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>> Matthew chapter 3, please,
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verse 1.
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Matthew 3:1.
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It's found on page 650
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in the red pew Bible,
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which is probably somewhere
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nearby where you're sitting.
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Page 650, Matthew chapter 3,
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beginning with verse 1.
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Let me give you
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a little context of
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where we're going to be reading.
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This is obviously early
00:13:56.23\00:13:57.17
in the book of Matthew.
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Jesus has been born.
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His family and He have fled
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from government forces
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that wished them ill.
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They have now returned
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to Nazareth,
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and John the Baptist
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enters the scene.
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And for our purposes
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this morning,
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one of the reasons
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that's so important is
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because John the Baptist
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is a type of the Seventh-Day
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Adventist movement.
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Just as John the Baptist
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had a particular message
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to proclaim to prepare people
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for the first coming of Jesus,
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we also have
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a particular message
00:14:27.13\00:14:28.13
that we are to proclaim
00:14:28.23\00:14:29.13
to prepare the people
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for the second coming of Jesus.
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So let's see what it was
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that John had to say.
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John chapter 3,
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beginning in verse 1.
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"In those days
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John the Baptist
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came preaching in the desert
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of Judea and saying,
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'Repent, for the kingdom
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of heaven is near.'
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This is he who was spoken
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of through the prophet Isaiah:
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'A voice of one
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calling in the desert,
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prepare the way for the Lord,
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make straight paths for him.'
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John's clothes were made of
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camel's hair,
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and he had a leather belt
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around his waist.
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His food was locusts
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and wild honey.
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People went out to him
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from Jerusalem and all Judea
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and the whole region
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of the Jordan.
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Confessing their sins,
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they were baptized by him
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in the Jordan River."
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Pause there, please.
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The essence of the first part
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of John the Baptist's
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preparatory message
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was repent and be what?
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Be baptized.
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It's very clear, isn't it?
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It doesn't have to take
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deep study to see that.
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It's right on the surface.
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His message was,
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the first part of his message,
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repent and be baptized.
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In other words,
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John the Baptist first message
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was one to revival.
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Now, we've talked quite a bit
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about revival here
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over this last month or so,
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and for good reason.
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John the Baptist here,
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his first message was one
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of revival, "Repent,
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turn from your sins.
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Be baptized.
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Come back to Christ."
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And, of course, this was exactly
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what Israel
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of that day desperately needed.
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And, praise the Lord,
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it's what so many of us
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here in the last few weeks
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have begun to experience more
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and more
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through the More conference.
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But as I shared with you
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two Sabbaths ago,
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as good
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as the More conference was,
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it was blessedly only intended
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to be a beginning.
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There is something more
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than more that we must have.
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And as I mentioned two Sabbaths
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ago, it is this something more
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than more that will usher
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in the great final events
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that God longs
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for us to see, the outpouring
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of the Holy Spirit
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in the latter reign.
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Thousands converted in a day,
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miracles being done,
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signs and wonders,
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all of this
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is predicated on this
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something more than more,
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something beyond revival
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taking place.
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Now, in my short life,
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my experience is that
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many Christians are baffled
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by the idea that something more
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than revival is needed.
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And at first blush, I get it.
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Revival, it's exciting.
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It can be very exciting.
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It's invigorating.
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By definition,
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it's reinvigorating.
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How could there possibly be
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something more than revival that
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is needed in a Christian's life?
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Well...
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as any experienced Christian
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will tell you today,
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and as John the Baptist
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knew very well back in his day,
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revival, as good
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as it is, by itself
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would not be enough to achieve
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God's plan for His people.
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Something still more
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was necessary,
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and we find out what
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that something more
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is beginning in verse 7.
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Matthew 3:7.
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Again, page 650.
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Says, "But when he,"
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John the Baptist,
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"saw many of the Pharisees
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and Sadducees coming to
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where he was baptizing,
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he said to them:
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'You brood of vipers!
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Who warned you to flee
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from the coming wrath?'"
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Key verse here, verse 8.
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"'Produce fruit
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in keeping with repentance.
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And do not think you can say
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to yourselves,
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"We have Abraham as our father."
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I tell you that out of
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these stones God can raise
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up children for Abraham.
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The ax is already at the root
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of the trees,
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and every tree
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that does not produce good fruit
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will be cut down
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and thrown into the fire.
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I baptize you with water
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for repentance.
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But after me will come one
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who is more powerful than I,
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whose sandals I am
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not fit to carry.
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He will baptize you with
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the Holy Spirit and with fire.'"
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In other words,
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repentance and baptism
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were excellent,
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but unless accompanied by good
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and lasting fruit
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lived out in the life, that is,
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unless accompanied
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by a genuinely
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changed life in Christ,
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repentance and baptism would
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eventually lose their meaning.
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Or to put it another way,
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revival must be followed
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by reformation.
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Revival must be followed
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by reformation.
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Now, I want to be
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crystal clear about something
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right at the outset.
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No one is going to be saved
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because of fruitfulness.
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Well, I thought we might have
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at least one "amen" on that.
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So...
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>> Amen.
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>> Thank you.
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Thank you, brother, yes.
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Let me pause for just a moment,
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then.
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No one will be saved
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by fruitfulness.
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That will have already
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taken place.
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We are not saved
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by the good things that we do.
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We are saved by faith
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in the grace of Jesus Christ.
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Amen?
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>> Amen!
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>> That's it.
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Salvation by grace alone.
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We still believe that, because
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the Bible teaches that.
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The Adventist Church
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has taught that for decade
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after decade after decade.
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You will not be saved
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by fruitfulness.
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But if you are saved,
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there will be fruit.
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It is the evidence.
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It's not the cause
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of our salvation,
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but it is the evidence
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that we have been saved.
00:19:49.82\00:19:51.02
Now, this takes a lot
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of pressure
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off of this whole idea
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of growing in Christ.
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You're not trying to earn
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your salvation.
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You're simply following
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after Jesus.
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To use the verbiage
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of Ellen White
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in "Great Controversy,"
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"Good works are the fruit,
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not the root of salvation."
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"Good works are the fruit,
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not the root of salvation."
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So I want you to understand
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this right at the beginning.
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We're not talking about
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salvation by works here.
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We've already been saved
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by grace through Jesus Christ,
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through faith in Him.
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And if we have been saved,
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there will be fruit.
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That's why John could say
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with such confidence,
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"If a tree does not bear
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good fruit,
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it will be cut down
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and thrown into the fire,"
00:20:25.25\00:20:26.65
not because the fruit saved it,
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but because the lack
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of fruit showed that
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it had never been.
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It's evidence, not the cause.
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Speaking of Ellen White,
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notice what she has to say here.
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The book called "True Revival,"
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page 15.
00:20:40.44\00:20:41.80
She says, "A revival
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and a reformation
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must take place
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under the ministration
00:20:46.27\00:20:47.01
of the Holy Spirit.
00:20:47.11\00:20:48.24
Revival and reformation
00:20:48.34\00:20:49.64
are two different things.
00:20:49.74\00:20:51.85
Revival signifies a renewal
00:20:51.95\00:20:53.75
of spiritual life,
00:20:53.85\00:20:54.75
a quickening of the powers
00:20:54.85\00:20:55.85
of mind and heart,
00:20:55.95\00:20:56.75
a resurrection
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from spiritual death."
00:20:57.89\00:20:58.59
Now, we're all
00:20:58.69\00:20:59.22
familiar with this.
00:20:59.32\00:20:59.85
We've been talking --
00:20:59.95\00:21:00.62
If you've been here at all
00:21:00.72\00:21:01.22
over the last month,
00:21:01.32\00:21:01.82
we've been talking
00:21:01.92\00:21:02.46
about this very thing.
00:21:02.56\00:21:03.66
It is a return to breathing,
00:21:03.76\00:21:06.09
to being alive in Christ, okay?
00:21:06.19\00:21:07.56
That's revival.
00:21:07.66\00:21:09.43
But there's something more.
00:21:09.53\00:21:11.57
"Reformation signifies a,"
00:21:11.67\00:21:14.04
and then notice this list,
00:21:14.14\00:21:14.94
"a reorganization,
00:21:15.04\00:21:17.04
a change in ideas and theories,
00:21:17.14\00:21:19.81
habits and practices."
00:21:19.91\00:21:21.34
Let me read that one more time.
00:21:21.44\00:21:22.34
"Reformation signifies
00:21:22.44\00:21:24.15
a reorganization,
00:21:24.25\00:21:25.71
a change in ideas and theories,
00:21:25.81\00:21:28.22
habits and practices.
00:21:28.32\00:21:30.42
Reformation will not bring
00:21:30.52\00:21:31.55
forth the good fruit
00:21:31.65\00:21:32.19
of righteousness
00:21:32.29\00:21:32.89
unless it is connected
00:21:32.99\00:21:34.42
with the revival of the Spirit."
00:21:34.52\00:21:35.59
In other words,
00:21:35.69\00:21:36.26
if you're trying to bear
00:21:36.36\00:21:37.19
fruit apart from the Holy Spirit
00:21:37.29\00:21:38.16
of Jesus Christ,
00:21:38.26\00:21:38.93
you're wasting your time.
00:21:39.03\00:21:41.20
But the two together,
00:21:41.30\00:21:42.13
"Revival and reformation
00:21:42.23\00:21:43.50
are to do their appointed work,
00:21:43.60\00:21:44.90
and in doing
00:21:45.00\00:21:45.97
this work they must blend."
00:21:46.07\00:21:50.24
So with this in mind,
00:21:50.34\00:21:51.87
and the words and experience
00:21:51.97\00:21:53.07
of John the Baptist
00:21:53.17\00:21:53.84
that we just read about
00:21:53.94\00:21:54.44
in Matthew 3,
00:21:54.54\00:21:55.84
we can now begin to craft
00:21:55.94\00:21:57.78
a working definition
00:21:57.88\00:21:59.55
of what reformation is.
00:21:59.65\00:22:00.75
Let me put it
00:22:00.85\00:22:01.35
here on the screen.
00:22:01.45\00:22:02.18
Reformation is
00:22:02.28\00:22:04.09
living life differently --
00:22:04.19\00:22:07.49
differently in a positive,
00:22:07.59\00:22:09.86
biblical, long-lasting,
00:22:09.96\00:22:12.03
Christ-centered way.
00:22:12.13\00:22:15.43
Now, that's a lot of qualifiers.
00:22:15.53\00:22:16.90
Let me unpack each one here.
00:22:17.00\00:22:18.27
The first one,
00:22:18.37\00:22:19.27
"Reformation is
00:22:19.37\00:22:20.27
living life differently."
00:22:20.37\00:22:22.34
Make no mistake, if we didn't --
00:22:22.44\00:22:24.54
if we did not need to live
00:22:24.64\00:22:26.71
differently, you never
00:22:26.81\00:22:27.78
would have needed revival
00:22:27.88\00:22:28.98
in the first place, right?
00:22:29.08\00:22:30.91
That's the thing.
00:22:31.01\00:22:31.71
And if you continue
00:22:31.81\00:22:32.91
after revival to live
00:22:33.01\00:22:35.15
the same way
00:22:35.25\00:22:36.18
that you did before revival,
00:22:36.28\00:22:38.22
you will continue
00:22:38.32\00:22:39.19
to get the same results and
00:22:39.29\00:22:40.46
you're just going to fall back
00:22:40.56\00:22:41.29
into spiritual death once again.
00:22:41.39\00:22:43.06
So make no mistake,
00:22:43.16\00:22:43.96
there is a change
00:22:44.06\00:22:45.33
that God is asking for here.
00:22:45.43\00:22:47.13
Secondly, "differently
00:22:47.23\00:22:48.60
in a positive way."
00:22:48.70\00:22:50.47
That's what reformation
00:22:50.57\00:22:51.37
is -- living differently
00:22:51.47\00:22:52.13
in a positive way.
00:22:52.23\00:22:52.97
Why do I say this?
00:22:53.07\00:22:54.14
Because some people who claim
00:22:54.24\00:22:55.50
to be experiencing revival
00:22:55.60\00:22:56.91
and reformation are grumpy
00:22:57.01\00:22:58.54
and terrible to be around.
00:22:58.64\00:23:00.78
Okay?
00:23:00.88\00:23:01.88
They're not fun to be --
00:23:01.98\00:23:02.78
The sour face,
00:23:02.88\00:23:03.81
they're frowning all the time.
