Whatever be the love
00:01:02.33\00:01:08.70
It is enfolded
00:01:08.73\00:01:15.52
O, God of love
00:01:15.55\00:01:20.56
Within your arms
00:01:20.59\00:01:24.48
Embrace
00:01:24.51\00:01:29.09
Our human passions
00:01:29.12\00:01:35.03
Partnerships and yearnings
00:01:35.06\00:01:41.53
Refined within the radiance
00:01:44.69\00:01:51.08
Of your grace
00:01:51.11\00:01:55.87
Whatever be our smallest
00:02:07.44\00:02:11.85
Acts of courage
00:02:11.88\00:02:16.86
O, God of strength
00:02:16.89\00:02:20.81
They witness to your power
00:02:20.84\00:02:27.53
That reaches through our fear
00:02:27.56\00:02:34.18
And anxious trembling
00:02:34.21\00:02:39.87
And nurtures us to grow
00:02:39.90\00:02:44.95
To fullest flower
00:02:44.98\00:02:50.12
Whatever be the question
00:02:57.09\00:03:04.39
Or the challenge
00:03:04.42\00:03:09.77
O, God of wisdom
00:03:09.80\00:03:16.13
Source of holy speech
00:03:16.16\00:03:22.13
It is your call
00:03:24.55\00:03:29.15
That summons us
00:03:29.18\00:03:34.19
To justice
00:03:34.22\00:03:39.14
And opens hearts to live
00:03:39.17\00:03:44.82
The truth you teach
00:03:44.85\00:03:51.82
Whatever be our faith
00:03:55.52\00:04:01.44
It is uplifted
00:04:01.47\00:04:06.06
O, God of mystery
00:04:06.09\00:04:13.99
Far beyond our sights
00:04:14.02\00:04:21.10
Through shadowed lands
00:04:21.13\00:04:27.52
Through shadowed lands
00:04:27.55\00:04:33.67
Our wandering upward pathways
00:04:33.70\00:04:39.97
Converge
00:04:40.00\00:04:47.91
Within your final realm of light
00:04:47.94\00:04:55.41
Whatever be the song
00:05:05.08\00:05:12.02
It is your music
00:05:12.05\00:05:18.71
O, God of hope
00:05:18.74\00:05:23.57
Sustaining every breath
00:05:23.60\00:05:29.77
With morning stars
00:05:31.92\00:05:36.97
And mountains peaks
00:05:37.00\00:05:42.07
United
00:05:42.10\00:05:47.23
In symphonies of joy
00:05:47.26\00:05:53.37
Outliving death
00:05:53.40\00:05:59.26
Outliving death
00:06:10.65\00:06:13.78
Outliving death
00:06:13.81\00:06:17.43
In symphonies
00:06:17.46\00:06:22.51
Of joy
00:06:22.54\00:06:30.17
Of joy
00:06:30.20\00:06:33.17
Let's pray together.
00:06:55.33\00:06:58.34
Oh, God whatever be the love,
00:06:58.37\00:07:01.93
whatever be our
smallest acts of courage,
00:07:01.96\00:07:06.92
whatever be the
question or the challenge,
00:07:06.95\00:07:11.25
whatever be our faith,
00:07:11.28\00:07:13.61
whatever be the
song, it is your music.
00:07:13.64\00:07:15.64
Oh, God of hope
00:07:15.67\00:07:17.26
sustaining every
breath with morning stars
00:07:17.29\00:07:20.05
and mountain peaks
united in symphonies of joy
00:07:20.08\00:07:25.18
out living death.
00:07:25.21\00:07:28.72
Holy Father, we have every
reason to worship you today.
00:07:28.75\00:07:35.06
Receive these
gifts of grateful hearts,
00:07:35.09\00:07:41.56
and take this
moment, the moment has left,
00:07:41.59\00:07:44.10
turn it into a teaching moment.
00:07:44.13\00:07:45.66
Please may ancient scripture
engage our very present journey
00:07:45.69\00:07:52.63
for the glory of Christ Jesus.
00:07:52.66\00:07:53.85
We pray in his name. Amen.
00:07:53.88\00:07:57.30
Can you believe?
00:08:00.04\00:08:01.92
Amen, can you believe
this economic rollercoaster
00:08:01.95\00:08:06.30
that we are on as a nation,
and not just as a nation,
00:08:06.33\00:08:09.88
that we are on as a world.
00:08:09.91\00:08:11.64
Look, I'm not an old guy,
00:08:11.67\00:08:13.94
but in all the
years that I have lived
00:08:13.97\00:08:15.62
I cannot remember a
time of such sustained
00:08:15.65\00:08:20.02
bad news headlines
one after the other.
00:08:20.05\00:08:23.49
And every new
headline recreates a landscape.
00:08:23.52\00:08:28.82
But I want to share
with you this morning
00:08:28.85\00:08:30.67
why this time of such bad news
00:08:30.70\00:08:34.34
is actually the good news
time for the everlasting gospel.
00:08:34.37\00:08:40.19
I want to refer to you
to a study done back in 1967
00:08:40.22\00:08:43.52
two researchers at the
University of Washington,
00:08:43.55\00:08:45.55
School of Medicine.
00:08:45.58\00:08:47.61
Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe
designed an instrument called
00:08:47.64\00:08:50.78
the social
readjustment rating scale.
00:08:50.81\00:08:54.05
Life change units,
43 human experiences
00:08:54.08\00:08:57.73
that you can go through.
00:08:57.76\00:08:59.19
Anyone of which
will significantly
00:08:59.22\00:09:01.10
impact your next 12 months.
00:09:01.13\00:09:03.71
Now here's their
premise, I'm quoting now,
00:09:03.74\00:09:05.54
their premise was that
"The good and bad events,"
00:09:05.57\00:09:07.98
good and bad, "in one's
life can increase stress levels
00:09:08.01\00:09:10.78
and make one more
susceptible to illness
00:09:10.81\00:09:12.94
and mental health problems,"
00:09:12.97\00:09:14.00
i.e., there are certain life
experiences we all go through.
00:09:14.03\00:09:17.45
And they can be good,
very good as well as bad,
00:09:17.48\00:09:19.90
but by our going through them
00:09:19.93\00:09:21.95
internally the
paradigm gets shifted.
00:09:21.98\00:09:24.39
It can be shifted physically
00:09:24.42\00:09:25.45
so that we become
more vulnerable to disease.
00:09:25.48\00:09:27.68
It can become
shifted emotionally
00:09:27.71\00:09:29.75
so that mental health becomes
an issue or intellectually.
00:09:29.78\00:09:34.42
43 life experiences,
and what as you know it,
00:09:34.45\00:09:36.93
at the very top, at
the very top, 130 points,
00:09:36.96\00:09:42.53
and the issue is
how many these points
00:09:42.56\00:09:44.32
you accumulate in 12 months,
00:09:44.35\00:09:45.38
at the every top
the death of a child.
00:09:45.41\00:09:48.86
There is no greater human loss.
00:09:48.89\00:09:51.16
Death of a spouse
is 30 points lower.
00:09:51.19\00:09:54.31
Death of a child.
00:09:54.34\00:09:56.70
That's how much
your parents love you.
00:09:56.73\00:09:58.69
That's how much you
mean to your parents.
00:09:58.72\00:10:00.91
If anything, God
forbid, should happen to you,
00:10:00.94\00:10:04.66
they will be
devastated, trust me.
00:10:04.69\00:10:08.06
I know the parents
for the rest of their life
00:10:08.09\00:10:11.20
they will smile again,
00:10:11.23\00:10:13.05
but always with a silver
tear in the corner of their eye,
00:10:13.08\00:10:17.16
I promise you.
00:10:17.19\00:10:19.55
It's not all bad news.
00:10:19.58\00:10:20.62
I mean come on, good news,
even Christmas is on there.
00:10:20.65\00:10:24.04
Christmas causes
stress. Marriage is on there.
00:10:24.07\00:10:27.56
You get married.
00:10:27.59\00:10:29.57
You know what, marriage is
not only hard on your health,
00:10:29.60\00:10:31.59
it's hard on your wallet.
00:10:31.62\00:10:32.65
I mean everything kind of
comes together in marriage.
00:10:32.68\00:10:36.65
And so we're rather
excited, but it's wonderful.
00:10:36.68\00:10:38.59
I'm telling
you, it is wonderful.
00:10:38.62\00:10:39.89
And so we were excited
00:10:39.92\00:10:40.95
when we got back
from our year break
00:10:40.98\00:10:44.00
and found out that our
son Kirk became engaged
00:10:44.03\00:10:47.12
to the lovely Chelsea Knowlton.
00:10:47.15\00:10:49.16
It's a good story.
00:10:49.19\00:10:50.91
But here's what's struck me
'cause I went to the UCLA web--
00:10:50.94\00:10:54.45
I got this from UCLA website.
00:10:54.48\00:10:57.04
Of these 43, of these 43,
12 of them deal with economy.
00:10:57.07\00:11:01.44
Deal with
economic financial issues.
00:11:01.47\00:11:03.32
Listen to this, fired at work.
00:11:03.35\00:11:05.96
Well, that would be--
that would be significant,
00:11:05.99\00:11:07.36
fired at work.
00:11:07.39\00:11:08.53
Retirement, you
think retirement,
00:11:08.56\00:11:10.13
now I'm just gonna sit back.
00:11:10.16\00:11:11.19
No, when you go into retirement,
00:11:11.22\00:11:12.36
that's a stressful time.
00:11:12.39\00:11:14.09
Because you're going
through a change, see.
00:11:14.12\00:11:16.18
Any change you go through
opens you up to further change.
00:11:16.21\00:11:18.97
That's the key to
tuck away in your mind.
00:11:19.00\00:11:22.51
What's another one
here? Business readjustments.
00:11:22.54\00:11:24.16
Boy, there's gonna be a
lot of that happening now.
00:11:24.19\00:11:25.67
Change in financial state.
00:11:25.70\00:11:27.05
Oh, boy, that's
for all human race.
00:11:27.08\00:11:29.35
Change to a
different line of work.
00:11:29.38\00:11:30.88
People are losing their jobs.
00:11:30.91\00:11:32.48
Our unemployment rate
is going up in this nation.
00:11:32.51\00:11:38.05
Mortgage over $50,000.
00:11:38.08\00:11:39.96
If in the last 12 months,
00:11:39.99\00:11:41.05
you took out a
mortgage over $50,000,
00:11:41.08\00:11:43.12
that's a major,
major stress issue.
00:11:43.15\00:11:45.79
Foreclosure of mortgage,
00:11:45.82\00:11:46.95
that's what's
happening to America right now.
00:11:46.98\00:11:48.24
People losing their
houses, that's huge stress.
00:11:48.27\00:11:50.91
Wife begins or stops
work, trouble with the boss,
00:11:50.94\00:11:52.99
change of work
hours or conditions,
00:11:53.02\00:11:54.39
loan less than $50,000.
00:11:54.42\00:11:56.09
That would be a student, loan
less than $50,000 for one year.
00:11:56.12\00:11:59.72
That's stress.
00:11:59.75\00:12:01.75
But here's is the
point, ladies and gentlemen,
00:12:01.78\00:12:03.54
with all of this
economic upheaval,
00:12:03.57\00:12:06.70
do you know what happens?
00:12:06.73\00:12:08.06
People are suddenly vulnerable,
00:12:08.09\00:12:09.96
and they're now available
for major paradigm shifting,
00:12:09.99\00:12:14.55
not just in health,
not just in emotions,
00:12:14.58\00:12:17.31
but intellectually as well.
00:12:17.34\00:12:18.91
It's the perfect time
for the gospel of the Lord
00:12:18.94\00:12:21.64
Jesus Christ to step in and say,
00:12:21.67\00:12:23.73
"I've got exactly what
you're needing right now.
00:12:23.76\00:12:26.43
Christ always does that.
00:12:26.46\00:12:28.75
So there's a story in
Acts that we have got to give
00:12:28.78\00:12:30.51
very careful
attention to this morning
00:12:30.54\00:12:32.43
in our continuing series
00:12:32.46\00:12:33.62
because in this
story our seven, count 'em,
00:12:33.65\00:12:36.62
seven essential principles
to effectively step in
00:12:36.65\00:12:41.44
and become the
agent of the Holy Spirit
00:12:41.47\00:12:43.02
to create a paradigm shift
00:12:43.05\00:12:45.46
for the Lord Jesus
Christ, seven of 'em.
