Participants:
Series Code: SSP
Program Code: SSP190039A
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00:01 The Bible tells us, "In the beginning was the Word,
00:03 and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." 00:07 It says, "To receive with meekness 00:10 the implanted Word, 00:11 which is able to save your souls. 00:13 And to be diligent to present yourself approved to God, 00:17 rightly dividing the Word of truth." 00:20 Join us now for the 3ABN Sabbath School Panel. 00:25 Our study today is, "The Least of These." 00:33 Hello, and welcome to 3ABN Sabbath School Panel. 00:36 Thank you for joining us. 00:37 This is the last lesson in this quarter. 00:41 And it has been an excursion of tremendous blessing. 00:44 A community of servants is what we're talking about, 00:47 but the entire theme was The Least of These. 00:50 And if you've tuned in from the lesson to lesson, 00:51 we thank you for doing that. 00:53 But if whatever reason 00:54 you don't have a copy of the lesson, 00:56 go to the following website ABSG.Adventist.org 01:00 and download a copy or better yet, 01:02 go to your local Seventh-day Adventist Church 01:04 where you can not only study the last lesson, 01:07 but be a part of a community of Bible based believers. 01:10 I believe you'll learn much more than the lesson has, 01:13 to this point revealed. 01:14 Before we go any further though before we have our prayer, 01:17 let us find out 01:18 who our panelists are for today. 01:20 And to my immediate list, 01:21 I was thinking about list but I'll just say this 01:23 to my immediate left is the list lady. 01:27 I was wondering that where the list comes. 01:29 I don't wanna get rid of that. 01:30 How you doing, Jill? Doing well. 01:32 Just been such a blessing to open up God's Word 01:34 and to learn from everyone on the panel. 01:36 So to put that together to my immediate left 01:37 is the list lady. 01:39 Got it. 01:40 Good to have you here. Ryan. 01:41 Pastor Ryan, good to have you. 01:43 I'm good. You cracking me up already. 01:44 That's good. 01:45 We're gonna go out in flames on fire for the Lord. 01:49 I think I've already gone up in flames. 01:53 Shelley, good to see you. 01:54 It's so good to be here. 01:55 And it's good to have my fearless friend and leader, 01:57 my basketball compadre, Danny Shelton. 01:59 Happy to be here always. 02:01 It's good, good. 02:03 We are going to just ask the Lord to calm us down 02:05 and then light us up 02:06 because we want this to be to His glory. 02:08 Jill, would you have a prayer for us? 02:10 Sure. 02:11 Holy Father, we come before You in the name of Jesus. 02:13 Thanking You for the privilege of opening up Your Word. 02:16 We thank You that Your Word is alive and powerful. 02:19 And we ask right now that You would open up our minds, 02:22 and hearts, our ears, to hear what You have for us. 02:26 And that we would walk in obedience. 02:29 And we ask this in the precious and Holy Name of Jesus. 02:32 Amen. Amen. 02:34 A Community of Servants, the memory texts is 02:37 taken from the Book of Hebrews 10:23-24. 02:43 And this to me is kind of like the last thing 02:47 that would be set at the end of an Olympic. 02:51 You know, I love the Olympics, whenever they happen, 02:53 I just enjoy looking at the Olympics, 02:55 all the components of the Olympics 02:57 because it's what I might refer to from a male perspective, 03:00 a testosterone driven event. 03:03 Everybody wants to win. 03:05 And I could hear this being said 03:08 by the writer of Hebrews after it's all done, 03:11 "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope 03:15 without wavering," when we're all going back, 03:17 remembering all the medals that were won and it says, 03:20 "For He who promised is faithful." 03:23 In other words, we're looking forward to the next event, 03:25 but for the Christian, the next event 03:27 we're looking forward to is the Grand Olympic. 03:31 When all the redeemed of all the ages gather together, 03:35 to hear the humble phrase, 03:37 "Well done, thou good and faithful servant." 03:39 And, you know, a community of servants. 03:41 If you could pause for a moment, 03:42 let me read the last part of the text and it says, 03:45 "And let us consider one another 03:47 in order to stir up love and good works." 03:51 You know, the day is coming, 03:52 where the passage every knee will bow 03:54 and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. 03:57 Can you imagine starting from Adam 03:59 all the way to the present age, 04:01 all the redeemed every class, race, creed. 04:05 And just to get together, 04:07 I think we're gonna need eternity 04:08 just to compare stories. 04:09 So Solomon, how was it? 04:11 How did you possibly choose 700 wives really? 04:14 I mean, I got to ask him that question. 04:17 He's gonna be getting counseling throughout eternity. 04:19 But then you gonna ask Elijah, 04:22 what was it like to have Elisha? 04:23 Elisha, what was it like to be without Elijah? 04:27 They ask people like Samuel. 04:29 When did you realize it was God calling you? 04:32 And all these servants 04:33 throughout the course of human history, 04:35 Paul the Apostle, how did you feel 04:37 when you had your experience with God 04:38 and He took you from a convict to a convert? 04:41 What was it like to get that glimpse, 04:43 that ah-aha moment 04:45 when Jesus was breaking bread with you in Emmaus 04:48 that dim evening. 04:50 Cornelius, 04:51 what was it like to meet Peter for the first time 04:53 and to be filled with the Holy Spirit, 04:54 servants throughout the ages? 04:56 The humbling thing is, we are a part of that group. 04:59 Can you say amen to that? Amen. 05:01 Simply servants for the Lord. 05:03 One of the challenges of servanthood 05:04 is that we see in the early chapters 05:08 of asking how the first Christian believers 05:10 established different kinds of communities. 05:13 And when you go to Sunday's lesson, 05:14 it talks about that community, the kind of communities 05:17 that they all were to be a part of. 05:20 And what that community requirement was all about. 05:25 And I like the title of it 05:26 because I have a lesson called Agents of Change, 05:29 which means we are one the way 05:32 when we come to the Lord. 05:34 I've heard pastors say, 05:35 "The Lord loves you, just as you are." 05:37 But I always plead, but please say, 05:40 "He never leaves you the way He finds you." 05:41 Right. That's right. 05:43 He always changes us. 05:44 I know in my own life, 05:45 if I was the same way I used to be, 05:47 I wouldn't be sitting here. 05:48 And every one of us has gone through a transformation, 05:51 and how wonderful it is 05:53 to look back and see God's hand on us. 05:54 That's right. 05:56 It can only happen though in a couple of parameters. 05:58 I'll read the introduction first of all. 06:00 It says, "We have seen in the early chapters of Acts 06:03 how the first Christian believers 06:05 established a different kind of community, 06:07 caring for those in need among them, 06:10 and together reaching out to those outside the community, 06:13 offering them help 06:15 where needed and inviting them to join in 06:18 with what God was doing among them." 06:20 So when you get together with believers community 06:24 or community of believers. 06:26 Try to say that 10 times, it's like the word millennium. 06:30 You have to realize that there's a component 06:32 that really calls 06:34 and challenges as Romans 12:1-two, 06:38 Here is what has to happen in order for us 06:40 to be qualified servants to God. 06:42 That's right. 