Please stand with us
00:00:33.23\00:00:34.56
as we sing our theme song
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Our Prince's Call.
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There's a lost, lonely soul
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Waiting silent at war
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For a rescue To come to the door
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Many could go but I only know
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The name of that One lonely soul
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Oh can you hear
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Our Prince calling on before
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"Let us go and restore
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The broken hearted The wounded
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The captives of war
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Will you bear
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My shield of faith once more?"
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Many more are the souls
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Who are bound up in fear
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As they run through
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The dark far and near
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Though I will fight
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Just one ends the night
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Our Prince Who carries the light
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Oh can you hear
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Our Prince calling on before
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"Let us go and restore
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The broken hearted The wounded
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The captives of war
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Will you bear
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My shield of faith once more?"
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To that lost lonely soul
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I will go and will share
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All their cries, All their fears
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All their prayers
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For it's been told
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My Prince he does hold
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The tears of
that One lonely soul
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Oh can you hear
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Our Prince calling on before
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"Let us go and restore
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The broken hearted The wounded
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The captives of war
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Will you bear
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My shield of faith once more?"
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Oh can you hear
00:03:05.75\00:03:08.62
Our Prince calling on before
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"Let us go and restore
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The broken hearted The wounded
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The captives of war
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Will you bear
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My shield of faith once more?"
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Good morning, GYC.
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It's good to see
all of your faces
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this morning so early.
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I know many of us are tired.
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And one of my
favorite scriptures
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in the morning is in Psalm 1:43.
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When I'm tired
and I am waking up,
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it says "Cause me to hear
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Your loving
kindness in the morning,
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for in You do I trust.
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Cause me to know the
way wherein I should walk,
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for I lift up my soul to You.
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And this morning
that's what we're here for,
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to lift up our souls to God
and to seek Him for this day.
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Our scripture reading is
found in 1 Samuel 14:6-7,
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it says, "Then
Jonathan came to the young man
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who bore his armor
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'Come, let us go
over to the garrison
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of these
uncircumcised, it may be
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that the Lord will work for us.
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For nothing restrains the Lord,
from saving by many or by few.'
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So his armor bearer said to him,
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'Do all that is in your heart.
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Go then, here I am with
you according to your heart.'"
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Let's bow our heads in prayer.
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Father in heaven,
I thank You so much
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for blessing us
with another day of life
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for this fourth,
third day of January
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that You've given us.
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As we seek Your face I
just pray that Your Spirit
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would be with us
and lead us today
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to be able to have
open ears to hear Your voice
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and I just thank You so much
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for being with us
the last few days.
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I pray for our speaker Sikhu,
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Lord, that You would
speak through her this morning.
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Thank You, in Jesus' name, amen.
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You may be seated.
00:05:04.83\00:05:06.17
Good morning, GYC. Good morning.
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And good morning,
Itai, if you're watching.
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That's my son.
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It's a blessing
to be here. Amen?
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We're going to do
what we did yesterday
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and read the
Bible if that's okay.
00:09:04.47\00:09:07.08
Okay.
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Hopefully some of
you brought your Bibles
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and those who didn't,
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you can go into
Google Play Store.
00:09:12.51\00:09:15.02
I don't know what
the Apple version is,
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and download the Bible
and then you can follow along.
00:09:16.69\00:09:20.36
We're in 1 Samuel Chapter 14.
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1 Samuel Chapter
14, and side note,
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some people did approach me
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for that phone
number from yesterday.
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So I got your back.
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Okay.
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1 Samuel Chapter 14.
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Let's bow our heads
and pray as we begin.
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Loving, Father, we thank
You for the gift of life.
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We thank You because we know
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we're not here
because we are superhuman
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or somehow more
worthy than anyone else.
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But in Your grace and Your mercy
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You've seen fit for to
give us life again today
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and we're grateful
for the opportunity
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to be in this place,
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this venue which
is an opportunity
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for the Holy
Spirit to be poured out
00:10:04.40\00:10:06.20
without measure and, Father,
00:10:06.23\00:10:07.57
we pray that that
would be our experience.
00:10:07.60\00:10:09.90
And, Lord, I ask right now
00:10:09.94\00:10:11.27
that You would hide
me behind the cross,
00:10:11.31\00:10:13.84
that Jesus would shine through.
00:10:13.88\00:10:15.94
I know that You have spoken
in the past through donkeys
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and Jesus said, "If need be,
00:10:18.61\00:10:19.95
rocks themselves would cry out,"
00:10:19.98\00:10:21.35
so just make me a
willing vessel, Father.
00:10:21.38\00:10:26.15
Use me to communicate
00:10:26.19\00:10:27.89
what You want to communicate
to Your people this morning.
00:10:27.92\00:10:30.79
I pray these
things in Your name, amen.
00:10:30.83\00:10:33.43
1 Samuel Chapter 14.
00:10:33.46\00:10:36.03
We'll start in verse 1.
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This is the
chapter that our key theme
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for this weekend is based.
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And I'll admit
that in preparation,
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I was kind of nervous about
preaching from this chapter.
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'Cause I'm like, "Man,
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everybody's gonna
preach from this chapter.
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And then it's going to be wack
and everyone's gonna be like,
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'Oh, we heard
this sermon already.'"
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So I was struggling
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and I was trying to
develop a different sermon.
00:11:00.29\00:11:02.06
And then my husband said,
00:11:02.09\00:11:03.43
"Why don't you just
preach from the main chapter?"
00:11:03.46\00:11:05.39
And I was like
"Because everybody's
00:11:05.43\00:11:06.76
gonna do that."
00:11:06.80\00:11:08.13
And then I prayed more
about it and I realized,
00:11:08.16\00:11:11.50
"Well, if, if I should
preach from the main chapter,
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I'll preach from
the same chapter."
00:11:14.20\00:11:15.87
And if somebody
else preaches from it,
00:11:15.90\00:11:17.31
then maybe it's
something we need to hear again.
00:11:17.34\00:11:20.54
So if you hear this
chapter again and again,
00:11:20.58\00:11:25.31
don't get bored with it.
00:11:25.35\00:11:27.02
I guess it's my disclaimer.
00:11:27.05\00:11:28.92
That was also to
make sure we're there.
00:11:28.95\00:11:30.59
Are we there? Amen?
00:11:30.62\00:11:33.56
1 Samuel 14:1.
00:11:33.59\00:11:36.76
"Now it came to pass upon a day
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that Jonathan the son of Saul
00:11:38.53\00:11:40.43
said unto the young
man that bear his armor,
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'Come and let us go over
to the Philistines garrison
00:11:43.57\00:11:47.30
that is on the other side.'"
00:11:47.34\00:11:50.47
And then it says, "But
he told not his father."
00:11:50.51\00:11:56.44
That parenthetical statement
"But he told not his father"
00:11:56.48\00:12:00.18
troubled me for a bit.
00:12:00.22\00:12:01.55
This is not the
main crux of our sermon,
00:12:01.58\00:12:03.42
but it's an
important thing to think about.
00:12:03.45\00:12:06.65
Jonathan was about
to do something crazy.
00:12:06.69\00:12:09.82
And then it says, "But
he told not his father,"
00:12:09.86\00:12:11.86
it insinuates that
maybe this was something
00:12:11.89\00:12:14.90
he would want
to tell his father,
00:12:14.93\00:12:17.73
but he didn't tell his father.
00:12:17.77\00:12:20.87
And you're like, "Why, Jonathan,
00:12:20.90\00:12:22.24
why didn't you
tell your father?"
00:12:22.27\00:12:23.61
Let's turn to Chapter 13.
