Hello, friends my
name is Michael Kontes,
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and I wanna welcome
you to Faith Chapel.
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Today we're gonna talk
about being duty bound,
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but first let us pray.
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Father, we come to thee now.
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And we thank thee
for the opportunity
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of being able to break
open the bread of life.
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Help us to look at
this story and to realize
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that nothing is more
important than for us
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to do your will,
in Jesus name, Amen.
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In the operating
room of a large hospital,
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a young nurse was
completing her first full day
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of responsibilities.
You've removed eleven sponges
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doctor, she said to the surgeon.
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We use 12, I removed
them all declared the doctor,
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we'll close the incision now.
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No, no, no, the nurse
objected, we use 12 sponges
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I'll take full
responsibility, nurse.
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The surgeon, said
Grimly, you can't do
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that blaze the
nurse, that's wrong,
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that's not
right, that's unethical,
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that is wrong
sir. The surgeon smiled
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and lifted up his
foot and showed the nurse
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the 12th sponge,
and said you will do,
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you will do. There are times
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when God calls us to
fulfill our duty to him,
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though the whole
world around us is
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calling for us to do otherwise.
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Today, I'd like for
us to open up our Bibles
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and go to the Book of Exodus.
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And look at a story
that reveals an individual,
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one of God's heroes,
one of his champions,
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someone who would
not let any relationship
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specifically,
especially in this story
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interfere with
doing the will of God.
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Exodus chapter
32, let us turn to the
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Book of Exodus,
"And it came to pass,
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as soon as he came
nigh unto the camp,
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that he saw the
calf, and the dancing:
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and Moses' anger waxed hot,
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and he cast the
tables out of his hands
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and break them
beneath the mount."
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Now, friends there's
many things we can talk
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about in this passage,
we can talk about dancing,
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and breaking things, but
specifically I want to share
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with you today,
Moses' duty to God
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came first even
before his relationship
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to his brother. You see,
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Moses had put
Aaron incharge while he
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was up in the mount.
And while up at the mount,
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the people got
restless, they came
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to Aaron, they did not know what
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happened to this leader Moses,
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and Aaron believing that Moses,
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Moses' government
and the way Moses treated
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the people might have
been a little bit too harsh,
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he decided to institute
a new type of leadership,
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one that would
give into the people,
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in turn he asked
for their jewelry
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and lo and behold,
they're dancing around the
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graven image. "A
Christian must be willing
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to stand alone,
if called so by God.
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Now, I wanna read
to you a quote from a
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19 century Christian writer,
some of you have heard it,
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but there is one
line I especially want us
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to focus on it and that
is, I will highlight it for us.
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That, the quote comes
from Signs of the Times.
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It reads, "The
greatest want of this age
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is the want of
men. Men who are not
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bought or sold. Men who are true
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and honest in
their inmost souls.
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Men who will not
fear to called sin
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by its right name.
Now, I'm gonna highlight
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the next line here that we
don't find 'cause there is,
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these, this, this
quote floats around in
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many different
forms, but I found this one
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and this blew me
away the next sentence.
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It says, Men who will
not fear to call sin by
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its right name and
condemn it, in themselves
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and others. And then
it goes on, men whose
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conscience is as true
to duty as neither to the
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pole, men who will
stand for the right
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though the
heavens fall." You see,
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what made Moses
distinct and what made
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him a Bible
champion is that Moses was
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not only able to
condemn sin in himself,
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but he was able
to condemn sin around
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the people that he also loved.
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This is very
difficult in the day and age
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that we're living in
today because if you go
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forth to a family
member, a brother or sister
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in the church and we
begin to share things
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that need to be
called out, automatically
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we look like we're
judging, and we're condemning,
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and we are the, we
work for the accused
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of the brethren, but
literally the Bible shows
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us many instances
where people have been
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able to walk up and
call sin by its right name.
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Nathan walking up
to David and saying,
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you're the man,
here we notice that Moses
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was able to come
down and go forth
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to the children of
Israel and be able to stand
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forth and call
sin by its right name.
