Hello, friends, my
name is John Lomacang.
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Welcome to the 3ABN
Sabbath School Panel.
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This is the third quarter
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of our Adult Bible Study Guide
Lesson Study and is entitled,
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"Making Friends for God,"
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the joy of
sharing in His mission.
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And today's lesson
study is "Why witness?"
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If you'd like a
copy of the lesson,
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go to the following
website absg.adventist.org.
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Download that and follow along
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or go to your local
Seventh-day Adventist Church
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and join them for an excursion
through the Word of God.
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But right now, get your Bible
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and your
friends and your family,
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and sit down and
join us as we walk through
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God's Word together.
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It's a joy to have you
join us for our Bible study,
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lesson study
through this quarter
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and we have been so
moved by just thinking about
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what we're going to
be presenting to you.
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And the writer of this lesson,
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Pastor Mark Finley
has done a wonderful job
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and we want to have
him share with you briefly
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an overview of
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what we're going to be
covering for this quarter.
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Here is Pastor Mark Finley.
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This quarter, the title
of our Sabbath School lessons
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is Making Friends for God.
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For the last 53 years,
I have traveled the world,
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sharing Christ from His Word.
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And I become
profoundly convinced that
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God is going to use members
in our local congregations
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in the finishing of His work
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in more powerful ways
than we've thought of before.
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And that's really why
I've prepared this series
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of Sabbath School lessons.
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We're looking at God's mission.
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And when you look at Scripture,
mission is really God's.
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We have the joy of participating
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with Him in His mission.
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Witnessing is
not a spiritual gift.
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Some people have the idea that
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witnessing is a
spiritual gift only for a few.
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Witnessing is a role that
God gives us as Christians.
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Witnessing is a responsibility
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that God gives us as Christians.
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Spiritual gifts are the
vehicle that the Bible teaches,
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God uses to accomplish
the role of witnessing.
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So God gives to each
one of us spiritual gifts.
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In those gifts, we
have the opportunity
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to witness for Him.
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The Bible says in Matthew 24:14,
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"This gospel of the kingdom
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shall go into all
the world as a witness
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to all nations,
then the end shall come."
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That's what this series
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of Sabbath School
lessons is all about.
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It's about average people,
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common people
taking the gospel message
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to the ends of the earth.
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This series of
lessons will motivate you,
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it'll inspire you.
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There'll be
sections of instruction
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where God will impress you,
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He'll open your eyes
to see people as winnable.
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So the gospel can go
to the ends of the earth.
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And Jesus can come,
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prepare for an adventure
as you study these lessons.
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Thank you, Pastor Mark Finley,
for that overview of our lesson
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and thank you also for the work
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that you put into
making this a blessing to us.
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Now, I'd like to invite
you to turn to our memory text.
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It's taken from 1 Timothy 2:3-4.
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And what I'd like to do
before we read this lesson,
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or read the memory text
is to have a word of prayer.
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I think it's so
vitally important.
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Ryan, would you
pray for us? Absolutely.
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Our Father in heaven, Lord,
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as we embark on
this incredible journey,
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Lord of studying
Your Word once more,
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diving deep into this
topic of learning Your ways,
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seeing the world
through Your eyes
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and being able to
witness for You, Father.
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We ask for the Holy Spirit to be
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upon each and every one of us,
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also those at
home who are watching
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or let this program go out to be
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such a great blessing to each
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and every person
viewing right now.
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We thank you so much.
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And we ask these things
in Jesus' holy name, amen.
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Amen.
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You know, Sunday,
talks about the overview
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of why witnessing
and so many people,
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if anything
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we are all
witnesses of something.
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You know, when a
car accident happens,
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they look for witnesses.
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In every situation
and in every court scene,
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there are witnesses
to determine the outcome
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of what actually happened.
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And we begin to see
from different points of view
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as four individuals standing on
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an intersection,
looking at the same accident
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from four
different perspectives.
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Matthew, Mark, Luke
and John are witnesses,
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looking at the life of Christ
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from four
different perspectives.
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But the memory text,
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the Apostle Paul
gives us a strong,
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I would say
argument as to why witnessing
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is imperative
for anyone who knows
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and has an
encounter with Christ.
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1 Timothy 2:3-4.
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Notice what the Apostle Paul
writes to his protege Timothy.
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He says, "For this is good
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and acceptable in the
sight of God our Savior,
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who desires all men to be saved
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and to come to the
knowledge of the truth."
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Witnessing assists people
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in coming to the
knowledge of the truth,
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and if anything
matters, it's truth.
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That's right.
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If anything really makes
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a difference in the
gospel, it is truth.
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Today, in the
Christian circles of life,
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many people are
distracted by maybe the feel
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of the atmosphere
of the church service,
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the entertainment, the
music, but the Lord's focus is,
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He wants all of
us to be witnesses.
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As a matter of
fact, Matthew 24:14 says,
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"And this gospel of the kingdom
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shall be preached in
all the world as a witness
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unto all nations, and
then shall the end come."
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Mark Finley and
the other co-writers
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pointed out four
very important things.
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First of all,
witnessing is all about Jesus.
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It's all about Jesus.
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It's all about
what He has done for us.
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And I think Danny
said this so many times,
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he says, "If nothing
else, nobody can argue
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with your personal testimony."
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If the Lord has
done something for us,
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we should be able
to witness for that
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and the strongest argument
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for the gospel is
a transformed life.
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So it's all about
what Jesus has done for us
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and how He has
changed our lives,
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also about the
marvelous truths of His Word.
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And truth is vitally
important because He says,
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"You shall know the truth
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and the truth
shall make you free."
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So just saying I know Jesus,
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but not looking and
desiring to have truth,
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it's somewhat of an oxymoron,
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a conflicting view about
our Christian walk with Christ.
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And also and most importantly,
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it is about the beauty
of the character of Christ.
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You know, as Christians,
witnesses shouldn't just say,
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well, I like...
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Well, let's use as an example
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for those of us who like sports.
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I mean, maybe
basketball or football,
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maybe in some of your category.
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And we know in
the society today,
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people that tend
to like basketball,
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they tend to buy the uniforms,
put the caps, get the jackets.
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In the very same way
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we should reflect
the character of Christ,
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but not put it on physically,
but allow our lights to shine
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because Christ is on the inside.
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Somebody made me
smile the other day,
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I made this
quotation a while ago,
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and I've often said,
"I'm just a lampshade,
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Jesus is the light."
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So He is shining
through us and He, in fact,
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is witnessing through
those who became willing vessels
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to reflect His glory.
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Also, witnessing is
about the effect of salvation.
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We respond to God's love.
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We are transformed by His Spirit
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and we are saved
into His kingdom.
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Now the kingdom
life doesn't begin
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when we get to the kingdom,
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the kingdom
life begins even now.
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You know, "Thy
kingdom come on earth
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as it is in heaven."
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So the kingdom life,
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the joy that we
have as witnesses,
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we begin to live it now.
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The eternal aspects of
it begin when Jesus comes,
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but the kingdom
life is something that
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the witness of
Christ begins to share now.
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Also the gospel encompasses
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the witnessing
life about others.
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We share about
His boundless love,
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His measureless mercy.
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How many of you are
thankful for the mercy of God?
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Also His endless compassion,
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a beautiful
illustration of our God.
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His compassion never fails,
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His exhaustless forgiveness...
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Amen to that.
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And His infinite power,
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a power that
never loses its source.
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You know, we usually
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have brownouts here
in Southern Illinois
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and it can happen
for no apparent reason,
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the weather could be
nice, no wind is blowing,
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all of a sudden, power down.
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That never happens
in the kingdom of God.
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So as witnesses, we
have a power source that
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never loses its connection.
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Look at the four things that
witnessing also encompasses.
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Witnessing gives us
divine opportunities.
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God provides opportunities
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for people
everywhere to know Him.
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And many of us have
been in opportunities
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where we have said, you know,
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now that we look back on that
we know that God set this up,
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that what happened
today, God set it up.
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Yeah. Let's go
to Ephesians 2:10.
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Let's see why God sets us up
for witnessing opportunities.
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Now we like verse 8 or 9.
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"For by grace are we
saved through faith?"
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Oh, yeah.
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But, Jill, do you
have Ephesians 2:10?
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Let's look at why God
calls us to be witnesses.
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"For we are His workmanship,
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created in Christ
Jesus for good works,
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which God prepared beforehand
that we should walk in them."
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That's right.
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So the works were
there before God hired us.
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A lot of people,
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and I want to
make this very clear.
00:10:08.30\00:10:09.64
God doesn't call Christians
to be just church members.
00:10:09.67\00:10:13.07
You could be a member of
a fan club, a health spa,
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baseball card club,
00:10:17.55\00:10:18.88
you can be a member of anything.
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But membership leaves off
where discipleship begins.
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And, but a
disciple has to witness
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it's not even an optional thing.
00:10:26.72\00:10:28.46
It's not something that
says, "Well, I'm a disciple,
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I don't want to witness."
00:10:29.86\00:10:31.19
No, Jesus said
it clearly to Peter.
00:10:31.23\00:10:32.99
He says, "When you were young,
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you went where you desire to go,
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you did what you wanted to
do, but now that you're older,
00:10:35.76\00:10:38.50
somebody else is
going to send you
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where you don't want to go,
00:10:39.90\00:10:41.24
somebody else is
going to clothe you."
00:10:41.27\00:10:42.74
And then He said to
Peter, over and over,
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"Feed my sheep, feed
my lamb, feed my sheep."
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So the disciples
are not in a category
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where they have options.
00:10:48.71\00:10:50.18
They must be
witnesses of Christ.
00:10:50.21\00:10:52.28
So we are His workmanship.
00:10:52.31\00:10:53.82
In other words,
He designed us that
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we should give glory
to God and the works that
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we do are actually
done by the Christ in us.
00:10:59.22\00:11:02.59
So the points are, we
are not saved by our works,
00:11:02.62\00:11:05.36
we are saved for God's works.
00:11:05.39\00:11:08.13
We are not simply
called to be church members
00:11:08.16\00:11:10.07
but to be
witnesses, to be disciples.
00:11:10.10\00:11:13.10
We are not drawn to God to stay,
00:11:13.13\00:11:16.30
we are to follow Him
on the commission to go.
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Make that very clear.
Look at Luke 14:21-24.
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Very important
comparison here we find.
00:11:26.58\00:11:30.35
Verse 21 says,
"So that servant came
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and reported these
things to his master.
00:11:33.02\00:11:35.32
Then the master of the house,
00:11:35.36\00:11:37.06
being angry,
said to his servant,
00:11:37.09\00:11:39.33
'Go out quickly into the streets
00:11:39.36\00:11:41.63
and lanes of the city,'
00:11:41.66\00:11:43.00
notice the commissions go,
'and bring in here the poor
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and the maimed and
the lame and the blind.'
00:11:46.20\00:11:48.64
And the servant
said, "Master, it is done
00:11:48.67\00:11:50.61
as you have commanded.
00:11:50.64\00:11:52.44
And still there is room.'
00:11:52.47\00:11:54.01
Then the Master
said to a servant,
00:11:54.04\00:11:55.64
notice the word again,
00:11:55.68\00:11:57.01
'Go out into the highways
and hedges and compel them
00:11:57.05\00:12:01.28
to come in that my
house may be filled.
00:12:01.32\00:12:03.89
For I say to you,
that none of those men
00:12:03.92\00:12:06.82
who were invited
shall taste my supper.'"
00:12:06.86\00:12:08.66
In other words, the
Jews rejected the invitation.
00:12:08.69\00:12:11.09
But the Lord didn't stop.
00:12:11.13\00:12:12.46
He says, "Go into
the cities and the lanes,
00:12:12.49\00:12:15.33
go to the highways and hedges.
00:12:15.36\00:12:16.80
A disciple is
given the commission
00:12:16.83\00:12:18.37
to come to Christ,
00:12:18.40\00:12:19.80
and then to go into
the highways and hedges."
00:12:19.83\00:12:21.90
And as Danny said,
the blessing is Danny?