00:12:23.64\00:12:26.31
We're not going
to read through it.
00:12:26.34\00:12:27.68
but just have your eyes perusing
00:12:27.71\00:12:29.71
the chapter for reference.
00:12:29.74\00:12:31.18
In Chapter 13,
00:12:31.21\00:12:32.71
Saul had been
reigning for one year,
00:12:32.75\00:12:34.32
and then he takes 3,000
men as part of his army.
00:12:34.35\00:12:38.15
He has 2,000 men with him,
he gives Jonathan 1,000 men.
00:12:38.19\00:12:42.16
And what happens is Jonathan
and his men, they go out
00:12:42.19\00:12:44.53
and they actually
fight the Philistines.
00:12:44.56\00:12:46.43
That's why you
have an army right,
00:12:46.46\00:12:47.80
it is to fight battles.
00:12:47.83\00:12:49.16
So Jonathan goes with
his men and they fight
00:12:49.20\00:12:51.23
and defeat the
Philistines in Geba.
00:12:51.27\00:12:53.27
And then word goes out that
00:12:53.30\00:12:54.74
the Israelites have defeated
00:12:54.77\00:12:56.10
some of the Philistines,
the Philistines are irate.
00:12:56.14\00:12:59.14
They're like, "Oh, yeah!
00:12:59.17\00:13:01.38
Okay. It's on."
00:13:01.41\00:13:03.85
They amass all their armies,
there're like 30,000 chariots
00:13:03.88\00:13:08.65
and gazillion horsemen
00:13:08.68\00:13:10.82
and gabazillion
people, groundsmen.
00:13:10.85\00:13:13.66
And they're just...
00:13:13.69\00:13:15.02
they're ready to fight.
00:13:15.06\00:13:16.52
They gather themselves,
they set the battle in array,
00:13:16.56\00:13:19.73
they're ready to
go, it's go time.
00:13:19.76\00:13:23.90
Saul calls his people
and they have this thing
00:13:23.93\00:13:27.47
where before
they go out to fight,
00:13:27.50\00:13:28.94
they need to seek
the will of the Lord.
00:13:28.97\00:13:34.31
And they're waiting for
Samuel and Samuel is not coming.
00:13:34.34\00:13:36.61
And they wait and
Samuel is not coming
00:13:36.64\00:13:38.95
and it's day seven
and Samuel hasn't come.
00:13:38.98\00:13:41.02
The Israelites get so scared
00:13:41.05\00:13:43.39
by seeing the
Philistines gathered around them
00:13:43.42\00:13:45.42
that they start running away
00:13:45.45\00:13:47.16
until Saul is left
with only 600 people
00:13:47.19\00:13:49.76
from that 3,000
that he had initially.
00:13:49.79\00:13:51.89
He starts to panic.
00:13:51.93\00:13:53.80
He's like, "How
are we gonna fight
00:13:53.83\00:13:55.83
these gabazillion
Philistines with only 600 men?
00:13:55.86\00:14:01.34
And in a panic, he decides,
even though he is not a priest,
00:14:01.37\00:14:06.37
that he is going to
offer the sacrifice.
00:14:06.41\00:14:10.48
He fails to trust in God
what we talked about yesterday.
00:14:10.51\00:14:13.05
Instead of
trusting God's leading,
00:14:13.08\00:14:14.42
trusting that
God's timing is perfect.
00:14:14.45\00:14:17.72
Instead of trusting in God,
00:14:17.75\00:14:19.09
he takes matters
into his own hands
00:14:19.12\00:14:20.46
and he offers the sacrifice.
00:14:20.49\00:14:23.02
Now you remember the story
00:14:23.06\00:14:24.39
about Gideon and his 300, right?
00:14:24.43\00:14:27.80
Three hundred,
right? Yeah? Yeah.
00:14:27.83\00:14:29.63
He started off with how many?
00:14:29.66\00:14:32.60
Thirty thousand, remember?
00:14:32.63\00:14:35.30
And even with 30,000 he's like,
"How are we going to do this?"
00:14:35.34\00:14:40.41
And God dwindles his army
00:14:40.44\00:14:42.78
until he's got
only 300 men left.
00:14:42.81\00:14:45.48
And one of the things that
Gideon said to the Israelites
00:14:45.51\00:14:50.02
at that time for them
for the numbers to dwindle
00:14:50.05\00:14:52.22
so much was if
anybody is scared,
00:14:52.25\00:14:55.39
if anybody has
something else on their mind,
00:14:55.42\00:14:57.19
if you're distracted,
00:14:57.23\00:14:58.56
if you can't focus
on the work of the Lord,
00:14:58.59\00:15:00.70
you need to go home.
00:15:00.73\00:15:04.47
And the masses dissipate.
00:15:04.50\00:15:07.57
Ultimately, until
he's left with only 300.
00:15:07.60\00:15:10.04
Now this waiting time for Saul,
00:15:10.07\00:15:13.21
the numbers
dwindled until he had 600.
00:15:13.24\00:15:17.08
And Saul had
remembered that story.
00:15:17.11\00:15:19.98
Maybe he'd have realized
that he didn't need the other
00:15:20.02\00:15:23.52
2,400.
00:15:23.55\00:15:28.76
Yes. Okay.
00:15:28.79\00:15:31.76
Maybe he'd have realized that
he didn't need those people.
00:15:31.79\00:15:34.76
That God doesn't
need all those people.
00:15:34.80\00:15:39.07
That I could be
attending a teeny tiny church.
00:15:39.10\00:15:42.50
Now I'm part of a small
church plant in Maryland.
00:15:42.54\00:15:47.98
And my husband and I
started attending there.
00:15:48.01\00:15:50.85
After they had
planted the church
00:15:50.88\00:15:52.45
it is still a
small church plant.
00:15:52.48\00:15:56.65
And, you know, the
challenges, you know,
00:15:56.69\00:15:58.22
they don't have a kid's program,
00:15:58.25\00:15:59.75
so we go and we are growing
00:15:59.79\00:16:03.53
the children's
program biologically.
00:16:03.56\00:16:09.06
I guess it's my
calling right now.
00:16:09.10\00:16:12.53
And teaching the children
00:16:12.57\00:16:13.94
that we are
contributing to the church,
00:16:13.97\00:16:15.94
but you know what?
00:16:15.97\00:16:18.14
People kind of like to
go where people are, right?
00:16:18.17\00:16:21.44
So you go...
00:16:21.48\00:16:22.81
because we're there and
there are children there,
00:16:22.84\00:16:24.98
when young families come
00:16:25.01\00:16:26.85
and then they're like,
"Oh, there are children here
00:16:26.88\00:16:28.68
and there is a
children's program."
00:16:28.72\00:16:30.52
But they will not be children
and no children's program
00:16:30.55\00:16:32.62
if no parents with
children go to the church,
00:16:32.65\00:16:34.79
does this make sense?
00:16:34.82\00:16:38.19
And sometimes we get
caught up in men like...
00:16:38.23\00:16:40.40
and this is our struggle like,
00:16:40.43\00:16:42.33
could we go to
this little church?
00:16:42.36\00:16:44.57
There isn't a
children's program.
00:16:44.60\00:16:46.23
Like, we need to train
our children in the Lord,
00:16:46.27\00:16:48.84
you know, and what
are we going to do?
00:16:48.87\00:16:50.47
We need to go to a church
00:16:50.51\00:16:51.84
with an
established children's program
00:16:51.87\00:16:53.21
that is well oiled, you know,
00:16:53.24\00:16:54.81
that runs
beautifully and perfectly.
