Hello once again, friends.
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It's good to be here in Oahu
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having a
wonderful time together.
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I hope you have been
blessed with our series so far.
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We're looking at a
series of messages entitled
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"Equipping the Saints,"
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the spirit of it being.
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We not only want to have
the three angels' messengers,
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but we messages,
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but we want to be the
three angels' messengers
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to give that
message to the world.
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So we want to
learn from the Bible,
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Christ's method
for sharing the truth
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with others and by God's grace,
hastening the return of Jesus.
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We've got a lot to
cover in this message.
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Our message
this time is entitled
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"Doing the wrong job well."
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Doing the wrong job well.
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It's a fascinating study,
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so we're going to
buckle our seatbelts
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but before we dive
into a study of God's Word,
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what must we always do first?
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Pray.
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Let's bow our
heads for word of prayer.
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Heavenly Father,
I thank You so much
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for yet another day of
life and the opportunity
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to visit
together, to fellowship,
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and to study from Your Word.
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Lord, we ask now,
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humbly, yet confidently,
in the name of Jesus,
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that You would send the
power of the Holy Spirit
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to inform us
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and transform us
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that we may become like Jesus
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and work in His cause
hastening His soon return,
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for we pray it in Jesus' name,
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amen.
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Please take your Bibles
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to the Gospel
of Luke Chapter 23.
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Luke 23:43.
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As we continue
studying equipping the saints
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now doing the wrong job well.
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Luke 23:43
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at first blush doesn't
seem to have anything to do
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with church work
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and the technical term
for that is ecclesiology,
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how we go about
doing the work of ministry.
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But there's a principle,
a hermeneutic principle
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and how you read
scripture concept
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that's very important
defined in Luke 23:43.
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I'm going to read this passage
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from the New King James Version,
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you'll find it in
the King James Version.
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Every other
version has this passage,
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and it's rendered the same way.
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And I'm gonna read it
as the punctuation demands,
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okay?
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Luke 23:43 says,
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"And Jesus said to him,
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'Assuredly, I say to you,
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today you will be
with Me in paradise.'
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" Now, my friends,
let me ask you a question.
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Is that what Jesus said?
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Well, yes.
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Those are the
words Jesus used to say.
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But is that what Jesus meant?
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No.
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How do we have the
temerity, the audacity,
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the boldness to say
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though it's written in the Bible
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it doesn't mean what it says?
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Wow!
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Well, because we understand
that the punctuation marks
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were not inspired.
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They are not in the original
manuscripts and autographed.
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You don't have the
Apostle Paul using commas,
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they weren't such
a punctuation issues
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in the writing
of the New Testament
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or the Old
Testament for that matter.
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So they were inserted
over time to give clarity
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and help the
readability of the text.
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But sometimes punctuation
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can change the
meaning of the words,
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that's the difference.
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By the way between,
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it's time to eat, Grandpa,
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and it's time to eat Grandpa.
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It's the exact same
sentence, the same words,
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but a
drastically different meaning
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and what made the
difference was that comma.
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If you say it's time
to eat, comma, Grandpa,
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you're addressing
and informing grandpa,
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but if it's,
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it's time to eat
Grandpa without a comma,
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you are eating grandpa.
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Grandpa would have an
issue with your punctuation
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in that scenario.
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Now, what can we learn
about that from Luke 23:43
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where Jesus says,
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"I say to you,
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today you will be
with Me in paradise."
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The reason it's read that
way is because of that comma
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after the word you.
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But if all you did,
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you didn't change a
single word of that declaration
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and just shifted that
comma one place to the right.
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So it's after today,
it would read this way.
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"I say to you today,
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you will be
with Me in paradise."
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Now is that better?
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Of course, that's better.
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It's not only
better, it's right.
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How do we know it's right?
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Well, this is a
hermeneutic principle
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that we want to
establish with you today,
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and I call it the
fence post principle.
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If there is a loose fence post
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that could lean
one way or the other,
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you don't just find the place
that's most comfortable to you
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and stick it down more firmly.
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What do you do?
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You look at all
the other fence posts
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that are lined up solidly
and you lined that one up
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that could be read either way
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with all the ones that firmly
established that trajectory.
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Does that make sense?
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So for instance, when
you look at this text,
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you always must
look at their context,
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the surrounding passage.
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What happened with
Jesus that weekend?
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Did He die and
immediately returned to heaven?
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No.
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In fact, in the Sunday
morning, He was able to say,
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"Don't touch Me, I have
not yet ascended to My Father."
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And in fact, what does
the entire scripture say
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about the state of the dead?
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The living know
that they will die,
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but the dead know how much?
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Nothing.
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So clearly, Jesus
is not saying today
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you will be with Me in paradise.
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He's saying to him today
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that you will be
with Me in paradise.
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That punctuation
makes a big difference.
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And any
evangelist worth his salt
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has had to deal
with this objection
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from well intended
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but misinformed individuals
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who read the text
according to that punctuation.
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There's nothing
wrong with the words
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but the meaning
imposed upon the words
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by the punctuation
has confused people
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and given them a
misconception about Bible truth.
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Are we all together?
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Now I'm guessing that
most of us are familiar
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with that problem
comma of Luke 23:43.
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Now I want to inform you about
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one that you may
not be so familiar
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but gives the
same amount of trouble.
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Let's go down to
the Book of Ephesians.
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Go to the right in your Bible,
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to the Book of Ephesians.
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Galatians,
Ephesians, Philippians
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that little
sandwich of books there.
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What do we find
from the Apostle Paul,
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some important counsel
about the work of ministry?
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And in Ephesians Chapter 4,
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he begins this
statement in verse 11,
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where he speaks
of Jesus and he says,
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"And he himself
gave some to be apostles,
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some prophets, some evangelists
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and some pastors, and teachers."
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Now from that reading already,
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is everyone in the
church called to be a pastor,
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teacher or an evangelist?
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No, some are.
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That means that others,
most others in fact are not,
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but some are.
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These are responsibilities
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that Christ
established in His church
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to forward His work.
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Then it says what the
job of these apostles,
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and evangelists, and pastors,
and teachers and whatnot,
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what they're supposed to do?
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And this is found in verse 12.
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Now what I'm about to
do is read Ephesians 4:12
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from several different versions
or translations of the Bible.
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And I want you to see
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if the punctuation
makes any difference
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in the meaning conveyed.
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First from the
King James Version.
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Listen to this.
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Ephesians 4:12
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from the King
James Version reads,
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"For..."
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Now this is the job description
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of those pastors,
teachers, evangelists
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that he just
listed out in verse 11.
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What are they there for?
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Verse 12 says,
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"For the
equipping of the saints,
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for the work of ministry,
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for the edifying of
the body of Christ."
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So let me ask you a question.
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How many responsibilities
do these pastors,
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teachers, apostle,
evangelists and prophets?
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How do they have
according to this scripture,
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how many jobs do they have?
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Three.
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To perfect the saints,
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then they're also to
do the work of ministry,
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and finally, they're supposed
to edify the body of Christ,
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three different jobs.
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That's the King James Version.
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And trust me,
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this is not a
symposium on Bible translations,
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we're not going there.
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But look at the
New King James Version
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of the exact same passage.
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Word for word the same,
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the only thing that's
different is the punctuation
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but see if you
notice a different meaning.
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Pastors and teachers
are given for this purpose,
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Verse 12,
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"For the equipping of the saints
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for the work of ministry,
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for the edifying of
the body of Christ."
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They removed one comma,
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and now apparently
there's only two jobs.
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For the equipping of the
saints for the work of ministry,
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for the edifying
of the body of Christ.
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So which is the pastors' job?
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The teachers, the
evangelists, the apostles,
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are they supposed to
do the work of ministry
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and build up?
00:09:07.28\00:09:08.61
Or are they
supposed to equip people
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to do the work of ministry?
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Which one is it?
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Now I know it's
gonna seem like heresy,
00:09:14.18\00:09:16.52
but calm down.
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In Ephesians 4:12
00:09:18.92\00:09:20.86
I believe the New
International Version
00:09:20.89\00:09:23.29
gives us the best
meaning of the passage.
00:09:23.32\00:09:26.39
Here we go.
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"To equip his people
for works of service,
00:09:28.93\00:09:33.13
so that the body of
Christ may be built up."
00:09:33.17\00:09:37.84
Now, how many jobs are there?
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One.
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So what do we do
with this passage,
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'cause we read
three different ways?
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Do we pick the one
we're most comfortable with
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and say, oh, this
must be the meaning
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because it fits
what I'm currently doing?
00:09:49.95\00:09:52.55
No.
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How do we
interpret difficult passages
00:09:53.96\00:09:56.12
or could seem problematic,
00:09:56.16\00:09:58.73
who can have
various interpretations,
00:09:58.76\00:10:00.33
what do we do?
00:10:00.36\00:10:01.70
We do the same thing
we did with Luke 23:43,
00:10:01.73\00:10:03.73
we look at the context.
00:10:03.77\00:10:05.10
What does the
apostle continue to say?
00:10:05.13\00:10:07.70
So we can
understand which one he meant.
00:10:07.74\00:10:10.57
Let's continue reading.
00:10:10.61\00:10:12.24
Again, from the
New King James Version,
00:10:12.27\00:10:13.84
"For the equipping of the saints
00:10:13.88\00:10:15.21
for the work of ministry,
00:10:15.24\00:10:16.58
for the edifying
of the body of Christ,
00:10:16.61\00:10:18.45
till we all
come to the knowledge
00:10:18.48\00:10:20.22
to the unity of the faith
00:10:20.25\00:10:21.58
and of the
knowledge of the Son of God,
00:10:21.62\00:10:23.12
to a perfect man,
00:10:23.15\00:10:24.49
to the measure of the stature
of the fullness of Christ,
00:10:24.52\00:10:26.96
that we should no
longer be children,
00:10:26.99\00:10:28.59
tossed to and
fro and carried about
00:10:28.62\00:10:30.13
with every wind of doctrine,
by the trickery of men,
00:10:30.16\00:10:32.23
in the cunning craftiness
of deceitful plotting.
00:10:32.26\00:10:35.00
But, speaking the truth in love,
00:10:35.03\00:10:36.93
may grow up in
all things into Him
00:10:36.97\00:10:38.93
who is the head Christ."
00:10:38.97\00:10:40.64
Now notice verse 16
is gonna be our answer.
00:10:40.67\00:10:43.17
"From whom,"
that is from Christ,
00:10:43.20\00:10:46.04
"the whole body,
joined and knit together
00:10:46.07\00:10:49.64
by what every joint supplies,
00:10:49.68\00:10:53.82
by which every
part does its share,
00:10:53.85\00:10:58.29
causes growth of the body
00:10:58.32\00:11:00.89
for the edifying
of itself in love."
00:11:00.92\00:11:03.69
Notice His expectation is that,
00:11:03.73\00:11:06.16
every member of the
church will do the work
00:11:06.19\00:11:08.90
and as a result, the
body will be edified,
00:11:08.93\00:11:11.57
and the church will grow.
00:11:11.60\00:11:14.40
So does He expect
that all the pastors,
00:11:14.44\00:11:16.30
and teachers, and evangelists
00:11:16.34\00:11:17.67
are supposed to
perfect the saints
00:11:17.71\00:11:19.04
and also do the work of ministry
00:11:19.07\00:11:20.41
and build up the body of Christ?
