Participants: CA Murray (Host), Kenny Shelton, Dee Casper, Shelley Quinn
Series Code: TDY
Program Code: TDY017053A
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00:01 I want to spend my life
00:07 Mending broken people 00:12 I want to spend my life 00:18 Removing pain 00:23 Lord, let my words 00:29 Heal a heart that hurts 00:34 I want to spend my life 00:39 Mending broken people 00:45 I want to spend my life 00:50 Mending broken people 01:07 Hello, and welcome to 3ABN Today. 01:10 My name is CA Murray. 01:11 And allow me please once again to thank you for sharing 01:14 just a little of your no doubt busy day with us, 01:17 so thank you for your love, your prayers, 01:19 your support of this ministry 01:21 as we partner together to lift up the name of Jesus 01:24 and to do the work 01:25 that He has assigned to our hands. 01:27 Very, very excited about our program today 01:29 because of what we're going to be talking about 01:32 and the family members who are here with us. 01:35 We're going to talk about 01:36 how not to be a witless witness. 01:41 I have a book in my library, small paper of that book, 01:45 it has a picture on the cover 01:47 of a man who is standing on the chest of another man 01:50 who is lying down, 01:52 he's got his Bible in this hand 01:53 and he's got his finger pointed, 01:55 luckily it's a cartoon, it's a drawing, 01:57 it's not a real picture. 01:58 But it shows witless witnessing. 02:05 How not to try to share the gospel of Jesus Christ 02:09 and so we're taking that as our theme for today, 02:12 "How not to be a witless witness", 02:14 given the call that Christ has given to all of us 02:17 in the Great Commission to share, 02:20 to go, to witness, to teach, to preach, 02:23 to baptize in the name of the Father, 02:24 Son and Holy Ghost, 02:25 so how do you do that in the atmosphere 02:27 that we find ourselves today? 02:30 The atmosphere where everything goes 02:31 and anything you want to do you can do, 02:34 and there are those who are trying to hold 02:36 the plumb line and stand up for Jesus. 02:38 How do you do that in a loving redemptive way? 02:41 How do you avoid the pitfalls 02:42 that really give a wrong image of who God is 02:45 as opposed to the correct image of a God of love. 02:49 And I've got three eminently qualified persons 02:52 to help us with that question, with that understanding. 02:57 Dee Casper, he of UnScene Media, 02:58 Dee good to have you here, man. 03:00 Privilege to be here. 03:01 So we saw that youth is represented 03:03 and represented well, he's the student of the word. 03:05 And we're glad to have him here. 03:07 The Lady, Shelley Quinn. 03:10 Program Development Manager here at 3ABN 03:12 and that blonde hair is graced by a number of hats 03:17 that she is called to wear. 03:20 And we call our 03:21 the maven of blessings on the Go Evangelism, 03:24 she does so many, many things 03:25 and by the grace of God does them well. 03:27 And our friend Pastor Kenny Shelton, 03:29 good to have you here, pastor. 03:31 Good to be here, thank you. 03:32 He of Behold the Lamb Ministries, 03:33 recovering from some surgery, but looking pretty good, 03:35 praise God. 03:37 Praise God, He's good, by His grace, yes. 03:39 Amen, good to have you here. 03:40 So together we're going to try to walk through 03:42 and wade through this idea 03:45 of how not to be a witless witness 03:49 and how to do some positive things 03:50 to share Christ in the word. 03:53 I want to go to a text, 03:55 lords and lady, I'm in Acts 1:8, 04:00 these words of Jesus just prior to His ascension. 04:05 I've got my big print Bible here today, you know, 04:07 so I can see what's going on. 04:09 But I'm in Acts 1:8. 04:11 The Bible says, "But you shall receive power," 04:13 and I think that power is authority, 04:15 I think its exousia, 04:16 haven't checked that up, but I think that is exousia 04:18 as opposed to dunamis. 04:19 No, it's dunamis. "When the Holy Spirit..." 04:21 Its dunamis, is it dunamis? I'm not sure it is. 04:24 I think it is but I'm not sure. It may be. 04:26 I think there's a chance to check it out. 04:29 They both actually fit. 04:31 "But you shall receive power, and of course dunamis 04:33 is a physical ability to get the job done, 04:35 power is authority. 04:38 But Christ did give us power and authority 04:40 and we praise the Lord for that. 04:42 "When the Holy Spirit has come upon you 04:44 and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, 04:48 and in Judea, and Samaria, 04:50 and to the ends, the King James says, 04:52 uttermost part of the earth." 04:54 So we have a command from Jesus just prior to His leaving, 04:59 that His people would be witnesses, 05:02 it is the call to witness 05:04 and of course with the call to witness 05:06 comes the authority to witness, 05:07 comes the power to witness. 05:09 So when we do so, 05:10 we do so in the knowledge that we can do anything 05:14 but fail when we link our hands with Jesus Christ. 05:16 Amen. Amen. 05:17 So you don't have to go timid, you don't have to go afraid, 05:20 you just got to be wise in your witnessing, 05:22 amen and amen. 05:24 Want to read just one other thing that, 05:27 from the Spirit of Prophecy that, I've got, 05:32 when you see a preacher, 05:34 a preacher with a bunch of pages, 05:35 you know, it is time to be afraid. 05:39 But I want to just run through this. 05:42 These are the words from Ellen White, 05:43 Review and Herald, August 24, 1886, 05:46 "It is the purpose of God 05:48 that the plan of salvation 05:49 shall not be wrought out independent 05:52 of human instrumentalities. 05:55 He has not chosen angels, 05:56 but men of like passions as ourselves, 05:59 to proclaim the gospel to the human race." 06:01 Paul says, "We have this treasure in earthen vessels, 06:05 that the excellency of the power may be of God, 06:08 and not of us. 06:10 It was that He might receive the honor 06:13 that this work was committed to weak, erring mortals. 06:17 Being the feeble instruments in His hands, 06:20 all the glory of their success would naturally, 06:25 I'm having a day today, 06:28 naturally be reflected upon him, 06:30 the great Master Workman. 06:33 After he has, in his wisdom, instituted this plan, 06:37 we have no reason to expect 06:39 that the work will be accomplished 06:41 without ordained means." 06:43 So it's God's work 06:44 and God has given the means to prosecute that work. 06:48 "Here it is important that 06:50 all who have been partakers of this great salvation, 06:53 communicate to others 06:55 that which has been made known to them." 06:58 So God could have devised other ways and means 07:03 to share the gospel. 07:04 Certainly, all means are at His disposal 07:07 but He has chosen to use erring men and women. 07:10 Yes. 07:12 Two things, one when the success comes 07:14 we know it's not of us. 07:16 That's true. Yes. 07:17 And I think we've all been in those situations, 07:19 where Lord has work something out 07:20 and when you get on the other side 07:21 and look back at it, you know, that wasn't you, 07:23 that was God. 07:25 So He is using people of like passions 07:28 but we have frailties, 07:29 we have, we are mistake prone, 07:33 but if we do God's work using God's methods, 07:37 then success is guaranteed. 