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Now, notice a
Christian should never
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put any
relationship in front of his
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or her
relationship to God or in front
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of their duty to
God. Matthew chapter 10,
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in the gospel of
Matthew chapter 10 verse 37,
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we read, "He that
loveth father or mother
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more than Me is
not worthy of Me;
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and he that loveth
son or daughter more than
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Me is not worthy of
Me." Friends we can add on
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this point not just mother
and son, father, daughter,
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but we could add brother
and sister to this point.
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There should be no
earthly relationship that,
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that becomes first in our
lives, than the relationship
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with our heavenly Father.
Now, a point I would like
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to bring out at
this time is, notice in
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this story nowhere,
where? Nowhere in this story,
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does it say that
Moses had to have a prayer
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before he did his
action here on Sinai.
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Basically what I'm
saying is when Moses
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came down from Sinai? He
didn't have to get on his
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hands and knees and
say, Oh! Lord what do you
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want me to do? I don't
know how to deal with this
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and so on.
Sometimes, sometimes friends
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we need to do what is
the right thing to do.
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Meaning simple
things are simply done,
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the reason why
Moses was able to do
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what he did is
because, he didn't have prayer
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just every so often he
was consistently in prayer
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and knew what
God wanted him to do.
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Now, also let me
clarify and illustrate,
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if my son is playing
out in the street in front
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of my house. And
I see a semi truck
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driving down the street.
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Please forgive me
friends, but I'm not
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gonna get on my hands
and knees and pray and ask
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God, if God wants me
to go grab my son or not.
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I don't think any of
you would do that either.
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There are some things
that are absolutely blatant
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in the word of
God. For example, in the
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first chapter of
Isaiah, the Israelites
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are bringing sacrifices,
they're celebrating festivals
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and God says to them,
I detest your festivals,
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what happened to the
homeless and the orphans?
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What are you doing to them?
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Kind of like I should
say good point now is,
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the Good Samaritan.
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Here someone was
wounded on, an Israelite
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on the side of the
road, did anyone really need
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to have prayer to
go help that brother?
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Or the Good
Samaritan in that story who
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represents Jesus came
straight over to help.
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Simple things are simple to do.
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We must be duty bound to God.
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Now, I would like to
go further on in the story
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now and see certain
things that Moses said
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to his brother Aaron,
and how Aaron replied.
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"And Moses said to
Aaron, What did this people
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unto thee that thou
hast brought so great a sin
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upon them? And Aaron
said, Let not the anger
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of my Lord wax hot:
thou knowest the people,
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that they are set on mischief.
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For they said
unto me make us Gods,
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which shall go before
us for as for this Moses,
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the man that brought us
out of the land of Egypt,
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we wot not, what
has become of him.
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And I said unto them,
Whosoever hath any gold,
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let them break it
off. So, they will,
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so they gave it me,
then I cast it into the fire,
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poof there came out this calf."
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Friends, this is so cheesy.
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In fact, let me say that
this is Pizza Hut cheesy.
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This isn't a small cheese
pizza, this isn't a medium
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cheese pizza, this
isn't a large cheese pizza
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that Aaron said. This is
a party size, extra large,
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cheese pizza with
cheese in the crust.
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What kind of
excuse is that Aaron said,
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poof all of a sudden
this calf just came out?
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Like Aaron's hands did
not fashion it, like Aaron
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did not spend time
fashioning this calf into
00:11:05.27\00:11:09.38
the God of the Egyptian Gods.
00:11:09.41\00:11:11.56
Friends, I want to
share something with you.
00:11:11.59\00:11:15.11
Sometimes, yes, it is
difficult to stand up alone,
00:11:15.14\00:11:20.60
but ultimately for a Christian.
00:11:20.63\00:11:22.69
The Christian is never
alone, anytime a Christian
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takes a stand for
God. God is there with him,
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with her, giving them
the strength to stand.
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I would like to share
an experience with you.
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When I first became
a Christian in 1996,
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after I was baptized,
maybe after, right be, a little
00:11:39.20\00:11:42.18
bit before I was baptized.
