Music...
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Welcome to another installment
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in our Series
that we've entitled:
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"The Sanctuary,
Salvation and our Savior"
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and the focus of our
study today is the Candlesticks
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or the Menorah or
otherwise known as the Lampstand
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that was located in the
Holy Place of the sanctuary.
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Now, to my right, we
have this beautiful LED
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of the Menorah and it
was covered in pure gold
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made of wood
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and it was to be in the
shape of an almond tree,
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there were seven lamps of
fire that were burning there,
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there was one central stand
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with six stems going
out from the central ones
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and at the top of
each one of these lamps
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was an almond-shaped bowl
that was to be filled with oil
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daily by the priest
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and also, there were wicks
that were burning there as well
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and the priest's
responsibility was to insure
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that these lamps
were burning continually
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in the Holy
Place of the sanctuary.
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It was the only source of light
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in the Holy
Place of the sanctuary
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and it was the place
from which light emanated
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and there was a golden
glow that would fill the room
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of the Holy Place.
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As we can see, there are
three articles of furniture
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in the Holy Place
of the sanctuary...
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the Candlesticks...
the Altar of Incense...
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and the Shewbread
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and the focus of our
study today is the Candlesticks
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and when we talk
about the sanctuary,
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we're talking about
God's plan of restoration...
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it is to bring us back...
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He wants to bring us into
the Courtyard experience...
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into the Holy Place...
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and into the Most
Holy Place Experience
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and we noted that Adam
and Eve before the fall...
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were in a face-to-face
encounter with God...
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had that encounter...
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that conversation
with God as to a friend
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but because of the fall,
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the entire human race
was placed outside the gate
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and it's God's plan
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through the
illustration of the sanctuary,
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to bring us all the way back
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to that intimate face-to-face
relationship with Him.
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Now, when we
look at the Lampstand,
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we note that the reason
why the fire is able to burn
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is because of the oil
that has been provided
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and the oil
represents the Holy Spirit
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that is to fill
us on a daily basis
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and the only reason why we
are able to shine for Jesus
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is because of the
indwelling spirit of God.
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There are
several different things
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that the light from
the lampstand illustrates
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and first of all, this has
Christological implications
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meaning that it
points to Jesus Christ.
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The Menorah... the light
emanating in the sanctuary
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first and
primarily points to Jesus
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as Jesus said in
John chapter 1 verse 9,
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Jesus said, "I am
the light of the world. "
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Jesus is our
spiritual illumination.
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Jesus is the One
that gives us light,
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Jesus is the
source of light and truth
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and so, first and foremost,
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the light that
burns in the Holy Place
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represents Jesus Christ.
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There is a
secondary significance
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and this has
ecclesiological implications
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talking about the church.
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So, first and foremost,
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this is talking about
Jesus the light of the world
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and secondarily this refers
to the church... God's people...
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you and I...
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the Bible says, "You
are the light of the world"
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in Matthew
chapter 5 and verse 14.
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Now, we are not
the source of light,
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we are a
reflection of the light of God
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so, not only is Jesus
the light of the world,
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but the church as evidenced
in the seven lamps of fire
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that were burning before the
throne in the book of Revelation
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representing the
seven churches...
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the church is to be the
reflection of God's light,
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we are the light of the world,
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we are to be the
agents that disseminate truth
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to a dying world.
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The oil, as we
mentioned, is the Holy Spirit
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according to Luke
chapter 4 verse 18
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and Zachariah chapter 4 verse 6,
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the oil that is poured into
the lamps is the Holy Spirit
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and as we noted earlier,
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we don't burn
because of ourselves,
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we don't give light
because of ourselves,
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we give light
because of the Holy Spirit
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that dwells in each one of us.
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When the Spirit comes in,
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we manifest the
fruit of the Spirit,
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we manifest love, joy, peace,
longsuffering, gentleness,
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goodness, faith,
meekness, and temperance...
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the graces of Jesus
Christ are a light to the world
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and when we talk
about our witness...
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talk about light...
talk about sharing Jesus...
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many times we talk about
the proclamation of the Word,
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but in reality,
it's also talking about
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the proclamation of the life.
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The strongest evidence
of the reality of Christ...
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of the living Christ...