06:44 Because the world we live in today, 06:46 I mean, if you look at 06:47 what's happening in the world today, 06:48 people do anything and everything with their bodies. 06:50 And some people say, "Well, it's my body, 06:52 I'll do what I want." 06:53 And some people say, "We're gonna get new bodies, 06:55 but the stewardship of the body 06:57 is one of the highest qualifications 07:00 that the Lord extends to the servant." 07:02 I made your body, it doesn't belong to you. 07:04 And just like a car manufacturer, 07:06 when you void the warranty 07:07 by doing what the manufacturer says you shouldn't, 07:10 you will discover at that moment 07:11 it's not your car even though you may have paid for it. 07:14 Paul says in Romans 12:1-2, "I beseech you," 07:17 that word beseech means, 07:19 I am continually pleading with you. 07:21 Yes. 07:23 "Therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, 07:25 that you present your bodies a," 07:27 what kind of sacrifice? 07:28 Living. Living. 07:29 "Living." 07:31 I think Shelley was that said, 07:32 the problem with a living sacrifice, 07:33 he wants to crawl off the altar. 07:35 I never forgot that. 07:36 That's right. It's true. 07:37 You got to stay on the altar if you're a living sacrifice. 07:39 What kind of sacrifice must you be? 07:40 "Holy, acceptable to God, 07:43 which is your," in the NIV it says, 07:46 "Which is your spiritual act of worship." 07:49 And verse 2, 07:50 "And do not be conformed to this world." 07:52 Do not be all tattooed all over the place 07:54 and plugged up all over the place. 07:56 I saw one person at... 07:58 The guy at an ice cream store and they were taking care of, 08:02 you know, checking me out at the counter. 08:04 And they had holes all the way around. 08:07 And I was with another pastor, and he said, 08:09 "They had so much metal, 08:11 do you think they pick up radio stations?" 08:13 And I said that not that to myself amazing. 08:15 If people like that will only know 08:17 what God looks at the beautiful instrument 08:20 He created and say, 08:21 "You don't need to do that to be acceptable, 08:23 come to Me as you are. 08:25 And you'll be acceptable, 08:26 but this being conformed to the world 08:28 has taken people down so many avenues 08:30 that they're trying to find satisfaction when in fact, 08:32 if you come to God as a living sacrifice, 08:36 you are acceptable just as you are. 08:38 That's right. 08:39 It goes on to say, 08:41 "But be transformed by the renewing of your mind." 08:42 Amen. 08:43 And only then you may be able to prove what is that good 08:46 and acceptable and perfect will of God. 08:48 So what does a servant of God 08:50 need to do to be an agent of change? 08:53 First of all, let's be an ambassador of Christ. 08:56 Go to 2 Corinthians 5:18-22. 08:59 An ambassador's an amazing person. 09:01 An ambassador has autonomy. 09:05 He represents his country wherever he is. 09:08 And he has a higher status. 09:10 An ambassador also represents no matter where he goes, 09:13 he recognizes he has to represent the government 09:17 that stands behind him. 09:18 2 Corinthians 5:18-20, ambassadorship. 09:23 "Now all things are of God," how many things are of God? 09:25 All. All. 09:27 "All things. 09:28 Who has reconciled us to himself 09:30 through Jesus Christ, 09:31 and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 09:34 that is that God was in Christ 09:37 reconciling the world to Himself, 09:41 not imputing their trespasses to them." 09:43 If you could do, 09:44 that is a whole sermon all by itself. 09:46 He's saying I know you did this wrong, 09:48 but because of Jesus Christ, I'm not holding it against you. 09:51 Isn't that powerful? Amen. 09:52 How many people that you know 09:54 will not hold your trespasses against you 09:56 and has committed to us the word of reconciliation? 09:59 "Now then, we are ambassadors of Christ, 10:03 as though God were pleading through us, 10:06 we implore you on Christ's behalf, 10:08 be reconciled to God." 10:10 So remember, 10:11 if you're gonna be an effective leader 10:13 or a servant of God, an agent of change, 10:14 you have to be an ambassador. 10:16 Know the kingdom you represent. 10:18 As Jonah, when he was running from the Lord, 10:20 one of the first things he says, "I'm a Hebrew." 10:22 Oh, what's a Hebrew 10:23 when you're running from your God? 10:25 Don't go in the wrong direction, 10:26 be a Hebrew going in the right direction. 10:28 Your servant following the Lord's trajectories, 10:31 the second one, smell right. 10:36 Okay, 2 Corinthians 2:14-16, smell right. 10:42 2 Corinthians 2? 10:43 2 Corinthians 2:14-16, 10:46 "Now thanks be to God 10:48 who always leads us in triumph in Christ, 10:53 and through us diffuses the fragrance 10:56 of His knowledge in every place." 10:58 My wife loves those plug-ins. 11:00 I mean, different places at our house, 11:02 you can think of Christmas in one place, 11:04 you can think of Thanksgiving in another, 11:06 in our bathroom it smells like watermelon, 11:08 I mean, spices and cinnamon. 11:12 And I said to honey, "Honey, 11:13 you make me wanna drink that air freshener." 11:16 But that's what the Christian should be. 11:17 Wherever we go the atmosphere should be spiced 11:20 with the beautiful presence of Christ. 11:23 Look what it says in verse 15. 11:25 "And diffuses the fragrance 11:27 of His knowledge in every place." 11:28 Now verse 15, 11:29 "For we are of God the fragrance of Christ 11:32 among those who are," what? 11:34 Being saved. 11:35 "Being saved and among those who are perishing." 11:37 In other words, the Christian 11:39 ought to have the same fragrance 11:40 among the saved, and among the lost. 11:43 Good. Don't change. 11:45 "To the one we are the aroma of death 11:49 leading to death, 11:50 and to the other the aroma of life 11:52 leading to life. 11:54 And who is sufficient for these things?" 11:56 In other words, you of yourself, 11:58 you cannot make yourself that way. 11:59 I've discovered why Christians are often looked down 12:02 by non-Christians 12:04 because they don't like the way we smell. 12:08 When you're around people that are not Christians, 12:12 you get all these adverse reactions 12:14 because your life is a sweet smelling saver 12:17 to people whose lives are stench with sin wrenched. 12:22 They're covered by the stench of sin 12:24 compared to the fragrance of holiness. 12:26 And it's not you they don't like, 12:28 it's the beauty of Christ that's radiating from you. 12:31 So don't take it personally. 12:32 The other one, how to be an agent of change, 12:35 be a lamp. 12:36 Matthew 5:16, 12:38 "Let your light so shine before men, 12:41 that they may see your good works 12:43 and glorify your Father which is in heaven." 12:47 So when you see that 12:48 you've got to let your light shine. 12:51 Don't allow the darkness around you 12:53 to stamp out your light in. 12:55 Before I transition, I want to say this. 12:57 It's not difficult to be a light in a dark world 13:01 because the text doesn't say, 13:03 make your light shine or buy a light that shines, 13:06 it says let, in the same way, 13:08 "Let this mind be in you, 13:10 which was also in Christ Jesus." 13:12 If we would simply 13:13 let the Lord reflect through us His presence, 13:16 we'll recognize everywhere that He is the light, 13:19 we're just the lamp shade. 13:21 And like Motel 6, 13:23 which I wish was a Christian slogan, 13:25 "We'll leave the light on for you." 13:26 Amen. Amen. 13:28 Thank you, Pastor John. 13:29 What an incredible job. 13:32 I have Monday's, which tells us the story. 