00:23:03.91\00:23:05.21
Let's be honest,
00:23:05.31\00:23:06.41
there will be some things
00:23:06.51\00:23:07.28
in reformation
00:23:07.38\00:23:08.35
that are going to be hard work.
00:23:08.45\00:23:09.42
Jesus will ask us --
00:23:09.52\00:23:10.42
Jesus will take us some places
00:23:10.52\00:23:11.62
that are going to be difficult.
00:23:11.72\00:23:12.32
That's all true.
00:23:12.42\00:23:13.82
And at the same time,
00:23:13.92\00:23:14.72
praise the Lord,
00:23:14.82\00:23:15.56
because we are in Christ,
00:23:15.66\00:23:17.16
there is His joy within us,
00:23:17.26\00:23:19.33
that underlying joy.
00:23:19.43\00:23:20.56
That peace
00:23:20.66\00:23:21.50
that passes all understanding
00:23:21.60\00:23:22.80
has a partner, and it's joy.
00:23:22.90\00:23:24.03
And indeed,
00:23:24.13\00:23:24.80
if you are sour-faced
00:23:24.90\00:23:25.87
and you're hating
00:23:25.97\00:23:26.70
this whole thing about revival
00:23:26.80\00:23:27.57
and reformation,
00:23:27.67\00:23:28.27
you have the privilege
00:23:28.37\00:23:29.40
of knowing that you're doing
00:23:29.50\00:23:30.34
it wrong, because there's joy
00:23:30.44\00:23:32.84
to be found in Jesus Christ.
00:23:32.94\00:23:34.81
There's more still.
00:23:34.91\00:23:35.71
Reformation is
00:23:35.81\00:23:36.64
living life differently
00:23:36.75\00:23:38.08
in a positive, biblical way.
00:23:38.18\00:23:39.88
In other words,
00:23:39.98\00:23:40.82
once I have come to life
00:23:40.92\00:23:42.08
in Jesus Christ by His grace
00:23:42.18\00:23:43.32
raising me up out
00:23:43.42\00:23:44.12
of that spiritual grave,
00:23:44.22\00:23:45.49
I don't determine the agenda
00:23:45.59\00:23:47.39
for what happens next.
00:23:47.49\00:23:48.32
His Word does.
00:23:48.42\00:23:50.09
And the same goes for you.
00:23:50.19\00:23:51.23
You can't just kind of choose
00:23:51.33\00:23:52.43
what you would like to do
00:23:52.53\00:23:53.53
or what you think is best
00:23:53.63\00:23:54.30
in there,
00:23:54.36\00:23:55.40
because maybe you're right,
00:23:55.50\00:23:56.20
maybe you're wrong,
00:23:56.30\00:23:57.47
but God knows best.
00:23:57.57\00:23:58.73
And so He's written
00:23:58.83\00:23:59.40
this in His Word.
00:23:59.50\00:24:00.30
That is the guide for
00:24:00.40\00:24:01.64
how reformation is to proceed.
00:24:01.74\00:24:04.77
The next one -- long-lasting.
00:24:04.87\00:24:07.58
You know what one
00:24:07.68\00:24:08.21
of the greatest things
00:24:08.31\00:24:09.41
someone can say about revival in
00:24:09.51\00:24:10.98
your life is that you
00:24:11.08\00:24:13.11
will never need it again.
00:24:13.21\00:24:15.82
Wouldn't that be great?
00:24:15.92\00:24:17.92
I mean, yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:24:18.02\00:24:19.09
You know,
00:24:19.19\00:24:20.06
it's interesting, they have
00:24:20.16\00:24:21.32
a saying in church-planting
00:24:21.42\00:24:22.59
circles -- "It's easier to give
00:24:22.69\00:24:24.93
birth than to raise the dead."
00:24:25.03\00:24:27.40
It's easier to plant
00:24:27.50\00:24:28.23
a new church
00:24:28.33\00:24:28.86
than it is to take
00:24:28.96\00:24:29.70
a dying church and try
00:24:29.80\00:24:30.57
to raise it back up out
00:24:30.67\00:24:31.53
of the grave there, okay?
00:24:31.63\00:24:33.07
Wouldn't it be great if we never
00:24:33.17\00:24:34.44
needed to be raised up again?
00:24:34.54\00:24:36.54
Well, if that's going to happen,
00:24:36.64\00:24:37.41
then we need to put in place
00:24:37.51\00:24:38.37
some things that will lead
00:24:38.47\00:24:39.21
to long-term change.
00:24:39.31\00:24:42.11
Revival can be the work
00:24:42.21\00:24:43.14
of a moment,
00:24:43.24\00:24:44.05
even, a conviction in Christ
00:24:44.15\00:24:45.71
and surrendering
00:24:45.81\00:24:46.48
our lives to Him.
00:24:46.58\00:24:47.32
It can take a very short amount
00:24:47.42\00:24:48.15
of time,
00:24:48.25\00:24:49.15
but reformation is long-term.
00:24:49.25\00:24:52.75
And lastly, Christ-centered.
00:24:52.85\00:24:55.16
This, of course,
00:24:55.26\00:24:56.36
is the pinnacle
00:24:56.46\00:24:57.29
of what reformation means.
00:24:57.39\00:24:58.96
Reformation means
00:24:59.06\00:25:01.46
that we are not called first
00:25:01.56\00:25:04.17
and foremost to a way of life,
00:25:04.27\00:25:06.63
but rather we are first and
00:25:06.74\00:25:07.97
foremost called to the source
00:25:08.07\00:25:09.37
of life, Jesus Christ.
00:25:09.47\00:25:11.77
More on that in just a moment.
00:25:11.87\00:25:15.38
All of which naturally raises
00:25:15.48\00:25:16.34
the question,
00:25:16.44\00:25:18.05
what does this look like
00:25:18.15\00:25:19.08
practically, day to day
00:25:19.18\00:25:21.48
in the Christian's life?
00:25:21.58\00:25:22.85
Let's say that you've
00:25:22.95\00:25:23.55
experienced revival.
00:25:23.65\00:25:24.49
You're experiencing it now.
00:25:24.59\00:25:25.52
You're alive in Jesus Christ.
00:25:25.62\00:25:26.86
You see the need.
00:25:26.96\00:25:28.42
John the Baptist is hardly
00:25:28.52\00:25:29.49
the only place in the Bible,
00:25:29.59\00:25:30.39
by the way, where we find
00:25:30.49\00:25:31.16
this transition needed
00:25:31.26\00:25:32.29
from revival to reformation.
00:25:32.39\00:25:33.76
If you want to move
00:25:33.86\00:25:34.76
into reformation,
00:25:34.86\00:25:35.80
what does that look like
00:25:35.90\00:25:37.27
for you, practically speaking,
00:25:37.37\00:25:38.37
on a daily basis?
00:25:38.47\00:25:39.43
Well, there's lots
00:25:39.53\00:25:42.17
that we could say about that,
00:25:42.27\00:25:44.27
but from my study,
00:25:44.37\00:25:46.34
there are three calls
00:25:46.44\00:25:49.31
that reformation
00:25:49.41\00:25:51.25
speaks into our lives.
00:25:51.35\00:25:53.75
Reformation calls us
00:25:53.85\00:25:55.22
to do at least three things.
00:25:55.32\00:25:58.05
And I want us to look briefly
00:25:58.15\00:25:59.05
at these things this morning.
00:25:59.15\00:26:00.16
First, the first call.
00:26:00.26\00:26:03.29
I want to remind you
00:26:03.39\00:26:04.16
of a foundational text.
00:26:04.26\00:26:05.76
You've seen it before.
00:26:05.86\00:26:06.76
You're going to see it again,
00:26:06.86\00:26:07.60
because to my understanding,
00:26:07.66\00:26:08.93
this is at the hinge
00:26:09.03\00:26:11.70
of what the New Testament
00:26:11.80\00:26:12.83
and what the Gospel turn upon.
00:26:12.93\00:26:14.74
It's John 17:3
00:26:14.84\00:26:17.31
and the words of Jesus Himself.
00:26:17.41\00:26:18.51
He says, "Now this is
00:26:18.61\00:26:19.77
eternal life."
00:26:19.87\00:26:21.18
He's going to define it
00:26:21.28\00:26:22.11
for us now.
00:26:22.21\00:26:23.01
"This is eternal life,
00:26:23.11\00:26:24.18
that they may --"
00:26:24.28\00:26:24.98
What's the next word?
00:26:25.08\00:26:26.58
"Know."
00:26:26.68\00:26:27.42
"That they may know You,
00:26:27.52\00:26:29.08
the only true God,
00:26:29.18\00:26:30.12
and Jesus Christ,
00:26:30.22\00:26:31.25
whom You have sent."
00:26:31.35\00:26:32.79
Those of you that know
00:26:32.89\00:26:33.59
the original language is this --
00:26:33.69\00:26:34.82
the Greek word here for "know"
00:26:34.92\00:26:35.92
is a reflection of the Hebrew
00:26:36.02\00:26:36.89
"yada."
00:26:36.99\00:26:37.86
It's this guttural.
00:26:37.96\00:26:39.06
It's in the back of your throat.
00:26:39.16\00:26:40.13
And it doesn't mean just
00:26:40.23\00:26:40.83
to know factually.
00:26:40.93\00:26:41.83
It means to know intimately.
00:26:41.93\00:26:42.83
It's a deep, deep bond
00:26:42.93\00:26:45.20
that is being referred to here.
00:26:45.30\00:26:46.47
"This is eternal life,
00:26:46.57\00:26:47.50
that they may know You,
00:26:47.60\00:26:48.47
the only true God,
00:26:48.57\00:26:49.47
and Jesus Christ,
00:26:49.57\00:26:50.34
whom You have sent."
00:26:50.44\00:26:51.34
Ladies and gentlemen,
00:26:51.44\00:26:52.41
this is our destination.
00:26:52.51\00:26:55.84
This is
00:26:55.94\00:26:56.61
where God wants us to go.
00:26:56.71\00:26:59.28
All of which reveals
00:26:59.38\00:27:00.68
the first call in reformation.
00:27:00.78\00:27:02.95
Reformation is, first
00:27:03.05\00:27:04.79
and foremost
00:27:04.89\00:27:05.79
and primarily, a call
00:27:05.89\00:27:07.76
to relationship --
00:27:07.86\00:27:09.19
to relationship
00:27:09.29\00:27:10.46
with Christ, personally,
00:27:10.56\00:27:12.49
daily, intimately, being
00:27:12.59\00:27:14.50
transformed to be like Him.
00:27:14.60\00:27:19.83
Now, I know what some
00:27:19.93\00:27:21.60
of you are thinking.
00:27:21.70\00:27:23.34
You're thinking, "That sounds
00:27:23.44\00:27:24.67
pretty basic, Pastor Shane.
00:27:24.77\00:27:26.98
Tell us something with
00:27:27.08\00:27:27.91
a little more grit to it."
00:27:28.01\00:27:31.38
If that's your idea,
00:27:31.48\00:27:33.08
let me just share
00:27:33.18\00:27:33.88
a little bit more about this.
00:27:33.98\00:27:36.62
It turns out, in my 30 years
00:27:36.72\00:27:38.42
of pastoral experience,
00:27:38.52\00:27:39.59
this is my understanding.
00:27:39.69\00:27:41.99
Too many people are dating Jesus
00:27:42.09\00:27:44.63
but never getting married.
00:27:44.73\00:27:48.70
Too many people are standing
00:27:48.80\00:27:51.37
on the shores of heaven's
00:27:51.47\00:27:52.67
river of life
00:27:52.77\00:27:53.57
but never diving in.
00:27:53.67\00:27:56.74
They are forever window shopping
00:27:56.84\00:27:58.17
in heaven's hardware store
00:27:58.27\00:27:59.24
but never quite owning
00:27:59.34\00:28:00.34
a clear viewpoint
00:28:00.44\00:28:01.34
on spiritual matters.
00:28:01.44\00:28:02.74
They are always a bidder,
00:28:02.84\00:28:04.15
never a buyer.
00:28:04.25\00:28:05.81
They are endlessly dabbling
00:28:05.91\00:28:07.38
in the things of Christ
00:28:07.48\00:28:08.48
but never unreservedly
00:28:08.58\00:28:10.29
committing themselves to Him.
00:28:10.39\00:28:14.16
Spiritual tire kickers,
00:28:14.26\00:28:16.09
seemingly endlessly.
00:28:16.19\00:28:17.86
So please hear it
00:28:17.96\00:28:18.86
and hear it well.