00:12:45.49\00:12:47.62
Open your Bible to this story.
00:12:47.65\00:12:48.78
This is my other favorite story
in the Book of Acts, Acts 8,
00:12:48.81\00:12:53.53
our theme book for
this series primetime.
00:12:53.56\00:12:56.32
We're now moving
deeper and deeper
00:12:56.35\00:12:57.51
into the series primetime.
00:12:57.54\00:12:58.86
It's all about
mobilizing a new generation
00:12:58.89\00:13:00.76
to effectively
communicate God's end time truth
00:13:00.79\00:13:02.90
to an end time world.
00:13:02.93\00:13:03.98
That's what
this series is about.
00:13:04.01\00:13:05.38
And I've said this to you,
00:13:05.41\00:13:06.71
university students
over and over again,
00:13:06.74\00:13:08.63
you are the
primetime generation.
00:13:08.66\00:13:10.79
By the way, it's global.
00:13:10.82\00:13:11.85
In Romania the same
way, in Romania the same way.
00:13:11.88\00:13:14.89
What, wherever you are,
if you're a young adult,
00:13:14.92\00:13:18.11
you are primetime for God's
strategic plan for this planet.
00:13:18.14\00:13:22.19
All right, so
we're going to Acts 8.
00:13:22.22\00:13:23.30
If you didn't bring a Bible,
00:13:23.33\00:13:24.36
please, grab the
pew Bible right now.
00:13:24.39\00:13:25.72
It's right in front of you.
00:13:25.75\00:13:26.78
What's the page
number in the pew Bible, 739.
00:13:26.81\00:13:29.25
Let me find it
here, got it right here,
00:13:29.28\00:13:31.15
I'm in the Today's
New International Version
00:13:31.18\00:13:33.44
that the series is out of.
00:13:33.47\00:13:34.84
You can have any
translation you wish.
00:13:34.87\00:13:36.68
Just glad you brought a Bible.
00:13:36.71\00:13:38.64
Acts 8, oh, this
is the great story,
00:13:38.67\00:13:41.41
Philip and the Ethiopian.
00:13:41.44\00:13:43.54
Don't you love
that story? I do, too.
00:13:43.57\00:13:45.05
All right, verse 26,
let's read it together.
00:13:45.08\00:13:47.52
Now here we go, "Now an angel
of the Lord said to Philip,"
00:13:47.55\00:13:54.75
got to hit the
pause button right there
00:13:54.78\00:13:55.96
because Luke is huge on angels.
00:13:55.99\00:13:58.26
Angel comes and tells Zechariah,
00:13:58.29\00:13:59.61
"You're gonna
have John the Baptist."
00:13:59.64\00:14:00.67
Angel comes to Mary and
says, "You're gonna have Jesus."
00:14:00.70\00:14:02.57
Angel comes to
the shepherd and says,
00:14:02.60\00:14:04.19
"Hey, shepherds,
got great news for you."
00:14:04.22\00:14:06.32
Luke loves angels. He
doesn't invent the angels.
00:14:06.35\00:14:09.06
He's very sensitive to
angels and it keeps showing up.
00:14:09.09\00:14:12.29
You know what? You
got to remember this.
00:14:12.32\00:14:13.45
Because we're
moving into a story about
00:14:13.48\00:14:15.11
how to witness for your faith.
00:14:15.14\00:14:17.03
Angels are our
partners in witnessing.
00:14:17.06\00:14:20.54
Every time you open your
mouth to another human being
00:14:20.57\00:14:23.22
and you want to
say a word about Jesus,
00:14:23.25\00:14:24.90
just let this little
thought come to your mind.
00:14:24.93\00:14:28.37
I have a guardian angel,
00:14:28.40\00:14:29.85
that human being
has a guardian angel,
00:14:29.88\00:14:31.82
and those two angels
are in collaboration.
00:14:31.85\00:14:34.69
You are never outnumbered.
00:14:34.72\00:14:36.59
You are never outnumbered.
00:14:36.62\00:14:38.64
If there are ten
people against you,
00:14:38.67\00:14:40.34
there are ten angels with you.
00:14:40.37\00:14:41.76
You are never outnumbered ever,
00:14:41.79\00:14:45.29
because the angels
are always collaborating.
00:14:45.32\00:14:48.08
So an angel comes
to Philip and says,
00:14:48.11\00:14:49.27
"Hey, Philip, go to the
road south of Jerusalem."
00:14:49.30\00:14:53.10
By the way, notice
this, no instructions.
00:14:53.13\00:14:54.94
It just says, "Go
south to the road,"
00:14:54.97\00:14:56.71
that'd be a 50 mile
highway through the desert,
00:14:56.74\00:14:59.84
"that desert road that goes
down from Jerusalem to Gaza."
00:14:59.87\00:15:03.43
Phil has no idea why he's going,
00:15:03.46\00:15:04.96
but when you are a follower
of the Lord Jesus Christ
00:15:04.99\00:15:07.13
and he says, "Go," you go.
00:15:07.16\00:15:09.11
Verse 27 "So he
started out, and on his way,"
00:15:09.14\00:15:12.66
maybe this is it, "on
his way he met an Ethiopian."
00:15:12.69\00:15:15.97
Now I need to tell you
about Ethiopia back then.
00:15:16.00\00:15:17.92
When they talk about Ethiopia,
it's not modern day Ethiopia.
00:15:17.95\00:15:20.78
It's all the land
south of the first cataract
00:15:20.81\00:15:22.89
of the mighty Nile
River, everything south of it.
00:15:22.92\00:15:25.04
It ends up, it ends
up in today's Ethiopia,
00:15:25.07\00:15:27.93
but it could be
anywhere along that stretch.
00:15:27.96\00:15:29.81
So he meets an Ethiopian eunuch.
00:15:29.84\00:15:32.02
Now you know what a eunuch is.
00:15:32.05\00:15:33.31
It's a male servant
for royalty castrated.
00:15:33.34\00:15:36.12
All right?
00:15:36.15\00:15:37.24
Now there is some
evidence that Daniel, Shadrach,
00:15:37.27\00:15:40.76
Meshach, and Abednego
were all eunuch as well.
00:15:40.79\00:15:44.10
Not a very pleasant thought,
00:15:44.13\00:15:45.28
but that's the way they had
their royal servants back then.
00:15:45.31\00:15:48.85
So this is an
Ethiopian eunuch, all right.
00:15:48.88\00:15:52.93
And "he met an Ethiopian eunuch,
00:15:52.96\00:15:54.26
an important official in
charge of all the treasury."
00:15:54.29\00:15:58.32
Now notice how my translation
puts it, "of the Kandake."
00:15:58.35\00:16:03.09
Some of your
Bible says, Candace,
00:16:03.12\00:16:05.11
Candace the queen
of the Ethiopians,
00:16:05.14\00:16:06.86
but that's not true.
00:16:06.89\00:16:07.92
That's a mistranslation
because Kandake in the Greek
00:16:07.95\00:16:13.30
is the title, is the
title of a line of royalty.
00:16:13.33\00:16:16.48
Just like Pharaoh,
Pharaoh is a title, Caesar.
00:16:16.51\00:16:19.57
They had other
names, but that's the title.
00:16:19.60\00:16:20.92
Ptolemys, the Ptolemys.
00:16:20.95\00:16:23.18
So the Kandakes, it
was a matriarchal society,
00:16:23.21\00:16:26.05
it was a line of queens.
00:16:26.08\00:16:27.62
We don't her name, she
was just one of the Kandakes.
00:16:27.65\00:16:31.15
He works for her.
00:16:31.18\00:16:32.53
He's the treasurer
of the royal court.
00:16:32.56\00:16:35.50
So he sees this
official in charge
00:16:35.53\00:16:37.78
of all the
treasury of the Kandake,
00:16:37.81\00:16:38.87
"which means
'queen of the Ethiopians.'
00:16:38.90\00:16:40.46
This man had gone to
Jerusalem to worship."
00:16:40.49\00:16:42.01
He's a believer.
00:16:42.04\00:16:43.10
He has accepted
Israel's God as his own.
00:16:43.13\00:16:45.37
He's a proselyte.
00:16:45.40\00:16:46.43
He believes in the
creator God of the universe.
00:16:46.46\00:16:49.27
He's gone up to
Jerusalem to worship.
00:16:49.30\00:16:50.46
He's on this way home,
he is sitting in his chariot
00:16:50.49\00:16:53.42
reading the book
Isaiah the prophet.
00:16:53.45\00:16:57.25
So his limousine is
pulled off the road.
00:16:57.28\00:16:59.93
The shaded windows are all down,
00:16:59.96\00:17:01.67
'cause he wants a little
bit of cross ventilation.
00:17:01.70\00:17:03.61
Nobody's there, he's on his own.
00:17:03.64\00:17:05.18
He's inside that stretch limo,
and he's reading the Bible.
00:17:05.21\00:17:09.26
It's a scroll of Isaiah.
00:17:09.29\00:17:11.25
And verse 29, The
Spirit told Philip,
00:17:11.28\00:17:15.86
"Go, go to that chariot and
you stay near that chariot, boy,
00:17:15.89\00:17:21.60
and see what happens."
00:17:21.63\00:17:23.58
Principle number one,
there it is, jot it down.
00:17:23.61\00:17:25.22
Take your study guide, please,
quick, take that study guide.
00:17:25.25\00:17:27.34
Seven principles, we're
gonna jot 'em all down for you.
00:17:27.37\00:17:29.11
Thank you, ushers.
00:17:29.14\00:17:30.17
Make sure that everybody
here on the sanctuary floor,
00:17:30.20\00:17:35.04
up in the balcony and overflow,
00:17:35.07\00:17:36.21
make sure everybody gets--
00:17:36.24\00:17:37.65
I hope the choir
all has study guides.
00:17:37.68\00:17:39.51
Good.
00:17:39.54\00:17:40.57
Those of you
watching on television
00:17:40.60\00:17:41.63
we're delighted to have you.
00:17:41.66\00:17:42.69
We want you to have
the same study guide.
00:17:42.72\00:17:43.76
You've got to jot
these seven principles down.
00:17:43.79\00:17:45.95
So go to our website,
put it on the screen for you,
00:17:45.98\00:17:48.38
www.pmchruch, you see it
at the bottom of your screen,
00:17:48.41\00:17:52.81
www.pmchurch.tv.
00:17:52.84\00:17:54.88
You are looking for
the series "Primetime."
00:17:54.91\00:17:56.60
This is part six in the series.
00:17:56.63\00:17:57.83
If you didn't get
the first five parts,
00:17:57.86\00:17:59.65
they're all waiting for
you right there with podcast.
00:17:59.68\00:18:01.98
But you're looking
for the title today,
00:18:02.01\00:18:03.64
"Just Walk Across the Room."
00:18:03.67\00:18:05.85
It's a book title, I'll
talk about it in a moment.
00:18:05.88\00:18:08.91
Click on there
where it says study guide,
00:18:08.94\00:18:10.27
you'll have the
same study guide.
00:18:10.30\00:18:11.69
Seven essential
principles to guide us
00:18:11.72\00:18:14.47
in effectively
sharing the good news,
00:18:14.50\00:18:16.62
the gospel of our
Lord Jesus Christ.
00:18:16.65\00:18:18.16
All right, let's go.
00:18:18.19\00:18:19.68
Everybody got one?
00:18:19.71\00:18:20.74
Principle number
one, jot it down,
00:18:20.77\00:18:22.45
be open to the Spirit's
impressions and promptings.
00:18:22.48\00:18:26.70
Write that down.
00:18:26.73\00:18:27.86
You're saying, "Dwight,
that's just one line there.
00:18:27.89\00:18:30.09
Why did you put
that in three lines?"
00:18:30.12\00:18:31.18
You know what?
00:18:31.21\00:18:32.24
'Cause I
finally got wise to you.
