Participants: Dr. David DeRose
Series Code: SSH
Program Code: SSH021637A
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00:01 >>I LOVE THE QUOTE: "THE GREATEST WANT OF THE WORLD IS
00:03 THE WANT OF MEN ... MEN WHO WILL STAND FOR THE RIGHT THOUGH THE 00:06 HEAVENS FALL." YET STUDIES ARE SHOWING, FOR 00:09 SEVERAL YEARS NOW, THE SECULAR MEDIA AND CULTURE HAVE SOUGHT 00:13 TO PORTRAY MEN AS THE FAMILY IDIOTS. 00:16 SADLY, RESPECT FOR THE ROLE OF FATHERS AND HUSBANDS HAS REACHED 00:21 AN ALL-TIME LOW. SO NOW, AS THE DISPIRITED MEN 00:24 ABANDON THEIR ROLES OF GODLY LEADERSHIP, IT'S NOT SURPRISING 00:28 THAT WE'RE EXPERIENCING A MORAL FREE-FALL IN OUR COUNTRY. 00:32 THAT'S WHY, STARTING SEPTEMBER 30TH I'LL BE PRESENTING A NEW 00:34 PROGRAM CALLED MIGHTY MEN OF GOD . 00:38 USING BIBLICAL PRINCIPLES, THIS ENCOURAGING FOUR-PART SERIES 00:41 WILL ADDRESS HOW TO BE A LOVING FATHER, FAITHFUL HUSBAND, AND 00:45 ALL-AROUND MAN OF GOD IN THE FAMILY CHURCH AND NATION. 00:48 PLEASE PLAN NOW TO JOIN ME FOR THIS LIVE EVENT AND LEARN FROM 00:52 THE WORD HOW TO LIVE COURAGEOUSLY FOR THE KING. 01:00 (MUSIC) 01:35 >>HELLO FRIENDS. WELCOME AGAIN TO SABBATH 01:37 SCHOOL STUDY HOUR. A VERY WARM WELCOME TO OUR 01:39 FRIENDS JOINING US IN OUR EXTENDED SABBATH SCHOOL CLASS, 01:42 ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND AROUND THE WORLD. 01:44 THANK YOU FOR JOINING US THIS MORNING AND STUDYING TOGETHER. 01:47 AND ALSO FOR THE MEMBERS AND THOSE WHO ARE VISITING HERE AT 01:49 THE GRANITE BAY CHURCH - A VERY WARM WELCOME TO ALL OF YOU AS 01:52 WELL. WE DO HAVE A FREE OFFER THAT 01:54 GOES ALONG WITH OUR STUDY FOR TODAY, IT'S A BOOK ENTITLED 01:58 HIGHER STILL AND THIS IS FREE TO THOSE WHO CALL AND ASK. 02:02 THE NUMBER TO CALL IS 866-788-3966 AND YOU CAN ASK FOR 02:08 OFFER #816. THAT NUMBER AGAIN IS 866-788-3966 AND ASK FOR OFFER 02:16 #816 - WE'LL BE HAPPY TO SEND YOU THIS BOOK FOR FURTHER STUDY 02:20 AND A CLEARER UNDERSTANDING OF THE TEACHINGS OF THE BIBLE. 02:23 OUR LESSON TODAY IS LESSON #11 AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING THROUGH 02:27 OUR LESSON QUARTERLY DEALING WITH THE ROLE OF THE CHURCH IN 02:29 THE COMMUNITY. TODAY'S LESSON IS ENTITLED 02:32 JESUS BADE THEM, 'FOLLOW ME' . IF YOU DON'T HAVE A COPY OF OUR 02:36 STUDY TODAY, YOU CAN GO TO THE AMAZING FACTS WEBSITE AND JUST 02:39 DOWNLOAD LESSON #11 - JESUS BADE THEM, 'FOLLOW ME' AND YOU CAN 02:42 STUDY ALONG WITH US AND FOLLOW ALONG WITH THE NOTES. 02:46 BEFORE WE GET TO OUR STUDY THOUGH, WE'D LIKE TO BEGIN BY 02:48 LIFTING OUR VOICES IN PRAISE. WE'D LIKE TO INVITE THE SONG 02:51 LEADERS TO COME AND JOIN ME AND LET'S SING TOGETHER AS WE PRAISE 02:55 GOD FOR HIS GOODNESS AND ALSO THE OPPORTUNITY WE 02:58 HAVE TO STUDY HIS WORD. >>THANK YOU, PASTOR ROSS. 03:04 AND THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE JOINING US, LIKE YOU DO EVERY WEEK YOU 03:07 KNOW WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO: WE'RE GOING TO SING! 03:10 AND WE ARE READY TO SING HERE AT GRANITE BAY SO IF YOU'D PULL OUT 03:13 YOUR HYMNALS AND JOIN WITH US, OUR FIRST ONE IS #369 - BRINGING 03:17 IN THE SHEAVES - WE'LL DO ALL THREE STANZAS - #369. 03:22 (PIANO MUSIC) >>SOWING IN THE MORNING, SOWING 03:29 SEEDS OF KINDNESS, SOWING IN THE NOONTIDE AND THE DEWY EVE; 03:36 WAITING FOR THE HARVEST, AND THE TIME OF REAPING, WE SHALL COME 03:42 REJOICING, BRINGING IN THE SHEAVES. 03:45 BRINGING IN THE SHEAVES, BRINGING IN THE SHEAVES, 03:50 WE SHALL COME REJOICING, BRINGING IN THE SHEAVES. 03:55 BRINGING IN THE SHEAVES, BRINGING IN THE SHEAVES, 04:00 WE SHALL COME REJOICING, BRINGING IN THE SHEAVES. 04:05 SOWING IN THE SUNSHINE, SOWING IN THE SHADOWS, FEARING NEITHER 04:11 CLOUDS NOR WINTER'S CHILLING BREEZE; BY AND BY THE HARVEST, 04:17 AND THE LABOR ENDED, WE SHALL COME REJOICING, BRINGING IN THE 04:23 SHEAVES, BRINGING IN THE SHEAVES, BRINGING IN THE 04:28 SHEAVES, WE SHALL COME REJOICING, BRINGING IN THE 04:33 SHEAVES. BRINGING IN THE SHEAVES, BRINGING IN THE 04:38 SHEAVES, WE SHALL COME REJOICING, BRINGING IN THE 04:43 SHEAVES. GOING FORTH WITH WEEPING, SOWING 04:48 FOR THE MASTER, THOUGH THE LOSS SUSTAINED, OUR SPIRIT OFTEN 04:53 GRIEVES, WHEN OUR WEEPING'S OVER, HE WILL BID US WELCOME, 04:59 WE SHALL COME REJOICING, BRINGING IN THE SHEAVES. 05:04 BRINGING IN THE SHEAVES, BRINGING IN THE SHEAVES, WE 05:09 SHALL COME REJOICING, BRINGING IN THE SHEAVES. 05:14 BRINGING IN THE SHEAVES, BRINGING IN THE SHEAVES, 05:18 WE SHALL COME REJOICING, BRINGING IN THE SHEAVES. 05:26 >>OUR NEXT SONG IS THINE IS THE GLORY - #171 - 05:33 I REALLY LIKE THIS SONG. IT'S ONE WE DON'T SING VERY 05:35 OFTEN AND SO, IF IT'S NEW TO YOU, JOIN WITH US AND YOU WILL 05:40 LEARN IT - #171 - WE'RE ALSO GOING TO DO ALL THREE 05:42 STANZAS OF THIS ONE. (PIANO MUSIC) 05:54 >>THINE IS THE GLORY, RISEN, CONQUERING SON; ENDLESS IS THE 06:04 VICTORY THOU O'ER DEATH HAS WON. ANGELS IN BRIGHT RAIMENT ROLLED 06:15 THE STONE AWAY, KEPT THE FOLDED GRAVE CLOTHES WHERE THY BODY 06:25 LAY. THINE IS THE GLORY, RISEN, 06:32 CONQUERING SON; ENDLESS IS THE VICTORY THOU O'ER 06:40 DEATH HAST WON. LO! JESUS MEETS US. 06:48 RISEN FROM THE TOMB, LOVINGLY HE GREETS US, SCATTERS FEAR AND 06:58 GLOOM; LET HIS CHURCH WITH GLADNESS HYMNS OF TRIUMPH SING, 07:09 FOR HER LORD NOW LIVETH; DEATH HATH LOST ITS STING THINE IS THE 07:19 GLORY, RISEN, CONQUERING SON; ENDLESS IS THE VICTORY THOU O'ER 07:31 DEATH HAST WON. NO MORE WE DOUBT THEE, GLORIOUS PRINCE OF LIFE! 07:42 LIFE IS NOUGHT WITHOUT THEE; AID US IN OUR STRIFE; MAKE US MORE 07:52 THAN CONQUERORS, THROUGH THY DEATHLESS LOVE; BRING US SAFE 08:00 THROUGH JORDAN TO THY HOME ABOVE. 08:07 THINE IS THE GLORY, RISEN, CONQUERING SON; ENDLESS IS THE 08:18 VICTORY THOU O'ER DEATH HAST WON. 08:27 >>THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING WITH US AND, AT THIS TIME, 08:30 PASTOR ROSS WILL HAVE PRAYER FOR US. 08:35 >>LET'S BOW OUR HEADS FOR PRAYER. 08:37 DEAR FATHER IN HEAVEN, ONCE AGAIN WE ARE GRATEFUL THAT WE 08:40 ARE ABLE TO GATHER TOGETHER AND OPEN UP THE BIBLE AND STUDY 08:42 TOGETHER. AND THIS ENTIRE QUARTER WE HAVE 08:44 BEEN LOOKING AT THE EXAMPLE THAT JESUS HAS SET FOR US IN SHARING 08:48 WITH OTHERS AND MINISTERING TO THEIR NEEDS. 08:50 SO ONCE AGAIN, AS WE TURN OUR ATTENTION UPON JESUS' TEACHING, 08:53 WE ASK FOR YOUR BLESSING. IN JESUS' NAME, AMEN. 08:57 >>OUR LESSON TODAY IS GOING TO BE BROUGHT TO US BY DR. DAVID 09:00 DEROSE. THANK YOU DR. DEROSE. >>WELL, WE'RE CONTINUING OUR 09:13 JOURNEY LOOKING AT THE ROLE OF THE CHURCH IN THE COMMUNITY AND 09:18 WE'RE JUMPING INTO LESSON #11 ON THAT JOURNEY. WE'VE BEEN LOOKING 09:22 AT A PIVOTAL STATEMENT, AT LEAST IN THE HISTORY, OF SEVENTH-DAY 09:26 ADVENTISTS. OVER A HUNDRED YEARS AGO, A 09:30 LITTLE BOOK WAS PENNED CALLED THE MINISTRY OF HEALING AND 09:33 IN THAT BOOK IT SPOKE ABOUT CHRIST'S METHOD ALONE GIVING 09:37 SPECIAL EFFICACY IN REACHING PEOPLE. 