Good morning, church family.
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Good morning.
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How are you today?
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Good?
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Turn to someone
beside you and tell them
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how you're doing today.
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It's so good to be
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able to gather as a
family this morning,
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and we're doing a little bit of
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a different style
of music together.
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And I just want
you to think about
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sitting in the
living room together,
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singing some old favorite songs,
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and worshiping God as a family.
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There's a land
that is fairer than day
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And by faith we can see it afar
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For the Father
waits over the way
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To prepare us a
dwelling place there
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In the sweet by and by
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We shall meet on
that beautiful shore
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In the sweet by and by
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We shall meet on
that beautiful shore
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We shall sing on
that beautiful shore
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The melodious songs of the blest
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And our spirits
shall sorrow no more
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Not a sigh for
the blessing of rest
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In the sweet by and by
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We shall meet on
that beautiful shore
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In the sweet by and by
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We shall meet on
that beautiful shore
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To our Father.
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To our bountiful Father above
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We will offer
our tribute of praise
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For the
glorious gift of His love
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And the blessings
that hallow our days
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In the sweet by and by
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We shall meet on
that beautiful shore
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In the sweet by and by
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We shall meet on
that beautiful shore
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In the sweet.
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In the sweet by and by
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We shall meet on
that beautiful shore
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In the sweet by and by
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We shall meet on
that beautiful shore
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Shackled by a heavy burden
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'Neath a load of guilt and shame
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Then the hand
of Jesus touched me
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And now I am no longer the same
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He touched me.
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He touched me, oh He touched me
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And oh the joy
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That floods my soul!
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Something
happened and now I know
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He touched me
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And made me whole
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Since I met this blessed Savior
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Since He
cleansed and made me whole
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I will never cease to praise Him
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I'll shout it
while eternity rolls
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He touched me, oh He touched me
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And oh the joy
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That floods my soul!
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Something
happened and now I know
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He touched me and made me whole
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He touched me, oh He touched me
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And oh the joy
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That floods my soul!
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Something
happened and now I know
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He touched me and made me whole
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Aren't you glad
that Jesus can reach down
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and make that
change in your life?
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He can make us whole
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and, you know, it's
not just a one time thing,
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Jesus wants to
continue to mold us and shape us
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and make us more like Him.
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And I love this next song
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because it talks about the power
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that Jesus can give us
day by day through the blood.
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I want to invite
you to stand with me
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as we continue singing together.
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Would you be free
from your burden of sin
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There's pow'r in the
blood, pow'r in the blood
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Would you o'er
evil a victory win
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There's wonderful
pow'r in the blood
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There is pow'r,
pow'r, wonder-working pow'r
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In the blood of the Lamb
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There is pow'r,
pow'r, wonder-working pow'r
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In the precious
blood of the Lamb
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Would you be free
from your passion and pride
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There's pow'r in the
blood, pow'r in the blood
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Come for a
cleansing to Calvary's tide
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There's wonderful
pow'r in the blood
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There is pow'r,
pow'r, wonder-working pow'r
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In the blood of the Lamb
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There is pow'r,
pow'r, wonder-working pow'r
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In the precious
blood of the Lamb
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Would you do
service for Jesus your King
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There's pow'r in the
blood, pow'r in the blood
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Would you live
daily His praises to sing
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There's wonderful
pow'r in the blood
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There is pow'r,
pow'r, wonder-working pow'r
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In the blood of the Lamb
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There is pow'r,
pow'r, wonder-working pow'r
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In the precious
blood of the Lamb
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Amen. Wonderful.
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You know, God gives us
power and he gives us strength,
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but that doesn't mean that
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we don't go
through difficult times,
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it doesn't mean that we
don't wonder about the future.
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But the good news is that
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He wants us to
lay that at His feet
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and He wants to walk with
us through the difficult times.
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And so if you have
something on your heart,
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something in your life
that you're struggling with
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or that you really feel like
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you need God's
help to go through,
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I want to invite
you to come forward
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as we sing this last song.
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I don't know about tomorrow
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I just live from day to day
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I don't borrow from the sunshine
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For its skies might turn to gray
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I don't worry o'er the future
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For I know what Jesus said
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And today He'll walk beside me
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For He knows what lies ahead
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Many things about tomorrow
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I don't seem to understand
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But I know who holds tomorrow
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And I know who holds my hand
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Ev'ry step is getting brighter
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As the golden stairs I climb
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Ev'ry burden's getting lighter
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Ev'ry cloud is silver lined
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There the sun is always shining
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There no tear will dim the eye
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At the ending of the rainbow
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Where the
mountains touch the sky
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Many things about tomorrow
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I don't seem to understand
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But I know who holds tomorrow
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And I know who holds my hand
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Many things about tomorrow
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I don't seem
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To understand
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But I know
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Who holds tomorrow
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And I know
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Who holds my hand
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my hand Good
morning, boys and girls.
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It is good to see you guys.
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In fact, I'm not going to lie,
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it is nice that we
have this story each week
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where we bring all
the best-looking members
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of the church upfront
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just to talk to them.
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I like that.
00:13:09.12\00:13:10.45
So I had a story all picked out
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and I took it to my
children's story committee
00:13:13.92\00:13:17.29
just last night
and Emit said, "No, no.
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This is the story
you need to tell."
00:13:21.76\00:13:23.50
And you know what?
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He was right.
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And so without further ado,
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a long, long,
long, long time ago,
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before even some
of you were born,
00:13:33.71\00:13:36.95
there was a dog.
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He was my dog.
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His name was Eddie.
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And Eddie was the
most playful, most fun dog
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you would ever meet.
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He loved to play.
He played all the time.
00:13:47.86\00:13:50.56
When I would wake
up in the morning,
00:13:50.59\00:13:51.93
as soon as my eyes would open,
00:13:51.96\00:13:53.29
he's say, "Oh,
good, you're awake."
00:13:53.33\00:13:54.66
And he would drop a
tennis ball right on my chest.
00:13:54.70\00:13:56.36
And if I was
trying to sit at the desk,
00:13:56.40\00:13:58.57
working on something, he
would take the tennis ball
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and shove it under
my leg to let me know,
00:14:00.14\00:14:02.14
"Hey, let's play."
00:14:02.17\00:14:05.41
And one night, I
stayed up a little bit later
00:14:05.44\00:14:08.54
than I probably should have
and I was about to go to bed
00:14:08.58\00:14:10.75
and I realized, "Oh, no.
00:14:10.78\00:14:13.55
I haven't let Eddie go out
00:14:13.58\00:14:14.98
to go to the
bathroom yet tonight."
00:14:15.02\00:14:16.35
And so I opened the
door and he ran back out
00:14:16.38\00:14:18.42
behind the back of the house
00:14:18.45\00:14:21.46
and I heard two sounds.
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I heard two sounds that
were not good sounds at all.
00:14:24.03\00:14:28.70
The first sound I heard was a...
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Sound
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and the second
sound was Eddie howling
00:14:33.30\00:14:36.20
as he came running
around the front of the house
00:14:36.24\00:14:38.81
with his tail between his legs.
00:14:38.84\00:14:40.24
And there's something
you should know about me,
00:14:40.28\00:14:44.41
I do not have the
best sense of smell.
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That's a whole another story.
00:14:49.98\00:14:51.42
I cannot smell well.
00:14:51.45\00:14:52.99
This is part of why Pastor Jose
and I are such good friends.
00:14:53.02\00:14:57.03
But I don't have the
best sense of smell...
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But I smelled enough to
know exactly what had happened.
00:15:04.13\00:15:08.44
Eddie had been
sprayed by a skunk.
00:15:08.47\00:15:11.44
Now I've got a picture of Eddie
00:15:11.47\00:15:12.81
that we can put up
here on the screens
00:15:12.84\00:15:14.24
so that you can see
exactly what Eddie looks like.
00:15:14.28\00:15:16.78
Yes, but you will
realize a tomato juice bath
00:15:19.58\00:15:23.59
was not a good
idea for this white dog.
00:15:23.62\00:15:26.39
I did not want a pink puppy.
00:15:26.42\00:15:29.26
And so I got online
00:15:29.29\00:15:30.89
and I researched what you needed
00:15:30.93\00:15:32.26
and you needed
hydrogen peroxide, baking soda,
00:15:32.29\00:15:35.70
and a little bit of dish soap,
00:15:35.73\00:15:37.07
and I realized I don't
have enough hydrogen peroxide
00:15:37.10\00:15:39.27
and so I needed to go out
and buy it, and the only place
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that was still open
at that time of night
00:15:42.14\00:15:44.67
with hydrogen
peroxide was Walmart.
00:15:44.71\00:15:47.98
And I'm hoping none of
you have been to Walmart
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at this time of night.
00:15:50.95\00:15:54.45
But the people
who go to Walmart,
00:15:54.48\00:15:56.62
they don't really
care about getting dressed
00:15:56.65\00:15:59.25
in the right
clothes for going out.
00:15:59.29\00:16:00.99
A lot of them
are in their pajamas.
00:16:01.02\00:16:03.89
This is true.
