When you come to ASI you expect
00:01:02.50\00:01:04.59
to be thrilled
and challenged and
00:01:04.60\00:01:07.10
stimulated and
go home remembering
00:01:07.11\00:01:10.97
experiences where
lives were changed.
00:01:10.98\00:01:13.50
Where God is using
people just like you
00:01:13.51\00:01:16.53
and me to reach this
dead and dying world.
00:01:16.54\00:01:19.74
Today you're not going to be
00:01:21.09\00:01:22.16
disappointed at all.
Christian Berdahl over
00:01:22.17\00:01:26.20
ten years ago
founded the Shepherd's
00:01:26.21\00:01:28.81
Call Ministry.
Christian came from
00:01:28.82\00:01:31.71
a background of
abuse and hardship
00:01:31.72\00:01:34.22
and heartache,
but God used him in a
00:01:34.23\00:01:36.88
remarkable way,
now in a ministry of
00:01:36.89\00:01:39.98
music and the
spoken word in both
00:01:39.99\00:01:43.09
secular setting as well as in
00:01:43.10\00:01:44.88
spiritual
settings. He's invited around
00:01:44.89\00:01:47.33
the world to
ministering to cross
00:01:47.34\00:01:49.70
denominations in
secular events and all kinds of
00:01:49.71\00:01:53.69
opportunities.
Christian, how in the world did
00:01:54.20\00:01:56.11
you end up becoming a Christian?
00:01:56.12\00:01:57.84
Well my, I was raised in a
00:01:58.42\00:02:00.24
non-Christian home and my,
00:02:00.25\00:02:03.10
I was raised in
non-Christian home
00:02:03.11\00:02:05.04
and my mother
was a non-Christian
00:02:05.29\00:02:09.04
and she gave me
the name Christian,
00:02:09.89\00:02:11.84
I don't know how,
I've asked her that,
00:02:11.85\00:02:13.28
she said I don't
know I just like the name.
00:02:13.29\00:02:15.03
She says now it was providential
00:02:15.33\00:02:17.14
praise the Lord.
But I was raised in
00:02:17.15\00:02:19.88
an abusive home. My mother was a
00:02:19.89\00:02:22.26
17-year-old young
girl when she had me.
00:02:22.27\00:02:26.04
My father was
19-years-old he was
00:02:26.75\00:02:28.86
a drug user and
an alcoholic and an
00:02:28.87\00:02:32.80
adulterer,
finally my mother after
00:02:32.81\00:02:34.51
having two
different children decided
00:02:34.52\00:02:36.91
to divorce him
and she was a single
00:02:36.92\00:02:40.64
mother taking care
of three of us boys
00:02:40.65\00:02:42.68
and sent off to babysitters.
00:02:43.32\00:02:45.12
The babysitters unfortunately
00:02:45.37\00:02:48.57
the babysitter's
son stole my innocence
00:02:48.58\00:02:51.38
as a young boy
and then from there
00:02:51.39\00:02:54.85
my mother
remarried and she remarried
00:02:55.94\00:02:58.25
to a man who became our worst
00:02:58.26\00:02:59.85
nightmare actually and he was
00:02:59.86\00:03:01.96
extremely abusive, very violent,
00:03:01.97\00:03:05.02
I've been
whipped, I've been tied up,
00:03:06.24\00:03:08.23
I've been tortured,
I've had open wounds
00:03:08.24\00:03:10.69
from the, from the top
of my neck to my heels,
00:03:10.70\00:03:14.07
and so it was a tough,
a tough life as a child.
00:03:14.95\00:03:17.61
I learned that
you put on a face even
00:03:18.62\00:03:21.76
though your life
is absolutely horrible
00:03:21.77\00:03:23.98
and terrible and
you act like everything
00:03:23.99\00:03:26.06
is okay, and that was my
00:03:26.07\00:03:28.01
existence as a young child.
00:03:28.02\00:03:29.53
It seems that
when we look at people
00:03:29.74\00:03:32.32
we don't know anything about
00:03:32.33\00:03:34.04
their background.
We don't know what's
00:03:34.05\00:03:35.30
in their
backpack, but even through
00:03:35.31\00:03:37.93
this heartache
and tough time you
00:03:37.94\00:03:39.86
had growing up God
still has chosen to use you.
00:03:39.87\00:03:43.16
Which amazes me because I,
00:03:43.64\00:03:45.12
how He got a hold
of my life is absolute,
00:03:45.59\00:03:48.39
an absolute
miracle because growing
00:03:48.40\00:03:50.62
up when you have father figures
00:03:50.63\00:03:53.13
abuse and then
my biological father
00:03:53.14\00:03:55.72
molested all
three of us boys and so
00:03:56.51\00:03:58.56
we just had so
much baggage and so
00:03:59.03\00:04:00.87
much weight and
so much hurt and pain
00:04:00.88\00:04:03.44
that I honestly
couldn't believe that there
00:04:03.45\00:04:06.71
was a God in
heaven that wanted to do
00:04:06.72\00:04:09.83
anything good to
me. Because everyone I
00:04:09.84\00:04:12.42
had trusted had
always hurt me so,
00:04:12.43\00:04:14.29
for God to take me from that to
00:04:14.68\00:04:17.95
singing and
preaching for Him is a miracle.
00:04:19.03\00:04:21.01
Well just think
how many kids are out
00:04:21.02\00:04:23.15
there that are
going through this same
00:04:23.16\00:04:24.44
kind of heartache that you did.
00:04:24.45\00:04:25.73
I mean it's not
that uncommon and here
00:04:25.74\00:04:28.32
we just look at
people all cleaned up and
00:04:28.33\00:04:30.85
smiling and saying
good morning and how
00:04:30.86\00:04:32.81
are you today as
though nothing was wrong,
00:04:32.82\00:04:36.03
and yet there are
people that are hurting
00:04:36.04\00:04:37.88
everywhere and you must have had
00:04:37.89\00:04:39.96
terrible pain as you went
00:04:39.97\00:04:41.33
through this experience.
00:04:41.34\00:04:42.31
Well it was true, you know there
00:04:42.32\00:04:43.63
were no answers,
nobody ever shared
00:04:43.64\00:04:45.59
Jesus with me. I, in fact as I,
00:04:45.60\00:04:47.97
as I graduate, actually what
00:04:47.98\00:04:49.70
happened was I
kept crying out and kept
00:04:49.71\00:04:52.29
crying out and
there was no answer.
00:04:52.30\00:04:53.79
I cried out to God
and there was no answer
00:04:53.80\00:04:55.58
and I said well if
there is a devil out there
00:04:55.59\00:04:57.58
and you can help
me, get me out of this
00:04:57.59\00:04:59.57
and of course God
said, he doesn't know
00:04:59.58\00:05:01.39
what he's saying
amen. So God has protected
00:05:01.40\00:05:05.42
me somehow someway I was,
00:05:05.43\00:05:07.04
I was violent as a
child. I tried to take my
00:05:07.05\00:05:09.14
life a number of
times. I was suicidal,
00:05:09.15\00:05:11.36
but it never went through.
00:05:11.49\00:05:12.59
God had always protected me even
00:05:12.60\00:05:14.07
though I didn't know
him or acknowledge Him.
00:05:14.08\00:05:16.20
I was still His
child. And then as a,
00:05:16.21\00:05:19.70
this abuse went on
until I was a sophomore
00:05:19.71\00:05:22.01
high school when I went to child
00:05:22.02\00:05:23.82
protective services
and I started telling
00:05:23.83\00:05:26.60
them a story. What if something
00:05:26.61\00:05:28.55
like this was
happening. What if this was
00:05:28.56\00:05:30.85
happening. Not saying
it is because I couldn't
00:05:30.86\00:05:32.43
trust anybody. My mother had
00:05:32.44\00:05:33.73
mentally and emotionally checked
00:05:33.74\00:05:34.97
out and my life was just a mess,
00:05:34.98\00:05:37.70
so my mother
finally woke up and divorced
00:05:37.71\00:05:41.66
my step-father
praise God and we left
00:05:41.67\00:05:45.20
actually with the
police standby the day
00:05:45.49\00:05:47.21
we were moving out.
We had police standing
00:05:47.22\00:05:49.06
there with their
petrol cars in case he
00:05:49.07\00:05:51.25
went crazy because he was pretty
00:05:51.26\00:05:52.71
much crazy
anyway. So what happened
00:05:52.72\00:05:55.94
was I got involved in theater,
00:05:55.95\00:05:57.54
I started finding
escape in the theater arts
00:05:57.96\00:06:00.26
as a young person.
I went to a Christian
00:06:00.39\00:06:03.11
retreat as a young
person and all it was,
00:06:03.12\00:06:06.48
was if you don't worship God you
00:06:06.49\00:06:08.68
don't love God,
you're gonna burn
00:06:08.69\00:06:09.85
forever and I
thought well there you go.
00:06:09.86\00:06:11.36
It's just like the
rest of the father figures
00:06:11.37\00:06:13.71
I've had in my life and so
00:06:13.72\00:06:14.76
I wasn't interested.
This was high school?
00:06:14.77\00:06:17.00
This was in the high school.
00:06:17.01\00:06:18.27
And then right out
of high school beginning
00:06:18.28\00:06:19.90
year of college I got
involved in television
00:06:19.91\00:06:22.52
and video
production and there I found
00:06:22.53\00:06:25.66
another escape, I
stopped doing theater,
00:06:25.67\00:06:27.65
I started three, two business
00:06:27.93\00:06:29.56
which grew into
three. We were successful
00:06:29.57\00:06:32.35
as young people.
I was 21, 19 to 22
00:06:32.36\00:06:37.87
years old and I was
making lots of money.
00:06:37.88\00:06:40.10
My, my career was
expanding and audio
00:06:40.53\00:06:42.58
and video production and I was,
00:06:42.59\00:06:46.04
my business partner
had embezzled from us.
00:06:46.78\00:06:48.96
Oh my. And, and totally ruined
00:06:48.97\00:06:50.79
our companies and
I couldn't recover
00:06:50.80\00:06:52.25
them and so I was taking any job
00:06:52.26\00:06:54.82
I could to try
to put my financial
00:06:54.83\00:06:56.90
life back
together. And I was called by
00:06:56.91\00:06:59.18
a producer one
and he asked me if I
00:06:59.19\00:07:01.41
would like to go
and direct thing called
00:07:01.42\00:07:03.44
a camp meeting. I had no idea
00:07:03.45\00:07:05.61
what a camp
meeting was and I grew up
00:07:05.62\00:07:07.47
camping and enjoying camping,
00:07:07.48\00:07:08.76
so I thought
sure I like camping.
