[MUSIC] 00:00:03.30\00:00:09.84 Who was Jesus. 00:00:10.01\00:00:11.44 He had compassion for the weak and the hurting. 00:00:11.67\00:00:15.71 He loved every person he met and taught them how to love 00:00:15.88\00:00:19.95 His great heart helped all those who came near Him. 00:00:20.85\00:00:24.19 But most of all, He was a friend 00:00:24.22\00:00:26.96 that was who he was. 00:00:26.99\00:00:29.36 Now, find out who He is. 00:00:29.66\00:00:38.40 Hello. I'm Jill Morikone and I just want to welcome you at 00:00:38.60\00:00:41.27 home to 3ABN's virtual summer camp meeting. I'm so 00:00:41.34\00:00:45.31 excited about our topic. This entire camp meeting week is Who 00:00:45.37\00:00:49.14 is Jesus and tonight's topic is I think one of my favorite 00:00:49.21\00:00:52.95 topics "Christ, the Servant Leader." It's my great privilege 00:00:53.01\00:00:57.59 to introduce to you our special guest for this evening. He is no 00:00:57.65\00:01:02.69 stranger. If you've watched 3ABN for any length of time. You've 00:01:02.76\00:01:05.83 seen Pastor Doctor David Shin on many times he's 00:01:05.89\00:01:09.66 currently the president of Watcha Hills College. Prior 00:01:09.73\00:01:13.34 to that, he spent 17 years in pastoral ministry. And he also 00:01:13.37\00:01:18.07 served as the adjunct teacher for 12 years at Michigan 00:01:18.14\00:01:22.41 conference, campus ministries program. 00:01:22.48\00:01:24.68 He's a student of the word, a student of the Bible and the 00:01:25.41\00:01:28.95 thing that I love most about Pastor Shin is that not only 00:01:29.02\00:01:33.49 does he preach well, but he practices what he preaches. 00:01:33.56\00:01:38.53 He lives, what he believes and that is an incredible testimony 00:01:38.59\00:01:42.33 to his life. Greg and I consider him and his wife Tennille 00:01:42.40\00:01:45.90 friends. And I'm so grateful that he will be sharing with us 00:01:45.97\00:01:49.77 tonight before he comes and opens up the word of God. 00:01:49.87\00:01:53.88 We're gonna be blessed by special music from Celestine 00:01:53.98\00:01:57.78 Dickens and her daughter Farrah Barry accompanying her on the 00:01:57.88\00:02:01.08 piano, the song that they will be ministering is Trust His 00:02:01.15\00:02:05.19 Heart after they shall sing, the next voice you will hear is that 00:02:05.25\00:02:09.72 of our pastor and friend David Chin. 00:02:09.79\00:02:12.03 [MUSIC] 00:02:12.33\00:02:33.42 All things work for our good 00:02:33.45\00:02:38.19 [MUSIC] 00:02:38.25\00:02:40.39 though sometimes we don't see. 00:02:40.46\00:02:43.43 How they could 00:02:44.53\00:02:47.50 Struggles that break our hearts in two 00:02:48.03\00:02:53.94 sometimes blindness to the truth. 00:02:53.97\00:03:01.58 [MUSIC] 00:03:01.61\00:03:02.94 Our Father knows what's best for us. 00:03:02.98\00:03:08.68 His ways are not our own 00:03:09.95\00:03:11.82 and so when your pathway grows dim 00:03:15.59\00:03:19.36 and you don't see Him. Remember you're never alone. 00:03:20.00\00:03:30.71 God is too wise to be mistaken 00:03:34.44\00:03:40.32 God is too good to be unkind. 00:03:41.68\00:03:45.89 So when you don't understand, When you don't see His plan, 00:03:48.02\00:03:55.50 when you've trace His hand, trust His heart. 00:03:55.56\00:04:02.77 Trust His heart. 00:04:05.04\00:04:10.85 [MUSIC] 00:04:10.88\00:04:14.68 He sees the Master plan and He holds our future in His hand. 00:04:14.88\00:04:28.06 So don't leave us those 00:04:28.10\00:04:30.37 Who have no hope 00:04:30.67\00:04:34.17 all our hope is found 00:04:34.60\00:04:37.87 in Him. 00:04:37.94\00:04:41.68 We see the present clearly 00:04:41.74\00:04:47.78 but He sees the first and the last. 00:04:48.68\00:04:54.69 And like a tapestry, He's weaving you and me 00:04:54.96\00:05:03.97 to someday be just like Him. Ohhh! 00:05:04.00\00:05:11.44 God is too wise to be mistaken, 00:05:11.47\00:05:18.18 God is too good to be unkind 00:05:19.15\00:05:24.55 So when you don't understand 00:05:24.62\00:05:28.36 When you don't see His plan you when you can't trace His hand 00:05:28.89\00:05:34.53 trust His heart. 00:05:34.83\00:05:38.90 He alone is faithful and true 00:05:39.60\00:05:43.51 [MUSIC] 00:05:43.61\00:05:45.94 He alone knows what is best for you. 00:05:46.17\00:05:49.88 [MUSIC] Oooo, Oooo, Oooo, 00:05:50.28\00:06:00.36 God is too wise to be mistaken 00:06:00.49\00:06:06.90 God is too good to be unkind. So when you don't understand 00:06:07.50\00:06:17.11 when you don't see His plan, when you can't trace His hand 00:06:17.21\00:06:22.74 trust His heart. 00:06:22.78\00:06:24.25 [MUSIC] 00:06:27.42\00:06:30.39 When you don't understand 00:06:30.49\00:06:33.96 When you don't see his plan. 00:06:34.32\00:06:36.93 When you can't trace His hand 00:06:40.50\00:06:42.80 Trust His heart. 00:06:45.60\00:06:48.47 [MUSIC] 00:06:48.70\00:06:55.08 Trust His heart. 00:06:55.31\00:07:04.19 [MUSIC] 00:07:04.22\00:07:05.55 Amen. Amen, thank you so much for that beautiful special 00:07:05.59\00:07:10.63 music when you can't see His plan. 00:07:10.73\00:07:13.73 Trust His heart. Praise God that He has a vision for our lives 00:07:14.36\00:07:21.04 and He can see the end from the beginning. 00:07:21.10\00:07:23.30 Well, it's a privilege to be here at 3 ABN virtual camp 00:07:24.01\00:07:29.88 meeting. 00:07:29.94\00:07:31.28 I trust that the Lord has sustained you this past year. 00:07:31.31\00:07:35.85 year, 2020, 2020, year, 2021 year. What a what a just an 00:07:35.92\00:07:43.43 experience it has been and what a fitting camp meeting that we 00:07:43.53\00:07:50.40 are focusing on Who is Jesus? Here we are, 2000 years after 00:07:50.47\00:07:57.81 the cross and this question remains, Who is Jesus? 00:07:57.87\00:08:02.81 It has been said how do we know 00:08:03.35\00:08:05.95 that we are worshipping Jesus and not a concept. 00:08:05.98\00:08:11.95 One individual said how do we know that we're worshiping 00:08:11.99\00:08:15.36 the real Jesus and not a middle class 00:08:15.39\00:08:18.69 individual that lives in the suburbs drives an SUV 00:08:18.76\00:08:24.57 and has certain political values. In other words, we're 00:08:25.33\00:08:28.54 living in an age where we have a concept of who Jesus is. But how 00:08:28.60\00:08:33.68 do we know if that concept fits. Who the actual Jesus is? 00:08:33.78\00:08:40.05 And this is the same problem that the Jews had 00:08:40.82\00:08:42.82 2000 years ago, they had a mental idea. 00:08:42.85\00:08:49.29 A mental notion of who 00:08:49.32\00:08:51.59 Jesus was to be he was to come as a King individual that was to 00:08:51.66\00:08:56.77 come and conquer the Romans. 