00:16:03.93\00:16:05.99
And you know what?
00:16:06.03\00:16:07.36
These people in their
pajamas, when they would see me,
00:16:07.40\00:16:10.33
they would make the
most disgusted faces
00:16:10.37\00:16:13.70
and they would cross
over to the far side of aisle
00:16:13.74\00:16:15.90
and they didn't want
to get too close to me
00:16:15.94\00:16:17.67
and I thought, "My,
goodness, what is going on?"
00:16:17.71\00:16:21.71
And then I realized it.
00:16:21.74\00:16:23.48
I realized the
valuable truth and that is,
00:16:23.51\00:16:25.75
if you hang out with skunks,
you too smell like a skunk.
00:16:25.78\00:16:30.99
But here's the good news, kids.
00:16:31.02\00:16:33.79
If you hang out with Jesus,
00:16:33.82\00:16:36.59
you too smell like Jesus.
00:16:36.62\00:16:39.26
When you hang out with
Jesus, you too sound like Jesus.
00:16:39.29\00:16:43.43
When you hang out with
Jesus, you too look like Jesus.
00:16:43.47\00:16:46.40
And so when you
hang out with Jesus,
00:16:46.43\00:16:48.64
it prepares you to tell
other people about Jesus.
00:16:48.67\00:16:52.87
How many of you this week
00:16:52.91\00:16:54.51
want to tell
somebody else about Jesus?
00:16:54.54\00:16:59.71
Awesome. Awesome.
00:16:59.75\00:17:01.18
I think that if we
could get all of you guys
00:17:01.22\00:17:06.45
telling your friends, telling
your neighbors about Jesus,
00:17:06.49\00:17:09.92
oh, man, we could turn
00:17:09.96\00:17:11.29
Berrien Springs
upside down this week.
00:17:11.33\00:17:14.30
Let's do that.
00:17:14.33\00:17:15.90
Now I need a volunteer.
00:17:15.93\00:17:18.97
Oh, be careful
raising your hands yet.
00:17:19.00\00:17:20.44
You don't know what
I'm going to ask for.
00:17:20.47\00:17:22.60
I need a volunteer to pray.
00:17:22.64\00:17:24.87
And the first hand
I saw was this guy.
00:17:24.91\00:17:27.01
And I'm not just choosing you
00:17:27.04\00:17:28.38
'cause you have
a fantastic name,
00:17:28.41\00:17:29.74
but come up, Martin.
00:17:29.78\00:17:33.31
Okay, and can you
pray and ask Jesus
00:17:33.35\00:17:36.22
to help us to
spend time with Him
00:17:36.25\00:17:38.55
so that we can tell
others about Him this week?
00:17:38.59\00:17:41.02
Yes.
00:17:41.06\00:17:42.39
Dear Jesus,
thank You for this day.
00:17:42.42\00:17:44.63
Thank You for our
family and our friends.
00:17:44.66\00:17:47.20
Please make us know about You
00:17:47.23\00:17:49.50
and make us to
tell all about You.
00:17:49.53\00:17:53.37
And thank You for loving us.
00:17:53.40\00:17:55.27
In Jesus' name, amen. Amen.
00:17:55.30\00:17:57.87
And as you go back
to your seats, remember,
00:17:57.91\00:18:00.44
when you spend time with Jesus,
00:18:00.48\00:18:03.24
you smell like Jesus.
00:18:03.28\00:18:04.98
We are His hands
00:19:52.82\00:19:57.16
We are His feet
00:19:57.36\00:20:00.50
We are His people
00:20:00.53\00:20:04.10
Children of the Lord
00:20:04.13\00:20:09.80
We share the hope
00:20:09.84\00:20:13.98
We share the dream
00:20:14.01\00:20:17.41
Believers in Jesus
00:20:17.45\00:20:20.68
Children of the King
00:20:20.72\00:20:27.82
His Spirit lives within us
00:20:27.86\00:20:33.40
Flowing like a river
00:20:36.97\00:20:42.30
Filling us with strength
00:20:45.34\00:20:49.94
So that we can
00:20:49.98\00:20:53.18
Reach out for our brothers
00:20:53.21\00:20:58.19
Help one another
00:20:58.22\00:21:02.22
We are His hands
00:21:02.26\00:21:06.09
We are His feet
00:21:06.13\00:21:09.06
We are His people
00:21:09.10\00:21:12.30
Children of the Lord
00:21:12.33\00:21:17.24
We share the hope
00:21:17.27\00:21:21.21
We share the dream
00:21:21.24\00:21:24.21
Believers in Jesus
00:21:24.25\00:21:27.12
Children of the King
00:21:27.15\00:21:33.76
Some of us build
00:21:33.79\00:21:36.12
Some are teachers
00:21:36.16\00:21:42.26
Some can sing like angels
00:21:42.30\00:21:49.54
But all of us can love
00:21:49.57\00:21:54.61
Like He loved, pure and simple
00:21:54.64\00:22:02.25
So warm and gentle
00:22:02.28\00:22:06.15
We are His hands
00:22:06.19\00:22:10.03
We are His feet
00:22:10.06\00:22:12.99
We are His people
00:22:13.03\00:22:16.10
Children of the Lord
00:22:16.13\00:22:20.97
We share the hope
00:22:21.00\00:22:24.77
We share the dream
00:22:24.81\00:22:27.98
Believers in Jesus
00:22:28.01\00:22:30.78
Children of the King
00:22:30.81\00:22:34.88
We are His hands
00:22:48.26\00:22:51.93
We are His feet
00:22:51.97\00:22:54.70
We are His people
00:22:54.74\00:22:57.77
Children of the Lord
00:22:57.81\00:23:02.58
We share the hope
00:23:02.61\00:23:06.25
We share the dream
00:23:06.28\00:23:09.38
Believers in Jesus
00:23:09.42\00:23:12.22
Children of the King
00:23:12.25\00:23:17.23
We are His hands
00:23:17.26\00:23:20.93
We are His feet
00:23:20.96\00:23:23.47
We are His people
00:23:23.50\00:23:26.37
Children of the Lord
00:23:26.40\00:23:31.47
We share the hope
00:23:31.51\00:23:35.18
We share the dream
00:23:35.21\00:23:38.21
Believers in Jesus
00:23:38.25\00:23:41.18
Children of the King
00:23:41.22\00:23:47.89
Amen!
00:23:47.92\00:23:49.26
We are His
hands, we are His feet,
00:24:01.74\00:24:04.87
the children of the
God, and His people.
00:24:04.91\00:24:09.74
Oh, that's what we needed today.
00:24:09.78\00:24:11.48
Coming right out
of the congregation,
00:24:11.51\00:24:14.58
coming right out of the audience
00:24:14.62\00:24:16.02
because that's where
it's got to come from
00:24:16.05\00:24:19.75
as business of the
kingdom is not about
00:24:19.79\00:24:21.32
whole bunch of upfront people
00:24:21.36\00:24:23.09
that are going to
somehow figure out a way
00:24:23.12\00:24:25.49
to pull it to a conclusion.
00:24:25.53\00:24:27.80
Impossible.
00:24:27.83\00:24:29.16
It'll have to
come out of the pews.
00:24:29.20\00:24:32.40
I guess the first flash mob
00:24:32.43\00:24:34.24
we've ever had in the
Pioneer Memorial Church.
00:24:34.27\00:24:37.24
They did well, very well.
00:24:37.27\00:24:39.74
Now let's pray.
00:24:39.77\00:24:41.11
Oh, God, we are
the hands, Your hands.
00:24:41.14\00:24:45.31
We are Your feet.
00:24:45.35\00:24:47.85
It's not about up
front and in the back,
00:24:47.88\00:24:50.89
it's all of us.
00:24:50.92\00:24:53.25
Oh, let that be clear.
00:24:53.29\00:24:56.19
Let that be clear in these
00:24:56.22\00:24:59.69
twin vintage tales right now.
00:24:59.73\00:25:03.30
We pray in Jesus' name.
00:25:03.33\00:25:05.37
Amen.
00:25:05.40\00:25:07.27
You know what a
rhetorical question is?
00:25:07.30\00:25:09.50
Question or a
rhetorical question,
00:25:09.54\00:25:10.87
it has the answer embedded in it
00:25:10.91\00:25:12.24
and it assumes you
do not expect an answer.
00:25:12.27\00:25:16.08
Is the pope Catholic?
00:25:16.11\00:25:18.68
No, we know.
00:25:18.71\00:25:20.95
Or in the words of the
poet Percy Bysshe Shelley,
00:25:20.98\00:25:24.19
"If winter comes, can
spring be far behind?"
00:25:24.22\00:25:29.62
Yup.
00:25:29.66\00:25:32.23
Writers and speakers
use rhetorical questions,
00:25:32.26\00:25:34.70
they somehow highlight the point
00:25:34.73\00:25:36.36
they're trying to drive through.
00:25:36.40\00:25:38.23
Paul was no exception.
00:25:38.27\00:25:39.77
He has a rhetorical question
00:25:39.80\00:25:41.14
he once asked and
nobody even remembers it.