00:07:08.77\00:07:10.36
I'll take the
job, so I took the job
00:07:10.68\00:07:14.01
and I show up on
location looking for
00:07:14.39\00:07:17.04
the man who is
running the camp meeting
00:07:17.05\00:07:19.81
and I said I
understand this is a camp
00:07:19.82\00:07:21.61
meeting and you
know we'll setup our,
00:07:21.62\00:07:23.25
our establishing shot now,
00:07:23.26\00:07:24.77
our audience reaction shot,
00:07:24.78\00:07:26.56
do we need a handheld remote for
00:07:26.57\00:07:28.20
shooting like
the tent and cooking
00:07:28.21\00:07:30.21
demonstrations you
know. And he's like tent
00:07:30.22\00:07:33.55
demonstration, what
are you talking about?
00:07:33.56\00:07:34.53
I said well this is
a camp meeting right?
00:07:34.54\00:07:36.52
He said yes and I said I assume
00:07:36.53\00:07:38.71
you're gonna be
demonstrating camping
00:07:38.72\00:07:39.96
equipment right
and he says oh no,
00:07:39.97\00:07:43.11
no camp meeting.
He said I've never
00:07:43.12\00:07:46.19
heard that that's
good. And so I said,
00:07:46.20\00:07:50.80
oh what's a camp meeting?
00:07:51.99\00:07:54.02
And you know
there is a bunch of RVs
00:07:54.51\00:07:56.18
out there in
tents and people walking
00:07:56.19\00:07:57.83
around and hiking
boots, so I'm thinking you
00:07:57.84\00:07:59.65
know it's a camp
meeting. And he goes no,
00:07:59.66\00:08:02.10
no, no this is a
religious meeting that
00:08:02.11\00:08:03.96
people camp at
and I went oh! Great,
00:08:03.97\00:08:09.47
I'm gonna learn
about the God that
00:08:09.48\00:08:10.94
never did anything for me.
00:08:10.95\00:08:12.44
So where did it go from there?
00:08:14.12\00:08:15.82
I mean here
you're in a camp meeting
00:08:15.83\00:08:17.57
and you're
expecting to be putting up
00:08:17.58\00:08:19.52
tents and have a bunch of
00:08:19.53\00:08:20.55
boycotts making fire.
00:08:20.56\00:08:21.79
Exactly, there were no fires,
00:08:21.80\00:08:24.06
there were no
boycotts, there were a lot of
00:08:24.07\00:08:26.11
strange people and they were,
00:08:26.12\00:08:28.69
I learned they were called
00:08:28.70\00:08:29.67
Seventh-Day Adventists.
And they talk different
00:08:29.68\00:08:32.47
and they walk
different and they dress
00:08:32.48\00:08:33.96
different and the
music was different,
00:08:33.97\00:08:35.78
but what happened
as I sat there in the
00:08:36.53\00:08:38.47
control and we
had a portable van
00:08:38.48\00:08:41.05
and as I sat there
in that production van
00:08:41.06\00:08:42.89
and I was
switching, I was being drawn
00:08:43.87\00:08:47.41
in to what was being presented.
00:08:47.42\00:08:50.68
I had seen now someone present
00:08:50.94\00:08:53.85
Jesus in a way I
had never heard before.
00:08:53.86\00:08:58.07
Isn't that indeed how God works.
00:08:58.08\00:08:59.54
Amen, so here
I'm the technical guy
00:08:59.55\00:09:01.53
which is where
I'm very comfortable.
00:09:01.54\00:09:03.01
I'm petrified to be right here
00:09:03.02\00:09:04.67
right this moment.
I'm not the front guy.
00:09:04.68\00:09:06.34
I'm much more accustomed
to be behind the signs.
00:09:06.84\00:09:10.72
I like it back there
with all the, all the crew.
00:09:10.73\00:09:13.98
So I'm being
drawn in. I'm hearing,
00:09:14.64\00:09:17.95
America was in
the, was foretold in
00:09:17.96\00:09:20.52
prophecy and I'm
hearing about the health
00:09:20.53\00:09:22.84
message and this
guy is up there eating
00:09:22.85\00:09:24.57
weeds off beside
of the road saying God
00:09:24.58\00:09:26.81
has provided Daniel's diet,
00:09:26.82\00:09:29.06
and I'm like who is Daniel.
00:09:29.07\00:09:30.19
I knew nothing
and I'm thinking these
00:09:30.20\00:09:33.35
people are so
weird, but I like them.
00:09:33.36\00:09:35.57
This is really,
this is really different.
00:09:35.85\00:09:38.36
Be encouraged dear ones.
00:09:39.03\00:09:40.47
Yeah, I'm just a
heathen that knew
00:09:40.48\00:09:44.77
nothing you know.
So here I'm listening
00:09:44.78\00:09:47.76
to all this and
by the end of the,
00:09:47.77\00:09:49.48
the meeting the man
that was running at,
00:09:49.78\00:09:51.33
he and I became
friends and I was having
00:09:51.34\00:09:54.11
some serious health issues.
00:09:54.12\00:09:55.43
He helped me through those.
00:09:55.44\00:09:56.76
I became a
vegetarian, I became a vegan
00:09:56.77\00:09:59.27
vegetable and
my strength return.
00:09:59.28\00:10:01.66
I'm stronger now
at 40 then I was at 25
00:10:01.67\00:10:05.43
or whatever it
was at 24 and so what
00:10:05.44\00:10:09.83
happened overtime
was God let my life
00:10:09.84\00:10:12.87
to spiral out of
control and I couldn't
00:10:12.88\00:10:16.11
find a job in
production, by this time I had
00:10:16.12\00:10:18.49
amassed wonderful
skills, I was directing
00:10:18.50\00:10:21.97
and editing and
shooting and writing.
00:10:21.98\00:10:23.97
I've been
working with ESPN and PBS
00:10:23.98\00:10:26.20
and Nickelodeon
and a lot of high end
00:10:26.21\00:10:28.63
corporate work and
my career was really
00:10:28.64\00:10:31.51
taking off. And when we
00:10:31.52\00:10:33.88
moved actually here to Chandler,
00:10:33.89\00:10:35.97
Arizona in the record heat.
00:10:35.98\00:10:38.62
Do you think it's hot today,
00:10:39.70\00:10:40.78
no it was hot a
number of years ago.
00:10:41.20\00:10:43.06
Record days over
115. The hottest day was
00:10:43.35\00:10:45.73
the 127 and I was
selling cars without air
00:10:45.74\00:10:48.84
conditioning, my
life had went all the
00:10:48.85\00:10:51.41
way down. So what happened was
00:10:51.42\00:10:54.49
I just decided
I'm gonna take a trip,
00:10:54.50\00:10:56.39
went back to California
and I had a desire to go
00:10:56.99\00:10:59.79
see that guy that
ran that camp meeting.
00:10:59.80\00:11:01.73
Something inside
of me was changing,
00:11:02.35\00:11:04.53
my girl and I had separated.
00:11:04.82\00:11:06.70
We've decided, got her pregnant,
00:11:06.71\00:11:08.84
we lost our baby at
five and half months
00:11:08.85\00:11:11.46
and it was a
traumatic event for us,
00:11:11.47\00:11:13.59
so we decided that
we shouldn't be intimate
00:11:13.60\00:11:16.63
together as worldly
heathen people because
00:11:16.64\00:11:19.65
there were consequences
for that and we weren't
00:11:19.66\00:11:21.51
ready for marriage
and so we were taking
00:11:21.52\00:11:25.00
steps backwards in
the eyes of the world,
00:11:25.01\00:11:27.57
but we didn't
realize that we were taking
00:11:27.58\00:11:29.03
steps forwards in God's eyes.
00:11:29.04\00:11:31.35
And so He
separated the two of us.
00:11:31.75\00:11:33.49
I went and saw my
friend and I told him
00:11:34.05\00:11:36.17
how my life was
falling apart he just
00:11:36.18\00:11:37.66
started laughing.
And I said what are you
00:11:37.67\00:11:39.48
laughing at? This is not funny.
00:11:39.49\00:11:40.75
He said, yes I
told you a long time ago
00:11:40.76\00:11:43.50
God has a calling for your life,
00:11:43.51\00:11:44.99
amen, and I said I
don't know what that means,
00:11:45.69\00:11:47.27
but maybe you're
right. So at the end of that
00:11:47.28\00:11:49.67
conversation he
says to me you know
00:11:49.68\00:11:53.04
I can really use a man
like you in my ministry
00:11:53.05\00:11:55.04
and doing video
and graphic design
00:11:56.04\00:11:58.35
and all this type
of work and friends,
00:11:58.36\00:12:00.35
I wanna tell you
this, I tell you this very
00:12:00.36\00:12:02.14
seriously I knew
right then when he
00:12:02.15\00:12:05.07
said to me I could
really use a man like you.
00:12:05.08\00:12:08.12
God put a picture like a movie
00:12:09.93\00:12:13.79
in front of my
eyes. And I saw He showed
00:12:14.26\00:12:17.34
me right then. I
think it happened
00:12:17.35\00:12:18.59
in a split
second. I don't know how
00:12:18.60\00:12:20.01
he has this technology,
but it's fascinating and
00:12:20.02\00:12:22.96
he played this
movie in front of my eyes
00:12:22.97\00:12:25.50
and I saw where
Jesus had been there
00:12:25.51\00:12:28.50
from my birth.
He had been there,
00:12:28.51\00:12:30.64
I never took my
life. He had been there
00:12:30.65\00:12:32.96
and He
protected me when I prayed
00:12:32.97\00:12:34.69
the prayer even
to the devil and He
00:12:34.70\00:12:36.21
showed me all of
these things to my life
00:12:36.22\00:12:38.29
how He had trained
me, how He allowed me
00:12:38.30\00:12:40.33
to be trained up
to be used for Him
00:12:40.34\00:12:42.81
in a later day.
And I just thought
00:12:42.82\00:12:44.43
what just went,
right through mind
00:12:44.70\00:12:46.49
and how He separated me from my,
00:12:46.75\00:12:48.29
my fiancee and all
these things because
00:12:48.30\00:12:50.84
He had to do
something to me that I
00:12:50.85\00:12:53.47
needed more than
anything and that
00:12:53.48\00:12:55.22
was to deliver
me from my baggage,
00:12:55.23\00:12:58.37
to deliver me from my sin.
00:12:58.78\00:13:00.71
And when I said
I'll take the job.
00:13:03.20\00:13:09.44
It sounds like
the Shepherd's call?
00:13:09.45\00:13:11.14
It was the Shepherd's call,
00:13:11.15\00:13:12.36
that's the name of our ministry.
00:13:12.37\00:13:13.49
I heard the
Shepherd calling amen.
00:13:13.50\00:13:16.10
And He said
Christian, I want you to come,
00:13:16.29\00:13:18.33
all broken and
messed up like you are.
00:13:18.34\00:13:20.74
I need you, I
want you, I love you.
00:13:20.75\00:13:23.40
And I thought to myself what.
00:13:23.41\00:13:24.77
And friends, I
kind of joke about
00:13:24.78\00:13:26.44
this but I think a
guardian angel grab,
00:13:26.45\00:13:28.87
my guardian angelgrab my jaw and
00:13:28.88\00:13:31.12
imitated my voice
and said I'll take
00:13:31.13\00:13:33.02
the job because
there is, there is no way
00:13:33.03\00:13:36.76
that I was gonna
go and leave Arizona
00:13:37.03\00:13:39.20
where my girl
was who I was still
00:13:39.21\00:13:40.76
in love with, and
go work for a ministry.
