Hello my name is Michael Kontes,
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and I want to
welcome you to Faith Chapel.
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Today, we're going to look at
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The Patriarch
Abraham", but first let us pray.
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Father we come to
thee now and we thank thee
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for the
opportunity that we've to turn
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the leaves of the word of God,
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Your Bible and
to look at stories
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that can give us inspiration,
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and hope, and strength.
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Be with us now as
we look at this story,
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help us to gain a
greater understanding of you,
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in Jesus name, amen.
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Father Abraham, as
children we've sang that song.
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Today, I want to look
at the call of Abraham
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and in fact wasn't Abraham
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given you a little teaser here,
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it was Abram prior
to the name Abraham.
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And so if we
would open up our Bibles
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to Genesis
Chapter 12, we're gonna
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read a couple
text here that describe
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the call that God gave to Abram.
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"Now the Lord
has said unto Abram,
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Get thee out of thy country,
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and from thy kindred,
and from thy father's house,
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unto a land that I'll shew thee,
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And I'll make
thee a great nation,
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and I'll bless thee, and
I'll make thy name great,
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and thou shalt be a blessing,
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And I'll bless
them that bless you,
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and curse him
them that curseth thee,
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and in thee shall all families
of the earth be blessed.
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So Abram departed, as the Lord
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had spoken unto him,
and Lot went with him,
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and they went forth to
go into the land of Canaan,
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and into the land
of Canaan they came.
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After the Tower of Babel,
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brothers and sisters
idolatry spread like wildfire.
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The Bible tells
us and as idolatry
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began to spread
God's eyes ran to and fro
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on the earth to
look for an individual
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who could carry his
oracles and be a light on a hill
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to this world that
is in such darkness.
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God's eyes look to and fro
and he found an individual,
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the scriptures tell us
by the name of Abraham.
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We're also told
here in the scriptures
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that a God called
Abram, out and said
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"Get thee out of thy
country, from thy kindred,
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and from My father's house".
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Have any of you
ever felt that call?
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I can share with you that I
felt that call early in 1997.
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I was studying the word of God,
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I was raised as
most of you know,
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I was raised Greek Orthodox,
a staunch Greek Orthodox.
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My dad was
what's called a canter
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in the Greek Orthodox Church.
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He is someone who
sings hymns and scriptures
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while the priest is
performing the liturgy.
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My father always
fasted on all the holy days.
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My dad was a very devout man,
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very devout Greek Orthodox.
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Some people in
all denominations,
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whether it's a, you
know, we call him Joe whatever.
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My dad was never a
Joe Greek Orthodox.
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My dad was very
devout, always went to Church,
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had a high regard for his faith.
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And so I always, was able to see
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what religion
meant to my father.
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Now from being Greek Orthodox
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I went to a
Pentecostal High School
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for four years
great change for me.
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As I went to the
Pentecostal High School
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I did not, I didn't understand
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everything in the beginning.
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When I went for my interview,
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the principal told me that
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we've Chapel
services once a week.
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We've spiritual
emphasis weeks two times a year
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and so-- we're fine with that,
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and so as I went to the school
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I remember the
first Chapel of the year.
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Remember I
walked in, now remember
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I'm raised Greek Orthodox,
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a very reverent
during our service,
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we don't even,
taught not to cross my legs,
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I'm just taught to
focused in on the priest
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and what he is
doing during the liturgy.
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And lo and behold, I'm walking
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into a
Pentecostal worship service.
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Singing, hands up, ablaze,
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and I was like a
child who saw Mickey Mouse
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for the first
time at Disneyland.
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I was like in at a
shock, I was thinking,
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well I've never seen this
before and throughout my time
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at this high school I began
to see how God was impressing
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in my heart that He has
believers in all faiths.
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And God was
using this high school
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to slowly begin to
give me the call to go
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where He wanted me to go.
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Now it was until years later
till I gave my heart to Him,
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but I'll share with you.
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In 1997 after I
gave my heart to Him,
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God told me that I
needed to take a stand
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and so I did take a stand in it,
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hurt my-- it hurt my family.
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My family could not understand
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why I left the faith
that I was raised in.
