Participants: Marshall McKenzie
Series Code: SSH
Program Code: SSH021719A
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00:00 (MUSIC)
00:35 >>GOOD MORNING AND HAPPY SABBATH. WE WANT TO WELCOME YOU 00:37 IF YOU'RE JOINING US ONLINE OR IF YOU'RE JOINING US VIA THE 00:41 TELEVISION OR RIGHT HERE IN GRANITE BAY. WE JUST WANT TO 00:44 WELCOME EVERYBODY TO OUR SABBATH SCHOOL STUDY HOUR THIS MORNING. 00:47 AS YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN STUDYING THROUGH THE BOOK OF PETER. 00:51 1 PETER HAS BEEN OUR TOPIC FOR THE - SEVERAL WEEKS AND THIS 00:54 MORNING OUR LESSON, AS WE STUDY TOGETHER IS LESSON #7 ENTITLED 00:59 SERVANT LEADERSHIP - SERVANT LEADERSHIP IS OUR TITLE THIS 01:03 MORNING, AS WE STUDY IT TOGETHER. 01:06 I ALSO WANT TO MAKE YOU AWARE, FOR ALL OF THOSE VIEWING, THAT 01:09 OUR FREE OFFER THIS MORNING IS IS THERE ANYTHING LEFT YOU CAN 01:14 TRUST? - IS THERE ANYTHING LEFT YOU CAN TRUST? - THIS IS OFFER 01:17 #103. IT CAN ALSO BE STUDIED ONLINE AT AMAZINGFACTS.ORG OR 01:23 YOU CAN JUST CALL 1-866-788-3966 TO RECEIVE THIS FREE OFFER - IS 01:31 THERE ANYTHING LEFT YOU CAN TRUST? HERE AT GRANITE BAY, AS 01:34 OUR CUSTOM IS, BEFORE WE JUMP RIGHT INTO OUR LESSON, WE LOVE 01:38 TO PRAISE THE LORD IN SONG AND WE LOVE TO HEAR MUSIC. 01:41 AND SO, BEFORE WE JUST JUMP RIGHT IN, I LIKE TO ENCOURAGE 01:45 YOU TO SIT BACK AND ENJOY THIS SPECIAL MUSIC THIS MORNING. 01:51 >>I THOUGHT I DID WHAT'S RIGHT. I THOUGHT I HAD THE ANSWERS. I 02:01 THOUGHT I CHOSE THE SUREST ROAD BUT THAT ROAD BROUGHT ME HERE. 02:12 SO I PUT UP A FIGHT AND TOLD YOU HOW TO HELP ME. NOW JUST WHEN I 02:23 HAVE GIVEN UP THE TRUTH IS COMING CLEAR. LORD, YOU KNOW 02:35 BETTER THAN I, YOU KNOW THE WAY. I'VE LET GO THE NEED TO KNOW 02:52 WHY. FOR YOU KNOW BETTER THAN I. IF THIS HAS BEEN A TEST I CANNOT 03:07 SEE THE REASON, BUT MAYBE KNOWING I DON'T KNOW IS PART OF 03:16 GETTING THROUGH. I TRY TO DO WHAT'S BEST AND FAITH HAS MADE 03:25 IT EASY TO SEE THE BEST THING I CAN DO IS PUT MY TRUST IN YOU. 03:35 FOR YOU KNOW BETTER THAN I. YOU KNOW THE WAY. I'VE LET GO THE 03:54 NEED TO KNOW WHY. FOR YOU KNOW BETTER THAN I. I SAW ONE CLOUD 04:07 AND THOUGHT IT WAS A SKY. I SAW A BIRD AND THOUGHT THAT I COULD 04:16 FOLLOW BUT IT WAS YOU WHO TAUGHT THAT BIRD TO FLY. IF I LET YOU 04:27 REACH ME WILL YOU TEACH ME? FOR YOU KNOW BETTER THAN I. YOU KNOW 04:45 THE WAY. I'VE LET GO THE NEED TO KNOW WHY. I'LL TAKE WHAT ANSWERS 05:00 YOU SUPPLY. LORD, YOU KNOW BETTER THAN I. 05:28 >>THIS MORNING WE'RE JUMPING INTO LESSON #7 - IT'S A 05:31 POWERFUL LESSON AS WE GET INTO IT. 05:36 AND, AS I LIKE TO DO, I LIKE TO KIND OF LOOK AT THE MEMORY VERSE 05:40 FIRST - I LIKE TO LOOK AT THE MEMORY VERSE HERE IN LESSON #7 - 05:44 SERVANT LEADERSHIP - AND IT'S A VERSE, I'M SURE, WE'RE ALL 05:49 ACQUAINTED WITH - ALL OF US FACE CARES AND THE CARES OF THIS 05:55 WORLD - AND PETER GIVES US THIS ENCOURAGING VERSE AS WE JUMP 06:00 RIGHT IN THIS LESSON THIS MORNING ON SERVANT LEADERSHIP. 06:04 IT'S 1 PETER CHAPTER 5, VERSE 7. HE SAYS, "CASTING ALL YOUR 06:11 CARE UPON HIM FOR HE" - WHAT? >>CARES FOR YOU. 06:14 >>"HE CARES FOR YOU." AND SO, ULTIMATELY, AS WE GO 06:17 THROUGH THIS LESSON ON SERVANT LEADERSHIP, ONE POINT THAT 06:21 WE'RE GOING TO SEE CONSISTENTLY THROUGHOUT THIS LESSON IS THE 06:24 FACT THAT GOD CARES FOR HIS LEADERS. 06:28 GOD CARES FOR HIS CHURCH AND WE CAN CAST ALL OUR CARE ON HIM. 06:34 I'VE BROKEN DOWN THE LESSON INTO THREE SECTIONS THAT WE'RE GOING 06:37 TO COVER AS WE GO THROUGH MONDAY, TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, 06:40 THURSDAY AND EVEN SUNDAY'S LESSON. 06:43 THESE ARE THE THREE TOPICS THAT THIS LESSON BREAKS DOWN FOR US, 06:46 AS PETER GETS INTO IT, AND WE'RE GOING TO STUDY SPECIFICALLY 06:49 1 PETER CHAPTER 5. THE FIRST POINT - THE FIRST KEY 06:53 LESSON OR POINT THAT THE LESSON BRINGS OUT IS GOD'S BODY - OR 06:59 THE CHURCH - NEEDS LEADERSHIP. SO WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE 07:03 NEED FOR LEADERSHIP AND WE'RE GOING TO ACTUALLY SEE THIS EARLY 07:07 ON IN THE EARLY CHURCH IN HOW CHRIST DEVELOPS THE CHURCH AND 07:11 HOW HE GIVES LEADERSHIP TO THE CHURCH. 07:13 THE SECOND POINT THE LESSON BRINGS OUT IS THAT LEADERSHIP IS 07:17 NOT SO MUCH ABOUT POSITION BUT CHARACTER. 07:22 IT'S THE CHARACTER OF THE INDIVIDUAL AND PETER IS GOING TO 07:24 DIVE INTO THE CHARACTERISTICS THAT MAKE UP GOD'S LEADERS. 07:31 NOW, I KNOW IT'S VERY EASY FOR US SOMETIMES WHEN WE THINK OF 07:34 LEADERSHIP - WE MAY NOT PUT OURSELVES IN THAT PLACE, IN 07:38 CHURCH LEADERSHIP. 'WELL, I'M JUST A MEMBER IN THE 07:40 LOCAL CHURCH.' BUT AS PETER GETS INTO THESE CHARACTERISTICS OF 07:43 LEADERSHIP, WE BEGIN TO REALIZE THAT ALL OF US CAN HAVE THESE 07:48 CHARACTERISTICS AND WE CAN, ACTUALLY, LEAD WHEREVER 07:51 WE ARE IN THE CHURCH. WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE. 07:54 WE CAN INFLUENCE PEOPLE THAT ARE CLOSEST TO US AND AROUND US 07:58 THROUGH THESE CHARACTERISTICS THAT PETER DIVES INTO. 08:02 THE THIRD POINT IS: AS LEADERS WE MUST BE CLEAR MINDED, KNOWING 08:08 THAT EVERY TURN WE ARE BEING HUNTED. 08:13 SO, THE LAST PART OF THE LESSON TALKS ABOUT THIS ROARING LION - 08:16 TALKING ABOUT SATAN - WHO SEEKS TO DEVOUR. 08:20 YOU KNOW, IN THE OLD TESTAMENT, IT'S VERY INTERESTING. 08:23 JESUS, HIS PLAN FOR THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL WAS THAT THEY WOULD BE 08:28 THE HEAD AND NOT THE TAIL. THEY WERE TO BE AN EXAMPLE TO 08:33 ALL NATIONS AROUND THEM AND, IN THEIR OWN WAY, EACH WAS TO BE 08:38 A LEADER IN GOD'S MOVEMENT. AND THAT DOESN'T CHANGE AND 08:44 PETER KIND OF UNPACKS THIS IN 1 PETER CHAPTER 5. 08:49 HE UNPACKS THIS IDEA THAT EVERYBODY CAN BE A LEADER, EVEN 08:54 THOUGH THERE ARE SPECIFIC LEADERS THAT GOD DOES RAISE UP 08:57 IN HIS CHURCH. BUT, WHEN YOU LEAD, REMEMBER 09:01 THERE'S ALWAYS AN ADVERSARY AND HE'S ALWAYS AROUND EVERY CORNER 09:07 AND HE'S SEEKING WHOM HE MAY DEVOUR. AND WHY IS THAT? 09:11 BECAUSE HE WANTS TO DESTROY GOD'S MOVEMENT. HE WANTS TO 09:15 DESTROY GOD'S CHURCH. HE WANTS TO DESTROY GOD'S PLAN FOR HIS 09:20 CHURCH IN REACHING THE WORLD WITH THE GOSPEL. 