00:08:56.80\00:08:58.87 But when the real Jesus came, 00:08:59.33\00:09:02.37 it didn't fit their mental concept and they ended up 00:09:03.61\00:09:07.61 killing the real Christ because their mental picture 00:09:08.64\00:09:14.02 was an idol that they were not willing to give up. And by the 00:09:14.05\00:09:18.99 grace of God in this series. I know that as we go to 00:09:19.05\00:09:23.36 scripture for the description of who Jesus is. I pray that you're 00:09:23.43\00:09:29.40 you are challenged and that we can come to the place by the 00:09:29.46\00:09:32.83 grace of God that our pre- suppositions or ideas of Jesus 00:09:32.90\00:09:37.31 in who years may be refined. And if perhaps we come to the 00:09:37.41\00:09:41.18 place where we say, look, my idea of Jesus is more cultural 00:09:41.24\00:09:45.65 than the real Jesus. I pray that we give up our ideas by the 00:09:46.05\00:09:49.92 grace of God and live by every word that proceeds out of the 00:09:49.98\00:09:54.39 mouth of God. So in the series Who is Jesus. Let's go to the 00:09:54.46\00:09:58.49 word for most accurate picture of who Jesus is. Pray with me. 00:09:58.56\00:10:06.53 Our father in heaven. 00:10:08.24\00:10:09.57 We thank you so much for Jesus. 00:10:09.94\00:10:13.24 We thank you that Jesus is the revelation of who God is 00:10:14.34\00:10:22.78 that the light of the knowledge, of the glory of God is found 00:10:23.39\00:10:28.42 in the face of Jesus Christ. 00:10:29.06\00:10:31.89 We thank you that we can find the most accurate picture of who 00:10:31.93\00:10:35.23 Jesus is in the word and today as we look at this theme 00:10:35.30\00:10:40.44 of Jesus, the servant, leader that you would speak to us 00:10:40.47\00:10:45.64 hide me behind the cross, may Christ be uplifted and 00:10:45.67\00:10:50.65 Jesus be seen. For we ask these things in the 00:10:50.68\00:10:53.11 precious name of Jesus. 00:10:53.15\00:10:54.48 Amen. 00:10:54.98\00:10:57.69 There was a story told of a man that was called to the 00:10:58.52\00:11:04.63 White House. He was to be the 00:11:04.66\00:11:06.06 honored guest of the White House 00:11:06.13\00:11:09.33 and as he was waiting there in the waiting room awaiting 00:11:09.36\00:11:15.67 the audience. 00:11:15.70\00:11:18.67 A meeting with the President of the United States. 00:11:19.27\00:11:22.81 A White House aide came into the waiting area and mistook 00:11:24.05\00:11:31.25 the guest of the president as a waiter and he took a look 00:11:31.29\00:11:39.86 at this individual who was to be the guest 00:11:39.89\00:11:42.43 of the president and treated him like a servant and said, hey 00:11:42.46\00:11:46.23 you there and the man was like me, he said yeah you. 00:11:48.20\00:11:53.01 Why didn't you go around in 00:11:53.24\00:11:55.04 serve everybody by giving them a glass of water to drink 00:11:55.98\00:11:59.61 and this man 00:12:00.42\00:12:01.75 didn't miss a beat. 00:12:01.98\00:12:03.32 He said okay, he got up and got the pitcher of water and went 00:12:03.39\00:12:07.06 around to the other guests there waiting time with the president 00:12:07.16\00:12:09.96 and serve them all water and make sure that all their needs 00:12:10.03\00:12:13.70 were taken care of and he was serving everybody and the White 00:12:13.73\00:12:16.60 House aide was naturally assuming that this person was 00:12:16.67\00:12:19.80 like a servant to waiter in the White House. And finally, 00:12:19.90\00:12:24.84 the president of the United States 00:12:24.91\00:12:27.18 walked into the room and today... 00:12:27.48\00:12:29.44 I'm so glad that you're here. Face of that White House aide 00:12:30.25\00:12:36.58 just turned pale and flush and red 00:12:36.62\00:12:40.06 with embarrassment when he realized he had treated 00:12:40.16\00:12:44.03 a guest of the president like a servant and he said to the 00:12:44.06\00:12:50.77 guest, he said I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. 00:12:50.80\00:12:52.70 And the man said, don't worry about it. Don't worry about it. 00:12:52.80\00:12:56.57 I tell you that man's better man than I because I would have said 00:12:58.64\00:13:05.28 excuse me, I'm not a servant of the White House. 00:13:05.31\00:13:10.59 I'm an honored guest. 00:13:10.62\00:13:13.36 No one wants to be a servant. 00:13:14.62\00:13:18.93 Yeah, at least not naturally if we're honest with ourselves, 00:13:18.96\00:13:22.96 right. Everyone wants to be served. I mean, when you get to 00:13:23.03\00:13:26.30 the certain apex of society. You have you have paid servants. 00:13:26.43\00:13:30.84 You know that serve you hand and foot. You have the 00:13:31.21\00:13:33.48 waiter that comes in and you pay for their services and so forth. 00:13:33.51\00:13:36.28 No one wants to be a servant. We all want to be served. 00:13:36.54\00:13:40.82 And as we focus on this theme of Jesus, the servant leader. 00:13:41.08\00:13:46.02 We come to this classic passage that describes Jesus as 00:13:46.12\00:13:53.13 suffering servant. If you have your Bibles turn within their to 00:13:53.40\00:13:57.83 Philippians chapter 2 and verse one. We will be reading through 00:13:57.90\00:14:01.47 this passage as Jesus is described as a servant who would 00:14:01.54\00:14:07.61 be in chapter 2:1 00:14:07.68\00:14:09.01 reading from the new King James Bible. You can follow along in 00:14:09.68\00:14:12.68 the version that you have there at home. 00:14:13.01\00:14:14.65 Here the Apostle Paul is describing a certain mindset 00:14:51.82\00:14:55.36 that we are to have. He says notice, notice the word that 00:14:55.39\00:14:58.43 pops up here and just the tip when you're studying the Bible 00:14:58.46\00:15:00.90 look for repetition and you can see the 00:15:00.93\00:15:02.70 theme of having a certain mindset or having a like minded 00:15:02.76\00:15:08.70 outlook is being described here and he says, look, don't be 00:15:08.77\00:15:12.84 concerned about selfish ambition. 00:15:12.87\00:15:16.18 Don't be self-centered. Don't make it all about you. 00:15:16.98\00:15:19.68 And he said don't have this thing called vain glory, but to 00:15:20.42\00:15:24.79 look at others as better than yourself. 00:15:24.85\00:15:29.39 In other words, you should not be 00:15:29.96\00:15:32.39 comparing yourself with other people. 