I want to spend my life
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Mending broken people
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I want to spend my life
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Removing pain
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Lord, let my words
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Heal a heart that hurts
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I want to spend my life
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Mending broken people
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I want to spend my life
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Mending broken people
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Hello, and
welcome to 3ABN Today.
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My name is CA Murray.
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And allow me please once
again to thank you for sharing
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just a little of your
no doubt busy day with us,
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so thank you for
your love, your prayers,
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your support of this ministry
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as we partner together
to lift up the name of Jesus
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and to do the work
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that He has
assigned to our hands.
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Very, very excited
about our program today
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because of what we're
going to be talking about
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and the family
members who are here with us.
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We're going to talk about
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how not to be a witless witness.
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I have a book in my library,
small paper of that book,
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it has a picture on the cover
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of a man who is standing
on the chest of another man
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who is lying down,
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he's got his Bible in this hand
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and he's got his finger pointed,
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luckily it's a
cartoon, it's a drawing,
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it's not a real picture.
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But it shows witless witnessing.
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How not to try to share
the gospel of Jesus Christ
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and so we're taking
that as our theme for today,
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"How not to be a
witless witness",
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given the call that
Christ has given to all of us
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in the Great
Commission to share,
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to go, to witness,
to teach, to preach,
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to baptize in the
name of the Father,
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Son and Holy Ghost,
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so how do you do
that in the atmosphere
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that we find ourselves today?
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The atmosphere
where everything goes
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and anything you
want to do you can do,
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and there are those
who are trying to hold
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the plumb line and
stand up for Jesus.
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How do you do that in
a loving redemptive way?
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How do you avoid the pitfalls
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that really give a
wrong image of who God is
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as opposed to the
correct image of a God of love.
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And I've got three
eminently qualified persons
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to help us with that question,
with that understanding.
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Dee Casper, he of UnScene Media,
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Dee good to have you here, man.
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Privilege to be here.
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So we saw that
youth is represented
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and represented well,
he's the student of the word.
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And we're glad to have him here.
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The Lady, Shelley Quinn.
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Program Development
Manager here at 3ABN
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and that blonde hair is
graced by a number of hats
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that she is called to wear.
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And we call our
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the maven of
blessings on the Go Evangelism,
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she does so many, many things
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and by the grace
of God does them well.
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And our friend
Pastor Kenny Shelton,
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good to have you here, pastor.
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Good to be here, thank you.
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He of Behold
the Lamb Ministries,
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recovering from some surgery,
but looking pretty good,
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praise God.
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Praise God, He's
good, by His grace, yes.
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Amen, good to have you here.
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So together we're
going to try to walk through
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and wade through this idea
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of how not to be
a witless witness
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and how to do
some positive things
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to share Christ in the word.
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I want to go to a text,
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lords and lady, I'm in Acts 1:8,
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these words of Jesus
just prior to His ascension.
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I've got my big print
Bible here today, you know,
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so I can see what's going on.
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But I'm in Acts 1:8.
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The Bible says, "But
you shall receive power,"
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and I think that
power is authority,
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I think its exousia,
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haven't checked that up,
but I think that is exousia
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as opposed to dunamis.
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No, it's dunamis.
"When the Holy Spirit..."
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Its dunamis, is it
dunamis? I'm not sure it is.
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I think it is but
I'm not sure. It may be.
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I think there's a
chance to check it out.
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They both actually fit.
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"But you shall receive
power, and of course dunamis
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is a physical
ability to get the job done,
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power is authority.
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But Christ did give
us power and authority
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and we praise the Lord for that.
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"When the Holy
Spirit has come upon you
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and you shall be
witnesses to Me in Jerusalem,
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and in Judea, and Samaria,
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and to the ends,
the King James says,
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uttermost part of the earth."
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So we have a command from
Jesus just prior to His leaving,
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that His people
would be witnesses,
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it is the call to witness
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and of course with
the call to witness
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comes the authority to witness,
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comes the power to witness.
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So when we do so,
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we do so in the knowledge
that we can do anything
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but fail when we link
our hands with Jesus Christ.
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Amen. Amen.
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So you don't have to go timid,
you don't have to go afraid,
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you just got to be
wise in your witnessing,
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amen and amen.
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Want to read just
one other thing that,
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from the Spirit of
Prophecy that, I've got,
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when you see a preacher,
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a preacher with
a bunch of pages,
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you know, it is
time to be afraid.
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But I want to
just run through this.
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These are the
words from Ellen White,
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Review and
Herald, August 24, 1886,
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"It is the purpose of God
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that the plan of salvation
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shall not be
wrought out independent
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of human instrumentalities.
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He has not chosen angels,
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but men of like
passions as ourselves,
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to proclaim the
gospel to the human race."
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Paul says, "We have this
treasure in earthen vessels,
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that the excellency of
the power may be of God,
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and not of us.
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It was that He
might receive the honor
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that this work was committed
to weak, erring mortals.
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Being the feeble
instruments in His hands,
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all the glory of their
success would naturally,
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I'm having a day today,
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naturally be reflected upon him,
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the great Master Workman.
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After he has, in his
wisdom, instituted this plan,
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we have no reason to expect
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that the work
will be accomplished
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without ordained means."
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So it's God's work
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and God has given the
means to prosecute that work.
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"Here it is important that
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all who have been partakers
of this great salvation,
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communicate to others
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that which has been
made known to them."
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So God could have
devised other ways and means
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to share the gospel.
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Certainly, all
means are at His disposal
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but He has chosen to
use erring men and women.
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Yes.
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Two things, one
when the success comes
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we know it's not of us.
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That's true. Yes.
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And I think we've all
been in those situations,
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where Lord has
work something out
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and when you get
on the other side
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and look back at it,
you know, that wasn't you,
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that was God.
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So He is using
people of like passions
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but we have frailties,
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we have, we are mistake prone,
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but if we do God's
work using God's methods,
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then success is guaranteed.
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Amen. Amen.
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That's what she
has designed to be.
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So, lords and ladies,
we're gonna kind of loose you
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and let you go in
just a little bit,
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we want to go to our music now
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and sort of get
that out of the way,
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so we can dive into the subject
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because these
worthies have much to say.
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Our music is coming
from Sandra Entermann.
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She is assisted by
Christie Sypek on the...
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Christie Sypek
rather on the piano,
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she's going to be
singing, "O Calvary's Lamb".
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This faltering tongue
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Would dare to speak
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Of Thee my Lord
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From one so weak
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I must not keep
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From thee my praise.
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For Thy glory I
will lift my voice
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And sing
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O Calvary's Lamb
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O righteous One
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For sinners died
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Whose sins were none
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All that I have
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All that I am
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I owe to Thee
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O Calvary's Lamb
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And when mine eyes
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At last shall see
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Thy holy face
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I'll bow to Thee
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Before Thy throne
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With those redeemed
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Unto Thee O Lord
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I'll lift my voice
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And sing
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O Calvary's Lamb
00:10:00.56\00:10:04.40
O righteous One
00:10:04.43\00:10:08.04
For sinners died
00:10:08.07\00:10:11.94
Whose sins were none
00:10:11.97\00:10:15.68
All that I have
00:10:15.71\00:10:19.45
All that I am
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I owe to Thee
00:10:23.95\00:10:28.56
O Calvary's Lamb
00:10:28.59\00:10:34.10
O Calvary's Lamb
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O righteous One
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For sinners died
00:10:54.92\00:10:58.85
Whose sins were none
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All that I have
00:11:02.96\00:11:06.76
All that I am
00:11:06.80\00:11:13.00
I owe to Thee
00:11:14.67\00:11:21.94
O Calvary's
00:11:21.98\00:11:26.51
Lamb
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Amen, beautiful
song, beautifully sung,
00:11:53.98\00:11:56.08
Sandra Entermann singing,
Christie Sypek on the piano.
00:11:56.11\00:12:00.92
I want to go to
something very quick
00:12:00.95\00:12:02.35
before I go to my guests here.
00:12:02.38\00:12:06.19
I've got an article from
00:12:06.22\00:12:08.09
The Atlantic Union Gleaner that,
00:12:08.12\00:12:10.19
oh, it's several years old now
00:12:10.23\00:12:11.89
that I, I did we're
talking about witnessing.
00:12:11.93\00:12:14.33
It's called I can't
walk but I can witness.
00:12:14.36\00:12:19.07
This is the lady
who was at that time
00:12:19.10\00:12:21.00
suffering from
multiple sclerosis,
00:12:21.04\00:12:22.80
she had lost
the use of her legs.
00:12:22.84\00:12:24.77
But you see her in a wheelchair,
00:12:24.81\00:12:26.78
it's not a power wheelchairs,
it's' a manual wheelchair.
00:12:26.81\00:12:30.15
That later was exchanged
for a power wheelchair,
00:12:30.18\00:12:32.38
but every morning
she would take tracks
00:12:32.41\00:12:34.38
and go to the subway
stop and pass out literature.
00:12:34.42\00:12:40.22
She'd get there about
7 o'clock in the morning
00:12:40.26\00:12:42.22
through the rush
hour in New York City
00:12:42.26\00:12:44.33
and if you're good to go,
there she is at the subway stop
00:12:44.36\00:12:47.23
and everybody that
went up to get on the train
00:12:47.26\00:12:49.63
she would give
literature to them.
00:12:49.66\00:12:51.17
And they looked for
her and they expected her
00:12:51.20\00:12:53.30
and over the years she had
00:12:53.34\00:12:54.87
maybe a dozen
baptisms in the church,
00:12:54.90\00:12:57.44
starting out with just, her
00:12:57.47\00:12:59.41
every morning winter,
summer, spring, snow, rain.
00:12:59.44\00:13:02.34
Praise the Lord.
00:13:02.38\00:13:03.71
She would just
be there, she said,
00:13:03.75\00:13:05.08
"I can't walk
but I can witness."
00:13:05.11\00:13:06.82
You know, so you
take what's in your hand.
00:13:06.85\00:13:08.55
Yes. Amen.
00:13:08.58\00:13:09.92
You know, that's
what God told Moses,
00:13:09.95\00:13:11.29
"What's that in your hand?"
00:13:11.32\00:13:12.65
Use what's in your hand
and rather than thinking of
00:13:12.69\00:13:14.82
and stressing on what
you can't do for the Lord.
00:13:14.86\00:13:17.59
Think about what
you can do for the Lord,
00:13:17.63\00:13:19.33
given His strength.
00:13:19.36\00:13:21.23
So everybody can do something.
00:13:21.26\00:13:23.73
Amen.
00:13:23.77\00:13:25.10
And the thing is to
find out what you can do
00:13:25.13\00:13:27.90
and then by the
grace of God, do it.
00:13:27.94\00:13:29.90
Amen.
00:13:29.94\00:13:31.27
And then God
will give you success.
00:13:31.31\00:13:32.64
Okay, how not to
be a witless witness?
00:13:32.67\00:13:34.34
Who wants to go first,
00:13:34.38\00:13:35.71
Ms Quinn, shall
we start with you?
