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Doug Batchelor: Hello, friends,
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welcome to our
"Sabbath School Study Hour."
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We're so thankful that you are
tuning in and joining us through
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one of the various
different media outlets.
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We're on AFTV, we're
streaming on the internet,
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Facebook, YouTube,
Granite Bay website,
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and we're trying to get
these messages out as far
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and wide as possible.
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Want to welcome all of you who
are part of our regular Sabbath
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School study
class around the world.
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As Mrs. Batchelor and I travel,
we meet so many people in all
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the different
continents that say,
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"We study the Sabbath
School lesson with you."
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And it's a delight
to be with you today.
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And some of you who are a
part of our online Granite Bay
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membership, there's people
scattered around the world who
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are part of God's church that
have no local congregation that
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they can attend for some reason,
and so we've adopted them,
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they're part of our
digital church family.
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If you're in that
category and you want to know,
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"How can I become part of the
Granite Bay online membership?"
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you can simple
go to the website,
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and that is granitebaysda.org,
and you'll find out
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more about that.
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Now, today's exciting because
we are beginning a new quarter
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study, talking about
making friends for God.
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And this is a very, very
important study dealing with
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the subject of witnessing.
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This is one of the
three principle disciplines in
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the Christian life.
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Maybe I'll pause and say
something about that before
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I get deeper into the lesson.
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You know, there's three secret
weapons to growing spiritually.
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You need to pray,
prayer's like breath.
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You need to eat,
that's the Word of God.
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And you need to
let your light shine,
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you need to exercise your
faith, witness for the Lord.
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In the holy
place of the sanctuary,
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before you get to
the Holy of Holies,
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where you've got the Ten
Commandments and the presence of
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God, you go
through the holy place.
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Three pieces of
furniture in there,
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and those represent the
three principle disciplines
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of Christian success.
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You've got the
table of shewbread,
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that's your Bible.
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You've got the altar
of incense, that's prayer.
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And then you've got the light,
that's letting your light shine,
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that's the witnessing.
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And so, that's
this whole quarter,
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we're going to be
dealing with this.
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And I should mention right now
that if you do not have one of
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these, you can
often go to the website,
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you can download
the daily lesson.
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You just type in the
word "Sabbath School."
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There are two or three websites
that are kind enough to post
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this lesson, might
post the whole quarterly.
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I know some do, may
just post the lesson.
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If you're near a
Seventh Day Adventist Church,
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they'd love to
have you come and visit.
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Say, "I'd like to study the
lesson with you," and they'll
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give you a quarterly.
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And those of you who are members
of the Granite Bay Church
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family, of course we'll have
them here at our meetings or
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wherever we're gathering in our
pilgrim wandering in the next
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few weeks until they completely
lift these restrictions
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connected with the COVID-19.
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Now today, we're in lesson
number one that is in our new
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quarterly,
"Making Friends For God."
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And it's asking the
question, why witness?
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And before we get to
that, I want to remind you
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we have a free offer.
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And the offer is called
"The Ultimate Deliverance,"
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talking about the Lord's coming.
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And if you would
like a free copy of this,
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simply text SH090 to 40544.
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You can download
this right there.
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And if you want to get a copy,
if you're in North America,
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we'll be happy to send you one.
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Simply call 866-788-3966.
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That's 866-STUDY-MORE.
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One more time, 866-788-3966
for North America and
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its territories, and we
will mail you one of these.
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So, before we dive
into lesson number one,
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let's begin with
a Word of prayer.
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Father in heaven, we're
very thankful for the truth,
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and we're thankful for
this study now that we're going
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to be talking about one
of the priorities of the
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Christian experience.
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And after we come
to You, going for You,
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sharing You with others.
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And I just pray that Your
spirit will take charge of this
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presentation, that
hearts will be stirred,
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and moved, and inspired,
that we might all be better
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witnesses for You.
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We pray this in
Jesus's name, amen.
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All right, there's a
memory verse in our lesson,
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and it comes to us
from 1 Timothy chapter 2,
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verse 3 and 4.
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And this is the
New King James version.
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"For this is good and acceptable
in the sight of God our Savior,
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who desires all men to be saved
and to come to the knowledge
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of the truth."
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So, what we're talking about
both in the lesson today and in
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this entire quarter of studies,
by the way written by my friend
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Mark Finley, pastor
evangelist Mark Finley,
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is talking about the
priorities of the Bible.
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If you go to the
beginning of the gospel,
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it says that
the angel told Mary,
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"You will call His name Jesus,
for He will save His people
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from their sins."
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This is why God sent
His Son into the world,
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to save us.
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He so loved the
world that He sent his Son,
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that we might not perish.
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And this is the priority of
God, he wants to save people.
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There's nothing that God is
more interested in in this world
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than redeeming people
because if--it's a matter of
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life and death.
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If they're not saved,
they're eternally lost.
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But unfortunately, Christians
are losing their passion for
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reaching people,
even though this was such
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a priority with Jesus.
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Last thing Christ says is, "Go
ye, therefore, teach, baptize."
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Teach what? About the gospel.
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You go to Acts chapter 1,
"I'll send you My Spirit."
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Why?
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"That you might
be My witnesses."
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And so, we're
asking this question,
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"Why witness?"
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Well, I saw some interesting
statistics from a couple
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of Barna studies.
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You know, George Barna
had that famous Christian
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Research Institute.
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I had the privilege of
eating with him one day,
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just a delightful man.
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And they've done some
excellent studies on trends
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in Christianity in North
America and even other parts
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of the world.
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Barna study in 1993, it
discovered a growing number of
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Christians feel no personal
responsibility for sharing
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the good news.
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In 1993, 10% of Christians
agreed that converting people to
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Christianity is the
job of the local church.
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They said,
"Well, it's not my job,
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it's the job of
the local church."
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That's 10% thought that.
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But by the time you get
to-- and that's opposed to
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individual witnessing.
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By the time you
get to the present day,
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now 25%--oh sorry, 29%, a
threefold increase of Christians
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think, "Witnessing is
really the job of the church,
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it's not my job."
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And this is part of bad theology
'cause evidently people don't
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realize they are the church.
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The buildings
don't do any witnessing,
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it's the people
in the buildings.
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So, what has happened?
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What cultural trend or what
bad teaching or theology has led
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such a large number of
Christians to miss that one
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of the primary purposes
that we are Christians is
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to share our faith?
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We are saved to
bring glory to God.
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And one of the ways we do
this is by witnessing and by
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sharing our faith.
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But wait, there's more.
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It says that in 1993, nine out
of ten Christians who had shared
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their faith agreed--well,
let me say that again.
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Yet the most dramatic divergence
over time is on this statement,
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and here's the statement, "Every
Christian has a responsibility
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to share their faith."
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In 1993, nine out of 10
Christians believed that every
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Christian had
some responsibility.
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Today--and that
was 89% back then.
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Today, only 64% believe every
Christian has a responsibility
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to share their faith.
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Wow, 25% drop.
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And it's especially
severe among the young,
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the millennials.
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And it says almost
half of the millennials,
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47% agree that it is actually
wrong to share your personal
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belief with someone
of a different faith,
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hoping that they will
one day share your faith.
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That somehow it's immoral for
you to try to convert somebody
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to your beliefs.
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What has happened to
the Christian mission?
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Well, we're going to be talking
about that a little bit in our
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lesson today and
in the quarter ahead.
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This is--like I said, this is
part and parcel of what it means
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to be a Christian is you
come to Lord and then you
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go for the Lord.
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And every Christian every
day should be praying about and
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looking for opportunities to
share their faith with somebody.
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Just yesterday, I was
visiting with a gentleman,
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had an
opportunity to give him a DVD.
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Actually gave him the little
statue of our kingdom's prophecy
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or DVD documentary.
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I gave him some lessons,
gave him a testimony book,
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shared a little bit
of my personal testimony.
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And every day, we
have opportunities in
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varying degrees.
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You know, you can't grab
everybody by the collar and hold
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them down and preach to them,
but we have opportunities every
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day to share our faith
in some way even if it's,
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you know, in a casual way.
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You don't--we don't
do all of the farming.
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Every individual
doesn't plant the seed,
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and cultivate the
seed, and water the seed,
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and harvest the
seed all by ourselves.
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But have some part
in people's conversion,
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have some part in that
farming process of reaching
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the lost every day.
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And you'll find that if you
pray--because this is the thing
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that is the most
important to Jesus.
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If you pray and say, "Lord, I'm
willing to be used of You today
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to tell others about You," stand
back and watch what happens.
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God is going to
work miracles for you,
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He's going to bring
people into your path,
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He's going to arrange
things providentially.
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The Holy Spirit
will then nudge you,
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usually through
God's angels, and say,
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"This is that
opportunity you prayed about.
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This is that person."
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And you're going to go,
"Wow, I'm working in partnership
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with God."
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And so, you'll
see battles going on.
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You'll see events and providence
being arranged behind the scenes
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because God is wanting
you to share your faith.
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There's nothing the
Lord wants more than for us
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to share our faith.
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I remember praying one time,
and some of you know my story
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that I was living up in
the mountains in a cave,
00:11:00.49\00:11:04.16
accepted Jesus
through reading the Bible.
00:11:04.19\00:11:06.29
Was not a Seventh Day
Adventist Christian yet,
00:11:06.33\00:11:08.93
I hadn't even heard
of Seventh Day Adventist.
00:11:08.96\00:11:10.90
But I felt impressed.
00:11:10.93\00:11:12.80
You know, after
you come to the Lord,
00:11:12.83\00:11:14.30
you're happy, and you
want to tell other people
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about your faith.
00:11:16.47\00:11:17.77
And I felt
impressed, I said, "Lord,
00:11:17.81\00:11:19.37
I feel like You want
me to tell other people,
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but I don't know how that's
going to happen because I live
00:11:22.71\00:11:24.85
up here in a cave right now,
and I almost never see anybody."
00:11:24.88\00:11:27.42
And after I prayed
that prayer and said,
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"Lord, you know, I think
You want me to share my faith,
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but You're going to have to
show me if that's what You want
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me to do."
00:11:35.59\00:11:37.03
I went to town and
I called my mother.
00:11:37.06\00:11:38.63
I used to call her once a
week or so just to check in,
00:11:38.66\00:11:41.33
tell her I was okay.
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And she said, "Doug, you'll
never believe what happened.
00:11:42.76\00:11:44.97
I was having lunch with somebody
in NBC News and telling him
00:11:45.00\00:11:51.17
that, yeah, my son lives
in a cave above Palm Springs,
00:11:51.21\00:11:54.44
and his father's a millionaire."
00:11:54.48\00:11:56.01
And he thought, "Well,
that would be a great human
00:11:56.04\00:11:57.61
interest story."
00:11:57.65\00:11:58.88
And the short version is that
within a week or so of praying
00:11:58.91\00:12:02.18
that prayer, a
helicopter flew to my cave,
00:12:02.22\00:12:05.32
made two trips with a film crew.
