Participants: Pr. Dwight Nelson
Series Code: NP
Program Code: NP082209
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00:28 Above all powers
00:32 Above all kings 00:36 Above all nature 00:39 And all created things 00:44 Above all wisdom 00:47 And all the ways of man 00:53 You were here before the world began 00:59 Above all kingdoms, above all thrones 01:07 Above all wonders the world has ever known 01:14 Above all wealth 01:17 And treasures of the earth 01:23 There's no way to measure what you're worth 01:29 Crucified. 01:31 Crucified, laid behind a stone 01:38 You lived to die, rejected and alone 01:45 Like a rose, trampled on the ground 01:52 You took the fall and thought of me 02:00 Above all 02:04 We'll sing it again, above all powers 02:07 Above all powers, above all kings 02:13 Above all nature. 02:14 Above all nature and all created things 02:22 Above all wisdom 02:24 And all the ways of man 02:30 You were here before the world began 02:36 Above all kingdoms, above all thrones 02:44 Above all wonders the world has ever known 02:51 Above all wealth 02:53 And treasures of the earth 02:59 There's no way to measure what You're worth 03:04 Crucified. 03:06 Crucified, laid behind a stone 03:13 You lived to die, rejected and alone 03:20 Like a rose, trampled on the ground 03:27 You took the fall and thought of me 03:34 Above all 03:37 Crucified. 03:39 Crucified, laid behind a stone 03:46 You lived to die, rejected and alone 03:53 Like a rose, trampled on the ground 04:00 You took the fall and thought of me 04:07 Above all 04:10 Like a rose. 04:11 Like a rose, trampled on the ground 04:18 You took the fall 04:22 And thought of me 04:27 Above all 04:34 Thank you Jesus. 04:37 Well, hello boys and girls. 04:40 I've got good news and bad news for you. 04:45 Bad news is we're not having a children story today. 04:49 Good news is I changed my mind, all right? 04:53 So, but don't do this to me next week. 04:57 Come to first church, get your mom and dad up 05:00 just a little earlier on Sabbath morning 05:03 and we will, we'll have-- 05:05 we always have something special, first church. 05:07 So today you get to hear what they had at first church. 05:10 And when you come the first church we'll-- 05:13 we promise that we will do something special for you. 05:15 Nice to have you all of here though. 05:18 Can't believe the new year's about to begin, 05:19 Ruth Marnok-does Ruth Marnok begin on Monday, yes. 05:24 How many of you will be in school on Monday, 05:25 put your hand up if you begin school on Monday. 05:27 Oh, that's a bunch of you, rest of you aren't in school yet 05:30 but that day is coming. 05:32 Nice to have you here. 05:34 Now I want to talk about an animal 05:36 because I'm gonna show you a little clip 05:38 from Youtube in just a moment, okay? 05:41 But I need your attention right now. 05:44 How many when I say can you picture a sheep, 05:48 can picture a sheep? 05:49 How many of you have seen a sheep? 05:50 Ever seen a sheep in your life? 05:52 You know, curly, curly wool, baa, baa. 05:59 You've seen those sheep. 06:01 This is about a sheep but shh. 06:07 This is not any kind of sheep. 06:09 This is a very special kind of sheep 06:13 that lives in the mountains, 06:15 I'm rounding a little two part series today 06:17 on mountain climbing. 06:18 So we want to talk about this sheep. 06:22 It's called a bighorn sheep. 06:28 Have you ever seen a picture of a bighorn sheep? 06:31 Bighorn, you see-- you know what I'm picturing? 06:34 Both the males and the females have horns 06:37 but the males have these big curly. 06:40 Have you-- have you seen it, Jonathan? 06:42 Yeah, curly horn. 06:43 Let's put a picture of a bighorn sheep 06:45 on the screen for us. 06:46 Oh, there it is, oh, oh, that's a beautiful sheep. 06:51 That, that, that sheep is between 3 to 6 feet long 06:55 about 3 feet high at the shoulder, 06:58 can weigh, up this is with the horn like this, 07:01 that's a ram, that's a boy sheep, 07:04 they call them rams. 07:05 Now the females have horns 07:07 but their horns are little shorter 07:08 and they just go puike, like that. 07:10 But the males grow these big round horns. 07:14 Guess how much those horns weigh? 07:16 30 pounds. 07:18 How it's like to balance 30 pounds on your head 07:21 and walk through the world at 30 pounds. 07:24 That's more than a motorcycle, you know. 07:26 30 pounds, that's more than all the bones in the body 07:29 of a male ram, male bighorn sheep. 07:33 That weighs more than all the bones. 07:35 That's pretty heavy, 07:36 what do you think they use those horns for? 07:38 Oh, protection and you're right, 07:42 once in a while they get into a little scraps. 07:44 But let's get a bigger picture of, 07:46 oh, there is a close up of the bighorn sheep. 07:50 Now, do you see this ram, look, look, look, look here 07:54 at the edge of the-- of the horns. 07:56 You see, sometimes nature grows those horns so long 08:01 that they actually block the view of the ram, 08:05 and the ram says I can't see to the side. 08:07 And so what he does is he takes that horn 08:10 and it gets up right next to a mountain rock 08:12 and he itches his horn, he just rubs it on that rock 08:16 and it gets all worn down so that he can see. 08:19 Because let me tell you something, 08:21 bighorn sheep have very good eyes, 08:26 you can't go walking into that-- 08:28 they're way up there in the rocks. 08:29 You can't walk into that, psst, 08:32 well, they see you, they see you. 08:34 And by the way, they travel as a family, 08:38 the children always follow mother and father. 08:42 But that's a, oh-- 08:43 that's a good lesson right there, isn't it? 08:44 The children always follow, who do they follow? 08:48 Mother and father. 08:50 Infact, scientists were a little concerned about that 08:52 because they can't get the bighorn ram 08:54 to go to new feeding fields, 08:55 they just keep going the same old track, 08:57 same old track as it's the track 08:59 we've always gone but they follow the leader, 09:02 they follow the right leader. 09:04 Okay, so my executive assistant Sherry Davis found this. 09:08 Let's have one more shot of the bighorn. 09:11 Yeah, there it is right there, sleeping in the forest. 09:14 By the way, you will never find one of these in Michigan, 09:19 no, no, no, The Rocky Mountains in west, 09:21 that's where these bighorn, 09:23 that's where these bighorn sheep are. 09:25 So my executive assistant Sherry Davis 09:27 found the picture, now, here is the setting. 09:31 Hey guys, whoo, yeah. 09:35 Psst, psst, as my dad used to do. 09:39 Psst. 09:41 All right, this bighorn sheep 09:45 has come down into a national park, 09:47 he's come all the way down to the national park. 09:49 And he is-- when the picture 09:51 you're gonna see it on the screen, 09:52 he's in a parking lot, all right? 09:55 He's come down from the mountain 09:56 and he's in a parking lot but he seems to be confused. 