00:12:21.94\00:12:24.34
On the go. The
blessing's on the go.
00:12:24.37\00:12:26.78
The blessing's not on the stay,
the blessing's not on the sit,
00:12:26.81\00:12:30.21
the blessing's
not on the singing,
00:12:30.25\00:12:32.21
the blessing's
not on the fellowship,
00:12:32.25\00:12:33.85
the blessing's on the go.
00:12:33.88\00:12:36.05
Luke 19:10, look at the
example that Christ set for us.
00:12:36.08\00:12:40.72
We are followers of Christ
00:12:40.76\00:12:42.09
in the sense of
following His example.
00:12:42.12\00:12:44.43
Luke 19:10, "For the
Son of Man has come to seek
00:12:44.46\00:12:47.70
and to save
that which was lost."
00:12:47.73\00:12:50.17
That's the mission of Christ.
He came to save what is lost.
00:12:50.20\00:12:53.87
And now He sends us to
do the very same thing.
00:12:53.90\00:12:56.81
Look at James 5:19 and 20.
00:12:56.84\00:12:59.17
He says, "Brethren,
00:12:59.21\00:13:00.78
if anyone among you
wanders from the truth,
00:13:00.81\00:13:03.88
and someone turns him back,"
I love that," let him know that
00:13:03.91\00:13:08.12
he who turns a sinner
from the error of his ways
00:13:08.15\00:13:11.62
will save a soul from death
and cover a multitude of sins."
00:13:11.65\00:13:15.92
So we're not only sent
to lead someone to Christ
00:13:15.96\00:13:18.43
who has not even known Him,
00:13:18.46\00:13:20.03
but there are those who
have wandered away from Christ.
00:13:20.06\00:13:22.40
That's also a
commission and I can think of.
00:13:22.43\00:13:24.23
As I sit here,
00:13:24.27\00:13:25.60
I can think of
any number of people
00:13:25.63\00:13:26.97
that once was amongst us,
but the Lord is saying to us,
00:13:27.00\00:13:29.84
now it's time to go out
and encourage them to come back
00:13:29.87\00:13:32.31
because in many cases,
00:13:32.34\00:13:33.68
they can't
bring themselves back.
00:13:33.71\00:13:35.44
Followers of
Christ follow His example.
00:13:35.48\00:13:37.85
Followers of Christ
00:13:37.88\00:13:39.21
are called to
emulate the passion of Jesus.
00:13:39.25\00:13:41.75
And before we
rejoice over the harvest,
00:13:41.78\00:13:45.25
we have to go out
and plant the seed.
00:13:45.29\00:13:47.49
The blessing of witnessing
is a reciprocal blessing.
00:13:47.52\00:13:50.43
Jesus sends us out
00:13:50.46\00:13:51.89
and the
blessings come rolling in.
00:13:51.93\00:13:53.76
Amen. Amen.
00:13:53.80\00:13:55.13
Praise the Lord, man.
00:13:55.16\00:13:56.50
That was a
powerful introduction.
00:13:56.53\00:13:57.87
Thank you so much.
00:13:57.90\00:13:59.23
And I know I'm going to really,
really enjoy this whole study
00:13:59.27\00:14:01.04
because written by
Pastor Mark Finley,
00:14:01.07\00:14:03.20
he's one of my favorite
evangelists and speakers
00:14:03.24\00:14:05.47
and if weren't for his ministry,
00:14:05.51\00:14:06.88
I wouldn't be where I am today.
00:14:06.91\00:14:08.24
And so I'm very thankful
that him and the other writers
00:14:08.28\00:14:10.95
who have contributed
to this particular study,
00:14:10.98\00:14:12.65
it's going to be a
really, really good one.
00:14:12.68\00:14:14.25
In fact, as I was
reading and studying through
00:14:14.28\00:14:16.08
these particular lessons in
preparation for this series,
00:14:16.12\00:14:20.29
I, you know, there
was just things that
00:14:20.32\00:14:22.19
he worded so well,
00:14:22.22\00:14:23.56
I couldn't have
possibly had said it better
00:14:23.59\00:14:25.36
in my own words.
00:14:25.39\00:14:26.73
So Monday's lesson is
entitled, "Making Jesus Glad."
00:14:26.76\00:14:30.17
Why do we witness?
00:14:30.20\00:14:31.53
What are one of the
reasons why we witness?
00:14:31.57\00:14:32.90
Making Jesus
glad, and I don't know
00:14:32.93\00:14:34.50
what single genuine Christian
who would not want to do
00:14:34.54\00:14:37.81
everything that
they can to bring joy
00:14:37.84\00:14:39.64
to God's heart, right?
00:14:39.67\00:14:41.01
And to bring
gladness to God's heart.
00:14:41.04\00:14:42.44
And so Monday's
lesson, "Making Jesus Glad."
00:14:42.48\00:14:44.68
And I love how he
opened up this lesson.
00:14:44.71\00:14:46.48
And I just want to read it here.
00:14:46.51\00:14:47.85
It's powerful.
00:14:47.88\00:14:49.22
He says, "Have you,
has anyone ever asked you
00:14:49.25\00:14:51.22
how is your day going?
00:14:51.25\00:14:53.62
Is everything all
right with you today?
00:14:53.66\00:14:55.99
What if you asked
God those questions?"
00:14:56.02\00:14:59.29
"God, how is Your day going?"
00:14:59.33\00:15:01.26
What kind of response do
you think you would receive?
00:15:01.30\00:15:04.33
Possibly it
would be one like this.
00:15:04.37\00:15:07.84
"My day has been
extremely difficult.
00:15:07.87\00:15:10.51
Tears filled my eyes at
1000 refugee camps filled
00:15:10.54\00:15:14.38
with cold,
hungry, crying children.
00:15:14.41\00:15:17.58
I walked the streets of
the world's crowded cities
00:15:17.61\00:15:19.71
and wept with the
homeless and destitute.
00:15:19.75\00:15:22.15
My heart breaks
over abused women
00:15:22.18\00:15:24.72
and frightened children
sold into sexual slavery.
00:15:24.75\00:15:28.86
I witnessed the ravages of war,
00:15:28.89\00:15:31.79
the devastating
effects of natural disasters
00:15:31.83\00:15:34.46
and the painful agony
00:15:34.50\00:15:36.13
of debilitating
deadly diseases."
00:15:36.16\00:15:39.60
"But God, is there anything
that makes You rejoice?"
00:15:39.63\00:15:43.77
And I love this.
00:15:43.81\00:15:45.14
"Is there anything that
brings joy to Your heart?
00:15:45.17\00:15:47.94
Is there anything
that makes You sing?
00:15:47.98\00:15:51.01
And the answer to that question
is yes, and we're going to...
00:15:51.05\00:15:53.38
The lesson guides us
00:15:53.42\00:15:54.75
and takes us to Luke Chapter 15,
00:15:54.78\00:15:56.35
where we're going to
see three clear examples
00:15:56.38\00:15:58.95
that Christ communicates
in the form of a parable.
00:15:58.99\00:16:02.12
And obviously there's going
to be three different parables
00:16:02.16\00:16:04.33
that we reference here.
00:16:04.36\00:16:05.69
But Luke Chapter 15,
00:16:05.73\00:16:07.06
we're going to
start with verse 4.
00:16:07.10\00:16:08.66
Of course, this is the
parable of the lost sheep.
00:16:08.70\00:16:11.63
And I love these three parables
00:16:11.67\00:16:13.07
because Christ is
opening His heart,
00:16:13.10\00:16:14.80
He's sharing and
trying to help us
00:16:14.84\00:16:16.60
to see the
importance of witnessing,
00:16:16.64\00:16:19.27
the importance of not hoarding
00:16:19.31\00:16:20.94
or holding in
this powerful gospel
00:16:20.98\00:16:22.31
to ourselves,
00:16:22.34\00:16:23.68
but taking it out
there to the world
00:16:23.71\00:16:25.05
and sharing it
with others to a lost
00:16:25.08\00:16:26.55
and dying world.
00:16:26.58\00:16:27.92
And so I love beginning
with verse 4 here, Jesus says,
00:16:27.95\00:16:30.15
"What man of you,
having a hundred sheep,
00:16:30.19\00:16:33.19
if he loses one of them,
00:16:33.22\00:16:34.56
does not leave the
ninety-nine in the wilderness,
00:16:34.59\00:16:38.09
and go after the one
00:16:38.13\00:16:39.46
which is lost
until he finds it?"
00:16:39.49\00:16:42.33
And then notice verse 5
on through to verse 7 here.
00:16:42.36\00:16:45.20
He says, "And
when he has found it,
00:16:45.23\00:16:47.57
he lays it on his
shoulders, rejoicing.
00:16:47.60\00:16:51.21
And when he comes home,
he calls together his friends
00:16:51.24\00:16:54.01
and neighbors, saying
to them, 'Rejoice with me,
00:16:54.04\00:16:56.34
for I have found my
sheep which was lost!'"
00:16:56.38\00:16:59.68
I say to you that likewise,
I love these words, He says,
00:16:59.71\00:17:02.55
"I say to you
likewise" there in verse 7,
00:17:02.58\00:17:04.85
"there will be more joy
in heaven over one sinner
00:17:04.89\00:17:08.09
who repents than over 99 persons
00:17:08.12\00:17:11.06
who need no repentance."
00:17:11.09\00:17:13.06
That is powerful to think
about that the witnessing aspect
00:17:13.09\00:17:17.27
of our Christian walk
is a vital important part.
00:17:17.30\00:17:20.07
In fact, one minister years ago,
00:17:20.10\00:17:22.10
painted a picture like this.
00:17:22.14\00:17:23.47
He basically said,
00:17:23.51\00:17:24.84
there's three legs
on the Christian stool,
00:17:24.87\00:17:26.61
obviously, Bible
study and prayer,
00:17:26.64\00:17:28.31
and then he added
the witnessing aspect.
00:17:28.34\00:17:30.08
And if you take
one of these legs away,
00:17:30.11\00:17:32.05
obviously the stool can't stand.
00:17:32.08\00:17:34.28
Witnessing is vitally important.
00:17:34.32\00:17:36.08
And why should we witness?
00:17:36.12\00:17:37.49
Well, one great reason
00:17:37.52\00:17:38.85
is because it brings
gladness to God's heart,
00:17:38.89\00:17:41.59
it brings joy to the Lord.
00:17:41.62\00:17:43.02
I love the
parable of the lost coin
00:17:43.06\00:17:44.69
also in verse 8
of Luke Chapter 15,
00:17:44.73\00:17:47.13
beginning with verse 8,
00:17:47.16\00:17:48.50
and going through
verse 10 here, it says,
00:17:48.53\00:17:50.07
"Or what woman,
having ten silver coins,
00:17:50.10\00:17:53.00
if she loses one
coin, does not light a lamp,
00:17:53.03\00:17:55.87
sweep the house,
and search carefully
00:17:55.90\00:17:57.94
until she finds it?
00:17:57.97\00:17:59.87
And when she has found it,
00:17:59.91\00:18:01.24
she calls her friends
and neighbors together,
00:18:01.28\00:18:02.81
saying, 'Rejoice with me,
00:18:02.84\00:18:04.41
for I have found
the piece which I lost!'
00:18:04.45\00:18:07.45
Likewise, Jesus
says, 'I say to you,
00:18:07.48\00:18:09.42
there is joy in the
presence of the angels of God
00:18:09.45\00:18:13.02
over one sinner who repents.'"
00:18:13.05\00:18:16.32
And you can just
imagine, you know,
00:18:16.36\00:18:17.99
I love witnessing for the Lord
and I've had so many wonderful
00:18:18.03\00:18:21.66
opportunities of helping to lead
00:18:21.70\00:18:23.87
and guide people to
Jesus into the truth.
00:18:23.90\00:18:25.90
And to see that person
make that decision to say,
00:18:25.93\00:18:28.24
"Lord, I don't
want this life anymore.
00:18:28.27\00:18:29.80
I don't want to live
this life separated from You.
00:18:29.84\00:18:31.94
I want to live with You Christ.
