Hi, I'm Wintley Phipps,
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and welcome to our
program Perfecting Me,
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Becoming More Like Jesus.
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I'm so glad you joined us.
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My guests today on our
program are Ruthie Jacobsen,
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Head of Prayer Ministry of
the North American division
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of Seventh-day Adventist,
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Pastor Errol Stoddart,
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Senior Pastor of the
Church of the Oranges
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of Seventh-day
Adventist in Orange, New Jersey,
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and Mrs. Adly Campos,
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Speaker and President of
Family Well-Being International.
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You'll hear from
them a little later.
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Throughout the
17th and 18th centuries,
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Antonio Stradivari, built
the most extraordinary violins.
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The beauty and clarity
of the sound are legendary.
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In 2010, centuries later,
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one of his violins
sold for $16 million.
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As he labored in his
studio, Stradivari had one rule.
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No violin was to leave the shop
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until it was as
close to perfection
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as humanly possible.
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He's known to have said,
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"God needs violins to
send His music into the world,
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and if my violins are defective,
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God's music will be spoiled."
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I believe the lives we live
are God's music to the world.
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And in order for the music
to be as beautiful as possible,
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our lives must be emptied of all
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that is unlike
the character of God.
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Our lives must be in tune
with the beauty of holiness.
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If you are like
me, you probably view
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becoming more like God
and developing His character
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as both exciting and daunting,
noble and intimidating,
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a great dream and
some think impossible.
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It has taken me
many years to understand
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that to become a
follower of Jesus,
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means to live as He lived.
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And no matter how
overwhelming the thought,
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to accomplish that goal,
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I had to embrace the
pursuit of divine perfection
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and the character of God
as my life's primary goal.
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I began to see the
pursuit of divine perfection
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as fundamental to my
character development
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and spiritual progress.
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This is what our
program is all about today,
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Perfecting Me.
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Because of sin for
the last 6,000 years,
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true perfection,
inherent, innate,
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natural born perfection
has not been available to us.
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The Bible says we were born
in sin and shapen in iniquity.
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In sin, did my
mother conceive me?
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On this side of the
fall of Adam and Eve,
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there has never
been true inborn,
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inbred perfection.
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Sin and iniquity has
been a visitor to our fathers
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and children unto the
third and fourth generation.
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When the forbidden fruit
was eaten in disobedience,
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perfection for man
died, and sin began its reign.
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And since that day,
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no man has been able
to claim true perfection.
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Romans 3:10 says,
"As it is written,
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'There is none
righteous, no not one.'"
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Today, mankind lives in
a swamp of imperfection.
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Romans 3:23 says,
"For all have sinned
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and come short of
the glory of God."
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If that be true,
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how is it then that
the Word of God call
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some imperfect
men of God perfect?
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Genesis 6:9, the Bible says,
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"These are the
generations of Noah.
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Noah was a just man and
perfect in his generations,
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and Noah walked with God."
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The Book of Job 1:1 says,
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"There was a man
in the land of Uz,
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whose name was Job,
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and that man was
perfect and upright,
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and one that feared
God, and eschewed evil."
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How could this be?
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I believe, it is because
God has a very different view
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of perfection than we do.
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You see, there are other
definitions of perfection
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than the one we
subscribe to usually.
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They are
definitions of perfection like,
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"I believe God embraces.
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I believe He applies
to the human condition."
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These are
definitions of perfection
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that are full of
grace, full of mercy.
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The first
definition of perfection
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we need to understand
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is the definition that
sees something perfect,
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that is as free
of flaws and defects
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as much as possible.
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I'm a singer, and I
can tell you every singer
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in every song makes mistakes.
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But the great
ones make a stumble
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look like a pirouette.
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I want you to know
the very best we can
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and the very best we know how
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God sees us doing that
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and says perfect.
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Yes,
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God sees our trying
sincerely to be perfect,
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and He gives us a perfect grade
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for trying to be perfect.
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Have you ever had a teacher
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give you a poor
grade but an A for effort?
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Well, God sees us
doing the best we know how,
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and God says
perfect, A for effort.
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The servant of Lord says,
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"We are to bring glory
to God by doing our best
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to be perfect men
and perfect women."