10:02 Let's take a look at the bighorn sheep 10:03 from Youtube on the screen. 10:06 Oh, there he is. 10:09 Whoa, can you see the bighorn sheep? 10:12 Can you see him? Oh, oh. 10:17 I thought he was gonna bump us for a moment there. 10:20 Okay honey, put the car in reverse, will you? 10:22 Let's just backup just a little bit 10:23 'cause I don't think we should be around these sheep. 10:25 Can you just backup just a-- good. 10:27 Let's just keep backing up, oh, oh, no. 10:31 Now honey, I think you have to back up just a little faster, 10:34 let's go, just a little faster 10:36 and I think we'll leave him right there 10:37 and he'll go running up into the mountain-- 10:39 oh, watch out for that. 10:40 Oh, if I put it reverse, there we go, 10:42 all right, good bye-- 10:44 What good bye, oh, no, stop that. 10:48 What-- 10:50 you know what's happening boys and girls? 10:52 There's a huge problem here. 10:55 The bighorn sheep thinks the car 10:58 is another bighorn sheep. 11:01 Now honey, let's just go, go, go a little bit further back. 11:04 I think we're gonna loose him right about now. 11:07 Oh, no says bighorn sheep, I've learned how to follow 11:11 and I'm following oh, oh, please honey, let's go. 11:16 So put it in-- by they go and see, 11:18 oh, you scared me. 11:22 Can you believe that, boys and girls? 11:24 Look at the sheep, he does not know what to do, 11:27 he's never seen a big, bighorn sheep. 11:30 Oh, that hurt oh, stop, good bye, bighorn sheep. 11:37 Good bye, let's leave it right there, 11:38 oh, please good bye. 11:40 Oh, my, hey, can you believe-- hey kids, you got to know, 11:45 you got to follow the right one. 11:48 There's a bighorn sheep following the wrong one, 11:51 you're not supposed to follow that one, 11:52 you're supposed to follow the leader. 11:55 Oh, it makes all the difference in the world 11:58 as we're getting ready to go into new year, 11:59 you have to climb the mountain following the right one. 12:04 Who do you think the right one is 12:05 to follow into this new year? 12:07 Who would be the right one to follow? 12:09 How many says Jesus? 12:10 Put your hand up if you want to say it's Jesus, huh? 12:13 Oh, we got to follow Jesus everyday, 12:16 follow the right leader. 12:18 Let's pray together. 12:20 Oh, dear Jesus, 12:21 we don't want to be like that poor bighorn sheep 12:24 confused about who we're supposed to follow. 12:26 We want to follow You. 12:29 Bless these boys and girls 12:31 and their mommies and daddies too. 12:32 May we all follow You into this new year. 12:37 We pray in Your name. Amen. 12:42 What a song to set us up 12:45 for new year journey just about to begin. 12:48 Thank you, Julia Lindsey. Right on, King Jesus. 12:54 Did I follow Him this year? 12:56 You can say where this journey is going, 13:01 but if he will ride on, we'll be behind. 13:05 Oh, God, that's our prayer. 13:09 You lead, we will follow. 13:12 We're poised on the cusp, this is the brink. 13:15 New year hasn't began yet, 13:16 but on this last Sabbath before the new year begins, 13:19 give us something in Holy Scripture 13:21 to energize our souls to compel our lives. 13:26 With hope and courage for whatever awaits us. 13:30 In Jesus' name. Amen. 13:33 I want to share with you three pictures today 13:35 that I did not share with you last week. 13:38 Two of them are black and white. 13:39 I scanned them out of 13:41 Heinrich Harrer's gripping book, 'The White Spider.' 13:44 I'll get to those two pictures. 13:46 The other is a very dramatic color photograph off of the web. 13:52 But all three pictures are of igor, 13:55 that's German for ogre. 13:58 And this mountain, it is not the tallest mountain in Europe 14:01 but it is the most treacherous mountain, 14:03 it is been a deadly ogre 14:05 ever since men have attempted to climb it, 14:10 a century and half ago. 14:12 It's been nicknamed the white spider 14:14 and the reason it's called the white spider 14:15 is because a little spider like death patch 14:18 up near the summit where you, 14:20 you must traverse this ice and snow 14:22 if you would reach the summit. 14:23 So it's called the white spider. 14:26 Karen and I-- as I mentioned last week 14:28 had the privilege of standing 14:29 at the feet of this 13,042 foot mountain 14:33 and when you're in Switzerland 14:35 we had followed the-- we had joined 14:37 with the school of architecture students in North-west Italy 14:40 with Kathy Dempsky on the world dancing tour. 14:42 Right after that, we shot up into Switzerland 14:45 to celebrate our 35th anniversary 14:47 and when you're-- 14:48 little village called Grindelwald 14:49 and when you're in the alps, 14:51 trust me, there are picture view-- 14:52 your camera is going a thousand miles an hour, 14:54 let me put just a little collage, 14:56 that's in just one little village 14:58 surrounded entirely by the-- the Swiss alps. 15:02 But one mountain in particular stands out 15:05 and I want to give you a close up of it, 15:07 it's Igor, the ogre. 15:09 Next picture you'll see, 15:10 we climbed up to about 7,000 feet, 15:12 we got that next picture and there it is. 15:15 Now I put that camera in one more notch 15:18 and I want you to take a look at the north face 15:20 because this has been the treacherous face 15:23 that has defied human ascent. 15:27 The white spider, you see the little patch up near the top 15:30 that's-- that's spider patch. 15:33 Now 6,000 feet vertical drop, sheer rock, 15:38 you can understand the immense challenge 15:40 to scale at those heights. 15:42 Here comes the two black and white pictures now. 15:45 This is from his book, before the picture goes up, 15:48 well, now that it's up, look for an airplane, 15:50 can you see an airplane against that sheer rock face. 15:54 You see a Swiss airplane, 15:56 little Swiss flag on the back of the tail. 15:59 That plane is flying at thousands of feet 16:01 and it's flying right across the face. 16:04 We are talking straight down. 16:06 Next photograph, black and white, 1952. 16:08 Now that's look like a man 16:10 just kneeling on a flat patch of snow. 16:12 That picture is straight down. 16:13 You see in the valley 16:14 the shadow of the north face over the valley 16:17 and at the top of the black and white picture, 16:18 you see a little clump, that's a whole forest. 16:22 That's 5,000 feet up, it is straight down. 16:26 And the reason it's so treacherous 16:27 is because you would never climb it in the winter, 16:29 you're gonna climb it in the summer. 16:30 Even in the summer as the snow melt 16:33 and the ice is loosing like projectiles. 16:37 That's like little missiles. 16:39 Hence over 50 people have died, 16:41 perished trying to climb that face. 16:43 First successful climb July 21-24, 1938. 16:48 But, if you make it to the summit, 16:49 get a lot of this, 16:51 I found this on the web this last week. 16:52 Here's a picture of the summit. 