09:23 SO THE LAST POINT WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT IS THIS IDEA OF BEING 09:26 CLEAR MINDED - BEING SOBER - BECAUSE WE ARE BEING HUNTED. 09:32 IF YOU HAVE YOUR BIBLES, I'D LIKE FOR YOU TO OPEN UP WITH ME 09:35 TO 1 PETER - WE'RE GOING TO START - WE'RE GOING TO JUMP 09:37 RIGHT IN - 1 PETER CHAPTER 5 - 1 PETER CHAPTER 5, VERSES 1 AND 2 09:44 - 1 PETER CHAPTER 5, VERSES 1 AND 2. HE SAYS, "THE ELDERS WHO 09:54 ARE AMONG YOU I EXHORT, I WHO AM A FELLOW ELDER AND A WITNESS OF 10:02 THE SUFFERINGS OF CHRIST, AND ALSO A PARTAKER OF THE GLORY 10:07 THAT WILL BE REVEALED:" - HE GOES ON TO SAY - "SHEPHERD THE 10:13 FLOCK OF GOD WHICH IS AMONG YOU, SERVING AS OVERSEERS, NOT BY 10:19 COMPULSION BUT WILLINGLY, NOT FOR DISHONEST GAIN BUT EAGERLY; 10:25 NOR AS BEING LORDS OVER THOSE ENTRUSTED TO YOU, BUT BEING 10:31 EXAMPLES TO THE FLOCK;" - PETER BEGINS, IN THIS EPISTLE, IN HIS 10:38 LETTER IN 1 PETER CHAPTER 5 HE BEGINS BY TALKING 10:44 TO WHOM DIRECTLY? >>ELDERS. 10:46 >>HE'S TALKING TO THE ELDERS OF THE CHURCH. 10:48 HE'S TALKING TO THE SHEPHERDS THAT ARE TO SHEPHERD THE FLOCK 10:53 THAT ARE TO GUIDE THE FLOCK ALONG LIFE'S JOURNEY AS WE'RE 10:57 PREPARING FOR THE SOON RETURN OF THE CHIEF SHEPHERD PETER WILL 11:03 IDENTIFY LATER AS WE GO ON IN THE LESSON. 11:06 AND SO, EARLY ON IN THE CHURCH'S HISTORY, CHRIST ESTABLISHED 11:12 DIFFERENT ROLES OF LEADERSHIP - TEAMS OF LEADERSHIP, IF WE CAN 11:18 PUT IT THAT WAY, TO CONTINUE THE GROWTH OF THE CHURCH. 11:22 NOW I'VE ASKED A COUPLE OF VOLUNTEERS TO SHARE WITH US AND 11:25 READ A FEW PASSAGES THIS MORNING AND, IN JUST A MOMENT, WE'RE 11:28 GOING TO COME TO THE FIRST PASSAGE IN RELATIONSHIP TO THIS 11:32 - THE EARLY CHURCH AND GOD'S PURPOSES. 11:36 BUT PRINCIPALLY, IT'S NO DIFFERENT THAN THE JETHRO 11:40 PRINCIPLE - YOU FAMILIAR WITH THE 11:42 JETHRO PRINCIPLE? YOU GO BACK TO EXODUS, OKAY? 11:46 IN EXODUS CHAPTER 18:21 TO 22, THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL - MASSIVE 11:50 GROUP OF PEOPLE - COME OUT OF EGYPT AND SOME OF THOSE WERE 11:54 MIXED EGYPTIANS IN THAT GROUP THAT LEFT WITH THEM. 11:58 AND MOSES WAS THE ONE THAT WAS ULTIMATELY RESPONSIBLE AND 12:03 ANYBODY WHO HAD A SITUATION OR A PROBLEM OR A CHALLENGE, THEY 12:07 WOULD COME TO MOSES AND MOSES MET JETHRO, AFTER THIS - 12:13 HIS FATHER-IN-LAW AND HIS WIFE AND HIS TWO SONS HAD COME TO BE 12:17 WITH HIM AND JETHRO NOTICES ALL THAT MOSES IS DEALING WITH AND 12:23 HE BEGINS TO SHARE WITH HIM THIS PRINCIPLE OF LEADERSHIP, 12:27 EVEN AS FAR BACK AS EXODUS. 12:29 I'LL READ FOR YOU EXODUS CHAPTER 18, VERSES 21 AND 22; HE SAYS, 12:33 "MOREOVER YOU SHALL SELECT FROM ALL THE PEOPLE ABLE MEN, SUCH 12:38 AS FEAR GOD, MEN OF TRUTH, HATING COVETOUSNESS; AND PLACE 12:44 SUCH OVER THEM TO BE RULERS OF THOUSANDS, RULERS OF HUNDREDS, 12:49 RULERS OF FIFTIES, AND RULERS OF TENS. 12:52 AND LET THEM JUDGE THE PEOPLE AT ALL TIMES. 12:56 THEN IT WILL BE THAT EVERY GREAT MATTER" - THIS IS INTERESTING - 13:01 "EVERY GREAT MATTER THEY SHALL BRING TO YOU, BUT EVERY SMALL 13:06 MATTER THEY THEMSELVES SHALL JUDGE." 13:11 - AND YOU'RE GOING TO ACTUALLY SEE THIS IN THE NEW TESTAMENT - 13:13 THIS SAME PRINCIPLE COMING OUT AS GOD ESTABLISHES HIS CHURCH. 13:17 HE GOES ON, FINALLY, AND SAYS, "SO IT WILL BE EASIER FOR YOU, 13:22 FOR THEY WILL BEAR THE BURDEN WITH YOU." OKAY? 13:26 THEY WILL BEAR THE BURDEN WITH YOU. 13:28 BUT MOSES WAS TO DEAL WITH WHAT KIND OF MATTERS? 13:30 >>LARGE. >>HE WAS TO DEAL WITH THE MAJOR 13:33 MATTERS AND THESE OTHER LEADERS HE WAS ESTABLISHING WITHIN THE 13:38 CAMP WERE TO TAKE ON THE SMALLER MATTERS. 13:41 AND THERE'S NO DIFFERENCE IN RELATIONSHIP TO THE NEW 13:44 TESTAMENT AND THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH. 13:47 AND SO, IN THE EARLY CHRISTIAN CHURCH, WE START TO SEE THE SAME 13:52 PRINCIPLE BEING APPLIED IN THE RAISING UP OF THE DEACONS. 13:56 NOW THIS IS A - THIS IS A MAJOR TRANSITION IN THE BOOK OF ACTS, 14:00 JUST LIKE WHEN JETHRO GAVE THE PRINCIPLE TO MOSES, THIS WAS A 14:04 MAJOR TRANSITION AS THEY WERE COMING OUT OF EGYPT. 14:09 IN THE EARLY CHRISTIAN CHURCH - IN THE BOOK OF ACTS - THERE WAS 14:12 MASSIVE GROWTH THAT THEY WERE EXPERIENCING. 14:15 YOU HAVE 3,000 THE FIRST TIME THAT PETER PREACHES. 14:18 AFTER THAT YOU HAVE THIS INCREASE OF 4,000, YOU HAVE THIS 14:21 INCREASE OF 5,000, YOU HAVE THIS TREMENDOUS GROUP THAT CONTINUES 14:25 TO GROW AND SWELL IN THE EARLY CHRISTIAN CHURCH. 14:29 AND SO, WHEN YOU HAVE THIS INCREASE OF NUMBERS, YOU HAVE A 14:33 SPECIFIC CHALLENGE THAT COMES, BECAUSE SOME WIDOWS - THE GREEK 14:39 WIDOWS - WERE BEING NEGLECTED IN THE SERVICE. 14:42 THEY WEREN'T BEING NEGLECTED PURPOSEFULLY, BUT WHEN YOU HAVE 14:45 THAT MANY PEOPLE, SOMETIMES IT'S EASY TO BE OVERLOOKED. 14:51 YOU DON'T TRY TO OVERLOOK SOMEBODY, BUT THEY CAN BE. 14:55 AND SO IT CAUSED A MAJOR ISSUE IN THE EARLY CHURCH, BUT THE 14:58 DISCIPLES - THE APOSTLES, SPECIFICALLY - REALIZED THAT IF 15:02 WE DEAL WITH THIS MATTER THEN, ULTIMATELY WE WILL NEGLECT THE 15:08 WORD OF GOD AND PRAYER - THE PREACHING OF THE WORD - BECAUSE, 15:13 ULTIMATELY, GOD WANTED THEM TO GO TO THE REMOTEST PARTS OF THE 15:16 EARTH. SO WHAT DID THEY DO? 15:19 THEY LOOKED OUT AMONG THE DISCIPLES AND THEY SAID TO THE 15:24 DISCIPLES - THE MULTITUDE - 'YOU CHOOSE SEVEN' AND THEY GAVE THEM 15:30 SPECIFIC GUIDELINES AND THEN THEY WENT OUT AND THEY FOLLOWED 15:33 THOSE GUIDELINES. IT'S KIND OF LIKE JETHRO, AS I 15:36 READ IN EXODUS, HE SAID, 'CHOOSE MEN - ABLE MEN - WHO FEAR 15:41 GOD, MEN OF TRUTH, HATING COVETOUSNESS' - OKAY? 15:46 IT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT IN THE EARLY CHRISTIAN CHURCH - WE'RE 15:48 TALKING ABOUT MEN THAT ARE FULL OF THE HOLY SPIRIT - NO 15:51 DIFFERENT, REALLY, IN EXODUS, BUT THERE'S CERTAIN 15:54 QUALIFICATIONS AND SO, THESE GROUP OF MULTITUDE - THIS MASS 15:59 MULTITUDE OF DISCIPLES FIND AMONG THEM SEVEN AND THEY SET UP 16:03 THESE DEACONS TO WATCH OVER THE CHURCH. 16:07 AND SO, CHRIST BEGINS TO EXPAND, WITHIN THE CHURCH, THE ROLES OF 16:14 MINISTRY SO THAT EVERYBODY'S NEEDS COULD BE MET AND EVERYBODY 16:21 COULD CONTINUE TO BE EDUCATED AS DISCIPLES AND CONTINUE TO GROW 16:25 TO FULFILL THEIR GOSPEL COMMISSION. 