Are you guys ready
for some testimonies?
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Amen.
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Well, my first interview,
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please introduce yourself
and what did you do today?
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My name is Ostap
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and we had a chance to be
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at the Jeffersonville SDA Church
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to remodel the church.
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How old is this church?
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The building was built in 1873.
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Did it look
like it was that old?
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It sure did.
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So what did you end
up doing for that church?
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We had the
opportunity to empower the youth
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to come with us,
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all 57 of us
showed up at this church
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and in three hours
we repainted the walls,
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we sealed the floor,
we cleaned the kitchen,
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the bathrooms got a makeover.
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The church looks amazing.
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We have some videos, I'm sorry,
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some photos of before and after.
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So if we can put that.
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That's the group that
went out to this church.
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And then that's the before,
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and tell me a little
bit about this before photo?
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This is the fellowship hall.
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This is where
their meals happen.
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This is where they
have different seminars
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and it needed a
little bit of a tune-up.
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Let's see what happened after.
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Look at that, and
it looks brand new.
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Yes, they had some
issues with water leaking,
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the floor was
in rough condition.
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The walls look really bad
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with different shades
of paint that were fading.
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And so we went through
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and just remodeled
the whole fellowship hall.
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What have you learned
working with young people,
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and rebuilding,
and restoring a church?
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We represent God, right?
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We represent His church.
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And what better way than
to equip the young people
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to go ahead and
rebuild the church,
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that is their church,
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that they will
continue to run and support
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until Jesus returns.
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Amen. Thank you, Ostap.
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Thank you for your ministry.
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Tell me your name,
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and what role did you
play in the church rebuilding?
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So my name is Cheyna,
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and I was actually in charge
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of painting the
mural in the baptistery.
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How did you get that role?
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It's funny
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because one
random day on Instagram,
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Ostap had actually
messaged me and asked me,
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"If I could paint a
mural for a baptistery."
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Do you do that work?
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It's funny,
because over a decade ago,
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my family and I painted
some murals for our church.
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And so when he had asked me,
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I was kind of
reluctant and scared
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because I'm like, I
don't have mommy with me
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to help me paint
this mural or anything,
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it's going to be my hands.
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So I know there's some photos
of before and after the mural,
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and it looks beautiful.
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What did you...
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What was the
Bible verse you used?
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So the Bible verse I'm
using for the baptistery
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is Matthew 3:16-17.
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And when you see the
picture or saw the picture,
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you saw dove.
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It talked about how
the heavens were open
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and saw,
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He saw a dove
descending from heaven,
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the Holy Spirit
descending as a dove
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from heaven
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and lightning upon Him
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and heard a voice
from heaven saying,
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"This is My beloved Son
in whom I'm well pleased."
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So my prayer is that
when people get baptized,
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and they come out of the water
when they see that Bible verse,
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when trials or
tribulations come,
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and they might
feel like nothing,
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even after baptism
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that they will remember
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that God is well
pleased with them
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and that God loves them
because they are His children.
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Amen.
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Thank you, Cheyna, for
painting the baptistery.
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Next we have Mar...
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Can you say your
name for me again?
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Marliano.
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And your wife? Kerry.
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So you guys,
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we also went
door-to-door on buses.
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We have a few photos
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describing how
sunny the day was.
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Let's put up those photos.
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Oh, this is a bus driver.
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Every bus driver
got a little gift
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with Steps to Christ
in a little gift bag.
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But it was raining,
who was rained upon?
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Thank you for going out anyway.
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You guys went out
door-to-door and something,
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you guys actually
had another partner.
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How old were they?
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Yes, we had a partner Fredrick.
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There he is, I see his hand.
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Raise your hand, Fredrick.
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Okay. He was awesome.
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He's around 12, 12
or 13, I think he was.
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But he was awesome.
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So you guys get out of the bus.
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You're going one direction
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and what does Fredrick tell you?
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Yes, he rescued us
because we were getting lost.
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We were reading
the map incorrectly,
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going in the
completely opposite direction
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and he redirected us
to where we needed to go.
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Okay, well praise
the Lord for Fredrick,
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12-year-old directing
you the right direction.
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At the end of the day
or at the end of your stop,
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your last door,
it had been raining.
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Your things are getting wet,
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but there was one
final lady that you met.
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What was her name?
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Her name was Brenda.
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And what happened at that door?
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We were cold and
tired at this time.
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This is not weather that
we're used to whatsoever.
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We got there, the
paper that we had was wet.
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She was in her pajamas.
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She came up but
she was so friendly.
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And we started
speaking to her, tell her,
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telling her about
some of the things
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that we came to do.
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I let my wife explain a bit.
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Quote that as well.
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Okay, so she's looking
at this damp sheet of paper
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and we went through the top half
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of the questions,
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and she said, "Well, I
want help to stop smoking."
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She says, she
would love to learn
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how to cook vegetarian meals.
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And then she gets down
to those spiritual side
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and my husband is
reading the questions to her
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because she didn't
have her glasses on.
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And she starts to go.
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No, I don't know that, I
don't know about Bible study,
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because and by this,
she's now under her breath.
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She's not confident.
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She seem, "Well,
I've been reading
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and I worship on the Sabbath,
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I do the Seventh-day Sabbath.
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I don't eat pork."
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And she's listing
all of these things
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as if she's been studying,
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but there's no one else
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that has this
belief that she has.
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So then I turned
to her and I said,
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"Well, you know,
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they're almost
3,000 young people
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at our
convention center close by,
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and we worship on the Sabbath.
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And we do most of
these things that you do."
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And she turns to
my husband and goes,
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"What are you?"
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And then he says...
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Yeah, I explained to her
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that we are
Seventh-day Adventist.
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She never heard of a
Seventh-day Adventist,
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yet was keeping a Sabbath,
yet was not eating pork,
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and so many other things,
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speaking about a
second coming as well.
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So when I
explained to her what we are
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and what our name means.
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In my mind, I'm just saying
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that you're
Seventh-day Adventist,
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you just don't recognize it.
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The amazing thing was as well
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that she said
that that very morning
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she was praying
and asking for God
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to send somebody
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because she felt
like she was alone,
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she didn't have
anywhere to worship.
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She didn't have
anybody to really share
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what she was learning
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and that very day she prayed
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and we showed up at her door.
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That was amazing for us.
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Amen.
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That is so beautiful.
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So yes, amen?
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Your last door experience.
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This lady also has friends
of different denominations.
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She has no one who
can really share her faith
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and what God has been revealing,
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but you showed up.
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What?
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She wanted to do what?
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She wants to come
to church tomorrow.
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She would have, she would come
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if her
son-in-law would take her.
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But we asked if we
could come and pick her up.
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So we're
arranging for that to happen
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because she doesn't...
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She only stays home,
studies her Bible on a Sabbath,
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because there's
no one in the area
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that believes these things.
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So she has been trying
to find somewhere to go.
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Well, thank you for going out.
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I know it's not
your type of weather.
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But I'm glad you went.
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Thank you so much.
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Thank you.
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And now, off to our last story,
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please tell me your name
and what happened at your door?
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My name is Destini.
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And we were in the rain
just like everybody else.
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And we showed up at a
door, we got no answer.
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And so, of course, we
continued down the street.
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About two doors down,
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we're on the porch of
this second house here
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and we hear a
voice from our left
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and she goes,
"What do you want?"
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And it kind of
caught us off guard
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but we turn around
and we see this lady,
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she's probably
like in her mid-50s
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at the house that
we had just came from.
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So we enthusiastically
ran back up to the door.
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And we're like,
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"Hey, we're here
doing a community survey.
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We want to figure
out what your needs are."
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And I show her
the list of things
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that we could be offering.
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And I said,
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"Would any of these
benefit you and your family
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or your family?"
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And once I mentioned a
family she shared with me,
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"Oh, it's just me.
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I have no family.
They're all dead."
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And that kind of
caught me off guard.
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But I continued
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with the
spiritual needs as well,
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so would Bible
studies interests you at all.
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That's when she
started opening up
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and sharing with me how
she grew up in a church.
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And the leaders in that
church were very abusive to her.
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And this really
distorted her image of God,
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and my heart
just went out to her
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as she was sharing that with me
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about how she felt
like God was punishing her
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and how she
basically seems to have
00:10:01.43\00:10:03.63
this view of God
as like a tyrant.
00:10:03.67\00:10:06.17
And she really started
00:10:06.20\00:10:08.54
questioning the
truths of that church
00:10:08.57\00:10:10.14
that she grew up in,
00:10:10.17\00:10:11.51
and also became,
00:10:11.54\00:10:13.94
she seemed really curious
00:10:13.98\00:10:15.58
as to the Bible
and what it teaches.
00:10:15.61\00:10:19.11
And she was sharing also that,
00:10:19.15\00:10:21.15
that curiosity really sparked
after her mom had passed away
00:10:21.18\00:10:24.79
about two years ago.
00:10:24.82\00:10:26.49
So you met a lady
who was interested
00:10:26.52\00:10:29.02
in spiritual things and
spiritual conversations,
00:10:29.06\00:10:31.89
but the
conversation went deeper.
00:10:31.93\00:10:35.20
She started revealing
about things about death.