00:13:40.77\00:13:43.90
I mean
everything was not fitting,
00:13:43.91\00:13:45.58
so he said really
you'll take the job
00:13:46.32\00:13:48.83
and right then I
knew I was making
00:13:49.63\00:13:51.85
a decision that
would change my whole life.
00:13:51.86\00:13:54.12
I said yes, I'll take the job
00:13:54.13\00:13:57.57
and I didn't
know what that meant.
00:13:57.58\00:13:59.05
Eventually I
stayed there and I worked
00:13:59.35\00:14:01.32
for that ministry
for two and half years,
00:14:01.33\00:14:03.51
and we studied out the Sabbath
00:14:04.42\00:14:06.03
that next day. He
said if you're gonna
00:14:06.04\00:14:07.28
work here, you got to understand
00:14:07.29\00:14:08.26
why I go church on Saturday.
00:14:08.27\00:14:09.43
He presented it to
me right from the word
00:14:09.44\00:14:11.38
of God and I
went wow is everything
00:14:11.39\00:14:13.40
that clear in the
Bible? He said yes and I said
00:14:13.41\00:14:15.22
well I guess I'll
be a Sabbath keeper.
00:14:15.23\00:14:16.95
And we started
studying over and over
00:14:17.13\00:14:19.75
everything, every doctrine and I
00:14:19.76\00:14:21.89
fell in love with the Bible.
00:14:21.90\00:14:23.06
I fell in love with
the spirit of prophecy,
00:14:23.07\00:14:24.98
amen, praise God for both.
00:14:24.99\00:14:26.58
Amen, amen where did
you go from there Christian?
00:14:26.59\00:14:28.98
From there we went to my,
00:14:28.99\00:14:34.07
actually where I
wen from there was a
00:14:34.08\00:14:35.39
really good
thing. God brought Coby
00:14:35.40\00:14:37.47
back into my
life. Praise the Lord.
00:14:37.48\00:14:39.32
And that was the
miracle. I don't have time
00:14:39.33\00:14:40.63
to get into all of
that, but God throug
00:14:40.64\00:14:41.99
a series of miracles
brought her back into
00:14:42.00\00:14:43.87
my life as a, as a prayer to one
00:14:43.88\00:14:46.07
of my fleeces and
by God's grace I was
00:14:46.08\00:14:49.63
this brand new
Christian and God had did
00:14:49.64\00:14:52.11
something for me that I
will be forever grateful.
00:14:52.12\00:14:55.89
He took away
all of that baggage.
00:14:57.62\00:15:01.50
Amen. He took away
all the pain and all
00:15:01.51\00:15:03.83
the molestation and
all the anger and all
00:15:03.84\00:15:06.37
the rage and he just
did, he performed some
00:15:06.38\00:15:09.24
sort of surgery that
it no longer holds me
00:15:09.25\00:15:13.73
back and she saw that. She said,
00:15:13.74\00:15:15.89
what's going on with
you and I didn't even
00:15:15.90\00:15:17.72
know what's happening.
What's going on with you?
00:15:17.73\00:15:19.70
I said I don't know,
she says but I like it
00:15:19.71\00:15:21.46
and I said well praise God,
00:15:21.47\00:15:22.93
and she says the good
parts of you are gooder.
00:15:22.94\00:15:25.68
That's not a good
word but or better.
00:15:25.69\00:15:27.50
And the bad parts of you are,
00:15:27.67\00:15:29.83
where are they? And
I said I don't know,
00:15:29.84\00:15:31.61
and she said what's going on?
00:15:31.62\00:15:33.27
I said it's
Jesus. It's Jesus Christ.
00:15:33.28\00:15:36.14
I said you haven't
heard the Jesus that
00:15:36.15\00:15:38.27
I've learned about now.
You and I were not taught
00:15:38.28\00:15:41.59
about Jesus when
we were going up.
00:15:41.60\00:15:43.21
She was raised
in an atheist home.
00:15:43.22\00:15:45.12
And so she just
started breaking and crying
00:15:46.41\00:15:48.57
and I had the
privilege over the next couple
00:15:48.97\00:15:50.80
of weeks to bring
her to Jesus Christ.
00:15:50.81\00:15:53.19
Amen, amen, amen,
and now you're actually
00:15:53.20\00:15:56.69
being called,
how did the ministry
00:15:56.70\00:15:58.22
get started and
you're being called into
00:15:58.23\00:16:00.74
remarkable places
around the country
00:16:00.75\00:16:02.98
and really am
anxious to know how he
00:16:03.36\00:16:07.18
made a difference in the various
00:16:07.19\00:16:09.40
places you're being invited to?
00:16:09.41\00:16:11.21
We'll leave out a
large chunk of us getting
00:16:11.22\00:16:14.96
married and her
believing everything
00:16:14.97\00:16:16.56
and my children
being born which we're told
00:16:16.57\00:16:18.36
would never happen. And
then God said Christian,
00:16:18.37\00:16:21.04
I want you to go
out and I want you to
00:16:21.05\00:16:22.71
start singing and preaching.
00:16:22.72\00:16:24.10
Now friends I knew
like, I don't know ten
00:16:24.33\00:16:27.07
songs that were
Christian songs and I would
00:16:27.08\00:16:29.01
use special music. I'm
not a trained vocalist.
00:16:29.02\00:16:31.76
I don't have any
training. I don't know how to
00:16:31.77\00:16:34.17
sing
professionally and so he said go
00:16:34.18\00:16:39.27
and sing and I
said but father, me.
00:16:39.28\00:16:42.10
You're at the bottom
of the barrel come on
00:16:42.48\00:16:44.21
there is other people
surely they can do this.
00:16:44.22\00:16:46.16
And he says go out and preach.
00:16:46.54\00:16:47.94
I said preach, I
had done one sermon
00:16:47.95\00:16:50.07
on the dangers of
television and it got out
00:16:50.08\00:16:52.30
there somehow. You
know that's how God is.
00:16:52.31\00:16:54.28
He takes your little
humble efforts and says
00:16:54.29\00:16:56.54
wow and he just
sheds them out there.
00:16:56.96\00:16:58.79
And all of a
sudden I'm invited to a
00:16:59.12\00:17:00.35
camp meeting. We
want you to come.
00:17:00.36\00:17:02.66
We want you to
sing, we want you to do
00:17:02.67\00:17:04.35
a sermon and when
I got to my location
00:17:04.36\00:17:08.14
I went to my room.
I went to pull out my
00:17:08.44\00:17:10.46
notes because I was petrified as
00:17:10.47\00:17:12.03
I'm right this
moment, and he says I went
00:17:12.04\00:17:14.58
to find him and
guess what had happened.
00:17:14.59\00:17:16.34
I had left all my
notes in the seat back
00:17:16.35\00:17:18.54
pocket of the
airplane. Praise the God.
00:17:18.55\00:17:20.51
Praise the God.
You see you're much,
00:17:20.52\00:17:24.80
much more senior in
the faith my brother.
00:17:24.81\00:17:27.25
What I was like oh
Lord, you called the
00:17:27.26\00:17:30.76
wrong person.
And, and so that I went
00:17:30.77\00:17:33.99
the Bible and the
Spirit of Prophecy as
00:17:34.00\00:17:35.36
my custom had
become and found Sister
00:17:35.37\00:17:39.52
White's first
vision. I had, I had never
00:17:39.53\00:17:42.36
heard it before,
I had heard about it
00:17:42.37\00:17:44.25
and you know the
vision of heaven where
00:17:44.64\00:17:46.32
she is talking about
the tree and the river
00:17:46.33\00:17:48.17
of life and all
other things and as I was
00:17:48.18\00:17:51.27
reading it God
said, put that song there.
00:17:51.28\00:17:53.72
Put that song
there and in 35 minutes a
00:17:53.73\00:17:56.61
program entitled a
vision of heaven was
00:17:56.62\00:17:58.64
born and that
program we've done all around
00:17:58.65\00:18:01.81
this country
and internationally.
00:18:01.82\00:18:03.63
And so he
impressed my heart go out
00:18:03.89\00:18:07.40
and do this and
the people were blessed
00:18:07.41\00:18:08.70
and they were
blessed and I was blessed,
00:18:08.71\00:18:10.35
and God showed me
I will give you a way
00:18:10.36\00:18:13.27
that you can go
out and sing and preach
00:18:14.16\00:18:16.71
and it will not be about you.
00:18:16.72\00:18:18.26
It will be about me
and my spirit of prophecy.
00:18:18.27\00:18:21.30
Amen, amen so
you give this kind of
00:18:21.31\00:18:24.16
message even in evangelical
00:18:24.17\00:18:26.13
churches do you? Correct, yes,
00:18:26.14\00:18:27.40
we're really
running long here but
00:18:27.41\00:18:29.69
I'm gonna have to
cut our program short.
00:18:30.47\00:18:32.05
Not all, what
happened is God put me,
00:18:34.18\00:18:35.74
I came in through
this, to the truth,
00:18:35.75\00:18:37.66
through the independent movement
00:18:37.67\00:18:39.88
and God did
something to me and what He
00:18:40.12\00:18:41.98
did was He put me
in almost exclusively
00:18:41.99\00:18:44.97
in a Seventh-Day
Adventist churches
00:18:45.40\00:18:47.18
when our ministry was started.
00:18:47.19\00:18:48.32
I said Lord if this is
what you want me to do,
00:18:48.33\00:18:50.89
you need to make the phone ring,
00:18:50.90\00:18:52.34
because I'm not
gonna call and go hi,
00:18:52.35\00:18:53.35
I can come sing at your church.
00:18:53.36\00:18:54.88
I didn't wanna do
that, and so the phone
00:18:54.89\00:18:58.47
started ringing and they came,
00:18:58.48\00:19:00.12
I don't know how
anybody knew about me,
00:19:00.13\00:19:02.44
but the word
spread I think the angels
00:19:02.45\00:19:04.16
went around and
said bring Christian,
00:19:04.17\00:19:05.85
because they needed
to, you people needed to
00:19:05.86\00:19:09.12
teach me something
and that was everywhere
00:19:09.13\00:19:12.76
that God's people are,
no matter where they are,
00:19:12.77\00:19:15.19
no matter what
church they're in.
00:19:15.20\00:19:16.73
There is a
certain group of people
00:19:17.18\00:19:20.30
That has a flame of
Jesus Christ burning
00:19:20.69\00:19:23.32
and God told me
took these are my people
00:19:23.76\00:19:26.28
and I want you to be among them.