16:55 Can you believe it? 16:57 I was like, could tell you 16:58 I had the courage to be the one to take that picture, 17:00 no way, you would never get me on that sheer drop off, 17:05 both sides, the white spider. 17:08 Why go to the white spider at all in this eve of a new year, 17:10 I'll tell you why, because we all have 17:14 our white spiders, that's why. 17:17 Little two part mini series, lessons from the white spider. 17:21 These towering obstacles, mountain faces between us, 17:27 realized dream, fulfillment of a promise, 17:32 some of you today are facing this massive north face. 17:39 A financial white spider, 17:42 there is no way you have the money to move on. 17:45 Some of you are facing a physical, 17:47 a health deterioration summit, you can't seem to get over. 17:52 We all have our white spiders. 17:56 Emotional summits, social peaks, marital, marital mountain tops 18:02 that I just can't seem to get up to. 18:07 Hanging, by the way, suspended half way 18:09 too afraid to climb up, too scared to go down, 18:13 lessons from the white spider. 18:15 Two ancient stories 18:16 from the dusty heart of the Old Testament. 18:18 To inject a fresh sense of courage 18:21 and faith into us on the eve of a new journey. 18:24 Open your Bible to the second mountain climbing stories. 18:27 These are both mountains climbing stories, 18:28 last week and this week. 18:29 It's the shortest you can ever have in mini series, 18:32 just two this week, 1 Samuel 14. 18:37 1 Samuel 14 another mountain climbing story, 18:40 right out of the dusty heart of the Old Testament. 18:43 Last week, I hear he was 85 old, 18:46 when he ascended this summit, 18:47 give me this mountain, he cried out. 18:49 This week, I'm gonna put the age of these two heroes 18:52 'cause there are two of them. 18:53 They're both young adults, I put them in their early 20s. 18:56 All right, you're gonna identify with that age, early 20s, 18:59 they are gonna have to climb the north face of a sheer cliff. 19:05 Mountain story number 2 lesson, 19:07 lessons from 'The white spider' part 2, 19:09 two young men who will scale the vertical face. 19:12 You'll find in 1 Samuel 14. 19:15 By the way, if you didn't bring your Bible, 19:16 grab the pew Bible in front of you, 19:18 you have got to follow along, this is one phenomenal story. 19:23 Power packed lessons tucked away in it. 19:25 1 Samuel 14, in fact to get a feel for this ascent, 19:30 we need to start 19:31 with the last verse of chapter 13. 19:33 By the way take your pew Bible, it would be page 196. 19:37 I'm gonna be in the New International Version. 19:39 I think I want to be in the NIV all through this fall. 19:42 I kind of got reacquainted with this translation 19:45 and I do like it. 19:46 But let's pick it up before chapter 14, 19:48 the last verse of chapter 13, it would be verse 23. 19:51 "Now a detachment," all right. 19:54 This is war time in Israel. 19:56 "Now a detachment of Philistines," 19:58 that would be enemy, 19:59 they have been the nemesis, they have been the thorn 20:02 in the sight of Israel from the get go, 20:04 "Now a detachment of Philistines had gone out to the pass," 20:07 we got a mountain pass going, 20:09 this is gonna be a mountain story now, 20:10 a white spider story. 20:12 "Now a detachment of Philistines 20:14 had gone out to the pass at Micmash." 20:17 So they are on top of one of those passes. 20:20 The story begins verse 1 chapter 14. 20:22 "One day Jonathan son of Saul," 20:25 now that would be the first king of Israel, king Saul. 20:29 And Jonathan was his oldest boy 20:30 that would make him crown prince Jonathan. 20:33 "One day Jonathan," by the way how old is Jonathan? 20:35 We don't know his age but by the age of his companion, 20:38 you can guess, they're both young. 20:40 "One day Jonathan, son of Saul 20:42 said to the young man," twice in the story. 20:45 The armor bearer's identified as young, 20:47 so it's key, it's a key, they're young, both of them. 20:52 "One day Jonathan, son of Saul 20:54 said to the young man bearing his armor, come on, 20:56 let's go over to the Philistine outpost on the other side. 20:59 But he did not tell," shh, 21:02 "he did not tell his father, king Saul." 21:06 God's pick, God can pick leaders. 21:09 A leader doesn't have to choose to stay with God. 21:11 King Saul has already begun this, 21:13 this emotional meltdown that becomes a moral meltdown. 21:18 He is so flighty even now. 21:21 That Jonathan dare, he dares not tell his dad. 21:25 So in verse 4, 21:26 here's the description of that mountain pass. 21:27 "On each side of the pass 21:28 that Jonathan intended to cross to reach 21:31 the enemy outpost was a cliff, 21:33 one was called Bozez, and the other was Seneh." 21:36 Verse 5:1, "One cliff stood to the north toward Micmash," 21:39 that would be the north face they're gonna climb, 21:41 "And the other to the south toward Geba." 21:44 Now verse 6, "Jonathan said to his young armor-bearer, 21:50 'Come, let's go, let's go over to the outpost 21:53 of those uncircumcised re-pagan, to those pagan fellows. 21:57 Perhaps the Lord will act in our behalf. 21:59 Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, 22:00 whether by many or by few.' 22:03 Ladies and gentlemen, seven short punchy lessons 22:06 tucked away in this white spider and there it is, 22:07 lesson number one, God doesn't need the numbers. 22:11 Grab your study guide, 22:12 let's scribble down these seven short lessons 22:15 as we climb this mountain together. 22:18 Lesson number one, you got your study guide? 22:20 It should be in your worship bulletin. 22:21 If you didn't get a worship bulletin 22:22 when you came in, just hold your hand up, 22:24 we've got our ushers who are gonna be eager 22:26 to make sure you get these seven lessons. 22:28 You don't want to miss these seven. 22:29 Hold your hand up, 22:30 if several of you came in with one bulletin, 22:33 ask for a study guide, please. 22:35 If you're an overflow, ask for a study guide, 22:37 if you're up in the balcony, ask for study guides. 22:40 Seven short punchy letters, lessons rather. 22:45 And by the way, while our ushers 22:46 are getting the study guides out, 22:47 I need to say to those of you 22:48 who are watching on television, 22:49 we are delighted to have you. 22:51 This is one more mountain story. 22:54 Lessons from 'The white spider,' 22:55 I'll put the website on the screen for you, 22:57 so that you can get the same study guide, 22:58 there you see it on the screen. 22:59 Pmchurch.tv. 23:02 Lessons from The White Spider part 2, 23:04 if you didn't get part 1, it's already on the website, 23:06 you can get the podcast, 23:07 you got to get both mountain stories. 