00:18:32.27\00:18:33.81
Some of you are coming up
to me after church and saying,
00:18:33.84\00:18:35.11
"Hey, listen, I've
already figured out
00:18:35.14\00:18:36.18
your study guide
before you even get up.
00:18:36.21\00:18:37.41
I figure out all the
blanks. And I got it."
00:18:37.44\00:18:39.21
I said, "All
right, Sherry, this week,
00:18:39.24\00:18:40.94
from now on,
don't-- just one long line.
00:18:40.97\00:18:43.55
Nobody will ever know
what goes in that long line.
00:18:43.58\00:18:45.63
Now they'll have to
listen all the way through."
00:18:45.66\00:18:49.57
That's what you
get for bragging to me.
00:18:49.60\00:18:53.57
So write it down,
be open to the Spirit's
00:18:53.60\00:18:55.36
impressions and promptings.
00:18:55.39\00:18:57.05
Whether it's your
angel or the Holy Spirit,
00:18:57.08\00:18:59.18
it really doesn't matter.
00:18:59.21\00:19:00.42
There are crucial
moments in your day,
00:19:00.45\00:19:02.31
there will be crucial moments
in your week when God says,
00:19:02.34\00:19:04.64
"Hey, boy, girl,
you're it right now.
00:19:04.67\00:19:07.36
We got to have you and now."
00:19:07.39\00:19:10.22
Be ready, be open to
the Spirit's impressions.
00:19:10.25\00:19:13.67
Question, but how
can I know for sure
00:19:13.70\00:19:15.83
that right now
is the right time?
00:19:15.86\00:19:19.87
Answer, would you jot this down?
00:19:19.90\00:19:23.38
Maybe this-- Is this the one
00:19:23.41\00:19:24.89
that I'm supposed to do it, too?
00:19:24.92\00:19:25.95
Jot this down.
00:19:25.98\00:19:27.30
Ask yourself what you think
00:19:27.33\00:19:28.80
Jesus wants for this individual,
00:19:28.83\00:19:30.57
to be saved or lost?
00:19:30.60\00:19:33.20
Once you
determine what Jesus wants
00:19:33.23\00:19:34.49
for that
individual, you say, "Duh."
00:19:34.52\00:19:36.30
But of course that's the point.
00:19:36.33\00:19:37.97
Of course, he wants
this individual saved.
00:19:38.00\00:19:39.59
So if you're getting
the impression right now,
00:19:39.62\00:19:41.23
you're in a
cafeteria, you're in a store,
00:19:41.26\00:19:42.94
you're on a plane, and
you're getting the impression,
00:19:42.97\00:19:44.23
you ought to say something,
00:19:44.26\00:19:45.30
then you ought to say something.
00:19:45.33\00:19:47.08
He wants this
person saved, trust me.
00:19:47.11\00:19:49.54
In fact, would you
jot it down please?
00:19:49.57\00:19:50.72
Jesus said it in the
house of Zacchaeus, Luke 19:10.
00:19:50.75\00:19:54.13
Put it on the screen
and fill it in please.
00:19:54.16\00:19:55.36
"The Son of Man came to
seek and save what was lost."
00:19:55.39\00:20:00.26
You want to know
what turns heaven on?
00:20:00.29\00:20:01.81
That's it, that's all
they think about night and day.
00:20:01.84\00:20:04.57
How do we save lost children?
00:20:04.60\00:20:06.33
'Cause they're all kids to them.
00:20:06.36\00:20:07.39
We're all children to heaven.
00:20:07.42\00:20:09.83
I love this
line, I have it written
00:20:09.86\00:20:10.90
down in my Bible at Luke 15
00:20:10.93\00:20:14.19
the parable of the lost sheep
and lost coin and the lost boy.
00:20:14.22\00:20:18.00
And we had Derek Nelson
in chapel do a great job.
00:20:18.03\00:20:20.26
Wasn't that a great chapel?
00:20:20.29\00:20:21.99
Great chapel, he taught us
out of that passage this week.
00:20:22.02\00:20:26.54
I love this,
"Christ's Object Lessons,"
00:20:26.57\00:20:27.82
what's the page number,
196, you have to fill it in.
00:20:27.85\00:20:29.90
"At the foot of the cross,
remembering that for one sinner
00:20:29.93\00:20:32.96
Christ would have
laid down his life,
00:20:32.99\00:20:35.53
you may estimate
the value of a soul."
00:20:35.56\00:20:40.80
You don't have to wonder
about the guy across the hall,
00:20:40.83\00:20:42.70
is Jesus interested in
the guy across the hall?
00:20:42.73\00:20:44.98
How about the
neighbor across the street?
00:20:45.01\00:20:46.66
You don't have to ask anymore.
00:20:46.69\00:20:47.80
You know he would
have died for one.
00:20:47.83\00:20:49.92
That surely would
include the person you're about,
00:20:49.95\00:20:51.45
you know, you're not sure.
00:20:51.48\00:20:52.52
Do I, do I not? Do I?
00:20:52.55\00:20:54.67
Now, question, but
is this the right time?
00:20:54.70\00:20:59.88
So you say, "But look, Dwight,
is this really the right time?"
00:20:59.91\00:21:02.17
Answer, you'll never
know, you can't know.
00:21:02.20\00:21:06.61
In fact, jot this down,
00:21:06.64\00:21:07.67
you may be one of a
long line of "witnesses"
00:21:07.70\00:21:11.67
that God of the
universe is needing to slowly
00:21:11.70\00:21:15.22
but surely open
up that individual
00:21:15.25\00:21:16.85
to the influence
of the Holy Spirit
00:21:16.88\00:21:19.09
and the
everlasting gospel of Christ.
00:21:19.12\00:21:21.49
You have no idea where
you are in this stream.
00:21:21.52\00:21:24.58
Just be your link, don't
let that link down, you be it.
00:21:24.61\00:21:28.32
Do you remember
that college pastor,
00:21:28.35\00:21:29.71
in the nearby college
00:21:29.74\00:21:30.77
I was telling
about a few times ago?
00:21:30.80\00:21:33.07
Let me tell you
about that college pastor.
00:21:33.10\00:21:34.15
Let me show you
all the contacts.
00:21:34.18\00:21:35.31
First contact, he
had some Seventh Day
00:21:35.34\00:21:36.79
Adventist students in his class.
00:21:36.82\00:21:38.33
They start talking to him.
00:21:38.36\00:21:39.65
Contact number two, he
goes, out of curiosity,
00:21:39.68\00:21:41.78
he goes to the Christian
ABC bookstore here in town,
00:21:41.81\00:21:45.40
and he meets Sarah Sink.
00:21:45.43\00:21:46.47
He says, "Give me some books."
She sells some books to him.
00:21:46.50\00:21:49.90
Contact number
three, students say,
00:21:49.93\00:21:51.36
"You ought to come
to church sometime."
00:21:51.39\00:21:52.76
He shows up on
Easter Sabbath. I meet him.
00:21:52.79\00:21:54.50
Contact number four, we
have Bible studies together.
00:21:54.53\00:21:57.38
Contact number
five, I have no idea
00:21:57.41\00:21:58.99
who contact number five is.
00:21:59.02\00:22:00.83
It's immaterial to me.
00:22:00.86\00:22:02.43
All I need to be is
there when my moment comes.
00:22:02.46\00:22:06.12
God will weave a golden chain
00:22:06.15\00:22:08.29
to just draw that
heart to eternal life,
00:22:08.32\00:22:11.14
if we'll all just
be the little link.
00:22:11.17\00:22:13.01
You don't have to
be great in this link.
00:22:13.04\00:22:14.86
You may have a very small part.
00:22:14.89\00:22:16.39
Who cares? Just
be there for them.
00:22:16.42\00:22:19.01
All right, yeah,
but how-- you know,
00:22:19.04\00:22:20.99
come on, Dwight,
I'm just really not sure
00:22:21.02\00:22:22.75
that this
witnessing is really my gift.
00:22:22.78\00:22:25.72
Oh, would you
write this down, please?
00:22:25.75\00:22:27.23
It may not be your gift,
but it certainly is your role
00:22:27.26\00:22:30.93
as a follower of
the Lord Jesus Christ.
00:22:30.96\00:22:33.31
I got a letter
from a mother here,
00:22:33.34\00:22:35.13
who has kids in college here.
00:22:35.16\00:22:37.27
She says, "You know,
something, pastor, please,
00:22:37.30\00:22:39.09
I mean, you know,
all kids are not--
00:22:39.12\00:22:41.27
are not extroverts and able
to just chat-chat-chat-chat.
00:22:41.30\00:22:45.95
I understand
that, I understand that.
00:22:45.98\00:22:48.48
But would you write
this down in response?
00:22:48.51\00:22:51.14
God has not made
us all evangelists.
00:22:51.17\00:22:53.55
He has not made
us all evangelists,
00:22:53.58\00:22:55.32
but He has called
us all to be witnesses.
00:22:55.35\00:22:57.13
Acts 1:8, when the
Holy Spirit comes upon you,
00:22:57.16\00:22:59.40
we've already looked
at that in the series.
00:22:59.43\00:23:01.39
When the Holy
Spirit comes on you,
00:23:01.42\00:23:02.45
you'll receive
power, and you, I promise,
00:23:02.48\00:23:04.53
I promise you, Jesus
says, you will be my witness.
00:23:04.56\00:23:08.75
You just will be.
00:23:08.78\00:23:10.97
Everybody, the shiest,
00:23:11.00\00:23:12.73
most introverted
human being on earth
00:23:12.76\00:23:15.22
may be the one strategic link
00:23:15.25\00:23:18.03
that will get
that person across.
00:23:18.06\00:23:20.08
Don't you ever say,
00:23:20.11\00:23:21.57
it can't be me
helping God on this one.
00:23:21.60\00:23:24.49
In fact Bill
Hybels, in his book,
00:23:24.52\00:23:26.09
"Just Walk Across The Room"
00:23:26.12\00:23:27.75
from whence comes
this sermon title.
00:23:27.78\00:23:30.25
You see that in
your study guide.
00:23:30.28\00:23:31.88
I love this, he wrote,
00:23:31.91\00:23:33.43
"God made you
exactly as you are.
00:23:33.46\00:23:35.57
He wired you and
gave you the temperament
00:23:35.60\00:23:38.89
and the
experience," bashful as you are,
00:23:38.92\00:23:41.08
"and the
background that you have,"
00:23:41.11\00:23:43.05
he wanted your
daddy to be your daddy
00:23:43.08\00:23:44.54
and your momma to be your momma.
00:23:44.57\00:23:45.61
He chose them all for you
00:23:45.64\00:23:47.15
'cause it would
produce only you.
00:23:47.18\00:23:49.06
And nobody else
like you on this planet.
00:23:49.09\00:23:50.73
"He wanted someone just like
you in this world right now.
00:23:50.76\00:23:53.95
Today. In this generation."
00:23:53.98\00:23:55.94
Hey, listen, he says, "memorize
all 24 verses of Psalm 139,"
00:23:55.97\00:23:59.78
where it says, David says,
00:23:59.81\00:24:01.03
you wired me when I was
still in my mother's womb.
00:24:01.06\00:24:03.12
You wired me.
00:24:03.15\00:24:04.61
You are what you are
00:24:04.64\00:24:05.67
because God wanted
you to be what you are.
00:24:05.70\00:24:08.36
If you don't believe it read,
00:24:08.39\00:24:09.49
memorize Psalm
139 if you have to,
00:24:09.52\00:24:11.13
"but don't lose
sight of the intentionality
00:24:11.16\00:24:13.27
God poured into
his blueprint for you."
00:24:13.30\00:24:15.54
Oh, I like that.
00:24:15.57\00:24:17.10
Okay, so that was
principle number one.
00:24:17.13\00:24:18.37
Let's find
principle number two now.
00:24:18.40\00:24:20.02
Go back to the story,
let's pick it up from verse 29,
00:24:20.05\00:24:22.54
And so the Spirit told Philip,
00:24:22.57\00:24:23.89
"Psst, Philip,
go to the chariot,
00:24:23.92\00:24:26.11
stay near the chariot."
00:24:26.14\00:24:27.49
He didn't tell him what
to say, didn't say a word.