00:10:35.23\00:10:38.33
And then what did
she reveal to you?
00:10:38.37\00:10:40.84
Right, so yeah,
00:10:40.87\00:10:43.00
the conversation
just went really deep.
00:10:43.04\00:10:45.41
And she was sharing
00:10:45.44\00:10:47.51
how after her
mother passed away,
00:10:47.54\00:10:49.71
how the car horn was
like, honking by itself,
00:10:49.74\00:10:55.48
lights in the
house were bursting,
00:10:55.52\00:10:58.65
and some weird
things were happening
00:10:58.69\00:11:00.59
that reminded her of her mother.
00:11:00.62\00:11:03.89
And it was just crazy.
00:11:03.93\00:11:05.73
She actually was asking,
00:11:05.76\00:11:08.33
you know, I don't
understand this stuff.
00:11:08.36\00:11:10.77
But I know that
the Bible also says
00:11:10.80\00:11:13.23
that the dead know nothing.
00:11:13.27\00:11:15.17
And I said, you know,
00:11:15.20\00:11:16.54
you just answered
your own question.
00:11:16.57\00:11:19.21
So and she's not only interested
00:11:19.24\00:11:20.91
in the state of the dead,
00:11:20.94\00:11:22.28
but she's also,
00:11:22.31\00:11:24.01
she has questions
about the Sabbath,
00:11:24.05\00:11:27.15
and about the Antichrist.
00:11:27.18\00:11:30.59
And she's just searching
and you know what, guys,
00:11:30.62\00:11:33.62
was so cool is,
00:11:33.66\00:11:35.76
these are the type of people
00:11:35.79\00:11:37.43
that we're never
going to find unless we go,
00:11:37.46\00:11:40.10
unless we go to the
doors and find them,
00:11:40.13\00:11:42.36
and it's just so cool to
see God work, it's powerful.
00:11:42.40\00:11:45.33
So she signed up
for Bible studies,
00:11:45.37\00:11:47.14
this lady signed
up for Bible studies.
00:11:47.17\00:11:49.44
Praise the Lord, young people,
when we go out and knock,
00:11:49.47\00:11:52.94
people are
interested and ready to accept
00:11:52.97\00:11:55.91
the appeal of
studying the Bible.
00:11:55.94\00:11:58.58
Thank you so much.
00:11:58.61\00:12:01.85
Christ can indeed
personally understand
00:12:01.88\00:12:05.49
and relate to our trials.
00:12:05.52\00:12:07.79
He can do that and so much more
00:12:07.82\00:12:09.96
because Christ did
00:12:09.99\00:12:11.36
what no human
could ever hope to do.
00:12:11.39\00:12:14.73
Spotless was He born
00:12:14.76\00:12:16.53
and spotless was He torn for me.
00:12:16.56\00:12:19.53
Holy is He.
00:12:19.57\00:12:21.44
Because of this blessed am I.
00:12:21.47\00:12:24.21
My only hope is for
Him to be born in me.
00:12:24.24\00:12:27.04
Everything inside me
00:12:36.89\00:12:39.75
Cries for order
00:12:39.79\00:12:44.33
Everything inside me
00:12:44.36\00:12:46.90
Wants to hide
00:12:46.93\00:12:50.77
Is this shadow
00:12:50.80\00:12:53.10
An angel or a warrior?
00:12:53.13\00:12:58.64
If God is pleased with me
00:12:58.67\00:13:01.64
Why am I so terrified?
00:13:01.68\00:13:06.05
Someone tell me
00:13:06.08\00:13:07.98
I am only dreaming
00:13:08.02\00:13:13.25
Somehow help me see
00:13:13.29\00:13:15.82
With Heaven's eyes
00:13:15.86\00:13:20.03
And before my head agrees
00:13:20.06\00:13:23.97
My heart is on its knees
00:13:24.00\00:13:27.70
Holy is He
00:13:27.74\00:13:31.11
Blessed am I
00:13:31.14\00:13:33.88
Be born in me
00:13:33.91\00:13:40.72
Be born in me
00:13:40.75\00:13:47.42
Trembling heart
00:13:47.46\00:13:50.16
Somehow I believe
00:13:50.19\00:13:54.50
That You chose me
00:13:54.53\00:14:01.50
I'll hold you in the beginning
00:14:01.54\00:14:05.14
You will hold me in the end
00:14:05.17\00:14:08.71
Every moment in the middle
00:14:08.74\00:14:12.01
Make my heart your Bethlehem
00:14:12.05\00:14:15.25
Be born in me
00:14:15.28\00:14:19.52
All this time We've
waited for the promise
00:14:23.29\00:14:30.10
And all this time
You've waited for my arms
00:14:30.13\00:14:36.24
Did You wrap
yourself Inside the unexpected
00:14:36.27\00:14:43.24
So we might know That
Love would go that far?
00:14:43.28\00:14:49.35
Be born in me
00:14:49.38\00:14:55.92
Be born in me
00:14:55.96\00:15:02.40
Trembling heart
00:15:02.43\00:15:04.93
Somehow I believe
00:15:04.97\00:15:09.10
That You chose me
00:15:09.14\00:15:15.78
I'll hold you in the beginning
00:15:15.81\00:15:19.25
You will hold me in the end
00:15:19.28\00:15:22.68
Every moment in the middle
00:15:22.72\00:15:26.05
Make my heart your Bethlehem
00:15:26.09\00:15:29.36
Be born in me
00:15:29.39\00:15:35.56
I am not brave
00:15:35.60\00:15:38.93
I'll never be
00:15:38.97\00:15:42.67
The only thing
My heart can offer
00:15:42.70\00:15:46.31
Is a vacancy
00:15:46.34\00:15:49.21
I'm just a girl
00:15:49.24\00:15:52.65
Nothing more
00:15:52.68\00:15:55.88
But I am willing
00:15:55.92\00:15:59.25
And I am Yours
00:15:59.29\00:16:04.13
Be born in me
00:16:16.50\00:16:22.88
Be born in me
00:16:22.91\00:16:29.38
I'll hold you in the beginning
00:16:29.42\00:16:32.75
You will hold me in the end
00:16:32.79\00:16:36.09
Every moment in the middle
00:16:36.12\00:16:39.33
Make my heart your Bethlehem
00:16:39.36\00:16:42.93
Be born in me.
00:16:42.96\00:16:47.77
Good evening and
happy Sabbath, GYC.
00:17:10.36\00:17:12.89
As we begin this evening,
00:17:16.26\00:17:17.60
I would like to
take the opportunity
00:17:17.63\00:17:21.17
to thank GYC and everyone
00:17:21.20\00:17:24.47
that is involved with
this great organization,
00:17:24.51\00:17:28.04
for the
opportunity to stand here
00:17:28.08\00:17:30.71
before and with you,
00:17:30.75\00:17:32.85
and to be given the privilege
to preach the Word of the Lord.
00:17:32.88\00:17:38.15
Friends, I have been blessed.
00:17:38.19\00:17:39.52
I hope that you
have been blessed.
00:17:39.55\00:17:40.89
I hope that over the
course of these past few days,
00:17:40.92\00:17:43.86
the Spirit of God
has spoken to your heart,
00:17:43.89\00:17:46.90
and I hope that He
does so again this evening.
00:17:46.93\00:17:51.30
I want to ask you a question.
00:17:51.33\00:17:54.10
What does love look like?
00:17:54.14\00:17:58.04
How many of you here would say
that you've ever been in love?
00:17:58.07\00:18:03.24
So how many of you then know?
00:18:03.28\00:18:05.15
I saw some wives
look at their husbands.
00:18:05.18\00:18:07.32
How many of you know
then what love looks like?
00:18:07.35\00:18:12.59
I would like to
take your minds back
00:18:12.62\00:18:14.92
not too long ago
00:18:14.96\00:18:16.56
to when a member of
the royal family of Britain
00:18:16.59\00:18:19.46
fell in love with
an American divorcee.
00:18:19.49\00:18:23.33
Who is it that
I'm talking about?
00:18:23.37\00:18:26.30
It is not Harry and Megan.
00:18:26.33\00:18:29.04
No, might not so long
ago was slightly relative.
00:18:29.07\00:18:31.57
I'm referring to King
Edward and Wallis Simpson.
00:18:31.61\00:18:37.15
At the passing of
King George the V,
00:18:37.18\00:18:39.98
King Edward the
first in line to the throne
00:18:40.02\00:18:42.15
humbly took his
father's position.
00:18:42.18\00:18:45.25
Little did he know, however,
00:18:45.29\00:18:47.92
that his reign would
last less than a year.
00:18:47.96\00:18:51.66
Why?
00:18:51.69\00:18:53.29
Because the king to
be had fallen in love.
00:18:53.33\00:18:57.93
You see, five years
before he took the throne,
00:18:57.97\00:19:00.80
Edward had met Wallis Simpson.
00:19:00.84\00:19:04.51
And they decided
00:19:04.54\00:19:06.07
that they were
going to get together.
00:19:06.11\00:19:07.61
The only hindrance with that
00:19:07.64\00:19:08.98
was really that
Wallis was already married,
00:19:09.01\00:19:11.58
actually for the second time.
