Participants:
Series Code: EG
Program Code: EG021253A
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00:00 (MUSIC)
00:16 >>I COULDN'T UNDERSTAND JUST BUYING ANY KIND OF DRUGS 00:19 JUST TO DO FOR MYSELF BECAUSE IT JUST MADE SENSE TO INVEST IT IN 00:23 SOMETHING ELSE AND THEN I CAN MAKE ALL THE MONEY BACK AND HAVE 00:27 WEED THAT I COULD SMOKE FOR FREE. 00:29 I WAS HAVING A LOT OF FUN - AT LEAST AT FIRST. 00:35 I WAS MAKING MORE MONEY THAN ANYBODY THAT I KNEW. 00:38 I'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, POUNDS AND POUNDS OF WEED IN THE CLOSET AND 00:41 I'VE GOT ALL THIS MONEY. I'VE GOT A BEAUTIFUL FULLY 00:44 FURNISHED APARTMENT, A CHANDELIER HANGING 00:47 IN MY LIVING ROOM. I'VE GOT A LUXURY CAR 00:49 ALL LEATHER INTERIOR. I'VE GOT THE HOTTEST GIRLFRIEND. 00:52 I HAVE EVERY SINGLE THING THAT THIS WORLD TELLS ME THAT I NEED. 00:58 AND THAT'S WHEN I REALIZED HOW EMPTY I REALLY WAS. 01:03 EVENTUALLY SMOKING WEED DIDN'T DO IT ANYMORE. 01:06 I STARTED GOING TO DOING A LOT OF ACID - LSD, ECSTASY. 01:12 OF COURSE OTHER HARD DRUGS CAME INTO THE PICTURE. 01:14 I FOUND OUT THAT YOU CAN'T RUN AWAY FROM YOURSELF AND NO MATTER 01:19 WHERE YOU GO, THERE YOU ARE. IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO 01:22 RECONCILE A FAITH IN GOD AND THEN THIS LIFESTYLE THAT 01:25 I WAS CHOOSING TO LEAD. AND AT THIS POINT I HAD MADE THE 01:28 CHOICE TO LEAVE THAT LIFESTYLE BUT I COULDN'T REVERSE IT. 01:31 EVEN THOUGH I WANTED TO STOP OR AT LEAST SLOW DOWN, I HAD NO 01:37 POWER. I SAID, 'GOD, DO WHATEVER IT IS 01:39 YOU'VE GOT TO DO TO CHANGE ME.' I GET ARRESTED FOR A DUI - I'D 01:43 BEEN TO JAIL MANY TIMES BEFORE BUT I USED TO THINK THAT THE 01:46 REASON THAT I WENT TO JAIL WAS BECAUSE GOD WAS SICK OF 01:49 ME - THAT GOD HATED ME. THERE I AM IN JAIL AND I'M 01:52 STARTING TO SEE THE FACT THAT GOD LOVES ME - TO KNOW THE 01:56 EMPTINESS OF THIS WORLD - TO KNOW THAT THIS LIFE REALLY 02:00 STINKS BUT THERE'S HOPE. AND THE HOPE THAT I FOUND CAN 02:08 ONLY BE SEEN OR KNOWN IN CHRIST JESUS. 02:18 MY NAME IS JUSTIN MONTERO AND I'VE RECLAIMED MY FAITH. 02:25 >>AMEN. YOU KNOW, FRIENDS, WE CAN TELL 02:28 FROM SOME OF THE TESTIMONIES WE'VE ALREADY HEARD DURING THIS 02:31 PROGRAM THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT HAVE BEGUN A 02:36 RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LORD BUT THEN SOMETHING HAPPENED. 02:39 MAYBE SOMEBODY HURT THEM OR THEY GOT DISTRACTED WITH THE BUSYNESS 02:43 OF LIFE. OR MAYBE THEY GREW UP IN THE 02:46 CHURCH AND THEY WERE JUST CURIOUS ABOUT WHAT'S OUT THERE 02:48 IN THE WORLD AND THEY WANTED TO GO FIND OUT FOR THEMSELVES WHAT 02:51 THEY'RE MISSING BUT THEY DIDN'T REALIZE THAT IT WAS A WHIRLPOOL 02:54 THAT WAS GOING TO CATCH THEM AND HOLD THEM. 02:58 AND WE'RE DOING THIS PROGRAM ESPECIALLY TO ENCOURAGE 03:00 EVERYBODY TO KNOW - THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE A HISTORY AND A 03:04 BACKGROUND WITH JESUS, YOU CAN COME BACK - YOU CAN GET A NEW 03:08 BEGINNING. BUT YOU HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION 03:11 NOT TO JUMP SHIP - TO STAY WITH THE BOAT. 03:16 IN SPITE OF THE PROBLEMS, IN SPITE OF THE STORMS, IN SPITE OF 03:20 THE OTHER SAILORS, YOU HAVE TO STAY ON THE BOAT. 03:24 JESUS WILL NOT FORCE YOU. 03:25 YOU CAN MAKE A DECISION - IF YOU'RE OUT THERE WHERE THE 03:27 SHARKS ARE - TO SWIM BACK TO THE BOAT. 03:31 IN 1961, NOVEMBER 17TH, MICHAEL ROCKEFELLER, THE YOUNGEST SON OF 03:38 NELSON ROCKEFELLER FORMER GOVERNOR OF NEW YORK AND VICE 03:41 PRESIDENT, HEIR OF THE VERY WEALTHY ROCKEFELLER OIL FORTUNE, 03:47 HE WAS A LITTLE BIT OF THE BLACK SHEEP OF THE FAMILY AND HE WAS 03:51 DOING ANTHROPOLOGY WORK OUT IN THE JUNGLES - WENT TO NEW GUINEA 03:55 - AND ON THAT DAY THEY WERE OUT IN THE OCEAN IN A DUGOUT CANOE - 03:59 40-FOOT LONG DUGOUT CANOE, DOUBLE PONTOONS - HE AND TWO 04:03 GUIDES, ALONG WITH ANOTHER ANTHROPOLOGIST, RENE WASSING, 04:07 AND SOME WAVES CAME AND SWAMPED THEIR ENGINE. 04:11 WELL, THEY WERE ABOUT THREE MILES FROM SHORE AND THE TWO 04:14 GUIDES TOLD THE YOUNG ANTHROPOLOGISTS, 'STAY WITH THE 04:19 BOAT, WE WILL GET HELP, WE WILL COME BACK.' 04:23 AND SO THEY SWAM OFF. 04:25 BUT IN THE HOURS THAT ENSUED, AS THE BOAT WAS DRIFTING FURTHER 04:29 AND FURTHER FROM SHORE, MICHAEL SAID TO RENE, 'I THINK WE 04:33 BETTER GET BACK, WE DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE GOING TO MAKE IT. 04:36 WE DON'T KNOW HOW LONG IT'S GOING TO BE, THEY'LL MAYBE NEVER 04:37 FIND US OUT HERE IN THE OCEAN.' AND RENE SAID, 'THEY SAID 'STAY 04:41 WITH THE BOAT AND THEY'LL FIND US.' AND HE SAID, 'NO, I THINK I 04:46 CAN MAKE IT TO LAND. THIS IS YOUR CHOICE. 04:48 I'M GOING TO CHOOSE TO SWIM ON MY OWN.' AND HE TOOK TWO EMPTY 04:52 GAS CANS AND TIED THEM BETWEEN HIM AND JUMPED IN THE WATER - HE 04:55 DID IT FOR BUOYANCY - AND SWAM OFF. 04:59 AND HE'S NEVER BEEN SEEN AGAIN. IT CREATED AN INTERNATIONAL 05:03 MEDIA FRENZY AND THE FATHER FLEW TO NEW GUINEA AND THERE WAS A 05:07 MASSIVE SEARCH BUT THEY NEVER FOUND HIS BODY. THEY NEVER FOUND 05:11 MICHAEL BECAUSE HE DIDN'T STAY WITH THE BOAT. 05:15 THE NEXT DAY RENE WAS PICKED UP. 05:18 YOU KNOW, THERE'S A STORY IN THE BIBLE THAT TELLS US THERE IS 05:21 A TIME TO TRUST THE LORD AND HANG TIGHT IN THE BOAT, EVEN 05:27 THOUGH THERE MAY BE STORMS. IF YOU HAVE A BIBLE YOU'LL 05:31 FIND THIS IN THE BOOK OF ACTS. THE BOOK OF ACTS TELLS ABOUT THE 05:34 EXCITING WAY THAT GOD HAS LED HIS CHURCH. 05:38 AND I SHOULD MENTION AT THIS POINT THAT, AS MUCH AS I ENJOY 05:41 THIS BEAUTIFUL SET AND THAT QUAINT LITTLE CHURCH THAT WE 05:44 HAVE THERE, THE CHURCH IS NOT A BUILDING, THE CHURCH IS PEOPLE - 05:48 IT'S A GATHERING OF PEOPLE - AND AT THE END OF THE STORY OF ACTS, 05:54 THE BOOK TAKES QUITE A BIT OF TIME TO TALK ABOUT A STORM AT 05:58 SEA. THERE IS A BOATLOAD OF SAILORS 06:02 THAT ARE ON THE WAY TO ROME FOR JUDGMENT - THEY'RE ACTUALLY 06:06 PRISONERS ON THEIR WAY TO ROME TO BE JUDGED BY CAESAR. 06:10 THE APOSTLE PAUL IS ON THE BOAT AND AFTER - THEY LOSE EVERYTHING 06:15 - THEY THROW EVERYTHING OVERBOARD - THEY DON'T KNOW 06:18 WHERE THEY ARE. THEY'RE LOST. 06:19 THEY'VE LOST THEIR TACKLING AND THEY THREW THEIR FOOD OVERBOARD. 06:23 BUT PAUL PRAYED AND HE INTERCEDED FOR EVERYBODY ON THE 06:25 BOAT AND THE ANGEL SAID, 'I'VE HEARD YOUR PRAYER.' WELL, JUST 06:30 AS THEY WERE NEARING LAND SOME OF THE SAILORS THOUGHT, 06:35 'YOU KNOW, WE CAN DO BETTER ON OUR OWN. 06:38 WE'RE GOING TO SNEAK OFF IN THE LITTLE LIFEBOAT - THE LITTLE 06:40 DINGHY - BY OURSELVES.' YOU CAN READ IN ACTS 27, VERSE 30 - "AND 06:46 AS THE SAILORS WERE SEEKING TO ESCAPE FROM THE SHIP, AND THEY 06:50 LET DOWN THE SKIFF INTO THE SEA UNDER PRETENSE" - PRETENDING 06:53 THAT THEY WERE PUTTING OUT ANCHORS FROM THE BOW - PAUL SAID 06:56 TO THE CENTURION AND THE SOLDIERS, "UNLESS THESE MEN STAY 07:02 IN THE SHIP YOU CANNOT BE SAVED." WOW. WHY? 07:09 PERHAPS GOD'S SENDING A MESSAGE TO HIS PEOPLE AS WE NEAR SHORE - 07:13 ESPECIALLY DURING THE STORMS OF THE LAST DAYS - 07:16 HOW CRUCIAL IT IS FOR US TO STICK TOGETHER. 07:21 BECAUSE UNLESS WE STICK TOGETHER, WE'RE ALL IN DANGER. 07:26 AND WE NEED TO ENCOURAGE EACH OTHER. 07:29 I'M NOT ONLY INTERESTED IN MY SALVATION, I NEED TO BE 07:31 INTERESTED IN YOUR SALVATION AND I HOPE YOU'RE INTERESTED IN 07:35 MINE. YOU KNOW WHEN YOU PRAY THE 07:37 LORD'S PRAYER IT NEVER SAYS 'GIVE ME. DELIVER ME. 07:41 FEED ME.' IT'S 'LEAD US. DELIVER US. 07:44 FEED US.' BECAUSE WE SHOULD BE CORPORATELY INTERESTED. 07:49 BUT WE'RE LIVING IN THE AGE OF INDIVIDUALISM AND EVERYBODY'S 07:51 KIND OF OFF DOING THEIR OWN THING. 