00:15:32.46\00:15:34.03 And naturally assuming that you're better. But to look at 00:15:34.20\00:15:36.26 other people and recognize that if they have the same 00:15:36.33\00:15:38.77 background, the same socioeconomic status, the same 00:15:38.83\00:15:43.34 parents and the same environment I've had to come to the 00:15:43.41\00:15:47.08 conclusion that to be 10 times worse, then they are in their 00:15:47.18\00:15:50.75 situation. It's so easy to look at other people and say, you 00:15:50.85\00:15:53.85 know, I wish that other men we're like me. 00:15:53.92\00:15:56.79 But here Paul says we should actually look at other people 00:15:56.82\00:16:00.66 and assume that they're better than us 00:16:00.69\00:16:03.73 considering the circumstances. 00:16:03.76\00:16:06.06 And then he transitions from this mind set theme of not 00:16:06.80\00:16:11.83 having this selfish mindset to the classic passage of having 00:16:11.90\00:16:17.11 the mind of Jesus. The question is what is the mind of Jesus. 00:16:17.41\00:16:22.41 Don't let it be about selfish ambition and upward mobility but 00:16:22.64\00:16:25.58 have the mindset of Jesus. Here it is in Philippians chapter 2:5 00:16:25.68\00:16:29.42 So what's the mindset of Jesus here He describes, 00:16:34.62\00:16:38.73 Other translations actually say that the nature of God 00:16:43.90\00:16:48.14 or the divinity of God was something that he did not want 00:16:48.20\00:16:50.74 to hold on to. 00:16:50.81\00:16:52.67 Here Paul describes the mindset of Jesus 00:17:09.39\00:17:10.76 and this mindset of Jesus first of all, 00:17:11.49\00:17:17.30 has to do with this concept of incarnation 00:17:17.37\00:17:23.44 that He being God equal with God co-eternal. The illimitable 00:17:23.51\00:17:31.08 God of the universe became as one of us. 00:17:31.11\00:17:36.99 Now, this is a theme for eternal contemplation. 00:17:38.45\00:17:43.36 Now we think that being human is not a bad thing. 00:17:43.43\00:17:48.30 But for God to become human. The book Desire of Ages indicates 00:17:49.40\00:17:52.97 that it would have been infinite humiliation for Jesus to take on 00:17:53.03\00:17:56.37 the nature of Adam prior to the fall in his perfection that 00:17:56.44\00:17:59.51 would have been infinite humiliation. 00:17:59.57\00:18:01.08 But the Desire of Ages indicates that He took on the nature 00:18:02.18\00:18:05.38 of man after 4,000 years of the results of sin. 00:18:05.41\00:18:11.12 You can't even imagine that. It's like me 00:18:11.75\00:18:14.16 becoming an amoeba. I mean, that doesn't even grasp it. I mean, 00:18:14.66\00:18:18.83 we have humans animals and insects just for the sake of 00:18:18.89\00:18:23.77 illustration and we have God the Bible says Angels and man, 00:18:23.87\00:18:27.90 man was made a little lower than the Angels. 00:18:27.97\00:18:30.61 But here we have God becoming a man. In other words, 00:18:30.64\00:18:34.08 he took two steps down. 00:18:34.18\00:18:36.85 You know, that's like me becoming an ant. 00:18:37.81\00:18:39.81 Can you imagine? Like just. 00:18:40.98\00:18:42.72 Hey, that's like I mean, what does that even become? 00:18:43.49\00:18:47.06 I mean, who would want to become an ant what type of 00:18:47.09\00:18:51.46 existence would that be? 00:18:51.56\00:18:53.53 And here the Bible points out that He's not even an upper 00:18:54.13\00:18:57.37 class ant, He's like an impoverished ant 00:18:57.47\00:19:01.77 and this is mind-boggling for us to even imagine. 00:19:01.80\00:19:05.04 Now, theologians for centuries have been grappling with 00:19:08.34\00:19:14.95 this idea of God being transcendent. 00:19:14.98\00:19:19.52 In other words transcendence is this notion that 00:19:19.55\00:19:23.09 God is beyond us. 00:19:23.12\00:19:24.46 You know, the Bible says that the heavens can't even contain 00:19:24.49\00:19:27.00 God. And when you look at the universe and our Milky Way 00:19:27.10\00:19:31.07 galaxy alone. It takes a 100,000 light years to go from one end 00:19:31.13\00:19:34.70 to the other. That means traveling at the speed of light 00:19:34.77\00:19:37.31 186,000 miles per second. It would take you a 100,000 00:19:37.41\00:19:42.81 years to go from one end to the other. And that's just one of 00:19:42.88\00:19:48.35 billions of galaxies and the Bible indicates that Jesus 00:19:48.42\00:19:54.52 created it all. In other words, God is bigger, 00:19:55.79\00:19:58.66 than the universe so God is transcendent. He's beyond us... 00:19:59.49\00:20:02.66 and the Bible indicates that that there is this mystery of 00:20:02.96\00:20:06.77 God. We can't even grasp the vastness of God. And I believe 00:20:06.84\00:20:11.61 that throughout the ceaseless ages of eternity that even 00:20:11.67\00:20:14.34 though will be receiving more and more revelations of the 00:20:14.41\00:20:17.88 glory and the love and the character and the goodness of 00:20:17.98\00:20:21.12 God. That even then we will never fully grasp God because 00:20:21.18\00:20:28.89 God is infinite. 00:20:28.92\00:20:30.99 And so God is in a sense mysterious. He's beyond us. 00:20:31.03\00:20:37.00 He's bigger than the universe He's infinite and 00:20:37.07\00:20:42.97 that's transcendence. 00:20:43.00\00:20:44.34 But there's also this idea and this notion 00:20:44.74\00:20:46.98 of what theologians call eminence 00:20:47.94\00:20:50.45 eminence simply means He's near, He's close, He's intimate. 00:20:50.95\00:20:56.69 You know, there's this there's this distant idea of God that 00:20:57.19\00:21:00.39 mysterious beyond us. But the Bible also points out 00:21:00.46\00:21:03.73 that God is with us, He's near us. 00:21:03.83\00:21:07.70 Jesus shall be called Emmanuel, God with us. So God is not 00:21:07.73\00:21:11.77 only transcendent, but He's eminent as well. 00:21:11.83\00:21:16.17 And here in Philippians we have this idea of this big God 00:21:16.91\00:21:21.84 not only coming down to be close to us. But becoming one of us. 00:21:22.51\00:21:29.05 I mean, how do we even grasp this concept of this big God? 00:21:29.08\00:21:39.46 Carl Sagan says that it's estimated that number of stars 00:21:39.49\00:21:42.56 in the universe is greater than the number of grains of 00:21:42.63\00:21:45.50 sand on all the beaches in the world. 00:21:45.60\00:21:49.34 This God that created the universe came and was in the 00:21:51.67\00:22:01.48 very room of Mary. 00:22:01.52\00:22:04.42 This is a concept that Angels marvel at 00:22:05.72\00:22:11.56 God becoming one of us. 00:22:11.59\00:22:14.86 And so, Philippians 2: 5 to 7, I like it in the NIV. 00:22:18.20\00:22:24.41 So here Paul describes the condescension of Jesus 00:22:46.46\00:22:50.87 He becomes one of us, which is humiliation infinite humiliation 00:22:52.40\00:22:55.14 to become as one of us. 00:22:57.31\00:23:01.31 But then the Bible points according to Philippians that he 00:23:01.81\00:23:04.81 didn't come into the pomp palaces of their day. 00:23:04.88\00:23:10.49 He wasn't born with a silver spoon in his mouth. 