00:11:20.44\00:11:22.11
That means the lay people's job
00:11:22.14\00:11:23.48
is to pray for
them and support them
00:11:23.51\00:11:24.85
with their tithes and offerings.
00:11:24.88\00:11:28.02
Now there's nothing wrong
with praying for your pastors,
00:11:28.05\00:11:29.85
please do that.
00:11:29.88\00:11:31.22
Pray for the evangelists,
pray for those leaders,
00:11:31.25\00:11:33.42
those positions
of responsibility
00:11:33.46\00:11:34.79
God has established.
00:11:34.82\00:11:36.16
And yes, support the church
with your tithes and offerings,
00:11:36.19\00:11:37.89
no doubt, but is that the
end of your Christian duty?
00:11:37.93\00:11:41.66
No, apparently
the role of the pastor
00:11:41.70\00:11:44.00
is to train and
equip the members,
00:11:44.03\00:11:45.83
so that they do ministry
00:11:45.87\00:11:47.30
and as a result,
00:11:47.34\00:11:48.67
the church will
grow and be built up.
00:11:48.70\00:11:53.74
Notice this,
00:11:53.78\00:11:55.11
Paul gives this
council over and over.
00:11:55.14\00:11:59.05
Paul view the work
of full-time clergy
00:11:59.08\00:12:02.58
as primarily having
two responsibilities.
00:12:02.62\00:12:05.49
Number one,
00:12:05.52\00:12:07.16
to win souls themselves
00:12:07.19\00:12:09.16
by personal and
public evangelism
00:12:09.19\00:12:11.86
and number two,
00:12:11.89\00:12:13.26
to train local leaders
to manage church families
00:12:13.29\00:12:16.77
and win souls in their sphere.
00:12:16.80\00:12:19.73
Where by the way do you
think Paul got this notion?
00:12:19.77\00:12:22.40
From the model
ministry of Christ.
00:12:22.44\00:12:24.77
Christ came to do ministry
and to train ministers, right?
00:12:24.81\00:12:29.71
And now the church
that is built in His name
00:12:29.74\00:12:31.71
is supposed to go
forward in His methodology,
00:12:31.75\00:12:34.68
in His way of going about
doing the work of ministry.
00:12:34.72\00:12:38.49
Let's take a look at
this in practical terms.
00:12:38.52\00:12:40.16
Go to 2 Timothy.
00:12:40.19\00:12:42.09
If you go to the
t-section of the Bible,
00:12:42.12\00:12:44.33
all the t-books
are gathered together,
00:12:44.36\00:12:46.23
handily enough in
alphabetical order.
00:12:46.26\00:12:48.70
So 2 Timothy,
00:12:48.73\00:12:50.33
Paul is giving counsel to
his young protégé, Timothy.
00:12:50.37\00:12:55.20
And if you've ever been
to an ordination service
00:12:55.24\00:12:57.67
in the
Seventh-day Adventist Church,
00:12:57.71\00:12:59.04
how many of you ever
attended one of those events?
00:12:59.07\00:13:01.01
It's a powerful thing,
it's a prayerful thing.
00:13:01.04\00:13:02.94
They have the other elders
00:13:02.98\00:13:04.35
and they have ordained
ministers come together.
00:13:04.38\00:13:05.81
It's a wonderful
thing but I guarantee you,
00:13:05.85\00:13:08.22
at that event,
00:13:08.25\00:13:10.15
either the pastor
has preached on this
00:13:10.19\00:13:12.15
or on the bulletin
this passage is printed
00:13:12.19\00:13:14.12
but somehow
00:13:14.16\00:13:16.46
this piece of
scripture is invoked
00:13:16.49\00:13:19.79
during the ordination charge
00:13:19.83\00:13:21.56
because this is
Paul's charge to Timothy
00:13:21.60\00:13:23.57
as a gospel minister.
00:13:23.60\00:13:25.00
And notice what
he tells him to do.
00:13:25.03\00:13:26.37
Verse 1,
00:13:26.40\00:13:27.80
"I charge you
therefore before God
00:13:27.84\00:13:30.67
and the Lord Jesus Christ,
00:13:30.71\00:13:32.41
who will judge the
living and the dead
00:13:32.44\00:13:34.51
at His
appearing and His kingdom.
00:13:34.54\00:13:36.98
Preach the word!"
00:13:37.01\00:13:38.51
Amen?
00:13:38.55\00:13:39.88
Notice it does not say
preach popular opinion,
00:13:39.91\00:13:41.88
preach psychology,
00:13:41.92\00:13:43.25
preach your
favorites, preach your whatever.
00:13:43.28\00:13:44.69
He says preach the what?
00:13:44.72\00:13:46.19
The Word.
00:13:46.22\00:13:49.26
"Be ready in
season and out of season.
00:13:49.29\00:13:51.76
Convince, rebuke, exhort,
00:13:51.79\00:13:54.00
with all
longsuffering and teaching."
00:13:54.03\00:13:56.40
Why is it so important?
00:13:56.43\00:13:57.77
Verse 3 "For the
time will come..."
00:13:57.80\00:14:00.64
Notice He doesn't
say the time might come,
00:14:00.67\00:14:02.17
be ready, it could happen.
00:14:02.20\00:14:03.67
"For the time will come
00:14:03.71\00:14:05.94
when they will not
endure sound doctrine,
00:14:05.97\00:14:09.54
but according to
their own desires,
00:14:09.58\00:14:11.78
because they have itching ears,
00:14:11.81\00:14:13.55
they will heap
up for themselves,
00:14:13.58\00:14:15.35
teachers."
00:14:15.38\00:14:16.72
Please notice also,
00:14:16.75\00:14:18.09
it does not say they
will leave the church.
00:14:18.12\00:14:21.72
They like being taught,
00:14:21.76\00:14:23.22
they just want to
hear the things taught
00:14:23.26\00:14:25.03
that they want to hear.
00:14:25.06\00:14:26.39
So they're not
gonna leave the church,
00:14:26.43\00:14:27.76
they're just
gonna leave your church.
00:14:27.80\00:14:30.27
They're gonna go
across the street,
00:14:30.30\00:14:31.63
they're gonna go down the road,
they're gonna go somewhere else
00:14:31.67\00:14:33.64
where a message is more pleasing
00:14:33.67\00:14:35.64
to their itching ears.
00:14:35.67\00:14:38.21
He says they're gonna get
these itching ears, teachers.
00:14:38.24\00:14:41.21
Verse 4,
00:14:41.24\00:14:42.58
"And they will turn
their ears away from the truth,
00:14:42.61\00:14:45.68
and be turned aside to fables."
00:14:45.71\00:14:49.02
So He said, look,
00:14:49.05\00:14:50.39
this is gonna be
a tough ministry,
00:14:50.42\00:14:51.75
you're gonna preach the
Word and you're gonna convince,
00:14:51.79\00:14:53.12
rebuke and exhort,
00:14:53.15\00:14:54.49
and not
everybody's gonna like it.
00:14:54.52\00:14:56.32
In fact, a lot of
people are gonna leave,
00:14:56.36\00:14:59.03
but you be faithful.
00:14:59.06\00:15:00.70
In fact, that's how
He closes in verse 5,
00:15:00.73\00:15:02.70
"But you be
watchful in all things,
00:15:02.73\00:15:06.03
endure afflictions,"
and then watch this,
00:15:06.07\00:15:08.60
"do the work of a," what?
00:15:08.64\00:15:11.91
"An evangelist,
00:15:11.94\00:15:14.41
fulfill your ministry."
00:15:14.44\00:15:16.95
Now oftentimes,
especially in times
00:15:16.98\00:15:19.18
when the church
seems to be drifting
00:15:19.21\00:15:20.82
from its original purpose,
00:15:20.85\00:15:22.18
and other people
are preaching messages
00:15:22.22\00:15:23.59
that may not be as
biblical as they should be,
00:15:23.62\00:15:25.99
the church
members get little antsy,
00:15:26.02\00:15:27.62
a little anxious, and they say,
00:15:27.66\00:15:28.99
you know what, we
should read this here
00:15:29.02\00:15:30.56
and this is what
we need in our church.
00:15:30.59\00:15:31.93
We need a pastor to
come and preach to us
00:15:31.96\00:15:34.63
to preach the Word,
00:15:34.66\00:15:36.36
which of course, we
should preach the word.
00:15:36.40\00:15:38.13
But my question for you today
is not what should He preach,
00:15:38.17\00:15:42.04
but to whom should He preach it?
00:15:42.07\00:15:46.07
It says, preach the Word.
00:15:46.11\00:15:47.84
And my question is to whom?
00:15:47.88\00:15:50.85
I think the answer
is found in verse 5.
00:15:50.88\00:15:54.22
Do the work of an what?
00:15:54.25\00:15:57.12
An evangelist.
00:15:57.15\00:15:59.59
Friends, let me ask you.
00:15:59.62\00:16:01.49
Who do evangelists preach to?
00:16:01.52\00:16:04.09
Believers or non-believers?
00:16:04.13\00:16:07.03
Non-believers.
00:16:07.06\00:16:08.63
The purpose of
evangelism is to make believers
00:16:08.66\00:16:11.83
out of people who
don't already believe, right?
00:16:11.87\00:16:14.80
So He says, you're gonna
go in and preach the Word
00:16:14.84\00:16:17.54
to these people who
haven't been exposed
00:16:17.57\00:16:19.21
and many of them
will not like it,
00:16:19.24\00:16:21.78
but you keep going
00:16:21.81\00:16:23.14
and keep doing that
work of an evangelist.
00:16:23.18\00:16:26.18
Apparently, his
job is to go not preach
00:16:26.21\00:16:29.08
to the members who
are already established,
00:16:29.12\00:16:30.92
but to go win new member
00:16:30.95\00:16:32.42
through the work
of preaching the Word
00:16:32.45\00:16:33.89
in an evangelistic context.
00:16:33.92\00:16:36.32
Do the work of an evangelist.
00:16:36.36\00:16:40.90
Listen to this,
00:16:40.93\00:16:42.26
The Upward Look, page 264.
00:16:42.30\00:16:44.30
Sister White writes,
00:16:44.33\00:16:45.93
speaking of the
members in the pew,
00:16:45.97\00:16:47.87
"My brethren and sisters,
00:16:47.90\00:16:49.80
there is
something more for you to do
00:16:49.84\00:16:52.17
than to sit in your
churches Sabbath after Sabbath
00:16:52.21\00:16:55.74
and listen to the
preaching of the Word.
00:16:55.78\00:17:00.42
You have a work to do
00:17:00.45\00:17:01.78
for your friends and neighbors."
00:17:01.82\00:17:03.49
She then explains,
00:17:03.52\00:17:04.99
"Our ministers
00:17:05.02\00:17:07.26
are not to be encouraged
00:17:07.29\00:17:09.62
to hover about the churches,
to repeat to the believers
00:17:09.66\00:17:13.63
week after
week, the same truths.
00:17:13.66\00:17:17.97
We have a truth that
is saving and precious.
00:17:18.00\00:17:20.40
The Word of God must
be planted in many hearts.
00:17:20.44\00:17:23.27
The bread of
life must be dealt out
00:17:23.30\00:17:24.97
too many hungering souls.