00:28:18.96\00:28:20.23
Reformation is a call out
00:28:20.33\00:28:23.06
of that chaos and wilderness
00:28:23.16\00:28:24.93
into the arms of Christ.
00:28:25.03\00:28:27.67
Because Christianity is
00:28:27.77\00:28:29.27
not a call to a culture.
00:28:29.37\00:28:31.34
Christianity is
00:28:31.44\00:28:32.24
not a call to a hobby.
00:28:32.34\00:28:33.51
It is not a call
00:28:33.61\00:28:34.34
to a casual pastime.
00:28:34.44\00:28:35.74
No.
00:28:35.84\00:28:36.71
It is instead a call
00:28:36.81\00:28:38.18
to Christ Himself,
00:28:38.28\00:28:40.18
to a deep, abiding,
00:28:40.28\00:28:41.65
ongoing, transformational
00:28:41.75\00:28:43.02
relationship with Him.
00:28:43.12\00:28:45.79
And if this relationship is
00:28:45.89\00:28:48.32
to be real in our lives
00:28:48.42\00:28:50.56
after revival,
00:28:50.66\00:28:52.49
we will need to just do
00:28:52.59\00:28:54.83
a handful of simple things --
00:28:54.93\00:28:56.53
not always easy ones,
00:28:56.63\00:28:57.73
but they are simple.
00:28:57.83\00:28:59.27
For instance,
00:28:59.37\00:29:00.94
we need to make the practices
00:29:01.04\00:29:02.30
of Bible study and prayer
00:29:02.40\00:29:03.91
a regular part
00:29:04.01\00:29:04.91
of our daily lives.
00:29:05.01\00:29:07.41
The Bible is
00:29:07.51\00:29:08.61
how God so often speaks to us,
00:29:08.71\00:29:10.21
making His will known to us.
00:29:10.31\00:29:11.75
It is indispensable.
00:29:11.85\00:29:12.81
We must have it.
00:29:12.91\00:29:13.72
In our lives,
00:29:13.82\00:29:15.12
in which emotion can move us
00:29:15.22\00:29:16.58
from one pole to the next
00:29:16.69\00:29:17.69
and we go up and down
00:29:17.79\00:29:18.62
in our experience,
00:29:18.72\00:29:19.55
the Word of God
00:29:19.65\00:29:20.66
remains above all of that.
00:29:20.76\00:29:21.82
It is firm.
00:29:21.92\00:29:22.62
It is the rock on which
00:29:22.72\00:29:23.53
our faith is built.
00:29:23.63\00:29:25.03
It's an expression of Christ.
00:29:25.13\00:29:26.59
Prayer is
00:29:26.70\00:29:27.23
how we make ourselves
00:29:27.36\00:29:28.20
increasingly more open to God.
00:29:28.30\00:29:29.66
Let me say that again.
00:29:29.76\00:29:30.70
Prayer is
00:29:30.80\00:29:31.63
how we make ourselves
00:29:31.73\00:29:33.13
increasingly more open to God.
00:29:33.23\00:29:36.00
It is sharing with Him
00:29:36.10\00:29:37.11
our praises, our concerns,
00:29:37.21\00:29:38.34
our requests,
00:29:38.44\00:29:39.24
and hearing the Holy Spirit
00:29:39.34\00:29:40.41
speak back to us God's will.
00:29:40.51\00:29:43.21
And remember, those of you
00:29:43.31\00:29:44.51
that were here
00:29:44.61\00:29:45.18
for the More conference,
00:29:45.28\00:29:46.15
do you remember how sweet
00:29:46.25\00:29:47.22
these two practices were
00:29:47.32\00:29:48.32
during that time,
00:29:48.42\00:29:49.28
Bible study and prayer together?
00:29:49.38\00:29:51.35
You know, every night we had
00:29:51.45\00:29:52.19
multiple times
00:29:52.29\00:29:53.19
in which we would do just that.
00:29:53.29\00:29:54.12
We would study
00:29:54.22\00:29:54.82
the Bible together,
00:29:54.92\00:29:55.46
we would pray together
00:29:55.56\00:29:56.46
multiple times each evening.
00:29:56.56\00:29:57.56
How sweet it was.
00:29:57.66\00:30:00.56
Now take those practices
00:30:00.66\00:30:02.73
and make them a part
00:30:02.83\00:30:03.93
of your daily life.
00:30:04.03\00:30:06.77
Pick a time and a place each day
00:30:06.87\00:30:08.47
that you can study and pray.
00:30:08.57\00:30:09.70
It's probably
00:30:09.80\00:30:10.61
not going to happen
00:30:10.71\00:30:11.81
unless you plan for it.
00:30:11.91\00:30:14.54
Try various ways
00:30:14.64\00:30:15.51
of praying to find out
00:30:15.61\00:30:16.51
what works best for you.
00:30:16.61\00:30:17.88
Prayer journaling --
00:30:17.98\00:30:18.88
Write down your prayers to God.
00:30:18.98\00:30:20.15
Pray while walking
00:30:20.25\00:30:21.05
outside in nature.
00:30:21.15\00:30:22.45
Pray in such a place
00:30:22.55\00:30:23.62
that you can pray out loud
00:30:23.72\00:30:24.82
rather than only in your mind.
00:30:24.92\00:30:26.52
Sing spiritual songs to God
00:30:26.62\00:30:27.92
as prayers to Him.
00:30:28.02\00:30:29.22
And, of course, take time
00:30:29.32\00:30:30.93
regularly to simply listen
00:30:31.03\00:30:33.06
and to hear God's responses.
00:30:33.16\00:30:36.23
And, you know, as simple
00:30:36.33\00:30:37.07
as this sounds, it works.
00:30:37.17\00:30:40.57
It works.
00:30:40.67\00:30:42.60
God wanted to make the way
00:30:42.70\00:30:44.51
to have an intimate relationship
00:30:44.61\00:30:45.91
with Him accessible to everyone,
00:30:46.01\00:30:47.28
from a little child
00:30:47.38\00:30:48.51
to the rest of our lives.
00:30:48.61\00:30:50.25
These are two
00:30:50.35\00:30:51.15
of the indispensable keys
00:30:51.25\00:30:52.21
to building
00:30:52.31\00:30:53.11
a real relationship with Jesus.
00:30:53.21\00:30:55.32
I cannot emphasize enough
00:30:55.42\00:30:57.19
this relational aspect
00:30:57.29\00:30:58.45
of reformation
00:30:58.55\00:30:59.52
in the Christian's life.
00:30:59.62\00:31:02.56
Revival brings us to Christ.
00:31:02.66\00:31:06.63
Reformation brings us
00:31:06.73\00:31:08.63
into Christ and Christ into us.
00:31:08.73\00:31:13.40
Christianity is not a cold list
00:31:13.50\00:31:15.00
of do's and don'ts.
00:31:15.10\00:31:16.10
It is instead a real,
00:31:16.20\00:31:17.61
live, breathing relationship
00:31:17.71\00:31:19.04
with the most powerful being
00:31:19.14\00:31:20.01
in the universe,
00:31:20.11\00:31:20.68
who also happens
00:31:20.78\00:31:21.54
to be our Savior and
00:31:21.64\00:31:22.68
our best friend, Jesus Christ.
00:31:22.78\00:31:25.25
That's why Jesus Christ, again,
00:31:25.35\00:31:26.78
Himself, He said this.
00:31:26.88\00:31:27.82
John 17:3 --
00:31:27.92\00:31:29.02
"And this is eternal life,
00:31:29.12\00:31:30.45
that they may know You,
00:31:30.55\00:31:31.85
the one true God,
00:31:31.95\00:31:32.75
and Jesus Christ,
00:31:32.85\00:31:34.12
whom You have sent."
00:31:34.22\00:31:36.22
Salvation is
00:31:36.32\00:31:37.46
a relationship with Jesus.
00:31:37.56\00:31:41.30
And here's the thing.
00:31:41.40\00:31:43.70
It's in the context
00:31:43.80\00:31:45.57
of that relationship, daily,
00:31:45.67\00:31:47.10
vibrant, back-and-forth
00:31:47.20\00:31:48.17
relationship, with Him
00:31:48.27\00:31:49.64
that Jesus speaks to us.
00:31:49.74\00:31:51.81
So many people want to hear
00:31:51.91\00:31:52.44
Jesus speak
00:31:52.54\00:31:53.11
and guide their lives.
00:31:53.21\00:31:53.91
This is where it happens,
00:31:54.01\00:31:54.74
in that relationship.
00:31:54.84\00:31:56.04
It's in that relationship
00:31:56.14\00:31:57.41
that He convicts us of sin.
00:31:57.51\00:31:59.51
It's in that relationship
00:31:59.61\00:32:00.62
that He calls us to leave
00:32:00.72\00:32:01.58
sinful habits behind.
00:32:01.68\00:32:03.92
Do you have any idea
00:32:04.02\00:32:06.05
how awful it is to be convicted
00:32:06.15\00:32:08.99
of your sin
00:32:09.09\00:32:10.09
but to not have a relationship
00:32:10.19\00:32:11.26
with Jesus Christ?
00:32:11.36\00:32:13.70
Some of the most miserable
00:32:13.80\00:32:14.83
people on the planet,
00:32:14.93\00:32:15.73
I'm convinced, are those
00:32:15.83\00:32:16.70
who have a deep sense
00:32:16.80\00:32:17.57
of their guilt of sin,
00:32:17.67\00:32:18.50
but they don't know Jesus.
00:32:18.60\00:32:20.80
And the only solution
00:32:20.90\00:32:21.90
they have is themselves.
00:32:22.00\00:32:23.64
I tell you,
00:32:23.74\00:32:24.44
there's a legalist born often
00:32:24.54\00:32:25.97
in that situation,
00:32:26.07\00:32:27.01
or at the very least,
00:32:27.11\00:32:27.91
someone who is in despair.
00:32:28.01\00:32:30.51
But when you know Jesus,
00:32:30.61\00:32:32.51
when you're in a relationship
00:32:32.61\00:32:33.35
with Him
00:32:33.45\00:32:34.28
and the master physician comes
00:32:34.38\00:32:35.58
to you and says,
00:32:35.68\00:32:36.52
"We need to do some heart
00:32:36.62\00:32:37.09
surgery.
00:32:37.19\00:32:38.05
There's some things
00:32:38.15\00:32:38.75
in your life that have to go."
00:32:38.85\00:32:40.06
It is so much different because
00:32:40.16\00:32:42.22
you know the surgeon loves you.
00:32:42.32\00:32:42.96
In fact,
00:32:43.06\00:32:43.66
the surgeon died for you.
00:32:43.76\00:32:45.56
And He says,
00:32:45.66\00:32:46.49
"I not only am going to convict
00:32:46.59\00:32:47.93
you of sin, but if you wish
00:32:48.00\00:32:49.80
and will partner with Me,
00:32:49.90\00:32:50.67
I will give you
00:32:50.77\00:32:51.60
the power to overcome it."
00:32:51.70\00:32:53.80
Praise the Lord.
00:32:53.90\00:32:54.30
It doesn't get
00:32:54.40\00:32:54.94
any better than that.
00:32:55.04\00:32:55.50
I mean, this is --
00:32:55.60\00:32:56.74
this is where that happens,
00:32:56.84\00:32:58.04
in a relationship with Jesus.
00:32:58.14\00:32:59.94
It's in that relationship
00:33:00.11\00:33:01.34
that He calls us to treat others
00:33:01.44\00:33:02.78
with love and respect.
00:33:02.88\00:33:04.35
This is where He calls us
00:33:04.45\00:33:05.25
to love our enemies,
00:33:05.35\00:33:06.48
to care for our physical bodies,
00:33:06.58\00:33:08.25
to defend the fatherless,
00:33:08.35\00:33:09.62
to help the poor,
00:33:09.72\00:33:10.72
et cetera, et cetera,
00:33:10.82\00:33:11.99
all in the context of a living,
00:33:12.09\00:33:13.82
breathing, daily relationship
00:33:13.92\00:33:15.19
with Him.
00:33:15.29\00:33:16.56
There is no higher
00:33:16.66\00:33:17.53
privilege than this.
00:33:17.63\00:33:19.53
There is no greater honor
00:33:19.63\00:33:20.80
for a human being on Earth
00:33:20.90\00:33:22.00
than this relationship.
00:33:22.10\00:33:23.60
This is what
00:33:23.70\00:33:24.73
we were created for.