00:25:41.17\00:25:42.87
I bet you never even read it.
00:25:42.90\00:25:44.24
Let's put it on the
screen. 1 Corinthians 9:7.
00:25:44.27\00:25:47.84
Paul, rhetorical question,
00:25:47.88\00:25:49.21
"Who plants a vineyard
and does not eat its grapes?"
00:25:49.24\00:25:52.31
Nobody. Why?
00:25:52.35\00:25:54.12
Because vineyards are hard work.
00:25:54.15\00:25:57.29
They're not
easy-peasy flower gardens.
00:25:57.32\00:25:58.85
Are you kidding?
00:25:58.89\00:26:00.22
If you plant a vineyard,
you have one solitary mission
00:26:00.26\00:26:02.92
and that is to
harvest G-R-A-P-E-S.
00:26:02.96\00:26:07.96
I'm going to repeat that.
00:26:08.00\00:26:09.33
If you plant a vineyard,
you have one solitary mission
00:26:09.36\00:26:11.33
and that is to
harvest G-R-A-P-E-S.
00:26:11.37\00:26:14.47
Jesus said, "I'm the
vine, you're the branches.
00:26:14.50\00:26:16.94
He has one solitary mission
00:26:16.97\00:26:18.67
and that is to
harvest in you G-R-A-P-E-S
00:26:18.71\00:26:22.08
or through you.
00:26:22.11\00:26:24.81
So when we end with
these twin vintage tales...
00:26:24.85\00:26:29.12
One of them is
strange I got to admit it,
00:26:29.15\00:26:30.82
I like the other one better.
00:26:30.85\00:26:32.82
But when we end
with these vintage tales,
00:26:32.85\00:26:34.86
that's precisely the
point they're making.
00:26:34.89\00:26:37.46
They're both in
the Book of Matthew.
00:26:37.49\00:26:38.86
In fact, they're only
in the Book of Matthew.
00:26:38.89\00:26:42.93
Must be a big deal
00:26:42.96\00:26:44.30
because they happened in
the week of His execution.
00:26:44.33\00:26:46.17
He saves the best till last.
00:26:46.20\00:26:48.57
Let's go to
vintage tale number one.
00:26:48.60\00:26:50.61
Open your Bible to
Matthew Chapter 21.
00:26:50.64\00:26:52.34
Vintage tale number one.
00:26:52.37\00:26:53.71
And by the way, put the title's
slide on the screen please
00:26:53.74\00:26:57.45
because vintage...
00:26:57.48\00:26:58.81
You know what
vintage means, of course.
00:26:58.85\00:27:00.18
Vintage is the harvest
of the vineyard, its grapes.
00:27:00.22\00:27:02.65
That's what it
means, it's harvest.
00:27:02.68\00:27:04.02
Vintage tales, two last stories,
00:27:04.05\00:27:07.46
one final truth
00:27:07.49\00:27:09.89
because Jesus is
all about harvest.
00:27:09.92\00:27:11.49
Remember Jesus
once... Where was this?
00:27:11.53\00:27:13.26
Matthew 9:38.
00:27:13.29\00:27:18.27
"The harvest is
plentiful..." How does that go?
00:27:18.30\00:27:20.54
"The harvest is plentiful,
but the laborers are few.
00:27:20.57\00:27:23.54
Pray that the
Lord of the harvest
00:27:23.57\00:27:24.91
will send out laborers."
00:27:24.94\00:27:26.27
Isn't that what He said?
00:27:26.31\00:27:27.64
He's big on the
vintage. Let's go.
00:27:27.68\00:27:30.05
This is vintage tale number one.
00:27:30.08\00:27:32.01
Matthew Chapter 21.
00:27:32.05\00:27:35.28
This thing
we're talking of that,
00:27:35.32\00:27:36.65
I don't even have it myself.
00:27:36.69\00:27:38.42
Matthew Chapter 21.
00:27:38.45\00:27:40.96
I'm in the NIV.
00:27:40.99\00:27:43.36
He's just been accosted
by the Pharisees, the elders,
00:27:43.39\00:27:46.23
the hierarchy of the
church always after anybody
00:27:46.26\00:27:49.13
that's not in line with
their particular persuasion.
00:27:49.16\00:27:52.20
They're nailing the young man,
00:27:52.23\00:27:53.64
who cleaned the clock
of the temple yesterday,
00:27:53.67\00:27:56.34
that would be Monday,
today is Tuesday morning.
00:27:56.37\00:27:58.04
They jump him, he's
ready, and Jesus speaks.
00:27:58.07\00:28:00.88
Okay, He asks them
a question, verse 28.
00:28:00.91\00:28:03.18
Matthew 21:28.
00:28:03.21\00:28:04.85
"What do you think?
00:28:04.88\00:28:06.41
There was a man
who had two sons.
00:28:06.45\00:28:08.65
He went to the first and said,
00:28:08.68\00:28:10.02
'Son, go and work
today in the vineyard.'
00:28:10.05\00:28:12.02
'I will not,' he answered,
00:28:12.05\00:28:15.02
but later he changed
his mind and he went.
00:28:15.06\00:28:17.13
Then the father
went to the other son
00:28:17.16\00:28:18.56
and he said the same thing.
00:28:18.59\00:28:19.93
And he answered, 'I
will, sir,' but he did not go."
00:28:19.96\00:28:23.06
Then Christ asks the question,
00:28:23.10\00:28:24.97
"Now which of the two
did what his father wanted?"
00:28:25.00\00:28:29.20
Once upon a time,
there was a father,
00:28:29.24\00:28:30.57
he had two boys.
00:28:30.61\00:28:32.91
Both children
have the same father,
00:28:32.94\00:28:34.51
both children live
in the same household,
00:28:34.54\00:28:36.34
both children live
near the same vineyard,
00:28:36.38\00:28:38.61
and both end up
lying to their dads.
00:28:38.65\00:28:41.68
In fact, David
Redding calls them
00:28:41.72\00:28:43.35
identical twins
in deceitfulness.
00:28:43.39\00:28:45.92
Both are lying.
00:28:45.95\00:28:47.29
"I will not go."
00:28:47.32\00:28:48.66
One lied, but later
changed his mind and went.
00:28:48.69\00:28:50.66
"I will go."
00:28:50.69\00:28:52.03
One lied and never went.
00:28:52.06\00:28:54.90
Now which one of the children
did what their father wanted?
00:28:54.93\00:28:59.47
Let's see how it
gets answered here.
00:28:59.50\00:29:01.57
Go back to verse 31 again.
00:29:01.60\00:29:02.94
"Which of the two did
what his father wanted?"
00:29:02.97\00:29:04.61
And, of course,
the Pharisee is drawn
00:29:04.64\00:29:06.21
into that sharp little tale.
00:29:06.24\00:29:08.08
Can't help
themselves and respond
00:29:08.11\00:29:09.78
and nail themselves.
00:29:09.81\00:29:11.35
The Pharisees cry out,
"The first,' they answered.
00:29:11.38\00:29:15.78
Jesus said to
them, 'Truly I tell you,
00:29:15.82\00:29:17.95
the tax collectors
and the prostitutes
00:29:17.99\00:29:20.36
are entering the
kingdom of God ahead of you.'"
00:29:20.39\00:29:23.22
You were talking about the scum,
00:29:23.26\00:29:24.73
I mean, in the
eyes of the Pharisee,
00:29:24.76\00:29:26.19
these are the moral...
00:29:26.23\00:29:29.13
They are the
moral scum of society
00:29:29.16\00:29:32.00
for which Pharisee, scribes,
and elders have zero time.
00:29:32.03\00:29:35.97
I'm telling you what?
00:29:36.00\00:29:37.34
"They're in the
kingdom ahead of you."
00:29:37.37\00:29:39.97
"Truly I tell
you, the tax collectors
00:29:40.01\00:29:41.38
and the prostitutes are
entering the kingdom of God
00:29:41.41\00:29:43.31
ahead of you.
00:29:43.35\00:29:44.68
For John..." That
would be John the Baptist.
00:29:44.71\00:29:46.05
"Came to you to show you
the way of righteousness,
00:29:46.08\00:29:47.92
and you didn't believe him,
00:29:47.95\00:29:52.19
but the tax
collectors and prostitutes,
00:29:52.22\00:29:54.46
they believed him.
00:29:54.49\00:29:55.82
And even after you saw
that they were believing him,
00:29:55.86\00:29:58.46
you did not repent,
you did not believe."
00:29:58.49\00:30:02.36
Oh, you're right.
00:30:02.40\00:30:03.73
Tax collectors and prostitutes,
God comes to them and says,
00:30:03.77\00:30:06.50
"Hey, I want you
to be in My kingdom."
00:30:06.53\00:30:08.17
"No! I'm not
going to Your kingdom.
00:30:08.20\00:30:10.81
I love what I'm doing."
