¤
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¤
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>> Happy Sabbath, church.
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>> Happy Sabbath!
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>> It is my joy to welcome
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all of you here to our
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Pioneer Memorial Church
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worship service.
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Whether you are here
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in person or online,
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we are grateful
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that you decided this morning
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to spend it with us.
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As we lift our voices in praise,
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as we open up our hearts
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for His Word,
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and as we gather together
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for prayer,
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we ask that we remind ourselves
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of God's love, His grace,
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and His calling for our lives.
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If you don't mind joining
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me standing,
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I want to lift up prayer
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to the mercy throne
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to be able to ask God
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to be here with us
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during this worship service.
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Dear Heavenly Father,
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we thank You, my Lord,
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for the opportunity to come
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to this wonderful church
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on this wonderful campus,
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to glorify and worship
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Your name.
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And we want to humbly ask
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that the Holy Spirit
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may be found in this place
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and that we may be
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able to gather together
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in prayer, in Your Word,
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and in praise,
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to dedicate this worship service
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for your glory and Your honor.
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We ask all this in Your name.
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Amen.
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>> Amen.
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[ "Praise Him! Praise Him!"
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begins ]
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¤
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¤
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¤
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[ Choir vocalizing ]
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¤
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>> ¤ Come, weary one
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¤ Leave thy labors
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¤ Come lift thy head
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¤ See thy Savior and Friend
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¤ His arms are opened wide
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¤ O soul, be satisfied
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¤ Come find His rest
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¤ Take His yoke upon thee
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¤ For He is gentle
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and lowly in heart ¤
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¤ So learn from
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Christ the Lord ¤
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¤ Thy portion and reward
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¤ Come find His rest
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[ Choir vocalizing ]
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¤
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¤
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>> ¤ Come, weary one,
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leave thy labors ¤
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¤ Come lift thy head
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¤ See thy Savior and Friend
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¤ His arms are opened wide
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¤ O soul, be satisfied
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¤ Come find His rest
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¤ Take His yoke upon thee
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¤ For He is gentle
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and lowly in heart ¤
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¤ So learn from
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Christ the Lord ¤
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¤ Thy portion and reward
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¤ Come find His rest
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>> ¤ Come find His rest
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¤
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>> ¤ I heard
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>> ¤ Weary one
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>> ¤ The voice
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>> ¤ Come, weary one
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>> ¤ Of Jesus say
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>> ¤ Life thy head
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>> ¤ I heard the voice
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of Jesus say ¤
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¤ "Come unto me and rest
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¤ Lay down, o weary one
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¤ Lay down
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¤ Your head upon my breast"
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¤ I came to Jesus as I was
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¤ So weary, worn, and sad
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¤ I found in Him
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a resting place ¤
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¤ And He has made
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me glad ¤
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¤
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>> ¤ Take His yoke upon thee
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¤ For He is gentle
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and lowly in heart ¤
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¤ So learn from
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Christ the Lord ¤
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¤ Thy portion and reward
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¤ Come find His rest
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>> ¤ The voice of Jesus
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>> ¤ Come find His rest
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>> ¤ Oh, come find His rest
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>> ¤ Come find His rest
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>> ¤ Come find His rest
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>> ¤ Come
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>> ¤ Come
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>> ¤ Come
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¤ Come
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¤
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>> Amen.
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>> Amen.
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[ Applause ]
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>> I want to invite you
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to come on a journey with me,
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a journey not of
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a physical nature,
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but a journey of
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and in the mind,
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a journey into the future
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of Pioneer Memorial Church.
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And for those of you
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that are not a regular part
00:10:44.54\00:10:45.74
of our Pioneer family,
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perhaps you can envision
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the church
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that you are a part of.
00:10:49.31\00:10:51.11
What does the future look like?
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And for our context here,
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what does the future
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of Pioneer Memorial Church
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look like in the
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not too-distant future?
00:10:59.72\00:11:03.22
Well, I don't know about you,
00:11:03.32\00:11:04.06
but in my mind's eye,
00:11:04.16\00:11:06.56
this is part of what I see.
00:11:06.66\00:11:10.40
In the journey in my mind
00:11:10.50\00:11:12.33
for the future of
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Pioneer Memorial Church,
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I arrive on our campus
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on a Tuesday night
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and I come out here
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to our parking lot
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and to my great surprise
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it is absolutely
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overflowing full.
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There is no parking spot left.
00:11:21.31\00:11:22.48
There are two people
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in pastor's parking
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where I normally park.
00:11:24.31\00:11:25.21
And I think there
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must be some emergency.
00:11:26.28\00:11:27.22
There's been a disaster.
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That's why people are
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gathering here.
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I rush inside,
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I find a deacon, and I say,
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"Why is everybody here?"
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He said, "Oh, pastor,
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it's prayer meeting.
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Didn't you know?"
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I said, "Prayer meeting?
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How many people are here?"
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He said, "750."
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"750 people at prayer?"
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He says, "Yeah, actually,
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there's so many people
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at prayer meeting now
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that we have prayer meeting
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on Mondays and Tuesdays
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and Wednesdays and Fridays
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and sometimes,
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if we're feeling really perky,
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we will have it on Sundays
00:11:46.87\00:11:47.50
as well."
00:11:47.60\00:11:48.37
I said, "How many people?"
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He said "750 at least at
00:11:49.54\00:11:50.61
each one of those things."
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"Really?"
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And I asked him about
00:11:52.27\00:11:53.04
Sabbath mornings.
00:11:53.14\00:11:53.91
He said, "On Sabbath mornings,
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we have 10 full services.
00:11:55.11\00:11:56.91
There are 1,400 people times 10
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overflowing and people still
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waiting to get in every Sabbath
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morning here at Pioneer
00:12:01.85\00:12:02.85
because of what they see
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God is doing here.
00:12:04.39\00:12:06.35
Now, Children's Ministries --
00:12:06.45\00:12:07.66
Children's Ministries still
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meets downstairs in their rooms
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and also in 22 other classrooms
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at Andrews University
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and in several more classrooms
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at Andrews Academy and at
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Ruth Murdoch Elementary School.
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That's the space required.
00:12:19.23\00:12:21.44
Active membership at Pioneer --
00:12:21.54\00:12:23.10
well, you know, these days it's
00:12:23.20\00:12:24.67
a little bit difficult to tell.
00:12:24.77\00:12:26.07
With all that's been going on
00:12:26.17\00:12:27.38
amongst all the blessings
00:12:27.48\00:12:29.14
in the District 9 churches,
00:12:29.24\00:12:30.18
we collectively have
00:12:30.28\00:12:31.48
more than 20%
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of Berrien County's
00:12:33.01\00:12:34.15
entire population
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as active members.
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And Berrien County has
00:12:36.99\00:12:37.79
152,000 people in it.
00:12:37.89\00:12:39.99
We have church plants
00:12:40.09\00:12:41.29
in South Bend, Mishawaka,
00:12:41.39\00:12:42.62
Coloma, Michigan City,
00:12:42.72\00:12:43.86
St. Joseph, and even three
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in Grand Rapids.
00:12:45.26\00:12:46.03
And in a few more weeks,
00:12:46.13\00:12:46.96
we're going to add a fourth
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church plant in Grand Rapids.
00:12:48.00\00:12:49.46
We also sponsor 25 church plants
00:12:49.56\00:12:51.47
around the world.
00:12:51.57\00:12:52.40
We send money.
00:12:52.50\00:12:53.27
We send people to places
00:12:53.37\00:12:54.44
like India and Iran
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and previously unentered
00:12:56.00\00:12:57.07
countries of the world.
00:12:57.17\00:12:58.41
Every week
00:12:58.51\00:12:59.44
at our prayer meetings,
00:12:59.54\00:13:00.58
people are healed of a variety
00:13:00.68\00:13:02.41
of illnesses like cancer and
00:13:02.51\00:13:04.15
M.S. and Lyme disease.
00:13:04.25\00:13:05.95
People that have broken bones
00:13:06.05\00:13:07.28
come to our prayer meetings,
00:13:07.38\00:13:08.45
and they're regularly healed
00:13:08.55\00:13:09.85
by the power of the Holy Spirit.
00:13:09.95\00:13:11.52
In fact, we've had a number
00:13:11.62\00:13:12.95
of funerals that have not
00:13:13.05\00:13:14.52
happened because the people that
00:13:14.62\00:13:15.62
had died were raised back to
00:13:15.72\00:13:17.09
life from the prayers that took
00:13:17.19\00:13:17.96
place during prayer
00:13:18.06\00:13:18.86
meeting at Pioneer."
00:13:18.96\00:13:20.50
We have 2,500-plus of our
00:13:20.60\00:13:22.96
members that are engaged
00:13:23.06\00:13:24.27
as door-to-door missionaries.
00:13:24.37\00:13:25.77
They're meeting hundreds of
00:13:25.87\00:13:26.74
families in the Michiana area,
00:13:26.84\00:13:28.40
every week sharing health
00:13:28.50\00:13:29.70
information with them,
00:13:29.80\00:13:30.61
praying with them,
00:13:30.71\00:13:31.27
studying with them,
00:13:31.37\00:13:32.21
seeing them be baptized.
00:13:32.31\00:13:34.04
We have over 2,000 small groups
00:13:34.14\00:13:36.08
that meet in homes every week.
00:13:36.18\00:13:37.45
Nearly half of the attendees
00:13:37.55\00:13:39.18
at those small groups are not
00:13:39.28\00:13:40.58
yet Seventh-Day Adventists.
00:13:40.68\00:13:42.25
And Andrews Academy
00:13:42.35\00:13:43.52
and Ruth Murdoch --
00:13:43.62\00:13:44.95
well, they're doing pretty well.
00:13:45.05\00:13:47.16
Ruth Murdoch's maxed out
00:13:47.26\00:13:48.46
at 1,000 students,
00:13:48.56\00:13:49.76
and Andrews Academy is building
00:13:49.86\00:13:51.26
its fourth new classroom wing
00:13:51.36\00:13:52.83
in the last three years
00:13:52.93\00:13:54.00
to accommodate
00:13:54.10\00:13:54.83
the influx of students.
00:13:54.93\00:13:57.10
To keep up with the receptivity
00:13:57.20\00:13:58.60
in various places
00:13:58.70\00:13:59.67
around the world, both schools,
00:13:59.77\00:14:01.07
Ruth Murdoch and
00:14:01.17\00:14:02.14
Andrews Academy, now take
00:14:02.24\00:14:03.27
four mission trips a year.
00:14:03.37\00:14:04.47
Last year, their students,
00:14:04.57\00:14:05.97
through their personal
00:14:06.07\00:14:06.84
evangelistic efforts overseas,
00:14:06.94\00:14:08.58
baptized more than 1,000 people.
00:14:08.68\00:14:10.88
And Andrews University?
00:14:10.98\00:14:12.68
Well, enrollment is
00:14:12.78\00:14:15.08
at 10,000 students and growing.
00:14:15.18\00:14:17.35
Alumni, seeing the moving of the
00:14:17.45\00:14:19.05
hand of God on campus,
00:14:19.15\00:14:20.42
have donated over $200 million
00:14:20.52\00:14:22.26
in the last three years
00:14:22.36\00:14:23.32
to build up housing and
00:14:23.43\00:14:24.56
classroom space as never before.