07:38 Amen. Amen. 07:39 That's what she has designed to be. 07:41 So, lords and ladies, we're gonna kind of loose you 07:43 and let you go in just a little bit, 07:45 we want to go to our music now 07:47 and sort of get that out of the way, 07:48 so we can dive into the subject 07:50 because these worthies have much to say. 07:52 Our music is coming from Sandra Entermann. 07:55 She is assisted by Christie Sypek on the... 07:59 Christie Sypek rather on the piano, 08:01 she's going to be singing, "O Calvary's Lamb". 08:19 This faltering tongue 08:23 Would dare to speak 08:27 Of Thee my Lord 08:31 From one so weak 08:35 I must not keep 08:39 From thee my praise. 08:44 For Thy glory I will lift my voice 08:49 And sing 08:51 O Calvary's Lamb 08:55 O righteous One 08:59 For sinners died 09:03 Whose sins were none 09:07 All that I have 09:11 All that I am 09:16 I owe to Thee 09:20 O Calvary's Lamb 09:29 And when mine eyes 09:33 At last shall see 09:37 Thy holy face 09:41 I'll bow to Thee 09:44 Before Thy throne 09:48 With those redeemed 09:53 Unto Thee O Lord 09:55 I'll lift my voice 09:58 And sing 10:00 O Calvary's Lamb 10:04 O righteous One 10:08 For sinners died 10:11 Whose sins were none 10:15 All that I have 10:19 All that I am 10:23 I owe to Thee 10:28 O Calvary's Lamb 10:47 O Calvary's Lamb 10:51 O righteous One 10:54 For sinners died 10:58 Whose sins were none 11:02 All that I have 11:06 All that I am 11:14 I owe to Thee 11:21 O Calvary's 11:26 Lamb 11:53 Amen, beautiful song, beautifully sung, 11:56 Sandra Entermann singing, Christie Sypek on the piano. 12:00 I want to go to something very quick 12:02 before I go to my guests here. 12:06 I've got an article from 12:08 The Atlantic Union Gleaner that, 12:10 oh, it's several years old now 12:11 that I, I did we're talking about witnessing. 12:14 It's called I can't walk but I can witness. 12:19 This is the lady who was at that time 12:21 suffering from multiple sclerosis, 12:22 she had lost the use of her legs. 12:24 But you see her in a wheelchair, 12:26 it's not a power wheelchairs, it's' a manual wheelchair. 12:30 That later was exchanged for a power wheelchair, 12:32 but every morning she would take tracks 12:34 and go to the subway stop and pass out literature. 12:40 She'd get there about 7 o'clock in the morning 12:42 through the rush hour in New York City 12:44 and if you're good to go, there she is at the subway stop 12:47 and everybody that went up to get on the train 12:49 she would give literature to them. 12:51 And they looked for her and they expected her 12:53 and over the years she had 12:54 maybe a dozen baptisms in the church, 12:57 starting out with just, her 12:59 every morning winter, summer, spring, snow, rain. 13:02 Praise the Lord. 13:03 She would just be there, she said, 13:05 "I can't walk but I can witness." 13:06 You know, so you take what's in your hand. 13:08 Yes. Amen. 13:09 You know, that's what God told Moses, 13:11 "What's that in your hand?" 13:12 Use what's in your hand and rather than thinking of 13:14 and stressing on what you can't do for the Lord. 13:17 Think about what you can do for the Lord, 13:19 given His strength. 13:21 So everybody can do something. 13:23 Amen. 13:25 And the thing is to find out what you can do 13:27 and then by the grace of God, do it. 13:29 Amen. 13:31 And then God will give you success. 13:32 Okay, how not to be a witless witness? 13:34 Who wants to go first, 13:35 Ms Quinn, shall we start with you? 13:37 Dee, men before women, women before men, 13:39 how do we do this? 13:40 Doesn't matter to me. 13:42 I think that the main thing that I would say is that 13:45 to be a good witness 13:48 we have to follow Paul's advice 13:50 when he said in Philippines 2:5-8, 13:54 "Let this mind be in you, which was in Christ Jesus." 13:58 Who humbled himself 13:59 and even to the point of being, you know, 14:01 obedience to the point of death on a cross. 14:06 And I believe that recently 14:11 in the last few years, God has... 14:13 I would consider myself a humble person in that, 14:17 I always share credit 14:19 if it's anything that God has done through me, 14:21 I make sure He gets all the credit. 14:24 But I try not to bring, you know, take glory to myself, 14:30 so I thought I was humble. 14:32 But I've now realized 14:35 after studying this scripture more deeply, 14:38 that my humility was not as deep as I thought it was, 14:42 I'm going to explain why. 14:44 When it's talking about the humility of Christ 14:46 in His humble mind, 14:48 He was totally dependent upon the Father, totally. 14:53 He said, "I only do what the Father shows me to do, 14:55 I only speak what the Father tells me to speak." 14:59 So I realized that, yes, I pray throughout the day, 15:04 but I realized that I wasn't praying enough 15:07 particularly when it came to witnessing. 15:10 That I was depending more on 15:13 what I thought I had up here 15:14 or what gifts God had given me 15:17 and I believe that to be a really effective witness, 15:21 we have to be like Jesus 15:23 and praying and asking God, 15:25 show me, you know, 15:27 show me who You want me to speak with, 15:30 give me the love for that person. 15:33 And if we're witnessing from love and from need, 15:37 if you recognize somebody's need, 15:39 you know, you have to be interested in them in 15:42 and I believe, I'm not sure who it was that said 15:46 "People don't care 15:48 how much you know 15:51 till they know how much you care." 15:52 Care. All right. 15:53 So it's all about being a nice person, 15:57 being filled with the Spirit of God. 16:01 Relying on what the Holy Spirit 16:03 leads us to do. 16:05 Amen. 16:06 I was gonna say that, 16:07 all witnessing and all ministry 16:09 is purely a spiritual venture 16:12 and is not going to be effective 16:14 without the ministry of the Holy Spirit. 16:15 Amen. 16:17 And specifically yielding to the promptings of the spirit 16:19 in any given moment, 16:20 and so whatever principles we may cover today, 16:22 whatever things we may cover, 16:24 all of those are helpful but the buck stops is 16:27 what the Spirit prompt you to do in any given moment 16:29 and that we need to learn to yield in those moments, 16:31 and this is why the ministry of Jesus was so effective 16:34 is because He was always in tune 16:35 with the will of His Father. 16:37 And always willing to do that whenever that time came, 16:40 whether He was tired, whether it was difficult, 16:42 whether it made sense or didn't make sense, 16:44 whether it looked like it would work 16:45 or didn't look like it would work, 16:47 He always followed the promptings 16:48 of how the Father was leading Him. 16:50 And I think that's the most effective tool. 16:52 I mean, we get in the program right there in that sense of, 16:54 if you can learn to hear the voice of God and follow, 16:57 that's the first place to start. 