07:53 YOU KNOW, I WANTED TO ENCOURAGE YOU DURING THIS SERIES, THAT WE 07:57 NEED TO STICK WITH THE SHIP. I READ SOME STATISTICS - THE 08:02 BARNA RESEARCH GROUP PUT THIS OUT - THAT NEARLY THREE OUT OF 08:05 EVERY FIVE YOUNG CHRISTIANS - APPROXIMATELY 59% - DISCONNECT 08:10 FROM THE CHURCH AFTER AGE 15, SOME PERMANENTLY. 08:15 SOME, PRAISE THE LORD, COME BACK. 08:17 APPROXIMATELY 150,000 PEOPLE LEAVE THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH, IN 08:22 NORTH AMERICA, EVERY WEEK. NOW, FORTUNATELY, THERE ARE 08:27 MANY COMING IN ALSO, BUT AT LARGE, THE BACK DOOR OF THE 08:31 CHURCH IS LARGER NOW THAN THE FRONT DOOR. 08:35 NOW, THAT'S NOT TRUE IN ALL PARTS OF THE WORLD, BUT WE'VE 08:37 GOT A PROBLEM, ESPECIALLY IN NORTH AMERICA AND OTHER PARTS OF 08:41 THE WORLD - SOME OF WESTERN EUROPE - JUST TO GIVE YOU AN 08:44 EXAMPLE, THE SOUTHERN BAPTISTS IN 2008 THEY DID SOME RESEARCH - 08:48 A MEMBERSHIP OF OVER 16 MILLION, BUT THEY FOUND ONLY 38% ACTUALLY 08:52 ATTENDED CHURCH - BUT THEY'RE ON THE BOOKS. 08:56 IN 2009 THE EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH DID A SIMILAR 08:58 STUDY AND OUT OF 4.5 MILLION ONLY 28% WENT TO CHURCH. 09:05 I THINK THE CATHOLIC STATISTICS ARE ABOUT THE SAME AND THE - NOT 09:13 THE BARNA GROUP - THE GALLOP POLL DID A STUDY AND THEY CAME 09:18 UP WITH THE FIRST STUDY AND IT SAID, 'OH, IT LOOKS LIKE ABOUT 09:21 40% OF PEOPLE WHO CLAIM TO BE CHURCH MEMBERS ARE GOING TO 09:23 CHURCH. WELL, THEY SAID, 'WE NEED TO DO 09:24 A BETTER STUDY.' SO THEY HAD POLLSTERS GO TO THOSE CHURCHES 09:28 IN THE COMMUNITY AND MEASURE WHAT THEY ACTUALLY SAW FROM THE 09:31 ONES THAT SAID THEY REALLY WERE GOING TO CHURCH - THEY FOUND 09:34 THAT A LOT OF CHRISTIANS LIED - IT WAS CLOSER TO 28%. 09:39 BUT THAT WOULD MAKE SENSE - THEY'RE THE ONES THAT AREN'T 09:40 GOING TOO. SO THERE REALLY IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM. NOW, PLEASE 09:46 BEAR WITH ME - I'M VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS, BUT 09:48 THERE'S A SCRIPTURE THAT I HAVE, HEBREWS CHAPTER 10, VERSE 24, 09:53 AND THIS IS SORT OF A VERSE I'D LIKE TO USE TO CATAPULT THE 09:56 SERIES. HEBREWS 10, VERSES 24 AND 25 - "AND LET US CONSIDER 10:03 ONE ANOTHER IN ORDER TO STIR UP LOVE AND GOOD WORKS" - STIR EACH 10:09 OTHER UP - "NOT FORSAKING THE ASSEMBLING OF OURSELVES 10:13 TOGETHER" - THAT'S WHAT THE CHURCH IS, WE ASSEMBLE TOGETHER 10:17 - "AS THE MANNER OF SOME IS" - SOME ARE DOING THIS - "BUT 10:20 EXHORTING ONE ANOTHER AND SO MUCH THE MORE AS YOU SEE THE 10:26 DAY APPROACHING." - WHAT DAY IS APPROACHING FRIENDS? 10:29 THE DAY OF THE LORD - JESUS' COMING. 10:31 AND ALL THE MORE AS WE SEE THE DAY OF THE LORD IS COMING WE 10:35 NEED TO ENCOURAGE AND EXHORT AND STIR EACH OTHER TO COME 10:40 TOGETHER. THERE IS REDEMPTIVE VALUE 10:44 IN OUR COMING TOGETHER. YOU KNOW, ONE REASON WE NEED 10:46 THE CHURCH SO MUCH IS BECAUSE OF LOVE. GREAT COMMANDMENTS - LOVE 10:51 THE LORD, LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR - WE GO TO CHURCH BECAUSE WE LEARN 10:55 MORE ABOUT LOVING GOD BY LEARNING HOW TO LOVE EACH OTHER. 11:00 AND JOHN TELLS US IF WE CANNOT LOVE OUR BROTHERS WHO WE DO SEE, 11:03 HOW CAN WE SAY THAT WE LOVE THE LORD WHO WE DON'T SEE? 11:06 AND WE ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT WE WENT TO CHURCH BECAUSE IT WAS 11:09 SUPPOSED TO BE SOME FORM OF RESORT FOR THE SAINTS - IN MANY 11:14 RESPECTS IT'S A HOSPITAL FOR THE SINNERS, ISN'T IT? 11:17 PEOPLE IN THE CHURCH SOMETIMES AREN'T ALWAYS LOVABLE, BUT 11:21 THAT'S HOW YOU LEARN LOVE. YOU DON'T LEARN TO LOVE WHEN 11:24 YOU'RE SURROUNDED ALWAYS WITH LOVABLE PEOPLE. 11:26 YOU ESPECIALLY LEARN TO LOVE - WHEN YOU PRAY FOR PATIENCE WHAT 11:31 DO YOU THINK GOD IS GOING TO GIVE YOU? 11:33 HE'LL SEND YOU DELAY BECAUSE THAT'S HOW YOU GROW. 11:37 IF YOU PRAY FOR MUSCLES WHAT IS GOD GOING TO GIVE YOU? 11:40 HE'S GOING TO GIVE YOU WEIGHT TO CARRY - I DIDN'T MEAN IT THE 11:43 WAY IT FIRST CAME OUT - BUT, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO LIFT WEIGHTS. 11:48 AND IF YOU SAY, 'LORD, GIVE ME LOVE FOR MY NEIGHBOR.' - HE'S 11:53 GOING TO PUT YOU NEXT TO AN ORNERY NEIGHBOR. 11:57 AND THAT'S - ISN'T THAT HOW WE LEARN LOVE? 12:00 AND SO SOME PEOPLE, THEY EXCUSE THEMSELVES FROM THE CHURCH AND 12:03 THEY THINK THAT 'I'M GOING TO STAY HOME AND I'M GOING TO BE 12:05 ESPECIALLY HOLY' - IT ACTUALLY HAS THE OPPOSITE EFFECT. 12:10 WE DESPERATELY NEED EACH OTHER. WE NEED TO LEARN TO LOVE EACH 12:13 OTHER AND STICK TOGETHER AS A CHURCH. 12:16 THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT WHEN WE GET TOGETHER. 12:20 JESUS SAID, 'FOR WHERE TWO OR THREE ARE GATHERED TOGETHER IN 12:24 MY NAME' - MATTHEW 18:20 - 'I AM THERE.' AND THE CHURCH IS THE 12:28 ASSEMBLY - IT IS THE GATHERING OF THE PEOPLE OF GOD. 12:32 SO, ONE OF OUR PRIMARY OBJECTIVES IS TO ENCOURAGE 12:36 PEOPLE TO RECLAIM THEIR FAITH. AND I'LL TELL YOU - I REALIZE IN 12:41 ONE SENSE, SOME OF THOSE WHO ARE HERE, I'M TALKING TO THE CHOIR 12:44 AND WE'RE SO THANKFUL THAT YOU CAME TO THE LIVE AUDIENCE - BUT 12:48 STATISTICALLY, SOME OF YOU HERE ARE ON THE EDGE 12:51 OF THE BACK DOOR. MAYBE YOU'VE COME BECAUSE 12:54 YOU'RE LOOKING FOR ENCOURAGEMENT. 12:57 YOU'VE PONDERED TAKING OFF INTO THE WORLD OR WANDERING OFF AND 13:02 THERE ARE SOME WHO ARE WATCHING, I KNOW, THAT FOR WHATEVER REASON 13:05 - YOU'VE BEEN INVITED TO A PERSON'S HOME OR YOU MAY BE 13:08 WATCHING A RECORDED VERSION, YOU'RE WATCHING THE LIVE 13:10 BROADCAST - AND THE HOLY SPIRIT IS GOING TO SPEAK TO YOU. 13:15 AND YOU KNOW GOD IS CALLING YOU - JESUS IS CALLING YOU BACK INTO 13:18 HIS BODY. THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT SUBJECT 13:21 FRIENDS BECAUSE I THINK WE'RE UNDER THE DELUSION THAT YOU CAN 13:29 BE A HEALTHY CHRISTIAN AND NOT PARTICIPATE IN CHURCH. 13:34 AND I BELIEVE, FROM WHAT I READ IN THE BIBLE - THAT YOUR BEING 13:37 AN ACTIVE CHRISTIAN AND ATTENDING CHURCH - NOW I'M NOT 13:40 TALKING ABOUT THOSE WHO MIGHT HAVE SOME MEDICAL PROBLEM OR 13:42 BECAUSE OF AGE OR MAYBE YOU'RE IN SOME REMOTE MISSION FIELD AND 13:46 THERE IS NO CHURCH - I'VE BEEN IN THOSE SITUATIONS BEFORE WHERE 13:49 I WAS EITHER TOO SICK OR I PHYSICALLY COULDN'T GO - ONCE I 13:52 HAD TO PREACH AND I COULDN'T GO - I MEAN, I WAS SICK. 13:56 AND I HAVE BEEN IN PARTS OF THE WORLD WHERE THERE JUST WAS NO 13:58 CHURCH AND SO YOU GATHER IN A SMALL GROUP - OR SOMETIMES 14:02 YOU'RE BY YOURSELF - BUT FOR THOSE WHO CAN GO AND THEY DON'T 14:09 - THE CHURCH IS THE BODY OF CHRIST - IF WE ARE NOT IN CHRIST 14:15 AND IN HIS BODY, THAT'S VERY SERIOUS WHEN HE COMES BACK. 14:17 WE NEED TO BE IN THE BOAT. SO WHAT IS THE CHURCH? 14:22 WHEN WE SAY THE WORD CHURCH IT'S ACTUALLY A SCOTTISH WORD THAT 14:25 COMES FROM THE WORD 'KIRK' AND YOU MAYBE HAVE HEARD SOME SONGS 14:28 ABOUT THAT - THE WEE KIRK IN THE HEATHER - AND THAT'S REALLY NOT 14:33 THE WORD. IN GREEK IT'S ECCLESIA AND IT 14:37 MEANS THE GATHERING, THE CALLING OUT, THE CONGREGATION, 14:41 THE ASSEMBLY. IT IS A COMMUNITY OF FAITH. 14:44 IT'S NOT A BUILDING, IT'S A PLACE WHERE GOD'S PEOPLE GATHER 14:47 TO LEARN HIS WILL AND TO KNOW HOW TO SERVE HIM BETTER. 14:52 SO HERE'S THE BIG QUESTION: CAN YOU BE A CHRISTIAN AND NOT BE 14:57 PARTICIPATING IN CHURCH? NOW AGAIN, I'M NOT TALKING 15:00 ABOUT THOSE WHO CAN'T BECAUSE OF A MEDICAL PROBLEM OR ISOLATION, 15:05 BUT CAN YOU REALLY BE A HEALTHY CHRISTIAN AND NOT WANT TO 15:08 BE PART OF GOD'S PEOPLE? WELL, SURE - IF YOU CAN BE A 15:13 HONEYBEE AND NOT BE PART OF A HIVE. 15:16 YOU USUALLY DON'T MAKE A LOT OF HONEY THAT WAY. 15:18 IF YOU CAN BE A SOLDIER WITHOUT AN ARMY - YOU KNOW, JUST KIND OF 15:21 RAMBO - YOU RUN AROUND DOING YOUR OWN THING. 