Hello, and
welcome to Heart Lift.
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I'm Jill Morikone,
and I'm so glad that you
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have joined us today.
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We're on a journey
of hope, of healing,
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toward the transformation
that the Lord Jesus Christ wants
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to work in your life,
and in mine, as women,
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as daughters of God.
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We're getting close to the
end of our journey together,
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and I pray that the Lord Jesus
is doing a miraculous change
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in your heart and life.
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We talked about forgiveness,
fear, sadness, purity, pride.
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And now in the
end we're discussing
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Transformation,
The Washed Heart;
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how God washes us
with the washing of the
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water of His Word.
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The Pruned Heart: how those
trials and difficulties that we
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go through can be very painful,
yet in the midst of it God uses
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it to produce
fruit in our lives.
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And the last couple of programs
were on the Spirit Filled Heart.
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How God wants to pour
His Holy Spirit upon us.
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He wants to water us.
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He wants to transform
us, and equip us for service.
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Today's program is,
A Heart That Witnesses.
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We're going to have a two part.
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They're the last two
programs in this series:
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today and the next
program, A Heart That Witnesses.
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Before we go to our
Scripture, I want to go
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to our self evaluation.
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This is actually, if you
followed the program from
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the very beginning, this is
the same self examination that
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we did with the first program.
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As always, I want to
encourage you to be honest.
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See if God is
working in changing you.
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See if there's transformation
going on in your life.
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See if you might say, Oh, wow,
I've changed from one of these
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steps to a different one.
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My answer's different today
than it was all those months ago
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when we began
our journey together.
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Maybe you're catching this
program for the first time,
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and if that's the case, then
just put down where you feel,
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right now, you are
in your walk with God.
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Our self evaluation:
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1.
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You fill in the blank.
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Maybe this is where
you feel you are today.
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2.
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Like the rubber
band when it's stretched.
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Maybe that's where you are now.
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3.
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I don't really care about God.
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I don't think I really
want to be that close to Him.
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He goes His way, He does
His own thing, I do mine.
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Next one.
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Polite-I follow God if
it suits me, or pleases me,
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but I'm not interested
if it goes against anything
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that I want to do.
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Next one.
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If you're at this
stage, you like to talk,
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you like to visit with Him.
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He is your friend. Finally,
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No matter where you
feel you are in that section,
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know that the Lord
Jesus says, It's okay.
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I can take any of those
stages, and I can transform you
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into a woman with
my glory and dignity.
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Our Scripture today, as we
get into A Heart That Witnesses
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is 1 Peter 2:9, 1
Peter 2:9, The Bible says:
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But you are a chosen
generation, a royal priesthood,
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a holy nation, His own special
people; that you may proclaim
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the praises of Him who
called you out of darkness into
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His marvelous light.
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Let's pray. Father, we
come before You right now
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in the name of Jesus, and we
thank You for the work that You
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want to do in our hearts.
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We thank You for the
transformation that you have
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been effecting in our lives.
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We thank You for Your goodness.
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We thank You for Your love.
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We thank You for
Your forgiveness.
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We thank You for
Your transforming grace.
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And right now I just
pray that You would hide me,
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and that You could be seen.
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We pray, Father, that You would
open up our minds and hearts
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to want what you want
to share from Your Word.
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And I thank You in
the precious, and the Holy
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name of Jesus, Amen.
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My husband Greg
and I were traveling
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South on Interstate 57.
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Now 57 runs from way up north
all the way through the state of
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Illinois right past the
exit to get off here for 3ABN.
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We were in the right hand lane
getting ready to take our exit,
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to come in the
road here toward home.
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Idly, I looked out of the corner
of my eye and I saw a pickup
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truck begin to pass
me from the left side.
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Now this was a
big boy pickup truck.
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I call really all pickup
trucks big boy pickup trucks,
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because to me they just
seem like a big boy toy.
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But this was the Grand
Daddy of big boy pickup trucks.
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It was jacked up super high.
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It had the double
exhaust coming out the back.
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It was super throaty,
and it had, it was a duly,
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it had those big wide,
the double tires in the back.
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It had an extended cab.
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And as it passed,
a man was driving.
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I didn't pay much attention.
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In the back, on the back
window, was written two words,
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just two words, and those
words were this: Hell Bent.