16:59 Yeah, yeah. 17:00 You know, I like that and I resonate with what 17:02 Shelley has said. 17:03 When I studied the Bible in my early years, 17:05 I studied for two reasons. 17:07 One I like studying the Bible, 17:08 but I also studied 17:10 because if you came up with something, 17:12 I wanted to have the knockout punch. 17:14 You know, if you came up with an idea, 17:16 I wanted to have the text, the scripture 17:18 I was not going to be caught flat-footed, 17:20 I wanted to have, so I studied defensively, 17:23 if pastor A came with something, 17:25 I got the answer for that. 17:26 And there is an element of self in that. 17:29 You know, there really is, 17:31 because you don't want to get caught flat-footed. 17:33 So now I study to show myself a proof. 17:37 Amen. 17:38 If you study you will have the answer, 17:39 but even if you are having the answer is not the answer 17:43 because the answer is Jesus. 17:45 Amen. 17:46 Because if a person does not want to be convicted 17:48 and Ellen White says this, 17:50 "You can come with every text in the Bible." 17:52 But those that defends, 17:54 that apologetic won't convict them, 17:55 it's the spirit that quicken it. 17:57 Spirit, flesh profit is nothing, 17:58 so you can defend the faith 18:01 but that may not convert somebody 18:02 it may, in fact it may turn them off, 18:04 I've had the thing 18:05 where I have studied with somebody for hours. 18:06 And then they say, "I just don't see it", 18:08 "Oh, you're blind, we gonna go through this again", 18:10 you know, and that's all self, 18:12 you know, that's all self, 18:13 because our job is to water, the Lord gives you increase, 18:16 the Lord gives you growth. 18:17 So yeah, you can let self, Shelley, I agree. 18:20 Slip in there 18:21 and you can do the right thing with the wrong motive. 18:23 Pastor Ken. 18:25 Well, first thing I did when I found out 18:27 the program I thought, you know what, 18:29 witness seems like it's a simple word, 18:31 and sometime I always go to dictionary, you know, 18:34 just look up witness 18:36 and I jot down a couple of things, 18:37 it just make sense to me, a witness is a testimony, 18:41 a witness is, we talk about as someone who has evidence. 18:45 So when talking about studying with somebody, 18:47 we need to have evidence, we need to have a testimony, 18:50 we must be able to, 18:52 I always wondered years ago people say, 18:53 "Oh, we're going to have a testimony service" 18:55 they got excited. 18:57 Man, we're going to have a testimony service. 18:59 Well, of course they talk about Jesus and things were done. 19:02 And so I began to put it together 19:03 that my testimony, my witness here, 19:06 my personal something that I have seen 19:10 or have experienced in my life 19:13 is something that I can share with others 19:16 and testimony service is a good time 19:18 in which to do that. 19:20 And one way which I learned a long time ago 19:23 and may be pastor was little bit like you, 19:26 what you were just telling us there, 19:27 sometime we study for the wrong reasons 19:30 and motive, didn't think we did, 19:32 that wasn't even really in my mind, 19:33 that's what I was doing, 19:35 and so for several years I really did not witness, 19:41 I was a witless witness for Christ 19:44 because I was afraid that I would not have the answer. 19:49 There's a lot of people that's like that at least I have met. 19:51 They are afraid to give a Bible study, 19:53 they are afraid to go out, 19:55 and they are afraid to just get into, 19:57 you know, a conversation with somebody about Jesus, 19:59 because somebody is going to ask me a question 20:02 that I don't have the answer. 20:04 And finally when I was really praying about it 20:06 and meditating on studying, 20:08 Lord said, "You'll never have all the answers." 20:10 Amen. Amen. 20:11 But number one He's mentioned here, 20:12 "I am the answer, 20:14 you talk about Me, talk about personal experience. 20:16 And then He's going to show up, 20:18 the Holy Spirit is going to show up 20:19 and do something wonderful 20:21 and mighty through each individual." 20:23 But, you know, what I've come up with this 20:26 and I don't say this for everybody. 20:28 I've been asked questions that I did not have the answer. 20:31 And people going to ask you 20:33 because it's not found in the Word of God, 20:34 they will ask you questions wherever you go. 20:36 Just simply say, you know what, 20:38 I don't have the answer right now 20:40 but I know where to go to get the answer. 20:42 Amen. And you know what, 20:43 therefore you really always had the answer, 20:45 you don't have to be afraid to say, 20:47 oh, I don't have it on tip of my tongue, 20:48 I forget where it was located but I'll, you know... 20:51 Gives you a reason to get back with the answers. 20:53 It gives you a reason and so and listen, 20:56 sometime our eyes are blinded to certain things 20:58 because that person is not ready to receive, 21:02 I'll give you a quick illustration, 21:04 I went when I was in my late 20s, 21:08 I went to, boy, I went to school with actually 21:11 but he was a teacher now, he's teaching high school 21:13 and he was very always interested in religious things 21:16 and he wanted to know a little bit about 21:18 2,300 day prophecy. 21:20 And I thought, oh, man, he's right up my alley man, 21:22 that's easy, you know, Daniel 8:14, 21:24 man, we'll go there, 21:25 and so we talked about Jesus, 21:27 we talked about a lot of things and he said, 21:28 "Well, come on, let's see what you..." 21:31 I open my Bible and I tell you what, 21:33 I could not find Daniel 8:14. 21:35 It was not in the word 21:38 and I thought surely it's not Daniel 9, 21:41 I mean, I begin to doubt myself 21:42 and he stating it all the time saying, 21:43 "Well, I thought you knew." 21:45 And I'm going, it wasn't, 21:47 of course it wasn't in Daniel 9. 21:49 But it was not to be found at that time. 21:52 I learned the lesson, 21:53 sometime they're not able to receive 21:56 and therefore don't try to give, 21:57 like you mentioned, 21:59 if they're not ready to receive. 22:00 Absolutely. 22:01 Man I say whistling dixie, you're just whistling dixie 22:03 because they're not going to, 22:05 if they're not really ready to receive 22:07 but that was a shocking 22:09 and it maybe for some of you here 22:10 just don't get shocked, don't, you know, 22:12 it didn't discourage me, 22:13 I went out of the truck and basically wept. 22:17 Probably it was pride, it was probably 22:18 because I knew that it was there, 22:20 I said, I know it's Daniel 8:14. 22:22 Lord why didn't you show it to me, 22:23 I opened it up and 14 was not there. 22:27 Basically He said, "Open the Word 22:29 and see if it is." 22:30 I sat in the truck, I turned the line, I opened it, 22:32 there it was plain as day. 22:34 I've had that, you know, 22:35 I know that text, can't find it. 22:38 And you may have one number wrong or so 22:40 but your mind is just in a fog at that moment. 