09:41 WE'VE ACTUALLY BEEN LOOKING AT THAT METHOD: AS JESUS CAME CLOSE 09:44 TO PEOPLE, HE MINGLED WITH THEM, HE MINISTERED TO THEIR NEEDS 09:48 AFTER SHOWING HIS SYMPATHY TO THEM, AND THEN IT SAYS HE WON 09:52 THEIR CONFIDENCE AND ULTIMATELY HE BADE THEM FOLLOW HIM. 09:56 AND THAT'S WHERE WE'RE AT. WE'RE IN LESSON #11 - JESUS 09:59 BADE THEM, 'FOLLOW ME' . YOU KNOW, I COULDN'T HELP BUT 10:05 THINK ABOUT IT AS I WAS THINKING ABOUT THE LESSON, AND I HAD 10:09 A QUESTION THAT WAS RUNNING THROUGH MY MIND: IF SOMEONE HAD 10:14 NEVER MET YOU BEFORE, WOULD THEY LEARN MOST ABOUT YOU OF 10:20 RELEVANCE FROM YOUR FRIENDS OR FROM YOUR ENEMIES. HAVE YOU EVER 10:28 THOUGHT ABOUT THAT? WHAT WOULD YOUR ENEMIES SAY OF 10:31 YOU AND WHAT WOULD YOUR FRIENDS SAY OF YOU AND WHAT KIND OF 10:35 PICTURE WOULD THAT PROVIDE? WELL, OUR LESSON ACTUALLY STARTS 10:39 BY DOING JUST THAT - ACTUALLY INTRODUCING US TO A STATEMENT 10:44 FROM SOME OF CHRISTIANITY'S ENEMIES. 10:48 IN THE LESSON THAT'S DEVOTED TO WHAT'S CALLED SABBATH AFTERNOON , 10:52 IN YOUR QUARTERLY, IT QUOTES FROM THE ROMAN EMPEROR JULIAN. 10:58 IT SAYS HE WAS TRYING TO REVIVE PAGANISM IN THE ROMAN EMPIRE 11:03 AND, AT THE SAME TIME, CHRISTIANITY WAS THRIVING. 11:07 AND IT SAYS THERE THAT JULIAN TALKED WITH A PROMINENT PAGAN 11:13 PRIEST, WONDERING WHY CHRISTIANITY WAS GROWING SO 11:17 RAPIDLY AND HERE'S THE EXPLANATION THAT ALLEGEDLY WAS 11:22 TENDERED: IT SAID, 'I THINK THAT WHEN THE POOR HAPPENED TO BE 11:25 NEGLECTED AND OVERLOOKED BY THE PAGAN PRIESTS, THE IMPIOUS 11:29 GALILEANS, THE CHRISTIANS, OBSERVED THIS AND DEVOTED 11:33 THEMSELVES TO BENEVOLENCE. THEY SUPPORT NOT ONLY THEIR 11:37 POOR BUT OURS AS WELL. EVERYONE CAN SEE THAT OUR PEOPLE LACK AID 11:43 FROM US.' WELL, YOU SAY, THAT'S INTERESTING. THAT'S AN 11:47 ASSESSMENT FROM FRIENDS OR ENEMIES? IT'S ENEMIES. 11:52 AND SO, THE ENEMIES ARE SAYING THE CHRISTIAN CAUSE IS SO STRONG 11:55 BECAUSE OF SELFLESS MINISTRY, AND THAT RESONATES, DEFINITELY, 12:00 WITH WHAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IN THE QUARTER. 12:03 BUT I HAVE TO SAY, THIS IS THE ASSESSMENT OF THE ENEMIES. 12:07 AND IT'S NOT A COMPLETE ASSESSMENT. 12:09 SO, SINCE WE'RE TRYING TO LOOK AT THE CONTEXT, AND WE'RE 12:12 LOOKING ESPECIALLY AT JESUS' CALL TO FOLLOW HIM, I INVITE YOU 12:16 TO TURN IN YOUR BIBLES TO THE BOOK OF ACTS. 12:19 BECAUSE ACTS GIVES US A DIFFERENT PICTURE OF SOMETHING 12:24 THAT WAS PART OF THE SUCCESS OF EARLY CHRISTIANITY. 12:27 I'M NOT SAYING THAT MINISTERING TO PEOPLE'S NEEDS WAS NOT AN 12:30 IMPORTANT PART OF THAT EQUATION. 12:32 BUT IF WE JUST LOOK AT THAT AS THE SINGLE TESTIMONY TO THE 12:36 EFFICACY OF CHRISTIANITY IN THE EARLY DAYS OF THE CHURCH, I 12:42 THINK WILL DRAW SOME WRONG CONCLUSIONS AND, IN FACT, 12:45 CONCLUSIONS THAT WOULD BE AT ODDS WITH WHERE WE'RE GOING IN 12:48 TODAY'S LESSON. I'M IN ACTS CHAPTER 2 AND WE'RE 12:51 READING FROM PETER'S GREAT SERMON ON THE DAY OF PENTECOST. 12:55 YOU KNOW THE CONTEXT: SOME 50 DAYS PREVIOUS TO THIS, JESUS HAD 12:59 DIED. HE WAS RESURRECTED. NOW HE HAS ASCENDED TO HEAVEN. 13:04 THE DISCIPLES HAVE EXPERIENCED THAT MARVELOUS OUTPOURING OF THE 13:08 HOLY SPIRIT AND NOW THEY ARE PREACHING TO THE CROWDS WHO ARE 13:11 GATHERED IN JERUSALEM. PETER IS SPEAKING IN ACTS 3. 13:15 WE'RE NOT GOING TO READ HIS WHOLE SERMON BUT WE ARE GOING TO 13:18 JUMP IN TO THE HEART OF THAT SERMON WHERE PETER SAYS SOME 13:23 THINGS THAT, WELL, MAY NOT BE ALL THAT COMFORTABLE TO HAVE 13:30 HEARD, WERE WE IN THAT AUDIENCE. LET'S JUMP IN TO VERSE 32. 13:35 AT THE RISK OF MISSING SOME OF THE CONTEXT, I'M IN ACTS CHAPTER 13:39 2, VERSE 32, PETER SAYS, "THIS JESUS GOD HAS RAISED UP, OF 13:44 WHICH WE ARE ALL WITNESSES. THEREFORE BEING EXALTED TO THE 13:49 RIGHT HAND OF GOD, AND HAVING RECEIVED FROM THE FATHER THE 13:51 PROMISE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, HE POURED OUT THIS WHICH 13:54 YOU NOW SEE AND HEAR." - SO HE'S SPEAKING OF THE 13:57 OUTPOURING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, THE TONGUES OF FIRE THAT CAME 14:00 DOWN, THE GIFT OF TONGUES THAT WAS THEN MANIFEST IN THE CHURCH. 14:04 AND HE SAYS, THEN, IN VERSE 34, "FOR DAVID DID NOT ASCEND INTO 14:07 THE HEAVENS, BUT HE SAYS HIMSELF: 'THE LORD SAID TO MY 14:11 LORD, 'SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND TILL I MAKE YOUR ENEMIES YOUR 14:15 FOOTSTOOL.' THEREFORE, LET ALL THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL KNOW 14:19 ASSUREDLY THAT GOD HAS MADE THIS JESUS, WHOM YOU CRUCIFIED, BOTH 14:25 LORD AND CHRIST.'" NOW, I JUST WANT YOU TO PICK UP THE CONTEXT 14:28 OF THE WORDS OF PETER. THINK ABOUT IT: IF YOU'RE PART 14:32 OF THAT CONGREGATION HEARING THE SERMON, WHAT IS BEING MANIFEST? 14:37 WHAT ARE YOU HEARING? YEAH, YOU'RE HEARING A REBUKE. 14:43 YOU'RE BEING ACCUSED OF THE DEATH OF JESUS. 14:47 ARE YOU PICKING THAT UP IN THE VERSE? 'THE ONE WHOM YOU 14:53 CRUCIFIED.' NOW, I HAVE TO TELL YOU, THIS IS 14:59 A DIFFERENT PICTURE OF WHAT THE EARLY CHURCH WAS 15:02 DOING THEN MERELY MINISTERING TO PEOPLE'S NEEDS. 15:06 ARE YOU SEEING THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF DIFFERENCE HERE? 15:08 SOME PEOPLE WOULD EVEN SAY A DISCONNECT. 15:10 BUT LET'S READ ON, BECAUSE HERE'S THE RESPONSE OF THE 15:12 PEOPLE WHEN THEY'RE GIVEN THIS STERN MESSAGE - VERSE 37 - 15:16 "NOW WHEN THEY HEARD THIS, THEY WERE CUT TO THE HEART, AND SAID 15:22 TO PETER AND THE REST OF THE APOSTLES, 15:24 'MEN AND BRETHREN, WHAT SHALL WE DO?'" 15:28 SO YES, THE EARLY CHURCH WAS INVOLVED IN MINISTRY, BUT THIS 15:32 FIRST GLIMPSE OF THE EARLY CHURCH UNDER THE HOLY SPIRIT'S 15:35 POWER WAS NOT DOING MIRACULOUS WORKS OF HEALING, THEY WERE 15:40 PREACHING A STERN MESSAGE THAT LITERALLY WAS CALLING PEOPLE TO 15:46 FOLLOW JESUS. DID YOU CATCH IT? 15:50 WE'RE SAYING, 'YOU REJECTED THE LORD. NOW WE'RE CALLING YOU, 15:54 BASICALLY, TO REALIZE WHAT YOU HAVE DONE.' AND SO, THEY SPEAK 15:59 WORDS NOT OF REBELLION BUT OF CONVICTION, IN VERSE 37. 16:06 AND THEN VERSE 38 - PETER SAYS THIS IN RESPONSE TO THEIR 16:11 QUESTION OF WHAT THEY SHOULD DO: "REPENT, AND LET EVERY ONE OF 16:15 YOU BE BAPTIZED IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST FOR THE REMISSION 16:19 OF SINS AND YOU SHALL RECEIVE THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. 