Hello, friends, grab
your Bible and a friend
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and sit back as we
explore God's word together
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on this edition of House Calls.
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Welcome to House Calls.
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Thank you for tuning
into the most exciting
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Bible informing program
on television right now.
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And I know you know that
that's why you're watching.
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Thank you so much humbly
for tuning into this program.
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I'm John Lomacang.
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John Stanton, good to
have you here, Pastor.
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It's good to be here again.
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When whenever we get together
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we know the Lord
is going to bless.
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Yes.
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And give us just a preview
of what we're headed today.
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Well, we've been
talking about discipleship,
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specifically, in the
context of what is it.
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Now we're gonna
move in this program
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to what is a disciple
making church look like.
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Or how can the
church build and organize
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to be more
effective disciple makers.
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And so we'll talk about that.
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Wonderful, wonderful,
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and I know that
as you've tuned in,
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you have your Bibles
and you have your pens,
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invite your
family and your friends
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see that rhymes there to join us
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for this wonderful
excursion together,
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where we're
looking forward to it.
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You know, your
questions, your comments,
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make a huge
difference in this program,
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but before we do anything
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we always like to
begin with prayer.
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John? Let's Pray.
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Our Father in
heaven, we come before You
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asking for Your
presence to be here with us.
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We pray that You direct
our thoughts, our hearts,
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and our minds
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so that we can rightly
divide Your word of truth
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or be with all those who
have joined us here today
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and bless them.
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Speak to their hearts
we pray in Jesus' name.
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Amen. Amen, amen.
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We have questions that we get
on occasion and every program
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we have questions
either in written form
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or they come
through the internet.
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And so if you want to send
any of your questions to us
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through the internet,
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you can send those
to housecalls@3abn.org.
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That's housecalls@3abn.org.
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And that's where we have
the quickest access to those.
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Try to make them as
succinct and compact as you can,
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we do appreciate that.
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But if you don't have internet,
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you can send
those to PO Box 220,
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West Frankfort, Illinois
62896, attention House Calls.
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John, what do we have today?
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What's the first out
of the shoot for you?
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Yeah, we have a
question from Mark
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and he's
concerned about his sister
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who has committed
suicide, and just wondering
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what the implications
are here spiritually for her.
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She was in physical and
mental anguish for years.
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Yet she was kind, sincere
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and treated people with respect.
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She accepted Jesus as her Savior
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and was always
talking about Him.
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So she was trying the best
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she could to
live a Christian life
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but she succumbed to suicide.
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And this is always as you know,
John, a difficult question,
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I don't know her,
even if I did I wouldn't,
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I wouldn't even dare
to step on the ground
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of making a judgment
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as to what her
salvation stance is.
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Right.
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Certainly God knows,
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He and His relationship with her
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and as He's worked with her,
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leading up to that
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He knows how receptive she was
and how she was following Him.
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We don't know
that, I don't know that.
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And Mark probably
doesn't realize that
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or know that either.
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There's no Bible verse that says
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if you commit suicide
you're lost, it's not there.
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We do have verses,
thou shalt not murder.
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Some incorporate that
into murder yourself as well,
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but yet there are
things that go beyond that,
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that involve mental
states and conditions
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that are beyond our control.
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And so sometimes and you know
how severe mental disabilities
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and other things can be.
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I had a mom who over years
of time suffered from dementia.
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She wasn't the mom
that I grew up with
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or that raised me.
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And so I think she's probably
judged based upon who she was,
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not who she was before,
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not who she was
just before she died.
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And so, but this
is, this is something
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that God takes care of, and,
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you know, John, I will say this,
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maybe to finish this up.
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God is not trying
to keep people out.
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Right.
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He's trying to get people in.
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True.
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And as He said even
the faith of a mustard seed
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moves upon the heart
of God with His power
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and so we need to
leave this in God's hands.
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My nephew recently
passed away, he had an accident,
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a car accident.
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We don't know if he fell
asleep at the wheel or what.
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All we know is
the trend of his life
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up to that time was
his bottle by his bedside,
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he had gone from a party
guy into seeking the Lord.
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That's all we know.
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We can't answer anything else,
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and so I think the
best thing to do Mark is
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leave your sister in God's hands
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and trust that He loves
her even more than you do
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and wants her in the kingdom,
so, He knows what's best.
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Yeah, that's...
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I am glad you
dealt with it that way,
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because it's
such a delicate topic,
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sometimes people
are looking for answers
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and we thank you
for considering us,
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but there are hidden
issues in a person's life
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that we have no idea of.
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Sometimes we look at a
person and we say, well,
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we know they're saved,
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but then again
we still don't know
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the hidden issues
of a person's life
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which are known only to God.
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One thing I could
say that is encouraging,
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when Peter says
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the Lord has not slack
concerning His promises
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but is longsuffering towards us,
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not willing that
any should be perish.
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And when we think
about that He's not,
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He's not willing
that any should perish.
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Another text in John,
the Book of John it says,
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"Whoever the Father gives to me,
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no one can take
them out of my hand."
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The Lord looks at the
trend of a person's life,
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not the momentary deed
or the momentary misdeed.
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That's why in the
insurance industry
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we have
something called insurance
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and they give you
rewards for good driver record.
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They look at your
history rather than, you know,
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if you have an incident
that is outside of your norm
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and they'll say,
"Well, you've had
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a good driving habits
for the last four years,
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so we're not gonna
increase your rates
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for this one infraction
that happened this weekend."
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The Lord is a
just God, a loving God,
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not willing that
any should perish,
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so I would say
lean on the sovereignty
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and the love of the Lord
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and allow that issue
to be settled by Him.
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I had a dad.
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I had two fathers
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and I'm glad you
mentioned your mom,
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and what I'd
like to reiterate is
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time takes a toll
on some individuals
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and change them from
who we knew them to be,
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to who they became.
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And sometimes
their cognitive skills
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are affected by
that, their recall,
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sometimes they go back
into their childhood memories,
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sometimes they
just, they know us visibly
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but they can't respond.
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All these issues
that are connected to sin
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but the Lord knows that
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and He understands
that there's a point
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where we are very much
in control of our faculties
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and another time
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we're not in
control of our faculties
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or at the same
time our emotions.
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And number of years ago
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an issue that came to me
was this issue of euthanasia.
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I thought about this,
remember Dr. Jack Kevorkian.
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When the issue came up
they called it mercy killings
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at one point and
I thought, "Wow".
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And the question
really came down,
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if you had a loved one
that was suffering, intense,
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irreversible pain
that had no remedy to it,
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what would you prefer?
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If you knew
their quality of life
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was not gonna be restored
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and they just lived in a moment,
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constant moment of suffering.
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Would you want
them to go on that way?
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Or would you want to put
them to sleep out of mercy?
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And this guy Dr. Jack Kevorkian
made a lot of decisions
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based on people who
said I want my loved one
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to be put to sleep in mercy.
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I don't want to watch
them suffering like that,
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but it was not a legal process.
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So sometimes we think
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what's the
nicest way to pass away,
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you know, lay down in the night
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and don't wake
up in the morning,
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which has been the
experience of so many.
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But when it comes to suicide,
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it's that gray
area that you don't know
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what happened at
that particular moment.
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Yet I say, I was so excited
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when I read in the
quote of Ellen White.
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The Lord looks at
the trend of our life,
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He looks at where
our lives were headed,
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not that momentary misdeed
or that momentary good deed
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and it really
makes a difference.
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So when my dad passed away,
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I was at the
Andrews University church
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and Dr. Dwight
Nelson was speaking
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and my dad was a
musician his whole life,
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and he looked at me and he said,
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"If there's a way,
if there's a possibility
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then your dad will be
saved, the Lord will save him,
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but leave it in God's hands."
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And you know I left him
there and that brought me
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such a lasting peace,
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that I don't
concern myself with it,
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but I know that when
I get to the kingdom,
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during the thousand years
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which is the time we're gonna
be in heaven with the Lord,
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looking at the records of
those who were saved and lost,
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it'll be a settling moment
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that God's judgments and
decisions have been just.
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So don't let that be
haunting memory for you,
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think of your
sister and all the things
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that she meant to you.
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Just like did you
mention your nephew?
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Yeah, it's a sad
thing 25 years old,
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you know, it's unfortunate.
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You look at young
people and you say
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they had so much
life ahead of them
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and I'll tell
you one last story.
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And I'm just reaching out
to you in a very real way.
00:10:00.80\00:10:03.63
My sister-in-law,
00:10:03.67\00:10:06.30
she was not an
Adventist Christian,
00:10:06.33\00:10:07.67
she was a Christian
of a different nomination
00:10:07.70\00:10:09.27
and so she began to inquire
00:10:09.30\00:10:11.47
about things
that were different.
00:10:11.51\00:10:13.41
Let's be
specific she was Catholic
00:10:13.44\00:10:15.01
and I said to her,
00:10:15.04\00:10:16.38
she said, "One day
tell me what you believe?"
00:10:16.41\00:10:17.75
And I said, "If I
tell you what I believe,
00:10:17.78\00:10:19.68
it's gonna destroy everything
that you thought of it."
00:10:19.71\00:10:22.38
She said, "I could handle it."
00:10:22.42\00:10:23.75
So I began to share with her,
00:10:23.79\00:10:25.85
her eyes were
open to the Sabbath,
00:10:25.89\00:10:27.42
the state of the dead,
all the different doctrines
00:10:27.46\00:10:28.89
supported by scripture,
00:10:28.92\00:10:30.33
and then she noticed she
was diagnosed with cancer,
00:10:30.36\00:10:34.33
a very on her foot
melanoma, you know,
00:10:34.36\00:10:37.07
from the sun living
in the Virgin Islands.
00:10:37.10\00:10:40.00
And it wasn't handled as
well as it could have been
00:10:40.04\00:10:42.44
and it ended up taking
a life at 34 years old.
00:10:42.47\00:10:46.14
But just when she
passed away in the hospital,
00:10:46.17\00:10:48.58
the hospital room
was cold, cold, cold,
00:10:48.61\00:10:53.75
and 15 minutes after
she was declared dead,
00:10:53.78\00:10:56.62
she sat up on the bed.
00:10:56.65\00:10:59.35
Six family members there plus
00:10:59.39\00:11:00.72
the nurse seven
people in the hospital room
00:11:00.76\00:11:02.72
and the nurse later
said in 28 years of nursing
00:11:02.76\00:11:05.93
I have never seen anything
like this ever happened.
00:11:05.96\00:11:09.83
She wore a very thick glasses
00:11:09.86\00:11:11.47
but when they declared her dead,
00:11:11.50\00:11:12.83
they took the glasses off,
00:11:12.87\00:11:14.20
they took all the leads out
00:11:14.24\00:11:15.57
and she looked across the
room and said, What time is it?
00:11:15.60\00:11:17.27
3:15 I could be out
of here in 15 minutes
00:11:17.31\00:11:19.97
and her mom said,
00:11:20.01\00:11:21.34
"First of all
what's going on here?"
00:11:21.38\00:11:23.08
Then after you declared dead,
00:11:23.11\00:11:24.58
confirmed dead and
you sit up in 15 minutes
00:11:24.61\00:11:26.55
and just start talking
00:11:26.58\00:11:28.55
and she settled all the
issues with her family members
00:11:28.58\00:11:31.59
but my brother what he
said is the point of the story
00:11:31.62\00:11:34.06
and he said to her,
00:11:34.09\00:11:35.89
"We have been
praying for you to be healed,
00:11:35.92\00:11:38.16
we've been praying
for you to be healed,"
00:11:38.19\00:11:40.36
and she said, "I have been,"
00:11:40.40\00:11:42.93
she said, "The Lord
is allowing me to be laid
00:11:42.96\00:11:44.90
to rest now because I'm ready,
00:11:44.93\00:11:48.14
instead of healing me
00:11:48.17\00:11:50.44
and letting me go
back out of the world
00:11:50.47\00:11:53.17
and giving me the
possibility of going back,
00:11:53.21\00:11:56.54
she said I'll be just fine,
00:11:56.58\00:11:57.98
I'm gonna go to
sleep, I'm gonna rest
00:11:58.01\00:12:00.25
and I'll see
you in the morning."