15:24 IF YOU CAN BE A SALESMAN WITH NO CUSTOMERS. 15:28 IF YOU CAN BE A FOOTBALL PLAYER WITHOUT A TEAM - YOU THROW THE 15:32 BALL THEN YOU RUN AHEAD AND YOU CATCH IT AND DO ALL YOUR OWN 15:35 BLOCKING AND TACKLING. IF YOU CAN BE A POLITICIAN WHO 15:40 IS A HERMIT, WELL THEN SURE, YOU CAN BE A CHRISTIAN THAT 15:44 DOESN'T PARTICIPATE IN CHURCH. BUT I KNOW YOU REALIZE I'M 15:49 SAYING THIS TONGUE-IN-CHEEK - THE BIBLE TELLS US, AND THIS IS 15:53 VERY IMPORTANT - ACTS CHAPTER 2, VERSE 47 "THE LORD ADDED TO THE 15:57 CHURCH DAILY THOSE WHO WERE BEING SAVED." NOW, I DON'T KNOW 16:02 ABOUT YOU FRIENDS, BUT I WANT TO BE SAVED. JESUS CAME INTO THE 16:06 WORLD TO SAVE US FROM OUR SINS. AND WHO IS BEING SAVED? 16:11 THE ONES WHO ARE ADDED TO THE CHURCH. 16:14 SO HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO JESUS THAT WE ARE PART OF THE CHURCH? 16:19 YOU KNOW, AS YOU READ THE NEW TESTAMENT, ANY IDEA THAT YOU 16:24 COULD BE SAVED OUTSIDE OF THE CHURCH IS A FOREIGN CONCEPT TO 16:28 THE BIBLE. THE WHOLE NEW TESTAMENT IS WRITTEN WITH THE 16:31 IDEA IN MIND THAT PEOPLE ARE SAVED INTO THE CHURCH - THEY ARE 16:35 BROUGHT INTO CHRIST AND INTO THE CHURCH AT THE SAME TIME. 16:40 NOW, I'M SAYING THIS FOR THOSE WHO ARE OUT THERE THAT SAY, 16:42 'YEAH, I'M A CHRISTIAN, I JUST DON'T GO TO CHURCH.' I REMEMBER 16:46 PICKING UP A HITCH-HIKER ONE TIME AND BEGAN TO SHARE MY FAITH 16:49 WITH HIM AND HE SAID, 'OH YEAH, I'M A CHRISTIAN. 16:51 I'M JUST NOT A PRACTICING CHRISTIAN.' AND THEN HE 16:55 COMMENCED TO SHOW ME THE CROSSES THAT HE WORE. 16:59 AND I STOPPED - I ACTUALLY STOPPED AND ATE A MEAL WITH HIM 17:01 BECAUSE I WANTED TO TALK TO HIM A LITTLE FURTHER AND SAID, 'SO 17:05 EXPLAIN TO ME WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A CHRISTIAN.' 'OH, YOU KNOW, 17:09 JESUS SAVES YOU FROM YOUR SIN.' AND I SAID, 'NOW EXPLAIN WHAT A 17:11 NON-PRACTICING CHRISTIAN IS.' WE'RE EITHER FOLLOWING CHRIST OR 17:16 WE'RE NOT. NOW, YOU DON'T SAY, 'I'M NOT GOING TO CHURCH UNTIL 17:20 I'M FOLLOWING CHRIST' OR 'I'M AFRAID IF I GO TO CHURCH I'LL BE 17:23 UNDER CONVICTION.' WELL THAT'S GOOD. COME ANYWAY. 17:26 BECAUSE, CONVICTION IS SOMETHING THE HOLY SPIRIT GIVES 17:29 YOU. IT HELPS YOU TO FACILITATE CHANGE. COME TO CHURCH. 17:34 YOU'VE HEARD IT SAID BEFORE, THE BIBLE WILL KEEP YOU FROM SIN OR 17:38 SIN WILL KEEP YOU FROM THE BIBLE. 17:40 SOME PEOPLE THAT GO TO CHURCH BUT THEY'RE UNDER CONVICTION SO 17:42 THEY SAY, 'I DON'T WANT TO GO ANYMORE AND BE CONVICTED.' 17:45 AND SO THEY STAY AWAY. IT'S HEALTHY TO GO 17:47 AND BE CONVICTED. YOU KNOW, IF YOU'VE GOT SOME 17:49 DIRT ON YOUR FACE, DON'T HIDE FROM MIRRORS. 17:52 IT'S NOT GOING TO SOLVE YOUR PROBLEM. 17:55 AND SOMETIMES WHEN WE GO TO CHURCH WE BECOME AWARE OF THE 17:58 CHANGES WE NEED - THAT'S HEALTHY! 18:00 YOU GO ANYWAY. YOU WANT THE TRUTH DON'T YOU? 18:04 WE WANT TO BE CHANGED. WE WANT TO KNOW. VERY IMPORTANT. 18:07 ACTS CHAPTER 4, VERSE 12, THE BIBLE SAYS, "NOR IS THERE 18:12 SALVATION IN ANY OTHER, FOR THERE IS NO OTHER NAME UNDER 18:18 HEAVEN GIVEN AMONG MEN WHEREBY WE MUST BE SAVED." THE ONLY WAY 18:22 FOR US TO BE SAVED IS THROUGH CHRIST AND THE CHURCH IS THE 18:27 BODY OF CHRIST - THAT'S WHY IT'S SO IMPORTANT, SO CRUCIAL, THAT 18:30 WE ARE IN CHRIST. 1 TIMOTHY 3:15. 18:35 HERE THE APOSTLE SAYS, 'I WRITE TO YOU THAT YOU MIGHT KNOW HOW 18:39 YOU OUGHT TO CONDUCT YOURSELF IN THE HOUSE OF GOD, WHICH IS THE 18:42 CHURCH OF THE LIVING GOD, THE PILLAR AND THE GROUND OF TRUTH." 18:48 THE CHURCH IS A PLACE WHERE WE GATHER AND WE OPEN THE WORD AND 18:51 WE LEARN THE TRUTH FROM GOD'S PERSPECTIVE AND ONE OF THE MOST 18:56 DANGEROUS THINGS IN OUR CULTURE TODAY - IT'S A VERY POWERFUL 19:00 THING - IT CAN BE POWERFUL FOR GOOD AND IT CAN BE DANGEROUS - 19:03 IS THE MEDIA. OF COURSE, I'M USING MEDIA RIGHT NOW. 19:07 BUT WE ARE GETTING MORE MESSAGES TODAY THAN ANY OTHER TIME IN 19:12 HISTORY. SOME OF YOU MAY HAVE EVEN BEEN 19:15 TEXTING ALREADY SINCE I STARTED THE MESSAGE. 19:19 YOU MIGHT HAVE BEEN RECEIVING TEXTS - LITTLE PHONES BUZZING 19:21 HERE AND THERE AND BLOGGING PEOPLE ABOUT THE MEETING 19:24 ALREADY. AND THIS MEETING IS ALREADY ON 19:28 YOUTUBE PROBABLY FROM SOMEONE WHO'S GOT THEIR LITTLE VIDEO 19:31 CAMERA GOING AND YOU'RE SENDING IT TO SOMEBODY. WE'VE GOT 19:34 INFORMATION STREAMING - JUST POURING - THERE IS A RIVER OF 19:38 INFORMATION THAT IS FLOWING IN AND OUT OF OUR MINDS CONSTANTLY. 19:42 IF WE ARE NOT COMING TO CHURCH AND HEARING THE TRUTH FROM THE 19:46 WORD OF GOD ON A REGULAR BASIS, THEN WHAT MESSAGES ARE GOING TO 19:50 DOMINATE WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU BECOME? 19:54 WE'RE ALL BEING INFLUENCED BY WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE CULTURE 19:57 AROUND US BUT WE NEED TO BE INFLUENCED BY THE WORD OF GOD. 20:00 WE NEED TO CARVE OUT THAT FAITHFUL TIME TO COME TOGETHER 20:03 IN THE CHURCH AND TO HEAR HIS WORD. 20:05 CAN YOU SAY AMEN? CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT? 20:07 I THOUGHT YOU WERE WITH ME, I JUST WANTED TO DOUBLE CHECK. 20:11 FOR SOMEONE TO SAY, 'WELL, I WANT TO BE A CHRISTIAN BUT I 20:15 DON'T REALLY WANT TO GO TO CHURCH.' - THAT'S LIKE SAYING, 20:17 'YOU KNOW, I WANT TO BE A FISH BUT I DON'T WANT TO LIVE IN THE 20:19 WATER. NOW, THERE ARE A FEW RARE EXCEPTIONS, YOU MIGHT FIND A 20:23 MUDSKIPPER THAT LEAVES THE WATER FOR A LITTLE WHILE, BUT NOT TOO 20:26 MANY FISH SURVIVE OUT OF THE WATER FOR VERY LONG. 20:30 AND NOT TOO MANY CHRISTIANS THRIVE AND SURVIVE OUT OF THE 20:33 CHURCH. IT'S HARD TO SURVIVE AND THRIVE 20:35 IN CHRIST WHEN YOU STAY AWAY FROM THE BODY OF CHRIST. 20:39 SO IT'S CRUCIAL TO OUR SPIRITUAL HEALTH. 20:42 IN JOHN CHAPTER 13, VERSE 35 JESUS SAID, "BY THIS SHALL ALL 20:49 MEN KNOW THAT YOU ARE MY DISCIPLES IF YOU HAVE LOVE FOR 20:53 ONE ANOTHER." AND THAT'S WHY IT'S SO IMPORTANT 20:56 THAT WE COME TOGETHER. NOW, I BELIEVE THAT THE 20:59 DEVIL HEARD JESUS SAY THAT. I THINK THE DEVIL HEARD JESUS 21:03 SAY, 'ALL MEN WILL KNOW THAT YOU'RE MY DISCIPLES BY THE WAY 21:06 YOU LOVE EACH OTHER.' AND HE THOUGHT, WELL IF THE WORLD HEARS 21:10 AND LEARNS ABOUT JESUS BY THEIR CORPORATE LOVE FOR EACH OTHER 21:14 THEN IT MUST ALSO STAND TO REASON THAT IF I CAN SCATTER 21:17 THEM AND FRAGMENT THE CHURCH, IT WILL ADVERTISE AGAINST CHRIST. 21:23 AND SO, IF WE DO OUR BEST ADVERTISING BY SHOWING OUR UNITY 21:28 - 'BEHOLD HOW THEY LOVE ONE ANOTHER' - THEN IT WILL ALSO BE 21:31 TRUE THAT THE HEATHEN MOCK AND LAUGH AT CHRISTIANS WHEN THEY 21:35 SAY, 'LOOK AT HOW FRAGMENTED THEY ARE.' IS THERE ANY RELIGION 21:38 IN THE WORLD THAT HAS MORE SPLINTERS AND DENOMINATIONS THAN 21:40 CHRISTIANITY? BUT, ACTUALLY THAT'S A TESTIMONY 21:45 THAT SHOWS THAT THE DEVIL IS MORE THREATENED BY CHRISTIANITY 21:50 THAN ANYTHING ELSE, BECAUSE HE IS SEEKING TO HIDE THE DIAMOND 21:56 BY CAMOUFLAGING IT WITH A BUNCH OF BROKEN GLASS. THERE IS A 22:00 TRUTH OUT THERE AND HE'S TRYING TO HIDE IT BY ALL THESE 22:02 FRAGMENTS AND ALL THESE DIVISIONS. THE LORD WANTS US TO 22:05 PULL TOGETHER - NOT JUST PULL TOGETHER FOR THE SAKE OF BEING 22:07 TOGETHER - WE NEED TO PULL TOGETHER BASED ON TRUTH. 22:12 AND WE'RE GOING TO BE GETTING SOME QUESTIONS IN DURING THIS 22:14 SERIES THAT TALK ABOUT YOU KNOW, 'HOW DO WE PICK A CHURCH?' 