11:17.67 I believe in unity, 00:11:17.71\00:11:19.04 but not the curse of uniformity that produces mediocrity. 00:11:19.07\00:11:24.35 Now, here is a question I'm going to ask an answer 00:11:29.22\00:11:32.89 and it will help you. 00:11:32.92\00:11:34.29 Is our organization divinely inspired? 00:11:34.32\00:11:37.16 Should it always be obeyed? 00:11:37.19\00:11:39.33 Now I say that to most people of my congregate, 00:11:39.36\00:11:42.86 they say, "Yes, divinely inspired." 00:11:42.90\00:11:45.13 Whatever the church organization says, 00:11:45.17\00:11:47.44 we say "Amen" that is the voice of God. 00:11:47.47\00:11:51.77 Goodness, not even the pope says that, 00:11:51.81\00:11:55.61 not even the pope says that. 00:11:55.64\00:11:58.61 But some of my church members say that. 00:11:58.65\00:12:01.88 I want to read to you from George Knight, 00:12:01.92\00:12:03.95 "Then in 2005, 2006 00:12:07.39\00:12:09.52 came the General Conference Commission 00:12:09.56\00:12:11.19 on Ministries, Services and Structures. 00:12:11.23\00:12:15.80 Preliminary to its first formal meetings, 00:12:15.83\00:12:18.97 Jan Paulson invited me to meet 00:12:19.00\00:12:20.80 with all with General Conference offices 00:12:20.84\00:12:23.04 and presidents of the world divisions 00:12:23.07\00:12:25.84 at a Florida retreat. 00:12:25.87\00:12:28.38 I had been granted 30 minutes to make my presentation, 00:12:28.41\00:12:31.21 but my 60 page paper formed the agenda 00:12:31.25\00:12:34.92 for nearly four hours in this important pre-meeting. 00:12:34.95\00:12:40.92 My task was to bring harmony, 00:12:40.96\00:12:44.69 relative harmony among the leadership 00:12:44.73\00:12:47.13 by demonstrating that the current structure 00:12:47.16\00:12:50.10 was not inspired." 00:12:50.13\00:12:52.33 Oops. 00:12:52.37\00:12:54.37 "Was not inspired 00:12:54.40\00:12:56.97 but in the past had been pragmatically adapted 00:12:57.01\00:13:00.48 to meet the needs of an expanding mission..." 00:13:00.51\00:13:04.51 Not divinely inspired pragmatically set up, 00:13:04.55\00:13:10.32 think about it. 00:13:10.35\00:13:12.39 "The good news is that the eventual result 00:13:12.42\00:13:14.52 of the commission's work was a vote to reduce 00:13:14.56\00:13:17.26 the "necessary" levels of structures 00:13:17.29\00:13:19.56 by fully recognizing the "union of churches" model. 00:13:19.59\00:13:24.73 Thus, local conferences became an option 00:13:24.77\00:13:27.60 that could be dispensed with." 00:13:27.64\00:13:32.17 Too much, too expensive. 00:13:32.21\00:13:37.51 So they voted. 00:13:37.55\00:13:39.48 We'll get rid of them and other parts. 00:13:39.51\00:13:42.88 "The bad news about the vote is that by and large 00:13:42.92\00:13:45.95 its revolutionary promise 00:13:45.99\00:13:47.89 has not been recognized and implemented. 00:13:47.92\00:13:51.59 My guess is that it won't be 00:13:51.63\00:13:53.36 until the system is faced with financial disaster." 00:13:53.40\00:13:59.57 So we grow, he wrote a book 00:13:59.60\00:14:01.40 called "The Fat Lady and the Kingdom". 00:14:01.44\00:14:07.48 There's this lady, a little heavy, 00:14:07.51\00:14:10.01 she trying to get through a door 00:14:10.05\00:14:11.81 but she got so many packages. 