I want you to open
your Bibles now, please, to
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2 Corinthians chapter 11.
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And I'm going to talk to you
for the next few minutes about
00:01:07.93\00:01:10.24
the experiences
of the apostle Paul.
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He's one of my heroes.
00:01:11.74\00:01:13.31
Apostle Paul probably understood
righteousness by faith in Jesus
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as well as any
Christian ever before or sense
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with the exception, of course,
of our Lord Jesus Himself.
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And he had some tough times.
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He had some discouraging
moments and some hard days.
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Problems.
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If you think you've had
a bad day or bad week or
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annus horribilis, take a
listen now as I begin to read.
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2 Corinthians chapter
11, beginning with verse 24.
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2 Corinthians 11:24-29
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"By the Jews, five times
I was whipped with 39 licks.
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Three times I was beaten with
rods and one time I was stoned.
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I've suffered shipwreck, I was
a night and a day in the deep.
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I've been in so many travels,
in perils in the waters,
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in peril because of robbers and
thieves, perils because of my
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own countrymen, perils from
the heathen, perils in the city,
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perils out in the wilderness,
perils in the sea, and
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perils because of
my own brethren. "
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And I want to say, by the way,
that those are the worse kind;
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the difficulties that
come to us from the saints.
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We'll say more about
that in just a little bit.
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In verse 27, he
said, "I've been so tired,
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I've been in pain so often.
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I've been hungry, I've
been thirsty, I've fasted on
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so many occasions, I've
been cold and almost naked.
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And besides all of these things
that come from the outside,
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there comes upon me every
day the care of my churches.
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Which member is weak and
I'm not weak at the same time?
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Which one is offended
and I not hurt as well?"
00:03:04.62\00:03:07.85
So the apostle Paul had
a pastors heart and a great
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care for his people.
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And those cares caused him
pain and heartache and anguish
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and suffering and
hunger and thirst and shipwreck
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and beatings, ad infinitum.
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I don't want to compare myself
entirely to the apostle Paul.
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I'm certainly not the
kind of theologian that he was,
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nor the
preacher for that matter.
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But he was an evangelist
and I certainly relate to that
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side of his ministry.
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And Peggy and I relate to some
of the problems that he had.
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Along the roadside,
the shipwrecks and that
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sort of thing.
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This meeting, ladies and
gentlemen, happens to be,
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I looked it up
just before I came.
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This happens to be
evangelistic meeting number 180.
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And I don't mean 180 meetings,
I mean 180 evangelistic
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meetings, crusades.
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We're not suppose to say
that anymore because it's
00:04:09.37\00:04:11.12
politically incorrect, but
I noticed that Billy Graham is
00:04:11.15\00:04:14.12
still talking about
Billy Graham crusades.
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And so I'm going to
use it here tonight.
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This is crusade number 180.
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That means we've done 180 of
these meetings that have lasted
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at least 4 weeks
here in the United States,
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and others outside in
addition to all of that.
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We have spent the majority of
the past 36 years on the road.
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In this city for a while, in
that town for a little while,
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in this village for a
time, and over in this big
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area for a while.
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And we've put on the old
bus, and before a bus, we pulled
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trailers and we've put hundreds
and thousands and thousands
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of miles on them.
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Peggy keeps two maps.
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She's a map maker
among other wonderful things.
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One of the maps has a
little dot on it wherever we
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have held meetings.
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And that map looks
like it has the measles.
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Here and there and everywhere.
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Just from country to country,
north to south and east to west,
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and coast to
coast, and in between.
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"Yea, we had a meeting there. "
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"You remember when we
were there and there?"
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I was talking to our boy on
the telephone just yesterday
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about the various places we
had been during the spring time
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and the many
places they'd flown kites.
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And that's just a few of
the places that we have been.
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Peggy has another map.
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And this one, I believe, has as
many or maybe more spots on it
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than the one of the
places we've had meetings.
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This map shows the many
places where we have broken down
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along the roadside.
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And we'll drive just a
few miles and she'll say,
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"You remember the time
the engine blew up here?"
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"You remember when the
water pump went out here?"
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"You remember when
the tires blew out here?"
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"You remember when... "
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"Yes, I remember, I remember. "
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And it seems like nearly
every time we talk with Peggy's
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mother for an extended
period, she'll say to us,
00:06:01.37\00:06:04.13
"Stay humble now
kids. Stay humble.
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The world's falling in.
Stay humble now if you can. "
00:06:07.60\00:06:11.08
A couple of years ago,
well less than that now, we were
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headed for Arizona.