00:14:24.66\00:14:26.49
In fact, the world is seeking
00:14:26.59\00:14:28.30
out Andrews grads as quickly
00:14:28.40\00:14:30.57
as they can be minted, not only
00:14:30.67\00:14:32.67
because of their expertise
00:14:32.77\00:14:33.90
in their respective fields,
00:14:34.00\00:14:34.87
which is high,
00:14:34.97\00:14:36.04
but because each Andrews grad
00:14:36.14\00:14:37.91
has been trained to be
00:14:38.01\00:14:38.67
a Christ-centered
00:14:38.77\00:14:39.61
Seventh-day Adventist missionary
00:14:39.71\00:14:40.64
anywhere they go.
00:14:40.74\00:14:42.11
They are strong, they are kind,
00:14:42.21\00:14:43.88
they are earnest, and they are
00:14:43.98\00:14:44.91
honest and in demand
00:14:45.01\00:14:46.25
all over the world.
00:14:46.35\00:14:47.15
Last year alone,
00:14:47.25\00:14:48.75
180 new churches were planted
00:14:48.85\00:14:50.62
throughout the world
00:14:50.72\00:14:51.42
because of the efforts
00:14:51.52\00:14:52.25
of engineers and nurses
00:14:52.35\00:14:53.72
and social workers and
00:14:53.82\00:14:54.86
psychologists and teachers
00:14:54.96\00:14:55.99
and pastors and more
00:14:56.09\00:14:57.16
that all graduated
00:14:57.26\00:14:58.56
from Andrews University.
00:14:58.66\00:15:00.16
And perhaps most of all --
00:15:00.26\00:15:01.76
most of all,
00:15:01.86\00:15:02.93
whether in those new churches
00:15:03.03\00:15:03.93
around the world
00:15:04.03\00:15:04.80
or right back here at Pioneer
00:15:04.90\00:15:05.97
and in our schools,
00:15:06.07\00:15:07.07
there is a spirit of love
00:15:07.17\00:15:09.14
and of unity and of power
00:15:09.24\00:15:11.07
that no one can miss
00:15:11.17\00:15:12.37
when they attend any
00:15:12.47\00:15:13.34
of our ministry events.
00:15:13.44\00:15:14.48
Guests that come sense
00:15:14.58\00:15:16.44
the presence of Christ as never
00:15:16.54\00:15:18.58
before, and they are drawn
00:15:18.68\00:15:19.88
to Him as never before.
00:15:19.98\00:15:21.48
What an awesome place to be.
00:15:21.58\00:15:23.89
This is what
00:15:23.99\00:15:24.99
heaven must be like."
00:15:25.09\00:15:27.56
>> Amen!
00:15:27.66\00:15:29.39
>> And it also sounds like
00:15:35.10\00:15:36.40
pure fiction, doesn't it?
00:15:36.50\00:15:37.73
But I'm here to tell you
00:15:42.04\00:15:43.07
this morning that it's not.
00:15:43.17\00:15:45.44
Or at least,
00:15:45.54\00:15:47.78
it doesn't have to be.
00:15:47.88\00:15:50.85
Because my Lord and Savior
00:15:50.95\00:15:52.71
Jesus Christ has promised
00:15:52.81\00:15:55.08
that at the end of time,
00:15:55.18\00:15:56.38
the days that we live
00:15:56.48\00:15:57.09
in right now,
00:15:57.19\00:15:58.69
there will come such
00:15:58.79\00:16:00.19
a mighty blessing sweeping
00:16:00.29\00:16:01.32
through the church
00:16:01.42\00:16:02.09
that indeed the things
00:16:02.19\00:16:02.92
I just described
00:16:03.02\00:16:04.39
will become reality and more.
00:16:04.49\00:16:06.53
>> Amen.
00:16:06.63\00:16:07.66
>> Let me show you what I mean
00:16:07.76\00:16:08.83
by just a few examples.
00:16:08.93\00:16:11.30
Ellen G. White, 1888 materials,
00:16:11.40\00:16:12.57
page 755.
00:16:12.67\00:16:13.64
"There will be thousands
00:16:13.74\00:16:14.94
converted to the truth
00:16:15.04\00:16:16.34
in a day --" How many?
00:16:16.44\00:16:17.21
>> Thousands.
00:16:17.31\00:16:18.11
>> Thousands.
00:16:18.21\00:16:18.87
In what period of time?
00:16:18.97\00:16:20.34
In a day, it says.
00:16:20.44\00:16:21.58
"Thousands converted to
00:16:21.68\00:16:22.41
the truth in a day
00:16:22.51\00:16:23.51
who at the eleventh hour see
00:16:23.61\00:16:24.81
and acknowledge the truth
00:16:24.91\00:16:25.75
and the movements of
00:16:25.85\00:16:26.51
the Spirit of God."
00:16:26.61\00:16:27.68
"Great Controversy,"
00:16:27.78\00:16:28.55
page 611 and 612.
00:16:28.65\00:16:30.09
"The angel --" and she's
00:16:30.19\00:16:31.02
referring to the angel
00:16:31.12\00:16:32.05
at the beginning of Revelation
00:16:32.15\00:16:32.89
chapter 18,
00:16:32.99\00:16:33.86
symbolizing this great
00:16:33.96\00:16:35.19
outpouring of the Spirit of God
00:16:35.29\00:16:36.42
at the end of time.
00:16:36.52\00:16:37.43
"The angel who unites in the
00:16:37.53\00:16:39.06
proclamation of the third
00:16:39.16\00:16:40.26
angel's message is to lighten
00:16:40.36\00:16:41.83
the whole earth with his glory."
00:16:41.93\00:16:43.26
How much of the earth?
00:16:43.37\00:16:44.67
All of it, every last bit of it.
00:16:44.77\00:16:46.03
It's gonna be lit up there.
00:16:46.13\00:16:46.94
"A work of worldwide extent
00:16:47.04\00:16:48.90
and power is here foretold.
00:16:49.00\00:16:50.24
The advent movement
00:16:50.34\00:16:51.27
of 1840 to 1844
00:16:51.37\00:16:53.34
was a glorious manifestation
00:16:53.44\00:16:54.84
of the power of God.
00:16:54.94\00:16:56.01
The first angel's
00:16:56.11\00:16:56.85
message was carried
00:16:56.95\00:16:57.75
to every missionary station
00:16:57.85\00:16:59.11
in the world,
00:16:59.21\00:16:59.88
and in some countries
00:17:00.05\00:17:00.92
there was the greatest
00:17:01.02\00:17:01.68
religious interest
00:17:01.78\00:17:02.68
which has been witnessed
00:17:02.78\00:17:03.39
in any land
00:17:03.49\00:17:04.55
since the Reformation
00:17:04.65\00:17:05.69
of the sixteenth century.
00:17:05.79\00:17:07.12
But these are to be exceeded
00:17:07.22\00:17:10.26
by the mighty movement
00:17:10.36\00:17:11.66
under the last warning
00:17:11.76\00:17:12.73
of the third angel."
00:17:12.83\00:17:13.66
Someone say, "Amen."
00:17:13.76\00:17:14.10
>> Amen!
00:17:14.20\00:17:14.83
>> Yeah!
00:17:14.93\00:17:15.66
"The great work of the gospel
00:17:15.76\00:17:17.00
is not to close
00:17:17.10\00:17:18.27
with less manifestation
00:17:18.37\00:17:19.50
of the power of God
00:17:19.60\00:17:20.50
than marked its opening.
00:17:20.60\00:17:21.74
Servants of God,
00:17:21.84\00:17:23.14
with their faces lighted up
00:17:23.24\00:17:24.14
and shining
00:17:24.24\00:17:24.87
with holy consecration,
00:17:24.97\00:17:26.21
will hasten from place to place
00:17:26.31\00:17:27.68
to proclaim the message
00:17:27.78\00:17:28.44
from heaven.
00:17:28.54\00:17:29.58
By thousands of voices all over
00:17:29.68\00:17:31.75
the earth, the warning will be
00:17:31.85\00:17:32.71
given.
00:17:32.81\00:17:33.68
Miracles will be wrought,
00:17:33.78\00:17:34.75
the sick will be healed,
00:17:34.85\00:17:35.98
and signs and wonders
00:17:36.08\00:17:37.19
will follow the believers.
00:17:37.29\00:17:38.52
Now the rays of light
00:17:38.62\00:17:39.79
penetrate everywhere,
00:17:39.89\00:17:40.96
the truth is seen
00:17:41.06\00:17:42.09
in its clearness,
00:17:42.19\00:17:43.12
and the honest children of God
00:17:43.22\00:17:44.49
sever the bands
00:17:44.59\00:17:45.39
which have held them.
00:17:45.49\00:17:46.13
Family connections,
00:17:46.23\00:17:47.56
church relationships, are
00:17:47.66\00:17:49.06
powerless to stop them now.
00:17:49.16\00:17:50.57
Truth is more precious
00:17:50.67\00:17:52.03
than all besides.
00:17:52.13\00:17:53.44
Notwithstanding the agencies
00:17:53.54\00:17:55.00
combined against the truth,
00:17:55.10\00:17:56.24
a large number take their stand
00:17:56.34\00:17:58.04
upon the Lord's side."
00:17:58.14\00:17:59.17
And all God's people said...
00:17:59.27\00:18:00.14
>> Amen.
00:18:00.24\00:18:01.11
>> Amen, amen.
00:18:01.21\00:18:02.91
The finest hour of the church
00:18:03.01\00:18:04.98
lies just before us.
00:18:05.08\00:18:07.35
Make no mistake.
00:18:07.45\00:18:08.72
Whatever you think about the
00:18:08.82\00:18:09.68
past, the recent or distant past
00:18:09.78\00:18:11.55
of the Seventh-day Adventist
00:18:11.65\00:18:12.49
Church, God has promised
00:18:12.59\00:18:14.16
the finest hour of the church
00:18:14.26\00:18:15.72
lies just before us.
00:18:15.82\00:18:17.89
I tell you what, friends.
00:18:17.99\00:18:19.03
I want to be there.
00:18:19.13\00:18:20.73
I want to be a part of that.
00:18:20.83\00:18:21.60
I want to see it
00:18:21.70\00:18:22.23
with my own eyes.
00:18:22.33\00:18:23.23
I want my own feet to be a part
00:18:23.33\00:18:24.67
of those final movements.
00:18:24.77\00:18:25.97
I want us to be there and ready.
00:18:26.07\00:18:29.50
>> Amen!
00:18:29.60\00:18:33.31
>> But if that's going to
00:18:33.41\00:18:34.91
happen, if the finest hour
00:18:35.01\00:18:38.15
of the church
00:18:38.25\00:18:39.51
is also going to be
00:18:39.61\00:18:41.35
our finest hour, well...
00:18:41.45\00:18:44.72
Let's do a little digging.
00:18:47.66\00:18:48.72
Turn in your Bibles,
00:18:48.82\00:18:49.62
please, to John 3:1.
00:18:49.72\00:18:52.46
John chapter 3,
00:18:52.56\00:18:55.26
beginning with verse 1.
00:18:55.36\00:18:56.33
It's page 715 in
00:18:56.43\00:18:57.87
the red pew Bible,
00:18:57.97\00:18:58.77
somewhere around
00:18:58.87\00:18:59.67
where you're sitting.
00:18:59.77\00:19:00.37
Page 715.
00:19:00.47\00:19:02.27
John chapter 3,
00:19:02.37\00:19:03.71
beginning with verse 1.
00:19:03.81\00:19:05.64
A little context here.