00:12:05.35\00:12:07.59
You can't get up
there any other way.
00:12:07.62\00:12:09.89
And they videotaped
me sharing my testimony,
00:12:09.92\00:12:13.86
and I was on national television
three times sharing my faith.
00:12:13.90\00:12:18.30
So, talk about God
giving opportunities.
00:12:18.33\00:12:20.74
You go from being a hermit and
thinking you're not going to see
00:12:20.77\00:12:24.27
anybody, to having God
send a film crew to your cave.
00:12:24.31\00:12:26.78
So, if you're willing
to be used of the Lord,
00:12:26.81\00:12:30.11
you watch what He does.
00:12:30.15\00:12:32.18
He will work miracles for you.
00:12:32.21\00:12:33.75
Some of you know the
story of William Miller.
00:12:33.78\00:12:35.38
He just was
learning so many things,
00:12:35.42\00:12:37.09
he said, "Lord, if
You want me to share this,
00:12:37.12\00:12:39.02
I don't want to,
but if You want me to,
00:12:39.05\00:12:40.76
You show me."
00:12:40.79\00:12:42.09
And then he got a knock
on the door out of nowhere.
00:12:42.12\00:12:44.79
He was a farmer.
00:12:44.83\00:12:46.13
Someone says, "You know, they've
asked if you would come preach
00:12:46.16\00:12:48.33
about the things
you're studying."
00:12:48.36\00:12:50.10
God will open doors.
00:12:50.13\00:12:52.03
God is a hundred times
more eager for you to share your
00:12:52.07\00:12:56.10
faith than most people
are to share their faith.
00:12:56.14\00:12:58.04
And if you say, "Lord, I'm
willing to be used," you stand
00:12:58.07\00:13:00.44
back, he's going
to open opportunities,
00:13:00.48\00:13:02.31
you'll see that.
00:13:02.34\00:13:04.01
You know, in the
beginning of the lesson,
00:13:04.05\00:13:06.15
there's a good quote,
"Mission, Christian witnessing,
00:13:06.18\00:13:09.72
is primarily the work of God.
00:13:09.75\00:13:11.29
He is employing all of
the resources of heaven
00:13:11.32\00:13:14.39
to save our planet.
00:13:14.42\00:13:16.39
Our work is to cooperate
joyfully with Him in His work."
00:13:16.42\00:13:20.63
So, you don't have to act or
worry like the whole business
00:13:20.66\00:13:23.63
of witnessing is
on your shoulders.
00:13:23.67\00:13:25.60
God is just asking you, are you
willing to work alongside Him,
00:13:25.63\00:13:28.90
to participate in His
work of saving people?
00:13:28.94\00:13:31.77
Romans chapter 5, verse 8, "But
God demonstrates His own love
00:13:31.81\00:13:37.31
towards us in that
while we were sinners,
00:13:37.35\00:13:40.65
Christ died for us."
00:13:40.68\00:13:42.62
It's through the love
of God that we do this.
00:13:42.65\00:13:45.82
He's demonstrated His
love and He wants us to--
00:13:45.85\00:13:49.16
it's why we're sinners too.
00:13:49.19\00:13:50.49
You don't have to wait until
you feel like you're perfect,
00:13:50.53\00:13:52.93
you don't have to wait
until you feel like other
00:13:52.96\00:13:55.20
people are ready.
00:13:55.23\00:13:56.53
God is taking the
message from sinners to sinners.
00:13:56.56\00:14:00.60
Now, this is an important
point I don't want to rush past.
00:14:00.64\00:14:02.34
A lot of people never
witness 'cause they feel like
00:14:02.37\00:14:05.61
they're not qualified.
00:14:05.64\00:14:07.28
I had an old
friend that he told me,
00:14:07.31\00:14:10.68
he was an old
mountain man, and he said,
00:14:10.71\00:14:13.88
"The number one step to
teaching a donkey something,
00:14:13.92\00:14:17.72
you need to know something
the donkey doesn't know.
00:14:17.75\00:14:20.19
That then
qualifies you to teach him."
00:14:20.22\00:14:23.39
And I remember the first
few Bible studies that I gave
00:14:23.43\00:14:27.23
to other people
after accepting Jesus,
00:14:27.23\00:14:29.53
I was up in my cave and I
was a flower child back then,
00:14:29.56\00:14:33.13
and I didn't even
have any clothes on.
00:14:33.17\00:14:35.60
But the people I was
studying with didn't have
00:14:35.64\00:14:38.11
any clothes on either.
00:14:38.14\00:14:39.74
We were just kind of
natural hippies up then,
00:14:39.77\00:14:41.38
but I was so
excited about the gospel,
00:14:41.41\00:14:42.84
here I am up there.
00:14:42.88\00:14:44.25
I obviously have not
studied dress reform,
00:14:44.28\00:14:46.08
but I was sharing
what I had learned.
00:14:46.11\00:14:48.92
Now you think, "Pastor Doug,
that's taking it a little far."
00:14:48.95\00:14:52.05
You know, Jesus sent out the
apostles witnessing before they
00:14:52.09\00:14:55.09
were fully converted.
00:14:55.12\00:14:56.86
He sent out Peter, James,
John, and the others teaching,
00:14:56.89\00:14:59.16
preaching, casting out devils.
00:14:59.19\00:15:01.13
And the Bible says that
then Jesus turns to Peter and He
00:15:01.16\00:15:04.80
says, "Peter,
when you are converted,
00:15:04.83\00:15:07.20
strengthen the brethren."
00:15:07.24\00:15:08.94
"What do you mean
when I'm converted?
00:15:08.97\00:15:10.27
Lord, I've been
following You three years.
00:15:10.31\00:15:12.07
I've been out
teaching, preaching,
00:15:12.11\00:15:13.64
casting out devils,
healing, doing miracles."
00:15:13.68\00:15:15.41
Jesus said, "You're
not fully converted yet."
00:15:15.44\00:15:18.15
And of course, he was
preparing to deny the Lord.
00:15:18.18\00:15:21.15
And even Paul years later had
to kind of rebuke Peter on some
00:15:21.18\00:15:24.62
inconsistencies in his life.
00:15:24.65\00:15:27.26
And so, God uses
us where we're at.
00:15:27.29\00:15:30.83
Don't wait until you
feel like you're perfect.
00:15:30.86\00:15:34.00
Now, your witness is going to be
a lot better when you're fully
00:15:34.00\00:15:36.53
consecrated, but don't wait
until you feel like you know
00:15:36.56\00:15:39.67
everything before you
share what you do know.
00:15:39.70\00:15:42.47
And if someone asks you
something you don't know,
00:15:42.50\00:15:44.91
say, "Well, I'll go study that.
00:15:44.94\00:15:46.31
That's a good question."
00:15:46.34\00:15:47.78
And you'll be
blessed in the process.
00:15:47.81\00:15:49.98
All right, so why witness?
00:15:50.01\00:15:51.61
We've all got a responsibility.
00:15:51.65\00:15:53.42
First section here under
Monday, providing opportunities
00:15:53.45\00:15:57.29
for salvation.
00:15:57.32\00:15:59.19
Actually, God is using us
to bring these opportunities
00:15:59.22\00:16:03.06
of salvation to others.
00:16:03.09\00:16:04.46
Luke 19, verse 10, and we're
going to read this verse a lot
00:16:04.49\00:16:09.23
in this quarter I'm quite sure,
"For the Son of Man has come to
00:16:09.26\00:16:13.13
seek and to save
that which is lost."
00:16:13.17\00:16:16.27
From the beginning
of the Bible to the end,
00:16:16.30\00:16:18.74
this is the message of God.
00:16:18.77\00:16:21.14
The whole purpose is that
man has been separated from God.
00:16:21.18\00:16:23.75
Adam ran from God in the garden.
00:16:23.78\00:16:26.88
God came, He
said, "Where are you?"
00:16:26.92\00:16:28.85
Adam ran.
00:16:28.88\00:16:30.59
And you know, the first
question that's asked in
00:16:30.62\00:16:32.39
the New Testament is the
wise men looking for Jesus.
00:16:32.42\00:16:35.09
They're saying, "Where is He?"
00:16:35.12\00:16:36.69
And so, you've got God
saying, "Where are you?"
00:16:36.73\00:16:39.53
And you've got man
saying, "Where is He?"
00:16:39.56\00:16:42.33
And man, through sin,
has been separated from God.
00:16:42.36\00:16:46.37
The purpose of the plan of
salvation is to show people who
00:16:46.40\00:16:49.94
are lost how to get back to
the garden and how to get back
00:16:49.97\00:16:53.04
to their creator.
00:16:53.07\00:16:54.38
And so, Jesus came to seek
and to save that which is lost.
00:16:54.41\00:16:58.31
You know, I
remember a lot of people,
00:16:58.35\00:17:02.05
when they're
converted, they say,
00:17:02.08\00:17:03.82
"I found the Lord."
00:17:03.85\00:17:05.32
And someone
reminded me, they said,
00:17:05.35\00:17:07.16
"No, Doug, you
didn't really find the Lord,
00:17:07.19\00:17:09.46
He found you.
00:17:09.49\00:17:11.46
He was not lost, you were."
00:17:11.49\00:17:13.56
And so, Jesus came to
seek those who are lost.
00:17:13.60\00:17:16.03
James chapter 5, verse
19: "Brethren, if anyone
00:17:16.06\00:17:20.87
among you wanders from the
truth and someone turns him
00:17:20.90\00:17:24.51
back, let him know that he who
turns a sinner from the error
00:17:24.54\00:17:27.71
of his way will save a
soul from death and cover
00:17:27.74\00:17:33.11
a multitude of sins."
00:17:33.15\00:17:35.18
Well, it's good to
cover a multitude of sins,
00:17:35.22\00:17:37.62
but He says you'll
save a soul of death.
00:17:37.65\00:17:40.09
You know, if you
ever had any doubts,
00:17:40.12\00:17:42.22
friends, the
Bible is really clear,
00:17:42.26\00:17:43.93
you've heard
people say, "Urgent,
00:17:43.96\00:17:46.09
matter of life and death."
00:17:46.13\00:17:48.46
Sometimes, people
will send me an email and
00:17:48.50\00:17:51.10
they flag it urgent.
00:17:51.13\00:17:52.47
So, I go to that
email 'cause it says urgent,
00:17:52.50\00:17:54.24
you've got a flag by it.
00:17:54.27\00:17:56.44
And I read the
email and I thought,
00:17:56.47\00:17:57.77
"Well, that's not that urgent."
00:17:57.81\00:17:59.11
But sometimes, the
911 operators get a call,
00:17:59.14\00:18:03.51
and they say,
"What is your emergency?"
00:18:03.55\00:18:06.51
And they say, "I can't
figure out how to program
00:18:06.55\00:18:08.62
my microwave."