00:24:27.52\00:24:29.01
Just says, "You go
near that chariot."
00:24:29.04\00:24:31.14
And verse 30, "Then
Philip ran up to the chariot
00:24:31.17\00:24:34.53
and he heard the man
reading Isaiah the prophet.
00:24:34.56\00:24:37.23
'Do you understand
what you are reading?'
00:24:37.26\00:24:39.10
Philip asked."
00:24:39.13\00:24:40.18
Luckily the
limousine windows are down.
00:24:40.21\00:24:41.85
So he can hear the
guy reading aloud inside
00:24:41.88\00:24:44.44
and he says, "I
just heard you reading.
00:24:44.47\00:24:45.61
Do you understand
what you're reading?"
00:24:45.64\00:24:47.39
So he just
responded to that moment.
00:24:47.42\00:24:50.58
That's principle number two,
00:24:50.61\00:24:51.64
would you write it down, please?
00:24:51.67\00:24:52.73
Be willing to walk
across the road or room.
00:24:52.76\00:24:56.66
That's what Philip did.
He walked across the road.
00:24:56.69\00:24:58.06
The Spirit said,
"This is your moment, go.
00:24:58.09\00:25:00.24
I'm not gonna tell
you what to do, just go.
00:25:00.27\00:25:01.77
You'll figure it
out." And he went.
00:25:01.80\00:25:04.75
In other words, make yourself
available to that individual
00:25:04.78\00:25:07.86
that the Spirit is
impressing you about.
00:25:07.89\00:25:09.45
Hey, listen, come
on, ladies and gentlemen,
00:25:09.48\00:25:13.39
you have no-- you have
no idea where this will go,
00:25:13.42\00:25:16.99
but if you don't
go, you will never know.
00:25:17.02\00:25:20.86
Write it down, you got to go.
00:25:20.89\00:25:24.28
I don't know
what's gonna turn out.
00:25:24.31\00:25:25.83
Turn out to be a
zero, but who cares.
00:25:25.86\00:25:27.77
I did my little
part. Don't worry about it.
00:25:27.80\00:25:30.90
Getting all twitterpated by,
oh, I got to do something big.
00:25:30.93\00:25:33.17
Forget it. Just do your part.
00:25:33.20\00:25:36.74
Bill Hybels tells the story of
a tall African American Muslim,
00:25:36.77\00:25:39.46
who came to know Christ
00:25:39.49\00:25:40.52
because of the action of a
stranger at a cocktail party.
00:25:40.55\00:25:43.37
All right, this is in
the deep south, by the way.
00:25:43.40\00:25:45.58
And these business
men are all together,
00:25:45.61\00:25:49.24
except one businessman
standing off by himself.
00:25:49.27\00:25:50.92
He's been to these
things. He knows how it is.
00:25:50.95\00:25:52.33
Nobody's gonna
talk to him anyway.
00:25:52.36\00:25:53.42
So he's standing in that corner.
00:25:53.45\00:25:55.33
There was a man, a stranger
00:25:55.36\00:25:56.66
in a circle with his colleagues,
00:25:56.69\00:25:57.85
and they're
talking and laughing,
00:25:57.88\00:25:59.04
and you know how it
is in the cafeteria.
00:25:59.07\00:26:00.59
You get a whole
table full of people,
00:26:00.62\00:26:01.79
and there's one
guy sitting all alone,
00:26:01.82\00:26:03.10
nobody cares about
that girl over there.
00:26:03.13\00:26:05.76
You know how it goes, don't you?
00:26:05.79\00:26:07.17
So they're having this time.
00:26:07.20\00:26:08.23
And this guy
happen to turn around,
00:26:08.26\00:26:09.92
and he saw that tall
African American standing there.
00:26:09.95\00:26:12.64
Turns out he was a Muslim,
00:26:12.67\00:26:14.50
and he made a decision
on the spot, on the spot.
00:26:14.53\00:26:18.25
And Hybels, that's what
you have in your study guide.
00:26:18.28\00:26:20.99
"The Spirit living inside
of him," you see it there,
00:26:21.02\00:26:23.52
"caused him to
feel such compassion
00:26:23.55\00:26:25.62
for the man standing alone
00:26:25.65\00:26:27.31
that he excused himself
from his Circle of Comfort,"
00:26:27.34\00:26:29.56
write that in.
00:26:29.59\00:26:30.63
'Cause we all have
these circles of comfort,
00:26:30.66\00:26:32.72
where these are my,
these are my friends
00:26:32.75\00:26:35.16
I know that I am
accepted right here.
00:26:35.19\00:26:37.75
It's great to have
a circle of comfort.
00:26:37.78\00:26:38.99
There's nothing wrong with that.
00:26:39.02\00:26:40.05
You just have to get out of it.
00:26:40.08\00:26:44.10
"He excused himself
from his Circle of Comfort,
00:26:44.13\00:26:46.17
he made the turn to
the other side of the room,
00:26:46.20\00:26:48.89
and he started walking
in the direction of a place
00:26:48.92\00:26:51.20
I call the 'Zone
of the Unknown.'"
00:26:51.23\00:26:54.83
I have no idea
what's gonna happen now.
00:26:54.86\00:26:57.20
Let me tell you what, if
you like living on the edge,
00:26:57.23\00:26:59.31
this is a great way to live.
00:26:59.34\00:27:01.71
Zone of the Unknown.
00:27:01.74\00:27:02.78
"He had resolved in his
heart," and I love this,
00:27:02.81\00:27:04.55
"probably praying
every step of the way,"
00:27:04.58\00:27:06.71
God, I want to meet this
guy. I have no idea who he is.
00:27:06.74\00:27:09.65
Just take this
moment and do something.
00:27:09.68\00:27:11.95
Do something, please.
Praying the whole way over.
00:27:11.98\00:27:15.88
He resolved to enter the
zone and see what God might do.
00:27:15.91\00:27:18.84
And Hybels is commenting now,
00:27:18.87\00:27:20.10
"In my opinion,
it's within this zone
00:27:20.13\00:27:22.26
that God does
his very best work."
00:27:22.29\00:27:26.04
And that story,
which was shared to him,
00:27:26.07\00:27:28.06
became the
metaphor for his book,
00:27:28.09\00:27:29.76
"Just Walk Across The Room."
00:27:29.79\00:27:31.20
You just got to
walk across the room.
00:27:31.23\00:27:34.89
Do what the stranger
did, do what Philip did.
00:27:34.92\00:27:36.43
Obey the
promptings of the Spirit,
00:27:36.46\00:27:37.96
take a step out of
your circle of comfort,
00:27:37.99\00:27:41.39
just get out of it.
00:27:41.42\00:27:42.91
Walk into the
zone of the unknown.
00:27:42.94\00:27:46.15
You'll be all
right. You won't die.
00:27:46.18\00:27:50.25
You may be
exactly what the Spirit
00:27:50.28\00:27:52.05
was waiting for that day
00:27:52.08\00:27:53.94
because you were obedient.
00:27:53.97\00:27:56.06
By the way, may I remind you,
that's exactly what Jesus did.
00:27:56.09\00:27:59.85
He is in the throne
room of the universe.
00:27:59.88\00:28:01.78
And, boy, were we singing today,
00:28:01.81\00:28:03.31
hallelujah, thank
you, Justin and Justin.
00:28:03.34\00:28:05.82
Were we singing today,
he's in the throne room.
00:28:05.85\00:28:09.29
He is the
subject of every ballet,
00:28:09.32\00:28:11.29
every poem, every
song in the universe.
00:28:11.32\00:28:13.24
They're singing about Him.
00:28:13.27\00:28:14.86
He is the number one star
and hero of all the galaxies.
00:28:14.89\00:28:19.48
But one day he
stood from His throne.
00:28:19.51\00:28:21.53
He said, "I can't,
I can't, I just can't,
00:28:21.56\00:28:22.80
I can't, I can't live here."
00:28:22.83\00:28:24.93
And he walked across the room
00:28:24.96\00:28:26.28
of the universe
to a rebel planet,
00:28:26.31\00:28:29.18
the zone of the unknown.
00:28:29.21\00:28:31.28
The greatest risk
any being has ever taken
00:28:31.31\00:28:33.69
in the history of the universe.
00:28:33.72\00:28:36.30
And became one
for the human race.
00:28:36.33\00:28:39.60
It's what he did.
00:28:39.63\00:28:41.07
I carry these words written
a century ago by Ellen White.
00:28:41.10\00:28:44.20
I carry them in
the back of my Bible
00:28:44.23\00:28:45.99
and you have them in
your study guide now.
00:28:46.02\00:28:47.11
Look, isn't this something?
00:28:47.14\00:28:48.17
"The same devotion,
the same self-sacrifice,
00:28:48.20\00:28:51.52
the same subjection
00:28:51.55\00:28:52.61
to the claims
of the Word of God,
00:28:52.64\00:28:54.08
that were manifest
in the life of Christ,
00:28:54.11\00:28:56.70
must be seen in the
lives of his witnesses."
00:28:56.73\00:28:58.83
That would be you and me,
00:28:58.86\00:29:00.03
"He left his home
of security and peace,
00:29:00.06\00:29:02.40
he left the glory
he had with the Father,
00:29:02.43\00:29:04.60
he left his position on
the throne of the universe.
00:29:04.63\00:29:06.88
He went forth, a
suffering, tempted man.
00:29:06.91\00:29:09.07
He went forth in
solitude, to sow in tears,
00:29:09.10\00:29:11.71
to water with his blood,
00:29:11.74\00:29:12.94
the seed of life
for a lost world.
00:29:12.97\00:29:15.68
In like manner," you
and me, "his witnesses,
00:29:15.71\00:29:18.71
we are to go forth to sow.
00:29:18.74\00:29:20.51
The warning message,"
for our Christ's time,
00:29:20.54\00:29:23.02
"is to be carried to
all parts of the world."
00:29:23.05\00:29:25.97
Just walk across the
room, across the street,
00:29:26.00\00:29:30.16
across the country,
go around the world.
00:29:30.19\00:29:32.44
Doesn't matter, just go, go, go.
00:29:32.47\00:29:35.76
This hour of
economic instability
00:29:35.79\00:29:38.01
and financial uncertainty
00:29:38.04\00:29:39.07
when people now
are going through
00:29:39.10\00:29:41.58
such life changing
units, just boom, boom, boom,
00:29:41.61\00:29:43.74
that they are wide
open to the gospel of Jesus,
00:29:43.77\00:29:47.48
the everlasting gospel.
00:29:47.51\00:29:49.16
Oh, boys, don't put it off.
00:29:49.19\00:29:50.97
Please, go, across the
street, across the cafeteria,
00:29:51.00\00:29:54.17
across the backyard fence.
00:29:54.20\00:29:55.53
Just get over to
him, get over to her.
00:29:55.56\00:29:59.24
All right, here's
principle number three.
00:29:59.27\00:30:02.24
We need to read verse
30 here, read it again,
00:30:02.27\00:30:04.28
"Then Philip ran
up to the chariot
00:30:04.31\00:30:05.74
and he heard the man
reading Isaiah the prophet.
00:30:05.77\00:30:07.99
'Do you understand
what you are reading?'
00:30:08.02\00:30:10.33
Philip asked."
Scribble this down, will you?
00:30:10.36\00:30:12.44
Questions, write it down,
00:30:12.47\00:30:13.50
questions are a
very effective way
00:30:13.53\00:30:16.62
to gain someone's attention
and open up a conversation.
00:30:16.65\00:30:20.04
We'll get back to that other
blank, don't worry about it.
00:30:20.07\00:30:22.03
Questions, questions.
00:30:22.06\00:30:25.12
Do you understand
what you're reading?
00:30:25.15\00:30:28.78
Can you believe
the economy these days?
00:30:28.81\00:30:32.15
Hey, hey tell me who's
gonna win the World Series?
00:30:32.18\00:30:37.14
Hey, can I borrow your ladder?
All it takes is a question.
00:30:37.17\00:30:41.99
A question is the most engaging
00:30:42.02\00:30:43.55
form of human
conversation there is,
00:30:43.58\00:30:45.07
because the moment
you ask a question,
00:30:45.10\00:30:46.41
somebody's gonna give an answer.