22:18 MATTER OF FACT, I'M GOING TO SAY SOMETHING RIGHT NOW. 22:20 WHEN WE THOUGHT ABOUT HOW MUCH WE HAVE TO COVER AND HOW LITTLE 22:23 TIME WE HAVE TO COVER IT DURING THIS SERIES, ONE OF THE COMMON 22:26 QUESTIONS WE GET REGARDING GOING BACK TO CHURCH - PEOPLE STRUGGLE 22:31 WITH DIFFERENT PARTICULAR DOCTRINAL ISSUES. 22:34 NOW, NORMALLY, WHEN AMAZING FACTS DOES AN EVANGELISTIC 22:37 MEETING, WE WILL TAKE 27 OR 28 PRESENTATIONS TO COVER A VARIETY 22:43 OF DOCTRINES. WE DON'T HAVE TIME DURING THIS WEEKEND TO DO THAT. 22:47 RESOLVING A LOT OF THESE DOCTRINAL DOUBTS A PERSON MIGHT 22:50 HAVE THAT SEPARATED THEM FROM THE CHURCH, THE BEST THING YOU 22:53 CAN DO IS GET INVOLVED IN A GOOD BIBLE STUDY. 22:56 DO YOU MIND IF I MAKE A SUGGESTION RIGHT NOW? 22:59 SOME OF YOU WHO HAVE BEEN OUT THERE AND THE HOLY SPIRIT IS 23:01 TALKING TO YOU AND YOU'VE GOT QUESTIONS AND DOUBTS, WELL 23:04 YOU NEED TO STUDY THESE THINGS OUT. 23:06 I'D LIKE TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO GO TO A WEBSITE THAT'S CALLED 23:09 'BIBLEUNIVERSE' - 'BIBLEUNIVERSE.COM' - AND THERE 23:14 ARE FREE BIBLE STUDIES AT THAT WEBSITE - THERE'S TWO OR THREE 23:17 OF THEM IN MANY DIFFERENT LANGUAGES. THEY'RE IN SPANISH 23:19 AND ENGLISH AND FARSI AND FRENCH AND A NUMBER OF LANGUAGES - 23:23 'BIBLEUNIVERSE.COM' - GET INVOLVED IN A BIBLE STUDY. 23:28 THAT WILL HELP ANSWER A LOT OF YOUR DOUBTS AND IT DEALS WITH 23:30 THE MAIN FOUNDATIONAL TEACHINGS OF THE BIBLE. 23:34 BUT WE'RE ESPECIALLY NOW TALKING TO THOSE OF YOU WHO MAYBE HAVE 23:38 BEEN DISCOURAGED BY OTHER THINGS. 23:40 SOMEONE HURT YOUR FEELINGS OR LIKE SOME OF THE QUESTIONS WE 23:45 HEARD YOU SAY, 'I'D LIKE TO GO BUT I GOT SO BUSY WITH LIFE' OR 23:47 'CHURCH IS BORING AND I HAVE SO MUCH TO DO AND I'M SO TIRED. 23:51 I'VE GOT SO MUCH STRESS.' AND WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT THOSE THINGS 23:55 AS WELL. BUT WE NEED TO STAY TOGETHER. 23:57 THE DEVIL IS AFRAID OF HOW POWERFUL WE ARE WHEN WE ARE 24:00 TOGETHER. YOU KNOW, JUST IN HAVING A GOOD 24:03 FOUNDATION FOR THIS SERIES, I THINK I NEED TO ADDRESS WHAT ARE 24:07 SOME OF THE MAIN REASONS PEOPLE STOP GOING TO CHURCH? 24:11 I WANT TO ASK A QUESTION JUST TO PROVE A POINT. 24:14 THOSE IN THE STUDIO, I'M GOING TO ASK A QUESTION - YOU MIGHT 24:16 GET READY FOR AN AUDIENCE REACTION HERE. 24:19 DON'T REACT TOO MUCH, THAT COULD BE DISTRACTING. 24:21 I'M JUST GOING TO ASK YOU TO RAISE YOUR HAND. 24:23 PLEASE, EVERYONE PARTICIPATE. HOW MANY OF YOU CAN THINK OF 24:27 SOMEONE RIGHT NOW THAT YOU KNOW - FRIEND OR FAMILY - 24:30 COWORKER - THAT USED TO GO TO CHURCH BUT DOESN'T GO ANYMORE? 24:34 LET ME SEE YOUR HANDS. SO IS WHAT WE'RE 24:36 TALKING ABOUT RELEVANT? ONCE A PERSON IS BAPTIZED AND 24:40 THEY COME TO CHRIST, SOMETIMES WE'VE GOT THIS MENTALITY 24:42 THAT 'WE CAUGHT 'EM. WE BRANDED 'EM. 24:45 NOW, WELL, IF THEY DRY ON THE BEACH, THAT'S THEIR PROBLEM. 24:48 LET'S GO GET ANOTHER ONE AND LET'S BRAND THEM. 24:51 YOU KNOW, WE'RE SUPPOSED TO FISH FOR MEN. 24:53 WE CAUGHT THOSE AND NOW LET'S GO GET SOME FRESH FISH - THEY'RE 24:55 OLD FISH. WE DON'T WANT THE OLD FISH, WE 24:57 WANT THE FRESH FISH.' YOU KNOW, JESUS EVEN LOVES DRIED 25:01 FISH, IF YOU SALT IT, RIGHT? I THINK THE LORD VALUES THOSE 25:06 WHO ONCE WERE HIS THAT, FOR WHATEVER REASON, DENIED HIM. 25:11 HE WANTS THEM TO COME BACK. DID PETER DENY THE LORD? 25:16 YOU KNOW, THE FIRST THING JESUS SAID, WHEN HE ROSE FROM THE 25:17 DEAD, TO MARY? HE SAID, GO TELL THE DISCIPLES 25:20 AND PETER...' HE WANTED PETER TO KNOW, 'I WANT YOU BACK. 25:26 EVEN AFTER YOU DENIED ME WITH SWEARING AND CURSING THREE 25:28 TIMES, I WANT YOU BACK.' AND THE LORD WANTS YOU BACK FRIENDS. 25:33 SO WE OUGHT TO BE PRAYING FOR THESE PEOPLE. 25:35 I HOPE YOU'RE PRAYING AS I'M SHARING. 25:36 SO WHY DO PEOPLE LEAVE? SOME OF THE REASONS - PEER 25:40 PRESSURE, ESPECIALLY WITH YOUNG PEOPLE. 25:43 ALL OF THEIR FRIENDS ARE DOING SO MANY EXCITING THINGS, THEY'RE 25:47 LEARNING, THEY'RE GETTING OUT ON THEIR OWN, AND THEY WANT TO SEE 25:49 WHAT'S GOING ON AND THEY KIND OF DRIFT OFF WITH THEIR FRIENDS. 25:52 OR IT MIGHT BE THE PEOPLE YOU WORK WITH. 25:54 YOU'RE A CHRISTIAN BUT YOU'RE IN A NON-CHRISTIAN WORKING 25:57 ENVIRONMENT AND THAT CAN BE TOUGH - AND ALL OF THE 25:59 ACTIVITIES AND THE ENTERTAINMENT AND THINGS YOUR NON-CHRISTIAN 26:02 FRIENDS DO KIND OF PULL YOU - BECAUSE YOU WANT TO BE WITH YOUR 26:05 FRIENDS BUT THEY'RE PULLING YOU IN NON-CHRISTIAN DIRECTIONS. 26:10 PEER PRESSURE IS ONE OF THE THINGS. SOME ARE SIMPLY 26:13 DISTRACTED WITH THE BUSYNESS OF LIFE. THERE'S SO MUCH GOING ON 26:17 THAT THEY JUST DON'T KNOW HOW TO FIT IT ALL IN. LET'S FACE IT, 26:21 ESPECIALLY IN NORTH AMERICA AND THE FIRST WORLD COUNTRIES, WE 26:25 HAVE VERY FAST-PACED LIVES. THERE'S THE HIGHER LEVEL OF 26:30 STRESS THAN THERE EVER HAS BEEN. ANOTHER REASON IS CONFLICT 26:35 WITH ANOTHER MEMBER. WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING IN OUR 26:39 PRESENTATION TOMORROW MORNING ABOUT SURVIVING FRIENDLY FIRE 26:43 AND THAT'S A VERY COMMON ONE THAT WE HEAR. 26:45 MATTER OF FACT, IT'S 12% - THEY STOP GOING TO CHURCH BECAUSE OF 26:50 CONFLICT WITH ANOTHER MEMBER OR A GROUP OF PEOPLE. 26:53 SOME PEOPLE SAY, 'OH, THE CHURCH IS RUN BY A CLIQUE AND I DIDN'T 26:56 WANT TO BE PART OF THAT CLIQUE.' HAVE YOU HEARD THAT ONE BEFORE? 27:00 OR THEY FELT THEY FAILED TO LIVE UP TO THE STANDARDS AND THEY 27:04 FELT GUILTY AND UNCOMFORTABLE WHEN THEY CAME. 27:06 THEY SAID, 'YOU KNOW, I'M JUST NOT LIVING RIGHT, I DON'T WANT 27:08 TO BE A HYPOCRITE.' SO THEY THINK BY COMING AND NOT LIVING 27:12 EVERYTHING THAT THE CHURCH STANDS FOR THEY'RE A HYPOCRITE 27:14 AND THAT'S - I'VE TOLD YOU THAT WE NEED TO COME ANYWAY. 27:18 A LOT OF HYPOCRITES GET CONVERTED IN CHURCH! 27:21 AND SO THAT'S THE BEST PLACE FOR YOU TO BE. 27:24 DOCTRINAL DOUBTS. I MENTIONED IF YOU HAVE SOME OF 27:28 THOSE DOUBTS I ENCOURAGE YOU TO GO TO 'BIBLEUNIVERSE' 27:31 AND DO THAT STUDY. THAT'S VERY SIMPLE. 27:34 FAMILY/HOME RESPONSIBILITIES PREVENT ATTENDANCE. 27:38 YOU KNOW, WE'VE JUST GOT SO MANY THINGS GOING. 27:41 MAYBE YOU'RE IN A DIVIDED HOME AND YOUR SPOUSE, HUSBAND OR 27:44 WIFE, IS NOT A BELIEVER AND YOU'RE A BELIEVER AND THEY'RE 27:46 WANTING TO DO OTHER THINGS ON THE WEEKEND AND IT'S PULLING YOU 27:49 AWAY. OR RELATIVES - YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE IN THE FAMILY AND YOU 27:53 LIVE WITH YOUR IN-LAWS AND THERE'S JUST SO MUCH PRESSURE 27:55 FROM THE FAMILY IT PULLS YOU AWAY. SOME CHURCH MEMBERS THEY 28:02 LEAVE BECAUSE THEY SAY, 'I'M BEING JUDGED. 28:05 I FELT LIKE I WAS BEING JUDGED.' SOME GET DISCOURAGED BECAUSE 28:09 THEY GO THROUGH SOME FORM OF CHURCH DISCIPLINE AND THEY THINK 28:12 THAT MEANS THEY NEED TO STOP ATTENDING. 28:15 OTHERS MOVE AND IT'S TOO FAR AWAY SO THEY SAY, 'WELL, I'LL 28:20 JUST GO TO CHURCH ON TV OR AT HOME OR ON THE INTERNET.' MORE 28:26 AND MORE PEOPLE ARE GETTING THEIR CHURCH EXPERIENCE THROUGH 28:29 MEDIA NOW. IT'S REALLY HARD FOR ME TO 28:31 COMPREHEND THE APOSTLES GETTING THEIR CHURCH EXPERIENCE 28:34 ON THEIR IPHONES. BUT - NOTHING AGAINST THOSE 28:38 OF YOU THAT HAVE IPHONES. THEY FELT LIKE THE CHURCH HAD 28:42 BECOME IRRELEVANT IN THEIR LIVES. 28:45 'IT'S NOT HELPING ME DEVELOP SPIRITUALLY.' 14% SAID THAT. 28:48 'I JUST AM NOT GETTING ANYTHING OUT OF IT. 28:50 IT DOESN'T SEEM TO SPEAK TO MY SPECIFIC NEEDS.' SOME STOP 28:56 BELIEVING IN ORGANIZED RELIGION. AND FOR THOSE WHO STOP BELIEVING 29:00 IN ORGANIZED RELIGION, YOU KNOW THERE'S ONLY ONE THING LEFT 29:03 AND THAT WOULD BE DISORGANIZED RELIGION. 