00:23:10.52\00:23:14.92 He wasn't born in the best hospitals are the best homes are 00:23:14.99\00:23:19.29 the best environment. 00:23:19.36\00:23:20.70 He grew up in the projects. 00:23:22.46\00:23:23.87 He was a peasant. 00:23:24.70\00:23:26.17 In other words, the Bible points out here that he took on 00:23:26.94\00:23:30.91 not only a low class existence but the Bible says he took on 00:23:31.34\00:23:35.78 the form of a servant. And you can see this servant hood of 00:23:35.84\00:23:40.25 Jesus describe throughout the Bible 00:23:40.32\00:23:42.65 and it comes out in this word that is found in the King James 00:23:43.39\00:23:47.99 version to empty oneself. 00:23:48.06\00:23:50.93 And if you look it up in the 00:23:51.29\00:23:52.66 lexicon, it says to completely remove or to 00:23:53.09\00:23:56.00 eliminate elements of high status are ranked by eliminating 00:23:56.06\00:23:59.47 all privileges or prerogatives associated with such status or 00:23:59.53\00:24:03.81 rank to empty oneself to divest oneself a position he emptied 00:24:03.84\00:24:10.58 himself. 00:24:10.65\00:24:12.31 There is nothing like flying that really 00:24:17.59\00:24:24.13 brings out this element of status. 00:24:24.16\00:24:27.73 I usually fly coach because I can't afford 00:24:31.30\00:24:37.74 business class or first class or whatever 00:24:37.77\00:24:39.94 you call it. But every now and then for whatever reason, 00:24:40.08\00:24:43.45 the Stars align. And this particular time, I was getting 00:24:43.48\00:24:47.35 miles with Delta and I heard my name come over the 00:24:47.42\00:24:52.85 intercom as I was waiting for my flight and they said, David 00:24:52.92\00:24:56.29 Chin, please come to the ticket counter and I walked up 00:24:56.36\00:24:58.96 there. And the individual says Mr. Shin, I have good news 00:24:59.03\00:25:04.20 for you. You've been bumped up to first class and I was like, 00:25:04.27\00:25:09.00 oh, Praise God, Praise God. 00:25:09.04\00:25:12.44 And so on Delta they have this special carp that you come in 00:25:12.47\00:25:19.88 for first class and I remember as they said now boarding, 00:25:19.91\00:25:24.95 you know, medallion, Diamond 00:25:26.76\00:25:29.39 first class passengers. And I remember oh, oh. I stood up 00:25:29.42\00:25:34.20 while everyone else is waiting, you know, with their children 00:25:34.93\00:25:37.73 screaming. And we have kids at the time and I was by myself. 00:25:37.80\00:25:40.14 You know, and they're all like each like cattle over there 00:25:41.50\00:25:44.41 and I got called to first class and I went up there and I was 00:25:44.47\00:25:48.04 oh, that must be me and I walked up there kind of smug. 00:25:48.68\00:25:52.41 I'm just being transparent here and walked to the ticket counter 00:25:52.45\00:25:55.38 and they said Mr. Shin, you know, welcome to first class 00:25:55.42\00:25:58.42 I thank you. And I went in there and I sat down 00:25:58.45\00:26:01.96 and I tell you, those of you that have flown first-class 00:26:01.99\00:26:05.26 you know the seats are nice and big. 00:26:05.33\00:26:07.86 And the person comes out and says Mr. Shin, would you 00:26:07.90\00:26:14.07 like to read the New York Times or the Wall Street 00:26:14.14\00:26:17.51 Journal. And I'm like I like to read one of those saying thank 00:26:17.61\00:26:21.28 you and they said. Would you like anything to drink. 00:26:21.34\00:26:24.05 And I said yes, I'd like some orange juice and they bring out 00:26:24.15\00:26:26.51 in the special Cup. I've never seen in my life and they bring a 00:26:26.58\00:26:29.92 special napkin that they don't just call a napkin 00:26:29.98\00:26:31.99 it's called a serviette. 00:26:32.02\00:26:33.36 Yeah. And they serve you and I was this is amazing to 00:26:33.76\00:26:37.13 better spoons, better, better everything and then they maybe 00:26:37.23\00:26:41.20 they pull curtain so you don't have to see those animals 00:26:41.26\00:26:45.50 back in coach and I was just like wow! and you use a 00:26:45.53\00:26:51.21 different separate bathroom. 00:26:51.24\00:26:53.04 I tell you after flying first class and then on my next flight 00:26:54.38\00:26:59.78 I had to go back to coach. 00:26:59.81\00:27:01.35 I didn't like being downgraded you know, that's us on flights. 00:27:01.38\00:27:08.69 And this is like a temporary existence. My point is everyone 00:27:10.26\00:27:14.53 likes the upgrade. 00:27:14.56\00:27:16.90 But this is pointing out Jesus took a downgrade 00:27:18.33\00:27:24.34 and this downgrade was not a temporary downgrade 00:27:24.37\00:27:28.74 in terms of taking on humanity. 00:27:28.78\00:27:30.45 This was an eternal downgrade. 00:27:31.21\00:27:34.02 In other words, Jesus will forever retain 00:27:34.12\00:27:38.69 the human nature. That's why when he comes in the clouds of 00:27:39.45\00:27:41.79 glory He is called the son of man. In other words, throughout 00:27:41.86\00:27:44.89 the ceaseless ages of eternity one third of the Godhead will 00:27:44.96\00:27:51.30 forever identify itself with humanity. In other words, 00:27:51.37\00:27:55.20 incoming down to save us. He elevated the entire race by his 00:27:55.27\00:28:00.08 eternal condescension of forever being as one of us. 00:28:00.48\00:28:05.78 What a theme for meditation. 00:28:07.78\00:28:10.29 The Bible says in John 1:1, the word was God. 00:28:11.42\00:28:14.39 The word became flesh. John 1:14 Emanuel God 00:28:16.73\00:28:21.20 with us. Jesus descended down to serve our needs. He lived with 00:28:21.26\00:28:24.57 us. John. One 14 he ate with us, Matthew chapter, 21 verse 32. 00:28:24.63\00:28:29.07 He knelt down and washed his disciples feet. He came down to 00:28:29.14\00:28:34.61 serve. Now we can't talk about Jesus being a servant, 00:28:34.68\00:28:39.85 then going to the classic example of His servanthood. 00:28:39.88\00:28:42.78 and I invite you to turn with me your Bibles again to 00:28:42.82\00:28:45.69 John chapter 13 verses 00:28:45.72\00:28:47.66 one through 7 as we reflect very quickly on this demonstration of 00:28:47.69\00:28:52.96 Jesus not only becoming a man but taking on the role of 00:28:52.99\00:28:58.23 a servant. John 13:1- 5 and read through very quickly. 