00:18:31.97\00:18:33.54
I want You to come
into my heart to change me
00:18:33.58\00:18:35.61
and to renovate and completely,
00:18:35.64\00:18:37.35
do a complete
overhaul of my life."
00:18:37.38\00:18:39.25
To see someone
make that decision,
00:18:39.28\00:18:40.92
if it makes us happy,
00:18:40.95\00:18:42.48
think about what it's
doing in heaven's courts, right?
00:18:42.52\00:18:44.72
Powerful to think about.
00:18:44.75\00:18:46.15
And the last one that
I want to bring out here
00:18:46.19\00:18:48.22
is probably one of
my favorite parables
00:18:48.26\00:18:50.06
that Jesus tells
and that is the parable
00:18:50.09\00:18:51.56
of the lost son
or the prodigal son.
00:18:51.59\00:18:54.06
And I just want to highlight,
well, I'm not going to read
00:18:54.10\00:18:55.93
that entire parable here.
00:18:55.96\00:18:58.20
We know obviously the
lost son goes away and,
00:18:58.23\00:19:00.67
of course, he eventually comes
to his senses and realizes that
00:19:00.70\00:19:03.14
he hadn't made in
the Father's house,
00:19:03.17\00:19:04.94
and he wants to
return to the Father.
00:19:04.97\00:19:07.18
And, of course, he
does return to the father
00:19:07.21\00:19:08.98
and I love in verse 20.
00:19:09.01\00:19:10.78
If you want to talk
about the gladness of God,
00:19:10.81\00:19:14.15
if you want to see
God's joy in action, verse 20,
00:19:14.18\00:19:17.72
here it says,
"And he ran at him,
00:19:17.75\00:19:21.02
when he saw the son afar off.
00:19:21.06\00:19:22.39
He ran to him.
00:19:22.42\00:19:23.76
God ran, it reminds me
of that old Phillips, Craig
00:19:23.79\00:19:25.16
and Dean song, you
know, actually had that.
00:19:25.19\00:19:27.70
Yeah, when God ran,
00:19:27.73\00:19:29.06
I actually have the lyrics here.
00:19:29.10\00:19:30.43
When God ran to me,
He took me in His arms,
00:19:30.47\00:19:32.43
He held my head to
His chest, He said,
00:19:32.47\00:19:34.47
"My sons come home again."
00:19:34.50\00:19:36.71
It brings joy to God's
heart when a lost person,
00:19:36.74\00:19:39.91
even someone who
may have once had
00:19:39.94\00:19:41.54
a relationship with Him,
00:19:41.58\00:19:42.91
but is
backslidden or fallen away,
00:19:42.94\00:19:44.68
or fallen into despair,
He will run to that person
00:19:44.71\00:19:47.92
in joyful
gladness to receive him.
00:19:47.95\00:19:51.22
You know, I remember years
ago, I was attending a church.
00:19:51.25\00:19:54.72
And I heard an elder say,
and I'll never forget this.
00:19:54.76\00:19:57.29
This was early
on in my ministry,
00:19:57.33\00:19:58.79
early on in my
Christian experience,
00:19:58.83\00:20:00.83
but I'll never forget.
00:20:00.86\00:20:02.86
This particular elder said,
00:20:02.90\00:20:04.40
because we were
talking about evangelism
00:20:04.43\00:20:05.77
and I wanted to do evangelism.
00:20:05.80\00:20:07.14
I was kind of the new
blood in the church, right?
00:20:07.17\00:20:08.74
And I'm like,
man, we had to glide
00:20:08.77\00:20:10.11
and tell people about
this powerful message.
00:20:10.14\00:20:12.11
This is amazing message, right?
00:20:12.14\00:20:13.71
The Adventist beautiful truth
00:20:13.74\00:20:15.14
of God's Word that we
find here in God's Word.
00:20:15.18\00:20:17.15
And I'll never
forget this elder said,
00:20:17.18\00:20:18.85
"Oh, you know,
we've done evangelism,
00:20:18.88\00:20:21.62
evangelism doesn't work.
00:20:21.65\00:20:23.25
You know what
they know where we are?
00:20:23.28\00:20:25.09
Why do we have to go to him?
00:20:25.12\00:20:27.49
And that just stuck with
me and I remember not one text
00:20:27.52\00:20:30.96
in all of God's
Word do you ever find
00:20:30.99\00:20:33.19
where Jesus
says, "You know what?
00:20:33.23\00:20:34.56
Just stay there,
I'll send them to you."
00:20:34.60\00:20:36.10
No, no, He
wants us to go to them
00:20:36.13\00:20:38.90
because the
blessing is on the go.
00:20:38.93\00:20:41.34
We have to go to them.
00:20:41.37\00:20:42.77
And so Luke
15:22-24 and also verse 32.
00:20:42.80\00:20:47.98
I love to speak, again speaking
00:20:48.01\00:20:49.54
about the lost son,
or the prodigal son.
00:20:49.58\00:20:51.15
Notice the joy of
God in this parable.
00:20:51.18\00:20:54.12
It says, but the
Father said to his servants.
00:20:54.15\00:20:55.78
This is verse 22 of Luke 15.
00:20:55.82\00:20:58.02
"But the father
said to his servants,
00:20:58.05\00:21:00.06
'Bring out the best
robe and put it on him,
00:21:00.09\00:21:02.89
and put a ring on his
hand and sandals on his feet
00:21:02.92\00:21:05.59
And bring the fatted
calf here and kill it,
00:21:05.63\00:21:08.56
and let us eat and be
merry, for this my son was dead
00:21:08.60\00:21:13.94
and is alive again, he
was lost and is found.'
00:21:13.97\00:21:18.04
And they began to be merry.'"
00:21:18.07\00:21:20.28
And I love verse 32,
00:21:20.31\00:21:21.64
you got to have
this in your also.
00:21:21.68\00:21:23.08
It was, notice, he
goes, "It was right that
00:21:23.11\00:21:25.38
we should make
merry and be glad,
00:21:25.41\00:21:28.02
for your brother was
dead and is alive again,
00:21:28.05\00:21:30.59
and was lost and is found."
00:21:30.62\00:21:34.02
I love that story.
00:21:34.06\00:21:35.39
It brings joy to
the heart of God,
00:21:35.42\00:21:38.13
when a sinner is
brought to salvation.
00:21:38.16\00:21:41.46
And I think if we would
just comprehend that often that
00:21:41.50\00:21:44.80
you know, while
there is a blessing for us.
00:21:44.83\00:21:47.07
And I know we're going to
talk a lot about the blessing
00:21:47.10\00:21:49.20
that we can
receive as individuals.
00:21:49.24\00:21:51.61
When we witness
00:21:51.64\00:21:52.97
and we share our
heart with others
00:21:53.01\00:21:54.34
and when we share the
gospel of Jesus with others,
00:21:54.38\00:21:56.28
there is indeed
a powerful blessing
00:21:56.31\00:21:58.45
that comes from
us being co-laborers
00:21:58.48\00:22:00.88
with God in this
finishing work of salvation.
00:22:00.92\00:22:03.79
But it also brings
joy to God's heart.
00:22:03.82\00:22:06.55
Like what?
00:22:06.59\00:22:07.92
Just to be able to
fully fathom the fact
00:22:07.96\00:22:10.86
that when we are working
00:22:10.89\00:22:12.23
to bring someone else to Christ,
00:22:12.26\00:22:13.60
how that makes God feel.
00:22:13.63\00:22:15.20
And we see examples
like this in the Bible
00:22:15.23\00:22:17.30
and the Word of God
as we read through this,
00:22:17.33\00:22:18.93
and we read the clear text that
tells us exactly how God feels,
00:22:18.97\00:22:22.17
but can we really
begin to fathom the fact
00:22:22.20\00:22:24.11
that it brings so
much joy to God that,
00:22:24.14\00:22:26.91
as we're going to
read in just a few moments
00:22:26.94\00:22:28.28
that it makes God sing.
00:22:28.31\00:22:29.94
That God sing, we
know the angels sing
00:22:29.98\00:22:31.55
we know the heavenly
courts above just, you know,
00:22:31.58\00:22:33.82
rejoice when a
sinner is brought to Jesus,
00:22:33.85\00:22:36.32
but we're going to
read here, in fact,
00:22:36.35\00:22:38.55
it's Zephaniah 3:17,
00:22:38.59\00:22:41.32
I love this
verse, Zephaniah 3:17.
00:22:41.36\00:22:45.29
And this is God
talking about how He will save
00:22:45.33\00:22:48.60
and when He
brings that lost soul
00:22:48.63\00:22:50.20
to a saving relationship
with Him, notice what He says.
00:22:50.23\00:22:53.10
It says, "The Lord
your God in your midst,
00:22:53.13\00:22:56.74
The Mighty One will save,
00:22:56.77\00:22:59.74
He will rejoice
over you with gladness,
00:22:59.77\00:23:02.24
He will quiet you with His love,
00:23:02.28\00:23:04.71
He will rejoice
over you with singing."
00:23:04.75\00:23:09.18
Like that's powerful
because you know I love music.
00:23:09.22\00:23:12.22
I'm a singer
myself, I love singing,
00:23:12.25\00:23:13.79
I love praising the Lord.
00:23:13.82\00:23:15.16
I love hearing great singers
00:23:15.19\00:23:16.52
and musicians
like Pastor Lomacang
00:23:16.56\00:23:18.39
and Danny and hearing
all these powerful songs
00:23:18.43\00:23:20.63
that the Lord
puts on their heart
00:23:20.66\00:23:22.80
and you know, other
great singers you know,
00:23:22.83\00:23:24.87
could you imagine
hearing the voice of God sing?
00:23:24.90\00:23:27.67
That when a
sinner is brought that
00:23:27.70\00:23:29.70
perhaps God
stands from His throne
00:23:29.74\00:23:31.24
and just spells
out a beautiful note
00:23:31.27\00:23:33.27
you know rejoicing.
00:23:33.31\00:23:34.64
I can imagine
heaven singing that song.
00:23:34.68\00:23:36.18
Oh, happy day... Okay.
00:23:36.21\00:23:39.01
You got me started now.
00:23:39.05\00:23:41.45
You know, I don't know, man,
00:23:41.48\00:23:42.82
that's just my
imagination going wild there.
00:23:42.85\00:23:45.22
But I could just
imagine God saying,
00:23:45.25\00:23:47.29
get the choir going.
00:23:47.32\00:23:48.66
Sing that this person
has been brought to Me.
00:23:48.69\00:23:50.96
It brings gladness, it
brings joy to God's heart
00:23:50.99\00:23:54.80
when we bring a
lost soul to Jesus.
00:23:54.83\00:23:56.33
So witnessing for
Him, why should we do it,
00:23:56.36\00:23:59.13
for no other reason
than to please our God.
00:23:59.17\00:24:01.74
Wow, Ryan. Amen. That is good.
00:24:01.77\00:24:03.47
Danny's
starting trouble already,
00:24:03.51\00:24:05.77
getting us to singing.
00:24:05.81\00:24:07.14
Now we can get oh,
happy day out of our mind.
00:24:07.18\00:24:09.34
But it is a happy day
when a sinner comes back home
00:24:09.38\00:24:12.61
and what a
story the prodigal son
00:24:12.65\00:24:15.02
or specifically
the prodigal father.
00:24:15.05\00:24:17.15
We're going to
take a short break
00:24:17.19\00:24:18.52
and come right
back as we continue
00:24:18.55\00:24:19.89
our study through why witness.
00:24:19.92\00:24:23.32
Ever wish you could watch
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00:24:55.46\00:25:00.56
Welcome back to
our lesson study.
00:25:00.60\00:25:02.23
We now turn to
Tuesday, Pastor Kenny Shelton,
00:25:02.26\00:25:04.83
the title, "Growing by Giving."
00:25:04.87\00:25:06.70
The time is yours.
00:25:06.74\00:25:08.07
You know, to me this is
a good part of the lesson,
00:25:08.10\00:25:09.54
all of them is good.