29:06 BUT THAT'S - YOU'D BE SURPRISED - 14% SAID THEY STOPPED BECAUSE 29:10 OF - THEY JUST DON'T BELIEVE IN ORGANIZED RELIGION. 29:13 AND THEN A LOT OF PEOPLE - 10% - THEY STOP ATTENDING BECAUSE THEY 29:18 EXPERIENCED A DIVORCE AND IT CAN BECOME VERY AWKWARD IF YOUR EX 29:22 IS STILL GOING TO THE SAME SMALL CHURCH IN A SMALL TOWN AND 29:25 YOU'RE WORRIED ABOUT WHAT EVERYONE'S THINKING OR SOME OF 29:29 THOSE SCENARIOS. NOW, I TALKED ABOUT SOME OF THE 29:32 REASONS PEOPLE LEAVE - THIS MAY SEEM BACKWARD TO YOU - NOW I'M 29:35 GOING TO TELL YOU WHY SHOULD YOU JOIN A CHURCH? 29:38 THERE'S A METHOD TO MY MADNESS HERE. 29:40 WHY WOULD YOU JOIN A CHURCH? LET ME TELL YOU WHAT THE MAIN 29:44 REASONS ARE THAT PEOPLE JOIN A CHURCH. 29:47 AND, BY THE WAY, SOME OF THIS MATERIAL IS IN THAT BOOK WE'RE 29:50 OFFERING TO THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE WILLING TO GO BACK TO CHURCH - 29:52 'HOW TO SURVIVE AND THRIVE IN CHURCH' - AND THIS IS NOT AN 29:56 OFFICIAL SURVEY, THIS IS JUST MY OWN PERSONAL SURVEY THAT I DID 29:59 SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE THAT CLEAR. 30:01 'IT'S THE CHURCH I GREW UP IN. IT'S THE CHURCH OF MY PARENTS.' 30:06 WHY'D YOU PICK YOUR CHURCH? 'BECAUSE THIS IS WHERE MY 30:07 PARENTS GO.' 'IT'S CLOSE TO OUR HOME.' IT'S CONVENIENT. 30:14 'THE PEOPLE ARE FRIENDLY AND LOVING.' NOW, WE'D ALL WANT TO 30:18 GO TO A CHURCH LIKE THAT. 'THEY HAVE A BEAUTIFUL MUSIC 30:21 PROGRAM.' WHY DO YOU GO TO THAT CHURCH? 'OH, THE MUSIC. 30:25 OH THE RAFTERS RING WHEN THEY PLAY THE ORGAN.' 'THE PREACHER 30:31 IS HANDSOME OR CHARISMATIC.' OBVIOUSLY THAT'S WHY YOU'RE ALL 30:36 HERE. HEY, DON'T LAUGH SO HARD. A NUMBER OF PEOPLE SAY THEY PICK 30:44 A CHURCH BECAUSE THEY HAVE A GOOD CHILDREN'S PROGRAM. 30:47 OTHERS - AND THESE ARE GOOD THINGS - THEY PICK A CHURCH - IT 30:51 SEEMS A LITTLE SHALLOW, BUT YOU'D BE SURPRISED - WHY DO YOU 30:54 GO TO THAT CHURCH? 'IT'S A BEAUTIFUL BUILDING. 30:57 IT'S A NEW BUILDING. IT'S A GREAT FACILITY.' THAT'S RIGHT. 31:03 SOME PEOPLE PICK A CHURCH BECAUSE THEY SAY, 'THIS IS WHERE 31:06 THE INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE GO.' YOU KNOW, I HEARD THAT - WE'RE NOT 31:11 TOO FAR HERE FROM WASHINGTON, D.C., THAT AS THE DIFFERENT 31:15 PRESIDENTS COME AND GO, DEPENDING ON WHAT THEIR 31:17 RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION IS, SOME OF THE PRESIDENTS MIGHT GO TO 31:21 THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH, OR THE METHODIST CHURCH IN TOWN AND 31:24 PEOPLE WILL ALL CALL THE PASTOR OR ONE OF THE CHURCH CUSTODIANS 31:29 DURING THE WEEK AND SAY, 'IS THE PRESIDENT COMING THIS WEEK?' 31:33 BECAUSE THEY WANT TO GO WHEN THE PRESIDENT GOES - 31:36 OR WHERE THE INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE GO. 31:37 AND I HEARD ABOUT ONE CUSTODIAN, SOMEONE CALLED DURING THE WEEK - 31:40 AND HE GOT THESE CALLS ALL THE TIME - 'DO YOU ANTICIPATE THE 31:43 PRESIDENT'S GOING TO BE THERE THIS WEEK?' 31:45 AND HE'D SAY, 'WELL, I DON'T KNOW BUT I THINK GOD'S GOING TO 31:48 BE HERE AND THAT SHOULD GENERATE A PRETTY GOOD ATTENDANCE.' 'I GO 31:53 TO THE CHURCH I GO TO BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE THE INFLUENTIAL 31:56 PEOPLE GO.' 'THE SERVICES ARE EXCITING.' 'YOU KNOW, LIFE IS 32:00 BORING AND I JUST WANT TO GO AND FEEL SOMETHING.' AND SO THEY GO 32:06 BECAUSE THEY'RE KINESTHETIC PEOPLE AND THEY WANT TO FEEL 32:09 SOMETHING. IT IS EXCITING. OTHER PEOPLE GO BECAUSE THEY 32:13 SAY, 'THEY NEED ME THERE.' AND THAT'S IMPORTANT. 32:16 PEOPLE WANT TO GO WHERE THEY FEEL LIKE THEY'RE NEEDED, WHERE 32:18 THEY'RE WANTED. NOW, EVERY ONE OF THESE THINGS I 32:21 JUST MENTIONED, NONE OF THEM ARE WRONG IN THEMSELVES. 32:26 NOTHING WRONG TO GO TO THE CHURCH WHERE YOUR PARENTS GO. 32:29 NOTHING WRONG IF IT'S CLOSE TO YOUR HOME - THAT'S GOOD. 32:32 HOW MANY OF YOU WOULD LIKE A - TO HAVE YOUR BEST CHURCH CLOSE 32:34 TO YOUR HOUSE? THE PEOPLE ARE FRIENDLY AND 32:37 LOVING - WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE A CHURCH LIKE THAT? 32:40 THE MUSIC IS BEAUTIFUL. THE PREACHER IS HANDSOME 32:44 AND CHARISMATIC. GOOD CHILDREN'S PROGRAM. 32:47 NICE BUILDING. INTELLIGENT INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE GO THERE. 32:52 NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT. SERVICES ARE INTERESTING 32:55 AND EXCITING. THEY NEED MY SERVICES. 32:58 ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE GOOD THINGS, BUT YOU KNOW, I DIDN'T 33:01 MENTION IN ALL OF THOSE THINGS, WHICH ARE THE TOP REASONS PEOPLE 33:05 PICK A CHURCH, I DID NOT MENTION THE ONE RIGHT REASON TO GO TO A 33:08 CHURCH. ALL THOSE THINGS ARE GOOD AND 33:13 THOSE ARE THE MAIN REASONS PEOPLE PICK THEIR CHURCH, BUT 33:16 THEY'RE NOT THE RIGHT REASON TO GO TO A CHURCH. 33:19 THE RIGHT REASON TO GO TO A CHURCH IS BECAUSE THE 33:21 FOUNDATIONAL TEACHINGS OF THAT CHURCH ARE THE TEACHINGS OF 33:23 JESUS AND IT'S THE TRUTH AND IT'S HIS BODY AND I'M GOING 33:29 THERE TO WORSHIP HIM ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURES. 33:33 IT MIGHT BE A HAMBURGER STAND THAT'S BEEN RENOVATED. 33:36 THE SINGING MIGHT BE AWFUL. THE PEOPLE MIGHT BE CRANKY. 33:41 YOU MIGHT HAVE TO GO 50 MILES TO GET THERE. 33:44 THEY MIGHT ALL BE POOR. BUT IF THE FOUNDATIONAL 33:48 TEACHINGS OF THAT CHURCH ARE THE TEACHINGS OF JESUS, THEN THAT'S 33:51 HIS BODY AND THAT'S WHERE HE WANTS YOU. 33:53 NOW, THE REASON I SAID THINGS THE WAY I DID IS YOU CAN BETTER 33:57 UNDERSTAND WHY THERE IS THIS TERRIBLE PROBLEM WHERE PEOPLE 34:03 ARE HEMORRHAGING FROM THE CHURCHES. 34:05 ONE OF THE BIG REASONS PEOPLE ARE LEAVING IS BECAUSE THEY 34:08 JOINED FOR THE WRONG REASONS. IF WE UNDERSTAND WHY IT IS THAT 34:13 WE'RE GOING, WE UNDERSTAND WHY IT IS WE'RE STAYING. 34:17 IT'S BECAUSE CHRIST COMMANDS US TO. 34:20 THAT IT'S THE TRUTH. IT'S HIS SHIP. 34:24 IT'S HIS ARK OF SALVATION AND HE WANTS US TO BE IN CHRIST. 34:31 ONE OF THE IMPORTANT REASONS THAT WE NEED TO GO TO CHURCH - 34:35 THE LORD WANTS US TO BE ONE. ONE BODY. 34:38 COLOSSIANS 3:15 - "AND LET THE PEACE OF GOD RULE IN YOUR 34:44 HEARTS, TO WHICH ALSO YOU ARE CALLED IN ONE BODY;" - HOW MANY 34:48 BODIES? HE WANTS US TO BE UNITED. 34:51 BY THE WAY, JUST A LITTLE TRIVIA. 34:53 I'M READING BIBLE TO SAVE TIME FOR ME TURNING PAGES BECAUSE 34:57 TELEVISION IS SORT OF AN UNFORGIVING MEDIUM WHERE PEOPLE 35:00 GET BORED AND THEY JUST CHANNEL SURF AND IF SOMEONE SURFS ONTO 35:03 THIS PROGRAM WHILE I'M FLIPPING AROUND FOR 10 SECONDS, WE MIGHT 35:06 LOSE THEM. SO I GET ALL MY SCRIPTURES 35:08 PRINTED OUT IN ADVANCE. YOU'RE WONDERING HOW I'M FINDING 35:10 COLOSSIANS IN THE FIRST PAGE OF MY BIBLE - AND MY POOR BIBLE 35:16 INSIDE IS KIND OF MUTILATED WITH ALL THE TAPE FROM THE 35:18 DOUBLE-SIDED TAPE THAT'S IN HERE. 35:20 SO I JUST THOUGHT I OUGHT TO EXPLAIN THAT. 35:22 BUT HE WANTS US TO BE IN ONE BODY. 35:26 JOHN 17 - LISTEN TO THE PRAYER OF JESUS. 35:29 THE LORD SAYS, "AND THE GLORY" - HE'S TALKING TO THE FATHER - GOD 35:32 THE SON IS TALKING TO GOD THE FATHER - "AND THE GLORY WHICH 35:35 YOU GAVE ME I HAVE GIVEN THEM THAT THEY MAY BE ONE" - NOW 35:40 LISTEN TO HOW HE WANTS US TO BE ONE. 35:42 JESUS IS PRAYING THAT "THEY MAY BE ONE JUST AS WE ARE ONE THAT 35:49 THEY MAY BE ONE." WOW. HOW ONE IS THE 35:56 FATHER AND THE SON? YOU THINK ABOUT THAT. 36:00 JESUS SAID TO PHILIP, 'IF YOU'VE SEEN ME, YOU'VE SEEN THE 36:02 FATHER.' TALK ABOUT BEING PERFECTLY ONE - THE ONLY WAY WE 36:06 CAN HAVE THAT PERFECT ONENESS IS TO BE BAPTIZED IN THE HOLY 36:10 SPIRIT. IF YOU'VE GOT THE SPIRIT OF GOD 36:14 AND I'VE GOT THE SPIRIT OF GOD, THAT'S THE ONLY WAY WE CAN BE 36:16 ONE THE WAY JESUS WANTS US TO BE ONE. ISN'T THAT RIGHT? 