00:19:05.74\00:19:06.71
John chapter 3 is one
00:19:06.81\00:19:08.28
of the more read portions
00:19:08.38\00:19:10.08
of the Bible, in no small part
00:19:10.18\00:19:12.35
because it has John 3:16 in it,
00:19:12.45\00:19:14.35
probably the most famous verse
00:19:14.45\00:19:15.45
in the Bible,
00:19:15.55\00:19:16.42
at least as far as the rest
00:19:16.52\00:19:17.35
of the world is concerned,
00:19:17.45\00:19:18.39
you know, "For God so loved the
00:19:18.49\00:19:19.15
world," et cetera, et cetera.
00:19:19.25\00:19:20.19
The occasion for that
00:19:20.29\00:19:21.82
most famous text
00:19:21.92\00:19:23.09
is the visit of a guy
00:19:23.19\00:19:24.23
by the name of Nicodemus.
00:19:24.33\00:19:25.89
Nicodemus was a member
00:19:25.99\00:19:27.00
of the Jewish ruling council,
00:19:27.10\00:19:27.93
the Sanhedrin,
00:19:28.00\00:19:29.06
and by all human appearances,
00:19:29.16\00:19:31.73
he is a genuinely good guy.
00:19:31.83\00:19:36.24
I mean, let this sink in.
00:19:36.34\00:19:37.91
Yes, he's highly educated.
00:19:38.01\00:19:39.97
He's wealthy.
00:19:40.08\00:19:40.91
He is seemingly
00:19:41.01\00:19:41.81
wise in his ways.
00:19:41.91\00:19:42.68
He is faithful
00:19:42.78\00:19:43.71
in synagogue attendance.
00:19:43.81\00:19:44.81
He's faithful
00:19:44.91\00:19:45.51
in tithes and offerings.
00:19:45.61\00:19:46.45
He's a faithful
00:19:46.55\00:19:47.35
studier of Scripture.
00:19:47.45\00:19:48.55
He is a leader of the people
00:19:48.65\00:19:49.85
and apparently a sincere
00:19:49.95\00:19:51.15
shepherd, calling
00:19:51.25\00:19:52.49
his fellow Jews to follow God.
00:19:52.59\00:19:54.72
He is, by all appearances,
00:19:54.82\00:19:56.16
a good man.
00:19:56.26\00:19:58.06
And it is this man,
00:19:58.16\00:20:00.23
this model spiritual example,
00:20:00.33\00:20:02.73
that comes to Jesus at night
00:20:02.83\00:20:04.37
with apparently sincere
00:20:04.47\00:20:05.63
spiritual questions.
00:20:05.73\00:20:07.74
And this is what happens.
00:20:07.84\00:20:09.27
John 3:1.
00:20:09.37\00:20:11.54
"Now there was a man
00:20:11.64\00:20:12.54
of the Pharisees named
00:20:12.64\00:20:13.41
Nicodemus, a member
00:20:13.51\00:20:14.64
of the Jewish ruling council.
00:20:14.74\00:20:16.01
He came to Jesus at night
00:20:16.11\00:20:17.45
and said, 'Rabbi,
00:20:17.55\00:20:19.71
we know you are a teacher
00:20:19.81\00:20:21.52
who has come from God,
00:20:21.62\00:20:22.85
for no one
00:20:22.95\00:20:23.85
could perform the miraculous
00:20:23.95\00:20:24.89
signs you are doing
00:20:24.99\00:20:25.82
if God were not with him.'
00:20:25.92\00:20:28.36
In reply,
00:20:28.46\00:20:29.69
Jesus declared,
00:20:29.79\00:20:31.69
'I tell you the truth -- no one
00:20:31.79\00:20:34.20
can see the kingdom of God
00:20:34.30\00:20:35.96
unless he is born again.'"
00:20:36.06\00:20:38.10
Now, familiarity
00:20:42.04\00:20:44.14
sometimes breeds apathy.
00:20:44.24\00:20:46.41
This is a famous portion
00:20:46.51\00:20:47.28
of Scripture.
00:20:47.38\00:20:48.11
Many of you have seen this many,
00:20:48.21\00:20:49.48
many times, and consequently,
00:20:49.58\00:20:51.38
it is easy to forget
00:20:51.48\00:20:53.78
how jarring Jesus' response
00:20:53.88\00:20:56.35
to Nicodemus must have been.
00:20:56.45\00:20:58.35
Because, again,
00:20:58.45\00:20:59.42
this is a good guy.
00:20:59.52\00:21:01.42
The goodest of the good, right?
00:21:01.52\00:21:03.46
He's gooder
00:21:03.56\00:21:04.56
than anybody else in Israel.
00:21:04.66\00:21:05.96
He's got all of
00:21:06.06\00:21:06.86
these things there.
00:21:06.96\00:21:07.76
And Jesus essentially says
00:21:07.86\00:21:09.43
to him, "Nicodemus,
00:21:09.53\00:21:11.03
for all the good stuff
00:21:11.13\00:21:11.83
that's happening there --
00:21:11.93\00:21:12.77
not trying to diss you,
00:21:12.87\00:21:13.60
Nicodemus, but
00:21:13.70\00:21:15.17
you need new spiritual life.
00:21:15.27\00:21:19.94
Even you, Nicodemus."
00:21:20.04\00:21:22.58
I mean, this must have shook
00:21:22.68\00:21:23.11
him up.
00:21:23.21\00:21:24.38
It may have comforted Nicodemus
00:21:24.48\00:21:26.01
to know, though, that he was not
00:21:26.11\00:21:27.02
the only one to receive that
00:21:27.12\00:21:28.62
kind of instruction.
00:21:28.72\00:21:31.25
You can find places like
00:21:31.35\00:21:32.62
Matthew 23.
00:21:32.72\00:21:33.46
Let me put it on the
00:21:33.56\00:21:34.09
screen here for you,
00:21:34.19\00:21:34.62
Matthew 23:37.
00:21:34.72\00:21:36.26
Jesus here is speaking.
00:21:36.36\00:21:37.13
He says...
00:21:37.23\00:21:38.76
In other words,
00:21:47.27\00:21:48.37
you scribes and Pharisees,
00:21:48.47\00:21:49.60
the elite of the elite,
00:21:49.70\00:21:50.94
you need new spiritual life.
00:21:51.04\00:21:53.24
Whether you know it or not,
00:21:53.34\00:21:54.28
you need new spiritual life.
00:21:54.38\00:21:57.01
If we were to look
00:21:57.11\00:21:58.45
in Luke chapter 4 -- we don't
00:21:58.55\00:21:59.81
have time this morning, but if
00:21:59.91\00:22:00.88
we looked in Luke chapter 4,
00:22:00.98\00:22:02.18
we would see that familiar story
00:22:02.28\00:22:03.69
of where Jesus goes back
00:22:03.79\00:22:04.42
to Nazareth,
00:22:04.52\00:22:05.25
to his hometown synagogue,
00:22:05.35\00:22:06.92
and he finds there
00:22:07.02\00:22:08.06
the spiritual condition
00:22:08.16\00:22:09.16
to be such that he says,
00:22:09.26\00:22:10.56
"God is sending blessings
00:22:10.66\00:22:12.26
to the pagans rather than
00:22:12.36\00:22:13.80
to them because they need
00:22:13.90\00:22:16.43
new spiritual life."
00:22:16.53\00:22:20.07
The spirit says through
00:22:20.17\00:22:20.97
the Apostle Paul
00:22:21.07\00:22:21.90
to the church at Ephesus --
00:22:22.00\00:22:23.34
Ephesians 5:14 -- says...
00:22:23.44\00:22:25.14
He says this to church members,
00:22:30.91\00:22:32.38
to existing people.
00:22:32.48\00:22:34.05
This is not the first time,
00:22:34.15\00:22:34.92
but again he says,
00:22:35.02\00:22:36.32
"You need new spiritual life."
00:22:36.42\00:22:37.19
In other words,
00:22:37.29\00:22:38.35
the church in Ephesus,
00:22:38.45\00:22:39.99
those members had already,
00:22:40.09\00:22:41.39
at some time in the past,
00:22:41.49\00:22:42.42
been born again.
00:22:42.52\00:22:43.53
Now it was time
00:22:43.63\00:22:44.63
to be born again, again.
00:22:44.73\00:22:48.43
In other words,
00:22:48.53\00:22:49.40
it was time to be --
00:22:49.50\00:22:51.27
and here comes that word --
00:22:51.37\00:22:53.27
revived.
00:22:53.37\00:22:56.60
Revived.
00:22:56.71\00:22:59.41
Now, revived and revival --
00:22:59.51\00:23:00.64
those are old words,
00:23:00.74\00:23:01.98
aren't they?
00:23:02.08\00:23:02.71
They've been around
00:23:02.81\00:23:03.75
from almost the beginning
00:23:03.85\00:23:05.78
of the Christian church
00:23:05.88\00:23:06.75
in the first century.
00:23:06.85\00:23:08.28
We hear them a lot.
00:23:08.38\00:23:09.45
And there's a reason
00:23:09.55\00:23:10.62
why these words have been
00:23:10.72\00:23:12.02
around for so long.
00:23:12.12\00:23:13.49
Because it is a perpetual need
00:23:13.59\00:23:15.72
of the Christian
00:23:15.82\00:23:16.99
to maintain a revived life.
00:23:17.09\00:23:20.16
But so often we don't,
00:23:20.26\00:23:22.03
and so the call comes out.
00:23:22.13\00:23:23.47
"Wake up, O sleeper,
00:23:23.57\00:23:25.03
you need to be born again.
00:23:25.13\00:23:26.37
You need to rise up
00:23:26.47\00:23:27.47
from the spiritual grave."
00:23:27.57\00:23:28.70
And that call for revival
00:23:28.80\00:23:30.11
comes down even to our day,
00:23:30.21\00:23:32.37
unless we forget
00:23:32.47\00:23:33.94
the verbiage God uses.
00:23:34.04\00:23:35.58
Turn to Revelation chapter 3,
00:23:35.68\00:23:36.61
please.
00:23:36.71\00:23:38.01
Revelation chapter 3:14.
00:23:38.11\00:23:42.92
Page 825 in your red pew Bible.
00:23:43.02\00:23:44.89
825, Revelation chapter 3,
00:23:44.99\00:23:46.55
beginning with verse 14.
00:23:46.65\00:23:47.96
Here we find the seventh
00:23:48.06\00:23:49.39
in a series of seven messages
00:23:49.49\00:23:50.73
to "the churches."
00:23:50.83\00:23:53.33
Revelation chapter 2 and 3,
00:23:53.43\00:23:54.83
they have these seven messages
00:23:54.93\00:23:56.30
to seven churches,
00:23:56.40\00:23:57.23
and indeed there were
00:23:57.33\00:23:58.67
real churches by these names
00:23:58.77\00:24:00.24
back in those days.
00:24:00.34\00:24:00.97
And undoubtedly
00:24:01.07\00:24:01.90
these messages meant something
00:24:02.00\00:24:03.24
specific to them.
00:24:03.34\00:24:04.67
There's also an interpretation,
00:24:04.77\00:24:06.24
which I believe to be correct,
00:24:06.34\00:24:07.51
where these seven messages
00:24:07.61\00:24:08.84
are also applied
00:24:08.94\00:24:10.41
to the entire lifetime
00:24:10.51\00:24:11.98
of the Christian church,
00:24:12.08\00:24:12.88
throughout the Christian era,
00:24:12.98\00:24:14.22
different phases of growth.
