Hello, I'm Wes McDonald;
I'd like to welcome you to
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today's Faith
Chapel. I have a message from
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God's word for you today.
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But before that shall
we bow our heads in prayer.
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Our Father in
heaven, thank you that we can
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go to your word
and learned from you,
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I pray that you touch
my lips and my heart with
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words from on high.
And that they will be a
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blessing to all
who will view and
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to hear today,
in Jesus name, Amen.
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Our message today is
"Who Are We Preaching
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To Anyway." In the
24th chapter of Matthew
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we find Christ
outlining prophecies that would
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occur in the end
times, things that will occur
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just shortly before
he would return to gather
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the church to take us
up with him to heaven.
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And in every
instance, every single prophecy
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which Christ has
outlined has been
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fulfilled except one,
all of the time prophecies
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have been fulfilled,
every single thing has
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been done there is
only one thing and one thing
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only in all of those
prophecies Matthew 24
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that have not been
fulfilled, only one that
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has not been
fulfilled and that is Matthew 24
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and verse 14. Let's
read Matthew 24 and verse 14,
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I read: And this
gospel of the kingdom shall be
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preached in all the
world for a witness unto all
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the nations; and
then shall the end come.
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Since the time of
Christ until today it has been
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nearly 2000 years and
the disciples preached
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that Christ was returning,
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they preached the
warning message to the world
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to repent and to
accept the gospel,
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to accept salvation.
And this has been going on
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since the time
of Christ until now.
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So, we've been
preaching this to the world for
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2000 years and the
Bible tells us that when
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the world has been
warned, when it has
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been preached to
every nation, kindred,
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tongue and people as a
witness then Jesus comes.
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The question is, don't
you think that if we've
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been doing this for
2000 years roughly that we
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would have
accomplished that goal by now.
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This is an
important question we need to
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ask ourselves, if
we've been preaching it for
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2000 years and if
we haven't accomplished
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it by now the
question is who have we been
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preaching to? Have
we been preaching to the
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right people, have
we been covering all
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of the bases, have
we been going into the
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remotest parts of
the world to preach the
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gospel to people
who have never heard the
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name of Christ or is
it possible maybe we may
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have spent a bit more
time than what was necessary.
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And repeating the same
message to, to ourselves
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or to people who
already know Christ,
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very important question.
In order to answer that,
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I wanna ask you a
question for a moment,
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think of your church
at home and ask yourselves
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this question, who
did your pastor speak to
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last week, was it to
you? Regardless of the
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church, regardless of
the denomination in most
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cases our brightest
and best, our most talented
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people are for
ministry, are preaching week by
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week often times to
people who have already
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heard a salvation
message, who have already heard
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the gospel. So, has
your pastor been doing that
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for the last month,
the last year, the last
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five years, the
last twenty years.
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Have you enjoyed those sermons?
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Has your pastor been
able or been permitted
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to preach to others
as well during that time
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in the same way. In
Revelation 3 and verse 20
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we read: Behold, I
stand at the door and knock.
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If any man hears My
voice and open the door,
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I will come in to
him and sup with him,
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and he with Me. Are
we knocking on doors that
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are already open, you
know Christ tells us that
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if we'll open the
door that implies that the
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door is shut, and
that the heart is closed
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to Christ. When the
heart is open to Christ,
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Christ doesn't have
to knock, he doesn't have
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to knock to get in
because it's open and
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you will let Him in. Is
it possible that we have
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spent entirely too great
a percentage of our time,
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laboring for the
benefit of those who already
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know Christ. I want you
to think for your church
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again for a moment.
Suppose that your pastor
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was sick for a month
and one of your local church
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elders or one of
the church leaders would
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have to preach for
him, maybe visit the sick,
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visit the church
members. How many of your
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baptized born again
church members would
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be lost forever
and not go to heaven,
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because your pastor
would not be able to
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be the one who could
deliver the message in
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the morning or could
not be the one who would
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visit you when you
were ill or could not
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be the one who would do
this pastoral visitation,
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it would have to
be somebody else.