00:25:09.57\00:25:10.91
I thank each one for your input
00:25:10.94\00:25:12.94
and you're resetting
the good foundation on this,
00:25:12.97\00:25:15.64
this set of
studies because I know
00:25:15.68\00:25:17.01
they're going to be good.
00:25:17.05\00:25:18.75
You know, as I was
praying about and studying,
00:25:18.78\00:25:20.35
I just felt this sense
00:25:20.38\00:25:22.68
of the Holy
Spirit being close to us
00:25:22.72\00:25:24.99
in this whole quarter that
00:25:25.02\00:25:26.82
something good
is going to happen.
00:25:26.86\00:25:28.36
And it's not
just for those of you
00:25:28.39\00:25:29.89
who are out there.
00:25:29.92\00:25:31.26
I believe it's
going to be good for us.
00:25:31.29\00:25:32.63
So we're looking at
00:25:32.66\00:25:34.00
I want to look at something here
00:25:34.03\00:25:35.36
because growing by
giving good illustration,
00:25:35.40\00:25:36.73
certainly go at Jacob's Well,
00:25:36.77\00:25:39.03
we find Jesus and
the Samaritan woman.
00:25:39.07\00:25:41.74
And I want to
read something first
00:25:41.77\00:25:43.20
from the Desire
of Ages, page 195.
00:25:43.24\00:25:45.31
That fits right in with
this. Notice what it says.
00:25:45.34\00:25:47.64
It says, "As soon as
she had found the Savior,
00:25:47.68\00:25:50.05
the Samaritan woman
brought others to Him."
00:25:50.08\00:25:53.08
This is what the
whole lesson is about.
00:25:53.11\00:25:55.28
Soon as we meet Jesus,
00:25:55.32\00:25:56.65
soon as we give our life to Him,
00:25:56.69\00:25:58.19
automatically we want
to bring others to Him.
00:25:58.22\00:26:01.52
This woman
represents as you study working
00:26:01.56\00:26:04.26
a practical faith in Christ
and every person who's ever...
00:26:04.29\00:26:08.60
You're born again in Christ,
the first thing you want to do
00:26:08.63\00:26:12.23
is to witness and,
but when we're born
00:26:12.27\00:26:14.44
and reborn again, we
all are missionaries.
00:26:14.47\00:26:17.54
God wants us to be missionary,
had that missionary spirit,
00:26:17.57\00:26:20.04
we call it evangelistic spirit,
00:26:20.08\00:26:21.54
we want to go and
tell others about Jesus.
00:26:21.58\00:26:23.75
So and we're going to
study a lot about drinking
00:26:23.78\00:26:26.11
of that living water
00:26:26.15\00:26:27.48
and part of our
lesson covers that,
00:26:27.52\00:26:28.85
the living water.
00:26:28.88\00:26:30.22
And once we drink that water,
we become a fountain ourselves.
00:26:30.25\00:26:35.56
That fountain is
just to give to others.
00:26:35.59\00:26:37.66
The receiver so accept
Christ you're receiver,
00:26:37.69\00:26:40.83
once you receive
then you become a giver.
00:26:40.86\00:26:43.53
Receiver becomes what? A giver.
00:26:43.57\00:26:45.53
Yeah, the grace of Christ
in the soul, notice like this,
00:26:45.57\00:26:48.67
is a spring in the desert.
00:26:48.70\00:26:50.74
Someone's in the desert, man,
00:26:50.77\00:26:52.11
I've been times
I've been awful thirsty.
00:26:52.14\00:26:53.88
Maybe not been
out in the desert,
00:26:53.91\00:26:55.24
not having any water
but, man, I've been thirsty.
00:26:55.28\00:26:56.98
I can't think of
anything but water.
00:26:57.01\00:26:58.88
I can't think of anything
but quenching the thirst.
00:26:58.91\00:27:01.62
And Jesus says, "I'm the
water and I refresh all."
00:27:01.65\00:27:04.89
So if you're a little bit
dry and you need something,
00:27:04.92\00:27:07.02
God says, "I'm going to
meet that need for you."
00:27:07.06\00:27:09.86
Because to me today
the world that we live in,
00:27:09.89\00:27:12.26
there's millions
perishing, you know,
00:27:12.29\00:27:14.76
for the lack of
Jesus Christ in their life,
00:27:14.80\00:27:17.07
and He just
says, "Come unto Me."
00:27:17.10\00:27:18.60
So we're looking at our lesson,
it brings out, I like this.
00:27:18.63\00:27:22.44
Brother Mark Finley
brought out, the Dead Sea.
00:27:22.47\00:27:25.31
Dead Sea marks the
earth's lowest elevation,
00:27:25.34\00:27:28.44
you know, and
illustration is good here.
00:27:28.48\00:27:30.31
Illustration that its salt
00:27:30.35\00:27:31.95
and its mineral
content is very high is what?
00:27:31.98\00:27:34.22
Over 33%.
00:27:34.25\00:27:36.32
That means that really
nothing really can live in that.
00:27:36.35\00:27:38.55
There's no fish,
there's no plants,
00:27:38.59\00:27:40.69
there's little can
survive in that situation.
00:27:40.72\00:27:44.66
No place to go. It's a dead end.
00:27:44.69\00:27:47.40
How about it with us?
00:27:47.43\00:27:48.76
Could this
possibly illustrate us
00:27:48.80\00:27:51.13
in our Christian
experience in our lives,
00:27:51.17\00:27:54.04
Christ flows in
us, He flows His grace
00:27:54.07\00:27:57.54
and His love into
us and then somehow
00:27:57.57\00:28:00.61
we have to by the
grace of God let it go out.
00:28:00.64\00:28:03.98
It's not always just coming in,
00:28:04.01\00:28:05.35
it's what goes
out to other people.
00:28:05.38\00:28:08.45
And if it doesn't
just like the Dead Sea,
00:28:08.48\00:28:11.32
it becomes stagnant.
00:28:11.35\00:28:13.36
You know, some old pond,
00:28:13.39\00:28:15.29
we have a lot of dead end
ponds here in Southern Illinois.
00:28:15.32\00:28:18.79
And after a while
they become stagnant,
00:28:18.83\00:28:20.30
they're dead and
actually it begin to stink.
00:28:20.33\00:28:23.67
And so as we look
at this right here,
00:28:23.70\00:28:25.03
we'll find out
stagnant means it becomes,
00:28:25.07\00:28:26.90
we become dull if we're
not imparting it to others,
00:28:26.94\00:28:29.57
we become very sluggish
00:28:29.60\00:28:31.47
and we're without
any kind of motion.
00:28:31.51\00:28:34.34
And God wants us
to be as you mentioned
00:28:34.38\00:28:35.78
before in motion,
so it becomes, we say,
00:28:35.81\00:28:38.31
it's stinky if there's
not some movement going on.
00:28:38.35\00:28:40.82
So as a Christian, we
don't want to be stinky,
00:28:40.85\00:28:43.15
we want to be what?
00:28:43.18\00:28:44.52
We want to be
something that's moving forward
00:28:44.55\00:28:46.35
and will help
others along the way.
00:28:46.39\00:28:47.82
So believers were to receive
00:28:47.86\00:28:49.69
those streams of
living water that
00:28:49.72\00:28:51.29
Jesus offers to us.
00:28:51.33\00:28:53.03
John 7:37 and 38.
00:28:53.06\00:28:56.50
It says this, this, I
mean, this is really good
00:28:56.53\00:28:58.93
when you look into it.
00:28:58.97\00:29:00.30
It says, "In the last days,
the great day of the feast."
00:29:00.34\00:29:03.51
Notice he didn't say anything
about the first few days of it,
00:29:03.54\00:29:06.84
just said the last day,
there's something to this here.
00:29:06.88\00:29:09.34
The feast, Jesus
stood up and cried, saying,
00:29:09.38\00:29:11.78
"If any man
thirst," notice this,
00:29:11.81\00:29:14.45
"let him come
unto me and drink."
00:29:14.48\00:29:17.79
The verse 38, "He
that believeth on me,
00:29:17.82\00:29:20.32
as the scripture hath
said, out of his belly,"
00:29:20.36\00:29:24.23
that would be out of
his heart, wouldn't it?
00:29:24.26\00:29:26.23
"Out of his
mind, out of his being"
00:29:26.26\00:29:28.13
and one of the word translates,
00:29:28.16\00:29:29.50
"out of his wound as
it would be flows rivers."
00:29:29.53\00:29:32.57
And that word is
translated floods, right,
00:29:32.60\00:29:34.50
floods of living water.
00:29:34.54\00:29:36.50
I looked at it and I thought,
how interesting outflows water
00:29:36.54\00:29:39.51
and it says there one
00:29:39.54\00:29:40.88
of the
translations is drinkable water,
00:29:40.91\00:29:43.78
not stagnant, not stinky
water, but it's drinkable water
00:29:43.81\00:29:47.38
because Jesus wants to,
you know, to come inside of us.
00:29:47.42\00:29:50.99
And here we see in
this passage right here,
00:29:51.02\00:29:54.22
the fullness, the
substance of the gospel.
00:29:54.26\00:29:58.19
Jesus says, "Come unto me",
00:29:58.23\00:29:59.56
notice, unto me,
come unto Christ,
00:29:59.59\00:30:01.26
come to me I give to you,
00:30:01.30\00:30:02.63
but I want you to go
and then give it to others.
00:30:02.66\00:30:05.47
This is our
mission. This is our goal.
00:30:05.50\00:30:07.07
But I might encourage
you, you know, you cannot,
00:30:07.10\00:30:10.17
I cannot give what I don't have.
00:30:10.21\00:30:13.24
We've heard that over a
lot. You can't give what you...
00:30:13.27\00:30:15.44
And people try to
give, but they don't have it.
00:30:15.48\00:30:18.15
You see, and so God
wants us to come to Him,
00:30:18.18\00:30:20.32
be filled with this living water
00:30:20.35\00:30:21.68
and then give
it to other people.
00:30:21.72\00:30:24.22
Notice that Jesus took
00:30:24.25\00:30:25.59
this
opportunity on the last day,
00:30:25.62\00:30:27.92
you know, He always has a plan.
00:30:27.96\00:30:29.96
There's a plan. I love His plan.
00:30:29.99\00:30:31.33
It's always the best plan.
00:30:31.36\00:30:32.76
And He want to
reach out and when He did,
00:30:32.79\00:30:34.40
He wanted to reach
out to a bunch of people.
00:30:34.43\00:30:36.67
Now think about
a bunch of people.
00:30:36.70\00:30:38.40
People are
getting ready to leave,
00:30:38.43\00:30:39.77
there are ready to go
home, returning to home,
00:30:39.80\00:30:43.00
He wanted them to,
00:30:43.04\00:30:45.14
I think like we have
meetings here at 3ABN
00:30:45.17\00:30:47.84
or you know,
evangelistic crusade,
00:30:47.88\00:30:49.88
you want people to take
something back with them.
00:30:49.91\00:30:53.21
If they don't take
anything back with him,
00:30:53.25\00:30:54.58
it's not been a
fruitful, you know, meetings,
00:30:54.62\00:30:56.99
whatever it might
be here, but note,
00:30:57.02\00:30:58.65
we must consider
every opportunity
00:30:58.69\00:31:00.62
as though it
could be our very last.
00:31:00.66\00:31:03.09
I don't know about
you, but I've missed out
00:31:03.12\00:31:04.46
on those
opportunities in my life.
00:31:04.49\00:31:06.83
When you're talking
to somebody, you know,
00:31:06.86\00:31:08.26
they need Christ, you know,
00:31:08.30\00:31:09.63
maybe that they've
maybe fallen short,
00:31:09.66\00:31:11.47
maybe they're
reaching out somewhat,
00:31:11.50\00:31:12.83
maybe they're not,
00:31:12.87\00:31:14.20
but you have an
opportunity to talk to them,
00:31:14.24\00:31:15.67
or maybe just on this panel,
00:31:15.70\00:31:18.11
every person that
I meet for this day,
00:31:18.14\00:31:21.34
it's impressed on
my mind more and more,
00:31:21.38\00:31:22.91
I may not have that
opportunity again, ever.