00:28:58.30\00:29:02.64 Now, let me just paint the picture here for you 00:29:43.01\00:29:46.11 a little bit. It was customary in those days 00:29:46.15\00:29:49.18 that when you arrived at a meal, 00:29:50.89\00:29:53.36 there would be a particular individual, a servant 00:29:54.49\00:29:58.16 that would wash the feet of the guest. 00:29:59.49\00:30:03.06 This happened. 00:30:03.10\00:30:05.30 It was like washing your hands when you came to a meal 00:30:05.33\00:30:08.44 and in this particular occasion, the last supper 00:30:08.47\00:30:13.21 with the disciples. 00:30:13.27\00:30:14.61 This scene the pretext or I should say the environment 00:30:15.34\00:30:20.95 into which these disciples came was that there was this 00:30:21.05\00:30:23.69 discussion about who was the greatest. And so those are great 00:30:23.72\00:30:26.96 bit of animosity and rivalry among the disciples because they 00:30:27.06\00:30:30.46 have this picture. Then in the kingdom, those a certain 00:30:30.53\00:30:32.79 hierarchy and everyone wanted the right hand and the left hand 00:30:32.86\00:30:36.03 of Jesus to sit on the right or left because they assume that 00:30:36.10\00:30:38.90 uses coming as a political entity. 00:30:38.97\00:30:41.57 So all of these guys are rivals and they're all assuming that 00:30:42.10\00:30:45.01 they're going to be you know, you know, these governors 00:30:45.07\00:30:49.38 in Christ, new Kingdom. And this is this is that the context into 00:30:49.44\00:30:53.42 which the disciples come to the upper room. Now Jesus is it just 00:30:53.52\00:30:56.69 about go the cross and they're still dealing with these worldly 00:30:56.72\00:30:59.09 presuppositions. These ideas from culture about what 00:30:59.15\00:31:02.29 greatness is. 00:31:02.36\00:31:03.73 And the Desire of Ages paints this picture because they 00:31:04.06\00:31:06.73 come to the room and they're wearing not shoes like 00:31:06.80\00:31:10.47 we have today that are covered. The wearing sandals. So you can 00:31:10.50\00:31:13.17 imagine these feet are dusty, dirty and perhaps caked with 00:31:13.23\00:31:19.67 mud, especially if they had rain just before. 00:31:19.74\00:31:23.88 So these feet or not like feet of today. 00:31:24.15\00:31:26.82 You know, I don't even like, you know, feet, period. 00:31:26.85\00:31:31.45 I mean, who likes feet? 00:31:32.42\00:31:33.76 And I don't like touching other people's feet, you know. 00:31:34.06\00:31:38.06 And so here, you know, in most feet are clean nowadays 00:31:38.16\00:31:42.00 because we wear shoes comparatively to the first 00:31:42.06\00:31:44.47 century. So the disciples come to that upper room and they 00:31:44.53\00:31:48.64 sit down and in your sanctified imagination. Imagine that 00:31:48.67\00:31:53.24 they're all sitting there and there's no servants 00:31:53.31\00:31:58.88 and it gets very awkward and the book Desire of Ages 00:31:58.91\00:32:04.42 indicates that the Jesus paused and there is no disciple 00:32:04.45\00:32:10.96 that is going to just be beneath himself 00:32:10.99\00:32:17.17 to wash. Yeah, we have what, 12 sets a feet 00:32:17.77\00:32:22.77 in that upper room. 12 disciples, right. Twelve sets of 00:32:23.64\00:32:26.47 feet. That's 24 feet. That's a lot of feet and these are 00:32:26.54\00:32:30.45 probably not clean feet. So 24 individual feet or foot anyway. 00:32:30.55\00:32:36.69 Someone correct me later because so they are all around there. 00:32:36.72\00:32:38.62 There are 24 sets and no disciple is going to get up to 00:32:38.69\00:32:41.66 do this and there's a tension in the air. You ever been in that 00:32:41.69\00:32:46.26 awkward silence there, just like who's going to move. 00:32:46.33\00:32:48.50 You know, who's going to be the person that's going to wash 00:32:48.56\00:32:51.50 these feet. You know, the meal can't go on. And when 00:32:51.57\00:32:54.67 the tension gets to a certain point. 00:32:54.74\00:32:56.54 Jesus, the God of the universe, the God that every disciple 00:32:59.11\00:33:07.62 should be washing His feet. 00:33:07.65\00:33:10.19 The God who breathed worlds into existence. 00:33:11.12\00:33:14.69 This God, the big God gets up... 00:33:14.72\00:33:18.76 You know, he not only stepped down became as one of us. 00:33:18.79\00:33:23.37 He gets up and the Bible says girds a towel around Him 00:33:23.67\00:33:28.47 pours the water and then instantly in the minds 00:33:29.34\00:33:32.11 of the disciples. 00:33:32.14\00:33:33.48 This is this is shocking. 00:33:34.08\00:33:35.41 This is shocking. 00:33:36.95\00:33:38.28 You know, if you don't have the book Desire of Ages I encourage 00:33:38.75\00:33:40.62 you to read the book, Desire of Ages because she paints a 00:33:40.72\00:33:43.25 picture there. 00:33:43.39\00:33:44.72 The book Desire of Ages indicates that that as He starts 00:33:45.02\00:33:48.52 with the disciples and goes around to each one and washes 00:33:49.02\00:33:54.30 their feet. I don't think that this was 00:33:54.33\00:33:58.07 quick washing, it took some time, especially 00:33:58.10\00:34:03.24 can you imagine going to Judas? 00:34:03.27\00:34:05.64 I believe that He lingered at Judas's feet recognizing that 00:34:05.67\00:34:11.58 this man is about to betray Him. 00:34:11.65\00:34:12.98 This is an opportunity for repentance washing the feet of 00:34:13.62\00:34:16.69 His betrayer goes around to every single one. 00:34:16.72\00:34:22.86 The disciples never forgot that lesson, I mean, it stayed 00:34:22.89\00:34:30.77 with them for the rest of their lives. 00:34:30.80\00:34:35.14 Can you imagine then, of course He comes to Peter. 00:34:35.17\00:34:39.41 You come to verse six: 00:34:40.71\00:34:43.24 Wow. It. In other words, Jesus just performs this 00:35:59.79\00:36:03.09 unthinkable act. And I believe entire universe is just watching 00:36:03.19\00:36:06.93 with bated breath as He is washing His disciples feet and 00:36:07.00\00:36:09.80 then afterwards, he says, look, 00:36:09.86\00:36:11.20 this is way the way the kingdom of heaven works. 00:36:12.10\00:36:14.84 I am modeling the values of the kingdom of God. 00:36:15.14\00:36:19.31 This is a revelation as to who God is at the very heart of God 00:36:19.84\00:36:25.28 is the heart of a servant. 00:36:26.82\00:36:29.55 And this was such an important value, 00:36:29.58\00:36:32.65 He demonstrated this to each of his disciples. 00:36:33.36\00:36:35.29 They never forgot this for the rest of their lives. 00:36:38.86\00:36:41.16 Do you think that this precedents molded the ethos 00:36:41.86\00:36:46.94 of the early Christian church? 00:36:46.97\00:36:49.64 Absolutely. 