16:29 BUT IT ALSO ALLOWED THE APOSTLES TO FULFILL THEIRS. 16:34 THIS IS A HUGE TRANSITION IN THE BOOK OF ACTS - THIS IDEA OF 16:38 EXPANDING MINISTRY ROLES. IN ACTS CHAPTER 14, VERSE 23, 16:47 WE READ THIS: "SO WHEN THEY HAD APPOINTED ELDERS IN EVERY 16:52 CHURCH, AND PRAYED WITH FASTING, THEY COMMENDED THEM TO THE LORD 16:57 IN WHOM THEY HAD BELIEVED." SO IN ACTS CHAPTER 6, WE SEE 17:00 THIS RAISING UP OF THE DEACONS. LATER, IN ACTS, WE SEE THE 17:04 CONCEPT BEING DEVELOPED OF ELDERS AND OVERSEERS. 17:09 SO IT'S ALMOST LIKE THIS PROCESS - AS THE CHURCH IS GROWING - AS 17:13 THE CHURCH IS EXPERIENCING DIFFERENT SITUATIONS, GOD'S 17:17 SPIRIT MOVES UPON THOSE DISCIPLES TO BEGIN SETTING UP 17:20 THIS STRUCTURE, OKAY? TO HELP THE CHURCH CONTINUE 17:26 TO FULFILL ITS PLANS, OKAY? NOW I WANT YOU TO 17:30 NOTICE SOMETHING. IF YOU HAVE YOUR BIBLES, TURN 17:31 WITH ME TO ACTS CHAPTER 15, OKAY? ACTS CHAPTER 15 - 17:36 LITTLE BIT LATER IN THE BOOK OF ACTS - ACTS CHAPTER 15. 17:40 I WANT TO READ YOU SOMETHING - SO YOU HAVE THE DEVELOPMENT OF 17:43 DEACONS AND THEN YOU HAVE THE DEVELOPMENT OF ELDERS AND, YOU 17:49 REMEMBER, IN EXODUS THE JUDGES OR THE LEADERS THERE OF FIFTIES 17:55 AND HUNDREDS, THEY WERE TO DEAL WITH THE SMALL MATTERS, RIGHT? 17:58 AND MOSES WAS TO DEAL WITH THE GREAT MATTERS. NOW, NOTICE, WITH 18:02 ME, IN ACTS CHAPTER 15, VERSES 1 AND 2, OKAY? 18:07 ACTS CHAPTER 15, VERSES 1 AND 2, IT SAYS, "AND CERTAIN MEN CAME 18:11 DOWN FROM JUDEA AND TAUGHT THE BRETHREN, 'UNLESS YOU ARE 18:15 CIRCUMCISED ACCORDING TO THE CUSTOM OF MOSES, YOU CANNOT BE 18:19 SAVED.' THEREFORE, WHEN PAUL AND BARNABAS HAD NO SMALL DISSENSION 18:25 AND DISPUTE WITH THEM," - I WANT TO STOP THERE FOR A MINUTE. 18:29 SO THERE WERE JEWS WITHIN THE EARLY CHRISTIAN CHURCH THAT WERE 18:32 STILL PUSHING THE NEED FOR CIRCUMCISION AND PAUL SAID, 18:36 'LISTEN, THERE'S NO NEED FOR CIRCUMCISION BECAUSE CHRIST HAS 18:41 DIED FOR US, OKAY? BUT YET, THERE WAS STILL THIS 18:45 PUSH AND PAUL REALIZED THIS WAS NO SMALL DISSENSION. 18:51 IN OTHER WORDS, THIS WAS A BIGGER MATTER THAT WAS TO BELONG 18:54 TO WHO? THE APOSTLES AND THE ELDERS. 18:58 IT WAS TO GO - LIKE TO MOSES, OKAY? 19:01 NOTICE, AS HE CONTINUES: "THIS WAS NO SMALL DISSENSION AND 19:05 DISPUTE WITH THEM, THEY DETERMINED THAT PAUL AND 19:08 BARNABAS AND CERTAIN OTHERS OF THEM SHOULD GO UP TO JERUSALEM, 19:12 TO" - WHOM? - "THE APOSTLES AND ELDERS," - 19:15 SO THIS WASN'T SOMETHING FOR THE DEACONS, OKAY? 19:18 THIS WASN'T SOMETHING FOR DEACONNESSES, THIS WAS 19:21 SOMETHING, LITERALLY, WHERE THEY HAD THIS JERUSALEM COUNSEL - A 19:24 SPECIAL COUNSEL WHERE, SPECIFICALLY, THE APOSTLES AND 19:28 THE ELDERS WERE TO TAKE THIS UP. THIS WAS A GREATER MATTER. 19:32 SO WE'RE SEEING THE PRINCIPLE IN EXODUS ACTUALLY BE APPLIED HERE 19:35 EVEN IN THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH. 19:38 SO THERE'S NEED FOR LEADERSHIP - THERE'S NEED FOR STRUCTURE SO 19:42 THAT THE PEOPLE CAN CONTINUE TO GROW AND ULTIMATELY ACHIEVE THE 19:46 GOALS THAT GOD HAS FOR THEM. SO THE APOSTLES AND ELDERS - 19:50 ABOUT THIS QUESTION - SO THAT'S WHY, WHEN WE GET INTO THE NEW 19:55 TESTAMENT CHURCH, WE UNDERSTAND THE NEED FOR LEADERSHIP. 19:59 WE UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S A NEED FOR DEACONS, THERE'S A NEED 20:02 FOR DEACONNESSES, THERE'S A NEED FOR ELDERS. 20:06 BY THE WAY, IN ACTS CHAPTER 6 - WE FINISHED WITH VERSE 7 - AND 20:11 THE WAY THAT THE APOSTLES HAD DEALT WITH THE SITUATION IT 20:14 SAID, 'THE NUMBER OF DISCIPLES CONTINUED TO MULTIPLY.' 20:19 ISN'T THAT THE GOAL, ULTIMATELY? 20:22 THAT THE CHURCH CONTINUED TO GROW AND GROW AND ULTIMATELY 20:26 HASTEN THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST. 20:30 EVERYBODY HAS A PART TO PLAY IN THE GREAT GOSPEL COMMISSION, 20:36 EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE ROLES THAT GOD HAS ESTABLISHED, 20:40 BIBLICALLY, TO HELP THE CHURCH CONTINUE TO GROW. 20:44 NOW I WANT YOU TO TURN TO 1 PETER CHAPTER 5 BECAUSE HERE IN 20:49 MONDAY, TUESDAY, AND WEDNESDAY, PETER STARTS TO FOCUS ON THE 20:55 ISSUE OF CHARACTER VERSUS POSITION, OKAY? 21:00 SO IF YOU GO TO 1 PETER CHAPTER 5, WHERE WE WERE - 1 PETER 21:04 CHAPTER 5, VERSES 2 THROUGH 4 - 1 PETER CHAPTER 5, VERSES 2 21:11 THROUGH 4 - NOTICE, SPECIFICALLY, HE SAYS, "SHEPHERD 21:19 THE FLOCK OF GOD WHICH IS AMONG YOU, SERVING AS OVERSEERS, NOT 21:25 BY COMPULSION BUT WILLINGLY, NOT FOR DISHONEST GAIN BUT EAGERLY; 21:32 NOR AS BEING LORDS OVER THOSE ENTRUSTED TO YOU, BUT BEING 21:38 EXAMPLES TO THE FLOCK; AND WHEN THE CHIEF SHEPHERD APPEARS, YOU 21:43 WILL RECEIVE THE CROWN OF GLORY THAT DOES NOT FADE AWAY." 21:49 ISN'T THAT AN INCREDIBLE HOPE AT THE END? 21:52 SO THAT WHEN THE CHIEF SHEPHERD COMES, WE'LL BE JUST LIKE THAT 21:57 CHIEF SHEPHERD AND FROM THE CHIEF SHEPHERD, WHAT DOES PETER 22:02 SAY WE'RE GOING TO RECEIVE? >>A CROWN. 22:06 >>PETER SAYS WE'RE GOING TO RECEIVE THE CROWN OF GLORY THAT 22:10 DOES NOT FADE AWAY. NOW, IN THE PRESENCE OF CHRIST, 22:14 WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO WITH THOSE CROWNS? 22:15 >>CAST THEM - >>WE'RE GOING TO CAST THEM AT 22:18 HIS FEET BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO RECOGNIZE WHO THE CHIEF SHEPHERD 22:22 IS. AND, BY THE WAY, LEADERS WHO HAVE THESE CHARACTERISTICS, THAT 22:28 WE'LL UNPACK IN JUST A MINUTE, THAT PETER IDENTIFIES, ARE THE 22:33 SAME KIND OF LEADERS THAT ARE GOING TO TAKE THEIR CROWN AND 22:36 THEY'RE GOING TO THROW IT AT HIS FEET BECAUSE THEY REALIZE WHO'S 22:39 REALLY THE LEADER. WHO, ULTIMATELY, IS OUR LEADER? 22:44 JESUS CHRIST IS THE HEAD OF THE BODY. 22:47 AND SO WE THROW OUR CROWNS AT HIS FEET. 22:49 BUT WHAT'S INTERESTING ABOUT THESE PASSAGES I WANT TO BRING 22:52 TO YOUR ATTENTION IN RELATIONSHIP TO CHARACTER - YOU 22:55 KNOW, SOMETIMES IN OUR WORLD, LEADERSHIP, MANY TIMES, IS BASED 22:59 ON POSITION. SO WE TRY TO CLIMB THE CORPORATE 23:04 LADDER BECAUSE WE REALIZE IF WE JUST ONLY HAD THAT 23:09 POSITION - OKAY? - THEN THINGS MIGHT BE BETTER. 