00:11:42.21\00:11:43.71
And one of my
supervisors, I worked at UPS,
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and one my
supervisors, where he was at UPS
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now for 8 or 9
years and I was one of the
00:11:48.83\00:11:51.09
top guys on my
shift with seniority.
00:11:51.12\00:11:52.72
And during this time, my
supervisor came over to me.
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Now, I wanna
share with you, I'm, I'm
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from Greek descent,
which means wherever I
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go I share things.
Before I was a Christian
00:12:00.74\00:12:03.19
I shared about
the Dallas Cowboys
00:12:03.22\00:12:05.08
and bass fishing.
Now, that I'm a Christian,
00:12:05.11\00:12:07.39
I share about
Jesus and bass fishing.
00:12:07.42\00:12:10.17
Somethings don't
change, but I share with you,
00:12:10.20\00:12:12.16
when I work there
UPS, supervisor came over
00:12:12.19\00:12:14.56
to me one day
said, Mike we want you
00:12:14.59\00:12:17.16
to stop talking about
Jesus during the shift.
00:12:17.19\00:12:19.75
This, we don't
want you to do this,
00:12:19.78\00:12:22.25
you're talking
about spiritual things and
00:12:22.28\00:12:24.47
because you're
talking about spiritual things
00:12:24.50\00:12:26.26
we can't have that on the shift.
00:12:26.29\00:12:28.47
Now, friends
pardon me, but once again
00:12:28.50\00:12:31.78
I didn't going to
prayer at this time.
00:12:31.81\00:12:34.22
God wants me to talk about God.
00:12:34.25\00:12:36.01
And I told my
supervisor, I go brother,
00:12:36.04\00:12:38.06
if Jack can talk about
the 49ers and Steve Young
00:12:38.09\00:12:42.34
or if Simon can talk
about the St. Louis Cardinals,
00:12:42.37\00:12:47.23
I can talk about
Jesus and that's how that's,
00:12:47.26\00:12:50.21
that's how it's gonna be?
00:12:50.24\00:12:52.44
My supervisor
looked at me, kind of
00:12:52.47\00:12:55.27
squinted and
said, okay, that's fine.
00:12:55.30\00:12:57.46
No talking for
anyone, a moratorium.
00:12:57.49\00:13:01.61
That lasted the big 2½ hours.
00:13:01.64\00:13:05.04
Afterwards he came
and pulled aside and said,
00:13:05.07\00:13:08.49
Mike, okay do me a favor.
00:13:08.52\00:13:10.26
And if you're
gonna talk about Jesus,
00:13:10.29\00:13:11.95
talk about Jesus
so your, your hands
00:13:11.98\00:13:14.50
are not always in it,
talking with your hands.
00:13:14.53\00:13:16.58
Now remember I'm Greek,
00:13:16.61\00:13:17.79
and sometimes my hands go up.
00:13:17.82\00:13:19.56
And I said, I can
deal with that statement.
00:13:19.59\00:13:22.41
Friends, even at the workplace,
00:13:22.44\00:13:25.36
there are times
when God calls us to
00:13:25.39\00:13:27.19
exclaim his praise
and when he calls us
00:13:27.22\00:13:30.45
to show his glory to others.
00:13:30.48\00:13:33.07
In words, as well as deeds.
00:13:33.10\00:13:35.89
Now, I wanna share with
you, it's very difficult
00:13:35.92\00:13:37.93
because for some
people this is difficult
00:13:37.96\00:13:40.94
for the mere fact
that they don't know
00:13:40.97\00:13:44.31
when they should do this.
00:13:44.34\00:13:46.02
At this point you have
to led by the Holy Spirit
00:13:46.05\00:13:48.73
and know when
it's the right time,
00:13:48.76\00:13:50.31
and when it's
not the right time.
00:13:50.34\00:13:51.92
When is the Holy
Spirit leading you, and then
00:13:51.95\00:13:53.70
when it's your
flesh leading you.