00:17:25.01\00:17:28.74
She says, you
should not come to church
00:17:28.78\00:17:30.65
and expect that same
pastor to be there every week
00:17:30.68\00:17:32.81
teaching you again, and again,
and again about the Sabbath,
00:17:32.85\00:17:35.48
and the state of the
dead, and the sanctuary.
00:17:35.52\00:17:37.09
You've heard the message.
00:17:37.12\00:17:38.45
Now the responsibility,
00:17:38.49\00:17:39.82
you go share it
with someone else.
00:17:39.85\00:17:41.19
But oftentimes,
that's not how it works
00:17:44.23\00:17:45.79
these days in the church.
00:17:45.83\00:17:48.30
We hear preach
the Word, we say yes.
00:17:48.33\00:17:50.07
We need to buy
ourselves a pastor to have here
00:17:50.10\00:17:52.80
to preach to me.
00:17:52.83\00:17:54.70
In fact, that's a
little tongue in cheek,
00:17:54.74\00:17:56.37
of course, but
many people assume
00:17:56.40\00:17:57.94
that the reason they
return tithes and offerings
00:17:57.97\00:17:59.87
is not to go win other souls,
00:17:59.91\00:18:01.44
it's to continue to
minister to their soul.
00:18:01.48\00:18:05.75
That they pay it
therefore, I'm owed it.
00:18:05.78\00:18:10.22
Friends, that's a
dangerous deception.
00:18:10.25\00:18:13.79
Continuing in the
t-section to the right,
00:18:13.82\00:18:15.22
go to The Book of
Titus, just next door,
00:18:15.26\00:18:17.96
another protégé
of the Apostle Paul,
00:18:17.99\00:18:20.23
who he taught how to
do the work of ministry.
00:18:20.26\00:18:24.07
Notice in Titus 1:5.
00:18:24.10\00:18:27.74
It's a single sentence,
but there's a lot in there,
00:18:27.77\00:18:29.54
and we need to break
it down and understand it.
00:18:29.57\00:18:32.17
It says,
00:18:32.21\00:18:33.71
"For this reason I
left you in Crete..."
00:18:33.74\00:18:38.88
So let's pause right there.
00:18:38.91\00:18:41.08
Let's dissect the sentence.
00:18:41.12\00:18:42.45
Apparently,
00:18:42.48\00:18:44.12
Paul and Titus
were laboring together
00:18:44.15\00:18:47.76
as they entered Crete
00:18:47.79\00:18:50.33
and for some
time, they were there,
00:18:50.36\00:18:51.89
but at some point,
00:18:51.93\00:18:53.26
Paul went on beyond
Crete and left Titus there.
00:18:53.29\00:18:57.47
And now he explains, I hope
00:18:57.50\00:18:59.20
and I trust by the
way that he explained
00:18:59.23\00:19:00.90
before he left
what he was going to do.
00:19:00.94\00:19:02.30
I hope the letter to
Titus wasn't the first time
00:19:02.34\00:19:04.74
he got an explanation
00:19:04.77\00:19:06.11
of why Paul was
just gone one day.
00:19:06.14\00:19:07.48
But either way,
00:19:07.51\00:19:09.51
Paul writes and
said, here's the reason
00:19:09.54\00:19:11.41
I left you in Crete,
00:19:11.45\00:19:13.92
that you should
set in order the things
00:19:13.95\00:19:17.39
that are lacking,
00:19:17.42\00:19:19.35
and appoint elders in every city
00:19:19.39\00:19:21.92
as I commanded you.
00:19:21.96\00:19:24.16
So clearly, he already
commanded him about this.
00:19:24.19\00:19:26.49
So he's writing to
remind him of this instruction.
00:19:26.53\00:19:30.77
And he needed to put things
in order that were lacking,
00:19:30.80\00:19:33.70
namely, to
appoint elders, where?
00:19:33.74\00:19:36.40
In every city,
00:19:36.44\00:19:39.17
which tells us
something about Crete.
00:19:39.21\00:19:41.08
Crete was not just a single city
00:19:41.11\00:19:42.71
with one church congregation,
00:19:42.74\00:19:44.81
it was a territory.
00:19:44.85\00:19:46.18
Crete is an island
00:19:46.21\00:19:48.22
and there are many
cities on that island
00:19:48.25\00:19:51.22
or in that territory.
00:19:51.25\00:19:52.65
And so Paul did
not leave Titus there
00:19:52.69\00:19:54.72
to be the pastor of
the church in Crete.
00:19:54.76\00:19:58.23
He left him there to organize
the work in that territory
00:19:58.26\00:20:01.73
by appointing
elders in every city,
00:20:01.76\00:20:04.53
according to the
teaching he already given him.
00:20:04.57\00:20:07.24
Does that make sense?
00:20:07.27\00:20:08.67
So Paul did not say,
00:20:08.70\00:20:10.04
now you are the pastor
to the church in Crete,
00:20:10.07\00:20:12.74
go stay there for
the rest of your life.
00:20:12.77\00:20:15.14
No, no, no.
00:20:15.18\00:20:16.51
He said, you have a work to do.
00:20:16.54\00:20:17.88
Apparently, they had
done the work of evangelism
00:20:17.91\00:20:19.71
and many new
believers have been raised up
00:20:19.75\00:20:21.58
in many different cities.
00:20:21.62\00:20:23.39
But they were scattered,
they were disorganized,
00:20:23.42\00:20:25.69
and they needed to be
brought into working order.
00:20:25.72\00:20:27.92
And he said, Titus,
00:20:27.96\00:20:29.29
now you go back
around to these churches
00:20:29.32\00:20:30.73
in this territory,
00:20:30.76\00:20:32.13
and you appoint
elders in each one
00:20:32.16\00:20:33.80
so that they can run themselves.
00:20:33.83\00:20:36.30
Now where did Paul go?
00:20:36.33\00:20:38.53
He went off to do the
work of an evangelist,
00:20:38.57\00:20:42.10
he went to go, win more souls
00:20:42.14\00:20:43.71
and build up more churches
00:20:43.74\00:20:45.07
and then he would
have follow up work
00:20:45.11\00:20:46.44
to do organizing the whatnot.
00:20:46.47\00:20:48.14
But he had a method of ministry
00:20:48.18\00:20:51.41
that made his mission
so distinct and successful.
00:20:51.45\00:20:56.95
It wasn't just the message,
00:20:56.99\00:20:58.52
but it was his method of working
00:20:58.55\00:21:01.62
that made Paul
such as accessible.
00:21:01.66\00:21:03.56
By the way, can you
imagine the ministry of Paul,
00:21:03.59\00:21:05.69
if he viewed it another way?
00:21:05.73\00:21:07.73
All of those maps in
the back of your Bible,
00:21:07.76\00:21:09.66
instead of having
lines all over the place
00:21:09.70\00:21:11.87
with little dots along
the way where he stopped,
00:21:11.90\00:21:13.54
what if it just had one stop?
00:21:13.57\00:21:16.14
And that was it.
00:21:16.17\00:21:17.51
And he just stayed
there and in that one place
00:21:17.54\00:21:18.97
is the local church for
the rest of his ministry?
00:21:19.01\00:21:21.61
Of course not.
00:21:21.64\00:21:22.98
He understood that
the work of the pastor
00:21:23.01\00:21:24.38
was to do an evangelistic
work, raise up new believers,
00:21:24.41\00:21:27.05
and then organize
the ones that are there,
00:21:27.08\00:21:29.02
so they can take
care of themselves
00:21:29.05\00:21:30.45
and we can move on
and by God's grace,
00:21:30.49\00:21:32.52
give the gospel
to the whole world.
00:21:32.55\00:21:36.26
Now I want to walk you
through Adventist history.
00:21:36.29\00:21:38.23
You know, we got the message
00:21:41.23\00:21:43.10
of the
Seventh-day Advent movement
00:21:43.13\00:21:44.47
directly from the Word of God.
00:21:44.50\00:21:46.03
Amen?
00:21:46.07\00:21:47.40
Everything that we believe
00:21:47.44\00:21:48.77
comes from the
pages of Holy Scripture,
00:21:48.80\00:21:50.87
about the Sabbath,
about the sanctuary,
00:21:50.91\00:21:52.54
about the state of the dead,
00:21:52.57\00:21:53.91
about the second coming,
about the Spirit of Prophecy.
00:21:53.94\00:21:55.98
By the way, we keep
the Spirit of Prophecy
00:21:56.01\00:21:58.05
as faithfully as we do,
00:21:58.08\00:21:59.41
not because we just
like this individual,
00:21:59.45\00:22:01.28
but because the Word of God says
00:22:01.32\00:22:03.28
to listen to
prophets, so we obey, right?
00:22:03.32\00:22:06.35
The message comes
from the scriptures.
00:22:06.39\00:22:09.02
But I believe that
00:22:09.06\00:22:10.39
we're gonna see in
this history outline here,
00:22:10.43\00:22:13.40
that the method of
giving that message
00:22:13.43\00:22:15.93
also came from Scripture.
00:22:15.96\00:22:18.50
Notice this,
00:22:18.53\00:22:19.87
we're gonna
start way back in 1886
00:22:19.90\00:22:21.67
and you realize, of course,
00:22:21.70\00:22:23.04
that the
Seventh-day Adventist Church
00:22:23.07\00:22:24.41
was not organized
officially until 1863.
00:22:24.44\00:22:27.34
Nearly 20 years after the
great disappointment of 1844
00:22:27.38\00:22:30.41
and it took some time to get.
00:22:30.45\00:22:31.78
You know, in the first few years
00:22:31.81\00:22:33.15
they were having their
understanding of gospel truth,
00:22:33.18\00:22:35.65
enlarge and then they
would plant this truth,
00:22:35.68\00:22:38.25
and then they
would organize the work,
00:22:38.29\00:22:39.62
and finally in 1863,
00:22:39.65\00:22:41.56
we had the official
Seventh-day Adventist name
00:22:41.59\00:22:43.99
and organization established.
00:22:44.03\00:22:46.80
But from that time forward,
00:22:46.83\00:22:48.83
the church grew
incredibly quickly.
00:22:48.86\00:22:51.90
In 1863, there were about
00:22:51.93\00:22:53.34
3,500 Seventh-day
Adventists in the world
00:22:53.37\00:22:55.44
and they're all right there
00:22:55.47\00:22:56.81
in the northern
part of North America,
00:22:56.84\00:22:58.51
okay, of the United States.
00:22:58.54\00:23:01.14
But as the work began to go,
00:23:01.18\00:23:04.05
and the message
started to spread,
00:23:04.08\00:23:05.81
it went so quickly that
even secular newspapers,
00:23:05.85\00:23:09.42
even secular journalists
00:23:09.45\00:23:11.09
noted the
rapidity of the growth rate
00:23:11.12\00:23:14.49
of a Seventh-day
Adventist movement.
00:23:14.52\00:23:16.62
And in 1886,
00:23:16.66\00:23:19.46
the Wabash Indiana Plain Dealer
00:23:19.49\00:23:21.66
interviewed one of our
leading elders at the time,
00:23:21.70\00:23:24.57
Brother G.B Starr.
00:23:24.60\00:23:27.84
And here's what
the question was.
00:23:27.87\00:23:30.41
They asked, "By what means
00:23:30.44\00:23:32.84
have you carried
forward your work so rapidly?"