00:31:22.94\00:31:26.45
And I want the impression
to be a good impression.
00:31:26.48\00:31:29.48
I want it to be something
they can take home with them,
00:31:29.52\00:31:31.89
something that
maybe by the grace of God
00:31:31.92\00:31:33.32
will meet their
need in this hour
00:31:33.36\00:31:35.62
that we're living in.
00:31:35.66\00:31:37.39
So if there's
anything that I can say,
00:31:37.43\00:31:38.76
anything that it can do,
and certainly accompanied
00:31:38.79\00:31:40.73
by the Holy
Spirit of the Living God.
00:31:40.76\00:31:42.56
We need to do it,
now the Bible said
00:31:42.60\00:31:44.20
is the acceptable time.
00:31:44.23\00:31:46.77
Now's the time, right,
00:31:46.80\00:31:48.14
and they're
talking about salvation.
00:31:48.17\00:31:49.50
It's not tomorrow,
it's not the next week
00:31:49.54\00:31:51.21
or when things are like
00:31:51.24\00:31:52.57
I want them to be,
but today is the day.
00:31:52.61\00:31:55.31
Jesus stood out and He cried.
This always touched my heart.
00:31:55.34\00:31:58.75
He stood out as it were,
the Bible said He cried out,
00:31:58.78\00:32:01.48
He got the people's attention
00:32:01.52\00:32:02.88
because He thought
this may be the last time
00:32:02.92\00:32:05.22
that I'll be able to
talk to them in this life.
00:32:05.25\00:32:08.12
And so all it showed,
00:32:08.16\00:32:09.49
when He cried out,
it showed His love.
00:32:09.52\00:32:11.03
When you cry out as it
were, reach out to somebody,
00:32:11.06\00:32:13.80
you're showing your love to them
00:32:13.83\00:32:15.66
and how you care for them
00:32:15.70\00:32:17.03
and how you want
heaven to be their home.
00:32:17.07\00:32:19.33
He was crying out to those
00:32:19.37\00:32:21.24
who the Bible talks
about have ears to hear.
00:32:21.27\00:32:24.27
We have to have ears to hear.
00:32:24.31\00:32:25.64
We need to pray that
Matthew 13:9 talks about that.
00:32:25.67\00:32:27.81
And Jesus says,
"I'm offering you know,
00:32:27.84\00:32:30.28
I'm offering this free grace,
I'm offering this free mercy."
00:32:30.31\00:32:34.05
Isaiah 55:1 says,
00:32:34.08\00:32:36.08
"Ho, every one that
thirsteth," do what?
00:32:36.12\00:32:40.22
"Come ye to the waters,
and he that hath no money,"
00:32:40.26\00:32:44.19
I like this, that
puts me in that class,
00:32:44.23\00:32:46.23
"you don't have any
money, just come, buy, and eat,
00:32:46.26\00:32:48.73
yea, come, buy wine and milk
00:32:48.76\00:32:51.33
without money
and without price."
00:32:51.37\00:32:53.07
God said, I'm
offering you something free.
00:32:53.10\00:32:54.47
Man, your money is
not going to buy it.
00:32:54.50\00:32:55.90
You can't earn it,
but I'm going to give you
00:32:55.94\00:32:57.47
so just come
00:32:57.51\00:32:58.84
but you're going to have to ask.
00:32:58.87\00:33:00.38
Jesus gives a
general invitation to come.
00:33:00.41\00:33:04.98
I think in
meetings and evangelism
00:33:05.01\00:33:06.51
and sometimes there's
a general call, right,
00:33:06.55\00:33:09.38
then there are specific calls.
00:33:09.42\00:33:11.19
Jesus was giving
a general call, all.
00:33:11.22\00:33:14.26
And today, we're
going to give that call,
00:33:14.29\00:33:16.29
all, all come just
kind of, it's for everyone.
00:33:16.32\00:33:20.30
And so we have to
ask ourselves a question,
00:33:20.33\00:33:21.90
are we really thirsty?
00:33:21.93\00:33:24.43
Do you really want or do
you really need a change?
00:33:24.47\00:33:28.34
Are you just happy with
the way that things are going?
00:33:28.37\00:33:31.51
You have to walk that change.
00:33:31.54\00:33:32.87
And I think people
today are looking and say,
00:33:32.91\00:33:34.24
we need some changes.
00:33:34.28\00:33:35.74
And God said, "I want
you to drink of this water.
00:33:35.78\00:33:38.28
I want you to drink this
well. This will never run dry.
00:33:38.31\00:33:40.92
It'll meet all your
needs." He said, "It's a peace.
00:33:40.95\00:33:43.99
I'll give you a peace
in the midst of a storm,
00:33:44.02\00:33:46.22
a peace that the, you know,
00:33:46.25\00:33:48.46
the world can't give you
and they can't take it away."
00:33:48.49\00:33:51.73
Only God can give you that.
00:33:51.76\00:33:53.19
And He simply says,
bottom line "Come to Me."
00:33:53.23\00:33:56.26
He didn't say go to some person.
00:33:56.30\00:33:59.27
Go to this place over
here. He said, "Come to Me."
00:33:59.30\00:34:03.10
It's not come
to some philosophy.
00:34:03.14\00:34:05.17
It's come to Me, He
said. But how, and then what?
00:34:05.21\00:34:10.08
He is the fountain,
He passes on that water.
00:34:10.11\00:34:13.31
He gives it to
us, our cup is full,
00:34:13.35\00:34:15.38
and our fountain
and then we begin to by
00:34:15.42\00:34:16.85
the grace of God to
pass it on to others.
00:34:16.89\00:34:19.45
There's several songs
certainly got to pass it on.
00:34:19.49\00:34:22.36
I always like that, pass
it on. Don't hang on to it.
00:34:22.39\00:34:26.39
Bible says there in verse 30
as we read on down and He said,
00:34:26.43\00:34:29.20
"He that believeth on me
out of his belly shall flow,"
00:34:29.23\00:34:32.20
notice, "this living water."
00:34:32.23\00:34:33.74
That means what?
00:34:33.77\00:34:35.10
Running water, that means water
00:34:35.14\00:34:36.64
that is in motion, living water,
00:34:36.67\00:34:39.07
prompts us to action.
00:34:39.11\00:34:41.64
I've often said I like to
be around people of action.
00:34:41.68\00:34:44.58
I like to be where
things that are going on.
00:34:44.61\00:34:46.61
I don't want to become stale
in my Christian experience.
00:34:46.65\00:34:48.98
I want to be alive,
I want to be to new,
00:34:49.02\00:34:51.52
I want to be a new
experience every day
00:34:51.55\00:34:53.39
which God promises
00:34:53.42\00:34:54.76
if we're drinking
of that living water.
00:34:54.79\00:34:57.36
It's not whole
hum, it's not dough.
00:34:57.39\00:34:59.69
It's a new
experience every day with Him.
00:34:59.73\00:35:02.03
We can get up with excitement,
say, "God, what is it...
00:35:02.06\00:35:04.47
What are we going to do today?"
00:35:04.50\00:35:06.43
Almost said that in a
nice way by the grace of God,
00:35:06.47\00:35:08.27
how are you
going to use me today
00:35:08.30\00:35:09.64
for Your honor, for Your glory?
00:35:09.67\00:35:11.01
This is the
acceptable time. Amen.
00:35:11.04\00:35:14.51
Thank you, Brother
Kenny. That's great.
00:35:14.54\00:35:16.04
It's encouraging
us to go forward.
00:35:16.08\00:35:18.81
I love this
because the witnessing,
00:35:18.85\00:35:20.52
of course, 3ABN is
an evangelistic tool,
00:35:20.55\00:35:24.35
is a witnessing tool.
00:35:24.39\00:35:25.72
But today we're going to be
talking more about individuals,
00:35:25.75\00:35:28.96
at least in my
mind when I read this,
00:35:28.99\00:35:30.79
it's not about
what's everybody else doing.
00:35:30.83\00:35:32.69
It's what God asked me to do.
00:35:32.73\00:35:34.56
How am I faithful to
the cause of Christ command?
00:35:34.60\00:35:38.43
Loyalty to Christ requires
a commitment to do His will.
00:35:38.47\00:35:42.24
Again, I'm like you, Ryan.
00:35:42.27\00:35:43.84
Some of that Mark laid
some of this out so well,
00:35:43.87\00:35:46.74
I just have to go right with it,
00:35:46.78\00:35:48.64
couldn't have done it
better as you say yourself.
00:35:48.68\00:35:50.68
It necessitates
obedience to His commands.
00:35:50.71\00:35:53.62
It places
priority on the things that
00:35:53.65\00:35:56.89
He places priority on.
00:35:56.92\00:35:59.35
1 Timothy we've
heard it already,
00:35:59.39\00:36:00.92
but 2:3-4 says,
"For this is good
00:36:00.96\00:36:04.29
and acceptable
in the sight of God,
00:36:04.33\00:36:06.16
our Savior, who
will have all men
00:36:06.19\00:36:08.73
to be saved," not
some, "all men to be saved
00:36:08.76\00:36:11.37
and to come to the
knowledge of the truth."
00:36:11.40\00:36:13.84
Very important.
Let's hang on to that.
00:36:13.87\00:36:15.90
2 Peter 3:9, The Lord
00:36:15.94\00:36:17.94
is not slack
concerning his promise,
00:36:17.97\00:36:20.14
as some men count slackness;
00:36:20.18\00:36:22.21
but is longsuffering to us-ward,
00:36:22.24\00:36:24.35
not willing that
any should perish,
00:36:24.38\00:36:26.85
but that all should come,"
00:36:26.88\00:36:29.15
I love that little word
all, right, it's so complete,
00:36:29.18\00:36:32.05
"all should come to repentance."
00:36:32.09\00:36:33.82
The SDA commentary
makes an observation
00:36:33.86\00:36:36.26
on the little word but.
00:36:36.29\00:36:38.33
The Greek for
the word but is alla,
00:36:38.36\00:36:41.70
it says here alla we'll call it.
00:36:41.73\00:36:43.50
It's used here to
emphasize the contrast
00:36:43.53\00:36:46.00
between the misinterpretation
of God's nature namely,
00:36:46.03\00:36:50.34
that He might be
willing for some to perish
00:36:50.37\00:36:53.21
and the truth, of course,
that He wants all to be saved.
00:36:53.24\00:36:58.01
John 3:16, "For
God so loved the world
00:36:58.05\00:37:00.32
that He gave His
only begotten Son
00:37:00.35\00:37:02.52
that whosoever believeth
in Him should not perish,
00:37:02.55\00:37:06.35
but," there's that word,
"but have everlasting life."
00:37:06.39\00:37:09.66
Christ's command for
each and every one of us
00:37:09.69\00:37:12.03
is to participate in His mission
00:37:12.06\00:37:15.13
as witnesses of love
00:37:15.16\00:37:16.90
and grace and
truth, as an out...
00:37:16.93\00:37:19.27
It's actually an outgrowth
00:37:19.30\00:37:20.64
of His desire for
all humanity to be saved.
00:37:20.67\00:37:24.67
These passages tell us
about the heart of God that is
00:37:24.71\00:37:28.38
passionate about saving
people, the love of God,
00:37:28.41\00:37:31.65
how rich and pure, right?
00:37:31.68\00:37:34.55
Amazing, are we going
back to these songs again?
00:37:34.58\00:37:37.29
Acts 13:47 says,
00:37:37.32\00:37:39.59
"For so hath the
Lord commanded us, saying,
00:37:39.62\00:37:42.29
I have set thee to be
a light of the Gentiles,
00:37:42.32\00:37:45.99
that thou
shouldest be for salvation
00:37:46.03\00:37:48.56
unto the ends of the earth."