00:16:54.84\00:16:59.88
And we can get
distracted by trying to be
00:16:59.91\00:17:04.15
where the numbers
are because it's easier
00:17:04.19\00:17:07.92
where the numbers are, isn't it?
00:17:07.96\00:17:13.29
You're single, and you're going
to this dinky little church.
00:17:13.33\00:17:18.07
And it's like, "Lord,
there are no young people here.
00:17:18.10\00:17:22.30
It's my calling in
life to be married.
00:17:22.34\00:17:26.68
But there are no
young people here."
00:17:26.71\00:17:31.08
And so we're going
looking for numbers,
00:17:31.11\00:17:32.88
looking for the masses.
00:17:32.91\00:17:35.42
And we get discouraged
when it's just a few people.
00:17:35.45\00:17:38.65
I stopped going
to Sabbath school
00:17:38.69\00:17:40.02
because there's
only one other person
00:17:40.06\00:17:41.66
and she's old.
00:17:41.69\00:17:46.59
Saul got discouraged looking
at the few numbers that he had.
00:17:46.63\00:17:51.57
And because of
that, he disobeyed God.
00:17:51.60\00:17:54.50
By contrast, you heard
in our scripture reading,
00:17:58.54\00:18:01.48
it's Jonathan
and his armor bearer,
00:18:01.51\00:18:04.48
it's them too.
00:18:04.51\00:18:08.58
And he says,
"Let's go and try this
00:18:08.62\00:18:10.69
because who
knows, maybe God will do
00:18:10.72\00:18:13.05
something for us
because you know what?
00:18:13.09\00:18:14.42
God is not
restricted by how many people,
00:18:14.46\00:18:16.99
all He needs is
one committed soul."
00:18:17.03\00:18:21.10
I was planning to
share this quote tomorrow
00:18:21.13\00:18:22.73
but in Desire of
Ages, Ellen White says
00:18:22.76\00:18:25.43
"There is no limit to
the usefulness of one,
00:18:25.47\00:18:30.17
who by putting self aside
makes room for the working
00:18:30.21\00:18:33.51
of the Holy
Spirit upon his heart,
00:18:33.54\00:18:35.54
and live the life
wholly consecrated to Him."
00:18:35.58\00:18:39.18
Desire of Ages, page 250,
00:18:39.21\00:18:40.92
"There is no limit to
the usefulness of one."
00:18:40.95\00:18:42.88
But we're looking for masses.
00:18:47.36\00:18:50.33
And in part, that's why GYC,
00:18:50.36\00:18:53.16
it becomes like this awesome
mountaintop experience, right?
00:18:53.19\00:18:56.46
'Cause you come here
and you're surrounded
00:18:56.50\00:18:58.07
by young people singing hymns
00:18:58.10\00:19:00.34
and praising
Jesus and you're like,
00:19:00.37\00:19:02.20
"Yes, I can be a vegan too
00:19:02.24\00:19:03.91
and you go home and
it's like Papa Johnson.
00:19:03.94\00:19:09.88
Or who's the
thing right now? This...
00:19:09.91\00:19:14.05
Popeyes, Popeyes,
the other P, yeah.
00:19:14.08\00:19:17.42
It's like, Popeyes man.
00:19:17.45\00:19:20.96
Deviling that Popeyes.
00:19:20.99\00:19:24.59
At GYC we feel like we
could conquer the world
00:19:24.63\00:19:27.66
because we're many.
00:19:27.70\00:19:30.93
Can God use many?
00:19:30.97\00:19:33.54
Yes.
00:19:33.57\00:19:35.04
And He wants to use many.
00:19:35.07\00:19:37.71
Last part what Dee was
talking about last night,
00:19:37.74\00:19:39.97
God wants to use
many, He wants to...
00:19:40.01\00:19:42.04
He wants as many of us to be
converted and working for Him.
00:19:42.08\00:19:46.21
But you know what?
00:19:46.25\00:19:47.58
He doesn't need
many because He's God.
00:19:47.62\00:19:52.09
And this was a
fundamental difference
00:19:52.12\00:19:54.62
between Saul and Jonathan.
00:19:54.66\00:19:58.66
And you have the two
chapters side by side,
00:19:58.69\00:20:00.23
it's like the
Bible's trying to say, 'Look,
00:20:00.26\00:20:01.93
look at the
characters of this men,
00:20:01.96\00:20:03.83
they're different."
00:20:03.87\00:20:06.53
But what's striking too
00:20:06.57\00:20:07.94
is in that
parenthetical statement,
00:20:07.97\00:20:11.34
it says,
00:20:11.37\00:20:13.04
"But he told not his father."
00:20:13.07\00:20:18.98
Because we kind of
expect that like father like...
00:20:19.01\00:20:21.38
But it wasn't the case here.
00:20:25.52\00:20:29.59
It was not like father like son.
00:20:29.62\00:20:35.20
This is important,
especially in this generation.
00:20:35.23\00:20:40.57
Our men are under attack, amen?
00:20:40.60\00:20:43.67
Our women too.
00:20:43.71\00:20:46.37
I think in a very special way
00:20:46.41\00:20:49.04
the devil has his
sights on the men.
00:20:49.08\00:20:54.98
I'm a mother of three boys
00:20:55.02\00:20:57.69
and Lord have mercy.
00:20:57.72\00:21:01.76
And something that I
pray about like, "Lord,
00:21:01.79\00:21:04.79
how do I raise godly
men like make me a Hannah,
00:21:04.83\00:21:10.17
help me to raise, you
know, mighty men of valor."
00:21:10.20\00:21:14.20
Because the devil
has it out for the men.
00:21:17.21\00:21:19.57
And the sad thing
is one of the ways
00:21:23.35\00:21:26.11
that he gets to our men is
00:21:26.15\00:21:29.55
if he can get to the father,
00:21:29.58\00:21:31.92
the sins of the father
are passed on to the...
00:21:31.95\00:21:35.46
and to his...
00:21:35.49\00:21:37.69
So because daddy
had a temper problem,
00:21:37.73\00:21:41.33
I have a temper problem.
00:21:41.36\00:21:43.40
And my sons have a temper...
00:21:43.43\00:21:44.80
Do you follow?
00:21:44.83\00:21:46.47
And it goes from one
generation to the next.
00:21:46.50\00:21:50.74
My father was
impatient, so I am impatient.
00:21:50.77\00:21:56.51
My father was
emotionally distant,
00:21:56.54\00:21:59.41
so I am emotionally distant.
00:21:59.45\00:22:02.38
Understand, I'm not saying
00:22:02.42\00:22:03.75
this doesn't affect
the daughters too, right?
00:22:03.79\00:22:05.69
It affects the daughters.
00:22:05.72\00:22:07.39
But I'm speaking
about Saul and Jonathan,
00:22:07.42\00:22:10.33
father and a son.
00:22:10.36\00:22:13.83
And here you have a
situation where Jonathan said,
00:22:13.86\00:22:15.96
"I do not have to be my father.
00:22:16.00\00:22:19.67
I am not my daddy."
00:22:19.70\00:22:22.80
My husband and I talk about
00:22:22.84\00:22:24.17
this often as we discuss
how we parent our children.
00:22:24.21\00:22:28.61
And oftentimes,
00:22:28.64\00:22:29.98
and this is no
disrespect to our parents,
00:22:30.01\00:22:31.61
we love our parents, and
I can speak for my parents
00:22:31.65\00:22:35.38
who raised me.
00:22:35.42\00:22:36.75
I have a lot of
respect for what they did.
00:22:36.79\00:22:38.55
I'm reading through
Adventist home and I'm like,
00:22:38.59\00:22:41.39
"Man, did my mom read this?"