16:24 FOR THE PROMISE IS TO YOU AND TO YOUR CHILDREN, AND TO ALL WHO 16:28 ARE AFAR OFF, AS MANY AS THE LORD OUR GOD WILL CALL.'" AND 16:34 SO, THROUGHOUT THE BOOK OF ACTS, JUST LIKE WE SEE HERE IN THE 16:37 VERY BEGINNING, WE HAVE A MESSAGE WHERE GOD IS SPEAKING TO 16:41 HEARTS, CALLING US TO TURN FROM OUR WAYS AND TO TURN TO HIM. 16:46 IT'S A MESSAGE, REALLY, THAT JESUS BASICALLY SAID, 16:49 'FOLLOW ME.' IN FACT, YOU REMEMBER, 16:52 MANY TIMES WHEN JESUS SPOKE OF FOLLOWING HIM, HE SAID WE WERE 16:56 TO TAKE UP OUR CROSS AND FOLLOW HIM. 17:02 NOW, I THINK THIS IS ALL ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE 17:05 SOME OF YOU, AS YOU'VE BEEN STUDYING THROUGH THE LESSON, YOU 17:07 MAY HAVE BEEN LIKE ME, AND AS YOU READ THROUGH LESSON 10 LAST 17:11 WEEK AND AS YOU CONTEMPLATED THAT, SPEAKING ABOUT MINISTRY, 17:15 THERE WERE THOUGHTS RUNNING THROUGH MY MIND AND MAYBE SOME 17:19 OF THAT IS CONDITIONED BY MY - MY PAST. 17:24 AND BY MY PAST I COULD SPEAK ABOUT A LOT OF THINGS BUT WE'LL 17:27 JUST GIVE YOU ONE GLIMPSE. SOME OF YOU KNOW I HAVE 17:30 FORMAL THEOLOGICAL TRAINING. IN FACT, SOMEONE - I WAS 17:34 SPEAKING AT CAMP MEETING THIS YEAR AND THEY HEARD THAT I HAD 17:37 FINISHED A DEGREE AT ANDREWS AND THEY REALLY DIDN'T WANT TO TALK 17:39 WITH ME ANYMORE BECAUSE SOMEHOW THAT HAD TAINTED ME NOW THAT 17:44 I HAD THAT FORMAL TRAINING. BUT I VALUE THAT TRAINING. 17:47 ONE OF THE CLASSES THAT I TOOK, IN ADDITION TO CLASSROOM 17:51 ACTIVITIES, WE WENT AND VISITED A NUMBER OF EVANGELICAL CHURCHES 17:56 AND WE WERE LOOKING REALLY SERIOUSLY AT THE MINDSET OF THE 18:01 TYPICAL CHRISTIAN CHURCH TODAY. 18:04 AND THE TYPICAL CHRISTIAN CHURCH TODAY IS VERY MUCH IN THIS 18:08 MINDSET OF COMMUNITY SERVICE BEING RELEVANT TO THE COMMUNITY. 18:13 AND I WOULD SAY, ON A CERTAIN LEVEL, THAT'S GOOD, BUT I JOTTED 18:18 SOMETHING DOWN AND MAYBE IT'S SOMETHING I READ SOMEWHERE ELSE, 18:23 SO IF IT'S CORRECT YOU CAN ATTRIBUTE IT TO SOMEONE ELSE. 18:27 IF YOU THINK I'VE REALLY MISSED THE MARK YOU CAN SAY, 'WELL 18:30 THERE'S DR. DEROSE TWISTING THINGS AGAIN TO HIS OWN 18:34 DESTRUCTION.' WELL HERE WE ARE. I WROTE IT THIS WAY - THIS IS 18:38 OUR GOAL AS CHRISTIANS: IT IS NOT - OUR GOAL SHOULD NOT BE TO 18:46 BE RELEVANT TO OUR COMMUNITIES. NOW SOME OF YOU ARE GETTING 18:50 REALLY WORRIED, AREN'T YOU? OUR GOAL SHOULDN'T BE TO BE 18:53 RELEVANT TO OUR COMMUNITIES, BUT TO BE SURRENDERED 18:58 TO THE HOLY SPIRIT. >>AMEN. 19:01 >>NOW I BELIEVE THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT IS TRYING TO BE RELEVANT 19:04 TO EVERYONE, BUT AS I'M LOOKING EVEN AT ACTS 2, AND AS WE JUMP 19:08 INTO THIS - AS WE LOOK AT THIS SECULAR EMPEROR AND HIS 19:13 ATTRIBUTION OF THE SUCCESSIVE CHRISTIANITY TO ITS MINISTRY, 19:17 I'M NOT SAYING WE SHOULD SET ASIDE MINISTRY. IN FACT, 19:19 I WHOLEHEARTEDLY BELIEVE IN WHAT JESUS DEMONSTRATED. 19:22 IN FACT, IF YOU HAD STUDIED THROUGH THIS LESSON, YOU WOULD 19:26 HAVE FOUND THAT AT THE VERY END, IN FRIDAY'S READINGS, IT 19:29 ENCOURAGED US AGAIN TO READ FROM THAT BOOK MINISTRY OF HEALING 19:33 AND IT POINTED US TO SOME PAGES YOU MAY WANT TO STUDY IN THE 19:36 FUTURE, AND THOSE ARE PAGES 139 TO 146 - THE CHAPTER CALLED 19:42 TEACHING AND HEALING . AND I'M JUST GOING TO GIVE YOU A 19:44 QUICK SYNOPSIS OF IT AND YOU'LL FOLLOW ALONG WITH 19:47 ME IN YOUR BIBLES. I'M FIRST TURNING TO MATTHEW 19:50 CHAPTER 10, BECAUSE IN THAT CHAPTER THE AUTHOR POINTS US 19:55 TO SOME BIBLICAL PILLARS OF MINISTRY. 19:58 AND WE'RE TRYING TO PAINT A MONTAGE HERE - YOU MAY - IT MAY 20:01 SEEM LIKE SOME OF THE PIECES ARE NOT FITTING TOGETHER, BUT I WANT 20:04 YOU TO SEE WHERE WE'RE GOING BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO TIE 20:07 TOGETHER THIS PLAN OF MINISTRY THAT JESUS EXEMPLIFIED AND THAT 20:12 WE'RE CALLED TO FOLLOW. SO IN MATTHEW CHAPTER 10, WE'RE 20:16 READING ABOUT THE COMMISSIONING OF THE TWELVE. SO JESUS IS 20:20 GIVING A SPECIAL CALLING TO HIS TWELVE MOST INTIMATE FOLLOWERS. 20:26 AND IT SAYS THERE, IN VERSE 5 OF MATTHEW 10, "THESE TWELVE JESUS 20:33 SENT OUT AND HE COMMANDED THEM SAYING, 'DO NOT GO INTO THE WAY 20:35 OF THE GENTILES, AND DO NOT ENTER A CITY OF THE SAMARITANS. 20:39 BUT GO RATHER TO THE LOST SHEEP OF THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL. 20:42 AND AS YOU GO, PREACH, SAYING, 'THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS AT 20:46 HAND.' HEAL THE SICK, CLEANSE THE LEPERS, RAISE THE DEAD, CAST 20:50 OUT DEMONS. FREELY YOU HAVE RECEIVED, FREELY GIVE." 20:54 AND SO WE SEE IN THIS ARTICULATION OF JESUS' MINISTRY 20:59 AS HE'S COMMISSIONING THE TWELVE, THEY ARE TO DO WHAT? 21:03 IF WE WERE TO SUMMARIZE, WHAT THREE AREAS ARE THEY CALLED TO 21:07 DO? THAT'S RIGHT, TEACH, PREACH, AND HEAL. 21:11 DID YOU PICK IT UP THERE? JUMP OVER TO LUKE'S GOSPEL. 21:15 NOW I'M GOING TO LUKE CHAPTER 10. 21:17 IN LUKE 10 WE READ ABOUT THE COMMISSIONING OF THE SEVENTY. 21:22 SO, ANOTHER COMMISSIONING SERVICE - 21:25 THIS TIME JESUS SENDING OUT A LARGER GROUP. 21:28 AND AS YOU READ THROUGH WHAT JESUS CALLS THEM TO DO, HE'S 21:31 CALLING THEM TO PREACH ABOUT THE KINGDOM. 21:35 AND, AS YOU GET TO LUKE 10, VERSE 9 IT SAYS, "AND HEAL THE 21:40 SICK THERE, AND SAY TO THEM, 'THE KINGDOM OF GOD HAS COME 21:45 NEAR TO YOU.'" SO YOU'RE GETTING THE PICTURE. 21:48 JESUS CALLS THEM TO PREACH, TO TEACH, AND TO HEAL. 21:52 YOU READ THE GREAT COMMISSION - YOU MAY NOT CATCH IT IN MATTHEW 21:55 28, BUT WHEN YOU READ IT IN MARK 16 YOU'LL SEE THAT JESUS CALLED 21:59 THEM NOT JUST TO TEACH AND TO PREACH, BUT ALSO TO DO WHAT? 22:02 BUT TO HEAL. SO, YES, WE ARE TO BE INVOLVED IN OUR COMMUNITIES. 22:06 WE'RE TO MINISTER TO PEOPLE'S PHYSICAL HEALTH NEEDS. 22:09 THE EARLY CHURCH DID THIS TIME AND TIME AGAIN. 22:12 LET'S GO AHEAD AND LOOK AT AN EXAMPLE, BECAUSE WE JUST LOOKED 22:15 AT ACTS 2. OUR ACTUAL QUARTERLY POINTS US 22:18 TO THIS EXAMPLE OF THE EARLY DISCIPLES IN THE MINISTRY 22:22 THEY WERE RENDERING. SO AS YOU LOOK THROUGH WHAT THE 22:25 EARLY CHURCH WAS DOING, YOU SEE THIS VERY SAME THING RECURRING. 22:30 SO I'M NOW TURNING IN ACTS CHAPTER 6 - ACTUALLY, LET'S GO 22:34 TO ACTS 5 BEFORE WE GO THERE. 22:38 IN ACTS 5 - ACTS CHAPTER 5 - SO THIS IS AFTER PETER'S GREAT 22:45 SERMON CALLING ON PEOPLE TO REPENT. 22:48 IN ACTS 5 WE SEE, AGAIN, THE DISCIPLES MINISTERING NOW TO 22:54 PEOPLE. ACTS 5 BEGINNING WITH VERSE 12 22:57 IT SAYS, "AND THROUGH THE HANDS OF THE APOSTLES MANY SIGNS AND 23:00 WONDERS WERE DONE AMONG THE PEOPLE. 23:02 AND THEY WERE ALL WITH ONE ACCORD IN SOLOMON'S PORCH." 23:06 AND JUMPING DOWN TO VERSE 16 OF ACTS 5, "ALSO A MULTITUDE 23:10 GATHERED FROM THE SURROUNDING CITIES TO JERUSALEM, BRINGING 23:13 SICK PEOPLE AND THOSE WHO WERE TORMENTED BY UNCLEAN SPIRITS," - 23:18 AND WHAT HAPPENED? - "THEY WERE ALL HEALED." 23:21 SO ARE YOU CATCHING THE PICTURE? 23:23 SO THE EARLY CHURCH WAS INVOLVED, YES, WITH MINISTERING 23:26 TO THEIR COMMUNITIES, BUT HOW DID THEY DECIDE HOW TO MINISTER? 23:31 LET ME GIVE YOU THE TYPICAL EVANGELICAL MODEL. 23:36 AND THIS IS NOT JUST FROM WHAT I'VE READ FROM EVANGELICAL 23:38 AUTHORS. IT'S NOT JUST FROM WHAT I'VE 23:40 STUDIED, I MEAN, I'VE SEEN IT. I'VE BEEN IN THESE CHURCHES. 