00:24:14.32\00:24:16.35
And the last phase,
00:24:16.45\00:24:18.09
the one that we're in right now
00:24:18.19\00:24:20.12
is what the seventh
00:24:20.22\00:24:21.39
letter refers to.
00:24:21.49\00:24:24.03
It's a letter to the church
00:24:24.13\00:24:24.93
of Laodicea,
00:24:25.03\00:24:25.93
and this is what it says.
00:24:26.03\00:24:26.86
Verse 14 -- "To the angel
00:24:26.96\00:24:28.56
of the church in Laodicea write:
00:24:28.66\00:24:30.03
These are the words of the
00:24:30.13\00:24:31.70
Amen, the faithful and true
00:24:31.80\00:24:33.80
witness, the ruler of God's
00:24:33.90\00:24:35.90
creation."
00:24:36.00\00:24:36.54
In other words,
00:24:36.64\00:24:37.34
the words of Jesus.
00:24:37.44\00:24:39.14
I know your deeds,
00:24:39.24\00:24:40.88
that you are
00:24:40.98\00:24:41.81
neither cold nor hot.
00:24:41.91\00:24:44.31
I wish you were
00:24:44.41\00:24:45.68
either one or the other!"
00:24:45.78\00:24:48.25
You see, in those days,
00:24:48.35\00:24:49.08
cold water could be
00:24:49.18\00:24:49.92
used to cool your thirst,
00:24:50.02\00:24:51.25
quench your thirst.
00:24:51.35\00:24:51.99
Hot water could be used
00:24:52.09\00:24:52.79
for medicinal purposes,
00:24:52.89\00:24:53.86
for bathing, for cleaning,
00:24:53.96\00:24:54.52
et cetera.
00:24:54.62\00:24:55.39
But if you were lukewarm,
00:24:55.49\00:24:56.32
what could be done with you?
00:24:56.42\00:24:57.36
Verse 16 --
00:24:57.46\00:24:58.66
"So, because you are lukewarm,
00:24:58.76\00:25:00.20
neither hot nor cold, I am about
00:25:00.30\00:25:02.06
to spit you out of my mouth.
00:25:02.16\00:25:04.07
You say, 'I am rich.
00:25:04.17\00:25:06.30
I have acquired wealth
00:25:06.40\00:25:07.54
and do not need a thing.'
00:25:07.64\00:25:10.04
But you do not realize
00:25:10.14\00:25:11.51
that you are wretched, pitiful,
00:25:11.61\00:25:13.71
poor, blind, and naked.
00:25:13.81\00:25:17.65
I counsel you to buy from me
00:25:17.75\00:25:20.32
gold refined in the fire
00:25:20.42\00:25:22.68
so you can become rich."
00:25:22.78\00:25:23.95
Some have said this is
00:25:24.05\00:25:24.89
faith that works, applied faith.
00:25:24.99\00:25:27.99
"I counsel you and white clothes
00:25:28.09\00:25:30.19
to wear so that you can cover
00:25:30.29\00:25:31.49
your shameful nakedness."
00:25:31.59\00:25:32.53
Some have said this is
00:25:32.63\00:25:33.36
the righteousness of Christ.
00:25:33.46\00:25:34.73
"And salve to put on your eyes
00:25:34.83\00:25:36.40
so you can see."
00:25:36.50\00:25:38.47
Some have said this is the oil
00:25:38.57\00:25:39.53
of the Holy Spirit.
00:25:39.63\00:25:41.04
"Those whom I love
00:25:41.14\00:25:42.47
I rebuke and discipline.
00:25:42.57\00:25:44.11
So be earnest and repent.
00:25:44.21\00:25:48.01
Here I am!
00:25:48.11\00:25:49.88
I stand at the door and knock.
00:25:49.98\00:25:52.31
If anyone hears my voice
00:25:52.41\00:25:54.75
and opens the door,
00:25:54.85\00:25:56.02
I will come in and eat with him,
00:25:56.12\00:25:57.72
and he with me.
00:25:57.82\00:25:58.82
To him who overcomes,
00:25:58.92\00:26:00.46
I will give the right to sit
00:26:00.56\00:26:01.49
with me on my throne,
00:26:01.59\00:26:02.72
just as I overcame and sat down
00:26:02.82\00:26:04.49
with my father on his throne.
00:26:04.59\00:26:05.79
He who has an ear,
00:26:05.89\00:26:07.40
let him hear what the Spirit
00:26:07.50\00:26:09.43
says to the churches."
00:26:09.53\00:26:11.63
All of this reveals
00:26:17.07\00:26:18.31
at least three key realities.
00:26:18.41\00:26:20.48
Number one --
00:26:20.58\00:26:22.28
God has incredible,
00:26:22.38\00:26:23.88
even miraculous things
00:26:23.98\00:26:25.08
in store for his church.
00:26:25.18\00:26:26.92
The future is bright,
00:26:27.02\00:26:28.18
ladies and gentlemen.
00:26:28.28\00:26:29.15
The future of the church
00:26:29.25\00:26:30.19
is bright.
00:26:30.29\00:26:30.89
Great things.
00:26:30.99\00:26:31.85
We are on the cusp
00:26:31.95\00:26:32.92
of great things happening.
00:26:33.02\00:26:35.29
Number two --
00:26:35.39\00:26:36.69
But we can only be part
00:26:36.79\00:26:38.46
of those miraculous times
00:26:38.56\00:26:40.00
if we are spiritually alive.
00:26:40.10\00:26:43.67
Spiritual corpses
00:26:43.77\00:26:45.20
need not apply.
00:26:45.30\00:26:47.54
It's not that God doesn't love
00:26:47.64\00:26:49.04
those that are spiritual
00:26:49.14\00:26:49.97
corpses.
00:26:50.07\00:26:50.64
He loves them deeply.
00:26:50.74\00:26:51.61
He gave his life for them.
00:26:51.71\00:26:52.57
But they are not eligible,
00:26:52.67\00:26:53.68
as we will see, for
00:26:53.78\00:26:54.71
these final events.
00:26:54.81\00:26:55.84
They cannot participate because
00:26:55.94\00:26:56.88
they are spiritually dead.
00:26:56.98\00:26:59.41
And number three --
00:26:59.51\00:27:01.25
and as Bible history clearly
00:27:01.35\00:27:02.78
shows, we can be spiritually
00:27:02.88\00:27:04.15
sick or even spiritually dead
00:27:04.25\00:27:05.39
and not even know it.
00:27:05.49\00:27:10.29
Do you remember what
00:27:10.39\00:27:11.66
Nicodemus' response was
00:27:11.76\00:27:13.09
when Jesus got done with
00:27:13.19\00:27:14.20
the first round of explaining
00:27:14.30\00:27:15.13
about this new
00:27:15.23\00:27:16.20
spiritual life that he needed?
00:27:16.30\00:27:17.40
Jesus explains it all
00:27:17.50\00:27:18.47
and talks about the imagery,
00:27:18.57\00:27:20.20
being born again, et cetera.
00:27:20.30\00:27:21.40
And Nicodemus' response is,
00:27:21.50\00:27:23.67
"How can these things be?"
00:27:23.77\00:27:27.08
Even he, a good man,
00:27:27.18\00:27:30.55
did not know of his lack.
00:27:30.65\00:27:35.25
Such is the nature of our
00:27:35.35\00:27:36.48
spiritual stupor so often.
00:27:36.58\00:27:38.02
We are numbed to the reality
00:27:38.12\00:27:39.62
of our own hearts.
00:27:39.72\00:27:40.96
So, this morning,
00:27:43.29\00:27:44.26
I'd like us to ask and answer
00:27:44.36\00:27:45.29
two questions about revival.
00:27:45.39\00:27:47.30
Number one --
00:27:47.40\00:27:48.70
first question is, what is it?
00:27:48.80\00:27:50.57
What is revival?
00:27:50.67\00:27:52.80
What does it mean
00:27:52.90\00:27:53.94
to be revived in Christ?
00:27:54.04\00:27:56.24
Well, to answer this question,
00:27:56.34\00:27:57.47
I want to do something
00:27:57.57\00:27:58.34
a little bit different.
00:27:58.44\00:27:59.04
I want to work backwards.
00:27:59.14\00:28:00.61
I want to go backwards at it
00:28:00.71\00:28:02.41
to help us to see what it is.
00:28:02.51\00:28:04.11
In other words,
00:28:04.21\00:28:05.15
what does someone
00:28:05.25\00:28:06.48
who is not revived look like?
00:28:06.58\00:28:10.29
How does someone who is
00:28:10.39\00:28:11.69
not revived in Christ act?
00:28:11.79\00:28:14.49
And this will help us
00:28:14.59\00:28:15.49
to see what revival actually is.
00:28:15.59\00:28:18.43
I'm indebted to two individuals,
00:28:18.53\00:28:19.86
R.O. Roberts and
00:28:19.96\00:28:21.16
Sherry Henderson.
00:28:21.26\00:28:22.06
Independently, they compiled
00:28:22.16\00:28:23.37
a list after
00:28:23.47\00:28:24.57
extensive Bible study
00:28:24.67\00:28:26.20
to kind of summarize
00:28:26.30\00:28:28.44
what are the signs potentially
00:28:28.54\00:28:31.11
that a person
00:28:31.21\00:28:32.04
would need revival.
00:28:32.14\00:28:33.91
I've taken their list,
00:28:34.01\00:28:35.18
and I've shrunk them down here.
00:28:35.28\00:28:36.85
We're going to quickly go
00:28:36.95\00:28:38.11
through 20 little bullet points.
00:28:38.21\00:28:39.81
Now, we're going to move
00:28:39.91\00:28:40.78
through them fairly swiftly,
00:28:40.88\00:28:41.75
but I my prayer is,
00:28:41.85\00:28:43.49
truly, please, take
00:28:43.59\00:28:45.45
these questions seriously.
00:28:45.55\00:28:47.89
Let them be windows
00:28:47.99\00:28:48.92
into your heart.
00:28:49.02\00:28:49.59
Nobody's going to know
00:28:49.69\00:28:50.19
what your answer is.
00:28:50.29\00:28:50.93
This is between you and the
00:28:51.03\00:28:51.39
Lord.
00:28:51.49\00:28:52.99
But think carefully
00:28:53.09\00:28:54.13
as we go through these questions
00:28:54.23\00:28:55.30
to see whether or not perhaps
00:28:55.40\00:28:56.67
you may need revival.
00:28:56.77\00:29:00.20
In other words, exciting,
00:29:42.44\00:29:42.94
engaging, you know,
00:29:43.04\00:29:44.05
keeping your attention.
00:29:44.15\00:29:45.85
These are sobering questions,
00:32:34.88\00:32:35.42
aren't they?
00:32:35.52\00:32:36.82
And I wonder -- I wonder if,
00:32:39.49\00:32:42.66
in light of what we have seen
00:32:42.76\00:32:44.16
so far, if it might be helpful
00:32:44.26\00:32:47.00
if we did an actual survey
00:32:47.10\00:32:49.83
of those present here.
00:32:49.93\00:32:51.17
It's an anonymous survey.
00:32:51.27\00:32:53.30
Your name will not be attached
00:32:53.40\00:32:54.40
to it.
00:32:54.50\00:32:55.60
But if you have a phone,
00:32:55.70\00:32:57.04
would you pull it out, please?