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How many of your
baptized born again
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church members would
be lost if you pastor
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was sick for a
month? Well, you say, well
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of course no one
Wes, but suppose that this
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went on for some
period of time, perhaps a year
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or several years or
worst case scenario suppose
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that every pastor in
your country were locked up
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in jail for preaching
the gospel for five years
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and in some
countries these types of things
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have happened
at different points
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there's been difficulties
for the Christian church
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in places. Under those
most extreme circumstances
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how many of the
baptized born again Christians
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who have a relationship
with Jesus Christ would
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be lost forever
because they would have to hear
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the message from
another person, another
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church leader. I've asked
this question in different
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parts around world
and always the answer has
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been the same,
not one would be lost.
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A more important
question would be though,
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of the thousands
and millions of unsaved
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individuals around
the world who have not had
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the privilege of
hearing the message from your
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pastor for the last
five years how many of them
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might be lost because
his best efforts were made
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on your behalf
rather than theirs.
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Is it possible that
we should begin to focus
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our efforts in a little
bit more constructive way,
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should we as
church members be laboring
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with our pastors in
order to help them to spread
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the message more
effectively rather than
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laboring with our
pastors to spend their
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time with us, is that possible?
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The reason Jesus has
not come back to earth is
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because there are
people who need to be warned,
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the reason Jesus has
not come back to this earth
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after all this period
of time. Is because there
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are still people who
need salvation and who
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need to hear salvation,
everyone must have the
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opportunity to
decide for Christ.
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Otherwise the
devil would accuse Christ
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of being unfair if
He were come back at one
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moment before that.
From 2nd Peter and 3
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and verse 9, let's read
this together 2nd Peter 3
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and verse 9: The Lord
is not slack concerning
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his promise, as some
men account slackness;
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but is long-suffering
to us-ward, not willing
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that any should perish,
but that all should come
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to repentance.
Friends, Jesus wants to come,
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He has wanted to
come before now and
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if we as Christians
both members and ministers,
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pastors alike. If we
had been more efficient,
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more faithful to
deliver the warning message
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to planet earth Christ
would have come long ago.
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We as
Christians understand this,
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to thank that holds back
Christ from coming as His
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desire to save those
that we have not warned yet.
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And so we must
labor in a better way.
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In Christianity we look
to Paul, the Apostle Paul
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as the acknowledged
example for the modern
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minister of today.
Paul's example in the field
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is one that we
are supposed to copy,
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we're supposed to
follow after his example,
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he is the pattern.
What did he write in Romans
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the 15th chapter
verses 20 to 22, let's look at
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this together,
Romans 15 verse 20 to 22:
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"Yea, so I have
strived to preach the gospel,
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not where Christ was
named, lest I should build
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on another man's foundation.
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But as it is
written, To whom he was not
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spoken of, they shall
see: and they that have not
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heard shall
understand. For which cause also
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I have been much
hindered from coming to you.
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Paul is telling these
dear Christian believers
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that he has spent so
much time laboring for the
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lost in areas where
Christ has never even been
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heard of, that he
hasn't been able to come by
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for a visit lately.
Oh! Imagine how that would
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be today in our
setting, this is foreign
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to our thinking, but
friends, this is what
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the Bible says,
this was Paul example
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and this should
be our example too.
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We should love Jesus so
much that we are willing
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to sacrifice a few
things that we treasure so that
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others may live. Why
is it that Christians need
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to hear the same
thing 20 times before the
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world hears it once,
we have a tough question
00:11:12.84\00:11:16.21
to answer. Let's turn
again to our scripture
00:11:16.22\00:11:19.85
and let's read from
Romans the 10th chapter
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verses 13 to 16,
once again we remember
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Paul is our acknowledged
example of the pattern
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for the minister of
today. Romans 10 and verse
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13 to 16: For whosoever
shall call upon the name
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of the Lord shall be
saved? How then shall
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they call on him in
whom they have not believed?
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And how shall they
believe in him of whom
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they have not heard?
And how shall they hear
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without a preacher?
And how shall they preach
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except they be
sent? As it is written,
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How beautiful are the
feet of them that preach
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the gospel of peace,
and bring glad tidings
00:12:03.94\00:12:07.89
of good things! But
they have not all obeyed
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the gospel. For
Esaias saith, Lord, who hath
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believed our report?
The reason they have not
00:12:16.23\00:12:19.62
believed our report
friends is they have not
00:12:19.63\00:12:21.55
heard our report. And
they can't hear our report
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unless a preacher
be sent. You notice the
00:12:24.92\00:12:28.12
preachers have to
be sent not necessarily
00:12:28.13\00:12:30.46
retained all the
time we really must share
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and share a like in
order to accomplish God's will
00:12:33.81\00:12:36.82
for planet earth,
amen. So, then you may ask
00:12:36.83\00:12:41.48
well how are the
churches going to be cared for,
00:12:41.49\00:12:44.68
God loves His
church never forget it.