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But I came to a place
where my father's faith
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could not be my faith.
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And my faith
cannot be my father faith.
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Each and every one
of us are on a journey
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and each and every one of us,
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each person is
on a different path.
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And God is always
calling out to all of us
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during this journey
on this path and no one,
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no one wears the same shoes.
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Well, as God was calling me out,
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I realize very
quickly that the reason
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why God calls
people out in situations
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like Abraham like others.
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I'm sure many of
you have been called out
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from one faith to
the next and so on.
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Is to be able to
qualify them for the work,
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meaning a lot
of times if we keep
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our historical associations,
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many times we could
fall right back to where
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God doesn't want us to be.
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Now, when God called Abraham,
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he said I'll make
thee a blessing to others.
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I'm going to make a
great nation out of thee.
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Notice God could
had made great nation
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to be out of many people
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but he
specifically chose Abraham.
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Many times that's why
God calls you, calls me,
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calls others to come
out of our situations,
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because He wants
us to be a blessing
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to our family
members, to our coworkers,
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to other people
that He is gonna bring
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across our path on our journey.
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Now for Abraham to
accept the call of God,
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he would need to
step out in faith.
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And friends
stepping out in faith
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at times I'm-- is
it difficult thing?
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It is a very difficult,
we as individuals are used to
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our little comfort
zone and as long as
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we're in our
little comfort zone,
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we're happy, I'm happy,
you're happy, we're all happy.
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But God calls us to
come out of our comfort zone
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because when we're
not in comfort zone
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what we began to do is we
began to trust in ourselves,
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trust in others,
trust in our environment,
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begin to trust in
our instincts and so on.
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And what God wants us to be
is God wants us to be reliant
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and trusting
completely, completely on Him.
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Can you imagine, can
you imagine leaving a place
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of familiarity for years
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and going to the
unknown on a call from God.
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Now Abraham
heard the voice of God.
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I believe today, you
and I still hear His voice,
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but not some
much audibly at times
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through His spoken word.
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And in fact we've
more reasons to believe
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and step out in
faith than Abraham did.
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I say that with
absolute conviction,
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we can go from
Genesis to Revelation
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and we can see how
many of His people,
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the stories that
give inspiration to you,
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to others, to me,
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these stories are so
many multiple stories,
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after multiple stories
that we really have no excuse.
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Also I want to share,
notice within the story.
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Abraham did not
ask God any questions.
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Lord, have mercy,
brothers and sisters.
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How many times God calls
us and we've 800 questions
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when He gives us a call.
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God's calling us to go
somewhere else to minister
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and the first thing we say is,
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God is the weather helpful?
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Will I find the right
food over there to eat?
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Will there be
right stores for me?
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Will I've my three car
garage or my four car garage?
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How about, is it
going to be five bed rooms
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or six bedrooms, three baths?
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God how many bass lakes
are gonna be around there,
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so on my days
off, I can go fish.
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There better be
at least a dozen,
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because if there is only
one or two I might get bored.
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Notice Abraham did
not question God at all.
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Abraham, Abraham was
willing to walk forth
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with no delay when he
heard the voice of God.
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I believe that you and I
should follow His example.
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There's many times in my life
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when I did not follow
God's call right away.
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There's many times
where I was obstinate
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and hard and said no way.
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In fact, I'll give
you personal experience,
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just happened a
couple of years ago.
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I looked at it as no
way, I can't do this,
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God doesn't want me
to do this, but He did.
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In 2004, my
conference came to me
00:11:05.95\00:11:10.63
and they asked me,
they said, you know,
00:11:10.64\00:11:11.92
we want to reassign
you to the seminary.
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We want you to go
and get your masters
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and we're gonna send
you at the end of this year
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and I was like, what?
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I didn't want to go to Andrews.
00:11:21.28\00:11:23.46
You know, why I don't
want to go to Andrews,
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because friends
let me share with you.
00:11:25.31\00:11:28.47
I was so busy doing
ministry and I wanted to hasten
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the coming of God that I
felt going back to school
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will slow down my progress
in winning souls to Jesus.
00:11:35.91\00:11:42.48
How stupid does that sound?
