O Lord, my God
00:01:16.04\00:01:23.68
When I in awesome wonder
00:01:23.71\00:01:31.49
Consider all the worlds
00:01:31.52\00:01:38.79
Thy Hands have made
00:01:38.83\00:01:45.93
I see the stars
00:01:45.97\00:01:52.94
I hear the rolling thunder
00:01:52.97\00:02:00.12
Thy power throughout
00:02:00.15\00:02:05.99
The universe displayed
00:02:06.02\00:02:11.96
And when I think that God
00:02:15.00\00:02:22.94
His Son not sparing
00:02:22.97\00:02:28.78
Sent Him to die
00:02:28.81\00:02:34.15
I scarce can take it in
00:02:34.18\00:02:39.32
Then sings my soul
00:02:42.66\00:02:48.33
My Savior God, to Thee
00:02:48.36\00:02:54.30
How great Thou art
00:02:57.64\00:03:04.91
How great Thou art
00:03:04.95\00:03:12.15
Then sings my soul
00:03:12.19\00:03:16.73
My Savior God, to Thee
00:03:17.63\00:03:23.60
How great Thou art
00:03:26.63\00:03:31.01
How great Thou art
00:03:34.18\00:03:38.61
How great Thou art
00:03:42.08\00:03:46.62
How great Thou art
00:03:49.69\00:03:55.56
When Christ shall come
00:04:07.28\00:04:11.05
With shout of acclamation
00:04:14.32\00:04:21.39
And take me home
00:04:21.42\00:04:26.93
What joy shall fill my heart
00:04:26.96\00:04:32.30
Then I shall bow
00:04:35.30\00:04:39.04
In humble adoration
00:04:42.11\00:04:49.08
And then proclaim My God,
00:04:49.12\00:04:56.52
how great Thou art
00:04:56.56\00:05:03.13
Then sings my soul
00:05:03.16\00:05:08.27
My Savior God, to Thee
00:05:08.30\00:05:13.58
How great Thou art
00:05:16.71\00:05:23.65
How great Thou art
00:05:23.69\00:05:30.56
Then sings my soul
00:05:30.59\00:05:35.83
My Savior God, to Thee
00:05:35.86\00:05:41.34
How great Thou art
00:05:44.37\00:05:48.14
How great Thou art
00:05:51.31\00:05:54.78
How great Thou art
00:05:58.19\00:06:02.16
How great Thou art
00:06:05.29\00:06:09.40
How great Thou art
00:06:12.77\00:06:17.51
Amen, that was great.
00:06:28.02\00:06:30.95
Praise the Lord.
00:06:30.99\00:06:32.49
I would like to invite
you to open your Bibles
00:06:32.52\00:06:37.16
and consider the
scene as we read together
00:06:37.19\00:06:40.00
from Revelation 7:9-12.
00:06:40.03\00:06:45.37
And I think that song
was particularly fitting
00:06:45.40\00:06:49.37
for this scripture
reading we have this morning,
00:06:49.40\00:06:51.57
and as we read it,
00:06:51.61\00:06:52.97
I really want you to
imagine yourself in this scene,
00:06:53.01\00:06:57.45
singing along with Scott
00:06:57.48\00:06:59.75
and along with
the multitude there.
00:06:59.78\00:07:02.35
Let us read together
Revelation Chapter 7,
00:07:02.38\00:07:06.35
beginning in verse 9,
00:07:06.39\00:07:07.72
I'm reading from the New
Revised Standard Version.
00:07:07.76\00:07:11.19
"After this I looked,
00:07:11.23\00:07:12.56
and there was a great multitude
that no one could count,
00:07:12.59\00:07:15.66
from every nation,
00:07:15.70\00:07:17.03
from all tribes and
peoples and languages,
00:07:17.07\00:07:19.23
standing before the
throne and before the Lamb,
00:07:19.27\00:07:22.60
robed in white,
00:07:22.64\00:07:23.97
with palm
branches in their hands.
00:07:24.01\00:07:25.37
They cried out in a loud voice,
00:07:25.41\00:07:27.11
saying, 'Salvation to our God
00:07:27.14\00:07:30.01
who is seated on the
throne, and to the Lamb!'
00:07:30.05\00:07:33.01
And all the angels
stood around the throne
00:07:33.05\00:07:35.68
and around the elders and
the four living creatures,
00:07:35.72\00:07:38.19
and they fell on their
faces before the throne
00:07:38.22\00:07:41.06
and worshiped
God, singing, 'Amen!
00:07:41.09\00:07:43.76
Blessing and glory and
wisdom and thanksgiving
00:07:43.79\00:07:47.36
and honor and power
00:07:47.40\00:07:48.73
and might be to our
God forever and ever!
00:07:48.76\00:07:52.73
Amen.'"
00:07:52.77\00:07:54.10
Happy Sabbath.
00:08:24.93\00:08:26.30
Happy Sabbath.
00:08:26.33\00:08:30.57
The last three years
00:08:30.61\00:08:33.24
living in Southeast Asia.
00:08:33.27\00:08:38.48
I can't describe to you
00:08:38.51\00:08:39.85
what it must be
like to come back
00:08:39.88\00:08:41.72
and be able to
enjoy a good music.
00:08:41.75\00:08:46.52
In fact the first time,
00:08:46.55\00:08:49.09
the first Sabbath
when we were back,
00:08:49.12\00:08:51.59
I had the experience
00:08:51.63\00:08:53.09
of just overwhelming emotion.
00:08:53.13\00:08:57.97
You've had that experience
when your week is such that,
00:08:58.00\00:09:01.04
that it's,
00:09:01.07\00:09:03.20
things just
aren't flowing, right?
00:09:03.24\00:09:04.64
You're just feeling a
little bit out of sorts.
00:09:04.67\00:09:09.04
And all you need
00:09:09.08\00:09:11.71
is good Christian fellowship
00:09:11.75\00:09:15.48
and a uniting together
in worshiping our Creator.
00:09:15.52\00:09:20.39
And for me, you know,
I always thought that,
00:09:20.42\00:09:22.92
that the mission
field would be a place
00:09:22.96\00:09:25.63
where I was on a
daily spiritual high.
00:09:25.66\00:09:27.96
I mean, how can you not
be you're in a battlefield,
00:09:28.00\00:09:30.67
a spiritual battlefield,
00:09:30.70\00:09:32.70
how can you not be on
a daily spiritual high.
00:09:32.73\00:09:35.30
My wife and I
used to be colporteurs
00:09:35.34\00:09:36.87
and going door-to-door.
00:09:36.91\00:09:39.71
Pastor Shin,
you know about this,
00:09:39.74\00:09:41.24
we work together.
00:09:41.28\00:09:44.38
You had the bad
doors, you had the bad hours,
00:09:44.41\00:09:47.42
the slam doors,
00:09:47.45\00:09:49.25
but there was always that person
00:09:49.28\00:09:51.85
that it was a
divine appointment.
00:09:51.89\00:09:53.56
You knew you were
there for the right reasons
00:09:53.59\00:09:56.46
because God led you there.
00:09:56.49\00:09:58.66
And I said, "Man."
00:09:58.69\00:10:00.40
What my experience
00:10:00.43\00:10:01.76
in the
literature evangelism work
00:10:01.80\00:10:03.13
that my wife and I had
is going to be the same
00:10:03.16\00:10:06.90
but just on a macro scale.
00:10:06.94\00:10:08.50
I mean, it's just
gonna to be, what Lord.
00:10:08.54\00:10:11.21
It's gonna be awesome.
00:10:11.24\00:10:13.64
But those of you who've lived
in the frontiers of missions,
00:10:13.68\00:10:19.48
you know,
00:10:19.51\00:10:21.05
what kind of a
spiritual vacuum it can be.
00:10:21.08\00:10:23.79
It just sucks that out of you.
00:10:23.82\00:10:25.75
Friends don't ever take
for granted your family.
00:10:25.79\00:10:31.26
Don't ever take for
granted the family of God.
00:10:31.29\00:10:35.46
You don't realize until you've
not had that kind of support
00:10:35.50\00:10:38.93
for three years or longer.
00:10:38.97\00:10:42.17
What it means,
00:10:42.20\00:10:43.54
maybe you've been
bedridden and sick
00:10:43.57\00:10:45.54
and you've had to be
away for a number of weeks.
00:10:45.57\00:10:47.54
You might know
what I'm talking about.
00:10:47.58\00:10:50.68
I praise God for
the Church of God.
00:10:50.71\00:10:53.52
I praise God for the fellowship
and the worship we experience.
00:10:53.55\00:10:57.42
Have you worship this morning?
00:10:57.45\00:11:00.09
Praise the Lord.
00:11:00.12\00:11:02.52
I wanna share a few thoughts
with you this morning that,
00:11:02.56\00:11:06.66
that I hope will bless you
00:11:06.70\00:11:10.10
and I hope will challenge you.
00:11:10.13\00:11:11.47
My wife Amy is a nurse.
00:11:14.47\00:11:17.87
I have two boys,
a six-year-old Tyler
00:11:17.91\00:11:20.51
and a three-year-old Ryan.