00:18:08.65\00:18:09.98
And they say, "That
is not an emergency."
00:18:10.02\00:18:12.25
So, there's a lot of things
in life that we fret over that
00:18:12.29\00:18:15.56
really are not important,
but when it comes to salvation,
00:18:15.59\00:18:18.13
you are really dealing
with a matter of life and death.
00:18:18.16\00:18:21.46
And I think sometimes we forget
that through neglect of sharing
00:18:21.50\00:18:26.50
our faith, some people are
going to miss out on eternity.
00:18:26.53\00:18:30.11
And it's not that God can't
save the lost without humans.
00:18:30.14\00:18:34.78
He could use angels, God can
speak to people directly if He
00:18:34.81\00:18:38.11
wants to, like He
did to the Apostle Paul.
00:18:38.15\00:18:40.05
But we have been given the
privilege and the responsibility
00:18:40.08\00:18:44.59
to share the
gospel with other people.
00:18:44.62\00:18:47.82
And you know, if we only knew
how horrific it's going to be
00:18:47.86\00:18:52.86
when the lost discover
that probation is closed,
00:18:52.89\00:18:56.03
or they rise in the wrong
resurrection and they hear the
00:18:56.06\00:18:59.03
words, "The harvest has
passed, the summer has ended,
00:18:59.07\00:19:01.94
and we are not saved."
00:19:01.97\00:19:03.27
And it's forever too
late for them to be saved.
00:19:03.30\00:19:05.44
And we see that there are
people that are out there,
00:19:05.47\00:19:08.11
and we think, "You know,
if I had cared a little more,
00:19:08.14\00:19:10.71
I could've reached some of those
people and they'd be here."
00:19:10.75\00:19:13.52
I think that it's going to
be a very sobering time for
00:19:13.55\00:19:16.75
Christians to see that we
have the stains of blood on our
00:19:16.79\00:19:23.19
garment from people
that we could've warned,
00:19:23.22\00:19:25.29
we just were too lazy or
indifferent to care about.
00:19:25.33\00:19:27.56
Now, don't get me wrong,
all of us are in that category.
00:19:27.60\00:19:31.00
And we're thanking God for His
mercy that sometimes we haven't
00:19:31.03\00:19:34.47
been caring, we
haven't been good witnesses,
00:19:34.50\00:19:36.81
we've neglected.
00:19:36.84\00:19:38.77
But let's not leave it there,
let's realize what's at stake.
00:19:38.81\00:19:40.81
We're talking the
life and death issues here.
00:19:40.84\00:19:44.21
So, really and the lesson
is talking about now making
00:19:44.25\00:19:48.18
friends for God.
00:19:48.22\00:19:49.85
And one of the most important
things you can do is witnessing
00:19:49.88\00:19:53.36
to people and
making friends with them.
00:19:53.39\00:19:54.96
You know, I remember when I was
little that kids just kind of
00:19:54.99\00:20:00.66
have a habit if you see another
kid at a park and you don't know
00:20:00.70\00:20:03.43
them, we just boldly
walk up to them and say,
00:20:03.47\00:20:05.57
"You want to be friends?"
00:20:05.60\00:20:06.97
I didn't even
know their name yet.
00:20:07.00\00:20:08.77
"You want to be friends?"
00:20:08.80\00:20:10.31
They look like
they're about my--"
00:20:10.34\00:20:11.64
Well, how old are you?"
00:20:11.67\00:20:12.97
"Well, I'm five,
how old are you?"
00:20:13.01\00:20:14.31
"I'm five.
00:20:14.34\00:20:15.64
Wow, look, we got
so much in common."
00:20:15.68\00:20:16.98
It didn't take much.
00:20:17.01\00:20:18.31
And you've seen it before, just
little kids, they just run up.
00:20:18.35\00:20:19.65
I've seen kids, my kids did it.
00:20:19.68\00:20:20.98
We got one kid
that's really huggy.
00:20:21.02\00:20:22.32
And when he was little, he'd
see total strangers in China,
00:20:22.35\00:20:25.85
we're in Tiananmen
Square, little Nathan,
00:20:25.89\00:20:28.02
he's running up, he's
hugging these Chinese kids,
00:20:28.06\00:20:29.72
and they're
going, "Who is this kid?"
00:20:29.76\00:20:31.06
And they're uninhibited.
00:20:31.09\00:20:33.73
They just want to make friends.
00:20:33.76\00:20:35.06
They want to play with someone.
00:20:35.10\00:20:36.50
Friends are so
important in life.
00:20:36.53\00:20:38.03
Somebody said one time
that friends divide your sorrows
00:20:38.07\00:20:42.50
and multiply your joy.
00:20:42.54\00:20:44.17
And so, you know, God designed
us to be social creatures.
00:20:44.21\00:20:47.24
It is not good that
man should be alone.
00:20:47.28\00:20:49.61
And it's really important that
we show people that we care.
00:20:49.64\00:20:53.78
And then--and
you share with them.
00:20:53.82\00:20:56.95
So, we want to make friends,
we want to be witnesses for him.
00:20:56.99\00:21:04.96
Jesus, when he
began his ministry,
00:21:04.99\00:21:07.30
he was filled
with the Holy Spirit.
00:21:07.36\00:21:09.23
You know, Christ said, "Pray
for the filling of the Spirit."
00:21:09.26\00:21:12.20
And as soon as Jesus
was filled with the Spirit,
00:21:12.23\00:21:14.47
then He began witnessing.
00:21:14.50\00:21:16.67
The apostles did the
same thing after Pentecost.
00:21:16.71\00:21:18.74
He said, "Wait
for the Holy Spirit."
00:21:18.77\00:21:20.41
They were filled with
the Holy Spirit and they
00:21:20.44\00:21:22.11
began witnessing.
00:21:22.14\00:21:23.45
When you're
baptized, Peter said,
00:21:23.48\00:21:25.08
"Repent and be baptized, and
God will give you the promise
00:21:25.11\00:21:27.45
of the Holy Spirit."
00:21:27.48\00:21:28.85
Why does He give it?
00:21:28.88\00:21:30.32
So you can live the life
and you can be a witness.
00:21:30.35\00:21:32.62
Jesus is not in the world today.
00:21:32.65\00:21:35.22
When Jesus was in the
world, He went around,
00:21:35.26\00:21:37.86
He went teaching,
healing, preaching.
00:21:37.89\00:21:39.93
Now, we are the body of Christ.
00:21:39.96\00:21:43.20
You and I are His
feet, we are His hands,
00:21:43.23\00:21:46.74
we are His eyes.
00:21:46.77\00:21:48.24
It is through us that He
now goes through the world and
00:21:48.27\00:21:50.14
ministered to the
needs of the world.
00:21:50.17\00:21:52.31
He does the healing,
He does the miracles,
00:21:52.34\00:21:55.74
but He did all of that in
the context of preaching and
00:21:55.78\00:21:58.35
teaching about salvation,
seeking and saving the lost.
00:21:58.38\00:22:03.49
Under the next section here, it
talks about making Jesus glad.
00:22:03.52\00:22:09.96
One of the greatest motivations
I think for us to witness and
00:22:09.99\00:22:14.00
make friends for the Lord is
this is what brings joy to God
00:22:14.03\00:22:18.30
is when we are telling
other people about Christ,
00:22:18.33\00:22:21.90
it just thrills
the heart of God.
00:22:21.94\00:22:24.17
Nothing made Jesus happier than
to see other people come to Him.
00:22:24.21\00:22:29.11
The Bible tells us
that when someone is saved,
00:22:29.14\00:22:32.85
the angels rejoice.
00:22:32.88\00:22:34.45
And we've got several
verses that talk about this.
00:22:34.48\00:22:36.02
Luke chapter 15, matter of fact,
you've got three examples here
00:22:36.05\00:22:38.92
in Luke 15 we're going to look
at where it talks about this
00:22:38.95\00:22:42.22
principle, this priority.
00:22:42.26\00:22:44.16
Luke 15, verse 6, "And
when he had come home."
00:22:44.19\00:22:48.33
Now, this is the
parable of the shepherd.
00:22:48.36\00:22:50.80
He has 99 sheep, he's
lost one of his sheep.
00:22:50.83\00:22:56.14
And when he
searches over hill and dale,
00:22:56.17\00:22:58.74
he finally finds that sheep.
00:22:58.77\00:23:01.38
Doesn't tell us that sheep was a
prize sheep worth more than the
00:23:01.41\00:23:04.08
other sheep, it
was just a sheep,
00:23:04.11\00:23:05.71
but he loved them all.
00:23:05.75\00:23:07.45
And he went over hill and
dale, he finds that sheep,
00:23:07.48\00:23:10.52
and he is so excited.
00:23:10.55\00:23:12.39
He comes back into
town, he tell all his friends,
00:23:12.42\00:23:15.46
he says, "Rejoice with me,
for I've found my missing sheep
00:23:15.49\00:23:19.23
which was lost."
00:23:19.26\00:23:21.20
And his friends that
share in his joy and sorrows,
00:23:21.23\00:23:23.67
they rejoice with him.
00:23:23.70\00:23:25.57
And then God goes on to
add, Jesus says in this parable,
00:23:25.60\00:23:29.34
"I say to you that likewise
there will be more joy in heaven
00:23:29.37\00:23:35.18
over one sinner who repents
than over 99 just persons that
00:23:35.21\00:23:41.05
need no repentance."
00:23:41.08\00:23:42.85
Now, Jesus said, "It's not
the sick that need a physician."
00:23:42.88\00:23:46.45
I'm sorry, "It's not the
well that need the physician,
00:23:46.49\00:23:48.89
it's the sick."
00:23:48.92\00:23:50.16
And most parents, when they wake
their kids up for school in the
00:23:50.19\00:23:55.93
morning or they see
them first in the morning,
00:23:55.96\00:23:58.33
they say, "Hi,
did you sleep good?
00:23:58.37\00:23:59.67
Good to see you.
Glad everything's well."
00:23:59.70\00:24:02.14
But if that kid had been
struggling with a terminal
00:24:02.17\00:24:06.51
disease for six months,
and they were just in pain,
00:24:06.54\00:24:11.41
and they were in a
potentially terminal condition,
00:24:11.45\00:24:16.08
and then through all of the
right treatments and the doctor
00:24:16.12\00:24:19.05
gives them the medication,
finally the doctor says after
00:24:19.09\00:24:23.36
the final checkup, "You
know, the cancer is gone,
00:24:23.39\00:24:27.36
they're completely healed,
they've got great health."
00:24:27.40\00:24:31.20
When that parent wakes up the
child in the morning and says,
00:24:31.23\00:24:34.10
"How do you feel?"
00:24:34.14\00:24:35.37
and they say, "I feel great,"
it means so much more to them
00:24:35.40\00:24:38.31
because they were at death's
door and now they're well.