00:19:11.61\00:19:14.42
And so in order
to be with the prince
00:19:14.45\00:19:17.25
and the soon to be king,
00:19:17.29\00:19:19.02
she had to leave her
husband and get another divorce.
00:19:19.05\00:19:22.42
And as they tried every
which way to be married,
00:19:22.46\00:19:25.89
they were met
only with opposition.
00:19:25.93\00:19:28.50
The Church of England
didn't take too kindly
00:19:28.53\00:19:30.80
to the idea of the
king marrying a divorcee.
00:19:30.83\00:19:34.84
And although they tried
every avenue to be united
00:19:34.87\00:19:38.24
in holy matrimony,
00:19:38.27\00:19:39.77
they were unsuccessful,
which left only one option.
00:19:39.81\00:19:44.65
The king would have
to give up the throne.
00:19:44.68\00:19:49.42
And so he did.
00:19:49.45\00:19:51.65
Three hundred
and twenty six days
00:19:51.69\00:19:53.36
after he became king,
00:19:53.39\00:19:55.16
in December 1936,
00:19:55.19\00:19:58.09
King Edward abdicated the throne
00:19:58.13\00:20:00.20
to his younger brother.
00:20:00.23\00:20:01.86
Shortly after
that he got married.
00:20:01.90\00:20:05.00
And they lived happily,
00:20:05.03\00:20:06.40
at least we would assume
00:20:06.43\00:20:07.77
so until he passed
in the year of 1972.
00:20:07.80\00:20:13.31
Friends, I tell you this story
00:20:13.34\00:20:14.74
because I believe
00:20:14.78\00:20:16.44
that true love
always involves sacrifice.
00:20:16.48\00:20:23.39
And what greater sacrifice
than giving up the throne
00:20:23.42\00:20:27.39
to be with the
one that you love?
00:20:27.42\00:20:30.13
And so I ask you again.
00:20:30.16\00:20:33.06
Have you ever been in love?
00:20:33.09\00:20:36.70
The title for my
message this evening
00:20:36.73\00:20:39.20
is "The Kingmakers."
00:20:39.23\00:20:41.60
Let's pray.
00:20:41.64\00:20:43.51
Father in heaven we pray
00:20:43.54\00:20:44.87
that Your Spirit
would be present here
00:20:44.91\00:20:46.98
with us this evening.
00:20:47.01\00:20:50.28
Father, Lord, we are not worthy.
00:20:50.31\00:20:55.18
We have sinned against
You and against heaven.
00:20:55.22\00:20:58.25
We're not worthy to be call
Your daughters or Your sons.
00:20:58.29\00:21:01.56
But Father, Your Son,
00:21:01.59\00:21:02.92
Jesus Christ
will forever be worthy
00:21:02.96\00:21:04.29
to be called our Savior.
00:21:04.33\00:21:06.33
And so we ask that
He would speak to us
00:21:06.36\00:21:08.20
this evening.
00:21:08.23\00:21:09.76
We pray in Jesus' name, amen.
00:21:09.80\00:21:12.93
I would like you
to turn in your Bibles
00:21:12.97\00:21:14.90
to 1 Samuel Chapter 18.
00:21:14.94\00:21:18.11
1 Samuel Chapter 18.
00:21:18.14\00:21:20.74
You'll find that
just after 1 Samuel 17.
00:21:20.78\00:21:24.81
When you're
there, you can say amen.
00:21:24.85\00:21:28.35
1 Samuel Chapter 18,
00:21:28.38\00:21:29.92
I believe presents us
00:21:29.95\00:21:31.82
with possibly the
greatest picture of love
00:21:31.85\00:21:34.56
outside of the life of Christ.
00:21:34.59\00:21:37.56
When we think of love,
00:21:37.59\00:21:38.93
our minds
usually just go straight
00:21:38.96\00:21:41.36
to the romantic we think of,
00:21:41.40\00:21:43.47
we think of Adam and
Eve, Isaac and Rebecca,
00:21:43.50\00:21:46.03
Jacob and Rachel, Ruth and Boaz,
00:21:46.07\00:21:48.74
we think of David and well,
00:21:48.77\00:21:51.91
we think of David
and maybe many women,
00:21:51.94\00:21:54.51
but I think that
the relationship,
00:21:54.54\00:21:57.15
I think that the relationship
between Jonathan and David
00:21:57.18\00:22:00.88
is also a picture if
not even more of a picture
00:22:00.92\00:22:04.49
of what true love is.
00:22:04.52\00:22:06.65
And just because two
people have a connection
00:22:06.69\00:22:09.29
and are willing to go
to the ends of the earth
00:22:09.32\00:22:11.43
for one another
00:22:11.46\00:22:12.79
does not mean
00:22:12.83\00:22:14.16
that they are
romantically involved.
00:22:14.20\00:22:16.33
Some people interpret this
00:22:16.36\00:22:18.20
as though there was
more than a friendship,
00:22:18.23\00:22:20.34
but you can have a friendship
that shows a complete picture
00:22:20.37\00:22:24.74
of the love and the
character of our God.
00:22:24.77\00:22:28.38
It is in David's great victory
over Goliath in the chapter
00:22:28.41\00:22:31.25
just prior to this,
00:22:31.28\00:22:32.98
and his subsequent
conversation with Saul
00:22:33.01\00:22:35.65
that we pick up
this conversation
00:22:35.68\00:22:37.62
in 1 Samuel 18:1, it says,
00:22:37.65\00:22:39.39
"And it came to pass,
00:22:39.42\00:22:40.79
when he had made an
end of speaking unto Saul,
00:22:40.82\00:22:43.22
that the soul of
Jonathan was knit
00:22:43.26\00:22:46.73
with the soul of David,
00:22:46.76\00:22:48.40
and Jonathan loved
him as his own soul."
00:22:48.43\00:22:52.83
David had won
the heart of Jonathan
00:22:52.87\00:22:56.87
and I believe
that this is a picture
00:22:56.91\00:22:59.01
of true Christianity.
00:22:59.04\00:23:01.94
True Christianity is not found
00:23:01.98\00:23:04.01
in the acceptance of
theories of doctrines,
00:23:04.05\00:23:06.85
nor in a certain
acceptance of lifestyle,
00:23:06.88\00:23:09.38
although doctrine and
lifestyle have their place,
00:23:09.42\00:23:12.85
but the very
essence of Christianity
00:23:12.89\00:23:15.46
is revealed in the
outpouring of the heart
00:23:15.49\00:23:18.43
in devotion to another person.
00:23:18.46\00:23:21.96
I'll say amen for you.
00:23:22.00\00:23:24.13
Paul says that
without this experience,
00:23:24.17\00:23:26.74
our religion is
but sounding brass
00:23:26.77\00:23:29.67
and a tinkling cymbal.
00:23:29.70\00:23:32.17
When John spoke of
this love in his epistle,
00:23:32.21\00:23:34.74
he said that if a
man claims to love God
00:23:34.78\00:23:37.45
but hates his
brother, then he is a liar.
00:23:37.48\00:23:40.95
But some of us
have taken this to say
00:23:40.98\00:23:43.02
that in order for
our relationship with God
00:23:43.05\00:23:45.85
to remain genuine,
00:23:45.89\00:23:47.39
all we have to do is
not hate our brother,
00:23:47.42\00:23:50.06
but this is not
what John had in mind.
00:23:50.09\00:23:51.99
John was saying, if
you hate your brother,
00:23:52.03\00:23:53.76
then you
definitely don't love God.
00:23:53.80\00:23:55.90
But in reading this,
00:23:55.93\00:23:57.27
the hope is that you would love
00:23:57.30\00:23:58.63
all of your brothers and sisters
00:23:58.67\00:24:00.00
as you claim to love God.
00:24:00.04\00:24:02.20
It is not enough
friends to just not hate.
00:24:02.24\00:24:06.61
Our Christianity
00:24:06.64\00:24:07.98
and our personal
relationship with God
00:24:08.01\00:24:10.25
will always be demonstrated
by our ability to love others,
00:24:10.28\00:24:16.28
and Jonathan's
heart beats for David.
00:24:16.32\00:24:21.36
Verse 3 says,
00:24:21.39\00:24:22.72
"Then Jonathan and
David made a covenant,
00:24:22.76\00:24:24.46
because he loved
him as his own soul."
00:24:24.49\00:24:27.56
This is not the
normal connection
00:24:27.60\00:24:29.26
I might add,
00:24:29.30\00:24:30.63
that you normally
find between two men.
00:24:30.67\00:24:33.87
You see, when you have,
00:24:33.90\00:24:35.24
when you look at
relationships that females make,
00:24:35.27\00:24:38.74
they seem to usually
connect on an emotional level.
00:24:38.77\00:24:43.14
They're happy to
share with one another.
00:24:43.18\00:24:45.28
They'll even go as far
as to touch one another
00:24:45.31\00:24:48.45
to hug one another,
to encourage one another,
00:24:48.48\00:24:50.85
to console one another.
00:24:50.89\00:24:52.65
But oftentimes,
men aren't like that.
00:24:52.69\00:24:55.16
That's not to say
if you're like that,
00:24:55.19\00:24:56.66
you're not a man that
you seems to not be the norm
00:24:56.69\00:24:59.19
and maybe this
is a generalization.