00:19:26.29\00:19:28.16
And not only
that I want you to be
00:19:28.17\00:19:29.35
with them and
ultimately God led me to become
00:19:29.36\00:19:32.19
by profession of
faith to join the
00:19:32.50\00:19:34.14
Seventh-Day Adventist church,
00:19:34.15\00:19:35.46
praise the Lord,
and now I'm an Ordained
00:19:35.47\00:19:37.89
Elder in the
Seventh-day Adventist Church
00:19:37.90\00:19:40.15
and this is God's
church my friends and we
00:19:40.16\00:19:42.40
can play games and say
oh this is problems here,
00:19:42.41\00:19:44.61
problems there,
friends, there are problems
00:19:44.62\00:19:46.34
everywhere. If
there is a perfect
00:19:46.35\00:19:47.98
church I've
decided I won't join it
00:19:47.99\00:19:49.82
because I'll ruin it.
00:19:49.83\00:19:51.06
You even get to go to
00:19:52.00\00:19:53.39
Pentecostal
churches do you? Yes in fact
00:19:54.21\00:19:56.19
what happened was
a friend of mine said
00:19:56.20\00:19:58.86
hey we want to invite
you into a Sunday Church.
00:19:58.87\00:20:02.50
My uncle runs a
Sunday church would
00:20:02.51\00:20:03.94
you do that. I
had only done it in
00:20:03.95\00:20:05.37
my mother's Baptist
church and I said sure
00:20:05.38\00:20:08.16
I love to do this
program for any of
00:20:08.17\00:20:10.17
God's people.
And it opened up my
00:20:10.19\00:20:12.04
mind to the fact
that not only in the
00:20:12.05\00:20:16.12
Seventh-Day Adventist
Churches but in the all
00:20:16.13\00:20:18.40
of the churches across the land.
00:20:18.41\00:20:20.21
There are the same
people that have the
00:20:20.22\00:20:22.31
same flame burning my
friends and Jesus said,
00:20:22.32\00:20:25.70
go and fan the
flame. And so yes we go
00:20:25.71\00:20:29.49
and we do these
program in public venues
00:20:29.50\00:20:32.19
at salvation
armies, we do them at
00:20:32.20\00:20:34.78
food kitchens,
we do these programs
00:20:34.79\00:20:37.08
in Pentecostal
churches and church of
00:20:37.09\00:20:38.96
Christ and God and all
these different churches.
00:20:38.97\00:20:41.04
They, they invite
me and I don't go to do
00:20:41.05\00:20:42.79
a special music and
support their service.
00:20:42.80\00:20:44.83
They give me the pulpit and I do
00:20:44.84\00:20:46.47
the service. Praise
the Lord. So I introduce
00:20:46.48\00:20:48.13
them to the Spirit
of Prophecy right under
00:20:48.14\00:20:49.76
own churches and
they can't believe
00:20:49.77\00:20:51.51
how beautiful heaven
is and they say where
00:20:51.52\00:20:53.81
did you get this
and we say this I've got
00:20:53.82\00:20:55.76
plenty of more material you can
00:20:55.77\00:20:57.53
read if you
like. And so praise God
00:20:57.54\00:21:00.45
for that and so
they get introduced
00:21:00.46\00:21:02.09
to Desire of Ages,
Steps to Christ right
00:21:02.10\00:21:04.28
in their own churches and they
00:21:04.29\00:21:05.73
invite us back. Praise the Lord.
00:21:05.74\00:21:08.14
Sitting at the feet of Jesus,
00:21:26.74\00:21:34.51
Oh, what words I hear Him say!
00:21:34.96\00:21:41.69
Oh happy place!
So near, so precious!
00:21:42.28\00:21:50.84
May it find me there each day;
00:21:51.64\00:21:58.94
Sitting at the feet of Jesus,
00:22:00.35\00:22:08.26
I would look upon the past;
00:22:09.00\00:22:14.30
Oh for His love
has been so gracious,
00:22:14.74\00:22:25.09
It has won my heart at last.
00:22:25.74\00:22:33.78
Sitting at the feet of Jesus,
00:22:46.88\00:22:55.02
Where can
mortals be more blessed.
00:22:55.36\00:23:02.14
There I lay my sins and sorrows,
00:23:04.01\00:23:11.75
And, when
weary, find sweet rest;
00:23:12.17\00:23:19.69
Sitting at the feet of Jesus,
00:23:20.67\00:23:28.82
There I love t weep and pray;
00:23:29.17\00:23:34.20
While I from His fullness gather
00:23:38.10\00:23:45.56
Grace and comfort every day.
00:23:46.07\00:23:51.94
Give me, Lord,
the mind of Jesus,
00:23:54.78\00:24:02.54
Make me holy as He is;
00:24:03.15\00:24:08.92
Oh may I prove
I've been with Jesus,
00:24:09.52\00:24:20.07
Who is all my righteousness.
00:24:20.61\00:24:28.39
Who is all my righteousness.
00:24:29.13\00:24:36.99
Good morning. To
those who are not here,
00:24:46.52\00:24:51.25
but good evening
to you. Happy Sabbath.
00:24:51.26\00:24:54.87
Bit nervous, forgive
me. We stand here amidst
00:24:58.37\00:25:04.25
many
ministries, many presidents,
00:25:04.52\00:25:07.76
many deans and
professors and important
00:25:08.52\00:25:11.09
people and I ask
myself, why am I here
00:25:11.10\00:25:14.12
and I like to thank
ASI for this opportunity
00:25:16.05\00:25:19.24
to be up there, to in many sense
00:25:20.12\00:25:23.35
and in many ways to
make a fool of myself,
00:25:23.45\00:25:25.19
but that's my
profession. The foolishness of
00:25:25.99\00:25:28.24
preaching for Jesus Christ.
00:25:28.25\00:25:31.00
As one who has
witnessed many friends
00:25:32.81\00:25:34.68
and associates
emerge out of the ASI
00:25:34.69\00:25:36.73
Youth for Jesus
Program. I attest to its success
00:25:36.74\00:25:40.31
and necessary role
in the Adventist church
00:25:40.68\00:25:42.22
especially in these last days,
00:25:42.23\00:25:43.91
I really they do. ASI has been a
00:25:44.52\00:25:46.89
wonderful parent to
GYC a Generation of Youth
00:25:46.90\00:25:50.00
for Christ and it
has provided structure,
00:25:50.01\00:25:53.52
wisdom, professionalism
and a certain classiness
00:25:53.53\00:25:57.20
that ASI is known
for. Is that true?
00:25:57.21\00:26:00.94
Look around you
walk around and there is
00:26:01.40\00:26:02.40
a certain wow
this is, this is ASI.
00:26:02.41\00:26:06.12
I don't know
maybe you've been here
00:26:07.50\00:26:08.47
and waiting for 20
years passing on see it.
00:26:08.48\00:26:09.81
When I came here is this is ASI.
00:26:09.82\00:26:12.66
We say it that way
ASI. GYC's other parents is
00:26:13.33\00:26:20.33
CAMPUS the Center
for Adventist Ministry
00:26:20.34\00:26:22.23
to Public University Students.
00:26:22.24\00:26:23.67
With CAMPUS'
unabashed characteristic
00:26:24.68\00:26:26.72
to tackle Biblical
issues and to be uniquely
00:26:26.73\00:26:29.74
and unashamedly
Seventh-Day Adventist
00:26:29.75\00:26:31.76
on difficult
university settings GYC is
00:26:31.77\00:26:35.33
the if you will
love child of these both,
00:26:35.34\00:26:38.07
these two
sponsors. ASI has a special
00:26:38.08\00:26:41.78
commitment to evangelism and
00:26:41.79\00:26:43.45
has had a enormous
cascade effect to youth
00:26:43.46\00:26:46.48
ministry as
evidenced by GYC's desire
00:26:46.49\00:26:49.08
to connect
young people with self
00:26:49.09\00:26:50.76
supporting and
church ministries.
00:26:50.77\00:26:52.93
This evidence is not only in
00:26:53.64\00:26:54.61
North America
friends. This is all over
00:26:54.62\00:26:56.67
the world and what
you see here is ASI
00:26:56.68\00:26:59.13
and Jesus guys coming
up. The effects are worldwide
00:26:59.14\00:27:03.55
and always jealous
that they have the coolest
00:27:05.13\00:27:07.36
t-shirts. The affect
of the smallest things,
00:27:07.37\00:27:12.26
these new answers, trickle down.
00:27:12.27\00:27:14.30
I just came back from Zambia.
00:27:14.87\00:27:16.52
And people there
are watching this screen
00:27:16.99\00:27:19.18
and they are
thinking wow what can we do
00:27:19.97\00:27:21.58
be like ASI Youth for Jesus.
00:27:21.59\00:27:23.47
What can we do
like to be like CAMPUS,
00:27:23.48\00:27:25.19
what can we do to be like GYC.
00:27:25.20\00:27:27.85
The whole world
looks to these three
00:27:30.08\00:27:31.94
organizations for
the cutting edge trends
00:27:31.95\00:27:34.70
in Youth
Ministry. So this morning
00:27:35.02\00:27:38.12
though this evening or somewhere
00:27:38.13\00:27:39.64
in the world's
morning. I'd like to share with
00:27:39.65\00:27:43.99
you the
importance of youth and its
00:27:44.00\00:27:47.28
ramifications for
the large organizations
00:27:47.29\00:27:50.24
such as ASI.
Before we do so I ask you
00:27:50.25\00:27:53.79
to bow your heads with me.
00:27:53.80\00:27:54.81
Father in
heaven, we ask if we've
00:27:58.24\00:28:00.46
offended thee in
anyway for the blood
00:28:00.47\00:28:04.06
of Jesus to cover each person in
00:28:04.07\00:28:06.38
this small hall.
Father, be with the speaker,
00:28:06.39\00:28:10.12
cleanse the sins off his lips,
00:28:11.38\00:28:12.97
be with every person who uses,
00:28:13.42\00:28:15.00
cleanse the sins
off their ears and may
00:28:15.01\00:28:16.66
Jesus be glorified tonight.
00:28:16.67\00:28:18.34
We pray this in
Jesus name, amen.
00:28:18.79\00:28:20.62
Get you Bibles, please open to
00:28:20.89\00:28:21.86
Luke chapter 2. Luke chapter 2,
00:28:21.87\00:28:23.95
you still have your
Bibles with you amen.
00:28:23.96\00:28:25.78
ASI still give them
Bibles. Yes, yes, yes okay
00:28:26.96\00:28:29.15
Luke chapter 2, Luke chapter 2.
00:28:29.16\00:28:32.61
Luke is the third
gospel, chapter 2 is the second
00:28:32.62\00:28:35.91
chapter of Luke, verse
40, verse 40 to the end.
00:28:36.75\00:28:43.62
This is a, this is a
not a, this is a common
00:28:43.63\00:28:49.17
story that all of
you know and tonight I
00:28:49.18\00:28:52.37
hope not to tire out
but through the Holy Spirit
00:28:52.38\00:28:55.71
to have a full understanding of
00:28:55.96\00:28:57.23
this passage verse 40.