00:37:48.60\00:37:50.13
And Isaiah 49:6, "And he said,
00:37:50.17\00:37:53.47
'It is a light
thing that thou shouldest
00:37:53.50\00:37:55.87
be my servant to raise
up the tribes of Jacob,
00:37:55.90\00:37:58.97
and to restore the
preserved of Israel:
00:37:59.01\00:38:01.91
I will also give unto
thee a light to the Gentiles,
00:38:01.94\00:38:05.48
that thou mayest be my salvation
00:38:05.51\00:38:07.68
unto the end of the earth.'"
00:38:07.72\00:38:09.12
So in a nutshell here,
what Jesus is saying is
00:38:09.15\00:38:12.55
I call it
literally Matthew 28:18.
00:38:12.59\00:38:15.96
I've lived on this
for, Ryan, almost 35 years,
00:38:15.99\00:38:19.59
the great gospel commission
00:38:19.63\00:38:21.56
is Jesus spake
unto them and I love it.
00:38:21.60\00:38:24.10
He says, "All, that word again,
00:38:24.13\00:38:25.67
all power is given
me in heaven and earth.
00:38:25.70\00:38:28.47
Go ye therefore, right?
You know the rest of it.
00:38:28.50\00:38:31.14
Teach all nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father,
00:38:31.17\00:38:34.44
the Son, and the Holy
Ghost, teaching them to observe,
00:38:34.48\00:38:38.51
the word again, all things
00:38:38.55\00:38:40.28
whatsoever I have
commanded you to do,
00:38:40.32\00:38:42.35
and lo, I am with you always,
even unto the end of the earth.
00:38:42.38\00:38:45.95
I mean, this is
an incredible thing
00:38:45.99\00:38:47.92
what Jesus has said,
I've counted my resources
00:38:47.96\00:38:50.76
in advance and
found him not wanting.
00:38:50.79\00:38:52.83
Dr. Thompson taught
me that a long time ago.
00:38:52.86\00:38:55.23
So when He said, "Go
ye into all the world."
00:38:55.26\00:38:56.83
We can do it.
00:38:56.87\00:38:58.20
May not be literally
00:38:58.23\00:38:59.57
in the other parts of the earth,
00:38:59.60\00:39:00.94
but your world
that God has put you in,
00:39:00.97\00:39:03.10
your neighbors,
your church members.
00:39:03.14\00:39:05.14
So this great gospel
commission is tremendous.
00:39:05.17\00:39:08.41
As we've already
said, it's go ye.
00:39:08.44\00:39:11.18
Now, while all
this seems so easy,
00:39:11.21\00:39:13.42
and it's all set out for us,
00:39:13.45\00:39:15.12
and we all
should be able to do it.
00:39:15.15\00:39:16.85
You think the devil is happy
about this to have in churches,
00:39:16.89\00:39:19.79
and in these churches?
00:39:19.82\00:39:21.16
All right, we know the truth.
00:39:21.19\00:39:22.59
We can take the
Bible, we can go through
00:39:22.62\00:39:23.99
The Ten Commandments,
00:39:24.03\00:39:25.36
we can go through all
kinds of prophetic doctrines,
00:39:25.39\00:39:27.70
we can do all of these things.
00:39:27.73\00:39:29.33
So the devil says,
"I can't beat that,
00:39:29.36\00:39:31.70
but I'm going to go
work into the church."
00:39:31.73\00:39:33.54
So what I want to focus
on for just a few moments
00:39:33.57\00:39:36.14
is how does all this
relate to us as a church,
00:39:36.17\00:39:39.54
in the
community, our local church?
00:39:39.57\00:39:41.64
Are we doing what
God told us to do?
00:39:41.68\00:39:44.28
We know about witnessing,
00:39:44.31\00:39:45.85
but I'm with you, Brother Kenny,
00:39:45.88\00:39:47.22
how can we give
something if we don't have it?
00:39:47.25\00:39:49.45
You can't give
somebody something
00:39:49.48\00:39:50.82
that you don't already have.
00:39:50.85\00:39:52.25
So the problem I
see in the church today
00:39:52.29\00:39:54.56
the devil has set
us up for failure.
00:39:54.59\00:39:57.13
The Lord wants
us to be witnesses,
00:39:57.16\00:39:59.29
but a witness for
Jesus must tell the truth.
00:39:59.33\00:40:01.93
So, to me, it
says we must first come
00:40:01.96\00:40:05.33
to the foot of the cross.
00:40:05.37\00:40:06.90
I'm gonna say it again,
00:40:06.94\00:40:08.27
we must first come
to the foot of the cross
00:40:08.30\00:40:10.04
and experience forgiveness
and mercy before we can go out
00:40:10.07\00:40:13.94
and truly be a
witness for Christ
00:40:13.98\00:40:15.94
by representing His
character within our lives,
00:40:15.98\00:40:19.11
right, so people can see it.
00:40:19.15\00:40:20.48
If we're not fully
committed to Christ,
00:40:20.52\00:40:22.35
several things happen.
00:40:22.38\00:40:23.92
Number one, it knocks out
a lot of professed Christians
00:40:23.95\00:40:27.82
who interpret the Bible to
say what they wanted to say,
00:40:27.86\00:40:30.69
rather than what it really says.
00:40:30.73\00:40:32.59
Right?
00:40:32.63\00:40:33.96
So to be a witness, we
have to tell the truth.
00:40:34.00\00:40:35.40
You all talked about
being a witness while ago.
00:40:35.43\00:40:37.90
Secondly, many of us
00:40:37.93\00:40:39.63
will not pass the
witness for Jesus test,
00:40:39.67\00:40:42.60
because frankly, we
don't love God enough
00:40:42.64\00:40:45.41
or people enough
to sacrifice our time,
00:40:45.44\00:40:47.81
our talents, our
abilities, our finances,
00:40:47.84\00:40:50.68
to take the gospel to the world.
00:40:50.71\00:40:52.68
So many people are trying
to be Christians in the flesh.
00:40:52.71\00:40:56.32
They haven't experienced
that relationships with Jesus
00:40:56.35\00:40:59.99
because they don't
want to go to hell.
00:41:00.02\00:41:01.69
Way too many
preachers spend their efforts
00:41:01.72\00:41:03.86
trying to scare
people into heaven.
00:41:03.89\00:41:06.46
I'll tell you a little story.
00:41:06.49\00:41:07.83
A few years ago, I was
out to West Frankfurt Park,
00:41:07.86\00:41:10.67
had a baseball
game, kids were playing.
00:41:10.70\00:41:13.00
Preacher came up to
me, not of our faith
00:41:13.03\00:41:15.70
but he came up
to me and he said,
00:41:15.74\00:41:17.11
"Danny, I've
known you for years.
00:41:17.14\00:41:18.74
I watched 3ABN, but no more.
00:41:18.77\00:41:20.68
I am done with
3ABN. I said, "Why?"
00:41:20.71\00:41:23.01
And he said, "You
better pay attention
00:41:23.04\00:41:24.65
to who you have
preaching on there."
00:41:24.68\00:41:26.35
And he was upset. I said, "Why?"
00:41:26.38\00:41:28.58
He said, "I heard a guy
00:41:28.62\00:41:29.95
the other night
saying that the people don't,
00:41:29.98\00:41:32.05
God don't burn people
for forever and ever."
00:41:32.09\00:41:34.66
And he said,
"That is just wrong.
00:41:34.69\00:41:36.09
That is terrible for you."
00:41:36.12\00:41:37.96
He said, "Are
you aware of that?"
00:41:37.99\00:41:39.33
I said "Yeah, God
doesn't torture people forever."
00:41:39.36\00:41:42.26
And he said, "You
believe that junk too?"
00:41:42.30\00:41:44.97
And I said, "Yeah."
00:41:45.00\00:41:46.33
And I said, "Well,
why don't we do this?
00:41:46.37\00:41:47.70
Why don't we
have a little study?
00:41:47.74\00:41:49.07
We'll get together, pastor,
00:41:49.10\00:41:50.44
we'll study and see if
we can maybe help each other
00:41:50.47\00:41:52.57
and see what the
Bible really has to say."
00:41:52.61\00:41:54.18
You know what he said?
00:41:54.21\00:41:55.54
"I don't, I'm
not going to do that.
00:41:55.58\00:41:57.01
I don't need to study.
00:41:57.05\00:41:58.38
Listen, let me
just tell you this.
00:41:58.41\00:41:59.91
If you don't teach people that
you're going to burn forever,
00:41:59.95\00:42:02.48
how are you going
to get them saved?"
00:42:02.52\00:42:05.45
He said that, put my hand up.
00:42:05.49\00:42:07.36
Pastor said to me,
00:42:07.39\00:42:08.72
"How else you're
going to get them saved?"
00:42:08.76\00:42:11.13
He warned us.
00:42:11.16\00:42:12.49
I said, "Well, you tell
them about the love of Jesus."
00:42:12.53\00:42:14.96
You don't try to scare
people into being saved.
00:42:15.00\00:42:18.00
God is love.
00:42:18.03\00:42:19.37
We should serve the Lord
because He first loved us
00:42:19.40\00:42:22.50
and gave His life for
us on the cross of Calvary,
00:42:22.54\00:42:24.74
not out of fear.
00:42:24.77\00:42:26.11
When we try to do God's will
00:42:26.14\00:42:27.48
without having the
heart of God instilled in us
00:42:27.51\00:42:31.05
by the Holy Spirit,
we become very unhappy,
00:42:31.08\00:42:34.02
critical, judgmental, impatient,
00:42:34.05\00:42:36.75
and crappy people, right?
00:42:36.79\00:42:38.35
Hardly anyone's worst to be
00:42:38.39\00:42:40.59
around than
legalistic Christian.
00:42:40.62\00:42:42.42
Did you notice that?
00:42:42.46\00:42:43.83
So all you have to do
is read Facebook posts
00:42:43.86\00:42:46.63
by those who
claim to be Christians.
00:42:46.66\00:42:48.26
I have actually
had people cuss me
00:42:48.30\00:42:50.47
in the name of religion,
00:42:50.50\00:42:51.83
because they didn't
like what I said on Facebook.
00:42:51.87\00:42:54.10
Now, think about that.
00:42:54.14\00:42:55.70
What does that do to
people when they read
00:42:55.74\00:42:58.17
all these things
we put on Facebook
00:42:58.21\00:43:00.11
that are not Christians?
00:43:00.14\00:43:01.48
How does it impact them
00:43:01.51\00:43:02.84
the folks that
don't go to church,
00:43:02.88\00:43:04.25
are not Christian?
00:43:04.28\00:43:05.61
It feeds into the...
00:43:05.65\00:43:06.98
I don't go to church
00:43:07.02\00:43:08.35
because there's just way
too many hypocrites category.
00:43:08.38\00:43:12.35
That's where it fits in exactly.
00:43:12.39\00:43:13.76
We should ask the Holy
Spirit to fill us with joy,
00:43:13.79\00:43:16.36
the joy of the Lord.
00:43:16.39\00:43:17.73
The Bible says
the joy of the Lord,
00:43:17.76\00:43:19.56
right, is your strength.
00:43:19.59\00:43:21.26
The joy of the Lord
gives us strength to reach
00:43:21.30\00:43:23.33
for God's provision
of love and salvation.
00:43:23.37\00:43:25.73
For the Lord your
God is living among you.
00:43:25.77\00:43:28.54
He is a mighty Savior,
00:43:28.57\00:43:29.90
He will take delight
in you with gladness.
00:43:29.94\00:43:31.77
With His love, He
will calm all your fears,
00:43:31.81\00:43:34.31
He will rejoice over you.
00:43:34.34\00:43:36.08
Ryan, you said
this with joyful songs.
00:43:36.11\00:43:38.31
Speaking of music,
00:43:38.35\00:43:39.88
our music in
many of our churches
00:43:39.91\00:43:41.62
are either dead or on
the critical list, right?
00:43:41.65\00:43:44.72
And I see you one or the
other or just the opposite,
00:43:44.75\00:43:49.16
they're all about
hype and entertainment.
00:43:49.19\00:43:51.69
So that's a
whole another subject.
00:43:51.73\00:43:53.23
We don't have time for that.
00:43:53.26\00:43:54.76
You make known to
me the path of life
00:43:54.80\00:43:57.80
and you will fill me with joy.