22:43 And me, I never, I've always blamed myself, 22:45 I never thought, maybe the Lord is 22:47 trying to keep me from going there with this, 22:48 got to think, but I've had that happen. 22:50 I know this text, just won't come, you know, 22:53 and then later on there it was. 22:55 Yes. 22:56 I think what you said about testament, 22:57 there's two things you said number one, we don't, 23:00 none of us know all of the answers, 23:02 and it is our pride that makes us fear 23:04 that we're not going to know the answer. 23:07 We just need to be able to say, I don't know but we'll find out 23:10 because I know who does know. 23:12 But the second thing is that everyone, 23:16 there's only one thing I can present 23:19 when I'm witnessing 23:20 that someone cannot argue against 23:23 and that is my personal testimony. 23:24 Thank you. Amen. 23:26 So when we go out, I watch JD all the time, 23:30 my precious little husband 23:31 you know, he is a very laid back, 23:33 he's a people person, he's watching people, 23:36 he knows what their need is, but he knows how to, 23:40 he just talks about his experience with the Lord 23:42 and he's not worried about having every scripture down 23:46 and then people begin to ask questions. 23:48 And I think that's what we want 23:51 is if you want to be a wise witness. 23:55 If I'm on a plane, 23:56 I don't just attack the person next to me on the plane, 24:00 because number one I hate that. 24:02 Right. 24:03 You know, and you get, I got stuck to, 24:05 next to a zealot on a plane once. 24:08 And he had 24:10 and this was the Seventh-day Adventist zealot, 24:12 who had thought he had new light 24:14 and he was just going at me 90 miles an hour 24:17 and up tell you what, 24:19 pretty soon I know my eyes just glazed over 24:21 and I'm just sitting there like, 24:23 I no more heard anything he was saying, 24:26 I'm just thinking please, 24:27 Lord, let him have a dry throat or something. 24:31 But if what I will do when I'm sitting, 24:34 if I'm sitting next to you on a plane, 24:35 I'll start praying and I'll say, Lord, 24:38 will you open a door 24:40 that we can have this conversation. 24:43 And so I'd opened doors by asking questions. 24:47 What do you do for a living? 24:49 What do you, you know, 24:51 a generally speaking people 24:52 will then say, well, what do you do? 24:55 And if you start asking questions, 25:00 what you relate to me my whole purpose in, 25:03 if I'm going to witness 25:04 is to get someone to want to ask me 25:08 to create a little bit of curiosity 25:10 by asking them questions, let them ask me 25:13 and then it's like you're baiting, 25:15 it's like putting the bait on a hook 25:18 so you stick the bait out there 25:19 and then they're, well, what do you mean 25:21 and then you can start talking, that's part of my approach. 25:26 Yeah, and I see we're zooming at, Dee? 25:28 I think that the way that Jesus did things is helpful, 25:30 I mean, using Christ method in the sense of... 25:33 Ellen White talks about how He would have these 25:36 disinterested acts of benevolence 25:38 that He would give 25:39 whether people would respond or not. 25:41 In John 4, there's the woman at the well, 25:45 the way that He witnesses to this woman 25:47 is by asking her to help Him with His own needs. 25:50 And He's willing to cross boundaries 25:52 in the sense of, wait a minute, 25:54 you can't talk to her and they're not like us, 25:56 in John 5, the man at the Pool of Bethesda 25:59 is the most helpless case there 26:00 and Jesus just asked the man a question. 26:02 Yes. 26:04 And glaringly obvious question it seems, 26:06 but He knew the man's heart 26:07 and what issues he was contending with 26:09 and He says "Do you want to be made well?" 26:11 And I think watching the way that Jesus worked with people 26:13 is very helpful, 26:15 because He was willing to see in people 26:16 what no one else was willing to see in them. 26:18 And He treated them accordingly. 26:19 And I think if that can open doors with people 26:22 being vulnerable as He was with the woman at the well. 26:25 But showing interest in someone 26:26 that was walked by every single day 26:28 when religious leaders came into the temple, 26:30 they ignored him every day for 38 years. 26:33 Jesus did something different 26:35 and I think having our eyes open for opportunities 26:38 is one of the ways that process starts 26:40 asking God to open the doors for us. 26:43 And not looking for reasons to convince them 26:46 of something else intellectually, 26:48 but preparing their soul, their heart 26:50 just to basically receive the seeds 26:52 that you had offered them. 26:53 I think those are some big door openers 26:55 that can be helpful 26:57 and telling your story is a great way, 26:58 I dig to know each other. 27:00 If you spend time and study people, 27:01 people will tell you how to help them. 27:03 Yes, yes. Absolutely. 27:05 Churches are looking for ways to minister to their community, 27:08 just watch your community, step outside your door 27:10 and just look at who's going up and down the street, 27:12 they will inform you of how you can help them 27:14 and if you pray, I like what you said, Shelly, 27:16 if you pray and ask for divine appointment 27:18 and then open your eyes and just observe, 27:20 you can find ways to insert Christ 27:24 into the conversation 27:25 and not, see, because you can't always 27:27 as you all well know, 27:29 you cannot always lead with 144,000. 27:31 You know, you cannot always lead with the Sabbath, 27:33 you cannot always lead with the Bible. 27:35 I maintain and I preached this for years, 27:38 deeds of kindness tear down walls of separation, 27:41 build bridges to salvation, 27:42 I've seen that over and over again. 27:44 So if you're living next to someone, 27:46 if you study them, 27:47 they will show you 27:49 how you can be of service to them. 27:51 And it is that service 27:52 that will allow you to build the kind of bridges 27:55 that you can walk them across 27:56 if you want to lead them to glory. 27:58 So you don't always lead with your Bible, 28:00 sometimes you lead with 28:02 just a disinterested act of benevolence 28:06 as you well said, or a statement of kindness, 28:09 or statement of concern 28:11 and from that you build a bridge 28:12 that you can walk across into their hearts. 28:14 And I think that's very, very important 28:15 that you don't always try to 28:17 land that Sunday punch right out of the gate, 28:19 you know, I want to come and I just want to 28:20 knock you over in Jesus name. 28:22 You got to have some interim steps before. 28:26 It's Ephesians 4, 28:29 "Be kind to one another, tender hearted." 28:32 And that's not just to your brothers in Christ, 28:34 it's also a recipe for evangelism, 28:37 even those, not even, 28:39 especially those who don't think like you do, 28:42 or talk like you do, or smell like you do, 28:44 or agree with you in things, 28:46 those are the ones that you've got to 28:48 extend that extra kindness. 