23:16 YOU KNOW, I WOULD MAKE MORE, I'D BE ABLE TO DO MORE - AND SO WE 23:20 LOOK AT IT BASED ON POSITION MORE THAN WE LOOK AT IT IN 23:25 RELATIONSHIP TO CHARACTER. BUT, WHEN YOU STUDY LEADERSHIP 23:28 FROM A BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE, YOU REALIZE - AND TRUE LEADERSHIP, 23:32 EVEN TODAY, IS CHARACTER BASED - REAL LEADERS HAVE A CHARACTER. 23:38 IT DOESN'T MATTER WHERE THEY ARE, THEY CAN BE AT THE BOTTOM 23:42 OF THE FOOD CHAIN, SO TO SPEAK, IN CORPORATE LIFE, BUT EVERYBODY 23:47 LISTENS TO THEM FOR SOME REASON, AND WHAT THEY SAY - EVERYBODY 23:52 PAYS ATTENTION, BECAUSE IT'S ABOUT WHO THEY ARE, NOT WHAT 23:59 POSITION THEY HAVE. AND THIS IS WHAT PETER POINTS OUT. 24:02 NOTICE THESE VERSES AGAIN - NOTICE THEM CAREFULLY, BECAUSE 24:06 WHAT PETER DOES IS HE SAYS HE GIVES US WHAT SHOULDN'T BE AND 24:10 THEN RIGHT AFTER THAT HE TELLS US WHAT SHOULD BE, OKAY? 24:16 AND SO HE BREAKS THIS DOWN. NOTICE WITH ME, GOING BACK TO 24:19 THE VERSE, HE SAYS, "SHEPHERD THE FLOCK OF GOD WHICH IS AMONG 24:24 YOU, SERVING AS OVERSEERS, NOT" - NOTICE - "NOT" - SO HE'S 24:28 GOING TO TELL US WHAT SHOULDN'T BE - HE SAYS, "NOT BY COMPULSION 24:34 BUT" - WHAT? - "BUT WILLINGLY," - SO HE TELLS US 24:38 WHAT SHOULDN'T, THEN HE TELLS US WHAT SHOULD - "BUT WILLINGLY". 24:44 THEN HE GOES ON AND GIVES US ANOTHER ONE. 24:46 HE SAYS, "NOT FOR DISHONEST GAIN BUT EAGERLY;" - AND THEN HE 24:53 SAYS, "NOR AS BEING LORDS OVER THOSE ENTRUSTED TO" - "NOR AS 25:02 BEING LORDS OVER THOSE ENTRUSTED TO YOU, BUT BEING EXAMPLES TO 25:09 THE FLOCK;" AND I WANT TO LOOK AT THESE WITH YOU, 25:12 EACH KIND OF INDIVIDUALLY. WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT WORD 25:17 'COMPULSION' AS PETER'S TALKING TO US ABOUT IT, HE'S TALKING 25:20 ABOUT IN A MANNER THAT CANNOT BE EVADED. 25:24 SO, IT'S - IT'S ABSOLUTELY REQUIRED. 25:27 IN OTHER WORDS, IT'S KIND OF FORCED ON AN INDIVIDUAL. 25:32 THAT IS LIKE SAYING, 'I'M HERE BECAUSE SO AND SO PUT ME HERE' 25:37 RATHER THAN SAYING 'I'M HERE WILLINGLY'. 25:42 THIS MAKES A DIFFERENCE IN THE CHURCH, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THE 25:46 DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FORCED LEADERSHIP AND LEADERS THAT, YOU 25:50 KNOW, SEE THE LORD MOVING AND LEADING AND GUIDING AND THEY'RE 25:53 JUST WILLING. 'LORD, OKAY. 25:55 I'M WILLING.' ANOTHER VERSE HERE, IN JUST A SECOND, IS JOHN 26:01 CHAPTER 10 - THAT I HAVE SOMEBODY THAT'S GOING TO READ - 26:04 BECAUSE JESUS POINTS THIS OUT IN HIS OWN LIFE. 26:07 IN 1 PETER WE GET TO THE CHIEF SHEPHERD, SO IN EACH OF THESE 26:11 AREAS, WHAT SHOULDN'T BE AND WHAT SHOULD BE, WE SEE 26:15 EXEMPLIFIED IN THE LIFE OF CHRIST BECAUSE HE, ULTIMATELY, 26:20 IS THE LEADER ABOVE LEADERS. THERE'S NO ONE LIKE JESUS TO 26:27 LEAD, AND SO, WE'RE GOING TO COME TO THIS IN JUST A SECOND - 26:30 JOHN CHAPTER 10 IN JUST A MOMENT. 26:32 WE COULD SAY THAT THE LORD NEEDED TO LAY DOWN HIS LIFE, 26:37 OKAY, BUT HE WASN'T FORCED TO LAY DOWN HIS LIFE, WAS HE? 26:42 HE LAID DOWN HIS LIFE - WHAT? HE LAID DOWN HIS LIFE WILLINGLY. 26:48 HE CAME TO SET THE EXAMPLE WILLINGLY, OKAY? 26:53 SO THIS IS INTERESTING - JOHN CHAPTER 10, VERSES 15, 17, AND 26:57 18 - HAVE SOMEBODY READING THAT - FIRST - OR JOHN, EXCUSE ME, 27:02 CHAPTER 10, VERSES 15, 17, AND 18. 27:07 >>"AS THE FATHER KNOWS ME, EVEN SO I KNOW THE FATHER; AND I LAY 27:14 DOWN MY LIFE FOR THE SHEEP. THEREFORE MY FATHER LOVES ME 27:18 BECAUSE I LAY DOWN MY LIFE THAT I MAY TAKE IT AGAIN. 27:23 NO ONE TAKES IT FROM ME, BUT I LAY IT DOWN OF MYSELF. 27:28 I HAVE POWER TO LAY IT DOWN, AND I HAVE POWER TO TAKE IT 27:32 AGAIN..." >>JESUS LAID DOWN 27:35 HIS LIFE WHAT WAY? WILLINGLY. 27:39 AND SO, THE LEADERS, THE SHEPHERDS - THE ASPECT OF 27:44 CHARACTER THAT EACH OF US NEED IS THIS WILLINGNESS TO FOLLOW 27:48 WHEREVER THE LORD WANTS US TO GO - TO DO WHATEVER THE LORD WANTS 27:52 US TO DO - WILLINGLY - TO BE WILLING LEADERS, NOT JUST 27:57 LEADERS THAT ARE LEADING BECAUSE WE'RE TOLD TO OR SOMEBODY ELSE 28:02 DID SO I HAVE TO, BUT IT'S REALLY ABOUT A WILLINGNESS TO 28:07 LEAD. MATTER OF FACT, JESUS ALSO SAID, 28:10 IN JOHN CHAPTER 17 - OR CHAPTER 7, VERSE 17 - THIS IS 28:14 INTERESTING: HE SAID, "IF ANYONE WILLS TO DO HIS WILL HE SHALL 28:22 KNOW CONCERNING THE DOCTRINE, WHETHER IT IS FROM GOD OR 28:24 WHETHER I SPEAK ON MY OWN AUTHORITY." 28:26 HE SAYS, 'IF ANYONE' - WHAT? - 'WILLS TO DO HIS WILL' - GOD 28:31 IS NOT GOING TO FORCE US TO DO HIS WILL. 28:35 GOD WANTS US TO FOLLOW WILLINGLY AND, IF WE'RE WILLING TO FOLLOW, 28:41 THE CHIEF SHEPHERD, WHEREVER HE LEADS, THEN WE SHALL KNOW OF THE 28:45 DOCTRINE. THEY'LL BE KNOW QUESTION - HIS 28:47 TEACHING - BUT WE NEED TO BE WILLING. 28:51 SO PETER ZEROES IN AND SAYS, 'LISTEN, LEADERSHIP IS NOT BY 28:55 COMPULSION, BUT IT'S WILLINGLY.' WHAT DIFFERENCE WILLINGNESS 29:00 MAKES OVER COMPULSION, OKAY? AND I'M SURE WE CAN ALL HAVE 29:07 LIFE EXAMPLES OF THIS - BEING WILLING VERSES JUST KIND 29:12 OF BEING FORCED OR PUSHED. PETER GIVES ANOTHER PRINCIPLE: 29:17 NOTICE, WITH ME, THE SECOND ONE. HE SAYS, 'NOT FOR DISHONEST 29:22 GAIN, BUT' - WHAT? 'BUT EAGERLY' - BUT EAGERLY - 29:30 LEADERS SHOULD BE EAGER BUT THEY SHOULDN'T BE THERE - YOU KNOW, 29:33 WHEN YOU'RE FORCED, MANY TIMES IT'S FOR DISHONEST GAIN, OKAY? 29:38 WHAT I GET OUT OF IT THAT MATTERS AS MUCH. 29:42 YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE, THEY TAKE ON LEADERSHIP BECAUSE OF A TITLE 29:50 OR RESPECT OR WHAT PEOPLE WILL THINK OF THEM. 29:53 IT'S LIKE 'WHAT I WILL GAIN' - OKAY? 29:57 YOU LOOK AT THE JEWS IN THE NEW TESTAMENT AND YOU LOOK AT HOW 30:01 THEY LED, OKAY? 'LOOK AT ME' 'LOOK 30:04 AT ME' - RIGHT? WHAT THEY COULD GAIN. 30:09 BUT YET, PETER GOES ON: IT'S NOT FOR DISHONEST GAIN, BUT HE SAYS 30:13 IT SHOULD BE EAGERLY - OKAY? IT SHOULD BE ALL ABOUT WHAT 30:18 I GIVE, NOT WHAT I GET. REAL LEADERS ARE INDIVIDUALS 30:23 WHO ARE ALWAYS GIVING, RIGHT? WHAT DOES JESUS ALWAYS DO? 30:29 HE GIVES FORGIVENESS. HE GIVES BLESSINGS. 30:33 HE GIVES INSTRUCTION. HE'S ALWAYS GIVING. 30:37 HE'S ALWAYS GIVING. AND SO, PETER'S POINTING OUT 30:40 THAT PEOPLE NEED TO BE EAGERLY LEADING. 