I'd like to welcome
you today to Faith Chapel.
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My name is David Shin
and we will be spending
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the next few moments
in a study of God's word.
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But, before we do
so I like to invite you
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to bow your heads with me
as we seek the Lord in prayer.
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Father in Heaven we thank
you today for the privilege
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and opportunity that we
have to study scripture.
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We thank you that
it's able to make us wise
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on to salvation and
we ask that you eliminate
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our hearts and
our minds speak to us
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we pray in Jesus
name we pray Amen.
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The topic of our
discussion today is entitled
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Seek He First. We are
gonna be talking little of our
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priorities. What is
to be the preeminent
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focal point, the antecedent
the priority in my life?
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There is lot of books
that I've read in the past
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about priorities but
one that resonated with me
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the most is a book by
Stephen Covey, maybe you've
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read its New York
Times bestseller called
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'Seven Habits of
Highly Effective People'.
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And one of the habits
that resonated with me
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was this habit called
beginning with the end
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in mind and he basically
gives his thesis that when
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we begin and with the end
in mind suddenly our values
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and our priorities
crystallize, and he
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encourage the reader
to do this exercises,
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mental exercise of
visualizing your own
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funeral. Now I will admit
it's probably not the most
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appealing thing for
all of us do but they said
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there are two things
in life that we can know
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with the surety one is death
and the other one is taxes.
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But, anyways just hear me
for a little bit and imagine
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with me that you have
died and you are witnessing
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your funeral. There is
shiny black horse parked outside
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in the driveway. It's in
a church or funeral home.
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People from all over
the country, perhaps 100s,
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perhaps 1000s have gathered
there to memorials lives
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your life. There is
big bouquet of flowers
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in the corridor. The
casket is there and you are
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sitting there in your best
suit or in your best dress.
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And the doctor or
the pastor has just given
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the eulogy. And afterwards
there is a line of people
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that have gathered there
to commemorate your life.
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The thing that you
want you to remember your by
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the legacy that you've left.
And as during about they are
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about to get up and
say something's about you.
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He want you to pause
and ask yourself this very,
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the very fundamental
question. What do you want
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them to remember you by.
It's very interesting that
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when you begin with the
end in mind that suddenly
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you realize what's
important and what's
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not. I was reading an
article in Time Magazine
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where the individuals on
the Twin Towers after the
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the inferno on the
bottom levels and the planes had
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crashed into the
bottom. They knew the death was
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eminent. They knew
that there was no way that
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they would be able to live.
But, they had a few moments
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before those towers
came crumbling to the ground.
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And is interesting what many
of those people chose to do.
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They didn't run of to the
bathroom, powder their face
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or their hair even check
their suits. They didn't get
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online and check the
stocks or read The Wall Street
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Journal. Many of them
if not most of them started
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calling their loved ones
and saying listen I'm about to
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die. I'm in the Twin
Towers, but I want you to know
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that I love you. Suddenly
people became a priority
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for them. And not too long
ago I had an experience that
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was similar to this. I went
to Africa on a mission trip,
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spend about three weeks
there and came back home
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and started
developing flu like symptoms.
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And I thought it was
the common cold, waited for
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about five to six days
and toward the end I said
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this is not the common
flu or the cold. I need to go
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the emergency room. And I
was wheeled into emergency
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room the doctor took one
look at me, unfortunately
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he had been to Africa
as a missionary doctor.
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And he said I believe
David that you have the symptoms
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of malaria. And I
got a brief education
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very quickly as to what
malaria was, a mosquito bite
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you and injects his
parasites into your blood
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stream and takes about two
weeks or so for to incubate.
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But, these parasites go
from red blood cell to red
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blood cell and when they
start multiplying and when
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that red blood cell has
to reached maximum capacity
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it burst. So, you can
imagine after a certain
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amount of days your red
blood cell count is totally
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depleted. And they
said seven days is typically
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where you are on the
brink of death. I had waited
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six days and lying
in the emergency room
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sweat pouring down
barely cognitive or reasonably
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around of the
surrounding around me.
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And doctor said even
if you make it David,
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you may get kidney
failure, liver failure and be
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on dialysis for rest of your
life. And I want to tell you
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that sitting there my
parents were looking at
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me I was under 20 years
of age, had my whole life
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ahead of me. Suddenly I
had certain things that became
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a priority. Suddenly
the things that were to be
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valuable or value to
me came crystallize to me.
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Now I don't wanna to
leave hanging you obviously
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I did survive in what
was the miracle and I'm here
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today. But, it's very
interesting that priorities
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are the things, the
paradigm, the central
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pillars that guide
us from day to day.
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Now all of us have
different priorities and certain
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things take higher
precedence than others.