28:49 Well, Pastor, I was thinking about 28:51 as people who like to witness, 28:56 we would like to talk about Jesus, 28:58 but I've learned this over the years, 29:00 that first of all I have to be a good listener. 29:03 You were... 29:05 Everybody's kind of alluded to that 29:07 and maybe even said it, I missed it, 29:09 but we have to learn to listen 29:11 and not talk all the time. 29:12 Well said. 29:13 Now it's pretty heavy duty right, 29:15 smack somebody in the chops you're saying 29:16 but didn't mean to do it like that, 29:17 but you follow my thinking here. 29:19 We have to learn to listen. 29:22 I tell my grandson this, it's interesting, 29:24 he comes and help me do a few things right now. 29:28 And I told him, I said we're going to do 29:30 the three Ls we'll start with S-L-L-L. 29:33 Well, grandpa, what's that? 29:35 And I said stop, 29:39 look, listen and learn. 29:43 Amen. That's a good concept. 29:45 And he went and told a friend, he said, "You know, 29:47 I really like this family", but he said, 29:49 "I really like working with grandpa 29:51 because I learn so much." 29:54 Yes. Amen. 29:55 So I start out basically teasing him, 29:56 stop, look, listen, and learn. 30:00 But we have to ourself be a good listener. 30:03 And there's another thing I thought was interesting. 30:07 A lot of times when, 30:08 and I don't know who does what. 30:09 I personally when I'm introduced to someone, 30:13 most generally it doesn't make it right or wrong, 30:15 this is how I feel about it. 30:16 I always, I stick out my hand and I say, Hi, I'm Kenny. 30:19 And every, some people standing around saying, 30:21 "You should have introduced yourself 30:23 as Pastor Kenny." 30:24 No. I said, "For what reason?" 30:25 Am I trying to look for something special attention, 30:28 special you know, something that they're going to, 30:30 special favors they're going to show me 30:32 because I said, well, as a pastor 30:34 or they're going to put up some kind of a wall 30:37 that I'll not be able to reach or touch him. 30:39 And I said to them, "Kenny is fine," 30:43 I don't want any special, I want no wall there. 30:46 And over the years that has been a... 30:48 To me a real blessing because the person will open up, 30:51 they will talk. 30:52 When you introduce yourself, or maybe you speak, 30:53 or you're on TV, or you're a pastor, 30:55 a lot of people will guard what they say 30:57 and you really can't find out where they are at, 31:00 so it's good that we listen, 31:02 stop, listen, and learn. 31:04 Well said. 31:06 You know, I was just getting ready to say the same thing, 31:07 actually they say, 31:09 we, I teach a class on communications 31:12 and listening is the most 31:15 important communication skill you have. 31:17 And the interesting thing is that 31:19 if you want to reach somebody's heart, 31:21 all you have to do is 31:22 ask them questions about themselves. 31:24 Everybody likes to talk about themselves 31:26 and I am surprised, 31:28 particularly you've probably, 31:30 maybe when you're on an airplane 31:31 people know that they may not see you again. 31:34 I'm surprised how I can ask a few open-ended questions 31:38 and have... 31:40 This flood of information... 31:41 A flood of information you know about their, 31:43 what they're going through 31:44 and when you notice especially like a woman to a woman, 31:48 you know, so often I'll notice like a catch 31:51 in their voice or something and I'll start talking, 31:53 you find out they're going through a divorce, 31:55 they're going through this. 31:56 Well, then you have a place, 31:59 a launching point from which you can witness 32:03 and oftentimes, sometimes you get to that point 32:07 right at the very end 32:09 but what I will do is say, you know, 32:12 I believe in the power of God and the power of prayer, 32:17 do you believe in God? 32:19 And often they'll say, 32:21 yes, I've had one little lady say, 32:23 "I'm not sure," and I said, 32:25 "Would you mind if I pray for you?" 32:28 And, you know, when I finished praying, 32:31 she was weeping and she said, 32:34 "I think I do believe that you know God." 32:37 I didn't say, I believe but knew God." 32:39 But she said, "I do believe that you know God." 32:41 So, you know, you can get information, follow up, 32:45 but it doesn't matter where we go, 32:47 the idea is as you said, 32:50 Christ met the needs, 32:53 people are without peace, 32:57 people are hungry 33:00 for some kind of a security, 33:03 people, you know, we feel like 33:05 we've made so many advances in communication, 33:08 and I think that what was happening nowadays 33:11 is we are artificially connected. 33:14 People are losing their social skills 33:15 because they're constantly on the phone doing this. 33:18 So they're artificially connected 33:20 to actually take time out and put your phone down, 33:24 when you're at a doctor's office 33:25 and start talking with somebody, 33:28 I mean, you know this, or sometimes it ends up, 33:31 you run into a couple of Christians 33:33 and it's a hallelujah course, you just got 33:35 and then you've got other people 33:37 sitting by going, wow, listen to this. 33:41 Praise God. Yeah. 33:42 I think that it's important to recognize, 33:45 I get people asking me this question, 33:46 especially when I had students, you know, 33:48 they go canvassing and they knock on doors 33:50 and people ask these questions like, 33:51 well, this guy asked this question, 33:52 what do I do when someone ask me this question 33:54 and what I generally shared with him 33:56 and it took time in ministry for me to figure this out 33:58 that just because someone is asking a question, 34:01 it doesn't mean they actually want the answer. 34:02 Thank you. 34:04 They're just looking for an argument, 34:05 hence one of the things 34:07 that you need to be praying about 34:08 when you're interacting with this person is, 34:11 am I just going to be playing 34:13 Bible tennis for the next 15 minutes 34:14 or does this person actually want to have a conversation? 34:17 And if they don't want to converse, 34:19 they just want to argue, 34:20 I'm not going to give them what they want. 34:21 Right. 34:23 Ellen White talks about finding ways 34:24 where you can meet on common ground 34:25 and build from there. 34:27 We can change the trajectory of the situation 34:30 by disarming their prejudices 34:32 and the only way that's going to happen 34:34 is by listening and finding ways you still can, 34:36 you know, have that common ground. 34:38 It's all different for canvassing 34:40 because you got to hit and get situation 34:41 but still understanding 34:43 that you don't have to have these, 34:44 again we're looking for the perfect answer, 34:46 we're looking for the zing to be able to fix a problem, 34:49 it doesn't always work that way. 34:51 And there will be situations 34:52 where it maybe didn't end positively 34:55 and there's nothing that you did was wrong 34:56 and that just happen sometimes. 34:58 And sometimes we get really discouraged. 