The child grew and waxed
00:28:57.24\00:29:02.28
strong in Spirit
and filled with wisdom,
00:29:02.29\00:29:04.60
and the grace of
God was upon him.
00:29:04.61\00:29:06.47
Verse 41. Now his
parents went to Jerusalem
00:29:07.53\00:29:10.67
every year at the
feast of the Passover.
00:29:10.68\00:29:12.68
When he was 12 years
old, they went up to the
00:29:13.14\00:29:15.16
Jerusalem of the
custom of the feast.
00:29:15.17\00:29:17.26
And when they had
fulfilled the days as
00:29:17.36\00:29:18.71
returned the child
Jesus stayed behind in
00:29:18.72\00:29:20.52
Jerusalem and
Joseph and his mother
00:29:20.53\00:29:22.63
knew not of it.
These is one of their
00:29:22.64\00:29:24.41
few passages we
see of Jesus' childhood
00:29:24.42\00:29:26.43
in the scriptures.
We don't see any other
00:29:26.44\00:29:28.57
stories of Jesus' childhood.
00:29:28.58\00:29:29.92
We don't see whether he was
00:29:30.19\00:29:31.57
dating in high
school. We don't have any
00:29:31.58\00:29:33.43
teenage years, we don't know if
00:29:33.44\00:29:34.79
he was a bad kid.
I'm assuming he was
00:29:34.80\00:29:36.55
a very good kid
okay on Mary's knee.
00:29:36.56\00:29:39.21
But this one
story is mentioned and
00:29:40.00\00:29:42.12
has importance to
us today. Verse 40,
00:29:42.13\00:29:45.67
the child grew,
isn't this amazing.
00:29:45.68\00:29:47.39
Jesus grew and what this passage
00:29:47.40\00:29:50.73
is saying is.
This is not an isolated
00:29:50.74\00:29:54.01
event proclaiming
the divinity of Jesus,
00:29:54.02\00:29:57.14
but this has merit
for us as human beings.
00:29:57.43\00:29:59.90
That means there
was a point in Jesus
00:30:00.60\00:30:02.07
when He wasn't doing something
00:30:02.08\00:30:04.34
or He didn't know
something and then
00:30:04.35\00:30:05.99
after a certain period
of time He grew into it.
00:30:06.00\00:30:09.33
And this gives us
hope for as humans.
00:30:10.41\00:30:12.52
Verse 41, the feast
of the Passover came
00:30:12.93\00:30:15.54
and his parents
went to Jerusalem.
00:30:16.40\00:30:17.96
Now Passover was the
big events of the year.
00:30:17.97\00:30:22.14
Joseph and Mary every year would
00:30:23.22\00:30:25.85
come to the
feast of the Passover.
00:30:25.86\00:30:27.91
They get on feast
of the Passover.org
00:30:28.57\00:30:31.01
and register for the Passover.
00:30:31.02\00:30:32.94
They'd meet relatives,
friends, ex-coworkers.
00:30:34.54\00:30:37.18
They had
registered for the annual
00:30:37.80\00:30:39.40
Passover convention
in Phoenix, Arizona.
00:30:39.41\00:30:42.83
Every year they
would pack their luggage
00:30:44.63\00:30:46.49
and load up their donkeys and go
00:30:46.50\00:30:48.90
through donkey
port and go through
00:30:48.91\00:30:50.90
TSA and go
through load their booth
00:30:50.91\00:30:53.93
and come to the
airport, the donkey port
00:30:53.94\00:30:55.93
in Phoenix and
just go through the,
00:30:55.94\00:30:58.66
the this of
comings to Passover okay.
00:30:59.15\00:31:05.90
Every year they
would meet other kinfolk
00:31:07.26\00:31:10.08
and acquaintances
while waiting inline
00:31:10.09\00:31:12.86
for the
registration at Passover.
00:31:12.87\00:31:15.05
Every year they would lineup for
00:31:16.69\00:31:17.95
registration,
they get a print outs
00:31:17.96\00:31:19.82
of the program. They give them
00:31:20.43\00:31:22.05
the registration
form in genealogy of
00:31:22.06\00:31:24.30
their background to
make sure who they are.
00:31:24.31\00:31:25.84
They get a name tag a brochure
00:31:25.85\00:31:27.78
and they read
through who the speakers
00:31:27.79\00:31:29.68
were and what
seminars were being presented.
00:31:29.69\00:31:32.17
They look around
for which hotels were
00:31:33.21\00:31:37.47
nearby Jerusalem. Place to stay,
00:31:37.48\00:31:41.52
to move in
unpack and perhaps while
00:31:41.53\00:31:45.76
and during their
stay there was a young
00:31:45.77\00:31:47.75
Asian Rabbi who
spoke on Friday nights.
00:31:47.76\00:31:50.66
Verse 42, When
Jesus was 12 years old,
00:31:54.25\00:31:57.14
they went to
Jerusalem after the custom
00:31:57.50\00:31:59.03
of the feast. Meaning Jesus for
00:31:59.04\00:32:01.87
12 years did not
get to go but finally
00:32:01.88\00:32:04.74
when He is 12
years old He gets to go
00:32:04.75\00:32:06.83
to Passover,
Passover. Classy place,
00:32:07.10\00:32:15.51
prestigious
place. The Hebrew culture
00:32:15.52\00:32:18.70
made 12 years
old the year when one
00:32:18.71\00:32:20.90
became a son of the
law. Son of the commandment
00:32:20.91\00:32:24.00
and we call this
Bar what? Mitzvah,
00:32:24.24\00:32:27.76
this point on,
this child was no longer
00:32:28.90\00:32:30.39
a child but
became an adult and here
00:32:30.40\00:32:32.37
on Jesus' Bar
Mitzvah he attends the feast
00:32:32.38\00:32:34.04
with his parents.
Verse 43, when they had
00:32:34.05\00:32:36.00
fulfilled the
day as they returned
00:32:36.01\00:32:37.88
the child Jesus
tarried behind in Jerusalem
00:32:37.89\00:32:40.10
and Joseph and his
mother knew not of it.
00:32:40.11\00:32:42.63
Do you know the
story? This is famous yes.
00:32:42.64\00:32:44.21
As they returned
Jesus tarried behind
00:32:45.75\00:32:47.75
Joseph and Mary
did know that Jesus was
00:32:48.23\00:32:50.67
not with them. The
fact that the parents
00:32:50.68\00:32:53.70
did not know gives
evidence that the parents
00:32:53.71\00:32:56.22
trusted Jesus and
that He was a good child,
00:32:56.23\00:32:59.79
however this also
gives evidence that Jesus
00:32:59.80\00:33:02.32
left His parents intentionally.
00:33:02.33\00:33:05.30
He was making a point,
He's a good kid and good
00:33:06.46\00:33:09.87
kids don't leave
their parents and make
00:33:09.88\00:33:11.59
them sad for no
reason. 44, but after they
00:33:11.60\00:33:17.67
supposing to Him
to have been in the
00:33:17.98\00:33:19.70
company went a
days journey and sought
00:33:19.71\00:33:22.46
him among their
kinfolk and acquaintances.
00:33:22.47\00:33:24.61
Joseph and Mary
became entrenched
00:33:25.98\00:33:27.90
in the annual
humdrum of the convention.
00:33:27.91\00:33:30.92
How many of you have
been here many years.
00:33:31.96\00:33:33.82
Don't raise, please
don't raise your hands.
00:33:33.83\00:33:35.41
This is your
90th year being here.
00:33:36.53\00:33:38.99
Is ASI that old? I don't know,
00:33:40.75\00:33:42.28
don't answer that question.
00:33:42.29\00:33:43.58
But you know I'm talking,
00:33:44.66\00:33:45.63
I'm just talking about ASI,
00:33:45.64\00:33:46.61
I'm talking about
GYC, I'm just talking
00:33:46.62\00:33:47.75
about GC which is
anything that people
00:33:47.76\00:33:49.78
come to, do you
ever get into the mode
00:33:49.79\00:33:51.58
that you like just
go. Then you go home.
00:33:51.59\00:33:54.70
You're calm and you go home.
00:33:55.18\00:33:57.23
You know what I'm talking about.
00:33:58.19\00:33:59.16
And those of who
you have red coats
00:33:59.71\00:34:00.92
this is your first ASI. This is,
00:34:00.93\00:34:02.37
this is a wonderful experience,
00:34:02.38\00:34:04.06
but I see the eyes of those who
00:34:04.07\00:34:05.68
wear black coats.
Yes, we're here again.
00:34:05.69\00:34:09.87
Now don't get me
wrong I love ASI,
00:34:09.88\00:34:11.53
this is a great
occasion and the Lord
00:34:11.54\00:34:13.82
uses events like
this to pour forth
00:34:13.83\00:34:16.12
this Holy Spirit
amen. But there is a danger
00:34:16.13\00:34:20.04
when you come to
events large such as this.
00:34:20.88\00:34:23.53
Joseph and Mary
allowed other interest
00:34:26.51\00:34:28.68
to take up their attention.
00:34:28.69\00:34:30.29
It was the same
speakers, the same schedule,
00:34:31.66\00:34:33.71
the same food, the same annoying
00:34:33.72\00:34:35.77
people and the
same not annoying people
00:34:35.78\00:34:37.96
that came to talk to them.
00:34:37.97\00:34:39.13
Perhaps their
parents were engaged
00:34:40.97\00:34:42.52
in idle talk.
Mary was finding out
00:34:42.53\00:34:44.94
what happened to
Elizabeth and her
00:34:44.95\00:34:46.67
other relatives.
Joseph was trying to
00:34:46.68\00:34:48.77
find out what the
politics was behind
00:34:48.78\00:34:50.75
the new high
priest. Maybe others were
00:34:50.76\00:34:53.65
making fun of
their carpentry for
00:34:53.66\00:34:55.60
Yahweh booth in
the booth section
00:34:55.61\00:34:57.13
I don't know. Now these are
00:34:57.14\00:34:59.76
not all horribly bad things,
00:34:59.77\00:35:01.38
but the key word
is this in verse 44
00:35:01.39\00:35:03.39
the Bible reads, but they what?
00:35:03.40\00:35:06.33
Suppose, they assumed Jesus
00:35:08.12\00:35:12.48
was with them the entire time.
00:35:12.49\00:35:14.19
Do you ever, do
you ever feel that way?
00:35:14.20\00:35:16.00
You come to events such as this
00:35:17.26\00:35:18.41
and you assume Jesus is with you
00:35:18.42\00:35:21.05
somewhere in the
background. But the,
00:35:21.06\00:35:23.84
but the
excitement, the adrenaline rush
00:35:23.85\00:35:26.14
of being with
other people you kind
00:35:26.15\00:35:28.19
of lose track of
Jesus, but he's kind of
00:35:28.20\00:35:30.12
somewhere in the
back of your mind.
00:35:30.13\00:35:32.25
They assumed
Jesus was with them.
00:35:34.39\00:35:36.91
For a whole day
in the large crowd
00:35:38.39\00:35:40.76
and in the Greek
access of a caravan.