30:45 IN OTHER WORDS, THEY'RE INVESTING UNSELFISHLY - THEY'RE 30:48 GIVING UNSELFISHLY. IT'S NOT ABOUT THEM, IT'S 30:54 ABOUT WHO THEY SERVE, RIGHT? IT'S ABOUT WHO THEY 30:59 SERVE, NOT ABOUT THEM. AND SO, PETER POINTS THIS OUT. 31:06 NOTICE IN LUKE - I WANT TO READ FOR YOU LUKE CHAPTER 10, VERSE 31:09 27 - HE SAYS, "YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH" - WHAT? 31:14 IT'S A VERSE WE'RE FAMILIAR WITH - "WITH ALL YOUR HEART, WITH ALL 31:18 YOUR SOUL, WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH, AND WITH ALL YOUR 31:22 MIND,'" - EAGERLY. 31:24 WHEN YOU LISTEN TO THAT - WHERE PAUL SAYS, 'NOT BY DISHONEST 31:27 GAIN BUT EAGERLY' COMES BACK TO MY MIND - CHRIST'S WORDS WHEN HE 31:31 SAYS 'YOU SHOULD LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, 31:34 WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH, WITH ALL YOUR 31:38 MIND,' - AND THEN FINALLY - "YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF" - 31:42 IT'S NOT ABOUT US, IT'S ABOUT OTHERS. 31:47 IT'S ABOUT GOD. IT'S ABOUT CHRIST. 31:50 AND FINALLY, THE LAST ONE HE SAYS, "NOT" - OR "NOR" - HE USES 31:56 - "NOR AS LORDS OVER THOSE ENTRUSTED TO YOU, BUT BEING 32:01 EXAMPLES TO THE FLOCK." NOT AS LORDS. 32:08 YOU KNOW, THE JEWS HAD A HABIT OF CREATING BURDENS FOR THE 32:11 PEOPLE TO CARRY. YOU READ THIS IN 32:13 THE NEW TESTAMENT. BUT THEY, THEMSELVES, 32:16 DID THEY CARRY THEM? NO - 'WE'LL GIVE 32:19 YOU THE BURDENS. OH, BY THE WAY, HAVE FUN. 32:22 ENJOY CARRYING THIS.' BUT THEY DIDN'T DO IT. 32:27 THEY WANTED EVERYBODY ELSE TO DO IT - WHY? 32:30 BECAUSE THEIR FORM OF LEADERSHIP WAS LORDING IT OVER THEM. 32:35 YOU KNOW, I JUST STARTED EXERCISING MORE CONSISTENTLY, 32:39 RECENTLY, AND I HAVE SOME FRIENDS AND WE GO TOGETHER AND 32:43 WE GO EVERY DAY DURING THE WEEK AND AS THEY'RE DOING THESE - I 32:50 KIND OF PLAN OUT THE WORKOUT AND THEN WE KIND OF DO IT TOGETHER - 32:53 AND I THOUGHT TO MYSELF, YOU KNOW, WHAT WOULD IT BE LIKE IF 32:57 ALL I DID WAS SAID, 'YOU DO THIS' AND 'YOU DO THAT' AND 'YOU 32:59 DO THIS' AND I'M JUST SITTING THERE VIDEOTAPING THE WHOLE 33:01 THING? OKAY? JUST - 'I'LL JUST LAY THE 33:05 BURDENS RIGHT OUT THERE; YOU GUYS JUST CARRY THEM.' AND, BY 33:07 THE WAY, I'M EATING OVER IN THE CORNER, OKAY? IT DOESN'T WORK. 33:14 IT DOESN'T WORK. IT WOULDN'T LAST VERY 33:16 LONG, THAT'S FOR SURE. BUT WHEN WE DO IT TOGETHER - YOU 33:22 KNOW, JESUS SET THE EXAMPLE. HE DIDN'T COME TO LORD OVER US, 33:27 BUT HE SET THE EXAMPLE IN EVERY SINGLE WAY THAT HE COULD. 33:34 IN OTHER WORDS, IF GOD IS CALLING US TO SOMETHING, HE 33:36 HIMSELF DID IT. HE DID IT. 33:41 YOU KNOW, IF SOME OF US ARE CALLED ONE DAY AS LEADERS IN 33:45 CHRIST'S CHURCH, TO FACE SUFFERING, TO COME TO THE CLOSE 33:49 OF OUR LIVES ON THIS EARTH AND GOD SAYS, 'LISTEN, YOU'RE GOING 33:53 TO LAY DOWN YOUR LIFE' - JUST LIKE HIS APOSTLES DID - OKAY? 33:56 YOU'RE GOING TO LAY DOWN YOUR LIFE - HE'S NOT ASKING US TO DO 33:59 SOMETHING HE HASN'T DONE. MATTER OF FACT, HE GOES EVEN 34:02 FARTHER THAN US IN DOING WHAT HE'S ASKED AND HE GIVES US THE 34:08 STRENGTH AND WALKS NEXT TO US. YOU KNOW, YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH 34:11 THE VERSE IN MATTHEW CHAPTER 11? HE SAYS, 'TAKE MY YOKE UPON YOU 34:15 AND LEARN OF ME, FOR I AM MEEK AND LOWLY IN HEART.' 34:19 HE'S WALKING - 'TAKE MY YOKE UPON YOU' - IT'S STILL NOT JUST 34:24 OURS, IT'S HIS AND OURS - WE'RE WALKING TOGETHER. 34:27 AND SO, JESUS - OR PETER, HERE, TALKS ABOUT LEADERSHIP IN A WAY 34:31 THAT WE DON'T LORD IT OVER SOMEONE, BUT WE NEED TO BE 34:36 EXAMPLES TO THE FLOCK. IF WE'RE GOING TO ASK SOMEONE TO 34:39 MAKE A SURRENDER OR A SACRIFICE, ARE WE MAKING THE SAME 34:43 SURRENDER AND SACRIFICE? THAT'S WHAT THE CHARACTER OF 34:48 THESE LEADERS EXEMPLIFY HERE IN SCRIPTURE. 34:53 WHEN JESUS WALKED ON THE EARTH, AMONG HIS VERY OWN DISCIPLES - 34:56 BY THE WAY, THIS KIND OF GETS US - THIS SECTION TAKES US INTO 34:59 TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY WE TALK 35:03 ABOUT SERVANT LEADERSHIP AND, SPECIFICALLY, WE'RE TALKING 35:07 ABOUT A CHARACTERISTIC CALLED HUMILITY. MATTER OF FACT, IT'S 35:12 PROBABLY ONE OF OUR GREATEST NEEDS IS TO BE HUMBLE. 35:18 AND JESUS EXEMPLIFIED THIS IN HIS LIFE, ALSO, AS WE'LL SEE. 35:23 BUT, IN JUST A MOMENT, I HAVE ANOTHER READER THAT WILL READ 35:25 MATTHEW CHAPTER 20, VERSES 24 THROUGH 28. JESUS HAD TO TEACH 35:31 THIS PRINCIPLE TO HIS APOSTLES - THERE IS NO DOUBT. 35:34 MATTER OF FACT, THEY WERE ALWAYS KIND OF WRESTLING OVER WHO WAS 35:38 GOING TO BE THE GREATEST IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND THERE CAME A 35:42 CERTAIN POINT IN CHRIST'S MINISTRY WHEN JAMES AND JOHN, 35:47 THEIR MOTHER COMES TO JESUS AND SAYS, 'LISTEN, CAN MY BOYS SIT 35:51 AT YOUR LEFT HAND AND YOUR RIGHT HAND WHEN YOU ENTER THE KINGDOM 35:55 OF HEAVEN? I MEAN, CAN THEY BE THE TWO THAT 35:57 JUST, YOU KNOW, ARE RIGHT THERE?' OKAY? 36:01 AND IT'S INTERESTING WHAT JESUS HAS TO SAY. 36:04 MATTER OF FACT, HE SAYS, 'IT'S NOT MINE TO GIVE.' BUT HE GOES 36:07 AND HE EXPOUNDS ON A PRINCIPLE OF SERVICE - OKAY? 36:12 - RATHER THAN KINGLY LEADERSHIP - OKAY? 36:16 - THE DISCIPLES HAD TALKED ABOUT BEING THE GREATEST AND SO, NOW 36:19 IT'S INTERESTING AS JESUS DEALS WITH THEM ON THIS POINT. 36:22 AFTER THE MOTHER GETS DONE ASKING THE QUESTION, JESUS HAS 36:26 SOME VERY INTERESTING THINGS TO SAY. 36:28 MATTHEW CHAPTER 20, VERSES 24 THROUGH 28 - MATTHEW CHAPTER 20, 36:33 VERSES 24 THROUGH 28. >>"AND WHEN THE TEN HEARD IT, 36:38 THEY WERE GREATLY DISPLEASED WITH THE TWO BROTHERS. 36:40 BUT JESUS CALLED THEM TO HIMSELF AND SAID, 'YOU KNOW THAT THE 36:44 RULERS OF THE GENTILES LORD IT OVER THEM, AND THOSE WHO ARE 36:48 GREAT EXERCISE AUTHORITY OVER THEM. 36:51 YET IT SHALL NOT BE SO AMONG YOU; BUT WHOEVER DESIRES TO 36:55 BECOME GREAT AMONG YOU, LET HIM BE YOUR SERVANT. 36:58 AND WHOEVER DESIRES TO BE FIRST AMONG YOU, LET HIM BE YOUR SLAVE 37:03 - JUST AS THE SON OF MAN DID NOT COME TO BE SERVED, BUT TO SERVE, 37:09 AND TO GIVE HIS LIFE A RANSOM FOR MANY.'" 37:12 >>OKAY, JESUS CHRIST CAME NOT TO BE SERVED BUT TO WHAT? 37:16 BUT TO SERVE. AND HE WANTED HIS DISCIPLES 37:20 TO UNDERSTAND THIS INCREDIBLE PRINCIPLE. 