00:36:49.84\00:36:51.17 Absolutely what a God we serve. 00:36:51.21\00:36:55.98 One person said, precisely because He was God 00:36:56.01\00:37:02.65 He became a servant. 00:37:02.68\00:37:05.05 Therefore, the essential nature of God is to be a servant. 00:37:05.09\00:37:09.16 Being a servant is not an exception to His nature. 00:37:09.22\00:37:12.49 It is His nature. 00:37:14.96\00:37:16.30 You can see that the path of Jesus is what we would call 00:37:17.87\00:37:22.80 downward mobility. 00:37:22.84\00:37:24.74 It is a descendant path. He became a man and he became a 00:37:24.77\00:37:30.85 servant and became obedient to death. Even the death of the 00:37:30.88\00:37:34.15 cross. The description in Philippians 2 is downward 00:37:34.22\00:37:37.99 not upward, downward mobility, descendant into service. 00:37:38.02\00:37:43.22 And Paul says let this mind be in you 00:37:43.26\00:37:45.26 was also in Jesus who descended in the incarnation 00:37:45.29\00:37:49.00 who descended in the servant hood and washing 00:37:49.03\00:37:52.70 the disciples feet who descended into death. The trajectory of 00:37:52.77\00:37:56.81 Jesus is downward, not upward. 00:37:56.84\00:38:00.28 You know how many times we think that that it's all about upward 00:38:01.04\00:38:04.15 mobility. But you can see the very heart of God. The very 00:38:04.25\00:38:06.95 mindset of God as exemplified in the revelation of Jesus Christ. 00:38:07.02\00:38:10.99 It's not to move up, but to move down. 00:38:11.32\00:38:14.92 Now, I like to contrast this with another familiar verse 00:38:14.99\00:38:18.63 in description of Lucifer because we see that the path 00:38:18.66\00:38:22.96 of Jesus is downward mobility downward into 00:38:23.00\00:38:25.67 service will be see in Isaiah versus 12 through 14 00:38:25.73\00:38:29.34 that Lucifer had a different picture of what he should be. 00:38:29.67\00:38:35.54 Isaiah chapter 14 verse is 12 to 14. 00:38:36.85\00:38:41.02 Notice the egocentric focus of this verse, I will ascend, I 00:39:08.14\00:39:13.45 will exalt. It's in a chiastic structure, meaning that this 00:39:13.48\00:39:18.72 Hebrew parallelism in this verse. Yes, I will ascend, I 00:39:18.75\00:39:22.09 will exalt and the point of this chiastic structure is I will 00:39:22.19\00:39:26.36 sit on the Mount of the congregation on the fun farthest 00:39:26.43\00:39:31.27 sides of the north. In other words, Lucifer did not want to 00:39:31.33\00:39:34.97 be like God. He wanted to be God. 00:39:35.04\00:39:38.74 And this is the ascendant path. 00:39:38.77\00:39:42.48 This is the opposite of Jesus. This is upward mobility Jesus 00:39:43.24\00:39:48.22 descends into service. Lucifer says I will ascent. 00:39:48.28\00:39:51.92 I will exalt. I will be God. 00:39:53.49\00:39:56.96 And this is at the very heart of what it means to be 00:39:57.03\00:40:01.20 and to have the mind of Lucifer at the heart of Lucifer 00:40:02.96\00:40:08.90 is upward mobility it's to move up. 00:40:08.94\00:40:13.31 The heart of Jesus is to move down 00:40:13.38\00:40:17.65 the heart of Lucifer is to ascent. 00:40:17.68\00:40:21.85 We can see that Lucifer is an ascendant 00:40:23.49\00:40:28.19 dominance-oriented path. 00:40:28.22\00:40:31.59 The path of Jesus is descendant and incarnation. 00:40:32.56\00:40:38.87 When I began ministry, something called Nguyen ministry 00:40:38.90\00:40:49.08 that the pastors that were unordained would come together, 00:40:49.11\00:40:52.95 regular intervals during the year to receive training 00:40:52.98\00:40:56.79 for ordination. And I can remember being a young 00:40:56.82\00:41:02.16 aspiring pastor. That was un- ordained that the conversations 00:41:02.19\00:41:08.10 would many times go something like this. Some day 00:41:08.13\00:41:12.43 I'm going to be Conference President, I'm just being real 00:41:12.47\00:41:18.51 someday I'm going to be Ms. Carroll director. 00:41:18.54\00:41:23.35 I remember one of my friends one time said someday you never 00:41:24.05\00:41:26.55 know. I may be GC president. I mean, this is the sentiment 00:41:26.61\00:41:30.49 that's in the minds of individuals. Even in ministry. 00:41:30.69\00:41:33.76 In other words, no one wants that podium church out in the 00:41:33.86\00:41:36.86 middle of nowhere everyone wants that large Church of thousands 00:41:36.93\00:41:42.56 that his televised internationally. 00:41:42.63\00:41:45.23 So we can see this attitude even comes among ministers, 00:41:46.74\00:41:53.11 among God's people. In other words, we're not immune 00:41:53.14\00:41:57.65 to bringing some of these ideas of Lucifer even into the church. 00:41:57.71\00:42:01.78 In other words, we're not content with that small church 00:42:02.18\00:42:06.39 or that small district. This is a temporary stepping stone and 00:42:06.45\00:42:10.93 everyone has visions in the beginning of their ministry to 00:42:10.99\00:42:14.70 be somebody. 00:42:14.76\00:42:16.10 I remember when I received the call, to pastor in Alaska. 00:42:19.00\00:42:23.84 You know, for those in the lower 48, we have this vision of 00:42:23.91\00:42:28.98 Alaska that you see in the History Channel of igloos 00:42:29.04\00:42:34.32 and individuals that that are being pulled on a dog sled 00:42:35.08\00:42:39.15 out in the middle of nowhere polar bears and seals and 00:42:39.19\00:42:43.22 so forth and I received a call to Alaska and 00:42:43.26\00:42:45.83 I was so startled by the call and I said Lord this is your 00:42:45.86\00:42:48.80 call I don't want to go up there in the middle of nowhere 00:42:48.83\00:42:51.60 without your confirmation. I said I need you to sell 00:42:51.67\00:42:55.97 my house this week and the house sold just like that. 00:42:56.00\00:42:58.34 That is, oh, here we go. And I thought to myself, Lord. 00:42:58.37\00:43:02.51 What did I do wrong? You're sending me out to oblivion. 00:43:02.54\00:43:07.78 You're sending me out to exile. You know what did I do 00:43:07.82\00:43:10.79 wrong and I remember people would say like a David 00:43:10.89\00:43:13.19 why Alaska? And I said the Lord calls, and it wasn't on my 00:43:13.22\00:43:18.36 bucket list of places to go on division of places that I wanted 00:43:18.39\00:43:22.03 to be. In my mind. It wasn't upward mobility. 00:43:24.37\00:43:26.17 You're putting me in Seward's icebox, as it were. 00:43:26.20\00:43:30.97 Remember that saying that little did they know 00:43:31.01\00:43:33.51 greatest secret, by the way, had a wonderful time in 00:43:33.58\00:43:36.14 Alaska. And you know, friends, if you're watching this from 00:43:36.18\00:43:38.55 Alaska, you know, I love you. I'm just I'm just being 00:43:38.61\00:43:40.32 transparent here. But. 00:43:40.35\00:43:41.68 But you can see that this idea comes even into ministry. 