00:33:24.83\00:33:28.57
And reformation calls us
00:33:28.67\00:33:30.71
to do all that we can
00:33:30.81\00:33:31.64
to make this our
00:33:31.74\00:33:32.61
deep, daily reality.
00:33:32.71\00:33:35.44
Because reformation is, first
00:33:35.54\00:33:37.45
and foremost, a call
00:33:37.55\00:33:39.05
to relationship with Christ
00:33:39.15\00:33:40.58
personally, daily,
00:33:40.68\00:33:42.08
intimately, being
00:33:42.18\00:33:43.35
transformed to be like Him.
00:33:43.45\00:33:45.79
That's the first call.
00:33:45.89\00:33:50.49
There is a second call
00:33:50.59\00:33:52.89
that reformation makes.
00:33:52.99\00:33:54.83
And let me put a verse
00:33:54.93\00:33:55.90
on the screen here for you,
00:33:56.00\00:33:56.83
probably familiar to many
00:33:56.93\00:33:57.80
of you -- Acts 2:42.
00:33:57.90\00:34:00.40
Says, "They --"
00:34:00.50\00:34:01.50
this is referring to
00:34:01.60\00:34:02.50
the early Christians
00:34:02.60\00:34:03.47
in the early Christian church.
00:34:03.57\00:34:04.97
"They devoted themselves
00:34:05.07\00:34:06.51
to the apostles' teaching
00:34:06.61\00:34:08.84
and to the fellowship,
00:34:08.94\00:34:10.18
and to the breaking of bread
00:34:10.28\00:34:11.45
and to prayer."
00:34:11.55\00:34:13.42
Now, this group of people
00:34:13.52\00:34:15.55
has clearly experienced revival,
00:34:15.65\00:34:17.19
alright?
00:34:17.29\00:34:17.92
Most of the early Christians
00:34:18.02\00:34:19.49
were converts from Judaism,
00:34:19.59\00:34:20.39
okay?
00:34:20.49\00:34:21.36
So they had come up out
00:34:21.46\00:34:23.16
of dead legalism, dead religion,
00:34:23.26\00:34:24.56
revived in Christ.
00:34:24.66\00:34:25.86
3,000 people had
00:34:25.96\00:34:26.83
just been baptized
00:34:26.93\00:34:27.60
earlier in this chapter.
00:34:27.66\00:34:29.46
So they have experienced
00:34:29.56\00:34:30.40
revival.
00:34:30.50\00:34:31.33
Now they are experiencing
00:34:31.43\00:34:32.67
reformation, okay?
00:34:32.77\00:34:34.44
And notice in experiencing
00:34:34.54\00:34:35.90
reformation, notice what
00:34:36.00\00:34:36.94
they devoted themselves to.
00:34:37.04\00:34:38.11
That's pretty strong word,
00:34:38.21\00:34:38.71
isn't it?
00:34:38.81\00:34:39.27
"Devoted," right?
00:34:39.37\00:34:40.08
Not just kind of liked it
00:34:40.18\00:34:40.84
or whatnot.
00:34:40.94\00:34:41.31
They devoted
00:34:41.41\00:34:42.24
themselves to these things.
00:34:42.34\00:34:43.75
"They devoted themselves
00:34:43.85\00:34:44.65
to the apostles' teaching."
00:34:44.75\00:34:46.11
Well, that makes sense,
00:34:46.21\00:34:46.68
doesn't it, right?
00:34:46.78\00:34:47.48
"The apostles have been
00:34:47.58\00:34:48.15
with Jesus personally.
00:34:48.25\00:34:49.05
Surely they must know what
00:34:49.15\00:34:49.85
they're talking about.
00:34:49.95\00:34:50.82
Let's devote ourselves to that."
00:34:50.92\00:34:51.65
Makes total sense.
00:34:51.75\00:34:52.89
Uh, breaking of bread,
00:34:52.99\00:34:54.56
probably a reference
00:34:54.66\00:34:55.72
to the Communion service.
00:34:55.82\00:34:56.42
You know,
00:34:56.52\00:34:57.16
we want to keep doing this.
00:34:57.26\00:34:58.06
The Lord commanded it.
00:34:58.16\00:34:58.79
That makes sense.
00:34:58.89\00:34:59.59
And to prayer.
00:34:59.69\00:35:00.56
We just talked about that.
00:35:00.66\00:35:01.96
But what about this phrase?
00:35:02.06\00:35:05.20
"They devoted themselves
00:35:05.30\00:35:06.23
to the apostles' teaching
00:35:06.33\00:35:07.17
and to the fellowship."
00:35:07.27\00:35:09.10
Frankly, by modern standards,
00:35:09.20\00:35:11.21
that seems out of place.
00:35:11.31\00:35:15.21
But God doesn't make mistakes.
00:35:15.31\00:35:17.78
And He clearly inspired Luke,
00:35:17.88\00:35:20.02
the writer of Acts,
00:35:20.12\00:35:21.98
to put -- listen carefully --
00:35:22.08\00:35:24.09
devotion to fellowship with
00:35:24.19\00:35:26.65
other believers on the same par
00:35:26.76\00:35:28.69
as devotion to doctrine.
00:35:28.79\00:35:32.13
That's what it says.
00:35:32.23\00:35:33.40
"They devoted themselves
00:35:33.50\00:35:34.20
to the apostles' teaching
00:35:34.30\00:35:35.30
and to the fellowship,"
00:35:35.40\00:35:38.63
which leads us
00:35:38.73\00:35:39.93
to the second call.
00:35:40.04\00:35:41.77
Reformation is indeed a call
00:35:41.87\00:35:43.20
to relationship with Christ.
00:35:43.30\00:35:44.84
But reformation is also a call
00:35:44.94\00:35:46.51
to fellowship
00:35:46.61\00:35:47.88
with other believers, regularly,
00:35:47.98\00:35:49.71
meaningfully,
00:35:49.81\00:35:50.91
for mutual strength and growth.
00:35:51.01\00:35:53.45
Now, if you've been around
00:35:53.55\00:35:54.62
Christian circles for a while,
00:35:54.72\00:35:56.02
this sounds illegal.
00:35:56.12\00:35:58.59
This sounds
00:35:58.69\00:35:59.25
like someone is fudging
00:35:59.35\00:36:00.82
a little bit here, right?
00:36:00.92\00:36:02.82
For us to conceive of the fact
00:36:02.92\00:36:04.66
that this fellowship is
00:36:04.76\00:36:06.49
something that we ought to be
00:36:06.59\00:36:07.46
devoted to is sometimes
00:36:07.56\00:36:08.90
a little bit of a stretch.
00:36:09.00\00:36:09.90
But as you're thinking about
00:36:10.00\00:36:11.27
that, let me ask you a question.
00:36:11.37\00:36:12.53
Don't raise your hand.
00:36:12.63\00:36:13.47
This is just for the quietness
00:36:13.57\00:36:14.24
of your own cranium.
00:36:14.34\00:36:15.60
How many of you are devoted
00:36:15.70\00:36:17.57
to fellowship
00:36:17.67\00:36:18.54
with other believers?
00:36:18.64\00:36:21.78
How many of you are as devoted
00:36:21.88\00:36:23.58
to fellowship with
00:36:23.68\00:36:24.28
other believers
00:36:24.38\00:36:25.25
as you are to doctrine?
00:36:25.35\00:36:29.65
And yet that is precisely
00:36:29.75\00:36:30.69
what God calls us to.
00:36:30.79\00:36:33.29
Listen carefully.
00:36:33.39\00:36:34.29
We're going to spend
00:36:34.39\00:36:35.19
a fair amount of time on this
00:36:35.29\00:36:36.29
in the not too distant future.
00:36:36.39\00:36:37.33
So I'm not going to dwell
00:36:37.43\00:36:38.26
a whole bunch on this one today,
00:36:38.36\00:36:39.59
but I will at least say this.
00:36:39.69\00:36:41.80
Those of you that attended at
00:36:41.90\00:36:42.76
the More conference,
00:36:42.86\00:36:43.73
wasn't the fellowship sweet?
00:36:43.83\00:36:46.70
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:36:46.80\00:36:48.00
As I mentioned before,
00:36:48.10\00:36:48.57
it was hard
00:36:48.67\00:36:49.24
to clear the place out.
00:36:49.34\00:36:50.01
I mean, not that we were
00:36:50.11\00:36:50.57
trying to.
00:36:50.67\00:36:51.27
Be a half-hour,
00:36:51.37\00:36:51.91
45 minutes, an hour,
00:36:52.01\00:36:53.14
hour 15, hour and a half.
00:36:53.24\00:36:54.34
I mean, sometimes I left
00:36:54.44\00:36:55.34
after 10:00, right?
00:36:55.44\00:36:57.21
Because we're fellowshipping
00:36:57.31\00:36:57.95
together.
00:36:58.05\00:36:58.61
It was like camp meeting
00:36:58.71\00:36:59.41
for Pioneer, right?
00:36:59.51\00:37:00.62
We were so glad
00:37:00.72\00:37:01.62
to be able to see one another.
00:37:01.72\00:37:02.98
And furthermore, your responses,
00:37:03.08\00:37:05.02
those of you that were at
00:37:05.12\00:37:05.75
the More conference,
00:37:05.85\00:37:06.39
on Sabbath afternoon,
00:37:06.49\00:37:07.39
the final Sabbath afternoon,
00:37:07.49\00:37:08.82
that survey that we did,
00:37:08.92\00:37:10.93
so many of us
00:37:11.03\00:37:12.56
said we crave more fellowship.
00:37:12.66\00:37:15.63
We crave deeper
00:37:15.73\00:37:16.67
relationships in this church.
00:37:16.77\00:37:17.97
We want to build friendships
00:37:18.07\00:37:18.97
across generations
00:37:19.07\00:37:20.14
and do it on a regular basis.
00:37:20.24\00:37:22.60
And according to Scripture,
00:37:22.70\00:37:23.97
to God's Word,
00:37:24.07\00:37:24.97
fellowship is not
00:37:25.07\00:37:25.87
merely a convenience.
00:37:25.97\00:37:27.78
It is something that we are
00:37:27.88\00:37:28.91
to be "devoted to."
00:37:29.01\00:37:32.81
God designed us
00:37:32.91\00:37:33.68
to need each other.
00:37:33.78\00:37:34.62
The Bible knows nothing
00:37:34.72\00:37:35.95
about solo Christians,
00:37:36.05\00:37:38.85
and Christ himself is the one
00:37:38.95\00:37:39.99
who established His people
00:37:40.09\00:37:40.79
in groups,
00:37:40.89\00:37:41.46
in church families
00:37:41.56\00:37:42.39
so that they could support
00:37:42.49\00:37:43.43
one another and grow together.
00:37:43.53\00:37:45.09
So as the elders continue
00:37:45.19\00:37:46.33
their strategic planning
00:37:46.43\00:37:47.13
process, including
00:37:47.23\00:37:48.43
how to help us to fellowship
00:37:48.53\00:37:49.46
better together,
00:37:49.56\00:37:50.37
the good news is,
00:37:50.47\00:37:52.13
is that you individually
00:37:52.23\00:37:53.57
can answer this second call
00:37:53.67\00:37:54.80
of reformation,
00:37:54.90\00:37:55.84
even beginning today.
00:37:55.94\00:37:58.11
Let me show you how.
00:37:58.21\00:37:59.11
Some very practical things.
00:37:59.21\00:38:00.84
You can create fellowship
00:38:00.94\00:38:01.81
by having Sabbath lunch
00:38:01.91\00:38:02.81
with other people.
00:38:02.91\00:38:05.15
Now, that's pretty simple,
00:38:05.25\00:38:05.75
isn't it?
00:38:05.85\00:38:07.05
Now, if you're like me
00:38:07.15\00:38:07.98
and you can't cook
00:38:08.08\00:38:09.08
and you burn water,
00:38:09.18\00:38:10.25
and, I mean, it's just not --
00:38:10.35\00:38:11.32
you know, I'm not gifted
00:38:11.42\00:38:12.22
in this way, right?
00:38:12.32\00:38:13.92
So I married that, right?
00:38:14.02\00:38:14.92
That's one
00:38:15.02\00:38:15.59
of the thousand reasons
00:38:15.69\00:38:16.16
I married my wife.
00:38:16.26\00:38:17.33
You don't have to marry somebody
00:38:17.43\00:38:18.46
to have Sabbath lunch.
00:38:18.56\00:38:19.29
You just find somebody.
00:38:19.39\00:38:20.26
Say, "Hey, I'll provide
00:38:20.36\00:38:21.03
the place.