00:30:10.84\00:30:13.71
But through the mighty preaching
00:30:13.74\00:30:15.08
of that thundering
wilderness prophet,
00:30:15.11\00:30:17.18
the Holy Spirit
convicts them and by the droves,
00:30:17.21\00:30:19.78
they respond to the appeal
and they enter the kingdom.
00:30:19.81\00:30:23.28
Whereas those who walk around
and say, "Yeah, I'll go, yeah.
00:30:23.32\00:30:25.89
Of course, I'm already in God."
00:30:25.92\00:30:28.16
They refuse entry.
00:30:28.19\00:30:31.29
So which one of the two?
00:30:31.33\00:30:33.46
Which one of the two
did the will of the Father?
00:30:33.50\00:30:35.86
Did what the father wanted?
00:30:35.90\00:30:37.93
Are we the second son
or are we the first son?
00:30:37.97\00:30:39.83
Come on, you tell
me. Are we the second...
00:30:39.87\00:30:41.20
You, are you the
first son or the second son?
00:30:41.24\00:30:45.07
Let's change
this around a little.
00:30:45.11\00:30:46.44
Will that be all right?
00:30:46.47\00:30:47.81
Let's tweak a few
words in the parable.
00:30:47.84\00:30:49.61
It's in your study
guide, there's a study guide
00:30:49.64\00:30:51.21
that you've got tucked
away in that worship bulletin,
00:30:51.25\00:30:52.91
nothing to fill in.
00:30:52.95\00:30:54.28
But we'll put it on the screen.
00:30:54.32\00:30:55.65
Let's read the parables
with a slight adjustment.
00:30:55.68\00:30:58.09
"There was a Father
who had two congregations.
00:30:58.12\00:31:01.72
He went to the
first congregation
00:31:01.76\00:31:03.09
and he said, 'My people, go
and work today in My vineyard.'
00:31:03.12\00:31:05.46
'We will not!'
00:31:05.49\00:31:06.83
The congregation retorted,
00:31:06.86\00:31:08.20
but later they
changed their mind
00:31:08.23\00:31:09.56
and went to work in
their Father's vineyard."
00:31:09.60\00:31:10.93
Why?
00:31:10.97\00:31:12.30
Because they wanted
to harvest G-R-A-P-E-S,
00:31:12.33\00:31:14.64
the vintage.
00:31:14.67\00:31:16.00
"Then the Father went
to the other congregation
00:31:16.04\00:31:17.71
and said the same thing,
00:31:17.74\00:31:19.07
'My people, go and
work today in My vineyard.'
00:31:19.11\00:31:21.04
And the congregation
responded, 'We will, Lord.'
00:31:21.08\00:31:23.98
But they did not go
00:31:24.01\00:31:25.81
and work in their
Father's vineyard.
00:31:25.85\00:31:27.28
So which of the
two congregations did
00:31:27.32\00:31:30.72
what their Father wanted?'"
00:31:30.75\00:31:32.72
The end.
00:31:32.75\00:31:35.32
Which one?
00:31:35.36\00:31:37.86
It's a good and
fair question I suppose,
00:31:37.89\00:31:39.49
after all, it's quite clear
that to western sensibilities,
00:31:39.53\00:31:43.83
congregations in this culture,
we just don't do evangelism.
00:31:43.87\00:31:49.90
We can't do it in our culture.
00:31:49.94\00:31:51.67
You can't go out to a
vineyard and make this big fuss
00:31:51.71\00:31:53.48
about getting people
that are lost out there
00:31:53.51\00:31:54.84
and bringing them
into the church, no.
00:31:54.88\00:31:56.24
That's what you
do in South America,
00:31:56.28\00:31:57.85
that's what you
do in Inner America,
00:31:57.88\00:31:59.25
that's what you do in Africa,
that's what you do in Asia,
00:31:59.28\00:32:01.32
but you don't do it in the West.
00:32:01.35\00:32:02.68
No, no, no, no,
no, no, no, no, no.
00:32:02.72\00:32:04.59
We're not going to do it.
No, we're not going to do it.
00:32:04.62\00:32:08.86
But that congregation got
to thinking sometime later,
00:32:08.89\00:32:12.66
"You know we've
tried everything else
00:32:12.69\00:32:14.46
but it doesn't seem to work.
00:32:14.50\00:32:15.83
The church is not growing.
00:32:15.86\00:32:18.20
What should we do?"
00:32:18.23\00:32:19.90
I wonder they asked each other.
00:32:19.93\00:32:24.44
"Maybe we don't
have anything to lose
00:32:24.47\00:32:26.37
to move into public evangelism.
00:32:26.41\00:32:28.81
What if we join with
the Father in His mission
00:32:28.84\00:32:31.51
to move out into the vineyard
and seek and save the lost?
00:32:31.55\00:32:35.48
We've tried everything else.
00:32:35.52\00:32:36.85
Look at the church,
it's still not growing."
00:32:36.89\00:32:40.32
And that congregation
reversed themselves.
00:32:40.36\00:32:45.29
"We got to get out of
these sterile brick walls.
00:32:45.33\00:32:48.86
We need to get out into
the vineyard around us."
00:32:48.90\00:32:51.17
They went.
00:32:51.20\00:32:52.57
But there were two congregations
00:32:55.27\00:32:58.14
Jesus tells us.
00:32:58.17\00:32:59.51
And the second congregation
when they heard the idea
00:32:59.54\00:33:01.04
that the plan of God,
what it said, "Count on us.
00:33:01.08\00:33:03.71
We believe in that strategy,
get out into the vineyard."
00:33:03.75\00:33:08.05
But the problem
was, "Amen. Yes, Lord.
00:33:08.08\00:33:11.69
At your service,"
resulted in nobody going
00:33:11.72\00:33:14.56
into God's vineyard.
00:33:14.59\00:33:16.12
Not the congregation,
not the pastor, nobody.
00:33:16.16\00:33:20.46
Oh, sure, they
kept having church,
00:33:20.50\00:33:21.83
they kept finding
reasons to have the lights on
00:33:21.86\00:33:23.47
once a week
inside their building,
00:33:23.50\00:33:25.67
but in the vineyard, nobody.
00:33:25.70\00:33:28.77
Solitary mission
of the organization
00:33:28.80\00:33:31.17
that they were a part of
is to harvest G-R-A-P-E-S,
00:33:31.21\00:33:35.44
but nobody's
harvesting G-R-A-P-E-S,
00:33:35.48\00:33:38.71
they're just
huddling together once a week,
00:33:38.75\00:33:41.38
high fiving the
glory of their music
00:33:41.42\00:33:44.32
and the
inspiration of their preaching,
00:33:44.35\00:33:45.92
and that's it.
00:33:45.95\00:33:47.42
No grapes, no growth,
00:33:51.36\00:33:55.63
no goal.
00:33:55.66\00:33:58.40
So which
congregation would we be?
00:33:58.43\00:34:02.10
I told you, this isn't a
real comfortable vintage tale.
00:34:02.14\00:34:05.57
I like the other one better.
00:34:05.61\00:34:07.64
Let's do the other one,
vintage tale number two.
00:34:07.68\00:34:09.31
Once upon a time
there was a landowner
00:34:09.34\00:34:11.21
with a very sprawling vineyard.
00:34:11.25\00:34:13.01
We're talking humungous.
00:34:13.05\00:34:15.15
And on the day before,
he went out in the afternoon
00:34:15.18\00:34:18.25
and the smell of
concords in the air.
00:34:18.29\00:34:22.86
"Tomorrow it is."
00:34:22.89\00:34:24.49
He informed his foreman
00:34:24.53\00:34:25.86
and long before 6
o'clock in the morning,
00:34:25.89\00:34:27.83
the foreman is up,
jumps into that rusty trusty,
00:34:27.86\00:34:30.17
pick-em up
truck, races up and down
00:34:30.20\00:34:32.00
the hilly country into town.
00:34:32.03\00:34:33.87
From miles away, you can
see the dust of his harry.
00:34:33.90\00:34:36.87
Before 6 o'clock, he
arrives at that street corner.
00:34:36.91\00:34:39.17
There they are,
the migrant workers,
00:34:39.21\00:34:41.34
some legal, some not legal.
00:34:41.38\00:34:43.35
"Hey, guys, you
want to work today?"
00:34:43.38\00:34:45.41
Rhetorical question.
"Do you want to work today?
00:34:45.45\00:34:48.82
I'll pay you
what's fair, a day's wage.
00:34:48.85\00:34:51.15
Get in. Let's go."
Boom. They're gone.
00:34:51.19\00:34:54.46
Racing out to the
sprawling vineyards.
00:34:54.49\00:34:57.89
Six a.m., workers...
00:34:57.93\00:35:00.80
They begin. Oh,
I love this story.
00:35:00.83\00:35:03.67
Nine o'clock, the same
foreman walks out there
00:35:03.70\00:35:05.87
and he says,
00:35:05.90\00:35:08.80
"We're not going to be
able to do it with this bunch.
00:35:08.84\00:35:11.07
I better go and get some more."
00:35:11.11\00:35:12.91
Jumped into that same old
rusty dusty, pick-em up truck,
00:35:12.94\00:35:16.04
and into town.