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I mean, I believe that
at the time, hindsight now,
00:11:44.48\00:11:47.13
I look back and I
say what in the world
00:11:47.14\00:11:48.78
was I thinking
about? Let me elaborate.
00:11:48.79\00:11:53.14
I did not want to
go because you see
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I've a special loved one
in the grave waiting for me.
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And my thought
process is as fast as I can
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hasten the coming of Jesus,
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I'll be able to see
this beautiful little girl
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once more, quick.
00:12:06.63\00:12:09.24
And I need to do
everything within my power
00:12:09.25\00:12:11.78
to hasten Jesus
is coming right now,
00:12:11.79\00:12:14.16
so I can see her.
00:12:14.17\00:12:15.34
I don't want to go to Andrews,
00:12:15.35\00:12:17.22
not knowing that God
had a special plan for me.
00:12:17.23\00:12:19.61
And I was questioning
Him, questioning Him.
00:12:19.62\00:12:22.71
I was, friends, I
was running from God
00:12:22.72\00:12:27.58
not waning to do His will.
00:12:27.59\00:12:30.60
Upon being at Andrews,
God showed me many things.
00:12:30.61\00:12:34.20
I met many friends and after
how many times in your life
00:12:34.21\00:12:38.32
do you have an opportunity
to break away two and half years
00:12:38.33\00:12:41.45
to assess what you have done,
00:12:41.46\00:12:43.00
to evaluate the pro and the cons
00:12:43.01\00:12:45.65
of what you have
done up to this point.
00:12:45.66\00:12:48.53
I had an opportunity to break
away and assess my situation
00:12:48.54\00:12:52.04
to learn from some
teachers that I respect
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and all my friends today.
00:12:55.72\00:12:57.58
And now if I've the
opportunity which I believe
00:12:57.59\00:13:00.32
to now have someone
else's experience helped me
00:13:00.33\00:13:05.81
with the experiences
that I'll have in ministry.
00:13:05.82\00:13:07.88
And in fact by going
there for two and half years,
00:13:07.89\00:13:11.77
I actually excelled
my learning process,
00:13:11.78\00:13:14.27
I believe for ten years.
00:13:14.28\00:13:16.31
Now I don't know if
everyone story is like mine,
00:13:16.32\00:13:18.60
but I can share with
you I didn't want to go,
00:13:18.61\00:13:20.56
and God showed me afterwards,
00:13:20.57\00:13:22.32
that you know what,
Mike you are pretty dumb.
00:13:22.33\00:13:24.86
And you know what,
I've to admit Jesus,
00:13:24.87\00:13:26.76
yeah you are right, I'm dumb.
00:13:26.77\00:13:28.77
Now, I'm also thankful that
00:13:28.78\00:13:31.90
God loves
dummies like me, are you?
00:13:31.91\00:13:35.21
Can I hear the amens?
00:13:35.22\00:13:38.76
I'm so thankful
that he can embrace me
00:13:38.77\00:13:40.57
and be patient with me
and not just discard me.
00:13:40.58\00:13:44.35
Now I wish I was
more like Abraham
00:13:44.36\00:13:47.69
when He heard the call,
he was willing to go ASAP.
00:13:47.70\00:13:51.05
He was willing to
follow God's word and we know,
00:13:51.06\00:13:54.53
there is many stories that
Abraham during his life time
00:13:54.54\00:13:58.13
did not do the will of God.
00:13:58.14\00:13:59.90
But particularly in
the context of this story,
00:13:59.91\00:14:03.26
breaking away from his family,
00:14:03.27\00:14:04.89
breaking away from his friends,
00:14:04.90\00:14:06.34
breaking way from
the where he lived,
00:14:06.35\00:14:08.78
to go to a land
that he did not know.
00:14:08.79\00:14:11.00
Abraham didn't delay.
00:14:11.01\00:14:13.00
He needed to take a
leap of faith and he did so.
00:14:13.01\00:14:16.10
which should encourage you and I
00:14:16.11\00:14:17.50
to be able to take
that leap of faith,
00:14:17.51\00:14:19.60
because we've the past
and pervious experiences
00:14:19.61\00:14:22.97
of how God has led us.