00:12:00.28\00:12:02.15
And so we had this picture
00:12:02.18\00:12:03.52
we took of her
pointing at her dashboard
00:12:03.55\00:12:05.29
and "Why worry"
00:12:05.32\00:12:06.65
and we put that on the screen
at the funeral "Why worry".
00:12:06.69\00:12:09.19
And so there's so
many issues of life
00:12:09.22\00:12:10.76
that are gonna be a
bright surprise to us.
00:12:10.79\00:12:13.56
The Lord is not slack
concerning His promises
00:12:13.60\00:12:16.26
as men count slackness
00:12:16.30\00:12:17.93
but it's a
longsuffering towards us,
00:12:17.97\00:12:20.20
not willing that
any should perish,
00:12:20.24\00:12:22.47
and I'm holding
on to that promise
00:12:22.50\00:12:23.94
because I have some friends,
00:12:23.97\00:12:25.31
I'm looking forward
to seeing in the kingdom.
00:12:25.34\00:12:27.28
And I'm sure
they're looking forward
00:12:27.31\00:12:28.64
to seeing me too
00:12:28.68\00:12:30.01
when we all get
there but, you know,
00:12:30.05\00:12:31.95
those issues of life,
00:12:31.98\00:12:33.78
there're gonna be some
surprises in both sides.
00:12:33.82\00:12:35.88
One surprise is,
00:12:35.92\00:12:37.25
we're gonna see
people there we gonna say,
00:12:37.29\00:12:38.62
"How did you get here?"
00:12:38.65\00:12:39.99
And they gonna say,
"How did you get here?"
00:12:40.02\00:12:41.36
Exactly. How
beautiful heaven's going to be.
00:12:41.39\00:12:43.83
This is a cute little question,
I'm just gonna read this
00:12:43.86\00:12:46.16
because the person that
took the time to write it
00:12:46.19\00:12:48.66
felt important to write it.
00:12:48.70\00:12:51.33
He says, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry,
00:12:51.37\00:12:54.30
I'm not trying to be rude
00:12:54.34\00:12:55.67
but I feel the Lord
has impressed on my heart
00:12:55.70\00:12:58.97
to rebuke you for telling people
00:12:59.01\00:13:01.68
to write to your show
with our Bible questions
00:13:01.71\00:13:05.21
because I'm sure
mine is not the only ones
00:13:05.25\00:13:08.92
that has not been
answered by mail or on TV.
00:13:08.95\00:13:12.89
So I think you
should stop telling people.
00:13:12.92\00:13:16.16
Stop telling people
00:13:16.19\00:13:17.53
that if you are
not going to respond
00:13:17.56\00:13:18.89
to our letters
with our questions.
00:13:18.93\00:13:21.20
Thank you and God bless you.
00:13:21.23\00:13:22.93
I love your show,
00:13:22.96\00:13:24.30
all the good solid
Biblical texts you teach,
00:13:24.33\00:13:27.20
the good solid answers you give,
00:13:27.24\00:13:28.74
I think you both
are great pastors."
00:13:28.77\00:13:31.41
He rebuked us
and he commended us.
00:13:31.44\00:13:33.91
We can take
that. We can take that.
00:13:33.94\00:13:35.94
I thought it was a nice letter,
you know, so, John, and, John,
00:13:35.98\00:13:38.85
so I just decided to read that.
00:13:38.88\00:13:40.45
I want to tell you
we try our best, John,
00:13:40.48\00:13:42.68
to get to so many questions
00:13:42.72\00:13:44.05
but when we hit the internet
and we start scrolling down,
00:13:44.09\00:13:46.82
there's list and
pages and pages and pages,
00:13:46.86\00:13:49.39
sometimes and even the letters,
00:13:49.42\00:13:51.56
sometimes they come
when we're not here.
00:13:51.59\00:13:53.90
And I have a lot of letters
00:13:53.93\00:13:55.30
that sometimes come
before we tape our programs
00:13:55.33\00:13:58.13
and it just
sometimes you miss it.
00:13:58.17\00:14:00.87
And it appears as though
we try to be clear and kind
00:14:00.90\00:14:04.41
so we apologize if we haven't
read your question but...
00:14:04.44\00:14:07.78
And I think that's where
we give some instructions
00:14:07.81\00:14:09.88
if you kind of get
straight to the point
00:14:09.91\00:14:11.61
instead of long
several paragraphs
00:14:11.65\00:14:13.82
or something we
tend to take those.
00:14:13.85\00:14:15.68
Right.
00:14:15.72\00:14:17.05
And given them
priority over the ones
00:14:17.09\00:14:18.92
that are like
these big treatises
00:14:18.95\00:14:20.82
as to what someone believes,
00:14:20.86\00:14:22.62
they're trying to convince
us of something, so we just,
00:14:22.66\00:14:24.73
we want
questions, we want things
00:14:24.76\00:14:27.00
that we know that
others are thinking as well
00:14:27.03\00:14:29.36
and we tend to
give those priority.
00:14:29.40\00:14:31.47
That's right and so
that was just a question,
00:14:31.50\00:14:33.87
that was a
statement I want to read,
00:14:33.90\00:14:35.24
but here's the question.
00:14:35.27\00:14:37.21
"I know Jesus had 12
disciples but why is that,
00:14:37.24\00:14:40.68
why is it that
the list in Matthew 10
00:14:40.71\00:14:42.74
and Luke 6 do not match.
00:14:42.78\00:14:45.61
Example Thaddeus is
mentioned in Matthew's account
00:14:45.65\00:14:48.28
but not in Luke,
00:14:48.32\00:14:49.65
and Judas the son of James
is in Luke but not in Matthew.
00:14:49.68\00:14:53.02
Please help me understand.
00:14:53.05\00:14:54.56
Well the gospel writers in
Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John
00:14:54.59\00:14:57.59
had differences in their gospel.
00:14:57.63\00:14:59.86
The one thing
I'd like to point out
00:14:59.89\00:15:01.23
if four people stood on
four corners at the end,
00:15:01.26\00:15:03.23
at an intersection and
looked at a car accident
00:15:03.26\00:15:06.43
and the insurance company
interviewed every one of them.
00:15:06.47\00:15:09.34
They will all see the
car from a different angle,
00:15:09.37\00:15:11.57
they will see
people that are there
00:15:11.61\00:15:12.94
and people that are not there
00:15:12.97\00:15:14.31
and so in the
explanation of the gospels,
00:15:14.34\00:15:18.61
the intention of scripture
00:15:18.65\00:15:19.98
is to combine
scripture with scripture,
00:15:20.02\00:15:23.15
compare scripture with scripture
00:15:23.18\00:15:25.35
to get the complete picture.
00:15:25.39\00:15:27.29
One of the examples,
00:15:27.32\00:15:28.82
so the names that are
mentioned in Matthew and John,
00:15:28.86\00:15:31.06
I mean, Matthew
and Luke, all include,
00:15:31.09\00:15:32.79
you combine them together
00:15:32.83\00:15:34.16
to get the complete
picture of the disciples.
00:15:34.20\00:15:37.27
Another example
00:15:37.30\00:15:38.63
that the Bible talks
about Peter, James, and John.
00:15:38.67\00:15:40.77
Well, which James?
00:15:40.80\00:15:42.64
You have two James mentioned,
and you have James and John,
00:15:42.67\00:15:49.11
and then you have
James, Judas the son of James,
00:15:49.14\00:15:52.75
and then you
have Judas Iscariot,
00:15:52.78\00:15:54.22
so it depends on how
you go through the list
00:15:54.25\00:15:56.45
and how they are,
00:15:56.48\00:15:57.82
but when you
combine them together,
00:15:57.85\00:15:59.32
then you get the
complete picture,
00:15:59.35\00:16:01.36
it's kind of we call it
00:16:01.39\00:16:02.72
a reconciling the text together.
00:16:02.76\00:16:05.46
Another example in scripture
00:16:05.49\00:16:06.83
where you have to
combine the gospels,
00:16:06.86\00:16:08.66
one that talks about
the resurrection of Jesus.
00:16:08.70\00:16:10.90
The Bible talked
about while it was yet dark
00:16:10.93\00:16:13.17
and then somebody said
at the breaking of the day,
00:16:13.20\00:16:15.60
another one says
early in the morning,
00:16:15.64\00:16:17.64
and the ones
that talk about that
00:16:17.67\00:16:19.94
are not the ones that
were at the actual experience,
00:16:19.97\00:16:22.61
the one that was
actually there was John,
00:16:22.64\00:16:24.58
so we tend to take
John's account as an eyewitness
00:16:24.61\00:16:27.55
because John went
to the tomb with Peter,
00:16:27.58\00:16:29.85
but if you
combine them together,
00:16:29.88\00:16:31.82
you come to the conclusion
00:16:31.85\00:16:33.36
that Jesus rose the
first day of the week.
00:16:33.39\00:16:36.26
So combine them together
00:16:36.29\00:16:38.33
and to get a better
understanding of that
00:16:38.36\00:16:40.40
rather than
saying one was left out
00:16:40.43\00:16:41.86
and one was included.
00:16:41.90\00:16:43.23
Yeah, and there's
also a specific explanation
00:16:43.26\00:16:44.83
in regard to Thaddeus,
00:16:44.87\00:16:46.20
because Thaddeus is in two
00:16:46.23\00:16:47.94
and then Judas the son of
James is in the other two,
00:16:47.97\00:16:50.57
not Thaddeus,
00:16:50.61\00:16:51.94
and most have concluded
that that's the same person,
00:16:51.97\00:16:54.91
but using
different names and so...
00:16:54.94\00:16:56.28
Like...
00:16:56.31\00:16:57.65
Yeah, go ahead.
00:16:57.68\00:16:59.01
Like Simon and Peter,
you know, some say Simon,
00:16:59.05\00:17:01.92
and other say Peter.
00:17:01.95\00:17:04.32
So you have to understand
what Simon in the context
00:17:04.35\00:17:07.39
because you have
Simon in the New Testament
00:17:07.42\00:17:09.46
in the Book of Acts,
00:17:09.49\00:17:10.83
then you have
Peter, Simon Peter,
00:17:10.86\00:17:13.33
so you have to understand
the context of the verb.
00:17:13.36\00:17:15.60
There's just,
there's no aberration
00:17:15.63\00:17:17.27
as to all of a
sudden a new one appearing
00:17:17.30\00:17:19.53
in one of the gospels,
there isn't anyone else.
00:17:19.57\00:17:20.94
That's right.
00:17:20.97\00:17:22.30
That doesn't exist but you have
a pretty easy explanation here
00:17:22.34\00:17:25.57
that probably it's
the different names
00:17:25.61\00:17:27.58
refer to the same
person among the lists
00:17:27.61\00:17:30.71
and it's just a matter of
like you said lining them up,
00:17:30.75\00:17:33.95
and you'll see the whole
and all encompassing list.
00:17:33.98\00:17:36.28
Yeah, reconcile them
together makes a difference.
00:17:36.32\00:17:38.25
What do you have out?
00:17:38.29\00:17:39.62
What else do you have, John?
00:17:39.65\00:17:41.26
This question says or
asks, it's coming from Carlos,
00:17:41.29\00:17:45.09
"If we daily may fall
away from God into sin,
00:17:45.13\00:17:48.66
doesn't that make
salvation our responsibility?
00:17:48.70\00:17:51.70
I'm confused."
00:17:51.73\00:17:53.40
We all sin daily.
00:17:53.44\00:17:55.17
God calls, God calls why, no,
00:17:55.20\00:17:58.84
why would He call
us to knowing Him,
00:17:58.87\00:18:01.24
if we would fall away.