00:35:16.08\00:35:17.68
There they are,
same street corner,
00:35:17.71\00:35:20.05
just before 9.
00:35:20.08\00:35:21.42
"Yo, you boys want to
work? Girls, come on, let's go.
00:35:21.45\00:35:24.99
I'll pay you what's fair."
00:35:25.02\00:35:26.35
They get in and out do they go.
00:35:26.39\00:35:28.32
Fresh arms now
joining the picking,
00:35:28.36\00:35:30.89
the vintage is being harvested.
00:35:30.93\00:35:33.46
Around noon, the
same foreman walks out,
00:35:33.50\00:35:35.56
up and down those aisles,
and amidst all the chatter
00:35:35.60\00:35:37.70
of the workers working together
00:35:37.73\00:35:39.20
and yelling at each
other, he does the arithmetic.
00:35:39.23\00:35:41.70
"This isn't going to work."
00:35:41.74\00:35:43.07
Twelve o'clock he goes
back, you know the drill now.
00:35:43.10\00:35:45.37
Same corner, there
they are, still hired.
00:35:45.41\00:35:47.64
"Yo, you guys want to
work?" Rhetorical question.
00:35:47.68\00:35:49.98
"Get in my pick-em
up truck. Let's go."
00:35:50.01\00:35:53.11
And they go.
Fresh hands now join.
00:35:53.15\00:35:55.65
Three o'clock in the afternoon.
00:35:55.68\00:36:00.56
Measuring the distance
from the sun to their eyes
00:36:00.59\00:36:03.19
because nobody works in the dark
00:36:03.22\00:36:04.59
in a land that
has no electricity.
00:36:04.63\00:36:06.26
Three o'clock in the afternoon,
"We've got to get more."
00:36:06.29\00:36:09.00
Back in the same
old beat up truck.
00:36:09.03\00:36:11.00
"Hey, guys. I see
you. Come on, let's go."
00:36:11.03\00:36:13.50
They jump in, and now fresh,
three o'clock in the afternoon,
00:36:13.54\00:36:16.64
hands are joining and
everybody is scrambling.
00:36:16.67\00:36:18.57
"We're going to
get the harvest today."
00:36:18.61\00:36:19.97
But at five o'clock,
that same foreman walks out.
00:36:20.01\00:36:24.21
"This is not good.
00:36:24.25\00:36:25.58
I'm going to have
to have more workers."
00:36:25.61\00:36:27.55
Back in the truck.
00:36:27.58\00:36:28.92
"Hey, why are you
guys still sitting here?"
00:36:28.95\00:36:30.45
"'Cause nobody has hired us."
00:36:30.49\00:36:31.82
"I'll hire you and
I'll pay you what's fair.
00:36:31.85\00:36:33.19
Let's go." They jump in.
00:36:33.22\00:36:35.16
And in the last
hour, the eleventh hour,
00:36:35.19\00:36:40.50
they got it done,
they got the harvest in.
00:36:40.53\00:36:45.53
After everybody's high fiving
00:36:45.57\00:36:47.24
and looking at that
barn filled with vintage,
00:36:47.27\00:36:51.24
the landowner walks out
and he says to the foreman,
00:36:51.27\00:36:53.14
"Hey, listen, nice job today.
00:36:53.17\00:36:54.91
I want you to
start with the guys
00:36:54.94\00:36:56.28
who came last, okay?
00:36:56.31\00:36:57.65
You start with them and pay them
00:36:57.68\00:36:59.01
and then pay
everybody else, okay?"
00:36:59.05\00:37:00.38
So that's exactly what happens.
00:37:00.42\00:37:01.78
They come up
00:37:05.19\00:37:06.52
and when they see
twelve hours worth of pay,
00:37:06.55\00:37:09.72
their eyes pop
out of their heads.
00:37:09.76\00:37:12.03
They cannot believe it.
00:37:12.06\00:37:14.66
And the guys in the
back, "Did you see that?"
00:37:14.70\00:37:18.90
Wait till we get
up to the front!"
00:37:20.84\00:37:23.71
They get up to the
front to the cashbox
00:37:23.74\00:37:25.41
and guess what.
00:37:25.44\00:37:28.18
Twelve hours of pay.
00:37:28.21\00:37:29.71
"Wait a... Time out!"
00:37:29.74\00:37:31.75
And the place erupts in anger.
00:37:31.78\00:37:34.28
Let's let Jesus pick it up.
00:37:34.32\00:37:35.88
Just turn one page
back from Matthew 21,
00:37:35.92\00:37:38.29
now you're in Matthew 20.
00:37:38.32\00:37:39.65
Jesus picks it up the
story right here, verse 11.
00:37:39.69\00:37:41.82
"And when they,
the twelve hour workers
00:37:41.86\00:37:44.49
received their wages,
00:37:44.53\00:37:46.09
they began to grumble
against the landowner."
00:37:46.13\00:37:48.50
Verse 12.
00:37:48.53\00:37:49.86
"These who were hired
last worked only one hour,'
00:37:49.90\00:37:52.33
they said, 'and you
have made them equal to us
00:37:52.37\00:37:54.27
who have borne
the burden of the work
00:37:54.30\00:37:55.74
and the heat of the day.'
00:37:55.77\00:37:57.11
But he answered one of them,
00:37:57.14\00:37:58.47
'Hey, yo, yo,
calm down, calm down.
00:37:58.51\00:38:01.31
I am not being
unfair to you, friend.
00:38:01.34\00:38:03.85
Didn't you agree to
work for a day's wage?
00:38:03.88\00:38:07.32
Take your pay and go.
00:38:07.35\00:38:08.98
I want to give the
one who was hired last
00:38:09.02\00:38:11.02
the same as I gave you.
00:38:11.05\00:38:12.42
Don't I have the right to do
what I want with my own money?
00:38:12.45\00:38:15.39
Or are you envious
because I am generous?'"
00:38:15.42\00:38:19.36
Oh I love that line.
00:38:19.39\00:38:21.53
"Are you envious..." Put it up.
00:38:21.56\00:38:24.17
"Because I am generous?"
00:38:24.20\00:38:28.24
Don't you just love
this portrayal of God?
00:38:28.27\00:38:31.41
"I am generous with sinners,
00:38:31.44\00:38:33.21
I take people that
others wouldn't take.
00:38:33.24\00:38:35.11
I am generous with laborers,
00:38:35.14\00:38:36.61
I take people that
others wouldn't take.
00:38:36.64\00:38:38.25
I am generous with
workers, I'll take them
00:38:38.28\00:38:40.22
to the very last minute
if they'll join my team.
00:38:40.25\00:38:43.72
Are you jealous
because I am generous?
00:38:43.75\00:38:49.02
Come on, we've
got room for more.
00:38:49.06\00:38:52.56
Get on, jump in. I
need all hands on deck."
00:38:52.59\00:38:56.87
And did you
notice by the way that
00:38:56.90\00:38:58.43
when the foreman is hiring,
there is not a word about age.
00:38:58.47\00:39:01.80
"Okay, hold it
up. How old are you?
00:39:01.84\00:39:05.21
Okay, we'll take him."
00:39:05.24\00:39:06.74
There's not a word about race.
00:39:06.78\00:39:08.84
"Yo, what's your ethnicity?
Okay, we'll take you."
00:39:08.88\00:39:12.51
There's not a word about gender.
00:39:12.55\00:39:14.38
"Are you woman or are you man?
00:39:14.42\00:39:17.52
We can only take one."
00:39:17.55\00:39:19.89
Not a word.
00:39:19.92\00:39:21.26
There' not a word about ability.
00:39:21.29\00:39:22.96
"No, no, no, no, no.
00:39:22.99\00:39:24.33
You don't have the
ability. I'm awfully sorry."
00:39:24.36\00:39:26.63
The generous landowner is
living under the proposition
00:39:26.66\00:39:30.87
that it's all hands on
deck in the eleventh hour.
00:39:30.90\00:39:34.27
Everybody gets to work.
00:39:34.30\00:39:36.40
Nobody's
excluded, nobody's left out,
00:39:36.44\00:39:39.57
nobody's categorized and saying,
00:39:39.61\00:39:41.28
"You'll stay over here."
00:39:41.31\00:39:43.45
Nobody is withheld the
joy of being part of a team
00:39:43.48\00:39:49.35
and even leading a team
00:39:49.38\00:39:50.82
that is bringing in the vintage.
00:39:50.85\00:39:53.82
Nobody is held out.
00:39:53.86\00:39:57.03
"Or are you jealous?
00:39:57.06\00:40:01.80
Are you envious
that I am generous?"
00:40:01.83\00:40:07.24
I love the picture of
the Father in this story.
00:40:07.27\00:40:11.14
"It's eleventh hour,
folks. I'm taking everybody."
00:40:11.17\00:40:15.24
And by the way,
do you notice this
00:40:15.28\00:40:16.81
about the Father
being as generous as He is?