00:22:41.42\00:22:43.43
'Cause like, she did a
lot of this stuff like,
00:22:43.46\00:22:45.53
she's awesome, right?
00:22:45.56\00:22:47.03
And I asked her, I'm like, "Mom,
00:22:47.06\00:22:48.40
did you like consult Adventism?
00:22:48.43\00:22:49.76
She's like, "No, I just prayed."
00:22:49.80\00:22:51.43
Oh, my God. Well, okay.
00:22:51.47\00:22:53.67
But you should have read it
00:22:53.70\00:22:55.04
'cause some of
the stuff, you know...
00:22:55.07\00:22:56.50
And sometimes, you know,
00:23:00.18\00:23:01.51
we'll catch ourselves
doing something and it's like...
00:23:01.54\00:23:06.75
My husband's like,
"Why are you doing that?"
00:23:06.78\00:23:09.02
I'm like, "I don't know."
00:23:09.05\00:23:10.62
And then I have to go
back and think and reflect.
00:23:10.65\00:23:12.52
And it's like, "Man,
this is how I was raised."
00:23:12.55\00:23:17.13
And we have to have a
conversation where it's like,
00:23:17.16\00:23:18.69
"Okay, this is
how you were raised.
00:23:18.73\00:23:20.40
But is this how we
want to raise our kids?"
00:23:20.43\00:23:25.20
And I'm like, "No."
00:23:25.23\00:23:29.40
And he'll say to me,
"You're not your mother."
00:23:29.44\00:23:32.64
And I say to him often,
"You are not your father."
00:23:32.67\00:23:36.14
Every generation,
00:23:36.18\00:23:37.51
every successive
generation of Christians
00:23:37.55\00:23:39.75
should be better
than the one before.
00:23:39.78\00:23:42.25
Amen?
00:23:42.28\00:23:43.62
So this is not
dissing anybody's parents.
00:23:43.65\00:23:46.19
But it's saying that
Jesus is coming soon.
00:23:46.22\00:23:49.32
And if I have
the same Christianity
00:23:49.36\00:23:52.69
that my parents have,
00:23:52.73\00:23:55.56
and yet the times are
worse now than they were then,
00:23:55.60\00:23:59.40
I'm not gonna make it.
00:23:59.43\00:24:03.77
As the world gets
more and more evil,
00:24:03.81\00:24:06.98
God's people will
shine even brighter.
00:24:07.01\00:24:10.21
Amen?
00:24:10.25\00:24:12.58
And here Jonathan refused
00:24:12.61\00:24:15.38
to be defined by
his father's mistakes.
00:24:15.42\00:24:19.09
He is not his father
and you are not your father.
00:24:19.12\00:24:23.53
You are not your mother.
00:24:23.56\00:24:26.53
Psalm 27:10 says,
00:24:26.56\00:24:29.96
"When father and
my mother forsake me,
00:24:30.00\00:24:32.77
the Lord himself
will take me up."
00:24:32.80\00:24:36.17
Whatever this tells me is,
00:24:36.20\00:24:37.67
I have a father,
not an earthly father.
00:24:37.71\00:24:42.44
I have a father
who does not err.
00:24:42.48\00:24:45.85
I have a father
who gives me a hug
00:24:45.88\00:24:47.48
when I need it
and who reproves me
00:24:47.52\00:24:49.12
when I need it.
00:24:49.15\00:24:52.35
I have a father
who does not fail.
00:24:52.39\00:24:54.82
He doesn't fail to show
up when He ought to be there.
00:24:54.86\00:24:59.19
I have a father
who makes no mistakes.
00:24:59.23\00:25:04.23
That's who my father is.
00:25:04.27\00:25:06.10
And that's who I want to emulate
00:25:06.13\00:25:07.77
beyond my earthly parents.
00:25:07.80\00:25:10.01
But Jonathan did
not tell his father,
00:25:14.21\00:25:16.71
he couldn't
confide in his father
00:25:16.75\00:25:18.08
because his father
00:25:18.11\00:25:21.55
was not of the same spirit.
00:25:21.58\00:25:24.85
Yesterday, we kind of spoke
about the marriage relationship
00:25:24.89\00:25:28.29
and we said that
there are some things
00:25:28.32\00:25:30.13
that you won't be
able to tell your spouse,
00:25:30.16\00:25:31.93
there are some struggles,
00:25:31.96\00:25:33.29
some spiritual things
you're going through that
00:25:33.33\00:25:34.66
you have to deal with
Jesus, just you and Jesus.
00:25:34.70\00:25:37.80
And what it's telling us
today is there are some things
00:25:37.83\00:25:40.17
that you will go
through that you cannot talk
00:25:40.20\00:25:42.10
to your mom or your dad about.
00:25:42.14\00:25:45.47
There are some things
00:25:45.51\00:25:46.84
that you need to
wrestle with God,
00:25:46.88\00:25:48.24
and just you and Jesus.
00:25:48.28\00:25:53.65
I have to keep reiterating,
00:25:53.68\00:25:55.02
there's no
disrespect to parents, okay?
00:25:55.05\00:25:56.75
Please, please,
please do not think
00:25:56.79\00:25:58.35
I am not
talking down to parents.
00:25:58.39\00:26:03.93
But I remember when
God put a call on my heart
00:26:03.96\00:26:06.66
to go into full time ministry.
00:26:06.70\00:26:10.27
I talked to my
parents, because my parents
00:26:10.30\00:26:13.34
have always been mentors for me.
00:26:13.37\00:26:16.30
I said, you
know, I was in college,
00:26:16.34\00:26:17.77
and God called
me to leave school
00:26:17.81\00:26:21.81
and go get trained to be
00:26:21.84\00:26:23.18
a missionary on
public university campuses
00:26:23.21\00:26:25.98
in a program called Campus.
00:26:26.01\00:26:28.82
And I sensed this
call, I was in my first year.
00:26:28.85\00:26:33.25
No, I was in my sophomore year,
00:26:33.29\00:26:34.89
I was going into my junior year.
00:26:34.92\00:26:36.99
So my sophomore year,
00:26:37.03\00:26:38.36
I'm like, you know,
I talked to my parents.
00:26:38.39\00:26:39.73
I'm like, "Man,
there's this program
00:26:39.76\00:26:41.10
and I feel like I should do it."
00:26:41.13\00:26:43.83
And my parents
said the wise thing.
00:26:43.87\00:26:46.80
They said,
"You're on scholarship.
00:26:46.84\00:26:50.14
We don't know
if your scholarship
00:26:50.17\00:26:51.51
will still be there
if you go do this thing.
00:26:51.54\00:26:54.71
God gave you the scholarship,
so you need to honor Him
00:26:54.74\00:26:57.18
by finishing your studies."
00:26:57.21\00:27:00.22
What they said
made logical sense.
00:27:00.25\00:27:02.82
They said, you know,
"When you finish your degree,
00:27:02.85\00:27:06.96
then you can go
and be a missionary."
00:27:06.99\00:27:10.43
It made sense.
00:27:10.46\00:27:12.66
But it wasn't what
God was calling me to.
00:27:12.69\00:27:15.73
And you know what I did?
00:27:15.76\00:27:18.97
I obeyed my parents.
00:27:19.00\00:27:22.34
And you know what?
00:27:22.37\00:27:25.07
That's probably
the worst decision
00:27:25.11\00:27:26.44
I've ever made in my life.
00:27:26.47\00:27:29.31
Because Ephesians 6:1,
00:27:29.34\00:27:32.01
"Children, obey
your parents in the Lord,
00:27:32.05\00:27:37.99
for this is right."