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I'd just put a brand new engine
in that old bus that we live in.
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And I paid a lot of money for
it, big Detroit diesel engine.
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And it went 327 miles
and burned completely up
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without any kind of
a warning whatsoever.
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And I called the folks that
had sold it to me and they said,
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"That's your problem. "
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And so I had to
put another one in it.
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And I had not gotten
the new engine in the bus,
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I'd left the bus alongside
the road to shop down in Utah,
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and got down to northern
Arizona, opened the meeting,
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and guess what.
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The motor blew up in the car.
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We had about $27,000
worth of personal expense
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there in two weeks.
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Yea, we've had our
problems alongside the road.
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In addition to that, there has
been the separation that we've
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known over these 37 years
between ourselves and our kids,
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and our families
and our grandkids.
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And the many times
we've not been able to be home
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for a celebration,
anniversary, or a funeral.
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And when the apostle
Paul wrote to young Timothy
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and said to him in 2
Timothy chapter 4 verse 21,
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"Do your best, come
to me before winter. "
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He was the only
family the apostle Paul had.
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He referred to him there in
that passage as his adopted son.
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And so he said,
"Please come to me quickly.
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Because if you don't hurry, the
winter storms are going to come
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across the Mediterranean.
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If you don't start soon,
I'll never see you again. "
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He was looking in the
face of death and he knew it.
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And separation from those that
he loved was very real to him,
00:08:04.16\00:08:08.05
and we've experienced
a little bit of that.
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Leaving the neighbors and the
friends and the church families.
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I just get to know you
folks, many of you by name, and
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it's time to move on
and move on and move on.
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And so Paul had his problems.
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We've had ours.
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But there were a couple of
things that really encouraged
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the apostle Paul.
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And I want to read some
of those to you as well,
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and then we'll make
some comments regarding that.
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1 Thessalonians, would
you turn there with me please.
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Chapter 3 of 1 Thessalonians.
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1 Thessalonians chapter 3 and I
shall begin to read at verse 4.
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1 Thessalonians 3,
beginning at verse 4.
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"When we were with you, I
told you that you were going to
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suffer tribulation, and
you know that it has happened.
00:09:00.54\00:09:03.11
And for this reason, when I
couldn't stand it any longer,
00:09:04.16\00:09:06.42
I sent to know about your faith,
lest by some means the tempter
00:09:06.45\00:09:09.98
come and tempt you and
our labors have been in vain.
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And then Timothy came back
from you and he brought such
00:09:13.93\00:09:17.67
good news about your
faith and your charity,
00:09:17.70\00:09:20.35
and that he brought
such wonderful remembrances
00:09:20.38\00:09:23.27
that we share as well.
00:09:23.30\00:09:25.42
We desired so much to be
with you and I discovered that
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you felt the same way about us.
00:09:29.76\00:09:31.54
Therefore then, we were
comforted in our afflictions
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and in all of our
distresses by your faith.
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And now we're able
to live if you folks
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stand fast in the Lord. "
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And so there was the
thing that encouraged him.
00:09:45.15\00:09:47.10
And I want to say
to you folks tonight,
00:09:47.13\00:09:49.03
the best news this preacher ever
hears, is after he's left this
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city or this town or
that other place and been gone
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6 or 8 months, or a year
or 5 or 6, he gets the word,
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"They're still faithful.
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Those people that were
baptized, those that came to
00:10:00.97\00:10:03.38
the family,
they're still here. "
00:10:03.41\00:10:05.32
And I look around and
see a number of you that
00:10:05.35\00:10:07.59
were baptized the last time
we were here, and some of you
00:10:07.62\00:10:10.31
the first time we were
here a number of years ago.
00:10:10.34\00:10:12.67
And I thank God for you.
00:10:12.70\00:10:14.35
You bring encouragement to
our hearts, Peggy's and mine.
00:10:14.38\00:10:17.73
Your faithfulness brings
great wonderful encouragement
00:10:20.77\00:10:24.72
and it's far more meaningful
to me to hear that the folks
00:10:24.75\00:10:28.50
have been faithful, that they're
still part of the program,
00:10:28.53\00:10:30.95
that they're still in
church on Sabbath morning,
00:10:30.98\00:10:33.67
that they're still reaching out
to their neighbors and friends.
00:10:33.70\00:10:35.95
It means a whole lot
more than when once a month
00:10:35.98\00:10:38.18
out check goes to the bank.
00:10:38.21\00:10:40.24
I promise you that.
00:10:40.27\00:10:41.56
It's far more meaningful.