00:30:46.44\00:30:48.23
So we're flying
back from Romania
00:30:48.26\00:30:49.38
and here is this guy,
turns out he's an engineer,
00:30:49.41\00:30:52.01
he's reading the
scholarly journal articles.
00:30:52.04\00:30:53.61
They've all been photocopied.
00:30:53.64\00:30:54.67
And I'm looking at the titles,
00:30:54.70\00:30:55.83
you know,
nanoseconds and photons.
00:30:55.86\00:30:57.75
And I finally said,
"What is it you're reading?"
00:30:57.78\00:31:01.15
Folks, this isn't something
cutesy or clever you do.
00:31:01.18\00:31:03.52
You just use a
question like Philip.
00:31:03.55\00:31:05.97
Do you understand
what you're reading here?
00:31:06.00\00:31:08.39
Just ask question.
00:31:08.42\00:31:09.77
It invites the
individual to respond.
00:31:09.80\00:31:12.75
So here's the principle.
00:31:12.78\00:31:13.81
Write it down
now, principle three,
00:31:13.84\00:31:14.98
be ready to take the initiative.
00:31:15.01\00:31:17.05
You don't always have to
use the question Philip did.
00:31:17.08\00:31:18.89
You can come up
with something else.
00:31:18.92\00:31:19.99
Hey, I made you
a batch of cookies.
00:31:20.02\00:31:22.44
What's wrong with
that? It's an entree.
00:31:22.47\00:31:25.46
No, it's not entree, is it?
00:31:25.49\00:31:28.11
In my diet it
would be an entree.
00:31:28.14\00:31:30.79
But in your diet it's a dessert.
00:31:30.82\00:31:32.98
But you know I mean by
entree, entry, all right.
00:31:33.01\00:31:36.88
No, that's what I meant,
that's really what I meant.
00:31:36.91\00:31:38.72
And you heard it the other way.
00:31:38.75\00:31:41.04
See, you got to
able to ask questions.
00:31:41.07\00:31:42.74
Now, Dwight, what did
you really mean by that?
00:31:42.77\00:31:45.71
All right, you're saying,
00:31:45.74\00:31:48.09
Dwight, I'm not an
expert in any of this.
00:31:48.12\00:31:49.98
I can't take the initiative.
00:31:50.01\00:31:51.64
You know,
here's what you can do.
00:31:51.67\00:31:53.85
Here's what you
can do, this week,
00:31:53.88\00:31:56.02
hey, have you
ever seen one of these?
00:31:56.05\00:31:58.47
That's all you have to say.
00:31:58.50\00:31:59.53
Have you ever-- Did
you get one of these?
00:31:59.56\00:32:01.69
They say, "Yes,
I got one." Fine.
00:32:01.72\00:32:03.00
If they say no,
hey, I got one for you.
00:32:03.03\00:32:04.53
You can have
it. What's it about?
00:32:04.56\00:32:05.97
It's Mark Finley, Discover
08, beginning Friday night,
00:32:06.00\00:32:08.72
satellite event
right here, big screen.
00:32:08.75\00:32:10.98
I want to invite you to
come. You've got to come.
00:32:11.01\00:32:13.69
See, you just asked a question,
did you get one of these?
00:32:13.72\00:32:16.42
It's not hard.
00:32:16.45\00:32:17.51
If they say no,
you give it to them.
00:32:17.54\00:32:18.59
If they say yes, oh,
yeah, you're invited.
00:32:18.62\00:32:23.21
That's it, just ask a question.
00:32:23.24\00:32:24.91
Yeah, but, you know, Dwight,
I'm just not an expert in this.
00:32:24.94\00:32:26.96
Oh, please, you don't
have to be an expert, please.
00:32:26.99\00:32:30.49
Witnessing, would
you, jot this down please,
00:32:30.52\00:32:31.86
witnessing is not
about your ability,
00:32:31.89\00:32:35.69
it's about your availability.
00:32:35.72\00:32:38.29
Who cares what you can do?
00:32:38.32\00:32:39.82
If you got a
mouth, you can do it.
00:32:39.85\00:32:44.06
You just have to be
available, that's all it is.
00:32:44.09\00:32:47.37
Take the initiative
when the Spirit prompts you.
00:32:47.40\00:32:48.54
All right, let's go to--
00:32:48.57\00:32:49.63
let's find
principle number four.
00:32:49.66\00:32:51.31
Verse 30 read that again,
00:32:51.34\00:32:52.94
"Then Philip ran
up to the chariot
00:32:52.97\00:32:54.14
and he heard the man
reading Isaiah the prophet.
00:32:54.17\00:32:56.04
'Do you understand
what you're reading?'
00:32:56.07\00:32:57.56
He wisely asked.
00:32:57.59\00:32:58.82
How can I," the man
shoots back, verse 31,
00:32:58.85\00:33:01.03
"unless someone
explains it to me?"
00:33:01.06\00:33:02.95
So he invited,
"Hey, Philip, come on in.
00:33:02.98\00:33:04.95
Sir, come into my--
come into my limousine, here.
00:33:04.98\00:33:08.69
"And invited Philip to
come up and sit with him."
00:33:08.72\00:33:10.67
Verse 32, "This is
the passage of Scripture
00:33:10.70\00:33:12.40
the eunuch was reading,"
the glorious Isaiah 53,
00:33:12.43\00:33:16.16
"He was led like a
sheep to the slaughter,
00:33:16.19\00:33:17.80
and as a lamb before
its shearer is silent,
00:33:17.83\00:33:19.54
so he did not open his mouth.
00:33:19.57\00:33:20.72
In his humiliation he
was deprived of justice.
00:33:20.75\00:33:22.94
Who can speak
of his descendants?
00:33:22.97\00:33:24.34
For his life was
taken from the earth."
00:33:24.37\00:33:26.01
And then the eunuch looked
00:33:26.04\00:33:27.07
straight into
the stranger's face,
00:33:27.10\00:33:28.32
this guy that just
walked across the road
00:33:28.35\00:33:29.70
and is now in his
limousine, and he says,
00:33:29.73\00:33:32.27
"Hey, did this
prophet, tell me please,
00:33:32.30\00:33:38.70
is he talking about himself?
00:33:38.73\00:33:40.93
Or is he talking
about somebody else?
00:33:40.96\00:33:43.10
I want to know.
00:33:43.13\00:33:44.92
And then verse 35,
I love this, verse 35,
00:33:44.95\00:33:47.80
"Then Philip began with
that very passage of Scripture
00:33:47.83\00:33:51.55
and told him the
good news about Jesus."
00:33:51.58\00:33:56.06
Ah, there it is,
principle number four,
00:33:56.09\00:33:57.44
write it down, be
prepared to answer a question.
00:33:57.47\00:34:01.19
Be prepared to
answer a question.
00:34:01.22\00:34:02.70
Raise a question to
engage a conversation,
00:34:02.73\00:34:06.06
engage a conversation.
00:34:06.09\00:34:07.14
But be prepared to answer.
00:34:07.17\00:34:09.98
That's precisely what
Philip was ready to do.
00:34:10.01\00:34:12.21
And by the way, in so doing
00:34:12.24\00:34:13.46
he adds a very important
dimension to witnessing
00:34:13.49\00:34:15.64
that we don't think about.
00:34:15.67\00:34:16.70
'Cause here's how you
and I think of witnessing.
00:34:16.73\00:34:18.51
Traditionally,
we think witnessing
00:34:18.54\00:34:20.07
is giving your testimony.
00:34:20.10\00:34:21.49
Remember our last
teaching together,
00:34:21.52\00:34:23.22
turning your
story into His story.
00:34:23.25\00:34:24.85
Giving your testimony to someone
00:34:24.88\00:34:26.71
who does not believe.
00:34:26.74\00:34:27.80
And we think
that means atheists,
00:34:27.83\00:34:30.31
agnostics and unbelievers.
00:34:30.34\00:34:31.81
Those are the
people you witness to.
00:34:31.84\00:34:33.98
Now don't miss 2 weeks from now,
00:34:34.01\00:34:35.05
when we begin a little
two part inside the series,
00:34:35.08\00:34:37.53
"How to witness to an atheist?"
00:34:37.56\00:34:39.17
I hope that will
be helpful for you.
00:34:39.20\00:34:40.86
But we're wrong.
00:34:40.89\00:34:41.92
Witnessing is not
only about atheists,
00:34:41.95\00:34:43.24
agnostics and unbelievers.
00:34:43.27\00:34:45.40
In fact the
Ethiopian already believes
00:34:45.43\00:34:48.60
in the true God of the universe.
00:34:48.63\00:34:49.98
He already has the
Bible, he's reading the Bible.
00:34:50.01\00:34:51.93
So it's not like,
"Oh, there is a Bible."
00:34:51.96\00:34:53.93
No, he's already into it
which leads me to conclude
00:34:53.96\00:35:00.37
that even Christians,
would you jot this down,
00:35:00.40\00:35:01.97
please, even Christians--
00:35:02.00\00:35:05.26
Now I left one out.
00:35:05.29\00:35:06.99
Just before, witnessing
is also sharing the good news
00:35:07.02\00:35:09.50
about Jesus with someone
00:35:09.53\00:35:10.90
who is seeking to understand
Scripture more clearly.
00:35:10.93\00:35:14.25
That's also witnessing.
00:35:14.28\00:35:15.71
Now I'll get to the
one I wanted to get to.
00:35:15.74\00:35:17.37
Even Christians
can be witnessed to,
00:35:17.40\00:35:19.78
so that they
discover deeper truths
00:35:19.81\00:35:21.60
about Jesus in the Bible, truths
00:35:21.63\00:35:23.63
they never knew
or studied before.
00:35:23.66\00:35:26.08
Now if you stuck
around for the break,
00:35:26.11\00:35:27.80
Pastor Skip last week
00:35:27.83\00:35:29.23
masterfully
dealt with this issue,
00:35:29.26\00:35:30.87
can you witness to somebody
who is already a believer?
00:35:30.90\00:35:32.70
But of course. He
made the case airtight.
00:35:32.73\00:35:35.81
I'm simply
reaffirming his point.
00:35:35.84\00:35:37.18
I wasn't here, I was in Romania,
00:35:37.21\00:35:38.46
but he sent me his notes.
00:35:38.49\00:35:39.52
I read it, yep, perfect.
00:35:39.55\00:35:43.39
That's why we
need to be prepared
00:35:43.42\00:35:44.45
as Philip was to
respond to somebody who says,
00:35:44.48\00:35:46.87
"You know what, I was hoping
00:35:46.90\00:35:47.95
somebody would
come by right now.
00:35:47.98\00:35:49.16
I have a
question about the Bible."
00:35:49.19\00:35:50.96
I know that makes you want to--
00:35:50.99\00:35:52.03
that makes you feel
like panicking, doesn't it?
00:35:52.06\00:35:53.55
Boy, what do you
think, I am a Bible--
00:35:53.58\00:35:55.92
Bible answer man,
Bible answer woman?
00:35:55.95\00:35:58.81
I'm no authority in the Bible.
00:35:58.84\00:36:01.12
Of course you're
not. You don't have to be.
00:36:01.15\00:36:03.35
But don't forget our theme text.
00:36:03.38\00:36:05.35
1 Peter 3:15, fill
it in, 1 Peter 3:15,
00:36:05.38\00:36:08.43
"Always be prepared to
give an answer to everyone
00:36:08.46\00:36:12.97
who asks you to give the reason
for the hope that you have."
00:36:13.00\00:36:18.01
You say, "But look, I'm
just a student, please."
00:36:18.04\00:36:21.50
Just a student? Are you serious?
00:36:21.53\00:36:23.13
Jot this one down,
00:36:23.16\00:36:24.35
Christ desires to
use every student,
00:36:24.38\00:36:27.56
word written 100 years ago,
00:36:27.59\00:36:28.75
Christ desires to use
every student as His agent.
00:36:28.78\00:36:32.89
If you're a student, hallelujah,
00:36:32.92\00:36:34.42
'cause you're an
agent for Christ.
00:36:34.45\00:36:35.78
You are an agent
for the most High God.
00:36:35.81\00:36:38.81
Don't you ever
apologize for being a student.