36:20 BUT IS THAT HIS WILL? JESUS, DID HE PRAY FOR THAT? 36:25 THAT WE WOULD HAVE THAT KIND OF ONENESS? 36:27 ISN'T THAT KIND OF IMPOSSIBLE? IT IS WITHOUT A MIRACLE. 36:33 WERE THE DISCIPLES EVER ONE LIKE THAT? 36:36 YOU KNOW, THE BIBLE TELLS US THAT WHEN THE DAY OF PENTECOST - 36:39 ACTS CHAPTER 2, VERSE 1 - "WHEN THE DAY OF PENTECOST WAS FULLY 36:43 COME THEY WERE ALL OF ONE ACCORD." 36:46 THEY PUT ASIDE ALL THEIR DIFFERENCES. 36:48 DID THE DISCIPLES - DID THE EARLY CHURCH OF JESUS - WAS 36:51 THERE A LITTLE BIT OF STRIFE AND DIVISION AMONG THEM? 36:54 BUT BEFORE THE HOLY SPIRIT WAS POURED OUT, THEY FINALLY GOT TO 36:57 WHERE THEY WERE ONE. THEY WERE IN ONE ACCORD 37:02 AND THEY WERE IN ONE PLACE. SO DOES IT MATTER THAT WE COME 37:06 TOGETHER PHYSICALLY AS FAR AS WE ARE ABLE INTO ONE PLACE? 37:11 IS THERE SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS WHEN WE COLLECT AND WE GATHER 37:15 TOGETHER? DOES GOD SEEM TO MEET WITH 37:18 SEVERAL PEOPLE MORE THAN MAYBE HE WOULD WITH ONE? 37:22 DOES THE LORD ANSWER THE PRAYERS OF MANY MORE THAN THE PRAYERS OF 37:25 ONE? I'VE THOUGHT A LOT ABOUT THIS - 37:27 I THINK IT'S TRUE - 'THE FERVENT EFFECTUAL PRAYER OF A RIGHTEOUS 37:31 MAN' - ONE PERSON - 'AVAILS MUCH.' BUT IF THAT PRAYER OF ONE 37:37 RIGHTEOUS PERSON AVAILS MUCH, WHAT IF YOU GET A WHOLE BUNCH 37:39 OF RIGHTEOUS PEOPLE PRAYING TOGETHER? 37:41 THE DAY OF PENTECOST YOU HAD THE 12 APOSTLES AND ANOTHER 108 OR 37:44 SO AND OR 102 - NO 108 - MY MATH IS BAD - BUT HE POURED OUT THE 37:52 HOLY SPIRIT AND THEY WERE ALL FILLED. THEY WERE ONE. 37:56 BUT BEFORE THAT THEY WEREN'T ONE. 37:59 THEY WERE CLAWING AND STRIVING AND CLAMORING FOR THE HIGHEST 38:03 POSITION IN THIS NEW KINGDOM. THEY ALL WANTED THEIR 38:05 DIFFERENT CABINET POSTS. JAMES AND JOHN WERE UPSET WITH 38:10 PETER AND ANDREW AND THEY WERE UPSET WITH - THOMAS WAS SO 38:14 NEGATIVE ALL THE TIME - AND PHILIP, HE ALWAYS HAD THESE 38:16 DOCTRINAL QUESTIONS AND EVERYBODY HAD THESE - AND JUDAS, 38:22 THEY THOUGHT, WAS THE BEST SUITED. 38:24 SHOWS YOU HOW THEIR JUDGMENT WAS. 38:27 AND YET, WHEN THEY PUT AWAY THEIR DIFFERENCES AND THEY 38:30 PRAYED TOGETHER AND THEY GOT INTO ONE PLACE, AND GOD SAYS, 38:34 'IF MY PEOPLE THAT ARE CALLED - MY PEOPLE THAT ARE CALLED BY MY 38:39 NAME WILL HUMBLE THEMSELVES' - PLURAL - 'AND PRAY AND SEEK MY 38:41 FACE.' IF WE WILL COME TOGETHER AND PRAY AND HUMBLE OURSELVES 38:45 AND SEEK HIS FACE AND TURN FROM OUR WICKED WAYS - 38:48 THEN HE SAYS HE WILL HEAR IN HEAVEN. 38:50 I BELIEVE THAT'S WHEN HE'S GOING TO DO SOMETHING WONDERFUL AND 38:53 THAT'S WHY WE'RE DOING THESE MEETINGS BECAUSE WE THINK THE 38:56 TIME HAS COME. WE'RE ON THE VERY CUSP 38:57 OF ETERNITY FRIENDS. I THINK WE'RE ON THE VERY 39:00 THRESHOLD OF SOME - WE'VE ALREADY SEEN IT, HAVEN'T WE? 39:05 WE SEE THE APOCALYPTIC IMAGES THAT HAVE COME FROM THE TSUNAMI 39:08 THEY HAD IN INDONESIA AND THE EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI AND JAPAN 39:11 AND HAITI AND OTHER THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON, NOT TO MENTION THE 39:14 ECONOMIC CHALLENGES THAT THEY HAVE AROUND THE WORLD. 39:18 AND YOU JUST THINK ABOUT THE EXPLOSION OF TECHNOLOGY. 39:23 'MANY RUNNING TO AND FRO AND KNOWLEDGE INCREASING.' AND THIS 39:27 IS THE EXACT SCENARIO THAT JESUS PAINTS FOR THE END OF TIME. 39:31 WELL, I THINK IT'S TIME THAT GOD'S PEOPLE GET TOGETHER AND 39:35 THAT THOSE WHO ARE OUT THERE WANDERING, WE NEED TO PULL 39:37 TOGETHER AS A CHURCH FAMILY BECAUSE I THINK WE'RE RUNNING 39:40 OUT OF TIME. HE WANTS US TO BE ONE. THERE'S POWER IN THAT. 39:45 JESUS SAID WHEN WE COME TOGETHER IN ONE PLACE. HE TELLS US WE'RE 39:49 SUPPOSED TO BE ONE BODY. NOW, THAT'S ONE OF THE 39:54 ILLUSTRATIONS I REALLY ENJOY -THAT WE ARE ALL MEMBERS OF 39:58 CHRIST'S BODY AND WE ALL SERVE DIFFERENT FUNCTIONS. 40:01 IN YOUR BIBLE, IF YOU READ IN ROMANS 12 - THERE'S SO MANY 40:04 PLACES I COULD GO TO BUT JUST ROMANS 12, VERSES 4 TO 6 HE 40:08 SAYS, "FOR AS WE HAVE MANY MEMBERS IN ONE BODY, BUT ALL THE 40:14 MEMBERS DO NOT HAVE THE SAME FUNCTION, SO WE, BEING MANY, ARE 40:18 ONE BODY IN CHRIST" - THAT MEANS THAT WE'RE ALL GOING TO BE 40:21 DIFFERENT - "AND INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS OF ONE ANOTHER. 40:26 HAVING THEN GIFTS DIFFERING ACCORDING TO THAT WHICH IS GIVEN 40:29 TO US, LET US USE THEM;" I HEARD THERE'S A COMPANY - IT'S CALLED 40:35 TRANSMEDICS IN WOBURN, MASSACHUSETTS. 40:38 YOU KNOW, THE SHELF LIFE OF A HUMAN HEART WHEN THEY TAKE A 40:42 LIVING HUMAN HEART OUT OF A DONOR'S BODY - AND THE TIME THEY 40:49 USED TO HAVE TO GET THAT HEART TO THE TRANSPLANT RECIPIENT USED 40:55 TO BE SIX HOURS. BUT NOW, THROUGH JUST SOME 40:58 FASCINATING TECHNOLOGY AND PROBABLY SOME EXTRA EQUIPMENT 41:01 AND MAYBE CHEMICALS, THEY'VE DEVELOPED A WAY TO KEEP A HUMAN 41:04 HEART VIABLE - WHERE THEY CAN TRANSPLANT IT FROM THE DONOR TO 41:07 THE RECIPIENT - FOR 24 HOURS. NOW WE'RE IMPRESSED THAT A HEART 41:12 COULD SURVIVE 24 HOURS OUTSIDE OF THE BODY. 41:16 HOW LONG CAN A CHRISTIAN SURVIVE OUTSIDE OF THE BODY? 41:20 IT'S OBVIOUS, I THINK, TO MOST OF US, THAT IN ORDER FOR ANY 41:25 PART OF YOUR BODY TO STAY ALIVE, IT'S GOT TO BE CONNECTED. 41:28 EVERY PART OF YOUR BODY IS MADE UP OF CELLS THAT ARE ALL ALIVE 41:32 THAT ARE ALL FED AND NOURISHED BY THE BLOOD. 41:35 AND WE, AS THE BODY OF CHRIST, ARE ALL FED AND NOURISHED BY THE 41:38 BLOOD OF CHRIST. AND WE'VE ALL GOT DIFFERENT 41:41 PARTS OF THE BODY AND WE NEED EACH OTHER. 41:45 AND SOME OF US ARE THE EYES OF THE CHURCH AND SOME ARE THE 41:48 MOUTH AND THE EARS AND THE NOSE AND WE ALL EXPECT IT TO BE 41:53 TOGETHER. FOR INSTANCE, IF I WERE TO SAY 41:56 TO YOU - MATTER OF FACT, LET'S TRY THIS - TURN FOR A MOMENT AND 42:02 LOOK AT THE PERSON NEXT TO YOU. FIND SOMEONE - I KNOW, IT MAY BE 42:05 A FRIEND, IT MIGHT BE A VISITOR - TURN AROUND AND LOOK 42:06 JUST FOR A SECOND. DO YOU SEE A NOSE? 42:09 I HOPE I'M NOT PUTTING ANYONE ON THE SPOT. 42:11 IF YOU'RE HERE AND YOU DON'T HAVE A NOSE I DON'T WANT TO BE - 42:13 YOU KNOW SOME PEOPLE - ONE MAN GOT FROSTBITE ON EVEREST AND HE 42:17 HAD TO GET AN ARTIFICIAL NOSE - ALL RIGHT, SO WHEN YOU SAW THEIR 42:20 NOSE, DID THAT SHOCK YOU? IF I SAID, 'LOOK AT THE 42:23 PERSON NEXT TO YOU - A NOSE!' BUT IF I WERE TO SAY, 'LOOK 42:28 ON THE FLOOR - A NOSE!' WOULD YOU FIND THAT TROUBLING 42:33 IF YOU SAW A NOSE IN THE AISLE? WHY? 42:39 BECAUSE IT DOESN'T BELONG OFF BY ITSELF. 42:43 CAN YOU BE A CHRISTIAN AND BE SEPARATED FROM THE BODY? 42:47 HOW CAN YOU DO YOUR FUNCTION? WE ALL NEED EACH OTHER AND EVERY 42:53 PART OF THE BODY NEEDS THE OTHER PART OF THE BODY. 42:56 I GREW UP IN THE ERA WHERE SCIENTISTS THOUGHT THAT PEOPLE 42:58 HAD A LOT OF SPARE PARTS AND THEY TOOK MY TONSILS. 43:03 YOU KNOW, I ALWAYS HAD A SORE THROAT AND THEY NEVER DID MAKE A 43:05 CONNECTION BETWEEN ME STARTING MY DAY WITH HOSTESS TWINKIES FOR 43:08 BREAKFAST AND ALWAYS HAVING A SORE THROAT AND THEY JUST SAID, 43:11 'BAD TONSILS, THEY'RE VESTIGIAL REMNANTS - 43:13 YOU DON'T REALLY NEED THEM, TAKE 'EM OUT!' 43:15 MY BROTHER HAD A STOMACH ACHE - 'MUST BE A BAD APPENDIX - DON'T 43:19 NEED IT - SPARE PARTS! TAKE 'EM OUT!' YOU KNOW, THEY HAD THIS 43:22 IDEA EVERYTHING WAS SPARE PARTS. WELL, WE KNOW MORE NOW THAT 43:26 THOSE THINGS ALL HAVE A PURPOSE, DON'T THEY? 43:29 SOME OF YOU MAYBE FELT LIKE THE APPENDIX OR THE TONSILS OF THE 43:32 CHURCH AND YOU THINK, 'THERE'S NO PURPOSE FOR ME.' OR MAYBE YOU 43:37 THOUGHT SOMEONE ELSE WAS THE APPENDIX - THAT'S MORE LIKELY, 43:39 RIGHT? WE ALL ARE NEEDED BY CHRIST. 