23:42 HERE'S THEIR MODEL: THEIR MODEL IS IF YOU'RE ATTENDING THEIR 23:45 CHURCH THEY BASICALLY - NOW, I'M OVER-GENERALIZING, OKAY? 23:50 SO WE HAVE MANY FRIENDS WHO WATCH FROM MANY DIFFERENT 23:52 CHURCHES, BUT I'M TELLING YOU, THIS IS A COMMON THING IN 23:55 CHRISTIANITY AND, BY THE WAY, ADVENTISM IS NOT SPARED OF THIS. 24:00 THE TENDENCY IS TO BAPTIZE ANY INTERESTS THAT MEMBERS HAVE AND 24:08 SAY, 'WE WILL USE THESE TO MINISTER TO OUR COMMUNITY. 24:11 WE'RE PART OF THE COMMUNITY. WHAT TALENTS DO YOU HAVE? 24:14 WHAT ABILITIES DO YOU HAVE? WHAT INTERESTS DO YOU HAVE? 24:16 AND SOMEONE SAYS, 'WELL, YOU KNOW, I'M A GOOD BASKETBALL 24:18 PLAYER.' 'WELL, WE'RE GOING TO START A BASKETBALL MINISTRY IN 24:20 OUR CHURCH.' NOW, DON'T MISUNDERSTAND ME. 24:22 I'M NOT SAYING THAT THAT'S WRONG TO HAVE A BASKETBALL MINISTRY, 24:25 OKAY? IN FACT, A VERY GOOD FRIEND OF 24:27 MINE IS A BASKETBALL COACH. HE BRINGS A VERY SPIRITUAL 24:30 ATTITUDE TOWARDS THAT AS HE'S WORKING WITH THE PLAYERS. 24:33 OKAY, SO NOTHING AGAINST THAT. LET'S SAY THAT SOMEONE SAYS, 24:37 'WELL, I'M A GREAT TIDDLYWINKS PLAYER.' I'M NOT EVEN SURE I 24:40 KNOW WHAT TIDDLYWINKS IS, OKAY? BUT IF YOU'RE A TIDDLYWINKS 24:44 PLAYER, THEN WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A TIDDLYWINKS MINISTRY IN OUR 24:46 CHURCH BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE GOOD AT.' I MEAN, 24:49 ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH THIS? THIS IS A MIND-SET IN 24:52 MANY CHURCHES TODAY. NOW I'M NOT SAYING 24:54 ANYTHING AGAINST THAT. I DON'T KNOW HOW GOD IS 24:57 LEADING IN ANY SETTING. THAT'S NOT MY JOB. 25:00 BUT I THINK THERE'S A PROBLEM IF WE LOOK INTERNALLY AT 'WHAT I 25:05 LIKE TO DO AND WHAT I HAVE ABILITIES TO DO' BECAUSE WE'RE 25:08 IN DANGER OF NOT DOING THE VERY THING THE LORD HAS CALLED US TO 25:11 DO. >>AMEN. 25:13 >>IF OUR FOCUS IS TRYING, IN OUR OWN HUMAN MINDS, TO BE RELEVANT 25:17 TO OUR COMMUNITY, I WOULD SUGGEST TO YOU THAT WE OFTEN DO 25:21 IT AT THE EXPENSE OF BEING RECEPTIVE TO THE HOLY SPIRIT. 25:25 LET'S TAKE ANOTHER CASE HISTORY BECAUSE WE'RE LOOKING AT THE 25:27 BOOK OF ACTS. MANY OF THE EXAMPLES WE'RE 25:30 DRAWING RIGHT FROM HERE. LET'S GO NOW TO ACTS 25:32 CHAPTER 8 - ACTS CHAPTER 8. PRIOR TO ACTS 8 THERE HAD BEEN 25:37 SOME CHALLENGES IN THE CHURCH. AND, AS AN ANSWER TO SOME OF 25:41 THOSE CHALLENGES, A NUMBER OF DEACONS ARE APPOINTED TO 25:45 MINISTER TO THE CHURCH. ONE OF THOSE DEACONS IS PHILIP. 25:48 THERE'S PHILIP THE APOSTLE AND THERE'S PHILIP THE DEACON. 25:51 SO WE'RE GOING TO READ ABOUT SOME OF THE MINISTRY OF 25:54 PHILIP HERE IN ACTS CHAPTER 8. 25:58 LET'S PICK IT UP IN VERSE 4 - ACTS 8, VERSE 4, SPEAKING OF 26:03 THIS GREAT PERSECUTION THAT OCCURRED AFTER STEPHEN'S DEATH. 26:06 IT SAYS IN VERSE 4 OF ACTS 8, "THEREFORE THOSE WHO WERE 26:09 SCATTERED WENT EVERYWHERE PREACHING THE WORD. 26:13 THEN PHILIP" - PHILIP THE DEACON - "WENT DOWN TO THE CITY OF 26:16 SAMARIA AND PREACHED CHRIST TO THEM." 26:20 SO WHAT IS HE DOING? IT'S A PREACHING MINISTRY. 26:23 IT'S NOT A COMMUNITY SERVICE MINISTRY. 26:25 AGAIN, COMMUNITY SERVICE IS WONDERFUL - IT'S PART OF JESUS' 26:28 MINISTRY - BUT THIS IS NOT WHAT PHILIP WAS CALLED TO DO AT THAT 26:31 POINT. PHILIP GOES DOWN TO THE CITY OF 26:33 SAMARIA, HE PREACHES CHRIST, AND WHAT HAPPENS? 26:36 LOOK AT VERSE 6, "AND THE MULTITUDES WITH ONE ACCORD 26:39 HEEDED THE THINGS SPOKEN BY PHILIP," - 26:41 WAIT! WAIT THOUGH! WAIT! 26:43 - "HEARING AND SEEING THE MIRACLES WHICH HE DID." 26:46 SO THERE IS - SO HE'S PREACHING BUT THERE'S MIRACULOUS SIGNS 26:51 THAT ARE ACCOMPANYING HIS PREACHING. 26:54 IT SAYS, VERSE 7, "FOR UNCLEAN SPIRITS, CRYING WITH A LOUD 26:56 VOICE, CAME OUT OF MANY WHO WERE POSSESSED; AND MANY WHO WERE 27:00 PARALYZED AND LAME WERE HEALED." YOU SAY, 'WELL THERE IT GOES - 27:03 THERE YOU GO, DR. DEROSE, HE'S DOING THIS POWERFUL MINISTRY 27:05 TEACHING, PREACHING, AND HEALING. 27:10 WHAT'S VERY INTERESTING IS YOU READ THROUGH ACTS CHAPTER 8, 27:14 BECAUSE IN ACTS 8, AFTER THIS AMAZING EVENT - I'LL TELL YOU, 27:18 IF WE HAD AN EVANGELIST LIKE THIS IN OUR RANKS - AND WE MAY, 27:22 YOU NEVER KNOW - I'M NOT ONE TO COMPARE, BUT WHAT WOULD YOU DO 27:27 IF SOMEONE WHO YOU THOUGHT WAS ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL 27:30 EVANGELISTS TODAY RECEIVED A CALL LIKE WHAT 27:33 WE'RE GOING TO READ FURTHER ON IN ACTS 8, BECAUSE LOOK AT THE 27:38 CALL IN VERSE 26 - ACTS 8:26, "NOW AN ANGEL OF THE LORD SPOKE 27:47 TO PHILIP, SAYING," - WHAT ARE YOU READY FOR? 27:50 HUGE EVANGELISTIC SERIES - YOU SAY, 'WE GOTTA BOOK THIS GUY. 27:54 YOU KNOW, WHERE ELSE DO WE NEED THE MESSAGE PREACHED WITH SUCH 27:58 CLARITY AND COMMUNITY SERVICE COMBINED WITH IT. 28:02 WHERE IS THE HOLY SPIRIT GOING TO CALL PHILIP? 28:06 - "'ARISE AND GO TOWARD THE SOUTH ALONG THE ROAD WHICH GOES 28:10 DOWN FROM JERUSALEM TO GAZA.' 28:14 THIS IS DESERT." THIS IS DESERT. 28:20 LET'S JUST IMAGINE THAT HERE AT THIS VERY PULPIT, THIS VERY 28:24 PLACE, A POWERFUL EVANGELIST WAS SPEAKING AND HE ANNOUNCED TO YOU 28:30 AND SAID, 'THE LORD HAS JUST CALLED ME TO GO TO THE NORTH 28:32 POLE.' YOU'D SAY, 'THE NORTH POLE?' 28:36 I MEAN, SURELY, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY? 28:39 SOMEONE WITH A POWERFUL MINISTRY REACHING THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE 28:42 GOING TO THE - MAYBE MILLIONS OF PEOPLE - NOW THEY'RE GOING TO GO 28:46 WHERE? NORTH POLE. LAST NIGHT I WAS THINKING ABOUT 28:50 THIS ILLUSTRATION SO I HAD MY BOY MICHAEL DO A FACT CHECK. 28:54 I SAID, 'MICHAEL, I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYBODY ON THE NORTH 28:56 POLE.' HE SAYS - WELL, WE WON'T GO INTO THE DIALOGUE - ANYWAY, 28:59 HE RESEARCHED IT OUT AND HE SAID, 'DAD, THERE'S NOTHING BUT 29:04 ICE UP THERE.' AND THEY OCCASIONALLY HAVE, I GUESS, SOME 29:07 KIND OF RESEARCH STATIONS IN THAT VICINITY, BUT IT'S NOT LIKE 29:11 ANTARCTICA WHERE YOU CAN PUT SOMETHING ON SOME LAND MASS. 29:14 SO YOU CAN DOUBLE CHECK AND SEE IF HIS RESEARCH WAS ACCURATE. 29:18 MAYBE I SHOULDN'T HAVE TOLD YOU WHO DID IT, BUT THE POINT IS - 29:22 THE POINT IS, GOING TO THE NORTH POLE, THIS SEEMS LIKE THE END TO 29:26 MINISTRY. YOU WOULD SAY, 'IF YOU'RE 29:28 TALKING ABOUT BEING RELEVANT TO YOUR COMMUNITY, YOU WOULD 29:30 NOT DO THIS.' RIGHT? BY THE WAY, IN ACTS 8, WHO WAS 29:37 CALLING PHILIP TO GO INTO THE WILDERNESS? 29:42 WHO WAS CALLING HIM? >>JESUS. 29:44 >>PHILIP WAS NOT FOCUSED ON - IN HIS OWN MIND - WHAT WAS RELEVANT 29:50 TO HIS COMMUNITY. WHAT WAS HE FOCUSED ON? 29:55 HE WAS FOCUSED ON FOLLOWING THE HOLY SPIRIT. 29:59 AND SO PHILIP - IT SAYS IN VERSE 27, "SO HE AROSE AND WENT." 30:07 DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY TIMES PEOPLE IN THE BIBLE - PILLARS IN 30:12 THE BIBLE HAVE DONE THIS VERY THING? 30:14 THEY'VE DONE THINGS THAT WE WOULD SAY ARE LIMITING THEIR 30:17 SPHERE OF INFLUENCE. ARE NARROWING THEIR MINISTRY. 30:21 THINK ABOUT ABRAHAM. WHERE WAS ABRAHAM WHEN HE WAS CALLED? 30:27 HE WAS IN UR OF THE CHALDEES, ONE OF THE WEALTHIEST, MOST 30:30 PROMINENT CITIES IN THE THEN-KNOWN WORLD. 