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And I came across this
list of things that many of us
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seek as priority and he
list in a way Stephen Covey
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does. What happens
when this thing becomes a
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preeminent priority.
Now the first one is money.
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Now I will admit that
money is not inherently evil,
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we need money to do
transactions and live
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our lives. The Bible
says that the love of money
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is the root of all evil.
And he says a money centered
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person, a person that
places money as the preeminent
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force in their life. Your
personal value is determined
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by your network. In
other words your value
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is determined by
the amount of stocks,
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amount of balance, the
amount of money you have
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in your bank account.
And he says that you are
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vulnerable to anything
that threatens your economic
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security. Profit is your
decision making priority.
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Money making is the lens
through which life is seen
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and understood. So,
here is this individual
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whose money is the
preeminent force in their
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life and they view life
through sort of green glass
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as they were. And they
make profit, the criterion
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makings phenomena and
so forth. The second one is
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a work centered individual.
Now I have relatives,
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family members that
are this way. You tend to
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define yourself by
your occupational role.
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You're only comfortable
when you are working.
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You define you see
your work as your life.
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Here is a person that their
occupation is the prominent
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priority for them. The next
one is a possession priority
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individual. Now possessions
are not wrong, we all
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have possessions, but
this individual that makes us
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to apex of their life.
Your security is based on your
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reputation, your
social status are the tangible
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things that you
posses. You tend to compare
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what you have with what
others have? And you are
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threatened by those things
that threatened your social
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secure. You make
your decisions based on
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well protect increase
or better display your
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possessions. This
is individual that is
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materialistic, that makes
a things they posses their
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priority. And there is a
few others I like to read
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one more and
that's pleasure centered.
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I had few friends in high
school that were this way,
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you feel only secure
when you on pleasure or high.
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You make your decisions
based on what will give
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you the most pleasure.
You see a world in terms of
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what's in it for you.
There are few other enemies
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centered and I think
this one basically summarized
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all of them and that is
self centered. I think all of us
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struggle with that
one. Now whether it's money,
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work, possession,
pleasure. All these things are
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priorities. Now they
are not to be the preeminent
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priority, and they
are centers that around
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which these individuals
revolve. Now I like to ask
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you today as we get into
our discussion what is to be
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the preeminent priority
for us? What is to be the
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center of our lives?
What is to be the lens
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through which we
determine what our lives
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are to revolve around.
I'd like to go to this passage
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as we get into this
discussion about what we
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are to seek for as Christians to
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Mathew Chapter 6 Verse
33, ''Jesus has just give his
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disquisition of the
Sermon on the Mount''.
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And in Mathew
Chapter 6 Verse 33,
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I'll be reading from
the New King James Version,
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he says these profound
words. ''But seek first
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the kingdom of God
and His righteousness,
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and all these things
shall be added on to you''.
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God is telling us to
seek first the kingdom of God
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and his righteousness
and all these things shall be
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added on to you. I like
to go through this passage
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word by word. The first
word I like to concentrate
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on is seek. All of us when
we were born into this world
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are seeking for something.
We are seeking for thing to
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fill us and this a statement
that goes something like
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this. We have a God shaped
hole in our heart that only
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he can fill. But, many
of us we seek materialism,
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we seek possession,
we seek relationships,
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we seek money trying to
fill that void in our lives.
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I don't know about
you but many times before
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I came to Lord, I had come
home night laying in my bed
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and there was an
emptiness in my heart that
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something that the things
this world simply could not
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fill. I try to fill it
with all these things but they
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would not fulfill me.
It's very interesting that even
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the people that we look
up to that society puts on a
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pedestal as stars. They
have fame, they have fortune,
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they have intellectual
ability and they are
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steamed by society.
Have made some very profound
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statements regarding
their state of fulfillment.
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And I like to read to
you few quotations that came
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across of very famous people
regarding their fulfillment.
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Listen to this ''I thought
I had reached a point in my
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life where everything
would be smooth. But it is not.
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It just gets more jagged
and pitted and filled with
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turns that take you into
the dark recess of your mind.
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It never seems to get
easy''. Do you know who
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said that?
Sylvester Stallone who is a
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prominent actor
evidently. ''He says I thought
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I had reached a point in
life when things would get easy,
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but simply doest not.
Listen to this statement,
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''If I were given a
change of life, I would like to
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see how it would be to
live as a mere six-footer,
00:11:06.45\00:11:10.09
Wilt Chamberlain, seven
feet tall was in the NBA
00:11:10.87\00:11:14.78
as a center he says
''Listen if I live my life
00:11:14.81\00:11:17.13
again, I'm not satisfied
I want to live as a mere
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six-footer''. If I would
live my life over again a
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another statement I
wish I could be a great
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pianist or
something Woody Allen.