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Two words: Hell Bent.
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Immediately Greg
and I took our exit.
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And I wish I could tell you
that my very first thought was,
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Lord Jesus, I pray
for the soul of this man.
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I don't know what's
going on in his life.
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I don't know what
pains in the past.
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I wish I could tell you that
was my thought, but it wasn't.
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My very first thought was, God
I thank You I am heaven bound.
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Thank You that
I'm going to heaven.
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Am I so complacent?
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Am I proud of
where I'm at Spiritually?
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Do I have no hunger for souls?
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Do I feel unworthy to witness?
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Turn with me to 2 Corinthians 4.
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We're going to
look at verses 6 and 7.
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The Bible says, It is God who
commandeth the light to shine
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out of darkness, He has shown it
in our hearts, to give the light
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of the knowledge of the glory of
God in the face of Jesus Christ.
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Before we go to verse
7, what's God saying here?
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He says, The light of the
gospel, the light of the truth
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has shown into this dark world,
into this world where there's
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sin and sickness, and
pain and misery, and rebellion,
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into Satan's world.
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The light of the gospel of
Jesus Christ and who He is,
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has shown into this
world, and not only that,
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He's shown it into our hearts.
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Why does He do that?
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Verse 7, 2 Corinthians 4:7.
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We have this treasure in earthen
vessels, that the excellency
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of the power may be
of God, and not of us.
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Did you catch that?
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God pours His treasure into you
and to me: simple jars of clay.
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The New Living Translation
translates it, We ourselves
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are like fragile clay jars
containing this great treasure.
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The NIV says, we have
this treasure in jars of clay.
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Why does God pour
such a beautiful message;
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the gospel of Jesus Christ?
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Why does He pour that into
you and I? because all we are
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is cracked clay pots.
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All we are is cracked clay pots.
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Why does He pour it into us?
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So that the excellency of
the power, so that it may be of
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God and not of us.
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We can never take credit.
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We could never
say, I'm good enough.
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I'm the one showing
the gospel of Jesus Christ.
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We can never do that, because
you and I are only frail human
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beings; we're cracked clay pots.
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God says, I want to
pour My gospel into you.
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The excellency of the power
may be of God, and not of us.
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God shines His
light through our cracks.
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My friend RobbieD, she works
here at 3ABN, and she decorated
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and worked a lot
on this set here.
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She gave me this clay
pot just for demonstration.
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I need to give it back to her.
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Do you see anything
wrong with this clay pot?
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Do you notice that it's cracked?
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Do you see the lip in
the back is really nice,
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but when you turn it
around, do you see that?
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It's got a big crack in it.
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Do you feel like
you're too sinful?
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God says, I can muse the
cracks made by sin to create a
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beautiful testimony of
My forgiveness, of My love,
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of My transforming grace.
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Are you a brand new Christian?
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God can use the
crack of your inexperience.
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Are you too old? God
can use the crack of your
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wisdom and experience.
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Are you too young?
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God can use the crack of
your youth, of your energy.
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Nothing is wasted.
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No experience that you
have been through is wasted.
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No pit is too dark that
He can't lift us out of.
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No pit is too deep that
He can't pull us out of.
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Everything that you
and I have gone through
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can be used for His
glory, so that we could
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become His witnesses.
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God uses us as His witnesses,
and we are simple, cracked,
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clay pots, so that we could
never take glory to our self.
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I could never say, Look at me!
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I'm a great vessel. Look at me!
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No, I'm cracked. We can
never take glory to ourselves,
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but that it can show the power
of Jesus, and what He wants
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to do in our
hearts, and in our lives.
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You know, I believe God never
saves us to sit in silence.
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He doesn't transform us so
that we focus on ourselves,
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and ignore the
needs of other people.
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On the contrary, He empowers
you and me to be His witnesses.
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Turn with me to
Isaiah, Isaiah 43.
00:12:04.45\00:12:09.42
I love the book of Isaiah.
00:12:11.16\00:12:12.73
I've told you I like the
book of John, and that is true.
00:12:12.76\00:12:15.30
But I think the book of
Isaiah would be one of my top
00:12:15.33\00:12:17.90
second favorite
books. I love this book.
00:12:17.93\00:12:20.57
Jesus is speaking.