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Christ looks at the spirit,
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and when He sees us
carrying our burden with faith,
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His perfect holiness
atones for our shortcomings.
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And when we do our best,
He becomes our righteousness,
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He becomes our perfection.
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Wow.
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What a God!
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As we do our best,
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the blessing of
God will rest upon us.
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Shall we not arise as
servant of God and build?
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Many believe,
"Because Jesus paid it all,
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we are not required
to do anything at all.
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And because our
mistakes are covered,
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we don't have
to stress ourselves
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about repeating those
mistakes occasionally,
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or maybe regularly,
or even frequently."
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And we console
ourselves with that mantra,
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"Nobody is perfect."
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The truest
perfection man will ever know
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is not determined by
his personal achievements
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but rather by his possession
of the virtues of Christ,
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like simplicity, humility,
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and joyful
obedience to the will of God.
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So God sees that as
being perfect as He is perfect.
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God reckons our sincere efforts
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to be like the
Father and the Son,
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and He says, "Perfect."
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God is pleased with
men who do not think that
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they have attained perfection
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but who are
constantly trying to improve.
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And He would have us come
into connection with Himself
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and increase in understanding.
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He wants us to reform our habits
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always rising higher
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and approaching nearer
the standard of perfection.
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And so if we do our best,
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it is all the Lord requires.
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He will give us the
strength to do our best,
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and we can resist temptation
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not in our own
strength but in His strength.
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Let every one of
us ask ourselves,
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"Am I a genuine Christian?
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Am I doing my very
best to perfect a character
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after the divine model?"
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I want you to
see a video of a man
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doing the best
he can for the Lord,
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courtesy of our
friends from CBN News.
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Playing music comes
as naturally as breathing
00:10:00.70\00:10:03.26
for 58-year-old
Blues musician Daryl Davis.
00:10:03.30\00:10:06.30
Well, I've been playing
music professionally full-time
00:10:06.33\00:10:09.47
since 1980
00:10:09.50\00:10:11.11
when I graduated
college at the age of 22.
00:10:11.14\00:10:14.14
Through music, Davis has
formed some unique friendships.
00:10:14.18\00:10:17.55
That's Sam Philips, the man
who discovered Elvis Presley,
00:10:17.58\00:10:20.98
Chuck Berry, the
boxer, Joe Frager,
00:10:21.02\00:10:24.32
Dolly Parton.
00:10:24.35\00:10:25.69
And also unlikely ones.
00:10:25.72\00:10:27.52
And that was the head of
the Maryland Ku Klux Klan.
00:10:27.56\00:10:31.16
How did you get to be
friends with members of the KKK?
00:10:31.19\00:10:34.93
I just happened to be, in 1983,
00:10:34.96\00:10:38.67
a country music had made a
resurgence in this country.
00:10:38.70\00:10:41.34
So I was the only black
guy in this country band
00:10:41.37\00:10:45.71
and consequently
the only black guy
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in the many other
places where we played.
00:10:48.14\00:10:49.84
One place was the Silver Dollar
Lounge in Frederick, Maryland.
00:10:49.88\00:10:53.31
After a performance, a
white man stopped Davis
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as he walked off the stage.
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And he says,
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"You know, I really
like your all's music."
00:10:59.99\00:11:01.79
And I said, "Thank
you." I shook his hand.
00:11:01.82\00:11:03.43
And I don't drink but
I went back to his table,
00:11:03.46\00:11:05.09
and I had a
cranberry juice with him.
00:11:05.13\00:11:07.40
And then he makes the remark
00:11:07.43\00:11:08.76
when the waitresses
brings my cranberry juice,
00:11:08.80\00:11:10.20
he clings my
glass and cheers me.
00:11:10.23\00:11:12.37
He says, "You know,
this is the first time
00:11:12.40\00:11:14.44
I ever sat down and have
a drink with the black man."
00:11:14.47\00:11:17.01
Well, I'm thinking,
"Well, it was one night,
00:11:17.04\00:11:18.47
this guy was really
having a night of first,
00:11:18.51\00:11:21.08
and I said why?
00:11:21.11\00:11:22.68
And again I was naive.