00:11:20.54\00:11:24.05
If you do your
math, three years ago
00:11:24.08\00:11:25.58
he was a small tyke.
00:11:25.61\00:11:28.02
Five months, three
years are the son's ages.
00:11:28.05\00:11:33.66
And we went to a
beautiful country.
00:11:33.69\00:11:38.39
The country we went to
00:11:38.43\00:11:42.26
in the monsoon season just has,
00:11:42.30\00:11:45.90
I don't know what
kind of green you would say
00:11:45.93\00:11:47.54
maybe lime green, just a vivid,
00:11:47.57\00:11:50.14
just life
bursting out of the shoots
00:11:50.17\00:11:52.04
just all over the fields or,
00:11:52.07\00:11:54.34
you know, the rice
paddies are just gorgeous.
00:11:54.38\00:11:57.11
And then in the
middle of this field,
00:11:57.15\00:11:58.48
all of a sudden,
the cars come out
00:11:58.51\00:11:59.88
and we just spire
up out of the ground.
00:11:59.91\00:12:02.85
And it's like, oh, Lord.
00:12:02.88\00:12:05.62
What beauty and
then there's the jungles,
00:12:05.65\00:12:08.12
the steamy jungles
00:12:08.16\00:12:09.49
and the country we
live in Southeast Asia
00:12:09.52\00:12:13.46
it's filled with beautiful trees
00:12:13.50\00:12:18.67
teak, rosewood, mahogany
00:12:18.70\00:12:22.64
that just the tower high
and the last couple of decades,
00:12:22.67\00:12:26.07
you know, they've been
clear cutting logging that
00:12:26.11\00:12:27.88
because the country is poor.
00:12:27.91\00:12:29.24
It's one of the 10
poorest countries in the world.
00:12:29.28\00:12:31.21
And they need some
income and I can't blame them
00:12:31.25\00:12:34.18
as much as we need
our trees in this world,
00:12:34.22\00:12:36.02
I can't blame them for looking
00:12:36.05\00:12:37.39
for any
possible source of income
00:12:37.42\00:12:40.52
and they've just
clear cut those forests.
00:12:40.56\00:12:43.32
But even today
there are wild elephants
00:12:43.36\00:12:46.09
and tigers
roaming in those forests,
00:12:46.13\00:12:47.90
toucans, monkeys, all
sorts, what a beautiful place.
00:12:47.93\00:12:52.90
After 6,000 years of sin,
00:12:52.93\00:12:57.77
of death, of ugliness,
00:12:57.81\00:13:01.51
our God is an awesome Creator.
00:13:01.54\00:13:04.55
And we're so excited to
be in a country like this.
00:13:04.58\00:13:07.22
A couple of months
ago, we found a waterfall.
00:13:07.25\00:13:09.78
And we went out there
00:13:09.82\00:13:11.15
and it's
beginning of rainy season
00:13:11.19\00:13:12.52
and the
butterflies, thousands of them.
00:13:12.55\00:13:15.92
You know, you talk...
00:13:15.96\00:13:17.29
I talked with old timers here
in our country and they said,
00:13:17.33\00:13:19.69
"Boy, when I was a kid,
00:13:19.73\00:13:21.06
there were tons of
butterflies around us,
00:13:21.10\00:13:22.96
they just all over the place."
00:13:23.00\00:13:25.63
Well, if you want to enjoy
00:13:25.67\00:13:27.60
what you remembered from
childhood, come visit us.
00:13:27.64\00:13:30.61
At the
beginning of rainy season,
00:13:30.64\00:13:31.97
the butterflies are everywhere.
00:13:32.01\00:13:33.81
What beauty.
00:13:33.84\00:13:35.18
You know, the rains do
have their toll, though,
00:13:38.65\00:13:41.62
of all the beauty
that they bring they,
00:13:41.65\00:13:44.42
there's a single
serpentine highway,
00:13:44.45\00:13:48.09
two lanes sometimes paved,
00:13:48.12\00:13:50.03
sometimes striped
with paint for the lanes,
00:13:50.06\00:13:55.53
but oftentimes
not, don't even have
00:13:55.56\00:13:57.93
that that's the main
highway running in the country.
00:13:57.97\00:14:00.27
And as it winds
through the mountains
00:14:00.30\00:14:03.30
the rains will
sometimes create mudslides
00:14:03.34\00:14:06.24
and the whole mountain
will just come washing down,
00:14:06.27\00:14:09.24
wash out the road.
00:14:09.28\00:14:10.61
And you can
imagine that the buses
00:14:10.65\00:14:12.11
that are filled with merchants,
00:14:12.15\00:14:16.55
with their squealing
pigs, and chickens, and ducks
00:14:16.58\00:14:18.85
and the students on
their way to the capitol.
00:14:18.89\00:14:22.22
When they come to such a
place they have to go on.
00:14:22.26\00:14:25.23
They can't stop and so
what they make an agreement
00:14:25.26\00:14:28.46
all these bus drivers
00:14:28.50\00:14:29.83
that will go as
far as the mudslide,
00:14:29.86\00:14:31.43
you guys cross over
00:14:31.47\00:14:32.83
and then you pick up
the bus on the other side
00:14:32.87\00:14:34.40
and go on into town.
00:14:34.44\00:14:37.84
You know, the first
time I ever ride on a bus.
00:14:37.87\00:14:40.91
My wife would probably
remember better than me
00:14:40.94\00:14:42.38
because she's not
typically carsick,
00:14:42.41\00:14:44.91
but she felt for
sure at any moment
00:14:44.95\00:14:46.75
we were gonna go careening down
1,000 feet of mountain there.
00:14:46.78\00:14:51.59
But we stopped at one village
and they stop all along the way
00:14:51.62\00:14:55.39
as people wave the bus to stop
00:14:55.42\00:14:57.16
and at one village there
bamboo huts and so forth.
00:14:57.19\00:15:01.36
The man who wanted to
get on was carrying a bag
00:15:01.40\00:15:05.37
and the bag was
squealing something fierce.
00:15:05.40\00:15:08.40
And, you know, this
is my first introduction
00:15:08.44\00:15:10.24
to a bus ride
throughout the countryside
00:15:10.27\00:15:13.51
and I'm thinking what
is he gonna do with that?
00:15:13.54\00:15:15.44
You know, I hope he
doesn't bring it in here
00:15:15.48\00:15:16.81
because already people
were sitting on the floors
00:15:16.85\00:15:19.48
in this bus.
00:15:19.51\00:15:21.08
And the folks that were,
00:15:21.12\00:15:24.92
we live among aren't
used to the fast-paced travels
00:15:24.95\00:15:29.19
that we are and
they're all getting sick.
00:15:29.22\00:15:31.89
So it's better to sit
closer to the front of the bus
00:15:31.93\00:15:34.76
as you can imagine, the smell
00:15:34.80\00:15:36.67
and what objects
coming pass to your windows
00:15:36.70\00:15:40.64
just makes you want to sit
00:15:40.67\00:15:42.00
as close as you can
to the front of the bus
00:15:42.04\00:15:44.57
and so I thought,
00:15:44.61\00:15:45.94
"Well, what is he
going to do with this pig?"
00:15:45.97\00:15:48.01
You know,
obviously, it's squealing.
00:15:48.04\00:15:49.38
There's no question in
my mind what's in this bag.
00:15:49.41\00:15:52.51
And it's quite a big bag,
00:15:52.55\00:15:53.88
a big burlap bag and
he's hefting this thing,
00:15:53.92\00:15:57.72
strong guy
00:15:57.75\00:15:59.22
and he hands it to the
guy who collects the fare
00:15:59.25\00:16:01.72
and he hoisted it up
00:16:01.76\00:16:03.09
on the roof of
the truck or the bus
00:16:03.12\00:16:05.19
and we take off and
that pig's just squealing.
00:16:05.23\00:16:08.16
And he's like,
00:16:08.20\00:16:09.53
"Well, that pig
knows what I feel like."
00:16:09.56\00:16:12.07
My wife, you
know, squealing herself.
00:16:12.10\00:16:14.24
What are we
gonna stay on this road
00:16:14.27\00:16:15.60
and then the bus
driver opens up his bottle
00:16:15.64\00:16:17.77
of something interesting M-150
00:16:17.81\00:16:20.84
it's called then
drinking this down.
00:16:20.88\00:16:22.78
And my wife's, "Oh, he's,
you see what he's drinking?
00:16:22.81\00:16:25.25
I think he's
drinking whiskey. Uh-huh.
00:16:25.28\00:16:27.15
I got to get off of this thing."
00:16:27.18\00:16:30.05
Come to find out.
It's just a power drink.
00:16:30.09\00:16:31.75
You know, it's got
lots of caffeine and sugar.
00:16:31.79\00:16:33.42
And I'm sure that's not so
much better than whiskey itself,
00:16:33.46\00:16:35.92
but at least our lives
weren't quite in danger.
00:16:35.96\00:16:38.83
Although we were squealing
around, the tires were just,
00:16:38.86\00:16:42.30
you know, as it go
around every corner.
00:16:42.33\00:16:44.07
And wow, what a experience.
00:16:44.10\00:16:48.94
You know, life in
the frontier is exciting.