00:24:59.23\00:25:01.63
Maybe I'm just
speaking about myself here.
00:25:01.66\00:25:04.13
But actually what I found
00:25:04.17\00:25:05.50
is that men kind of seem to bond
00:25:05.53\00:25:08.10
over action instead of emotion.
00:25:08.14\00:25:11.57
We like to do things,
00:25:11.61\00:25:13.24
we like to come together
00:25:13.27\00:25:14.61
and plan some sort of
adventure or something
00:25:14.64\00:25:16.81
that we could possibly overcome.
00:25:16.85\00:25:18.65
And we usually
don't have to talk
00:25:18.68\00:25:20.55
on the way to doing that.
00:25:20.58\00:25:23.02
It's not
unimaginable for a group of guys
00:25:23.05\00:25:25.52
who are excited about something
that they were about to do,
00:25:25.55\00:25:28.16
to head in the same
place in the same car,
00:25:28.19\00:25:30.53
and to remain unbearably
silent in that vehicle,
00:25:30.56\00:25:33.29
even though
00:25:33.33\00:25:34.66
they're all
really looking forward
00:25:34.70\00:25:36.03
to what they're about to do.
00:25:36.06\00:25:38.03
They're loving it.
00:25:38.07\00:25:39.40
They're connecting.
00:25:39.43\00:25:40.77
They're getting to know
00:25:40.80\00:25:42.14
one another
better through silence.
00:25:42.17\00:25:45.47
Jonathan and David,
00:25:45.51\00:25:46.84
I believe are connecting
on the deepest of levels.
00:25:46.88\00:25:51.15
They're connecting
on a spiritual level.
00:25:51.18\00:25:54.58
Sure, there's a
lot of similarities.
00:25:54.62\00:25:56.25
They're probably close in age,
00:25:56.28\00:25:58.55
similar backgrounds
00:25:58.59\00:25:59.92
and that they
have grown up fighting.
00:25:59.95\00:26:01.36
Jonathan grown
up fighting people,
00:26:01.39\00:26:03.43
David grown up fighting animals.
00:26:03.46\00:26:06.03
But where they connect really
00:26:06.06\00:26:07.70
is in that desire
to give their lives
00:26:07.73\00:26:10.47
to serve God.
00:26:10.50\00:26:12.50
And I wish that more
of us as young people
00:26:12.53\00:26:15.04
would connect on that level.
00:26:15.07\00:26:17.67
I encourage my
fellow young people,
00:26:17.71\00:26:20.38
to look to make friends
00:26:20.41\00:26:21.88
with those that
can actually bring you
00:26:21.91\00:26:23.78
closer to God.
00:26:23.81\00:26:25.65
It's too easy to
just connect with people
00:26:25.68\00:26:28.32
that are similar to us,
00:26:28.35\00:26:29.98
that look like
us and dress like us
00:26:30.02\00:26:32.39
and like the same
things that we do.
00:26:32.42\00:26:35.12
We ought to look
to connect with people
00:26:35.16\00:26:37.39
that want to pray with
us, that want to pray for us,
00:26:37.43\00:26:40.96
that are concerned
with our spiritual life
00:26:41.00\00:26:43.37
and with our eternal life
00:26:43.40\00:26:44.93
because I believe
that those are the friends
00:26:44.97\00:26:47.40
that will stick
with us until the end.
00:26:47.44\00:26:51.84
Verse 4,
00:26:51.87\00:26:53.21
however, is where I
really want to labor.
00:26:53.24\00:26:55.71
The Bible says in 1 Samuel 18:4,
00:26:55.74\00:26:59.41
"And Jonathan stripped himself
of the robe that was upon him,
00:26:59.45\00:27:03.99
and gave it to
David, and his garments,
00:27:04.02\00:27:06.92
even to his
sword, and to his bow,
00:27:06.96\00:27:09.92
and to his belt."
00:27:09.96\00:27:14.33
Friends, do you
know who Jonathan is?
00:27:14.36\00:27:16.56
He is the prince of Israel,
his garments and his robe,
00:27:16.60\00:27:21.14
they represent who he is.
00:27:21.17\00:27:23.24
They testify
00:27:23.27\00:27:24.61
that he is next in
line to the throne.
00:27:24.64\00:27:26.88
And this is not merely
just an exchange of clothing.
00:27:26.91\00:27:30.65
If you go back
00:27:30.68\00:27:32.01
to the Book of
Genesis 41:37 onwards,
00:27:32.05\00:27:36.05
the pharaoh recognizes in Joseph
00:27:36.08\00:27:38.92
that this truly is a
man in whom God resides with
00:27:38.95\00:27:43.12
and so what the pharaoh does?
00:27:43.16\00:27:44.63
If you read verse 42, it says,
00:27:44.66\00:27:46.03
"And Pharaoh took off
his ring from his hand,
00:27:46.06\00:27:48.90
and put it upon Joseph's hand,
00:27:48.93\00:27:50.80
he arrayed him in
vestures of fine linen,
00:27:50.83\00:27:53.50
and put a gold
chain around his neck."
00:27:53.54\00:27:56.40
Pharaoh was showing Joseph
00:27:56.44\00:27:58.47
that by giving him new clothing,
00:27:58.51\00:28:00.38
a ring and a chain
00:28:00.41\00:28:02.11
that symbolically
Joseph's very identity
00:28:02.14\00:28:04.95
in the king, in
the kingdom of Egypt
00:28:04.98\00:28:07.15
was also changing
00:28:07.18\00:28:08.85
and here Jonathan is
doing the same thing.
00:28:08.88\00:28:11.95
Friends, I want
you to understand
00:28:11.99\00:28:13.32
the sacrifice that
is taking place here.
00:28:13.36\00:28:15.52
Jonathan has
spent the last few years
00:28:15.56\00:28:17.53
preparing to be the
next king of Israel.
00:28:17.56\00:28:20.63
The blessing of heaven
is clearly already upon him.
00:28:20.66\00:28:24.33
He is moved by
divine impulses to go forth
00:28:24.37\00:28:27.14
and slay the Philistines.
00:28:27.17\00:28:28.70
He believes that
God can use one man
00:28:28.74\00:28:31.21
to change the course of history.
00:28:31.24\00:28:33.04
And he arguably has
already become that one man
00:28:33.07\00:28:35.48
because the Bible testifies
that Israel stands on that day
00:28:35.51\00:28:38.75
because Jonathan was
used by the Lord to save them.
00:28:38.78\00:28:42.88
But God had also chosen David
00:28:42.92\00:28:45.65
to be sole
successor and not Jonathan.
00:28:45.69\00:28:48.12
The thing is, nobody
had told Jonathan that.
00:28:48.16\00:28:53.19
But catch this,
his heart is so in tune
00:28:53.23\00:28:55.43
with his creator
00:28:55.46\00:28:56.80
and his love
for his friend David
00:28:56.83\00:28:58.63
is so great
00:28:58.67\00:29:00.00
that he gives up the throne
so that David can have it.
00:29:00.04\00:29:02.87
Instead he says to David,
"My friend, I love you so much.
00:29:02.90\00:29:06.68
I will give up
everything that I am
00:29:06.71\00:29:09.38
so you can be everything
that God wants you to be."
00:29:09.41\00:29:14.12
Friends, that's love.
00:29:14.15\00:29:15.92
And don't miss the part
00:29:15.95\00:29:17.29
where Jonathan
gives David his sword.
00:29:17.32\00:29:19.42
This is important.
00:29:19.45\00:29:20.99
David doesn't have a sword.
00:29:21.02\00:29:22.36
I mean, why would a
shepherd need a sword?
00:29:22.39\00:29:24.36
The insinuation is
that when David went to war
00:29:24.39\00:29:26.73
against the bear and the lion
00:29:26.76\00:29:28.43
that he killed them
with his bare hands.
00:29:28.46\00:29:30.17
It says that he
grabbed the beast
00:29:30.20\00:29:32.13
by its beard.
00:29:32.17\00:29:33.50
He had no sword.
00:29:33.54\00:29:34.87
When he went to take on Goliath,
00:29:34.90\00:29:36.24
he didn't have a
sword. He used stones.
00:29:36.27\00:29:38.61
In fact, he even
rejected Saul's sword
00:29:38.64\00:29:41.24
because it says
he hadn't proved it.
00:29:41.28\00:29:44.35
David did not have a sword.
00:29:44.38\00:29:45.71
In fact, if you go back
to 1 Samuel 13:22 onwards,
00:29:45.75\00:29:49.75
no one in Israel had a sword.
00:29:49.78\00:29:51.79
The only two
men that had a sword
00:29:51.82\00:29:53.72
were both Saul and Jonathan.
00:29:53.76\00:29:56.59
And Jonathan
giving his sword to David,
00:29:56.62\00:29:59.49
he was not just saying
that you will take my place
00:29:59.53\00:30:02.20
as the next in
line of the throne.
00:30:02.23\00:30:03.57
He said you will take my place
00:30:03.60\00:30:05.27
as the leader of this
great nation in battle.
00:30:05.30\00:30:09.34
Have you realized that
it's from this point forth
00:30:09.37\00:30:11.81
that David goes
out with Saul's army
00:30:11.84\00:30:14.48
and when he returns,
00:30:14.51\00:30:15.84
the women are there singing.