00:11:22.71\00:11:25.85
And I wasn't
trying to be facetious.
00:11:25.88\00:11:27.22
I said, "Well, why is that?"
00:11:27.25\00:11:29.25
He stared at the table
top and didn't answer me,
00:11:29.28\00:11:32.09
and then hit a
friend sitting next to me,
00:11:32.12\00:11:34.26
he goes, "Tell him,
tell him, tell him."
00:11:34.29\00:11:36.36
I said, "Tell me."
00:11:36.39\00:11:37.73
And finally he says, "I'm
a member of Ku Klux Klan."
00:11:37.76\00:11:40.70
Since age 10,
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when first confronted
with the realities of racism,
00:11:42.10\00:11:44.63
Davis pondered one question,
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"How can you hate me
when you don't know me?"
00:11:46.90\00:11:49.57
His unlikely KKK connection
00:11:49.60\00:11:51.47
inspired him to
start getting answers.
00:11:51.51\00:11:53.78
Some years later,
00:11:53.81\00:11:55.28
well, I decided I was going
to write a book on the Klan.
00:11:55.31\00:11:59.85
His research often put him
in some dangerous situations,
00:11:59.88\00:12:02.98
but it also led to
an unexpected change
00:12:03.02\00:12:05.69
in the relationship he shared
with certain Klan members.
00:12:05.72\00:12:08.82
I would ask them questions
00:12:08.86\00:12:10.79
and they would
answer the questions.
00:12:10.83\00:12:13.06
But they wouldn't
ask for my opinion.
00:12:13.09\00:12:14.86
And then overtime,
you know, I would say,
00:12:14.90\00:12:18.47
"So what do you think
about blah, blah, blah?"
00:12:18.50\00:12:21.04
And they would say,
"Well, I think dadadadada."
00:12:21.07\00:12:24.01
And then they would say,
00:12:24.04\00:12:25.74
"Well, what do you
think about it, Daryl?"
00:12:25.77\00:12:28.24
"Oh, wait a minute. All
of a sudden I have value."
00:12:28.28\00:12:30.48
Davis says he's convinced
25 members of the Ku Klux Klan
00:12:30.51\00:12:34.18
to leave the organization
00:12:34.22\00:12:35.78
simply through
friendly conversation.
00:12:35.82\00:12:37.75
And when they did so,
00:12:37.79\00:12:39.12
they gave me
their robes and hoods,
00:12:39.15\00:12:40.49
that's just not done.
00:12:40.52\00:12:41.86
Yeah.
00:12:41.89\00:12:43.22
Yeah, this uniform
represents white supremacy.
00:12:43.26\00:12:46.53
And you're taking it off
and giving it to a black man.
00:12:46.56\00:12:48.93
As a new generation
of African-Americans
00:12:48.96\00:12:51.27
enter adulthood,
00:12:51.30\00:12:52.63
they're fighting
racism their own way
00:12:52.67\00:12:54.94
rather than trying to
change one mind at a time
00:12:54.97\00:12:57.14
as Davis has done,
00:12:57.17\00:12:58.57
this activists
generation is using social media
00:12:58.61\00:13:01.61
to reach the masses.
00:13:01.64\00:13:03.24
Some in the Black
Lives Matter movement
00:13:03.28\00:13:05.11
have been critical of Davis,
00:13:05.15\00:13:06.92
saying he is
defeating their purpose
00:13:06.95\00:13:08.78
with his relational approach.
00:13:08.82\00:13:10.75
The fact that I would sit down
00:13:10.79\00:13:12.12
and spend so much
time with the enemy
00:13:12.15\00:13:14.42
when I should
be devoting my time
00:13:14.46\00:13:16.22
to changing the
system of one supremacy.
00:13:16.26\00:13:18.59
Davis believes
this younger generation
00:13:18.63\00:13:20.53
has the right intent,
00:13:20.56\00:13:22.26
although their
methods can taint the mission.
00:13:22.30\00:13:24.83
You need a multi pronged attack
from the front, from the side,
00:13:24.87\00:13:28.90
from the back, through
the rear window, whatever.
00:13:28.94\00:13:30.74
You don't change the system,
00:13:30.77\00:13:32.97
without changing the
people behind the system.