00:12:44.69\00:12:49.13
The church is
the bride of Christ,
00:12:49.14\00:12:52.03
Christ loves His
bride, the church is the body
00:12:52.04\00:12:54.65
of Christ,
Christ loves His body.
00:12:54.66\00:12:57.11
God loves the
church as much as anything,
00:12:57.12\00:13:01.09
He died to save the church.
00:13:01.10\00:13:03.57
And so he will not
leave the church without
00:13:03.58\00:13:06.73
appropriate care, it
has been given to us in
00:13:06.74\00:13:11.88
scripture exactly
how he plans to do that.
00:13:11.89\00:13:14.58
Again return to
the writings of Luke,
00:13:14.59\00:13:18.21
who is describing
what is going on with Paul,
00:13:18.22\00:13:21.83
we go to Acts the 20th
chapter this time where
00:13:21.84\00:13:25.87
Dr. Luke wrote the
book of Acts about the
00:13:25.88\00:13:28.13
journeys of Paul. We
find that Paul here is on
00:13:28.14\00:13:32.31
his way back to Jerusalem and
00:13:32.32\00:13:34.53
he is passing
through Miletus and he sends
00:13:34.54\00:13:38.99
to his elders of
the church in Ephesus
00:13:39.00\00:13:41.86
and he wants have
a meeting with them
00:13:41.87\00:13:43.47
and give them instructions on
00:13:43.48\00:13:45.02
how to care for the
church. Let's go there
00:13:45.03\00:13:48.26
now to Acts the
20th chapter, we're going
00:13:48.27\00:13:51.05
to be looking at
two verses, verse 17 and
00:13:51.06\00:13:54.22
verse 28 and so, it
says: And from Miletus
00:13:54.23\00:13:58.52
he sent to Ephesus,
and called the elders of
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the church. Who
is it that he called?
00:14:02.14\00:14:04.77
The elders of the
church remember that
00:14:04.78\00:14:08.22
and then he goes
through different instructions
00:14:08.23\00:14:11.34
from this point
down to verse 28.
00:14:11.35\00:14:13.49
But in verse 28, we
find something pertinent
00:14:13.50\00:14:17.08
to our discussion
today. Now, let's go to verse
00:14:17.09\00:14:19.22
28, he is
telling the elders there,
00:14:19.23\00:14:22.67
he is speaking to
the elders he says:
00:14:22.68\00:14:24.91
Take heed
therefore unto yourselves,
00:14:24.92\00:14:28.53
and to all the
flock, over the which the
00:14:28.54\00:14:32.62
Holy Ghost hath
made you overseers,
00:14:32.63\00:14:37.16
to feed the church
of God, which he hath
00:14:37.17\00:14:41.07
purchased with his own blood.
00:14:41.08\00:14:44.52
My question is who is
it that has designated,
00:14:44.53\00:14:49.62
who is it that has
designated that the
00:14:49.63\00:14:52.20
elders be the
overseers over the church,
00:14:52.21\00:14:55.70
who is it? The Bible
says that the Holy Ghost
00:14:55.71\00:14:59.99
has designated the
elders to be the overseers over
00:15:00.00\00:15:03.22
the church, who is it
that is said that it's the
00:15:03.23\00:15:06.91
elders to feed
the Church of God?
00:15:06.92\00:15:10.42
The Bible says that the
Holy Spirit has designated
00:15:10.43\00:15:15.18
that the elders be the
overseers over the church
00:15:15.19\00:15:18.16
and that they are to
feed the Church of God
00:15:18.17\00:15:20.08
which he hath
purchased with his own blood.
00:15:20.09\00:15:23.00
As I read my scripture
I realize that scripture
00:15:24.21\00:15:27.93
warns me very carefully
that it is not very wise
00:15:27.94\00:15:30.83
to argue with the Holy
Spirit. I don't want to
00:15:30.84\00:15:33.50
give any grief to the
Holy Spirit, I don't want
00:15:33.51\00:15:36.04
to grieve the Holy
Spirit, by ignoring what the
00:15:36.05\00:15:38.94
Holy Spirit has said
and the Holy Spirit has
00:15:38.95\00:15:41.13
definitely said the
elders would take care
00:15:41.14\00:15:44.11
of the church, this
maybe new to some of us.