00:30:15.88\00:30:17.85
That Saul has
killed his thousands
00:30:17.88\00:30:20.08
and David his ten thousands.
00:30:20.12\00:30:22.18
Of course, they're the
men that have killed the most.
00:30:22.22\00:30:24.99
They're the
only men with swords.
00:30:25.02\00:30:26.82
Friends, Jonathan
gives up his position
00:30:30.96\00:30:34.13
not begrudgingly,
00:30:34.16\00:30:36.56
not sulking that God had
chosen someone else over him
00:30:36.60\00:30:40.10
and he wasn't going
to get the spotlight.
00:30:40.14\00:30:43.04
His heart was
overflowing with love.
00:30:43.07\00:30:45.87
And his decision
00:30:45.91\00:30:47.48
was that which poured
out of his heart naturally,
00:30:47.51\00:30:50.71
and I think that
that my friends is love.
00:30:50.75\00:30:54.42
I've come to the conclusion
00:30:54.45\00:30:56.18
that that love is
the most unnatural love
00:30:56.22\00:31:00.69
that exists in our world today.
00:31:00.72\00:31:04.03
When God sent His Son,
00:31:04.06\00:31:05.76
I believe He sent Him
to show us how to love
00:31:05.79\00:31:09.03
but not necessarily
how to love romantically.
00:31:09.06\00:31:12.50
The love of God
is the greatest love
00:31:12.53\00:31:14.10
even it's not a romantic love.
00:31:14.14\00:31:16.40
When a widow loses their spouse
00:31:16.44\00:31:18.57
and we tell them that
God will be their spouse,
00:31:18.61\00:31:21.04
we are not talking
in a romantic sense,
00:31:21.08\00:31:22.88
we are saying
00:31:22.91\00:31:24.25
that God will
devote Himself to you
00:31:24.28\00:31:26.82
in as much as
any husband or wife
00:31:26.85\00:31:29.15
would devote themselves to you.
00:31:29.18\00:31:30.75
Loving romantically,
00:31:30.79\00:31:32.29
I would bet to you
00:31:32.32\00:31:33.66
this evening is
actually not that hard.
00:31:33.69\00:31:36.49
In many cases, it
seems to come naturally,
00:31:36.52\00:31:38.99
it is loving unselfishly,
that is our greatest challenge.
00:31:39.03\00:31:45.23
And I think it is
completely evident
00:31:45.27\00:31:46.60
within our church today
00:31:46.63\00:31:47.97
that that is the case
00:31:48.00\00:31:49.34
because there has always
00:31:49.37\00:31:50.71
and there will always be
issues that we do not agree on.
00:31:50.74\00:31:54.44
But, friends,
theological differences
00:31:54.48\00:31:56.14
do not have to lead
00:31:56.18\00:31:57.51
to the disowning of
Christian attitudes.
00:31:57.55\00:32:00.82
If we cannot love
those who we disagree with,
00:32:00.85\00:32:03.39
even though we're
part of the same faith,
00:32:03.42\00:32:05.09
how we possibly
love our enemies?
00:32:05.12\00:32:07.92
When Christ was giving
His sermon on the mount,
00:32:07.96\00:32:09.72
He taught that
this is real perfection.
00:32:09.76\00:32:12.49
This is the
character of the Father,
00:32:12.53\00:32:14.56
to bless the
righteous and the unrighteous,
00:32:14.60\00:32:18.20
to love one's enemies.
00:32:18.23\00:32:21.04
Friends, I think that God knew
00:32:21.07\00:32:22.40
we would struggle in this issue,
00:32:22.44\00:32:24.34
this issue of
loving one another.
00:32:24.37\00:32:25.77
And let me tell you why
I think this is evident.
00:32:25.81\00:32:28.11
As Seventh-day Adventists
we believe in the law of God,
00:32:28.14\00:32:31.21
can you say amen?
00:32:31.25\00:32:33.42
But we must look at
the whole law as it is.
00:32:33.45\00:32:35.55
And I encourage you especially
to look at it not as a list
00:32:35.58\00:32:39.09
of do's and don'ts,
00:32:39.12\00:32:40.52
but rather look at
the last six commandments
00:32:40.56\00:32:42.92
from the perspective
00:32:42.96\00:32:44.29
of how breaking them
actually hurts others.
00:32:44.33\00:32:49.23
You see, when
we break the fifth,
00:32:49.26\00:32:51.43
we're hurting our parents.
00:32:51.47\00:32:53.10
When we break the sixth,
00:32:53.13\00:32:54.50
we're taking
the lives of others.
00:32:54.54\00:32:56.30
When we break the seventh,
00:32:56.34\00:32:57.71
we're destroying
other people's marriages.
00:32:57.74\00:32:59.84
When we break the eighth,
we're stealing from others.
00:32:59.87\00:33:02.28
When we break the
ninth, we're lying from others.
00:33:02.31\00:33:04.45
When we break the
tenth, we're jealous of others.
00:33:04.48\00:33:07.35
Friends, if we saw that
it was important for God
00:33:07.38\00:33:09.65
to tell us to
remember the Sabbath,
00:33:09.68\00:33:11.95
because we would forget,
00:33:11.99\00:33:13.36
then how or what does it tell us
00:33:13.39\00:33:15.32
that He asked us
to love one another
00:33:15.36\00:33:17.43
six times in a row and
then wrote it in stone.
00:33:17.46\00:33:22.50
It tells us that
He knows our nature.
00:33:22.53\00:33:26.74
I've realized this in marriage.
00:33:26.77\00:33:28.87
Those that are married
00:33:31.97\00:33:33.31
will know what
I'm talking about.
00:33:33.34\00:33:36.61
On our marriage day,
my wife and I declared
00:33:36.64\00:33:39.08
to love one another.
00:33:39.11\00:33:40.45
And from that day forward,
00:33:40.48\00:33:41.88
God has been showing
us how to actually love.
00:33:41.92\00:33:47.09
And, friends, I'll
be completely honest
00:33:47.12\00:33:49.19
and completely
transparent with you.
00:33:49.22\00:33:51.33
Marriage is the hardest thing
I've ever had to do in my life.
00:33:51.36\00:33:56.93
It's the most
beautiful and the most rewarding
00:33:56.97\00:34:00.60
and the most satisfying thing
that I've ever done in my life,
00:34:00.64\00:34:03.74
but it's also the most difficult
00:34:03.77\00:34:06.01
because every day I wake up,
00:34:06.04\00:34:08.24
my concern is not
who's lying next to me,
00:34:08.28\00:34:10.75
but who's lying
next to the person
00:34:10.78\00:34:12.11
that's lying next to
me, my concern is me.
00:34:12.15\00:34:15.62
Because every day
that I rise up from my bed,
00:34:15.65\00:34:18.19
my battle is with self.
00:34:18.22\00:34:20.42
And marriage reminds me
of how selfish I can be.
00:34:20.46\00:34:26.29
Yesterday, we were at a
seminar and someone asked,
00:34:26.33\00:34:30.30
"How you can know if
marriage is for you."
00:34:30.33\00:34:33.44
My answer was simple.
00:34:33.47\00:34:35.37
"Check your pulse.
00:34:35.40\00:34:39.11
Because if you're alive,
00:34:39.14\00:34:40.74
then it's likely
that marriage is for you."
00:34:40.78\00:34:42.48
If you're alive,
00:34:42.51\00:34:43.85
it's because God
wants you in the kingdom.
00:34:43.88\00:34:45.68
And it seems that
marriage is designed
00:34:45.71\00:34:47.52
almost solely for that purpose.
00:34:47.55\00:34:51.09
Marriage is all about
00:34:51.12\00:34:53.19
putting someone
else before yourself.
00:34:53.22\00:34:57.76
And, friends, I believe
that that is the mind of Christ.
00:34:57.79\00:35:03.16
Why do I say this?
00:35:03.20\00:35:04.53
In Philippians 2:3, it says,
00:35:04.57\00:35:06.70
"Let nothing be done
through strife or vainglory,
00:35:06.74\00:35:10.07
but in lowliness of mind
00:35:10.11\00:35:11.51
let each esteem others
better than themselves.
00:35:11.54\00:35:17.55
Look not every
man on his own things,
00:35:17.58\00:35:19.75
but every man on
the things of others.
00:35:19.78\00:35:21.62
Let this mind be in you,
which is also in Christ Jesus."
00:35:21.65\00:35:27.49
This mind, the mind of Christ
00:35:27.52\00:35:30.36
is the mind
where you esteem others
00:35:30.39\00:35:33.19
as being better than yourselves.
00:35:33.23\00:35:37.93
I know this
isn't an amen sermon,
00:35:37.97\00:35:39.57
no one likes to
hear these things.
00:35:39.60\00:35:42.37
Paul says that we
should not conform
00:35:42.40\00:35:44.07
to this world,
00:35:44.11\00:35:45.44
but we should be transformed
by the renewing of our minds.
00:35:45.47\00:35:47.48
That, my friends, is the gospel,
00:35:47.51\00:35:49.34
to take the mind of Christ.
00:35:49.38\00:35:51.55
How do you know if the
gospel is really taking
00:35:51.58\00:35:53.85
a hold of your life?