00:13:35.74\00:13:37.08
Dee, men before
women, women before men,
00:13:37.11\00:13:39.38
how do we do this?
00:13:39.41\00:13:40.75
Doesn't matter to me.
00:13:40.78\00:13:42.12
I think that the main
thing that I would say is that
00:13:42.15\00:13:45.49
to be a good witness
00:13:45.52\00:13:48.62
we have to follow Paul's advice
00:13:48.66\00:13:50.83
when he said in
Philippines 2:5-8,
00:13:50.86\00:13:53.96
"Let this mind be in you,
which was in Christ Jesus."
00:13:54.00\00:13:57.97
Who humbled himself
00:13:58.00\00:13:59.77
and even to the
point of being, you know,
00:13:59.80\00:14:01.94
obedience to the
point of death on a cross.
00:14:01.97\00:14:06.21
And I believe that recently
00:14:06.24\00:14:11.05
in the last few
years, God has...
00:14:11.08\00:14:13.15
I would consider myself
a humble person in that,
00:14:13.18\00:14:17.05
I always share credit
00:14:17.09\00:14:19.22
if it's anything that
God has done through me,
00:14:19.25\00:14:21.86
I make sure He
gets all the credit.
00:14:21.89\00:14:24.43
But I try not to bring,
you know, take glory to myself,
00:14:24.46\00:14:30.57
so I thought I was humble.
00:14:30.60\00:14:32.80
But I've now realized
00:14:32.83\00:14:35.00
after studying this
scripture more deeply,
00:14:35.04\00:14:38.27
that my humility was not
as deep as I thought it was,
00:14:38.31\00:14:42.51
I'm going to explain why.
00:14:42.54\00:14:44.41
When it's talking
about the humility of Christ
00:14:44.45\00:14:46.82
in His humble mind,
00:14:46.85\00:14:48.25
He was totally dependent
upon the Father, totally.
00:14:48.28\00:14:53.29
He said, "I only do what
the Father shows me to do,
00:14:53.32\00:14:55.86
I only speak what the
Father tells me to speak."
00:14:55.89\00:14:59.23
So I realized that, yes,
I pray throughout the day,
00:14:59.26\00:15:04.37
but I realized that
I wasn't praying enough
00:15:04.40\00:15:07.34
particularly when
it came to witnessing.
00:15:07.37\00:15:10.21
That I was depending more on
00:15:10.24\00:15:13.38
what I thought I had up here
00:15:13.41\00:15:14.81
or what gifts God had given me
00:15:14.84\00:15:17.25
and I believe that to be
a really effective witness,
00:15:17.28\00:15:21.58
we have to be like Jesus
00:15:21.62\00:15:23.65
and praying and asking God,
00:15:23.69\00:15:25.72
show me, you know,
00:15:25.75\00:15:27.69
show me who You
want me to speak with,
00:15:27.72\00:15:30.53
give me the
love for that person.
00:15:30.56\00:15:33.26
And if we're witnessing
from love and from need,
00:15:33.29\00:15:37.07
if you
recognize somebody's need,
00:15:37.10\00:15:39.93
you know, you have to
be interested in them in
00:15:39.97\00:15:42.94
and I believe, I'm not
sure who it was that said
00:15:42.97\00:15:46.64
"People don't care
00:15:46.68\00:15:48.91
how much you know
00:15:48.94\00:15:50.98
till they know
how much you care."
00:15:51.01\00:15:52.55
Care. All right.
00:15:52.58\00:15:53.92
So it's all about
being a nice person,
00:15:53.95\00:15:57.72
being filled with
the Spirit of God.
00:15:57.75\00:16:00.99
Relying on what the Holy Spirit
00:16:01.02\00:16:03.49
leads us to do.
00:16:03.53\00:16:05.09
Amen.
00:16:05.13\00:16:06.46
I was gonna say that,
00:16:06.49\00:16:07.86
all witnessing and all ministry
00:16:07.90\00:16:09.70
is purely a spiritual venture
00:16:09.73\00:16:12.13
and is not going to be effective
00:16:12.17\00:16:14.37
without the
ministry of the Holy Spirit.
00:16:14.40\00:16:15.74
Amen.
00:16:15.77\00:16:17.11
And specifically yielding
to the promptings of the spirit
00:16:17.14\00:16:18.97
in any given moment,
00:16:19.01\00:16:20.41
and so whatever
principles we may cover today,
00:16:20.44\00:16:22.31
whatever things we may cover,
00:16:22.34\00:16:24.18
all of those are
helpful but the buck stops is
00:16:24.21\00:16:27.52
what the Spirit prompt
you to do in any given moment
00:16:27.55\00:16:29.45
and that we need to learn
to yield in those moments,
00:16:29.48\00:16:31.79
and this is why the ministry
of Jesus was so effective
00:16:31.82\00:16:34.56
is because He was always in tune
00:16:34.59\00:16:35.96
with the will of His Father.
00:16:35.99\00:16:37.43
And always willing to do
that whenever that time came,
00:16:37.46\00:16:40.10
whether He was tired,
whether it was difficult,
00:16:40.13\00:16:42.30
whether it made
sense or didn't make sense,
00:16:42.33\00:16:44.27
whether it looked
like it would work
00:16:44.30\00:16:45.63
or didn't look
like it would work,
00:16:45.67\00:16:47.00
He always
followed the promptings
00:16:47.04\00:16:48.57
of how the
Father was leading Him.
00:16:48.60\00:16:50.27
And I think that's
the most effective tool.
00:16:50.31\00:16:52.07
I mean, we get in the program
right there in that sense of,
00:16:52.11\00:16:54.81
if you can learn to hear
the voice of God and follow,
00:16:54.84\00:16:57.75
that's the first place to start.
00:16:57.78\00:16:59.51
Yeah, yeah.
00:16:59.55\00:17:00.88
You know, I like that
and I resonate with what
00:17:00.92\00:17:02.58
Shelley has said.
00:17:02.62\00:17:03.95
When I studied the
Bible in my early years,
00:17:03.99\00:17:05.85
I studied for two reasons.
00:17:05.89\00:17:07.22
One I like studying the Bible,
00:17:07.26\00:17:08.89
but I also studied
00:17:08.92\00:17:10.26
because if you
came up with something,
00:17:10.29\00:17:12.23
I wanted to have
the knockout punch.
00:17:12.26\00:17:14.03
You know, if you
came up with an idea,
00:17:14.06\00:17:16.03
I wanted to have
the text, the scripture
00:17:16.06\00:17:18.20
I was not going to
be caught flat-footed,
00:17:18.23\00:17:20.30
I wanted to have, so
I studied defensively,
00:17:20.34\00:17:23.47
if pastor A came with something,
00:17:23.51\00:17:25.34
I got the answer for that.
00:17:25.37\00:17:26.78
And there is an
element of self in that.
00:17:26.81\00:17:29.28
You know, there really is,
00:17:29.31\00:17:31.31
because you don't want
to get caught flat-footed.
00:17:31.35\00:17:33.85
So now I study to
show myself a proof.
00:17:33.88\00:17:37.22
Amen.
00:17:37.25\00:17:38.59
If you study you
will have the answer,
00:17:38.62\00:17:39.95
but even if you are having
the answer is not the answer
00:17:39.99\00:17:43.63
because the answer is Jesus.
00:17:43.66\00:17:44.99
Amen.
00:17:45.03\00:17:46.36
Because if a person
does not want to be convicted
00:17:46.39\00:17:48.73
and Ellen White says this,
00:17:48.76\00:17:50.10
"You can come with
every text in the Bible."
00:17:50.13\00:17:52.17
But those that defends,
00:17:52.20\00:17:54.14
that apologetic
won't convict them,
00:17:54.17\00:17:55.74
it's the spirit that quicken it.
00:17:55.77\00:17:57.27
Spirit, flesh profit is nothing,
00:17:57.31\00:17:58.87
so you can defend the faith
00:17:58.91\00:18:01.28
but that may
not convert somebody
00:18:01.31\00:18:02.78
it may, in fact
it may turn them off,
00:18:02.81\00:18:04.15
I've had the thing
00:18:04.18\00:18:05.51
where I have studied
with somebody for hours.
00:18:05.55\00:18:06.88
And then they say,
"I just don't see it",
00:18:06.92\00:18:08.25
"Oh, you're blind, we
gonna go through this again",
00:18:08.28\00:18:10.12
you know, and that's all self,
00:18:10.15\00:18:12.15
you know, that's all self,
00:18:12.19\00:18:13.92
because our job is to water,
the Lord gives you increase,
00:18:13.96\00:18:16.46
the Lord gives you growth.
00:18:16.49\00:18:17.83
So yeah, you can let
self, Shelley, I agree.
00:18:17.86\00:18:20.23
Slip in there
00:18:20.26\00:18:21.60
and you can do the right
thing with the wrong motive.
00:18:21.63\00:18:23.63
Pastor Ken.
00:18:23.67\00:18:25.00
Well, first thing I
did when I found out
00:18:25.03\00:18:26.97
the program I
thought, you know what,
00:18:27.00\00:18:29.20
witness seems like
it's a simple word,
00:18:29.24\00:18:31.91
and sometime I always
go to dictionary, you know,
00:18:31.94\00:18:34.64
just look up witness
00:18:34.68\00:18:36.01
and I jot down a
couple of things,
00:18:36.04\00:18:37.38
it just make sense to
me, a witness is a testimony,
00:18:37.41\00:18:41.38
a witness is, we talk about
as someone who has evidence.
00:18:41.42\00:18:45.42
So when talking about
studying with somebody,
00:18:45.45\00:18:47.12
we need to have evidence,
we need to have a testimony,
00:18:47.16\00:18:50.49
we must be able to,
00:18:50.53\00:18:51.99
I always wondered
years ago people say,
00:18:52.03\00:18:53.53
"Oh, we're going to
have a testimony service"
00:18:53.56\00:18:55.63
they got excited.
00:18:55.66\00:18:57.00
Man, we're going to
have a testimony service.
00:18:57.03\00:18:59.43
Well, of course they talk about
Jesus and things were done.
00:18:59.47\00:19:02.40
And so I began
to put it together
00:19:02.44\00:19:03.91
that my
testimony, my witness here,
00:19:03.94\00:19:06.81
my personal
something that I have seen
00:19:06.84\00:19:10.88
or have experienced in my life
00:19:10.91\00:19:13.45
is something that I
can share with others
00:19:13.48\00:19:16.08
and testimony
service is a good time
00:19:16.12\00:19:18.85
in which to do that.
00:19:18.89\00:19:20.22
And one way which I
learned a long time ago
00:19:20.26\00:19:23.29
and may be pastor
was little bit like you,
00:19:23.32\00:19:26.09
what you were
just telling us there,
00:19:26.13\00:19:27.46
sometime we study
for the wrong reasons
00:19:27.50\00:19:29.96
and motive, didn't think we did,
00:19:30.00\00:19:32.50
that wasn't even
really in my mind,
00:19:32.53\00:19:33.87
that's what I was doing,
00:19:33.90\00:19:35.30
and so for several years
I really did not witness,
00:19:35.34\00:19:41.44
I was a witless
witness for Christ
00:19:41.48\00:19:44.38
because I was afraid that
I would not have the answer.