00:18:01.28\00:18:03.24
God's nature is good.
00:18:03.28\00:18:04.61
Sorry I'm confused, help me.
00:18:04.65\00:18:07.55
And he says he likes the program
00:18:07.58\00:18:08.98
so he's looking
forward to an answer.
00:18:09.02\00:18:13.62
There's a lot of things in here,
00:18:13.66\00:18:14.99
like we got a lot of
different tangents on this
00:18:15.02\00:18:17.29
and so I'm trying
to get at the heart
00:18:17.33\00:18:18.66
of what Carlos is asking here.
00:18:18.69\00:18:21.70
A couple of
things here, number one,
00:18:21.73\00:18:23.47
and I know we have
said this recently is just
00:18:23.50\00:18:25.43
because you've committed a
sin doesn't mean you're lost.
00:18:25.47\00:18:29.14
We live a life,
our life in Christ
00:18:29.17\00:18:33.27
sometimes making mistakes
00:18:33.31\00:18:35.38
and He doesn't cast us
away when we make mistakes.
00:18:35.41\00:18:38.45
He's our advocate
applying His blood
00:18:38.48\00:18:40.85
to cover our sin,
00:18:40.88\00:18:42.22
when we make mistakes,
00:18:42.25\00:18:43.59
that's why He asks us
to confess and repent.
00:18:43.62\00:18:45.79
And if we live a
life of repentance
00:18:45.82\00:18:48.06
and confessing those sins,
00:18:48.09\00:18:49.86
He doesn't cast
us off when we sin.
00:18:49.89\00:18:53.56
As you said earlier, John,
the trend of our life is living
00:18:53.60\00:18:56.90
and trusting in God
00:18:56.93\00:18:58.33
to stand in to be our substitute
00:18:58.37\00:19:02.97
for the sinful
life that we do live.
00:19:03.00\00:19:05.27
Right.
00:19:05.31\00:19:07.74
Now in regard to falling away,
00:19:07.78\00:19:14.12
is there seems to be
implied here in this question,
00:19:14.15\00:19:16.58
you know, why
would He call us to Him,
00:19:16.62\00:19:18.49
if we are going to fall away.
00:19:18.52\00:19:20.59
And there's no
guarantee of falling away
00:19:20.62\00:19:23.32
or of making it to the end,
00:19:23.36\00:19:25.69
to a degree there is
some correctness in this.
00:19:25.73\00:19:29.16
There is a
responsibility that we have.
00:19:29.20\00:19:32.10
We can't save ourselves,
00:19:32.13\00:19:34.14
but God does ask us to respond
to His invitation to salvation.
00:19:34.17\00:19:37.94
Right.
00:19:37.97\00:19:39.31
So the salvation of God
has appeared to all men.
00:19:39.34\00:19:43.21
He came to save the world
00:19:43.24\00:19:44.58
and save His
people from their sins
00:19:44.61\00:19:46.78
and so He has done that.
00:19:46.82\00:19:48.15
He has paid the
price for every sin
00:19:48.18\00:19:49.52
that anyone will
ever commit on the cross.
00:19:49.55\00:19:51.92
The question is,
00:19:51.95\00:19:53.56
have we responded and accepted
00:19:53.59\00:19:55.32
that salvation that
He brings and when we do,
00:19:55.36\00:19:58.43
it involves
living daily with Him.
00:19:58.46\00:20:00.96
And of course we just mentioned,
00:20:01.00\00:20:03.47
what that looks
like there's a life,
00:20:03.50\00:20:05.43
that our life's not perfect.
00:20:05.47\00:20:06.80
Yes, we're sinners
and He can handle that.
00:20:06.84\00:20:10.51
But in regard to, you
know, why would He call us,
00:20:10.54\00:20:13.31
if we would fall away,
00:20:13.34\00:20:15.11
He doesn't
predestine anybody for anything.
00:20:15.14\00:20:17.61
There's no predestination here.
00:20:17.65\00:20:19.58
I think the issue is that
00:20:19.61\00:20:21.45
it is our responsibility
to respond to that invitation.
00:20:21.48\00:20:23.85
In fact, Revelation 3 tells
us that Jesus stands at the door
00:20:23.89\00:20:28.42
He knocks, and He
knocks, and He knocks.
00:20:28.46\00:20:32.63
And He won't open the
door and force His way in,
00:20:32.66\00:20:34.76
we have to
respond to that invitation
00:20:34.80\00:20:36.36
and let Him in,
00:20:36.40\00:20:37.97
and He's asking
us to let Him in,
00:20:38.00\00:20:39.67
and when we do,
00:20:39.70\00:20:41.04
all of the
benefits that He's given us,
00:20:41.07\00:20:42.60
as our substitute and
our surety of salvation
00:20:42.64\00:20:45.67
are a portion are given to us,
00:20:45.71\00:20:48.18
so we're imputed, righteousness,
00:20:48.21\00:20:52.45
and then we are
imparted righteousness
00:20:52.48\00:20:54.45
as we live and walk in Him,
00:20:54.48\00:20:56.22
we live in righteousness
even though we are sinners.
00:20:56.25\00:20:59.95
And I'll tell you what,
there is no greater offer,
00:20:59.99\00:21:02.12
John, than this.
00:21:02.16\00:21:04.53
True.
00:21:04.56\00:21:05.89
There's just no
greater offer in the world,
00:21:05.93\00:21:07.60
there could be a lottery.
00:21:07.63\00:21:10.23
And the lottery is $25 million,
00:21:10.27\00:21:14.37
and you have just
been given a chance
00:21:14.40\00:21:17.07
that you're one
out of only ten people
00:21:17.11\00:21:18.87
to get to play and
someone's going to win.
00:21:18.91\00:21:22.14
You might think
those are great chances
00:21:22.18\00:21:23.65
and what a great deal.
00:21:23.68\00:21:25.01
Let me tell you this
offer that Christ gives to us
00:21:25.05\00:21:27.72
is absolutely 100% guaranteed.
00:21:27.75\00:21:30.92
And there's no
greater offer in this world
00:21:30.95\00:21:34.69
than eternal life.
00:21:34.72\00:21:36.42
And so salvation
isn't our responsibility,
00:21:36.46\00:21:39.29
it's God's responsibility,
00:21:39.33\00:21:40.66
yet He asked us
to respond to that,
00:21:40.70\00:21:42.63
because He will not,
He will not interfere
00:21:42.66\00:21:46.23
with our free will,
00:21:46.27\00:21:47.60
He's given us
the ability to choose
00:21:47.64\00:21:49.47
and that is what
pure love is all about.
00:21:49.50\00:21:51.81
A couple of passages
I want to add to that
00:21:51.84\00:21:53.78
which is really important
00:21:53.81\00:21:55.14
because one of the
points he made here,
00:21:55.18\00:21:57.05
which is to some
degree important,
00:21:57.08\00:21:59.28
we have to make decisions.
00:21:59.31\00:22:00.65
You know, Paul
says, "Let's not sin reign
00:22:00.68\00:22:02.42
in your mortal body
that you should obey it
00:22:02.45\00:22:04.69
in the lust thereof."
00:22:04.72\00:22:06.35
We have to make those decisions.
00:22:06.39\00:22:07.72
And sometimes we
do, sometimes we don't,
00:22:07.76\00:22:09.82
but I want to
point out a passage
00:22:09.86\00:22:11.19
that kind of takes
you down the path where
00:22:11.23\00:22:13.33
and John led
into this by saying,
00:22:13.36\00:22:17.03
and I maybe
paraphrasing it a little bit,
00:22:17.07\00:22:20.47
but I want to read it and then
I'll go ahead and classify it.
00:22:20.50\00:22:24.37
The Lord knows
that we are sinners.
00:22:24.41\00:22:27.84
His
righteousness is our only hope.
00:22:27.88\00:22:31.18
If anyone is in
Christ, he is a new creation.
00:22:31.21\00:22:35.35
He is our righteousness,
00:22:35.38\00:22:37.72
always has been, always will be.
00:22:37.75\00:22:39.82
But there is a context
I want to show you here,
00:22:39.85\00:22:41.86
a few passages.
00:22:41.89\00:22:43.39
First of all, Hebrews
12:1, "Therefore we also,"
00:22:43.43\00:22:47.43
talking about our
personal responsibility,
00:22:47.46\00:22:50.03
"since we are surrounded by
so great a cloud of witnesses."
00:22:50.07\00:22:54.27
Since everyone is watching,
"let us lay aside every weight
00:22:54.30\00:22:58.61
and the sin which
so easily ensnares us,
00:22:58.64\00:23:02.04
and let us run with endurance
00:23:02.08\00:23:03.58
the race that is set before us."
00:23:03.61\00:23:05.41
Now the
endurance talked about here
00:23:05.45\00:23:07.18
is not endurance for
those who could run fast,
00:23:07.22\00:23:09.92
but those who keep running.
00:23:09.95\00:23:11.29
Right. There you go.
00:23:11.32\00:23:12.69
He who endures to the end,
00:23:12.72\00:23:14.59
I want to add to
that shall be saved.
00:23:14.62\00:23:17.03
The battle of the Christian life
00:23:17.06\00:23:18.39
is a daily battle dying to self,
00:23:18.43\00:23:21.03
that's a part of the enduring.
00:23:21.06\00:23:22.96
And you know,
that when you wake up
00:23:23.00\00:23:25.07
in the morning sometimes
00:23:25.10\00:23:26.43
you're faced with two decisions,
00:23:26.47\00:23:28.10
do I pick up my
iPhone, or my cell phone first,
00:23:28.14\00:23:30.57
or my Android, or do I
pick up my Bible first?
00:23:30.61\00:23:33.31
Do I turn on the news
first, or do I pray first?
00:23:33.34\00:23:36.24
So much decides,
so much is depended
00:23:36.28\00:23:39.38
on the right action of the will.
00:23:39.41\00:23:41.18
God wouldn't force us to say,
00:23:41.22\00:23:42.55
you better pick
up your Bible first,
00:23:42.58\00:23:43.92
you better not do
that, but 1 John 3:3,
00:23:43.95\00:23:47.29
everyone who has this
hope in Him purifies himself
00:23:47.32\00:23:51.19
even as He is pure.
00:23:51.23\00:23:53.60
The Lord purifies us,
00:23:53.63\00:23:55.46
but we have to
make pure choices.
00:23:55.50\00:23:57.73
That's the key.
00:23:57.77\00:23:59.10
And choices is a
very important thing.
00:23:59.13\00:24:00.67
Sometimes we say there
was a person that once asked,
00:24:00.70\00:24:03.51
well, if God knows
who's going to be saved,
00:24:03.54\00:24:04.87
who's going to be lost.
00:24:04.91\00:24:06.24
No, God isn't
predestined some to be saved,
00:24:06.27\00:24:08.24
and some to be lost,
He predestines all of us
00:24:08.28\00:24:10.51
to be sons and daughters of God.
00:24:10.55\00:24:12.05
He is made a provision
for us to become His children.
00:24:12.08\00:24:14.65
And, you know, when we do,
He knows as a babe in Christ,
00:24:14.68\00:24:17.82
there is no point and
the parent knows this.
00:24:17.85\00:24:20.66
One parent told me, they said,
I can't wait till he hits 18,
00:24:20.69\00:24:24.86
and I said to
them, and his problems
00:24:24.89\00:24:27.26
will transition
into a different area.
00:24:27.30\00:24:29.86
Because there're
parents that have children
00:24:29.90\00:24:31.23
that are fully grown,
been married have children,
00:24:31.27\00:24:33.90
still have problems.
00:24:33.94\00:24:35.47
Parents don't get
rid of their children
00:24:35.50\00:24:37.41
because their
children have problems.