00:14:22.98\00:14:24.60
We've no other account here that
00:14:24.61\00:14:26.15
God came to Abraham prior.
00:14:26.16\00:14:28.86
Can you imagine the
first time experience,
00:14:28.87\00:14:30.33
God comes into
your life, He says,
00:14:30.34\00:14:31.94
"Get thee out of thy
country, and out of thy kindred
00:14:31.95\00:14:33.91
and out of thy
father's household.
00:14:33.92\00:14:36.21
For me it took many
years to be called out.
00:14:36.22\00:14:38.95
And then when I heard the
call I followed, I followed.
00:14:38.96\00:14:43.77
Now Abraham did not
have laundry list for God
00:14:43.78\00:14:50.09
of what he
wanted, he just followed.
00:14:50.10\00:14:53.43
The next step, the
next point in this sermon,
00:14:53.44\00:14:56.75
we see comes the safest
place to be is the place
00:14:56.76\00:15:02.61
where God bids you to be.
00:15:02.62\00:15:05.24
Let me explain I've
come to the place to realize
00:15:05.25\00:15:10.13
that I would
rather be in the place
00:15:10.14\00:15:13.36
where God has placed me,
00:15:13.37\00:15:15.79
where he has specifically
set me then to be at the place
00:15:15.80\00:15:20.14
where I want to be
outside of His will.
00:15:20.15\00:15:23.60
And friends I can tell
you sometimes if I think
00:15:23.61\00:15:25.85
I'm outside of God's
will, I'm very fearful,
00:15:25.86\00:15:29.67
I'm stricken with
the sense of fear.
00:15:29.68\00:15:31.87
I'm afraid that
God is gonna create
00:15:31.88\00:15:33.44
this big huge monster
beast to come up and swallow me,
00:15:33.45\00:15:36.76
take me to the
shores of the local city
00:15:36.77\00:15:38.97
that he wants me to minister
to, spit me out in the shore.
00:15:38.98\00:15:41.93
And, you know
what, I don't want,
00:15:41.94\00:15:43.16
I don't want be in
belly of the great beast.
00:15:43.17\00:15:45.82
I would rather be following
the will of God the first time
00:15:45.83\00:15:50.30
and say God I would rather
be where You want me to be
00:15:50.31\00:15:54.11
even in if its in
the midst of a mob.
00:15:54.12\00:15:56.52
If that's where
you want me to be,
00:15:56.53\00:15:58.31
than being outside of Your will.
00:15:58.32\00:16:01.84
Now notice once again,
00:16:01.85\00:16:04.05
no questions
were asked by Abraham,
00:16:04.06\00:16:06.70
no questions, no
excuses, no testing God.
00:16:06.71\00:16:10.38
God I need to throw
up a fleece to you in.
00:16:10.39\00:16:12.56
Next thing you know
we've thrown out 500 fleeces
00:16:12.57\00:16:14.81
because that's an excuse.
00:16:14.82\00:16:16.33
Remember the story of Balaam.
00:16:16.34\00:16:18.63
Here certain kings,
the enemies of Israel came
00:16:18.64\00:16:22.45
and Abraham knew
-- I mean Balaam knew
00:16:22.46\00:16:26.14
what he should do,
but yet he began to say,
00:16:26.15\00:16:29.67
let me pray about
this, let me go tests
00:16:29.68\00:16:31.82
and see what God wants me do.
00:16:31.83\00:16:33.79
When we delay in and what
God is willing for our lives,
00:16:33.80\00:16:38.68
what happens is we spend
the opportunity of growth.
00:16:38.69\00:16:43.95
We delay the
opportunity of growth.
00:16:43.96\00:16:47.09
Now, the reason as we
said earlier God takes out
00:16:47.10\00:16:52.32
of our comfort
zone is to specifically
00:16:52.33\00:16:54.87
become reliant upon him.
00:16:54.88\00:16:57.80
We trust too many
times our talents,
00:16:57.81\00:17:00.60
our own skills
as we said earlier.
00:17:00.61\00:17:02.69
We begin to trust
others, so you begin.