23:09 The hero in the first story was 85, 23:11 these guys are in their early 20s. 23:13 You can have heroes at both ends 23:15 of the age spectrum, that's the good news. 23:17 All right. 23:18 So you're looking for part 2 23:19 and then when it says study guide, click on there 23:22 and you'll get the same guide. 23:23 By the way, let me just alert you, 23:27 next week same time, same station, 23:30 one week from right now, 23:32 we are plunging into what maybe 23:35 the most challenging series 23:36 you and I have ever worked through together. 23:39 It's called The Temple, The Temple. 23:43 Something is going on up there 23:46 that is crucial to what's going on down here. 23:51 Begins next week, exactly a week from this moment, The Temple. 23:55 Bring a friend with you. 23:57 They will never be the same for getting into the temple, 24:00 through a crack in the door, that would be, pardon me, 24:02 that would be our opening teaching. 24:04 All right, so you have your study guide, 24:05 jot it down please, lesson number one. 24:07 God is not dependent on numbers, that is a critical lesson, 24:11 it's a good news lesson. 24:12 God is not dependent on numbers. 24:16 Once upon a time, there was a man name Gideon 24:18 who had 10,000 soldiers who would soon fight the enemy. 24:21 God looked down from His throne and said you know what? 24:23 He got way too many soldiers, whittle that army down 24:26 and God wouldn't stop 24:28 until Gideon got the number down to 3-- 24:30 you're not gonna believe this, 24:31 300 and the enemy was described as numbering 24:35 as the sands of the sea. 24:38 Why, because God isn't dependent on numbers. 24:41 Once upon another time, 24:43 there was this very same king Saul 24:45 with a massive army of Israelites 24:48 and they were all chicken livers. 24:50 Quivering before the thundering tyrant 24:53 of one lone giant named Goliath. 24:57 And along came a young man name David. 24:59 And by the way that David and this Jonathan 25:01 become the best of friends for the rest of their lives 25:03 until Jonathan is killed. 25:05 Same David, same Jonathan, David comes along 25:09 and with just one stone and one boy, 25:12 God routs entire enemy. 25:15 Why because God is not dependent on numbers, 25:17 you may be all alone the day like David, 25:19 you don't know anybody in the school. 25:20 I came all alone and I'm here, no, you're not alone. 25:25 You're not alone at all. 25:26 God isn't dependent on numbers, you maybe just like Jonathan, 25:28 just two of you in this whole school, 25:30 who cares the numbers. 25:31 Whatever the crisis you're facing, 25:33 whatever the challenge this mountain 25:35 that looms in front of you today. 25:37 Whatever it is, the good news is God is not dependent on numbers. 25:44 Jonathan is absolutely right, it doesn't matter 25:47 how you put it here in the verse 6, 25:48 "Nothing can handle the Lord from saving 25:50 whether by many or by few." 25:54 In fact God himself makes that promise, 25:55 see in your study guide 25:56 but take a look at this verse, Luke chapter-- 25:58 this would be Leviticus rather chapter 26 verse 8. 26:01 God says, let me give you my arithmetic, 26:03 this is strange arithmetic by the way, 26:04 look at this arithmetic. 26:06 God says, "Five of you will chase a hundred," 26:10 five of you will make a hundred flee, 26:12 now look at it, let's do the arithmetic. 26:13 If we had 20 times five, 26:15 let's say we could have a hundred of us 26:17 to attack the enemy 26:19 then you'd have to do 20 times a 100 and that would be 2,000, 26:22 a 100 of you can put 2,000 to fly. 26:24 But notice God's arithmetic, it's one of these-- 26:27 it's one of these exponential curves they go just like this. 26:31 "Five of you will chase a hundred, 26:33 and a hundred of you will chase," how many? 26:36 "Ten thousand." 26:38 They're gonna be times in this journey 26:39 when you think you're all alone on this campus, 26:41 nobody else, nobody else understands life 26:44 and my deep convictions. 26:45 I want to tell you something, don't you worry about that, 26:48 God is not dependent on the number, 26:50 just a handful of you, just a handful of you 26:54 can overturn the strategy of darkness, just a handful, 26:59 don't you let anybody come along 27:00 and say, "Ah, forget it, they're not enough of us." 27:03 God isn't dependent on numbers, 27:04 lesson number one, lesson number two, 27:06 and by the way, you really want to integrate 27:08 lesson number one into your life. 27:10 You've got to get lesson seven, it's the key. 27:12 All right, let's go to the lesson number two. 27:15 Lesson number two, let's read verse 6 again, 27:17 "Jonathan said to his young armor-bearer, 27:19 come come, come on, let's go over 27:22 to the outpost of those uncircumcised fellows. 27:24 Perhaps the Lord will act in our behalf. 27:27 Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, 27:29 whether by few, whether by many rather or by few." 27:32 And then I love this verse 7, 27:33 his armor-bearer shoots back to him, 27:35 "Do all that you have in mind, his armor-bearer said. 27:39 Go ahead, I am with you heart and soul." 27:43 Lesson number two, courage is contagious, 27:47 write that down, courage is contagious. 27:51 In 1910, president Theodore Roosevelt 27:55 who grew up a sickly lad 27:57 but over came that weakness of his health 27:59 to become the swash buckling image 28:01 of masculinity and bravo. 28:05 He uttered some words in 1910 28:07 that had been logged into the annals of courage. 28:10 Wherever you read a book 28:11 and they wanted to deal with courage, 28:12 they'll go to Teddy Roosevelt. 28:14 I'll put the words on the screen for you, 28:15 there are in your study guide, he spoke these words. 28:18 "It is not the critic who counts, 28:21 not the man who points out how strong, 28:24 how the strong man stumbles, 28:26 or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. 28:28 The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, 28:33 whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, 28:36 who strives valiantly, who errs, who comes short again and again, 28:42 because there is no effort without error and shortcoming, 28:45 but who does actually strive to do the deeds, 28:48 who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions, 28:52 who spends himself in a worthy cause, 28:54 who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, 28:57 and who at the worst, if he fails, 29:01 at least fails while daring greatly, 29:03 so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls 29:08 who neither know victory nor defeat." 29:11 Wow. 29:13 Wouldn't you like to follow somebody like that? 29:16 Courage is contagious. 29:18 Jonathan cries out, "Let's go, God can do it." 29:21 And the armor-bearer says, "I'm with you heart and soul." 29:25 Because you know what, courageous people 29:30 are not only contagious, they are magnetic. 