00:13:53.73\00:13:54.70
Because, yes, I can
say, there were times
00:13:54.71\00:13:56.85
when I wanted to
stand up for God and I did
00:13:56.88\00:13:58.50
stand for God.
And when I stood up,
00:13:58.53\00:14:00.41
it was because of,
you could call it my own
00:14:00.44\00:14:02.31
self righteousness so to speak.
00:14:02.34\00:14:05.93
I wanted to
proclaim God when once again
00:14:05.96\00:14:07.98
when I'm the only,
I'm the only Christian
00:14:08.01\00:14:10.21
in my family,
Adventist Christian.
00:14:10.24\00:14:11.94
And when I first
became the Adventist Christian
00:14:11.97\00:14:14.77
I would go to my
family and all my goodness,
00:14:14.80\00:14:16.84
I would tell
them so many things,
00:14:16.87\00:14:18.64
I fed them so much you know,
00:14:18.67\00:14:21.13
most people they sit
down to dinner, they just have
00:14:21.16\00:14:22.76
a couple things
for dinner, I fed them
00:14:22.79\00:14:24.38
30 course
meals, spiritual meals.
00:14:24.41\00:14:27.34
Not knowing when to stop.
00:14:27.37\00:14:29.42
There are times when God
also tells us to sit down,
00:14:29.45\00:14:34.50
be quite and be still and
listen to his voice, Amen.
00:14:34.53\00:14:37.90
We have to be able to
discern when he's calling us
00:14:37.93\00:14:41.55
to speak for him,
and when he's calling us
00:14:41.58\00:14:44.80
to listen to him.
Now, notice in the story,
00:14:44.83\00:14:49.45
Moses said, what
did you do to this,
00:14:49.48\00:14:54.65
to these people
that you made them sin?
00:14:54.68\00:14:57.38
Notice how serious
Moses took his duty.
00:14:57.41\00:15:01.08
Moses took his duty to appoint
00:15:01.11\00:15:05.78
where he would not
allow the relationship
00:15:05.81\00:15:09.79
with his brother to
interfere with what God
00:15:09.82\00:15:14.04
wanted from his people.
00:15:14.07\00:15:15.70
Now, some of us with
our family and friends
00:15:16.92\00:15:19.70
we give in, when
they come around to us
00:15:19.73\00:15:22.10
and they, they
share things with us.
00:15:22.13\00:15:25.40
And we kind of
give in and we break
00:15:25.43\00:15:27.88
and then we
compromise our own beliefs.
00:15:27.91\00:15:29.58
And in turn when we
compromise our own beliefs.
00:15:29.61\00:15:32.51
We in turn walk away
sad and feeling guilty
00:15:34.74\00:15:38.29
that when we
should have stood for God.
00:15:38.32\00:15:39.95
I remember, once again
my own personal experience.
00:15:40.76\00:15:46.90
When I was first a
Christian and I was
00:15:46.93\00:15:51.42
studying all the truths
that the Bible had to say,
00:15:51.45\00:15:53.65
I was wanting to take
my children to church,
00:15:53.68\00:15:56.51
and my wife was going to a
00:15:56.54\00:16:00.22
different church at the time.
00:16:00.25\00:16:01.45
We were both going
to a different church,
00:16:01.48\00:16:03.19
but then as I
started gravitating over
00:16:03.22\00:16:05.67
to the advent
message. My wife didn't
00:16:05.70\00:16:09.61
like that too
much in the beginning.
00:16:09.64\00:16:11.30
And I remember we
had a discussion one
00:16:11.33\00:16:13.87
Saturday morning. And I
told that I'm gonna take
00:16:13.90\00:16:17.49
the kids to church
and she looked at me
00:16:17.52\00:16:19.21
and she said, you're
not gonna take the kids
00:16:19.24\00:16:20.94
to church. And I said,
I'm gonna take the kids
00:16:20.97\00:16:22.58
to church. She was,
no you're not gonna take
00:16:22.61\00:16:24.27
the kids to
church. I said, I'm going
00:16:24.30\00:16:26.14
to take my kids to
church, I have never
00:16:26.17\00:16:27.90
stopped you from
taking the kids to
00:16:27.93\00:16:29.62
your church, which
was my church at one time.