00:14:11.85\00:14:17.09 She can't get through the door because she got so much stuff. 00:14:17.12\00:14:23.99 George Knight said, she got to get rid of some of the stuff 00:14:24.03\00:14:28.73 to get into the kingdom. 00:14:28.76\00:14:30.10 Thus, I want you to hear this very plainly I preach this, 00:14:33.50\00:14:37.04 and some people got so mad with me, 00:14:37.07\00:14:39.04 that's because they don't understand, 00:14:39.07\00:14:41.51 that's because they're marching in lockstep. 00:14:41.54\00:14:45.85 All together for the kingdom of God 00:14:45.88\00:14:47.78 but nobody thinks for himself, 00:14:47.82\00:14:52.05 thus we know the church organization 00:14:52.09\00:14:54.42 is not divinely inspired. 00:14:54.46\00:14:57.36 Organization is vital 00:14:57.39\00:14:58.76 and we have a good organization, 00:14:58.79\00:15:02.90 but the organization that is needed 00:15:02.93\00:15:06.33 is one that is efficient and effective. 00:15:06.37\00:15:10.71 And listen to this. 00:15:10.74\00:15:13.38 To worship the church organization 00:15:13.41\00:15:16.24 as some do is idolatry. 00:15:16.28\00:15:22.72 One step removed from the mark of the beast. 00:15:22.75\00:15:27.72 Mark of the beast says, "You just got to stop thinking. 00:15:30.83\00:15:36.33 And do what we tell you to do." 00:15:36.36\00:15:38.20 I say never, never... 00:15:38.23\00:15:44.31 never. 00:15:44.34\00:15:46.24 Because first and foremost I'm a Christian, 00:15:46.27\00:15:48.28 but secondly, I am a Protestant. 00:15:48.31\00:15:50.05 My experience teaches me 00:15:53.31\00:15:54.95 that the ignoring of God's priorities and spiritual gifts 00:15:54.98\00:15:59.85 and in promoting evangelism 00:15:59.89\00:16:03.09 and the substitution of a well meaning 00:16:06.39\00:16:08.93 that bloated bureaucracy 00:16:08.96\00:16:12.83 is counterproductive 00:16:12.87\00:16:14.20 to the fulfillment of the mission. 00:16:14.24\00:16:16.50 Why does the Review say 00:16:16.54\00:16:19.37 that church is an endangered species? 00:16:19.41\00:16:22.14 Anybody listening? 00:16:22.18\00:16:25.55 Elder Bob Spangler said to me, my friend of many years, 00:16:25.58\00:16:29.65 why do we produce such dreadful mediocrity? 00:16:29.68\00:16:36.29 More than that I will say this, 00:16:36.32\00:16:40.96 we stifle the voice of the apostles, 00:16:41.00\00:16:43.10 the prophets, and the teachers. 00:16:43.13\00:16:45.53 We starve them to death. 00:16:45.57\00:16:47.90 No money for evangelism 00:16:47.94\00:16:49.44 and the preaching of the cross of Christ, 00:16:49.47\00:16:51.07 but money for institutions, 00:16:51.11\00:16:53.94 that's because we don't understand 1 Corinthians 12. 00:16:53.98\00:16:57.58 We crush their spirits. 00:16:57.61\00:16:59.15 We even persecute those who are compelled by God 00:16:59.18\00:17:02.92 to proclaim the Word. 00:17:02.95\00:17:06.76 We're a threatened species, then why? 00:17:06.79\00:17:11.69 You say it, then why not do something about it 00:17:11.73\00:17:14.30 instead of mouthing platitudes? 00:17:14.33\00:17:17.83 I asked the question, "How would a Billy Graham 00:17:17.87\00:17:22.47 survive today in our church?" 