- In these closing
minutes, I want to reiterate how
00:00:01.36\00:00:03.00
important it is for each
of us as Christians to be
00:00:03.10\00:00:05.93
involved in ministry
and to serve. I want to ask
00:00:06.00\00:00:10.44
Karl to share the importance
of serving. - Yeah. I'm
00:00:10.51\00:00:16.44
thinking, years ago, I
was out jogging early one
00:00:16.48\00:00:20.72
morning; it was very,
very cold. Happened to
00:00:20.82\00:00:23.82
jog past a school
and had an opportunity to
00:00:23.92\00:00:28.39
practice my primary spiritual
gift of eavesdropping...
00:00:28.46\00:00:33.26
[laughter]...listening
in on a conversation
00:00:33.36\00:00:35.30
between two of these
kids. The one boy was
00:00:35.36\00:00:37.73
stationed out in
the middle of the street
00:00:37.83\00:00:40.00
to assure the safe
crossing of his classmates
00:00:40.10\00:00:43.27
and he was wearing
this bright orange vest, 10
00:00:43.37\00:00:45.74
sizes bigger than
he was. - Right, I can
00:00:45.81\00:00:48.14
see it. - A girl
walked in front of him, and
00:00:48.21\00:00:51.01
she said, "Good morning,
Matthew!" "Good morning,
00:00:51.08\00:00:53.01
Jessica." "How are
you today?" He said, "I'm
00:00:53.05\00:00:57.19
about to freeze to death."
I just loved her response.
00:00:57.29\00:01:01.22
In fact, I ran home and
wrote it down so I wouldn't
00:01:01.32\00:01:04.16
forget it, and I've
told the story often
00:01:04.23\00:01:06.36
through the years. When
he said, "Well, I'm about
00:01:06.43\00:01:10.13
to freeze to
death," she shrugged her
00:01:10.23\00:01:12.47
shoulders and she said,
"Well, if you died here,
00:01:12.53\00:01:15.77
at least you'd die
in the service." - Oh,
00:01:15.87\00:01:18.47
wow. - And it struck me-
that's how I want to die.
00:01:18.57\00:01:23.18
- Exactly. - Helping
a child across a street
00:01:23.24\00:01:26.31
or volunteering at
the good neighbor house or
00:01:26.41\00:01:29.52
going on a short-term
mission trip or listening
00:01:29.58\00:01:32.42
to somebody going
through a tough time in life, or
00:01:32.52\00:01:35.42
whatever that looks
like in my life, you know?
00:01:35.46\00:01:40.70
Or if Jesus comes
before I die, I hope when He
00:01:40.76\00:01:44.60
comes, He finds me
serving in His Name
00:01:44.70\00:01:48.54
and being His
church. [Amen.] - What a way
00:01:48.60\00:01:52.11
to go, right? - Yeah,
exactly. - In the service.
00:01:52.17\00:01:54.84
I am reminded of
the words in Matthew 25.
00:01:55.61\00:01:59.41
It says, "For I
was hungry and you gave
00:02:02.05\00:02:04.15
me food; I was thirsty
and you gave me something
00:02:04.25\00:02:07.02
to drink. I was a stranger
and you brought me together
00:02:07.09\00:02:10.29
with yourselves and
welcomed and entertained
00:02:10.36\00:02:12.59
and lodged me."
Verse 36, "I was naked and
00:02:12.69\00:02:16.06
you clothed me. I was
sick and you visited me
00:02:16.16\00:02:18.50
with help and ministering
care. I was in prison,
00:02:18.57\00:02:21.44
and you came to see
me." And it goes on to say
00:02:21.50\00:02:24.61
that we don't always
know when we're doing
00:02:24.67\00:02:26.98
those things, but
in that we do it to the
00:02:27.08\00:02:29.31
least of one of
these. Jesus says, "You've
00:02:29.41\00:02:31.48
done it unto me."
So, just remember that.
00:02:31.55\00:02:34.92
That's the
importance of serving and being
00:02:34.98\00:02:39.25
a part of ministry
that is impacting worldwide
00:02:39.32\00:02:43.56
what you can do locally,
and it's eternally - the
00:02:43.63\00:02:47.53
returns are eternal.
Thank you, gentlemen,
00:02:47.63\00:02:50.40
for being involved in
this ministry; thank you
00:02:50.47\00:02:53.10
for your roles that
you play there. Again,
00:02:53.13\00:02:55.24
I know it's something
that you do daily. You
00:02:55.30\00:03:00.34
see you get down, and
this is boots on the ground
00:03:00.41\00:03:02.71
and working in
the ministry, so thank
00:03:02.78\00:03:05.81
you, and thank you
for being a part of this.
00:03:05.91\00:03:07.58
In closing, just
tell me the way this has
00:03:08.65\00:03:13.76
impacted your life
personally. I know it
00:03:13.82\00:03:17.89
affects those
people, but what does this do
00:03:17.99\00:03:20.56
for you? - Well, you
know, it really truly
00:03:20.63\00:03:23.73
is a greater
blessing to be able to serve.
00:03:23.83\00:03:26.94
I mean, if you
go, "I'm helping these
00:03:27.04\00:03:28.37
people," but when you're
actually getting where the
00:03:28.40\00:03:30.67
rubber meets the road,
it's almost like, "Am I
00:03:30.77\00:03:33.24
supposed to be blessed
this much? I'm supposed
00:03:33.34\00:03:36.14
to be helping
those people!" But that's
00:03:36.21\00:03:38.48
really where it is.
And you know, I really want
00:03:38.58\00:03:41.18
to encourage everyone
that God has a work for
00:03:41.25\00:03:43.99
each of you. He has
a plan for each of you.
00:03:44.05\00:03:47.02
I don't look for it
each day. "Oh, what's He
00:03:48.12\00:03:51.26
gonna do?" It's,
"God, just use me." - Right.
00:03:51.33\00:03:53.93
- And that's, to
me, what I've discovered
00:03:54.00\00:03:55.90
it's all about. -
Yeah. Frank? Any words? - You
00:03:55.96\00:03:58.57
know, my gift, so
to speak, my career was
00:03:58.67\00:04:02.77
in the administration
governments. So, to
00:04:02.87\00:04:06.47
be involved in
the governments of a
00:04:06.57\00:04:09.81
life-changing daily
ministry, it energizes
00:04:09.88\00:04:15.95
me. It keeps me
young. People say, "Are you
00:04:16.05\00:04:20.29
retired?" I say,
"No! I'm engaged; I'm
00:04:20.36\00:04:23.76
involved," and I believe
firmly that it's medicine
00:04:23.86\00:04:29.23
to the soul. So,
being able to be engaged in
00:04:29.33\00:04:33.84
Christ's work while
on earth is a greatest
00:04:33.94\00:04:39.87
privilege that I could
ever imagine. - Amen. And
00:04:39.97\00:04:44.85
don't forget, viewers,
as you are our audience
00:04:44.95\00:04:48.62
but you are part of
the family. You are what
00:04:48.72\00:04:51.79
makes this
ministry continue. So, thank
00:04:51.89\00:04:53.92
you for giving to
the Lord and continue
00:04:54.02\00:04:55.66
doing so. Bless you.
00:04:55.76\00:04:58.19