00:12:24.31\00:12:25.97
You are My witnesses, saith
the Lord, and my servant whom
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I have chosen: that you
may know and believe Me,
00:12:29.94\00:12:34.08
that you may understand that
I am He: before Me there was no
00:12:34.12\00:12:40.59
God formed, neither
shall there be after Me.
00:12:40.62\00:12:42.99
Then He says, Behold you
are My witnesses that I am God.
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There's a huge need out there.
00:12:50.00\00:12:52.83
There's a dark world hurting,
broken, longing for Jesus,
00:12:52.87\00:13:00.61
longing for hope,
longing for deliverance.
00:13:00.64\00:13:04.38
Where are the women
willing to step into the gap
00:13:04.41\00:13:08.18
for their sisters? happy
to show the way to freedom,
00:13:08.22\00:13:11.99
and fulfillment in Christ?
00:13:12.02\00:13:14.66
Where are they? Where am I?
00:13:14.69\00:13:17.23
There's one more verse I want
to look at before we get into
00:13:17.26\00:13:20.80
our body of being
a witness for Jesus.
00:13:20.83\00:13:23.77
And that is found in 2 Timothy
2, 2 Timothy 2, and we're going
00:13:23.80\00:13:33.27
to look at a
couple of verses here.
00:13:33.31\00:13:35.88
But in a great house there
are not only vessels of gold and
00:13:41.02\00:13:45.59
silver, but also of wood
and clay; some for honor,
00:13:45.62\00:13:49.76
and some for dishonor.
00:13:49.79\00:13:52.29
Therefore, if anyone cleanses
himself from the latter,...
00:13:52.33\00:13:55.80
Meaning that dishonor.
00:13:55.86\00:13:57.30
...he will be a vessel for
honor, sanctified and useful
00:13:57.33\00:14:02.54
for the Master, and
prepared for every good work.
00:14:02.60\00:14:07.78
God says, I want to use you.
00:14:07.81\00:14:10.41
I want you to be a
vessel of honor for Me.
00:14:10.45\00:14:16.08
There's a poem that I love.
00:14:16.12\00:14:17.92
It's one of my favorites.
00:14:17.95\00:14:19.65
It's called,
The Potter's Vessel.
00:14:19.69\00:14:21.82
The Master was
searching for a vessel to use.
00:14:21.86\00:14:26.26
On the shelf there were many.
00:14:26.29\00:14:28.66
Which one would He choose?
00:14:28.70\00:14:30.97
Pick me! cried the gold one.
00:14:31.00\00:14:33.23
I'm shiny and bright.
00:14:33.27\00:14:34.94
I'm of great value,
and I do things just right.
00:14:35.00\00:14:38.77
My beauty and luster
will outshine the rest.
00:14:38.81\00:14:43.01
And for someone like
You Master, I will be best.
00:14:43.04\00:14:47.32
But the Master passed
on with no word at all.
00:14:47.35\00:14:51.59
He came to a silver urn.
00:14:51.62\00:14:54.22
It was narrow and tall.
00:14:54.26\00:14:56.76
I'll serve You, dear
Master, and I'll pour Your wine,
00:14:56.79\00:15:00.60
and be at Your
table when ever You dine.
00:15:00.63\00:15:04.00
My lines are so graceful,
and my carvings so true.
00:15:04.03\00:15:08.40
And my silver, it
would always compliment You.
00:15:08.44\00:15:12.84
Unheeding, the Master
passed on to the brass.
00:15:12.87\00:15:17.21
It was wide mouthed and shallow,
and polished like glass.
00:15:17.25\00:15:22.12
Here, here cried that
vessel, I know I will do.
00:15:22.15\00:15:25.99
Place me on Your table
for all all men to view.
00:15:26.02\00:15:30.43
Look at me cried the
goblet of crystal so clear.
00:15:30.46\00:15:33.96
My transparency shows
that my contents are dear.
00:15:34.00\00:15:38.70
Though fragile am I,
I'll serve You with pride.
00:15:38.73\00:15:42.37
And I know I'll be
happy in Your house to abide.
00:15:42.40\00:15:47.61
The Master came
next to a vessel of wood.
00:15:47.64\00:15:51.45
Polished and
carved it solidly stood.
00:15:51.48\00:15:55.78
Use me dear Master,
the wooden bowl said.