00:17:02.70\00:17:05.37
For example of your
ministry, you're pastor,
00:17:05.38\00:17:08.01
you're in a conference and
you begin to built your network
00:17:08.02\00:17:11.38
in a conference and you feel
comfortable in that conference
00:17:11.39\00:17:14.60
and pretty soon you
can become reliant upon
00:17:14.61\00:17:17.34
the ministerial director,
00:17:17.35\00:17:18.70
the conference
president, or whatever.
00:17:18.71\00:17:21.77
And then you could
loose sight of the one
00:17:21.78\00:17:25.74
who you should be reliant upon.
00:17:25.75\00:17:27.90
That can for a church member,
00:17:27.91\00:17:29.32
a church member can
become reliant upon a pastor.
00:17:29.33\00:17:32.96
A church member can look
upon the pastor as standing
00:17:32.97\00:17:37.52
in the place of God
which is totally wrong.
00:17:37.53\00:17:42.28
I've seen it
happen before though.
00:17:42.29\00:17:44.46
And this and members
can become so reliant
00:17:44.47\00:17:47.72
upon a pastor that the
decisions that they make
00:17:47.73\00:17:51.81
are really based upon
what the pastor tells them.
00:17:51.82\00:17:55.41
One of the things
that I like to share with
00:17:55.42\00:17:57.63
the lot of my
members and the congregations
00:17:57.64\00:18:00.32
that I serve is that, you
can come to me for counsel
00:18:00.33\00:18:04.63
and even
suggestions. I've open doors,
00:18:04.64\00:18:10.05
but I can only
give you suggestions
00:18:10.06\00:18:12.67
and some kind of counsel.
00:18:12.68\00:18:14.12
I always recommend an
individual to go to God
00:18:14.13\00:18:16.49
and make God their
source of strength to answer
00:18:16.50\00:18:19.97
the questions that they
need, or that they have.
00:18:19.98\00:18:23.37
Now, if you notice in the story,
00:18:23.38\00:18:26.61
Abraham was called
and he was called out
00:18:26.62\00:18:28.73
and taken to foreign land.
00:18:28.74\00:18:30.65
I was called out in my life.
00:18:30.66\00:18:32.33
Many people throughout
the thread of the Bible
00:18:32.34\00:18:34.33
were called out.
00:18:34.34\00:18:36.28
You notice though the calling
does not just end in Genesis,
00:18:36.29\00:18:40.99
or Exodus, Leviticus whatever.
00:18:41.00\00:18:43.53
The calling goes through
all the way from Deuteronomy
00:18:43.54\00:18:47.62
to the Book of Matthew.
00:18:47.63\00:18:48.88
When Jesus comes
on the scene, He says,
00:18:48.89\00:18:50.50
come and follow me.
00:18:50.51\00:18:51.98
He is basically
calling out His disciples
00:18:51.99\00:18:53.93
saying come follow me.
00:18:53.94\00:18:56.39
Then that
thread runs all the way
00:18:56.40\00:18:58.42
into the Book of Revelation.
00:18:58.43\00:19:00.79
Let us turn there
to the Revelation 18
00:19:00.80\00:19:03.47
specifically verse 4
and see what it says.
00:19:03.48\00:19:08.05
And I hear
another voice from heaven,
00:19:08.06\00:19:10.71
saying, come out
of her, my people,
00:19:10.72\00:19:13.42
that ye be not
partakers of her sins,
00:19:13.43\00:19:16.70
and that ye
receive not of her plagues.
00:19:16.71\00:19:22.88
Notice here at the end of
days in the Book of Revelation,
00:19:22.89\00:19:27.16
God is continually
calling out people.
00:19:27.17\00:19:30.52
Specifically here,
He is calling out people
00:19:30.53\00:19:34.05
that they will not be
partakers of her plagues,
00:19:34.06\00:19:37.95
that her is for a
later time, a later sermon.
00:19:37.96\00:19:41.16
What I really want
to focus in and notice
00:19:41.17\00:19:43.07
He says come out of her,
00:19:43.08\00:19:44.84
my people, come
out of her, my people.