00:13:33.01\00:13:36.01
Okay?
00:13:36.04\00:13:37.38
That's why I'm sitting down
with them and I've had success.
00:13:37.41\00:13:40.22
Caitlin Burke, CBN
News. Baltimore, Maryland.
00:13:40.25\00:13:43.45
Joining us again are my guests,
Ruthie Jacobsen, Adly Campos,
00:13:48.26\00:13:52.29
and Pastor Errol Stoddart.
00:13:52.33\00:13:54.73
I want to tell you all about
one of the most amazing moments
00:13:54.76\00:13:58.03
I've ever had in my life.
00:13:58.07\00:14:00.10
I spent two
hours riding in a car
00:14:00.14\00:14:03.17
from London, England to Oxford
00:14:03.20\00:14:06.27
with a gentleman by
the name of Dr. John Stott.
00:14:06.31\00:14:10.08
And if you've
never heard that name,
00:14:10.11\00:14:11.55
he's one of the great preachers
and theologians of our time.
00:14:11.58\00:14:14.88
As a matter of fact,
he used to be the chaplain
00:14:14.92\00:14:18.92
to the Queen of England
00:14:18.95\00:14:20.89
from 1959 to 1992,
00:14:20.92\00:14:26.43
that's quite a long run
00:14:26.46\00:14:28.36
to be the chaplain
of the Queen of England.
00:14:28.40\00:14:30.57
Well, before he died, he
preached his last sermon.
00:14:30.60\00:14:36.14
And he said,
"After all my teaching,
00:14:36.17\00:14:39.07
after all my writing,
all the books I've published,
00:14:39.11\00:14:42.41
I leave you with
one recommendation,
00:14:42.44\00:14:44.81
one thing I must
recommend to you," he said,
00:14:44.85\00:14:47.68
"It's Christ-likeness."
00:14:47.72\00:14:50.29
And then he said these words,
00:14:50.32\00:14:52.19
"Christ-likeness
is the will of God
00:14:52.22\00:14:56.32
for the people of God."
00:14:56.36\00:14:58.73
And so I want to start off
by asking you, Pastor Stoddart,
00:14:58.76\00:15:03.20
when we pursue Christ-likeness,
we're pursuing perfection.
00:15:03.23\00:15:07.94
But let me ask you,
00:15:07.97\00:15:09.90
how important do you think
it is for the church of God
00:15:09.94\00:15:14.54
to begin to focus
on Christ-likeness
00:15:14.58\00:15:19.18
as the will of God
for the people of God?
00:15:19.21\00:15:24.19
I think, it's
very, very important.
00:15:24.22\00:15:26.25
I think it's
absolutely important.
00:15:26.29\00:15:28.62
One of the popular terms
00:15:28.66\00:15:31.29
we hear today is the
term secular Christianity
00:15:31.33\00:15:34.90
which is an oxymoron.
00:15:34.93\00:15:36.80
Is Christianity
that's trying to be as...
00:15:36.83\00:15:41.10
Have as least of
Christ as possible,
00:15:41.14\00:15:43.71
or the act as on
Christ-like as possible
00:15:43.74\00:15:47.74
while still being
called a Christian.
00:15:47.78\00:15:49.94
It's the minimalist
mindset of Christianity,
00:15:49.98\00:15:53.31
Christianity at
the bare minimum.
00:15:53.35\00:15:56.12
And what God is
calling us to do,
00:15:56.15\00:15:58.39
is Christianity
that's absolute surrender.
00:15:58.42\00:16:01.79
The song says all
to Jesus I surrender.
00:16:01.82\00:16:05.29
My fear is that there
are so many Christians
00:16:05.33\00:16:07.40
who are singing some to Jesus,
I surrender, I surrender some.
00:16:07.43\00:16:13.03
And there's no such thing
as some, it's all or nothing.
00:16:13.07\00:16:16.40
Yes.
00:16:16.44\00:16:17.77
Ruthie, how
important is Christ-likeness
00:16:17.81\00:16:19.94
to the people of God.
00:16:19.97\00:16:22.01
And we have not always
had that as our primary focus.