13:35 Turn with me to Exodus Chapter 32. 13:38 We're looking at a story of disobedience and idolatry, 13:42 a story of immorality and anger, 13:44 but a story of intercession, 13:47 and humility, and love, 13:51 and passion for the last. 13:53 Monday's title is "A Servant Remnant." 13:57 And we're looking at Moses and his intercession 14:00 for the people of God, 14:01 the children of Israel after they sinned 14:04 and stepped into idol worship and immorality 14:07 at the golden calf. 14:08 So let's pick that up, we're in Exodus 32. 14:11 Before we do that, 14:12 I just wanna lay just a little groundwork, 14:14 we know just a few days before 14:17 God had given The Ten Commandments 14:19 from Mount Sinai. 14:21 Commandment number one 14:22 and two both deal with idolatry. 14:25 Number one says, "You shall have no other gods before Me." 14:27 And number two, 14:29 "You shall not make for yourself any graven image, 14:32 and you shall not bow down to them, 14:34 nor serve them," and why? 14:35 Because He says, "I the Lord thy God am a jealous God." 14:41 Now we know that jealous of other people 14:44 is an evil attribute because that would be, 14:46 I wish I could have so-and-sos car, 14:48 or so-and-sos spouse, or so-and-sos money. 14:52 But God is jealous for us because He owns us. 14:57 He bought us. 14:58 He made us in the beginning 15:00 and then He bought us back by redemption. 15:02 Now the Israelites affirmed of the covenant in Exodus 24. 15:05 And they said, 15:07 "All that the Lord has said we will do." 15:08 And we know Moses went up into the mount after that time, 15:11 40 days and nights spent with the Lord Himself. 15:16 Aaron and Hur went down to the people. 15:18 And this is where we pick up our story in Exodus 32:1. 15:21 The people become restless. 15:24 "The people saw that Moses delayed 15:26 coming down from the mountain, 15:27 and they gathered together to Aaron and said, 15:29 'Come, make us gods that shall go before us, 15:33 for as for this Moses, 15:34 the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, 15:36 we do not know what has become of him.'" 15:39 Aaron listened to the people. 15:43 He called for their jewelry, he made a golden calf. 15:48 In verse 4, 15:50 "They said, 'This is your god, O Israel.'" 15:53 This is the children of Israel. 15:54 They had just heard God from the Mount of Sinai. 15:58 They had heard, 16:00 seen the lightning's and the thundering, 16:02 and The Ten Commandments given just a few weeks before. 16:07 And then they said, "This is your God, O Israel, 16:10 that brought you up out of the land of Egypt!" 16:13 They forgot, He parted the Red Sea. 16:15 They forgot that He gave them water at Marah. 16:18 They forgot that He provided manna and they said, 16:20 "This is your God." 16:23 So then the people began to worship the golden calf. 16:26 Verse 6, "They rose up early on the next day, 16:28 offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings, 16:31 and the people sat down to eat and drink, 16:33 and rose up to play." 16:34 That word in Hebrew means sexual immorality as well. 16:37 So they're already engaging 16:39 in almost you could say pagan worship. 16:42 And then God gets angry. 16:45 We just read He is a jealous God, 16:48 jealous of His people. 16:50 Exodus 32:7-10. 16:52 "And the Lord said to Moses," 16:53 remember Moses is up in the mountain with God. 16:56 God said, "Go, get down!" 16:58 Now notice the word God uses, "For your people." 17:02 He doesn't say My people, you notice that. 17:04 "Your people 17:06 whom you brought out of the land of Egypt 17:08 have corrupted themselves. 17:10 They have turned aside quickly out of the way 17:12 which I commanded them. 17:14 They have made themselves a molded calf, 17:15 and worshipped it and sacrifice to it, 17:18 and said, 'This is your god, O Israel, 17:20 that brought you up out of the land of Egypt!' 17:22 And the Lord said to Moses, 'I have seen this people, 17:25 and indeed it is a stiff-necked people! 17:28 Now therefore, let Me alone 17:29 that My wrath may burn hot against them 17:33 and I may consume them. 17:35 And I will make of you Moses a great nation.'" 17:40 We cannot understand God's anger against sin, 17:43 unless we truly see the holiness of God. 17:46 Amen. 17:47 And we understand that sin cannot stand 17:50 in the presence of a Holy God. 17:54 I think of at the end of the sixth seal 17:55 in Revelation Chapter 6. 17:57 We remember the people, 17:59 this is right before the Second Coming of Christ, 18:00 for the great day of His wrath has come 18:02 and who shall be able to stand? 18:04 If we are not covered with the blood of Jesus 18:06 or His righteousness, His wrath is a consuming fire. 18:10 That's right. 18:12 Now let's look at Moses' intercession. 18:14 I see four appeals, that's my list passage, John. 18:16 I got you. 18:17 Four appeals that Moses makes to God 18:21 on behalf of the people. 18:23 Number one, 18:24 he appeals to God and reminds God 18:27 that the children of Israel are really God's own people. 18:30 They're not Moses. 18:31 We're in Exodus 32:11. 18:33 "Then Moses pleaded with the Lord his God, 18:36 and said, 'Lord, why does Your wrath burn hot 18:40 against Your people 18:42 whom You have brought out of the land of Egypt 18:45 with great power and with a mighty hand?" 18:47 So God said, "Okay, Moses this is your people, 18:50 and you brought them out and Moses says uh-huh... 18:53 God, these are Your people, 18:55 and You brought them out of the land of Egypt. 18:58 He appeals to God, reminds Him these are Your people. 19:02 Appeal number two, 19:03 he appeals to God's name and reputation. 19:07 This is verse 12, the first part of verse 12. 19:10 Moses is still speaking, 19:11 "Why should the Egyptians speak, 19:13 and say, 'He brought them out to harm them, 19:16 to kill them in the mountains, 19:17 and to consume them from the face of the earth?'" 19:21 He's saying, "Look at the stain, 19:23 this would bring on God's character." 19:25 'Cause we know our God is a God of mercy. 19:28 We know our God is a God of love. 19:30 And you brought them out from the land of Egypt. 19:34 Then he appeals to God's character and justice. 19:37 We're in the second half of Exodus 32:12, 19:40 "Turn from Your fierce wrath, 19:43 and relent from this harm to Your people." 19:47 Now I wanna talk just a moment about God's repentance 19:50 versus man's repentance. 19:52 God has no need to repent because God is perfect, 19:55 we know that. 19:57 When we repent as humans, we repent from sin. 20:01 "All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." 20:04 And this decision, 20:05 it doesn't mean God is repenting. 20:07 It means He's agreeing to change the decision He made 20:11 based on, in this case it's the intercession of Moses. 20:15 I also think sometimes He changes His decision 20:17 based on the repentance of men. 20:19 Think about Nineveh. 20:21 Jonah was sent to Nineveh and the people repented, 20:24 and God changed the decision He had made. 20:28 And He said, "I'm no longer gonna destroy these people." 20:32 And the fourth appeal is an appeal to God's promises. 20:35 We're in verse 13. 20:37 Moses reminds God of the promise he had made. 20:41 "Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants, 20:44 to whom You swore by Your own self, 20:46 and said to them, 20:48 'I will multiply your descendants 20:49 as the stars of heaven, 20:50 and all this land that I have spoken of I give 20:53 to your descendants, 20:54 and they shall inherit it forever.'" 