00:38:21.13\00:38:21.73
Would you bring the food?
00:38:21.83\00:38:22.33
We're going to have
00:38:22.43\00:38:23.13
some other people come over."
00:38:23.23\00:38:24.43
Even I can make juice.
00:38:24.53\00:38:26.23
Well, I can't actually make it.
00:38:26.33\00:38:27.07
But I did bring the ingredients
00:38:27.17\00:38:28.17
for where I'm going after
00:38:28.27\00:38:29.34
services today to Sabbath lunch,
00:38:29.44\00:38:30.24
okay?
00:38:30.34\00:38:31.17
You can make this happen.
00:38:31.27\00:38:32.81
I am convinced
00:38:32.91\00:38:33.78
that this is one of the lost
00:38:33.88\00:38:34.94
arts in the Adventist church.
00:38:35.04\00:38:37.45
We don't have
00:38:37.55\00:38:38.48
Sabbath lunch together enough.
00:38:38.58\00:38:40.38
It's time to stop that.
00:38:40.48\00:38:41.45
Let's make a change.
00:38:41.55\00:38:43.25
Friday or Sabbath evening
00:38:43.35\00:38:44.02
vespers.
00:38:44.12\00:38:44.79
If you have a place,
00:38:44.89\00:38:45.59
if you got a dorm room,
00:38:45.69\00:38:46.55
if there's a place in the dorm,
00:38:46.65\00:38:47.46
if there's a place here
00:38:47.56\00:38:48.26
at the church you want to use.
00:38:48.36\00:38:49.29
Let's say you can't sing
00:38:49.39\00:38:50.23
and you can't speak.
00:38:50.33\00:38:51.13
Invite people who can.
00:38:51.23\00:38:52.43
And then invite your friends
00:38:52.53\00:38:53.13
to come join you.
00:38:53.23\00:38:53.93
We need to fellowship
00:38:54.00\00:38:54.73
together in Christ.
00:38:54.83\00:38:56.23
Game nights.
00:38:56.33\00:38:57.67
There's a long and rich
00:38:57.77\00:38:58.53
tradition in Adventism,
00:38:58.63\00:38:59.83
at least in days gone past,
00:38:59.93\00:39:00.94
when the sun went down
00:39:01.04\00:39:01.80
on a Saturday night,
00:39:01.90\00:39:02.50
the games came out,
00:39:02.60\00:39:03.41
the fruit went on the table,
00:39:03.51\00:39:04.37
and the popcorn was popped.
00:39:04.47\00:39:06.21
We need to reinvigorate that.
00:39:06.31\00:39:07.31
It's got to happen.
00:39:07.41\00:39:08.14
Make it happen.
00:39:08.24\00:39:09.08
Those of you listening
00:39:09.18\00:39:09.71
right now,
00:39:09.81\00:39:11.01
if the Spirit is tapping you
00:39:11.11\00:39:12.38
on the shoulder and saying,
00:39:12.48\00:39:13.31
"You can do that," listen.
00:39:13.42\00:39:15.85
How about this one?
00:39:15.95\00:39:17.05
Start a GROW Group in your dorm
00:39:17.15\00:39:18.35
room or in your living room
00:39:18.45\00:39:19.32
or some other room.
00:39:19.42\00:39:20.12
If you need a room,
00:39:20.22\00:39:20.76
we'll provide it.
00:39:20.86\00:39:21.79
You don't have to wait for this.
00:39:21.89\00:39:22.89
You can start now developing
00:39:22.99\00:39:24.39
ways to have fellowship
00:39:24.49\00:39:25.09
with other people.
00:39:25.19\00:39:26.43
How about this one?
00:39:26.53\00:39:27.56
Join a Sabbath School class.
00:39:27.66\00:39:31.30
My dear brother
00:39:31.40\00:39:32.20
who said "amen" in the balcony,
00:39:32.30\00:39:33.13
we are alone in
00:39:33.23\00:39:34.04
this world together.
00:39:34.14\00:39:35.30
But let's stick together.
00:39:35.40\00:39:36.24
We can make some converts,
00:39:36.34\00:39:37.24
I hope, alright, okay?
00:39:37.34\00:39:39.17
Let me tell you something.
00:39:39.27\00:39:40.68
We have some great things
00:39:40.78\00:39:41.81
going here with Sabbath School
00:39:41.91\00:39:42.78
for adults and kids, both,
00:39:42.88\00:39:44.41
and we are looking at ways
00:39:44.51\00:39:45.21
to actively expand
00:39:45.31\00:39:46.25
those opportunities.
00:39:46.35\00:39:47.42
Here's the thing.
00:39:47.52\00:39:48.35
Every one of our
00:39:48.45\00:39:49.12
currently existing
00:39:49.22\00:39:50.25
Sabbath School classes has room.
00:39:50.35\00:39:53.02
There's a seat for you in it.
00:39:53.12\00:39:54.92
There are so few
00:39:55.02\00:39:56.39
denominations --
00:39:56.49\00:39:57.03
I think I'm
00:39:57.13\00:39:57.76
pretty safe in saying this.
00:39:57.86\00:39:58.49
I haven't researched
00:39:58.59\00:39:59.19
every single denomination
00:39:59.29\00:40:00.26
about this, but I have a lot.
00:40:00.36\00:40:01.53
There are very few denominations
00:40:01.63\00:40:03.40
that have still,
00:40:03.50\00:40:05.03
as a regular part
00:40:05.13\00:40:06.27
of their program,
00:40:06.37\00:40:07.34
a Bible study class
00:40:07.44\00:40:09.57
where people can come together,
00:40:09.67\00:40:10.54
iron sharpens iron,
00:40:10.64\00:40:11.51
pray for one another,
00:40:11.61\00:40:12.17
encourage one another.
00:40:12.27\00:40:13.07
But the Seventh-Day
00:40:13.17\00:40:14.01
Adventist church still does.
00:40:14.11\00:40:15.91
And every Sabbath,
00:40:16.01\00:40:17.15
you need to come
00:40:17.25\00:40:18.11
to Sabbath School.
00:40:18.21\00:40:19.58
You will be blessed.
00:40:19.68\00:40:20.75
You will be enriched
00:40:20.85\00:40:21.85
theologically, and you will find
00:40:21.95\00:40:23.85
community in those places.
00:40:23.95\00:40:26.72
And lastly here,
00:40:26.82\00:40:27.56
join a ministry at the church
00:40:27.66\00:40:28.39
that has groups in it,
00:40:28.49\00:40:29.22
or start a new ministry
00:40:29.32\00:40:30.33
and invite others to join you.
00:40:30.43\00:40:31.56
You can make decisions,
00:40:31.66\00:40:32.69
even beginning today,
00:40:32.79\00:40:33.93
to help other people and you
00:40:34.00\00:40:35.36
to experience this fellowship
00:40:35.46\00:40:37.07
that Christ commands us
00:40:37.17\00:40:38.77
to devote ourselves to.
00:40:38.87\00:40:41.00
So don't wait.
00:40:41.10\00:40:42.70
Don't wait for somebody to come
00:40:42.80\00:40:43.64
and make this happen for you.
00:40:43.74\00:40:44.67
Reformation is a call
00:40:44.77\00:40:46.11
to personal, regular,
00:40:46.21\00:40:47.61
meaningful fellowship
00:40:47.71\00:40:48.98
with other believers.
00:40:49.08\00:40:51.25
That's the second call
00:40:51.35\00:40:52.25
in reformation.
00:40:52.35\00:40:56.08
Which brings us to the third.
00:40:56.18\00:40:59.02
Mark chapter 5, please,
00:40:59.12\00:41:00.79
verse 18.
00:41:00.89\00:41:02.39
Mark 5:18.
00:41:02.49\00:41:03.99
Page 676 in your red pew Bible.
00:41:04.09\00:41:06.73
Mark chapter 5,
00:41:06.83\00:41:07.66
beginning with verse 18.
00:41:07.76\00:41:09.66
I wish we had the time
00:41:09.76\00:41:10.77
to read earlier in chapter 5.
00:41:10.87\00:41:12.10
This is a powerful story.
00:41:12.20\00:41:13.54
Jesus is in a boat on the Sea
00:41:13.64\00:41:15.00
of Galilee with His disciples.
00:41:15.10\00:41:16.20
They cross over to the region
00:41:16.30\00:41:17.24
of the Gerasenes.
00:41:17.34\00:41:18.91
A demon-possessed man greets
00:41:19.01\00:41:20.54
them on the shore.
00:41:20.64\00:41:22.04
The disciples flee
00:41:22.14\00:41:22.94
'cause they're scared.
00:41:23.04\00:41:23.68
Jesus stands there
00:41:23.78\00:41:24.48
because He's not.
00:41:24.58\00:41:25.58
He casts the demons out.
00:41:25.68\00:41:26.72
The demons go into pigs.
00:41:26.82\00:41:27.72
The pigs go off a cliff.
00:41:27.82\00:41:28.42
They die.
00:41:28.52\00:41:28.88
They drown
00:41:28.98\00:41:29.52
in the Sea of Galilee.
00:41:29.62\00:41:30.59
The locals come and say, "Uh,
00:41:30.69\00:41:31.99
you're not so good for business,
00:41:32.09\00:41:32.55
Jesus.
00:41:32.65\00:41:33.36
Why don't you get out of here?"
00:41:33.46\00:41:34.56
And Jesus, being a gentleman,
00:41:34.66\00:41:35.56
says, "Okay."
00:41:35.66\00:41:37.33
That's where we join the story.
00:41:37.43\00:41:39.26
Matthew -- or excuse me,
00:41:39.36\00:41:40.03
Mark 5:18.
00:41:40.13\00:41:42.63
"As Jesus was getting into
00:41:42.73\00:41:44.20
the boat, the man who had been
00:41:44.30\00:41:46.53
demon-possessed begged to go
00:41:46.63\00:41:48.60
with him."
00:41:48.70\00:41:50.14
Stop for just a moment.
00:41:50.24\00:41:52.27
I tell you what,
00:41:52.37\00:41:52.97
if ever there was a guy
00:41:53.07\00:41:54.58
that we could point to
00:41:54.68\00:41:55.38
and say, "He's
00:41:55.48\00:41:56.51
experienced revival," it's him.
00:41:56.61\00:41:59.71
I mean, it doesn't get much more
00:41:59.81\00:42:00.38
spiritually dead
00:42:00.48\00:42:01.18
than to be possessed
00:42:01.28\00:42:01.98
by the enemy, right?
00:42:02.08\00:42:03.42
You know, this legion of demons
00:42:03.52\00:42:04.29
was inside of him.
00:42:04.39\00:42:04.92
He was dead,
00:42:05.02\00:42:05.95
dead, dead, dead, dead,
00:42:06.05\00:42:06.72
spiritually speaking.
00:42:06.82\00:42:07.99
Jesus cast those demons out.
00:42:08.09\00:42:09.46
This guy has
00:42:09.56\00:42:10.43
experienced revival.
00:42:10.53\00:42:12.99
But Jesus, the master teacher,
00:42:13.09\00:42:15.13
our creator, knows what's best.
00:42:15.23\00:42:17.30
And He knows that revival
00:42:17.40\00:42:18.93
must be followed by reformation
00:42:19.03\00:42:20.67
if revival is going to stick.
00:42:20.77\00:42:22.47
And notice the nature
00:42:22.57\00:42:24.17
of the prescription
00:42:24.27\00:42:25.74
that the master physician gives
00:42:25.84\00:42:27.51
to this formerly
00:42:27.61\00:42:28.81
demon-possessed,
00:42:28.91\00:42:29.71
now revived man.
00:42:29.81\00:42:31.51
Verse 19, "Jesus did not let
00:42:31.61\00:42:34.32
him, but said, 'Go home to your
00:42:34.42\00:42:37.25
family and tell them
00:42:37.35\00:42:39.39
how much the Lord has done
00:42:39.49\00:42:41.12
for you, and how much he
00:42:41.22\00:42:42.69
has had mercy on you.'
00:42:42.79\00:42:44.89
So the man went away
00:42:44.99\00:42:46.59
and began to tell
00:42:46.70\00:42:47.50
in the Decapolis
00:42:47.60\00:42:48.53
how much Jesus had done for him.
00:42:48.63\00:42:50.23
And all the people were amazed."