00:35:53.88\00:35:56.69
You esteem others
better than yourself.
00:35:56.72\00:36:01.19
What does that mean?
00:36:01.22\00:36:02.96
It means to respect.
00:36:02.99\00:36:04.83
It means to admire.
00:36:04.86\00:36:06.66
It means to approve of someone
00:36:06.70\00:36:08.66
more than you
approve of yourself.
00:36:08.70\00:36:13.80
But if you really believed
that the others out there
00:36:13.84\00:36:17.41
were greater than you,
00:36:17.44\00:36:19.51
it would not just be a
false humility of admitting,
00:36:19.54\00:36:21.78
oh yes, everyone
is better than I am.
00:36:21.81\00:36:23.14
No, no, no.
00:36:23.18\00:36:24.51
If you truly esteemed
others better than yourself,
00:36:24.55\00:36:27.25
then you, my friends,
00:36:27.28\00:36:28.62
would sacrifice
yourself for them.
00:36:28.65\00:36:32.29
It's the gospel
that you believe in,
00:36:32.32\00:36:34.59
calling you to
sacrifice what you have
00:36:34.62\00:36:36.89
so that others can prosper
to a greater degree than you.
00:36:36.93\00:36:42.20
Shortly after I
became a Christian,
00:36:42.23\00:36:44.63
I had to leave my home.
00:36:44.67\00:36:47.04
The lifestyle that
I had chosen to live
00:36:47.07\00:36:50.14
wasn't mixing so well
with my family's lifestyles,
00:36:50.17\00:36:53.44
and I was asked to leave.
00:36:53.48\00:36:56.08
I had nowhere to go.
00:36:56.11\00:36:58.58
It might be a stretch
to say that I was homeless,
00:36:58.61\00:37:01.52
but I didn't
have anywhere to stay
00:37:01.55\00:37:03.52
at least for a few hours.
00:37:03.55\00:37:06.55
It was only a few hours
because I received a phone call
00:37:06.59\00:37:10.13
from one of my closest friends,
00:37:10.16\00:37:11.49
now his name is Clive Coutet.
00:37:11.53\00:37:12.86
I think some of
you already know him.
00:37:12.89\00:37:15.36
And he called me that morning.
00:37:15.40\00:37:16.93
He said, "Dean,
is everything okay?
00:37:16.97\00:37:20.14
I woke up this
morning with a burden for you.
00:37:20.17\00:37:23.14
And I prayed for you.
00:37:23.17\00:37:24.67
And I just want you to
know that if anything is wrong,
00:37:24.71\00:37:27.41
if you're ever in trouble,
00:37:27.44\00:37:28.78
or you ever need
somewhere to stay,
00:37:28.81\00:37:30.68
I just want you to know
that I've got your back."
00:37:30.71\00:37:34.92
I looked at my phone.
00:37:34.95\00:37:36.95
I looked up at the sky.
00:37:36.99\00:37:39.02
I looked back at my phone.
00:37:39.05\00:37:40.39
I said, "Well, actually,
it's funny that you say that."
00:37:40.42\00:37:45.43
And I explained
the situation to him.
00:37:45.46\00:37:47.40
It took me about two
hours to get to his house.
00:37:47.43\00:37:50.17
And when I got there,
00:37:50.20\00:37:51.53
he opened the door and
standing just behind him
00:37:51.57\00:37:53.50
was his mother and his father.
00:37:53.54\00:37:56.27
And I'll never forget the moment
00:37:56.30\00:37:58.47
when his mom came up to me
00:37:58.51\00:38:00.84
wrapped her arms
around me and said,
00:38:00.88\00:38:05.01
"We are your parents now.
00:38:05.05\00:38:08.98
We are your family now.
00:38:09.02\00:38:11.45
This is your home now.
00:38:11.49\00:38:15.19
You can stay with us
for as long as you want."
00:38:15.22\00:38:18.76
And, friends, at no point
00:38:18.79\00:38:20.13
did they ever
asked me for rent money.
00:38:20.16\00:38:22.40
At no point did
they ever asked me
00:38:22.43\00:38:24.63
to chip in with money for food
00:38:24.67\00:38:28.17
and to push it out even further,
00:38:28.20\00:38:30.71
as I made my way
through the embraces
00:38:30.74\00:38:32.67
that I know I didn't deserve,
00:38:32.71\00:38:34.58
Clive took me
upstairs to his bedroom
00:38:34.61\00:38:37.38
and introduced me
to my new bedroom.
00:38:37.41\00:38:40.58
He moved out all of
his stuff in that time.
00:38:40.62\00:38:43.08
In fact, he moved
00:38:43.12\00:38:44.45
into his dad's
computer editing room.
00:38:44.49\00:38:47.02
He lived literally under a table
00:38:47.06\00:38:49.96
that in all honesty
00:38:49.99\00:38:51.33
had so many VHS
cassettes stored on top of it.
00:38:51.36\00:38:53.36
It looked like it could collapse
00:38:53.40\00:38:54.73
at any moment.
00:38:54.76\00:38:58.17
Friends, it was on
that day that I saw
00:38:58.20\00:39:01.57
what real
Christianity looked like.
00:39:01.60\00:39:04.87
On that day,
00:39:04.91\00:39:06.41
I saw what true
love looked like.
00:39:06.44\00:39:09.84
And it made a
difference in my life.
00:39:09.88\00:39:12.15
It showed me
that the love of God
00:39:12.18\00:39:13.68
was actually in
the hearts of people.
00:39:13.72\00:39:16.28
I saw real love that day
00:39:16.32\00:39:17.72
because I saw in others
00:39:17.75\00:39:19.32
that they were willing
to give up their comforts,
00:39:19.35\00:39:21.19
their home and
their money for me
00:39:21.22\00:39:22.89
who they barely knew.
00:39:22.92\00:39:25.43
I saw people
that for some reason,
00:39:25.46\00:39:27.50
esteemed me higher than
they esteemed themselves.
00:39:27.53\00:39:30.73
And, friends, I
want to encourage you,
00:39:30.77\00:39:32.63
that your acts of
service and your kind words,
00:39:32.67\00:39:35.74
when you put
yourself out there for others.
00:39:35.77\00:39:38.71
You have no idea
the kind of impact
00:39:38.74\00:39:40.81
you could have on a single life.
00:39:40.84\00:39:43.21
I don't know if I would still be
00:39:43.24\00:39:44.71
in the faith today
00:39:44.75\00:39:46.25
were it not for
the Coutet family.
00:39:46.28\00:39:49.85
Because that's
where I was first shown
00:39:49.88\00:39:51.85
the real character of God.
00:39:51.89\00:39:54.76
And that's why I believe
that the story of friendship
00:39:54.79\00:39:57.19
that we find in
1 Samuel Chapter 18
00:39:57.23\00:39:59.56
is one of the clearest pictures
of the actual love of God,
00:39:59.59\00:40:03.57
because it is a near
perfect representation
00:40:03.60\00:40:06.43
of what Christ
does for you and I.
00:40:06.47\00:40:09.77
Christ stood there watching
00:40:09.80\00:40:11.37
as man came up
against the great giants
00:40:11.41\00:40:13.88
except this time the giant,
00:40:13.91\00:40:15.61
the serpent was victorious.
00:40:15.64\00:40:17.48
Man had fallen into sin.
00:40:17.51\00:40:19.88
But the heart of the Son of God,
00:40:19.91\00:40:21.35
not just Jonathan was
knit with the soul of man,
00:40:21.38\00:40:24.75
not just David and Jesus
loved us as His own soul.
00:40:24.79\00:40:30.43
And in response to that love,
00:40:30.46\00:40:32.39
Jesus and man made a covenant
00:40:32.43\00:40:35.73
because He loved
us as His own soul.
00:40:35.76\00:40:39.53
A covenant, friends,
was made on the cross.
00:40:39.57\00:40:42.70
The cross of Calvary
is the testimony of love.
00:40:42.74\00:40:45.37
It is the
testimony of the Son of God
00:40:45.41\00:40:47.34
who looked upon you and I
00:40:47.38\00:40:48.84
and esteemed us
higher than himself,
00:40:48.88\00:40:52.31
is the
testimony of one who owned
00:40:52.35\00:40:54.45
all the riches of heaven
00:40:54.48\00:40:56.18
but agreed to lay
all of that aside,
00:40:56.22\00:40:58.79
so that you and I could
pick those riches back up.
00:40:58.82\00:41:01.52
It is the testimony of a God
00:41:01.56\00:41:03.36
that would become man
and walk on this earth
00:41:03.39\00:41:05.23
for 33.5 years
00:41:05.26\00:41:07.00
the most this world could endure
00:41:07.03\00:41:09.16
and then suffer
the most excruciatingly
00:41:09.20\00:41:11.73
painful and agonizing death,
00:41:11.77\00:41:13.84
separating
Himself from the Father
00:41:13.87\00:41:16.07
so that you and
I could be reunited
00:41:16.10\00:41:18.01
with that Father.
00:41:18.04\00:41:20.38
But He does not
just offer us His death,
00:41:20.41\00:41:22.74
He offers us His life.