00:35:40.77\00:35:43.46
There were some of
the things that were
00:35:45.82\00:35:47.25
going wrong. One,
in large groups such
00:35:47.26\00:35:50.29
as this there is
ambition that's being
00:35:50.30\00:35:52.69
showed off. In large groups,
00:35:52.70\00:35:56.13
people are finding
golden opportunities
00:35:56.14\00:35:58.59
and everyone wants that golden
00:35:58.60\00:36:00.32
conversation to find
that golden businessman
00:36:00.33\00:36:03.29
or golden
businesswoman to provide gold.
00:36:03.30\00:36:06.57
Am I making sense
here? Ambition and
00:36:09.37\00:36:13.37
they're looking
across to the other
00:36:13.38\00:36:14.83
side of the booth and
like who is he talking,
00:36:14.84\00:36:16.76
oh he's talking
with, I got to get in
00:36:16.77\00:36:19.79
that action. There is pride,
00:36:19.80\00:36:22.90
there is showing
off, there is display,
00:36:22.91\00:36:24.65
there is
throwing around weights.
00:36:24.66\00:36:26.40
My booth is
larger than your booth.
00:36:27.41\00:36:29.04
I have tracks, I've key chains,
00:36:31.29\00:36:34.26
I've highlighters.
There is a level of
00:36:34.95\00:36:41.32
gossip and the
joviality happening here.
00:36:41.33\00:36:42.94
They're talking
about everything and it's
00:36:42.95\00:36:45.00
just making sense.
I'm being very real here.
00:36:45.01\00:36:48.09
I'm 28 years
old, I don't know what
00:36:48.10\00:36:50.87
to categorize
myself. I'm not an adult,
00:36:50.88\00:36:53.13
but I'm not a young person.
00:36:53.14\00:36:54.30
And we are very sensitive to see
00:36:55.20\00:36:57.39
what's happening. And
this is the reality of it.
00:36:57.40\00:37:00.38
An additional thing
is people are traveling.
00:37:02.27\00:37:04.17
You ever come on
Wednesday evening, go
00:37:04.82\00:37:06.08
to registration,
all of us are grumpy.
00:37:06.09\00:37:09.32
People are mad, they are tired,
00:37:10.55\00:37:12.75
the time change.
The last thing they
00:37:12.76\00:37:16.62
wanna do is wait in
line for registration
00:37:16.63\00:37:18.26
for another 30 minutes.
We find you're A through
00:37:18.27\00:37:21.93
L and K through C
or whatever it is.
00:37:21.94\00:37:24.15
This is part of the experience.
00:37:27.27\00:37:28.73
And during the
whole time you think
00:37:30.17\00:37:32.16
Jesus is with
you, but he is what.
00:37:32.17\00:37:33.70
He is not, he's tarried behind.
00:37:35.26\00:37:36.73
For a whole day
they lost their child.
00:37:38.13\00:37:39.76
They spent the
whole day assuming that
00:37:39.77\00:37:41.37
such a good child
as Jesus was with them
00:37:41.38\00:37:43.80
and after all
these were their family
00:37:43.81\00:37:45.19
members all hanging around.
00:37:45.20\00:37:46.44
This is, this is the in house,
00:37:46.45\00:37:48.16
there are the saints
surely we're okay here.
00:37:48.17\00:37:51.54
This is the okay
ground, Jesus should be okay
00:37:52.47\00:37:55.26
and these are my,
our family members.
00:37:55.43\00:37:56.84
How many days have we been here
00:37:57.77\00:37:59.88
without Jesus.
How many days have
00:37:59.89\00:38:04.26
we been here
without intimate contact
00:38:04.27\00:38:08.34
with Jesus. Not about Jesus,
00:38:08.35\00:38:10.97
not hearing about
Jesus, not seeing Jesus
00:38:10.98\00:38:13.65
in pictures and
making green paintings,
00:38:13.66\00:38:16.03
but intimate
contact with the Lord
00:38:16.04\00:38:18.12
and savior of the universe.
00:38:18.13\00:38:19.41
We have assumed that Jesus has
00:38:21.61\00:38:22.99
been with us.
Verse 45, when Mary and
00:38:23.00\00:38:26.19
Joseph found him
not, they turned their
00:38:26.20\00:38:28.06
back again to
Jerusalem seeing him.
00:38:28.07\00:38:30.06
They came to pass,
that after three days
00:38:30.18\00:38:32.32
they find him in
the temple sitting in
00:38:32.33\00:38:33.58
the midst of the
doctors both hearing him
00:38:33.59\00:38:35.81
or hearing them and
asking them questions.
00:38:35.82\00:38:38.20
For three days
and we don't know how
00:38:38.54\00:38:40.31
these three days
work if it's additional
00:38:40.32\00:38:41.56
three days or it's
one day they went back
00:38:41.57\00:38:43.50
and then they went back you know
00:38:43.51\00:38:44.48
I don't know,
but three days later,
00:38:44.49\00:38:46.49
they haven't seen their child.
00:38:46.50\00:38:47.72
Now you
understand, this is Mary.
00:38:48.93\00:38:50.64
Now how many of you
are wives and mothers.
00:38:50.65\00:38:53.88
Wives and mothers when they lose
00:38:54.31\00:38:55.78
something they go
into red alert mode.
00:38:55.79\00:38:58.34
How many women have lost keys,
00:38:59.67\00:39:01.61
handbags,
passports, check books,
00:39:02.39\00:39:05.82
cell phones,
children? Now you understand,
00:39:06.16\00:39:12.01
Mary was given the sacred trust
00:39:12.02\00:39:14.50
of the Son of God.
She lost the Son of God.
00:39:14.51\00:39:21.14
Now you
understand this was her own,
00:39:24.20\00:39:26.25
this was her
child, a miracle birth.
00:39:26.26\00:39:28.77
In addition while
she was giving birth
00:39:30.77\00:39:33.01
to this child there
was a whole Egyptian,
00:39:33.02\00:39:34.52
the persecution
had to go to Egypt.
00:39:35.03\00:39:36.39
So this child
was someone that she
00:39:37.65\00:39:39.05
just treasured a
little bit more then
00:39:39.06\00:39:41.34
anything else. Do
you think that she
00:39:41.35\00:39:45.10
is gonna lose this child again.
00:39:45.11\00:39:46.42
The possibility,
she is freaking out.
00:39:47.13\00:39:50.44
Mothers, you
identify. She had nightmares
00:39:52.04\00:39:58.67
of harried. She was
thinking, what will I do.
00:39:58.68\00:40:03.03
My mother lost
her cell phone once
00:40:04.42\00:40:08.70
and for about a couple
of hours she's gone around
00:40:08.71\00:40:11.24
looking for things and
after a couple of hours
00:40:11.25\00:40:12.83
passage goes in panic mode.
00:40:12.84\00:40:14.14
Do you know what
I'm talking about?
00:40:14.15\00:40:15.12
Once you're in the panic mode,
00:40:15.13\00:40:16.71
you go into crazy mode,
00:40:16.72\00:40:17.69
once you go into crazy mode,
00:40:17.70\00:40:18.67
you go into insane mode,
00:40:18.68\00:40:19.65
once you go into insane mode,
00:40:19.66\00:40:20.63
you go into irrational mode.
00:40:20.64\00:40:21.61
She's looking for her
cell phone everywhere.
00:40:21.62\00:40:23.78
Now men do this absolutely,
00:40:23.79\00:40:26.25
but it's all internal
we don't say it out loud.
00:40:26.26\00:40:29.21
We search for the whole house
00:40:29.22\00:40:33.99
and guess where it was.
00:40:34.00\00:40:36.23
It was in the refrigerator.
00:40:36.24\00:40:38.93
Sometimes life is
hectic isn't it friends.
00:40:41.57\00:40:43.22
Get a sandwich and
put your cell phone.
00:40:45.13\00:40:47.28
Here they finally
come after three days
00:40:47.29\00:40:51.90
and they find him in
the temple sitting in the
00:40:51.91\00:40:53.92
midst of seminary professors.
00:40:53.93\00:40:56.11
In my imagination Jesus
is wearing a night robe,
00:40:56.12\00:41:00.14
I don't know why all
the uncles after stories
00:41:00.15\00:41:01.74
having the night
robe. He's in a night robe
00:41:01.75\00:41:03.46
and he has a
Jackie Onassis's haircut.
00:41:03.47\00:41:05.20
He's surrounded by these
00:41:05.21\00:41:06.18
theological
professors of his day.
00:41:06.19\00:41:07.81
And these doctors
should have received
00:41:07.82\00:41:10.44
the message of Jesus.
With a certain humility
00:41:10.45\00:41:13.17
or the certain
divinity he's asking them
00:41:13.18\00:41:15.82
questions and then
answering questions
00:41:15.83\00:41:17.58
on his wonderful
beautiful dialogue.
00:41:17.59\00:41:19.48
I would have
chopped my left hand
00:41:19.49\00:41:21.30
for a transcript
of this discussion.
00:41:21.31\00:41:23.37
If these
professors would have ushered
00:41:23.38\00:41:27.26
this message they
would welcome the Messiah.
00:41:27.27\00:41:30.23
But 18 years later
some of them are planning
00:41:30.24\00:41:35.76
to kill Jesus. Verse
47, all that heard him
00:41:35.77\00:41:40.00
were astonished
at his understanding
00:41:40.01\00:41:42.12
and answers. And
I'm telling you this,
00:41:42.13\00:41:43.60
as you see
these little Munchkins
00:41:43.61\00:41:45.26
and little kids up here.
00:41:45.27\00:41:46.46
The ones who are 12
years-old are capable
00:41:46.47\00:41:49.74
of deep theological ideologies.
00:41:49.75\00:41:53.25
If Jesus could do it,
00:41:53.26\00:41:55.34
and if Jesus was
someone who grew,
00:41:55.35\00:41:57.59
then the potential
for our young people
00:41:57.60\00:42:00.30
is just the same amen.
00:42:00.31\00:42:02.01
Today young people
are not sufficiently
00:42:02.02\00:42:06.95
challenged
enough. This generation
00:42:06.96\00:42:09.64
that's coming has had the world
00:42:09.65\00:42:11.67
handed to them and
they do not want the world
00:42:11.68\00:42:13.85
unless a challenge
that is given to them
00:42:13.86\00:42:16.92
is beyond them,
and there is only
00:42:16.93\00:42:19.04
one challenge that
it meets to dignity
00:42:19.05\00:42:21.80
of the youth today.
00:42:21.81\00:42:22.94
And that is
spreading the gospel,
00:42:22.95\00:42:25.34
the Three
Angels Message not just
00:42:25.35\00:42:27.43
in North America,
but the entire world.
00:42:27.44\00:42:29.30
The world is at
their finger tips
00:42:29.31\00:42:32.77
and the previous
generation must hand this
00:42:32.78\00:42:37.81
baton wisely,
gently and forcefully
00:42:37.82\00:42:41.45
to this next generation.