00:11:25.65\00:11:29.11
Famous actor he
says I'm not satisfied
00:11:29.48\00:11:31.82
if I live my life again
I just want to be a pianist
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or something. I
don't like the way,
00:11:34.44\00:11:36.41
I don't like my voice. I
don't like the way I look.
00:11:36.44\00:11:39.05
I don't like the way I move.
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I don't like the way
I act. I mean, period.
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So, you know, I don't
like myself, Elizabeth Taylor.
00:11:42.97\00:11:48.60
Beautiful actor
back in her day she says
00:11:48.63\00:11:51.02
listen I don't like the
way I look, act or move.
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I'm dissatisfied with
my physical appearance.
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All these
individuals since society steams
00:11:56.62\00:11:59.39
has been famous
rich, intellectual having
00:11:59.42\00:12:01.67
at all have said at
certain points in their lives,
00:12:01.70\00:12:03.88
at least these were
honest enough to admit
00:12:03.91\00:12:05.66
saying these
things do not fulfill me
00:12:05.69\00:12:08.52
and God is saying
in Mathew Chapter 6
00:12:08.55\00:12:11.38
Verse 33 to seek something else,
00:12:11.41\00:12:13.55
seek those things
that are true fulfillment.
00:12:13.58\00:12:16.51
The next word that
I like to read to you
00:12:16.86\00:12:19.10
or I like to go for
is first. First means
00:12:19.13\00:12:22.70
the highest priority,
it means the preeminent
00:12:22.73\00:12:24.87
focal point in our
lives. He says to make this
00:12:24.90\00:12:27.44
number one and every
thing else secondary.
00:12:27.57\00:12:30.56
The next word is
the kingdom of God,
00:12:31.03\00:12:34.23
seek first the
kingdom of God. You know
00:12:34.26\00:12:37.97
I believe that very
soon that Jesus will come
00:12:38.00\00:12:41.12
in the clouds of
glory. And there will be
00:12:41.15\00:12:43.47
no more pain, no more
sorrow, no more crying
00:12:43.50\00:12:47.09
and he is going to
establish an eternal
00:12:47.12\00:12:49.91
kindom, that is
going to reverse the entire
00:12:49.94\00:12:52.21
scope of human
history. I just like to bridge
00:12:52.24\00:12:56.14
an illustration for you
of what eternity really is.
00:12:56.17\00:12:59.40
Imagine with me that
there is a story told
00:12:59.43\00:13:02.20
of a teacher that was
talking to some students.
00:13:02.23\00:13:04.51
And the student
raised her hand and
00:13:04.54\00:13:06.40
said listen how,
how long is eternity.
00:13:06.43\00:13:08.35
You talk about
heaven a lot, but how long
00:13:08.38\00:13:10.07
is forever. And the
teacher said imagine
00:13:10.10\00:13:12.74
with me that there
is a sparrow that flies
00:13:12.77\00:13:16.29
all the way to
Pacific Ocean and picks up an
00:13:16.32\00:13:18.89
amount of water in
the sparrow's mouth flies
00:13:18.92\00:13:21.54
across the rocks,
across the plains to the
00:13:21.57\00:13:23.54
east coast, and with
that little beak drops off
00:13:23.57\00:13:26.39
that little bit of
water in the Atlantic Ocean.
00:13:26.42\00:13:28.79
Then he flies all
the way across the
00:13:28.91\00:13:30.89
North American
continent back to the
00:13:30.92\00:13:32.36
Pacific Ocean picks up
that little bit of water,
00:13:32.39\00:13:34.48
flies all they way back
and he is going back and forth,
00:13:34.51\00:13:37.32
back and forth until
the entire Pacific Ocean
00:13:37.35\00:13:40.54
is on the side of the Atlantic.
00:13:41.09\00:13:43.16
And the teacher
pause for a moment
00:13:43.19\00:13:44.73
and said that is
one second in eternity.
00:13:44.76\00:13:49.34
Friends Jesus has
a lot for us in store
00:13:50.05\00:13:52.82
and he is saying
to seek first this
00:13:52.85\00:13:54.72
eternal kingdom.
This kingdom that will
00:13:54.75\00:13:56.76
last forever and
ever. I sometimes use this
00:13:56.79\00:13:59.66
illustration of the
trade off that God is offering
00:13:59.69\00:14:01.87
imagine with me that
Bill Gates who had last
00:14:01.90\00:14:04.40
time I checked is
the richest person
00:14:04.43\00:14:05.94
in the this world.