00:41:22.78\00:41:25.55
He offers us more
than justification,
00:41:25.58\00:41:27.75
He offers us sanctification.
00:41:27.78\00:41:30.09
He places His robe upon us,
00:41:30.12\00:41:32.42
just as Jonathan
placed His upon David.
00:41:32.45\00:41:35.69
He gives us that
robe of righteousness.
00:41:35.72\00:41:38.09
Friends, He is faithful
00:41:38.13\00:41:39.69
and He is just to
forgive us of our sins
00:41:39.73\00:41:42.46
and to cleanse us
from all unrighteousness.
00:41:42.50\00:41:45.80
He gives us His garments.
00:41:45.83\00:41:47.60
He gives us His sword.
00:41:47.64\00:41:51.67
And Jesus Christ gave up
everything for you and I.
00:41:51.71\00:41:56.14
Just as Jonathan
00:41:56.18\00:41:57.58
was the rightful
heir to the throne,
00:41:57.61\00:41:59.65
and gave it up for David.
00:41:59.68\00:42:01.28
So too was Jesus the
rightful king of heaven,
00:42:01.32\00:42:04.09
yet He gave up His crown
so that He could crown us.
00:42:04.12\00:42:09.82
Friends,
Jonathan was a kingmaker.
00:42:09.86\00:42:12.99
He laid aside his position,
so that David could be king.
00:42:13.03\00:42:16.67
And I want to
propose to you this evening
00:42:16.70\00:42:18.73
that Jesus too is a kingmaker.
00:42:18.77\00:42:21.34
He gave up His throne,
00:42:21.37\00:42:22.94
so that you and
I could sit on it
00:42:22.97\00:42:24.57
next to His Father.
00:42:24.61\00:42:26.74
Friends, Jesus could not see
00:42:26.78\00:42:28.38
through the portals of the tomb,
00:42:28.41\00:42:30.21
that is love.
00:42:30.25\00:42:32.28
Jesus could not see a
resurrection for Himself.
00:42:32.31\00:42:35.92
He hung on the
cross and endured it,
00:42:35.95\00:42:38.09
He found joy in it,
00:42:38.12\00:42:39.89
firm in His conviction
00:42:39.92\00:42:41.49
that if He was never reunited
with His Father would be okay
00:42:41.52\00:42:44.53
because of the chance
that you and I would be.
00:42:44.56\00:42:48.53
That's love
00:42:48.56\00:42:50.37
as Satan wronged
the heart of God.
00:42:50.40\00:42:54.14
His heart was given for us.
00:42:54.17\00:42:56.77
He trod the winepress alone,
00:42:56.81\00:42:59.01
so that you and I
would not have to.
00:42:59.04\00:43:03.01
And to top it all off,
Christ's death, Paul says,
00:43:03.04\00:43:07.62
was for us while
we were yet sinners.
00:43:07.65\00:43:13.19
And so I bid you to
dispel this false ideology
00:43:13.22\00:43:17.19
that we must come to God right.
00:43:17.23\00:43:22.13
The pleas to come, come to Him.
00:43:22.16\00:43:25.77
Do not expend the
efforts trying to fix your life
00:43:25.80\00:43:29.80
before you come to Jesus,
00:43:29.84\00:43:31.37
because you will
fail and you will fail
00:43:31.41\00:43:33.61
and you will fail again.
00:43:33.64\00:43:36.01
I have so many of my
young people come to me,
00:43:36.04\00:43:38.18
"And, Mr. Dean, how do we know
if we're ready for baptism?"
00:43:38.21\00:43:41.12
And I tell him the
same thing every time
00:43:41.15\00:43:43.18
you know that
you're ready to give
00:43:43.22\00:43:44.99
your hearts to the Lord
00:43:45.02\00:43:46.35
when you think
00:43:46.39\00:43:47.72
that you're not ready to
give your heart to the Lord.
00:43:47.76\00:43:50.79
Because it is in that feeling,
00:43:50.83\00:43:52.49
it is that understanding
that you cannot do this,
00:43:52.53\00:43:55.23
that makes it the
most opportune time
00:43:55.26\00:43:57.50
to actually give Him your heart
00:43:57.53\00:43:59.27
because you
will therefore dispel
00:43:59.30\00:44:00.87
with any notion
00:44:00.90\00:44:02.24
that the changes that
are happening in your life
00:44:02.27\00:44:03.91
are happening because of you.
00:44:03.94\00:44:06.98
How do you know
it's the right time
00:44:07.01\00:44:08.44
to come to God
00:44:08.48\00:44:09.81
because you
think it might not be
00:44:09.84\00:44:12.65
because your
trust in self is gone.
00:44:12.68\00:44:14.38
Don't wait until
you work it back up.
00:44:14.42\00:44:16.38
Don't wait until
you've made a few corrections.
00:44:16.42\00:44:18.42
Don't wait until you
fix up your mess, come.
00:44:18.45\00:44:20.42
So my appeal tonight
00:44:26.70\00:44:29.60
is for a very
specific group of people.
00:44:29.63\00:44:33.34
My appeal tonight
is only for sinners.
00:44:33.37\00:44:37.77
Friends, heaven
was poured out for you.
00:44:37.81\00:44:40.38
Jesus wants to make you a
king and a queen in heaven.
00:44:40.41\00:44:43.91
The Bible says
00:44:43.95\00:44:45.28
that greater love
hath no man than this
00:44:45.31\00:44:47.15
then he would lay down
his life for his brothers.
00:44:47.18\00:44:50.72
And the Bible says that
it is a greater blessing
00:44:50.75\00:44:52.89
to give than to receive.
00:44:52.92\00:44:54.96
Friends, that is
not a verse for tithe.
00:44:54.99\00:44:57.96
That is a God given principle
00:44:57.99\00:45:01.26
that it is a greater blessing
to give than to receive.
00:45:01.30\00:45:06.13
Friends, the Father
looked around heaven
00:45:06.17\00:45:07.74
and noticed that
you weren't in it.
00:45:07.77\00:45:09.97
He saw that you weren't there
00:45:10.01\00:45:11.34
but He steams you so
much higher than Himself
00:45:11.37\00:45:14.51
that it was a
great blessing for Him
00:45:14.54\00:45:16.28
to give His Son
than to receive Him.
00:45:16.31\00:45:21.25
And so young people here of GYC,
00:45:21.28\00:45:25.12
I present to you
the same opportunity.
00:45:25.15\00:45:28.99
It will be a
greater blessing for you
00:45:29.02\00:45:31.49
to give your life to God
00:45:31.53\00:45:33.66
than to receive
it unto yourself.
00:45:33.70\00:45:37.47
And as my
sister-in-law comes forward
00:45:37.50\00:45:39.03
to sing this appeal song,
00:45:39.07\00:45:40.74
I encourage you all
00:45:40.77\00:45:42.10
to consider making
that decision today.
00:45:42.14\00:45:44.77
Consider finally
giving your life to God.
00:45:44.81\00:45:47.24
Consider trusting
Him with your life.
00:45:47.28\00:45:49.24
Consider giving Him
everything that you have,
00:45:49.28\00:45:52.25
so that He can use you to
make a difference in the home,
00:45:52.28\00:45:55.32
in the school
and in the workplace
00:45:55.35\00:45:57.15
wherever you are.
00:45:57.19\00:45:59.85
Friends, it will be
the greatest decision
00:45:59.89\00:46:01.42
that you ever make.
00:46:01.46\00:46:03.39
And to my young people,
00:46:03.43\00:46:04.76
especially if you
feel the Spirit of God
00:46:04.79\00:46:08.26
moving you to
esteem the love of God
00:46:08.30\00:46:11.70
higher than the
pleasures of this world.
00:46:11.73\00:46:14.67
If the Spirit of God
has been speaking to you
00:46:14.70\00:46:16.87
throughout these
past few days here at GYC,
00:46:16.91\00:46:19.81
and encouraging you
and moving your hearts
00:46:19.84\00:46:22.54
to pour out to Him
everything that you have.
00:46:22.58\00:46:26.15
If today you say
that you want to give
00:46:26.18\00:46:28.42
the Lord your life,
00:46:28.45\00:46:30.89
I encourage you as
you listen to these words,
00:46:30.92\00:46:33.32
to come to the front,
00:46:33.36\00:46:34.79
so that we can pray and
confirm that commitment.