00:43:57.83\00:43:59.63
It's the joy that
people need to see.
00:43:59.67\00:44:01.57
The joy in your presence
00:44:01.60\00:44:02.94
with eternal
pleasures at your right hand.
00:44:02.97\00:44:05.27
With joy, you will draw water
from the wells of salvation.
00:44:05.31\00:44:09.98
When that happens,
00:44:10.01\00:44:11.35
people will want
to come to church.
00:44:11.38\00:44:13.15
They'll want to get to know you.
00:44:13.18\00:44:14.52
They'll want to be around you.
00:44:14.55\00:44:15.88
When we have the joy
of the Lord in our heart,
00:44:15.92\00:44:17.45
it makes its way out as
a bright light to others.
00:44:17.49\00:44:20.76
John 12:32 says,
00:44:20.79\00:44:22.42
"And I, if I be
lifted up from this earth,
00:44:22.46\00:44:24.69
will draw,"
what's that word again,
00:44:24.73\00:44:27.00
"all men unto me."
00:44:27.03\00:44:28.36
Isn't that amazing?
00:44:28.40\00:44:29.73
Remember, if we're going
to be a witness for Jesus
00:44:29.76\00:44:31.70
and our words in our life
will line up with God's word,
00:44:31.73\00:44:36.24
yes, we will
still make mistakes,
00:44:36.27\00:44:38.31
we'll still come
short of the glory of God,
00:44:38.34\00:44:40.48
but we can confess
our sins and when we do,
00:44:40.51\00:44:43.08
He is faithful
and just to forgive us
00:44:43.11\00:44:45.01
from our sins and to cleanse
us from all unrighteousness.
00:44:45.05\00:44:49.55
Jesus said, "I am the
way, the truth and the life."
00:44:49.58\00:44:53.05
I'm about, I've run out of stuff
00:44:53.09\00:44:54.42
but let me just
leave your last one here.
00:44:54.46\00:44:56.09
My time is about out to
encourage you, Hebrews 12:1,
00:44:56.12\00:44:59.79
"Wherefore
seeing we are compassed
00:44:59.83\00:45:01.46
about with so great
a cloud of witnesses,
00:45:01.50\00:45:03.97
let us lay aside every weight,
00:45:04.00\00:45:05.80
and the sin which
doth so easily beset us,
00:45:05.83\00:45:09.87
and let us run with patience
00:45:09.90\00:45:12.01
the race that is set before us."
00:45:12.04\00:45:14.54
Amen. Thank you so much Danny.
00:45:14.58\00:45:17.31
What an incredible
lesson. Why witness?
00:45:17.35\00:45:20.22
We witness
because it's God's desire
00:45:20.25\00:45:22.42
that we are saved.
00:45:22.45\00:45:23.79
We witness because it
makes the heart of Jesus glad,
00:45:23.82\00:45:27.12
as you shared.
00:45:27.16\00:45:28.49
We witness because
it grows our own faith
00:45:28.52\00:45:31.19
and walk with Him
00:45:31.23\00:45:32.56
and we don't
become like the Dead Sea.
00:45:32.59\00:45:34.20
We witness because it
is God's command to witness
00:45:34.23\00:45:37.53
and because He has changed us
00:45:37.57\00:45:40.20
and we want to share
that joy with others.
00:45:40.24\00:45:43.20
We witness
because He first loved us
00:45:43.24\00:45:47.31
and because we
are motivated by love.
00:45:47.34\00:45:49.74
That's my lesson
Thursday is "Motivated by Love."
00:45:49.78\00:45:53.48
We witness because He loved us.
00:45:53.52\00:45:56.32
This is an incredible lesson.
00:45:56.35\00:45:57.85
Special thanks to Pastor Finley.
00:45:57.89\00:45:59.35
I know everyone said that,
00:45:59.39\00:46:00.82
but I've just been so
blessed by this study.
00:46:00.86\00:46:04.13
He said this, in the
lesson, here's a quote from him,
00:46:04.16\00:46:07.33
"There are things you will do
00:46:07.36\00:46:08.70
for love that you will
do for no other reason."
00:46:08.73\00:46:13.84
Is that why you go to work
when you'd rather stay home?
00:46:13.87\00:46:17.31
Is that why you
take out the trash
00:46:17.34\00:46:18.97
when you'd
rather sit and watch TV?
00:46:19.01\00:46:20.98
Is that why you cook the meal
00:46:21.01\00:46:22.71
when you'd
rather just order pizza?
00:46:22.74\00:46:24.95
Is that why you
release the remote
00:46:24.98\00:46:27.85
and let your spouse
watch what they want to watch?
00:46:27.88\00:46:30.49
Is that why you stand for
your spouse or your friend,
00:46:30.52\00:46:33.86
when others turn against them?
00:46:33.89\00:46:36.12
There are things that you
do for love when you do it
00:46:36.16\00:46:38.69
for no other reason.
00:46:38.73\00:46:40.96
They say to love
dearly from the heart,
00:46:41.00\00:46:43.10
all those that love you,
00:46:43.13\00:46:45.63
and to love even
more those that hate you.
00:46:45.67\00:46:50.81
When I think about love, I
think about 1 Corinthians 13.
00:46:50.84\00:46:53.74
What better illustration of love
00:46:53.78\00:46:56.04
than 1 Corinthians
13, the love chapter.
00:46:56.08\00:46:57.61
So let's go there.
00:46:57.65\00:46:58.98
We're going to
read the whole chapter.
00:46:59.01\00:47:00.42
1 Corinthians Chapter 13.
00:47:00.45\00:47:03.12
I've broken it down into
three different sections,
00:47:03.15\00:47:06.02
you knew that was
coming, Pastor John.
00:47:06.05\00:47:07.39
That's right.
00:47:07.42\00:47:08.76
The pre-eminence of
love, the practice of love
00:47:08.79\00:47:13.36
and the perpetuity of love.
00:47:13.40\00:47:16.33
So the pre-eminence of love
00:47:16.36\00:47:17.70
we see in the
first three verses.
00:47:17.73\00:47:19.83
"Though I speak
00:47:19.87\00:47:21.20
with the tongues
of men and of angels."
00:47:21.24\00:47:22.87
And I want to pause a moment,
00:47:22.90\00:47:24.24
that word though,
means in the Greek if.
00:47:24.27\00:47:27.58
It's conditional,
so you could replace
00:47:27.61\00:47:29.98
the though with if.
00:47:30.01\00:47:32.21
"Though I speak or if I speak
00:47:32.25\00:47:34.78
with the tongues
of men and of angels,
00:47:34.82\00:47:36.32
but have not love,
00:47:36.35\00:47:37.69
I have become sounding
brass or a clanging cymbal."
00:47:37.72\00:47:41.06
And though or if I
have the gift of prophecy,
00:47:41.09\00:47:44.49
and understand all
mysteries and all knowledge,
00:47:44.53\00:47:46.66
and if I have all faith,
00:47:46.70\00:47:49.30
so that I could
remove mountains,
00:47:49.33\00:47:50.87
but have not love, I am nothing.
00:47:50.90\00:47:53.87
And if I bestow all my
goods to feed the poor,
00:47:53.90\00:47:56.64
and if I give my
body to be burned,
00:47:56.67\00:47:58.47
but have not love,
it profits me nothing."
00:47:58.51\00:48:02.24
Now this is the
pre-eminence of love.
00:48:02.28\00:48:04.95
1 Corinthians 12,
which just finished
00:48:04.98\00:48:07.32
before we got
to 1 Corinthians 13
00:48:07.35\00:48:08.88
is all about the spiritual gifts
00:48:08.92\00:48:11.29
that God has given
to the body of Christ.
00:48:11.32\00:48:15.42
1 Corinthians 13 tells us that
00:48:15.46\00:48:17.26
any of those spiritual gifts
00:48:17.29\00:48:18.69
that Paul
referenced in 1 Corinthians 12,
00:48:18.73\00:48:21.23
even if they're exercised
00:48:21.26\00:48:22.66
to their highest
level of performance,
00:48:22.70\00:48:25.97
they're greatly diminished
00:48:26.00\00:48:27.34
if they're
exercised without love.
00:48:27.37\00:48:30.51
Think about the gift of tongues.
00:48:30.54\00:48:32.07
The loveless exercise
00:48:32.11\00:48:33.44
of that gift
doesn't edify others,
00:48:33.48\00:48:35.58
it irritates them because
00:48:35.61\00:48:36.95
it becomes like
a clanging cymbal.
00:48:36.98\00:48:39.08
I remember my cousin
when he began to learn
00:48:39.11\00:48:41.82
to play the violin,
it was very irritating,
00:48:41.85\00:48:43.79
because all you heard
00:48:43.82\00:48:45.15
was squeaking
right on those strings.
00:48:45.19\00:48:49.49
The loveless exercise of it
00:48:49.52\00:48:50.99
does not edify others
but it irritates them.
00:48:51.03\00:48:53.63
The loveless exercise
of the gift of prophecy
00:48:53.66\00:48:55.86
or faith leaves one worthless
00:48:55.90\00:48:58.73
because it says even if I
have that gift of prophecy
00:48:58.77\00:49:01.44
or the gift of faith,
00:49:01.47\00:49:02.80
but have not love I am nothing.
00:49:02.84\00:49:06.14
The loveless sacrifice
does not benefit the giver even
00:49:06.17\00:49:10.61
if I give all my
goods to feed the poor,
00:49:10.65\00:49:13.18
but have not love,
it profits me nothing.
00:49:13.21\00:49:16.69
Now clearly it
would profit other people.
00:49:16.72\00:49:18.45
If you gave away
all your possessions
00:49:18.49\00:49:20.16
it would
definitely help the poor,
00:49:20.19\00:49:22.46
but it would not benefit you.
00:49:22.49\00:49:25.86
I think about Jonah
preaching to the Ninevites,
00:49:25.89\00:49:28.26
it clearly helped
them, they repented,
00:49:28.30\00:49:30.40
but it did not benefit him.
00:49:30.43\00:49:33.44
That's the pre-eminence of love.
00:49:33.47\00:49:35.04
Let's look at
the practice of love.
00:49:35.07\00:49:36.64
Now Paul,
instead of defining love,
00:49:36.67\00:49:39.27
he gives us
characteristics of love.
00:49:39.31\00:49:41.54
We see that seven
characteristics of love
00:49:41.58\00:49:44.11
and eight attitudes of
love that we are to shun.
00:49:44.15\00:49:47.55
I see that just in
these couple verses here.
00:49:47.58\00:49:49.98
Let's look at
those characteristics.
00:49:50.02\00:49:51.72
It says love
suffers long and is kind.
00:49:51.75\00:49:55.09
That's the first
two characteristics.
00:49:55.12\00:49:56.76
Suffers long literally
means long tempered as opposed,
00:49:56.79\00:50:00.20
Danny, to being short tempered.
00:50:00.23\00:50:03.47
Love suffers long,
God is long suffering.
00:50:03.50\00:50:06.17
Romans 2:4, "Do you despise
the riches of His goodness,
00:50:06.20\00:50:09.57
forbearance, and longsuffering,
00:50:09.60\00:50:12.61
not knowing that
the goodness of God,
00:50:12.64\00:50:14.94
is what draws us to repentance?"
00:50:14.98\00:50:18.28
Love suffers long.
Number two, love is kind.
00:50:18.31\00:50:22.25
If patience is the
passive side of love,
00:50:22.28\00:50:25.32
kindness is
clearly the active side.
00:50:25.35\00:50:28.26
Doing good, reaching out.
00:50:28.29\00:50:30.49
Ephesians 4:32, "Be
kind to one another,
00:50:30.53\00:50:33.70
tenderhearted,
forgiving one another,
00:50:33.73\00:50:35.96
even as God in
Christ has forgiven you."
00:50:36.00\00:50:38.73
Now, we're going to remember
00:50:38.77\00:50:40.20
there were seven
characteristics of love,
00:50:40.24\00:50:41.90
but when you read
it through the Bible,
00:50:41.94\00:50:43.61
it gives the first two,
love suffers long and is kind.