00:16:29.65\00:16:32.31
And I'm not gonna
have you tell me that
00:16:32.34\00:16:34.92
I can't take my kids
to the church that I'm
00:16:34.95\00:16:37.83
going to now. I wanna
share something with you.
00:16:37.86\00:16:40.92
Because I took
that stand, my wife
00:16:40.95\00:16:44.43
started studying out
the things that I was
00:16:44.46\00:16:46.97
studying and seven months later,
00:16:47.00\00:16:49.88
she realized that the things
00:16:49.91\00:16:52.30
that I was studying
was Biblically grounded
00:16:52.33\00:16:54.67
and founded. That they were true
00:16:54.70\00:16:56.69
and because I took my
stand and was so firm,
00:16:56.72\00:17:01.59
she realized that
she herself had to make
00:17:01.62\00:17:06.94
decisions that God
wanted her to make.
00:17:06.97\00:17:08.65
Now, sometimes there
is also horror stories.
00:17:10.27\00:17:11.24
And so I wanted to
share with you once
00:17:13.60\00:17:15.33
more that it must
be, you must know when
00:17:15.36\00:17:18.45
God is calling you
to put your foot down
00:17:18.48\00:17:20.88
and not put your foot down.
00:17:20.91\00:17:23.01
There are many
stories in the Bible of people
00:17:23.04\00:17:25.72
being able to stand alone.
00:17:25.75\00:17:27.28
In the Book of
Samuel, we see that here
00:17:27.31\00:17:30.48
the Philistines had
surrounded the camp.
00:17:30.51\00:17:33.50
Here the
Philistines were mocking Israel
00:17:33.53\00:17:37.66
and no one; no one
was willing to take
00:17:37.69\00:17:40.76
a stand. So, what God had
to do, is God had to bring
00:17:40.79\00:17:44.85
forth a young lad
by the name of David,
00:17:44.88\00:17:48.33
who would not worry
about how tall Goliath.
00:17:48.36\00:17:51.60
was? Or how strong Goliath. was?
00:17:51.63\00:17:55.68
Or would he even be successful.
00:17:55.71\00:17:59.76
All David worried
about, is that Goliath
00:17:59.79\00:18:03.68
was basically
talking down to Israel,
00:18:03.71\00:18:09.30
basically
blaspheming the God of heaven
00:18:09.33\00:18:11.80
and David wanted
to stand up for God.
00:18:11.83\00:18:15.76
In fact David's
brothers couldn't even stand
00:18:15.79\00:18:18.67
that he was there.
And he basically hadn't
00:18:18.70\00:18:21.04
even put his brothers in
check and when his brothers
00:18:21.07\00:18:22.95
didn't want him to
stand up against Goliath.
00:18:22.98\00:18:25.19
David stood still
up to Goliath, why?
00:18:25.22\00:18:30.34
Because at this
point in David's history,
00:18:30.37\00:18:33.18
David was duty
bound, David was willing
00:18:33.21\00:18:37.61
to do God's will,
he was duty bound.
00:18:37.64\00:18:40.92
Are you duty bound?
Are you duty bound in home?
00:18:40.95\00:18:45.97
Are you duty bound at church?
00:18:46.00\00:18:49.72
Are you duty
bound at work? I believe
00:18:49.75\00:18:56.96
that God is calling
us to be duty bound.
00:18:56.99\00:19:01.58
Not to
necessarily run people over,
00:19:01.61\00:19:04.37
we're to love people
more than we love ourselves,
00:19:04.40\00:19:07.66
but God is calling us
through Christian divine
00:19:07.69\00:19:14.41
infused love, to
be able to show people
00:19:14.44\00:19:18.18
what it means to serve
God. Even under very tough
00:19:18.21\00:19:20.75
circumstances. Once
again while I was working at
00:19:20.78\00:19:25.83
United Parcel
Service, I was baptized
00:19:25.86\00:19:28.08
and I was changing shifts.