00:43:41.72\00:43:44.22 And we can see that the disciples are not immune to this 00:43:44.29\00:43:47.26 type of thinking either because in Matthew chapter, 20: 21 00:43:47.29\00:43:51.26 Matthew chapter 20:20-21: 00:43:52.36\00:43:56.16 Nothing like parents. If you're the mother Jesus comes to Jesus 00:44:15.45\00:44:18.82 probably in a backroom away from the other disciples 00:44:18.85\00:44:22.69 and said Jesus please when you come in your kingdom, my boys 00:44:22.72\00:44:29.03 one on the right and the other on the left. Please. 00:44:29.06\00:44:35.04 Being a parent I can relate now. We named our son 00:44:37.74\00:44:43.45 Hudson Michael Chin. Hudson after the great missionary 00:44:43.48\00:44:50.19 to China and his initials just happened to be H M S. 00:44:50.22\00:44:55.99 No pressure. And you know, a father's heart we just 00:44:57.03\00:44:59.76 want our son. You know, 00:44:59.93\00:45:02.03 I just imagine someday if he follows the heritage of HMS 00:45:02.13\00:45:05.33 Richard senior if he becomes a preacher and I'm sitting there 00:45:05.40\00:45:08.27 as a father watching my son preach and say ahhh. You know, 00:45:08.37\00:45:11.81 praise God, this is a father's heart. 00:45:11.87\00:45:14.74 This is a mother's heart. You can't blame her for coming 00:45:14.81\00:45:16.85 to Jesus making this request. 00:45:16.95\00:45:18.51 Evidently, the news got to the other disciples and verse 24 the 00:45:20.12\00:45:22.98 same chapter when the other 10 disciples heard what James and 00:45:23.05\00:45:26.96 John had asked. They were indignant. 00:45:27.06\00:45:29.36 So Jesus has to do a little damage control 00:45:31.86\00:45:34.10 leadership, one on one. 00:45:34.96\00:45:36.30 Listen to this. 00:45:49.84\00:45:51.18 But Jesus asked in the same passage 00:46:13.17\00:46:15.24 He turned the James and John and said, look, are you willing to 00:46:15.84\00:46:19.74 drink a cup that I'm about to drink. They didn't know what He 00:46:20.61\00:46:23.85 was talking with us. Yes, we're able 00:46:23.88\00:46:25.55 are you willing to be baptized with the baptism, I'm about to 00:46:26.48\00:46:29.45 be baptized with. They said yes, we are able 00:46:29.55\00:46:31.52 it's the baptism of suffering, the cup. With a cup of 00:46:34.39\00:46:40.73 suffering. James, first to be martyred, John lived the longest 00:46:40.76\00:46:50.11 of all during privation on the Isle of Patmos. 00:46:50.14\00:46:55.71 It seems that heavens perspective about greatness is 00:46:56.38\00:47:01.75 is counterintuitive from a worldly standpoint at 00:47:03.05\00:47:08.26 the heart of God is the heart of service. 00:47:08.29\00:47:12.93 Now. If you're following me here. 00:47:12.96\00:47:16.13 The path of Jesus descendant incarnational the path of 00:47:16.20\00:47:22.37 Lucifer, ascendance and dominance oriented in. If you're 00:47:22.44\00:47:26.24 following me on this message about the servant head of Jesus. 00:47:26.31\00:47:29.41 You may ask yourself or ask me the question, David, you know, 00:47:29.51\00:47:32.45 if everyone is descending to service, if everyone's on 00:47:32.51\00:47:37.65 this path of seeking the lowest place then who 00:47:37.72\00:47:41.89 who's going to be conference, president 00:47:41.96\00:47:44.06 or GC president or college president. I mean, you know, 00:47:44.63\00:47:48.63 if everyone is wanting to serve then who's going to 00:47:48.73\00:47:52.00 get any of these positions. 00:47:52.07\00:47:53.64 Well, in reality, the path comes out 00:47:54.24\00:47:59.04 in Philippians chapter 2 because 00:47:59.11\00:48:00.81 Bible points out Let this mind be in you which was also in 00:48:00.88\00:48:03.24 Christ, Jesus who being in the form of God thought it not 00:48:03.35\00:48:05.41 robbery to be equal God but became a servant and 00:48:05.45\00:48:08.08 became obedient unto death. 00:48:08.12\00:48:09.45 Even the death of the cross. He descends and then the 00:48:09.48\00:48:12.55 next verse in verse. 9 says therefore God elevated Him, 00:48:12.62\00:48:18.56 Jesus to the highest place of honor. 00:48:18.66\00:48:21.56 In other words, as we descend to service as we go down in our 00:48:22.13\00:48:26.74 faithful in the role that God has called us to be the 00:48:26.77\00:48:30.94 Lord calls and individual to a higher position not because 00:48:31.01\00:48:35.61 we're politicking. Not because we're about upward mobility, 00:48:35.68\00:48:38.51 not because we are seeking the highest place. But as we 00:48:38.58\00:48:41.92 descend to service like Jesus did. 00:48:41.95\00:48:44.29 God says the Father, He says come up 00:48:44.32\00:48:46.59 and I will exalt your name above every other name. 00:48:46.62\00:48:51.36 In other words, it's the down-up pass. 00:48:51.43\00:48:54.10 It's a passive ascendancy as you are faithful in the role that 00:48:55.06\00:49:00.54 God has called you to be. And as you're acting in the role of 00:49:00.64\00:49:04.51 a servant. It is the Lord that calls you up. 00:49:04.57\00:49:08.84 You can see this throughout scripture. David called to be 00:49:09.51\00:49:13.95 king, God says going to be a Shepherd. 00:49:14.02\00:49:15.72 Moses called to lead and be a general of Israel calling them 00:49:16.25\00:49:20.26 out. You know, leading them out through Canaan in the Exodus, 00:49:20.29\00:49:23.19 be a Shepherd for 40 years. You can see this throughout the 00:49:23.26\00:49:26.63 Bible in James Chapter 4:10 the Bible says Humble 00:49:26.70\00:49:29.93 yourselves in the sight of the Lord and He will lift you up. 00:49:30.00\00:49:36.74 In other words, faithfulness in being a servant. 00:49:37.51\00:49:43.18 And as we are carrying out the task that God has called us to 00:49:43.21\00:49:47.25 be and to do. God says I want to call you up 00:49:47.32\00:49:51.79 to other responsibilities. 00:49:51.82\00:49:54.79 Not because we're seeking it 00:49:55.49\00:49:56.83 not because we're striving for the highest place. 00:49:57.66\00:50:00.10 But because the Lord calls and by God's grace when He calls, 00:50:00.63\00:50:03.97 we said Lord, like Isaiah, here am I. Revelation 3:21 says: 00:50:04.07\00:50:13.04 As I also overcame and sat down with my father on his throne. 