00:32:57.14\00:32:58.74
Normally we pastors,
00:32:58.84\00:33:00.04
we like your phones
00:33:00.14\00:33:01.04
to stay nicely tucked away
00:33:01.14\00:33:02.61
during a sermon,
00:33:02.71\00:33:03.68
but I'm actually asking you
00:33:03.78\00:33:04.95
to bring it out right now
00:33:05.05\00:33:05.95
because I would like you
00:33:06.05\00:33:06.85
to do a texting survey.
00:33:06.95\00:33:09.28
Again, this is an anonymous
00:33:09.38\00:33:09.85
survey.
00:33:09.95\00:33:10.59
Your answers will
00:33:10.69\00:33:11.29
not be connected with you.
00:33:11.39\00:33:12.32
We're not going to come back
00:33:12.42\00:33:13.09
and ask you
00:33:13.19\00:33:13.92
why you answered thus and such.
00:33:14.02\00:33:15.59
You can text this word,
00:33:15.69\00:33:17.63
"aupolls460," to 37607.
00:33:17.73\00:33:22.03
So you pull out your phone,
00:33:22.13\00:33:23.30
you open up your texting app,
00:33:23.40\00:33:24.97
and you type in "aupolls460"
00:33:25.07\00:33:28.67
to that number, 37607.
00:33:28.77\00:33:31.87
If you do that, you'll get
00:33:31.97\00:33:33.21
a little message back,
00:33:33.31\00:33:34.14
and then depending
00:33:34.24\00:33:34.91
upon your platform,
00:33:35.01\00:33:36.18
on subsequent answers,
00:33:36.28\00:33:37.55
which I'll explain how to do
00:33:37.65\00:33:38.35
in just a moment,
00:33:38.45\00:33:39.08
you may or may not receive
00:33:39.18\00:33:40.68
an answer back,
00:33:40.78\00:33:41.58
but you are in the queue.
00:33:41.68\00:33:43.18
There are 10 questions
00:33:43.28\00:33:44.72
that elder Don MacLafferty,
00:33:44.82\00:33:46.02
who's going to be with us
00:33:46.12\00:33:46.55
this next week,
00:33:46.65\00:33:47.16
whom you just met
00:33:47.26\00:33:47.79
a few moments ago --
00:33:47.89\00:33:49.02
he has put together this survey.
00:33:49.12\00:33:50.73
He's given it in a wide range of
00:33:50.83\00:33:52.86
places, and this morning
00:33:52.96\00:33:54.10
we would like to do it
00:33:54.20\00:33:55.20
for those of you that are here.
00:33:55.30\00:33:56.13
Those of you
00:33:56.23\00:33:56.93
that are watching online
00:33:57.03\00:33:57.73
right now,
00:33:57.83\00:33:58.47
you are also welcome
00:33:58.57\00:33:59.63
to take part in this survey.
00:33:59.73\00:34:00.94
If you're watching this later
00:34:01.04\00:34:02.14
as a recording,
00:34:02.24\00:34:03.30
the survey is closed, so you
00:34:03.41\00:34:04.41
don't have to worry about that.
00:34:04.51\00:34:05.61
There are 10 questions.
00:34:05.71\00:34:06.91
Each of the questions
00:34:07.01\00:34:08.21
has only two possible answers.
00:34:08.31\00:34:10.05
Yes or no, not a Y or an N,
00:34:10.15\00:34:13.52
but the actual words
00:34:13.62\00:34:14.68
"yes" or "no."
00:34:14.78\00:34:15.68
If you do anything else,
00:34:15.78\00:34:16.35
it will not register
00:34:16.45\00:34:17.72
with the technology
00:34:17.82\00:34:19.02
or with the platform
00:34:19.12\00:34:19.62
that we're using.
00:34:19.72\00:34:20.66
So, I'm going to take about 20
00:34:20.76\00:34:22.56
seconds for each one of the
00:34:22.66\00:34:23.56
questions.
00:34:23.66\00:34:24.46
That'll give our technology time
00:34:24.56\00:34:25.76
to collate and you time to
00:34:25.86\00:34:26.70
answer.
00:34:26.80\00:34:27.56
When I move to the next
00:34:27.66\00:34:29.10
question, the previous
00:34:29.20\00:34:30.00
question will be closed.
00:34:30.10\00:34:31.30
So, if you try to answer too
00:34:31.40\00:34:32.50
soon or whatnot,
00:34:32.60\00:34:34.00
it'll send you a message back.
00:34:34.10\00:34:35.04
So, everybody's clear?
00:34:35.14\00:34:36.00
If you don't have a phone,
00:34:36.10\00:34:37.57
you can go to the URL
00:34:37.67\00:34:38.87
PollEv.com/aupolls460,
00:34:38.97\00:34:42.41
and there is a concurrent survey
00:34:42.51\00:34:44.91
that will be taking place there.
00:34:45.01\00:34:46.01
We're going to share with you
00:34:46.11\00:34:47.35
the results of this survey
00:34:47.45\00:34:49.45
in just a few minutes.
00:34:49.55\00:34:50.89
So, it's anonymous.
00:34:50.99\00:34:54.19
Tell God the truth.
00:34:54.29\00:34:56.26
Let's see what's --
00:34:56.36\00:34:57.59
Let's take our temperature,
00:34:57.69\00:34:59.19
spiritually speaking,
00:34:59.29\00:35:00.30
with these 10 questions.
00:35:00.40\00:35:01.93
Yes or no?
00:35:09.80\00:35:10.94
Just those two answers.
00:35:11.04\00:35:11.91
Y-e-s or n-o.
00:35:12.01\00:35:13.17
Now, notice what it's asking.
00:35:35.80\00:35:36.63
It's not asking if you feel,
00:35:36.73\00:35:37.97
"I'm going to march right into
00:35:38.07\00:35:38.63
the kingdom.
00:35:38.73\00:35:39.47
I'm so good, God's going to have
00:35:39.57\00:35:40.17
to let me in."
00:35:40.27\00:35:40.90
No, that's not what we're
00:35:41.00\00:35:41.37
asking.
00:35:41.47\00:35:42.44
Do you have peace
00:35:42.54\00:35:43.91
about your salvation
00:35:44.01\00:35:45.21
by the grace of Jesus Christ
00:35:45.31\00:35:46.64
through faith
00:35:46.74\00:35:47.34
in Him and Him alone?
00:35:47.44\00:35:48.78
That's what it's asking.
00:35:48.88\00:35:49.54
Yes or no?
00:35:49.64\00:35:51.25
And by the way, again,
00:35:57.62\00:35:58.65
if you don't get a response back
00:35:58.75\00:35:59.79
after each one of your
00:35:59.89\00:36:00.79
questions, that's all right.
00:36:00.89\00:36:01.72
Just keep sending your answers.
00:36:01.82\00:36:02.72
It will automatically go
00:36:02.82\00:36:04.06
only to the question that's
00:36:04.16\00:36:05.26
open, even if you don't see
00:36:05.36\00:36:06.36
a response back on your screen.
00:36:06.46\00:36:07.76
Number three, do you have --
00:36:09.36\00:36:11.47
and notice carefully here --
00:36:11.57\00:36:12.67
daily, meaningful,
00:36:12.77\00:36:15.30
unrushed time alone with God
00:36:15.40\00:36:17.87
in His written Word?
00:36:17.97\00:36:19.54
So, it's a very specific
00:36:19.64\00:36:20.44
question.
00:36:20.54\00:36:21.58
Do you have daily, meaningful,
00:36:21.68\00:36:23.91
unrushed -- Maybe that's the
00:36:24.01\00:36:25.78
most difficult qualifier on
00:36:25.88\00:36:27.08
there -- unrushed time
00:36:27.18\00:36:28.25
alone with God
00:36:28.35\00:36:29.58
in His written Word?
00:36:29.68\00:36:30.72
Yes or no?
00:36:30.82\00:36:32.55
So, not just Bible study.
00:36:46.27\00:36:47.27
Now we're asking
00:36:47.37\00:36:48.00
specifically about prayer.
00:36:48.10\00:36:49.50
Do you have daily, meaningful
00:36:49.60\00:36:51.71
unrushed time in prayer?
00:36:51.81\00:36:54.78
Y-e-s or n-o, yes or no?
00:36:54.88\00:36:56.68
Yeah, the first time I saw that
00:37:16.50\00:37:17.60
question some months ago,
00:37:17.70\00:37:18.37
I chuckled, too.
00:37:18.47\00:37:19.50
Well done, Don. Well done.
00:37:19.60\00:37:20.90
Electronics can be a noose
00:37:21.00\00:37:22.10
around our neck, can't they,
00:37:22.20\00:37:22.60
sometimes?
00:37:22.70\00:37:23.71
Yes or no?
00:37:29.68\00:37:31.78
Again, there's no one
00:37:50.00\00:37:50.60
to impress here.
00:37:50.70\00:37:51.20
We're just looking
00:37:51.30\00:37:51.97
for honest answers.
00:37:52.07\00:37:52.53
We want
00:37:52.63\00:37:53.34
an honest assessment here.
00:37:53.44\00:37:55.04
Yes or no?
00:38:10.12\00:38:11.69
Number eight.
00:38:22.66\00:38:25.10
This is for those of you
00:38:25.20\00:38:26.10
that are living with
00:38:26.20\00:38:26.94
other family members.
00:38:27.04\00:38:27.94
We know that there may be some
00:38:28.04\00:38:28.60
of you that are not,
00:38:28.70\00:38:29.77
so this is for maybe a smaller
00:38:29.87\00:38:31.47
subset here.
00:38:31.57\00:38:32.84
When you are home with them,
00:38:32.94\00:38:34.34
do you have daily worship
00:38:34.44\00:38:35.94
together?
00:38:36.04\00:38:37.41
When you are home with your
00:38:37.51\00:38:38.15
family, do you have
00:38:38.25\00:38:39.68
daily worship together?
00:38:39.78\00:38:41.85
Number nine, are you free
00:38:51.39\00:38:54.03
from anything
00:38:54.13\00:38:55.30
that would make you a slave?
00:38:55.40\00:38:56.90
And then we have some examples
00:38:57.00\00:38:57.77
here such as bitterness,
00:38:57.87\00:38:58.90
addictions, electronics,
00:38:59.00\00:39:00.57
porn, appetite, et cetera.
00:39:00.67\00:39:02.54
Are you free from anything
00:39:02.64\00:39:04.44
that would make you a slave?
00:39:04.54\00:39:06.11
Really important question.
00:39:06.21\00:39:07.84
What's your honest answer
00:39:07.94\00:39:08.98
to that -- yes or no?
00:39:09.08\00:39:10.58
And lastly, question number 10.
00:39:18.59\00:39:20.29
Yes or no?
00:39:34.67\00:39:36.40
And with that,
00:39:44.95\00:39:45.78
we're going to close the survey.
00:39:45.88\00:39:47.38
As I said in just a few moments
00:39:47.48\00:39:49.22
here, we're going to share
00:39:49.32\00:39:50.05
with you the results of that.
00:39:50.15\00:39:51.32
But while they're being
00:39:51.42\00:39:51.95
tabulated
00:39:52.05\00:39:53.36
and put in a presentable form,
00:39:53.46\00:39:55.02
let me just point
00:39:55.12\00:39:55.82
something out here.
00:39:55.92\00:39:58.16
Being spiritually ill
00:39:58.26\00:40:00.63
or spiritually dead
00:40:00.73\00:40:02.60
is a serious thing.
00:40:02.70\00:40:05.77
You know, so often in the world
00:40:05.87\00:40:07.00
today, Christianity
00:40:07.10\00:40:07.70
is treated very tritely.