00:19:44.85\00:19:48.15
There are people today
that are in many places
00:19:48.16\00:19:51.34
that God does not want
them to be and God goes out
00:19:51.35\00:19:54.91
with His beckoning voice
through the instrumentality
00:19:54.92\00:19:58.17
of the Holy Spirit and
He says come out of her,
00:19:58.18\00:20:01.34
my people, get
thee out of thy kindred,
00:20:01.35\00:20:05.63
of thy nation from
thy father's house,
00:20:05.64\00:20:08.67
because God wants
to make us separate.
00:20:08.68\00:20:12.10
Brothers and sisters I
want share with you today.
00:20:12.11\00:20:15.22
The reason why God
calls us out to be separate
00:20:15.23\00:20:17.60
is not only for us
to learn a greater,
00:20:17.61\00:20:21.26
to have a
greater amount of faith
00:20:21.27\00:20:23.35
or just to make
him our only source.
00:20:23.36\00:20:26.34
The reason why God is
calling us out today is because
00:20:26.35\00:20:29.56
they are other people who
need to see God through you
00:20:29.57\00:20:34.96
and through me.
00:20:34.97\00:20:36.32
And the only way that God
will be able to qualify us
00:20:36.33\00:20:39.79
for that work is it we come out.
00:20:39.80\00:20:43.04
The Bible tells us that
we -- God is long suffering,
00:20:43.05\00:20:47.55
long suffering
that none should perish.
00:20:47.56\00:20:52.46
God is holding back
the winds of strife today.
00:20:52.47\00:20:58.37
So that His
people, My people He says,
00:20:58.38\00:21:01.45
come out of her, my people,
00:21:01.46\00:21:03.89
so people will
be able to come out
00:21:03.90\00:21:07.00
from their own
from familiar settings.
00:21:07.01\00:21:11.84
So that God can
begin to transform shape,
00:21:11.85\00:21:15.18
be the porter and
have them be the clay,
00:21:15.19\00:21:17.97
so that you will be a domino
effect in someone else's life.
00:21:17.98\00:21:23.17
I'd like to share a
story with you at this point.
00:21:23.18\00:21:27.28
When I came out of the
familiar settings that I had,
00:21:27.29\00:21:33.92
I knew I was
going on the right path.
00:21:33.93\00:21:37.52
I followed, I grow up
playing football in high school,
00:21:37.53\00:21:40.28
I was quarterback and safety.
00:21:40.29\00:21:43.23
In my local high
school I played sophomore,
00:21:43.24\00:21:45.81
junior and senior year
and I started my junior
00:21:45.82\00:21:48.58
and senior year as quarterback
00:21:48.59\00:21:49.73
and safety of the football team.
00:21:49.74\00:21:51.05
I was MVP of on the
offence for my senior year,
00:21:51.06\00:21:55.95
loved football, loved to
watch the Dallas Cowboys play,
00:21:55.96\00:22:00.44
that was one of my
hang ups you could say.
00:22:00.45\00:22:04.37
I was addicted to them,
00:22:04.38\00:22:06.37
I was addicted you
follow me, addicted.
00:22:06.38\00:22:09.02
Well, I had a
friend of mine at the gym,
00:22:09.03\00:22:10.85
his name was Rick.
00:22:10.86\00:22:12.31
Rick was a truck
driver for Safeway.
00:22:12.32\00:22:16.17
And I remember Rick and
I'd have these discussions
00:22:16.18\00:22:18.81
at the gym, when he
come in every morning
00:22:18.82\00:22:20.84
about the Dallas
Cowboys and fortunately for me
00:22:20.85\00:22:23.51
during this time
in the early 1990s
00:22:23.52\00:22:25.81
I had the upper
hand in the relationship,
00:22:25.82\00:22:27.54
because that's
when the Dallas Cowboys
00:22:27.55\00:22:28.76
were at their apex.
00:22:28.77\00:22:31.14
Well, just as the Dallas Cowboys
00:22:31.15\00:22:34.92
started going down
in their apex in 1995
00:22:34.93\00:22:37.57
and I found the Lord in
1996 and I was baptized in 1997.