00:16:48.97\00:16:54.84
The land where we
live in Southeast Asia
00:16:58.81\00:17:01.72
is a Buddhist land.
00:17:01.75\00:17:04.45
At 4 o'clock in the
morning monks and novices,
00:17:04.49\00:17:08.72
young boys starting
at age three and four,
00:17:08.76\00:17:12.49
get on their saffron robes.
00:17:12.53\00:17:14.90
And they, you know,
00:17:14.93\00:17:18.80
as all young boys
sometimes have to be
00:17:18.83\00:17:20.97
shook and awakened
00:17:21.00\00:17:22.80
and they go into the temple
00:17:22.84\00:17:24.17
and there they
chant and meditate
00:17:24.21\00:17:28.21
before the bronze Buddha.
00:17:28.24\00:17:30.75
That is lifted up on a
pedestal in front of them.
00:17:30.78\00:17:34.98
And they do that for
about an hour and a half.
00:17:35.02\00:17:40.22
And then around 5:30
they have these big brooms
00:17:40.26\00:17:43.32
and they and all
of them young and old,
00:17:43.36\00:17:45.16
sweep the courtyards.
00:17:45.19\00:17:47.63
And then about 6 o'clock
00:17:47.66\00:17:52.13
you start hearing
the big massive drums,
00:17:52.17\00:17:57.94
huge drums,
maybe eight feet long.
00:17:57.97\00:18:02.18
Standing about the diameter
00:18:02.21\00:18:03.98
is probably
about four or five feet
00:18:04.01\00:18:05.35
depending on the
size of the drum,
00:18:05.38\00:18:07.15
start beating that
thing for about 10 minutes
00:18:07.18\00:18:10.05
telling the neighborhood
00:18:10.09\00:18:11.42
that the monks are
coming on their morning rounds
00:18:11.45\00:18:15.22
where they beg for the alms,
00:18:15.26\00:18:18.09
the gifts
00:18:18.13\00:18:21.80
that will be
the one of two meals
00:18:21.83\00:18:23.40
that these monks will
have including the little boys.
00:18:23.43\00:18:25.47
They don't eat after 12.
00:18:25.50\00:18:27.60
So eat that early breakfast,
00:18:27.64\00:18:29.34
and then they'll
eat again at noon.
00:18:29.37\00:18:31.34
And all they can
have the rest of the day
00:18:31.37\00:18:32.74
is some kind of liquid.
00:18:32.77\00:18:34.91
And the country where I live
00:18:34.94\00:18:37.11
isn't a typical
spot on the tourist track
00:18:37.15\00:18:40.05
but because it's
off the beaten path.
00:18:40.08\00:18:42.98
A lot of tourists
like to come through
00:18:43.02\00:18:46.25
and as they snap their
photos of this idyllic life.
00:18:46.29\00:18:52.09
They don't see
beneath the veneer,
00:18:52.13\00:18:56.87
the beauty.
00:18:56.90\00:18:59.13
What they see is
what I've just described.
00:18:59.17\00:19:02.40
What they don't see
is the husband and wife
00:19:02.44\00:19:05.34
who lived across from our house
00:19:05.37\00:19:08.18
who are fighting tooth and nail
00:19:08.21\00:19:11.61
because of the alcohol
that's in their system.
00:19:11.65\00:19:15.15
They don't see the car wrecks.
00:19:15.18\00:19:18.35
The car wrecks
00:19:18.39\00:19:19.72
that that make the
city that we live in
00:19:19.75\00:19:22.92
one of the worst cities
00:19:22.96\00:19:25.89
for accidents per
capita in the world.
00:19:25.93\00:19:30.17
They don't see the fear
00:19:30.20\00:19:35.94
that people have of the spirits
00:19:35.97\00:19:39.51
that haunt their dreams
and destroy their lives.
00:19:39.54\00:19:43.85
The photographers, the tourists,
00:19:43.88\00:19:45.51
they see the beauty.
00:19:45.55\00:19:47.75
And when we first got
there, we saw the beauty.
00:19:47.78\00:19:50.92
But there are real
human beings with real hurts.
00:19:50.95\00:19:53.09
And I want to
describe to you those
00:19:53.12\00:19:55.52
in the next few minutes.
00:19:55.56\00:19:56.89
I told you that
this was a poor country.
00:19:59.83\00:20:03.50
The average income per
household is $390 per year.
00:20:03.53\00:20:08.20
Their economy is
sustained by agriculture,
00:20:11.94\00:20:14.64
but only 4% of the land
00:20:14.68\00:20:16.54
is fit for animal
husbandry and crops.
00:20:16.58\00:20:20.98
In this country
00:20:21.02\00:20:25.19
only about one in three people
00:20:25.22\00:20:27.49
have clean water.
00:20:27.52\00:20:29.86
The life expectancy is 54 years.
00:20:29.89\00:20:35.30
Education is a major need.
00:20:35.33\00:20:38.03
Only one quarter
of the population
00:20:38.07\00:20:39.60
has finished high school.
00:20:39.63\00:20:41.60
Less than 3%
have a college degree.
00:20:41.64\00:20:45.74
Teachers often go
months without pay.
00:20:45.77\00:20:48.74
And when they do get paid
00:20:48.78\00:20:50.11
they only get $20 or
$30 or up to $40 per month.
00:20:50.15\00:20:53.38
Society is quite illiterate.
00:20:56.38\00:20:59.22
Health services are
predictably poor as well.
00:20:59.25\00:21:01.92
In that country,
there is about one physician
00:21:04.26\00:21:07.00
for every 2,200 people.
00:21:07.03\00:21:09.36
If you compare that to
our country, in America,
00:21:09.40\00:21:11.70
we have one doctor
00:21:11.73\00:21:14.04
for every 182 people.
00:21:14.07\00:21:22.01
But let me tell you a
little bit about our story,
00:21:22.04\00:21:23.81
and I'll come back to Laos.
00:21:23.85\00:21:26.31
Amy and I
arrived three years ago
00:21:26.35\00:21:30.45
on August 15, 2002
00:21:30.49\00:21:34.66
and within two
weeks, I was very sick.
00:21:34.69\00:21:39.96
You know, I kind of
finally nicknamed it
00:21:40.00\00:21:44.23
the Oriental Express.
00:21:44.27\00:21:45.73
You know, what I'm saying?
00:21:48.74\00:21:50.07
It was one of those experiences
00:21:50.11\00:21:51.44
where you couldn't
hold on to anything.
00:21:51.47\00:21:53.58
And I felt pretty, pretty clean
00:21:53.61\00:21:56.04
slick as a
whistle on the inside.
00:21:56.08\00:21:57.95
But oh, I felt terrible.
00:21:57.98\00:21:59.88
I felt quite terrible.
00:21:59.91\00:22:01.25
And, you know, I took
charcoal and got my rest
00:22:01.28\00:22:04.89
and just was
looking forward to the day
00:22:04.92\00:22:07.22
to get back out there
and see the world around me.
00:22:07.26\00:22:10.26
Three days later, my
legs were in such pain,
00:22:10.29\00:22:13.60
I said, "Amy, please
just massage my legs."
00:22:13.63\00:22:16.00
It's 2 o'clock in the
morning, Sunday morning.
00:22:16.03\00:22:19.33
I had slept in bed all weekend
00:22:19.37\00:22:21.30
because I just
couldn't get out of bed.
00:22:21.34\00:22:22.67
My legs are just,
00:22:22.70\00:22:24.04
they felt like
somebody had taken knives
00:22:24.07\00:22:25.47
and just were
just cutting my legs
00:22:25.51\00:22:28.71
and they felt like
00:22:28.74\00:22:30.11
great charley
horses in every muscle.
00:22:30.15\00:22:31.98
And I was like, "Amy,
00:22:32.01\00:22:33.35
my muscles are just tensing up."
00:22:33.38\00:22:35.62
And so she starts to do massage.
00:22:35.65\00:22:37.55
She says, "Honey,
your legs are soft.
00:22:37.59\00:22:40.06
There's nothing there."
00:22:40.09\00:22:41.89
It's like, "Well, we
have to do something."
00:22:41.92\00:22:43.32
I said look, "We need
to go to the hospital."
00:22:43.36\00:22:44.79
I was pretty
certainly we need to go
00:22:44.83\00:22:48.00
and I tried to
make it to the bathroom
00:22:48.03\00:22:49.46
and I collapsed on the floor
00:22:49.50\00:22:51.07
and we both agree we
should wait for our hosts,
00:22:51.10\00:22:54.37
you know the wake up,
00:22:54.40\00:22:55.74
you know, it's was 2
o'clock in the morning.
00:22:55.77\00:22:57.11
Let's wait maybe until 6.
00:22:57.14\00:22:59.37
Well by 4 o'clock, I
couldn't handle any more.
00:22:59.41\00:23:01.51
I said, "I don't care.
00:23:01.54\00:23:02.88
You know, we're not
gonna be polite any longer.
00:23:02.91\00:23:04.25
I need to go to the hospital."
00:23:04.28\00:23:05.78
And so Brian Wilson
took us in his truck.
00:23:05.81\00:23:09.88
And he said, "What do you want
00:23:09.92\00:23:11.25
the best hospital
or the closest one?"