00:19:28.11\00:19:30.70
And as I was
changing shifts I went from a
00:19:30.73\00:19:33.40
twilight shift
to a pre-load shift,
00:19:33.43\00:19:35.37
which means I'll be
working in the mornings now.
00:19:35.40\00:19:37.91
And this was
supposed to take place after
00:19:37.94\00:19:40.21
my baptism, after
baptism I went up to
00:19:40.24\00:19:42.45
Black Hills, a school
of evangelism for a month
00:19:42.48\00:19:45.32
to be trained and
how to do evangelism and
00:19:45.35\00:19:47.28
by the time I was
coming back from Black Hills,
00:19:47.31\00:19:49.17
I was supposed to be
on the pre-load shifts.
00:19:49.20\00:19:52.31
Well, when I came
back lo and behold
00:19:52.34\00:19:54.86
paperwork fell through and
as the paperwork fell through.
00:19:54.89\00:19:58.35
My supervisor called me
and said, Mike we need you
00:19:58.38\00:20:01.42
on this Friday, we
need you to be able to,
00:20:01.45\00:20:03.91
you know, we
haven't your shift yet.
00:20:03.94\00:20:06.84
So, you need to come
in to work. And I told my
00:20:06.87\00:20:08.49
supervisor I said, you
know, John I'll be more than
00:20:08.52\00:20:11.79
happy to coming to
work, but you know,
00:20:11.82\00:20:14.08
right before sun down
happens I just want to
00:20:14.11\00:20:16.28
let you know, that I'm
done working for the day.
00:20:16.31\00:20:19.06
The situation has
taken place, I was promised,
00:20:19.09\00:20:20.98
I was promised that I
would be switched that
00:20:21.01\00:20:23.74
I would not have this
problem, I have shared with
00:20:23.77\00:20:25.71
everyone here in
this organization.
00:20:25.74\00:20:27.46
I've had with the hub
manager, I have shared
00:20:27.49\00:20:30.23
with him my convictions
about keeping the Sabbath
00:20:30.26\00:20:32.40
and I need to take
my stand on this, and I
00:20:32.43\00:20:34.46
cannot vary from this.
He says, well let me see
00:20:34.49\00:20:38.48
what I can do, are you
sure that that's really
00:20:38.51\00:20:40.52
what you want to say,
and what you really you know,
00:20:40.55\00:20:42.46
how you feel? And I
said, yeah that is how what,
00:20:42.49\00:20:45.05
how I feel and you
can share that with anyone
00:20:45.08\00:20:48.01
who needs to know
that? I'm willing to come in,
00:20:48.04\00:20:49.85
I'm willing to work,
but I'm not willing to break
00:20:49.88\00:20:52.19
my principles in this area.
00:20:52.22\00:20:53.86
I'm committed to God
and I'm committed to God
00:20:53.89\00:20:56.90
first before I'm committed
to United Parcel Service.
00:20:56.93\00:20:59.26
He came back to me
and he said you know,
00:21:01.17\00:21:02.51
Mike, we can
facilitate that for you,
00:21:02.54\00:21:06.41
we'd like for you to come
in, in five minutes before
00:21:06.44\00:21:09.28
sun down takes place
we're more than happy to
00:21:09.31\00:21:11.31
let you go because
the, the, the paperwork
00:21:11.34\00:21:14.12
has fallen through, it
was not your fault, it was
00:21:14.15\00:21:16.48
our fault. And in fact
friends I wanna share with you,
00:21:16.51\00:21:19.36
you guys, you will laugh
as I share this with you,
00:21:19.39\00:21:21.52
you'll see how
good God is? As I share
00:21:21.55\00:21:26.53
this with the supervisor,
and he came back to me.
00:21:26.56\00:21:28.68
I went and talk to the
manager about my religious
00:21:28.71\00:21:32.75
convictions for 45
minutes. I was able to share
00:21:32.78\00:21:37.54
my convictions,
and he was blown away.