35:00 But Ellen White talks about in the Prophets and Kings 13, 35:05 because it can be intimidating 35:07 this idea of going into ministry, 35:08 but she says in Prophets and Kings 171, 35:11 she says, "As those who have an understanding of Bible truth 35:13 try to seek out the men and women 35:15 who are longing for light, 35:17 she says the angels of God will attend them. 35:20 And where angels go none need fear to move forward. 35:23 And as a result of the faithful efforts 35:25 of consecrated workers, 35:27 many will be turned from idolatry 35:29 to the worship of the living God." 35:30 Amen. 35:32 If you knew that you had all of heaven at your disposal 35:34 and by your side when you were witnessing, 35:36 you'd be more confident 35:38 and quiet to wait upon the answer from heaven 35:40 and to go forward, 35:41 and in some moments 35:43 it's in not arguing and just praying. 35:45 Amen, amen. 35:46 I like what you said though about 35:47 establishing common ground. 35:49 I was first introduced, 35:53 my first introduction to an Adventist 35:55 I asked them, you know, 35:57 JD grew up Adventist but he didn't, I mean, he said, 36:00 he slept through it all, 36:02 he really didn't know what the church believed. 36:04 So I went with him to a reunion 36:08 and so I asked one of his friends, 36:10 I mean, I didn't know anything about Adventist, 36:11 and I asked one of his friends, I said, 36:13 "Well, what do Adventists believe? 36:15 And this man turned to me 36:17 and I learned later that JD said, 36:19 "That's the one person I was hoping 36:21 you won't even talk to", 36:22 but he turned to me and he said, 36:24 "We believe you must go to church on the seventh day, 36:28 Saturday Sabbath, 36:30 we believe you cannot eat pork and shrimp, 36:32 we believe in our prophet Ellen White." 36:33 Well. 36:35 And I said, "Well, I believe in the gift of prophecy," 36:37 Does she followed the Bible? 36:38 "Oh, she's got so much more to say 36:40 than the Bible has to say." 36:42 I would not have anything to do with Adventist. 36:46 I mean, it was just like this. 36:48 I didn't want anything to do with Adventism. 36:53 And I thought they were occult. 36:56 When the local church bought the downlink 37:00 and it changed to 3ABN, 37:01 I refused to let JD watch that, 37:04 I said, that's occult 37:05 don't you watch those people, you know. 37:07 And the point that I'm making is 37:11 sometimes we've got to get, you know, 37:15 what we should be doing is lifting high Jesus. 37:18 Amen. Amen. 37:20 The 2,300 days, 37:21 if somebody doesn't have a relationship with Jesus 37:24 then, you know, they can know everything 37:27 there is to know about prophecy. 37:28 But if they haven't given their heart to Christ, 37:31 it's not going to be something that really converts them. 37:36 So I think that what we need to do is like 37:39 I've learned when people ask me what church do you go to, 37:42 I would say, 37:44 I'm a Seventh-day Adventist Christian. 37:45 We believe in salvation by grace through faith alone. 37:50 And we believe that, you know, 37:51 and I would start off something like that, 37:55 talk about some things 37:57 that we might have in common, 37:59 lift Jesus high so that He can draw to Himself. 38:03 Well done. Well done. Yes. 38:04 That was the crux, well, not the crux 38:05 but certainly one of the main 38:07 focus points of the 1888 Movement. 38:10 Ellen White had said, "We've gotten so law oriented, 38:13 we got so works oriented 38:15 that our sermons are as dry as the hills of the Gilboa, 38:17 also they are Christless." 38:19 Yes. 38:20 "And you cannot convert anybody to Christ 38:22 preaching a Christless doctrine." 38:24 Yes. 38:26 And you cannot define yourself by what you do not do, 38:28 we don't drink, we don't smoke, well, that's not who you are. 38:31 And we tend to do that, 38:32 it's like you've got this baby crying for milk, 38:34 you toss some mistake and say, here, 38:36 knock yourself out. 38:37 Well, that he can't do anything with that. 38:38 He's got to have milk, 38:40 he's got to have something that he can digest 38:42 and that will nourish him. 38:44 And sometimes the truth has come on 38:46 a little too heavy and a little too strong. 38:48 Oh, you've got to be wise and harmless, 38:51 and sometimes we are unwise and harmful, 38:55 but you never are wrong when you lift up Jesus, 38:57 because this is all about Jesus. 38:58 That's the teaching of, I mean, Jesus taught that. 39:01 You're saying exactly what He said. 39:03 He said, "I have a whole lot to say to you." 39:05 I think it's Mark 4:33, "I have a whole lot to say, 39:07 but you're not able to bear it." 39:09 Yeah. Yes. 39:10 He was a listener 39:11 and then He put that all together, 39:13 but when He got the disciples by themself, 39:15 He went ahead and elaborate a little bit more, didn't He? 39:17 But wisdom and I think everyone's brought it out, 39:20 wisdom is simply knowing when to speak, 39:23 and when to keep our mouth shut. 39:25 Yeah. Yeah. 39:26 Let's put it simple, straight and we'll all understand that, 39:28 because that's what the Bible says. 39:30 Yeah. Yeah. 39:31 And one thing I found out just quickly, 39:33 one thing I found out is in witnessing. 39:36 If you want to witness for Christ, 39:38 not one day will pass by 39:41 that you will not have that opportunity 39:43 to witness for Him. 39:44 When that is your prayer, 39:46 I know before I went into the ministry, 39:47 I was doing construction, carpenter work for years, 39:50 that was one of my burdens 39:52 as I was converted after being in the church 39:54 for a lot of years. 39:56 I didn't know what conversion was, 39:57 being an Adventist for quite a few years, 40:00 teaching Sabbath school lesson, 40:01 teaching the young married class, 40:03 I didn't know what conversion really meant. 40:05 You could talk it out of the word, you know, 40:07 talk to others about it, 40:08 but to really have the change of heart and mind, 40:11 I didn't realize it what it was until it happened. 40:14 And so I begin to pray when conversion came. 40:17 Lord, do not let the sun go down 40:19 on this day that You don't give me 40:21 an opportunity to witness for You. 40:22 Amen. 40:23 No matter where I'm at, I'm in the north 40 building 40:25 my house somewhere out there and I can't get away from that, 40:27 please send somebody. 40:29 Every day, every day for years 40:32 and that's what happened to getting transferred 40:34 from construction to ministry. 40:37 I got so busy, it's all the Holy Spirit, 40:40 we understand that. 40:41 Got so busy talking about Jesus that I couldn't drive nails. 40:45 I couldn't, I'm looking, 40:47 I'm thinking, oh, I've talked to, 40:49 people would be lost because when you're so far out, 40:51 maybe building a house, a farmhouse 40:52 and you're not there, 40:54 but they're lost as it were directions 40:56 and they just stop by. 40:57 No, I know there were an answer to prayer, 40:59 I knew when I was coming up the drive they were, 41:01 and so you talk about Jesus. 