30:33 THEY HAVE ACTUALLY UNCOVERED SOME OF THE TREASURES OF UR OF 30:36 THE CHALDEES. AMAZING WORK IN GOLD. 30:39 HAVE SOME OF YOU SEEN THIS? IT'S AMAZING. 30:41 HE LIVED IN WHAT ALL EVIDENCE INDICATES WAS A BEAUTIFUL HOME. 30:45 AND ABRAHAM GETS A MESSAGE TO LEAVE AND WHERE IS HE GOING? 30:51 YEAH, HE DIDN'T KNOW. THIS STUFF IS - THIS IS KIND OF 30:53 EMBARRASSING FOR THE CHURCH, ISN'T IT? 30:57 I MEAN, THINK ABOUT IT: A PROMINENT CHURCH MEMBER PACKING 31:00 THE MOVING VAN AND THE NEIGHBOR COMES BY AND SAYS, 'HEY, ABE, 31:06 WHERE'RE YOU GOING?' AND WHAT DOES HE SAY? 31:09 'I DON'T KNOW.' I DON'T KNOW -BUT YOU - THERE'S ALL THESE 31:13 PEOPLE THAT YOU COULD REACH. YOU COULD DO PRACTICAL MINISTRY 31:16 RIGHT HERE IN UR. 'ABRAHAM, WHERE ARE YOU GOING?' 31:20 'I DO NOT KNOW. THE HOLY SPIRIT HAS CALLED ME TO LEAVE.' 31:24 I MEAN, THIS IS REALLY RADICAL CHRISTIANITY, ISN'T IT? 31:29 JESUS, AS WE READ THROUGH THIS LESSON, IS ACTUALLY NOT JUST 31:34 INTERESTED IN US MEETING PEOPLE'S NEEDS, HE'S INTERESTED 31:38 IN CALLING PEOPLE THROUGH US TO FOLLOW HIM. AND JESUS OFTEN 31:45 TELLS US TO TAKE UP OUR CROSS AND FOLLOW HIM. IT IS NOT ALWAYS 31:52 A POPULAR MESSAGE THAT WE'RE CALLED TO GIVE. LET'S LOOK AT 31:57 JOHN CHAPTER 10 - THAT'S IN SUNDAY'S LESSON - JOHN CHAPTER 32:00 10 - AS WE'VE GOT A NUMBER OF THOUGHTS THAT WE'RE TRUSTING THE 32:04 HOLY SPIRIT WILL WEAVE TOGETHER FOR US - JOHN CHAPTER 10 - 32:13 JESUS, HERE, SPEAKING METAPHORICALLY IN JOHN 10. 32:18 IN MANY PLACES IN JOHN'S GOSPEL - YOU KNOW, JESUS GIVES 32:20 DIFFERENT ANALOGIES - DIFFERENT METAPHORS FOR HIS MINISTRY. 32:24 AS JOHN 10 OPENS UP, JESUS SAYS, 'MOST ASSUREDLY I SAY TO YOU, 32:28 'HE WHO DOES NOT ENTER THE SHEEPFOLD BY THE DOOR, BUT 32:31 CLIMBS UP SOME OTHER WAY, THE SAME IS A THIEF AND A ROBBER. 32:35 BUT HE WHO ENTERS BY THE DOOR IS THE SHEPHERD OF THE SHEEP. 32:38 TO HIM THE DOORKEEPER OPENS AND THE SHEEP HEAR HIS VOICE AND HE 32:42 CALLS HIS OWN SHEEP BY NAME AND LEADS THEM OUT. 32:46 AND WHEN HE BRINGS OUT HIS OWN SHEEP, HE GOES BEFORE THEM AND 32:48 THE SHEEP FOLLOW HIM FOR THEY KNOW HIS VOICE.' 32:53 MANY YEARS AGO I WAS WITH ANOTHER PHYSICIAN IN THE 32:56 HOSPITAL. IT WAS A BUSY HOSPITAL. 32:58 WE WERE IN AN AREA TOWARD THE FRONT OF THE HOSPITAL - A LOT OF 33:00 NOISE - A LOT OF ACTIVITY - AND ALL OF A SUDDEN HE SAID, 'THAT'S 33:03 MY DAUGHTER! THAT'S MY DAUGHTER!' 33:04 WHAT? HIS DAUGHTER? 33:06 I MEAN, I DON'T SEE ANY DAUGHTER. 33:08 BUT SURE ENOUGH, SOMEWHERE AROUND SOME CORNER HE COULD HEAR 33:11 THE VOICE OF HIS DAUGHTER. I WAS TOTALLY OBLIVIOUS TO IT. 33:16 HOW COULD IT BE THAT HE COULD HEAR THE VOICE OF HIS DAUGHTER 33:19 AMID ALL THAT CONFUSION AND I COULDN'T? 33:24 YOU WOULD SAY, 'WELL, IT'S OBVIOUS, BECAUSE HE' - WHAT? 33:27 - HE KNEW THE VOICE OF HIS DAUGHTER. 33:31 AND SO, IN JOHN 10, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT KNOWING THE VOICE 33:35 OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD. AND THIS IS REALLY THE HEART 33:39 OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, BECAUSE HOW WOULD ABRAHAM 33:41 KNOW TO LEAVE EVERYTHING? HOW WOULD PHILIP KNOW TO LEAVE 33:45 HIS EFFECTIVE EVANGELISTIC MINISTRY IF HE DIDN'T KNOW THE 33:49 VOICE OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD? HOW DO WE KNOW JESUS' VOICE? 33:57 THAT'S RIGHT, IT'S THE SAME WAY YOU KNOW ANYONE'S VOICE, IT'S BY 34:01 SPENDING TIME WITH THEM. THE FATHER KNEW THE VOICE OF HIS 34:04 DAUGHTER NOT BECAUSE THEY WERE ESTRANGED AND HE HADN'T HEARD 34:08 FROM HER IN A NUMBER OF YEARS, BUT BECAUSE THEY LIVED IN THE 34:12 SAME HOUSE - BECAUSE THEY WERE INTIMATE. 34:15 SO IF WE WANT TO KNOW JESUS' VOICE, WHAT MUST WE BE COMMITTED 34:19 TO? SPENDING TIME WITH HIM, RIGHT? 34:24 AND IT'S NOT A BURDEN, IT'S A JOY, BECAUSE GOD WANTS TO REVEAL 34:28 HIS WORD TO YOU. DO YOU SENSE THAT? 34:31 AND IF YOU DON'T SENSE IT, SPEND MORE TIME WITH HIM. 34:34 AND FOLLOW HIM WHEN HE ASKS YOU TO DO THINGS THAT DON'T MAKE 34:38 SENSE. NOW THERE IS A DANGER TO THIS. 34:43 I WAS REMINDED OF IT JUST LAST WEEK. 34:46 LAST WEEK I WAS AT ASI AND SOME - A NUMBER OF YOU WERE THERE. 34:51 THE ADVENTIST LAYMAN'S SERVICES AND INDUSTRIES - THEIR BIG 34:56 INTERNATIONAL MEETING - AND I HAD A NEW BOOK WITH ME. 35:01 SOME OF YOU HAVE BEEN PRAYING WITH US. 35:02 WE'VE GOT A NEW BOOK OUT CALLED 30 DAYS TO NATURAL BLOOD 35:06 PRESSURE CONTROL AND I WAS DOING A SEMINAR ON THIS TOPIC AND SO I 35:11 HAD THIS BOOK IN MY HANDS AND I RAN INTO SOMEONE - A FRIEND OF 35:14 MINE - AND WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE BOOK AND I SAID, 'I'VE 35:17 GOTTEN INTO TROUBLE OVER THIS BOOK ALREADY. 35:20 AND THEY SAID, 'WHAT WAS THAT TROUBLE? 35:23 AND I SAID, PEOPLE ARE LOOKING AT THE BOOK AND THEY'RE SAYING 35:26 I'M SELLING IT TOO INEXPENSIVELY AND THEY'RE ACCUSING ME OF NOT 35:31 BEING A VERY GOOD BUSINESSMAN. AND THIS PERSON SAID, 'WELL, 35:35 I'VE WONDERED ABOUT YOU IN THAT REGARD FOR MANY YEARS.' AND AS I 35:41 THOUGHT ABOUT THAT, YOU KNOW, I SAID, 'THERE'S SOMETHING 35:43 INTERESTING.' HOW GOOD A BUSINESSMAN DID IT APPEAR 35:47 ABRAHAM WAS WHEN HE LEFT UR OF THE CHALDEES? 35:53 HOW WELL DID PHILIP SEEM TO BE TRADING ON HIS MASTER'S TALENTS 35:57 WHEN HE WENT TO THE DESERT? THESE ARE INTERESTING 36:01 QUESTIONS, AREN'T THEY? YOU SAY, 'DR. 36:03 DEROSE, YOU'RE JUST TRYING TO JUSTIFY YOURSELF. 36:05 YOU'RE A LOUSY BUSINESSMAN. STICK WITH MINISTRY.' 36:07 OKAY, WELL, WHATEVER. SOME OF YOU MIGHT THINK I'M NOT 36:11 ALL THAT GOOD IN MINISTRY AND I SHOULD STICK WITH BUSINESS. 36:14 (LAUGHTER) OKAY, ANYWAY, IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT ANYONE'S 36:18 ASSESSMENT OF YOU IS. I'M PICKING ON MYSELF BECAUSE 36:22 GOD IS CALLING EACH ONE OF US. DID YOU CATCH THAT? 36:25 GO BACK TO ACTS 2 BECAUSE MAYBE I HASTENED BY THAT TOO QUICKLY 36:30 IF YOU DON'T THINK THIS IS RELEVANT TO YOU. 36:33 IN ACTS CHAPTER 2, THE VERY PEOPLE THAT WERE RESPONSIBLE, 36:37 UNDER THE WORD OF INSPIRATION, FOR THE DEATH OF JESUS - AND YOU 36:40 COULD SAY, 'WE'RE ALL RESPONSIBLE. 36:42 HE DIED FOR ALL OUR SINS.' BUT PETER, AFTER, TELLING THEM THAT 36:49 THEY WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DEATH OF JESUS IN ACTS 2, VERSE 36:52 39 HE SAID THE PROMISE IS FOR WHO? IT'S TO YOU. 36:57 AND TO YOUR CHILDREN AND TO WHO? TO ALL WHO ARE AFAR OFF. 37:04 SO THE PROMISE OF THE GOSPEL COMES TO EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US. 37:08 SO I DON'T CARE WHERE YOU'RE AT TODAY. 37:10 I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU'VE DONE. THE PROMISE IS FOR YOU. 37:14 AND SO, AS WE'RE READING ABOUT THIS, WE'RE READING ABOUT A 37:16 JESUS WHO COMMISSIONS PEOPLE WHO'VE MESSED UP. 37:21 THAT'S GOOD NEWS, ISN'T IT? AND WHETHER PEOPLE'S ASSESSMENTS 37:24 OF US ARE CORRECT OR NOT, PLENTY OF PEOPLE HAVE ASSESSED ALL OF 37:27 US AS NOT MEASURING UP IN SOME REGARD. 