00:24:38.34\00:24:41.48
And so, this is
what Jesus is saying.
00:24:41.51\00:24:43.68
When the human race is
fallen, we are perishing,
00:24:43.71\00:24:48.62
we're under a death sentence.
00:24:48.65\00:24:50.65
And the Lord is not
willing that any should perish.
00:24:50.69\00:24:53.36
There's nothing
that can separate us from
00:24:53.39\00:24:54.69
the love of God.
00:24:54.72\00:24:56.02
He longs to see us saved.
00:24:56.06\00:24:57.76
Think about this, the Lord longs
to see us saved infinitely more
00:24:57.79\00:25:02.30
than any earthly parent
wants to see their child saved
00:25:02.33\00:25:05.83
from a terminal disease.
00:25:05.87\00:25:07.27
So, how happy does it make
the Lord when someone turns from
00:25:07.30\00:25:11.41
darkness to light
and they're saved?
00:25:11.44\00:25:13.14
And you and I get to bring joy
to heaven in sharing our faith.
00:25:13.17\00:25:18.41
And it's not
just God, it's Jesus,
00:25:18.45\00:25:20.52
it's God the
Father, it's the angels,
00:25:20.55\00:25:22.75
it's the unfallen worlds.
00:25:22.78\00:25:24.89
They're all beholding
this theater to the universe,
00:25:24.92\00:25:27.76
what's happening down here.
00:25:27.79\00:25:29.52
It's like the story of Job.
00:25:29.56\00:25:30.86
You got this meeting in heaven,
where the sons of God are
00:25:30.89\00:25:34.83
meeting before the Lord.
00:25:34.83\00:25:36.83
And Satan comes, and God says
in the presence of all these
00:25:36.87\00:25:40.30
heavenly beings, angels,
and unfallen leaders of worlds,
00:25:40.34\00:25:42.64
"Have you
considered My servant Job,
00:25:42.67\00:25:46.84
that there's none
like him in the world?
00:25:46.88\00:25:49.41
A man who hates evil
and he loves what's good."
00:25:49.44\00:25:52.11
And here God is in
heaven bragging about Job.
00:25:52.15\00:25:56.12
He's intensely interested
in what's happening on earth,
00:25:56.15\00:25:59.39
and the righteousness
and the godliness and
00:25:59.42\00:26:01.96
the salvation of one man.
00:26:01.99\00:26:03.29
All of heaven
seems to know about Job.
00:26:03.32\00:26:05.93
It's like Jesus said, "If you
confess Me on earth before this
00:26:05.96\00:26:10.50
wicked and
adulterous generation,
00:26:10.53\00:26:12.70
I will confess your
name before My Father and
00:26:12.73\00:26:14.20
His angels in heaven."
00:26:14.24\00:26:15.54
Heaven is interested in
what is happening here on earth.
00:26:15.57\00:26:18.74
Angels are watching what we do.
00:26:18.77\00:26:20.81
And they rejoice when even the
little things we do to try to
00:26:20.84\00:26:24.81
plant seeds of
salvation in someone's life,
00:26:24.85\00:26:27.85
or to speak a Word for Christ,
or offer to pray with someone
00:26:27.88\00:26:30.82
that's discouraged.
00:26:30.85\00:26:32.69
And it doesn't mean that
you've got to be responsible,
00:26:32.72\00:26:35.02
like I said, for the
whole shooting match,
00:26:35.06\00:26:36.73
but doing something every day
to try to bring people closer
00:26:36.76\00:26:39.66
to salvation.
00:26:39.69\00:26:41.00
Heaven rejoices in that 'cause
that's the mission of God,
00:26:41.03\00:26:44.33
and He wants us to do that.
00:26:44.37\00:26:46.20
Now there's--you
got the next parable.
00:26:46.23\00:26:49.50
By the way, Jesus shares that
first parable and He talks about
00:26:49.54\00:26:53.48
a shepherd's love for His sheep.
00:26:53.51\00:26:56.04
And I can't help but wonder if
Jesus is not thinking back about
00:26:56.08\00:26:59.48
those stories of David.
00:26:59.51\00:27:01.55
Now, Jesse had
probably a lot of sheep.
00:27:01.58\00:27:04.65
He didn't have one
lamb, he had a lot of sheep.
00:27:04.69\00:27:07.79
But when a bear
came and took one sheep,
00:27:07.82\00:27:10.29
David loved that one sheep
so much that he put his life on
00:27:10.33\00:27:12.66
the line to save that one
sheep, and he killed the bear.
00:27:12.69\00:27:18.47
And then a lion
comes and he takes a sheep,
00:27:18.50\00:27:22.84
and David goes out to
save that one bleating sheep,
00:27:22.87\00:27:26.17
and puts his life on
the line to save that sheep.
00:27:26.21\00:27:30.65
Now, I've got a
confession to make.
00:27:30.68\00:27:32.05
Years ago up in
the hills in Covelo,
00:27:32.08\00:27:34.45
where we lived,
we had milk goats.
00:27:34.48\00:27:37.02
And I remember having
two goats and a baby kid.
00:27:37.05\00:27:42.72
And one day, for some reason,
one of the goats disappeared.
00:27:42.76\00:27:47.60
We don't know, we
thought--'cause we let them free
00:27:47.66\00:27:49.70
range, but they always
stayed around to get milked,
00:27:49.73\00:27:51.10
and I didn't know what happened.
00:27:51.13\00:27:52.73
It's up in this wild country,
and I thought that this goat
00:27:52.77\00:27:56.84
just wandered off.
00:27:56.87\00:27:58.61
And then I woke up one morning,
I heard this terrible bang and
00:27:58.64\00:28:03.91
the whole house shook.
00:28:03.95\00:28:06.38
And then it's still dark out,
it's like five in the morning.
00:28:06.41\00:28:09.32
And then we heard
our goat Libby crying,
00:28:09.35\00:28:12.25
"Baa, baa."
00:28:12.29\00:28:14.82
It was a terrible distress call,
and it was getting more distant.
00:28:14.86\00:28:18.69
And I looked out the window, and
in the dark I could see there
00:28:18.73\00:28:23.16
was some shadow
dragging Libby up the hill.
00:28:23.20\00:28:25.60
Now, Libby was like,
you know, a 70-pound goat,
00:28:25.63\00:28:27.64
80-pound goat.
00:28:27.67\00:28:29.34
And my gun was out in the truck.
00:28:29.37\00:28:32.54
And I'll admit I did not
want to go out in the dark.
00:28:32.57\00:28:37.45
I knew there was either a
mountain lion or a bear out
00:28:37.48\00:28:40.58
there, and I was afraid.
00:28:40.62\00:28:41.95
This is when I
first moved the hills,
00:28:41.98\00:28:43.45
I was a teenager who
rode subways in New York City.
00:28:43.49\00:28:45.79
The idea that there was a bear
out there that was trying to eat
00:28:45.82\00:28:48.29
my goat, I wasn't ready to put
my life on the line for my goat.
00:28:48.32\00:28:53.40
And I'm ashamed to
tell you that today.
00:28:53.43\00:28:55.33
Today, I would've gone outside,
I know a little more about bears
00:28:55.36\00:28:57.83
and mountain lions.
00:28:57.87\00:28:59.20
But back then, I was still just
a 19 year old out of New York,
00:28:59.23\00:29:03.97
scared to death.
00:29:04.01\00:29:05.44
And I feel some--I feel
some comfort in knowing that
00:29:05.47\00:29:09.18
a good shepherd lays
down his life for his sheep.
00:29:09.21\00:29:11.05
It never says they do
it for the goats because,
00:29:11.08\00:29:12.81
you know, the sheep are saved,
the goats are lost anyway.
00:29:12.85\00:29:15.18
But David, when I read
that story in the Bible,
00:29:15.22\00:29:18.89
it's very real to me because
I think I was--I didn't even
00:29:18.92\00:29:21.02
have--David
didn't even have a gun.
00:29:21.06\00:29:23.29
And he went and he put his life
on the line to get into almost
00:29:23.32\00:29:27.03
hand to hand combat
with a bear to save a sheep.
00:29:27.03\00:29:29.30
So, when Jesus says this
shepherd goes in search of this
00:29:29.33\00:29:32.77
sheep and he's
going out at night,
00:29:32.80\00:29:34.97
he's got 99 left.
00:29:35.00\00:29:36.34
Why doesn't he just
say, "I'm happy with 99"?
00:29:36.37\00:29:38.17
But he goes and he
finds that one missing sheep,
00:29:38.21\00:29:40.48
and he rejoices over that.
00:29:40.51\00:29:43.04
You know, God
could say, "You know,
00:29:43.08\00:29:45.11
I've got billions
of unfallen worlds.
00:29:45.15\00:29:47.35
Isn't that enough?"
00:29:47.38\00:29:49.25
But this world is special.
00:29:49.28\00:29:51.39
Man is made in the image
of God, we are His children.
00:29:51.42\00:29:53.12
Adam is called the son
of God, that means we're all
00:29:53.15\00:29:57.13
grandchildren of God.
00:29:57.16\00:29:58.89
And God, His love is perfect.
00:29:58.93\00:30:01.20
He loves us more than
earthly parents or grandparents
00:30:01.23\00:30:04.43
love their children.
00:30:04.47\00:30:05.90
So, when you cooperate
with God to save the lost,
00:30:05.93\00:30:08.54
it brings joy to God.
00:30:08.57\00:30:10.64
There's nothing that God is
more intensely interested in.
00:30:10.67\00:30:13.34
Proof, He sent Jesus, gave His
Son to save His other children.
00:30:13.38\00:30:19.38
And so, this is very important.
00:30:19.41\00:30:21.35
All right, I'm
going to carry on.
00:30:21.38\00:30:22.82
The other parable, and we're
still in Matthew 15--I'm sorry,
00:30:22.85\00:30:24.69
Luke 15, verse 8.
00:30:24.72\00:30:26.39
"What woman,
having ten silver coins,
00:30:26.42\00:30:29.59
if she loses one coin, does not
light a lamp and sweep the house
00:30:29.62\00:30:33.76
and search
carefully until she finds it?
00:30:33.80\00:30:37.43
And then she calls her friends
and her neighbors together."
00:30:37.47\00:30:40.30
I don't know if I'd ever go
to some lady's party 'cause she
00:30:40.34\00:30:42.67
found a missing coin,
but evidently maybe this was
00:30:42.70\00:30:45.97
part of her dowry.
00:30:46.01\00:30:47.54
They used to give coins out,
and it had some special meaning.
00:30:47.58\00:30:51.48
She says, "Rejoice with me.
00:30:51.51\00:30:53.82
I found my
piece that I had lost.
00:30:53.85\00:30:56.52
Likewise, I say to you there
is joy in the presence of the
00:30:56.55\00:31:00.89
angels over one
sinner who repents."