00:15:55.82\00:15:59.29
But please, I'd rather You
use me for fruit not bread.
00:15:59.32\00:16:04.16
Then the Master looked
down and saw a vessel of clay.
00:16:04.19\00:16:09.46
Empty, broken,
it helplessly lay.
00:16:09.50\00:16:14.37
No hope had that vessel that the
Master might choose to cleanse
00:16:14.40\00:16:20.74
and make whole,
to fill or to use.
00:16:20.78\00:16:25.08
Ah, this is the vessel
I've been hoping to find.
00:16:25.11\00:16:30.32
I'll mend it, and use
it, and make it all Mine.
00:16:30.35\00:16:34.96
I need not a vessel
with pride in itself,
00:16:34.99\00:16:38.19
nor the one so narrow
that sits on the shelf,
00:16:38.23\00:16:41.96
nor the one who's big
mouthed, and shallow, and loud,
00:16:42.00\00:16:45.63
nor the one who
displays his contents so proud,
00:16:45.67\00:16:49.57
nor the one who thinks he
can do all things just right,
00:16:49.60\00:16:53.01
but this plain earthen vessel
filled with My power and might.
00:16:53.04\00:16:59.61
Then gently He lifted the vessel
of clay, mended and filled it,
00:16:59.65\00:17:06.35
and used it that day.
00:17:06.39\00:17:08.46
He spoke to it kindly,
There's work you must do.
00:17:08.49\00:17:12.76
You pour out to
others, and I'll pour into you.
00:17:12.79\00:17:18.10
I love that poem
because it shows what Jesus
00:17:18.13\00:17:22.34
thinks of you and I.
00:17:22.37\00:17:24.17
He never looks at us and
says, You're not good enough.
00:17:24.21\00:17:28.54
He never looks at us and says,
You're broken, you're worthless.
00:17:28.58\00:17:33.15
He says, I want to cleanse you.
00:17:33.18\00:17:35.48
I want to mend you.
00:17:35.52\00:17:37.32
I want to fill you. and then
I will empower you to go forth
00:17:37.35\00:17:38.69
And then I will empower
you to go forth as My witness.
00:17:38.72\00:17:45.23
That's what God wants to do.
00:17:45.26\00:17:48.13
says, If anyone is in
Christ, he is a new creation:
00:17:53.13\00:17:58.54
old things have
passed away; behold,
00:17:58.57\00:18:01.34
all things have become new.
00:18:01.38\00:18:03.31
Now all things are of God, who
has reconciled us to Himself,
00:18:03.35\00:18:07.42
through Jesus Christ,
and has given to us the
00:18:07.45\00:18:10.65
ministry of reconciliation.
00:18:10.69\00:18:12.62
Now then we are ambassadors
for God, as though Christ were
00:18:12.65\00:18:17.26
pleading through us.
00:18:17.29\00:18:18.69
We implore you on His
behalf, be reconciled to God.
00:18:18.73\00:18:23.97
We're going to discuss
three ways that we can share
00:18:24.00\00:18:28.20
as God's ambassadors.
00:18:28.24\00:18:29.57
We're discussing the
first one in this program,
00:18:29.60\00:18:32.11
and the next ones
in the next program.
00:18:32.14\00:18:35.24
The first way is to pray.
00:18:35.28\00:18:37.78
Have you ever heard someone
say, There's nothing left
00:18:37.81\00:18:40.95
for me to do but pray?
00:18:40.98\00:18:42.42
Prayer is our
primary place of power.
00:18:42.45\00:18:45.59
It's the way God unleashes
His converting power into the
00:18:45.62\00:18:50.93
lives of other people.
00:18:50.96\00:18:52.76
Prayer is our lifeline.
00:18:52.79\00:18:55.73
Lets take a look at
some specific things
00:18:55.76\00:18:58.40
that Jesus prayed for.
00:18:58.43\00:18:59.83
We're going to John, John 17.
00:18:59.87\00:19:03.57
Jesus prayed for
unity; unity with the Father
00:19:03.61\00:19:07.24
and with each other.
00:19:07.28\00:19:08.81
1. Prayer changes us, or
prayer allows God to change us.