00:24:37.44\00:24:39.61
In the very same
way, if anyone sins,
00:24:39.64\00:24:41.98
he has an
advocate with the Father,
00:24:42.01\00:24:44.38
Jesus Christ the
righteous, He knows,
00:24:44.41\00:24:47.68
He knows that we are capable
by His strength to avoid sin,
00:24:47.72\00:24:51.22
but He also knows that
because we are sinful creatures,
00:24:51.25\00:24:53.25
we can fall into sin.
00:24:53.29\00:24:54.72
If anyone sins, we have
an advocate with the Father.
00:24:54.76\00:24:57.36
But here's the
part that's encouraging.
00:24:57.39\00:24:59.33
1 John 5:16-18,
00:24:59.36\00:25:03.06
and look at that a
very interesting passage,
00:25:03.10\00:25:04.73
we often don't
see this, it says,
00:25:04.77\00:25:09.17
"If anyone sees his
brother sinning a sin,
00:25:09.20\00:25:13.48
which does not lead
to death, He will ask,
00:25:13.51\00:25:18.35
and He will give him
life, and he will give him life
00:25:18.38\00:25:22.12
for those who commit
sin not leading to death,
00:25:22.15\00:25:25.52
and he will give him
life for those who commit sin
00:25:25.55\00:25:29.02
not leading to death."
00:25:29.06\00:25:30.39
I want to say that again,
"And he will give them life
00:25:30.43\00:25:32.19
for those who commit
sin not leading to death."
00:25:32.23\00:25:34.80
Now somebody might say,
what kind of sin is there
00:25:34.83\00:25:36.87
that does not lead to death?
00:25:36.90\00:25:38.77
An athlete is a perfect example.
00:25:38.80\00:25:41.77
I've seen in the Olympics,
00:25:41.80\00:25:43.14
athletes are
running all they have,
00:25:43.17\00:25:45.24
their country is cheering,
00:25:45.27\00:25:46.61
the flags are waving and
they stumble in the crowd,
00:25:46.64\00:25:50.15
everyone in the crowd,
00:25:50.18\00:25:51.51
whether they are
supportive or not goes, oh!
00:25:51.55\00:25:55.48
Because they see this,
this well trained machine
00:25:55.52\00:25:59.49
of an athlete fall
into a human frailty
00:25:59.52\00:26:03.32
called stumbling.
00:26:03.36\00:26:06.36
And they know he
didn't do that intentionally.
00:26:06.39\00:26:09.50
So one of the
most amazing stories
00:26:09.53\00:26:11.23
and I told this
in one of my sermons,
00:26:11.27\00:26:12.60
I looked in the
audience and everybody's tears
00:26:12.63\00:26:14.04
were in their eyes.
00:26:14.07\00:26:15.40
One man who, the sun rounded,
running as hard as he could,
00:26:15.44\00:26:19.07
and he caught a Charley
horse, and he Charley horse
00:26:19.11\00:26:22.31
and he fell in
agony to the ground
00:26:22.34\00:26:24.78
and he laid face to
the ground on his knees
00:26:24.81\00:26:27.38
just lamenting that he
had let his country down,
00:26:27.42\00:26:30.79
and it was just
all the other athletes
00:26:30.82\00:26:32.32
already crossed the finish line.
00:26:32.35\00:26:34.92
And it was just like this hush,
people didn't know what to do.
00:26:34.96\00:26:37.63
I mean, look at this guy,
what do we do, what do we say,
00:26:37.66\00:26:39.59
do we cheer, do we boo.
00:26:39.63\00:26:41.53
The crowd was, we
couldn't even pick an emotion.
00:26:41.56\00:26:44.67
Then this man broke
away from the crowd.
00:26:44.70\00:26:47.77
Stout Gentleman, it was his dad,
00:26:47.80\00:26:50.41
went out and scooped up his son
00:26:50.44\00:26:53.98
and put his arm of
his son on the shoulder.
00:26:54.01\00:26:57.41
And the crowd
just began to cheer,
00:26:57.45\00:27:01.75
I mean, I cannot
tell whole story.
00:27:01.78\00:27:03.25
Yeah, I remember
seeing, it's fantastic story.
00:27:03.28\00:27:06.32
The crowd began to cheer.
00:27:06.35\00:27:08.36
This guy wasn't
representing their country.
00:27:08.39\00:27:11.19
The crowd began to
cheer, then all of a sudden
00:27:11.23\00:27:13.13
they began in a
cadence and to by rhythm
00:27:13.16\00:27:16.26
mentioning his name.
00:27:16.30\00:27:18.33
And then he and his
father was walking with him
00:27:18.37\00:27:20.47
to the finish line
00:27:20.50\00:27:21.84
and he got close
to the finish line,
00:27:21.87\00:27:23.67
and his dad let him go,
00:27:23.71\00:27:25.04
so he could cross the
finish line by himself.
00:27:25.07\00:27:26.51
And I thought, when I saw
that I don't get emotional,
00:27:26.54\00:27:30.45
when I saw that
story, it still impacts me
00:27:30.48\00:27:32.28
to this very day.
00:27:32.31\00:27:33.65
It reminds us of us,
when we stumble to him
00:27:33.68\00:27:37.25
that it is able to
keep you from falling
00:27:37.29\00:27:39.45
and to present you faultless
00:27:39.49\00:27:41.72
before the presence of His glory
00:27:41.76\00:27:43.49
with exceeding joy.
00:27:43.53\00:27:45.56
When that young man
crossed the finish line,
00:27:45.59\00:27:47.20
it didn't matter
what country he was from,
00:27:47.23\00:27:49.60
he was surrounded by so
great a cloud of witnesses.
00:27:49.63\00:27:52.87
And that stadium
erupted not that he won,
00:27:52.90\00:27:57.37
but that he
crossed the finish line.
00:27:57.41\00:27:59.47
And I thought to myself,
00:27:59.51\00:28:00.84
that's who our
Heavenly Father is,
00:28:00.88\00:28:02.34
not that we went
and came in first,
00:28:02.38\00:28:05.05
not that we were the first one
to get into the New Jerusalem,
00:28:05.08\00:28:07.45
but that we
crossed the finish line.
00:28:07.48\00:28:08.98
We endured to the
cross. We endure to the end.
00:28:09.02\00:28:10.89
Yeah. And that young man his...
00:28:10.92\00:28:13.36
Instead of the athlete
I felt bad for the winners
00:28:13.39\00:28:16.26
because they didn't
make the front page,
00:28:16.29\00:28:18.03
this young man
who fell and got up,
00:28:18.06\00:28:19.96
and crossed the
finish line in agony
00:28:20.00\00:28:22.10
was on every newspaper
00:28:22.13\00:28:23.87
and every language
in almost every country,
00:28:23.90\00:28:26.17
he was the story of
the Olympics that night.
00:28:26.20\00:28:28.87
I felt bad for the
guy who crossed the line
00:28:28.90\00:28:31.07
with the gold medal,
he was an after mention.
00:28:31.11\00:28:33.68
So be encourage, you may fall,
00:28:33.71\00:28:36.14
but there's a
father in the stands.
00:28:36.18\00:28:38.41
He's watching his
children press toward the mark,
00:28:38.45\00:28:41.72
press toward the prize.
00:28:41.75\00:28:43.45
When we fall He's going
to break rank and come out,
00:28:43.49\00:28:46.45
and pick us up, and
carry us to our destiny.
00:28:46.49\00:28:49.22
So be encouraged, I mean, I
did intend to get emotional.
00:28:49.26\00:28:52.53
But I remember that
story and you know, John,
00:28:52.56\00:28:54.63
it's your story.
00:28:54.66\00:28:56.10
It's my story, it's our story.
00:28:56.13\00:28:58.07
Our Father wants
to get across that...
00:28:58.10\00:28:59.43
And He's not willing
that any should perish.
00:28:59.47\00:29:01.30
Yeah.
00:29:01.34\00:29:02.67
You know, I think
some have this idea.
00:29:02.70\00:29:05.47
You know, they hear that
we don't believe in the Bible
00:29:05.51\00:29:07.68
doesn't support a once
saved always saved theology.
00:29:07.71\00:29:12.08
No, no.
00:29:12.11\00:29:13.52
This is either a situation
00:29:13.55\00:29:15.05
where we're
either growing steadily
00:29:15.08\00:29:17.19
or we're steadily declining.
00:29:17.22\00:29:18.55
Right.
00:29:18.59\00:29:19.92
Rarely do we ever find
the case where someone goes
00:29:19.95\00:29:21.82
from walking in Jesus
to the next day saying,
00:29:21.86\00:29:24.19
I think I'm going to stop.
00:29:24.23\00:29:25.66
Right.
00:29:25.69\00:29:27.03
That's not what
we're talking about,
00:29:27.06\00:29:28.40
we're talking about
losing our salvation,
00:29:28.43\00:29:30.33
this happens very slowly,
00:29:30.37\00:29:31.70
and the Bible's
full of analogies
00:29:31.73\00:29:33.30
in regard to that,
one of them is the moth,
00:29:33.34\00:29:36.64
your garments are moth eaten.
00:29:36.67\00:29:38.57
That's right. Okay.
00:29:38.61\00:29:40.04
What happens with moth?
00:29:40.08\00:29:41.41
I mean, do you know
00:29:41.44\00:29:42.84
that a moth is eating your suit,
00:29:42.88\00:29:44.88
your wool suit in your
closet when he's doing it,
00:29:44.91\00:29:47.45
do you know it?
00:29:47.48\00:29:48.82
No, you don't know. No.
00:29:48.85\00:29:50.19
Because if you
did, what would you do?
00:29:50.22\00:29:51.92
You'd stop him. Right.
00:29:51.95\00:29:53.72
But usually it's when
you pick up the clothing
00:29:53.76\00:29:56.09
and you hold it up,
I'm going to wear this
00:29:56.12\00:29:57.73
and what's that,
there's a hole in your garment.
00:29:57.76\00:30:00.63
That's right.
00:30:00.66\00:30:02.00
Well, that's the analogy
here is that this happens slowly
00:30:02.03\00:30:04.33
and
imperceptibly a lot of times,
00:30:04.37\00:30:07.30
because when you're
not growing, you're dying.
00:30:07.34\00:30:09.84
That's right.
00:30:09.87\00:30:11.21
You never stay
stagnant, there's no such thing
00:30:11.24\00:30:12.77
as maintenance in a
relationship with Jesus.
00:30:12.81\00:30:15.41
And so 2 Peter
3:17, speaks to that,
00:30:15.44\00:30:18.18
and verse 18 as well,
00:30:18.21\00:30:19.65
"You therefore beloved
since you know this beforehand,
00:30:19.68\00:30:22.12
beware, lest you also fall
from your own steadfastness."
00:30:22.15\00:30:25.95
That's right.
00:30:25.99\00:30:27.32
"Being led away with
the error of the wicked."
00:30:27.36\00:30:29.32
This is leading
away, not all of a sudden,
00:30:29.36\00:30:31.53
boom, you're falling away.
00:30:31.56\00:30:32.99
But it's a steady
leading away, and then verse 18,
00:30:33.03\00:30:36.33
which is what we
hope for everyone
00:30:36.36\00:30:38.23
but grow so this is opposite,
00:30:38.27\00:30:40.10
but grow in the grace
and knowledge of our Lord
00:30:40.14\00:30:42.77
and Savior Jesus
Christ, because that is His,
00:30:42.80\00:30:47.14
that is His will for
us to grow in His grace.
00:30:47.18\00:30:50.65
And so, we just
encourage all of you
00:30:50.68\00:30:52.51
who have this
question, who have wondered.
00:30:52.55\00:30:54.18
I know sometimes
we have this thing of,
00:30:54.22\00:30:56.32
you know, am I saved,
am I walking with God.
00:30:56.35\00:30:58.59
You know, if I
done the right things
00:30:58.62\00:30:59.95
or I made a
mistake, does He cast me off.
00:30:59.99\00:31:01.62
No, He's looking
for a steady direction
00:31:01.66\00:31:06.39
in your life of
growing in grace,
00:31:06.43\00:31:08.30
learning from your mistakes,
00:31:08.33\00:31:10.07
and let God not only be
the author of your faith.