00:27:38.02\00:27:41.62
That next year, I went
on to get into the worst
00:27:41.66\00:27:44.76
possible
relationship with a brother
00:27:44.79\00:27:48.43
who looked like
gold, but was not.
00:27:48.46\00:27:53.17
He was a badventist.
00:27:53.20\00:27:57.57
He introduced me to
canvassing, to colporteuring.
00:27:57.61\00:28:01.74
I didn't know about
ASI until I met this guy.
00:28:01.78\00:28:04.21
I mean, he
checked all the boxes.
00:28:04.25\00:28:09.25
But it was the worst relation...
00:28:09.28\00:28:11.09
I was in the wrong place...
00:28:11.12\00:28:12.45
You know, David,
00:28:12.49\00:28:13.82
when he should
have been in battle,
00:28:13.86\00:28:15.19
and he ended up with Bathsheba,
00:28:15.22\00:28:16.76
'cause he was
in the wrong place.
00:28:16.79\00:28:18.53
You know that story?
00:28:18.56\00:28:20.33
Every time in my life
00:28:20.36\00:28:21.90
when I have not done
what God was calling me to do,
00:28:21.93\00:28:24.03
I end up doing something
shady, to say the least.
00:28:24.07\00:28:28.04
It took me... Let
me see, how many years.
00:28:31.11\00:28:34.24
From that relationship to...
00:28:34.28\00:28:35.94
It took me 10
years after God saved me
00:28:35.98\00:28:39.78
from that horrible decision.
00:28:39.81\00:28:43.92
And here I'm not
trashing the guy,
00:28:43.95\00:28:45.82
I'm trashing me like, I
shouldn't have been there
00:28:45.85\00:28:47.89
and I shouldn't have
been in that relationship.
00:28:47.92\00:28:50.06
It took me 10 years before
00:28:50.09\00:28:51.49
I was willing to even pray
about a relationship again.
00:28:51.53\00:28:55.66
Because I was so broken
00:28:55.70\00:28:58.70
and God doesn't
want that for you.
00:28:58.73\00:29:01.30
He's not trying to take you
from heartbreak to heartbreak.
00:29:01.34\00:29:07.18
And it could
have been all avoided
00:29:07.21\00:29:08.81
if I just listened to Jesus.
00:29:08.84\00:29:12.21
So when I was graduating,
00:29:12.25\00:29:13.58
I felt the call again,
00:29:18.95\00:29:20.29
I got a call from the
program and they said,
00:29:20.32\00:29:22.12
"Hey, we want you to
come to this program.
00:29:22.16\00:29:24.99
I think you'll
be a blessing here
00:29:25.03\00:29:26.36
and maybe God is calling you."
00:29:26.39\00:29:28.13
And I sensed God was
calling me and guess what I did?
00:29:28.16\00:29:30.40
I talked to my parents.
00:29:30.43\00:29:34.74
And they said, "Well,
we hear what you're saying,
00:29:34.77\00:29:37.34
but God has
given you this degree.
00:29:37.37\00:29:40.91
And, you know, He
wants you to work for Him
00:29:40.94\00:29:45.21
and make money for Him.
00:29:45.25\00:29:48.12
You know, missionaries
don't really make money, right?
00:29:48.15\00:29:50.79
He wants you to work
for Him, make money for Him.
00:29:50.82\00:29:53.36
Maybe just apply for jobs.
00:29:53.39\00:29:57.86
If God gives you a job,
00:29:57.89\00:29:59.29
then you take it to mean
that He's not calling you here."
00:29:59.33\00:30:02.66
I applied for jobs,
and I got my dream job.
00:30:02.70\00:30:05.80
It combined everything.
00:30:05.83\00:30:07.17
My biochemistry
major, my French major,
00:30:07.20\00:30:11.17
my focus on public
health, it was like the dream.
00:30:11.21\00:30:15.08
And I'll be working
with these awesome professors
00:30:15.11\00:30:17.21
from Harvard and Stanford
00:30:17.25\00:30:18.81
and like all these
like top universities,
00:30:18.85\00:30:20.95
it was a dream job.
00:30:20.98\00:30:22.32
They said, "Oh,
all of the students
00:30:22.35\00:30:24.29
who go through our...
00:30:24.32\00:30:26.12
who work for us as
research assistants,
00:30:26.15\00:30:28.02
they get into whatever
medical school they want,
00:30:28.06\00:30:29.86
because we're well connected."
00:30:29.89\00:30:31.23
I'm like, "Dude,
this is the dream,"
00:30:31.26\00:30:32.83
'cause I was pre med.
00:30:32.86\00:30:36.06
But I had no peace.
00:30:36.10\00:30:38.53
And you know what
the Lord did for me?
00:30:38.57\00:30:40.34
The God is so kind to
me. Jesus loves me, guys.
00:30:40.37\00:30:42.90
My favorite hymn,
00:30:42.94\00:30:44.27
and because
it's true in my life.
00:30:44.31\00:30:46.41
The Lord withheld
my permission to work
00:30:46.44\00:30:49.78
'cause I was on a student visa.
00:30:49.81\00:30:51.55
I did not get my
permission to work.
00:30:51.58\00:30:53.38
I was one of the first to
apply and I did not get it.
00:30:53.42\00:30:56.95
My classmates got it,
00:30:56.99\00:30:59.29
my colleagues got it,
00:30:59.32\00:31:00.66
I did not get my
permission to work.
00:31:00.69\00:31:02.39
I went to this
conference, not this conference,
00:31:02.42\00:31:05.06
a different conference,
00:31:05.09\00:31:06.43
a student
conference training students
00:31:06.46\00:31:07.80
to be missionaries on
public university campuses.
00:31:07.83\00:31:10.40
I went there 'cause I
was bringing other students,
00:31:10.43\00:31:12.50
but while we were they
the Lord spoke to my heart
00:31:12.53\00:31:13.87
and He said,
00:31:13.90\00:31:15.24
"You need to give
Me your time now."
00:31:15.27\00:31:20.71
And I resisted,
resisted, I got an email from
00:31:20.74\00:31:23.08
one of the
organizers and he said,
00:31:23.11\00:31:25.75
"I just feel impressed
to approach you once again.
00:31:25.78\00:31:29.45
What would keep you from
coming and being a missionary?"
00:31:29.48\00:31:31.59
And I got that
email, I broke down crying.
00:31:31.62\00:31:36.32
I had car payments, I
had an apartment I'm renting,
00:31:36.36\00:31:41.23
I had my family looking forward
00:31:41.26\00:31:44.07
to me being able to
help out financially,
00:31:44.10\00:31:46.97
I had my goals and my
dreams in front of me.
00:31:47.00\00:31:50.07
And yet I knew that God
00:31:50.11\00:31:51.44
was calling me
to something else.
00:31:51.47\00:31:52.81
I'm speaking to
somebody that God is calling
00:31:52.84\00:31:55.11
and maybe your
parents don't get it.
00:31:55.14\00:31:59.51
And finally, I responded.
00:31:59.55\00:32:04.25
And I said, I listed the things
00:32:04.29\00:32:06.89
and you know He
responded and He said,
00:32:06.92\00:32:08.89
"God can take
care of all of this.
00:32:08.92\00:32:11.06
You just need to
make a decision."
00:32:11.09\00:32:13.90
So I made my decision,
00:32:13.93\00:32:15.26
I called the job, I
said, "I'm not coming."