00:31:00.92\00:31:04.29
You know, when you
do an evangelistic,
00:31:04.33\00:31:09.06
first he says joy in heaven,
now he says joy in the presence
00:31:09.10\00:31:12.10
of the angels.
00:31:12.13\00:31:13.60
Angels, they
love what God loves,
00:31:13.64\00:31:15.60
and God loves to
see people saved.
00:31:15.64\00:31:17.04
They are rejoicing.
00:31:17.07\00:31:18.37
Angels have feelings, you know?
00:31:18.41\00:31:20.14
And they're rejoicing
over one sinner who repents.
00:31:20.18\00:31:23.88
Luke 15, verse 22.
00:31:23.91\00:31:26.61
You know the story of
the prodigal and that father,
00:31:26.65\00:31:30.45
wandered from home.
00:31:30.49\00:31:32.49
Now, it starts to get a little
home--a little closer to home.
00:31:32.52\00:31:35.29
You got the
shepherd with his sheep.
00:31:35.32\00:31:37.46
You know, I
mean, I love animals.
00:31:37.49\00:31:40.93
Karen and I, we've got
three dogs up in the hills,
00:31:40.96\00:31:43.30
and we like our dogs.
00:31:43.33\00:31:45.37
We got to be
careful when we go up there,
00:31:45.40\00:31:47.44
we can't pet them a lot certain
times a year because they run
00:31:47.47\00:31:49.64
through the poison oak, and we
get poison oak when we pet them.
00:31:49.67\00:31:51.91
Karen puts on rubber gloves
'cause she wants to pet them
00:31:51.94\00:31:54.58
so much, she'll even put
on gloves so she can pet them.
00:31:54.61\00:31:56.75
And you know, Americans spend
more money on their pets than
00:31:56.78\00:32:01.08
some countries
spend on their people.
00:32:01.12\00:32:05.09
People love their pets.
00:32:05.12\00:32:07.06
And it's amazing the care
and the pampering that people go
00:32:07.09\00:32:12.66
through for their pets.
00:32:12.69\00:32:14.56
I just saw a relative that spent
$10,000 on medical treatment
00:32:14.56\00:32:18.70
for a dog.
00:32:18.73\00:32:20.57
Now, we love our dogs, and I'll
probably get letters from you,
00:32:20.60\00:32:23.81
but I don't think I'd
spend that much on a dog.
00:32:23.84\00:32:28.41
To me, it just
doesn't seem right.
00:32:28.44\00:32:30.65
I think you got to
keep things in perspective.
00:32:30.68\00:32:33.45
I know I'm going
to get letters now.
00:32:33.48\00:32:34.98
I'll be getting letters from
those of you who ask for the
00:32:35.02\00:32:37.32
book, "Will My
Pets Be in Heaven?"
00:32:37.35\00:32:39.22
This man's
rejoicing over his sheep.
00:32:39.25\00:32:42.86
You see how much
people love their dogs,
00:32:42.89\00:32:45.53
there are people that
love their pets more than
00:32:45.56\00:32:47.76
they love lost souls.
00:32:47.83\00:32:49.30
But the priority
for Jesus is people.
00:32:49.33\00:32:52.07
You know, nowhere in the
Bible does it say Jesus died
00:32:52.10\00:32:55.14
to save our parakeets.
00:32:55.17\00:32:56.87
It doesn't say that
He died to save our cats,
00:32:56.91\00:33:01.04
especially cats.
00:33:01.08\00:33:02.38
No, I like cats too.
00:33:02.41\00:33:04.11
But people love
their pets so much,
00:33:04.15\00:33:07.15
and they think that there's some
people that are more interested
00:33:07.18\00:33:09.25
in, "Will my pet be saved?"
00:33:09.28\00:33:11.45
than, "Will my
relatives be saved?"
00:33:11.49\00:33:13.99
This man, his friends
rejoiced over his found sheep.
00:33:14.02\00:33:17.53
These neighbors
rejoiced over the found coin,
00:33:17.56\00:33:21.16
inanimate coin,
and they're rejoicing.
00:33:21.20\00:33:23.83
Finally, now Jesus
brings it home and He says,
00:33:23.87\00:33:26.74
"What about people?"
00:33:26.77\00:33:28.44
A man had two sons.
00:33:28.47\00:33:30.74
And one son said,
"Father, I don't want you,
00:33:30.77\00:33:34.34
but I want all
of your resources."
00:33:34.38\00:33:36.28
And he went into a far country,
took his father's inheritance,
00:33:36.31\00:33:39.15
and he squandered
it living recklessly.
00:33:39.18\00:33:41.45
He just frittered it away,
finally ends up in the pig pen,
00:33:41.48\00:33:45.52
longing for the
food the pigs eat.
00:33:45.55\00:33:48.06
And then he remembers
his father's love and his
00:33:48.09\00:33:49.39
father's abundance.
00:33:49.42\00:33:51.19
He said, "Even the servants
in my father's house eat better
00:33:51.23\00:33:53.50
than I eat, I'm
eating pigs' food."
00:33:53.53\00:33:55.26
And he goes home to his father.
00:33:55.30\00:33:58.27
Of course, you know the story.
00:33:58.30\00:33:59.63
Father runs out to
meet him, he embraces him,
00:33:59.67\00:34:01.64
covers him with his best robe,
adopts him back into the family.
00:34:01.67\00:34:06.71
Brother comes out and
he says, "What's this?
00:34:06.74\00:34:11.75
You're having a party for this
son of yours that went out and
00:34:11.78\00:34:15.72
he squandered your
inheritance and he,
00:34:15.75\00:34:18.22
you know, lived a
reckless, evil life,
00:34:18.25\00:34:21.12
and here you're having
a big celebration 'cause
00:34:21.16\00:34:23.63
he's come home.
00:34:23.66\00:34:24.96
He ought to come home
with his tail between his legs,
00:34:24.99\00:34:27.36
and he should be
whipped for what he's done."
00:34:27.40\00:34:29.36
Father says, "No, my son
was dead and now he's alive.
00:34:29.40\00:34:32.53
He was lost and now he's found.
00:34:32.57\00:34:34.70
It is right that we
should rejoice and make merry."
00:34:34.74\00:34:36.87
And so, here Jesus is
illustrating that heaven
00:34:36.91\00:34:40.21
celebrates when
the lost are saved.
00:34:40.24\00:34:45.31
And this should be the
central purpose of the church.
00:34:45.35\00:34:48.88
The church is a lifeboat that
is launched out into the waters
00:34:48.92\00:34:52.45
where people are drowning.
00:34:52.49\00:34:54.82
And one by one, we are pulling
them into the boat and we're
00:34:54.86\00:34:57.53
saving them from certain death.
00:34:57.56\00:34:59.56
And it reminds me of
the story of the Titanic,
00:34:59.59\00:35:04.50
which I studied at length,
read a lot of history about it.
00:35:04.53\00:35:08.80
And when that ship went
down, several of the lifeboats,
00:35:08.84\00:35:12.17
the early lifeboats that
were launched from the Titanic,
00:35:12.21\00:35:14.34
nobody wanted to
get into the lifeboats,
00:35:14.38\00:35:16.24
but they had to launch them.
00:35:16.28\00:35:18.18
And so, some of them were
launched less than half full,
00:35:18.21\00:35:20.48
even though there were not
enough lifeboats for the people
00:35:20.52\00:35:24.19
that were on the boat.
00:35:24.22\00:35:25.65
I think 1,500 perished
because they didn't have
00:35:25.69\00:35:28.76
enough lifeboats.
00:35:28.79\00:35:30.96
And after the boat
sank, the lifeboats,
00:35:30.99\00:35:33.43
it was not even
windy, it was very calm,
00:35:33.46\00:35:35.56
they could hear the people
off in the distance shouting for
00:35:35.60\00:35:40.34
help, calling for salvation.
00:35:40.37\00:35:42.24
They're freezing
in the water, saying,
00:35:42.27\00:35:43.91
"Help me, help me, save us."
00:35:43.94\00:35:45.74
Parents were
looking for their children,
00:35:45.77\00:35:47.28
and husbands are
calling for their wives.
00:35:47.31\00:35:49.51
It was just a--it
was a horrendous sound.
00:35:49.54\00:35:52.05
The ship went down, all these
people sprang to the surface,
00:35:52.08\00:35:54.78
especially those
wearing life jackets.
00:35:54.82\00:35:56.69
And many of the lifeboats did
not go and venture over to try
00:35:56.72\00:36:01.59
to save those who were perishing
'cause they were afraid.
00:36:01.62\00:36:04.56
They were afraid that, well,
maybe too many of them will swim
00:36:04.59\00:36:08.60
on our boat and
they'll swamp the boat.
00:36:08.63\00:36:11.30
It'll be overcrowded and
we will all drown as a result.
00:36:11.33\00:36:14.50
Only a handful of the lifeboats
went back and picked up
00:36:14.54\00:36:18.14
a couple of people.
00:36:18.17\00:36:19.61
It's such a tragedy
that they would stand by and
00:36:19.64\00:36:22.61
watch them all drown.
00:36:22.64\00:36:23.95
But you know what?
00:36:23.98\00:36:25.28
This is what a
lot of churches doing.
00:36:25.31\00:36:26.75
That's right.
00:36:26.78\00:36:28.08
There's a lot of
churches that sort of exists for
00:36:28.12\00:36:29.72
our own comfort.
00:36:29.75\00:36:31.12
And we're not aggressively
working to make friends for God
00:36:31.15\00:36:34.56
and to reach out
and save the lost.
00:36:34.59\00:36:36.42
The purpose for the church, we
are supposed to be a lifeboat.
00:36:36.46\00:36:40.40
We're supposed to be launching
out and taking risks to reach
00:36:40.43\00:36:43.87
the lost, that's our mission.
00:36:43.90\00:36:45.73
It's not about our
entertainment or our comfort,
00:36:45.77\00:36:49.10
but--and we'll find our
greatest joy in doing that.
00:36:49.14\00:36:51.74
And that's what'll make a church
grow is to have the priority
00:36:51.77\00:36:55.28
of evangelism.
00:36:55.31\00:36:56.54
And something else I've noticed,
a lot of churches are all--they
00:36:56.58\00:36:58.88
say, "We're not ready for
evangelism 'cause we're too
00:36:58.91\00:37:00.72
embroiled with
internal problems.
00:37:00.75\00:37:02.58
Our members aren't converted
enough for evangelism."
00:37:02.62\00:37:05.25
I've actually had
pastors tell me that.
00:37:05.29\00:37:06.72
"Yeah, I can't do evangelism
here 'cause our people,
00:37:06.76\00:37:09.09
just they're not
spiritual enough or whatever."
00:37:09.12\00:37:10.69
One of the ways to get your
church converted and spiritual
00:37:10.73\00:37:13.70
is get them involved in what
they're supposed to be doing.