37:24 IN THE LESSON - IN TUESDAY'S LESSON, THERE'S A POWERFUL 37:27 STATEMENT IN DESIRE OF AGES THAT THEY QUOTE HERE: IT SAYS, 37:32 "JESUS," - IN THIS SITUATION THAT WE JUST GOT DONE READING IN 37:35 MATTHEW - "JESUS BEARS TENDERLY WITH THEM" - HE'S SO GRACIOUS - 37:41 "NOT REBUKING THEIR SELFISHNESS IN SEEKING PREFERENCE ABOVE 37:46 THEIR BRETHREN. HE READS THEIR HEARTS, HE KNOWS 37:51 THE DEPTHS OF THEIR ATTACHMENT TO HIM. 37:54 THEIR LOVE IS NOT A MERE HUMAN AFFECTION; THOUGH DEFILED BY THE 37:59 EARTHLINESS OF ITS HUMAN CHANNEL, IT IS AN OUTFLOWING 38:04 FROM THE FOUNTAIN OF HIS OWN REDEEMING LOVE. 38:07 HE WILL NOT REBUKE, BUT DEEPEN AND PURIFY." 38:13 GOD DIDN'T OPENLY REBUKE THEM, BUT HE WANTED TO SHARE A 38:18 HEAVENLY PRINCIPLE SO THAT THEY WOULD REALIZE REAL LEADERSHIP - 38:24 REAL LEADING - IS SERVICE BASED, EVEN IF IT MEANS GIVING UP YOUR 38:32 LIFE. NO GREATER LOVE HAS ANY MAN THAN THIS: THAT A MAN LAY 38:37 DOWN HIS LIFE FOR HIS - WHAT? 38:38 >>FRIEND. >>FRIENDS. AND JESUS LAID DOWN 38:41 HIS LIFE. HE SERVED. MATTER OF FACT, HE WASHED 38:45 THEIR FEET, DIDN'T HE? >>YES. 38:47 >>THE MASTER - THE TEACHER - KNEELS DOWN AND LITERALLY 38:51 WASHES EVERY SINGLE ONE'S FEET IN THAT UPPER ROOM - OR THAT 38:57 TIME WHEN THEY WERE HAVING PASSOVER MEAL. 39:01 AND THIS LEADS US TO THIS PRINCIPLE - THIS CHARACTERISTIC 39:05 THAT ALL OF US NEED IN OUR LIVES, AND THAT IS HUMILITY. 39:11 YOU KNOW, IT'S INTERESTING TO ME, THIS CONCEPT OF HUMILITY. 39:15 IN MICAH CHAPTER 6, VERSE 8 IT SAYS "HE HAS SHOWN YOU, O MAN, 39:19 WHAT IS GOOD; AND WHAT DOES THE LORD REQUIRE OF YOU BUT TO DO 39:26 JUSTLY, TO LOVE MERCY, AND TO WALK" - WHAT? - 39:31 "HUMBLY WITH YOUR GOD?" TO WALK HUMBLY WITH THY GOD. 39:36 AND THE CHIEF SHEPHERD, WHO PETER SAYS WE WILL MEET ONE DAY, 39:41 EXEMPLIFIED THIS PRINCIPLE IN HIS LIFE. 39:45 NOTICE, WITH ME, PHILIPPIANS - PAUL, WRITING TO THE PHILIPPIANS 39:49 - WE'RE GOING TO TURN IN OUR BIBLES TO PHILIPPIANS CHAPTER 4 39:55 - PHILIPPIANS CHAPTER 4 AND I'LL START WITH VERSE 3 - OOP - 40:06 EXCUSE ME - MISPRINT - CHAPTER 2, OKAY? 40:12 - CHAPTER 2 - PHILIPPIANS CHAPTER 2 - THIS IS UNITY 40:16 THROUGH HUMILITY - AND IT'S HUMBLED AND THE EXALTED CHRIST - 40:21 AND WE SEE THIS PRINCIPLE - AND I'LL START WITH VERSE 3 - IT 40:24 SAYS, "LET NOTHING BE DONE THROUGH SELFISH AMBITION OR 40:27 CONCEIT, BUT IN LOWLINESS OF MIND LET EACH ESTEEM OTHERS 40:34 BETTER THAN HIMSELF." - NOT AMBITION OR CONCEIT, BUT 40:39 IN LOWLINESS OF MIND "LET EACH OF YOU LOOK OUT NOT ONLY FOR HIS 40:44 OWN INTERESTS, BUT ALSO FOR THE INTERESTS OF OTHERS. 40:51 LET THIS MIND BE IN YOU WHICH WAS ALSO IN CHRIST JESUS, WHO, 40:54 BEING IN THE FORM OF GOD, DID NOT CONSIDER IT ROBBERY TO BE 40:57 EQUAL WITH GOD, BUT MADE HIMSELF OF NO REPUTATION, TAKING THE 41:02 FORM OF A BONDSERVANT, AND COMING IN THE LIKENESS OF MEN. 41:07 AND BEING FOUND IN APPEARANCE AS A MAN, HE HUMBLED HIMSELF AND 41:11 BECAME OBEDIENT TO THE POINT OF DEATH, EVEN THE DEATH OF THE 41:14 CROSS. THEREFORE GOD ALSO HAS" - WHAT? - "GOD ALSO HAS HIGHLY 41:19 EXALTED HIM" - NOTICE, IN HIS HUMILITY - IN HIS HUMILITY GOD 41:25 SAYS, 'NOW I'M GOING TO EXALT YOU AND I'M GOING TO LIFT YOU 41:29 UP." AND WHERE IS JESUS NOW, BY THE WAY? 41:32 >>HEAVEN. >>HE'S IN HEAVEN. 41:34 HE'S AT THE RIGHT HAND OF THE FATHER. 41:36 ISN'T THAT WHERE YOU AND I WANT TO BE? 41:38 >>AMEN. >>ONE DAY, ISN'T THAT WHERE WE 41:40 WANT TO BE, SITTING OR STANDING, PRAISING THE LORD, 41:43 STANDING AT HIS RIGHT HAND? THE LORD SAYS, 'LISTEN, JUST 41:46 LIKE I HUMBLED MYSELF AND THE FATHER HAS EXALTED ME, YOU 41:50 HUMBLE YOURSELF AND I'LL LIFT YOU UP. 41:55 I'LL LIFT YOU UP. AND SO SERVANT LEADERSHIP HAS 41:59 THIS QUALITY ABOUT HUMILITY - HUMBLENESS. YOU KNOW, IT'S VERY 42:06 INTERESTING, I HAD A FRIEND OF MINE WHO WAS AN ELDER IN A 42:10 CHURCH IN NEW YORK AND THERE WAS THIS ONE GENTLEMAN THAT WAS 42:15 FAIRLY NEW IN THE CHURCH AND HE HAD A PASSION AND A ZEAL AND HE 42:21 SAID, 'OH!' - THE PASTOR WASN'T THERE ALL THE TIME SO HE WENT TO 42:24 THE ELDER, WHO HAPPENED TO BE MY FRIEND AT THE TIME, AND HE SAID, 42:27 'MAN, I WANT TO PREACH. JUST GIVE ME THE OPPORTUNITY. 42:29 I WANT TO PREACH. I WANT TO PREACH.' AND MY FRIEND 42:32 SAID, 'CLEAN THE TOILET.' HE'S LIKE, 'WHAT? WHAT DO MEAN, 42:38 'CLEAN THE TOILET'? NO, I WANT TO PREACH. 42:41 I CAN'T CLEAN THE TOILET, I WANT TO PREACH.' HE SAID, 'NO, CLEAN 42:43 THE TOILET.' WHAT WAS HE TRYING TO GET ACROSS TO THIS YOUNG MAN 42:49 WHO HAD JUST COME INTO THE CHURCH? 42:50 HE SAID, 'LISTEN, IF YOU'RE GOING TO STAND UP FRONT AND 42:54 YOU'RE GOING TO SHARE THE MESSAGE WITH THE PEOPLE WHO ARE 42:57 LISTENING, DO IT WITH A HUMBLE HEART, OKAY? 43:02 IN TIME GOD WILL GIVE YOU THAT OPPORTUNITY, BUT HUMBLE YOURSELF 43:08 AND JUST DO WHAT YOU CAN WHERE YOU ARE AND BE EFFECTIVE IN 43:12 DOING THAT, AND THE LORD, IN TIME, HE WILL LIFT YOU UP AND HE 43:17 WILL GIVE YOU THE OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE NO LONGER WILL IT BE YOU 43:20 BEING THE CENTER OF FOCUS, CHRIST WILL BE THE CENTER OF 43:24 FOCUS AND HE ALWAYS NEEDS TO BE, ALWAYS.' 43:29 SO WE NEED TO BE HUMBLE JUST LIKE JESUS WAS HUMBLE. 43:34 HE CAME, HE GARBED HIMSELF IN HUMANITY. 43:37 BY THE WAY, DO YOU REALIZE HE'S STILL LIVING IN THAT FLESH? 43:43 HE ROBED HIS DIVINITY IN HUMANITY AND HE STILL HAS THAT. 43:49 TALK ABOUT HUMBLE - AND HE WEARS THAT IN FRONT OF GOD AND ALL THE 43:54 ANGELS IN HEAVEN. ONE DAY, IF WE'RE HUMBLE, 44:01 WE'LL BE IN THAT SAME PLACE, WORSHIPING HIM, FELLOWSHIPPING 44:04 WITH HIM, LEARNING ALL THAT WE CAN LEARN. 44:09 THIS IDEA OF HUMILITY IS SO CENTRAL. 44:12 NOTICE, MATTER OF FACT, PETER REALLY BRINGS THIS OUT - 1 PETER 44:15 CHAPTER 5 - GOING BACK TO 1 PETER CHAPTER 5 - 1 PETER 44:18 CHAPTER 5, VERSES 5 THROUGH 7 - HE SAYS, "LIKEWISE YOU YOUNGER 44:29 PEOPLE, SUBMIT YOURSELVES TO YOUR ELDERS. 44:34 YES, ALL OF YOU BE SUBMISSIVE TO ONE ANOTHER, AND BE CLOTHED 44:41 WITH" - WHAT? HUMILITY. 