20:56 He says, "Remember the promise that you made 20:58 to these Your people all those years ago." 21:03 Now they come down from the mount. 21:05 Joshua hears a sound in the camp and he says, 21:08 "Is this the sound of war?" 21:10 And Moses says, "It's not the sound of war. 21:13 I think it's the sound of singing." 21:16 Then we see Moses' anger 21:19 when he comes into the camp 21:21 and he literally sees what is taking place here. 21:25 Verse 19, the Bible just says, 21:26 "So Moses' anger became hot." 21:29 In the Hebrew it's the same word 21:31 that was used for anger as was used for God 21:34 in regards to how he felt about the people. 21:37 It reminds me of Jesus 21:38 when He drove out the money changers. 21:43 I would submit to you that Moses anger here, 21:46 the same with what God had felt 21:48 when he was upset about what the people were doing, 21:51 is not sin. 21:53 Moses clearly sinned later when he struck the rock 21:56 and the punishment from God was complete, you know, 22:01 God immediately said, "Okay, this is what you did wrong." 22:04 In this case, we could call it a righteous indignation 22:07 for the character of God. 22:11 I see a tremendous difference between Moses and Aaron 22:14 and the type of leaders that they are. 22:16 We know that Moses was the meekest man on earth. 22:20 And he wasn't even powerful in speech. 22:22 And yet he singlehandedly confronted 22:25 a million plus Israelites 22:27 and made them tear down the item, 22:29 grind it into powder, and then get down and drink it. 22:33 He loved the people so much 22:36 that he was willing to sacrifice 22:38 his own salvation for them. 22:42 Aaron on the other hand was an eloquent man, 22:45 yet he caved in to the demands of the people, 22:49 and he even blamed the people. 22:52 Moses goes back up to the mount in verses 31 and 32. 22:56 "He returns to the Lord and says, 'Oh, 22:59 how these people have committed a great sin." 23:01 He's interceding with God again, 23:04 "And have made for themselves a god of gold! 23:06 Yet now, if You will forgive their sin, 23:08 but if not, I pray, 23:09 blot me out of Your book which You have written.'" 23:13 Moses stood in the gap for the people. 23:17 Our call today is to stand in the gap for other people 23:22 and intercede on their behalf. 23:25 Ezekiel 22:30, 23:28 "I looked for someone among them 23:29 who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap. 23:33 And behold, there was none." 23:36 I pray that in these last days 23:38 that God would find each one of us faithful 23:41 to be intercessors for others. 23:43 Amen. 23:44 What a compelling appeal to stand in the gap. 23:47 And that in fact, really is the reason 23:49 why injustice often prevails or is defeated, 23:53 someone stands in the gap. 23:54 Thank you so much for that appeal. 23:56 And there are many Moses' today but before we go any further, 23:59 we're going to take a short break, 24:00 and we'll be right back. 24:06 Ever wish you could watch 24:08 a 3ABN Sabbath School Panel again, 24:10 or share it on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter? 24:13 Well, you can by visiting 3abnsabbathschoolpanel.com. 24:18 A clean design makes it easy to find the program 24:22 you're looking for. 24:23 There are also links to the Adult Bible Study Guide 24:26 so you can follow along. 24:28 Sharing is easy. 24:29 Just click share and choose your favorite social media. 24:33 Share a link, save a life for eternity. 24:39 Welcome back to our Sabbath School Panel. 24:41 We'll continue our discussion with Pastor Ryan Day 24:44 on the topic of "Reaching Souls." 24:46 That's right, Reaching Souls. 24:48 Reaching souls is important. 24:50 It's actually I mean, that's to me, 24:52 that's the reason why God raised up 24:55 the Seventh-day Adventist Church 24:56 to proclaim the three angels' message 24:58 why God raised up this incredible ministry, 25:00 to proclaim the three angels' messages, 25:02 the undiluted three angels' messages 25:04 and the gospel to the world. 25:06 Tuesday's lessons brings out that church discussions 25:10 sometimes seems to get stuck on the apparent need 25:13 to choose between a focus on social work or gospel work, 25:18 either charity or witnessing, either justice or evangelism. 25:23 But when we better understand each of these concepts 25:26 and observe the ministry of Jesus, 25:29 the difference breaks down, 25:31 and we realize that preaching the gospel 25:34 and working to help others are closely linked. 25:38 And probably one of the most famous quotations 25:42 that I often try to remind myself of, 25:44 when I'm doing the daily work of Christ 25:46 or I'm trying to reach a soul for Christ 25:48 comes from the Ministry of Healing, page 143. 25:52 This is perhaps one of Ellen White's most famous quotes. 25:56 And she says this, she says, 25:57 "Christ's method alone will give true success 26:02 in reaching the people." 26:03 So notice this, 26:05 I'm just gonna repeat that one more time 26:06 just in case you didn't get that. 26:08 "Christ's method alone," not your method, 26:10 not my methods, 26:11 not our own made up personal ideologies of evangelism 26:15 or reaching people but "Christ's method alone 26:19 will give true success in reaching the people. 26:20 The Savior mingled with men as one who desired their good. 26:26 He showed His sympathy for them, 26:28 ministered to their needs, and won their confidence. 26:32 Then He bade them, 'Follow me.' 26:35 'The poor,' and this is the part 26:37 that we normally don't go on to read 26:39 but she says, 'The poor are to be relieved, 26:42 the sick cared for, 26:44 the sorrowing and the bereaved comforted, 26:48 the ignorant instructed, the inexperienced counseled. 26:52 We are to weep with those that weep, 26:54 and rejoice with those that rejoice.'" 26:58 That's a powerful statement. 26:59 If we would just simply adopted as the Bible says, 27:02 "The mind of Christ and take upon him, 27:04 I'll take upon ourselves that His methods, 27:06 His ways, His approach to evangelism 27:08 that is going to be the appropriate way 27:10 that we are able to reach souls appropriately." 27:14 Evangelism is no doubt an integral part of following 27:18 the example of Christ. 27:19 And we can notice the commission to Christ 27:22 as He communicates this through Matthew 10:7-8. 27:25 I'll take us there now. Matthew 10:7-8. 27:29 Notice what Christ says here. 27:32 He says, "As you go preaching, 27:35 or as you go, preach, saying, 27:37 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.'" 27:40 And then notice when he ties with this, 27:43 so preach that the kingdom of heaven is at hand. 27:46 But here he says, "Heal the sick," verse 8, 27:48 "Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, 27:50 raise the dead, cast out demons. 27:52 Freely you have received, freely give." 27:56 So if we are ever going to reach 27:59 the hearts of those around us, 28:01 we must learn to minister to their needs. 28:04 And we see in the writings of Peter and Paul 28:06 and many of the other biblical writers, 28:08 they communicate this so clearly. 28:10 I wanna take us to 1 Peter 2:11-12, 28:13 where Peter communicates these sentiments very clearly 28:17 and then we'll move on to Paul in Philippians, 28:19 but 1 Peter 2:11-12 tells us this, 28:24 "Beloved, I beg you," 28:26 that's a good way to start, he's sharing his heart here. 28:29 "I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, 28:32 abstain from freshly lusts which war against the soul." 28:37 And then verse 12, 28:38 "Having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, 28:41 that when they speak against you as evildoers, 28:44 they may, by your good works 28:48 which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation." 