00:40:16.85\00:40:19.15
He is not looking for an
excuse to keep people out,
00:40:19.18\00:40:22.75
He's always
looking for an excuse
00:40:22.78\00:40:24.49
to bring people in.
00:40:24.52\00:40:26.65
That's just the way He is.
00:40:26.69\00:40:28.82
He's not finding a
way for some to not serve,
00:40:28.86\00:40:31.79
He's always looking for a
way to have everyone serve.
00:40:31.83\00:40:35.70
"Are you envious
00:40:39.70\00:40:43.30
that I'm generous?
00:40:43.34\00:40:45.84
I've widened
00:40:45.87\00:40:47.91
what you are
apparently not happy with?
00:40:47.94\00:40:52.18
Are you envious
that I am generous?"
00:40:54.58\00:40:58.62
Wow.
00:40:58.65\00:41:00.52
The reality is,
00:41:00.56\00:41:03.12
the issue in both
of these vintage tales
00:41:03.16\00:41:04.73
is not about the Father's help,
00:41:04.76\00:41:06.59
it's not about
the Father's hire,
00:41:06.63\00:41:08.33
it's about the Father's heart.
00:41:08.36\00:41:10.10
That's the truth of
the two vintage tales,
00:41:10.13\00:41:13.54
what kind of Father do we have.
00:41:13.57\00:41:16.27
It's all about His
heart because you know why?
00:41:16.30\00:41:20.04
I'll put this on
the screen for you,
00:41:20.08\00:41:21.41
I need you to get this
00:41:21.44\00:41:22.78
because if we have
the Father's heart,
00:41:22.81\00:41:26.18
we will work the
Father's harvest.
00:41:26.21\00:41:30.35
That's just the way it works.
00:41:30.39\00:41:32.25
If we have the Father's heart,
00:41:32.29\00:41:34.06
we will work the
Father's harvest.
00:41:34.09\00:41:37.43
And what kind of
heart does the Father have?
00:41:37.46\00:41:39.89
Are you kidding?
00:41:39.93\00:41:41.33
You don't know?
00:41:41.36\00:41:43.30
I mean, in
another gospel like...
00:41:43.33\00:41:45.03
Which one was
it? Who can remember?
00:41:45.07\00:41:47.57
Didn't Jesus once tell a
story about a lost sheep,
00:41:47.60\00:41:51.34
and a lost coin, and a lost boy?
00:41:51.37\00:41:56.11
And is it coincidental that
in every one of those stories,
00:41:56.14\00:42:00.75
they all end with this
jubilant noisy celebration.
00:42:00.78\00:42:05.39
Why? Because the
lost has been found.
00:42:05.42\00:42:08.82
Apparently, when Jesus
says there is more joy in heaven
00:42:08.86\00:42:12.83
over the one lost found
sinner than the 99 un-lost,
00:42:12.86\00:42:17.63
un-working in the vineyard,
unwilling to evangelize,
00:42:17.67\00:42:20.87
save people, He's
saying something pretty big.
00:42:20.90\00:42:24.81
"We get more joy
out of harvesting lost
00:42:24.84\00:42:31.15
than rototilling the saved.
00:42:31.18\00:42:35.38
We're getting kind of
tired of rototilling the saved."
00:42:35.42\00:42:38.95
"Always having to
turn the ground over
00:42:38.99\00:42:40.86
just to keep Him happy.
00:42:40.89\00:42:42.29
Give me some more of that.
00:42:42.32\00:42:43.66
Just keep us happy
00:42:43.69\00:42:45.29
and you'll be
okay in this church,
00:42:45.33\00:42:47.13
this congregation."
00:42:47.16\00:42:48.50
Wow!
00:42:51.93\00:42:53.27
If we have the Father's heart
00:42:53.30\00:42:54.64
apparently, we will
work in the Father's harvest.
00:42:54.67\00:42:57.21
"Or are you
envious that I'm generous?"
00:42:57.24\00:43:00.61
I wish I could go
to Google right now.
00:43:00.64\00:43:05.98
I should have
thought about this last week.
00:43:06.01\00:43:07.75
I wish I could've gone
to Google this last week
00:43:07.78\00:43:09.35
and I could say to Google,
00:43:09.38\00:43:10.72
"Look, look, Google,
find me that picture.
00:43:10.75\00:43:12.55
I got to have that picture.
00:43:12.59\00:43:13.92
I want everybody here to
see it on this big screen
00:43:13.96\00:43:15.66
and I wish we could
make this a panoramic screen
00:43:15.69\00:43:18.33
so that you
could see the picture
00:43:18.36\00:43:20.00
because, Google, if
we can see this picture,
00:43:20.03\00:43:22.40
we might know why
there's so much joy
00:43:22.43\00:43:25.50
in the Father's heart over
even one that returns to Him
00:43:25.53\00:43:28.74
or comes to Him
for the first time."
00:43:28.77\00:43:30.87
I couldn't find the picture.
00:43:30.91\00:43:32.27
All we have, as far as
I know, is a word picture
00:43:32.31\00:43:34.61
and I need to
end with you looking
00:43:34.64\00:43:35.98
in the back of your Bible
to the Book of Revelation.
00:43:36.01\00:43:38.08
Revelation Chapter 7.
Here's a word picture for you.
00:43:38.11\00:43:41.65
We can't put it up
on a Google screen,
00:43:41.68\00:43:43.89
we can't find a
copy of it anywhere,
00:43:43.92\00:43:45.89
but, boy, oh, boy.
00:43:45.92\00:43:47.26
This is John boy
who's become old man John
00:43:47.29\00:43:49.46
on the Isle of Patmos
and he's shown the picture.
00:43:49.49\00:43:52.09
He's shown the
picture so he's seen it.
00:43:52.13\00:43:54.10
I wish we could see it too.
00:43:54.13\00:43:55.53
This is Revelation 7:9.
00:43:55.56\00:43:57.67
This is a picture of heaven.
00:43:57.70\00:44:00.40
I love this. Revelation 7:9.
00:44:00.44\00:44:02.60
"And after this, I
looked and there before me
00:44:02.64\00:44:04.64
was a great multitude
that no one could count."
00:44:04.67\00:44:07.88
Now the Greek
word there for count
00:44:07.91\00:44:09.38
is aríthmi_si_
00:44:09.41\00:44:11.18
from whence comes our
English word arithmetic.
00:44:11.21\00:44:14.35
"So I saw a crowd so big
00:44:14.38\00:44:15.98
that nobody could
punch the numbers.
00:44:16.02\00:44:17.72
Nobody could
calculate, do the arithmetic
00:44:17.75\00:44:20.09
on how many people are standing
00:44:20.12\00:44:21.96
in front of me
right now in this picture.
00:44:21.99\00:44:23.83
It's just they are innumerable."
00:44:23.86\00:44:26.39
Do you know who they are?
00:44:26.43\00:44:27.76
They're all lost
people who got saved.
00:44:27.80\00:44:30.53
Wow. Where are they from?
00:44:30.57\00:44:33.37
"From every nation,
tribe, people, and language,
00:44:33.40\00:44:36.34
standing before the
throne and before the Lamb.
00:44:36.37\00:44:38.27
They were wearing white robes,
00:44:38.31\00:44:39.64
are holding palm
branches in their hands,
00:44:39.67\00:44:41.31
and they're crying
out in a loud voice,
00:44:41.34\00:44:42.81
in this picture,
00:44:42.84\00:44:44.18
'Salvation belongs to our
God, who sits on the throne,
00:44:44.21\00:44:46.45
and to the Lamb, our
Father and our Savior.'"
00:44:46.48\00:44:51.02
Keep reading.
00:44:51.05\00:44:52.39
"All the angels were
standing around the throne
00:44:52.42\00:44:54.16
and around the elders and
the four living creatures.
00:44:54.19\00:44:56.02
And they all fall down
00:44:56.06\00:44:57.39
on their faces before the throne
00:44:57.43\00:44:58.76
and they worshiped God,
and they cry out, 'Amen!
00:44:58.79\00:45:01.43
Praise, and glory,
and wisdom, and thanks,
00:45:01.46\00:45:03.40
and honor, and
power, and strength
00:45:03.43\00:45:04.90
to our God forever and ever.
00:45:04.93\00:45:08.60
Amen!'"
00:45:08.64\00:45:09.97
A seven fold doxology of joy.
00:45:10.01\00:45:14.98
Are you kidding?
00:45:15.01\00:45:16.78
The Father of us
all, the Savior of us all,
00:45:16.81\00:45:19.75
the Holy Spirit
friend of us all,
00:45:19.78\00:45:21.65
they have been waiting
millennia for this moment.
00:45:21.68\00:45:24.72
Don't you suppose
00:45:24.75\00:45:26.59
there will be a wild celebration
00:45:26.62\00:45:29.62
on those
streets of gold one day?
00:45:29.66\00:45:33.56
"The lost,
00:45:33.60\00:45:36.03
our lost
children have come home."
00:45:36.06\00:45:41.20
Here's a question for you.
00:45:41.24\00:45:43.61
How many of those people
will be in that picture one day
00:45:43.64\00:45:49.58
because of you?
