Participants: Martin Fancher
Series Code: FC
Program Code: FC000286
|
00:30 Welcome to Faith Chapel. My name is Pastor Martin Fancher
00:34 I'm pastor of the Fort Walton Beach in Defuniak Springs, in 00:37 Seventh-Day Adventist church in 00:38 the pan handle of Florida. 00:40 I would like to share with you a favorite story of mine today. 00:44 Its a story that happened in 1995 while flying a mission over 00:48 Bosnia, Captain Scott O'Grady, in his F16, was blown in half by 00:55 a surface to air missile. 00:56 The wing man watched as the airplane was in a ball of flames 01:01 He flew off marking the coordinates so he could 01:04 call for help. 01:07 He didn't even see if a parachute had managed to survive 01:11 Well, it did. 01:13 And history reveals that Captain Scott O'Grady did indeed eject 01:17 from his F16 fighter plane, and land in Bosnia. 01:23 He also took a supplies, flares, a walky-talky, a little 01:28 fresh food and water, and began to make his way away from the 01:32 wreckage, for he knew that even before he landed 01:37 the enemy was after him. 01:40 Well, Captain Grady was on his own, he was fighting for his 01:43 life, at times he reports that the soldiers that were looking 01:46 after him were so close that he could read made in China on 01:54 the back of their boots. 01:55 He almost quite breathing. Tried to get his heart to stop. 02:00 But if he only knew what was going on in his behalf to save 02:06 his life. 02:08 We'll go into that in a few moments but I'd like us to first 02:10 understand that we too are in foreign territory. 02:14 We should be able to understand how Captain O'Grady felt for sin 02:18 has separated us from the love of God. 02:22 And we too need rescue by our loving savior. 02:27 We must make seeking God our main priority and if we seek Him 02:32 we will find Him. 02:35 Turn with me if you would to one of my favorite passages found in 02:38 Jeremiah 21:11-14 and lets read that together. 03:27 You and I must call upon God. 03:30 Captain O'Grady, sitting in enemy territory, pulled out the 03:35 radio and called for help as often as he could but his radio 03:39 had such limited capacity that it wasn't until they made a 03:43 fly over that he made contact. 03:47 America was glad that he was alive but he would only be heard 03:51 at a small window of time. Aren't you so glad that you and 03:56 I serve a loving God who we do not have to worship in a limited 04:00 amount of time but we can call upon him in our very 04:02 hour of need. 04:06 We cannot help ourselves. 04:09 If Scott O'Grady could have understood that the world was 04:13 wishing him well, he might have felt better than he did. 04:16 But he was on his own in enemy territory. 04:18 There was nothing that he could do to save himself. 04:22 But you and I should understand that very well because we tend 04:25 to fool our selves into believing that we 04:29 can help ourselves. 04:31 But we must realize that God's way is ultimately better and go 04:37 to him in prayer and to call upon his name. 04:41 We must also call for the help as captain O'Grady did when his 04:45 water ran out, when his food ran dry he had to forage for 04:49 food and water the very life blood that he needed, each time 04:52 he prayed it rained. 04:55 It's time that you and I go to the Lord in prayer. 05:01 Time to ask God to meet the very needs that He knows that we have 05:06 You and I need to seek after God As Captain O'Grady once said, 05:12 "My relationship with Jesus Christ was never better than 05:17 when I was on the ground as a fugitive. " 05:20 He was in a foreign land totally dependant upon outside help. 05:27 Nothing that he could do to save himself. 05:30 You and I are totally dependant on outside help only God can 05:36 help us and all to often we fool ourselves in to believing 05:41 that we can help ourselves. 05:45 Rescue plans are underway for us. 05:49 From the White House, to the Pentagon, there were many plans 05:55 underway to save Scott O'Grady. 05:57 He didn't know it at the time. 05:59 He would have felt better if he had. 06:01 If he could have only seen the forces that were 06:05 coming to save him. 06:07 You and I need to see what God sees for us. 06:12 We need to be able to see the forces that are an our behalf 06:16 working to rescue us from planet Earth. 06:21 One thing that Scott O'Grady understood was that priorities 06:25 tend to change depending upon the circumstances. 06:28 I can imagine they did for him. 06:31 All of a sudden his visa bill didn't make much 06:33 difference any more. 06:35 Didn't matter that the car was going to need some repair or 06:37 whatever the cares of this earthly life were they came 06:40 secondary to what he was facing. 06:45 The imminent loss of his life. 06:51 the business of this life wasn't on his mind. 06:54 Salvation and rescue was on his mind. 06:58 And every waking moment of his life he spent trying to figure 07:04 out how best to be saved. 