00:23:32.87\00:23:37.38
Here's the answer given.
00:23:37.41\00:23:39.21
"Well, in the first place,
00:23:39.25\00:23:42.52
we have no settled pastors."
00:23:42.55\00:23:48.09
The question was,
00:23:48.12\00:23:49.46
how does your church get
the message out so quickly?
00:23:49.49\00:23:51.29
And his answer was,
00:23:51.33\00:23:52.66
the first thing he can think of,
00:23:52.69\00:23:54.03
we don't have
any settled pastors.
00:23:54.06\00:23:57.27
What did he mean by
that? He goes on to explain.
00:23:57.30\00:23:59.30
"Our church churches are taught
to take care of themselves,
00:23:59.33\00:24:04.47
while nearly all
of our ministers work
00:24:04.51\00:24:06.84
as," what do you think?
00:24:06.88\00:24:08.48
"Evangelists in new fields."
00:24:08.51\00:24:11.65
So he says, we
have no settled pastors,
00:24:11.68\00:24:13.52
but nearly all
work as evangelists.
00:24:13.55\00:24:16.05
That means the few others
must have been administrators
00:24:16.08\00:24:18.69
organizing the work,
00:24:18.72\00:24:20.06
but there were no
local settled pastors.
00:24:20.09\00:24:23.49
And he said, this
is one of the keys
00:24:23.53\00:24:25.13
of our rapid
expansion, that was 1886.
00:24:25.16\00:24:29.26
Let's move forward in time,
00:24:29.30\00:24:32.17
26 years later, in 1912.
00:24:32.20\00:24:36.30
Here the General Conference
president was A. G. Daniells,
00:24:36.34\00:24:39.27
and he was speaking to
a ministerial institute
00:24:39.31\00:24:41.34
in the city of Los
Angeles, California.
00:24:41.38\00:24:43.85
So to organized
group of ministers,
00:24:43.88\00:24:46.51
the General Conference
President spoke these words.
00:24:46.55\00:24:49.75
He says,
00:24:49.78\00:24:51.12
"We have not settled
our ministers over churches
00:24:51.15\00:24:54.32
as pastors
00:24:54.36\00:24:56.12
to any large extent."
00:24:56.16\00:25:00.53
Twenty six years
earlier, no settled pastors.
00:25:00.56\00:25:03.50
By 1912,
00:25:03.53\00:25:05.50
not to any large extent,
00:25:05.53\00:25:08.60
that means that
there must be by this time,
00:25:08.64\00:25:11.64
a few, there must be some.
00:25:11.67\00:25:14.34
By the way,
00:25:14.38\00:25:15.94
if there were just
a few settled pastors,
00:25:15.98\00:25:17.71
where do you think
00:25:17.75\00:25:19.08
they would be
landing at that time?
00:25:19.11\00:25:22.08
Over the small rural churches
out in the country districts?
00:25:22.12\00:25:25.15
Nope.
00:25:25.19\00:25:26.52
In the large institute...
This is what he said.
00:25:26.55\00:25:29.62
Again, "We have not settled
our ministers over churches
00:25:29.66\00:25:31.99
as pastors to any large extent.
00:25:32.03\00:25:33.86
In some of the
very large churches
00:25:33.90\00:25:35.60
we have elected
pastors, but as a rule,
00:25:35.63\00:25:39.33
we have held ourselves
ready for field service,
00:25:39.37\00:25:41.87
evangelistic work
00:25:41.90\00:25:43.24
and our brethren and
sisters have held themselves
00:25:43.27\00:25:45.07
ready to maintain
their church services
00:25:45.11\00:25:46.78
and carry forward their church
work without settled pastors."
00:25:46.81\00:25:50.25
Then, A. G.
Daniells is not a prophet,
00:25:50.28\00:25:53.11
but he was insightful
in looking to the future.
00:25:53.15\00:25:55.45
He said this,
00:25:55.48\00:25:56.82
"And I hope
this will never cease
00:25:56.85\00:25:59.35
to be the old of
affairs in this denomination."
00:25:59.39\00:26:03.89
And here's why,
00:26:03.93\00:26:05.43
"For when we cease
our forward movement work
00:26:05.46\00:26:08.06
and begin to
settle over our churches,
00:26:08.10\00:26:10.57
to stay by them,
00:26:10.60\00:26:11.93
and do their
thinking and their praying
00:26:11.97\00:26:13.90
and their work
that is to be done,
00:26:13.94\00:26:16.04
then our churches
will begin to weaken,
00:26:16.07\00:26:18.44
and to lose
their life and spirit,
00:26:18.47\00:26:20.34
and become
paralyzed and fossilized
00:26:20.38\00:26:22.84
and our work
will be on a retreat."
00:26:22.88\00:26:26.48
Notice he says,
00:26:26.51\00:26:27.85
the more pastors we
have in local churches,
00:26:27.88\00:26:29.68
the less
advancement we're gonna have.
00:26:29.72\00:26:33.92
That was 1912.
00:26:33.96\00:26:36.52
Let's go 45
years forward to 1957.
00:26:36.56\00:26:39.89
In a lecture
given at the Washington
00:26:39.93\00:26:41.33
Missionary
College in SDA seminary,
00:26:41.36\00:26:43.87
HMS Richard Sr.,
00:26:43.90\00:26:46.40
lamented what he saw
as the current situation
00:26:46.43\00:26:49.40
of the Seventh-day
Adventist Church at that time.
00:26:49.44\00:26:53.11
"The time of too
many of our preachers,
00:26:53.14\00:26:55.14
instead of being occupied
with carrying the message
00:26:55.18\00:26:57.31
into new fields,
00:26:57.35\00:26:58.68
is taken up in
settling church difficulties
00:26:58.71\00:27:02.55
and laboring for men and women
00:27:02.58\00:27:03.99
who should be towers of strength
00:27:04.02\00:27:05.85
instead of subjects for labor.
00:27:05.89\00:27:08.96
When I was baptized,
00:27:08.99\00:27:10.79
and later became
a young preacher,
00:27:10.83\00:27:12.59
we looked upon churches
00:27:12.63\00:27:13.96
that had to have settled pastors
00:27:14.00\00:27:15.66
over every flock
as being decadent.
00:27:15.70\00:27:19.80
Most of our preachers
were out on the firing line,
00:27:19.83\00:27:22.30
holding meetings,
winning men to Christ,
00:27:22.34\00:27:24.97
and raising up new churches."
00:27:25.01\00:27:28.04
Most of our preachers, he said.
00:27:28.08\00:27:30.25
Then he said,
"Then every few months,"
00:27:30.28\00:27:33.21
now keep that in mind.
00:27:33.25\00:27:34.58
"Every few months
00:27:34.62\00:27:35.95
they would come
around and visit the churches
00:27:35.98\00:27:38.42
that had already
been established.
00:27:38.45\00:27:41.02
This seemed to be
according to our view of it,
00:27:41.06\00:27:45.19
the plan of the
apostolic church."
00:27:45.23\00:27:48.36
They said, "Where did we
get this model of ministry
00:27:48.40\00:27:50.37
with no settled pastors,
00:27:50.40\00:27:51.73
but emphasis on evangelism
00:27:51.77\00:27:53.10
and opening up new fields?"
00:27:53.13\00:27:55.40
We didn't make this up,
00:27:55.44\00:27:56.81
we read the Bible,
we saw the Apostle Paul,
00:27:56.84\00:27:58.84
we saw Titus, we saw Timothy,
00:27:58.87\00:28:00.21
we see all the
apostolic church and we say,
00:28:00.24\00:28:01.84
well, that's how it was supposed
00:28:01.88\00:28:03.21
to go the early days,
maybe in the last days,
00:28:03.24\00:28:04.65
it should move that way too.
00:28:04.68\00:28:07.15
And the Lord blessed
because the church grew,
00:28:07.18\00:28:09.95
but by 1957,
00:28:09.98\00:28:11.32
HMS Richards, soon
he was able to say,
00:28:11.35\00:28:13.09
you know what?
00:28:13.12\00:28:14.46
We're seeing a change,
and it's not for the better.
00:28:14.49\00:28:19.39
1995,
00:28:19.43\00:28:21.93
Elder C. D. Brooks,
00:28:21.96\00:28:24.10
couple of years ago,
by the way, we lost him.
00:28:24.13\00:28:27.44
He was a giant.
00:28:27.47\00:28:29.54
And he said these words,
00:28:29.57\00:28:32.07
"When I was a boy
00:28:32.11\00:28:34.14
we saw our pastor
once every five weeks.
00:28:34.18\00:28:38.75
Today nearly every
Sabbath there is a preacher
00:28:38.78\00:28:41.18
and still our members wonder
00:28:41.22\00:28:43.75
'What's happening to us?
00:28:43.79\00:28:45.65
Is the Holy
Ghost still with us?'
00:28:45.69\00:28:50.06
" HMS Richards Sr., said,
it used to be every few months.
00:28:50.09\00:28:53.06
C. D. Brook
said, every five weeks,
00:28:53.09\00:28:55.70
but he says now every week.
00:28:55.73\00:28:57.60
If you go to a
Seventh-day Adventist church
00:28:57.63\00:28:58.97
every single week,
00:28:59.00\00:29:00.34
you expect to have a
preacher giving you a sermon.
00:29:00.37\00:29:04.04
Has it made the
churches stronger?
00:29:04.07\00:29:07.38
Are we advancing faster?
00:29:07.41\00:29:09.64
Is our growth rate increasing
00:29:09.68\00:29:12.08
because we have
such good preaching now?
00:29:12.11\00:29:15.58
Mercy.
00:29:15.62\00:29:18.09
In 1994,
00:29:18.12\00:29:21.26
the Seventh-day
Adventist Church wrote a...
00:29:21.29\00:29:24.63
I assume the
ministerial department
00:29:24.66\00:29:25.99
of the
Seventh-day Adventist Church,
00:29:26.03\00:29:27.36
the General Conference,
00:29:27.40\00:29:28.73
wrote a handbook for elders,
00:29:28.76\00:29:31.83
local church elders
00:29:31.87\00:29:33.20
for how to
operate the local church.
00:29:33.23\00:29:36.24
And on page 23,
00:29:36.27\00:29:37.61
we find this
fascinating statement.
00:29:37.64\00:29:39.24
It's almost as
though someone noted
00:29:39.27\00:29:40.94
that we had drifted
from a biblical ideal
00:29:40.98\00:29:43.45
not in our
message, but in our method.
00:29:43.48\00:29:46.05
And they wrote these words.
00:29:46.08\00:29:47.68
"During the Middle Ages,
00:29:47.72\00:29:49.62
the clergy largely took
over the work of the church.
00:29:49.65\00:29:54.42
The Seventh-day
Adventist Church still struggles
00:29:54.46\00:29:56.59
to overcome that
Medieval tradition
00:29:56.62\00:29:59.83
and seeks to
restore the biblical concept
00:29:59.86\00:30:02.20
that all
believers are ministers.
00:30:02.23\00:30:05.57
Members in general,
and elders in particular,
00:30:05.60\00:30:09.04
need a greater
vision of their significance
00:30:09.07\00:30:11.44
and responsibility in the church
00:30:11.47\00:30:13.64
and its work."