00:10:41.59\00:10:43.11
I've had the happy privilege
to be a part of baptizing
00:10:43.14\00:10:46.29
nearly 5000 people now
and I never tire of it.
00:10:46.32\00:10:50.13
Everyone is like the first one.
00:10:50.53\00:10:53.25
Every single one is
fresh and new and wonderful.
00:10:53.28\00:10:56.56
And now, the down side.
00:10:56.59\00:11:01.99
You, particularly, who
become part of the family in the
00:11:07.27\00:11:10.66
last few moments, or days or
weeks, or years for that matter,
00:11:10.69\00:11:14.85
are going to be tempted
and tested by the devil.
00:11:14.88\00:11:18.18
Going around like a
roaring lion, he knows the
00:11:18.21\00:11:20.24
time is short, he's
come down with great wrath.
00:11:20.27\00:11:22.70
And he's going to make
life miserable for you.
00:11:22.73\00:11:25.81
And you can be quite sure that
someone in your extended family,
00:11:25.84\00:11:30.79
maybe an aunt or an uncle, is
going to come to you tomorrow or
00:11:30.82\00:11:33.39
next week and say to you, "You
mean you joined that Adventist.
00:11:33.42\00:11:37.20
I can't imagine.
Have you lost your mind?
00:11:37.23\00:11:40.05
Are you completely
crazy, have you flipped out?
00:11:40.08\00:11:42.51
Surely you didn't do that. "
00:11:42.54\00:11:44.30
You stay faithful.
00:11:44.56\00:11:47.01
And if it's not a
parent, it might be a spouse,
00:11:48.79\00:11:51.82
or on the other hand it
might be a close friend,
00:11:52.91\00:11:55.31
someone you thought you
could count on during the
00:11:55.34\00:11:57.31
toughest times,
that he may turn on you
00:11:57.34\00:12:00.40
because you've given
your life over to Jesus.
00:12:00.43\00:12:02.47
Did you know, my dears,
that your righteousness,
00:12:02.50\00:12:05.26
your following Jesus'
footsteps becomes a condemnation
00:12:05.29\00:12:09.23
to those who don't want
to do it and won't do it?
00:12:09.26\00:12:12.15
Your righteousness your holiness
is a condemnation to them.
00:12:12.66\00:12:15.71
Every time they lift
the jug, every time they say
00:12:15.74\00:12:19.30
those filthy words, every time
they steal a little something
00:12:19.33\00:12:22.55
out of the grocery store, your
righteousness condemns them.
00:12:22.58\00:12:26.37
And so your best
friend may well turn on you.
00:12:26.40\00:12:28.89
You stay faithful.
00:12:29.30\00:12:30.94
You hang in there.
00:12:31.77\00:12:33.28
And it's one thing when
family members and those outside
00:12:35.01\00:12:38.00
of the church family
come down against us,
00:12:38.03\00:12:40.08
one thing when the infidels and
the atheists and the skeptics
00:12:40.11\00:12:43.32
and the
agnostics come against us,
00:12:43.35\00:12:45.50
but it's something
else, something far worse
00:12:45.53\00:12:48.19
in my estimation, when the folks
inside the church come after us.
00:12:48.22\00:12:53.24
And the devil will use them as
well, and you can be sure of it.
00:12:53.27\00:12:56.98
And I'm giving you fair
warning right now, right now.
00:12:57.01\00:13:00.86
It may happen
tomorrow, it might be next week,
00:13:01.66\00:13:04.54
could be next month, but
some church member is going to
00:13:04.57\00:13:08.14
come to you and say, "I
heard you became a member
00:13:08.17\00:13:10.98
of the church there.
00:13:11.01\00:13:12.26
I can't believe it, you surely
didn't join with that bunch.
00:13:12.29\00:13:16.77
They're the most legalistic
bunch, they don't understand
00:13:16.80\00:13:19.64
the gospel, they don't know
about righteousness by faith.
00:13:19.67\00:13:22.04
They're so legalistic I can't...
00:13:22.07\00:13:23.75
Look, you come over and join
with us over where we worship
00:13:23.78\00:13:26.70
where we're meeting now.
00:13:26.73\00:13:27.80
We're renting a high school,
you come and join with us
00:13:27.83\00:13:30.01
and we understand the gospel.
00:13:30.04\00:13:31.58
And we'll bring you from
under that cloud of legalism.
00:13:31.61\00:13:34.01
Come and be with us. "
00:13:34.04\00:13:35.03
Listen, you stay right here.