00:16:22.04\00:16:28.28
Do you think it's important
to reclaim Christ-likeness
00:16:28.32\00:16:32.22
as the focus for God's people?
00:16:32.25\00:16:34.16
Well, absolutely.
00:16:35.72\00:16:37.13
And I think it was
important to Christ
00:16:37.16\00:16:39.83
because He taught His
followers to abide in Him.
00:16:39.86\00:16:44.90
He said, "If you
want to be like me,
00:16:44.93\00:16:47.10
abide in the vine,
00:16:47.14\00:16:49.17
because you have
no life without that."
00:16:49.20\00:16:52.11
So He drew from nature,
He showed in different ways,
00:16:52.14\00:16:57.51
stories and parables,
00:16:57.55\00:16:59.21
that the whole thing
boils down to being like Christ,
00:16:59.25\00:17:02.78
and abiding in the vine,
00:17:02.82\00:17:04.35
taking that life from
the vine out to the branches,
00:17:04.39\00:17:08.06
and then being
useful and bearing fruit.
00:17:08.09\00:17:10.19
Yes.
00:17:10.23\00:17:11.56
I don't think the
church can bear fruit
00:17:11.59\00:17:13.26
without the Christ-likeness.
00:17:13.29\00:17:14.70
Yes, go ahead, Adly.
00:17:14.73\00:17:17.00
Yes, I'm thinking the moment
00:17:17.03\00:17:20.17
before Jesus'
ascension to heaven,
00:17:20.20\00:17:23.34
as He gave us the
mission, and in His mission,
00:17:23.37\00:17:27.94
He said that we were
to preach by testimony...
00:17:27.98\00:17:31.81
Yeah.
00:17:31.85\00:17:33.21
In order to take His
gospel to all the earth.
00:17:33.25\00:17:37.85
So it is absolutely important
00:17:37.89\00:17:42.92
that we take that seriously,
00:17:42.96\00:17:45.73
and talk about
it, and begin to live
00:17:45.76\00:17:49.23
exactly like He wants us to live
00:17:49.26\00:17:51.03
in order to be that testimony
00:17:51.07\00:17:53.27
and preach not only by
His word but most of all,
00:17:53.30\00:17:56.71
by the way we live,
00:17:56.74\00:17:58.27
the way we represent
Christ on this earth.
00:17:58.31\00:18:01.31
I'm wondering, what are
some of the things you think
00:18:01.34\00:18:06.38
the church has often
placed ahead of Christ-likeness.
00:18:06.41\00:18:12.72
What are some of the priorities
that our organizations,
00:18:12.75\00:18:16.52
and what are some of the efforts
00:18:16.56\00:18:19.53
you think we have put?
00:18:19.56\00:18:20.90
I'm trying to be
diplomatic and nice
00:18:20.93\00:18:22.66
but maybe you don't have to be,
00:18:22.70\00:18:24.57
but what are some of the things,
00:18:24.60\00:18:26.57
Pastor Stoddart, do
you think the churches...
00:18:26.60\00:18:29.14
And you notice, I went
to you first which is great,
00:18:29.17\00:18:31.14
which is great.
00:18:31.17\00:18:33.24
What are some of the things
00:18:33.27\00:18:34.61
that we often put
ahead of Christ-likeness?
00:18:34.64\00:18:40.02
Well, you know, the unique thing
00:18:40.05\00:18:42.32
about being a
Seventh-day Adventist
00:18:42.35\00:18:44.12
is that we are
doctrinally heavy.
00:18:44.15\00:18:47.96
We are heavy on doctrine
00:18:47.99\00:18:49.92
because our doctrines
are the unique features
00:18:49.96\00:18:53.63
that separate us,
00:18:53.66\00:18:55.00
that set us apart
from everybody else.
00:18:55.03\00:18:57.63
Yes.
00:18:57.67\00:18:59.00
And the challenge is that
00:18:59.03\00:19:02.00
while it is important
to emphasize doctrine,
00:19:02.04\00:19:05.77
many times, we
emphasize doctrine
00:19:05.81\00:19:08.84
at the expense of transformation
00:19:08.88\00:19:12.75
into the character of Christ.
00:19:12.78\00:19:14.12
Yes.