00:40:07.80\00:40:09.14
You know, it's the butt
00:40:09.24\00:40:10.37
of the joke.
00:40:10.47\00:40:11.37
You know, people that are
00:40:11.47\00:40:12.64
Christians are often seen as
00:40:12.74\00:40:13.91
kind of cranks and fanatics.
00:40:14.01\00:40:14.98
And, yeah, there are some
00:40:15.08\00:40:15.81
of those in here, but I've seen
00:40:15.91\00:40:17.21
some pretty cranky atheists,
00:40:17.31\00:40:18.05
too, in my day.
00:40:18.15\00:40:19.21
Christianity is often
00:40:19.31\00:40:20.62
not taken very seriously,
00:40:20.72\00:40:21.95
but if you are a Christian,
00:40:22.05\00:40:23.25
you know the truth.
00:40:23.35\00:40:24.52
There is no question
00:40:24.62\00:40:25.79
more important than what
00:40:25.89\00:40:27.26
you will do with Jesus Christ.
00:40:27.36\00:40:29.26
Nothing.
00:40:29.36\00:40:30.79
Not who you marry,
00:40:30.89\00:40:31.89
not what job you do,
00:40:31.99\00:40:33.06
not where you live.
00:40:33.16\00:40:33.90
All those things are important,
00:40:34.00\00:40:34.56
but none of them
00:40:34.66\00:40:35.23
are so important as to
00:40:35.33\00:40:36.03
what you do or do not do
00:40:36.13\00:40:37.13
with Jesus Christ.
00:40:37.23\00:40:38.77
The quality of your relationship
00:40:38.87\00:40:40.37
with Jesus, whether you know him
00:40:40.47\00:40:42.67
or not, will affect every single
00:40:42.77\00:40:44.51
thing about your life,
00:40:44.61\00:40:46.07
no exceptions.
00:40:46.17\00:40:47.58
It will affect who you marry.
00:40:47.68\00:40:49.11
It will affect the job
00:40:49.21\00:40:50.18
that you take or don't take.
00:40:50.28\00:40:50.95
It will affect
00:40:51.05\00:40:51.71
where you live or don't live.
00:40:51.81\00:40:52.85
It will affect what you eat,
00:40:52.95\00:40:54.45
how you speak, what
00:40:54.55\00:40:55.75
you listen to, what you see.
00:40:55.85\00:40:57.39
A relationship with Jesus
00:40:57.49\00:40:59.09
affects everything.
00:40:59.19\00:41:01.76
And if we are spiritually sick,
00:41:01.86\00:41:04.19
if we are spiritually dead,
00:41:04.29\00:41:06.26
it will affect everything.
00:41:06.36\00:41:08.33
Again, whether we know it or
00:41:08.43\00:41:09.96
not, it affects everything
00:41:10.07\00:41:12.07
in our lives,
00:41:12.17\00:41:15.47
which, strangely enough,
00:41:15.57\00:41:16.64
brings us to
00:41:16.74\00:41:17.64
an interesting conclusion.
00:41:17.74\00:41:18.74
We can now answer
00:41:18.84\00:41:20.31
the question of what
00:41:20.41\00:41:21.68
does it mean to be revived?
00:41:21.78\00:41:24.78
You know, we've done
00:41:24.88\00:41:25.78
an interesting exercise here.
00:41:25.88\00:41:26.58
We've kind of gone
00:41:26.68\00:41:27.62
and looked at the reversed image
00:41:27.72\00:41:28.65
of it here.
00:41:28.75\00:41:29.35
Well, what's the truth?
00:41:29.45\00:41:31.22
Well, revival is a spiritual
00:41:31.32\00:41:33.32
awakening.
00:41:33.42\00:41:35.02
It is a renewal of one's first
00:41:35.12\00:41:37.33
love experience with Christ.
00:41:37.43\00:41:39.59
It's when new life comes back in
00:41:39.69\00:41:41.76
and the old dullness goes away.
00:41:41.86\00:41:43.83
When we are revived,
00:41:43.93\00:41:45.50
we are engaged in our faith.
00:41:45.60\00:41:47.07
When we are revived,
00:41:47.17\00:41:48.24
we are in communication
00:41:48.34\00:41:49.44
regularly with God.
00:41:49.54\00:41:50.77
When we are revived,
00:41:50.87\00:41:52.47
we are sharing our faith
00:41:52.57\00:41:53.61
with other people.
00:41:53.71\00:41:54.68
n short, when we are revived,
00:41:54.78\00:41:56.61
to be revived means
00:41:56.71\00:42:01.48
that we are alive in Christ.
00:42:01.58\00:42:03.79
We are alive in Jesus.
00:42:03.89\00:42:07.36
Do we understand that this is
00:42:07.46\00:42:09.02
what we were created for?
00:42:09.12\00:42:11.03
In the Garden of Eden,
00:42:11.13\00:42:12.59
we were created for nothing less
00:42:12.69\00:42:13.70
than this intimate, close
00:42:13.80\00:42:15.60
relationship with Jesus Christ.
00:42:15.70\00:42:17.20
That's what we're wired for.
00:42:17.30\00:42:18.53
And since the fall,
00:42:18.63\00:42:20.30
we are forever lost.
00:42:20.40\00:42:21.87
Apart from Jesus,
00:42:21.97\00:42:22.97
we're forever lost in this
00:42:23.07\00:42:24.11
shadow, this echo of what
00:42:24.21\00:42:25.47
we were meant to be.
00:42:25.57\00:42:26.91
And yet when we come to Christ,
00:42:27.01\00:42:29.74
all of the pieces
00:42:29.84\00:42:31.11
begin to fall into place.
00:42:31.21\00:42:33.01
I'm not saying life has
00:42:33.11\00:42:34.02
no troubles to it.
00:42:34.12\00:42:34.65
Sometimes there's
00:42:34.75\00:42:35.22
even more troubles
00:42:35.32\00:42:36.08
after you accept Jesus Christ.
00:42:36.18\00:42:36.95
But you have
00:42:37.05\00:42:37.75
peace in spite of it.
00:42:37.85\00:42:38.99
You have this strength
00:42:39.09\00:42:40.16
that rises above the storm.
00:42:40.26\00:42:41.42
You have a connection
00:42:41.52\00:42:43.12
with the most powerful being
00:42:43.22\00:42:44.49
in all of the universe.
00:42:44.59\00:42:45.43
And He loves you
00:42:45.53\00:42:46.16
and gave His life for you.
00:42:46.26\00:42:46.96
How do you get
00:42:47.03\00:42:47.66
any better than that?
00:42:47.76\00:42:49.23
To be revived means to be
00:42:49.33\00:42:51.40
in a relationship
00:42:51.50\00:42:52.33
with Jesus Christ.
00:42:52.43\00:42:56.30
Now, the crew tells me
00:42:56.40\00:42:57.47
that the answers are ready here.
00:42:57.57\00:42:58.77
Let's go back and see what
00:42:58.87\00:43:01.68
the answers are here.
00:43:01.78\00:43:03.48
The question number one was...
00:43:03.58\00:43:04.45
96%, yes.
00:43:07.82\00:43:08.98
Amen. Amen.
00:43:09.08\00:43:10.39
Me too. Amen.
00:43:10.49\00:43:12.15
A little bit less here.
00:43:18.83\00:43:19.23
83% say yes.
00:43:19.33\00:43:20.70
No say 17%.
00:43:20.80\00:43:22.40
If you're one of the folk that
00:43:22.50\00:43:23.53
answered in that 17%,
00:43:23.63\00:43:25.63
I have good news for you.
00:43:25.73\00:43:26.74
We're going to help change
00:43:26.84\00:43:28.27
that this next week.
00:43:28.37\00:43:29.97
In the MORE + Conference,
00:43:30.07\00:43:30.91
we're going to talk about that.
00:43:31.01\00:43:32.07
Our prayer is and we believe
00:43:32.17\00:43:33.51
that you can walk away
00:43:33.61\00:43:34.34
from this conference
00:43:34.44\00:43:35.04
with assurance of
00:43:35.14\00:43:36.31
your salvation in Jesus Christ.
00:43:36.41\00:43:37.78
Yes, 31%.
00:43:43.28\00:43:44.49
No, 61%.
00:43:44.59\00:43:46.25
Ladies and gentlemen,
00:43:46.35\00:43:47.19
I appreciate your honesty.
00:43:47.29\00:43:50.09
You know, I've seen surveys
00:43:50.19\00:43:52.03
that are actually a little bit
00:43:52.13\00:43:52.86
lower on the yes side.
00:43:52.96\00:43:54.00
Generally speaking,
00:43:54.10\00:43:54.83
it's like 25% to 30%,
00:43:54.93\00:43:56.43
the surveys that I've seen.
00:43:56.53\00:43:57.17
That's for Adventists,
00:43:57.27\00:43:58.77
that there's regular time there.
00:43:58.87\00:43:59.77
61%.
00:43:59.87\00:44:00.94
We have some room
00:44:01.04\00:44:02.27
to grow here, don't we?
00:44:02.37\00:44:03.77
So, a little bit higher
00:44:08.01\00:44:08.64
on the yeses here.
00:44:08.74\00:44:09.34
44%, yes.
00:44:09.44\00:44:10.41
56%, no.
00:44:10.51\00:44:12.35
And by the way,
00:44:12.45\00:44:13.25
for each one of these questions,
00:44:13.35\00:44:14.15
we have between 3
00:44:14.25\00:44:14.88
and 500 responses.
00:44:14.98\00:44:16.42
So it's a --
00:44:16.52\00:44:18.02
It's not a scientific sample
00:44:18.12\00:44:19.09
set, but it's a decent size
00:44:19.19\00:44:20.09
of data here.
00:44:20.19\00:44:21.76
Yes, 38%.
00:44:27.50\00:44:28.56
No, 62%.
00:44:28.66\00:44:30.17
Yes, 32%.
00:44:37.41\00:44:38.71
No, 69%.
00:44:38.81\00:44:40.84
Again, I appreciate
00:44:40.94\00:44:41.81
your honesty here.
00:44:41.91\00:44:43.14
Yes, 85%.
00:44:47.62\00:44:48.78
No, 15%. Okay.
00:44:48.88\00:44:50.75
And by the way,
00:44:50.85\00:44:51.85
some of you that answered
00:44:51.95\00:44:52.85
no, it may be because you're
00:44:52.95\00:44:53.76
the only one left.
00:44:53.86\00:44:55.26
I don't want to ignore some --
00:44:55.36\00:44:56.36
Some of our members
00:44:56.46\00:44:57.26
have long experience.
00:44:57.36\00:44:58.23
You're the last ones standing.
00:44:58.33\00:44:59.13
We're glad you're here, okay?
00:44:59.23\00:45:00.56
But we know you did love your
00:45:00.66\00:45:01.76
family sacrificially when they
00:45:01.86\00:45:02.83
were still here, alright?
00:45:02.93\00:45:04.20
About 50-50.
00:45:09.44\00:45:11.04
It's about the same what it was,
00:45:11.14\00:45:11.97
if I recall correctly, in first
00:45:12.07\00:45:13.07
service as well, a 50-50
00:45:13.17\00:45:14.68
split down the middle there.
00:45:14.78\00:45:16.14
Yes, 33%.
00:45:23.18\00:45:24.75
No, 2/3, 67%.
00:45:24.85\00:45:28.22
We're going to talk about all
00:45:28.32\00:45:28.82
this stuff at the
00:45:28.92\00:45:29.52
MORE + Conference.