00:17:22.50\00:17:27.84 No brother, you need to be behind a desk 00:17:27.88\00:17:30.95 and you need just to do 00:17:30.98\00:17:32.31 what you're told and shuffle some papers. 00:17:32.35\00:17:37.09 America has gone downhill spiritually 00:17:37.12\00:17:41.19 and in every way since this man 00:17:41.22\00:17:44.96 had stopped running big campaigns. 00:17:44.99\00:17:47.56 He was the modern voice of certainty. 00:17:47.60\00:17:53.40 The reason we have so much of lying, 00:17:53.44\00:17:56.60 so much slander, 00:17:56.64\00:17:58.17 so much evil from the top to the bottom. 00:17:58.21\00:18:03.71 It's because preaching has been downgraded. 00:18:03.75\00:18:09.85 And I've gone to churches 00:18:09.88\00:18:11.62 in North America and in Australia 00:18:11.65\00:18:14.29 and people have had the... 00:18:14.32\00:18:18.49 I was going to say audacity, 00:18:18.53\00:18:20.53 they've had the nerve to say to me, 00:18:20.56\00:18:25.87 "Oh, didn't you know, he belonged to a different era, 00:18:25.90\00:18:29.60 that's finished now. 00:18:29.64\00:18:31.41 We don't do that anymore. 00:18:31.44\00:18:32.87 There's no more preaching, we don't do that. 00:18:32.91\00:18:34.91 All we do now, 00:18:34.94\00:18:37.91 now we're friendly, we're friendly. 00:18:37.95\00:18:40.22 Of course, what's wrong? 00:18:40.25\00:18:41.75 You had to get a doctorate to be friendly, 00:18:41.78\00:18:44.19 we're just friendly. 00:18:44.22\00:18:45.55 We have friendship evangelism. We have this..." 00:18:45.59\00:18:47.96 Listen, the Bible said, Jesus said, 00:18:47.99\00:18:49.96 "Go into all the world 00:18:49.99\00:18:51.33 and preach the gospel," you see. 00:18:51.36\00:18:54.30 That's what Jesus said, 00:18:54.33\00:18:55.66 but we say, "Well, who is Jesus?" 00:18:55.70\00:18:59.20 He's your judge. 00:18:59.23\00:19:02.40 Now we come to our transition in this talk. 00:19:02.44\00:19:04.74 You're ready for the transition? 00:19:04.77\00:19:06.31 I can feel a transition coming on. 00:19:06.34\00:19:10.91 The transition is made up 00:19:10.95\00:19:13.45 at the start of three introductory words, 00:19:13.48\00:19:17.09 here they come. 00:19:17.12\00:19:18.45 The first one, "However," whatever I've said "However, 00:19:18.49\00:19:23.19 but nevertheless 00:19:23.22\00:19:28.26 there are powerful, 00:19:28.30\00:19:30.90 positive forces waiting to be 00:19:30.93\00:19:33.47 unleashed upon a sleeping church 00:19:33.50\00:19:37.04 and an indifferent world." 00:19:37.07\00:19:41.14 And if you don't get with it, my friend, 00:19:41.18\00:19:44.25 you just may not be a part of God's church 00:19:44.28\00:19:48.62 or of the kingdom of God. 00:19:48.65\00:19:52.75 Let me talk about it. 00:19:52.79\00:19:54.12 Faith, faith says, "It shall happen." 00:19:54.16\00:19:58.76 Unbelievers says, 00:19:58.79\00:20:00.13 "Oh, that's too hard, it can't happen. 00:20:00.16\00:20:02.76 It's too difficult. 00:20:02.80\00:20:04.30 Nobody will come." Goodness. 00:20:04.33\00:20:07.40 And you pay people like that. 00:20:07.44\00:20:09.64 Goodness, I'd pay to have them removed. 00:20:09.67\00:20:11.74 Faith says, "It shall happen." 00:20:11.77\00:20:14.41 Vision says, "I see a mighty harvest." 00:20:14.44\00:20:18.88 And courage says, "I can walk among lions 00:20:18.91\00:20:21.82 and I shall not be hurt." 00:20:21.85\00:20:24.19 People say, "Why would you go to dangerous countries?" 