07:09 I wonder if we could get a challenge from this 07:12 understanding of life that sometimes we get to caught up in 07:17 the busyness of this life we really don't understand that we 07:22 don't have as much control as we claim to have over our life. 07:26 But as we read a few moments ago in our text God tells us if we 07:30 seek him, we will find him. 07:35 But we must search for Him with all our heart. 07:40 Well, if we find God, He will definitely save us. 07:47 For God is in the saving business and He wants more than 07:50 anything else to have you and I reunited and saved 07:55 to His kingdom. 07:57 If Captain Scott O'Grady understood one thing it would be 08:01 the mighty forces that were at work. 08:04 There were over forty aircraft involved in his rescue. 08:11 From those airplanes that fly radar over above to the 08:14 submarines, to the air force and marines, they were all involved. 08:20 This was a multi-national rescue mission. 08:25 Wow. If we understood that the rescue mission that God has for 08:30 us is multi-national and there's far more at stake than 08:36 then just our lives. 08:38 Eternity is at stake today and every day. 08:45 Well there were literally thousands of people that dealt 08:50 in this rescue, from Washington, round the world, the 08:55 operations were pin point. 08:58 He was told how often to radio in and at certain intervals 09:02 he would call and they would give him coordinates that he 09:05 would mark on his map. 09:07 And I can understand, if you would play along with me for a 09:10 moment that he probably didn't take those coordinates 09:13 very seriously. 09:15 He probably took the map, put a dot where he was supposed to be, 09:19 and laid back up against a tree and took a nap. 09:21 Maybe he didn't worry about it very much but then again you and 09:26 I know very differently. 09:28 If salvation and rescue was truly on his mind than he took 09:30 this very seriously and I would imagine if you and I met Captain 09:34 Scott O'Grady today, he would be able to draw out that map 09:39 with great and exact detail. 09:42 Why? Because he wanted to be saved. 09:46 And he knew that the only chance of being rescued from the 09:51 enemies territory was to be where and when he was told 09:57 to be there. 10:00 I'm sure that over the course of the next few hours that he 10:05 continually went back to the map taking out his compass and 10:10 taking great care to insure that he would be where he 10:14 needed to be. 10:16 Excitement, adrenaline rushed through his body. 10:21 He probably could have arrived at the place of rescue much 10:26 earlier but he knew that would put him at greater risk. 10:30 He had to take his time, he had to be deliberate. 10:34 And we, my friend, need to be very deliberate in our rescue. 10:40 We have been told in God's word where we are to be and how we 10:44 are to get there. 10:46 But only by taking great care and understanding our Lord and 10:51 Savior will we understand where he calls us to be, 10:57 to be rescued. 10:59 Well, Captain Scott O'Grady made it. 11:03 He made it to the coordinates on the map. 11:08 Checking his watch, he was right on time. 11:14 And the place was quiet. 11:17 Had he missed rescue? 11:20 Had he been to early? Were the coordinates wrong? 11:26 Well my friend, he did not have to wonder for just a few moments 11:30 because all of a sudden he heard a sound, a sound that was 11:34 familiar to him as airplanes, helicopters, and marines 11:39 came over the hill. 11:43 The rescuers coming to rescue him. 11:49 He reported that he made his way as far as he could to them and 11:53 he collapsed in their arms. 11:56 They took him, they put him aboard a helicopter and they 12:01 took him home. 12:04 What a rescue story. What a story for each one of us. 12:09 Because Jesus, our friend and divine rescuer, has 12:15 given us a plan. 12:16 Have you been studying your Bible? 12:18 Have you been reading to find out what that rescue plan is? 12:24 If you haven't my friend, I encourage you to do it today. 12:28 Take the time necessary to get to know your Lord and Savior. 12:32 What about your priorities? 12:35 Do you want to be rescued? 12:39 Do you want to be saved? 12:43 That may not sound like a good question to ask but I'm here to 12:48 tell you there's many who don't even know they're lost. 12:56 The Bible share with us in our text Jesus said " I know the 13:01 thoughts that I have towards you. " 13:06 Oh my friend, Jesus' thoughts toward us are thoughts 13:10 of genuine love. 13:13 His thoughts towards us are to save us and to bring us home. 13:19 He say "Thoughts of peace not thoughts of evil. " 13:25 There are those in the world today that proclaim God has evil 13:29 thoughts towards us. 13:32 Oh, I'm so glad that the bible tells us differently. 13:35 He does not have thoughts of evil, there thoughts of peace. 13:41 The Bible tells us that we when we are in that relationship with 13:44 Jesus Christ, can have peace that passes all understanding. 