00:15:44.12\00:15:47.25
But nonetheless
it's here in scripture,
00:15:47.26\00:15:50.63
what does Peter
say? Peter says very much
00:15:50.64\00:15:54.13
the same thing let's
turn now to 1st Peter
00:15:54.14\00:15:57.53
chapter 5 and verses 1 and 2.
00:15:57.54\00:16:00.81
And let's read
together: The elders which are
00:16:00.82\00:16:04.12
among you I exhort,
who am also an elder,
00:16:04.13\00:16:07.91
and a witness of the
sufferings of Christ,
00:16:07.92\00:16:11.22
and also a partaker
of the glory that shall
00:16:11.23\00:16:13.83
be revealed: Feed
the flock of God which is
00:16:13.84\00:16:17.73
among you, taking
the oversight thereof,
00:16:17.74\00:16:21.85
not by constraint,
but willingly; not for
00:16:23.26\00:16:28.16
filthy lucre,
but of a ready mind.
00:16:28.17\00:16:31.60
Peter is saying here
that the elders are to feed
00:16:33.12\00:16:36.91
the flock of God and
in many churches today
00:16:36.92\00:16:40.36
this isn't carried
out to the extent that
00:16:40.37\00:16:42.26
it needs to be. But
the elders are definitely
00:16:42.27\00:16:45.38
to take oversight
over the church and to feed
00:16:45.39\00:16:47.51
the Church of God
willingly and not by constraint.
00:16:47.52\00:16:51.74
Let's turn if we
will also to Ephesians the
00:16:51.75\00:16:54.99
4th chapter another
place where we talk about
00:16:55.00\00:16:57.99
leadership in the
church. Ephesians the 4 and
00:16:58.00\00:17:02.09
verse 11 and 12: And
he gave some, apostles;
00:17:02.10\00:17:08.76
and some prophets;
and some evangelists;
00:17:08.77\00:17:13.67
and some pastors and teachers;
00:17:13.68\00:17:15.51
For the
perfecting of the saints,
00:17:15.52\00:17:17.58
for the work of
the ministry, for the
00:17:17.59\00:17:20.01
edifying of the body of Christ.
00:17:20.02\00:17:22.60
And looking at the word
pastors there that's what
00:17:26.92\00:17:29.54
we usually think of as
the leadership of the church
00:17:29.55\00:17:33.22
and then the
sense we think of today.
00:17:33.23\00:17:35.80
As we think of
that we want to see what
00:17:35.81\00:17:38.47
is meant there, in that
passage that word pastors
00:17:38.48\00:17:42.36
as it is translated
there is found one time in the
00:17:42.37\00:17:45.08
New Testament and
we can look at the
00:17:45.09\00:17:48.15
picture here. It's
poimen, that just what it means,
00:17:48.16\00:17:51.69
it literally means a
herdsmen or a shepherd
00:17:51.70\00:17:54.84
and it is metaphorically
used for the overseers
00:17:54.85\00:17:58.74
over the Christian assemblies.
00:17:58.75\00:18:00.84
Elsewhere in 1st
Peter and also in Acts 20
00:18:00.85\00:18:04.40
we find that the
overseers of the Christian
00:18:04.41\00:18:06.69
assemblies
certainly includes the elders,
00:18:06.70\00:18:09.91
in fact it is
specifically pointing to elders.
00:18:09.92\00:18:13.18
And of course Peter
himself was an elder.
00:18:13.19\00:18:16.00
In today's church it
is clear that we have not
00:18:17.13\00:18:21.90
focused as much
attention on the lost as
00:18:21.91\00:18:25.47
we need to. Christ's
command is for us to do
00:18:25.48\00:18:30.85
just that, if we do
not focus our attention
00:18:30.86\00:18:34.18
on the lost then we
delay the coming of Christ.
00:18:34.19\00:18:38.22
Time clicks by, today
in North America there are
00:18:38.23\00:18:43.90
more than 300 million people.
00:18:43.91\00:18:46.52
And every year almost
5 million die annually
00:18:46.53\00:18:51.48
and people are dying
just year by year by year,
00:18:51.49\00:18:56.15
many of these
people. In fact perhaps even
00:18:56.16\00:19:00.26
maybe the majority
do not have the saving
00:19:00.27\00:19:03.92
relationship with
Christ that they need to have.