00:45:49.61\00:45:51.68
I want you to think about that.
00:45:51.71\00:45:54.05
How many of those people
will be in the picture one day
00:45:54.08\00:45:58.32
because of you?
00:45:58.35\00:46:01.22
Because of me?
00:46:01.26\00:46:03.96
Or did we spend our
energy serving the church
00:46:03.99\00:46:06.56
or attending the church
or being part of the church
00:46:06.59\00:46:10.77
with that which
brought not a single soul home?
00:46:10.80\00:46:14.80
How many for you, Dwight?
00:46:18.77\00:46:23.24
Did you have to ask?
00:46:23.28\00:46:25.95
Bruce Wilkinson takes
this moment, this picture...
00:46:25.98\00:46:28.52
And you have the
words in your study guide,
00:46:28.55\00:46:29.88
this is great quotation.
00:46:29.92\00:46:31.25
Put it on the
screen for you as well.
00:46:31.29\00:46:32.62
Bruce Wilkinson,
"God has shown us..."
00:46:32.65\00:46:36.26
You see it on the screen.
00:46:36.29\00:46:37.63
"God has shown us
how our story ends
00:46:37.66\00:46:39.89
with countless people
from every nation on earth
00:46:39.93\00:46:43.43
crying out joyfully to God."
00:46:43.47\00:46:46.30
We just saw the picture.
00:46:46.33\00:46:47.87
That's how the story
ends, with heaven packed.
00:46:47.90\00:46:52.31
There's so many there,
they can't even count them.
00:46:52.34\00:46:56.18
"Or are you envious
that I am generous?"
00:46:56.21\00:46:58.71
It turns out He may be
a whole lot more generous
00:46:58.75\00:47:01.72
than we are.
00:47:01.75\00:47:03.89
Letting people in
that we have said,
00:47:03.92\00:47:06.76
"No, you can't join us there."
00:47:06.79\00:47:10.13
"What part of that
throng," Wilkinson asks,
00:47:17.00\00:47:21.24
"is there because of you?"
00:47:21.27\00:47:22.60
Well, we've already
thinking of that, haven't we?
00:47:22.64\00:47:24.51
How many people can
you and I help God save?
00:47:24.54\00:47:30.35
Wilkinson goes
on. Next question.
00:47:30.38\00:47:32.05
What part of God's dream
is linked to your destiny?"
00:47:32.08\00:47:35.22
Now we've got some
young dreamers here
00:47:35.25\00:47:36.75
working on a career,
getting their education.
00:47:36.79\00:47:39.05
I don't know what
you're going into,
00:47:39.09\00:47:40.52
it doesn't matter to me,
00:47:40.56\00:47:41.89
matters only to
the Father and you,
00:47:41.92\00:47:43.49
but whatever it
is, your destiny,
00:47:43.53\00:47:45.26
whatever the dream
is that you're pursuing,
00:47:45.29\00:47:47.83
what part of your
dream is going to add
00:47:47.86\00:47:50.57
to the number of
people in that picture?
00:47:50.60\00:47:53.23
Because you were
born for a reason,
00:47:53.27\00:47:54.60
you got saved for a cause.
00:47:54.64\00:47:56.34
It's to harvest the vineyard.
00:47:56.37\00:47:59.24
"Well, Dwight, I'm going into it
00:47:59.27\00:48:00.61
because it's a cushy career.
00:48:00.64\00:48:01.98
I really think I'm
going to be able to relax
00:48:02.01\00:48:03.41
rather early in my young life."
00:48:03.45\00:48:05.68
Come on, you can't be serious.
00:48:05.71\00:48:10.25
You got a destiny.
00:48:10.29\00:48:12.82
How does your destiny
attach to God's destiny?
00:48:12.85\00:48:18.53
He said, "Dwight, I'm
already into my career."
00:48:18.56\00:48:20.80
Man, I tell you
what. No, no, no.
00:48:20.83\00:48:23.26
Your career right
now, the one you're in.
00:48:23.30\00:48:25.73
What part of your
career is enabling you
00:48:25.77\00:48:27.74
to join the Father
in the vintage harvest?
00:48:27.77\00:48:33.54
He said, "Oh,
Dwight, I've already retired
00:48:33.58\00:48:36.61
so I'm out of that picture."
00:48:36.64\00:48:38.38
Are you out of the
picture? You crazy?
00:48:38.41\00:48:40.95
You're the one that has
all the time now, right?
00:48:40.98\00:48:45.22
Come on.
00:48:45.25\00:48:46.86
There's not a time in
life when you are released
00:48:46.89\00:48:49.76
from the reason you were born.
00:48:49.79\00:48:51.33
You were born for
this, you were born to grow
00:48:51.36\00:48:54.26
the number of
people in that picture,
00:48:54.30\00:48:56.26
that's why you love
Jesus, that's why you serve Him,
00:48:56.30\00:48:58.33
and that's why He
says, "I need you."
00:48:58.37\00:49:00.07
He doesn't need
you to occupy a pew,
00:49:00.10\00:49:01.87
He needs you to be somewhere
00:49:01.90\00:49:04.21
where you're with lost people
00:49:04.24\00:49:05.57
and you're
pointing them to the Savior.
00:49:05.61\00:49:07.58
Wilkinson, "What
part of God's dream
00:49:12.51\00:49:13.88
is linked to your destiny?
00:49:13.92\00:49:15.25
Just think what a
difference you can make
00:49:15.28\00:49:16.62
in many, many lives
00:49:16.65\00:49:17.99
if you were to pray passionately
00:49:18.02\00:49:19.35
and faithfully
00:49:19.39\00:49:20.72
for enlarged territory from God,
00:49:20.76\00:49:22.09
for God in His vineyard.
00:49:22.12\00:49:23.53
Imagine the
miraculous divine partnership
00:49:23.56\00:49:25.46
that will grow out of your plea.
00:49:25.49\00:49:27.63
Oh, God, let me
accomplish more for you."
00:49:27.66\00:49:30.50
I want to do more than I'm...
00:49:30.53\00:49:32.03
Please, God, let me
accomplish more for you.
00:49:32.07\00:49:33.74
And the final line is a stinger.
00:49:33.77\00:49:35.90
This is the keeper right here.
00:49:35.94\00:49:37.44
"With His infinite ability
and your willing availability,
00:49:37.47\00:49:42.74
God can literally do anything."
00:49:42.78\00:49:46.21
Anything on this planet.
He can do it through you.
00:49:46.25\00:49:50.42
You don't need a
professional evangelist,
00:49:50.45\00:49:52.25
you don't need a
professional pastor,
00:49:52.29\00:49:53.82
you don't need nothing,
but a heart that's like God's.
00:49:53.86\00:49:59.43
If you have the
heart of the Father,
00:49:59.46\00:50:01.13
you will work the
harvest of the Father.
00:50:01.16\00:50:05.23
You can't have His heart
and not work the harvest.
00:50:05.27\00:50:07.70
The only reason I'm
not working the harvest
00:50:07.74\00:50:09.24
is because I
don't have His heart.
00:50:09.27\00:50:10.97
That's the only reason.
00:50:11.01\00:50:13.58
If I had His heart,
I'd be working the harvest.
00:50:13.61\00:50:18.51
You want the Father's heart?
00:50:18.55\00:50:20.42
Let me end with five steps
00:50:20.45\00:50:24.79
for having the Father's heart.
00:50:24.82\00:50:26.15
We'll end with this.
One, two, three, four, five.
00:50:26.19\00:50:28.29
Here they go,
they're in your study guide,
00:50:28.32\00:50:30.13
you can take them
home and brood over them.
00:50:30.16\00:50:31.89
Number one, kneel at
the foot of the cross
00:50:31.93\00:50:33.80
in your mind's eye.
00:50:33.83\00:50:35.16
So wherever you're
going to go for this,
00:50:35.20\00:50:37.03
be at the foot of the cross,
00:50:37.07\00:50:38.40
your picture in the
cross in front of you.
00:50:38.43\00:50:39.77
Number two, look up
into your Savior's face
00:50:39.80\00:50:41.97
and remember the truth.
00:50:42.00\00:50:43.34
"Christ Jesus
came into the world
00:50:43.37\00:50:44.81
to save sinners of
whom I am the worst."
00:50:44.84\00:50:48.24
Okay?
00:50:48.28\00:50:50.15
Number three, pray
for the Holy Spirit.
00:50:50.18\00:50:52.51
Why should I pray
for the Holy Spirit?
00:50:52.55\00:50:53.92
I put a quotation
on the screen for you.
00:50:53.95\00:50:55.28
You've got it in
your study guide.
00:50:55.32\00:50:56.65
This is dynamite.
00:50:56.69\00:50:58.02
"Are you using
all your powers..."
00:50:58.05\00:50:59.65
Words written 100 years ago.
00:50:59.69\00:51:01.66
"Are you using all your powers
in an effort to bring the lost
00:51:01.69\00:51:05.89
sheep back to the fold?
00:51:05.93\00:51:07.86
There are
thousands upon thousands
00:51:07.90\00:51:10.03
in ignorance who
might be warned."