00:14:05.97\00:14:06.94
The former chairman of Microsoft
00:14:06.95\00:14:08.60
and the founder as
well, he is going to some more
00:14:09.07\00:14:11.94
humanitarian efforts
now. But, this person
00:14:11.97\00:14:14.36
is worth last
time I checked I think
00:14:14.39\00:14:16.40
depending on
where the stock market
00:14:16.49\00:14:18.16
goes
approximately over $30 billion.
00:14:18.19\00:14:20.90
Now imagine with me that
Bill Gates came to you said
00:14:21.23\00:14:23.77
listen I want to
make your proposition.
00:14:23.80\00:14:26.03
If you give me
that pen in our pocket
00:14:26.24\00:14:28.34
I will electronically
transfer into your bank
00:14:28.43\00:14:31.03
account immediately $1 billion.
00:14:31.06\00:14:34.46
Now would you be like
let me think that Bill,
00:14:34.49\00:14:36.80
let me call you, don't call me.
00:14:36.94\00:14:39.04
I don't know about
this agreement it seems
00:14:39.20\00:14:41.22
a little bit, I don't
know. But, I think most of us
00:14:41.25\00:14:43.70
if we are in or right
minds would be like Bill.
00:14:43.73\00:14:46.05
I'm gonna take you up
on that offer imagine,
00:14:46.08\00:14:48.24
you can even have
everything in my bank
00:14:48.27\00:14:49.55
account if you
electronically transfer
00:14:49.58\00:14:51.34
$1 billion into my account.
And God makes a far more
00:14:51.37\00:14:57.15
better offer that he
says listen I want to give
00:14:57.18\00:14:59.37
you eternity with
me the kingdom of God
00:14:59.40\00:15:01.93
for 70, 80 and 90 years
of life if you are lucky
00:15:02.55\00:15:05.92
of existence here on
earth, and we think about
00:15:05.95\00:15:09.28
that and we think
that is not a very good
00:15:09.31\00:15:10.78
proposition that the
lord has made for us.
00:15:10.81\00:15:13.08
So, God is saying but
seek first his kingdom.
00:15:13.11\00:15:16.87
The second word I
like to focus of the second
00:15:16.90\00:15:19.22
couple of words
and his righteousness.
00:15:19.25\00:15:22.17
Notice he did not
say our righteousness,
00:15:22.20\00:15:24.33
it says his righteousness,
and the beauty of the
00:15:24.36\00:15:27.48
Gospel friend is that
he offers our righteousness
00:15:27.51\00:15:31.06
that is outside of
us as Martin Luther said
00:15:31.09\00:15:32.95
an alien righteousness,
a subjective in nature
00:15:32.98\00:15:36.52
and when we give
our lives unreservedly
00:15:36.55\00:15:39.68
to Jesus Christ. He
promises to cover us
00:15:39.71\00:15:43.29
with that robe. And
the moment that we except
00:15:43.32\00:15:45.81
Jesus Christ as
our personal savior,
00:15:45.84\00:15:48.08
we stand before
God as though we have
00:15:48.11\00:15:51.41
never sinned. Let's go
to your next passage here,
00:15:51.44\00:15:55.86
let's go back a little bit more.
00:15:55.89\00:15:57.19
He says and all
these things will be added
00:15:57.22\00:16:00.00
on to you. What is
that promise lets go to
00:16:00.03\00:16:01.72
Matthew Chapter 6 Verse 32.
00:16:01.75\00:16:04.15
There is that mean that
God will provide everything
00:16:04.45\00:16:06.67
''For after all these
things to the Gentiles seek.
00:16:06.70\00:16:09.83
For the heavenly
Father knows that
00:16:09.86\00:16:11.75
you have need of
all these things''.
00:16:11.78\00:16:15.34
Notice that's a
same word as found in
00:16:15.38\00:16:17.64
Matthew Chapter 6 Verse 33.
00:16:17.67\00:16:19.35
But, seek first
the kingdom of God
00:16:19.47\00:16:21.40
and His righteousness,
and all these things
00:16:21.43\00:16:24.74
will be added on to
you. Essentially Jesus
00:16:24.77\00:16:28.29
is saying that the
Gentiles seek after
00:16:28.32\00:16:30.45
all these things,
but I'd like to pose you
00:16:30.48\00:16:32.23
these question there is
that mean that if I seek
00:16:32.26\00:16:34.36
God make in the permanent,
prominent force in my life
00:16:34.39\00:16:37.39
that he will give
me a Mercedes Benz,
00:16:37.42\00:16:39.11
or make me
millionaire that I'll all go out
00:16:39.14\00:16:42.00
with $1000 suits, will
he really make me prosper
00:16:42.03\00:16:45.23
in that end. Now
they say that verse out
00:16:45.26\00:16:47.90
of context is a pretext.