00:23:11.29\00:23:12.95
I said, "The closest one,
00:23:12.99\00:23:14.32
please just get
me to a hospital."
00:23:14.36\00:23:16.12
And as we got there,
00:23:16.16\00:23:17.49
they had to carry me
00:23:17.53\00:23:18.86
and took me
actually by a wheelchair
00:23:18.89\00:23:20.63
and they
started doing blood work
00:23:20.66\00:23:22.33
and they started poking me
00:23:22.36\00:23:23.70
with all kinds of
great needles and stuff
00:23:23.73\00:23:25.20
and they admitted me.
00:23:25.23\00:23:31.01
I thought that was a
little bit extravagant.
00:23:31.04\00:23:33.34
You know, I just
wanted some medicine
00:23:33.38\00:23:34.71
so I could go back home.
00:23:34.74\00:23:36.08
By the Sunday
afternoon, they said,
00:23:39.15\00:23:41.15
"Well, you have
amoebic dysentery."
00:23:41.18\00:23:44.22
I said, "Okay, well, that's,
you know, Oriental Express,
00:23:44.25\00:23:47.06
amoebic
dysentery, I can handle that.
00:23:47.09\00:23:48.86
Need some antibiotics."
00:23:48.89\00:23:50.23
And they said, "Well, we think
you also have leptospirosis,
00:23:50.26\00:23:52.89
which you catch from actually
00:23:52.93\00:23:56.03
walking through
treatment of pigs or rats."
00:23:56.06\00:23:58.27
And I'd been out the
village and cut my foot.
00:23:58.30\00:23:59.83
I said, "Oh, man,
this is a spirochete,
00:23:59.87\00:24:02.17
you know, it's a little tougher,
00:24:02.20\00:24:03.71
what's going to happen?"
00:24:03.74\00:24:05.07
And...
00:24:05.11\00:24:06.44
Okay, so I'm
gonna spend the night,
00:24:09.61\00:24:11.01
they're going to do some
tests and get me fixed up
00:24:11.05\00:24:13.92
so they start pumping in
00:24:13.95\00:24:15.28
all kinds of fun
stuff into my system.
00:24:15.32\00:24:17.22
And the next day the doctor
was very concerned, she said,
00:24:17.25\00:24:19.85
"Your kidneys
are shutting down."
00:24:19.89\00:24:23.29
And I thought, "Well, okay,
well, maybe up the milligrams
00:24:23.32\00:24:29.03
on my antibiotic
or do what you can."
00:24:29.06\00:24:32.73
And she said, "And we
think you have dengue fever
00:24:32.77\00:24:35.90
because of the pain in your legs
00:24:35.94\00:24:38.47
and the high
fever that you have.
00:24:38.51\00:24:39.84
And we've noticed
00:24:39.87\00:24:41.21
that your platelets are dropping
00:24:41.24\00:24:42.58
in your blood.
00:24:42.61\00:24:43.95
So we don't want you
to brush your teeth."
00:24:43.98\00:24:45.31
Well, that's the
first time a doctor
00:24:45.35\00:24:46.68
or a dentist has
ever told me that.
00:24:46.72\00:24:48.05
I said, "Okay,
yeah, I can handle that."
00:24:48.08\00:24:50.02
And by the next day,
00:24:50.05\00:24:55.56
they decided that I
should go into the ICU.
00:24:55.59\00:24:57.93
I said, "Well, you know,
this is really extravagant."
00:24:57.96\00:24:59.59
But I figured, you know,
the nurses weren't as good
00:24:59.63\00:25:01.13
as I would have
expect, you know, from America.
00:25:01.16\00:25:03.03
So maybe the ICU just could get
better nurses so I don't care.
00:25:03.06\00:25:05.77
All right, take me to
the ICU. I'll go in there.
00:25:05.80\00:25:08.44
And they put me in there
00:25:08.47\00:25:09.87
and other people
that were very sick.
00:25:09.90\00:25:12.61
I was like, "Well, you know,
00:25:12.64\00:25:13.98
I'm glad I'm not
as sick as they are."
00:25:14.01\00:25:15.34
And it's true.
00:25:15.38\00:25:19.21
And so I thought, you know,
I'm still doing pretty good
00:25:19.25\00:25:22.02
and they were
talking back and forth.
00:25:22.05\00:25:23.49
And then they
wheeled me into another room
00:25:23.52\00:25:24.85
with all these great machines
00:25:24.89\00:25:26.22
and they started
hooking the EKG up to me.
00:25:26.25\00:25:28.26
I'm thinking, wow,
00:25:28.29\00:25:29.62
they're really giving
me a great treatment here.
00:25:29.66\00:25:31.53
You know, rolling
out the red carpet,
00:25:31.56\00:25:32.89
I felt very, very happy.
00:25:32.93\00:25:34.26
You know, this is
great medical care.
00:25:34.30\00:25:35.76
I wasn't expecting it
in a developing country.
00:25:35.80\00:25:37.60
And by the way,
00:25:37.63\00:25:39.07
they were giving me
excellent medical care
00:25:39.10\00:25:41.04
and they called
in the specialist.
00:25:41.07\00:25:43.47
They did a
spinal tap and I'm like,
00:25:43.51\00:25:44.84
"Man, this is a little bit much,
00:25:44.87\00:25:46.51
you know, I was
kind of like, okay,
00:25:46.54\00:25:48.44
you know, I'm a
very, very grateful
00:25:48.48\00:25:50.18
that you're helping me out,
00:25:50.21\00:25:51.55
but the spinal tap, is
that really necessary?"
00:25:51.58\00:25:54.95
And they assured me
00:25:54.98\00:25:56.32
that it was and it was
actually getting quite bad.
00:25:56.35\00:26:00.16
My kidneys did shut down.
00:26:00.19\00:26:01.92
And Amy came in to visit me.
00:26:01.96\00:26:05.73
And that was
actually the first time
00:26:05.76\00:26:07.10
I started to get worried
00:26:07.13\00:26:08.46
because I saw the
worry in her eyes.
00:26:08.50\00:26:11.17
By the way, I didn't understand
why they hooked me up to EKG.
00:26:11.20\00:26:14.04
So I asked Brian who
was translating for me,
00:26:14.07\00:26:16.20
I said, "What's going on?"
00:26:16.24\00:26:17.57
He said, "Oh, they can't
get your blood pressure."
00:26:17.61\00:26:21.41
Oh, all of a
sudden the great treatment
00:26:21.44\00:26:24.58
was getting kind of serious.
00:26:24.61\00:26:26.55
It wasn't just great treatment.
00:26:26.58\00:26:29.15
I had a real problem.
00:26:29.18\00:26:30.69
And he said the
pulse is very hard to feel,
00:26:30.72\00:26:33.25
they can't find
your pulse very well.
00:26:33.29\00:26:35.76
And they said
that your platelets
00:26:35.79\00:26:37.13
have dropped below
10% what they should be.
00:26:37.16\00:26:39.13
And Amy tells me now
00:26:42.23\00:26:43.90
she says I was surprised
you weren't unconscious.
00:26:43.93\00:26:46.10
As a nurse, she knew
00:26:46.13\00:26:47.47
that I should be in worse shape.
00:26:47.50\00:26:50.31
And she brought Tyler
and Ryan in to visit me
00:26:50.34\00:26:54.11
and I had IVs
coming out of my arms,
00:26:54.14\00:26:56.38
my hands, my feet.
00:26:56.41\00:26:58.68
Oh, I was sore.
00:26:58.71\00:27:00.05
And I wanted to
hold my kids I couldn't,
00:27:00.08\00:27:03.15
I just kind of touched them.
00:27:03.18\00:27:05.12
And just before
the short visit ended,
00:27:05.15\00:27:10.36
Tyler handed me a
little digital recorder
00:27:10.39\00:27:13.43
that we had purchased
for language learning.
00:27:13.46\00:27:16.26
And Amy said, "You know,
00:27:16.30\00:27:18.33
I want you to listen
to our messages for you,
00:27:18.37\00:27:20.00
after we leave.
00:27:20.04\00:27:21.37
You listened to that."
00:27:21.40\00:27:22.74
That evening I
played those messages
00:27:22.77\00:27:24.11
and to hear their loving words
00:27:24.14\00:27:29.14
and hear Tyler
pray for my healing
00:27:29.18\00:27:32.48
and then they
sang a couple of songs.
00:27:32.51\00:27:35.65
First they sang the
song that our friends,
00:27:35.68\00:27:39.32
Cheryl Hosford put to music,
00:27:39.35\00:27:42.29
Philippians 4:19
00:27:42.32\00:27:43.66
"My God shall
supply all your needs
00:27:43.69\00:27:45.36
according to His riches
which are in Christ Jesus."
00:27:45.39\00:27:50.17
And I began to feel
a peace coming over me.
00:27:50.20\00:27:55.47
And then after that
they sang another song
00:27:55.50\00:27:57.37
which is our good night
song we sing every night.
00:27:57.41\00:28:00.48
I love you so much.
00:28:00.51\00:28:02.34
I love you so
much and on it goes.
00:28:02.38\00:28:06.48
And I just, the tears
just start coming down.