00:32:15.30\00:32:17.93
And I called them
before I talked to my parents,
00:32:17.97\00:32:20.14
because I knew if I
talk to my parents first
00:32:20.17\00:32:22.07
I'm gonna back out.
00:32:22.10\00:32:23.74
So I called the
job and I was like,
00:32:23.77\00:32:25.11
"I'm not coming anymore."
00:32:25.14\00:32:26.57
And they said, "Okay."
00:32:26.61\00:32:28.94
And then I called my parents
00:32:28.98\00:32:30.31
and had that
tearful conversation.
00:32:30.35\00:32:34.95
Worst conversation of my life.
00:32:34.98\00:32:37.22
I'll spare you the details.
00:32:43.22\00:32:45.49
But after that, you know,
00:32:45.53\00:32:47.46
the next day, the very next day,
00:32:47.50\00:32:51.00
guess what came in the mail?
00:32:51.03\00:32:53.47
My permission to work.
00:32:53.50\00:32:57.31
And I was like, "Okay, Jesus.
00:32:57.34\00:33:00.04
I don't know if
You're holding up
00:33:00.08\00:33:01.41
at the post
office or immigration."
00:33:01.44\00:33:05.05
But the moment I
made the decision
00:33:05.08\00:33:07.25
to follow the conviction
that God had put on my heart,
00:33:07.28\00:33:11.32
even though I knew that
00:33:11.35\00:33:12.69
my parents did not understand,
00:33:12.72\00:33:15.76
look, I did not understand.
00:33:15.79\00:33:20.16
But I knew that
God was calling me.
00:33:20.20\00:33:25.40
My brothers and my sisters,
00:33:25.43\00:33:26.77
there's a world
that is dying out there.
00:33:26.80\00:33:30.11
There are souls
that need to be reached.
00:33:30.14\00:33:33.07
We talk about
Jesus is coming soon.
00:33:33.11\00:33:34.51
Is He coming soon? Yes, He is.
00:33:34.54\00:33:37.55
But how much more
wicked can the world get?
00:33:37.58\00:33:39.51
And we're busy living lives
of respectable conventionality
00:33:43.72\00:33:48.62
as Ellen White puts it.
00:33:48.66\00:33:51.89
Parents were raising our kids
00:33:51.93\00:33:53.40
for lives of
respectable conventionality.
00:33:53.43\00:33:56.53
We're looking for
the nicest school,
00:33:56.56\00:33:59.73
the easiest situation.
00:33:59.77\00:34:03.37
I'm going to homeschool my kids
00:34:03.41\00:34:04.74
'cause I need to shield
them from the evil world,
00:34:04.77\00:34:06.94
but who's going to be a
missionary to the evil world?
00:34:06.98\00:34:12.35
And yes, we need to
shield our children,
00:34:12.38\00:34:14.35
we need to train our children,
00:34:14.38\00:34:16.12
but the reason we
do that is so that
00:34:16.15\00:34:17.85
we can send them
out to work for Jesus.
00:34:17.89\00:34:22.86
When are we going to
have the Waldensians again?
00:34:22.89\00:34:28.76
When is a young
person going to get up
00:34:28.80\00:34:31.20
and go to a public school not
00:34:31.23\00:34:32.67
because they're
running away from Adventism,
00:34:32.70\00:34:34.30
not because they're
looking for a good major,
00:34:34.34\00:34:36.97
not because they're trying
to make money and network,
00:34:37.01\00:34:38.97
but because God called
them to be a missionary?
00:34:39.01\00:34:42.81
When is that
going to happen again?
00:34:42.84\00:34:46.75
And parents, when
are we going to let go
00:34:46.78\00:34:48.15
and allow our
children to do this?
00:34:48.18\00:34:51.99
Young people, when
are we going to realize
00:34:52.02\00:34:54.72
that my faith, my
Christian experience
00:34:54.76\00:34:57.96
has to be far beyond the
experience of my parents,
00:34:57.99\00:35:01.16
not because I disrespect
them but because the times
00:35:01.20\00:35:05.33
we're living in demanded.
00:35:05.37\00:35:10.34
And as parents, when
am I going to realize that
00:35:10.37\00:35:12.01
my parenting has to be different
00:35:12.04\00:35:14.08
from my parents parenting?
00:35:14.11\00:35:16.01
They didn't live in 2020.
00:35:16.04\00:35:18.31
And here we are.
00:35:18.35\00:35:21.25
Jonathan
couldn't tell his father
00:35:21.28\00:35:24.89
what he was about to do.
00:35:24.92\00:35:28.62
I want my children
to be able to tell me
00:35:28.66\00:35:34.10
because we're on the same page.
00:35:34.13\00:35:36.97
And I may not fully understand
what God is calling them to,
00:35:37.00\00:35:39.63
but I want them to be
able to trust my heart.
00:35:39.67\00:35:41.34
Listen to what
the armor bearer said
00:35:41.37\00:35:43.37
when Jonathan told him, verse 7,
00:35:43.41\00:35:46.84
"And his armor
bearer said unto him,
00:35:46.88\00:35:49.34
'Do all that is in
thine heart, turn thee.
00:35:49.38\00:35:52.61
Behold, I am with thee
according to thy heart.'"
00:35:52.65\00:35:57.69
The armor bearer was
Jonathan's support system.
00:35:57.72\00:36:02.39
He said, "Look,
you've searched your heart.
00:36:02.42\00:36:07.20
And you've seen that
God is calling you to this.
00:36:07.23\00:36:10.70
I'm with you. I'm
here to support you.
00:36:10.73\00:36:14.27
I'm here to encourage you."
00:36:14.30\00:36:18.07
This is not the
seminar I had planned to preach
00:36:18.11\00:36:21.08
or not to the tee.
00:36:21.11\00:36:24.01
But I believe it's the
sermon that we need to hear.
00:36:24.05\00:36:29.45
Somebody needs to be an
armor bearer for somebody.
00:36:29.48\00:36:34.36
Somebody here at GYC
is going to sense a call
00:36:34.39\00:36:38.49
that they will not understand.
00:36:38.53\00:36:42.13
God's gonna call you
to give up the things
00:36:42.16\00:36:44.33
that make logical sense.
00:36:44.37\00:36:49.17
When God closed
the womb of Hannah
00:36:49.20\00:36:53.17
in 1 Samuel Chapter 1,
00:36:53.21\00:36:56.14
they couldn't have understood
why He was doing this,
00:36:56.18\00:36:59.15
what was going on.
00:36:59.18\00:37:01.18
But Hannah trusted God.
00:37:01.22\00:37:04.35
When God leads you
to straight places,
00:37:04.39\00:37:06.65
when God leads
you to desert lands,
00:37:06.69\00:37:08.82
when God leads you to
places where it's hard,
00:37:08.86\00:37:14.66
where the things that, you know,
00:37:14.70\00:37:16.16
even God has intended
for you are not happening.
00:37:16.20\00:37:18.93
You know God is the one
00:37:18.97\00:37:20.30
who created us to be
fruitful and multiply, right?
00:37:20.34\00:37:22.37
Then why would He
close someone's womb?
00:37:22.40\00:37:24.57
And it doesn't make sense,
00:37:24.61\00:37:25.94
but, God, why would You do this?
00:37:25.97\00:37:27.91
When God does
00:37:27.94\00:37:29.28
those kind of
things in your life,
00:37:29.31\00:37:31.28
will You trust Him and obey?
00:37:31.31\00:37:36.92
Will you trust and obey
when it seems to make no sense?
00:37:36.95\00:37:39.89
Well, Jonathan had a
friend in that armor bearer,
00:37:43.79\00:37:47.93
because that armor bearer
said not just go and do it,
00:37:47.96\00:37:51.20
go ahead.