37:29 AND MAYBE THEY EVEN SIZED YOU UP THAT WAY WHEN YOU WALKED IN 37:32 TODAY AND THEY SAID, 'WHO PICKED OUT THOSE CLOTHES THAT YOU'RE 37:35 WEARING?' NOW, NO ONE, YET, HAS SAID THAT 37:39 TO ME, BUT YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M SAYING? 37:44 WE LIVE IN A VERY JUDGMENTAL WORLD, BUT JESUS COMMISSIONS 37:49 EACH ONE OF US. HE CALLS US TO FOLLOW HIM. 37:52 HE CALLS US TO KNOW HIS VOICE. LET'S HASTEN ON TO TUESDAY'S 37:57 LESSON. AND THE REASON I'M GOING TO TUESDAY IS BECAUSE IT SHOWS 38:01 US ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL MINISTRIES. 38:04 IT'S CALLED THE BRIDGE - IT'S CALLED THE BRIDGE. 38:07 WE'RE TALKING ABOUT INTRODUCING PEOPLE TO JESUS AND, YOU KNOW, 38:10 IT'S SO EASY - I'VE DONE LOTS OF COMMUNITY PROGRAMS OVER THE 38:13 YEARS. AND SO, EVERYONE IN THE 38:15 COMMUNITY IS HAPPY WHEN YOU'RE SERVING, BUT WHEN YOU START 38:17 TALKING ABOUT THE GOSPEL AND START TALKING ABOUT THE CLAIMS 38:20 OF THE CROSS, SOMETIMES PEOPLE GET VERY UNCOMFORTABLE. 38:24 AND YET, WE'RE CALLED TO DO BOTH. 38:26 WE'RE NOT JUST CALLED TO BE EXPERTS IN PUBLIC RELATIONS. 38:29 AND SO, HERE IN TUESDAY'S LESSON IT SPEAKS ABOUT THE BRIDGE AND 38:35 IT SAYS, 'WHAT IS THE BRIDGE?' I'M READING FROM THE FIRST FULL 38:39 SENTENCE IN THAT LESSON, IF YOU'RE FOLLOWING ALONG. 38:41 WHAT IS THE BRIDGE TO BRING PEOPLE TO THE 'FOLLOW ME' STAGE? 38:45 WE SHOULD ASK, RATHER, 'WHO IS THE BRIDGE?' 38:48 YOU ARE. THE STRONGEST ARGUMENT IN FAVOR 38:50 OF THE GOSPEL IS A LOVING AND LOVABLE CHRISTIAN. 38:54 AND IT SPEAKS ABOUT THIS ASPECT OF BRINGING PEOPLE TO JESUS. 38:58 YOU KNOW, AS I THOUGHT ABOUT THIS, PERHAPS ONE PERSON IN THE 39:01 GOSPELS WHO CRYSTALLIZES THIS CHARACTERISTIC MORE THAN ANY 39:07 OTHER - IN FACT, ALMOST EVERY TIME HE'S INTRODUCED, HE IS 39:11 INTRODUCING PEOPLE TO JESUS. WHO AM I THINKING ABOUT? 39:14 THAT'S RIGHT, I'M THINKING ABOUT ANDREW. 39:16 TURN IN THE GOSPEL OF JOHN WITH ME AND WE'RE GOING TO PICK UP A 39:21 FEW GLIMPSES OF THIS BECAUSE SOMETIMES WE DON'T THINK WE HAVE 39:24 MUCH TO OFFER, BUT CAN WE INTRODUCE PEOPLE TO JESUS? 39:29 CAN WE DO THAT? YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE WAYS WE 39:32 INTRODUCE PEOPLE TO JESUS IS SIMPLE TELLING THEM WHAT 39:35 JESUS HAS DONE IN OUR LIFE. THAT JESUS HAS CALLED US. 39:39 AND I WAS TELLING YOU THIS MORNING THAT JESUS CALLED ME 39:42 FROM A POSITION OF PROMINENCE TO ONE OF LITTLE REGARD AND THEN HE 39:46 BLESSED IN THAT VERY CONTEXT. BY THE WAY, AT THAT MINISTRY IN 39:50 NEW YORK CITY, SOME OF THE MOST REMARKABLE THINGS HAPPENED. 39:53 I REMEMBER ONE WOMAN ACTUALLY BEING DIRECTED BY A VISION TO 39:56 THE PLACE WHERE WE WERE MINISTERING. 39:58 I DON'T THINK I'VE HAD THAT HAPPEN ANYWHERE ELSE. 40:00 BUT ALSO, SOME - MANY DIFFICULT EXPERIENCES AS WELL. 40:04 I'M IN JOHN 1 AND JOHN THE BAPTIST IS MINISTERING - HE'S 40:09 BAPTIZING - AND HE'S DOING JUST WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. 40:13 LOOK AT VERSE 35 - VERSE 35 OF JOHN 1 - "AGAIN, THE NEXT DAY, 40:18 JOHN STOOD WITH TWO OF HIS DISCIPLES. AND LOOKING AT JESUS 40:22 AS HE WALKED, HE SAID," - WHAT? - "BEHOLD THE LAMB OF GOD." 40:28 SO WE'RE TALKING HERE ABOUT INTRODUCING PEOPLE TO JESUS AND 40:32 HERE'S WHAT JOHN IS DOING: HE'S POINTING TO JESUS AS WHO? 40:37 REMEMBER, HE'S SPEAKING TO JEWS, PRIMARILY. 40:41 WHAT IS HE REFERRING TO JESUS AS IN JOHN 1? 40:45 THAT'S RIGHT, THE LAMB OF GOD. HE IS SAYING JESUS IS THE 40:48 FULFILLMENT OF THE ENTIRE SACRIFICIAL SYSTEM. 40:51 OKAY? DID YOU PICK UP ON THAT? 40:54 AND SO, THESE DISCIPLES - VERSE 37 - TWO WHO HEAR IT BEGIN 40:58 FOLLOWING JESUS AND JESUS ASKS THEM, 'WHAT DO YOU SEEK?' 41:05 AND THEY SAY TO HIM, 'RABBI, WHERE ARE YOU STAYING?' 41:09 AND JESUS SIMPLY RESPONDS IN VERSE 39 OF JOHN 1, "COME AND 41:13 SEE." AND THEN IT IS - WE READ VERSE 41:17 40 - "ONE OF THE TWO WHO HEARD JOHN SPEAK, AND FOLLOWED HIM, 41:20 WAS ANDREW, SIMON PETER'S BROTHER. 41:23 HE FIRST FOUND HIS OWN BROTHER SIMON, AND SAID TO HIM, 'WE HAVE 41:26 FOUND THE MESSIAH' (WHICH IS TRANSLATED, THE CHRIST). 41:31 AND HE BROUGHT HIM TO JESUS." SO ANDREW BRINGS HIS BROTHER TO 41:38 JESUS. THERE'S NOT ANY GREAT SERMON THERE THAT ANDREW 41:41 PREACHES. HE SIMPLY INTRODUCES HIS BROTHER TO JESUS. 41:45 NOW TODAY, HOW WOULD YOU INTRODUCE SOMEONE TO JESUS? 41:50 WELL, YOU CAN ENGAGE THEM WITH THE BIBLE, RIGHT? 41:53 YOU CAN SHARE HOW JESUS HAS WORKED IN YOUR OWN LIFE. 41:56 YOU CAN SIMPLY SAY - EVEN SAYING THAT YOU'RE A FOLLOWER OF JESUS 42:01 IS A TESTIMONY IN TODAY'S WORLD. TURN WITH ME NOW TO 42:10 JOHN 6 - JOHN 6. WE WANT TO CATCH ANOTHER GLIMPSE 42:16 OF ANDREW INTRODUCING PEOPLE TO JESUS. 42:20 AND THIS IS ESPECIALLY RELEVANT AS WE'RE SPEAKING ABOUT OUR OWN 42:23 ABILITY TO BE INVOLVED IN MINISTRY. 42:26 IN JOHN 6 WE FIND JESUS WITH A MULTITUDE AND IT SAYS, IN VERSE 42:35 5 OF JOHN 6, "THEN JESUS LIFTED UP HIS EYES, AND SEEING A GREAT 42:40 MULTITUDE COMING TOWARD HIM, HE SAID TO PHILIP, 'WHERE SHALL WE 42:45 BUY BREAD, THAT THESE MAY EAT?' BUT THIS HE SAID TO TEST HIM FOR 42:50 HE HIMSELF KNEW WHAT HE WOULD DO." 42:55 "PHILIP ANSWERED HIM, 'TWO HUNDRED DENARII WORTH OF BREAD 42:59 IS NOT SUFFICIENT FOR THEM, THAT EVERY ONE OF THEM MAY HAVE A 43:03 LITTLE.'" - THEY SAY TWO HUNDRED PENNIES - THAT'S WHAT THE KING 43:07 JAMES VERSION TRANSLATES THIS AS. 43:10 THIS DOESN'T SOUND LIKE A LOT OF MONEY. 43:12 WHAT WAS A PENNY OR A DENARIUS - WHAT WAS THAT? 43:16 THAT WAS A DAY'S WAGE FOR A COMMON LABORER. 43:19 SO WHAT WOULD THAT BE IN TODAY'S TERMINOLOGY? 43:21 WHAT WOULD BE A DAY'S WAGE FOR THE AVERAGE LABORER? 43:25 IT'S PROBABLY SOMEWHERE AROUND SEVENTY OR EIGHTY DOLLARS, ISN'T 43:28 IT - HERE IN CALIFORNIA IF YOU WORK AN 8-HOUR DAY? 43:31 >>MORE. >>SOME OF YOU SAY 43:33 MORE THAN THAT. OKAY, MAKE THE MATH EASY. 43:36 LET'S SAY IT'S EIGHTY DOLLARS, OKAY? 43:39 AND LET'S LOOK THEN: EIGHTY DOLLARS - THAT'S ONE DAY'S WAGE 43:43 - THIS IS TWO HUNDRED DAYS' WAGES. 43:47 HOW MUCH DOES THAT COME OUT TO BE? 43:51 SOMEONE'S SAYING, WITH GREAT ASSERTIVENESS, SIXTEEN THOUSAND 43:54 DOLLARS. NOW, FOR SOME OF YOU THAT MAY BE 43:56 SMALL CHANGE, BUT FOR THOSE WHO WANT FURTHER CONFIRMATION THAT 44:02 I'M NOT A GREAT BUSINESSMAN THE WAY THE WORLD COUNTS BUSINESS, 44:06 SIXTEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS IS A LOT OF MONEY TO ME, OKAY? 44:12 THAT IS A SIZEABLE SUM. BUT THE STORY'S NOT DONE. 44:15 YOU KNOW - LOOK WHAT HAPPENS NEXT. 44:19 VERSE 8 - VERSE 8, "ONE OF HIS DISCIPLES, ANDREW, SIMON PETER'S 44:26 BROTHER, SAID TO HIM, 'THERE IS A LAD HERE WHO HAS FIVE BARLEY 44:31 LOAVES AND TWO SMALL FISH, BUT WHAT ARE THEY AMONG SO MANY?'" 44:40 NOW WE NEED TO PAUSE HERE AND BREAK THIS DOWN BECAUSE WE'RE 44:42 TALKING ABOUT OUR OWN WITNESS - BIDDING PEOPLE TO FOLLOW JESUS. 