00:28:06.51\00:28:08.92
Lord, we're supposed to
be doing some work here.
00:28:11.92\00:28:16.36
And now my body's shutting down.
00:28:16.39\00:28:20.00
You know, family start calling
00:28:20.03\00:28:22.86
and death was smiling at me.
00:28:22.93\00:28:27.57
Lord, you know,
we prayed and said,
00:28:27.60\00:28:29.90
Lord, if one of our kids were to
00:28:29.94\00:28:31.84
something
terrible were to happen
00:28:31.87\00:28:33.21
to one of our kids,
00:28:33.24\00:28:34.58
we would not be
shook in our certainty
00:28:34.61\00:28:37.35
that you had called us
but Lord, I mean, not me.
00:28:37.38\00:28:40.98
You know, how can
the work go forward?
00:28:41.02\00:28:42.48
You know, Lord, you need me?
00:28:42.52\00:28:45.32
And He does.
00:28:45.35\00:28:46.69
He needs all of
us, but who am I?
00:28:46.72\00:28:50.43
Who am I?
00:28:50.46\00:28:51.79
And...
00:28:51.83\00:28:53.16
But there was a peace.
00:28:57.00\00:28:59.70
There was a peace.
00:28:59.73\00:29:01.07
You know, the frontier
missions is a beautiful thing.
00:29:04.84\00:29:09.91
But there's a reality to it too.
00:29:09.94\00:29:13.18
In fact, a lot
of people have said,
00:29:13.21\00:29:16.69
you know, we really admire you.
00:29:16.72\00:29:19.42
We don't know how you can do it.
00:29:19.45\00:29:22.66
I'm not sure I could.
00:29:22.69\00:29:24.03
And that comment takes me aback.
00:29:26.86\00:29:31.87
I understand the
kind words that are...
00:29:31.90\00:29:34.57
The kind heart that
is behind those words,
00:29:34.60\00:29:36.57
but I'm still taking it back.
00:29:36.60\00:29:39.61
It's not about
whether I can do it.
00:29:39.64\00:29:43.11
I can't.
00:29:46.35\00:29:49.68
It's about
whether God has called,
00:29:49.72\00:29:52.79
whether He is sending.
00:29:52.82\00:29:55.62
And, friends, I'm here
to tell you this morning
00:29:55.66\00:29:57.23
that God is sending a
lot more people than go.
00:29:57.26\00:30:01.86
I want you to
turn in your Bibles
00:30:01.90\00:30:03.23
to Philippians Chapter 2.
00:30:03.26\00:30:04.60
Last night, Mark
Scalzi took us to Philippians.
00:30:08.10\00:30:13.11
And I was touched by his words.
00:30:13.14\00:30:15.58
And I think the
Bookof Philippians
00:30:15.61\00:30:18.05
is one of my
favorite books in the Bible.
00:30:18.08\00:30:20.52
If you haven't read
it through recently,
00:30:20.55\00:30:23.49
I encourage you do it today.
00:30:23.52\00:30:27.29
Just read it through.
It's a short little book.
00:30:27.32\00:30:29.02
You can do it in an hour.
00:30:29.06\00:30:31.86
Philippians Chapter 2.
00:30:31.89\00:30:34.36
When people ask me, why would,
00:30:34.40\00:30:37.57
you know, I've asked
myself this question,
00:30:37.60\00:30:39.23
why would anyone in the
world wanna be a missionary?
00:30:39.27\00:30:41.84
Why?
00:30:41.87\00:30:43.20
You know, let me list
some of the reasons for you.
00:30:43.24\00:30:45.61
Cut in pay, it's a reality.
00:30:45.64\00:30:49.61
Two, you introduce yourself
00:30:49.64\00:30:51.68
to all kinds of
exotic illnesses.
00:30:51.71\00:30:53.52
You know, exotic
is good sometimes,
00:30:53.55\00:30:55.15
but in this case,
00:30:55.18\00:30:56.52
I just assumed
have domestic illnesses
00:30:56.55\00:30:59.55
and then you introduce
yourself to an environment
00:30:59.59\00:31:01.89
where the medical care
may not be what you expected,
00:31:01.92\00:31:05.59
or what we have
here in the States.
00:31:05.63\00:31:07.60
How about modern conveniences
00:31:07.63\00:31:08.96
sometimes you
leave those behind,
00:31:09.00\00:31:10.33
you know, hot
water, washing machines,
00:31:10.37\00:31:14.24
or air conditioner.
00:31:14.27\00:31:15.60
You know, I feel bad
for people who lose power.
00:31:15.64\00:31:18.07
But, you know, it
doesn't really faze me
00:31:18.11\00:31:21.14
because I've learned
00:31:21.18\00:31:22.51
that if you just keep
the air conditioner off,
00:31:22.54\00:31:23.88
it actually you kind of
get used to it after a while
00:31:23.91\00:31:25.45
and it's okay to
have a dripping nose
00:31:25.48\00:31:26.98
half of the day.
00:31:27.02\00:31:28.48
And, you know,
so you leave behind
00:31:28.52\00:31:31.12
some of those
modern conveniences.
00:31:31.15\00:31:32.65
By the way, the desire
for them still stays with you,
00:31:32.69\00:31:34.56
by the way.
00:31:34.59\00:31:35.92
The other day, my wife
and I, we went to Walmart,
00:31:38.76\00:31:40.73
and we were just overwhelmed.
00:31:40.76\00:31:42.10
Wow, look at all the choices
00:31:42.13\00:31:43.47
and I was looking at the
PDAs and I say, "You know what,
00:31:43.50\00:31:45.20
I think I'd be a
lot better organized.
00:31:45.23\00:31:46.80
If I just had one of
those PDAs right there,
00:31:46.84\00:31:48.74
I could put all
my schedules in there
00:31:48.77\00:31:52.74
and appointments
00:31:52.77\00:31:54.11
and I probably
still forget them,
00:31:54.14\00:31:56.04
but I could put them in."
00:31:56.08\00:31:57.45
And, you know, the
desire to stay with you
00:31:57.48\00:32:02.58
even when the opportunities
to indulge isn't there.
00:32:02.62\00:32:06.29
Now here's a big one.
00:32:09.32\00:32:10.83
Live far away
from your loved ones.
00:32:10.86\00:32:13.46
Whether that's your family,
your parents, your children,
00:32:13.50\00:32:18.17
or your friends.
00:32:18.20\00:32:22.87
We went there for our family,
00:32:22.90\00:32:24.24
we thought this would be
great thing for our family.
00:32:24.27\00:32:26.14
We never realized how much
we loved our family and friends
00:32:26.17\00:32:30.11
until we were
far away from them.
00:32:30.15\00:32:33.11
Why would anyone
want to be a missionary?
00:32:33.15\00:32:35.02
Well, we go for the spiritual,
00:32:35.05\00:32:36.38
you know, it's gonna
be an awesome experience
00:32:36.42\00:32:37.75
when we put ourselves
00:32:37.79\00:32:39.12
right in the
middle of a battlefield.
00:32:39.15\00:32:40.49
People are
shooting, spiritually,
00:32:40.52\00:32:42.16
shooting back and forth
00:32:42.19\00:32:43.66
and we're like, this
is not the place to be.
00:32:43.69\00:32:48.50
I don't know what it
must be like for a servicemen
00:32:48.53\00:32:51.10
to be out there in
the middle of fire.
00:32:51.13\00:32:53.60
But spiritually, the experience
is rather intimidating.
00:32:53.64\00:32:57.74
You know, I'm a
non-confrontational guy.
00:32:57.77\00:33:00.21
You know, if there's a fight,
I'm happy to watch or run.
00:33:00.24\00:33:03.51
I'm not the type of person
00:33:03.55\00:33:04.88
that really wants to
engage in hand-to-hand combat
00:33:04.91\00:33:07.22
in that situation.
00:33:07.25\00:33:10.49
Why would anyone
want to be a missionary?
00:33:10.52\00:33:12.09
Well, let me read
with you about Christ.
00:33:12.12\00:33:15.92
You know who better
to look to for an answer.
00:33:15.96\00:33:20.86
Philippians 2:6 says,
00:33:20.90\00:33:25.53
"Who, though he
was in the form of God,
00:33:25.57\00:33:28.27
did not regard equality with God
00:33:28.30\00:33:30.44
as something to be
exploited, but emptied himself,
00:33:30.47\00:33:34.84
taking the form of a slave,
being born in human likeness.
00:33:34.88\00:33:38.71
And being found in
human form, He humbled Himself
00:33:38.75\00:33:43.12
and became obedient
to the point of death,
00:33:43.15\00:33:48.49
even death on a cross."
00:33:48.52\00:33:51.69
So by giving up His
divine, Jesus Christ,
00:33:51.73\00:33:57.17
fully God
00:33:57.20\00:34:01.97
lowered Himself in humility
00:34:02.00\00:34:04.51
by giving up His
divine position in heaven,
00:34:04.54\00:34:07.71
by becoming a servant to others,
00:34:07.74\00:34:11.08
by becoming a human baby,
00:34:11.11\00:34:13.52
by humbling
Himself among humans,
00:34:13.55\00:34:15.18
by becoming a poor human baby,
00:34:15.22\00:34:21.16
by allowing Himself to die.