00:19:14.15\00:19:15.48
And that is something
that is important for us
00:19:15.52\00:19:19.15
to ensure that we're
making that shift back
00:19:19.19\00:19:22.36
to keeping the main
thing the main thing.
00:19:22.39\00:19:25.46
It is the
character of Christ first,
00:19:25.49\00:19:27.76
it is godliness first,
00:19:27.80\00:19:30.07
it is receiving Him
and reflecting Him first,
00:19:30.10\00:19:34.50
and then the rest of it
coming at the secondary level.
00:19:34.54\00:19:37.91
Beautiful.
00:19:37.94\00:19:39.27
Ruthie, you know, go ahead,
you're going to say something.
00:19:39.31\00:19:42.98
What were you going to ask me?
00:19:43.01\00:19:44.35
Yeah, I was just
going to say that,
00:19:44.38\00:19:46.68
I was just introducing
and following on what he said.
00:19:46.72\00:19:50.99
The idea that the
servant of God says
00:19:51.02\00:19:54.09
that the last message
that will be given to the world
00:19:54.12\00:19:59.89
is the message
about Christ character
00:19:59.93\00:20:04.07
and the loving character of God.
00:20:04.10\00:20:05.73
Now we don't often teach that.
00:20:05.77\00:20:09.50
We think it's another message,
maybe it's a prophetic message.
00:20:09.54\00:20:13.34
And sometimes, I tell people,
00:20:13.38\00:20:17.28
"What does it matter
00:20:17.31\00:20:18.65
if you know the
details of prophecy
00:20:18.68\00:20:21.22
but in your
character, you're not prepared
00:20:21.25\00:20:24.05
for the fulfillment of prophecy?
00:20:24.09\00:20:26.02
So as important as prophecy is,
00:20:26.05\00:20:31.66
it has to take a
backseat to us resembling,
00:20:31.69\00:20:36.30
reflecting, and revealing
the character of Christ.
00:20:36.33\00:20:39.60
Because sadly, there are
going to be a lot of people
00:20:39.63\00:20:43.20
when the Lord comes who
know a lot about prophecy
00:20:43.24\00:20:46.54
who don't look
like him in character.
00:20:46.57\00:20:49.71
But, Ruthie, what
were you going to share?
00:20:49.74\00:20:52.91
Well, I was just going to
say, He has already told us
00:20:52.95\00:20:56.48
what His
response is going to be.
00:20:56.52\00:20:58.79
He'll say, "I
don't know you." Yes.
00:20:58.82\00:21:01.79
And I think, in
our churches today,
00:21:01.82\00:21:04.23
the temptation is,
we need more programs,
00:21:04.26\00:21:08.66
we need more
sophisticated technology,
00:21:08.70\00:21:12.20
we need more funds,
we need our resources,
00:21:12.23\00:21:16.17
when really what
we need is Christ.
00:21:16.20\00:21:19.24
Yeah.
00:21:19.27\00:21:20.61
We need prayer,
00:21:20.64\00:21:21.98
we need to be on
our faces before Him
00:21:22.01\00:21:24.01
realizing that we have
power only in one place.
00:21:24.05\00:21:27.72
We cannot do this.
00:21:27.75\00:21:29.98
Who are we trying
to kid, we need God.
00:21:30.02\00:21:31.92
Absolutely, you know, I
was going to say, Ruthie,
00:21:31.95\00:21:33.42
that we always say
and you hear it all over,
00:21:33.46\00:21:39.23
we need Jesus, we need Christ.
00:21:39.26\00:21:43.06
And I hear that a
lot in our churches,
00:21:43.10\00:21:45.43
but we don't break that
down to really interpret
00:21:45.47\00:21:49.00
what that means and
what it really means
00:21:49.04\00:21:51.41
is we need people
00:21:51.44\00:21:53.51
who reflect Christ
as Pastor Stoddart said,
00:21:53.54\00:21:56.04
we need people who resemble Him.
00:21:56.08\00:21:59.18
Yes, we need Christ, but
Christ has to be seen in us.
00:21:59.21\00:22:05.72
Sister Campos?
00:22:05.75\00:22:07.09
In controlling...