43:46 AND YOU KNOW, THE LORD PUTS SOME PEOPLE IN THE CHURCH JUST SO WE 43:49 CAN LEARN LOVE AND PATIENCE, BUT THEY'RE NEEDED AND WE'RE ALL 43:53 PART OF HIS BODY AND WE NEED TO STAY TOGETHER OR WE DON'T STAY 43:58 ALIVE. I HEARD A STORY ONE TIME - 44:03 PARABLE - THAT ONE MORNING A MAN WOKE UP AND HE REACHED FOR THE 44:08 COUNTER BY THE BED AND HE WENT TO GRAB HIS GLASSES AND TO PUT 44:11 THEM ON AND THE NOSE SHOUTED AT THE EYES. 44:16 AND THE NOSE SAID, 'ENOUGH OF THIS! DAY AFTER DAY YOU PLOP 44:19 THOSE GLASSES DOWN ON TOP OF ME AND THEY SLIDE UP AND DOWN, 44:23 THEY'RE IRRITATING, I FEEL THE PRESSURE, THEY LEAVE LITTLE RED 44:25 DOTS ON EITHER SIDE - NO MORE GLASSES!' SO THE MAN HEARD THAT 44:30 AND HE PUT THE GLASSES BACK DOWN. HE GOT UP AND ON HIS WAY 44:34 TO THE RESTROOM HE RAN INTO THE DOOR AND BANGED HIS NOSE. 44:42 EVERYBODY SUFFERS IF WE ARE NOT TOGETHER. 44:48 WE ALL NEED TO BE TOGETHER AS PART OF THE BODY OF CHRIST. 44:53 YOU KNOW, I JUST RENEWED MY MEMBERSHIP AT A HEALTH CLUB. 44:57 YOU KNOW, THERE'S USUALLY A BIG GLUT OF NEW PEOPLE THAT ARE 45:00 JOINING HEALTH CLUBS THE FIRST OF THE YEAR. 45:03 PASTOR ROSS AND I PLAY RACQUETBALL ONCE OR TWICE A WEEK 45:06 AND WE'VE BEEN DOING IT FOR YEARS NOW SO WE'RE MEMBERS ALL 45:09 YEAR LONG. BUT WE LIKE TO WATCH THE RUSH 45:11 RIGHT AFTER THANKSGIVING AND CHRISTMAS - I WONDER WHY THAT IS 45:15 - AND AFTER THE HOLIDAY FEASTS - EVERYBODY SAYS, 'OH, I BETTER 45:18 SIGN UP FOR A HEALTH CLUB.' AND I THINK MAYBE THEY THINK THAT 45:21 SIGNING UP FOR A HEALTH CLUB IS THE SAME THING AS EXERCISE. 45:26 BUT WE THOUGHT IT WAS SOMETHING LIKE THE 2ND OF JANUARY, 45:28 WE COULDN'T FIND A PARKING PLACE. AND WE SAID, 'GIVE IT A 45:32 COUPLE OF WEEKS. BUT YOU KNOW, I NOTICED - I WENT 45:37 IN AND THE RACQUET COURTS WERE BUSY AND I HAD TO WANDER AROUND 45:40 AND LOOK AT ALL THE EQUIPMENT, WHICH I NORMALLY DON'T DO, 45:43 I JUST GO RIGHT IN AND PLAY RACQUETBALL. 45:45 ONE REASON I DON'T IS BECAUSE OF THE CONSTANT MUSIC IN THERE IS 45:48 SOMETIMES HARD FOR ME - AT LEAST IN THE RACQUETBALL COURT IT'S A 45:50 LITTLE QUIETER - BUT I WENT AND LOOKED AT ALL OF THE DIFFERENT 45:53 EXERCISE EQUIPMENTS AND IT'S VERY SOPHISTICATED NOW - THEY'VE 45:57 GOT MACHINES - VERY EXPENSIVE MACHINES - THAT ARE DESIGNED TO 46:01 EXERCISE ONE LITTLE MUSCLE YOU'VE GOT SOMEWHERE IN YOUR 46:04 BACK THAT BIG - I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO PRONOUNCE IT. 46:07 AND IT'S JUST YOU'VE GOT TO DO THIS ONE THING AND IT EXERCISES 46:09 THAT ONE MUSCLE. THEN YOU GO TO THIS NEXT STATION 46:11 AND IT'S GOT THIS OTHER THING AND IT EXERCISES THE OTHER SIDE. 46:14 AND THEY GOT ALL THESE DIFFERENT MACHINES AND THEY'VE GOT THE 46:18 HIGHLIGHTED MUSCLES THAT THEY'LL EXERCISE AND - WHICH TELLS US 46:22 THAT ALL THE DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE BODY - THEY GROW AT 46:25 DIFFERENT TIMES, THEY GET THEIR EXERCISE AT DIFFERENT TIMES - 46:27 YOU NEED TO BE PATIENT WHERE PEOPLE ARE IN THE BODY IN THEIR 46:32 PHASE OF GROWTH. SOMETIMES YOU WONDER WHY PEOPLE ARE SO SLOW. 46:37 'HOW COME YOU'RE NOT SOPHISTICATED LIKE ME - YOU 46:40 HAVEN'T GROWN.' OR 'YOU'RE NOT AS STRONG AS I AM.' AND WE GO TO 46:42 CHURCH AND WE PRAY LIKE THAT PHARISEE, 'LORD, I THANK THEE 46:45 THAT I'M NOT LIKE OTHER MEN.' AND WE START TO TALK ABOUT THE 46:49 PUBLICAN ON THE BACK ROW. AND, YOU KNOW, JESUS SAID IT 46:52 WAS THE PUBLICAN THAT WENT HOME JUSTIFIED EVEN THOUGH HE 46:55 DID HAVE SERIOUS SINS. SO BE PATIENT WITH PEOPLE THAT 46:59 ARE STILL GROWING IN THEIR FAITH. 47:00 WE'RE ALL DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE BODY. 47:02 SOME ARE BABES - AND YOU KNOW WHAT JESUS SAID ABOUT THOSE WHO 47:05 OFFEND THE LITTLE CHILDREN IN CHRIST? 47:09 HE TAKES THAT SERIOUSLY. HE SAID IT MIGHT BE BETTER THAT 47:12 A MILLSTONE WERE PLACED ABOUT THEIR NECK AND THEY WERE CAST 47:14 INTO THE MIDST OF THE SEA. SO WE'VE GOT TO LOVE EACH OTHER. 47:18 WE'VE GOT TO BE PATIENT WITH EACH OTHER. 47:20 WE'RE ALL PART OF ONE BODY, AMEN? 47:23 I HAD AN UNCLE, MY FATHER'S BROTHER HARRY, UNCLE HARRY. 47:29 HE LOST ONE OF HIS EYES IN A HORSEBACK RIDING ACCIDENT, THE 47:32 HORSE ROLLED, AND HE GOT A GLASS EYE. AND HE USED TO TEASE HIS 47:38 GRANDDAUGHTERS AND THEY'D BE IN THERE PLAYING IN THE ROOM AND HE 47:41 WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THEM THAT DAY, BUT HE NEEDED TO GO OUT IN 47:44 THE YARD AND DO SOMETHING, HE'D POP OUT HIS EYE AND SET IT ON 47:45 THE COUNTER AND SAY, 'I'M WATCHING YOU.' 47:50 WOULDN'T IT BE SPOOKY TO HAVE A GRANDFATHER LIKE THAT? 47:59 OR IF YOU SAY THAT YOU'VE GOT THIS NEW SPORTS CAR AND I SAY, 48:02 'WELL LET ME SEE YOUR NEW SPORTS CAR.' AND YOU SAY, 'WELL, I'VE 48:04 GOT ONE LITTLE PROBLEM - THE ENGINE IS IN LOS ANGELES, THE 48:09 TRANSMISSION IS IN MIAMI, AND THE BODY IS IN DENVER.' YOU 48:15 DON'T HAVE A CAR IF IT'S ALL SCATTERED AROUND THE COUNTRY. 48:17 YOU MIGHT HAVE ALL THE DIFFERENT PARTS, BUT UNTIL YOU BRING THEM 48:20 TOGETHER WHAT YOU'VE GOT IS A BUNCH OF JUNKYARDS, RIGHT? 48:25 WE REALLY BEGIN TO FUNCTION WHEN WE WORK TOGETHER AND COORDINATE 48:28 OUR DIFFERENT GIFTS. AND SO, I THINK I'VE PROBABLY SAID ENOUGH 48:32 ABOUT THAT. WE NEED TO WORK TOGETHER AS A BODY. 48:35 HOW LONG DO WE SURVIVE IF WE'RE SEPARATED? 48:40 YOU KNOW, ONE OF MY DREAMS - I DON'T KNOW IF IT WILL EVER 48:42 HAPPEN, BUT ONE OF MY DREAMS - THEY TAKE ALL KINDS OF PEOPLE 48:46 UP INTO SPACE NOW - IF YOU'VE GOT ENOUGH MONEY YOU CAN BE A 48:49 TOURIST. I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TO - 48:51 SOMEBODY PAID $20 MILLION SO THEY COULD GO UP WITH THE 48:54 SOVIETS AND GO TO THE U.S. SPACE STATION. YOU REMEMBER THAT? 48:57 I THOUGHT, 'OH, I WISH I COULD GO TO SPACE.' THAT'D BE SO MUCH 49:02 FUN. GOD WILLING, SOMEDAY I WILL. 49:06 AND, WHILE YOU'RE ALL EXPLORING THE NEW EARTH, I'M GOING TO JUST 49:09 TAKE OFF AND GO WHERE NO MAN'S BEEN BEFORE. 49:12 I JUST WANT TO GO SOARING THROUGH SPACE AS FAST AS THE 49:16 SPEED OF THOUGHT. AND, YOU KNOW, I REMEMBER WHEN 49:20 THEY DID THE FIRST SPACE WALK. IT WAS A VERY NERVOUS TIME WHEN 49:26 ONE OF THE ASTRONAUTS ACTUALLY WENT OUT OF THE SHIP. HE WAS 49:31 TETHERED AT FIRST, WITH AN UMBILICAL CORD THE WHOLE TIME. 49:35 AND THEY WERE JUST SO AFRAID THAT IT WAS GOING TO BREAK AND 49:38 HE'S FLOATING OUT THERE AND HE'S BY HIMSELF. 49:39 CAN YOU IMAGINE HOW EERIE THAT MUST BE? 49:41 TO BE FLOATING OUT IN THE VACUUM OF SPACE KNOWING THAT YOU'VE GOT 49:46 JUST A QUARTER INCH OF SOME KIND OF VINYL RUBBER MATERIAL THAT'S 49:50 SEPARATING YOU FROM ETERNITY - IF IT RIPS - YOU'D BE REAL 49:53 CAREFUL NOT TO DO ANYTHING RADICAL, RIGHT? 49:57 AND THEN THEY DEVELOPED SOMETHING WHERE THEY COULD 49:59 ACTUALLY LEAVE THE SHIP WITH THIS LITTLE REMOTE CONTROL THING 50:03 THAT HAD LITTLE RETRO ROCKETS THAT YOU COULD FLY AROUND 50:06 OUTSIDE WITH NO CONNECTION WITH THE SPACESHIP. 50:11 DO YOU THINK ANY OF THOSE ASTRONAUTS SAID, 'HEY, I THINK 50:13 I'M GOING TO SURPRISE EVERYONE AND TAKE OFF A LITTLE BIT AND 50:15 SEE WHAT THEY THINK. I'M GOING TO GO HIDE.' THEY 50:20 DIDN'T WANT TO GET TOO FAR AWAY FROM THE MOTHER SHIP, DID THEY? 50:24 BECAUSE YOUR LIFE IS AT RISK IF YOU DO THAT. 50:30 IT'S ALSO TRUE FOR THOSE THAT SAY, 'I'M A CHRISTIAN, BUT YOU 50:33 KNOW, I'M GOING TO GO FIND OUT WHAT'S GOING ON OUT THERE IN THE 50:36 WORLD.' AND WE PRESUME ON GOD'S GRACE. 