00:13:35.06\00:13:37.59
Right here.
00:13:38.46\00:13:39.52
Don't you tell me we
don't understand about the
00:13:43.24\00:13:45.45
righteousness of Jesus.
00:13:45.48\00:13:46.78
The grace of God has forgiven
me every lie I've ever told.
00:13:49.04\00:13:52.02
The grace of God has forgiven
me everything I've ever stolen,
00:13:52.69\00:13:56.30
taken that was not mine.
00:13:56.33\00:13:58.10
The grace of God has forgiven me
every Sabbath I've ever broken.
00:13:58.13\00:14:01.38
But the grace of God is not
permission nor license for me
00:14:01.41\00:14:05.22
to go on lying or
cheating or stealing.
00:14:05.25\00:14:07.58
That is not another
gospel, that is not grace.
00:14:07.61\00:14:10.51
That, my dears, is disgrace.
00:14:10.54\00:14:13.09
So don't you let anyone
tell you or try to convince you
00:14:18.59\00:14:22.39
that the folks here are too
legalistic or some other such
00:14:22.42\00:14:25.62
nonsense as that.
00:14:25.65\00:14:27.09
You stay right here.
00:14:27.12\00:14:28.32
And then there is the likelihood
that there's going to come one,
00:14:29.26\00:14:34.18
church member, from
the opposite direction.
00:14:34.21\00:14:37.08
And their attitude is going
to be just exactly the reverse
00:14:37.11\00:14:40.16
from those who've said, "You
don't understand the gospel. "
00:14:40.19\00:14:42.84
They're going to say,
"You mean you joined with
00:14:42.87\00:14:44.76
that congregation?
00:14:44.79\00:14:45.80
Why, they're the most
liberal bunch I've ever known.
00:14:45.83\00:14:49.19
Why, they go to
shows, they drink coffee,
00:14:49.22\00:14:51.81
they ya da da,
they dress like they...
00:14:51.84\00:14:53.41
Blah-blah, blah-blah, blah-blah.
00:14:53.44\00:14:56.31
You come and join with us.
00:14:56.62\00:14:58.30
We have a group that's meeting
over here and you come and
00:14:58.33\00:15:01.05
join in with us.
00:15:01.08\00:15:02.05
We are the Historic Adventist,
we're the reformed group.
00:15:02.07\00:15:05.65
You come and be a part of us. "
00:15:05.68\00:15:07.43
No, you stay right here.
00:15:07.46\00:15:10.36
Right here.
00:15:11.42\00:15:12.80
Peggy and I were
working over near Salem, Oregon.
00:15:13.25\00:15:15.71
I'm not going to tell
you exactly where because you
00:15:15.74\00:15:17.58
might know some of the folks
that I'm going to refer to.
00:15:17.61\00:15:20.22
I was out
visiting one afternoon.
00:15:20.62\00:15:21.89
The telephone at our
home rang and it was a lady
00:15:21.92\00:15:24.99
asking for an
appointment with Lyle.
00:15:25.02\00:15:29.15
And Peggy had no
idea who they were,
00:15:29.18\00:15:31.04
didn't recognize any names.
00:15:31.07\00:15:32.79
She assumed that these ladies,
two, were maybe interested
00:15:33.57\00:15:38.40
and might want to study
for baptism or some such thing.
00:15:38.43\00:15:41.12
And so she made for me an
appointment the next afternoon
00:15:41.15\00:15:44.08
in the church
office at 1:30 o'clock.
00:15:44.11\00:15:47.40
I was there early
and a car drove in.
00:15:47.43\00:15:50.34
Two ladies got out and
came to the office door
00:15:50.37\00:15:52.34
and I welcomed them.
00:15:52.37\00:15:53.34
They introduced
themselves and sat down.
00:15:53.35\00:15:56.06
And within about 2 minutes they
began to tear the church apart,
00:15:58.15\00:16:01.90
my church, the Seventh-Day
Adventist church family.
00:16:01.93\00:16:04.43
They began to tear it apart.
00:16:04.46\00:16:05.74
"Well the church
has lost its way. "
00:16:06.17\00:16:08.07
And one of the
ladies, the mouthy one,
00:16:08.10\00:16:10.31
that's, I suppose the best,
the most honest way to say it.
00:16:10.34\00:16:13.58
She said, "You're in a position
now where you can really
00:16:15.08\00:16:17.80
reach out to a lot of folks.
00:16:17.83\00:16:18.80
You're on television 2 or
3 times a week, and sometimes
00:16:18.81\00:16:21.31
a couple of times a day.