00:42:50.33\00:42:54.40
And if we were to read
00:42:54.50\00:42:55.07
to the end
00:42:55.17\00:42:55.77
of this particular story,
00:42:55.87\00:42:56.60
we would find
00:42:56.71\00:42:57.37
that sometime later, Jesus
00:42:57.47\00:42:59.14
came back to the Decapolis,
00:42:59.24\00:43:01.04
and He had a great harvest
00:43:01.14\00:43:02.41
of people there
00:43:02.51\00:43:03.51
because this man
00:43:03.61\00:43:05.11
had done exactly what
00:43:05.21\00:43:06.78
the prescriber had said to do.
00:43:06.88\00:43:08.15
He went back,
00:43:08.25\00:43:09.22
he shared his testimony,
00:43:09.32\00:43:10.32
and apparently he did it
00:43:10.42\00:43:11.32
multiple times, and there was
00:43:11.42\00:43:12.59
a great harvest as a result.
00:43:12.69\00:43:15.89
Reformation -- three calls.
00:43:15.99\00:43:18.19
The first call, indeed, is
00:43:18.29\00:43:19.46
to a relationship with Christ.
00:43:19.56\00:43:20.73
The second is to fellowship
00:43:20.83\00:43:22.20
with other believers.
00:43:22.30\00:43:23.00
And the third call
00:43:23.10\00:43:23.97
of reformation
00:43:24.07\00:43:25.17
is making more disciples,
00:43:25.27\00:43:27.90
to make more disciples according
00:43:28.00\00:43:29.24
to your giftedness,
00:43:29.34\00:43:30.61
regularly, with other believers'
00:43:30.71\00:43:32.01
help or by yourself,
00:43:32.11\00:43:33.27
until Jesus returns.
00:43:33.38\00:43:37.95
You know, I don't have any
00:43:38.05\00:43:38.95
objective survey to back up what
00:43:39.05\00:43:40.65
I'm going to say next here.
00:43:40.75\00:43:41.55
So this is just my personal
00:43:41.65\00:43:42.22
experience,
00:43:42.32\00:43:44.19
but my pastoral experience tells
00:43:44.29\00:43:45.75
me that one of the top killers
00:43:45.85\00:43:48.29
of genuine revival
00:43:48.39\00:43:51.16
is people fail to take what
00:43:51.26\00:43:53.13
they have been given
00:43:53.23\00:43:54.20
and share it with others.
00:43:54.30\00:43:56.56
I've seen it happen
00:43:56.67\00:43:57.30
way too many times.
00:43:57.40\00:43:59.10
Sometimes it's even been
00:43:59.20\00:43:59.80
quite dramatic.
00:43:59.90\00:44:00.64
You know, somebody that you
00:44:00.74\00:44:01.34
thought, "There's no way
00:44:01.44\00:44:02.24
they're ever going to come
00:44:02.34\00:44:02.80
to church, no way
00:44:02.90\00:44:03.67
they're ever going to become
00:44:03.77\00:44:04.31
a follower of Christ."
00:44:04.41\00:44:04.91
And they do.
00:44:05.01\00:44:05.64
Christ breaks through,
00:44:05.74\00:44:06.91
and there's this tremendous
00:44:07.01\00:44:07.74
revival in their life,
00:44:07.84\00:44:08.84
and they're so excited,
00:44:08.94\00:44:10.68
but they don't share it
00:44:10.78\00:44:12.11
with somebody else.
00:44:12.21\00:44:13.95
They don't give it away.
00:44:14.05\00:44:14.95
They don't seek
00:44:15.05\00:44:15.75
to make other disciples.
00:44:15.85\00:44:16.89
And it's not too long before
00:44:16.99\00:44:18.59
that fire goes right back to
00:44:18.69\00:44:19.89
where it was before --
00:44:19.99\00:44:20.69
cold, dark
00:44:20.79\00:44:22.16
charcoal on the hearth.
00:44:22.26\00:44:26.13
Ladies and gentlemen,
00:44:26.23\00:44:27.00
there's no substitute for
00:44:27.10\00:44:28.56
discipling others for Christ.
00:44:28.66\00:44:31.20
You can't fake this.
00:44:31.30\00:44:33.30
You can't merely,
00:44:33.40\00:44:34.47
like, imagine making disciples
00:44:34.57\00:44:36.14
for Christ
00:44:36.24\00:44:36.77
and have it be of any
00:44:36.87\00:44:37.67
lasting benefit to anybody.
00:44:37.77\00:44:38.94
You actually have to do it.
00:44:39.04\00:44:41.68
And the benefits of doing this?
00:44:41.78\00:44:43.45
Yes, of course
00:44:43.55\00:44:44.55
it's for the harvest.
00:44:44.65\00:44:45.41
Yes, of course it's for those
00:44:45.51\00:44:46.45
that will accept our invitation
00:44:46.55\00:44:47.32
to come to Christ.
00:44:47.42\00:44:47.88
Of course it is.
00:44:47.98\00:44:48.42
Praise the Lord.
00:44:48.52\00:44:49.75
But not only they
00:44:49.85\00:44:50.85
will be blessed.
00:44:50.95\00:44:52.05
We will be blessed, as well.
00:44:52.15\00:44:54.96
How do I know?
00:44:55.06\00:44:56.79
Because my Bible tells me so.
00:44:56.89\00:44:58.83
Revelation -- I'll put it
00:44:58.93\00:44:59.73
on the screen here for you.
00:44:59.83\00:45:00.53
Chapter 12, verse 11.
00:45:00.63\00:45:01.66
Looking down to our day
00:45:01.76\00:45:03.43
at the end of time.
00:45:03.53\00:45:04.83
Says, "They --" the saints,
00:45:04.93\00:45:05.90
the believers in Christ --
00:45:06.00\00:45:06.90
"overcame him," Satan,
00:45:07.00\00:45:08.90
"by the blood of the Lamb --"
00:45:09.00\00:45:11.11
we know about that -- "and the
00:45:11.21\00:45:12.71
word of their testimony."
00:45:12.81\00:45:15.21
In other words,
00:45:15.31\00:45:16.41
power was granted to them
00:45:16.51\00:45:17.68
over Satan to be overcomers
00:45:17.78\00:45:19.31
because of their testimony.
00:45:19.41\00:45:21.02
That's tremendous.
00:45:21.12\00:45:23.15
In other words,
00:45:23.25\00:45:23.75
there is a distinct
00:45:23.85\00:45:24.92
and biblically identified power
00:45:25.02\00:45:26.42
and strength that we gain
00:45:26.52\00:45:27.59
when we share our testimony
00:45:27.69\00:45:28.96
and witness with others.
00:45:29.06\00:45:31.13
Now, "The Spirit of Prophecy"
00:45:31.23\00:45:31.79
mentions this on
00:45:31.89\00:45:32.63
numerous occasions.
00:45:32.73\00:45:33.46
Let me just show you three
00:45:33.56\00:45:34.50
very brief quotations here.
00:45:34.60\00:45:36.40
This is from, uh,
00:45:36.50\00:45:37.70
"Fundamentals of Christian
00:45:37.80\00:45:38.50
Education," page 207.
00:45:38.60\00:45:40.80
She says, "Those
00:45:40.90\00:45:41.90
who would be overcomers
00:45:42.00\00:45:43.97
must be drawn out of themselves,
00:45:44.07\00:45:46.57
and the only thing
00:45:46.68\00:45:48.28
which will accomplish this great
00:45:48.38\00:45:49.48
work is to become
00:45:49.58\00:45:50.68
intensely interested
00:45:50.78\00:45:51.98
in the salvation of others."
00:45:52.08\00:45:55.08
Now, show of hands --
00:45:55.18\00:45:55.88
And I really do want to see
00:45:55.98\00:45:56.69
your hands on this one.
00:45:56.79\00:45:57.49
How many of you would like
00:45:57.59\00:45:58.22
to be overcomers?
00:45:58.32\00:46:01.82
Okay, those of you that don't,
00:46:01.92\00:46:02.59
we're praying for you.
00:46:02.69\00:46:03.36
We'll talk to you afterwards.
00:46:03.46\00:46:04.19
We'll help to encourage you.
00:46:04.29\00:46:04.73
Okay? Right?
00:46:04.83\00:46:05.96
I get sick and tired
00:46:06.06\00:46:07.10
if the devil overcomes me.
00:46:07.20\00:46:08.33
It gets old, right?
00:46:08.43\00:46:09.60
It's a royal pain.
00:46:09.70\00:46:10.77
It's terrible.
00:46:10.87\00:46:11.60
It's awful. It's diabolical.
00:46:11.70\00:46:13.44
Wouldn't it be awesome
00:46:13.54\00:46:14.30
to be an overcomer?
00:46:14.40\00:46:15.50
Yes. Amen.
00:46:15.60\00:46:17.07
And she says here, to do that,
00:46:17.17\00:46:18.57
we must be drawn
00:46:18.67\00:46:19.71
out of ourselves.
00:46:19.81\00:46:21.08
She's not talking
00:46:21.18\00:46:21.71
about shy people.
00:46:21.81\00:46:22.98
She's not talking
00:46:23.08\00:46:23.58
about introverts.
00:46:23.68\00:46:24.51
She's talking about being drawn
00:46:24.61\00:46:25.61
out of our selfishness,
00:46:25.71\00:46:26.95
our self-focus, okay?
00:46:27.05\00:46:29.28
They must be drawn out of that.
00:46:29.38\00:46:30.12
"And the only thing
00:46:30.22\00:46:31.35
which will accomplish this great
00:46:31.45\00:46:32.32
work is to become
00:46:32.42\00:46:33.29
intensely interested
00:46:33.39\00:46:34.49
in the salvation of others."
00:46:34.59\00:46:37.89
Notice this.
00:46:37.99\00:46:38.63
This is "Desire of Ages,"
00:46:38.73\00:46:39.56
page 142.
00:46:39.66\00:46:41.03
"God could have reached
00:46:41.13\00:46:41.93
His object in saving
00:46:42.03\00:46:43.26
sinners without our aid.
00:46:43.37\00:46:45.60
But in order
00:46:45.70\00:46:46.67
for us to develop a character
00:46:46.77\00:46:48.77
like Christ's --" this is
00:46:48.87\00:46:49.57
fruitfulness that
00:46:49.67\00:46:50.21
John the Baptist
00:46:50.31\00:46:50.81
was talking about --
00:46:50.91\00:46:51.81
"we must share in His work.
00:46:51.91\00:46:54.11
In order to enter into His
00:46:54.21\00:46:55.34
joy --" well, I'd like that,
00:46:55.44\00:46:56.31
that sounds great -- "to enter
00:46:56.41\00:46:57.25
into His joy --
00:46:57.35\00:46:58.18
the joy of seeing souls redeemed
00:46:58.28\00:47:00.12
by His sacrifice -- we must
00:47:00.22\00:47:01.92
participate in His labors
00:47:02.02\00:47:03.45
for their redemption."
00:47:03.55\00:47:06.02
And lastly,
00:47:06.12\00:47:07.02
"Christian Service," page 253.
00:47:07.12\00:47:09.36
She says, "The great outpouring
00:47:09.46\00:47:10.46
of the Spirit of God,
00:47:10.56\00:47:11.39
which lightens the whole
00:47:11.49\00:47:12.46
earth with His glory --"
00:47:12.56\00:47:13.33
this is Revelation 18,
00:47:13.43\00:47:14.50
the latter reign
00:47:14.60\00:47:15.56
of the Holy Spirit -- "will not
00:47:15.66\00:47:17.10
come until we have
00:47:17.20\00:47:19.97
an enlightened people that know
00:47:20.07\00:47:21.77
by -- " what's that next word
00:47:21.87\00:47:22.37
there?
00:47:22.47\00:47:23.34
Experience --
00:47:23.44\00:47:24.44
"that know by experience
00:47:24.54\00:47:25.77
what it means to be laborers
00:47:25.87\00:47:26.88
together with God.
00:47:26.98\00:47:27.91
When we have entire,
00:47:28.01\00:47:29.01
wholehearted consecration
00:47:29.11\00:47:30.21
to the service of Christ,
00:47:30.31\00:47:31.35
God will recognize
00:47:31.45\00:47:32.51
the fact by an outpouring
00:47:32.61\00:47:33.78
of His Spirit without measure,
00:47:33.88\00:47:35.25
but this will not be
00:47:35.35\00:47:36.79
while the largest portion
00:47:36.89\00:47:37.85
of the church are not laborers
00:47:37.95\00:47:39.02
together with God."
00:47:39.12\00:47:42.79
Ladies and gentlemen,
00:47:42.89\00:47:43.56
this is powerful stuff.