00:20:24.22\00:20:27.36 Don't you think God goes there? 00:20:27.39\00:20:29.22 You don't think God lives there. 00:20:29.26\00:20:30.79 People say, "Why would you go to El Salvador, 00:20:30.83\00:20:33.23 it's too dangerous?" 00:20:33.26\00:20:34.60 Don't you think God lives there? 00:20:34.63\00:20:36.77 What's wrong? 00:20:36.80\00:20:40.20 And so, faith, vision, courage. 00:20:40.24\00:20:43.94 Let me tell you just a little 00:20:43.97\00:20:45.67 for those who haven't seen this before, 00:20:45.71\00:20:47.91 you haven't seen it before, that's good. 00:20:47.94\00:20:50.21 You know, I believe in Sola Christus, 00:20:50.25\00:20:52.01 Sola Scriptura, Sola Gratia, Sola Fide, 00:20:52.05\00:20:55.32 that's a battle cry 00:20:55.35\00:20:56.69 of the Protestant Reformation there, 00:20:56.72\00:20:58.05 the Latin words, Christ, scripture, grace, faith. 00:20:58.09\00:21:02.79 We had the privilege of some time back 00:21:02.82\00:21:04.89 going to El Salvador, 00:21:04.93\00:21:07.00 place full of crime and wonderful people. 00:21:07.03\00:21:10.80 Union president was and is, 00:21:10.83\00:21:13.27 thank God a man by the name of Pastor Abel Pacheco. 00:21:13.30\00:21:17.91 We said Pastor Pacheco, 00:21:17.94\00:21:20.08 let's hire the national stadium. 00:21:20.11\00:21:23.21 He went to some of his lieutenants, 00:21:23.24\00:21:25.38 they said, "Oh, can't be done. 00:21:25.41\00:21:27.58 Never been done before. 00:21:27.62\00:21:29.22 It's too hard. 00:21:29.25\00:21:31.05 Maybe nobody will come." 00:21:31.09\00:21:33.89 You get this everywhere. 00:21:33.92\00:21:35.69 He said, "I see a vision. 00:21:35.72\00:21:39.49 I see a vision." 00:21:39.53\00:21:40.93 I tell you what he did. 00:21:40.96\00:21:43.06 Before we got there, 00:21:43.10\00:21:44.43 he put on 70 meetings, seven-zero. 00:21:44.47\00:21:47.17 He employed 70 extra pastors. 00:21:47.20\00:21:49.77 He brought them in from around the world. 00:21:49.80\00:21:53.21 They hired 765 buses 00:21:53.24\00:21:56.41 to bring the people to the meetings. 00:21:56.44\00:21:59.08 Will they do that in America? 00:21:59.11\00:22:00.92 Will they do that in Australia? 00:22:00.95\00:22:03.39 Will they do that in Europe? 00:22:03.42\00:22:04.85 No, I don't think so. 00:22:04.89\00:22:08.19 Maybe one day. 00:22:08.22\00:22:10.09 55,000 people got inside the stadium. 00:22:10.13\00:22:14.36 The biggest crowd in the history 00:22:14.40\00:22:15.83 of that part of the world. 00:22:15.86\00:22:18.43 Five thousand, five hundred people 00:22:18.47\00:22:20.00 were baptized in a single day, 00:22:20.04\00:22:22.37 small and petty cost. 00:22:22.40\00:22:24.21 And we had one goal, one aim, 00:22:24.24\00:22:26.47 one purpose to fulfill the mission, 00:22:26.51\00:22:29.64 to proclaim God's message and save the lost for Christ. 00:22:29.68\00:22:33.92 Now I want to tell you this. 00:22:33.95\00:22:35.65 I say this to everybody who's listening on television. 00:22:35.68\00:22:38.79 God has always had His man or His woman. 00:22:38.82\00:22:42.09 Here, John Wesley in England 00:22:42.12\00:22:45.06 was kicked out of his own church, 00:22:45.09\00:22:47.03 the Church of England. 