13:49 And in a world full of turmoil that we live in today 13:52 isn't it nice to know that peace is available. 13:58 Well not only did the priorities have to change, not only did a 14:03 rescue plan have to be invented but God, in order to initiate 14:08 the rescue plan, sent His son, Jesus to die on the cross. 14:13 That was the price paid. 14:15 Nobody asked how much it cost to save Scott O'Grady. 14:18 Nobody said the government wasted their money. 14:20 Or any of the multi-national efforts. 14:23 Nobody wondered the cost. 14:26 My friend, we as Christians count on the cost. 14:32 The cost of the shed blood of Jesus Christ. 14:37 He goes on to tell us that not only does He have thoughts of 14:40 peace toward us but that he wants to give us hope. 14:43 Hope in a hopeless world my friend is exactly what 14:48 you and I need. 14:49 Jesus tells us in verse twelve "Then you will call upon me, you 14:56 will pray to me, and I will listen to you. 15:02 I don't know about you but there are many people that I talk to 15:05 in life that I wonder if their actually listening and to be 15:09 honest, there's a few people who talk with me who probably 15:12 wonder if I'm listening. 15:13 But you and I do not need to wonder for one moment if Jesus 15:18 Christ is listening to us. 15:21 He has promised to hear us when we pray. 15:28 The Bible then tells us that if we seek Him, He says "You will 15:33 find me when you search for me with all you heart. 15:38 My friend there's a secret right there. There's a secret. 15:41 Are you and I search Him with every fiber of our being? 15:47 All to often the answer is no. 15:52 All to often we're searching for him when its time for church. 15:57 We're searching for Him when things are going rough. 16:02 We search for Him when we think about it. 16:06 But I'm so glad that Jesus always thinks about me. 16:12 And He always thinks about you. 16:15 And He has promised us that we will find him. 16:20 Verse 14 says "I will be found of you. " 16:26 Oh, if that promise isn't marked in your Bible I'd mark it today. 16:33 Your Savior and mine, your God and mine has given the promise 16:39 that we will be found by Him when we search for Him with all 16:44 of our heart and His promise ends with, "I will bring you out 16:49 of captivity. " Maybe you haven't thought of it this way 16:52 before that while here on this earth we're bound captive by 16:55 Satan and sin. 16:57 No matter how hard I try to be perfect I can't be perfect. 17:01 No matter how hard I try I continue to get in trouble. 17:07 God is not calling me to try. 17:12 God is calling me to call upon Him and rely totally 17:18 upon His strength. 17:21 Not mine. His strength. 100 percent. 17:27 Just as Captain Scott O'Grady sat in Bosnia underneath trees 17:31 burying himself, foraging the very ground for food. 17:36 He knew that there was nothing that he could do. 17:38 There is nothing that he could say, there was nothing he 17:42 believe that would remove him from the land of the enemy, 17:48 save a relationship with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 17:53 As I said already it was during the time of his captivity that 17:58 he said never has been my relationship with God 18:01 ever been so good. 18:03 My friend, it was not because he was in enemy territory its 18:06 because he knew he was in the enemies territory and he had no 18:10 hope in himself and he had to rely fully and wholly 18:14 upon Jesus Christ. 18:16 You and I need to learn that secret. 18:19 Reliance, total and complete surrender to Jesus Christ. 18:24 I know the thoughts that I think towards you, thoughts of peace 18:31 not of evil. To Give you a future and to give you hope. 18:38 My friend, what is your future here on earth? 18:41 What is my future here on this earth? 18:43 We're just a speck of dust in time. 18:49 This world is growing old. 18:53 The future here is bleak and dim but God wants to give us a 19:00 future that's beyond all expectation and he shares 19:05 that with us in his word. 19:09 In John chapter 14 he tells us to be prepared because He's 19:15 going to come and He's going to take us home. 19:18 That where He is that we may be there also. 19:21 Oh my friend, I want to be with Jesus. 19:23 I want to go with Him. 19:27 I don't want to stay here any longer. 19:29 This world has nothing to offer. 19:33 Everything is temporary and fleeting even the founding 19:36 fathers understood it right when they called it the 19:38 pursuit of happiness. 19:40 Everyone is in the pursuit but very few find happiness. 19:45 Because happiness is not something that is found. 19:47 Its something that is experienced. 19:51 Something that comes from a vibrant living relationship 19:56 with Jesus Christ. 19:58 Do you want that peace that passes understanding? 20:02 Do you want a home in glory with your Lord and 20:04 Savior Jesus Christ? 