00:30:13.68\00:30:15.24
So after some 100
years of this drift
00:30:15.28\00:30:17.85
towards settled pastors,
00:30:17.88\00:30:19.38
the Elder's Handbook of 1994
00:30:19.41\00:30:21.22
was able to say
wait a minute, friends,
00:30:21.25\00:30:22.58
we've got a problem.
00:30:22.62\00:30:23.95
We need to reinvigorate
the ministry potential
00:30:23.99\00:30:26.45
of every member
00:30:26.49\00:30:28.12
and have elders
running the local churches.
00:30:28.16\00:30:31.29
This is the biblical
model. And to add, I say, amen.
00:30:31.33\00:30:35.90
Now, I had the opportunity
00:30:35.93\00:30:37.80
to present this
particular message
00:30:37.83\00:30:39.70
at one of our universities.
00:30:39.73\00:30:42.10
And I forgot to bring with me
00:30:42.14\00:30:44.57
the actual Elder's Handbook,
00:30:44.61\00:30:46.24
so I can hold it
in my hand and say,
00:30:46.27\00:30:47.61
see it says here, we
need to get back to this,
00:30:47.64\00:30:50.55
but it's okay, at
the university campus
00:30:50.58\00:30:52.25
there's an
Adventist book center nearby
00:30:52.28\00:30:53.82
and so I went down the street
00:30:53.85\00:30:55.18
and I got that copy
of the Elder's Handbook.
00:30:55.22\00:30:57.09
And to my surprise,
00:30:57.12\00:31:01.46
it was not the little green book
00:31:01.49\00:31:03.43
I was used to.
00:31:03.46\00:31:04.79
They had changed
the color of the cover,
00:31:04.83\00:31:06.59
and now it was blue.
00:31:06.63\00:31:09.20
I said, you
know what? It's okay.
00:31:09.23\00:31:10.70
They've just modified the cover,
00:31:10.73\00:31:12.17
they've used a
different font and a different,
00:31:12.20\00:31:13.97
you know, scheme of design
or something like that is fine.
00:31:14.00\00:31:17.01
So I flipped and
I looked for page 23
00:31:17.04\00:31:19.61
'cause I wanted to
read the statement.
00:31:19.64\00:31:22.91
Well, I found page 23.
00:31:22.94\00:31:24.28
It does have a page 23
but that statement was gone.
00:31:24.31\00:31:28.15
Furthermore, that
entire sentiment was gone.
00:31:28.18\00:31:32.95
But I did find this
interesting statement
00:31:32.99\00:31:34.56
on page 28 of the
revised Elder's Handbook.
00:31:34.59\00:31:39.23
This is the 2013 edition, says,
00:31:39.26\00:31:42.50
see if you can see,
sense a change here,
00:31:42.53\00:31:46.53
"The Seventh-day Adventist
Church is growing rapidly
00:31:46.57\00:31:50.27
and many
churches are understaffed.
00:31:50.31\00:31:52.67
In such situations
00:31:56.24\00:31:58.58
there may be large
multi-church districts
00:31:58.61\00:32:01.18
where a pastor is
shared among several churches
00:32:01.22\00:32:04.35
and is able to visit each church
00:32:04.39\00:32:06.25
only once every
two or three months.
00:32:06.29\00:32:10.93
It is the faithful
service of local elders
00:32:10.96\00:32:13.33
that helps keep these
churches strong and growing."
00:32:13.36\00:32:15.93
What were the problem apparently
00:32:18.93\00:32:20.27
that they're seeing
with those poor churches?
00:32:20.30\00:32:22.37
That they are
tragically understaffed.
00:32:22.40\00:32:25.97
What does that mean?
00:32:26.01\00:32:28.11
Those poor churches
don't have their own pastor.
00:32:28.14\00:32:34.15
And in those rare situations,
00:32:34.18\00:32:36.82
that's where the
elders are helpful
00:32:36.85\00:32:38.32
until we can get
established to get a pastor.
00:32:38.35\00:32:40.66
Now we've got,
studied the Bible.
00:32:47.60\00:32:51.20
We've looked at that
methodology of church growth,
00:32:51.23\00:32:53.77
we've looked at
Adventist history
00:32:53.80\00:32:57.71
and seeing the shift
00:32:57.74\00:32:59.84
and structure there.
00:32:59.87\00:33:02.31
But now I want to take
you to the Spirit of Prophecy.
00:33:02.34\00:33:05.81
And this will be more
Spirit of Prophecy passages
00:33:05.85\00:33:07.75
in one shot than
you probably heard
00:33:07.78\00:33:09.22
in many other sermons.
00:33:09.25\00:33:11.55
I'm not apologizing, by the way,
00:33:11.59\00:33:12.92
I'm just telling you
that's what's coming.
00:33:12.95\00:33:14.92
But I want to see
you if you can develop
00:33:14.96\00:33:16.69
and see if you can sense
00:33:16.73\00:33:18.66
a recurring theme in
her writings here, okay?
00:33:18.69\00:33:22.13
Listen to this, from
Evangelism, page 381.
00:33:22.16\00:33:26.13
"If the proper
instruction were given,
00:33:26.17\00:33:28.30
if the proper
methods were followed,
00:33:28.34\00:33:30.51
every church
member would do his work
00:33:30.54\00:33:32.84
as a member of the body.
00:33:32.87\00:33:34.48
He would do
Christian missionary work.
00:33:34.51\00:33:36.71
But the churches are dying,
00:33:36.75\00:33:39.05
and they want a
minister to preach to them.
00:33:39.08\00:33:43.18
They should be taught
00:33:43.22\00:33:44.55
that unless they can stand alone
00:33:44.59\00:33:46.45
without a minister,
00:33:46.49\00:33:47.99
they need to be converted
anew, and baptized anew.
00:33:48.02\00:33:52.86
They need to be born again."
00:33:52.89\00:33:56.10
Now I don't know if she
was speaking in large terms
00:33:56.13\00:33:58.33
or using
hyperbole to make her point,
00:33:58.37\00:34:00.54
but she's saying that
not that the dependence
00:34:00.57\00:34:03.07
upon a pastor for
your spiritual life
00:34:03.10\00:34:06.21
is something that
requires repentance,
00:34:06.24\00:34:09.24
conversion and re-baptism.
00:34:09.28\00:34:14.32
Whoo!
00:34:14.35\00:34:16.15
Listen to this,
Ministry of Healing, page 149,
00:34:16.18\00:34:19.42
"Every church
should be a training school
00:34:19.45\00:34:22.62
for Christian workers."
00:34:22.66\00:34:24.43
Think about that,
church should be school.
00:34:24.46\00:34:29.80
You don't go there
merely for inspiration,
00:34:29.83\00:34:32.07
you go there for information,
00:34:32.10\00:34:34.10
so you can go to work
00:34:34.14\00:34:35.47
and do a part as the
body of Christ, right?
00:34:35.50\00:34:39.94
"Every church
should be a training school
00:34:39.97\00:34:41.61
for Christian workers.
00:34:41.64\00:34:42.98
Its members should be taught
how to give Bible readings,
00:34:43.01\00:34:45.51
how to conduct and
teach Sabbath school classes,
00:34:45.55\00:34:47.68
how best to help the
poor and to care for the sick,
00:34:47.72\00:34:50.09
how to work for
the unconverted."
00:34:50.12\00:34:52.42
Here we are from the Atlantic
Union Gleaner, January 8, 1902,
00:34:52.45\00:34:56.69
"There should not be a call
00:34:56.73\00:34:58.29
to have settled
pastors over our churches,
00:34:58.33\00:35:00.73
but let the
life-giving power of the truth
00:35:00.76\00:35:02.70
impress the
individual members to act,
00:35:02.73\00:35:05.03
leading them to labor
00:35:05.07\00:35:06.40
interestedly to carry on
efficient missionary work
00:35:06.43\00:35:08.77
in each locality,
00:35:08.80\00:35:10.14
as the hand of God the
churches to be educated
00:35:10.17\00:35:13.01
and trained to do
effective service.
00:35:13.04\00:35:15.51
Its members are to be the Lord's
00:35:15.54\00:35:18.48
devoted Christian workers."
00:35:18.51\00:35:20.98
That was the
Atlantic Union Gleaner, 1902.
00:35:21.02\00:35:23.12
Let's go to the
Pacific Union Recorder
00:35:23.15\00:35:25.12
in the same year 1902.
00:35:25.15\00:35:27.16
"Oh, what a work
there is before us!
00:35:27.19\00:35:30.03
Our ministers are
not to hover over those
00:35:30.06\00:35:32.86
who have received the message.
00:35:32.89\00:35:34.96
Just as soon as a
church is organized,
00:35:35.00\00:35:37.23
let the minister
set the members to work.
00:35:37.27\00:35:40.30
The newly-formed churches
will need to be educated.
00:35:40.34\00:35:43.87
The minister should
devote more of his time
00:35:43.91\00:35:45.94
to educating than to preaching.
00:35:45.97\00:35:48.68
He should teach the people
00:35:48.71\00:35:50.28
how to extend the
knowledge of the truth.
00:35:50.31\00:35:53.38
As a pastor, this is
perhaps one of the most...
00:35:56.38\00:36:01.22
Well, I'll get to
there in a minute.
00:36:01.26\00:36:03.53
Testimonies for the Church,
volume 7, pages 19 and 20.
00:36:03.56\00:36:06.53
"The greatest help
that can be given our people
00:36:06.56\00:36:09.60
is to teach
them to work for God,
00:36:09.63\00:36:11.63
and to depend on Him,
not on the ministers...
00:36:11.67\00:36:15.07
Let the minister
devote more of his time
00:36:15.10\00:36:16.84
to educating than to preaching.
00:36:16.87\00:36:18.61
Let him teach the people
00:36:18.64\00:36:19.97
how to give to others
00:36:20.01\00:36:21.34
the knowledge
they have received."
00:36:21.38\00:36:23.08
So notice the work of
the pastors to do evangelism
00:36:23.11\00:36:25.91
and raise up new believers,
00:36:25.95\00:36:27.28
then train them so
that they can teach
00:36:27.32\00:36:29.35
that to other people
00:36:29.38\00:36:30.72
and they can
manage the local duties
00:36:30.75\00:36:32.75
while they go on and do the work
00:36:32.79\00:36:34.62
of the gospel evangelism.
00:36:34.66\00:36:36.62
This is one of my
favorites, Evangelism, page 382.
00:36:36.66\00:36:38.89
It cuts right to
the heart as a pastor.
00:36:38.93\00:36:41.26
"If the ministers
would get out of the way,
00:36:41.30\00:36:45.90
if they would go
forth into new fields,
00:36:45.93\00:36:48.44
the members would be obliged
to bear responsibilities,
00:36:48.47\00:36:52.17
and their capabilities
would increase by use."
00:36:52.21\00:36:56.85
Let's focus on
this one a little bit.
00:36:56.88\00:36:58.38
She says that the ministers
would just get out of the way
00:36:58.41\00:37:00.75
and go do evangelism.
00:37:00.78\00:37:02.92
The local
members would be obliged
00:37:02.95\00:37:04.99
to start bearing some burdens,
00:37:05.02\00:37:06.49
and she adds their capabilities
would increase by what?
00:37:06.52\00:37:10.79
By use.