00:45:29.62\00:45:30.13
We're going to talk
00:45:30.23\00:45:30.73
about these things,
00:45:30.83\00:45:31.56
finding victory in Jesus Christ.
00:45:31.66\00:45:32.86
You don't have to
00:45:32.96\00:45:34.20
be a slave anymore.
00:45:34.30\00:45:36.56
You don't have to
00:45:36.67\00:45:37.60
be a slave anymore.
00:45:37.70\00:45:39.00
It's not just this survey.
00:45:39.10\00:45:40.37
There are other surveys
00:45:40.47\00:45:41.17
that talk about the levels of,
00:45:41.27\00:45:42.27
for instance,
00:45:42.37\00:45:43.04
addiction amongst Christians.
00:45:43.14\00:45:44.27
And they are high. It is high.
00:45:44.37\00:45:45.71
Again, I appreciate your
00:45:45.81\00:45:46.34
honesty.
00:45:46.44\00:45:47.48
I want you to know there is
00:45:47.58\00:45:49.08
freedom found in Jesus Christ.
00:45:49.18\00:45:50.65
Come and join us this next week.
00:45:50.75\00:45:51.88
We're going to find out how.
00:45:51.98\00:45:53.25
Yes, 29%.
00:45:58.29\00:45:59.62
No, 71%.
00:45:59.72\00:46:02.19
Perhaps we have some room to
00:46:02.29\00:46:03.79
grow in this department,
00:46:03.89\00:46:04.26
don't we?
00:46:04.36\00:46:05.49
We'll talk about this
00:46:05.59\00:46:06.33
as well in this next week.
00:46:06.43\00:46:08.56
You know, to me,
00:46:08.66\00:46:09.16
this reveals --
00:46:09.26\00:46:11.23
This is not an exercise
00:46:11.33\00:46:12.23
in self-flagellation.
00:46:12.33\00:46:14.00
We're not here to beat
00:46:14.10\00:46:14.70
ourselves up here, right?
00:46:14.80\00:46:15.84
We are here to be honest
00:46:15.94\00:46:17.11
and to say to Jesus,
00:46:17.21\00:46:18.14
"These are the areas
00:46:18.24\00:46:19.01
that we need help in."
00:46:19.11\00:46:20.74
And so seeing these things to,
00:46:20.84\00:46:22.91
to me, brings us directly
00:46:23.01\00:46:25.31
to question number two.
00:46:25.41\00:46:27.15
Question number one was,
00:46:27.25\00:46:28.18
what is revival?
00:46:28.28\00:46:29.58
Okay? What does it look like?
00:46:29.68\00:46:30.42
Question number two is this.
00:46:30.52\00:46:31.65
I mean, that's the question,
00:46:37.49\00:46:38.03
right?
00:46:38.13\00:46:38.79
I mean, that's the question
00:46:38.89\00:46:39.73
of the hour, after seeing
00:46:39.83\00:46:41.10
the things we've seen here.
00:46:41.20\00:46:41.93
Let me put this up
00:46:42.03\00:46:42.73
on the screen.
00:46:42.83\00:46:43.60
Ellen White, thinking about the
00:46:43.70\00:46:44.37
end time church,
00:46:44.47\00:46:45.37
"Selected Messages: Volume 1,"
00:46:45.47\00:46:46.23
page 121.
00:46:46.33\00:46:47.24
She said this -- "A revival
00:46:47.34\00:46:48.90
of true godliness among us
00:46:49.00\00:46:50.54
is the greatest and most urgent
00:46:50.64\00:46:52.01
of all our needs.
00:46:52.11\00:46:53.21
To seek this should be
00:46:53.31\00:46:54.24
our first work."
00:46:54.34\00:46:55.31
Which work?
00:46:55.41\00:46:56.98
First one. Top of the list.
00:46:57.08\00:46:58.21
There's all kinds of important
00:46:58.31\00:46:59.15
things we need to be doing,
00:46:59.25\00:46:59.88
but they need to be second,
00:47:00.05\00:47:00.82
third, fourth, fifth, et cetera.
00:47:00.92\00:47:01.68
The first work is
00:47:01.78\00:47:03.15
to seek this revival
00:47:03.25\00:47:04.69
of true godliness among us.
00:47:04.79\00:47:06.65
"There must be earnest effort
00:47:06.76\00:47:07.89
to obtain the blessing
00:47:07.99\00:47:08.66
of the Lord,
00:47:08.76\00:47:09.46
not because God is not willing
00:47:09.56\00:47:11.03
to bestow his blessing upon us,
00:47:11.13\00:47:12.53
but because we are
00:47:12.63\00:47:13.66
unprepared to receive it."
00:47:13.76\00:47:15.20
Ladies and gentlemen,
00:47:15.30\00:47:16.16
she's not talking about
00:47:16.26\00:47:17.00
earning your salvation.
00:47:17.10\00:47:18.53
She's talking about preparing
00:47:18.63\00:47:20.10
the soil for God to pour
00:47:20.20\00:47:21.40
out this great blessing.
00:47:21.50\00:47:22.74
We've mentioned this before.
00:47:22.84\00:47:23.97
Let me say it again.
00:47:24.07\00:47:25.11
The reason
00:47:25.21\00:47:26.31
why God delays in pouring
00:47:26.41\00:47:27.98
out this massive blessing
00:47:28.08\00:47:28.91
of His Holy Spirit
00:47:29.01\00:47:29.84
that will bring all these other
00:47:29.94\00:47:30.71
blessings in this train
00:47:30.81\00:47:31.51
is because we're not ready
00:47:31.61\00:47:32.75
to handle that kind of power.
00:47:32.85\00:47:34.28
We are not ready to be part
00:47:34.38\00:47:35.52
of that kind of a brew.
00:47:35.62\00:47:36.48
God's not going to give
00:47:36.58\00:47:37.69
that kind of power
00:47:37.79\00:47:39.19
and spiritual blessing
00:47:39.29\00:47:40.42
to people who have no idea
00:47:40.52\00:47:41.32
what to do with it.
00:47:41.42\00:47:42.62
And so he's waiting.
00:47:42.72\00:47:43.96
He's waiting.
00:47:44.06\00:47:44.86
He's not withholding,
00:47:44.96\00:47:45.89
you know, greedily.
00:47:45.99\00:47:46.86
He's longing to give it,
00:47:46.96\00:47:47.93
and he's waiting for us
00:47:48.00\00:47:48.63
to prepare the way.
00:47:48.73\00:47:49.40
So, how do we do that?
00:47:49.50\00:47:51.10
How can we become revived?
00:47:51.20\00:47:55.90
Well, there's all kinds
00:47:56.00\00:47:57.04
of things that we could say
00:47:57.14\00:47:57.77
about that, but given I have
00:47:57.87\00:48:00.11
only a few seconds left,
00:48:00.21\00:48:01.94
I'm going to limit myself here
00:48:02.04\00:48:03.18
to just two steps, two steps
00:48:03.28\00:48:05.78
that I would gently suggest.
00:48:05.88\00:48:06.72
If you want to be revived,
00:48:06.82\00:48:08.42
take these two steps.
00:48:08.52\00:48:10.02
Step number one --
00:48:10.12\00:48:11.75
attend the MORE + Conference.
00:48:11.85\00:48:15.92
That's cheating, isn't it?
00:48:16.02\00:48:16.93
That's shorthand, isn't it?
00:48:17.03\00:48:17.43
Yeah.
00:48:17.53\00:48:19.46
That's why we're having it.
00:48:19.56\00:48:20.83
That's why we're having
00:48:20.93\00:48:21.73
the MORE + Conference --
00:48:21.83\00:48:22.80
because we want revival.
00:48:22.90\00:48:24.63
We want spiritual life
00:48:24.73\00:48:25.87
to flow anew once again
00:48:25.97\00:48:27.74
in our congregation,
00:48:27.84\00:48:28.80
on our campus, on our campuses.
00:48:28.90\00:48:30.24
We want to see this happen.
00:48:30.34\00:48:31.31
Clear your schedule.
00:48:31.41\00:48:32.41
Do whatever it takes.
00:48:32.51\00:48:33.21
Come and join us.
00:48:33.31\00:48:34.04
7:00 is when we begin
00:48:34.14\00:48:35.21
tomorrow night,
00:48:35.31\00:48:35.94
right here in this place.
00:48:36.04\00:48:36.85
7:00 every night,
00:48:36.95\00:48:38.31
all the way up until
00:48:38.41\00:48:39.18
Sabbath March 8th,
00:48:39.28\00:48:40.28
and then that meeting's not
00:48:40.38\00:48:41.15
at 7:00.
00:48:41.25\00:48:42.08
It's at 4:00 in the afternoon.
00:48:42.18\00:48:43.25
All the other ones, starting
00:48:43.35\00:48:44.25
tomorrow night, 7:00.
00:48:44.35\00:48:46.15
I want you to be there.
00:48:46.25\00:48:47.12
By the way, those of you
00:48:47.22\00:48:47.86
that are prayer warriors for
00:48:47.96\00:48:49.39
for the MORE + Conference,
00:48:49.49\00:48:50.43
we so appreciate all the prayers
00:48:50.53\00:48:51.46
you've been doing.
00:48:51.56\00:48:52.33
4:00 today right here
00:48:52.43\00:48:53.66
in the sanctuary.
00:48:53.76\00:48:54.76
That's where we're going
00:48:54.86\00:48:55.20
to meet.
00:48:55.30\00:48:55.90
Don MacLafferty gonna be here.
00:48:56.00\00:48:56.87
Please come and join us.
00:48:56.97\00:48:57.67
Any of the rest of you can come,
00:48:57.77\00:48:58.40
too, but prayer warriors
00:48:58.50\00:48:59.40
4:00 today.
00:48:59.50\00:49:00.60
Everybody else starts tomorrow
00:49:00.70\00:49:02.97
night, 7:00, right here.
00:49:03.07\00:49:04.74
Come to the MORE + Conference.
00:49:04.84\00:49:06.88
The transformation
00:49:06.98\00:49:07.71
you experience
00:49:07.81\00:49:08.68
just might last for eternity.
00:49:08.78\00:49:11.01
And step number two.
00:49:11.11\00:49:12.88
You know all that stuff
00:49:24.89\00:49:26.33
that I said at the beginning
00:49:26.43\00:49:26.86
of the sermon,
00:49:26.96\00:49:27.56
all these amazing things,
00:49:27.66\00:49:28.56
thousands being baptized and,
00:49:28.66\00:49:29.86
you know, prayer, meeting
00:49:29.96\00:49:31.00
attendance overflowing and
00:49:31.10\00:49:31.97
miracles and all this stuff?
00:49:32.07\00:49:33.03
Do you really think
00:49:33.13\00:49:34.30
that at the end of time,
00:49:34.40\00:49:35.44
God's going to be all out
00:49:35.54\00:49:36.54
of breath, like, "Oh, man,
00:49:36.64\00:49:38.61
I'm so -- I can't --
00:49:38.71\00:49:39.74
It's so much hard work to do.
00:49:39.84\00:49:40.98
I can't believe the end of time.
00:49:41.08\00:49:42.11
I should have worked out more.
00:49:42.21\00:49:43.08
I should have eaten better."
00:49:43.18\00:49:44.18
You know, I mean, is He really
00:49:44.28\00:49:45.01
gonna say that?
00:49:45.11\00:49:45.71
No. It will be normal for Him.