50:40 DO YOU REALIZE THAT WE'RE ALL ON THE DEVIL'S ENCHANTED GROUND 50:42 WHEN WE GET VERY FAR FROM THE SHIP AND IT'S ONLY THE GRACE OF 50:45 GOD THAT PRESERVES US. BUT IT'S A SERIOUS THING. 50:49 IF YOU'RE OUT THERE WANDERING AROUND AND YOU'RE PRESUMING THAT 50:52 GOD'S GOING TO CONTINUE TO SAVE AND PRESERVE AND PROTECT YOU. 50:55 GOD IS GOOD. GOD IS PATIENT. BUT IT'S A DANGEROUS 50:59 WORLD OUT THERE FRIENDS. WE SHOULD NOT GAMBLE WITH THE 51:02 GIFT OF EVERLASTING LIFE AND SAY, 'I WONDER HOW I CAN DO OUT 51:07 THERE WITHOUT GOD FOR A LITTLE WHILE. 51:10 YOU KNOW, I THINK I CAN MAKE IT ON MY OWN.' WE NEED TO STAY WITH 51:15 THE SHIP, FRIENDS, WHAT DO YOU SAY? 51:17 YOU KNOW, THE CHURCH IS A FAMILY AND FAMILIES NEED EACH OTHER. 51:24 YOU HAVE A NEW BABY. IT NEEDS TO BE PLACED IN A FAMILY. 51:28 IF YOU'VE GOT A LITTLE LAMB, THE CHURCH IS LIKE A FOLD. 51:32 WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT MISSING SHEEP ANOTHER NIGHT, BUT 51:34 IF YOU'VE GOT A BABY LAMB AND IT'S NOT PLACED IN A FOLD, BUT 51:38 IT'S JUST PUT OUT IN THE WOODS BY ITSELF, IT'S VULNERABLE TO 51:43 THE WOLVES. GOD DESIGNED THAT WHEN PEOPLE ARE BORN IN CHRIST 51:48 AND THEY'RE BAPTIZED, THEY'RE PLACED IN A FAMILY. 51:50 AND SO IT'S REALLY CONCERNING WHEN SOMEONE'S NEW IN CHRIST AND 51:55 THEN NOBODY NOTICES WHEN THEY'RE MISSING WEEK AFTER WEEK. 52:00 WE'VE GOT TO LOOK OUT FOR EACH OTHER - ESPECIALLY THOSE OF YOU 52:02 WHO ARE PART OF LARGER CONGREGATIONS. 52:05 IT'S REALLY HARD FOR A SHEPHERD TO COUNT A THOUSAND SHEEP EVERY 52:09 WEEK. OR FIVE HUNDRED SHEEP. 52:12 WE HAVE OVER A THOUSAND MEMBERS IN SACRAMENTO AND IT'S ONE OF 52:15 THE THINGS THAT BREAKS MY HEART IS WHEN PEOPLE ARE MISSING WEEK 52:17 AFTER WEEK AND WE DIDN'T SPOT IT. AND YOU KNOW WHAT THEY SAY? 52:21 32% - 36%, I'M SORRY - 36% OF PEOPLE WHO STOPPED GOING TO 52:27 CHURCH SAY, 'NOBODY EVEN CALLED ME. 52:32 THEY DIDN'T NOTICE I WAS GONE.' HOW DO YOU THINK THAT MADE THEM 52:35 FEEL? I THINK IT BREAKS THE LORD'S HEART. 52:40 WE HAVE A PRIVILEGE AND WE'VE GOT A RESPONSIBILITY TO CARE FOR 52:45 EACH OTHER. WE ARE OUR BROTHER'S KEEPER. 52:49 YOU KNOW THE FIRST THING THAT CAIN SAID AFTER HE MURDERED HIS 52:51 OWN BROTHER? GOD SAID, 'WHERE IS YOUR BROTHER?' 52:54 HE SAID, 'AM I MY BROTHER'S SHEPHERD? THAT'S HIS PROBLEM. 52:57 TAKE CARE OF HIMSELF.' HOW DID THE LORD FEEL ABOUT THAT? 53:01 WE NEED TO CARE ABOUT EACH OTHER AND WE NEED TO TRY TO BRING SOME 53:04 OF THESE WANDERING SHEEP BACK AGAIN. 53:06 WE'RE A FAMILY. OUR FAMILY, ABOUT ONCE A YEAR, 53:10 WE HAVE A GREAT CAMP MEETING IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. 53:13 THE BIGGEST TREES IN THE WORLD - THE REDWOODS. 53:16 AND WE GO UP THERE AND I TELL YOU, THAT WILL INSPIRE YOU WITH 53:19 AWE WHEN YOU GO CAMP OUT AMONG THE REDWOODS. 53:22 AND WE LIKE, EVERY YEAR, TO TAKE SOME TIME TO JUST GO WALK 53:24 THROUGH WHAT THEY CALL FOUNDER'S GROVE AND LOOK AT THESE 53:28 INCREDIBLY MAJESTIC TREES. BUT MANY PEOPLE ARE SURPRISED TO 53:32 LEARN THAT THE BIGGEST TREES IN THE WORLD THAT ARE THERE ON THE 53:36 COAST - THEY DON'T HAVE VERY DEEP ROOTS. 53:40 THEY'RE NOT LIKE OAK TREES THAT HAVE A GREAT BIG OLD LONG 53:43 TAPROOT. I GET ACORNS THAT SQUIRRELS 53:45 PLANT IN MY YARD AND I GO TO PULL THEM UP - THE LITTLE OAK 53:49 TREE IS THAT BIG - AND I GO TO PULL IT UP AND THE 53:51 ROOT'S THAT LONG. YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT? 53:54 THESE REDWOODS DON'T SEND OUT A DEEP TAPROOT. 53:57 THE WAY THEY MANAGE TO SURVIVE IS THEY GO WIDE. 54:02 THEIR ROOTS GO FAR AND THEY HAVE TO INTERTWINE THEIR ROOTS IN A 54:08 WEB WITH THE ROOTS OF OTHER TREES AROUND THEM. 54:12 THE WAY THEY'RE ABLE TO SURVIVE THOSE PACIFIC STORMS THAT COME 54:16 THROUGH IS BECAUSE THEY'VE INTERTWINED THEIR ROOTS. 54:20 FRIENDS, THERE'S A STORM COMING AND THE WAY THAT WE'RE GOING TO 54:23 BE ABLE TO SURVIVE THIS STORM IS WE'VE GOT TO STICK TOGETHER. 54:27 WE NEED TO PRESS TOGETHER. PRESS TOGETHER. PRESS TOGETHER. 54:32 IT'S THAT TIME AND SOME OF YOU, WHO MAYBE HAVE BEEN OUT THERE 54:35 AND YOU'VE BEEN WANDERING FOR WHATEVER REASON AND YOU'RE 54:38 DRIFTING. PERHAPS THIS IS THE CALL THAT 54:41 YOU'VE BEEN WONDERING ABOUT WHERE JESUS IS SAYING, 'NOW 54:44 IT'S TIME TO COME BACK. NOW IT'S TIME TO COME - YOU'RE 54:48 NOT COMING TO A BUILDING - YOU'RE COMING TO A BODY. 54:52 IT'S NOT A BODY OF PEOPLE - JESUS SAID IT'S HIS BODY. 54:57 THE CHURCH TODAY IS THE HANDS AND THE FEET OF JESUS IN THE 55:01 WORLD AND HE WANTS US TO BE PART OF THAT. 55:05 YEARS AGO I HEARD ABOUT AN OLD PASTOR THAT WENT TO VISIT ONE OF 55:09 HIS MEMBERS. HE HAPPENED TO BE A FARMER, A 55:11 BUSY MAN, WHO HAD STOPPED COMING TO CHURCH. AND HE WENT TO SEE 55:15 HIM ONE EVENING AND HE TALKED TO THE FATHER OF THE HOUSE BY 55:18 HIMSELF AND THEY SAT BEFORE A FIREPLACE THAT WAS THERE. 55:22 AND THE PASTOR SAID, 'BROTHER, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN MISSING YOU 55:26 AT CHURCH AND IT'S SO IMPORTANT THAT YOU COME.' AND HE SAID, 55:29 'I'M STILL A CHRISTIAN PASTOR, I DON'T NEED TO GO TO CHURCH.' HE 55:32 SAYS, 'THE LORD KNOWS MY HEART. THE LORD KNOWS I PRAY. 55:36 I BELIEVE IN HIM. WE'VE GOT A RELATIONSHIP. 55:39 AND I CAN MAKE IT ON MY OWN.' AND THE PASTOR WASN'T SURE 55:44 EXACTLY WHAT TO SAY AND WITHOUT ASKING THE MAN'S PERMISSION HE 55:48 LEANED OVER AND TOOK THE POKER BY THE FIREPLACE, THE FIRE WAS 55:50 GOING RIGHT THERE ON THE HEARTH. HE PULLED ASIDE THE SCREEN AND 55:55 THE PASTOR TOOK ONE OF THE PROMINENT PIECES OF WOOD THAT 55:57 WAS BURNING THERE ON THE FIRE AND HE KIND OF FLICKED IT OFF BY 55:59 ITSELF IN THE ASHES AND HE SAT BACK DOWN. 56:03 AND THE MAN HE WAS VISITING, HE LOOKED AT THAT AND THE FIRE ON 56:07 THE LOG THERE, IT BURNED FOR A FEW MOMENTS AND SLOWLY THE FIRE 56:12 ON THAT SEPARATED LOG BEGAN TO FLICKER OUT, BUT THE COALS 56:16 GLOWED FOR A LITTLE WHILE. BUT THEN AS IT SAT THERE, 56:19 GRADUALLY THE COALS BEGAN TO GROW DIM. 56:24 AND ALL THIS TIME, THE PASTOR SAT THERE WITH THE MAN AND THEY 56:26 JUST LOOKED AT THE FIRE. YOU KNOW, FIRE IS KIND OF 56:28 HYPNOTIC, ESPECIALLY ON A COLD NIGHT. 56:32 AND HE GOT THE MESSAGE JUST BY LOOKING AT THAT. 56:37 HE SAID, 'I UNDERSTAND PASTOR.' HE SAID, 'I'M GOING TO COME BACK 56:41 TO CHURCH.' WE DO NOT BURN BY OURSELVES. 56:46 WE DO NOT GLOW BY OURSELVES. WE CANNOT PUT OFF THAT HEAT 56:52 AND THAT WARMTH BY OURSELVES. WE NEED EACH OTHER AND NOT ONLY 56:57 DO WE NEED EACH OTHER, WE NEED THE LORD. 57:00 THE ONLY WAY WE'RE GOING TO MAKE IT THROUGH THESE LAST DAYS IS IF 57:03 JESUS TAKES OUR HAND. 57:06 >>CAN'T GET ENOUGH AMAZING FACTS BIBLE STUDY? 57:09 YOU DON'T HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL NEXT WEEK TO ENJOY MORE TRUTH- 57:12 FILLED PROGRAMMING, VISIT THE AMAZING FACTS MEDIA LIBRARY AT 57:16 'AFTV.ORG'. AT 'AFTV.ORG' YOU CAN ENJOY VIDEO AND AUDIO 57:23 PRESENTATIONS AS WELL AS PRINTED MATERIAL ALL FREE OF CHARGE, 57:27 24 HOURS A DAY 7 DAYS A WEEK, RIGHT FROM YOUR COMPUTER OR 57:30 MOBILE DEVICE. VISIT 'AFTV.ORG'. 57:36 >>IN SIX DAYS GOD CREATED THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH. 57:40 FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS MAN HAS WORSHIPED GOD ON THE SEVENTH DAY 57:44 OF THE WEEK. NOW, EACH WEEK, MILLIONS OF PEOPLE WORSHIP ON 57:48 THE FIRST DAY. WHAT HAPPENED? WHY DID GOD CREATE A DAY OF 57:52 REST? DOES IT REALLY MATTER WHAT DAY WE WORSHIP? 57:56 WHO WAS BEHIND THIS GREAT SHIFT? DISCOVER THE TRUTH BEHIND GOD'S 57:59 LAW AND HOW IT WAS CHANGED. VISIT SABBATHTRUTH.COM. 58:07 >>FOR LIFE-CHANGING CHRISTIAN RESOURCES VISIT AFBOOKSTORE.COM . 58:13 (MUSIC) |
Revised 2018-01-09