00:50:43.64\00:50:46.41
And then it goes
to all those attitudes
00:50:46.44\00:50:48.11
we're to shun,
00:50:48.14\00:50:49.48
so let's go to
the negative side.
00:50:49.51\00:50:50.98
These are those
attitudes that we are to shun.
00:50:51.01\00:50:53.52
Attitudes that
are foreign to love.
00:50:53.55\00:50:55.65
It says love does not envy.
00:50:55.68\00:50:59.19
In other words,
we're to shun jealousy.
00:50:59.22\00:51:01.92
Jealousy is wishing
for something or wishing
00:51:01.96\00:51:05.13
for someone that
00:51:05.16\00:51:06.66
I cannot have
wishing for your car
00:51:06.70\00:51:08.96
or your boat or your home,
00:51:09.00\00:51:11.03
or your spouse or your position
or your money, jealousy.
00:51:11.07\00:51:15.97
Love does not envy.
Love does not parade itself.
00:51:16.00\00:51:21.44
Love is not arrogant.
00:51:21.48\00:51:23.95
I think arrogance and boasting
00:51:23.98\00:51:25.81
are the opposite
side of jealousy.
00:51:25.85\00:51:28.58
You see, jealousy
is my sinful response
00:51:28.62\00:51:31.02
to the
prosperity of other people.
00:51:31.05\00:51:32.95
While arrogance
is my sinful response
00:51:32.99\00:51:35.92
to my own seeming
or apparent prosperity.
00:51:35.96\00:51:39.86
It's letting other people be
00:51:39.89\00:51:42.06
aware of my seeming
success in a way that
00:51:42.10\00:51:44.50
tempts them to be jealous.
00:51:44.53\00:51:46.47
Think about Isaiah 14.
00:51:46.50\00:51:48.64
That's arrogance is definitely
a character trait of the devil.
00:51:48.67\00:51:51.91
What did he say?
00:51:51.94\00:51:53.27
"I will ascend to heaven,
00:51:53.31\00:51:54.64
I will exalt my throne
above the stars of God.
00:51:54.68\00:51:57.38
I will sit on the mount
00:51:57.41\00:51:58.85
of the congregation in
the sides of the north,
00:51:58.88\00:52:00.68
I will ascend above
the heights of the clouds,
00:52:00.72\00:52:02.95
I will be like the Most High."
00:52:02.98\00:52:06.32
It says love is not puffed up.
00:52:06.35\00:52:09.96
The word in Greek is
from the word we get bellows,
00:52:09.99\00:52:12.33
literally puffed up you know
00:52:12.36\00:52:13.73
if you like blow the
bellows to on a fire,
00:52:13.76\00:52:16.46
get puffed up.
00:52:16.50\00:52:18.40
We are not to be arrogant
or prideful or puffed up.
00:52:18.43\00:52:21.64
Love does not behave rudely.
00:52:21.67\00:52:24.27
Have you met any rude
Christians in your life?
00:52:24.31\00:52:26.98
Love does not seek its
own. It is not self-seeking.
00:52:27.01\00:52:31.35
From the cradle to the cross,
00:52:31.38\00:52:33.48
Jesus lived a
self-sacrificing love,
00:52:33.52\00:52:37.62
and He lived to bless others.
00:52:37.65\00:52:39.42
It is not provoked,
love does not have anger.
00:52:39.45\00:52:43.56
It keeps thinks no evil
00:52:43.59\00:52:45.99
or literally keeps
no score of wrongs.
00:52:46.03\00:52:49.83
It does not rejoice in iniquity.
00:52:49.86\00:52:52.37
Now we jump back
00:52:52.40\00:52:53.74
to those
characteristics of love.
00:52:53.77\00:52:55.27
But it rejoices in the truth.
00:52:55.30\00:52:57.11
That's a positive thing.
00:52:57.14\00:52:58.64
But it bears all
things and believes all things
00:52:58.67\00:53:02.21
and hopes all things
and endures all things.
00:53:02.24\00:53:06.58
So we see the
pre-eminence of love.
00:53:06.61\00:53:08.38
We see the practice of love
00:53:08.42\00:53:09.78
how we are called as
Christians to practice love.
00:53:09.82\00:53:12.45
And then the perpetuity of love.
00:53:12.49\00:53:15.16
That is the last
part of the chapter.
00:53:15.19\00:53:17.06
We won't read it all.
00:53:17.09\00:53:18.43
But it simply says
that love never fails.
00:53:18.46\00:53:21.83
We can have prophecy,
we can have knowledge,
00:53:21.86\00:53:23.73
we can have all
kinds of spiritual gifts,
00:53:23.77\00:53:26.07
but they're all
eventually going to pass away
00:53:26.10\00:53:28.94
but love never fails.
00:53:28.97\00:53:32.27
What takeaway lessons
do I get from this lesson?
00:53:32.31\00:53:34.71
I'm motivated by love.
00:53:34.74\00:53:36.31
Number one, God is
the originator of love.
00:53:36.34\00:53:39.81
1 John 4:8, the
Bible says, "God is love."
00:53:39.85\00:53:45.19
Number two, love awakens love.
00:53:45.22\00:53:49.49
1 John 4:19, "We love Him
00:53:49.52\00:53:52.23
because He first loved us."
00:53:52.26\00:53:55.96
You see, we don't even
love without God loving us first
00:53:56.00\00:54:00.57
and awakening in our heart
that love response for Him.
00:54:00.60\00:54:05.01
Number three, a true
Christian will love others.
00:54:05.04\00:54:09.68
1 John 4:7-8, "Beloved,
00:54:09.71\00:54:12.01
let us love one
another, for love is of God,
00:54:12.05\00:54:14.98
and everyone who loves is
born of God and knows God.
00:54:15.02\00:54:18.32
He who does not love does
not know God, for God is love."
00:54:18.35\00:54:23.96
A true Christian
will love others.
00:54:23.99\00:54:26.53
Number four, God's love in us
00:54:26.56\00:54:29.53
is what motivates us to witness
00:54:29.56\00:54:32.17
and to share Him with others.
00:54:32.20\00:54:35.27
2 Corinthians 5:14-15.
00:54:35.30\00:54:38.81
Paul says, "The
love of God compels us,"
00:54:38.84\00:54:41.31
the love of God constrains us,
00:54:41.34\00:54:43.35
the love of God
urges, motivates, impels us,
00:54:43.38\00:54:48.75
"because we judge thus:
that if One died for all,
00:54:48.78\00:54:51.35
then all died;
and He died for all,
00:54:51.39\00:54:53.72
that those who live should
live no longer for themselves,
00:54:53.76\00:54:56.73
but for Him who died
for them and rose again."
00:54:56.76\00:54:59.89
The love of God in
our hearts constrains us,
00:54:59.93\00:55:03.37
compels us to
share Jesus with others.
00:55:03.40\00:55:07.44
And finally, number five,
00:55:07.47\00:55:08.80
we are called to
be His ambassadors.
00:55:08.84\00:55:13.27
2 Corinthians 5,
we are called to share
00:55:13.31\00:55:16.54
that reconciling
message of God with the world.
00:55:16.58\00:55:20.45
I'm so grateful that
love is the motivation.
00:55:20.48\00:55:23.59
Amen. Wow.
00:55:23.62\00:55:25.32
We'll give each
one of you a chance oh,
00:55:25.35\00:55:27.16
happy day making God happy.
00:55:27.19\00:55:29.52
What could you say? No,
I appreciate it, Brother.
00:55:29.56\00:55:32.19
Yeah, you know Brother Kenny
00:55:32.23\00:55:33.76
actually said something
that's sparked my attention.
00:55:33.80\00:55:35.63
He said no one
likes stinky water.
00:55:35.66\00:55:37.90
And you referenced the
Dead Sea and as we were talking,
00:55:37.93\00:55:41.64
going through these lessons,
00:55:41.67\00:55:43.00
I remembered, you know, very,
very nice illustration here.
00:55:43.04\00:55:46.11
The Dead Sea is
dead for a reason.
00:55:46.14\00:55:47.84
Not only is it the lowest point,
00:55:47.88\00:55:49.44
but it receives water.
00:55:49.48\00:55:51.21
In other words, it
receives most of its water
00:55:51.25\00:55:52.58
from the Jordan River,
00:55:52.61\00:55:53.95
but it doesn't put out anywhere.
00:55:53.98\00:55:56.28
You know, much
like our experience,
00:55:56.32\00:55:57.65
are we receiving
the goodness of God,
00:55:57.69\00:55:59.49
but not putting it out and
not sharing it with others.
00:55:59.52\00:56:01.72
This series is
going to help us have
00:56:01.76\00:56:03.56
a new perspective that hopefully
00:56:03.59\00:56:05.39
in sharing the
gospel with others.
00:56:05.43\00:56:07.93
Amen. Stinky water?
00:56:07.96\00:56:12.17
Tuesday's lesson, I was drawing
00:56:12.20\00:56:13.94
something else I've
been going by giving.
00:56:13.97\00:56:15.94
Now here I see a promise.
00:56:15.97\00:56:17.64
And I like a promise
with satisfaction guaranteed.
00:56:17.67\00:56:20.48
And Jesus simply says,
"Let him come and drink.
00:56:20.51\00:56:23.18
If any man's
thirsty just come unto Me."
00:56:23.21\00:56:25.21
He's going to give
you what you come for.
00:56:25.25\00:56:27.18
He's going to give you more
maybe than what you even ask.
00:56:27.22\00:56:30.19
You can count on
that. And then what?
00:56:30.22\00:56:33.29
We grow by giving by
simply as God gives to us,
00:56:33.32\00:56:35.76
we simply just give to others.
00:56:35.79\00:56:37.66
That's right. Amen. Good.
00:56:37.69\00:56:39.83
Our dad used to say mine
and Kenny's dad used to say
00:56:39.86\00:56:42.53
people do what they want to do.
00:56:42.56\00:56:45.47
So really, there's no
excuse not to witness today.
00:56:45.50\00:56:48.37
Maybe you're confined to home,
00:56:48.40\00:56:50.01
whatever else most of you
have at least one of these.
00:56:50.04\00:56:52.77
You can go on this, you
can use your telephones,
00:56:52.81\00:56:55.38
you can write letters,
you can talk to people.
00:56:55.41\00:56:58.01
There's all ways to communicate.
00:56:58.05\00:57:00.52
But in order to
communicate the gospel,
00:57:00.55\00:57:03.12
we need to come to
the foot of the cross,
00:57:03.15\00:57:05.22
deny ourselves, then it says,
00:57:05.25\00:57:06.99
pick up the
cross and follow Him.
00:57:07.02\00:57:09.12
And then go give our
own personal testimony.
00:57:09.16\00:57:11.76
Ellen White says,
"Our greatest asset
00:57:11.79\00:57:13.80
is our own personal testimony
of what God has done for us."
00:57:13.83\00:57:17.37
Amen.
00:57:17.40\00:57:18.73
Romans 5:8, "God
demonstrated His own love for us
00:57:18.77\00:57:21.90
and that while we were
still sinners, He died for us."
00:57:21.94\00:57:25.61
Thank you so much
for all those happy days,
00:57:25.64\00:57:28.44
stinky water.
00:57:28.48\00:57:29.81
It's about all the
things that people love.
00:57:29.84\00:57:32.25
And finally, we are
witness to give people
00:57:32.28\00:57:34.02
their only chance to be saved,
00:57:34.05\00:57:35.98
we witness to give people
their best chance to be saved.
00:57:36.02\00:57:40.16
We thank you for
taken the time to join us.
00:57:40.19\00:57:41.99
We'd like to encourage you,
00:57:42.02\00:57:43.36
we have another
wonderful lesson coming up.
00:57:43.39\00:57:45.46
When some witness
00:57:45.49\00:57:46.83
the power of personal testimony,
00:57:46.86\00:57:49.26
may you experience the
power of your personal witness
00:57:49.30\00:57:52.50
until we see you again.
00:57:52.53\00:57:54.47