00:37:51.23\00:37:52.67
He said, "I'm going to
be with you as you go."
00:37:52.70\00:37:55.34
And that's where he
had said in verse 6,
00:37:59.11\00:38:01.01
"There is no
restraint to the Lord to save
00:38:01.04\00:38:02.91
by many or by few."
00:38:02.94\00:38:05.08
And the story goes that
they go ahead and they say,
00:38:05.11\00:38:07.35
"Well, you know,
we've read the story before.
00:38:07.38\00:38:09.75
If we approach, you know,
00:38:09.78\00:38:12.32
and we show ourselves
and they say come up to us
00:38:12.35\00:38:14.42
and then we know that
God is going to fight for us.
00:38:14.46\00:38:16.52
If they don't,
00:38:16.56\00:38:17.89
then we're
gonna leave it alone."
00:38:17.93\00:38:19.26
They go there, the
Philistines are like,
00:38:19.29\00:38:20.80
"Oh, little
Israelites come up here.
00:38:20.83\00:38:23.10
We're gonna show
you a little some some."
00:38:23.13\00:38:24.70
And Jonathan and his
armor bearer are like,
00:38:24.73\00:38:26.80
"Yeah, this is go time.
00:38:26.84\00:38:28.17
God's got this."
00:38:28.20\00:38:29.90
And so they go
by a secret passage
00:38:29.94\00:38:31.61
and they get up there,
00:38:31.64\00:38:33.07
and they are just slaying.
00:38:33.11\00:38:36.34
Now the picture that emerges...
00:38:36.38\00:38:39.18
It says in verse 13,
00:38:39.21\00:38:44.02
"Jonathan climbed
up upon his hands,
00:38:44.05\00:38:46.32
and upon his feet and
his armor bearer after him,
00:38:46.35\00:38:49.32
and they fell before Jonathan,
00:38:49.36\00:38:51.76
and his armor
bearer, flew after him."
00:38:51.79\00:38:55.60
It took me several
readings to get this verse.
00:38:55.63\00:38:59.13
It says that Jonathan
was in the front, right?
00:38:59.17\00:39:01.64
And he's... I don't know what...
00:39:01.67\00:39:04.21
I don't know what the, you know,
00:39:04.24\00:39:06.64
whatever stance he had, right?
00:39:06.68\00:39:08.04
And they're falling before him
00:39:08.08\00:39:09.64
like he's going one
after another, dish, dish.
00:39:09.68\00:39:13.05
And like dish, dish, dish.
00:39:13.08\00:39:14.85
And the picture that emerges
00:39:14.88\00:39:16.22
is the armor bearer's behind him
00:39:16.25\00:39:17.59
so armor bearer
carries the armor, right?
00:39:17.62\00:39:19.35
So he is behind him and
that one fell, slays him.
00:39:19.39\00:39:23.66
That one fell, slays
him. That one fell...
00:39:23.69\00:39:26.76
And it says 20 men,
00:39:26.80\00:39:32.70
Jonathan with his bare hands,
00:39:32.73\00:39:36.00
and the armor bearer behind him,
00:39:36.04\00:39:37.57
making sure that
nobody's going to get up
00:39:37.61\00:39:39.47
behind Jonathan
00:39:39.51\00:39:40.84
and attack him
from behind because...
00:39:40.88\00:39:45.41
And then God steps
in and He does the rest.
00:39:45.45\00:39:47.78
There's such a
turmoil that arises,
00:39:47.82\00:39:49.75
the Philistines
are killing each other.
00:39:49.78\00:39:51.35
It's all crazy, and
then we don't have time
00:39:51.39\00:39:53.99
to go into the
rest of that story.
00:39:54.02\00:39:58.83
It was an impossible mission
00:39:58.86\00:40:03.37
that God put on
Jonathan's heart.
00:40:03.40\00:40:07.64
It was a mission
that Jonathan's own family
00:40:07.67\00:40:11.87
could not understand.
00:40:11.91\00:40:13.64
It was a
mission that his father,
00:40:13.68\00:40:15.04
his own father could not get.
00:40:15.08\00:40:19.08
But he went ahead
because God had called him.
00:40:19.11\00:40:23.02
And God's gonna call somebody
and it's important though,
00:40:23.05\00:40:26.32
that Jonathan
had an armor bearer.
00:40:26.35\00:40:31.93
Maybe you are Jonathan,
00:40:31.96\00:40:35.70
but maybe you
are the armor bearer.
00:40:35.73\00:40:38.63
Maybe the person sitting
next to you is sensing a call,
00:40:38.67\00:40:41.50
we'll sense a
call, maybe your brother,
00:40:41.54\00:40:43.64
your sister, your
roommate in your hotel,
00:40:43.67\00:40:47.54
and you are that
person who needs to be
00:40:47.58\00:40:49.34
like, "Yo, God's
calling, you got to do this."
00:40:49.38\00:40:52.91
And I'm right behind
you slaying with you, right?
00:40:52.95\00:40:57.62
Yeah.
00:40:57.65\00:40:58.99
Are you going to
obey when God calls you?
00:41:04.43\00:41:09.66
Because of the
times we're living in...
00:41:09.70\00:41:13.00
the times being the end of time,
00:41:13.03\00:41:16.94
because of where we are
in the history of the world,
00:41:16.97\00:41:19.07
I know that God is going to call
00:41:19.11\00:41:20.81
each and every one of
us to an unlikely mission,
00:41:20.84\00:41:25.21
each of us.
00:41:25.25\00:41:27.52
You know, when I talk
with my husband about this,
00:41:27.55\00:41:29.85
like he says,
"Lord, I surrender.
00:41:29.88\00:41:33.56
Call me to be a millionaire
00:41:33.59\00:41:35.02
to give money to
all your workers."
00:41:35.06\00:41:36.66
And some of us
will be called to that.
00:41:41.50\00:41:44.87
God doesn't need a
lot of millionaires.
00:41:44.90\00:41:47.60
So most of us, sorry.
00:41:47.64\00:41:52.77
And if you're praying
to be the millionaire,
00:41:52.81\00:41:54.31
you're probably
not going to make it.
00:41:54.34\00:41:55.68
Sorry, my husband...
00:41:55.71\00:41:59.08
but God's gonna call all
of us to an unlikely mission.
00:41:59.11\00:42:02.18
I hate to say this because
I'm married now with kids.
00:42:07.46\00:42:10.73
When I used to say
this as a single person,
00:42:10.76\00:42:12.33
it had more weight it felt like
00:42:12.36\00:42:14.56
and then when I
would, as a single person
00:42:14.60\00:42:16.16
when I'd hear it
from married people,
00:42:16.20\00:42:17.53
I'll be like, "Yeah, yeah, yeah,
00:42:17.57\00:42:18.90
they say that
because they're married."
00:42:18.93\00:42:20.87
But I'm gonna say it anyway
00:42:20.90\00:42:22.70
and you take it how you take it
00:42:22.74\00:42:24.51
and I pray the Holy Spirit
00:42:24.54\00:42:25.87
will bring it to the hearts
of those who need to hear it.
00:42:25.91\00:42:27.88
Some of you, God is
gonna call to be single.
00:42:27.91\00:42:29.58
I'm saying an unlikely mission.
00:42:34.15\00:42:37.25
Not because marriage is bad,
not because it's not desirable,
00:42:37.29\00:42:40.76
not because we don't need
00:42:40.79\00:42:42.56
that kind of companionship
but these are strange times.