00:19:44.41\00:19:48.98
There's a lot of people that's
like that at least I have met.
00:19:49.02\00:19:51.89
They are afraid to
give a Bible study,
00:19:51.92\00:19:53.52
they are afraid to go out,
00:19:53.56\00:19:55.19
and they are
afraid to just get into,
00:19:55.22\00:19:57.36
you know, a conversation
with somebody about Jesus,
00:19:57.39\00:19:59.59
because somebody is
going to ask me a question
00:19:59.63\00:20:02.86
that I don't have the answer.
00:20:02.90\00:20:04.30
And finally when I was
really praying about it
00:20:04.33\00:20:06.27
and meditating on studying,
00:20:06.30\00:20:08.24
Lord said, "You'll
never have all the answers."
00:20:08.27\00:20:09.97
Amen. Amen.
00:20:10.01\00:20:11.34
But number one
He's mentioned here,
00:20:11.37\00:20:12.71
"I am the answer,
00:20:12.74\00:20:14.08
you talk about Me, talk
about personal experience.
00:20:14.11\00:20:16.88
And then He's going to show up,
00:20:16.91\00:20:18.55
the Holy Spirit
is going to show up
00:20:18.58\00:20:19.91
and do something wonderful
00:20:19.95\00:20:21.35
and mighty
through each individual."
00:20:21.38\00:20:23.79
But, you know, what
I've come up with this
00:20:23.82\00:20:26.09
and I don't say
this for everybody.
00:20:26.12\00:20:28.72
I've been asked questions
that I did not have the answer.
00:20:28.76\00:20:31.79
And people going to ask you
00:20:31.83\00:20:33.16
because it's not
found in the Word of God,
00:20:33.19\00:20:34.53
they will ask you
questions wherever you go.
00:20:34.56\00:20:36.87
Just simply say, you know what,
00:20:36.90\00:20:38.23
I don't have
the answer right now
00:20:38.27\00:20:40.10
but I know where to
go to get the answer.
00:20:40.14\00:20:42.07
Amen. And you know what,
00:20:42.10\00:20:43.44
therefore you really
always had the answer,
00:20:43.47\00:20:45.41
you don't have
to be afraid to say,
00:20:45.44\00:20:47.21
oh, I don't have it
on tip of my tongue,
00:20:47.24\00:20:48.68
I forget where it was
located but I'll, you know...
00:20:48.71\00:20:51.65
Gives you a reason to
get back with the answers.
00:20:51.68\00:20:53.28
It gives you a
reason and so and listen,
00:20:53.31\00:20:55.98
sometime our eyes are
blinded to certain things
00:20:56.02\00:20:58.95
because that person
is not ready to receive,
00:20:58.99\00:21:02.59
I'll give you a
quick illustration,
00:21:02.62\00:21:04.89
I went when I
was in my late 20s,
00:21:04.93\00:21:08.56
I went to, boy, I went
to school with actually
00:21:08.60\00:21:11.30
but he was a teacher
now, he's teaching high school
00:21:11.33\00:21:13.67
and he was very always
interested in religious things
00:21:13.70\00:21:16.04
and he wanted to
know a little bit about
00:21:16.07\00:21:18.01
2,300 day prophecy.
00:21:18.04\00:21:20.08
And I thought, oh, man,
he's right up my alley man,
00:21:20.11\00:21:22.14
that's easy, you
know, Daniel 8:14,
00:21:22.18\00:21:24.08
man, we'll go there,
00:21:24.11\00:21:25.45
and so we talked about Jesus,
00:21:25.48\00:21:27.28
we talked about a lot
of things and he said,
00:21:27.32\00:21:28.88
"Well, come on,
let's see what you..."
00:21:28.92\00:21:31.12
I open my Bible
and I tell you what,
00:21:31.15\00:21:33.19
I could not find Daniel 8:14.
00:21:33.22\00:21:35.96
It was not in the word
00:21:35.99\00:21:38.56
and I thought
surely it's not Daniel 9,
00:21:38.59\00:21:41.16
I mean, I begin to doubt myself
00:21:41.20\00:21:42.53
and he stating it
all the time saying,
00:21:42.56\00:21:43.90
"Well, I thought you knew."
00:21:43.93\00:21:45.27
And I'm going, it wasn't,
00:21:45.30\00:21:46.97
of course it wasn't in Daniel 9.
00:21:47.00\00:21:49.30
But it was not to
be found at that time.
00:21:49.34\00:21:52.47
I learned the lesson,
00:21:52.51\00:21:53.84
sometime they're
not able to receive
00:21:53.88\00:21:56.18
and therefore don't try to give,
00:21:56.21\00:21:57.65
like you mentioned,
00:21:57.68\00:21:59.01
if they're not ready to receive.
00:21:59.05\00:22:00.38
Absolutely.
00:22:00.42\00:22:01.75
Man I say whistling dixie,
you're just whistling dixie
00:22:01.78\00:22:03.89
because they're not going to,
00:22:03.92\00:22:05.25
if they're not
really ready to receive
00:22:05.29\00:22:07.52
but that was a shocking
00:22:07.56\00:22:09.26
and it maybe
for some of you here
00:22:09.29\00:22:10.63
just don't get
shocked, don't, you know,
00:22:10.66\00:22:12.09
it didn't discourage me,
00:22:12.13\00:22:13.46
I went out of the
truck and basically wept.
00:22:13.50\00:22:17.07
Probably it was
pride, it was probably
00:22:17.10\00:22:18.73
because I knew
that it was there,
00:22:18.77\00:22:20.10
I said, I know it's Daniel 8:14.
00:22:20.14\00:22:22.27
Lord why didn't
you show it to me,
00:22:22.30\00:22:23.94
I opened it up
and 14 was not there.
00:22:23.97\00:22:27.44
Basically He
said, "Open the Word
00:22:27.48\00:22:28.98
and see if it is."
00:22:29.01\00:22:30.35
I sat in the truck, I
turned the line, I opened it,
00:22:30.38\00:22:32.45
there it was plain as day.
00:22:32.48\00:22:34.08
I've had that, you know,
00:22:34.12\00:22:35.55
I know that text, can't find it.
00:22:35.58\00:22:38.75
And you may have
one number wrong or so
00:22:38.79\00:22:40.62
but your mind is just
in a fog at that moment.
00:22:40.66\00:22:43.16
And me, I never,
I've always blamed myself,
00:22:43.19\00:22:45.59
I never thought,
maybe the Lord is
00:22:45.63\00:22:46.96
trying to keep me
from going there with this,
00:22:47.00\00:22:48.56
got to think, but
I've had that happen.
00:22:48.60\00:22:50.13
I know this text,
just won't come, you know,
00:22:50.17\00:22:53.70
and then later on there it was.
00:22:53.74\00:22:55.07
Yes.
00:22:55.10\00:22:56.44
I think what you
said about testament,
00:22:56.47\00:22:57.81
there's two things you
said number one, we don't,
00:22:57.84\00:23:00.94
none of us know
all of the answers,
00:23:00.98\00:23:02.54
and it is our
pride that makes us fear
00:23:02.58\00:23:04.85
that we're not
going to know the answer.
00:23:04.88\00:23:07.38
We just need to be able to say,
I don't know but we'll find out
00:23:07.42\00:23:10.82
because I know who does know.
00:23:10.85\00:23:12.65
But the second
thing is that everyone,
00:23:12.69\00:23:16.79
there's only one
thing I can present
00:23:16.83\00:23:19.39
when I'm witnessing
00:23:19.43\00:23:20.76
that someone
cannot argue against
00:23:20.80\00:23:23.30
and that is my
personal testimony.
00:23:23.33\00:23:24.70
Thank you. Amen.
00:23:24.73\00:23:26.07
So when we go out, I
watch JD all the time,
00:23:26.10\00:23:30.17
my precious little husband
00:23:30.21\00:23:31.67
you know, he is
a very laid back,
00:23:31.71\00:23:33.48
he's a people
person, he's watching people,
00:23:33.51\00:23:36.41
he knows what their
need is, but he knows how to,
00:23:36.44\00:23:40.38
he just talks about his
experience with the Lord
00:23:40.42\00:23:42.75
and he's not worried about
having every scripture down
00:23:42.78\00:23:46.39
and then people
begin to ask questions.
00:23:46.42\00:23:48.92
And I think that's what we want
00:23:48.96\00:23:51.89
is if you want to
be a wise witness.
00:23:51.93\00:23:54.96
If I'm on a plane,
00:23:55.00\00:23:56.83
I don't just attack the
person next to me on the plane,
00:23:56.87\00:24:00.57
because number one I hate that.
00:24:00.60\00:24:02.30
Right.
00:24:02.34\00:24:03.67
You know, and you
get, I got stuck to,
00:24:03.71\00:24:05.77
next to a
zealot on a plane once.
00:24:05.81\00:24:08.51
And he had
00:24:08.54\00:24:10.15
and this was the
Seventh-day Adventist zealot,
00:24:10.18\00:24:12.18
who had thought he had new light
00:24:12.21\00:24:14.05
and he was just going
at me 90 miles an hour
00:24:14.08\00:24:17.25
and up tell you what,
00:24:17.29\00:24:19.09
pretty soon I know
my eyes just glazed over
00:24:19.12\00:24:21.46
and I'm just sitting there like,
00:24:21.49\00:24:23.36
I no more heard
anything he was saying,
00:24:23.39\00:24:26.39
I'm just thinking please,
00:24:26.43\00:24:27.86
Lord, let him have a
dry throat or something.
00:24:27.90\00:24:31.03
But if what I will
do when I'm sitting,
00:24:31.07\00:24:34.04
if I'm sitting
next to you on a plane,
00:24:34.07\00:24:35.80
I'll start praying
and I'll say, Lord,
00:24:35.84\00:24:38.31
will you open a door
00:24:38.34\00:24:40.54
that we can have
this conversation.
00:24:40.58\00:24:43.24
And so I'd opened
doors by asking questions.
00:24:43.28\00:24:47.88
What do you do for a living?
00:24:47.92\00:24:49.75
What do you, you know,
00:24:49.78\00:24:51.12
a generally speaking people
00:24:51.15\00:24:52.75
will then say,
well, what do you do?
00:24:52.79\00:24:55.06
And if you start
asking questions,
00:24:55.09\00:25:00.36
what you relate to
me my whole purpose in,
00:25:00.40\00:25:03.43
if I'm going to witness
00:25:03.47\00:25:04.83
is to get
someone to want to ask me
00:25:04.87\00:25:08.07
to create a
little bit of curiosity
00:25:08.10\00:25:10.14
by asking them
questions, let them ask me
00:25:10.17\00:25:12.97
and then it's
like you're baiting,
00:25:13.01\00:25:15.04
it's like putting
the bait on a hook
00:25:15.08\00:25:18.18
so you stick the bait out there
00:25:18.21\00:25:19.91
and then they're,
well, what do you mean
00:25:19.95\00:25:21.52
and then you can start talking,
that's part of my approach.