44:46 WE'RE LOOKING AT IT IN A CONTEXT OF COMMUNITY MINISTRY - REACHING 44:49 OUR COMMUNITIES - AND I'M SUGGESTING TO YOU, IF WE JUST 44:53 THINK ABOUT WHAT'S GOING TO BE POPULAR WITH OUR COMMUNITY, 44:56 WE WILL MISS OUR GREATEST CALLING. 44:59 I MEAN, I COULD GO THROUGH EXAMPLE AFTER EXAMPLE - MAYBE 45:02 WE'LL HAVE A CHANCE TO DO THAT - WHERE - WELL, WE DON'T HAVE TO 45:06 GO ANY FURTHER THAN JESUS HIMSELF. I MEAN, WHAT IS THE 45:10 CLOSING PICTURE OF JESUS' MINISTRY AS HE'S STANDING THERE 45:15 BESIDE PILATE? HOW SUCCESSFUL DID JESUS' 45:19 MINISTRY LOOK WHEN HE WAS STANDING IN PILATE'S 45:22 JUDGMENT HALL? IT LOOKED TOTALLY INEFFECTIVE. 45:27 IT LOOKED LIKE JESUS HAD PLAYED HIS CARDS WRONG. 45:29 IN FACT, THE WISE BUSINESSMEN OF THE DAY - IN FACT, YOU KNOW 45:32 THERE WAS ONE VERY SHREWD BUSINESSMAN AMONG THE TWELVE. 45:35 YOU KNOW WHO THAT WAS? >>JUDAS. 45:37 >>IT WAS JUDAS AND JUDAS KNEW THERE WAS A DIFFERENT WAY TO 45:40 CONDUCT MINISTRY. AND JUDAS WAS ACTUALLY MAKING 45:44 SOME FINANCIAL GAIN FROM HIS CONNECTIONS. 45:47 NOW, DON'T MISUNDERSTAND ME. I WAS JUST WITH MANY OF MY 45:49 FRIENDS IN MINISTRY AND I RUN A BUSINESS, ACTUALLY. 45:52 WE RUN - IT'S A MINISTRY OR A BUSINESS - IT'S CALLED 'COMPASS 45:56 HEALTH' SO, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT CONDEMNING ANYONE WHO'S IN 46:01 BUSINESS, OTHERWISE I WOULD BE POINTING, YOU KNOW, FOUR FINGERS 46:04 AT MYSELF WHEN I'M POINTING ONE AT SOMEONE ELSE. 46:07 YOU UNDERSTAND HOW THAT WORKS, DON'T YOU. 46:10 BUT HERE'S MY POINT - HERE'S MY POINT, IF WE JUST LOOK FROM A 46:13 SECULAR BUSINESS MINDSET, THESE THINGS CAN LOOK LIKE FAILURES. 46:21 BUT LET'S COME BACK, NOW, TO WHERE WE'RE AT IN JOHN 6 BECAUSE 46:26 ANDREW IS USING HIS HUMAN COMPUTATIONAL ABILITIES AND YET 46:32 HE IS STILL BRINGING WHAT HE HAS ACCESS TO OR WHAT THE BODY, YOU 46:39 MIGHT SAY, THE BODY OF CHRIST IN THAT SETTING HAD ACCESS TO. 46:43 HE BRINGS TO JESUS SOMETHING THAT SEEMS INSIGNIFICANT. 46:49 HOW MANY OF YOU FEEL TODAY THAT YOUR TALENTS ARE INSIGNIFICANT? 46:56 HOW MANY OF YOU FEEL THAT WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT INTRODUCING 46:59 PEOPLE TO JESUS YOU SAY, 'THERE'S NO WAY I COULD DO 47:01 THAT'? THERE'S NO WAY I COULD DO THAT. 47:05 I'M REMINDED OF WHY I'M HERE TODAY. 47:10 IN FACT, JUST THIS MORNING AS I WALKED IN SOMEONE INTRODUCED 47:12 THEMSELVES TO ME. I HADN'T RECOGNIZED THEM SEEING 47:16 THIS PERSON IN MANY YEARS. HE WAS ONE OF THE FIRST 47:17 SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST MINISTERS I HAD EVER MET. I MET HIM IN 47:21 FARIBAULT, MINNESOTA BECAUSE I WAS ATTENDING A SECULAR COLLEGE 47:27 THERE, NEVER HAVING HEARD OF SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS. 47:30 I WAS GOING TO A SCHOOL CALLED CARLETON COLLEGE IN NORTHFIELD 47:33 MINNESOTA AND THERE WAS ANOTHER ADVENTIST MINISTER THERE WHO 47:37 SAID, 'THIS SCHOOL NEEDS THE GOSPEL.' THEY HAD BEEN ON THE 47:41 CAMPUS LONG ENOUGH TO SEE THERE - IT SEEMED LIKE THERE WAS NO 47:44 VESTIGE OF CHRISTIANITY ON THAT SECULAR COLLEGE CAMPUS. 47:48 THERE WAS NO ONE THERE WHO IDENTIFIED THEMSELVES AS A 47:51 SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST, FOR EXAMPLE, AND THIS PASTOR GOT 47:54 PERMISSION TO HOLD A NON-CREDIT CLASS ON BIBLE PROPHECY THERE AT 47:59 CARLETON COLLEGE AND THAT'S WHERE I WAS INTRODUCED TO THE 48:01 SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST MESSAGE. BUT I'M TELLING THIS STORY FOR 48:04 THIS REASON: I WOULD HAVE NEVER GONE TO THOSE MEETINGS WERE IT 48:07 NOT FOR ANOTHER FELLOW IN THE DORM, BECAUSE HE WALKED INTO MY 48:11 ROOM, HE SAW THE FLYER FOR THE MEETINGS SITTING ON MY DESK AND 48:15 HE SAID, 'OH, YOU GOT ONE OF THOSE TOO? ARE YOU GOING TO 48:18 THOSE MEETINGS?' AND I SAID, 'WELL, I WAS THINKING ABOUT 48:20 IT.' HE SAID, 'THEY'RE GOING TO BE GREAT 48:21 MEETINGS.' HE DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT, OKAY? 48:25 I MEAN, TO MY KNOWLEDGE, AND SOMEHOW HE TALKED ME INTO 48:30 TELLING HIM THAT I WOULD GO TO THOSE MEETINGS. 48:33 AND SO, WHEN THE ACTUAL DAY CAME FOR THAT NON-CREDIT CLASS - IT 48:38 WAS - IT WAS TAUGHT AS A CLASS. THERE WAS NO FANCY SINGING. 48:41 IT WASN'T AN AUDITORIUM, IT WAS IN A COLLEGE CLASSROOM WITH A 48:44 SYLLABUS AND A BOOK. I WAS TOO BUSY. 48:49 I HAD, YOU KNOW, A BUNCH OF TESTS COMING UP AND ALL KINDS OF 48:52 STUFF GOING ON, BUT I TOLD THIS GUY THAT I WOULD SHOW UP. 48:56 SO HOW DO YOU DO THAT? HOW DO YOU MAKE GOOD ON YOUR 48:59 WORD WHEN YOU JUST DON'T HAVE MUCH TIME. 49:03 'YOU KNOW WHAT I'LL DO?' - I SAID - 'I'LL SHOW UP AT THE 49:06 VERY END OF THE MEETING.' SO THEN I CAME, RIGHT? 49:09 THEY WERE PROMISING A FREE BOOK ANYWAY - MAYBE I'D GET A FREE 49:12 BOOK. SO I WAIT UNTIL I THINK THE 49:16 MEETING'S ABOUT OVER AND I SLIP IN. 49:20 IT WAS A MUCH LONGER MEETING THAN I BARGAINED ON. 49:24 (LAUGHTER) SO I HEARD A LOT MORE THAN I WAS EXPECTING, BUT 49:28 WHATEVER - I DON'T EVEN REMEMBER WHAT THAT FIRST MEETING WAS 49:30 ABOUT, BUT IT SPOKE TO MY HEART. IT WAS NOT A POPULAR CLASS. 49:38 NOT MANY STUDENTS CAME, IN FACT, I LEARNED FROM THIS MINISTER - 49:43 ACTUALLY FROM HIS SON, YEARS LATER, THAT HE HAD TRIED TO DO 49:46 THIS IN MANY PLACES - MANY SECULAR UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGE 49:50 CAMPUSES, AND MOST EVERYWHERE HE WENT, PEOPLES' VERDICTS WERE THE 49:54 SAME. IT WAS A FAILURE. HE DIDN'T GET PERMISSION TO 49:57 DO IT - HOW DO YOU FEEL AFTER YOU'VE FAILED MULTIPLE TIMES? 50:01 DO YOU GIVE UP? HE DIDN'T GIVE UP. 50:04 HE BROUGHT WHAT HE HAD TO JESUS AND JESUS DID, AT LEAST IN MY 50:10 LIFE, JUST WHAT HE DID WITH THOSE LOAVES AND FISHES THAT 50:15 ANDREW HAD ACCESS TO. THE MESSAGE IS SIMPLY THIS: 50:19 IF YOU'RE WONDERING HOW TO INTRODUCE PEOPLE TO JESUS, JUST 50:22 ALLOW JESUS TO WORK IN YOUR LIFE AND THEN SHARE WHAT HE'S DOING. 50:30 YOU'RE WONDERING ABOUT THAT FELLOW THAT INVITED ME TO THE 50:32 MEETINGS, PROBABLY - NEVER CAME. (LAUGHTER) NEVER SHOWED UP. 50:39 AND I TELL YOU THAT FOR ANOTHER REASON - BECAUSE YOU CAN INVITE 50:45 PEOPLE TO ENGAGE WITH JESUS AND EVEN HAVE AN EXPERIENCE THAT YOU 50:49 DON'T HAVE. I'M NOT SAYING THAT'S THE 50:52 BEST WAY OF BEING A WITNESS. IT'S BETTER TO SHARE 50:55 FROM YOUR OWN EXPERIENCE. BUT THIS FELLOW HAD NO 50:57 EXPERIENCE WITH THOSE CLASSES AT ALL. 51:00 AND HE INVITED ME TO COME AND I TOLD HIM I WOULD AND I SHOWED UP 51:05 AND IT CHANGED MY LIFE. >>AMEN. 51:08 >>HAVE YOU EVER INVITED SOMEONE TO CHURCH? 51:12 NOW, WHAT HAPPENS IF THEY DON'T COME? 51:14 AND WHAT IF YOU INVITE A LOT OF PEOPLE TO CHURCH AND THEY DON'T 51:16 COME? HOW MANY OF YOU COULD JUST 51:18 CONCLUDE YOU DO NOT HAVE THE GIFT OF EVANGELISM? 51:22 NO. YOU KNOW WHAT I WOULD TELL 51:23 YOU IS KEEP INVITING PEOPLE. DO YOU INVITE PEOPLE TO 51:27 STUDY THE BIBLE WITH YOU? YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT HARD TODAY. 51:31 THERE ARE ALL KINDS OF WONDERFULLY PREPARED LESSONS. 