00:42:42.59\00:42:46.03
Consider that maybe
00:42:50.73\00:42:52.07
if that person is
not coming around,
00:42:52.10\00:42:54.74
that maybe God's calling
you to something else, consider.
00:42:54.77\00:42:59.57
And some of the
married folk in here...
00:43:02.88\00:43:06.78
like again, I say I'm...
00:43:06.82\00:43:08.62
I don't know why
the Lord did this to me,
00:43:08.65\00:43:10.09
like I got married and had kids.
00:43:10.12\00:43:12.69
It was not my
plan in life, right?
00:43:12.72\00:43:14.99
So I'm like, "It must be
God's calling on my life."
00:43:15.02\00:43:20.23
But it makes it hard to say
00:43:20.26\00:43:21.60
that some married
folk will get married
00:43:21.63\00:43:24.83
and not be able to have kids.
00:43:24.87\00:43:29.27
Before you lose
your faith over it,
00:43:29.30\00:43:32.51
before you step
outside of God's will
00:43:32.54\00:43:34.24
consider that maybe,
00:43:34.28\00:43:36.85
maybe God is
calling you to something.
00:43:36.88\00:43:38.91
You have plans
for those millions.
00:43:45.15\00:43:48.16
You have plans to
establish yourself,
00:43:48.19\00:43:49.96
buy a house and...
00:43:49.99\00:43:51.93
And it's not coming together,
00:43:51.96\00:43:53.29
consider that maybe
God has a different plan.
00:43:53.33\00:43:55.10
Maybe God is
looking for that person
00:43:59.33\00:44:00.74
who's gonna go reach
00:44:00.77\00:44:02.10
those unreached
people in the Middle East.
00:44:02.14\00:44:05.34
Maybe your job isn't in America,
00:44:05.37\00:44:07.18
maybe your job is in Dubai.
00:44:07.21\00:44:09.38
Oh, that'd be nice actually.
00:44:09.41\00:44:10.75
But maybe your job isn't here.
00:44:14.22\00:44:18.22
Because God wants you
to step outside of here
00:44:18.25\00:44:20.86
and go over there
00:44:20.89\00:44:23.19
to the garrison
of the Philistines,
00:44:23.22\00:44:25.29
because maybe
He wants to use you
00:44:25.33\00:44:30.53
as small as you
are, as few as you are,
00:44:30.57\00:44:34.00
He wants to use
you to save the many.
00:44:34.04\00:44:38.54
Just consider before
choosing to break the Sabbath,
00:44:38.57\00:44:43.24
that God has a different plan
00:44:43.28\00:44:46.58
before choosing to
withhold your time,
00:44:46.61\00:44:48.62
that God has a different plan,
before obeying your parents
00:44:48.65\00:44:54.02
instead of obeying God,
00:44:54.06\00:44:56.49
consider that God may
have a different plan.
00:44:56.52\00:45:01.10
They asked me
before I came up here
00:45:05.83\00:45:08.54
because like I
said, this was not exactly
00:45:08.57\00:45:11.34
what I had planned to say.
00:45:11.37\00:45:13.68
And they asked me,
00:45:13.71\00:45:15.04
"Are you going
to have an appeal?
00:45:15.08\00:45:17.35
A specific appeal, like
permissions or, you know,
00:45:17.38\00:45:21.08
for baptism, so
that they could be ready
00:45:21.12\00:45:23.89
to receive you in the front?'
00:45:23.92\00:45:25.35
And I said, "No.
00:45:25.39\00:45:27.09
But I'm sorry, Michael."
00:45:27.12\00:45:31.96
Because I do have an
appeal that is specific.
00:45:31.99\00:45:36.23
God is calling someone.
00:45:40.44\00:45:43.20
And you already know
what He's calling you to,
00:45:43.24\00:45:46.37
and you're wrestling with Him.
00:45:46.41\00:45:49.48
And you're fighting
because it doesn't make sense,
00:45:49.51\00:45:51.95
it doesn't fit your plans.
00:45:51.98\00:45:54.32
You're fighting because it's not
00:45:54.35\00:45:55.68
how you were raised
per se, you're fighting
00:45:55.72\00:45:58.25
because the way
society will view you.
00:45:58.29\00:46:00.39
You're fighting
for whatever reason,
00:46:00.42\00:46:02.16
you know that God is calling you
00:46:02.19\00:46:03.53
to a different kind of
life and you're struggling.
00:46:03.56\00:46:09.53
And you're here at GYC
and God brought you here
00:46:09.56\00:46:12.40
and He put these
words in my mouth for you
00:46:12.43\00:46:16.77
because God wants
you to surrender today.
00:46:16.81\00:46:22.71
He wants you to
say, "Lord, you can save
00:46:22.74\00:46:25.61
by many or by few, use me."
00:46:25.65\00:46:29.88
That somebody is here.
00:46:34.12\00:46:35.79
I'm not calling the masses,
00:46:35.82\00:46:37.26
it says, "By many or by few,"
00:46:37.29\00:46:38.63
I think this
one is for "By few."
00:46:38.66\00:46:40.10
I'm not calling the masses,
00:46:40.13\00:46:41.96
I'm not looking for a
massive number of people
00:46:42.00\00:46:44.87
coming up here, I'm
looking for that one person
00:46:44.90\00:46:46.90
that God has
spoken to you already.
00:46:46.94\00:46:48.74
God spoke to you.
00:46:48.77\00:46:53.11
Maybe you don't
know specifically
00:46:53.14\00:46:54.88
what exactly He's calling you to
00:46:54.91\00:46:56.48
but you sense a
calling on your life
00:46:56.51\00:46:59.45
to do something unusual,
00:46:59.48\00:47:01.32
and it's not
bad to do the usual,
00:47:01.35\00:47:03.15
it's okay to go be a doctor,
00:47:03.18\00:47:05.92
and go be a nurse,
00:47:05.95\00:47:08.16
and play piano
as a pastor's wife,
00:47:08.19\00:47:09.69
that's okay.
00:47:09.72\00:47:12.93
But God is calling somebody
00:47:12.96\00:47:14.36
to do something
out of the ordinary.
00:47:14.40\00:47:17.73
Are you understanding that
this is not a general appeal?
00:47:17.77\00:47:20.37
This is specific to that person
that God is calling today.
00:47:20.40\00:47:25.44
I want you to come up.
00:47:25.47\00:47:27.78
Come up front here
so we can pray together.
00:47:27.81\00:47:32.55
You're coming up because God
00:47:32.58\00:47:33.95
is calling you to
a specific mission,
00:47:33.98\00:47:36.99
you sensed the
call on your life,
00:47:37.02\00:47:39.55
and you need to
surrender to Jesus,
00:47:39.59\00:47:41.52
come up front.
00:47:41.56\00:47:45.39
Souls are dying,
Jesus is coming soon.
00:47:45.43\00:47:48.10
We need to finish this work,
00:47:48.13\00:47:50.17
there's strange times and
call for strange measures.
00:47:50.20\00:47:52.83
We have to live
for Jesus in a way
00:47:58.24\00:47:59.81
that we've never
lived for Him before.
00:47:59.84\00:48:02.54
Come up.
00:48:02.58\00:48:03.91
If God hasn't called you,
you are that armor bearer.
00:48:11.35\00:48:13.32
You need to be
praying for these people.
00:48:13.36\00:48:17.33
You need to be
that armor bearer.
00:48:17.36\00:48:20.76
But if God has placed a
call on your heart, come.
00:48:20.80\00:48:26.50
I'm incapable of
making long appeals,
00:48:30.54\00:48:33.07
'cause I'd run out
of words, so just come.
00:48:33.11\00:48:35.64