00:42:41.46\00:42:43.18
Young people at
age 12 are capable of
00:42:43.19\00:42:46.59
this kind of mission amen.
00:42:46.60\00:42:47.81
But they're not sufficiently
00:42:47.82\00:42:50.37
challenged enough.
The largest problem is
00:42:50.38\00:42:52.02
church is that
young people are sheltered
00:42:52.03\00:42:54.79
in the church, but
they're not converted
00:42:54.80\00:42:57.04
and they know the world is bad.
00:42:57.05\00:42:58.54
And they know
they should stay here,
00:42:58.55\00:43:00.50
but because they're converted,
00:43:00.51\00:43:01.76
so they're stuck in this trap.
00:43:01.77\00:43:03.55
They hate being here,
00:43:03.56\00:43:04.80
they know they
shouldn't be there,
00:43:04.81\00:43:06.10
so they're in between.
00:43:06.11\00:43:07.99
And finally one
day they'll crack
00:43:08.00\00:43:09.63
and they'll go
out into the world
00:43:09.64\00:43:11.29
and never comeback.
00:43:11.30\00:43:12.27
A high enough
challenge will keep
00:43:12.28\00:43:16.12
the young people involved.
00:43:16.13\00:43:18.48
Once converted
youth can be one of most
00:43:18.49\00:43:21.82
powerful forces
however they need expertise,
00:43:21.83\00:43:25.02
wisdom and
experience of their elders
00:43:25.03\00:43:27.02
with this bond the results
00:43:27.03\00:43:28.69
can be catastrophic. Verse 48,
00:43:28.70\00:43:31.33
when the parents saw him,
00:43:31.34\00:43:33.55
they were amazed and his
mother said unto him son,
00:43:33.56\00:43:36.57
why has thou thus dealt with us,
00:43:36.58\00:43:38.98
behold thy
father and I have sought
00:43:38.99\00:43:42.31
these sorrowing. And
now the translation is,
00:43:42.32\00:43:44.91
you have caused us pain.
00:43:44.92\00:43:46.57
Verse 49 He said unto them,
00:43:46.58\00:43:50.21
How is it that ye sought me?
00:43:50.22\00:43:52.25
Wish thee not
that I must be about my
00:43:52.26\00:43:54.21
Father's business?
And they understood
00:43:54.22\00:43:56.28
not the same which
he spake unto them.
00:43:56.29\00:43:58.14
Meaning, the
parents didn't get it
00:43:58.15\00:44:01.11
and I tell you as
a young person that
00:44:01.12\00:44:03.00
there is
nothing more frustrating
00:44:03.01\00:44:04.69
when your mom and
dad don't get you.
00:44:04.70\00:44:06.49
I told my mom, mom,
00:44:06.50\00:44:09.08
I'm going to Arizona, Phoenix.
00:44:09.09\00:44:10.34
I'm speaking at ASI.
Oh that's nice honey,
00:44:10.35\00:44:13.37
make sure you wear a coat.
00:44:13.38\00:44:14.65
Oh it's a 117 degrees out there.
00:44:14.66\00:44:18.27
Oh you wanna
bring some sun block.
00:44:18.28\00:44:20.09
Joseph and Mary did
not know what Jesus'
00:44:20.10\00:44:27.05
mission was. When a
12-year-old boy is lost.
00:44:27.06\00:44:30.58
Where do you go? Do you
go the seminary building.
00:44:30.59\00:44:33.67
Is that your first
choice that you go to?
00:44:33.68\00:44:35.10
For three days they
probably went to the
00:44:35.11\00:44:38.20
bakery, they
probably went to the
00:44:38.21\00:44:39.90
children's museum. They
probably went to the zoo,
00:44:39.91\00:44:42.47
they probably
went to the school,
00:44:42.48\00:44:44.28
they probably went
to the summer school
00:44:44.29\00:44:45.76
education. I
don't, I don't know.
00:44:45.77\00:44:47.22
You go where kids go, amen.
00:44:47.23\00:44:49.80
And the seminary
was the last place they
00:44:49.81\00:44:52.69
thought Jesus would be.
00:44:52.70\00:44:53.67
They were trying to
know where would Jesus be.
00:44:53.68\00:44:58.55
They were trying to
know, think inside his brain
00:44:58.56\00:45:01.01
if I were a 12-year-old
boy where would I be?
00:45:01.02\00:45:03.85
Would I be at
the felafel station,
00:45:03.86\00:45:05.38
would I be going over there
00:45:05.39\00:45:06.50
getting sweets from the,
00:45:06.51\00:45:07.57
from the sugar guy or where,
00:45:07.58\00:45:09.40
where would he be?
Many people today think
00:45:09.41\00:45:12.47
they know young people.
00:45:12.48\00:45:13.55
They think young
people want rock and roll,
00:45:13.56\00:45:17.28
drums, dancing, the Macarena
00:45:17.29\00:45:19.76
and macaroni Sabbath schools.
00:45:19.77\00:45:21.17
They wanna play
sesame street puppets
00:45:21.18\00:45:23.38
in Sabbath school.
They want Holy piercing
00:45:23.39\00:45:25.43
and tattoos. They wanna
hang out at coffee shops,
00:45:25.44\00:45:28.36
have music, chill sessions,
00:45:28.37\00:45:30.42
they gonna have playgrounds
00:45:30.43\00:45:31.70
inside the church,
disco balls, bakeries,
00:45:31.71\00:45:33.98
candy shops and
zoos inside church.
00:45:33.99\00:45:36.36
Now the thing is
as a young person
00:45:36.37\00:45:38.48
do you know how awkward that is?
00:45:38.49\00:45:40.03
If you wanna go to those things,
00:45:40.04\00:45:43.57
you go to those things,
00:45:43.58\00:45:44.91
you don't go to
church to do those things.
00:45:44.92\00:45:46.98
You go to
church, you go to church.
00:45:46.99\00:45:49.32
But there is a generation
of youth for Christ today
00:45:49.33\00:45:56.63
who want to be about
the father's business,
00:45:56.64\00:46:00.34
who want to be in
the father's house.
00:46:00.35\00:46:03.31
Starting at age 12.
Do you understand ASI
00:46:03.32\00:46:08.51
we are at an
important sociological cloisters
00:46:08.52\00:46:12.11
in the church.
For one generation
00:46:12.12\00:46:14.59
we swung rights. We
went into traditionalism,
00:46:14.60\00:46:17.54
we went to
legalism, we abused some of
00:46:17.55\00:46:19.71
those principles.
The next generation
00:46:19.72\00:46:21.59
that came swung all
the way to the which side?
00:46:21.60\00:46:23.64
To the left, and they
went to the other side
00:46:23.65\00:46:25.65
and they said hey,
lets do away with this
00:46:25.66\00:46:26.94
and do away with
this. And now here we are
00:46:26.95\00:46:29.24
in the third
generation with a blank slate.
00:46:29.25\00:46:31.74
We can see the mistakes
of what one generation did
00:46:31.75\00:46:34.32
and the abuses of
another generation.
00:46:34.33\00:46:36.40
And we have an
historical prospective,
00:46:36.41\00:46:38.83
right now the youth
are at crucial point
00:46:38.84\00:46:44.13
where we need the experience
00:46:44.14\00:46:46.50
of the previous generation.
00:46:46.51\00:46:48.36
And what I'm tell you is this,
00:46:48.37\00:46:49.80
ASI is on the
cutting edge of providing
00:46:49.81\00:46:53.67
that kind of support.
This generation is radical,
00:46:53.68\00:46:58.54
they wanna be nuns
and monks for Jesus.
00:46:58.55\00:47:02.09
They want to be
David Livingstons,
00:47:02.10\00:47:04.96
they want to be
Martin Luther Kings,
00:47:04.97\00:47:06.28
they wanna be John Wesleys,
00:47:06.29\00:47:07.28
George
Whitefields, John Wycliffes.
00:47:07.29\00:47:08.86
Despite the all
these good things
00:47:08.87\00:47:11.44
there is a generation
00:47:11.45\00:47:12.42
who wants to take
this social justice
00:47:12.43\00:47:14.79
and they want to help
humanity on the next level
00:47:14.80\00:47:17.48
in making the Three
Angels Message a reality.
00:47:17.49\00:47:20.98
Not just some mantra
00:47:20.99\00:47:22.74
we shout out from the pulpit.
00:47:22.75\00:47:24.36
Now Jesus interesting He says,
00:47:24.37\00:47:30.51
My father's business.
This was not their child.
00:47:30.52\00:47:34.57
This was the Father's child.
00:47:34.58\00:47:37.93
Too often we think the things
00:47:37.94\00:47:40.20
that are in our care are ours.
00:47:40.21\00:47:42.07
Joseph and Mary were
given a special sacred
00:47:42.08\00:47:45.05
trust and in
essence they abused it.
00:47:45.06\00:47:48.46
They didn't abuse
it by disobedience.
00:47:48.47\00:47:50.66
They didn't abuse,
they didn't lose it
00:47:50.67\00:47:53.01
by some kind of huge sin.
00:47:53.02\00:47:54.45
They just assumed
that the status quo
00:47:54.46\00:47:58.40
would be the status quo.
00:47:58.41\00:48:00.07
Our resources are not ours.
00:48:00.08\00:48:03.63
Often we become indifferent,
00:48:03.64\00:48:06.38
and completion in North America
00:48:06.39\00:48:07.71
because of our
riches and resources.
00:48:07.72\00:48:10.63
We start thinking
that action results
00:48:10.64\00:48:12.77
and projects initiated
by us bring forth results.
00:48:12.78\00:48:16.90
The reality is that our projects
00:48:16.91\00:48:21.13
and our ideas are too low
00:48:21.14\00:48:23.06
and too common placed.
00:48:23.07\00:48:24.49
We have to
start saying what does
00:48:24.50\00:48:26.31
my father wants. My
father is a big God,
00:48:26.32\00:48:30.01
a big God has big projects,
00:48:30.02\00:48:31.96
big projects need big money.
00:48:31.97\00:48:33.67
In North America
despite the economy
00:48:33.68\00:48:38.26
we have a lot of money.
00:48:38.27\00:48:39.38
We still play golf in
this economy don't we?
00:48:39.39\00:48:42.22
We still have
people who get $90 haircuts
00:48:42.23\00:48:46.60
don't we? We still have movies,
00:48:46.61\00:48:49.76
they're still
surviving aren't they?
00:48:49.77\00:48:50.98
Big projects need big money
00:48:50.99\00:48:55.62
and we should
not be ashamed of our
00:48:55.63\00:48:57.29
financial
resources. There is a sentiment
00:48:57.30\00:49:01.15
the Adventist
church that to be Holy
00:49:01.16\00:49:03.66
is to be poor. To be
ashamed of our talents,
00:49:03.67\00:49:07.75
to be ashamed of our resources,
00:49:07.76\00:49:09.90
our intelligence and
I'll say this, even our age.