00:16:21.34\00:16:22.37
And you're in a
wonderful position to straighten
00:16:22.40\00:16:24.99
things up inside the
church and to tell the people
00:16:25.02\00:16:28.79
that the church has now become
nothing more than Babylon. "
00:16:28.82\00:16:33.21
I said, "Are you
talking about my church?"
00:16:33.24\00:16:35.05
She said, "I'm talking
about this Adventist movement,
00:16:35.08\00:16:37.32
the Seventh-Day
Adventist denomination. "
00:16:37.35\00:16:38.86
And about that time,
I came about that high
00:16:38.89\00:16:40.66
out of the chair.
00:16:40.69\00:16:41.66
And I shook my
finger in her face, I said,
00:16:41.67\00:16:43.70
"Lady, don't you ever
say anything like that
00:16:43.73\00:16:46.01
in my presence again.
00:16:46.04\00:16:47.78
Because if you do,
I'll put you out the door. "
00:16:47.81\00:16:50.34
And she went mouthing
on another 2 or 3 minutes
00:16:53.86\00:16:58.40
complaining and whining
about how they were the only
00:16:58.43\00:17:01.22
ones that dressed right.
00:17:01.25\00:17:02.45
And by the way, I call that the
old Elijah complex, you know.
00:17:02.48\00:17:07.22
You remember when
Elijah got discouraged.
00:17:07.25\00:17:08.83
It could happen
to the best of us.
00:17:08.86\00:17:10.41
And he went out in the
countryside and got down in
00:17:10.44\00:17:13.42
some little grove somewhere out
of the sun and began to whine.
00:17:13.45\00:17:16.65
And he said, "Lord,
I'm the only one left.
00:17:16.68\00:17:18.58
I'm the only one
that dresses right,
00:17:18.61\00:17:20.32
I'm the only one that
doesn't go to the movies,
00:17:20.35\00:17:22.16
I'm the only one that
doesn't wear all that junk,
00:17:22.19\00:17:24.45
I'm the only one
that worships twice a day,
00:17:24.48\00:17:27.43
the morning and evening,
I'm the only one that studies
00:17:27.46\00:17:29.21
my Sabbath school
lessons seven times,
00:17:29.24\00:17:30.86
I'm the only one that's a
vegetarian, I'm the only one. "
00:17:30.89\00:17:33.71
And God said, "Shut up.
00:17:33.74\00:17:35.99
Hush up, man.
00:17:38.88\00:17:40.11
I have seven
thousand in Israel alone
00:17:40.14\00:17:43.14
that have not bowed
their knee to Baal. "
00:17:43.54\00:17:45.52
So the lady in the
office continued to whine.
00:17:47.31\00:17:50.72
I'd given her the warning.
00:17:50.75\00:17:52.24
And in a little
bit, she said it again.
00:17:52.27\00:17:55.06
"This church has
become nothing but Babylon. "
00:17:55.09\00:17:57.41
And this time I came
completely out of my seat,
00:17:57.44\00:18:00.12
and I went around and helped
her by the arm out the door.
00:18:00.15\00:18:03.95
"Good-bye. "
00:18:03.98\00:18:05.58
Oh, she had here quotations
from those little red books
00:18:06.68\00:18:09.28
that a lot of folks
like to put handles on and
00:18:09.31\00:18:11.27
club folks around with.
00:18:11.30\00:18:12.50
And she'd read and
quoted two or three.
00:18:12.53\00:18:14.95
And then I said,
"Look, I have one also.
00:18:14.98\00:18:17.10
Here's mine.
00:18:17.13\00:18:18.16
It goes like this, lady.
00:18:18.19\00:18:19.76
The church of God on
earth, and it's talking about
00:18:19.79\00:18:22.30
this Seventh-Day
Adventist movement.
00:18:22.33\00:18:25.21
The church of God on
earth, and feeble and defective
00:18:25.24\00:18:28.27
though it may be, is the only
object upon earth upon which
00:18:28.30\00:18:31.52
God places His supreme regard. "
00:18:31.55\00:18:33.75
I said, "How dare you
speak this way about the object
00:18:33.78\00:18:38.14
of His supreme regard. "
00:18:38.17\00:18:39.32
How dare anybody.
00:18:39.35\00:18:40.74
Now the church has its problems.
00:18:43.37\00:18:44.88
You don't spend 40
years with an organization
00:18:44.91\00:18:47.65
without seeing its flat sides.