00:22:47.06\00:22:48.56 Get out and preach before breakfast, 00:22:48.60\00:22:51.73 four in the morning in cold to 20,000 minors. 00:22:51.77\00:22:57.54 Hundreds of thousands coming to Christ. 00:22:57.57\00:23:01.14 George Whitfield, another great English preacher 00:23:01.18\00:23:04.65 who came over here to America, took America by storm. 00:23:04.68\00:23:09.92 George Whitefield, 00:23:09.95\00:23:12.12 little man, just a boy, put him up on a table. 00:23:12.15\00:23:16.86 H.M.S. Richards. 00:23:16.89\00:23:18.63 He started the Voice of Prophecy 00:23:18.66\00:23:21.30 battling against indifference 00:23:21.33\00:23:23.80 and may I say the church hierarchy. 00:23:23.83\00:23:27.77 "Oh, we don't want that sort of stuff, 00:23:27.80\00:23:29.30 you're causing too much trouble." 00:23:29.34\00:23:31.54 Danny Shelton. 00:23:31.57\00:23:32.91 "Oh, you shouldn't even mention him. 00:23:32.94\00:23:34.48 He not even an ordained minister." 00:23:34.51\00:23:37.78 He's a layperson, who made a difference 00:23:37.81\00:23:40.88 within ministers and laypeople. 00:23:40.92\00:23:43.62 We're all laypeople. 00:23:43.65\00:23:45.69 I don't believe in a hierarchy. 00:23:45.72\00:23:48.36 A carpenter in southern Illinois, 00:23:48.39\00:23:51.83 a layperson with a vision, courage and faith, 00:23:51.86\00:23:55.30 he has one of the biggest television networks 00:23:55.33\00:23:58.13 in the world. 00:23:58.17\00:23:59.50 Everybody said, "Can't be done. 00:23:59.53\00:24:01.17 He's silly, stupid, nobody can do it." 00:24:01.20\00:24:04.47 When he did it, "Oh, now you're a troublemaker, 00:24:04.51\00:24:07.11 now you're getting too much money." 00:24:07.14\00:24:08.64 These are the people. 00:24:12.85\00:24:14.58 All these people had one gift, 00:24:14.62\00:24:17.42 the anointing of the Holy Spirit. 00:24:17.45\00:24:20.16 Come over here to Acts 1:4 to 8. 00:24:20.19\00:24:23.26 Acts 1:4 to 8. 00:24:23.29\00:24:26.39 Let these words get down into your heart. 00:24:26.43\00:24:29.46 "And being assembled together with them," that's verse 4. 00:24:29.50\00:24:32.70 "He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, 00:24:32.73\00:24:34.90 but to wait for the Promise of the Father, 00:24:34.94\00:24:36.84 'which,' He said, 'you've heard from Me, 00:24:36.87\00:24:38.84 for truly John baptized with water, 00:24:38.87\00:24:41.84 but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit 00:24:41.88\00:24:44.71 not many days from now.' 00:24:44.75\00:24:46.75 Therefore, when they had come together, 00:24:46.78\00:24:48.25 they asked Him, saying, 00:24:48.28\00:24:49.62 'Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?' 00:24:49.65\00:24:53.66 He said to you, 00:24:53.69\00:24:55.02 'It is not for you to know times or seasons 00:24:55.06\00:24:56.76 which the Father has put in His own authority. 00:24:56.79\00:24:59.36 But you shall receive power 00:24:59.39\00:25:02.66 when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, 00:25:02.70\00:25:04.83 and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, 00:25:04.87\00:25:07.77 and in all Judea and Samaria, to the ends of the earth.'" 00:25:07.80\00:25:12.94 To the ends of the earth. 