And in order to determine
00:16:47.93\00:16:50.64
what Jesus is
really saying in this verse
00:16:50.67\00:16:52.32
we must go to
the previous passage.
00:16:52.35\00:16:54.53
Let's to Matthew
Chapter 6 and Verse 31.
00:16:54.56\00:16:58.18
''Therefore do
not worry, saying,
00:16:58.79\00:17:01.22
'What shall we eat?'
or 'What shall we drink?'
00:17:01.25\00:17:04.03
or 'What shall we
wear?'' Essentially Jesus
00:17:04.06\00:17:08.72
says in this
verse, that what we eat,
00:17:08.75\00:17:11.43
what we drink and
what we wear are all
00:17:11.46\00:17:14.29
these things that if
we place God at the center
00:17:14.32\00:17:17.19
of our lives he
promises to take care of our
00:17:17.22\00:17:20.61
necessary needs.
Now many of us when we
00:17:20.64\00:17:23.18
come to the Lord we
say, oh I don't know
00:17:23.21\00:17:24.87
about being a
Christian I'm not sure
00:17:24.90\00:17:26.67
if I can follow
Jesus because I may starve,
00:17:26.70\00:17:29.34
I am ay be evicted, I
may be put on the street,
00:17:29.37\00:17:31.27
I don't if I will be
able to take care of myself
00:17:31.30\00:17:33.33
that is not to say
that we should not work.
00:17:33.36\00:17:34.96
But, Jesus promises
listen place your life in
00:17:34.99\00:17:38.35
my hands, make
the kingdom of God.
00:17:38.38\00:17:40.15
And his righteousness,
eternal righteousness
00:17:40.34\00:17:42.90
he offers to us and
he promises to take are
00:17:42.93\00:17:45.67
of our daily
essential needs. In Psalms
00:17:45.70\00:17:50.41
Chapter 37 Verse 25.
This is a promise that
00:17:50.44\00:17:54.21
Jesus made through
the inspiration of David.
00:17:54.24\00:17:56.95
Psalms 37:25 he
says these words,
00:17:56.98\00:18:00.94
''I have been
young, and now I am old;
00:18:01.03\00:18:03.85
Yet I have not seen
the righteous forsaken,
00:18:04.24\00:18:07.05
Nor his
descendants begging bread.
00:18:07.08\00:18:09.95
Essentially this is
what David is saying
00:18:10.38\00:18:13.71
in Psalms 37:25.
He is saying listen,
00:18:13.74\00:18:16.54
I have been old,
I have been young,
00:18:16.57\00:18:18.26
but I have not seen
the righteous forsaken,
00:18:18.29\00:18:21.48
Nor begging bread.
I've not seen them out
00:18:21.51\00:18:24.24
on the streets somewhere as a
00:18:24.27\00:18:25.58
pauper going
hungry from day to day.
00:18:25.61\00:18:27.94
He is saying I
have seen God prepare
00:18:27.97\00:18:30.60
and take care of
their essential needs.
00:18:30.63\00:18:33.27
Now I'd like to tell
your personal testimony
00:18:33.30\00:18:35.59
of mine that
illustrates this principle of
00:18:35.62\00:18:38.66
Mathew Chapter 6
Verse 33. That if we seek
00:18:38.69\00:18:41.16
first his kingdom and
his righteousness that
00:18:41.19\00:18:43.99
all these things
will be added onto you.
00:18:44.02\00:18:45.60
Not too long ago, I
have the privilege of going
00:18:46.36\00:18:48.73
to South Central Los Angeles and
00:18:48.76\00:18:50.57
work in the streets,
doing some evangelistic
00:18:50.60\00:18:53.08
series going door
to door. And it was a
00:18:53.11\00:18:55.52
fantabulous,
great, not fantabulous,
00:18:55.55\00:18:58.18
a great event
that took place in that
00:18:58.21\00:19:01.34
I was going door
to door meeting people
00:19:01.37\00:19:03.23
and inviting them to
this series and we saw
00:19:03.26\00:19:04.75
miracles happen from day to day.
00:19:04.78\00:19:07.11
And I was there on
the voluntary basis,
00:19:07.37\00:19:09.73
had no money given
to me. I was withdrawing
00:19:09.76\00:19:13.10
from my bank
account and in inadvertently
00:19:13.13\00:19:15.86
there is a lot mathematic
circles something like.
00:19:15.89\00:19:18.24
This is very
elementary that if you keep
00:19:18.27\00:19:20.31
subtracting from an
X amount, and don't add
00:19:20.34\00:19:23.15
the amount decreases,
many times exponentially.