00:34:21.19\00:34:25.03
Can you imagine that
the source of life dying?
00:34:25.06\00:34:30.97
And by dying
00:34:31.00\00:34:33.34
a cursed
criminal's death on the cross.
00:34:33.37\00:34:36.40
Oh, how can it be?
00:34:39.57\00:34:42.08
How could he do that?
00:34:42.11\00:34:43.45
It was only
because of His relationship
00:34:47.82\00:34:51.55
that He prized the
relationship He had with you.
00:34:51.59\00:34:57.53
The relationship He had with you
00:34:57.56\00:34:59.29
was not what He wanted.
00:34:59.33\00:35:01.90
He wanted to go deeper.
00:35:01.93\00:35:03.90
The surface
relationship wouldn't do.
00:35:03.93\00:35:06.30
He was willing to do everything.
00:35:06.33\00:35:09.97
And when you're
talking about an infinite God,
00:35:10.01\00:35:11.94
I mean everything.
00:35:11.97\00:35:13.31
And I left the kicker
for the last, verse 5.
00:35:18.25\00:35:22.28
"Let the same mind be in you."
00:35:22.32\00:35:25.35
"Let the same mind be in
you that was in Christ Jesus."
00:35:25.39\00:35:29.19
Oh, Lord.
00:35:29.22\00:35:31.29
I don't have Your mind.
00:35:31.33\00:35:34.73
I feel sorry for
myself sometimes.
00:35:34.76\00:35:37.00
You ever felt
sorry for yourself?
00:35:37.03\00:35:38.50
Missionaries do too.
00:35:38.53\00:35:40.90
You know, you're sitting there
say, Lord, what am I doing?
00:35:40.94\00:35:44.11
You know, I had great
ambitions coming out here.
00:35:44.14\00:35:46.98
And man, it was all
kinds of great dreams
00:35:47.01\00:35:51.68
and I get out here and I realize
00:35:51.71\00:35:53.55
reality is not what you expect.
00:35:53.58\00:35:56.45
Lord, I want Your mind.
00:35:59.45\00:36:01.76
I want to have
the mind of Christ,
00:36:01.79\00:36:03.53
but at times, that's painful.
00:36:03.56\00:36:06.86
You know, I can tell you
about the statistics in Laos
00:36:12.33\00:36:14.67
about all the problems.
00:36:14.70\00:36:16.04
You know, one of the
statistics is that in Laos
00:36:16.07\00:36:21.54
there is one doctor
00:36:21.58\00:36:26.28
for every 2,200 people.
00:36:26.31\00:36:33.09
And in Laos,
00:36:33.12\00:36:34.62
there is one delivery
00:36:34.66\00:36:39.23
out of five
00:36:39.26\00:36:41.66
that has a trained attendant.
00:36:41.70\00:36:45.53
Now to give you an
idea what that's like,
00:36:45.57\00:36:47.24
you know, those
are statistics, right?
00:36:47.27\00:36:49.60
That's a statistic and the
mind can't comprehend that,
00:36:49.64\00:36:53.24
but let me give you a face.
00:36:53.27\00:36:54.64
There's a man
by the name of Lee.
00:36:54.68\00:36:56.01
I'll call him Lee,
00:36:56.04\00:36:57.38
it's actually not his real name.
00:36:57.41\00:36:59.15
Lee brought his wife
00:36:59.18\00:37:04.79
to church one Sabbath.
00:37:04.82\00:37:07.79
His wife was
full-term and unconscious.
00:37:07.82\00:37:14.26
Amy went over to
see if she could help.
00:37:14.30\00:37:18.07
She felt for a pulse.
00:37:18.10\00:37:20.24
It was very weak and thready.
00:37:20.27\00:37:22.74
She feels her abdomen to see
00:37:22.77\00:37:27.98
if there's any
movement of the child
00:37:28.01\00:37:29.34
and she can't detect any.
00:37:29.38\00:37:32.58
And she asks Lee,
"Lee, what happened?"
00:37:32.61\00:37:36.42
He said, "Three days
ago my wife collapsed
00:37:36.45\00:37:38.19
and she's been unconscious.
00:37:38.22\00:37:39.55
I don't know what happened."
00:37:39.59\00:37:40.96
Amy looked at the
swollen ankles and feet
00:37:40.99\00:37:43.12
and figured that
00:37:43.16\00:37:46.16
if she'd had some
kind of medical attention
00:37:46.19\00:37:49.86
or someone knew something,
00:37:49.90\00:37:51.50
they could have
detected the pre-eclampsia
00:37:51.53\00:37:55.60
and now the toxemia
00:37:55.64\00:37:58.41
after rushing to the hospital,
00:37:58.44\00:38:00.08
she survived a couple
of days before she died.
00:38:00.11\00:38:04.75
Something so simple to prevent
00:38:04.78\00:38:09.52
that's a face on the statistic
00:38:09.55\00:38:10.92
and the following Sabbath
as we went to the graveyard.
00:38:10.95\00:38:15.79
There's an open,
shallow, red dirt grave.
00:38:15.82\00:38:21.23
They had a wooden
cross set in there.
00:38:21.26\00:38:25.03
And as the four men,
00:38:25.07\00:38:26.43
young men lowered
that simple coffin
00:38:26.47\00:38:29.44
down into that grave.
00:38:29.47\00:38:33.31
Lee just leaned
against that cross
00:38:33.34\00:38:35.11
and cried, just sobbed.
00:38:35.14\00:38:37.01
His wife 21 years old
00:38:40.28\00:38:43.95
with a daughter two years old.
00:38:43.99\00:38:46.92
That little girl
would ask, where's my mommy.
00:38:46.96\00:38:50.79
For a simple medical condition
00:38:50.83\00:38:52.49
that could have
easily been prevented.
00:38:52.53\00:38:54.00
You know, why would
anyone wanna be a missionary?
00:38:57.07\00:38:59.13
When you put
faces to the statistics,
00:38:59.17\00:39:03.61
the heart that is touched
by God by a compassionate God
00:39:03.64\00:39:06.98
cannot do anything
else but say, Lord send me.
00:39:07.01\00:39:12.25
How can I not go?
00:39:12.28\00:39:14.55
We were having
a Sabbath worship.
00:39:14.58\00:39:19.15
Evening worship we
went to the riverbank,
00:39:19.19\00:39:21.02
and we were skipping
stones and playing with our kids
00:39:21.06\00:39:23.49
and three little
children came down off the bank
00:39:23.53\00:39:27.26
and barefoot, messed up hair,
00:39:27.30\00:39:32.00
dirty, holes in their clothes,
00:39:32.03\00:39:35.27
and they come up
and they start to beg,
00:39:35.30\00:39:37.27
please sir, anna, anna.
00:39:37.31\00:39:39.97
Please give me
money I need to eat.
00:39:44.41\00:39:48.55
And, you know, we're kind of,
00:39:48.58\00:39:51.19
you know, our mentality
is this legitimate or not,
00:39:51.22\00:39:54.56
you know,
they're taking advantage
00:39:54.59\00:39:55.92
of the rich foreigner or not
00:39:55.96\00:39:57.29
and so we rejected their
pleas just kind of ignore,
00:39:57.33\00:40:00.16
but they started
playing with our kids.
00:40:00.20\00:40:01.86
And at the end of the
sun as it was setting there
00:40:01.90\00:40:06.43
we I went and
sat down on the bank
00:40:06.47\00:40:10.57
and kind of
hunched down like this.
00:40:10.61\00:40:13.84
And I called our boys over
00:40:13.88\00:40:16.38
and we started
singing some songs
00:40:16.41\00:40:17.75
but the songs drew
those other children over.
00:40:17.78\00:40:21.62
Those other three little kids.
00:40:21.65\00:40:23.69
And as I was sitting there
00:40:23.72\00:40:25.05
getting ready to
read all of a sudden
00:40:25.09\00:40:26.42
one head popped into
this arm of the little girl,
00:40:26.45\00:40:29.69
and then his older
brother popped into this one,
00:40:29.72\00:40:32.19
and then the other one
tackled me from the back
00:40:32.23\00:40:33.73
and here I am,
00:40:33.76\00:40:35.10
and my first reaction
was tickle them get them off,
00:40:35.13\00:40:39.13
you know, and I was
accost not only by their bodies,
00:40:39.17\00:40:41.84
but by their smell
00:40:41.87\00:40:43.20
and I was like
tickle, tickle, tickle,
00:40:43.24\00:40:44.57
you know, in the
kind of a friendly way
00:40:44.61\00:40:45.94
to get them off.
00:40:45.97\00:40:47.31
You know, I'm
not confrontational.
00:40:47.34\00:40:48.68
And, but then my
heart was just like,
00:40:48.71\00:40:50.71
"Wow, these kids
are affectionate."
00:40:50.75\00:40:53.62
And we began to
sing some of our songs
00:40:53.65\00:40:56.79
and we switched
over into their language.
00:40:56.82\00:40:59.85
And that
evening as we went home,
00:40:59.89\00:41:01.62
I thought the first
time for those children
00:41:01.66\00:41:06.66
to probably hear
the name of Jesus
00:41:06.70\00:41:09.76
was in a context
of a family worship
00:41:09.80\00:41:13.00
on a riverbank.