29:37 Nobody wants to follow a whiner or a wimp. 29:42 All it takes is for a courageous man, 29:45 all it takes is for a brave woman 29:47 who can rally all the-- let's be it a roommate, 29:49 be it a classroom or work team or department or organization, 29:52 it doesn't matter just one with courage, 29:55 just like a magnet, you draw the others. 29:58 Lesson number two, courage, courage is contagious. 30:00 How can you integrate that into your life. 30:02 Don't miss lesson number seven. 30:04 But let's get lesson three first. 30:06 Pick it up in verse 8. 30:08 So now, their heart and soul together. 30:10 Here's the plan, watch this, verse 8. 30:13 "Jonathan said, okay 'Come, come, 30:16 we will cross over toward the men.' 30:18 That would be the enemy at the top of that mount. 30:20 'And we will let them see us.'" 30:22 Verse 9 "If they say to us, 30:24 'Wait there until we come to you,' 30:27 we will stay right where we are and not go up to them." 30:30 But he's saying to armor-bearer. 30:32 "If they say, come up to us,' 30:36 we will climb up, because that will be our sign 30:38 that the Lord has given them into our hands." 30:43 Isn't that amazing? 30:45 I mean Jonathan is crouched 30:47 at the foot of this massive cliff. 30:49 The enemy's on top 30:51 and he is saying I don't want to wait, 30:54 I want to come on up. 30:57 Lesson number three, write it down. 31:00 With God, you much climb 31:02 with an "advance mentality." 31:08 I like that. 31:09 With God, you must climb with an advance mentality. 31:13 Not sitting there waiting, well, I'm gonna wait here, 31:14 I'm just wait, wait, wait, wait, no, no, 31:16 if the call has just come, not wishing secretly for a wait, 31:19 if the call has just come, I'll come. 31:22 Where did I get those two words advance mentality? 31:26 Erwin Raphael McManus is leader 31:28 of an urban movement in Los angels, 31:30 city of angels, called Mosaic. 31:33 He's written a dynamite book 31:34 I wish you can get a hold of this book, 31:35 title of the book 'Seizing Your Divine Moment.' 31:38 Every time I need to get stirred up, 31:40 I just pull McManus out, 31:41 that particular book is incredible. 31:43 Anyway, in one place in the book, 31:45 he is actually commenting on the story 31:46 that we're reading right now. 31:47 And you see the quotation there in your study guide. 31:49 I put it on the screen for you. 31:50 "Somehow Jonathan understood 31:52 that when you're moving with God, 31:54 you must move with an advance," 31:57 here they are, 'Advance mentality.' 32:01 "You move forward unless God tells you to stop. 32:03 You advance unless God tells you to wait. 32:05 There are certain things 32:07 that you do not need permission to do. 32:09 You've already been commissioned to do them." 32:12 Now I put that in there what would that be? 32:15 What do you know that God has already commissioned you to do 32:18 and you don't have to ask, oh, God, is this your will? 32:22 What do you suppose one of those would be? 32:24 The word commission, how about the great commission? 32:28 You never have to ask, God is it your will 32:30 that I share Jesus with my roommate. 32:33 You will never have to ask Him, that's a no brainier. 32:37 Jesus says I want you to share me with everybody you meet. 32:40 Now, He's not being ridiculous, 32:41 He's not sending when you're pumping gas at the gas station, 32:43 you ask the guy beside you, have you been safe? 32:45 He's not talking about that, but everybody you know, 32:48 everybody in your circle of friends, 32:49 people in to share, share me with them. 32:51 Everybody in your circle of work, 32:53 everybody in your circle of intellectual journey, 32:57 be willing to tell them about me. 33:02 You don't need God to come along and say, 33:03 by the way, I think I need you to do that. 33:05 You already know, you don't have to ask. 33:09 Well, do I like that McManus spot on. 33:12 We read that again. 33:13 "There are certain things 33:14 that you do not need permission to do. 33:16 You've already been commissioned to do them." 33:18 One more line. 33:19 "There are certain things 33:20 you do not need a calling to do." 33:23 I'm not a seminary on this campus, 33:25 so I don't have to do it. 33:26 I'm not a theology major, 33:27 you don't need a calling, this isn't about calling. 33:30 I'm not a pastor, I'm no evangelist, 33:33 you don't need a calling for this. 33:36 How does that last line go. 33:37 "You've already been commanded to do them." 33:43 Lesson number three, with God you must climb 33:48 with an advance mentality. 33:51 Now wait, wait, wait hold back, 33:52 hold back, no, forward, advance. 33:55 Lesson number four, verse 11. 33:59 So now they are showing up, they are showing up. 34:02 Walking across that valley floor 34:04 and guess what, perfect, the outpost spots them. 34:09 All right verse 11 "So both of them 34:10 showed themselves to the Philistine outpost. 34:12 'Look!' said the Philistines. 34:14 'The Hebrews are crawling out of the holes 34:16 they were hiding in.' 34:18 And the men of the outpost shouted down 34:21 to Jonathan and his armor-bearer," 34:22 'hey boys, "Come on up to us and we'll teach you a lesson.'" 34:27 We'll show you boys a thing or two. 34:30 Boom. Oh, boy. 34:36 Lesson number four, you better get this one. 34:38 This may be the next most significant lesson of the seven. 34:41 Get this one straight. 34:43 "For some mountaintops the greatest challenge 34:47 is the arrival, not the ascent." 34:52 Get that down "For some mountaintops 34:55 the greatest challenge is the arrival, not the ascent." 34:59 For Jonathan and his armor-bearer, 35:00 getting up the mountain 35:01 will not be their greatest challenge, 35:03 it is what is waiting for them 35:04 at the mountaintop that will test their mettle. 35:09 The times when the enemy will be waiting for you 35:12 on top of your mountain 35:15 and therein is a cautionary tale for all us, 35:18 because some of you today halleluiah 35:21 have at last reached a major mountaintop in your life. 35:27 You have worked so hard to get to this mountaintop, 35:31 you're finally here on this campus, 35:34 you finally married, you finally had a baby. 35:38 Congratulations Justin and Rebecca. 35:44 I've seen the baby, fortunately, 35:46 he favors his mother which is encouraging. 35:51 You finally, professionally, 35:54 I'm at the place in my career now, 35:56 yes I've been dreaming about this day. 35:58 Hey listen. Listen, now listen, listen, listen please. 36:02 For some mountains, the challenge is not the ascent, 36:07 it's the arrival, it's what's waiting for you at the top. 36:18 It doesn't matter what you are right now. 36:19 Oh right now I'm on the top. 36:21 It doesn't matter for you what your right now is. 36:24 The lesson of the story is your arrival may turn out 36:27 to be more dangerous than your ascent. 