00:19:03.93\00:19:07.13
And certainly in other
parts of the world where
00:19:07.14\00:19:08.98
they've never heard of
the Christ they can safely
00:19:08.99\00:19:11.24
be said as well. Are
we spending the amount of
00:19:11.25\00:19:14.93
time in our people who
are prepared for ministry,
00:19:14.94\00:19:17.80
our elders, our
church people themselves,
00:19:17.81\00:19:21.01
our ministers, are we
spending the time that
00:19:21.02\00:19:23.94
we need to for the
benefit of the lost
00:19:23.95\00:19:26.49
or have we at times
devoted perhaps too much
00:19:26.50\00:19:30.45
attention for our own benefit.
00:19:30.46\00:19:32.97
These are
questions that are painful
00:19:32.98\00:19:34.92
and we need to
answer them and we need
00:19:34.93\00:19:36.82
to be able to think about that.
00:19:36.83\00:19:38.46
In Luke the 10th
chapter and verse 2 and
00:19:41.64\00:19:45.45
in verse 2 the
Bible tells us this:
00:19:45.46\00:19:48.89
Therefore said he unto them,
00:19:50.81\00:19:52.99
The harvest truly is
great, but the laborers
00:19:53.00\00:19:58.71
are few: pray ye
therefore the Lord
00:19:58.72\00:20:02.29
of the harvest,
that he would send forth
00:20:02.30\00:20:04.18
laborers into his harvest.
00:20:04.19\00:20:08.58
Have you ever dared
to pray that prayer,
00:20:09.53\00:20:13.07
that God would
sent forth laborers into
00:20:13.08\00:20:16.39
his harvest, even if
it meant that you would
00:20:16.40\00:20:20.22
have to do without
them at times, have you ever
00:20:20.23\00:20:23.87
done that? Now, I'm not
talking about the church
00:20:23.88\00:20:27.36
that maybe upset and
ask for God to send some
00:20:27.37\00:20:30.75
leader elsewhere, I'm
not talking about that.
00:20:30.76\00:20:33.01
We're operating under
the, under the assumption
00:20:33.02\00:20:36.19
that we love our
leadership, we love our pastors,
00:20:36.20\00:20:39.07
we love our elders,
we love our deacons.
00:20:39.08\00:20:41.15
Friends, these are
God's men and women
00:20:41.16\00:20:44.52
who have been ordained
by God to reach the lost
00:20:44.53\00:20:48.23
and that is what they
have been called to do in
00:20:48.24\00:20:50.50
addition to
carrying for the church.
00:20:50.51\00:20:52.42
But the church needs
to be a body of workers,
00:20:52.43\00:20:55.53
a body of an army of
workers that surround
00:20:55.54\00:20:58.89
these leaders and
together they go out
00:20:58.90\00:21:00.76
to the field. The church
itself must have a mission;
00:21:00.77\00:21:04.93
the church members
must have a mission for the
00:21:04.94\00:21:07.75
lost so that the
church itself does not become
00:21:07.76\00:21:10.49
the mission of the leaders.
00:21:10.50\00:21:12.90
There's nothing wrong
with leading the church,
00:21:12.91\00:21:15.24
there's nothing
wrong with taking care of
00:21:15.25\00:21:17.05
the church, but as
long as the church itself is
00:21:17.06\00:21:19.47
forward moving and
they are going forward
00:21:19.48\00:21:21.97
onward Christian
soldiers marching off to war
00:21:21.98\00:21:25.07
with the cross of
Jesus. Friends, how is it
00:21:25.08\00:21:28.82
with you, are you
one who are not spending
00:21:28.83\00:21:35.79
the time with
Christ that you need to,
00:21:35.80\00:21:38.12
are you not
preparing yourself for work in
00:21:38.13\00:21:41.18
God's army? Have
you perhaps been very
00:21:41.19\00:21:44.63
comfortable in the pew
and relying upon others
00:21:44.64\00:21:48.44
to do the work of
Christ, have you? I think
00:21:48.45\00:21:52.11
I have at times in the
past that were many years
00:21:52.12\00:21:55.08
ago that I just
would come to church and if
00:21:55.09\00:21:57.63
I didn't like the
sermon well I was upset and
00:21:57.64\00:21:59.49
if I loved it, it was
great but I was just average
00:21:59.50\00:22:02.45
church member went
about my business lived
00:22:02.46\00:22:05.01
good life, but really
wasn't actively involved
00:22:05.02\00:22:07.21
in ministry in
anyway. Every man, every woman
00:22:07.22\00:22:11.88
needs to be a minister
for Christ, have you taken
00:22:11.89\00:22:14.99
that on in your life?