00:51:10.07\00:51:12.13
Here it comes.
00:51:12.17\00:51:13.50
"Pray as you have
never prayed before
00:51:13.54\00:51:15.74
for the power of Christ."
00:51:15.77\00:51:17.44
And then the
clincher is the last sentence.
00:51:17.47\00:51:19.67
Here it is.
00:51:19.71\00:51:21.04
"Pray for the
inspiration of His Spirit,
00:51:21.08\00:51:23.91
that you may be
filled with a desire
00:51:23.95\00:51:26.18
to save those
who are perishing."
00:51:26.21\00:51:30.22
It's called the daily
baptism of the Spirit,
00:51:30.25\00:51:32.15
just ask for it every day.
00:51:32.19\00:51:34.32
Pray for the inspiration.
00:51:34.36\00:51:35.69
Number four, ask the spirit
to send you to someone today.
00:51:35.72\00:51:37.96
"Lord Jesus, Holy Spirit,
00:51:37.99\00:51:39.43
I'm going out there
out of this dormitory room,
00:51:39.46\00:51:41.16
I'm going out of my
home in the community,
00:51:41.20\00:51:43.53
I need somebody
today, send somebody to me
00:51:43.57\00:51:47.67
and impress me
when I'm in that moment
00:51:47.70\00:51:49.84
'cause I'm not gonna
make a fool of myself."
00:51:49.87\00:51:52.97
Just ask Him.
"Point it out to me."
00:51:53.01\00:51:55.34
And finally, number five, go.
00:51:55.38\00:51:58.61
And when you go,
stay in the vineyard.
00:51:58.65\00:52:00.92
Stay there.
00:52:00.95\00:52:02.28
You don't come home at night,
you never leave the vineyard.
00:52:02.32\00:52:04.29
Not in your mind,
not in your heart.
00:52:04.32\00:52:05.65
You're always in the vineyard.
00:52:05.69\00:52:07.42
Stay in the vineyard
00:52:07.46\00:52:09.32
and work with the Father
until the harvest is finished.
00:52:09.36\00:52:12.79
That's it.
00:52:12.83\00:52:14.16
If you have the Father's
heart, I'm not worried at all.
00:52:14.20\00:52:16.33
Five simple steps how
to have the Father's heart
00:52:16.36\00:52:19.57
so that I live with
that heart in the vineyard
00:52:19.60\00:52:22.20
that is all
swirling around me right now.
00:52:22.24\00:52:26.78
"Pray for the
inspiration of the Holy Spirit,
00:52:26.81\00:52:28.78
that you may be
filled with a desire
00:52:28.81\00:52:30.18
to save those
who are perishing."
00:52:30.21\00:52:31.68
That's it.
00:52:31.71\00:52:33.62
Because look, if we
have the Father's heart,
00:52:33.65\00:52:35.85
we will work the
Father's harvest.
00:52:35.88\00:52:38.32
It's a no-brainer.
00:52:38.35\00:52:41.49
So I say, let's
ask God for His heart.
00:52:41.52\00:52:44.76
What do you say?
00:52:44.79\00:52:47.76
Pardon me?
00:52:47.80\00:52:49.90
Another week?
00:52:49.93\00:52:51.90
I don't want to get to
the end of this in that.
00:52:51.93\00:52:53.94
Let's try it one more time.
00:52:53.97\00:52:55.30
I say let's ask the
Father for His heart.
00:52:55.34\00:52:58.17
What do you say?
00:52:58.21\00:52:59.54
Amen. Amen. Amen.
00:52:59.57\00:53:01.38
We're not
playing tiddlywinks here.
00:53:01.41\00:53:03.61
We're not tickling
each other so we can go home
00:53:03.65\00:53:05.48
and then get
back to life as usual.
00:53:05.51\00:53:08.28
We come to meet
Christ and in meeting Him,
00:53:08.32\00:53:12.29
ask Him to change
us in His likeness.
00:53:12.32\00:53:17.66
Amen.
00:53:17.69\00:53:19.03
Rescue the
perishing, care for the dying
00:53:33.68\00:53:39.18
Snatch them in pity
from sin and the grave
00:53:39.21\00:53:45.29
Weep o'er the erring
one, lift up the fallen
00:53:45.32\00:53:51.36
Tell them of
Jesus, the mighty to save
00:53:51.39\00:53:57.83
Rescue the
perishing, care for the dying
00:53:57.87\00:54:04.51
Jesus is merciful
00:54:04.54\00:54:08.14
Jesus will save
00:54:08.18\00:54:13.92
Though they are slighting
Him, still He is waiting
00:54:13.95\00:54:19.99
Waiting the
penitent child to receive
00:54:20.02\00:54:25.99
Plead with them earnestly,
plead with them gently
00:54:26.03\00:54:32.43
He will forgive
if they only believe
00:54:32.47\00:54:39.17
Rescue the
perishing, care for the dying
00:54:39.21\00:54:45.55
Jesus is merciful
00:54:45.58\00:54:49.05
Jesus will save
00:54:49.08\00:54:54.89
Rescue the
perishing, duty demands it
00:54:54.92\00:55:01.06
Strength for thy
labor the Lord will provide
00:55:01.10\00:55:07.34
Back to the narrow
way patiently win them
00:55:07.37\00:55:13.58
Tell the poor
wanderer a Savior has died
00:55:13.61\00:55:20.15
Rescue the
perishing, care for the dying
00:55:20.18\00:55:26.92
Jesus is
merciful, Jesus will save
00:55:26.96\00:55:33.66
Isn't that
beautiful? I'm telling you what?
00:55:36.16\00:55:38.43
Jesus is
merciful, Jesus will save.
00:55:38.47\00:55:41.30
We can't save out a single
solitary person on this planet,
00:55:41.34\00:55:44.87
but Jesus is the
great Savior, He's merciful,
00:55:44.91\00:55:47.71
He cares for the dying,
00:55:47.74\00:55:49.18
and you and I can be
agents of the harvest with Him,
00:55:49.21\00:55:54.35
moving out into
that vintage crop,
00:55:54.38\00:55:58.35
bringing the lost to Jesus.
00:55:58.39\00:56:01.79
I want to sing that chorus.
00:56:01.82\00:56:03.16
Let's sing that
chorus one more time.
00:56:03.19\00:56:04.53
Let's stand as
we sing that chorus
00:56:04.56\00:56:05.96
one more time.
00:56:05.99\00:56:07.33
Rescue the
perishing, care for the dying
00:56:12.73\00:56:19.11
Jesus is merciful
00:56:19.14\00:56:23.55
Jesus will save
00:56:23.58\00:56:28.12
And now may the grace
of the Lord Jesus Christ
00:56:32.65\00:56:35.89
and the love of
God and the fellowship
00:56:35.92\00:56:38.23
of the Holy
Spirit be with you all.
00:56:38.26\00:56:41.26
Amen. Amen.
00:56:41.30\00:56:42.86
Before you go, let
me take an extra moment
00:56:56.75\00:56:58.18
to share with you an opportunity
00:56:58.21\00:56:59.55
to get into the
Bible in a fresh new way.
00:56:59.58\00:57:02.52
All across the
world, more and more people
00:57:02.55\00:57:03.89
are hearing the call to examine
scriptures for themselves.
00:57:03.92\00:57:07.46
If you felt drawn to
learn more about God's Word,
00:57:07.49\00:57:09.62
but you don't
know where to start
00:57:09.66\00:57:10.99
or you're just
looking for a more
00:57:11.03\00:57:12.53
in-depth
examination of Bible truths,
00:57:12.56\00:57:14.86
then I have something right here
00:57:14.90\00:57:16.23
that I believe
you're going to enjoy.
00:57:16.26\00:57:18.10
I want to send
a series of guides
00:57:18.13\00:57:19.73
to get you started.
00:57:19.77\00:57:21.10
This one's entitled "Why
does God allow suffering?"
00:57:21.14\00:57:23.44
This guide begins with a story
00:57:23.47\00:57:25.17
and the
introduction of the subject,
00:57:25.21\00:57:26.54
then through a
series of focus questions,
00:57:26.57\00:57:28.74
you'll be learning
portions of the Bible
00:57:28.78\00:57:30.11
you may never have known
before and when you're through,
00:57:30.15\00:57:32.35
you'll be able
to share with others
00:57:32.38\00:57:33.92
some of these
inspiring Bible truths.
00:57:33.95\00:57:36.15
So just call our
toll free number,
00:57:36.18\00:57:37.52
it's on the screen 877,
the two words, HIS WILL.
00:57:37.55\00:57:41.26
Our friendly
operators are standing by
00:57:41.29\00:57:42.79
to send these
study guides to you.
00:57:42.82\00:57:44.33
Once again, that's 877-HIS-WILL.
00:57:44.36\00:57:47.70
Call that number and then again,
00:57:47.73\00:57:50.13
join me next week right here
00:57:50.17\00:57:52.83
at the same
time, New Perceptions.
00:57:52.87\00:57:55.07