00:19:23.18\00:19:26.54
And that was happing
to my savings account,
00:19:26.57\00:19:29.00
as I swiping my ATM
card from day to day
00:19:29.03\00:19:31.27
for needs it was
going down to almost nothing
00:19:31.30\00:19:34.92
and I came to the
point where I said Lord.
00:19:34.95\00:19:36.46
I'm claming
Mathew Chapter 6 Verse 33
00:19:36.49\00:19:39.68
''To seek first your
kingdom and I just need
00:19:39.71\00:19:42.11
something to provide
for me these next few days.
00:19:42.14\00:19:44.78
And I said Lord
how about an extra $100
00:19:44.81\00:19:48.56
to get me through.
And there is something
00:19:48.59\00:19:51.70
about prayer that
I like to say before
00:19:51.73\00:19:54.35
I go on that
sometimes Lord says yes,
00:19:54.38\00:19:56.30
other times he says no
and sometimes he says wait.
00:19:56.33\00:19:59.35
And so I was willing
to leave with whatever
00:19:59.38\00:20:01.69
the Lord said. And
I, later that day after
00:20:01.72\00:20:04.34
I said that prayer, I
went to my sleeping bag
00:20:04.37\00:20:06.51
to my corridors and
sitting there on the
00:20:06.54\00:20:09.35
sleeping bag was a
cheque. And there was
00:20:09.38\00:20:13.42
a note that was
with it and it said David
00:20:13.45\00:20:15.85
I want to help you in
the past but I'm was enable
00:20:15.88\00:20:18.70
to do so was
pastor on California,
00:20:18.73\00:20:20.63
and I hope this helps
you little bit and I flipped
00:20:20.66\00:20:23.00
the check over and
you will never believe
00:20:23.03\00:20:24.94
the amount of that
cheque it was for exactly $100.
00:20:24.97\00:20:29.60
And I said wow Praise
Lord this is a great promise.
00:20:30.24\00:20:33.16
Seek first the kingdom of God.
00:20:33.19\00:20:34.50
Put him as
preeminent force in my life
00:20:34.53\00:20:36.26
and he will
provide for my daily needs.
00:20:36.29\00:20:37.66
And later on to that
summer I want to claim
00:20:37.91\00:20:40.48
that promise again
because I said this thing
00:20:40.51\00:20:42.10
is working and so
I went out continued
00:20:42.13\00:20:46.80
in the evangelistic
series and I had to borrow
00:20:46.83\00:20:49.69
a ladies car from day
to day to pick up contacts.
00:20:49.72\00:20:52.23
I didn't have a
vehicle and she was a saint
00:20:52.26\00:20:54.42
that willing to
lend me her keys on a
00:20:54.45\00:20:56.80
day-to-day basis. It
was a White Honda Civic
00:20:56.83\00:20:59.27
and one day as I was
getting on to highway
00:20:59.30\00:21:01.64
105 is a 5 speed, I
put into fifth gear,
00:21:01.67\00:21:04.56
and I said Lord I'm in
ministry but I wanna ask
00:21:04.59\00:21:07.95
you if its not too much
how about White Honda Civic.
00:21:07.98\00:21:11.51
And I just like to say
that the Lord doesn't always
00:21:12.17\00:21:14.69
provide for our
needs, but I said maybe,
00:21:14.72\00:21:16.33
maybe the Lord who
provide for me in this way
00:21:16.36\00:21:17.99
and I hoped with
anticipation as the
00:21:18.02\00:21:20.98
evangelistic series
when on that this lady
00:21:21.01\00:21:23.00
who just say hey
you have driven this car
00:21:23.03\00:21:25.16
almost every day,
why don't you just keep
00:21:25.19\00:21:26.84
the keys, and inadvertently
it didn't happen, I was
00:21:26.87\00:21:30.63
like hey the Lord said
no this time but may be
00:21:30.66\00:21:33.61
he will provide for
my need another way.
00:21:33.98\00:21:36.45
Anyway I had a
wonderful series, flew back home
00:21:36.48\00:21:39.18
and as my parents
were picking me up at the
00:21:39.39\00:21:42.32
airport they pulled
me into the driveway
00:21:42.35\00:21:44.41
and sitting there
in the driveway was a
00:21:44.44\00:21:47.23
White Honda Civic. It
was an 87 by the way Lord
00:21:47.26\00:21:51.25
has sense the humor
but I'm not saying today
00:21:51.28\00:21:54.15
that the Lord will
grant you everything,
00:21:54.18\00:21:56.68
I'm not preaching
a prosperity Gospel
00:21:56.71\00:21:58.92
here today that if you
serve the Lord Jesus Christ
00:21:58.95\00:22:01.08
you can be going around
in Bentley or Rolls Royce
00:22:01.11\00:22:03.78
and having all the
things material possessions
00:22:03.81\00:22:05.94
that you have to do.