41:03 So I learned that in every day before the sun would set, 41:08 I'll have the opportunity 41:10 to lift up in the name of Jesus. 41:11 Amen. 41:12 So I'm saying if you're sincere about it, 41:14 Ellen White says this, she says all 41:15 and the scripture is clear on it, 41:17 "Those true, who love Jesus with all their heart, 41:19 the true Christians 41:21 will always have opportunity to witness for Him." 41:25 True Christians, you know, if you're not true, 41:27 you're gonna be praying there, 41:28 you're not gonna be on your knees, 41:30 you're not gonna be laboring. 41:31 But I came to the point where I could as it were, 41:33 I know the spirit was doing. 41:35 I thank all the angels but a lot of... 41:36 The Lord emptied out a bunch of angels 41:38 there with me lot of times building the house, 41:39 because I could do more in four hours 41:42 than I could do in eight when I used four for Him. 41:44 Yeah. 41:46 Does that make sense? Yes, it does. 41:47 It's like tithing, four hours, oh, I'm gonna have to hurry, 41:50 all the four hours I've spent talking about Jesus, 41:52 I better hurry. 41:53 Well, this is the only time I could ever say that, 41:55 everything I did was right after that point, 41:59 because the Lord was helping me, you see. 42:01 Yeah. And, yeah. 42:02 We were in London a little bit ago 42:04 and I remember talking with an elder there, 42:05 and I'll say this very quickly, 42:07 he was bemoaning the fact that he didn't feel, 42:10 he knew enough Bible to go and witness. 42:12 He said, but I just like, 42:14 I knew more and I talked with him, 42:15 he had a pretty good handle on the word. 42:17 But you don't want to wait till you know everything, 42:20 because you'll never know everything, 42:21 because you'll never go. 42:24 Take what you know, take your testimony, 42:26 pray and go in the power of the Holy Spirit 42:28 and you will do more than you thought you could do 42:31 because you're doing it in the power of the Lord. 42:34 I want to read something real, real quick 42:35 just a couple of lines 42:37 that Ellen White writes, she says, 42:40 "The value of our work does not consist 42:42 in making a loud noise in the world, 42:45 in being zealous, eager and active in our own strength. 42:48 The value of our work is in proportion 42:51 to the impartation of the Holy Spirit." 42:53 Amen. That's it. 42:54 "The value of our work comes through trust in God, 42:58 which brings holier qualities of mind 43:00 so that impatience we may possess our souls." 43:04 So you pray, you pray yourself up, 43:08 you go armed with the Holy Spirit... 43:10 It has to be filled with the Holy Spirit. 43:11 Amen. And the Lord will do the work. 43:12 Yes. 43:14 I think Jesus first of all was the king of tact. 43:17 Like He knew immediately like, 43:20 they started asking these questions, 43:21 they're trying to corner Him 43:22 and then He comes up with these brilliant ideas of, 43:24 you know, John the Baptist, 43:26 you know, what do you think about this guy? 43:28 You know, the Son of Man, whose Son is He? 43:29 And He starts, 43:31 He had these perfect ways of disarming difficult situations 43:33 because He was in tune with His Father, 43:34 but I had two other things in response 43:36 to what you had mentioned, 43:38 the first was that Ellen White had a whole lot to say 43:40 about argumentative discourses in her day. 43:42 She did. 43:43 Adventist ministers were well known at that stage 43:45 that they would come into town, 43:46 they look for the Baptist minister 43:48 and they have a showdown at the OK Corral. 43:49 Exactly. 43:50 And she said, "That wasn't winning people's hearts, 43:53 arguments don't." 43:54 Yeah. And she counseled against that. 43:56 But the last thing that I wanted to mention 43:58 before I have a quote here is that, 44:01 whenever you don't know what to do, 44:03 going to Bible college put me in a situation 44:05 where I had to go out and do door-to-door work 44:07 and do Bible work, 44:08 and I didn't realize 44:10 that God could use me in ministry 44:11 until I went out and did ministry. 44:13 Amen. 44:14 And I think all of us were testified of the fact 44:16 that the way that we found out the things that we, 44:17 you know, I've had people say, 44:19 well, you know, I don't know what you know, 44:20 the only way I came to know 44:21 what I know was by doing what I had with what I had. 44:24 I just went out and did something 44:25 with what I had 44:27 and God continue to provide more. 44:28 And I had people say, you know, 44:29 "Show me from the Bible that I can't drink wine, 44:32 show me from the Bible that I can't, 44:34 you know, eat meat or whatever, I'm thinking, man, 44:35 counsels on diets and food 44:37 would make this a whole lot easier 44:38 but I had to, I had to do 44:40 a whole lot of searching for myself 44:41 to prove these things. 44:42 It makes you better in knowing these things by doing it. 44:46 And one last thing I want to share from... 44:48 Before you, I just have to, let me... 44:49 Go ahead. 44:51 Here is the perfect segue is that what you said is that, 44:54 you show them from the Bible. 44:56 I think that should be always our arguments. 44:58 I don't think we should to be taking 45:01 someone else's writings to try to convince someone. 45:05 We need to be able to, 45:07 if we are trying to defend a doctrine 45:09 or to share a doctrine, it has to come from the Bible. 45:11 Yeah. Yes. 45:13 I don't think it was ever designed 45:14 that we lead with the Spirit of Prophecy. 45:16 Never. No. 45:17 We lead with the Lord, that's a doctrine, 45:18 which comes in the train of doctrine. 45:20 That's right. 45:21 Your basic understanding should be from scripture, 45:24 your proof should be from scripture. 45:25 Absolutely. Yeah. 45:27 When I came into the church 45:28 I was hearing things in the reverse order, 45:31 you know, this is the standard that we should go by 45:32 but I found and that's what kind of made me hesitant 45:35 to become an Adventist initially. 45:36 Yes. 45:37 As it was with Shelley, 45:39 but when I found these things in scripture, 45:40 I realized this is it, man, like this is, 45:42 we can prove it all here without having to go elsewhere. 45:44 But this makes this even more beautiful 45:47 and wraps additional language 45:50 around the things that we believe from scripture 45:52 that are easier for me to understand, I found. 45:54 But it further what already knew biblically, 45:56 this is from Christian Service 186 45:58 regarding the approach of Jesus. 46:00 "Jesus worked to relieve 46:02 every case of suffering that He saw. 46:04 He had little money to give, 46:06 but He often denied Himself of food 46:08 in order to relieve those 46:10 who appeared more needy than He. 46:12 His brothers felt that His influence went far 46:15 to counteract theirs. 46:17 He possessed a tact which none of them had, 46:19 or desired to have. 46:21 When they spoke harshly to the poor, 46:22 degraded beings, 46:24 Jesus sought out these very ones, 46:25 and spoke to them words of encouragement. 