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is a loving and
lovable Christian
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so, as the Spirit is
poured into our lives,
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we are able to be a light...
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be a witness to
those that are around us.
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The priest that
put oil into the lamps
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represents Jesus our
High Priest in heaven
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so, how fitting an
illustration it is.
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Jesus our High Priest in
heaven, we are the vessel...
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He pours in the
Holy Spirit into us
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which enables to be a
light to... to emanate the...
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the character of Jesus and the
fruit of the Spirit to others
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and this is an important part
of our Christian experience.
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You see, being a Christian
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is not just about
living in our own community
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and having people that believe
all the same that we do...
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the same things that we do
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and just living
in our little club
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and talking
theology amongst ourselves,
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no, the Christian experience
is about being a light
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to the world as well.
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It's about sharing your faith.
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It's about sharing the gospel.
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It's about sharing the good news
of a crucified and risen Lord.
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Another thing about the
elements in the Holy Place
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was this word in
the Hebrew, "Tamid"
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which literally
means "continually. "
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Each one of the
elements in the Holy Place
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was to be
continually before the Lord.
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The priest was
to tend to the bread
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and keep it
continually before the Lord,
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the word "Tamid"
here is used again
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and then, we have
these three elements:
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Bread, Incense, and Candlesticks
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representing Bible
Study, Prayer and Witnessing
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and each one of these was to
be continually before the Lord,
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the bread was to be
a continual presence.
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The light was to
be continually burning
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and the incense was to be
continually ascending to God.
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In other words, each
one of these elements
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of Bible Study...
of Prayer and Ministry
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are not just a one-time thing,
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but it is to be
Tamid... continually something
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that the Christian
by the grace of God
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practices to sustain
their spiritual life.
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The word
"Prayer" and "Witnessing"
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is to be continually a part
of our Christian experience.
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Here's a quotation from
"Steps to Christ" page 79,
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"God might have committed
the message of the gospel,
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and all the work
of loving ministry,
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to the heavenly angels.
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But in His infinite love
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He chose to make us
co-workers with Himself,
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with Christ and the angels,
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that we might
share the blessing,
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the joy, the
spiritual uplifting,
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which results from
this unselfish ministry. "
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You think about the implications
of what this is saying,
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who would you rather
give a Bible Study...
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me or the Angel Gabriel?
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Now, that's a no-brainer...
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the Angel Gabriel...
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and the question is,
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why would God choose
frail human beings like myself
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to be given this...
just wonderful task...
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this awesome responsibility of
taking the good news to others
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when He has far more
capable entities and individuals
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like the Angel Gabriel?
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Why would He choose
individuals like us?
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Well, one of the reasons
according to this quotation
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from the book "Steps to Christ"
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is this element of joy.
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Now, I remember
when I was a Bible Worker
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in South Central Los Angeles,
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we pitched a tent there
on Florence and Figueroa
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those of you that are
from that area of the country,
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you know that it's
a tough part of town
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and we went out door-to-door
and canvassed the people
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and we would ask them,
a very simple question,
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"Do you have a prayer request?"
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and we'd write them down
and we'd go back to our rooms,
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we'd pray for those individuals
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and it was a miracle
of miracle that summer...
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changed my life forever.
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We would have these
people come into our tent
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and from night to
night, 700 to a 1,000 people
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gathered together in that tent
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and there were
miracles that summer.
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At the end of that
summer, I saw an individual
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that I had been
the first contact,
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I had knocked on their door...
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I brought them to the meeting,
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they came to the meeting...
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they accepted Jesus Christ
as their Lord and Savior...
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they accepted the
truths in Scripture...
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they fell in love with Jesus
the Way the Truth and the Life,
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and I saw that man getting into
the water and being baptized,
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and I remember to this
day, standing by the pool...
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standing as that man
was being baptized...
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with tears of joy
streaming down my face
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as I saw that person
that I had been so...
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so just... just
humbled to be used
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to lead that
person to Jesus Christ,
00:10:50.28\00:10:52.98
giving their life over to
God in the waters of baptism
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and I wanted to...
there was a feeling of joy
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and elation that
I cannot describe
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and if you've never led
someone to Jesus Christ,
00:11:03.19\00:11:05.56
I want to ask... I
want to encourage...