00:36:38.84\00:36:40.99
You're primetime.
00:36:41.02\00:36:42.37
Yeah, but, you
know what, Dwight,
00:36:42.40\00:36:43.46
I'm not gonna know what to say.
00:36:43.49\00:36:45.31
Let me pass on two
recommendations to you.
00:36:45.34\00:36:46.81
Number one, please take our
contagious Adventist seminar.
00:36:46.84\00:36:50.16
We're going through it
the first time right now.
00:36:50.19\00:36:51.96
Too late, can't get into it now.
00:36:51.99\00:36:53.79
But we're gonna-- I'm gonna ask
00:36:53.82\00:36:54.85
that we offer it
before the school year
00:36:54.88\00:36:55.91
is over one more time.
00:36:55.94\00:36:57.56
I want you to have
a chance to take it.
00:36:57.59\00:36:59.76
The whole
purpose of this seminar
00:36:59.79\00:37:00.89
is to equip you, to
give you the ability,
00:37:00.92\00:37:02.70
the wherewithal to be
able to intelligently discuss
00:37:02.73\00:37:06.05
some of the great
themes of the Holy Scripture.
00:37:06.08\00:37:08.42
You don't have to
get a doctor to do this.
00:37:08.45\00:37:10.06
You just need a
little bit of coaching.
00:37:10.09\00:37:11.50
And we want to coach you.
00:37:11.53\00:37:13.85
But here's my
second recommendation,
00:37:13.88\00:37:15.16
never forget this verse.
00:37:15.19\00:37:16.57
This is a dynamite
verse, Luke 12:11, 12
00:37:16.60\00:37:20.33
in the New Living
Translation, fill this in.
00:37:20.36\00:37:22.44
I tell you what, this
verse comes to mind at times
00:37:22.47\00:37:24.37
when I am desperate.
00:37:24.40\00:37:25.43
I say, "God, you got
to help me right now."
00:37:25.46\00:37:28.66
Look at this promise,
Jesus speaking these words,
00:37:28.69\00:37:31.20
"Don't worry about
what to say in your defense,
00:37:31.23\00:37:34.13
for the Holy
Spirit will teach you
00:37:34.16\00:37:35.82
what needs to be said
00:37:35.85\00:37:37.27
even as you are standing there."
00:37:37.30\00:37:40.97
On the spot.
00:37:41.00\00:37:43.85
I could tell you story
after story after story,
00:37:43.88\00:37:45.34
but let me tell you probably
the most famous story of all.
00:37:45.37\00:37:48.70
His name was Nehemiah.
00:37:48.73\00:37:50.16
He was a Jewish
exile, also serving royalty.
00:37:50.19\00:37:53.68
One day the angry king,
00:37:53.71\00:37:55.42
'cause this king was
mercurial in his personality.
00:37:55.45\00:37:58.51
Oh, boy, you never know
how the king's gonna react.
00:37:58.54\00:38:00.86
One day the king said,
00:38:00.89\00:38:01.92
"Hey, you look
like you're downhearted.
00:38:01.95\00:38:03.14
Oh, you're never
supposed to be downhearted
00:38:03.17\00:38:04.59
in the presence of the
glorious sun of the universe.
00:38:04.62\00:38:08.29
What's the problem?"
00:38:08.32\00:38:09.39
Nehemiah says,
"How can I be happy
00:38:09.42\00:38:11.49
when the city that I
came from is in shambles."
00:38:11.52\00:38:15.13
The king says,
"What can I do for you?"
00:38:15.16\00:38:19.11
And just like that,
just like that he realizes,
00:38:19.14\00:38:22.85
"I have to know
what to say right now."
00:38:22.88\00:38:25.30
And so the shortest
prayer in all the Scriptures,
00:38:25.33\00:38:27.11
Nehemiah 2:4,
00:38:27.14\00:38:28.70
"Then I prayed to
the God of heaven,
00:38:28.73\00:38:30.03
and I answered the king."
00:38:30.06\00:38:32.17
That was it, boom, boom.
00:38:32.20\00:38:34.56
That's the shortest
prayer in the Bible.
00:38:34.59\00:38:36.26
Boom, boom.
00:38:36.29\00:38:37.80
You know how
long that prayer was?
00:38:37.83\00:38:38.87
Four letters, H-E-L-P, help.
00:38:38.90\00:38:42.42
There's nothing wrong
with praying that way.
00:38:42.45\00:38:44.70
God says, "I was
hoping you'd ask."
00:38:44.73\00:38:46.06
That's why Jesus says,
"I got the Spirit here."
00:38:46.09\00:38:48.17
You got to
help-- And Nehemiah says
00:38:48.20\00:38:50.47
what he never would have
said if he hadn't prayed.
00:38:50.50\00:38:52.58
He asks for way
more than prudence
00:38:52.61\00:38:56.10
would have told him to.
00:38:56.13\00:38:57.17
He just blew the bank account,
00:38:57.20\00:38:59.57
but the Spirit said this
would be a good time to do it.
00:38:59.60\00:39:01.57
Boom, and he got it.
00:39:01.60\00:39:04.11
Yeah, proving true Jesus' words,
00:39:04.14\00:39:05.73
while you're standing
there, you get the answer.
00:39:05.76\00:39:09.10
All right, let's
look at principle five,
00:39:09.13\00:39:10.45
there are only seven of these.
00:39:10.48\00:39:11.52
Principle five,
let's read verse 35 again,
00:39:11.55\00:39:13.48
"Then Philip began with
that very passage of Scripture
00:39:13.51\00:39:16.37
and he told him the
good news about Jesus."
00:39:16.40\00:39:20.34
Here it is principle
five, be mindful of the context
00:39:20.37\00:39:23.31
of that moment and conversation.
00:39:23.34\00:39:26.87
Do not be like the presidential
candidates in their debates.
00:39:26.90\00:39:31.75
Moderator asks the question,
00:39:31.78\00:39:33.40
he says one word, just one word,
00:39:33.43\00:39:35.84
sounding like he's going
to answer the question and...
00:39:35.87\00:39:38.23
into that campaign speech.
00:39:38.26\00:39:39.32
All of them rehearsed campaign
speeches over and over again.
00:39:39.35\00:39:42.44
Forget it. You can't do that.
00:39:42.47\00:39:44.95
If somebody asked a
question about Isaiah 53,
00:39:44.98\00:39:47.64
then you're gonna have
to answer about Isaiah 53.
00:39:47.67\00:39:49.54
That's exactly what Philip did.
00:39:49.57\00:39:50.62
He began,
00:39:50.65\00:39:51.68
he began in the
context of the questioner.
00:39:51.71\00:39:55.19
If somebody asks
you about the Sabbath,
00:39:55.22\00:39:56.52
then you talk about the Sabbath.
00:39:56.55\00:39:57.58
You don't say, "Well,
five conversations from now
00:39:57.61\00:39:59.78
I'll tell you about
the seventh day Sabbath."
00:39:59.81\00:40:01.37
No, I want to know right now.
00:40:01.40\00:40:04.19
Help, and then
speak, that's all you do.
00:40:04.22\00:40:07.81
You have to stay
within the context.
00:40:07.84\00:40:09.91
You can do like-- as
Philip did masterfully,
00:40:09.94\00:40:14.06
but stay in the context.
00:40:14.09\00:40:15.13
Don't apologize.
00:40:15.16\00:40:17.04
Okay, let's find
principle number six, verse 36,
00:40:17.07\00:40:20.16
"And as they
traveled along the road,"
00:40:20.19\00:40:21.72
so the limousine is
now driving down the road.
00:40:21.75\00:40:23.32
I mean he's driving
now and Philip is talking,
00:40:23.35\00:40:25.85
they're visiting in the back.
00:40:25.88\00:40:27.43
"They came to some
water, and the eunuch said,
00:40:27.46\00:40:30.51
'Look, here is water.
00:40:30.54\00:40:33.27
What can stand in the
way of my being baptized?'
00:40:33.30\00:40:36.22
And He gave orders"
through the glass window,
00:40:36.25\00:40:38.08
knocked on it.
00:40:38.11\00:40:39.14
Stop.
00:40:39.17\00:40:40.54
The chauffeur pulled over.
00:40:40.57\00:40:42.96
"And then both
Philip and the eunuch
00:40:42.99\00:40:47.37
went down into the water
and Philip baptized him."
00:40:47.40\00:40:50.95
By the way that's how
it's done always in the Bible.
00:40:50.98\00:40:54.37
You know, sprinkled as a baby,
00:40:54.41\00:40:56.06
you know, sprinkled as an adult,
00:40:56.09\00:40:57.69
the very Greek word means
you do it just like Jesus did.
00:40:57.72\00:41:00.42
You go down under the
water with someone with you,
00:41:00.45\00:41:02.85
someone will baptize you,
always in the New Testament.
00:41:02.88\00:41:06.98
It's the only-- It's the
only one baptism, that's it.
00:41:07.01\00:41:09.85
So they went down in the water,
and, oh, then they come up,
00:41:09.88\00:41:13.15
and I wish you could have
seen the face of that Ethiopian.
00:41:13.18\00:41:15.79
It was radiant.
00:41:15.82\00:41:18.40
Principle six write it down,
00:41:18.43\00:41:21.34
be focused on the
ultimate goal of every witness,
00:41:21.37\00:41:25.98
the salvation of the individual
through baptism into Christ.
00:41:26.01\00:41:31.64
Good leaders know that you must
00:41:31.67\00:41:33.03
always lead
with the end in view.
00:41:33.06\00:41:36.68
You always have to see the
end, 'cause it's tough going
00:41:36.71\00:41:39.78
until you get to the end
sometimes, very tough going.
00:41:39.81\00:41:42.11
But if you hold
on to that vision,
00:41:42.14\00:41:44.32
you can get through anything.
00:41:44.35\00:41:45.97
You know what
the end is for you?
00:41:46.00\00:41:47.95
It's that glorious moment
when that man, that woman,
00:41:47.98\00:41:50.64
that young adult, that teenager
00:41:50.67\00:41:52.11
that you were a link in
comes up out of that baptistery
00:41:52.14\00:41:56.89
absolutely resplendent with joy.
00:41:56.92\00:42:03.52
You just have to
trust me on this one.
00:42:03.55\00:42:05.06
There is no greater joy.
00:42:05.09\00:42:08.58
I mean that's as high as--
00:42:08.61\00:42:09.73
that's as high
adrenaline as you can get,
00:42:09.76\00:42:12.32
more than any rollercoaster
in the United States.
00:42:12.35\00:42:14.83
That is better than any
food. You love good food?
00:42:14.86\00:42:17.90
That is more
delectable than any food.
00:42:17.93\00:42:19.82
In fact, the
disciples came to Jesus
00:42:19.85\00:42:21.12
after the woman at the well,
00:42:21.15\00:42:22.25
and she got saved.
00:42:22.28\00:42:23.34
And they said,
"Hey, look, we got your--
00:42:23.37\00:42:24.51
we have your
little brown bag now."
00:42:24.54\00:42:26.17
And Jesus said,
"I've already eaten."
00:42:26.20\00:42:27.33
They said, "How could
you have already eaten?"
00:42:27.36\00:42:28.54
He said, "I've eaten food
you don't know anything about."
00:42:28.57\00:42:31.31
When you see a soul saved,
00:42:31.34\00:42:33.10
and that soul comes up
out of that baptistery,
00:42:33.13\00:42:34.79
I'm telling you what,
you will live for the day
00:42:34.82\00:42:36.87
when you can stand
again and your eyes glistening
00:42:36.90\00:42:39.38
and your heart beating.
00:42:39.41\00:42:40.74
And you're standing up on
that right there at that pew
00:42:40.77\00:42:43.21
and you're
watching what's happening.
00:42:43.24\00:42:45.37
It doesn't get
any better than that.
00:42:45.40\00:42:48.11
The little
classic steps to Christ.
00:42:48.14\00:42:51.94
You have it in
your study guide there.
00:42:51.97\00:42:53.00
Oh, I love this.
00:42:53.03\00:42:54.07
"God might have committed
the message of the gospel,
00:42:54.10\00:42:57.12
and all the work
of loving ministry,
00:42:57.15\00:42:58.88
to the heavenly angels."