00:37:10.83\00:37:12.76
Let's put it in
the physical realm.
00:37:12.79\00:37:14.40
If you were to be in
a terrible car accident,
00:37:14.43\00:37:16.56
and your leg was
broken into many pieces,
00:37:16.60\00:37:18.80
and they had to do
surgery and repair your limb.
00:37:18.83\00:37:21.57
They had to put rods in,
and stitches, and bone-ups,
00:37:21.60\00:37:24.21
you know, knit up the
bones and put you in a cast
00:37:24.24\00:37:26.17
and for weeks,
and weeks, and weeks,
00:37:26.21\00:37:28.41
your body would be healing
00:37:28.44\00:37:29.78
and you'd be
immobilized in this apparatus.
00:37:29.81\00:37:32.01
You would have this cast on
00:37:32.05\00:37:35.35
and after that time,
00:37:35.38\00:37:37.09
once the bones had
healed well enough,
00:37:37.12\00:37:39.35
and they took that cast off,
00:37:39.39\00:37:41.02
would you notice any difference
between this leg and that leg?
00:37:41.06\00:37:45.16
Yes, you would.
00:37:45.19\00:37:47.53
The one that's been in a
cast is gonna look different.
00:37:47.56\00:37:49.86
Why?
00:37:49.90\00:37:51.43
Because the
muscles have atrophied.
00:37:51.47\00:37:54.34
That's gonna be
weaker, it's going to be paler,
00:37:54.37\00:37:56.20
it's gonna maybe,
smell from the cast,
00:37:56.24\00:37:57.84
it's is gonna be a mess, right?
00:37:57.87\00:37:59.81
Now if you were to
hop up on that leg.
00:37:59.84\00:38:03.65
Whoo!
00:38:03.68\00:38:05.01
And then go march a marathon,
00:38:05.05\00:38:07.25
how would you do?
00:38:07.28\00:38:09.75
It would be terrible, right?
00:38:09.78\00:38:12.29
But you would not stand up
have your leg giveaway and say,
00:38:12.32\00:38:15.16
oh, my I must
not have been given
00:38:15.19\00:38:17.03
the gift of walking.
00:38:17.06\00:38:18.39
No.
00:38:21.40\00:38:23.87
And no physical therapist
00:38:23.90\00:38:25.47
who sees you in
that poor condition
00:38:25.50\00:38:26.84
would come into
your room and say,
00:38:26.87\00:38:28.20
oh, my, look at that limb.
00:38:28.24\00:38:30.84
That is so bad.
00:38:30.87\00:38:32.21
I've never seen
anything that bad.
00:38:32.24\00:38:33.58
You know what we
need to do for you?
00:38:33.61\00:38:35.94
I'm gonna
prescribe total bed rest.
00:38:35.98\00:38:40.48
What I want you to
do is lift that leg up,
00:38:40.52\00:38:42.15
lay it on the bed
and never move it again.
00:38:42.18\00:38:46.86
Of course, not.
00:38:46.89\00:38:48.22
Now are they
gonna say go to the gym
00:38:48.26\00:38:49.59
and start really
cranking out weights?
00:38:49.62\00:38:51.09
No.
00:38:51.13\00:38:52.46
They're gonna say what?
00:38:52.49\00:38:53.83
Stretch a little bit,
00:38:53.86\00:38:56.20
take a few little
steps with a walker,
00:38:56.23\00:38:58.67
maybe just
start to rehabilitated
00:38:58.70\00:39:00.54
a little bit more.
00:39:00.57\00:39:01.90
And guess what happens?
00:39:01.94\00:39:03.27
Your capabilities
would increase by what?
00:39:03.30\00:39:05.74
By use.
00:39:05.77\00:39:07.78
Friends, the same is true
00:39:07.81\00:39:09.44
in the spiritual
realm as the physical realm.
00:39:09.48\00:39:12.18
Many people
00:39:12.21\00:39:14.02
not only don't
give Bible studies,
00:39:14.05\00:39:16.18
but if they did,
they would do a bad job.
00:39:16.22\00:39:21.56
Does that mean that they
have not been given the gift
00:39:21.59\00:39:24.56
of sharing their faith?
00:39:24.59\00:39:27.43
No.
00:39:27.46\00:39:28.86
It means they just
haven't done it in a while
00:39:28.90\00:39:31.10
and they need to
get better at it.
00:39:31.13\00:39:33.74
Let me ask you friends,
00:39:33.77\00:39:35.10
is the inability to do something
00:39:35.14\00:39:36.74
or the poor
capacity added evidence
00:39:36.77\00:39:39.04
that you should
therefore not do it ever again.
00:39:39.07\00:39:42.18
No, it is evidence
00:39:42.21\00:39:43.91
that you need to
increase your practice at it,
00:39:43.95\00:39:46.41
so that you become proficient
00:39:46.45\00:39:48.28
and your capabilities
will increase by use.
00:39:48.32\00:39:53.25
Friends, when we
go out door to door
00:39:53.29\00:39:54.62
and knock on the homes of people
00:39:54.66\00:39:56.46
and ask them for Bible studies,
00:39:56.49\00:39:57.83
there are many people
who are terrible at it.
00:39:57.86\00:40:01.53
And they'll say,
"Pastor, it's just not my gift."
00:40:01.56\00:40:04.47
Let me tell you
something, friends,
00:40:04.50\00:40:05.83
nowhere in the Bible do
you find sharing your faith
00:40:05.87\00:40:08.50
and giving the
gospel as a spiritual gift.
00:40:08.54\00:40:12.04
It is expected that every member
00:40:12.07\00:40:14.34
of the body of Christ
is to be a missionary.
00:40:14.38\00:40:18.68
That is the expectation
of God's work for us,
00:40:18.71\00:40:22.02
we're to be missionaries.
00:40:22.05\00:40:24.92
This idea that,
oh, sharing my faith
00:40:24.95\00:40:27.32
and giving the Word of God
00:40:27.36\00:40:28.86
and giving the truth to
my neighbor and my friends
00:40:28.89\00:40:31.49
and my co-workers
and giving Bible studies,
00:40:31.53\00:40:34.53
leading people into the faith.
00:40:34.56\00:40:36.40
That's only for
those well trained,
00:40:36.43\00:40:38.87
highly paid
pastors, evangelists and...
00:40:38.90\00:40:43.30
It is a fatal deception
to the growth of our church
00:40:43.34\00:40:46.01
and the
salvation of souls to think
00:40:46.04\00:40:47.51
that it depends
only on specialist
00:40:47.54\00:40:49.44
when every member
supposed to be a missionary.
00:40:49.48\00:40:52.08
Let's continue,
00:40:52.11\00:40:55.82
October 22, 1889, in
the Review and Herald,
00:40:55.85\00:40:58.32
we read, "If church members
are educated to be silent
00:40:58.35\00:41:01.82
and useless members,
00:41:01.86\00:41:03.73
instead of
benefiting the church,
00:41:03.76\00:41:05.39
they will be a hindrance
to its advancement and growth.
00:41:05.43\00:41:08.30
If they are educated
to lean upon the minister,
00:41:08.33\00:41:11.67
they will
become only inefficient
00:41:11.70\00:41:13.30
and demoralized members
00:41:13.34\00:41:15.94
and the church
will be powerless,
00:41:15.97\00:41:17.74
instead of
active and efficient."
00:41:17.77\00:41:19.47
Now that sounds like a
pretty negative comment.
00:41:19.51\00:41:21.64
But listen to
the beginning again,
00:41:21.68\00:41:23.35
if church members are educated
00:41:23.38\00:41:25.65
to be silent
and useless members.
00:41:25.68\00:41:28.28
I find a great lot
of hope in that, why?
00:41:28.32\00:41:31.35
Because apparently,
00:41:31.39\00:41:32.72
when new people
come unto this message,
00:41:32.75\00:41:34.16
they have to taught,
be taught how to be quiet.
00:41:34.19\00:41:37.86
It doesn't come naturally.
00:41:37.89\00:41:39.36
Have any of you ever met,
00:41:39.39\00:41:40.73
or perhaps even been someone
00:41:40.76\00:41:42.10
who came into the
Seventh-day Adventist message?
00:41:42.13\00:41:45.33
For those first few
days, weeks and months,
00:41:45.37\00:41:47.80
you can't get them to be quiet.
00:41:47.84\00:41:50.61
Everywhere they go,
00:41:50.64\00:41:51.97
they're talking about
the signs of the times,
00:41:52.01\00:41:53.51
and the mark of the beast
and all these kind of truths
00:41:53.54\00:41:55.81
that they've just learned.
00:41:55.84\00:41:57.18
They'll go to the
water cooler at work
00:41:57.21\00:41:58.55
and the neighbor wants to talk
00:41:58.58\00:41:59.91
about the sports
event from the weekend
00:41:59.95\00:42:01.32
and they're like
forget about the sports event,
00:42:01.35\00:42:02.72
let me tell you about the
mark of the beast, do you know?
00:42:02.75\00:42:07.26
But what happens?
00:42:07.29\00:42:09.82
Apparently, they're
educated to be silent
00:42:09.86\00:42:12.03
and useless members.
00:42:12.06\00:42:14.43
Now I don't know
if you attended church
00:42:14.46\00:42:16.06
that puts on a seminar called,
00:42:16.10\00:42:18.07
how to be a silent
and useless member?
00:42:18.10\00:42:24.14
I don't think
I've ever seen a church
00:42:24.17\00:42:25.64
teach people intentionally,
00:42:25.67\00:42:27.71
how to be quiet and useless
00:42:27.74\00:42:32.28
but apparently they are taught.
00:42:32.31\00:42:33.65
Is it possible that they're
learning from our example?
00:42:36.95\00:42:42.09
You take that new believer
who's excited about the truth.
00:42:42.12\00:42:44.63
Six weeks in,
00:42:44.66\00:42:45.99
they're burning
flame of fire for the Lord.
00:42:46.03\00:42:50.27
Six months in,
00:42:50.30\00:42:52.73
there's still a flame
00:42:52.77\00:42:55.27
but they've
calmed down a little bit.
00:42:55.30\00:42:58.14
Six years in,
00:42:58.17\00:42:59.97
if they're still there at all.
00:43:00.01\00:43:03.51
All they've done
is found their place,
00:43:03.55\00:43:05.58
their pew, their routine,
00:43:05.61\00:43:08.48
and they've lost
that missionary zeal
00:43:08.52\00:43:10.55
and now they're
just another member.
00:43:10.59\00:43:13.36
Review and
Herald, July 16, 1908,
00:43:18.93\00:43:21.86
"There are many who have
never heard from the Word
00:43:21.90\00:43:24.00
the reasons for our faith,
00:43:24.03\00:43:26.90
and yet some of our
ministers feel a burden
00:43:26.94\00:43:28.80
to hover over little
companies of believers
00:43:28.84\00:43:31.24
in an effort to
hold them together.
00:43:31.27\00:43:33.88
The best way to
hold them together
00:43:33.91\00:43:35.84
is to induce them to maintain
a living connection with God,
00:43:35.88\00:43:39.38
and to exert their influence
00:43:39.41\00:43:40.88
in seeking to
draw others to Him."