00:22:07.12\00:22:08.46
Go ahead, Ruthie.
00:22:08.49\00:22:10.99
I was just going to say,
00:22:11.03\00:22:12.36
I've heard you
say more than once,
00:22:12.39\00:22:14.56
I bury a lot of mean people.
00:22:14.60\00:22:17.43
Yes.
00:22:17.47\00:22:18.80
And I don't think
you would have to do that
00:22:18.83\00:22:22.54
if these people knew the
Lord, were walking in the light,
00:22:22.57\00:22:26.81
and were sharing His love.
00:22:26.84\00:22:29.64
I think people would
be really missing them
00:22:29.68\00:22:33.52
and realizing that
here we lost someone
00:22:33.55\00:22:36.69
who loved Christ, and
Christ was in control.
00:22:36.72\00:22:40.16
Sister Campos, you
had a thought on that
00:22:40.19\00:22:43.29
you can share?
00:22:43.32\00:22:45.49
Yes, I agree with Ruthie
00:22:45.53\00:22:47.93
that we are concentrating
too much on entertainment.
00:22:47.96\00:22:53.20
Wow.
00:22:53.23\00:22:54.57
The type of worship
service that everybody wants
00:22:54.60\00:22:57.17
and trying to
please every one else
00:22:57.21\00:22:59.31
rather than to think
00:22:59.34\00:23:01.28
what pleases our God
in our worship service.
00:23:01.31\00:23:05.65
In my person, as I worship Him,
00:23:05.68\00:23:08.45
as I try to imitate Him
instead of imitating the world
00:23:08.48\00:23:13.82
and bringing the
world into our church.
00:23:13.86\00:23:17.56
You know, one of the
things that Lord showed me
00:23:17.59\00:23:19.86
was that the
most fiery, red hot,
00:23:19.89\00:23:24.30
blistering sermon
Jesus ever preached
00:23:24.33\00:23:27.77
was not to confirmed sinners
00:23:27.80\00:23:30.64
but to the most devout
religious people of His day,
00:23:30.67\00:23:35.31
the Pharisees.
00:23:35.34\00:23:36.68
He called them, you know,
00:23:36.71\00:23:38.71
graves full of dead men's bones.
00:23:38.75\00:23:40.68
And I was wondering why
was Jesus so hard on them
00:23:40.72\00:23:44.22
because they were actually
the evangelist of their day.
00:23:44.25\00:23:47.49
A lot of people don't know that,
00:23:47.52\00:23:48.86
that was the
role of the Pharisees.
00:23:48.89\00:23:51.39
The role of the Pharisees
00:23:51.43\00:23:52.76
was to study
scriptures with people,
00:23:52.79\00:23:55.10
baptize them by
immersion, the Pharisees,
00:23:55.13\00:23:58.33
and when you came
up out of the water,
00:23:58.37\00:23:59.70
you are a new Jew.
00:23:59.73\00:24:01.54
And Jesus said of them,
00:24:01.57\00:24:03.54
"You go to the ends of the earth
00:24:03.57\00:24:05.84
to make these new
members to these new proselytes,
00:24:05.87\00:24:09.74
but when you're
through with them,
00:24:09.78\00:24:11.58
they're twice the
child of hell that you are."
00:24:11.61\00:24:14.18
Those were the
words of Jesus. Yeah.
00:24:14.22\00:24:16.69
But what Lord showed me,
what Jesus was saying is,
00:24:16.72\00:24:19.99
"When you're through with them,
00:24:20.02\00:24:22.36
they look more like you
than they look like me."
00:24:22.39\00:24:27.10
Wow, yeah.
00:24:27.13\00:24:28.80
And that is what
God is looking for.
00:24:28.83\00:24:32.43
When He looks at us,
He's looking for people
00:24:32.47\00:24:34.97
who look like His son.
00:24:35.00\00:24:36.94
And that's what
Jesus is looking for.
00:24:36.97\00:24:38.31
Amen.
00:24:38.34\00:24:39.67
And what else...
00:24:39.71\00:24:41.04
Go ahead, go ahead.
00:24:41.08\00:24:42.41
Here is a challenge, Wintley,
00:24:42.44\00:24:43.95
I think as a pastor
and I'm on ground zero.