00:18:47.68\00:18:49.01
And I have said on more than
one occasion that if I had my
00:18:49.04\00:18:51.95
faith in the organization,
I would have parted
00:18:51.98\00:18:54.52
company a long while back
and gone to work for Bill Gates.
00:18:54.55\00:19:00.54
That'll work, huh.
00:19:00.57\00:19:01.54
You know him.
00:19:02.58\00:19:03.55
But my faith is not
in the organization.
00:19:06.22\00:19:08.46
It is in this message.
00:19:09.67\00:19:11.38
And you can
fault the organization
00:19:11.98\00:19:13.86
and you can point out
the mistakes, and there are
00:19:13.89\00:19:15.94
multitudes of them, but
you can't fault the message.
00:19:15.97\00:19:20.67
I've discovered, you
cannot fault this message.
00:19:21.08\00:19:25.47
And I have been
called to stand before...
00:19:26.11\00:19:28.31
I have been tricked.
00:19:28.34\00:19:29.72
I remember just early
in my evangelism ministry,
00:19:29.75\00:19:32.54
and I was green and
working in Idaho, imagine that.
00:19:32.57\00:19:36.22
You talk about inexperienced,
and no reflection on the
00:19:36.66\00:19:40.14
dear Idaho folks.
00:19:40.17\00:19:41.53
You sure know what
I'm doing, don't you.
00:19:45.42\00:19:47.41
I'm trying to keep all of
California from moving in.
00:19:47.44\00:19:50.00
That's why I relate and
share these kinds of stories.
00:19:50.03\00:19:53.47
But in any event, I was
asked one night if I would
00:19:53.50\00:19:56.46
go out to a home.
00:19:56.49\00:19:57.56
The family said, "We
have some questions. "
00:19:57.59\00:20:00.20
And I was working alone.
00:20:00.23\00:20:01.81
And so I had them
make me a little map.
00:20:02.36\00:20:04.20
And I drove down and I was
sure I was at the right place.
00:20:04.23\00:20:07.42
And I went down this lane and
there were cars parked on both
00:20:07.45\00:20:10.56
sides of this lane.
00:20:10.59\00:20:11.56
It was a quarter of a mile long.
00:20:11.57\00:20:12.86
I thought, well maybe the
guy is in the used car business.
00:20:12.89\00:20:14.92
You know, that's
how innocent I was.
00:20:14.95\00:20:17.83
And I knocked on the door
and they welcomed me inside.
00:20:18.50\00:20:20.74
And there in the living room and
the family room and overflowing
00:20:20.77\00:20:24.48
in the kitchen, kind
of an open floor plan,
00:20:24.51\00:20:26.85
there was this whole group
of folks that kind of liked to
00:20:26.88\00:20:32.54
fight against the
Seventh-Day Adventists.
00:20:32.57\00:20:34.58
And they wanted to get
me involved in a debate.
00:20:36.68\00:20:39.18
And they wanted to kind of
pick me apart and tear me up
00:20:39.65\00:20:42.37
a little bit and
then print about it in the
00:20:42.40\00:20:43.72
little local newspaper.
00:20:43.75\00:20:45.35
And so every time
they challenged me,
00:20:45.38\00:20:47.80
I turned to my Bible.
00:20:47.83\00:20:49.26
Every time, I'd open to
this scripture, open here.
00:20:49.29\00:20:52.78
And after a while, the
leader of the group said,
00:20:53.57\00:20:55.68
"Every time I try
to take a poke at you,
00:20:55.71\00:20:57.96
you hide behind that Book. "
00:20:57.99\00:20:59.72
And I thought to myself,
that's a pretty good place
00:20:59.75\00:21:02.26
to be, isn't it now.
00:21:02.29\00:21:03.47
Huh?
00:21:03.50\00:21:04.47
Yea, that's why Adventists
are known around the world
00:21:04.48\00:21:06.50
as the people of the Book.
00:21:06.53\00:21:08.74
All around the world,
the people of the Book.
00:21:08.77\00:21:11.83
And so, you're going
to be tempted and tested.
00:21:11.86\00:21:14.56
Now, I want to refer one more
time, I want to refer finally
00:21:14.59\00:21:18.88
to the lady who came to visit me
over there around Salem, Oregon.
00:21:18.91\00:21:24.16
After sharing my favorite
quotation with her from my
00:21:24.19\00:21:27.45
favorite author
outside the Bible, I said,
00:21:27.48\00:21:29.65
"Beyond that, I have a verse or
two from my very favorite book,
00:21:29.68\00:21:34.42
that I want to read to you. "
00:21:34.45\00:21:35.42
And so I opened this
Bible to Romans chapter 16.