44:45 WE NEED TO BE CLOTHED WITH THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST. 44:48 BE WE ALSO - HERE PETER SAYS WE NEED TO BE CLOTHED WITH 44:51 "HUMILITY, FOR 'GOD RESISTS THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE 44:59 HUMBLE.'" YOU KNOW WHAT GOD'S GRACE IS? 45:02 GOD'S GRACE IS TWO PARTS: YOU HAVE GOD'S UNMERITED FAVOR - 45:07 NOTHING WE DO CAN MERIT GOD'S FAVOR - GOD GIVES US HIS FAVOR. 45:12 HE LOVES US THAT MUCH. >>AMEN. 45:15 >>OKAY? THE OTHER ASPECT OF HIS GRACE IS GOD'S POWER, OKAY? 45:21 SO YOU HAVE HIS UNMERITED FAVOR AND YOU HAVE HIS POWER. 45:25 IF YOU'RE HUMBLE, WHAT CAN YOU EXPERIENCE IN YOUR LIFE? 45:29 HE GIVES GRACE TO THE WHAT? TO THE HUMBLE. 45:33 HE GIVES HIS UNMERITED FAVOR AND HE GIVES HIS POWER TO THE 45:37 HUMBLE, NOT TO THE PROUD. HE HAS TO BRING LOW THE PROUD. 45:45 SO WHERE WOULD IT BE BETTER FOR US TO BE STANDING? 45:48 THE PROUD OR THE HUMBLE? HUMBLE, SO WE CAN EXPERIENCE 45:51 THE GRACE OF GOD REGULARLY. VERSE 6 GOES ON: "THEREFORE 45:55 HUMBLE YOURSELVES UNDER THE MIGHTY HAND OF GOD, THAT HE 46:01 MAY EXALT YOU IN" - WHAT? - "DUE TIME," - IN HIS 46:05 TIME, NOT IN YOUR TIME. THAT WAS WHAT MY FRIEND WAS 46:08 TRYING TO COMMUNICATE - NOT IN YOUR TIME, OKAY? 46:13 BUT IN GOD'S TIME HE'LL EXALT YOU, HE'LL LIFT YOU UP, HE'LL 46:17 GIVE YOU OPPORTUNITIES THAT RIGHT NOW YOU REALLY WANT - AND 46:22 YOU WANT IT, BUT YOU NEED TO HUMBLE YOURSELF AND LET THE LORD 46:26 LEAD, GUIDE, AND DIRECT AND GIVE YOU THOSE OPPORTUNITIES, BUT YOU 46:31 CAN STILL LEAD WHERE YOU ARE. IT DOESN'T MEAN, WELL, SOMETIMES 46:38 WE THINK, 'OH, IF I PREACH THEN I'M THE LEADER'. 46:41 YOU CAN LEAD WHERE YOU ARE. YOU DON'T HAVE TO 46:44 PREACH TO LEAD. IF YOU'RE JUST HUMBLE, ALLOWING 46:48 THE LORD TO WORK IN YOUR LIVES, HE HELPS YOU TO BE AN 46:52 INFLUENCE WHEREVER YOU ARE. SO, IN VERSE 7, HE SAYS, 46:56 "CASTING ALL YOUR CARE UPON HIM FOR HE CARES FOR YOU." 47:01 CASTING ALL YOUR CARE UPON HIM FOR HE CARES FOR YOU. 47:04 WHAT BETTER PLACE TO BE THAN UNDER THE MIGHTY HAND OF GOD, 47:09 RIGHT? THERE'S NO BETTER PLACE THAN 47:14 LIVING UNDER THE MIGHTY HAND OF GOD. 47:19 OUR HANDS AREN'T AS STRONG AS HIS. 47:21 OUR HANDS CAN'T EVEN ACCOMPLISH HALF OF WHAT HIS HANDS CAN 47:25 ACCOMPLISH AND PETER SAYS HERE, 'LISTEN, IF YOU HUMBLE YOURSELF, 47:28 YOU WILL BE UNDER THE MIGHTY HAND OF GOD.' 47:31 GROWING UP I REMEMBER, YOU KNOW, FOR A LITTLE CHILD, MANY TIMES, 47:35 THEY LOVE TO BE UNDER THE HAND OF THEIR DADS. 47:40 I REMEMBER GROWING UP I ALWAYS LOOKED UP TO MY DAD, OKAY? 47:44 STILL DO IN MANY WAYS, BUT I REMEMBER ONE TIME - ON THE FARM 47:49 WE HAD SEVEN ACRES AND MY DAD, EVERY YEAR DURING SPRING, HE 47:53 WOULD GO OUT TO THE DITCH - AND WE HAD A LONG DITCH OF 75 YARDS 47:56 OR MORE - AND HE WOULD BURN THE GRASS, OKAY? 48:01 AND THIS WAS JUST SOMETHING WE DID EVERY SINGLE YEAR AND IT 48:04 JUST SO HAPPENED MY YOUNGER BROTHER AND I AND MY DAD WERE 48:06 THERE AND HE STARTS BURNING THE GRASS. 48:09 AND AS IT GOES ALONG AND IT BURNS MORE AND MORE - IT'S 48:12 BEHIND OUR BARN - NOW, OUR BARN WAS VERY LARGE AND IT HAD A LOT 48:15 OF HAY IN IT AND THE HAY WAS VERY DRY, OKAY? 48:20 AND SO HE WAS BURNING AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE WIND SHIFTED AND - 48:25 AND THAT FIRE THAT WAS ALL THE WAY DOWN THE DRIVEWAY, STARTED 48:29 COMING BACK TOWARDS THE BARN AND ALL MY DAD HAD WAS THIS LITTLE 48:35 HOSE. NOW I LOOKED UP TO MY DAD - IN 48:36 THIS MOMENT, MY DAD TOLD ME, JUST RECENTLY, 'YOU KNOW, 48:40 THAT MOMENT I WAS SO SCARED. I THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO LOSE 48:43 EVERYTHING.' AND HE STARTED PRAYING TO GOD. 48:48 HE WAS LIKE, 'LORD, YOU'VE GOT TO HELP ME.' AND THIS FIRE WAS 48:51 GETTING OUT OF CONTROL AND IT WAS BIG AND IT WAS COMING ALL 48:54 THE WAY BACK TOWARDS THE BARN AND HE TOLD MY YOUNGER BROTHER, 48:58 'RUN INTO THE HOUSE AND CALL THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.' AND HE CALLS 49:00 9-1-1 AND THE FIREMEN COME OUT THERE, BUT THE WIND, AS MY DAD 49:04 IS PRAYING AND WE'RE DOING ALL THAT WE CAN - A NEIGHBOR HAD 49:07 COME OVER AND HE'S BEATING OUT THE FIRE AND - JUST TWO OF THEM 49:09 GOING AT IT - I'M CARRYING BUCKETS - WE'RE GOING AS FAST AS 49:11 WE CAN BUT, IN THIS SITUATION, EVEN THIS WAS OUT OF MY DAD'S 49:16 CONTROL. EVEN THOUGH I LOOKED TO HIM AND I LOVED BEING UNDER HIS 49:23 HAND, EVEN THAT WAS OUT OF HIS CONTROL. 49:27 WE NEEDED SOMEONE STRONGER. WE NEEDED SOMEONE MORE ABLE. 49:34 AND THE WIND STARTED DYING DOWN AND I REMEMBER WHEN THE FIRE 49:37 DEPARTMENT GOT THERE AND THEY STARTED WORKING ON IT, THE FIRE 49:41 HAD GONE ALL THE WAY AROUND OUR BARN AND IT HAD JUST STOPPED 49:45 BEFORE THE CAR AND IT HAD STOPPED SIX INCHES FROM THE 49:48 BARN. THEY HAD GOTTEN THERE JUST IN 49:51 TIME, BUT THE WIND HAD DIED - IF THE WIND WOULD HAVE KEPT GOING 49:55 AS FAST AS IT WAS GOING - AND THIS WAS IN WISCONSIN, BY THE 49:58 WAY, IF THE WIND - JUST OPEN - IF THE WIND KEPT GOING AS FAST 50:02 AS IT WAS GOING, THERE WAS NO WAY. 50:04 THAT BARN WAS GOING UP - IT WASN'T TOO FAR FROM THE HOUSE - 50:07 WE'RE TALKING A HUGE EXPLOSION, OKAY? 50:11 BUT THE LORD'S HAND WAS MIGHTY AND THE LORD'S HAND WAS MIGHTIER 50:17 THAN MY DAD'S HAND. THAT'S THE HAND WE 50:20 SHOULD BE LIVING UNDER. >>AMEN. 50:22 >>WE SHOULD BE EXPERIENCING THE GRACE OF GOD DAILY, AS WE HUMBLE 50:27 OURSELVES. AND YOU KNOW IN WHAT WAYS YOU NEED TO HUMBLE 50:32 YOURSELF. THE LORD CAN HELP US UNDERSTAND. HE CAN GIVE US THE 50:36 STRENGTH TO DO THAT. BUT, WHEN WE HUMBLE OURSELVES, 50:39 HE, IN TURN, WILL LIFT US UP. >>AMEN. 50:44 >>WE MUST STOP TRUSTING SELF AND BEGIN ENTRUSTING OURSELVES TO 50:50 THE KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. 50:53 THIS SAME KING THAT KNELT DOWN TO WASH THE DISCIPLES' FEET WHEN 50:59 HE WAS UPON THE EARTH, WAS THE SAME LORD, IN THE OLD TESTAMENT, 51:03 THAT LAID LOW THE HIGH AND MIGHTY. 51:09 ISAIAH CHAPTER 13, VERSE 11 - OUR LESSON POINTS TO THESE 51:12 PASSAGES - "I WILL PUNISH THE WORLD FOR ITS EVIL AND THE 51:16 WICKED FOR THEIR INIQUITY; I WILL HALT THE ARROGANCE OF THE 51:19 PROUD, AND WILL LAY LOW THE HAUGHTINESS OF THE TERRIBLE." 