00:31:10.10\00:31:14.17
But let Him take you to
that as you said before,
00:31:14.20\00:31:15.87
the finish line.
00:31:15.90\00:31:17.24
That's right, the finish line.
00:31:17.27\00:31:18.61
He is the author and
finisher of our faith.
00:31:18.64\00:31:21.21
So, "Blessed is he who
watches and keeps his garments,
00:31:21.24\00:31:25.31
lest he walks naked,
and they see his shame."
00:31:25.35\00:31:27.78
The garment is that
righteous character of Jesus.
00:31:27.82\00:31:30.39
Day by day,
let's keep it that way
00:31:30.42\00:31:32.25
by our choices we make.
00:31:32.29\00:31:33.86
Choices are influenced by
what you put in your mind.
00:31:33.89\00:31:40.00
If you are reading your
Bible, and you are praying,
00:31:40.03\00:31:41.93
you have the best
food to direct your life.
00:31:41.96\00:31:44.83
Thank you for your
questions and comments,
00:31:44.87\00:31:46.84
and if you have any
more questions or comments
00:31:46.87\00:31:48.74
you can send them
to housecalls@3abn.org.
00:31:48.77\00:31:52.74
That's housecalls@3abn.org.
00:31:52.77\00:31:56.01
And surely, we'll get a
chance to download those,
00:31:56.04\00:31:59.88
and even the ones we
miss periodically we hoped
00:31:59.91\00:32:03.35
and thank you for your patience.
00:32:03.39\00:32:05.15
John, lead us
into our topic today.
00:32:05.19\00:32:07.76
This topic, very
important about discipleship.
00:32:07.79\00:32:11.89
Yeah, we've been
talking about discipleship
00:32:11.93\00:32:13.66
in several contexts,
basically up to this point
00:32:13.70\00:32:17.30
what does a disciple look
like, what does it mean to walk
00:32:17.33\00:32:21.17
and be disciple by Christ,
00:32:21.20\00:32:23.37
to engage in a
life of discipleship
00:32:23.41\00:32:26.24
and as a commitment,
00:32:26.27\00:32:27.61
a lifelong commitment to Christ.
00:32:27.64\00:32:29.54
So we're looking
at several areas,
00:32:29.58\00:32:30.91
we've talked
about the implications
00:32:30.95\00:32:34.02
regarding the church.
00:32:34.05\00:32:35.58
I made the statement
a couple times already
00:32:35.62\00:32:37.72
that if the church
did discipleship right
00:32:37.75\00:32:41.09
in the way that God intended,
00:32:41.12\00:32:42.82
that evangelism would
largely take care of itself.
00:32:42.86\00:32:45.03
The mission of the
church would be fulfilled
00:32:45.06\00:32:47.90
just by virtue of disciples
00:32:47.93\00:32:49.76
fulfilling their
great commission,
00:32:49.80\00:32:51.87
the great commission
given to them by God.
00:32:51.90\00:32:53.84
Then we looked at the
conditions of discipleship.
00:32:53.87\00:32:56.84
The four conditions that
Jesus gave for discipleship.
00:32:56.87\00:33:00.08
In another program we
looked at discipleship
00:33:00.11\00:33:02.71
in the context of
the Spirit and the truth
00:33:02.74\00:33:05.45
that Christ
mentioned there as He said,
00:33:05.48\00:33:08.15
the Father is
looking for true worshipers
00:33:08.18\00:33:09.98
to worship Him
in spirit and truth.
00:33:10.02\00:33:11.35
What did that mean?
00:33:11.39\00:33:12.72
How the spirit,
the heart, conversion,
00:33:12.75\00:33:16.59
transformation is key
to the life of a disciple,
00:33:16.62\00:33:19.69
but also to walk in
truth, that's also important
00:33:19.73\00:33:22.40
in the life of discipleship.
00:33:22.43\00:33:24.30
Now we're
getting to a point, John,
00:33:24.33\00:33:25.77
where we're shifting gears.
00:33:25.80\00:33:28.14
We want to look at
the church as a whole.
00:33:28.17\00:33:31.34
And how can we as a church
like Jesus did methodically
00:33:31.37\00:33:36.44
with His disciples,
how could we as a church
00:33:36.48\00:33:38.31
with disciples of
Christ help to disciple them,
00:33:38.35\00:33:41.92
and to grow them,
and to nurture them,
00:33:41.95\00:33:43.99
so that they might as well
become disciplers of others.
00:33:44.02\00:33:46.86
Okay.
00:33:46.89\00:33:48.22
This is a situation where
it's just not addition here
00:33:48.26\00:33:50.76
and there like a few leaders
finally get one or here, or two
00:33:50.79\00:33:53.70
and they come to the church,
this is a multiplication thing.
00:33:53.73\00:33:56.73
It's supposed to,
the church is supposed
00:33:56.77\00:33:58.10
to grow exponentially,
00:33:58.13\00:33:59.47
okay.
00:33:59.50\00:34:00.84
And so that means everybody
living the life of discipleship
00:34:00.87\00:34:02.84
and responding to Christ,
and to sharing and testifying
00:34:02.87\00:34:06.37
as to what He's done for them.
00:34:06.41\00:34:08.91
And as they witness the
church grows exponentially.
00:34:08.94\00:34:12.25
So what is the
church, what do we need to do?
00:34:12.28\00:34:14.15
How is a church...?
00:34:14.18\00:34:16.25
What does it look
like when a church
00:34:16.28\00:34:17.92
is organized for discipleship?
00:34:17.95\00:34:19.52
So we'll look at what's called
00:34:19.55\00:34:20.89
the disciple
making matrix today.
00:34:20.92\00:34:23.12
And will also start
with the great commission,
00:34:23.16\00:34:25.09
will spend some
time with that here.
00:34:25.13\00:34:26.90
In fact, that will be our
first verse that we go to.
00:34:26.93\00:34:29.63
Okay, let's go to that.
00:34:29.66\00:34:31.07
We mentioned, I think
00:34:31.10\00:34:32.63
it was in the
first program John 14,
00:34:32.67\00:34:34.90
I want to bring this out, I did,
00:34:34.94\00:34:36.27
I mention it in
passing but I want to take
00:34:36.30\00:34:38.24
a look at this here
briefly, if you turn to John 14.
00:34:38.27\00:34:42.14
And I believe it's
right around verse 9.
00:34:46.51\00:34:49.58
Okay.
00:34:49.62\00:34:51.89
Have I been with you so long?
00:34:51.92\00:34:54.29
No.
00:34:54.32\00:34:57.43
It is, yeah, we
can, let's start there
00:34:57.46\00:34:59.29
because it's 9-11.
00:34:59.33\00:35:03.37
Okay.
00:35:03.40\00:35:04.73
Jesus said, "Have I
been with you so long,
00:35:04.77\00:35:07.10
and yet you have
not known Me, Philip?
00:35:07.14\00:35:09.87
He who has seen Me has seen
the Father, so how can you say,
00:35:09.90\00:35:12.67
Show us the Father?
00:35:12.71\00:35:14.88
Do you not believe
that I am in the Father,
00:35:14.91\00:35:17.55
and the Father in Me?"
00:35:17.58\00:35:19.21
And here is the key passage.
00:35:19.25\00:35:21.15
"The words that I speak to you
00:35:21.18\00:35:22.98
I do not speak
on My own authority
00:35:23.02\00:35:25.69
but the Father who
dwells in Me does the works."
00:35:25.72\00:35:29.22
Now, did you
know what he just did?
00:35:29.26\00:35:30.83
Did you see what he did subtly?
00:35:30.86\00:35:33.29
He said, I'm going
to emphasize this again
00:35:33.33\00:35:34.93
as I read this.
00:35:34.96\00:35:37.03
The words that I speak to you
00:35:37.07\00:35:39.63
I do not speak
on My own authority
00:35:39.67\00:35:41.70
but the Father who
dwells in Me does the works.
00:35:41.74\00:35:46.37
He just shifted
from words to works.
00:35:46.41\00:35:48.94
Right.
00:35:48.98\00:35:50.31
Very subtly, unless
you're looking for that,
00:35:50.35\00:35:52.25
it's hard to pick it up.
00:35:52.28\00:35:54.02
So words also always
must translate into what?
00:35:54.05\00:35:57.32
Works. Works.
00:35:57.35\00:35:58.69
So here's the
context of this passage.
00:35:58.72\00:36:01.72
What I've been teaching.
00:36:01.76\00:36:03.09
What I've been showing you
all these things you've learned.
00:36:03.12\00:36:04.86
We're going to talk about
00:36:04.89\00:36:06.23
how these words
translate to works.
00:36:06.26\00:36:09.13
Verse 11, "Believe in
Me that I am in the Father
00:36:09.16\00:36:11.57
and the Father is in
Me, or else believe Me
00:36:11.60\00:36:13.30
for the sake of
the works themselves.
00:36:13.34\00:36:15.77
Most assuredly I say to
you, he who believes in Me
00:36:15.80\00:36:18.21
the works that I do.
00:36:18.24\00:36:20.01
He will do also.
00:36:20.04\00:36:23.68
And greater works
than these He will do,
00:36:23.71\00:36:25.65
because I go to My
Father and whatever you ask
00:36:25.68\00:36:28.42
in My name that I will do,
00:36:28.45\00:36:30.35
that the Father may
be glorified in the son.
00:36:30.39\00:36:32.15
If you ask anything
in My name, I'll do it."
00:36:32.19\00:36:34.32
Now do you see the
context of that now,
00:36:34.36\00:36:35.86
you see that's in
the context of doing
00:36:35.89\00:36:37.39
the works of Christ
carrying on His ongoing mission,
00:36:37.43\00:36:41.80
not just name it,
claim it whatever you want.
00:36:41.83\00:36:43.87
That's right.
00:36:43.90\00:36:45.23
He'll do it, if we're
doing it to glorify our Father
00:36:45.27\00:36:47.94
and to glorify
Christ to whom we serve.
00:36:47.97\00:36:50.51
And so here what
you find is the bookend
00:36:50.54\00:36:53.14
for the great commission,
the same language is used here.
00:36:53.17\00:36:58.75
Jesus is talking about
the mission that He had,
00:36:58.78\00:37:01.25
the works that He
wants them to carry out,
00:37:01.28\00:37:04.12
how these words,
00:37:04.15\00:37:05.49
the things He's been teaching
will translate into works
00:37:05.52\00:37:07.52
that they're going to do,
and they'll be greater works,
00:37:07.56\00:37:09.72
not because they're
better than Christ's works,
00:37:09.76\00:37:12.09
but because
they're greater in number.
00:37:12.13\00:37:14.06
Okay.
00:37:14.10\00:37:15.43
Okay, that's the reason
why they are greater works.
00:37:15.46\00:37:19.13
And then He says, "That
you're going to receive,
00:37:19.17\00:37:22.40
if you go on in
the rest of the passage
00:37:22.44\00:37:24.11
or receive a helper
to help you do that,
00:37:24.14\00:37:25.87
it will be Christ living in us,
00:37:25.91\00:37:27.81
who are actually
doing the works through us."
00:37:27.84\00:37:30.85
And so I share this with
you, because now as we go
00:37:30.88\00:37:33.28
to the Great
Commission, turn to Matthew 28.
00:37:33.31\00:37:39.09
You will find
the exact same thing.
00:37:39.12\00:37:41.32
It's almost as if
Christ was telling them
00:37:41.36\00:37:45.06
what was going to happen,
00:37:45.09\00:37:47.26
then of course His
crucifixion happened
00:37:47.30\00:37:49.03
because that was
in the upper room,
00:37:49.06\00:37:51.00
that John 14 took
place in the upper room.
00:37:51.03\00:37:53.50
That's right.