00:25:21.55\00:25:25.99
Yeah, and I see
we're zooming at, Dee?
00:25:26.02\00:25:28.16
I think that the way that
Jesus did things is helpful,
00:25:28.19\00:25:30.83
I mean, using Christ
method in the sense of...
00:25:30.86\00:25:33.90
Ellen White talks
about how He would have these
00:25:33.93\00:25:35.96
disinterested
acts of benevolence
00:25:36.00\00:25:38.23
that He would give
00:25:38.27\00:25:39.60
whether people
would respond or not.
00:25:39.63\00:25:41.50
In John 4, there's
the woman at the well,
00:25:41.54\00:25:45.07
the way that He
witnesses to this woman
00:25:45.11\00:25:47.14
is by asking her to
help Him with His own needs.
00:25:47.18\00:25:50.95
And He's willing
to cross boundaries
00:25:50.98\00:25:52.75
in the sense of, wait a minute,
00:25:52.78\00:25:54.12
you can't talk to her
and they're not like us,
00:25:54.15\00:25:56.85
in John 5, the man
at the Pool of Bethesda
00:25:56.89\00:25:59.12
is the most helpless case there
00:25:59.15\00:26:00.66
and Jesus just
asked the man a question.
00:26:00.69\00:26:02.72
Yes.
00:26:02.76\00:26:04.09
And glaringly
obvious question it seems,
00:26:04.13\00:26:06.29
but He knew the man's heart
00:26:06.33\00:26:07.66
and what issues he
was contending with
00:26:07.70\00:26:09.03
and He says "Do you
want to be made well?"
00:26:09.06\00:26:11.07
And I think watching the way
that Jesus worked with people
00:26:11.10\00:26:13.84
is very helpful,
00:26:13.87\00:26:15.20
because He was
willing to see in people
00:26:15.24\00:26:16.57
what no one else was
willing to see in them.
00:26:16.60\00:26:18.47
And He treated them accordingly.
00:26:18.51\00:26:19.84
And I think if that
can open doors with people
00:26:19.87\00:26:22.74
being vulnerable as He was
with the woman at the well.
00:26:22.78\00:26:25.31
But showing interest in someone
00:26:25.35\00:26:26.68
that was walked
by every single day
00:26:26.72\00:26:28.65
when religious
leaders came into the temple,
00:26:28.68\00:26:30.29
they ignored him
every day for 38 years.
00:26:30.32\00:26:33.79
Jesus did something different
00:26:33.82\00:26:35.62
and I think having our
eyes open for opportunities
00:26:35.66\00:26:38.19
is one of the ways
that process starts
00:26:38.23\00:26:40.50
asking God to
open the doors for us.
00:26:40.53\00:26:42.96
And not looking for
reasons to convince them
00:26:43.00\00:26:46.40
of something
else intellectually,
00:26:46.43\00:26:48.60
but preparing
their soul, their heart
00:26:48.64\00:26:50.11
just to
basically receive the seeds
00:26:50.14\00:26:52.27
that you had offered them.
00:26:52.31\00:26:53.71
I think those are
some big door openers
00:26:53.74\00:26:55.81
that can be helpful
00:26:55.84\00:26:57.18
and telling your
story is a great way,
00:26:57.21\00:26:58.65
I dig to know each other.
00:26:58.68\00:27:00.02
If you spend
time and study people,
00:27:00.05\00:27:01.78
people will tell
you how to help them.
00:27:01.82\00:27:03.55
Yes, yes. Absolutely.
00:27:03.59\00:27:05.65
Churches are looking for ways
to minister to their community,
00:27:05.69\00:27:08.29
just watch your community,
step outside your door
00:27:08.32\00:27:10.29
and just look at who's
going up and down the street,
00:27:10.33\00:27:12.36
they will inform you
of how you can help them
00:27:12.39\00:27:14.66
and if you pray, I
like what you said, Shelly,
00:27:14.70\00:27:16.50
if you pray and ask
for divine appointment
00:27:16.53\00:27:18.53
and then open your
eyes and just observe,
00:27:18.57\00:27:20.90
you can find
ways to insert Christ
00:27:20.94\00:27:24.07
into the conversation
00:27:24.11\00:27:25.84
and not, see,
because you can't always
00:27:25.87\00:27:27.68
as you all well know,
00:27:27.71\00:27:29.04
you cannot always
lead with 144,000.
00:27:29.08\00:27:31.58
You know, you cannot
always lead with the Sabbath,
00:27:31.61\00:27:33.95
you cannot always
lead with the Bible.
00:27:33.98\00:27:35.88
I maintain and I
preached this for years,
00:27:35.92\00:27:38.15
deeds of kindness tear
down walls of separation,
00:27:38.19\00:27:41.32
build bridges to salvation,
00:27:41.36\00:27:42.69
I've seen that
over and over again.
00:27:42.72\00:27:44.29
So if you're
living next to someone,
00:27:44.33\00:27:46.29
if you study them,
00:27:46.33\00:27:47.66
they will show you
00:27:47.70\00:27:49.23
how you can be
of service to them.
00:27:49.26\00:27:51.03
And it is that service
00:27:51.07\00:27:52.67
that will allow you to
build the kind of bridges
00:27:52.70\00:27:55.40
that you can walk them across
00:27:55.44\00:27:56.77
if you want to
lead them to glory.
00:27:56.81\00:27:58.21
So you don't always
lead with your Bible,
00:27:58.24\00:28:00.81
sometimes you lead with
00:28:00.84\00:28:02.18
just a
disinterested act of benevolence
00:28:02.21\00:28:06.75
as you well said, or
a statement of kindness,
00:28:06.78\00:28:09.58
or statement of concern
00:28:09.62\00:28:10.99
and from that you build a bridge
00:28:11.02\00:28:12.35
that you can walk
across into their hearts.
00:28:12.39\00:28:14.32
And I think that's
very, very important
00:28:14.36\00:28:15.69
that you don't always try to
00:28:15.72\00:28:17.26
land that Sunday
punch right out of the gate,
00:28:17.29\00:28:19.33
you know, I want to
come and I just want to
00:28:19.36\00:28:20.70
knock you over in Jesus name.
00:28:20.73\00:28:22.86
You got to have some
interim steps before.
00:28:22.90\00:28:26.30
It's Ephesians 4,
00:28:26.33\00:28:29.00
"Be kind to one
another, tender hearted."
00:28:29.04\00:28:32.21
And that's not just to
your brothers in Christ,
00:28:32.24\00:28:34.18
it's also a
recipe for evangelism,
00:28:34.21\00:28:37.51
even those, not even,
00:28:37.55\00:28:39.45
especially those who
don't think like you do,
00:28:39.48\00:28:42.15
or talk like you do,
or smell like you do,
00:28:42.18\00:28:44.95
or agree with you in things,
00:28:44.99\00:28:46.72
those are the
ones that you've got to
00:28:46.76\00:28:48.09
extend that extra kindness.
00:28:48.12\00:28:49.46
Well, Pastor, I
was thinking about
00:28:49.49\00:28:51.69
as people who like to witness,
00:28:51.73\00:28:56.73
we would like to
talk about Jesus,
00:28:56.77\00:28:58.73
but I've learned
this over the years,
00:28:58.77\00:29:00.90
that first of all I
have to be a good listener.
00:29:00.94\00:29:03.64
You were...
00:29:03.67\00:29:05.67
Everybody's kind
of alluded to that
00:29:05.71\00:29:07.24
and maybe even
said it, I missed it,
00:29:07.28\00:29:09.14
but we have to learn to listen
00:29:09.18\00:29:11.05
and not talk all the time.
00:29:11.08\00:29:12.41
Well said.
00:29:12.45\00:29:13.78
Now it's pretty
heavy duty right,
00:29:13.82\00:29:15.15
smack somebody in
the chops you're saying
00:29:15.18\00:29:16.52
but didn't mean
to do it like that,
00:29:16.55\00:29:17.89
but you follow my thinking here.
00:29:17.92\00:29:19.69
We have to learn to listen.
00:29:19.72\00:29:22.86
I tell my grandson
this, it's interesting,
00:29:22.89\00:29:24.86
he comes and help me
do a few things right now.
00:29:24.89\00:29:28.46
And I told him, I
said we're going to do
00:29:28.50\00:29:30.33
the three Ls we'll
start with S-L-L-L.
00:29:30.37\00:29:33.90
Well, grandpa, what's that?
00:29:33.94\00:29:35.67
And I said stop,
00:29:35.70\00:29:39.14
look, listen and learn.
00:29:39.17\00:29:43.71
Amen. That's a good concept.
00:29:43.75\00:29:45.11
And he went and told a
friend, he said, "You know,
00:29:45.15\00:29:47.15
I really like this
family", but he said,
00:29:47.18\00:29:49.88
"I really like
working with grandpa
00:29:49.92\00:29:51.42
because I learn so much."
00:29:51.45\00:29:54.06
Yes. Amen.
00:29:54.09\00:29:55.42
So I start out
basically teasing him,
00:29:55.46\00:29:56.89
stop, look, listen, and learn.
00:29:56.93\00:30:00.13
But we have to
ourself be a good listener.
00:30:00.16\00:30:03.90
And there's another thing
I thought was interesting.
00:30:03.93\00:30:07.14
A lot of times when,
00:30:07.17\00:30:08.50
and I don't know who does what.
00:30:08.54\00:30:09.90
I personally when I'm
introduced to someone,
00:30:09.94\00:30:13.48
most generally it
doesn't make it right or wrong,
00:30:13.51\00:30:15.04
this is how I feel about it.
00:30:15.08\00:30:16.48
I always, I stick out my
hand and I say, Hi, I'm Kenny.
00:30:16.51\00:30:19.91
And every, some people
standing around saying,
00:30:19.95\00:30:21.75
"You should have
introduced yourself
00:30:21.78\00:30:23.18
as Pastor Kenny."
00:30:23.22\00:30:24.55
No. I said, "For what reason?"
00:30:24.59\00:30:25.92
Am I trying to look for
something special attention,
00:30:25.95\00:30:28.62
special you know,
something that they're going to,
00:30:28.66\00:30:30.89
special favors
they're going to show me
00:30:30.93\00:30:32.49
because I said,
well, as a pastor
00:30:32.53\00:30:34.36
or they're going to
put up some kind of a wall
00:30:34.40\00:30:37.17
that I'll not be able
to reach or touch him.
00:30:37.20\00:30:39.53
And I said to
them, "Kenny is fine,"
00:30:39.57\00:30:43.24
I don't want any
special, I want no wall there.
00:30:43.27\00:30:45.97
And over the
years that has been a...