00:24:43.98\00:24:48.05
Yes.
00:24:48.08\00:24:49.42
I have about a 1,000
members in my church,
00:24:49.45\00:24:52.52
and you get the
spectrum of people,
00:24:52.55\00:24:55.46
the good, the bad, and the ugly.
00:24:55.49\00:24:56.96
Yes.
00:24:56.99\00:24:58.33
The challenge is
that, a lot of times,
00:24:58.36\00:25:02.06
because of our
doctrinal emphasis,
00:25:02.10\00:25:04.63
because of our
theological emphasis
00:25:04.67\00:25:07.10
as opposed to a
transformational emphasis,
00:25:07.14\00:25:10.34
people believe that
conversion is about knowledge,
00:25:10.37\00:25:14.28
how much information I have,
00:25:14.31\00:25:15.64
because I have a
certain amount of information.
00:25:15.68\00:25:17.88
It automatically
suggest that I'm converted
00:25:17.91\00:25:20.72
when really
conversion, and following Jesus,
00:25:20.75\00:25:25.09
and being the
disciple of Christ,
00:25:25.12\00:25:26.99
and reflecting His character
is going to involve number one,
00:25:27.02\00:25:31.63
speaking His word.
00:25:31.66\00:25:32.99
Yes. We have
just 10 seconds, yes.
00:25:33.03\00:25:35.13
Number two, acting like Him.
00:25:35.16\00:25:36.53
Speaking, acting.
00:25:36.56\00:25:37.90
And number three,
00:25:37.93\00:25:39.27
treating people the
way He would treat them.
00:25:39.30\00:25:41.40
Absolutely,
absolutely. Thank you so much.
00:25:41.44\00:25:43.77
You've been such
a blessing today.
00:25:43.81\00:25:46.24
Thank you for being with us.
00:25:46.27\00:25:47.61
God the Father is our
true standard of perfection.
00:25:52.21\00:25:57.19
God alone is our
standard of perfection.
00:25:57.22\00:26:02.89
He is our pattern, our model,
00:26:02.92\00:26:06.63
the yardstick by which
we measure true perfection.
00:26:06.66\00:26:12.20
All perfection is
found only in Him.
00:26:12.23\00:26:17.01
Our Father is perfect,
00:26:17.04\00:26:20.48
and there is no real
perfection apart from Him.
00:26:20.51\00:26:26.11
The only true perfection we have
00:26:26.15\00:26:28.92
comes from the Father
and through His son, Jesus.
00:26:28.95\00:26:35.02
Too many see
this word perfection
00:26:35.06\00:26:37.56
as incompatible with
God's grace and mercy,
00:26:37.59\00:26:40.93
and we fail to see
that that word perfection
00:26:40.96\00:26:45.33
is precisely why God
gave us grace and mercy.
00:26:45.37\00:26:50.67
So that the
perfection heaven demands
00:26:50.71\00:26:54.34
and the perfection
we do not now possess
00:26:54.38\00:26:58.61
may be miraculously
aligned and reconciled.
00:26:58.65\00:27:04.25
Today, the pendulum has
swung to the other extreme.
00:27:04.29\00:27:06.92
Many believe,
"Because Jesus paid it all,
00:27:06.96\00:27:10.86
we are not required
to do anything at all.
00:27:10.89\00:27:15.96
And because our
mistakes are covered,
00:27:16.00\00:27:17.77
we don't have
to stress ourselves
00:27:17.80\00:27:20.67
about repeating
the same mistakes
00:27:20.70\00:27:25.21
regularly or even frequently."
00:27:25.24\00:27:27.11
But I believe as we
surrender to Christ,
00:27:27.14\00:27:31.05
He gives us His perfection.
00:27:31.08\00:27:35.88
I'm Wintley Phipps.
00:27:35.92\00:27:37.35
I hope you've
enjoyed this program today,
00:27:37.39\00:27:40.26
and remember, to be a Christian
00:27:40.29\00:27:44.73
means to be Christ-like all day,
00:27:44.76\00:27:50.50
every day, no excuses.
00:27:50.53\00:27:53.30