00:37:53.54\00:37:54.87
The night
before His crucifixion,
00:37:54.90\00:37:56.24
and then afterward
when He comes back,
00:37:56.27\00:37:57.61
He gives them
the Great Commission.
00:37:57.64\00:37:59.54
And the Great Commission
has the same language.
00:37:59.57\00:38:02.08
Notice the language
of the Great Commission
00:38:02.11\00:38:03.58
in Matthew 28,
starting with verse 18.
00:38:03.61\00:38:07.78
"Jesus came and spoke to them,
all authority has been given
00:38:07.82\00:38:10.72
to Me in heaven and on earth,
00:38:10.75\00:38:13.15
go therefore
and make disciples."
00:38:13.19\00:38:16.02
And that word make disciples
00:38:16.06\00:38:17.39
is actually meaning
be disciplers of others.
00:38:17.43\00:38:19.79
Okay.
00:38:19.83\00:38:21.16
Is what it's
saying there in the Greek?
00:38:21.20\00:38:22.83
"Of all the nations baptizing
in the name of the Father
00:38:22.86\00:38:26.37
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit,
00:38:26.40\00:38:28.37
teaching them to
observe all things
00:38:28.40\00:38:30.17
that I have commanded you,
and lo, I am with you always
00:38:30.21\00:38:33.51
even to the end of the age."
00:38:33.54\00:38:34.94
So not only is He saying,
the words that you learned,
00:38:34.98\00:38:38.31
now go do, teach, baptize,
00:38:38.35\00:38:41.82
in other words
you're making disciples.
00:38:41.85\00:38:43.99
And then notice
it comes back to Him,
00:38:44.02\00:38:46.12
I'll be with you.
00:38:46.15\00:38:47.62
This is the same format
of the passage we just read
00:38:47.66\00:38:49.99
in John 14.
00:38:50.03\00:38:51.66
Because he says in John
14, "Pray for the Holy Spirit
00:38:51.69\00:38:54.20
because when it
comes, it will be Me
00:38:54.23\00:38:56.23
coming along with
Him and I will help you."
00:38:56.26\00:38:58.37
And here it says, He's
saying, "I will be with you."
00:38:58.40\00:39:01.64
So it's beautiful
here, this Great Commission
00:39:01.67\00:39:03.97
is more than just nice words,
00:39:04.01\00:39:07.98
it really is intended
00:39:08.01\00:39:11.45
not just for the
disciples that were there,
00:39:11.48\00:39:13.11
it's intended for every disciple
00:39:13.15\00:39:15.85
that professes
Christ today in the church.
00:39:15.88\00:39:18.99
This is their commission.
00:39:19.02\00:39:21.32
Wow, I like that
that you brought that out,
00:39:21.36\00:39:22.86
when we make disciples, He
is with us even to the end.
00:39:22.89\00:39:27.10
Yeah.
00:39:27.13\00:39:28.46
When I make a
disciples and the connection was
00:39:28.50\00:39:30.47
and I saw the connection,
00:39:30.50\00:39:32.00
you know, I have a
look at program here,
00:39:32.03\00:39:33.37
I highlight text
and do a little thing
00:39:33.40\00:39:35.40
that reminds me of
what we talked about,
00:39:35.44\00:39:38.17
this is the words John 14:10,
00:39:38.21\00:39:40.31
"The words that I speak to you,
00:39:40.34\00:39:43.35
I do not speak on
my own authority."
00:39:43.38\00:39:45.55
And then later on he says,
"All authority is given to me."
00:39:45.58\00:39:48.28
That's right, there we go.
00:39:48.32\00:39:49.65
It's the same
language being used there,
00:39:49.68\00:39:51.22
it's fantastic.
00:39:51.25\00:39:52.59
"All authority is
being given to me."
00:39:52.62\00:39:53.96
So now, now that
00:39:53.99\00:39:55.32
I am speaking
with all authority,
00:39:55.36\00:39:58.53
I'm telling you to go.
00:39:58.56\00:40:00.66
To go. Remember opening Jammy.
00:40:00.70\00:40:03.43
Yes.
00:40:03.47\00:40:04.80
Remember, what he used
to say standing up there.
00:40:04.83\00:40:06.23
He's a Personal Ministries
director for years in Fairfield
00:40:06.27\00:40:09.50
and he'd stand up in
front of the church during
00:40:09.54\00:40:11.27
the Personal Ministries time
00:40:11.31\00:40:12.64
and you remember
what he would say?
00:40:12.67\00:40:14.74
God did not ask people to come.
00:40:14.78\00:40:17.65
He tells you go, go,
where did you go this week?
00:40:17.68\00:40:23.85
I remember
distinctly, he used to,
00:40:23.89\00:40:25.69
he used to
challenge us, are you going?
00:40:25.72\00:40:28.69
That's right.
00:40:28.72\00:40:30.06
And this is a
reminder today, are we going
00:40:30.09\00:40:32.99
or we're just part of the church
00:40:33.03\00:40:35.80
that keeps on
doing what it's doing,
00:40:35.83\00:40:38.03
maintaining, it's
okay, I'll be saved.
00:40:38.07\00:40:44.14
I had a problem
with the one thing,
00:40:44.17\00:40:45.51
you know, we used
to say this thing.
00:40:45.54\00:40:46.88
The only thing you can
take with you to heaven
00:40:46.91\00:40:48.24
is your character.
00:40:48.28\00:40:50.08
No, that's not true.
00:40:50.11\00:40:52.01
Yeah, you take your
character, I agree with that.
00:40:52.05\00:40:53.72
But you can also
take somebody else.
00:40:53.75\00:40:57.45
Very good point
and so this would be,
00:40:57.49\00:40:59.55
there will be no stars, crowns
that you can take with you.
00:40:59.59\00:41:02.42
Yes, the Lord wants
us to take somebody else.
00:41:02.46\00:41:06.80
Now something else
that's interesting here.
00:41:06.83\00:41:10.70
I see that Great
Commission has less of a mission
00:41:10.73\00:41:17.41
of the church as it is a
disciple's job description.
00:41:17.44\00:41:22.78
Okay, I could
understand that because...
00:41:22.81\00:41:26.05
So, you know, we talk
about in the context, okay,
00:41:26.08\00:41:28.68
our mission is
the Great Commission
00:41:28.72\00:41:30.05
given to the church.
00:41:30.09\00:41:31.42
Actually, it's the
disciple's job description
00:41:31.45\00:41:34.69
more than it's
the church commission.
00:41:34.72\00:41:37.36
Because sometimes, you
know, how sometimes, John,
00:41:37.39\00:41:39.19
when we speak in
generalities, we don't apply it
00:41:39.23\00:41:41.86
to us personally very well.
00:41:41.90\00:41:44.17
We need something to
actually speak to us personally,
00:41:44.20\00:41:46.57
to be relevant, to engage us.
00:41:46.60\00:41:49.60
So to engage us in
the mission, I think,
00:41:49.64\00:41:51.17
it's better to
think of this as not just,
00:41:51.21\00:41:53.11
oh, the church's mission
is fantastic, make disciples.
00:41:53.14\00:41:56.48
No, it's Christ
telling us as disciples to go
00:41:56.51\00:42:00.88
because it's my job
description as a disciple.
00:42:00.92\00:42:03.75
That's right.
00:42:03.79\00:42:05.12
Matter of fact,
Ephesians 2 and this is a text,
00:42:05.15\00:42:07.02
a lot of times
people believe that well,
00:42:07.06\00:42:08.99
I shouldn't say believe,
but sometimes we respond
00:42:09.02\00:42:11.66
as we were just called
to wait for Jesus to return.
00:42:11.69\00:42:16.33
He didn't call us to
wait for Him to return,
00:42:16.36\00:42:17.97
He called us to get
others ready for His return.
00:42:18.00\00:42:20.87
You know, on the
baptismal certificate,
00:42:20.90\00:42:22.40
will you buy your life
and your influence help others
00:42:22.44\00:42:25.01
get ready for the
coming of the Lord, and we say,
00:42:25.04\00:42:27.41
I will when I get a chance.
00:42:27.44\00:42:30.95
But the Lord says
in Ephesians 2:10,
00:42:30.98\00:42:34.02
speaking about for by grace
are you saved through faith.
00:42:34.05\00:42:36.12
That's verse 8-9,
00:42:36.15\00:42:37.65
it is a gift of
God not of works,
00:42:37.69\00:42:39.59
lest any man should boast.
00:42:39.62\00:42:41.02
We are not saved by
works, we are saved for works.
00:42:41.06\00:42:44.23
That's right.
00:42:44.26\00:42:45.59
Verse 10, for we
are his workmanship
00:42:45.63\00:42:48.66
created in Christ
Jesus for good works
00:42:48.70\00:42:52.07
which God prepared beforehand
that we should walk in them.
00:42:52.10\00:42:56.50
So before you come to,
before we come to Christ,
00:42:56.54\00:42:59.64
He has work for us to do.
00:42:59.67\00:43:02.74
When a person goes
for a job interview,
00:43:02.78\00:43:04.65
I like the fact that you
made this a job description
00:43:04.68\00:43:07.28
rather than an activity.
00:43:07.32\00:43:09.75
When a person goes for a
job, they look in the newspaper
00:43:09.78\00:43:13.72
and they say, "Oh, okay,
I could fit that position."
00:43:13.76\00:43:18.43
What Christians, what people
00:43:18.46\00:43:20.06
that have given their
life to Jesus ought to say is,
00:43:20.10\00:43:24.27
I want to be a part of
that, rather than I want to be,
00:43:24.30\00:43:27.90
I want to get a paycheck.
00:43:27.94\00:43:30.54
Somebody once said,
people stop looking for work
00:43:30.57\00:43:33.94
when they find a job.
00:43:33.98\00:43:35.84
They don't want to
work, they just want the job.
00:43:35.88\00:43:37.58
They want to make ends meet,
they want to pay their bills.
00:43:37.61\00:43:39.85
But the Lord has
called us for good works.
00:43:39.88\00:43:42.62
These works are already there.
00:43:42.65\00:43:44.29
That's why Jesus
said, the harvest is ripe
00:43:44.32\00:43:46.32
but the laborers are few.
00:43:46.35\00:43:48.62
The harvest is
plentiful, look everywhere,
00:43:48.66\00:43:51.09
but I don't have anyone
that wants to go out there
00:43:51.13\00:43:52.79
and bring the harvest in.
00:43:52.83\00:43:54.30
And so we have the ministries,
00:43:54.33\00:43:56.36
let's talk about
this for a moment.
00:43:56.40\00:43:57.73
We have...
00:43:57.77\00:43:59.30
When a person is
appointed to an office,
00:43:59.33\00:44:01.17
and I think you
mentioned this before
00:44:01.20\00:44:02.54
in one of our prior programs.
00:44:02.57\00:44:04.37
When a person is appointed
to an office in church like
00:44:04.41\00:44:06.44
deacon, elder,
deaconess, treasurer,
00:44:06.47\00:44:08.88
Sabbath schoolteacher.
00:44:08.91\00:44:10.25
That's internal.
That's not discipleship.
00:44:10.28\00:44:14.02
That's simply the
function of the body.
00:44:14.05\00:44:16.35
He gave some to
be administrators,
00:44:16.38\00:44:18.35
some helps, some teaching,
some pastoring, some preaching.
00:44:18.39\00:44:22.52
Those are all the
functions of the body.
00:44:22.56\00:44:24.59
Giving an example, your
body is functioning perfectly.
00:44:24.63\00:44:27.46
Your eyes, your ears, your nose,
00:44:27.50\00:44:28.86
it doesn't mean
you're a baseball player.
00:44:28.90\00:44:31.00
It doesn't mean
you're a football player.
00:44:31.03\00:44:32.37
Your body is
functioning just like theirs,
00:44:32.40\00:44:34.57
all the components are
working just fine like theirs,
00:44:34.60\00:44:37.24
but they've taken
on a different mission.