00:41:13.03\00:41:14.37
And in my heart, you know,
00:41:17.21\00:41:19.07
it just kind of started
aching holes inside my heart.
00:41:19.11\00:41:23.14
Oh, Lord, helped me
meet these guys again.
00:41:23.18\00:41:25.65
And sure enough, we
did meet them again.
00:41:25.68\00:41:27.48
And I want to tell you
about the last experience.
00:41:27.52\00:41:30.45
We just saw them one
time here before we came.
00:41:30.49\00:41:34.96
The Lord just seems to
keep bringing these kids
00:41:34.99\00:41:36.66
back into my life
whether I like it or not.
00:41:36.69\00:41:38.63
They've come into my office
00:41:38.66\00:41:40.00
and just kind of tried
to play with everything.
00:41:40.03\00:41:41.36
Can I have
this? Can I have this?
00:41:41.40\00:41:42.73
And they start
playing with stuff
00:41:42.76\00:41:44.10
and so we get that
our boys have given them
00:41:44.13\00:41:45.63
a little matchbox
cars and things like this,
00:41:45.67\00:41:48.04
but we're at the street market
00:41:48.07\00:41:49.84
where they sell prepared
food a couple of months ago,
00:41:49.87\00:41:52.51
and it was drizzling rain.
00:41:52.54\00:41:53.88
It was cold.
00:41:53.91\00:41:55.24
And I saw these
three little kids.
00:41:55.28\00:41:56.71
I thought, wow, here they are,
00:41:56.75\00:41:58.21
you know, and as
I go close to them
00:41:58.25\00:41:59.81
I saw them shivering
by this time we're friends
00:41:59.85\00:42:01.52
and so they
recognize us and they say,
00:42:01.55\00:42:02.88
"Please, can I
have some money sir
00:42:02.92\00:42:04.25
to that so I can
get something to eat."
00:42:04.29\00:42:06.15
And so I proudly
took up my wallet,
00:42:06.19\00:42:08.66
you know, okay.
00:42:08.69\00:42:10.59
What would you like? Yes.
00:42:10.63\00:42:11.96
Okay, so they pointed
00:42:11.99\00:42:13.33
to the little
bread pastry thing.
00:42:13.36\00:42:15.66
It's not very sweet
but little thing there
00:42:15.70\00:42:17.83
and so I happily bought
three of those 10 cents each
00:42:17.87\00:42:20.87
and felt good.
00:42:20.90\00:42:23.54
I feel good.
00:42:23.57\00:42:25.07
And I noticed that
they walked on along
00:42:25.11\00:42:28.28
and were still begging.
00:42:28.31\00:42:31.48
Still, I just
gave them some food.
00:42:31.51\00:42:35.35
Yeah, I was feeling good.
00:42:35.38\00:42:36.72
And now they're
begging on from other people.
00:42:36.75\00:42:38.09
I'm like, wait a minute.
00:42:38.12\00:42:41.12
And a voice
inside my heart said,
00:42:41.16\00:42:44.03
"If those were your children,
00:42:44.06\00:42:45.99
would you only give
them a pastry for dinner?"
00:42:46.03\00:42:48.73
So I had to
catch back up with him.
00:42:53.44\00:42:56.50
I said, "What else do you want?"
00:42:56.54\00:42:59.64
That.
00:42:59.67\00:43:02.08
Well, they look like some
kind of a sugary drink thing.
00:43:02.11\00:43:04.35
No, I guess some healthy.
00:43:04.38\00:43:05.71
No, no, no that.
00:43:05.75\00:43:07.08
And sure enough,
00:43:07.12\00:43:08.45
they're pointing
to the barbecue stand
00:43:08.48\00:43:10.05
has selling chicken.
00:43:10.09\00:43:11.62
And I thought, sure,
00:43:11.65\00:43:12.99
that's probably the
healthiest thing out here
00:43:13.02\00:43:14.36
with the most nutrients.
00:43:14.39\00:43:15.72
So I went over there
and proceeded to point out
00:43:15.76\00:43:19.06
we wanted three of
these chicken wings and heat
00:43:19.09\00:43:23.37
and so she took
those and heated them up.
00:43:23.40\00:43:25.03
And along came this
other this other guy
00:43:25.07\00:43:26.80
and he looks over
and looks down at them.
00:43:26.84\00:43:30.94
He also ordered a chicken wing
00:43:30.97\00:43:32.57
and he didn't see
me or didn't realize
00:43:32.61\00:43:35.38
I was standing
over there and he says,
00:43:35.41\00:43:38.31
"Look at you
ugly, dirty children.
00:43:38.35\00:43:42.12
You must have unloving
parents to treat you this way.
00:43:42.15\00:43:45.79
Look at you.
00:43:45.82\00:43:47.19
What are you doing here anyway?
00:43:47.22\00:43:49.09
You don't belong here, go away."
00:43:49.12\00:43:51.93
And I'm standing over
here and I'm thinking,
00:43:51.96\00:43:56.60
I'm confrontational,
00:43:56.63\00:43:57.97
but I said,
"Sir, they're with me.
00:43:58.00\00:43:59.43
I'm their friend."
00:43:59.47\00:44:01.87
And I don't know
if he was more stunned
00:44:01.90\00:44:03.24
that I
understood what he had said.
00:44:03.27\00:44:05.84
Or the fact that I was
saying that they're with me
00:44:05.87\00:44:08.41
but anyway, he
quickly took what he had
00:44:08.44\00:44:10.85
and walked off and we went ahead
00:44:10.88\00:44:13.92
and got the chicken wings
00:44:13.95\00:44:16.65
and they had the
leg and wrap them up
00:44:16.69\00:44:18.59
and put them in a bag,
00:44:18.62\00:44:19.95
and then they're just
kind of standing around
00:44:19.99\00:44:21.52
and I thought well,
they should eat or leave
00:44:21.56\00:44:24.39
is kind of what
the next step would be.
00:44:24.43\00:44:26.19
But they just kind
of sit around and say,
00:44:26.23\00:44:27.56
"What's the
matter? What do you need?"
00:44:27.60\00:44:28.93
They said, "We need some rice."
00:44:28.96\00:44:30.50
Oh, of course, you
know, they want to have...
00:44:30.53\00:44:32.87
Every meal has
to have rice with it
00:44:32.90\00:44:34.24
'cause that's
the bulk of the meal.
00:44:34.27\00:44:35.80
So we got the rice
and I gave that to them.
00:44:35.84\00:44:38.11
And they started to
leave, and then again,
00:44:38.14\00:44:39.71
I noticed their bare feet,
00:44:39.74\00:44:41.08
the drizzling rain
and they're shivering.
00:44:41.11\00:44:43.61
And I thought I
should take them home.
00:44:43.65\00:44:46.98
So I said, would
you like a ride home?
00:44:47.02\00:44:48.72
Oh, my goodness.
They were so excited.
00:44:48.75\00:44:50.09
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:44:50.12\00:44:51.45
It was the first time I think
that they'd ever been in a car
00:44:51.49\00:44:53.25
and so we put them in
the back of our truck.
00:44:53.29\00:44:54.62
Our boys rode in
the back with them.
00:44:54.66\00:44:55.99
We took them home.
00:44:56.02\00:44:57.39
But the thing that touched me
00:44:57.43\00:44:59.63
is that they
weren't eating the food.
00:44:59.66\00:45:01.50
I said, "Why
aren't you eating food?"
00:45:01.53\00:45:02.86
They said,
"Because we're taking home
00:45:02.90\00:45:04.23
for family meal."
00:45:04.27\00:45:05.60
Do we have the mind of Christ?
00:45:14.54\00:45:17.68
We know the statistics.
00:45:17.71\00:45:20.32
We've got more statistics
than we know what to do with.
00:45:20.35\00:45:22.15
But do we care about the faces?
00:45:25.22\00:45:28.56
Children just like yours,
00:45:28.59\00:45:31.16
brothers and
sisters just like yours.
00:45:31.19\00:45:33.19
We're great about
supporting disaster relief,
00:45:36.26\00:45:39.27
but what about
the day to day grind,
00:45:39.30\00:45:40.64
the silent deaths?
00:45:40.67\00:45:42.00
You know,
00:45:47.74\00:45:52.21
Philippians 2
00:45:52.25\00:45:54.25
doesn't stop with humiliation.
00:45:54.28\00:45:59.39
In verse 9, it says,
00:45:59.42\00:46:02.52
"Therefore God
also highly exalted him
00:46:02.56\00:46:07.53
Jesus Christ
00:46:07.56\00:46:08.90
and gave him the name
that is above every name,
00:46:08.93\00:46:13.20
so that the name of
Jesus every knee should bend,
00:46:13.23\00:46:17.01
in heaven and on
earth and under the earth,
00:46:17.04\00:46:22.48
and every tongue should confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord,
00:46:22.51\00:46:27.95
to the glory of God the Father."
00:46:27.98\00:46:30.62
Friends, we read the
passage this morning,
00:46:36.32\00:46:39.43
the picture in heaven.