Are you willing to take
00:22:15.00\00:22:18.30
that challenge? We
need to consider that,
00:22:18.31\00:22:21.36
when Christ tells us
here the harvest truly
00:22:21.37\00:22:25.63
is great, but
the laborers are few:
00:22:25.64\00:22:28.52
pray ye therefore
the Lord of the harvest,
00:22:28.53\00:22:31.39
that he would send forth
laborers into his harvest.
00:22:31.40\00:22:35.44
That is a command of
Christ, He's telling us
00:22:35.45\00:22:39.43
specifically what to
pray for, it's hard for your
00:22:39.44\00:22:43.29
heart to not be involved
in something that you're
00:22:43.30\00:22:46.39
specifically praying
for. If you're specifically
00:22:46.40\00:22:49.51
praying for something
your heart will be with it,
00:22:49.52\00:22:52.29
your pocket buck
will be with it, your love
00:22:52.30\00:22:54.60
will be with it, your
influence will be with it,
00:22:54.61\00:22:57.18
everything, your soul,
mind, body will be with it.
00:22:57.19\00:23:00.84
Have you devoted
yourself fully to the
00:23:00.85\00:23:02.98
cause of Christ, are
you praying ardently send
00:23:02.99\00:23:06.57
forth laborers into the
harvest, even if it is me,
00:23:06.58\00:23:10.44
even if it is you,
even if it is your elders,
00:23:10.45\00:23:14.08
even if it is your
pastor, even if it is
00:23:14.09\00:23:17.25
your deacons. Would
you be willing to sacrifice
00:23:17.26\00:23:20.55
their laborers for
the love of the lost,
00:23:20.56\00:23:22.91
so that Jesus can
come soon and we can all go
00:23:22.92\00:23:25.53
to heaven sooner
rather than later?
00:23:25.54\00:23:28.42
Have we been on this
earth too long already?
00:23:28.43\00:23:32.22
Have we been on this
earth too long already
00:23:32.23\00:23:35.35
friends? That's my
question, are you tired
00:23:35.36\00:23:38.96
of living on a
planet where there is not so
00:23:38.97\00:23:42.02
safe to raise
your children? How many
00:23:42.03\00:23:44.49
of your afraid to how
any more children for fear
00:23:44.50\00:23:47.40
of the things
coming upon this earth?
00:23:47.41\00:23:49.26
These are very
real questions and they
00:23:49.27\00:23:50.66
are very, very painful
but that is the reality,
00:23:50.67\00:23:53.44
we don't live on a
safe planet anymore.
00:23:53.45\00:23:56.43
It's not safe even
in the country and the
00:23:56.44\00:23:59.48
disasters that are
coming upon us are the signs
00:23:59.49\00:24:02.10
of the end at this
point friends nothing
00:24:02.11\00:24:06.24
else matters.
The church must have
00:24:06.25\00:24:09.75
a mission, God has
defined what that mission is,
00:24:09.76\00:24:14.47
the mission is the
lost of planet earth.
00:24:14.48\00:24:17.59
Christ commands us to
pray that we send forth
00:24:17.60\00:24:20.68
laborers into the
harvest where will we get them,
00:24:20.69\00:24:23.88
how will we pay for
them? These are questions
00:24:23.89\00:24:27.28
we must answer,
we must pray for,
00:24:27.29\00:24:30.00
and we must plan
for. Christ demands it,
00:24:30.01\00:24:33.07
He has given us
command, would you be willing to
00:24:33.08\00:24:36.83
commit your life
to service for Christ?
00:24:36.84\00:24:40.51
Would you do as
President Kennedy
00:24:40.52\00:24:45.13
suggested many
years ago in a speech:
00:24:45.14\00:24:48.64
Ask not what your
country can do for you rather
00:24:48.65\00:24:53.15
ask what you can
do for your country.