But, I'm telling you with
00:22:05.97\00:22:08.39
assuredly that this
promise is real that
00:22:08.42\00:22:11.12
if you dedicate your
life, unreservedly to our
00:22:11.15\00:22:14.45
Lord Jesus Christ he
will take care of our daily
00:22:14.48\00:22:18.31
necessary needs. I'd
like to read to you a
00:22:18.34\00:22:22.32
statement from
Matthew 6:28 through 30 and
00:22:22.35\00:22:26.73
that same disquisition
of the sermon on the mount.
00:22:26.76\00:22:28.69
This is promise Matthew
6:28 through 30 he says,
00:22:28.72\00:22:33.26
''So why do you
worry about clothing?
00:22:33.29\00:22:35.19
Consider the lilies of
the field, how they grow:
00:22:35.22\00:22:39.22
they neither toil nor
spin; and yet I say to you
00:22:39.63\00:22:43.01
that even Solomon
in all his glory was
00:22:43.04\00:22:46.19
not arrayed like one of these''.
00:22:46.22\00:22:48.03
Now if God so clothe
to filed to the grass,
00:22:48.40\00:22:51.56
which today is,
and tomorrow is thrown
00:22:51.59\00:22:54.60
into the oven, will He
not much more clothe you,
00:22:54.63\00:22:57.56
O you of little faith?
Jesus tells us with surety
00:22:57.59\00:23:03.22
that if we seek
first his kingdom and his
00:23:03.37\00:23:06.94
righteousness that he
will provide for necessary
00:23:06.97\00:23:09.42
needs. He says look at
the sparrows how they grow,
00:23:09.45\00:23:12.00
look at the field of
the grass how I clothe them,
00:23:12.03\00:23:14.44
look at al these
entities. How much more valuable
00:23:14.47\00:23:17.56
are you to me than
they. And Jesus tell us
00:23:17.59\00:23:21.74
to place our faith
in him. To seek first,
00:23:21.77\00:23:24.90
the kingdom of God
and his righteousness,
00:23:24.93\00:23:27.74
believing that all
these things will be added
00:23:27.77\00:23:30.86
on to you. Lets go back
to our first illustration
00:23:30.89\00:23:33.84
that we started
with of sitting in that
00:23:33.87\00:23:37.12
funeral home you are
watching your own funeral.
00:23:37.15\00:23:39.78
And we know this is
make believe is not true,
00:23:39.81\00:23:41.71
you cant do that, but
let say that you are there
00:23:41.74\00:23:45.07
and those people
are about to get up
00:23:45.10\00:23:46.68
and give you
those clothing remarks.
00:23:46.71\00:23:49.44
Those clothing
statements about your life.
00:23:49.47\00:23:51.76
And I don't know
about you but the thing
00:23:51.88\00:23:54.03
that I'm want them
to live with me is that
00:23:54.06\00:23:55.91
I have a led them to
Jesus because there is
00:23:55.94\00:23:58.07
only two things that
you can take to heaven.
00:23:58.10\00:24:00.40
Number one it's
your character and
00:24:00.65\00:24:03.52
number two is the
things that you take with them.
00:24:03.55\00:24:06.94
In closing I like to
leave you with this simple
00:24:07.71\00:24:11.15
illustration about
priorities and souls
00:24:11.18\00:24:15.10
and the most
important things in our lives.
00:24:15.13\00:24:17.14
There was this dream
given of an individual,
00:24:17.17\00:24:19.84
he was sleeping
and he dream this dream
00:24:20.26\00:24:22.57
and it was a kind of
an interesting sequence
00:24:22.60\00:24:25.12
the voice was telling
him to some directions
00:24:25.68\00:24:28.78
and so the voice
would tell him go down
00:24:28.81\00:24:30.09
to street make a left
hand turn, make a right
00:24:30.12\00:24:32.49
go down the street
and so, in the dream
00:24:32.52\00:24:34.24
he was following this
voice and let him to path
00:24:34.27\00:24:36.50
in a woods and
suddenly the voice said
00:24:36.53\00:24:39.18
I want you to stop
right now. And so he thought
00:24:39.21\00:24:42.72
this was very
interesting and the voice says
00:24:42.75\00:24:45.14
I want you to reach down
and pick up with your hands
00:24:45.17\00:24:48.33
these rocks and put
him in your pockets.