00:30:46.01\00:30:48.14
To me a real blessing
because the person will open up,
00:30:48.18\00:30:51.11
they will talk.
00:30:51.15\00:30:52.48
When you introduce
yourself, or maybe you speak,
00:30:52.51\00:30:53.85
or you're on TV,
or you're a pastor,
00:30:53.88\00:30:55.65
a lot of people
will guard what they say
00:30:55.68\00:30:57.89
and you really can't
find out where they are at,
00:30:57.92\00:31:00.02
so it's good that we listen,
00:31:00.06\00:31:02.79
stop, listen, and learn.
00:31:02.82\00:31:04.73
Well said.
00:31:04.76\00:31:06.09
You know, I was just getting
ready to say the same thing,
00:31:06.13\00:31:07.80
actually they say,
00:31:07.83\00:31:09.56
we, I teach a
class on communications
00:31:09.60\00:31:12.37
and listening is the most
00:31:12.40\00:31:15.00
important
communication skill you have.
00:31:15.04\00:31:17.67
And the
interesting thing is that
00:31:17.71\00:31:19.37
if you want to
reach somebody's heart,
00:31:19.41\00:31:21.34
all you have to do is
00:31:21.38\00:31:22.71
ask them
questions about themselves.
00:31:22.74\00:31:24.08
Everybody likes to
talk about themselves
00:31:24.11\00:31:26.78
and I am surprised,
00:31:26.82\00:31:28.48
particularly you've probably,
00:31:28.52\00:31:30.09
maybe when you're on an airplane
00:31:30.12\00:31:31.85
people know that they
may not see you again.
00:31:31.89\00:31:34.92
I'm surprised how I can
ask a few open-ended questions
00:31:34.96\00:31:38.59
and have...
00:31:38.63\00:31:39.96
This flood of information...
00:31:40.00\00:31:41.33
A flood of information
you know about their,
00:31:41.36\00:31:43.20
what they're going through
00:31:43.23\00:31:44.57
and when you notice especially
like a woman to a woman,
00:31:44.60\00:31:48.34
you know, so often
I'll notice like a catch
00:31:48.37\00:31:51.47
in their voice or something
and I'll start talking,
00:31:51.51\00:31:53.68
you find out they're
going through a divorce,
00:31:53.71\00:31:55.38
they're going through this.
00:31:55.41\00:31:56.75
Well, then you have a place,
00:31:56.78\00:31:59.91
a launching point
from which you can witness
00:31:59.95\00:32:03.52
and oftentimes,
sometimes you get to that point
00:32:03.55\00:32:07.46
right at the very end
00:32:07.49\00:32:09.39
but what I will
do is say, you know,
00:32:09.42\00:32:12.39
I believe in the power of
God and the power of prayer,
00:32:12.43\00:32:17.43
do you believe in God?
00:32:17.47\00:32:19.10
And often they'll say,
00:32:19.13\00:32:21.37
yes, I've had
one little lady say,
00:32:21.40\00:32:23.30
"I'm not sure," and I said,
00:32:23.34\00:32:25.51
"Would you mind
if I pray for you?"
00:32:25.54\00:32:28.01
And, you know,
when I finished praying,
00:32:28.04\00:32:31.25
she was weeping and she said,
00:32:31.28\00:32:34.35
"I think I do
believe that you know God."
00:32:34.38\00:32:37.52
I didn't say, I
believe but knew God."
00:32:37.55\00:32:39.35
But she said, "I do
believe that you know God."
00:32:39.39\00:32:41.72
So, you know, you can
get information, follow up,
00:32:41.76\00:32:45.39
but it doesn't
matter where we go,
00:32:45.43\00:32:47.83
the idea is as you said,
00:32:47.86\00:32:50.53
Christ met the needs,
00:32:50.57\00:32:53.84
people are without peace,
00:32:53.87\00:32:57.47
people are hungry
00:32:57.51\00:33:00.48
for some kind of a security,
00:33:00.51\00:33:03.08
people, you know, we feel like
00:33:03.11\00:33:05.91
we've made so many
advances in communication,
00:33:05.95\00:33:08.78
and I think that what
was happening nowadays
00:33:08.82\00:33:11.72
is we are
artificially connected.
00:33:11.75\00:33:14.06
People are losing
their social skills
00:33:14.09\00:33:15.86
because they're constantly
on the phone doing this.
00:33:15.89\00:33:18.59
So they're
artificially connected
00:33:18.63\00:33:20.43
to actually take time
out and put your phone down,
00:33:20.46\00:33:24.17
when you're at a doctor's office
00:33:24.20\00:33:25.53
and start talking with somebody,
00:33:25.57\00:33:28.00
I mean, you know this,
or sometimes it ends up,
00:33:28.04\00:33:31.47
you run into a
couple of Christians
00:33:31.51\00:33:33.34
and it's a
hallelujah course, you just got
00:33:33.38\00:33:35.88
and then you've got other people
00:33:35.91\00:33:37.31
sitting by going,
wow, listen to this.
00:33:37.35\00:33:41.18
Praise God. Yeah.
00:33:41.22\00:33:42.55
I think that it's
important to recognize,
00:33:42.58\00:33:45.29
I get people
asking me this question,
00:33:45.32\00:33:46.65
especially when I
had students, you know,
00:33:46.69\00:33:48.02
they go canvassing
and they knock on doors
00:33:48.06\00:33:50.13
and people ask
these questions like,
00:33:50.16\00:33:51.49
well, this guy
asked this question,
00:33:51.53\00:33:52.86
what do I do when
someone ask me this question
00:33:52.89\00:33:54.63
and what I
generally shared with him
00:33:54.66\00:33:56.23
and it took time in ministry
for me to figure this out
00:33:56.26\00:33:58.47
that just because
someone is asking a question,
00:33:58.50\00:34:00.97
it doesn't mean they
actually want the answer.
00:34:01.00\00:34:02.57
Thank you.
00:34:02.60\00:34:04.07
They're just
looking for an argument,
00:34:04.11\00:34:05.44
hence one of the things
00:34:05.47\00:34:06.98
that you need
to be praying about
00:34:07.01\00:34:08.34
when you're
interacting with this person is,
00:34:08.38\00:34:11.61
am I just going to be playing
00:34:11.65\00:34:13.11
Bible tennis for
the next 15 minutes
00:34:13.15\00:34:14.75
or does this person actually
want to have a conversation?
00:34:14.78\00:34:17.32
And if they
don't want to converse,
00:34:17.35\00:34:18.99
they just want to argue,
00:34:19.02\00:34:20.36
I'm not going to
give them what they want.
00:34:20.39\00:34:21.72
Right.
00:34:21.76\00:34:23.09
Ellen White talks
about finding ways
00:34:23.12\00:34:24.46
where you can
meet on common ground
00:34:24.49\00:34:25.83
and build from there.
00:34:25.86\00:34:27.20
We can change the
trajectory of the situation
00:34:27.23\00:34:30.73
by disarming their prejudices
00:34:30.77\00:34:32.83
and the only way
that's going to happen
00:34:32.87\00:34:34.20
is by listening and
finding ways you still can,
00:34:34.24\00:34:36.71
you know, have
that common ground.
00:34:36.74\00:34:38.67
It's all
different for canvassing
00:34:38.71\00:34:40.04
because you got to
hit and get situation
00:34:40.08\00:34:41.48
but still understanding
00:34:41.51\00:34:43.48
that you don't
have to have these,
00:34:43.51\00:34:44.85
again we're looking
for the perfect answer,
00:34:44.88\00:34:46.48
we're looking for the zing
to be able to fix a problem,
00:34:46.51\00:34:49.32
it doesn't always work that way.
00:34:49.35\00:34:51.22
And there will be situations
00:34:51.25\00:34:52.65
where it maybe
didn't end positively
00:34:52.69\00:34:55.02
and there's nothing
that you did was wrong
00:34:55.06\00:34:56.59
and that just happen sometimes.
00:34:56.62\00:34:58.46
And sometimes we
get really discouraged.
00:34:58.49\00:35:00.20
But Ellen White talks about
in the Prophets and Kings 13,
00:35:00.23\00:35:05.83
because it can be intimidating
00:35:05.87\00:35:07.20
this idea of
going into ministry,
00:35:07.24\00:35:08.57
but she says in
Prophets and Kings 171,
00:35:08.60\00:35:11.41
she says, "As those who have
an understanding of Bible truth
00:35:11.44\00:35:13.84
try to seek out
the men and women
00:35:13.88\00:35:15.61
who are longing for light,
00:35:15.64\00:35:16.98
she says the angels
of God will attend them.
00:35:17.01\00:35:20.08
And where angels go none
need fear to move forward.
00:35:20.12\00:35:23.92
And as a result of
the faithful efforts
00:35:23.95\00:35:25.55
of consecrated workers,
00:35:25.59\00:35:27.09
many will be
turned from idolatry
00:35:27.12\00:35:29.19
to the worship
of the living God."
00:35:29.22\00:35:30.66
Amen.
00:35:30.69\00:35:32.03
If you knew that you had
all of heaven at your disposal
00:35:32.06\00:35:34.26
and by your side
when you were witnessing,
00:35:34.30\00:35:36.77
you'd be more confident
00:35:36.80\00:35:38.13
and quiet to wait
upon the answer from heaven
00:35:38.17\00:35:40.47
and to go forward,
00:35:40.50\00:35:41.94
and in some moments
00:35:41.97\00:35:43.30
it's in not
arguing and just praying.
00:35:43.34\00:35:45.14
Amen, amen.
00:35:45.17\00:35:46.51
I like what you
said though about
00:35:46.54\00:35:47.88
establishing common ground.
00:35:47.91\00:35:49.51
I was first introduced,
00:35:49.54\00:35:53.42
my first
introduction to an Adventist
00:35:53.45\00:35:55.88
I asked them, you know,
00:35:55.92\00:35:57.55
JD grew up Adventist but
he didn't, I mean, he said,
00:35:57.59\00:36:00.52
he slept through it all,
00:36:00.56\00:36:02.06
he really didn't know
what the church believed.
00:36:02.09\00:36:04.59
So I went with him to a reunion
00:36:04.63\00:36:08.16
and so I asked
one of his friends,
00:36:08.20\00:36:10.27
I mean, I didn't know
anything about Adventist,
00:36:10.30\00:36:11.93
and I asked one of
his friends, I said,
00:36:11.97\00:36:13.64
"Well, what do
Adventists believe?
00:36:13.67\00:36:15.57
And this man turned to me
00:36:15.60\00:36:17.84
and I learned
later that JD said,
00:36:17.87\00:36:19.71
"That's the one
person I was hoping
00:36:19.74\00:36:21.38
you won't even talk to",
00:36:21.41\00:36:22.84
but he turned to me and he said,
00:36:22.88\00:36:24.58
"We believe you must go
to church on the seventh day,
00:36:24.61\00:36:28.62
Saturday Sabbath,
00:36:28.65\00:36:29.98
we believe you
cannot eat pork and shrimp,
00:36:30.02\00:36:32.45
we believe in our
prophet Ellen White."