00:43:40.92\00:43:43.15
Help them see that
they have a job to do,
00:43:43.18\00:43:45.85
they have a work to do,
00:43:45.89\00:43:47.22
they have a
ministry of their own,
00:43:47.26\00:43:48.89
maybe they're not ordained,
00:43:48.92\00:43:50.26
maybe they're not paid,
00:43:50.29\00:43:51.63
maybe they don't have
a title or a position,
00:43:51.66\00:43:52.99
but they still have
this gospel message.
00:43:53.03\00:43:55.66
And there should
be a fire in our bones
00:43:55.70\00:43:57.90
to reach the lost.
00:43:57.93\00:44:00.14
New members have to
be educated to be silent.
00:44:00.17\00:44:04.11
You know, I used to think
it was such a powerful thing
00:44:04.14\00:44:05.94
to quote that
statement from Mrs. White
00:44:05.97\00:44:07.31
where she said every church
should be a training center.
00:44:07.34\00:44:10.85
And then it dawned on me one day
00:44:10.88\00:44:12.38
as I was preaching this message
00:44:12.41\00:44:13.92
that every church
already is a training center.
00:44:13.95\00:44:18.72
Every
Seventh-day Adventist Church
00:44:22.36\00:44:24.66
is already a training center.
00:44:24.69\00:44:26.73
The question is, what
are we teaching people to do?
00:44:26.76\00:44:32.43
Friends, we're either
teaching them to be workers,
00:44:32.47\00:44:36.50
or we're training
them to be mere watchers.
00:44:36.54\00:44:39.31
You know, it was
only a few years ago,
00:44:44.15\00:44:45.81
and I've been in
ministry now for some 18 years,
00:44:45.85\00:44:48.32
that I actually figured
out what my job description is.
00:44:48.35\00:44:50.82
You know, when you go
to meet the local church,
00:44:50.85\00:44:52.29
and they wanted, the
conference wants to see
00:44:52.32\00:44:53.66
if you'd be a good
fit there and whatnot,
00:44:53.69\00:44:55.02
they go around the room,
00:44:55.06\00:44:56.39
they'll have 20
or 30 people there.
00:44:56.42\00:44:58.09
And this has happened more
time than once in my ministry,
00:44:58.13\00:45:00.53
they'll go around the
room for a couple of hours,
00:45:00.56\00:45:02.20
ask you every
question, do you do this,
00:45:02.23\00:45:03.60
do you do this, can you do this,
00:45:03.63\00:45:04.97
does your wife do this?
00:45:05.00\00:45:06.33
Well, and they want to know
all the things that you can do.
00:45:06.37\00:45:09.07
And what positions you hold
00:45:09.10\00:45:10.44
and what you do,
what you do, what you do.
00:45:10.47\00:45:12.27
And after one such meeting,
00:45:12.31\00:45:13.64
one of the conference leaders
00:45:13.68\00:45:15.58
put his arm around me.
00:45:15.61\00:45:17.01
As we were going to the
parking lot and he said,
00:45:17.05\00:45:18.48
did you hear their questions?
00:45:18.51\00:45:20.75
He said every
question they ask you
00:45:20.78\00:45:22.52
is what you can do for them.
00:45:22.55\00:45:25.69
He said, now let me
tell you what your job is.
00:45:25.72\00:45:28.29
Your job is to get them
to ask better questions.
00:45:28.32\00:45:33.50
You need to help them see
00:45:33.53\00:45:35.66
that you are not
there to minister for them,
00:45:35.70\00:45:38.23
that you are there to train them
00:45:38.27\00:45:39.90
to minister for others.
00:45:39.93\00:45:42.04
You have to
reframe the whole concept
00:45:42.07\00:45:46.34
or we're gonna
to be sitting here
00:45:46.37\00:45:47.71
dependent on pastors,
00:45:47.74\00:45:49.14
relying less on the Lord
00:45:49.18\00:45:51.71
and doing less of His work.
00:45:51.75\00:45:53.45
Listen to this, from
Gospel Workers, page 197,
00:45:53.48\00:45:55.78
Mrs. White gives
a little parable.
00:45:55.82\00:45:57.82
She says, "In some respects
00:45:57.85\00:46:00.52
the pastor occupies the position
00:46:00.56\00:46:02.92
similar to that of the foreman
of a gang of laboring men
00:46:02.96\00:46:05.86
or the captain of a ship's crew.
00:46:05.89\00:46:08.13
They are expected to see
00:46:08.16\00:46:09.50
that the men over
whom they are set,
00:46:09.53\00:46:11.47
do the work assigned to
them correctly and promptly,
00:46:11.50\00:46:14.50
and only in case of emergency
are they to execute in detail."
00:46:14.54\00:46:20.71
And here comes the parable,
00:46:20.74\00:46:22.14
"The owner of a large mill
00:46:22.18\00:46:24.55
once found his
superintendent in a wheel-pit,
00:46:24.58\00:46:28.02
making some simple repairs,
00:46:28.05\00:46:30.19
while a half-dozen
workmen in the line
00:46:30.22\00:46:32.25
were standing
by, idly looking on."
00:46:32.29\00:46:35.12
So you get the picture.
00:46:35.16\00:46:36.49
There's an owner of the mill,
00:46:36.52\00:46:38.26
he comes in and
finds the superintendent
00:46:38.29\00:46:40.26
that he has hired,
00:46:40.30\00:46:42.00
doing work in the wheel-pit,
00:46:42.03\00:46:43.80
some simple repair
00:46:43.83\00:46:45.17
while six other
workmen are watching.
00:46:45.20\00:46:48.14
The proprietor,
that is the owner
00:46:52.91\00:46:55.44
after learning the facts,
00:46:55.48\00:46:56.85
so as to be sure that
no injustice was done,
00:46:56.88\00:46:59.08
called the foreman to his office
00:46:59.11\00:47:01.55
and handed him his
discharge with full pay.
00:47:01.58\00:47:05.32
What's that code for?
00:47:05.35\00:47:07.62
Hi, can you come by my office?
00:47:07.66\00:47:09.02
Sure, just a minute.
Let me finish this up.
00:47:09.06\00:47:10.89
And when he
comes in, then he says,
00:47:10.93\00:47:12.49
I see you're doing a
lot of work down there.
00:47:12.53\00:47:13.86
Yeah, I'm sweating away.
00:47:13.90\00:47:15.23
I'm doing all the work,
in fact, I need to get back.
00:47:15.26\00:47:16.60
He said, "All right, real quick
before you go, you're fired."
00:47:16.63\00:47:18.57
You can imagine he's like,
"Whoa, whoa, wait a minute.
00:47:21.57\00:47:23.54
Did you say I'm fired?
00:47:23.57\00:47:25.74
Didn't you hear me say
I'm working my tail up.
00:47:25.77\00:47:28.01
I'm the one down in
the pit helping out.
00:47:28.04\00:47:29.74
I'm the only one
down there working
00:47:29.78\00:47:31.88
and you're gonna fire me."
00:47:31.91\00:47:33.31
"In surprise,
00:47:37.39\00:47:38.72
the foreman asked
for the explanation.
00:47:38.75\00:47:41.52
And it was given in these words,
00:47:41.56\00:47:45.33
'I employed you to
keep six men at work.
00:47:45.36\00:47:50.60
I found the six idle,
00:47:50.63\00:47:53.34
and you doing
the work of but one."
00:47:53.37\00:47:55.44
Now listen to this,
00:47:58.54\00:47:59.87
"Your work
00:47:59.91\00:48:01.48
could have been done just
as well by any one of the six.
00:48:01.51\00:48:07.75
One of the reasons
people don't give Bible studies,
00:48:07.78\00:48:09.75
they'll say, well, I mean,
let me introduce my pastor.
00:48:09.78\00:48:11.79
My pastor will do that,
he's trained, he's better,
00:48:11.82\00:48:13.42
he's proficient,
he's more capable.
00:48:13.46\00:48:16.83
We have this
mentality that giving the gospel
00:48:16.86\00:48:19.96
to the lost is a
specialty for just a few,
00:48:20.00\00:48:24.27
when in reality it's the
responsibility of us all.
00:48:24.30\00:48:28.17
Your work could
have been well done
00:48:28.20\00:48:29.90
just as well by
any one of the six.
00:48:29.94\00:48:32.31
She then makes a financial
argument in the parable.
00:48:32.34\00:48:34.91
She says, "I cannot afford
00:48:34.94\00:48:38.71
to pay the wages of seven
00:48:38.75\00:48:41.28
for you to teach
the six how to be idle."
00:48:41.32\00:48:44.32
That thought struck me
00:48:48.62\00:48:51.46
as a revolutionary idea.
00:48:51.49\00:48:55.06
That not only is it too
much work for the one guy,
00:48:55.10\00:48:59.70
but his hard work
00:48:59.73\00:49:02.00
is teaching
laziness to the other six.
00:49:02.04\00:49:06.81
We would call that
in today's nomenclature
00:49:06.84\00:49:08.61
an enabler.
00:49:08.64\00:49:11.08
Instead of getting them to do,
00:49:11.11\00:49:12.48
he just does for them
00:49:12.51\00:49:13.85
and they're learning
idleness from his industry.
00:49:13.88\00:49:20.62
Now think about
the financial argument.
00:49:20.66\00:49:22.62
The proprietor, the owner
is now paying seven salaries
00:49:22.66\00:49:27.70
for one man to work.
00:49:27.73\00:49:31.47
That's just a
bad business model.
00:49:31.50\00:49:33.77
That's poor
stewardship in the house of God.
00:49:33.80\00:49:37.21
Friends, how many Seventh-day
Adventist Churches today
00:49:37.24\00:49:40.18
have that model
00:49:40.21\00:49:41.74
where you have 100 people
watching one person working?
00:49:41.78\00:49:46.85
When that person's job,
00:49:46.88\00:49:48.62
they're getting
paid by the tithe
00:49:48.65\00:49:51.22
to go train 100 people to
be soul winners for Jesus.
00:49:51.25\00:49:56.73
"I cannot afford to pay
the wages of seven for you
00:49:56.76\00:49:59.03
to teach the
six how to be idle."
00:49:59.06\00:50:03.10
She then makes the application.
00:50:03.13\00:50:04.47
"This incident may be
applicable in some cases,
00:50:04.50\00:50:06.90
and in others not.
00:50:06.94\00:50:08.40
But many pastors
fail in not knowing how,
00:50:08.44\00:50:11.27
or in not trying to get
00:50:11.31\00:50:12.64
the full
membership of the church
00:50:12.67\00:50:14.01
actively engaged in
the various departments
00:50:14.04\00:50:15.84
of church work.
00:50:15.88\00:50:17.41
If pastors would give
more attention to getting
00:50:17.45\00:50:19.78
and keeping their flock
actively engaged at work,
00:50:19.81\00:50:23.99
they would accomplish more good,
00:50:24.02\00:50:27.06
have more time for study
00:50:27.09\00:50:29.29
and for religious visiting
00:50:29.32\00:50:31.43
and also avoid
many causes of friction.
00:50:31.46\00:50:35.23
Is it possible
that one of the reasons
00:50:35.26\00:50:37.07
there's always squabbles
00:50:37.10\00:50:38.43
and little
problems in the church
00:50:38.47\00:50:39.80
is that people are sitting there
00:50:39.83\00:50:41.17
twiddling their thumbs
00:50:41.20\00:50:42.54
and they just get in little
pecking fights with each other?