46:28 To those who were in need 46:30 He would give a cup of cold water, 46:31 and would quietly place His own meal in their hands. 46:34 As He relieved their sufferings, 46:36 the truths that He taught were associated 46:39 with His acts of mercy, 46:41 and were thus riveted in the memory." 46:42 Amen. 46:44 So the soil preparation of service 46:46 prepared the ground to receive the seed of truth 46:49 and that's what brought forth 46:50 about the harvest in His ministry. 46:52 And Christ of course was operating 46:54 from the divine essence of His character 46:57 which was love. 46:58 And when someone... 47:00 I think the most important thing 47:01 it doesn't matter, you may not drink, 47:03 you may not smoke, you may be a vegan, 47:05 you may be all of these things, 47:07 it doesn't mean that you have the Holy Spirit. 47:09 That's right. 47:10 So have we know, that we have the Holy Spirit, 47:14 He is God, God is love 47:16 if we are filled 47:18 with this divine essence of God's self sacrificing love, 47:23 1 Thessalonians 3:12, 47:24 one of my favorites Paul 3:12-14, Paul said, 47:29 "May the Lord make you increase in abound 47:31 in the love to one another." 47:33 Amen. 47:34 And he said, 47:36 "So that He may establish your hearts 47:39 blameless in holiness 47:41 at the coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." 47:44 So the more we grow in love, the more we grow in holiness, 47:48 and this is when we are going out, 47:51 if you're going out to prove, 47:57 to build up your own pride 47:58 or something, that's not going to get it, 48:01 but when now you went out to call on 48:03 you know, knock on doors 48:05 and that would make my knees knock, 48:06 I can stand in front of 20,000 people and speak, 48:10 but to go door-to-door would make my knees knock. 48:13 The thing is that once you went out, 48:16 God blessed your effort, 48:18 but you're going out, out of a heart of love. 48:20 Absolutely. 48:21 And that's what we need to pray that what we do each day is, 48:27 you know, Lord fill me with Your Holy Spirit, 48:29 give me a divine appointment, lead me, 48:32 but it is important how we live that is our witness to people. 48:37 Yes. 48:38 But we also cannot just stop 48:40 because I think about the woman 48:43 who called Danny recently, who said, 48:46 "She'd been watching 3ABN, became an Adventist," 48:50 and she said, "But God helped me, 48:52 I've got to overcome this feeling 48:54 I have about my neighbors." 48:57 Turned out her, 48:58 she said she had wonderful neighbors, 49:00 they were Seventh-day Adventist, 49:01 they lived next to her for what, 18 years was it? 49:03 It was a long time. A long time. 49:05 And she said, "I thought they loved me, 49:07 but they never loved me enough to share the truth." 49:10 So it can't just be our witness, 49:13 as to what we do, 49:15 it also has to be that we're bold enough to speak. 49:18 Yeah, there is this fine line 49:20 between friendship evangelism that is under address, 49:22 sometimes we hide behind an idea of friendship evangelism 49:25 that I'm a Seventh-day Adventist 49:26 and they're my friend 49:28 and that's friendship evangelism. 49:29 Yeah. You know, that's friendship. 49:30 Friendship evangelism is looking for ways 49:33 to invest in them spiritually, 49:34 to bless them to give of yourself 49:36 and be ready in season 49:37 to give them a word when they are weary. 49:39 And to be proactive in that sense, 49:41 I think it's important. 49:42 Yeah. Amen. 49:44 Yeah, and to close the circle on that, 49:45 if you study, and pray, and observe, 49:47 they will show you ways to minister to them, 49:49 you're not going be there. 49:51 Going back to something you said, Shelley, 49:52 I'm looking at this quick quote where she says, we're told, 49:56 this is a book Evangelism by the way, 49:58 "There must be no duplicity or crookedness 50:00 in the life of the worker. 50:03 When the error is held even in held even insincerity 50:07 it's dangerous to insincerity in the truth is fatal." 50:11 So one of the things we need to do 50:12 I believe is question our own motives. 50:15 We're going back to what you have said, 50:17 and go with a pure heart and a pure motive. 50:19 And if you go with a pure heart and a pure motive 50:21 in the power and strength of Christ, 50:23 you will get results, 50:24 God will give results to your labors, 50:26 they will not be in vain, 50:27 but your heart's got to be right, you know. 50:29 Amen. And your motive has to be pure. 50:32 Amen, and in Acts 26, talking to Jesus, 50:35 talking about the calling of Paul. 50:37 He said, "I call you to be a witness and a minister." 50:41 I thought very interesting that word witness on there 50:43 if you look it up and studied 50:45 and analogy of would be is a martyr, 50:49 very interesting those who are really a witness, 50:53 because certainly you know, you can look and you say, 50:54 "Well yeah, it's still, you know, it's still a record, 50:56 it's still a witness, it's still talking about 50:58 but at the end results 51:00 Christ calls us to be His witness 51:02 whatever the cost may be 51:05 and we dare not accept that challenge 51:07 that we are to bear witness 51:09 to the world by giving the gospel 51:11 and then the end shall come. 51:14 So we need to keep that under, 51:15 I'll tell you it's not under our hats 51:17 when you take them off and put it out there quickly 51:18 if we want Jesus to come, let's all of us get excited, 51:21 let's all of us think about we want to witness for Jesus, 51:24 let's get out and do something for Him, 51:27 let's witness and that means to be born again and to what, 51:31 let people see Jesus in you. 51:32 The truth is you cannot give what you do not have. 51:34 Thank you. 51:35 You got to have Jesus, before you share Jesus. 51:36 Yeah, I just real quick, 51:38 remember that we are ambassadors for the Lord 51:40 and wherever we go, 51:42 it doesn't matter if you are out to eat 51:44 and maybe if somebody is slighted you, 51:47 they're doing something wrong as far as wait staff 51:50 or if you have somebody 51:52 that's giving you their cranky and they're at Walmart, 51:55 supermarket or something, 51:56 we need to remember that people 51:58 identify with us by how we respond, 52:02 so we have to be Christian in our actions. 52:04 You know, an even as bigger this world 52:07 is you could probably give somebody a peace of your mind 52:09 and never they will never see you again, 52:11 so they'll never connect you with Adventism, 52:14 but the upshot is you've lost the chance 52:15 to witness to that person and plan to see, 52:18 so you freed your spleen, 52:19 you know, you've said what I've told them off, 52:21 they don't know you're an Adventist 52:22 so they'll never make a connection, 52:24 but you've defaulted 52:26 in the opportunity of lifting up Jesus 52:28 before that person. 52:29 Amen. 52:31 Well, we're going to go to our news break. 52:32 We'll come back, closing thoughts, 52:34 put a little bow on this and before we end our program, 52:37 we'll be right back. |
Revised 2017-07-14