51:24 JOB CHAPTER 40, VERSES 11 AND 12, "DISPERSE THE RAGE OF YOUR 51:29 WRATH; LOOK ON EVERYONE WHO IS PROUD, AND HUMBLE HIM. 51:35 LOOK ON EVERYONE WHO IS PROUD, AND BRING HIM LOW; 51:39 TREAD DOWN THE WICKED IN THEIR PLACE." 51:42 ONE DAY GOD IS GOING TO HUMBLE THE PROUD, BUT IF WE HUMBLE 51:48 OURSELVES NOW, IN THE SAME DAY THAT GOD HUMBLES THE PROUD, HE 51:52 WILL LIFT UP THE HUMBLE AND HE WILL LITERALLY SET THEM RIGHT 51:58 NEXT TO HIMSELF IN THE HEAVENLY KINGDOM. 52:03 WHAT KIND OF LEADERS IS GOD, THROUGH PETER'S EPISTLE, CALLING 52:08 US TO BE? AND, FINALLY, WHEN WE ARE THESE 52:14 KINDS OF LEADERS, WE NEED TO BE SOBER - PETER GOES ON 52:20 - WE NEED TO BE SOBER. WE NEED TO BE CLEAR MINDED, HE 52:24 SAYS, "...BE VIGILANT; BECAUSE YOUR ADVERSARY THE DEVIL WALKS 52:28 ABOUT LIKE A ROARING LION, SEEKING WHOM HE MAY DEVOUR." 52:33 WHEN WE ARE LIVING HUMBLY AND GOD IS LIFTING US UP, REMEMBER, 52:38 THERE'S AN ADVERSARY RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER AND HE'S GOING 52:41 TO DO EVERYTHING THAT HE POSSIBLY CAN TO DEVOUR YOU. 52:46 BUT, IN VERSE 9, PETER GOES ON AND SAYS, "RESIST HIM, STEADFAST 52:52 IN THE FAITH," - HOW DO YOU RESIST HIM? 52:56 STAYING STEADFAST IN THE FAITH. PETER SAYS STAND STEADFAST IN 53:04 THE FAITH - RESIST HIM, "KNOWING THAT THE SAME SUFFERINGS ARE 53:09 EXPERIENCED BY YOUR BROTHERHOOD IN THE WORLD." 53:12 SOMETIMES WE SUFFER AND WE THINK WE'RE THE ONLY ONES. 53:15 PETER SAYS, 'NO, YOU'RE NOT THE ONLY ONES.' 53:17 THERE'S PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WORLD THAT ARE FACING 53:19 CHALLENGES AND FACING TRIALS AND THAT ARE SUFFERING. 53:23 BUT WE CAN PRAISE THE LORD AS WE STAND FAST IN OUR FAITH, EVEN IF 53:28 WE SHOULD SUFFER IT'S OKAY. WHY? 53:31 BECAUSE STANDING FAST, WE'RE RESISTING OUR ADVERSARY SO THAT 53:36 ONE DAY GOD CAN LIFT US UP TO BE WITH HIMSELF IN THE KINGDOM OF 53:42 HEAVEN. POWERFUL PASSAGES. 53:46 AND, FINALLY, VERSE 10, "BUT MAY THE GOD OF ALL GRACE, WHO CALLED 53:52 US TO HIS ETERNAL GLORY BY CHRIST JESUS, AFTER YOU HAVE 53:58 SUFFERED A WHILE, PERFECT, ESTABLISH, STRENGTHEN, AND" - 54:05 WHAT? - >>SETTLE - 54:06 >>"SETTLE YOU." THIS IS AWESOME. IT SAYS, THROUGH ALL OF 54:10 THIS, WHAT IS GOD DOING? HE'S STRENGTHENING YOU, 54:14 HE'S PERFECTING YOU, HE'S ESTABLISHING YOU, AND HE IS 54:18 SETTLING YOU IN THE TRUTH - THE TRUTH AS IT IS IN JESUS. 54:26 "BUT MAY THE GOD OF ALL GRACE, WHO CALLED US TO HIS ETERNAL 54:29 GLORY BY CHRIST JESUS, AFTER YOU HAVE SUFFERED A WHILE, 54:33 PERFECT, ESTABLISH, STRENGTHEN, AND SETTLE [YOU]." 54:37 MAY WE BE ALL OF THESE THINGS AS GOD'S LEADERS WHEREVER WE ARE. 54:43 MAY WE INFLUENCE OTHERS FOR HIS HONOR AND FOR HIS GLORY, BECAUSE 54:48 ONE DAY, THE CHIEF SHEPHERD IS COMING. 54:53 HE'S COMING. >>AMEN. 54:55 >>AGAIN, I'D LIKE TO LET YOU KNOW OF OUR FREE OFFER, WHICH 55:00 IS: IS THERE ANYTHING LEFT YOU CAN TRUST? 55:02 - IT'S OFFER #103 AND YOU CAN FIND IT ONLINE AT 55:06 AMAZINGFACTS.ORG OR JUST CALL 1-866-788-3966. 55:12 MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND HAVE A WONDERFUL SABBATH DAY. 55:16 (MUSIC) >>HELLO, FRIENDS. WE ALL KNOW A 55:26 MARATHON IS ONE OF THE LONGEST AND HARDEST RACES A 55:28 PERSON CAN RUN. BUT DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THE ULTRA 55:31 MARATHON THEY USED TO HAVE IN AUSTRALIA? 55:34 IT WAS 544 MILES FROM MELBOURNE TO SYDNEY; IT ATTRACTED AS MANY 55:38 AS 150 WORLD-CLASS ATHLETES. BUT THEN SOMETHING HAPPENED THAT 55:43 NO ONE WOULD EVER FORGET: IN 1983 A 61-YEAR-OLD POTATO FARMER 55:48 NAMED CLIFF YOUNG DECIDED TO ENTER THE RACE. 55:51 PEOPLE WERE VERY AMUSED BECAUSE HE HAD ON RUBBER GALOSHES OVER 55:54 HIS BOOTS AND WHEN THE RACE BEGAN AND ALL THE RUNNERS TOOK 55:57 OFF, SURE ENOUGH OLD CLIFF WAS LEFT BEHIND SHUFFLING ALONG VERY 56:02 SLOWLY - BUT HE WAS SHUFFLING VERY PERSISTENTLY. 56:05 NORMALLY, DURING THIS SEVEN-DAY RACE, THE RUNNERS WOULD GO ABOUT 56:09 18 HOURS RUNNING AND THEN THEY'D SLEEP FOR SIX HOURS, BUT NOBODY 56:12 EVER TOLD CLIFF THAT. WHEN THE OTHER RUNNERS STOPPED 56:15 TO REST DURING THE NIGHT, CLIFF JUST KEPT ON RUNNING. 56:19 SOME PEOPLE WERE AFRAID OLD CLIFF WAS GOING TO HAVE A HEART 56:21 ATTACK AND THEY WERE ASKING THE RACE ORGANIZERS TO SHOW MERCY 56:24 AND STOP THE CRAZY OLD MAN, BUT HE WOULD HAVE NONE OF IT. 56:28 EACH DAY HE WAS GAINING ON THE PACK BECAUSE WHEN THEY WERE 56:31 SLEEPING, HE WAS PLODDING ALONG. DURING THE LAST NIGHT OF THE 56:35 RACE CLIFF PASSED ALL OF THESE WORLD-CLASS ATHLETES. 56:39 NOT ONLY WAS CLIFF ABLE TO RUN THAT 544-MILE RACE WITHOUT 56:43 DYING, HE WON, BEATING ALL THE OTHER RACERS BY NINE HOURS, 56:47 BREAKING THE RECORD, AND BECOMING A NATIONAL HERO IN THE 56:50 PROCESS. WHAT'S REALLY AMAZING IS WHEN 56:52 THEY TOLD HIM HE WON THE $10,000.00 PRIZE HE LOOKED 56:55 CONFUSED AND SAID HE DIDN'T KNOW THERE WAS A PRIZE AND HE DECIDED 56:58 TO SHARE IT WITH THE OTHER RUNNERS. 57:01 WHEN ASKED HOW HE WAS ABLE TO RUN ALL NIGHT LONG, CLIFF 57:04 RESPONDED THAT HE GREW UP ON A FARM WHERE THEY HAD ABOUT 2,000 57:07 HEAD OF CATTLE AND, BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T AFFORD HORSES, HE USED 57:09 TO HAVE TO ROUND THEM UP ON FOOT, SOMETIMES RUNNING TWO AND 57:12 THREE DAYS NON-STOP. SO, THROUGHOUT THE RACE, HE JUST 57:16 IMAGINED HE WAS CHASING AFTER THE COWS AND TRYING 57:18 TO OUTRUN A STORM. OLD CLIFF'S SECRET WAS TO KEEP 57:22 ON RUNNING WHILE OTHERS WERE SLEEPING. 57:24 YOU KNOW, THE BIBLE TELLS US THAT THE RACE IS NOT NECESSARILY 57:27 TO THE SWIFT - SOMETHING LIKE AESOP'S FABLE OF THE TORTOISE 57:31 AND THE HARE - THE TORTOISE JUST KEPT ON PLODDING ALONG. 57:35 THAT'S WHY JESUS TELLS US IN MATTHEW 24:13, "HE THAT ENDURES 57:39 UNTO THE END THE SAME WILL BE SAVED." 57:41 NOW YOU MIGHT SLIP AND FALL DURING THE RACE. 57:44 YOU MIGHT EVEN GET OFF TO A BAD START. 57:46 BUT IN THE CHRISTIAN RACE THAT WE RUN, THE MAIN THING IS YOU 57:49 WANT TO FINISH WELL. KEEP ON RUNNING, FRIENDS 57:51 AND DON'T GIVE UP. (MUSIC) 58:02 >>FOR LIFE-CHANGING CHRISTIAN RESOURCES VISIT 58:04 AFBOOKSTORE.COM OR CALL 1-800-538-7275. 58:11 (MUSIC) |
Revised 2017-05-03