51:34 AND, YOU KNOW, THE LESSONS ACTUALLY HAVE QUESTIONS LIKE ARE 51:38 RAISED IN THIS LESSON - INVITING PEOPLE TO FOLLOW JESUS. 51:42 IF YOU CAN'T SAY IT YOURSELF, IT'S IN THE LESSON. 51:44 WHEN YOU GET TO THE END OF THE LESSON IT SAYS SOMETHING JUST 51:47 LIKE THEY HAVE - THEY HAVE ONE THESE RENDITIONS OF THE SINNER'S 51:50 PRAYER HERE IN THURSDAY'S LESSON. 51:53 AND THEY HAVE THINGS LIKE THIS IN YOUR LESSON STUDIES. 51:57 AND IF YOU DON'T KNOW HOW TO POINT SOMEONE TO JESUS, THE 52:00 LESSON WILL WALK THEM THROUGH IT. 52:05 WELL, WE'D BE NEGLIGENT NOT TO TOUCH ON A FEW OTHER ASPECTS OF 52:12 THIS LESSON BEFORE WE FINISH. IN WEDNESDAY'S LESSON WE HAVE 52:18 PAUL BEFORE KING AGRIPPA AND WE TALK HERE - I'LL READ THIS 52:26 RIGHT FROM WEDNESDAY'S LESSON. THIS IS THE SECOND PARAGRAPH 52:31 THERE IF YOU'RE FOLLOWING ALONG IN THE QUARTERLY. 52:33 'SOME MAY SAY' - AND I'M PARAPHRASING - 'I WILL TAKE CARE 52:37 OF THE FIRST PART OF JESUS' METHOD BUT I DON'T DO THE 52:40 BIDDING - I DON'T DO THE 'FOLLOW ME' PART. 52:42 THAT'S NOT MY GIFT.' CAN WE JUST BEG OUT OF INVITING PEOPLE TO 52:52 FOLLOW JESUS? YOU SAY, 'DR. 52:55 DEROSE, I WANT EVERYONE TO THINK WELL OF ME AND IF I ASK PEOPLE 52:57 TO FOLLOW JESUS' - IT MIGHT HAPPEN TO YOU WHAT HAPPENED TO 53:00 ME NOT LONG AGO IN MY MEDICAL CLINIC AS I DEVELOPED NEW - YOU 53:05 KNOW, SOME REALLY GOOD RAPPORT WITH THIS NEW PATIENT AND THEN I 53:08 BROUGHT UP THE SUBJECT OF JESUS AND THIS PERSON GOT REALLY 53:11 ANGRY. THAT DOESN'T ALWAYS HAPPEN. 53:14 I JUST DID IT THE OTHER DAY AND SOMEONE WAS VERY APPRECIATIVE 53:16 AND WE ENDED UP HAVING PRAYER TOGETHER. 53:18 BUT THIS WOMAN GOT VERY ANGRY. AND SO YOU'LL SAY, 'WELL, THERE 53:21 YOU GO, STICKING YOUR FOOT IN YOUR MOUTH AGAIN. 53:24 YOU SHOULD NOT HAVE SAID ANYTHING. 53:25 YOU SHOULD HAVE WON HER CONFIDENCE MORE AND THEN TALKED 53:27 ABOUT JESUS.' WELL, LISTEN, I'LL LEAVE THAT TO THE HOLY SPIRIT.' 53:31 YOU SAY, 'DR. DEROSE, DON'T BLAME THE HOLY SPIRIT. THAT'S 53:33 YOU. YOU'VE GOT TO LISTEN TO THE HOLY 53:35 SPIRIT.' WELL, OKAY, POINT WELL TAKEN. 53:36 I CAN'T TELL YOU WHAT HAPPENED THERE, BUT I CAN TELL YOU SHE 53:38 WAS NOT VERY HAPPY AND I DON'T KNOW THAT I'LL EVER SEE HER 53:41 AGAIN. I ACTUALLY DON'T THINK THAT I WILL. 53:44 BUT, IN JOHN'S GOSPEL AND IN LUKE'S GOSPEL - I WANT YOU TO 53:47 TURN TO LUKE 6 - THIS IS OUR FINAL SCRIPTURE - LUKE 6. 53:52 LUKE IS GIVING HIS RENDITION OF THE BEATITUDES AND IT JUST - AS 53:57 WE'RE CLOSING THROUGH JESUS' METHOD, I THINK THERE ARE 54:00 PITFALLS ON EITHER SIDE. THERE'S THIS BIG PITFALL THAT 54:03 WE WILL NOT MINISTER TO OUR COMMUNITIES. WE HAVE TO DO THAT. 54:06 WE HAVE TO BE INVOLVED IN HEALTH EVANGELISM. 54:08 I'LL BE THE FIRST ONE TO TELL YOU THAT. 54:10 BUT IF ALL WE DO IS FOCUS ON MINISTRY AND TRYING TO BE 54:13 POPULAR WITH OUR COMMUNITIES, WE'RE MISSING THE POINT. 54:16 IN LUKE CHAPTER 6 WE HAVE THE RENDITION OF LUKE OF THE 54:23 BEATITUDES. AND AFTER JESUS HAS SPOKEN 54:26 BLESSINGS IN LUKE 6, WE READ JESUS' PRONUNCIATION OF WOES. 54:32 I'M IN LUKE 6, VERSE 24, "BUT WOE TO YOU WHO ARE RICH, FOR YOU 54:37 HAVE RECEIVED YOUR CONSOLATION. WOE TO YOU WHO ARE FULL, 54:41 FOR YOU SHALL HUNGER. WOE TO YOU WHO LAUGH NOW, FOR 54:44 YOU SHALL MOURN AND WEEP. WOE TO YOU WHEN ALL MEN SPEAK 54:48 WELL OF YOU, FOR SO DID THEIR FATHERS TO THE FALSE PROPHETS." 54:54 I READ THAT - YOU SAY, 'THAT'S NOT A NICE NOTE TO CLOSE ON.' I 54:57 READ IT TO YOU FOR THIS REASON: GOD IS GOING TO CALL US TO DO 55:02 THINGS THAT OUR COMMUNITIES WILL LOVE - THEY'LL APPRECIATE US 55:05 FOR. THEY'LL SAY, 'WOULDN'T IT BE WONDERFUL IF EVERYONE WERE 55:07 SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS?' BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? 55:09 GOD IS GOING TO CALL US TO DO SOME THINGS TOO WHERE PEOPLE ARE 55:13 NOT GOING TO APPRECIATE WHAT WE DO. THERE'S OPPORTUNITY TO STUDY 55:16 MORE. WE'VE GOT A FREE GIFT. IT'S CALLED HIGHER STILL: 55:21 FINDING ETERNAL SECURITY IN CHRIST - THAT'S OUR FREE OFFER. 55:26 IT IS #815. YOU CAN GET IT BY CALLING 55:30 866-STUDY-MORE - THAT'S 866-788-3966. 55:37 UNTIL NEXT WEEK, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO STUDY, TO DIVE IN, TO GET 55:41 CLOSER TO THE ONE WHOSE VOICE WE ALL NEED TO HEAR. 55:46 >>I LOVE THE QUOTE: "THE GREATEST WANT OF THE WORLD IS 55:49 THE WANT OF MEN ... MEN WHO WILL STAND FOR THE RIGHT THOUGH THE 55:52 HEAVENS FALL." YET STUDIES ARE SHOWING, FOR 55:55 SEVERAL YEARS NOW, THE SECULAR MEDIA AND CULTURE HAVE SOUGHT 55:59 TO PORTRAY MEN AS THE FAMILY IDIOTS. 56:02 SADLY, RESPECT FOR THE ROLE OF FATHERS AND HUSBANDS HAS REACHED 56:07 AN ALL-TIME LOW. SO NOW, AS THE DISPIRITED MEN 56:10 ABANDON THEIR ROLES OF GODLY LEADERSHIP, IT'S NOT SURPRISING 56:14 THAT WE'RE EXPERIENCING A MORAL FREE-FALL IN OUR COUNTRY. 56:17 THAT'S WHY, STARTING SEPTEMBER 30TH I'LL BE PRESENTING A NEW 56:20 PROGRAM CALLED MIGHTY MEN OF GOD . 56:24 USING BIBLICAL PRINCIPLES, THIS ENCOURAGING FOUR-PART SERIES 56:27 WILL ADDRESS HOW TO BE A LOVING FATHER, FAITHFUL HUSBAND, AND 56:31 ALL-AROUND MAN OF GOD IN THE FAMILY CHURCH AND NATION. 56:35 PLEASE PLAN NOW TO JOIN ME FOR THIS LIVE EVENT AND LEARN FROM 56:38 THE WORD HOW TO LIVE COURAGEOUSLY FOR THE KING. 56:46 >>AMAZING FACTS HAS IMPACTED MY LIFE. 56:49 >>AND I JUST PRAISE GOD FOR AMAZING FACTS. 56:50 >>AMAZING FACTS ACTUALLY DID HAVE AN IMPACT ON MY LIFE. 56:53 >>THIS WHOLE PROCESS - GETTING WHERE I AM TODAY - I FELT GOOD 56:56 ABOUT THAT. I DIDN'T FEEL CONDEMNED. 56:58 >>I BEGAN READING THE BIBLE AND - 57:00 >>I GOT BAPTIZED INTO A SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST - 57:02 >>I REALIZED THAT THERE HAD TO BE MORE TO LIFE. 57:05 >>GOD IS REALLY DOING THIS. >>THE LIFE THAT HE'S GIVEN ME. 57:07 >>THIS MESSAGE WAS SO POWERFUL. >>I'LL FOLLOW CHRIST 57:09 WHEREVER HE GOES. >>AMAZING FACTS. MORE THAN 57:13 45 YEARS OF PROCLAIMING GOD'S MESSAGE AROUND THE WORLD. 57:18 >>AND THEN THE LOGO POPS ACROSS AMAZING FACTS PRESENTS. 57:22 I'VE LISTENED TO A LOT OF DIFFERENT MINISTERS, BUT THIS 57:24 WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT HE'S ACTUALLY SAYING SOMETHING WHERE 57:27 I HAD TO GRAB MY BIBLE AND ACTUALLY PICK IT UP AND I'VE 57:31 NEVER HEARD THIS BEFORE. LET ME - LET ME LOOK THROUGH AND 57:33 FIND THIS. AND I JUST COULDN'T GET ENOUGH. 57:35 >>AND SO I STARTED DOING BIBLE STUDIES. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF 57:39 THESE GUYS STARTED BEING CHANGED, INCLUDING MYSELF. 57:42 >>MY QUESTION WAS, 'WHY DID THAT HAPPEN TO ME, GOD?' 57:46 THE LORD WAS ABLE TO REACH OUT AND - AND I ACTUALLY SAW HIM AS 57:49 A FATHER. >>I LOST EVERYTHING AND THAT WAS 57:52 WHEN I REALIZED THAT IT WAS GOD MISSING IN MY LIFE. 57:55 >>I WENT TO A PROPHECY SEMINAR, WHICH KNOCKED ME OUT. 58:00 THIS MESSAGE WAS SO POWERFUL AND SO IRREFUTABLE, I JUST WENT, 58:04 'THIS IS REAL. THIS IS - THIS IS AMAZING.' 58:09 (MUSIC) |
Revised 2016-09-06