00:36:32.49\00:36:33.82
Well.
00:36:33.86\00:36:35.19
And I said, "Well, I believe
in the gift of prophecy,"
00:36:35.22\00:36:37.13
Does she followed the Bible?
00:36:37.16\00:36:38.63
"Oh, she's got
so much more to say
00:36:38.66\00:36:40.76
than the Bible has to say."
00:36:40.80\00:36:42.36
I would not have
anything to do with Adventist.
00:36:42.40\00:36:46.00
I mean, it was just like this.
00:36:46.03\00:36:48.44
I didn't want
anything to do with Adventism.
00:36:48.47\00:36:53.61
And I thought they were occult.
00:36:53.64\00:36:56.85
When the local
church bought the downlink
00:36:56.88\00:37:00.35
and it changed to 3ABN,
00:37:00.38\00:37:01.95
I refused to let JD watch that,
00:37:01.98\00:37:04.25
I said, that's occult
00:37:04.29\00:37:05.62
don't you watch
those people, you know.
00:37:05.65\00:37:07.46
And the point that I'm making is
00:37:07.49\00:37:11.33
sometimes we've
got to get, you know,
00:37:11.36\00:37:15.20
what we should be
doing is lifting high Jesus.
00:37:15.23\00:37:18.67
Amen. Amen.
00:37:18.70\00:37:20.04
The 2,300 days,
00:37:20.07\00:37:21.40
if somebody doesn't have
a relationship with Jesus
00:37:21.44\00:37:24.17
then, you know,
they can know everything
00:37:24.21\00:37:27.14
there is to know about prophecy.
00:37:27.18\00:37:28.84
But if they haven't
given their heart to Christ,
00:37:28.88\00:37:31.45
it's not going to be something
that really converts them.
00:37:31.48\00:37:36.45
So I think that what
we need to do is like
00:37:36.48\00:37:39.79
I've learned when people
ask me what church do you go to,
00:37:39.82\00:37:42.62
I would say,
00:37:42.66\00:37:43.99
I'm a Seventh-day
Adventist Christian.
00:37:44.03\00:37:45.43
We believe in salvation
by grace through faith alone.
00:37:45.46\00:37:50.20
And we believe that, you know,
00:37:50.23\00:37:51.87
and I would start
off something like that,
00:37:51.90\00:37:55.74
talk about some things
00:37:55.77\00:37:57.84
that we might have in common,
00:37:57.87\00:37:59.27
lift Jesus high so
that He can draw to Himself.
00:37:59.31\00:38:02.98
Well done. Well done. Yes.
00:38:03.01\00:38:04.35
That was the
crux, well, not the crux
00:38:04.38\00:38:05.71
but certainly one of the main
00:38:05.75\00:38:07.78
focus points of
the 1888 Movement.
00:38:07.82\00:38:10.09
Ellen White had said,
"We've gotten so law oriented,
00:38:10.12\00:38:13.62
we got so works oriented
00:38:13.66\00:38:15.12
that our sermons are as
dry as the hills of the Gilboa,
00:38:15.16\00:38:17.86
also they are Christless."
00:38:17.89\00:38:19.29
Yes.
00:38:19.33\00:38:20.66
"And you cannot
convert anybody to Christ
00:38:20.70\00:38:22.66
preaching a
Christless doctrine."
00:38:22.70\00:38:24.70
Yes.
00:38:24.73\00:38:26.07
And you cannot define
yourself by what you do not do,
00:38:26.10\00:38:28.00
we don't drink, we don't smoke,
well, that's not who you are.
00:38:28.04\00:38:31.11
And we tend to do that,
00:38:31.14\00:38:32.47
it's like you've got
this baby crying for milk,
00:38:32.51\00:38:34.68
you toss some
mistake and say, here,
00:38:34.71\00:38:36.04
knock yourself out.
00:38:36.08\00:38:37.41
Well, that he can't
do anything with that.
00:38:37.45\00:38:38.91
He's got to have milk,
00:38:38.95\00:38:40.32
he's got to have
something that he can digest
00:38:40.35\00:38:42.85
and that will nourish him.
00:38:42.88\00:38:44.22
And sometimes
the truth has come on
00:38:44.25\00:38:46.09
a little too heavy
and a little too strong.
00:38:46.12\00:38:48.62
Oh, you've got to
be wise and harmless,
00:38:48.66\00:38:51.83
and sometimes we
are unwise and harmful,
00:38:51.86\00:38:55.20
but you never are
wrong when you lift up Jesus,
00:38:55.23\00:38:57.50
because this is all about Jesus.
00:38:57.53\00:38:58.87
That's the teaching of,
I mean, Jesus taught that.
00:38:58.90\00:39:01.10
You're saying
exactly what He said.
00:39:01.14\00:39:03.61
He said, "I have a
whole lot to say to you."
00:39:03.64\00:39:05.11
I think it's Mark 4:33,
"I have a whole lot to say,
00:39:05.14\00:39:07.81
but you're not able to bear it."
00:39:07.84\00:39:09.18
Yeah. Yes.
00:39:09.21\00:39:10.55
He was a listener
00:39:10.58\00:39:11.91
and then He put
that all together,
00:39:11.95\00:39:13.28
but when He got the
disciples by themself,
00:39:13.31\00:39:15.58
He went ahead and elaborate
a little bit more, didn't He?
00:39:15.62\00:39:17.92
But wisdom and I think
everyone's brought it out,
00:39:17.95\00:39:20.26
wisdom is simply
knowing when to speak,
00:39:20.29\00:39:23.76
and when to keep our mouth shut.
00:39:23.79\00:39:25.13
Yeah. Yeah.
00:39:25.16\00:39:26.49
Let's put it simple, straight
and we'll all understand that,
00:39:26.53\00:39:28.23
because that's
what the Bible says.
00:39:28.26\00:39:30.00
Yeah. Yeah.
00:39:30.03\00:39:31.37
And one thing I
found out just quickly,
00:39:31.40\00:39:33.34
one thing I found
out is in witnessing.
00:39:33.37\00:39:36.10
If you want to
witness for Christ,
00:39:36.14\00:39:38.84
not one day will pass by
00:39:38.87\00:39:41.21
that you will not
have that opportunity
00:39:41.24\00:39:43.01
to witness for Him.
00:39:43.04\00:39:44.41
When that is your prayer,
00:39:44.45\00:39:46.31
I know before I
went into the ministry,
00:39:46.35\00:39:47.92
I was doing construction,
carpenter work for years,
00:39:47.95\00:39:50.55
that was one of my burdens
00:39:50.59\00:39:52.05
as I was converted
after being in the church
00:39:52.09\00:39:54.92
for a lot of years.
00:39:54.96\00:39:56.29
I didn't know
what conversion was,
00:39:56.32\00:39:57.69
being an Adventist
for quite a few years,
00:39:57.73\00:40:00.06
teaching Sabbath school lesson,
00:40:00.10\00:40:01.50
teaching the
young married class,
00:40:01.53\00:40:03.26
I didn't know what
conversion really meant.
00:40:03.30\00:40:05.10
You could talk it out
of the word, you know,
00:40:05.13\00:40:07.14
talk to others about it,
00:40:07.17\00:40:08.50
but to really have the
change of heart and mind,
00:40:08.54\00:40:11.27
I didn't realize it what
it was until it happened.
00:40:11.31\00:40:14.24
And so I begin to
pray when conversion came.
00:40:14.28\00:40:17.35
Lord, do not let the sun go down
00:40:17.38\00:40:19.55
on this day that
You don't give me
00:40:19.58\00:40:20.98
an opportunity
to witness for You.
00:40:21.02\00:40:22.42
Amen.
00:40:22.45\00:40:23.79
No matter where I'm at,
I'm in the north 40 building
00:40:23.82\00:40:25.42
my house somewhere out there
and I can't get away from that,
00:40:25.45\00:40:27.92
please send somebody.
00:40:27.96\00:40:29.36
Every day, every day for years
00:40:29.39\00:40:32.69
and that's what
happened to getting transferred
00:40:32.73\00:40:34.73
from construction to ministry.
00:40:34.76\00:40:37.37
I got so busy, it's
all the Holy Spirit,
00:40:37.40\00:40:40.40
we understand that.
00:40:40.44\00:40:41.77
Got so busy talking about Jesus
that I couldn't drive nails.
00:40:41.80\00:40:45.77
I couldn't, I'm looking,
00:40:45.81\00:40:47.68
I'm thinking,
oh, I've talked to,
00:40:47.71\00:40:49.04
people would be lost
because when you're so far out,
00:40:49.08\00:40:51.35
maybe building a
house, a farmhouse
00:40:51.38\00:40:52.71
and you're not there,
00:40:52.75\00:40:54.08
but they're lost
as it were directions
00:40:54.12\00:40:56.32
and they just stop by.
00:40:56.35\00:40:57.69
No, I know there
were an answer to prayer,
00:40:57.72\00:40:59.42
I knew when I was
coming up the drive they were,
00:40:59.45\00:41:01.76
and so you talk about Jesus.
00:41:01.79\00:41:03.66
So I learned that in every
day before the sun would set,
00:41:03.69\00:41:08.66
I'll have the opportunity
00:41:08.70\00:41:10.03
to lift up in the name of Jesus.
00:41:10.07\00:41:11.40
Amen.
00:41:11.43\00:41:12.77
So I'm saying if
you're sincere about it,
00:41:12.80\00:41:14.14
Ellen White says
this, she says all
00:41:14.17\00:41:15.50
and the
scripture is clear on it,
00:41:15.54\00:41:17.31
"Those true, who love
Jesus with all their heart,
00:41:17.34\00:41:19.87
the true Christians
00:41:19.91\00:41:21.44
will always have
opportunity to witness for Him."
00:41:21.48\00:41:25.01
True Christians, you
know, if you're not true,
00:41:25.05\00:41:27.52
you're gonna be praying there,
00:41:27.55\00:41:28.88
you're not gonna
be on your knees,
00:41:28.92\00:41:30.25
you're not gonna be laboring.
00:41:30.29\00:41:31.62
But I came to the point
where I could as it were,
00:41:31.65\00:41:33.82
I know the spirit was doing.
00:41:33.86\00:41:35.19
I thank all the
angels but a lot of...
00:41:35.22\00:41:36.66
The Lord emptied
out a bunch of angels
00:41:36.69\00:41:38.09
there with me lot of
times building the house,
00:41:38.13\00:41:39.63
because I could
do more in four hours
00:41:39.66\00:41:42.16
than I could do in eight
when I used four for Him.
00:41:42.20\00:41:44.83
Yeah.
00:41:44.87\00:41:46.20
Does that make
sense? Yes, it does.
00:41:46.23\00:41:47.57
It's like tithing, four hours,
oh, I'm gonna have to hurry,
00:41:47.60\00:41:50.47
all the four hours I've
spent talking about Jesus,
00:41:50.51\00:41:52.41
I better hurry.