36:30 So here is the deal, beware, here is the point, 36:33 be advised, there are times 36:35 when the mountaintop injects a brand new crisis in your life 36:39 and the enemy's there, ha, you walk straight into a trap. 36:45 Elijah, you ever heard of him? 36:48 Elijah enjoyed one of the greatest mountaintop 36:53 conquests in the history of sacred literature. 36:56 Elijah who calls down fire from heaven 36:58 and nukes the summit of Mount Carmel. 37:01 Elijah who personally defeats and slaughters 37:04 850 pagans priests of Baal. 37:09 Elijah who just hours later hears the threat 37:15 of a furious queen and he crumbles. 37:22 Depression, despair, I want to die. 37:27 A hero broke at the mountaintop. 37:33 Lesson, beware the mountaintop you celebrate today. 37:39 I'm not trying to scare you, 37:40 there is some wonderful mountaintops 37:42 where that's just did, give me another one now. 37:44 But they are some where the enemy awaits. 37:48 Beware, be advised. 37:51 Why does it work this way, 37:52 a century ago these words were written up. 37:53 They are in the study guide, you have to fill it out. 37:55 "In the valley of humiliation, 37:57 where men and women depend on God 37:59 to teach them and to guide their every step, 38:01 there is comparative safety." 38:02 Hey man, this is great, I'm just down here 38:04 in the valley, life is fine. 38:06 Oh, but watch out. 38:09 "But the men and women who stand, 38:11 as it were, on a lofty pinnacle read mountain, 38:15 these are in gravest peril. 38:19 Unless such people make God their dependence, 38:22 they will surely fall." 38:24 Write in that word dependence. 38:25 "Unless you make God your dependence, 38:28 that mountaintop like Elijah will become not a mountaintop 38:32 but your waterloo, it will be the defeat. 38:36 You got to make God, 38:38 unless they make God their dependence. 38:40 Oh boy, how can you avoid a meltdown 38:42 at this summit moment in your life, 38:43 I mean just to be here 38:44 at Andrew University hallelujah Jesus. 38:50 You got to learn lesson seven. 38:52 The way to get this one into you is lesson seven. 38:55 Let's go to lesson five. 38:58 So they yell, they yell, come on up. 39:05 And Jonathan-- this is the tailend of verse 12. 39:07 So Jonathan, I love this. 39:09 "So Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, 39:11 'Climb up after me, 39:13 the Lord has given them into the hand of Israel.'" 39:17 Did you catch that? He said, "Climb up after me." 39:22 He could have said, climb up ahead of me. 39:25 But lesson number five is one we cannot forget, 39:27 "Leaders must lead." "Leaders must lead." 39:32 Whether you are the leader of a school club, 39:34 whether you are the leader of a dormitory room, 39:36 whether you are the leader of a family or marriage, 39:38 it doesn't matter, leaders must lead. 39:42 You say hey Dwight, I have to tell you, 39:44 I'm not a leader, I'm just not a leader. 39:48 My friend, I beg to differ with you. 39:50 If John Maxwell, the guru 39:52 on leadership is right, you're a leader. 39:55 Watch this, what does Maxwell define leadership as. 39:57 Jot it down. 39:58 "Leadership is influence, nothing more, nothing less." 40:03 Influence nothing more, nothing less. 40:07 Do you have influence on anybody? 40:09 Oh yes, you do. 40:11 If you influence anybody you are a leader. 40:17 You're a leader. 40:20 I'll beg off and say please not me. 40:22 No you. 40:24 How do you lead? How do you influence? 40:26 You influence by your example. 40:28 Now I'm gonna say something here please don't quote me, 40:30 don't tell a freshman I said this. 40:32 They're all off campus right now. 40:36 Karen and I go in this afternoon 40:37 and meet with the freshman girls, 40:38 we got to give free lectures up there to them together. 40:41 But I want to say this about the freshmen 40:43 who are not here. 40:44 Bunch of them were in church last Sabbath. 40:46 Let me tell you something, 40:48 if you're older than a freshman, you are a leader, 40:53 'cause you have influence. 40:56 The way you, the way you swagger down 41:00 that dormitory hall or that's how sophomores, 41:05 that's how university is, I didn't know that. 41:11 The way you hang in front of lamps and-- 41:14 Oh that's what you do. 41:17 They don't know, they're brand new. 41:20 Now my appeal to them is, 41:22 hey you don't need anybody to lead you. 41:23 You become a leader on your own. 41:25 But I'm telling you there are a whole lot of them 41:26 that are wanting to be followers 41:28 and anonymous followers for a long time. 41:31 They may see you in class, a chapel, 41:34 in the cafeteria, worshiping here. 41:37 Every time you show up with God, by the way. 41:41 Oh he goes to church. Oh I need to go. 41:47 You're a leader, you got influence. 41:50 Infact, here's the credo for spiritual leaders, 41:52 'cause you all spiritual leaders, 41:53 you wouldn't be here if you weren't a spiritual leader, 41:55 you'd be going somewhere else. 41:57 Here is the credo for spiritual leaders. 41:59 Put it on the screen. Fill it in. 42:00 1 Corinthians 11:1 Paul says "Follow my example, 42:04 as I follow the example of Christ." 42:09 You're a leader. 42:10 You know sometimes husbands. Here's the deal. 42:12 Sometimes husbands say in this marriage 42:14 my wife is a spiritual leader. 42:16 I mean, we're gonna have kids, 42:17 it's gonna be her job to take care of those kids 42:19 and make sure they get a nice 42:20 spiritual influence and environment. 42:22 My friend, you have abdicated your leadership. 42:25 Leaders must lead. 42:27 You can't say hey woman you do it, 42:29 you can't say hey boy you do it, 42:30 you be the leader. 42:33 Follow me as I follow the example of Christ. 42:37 That's what leaders do. 42:39 Climb up after me as I climb up after Him. 42:44 Lesson number five, lesson number six. 42:45 Jot it down. 42:48 I got to go back to those same words 42:49 there, they are at the tailend of verse 12. 42:50 I just love these lines. 42:51 "So Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, 42:53 'Climb up after me, 42:54 the Lord has given them into the hand of Israel.'" 42:59 Ladies and gentlemen, may I ask you a very simple question. 43:01 Did you notice the tense? 43:06 Did you notice the tense of the word? 43:08 Come on look back you remember what verbs are. 43:10 You better remember. 43:13 Did you notice that tense of the verb. 43:15 Jonathan does not explain 43:16 the Lord will give them into the hand of Israel. 43:20 What does he cry out? 43:21 The Lord has, present, right now, we got them. 43:25 Hey Jonathan, you haven't even climbed this mountain yet. 43:31 You haven't even engaged the battle. 43:34 Lesson number six, write it down. 43:35 "Speak faith into your battle." 43:38 Speak faith into your climb, speak faith just say it, 43:44 speak it into your life story. 