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to pray to God and say,
00:11:07.40\00:11:08.80
"Lord, give me an individual
to share my faith with... "
00:11:08.83\00:11:10.80
and here I was by
the side of that pool
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and that man was
getting into that water
00:11:13.40\00:11:14.74
and it was an experience of
joy and I'm so thankful to God
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that He has
given us the privilege
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of being a light to the world.
00:11:22.74\00:11:24.98
He doesn't need us...
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are you kidding me?
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He doesn't need me...
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He could do this
Himself with His angels
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but He doesn't want
us to miss out on the joy
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and the return that we have
00:11:37.33\00:11:39.69
and the thing is,
when you get to heaven,
00:11:39.73\00:11:43.60
do you know, you
can't take anything.
00:11:43.63\00:11:47.44
You can't take your
house, you can't take your car,
00:11:47.47\00:11:50.41
you can't take your 401K,
00:11:50.47\00:11:52.37
you can't even take your body...
00:11:52.41\00:11:53.94
praise God for that,
00:11:53.98\00:11:56.01
you could only take
your character and people.
00:11:56.04\00:11:59.48
Now, think about the
implications of that.
00:11:59.51\00:12:02.92
Have you ever gone to a
place and you went by yourself
00:12:02.95\00:12:07.16
and you're seeing
this beautiful waterfall...
00:12:07.19\00:12:10.23
picturesque sunset...
00:12:10.29\00:12:12.36
and you're there by yourself.
00:12:12.39\00:12:14.80
Have you ever
thought to yourself,
00:12:14.83\00:12:16.46
"Oh, I wish
so-and-so could be there...
00:12:16.50\00:12:18.77
I wish this individual was there
00:12:18.80\00:12:20.70
so he could
experience this with me...
00:12:20.74\00:12:22.70
I wish they could
experience the joy
00:12:22.74\00:12:24.61
of what this time and
this place really is... "
00:12:24.64\00:12:28.41
but you are by yourself
00:12:28.44\00:12:30.45
and I believe
that one of the reasons
00:12:30.48\00:12:31.91
that God called us to be a
light and a witness for Him
00:12:31.95\00:12:34.68
is that when we get to heaven,
00:12:34.75\00:12:36.28
He knows we can't take any
material possession with us,
00:12:36.32\00:12:39.25
no investment...
00:12:39.32\00:12:40.66
no 401K...
00:12:40.69\00:12:42.09
but when you get there,
you can bring people with you
00:12:42.12\00:12:45.89
and how much
greater return and joy it is
00:12:45.93\00:12:50.20
to know that when you
lead someone to Jesus Christ,
00:12:50.23\00:12:53.44
you allow God to
shine through you
00:12:53.50\00:12:55.10
through the fruit of the Spirit,
00:12:55.14\00:12:56.67
you allow God to
use you in a Bible Study
00:12:56.71\00:12:59.14
or to lead
someone to Jesus Christ,
00:12:59.17\00:13:00.64
that throughout the
ceaseless ages of eternity,
00:13:00.68\00:13:03.55
that that person will be there.
00:13:03.58\00:13:06.61
What a joy it
will be as you see them
00:13:06.65\00:13:10.52
criss-crossing the
universe in eternity
00:13:10.55\00:13:14.39
after a billion
or trillion years,
00:13:14.42\00:13:16.99
what a return... you
can look at that person...
00:13:17.03\00:13:20.10
"I'm so glad I shared my
faith with them, praise God... "
00:13:20.13\00:13:23.26
and God knows that the
return of that investment
00:13:23.30\00:13:28.14
of our time and resources
will give eternal returns
00:13:28.17\00:13:32.97
in the new
heavens and the new earth.
00:13:33.01\00:13:35.54
I want to encourage you
to stay with us as we study
00:13:35.58\00:13:39.75
how God has called
us to be a light for Him
00:13:39.78\00:13:43.85
to burn for Him...
to shine for Him...
00:13:43.89\00:13:46.15
to give the
character of Christ for Him,
00:13:46.19\00:13:48.02
we're going to take
a short break right now
00:13:48.06\00:13:49.82
and stay with us
as we return to study
00:13:49.86\00:13:52.66
how Christ wants
to shine through us
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as evidenced in the
Menorah and the Lampstand.
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