00:22:37.58\00:22:43.17
During that period when Rick
and I would talk at the gym,
00:22:43.18\00:22:46.76
we would sit back and
we talk about the Cowboys.
00:22:46.77\00:22:49.91
One day I walked in after
I've given my heart to Jesus
00:22:49.92\00:22:52.64
and Rick hadn't been there for,
00:22:52.65\00:22:54.47
I don't know three or four days
00:22:54.48\00:22:55.46
and I felt compelled that
every time I went to the gym
00:22:55.47\00:22:58.60
I started opening up the Bible.
00:22:58.61\00:23:00.49
Before all I would do is
watch ESPN around the clock,
00:23:00.50\00:23:03.49
when I'm on the bike,
when I was at home wherever,
00:23:03.50\00:23:05.77
in walking through
mall, I watch ESPN.
00:23:05.78\00:23:08.92
Well, I came into
the gym one morning,
00:23:08.93\00:23:11.54
put my Bible on the
bike and I started riding in
00:23:11.55\00:23:13.41
and Rick walked in.
00:23:13.42\00:23:15.01
Rick came and sat up next to me.
00:23:15.02\00:23:17.05
He looked at me
and he goes Mike,
00:23:17.06\00:23:20.25
what in the
world are you're doing.
00:23:20.26\00:23:22.32
And I said, I'm reading
the Bible and he looked at me
00:23:22.33\00:23:24.64
and he goes you are so stupid.
00:23:24.65\00:23:28.98
Notice I do dump things,
I do stupid things at times.
00:23:28.99\00:23:31.44
Now Rick was just verifying.
00:23:31.45\00:23:32.74
He looked at me
and said you are stupid
00:23:32.75\00:23:34.79
and when he said that I
could have got very defensive,
00:23:34.80\00:23:38.71
but I didn't.
You know what I did,
00:23:38.72\00:23:40.68
I got excited, I
jumped for joy, joy, joy.
00:23:40.69\00:23:44.49
I jumped for joy and the
reason why I jumped for joy
00:23:44.50\00:23:46.79
is because in the Bible,
00:23:46.80\00:23:47.93
it says people
will call you a fool,
00:23:47.94\00:23:51.00
people will think you're stupid
00:23:51.01\00:23:52.54
when you give your
entire life over to Jesus,
00:23:52.55\00:23:56.24
and this was
validating what the Bible said.
00:23:56.25\00:23:58.53
And so, as God was calling me,
00:23:58.54\00:24:00.25
He began to give me
signals that yes Mike,
00:24:00.26\00:24:03.08
you are on the right path.
00:24:03.09\00:24:04.80
I needed signals
Abraham didn't, I did.
00:24:04.81\00:24:09.17
I bet there's many
of you out there today
00:24:09.18\00:24:10.88
you have many
different stories to share
00:24:10.89\00:24:12.83
how God gave you these
little confirmations on the way
00:24:12.84\00:24:15.82
for you being called out.
00:24:15.83\00:24:18.55
Another time a
similar example is
00:24:18.56\00:24:22.36
when God was calling
me out was with my wife.
00:24:22.37\00:24:25.68
My wife was praying
for me to find Jesus,
00:24:25.69\00:24:28.79
our marriage was falling
apart at the end of 1995.
00:24:28.80\00:24:31.50
And she was praying Lord,
he needs to find You again,
00:24:31.51\00:24:33.77
where you make
yourself real in his life,
00:24:33.78\00:24:35.55
will you reveal
Yourself to him and God did.
00:24:35.56\00:24:40.21
The difference
is my wife did not,
00:24:40.22\00:24:42.35
she though that when
I was going to find God,
00:24:42.36\00:24:45.05
I was gonna find God
in the familiar aridity
00:24:45.06\00:24:48.30
of the faith
experience that we've had.
00:24:48.31\00:24:52.89
Well, God did not go there,
00:24:52.90\00:24:55.05
God completely took me
out the something different
00:24:55.06\00:24:57.75
and this was very
difficult for her.