43:47 Some of you have been speaking doubt for so long, 43:49 you are as weak as you can be. 43:53 I got good news for you. 43:54 All you need is faith the size of mustard seed 43:57 and you can become man and woman of faith. 44:04 Speak faith into your climb and into your battle. 44:07 Now I got to tell you something. 44:08 It's really easy for me 44:09 to be up here pontificating about this. 44:11 I'm gonna be very honest with you. 44:12 This is a lesson I struggle with, 44:14 I still struggle with this one. 44:17 It's difficult for me to be honest with you. 44:20 It's difficult for me to speak faith into something 44:22 that is yet future, a major project, 44:26 a huge risk, a critical battle. 44:29 And here's kind of the thought process that I go through. 44:31 I tell myself, now listen Dwight you don't want get really, 44:34 you don't want to get too far out on the limb, 44:35 because if you get too far out on the limb, 44:37 you're gonna make God look bad when he fails. 44:42 Which of course is code language 44:44 for you're gonna look bad when you fail. 44:47 But I wrap it all up with this, 44:48 well, you know, may be I know that's a big challenge, 44:51 I don't know if we should go into this, you know, 44:52 maybe God, maybe it's not God's will, 44:55 may be God doesn't desire this, 44:58 may be this, you know-- 44:59 may be God doesn't need this to be real big right now. 45:03 Rubbish. 45:05 Name me one spiritual victory 45:08 that God wants you to do halfhearted with puny results. 45:13 Name me one. He is the God of the universe. 45:19 Speak faith. 45:20 What's the mountain in front of you, 45:21 you got some financial mountains here. 45:23 Whoa, huge financial mountains. 45:25 Speak faith into your financial mountain. 45:29 You got some career mountains here. 45:30 Speak faith into that career mountain. 45:33 I believe that by the power of God, 45:36 you're saying but Dwight I need some promises. 45:37 Oh I am glad you asked because I want to share with you now 45:39 four dynamite promises that you can speak faith through. 45:43 Get your pen out, scribble these down 45:45 right under lesson number six. 45:46 Isn't this great Exodus 14:13, 14 45:49 "Do not be afraid. Stand firm. The Lord will." 45:53 Say that out loud with me. "The Lord will fight. 45:56 The Lord will fight for you, you need only stand still." 46:02 Who's gonna do the fighting? He said, I'll do it, I'll do it. 46:10 Oh, here I love this one, 2 Chronicles 20:15. 46:13 "Do not be afraid or discouraged. 46:15 For the battle is not yours." 46:17 But hallelujah the battle already belongs to God. 46:20 You don't have to speak future tense 46:21 you speak present tense. 46:22 He's already given them, 46:24 He's already given me that mountain. 46:25 I know it's gonna be a tough work ahead, 46:27 but I believe He's already given me this mountain. 46:29 Well, look at this one, 2 Chronicles 32:7, 8, 46:32 "With us is the Lord our God 46:35 to help us and to fight our battles." 46:38 Both words one promise. He will fight our battles. 46:43 And finally from the New Testament 46:44 here the end, 1 John 5:4. 46:47 "This is the victory that has overcome 46:49 the world, even our faith." 46:53 Speak faith into your mountain. 46:55 Oh by the way, keep your pen moving. 46:57 Almighty power is not in our faith, 47:00 our faith is in the power of the Almighty. 47:04 And that's the key point, 47:05 Almighty power is not in our faith, 47:07 our faith is in the power of the Almighty. 47:11 For that reason and only that reason 47:13 Jonathan can speak faith into a battle 47:16 that hasn't even commenced, 47:18 they haven't even climbed the mountain yet, 47:20 God has given them to us, let's go, mercy. 47:28 Speak faith. 47:29 Final lesson number seven. 47:33 I want to read that last line one more time 47:35 the tailend of verse 12 47:37 before we move to the wrap up the story. 47:39 "So Jonathan said to his armor-bearer" 47:42 Climb up, come on, climb up after me, 47:45 "The Lord has given them into the hand of Israel." 47:48 Now verse 13 Jonathan "And so Jonathan climbed up, 47:52 using his hands and feet, 47:54 with his armor-bearer right behind him." 47:57 Oh, hit the pause button right there, oh, please. 48:01 I mean, come on writer of 1 Samuel 48:03 what did you just think he was gonna use 48:05 to climb that mountain besides his hands and feet. 48:07 Some kind of celestial elevator to whisk him to the top. 48:11 Why did you even bother to put that point in unless, 48:17 unless the writer of Samuel inserts 48:20 to using his hands and feet intentionally into the story 48:24 to remind you and me that even though 48:26 God already has the victory in hand, 48:29 it's still going to take us fighting with Him. 48:34 In fact, I loved it in the New King James. 48:37 Doesn't your New King James Bible 48:38 read on his hands and knees? 48:41 Isn't that what it reads in the New King James Bible? 48:43 On his hands and knees. 48:45 Can you think of a more effective and powerful way 48:47 to climb the mountain than on your hands and knees? 48:50 See that little banner at the front of this church. 48:53 What's it read, 'Forward on our knees.' 48:58 Because that's what we believe around here. 49:00 You know what that means, don't you? 49:03 Nobody said the climb was gonna be easy. 49:06 In fact, I'm gonna quote a verse to you 49:07 that nobody has ever quoted to you before 49:08 and I hope you don't get mad at me for quoting this, 49:11 because Jesus in fact said, 49:12 it's a very opposite, its not easy at all. 49:14 But since He said it in the sermon on the mountain 49:16 who, what is there not to like 49:17 about the sermon on the mountain. 49:19 Let me share these words of warning from Christ. 49:22 Matthew Chapter 7, this will be from 49:24 the new revised standard version Jesus speaking, 49:26 "Enter through the narrow gate." 49:29 Because let me tell you about this other gate. 49:31 "The gate is wide and the road is easy 49:35 that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it." 49:38 But not the gate you are looking for, 49:39 "the gate is narrow and the road is hard, 49:46 the road is hard that leads to life, 49:48 and there are few who find it." 49:52 If you thought climbing the mountain 49:53 that's in front of us right now is gonna be a piece a cake, 49:55 let me disabuse you at that notion, 49:57 it's a tough climb. 50:02 And how can anybody have any hope at all, 50:04 it's because the way the story ends. 50:06 I love this, look at this verse 13. 50:08 "Jonathan climbed up, using his hands and feet, 50:10 on his hands and knees, 50:11 with his armor-bearer right behind him. 50:14 And the enemy fell before Jonathan 50:16 and his armor-bearer followed and killed behind them." 50:18 Verse 14 "In that first attack 50:19 Jonathan and his armor-bearer killed 50:21 some twenty men in an area of about half an acre." 50:24 And then watch this, verse 15. 