00:41:52.44\00:41:53.78
Well, this is the only
time I could ever say that,
00:41:53.81\00:41:55.41
everything I did was
right after that point,
00:41:55.44\00:41:59.41
because the Lord
was helping me, you see.
00:41:59.45\00:42:01.02
Yeah. And, yeah.
00:42:01.05\00:42:02.68
We were in
London a little bit ago
00:42:02.72\00:42:04.39
and I remember
talking with an elder there,
00:42:04.42\00:42:05.92
and I'll say this very quickly,
00:42:05.95\00:42:07.29
he was bemoaning the
fact that he didn't feel,
00:42:07.32\00:42:10.03
he knew enough
Bible to go and witness.
00:42:10.06\00:42:12.76
He said, but I just like,
00:42:12.79\00:42:14.13
I knew more and
I talked with him,
00:42:14.16\00:42:15.50
he had a pretty
good handle on the word.
00:42:15.53\00:42:17.30
But you don't want to
wait till you know everything,
00:42:17.33\00:42:20.57
because you'll
never know everything,
00:42:20.60\00:42:21.94
because you'll never go.
00:42:21.97\00:42:24.17
Take what you know,
take your testimony,
00:42:24.21\00:42:26.37
pray and go in the
power of the Holy Spirit
00:42:26.41\00:42:28.01
and you will do more
than you thought you could do
00:42:28.04\00:42:31.48
because you're doing it
in the power of the Lord.
00:42:31.51\00:42:33.98
I want to read
something real, real quick
00:42:34.02\00:42:35.35
just a couple of lines
00:42:35.38\00:42:37.95
that Ellen White
writes, she says,
00:42:37.99\00:42:40.72
"The value of our
work does not consist
00:42:40.76\00:42:42.89
in making a loud
noise in the world,
00:42:42.92\00:42:45.26
in being zealous, eager
and active in our own strength.
00:42:45.29\00:42:48.80
The value of our
work is in proportion
00:42:48.83\00:42:51.17
to the impartation
of the Holy Spirit."
00:42:51.20\00:42:53.40
Amen. That's it.
00:42:53.44\00:42:54.77
"The value of our work
comes through trust in God,
00:42:54.80\00:42:58.14
which brings
holier qualities of mind
00:42:58.17\00:43:00.94
so that impatience we
may possess our souls."
00:43:00.98\00:43:04.51
So you pray, you
pray yourself up,
00:43:04.55\00:43:08.05
you go armed with
the Holy Spirit...
00:43:08.08\00:43:10.09
It has to be filled
with the Holy Spirit.
00:43:10.12\00:43:11.45
Amen. And the
Lord will do the work.
00:43:11.49\00:43:12.82
Yes.
00:43:12.85\00:43:14.19
I think Jesus first of
all was the king of tact.
00:43:14.22\00:43:17.03
Like He knew immediately like,
00:43:17.06\00:43:19.96
they started
asking these questions,
00:43:20.00\00:43:21.33
they're trying to corner Him
00:43:21.36\00:43:22.70
and then He comes up
with these brilliant ideas of,
00:43:22.73\00:43:24.27
you know, John the Baptist,
00:43:24.30\00:43:26.20
you know, what do
you think about this guy?
00:43:26.23\00:43:28.20
You know, the Son of
Man, whose Son is He?
00:43:28.24\00:43:29.64
And He starts,
00:43:29.67\00:43:31.01
He had these perfect ways of
disarming difficult situations
00:43:31.04\00:43:33.24
because He was in
tune with His Father,
00:43:33.27\00:43:34.61
but I had two
other things in response
00:43:34.64\00:43:36.78
to what you had mentioned,
00:43:36.81\00:43:38.15
the first was that Ellen
White had a whole lot to say
00:43:38.18\00:43:40.52
about argumentative
discourses in her day.
00:43:40.55\00:43:42.45
She did.
00:43:42.48\00:43:43.82
Adventist ministers
were well known at that stage
00:43:43.85\00:43:45.32
that they would come into town,
00:43:45.35\00:43:46.69
they look for
the Baptist minister
00:43:46.72\00:43:48.06
and they have a
showdown at the OK Corral.
00:43:48.09\00:43:49.46
Exactly.
00:43:49.49\00:43:50.83
And she said, "That
wasn't winning people's hearts,
00:43:50.86\00:43:53.03
arguments don't."
00:43:53.06\00:43:54.40
Yeah. And she
counseled against that.
00:43:54.43\00:43:56.73
But the last thing
that I wanted to mention
00:43:56.77\00:43:58.43
before I have a
quote here is that,
00:43:58.47\00:44:01.27
whenever you
don't know what to do,
00:44:01.30\00:44:03.07
going to Bible
college put me in a situation
00:44:03.10\00:44:05.34
where I had to go out
and do door-to-door work
00:44:05.37\00:44:07.44
and do Bible work,
00:44:07.48\00:44:08.81
and I didn't realize
00:44:08.84\00:44:10.41
that God could
use me in ministry
00:44:10.45\00:44:11.88
until I went out
and did ministry.
00:44:11.91\00:44:13.25
Amen.
00:44:13.28\00:44:14.62
And I think all of us
were testified of the fact
00:44:14.65\00:44:15.98
that the way that we
found out the things that we,
00:44:16.02\00:44:17.82
you know, I've had people say,
00:44:17.85\00:44:19.19
well, you know, I
don't know what you know,
00:44:19.22\00:44:20.56
the only way I came to know
00:44:20.59\00:44:21.92
what I know was by doing
what I had with what I had.
00:44:21.96\00:44:24.46
I just went out
and did something
00:44:24.49\00:44:25.83
with what I had
00:44:25.86\00:44:27.20
and God
continue to provide more.
00:44:27.23\00:44:28.56
And I had people say, you know,
00:44:28.60\00:44:29.93
"Show me from the Bible
that I can't drink wine,
00:44:29.96\00:44:32.27
show me from the
Bible that I can't,
00:44:32.30\00:44:34.24
you know, eat meat or
whatever, I'm thinking, man,
00:44:34.27\00:44:35.87
counsels on diets and food
00:44:35.90\00:44:37.24
would make this
a whole lot easier
00:44:37.27\00:44:38.61
but I had to, I had to do
00:44:38.64\00:44:39.97
a whole lot of
searching for myself
00:44:40.01\00:44:41.34
to prove these things.
00:44:41.38\00:44:42.71
It makes you better in knowing
these things by doing it.
00:44:42.74\00:44:46.01
And one last thing I
want to share from...
00:44:46.05\00:44:48.35
Before you, I
just have to, let me...
00:44:48.38\00:44:49.72
Go ahead.
00:44:49.75\00:44:51.35
Here is the perfect segue
is that what you said is that,
00:44:51.39\00:44:54.96
you show them from the Bible.
00:44:54.99\00:44:56.32
I think that should
be always our arguments.
00:44:56.36\00:44:58.93
I don't think we
should to be taking
00:44:58.96\00:45:01.66
someone else's writings
to try to convince someone.
00:45:01.70\00:45:05.27
We need to be able to,
00:45:05.30\00:45:07.27
if we are trying
to defend a doctrine
00:45:07.30\00:45:09.54
or to share a doctrine, it
has to come from the Bible.
00:45:09.57\00:45:11.91
Yeah. Yes.
00:45:11.94\00:45:13.27
I don't think it
was ever designed
00:45:13.31\00:45:14.64
that we lead with
the Spirit of Prophecy.
00:45:14.68\00:45:16.01
Never. No.
00:45:16.04\00:45:17.38
We lead with the
Lord, that's a doctrine,
00:45:17.41\00:45:18.75
which comes in
the train of doctrine.
00:45:18.78\00:45:20.12
That's right.
00:45:20.15\00:45:21.48
Your basic understanding
should be from scripture,
00:45:21.52\00:45:24.59
your proof should
be from scripture.
00:45:24.62\00:45:25.95
Absolutely. Yeah.
00:45:25.99\00:45:27.32
When I came into the church
00:45:27.36\00:45:28.69
I was hearing things
in the reverse order,
00:45:28.72\00:45:31.03
you know, this is the
standard that we should go by
00:45:31.06\00:45:32.93
but I found and that's
what kind of made me hesitant
00:45:32.96\00:45:34.96
to become an
Adventist initially.
00:45:35.00\00:45:36.33
Yes.
00:45:36.36\00:45:37.70
As it was with Shelley,
00:45:37.73\00:45:39.07
but when I found
these things in scripture,
00:45:39.10\00:45:40.44
I realized this is
it, man, like this is,
00:45:40.47\00:45:42.50
we can prove it all here
without having to go elsewhere.
00:45:42.54\00:45:44.84
But this makes
this even more beautiful
00:45:44.87\00:45:47.58
and wraps additional language
00:45:47.61\00:45:50.01
around the things that
we believe from scripture
00:45:50.05\00:45:52.18
that are easier for me
to understand, I found.
00:45:52.21\00:45:54.88
But it further what
already knew biblically,
00:45:54.92\00:45:56.75
this is from
Christian Service 186
00:45:56.79\00:45:58.62
regarding the approach of Jesus.
00:45:58.65\00:46:00.42
"Jesus worked to relieve
00:46:00.46\00:46:02.02
every case of
suffering that He saw.
00:46:02.06\00:46:04.56
He had little money to give,
00:46:04.59\00:46:06.26
but He often
denied Himself of food
00:46:06.29\00:46:08.63
in order to relieve those
00:46:08.66\00:46:10.00
who appeared more needy than He.
00:46:10.03\00:46:12.37
His brothers felt
that His influence went far
00:46:12.40\00:46:15.07
to counteract theirs.
00:46:15.10\00:46:17.07
He possessed a tact
which none of them had,
00:46:17.11\00:46:19.27
or desired to have.
00:46:19.31\00:46:21.04
When they spoke
harshly to the poor,
00:46:21.08\00:46:22.74
degraded beings,
00:46:22.78\00:46:24.11
Jesus sought
out these very ones,
00:46:24.15\00:46:25.95
and spoke to them
words of encouragement.
00:46:25.98\00:46:28.78
To those who were in need
00:46:28.82\00:46:30.15
He would give a
cup of cold water,
00:46:30.19\00:46:31.72
and would quietly place
His own meal in their hands.
00:46:31.75\00:46:34.79
As He relieved their sufferings,
00:46:34.82\00:46:36.19
the truths that He
taught were associated
00:46:36.22\00:46:39.23
with His acts of mercy,
00:46:39.26\00:46:41.10
and were thus
riveted in the memory."
00:46:41.13\00:46:42.93
Amen.
00:46:42.96\00:46:44.30
So the soil
preparation of service
00:46:44.33\00:46:46.27
prepared the ground to
receive the seed of truth
00:46:46.30\00:46:49.30
and that's what brought forth
00:46:49.34\00:46:50.67
about the
harvest in His ministry.
00:46:50.71\00:46:52.04
And Christ of
course was operating
00:46:52.07\00:46:54.11
from the divine
essence of His character
00:46:54.14\00:46:57.11
which was love.