28:53 And then, of course, Paul in Philippians 2:14-15. 28:58 He says, "Do all things without complaining 29:02 and disputing that you may become blameless and harmless, 29:06 children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked 29:09 and perverse generation, 29:11 among whom you shine as lights in the world." 29:14 We are those beacons of light in a dark world. 29:17 And how are these individuals going to come down? 29:20 How are they even gonna see themselves, 29:22 the path for themselves to even be able to find Jesus, 29:25 if there's not some type of light shown upon their path. 29:27 And we are too many people the only light 29:30 if they're ever gonna see, 29:31 in order to get to Jesus Christ. 29:33 So we have to stand firm on the gospel 29:35 and proclaim it using none other than Christ method alone. 29:38 The world indeed may be wicked, 29:40 but God still wants our reputation 29:43 and witness to be a peculiar righteous example unto them. 29:47 We must live out what we preach, 29:49 otherwise our witness is simply tainted. 29:53 And this is expressed in 1 John 3:16-18. 29:58 Notice what the Bible says here. 30:00 "By this we know love, 30:03 because He laid down His life for us. 30:05 And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren." 30:09 Now that's powerful. 30:12 He goes on to say in verse 17, 30:13 "But whoever has this world's goods, 30:16 and sees his brother in need, 30:18 and shuts up his heart from him, 30:21 how does the love of God abide in him?" 30:24 And then verse 18, "My little children, 30:26 let us not love in word or in tongue, 30:28 but in deed and in truth." 30:31 So in other words, it's basically backing up 30:34 what James says in James Chapter 2. 30:37 Let's go and read that, James 2:14-17. 30:40 So keep 1 John Chapter 3 in mind, 30:43 as we read James 2:14-17. 30:45 This is that famous passage that we've read many times 30:48 throughout this particular series, 30:50 but I think it begs for another repeat. 30:52 Notice what verse 14 and onwards says, 30:54 "What does it profit, my brethren, 30:56 if anyone says he has faith but does not have works? 31:00 Can faith save him? 31:03 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 31:07 and one of you says to them, 'Depart in peace, 31:09 be warmed and filled,' 31:10 but you do not give them the things 31:12 which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 31:16 Thus also faith by itself, 31:18 if it does not have works, is dead." 31:22 You know, I remember years ago, 31:23 I was, this is when I had first become a Seventh-day Adventist 31:27 and the story I'm about to tell I don't believe reflects 31:29 all Seventh-day Adventists, 31:31 but truly the fact that we're studying this means 31:33 that there is an initial issue or a problem 31:36 that we have to face 31:38 in the light of this particular issue. 31:40 And I remember one day this family pulls up 31:44 at the church and we were there gathering for a vesper service 31:47 and this particular family, 31:49 you could tell they were in need, 31:50 they were coming in, you know, 31:52 asking just for a little bit of food, you know, 31:53 perhaps maybe some shelter for the night, 31:55 as they were traveling to get to their family 31:58 where they were gonna have a new job. 32:00 Now again, whether or not they were telling the truth 32:02 that's not for you and I had to determine 32:03 because we simply don't know those things, only God knows. 32:06 But I remember one of the brothers 32:07 from the church, it was one of the elders, 32:09 and it just broke my heart because he said, 32:11 "You know, what this family needs is not 32:13 what they're asking for 32:14 what they really need is the Word of the Lord. 32:17 And the Word of the Lord will see him through." 32:18 Well, I praise God for standing up for the Word of God. 32:21 But sometimes that's just simply not enough 32:24 when they're asking us, for them for us to help them, 32:26 my friends, we need to extend that help and, you know, 32:30 when that elder had said that kind of walked away, 32:31 I went out later, and I kind of had compassion 32:33 on these people, and I gave them, 32:35 you know, what I felt the Lord wanted me to give. 32:37 You know, the point is 32:38 we can't just simply preach a good sermon, 32:41 but not live by that accordingly, 32:43 we have to live up according to what God is asking us to. 32:47 I think of 1 Peter 2:9, 32:49 we are told that we are to be a special people. 32:52 He says, "But you are a chosen generation, 32:54 a royal priesthood, a holy nation, 32:57 His own special people, 33:00 that you may proclaim the praises of Him 33:02 who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light." 33:05 We are God's special, holy, peculiar people. 33:08 No doubt. 33:10 I found a couple of quotations that were very powerful. 33:12 This came from Martin Luther King Jr. Okay. 33:15 And in reference to his story of the Samaritan, 33:19 he said these words. 33:20 He says, "The first question which the priest 33:22 and the Levite asked was, 33:24 'If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?' 33:29 But the Good Samaritan reversed the question, 33:32 and he said, 33:33 'If I do not stop to help this man, 33:34 what will happen to him?'" 33:36 And that's powerful to consider. 33:38 And, of course, one of my favorite gospel writers 33:41 and authors of all time, 33:43 Oswald Chambers and his famous devotional, 33:45 My Utmost for His Highest, he says this, 33:48 in a section called The Determination to Serve, 33:51 powerful words. 33:53 He says, "Paul's understanding 33:55 of how Christ had dealt with him 33:58 is the secret behind his determination 34:01 to serve others." 34:02 He says, and this is what Paul says in 1 Timothy 1:13. 34:06 "I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, 34:09 and an insolent man." 34:11 And he goes on with this quote. 34:13 "In other words, no matter how badly others 34:15 may have treated Paul, 34:18 they could never have treated him 34:19 with the same degree of spite and hatred 34:23 with which he had treated Jesus Christ. 34:26 Once we realize that Jesus has served us 34:29 even to the depths of our meagerness, 34:32 our selfishness, and our sin, 34:34 nothing we encounter from others 34:37 will be able to exhaust our determination 34:40 to serve others for His sake." 34:42 And that's my prayer for myself. 34:44 It's my prayer for my brethren 34:46 and all of you at home watching. 34:47 Pray that Christ will give you a servant's heart 34:49 that of the same as Jesus. 34:51 Amen and amen. 34:53 You know, I'm just sitting here thinking how you have said, 34:55 we've got to be the aroma of Christ. 34:59 We are interceding on their behalf's 35:01 reaching out to save their souls, 35:03 being the salt and light so that people see the... 35:09 I mean, we don't have any light of our own 35:10 but we reflect the light of the world 35:13 Jesus Christ, right? 35:14 And it is so wonderful to see 35:19 how as we come together as a community, 35:23 how we can represent Christ on earth. 35:26 But it was interesting, my lesson, Wednesday 35:29 is "Grace within the Church." 35:31 I didn't even notice this to just now. 35:35 It's interesting 35:36 that the writer begins with this comment. 