50:25 "Then panic struck the whole enemy army-- 50:29 those in the camp and the field, 50:31 and those in the outposts and raiding parties-- 50:33 and the ground shook." 50:34 You know what's happened there right now? 50:35 All four of those promises that we just wrote 50:37 are now coming to pass, 50:39 something supernatural is happening 50:40 and the earth itself is now beginning, it's an earthquake. 50:45 And panic "It was a panic sent by God." 50:49 Look at verse 23. 50:50 "So the Lord rescued" hallelujah 50:53 "Rescued Israel that day, 50:56 and the battle moved on beyond Beth Aven." 50:58 Because you know what, after one battle is over 51:01 you still got another and another, 51:04 and another until Jesus comes. 51:07 That's okay. Did you catch the secret? 51:10 Did you catch lesson number seven? 51:13 If you get lesson seven, you got all other six, 51:16 they will be integrated straight into your life, 51:18 you have to get number seven. 51:22 I like those words that we just read. 51:23 Put it on the screen for you. 51:24 "Jonathan climbed up with his armor-bearer right behind him." 51:29 Here it goes lesson number seven. 51:31 "Stay behind your divine Jonathan." 51:38 Fill that in, stay lesson number seven. 51:40 You've learned this, you got all the rest. 51:43 "Stay behind your divine Jonathan." 51:47 You know what Jonathan name means or meant? 51:50 A bunch of you are named Jonathan here. 51:52 Do you know what the name means? 51:53 It means the Lord Yahweh. The Lord has given. 51:58 Do you understand? Now listen to me carefully. 51:59 Do you understand that Jonathan in this story 52:02 is a type, he is a model of Jesus Christ. 52:07 Or who else did God give to the human race 52:09 to lead us up the mountain of salvation? 52:11 If not the divine Jonathan the Lord Jesus Himself. 52:14 And by the way, notice the similarities 52:15 when they come to their own mountains. 52:17 Just like Jonathan, Jesus is crawling on 52:19 hands and feet clawing his way 52:22 to the summit of Calvary just like Jonathan. 52:27 Jesus will have the enemy waiting for Him on that peak. 52:31 And just like the Philistines, 52:33 Satan standing at the head of this, 52:35 the legions of hell will turn, 52:37 come on up here boy, daddy's boy come up here 52:42 and we will teach you a lesson or two just like Jonathan. 52:49 A leader has to lead and Jesus has the entire universe 52:54 on His shoulders as He claws His way to the summit. 53:01 And what does He do, the moment they hoist Him 53:04 and suspend Him between heaven and earth 53:05 with this faltering voice, the leader now must lead 53:09 and he speaks faith into the darkness. 53:14 Speaks faith. 53:16 It is finished faith. 53:23 It looked like he was finished for Jesus, 53:27 but He speaks it as faith. 53:28 The battle is one injecting faith 53:36 into the darkness. 53:38 The only difference with the Jesus story 53:39 and the Jonathan story is that 53:40 Jesus climbs to the mountaintop, 53:42 the enemy is prepared 53:43 and they slaughter Him on that peak, they slaughter Him. 53:47 But in slaughtering Him, He won. 53:50 And guess what, the earth shook 53:53 beneath Him just like Jonathan, the earth shook. 53:57 Guess what, the enemy fled just like Jonathan when he won. 54:03 Ladies and gentlemen, 54:05 lesson seven is absolutely clear. 54:10 "Stay behind your divine Jonathan." 54:15 That's the secret, 54:16 it's the secret of the armor-bearer. 54:18 He stayed right behind him, every morning in this new year 54:22 that is about to begin, every morning in this new year 54:26 that is about to begin, you pray this prayer. 54:29 Good morning, Jesus. 54:34 What mountain will you be climbing today? 54:38 'Cause I'm staying right behind you the whole way. 54:42 Every morning you pray this prayer. 54:47 Good morning God. 54:50 What mountain will you be climbing today? 54:55 'Cause I by your grace will be behind you, 54:59 right behind you all the way. 55:05 You climb mount Calvary everyday. 55:08 I told you last week and I'm gonna repeat it today. 55:10 Matthew 27: 24-54 55:13 read the story of the cross everyday. 55:16 The mountain He conquered for you and me, 55:18 get it in His step right behind him. 55:21 Read Calvary everyday and pray that prayer. 55:24 I'm ready, what mountain 55:26 will you be climbing today, mister? 55:31 And you know what he says. 55:33 He says from mount Calvary the very words of Jonathan 55:36 to his armor-bearer. 55:38 You climb up after me, boy, girl, you climb after me. 55:44 I go first, I'm the leader, 55:47 you are the follower, you understand that. 55:48 You don't go up any mountain on your own. 55:51 You follow me, I will go, you follow. 55:55 I'll lead, you follow, I lead, you follow. 56:01 "I will follow thee, my Savior, 56:04 wheresoe'er my lot may be. 56:08 Where thou goest I will follow, 56:12 Yes my Lord, I will follow thee." 56:19 Halleluiah. 56:22 I'd like to take a moment here 56:23 at the end of the service to tell you about 56:25 one of the most important groups of people 56:27 that make this ministry possible. 56:30 They are a team of people, they are not afraid 56:32 to get down into the thick of life itself, 56:35 which is why you're gonna find them, 56:36 you will find them moving forward on their knees. 56:39 There are prayer partners. 56:41 A group of men and women and young adults 56:44 who believe that this humble television ministry 56:47 has been raised up by God for such a time as this. 56:50 And so they pray earnestly that God would use 56:51 the preacher, the God would use me, 56:54 the God would use the countless other volunteers 56:56 to spread the everlasting gospel 56:59 and the word of God in ways 57:00 we could never have imagined before. 57:02 They are the ones who are praying 57:03 that God is gonna open up the hearts of people, 57:07 open up the hearts of viewers around the world 57:09 for the message, the critical message 57:12 for this end time generation. 57:14 And what I'd like to do is ask you, 57:17 would you be willing to be a prayer partner with us? 57:19 A prayer partner with New Perceptions. 57:21 You don't have to call a toll free number, 57:23 you don't have to go online to register. 57:25 All I need to know is that you'd be willing 57:27 to lift this little ministry up day after day after day. 57:33 Pray that somehow through radio and television 57:36 and the web, God will open up new doors, 57:39 new, new regions on earth 57:41 where the everlasting gospel can be proclaimed. 57:44 There is no question, the power of prayer 57:47 has the potential to take this ministry 57:48 to places we could never have imagined before. 57:52 So that's it, would you please be willing 57:55 to partner with me in prayer. 57:56 The times are urgent, the need is critical 58:00 and I hope you say yes. 58:02 Till we're together next time 58:04 may the prayer answering God 58:06 accompany you every step of the way. |
Revised 2014-12-17