00:46:39.46\00:46:40.80
There are in the
world 2 billion people
00:46:43.60\00:46:49.14
who are speaking languages
00:46:49.17\00:46:50.97
that don't know
the name Jesus Christ.
00:46:51.01\00:46:54.14
We praise the Lord
about the work being done.
00:46:57.55\00:47:00.72
And it isn't
done if we don't care
00:47:00.75\00:47:02.78
about one third of
the world's population.
00:47:02.82\00:47:07.56
Where are you,
Lord, please return.
00:47:07.59\00:47:09.69
I want you to
picture in your mind a beach.
00:47:13.63\00:47:16.63
And at that beach,
00:47:16.67\00:47:18.00
you take two
children, your children
00:47:18.03\00:47:21.04
and it's a stormy
day on that beach.
00:47:21.07\00:47:25.37
And you tell
your kids be careful
00:47:25.41\00:47:27.44
because there's a strong current
00:47:27.48\00:47:29.84
and the waves are crashing,
00:47:29.88\00:47:32.05
but the huge waves
00:47:32.08\00:47:33.62
and they like to
swim so it's a great day,
00:47:33.65\00:47:35.62
if you enjoy that.
00:47:35.65\00:47:36.99
So you're out there on
the beach and one child,
00:47:37.02\00:47:39.75
they both swim for a while
00:47:39.79\00:47:41.12
then one child comes in
wants to build a sandcastle.
00:47:41.16\00:47:44.13
And as you're helping that child
00:47:44.16\00:47:45.73
building that sandcastle,
00:47:45.76\00:47:47.66
the one out in the water still,
you start to hear some screams.
00:47:47.70\00:47:53.40
And you can't really see him
00:47:53.44\00:47:54.77
'cause the waves
are crashing so high
00:47:54.80\00:47:56.14
but as the wave crashes in,
00:47:56.17\00:47:57.84
you see your second boy
00:47:57.87\00:48:02.78
crying for help.
00:48:02.81\00:48:05.28
Let me ask you a question.
00:48:05.31\00:48:08.75
Where would you
be at that point?
00:48:08.78\00:48:11.72
Would you continue to
sculpt the most majestic castle
00:48:11.75\00:48:15.12
that has ever been on this beach
00:48:15.16\00:48:17.73
with that child who's
there safely on the beach?
00:48:17.76\00:48:21.06
Or would you go over
and risk your own life
00:48:21.10\00:48:23.30
to save your other son?
00:48:23.33\00:48:26.33
Where would God be?
00:48:26.37\00:48:29.07
Where are you,
Lord, please come back?
00:48:29.10\00:48:32.34
Friends, the Holy
Spirit is being poured out
00:48:32.37\00:48:34.34
in all the world,
00:48:34.38\00:48:36.54
trying to reach the
hearts of the people
00:48:36.58\00:48:39.01
who know not the
name Jesus Christ.
00:48:39.05\00:48:44.09
Lord, when are You
going to come back?
00:48:44.12\00:48:48.82
God's desire is to
form a relationship with you
00:48:52.29\00:48:57.23
in which you will
have the mind of Christ.
00:48:57.27\00:49:02.87
That will be glory
00:49:02.90\00:49:05.07
when we have the mind of Christ.
00:49:05.11\00:49:08.28
I don't claim to have it.
00:49:08.31\00:49:10.45
You know, I'm
telling you some stories
00:49:10.48\00:49:11.95
that tug at my own heart.
00:49:11.98\00:49:14.12
You know why it's
tugging at my heart?
00:49:14.15\00:49:16.65
Because Jesus
Christ is transforming me.
00:49:16.69\00:49:21.99
There are days when I don't
feel like being a missionary.
00:49:22.02\00:49:25.09
There are days I don't
wanna be on the frontier.
00:49:25.13\00:49:28.90
And God gives me these
kinds of experiences to say,
00:49:28.93\00:49:31.47
you need the mind of Christ.
00:49:31.50\00:49:35.60
Friends, do you
need the mind of Christ?
00:49:35.64\00:49:38.81
I want you to pray with me.
00:49:41.84\00:49:43.18
Oh, Lord, our God.
00:49:48.12\00:49:49.45
You love us beyond anything
that we can ever imagine.
00:49:56.12\00:50:01.63
We think we love our kids,
00:50:01.66\00:50:03.67
but we don't love our
kids the way You love us.
00:50:03.70\00:50:08.30
Dear Lord,
00:50:08.34\00:50:09.67
please create in
us a clean heart,
00:50:09.70\00:50:15.44
a mind like Christ.
00:50:15.48\00:50:18.28
Lord, help us to get
beyond the black and white
00:50:18.31\00:50:20.38
the statistics
00:50:20.42\00:50:21.78
and the idea like
photos of foreign lands.
00:50:21.82\00:50:26.39
Lord, help us to see
faces of our children,
00:50:29.86\00:50:35.83
of our brothers and sisters
00:50:35.86\00:50:39.37
who the devil is
trying to keep in ignorance,
00:50:39.40\00:50:43.17
in hopelessness, and in fear.
00:50:43.20\00:50:45.34
Lord, I pray
that Your Holy Spirit
00:50:48.38\00:50:49.84
would move across
this room and across anyone
00:50:49.88\00:50:51.68
who's watching
this on television.
00:50:51.71\00:50:53.45
Lord, I pray
00:50:53.48\00:50:55.62
that You would stir upon us
00:50:55.65\00:51:00.06
to adopt people
groups throughout the world
00:51:00.09\00:51:04.89
who have not heard Your voice.
00:51:04.93\00:51:08.90
Oh, You may say, "Well, I don't
even know people groups names."
00:51:08.93\00:51:14.70
Well, if you type
that into the WorldWideWeb,
00:51:14.74\00:51:18.17
you will find lots of names.
00:51:18.21\00:51:21.64
Adopt people for Christ.
00:51:21.68\00:51:28.38
You might say...
00:51:28.42\00:51:30.09
And those of you who say, wow,
00:51:30.12\00:51:31.72
I pray for the
frontier missions,
00:51:31.75\00:51:33.79
and I just
couldn't be one myself.
00:51:33.82\00:51:35.79
If God hasn't
called you to ministry,
00:51:35.82\00:51:41.36
I want your heart to open
to the call of God right now
00:51:41.40\00:51:45.63
because He needs
every able-bodied
00:51:45.67\00:51:48.77
or less-bodied person out there.
00:51:48.80\00:51:51.67
It doesn't matter
what your condition is,
00:51:51.71\00:51:53.31
He needs you.
00:51:53.34\00:51:55.94
The Lord wants to return.
00:51:55.98\00:51:57.31
He wants to stop the suffering.
00:51:57.35\00:51:58.68
He wants to stop the hurricanes.
00:51:58.71\00:52:00.05
He wants to stop the terrorism.
00:52:00.08\00:52:01.42
He wants to stop the wars.
00:52:01.45\00:52:02.78
He wants to stop the suffering
00:52:02.82\00:52:04.15
and the death that the
devil is laughing over.
00:52:04.19\00:52:08.02
Lord, please,
00:52:08.06\00:52:11.49
the fields are
ripe with harvest.
00:52:11.53\00:52:14.40
Send out Your people.
00:52:14.43\00:52:16.77
And, Lord, may we
never waste today.
00:52:16.80\00:52:21.90
May You be glorified and, Lord,
00:52:21.94\00:52:23.67
whether You call us to
missions in our neighborhood,
00:52:23.71\00:52:25.94
across the street down the road,
00:52:25.97\00:52:30.95
or overseas.
00:52:30.98\00:52:34.02
Lord, may You be glorified.
00:52:34.05\00:52:38.95
I pray in Jesus' name.
00:52:38.99\00:52:40.46
"John looked, and there
he saw a great multitude
00:52:43.96\00:52:49.93
that no one could count.
00:52:49.96\00:52:51.30
No one could
count, from every nation
00:52:54.67\00:52:58.17
from all tribes and
peoples and languages,
00:52:58.21\00:53:01.28
standing before the
throne and before the Lamb,
00:53:01.31\00:53:03.45
robed in white,
00:53:03.48\00:53:05.28
with palm
branches in their hands.
00:53:05.31\00:53:07.35
And they cried out
in a loud voice, saying,
00:53:07.38\00:53:09.32
'Salvation belongs to our
God who is seated on the throne,
00:53:09.35\00:53:13.25
and to the Lamb!'
00:53:13.29\00:53:15.29
And all the angels
stood around the throne
00:53:15.32\00:53:17.06
and around the elders
00:53:17.09\00:53:18.43
and around the
four living creatures,
00:53:18.46\00:53:19.79
and they fell on their
faces before the throne
00:53:19.83\00:53:21.43
and worshiped God.
00:53:21.46\00:53:23.16
They worshiped singing, 'Amen!
00:53:23.20\00:53:26.43
Blessing and glory,
00:53:26.47\00:53:28.34
and wisdom and
thanksgiving, and power
00:53:28.37\00:53:31.84
and might to be our God,
00:53:31.87\00:53:34.71
forever, forever and ever!
00:53:34.74\00:53:39.65
Amen.'"
00:53:39.68\00:53:41.02