00:47:43.66\00:47:45.36
Making disciples for Christ.
00:47:45.46\00:47:46.63
I mean, the bonuses are just --
00:47:46.73\00:47:48.36
I mean, it just explodes
00:47:48.46\00:47:49.40
out of this thing.
00:47:49.50\00:47:50.67
The benefits of sharing
00:47:50.77\00:47:52.30
our faith with
00:47:52.40\00:47:53.37
other people are incredible,
00:47:53.47\00:47:55.47
astonishing.
00:47:55.57\00:47:59.37
And I'd like to have you hear
00:47:59.47\00:48:01.14
from two guys that have
00:48:01.24\00:48:03.24
recently been doing this.
00:48:03.35\00:48:05.01
I'd like to invite Sean and
00:48:05.11\00:48:06.01
Nicky to come and join me here.
00:48:06.11\00:48:07.35
Gentlemen, why don't you take
00:48:12.92\00:48:13.36
just a moment,
00:48:13.46\00:48:13.99
introduce yourselves
00:48:14.09\00:48:14.86
so that we know who you are.
00:48:14.96\00:48:16.29
>> Yeah, my name is Sean,
00:48:16.39\00:48:17.93
and I study biochemistry here
00:48:18.03\00:48:20.00
at Andrews University.
00:48:20.10\00:48:21.60
>> And my name is Nicky.
00:48:21.70\00:48:22.43
And I study
00:48:22.53\00:48:23.40
architecture here at Andrews.
00:48:23.50\00:48:25.30
>> Okay, and we had spring break
00:48:25.40\00:48:26.80
not too long ago,
00:48:26.90\00:48:27.60
just a little bit ago.
00:48:27.70\00:48:29.54
And you did something besides
00:48:29.64\00:48:32.07
sipping lemonade on a beach
00:48:32.17\00:48:33.04
under a cabana somewhere.
00:48:33.14\00:48:34.04
What did you do?
00:48:34.14\00:48:35.61
>> So, me and Sean
00:48:35.71\00:48:37.41
are part of the friendship team,
00:48:37.51\00:48:38.75
if you could put on the slide.
00:48:38.85\00:48:40.52
And over spring break,
00:48:40.62\00:48:41.95
we went to Beirut, Lebanon.
00:48:42.05\00:48:44.65
And who was leading the group
00:48:44.75\00:48:46.92
is Pastor Russell.
00:48:47.02\00:48:48.69
Uh, and Pastor Russell
00:48:48.79\00:48:50.16
has been leading this trip
00:48:50.26\00:48:51.13
for the past 25
00:48:51.23\00:48:53.13
consecutive years.
00:48:53.23\00:48:54.76
But this specific year,
00:48:54.86\00:48:55.90
after the war started, he was
00:48:56.00\00:48:57.97
like, "I don't think we're
00:48:58.07\00:48:58.77
going to be able to go."
00:48:58.87\00:48:59.53
So he called up Middle East
00:48:59.63\00:49:00.54
University and told them,
00:49:00.64\00:49:02.40
"We can't come this year."
00:49:02.50\00:49:03.74
So he started looking for
00:49:03.84\00:49:04.57
other options,
00:49:04.67\00:49:05.71
but it seemed like all
00:49:05.81\00:49:06.68
the other options,
00:49:06.78\00:49:07.91
the doors just kept on closing.
00:49:08.01\00:49:10.58
And right when those doors
00:49:10.68\00:49:11.95
closed, the door for Lebanon
00:49:12.05\00:49:14.45
seemed to open back up.
00:49:14.55\00:49:15.42
There was a cease-fire,
00:49:15.52\00:49:17.19
and the doors just kept opening.
00:49:17.29\00:49:19.32
They called us.
00:49:19.42\00:49:20.16
They said, "Could you guys
00:49:20.26\00:49:20.86
please come, even
00:49:20.96\00:49:22.02
though it's last-minute?
00:49:22.12\00:49:23.19
Could you please come?"
00:49:23.29\00:49:24.46
So we went to Lebanon
00:49:24.56\00:49:25.43
last-minute.
00:49:25.53\00:49:26.93
>> Yeah, so some of the things
00:49:27.03\00:49:27.76
we did while we were there
00:49:27.86\00:49:28.73
was we helped with the Week
00:49:28.83\00:49:30.20
of Spiritual Emphasis
00:49:30.30\00:49:31.33
at Middle East University.
00:49:31.43\00:49:33.03
Uh, then we also helped
00:49:33.13\00:49:34.10
with the ARISE Beirut meetings
00:49:34.20\00:49:35.87
with the children's program,
00:49:35.97\00:49:38.01
uh, 'cause Pastor John Bradshaw
00:49:38.11\00:49:39.87
and It Is Written were leading
00:49:39.97\00:49:41.08
the adult meetings.
00:49:41.18\00:49:42.31
And then our main focus was
00:49:42.41\00:49:44.08
with the secondary
00:49:44.18\00:49:45.91
and elementary school at the --
00:49:46.01\00:49:48.92
at the Adventist school
00:49:49.02\00:49:49.85
there in Beirut.
00:49:49.95\00:49:51.65
And so we led the week of prayer
00:49:51.75\00:49:52.85
there.
00:49:52.95\00:49:53.89
We sang songs with them.
00:49:53.99\00:49:55.29
We prayed with them and we
00:49:55.39\00:49:57.26
got to preach to them.
00:49:57.36\00:49:59.13
>> And I remember
00:49:59.23\00:49:59.93
when I initially signed up
00:50:00.03\00:50:01.33
for the trip,
00:50:01.43\00:50:02.50
Pastor Russell came up to me
00:50:02.60\00:50:03.43
and he's like, "Alright,
00:50:03.53\00:50:04.77
guys, I need you all to preach."
00:50:04.87\00:50:07.30
And I was like, "Preach?
00:50:07.40\00:50:08.17
Hold on a second here.
00:50:08.27\00:50:09.30
You know I'm studying
00:50:09.40\00:50:10.07
architecture, right?
00:50:10.17\00:50:10.77
I can't preach, right?"
00:50:10.87\00:50:11.64
And he's like,
00:50:11.74\00:50:12.61
"Well, don't you help lead
00:50:12.71\00:50:13.68
some small groups on campus?"
00:50:13.78\00:50:14.94
And I was like, "Yeah."
00:50:15.04\00:50:15.51
He's like, "Okay,
00:50:15.61\00:50:16.21
so just pretend
00:50:16.31\00:50:17.88
that it's a big Bible study."
00:50:17.98\00:50:20.65
And I was still really nervous
00:50:20.75\00:50:24.05
and I didn't
00:50:24.15\00:50:24.92
think I could do it.
00:50:25.02\00:50:26.45
So I had to find my strength
00:50:26.55\00:50:29.39
in God,
00:50:29.49\00:50:30.23
and I had to depend fully
00:50:30.33\00:50:31.96
on God.
00:50:32.06\00:50:33.06
And when we fully depend on God,
00:50:33.16\00:50:35.46
that's when He speaks
00:50:35.56\00:50:36.77
through us.
00:50:36.87\00:50:37.30
>> Amen. Amen.
00:50:37.40\00:50:38.77
>> And because each
00:50:38.87\00:50:40.10
and every person on our team
00:50:40.20\00:50:41.87
really chose to rely on God,
00:50:41.97\00:50:43.81
to allow God to speak
00:50:43.91\00:50:44.77
through us,
00:50:44.87\00:50:45.57
God was able to reach the hearts
00:50:45.67\00:50:47.61
of the kids listening.
00:50:47.71\00:50:49.74
And the way we saw that was
00:50:49.84\00:50:50.95
through their prayer requests.
00:50:51.05\00:50:52.21
These weren't just
00:50:52.31\00:50:53.55
shallow, surface-level
00:50:53.65\00:50:54.92
prayer requests,
00:50:55.02\00:50:55.65
but they were deep.
00:50:55.75\00:50:57.29
Kids were expressing their
00:50:57.39\00:50:59.02
deep struggles,
00:50:59.12\00:51:00.26
their deep hurts,
00:51:00.36\00:51:02.29
all the problems that they
00:51:02.39\00:51:03.39
were going through with the war.
00:51:03.49\00:51:05.23
They were experiencing doubts
00:51:05.33\00:51:06.59
about God,
00:51:06.70\00:51:07.60
doubts about their faith.
00:51:07.66\00:51:08.93
And we saw
00:51:09.03\00:51:09.80
that they were searching
00:51:09.90\00:51:10.73
for something more,
00:51:10.83\00:51:11.80
searching for hope,
00:51:11.90\00:51:13.84
searching for
00:51:13.94\00:51:14.77
a relationship with God.
00:51:14.87\00:51:16.57
So we knew we had to do
00:51:16.67\00:51:17.91
something about it.
00:51:18.01\00:51:18.91
>> Amen.
00:51:19.01\00:51:19.77
>> So what did we do about it?
00:51:19.87\00:51:21.58
Well, we used Christ's method.
00:51:21.68\00:51:24.31
We didn't just preach
00:51:24.41\00:51:25.21
to the kids,
00:51:25.31\00:51:25.85
but we mingled
00:51:25.95\00:51:26.72
and connected with them.
00:51:26.82\00:51:27.72
So after our program that we set
00:51:27.82\00:51:29.05
up, we're like, "Why don't
00:51:29.15\00:51:29.72
we go to the classrooms?
00:51:29.82\00:51:30.92
Why don't we go to the recess?"
00:51:31.02\00:51:32.42
And we built these connections
00:51:32.52\00:51:33.56
with the kids,
00:51:33.66\00:51:34.62
so then we could share Christ's
00:51:34.72\00:51:35.79
love with them
00:51:35.89\00:51:36.62
on a personal level.
00:51:36.73\00:51:37.86
And how we did this
00:51:37.96\00:51:39.33
practically also was we held
00:51:39.43\00:51:41.53
Bible studies during recess,
00:51:41.63\00:51:43.26
and I was surprised
00:51:43.37\00:51:44.20
how many students stopped
00:51:44.30\00:51:45.63
playing and came
00:51:45.73\00:51:46.97
for the Bible studies.
00:51:47.07\00:51:48.00
And they didn't just come,
00:51:48.10\00:51:49.00
but you could tell
00:51:49.10\00:51:49.90
they were eager for more,
00:51:50.01\00:51:51.47
more of Christ.
00:51:51.57\00:51:53.14
>> Amen. Amen.
00:51:53.24\00:51:54.38
>> So what did we learn
00:51:54.48\00:51:55.18
from this trip?
00:51:55.28\00:51:55.98
Well, we learned that because we
00:51:56.08\00:51:59.71
took a leap of faith,
00:51:59.81\00:52:01.08
because we stepped --
00:52:01.18\00:52:03.15
stepped out of our plans,
00:52:03.25\00:52:06.02
stepped out of going on vacation
00:52:06.12\00:52:07.39
for spring break,
00:52:07.49\00:52:08.12
because we chose
00:52:08.22\00:52:09.52
to go to Lebanon, even
00:52:09.62\00:52:10.59
though it was last-minute,
00:52:10.69\00:52:11.49
even though we --
00:52:11.59\00:52:12.39
we didn't know exactly what
00:52:12.49\00:52:13.50
we were going to be able to do,
00:52:13.60\00:52:14.40
because we did that,
00:52:14.50\00:52:15.90
we were able to help
00:52:16.00\00:52:17.30
reach those kids.
00:52:17.40\00:52:18.77
If we hadn't gotten out of
00:52:18.87\00:52:20.40
our comfort zone to say,
00:52:20.50\00:52:21.87
you know, we're going to get up
00:52:21.97\00:52:22.84
front and get to speak to those
00:52:22.94\00:52:24.17
kids, we would have never
00:52:24.27\00:52:25.07
experienced
00:52:25.17\00:52:26.21
God speaking through us.
00:52:26.31\00:52:28.14
Only because we chose
00:52:28.24\00:52:30.31
to share our faith were we
00:52:30.41\00:52:33.31
able to grow in our faith.
00:52:33.42\00:52:34.88
>> Amen. Amen.
00:52:34.98\00:52:36.45
Thank you, gentlemen. Yes.
00:52:36.55\00:52:37.92
[ Applause ]
00:52:38.02\00:52:39.95
I've said it before,
00:52:46.49\00:52:47.20
and I'm going to say it again.
00:52:47.30\00:52:49.00
There are some things about God
00:52:49.10\00:52:50.57
that can only be learned
00:52:50.67\00:52:51.97
by sharing Him with others.