00:25:12.97\00:25:18.45 God is going to have a people 00:25:18.48\00:25:20.45 who get these things straight. 00:25:20.48\00:25:25.55 Get spiritual gifts straight. 00:25:25.59\00:25:27.99 And the Holy Spirit will come upon them 00:25:28.02\00:25:31.49 and they will be God's witnesses around the world, 00:25:31.53\00:25:36.20 including United States of America, 00:25:36.23\00:25:39.93 and Australia, and Europe. 00:25:39.97\00:25:43.47 And the mission will be fulfilled, 00:25:43.51\00:25:48.68 and the message will be preached, 00:25:48.71\00:25:51.68 and the work will be finished, and Christ will come. 00:25:54.78\00:26:01.02 In the name of the Father and of the Son 00:26:01.06\00:26:04.79 and of the Holy Spirit, amen and amen. 00:26:04.83\00:26:09.76 The Word began in a village. 00:26:16.91\00:26:20.41 Churches and schools sprang up and multiplied 00:26:20.44\00:26:24.91 reaching into the city. 00:26:24.95\00:26:28.35 Great truths revealed 00:26:28.38\00:26:29.98 to the people of Papua New Guinea, 00:26:30.02\00:26:32.82 changing thousands of lives. 00:26:32.85\00:26:36.02 Our eyes are going to be opened 00:26:36.06\00:26:39.06 to the discovery of amazing truths. 00:26:39.09\00:26:42.86 The greatest truth in the Bible, 00:26:42.90\00:26:44.77 it is the truths that God loves you. 00:26:44.80\00:26:48.54 It has completely changed my life, 00:26:48.57\00:26:50.34 and I'm going to be baptized this Sabbath. 00:26:50.37\00:26:52.71 Pastor Carter has put something in my heart 00:26:52.74\00:26:55.18 that I will never forget. 00:26:55.21\00:26:56.54 Thank you Pastor Carter for your program, 00:26:56.58\00:26:58.58 it has changed my life completely. 00:26:58.61\00:27:00.88 John Carter's "Great Truths Revealed" 00:27:00.92\00:27:02.85 was recorded live from Papua New Guinea. 00:27:02.88\00:27:05.15 Experience the miracles in this 21 DVD series 00:27:05.19\00:27:08.52 for a gift of $150 US or $210 Australian. 00:27:08.56\00:27:13.03 To order, visit our website or call. 00:27:13.06\00:27:15.53 This is my 43rd visit... 00:27:24.01\00:27:27.21 to preach the everlasting gospel 00:27:30.38\00:27:33.08 of our Lord, Jesus Christ. 00:27:33.11\00:27:34.78 And they had smoke bombs and they had fire bombs, 00:27:44.86\00:27:48.06 and the Russian army had to take me to the meetings. 00:27:48.10\00:27:54.24 I come here, my friend, because of the need. 00:27:54.27\00:27:56.91 These were days of grace, and glory, and mighty power. 00:27:56.94\00:28:03.21 For a donation of $100 or more, 00:28:03.24\00:28:05.91 a signed copy of the John Carter biography 00:28:05.95\00:28:08.28 can be yours by writing to us at the address on the screen 00:28:08.32\00:28:11.35 or visit our website. 00:28:11.39\00:28:12.75 For a copy of today's program, 00:28:21.40\00:28:23.43 please contact us at P.O. Box 1900, 00:28:23.47\00:28:27.04 Thousand Oaks, California 91358. 00:28:27.07\00:28:31.17 Or in Australia, contact us at P.O. Box 861, Terrigal, 00:28:31.21\00:28:37.05 New South Wales 2260. 00:28:37.08\00:28:40.52 This program is made possible 00:28:40.55\00:28:42.42 through the generous support of viewers like you. 00:28:42.45\00:28:45.29 We thank you for your continued support. 00:28:45.32\00:28:48.32 May God richly bless you. 00:28:48.36\00:28:50.23