00:24:57.76\00:24:59.91
But because of
my loyalty to God,
00:24:59.92\00:25:03.68
because I allowed Him,
00:25:03.69\00:25:05.49
because I allowed Him access to,
00:25:05.50\00:25:07.57
complete access
friends, not partial access,
00:25:07.58\00:25:10.33
but complete access to
my heart and to my mind,
00:25:10.34\00:25:13.64
He began transforming my heart,
00:25:13.65\00:25:15.55
He began transforming my mind,
00:25:15.56\00:25:17.61
He began making
me a new individual,
00:25:17.62\00:25:19.77
because I stepped out in faith,
00:25:19.78\00:25:21.54
because I made Him my source,
00:25:21.55\00:25:23.48
because I was willing
to say to Him God take me
00:25:23.49\00:25:26.18
as I'm and shake me please.
00:25:26.19\00:25:28.67
I don't like who I'm
and I know I need to change
00:25:28.68\00:25:31.67
and as he began
to start changing me,
00:25:31.68\00:25:34.27
because I accepted His
call and went out lo and behold,
00:25:34.28\00:25:38.49
my wife started seeing
I was a true Christian.
00:25:38.50\00:25:42.97
I was on the
process of becoming true.
00:25:42.98\00:25:46.34
I was on the starting
line of becoming true.
00:25:46.35\00:25:49.82
I was on that journey and
because I accepted the call
00:25:49.83\00:25:53.57
and because I left
my familiar heredities
00:25:53.58\00:25:56.27
and moved forward.
00:25:56.28\00:25:59.24
That gave my wife
the opportunity to say
00:25:59.25\00:26:02.41
something real is
going on in your life Mike.
00:26:02.42\00:26:06.25
And, you know what,
00:26:06.26\00:26:07.23
I want to know what it is.
00:26:07.24\00:26:09.97
Today as we're closing,
00:26:09.98\00:26:12.64
has God been calling you out,
00:26:12.65\00:26:14.94
calling you out of
your father's household,
00:26:14.95\00:26:17.22
calling you out of your kindred,
00:26:17.23\00:26:20.45
calling you into country,
00:26:20.46\00:26:22.28
spiritual country
where He will bless you.
00:26:22.29\00:26:25.99
Friends I believe
that call, the Holy Spirit
00:26:26.00\00:26:29.72
is knocking today on your heart
00:26:29.73\00:26:32.10
and he is telling
you Jack come out,
00:26:32.11\00:26:37.27
Jim come out,
Christina come out.
00:26:37.28\00:26:42.09
He is giving this call,
because He wants to take you
00:26:42.10\00:26:46.07
and He wants to make you a
light in this perishing world.
00:26:46.08\00:26:51.60
He wants others to
fall in love with Jesus
00:26:51.61\00:26:54.84
through your life,
that's why the call is there.
00:26:54.85\00:26:58.23
He wants to equip
you with His oracles.
00:26:58.24\00:27:01.67
He wants to
qualify you for His work.
00:27:01.68\00:27:04.49
But like Moses, we
need to go from Egypt
00:27:04.50\00:27:08.19
into the land of
Median for about 40 years.
00:27:08.20\00:27:12.51
Having work on our hearts,
00:27:12.52\00:27:13.85
having work on our
minds and then say,
00:27:13.86\00:27:16.29
okay, you know
what, now you're prepared
00:27:16.30\00:27:18.32
to be able to go back
to your father's household
00:27:18.33\00:27:21.05
and you will be able to
make a difference because
00:27:21.06\00:27:23.17
while in Median you learned
that I'm your only source.
00:27:23.18\00:27:28.58
In fact you cannot
even speak the language
00:27:28.59\00:27:31.55
that I'm gonna send you back to.
00:27:31.56\00:27:33.56
You're saying you can,
but I'm gonna equip you
00:27:33.57\00:27:35.48
to even speak the language.
00:27:35.49\00:27:37.58
Today God's gonna equip
you to speak the language.
00:27:37.59\00:27:40.87
He is gonna
equip you to have you
00:27:40.88\00:27:43.08
be a light in a dark place.
00:27:43.09\00:27:45.50
He wants you to make Him
your only source of light.
00:27:45.51\00:27:50.17
Will you allow Him to
have His Son shine through you?
00:27:50.18\00:27:56.35