35:40 He says, "It's remarkable 35:43 that God allows His reputation 35:45 to hang on how His people live their lives on the earth." 35:51 Isn't that interesting? 35:52 And now he goes back to Job 1:8, 35:54 and in Job 1:8, it says, 35:57 "The Lord said to Satan, 35:59 'Have you considered my servant Job? 36:02 That there is none like him on the earth, 36:04 a blameless and upright man 36:06 one who fears God and shuns evil.'" 36:12 God is staking His reputation on how Job lived. 36:17 Now in Ephesians 3:10, 36:20 the Bible says that, 36:22 "It is God's intent through the church, 36:25 that the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to," whom? 36:31 "To the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms." 36:36 See, God is He wants us 36:40 not only to speak to the fallen world 36:43 or be the shining light to the fallen world, 36:47 but to unfallen worlds even. 36:49 And angels who are watching on with curiosity. 36:52 Okay, let's turn to Ephesians Chapter 2. 36:56 Ephesians Chapter 2, 36:57 our lesson today starts off saying. 37:02 Read Ephesians 2:19. 37:04 What do you think is included 37:06 in the idea of describing the church community 37:09 as the 'household' of God? 37:13 And how should this description influenced 37:16 how the organized church operates?" 37:19 So verse 19, Ephesians 2:19, 37:23 "Now, therefore, 37:25 you are no longer strangers and foreigners." 37:30 That was how they described 37:32 the Gentiles position before Christ. 37:36 "You are no longer strangers and foreigners, 37:40 but fellow citizens with the saints and members 37:44 of the household of God." 37:46 A foreigner was a short term resident 37:49 who they were transients, they came in, had no rights. 37:54 A stranger was similar 37:56 but they were there on a longer term, 37:57 maybe they had become a resident, 38:00 but they were still not citizens 38:03 and they had limited rights. 38:06 But the Bible says, 38:09 "You are fellow citizens 38:12 with the saints and members of the household of God." 38:17 He's talking to the Gentiles who were foreigners 38:20 and strangers and he says not anymore. 38:22 You've got that citizenship 38:24 when you accepted Christ as your Savior. 38:26 And guess what? 1 John 3:1. 38:29 I mean, Jesus. 38:31 Excuse me, 38:32 the Bible says 38:34 that we've been adopted through Jesus, my God. 38:38 1 John 3:1 says, you love that scripture, you know, 38:42 can we believe that we are that children of God? 38:46 "Behold, what a miracle, 38:48 what a blessing to be called children of God." 38:52 So what is this idea of God's household? 38:55 If you think of a household, 38:59 you think of a family, don't you? 39:02 When you think about household, there's togetherness, 39:06 there's inclusiveness, 39:08 we're brothers and sisters in Christ. 39:11 We are all members in citizens of God's kingdom. 39:16 So let's go forward. 39:18 In verse 20, he says, 39:20 "That this household of God, 39:22 having been built on the foundation 39:23 of the apostles and the prophets, 39:26 Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, 39:30 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, 39:33 grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 39:35 in whom you also are being built together 39:39 for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit." 39:45 So we're the household of God. 39:48 Bible says, we're the body of Christ. 39:52 Here we are the community of the spirit. 39:56 We are the temple. 39:57 Do you not know that your body is the living temple? 40:01 So, you know, church isn't a building. 40:04 We say, we call this the church. 40:06 This is the building. This is a church. 40:10 The people are the church. 40:12 The church goes in and out of the building. 40:14 That's right. 40:16 You know, I mean, really, it's the people. 40:19 And it is so special 40:22 that we need... 40:27 It is such a special thing 40:29 that we need to make certain 40:31 as a church family, 40:33 how we treat others within our church community. 40:37 There must be grace in our actions 40:42 towards how we treat others. 40:43 You know, Jesus gave this command in John 13:34-35. 40:48 He says, "A new command I give to you 40:53 love one another." 40:55 What's new about that? 40:57 Leviticus 19:18, it says, 41:00 "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." 41:02 That's right. 41:03 So, but He goes on, now you see the new part, 41:08 "As I have loved you. 41:12 So you must love one another." 41:14 He's not just saying, 41:15 I mean, love is not just an emotional thing. 41:17 Love is our actions. 41:19 Love, this is the self 41:23 sacrificing love of God. 41:25 This is a revolutionary comment 41:30 that Jesus is saying, "Love, 41:34 not just as you love yourself, love as I have loved you." 41:39 So and then it goes on and says, 41:42 "This is how everyone's gonna know you're My disciple, 41:45 if you love another." 41:47 So that's the distinguishing mark of a Christian, 41:50 of a disciple of Christ. 41:52 Actually, people will ask me, 41:54 how do you know if you're filled with the Holy Spirit? 41:57 I'll tell how you know. 42:00 Romans 5:5 says that, 42:01 "God pours His Spirit into our heart. 42:03 I love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit." 42:08 God's essence. 42:10 1 John 4:8 says, "God is love." 42:12 The essence of God's nature is this unselfish, 42:18 self-sacrificing love. 42:20 That's right. 42:21 If you aren't walking in that kind of love, 42:25 if your heart's not being filled, 42:27 you're not filled with Holy Spirit. 42:28 Yeah. 42:30 You need to just stop and say, "Oh, Lord, 42:31 you know, I need to surrender. 42:33 Let me open up my heart. 42:35 Pour Your love into my heart." 42:38 And, you know, 42:40 let me be empowered 42:42 by Your super natural love with God. 42:48 Jesus said, 42:50 not only are we to love each other in the church, 42:53 we're supposed to love our enemies, 42:56 supposed to pray for those who persecute us. 43:00 I tell you what, that's not natural. 43:03 Is it? That's not, I can't do it. 43:05 I can't do it without the Lord. 43:07 I cannot do it. 43:10 It is a challenge. 43:11 It is often inconvenient 43:16 to love somebody the way Jesus asks us to love. 43:20 It means you're on your way to do something 43:22 and somebody needs you. 43:24 And you're going, I had this planned 43:27 and there are going, help! 43:29 And you got to turn around and go help them, 43:31 you know, and put yourself... 43:33 So it's the idea of putting 43:38 others welfare before our own and I love, you know, 43:43 Jesus we have seen 43:44 and we looked at Jeremiah 31:3 last time, I believe, 43:48 where the Bible says 43:50 that, where God says, 43:53 "I've loved you with an everlasting love, 43:54 and therefore 43:56 I have drawn you to myself, 44:01 with cords of love." 44:03 Now I can't talk and find 44:05 what I'm looking for at the same time. 44:06 So let me think, okay, 44:08 turn to... 44:13 1 Thessalonians 3:12. 44:18 Caught with the scripture, and I've got to do it fast. 44:22 If you want to know if there's grace in the church 44:25 and grace in you, in loving you, 44:27 as you grow in love, you will grow in holiness. 44:30 That's what God wants us to do. 44:32 1 Thessalonians 3:12. 44:34 "May the Lord make you increase and abound in love." 44:37 Notice it's God doing the work, 44:39 "To one another, abound in love to one another 44:42 and to each other as we do to you, 44:45 so that," that's the purpose statement, 44:47 "He may establish your hearts 44:49 blameless in holiness 44:51 before our God and Father 44:53 the coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." 