00:46:34.82\00:46:37.56
The day is dimming
00:46:49.17\00:46:51.34
And I'm yearning for You
00:46:51.37\00:46:56.48
I won't be satisfied
00:46:56.51\00:46:59.28
Till I see Your face
00:46:59.31\00:47:04.32
Every victory, every loss
00:47:04.35\00:47:08.46
Every tick and every cross
00:47:08.49\00:47:12.29
You can put them all in place
00:47:12.33\00:47:18.90
It seems
00:47:18.93\00:47:20.27
I'm finding more of why
00:47:20.30\00:47:22.87
In these moments
00:47:22.90\00:47:26.44
I feel like I'm made to sing
00:47:26.47\00:47:29.81
Of how good You are
00:47:29.84\00:47:34.58
The more The
years swell by and pass
00:47:34.62\00:47:39.19
Each second more than last
00:47:39.22\00:47:43.26
It's true by far
00:47:43.29\00:47:46.56
That no profound thought
00:47:49.66\00:47:54.37
Or clever rhyme
00:47:54.40\00:47:57.84
No soaring grand
00:47:57.87\00:48:01.94
Melodic line
00:48:01.98\00:48:05.61
No theory
00:48:05.65\00:48:08.22
Philosophy or sign
00:48:08.25\00:48:12.62
Can explain it
00:48:12.65\00:48:17.83
Can explain
00:48:17.86\00:48:22.16
Where You are,
00:48:25.57\00:48:29.60
I wanna be
00:48:29.64\00:48:33.38
It's Your grace
00:48:33.41\00:48:36.64
That has raised me
00:48:36.68\00:48:40.62
I'd give my whole life
00:48:40.65\00:48:44.32
To honor You
00:48:44.35\00:48:48.22
And whom I live
00:48:48.26\00:48:51.79
For whom I move
00:48:51.83\00:48:56.90
Better is one day
00:48:56.93\00:48:59.43
With You
00:48:59.47\00:49:04.11
Than a thousand elsewhere
00:49:04.14\00:49:09.44
I still remember
What it felt like
00:49:21.16\00:49:25.53
Before You
00:49:25.56\00:49:28.50
I'm grateful every day
00:49:28.53\00:49:31.27
For how things have changed
00:49:31.30\00:49:35.97
I'll thank You every way I can
00:49:36.00\00:49:40.41
'Cause my life only began
00:49:40.44\00:49:44.35
When I heard You call my name
00:49:44.38\00:49:50.69
Now, no praise of man
00:49:50.72\00:49:55.32
No great acclaim
00:49:55.36\00:49:58.96
No humble looking
00:49:58.99\00:50:02.96
Kind of fame
00:50:03.00\00:50:06.74
No power, Wealth or worldly gain
00:50:06.77\00:50:12.91
Could satisfy me
00:50:12.94\00:50:18.98
Could ever satisfy
00:50:19.01\00:50:22.18
'Cause where You are,
00:50:26.65\00:50:30.86
I wanna be
00:50:30.89\00:50:34.63
It's Your love
00:50:34.66\00:50:37.90
That has changed me
00:50:37.93\00:50:41.90
I'd give the whole wealth
00:50:41.94\00:50:45.71
And all its charms
00:50:45.74\00:50:50.81
For a moment
00:50:50.85\00:50:53.48
In Your arms
00:50:53.52\00:50:58.02
Better is one day
00:50:58.05\00:51:00.42
With You
00:51:00.46\00:51:05.19
Than a thousand elsewhere
00:51:05.23\00:51:09.66
Better is one day
00:51:13.44\00:51:15.67
In Your courts
00:51:15.70\00:51:21.14
Better is one day
00:51:21.18\00:51:23.28
In Your house
00:51:23.31\00:51:28.62
Better is one day
00:51:28.65\00:51:30.65
In Your courts
00:51:30.69\00:51:36.79
Than anywhere else, oh
00:51:36.83\00:51:42.63
Lead me, lead me
00:51:42.66\00:51:46.33
Lead me to Yourself
00:51:46.37\00:51:50.11
Lead me to Your heart,
00:51:50.14\00:51:54.68
Lord Where You are,
00:51:54.71\00:52:01.65
I wanna be
00:52:01.68\00:52:05.49
It's Your grace
00:52:05.52\00:52:08.92
That has raised me
00:52:08.96\00:52:12.96
I'd give my whole life
00:52:12.99\00:52:16.70
To honor You
00:52:16.73\00:52:20.57
For whom I live
00:52:20.60\00:52:24.31
In whom I move
00:52:24.34\00:52:29.24
Better is one day
00:52:29.28\00:52:31.65
With You
00:52:31.68\00:52:36.58
Than a thousand elsewhere
00:52:36.62\00:52:40.66
Here is peace
00:52:44.33\00:52:48.23
Here is joy
00:52:48.26\00:52:52.03
Here is love
00:52:52.07\00:52:56.07
Here is freedom, freedom.
00:52:56.10\00:53:03.04
Friends when you look down
the list of kings of Israel,
00:53:06.65\00:53:12.59
you will not
see Jonathan's name.
00:53:12.62\00:53:15.46
You will see David's name,
00:53:15.49\00:53:16.83
but you will not
see Jonathan's name.
00:53:16.86\00:53:19.79
But listen to this.
00:53:19.83\00:53:21.53
"Jonathan, by
birth heir to the throne,
00:53:21.56\00:53:25.27
yet knowing himself set
aside by the divine decree,
00:53:25.30\00:53:30.01
to his rival the most
tender and faithful of friends,
00:53:30.04\00:53:33.21
shielding David's life
at the peril of his own,
00:53:33.24\00:53:36.31
steadfast at his father's side
00:53:36.34\00:53:39.08
through the dark days
of his declining power,
00:53:39.11\00:53:41.88
and at his side
falling at the last."
00:53:41.92\00:53:46.02
The name of Jonathan
00:53:46.05\00:53:47.89
is treasured in heaven
00:53:47.92\00:53:50.96
and it stands on earth
00:53:50.99\00:53:52.93
a witness to the existence
00:53:52.96\00:53:55.90
and to the power
of unselfish love.
00:53:55.93\00:53:59.23
Friends, your name too
can be written in heaven.
00:54:03.57\00:54:07.11
In fact, your
name too can be written
00:54:07.14\00:54:08.84
in heaven right now.
00:54:08.88\00:54:12.25
And so I appeal,
00:54:12.28\00:54:13.62
especially to those
of you here this evening,
00:54:13.65\00:54:17.65
that have not
yet given your life
00:54:17.69\00:54:19.79
to Jesus Christ through baptism.
00:54:19.82\00:54:22.49
If that is your
desire, if you want to say,
00:54:22.52\00:54:24.73
Lord, I want to give
you everything today.
00:54:24.76\00:54:28.70
I want to give you
everything from this day forward
00:54:28.73\00:54:31.33
for the rest of my life.
00:54:31.37\00:54:32.70
Today, you want to commit
your life to Jesus Christ.
00:54:32.73\00:54:35.47
I ask that you raise your hand.
00:54:35.50\00:54:38.54
Keep it high.
00:54:38.57\00:54:40.94
We're going to
wait just a few seconds.
00:54:40.98\00:54:44.21
If you desire to make
that commitment today,
00:54:44.25\00:54:47.55
if you want to
respond to this love,
00:54:47.58\00:54:49.55
if you want to accept the crown
00:54:49.58\00:54:51.25
that Jesus Christ
has laid aside for you,
00:54:51.29\00:54:56.42
then raise your hand high.
00:54:56.46\00:55:00.03
GYC, can you say amen?
00:55:00.06\00:55:02.26
We praise the Lord
for the Spirit of God.
00:55:02.30\00:55:05.13
And now let us
come together to pray
00:55:05.17\00:55:06.74
and confirm those decisions
00:55:06.77\00:55:08.17
that have been
made, Brother Jim.
00:55:08.20\00:55:11.24
And I would like to request
those who would be Jonathan
00:55:11.27\00:55:15.78
for these Davids
00:55:15.81\00:55:17.15
who've raised their
hands to come forward as well
00:55:17.18\00:55:19.01
to know that they have people
00:55:19.05\00:55:20.72
whom they could lean on,
00:55:20.75\00:55:22.92
people who would
lead them closer to Jesus.
00:55:22.95\00:55:25.95
So if there's
anyone here that would say,
00:55:25.99\00:55:28.76
I would be a
Jonathan to those Davids
00:55:28.79\00:55:32.69
will raise their
hands, please come forward.
00:55:32.73\00:55:35.03
And I'd like to request everyone
00:55:35.06\00:55:36.63
to please draw closer
00:55:36.67\00:55:38.47
as we spend this time in prayer.
00:55:38.50\00:55:40.07
Anyone who wants to
join us, please come.
00:55:45.11\00:55:47.28
And let us scoop ourselves
00:55:52.11\00:55:53.45
and for those of
you who are standing
00:55:53.48\00:55:55.68
beside those people who
have raised their hands,
00:55:55.72\00:55:58.92
please surround them.
00:55:58.95\00:56:00.69
Please pray with them.
00:56:00.72\00:56:02.06
Please raise your hands
again for those young people.
00:56:02.09\00:56:05.39
And I'd like to request
those people who are near you,
00:56:05.43\00:56:09.10
please surround them as
we kneel down in prayer.
00:56:09.13\00:56:13.74
And for those of you
who are in, in your pews,
00:56:19.71\00:56:23.38
please intercede for
our brothers and sisters
00:56:23.41\00:56:25.48
who have given
their lives to the Lord.
00:56:25.51\00:56:28.52
Let us sing this song.
00:56:28.55\00:56:32.02
Into my heart
00:56:32.05\00:56:36.32
Into my heart
00:56:36.36\00:56:40.53
Come into my heart
00:56:40.56\00:56:45.70
Lord Jesus
00:56:45.73\00:56:50.87
Come in today
00:56:50.91\00:56:56.31
Come in to stay
00:56:56.34\00:57:01.92
Come into my heart
00:57:01.95\00:57:07.22
Lord Jesus.
00:57:07.26\00:57:13.13