00:49:09.91\00:49:13.15
I support and I
encourage those of the
00:49:13.16\00:49:18.27
previous generations
if you are old then say
00:49:18.28\00:49:21.32
you are old with
all confidence in
00:49:21.33\00:49:23.12
Jesus Christ. We need some
00:49:23.13\00:49:25.13
old generation
people who have the faith,
00:49:25.14\00:49:28.16
who have
marriages of like 60 years
00:49:28.17\00:49:30.33
and they are
still married together.
00:49:30.34\00:49:31.44
We need those of
who have gone before us
00:49:31.45\00:49:33.64
need that experience,
we need that confidence.
00:49:33.65\00:49:36.19
But today we have older people
00:49:36.20\00:49:39.10
who are ashamed of their age.
00:49:39.11\00:49:40.24
We've rich
people who are ashamed
00:49:40.25\00:49:41.93
of their riches.
We've intelligent people
00:49:41.94\00:49:43.83
who are ashamed of
their intelligence.
00:49:43.84\00:49:45.05
What kind of
father do they have?
00:49:45.06\00:49:47.89
Who is their father?
00:49:47.90\00:49:50.01
In the Adventist
church you have people
00:49:50.02\00:49:53.61
who love sanctified
poverty and ignorance,
00:49:53.62\00:49:55.44
they say I have no education,
00:49:55.45\00:49:56.58
I have no
degrees, I've no money,
00:49:56.59\00:49:58.13
I subsist on barley
green and activated charcoal
00:49:58.14\00:50:00.82
and I live in a cave somewhere.
00:50:00.83\00:50:01.91
I'm holier than everyone here.
00:50:01.92\00:50:04.52
Where did that come from?
00:50:04.53\00:50:07.07
Who is your father?
00:50:07.08\00:50:08.94
I'm about my father's business.
00:50:08.95\00:50:13.35
I have a big God. My
father is a rich man.
00:50:13.36\00:50:17.11
And we should not be ashamed of
00:50:17.12\00:50:19.17
these resources, amen. Amen. 51,
00:50:19.18\00:50:23.64
he went down with them
00:50:23.65\00:50:25.73
and came to
Nazareth a subject unto them
00:50:25.74\00:50:27.41
but his mother
kept all these things
00:50:27.42\00:50:28.60
in her heart. Jesus
increased with stature
00:50:28.61\00:50:31.04
and wisdom and in
favor with God and man.
00:50:31.05\00:50:33.27
Conclusion, Jesus
was doing his work.
00:50:33.28\00:50:36.90
He went outside of the box
00:50:36.91\00:50:38.31
and he was even
willing to offend His mom
00:50:38.32\00:50:40.26
and dad to do His Father's work.
00:50:40.27\00:50:41.45
Joseph and Mary were
not doing their work.
00:50:41.46\00:50:44.25
They thought they
were and this is what
00:50:44.26\00:50:45.91
the dangerous, dangerous. ASI,
00:50:45.92\00:50:47.62
if you think
you're doing God's work
00:50:47.63\00:50:49.02
be very careful.
Because we can assume
00:50:49.03\00:50:52.13
that Jesus is with
us the entire time.
00:50:52.14\00:50:54.15
God has shown
them such great honor
00:50:54.16\00:50:57.00
in choosing them as Holy parents
00:50:57.01\00:50:58.20
they had
position, they had honor,
00:50:58.21\00:51:01.35
but they wasted it
on camp meeting, on ASI,
00:51:01.36\00:51:06.68
on GYC, on a big event.
The issue is not whether
00:51:06.69\00:51:12.11
you know God or
whether you trust God.
00:51:12.12\00:51:14.47
The issue is does God know you
00:51:14.48\00:51:16.55
and does God trust you.
00:51:16.56\00:51:17.74
If God has given you Jesus,
00:51:17.75\00:51:20.75
will you take care
of this precious gift
00:51:20.76\00:51:23.33
with all your
mighty and power and energy
00:51:23.34\00:51:25.22
and finances and everything
00:51:25.23\00:51:26.58
that who you
are. Assumption is the
00:51:26.59\00:51:29.66
enemy of the sacred.
We want to stop assuming
00:51:29.67\00:51:32.30
that Jesus is with
us. We must take up
00:51:32.31\00:51:34.49
and re-consecrate our
secrete responsibilities
00:51:34.50\00:51:37.03
even if it
causes our moms and dads
00:51:37.04\00:51:39.47
to be hurt if you
will. We need aggressive
00:51:39.48\00:51:42.17
university deans who
are willing to take them
00:51:42.18\00:51:44.22
an ideological and a theological
00:51:44.23\00:51:46.10
stand according to
the Bible and uphold
00:51:46.11\00:51:48.44
the sacred trust. Amen.
00:51:48.45\00:51:50.20
We need aggressive
businessmen and women
00:51:50.21\00:51:51.90
who are going to build
schools investing youth,
00:51:51.91\00:51:54.29
finance
technologies and move those that
00:51:54.30\00:51:57.05
they can influence toward heaven
00:51:57.06\00:51:58.57
as fast as
possible. We need aggressive
00:51:58.58\00:52:01.24
artists and
musicians and professors,
00:52:01.25\00:52:03.47
we need aggressive
church leaders to manifest
00:52:03.48\00:52:05.92
the character of
Christ on an administrative
00:52:05.93\00:52:07.79
level making the
church more dependent
00:52:07.80\00:52:09.96
on cross not on
evangelical ideas,
00:52:09.97\00:52:12.45
not on historical
issues that are from the past,
00:52:12.46\00:52:14.64
not progressive propaganda
00:52:14.65\00:52:16.24
and not
conservative traditionalism.
00:52:16.25\00:52:18.67
We need to move forward,
00:52:18.68\00:52:20.28
because Jesus is coming soon.
00:52:20.29\00:52:22.49
Now young people are
tired of that mantra.
00:52:22.50\00:52:25.70
We say Jesus coming
soon over and over again,
00:52:25.71\00:52:28.31
but we need action here.
00:52:28.32\00:52:29.81
What is the sacred work of ASI?
00:52:29.82\00:52:33.97
What is the sacred
trust given to GYC?
00:52:33.98\00:52:37.30
What is the
function of youth for Jesus
00:52:37.31\00:52:39.89
in these last days?
What is the function
00:52:39.90\00:52:42.95
of your booth? What
is the sacred trust given
00:52:42.96\00:52:46.71
to your individual ministry?
00:52:46.72\00:52:48.09
What is the
function and the trust of
00:52:48.10\00:52:50.87
the Seventh-Day
Adventist Church?
00:52:50.88\00:52:52.92
Have we assumed that
Jesus has been with us?
00:52:52.93\00:52:55.29
Do we just assume that His hands
00:52:55.30\00:52:58.66
are upon our
shoulders? Do we just assume
00:52:58.67\00:53:01.27
He is in this hall.
Right now as I look upon
00:53:01.28\00:53:07.01
this group I fear that
if we assume Jesus is here,
00:53:07.02\00:53:11.18
competition will set
in to this organization.
00:53:11.19\00:53:14.67
We've hospitals fighting
against those who believe
00:53:14.68\00:53:18.16
in natural medicine.
We've self supporting
00:53:18.17\00:53:20.73
schools who are
fighting against universities.
00:53:20.74\00:53:22.19
We've media organization against
00:53:22.20\00:53:24.12
other media companies.
00:53:24.13\00:53:25.61
We've publishers
against publishers
00:53:25.62\00:53:27.43
and we have
booths against booths.
00:53:27.44\00:53:29.45
This is not an
appropriate environment
00:53:29.46\00:53:34.55
for Jesus to work
in. How will you terry
00:53:34.56\00:53:38.67
behind in Jerusalem to
do the father's business.
00:53:38.68\00:53:41.03
How will you
breakout of the mold
00:53:41.04\00:53:46.19
and start doing
the father's business
00:53:46.20\00:53:49.50
even it offends
those around you.
00:53:49.51\00:53:52.18
We need a certain
kind of I don't careness
00:53:52.19\00:53:58.21
in our ranks and the
only thing we care about
00:53:58.22\00:54:02.21
is one person and
guess who that is?
00:54:02.22\00:54:04.73
My Father, my
Father. This sacredness,
00:54:04.74\00:54:12.56
this understand of
the sacred task will cause
00:54:12.57\00:54:16.08
us to empty our
wallets for Jesus.
00:54:16.09\00:54:18.85
This sacred trust
will cause us to take a
00:54:18.86\00:54:22.82
creationist stance
on science discussions.
00:54:22.83\00:54:26.10
This sacredness will
cause us to find purpose,
00:54:26.11\00:54:29.52
meaning, passion. And
it will cause us to know
00:54:29.53\00:54:34.50
our savior
deeply. By knowing Him,
00:54:34.51\00:54:38.67
is this your
desire? I speak frank
00:54:38.68\00:54:43.99
to all of you. I don't know you,
00:54:44.00\00:54:45.24
but I'm saying how
many more ASIs do we need.
00:54:45.25\00:54:49.81
Now don't get me
wrong, I love ASI.
00:54:49.82\00:54:53.03
There is a classiness
here that I aspire to be.
00:54:53.04\00:54:55.46
But I pray we don't
have a GYC ever again.
00:54:55.47\00:55:00.04
I pray we never
have an ASI again.
00:55:00.05\00:55:02.79
I pray we have the
camp meeting of all
00:55:02.80\00:55:05.22
camp meetings
where upstairs in heaven.
00:55:05.23\00:55:08.33
Do you want to be
about your father's business?
00:55:08.34\00:55:11.74
Do you wanna stop
just playing around
00:55:11.75\00:55:15.06
and assuming and
stupid competition?
00:55:15.07\00:55:17.10
Do you wanna not
care about anything else,
00:55:17.11\00:55:20.74
is that your desire ASI. Amen.
00:55:20.75\00:55:22.50
If that is your
sincere desire please stand
00:55:22.51\00:55:26.75
and pray with me now.
00:55:26.76\00:55:27.77
Father in heaven, Lord,
00:55:34.59\00:55:37.84
forgive us for assumptions.
00:55:37.85\00:55:40.10
Forgive us for
supposing that Jesus is here
00:55:42.34\00:55:45.04
with us. Forgive
us for playing around
00:55:45.05\00:55:48.50
and doing what we want to do,
00:55:48.51\00:55:50.05
thinking we're doing ministry.
00:55:50.06\00:55:51.88
Lord, every person
in this room help us
00:55:51.89\00:55:57.56
to be about your business.
00:55:57.57\00:55:58.99
We maybe doing the same things,
00:55:59.00\00:56:02.95
but may our hearts
be in the right place.
00:56:02.96\00:56:04.92
And may we be like
the 12-year-old Jesus
00:56:04.93\00:56:08.65
with His
innocence, with His direction,
00:56:08.66\00:56:13.31
this humility and his focus.
00:56:13.32\00:56:16.60
We ask that you
change us anew again.
00:56:16.61\00:56:20.57
We pray this in
Jesus name, amen.
00:56:20.58\00:56:24.15