00:37:13.73\00:37:16.06
Get them
involved in soul winning,
00:37:16.10\00:37:18.10
and that brings
about a big change.
00:37:18.13\00:37:19.63
This is what makes Jesus glad.
00:37:19.67\00:37:23.00
In Matthew chapter 25, you know
that story where it says that
00:37:23.04\00:37:33.01
in the judgment, He separates
the sheep from the goats?
00:37:33.05\00:37:35.85
I alluded to that a moment ago.
00:37:35.88\00:37:37.72
And He tells the
sheep, "Well done,
00:37:37.75\00:37:39.45
good and faithful servant.
00:37:39.49\00:37:40.79
Enter into the joy of the Lord.
00:37:40.82\00:37:42.12
I was hungry, you fed me.
00:37:42.16\00:37:43.46
I was thirsty,
you gave me drink.
00:37:43.49\00:37:45.13
I was sick and you came to me.
00:37:45.16\00:37:46.93
I was a prisoner
and you visited me.
00:37:46.96\00:37:48.76
I was a stranger
and you took me in."
00:37:48.80\00:37:51.17
And they said, "Lord,
when did we see you hungry,
00:37:51.20\00:37:53.64
or thirsty, or
sick, or in prison,
00:37:53.67\00:37:55.64
or stranger, or naked?"
00:37:55.67\00:37:58.17
And He says, "In as much as you
did it to the least of these,
00:37:58.21\00:38:01.38
you did it to Me."
00:38:01.41\00:38:03.24
Anything we do to relieve
the suffering of other people,
00:38:03.28\00:38:05.71
Jesus feels that joy.
00:38:05.75\00:38:08.38
And Jesus, because
He knows all things,
00:38:08.42\00:38:10.99
He knows how people feel.
00:38:11.02\00:38:12.72
And when people find salvation,
there's such a relief,
00:38:12.75\00:38:14.72
He senses that.
00:38:14.76\00:38:16.66
It brings joy to his heart.
00:38:16.69\00:38:18.23
Isaiah 62, verse 5: "For as
a young man marries a virgin,
00:38:18.26\00:38:22.43
so your sons marry you.
00:38:22.46\00:38:24.97
And as the bridegroom
rejoices over the bride,
00:38:25.00\00:38:28.67
so shall your God
rejoice over you."
00:38:28.70\00:38:32.27
You know, that ought to be
one of the happiest days in
00:38:32.31\00:38:34.88
the world is when
a couple get married.
00:38:34.91\00:38:36.34
I tell the groom
and the bride, I say,
00:38:36.38\00:38:38.85
"Look, if
you're not happy today,
00:38:38.88\00:38:40.12
you ought to call it off because
this should be the happiest day.
00:38:40.15\00:38:43.85
There should be an
excitement and a joy."
00:38:43.89\00:38:47.06
And sometimes, you see arranged
marriages in other countries.
00:38:47.09\00:38:52.16
And the groom and the bride,
they had no pride in the choice,
00:38:52.19\00:38:55.43
and they don't look very happy.
00:38:55.46\00:38:57.23
But normally, it
should be a happy day.
00:38:57.27\00:39:01.30
Zephaniah 3:17, "The Lord
your God is in the midst of you.
00:39:01.34\00:39:05.74
The mighty one will save.
00:39:05.77\00:39:08.08
He will rejoice
over you with gladness.
00:39:08.11\00:39:10.21
He will quiet you with his love.
00:39:10.25\00:39:12.31
He will rejoice
over you with singing."
00:39:12.35\00:39:15.08
One of the only verses in the
Bible talks about God singing is
00:39:15.12\00:39:17.39
in connection with
the lost being saved.
00:39:17.42\00:39:20.86
This is what brings
great joy to the heart of God.
00:39:20.89\00:39:23.59
All right, let's go to
the section growing by giving.
00:39:23.63\00:39:26.70
John 7, verse 37 and 38:
"On that last great day of the
00:39:26.73\00:39:32.27
feast, Jesus
stood and He cried out,
00:39:32.30\00:39:34.57
saying, 'If anyone thirsts,
let them come to Me and drink.
00:39:34.60\00:39:38.54
He that believes in Me,
as the Scripture has said,
00:39:38.57\00:39:41.81
out of his heart will
flow rivers of living water.'"
00:39:41.84\00:39:45.31
You know, when you're a
Christian, you need to realize
00:39:45.35\00:39:48.92
that maintaining your
Christianity is dependent
00:39:48.95\00:39:52.49
on God sharing through you.
00:39:52.52\00:39:56.09
If you receive
from God His goodness,
00:39:56.12\00:39:59.09
His blessings, His
truth, and you don't pass it on,
00:39:59.13\00:40:00.46
you'll lose it,
it's like a muscle.
00:40:00.50\00:40:02.60
If you don't
use it, you lose it.
00:40:02.63\00:40:04.77
In the Christian life, the only
way you get to keep the gospel
00:40:04.80\00:40:08.67
is by giving it away.
00:40:08.70\00:40:11.24
It's a principle in life.
00:40:11.27\00:40:13.07
If you withhold your
grain, you'll get to eat some,
00:40:13.11\00:40:17.55
you'll be full.
00:40:17.58\00:40:19.25
But if you don't scatter
some, if you don't cast it out,
00:40:19.28\00:40:21.35
you're not going
to have another crop.
00:40:21.38\00:40:22.88
If you want to tend to
increase, you need to scatter.
00:40:22.92\00:40:25.42
That's what the
Proverbs tells us.
00:40:25.45\00:40:27.29
In the Christian life, if
you want to grow in your faith,
00:40:27.32\00:40:30.56
give studies to other people.
00:40:30.59\00:40:32.16
You want to grow
in your understanding,
00:40:32.19\00:40:33.50
share the Bible
with other people.
00:40:33.53\00:40:35.96
Be involved in some
capacity, share literature.
00:40:36.00\00:40:38.33
Not everyone can
preach or give a Bible study,
00:40:38.37\00:40:39.97
but everybody can do something.
00:40:40.00\00:40:41.67
And you will be
blessed in doing this.
00:40:41.70\00:40:43.67
You know, there are two
principle bodies of water
00:40:43.71\00:40:47.28
in the Promised Land.
00:40:47.31\00:40:48.61
You've got the Sea of Galilee,
sometimes called the Sea of
00:40:48.64\00:40:51.51
Gennesaret or
the Sea of Tiberias,
00:40:51.55\00:40:53.28
it's all the Sea of Galilee.
00:40:53.31\00:40:54.92
And the Jordan
River runs into the north.
00:40:54.95\00:40:57.12
And then you've
got the Dead Sea.
00:40:57.15\00:40:59.22
Interesting thing
about those two seas,
00:40:59.25\00:41:00.96
the Jordan River runs into the
Dead Sea and the Jordan River
00:41:00.99\00:41:04.53
runs into the Sea of Galilee.
00:41:04.56\00:41:06.39
But the Sea of
Galilee is full of life,
00:41:06.43\00:41:10.23
there's still fish in it
today after thousands of years.
00:41:10.27\00:41:12.97
And the Dead Sea has
nothing alive in it, why?
00:41:13.00\00:41:17.11
Because the Dead Sea only takes.
00:41:17.14\00:41:19.77
Same river runs into
both, but the Dead Sea's dead,
00:41:19.81\00:41:22.88
Sea of Galilee is alive.
00:41:22.91\00:41:25.51
The Dead Sea only
takes, it only receives.
00:41:25.55\00:41:27.95
Because it's so low
and because the evaporation
00:41:27.98\00:41:30.35
exceeds the input, it's dead.
00:41:30.39\00:41:34.02
It becomes stagnant, it's
full of salts and minerals,
00:41:34.06\00:41:36.09
and nothing can live in it.
00:41:36.12\00:41:37.43
We were
swimming in the Dead Sea,
00:41:37.46\00:41:39.26
oh, a couple years ago.
00:41:39.29\00:41:40.83
It really is quite a sensation
because you can't hardly swim.
00:41:40.86\00:41:44.93
I turned on my belly and
tried to swim and it floated me
00:41:44.97\00:41:47.50
so much, I
couldn't kick with my feet,
00:41:47.54\00:41:48.84
my feet were out of the water.
00:41:48.87\00:41:50.17
And you can
actually stand straight up,
00:41:50.21\00:41:52.47
it's like this much of you
is out of the water when you're
00:41:52.51\00:41:55.44
standing up because it's just
so full of--thick with minerals.
00:41:55.48\00:41:58.51
Nothing lives in it
because it constantly takes,
00:41:58.55\00:42:01.95
but it doesn't give.
00:42:01.98\00:42:03.28
But the Sea of Galilee, the
Jordan River runs in from the
00:42:03.32\00:42:06.49
north and the
Jordan River flows out.
00:42:06.52\00:42:09.56
It stays clean because
it's being constantly refreshed.
00:42:09.59\00:42:13.19
It's a channel of blessing.
00:42:13.23\00:42:15.36
Every Christian should
be a channel of blessing.
00:42:15.40\00:42:17.70
We're receiving God's
blessings with one hand,
00:42:17.73\00:42:19.93
we share them with the other.
00:42:19.97\00:42:21.77
If you have morning devotions,
you'd be surprised how often
00:42:21.80\00:42:24.31
during the day God will give
you an opportunity to share with
00:42:24.34\00:42:27.41
others what you
read that very day.
00:42:27.44\00:42:29.11
And so, God wants us to
be a channel of blessing.
00:42:29.14\00:42:32.75
He flows through you.
00:42:32.78\00:42:34.38
"Desire of Ages" page 142, "God
could've reached His object in
00:42:34.42\00:42:39.05
saving sinners without our aid.
00:42:39.09\00:42:41.02
But in order for us to
develop character like Christ,
00:42:41.06\00:42:44.16
we must share in His work
in order to enter into His joy,
00:42:44.19\00:42:49.83
the joy of seeing souls
redeemed by His sacrifice.
00:42:49.86\00:42:53.20
We must participate in His
labors for their redemption."
00:42:53.23\00:42:56.47
It's part of Christianity 101.
00:42:56.50\00:42:59.74
You remember the Barna
study I read at the beginning
00:42:59.77\00:43:03.31
of our study today?
00:43:03.35\00:43:05.48
A growing number of Christians
do not recognize their personal
00:43:05.51\00:43:09.55
responsibility and
privilege of doing something
00:43:09.58\00:43:13.29
to share their faith.
00:43:13.32\00:43:14.86
And it's just so unhealthy.
00:43:14.89\00:43:16.19
From the "Book of
Education," page 207,
00:43:16.22\00:43:18.06
another good quote.
00:43:18.09\00:43:20.83
"Those who would be overcomers
must be drawn out of themselves.
00:43:20.86\00:43:24.90
And the only thing that will
accomplish this great work is
00:43:24.93\00:43:27.80
to become intensely interested
in the salvation of others."