00:44:37.27\00:44:39.14
I'm gonna get on the field.
00:44:39.17\00:44:40.81
The fans have working
bodies but their working bodies
00:44:40.84\00:44:43.58
are sitting in the stands.
00:44:43.61\00:44:44.95
Right.
00:44:44.98\00:44:46.31
The athletes are on the field
where they are doing something.
00:44:46.35\00:44:48.42
They've got a goal, they
want to get to that goal.
00:44:48.45\00:44:50.49
The other ones
wants to get to that goal.
00:44:50.52\00:44:52.39
So unless there is a goal
in your life that pushes you
00:44:52.42\00:44:54.86
to mission,
you're just a spectator.
00:44:54.89\00:44:57.76
You're sitting in the stands
with fully functioning bodies
00:44:57.79\00:45:00.76
that have no purpose at all.
00:45:00.80\00:45:02.90
Can you imagine sitting there
two and a half to three hours
00:45:02.93\00:45:05.20
and the most I can
do is drink my soda,
00:45:05.23\00:45:08.34
eat my popcorn and yell, go.
00:45:08.37\00:45:11.61
Well, this is, I think...
That's the church today...
00:45:11.64\00:45:14.11
I think
conceptually we have it wrong
00:45:14.14\00:45:16.08
in regard to worship,
00:45:16.11\00:45:17.45
when we come to worship
from Sabbath to Sabbath.
00:45:17.48\00:45:21.12
Worship is less about
what I get out of the service
00:45:21.15\00:45:25.69
and more about what
I give to God, okay.
00:45:25.72\00:45:30.79
I mean, this is an
important distinction.
00:45:30.83\00:45:34.33
We have people that complain,
they come to the church
00:45:34.36\00:45:36.13
and they complain,
well, the pastor is nut,
00:45:36.16\00:45:38.27
it wasn't a very good message
00:45:38.30\00:45:39.63
or so and so
treated me poorly or this,
00:45:39.67\00:45:43.47
the Sabbath
school lesson, it just,
00:45:43.51\00:45:44.84
I wasn't into it today.
00:45:44.87\00:45:46.27
The writer, I
don't like the editor
00:45:46.31\00:45:47.91
on how they put
this one together.
00:45:47.94\00:45:49.28
We talk about all the things
00:45:49.31\00:45:50.65
because we're not
getting something out of it.
00:45:50.68\00:45:52.65
When Christ is
actually calling us before Him,
00:45:52.68\00:45:55.65
He extends the call to worship
that we might bring to Him
00:45:55.68\00:45:58.92
an offering of ourselves,
00:45:58.95\00:46:01.12
a living sacrifice
of ourselves for his,
00:46:01.16\00:46:04.06
for reasonable
service out there to others.
00:46:04.09\00:46:07.30
The worship service
is to give God glory,
00:46:07.33\00:46:09.70
to give of
ourselves and then to receive
00:46:09.73\00:46:12.77
the sending
commission to then go out
00:46:12.80\00:46:14.60
for the rest of
the week, do His work
00:46:14.64\00:46:17.67
and then come back the next week
00:46:17.71\00:46:19.04
to talk about it
and praise for it.
00:46:19.07\00:46:20.68
In fact, Ellen White made
00:46:20.71\00:46:22.24
an interesting
distinction one time.
00:46:22.28\00:46:23.61
She says, there is far too
much sermonizing in church.
00:46:23.65\00:46:26.82
Because sometimes the church
just needs to get together
00:46:26.85\00:46:29.62
and talk about what's going on
all week long evangelistically
00:46:29.65\00:46:33.39
to encourage, to
stir up good works,
00:46:33.42\00:46:35.82
and to help us continue to focus
00:46:35.86\00:46:37.36
evangelistically on our mission.
00:46:37.39\00:46:40.90
But no, often we
turn internally and we...
00:46:40.93\00:46:44.27
Well, I'm not getting
this or that out of it.
00:46:44.30\00:46:45.97
Oh, the church
doesn't really do a lot for me
00:46:46.00\00:46:47.74
and that's why I don't go and...
00:46:47.77\00:46:49.90
That's not why God
calls us to worship Him.
00:46:49.94\00:46:52.17
We worship Him with
as a living sacrifice,
00:46:52.21\00:46:55.64
as we give ourselves to Him
00:46:55.68\00:46:57.05
and offer ourselves for
His use, for His service.
00:46:57.08\00:47:00.62
That's right.
00:47:00.65\00:47:01.98
And so many people
in America primarily,
00:47:02.02\00:47:05.82
let's look at, I'll
just use one example.
00:47:05.85\00:47:10.76
We have, our
churches are all over
00:47:10.79\00:47:12.93
in different locations.
00:47:12.96\00:47:14.46
But if we had one mega church,
00:47:14.50\00:47:16.20
let's just use Joel
Osteen as an example.
00:47:16.23\00:47:18.70
I'm not speaking about
his preaching or sermons.
00:47:18.73\00:47:20.47
You know, he has a lot
of good positive things.
00:47:20.50\00:47:22.77
That's not the
point, I'm gonna use.
00:47:22.80\00:47:24.64
I'm not gonna try to
down him or anything.
00:47:24.67\00:47:26.21
But let's just say,
30,000 people come on a Sunday,
00:47:26.24\00:47:29.31
30,000, we saw the
pictures of those stadiums,
00:47:29.34\00:47:32.01
it's just awe
inspiring to see how many people
00:47:32.05\00:47:34.55
can pack into that arena.
00:47:34.58\00:47:36.32
But there is one man
that's upfront speaking
00:47:36.35\00:47:39.52
and 30, 000 after the
sermon, or however long it is,
00:47:39.55\00:47:44.26
or after the entire
service, 30,000 go back
00:47:44.29\00:47:47.40
in 30,000 different directions.
00:47:47.43\00:47:50.13
And what would happen
00:47:50.17\00:47:53.80
if 30,000 people
left that stadium
00:47:53.84\00:47:56.94
and hit the
streets that afternoon,
00:47:56.97\00:48:00.61
going from door to
door, home to home?
00:48:00.64\00:48:02.74
Even if it's all
week long, you know.
00:48:02.78\00:48:04.65
I'm going there. Yeah.
00:48:04.68\00:48:06.15
And then you
exponentially push that
00:48:06.18\00:48:07.95
to Monday, Tuesday,
Wednesday, Thursday,
00:48:07.98\00:48:10.59
activity all week long.
00:48:10.62\00:48:12.29
That stadium
wouldn't be big enough
00:48:12.32\00:48:14.79
in just a matter of a month.
00:48:14.82\00:48:17.06
If he said, bring one
person with you next week,
00:48:17.09\00:48:20.46
there would be
60,000 people next week.
00:48:20.50\00:48:23.53
Let's put that
down to a smaller scale,
00:48:23.57\00:48:25.50
a 120, bring one
person with you next Sabbath,
00:48:25.53\00:48:28.77
and pray all week
long for just one person,
00:48:28.80\00:48:32.24
there will be 240
people the next week.
00:48:32.27\00:48:35.14
Hey, the person
you brought with you,
00:48:35.18\00:48:37.38
bring one of your
friends with you next week,
00:48:37.41\00:48:40.68
there would be 360
people the next week
00:48:40.72\00:48:43.72
and just if you
try that, if you said,
00:48:43.75\00:48:45.72
I'm just gonna bring a
friend, there is no commitment.
00:48:45.75\00:48:48.52
You don't have to buy anything,
00:48:48.56\00:48:49.89
you don't have to
give any offering,
00:48:49.92\00:48:51.26
just come as you are.
00:48:51.29\00:48:53.03
We have a special
invitation just for you,
00:48:53.06\00:48:55.26
and you've made your focal point
00:48:55.30\00:48:58.00
just that one week to
meet one person invite them
00:48:58.03\00:49:01.00
and secure that they're
coming with you next Sabbath.
00:49:01.04\00:49:03.24
Do you realize how
the church will explode
00:49:03.27\00:49:06.47
and that's what happened
on the day of Pentecost.
00:49:06.51\00:49:11.38
They left Pentecost, they
left Jerusalem with a mission
00:49:11.41\00:49:15.38
and the church
exploded 3,000, 5,000 multitudes
00:49:15.42\00:49:18.49
and then they got to the point
00:49:18.52\00:49:19.85
where they
couldn't count anymore
00:49:19.89\00:49:21.96
and in 34 short years,
00:49:21.99\00:49:24.23
the gospel went
to the entire world
00:49:24.26\00:49:26.73
because they were
filled with the idea
00:49:26.76\00:49:28.26
that if we get the
gospel to the entire world,
00:49:28.30\00:49:30.77
Jesus will come.
00:49:30.80\00:49:32.13
So Matthew 28, the commission
there to make disciples
00:49:32.17\00:49:35.67
is not a come for a
good sermon and then go home
00:49:35.70\00:49:39.37
and enjoy the trees and
go, you know, walking through,
00:49:39.41\00:49:43.48
looking at butterflies.
00:49:43.51\00:49:45.45
That's great, you don't
have to spend the entire day
00:49:45.48\00:49:47.92
but be a mission minded person
00:49:47.95\00:49:49.58
rather than just maintaining
the needs of the membership
00:49:49.62\00:49:52.55
because there is a
need of the membership.
00:49:52.59\00:49:54.42
Some people are ill and
sick, they need to be visited,
00:49:54.46\00:49:57.03
they need to be prayed with.
00:49:57.06\00:49:58.46
But then there is
a mission outreach.
00:49:58.49\00:49:59.96
What are you doing in
your mission outreach?
00:50:00.00\00:50:01.50
And this is, this
is balanced thing.
00:50:01.53\00:50:03.06
Yeah.
00:50:03.10\00:50:04.43
Because I don't
want to minimize the fact
00:50:04.47\00:50:05.80
that sermon shouldn't be good,
they shouldn't be encouraging.
00:50:05.83\00:50:09.40
You know, they should,
00:50:09.44\00:50:10.77
we should do a
good job with that.
00:50:10.81\00:50:12.14
We should do a good job
with our Sabbath schools.
00:50:12.17\00:50:13.51
We should do a good job
00:50:13.54\00:50:14.88
as we come together to encourage
00:50:14.91\00:50:16.44
and to build one another up.
00:50:16.48\00:50:18.95
But we shouldn't
leave the other undone.
00:50:18.98\00:50:21.08
That's right.
00:50:21.12\00:50:22.45
'Cause if we do that, the
focus will just become eternal,
00:50:22.48\00:50:24.49
internal and I think
that's kind of the problem.
00:50:24.52\00:50:27.62
That we're seeing in a
lot of our churches today,
00:50:27.66\00:50:29.12
we've lost that working
in the harvest field aspect
00:50:29.16\00:50:33.56
in lieu of just kind
of being consumed about
00:50:33.60\00:50:36.06
what's happening in the church.
00:50:36.10\00:50:38.67
Now, we're gonna shift
here in the last few minutes
00:50:38.70\00:50:42.10
and talk about
what I put together here
00:50:42.14\00:50:45.51
which I believe is biblical.
00:50:45.54\00:50:46.88
I got this
straight from the word.
00:50:46.91\00:50:50.25
As a disciple making
matrix there are four quadrants,
00:50:50.28\00:50:53.35
four components or aspects
to this disciple making matrix,
00:50:53.38\00:50:57.35
and all four of
them combine together
00:50:57.39\00:51:00.86
represent important
characteristics or qualities,
00:51:00.89\00:51:06.13
things that church
will do to make disciples.
00:51:06.16\00:51:09.16
To build a
disciple making culture,
00:51:09.20\00:51:11.43
and so if you wanted,
00:51:11.47\00:51:13.03
if you like to
see a church become
00:51:13.07\00:51:14.44
more of an evangelistic
disciple making culture,
00:51:14.47\00:51:17.97
the thing that we've
been talking about here
00:51:18.01\00:51:19.47
for the last several programs.