00:50:42.57\00:50:44.21
Have you ever
been in the experience
00:50:44.24\00:50:45.57
where the whole church
is galvanized for mission
00:50:45.61\00:50:47.28
and you're doing an
evangelistic campaign
00:50:47.31\00:50:48.84
or you're doing a Bible
study endeavor of some sort,
00:50:48.88\00:50:51.21
and everybody's
on the same page,
00:50:51.25\00:50:52.75
you got to building
something, something's going on
00:50:52.78\00:50:54.65
and there's a
spirit of cooperation,
00:50:54.68\00:50:56.42
and the thing is
moving and it's exciting.
00:50:56.45\00:50:58.92
No one cares
about the carpet color
00:50:58.95\00:51:00.52
in that scenario.
00:51:00.56\00:51:03.46
But when we stop
our main mission,
00:51:03.49\00:51:07.20
we start looking around
just like in Acts Chapter 6,
00:51:07.23\00:51:09.76
and start disputing and
fighting with each other
00:51:09.80\00:51:14.37
because we're not doing
what God has called us to do.
00:51:14.40\00:51:19.14
Listen to Gospel
Workers, page 352,
00:51:19.17\00:51:21.11
the most solemn
of the statements,
00:51:21.14\00:51:23.85
"The work of God in the
earth can never be finished
00:51:23.88\00:51:29.72
until
00:51:29.75\00:51:32.09
the men and women
comprising our church membership
00:51:32.12\00:51:36.22
rally to the work
00:51:36.26\00:51:37.93
and unite their efforts
00:51:37.96\00:51:39.49
with those of
ministers and church officers."
00:51:39.53\00:51:42.26
I'm so glad that
sentence doesn't stop
00:51:46.30\00:51:48.37
when it says the
work of God in the earth
00:51:48.40\00:51:49.90
can never be finished.
00:51:49.94\00:51:53.01
Apparently, it can be finished,
00:51:53.04\00:51:55.71
but only when members
00:51:55.74\00:51:59.91
become missionaries once again.
00:51:59.95\00:52:01.52
Now let's make one
more argument in favor
00:52:05.65\00:52:08.46
of reorganizing, rethinking
00:52:08.49\00:52:10.53
how we operate
in the local church.
00:52:10.56\00:52:14.90
You can take a
look at the statistics
00:52:14.93\00:52:16.50
of the
Seventh-day Adventist Church.
00:52:16.53\00:52:18.43
They're available online.
00:52:18.47\00:52:20.04
And you take any two
comparably sized entities,
00:52:20.07\00:52:23.24
whether it's a union,
a conference, a division,
00:52:23.27\00:52:25.01
whatever, and compare it
00:52:25.04\00:52:27.11
if they have about
the same number of members
00:52:27.14\00:52:28.78
and look at one variable
and that is simply this.
00:52:28.81\00:52:33.31
How many churches is
each pastor responsible for?
00:52:33.35\00:52:38.62
How many churches per pastor?
00:52:38.65\00:52:41.02
And what you're going to find
00:52:41.06\00:52:43.79
and I'm going to say almost 100%
00:52:43.83\00:52:46.06
because I haven't
looked at everyone,
00:52:46.09\00:52:47.46
and maybe there's some
little anomaly off to the side.
00:52:47.50\00:52:50.03
But every single one
I've seen personally,
00:52:50.07\00:52:53.87
is it the fewer
pastors there are per church,
00:52:53.90\00:52:58.14
that is the more churches
each pastor is responsible for,
00:52:58.17\00:53:03.31
the higher the growth rate
00:53:03.35\00:53:05.75
is in that territory.
00:53:05.78\00:53:08.78
Counterintuitive as it may seem,
00:53:08.82\00:53:11.59
statistically,
00:53:11.62\00:53:12.95
territories with fewer pastors
00:53:12.99\00:53:15.72
almost always grow faster.
00:53:15.76\00:53:20.60
Now, a reasonable
argument could be made
00:53:20.63\00:53:23.67
and I want to be clear, I
am not making this argument.
00:53:23.70\00:53:27.14
But somebody could.
00:53:27.17\00:53:28.90
If they were to look at
that statistics, they could say,
00:53:28.94\00:53:31.37
well, that's obvious then,
00:53:31.41\00:53:32.74
pastors kill church growth.
00:53:32.77\00:53:35.04
Let's get rid of pastors.
00:53:35.08\00:53:37.01
No.
00:53:37.05\00:53:38.38
Does the Bible say that some
are to be pastors and teachers?
00:53:38.41\00:53:40.22
Yes.
00:53:40.25\00:53:41.58
The problem is not that
pastors are doing a bad job.
00:53:44.99\00:53:50.19
The problem is that the pastors
are merely doing the wrong job
00:53:50.23\00:53:54.90
very well.
00:53:54.93\00:53:56.67
Many times the
pastors are doing your job
00:53:56.70\00:54:01.90
and the members
aren't doing any job.
00:54:01.94\00:54:04.37
Our big problem
isn't poor pastors,
00:54:07.78\00:54:09.94
our big problem is
poor expectations of pastors
00:54:09.98\00:54:14.02
held by both lay
people and pastors themselves.
00:54:14.05\00:54:18.55
It isn't that pastors
aren't doing their job well,
00:54:18.59\00:54:20.69
they're just
doing the wrong job.
00:54:20.72\00:54:24.89
This is my appeal today
00:54:24.93\00:54:26.46
to truly be a
people of the book.
00:54:26.49\00:54:30.27
We should work the
way the book directs.
00:54:30.30\00:54:35.00
Inspiration has warned
00:54:35.04\00:54:37.57
and history has demonstrated
00:54:37.61\00:54:40.21
that settled pastors
00:54:40.24\00:54:42.44
lead to settled elders,
00:54:42.48\00:54:44.28
and settled deacons,
00:54:44.31\00:54:46.11
and settled members.
00:54:46.15\00:54:50.22
And we all just
kind of settle in
00:54:50.25\00:54:54.16
to this world
that is not our home.
00:54:54.19\00:54:56.93
Jesus said, "The
harvest is plentiful,
00:55:00.00\00:55:02.60
the harvest truly is great,
00:55:02.63\00:55:04.27
but the laborers are few."
00:55:04.30\00:55:07.04
Friends, I beseech you today
00:55:10.64\00:55:14.91
in the
Seventh-day Adventist Church,
00:55:14.94\00:55:16.58
we could say yes,
00:55:16.61\00:55:17.95
globally and division
wide and union conference wide
00:55:17.98\00:55:20.22
but in your
Seventh-day Adventist Church,
00:55:20.25\00:55:23.72
you can't
control all other things
00:55:23.75\00:55:25.15
but for you and your house.
00:55:25.19\00:55:28.89
Reclaim the word member
00:55:28.92\00:55:31.96
and make it mean
missionary once again.
00:55:31.99\00:55:34.96
We have far too many watchers
00:55:38.07\00:55:41.17
and not nearly enough workers.
00:55:41.20\00:55:43.20
We have plenty of members,
we have over 20 million members
00:55:46.21\00:55:50.38
in the Seventh-day
Adventist Church today.
00:55:50.41\00:55:53.88
What if we reframe that to say
00:55:53.92\00:55:55.25
we in the
Seventh-day Adventist Church
00:55:55.28\00:55:56.62
have 20 million missionaries,
00:55:56.65\00:55:59.89
each one giving Bible studies,
00:55:59.92\00:56:01.66
one at a time, two this time?
00:56:01.69\00:56:03.39
They don't have to
be public evangelist.
00:56:03.43\00:56:04.83
They don't have
to be on the stage,
00:56:04.86\00:56:06.19
don't be traveling the world
00:56:06.23\00:56:07.56
but everywhere where
someone is in darkness,
00:56:07.60\00:56:09.56
they spread the light.
00:56:09.60\00:56:11.47
Everywhere where
someone needs Jesus,
00:56:11.50\00:56:13.47
they give them the Word.
00:56:13.50\00:56:15.37
They're a missionary for Jesus.
00:56:15.40\00:56:18.94
You know, I believe it's
Brother Mark Finley who said,
00:56:18.97\00:56:20.71
coined the phrase.
00:56:20.74\00:56:22.11
"God hasn't called
you to be a missionary
00:56:22.14\00:56:24.31
where you aren't
00:56:24.35\00:56:25.75
until you're a
missionary where you are."
00:56:25.78\00:56:30.15
We've taken this even
the idea of a missionary,
00:56:30.19\00:56:31.92
oh, you have to go far, far away
00:56:31.95\00:56:33.32
and have
sponsorship and this and this.
00:56:33.36\00:56:34.96
When friends, there are
people yes across the sea.
00:56:34.99\00:56:36.96
But there are also
people across the street
00:56:36.99\00:56:38.66
who need Jesus.
00:56:38.69\00:56:40.90
And who's gonna reach them.
00:56:40.93\00:56:42.86
Don't just pray for
the Holy Spirit to do it
00:56:42.90\00:56:44.80
or hope that the
pastor will do it
00:56:44.83\00:56:46.23
or yell at the
conference, someone needs to go.
00:56:46.27\00:56:49.70
Friends, you need to go.
00:56:49.74\00:56:51.71
The Great
Commission is for you too.
00:56:51.74\00:56:55.11
Every member
should be a missionary,
00:56:55.14\00:56:56.95
we need a revitalization
00:56:56.98\00:56:59.65
of lay driven personal ministry
00:56:59.68\00:57:03.82
in the
Seventh-day Adventist Church.
00:57:03.85\00:57:05.42
Let me ask you a question.
00:57:05.45\00:57:06.79
Has our
presentation today been clear?
00:57:06.82\00:57:09.02
Hopefully it's been convincing
00:57:09.06\00:57:10.49
but by God's grace,
00:57:10.53\00:57:11.86
we want to be convicted
00:57:11.89\00:57:14.20
and be converted to
work like Jesus asked.
00:57:14.23\00:57:17.07
Let's bow our heads.
00:57:17.10\00:57:18.43
Heavenly Father,
00:57:18.47\00:57:19.80
I thank You so much,
00:57:19.83\00:57:21.67
that in Your divine plan,
00:57:21.70\00:57:26.51
You have somehow
seen fit to entrust us
00:57:26.54\00:57:30.45
to be Your co-laborers.
00:57:30.48\00:57:33.88
Lord, please forgive any apathy
00:57:33.92\00:57:37.49
or ignorance
00:57:37.52\00:57:38.89
that might have
led us to drift away
00:57:38.92\00:57:40.46
from being missionaries
00:57:40.49\00:57:43.83
to being merely
members in the local church.
00:57:43.86\00:57:48.23
Help us to
reclaim that title again.
00:57:48.26\00:57:51.27
Help us to not do the wrong job
00:57:51.30\00:57:53.84
but help us to do the job
00:57:53.87\00:57:55.20
that you've given
each of us to do that
00:57:55.24\00:57:56.57
is to win souls and
lead others into the truth.
00:57:56.60\00:57:59.47
So forgive us,
empower us, lead us,
00:57:59.51\00:58:02.58
guide us,
encourage us, and bless us,
00:58:02.61\00:58:05.41
for we ask it in Jesus' name.
00:58:05.45\00:58:07.95
Amen.
00:58:07.98\00:58:09.32