00:43:27.84\00:43:31.37
It's so easy for us to become
eccentric and self-centered,
00:43:31.41\00:43:34.64
think that it's all about me.
00:43:34.68\00:43:36.58
And being involved
in reaching others,
00:43:36.61\00:43:39.05
you know, I've
seen it so many times,
00:43:39.08\00:43:41.12
"Amazing Facts" will take
a group on a mission trip or
00:43:41.15\00:43:44.55
they'll go on a
church building project,
00:43:44.59\00:43:46.29
and there's something that is
transformational about you going
00:43:46.32\00:43:50.09
to a poor mission field,
doing an evangelistic meeting,
00:43:50.13\00:43:54.46
doing some health ministry,
being involved in building up
00:43:54.46\00:43:58.17
a mission or a church.
00:43:58.20\00:43:59.93
It helps you realize, you know,
it's a big world out there,
00:44:00.04\00:44:02.74
and I'm just one little person
out of 7.8 billion people.
00:44:02.77\00:44:06.98
Jesus loves them all, and your
greatest joy's going to come
00:44:07.01\00:44:10.65
in telling other
people about Christ.
00:44:10.68\00:44:13.15
The other thing that's
amazing, you go to some of these
00:44:13.18\00:44:16.02
countries and, you know,
we've had the privilege of going
00:44:16.05\00:44:19.19
I can't even count how
many different countries,
00:44:19.22\00:44:21.36
and you go and you see
very poor people in India,
00:44:21.39\00:44:24.69
in Africa, in Asia.
00:44:24.73\00:44:26.96
And they're so happy that
you've come to their house,
00:44:27.00\00:44:30.83
they're so happy that
you've come to share with them.
00:44:30.87\00:44:33.44
They're smiling,
they have almost nothing,
00:44:33.47\00:44:35.54
but they're just so happy when
they hear the good news that you
00:44:35.57\00:44:38.77
realize maybe in our
materialism in North America,
00:44:38.81\00:44:42.21
we sometimes forget that
it's not all about this stuff,
00:44:42.24\00:44:47.12
it's about souls,
that's what really matters.
00:44:47.15\00:44:51.15
So, we need to be
involved in this unselfish work.
00:44:51.19\00:44:53.36
And in doing
this, you save yourself.
00:44:53.39\00:44:55.82
I like what
Paul said to Timothy.
00:44:55.86\00:44:57.79
1 Timothy 4:16: "Take heed
to yourself and to the doctrine.
00:44:57.83\00:45:02.26
Continue in them, for in doing
this you will save yourself
00:45:02.30\00:45:06.23
and those who hear you."
00:45:06.27\00:45:07.94
In sharing with others,
you're helping to save yourself.
00:45:07.97\00:45:10.61
In the book "Steps
to Christ," page 79,
00:45:10.64\00:45:13.34
it's got some
more on that principle.
00:45:13.38\00:45:15.08
"Unselfish work for others helps
make our characters like Christ.
00:45:15.11\00:45:19.61
It brings peace and happiness.
00:45:19.65\00:45:22.12
It gives us strong
desire to be more helpful.
00:45:22.15\00:45:25.29
There will be no room
in our lives for laziness
00:45:25.32\00:45:28.22
and selfishness.
00:45:28.26\00:45:29.89
If we exercise our faith
and other Christian graces,
00:45:29.92\00:45:32.86
we will become
strong in our work for God.
00:45:32.89\00:45:35.60
We will see the truth clearly.
00:45:35.63\00:45:37.57
Our faith will keep growing, and
we will pray with greater power.
00:45:37.60\00:45:41.74
God's Spirit will
move in our hearts,
00:45:41.77\00:45:44.27
helping us develop
characters that will honor Him.
00:45:44.31\00:45:46.64
If we give ourselves in
unselfish service for others,
00:45:46.68\00:45:49.51
we are surely working
out our own salvation."
00:45:49.54\00:45:53.05
One of the ways for us to break
the dead spirit many struggle
00:45:53.08\00:45:57.62
with, get out of yourself,
get involved in serving others.
00:45:57.65\00:46:00.62
Even if you don't
feel like it at first,
00:46:00.66\00:46:02.96
something will happen to
you in the process of doing it.
00:46:02.99\00:46:05.23
Faithfulness to
Christ's command.
00:46:05.26\00:46:08.06
Acts 26, verse 17, he says, "I
will deliver you from the Jewish
00:46:08.10\00:46:15.17
people as well as
from the Gentiles."
00:46:15.20\00:46:17.34
Jesus is speaking
to Paul in vision,
00:46:17.37\00:46:19.14
"To whom I now send you, to open
their eyes and order to turn
00:46:19.17\00:46:24.28
them from darkness to light, and
from the power of Satan to God,
00:46:24.31\00:46:28.35
that they might
receive forgiveness of sins and
00:46:28.38\00:46:31.62
an inheritance among those who
are sanctified by faith for Me.
00:46:31.65\00:46:35.49
Open their eyes, turn
them from darkness to light,
00:46:35.52\00:46:38.09
from the power of
the devil to God."
00:46:38.13\00:46:40.46
This is what we're doing.
00:46:40.50\00:46:42.03
We're taking people and their
lives are so completely and
00:46:42.06\00:46:44.30
utterly transformed,
from the devil to God,
00:46:44.33\00:46:47.84
from darkness to light.
00:46:47.87\00:46:49.64
And that they might be
saved from slavery to freedom.
00:46:49.67\00:46:52.77
It's such a dramatic change.
00:46:52.81\00:46:55.48
God wants everybody to be saved.
00:46:55.51\00:46:58.81
You know, some
dispensationalists think,
00:46:58.85\00:47:00.65
"Well, you know, Jesus only
saved--He died for the elect,
00:47:00.68\00:47:03.69
not for everybody."
00:47:03.72\00:47:05.19
God doesn't want
anyone to be lost.
00:47:05.22\00:47:07.39
The Bible says He is not
willing that any should perish.
00:47:07.42\00:47:10.36
And that's in 2
Peter chapter 3, verse 9,
00:47:10.39\00:47:13.26
"The Lord is not slack
concerning His promise as some
00:47:13.29\00:47:15.96
men counts slackness, but
He's long-suffering to us,
00:47:16.00\00:47:19.50
not willing that
any should perish."
00:47:19.53\00:47:21.70
And in 1 Timothy, he says
in verse 3 and 4 of chapter 2,
00:47:21.74\00:47:27.24
"This is good and acceptable
in the sight of God our Savior,
00:47:27.28\00:47:30.35
who desires all
men to be saved."
00:47:30.38\00:47:32.98
It breaks the heart of
God that one should be lost,
00:47:33.01\00:47:35.82
which is a good transition
into the last section.
00:47:35.85\00:47:39.45
What's the motive for
our sharing our faith?
00:47:39.49\00:47:42.32
Love.
00:47:42.36\00:47:43.89
Isaiah 48--41,
verse 8: "But you,
00:47:43.93\00:47:47.86
Israel, are my servant,
Jacob whom I have chosen,
00:47:47.86\00:47:50.83
the descendants of
Abraham my friend."
00:47:50.87\00:47:53.74
God loves us more than a friend.
00:47:53.77\00:47:56.14
2 Corinthians 5:14: "For
the love of Christ compels us
00:47:56.17\00:48:01.11
because we judge thus.
00:48:01.14\00:48:03.75
And if one died for all,
then all--then all died."
00:48:03.78\00:48:08.32
He says it's for the
love of God, it compels us.
00:48:08.35\00:48:11.72
We're constrained when we see
Jesus on the cross not just for
00:48:11.75\00:48:14.36
us, but for every soul.
00:48:14.39\00:48:16.79
Sometimes in people that
we would dismiss as worthless,
00:48:16.83\00:48:20.03
Jesus loves them
and He died for them.
00:48:20.06\00:48:22.73
And He wants us to have
tender sympathy for every soul.
00:48:22.76\00:48:27.54
You need to see in
every soul not what they are,
00:48:27.57\00:48:30.84
but what they can
be through the gospel.
00:48:30.87\00:48:32.87
It makes it easier to love.
00:48:32.91\00:48:34.88
2 Corinthians 5, verse 18:
"Now all things are of God,
00:48:34.91\00:48:39.58
who has reconciled us to
Himself through Jesus Christ,
00:48:39.61\00:48:43.28
and has given us the
ministry of reconciliation,
00:48:43.32\00:48:46.35
that is that God was in
Christ reconciling the world
00:48:46.39\00:48:49.82
to Himself, not imputing
their trespasses to them.
00:48:49.86\00:48:52.26
And He's committed to us
the Word of reconciliation."
00:48:52.29\00:48:55.76
He's given us His job,
He's sharing with us his job.
00:48:55.80\00:48:59.67
"Now then, we are ambassadors
for Christ as through God we're
00:48:59.70\00:49:03.37
pleading through us.
00:49:03.41\00:49:05.47
We implore you
on Christ's behalf,
00:49:05.51\00:49:07.44
be reconciled to God, for He
made Him who knew no sin to be
00:49:07.48\00:49:11.25
sin for us, that we
might become the righteousness
00:49:11.28\00:49:15.18
of God in Him."
00:49:15.22\00:49:16.82
This is a
wonderful message, friends.
00:49:16.85\00:49:19.22
"The love of Christ
must dwell in the heart.
00:49:19.25\00:49:22.02
And through that love, we
will have an unselfish interest
00:49:22.06\00:49:26.70
in the salvation of others."
00:49:26.73\00:49:28.30
Well, friends, I hope you've
been blessed by our study today.
00:49:28.33\00:49:30.60
In closing, I want to remind you
00:49:30.63\00:49:34.44
we have our free offer,
00:49:34.47\00:49:35.97
"The Ultimate Deliverance."
00:49:36.00\00:49:37.34
All you've got to do
is call 866-788-3966,
00:49:37.37\00:49:42.28
we'll send you a
free copy of this.
00:49:42.31\00:49:43.61
That's 866-STUDY-MORE.
00:49:43.65\00:49:46.08
And you can also get it through
00:49:46.11\00:49:47.85
texting the
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00:49:47.88\00:49:49.25
God bless you, you can
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00:49:49.58\00:49:51.69
service afterward.
00:49:51.72\00:49:53.12
male announcer: Don't forget
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00:49:55.66\00:49:57.56
free resource.
00:49:57.59\00:49:59.03
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To get your digital
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00:50:07.80\00:50:11.67
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00:50:11.71\00:50:14.68
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It's now easier than ever
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00:50:18.48\00:50:21.18
"Amazing Facts"
wherever and whenever you want,
00:50:21.22\00:50:24.59
and most important
to share it with others.
00:50:24.62\00:50:27.62
announcer: Amazing
Facts: changed lives.