00:52:52.07\00:52:54.30
And I'd even take it
00:52:54.40\00:52:55.00
one step further.
00:52:55.10\00:52:57.61
The deeper things of God
00:52:57.71\00:52:59.81
can only be deeply understood
00:52:59.91\00:53:01.91
when we are actively
00:53:02.01\00:53:02.84
and regularly seeking
00:53:02.94\00:53:04.18
to help other people know Jesus.
00:53:04.28\00:53:06.48
Because it's only in
00:53:06.58\00:53:07.25
those situations
00:53:07.35\00:53:08.25
that we truly have a glimpse
00:53:08.35\00:53:09.35
of His heart,
00:53:09.45\00:53:10.92
the very heart that caused
00:53:11.02\00:53:11.99
Jesus to give His life
00:53:12.09\00:53:13.19
on the cross for humanity.
00:53:13.29\00:53:15.72
There's gold in this.
00:53:15.82\00:53:17.56
Don't pass it by.
00:53:17.66\00:53:19.49
Reformation is indeed a call
00:53:19.59\00:53:20.96
to Jesus,
00:53:21.06\00:53:21.83
to be in relationship with Him.
00:53:21.93\00:53:23.53
It is a call to devote
00:53:23.63\00:53:24.60
ourselves to the fellowship
00:53:24.70\00:53:25.53
with one another.
00:53:25.63\00:53:26.67
And indeed, it is a call
00:53:26.77\00:53:29.27
to make disciples according
00:53:29.37\00:53:30.84
to our giftedness,
00:53:30.94\00:53:31.71
either by ourselves
00:53:31.81\00:53:32.71
or with other people,
00:53:32.81\00:53:33.78
until Jesus returns.
00:53:33.88\00:53:36.18
This is the calling of
00:53:36.28\00:53:36.85
reformation.
00:53:36.95\00:53:38.25
Can you see --
00:53:38.35\00:53:40.25
Can you see why reformation
00:53:40.35\00:53:42.95
must follow revival?
00:53:43.05\00:53:46.02
You can't just have
00:53:46.12\00:53:47.06
the momentary experience.
00:53:47.16\00:53:48.26
As mountaintop as it is,
00:53:48.36\00:53:49.62
praise the Lord
00:53:49.72\00:53:50.43
for all of those things.
00:53:50.53\00:53:51.59
And there is indeed
00:53:51.69\00:53:53.03
more than revival.
00:53:53.13\00:53:54.86
There is reformation.
00:53:54.96\00:53:56.60
That's where the gold is found.
00:53:56.70\00:53:58.83
And so I want to leave you
00:53:58.93\00:53:59.57
with two invitations.
00:53:59.67\00:54:00.84
Very practical things here
00:54:00.94\00:54:02.04
that I want to leave you with.
00:54:02.14\00:54:03.00
Two invitations that I hope each
00:54:03.10\00:54:04.61
of you will accept.
00:54:04.71\00:54:06.91
The first invitation you already
00:54:07.01\00:54:07.98
know something about.
00:54:08.08\00:54:09.04
One week from today,
00:54:09.14\00:54:09.94
April 4 and April 5,
00:54:10.05\00:54:11.28
that's this coming Friday,
00:54:11.38\00:54:12.61
next Friday and next Sabbath,
00:54:12.71\00:54:13.72
Mark Finley is going to be
00:54:13.82\00:54:14.82
with us for the Pentecost 2025
00:54:14.92\00:54:17.42
training weekend.
00:54:17.52\00:54:18.49
The "Lake Union" is
00:54:18.59\00:54:19.29
sponsoring this.
00:54:19.39\00:54:19.92
The King's Heralds are
00:54:20.02\00:54:20.72
going to be here on Friday
00:54:20.82\00:54:21.59
night, as well as for much
00:54:21.69\00:54:22.46
of the time on Sabbath.
00:54:22.56\00:54:23.86
If you are involved
00:54:23.96\00:54:24.69
in Pentecost 2025,
00:54:24.79\00:54:26.46
this is where you need to be,
00:54:26.56\00:54:27.30
right here at Pioneer
00:54:27.40\00:54:28.33
on April 4 and 5
00:54:28.43\00:54:29.93
to go through this training.
00:54:30.03\00:54:31.27
But even if you are simply
00:54:31.37\00:54:33.00
wanting personally to know
00:54:33.10\00:54:35.27
how to better share your faith,
00:54:35.37\00:54:36.74
how to better witness to others
00:54:36.84\00:54:38.14
to help make disciples,
00:54:38.24\00:54:39.91
this is where you need to be.
00:54:40.01\00:54:41.01
It's a perfect follow-up
00:54:41.11\00:54:42.44
for what we've been doing here.
00:54:42.54\00:54:43.58
Come and join us on
00:54:43.68\00:54:44.35
April 4 and 5.
00:54:44.45\00:54:45.38
If you need --
00:54:45.48\00:54:46.05
If you're going to come,
00:54:46.15\00:54:46.72
please register --
00:54:46.82\00:54:47.75
pmchurch.org/pentecost.
00:54:47.85\00:54:51.02
And secondly, only a handful
00:54:51.12\00:54:52.99
of you in this room
00:54:53.09\00:54:53.59
know about this one.
00:54:53.69\00:54:54.29
This is a special thing
00:54:54.39\00:54:55.12
that's coming up fairly soon.
00:54:55.22\00:54:56.56
April 16 of this year,
00:54:56.66\00:54:58.59
April 16, just a few weeks from
00:54:58.69\00:55:00.13
now, we are going to be holding
00:55:00.23\00:55:01.70
the More Than MORE+
00:55:01.80\00:55:03.37
Discipleship Training process.
00:55:03.47\00:55:05.80
It starts on a Wednesday,
00:55:05.90\00:55:06.84
and it will be meeting
00:55:06.94\00:55:07.37
on Wednesdays.
00:55:07.47\00:55:08.24
There are seven
00:55:08.34\00:55:09.07
of these sessions.
00:55:09.17\00:55:10.51
They'll start at 5:45
00:55:10.61\00:55:11.77
with a simple supper.
00:55:11.87\00:55:12.87
That means you can come straight
00:55:12.97\00:55:13.71
from work or from class.
00:55:13.81\00:55:14.51
Come and join us.
00:55:14.61\00:55:15.04
It's going to be
00:55:15.14\00:55:15.78
in the commons downstairs.
00:55:15.88\00:55:17.58
So come as you are.
00:55:17.68\00:55:18.75
Let's eat together.
00:55:18.85\00:55:19.95
At 6:15, the discipleship
00:55:20.05\00:55:21.85
experience is going to begin,
00:55:21.95\00:55:23.25
and we'll be done by 7:30.
00:55:23.35\00:55:25.15
So it's not that much time here.
00:55:25.25\00:55:27.22
The curriculum
00:55:27.32\00:55:28.19
that we will be going through
00:55:28.29\00:55:29.16
was written
00:55:29.26\00:55:30.13
by Elder Don MacLafferty,
00:55:30.23\00:55:31.93
the very same Don MacLafferty
00:55:32.03\00:55:32.89
that was with us
00:55:32.99\00:55:34.00
during the More conference.
00:55:34.10\00:55:35.00
He has written this
00:55:35.10\00:55:36.06
specifically as a follow-up for
00:55:36.16\00:55:38.73
the first series of meetings.
00:55:38.83\00:55:40.77
So if you're wanting to answer
00:55:40.87\00:55:41.60
those three calls
00:55:41.70\00:55:42.54
of reformation, you know,
00:55:42.64\00:55:43.54
to be with Jesus
00:55:43.64\00:55:44.31
in relationship with Him
00:55:44.41\00:55:45.34
regularly, to be in fellowship
00:55:45.44\00:55:46.51
with others, and to make
00:55:46.61\00:55:47.58
disciples, you need to be there
00:55:47.68\00:55:49.38
beginning on April 16.
00:55:49.48\00:55:51.18
Everyone is invited to come.
00:55:51.28\00:55:52.85
Come and join us in the commons,
00:55:52.95\00:55:54.28
5:45 opening night, April 16.
00:55:54.38\00:55:57.12
I hope that you'll be
00:55:57.22\00:55:58.09
able to join us for that.
00:55:58.19\00:55:59.55
We do need to know how many
00:55:59.65\00:56:00.66
people are coming so that I know
00:56:00.76\00:56:01.66
how much soup to make.
00:56:01.76\00:56:03.86
That's not true.
00:56:03.96\00:56:04.63
I'm not going to make it.
00:56:04.73\00:56:05.13
Somebody else
00:56:05.23\00:56:05.73
is going to do that.
00:56:05.83\00:56:06.56
But we do need you to register.
00:56:06.66\00:56:07.60
You can register at
00:56:07.66\00:56:08.63
pmchurch.org/announcements.
00:56:08.73\00:56:10.53
It's at the top of the list
00:56:10.63\00:56:11.70
of the announcements there,
00:56:11.80\00:56:12.73
another Google doc
00:56:12.83\00:56:13.60
that you can go to.
00:56:13.70\00:56:14.50
You can register at that time.
00:56:14.60\00:56:16.04
I hope that you will join us.
00:56:16.14\00:56:18.47
Pioneer family,
00:56:18.57\00:56:19.61
there really is more
00:56:19.71\00:56:22.14
than more that we need.
00:56:22.24\00:56:24.95
We must go beyond revival
00:56:25.05\00:56:27.45
and actually put
00:56:27.55\00:56:28.52
into lifelong practice the words
00:56:28.62\00:56:30.39
that Jesus spoke.
00:56:30.49\00:56:31.55
We must dig down deep to the
00:56:31.65\00:56:32.75
rock on Jesus Christ.
00:56:32.85\00:56:34.46
By the grace of God
00:56:34.56\00:56:35.79
and His strength,
00:56:35.89\00:56:37.26
we must build a final movement
00:56:37.36\00:56:38.83
that will indeed last
00:56:38.93\00:56:40.10
until Jesus returns.
00:56:40.20\00:56:41.93
May God bless each one of us
00:56:42.03\00:56:44.40
as we do our part
00:56:44.50\00:56:45.93
in revival and reformation.
00:56:46.03\00:56:47.84
>> I'm Shane Anderson,
00:56:53.04\00:56:54.24
the lead pastor here
00:56:54.34\00:56:55.44
at Pioneer Memorial Church.
00:56:55.54\00:56:57.65
At Pioneer Media,
00:56:57.75\00:56:58.75
we have been blessed
00:56:58.85\00:56:59.75
by the financial support
00:56:59.85\00:57:01.35
that comes from our viewers
00:57:01.45\00:57:02.65
like you that enable us
00:57:02.75\00:57:04.39
to continue this ministry.
00:57:04.49\00:57:06.82
We've made a conscious decision
00:57:06.92\00:57:08.26
not to continually appeal to you
00:57:08.36\00:57:09.69
for that support.
00:57:09.79\00:57:11.36
However, keeping this ministry
00:57:11.46\00:57:12.49
going takes money
00:57:12.59\00:57:13.73
to support our staff and
00:57:13.83\00:57:15.10
technology needs.
00:57:15.20\00:57:16.93
If God has blessed you
00:57:17.03\00:57:18.60
and you would like to further
00:57:18.70\00:57:19.57
the work of this ministry,
00:57:19.67\00:57:21.00
we invite you
00:57:21.10\00:57:21.87
to partner with us.
00:57:21.97\00:57:23.81
You can donate on our website,
00:57:23.91\00:57:25.27
pmchurch.org,
00:57:25.37\00:57:27.61
then click "giving" at the top,
00:57:27.71\00:57:29.91
then select "media ministry,"
00:57:30.01\00:57:32.95
or call the number 877-HIS-WILL.
00:57:33.05\00:57:36.79
Again, that number is 877,
00:57:36.89\00:57:38.99
the two words HIS-WILL.
00:57:39.09\00:57:41.72
My prayer is that the God
00:57:41.82\00:57:43.36
who has blessed
00:57:43.46\00:57:44.23
you will continue to pour
00:57:44.33\00:57:45.93
into your life the gifts
00:57:46.03\00:57:47.00
of His joy and His hope.
00:57:47.10\00:57:49.30
Thank you, and
00:57:49.40\00:57:50.83
I'm looking forward to seeing
00:57:50.93\00:57:51.93
you right here again next time.
00:57:52.03\00:57:53.67
¤
00:57:59.57\00:58:09.55
¤
00:58:09.65\00:58:19.56
¤
00:58:19.66\00:58:27.84