00:21:35.43\00:21:38.59
That happens to
be the last chapter.
00:21:38.62\00:21:40.51
And I read to
her verses 17 and 18.
00:21:40.54\00:21:42.94
And I'm going to read
them to you right now.
00:21:42.97\00:21:44.48
Listen up.
00:21:44.51\00:21:45.64
Saying Paul, "I beseech
you, therefore, brethren
00:21:46.22\00:21:48.60
to mark those that
cause divisions and offenses
00:21:48.63\00:21:52.01
that are contrary... "
00:21:52.04\00:21:54.91
He talking about
the church obviously,
00:21:55.01\00:21:56.61
he's writing to the church.
00:21:56.64\00:21:58.01
"Those divisions and offenses
that are contrary to the
00:21:58.41\00:22:00.87
doctrines that you
before have learned.
00:22:00.90\00:22:02.83
Stay away from them. "
00:22:02.86\00:22:04.22
Is that plain enough?
00:22:04.25\00:22:05.22
That's what Paul said,
"Stay away from them. "
00:22:05.23\00:22:07.67
And he goes on to say, "There
are such that are not serving
00:22:08.07\00:22:11.27
Jesus Christ but they're serving
their own desires and their
00:22:11.30\00:22:14.89
own works, and they're
listening to their own speeches
00:22:14.92\00:22:19.79
that come as the result of
their simple minds and hearts. "
00:22:19.82\00:22:24.13
That's pretty straight language.
00:22:24.16\00:22:26.32
Pretty plain.
00:22:27.20\00:22:28.28
And so, you
folks stay right here.
00:22:28.88\00:22:30.89
I have to be honest
with you folks to say to you
00:22:32.73\00:22:35.23
that it's increasingly
difficult for Peggy and me
00:22:35.26\00:22:39.88
to leave our easy chairs.
00:22:40.68\00:22:43.90
Mine is a recliner.
00:22:44.30\00:22:46.36
And oh, by the way.
00:22:48.90\00:22:50.99
They have them
now for we old folks.
00:22:51.38\00:22:54.07
Special recliners, you know.
00:22:54.78\00:22:56.54
They stand up and you just
kind of step back and kind of
00:22:57.92\00:23:01.63
press the button and
it'll lay you right down.
00:23:01.66\00:23:04.52
And then you can push the
button and it'll stand you up.
00:23:05.64\00:23:08.22
But I read about a fellow
who's recliner stand-up chair
00:23:09.83\00:23:13.50
developed a hiccup.
00:23:13.53\00:23:15.35
And he pushed the button and
it pasted him against the wall
00:23:15.92\00:23:20.30
on the other side.
00:23:20.33\00:23:21.30
I leave mine unplugged.
00:23:21.31\00:23:22.89
But it's getting
increasingly difficult for
00:23:22.92\00:23:24.54
Peggy and me to leave home.
00:23:24.57\00:23:25.93
And when I look out at empty
seats, there's a voice that
00:23:27.94\00:23:32.23
whispers in this ear and
says, "Why do you do this?
00:23:32.26\00:23:34.85
Man, why don't you go to Boise
where the kids and grandkids are
00:23:34.88\00:23:38.04
and on the growing side of
the city, hold a meeting and
00:23:38.07\00:23:40.35
raise up a brand new
congregation and then
00:23:40.38\00:23:42.14
stay there and be their
pastor and you could be at home,
00:23:42.17\00:23:45.04
have your feet by
the fire every night.
00:23:45.07\00:23:47.56
Why do you do this?"
00:23:48.29\00:23:49.87
And then another voice says,
"If you'd hold one more meeting,
00:23:49.90\00:23:53.10
one more series of
lectures, maybe Jesus could come
00:23:53.71\00:23:57.22
one day sooner. "
00:23:57.25\00:23:58.33
And so we'll go on
from here to Boise, and then
00:23:58.36\00:24:01.98
to Spokane, and then to
Southern Oregon, to Alaska.
00:24:02.03\00:24:06.59
"Be thou faithful,"
said God, "unto death,"
00:24:09.84\00:24:13.12
Revelation 2:10
00:24:13.15\00:24:15.12
"and I will give to
you the crown of life. "
00:24:15.49\00:24:19.48
Revelation 3:11, you know
I love the book of Revelation
00:24:20.25\00:24:23.41
so I'll share
these final verses.
00:24:23.44\00:24:25.18
Revelation 3:11,
"Behold, I come quickly.