44:56 Amen. Thank you, Shelley. 44:58 It actually what you were just saying is gonna, 45:01 is cause me to change my focus just a little bit. 45:04 I was sitting here thinking about what you were saying. 45:07 Even with the best intentions and believing 45:09 that we're on the side of God working 45:11 for I think you'll all agree working for the Lord 45:13 can sometimes be difficult. 45:15 It's even more difficult when I do it ourselves. 45:18 But I never thought about living in a time 45:21 when the church of today has to relook at the future 45:26 because living in the age of internet, 45:30 people aren't gonna wanna, 45:31 people already not going to church as much 45:34 because you can get everything you need at the fingertip. 45:39 Just like malls in America 45:41 they built Marion there 25 years or so ago. 45:43 Busy, busy mall today it's empty 45:45 there's couple stores, 45:47 and it's empty because everybody's going online. 45:50 So I think my day here says, 45:53 "Encourage Each Other to Good Works." 45:56 And I think what you really got me to thinking 45:59 and all of you as a church family, 46:01 how important it is for each of us 46:04 to be a part of the family of God 46:06 and not feel like we can do 46:07 get our own, you know, spiritual food, 46:10 and we can do our own thing separately individually. 46:13 One person I know well said, 46:14 "I could be a Christian, just be a hermit." 46:17 You know, and I feel like doing that sometimes 46:19 'cause I don't like people. 46:20 Well, you can think about that however you want. 46:23 I said, "Well, there's few problems or questions, 46:25 I would have about that." 46:26 But what are... 46:27 Jesus surrounded Himself around a group of people, 46:30 He had His disciples and when He traveled, 46:32 but I wanna read and it's been read before, 46:35 but let's go to Hebrews 10:23-25. 46:38 It says, "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope 46:41 without wavering, 46:43 for He who promised is faithful. 46:44 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and 46:48 good works." 46:49 Now here's what I wanna center in on. 46:51 "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, 46:54 as is in the manner of some, 46:57 but exhorting one another, 46:59 and so much more as you see the Day approaching." 47:03 Many people today, 47:05 and we see the demographics, 47:07 we look at everything. 47:08 Pastor John, and people don't wanna come to church, 47:11 they wanna get everything as I mentioned already. 47:14 Some time ago, this was before the age of the internet. 47:18 A woman invited a pastor to her home, 47:21 and she said, "I want you to come to my home. 47:23 My husband feels 47:25 that he's a Christian, but he doesn't feel 47:26 that he needs to go to church." 47:28 And he says, "I can be a Christian at home and there's 47:30 no really, I don't think your pastor can convince me." 47:33 She said, "Can I have him come to the house and talk to you?" 47:35 So she said to him, 47:37 "Will you come to my home, 47:38 talk to my husband and convince him 47:40 he needs to come to church with me every week," 47:43 whether Sabbath or Sunday, 47:44 I'm not sure what day the guy went to church. 47:46 So the pastor said, "If the husband is willing, 47:49 the husband's willing." 47:50 So it's winter night, pastor came over to their home, 47:53 walked in and the husband was ready. 47:56 He was ready for anything to pastor. 47:58 I can be as good a Christian as anyone 48:00 and not go to church. 48:02 So they had a fireplace going and everything was warm. 48:05 And so as they were talking, the pastor was just saying, 48:08 "Hey, Ryan, how are you doing? It's nice to see you." 48:10 And as he's talking, he walks over to the fireplace. 48:13 He gets the fire tongs, 48:15 and there's a big coals of fire going. 48:17 He reaches and grabs one of those, 48:19 puts it down and sets it on the hearth. 48:21 Of course, it's burning bright, 48:23 and all the rest of us burning bright, 48:25 but he doesn't mention anything. 48:27 How'd work go today, Ryan. 48:28 And, of course, Ryan's looking at, 48:30 like, what did the pastor just do? 48:32 And so the pastor is trying to get his attention. 48:35 Well, this bright burning ash 48:37 suddenly became dimmer and dimmer and smoke, 48:40 and over a period of several minutes, 48:42 basically went out. 48:43 Preacher never mentioned the word. 48:46 The man said, "Pastor, you don't have to say anything. 48:48 I get your point." 48:49 That's what happens to us, Pastor John, 48:51 when we're by ourselves, 48:53 we can literally burn out and we can be called, 48:57 so we need people together, but I think the church we were 49:00 talking about it. 49:01 We say I don't need to go to church 49:03 and maybe you don't who knows. 49:05 But we need to go to church for other people. 49:07 Yes, we do. 49:09 For no other reason, 49:10 which you triggered my mind 49:11 for no other reason for other folk. 49:13 We need to be the church. 49:15 Our churches, I wrote some notes here. 49:17 We should go to church for others, 49:19 not just for ourselves. 49:20 That's right. 49:21 The church shouldn't be just a place for the Christian, 49:24 it should be a hospital for the sinners. 49:26 Everyone should feel welcome no matter 49:28 what their situation 49:30 when they walk through the door. 49:32 For everyone that is hurting spiritually, 49:34 the church should be a beacon on a hill, 49:36 sharing the love and peace and joy 49:37 that only Jesus can give. 49:40 When it comes to family problems 49:41 and physical and mental problems, 49:43 the church should be a sanctuary for those in need. 49:45 Now maybe the church should borrow 49:47 from the Statue of Liberty, John, 49:49 here in New York or what to say, 49:51 "Bring me your tired, and your poor, 49:54 your huddled masses yearning to breathe free." 49:58 And maybe at churches 49:59 we should use that from the Statue of Liberty, 50:02 but working together 50:04 our churches should make a tremendous impact 50:07 on our local communities 50:08 the way that 'cause we might be the only Jesus people see. 50:12 So how are you helping that folk 50:13 who's watching 3ABN for instance, 50:15 they walk into church door but you're at home 50:17 watching the internet, watching 3ABN on internet, 50:20 who's there to support that person. 50:23 So working together, we can plan together, 50:26 the scriptures in the Bible, 50:27 of course, that were many and very diverse. 50:30 And each person has different gifts. 50:33 So I also think 50:34 and this is just I'm throwing out some 50:36 things that are greeters 50:38 and our members should have some training, right? 50:40 Because if you are in a business 50:42 and you're growing a business, 50:43 you train your employees, right? 50:45 As to how to greet people 50:47 remembering that they say the customer's always right. 50:49 Well, as people come into doors, 50:51 they have to see people 50:54 who are united in thought and mission and action 50:58 and in love and they need to feel safe, 51:01 they need to feel secure, 51:02 they need to feel they're cared about. 51:04 And we can't do that by ourselves 51:06 out on our own. 51:07 That's right. 51:09 We should make this the purpose of our church 51:11 is to love those who walk in those church doors. 