00:21:37.57\00:21:40.40
You see, because I took a stand.
00:21:40.43\00:21:42.46
God was able to
take that situation
00:21:42.49\00:21:47.04
and allow others to
say, what's going on in
00:21:47.07\00:21:50.19
this guy's life? I
want to talk to him
00:21:50.22\00:21:52.30
and see what's taking place.
00:21:52.33\00:21:53.88
There are many
people I can share with you,
00:21:53.91\00:21:56.16
there are many
people at your work,
00:21:56.19\00:21:58.36
at your church,
maybe even in your home,
00:21:58.39\00:22:03.79
maybe you have a
spouse that's not a believer
00:22:03.82\00:22:07.06
or children that
are not believers.
00:22:07.09\00:22:12.00
And they're
observing and watching and
00:22:12.03\00:22:15.30
evaluating and
analyzing, is mom, is dad,
00:22:15.33\00:22:20.73
and are they true to
their religious convictions.
00:22:20.76\00:22:23.36
And sometimes our
children and ours spouses,
00:22:23.39\00:22:25.15
our family and
friends will push us
00:22:25.18\00:22:27.83
and not just to see
will we hold steadfast
00:22:27.86\00:22:33.41
to the principles that
we exclaim from our lips.
00:22:33.44\00:22:36.42
Or will we falter
and crumble understand.
00:22:36.45\00:22:40.32
Anytime that we
take a stand for God.
00:22:40.35\00:22:44.80
Once again, the
principle God says in
00:22:44.83\00:22:47.51
First Samuel 2:30, "I
will honor them that honor me."
00:22:47.54\00:22:50.67
God will honor us.
David took a stand against
00:22:50.70\00:22:55.63
Goliath and God honored him.
00:22:55.66\00:22:58.83
Moses took stand
with his brother,
00:23:01.19\00:23:03.68
God honored him.
00:23:03.71\00:23:06.67
Aaron did not have the
same disposition as Moses.
00:23:07.64\00:23:10.32
Aaron was more
giving, we know that from
00:23:10.35\00:23:13.19
other stories in the
Bible because his two sons,
00:23:13.22\00:23:15.59
he allowed his
two sons to get away
00:23:15.62\00:23:17.71
with terrible tragedies
there in the sanctuary.
00:23:17.74\00:23:21.23
So, this was a
common thread with Aaron,
00:23:21.26\00:23:23.80
but I believe that
God was giving Aaron
00:23:25.76\00:23:28.72
the opportunity
to watch his brother
00:23:28.75\00:23:31.15
and to admire his
brother and to say
00:23:31.18\00:23:34.39
that's a part of my
brother's personality
00:23:34.42\00:23:36.79
that I want to be able
to incorporate through the
00:23:36.82\00:23:38.70
grace of Christ. All of
us are make differently,
00:23:38.73\00:23:41.65
all of us have are made
up with different fibers,
00:23:41.68\00:23:44.72
so of speak, a
different DNA, but you know,
00:23:44.75\00:23:48.21
when I come across
someone who makes me
00:23:48.24\00:23:51.75
stand back and
take a look and see that
00:23:51.78\00:23:57.36
they are honoring
God in a special way.
00:23:57.39\00:23:59.23
I pray to God and I say God,
00:23:59.26\00:24:02.35
I would like to see
this characteristics
00:24:02.38\00:24:07.20
that Larry has or
that Ben has or that
00:24:07.23\00:24:12.85
Sandy has. I'd like
to see you cultivate that
00:24:12.88\00:24:16.35
characteristic in
my life. Now, when that
00:24:16.38\00:24:18.72
takes place,
friends. God's gonna put
00:24:18.75\00:24:21.69
you in situations that
are gonna absolutely against
00:24:21.72\00:24:24.72
what your natural
inclination is to do.
00:24:24.75\00:24:26.52
So, if you want
to be bold for God,
00:24:26.55\00:24:29.08
and you're praying
God, help me to be more,
00:24:29.11\00:24:30.95
help me to be, I wanna
be more bolder for you.