00:42:58.91\00:42:59.94
You think about it.
Couldn't the angels have gone.
00:42:59.97\00:43:01.84
Hey, I'll go. Stay
right there, Philip.
00:43:01.87\00:43:03.83
Sleep in this
morning. You need an extra day.
00:43:03.86\00:43:05.73
I'll go, I know
where that road is.
00:43:05.76\00:43:07.87
No. Angel said, "Hey, you go."
00:43:07.90\00:43:10.64
Why is God so big?
00:43:10.67\00:43:11.72
He could do the
whole thing himself.
00:43:11.75\00:43:13.79
Look at this, "He might
have employed other means
00:43:13.82\00:43:18.49
for accomplishing His purpose.
00:43:18.52\00:43:20.29
But in His infinite
love," it's not like God said,
00:43:20.32\00:43:23.75
"I hate witnessing.
00:43:23.78\00:43:24.81
I just hate it.
Would somebody else do it?
00:43:24.84\00:43:26.08
Yeah, will you do it for me?
00:43:26.11\00:43:27.76
I just don't like
doing this stuff."
00:43:27.79\00:43:29.88
Are you kidding?
00:43:29.91\00:43:31.00
It's out of love that he says,
00:43:31.03\00:43:32.21
"No, I'm gonna let you
do what I love to do 24/7.
00:43:32.24\00:43:37.46
You're gonna have My heart."
00:43:37.49\00:43:38.52
And by the way,
00:43:38.55\00:43:39.59
if you don't have
the Father's heart,
00:43:39.62\00:43:41.27
you're never going
to the Father's house,
00:43:41.30\00:43:43.25
trust me.
00:43:43.28\00:43:44.31
You have to have His
heart before you go to His home.
00:43:44.34\00:43:47.44
That's a key, and that's why
00:43:47.47\00:43:49.44
things are taking a
long time down below.
00:43:49.47\00:43:54.53
When are you
gonna have My heart?
00:43:54.56\00:43:57.02
A little more of
the economic crises
00:43:57.05\00:43:58.47
and he'll get our attention,
00:43:58.50\00:43:59.59
you just watch,
he'll get our attention.
00:43:59.62\00:44:02.29
I got to let those toys go now.
00:44:02.32\00:44:04.20
Guess I can't have that anymore.
00:44:04.23\00:44:06.03
Don't need it. Work
for me, boy, I need you.
00:44:06.06\00:44:11.69
Oh, isn't this great?
00:44:11.72\00:44:12.78
So "but in His infinite
love He chose to make us
00:44:12.81\00:44:15.65
co-workers with
Himself, with Jesus Christ,
00:44:15.68\00:44:18.80
with the angels
that we might share the,"
00:44:18.83\00:44:20.95
here's the whole point,
00:44:20.98\00:44:22.02
"that we might
share the blessing,
00:44:22.05\00:44:23.28
the, joy, the
spiritual uplifting,
00:44:23.31\00:44:25.08
which results from
this unselfish ministry."
00:44:25.11\00:44:27.73
God says, "You got to do
it, you got to do it with Me.
00:44:27.76\00:44:30.73
You'll never be
happier in your life."
00:44:30.76\00:44:32.96
Finally number seven, verse 39,
00:44:32.99\00:44:36.92
"And when they came
up out of the water,"
00:44:36.95\00:44:38.22
boy, I wish I could have
been on this hitchhiking ride.
00:44:38.25\00:44:40.51
"When they came
up out of the water,
00:44:40.54\00:44:41.80
the Spirit of Lord,"
gone, Philip is gone,
00:44:41.83\00:44:44.48
just like that, took him away.
00:44:44.51\00:44:48.30
"And the eunuch
did not see him again,
00:44:48.33\00:44:49.62
but he went on
this way rejoicing."
00:44:49.65\00:44:51.31
And guess what, that
eunuch became a new witness
00:44:51.34\00:44:54.27
for the whole
Kandake royal community.
00:44:54.30\00:44:58.57
"And Philip," verse 40,
00:44:58.60\00:44:59.63
"however, appeared at
Azotus and traveled about,
00:44:59.66\00:45:02.52
preaching the
gospel in all the towns
00:45:02.55\00:45:04.37
until he reached Caesarea."
00:45:04.40\00:45:05.66
Write it down, principle seven,
be ready to turn right around
00:45:05.69\00:45:08.96
and do it all over again.
00:45:08.99\00:45:11.21
You don't take a vacation after
you've won someone to Jesus.
00:45:11.24\00:45:13.91
You say, give me more.
00:45:13.94\00:45:15.59
Who else can I
find for the Master?
00:45:15.62\00:45:18.51
That's why Jesus
once upon a time,
00:45:18.54\00:45:21.48
He makes clear this
moment in Philip's story,
00:45:21.51\00:45:24.23
Jesus said to
everyone who has more,
00:45:24.26\00:45:28.40
to everyone who has more
will be given, that's it.
00:45:28.43\00:45:31.35
That's what, you know,
00:45:31.38\00:45:32.43
the Holy Spirit is a
brilliant businessman.
00:45:32.46\00:45:33.89
We're going through this
economic challenging time now,
00:45:33.92\00:45:36.34
but the Holy Spirit knows
00:45:36.37\00:45:38.22
if I want my
investment to be multiplied,
00:45:38.25\00:45:41.49
will I give it to
the guy who keeps taking
00:45:41.52\00:45:44.43
what I give him and
immediately multiplies it,
00:45:44.46\00:45:46.42
or will I give it
to the one who gets it,
00:45:46.45\00:45:49.42
and then just hoards it,
and never does a thing with it.
00:45:49.45\00:45:51.97
This is not Economics 101.
00:45:52.00\00:45:54.19
This is prior to
that, and that is,
00:45:54.22\00:45:56.53
the one that's
doing the investing
00:45:56.56\00:45:58.03
keeps getting the opportunities.
00:45:58.06\00:45:59.41
Some people say, you
know, there are just some men,
00:45:59.44\00:46:01.42
some women just
have a knack for this.
00:46:01.45\00:46:02.93
They don't have a knack
for it. It's not a knack.
00:46:02.96\00:46:05.14
They just keep
taking what God gives them,
00:46:05.17\00:46:06.79
and He says, "Boy,
give that girl more."
00:46:06.82\00:46:10.10
Wouldn't you do that?
But of course you would.
00:46:10.13\00:46:15.53
To him, to her who
has more will be given.
00:46:15.56\00:46:19.24
Ah, seize the moment
you have. Don't sit on it.
00:46:19.27\00:46:21.18
So what do you say?
00:46:21.21\00:46:22.26
You and I begin every day
this way, with this prayer.
00:46:22.29\00:46:25.32
Fill it in, this is
the last filling in here.
00:46:25.35\00:46:27.82
Every day humble simple prayer,
00:46:27.85\00:46:29.98
Oh, God, today I offer to
you my life and my witness.
00:46:30.01\00:46:35.27
Send to me or send me to someone
00:46:35.30\00:46:39.41
who needs to know
Jesus and His truth.
00:46:39.44\00:46:43.22
Amen.
00:46:43.25\00:46:44.48
I tell you what,
ladies and gentlemen,
00:46:44.51\00:46:45.55
you pray that prayer every day,
00:46:45.58\00:46:46.76
and you will
experience the unbridled joy
00:46:46.79\00:46:50.29
that led God to give you
00:46:50.32\00:46:51.35
the opportunity
in the first place.
00:46:51.38\00:46:52.74
He said nothing will
make you happier than this.
00:46:52.77\00:46:54.49
Nothing will fill
your heart more than this.
00:46:54.52\00:46:57.46
There they are
seven essential principles
00:46:57.49\00:47:00.28
for stepping into the paradigm
shifting economic crisis
00:47:00.31\00:47:02.87
that we are in, and
taking advantage of it,
00:47:02.90\00:47:04.51
and saying I got just what
your heart is now ready for.
00:47:04.54\00:47:07.73
Take advantage of it.
00:47:07.76\00:47:08.79
Seven principles, take it
home, meditate, brood on it.
00:47:08.82\00:47:11.65
Don't lose those seven.
I want to end with a story.
00:47:11.68\00:47:16.11
I heard this
story some years ago,
00:47:16.14\00:47:18.82
but when we were
in Romania last week,
00:47:18.85\00:47:21.45
and we were in the infamous
00:47:21.48\00:47:23.83
Sighet prison of the former
dictator Nicolae Ceausescu,
00:47:23.86\00:47:29.84
you've heard of him, all right.
00:47:29.87\00:47:31.94
Communist penitentiary.
00:47:31.97\00:47:34.62
As I was going
into one of the rooms,
00:47:34.65\00:47:38.43
I said, ah, I forgot
all about that story.
00:47:38.46\00:47:42.70
I'm gonna tell
it to you right now.
00:47:42.73\00:47:44.82
I'm gonna give you a picture,
too, on the screen here.
00:47:44.85\00:47:46.66
I mean, this is
like going to dark.
00:47:46.69\00:47:48.50
I mean when you
realize that the intellectuals,
00:47:48.53\00:47:51.29
the artists, the
politicians, the clergy,
00:47:51.32\00:47:54.12
the people who are educated
00:47:54.15\00:47:56.09
were rounded up by the Communist
00:47:56.12\00:47:57.53
and incarcerated
there, dying in that prison,
00:47:57.56\00:48:00.34
I mean, it's as bad as summer
come like the cow or whatever.
00:48:00.37\00:48:04.59
The walls covered
with the pictures of those
00:48:04.62\00:48:07.53
who paid the supreme sacrifice
for that repressive regime.
00:48:07.56\00:48:13.38
So they've turned every
cell into a museum piece.
00:48:13.41\00:48:16.33
Now there is a
typical cell, look at that.
00:48:16.36\00:48:17.78
And by the way it
was against the law
00:48:17.81\00:48:18.84
to look out that window.
00:48:18.87\00:48:19.90
They finally
covered the windows up.
00:48:19.93\00:48:21.35
Against the law to
look out that window.
00:48:21.38\00:48:23.67
One of the rooms I went into
was dedicated to the clergy,
00:48:23.70\00:48:27.59
so I'm
particularly interested in that.
00:48:27.62\00:48:29.48
And I said, "Hey,
Karen, come here, look at this.
00:48:29.51\00:48:31.73
Here, I know this man."
I got a book in my library.
00:48:31.76\00:48:35.36
And I want you
to see the picture,
00:48:35.39\00:48:36.42
there he is right there.
00:48:36.45\00:48:37.48
I saw his picture, I said,
00:48:37.51\00:48:39.07
"I have a book
in my library called
00:48:39.10\00:48:41.50
"Sermons in
solitary confinement."
00:48:41.53\00:48:44.24
And then I
remembered I've met him.
00:48:44.27\00:48:47.02
I'm gonna tell you this story.
00:48:47.05\00:48:48.33
I was flying out to
LA to preach one weekend.
00:48:48.36\00:48:50.57
I thought it was
a nonstop flight,
00:48:50.60\00:48:51.71
but for some reason
they landed in Denver.
00:48:51.74\00:48:54.27
And we had to get
off and change equipment.
00:48:54.30\00:48:55.95
So I got off.
00:48:55.98\00:48:57.01
I saw two clergy in
front of me, all right.
00:48:57.04\00:48:59.08
So the guy-- One guy
has this white collar on
00:48:59.11\00:49:01.37
and the other with
his bushy black beard
00:49:01.40\00:49:03.55
and a little black cap.
00:49:03.58\00:49:04.61
I know he's an Orthodox priest.
00:49:04.64\00:49:05.75
And they are in-- they
are in serious conversation.
00:49:05.78\00:49:08.41
I said, "Oh,
man, I 'm one of them.
00:49:08.44\00:49:10.47
I'm gonna go and meet them."
00:49:10.50\00:49:13.04
No, seriously,
that's exactly what I said.
00:49:13.07\00:49:14.65
So I watch them go into
the waiting lounge there,
00:49:14.68\00:49:16.63
and they sat down,
00:49:16.66\00:49:17.70
and there was an empty
chair in front of them.
00:49:17.73\00:49:18.97
So I sat down on
that empty chair.