00:24:48.41\00:24:50.50
And so he said
okay, I'm not sure exactly
00:24:50.92\00:24:53.45
what this means but
I'm gonna pick up the rocks
00:24:53.48\00:24:55.43
and put him in my
pocket. And then he says
00:24:55.46\00:24:58.02
in the morning or
when you get back home
00:24:58.54\00:25:00.80
and you look at these
rocks you will be happy
00:25:00.83\00:25:02.99
and you will be sad.
He said what a statement
00:25:03.02\00:25:06.04
how can you be happy
and sad at the same time.
00:25:06.07\00:25:09.01
And so he went
back out to his home
00:25:09.08\00:25:11.17
in the dream and
turned on the lights
00:25:11.20\00:25:13.69
and he was curious
as to the true nature
00:25:13.72\00:25:16.41
of what was
suppose to be in this hands
00:25:16.44\00:25:19.64
and he pull them
out and in the lights
00:25:19.67\00:25:21.81
sparkled gems, rubies, diamonds
00:25:21.84\00:25:25.50
and precious stones.
And they were just myriad
00:25:25.53\00:25:30.82
of precious materials
in his hand and suddenly
00:25:30.85\00:25:33.53
he understood the
voice. Because he was happy
00:25:33.56\00:25:36.64
that he had the gems,
but, he was sad because
00:25:36.67\00:25:39.46
he did not take
more. In the same way
00:25:39.49\00:25:42.49
I believe that when we
get to have will be happy
00:25:42.52\00:25:44.58
that were there. But,
perhaps will be a little
00:25:44.61\00:25:46.28
sad a because we have
not made souls our priory.
00:25:46.31\00:25:49.73
We have not made
perhaps you could say
00:25:49.76\00:25:52.31
listen I wish I
could have told my family,
00:25:52.34\00:25:53.88
my friends a little bit
more about Jesus Christ.
00:25:53.91\00:25:57.55
I'd like to close with
the statement from the book
00:25:57.86\00:26:00.93
The Desire of Ages,
and is one of my favorite
00:26:00.96\00:26:03.67
statements found in this
book on the life of Christ.
00:26:03.70\00:26:07.48
And she says these
about worry, I don't know
00:26:07.56\00:26:11.11
about you but I'm an
individual that tends
00:26:11.14\00:26:12.67
to worry quite regularly.
And she says this that,
00:26:12.70\00:26:16.13
''Worry is blind, and
cannot discern the future;
00:26:16.16\00:26:21.52
but Jesus sees the
end from the beginning.
00:26:22.00\00:26:24.96
In every difficulty
He has His way prepared
00:26:25.68\00:26:28.83
to bring relief.
Our heavenly Father
00:26:28.86\00:26:31.87
has a thousand
ways to provide for us,
00:26:31.90\00:26:34.46
of which we know nothing.
00:26:34.49\00:26:36.20
Those who accept the
one principle of making
00:26:36.86\00:26:39.99
the service and
honor of God supreme will
00:26:40.02\00:26:42.96
find perplexities
vanish, and a plain path
00:26:42.99\00:26:46.90
before their feet''.
She is essentially saying
00:26:46.93\00:26:49.01
that worry is blind and
cannot discern the future.
00:26:49.04\00:26:51.85
Now all of us worry on
a day to day basis about
00:26:51.88\00:26:54.49
different things. We
worry about our occupation,
00:26:54.52\00:26:56.32
we worry about our
jobs, we worry about
00:26:56.35\00:26:58.91
our material
positions. But, she says that
00:26:58.94\00:27:00.92
worry is blind and
cannot discern the future.
00:27:00.95\00:27:04.47
But, Jesus sees the
end from the beginning.
00:27:04.50\00:27:07.77
In every difficulty,
he has his way prepared
00:27:07.80\00:27:09.99
to bring relief, and I
like the last part of the
00:27:10.02\00:27:12.01
statement that those
who make the principle
00:27:12.04\00:27:14.62
and service and honor
of God supreme will find
00:27:14.65\00:27:19.32
perplexities vanish,
and a plain path before
00:27:19.35\00:27:23.52
their feet. It's my
prayer for you today
00:27:23.55\00:27:26.36
that you will by
God's grace seek first the
00:27:26.39\00:27:31.08
kingdom of God
and his righteousness.
00:27:31.11\00:27:33.34
That you will
make in the preeminent,
00:27:33.37\00:27:35.09
the antecedent
priority in our life believing
00:27:35.12\00:27:37.86
that you when you do
this things he will provide
00:27:37.89\00:27:40.92
for your daily necessary needs.
00:27:40.95\00:27:43.43
May you by God's
grace place center,
00:27:43.46\00:27:46.68
place Christ at
the center preeminent
00:27:46.85\00:27:49.40
focal point of your life today.
00:27:49.43\00:27:51.95
May God keep you
and bless to that end.
00:27:51.98\00:27:55.03