51:14 So they can see Jesus in us. 51:16 Romans 12:3-6 says, 51:19 "For by grace given me I say to every one of you, 51:22 Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought to, 51:25 but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, 51:28 in accordance with the faith 51:29 God has distributed to each of you. 51:32 For just as each of us has one body with many members, 51:35 and these members do not all have the same function, 51:38 so in Christ we, though many, 51:40 form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 51:43 We have different gifts, 51:45 according to the grace given to each of us. 51:47 If your gift is prophesying, 51:48 then prophesy in accordance with your faith." 51:52 This takes me back to all the way, Jill, to 1984. 51:56 The Lord impressed me to build a television station 51:59 that would reach the world 52:00 with an undiluted three angels' messages, 52:03 one that would counteract the counterfeit, 52:05 but I could have never done it on my own. 52:07 Yeah. 52:08 There's no way I could possibly do it. 52:10 3ABN only became went from a vision to reality 52:14 when people begin to join hands. 52:17 People began to volunteer, 52:18 I got some of my family, talk to my brother Kenny. 52:21 He said, "Yes, let's do it." 52:22 Other family member, 52:24 then we talk to some of our church members. 52:25 Suddenly as we went to building people came, 52:28 we're volunteering, 52:29 Gonzalo Santos came from Chicago every weekend. 52:33 As a volunteer electrician 52:34 working for us somebody driving, 52:36 he'd sleep Sunday night 52:37 so he could do his work 52:38 back in Chicago. 52:40 People began to work join together. 52:42 So 3ABN that could have never happened, 52:45 of course, without God's blessings, 52:47 but as we join hands together 52:49 and today with the viewers, 52:51 we wanna thank you for your love and your prayers 52:54 and financial support of 3ABN 52:55 because we cannot do this on our own. 52:59 And so we need to be together, we have the same goals, 53:01 the same mission. 53:03 And I wanna thank you, 53:04 and thank each and every one of you 53:05 here on this panel for what you do 53:07 for the cause of God because I see them off to set. 53:10 You sometimes may not, but I see their lives, 53:13 they are just as dedicated outside the cameras 53:16 and off the cameras as on the inside. 53:18 But I didn't wanna say something like, for instance, 53:21 people might look at the position as president 53:24 or general manager or is pastor with some... 53:27 Wow, that's some type of position. 53:30 I was thinking about as you were talking. 53:32 We have Larry over here. 53:33 Larry's been a volunteer for 20 plus years. 53:36 He's behind the cameras not in front of the cameras, 53:39 but in the sight of God, 53:40 everything that Larry is doing is just as valuable 53:44 as what I'm doing 53:46 or Shelley, Ryan, Jill, you're doing. 53:48 So those of you at home, 53:51 please no excuses. 53:53 Well, I can't really do anything. 53:54 There's not much I can do, show up. 53:56 You show up and if you're willing, 53:58 I promise you that God will use you 54:00 in great and mightier ways than you ever dream possible 54:04 because it's the Jesus in you 54:06 that's effective to the world. 54:07 He says, "If I be lifted up 54:09 from this earth will draw all men unto me." 54:12 And for the pastors watching, the church members, 54:16 remember that what you do every Sabbath? 54:19 You may, as I said, be the only Jesus 54:21 that people see. 54:22 So let's, as churches join together, 54:25 invite people to come into our sanctuaries. 54:28 And then we love them. 54:29 We show them the love of Jesus because when we show them that, 54:32 we've shown them everything there is. 54:34 The difference between life and death, 54:37 death and eternal life is acceptance, 54:40 and submitting and committed in our life to Jesus 54:42 confessing our sins, and saying, Lord, 54:44 use me as a vessel of honor for you. 54:48 Amen. 54:49 Well, Danny, I'm just so affected by what you said. 54:51 Yeah, I wrote it down. 54:52 I couldn't get past it. 54:54 The church's motto should be 54:56 that of the Statue of Liberty. 54:58 Wow. 54:59 "Bring us your tired, 55:01 your huddled masses yearning to breathe free." 55:04 You know, this has been a quarter 55:06 that has transformed all of us. 55:07 I'm gonna give each of our panelists 55:09 to make one final comment 55:10 as we close out our quarter, Jill. 55:13 My day was on intercession 55:14 and we look specifically at Moses 55:16 and his intercession for the people. 55:18 But the Bible is replete with examples. 55:20 You think of Daniel interceding for the people. 55:23 Jesus the ultimate intercessor. 55:25 Stephen right before he was stoned, 55:28 he was interceding on behalf of the people. 55:30 And God calls you and me to do the same thing. 55:34 Amen. Amen. 55:36 The only text that I could think of 55:37 at the very moment, 55:39 it just keeps coming into my mind 55:40 after considering this entire study 55:43 that we've been doing over the last few weeks 55:45 is 2 Chronicles 7:14. 55:47 Yes. 55:49 "If My people who are called by My name 55:51 will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face. 55:53 I will forgive them their sins and I will heal their land." 55:57 And I believe that God wants to do a healing 55:59 in each and every person's heart, my heart, your heart, 56:02 every person's heart on this panel. 56:04 And God wants to transform His church. 56:06 And my prayer for everyone 56:08 is that we will humble ourselves before God, 56:11 we will seek His face 56:12 would allow the mind of Christ 56:14 to be made manifest in our lives. 56:16 Amen. 56:17 God is not a respecter of persons. 56:20 He loves everyone with an everlasting love. 56:22 And we are supposed to go to Him 56:26 and let Him fill us 56:28 with that supernatural power of His love. 56:30 His character reflect His love. 56:33 And as we do that, we the church community, 56:38 the family of God, 56:40 His children will come together to support one another, 56:44 but we will woo others 56:48 by the love of Christ into the church. 56:51 Amen. 56:52 Just remember that Jesus was, 56:54 when He was hanging on the cross, 56:56 you were on His mind. 56:57 He could look down the stream of time 56:59 and see people 57:00 that would be willing to give their lives 57:02 unto God, if necessary unto death. 57:05 That's you and me today. 57:07 What a privilege to be living in the closing moments 57:09 of earth's history. 57:10 Praise God for this opportunity. 57:12 Amen. 57:13 Let's don't let it go by and miss it. 57:15 Let's join hands together 57:16 with those around us to reach the world. 57:18 That's right. 57:19 We have learned to lean on Jesus, 57:21 we have learned the beauty of this lesson 57:22 throughout the quarter. 57:23 Thank you for joining us. 57:25 Thank you, Jill, Pastor Ryan, Shelley, 57:27 and our founder and president, 57:30 appreciate you, Danny, very much. 57:31 You know, the motto that you communicated the church 57:35 is in fact the Statue of Liberty 57:37 not established by France, 57:39 but established by Jesus Christ. 57:41 "If I be lifted up, 57:43 I will draw all men unto myself." 57:46 Continue to implement those principles in your life 57:48 as leaders, as servants of God, 57:50 and the light of God will never grow dim. 57:53 But join us for the next quarter 57:55 where the topic is going to be focusing 57:57 on two Bible contemporaries Ezra and Nehemiah, 58:01 on behalf of the Lord 58:02 and all those who are moved by his work. 58:04 May God bless you until we see you again. |
Revised 2019-10-07