00:51:19.51\00:51:21.78
These are the things
that you need to look at,
00:51:21.81\00:51:23.58
this is kind of the test
and also things to implement
00:51:23.61\00:51:26.41
that the church should do
to put that or establish that
00:51:26.45\00:51:29.88
within the church.
00:51:29.92\00:51:31.25
So it might become that
00:51:31.29\00:51:32.62
disciple making
church you wanted it to be.
00:51:32.65\00:51:33.99
That's right.
00:51:34.02\00:51:35.36
We won't talk, I
don't, I can see right now,
00:51:35.39\00:51:36.73
we're not gonna get to each
00:51:36.76\00:51:38.09
and every one of
them individually.
00:51:38.13\00:51:39.46
We'll finish in our next program
00:51:39.49\00:51:40.83
talking about these
things individually,
00:51:40.86\00:51:42.20
because there are some
wonderful things in that.
00:51:42.23\00:51:43.57
Okay, sounds good.
00:51:43.60\00:51:44.93
But we'll
introduce this and talk about
00:51:44.97\00:51:46.30
the importance
of just the cycle.
00:51:46.33\00:51:47.90
All right.
00:51:47.94\00:51:49.30
Number one, so think
of this as four quadrants,
00:51:49.34\00:51:52.27
one, two, three, four.
00:51:52.31\00:51:55.21
Okay.
00:51:55.24\00:51:56.58
Starting with the upper left
which is the first quadrant,
00:51:56.61\00:51:59.61
so you're going to
start with the first one
00:51:59.65\00:52:02.08
which is to connect.
00:52:02.12\00:52:04.42
That means to begin the
process of discipling others
00:52:04.45\00:52:09.22
and helping the church foster
00:52:09.26\00:52:10.96
or build the
culture of discipleship.
00:52:10.99\00:52:12.76
We have to know that
connection with the church
00:52:12.79\00:52:14.96
is an important part of it.
00:52:15.00\00:52:16.33
Right.
00:52:16.36\00:52:17.77
And significantly and
we'll talk in more detail
00:52:17.80\00:52:19.83
about this in the next program,
00:52:19.87\00:52:21.20
but significantly this
revolves around relationships,
00:52:21.24\00:52:25.67
not doctrinal teaching.
00:52:25.71\00:52:27.51
Right.
00:52:27.54\00:52:28.88
Connection happens
through relationships,
00:52:28.91\00:52:31.68
and so there needs
to be a strong emphasis
00:52:31.71\00:52:33.78
on meeting people
that are non-Adventists
00:52:33.82\00:52:37.45
in the workplace,
as you socialize...
00:52:37.49\00:52:41.19
and being
intentional about this,
00:52:41.22\00:52:42.92
and we'll talk more
about this next time.
00:52:42.96\00:52:44.56
So I don't want to
get ahead of myself.
00:52:44.59\00:52:45.93
But let's go to the
number two, quadrant two.
00:52:45.96\00:52:49.30
Quadrant two is to grow.
00:52:49.33\00:52:52.10
Once a connection is
made, an individual has accepted
00:52:52.13\00:52:55.87
Christ as your savior.
00:52:55.90\00:52:57.64
I think a lot of
times in our churches,
00:52:57.67\00:52:59.21
we kind of think at
the time of the baptism,
00:52:59.24\00:53:01.84
oh, they are in the
church now and we kind of relax.
00:53:01.88\00:53:05.35
But what needs to
happen is there needs
00:53:05.38\00:53:07.02
to be an intentional
deliberate nurturing process
00:53:07.05\00:53:11.79
that encourages them to
grow in the grace of Christ
00:53:11.82\00:53:14.86
like we just read in
the text from 2 Peter.
00:53:14.89\00:53:16.96
That's right.
00:53:16.99\00:53:18.33
So grow is the next part
of a disciple making matrix.
00:53:18.36\00:53:21.06
So now we've got
connect and we've got grow,
00:53:21.10\00:53:23.80
and this is personal growth
00:53:23.83\00:53:25.87
and all the
things that come with,
00:53:25.90\00:53:28.50
it's a very
important spiritual practices
00:53:28.54\00:53:30.54
in the life of a Christian,
00:53:30.57\00:53:31.91
the devotional
life of a Christian.
00:53:31.94\00:53:33.64
Then the third
quadrant of the matrix,
00:53:33.68\00:53:35.88
dropping down
from grow is equip.
00:53:35.91\00:53:40.02
And, John, equip, to
equip the church is probably
00:53:40.05\00:53:43.99
the most significant deficiency
we have in churches today.
00:53:44.02\00:53:48.32
We are not intentional
about equipping our members
00:53:48.36\00:53:51.33
but we need to be,
00:53:51.36\00:53:52.69
because equipping
brings empowerment.
00:53:52.73\00:53:55.96
If you're not equipped
00:53:56.00\00:53:57.33
and you're not
feeling comfortable
00:53:57.37\00:53:59.13
and able to be
able to share your faith
00:53:59.17\00:54:03.27
because you
haven't been equipped,
00:54:03.30\00:54:04.84
you're not gonna do it.
00:54:04.87\00:54:06.78
It's like sometimes we
go from connect to grow,
00:54:06.81\00:54:09.41
straight to send.
00:54:09.44\00:54:10.78
Now send them out.
00:54:10.81\00:54:12.18
And people, they are not
comfortable with being sent out
00:54:12.21\00:54:15.05
because they really
don't know what to do.
00:54:15.08\00:54:16.69
This equipping
process is not being met.
00:54:16.72\00:54:18.85
I would say, it's
probably the biggest deficiency
00:54:18.89\00:54:20.69
in our churches
today is not equipping
00:54:20.72\00:54:22.62
our members for service.
00:54:22.66\00:54:23.99
Okay.
00:54:24.03\00:54:25.36
That doesn't bring empowerment,
and then lastly is descending.
00:54:25.39\00:54:28.83
Once you're
equipped, you got to go use it.
00:54:28.86\00:54:32.03
Christ was intentional
about sending His disciples out
00:54:32.07\00:54:34.27
and we'll talk a
little bit about that
00:54:34.30\00:54:35.84
in the next program as well.
00:54:35.87\00:54:37.51
So connect, grow, equip,
send, each of these things
00:54:37.54\00:54:41.11
are key to determining
whether or not your church
00:54:41.14\00:54:44.85
has got a well-rounded
program that disciples others,
00:54:44.88\00:54:48.28
builds leadership
and then sends others
00:54:48.32\00:54:51.62
out to disciple yet more people,
00:54:51.65\00:54:53.89
to increase the size of a church
00:54:53.92\00:54:55.66
and grow the
church exponentially.
00:54:55.69\00:54:57.16
You know, the John 15
aspect of this whole matrix
00:54:57.19\00:55:00.73
if I can use that
phrase is the first part,
00:55:00.76\00:55:05.07
it's important to put
some support to these,
00:55:05.10\00:55:08.67
each of these steps.
00:55:08.70\00:55:10.24
Connect, Jesus, in
the connection of John 15,
00:55:10.27\00:55:14.18
he says, "I'm the vine
00:55:14.21\00:55:15.98
and my father is
the vine dresser."
00:55:16.01\00:55:18.45
He also says,
"I'm the vine, verse 5,
00:55:18.48\00:55:21.02
you're the branches."
00:55:21.05\00:55:22.62
So the vine, we connect
to the vine and we branches,
00:55:22.65\00:55:27.26
branches don't, the
branches don't hug the tree.
00:55:27.29\00:55:31.86
Branches reach
out from the tree.
00:55:31.89\00:55:34.26
So we are the reach out or
the outreach of the church.
00:55:34.30\00:55:37.63
We are the
branches, the vine is Christ,
00:55:37.67\00:55:41.24
He's the vine
where the branch is.
00:55:41.27\00:55:43.20
But then He says, the
reason why the connect
00:55:43.24\00:55:45.37
is so vitally
important is because without Me,
00:55:45.41\00:55:47.11
you can do nothing.
00:55:47.14\00:55:48.74
So there are those of
us who joined the church
00:55:48.78\00:55:51.15
and let's put this all together.
00:55:51.18\00:55:52.65
The pieces are very important.
00:55:52.68\00:55:54.02
Each component
is very important.
00:55:54.05\00:55:56.05
The component of connecting
00:55:56.08\00:56:00.62
and reaching
out are inseparable.
00:56:00.66\00:56:05.19
The branch cannot
separate itself from the vine
00:56:05.23\00:56:08.56
and still reach out.
00:56:08.60\00:56:10.17
It look like it's sticking out,
00:56:10.20\00:56:11.60
but there is no
life flowing through it.
00:56:11.63\00:56:13.80
So you have to have a
daily connection with Christ
00:56:13.84\00:56:16.67
in order to even,
in order to even be
00:56:16.71\00:56:19.01
capable of reaching out,
00:56:19.04\00:56:20.84
and I would say if you
go down to the seed of this,
00:56:20.88\00:56:23.85
yes, equipping is a
very important part of it,
00:56:23.88\00:56:26.41
but so many
people don't maintain
00:56:26.45\00:56:28.58
a daily connection to Christ
in a living thriving study.
00:56:28.62\00:56:33.36
You see Jesus has His roots down
00:56:33.39\00:56:35.12
into the work of the kingdom.
00:56:35.16\00:56:37.69
He has grown up as the
Bible, as Peter points out
00:56:37.73\00:56:41.13
that we've all grown, you
know, we're growing in the Lord.
00:56:41.16\00:56:46.43
We are all growing.
We're growing in grace.
00:56:46.47\00:56:49.07
We're not growing into
grace. We're growing in grace.
00:56:49.10\00:56:52.11
That's right.
00:56:52.14\00:56:53.48
That's the day
by day 2 Peter 3:18.
00:56:53.51\00:56:55.14
We're growing in
grace and knowledge.
00:56:55.18\00:56:56.95
But that can't happen
if we are not connected.
00:56:56.98\00:56:59.98
Jesus was very intentional
about His own disciples
00:57:00.02\00:57:02.82
and He provided an
example of what we are
00:57:02.85\00:57:04.85
talking about here,
connect, grow, equip, send.
00:57:04.89\00:57:08.59
If you take a look
at your next slide here,
00:57:08.62\00:57:10.46
what you'll find
there, John, is a description
00:57:10.49\00:57:13.53
of how this thing fits in
with the model that Jesus had.
00:57:13.56\00:57:17.07
First of all Jesus
called His disciples.
00:57:17.10\00:57:21.17
There is the connect piece.
00:57:21.20\00:57:22.97
Then He taught His disciples,
there is the growth piece.
00:57:23.00\00:57:27.11
Then He showed His disciples,
there is the equip piece.
00:57:27.14\00:57:30.75
Example. And then
He sent His disciples.
00:57:30.78\00:57:33.68
There is the send
piece, He sent them out.
00:57:33.72\00:57:35.88
That's right.
00:57:35.92\00:57:37.25
And so Jesus is very
methodical about this.
00:57:37.29\00:57:38.89
I call it Jesus
Christ's other method.
00:57:38.92\00:57:41.36
You know, how Christ's
method of reaching out to people
00:57:41.39\00:57:43.29
and we talk about that
from Ministry of Healing 143,
00:57:43.32\00:57:46.03
how He socialized, sympathized
00:57:46.06\00:57:48.23
and when people
looked harsh to Christ
00:57:48.26\00:57:50.03
and bid them follow me.
00:57:50.07\00:57:51.70
Well, He has a
method of also equipping,
00:57:51.73\00:57:54.44
growing His disciples too.
00:57:54.47\00:57:55.80
Wow.
00:57:55.84\00:57:57.17
Well, that's
wonderful, you know,
00:57:57.21\00:57:58.54
discipleship is what
the Lord calls you to,
00:57:58.57\00:58:00.38
may you respond to
that wonderful call today.
00:58:00.41\00:58:03.48
God bless you.
00:58:03.51\00:58:04.85