00:19:08.84\00:19:16.42
Jesus' prayer. He says, I
don't pray for these alone,
00:19:20.72\00:19:24.13
but also for those
who will believe in Me
00:19:24.16\00:19:27.13
through their word.
00:19:27.16\00:19:28.50
He's praying for you and
I, not just the disciples
00:19:28.53\00:19:31.40
when He said the prayer.
00:19:31.43\00:19:32.80
He's looking down
the stream of time.
00:19:32.83\00:19:34.90
He saw you and I.
He's praying for us.
00:19:34.94\00:19:37.51
21. That they all may be
one; as You, Father, are in Me,
00:19:37.54\00:19:42.34
and I in You, that
they also may be one in us:
00:19:42.38\00:19:45.51
that the world may
believe that You sent Me.
00:19:45.55\00:19:48.48
And the glory which You
gave Me I have given them:
00:19:48.52\00:19:51.19
that they may be one,
just as We are One: I in them,
00:19:51.22\00:19:55.56
and You in Me, that they
may be made perfect in one;
00:19:55.59\00:19:59.13
and that the world may
know that You have sent Me,
00:19:59.16\00:20:02.63
and have loved them,
as You have loved Me.
00:20:02.66\00:20:06.57
What's He saying? He wants
us to be one with each other,
00:20:06.60\00:20:11.61
as He is One with the Father.
00:20:11.64\00:20:14.78
As we pray, as we come
into unity with the Father,
00:20:14.81\00:20:19.38
it can bring us into
oneness with each other
00:20:19.41\00:20:22.75
as brothers and sisters.
00:20:22.78\00:20:24.12
Have you ever tried to pray with
someone that you disagree with?
00:20:24.15\00:20:28.19
It could be a
difficult experience.
00:20:28.22\00:20:30.49
You could say a quick prayer and
still go away with your heart
00:20:30.53\00:20:33.66
just as hard as it was before.
00:20:33.70\00:20:36.06
However, if you truly
get on your knees and pray,
00:20:36.10\00:20:40.60
and open up your
heart to the Lord Jesus,
00:20:40.64\00:20:43.41
you know what's going to happen?
00:20:43.44\00:20:44.77
God is going to change you.
00:20:44.81\00:20:47.11
God is going to work
transformation, and break down
00:20:47.14\00:20:50.88
those barriers you
feel against somebody else.
00:20:50.91\00:20:54.42
Prayer changes us.
00:20:54.45\00:20:56.28
Prayer allows God to change us.
00:20:56.32\00:20:59.95
Prayer breaks down
my pride, my jealousy,
00:20:59.99\00:21:05.19
my spirit of
unforgiveness, my bitterness.
00:21:05.23\00:21:09.20
I don't believe we can
effectively witness if we don't
00:21:09.23\00:21:13.44
come in unity with each
other as brothers and sisters.
00:21:13.47\00:21:18.57
So 1. The purpose of prayer, as
we seek to be God's ambassador,
00:21:18.61\00:21:23.95
God's vessel of
clay, 1. We need to pray.
00:21:23.98\00:21:28.58
Because the prayer will bring
us into unity with the Father,
00:21:28.62\00:21:32.15
and with each other.
00:21:32.19\00:21:33.52
2. Prayer changes other people.
00:21:33.56\00:21:36.79
Prayer allows God to work
through us to minister to,
00:21:36.83\00:21:41.60
and to change other people.
00:21:41.63\00:21:43.67
Watchman Nee, he
was born in 1903.
00:21:43.70\00:21:47.27
He was a Christian
church leader, author,
00:21:47.30\00:21:50.21
leader of the
Christian work in China.
00:21:50.24\00:21:53.94
After the Communist revolution
he spent the last twenty years
00:21:53.98\00:21:57.91
of his life imprisoned;
imprisoned for his faith.
00:21:57.95\00:22:02.98
However the story that I'm going
to share with you about his life
00:22:03.02\00:22:05.79
occurred when he
first accepted Jesus.
00:22:05.82\00:22:07.89
When he first became a Christian
himself he was in college,
00:22:07.92\00:22:13.40
and he made a list
of those of his friends
00:22:13.43\00:22:16.97
who didn't know Jesus; those of
his friends who hadn't accepted
00:22:17.00\00:22:22.50
Christ as Lord of their life.