00:24:30.98\00:24:33.95
I want to be
able to stand for you.
00:24:33.98\00:24:36.17
God's gonna put you in
situations, he is gonna
00:24:36.20\00:24:38.70
put you in your
spiritual Sinai's.
00:24:38.73\00:24:40.66
So, that you can take a stand.
00:24:40.69\00:24:42.44
And sometimes that will
be a stand to your husband,
00:24:42.47\00:24:46.24
to your wife, to your
children to your church pastor,
00:24:46.27\00:24:50.77
elder, whoever?
And if we continue to
00:24:50.80\00:24:57.36
pray that prayer, God
will continue to bring
00:24:57.39\00:24:59.83
that test around till
we have completely leaned
00:24:59.86\00:25:04.15
on his strength and
we are able to stand up
00:25:04.18\00:25:08.21
boldly for God, amen.
00:25:08.24\00:25:10.83
Now, as we're
closing I would like to share
00:25:10.86\00:25:15.46
with you a quote from
one of my favorite authors,
00:25:15.49\00:25:19.04
on Aaron and on
Moses on this situation.
00:25:19.07\00:25:21.66
Aaron had thought
that Moses had been too
00:25:23.33\00:25:25.47
unyielding to the
wishes of the people.
00:25:25.50\00:25:28.19
He thought that if
Moses had been less firm,
00:25:28.22\00:25:32.44
less decided at
times, and that if he had
00:25:32.47\00:25:36.71
compromise with the people
and gratified their wishes,
00:25:36.74\00:25:42.31
he would have had less trouble,
00:25:42.34\00:25:46.27
and there would
have been more peace
00:25:46.30\00:25:48.36
and more harmony
in the camp of Israel.
00:25:48.39\00:25:52.23
Do you see friends
that we can never ever,
00:25:54.70\00:25:58.76
ever compromise being firm
00:25:58.79\00:26:03.02
and unyielding for
God? God calls us to stand,
00:26:03.05\00:26:08.57
stand straight, firm
strong, and confidently for him.
00:26:08.60\00:26:18.27
Not weak, not
wavering like a reed,
00:26:18.30\00:26:22.48
and not giving in to
what the people around
00:26:22.51\00:26:25.66
us might think. We
are living in what I
00:26:25.69\00:26:31.07
believe the Bible
calls the final days,
00:26:31.10\00:26:33.56
the last days. I
believe that we are in
00:26:33.59\00:26:36.26
the toenails of the
image of Daniel chapter 2,
00:26:36.29\00:26:40.21
and because we are
living in these times
00:26:40.24\00:26:43.05
there are people
thirsting, hungry,
00:26:43.08\00:26:48.99
starving to look at
someone who will take a stand
00:26:49.02\00:26:56.22
for God. Because many times,
00:26:56.25\00:26:59.02
when they see
someone taking a stand,
00:26:59.05\00:27:01.81
they are able to feel
inspired and encouraged
00:27:01.84\00:27:05.32
and strengthened to
take their stand for God.
00:27:05.35\00:27:09.43
So, what happens is we
as a church collectively,
00:27:09.46\00:27:13.72
corporately need to take
our stand on God's principles.
00:27:13.75\00:27:18.22
As individuals we
need to take our stand on
00:27:18.25\00:27:21.18
God's principles,
and not waver, not shake,
00:27:21.21\00:27:25.39
but stand steadfast
and ultimately we will
00:27:25.42\00:27:32.36
draw more people to
the foot of Calvary.
00:27:32.39\00:27:35.46
We will draw more
people to the base
00:27:35.49\00:27:38.33
of the Cross
where Jesus will be able
00:27:38.36\00:27:42.68
to say to each and
every son and daughter
00:27:42.71\00:27:45.96
of God. This is my
beloved son, and this is my
00:27:45.99\00:27:51.00
beloved daughter
whom they trust in me,
00:27:51.03\00:27:53.44
and have allowed me to use them
00:27:53.47\00:27:55.52
as a light in a dark world.
00:27:55.55\00:27:58.19