00:49:45.81\00:49:48.32
And he's gonna pour
00:49:48.42\00:49:49.32
out these blessings
00:49:49.42\00:49:50.29
on a normal church because God's
00:49:50.39\00:49:52.95
church simply has these things.
00:49:53.05\00:49:54.29
God's church is a conduit
00:49:54.39\00:49:55.56
for his Holy Spirit.
00:49:55.66\00:49:56.62
God's church is a conduit
00:49:56.73\00:49:58.06
for miraculous things to happen,
00:49:58.16\00:49:59.39
for conversion to take place,
00:49:59.49\00:50:00.66
for the work to be finished.
00:50:00.76\00:50:02.23
So please be normal.
00:50:02.33\00:50:06.43
Let us be normal.
00:50:06.53\00:50:08.47
Ask God for the strength.
00:50:08.57\00:50:09.84
Come to the MORE + Conference.
00:50:09.94\00:50:10.71
We're going to talk all about
00:50:10.81\00:50:11.61
how to be a normal Christian
00:50:11.71\00:50:12.47
in the sight of God.
00:50:12.57\00:50:16.14
I'll leave you with a final
00:50:16.24\00:50:17.11
thought.
00:50:17.21\00:50:18.91
"Selected Messages: Volume 1,"
00:50:19.01\00:50:19.98
page 124.
00:50:20.08\00:50:20.95
She says, "There is nothing
00:50:21.05\00:50:21.98
that Satan fears so much --"
00:50:22.08\00:50:23.65
Time out for just a moment.
00:50:23.75\00:50:24.45
Don't you like the stuff
00:50:24.55\00:50:25.29
that Satan's afraid of?
00:50:25.39\00:50:26.59
That's a good thing.
00:50:26.69\00:50:27.69
I get sick and tired of the
00:50:27.79\00:50:28.86
devil kicking the earth around
00:50:28.96\00:50:29.66
like he does.
00:50:29.76\00:50:30.36
Isn't it great to know there's
00:50:30.46\00:50:31.23
some stuff that he's afraid of?
00:50:31.33\00:50:32.26
"There is nothing
00:50:32.36\00:50:33.26
that Satan fears so much
00:50:33.36\00:50:34.73
as that the people of God
00:50:34.83\00:50:35.76
shall clear the way
00:50:35.86\00:50:36.63
by removing every hindrance,
00:50:36.73\00:50:37.83
so that the Lord can pour
00:50:37.93\00:50:38.67
out His spirit
00:50:38.77\00:50:39.47
upon a languishing church
00:50:39.57\00:50:40.64
and an impenitent congregation.
00:50:40.74\00:50:41.94
If Satan had his way,
00:50:42.04\00:50:43.74
there would never be
00:50:43.84\00:50:44.87
another awakening,
00:50:44.97\00:50:45.74
great or small,
00:50:45.84\00:50:46.57
to the end of time.
00:50:46.68\00:50:47.54
But we are
00:50:47.64\00:50:48.94
not ignorant of his devices.
00:50:49.04\00:50:50.95
It is possible
00:50:51.05\00:50:52.05
to resist his power."
00:50:52.15\00:50:53.15
Someone say "Amen."
00:50:53.25\00:50:54.25
Amen and amen.
00:50:54.35\00:50:55.65
"When the way is prepared
00:50:55.75\00:50:57.35
for the Spirit of God,
00:50:57.45\00:50:58.79
the blessing will come.
00:50:58.89\00:51:01.02
Satan can no more hinder
00:51:01.12\00:51:02.69
a shower of blessing
00:51:02.79\00:51:03.83
from descending upon God's
00:51:03.93\00:51:05.03
people than he can close
00:51:05.13\00:51:05.93
the windows of heaven
00:51:06.03\00:51:06.63
that rain cannot come
00:51:06.73\00:51:07.40
upon the earth.
00:51:07.50\00:51:08.26
Wicked men and devils
00:51:08.36\00:51:10.17
cannot hinder the work of God,
00:51:10.27\00:51:11.87
or shut out his presence from
00:51:11.97\00:51:13.30
the assemblies of his people."
00:51:13.40\00:51:15.34
Amen and amen.
00:51:15.44\00:51:17.87
Ladies and gentlemen,
00:51:17.97\00:51:18.87
Jesus really is coming soon.
00:51:18.97\00:51:20.44
The finest hour of the church
00:51:20.54\00:51:22.28
really does lie just before us.
00:51:22.38\00:51:24.75
But if we are going to be part
00:51:24.85\00:51:26.25
of it, we must have more.
00:51:26.35\00:51:29.48
We must have more of Jesus
00:51:29.58\00:51:31.19
because what we have
00:51:31.29\00:51:32.52
right now is not enough.
00:51:32.62\00:51:35.19
More of Jesus, more of his love.
00:51:35.29\00:51:37.76
Oh, we must know him more.
00:51:37.86\00:51:41.26
>> Amen!
00:51:41.36\00:51:43.13
[ Applause ]
00:51:43.23\00:51:46.40
¤
00:52:03.42\00:52:11.53
¤
00:52:11.63\00:52:17.53
>> ¤ Just the time
00:52:17.63\00:52:21.34
I feel that I've been caught ¤
00:52:21.44\00:52:27.48
¤ In the mire of self
00:52:27.58\00:52:33.28
¤ Just the time I feel
00:52:33.38\00:52:38.82
¤ My mind's been bought
00:52:38.92\00:52:43.66
by worldly wealth ¤
00:52:43.76\00:52:48.13
¤ That's when I feel
00:52:48.23\00:52:51.87
the breeze begin to blow ¤
00:52:51.97\00:52:57.47
¤ I know the Spirit's call
00:52:57.57\00:53:03.01
¤ And all my worldly wanderings
00:53:03.11\00:53:10.65
just melt into His love ¤
00:53:10.75\00:53:19.43
¤ Oh, I want to know You more
00:53:19.53\00:53:24.93
¤ Deep within my soul,
00:53:25.03\00:53:27.80
I want to know You ¤
00:53:27.90\00:53:30.21
¤ Oh, I want to know You
00:53:30.31\00:53:33.61
¤ To feel Your heart
00:53:33.71\00:53:37.28
and know Your mind ¤
00:53:37.38\00:53:39.88
¤ Looking in Your eyes
00:53:39.98\00:53:43.18
stirs up within me ¤
00:53:43.28\00:53:45.42
¤ Cries that say,
00:53:45.52\00:53:47.36
"I want to know You" ¤
00:53:47.46\00:53:53.06
¤ "Oh, I want to know You
00:53:53.16\00:53:58.43
more" ¤
00:53:58.53\00:54:02.40
¤
00:54:02.50\00:54:05.81
¤ And when my daily deeds
00:54:05.91\00:54:11.71
ordinarily lose life and song ¤
00:54:11.81\00:54:19.82
¤ My heart begins to bleed
00:54:19.92\00:54:25.56
¤ Sensitivity to Him is gone
00:54:25.66\00:54:34.80
¤ I've run the race,
00:54:34.90\00:54:37.51
but set my own pace ¤
00:54:37.61\00:54:42.74
¤ And face a shattered soul
00:54:42.84\00:54:49.65
¤ Now the gentle arms of Jesus
00:54:49.75\00:54:56.06
¤ Warm my hunger to be whole
00:54:56.16\00:55:05.27
¤ Oh, I want to know You more
00:55:05.37\00:55:10.54
¤ Deep within my soul,
00:55:10.64\00:55:13.51
I want to know You ¤
00:55:13.61\00:55:15.74
¤ Oh, I want to know You
00:55:15.84\00:55:19.51
¤ To feel Your heart
00:55:19.61\00:55:22.35
and know Your mind ¤
00:55:22.45\00:55:24.95
¤ Looking in Your eyes
00:55:25.05\00:55:27.69
stirs up within me ¤
00:55:27.79\00:55:30.36
¤ Cries that say,
00:55:30.46\00:55:32.46
"I want to know You" ¤
00:55:32.56\00:55:38.23
¤ "Oh, I want to know"
00:55:38.33\00:55:41.70
¤ And I would give
00:55:41.80\00:55:45.17
my final breath ¤
00:55:45.27\00:55:47.61
¤ To know You in Your death
00:55:47.71\00:55:50.51
and resurrection ¤
00:55:50.61\00:55:53.58
¤ Oh, I want to know You more
00:55:53.68\00:56:00.69
¤ Oh, I want to know You
00:56:00.79\00:56:03.69
¤ To know You more
00:56:03.79\00:56:12.47
¤ Oh, I want to know You
00:56:12.57\00:56:21.41
¤ More
00:56:21.51\00:56:30.19
¤
00:56:30.29\00:56:38.86
>> Amen!
00:56:38.96\00:56:40.63
>> Have you ever wondered
00:56:45.07\00:56:45.67
what Jesus was like
00:56:45.77\00:56:46.43
when He walked on this planet
00:56:46.53\00:56:47.20
2,000 years ago?
00:56:47.30\00:56:49.40
Have you ever wondered where
00:56:49.50\00:56:50.77
He traveled, who He talked to,
00:56:50.87\00:56:52.61
who His friends were,
00:56:52.71\00:56:53.71
what His family was like?
00:56:53.81\00:56:55.51
Or have you heard about
00:56:55.61\00:56:56.28
the astonishing miracles
00:56:56.38\00:56:57.48
that Jesus did,
00:56:57.58\00:56:58.95
like feeding 5,000 people
00:56:59.05\00:57:00.62
with just five loaves of bread
00:57:00.72\00:57:01.85
and a couple of fish
00:57:01.95\00:57:03.22
or giving sight back to a man
00:57:03.32\00:57:04.79
born blind?
00:57:04.89\00:57:06.52
What would it have been like
00:57:06.62\00:57:08.32
to be there with Jesus
00:57:08.42\00:57:09.86
in those unprecedented days?
00:57:09.96\00:57:12.76
I hold in my hands a free book
00:57:12.86\00:57:14.46
that I'd like to give to you.
00:57:14.56\00:57:15.36
It's called
00:57:15.46\00:57:16.16
"The Desire of Ages,"
00:57:16.26\00:57:18.03
and it's one of the finest
00:57:18.13\00:57:18.87
biographies of Christ
00:57:18.97\00:57:19.87
ever produced.
00:57:19.97\00:57:21.50
It goes into incredible detail
00:57:21.60\00:57:22.87
of who Jesus was,
00:57:22.97\00:57:24.27
what His life was like,
00:57:24.37\00:57:25.81
who His enemies were, and what
00:57:25.91\00:57:27.08
His followers were like,
00:57:27.18\00:57:28.88
and, of course, ultimately how
00:57:28.98\00:57:30.51
He died on the cross and rose
00:57:30.61\00:57:32.11
from the grave to give freedom
00:57:32.21\00:57:33.85
to people just like you and me.
00:57:33.95\00:57:35.98
"The Desire of Ages" can be
00:57:36.08\00:57:37.89
yours for free by calling
00:57:37.99\00:57:39.52
877-HIS-WILL.
00:57:39.62\00:57:41.76
That's 877-HIS-WILL.
00:57:41.86\00:57:44.93
Jesus is the most influential
00:57:45.03\00:57:46.73
person in all of human history.
00:57:46.83\00:57:49.10
You owe it to yourself
00:57:49.20\00:57:50.70
and those you love to find out
00:57:50.80\00:57:52.63
who He really was.
00:57:52.73\00:57:53.94
¤
00:58:00.48\00:58:09.88
¤
00:58:09.98\00:58:19.46
¤
00:58:19.56\00:58:27.60