00:49:19.00\00:49:20.41
And you've done
this, haven't you,
00:49:20.44\00:49:21.48
you sit down on the chair,
00:49:21.51\00:49:22.54
and then you
lean way back to hear
00:49:22.57\00:49:24.06
what's happening behind you.
00:49:24.09\00:49:25.96
And when I leaned back to hear
what was happening behind me,
00:49:25.99\00:49:28.63
I said, "Oh, no,
they're speaking in tongues.
00:49:28.66\00:49:30.23
I cannot
understand this at all."
00:49:30.26\00:49:33.06
Finally the bushy bearded
00:49:33.09\00:49:34.15
Orthodox priest got up and left.
00:49:34.18\00:49:36.01
That's my moment.
00:49:36.04\00:49:37.07
I turn around
and I say to the man,
00:49:37.10\00:49:39.48
"Hey, what language was
that you were speaking?"
00:49:39.51\00:49:41.83
And he said in fluent
English, he said, "Romanian."
00:49:41.86\00:49:45.07
And I said, "Oh, really?"
00:49:45.10\00:49:46.31
I said, "Listen,"
here, this is my moment,
00:49:46.34\00:49:48.20
"I'm a minister, too."
00:49:48.23\00:49:50.10
He said, "You are? What church?"
00:49:50.13\00:49:54.35
Now you know,
00:49:54.38\00:49:59.23
you know that if
they ever ask you
00:49:59.26\00:50:01.59
what church you belong to,
you square yourself around.
00:50:01.62\00:50:06.66
No, you square yourself around,
00:50:06.69\00:50:11.82
you throw your shoulders
back, you take a deep breath,
00:50:11.85\00:50:13.69
and you lock in on those eyes
00:50:13.72\00:50:15.40
'cause you want to
watch the face afterwards,
00:50:15.43\00:50:18.39
I'm a Seventh-day
Adventist Christian.
00:50:18.42\00:50:20.73
And then you watch the reaction.
00:50:20.76\00:50:22.39
"Oh," he said, "I
have known Adventists.
00:50:22.42\00:50:26.45
I knew some
Adventists who were in prison."
00:50:26.48\00:50:29.72
I thought to
myself, "I can't believe it.
00:50:29.75\00:50:33.38
Oh, my luck, I'm
meeting a prison chaplain
00:50:33.41\00:50:36.64
who knew Adventist crooks."
00:50:36.67\00:50:38.71
Tell me, please.
00:50:38.74\00:50:41.32
"No, no, no," he
said, "no, no, no, no."
00:50:41.35\00:50:43.92
He said, "I knew them when
we were in prison together."
00:50:43.95\00:50:48.53
It turns out I had
just met for the first time
00:50:48.56\00:50:50.40
the author of the
book in my library.
00:50:50.44\00:50:52.42
Richard Wurmbrand, the great
Lutheran pastor of Romania.
00:50:52.45\00:50:57.00
So I was-- he was incarcerated
in that Sighet penitentiary.
00:50:57.03\00:51:01.87
He said, "Oh," he
said, "by the way,"
00:51:01.90\00:51:03.80
he said, "son, I'm thirsty.
00:51:03.83\00:51:05.54
Would you mind
taking me to get a drink?
00:51:05.57\00:51:07.30
Get some water?" He
said, "Hold on to your arm."
00:51:07.33\00:51:09.63
he's probably in his late 70s.
00:51:09.66\00:51:12.06
He took my arm and we walked
down the crowded concourse.
00:51:12.09\00:51:15.70
And he began to
tell me the story.
00:51:15.73\00:51:16.89
He said, "Oh, I
know you Adventists."
00:51:16.92\00:51:20.20
He said, "You know what?
00:51:20.23\00:51:21.65
You Adventists tithed
when you were in prison."
00:51:21.68\00:51:26.37
And I thought, "Oh,
man, that's kind of extreme.
00:51:26.40\00:51:30.27
Tithing in prison?" Please.
00:51:30.30\00:51:33.95
He said, "No, no, no, no.
00:51:33.98\00:51:35.95
Every week," and I read
this on one of the walls
00:51:35.98\00:51:37.46
so I know it's true,
00:51:37.49\00:51:38.53
"every week we were given one
00:51:38.56\00:51:41.60
stale crusty
piece of bread each.
00:51:41.63\00:51:46.66
But you Adventists, out
of your devotion to God,
00:51:46.69\00:51:49.69
would tie that piece of bread
00:51:49.72\00:51:51.83
and give it to a
more hungry prisoner."
00:51:51.86\00:51:56.34
And I thought to
myself, oh, mercy,
00:51:56.37\00:52:00.18
how many of us
don't even tithe at all.
00:52:00.21\00:52:05.57
And they're tithing their
bread crusts for the glory
00:52:05.60\00:52:08.24
and honor of Jesus Christ.
00:52:08.27\00:52:10.55
Mercy.
00:52:10.58\00:52:11.64
He said, "Oh, no, I got to
know you Adventists in prison."
00:52:11.67\00:52:14.21
In fact, he says, "You
know what, we always knew
00:52:14.24\00:52:17.24
when the 7th day came
because of you Adventists."
00:52:17.27\00:52:21.28
You know, I don't mind
witnessing for my faith,
00:52:21.31\00:52:24.45
but to-- I mean to
call out, Sabbath's here,
00:52:24.48\00:52:27.01
Sabbath's here,
just-- it doesn't feel right.
00:52:27.04\00:52:29.95
"No, no, no," he
said, "it wasn't that."
00:52:29.98\00:52:32.15
We always knew it was
the 7th day of the week
00:52:32.18\00:52:35.69
because we would hear
the Seventh-day Adventist
00:52:35.72\00:52:37.77
beginning to scream
through their beatings
00:52:37.80\00:52:39.64
for refusing to work
again on the holy Sabbath.
00:52:39.67\00:52:44.27
We knew it must be the Sabbath.
00:52:44.30\00:52:47.03
The Adventists are
being beating again.
00:52:47.06\00:52:50.37
And I thought to
myself, I walk into this church,
00:52:50.40\00:52:52.45
there's nobody
to stop me, nobody.
00:52:52.48\00:52:54.46
Nobody to put up any resistance.
00:52:54.49\00:52:56.15
I sit down here until I'm ready
to leave, and then I leave.
00:52:56.18\00:52:59.66
And here were these Romanian
00:52:59.69\00:53:00.84
Seventh-day Adventist Christians
00:53:00.87\00:53:03.68
refusing to dishonor Jesus.
00:53:03.71\00:53:06.49
I'll not work, even if
you kill me I will not work.
00:53:06.52\00:53:10.28
So they beat him instead.
00:53:10.31\00:53:13.05
I tell you what, when I
walked out of that penitentiary,
00:53:13.08\00:53:15.03
and that story
came back to my mind,
00:53:15.06\00:53:17.86
I said in my heart, "Oh,
God, I beg of you give me
00:53:17.89\00:53:24.92
the legacy of these Romanian
00:53:24.95\00:53:28.39
Seventh-day
Adventist Christians.
00:53:28.42\00:53:30.28
And may I be
faithful with my witness
00:53:30.31\00:53:35.04
unto death, please."
00:53:35.07\00:53:39.54
Richard Wurmbrand never forgot
00:53:39.57\00:53:42.46
until he died
the witness of those
00:53:42.49\00:53:46.27
Seventh-day Adventist
Christians in prison with him.
00:53:46.30\00:53:49.68
We, too, have been called
to witness through our lives.
00:53:49.71\00:53:56.47
Jesus said, look,
if the Holy Spirit
00:53:56.50\00:53:57.60
comes on you,
you're gonna receive power.
00:53:57.63\00:53:59.66
You will be My witnesses.
00:53:59.69\00:54:03.30
I don't know about you,
00:54:03.33\00:54:04.38
but I want to
fulfill Christ's promise.
00:54:04.41\00:54:06.31
Let me do the
fulfilling of Your promise,
00:54:06.34\00:54:07.78
Jesus, let me fulfill if.
00:54:07.81\00:54:09.39
Let me be that witness.
00:54:09.42\00:54:11.71
Let me be that witness for You.
00:54:11.74\00:54:16.80
You want to be
a witness for him?
00:54:16.83\00:54:18.50
You want to pray
that prayer every morning?
00:54:18.53\00:54:19.64
I know there'll be
some mornings we forget it,
00:54:19.67\00:54:20.93
but, you know, God,
today send me to or send to me
00:54:20.96\00:54:25.47
someone with
whom I can share You,
00:54:25.50\00:54:28.31
share the Lord Jesus.
00:54:28.34\00:54:30.18
If you'd like to
claim that legacy,
00:54:30.21\00:54:33.27
join me in standing.
00:54:33.30\00:54:34.36
And by standing you say, no,
I want to do that, too, Dwight.
00:54:34.39\00:54:36.44
Dwight, you're not gonna do
it alone, I'll do it with you.
00:54:36.47\00:54:38.94
I'll do it with
you. I'll do it with you.
00:54:38.97\00:54:41.74
There's an old gospel hymn.
00:54:45.61\00:54:46.76
We're not gonna sing
the gospel hymn through,
00:54:46.79\00:54:48.33
but the chorus, I want you
to sing the chorus with me.
00:54:48.36\00:54:51.87
I'll go where You
want me to go, dear Lord.
00:54:51.90\00:54:56.75
I'll say what
You want me to say,
00:54:56.78\00:54:58.80
I'll be what You want me to be.
00:54:58.83\00:55:01.24
Put the words on
the screen for you.
00:55:01.27\00:55:03.28
I'll go where You
want me to go, dear Lord
00:55:29.93\00:55:37.81
O'er mountain, or plain, or sea
00:55:37.84\00:55:45.20
I'll say what You want me to say
00:55:45.23\00:55:51.31
Dear Lord
00:55:51.34\00:55:55.26
I'll be what You want me to be
00:55:55.29\00:56:03.12
Now let's sing it
just like a prayer,
00:56:05.23\00:56:06.89
just quietly
sing it one more time.
00:56:06.92\00:56:08.77
Shall we?
00:56:08.80\00:56:10.79
I'll go where You want me to go
00:56:10.82\00:56:17.65
Dear Lord
00:56:17.68\00:56:20.26
O'er mountain, or plain
00:56:20.29\00:56:25.02
Or sea
00:56:25.05\00:56:28.86
I'll say what You want me to say
00:56:28.89\00:56:36.02
Dear Lord
00:56:36.05\00:56:40.69
I'll be what You want me to be
00:56:40.72\00:56:48.30
Let me take one more moment
00:56:53.21\00:56:54.27
as we close out our
worship time together
00:56:54.30\00:56:56.19
and tell you about
our weekly sermon podcast.
00:56:56.22\00:56:59.44
Each week around here
we've got a very special group
00:56:59.47\00:57:02.31
of technically savvy volunteers
from our media department
00:57:02.34\00:57:05.82
who gather together to publish
00:57:05.85\00:57:07.08
a podcast of the sermon messages
00:57:07.11\00:57:09.60
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00:57:09.63\00:57:11.13
These messages, by the way,
00:57:11.16\00:57:12.37
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00:57:12.40\00:57:15.96
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00:57:20.30\00:57:21.33
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00:57:21.36\00:57:25.73
And while there,
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00:57:25.76\00:57:27.30
just click on the podcast.
00:57:27.33\00:57:29.03
Then you're gonna be given some
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00:57:29.06\00:57:31.67
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00:57:31.70\00:57:33.55
It's that simple.
00:57:33.58\00:57:35.14
Once again, our
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00:57:35.17\00:57:39.37
And by the way,
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00:57:39.40\00:57:40.83
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00:57:40.86\00:57:42.50
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00:57:42.53\00:57:44.82
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00:57:44.85\00:57:46.96
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00:57:46.99\00:57:48.96
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That's what it's for,
00:57:50.74\00:57:51.77
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00:57:51.80\00:57:54.42
In the meantime, God bless you
and keep you as you journey on.
00:57:54.45\00:57:58.69
And I'm looking forward to
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00:57:58.72\00:58:00.98
as we continue to share
God's Holy Scriptures together.
00:58:01.01\00:58:05.34