00:22:22.54\00:22:24.74
He didn't list 1 person, or
2, or 3, or 10, or 20, or 40,
00:22:24.77\00:22:31.91
or 60. 70! He had 70
friends that he made a list of.
00:22:31.95\00:22:38.52
And he made a covenant with God
to pray for each one of these
00:22:38.55\00:22:43.09
friends; to pray
for their conversion.
00:22:43.12\00:22:46.43
He says he didn't pray
just a quick prayer at night.
00:22:46.46\00:22:49.96
These are agonizing prayers.
00:22:50.00\00:22:51.80
These are wake me
up at night prayers.
00:22:51.83\00:22:54.44
These are, as I go
through out the day prayers.
00:22:54.47\00:22:57.41
And as he prayed, do
you know how many of his
00:22:57.44\00:23:01.38
friends accepted Jesus?
00:23:01.41\00:23:02.74
Do you know how many of
his friends became converted?
00:23:02.78\00:23:05.51
69 of the 70.
That's right; all but one.
00:23:05.55\00:23:11.52
Prayer changes other people.
00:23:11.55\00:23:14.56
Prayer allows God to work in
their lives, and to change them.
00:23:14.59\00:23:20.23
I love Psalm 2:8, and I like
it in the King James Version,
00:23:20.26\00:23:23.63
because that's
the way I learned it.
00:23:23.67\00:23:25.00
God says, Ask of Me, and I'll
give you the heathen for your
00:23:25.03\00:23:30.07
inheritance, and the
uttermost parts of the earth
00:23:30.11\00:23:33.04
for your possession.
00:23:33.07\00:23:34.48
And every time
I read that verse,
00:23:34.51\00:23:36.71
and I really
think about it, I cry.
00:23:36.75\00:23:38.88
Because what if I get to
heaven and someone's not there
00:23:38.91\00:23:44.09
because I never asked? because
I never pleaded for their soul,
00:23:44.12\00:23:49.56
because I never
agonized in prayer over them?
00:23:49.59\00:23:53.93
Ask of Me, and I'll give you the
heathen for your inheritance,
00:23:53.96\00:23:57.87
and the uttermost parts of
the world for your possession.
00:23:57.90\00:24:01.90
John 16:24, Jesus says, Before
you asked nothing in My name:
00:24:01.94\00:24:08.54
ask, that you shall receive,
and that your joy may be full.
00:24:08.58\00:24:15.98
Ask for souls. Ask
for a boldness to speak
00:24:16.02\00:24:20.66
for the Lord Jesus.
00:24:20.69\00:24:22.49
God transforms our hearts
and lives, not so that we sit in
00:24:22.52\00:24:28.26
silence, not so that we
rest on our laurel and say,
00:24:28.30\00:24:33.77
Thank You, God, that I'm heaven
bound, and I'll ignore the
00:24:33.80\00:24:36.34
needs, and the problems, and the
hurt of my brothers and sisters.
00:24:36.37\00:24:41.44
God changes us because He
wants us to be His witness.
00:24:41.48\00:24:47.38
He wants to pour the light
of the gospel of Jesus into you
00:24:47.42\00:24:51.69
and I, as cracked clay vessels.
00:24:51.72\00:24:54.72
He says, I can use you.
00:24:54.76\00:24:57.26
I want to use you.
00:24:57.33\00:24:59.79
If I don't have you,
who else am I going to have?
00:24:59.86\00:25:03.73
He wants us to pray.
00:25:03.77\00:25:05.33
That's the number one way
we can be God's ambassador,
00:25:05.37\00:25:09.50
we can witness, is to pray.
00:25:09.57\00:25:12.31
When we pray we're brought
into unity with God the Father.
00:25:12.37\00:25:15.81
We're brought into unity
with each other, as brothers
00:25:15.84\00:25:19.21
and sisters, when we
pray for others' conversion.
00:25:19.25\00:25:24.12
God works in miraculous ways.
00:25:24.15\00:25:26.72
We need to take a short break.
00:25:26.76\00:25:29.29
And when we come back we're
going to discuss our practical
00:25:29.32\00:25:33.56
application; something you
can do this week to incorporate
00:25:33.60\00:25:37.77
more prayer into your life.
00:25:37.83\00:25:39.80
We'll be right back.
00:25:39.83\00:25:42.40