00:24:25.21\00:24:27.90
Hold fast to that
which you have, let no man
00:24:28.30\00:24:31.88
take thy crown. "
00:24:31.91\00:24:34.42
And like the apostle
Paul, I recognize I'm getting
00:24:35.10\00:24:37.69
nearer the end.
00:24:37.72\00:24:38.69
I know now that
there's a whole lot more water
00:24:38.70\00:24:41.55
that's gone under the bridge
than there is upstream for me.
00:24:41.58\00:24:44.77
I know now that there's a
whole lot more road behind me
00:24:44.80\00:24:48.20
than there is ahead of me.
00:24:48.23\00:24:49.91
But I, like the apostle
Paul, would say first to Jesus,
00:24:56.34\00:25:01.76
and then to all of you,
"I've fought a good fight
00:25:01.79\00:25:04.10
by His grace, I've finished the
course, and I've kept the faith.
00:25:04.13\00:25:09.06
And henceforth, there's laid
for me a crown of righteousness
00:25:09.09\00:25:12.06
which the Lord, the righteous
Judge, shall give me at
00:25:12.09\00:25:15.02
that Day, and not to
me only, but to all those
00:25:15.05\00:25:18.96
who love His appearing. "
00:25:18.99\00:25:21.62
I don't regret one mile
00:25:26.42\00:25:29.70
that I've travelled for my Lord,
00:25:31.18\00:25:32.94
and don't regret the time
that I've trusted in His word.
00:25:34.35\00:25:37.47
I've seen the years go by,
00:25:42.97\00:25:44.80
many days without a song.
00:25:45.87\00:25:47.79
But I don't regret a mile
00:25:48.98\00:25:50.83
that I've travelled for my Lord.
00:25:52.86\00:25:54.66
I've dreamed many a dream
00:25:57.47\00:26:00.99
that never came true,
00:26:04.06\00:26:05.71
I've seen them vanish at dawn.
00:26:07.66\00:26:10.14
But enough of my
dreams have come true
00:26:11.93\00:26:14.66
to make me keep dreaming on.
00:26:16.63\00:26:18.33
I've prayed many a prayer
and seemed no answer would come,
00:26:20.66\00:26:23.86
though I've
waited patient and long.
00:26:23.89\00:26:26.60
But enough of my
prayers have been answered
00:26:28.21\00:26:31.68
to make me keep praying on.
00:26:32.34\00:26:34.49
I've sown many a seed
00:26:36.91\00:26:38.69
that fell by the wayside.
00:26:43.58\00:26:45.35
for birds to feed upon.
00:26:46.54\00:26:48.29
But I've held in my
hands enough golden sheaves
00:26:50.12\00:26:55.90
to keep me sowing on.
00:26:56.80\00:26:58.64
I've trusted many
friends that have left me,
00:26:58.67\00:27:02.61
left me to weep all alone.
00:27:02.64\00:27:04.62
But enough of my friends
00:27:09.08\00:27:10.97
remain true blue to
make me keep trusting on.
00:27:13.33\00:27:18.59
I don't regret a mile that
I've travelled for my Lord.
00:27:22.49\00:27:26.83
I don't regret the time
I've trusted in His word.
00:27:28.99\00:27:31.66
I've seen the years go
by, many days without a song.
00:27:31.69\00:27:34.79
But I don't regret one mile
that I've travelled for my Lord.
00:27:34.82\00:27:40.23
Let's pray.
00:27:40.26\00:27:41.45
We thank You,
Lord, for this privilege
00:27:41.48\00:27:43.63
to be a part of Your family.
00:27:43.66\00:27:45.30
For those who have just
been baptized or reaffirmed
00:27:45.81\00:27:48.40
their faith, I thank You so.
00:27:48.43\00:27:50.53
I pray Your
continued blessing upon them.
00:27:50.56\00:27:52.40
They're going to
be tempted and tested.
00:27:52.43\00:27:54.00
Give them the
strength that You promised,
00:27:54.03\00:27:56.04
"My grace is sufficient, I'll
be with you to the very end. "
00:27:56.07\00:27:59.28
And one day soon,
Lord, may each of us here
00:27:59.31\00:28:02.61
and every family represented,
members of the families
00:28:02.64\00:28:05.12
that are not here, some
who've gone to sleep in You,
00:28:05.15\00:28:08.29
others who are miles
away, let us all together
00:28:08.32\00:28:12.02
be caught up to meet You
in the air and let it be soon.
00:28:12.05\00:28:15.21
In Jesus' name we pray, amen.
00:28:15.24\00:28:19.30