20:06 Then you and I need to learn the lessons that Captain 20:08 Scott O'Grady understood from this text in Jeremiah 29. 20:12 We must call upon God. 20:17 He is ready to listen. His heart is open wide. He wants you. 20:24 He wants me. We must come to realize we cannot help ourselves 20:30 I am helpless to do anything for my situation. 20:34 I cannot rid the sin in my life. 20:39 I must call for help. I must seek after one who can cleanse 20:44 me from sin and my friend the Bible tells us that His 20:48 name is Jesus Christ. 20:49 He died that my sins might be forgiving. 20:53 My heart cleansed from all unrighteousness. 20:59 That the promise He gives to us and that's the promise we need 21:04 to claim, we need to understand that as we seek God, we have to 21:07 come to God on His terms. 21:10 We need to ask for God's will to be done in our lives. 21:15 Rescue plans have been underway before you and I were even born. 21:19 From the foundations of the earth, the Bible tells us, God's 21:23 had His eye on you and He's had His eyes on me. 21:28 And God wants a divine homecoming very very soon. 21:33 And as Captain Scott O'Grady understood, his priorities 21:36 change and your priorities and mine need to change. 21:39 We need to lift our eyes from the things of this earth and 21:42 point them to heavenly places. 21:44 Lift up your heads, the bible tells us, for our redemption 21:48 draws nigh. 21:51 The redemption that Jesus has for us is eternal redemption. 21:57 Eternal life through Jesus Christ, His son, your savior 22:03 and mine. 22:05 Well, the Bible contains these rescue details. 22:11 We need to spend our time reading. 22:13 we need to spend our time studying. 22:17 God tells us that as we read and we study the pages of scripture 22:22 He will send the Holy Spirit to illuminate us. 22:26 To help us to understand what we may not understand. 22:30 To help us to apply to our lives that which God is calling for us 22:36 For in the end God calls us into his image. 22:43 Have you found Jesus, my friend, today? 22:48 Have you searched for Him with all your heart? 22:51 Is Jesus your main priority? 22:57 My friend, is He your only priority in the spiritual life 23:03 that He has to offer. 23:04 If not, then I invite you today to take a moment to bow your 23:11 your heads and to ask God to be your Lord and your Savior. 23:16 He wants you in His family, He wants you to understand 23:21 the divine rescue plan so that when He comes we will recognize 23:24 Him, we will see Him and we will be saved by Him and 23:31 and taken to heaven. 23:32 For where He is, there we can be also. 23:37 When you find Him, you will be found. 23:43 Because God says, "If you seek me you will find me when you 23:50 seek for me with all your heart. " 23:55 I enjoy the story of Captain Scott O'Grady. 23:58 I appreciate someone who is in a circumstance than when they 24:04 are lost they have the inevitable conclusion that they 24:10 need to be saved. 24:11 Its easy when your lost to know your lost. 24:15 Its harder my friend when your not knowing your lost 24:22 to know how much help you and I need to be found. 24:28 Are you lost? 24:30 Have you been lost? 24:33 Well help is on the way. 24:37 I'd like to refer one more time to the passage and read it 24:40 together with you from Jeremiah 29:11-14. 25:29 My friend, He writes those words for you. 25:33 He writes those words for me. 25:37 Those verses take on new meaning to me when I compare them to 25:40 that story of salvation and rescue from a land of the enemy 25:45 for my friend, we are in that enemies land today 25:51 Take a look around, the television headlines, headlines 25:54 of the evening news the papers the radio. 25:57 Wherever we turn we can see the lack of people who need a savior 26:04 My friend Jesus calls for us today to turn to Him. 26:10 He calls us to seek Him with all of our heart and He promises 26:16 that we will find Him and my friend, we indeed need to 26:25 be found. 26:27 Will you bow your heads with me as we pray? 26:31 Gracious Father in Heaven thank you so much for the promises 26:38 that you have giving to us here today. Thank you for promising 26:43 that if we will seek you that we will find you because you desire 26:48 to be found. Your not hiding Father. Your hiding in plain 26:53 sight, waiting to be found. And Father you have promised that 26:59 we will find you when we search for you with our whole heart 27:03 take our hearts oh God make them ever true. Take our hearts oh 27:10 God please make us more like you. Father we look forward to 27:18 the day when you will save us in thy kingdom. May that day be 27:22 very very soon is our prayer in Jesus name, amen. 27:28 I want to thank you so much for joining us here at Faith 27:33 Chapel today. May God continue to bless each one of us as we 27:39 study to know His will that ultimately His will, will become 27:46 our will and God will be our God thank you. |
Revised 2014-12-17