00:46:57.15\00:46:58.48
And when someone...
00:46:58.51\00:47:00.55
I think the most important thing
00:47:00.58\00:47:01.92
it doesn't
matter, you may not drink,
00:47:01.95\00:47:03.52
you may not smoke,
you may be a vegan,
00:47:03.55\00:47:05.59
you may be all of these things,
00:47:05.62\00:47:07.56
it doesn't mean that
you have the Holy Spirit.
00:47:07.59\00:47:09.56
That's right.
00:47:09.59\00:47:10.93
So have we know, that
we have the Holy Spirit,
00:47:10.96\00:47:14.00
He is God, God is love
00:47:14.03\00:47:16.83
if we are filled
00:47:16.87\00:47:18.47
with this divine essence of
God's self sacrificing love,
00:47:18.50\00:47:23.04
1 Thessalonians 3:12,
00:47:23.07\00:47:24.94
one of my favorites
Paul 3:12-14, Paul said,
00:47:24.97\00:47:28.98
"May the Lord make
you increase in abound
00:47:29.01\00:47:31.55
in the love to one another."
00:47:31.58\00:47:33.38
Amen.
00:47:33.42\00:47:34.75
And he said,
00:47:34.78\00:47:36.12
"So that He may
establish your hearts
00:47:36.15\00:47:39.55
blameless in holiness
00:47:39.59\00:47:41.76
at the coming of our
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."
00:47:41.79\00:47:44.19
So the more we grow in love,
the more we grow in holiness,
00:47:44.23\00:47:48.66
and this is when
we are going out,
00:47:48.70\00:47:51.27
if you're going out to prove,
00:47:51.30\00:47:57.04
to build up your own pride
00:47:57.07\00:47:58.87
or something,
that's not going to get it,
00:47:58.91\00:48:01.11
but when now you
went out to call on
00:48:01.14\00:48:03.91
you know, knock on doors
00:48:03.95\00:48:05.28
and that would
make my knees knock,
00:48:05.31\00:48:06.92
I can stand in front of
20,000 people and speak,
00:48:06.95\00:48:10.19
but to go door-to-door
would make my knees knock.
00:48:10.22\00:48:13.56
The thing is that
once you went out,
00:48:13.59\00:48:16.73
God blessed your effort,
00:48:16.76\00:48:18.13
but you're going out,
out of a heart of love.
00:48:18.16\00:48:20.46
Absolutely.
00:48:20.50\00:48:21.83
And that's what we need to pray
that what we do each day is,
00:48:21.86\00:48:27.50
you know, Lord fill
me with Your Holy Spirit,
00:48:27.54\00:48:29.94
give me a divine
appointment, lead me,
00:48:29.97\00:48:32.57
but it is important how we live
that is our witness to people.
00:48:32.61\00:48:37.18
Yes.
00:48:37.21\00:48:38.55
But we also cannot just stop
00:48:38.58\00:48:40.92
because I think about the woman
00:48:40.95\00:48:43.25
who called Danny
recently, who said,
00:48:43.28\00:48:46.86
"She'd been watching
3ABN, became an Adventist,"
00:48:46.89\00:48:50.13
and she said,
"But God helped me,
00:48:50.16\00:48:52.66
I've got to
overcome this feeling
00:48:52.69\00:48:54.56
I have about my neighbors."
00:48:54.60\00:48:57.03
Turned out her,
00:48:57.07\00:48:58.40
she said she had
wonderful neighbors,
00:48:58.43\00:49:00.14
they were Seventh-day Adventist,
00:49:00.17\00:49:01.50
they lived next to her
for what, 18 years was it?
00:49:01.54\00:49:03.64
It was a long time. A long time.
00:49:03.67\00:49:05.71
And she said, "I
thought they loved me,
00:49:05.74\00:49:07.78
but they never loved me
enough to share the truth."
00:49:07.81\00:49:10.45
So it can't just be our witness,
00:49:10.48\00:49:13.55
as to what we do,
00:49:13.58\00:49:15.52
it also has to be that
we're bold enough to speak.
00:49:15.55\00:49:18.92
Yeah, there is this fine line
00:49:18.95\00:49:20.29
between friendship evangelism
that is under address,
00:49:20.32\00:49:22.69
sometimes we hide behind an
idea of friendship evangelism
00:49:22.72\00:49:25.39
that I'm a Seventh-day Adventist
00:49:25.43\00:49:26.76
and they're my friend
00:49:26.80\00:49:28.13
and that's
friendship evangelism.
00:49:28.16\00:49:29.50
Yeah. You know,
that's friendship.
00:49:29.53\00:49:30.87
Friendship
evangelism is looking for ways
00:49:30.90\00:49:33.03
to invest in them spiritually,
00:49:33.07\00:49:34.47
to bless them
to give of yourself
00:49:34.50\00:49:36.44
and be ready in season
00:49:36.47\00:49:37.81
to give them a word
when they are weary.
00:49:37.84\00:49:39.87
And to be
proactive in that sense,
00:49:39.91\00:49:41.58
I think it's important.
00:49:41.61\00:49:42.94
Yeah. Amen.
00:49:42.98\00:49:44.31
Yeah, and to close
the circle on that,
00:49:44.35\00:49:45.68
if you study, and
pray, and observe,
00:49:45.71\00:49:47.12
they will show you
ways to minister to them,
00:49:47.15\00:49:49.38
you're not going be there.
00:49:49.42\00:49:51.09
Going back to
something you said, Shelley,
00:49:51.12\00:49:52.79
I'm looking at this quick quote
where she says, we're told,
00:49:52.82\00:49:56.62
this is a book
Evangelism by the way,
00:49:56.66\00:49:58.26
"There must be no
duplicity or crookedness
00:49:58.29\00:50:00.76
in the life of the worker.
00:50:00.80\00:50:03.06
When the error is held
even in held even insincerity
00:50:03.10\00:50:07.54
it's dangerous to insincerity
in the truth is fatal."
00:50:07.57\00:50:11.37
So one of the
things we need to do
00:50:11.41\00:50:12.74
I believe is
question our own motives.
00:50:12.77\00:50:15.78
We're going back
to what you have said,
00:50:15.81\00:50:17.15
and go with a pure
heart and a pure motive.
00:50:17.18\00:50:19.58
And if you go with a
pure heart and a pure motive
00:50:19.61\00:50:21.92
in the power and
strength of Christ,
00:50:21.95\00:50:23.28
you will get results,
00:50:23.32\00:50:24.65
God will give
results to your labors,
00:50:24.69\00:50:26.29
they will not be in vain,
00:50:26.32\00:50:27.66
but your heart's got
to be right, you know.
00:50:27.69\00:50:29.36
Amen. And your
motive has to be pure.
00:50:29.39\00:50:32.29
Amen, and in Acts
26, talking to Jesus,
00:50:32.33\00:50:35.26
talking about
the calling of Paul.
00:50:35.30\00:50:37.40
He said, "I call you to
be a witness and a minister."
00:50:37.43\00:50:41.20
I thought very interesting
that word witness on there
00:50:41.24\00:50:43.77
if you look it up and studied
00:50:43.81\00:50:45.37
and analogy of
would be is a martyr,
00:50:45.41\00:50:49.58
very interesting those
who are really a witness,
00:50:49.61\00:50:53.01
because certainly you
know, you can look and you say,
00:50:53.05\00:50:54.62
"Well yeah, it's still,
you know, it's still a record,
00:50:54.65\00:50:56.95
it's still a witness,
it's still talking about
00:50:56.99\00:50:58.52
but at the end results
00:50:58.55\00:51:00.12
Christ calls us
to be His witness
00:51:00.16\00:51:02.19
whatever the cost may be
00:51:02.22\00:51:05.13
and we dare not
accept that challenge
00:51:05.16\00:51:07.60
that we are to bear witness
00:51:07.63\00:51:08.96
to the world by
giving the gospel
00:51:09.00\00:51:11.87
and then the end shall come.
00:51:11.90\00:51:14.17
So we need to keep that under,
00:51:14.20\00:51:15.67
I'll tell you
it's not under our hats
00:51:15.70\00:51:17.11
when you take them off
and put it out there quickly
00:51:17.14\00:51:18.91
if we want Jesus to come,
let's all of us get excited,
00:51:18.94\00:51:21.84
let's all of us think about
we want to witness for Jesus,
00:51:21.88\00:51:24.18
let's get out and
do something for Him,
00:51:24.21\00:51:27.32
let's witness and that means
to be born again and to what,
00:51:27.35\00:51:30.99
let people see Jesus in you.
00:51:31.02\00:51:32.55
The truth is you cannot
give what you do not have.
00:51:32.59\00:51:33.99
Thank you.
00:51:34.02\00:51:35.36
You got to have Jesus,
before you share Jesus.
00:51:35.39\00:51:36.76
Yeah, I just real quick,
00:51:36.79\00:51:38.36
remember that we are
ambassadors for the Lord
00:51:38.39\00:51:40.76
and wherever we go,
00:51:40.80\00:51:42.40
it doesn't matter
if you are out to eat
00:51:42.43\00:51:44.70
and maybe if
somebody is slighted you,
00:51:44.73\00:51:47.40
they're doing something
wrong as far as wait staff
00:51:47.44\00:51:50.54
or if you have somebody
00:51:50.57\00:51:52.27
that's giving you their
cranky and they're at Walmart,
00:51:52.31\00:51:55.04
supermarket or something,
00:51:55.08\00:51:56.64
we need to remember that people
00:51:56.68\00:51:58.91
identify with us
by how we respond,
00:51:58.95\00:52:02.32
so we have to be
Christian in our actions.
00:52:02.35\00:52:04.75
You know, an even
as bigger this world
00:52:04.79\00:52:07.32
is you could probably give
somebody a peace of your mind
00:52:07.36\00:52:09.92
and never they will
never see you again,
00:52:09.96\00:52:11.79
so they'll never
connect you with Adventism,
00:52:11.83\00:52:14.00
but the upshot is
you've lost the chance
00:52:14.03\00:52:15.73
to witness to that
person and plan to see,
00:52:15.76\00:52:18.17
so you freed your spleen,
00:52:18.20\00:52:19.53
you know, you've said
what I've told them off,
00:52:19.57\00:52:21.54
they don't know
you're an Adventist
00:52:21.57\00:52:22.90
so they'll never
make a connection,
00:52:22.94\00:52:24.27
but you've defaulted
00:52:24.31\00:52:26.68
in the opportunity
of lifting up Jesus
00:52:26.71\00:52:28.58
before that person.
00:52:28.61\00:52:29.94
Amen.
00:52:29.98\00:52:31.31
Well, we're going to
go to our news break.
00:52:31.35\00:52:32.85
We'll come back,
closing thoughts,
00:52:32.88\00:52:34.48
put a little bow on this
and before we end our program,
00:52:34.52\00:52:37.45
we'll be right back.
00:52:37.49\00:52:38.82