00:24:53.16\00:24:55.69
Would we like to
rephrase it today and
00:24:55.70\00:24:58.64
say ask not what your
church can do for you,
00:24:58.65\00:25:01.81
ask what you can
do for your church,
00:25:01.82\00:25:04.58
ask not what your
pastor or elders or deacons
00:25:04.59\00:25:07.89
can do for you, but
ask what you can do for
00:25:07.90\00:25:10.88
your pastor, your
elders and your deacons to help
00:25:10.89\00:25:13.67
them to move the
church into unreached areas.
00:25:13.68\00:25:17.36
To go where the name
of Christ has never gone,
00:25:17.37\00:25:20.06
to go out and to
evangelize the world
00:25:20.07\00:25:22.08
and your neighborhood
and the place across town
00:25:22.09\00:25:25.02
where there are no
churches with truth.
00:25:25.03\00:25:27.27
Are you willing to
commit yourselves to that?
00:25:27.28\00:25:30.50
Christ's love for the
lost demands that we do
00:25:31.55\00:25:36.02
just that. Friends,
I believe that we need
00:25:36.03\00:25:41.77
to make those
the matter of prayer,
00:25:41.78\00:25:43.81
when God's people,
when God's people pray
00:25:43.82\00:25:47.97
things happen. If my
people who are called
00:25:47.98\00:25:52.02
by my name will
humble themselves,
00:25:52.03\00:25:54.03
and pray God will hear
from heaven and He will
00:25:54.04\00:25:58.45
answer our prayers.
Friends, today let's
00:25:58.46\00:26:03.20
pray for the outpouring
of the Holy Spirit upon
00:26:03.21\00:26:06.54
His church, let's pray
for the out Holy Spirit,
00:26:06.55\00:26:09.88
for the
outpouring of the Holy Spirit
00:26:09.89\00:26:11.47
be upon our
pastors. Let's pray for the
00:26:11.48\00:26:14.11
outpouring of the Holy
Spirit to be on our elders
00:26:14.12\00:26:16.91
and on our deacons
on every church member
00:26:16.92\00:26:19.26
so that we are transformed into
00:26:19.27\00:26:22.06
a working body that
will not be satisfied to sit
00:26:22.07\00:26:25.14
in a pew and expect
for our best leaders
00:26:25.15\00:26:29.99
to wait upon us. But
rather we will empower
00:26:30.00\00:26:32.66
them and we will
follow them to reach the
00:26:32.67\00:26:35.26
lost for Christ. Would
you do that with me just
00:26:35.27\00:26:38.58
now dear friends?
Would you ask for the
00:26:38.59\00:26:41.13
outpouring of the Holy
Spirit and would you pray
00:26:41.14\00:26:43.76
for the Lord of the
harvest to send forth
00:26:43.77\00:26:45.53
reapers to his
harvest? Let's pray.
00:26:45.54\00:26:48.95
Father in Heaven,
we're a disobedient people
00:26:48.96\00:26:54.12
it is our prayer
today that you will help us
00:26:54.13\00:26:57.78
to reform into the
people you want us to be.
00:26:57.79\00:27:00.44
That we'll be men
and women for Christ,
00:27:00.45\00:27:02.82
each one to stand
strong who will not need
00:27:02.83\00:27:06.23
to be supportive,
but will support others,
00:27:06.24\00:27:08.61
that we will not ask
what the church can do for us.
00:27:08.62\00:27:11.13
But we can do for
the church for the sake
00:27:11.14\00:27:13.44
of Christ and for
the sake of the lost.
00:27:13.45\00:27:16.03
Lord send forth
laborers into the harvest,
00:27:16.04\00:27:19.06
whether it would be
ourselves or our leaders
00:27:19.07\00:27:21.49
or our pastors or whoever.
So, that Jesus can come,
00:27:21.50\00:27:25.13
we pray in Jesus name, amen.
00:27:25.14\00:27:28.92
What a privilege it is
to be able to be called
00:27:30.27\00:27:34.12
a Christian. What
an honor that Christ
00:27:34.13\00:27:37.95
has placed upon us.
I wanna stand strong
00:27:37.96\00:27:42.69
and tall in that honor,
I want to be faithful to
00:27:42.70\00:27:45.90
the high calling that
God has given to me and
00:27:45.91\00:27:48.71
I know you do too.
Friends, day by day,
00:27:48.72\00:27:52.24
let's commit our lives to Him
00:27:52.25\00:27:53.81
and Jesus will come soon.
00:27:53.82\00:27:56.06