00:50:21.32\00:50:24.62 And here's the irony. Those who take that down path to service 00:50:24.69\00:50:30.46 will occupy the throne where Lucifer hoped to rest. 00:50:30.83\00:50:35.90 Did you hear that. In other words, the very Throne of 00:50:36.53\00:50:39.90 God that Lucifer wanted to sit on, if you go down 00:50:39.93\00:50:43.27 to service, God says to him that overcomes I will grant 00:50:43.30\00:50:47.48 to sit with me on my throne. That's the ultimate 00:50:49.41\00:50:51.81 calling of. And friends there's no better place to be 00:50:51.85\00:51:00.46 than service for mankind. That's the highest place 00:51:01.79\00:51:07.20 that we can be. And as we are faithful in the role that God 00:51:07.23\00:51:10.67 has called us to be. I know individuals that are always 00:51:10.70\00:51:14.07 unfaithful in the place that God has put them. 00:51:14.14\00:51:17.91 Not recognizing that its faithfulness in that task 00:51:17.94\00:51:21.71 that fits them for higher responsibilities. 00:51:22.74\00:51:26.18 Let's be faithful by His grace. 00:51:27.02\00:51:28.68 I remember distinctly my first camp meeting. 00:51:32.89\00:51:39.43 Camp meeting is a place during summer that we have this. 00:51:40.50\00:51:45.20 Spiritual kind of retreat for the churches. 00:51:45.27\00:51:49.10 In the state or an area and pastors come together and we 00:51:49.17\00:51:53.17 we set up for camp meeting by having something called 00:51:53.68\00:51:56.95 camp pitch. 00:51:57.38\00:51:59.41 It's where you get the grounds ready, 00:51:59.45\00:52:02.72 put up tents and so forth. And back in 00:52:02.75\00:52:05.95 In the old days, they used to set tents and so forth. 00:52:06.02\00:52:09.09 And having this been my first year at camp meeting 00:52:09.12\00:52:14.60 I was shocked when I was assigned to the stake crew. 00:52:14.63\00:52:20.07 A stake crew being that there were literally hundreds of these 00:52:20.84\00:52:25.11 stakes about 6 feet high that you have to drive 00:52:25.34\00:52:29.01 into the ground. 00:52:29.04\00:52:30.38 There was these like stake drivers, kind like a pipe with 00:52:30.45\00:52:33.11 handles on the end of it in usually took 2 of us one on 00:52:33.18\00:52:35.78 each. And then we would drive the stakes into the ground. 00:52:35.85\00:52:38.59 And we were just praying that it rained before because it didn't 00:52:38.65\00:52:41.49 rain. The ground was really hard and especially if it was rocky. 00:52:41.56\00:52:45.26 I mean, it was jarring, and there were times when you're 00:52:45.33\00:52:47.96 driving this thing into the ground and it would catch on the 00:52:48.03\00:52:50.47 top and they were pastors because it caught on the top 00:52:50.50\00:52:53.77 that heavy... I don't know what it is, steel stake driver would 00:52:53.80\00:52:57.04 fall on the head of the pastor and this, you know, there would 00:52:57.11\00:52:59.37 be bleeding and Emergency Room. It was jarring work and just 00:52:59.44\00:53:03.35 dreadful. You know, one of the toughest things were for me 00:53:06.85\00:53:11.65 was when I would be driving these stakes 00:53:11.69\00:53:15.02 is that the conference officials would 00:53:15.06\00:53:18.36 be riding around on their golf carts. 00:53:20.00\00:53:24.93 And I remember driving the stakes in the hot sun while 00:53:24.97\00:53:30.41 conference officials are riding around, you know, supervising 00:53:30.51\00:53:34.08 and I was just like. Wow! Just really. 00:53:34.11\00:53:39.25 and being honest and transparent. I wanted to ascent. 00:53:39.28\00:53:46.76 I wanted to be on that golf cart and my goal at camp meeting, 00:53:47.36\00:53:50.93 one day was to be sitting on one of those golf carts. 00:53:51.56\00:53:56.36 I'll never forget it, one day conference president 00:53:56.40\00:54:01.10 rolled up in his golf cart. Now it's like, oh, what did I do 00:54:01.14\00:54:05.81 now. So I better get busy here, and how are you doing elder? 00:54:05.84\00:54:09.61 Hot day isn't it? you know I'm driving these stakes in. 00:54:10.35\00:54:14.22 Never forget it, conference president got off the golf cart 00:54:14.25\00:54:18.12 put on his gloves and shoulder to shoulder 00:54:19.52\00:54:24.16 with the rest of us unordained ministers like myself drove 00:54:24.23\00:54:29.10 those stakes into the ground for hours. 00:54:29.16\00:54:34.80 I tell you that did something to me. 00:54:34.84\00:54:40.48 I was like where you go, I will go where you die 00:54:40.51\00:54:45.61 I will die, like Ruth and there I will be buried 00:54:45.65\00:54:50.79 I will be in this conference for the rest of my life because 00:54:50.82\00:54:52.65 he didn't have to do that. You know, he took the decedent 00:54:52.72\00:54:55.36 path. He got off the golf cart and took the role of 00:54:55.42\00:54:58.99 a servant next to us. And it reminds me how much more 00:54:59.03\00:55:02.53 the God of the universe, descended and became as one 00:55:03.97\00:55:09.74 of us and served and that is the reason 00:55:09.77\00:55:14.51 that motivates us throughout the ceaseless ages of eternity 00:55:14.58\00:55:20.42 the as we recognize that this God and the universe, this big 00:55:20.52\00:55:25.09 vast transcendent God became a human being, a human being 00:55:25.15\00:55:33.33 and will forever retain human nature. 00:55:33.36\00:55:37.00 That is what causes us to in spontaneous just utterances 00:55:37.83\00:55:44.97 of praise and worship because of this revelation of who God is. 00:55:45.01\00:55:51.81 Praise His name. Praise the heart of God! 00:55:51.85\00:55:57.75 Philippians Chapter 2: 00:55:57.79\00:56:00.36 It's my prayer that each one of us would be 00:56:24.81\00:56:28.52 touched by this demonstration of the heart of God 00:56:28.55\00:56:31.55 that as we see who God is that our hearts would be touched 00:56:31.59\00:56:37.43 and that we by the grace of God can ask Him for the same 00:56:37.73\00:56:42.20 mind of Jesus Christ. Is that your desire today? 00:56:42.26\00:56:46.00 I know it is. By God's grace, raise your hand wherever you are 00:56:46.60\00:56:49.37 and ask him to give you the mind Jesus Christ. May God bless you 00:56:49.44\00:56:54.68 and keep you to that end. 00:56:54.74\00:56:56.08 Praise His name. 00:56:57.55\00:56:58.88 [MUSIC] 00:56:58.91\00:57:01.62 His body was broken 00:57:01.75\00:57:03.49 so that we could live-giving us the gift of eternal life. 00:57:04.92\00:57:08.69 He pursues us relentlessly with an everlasting love. 00:57:10.66\00:57:14.66 Regardless of our failures and mistakes. 00:57:15.76\00:57:18.40 The One Loves us like no other. 00:57:18.43\00:57:22.34 This is who Jesus is. 00:57:24.61\00:57:26.37 [MUSIC] 00:57:26.68\00:57:59.94