00:50:33.13\00:50:36.70
¤¤¤
00:50:37.30\00:50:44.11
Justin: Growing up as a
kid, my mother was on drugs
00:50:44.14\00:50:49.21
and alcohol, lots of
fighting in the home.
00:50:49.24\00:50:52.05
My mom would be abused
mentally, verbally, physically.
00:50:52.08\00:50:56.62
Went from California to Oregon,
spent some time in Oregon,
00:50:56.65\00:51:01.96
and it was just the
same cycle of drugs,
00:51:01.99\00:51:04.69
alcohol, violence.
00:51:04.73\00:51:07.03
My mom's boyfriend
would go to jail at times.
00:51:07.03\00:51:09.03
She would wait
until he would, you know,
00:51:09.06\00:51:12.30
get out of jail and it
was back to square one.
00:51:12.33\00:51:14.20
The drugs and the alcohol
escalated to a lot harder drugs,
00:51:14.24\00:51:20.04
crystal meth, cocaine,
and lots and lots of alcohol.
00:51:20.08\00:51:24.51
So, I started using the
alcohol too as a medication.
00:51:24.55\00:51:29.72
It was like it took the
misery and the fear that I had,
00:51:29.75\00:51:32.79
I wanted to
drown all that misery.
00:51:32.82\00:51:34.89
Times I would
just grab, you know,
00:51:34.92\00:51:39.36
a bottle of beer and go out into
the desert and just drink until
00:51:39.39\00:51:43.33
sometimes I'd just pass
out in the desert somewhere and
00:51:43.37\00:51:47.07
wake up the next morning.
00:51:47.10\00:51:49.40
And you know, and I
just couldn't find rest.
00:51:49.44\00:51:51.74
My stepdad had
got me a motorcycle,
00:51:51.77\00:51:54.51
and so I started
riding motorcycles.
00:51:54.54\00:51:57.38
I'd drink a lot of
beer, get on the motorcycle,
00:51:57.41\00:51:59.95
ride into the desert, do
donuts and just--you know,
00:52:00.05\00:52:03.02
just ride on private property.
00:52:03.05\00:52:05.65
People would chase me
off and I was just causing,
00:52:05.69\00:52:09.92
stirring up dust and
rocks and just causing chaos.
00:52:09.96\00:52:14.50
And the adrenaline rush that
I had was so exciting and the
00:52:14.56\00:52:18.97
feeling of it was so
intense that I loved it,
00:52:19.00\00:52:22.44
and I forgot
about all my problems,
00:52:22.47\00:52:25.77
you know, at the moment.
00:52:25.81\00:52:28.11
And I thought that material
things would make me feel
00:52:28.14\00:52:30.38
so good, you know?
00:52:30.41\00:52:33.48
And so, I started
working, started making money,
00:52:33.52\00:52:35.12
had a responsibility.
00:52:35.15\00:52:36.99
But as time went
by, I had more money,
00:52:37.02\00:52:42.59
so I would use my money that
I made to buy drugs and alcohol.
00:52:42.62\00:52:48.26
Got pulled over,
drinking and driving,
00:52:48.30\00:52:51.40
ended up going to
jail for a couple days.
00:52:51.43\00:52:55.34
I lost my job because I
missed work for a few days.
00:52:55.37\00:52:59.54
Lost my girlfriend, lost
all the money that I had.
00:52:59.57\00:53:04.38
So, once again I
was empty, no money,
00:53:04.41\00:53:08.22
no drugs, no alcohol, and that
was a turning point in my life.
00:53:08.25\00:53:12.09
At this time, I was
living with my grandfather.
00:53:12.12\00:53:14.69
And as I was flipping through
the channels on the satellite
00:53:14.72\00:53:19.13
system, I found "Amazing Facts."
00:53:19.16\00:53:21.96
Pastor Doug Batchelor
was telling his--sharing his
00:53:22.00\00:53:25.97
testimony about how
he was living in a cave.
00:53:26.00\00:53:28.64
And he was--he struggled the
same struggles of alcohol and
00:53:28.67\00:53:32.51
drugs, and I continued to read
the book "The Richest Caveman,"
00:53:32.54\00:53:36.85
and it really impacted my life,
and really related to the things
00:53:36.88\00:53:40.25
he was struggling with
and all the events that took
00:53:40.28\00:53:45.05
place in his life.
00:53:45.09\00:53:46.39
And when I
started reading the Bible,
00:53:46.42\00:53:48.59
Philippians 4:13 says, "I
can do all things through Christ
00:53:48.62\00:53:51.36
who strengthens me."
00:53:51.39\00:53:52.73
And I recognized
that I had no strength.
00:53:52.76\00:53:54.46
I was weak, and I was
wretched, and I needed help.
00:53:54.50\00:53:58.63
So, I just asked
the Lord, I said,
00:53:58.67\00:54:01.07
"Just help me, Lord."
00:54:01.10\00:54:02.57
And the Holy
Spirit convicted me,
00:54:02.60\00:54:05.41
and I decided to be baptized and
to give my life to Jesus Christ.
00:54:05.44\00:54:11.15
A few years after the Lord took
the temptation of drinking and
00:54:11.18\00:54:15.68
doing drugs, he gave me a
beautiful wife I met at church.
00:54:15.72\00:54:19.72
Now, I have a
beautiful baby boy,
00:54:19.75\00:54:22.26
two year old baby boy.
00:54:22.29\00:54:23.59
It's just
exciting to see, you know,
00:54:23.63\00:54:26.46
what God is doing in
my life and my family.
00:54:26.49\00:54:30.73
I met with some friends
from my local church that I was
00:54:30.77\00:54:34.60
attending and they had told
me about Amazing Facts Center of
00:54:34.64\00:54:39.47
Evangelism Training Seminar.
00:54:39.51\00:54:41.74
The AFCOE to Go program really
inspired me and motivated me
00:54:41.78\00:54:46.82
to tell young
people about, you know,
00:54:46.85\00:54:50.32
the same struggles
that I was struggling with,
00:54:50.35\00:54:53.19
to help these kids give
their life to Jesus Christ.
00:54:53.22\00:54:56.39
And there's nothing
else that you could ask for.
00:54:56.42\00:54:59.16
I'm Justin, and God
used you to change my life.
00:54:59.19\00:55:03.97
¤¤¤
00:55:04.00\00:55:10.94
¤¤¤
00:55:14.31\00:55:21.72
Doug: Hello, friends.
00:55:21.75\00:55:23.12
We all know a marathon is one
of the longest and hardest races
00:55:23.15\00:55:25.55
a person can run, but did
you hear about the ultramarathon
00:55:25.59\00:55:28.66
they used to have in Australia?
00:55:28.69\00:55:31.63
It was 544 miles
from Melbourne to Sydney.
00:55:31.66\00:55:35.40
It attracted as many as
150 world class athletes,
00:55:35.43\00:55:38.97
but then something happened
that no one would ever forget.
00:55:39.00\00:55:41.60
In 1983, a 61 year old potato
farmer named Cliff Young decided
00:55:41.64\00:55:47.34
to enter the race.
00:55:47.38\00:55:48.71
People were very amused because
he had on rubber galoshes
00:55:48.74\00:55:51.68
over his boots.
00:55:51.71\00:55:53.01
And when the race began
and all the runners took off,
00:55:53.05\00:55:55.52
sure enough old Cliff was
left behind shuffling along very
00:55:55.55\00:55:59.52
slowly, but he was
shuffling very persistently.
00:55:59.55\00:56:02.62
Normally during
this seven-day race,
00:56:02.66\00:56:04.79
the runners would go
about 18 hours running,
00:56:04.83\00:56:07.73
and then they'd
sleep for six hours.
00:56:07.76\00:56:09.33
But nobody ever told Cliff that.
00:56:09.36\00:56:11.63
When the other runners stopped
to rest during the night,
00:56:11.67\00:56:14.67
Cliff just kept on running.
00:56:14.70\00:56:16.54
Some people were afraid old
Cliff was going to have a heart
00:56:16.57\00:56:19.04
attack, and they were asking the
race organizers to show mercy
00:56:19.07\00:56:21.91
and stop the crazy old man,
but he would have none of it.
00:56:21.94\00:56:25.31
Each day, he was gaining on
the pack because when they were
00:56:25.35\00:56:28.62
sleeping, he was plodding along.
00:56:28.65\00:56:30.79
During the last
night of the race,
00:56:30.82\00:56:33.05
Cliff passed all of
these world class athletes.
00:56:33.09\00:56:36.26
Not only was Cliff able to
run that 544-mile race without
00:56:36.29\00:56:40.80
dying, he won, beating all
the other racers by nine hours,
00:56:40.83\00:56:45.10
breaking the record and becoming
a national hero in the process.
00:56:45.13\00:56:48.50
What's really amazing is when
they told him that he had won
00:56:48.54\00:56:51.47
the $10,000 prize, he looked
confused and said he didn't know
00:56:51.51\00:56:54.71
there was a prize,
and he decided to share it
00:56:54.74\00:56:57.05
with the other runners.
00:56:57.08\00:56:58.38
When asked how he was
able to run all night long,
00:56:58.41\00:57:01.02
Cliff responded that he grew up
on a farm where they had about
00:57:01.05\00:57:04.05
2,000 head of cattle.
00:57:04.09\00:57:05.52
And because they
couldn't afford horses,
00:57:05.55\00:57:07.26
he used to have to
round them up on foot,
00:57:07.29\00:57:09.09
sometimes running two
and three days nonstop.
00:57:09.12\00:57:11.63
So, throughout the race, he just
imagined he was chasing after
00:57:11.66\00:57:14.56
the cows and
trying to outrun a storm.
00:57:14.56\00:57:16.90
Old Cliff's secret was to
keep on running while others
00:57:16.93\00:57:20.54
were sleeping.
00:57:20.57\00:57:22.10
You know, the Bible tells us
that the race is not necessarily
00:57:22.14\00:57:25.31
to the swift.
00:57:25.34\00:57:26.91
Something like Aesop's parable
of the Tortoise and the Hare,
00:57:26.94\00:57:29.41
the tortoise just
kept on plotting along.
00:57:29.44\00:57:32.35
That's why Jesus
tells us in Matthew 24:13,
00:57:32.38\00:57:35.15
"He that endures unto the
end, the same will be saved."
00:57:35.18\00:57:38.62
Now, you might slip
and fall during the race.
00:57:38.65\00:57:41.19
You might even get
off to a bad start.
00:57:41.22\00:57:43.36
But in the
Christian race that we run,
00:57:43.39\00:57:45.46
the main thing is
you want to finish well.
00:57:45.49\00:57:47.76
Keep on running,
friends, and don't give up.
00:57:47.76\00:57:50.20
¤¤¤
00:57:50.23\00:58:00.21
¤¤¤
00:58:00.24\00:58:10.22
¤¤¤
00:58:10.25\00:58:20.23
¤¤¤
00:58:20.26\00:58:26.23